The Game of Life
By: Rogue Fox
Part Twenty-Three... Welcome Home
A/N: Blah. I am so sorry. Job. Volunteer. Babysit. Blah. I am disgusted with myself. SORRY! Story's starting to draw to a close. So I have a question for you. Which is better; live one last day with your family and friends, and then watch the world burn, or burn yourself and never see them again so the world can live? Let me know.
*+*+*Mai*+*+*
I sat up with a start, instantly remembering what had happened. Where was I? You can imagine my shock when I realized I was in Jou's apartment.
" Good, you're awake. I was starting to worry." Jou's voice suddenly reached my ears. I whipped my head around to see him standing there in a pair of pajama pants and a white tee-shirt.
" How'd I get here?" I wondered.
" Good question." Jou admitted. " I was hoping you knew the answer. You just appeared on my doorstep last night, so I carried you in." he told me. I looked down at myself. My clothes were in a terrible condition, so I tried to run my fingers through my hair. To no avail.
" Man..." I moaned. " Can I use your shower, Jou?" I asked. I often used his shower, so I had some bare essentials stocked in his bathroom.
" Sure, make yourself at home." He said. I stood and made my way to the bathroom, undressed, and climbed into the warm shower. As the warmth coursed through my body, I suddenly remembered the guy who'd saved me. I remembered a flash of bright blonde hair and a strangely familiar voice...
" I'm... I'm a friend." He'd told me. Who was he? I leaned against the wall of the shower, relishing in the comfort, not wanting to think about what would have happened if that guy hadn't shown up.
" Mai, don't take all the hot water! I need a shower too!" Jou yelled through the door.
" Okay, Jou." I called back, smiling. But I was safe now. Jou would never let anything happen to me.
*+*+*Jou*+*+*
Life went on. Holidays and birthdays came and went. Nothing major happened. Unless you count me getting a better car from my dad for my birthday, and I most certainly did. Winter began to fade into spring, and whoever saved Mai made no attempt to contact her. We decided not to read too much into it. Every day went pretty much the same. Kaiba and Yuki dropped Charity off at Grandpa's every school day, and then we all met at school and went to our respective classes. After school, we all went home and usually met at a pre- designated spot a few hours later. I found myself joking and messing around with Yami Bakura, which was something I never thought I'd ever do.
Spring came suddenly, like nature just suddenly woke up from a deep sleep. The flowers began to bloom, and the yamis were enthralled. I love spring. It's my favorite season, aside from summer. I'm sorry, but no amount of soft breezes and sweet flowers can beat the beach and bikinis. No competition. Anyway, we started taking Charity outside. She loved it. Honda and I would leap around the acreage behind the Kaiba Mansion and catch grasshoppers and butterflies for her. There was a sort of rhythm to life, a beat that we all sort of fell into. It felt like we were all relaxing in a river, just lazily floating along. I guess I should have known it was too good to last.
I got to know a lot of the people in my immediate group a lot better in that lazy period. Bakura's stories became one of our favorite pass times. He liked telling them as much as we liked hearing them. Yuki taught us all to play softball in the backyard of the Kaiba Mansion. Turns out I've got a killer pitch, and Yami, with his amazing reflexes, is a great catcher. Mai makes an amazing second baseman, and little Yugi and Ryou trade off shortstop, their small size and agility making them pretty darn good. Our best third baseman is Himeko, who can hurl that ball anywhere on the field. Yuki, Bakura, Kaiba, Anzu, and Honda usually inhabit the outfield, mostly because they're fast and pretty good catches. Anyway, we started customizing Yami's car. We're gonna make it a mint classic. Five thousand year old spirit or no, you can't help but feel a little close to someone who dumped car oil on your head to get back at you for getting a little grease on his favorite leather top.
Anyway, Otogi Ryuuji came back to school around spring break. He had been out of the country for some business stuff that had to do with his dice game. I was glad to see him back. But there was one person who wasn't.
" So who are you guys taking me to meet, anyway?" Ryuuji asked as Yami pulled into the Kaiba driveway.
" Yami and Yugi's two sisters." I explained.
" You two have sisters?" Ryuuji asked Yugi and Yami in the front seat.
" Yeah." Came Yami's short reply. He wasn't used to Ryuuji yet, and didn't have Yugi's trusting nature.
" Cool. Are they cute?" Ryuuji asked. Yami slammed on the brakes and wheeled around in his seat.
" Don't even think about it, buddy." He said angrily. Ryuuji smiled widely.
" No problem." He said. I detected a minor shake in his voice.
" Down, Yami." Yugi said, patting Yami's shoulder. Yami sighed and sat back in his seat and continued down the driveway. I shrugged to Ryuuji when he gave me a questioning look.
We made it the rest of the way to the mansion with no other major happenings. But as we walked up to the door, I heard a huge crash.
" YUKI, QUIT THROWING THE FURNISHINGS!" Kaiba's voice boomed.
" MAKE ME!" Yuki's voice responded quickly. Yami, Yugi, and I looked at each other and rushed in. Who knew what those two were fighting about now?
" Himeko!" Yami called upon entering. Himeko jogged up to us from the living room, a bowl of popcorn in her hand.
" Hey, guys. What's up?" she asked casually. Another crash echoed down from upstairs.
" What's going on?" Yugi asked, and Himeko shrugged.
" I dunno. They were going at it when I got here. Some argument." She said, tossing some popcorn in her mouth as she noticed Ryuuji. " Hmm. Haven't seen you before." She said, appraising him visually.
" Then allow me to introduce myself." Ryuuji said quickly, pausing for a flourish. I looked at Yami, fearful he might try to send Ryuuji to the Shadow Realm. " I'm Otogi Ryuuji. And who might you be, cutie?" Himeko giggled at the praise. Almost as though on cue, Bakura appeared behind her.
" Alright! I've had enough!" Yami cried, trying to pounce Ryuuji. Yugi as I grabbed him just in time.
" Oops. You must be one of his sisters." Ryuuji noted, flashing Yami a submissive look. Bakura took advantage of the moment to drape himself all over Himeko and give Ryuuji a killer glare.
" Yeah, she is." He told Ryuuji. Ryuuji gulped audibly. Himeko ignored both Yami and Bakura, and extended her hand to Ryuuji, who was reluctant to take it.
" I'm Motou Himeko. Nice to meet you." She said. " Hang on, I'll get my hikari." She added, removing herself expertly from Bakura's grip to jog over to the stairs. " Yuki! Get down here! We've got company!" she yelled.
" Just a minute!" Yuki called back. Another crash reached us. " I'M NOT THROUGH WITH YOU!" she bellowed. She appeared at the top of the stairs, looking no different than normal, aside from being slightly flushed. She was greeting Yami, Yugi, and I as she came down the stairs.
Then, a funny thing happened. Both Yuki and Ryuuji would later call it fate. But, in any case, it was funny. Ryou came rushing in through the door behind us, Anzu on his tail and screaming at him about something. He wasn't watching where he was going and plowed right into Ryuuji. Now, in the Kaiba Mansion, the front door is straight across from the stairs. Ryou came barreling in with enough momentum to send Ryuuji crashing into the foot of the stairs. Which happened to be the exact spot Yuki was at when Ryuuji was airborne. So, naturally, Ryuuji slammed right into Yuki, sending the both of them to the floor, him on top of her.
" Well, we're moving a little fast, aren't we?" Ryuuji asked. Two things happened at once. Yami flew into a rage, and so did Yuki. I guess Yuki was having an off day, as odd as that is for her. She shoved Ryuuji of her and slapped him in the face. Then she stormed back up the stairs, where she collided with Kaiba, thus initiating another screaming match.
And that was how the rivalry started. I guess Ryuuji couldn't forgive Yuki for slapping him. He told me later that he was just trying to lighten the mood with a joke. And Yuki never forgave Ryuuji for being so crude. If anyone could make Yuki made, Ryuuji could. They were always going at it. And I never did find out what Kaiba and Yuki were fighting about that day.
Life got a lot noisier with Ryuuji around. He took unlimited delight in setting up a multitude of pranks on Yuki. And Yuki let lose a side of her I'd never seen before. She actually rigged the bathroom door to shock someone trying to open it, and then steered everyone but Ryuuji away from the bathroom.
" Hey, where's the bathroom?" Ryuuji asked Kaiba.
" Down that hall to the left." Yuki interrupted before Kaiba could answer. Kaiba flashed her a strange look, and Ryuuji (who didn't think Yuki had it in her to set up any particularly good pranks) went off in the said direction. I remember Yuki looking unusually pleased with herself.
" What's up with you?" Kaiba asked her. She smiled sweetly.
" Oh, you'll see in a minute." She said. And about a minute later...
FF-ZAAAAP!
" Ow!" Ryuuji howled. He said a lot of other things too, and we had to cover Charity and the boys' ears. Himeko was the first to figure it out, and she burst out laughing as Ryuuji barreled back into the room.
" Who wired the damn door?!" he screamed. Himeko only laughed harder, and at that point, the other yamis caught on.
" What do you mean, wired?" Yuki asked, smiling in a fashion too innocent even for her. Ryuuji glared at her, cradling his right hand to his chest.
" Oh, this means war, you can be sure of that." He growled. Yuki blinked at him.
" What means war?" she asked, still feigning innocence.
Unfortunately, Yuki did get her just desserts, when she and Mai were walking in the back door, Yuki leading the way. She opened the door, thus causing a bucket of ice water to fall on her, bucket and all. Ryuuji was waiting just ahead of her with a Polaroid camera. Now, we had been playing softball just a few hours before, and the big bat us guys use was sitting there in the kitchen. Yuki grabbed it and chased him around the house with it, threatening to "knock that stupid brick you call a head right off your shoulders, if you'd just hold still!"
And that's how life went. A prank here, a near death experience for Ryuuji there. Ryuuji's favorite dice got knocked down the drain "accidentally." In retaliation, the next time Yuki turned on the kitchen tap, the sprayer hose Ryuuji "didn't" rig gave her a good spray. Ryuuji's plans for some new dice monsters got "misplaced," and Yuki's favorite book was conveniently "lost." Yuki had the upper hand, though, because all she had to do was let out a cry of distress, and Honda, Yami, Himeko, and Bakura were all over Ryuuji.
But despite it all, life was good.
Should have known something was going to throw us all for a loop.
Or someone.
*+*+*Unknown*+*+*
I ducked as a dishrag flew past where my head had just been.
" I can't believe you! You're sure they didn't see you?!" she screamed at me.
" I swear, sis! Really! They didn't see me! I hid in the bathroom until they left!" I yelled, stepping out of the way as she swung the frying pan at my head. She suddenly calmed down. A trademark of our family. Sudden, violent tantrums that vanish as quickly as they start.
" You're absolutely sure they didn't see you? Or sense you?" she asked.
" Yeah, I'm sure. None of the yamis were with them. Just those three." I said, glad she wasn't trying to knock my head clean off. She sighed.
" Well, that's good, at least." She said, turning back to the dinner she was preparing on the stove. I sniffed. Mmm, smells like enchiladas... Yum, I thought. " No more close calls, okay? We're not ready yet. This is hard enough, since we have to make it without Rashid, and with you-know-who to deal with."
" I know." I agreed. " Speaking of which, where is he?" I asked, looking around the small kitchen of our apartment as though I expected him to suddenly jump out at me.
" Asleep. He tired himself out during his last tantrum." She told me, shaking her head. " Why is he so violent?"
" I don't know." I said, looking down at the table I was sitting at.
" You should. He's your yami." She told me over her shoulder.
" Trust me, I know." I said, cradling my head in my hands. " You think I chose this life? Neither one of us got much of a choice, remember?" Her spoon clanked loudly and suddenly against the side of the pan.
" I do." She agreed. We were silent for a few minutes.
" When can we make contact? I miss Ryou and Bakura." I said. She glared at me over her shoulder.
" How do you think the Pharaoh would feel to see you again?" she asked. I shrugged.
" I don't think he gives a damn about me." I said.
" He doesn't. But yamis and hikaris come in pairs." She noted. I sighed.
" I guess you're right." I agreed.
" I know I am." She told me. " Don't worry. We'll be able to make contact soon." I sighed again. Soon, she said. I was sick of hiding now. Granted, the Pharaoh would probably blow my ass right off the face of the planet, but still... At least then I wouldn't be hiding like a sniveling coward.
We had arrived in Domino a few months ago, around Thanksgiving. We're still not sure how. One minute we were in a gods-forsaken little village in some tiny European country where we were pretty sure no one would find us, and the next, we're in a rainy field in Domino, watching a girl we'd never seen before duke it out against another, equally powerful girl. We made sure they didn't see us, except for that one little accident. Ryou caught a glimpse of me, but he was smart enough not to out-and-out tell anyone. So instead of trying to get back to our tiny European country, we rented a nice apartment and had our stuff sent over to us.
We managed a nice existence there in Domino, always careful to avoid any of them. We drove miles every morning to a school on the other side of town so we wouldn't attend the same one as them. But that morning, I had almost screwed up. I had been at a nearby store, picking up some groceries for my sister, when suddenly, three of them walked in. It was Yugi, Anzu, and Ryou. It wasn't until I saw him that I realized how much I missed Ryou. But I stuck to the promise I had made. They didn't see me, or sense me. I made sure of that. But I was sick of hiding, all the same.
*+*+*Yuki*+*+*
" Oh, that Ryuuji really ticks me off!" I squealed angrily. Next to me, Mai giggled. She had talked me into accompanying her to the mall. Ryou snickered on my other side.
" You know, they say when two people fight, they really care about each other." She noted. I stuck out my tongue.
" Yeah, right. Keep dreaming." I muttered as we went out the door.
" I'm sure he will." Ryou intoned. I playfully pretended to try to hit him with one of the shopping bags Mai was making me carry. Ryou just laughed at me, then started to chase me out of the mall.
" Hey, wait up, you two!" Mai called after us. I shrieked as Ryou tickled me, putting on another burst of speed... And running headfirst into some innocent bystander. Both me and said bystander fell on our butts.
" Oof!" the air in both our respective sets of lungs came rushing out. I looked up, ready to apologize. I saw a young man sitting across from me, staring at me like he'd seen a ghost. He had bright blonde hair, so bright I thought it was dyed at first, but upon closer inspection I saw it was natural. His skin was dusky and nicely tanned, darker than mine ever was in its prime. And his eyes were such a bright, odd shade of violet I thought he was wearing contacts. Next to him, a girl with grayish eyes and long, straight black hair knelt down. She shared his dusky complexion.
" Are you alright?" she asked, her Japanese tainted by a familiar accent. The young man nodded, not taking his eyes off me.
" I'm sorry!" I suddenly cried, bowing apologetically. " I should have been watching where I was going!"
" Oh, shit!" Mai suddenly cried. I looked up at her quizzically.
" What's wrong with you?" I asked. Ryou suddenly fell into a fit of giggles.
" Ummm..." the young man looked like he desperately wanted to get away, and the woman beside him looked very anxious. Ryou dashed past me and threw himself at the young man in an affectionate embrace.
" Someone you know, Ryou?" I asked politely, trying to hide my confusion.
Now, this is where things got strange. Turns out, I hadn't noticed all the party of strangers. There wasn't two, there was three. And that third person was not happy. All I really remember is suddenly being jerked to my feet and something cold against my neck.
" Don't move." A slightly raspy and very menacing voice cautioned me. I held quite still as strong arms wrapped around my waist to secure me.
" Yami!" the young man I'd seen before cried. My eyes flitted to him. A yami? Another yami? " Alright, that's enough, Yami. She didn't do anything wrong." The young man said, holding his hands up, trying to calm the person holding me. An angry grunt answered him. Ryou stood up, frowning.
" He doesn't recognize her?" he wondered out loud. I smiled at the young man comfortingly.
" Hi, my name's Yuki. What's yours?" I asked. The young man stared at me a little.
" Malik." He offered reluctantly. I felt the grip on me suddenly go lax. The person holding me suddenly wheeled me around to face him. I was confronted with a pair of menacing violet eyes not a shade darker than Malik's. But it was the haunted look in those eyes that stung me. The strange, sick, haunted look of a man who had lost all hope. Suddenly, he released me, and I stumbled by the force of the release into Mai. The yami stalked off a few steps, spun in a circle, and gave me a hard stare. Then he stomped his foot.
" Princess I know, but not Princess!" he cried. He was taller, broader, more powerful looking than his other, but that was a trend with yamis. Mai rested her hands on my shoulders and gripped them. She seemed nervous. Ryou dusted himself off and gave the woman a hug.
" It's so wonderful to see you all again." He said. Then he turned to the yami. " No, Ishtar, she's not the Princess. She looks like her, but she's not. This is the Princess's hikari." He said. I cocked my head.
" Himeko? Is he talking about Himeko?" I asked. Ryou nodded.
" Well, time for introductions. Malik, Isis, you guys know Mai Kajuka, and this is Yuki Motou. Yuki, this is Malik and Isis Ishtar... And Malik's yami." Ryou said. My eyes drifted over the group and I caught a look of shame in Malik's eyes, almost as though to match the haunted look in the eyes of his yami. I smiled as brightly as I could.
" Hello." I said. Malik smiled suddenly, as though warmed by my friendliness. It was startling. The look of shame and depression didn't belong on his face. When he smiled, everything lit up. Everything seemed happier and brighter. I could already tell I was going to like him.
*+*+*Himeko*+*+*
Needless to say, my dear brother threw a royal tantrum fit for a Pharaoh. He screamed, yelled, threw things, and nearly choked me when I suggested Midol, since he seemed to be PMS-ing so bad. Tepe and I sat through it all calmly, letting Yami run himself in circles until he was too tired to argue with logic.
" I really don't see what the big deal is." I told my twin brother. His rage rose in my throat like a bitter taste.
" The big deal is he's a freaking homicidal maniac and that doesn't seem to bother you!" he yelled. I leaned away from him.
" Man, find a Tic Tac or something! Your breath stinks!" I complained. I noticed a little vein popping out on his forehead.
" Alright, Ishtar's a maniac. That's given. But who says we have to condemn Malik and Isis? They never did anything wrong. Well, nothing serious. Too serious." Tepe said.
" You take the hikari, you take the yami. That's how it works. We know that better than anyone." Yami growled.
" So? How bad can he be?" I asked. Yami and Tepe both gave me a strange look. " Oh, come on. He can't be that insane. Can he?" I asked. They nodded. " Well, damn." I muttered.
" Look, Isis told me that he's calmed down. Some. Enough." Tepe said. " She says Malik can keep him under control."
" I'd like to see what they define as under control." Yami muttered.
*+*+*Malik*+*+*
I'd never felt anything like it.
Utter acceptance. She really just accepted me and Isis. She didn't care what we had done in the past. I felt like she liked me for me and nothing else.
" Ryuuji, you jerk!" she screamed, running through the living room. " You rigged the sink again!" she accused the dark haired young man who jumped over a couch to avoid her.
" Yeah, well, you stole my lucky dice! Again!" Ryuuji shouted back. " And don't you dare say you didn't do it! I know it was you!" Yuki stuck her tongue out at him.
" Yeah, maybe I did! But that doesn't mean you get to douse me in cold water!" she cried. Across from me, Ryou sighed in exasperation.
" Those two are always going at it." He noted. I blinked.
" Yuki doesn't seem like the type to hate someone." I noted.
" Hate him? No, Yuki doesn't hate. He just grinds her nerves. She does get annoyed." Ryou told me. Just then, the yamis walked in, my own tailing Bakura closely. I sighed.
" Good, at least they're all still alive." I said. Ryou nodded while Yugi sat down next to us, observing the duel we were having.
" Himeko wouldn't have let Yami kill anyone." He said. " Ryou, you're losing."
" I know." Ryou said, giving Yugi a friendly glare. I let my eyes land on the yami Yugi called Himeko.
" So she's really the fabled Princess." I said. Yugi smiled wryly as I observed her in her short black leather miniskirt and formfitting black spaghetti strap top with one of those long, see-through jackets that are so popular lately.
" Doesn't look it, does she?" he asked.
" Or act it." Ryou added as she tackled her brother for some snide remark he made that I didn't hear. My yami and I made eye contact.
he asked me mentally.
I replied.
he noted. I shuddered. I didn't want to think about the darkness that had warped my yami. Just then, a black energy ball shot past my head and that Jounouchi guy ran past Ryou, Yugi, and I.
" Jou, you ass! I'm going to kill you!" Himeko screeched, running after him. Yuki joined us in our little group.
" Wow, Ryou. Are you really losing that bad, or am I not counting right?" she asked. I noted her front was wet. Ryou sighed in exasperation.
" Yes, Yuki. You are counting right." He said. Yuki smiled brightly.
" Okay." She said. I shook my head, unable to believe anyone could be so blissfully naïve.
" Yuki, Yoshi hit me!" one of the little boys yelled suddenly. Yuki sighed now.
" Keep your hands to yourself, Yoshi!" she called. Ryou patted my hand.
" Welcome home, Malik." He said.
By: Rogue Fox
Part Twenty-Three... Welcome Home
A/N: Blah. I am so sorry. Job. Volunteer. Babysit. Blah. I am disgusted with myself. SORRY! Story's starting to draw to a close. So I have a question for you. Which is better; live one last day with your family and friends, and then watch the world burn, or burn yourself and never see them again so the world can live? Let me know.
*+*+*Mai*+*+*
I sat up with a start, instantly remembering what had happened. Where was I? You can imagine my shock when I realized I was in Jou's apartment.
" Good, you're awake. I was starting to worry." Jou's voice suddenly reached my ears. I whipped my head around to see him standing there in a pair of pajama pants and a white tee-shirt.
" How'd I get here?" I wondered.
" Good question." Jou admitted. " I was hoping you knew the answer. You just appeared on my doorstep last night, so I carried you in." he told me. I looked down at myself. My clothes were in a terrible condition, so I tried to run my fingers through my hair. To no avail.
" Man..." I moaned. " Can I use your shower, Jou?" I asked. I often used his shower, so I had some bare essentials stocked in his bathroom.
" Sure, make yourself at home." He said. I stood and made my way to the bathroom, undressed, and climbed into the warm shower. As the warmth coursed through my body, I suddenly remembered the guy who'd saved me. I remembered a flash of bright blonde hair and a strangely familiar voice...
" I'm... I'm a friend." He'd told me. Who was he? I leaned against the wall of the shower, relishing in the comfort, not wanting to think about what would have happened if that guy hadn't shown up.
" Mai, don't take all the hot water! I need a shower too!" Jou yelled through the door.
" Okay, Jou." I called back, smiling. But I was safe now. Jou would never let anything happen to me.
*+*+*Jou*+*+*
Life went on. Holidays and birthdays came and went. Nothing major happened. Unless you count me getting a better car from my dad for my birthday, and I most certainly did. Winter began to fade into spring, and whoever saved Mai made no attempt to contact her. We decided not to read too much into it. Every day went pretty much the same. Kaiba and Yuki dropped Charity off at Grandpa's every school day, and then we all met at school and went to our respective classes. After school, we all went home and usually met at a pre- designated spot a few hours later. I found myself joking and messing around with Yami Bakura, which was something I never thought I'd ever do.
Spring came suddenly, like nature just suddenly woke up from a deep sleep. The flowers began to bloom, and the yamis were enthralled. I love spring. It's my favorite season, aside from summer. I'm sorry, but no amount of soft breezes and sweet flowers can beat the beach and bikinis. No competition. Anyway, we started taking Charity outside. She loved it. Honda and I would leap around the acreage behind the Kaiba Mansion and catch grasshoppers and butterflies for her. There was a sort of rhythm to life, a beat that we all sort of fell into. It felt like we were all relaxing in a river, just lazily floating along. I guess I should have known it was too good to last.
I got to know a lot of the people in my immediate group a lot better in that lazy period. Bakura's stories became one of our favorite pass times. He liked telling them as much as we liked hearing them. Yuki taught us all to play softball in the backyard of the Kaiba Mansion. Turns out I've got a killer pitch, and Yami, with his amazing reflexes, is a great catcher. Mai makes an amazing second baseman, and little Yugi and Ryou trade off shortstop, their small size and agility making them pretty darn good. Our best third baseman is Himeko, who can hurl that ball anywhere on the field. Yuki, Bakura, Kaiba, Anzu, and Honda usually inhabit the outfield, mostly because they're fast and pretty good catches. Anyway, we started customizing Yami's car. We're gonna make it a mint classic. Five thousand year old spirit or no, you can't help but feel a little close to someone who dumped car oil on your head to get back at you for getting a little grease on his favorite leather top.
Anyway, Otogi Ryuuji came back to school around spring break. He had been out of the country for some business stuff that had to do with his dice game. I was glad to see him back. But there was one person who wasn't.
" So who are you guys taking me to meet, anyway?" Ryuuji asked as Yami pulled into the Kaiba driveway.
" Yami and Yugi's two sisters." I explained.
" You two have sisters?" Ryuuji asked Yugi and Yami in the front seat.
" Yeah." Came Yami's short reply. He wasn't used to Ryuuji yet, and didn't have Yugi's trusting nature.
" Cool. Are they cute?" Ryuuji asked. Yami slammed on the brakes and wheeled around in his seat.
" Don't even think about it, buddy." He said angrily. Ryuuji smiled widely.
" No problem." He said. I detected a minor shake in his voice.
" Down, Yami." Yugi said, patting Yami's shoulder. Yami sighed and sat back in his seat and continued down the driveway. I shrugged to Ryuuji when he gave me a questioning look.
We made it the rest of the way to the mansion with no other major happenings. But as we walked up to the door, I heard a huge crash.
" YUKI, QUIT THROWING THE FURNISHINGS!" Kaiba's voice boomed.
" MAKE ME!" Yuki's voice responded quickly. Yami, Yugi, and I looked at each other and rushed in. Who knew what those two were fighting about now?
" Himeko!" Yami called upon entering. Himeko jogged up to us from the living room, a bowl of popcorn in her hand.
" Hey, guys. What's up?" she asked casually. Another crash echoed down from upstairs.
" What's going on?" Yugi asked, and Himeko shrugged.
" I dunno. They were going at it when I got here. Some argument." She said, tossing some popcorn in her mouth as she noticed Ryuuji. " Hmm. Haven't seen you before." She said, appraising him visually.
" Then allow me to introduce myself." Ryuuji said quickly, pausing for a flourish. I looked at Yami, fearful he might try to send Ryuuji to the Shadow Realm. " I'm Otogi Ryuuji. And who might you be, cutie?" Himeko giggled at the praise. Almost as though on cue, Bakura appeared behind her.
" Alright! I've had enough!" Yami cried, trying to pounce Ryuuji. Yugi as I grabbed him just in time.
" Oops. You must be one of his sisters." Ryuuji noted, flashing Yami a submissive look. Bakura took advantage of the moment to drape himself all over Himeko and give Ryuuji a killer glare.
" Yeah, she is." He told Ryuuji. Ryuuji gulped audibly. Himeko ignored both Yami and Bakura, and extended her hand to Ryuuji, who was reluctant to take it.
" I'm Motou Himeko. Nice to meet you." She said. " Hang on, I'll get my hikari." She added, removing herself expertly from Bakura's grip to jog over to the stairs. " Yuki! Get down here! We've got company!" she yelled.
" Just a minute!" Yuki called back. Another crash reached us. " I'M NOT THROUGH WITH YOU!" she bellowed. She appeared at the top of the stairs, looking no different than normal, aside from being slightly flushed. She was greeting Yami, Yugi, and I as she came down the stairs.
Then, a funny thing happened. Both Yuki and Ryuuji would later call it fate. But, in any case, it was funny. Ryou came rushing in through the door behind us, Anzu on his tail and screaming at him about something. He wasn't watching where he was going and plowed right into Ryuuji. Now, in the Kaiba Mansion, the front door is straight across from the stairs. Ryou came barreling in with enough momentum to send Ryuuji crashing into the foot of the stairs. Which happened to be the exact spot Yuki was at when Ryuuji was airborne. So, naturally, Ryuuji slammed right into Yuki, sending the both of them to the floor, him on top of her.
" Well, we're moving a little fast, aren't we?" Ryuuji asked. Two things happened at once. Yami flew into a rage, and so did Yuki. I guess Yuki was having an off day, as odd as that is for her. She shoved Ryuuji of her and slapped him in the face. Then she stormed back up the stairs, where she collided with Kaiba, thus initiating another screaming match.
And that was how the rivalry started. I guess Ryuuji couldn't forgive Yuki for slapping him. He told me later that he was just trying to lighten the mood with a joke. And Yuki never forgave Ryuuji for being so crude. If anyone could make Yuki made, Ryuuji could. They were always going at it. And I never did find out what Kaiba and Yuki were fighting about that day.
Life got a lot noisier with Ryuuji around. He took unlimited delight in setting up a multitude of pranks on Yuki. And Yuki let lose a side of her I'd never seen before. She actually rigged the bathroom door to shock someone trying to open it, and then steered everyone but Ryuuji away from the bathroom.
" Hey, where's the bathroom?" Ryuuji asked Kaiba.
" Down that hall to the left." Yuki interrupted before Kaiba could answer. Kaiba flashed her a strange look, and Ryuuji (who didn't think Yuki had it in her to set up any particularly good pranks) went off in the said direction. I remember Yuki looking unusually pleased with herself.
" What's up with you?" Kaiba asked her. She smiled sweetly.
" Oh, you'll see in a minute." She said. And about a minute later...
FF-ZAAAAP!
" Ow!" Ryuuji howled. He said a lot of other things too, and we had to cover Charity and the boys' ears. Himeko was the first to figure it out, and she burst out laughing as Ryuuji barreled back into the room.
" Who wired the damn door?!" he screamed. Himeko only laughed harder, and at that point, the other yamis caught on.
" What do you mean, wired?" Yuki asked, smiling in a fashion too innocent even for her. Ryuuji glared at her, cradling his right hand to his chest.
" Oh, this means war, you can be sure of that." He growled. Yuki blinked at him.
" What means war?" she asked, still feigning innocence.
Unfortunately, Yuki did get her just desserts, when she and Mai were walking in the back door, Yuki leading the way. She opened the door, thus causing a bucket of ice water to fall on her, bucket and all. Ryuuji was waiting just ahead of her with a Polaroid camera. Now, we had been playing softball just a few hours before, and the big bat us guys use was sitting there in the kitchen. Yuki grabbed it and chased him around the house with it, threatening to "knock that stupid brick you call a head right off your shoulders, if you'd just hold still!"
And that's how life went. A prank here, a near death experience for Ryuuji there. Ryuuji's favorite dice got knocked down the drain "accidentally." In retaliation, the next time Yuki turned on the kitchen tap, the sprayer hose Ryuuji "didn't" rig gave her a good spray. Ryuuji's plans for some new dice monsters got "misplaced," and Yuki's favorite book was conveniently "lost." Yuki had the upper hand, though, because all she had to do was let out a cry of distress, and Honda, Yami, Himeko, and Bakura were all over Ryuuji.
But despite it all, life was good.
Should have known something was going to throw us all for a loop.
Or someone.
*+*+*Unknown*+*+*
I ducked as a dishrag flew past where my head had just been.
" I can't believe you! You're sure they didn't see you?!" she screamed at me.
" I swear, sis! Really! They didn't see me! I hid in the bathroom until they left!" I yelled, stepping out of the way as she swung the frying pan at my head. She suddenly calmed down. A trademark of our family. Sudden, violent tantrums that vanish as quickly as they start.
" You're absolutely sure they didn't see you? Or sense you?" she asked.
" Yeah, I'm sure. None of the yamis were with them. Just those three." I said, glad she wasn't trying to knock my head clean off. She sighed.
" Well, that's good, at least." She said, turning back to the dinner she was preparing on the stove. I sniffed. Mmm, smells like enchiladas... Yum, I thought. " No more close calls, okay? We're not ready yet. This is hard enough, since we have to make it without Rashid, and with you-know-who to deal with."
" I know." I agreed. " Speaking of which, where is he?" I asked, looking around the small kitchen of our apartment as though I expected him to suddenly jump out at me.
" Asleep. He tired himself out during his last tantrum." She told me, shaking her head. " Why is he so violent?"
" I don't know." I said, looking down at the table I was sitting at.
" You should. He's your yami." She told me over her shoulder.
" Trust me, I know." I said, cradling my head in my hands. " You think I chose this life? Neither one of us got much of a choice, remember?" Her spoon clanked loudly and suddenly against the side of the pan.
" I do." She agreed. We were silent for a few minutes.
" When can we make contact? I miss Ryou and Bakura." I said. She glared at me over her shoulder.
" How do you think the Pharaoh would feel to see you again?" she asked. I shrugged.
" I don't think he gives a damn about me." I said.
" He doesn't. But yamis and hikaris come in pairs." She noted. I sighed.
" I guess you're right." I agreed.
" I know I am." She told me. " Don't worry. We'll be able to make contact soon." I sighed again. Soon, she said. I was sick of hiding now. Granted, the Pharaoh would probably blow my ass right off the face of the planet, but still... At least then I wouldn't be hiding like a sniveling coward.
We had arrived in Domino a few months ago, around Thanksgiving. We're still not sure how. One minute we were in a gods-forsaken little village in some tiny European country where we were pretty sure no one would find us, and the next, we're in a rainy field in Domino, watching a girl we'd never seen before duke it out against another, equally powerful girl. We made sure they didn't see us, except for that one little accident. Ryou caught a glimpse of me, but he was smart enough not to out-and-out tell anyone. So instead of trying to get back to our tiny European country, we rented a nice apartment and had our stuff sent over to us.
We managed a nice existence there in Domino, always careful to avoid any of them. We drove miles every morning to a school on the other side of town so we wouldn't attend the same one as them. But that morning, I had almost screwed up. I had been at a nearby store, picking up some groceries for my sister, when suddenly, three of them walked in. It was Yugi, Anzu, and Ryou. It wasn't until I saw him that I realized how much I missed Ryou. But I stuck to the promise I had made. They didn't see me, or sense me. I made sure of that. But I was sick of hiding, all the same.
*+*+*Yuki*+*+*
" Oh, that Ryuuji really ticks me off!" I squealed angrily. Next to me, Mai giggled. She had talked me into accompanying her to the mall. Ryou snickered on my other side.
" You know, they say when two people fight, they really care about each other." She noted. I stuck out my tongue.
" Yeah, right. Keep dreaming." I muttered as we went out the door.
" I'm sure he will." Ryou intoned. I playfully pretended to try to hit him with one of the shopping bags Mai was making me carry. Ryou just laughed at me, then started to chase me out of the mall.
" Hey, wait up, you two!" Mai called after us. I shrieked as Ryou tickled me, putting on another burst of speed... And running headfirst into some innocent bystander. Both me and said bystander fell on our butts.
" Oof!" the air in both our respective sets of lungs came rushing out. I looked up, ready to apologize. I saw a young man sitting across from me, staring at me like he'd seen a ghost. He had bright blonde hair, so bright I thought it was dyed at first, but upon closer inspection I saw it was natural. His skin was dusky and nicely tanned, darker than mine ever was in its prime. And his eyes were such a bright, odd shade of violet I thought he was wearing contacts. Next to him, a girl with grayish eyes and long, straight black hair knelt down. She shared his dusky complexion.
" Are you alright?" she asked, her Japanese tainted by a familiar accent. The young man nodded, not taking his eyes off me.
" I'm sorry!" I suddenly cried, bowing apologetically. " I should have been watching where I was going!"
" Oh, shit!" Mai suddenly cried. I looked up at her quizzically.
" What's wrong with you?" I asked. Ryou suddenly fell into a fit of giggles.
" Ummm..." the young man looked like he desperately wanted to get away, and the woman beside him looked very anxious. Ryou dashed past me and threw himself at the young man in an affectionate embrace.
" Someone you know, Ryou?" I asked politely, trying to hide my confusion.
Now, this is where things got strange. Turns out, I hadn't noticed all the party of strangers. There wasn't two, there was three. And that third person was not happy. All I really remember is suddenly being jerked to my feet and something cold against my neck.
" Don't move." A slightly raspy and very menacing voice cautioned me. I held quite still as strong arms wrapped around my waist to secure me.
" Yami!" the young man I'd seen before cried. My eyes flitted to him. A yami? Another yami? " Alright, that's enough, Yami. She didn't do anything wrong." The young man said, holding his hands up, trying to calm the person holding me. An angry grunt answered him. Ryou stood up, frowning.
" He doesn't recognize her?" he wondered out loud. I smiled at the young man comfortingly.
" Hi, my name's Yuki. What's yours?" I asked. The young man stared at me a little.
" Malik." He offered reluctantly. I felt the grip on me suddenly go lax. The person holding me suddenly wheeled me around to face him. I was confronted with a pair of menacing violet eyes not a shade darker than Malik's. But it was the haunted look in those eyes that stung me. The strange, sick, haunted look of a man who had lost all hope. Suddenly, he released me, and I stumbled by the force of the release into Mai. The yami stalked off a few steps, spun in a circle, and gave me a hard stare. Then he stomped his foot.
" Princess I know, but not Princess!" he cried. He was taller, broader, more powerful looking than his other, but that was a trend with yamis. Mai rested her hands on my shoulders and gripped them. She seemed nervous. Ryou dusted himself off and gave the woman a hug.
" It's so wonderful to see you all again." He said. Then he turned to the yami. " No, Ishtar, she's not the Princess. She looks like her, but she's not. This is the Princess's hikari." He said. I cocked my head.
" Himeko? Is he talking about Himeko?" I asked. Ryou nodded.
" Well, time for introductions. Malik, Isis, you guys know Mai Kajuka, and this is Yuki Motou. Yuki, this is Malik and Isis Ishtar... And Malik's yami." Ryou said. My eyes drifted over the group and I caught a look of shame in Malik's eyes, almost as though to match the haunted look in the eyes of his yami. I smiled as brightly as I could.
" Hello." I said. Malik smiled suddenly, as though warmed by my friendliness. It was startling. The look of shame and depression didn't belong on his face. When he smiled, everything lit up. Everything seemed happier and brighter. I could already tell I was going to like him.
*+*+*Himeko*+*+*
Needless to say, my dear brother threw a royal tantrum fit for a Pharaoh. He screamed, yelled, threw things, and nearly choked me when I suggested Midol, since he seemed to be PMS-ing so bad. Tepe and I sat through it all calmly, letting Yami run himself in circles until he was too tired to argue with logic.
" I really don't see what the big deal is." I told my twin brother. His rage rose in my throat like a bitter taste.
" The big deal is he's a freaking homicidal maniac and that doesn't seem to bother you!" he yelled. I leaned away from him.
" Man, find a Tic Tac or something! Your breath stinks!" I complained. I noticed a little vein popping out on his forehead.
" Alright, Ishtar's a maniac. That's given. But who says we have to condemn Malik and Isis? They never did anything wrong. Well, nothing serious. Too serious." Tepe said.
" You take the hikari, you take the yami. That's how it works. We know that better than anyone." Yami growled.
" So? How bad can he be?" I asked. Yami and Tepe both gave me a strange look. " Oh, come on. He can't be that insane. Can he?" I asked. They nodded. " Well, damn." I muttered.
" Look, Isis told me that he's calmed down. Some. Enough." Tepe said. " She says Malik can keep him under control."
" I'd like to see what they define as under control." Yami muttered.
*+*+*Malik*+*+*
I'd never felt anything like it.
Utter acceptance. She really just accepted me and Isis. She didn't care what we had done in the past. I felt like she liked me for me and nothing else.
" Ryuuji, you jerk!" she screamed, running through the living room. " You rigged the sink again!" she accused the dark haired young man who jumped over a couch to avoid her.
" Yeah, well, you stole my lucky dice! Again!" Ryuuji shouted back. " And don't you dare say you didn't do it! I know it was you!" Yuki stuck her tongue out at him.
" Yeah, maybe I did! But that doesn't mean you get to douse me in cold water!" she cried. Across from me, Ryou sighed in exasperation.
" Those two are always going at it." He noted. I blinked.
" Yuki doesn't seem like the type to hate someone." I noted.
" Hate him? No, Yuki doesn't hate. He just grinds her nerves. She does get annoyed." Ryou told me. Just then, the yamis walked in, my own tailing Bakura closely. I sighed.
" Good, at least they're all still alive." I said. Ryou nodded while Yugi sat down next to us, observing the duel we were having.
" Himeko wouldn't have let Yami kill anyone." He said. " Ryou, you're losing."
" I know." Ryou said, giving Yugi a friendly glare. I let my eyes land on the yami Yugi called Himeko.
" So she's really the fabled Princess." I said. Yugi smiled wryly as I observed her in her short black leather miniskirt and formfitting black spaghetti strap top with one of those long, see-through jackets that are so popular lately.
" Doesn't look it, does she?" he asked.
" Or act it." Ryou added as she tackled her brother for some snide remark he made that I didn't hear. My yami and I made eye contact.
he asked me mentally.
I replied.
he noted. I shuddered. I didn't want to think about the darkness that had warped my yami. Just then, a black energy ball shot past my head and that Jounouchi guy ran past Ryou, Yugi, and I.
" Jou, you ass! I'm going to kill you!" Himeko screeched, running after him. Yuki joined us in our little group.
" Wow, Ryou. Are you really losing that bad, or am I not counting right?" she asked. I noted her front was wet. Ryou sighed in exasperation.
" Yes, Yuki. You are counting right." He said. Yuki smiled brightly.
" Okay." She said. I shook my head, unable to believe anyone could be so blissfully naïve.
" Yuki, Yoshi hit me!" one of the little boys yelled suddenly. Yuki sighed now.
" Keep your hands to yourself, Yoshi!" she called. Ryou patted my hand.
" Welcome home, Malik." He said.