Darkness Within
Note: grin R&R, please. I love this story! Sorry… on with it, then.
Chapter 9: Return to Home
Fighting back the need to scream and run far away, Fiacha let Dolan steer her onto the plane and into a seat. In her shaking hand was a picture of Joey that she'd found in his house and taken along with her stuff. He would forget her, she knew, but that didn't mean that she had to forget him.
"Fiacha, please try to relax. I know that you are upset, but I have no doubt that you can be very happy with Marik."
"I don't- wanna-be-happy with Marik! I wanna be happy with Joey!"
"I've tried to be nice to you sister, but now I will speak my mind. You are acting like a worthless child with a crush, and I will not have that from my sister. Accept your duty to this family and THROW THAT PICTURE OUT!"
Shrinking back, she clutched the picture more tightly and looked out the window. There went Domino and all of her hopes of a happy ending to her sad tale.
POV JOEY:
She got on the plane and broke my heart in the same step. But I couldn't just stand there and let her go, not when she didn't want to. I should have told her so many times, and now it was too late. Unless I can still make it in time to do something. Unless Yuge agrees to help, since I know this has something to do with him. I just can't let her go on without knowing. I can't marry some other girl. I won't bend to the stupid "winds of fate" or whatever. I'm going after her, and no one can stop me. Uh… FIFTEEN DOLLARS? How rich do this people think I am? A plane ticket for fifteen dollars to Egypt? Crap. Where's Yuge?
BACK TO THE NARRATOR:
The skies of Egypt had never looked so bleak and cruel, and she had never wanted more to be back in the dark. Oh, why couldn't she have just figured out how to give the pharaoh back his stupid memory?
"We're here, sister. And Marik is waiting for you. He wants to explain his acceptance."
"Will you cut it out with the stupid visions? I don't want to hear about them anymore!"
"So you've had a premonition. And you aren't in Wheeler's future, are you? You see, that's the way it should be. Now go and find Marik while I get the luggage. Oh, and sister, PUT DOWN THAT STUPID PHOTO!"
Filled with too much sadness to handle, Fiacha walked slowly, head held high, to where Marik was waiting. She tried to control herself, but anger swelled inside her so quickly that she could not catch up to it.
"I cannot believe that you would do this to me," she whispered fiercely, not wanting to make a huge scene in the airport.
"Fiacha, let me-"
"I don't care what you have to say. I hate you, and I always will. The only reason I am cooperating is because of what I have foreseen, and because I know that it is the right thing to do, sacrificing myself for the good of others. The pharaoh's memories are dangerous, and therefore they will perish with me."
"You have to let me explain, Fiacha. You are under the impression that you play a very large part in the future. This is true, but you are not the one at risk here. It's deeper than just… this."
"I don't want to hear you silly excuses. You just want power."
"YOU THINK THAT I'M DOING THIS OUT OF SOME SICK PASSION FOR YOU! Don't you, Fiacha?" His yelling was scary, but that was nothing compared to the calm threat in his whisper.
"Well, I… This just isn't what I hoped for, is all. I lived a life of unhappiness before going to Domino, but it was there that I started to know what happiness was. I am not keen to return to a life of obedience."
"You said that you foresaw something, yes?"
She nodded.
"I did as well. It was not your father or my siblings that convinced me to say yes to this arrangement, it was what would have happened if I had said no."
"What would have happened? You would grow old alone?"
"No. Your father would think that this was the fault of your new friends in Domino, and he would start to lose his mind at the loss of this power that he thinks he can gain through this union. And he would have tried to reclaim power in any way possible. But in a twister mind, the only way to do that was get rid of the ones who had caused this. Joey Wheeler, Yugi Moto, Duke Devlin, Tristan Taylor and Tea Gardner would have been murdered. And then… I think you could see the reaction that you would have to losing the love of your life to an assassin, and losing all of your friends to the same hand. I think that this is the only way to prevent that."
"But… dead? All of them? Because of… me?"
"Actually, because of me, but I knew that you wouldn't see it that way. As for the pharaoh, the decision of whether or not to return his memory is yours alone to make."
Fiacha could not think of a good response, so she just looked sadly at her little crumpled photograph. Before she knew that she was crying, there was a tear on Joey's smiling face. Her tear. The last one she was going to let herself cry.
"I… I guess there really isn't any choice, then, is there?"
"I would assume not. Now, do you want to act like your being dutiful, or that we are actually… we really feel that way about each other. It's up to you, but I don't think grumbling about destiny and self-sacrifice will please your father very much."
She stared at him, completely stunned that he could speak so calmly about manners such as pretending to be in love with one person, when your heart belongs to some else entirely. It just wasn't right.
"I suppose… we can just be truthful. We're close enough to being friends, and this is an arrangement made by our families. That's all of it, save for why we really agreed to it. That's all anyone needs to know."
She knew that her voice was cold and empty, but she had no other way to keep from crying. Her life was beginning to seem to be only for keeping others safe. And that little girl she had seen… that she was so beautiful and happy… it was enough to make her stick to it. Such a person should be able to exist, and she was nothing to stand in the way. It was so logical, so clear. So why did it feel as she was ripping out her own heart?
"Daughter, I'm glad you have chosen to regain your honor in going through with this. You brought shame upon this family by leaving, but in showing that you can put your family, and the pharaoh, first, you will rid of us that curse of dishonor. You have made me proud. And you will be a beautiful bride."
They were trying on the ceremonial wedding garb that had been used in her family for nearly a thousand generations, and had found that it needed little adjustment. She took very much after her mother.
And indeed that girl in the mirror should have been happy, but there was a sullen darkness in her eyes that was hard to ignore. Her father saw it all right; he simply did not care. As long as she was being a good girl, the rest did not matter.
It was time to go, and she could scarcely breathe. She had to meet with Marik to decide an exact date and time for the wedding. Only, she would prefer that he just decide and drag her there when it was time, so she wouldn't have to dread what seemed to spell the end of any possible happiness for her life.
"I'm thinking we should get it over with as soon as possible, Fiacha. Like, two days from now, maybe?"
Two days? But… it was going to happen some time. It might as well be sooner rather than later.
"Of course."
Marik frowned at her, although she didn't know why, but he said nothing of it. "Alright, then. Now, about the food…"
After about an hour of agreeing with everything Marik said, she was at last able to return to her room and stare at the wall, contemplating her bleak future. No more laughing at Joey's jokes… no more anything related to happiness at all. And she'd only just found it, too. At least that made it less of a loss.
But what to do with her last two days of freedom? She could stare endlessly at the wall, which wasn't getting anymore interesting, or she could keep herself busy.
Sighing unhappily, she stood up and pulled out a piece of paper and her long unused drawing supplies. Maybe she would still remember how… As soon as her pencil hit the paper, she was wildly drawing without conscious thought as to the subject. An eyebrow here…no, hair would cover that… and that. Deep, puppy dog eyes… sweet natured smile… muscular arms… and… done!
And then she realized; she had just drawn Joey. She had meant to take her mind off of him, and now she had just created his likeness on paper. But what a beautiful likeness it was…
She couldn't take it. She just couldn't handle the pain. Maybe she was weak, maybe she was shameful… but anything was better than this. She had fallen in love, now she was positive of it, and she'd just walked away. She couldn't be the good girl. She never had been. She was going to run.
But she couldn't. If Joey was killed, she'd never forgive herself. At least he was alive and happy and going to marry some pretty, red haired woman with bright blue eyes. He deserved someone like that, not a cursed girl with dark hair, grey eyes and a link to the shadows that sought to destroy mankind. He was better off without her. She had to go through with the marriage. In the end, it would benefit the most people.
With a last fond glance at the sketch, she forced it into the secret hole in her room wall in which she kept her most secret possessions. Still in there was her diary from the old days. Picking it up, she glanced at a page and then chucked the whole thing into the fire. The past was in the past now, for good.
The next morning, she was feeling a little better. Now that she knew she was doing the right thing, it was easier to handle. She even got a little bit excited. Generally, a girl only gets to walk down the isle once, and it should be special. She gave herself a manicure and a facial, feeling a slight pang when she though about how Tea would probably enjoy it. Then she set to work on embroidering the last dress she had made herself, woven before her escape to Domino.
Knowing that she wasn't going to be so near her strict father any longer, she used her imagination. As always, a raven went on the sleeve, but the rest was pure imagination. The collar depicted vines crawling into the sea, bent upon their goal with no regards towards their personal health. Like she was trying to be. It was easier, she assumed, for the plants. After all, they didn't really think, did they?
And around the hem were broken hearts and little shadow swirls. It was pretty, and she hoped that the meaning wasn't too sad. It was just how she felt.
"Little raven, open the door for you favorite brother, will you?"
"Oh, Dolan, you know it isn't locked. We don't have locks."
He pushed the door and came in, sitting down softly beside his little sister. "You know that I didn't like the first impression that Wheeler made, yes?"
"I really don't-"
"Yes?"
"Yes, but-"
"But I can see that he really means something to you, and I have a feeling that even your decision to go through with this has something to do with him. So I just want to know, why is he so special?"
"Well… Joey is… he's just… He's always very optimistic, but when he believes in something, you'd best not try and stand in the way, or you'll get plowed down in no time. He just… I can't explain it, Dolan. Something about him just… just makes me happy whenever I'm near him."
Dolan nodded thoughtfully. "They say that you can't explain true love. Did you know that, little sister?"
"I… no."
"So tell me, what will become of him if you don't go through with this?"
"He… I… for one, he'll miss out on having the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen and two… he'll likely be killed by a rampaging father. Our rampaging father."
"Oh, my dear sister, you've finally grown up. I'm so proud of you. And listen… if you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it's meant to be, and if not, it was never yours to begin with. Understand?"
"Not really."
"If Wheeler loves you, he won't let you marry Marik. If he can, Fiacha, he will come. And that means that you can change his fate and yours. Just hope that he brings the pharaoh. When the time comes, I think you will know what to do. Think about it, hmm?"
"Alright. But…I thought you agreed with father."
"Not in a million years, sister. It was to teach you a lesson, only. But now you've learned well. Just listen to your heart."
She shook her head at him, but he was already gone. There was no one there to share her pain. She was alone in the dark once again.
End note: YIKES! I CANNOT figure out where to go next! Any ideas you have will be appreciated, although I can't guarantee that I'll use them. The plot takes itself in the right direction, after all. Argh… my muse has abandoned me! (sobs histerically)
