Part 1 (Chapter 9) – Detention and Discoveries
Yugi groaned, rolling over in bed as his alarm signaled the start of another day. What a night. I feel like I got about an hour of sleep.
That's probably what it amounts to, Yami commented wryly.
Yugi sighed, remembering what had happened. We were so close. But it all disappeared before I could see.
I know Bakura was behind it though. I felt his presence in that garden.
But those screams! It wasn't Ryou, but someone else. What is he up to?
I wish I knew.
Kira stumbled into the classroom, two minutes after the bell. The rest of the students, already seated, stared in surprise. The teacher frowned, not used to delaying class, and immediately gave Kira a detention. She accepted it without comment, and made her way to her seat.
"You all right?" Tea whispered.
Kira shrugged, "I've been better."
"But what...?" Tea was interrupted before she could finish.
"Miss Gardner?" their teacher asked. "Do you have something you'd like to share with the rest of us?"
"No, sir." Tea mumbled in embarrassment.
"Then I do suggest that you keep your thoughts to yourself the rest of this hour unless you would like to join your classmate in detention this afternoon."
"Yes, sir." Tea nodded. She shot a sympathetic glance Kira's way before returning to her studies. Kira focused straight ahead, ignoring any emotion from the other girl.
Detention. Someone told me that teachers here are much stricter in their punishments than they ever were back home. I suppose that's true. An hour after school just for being tardy does seem a bit harsh, but maybe it's just me.
Kira didn't talk to her friends all day. She felt bad for ignoring Tea, but Kira doubted if she could even work out a smile that morning. The pain from the previous night still lingered in her body. It was an effort for her just to walk down the hall naturally. And later, as the detention supervisor graded papers, Kira let her head sink into her hands.
Images of the dream attacker flowed before her closed eyes. The girl had been nearly identical to Kira; if her eyes hadn't been a mysterious shade of black, and her face so twisted in anger, Kira might have assumed that she had just been looking into a mirror. Glancing up, Kira caught a glimpse of her face, reflected faintly in one of the windows. Again reminded of the sharp pain in her side, Kira trembled as she stared at it, but somehow, couldn't manage to pull her gaze away. Who are you? she whispered. Why do you haunt me?
Of course, when she received an answer, it only served to increase Kira's fear. It didn't come from the window, but a voice, just a slight step lower than her own, inside her head. Why should it matter?
Wha...What? Kira started in her seat, causing the teacher to look up and frown in the general direction. She waited until he had lowered his head, before cautiously trying again. Who are you? Are you Bakura? You don't sound like him.
I don't, and I am not him. But I know him.
And I know you, that is, I recognize your voice, Kira accused. You beat me last night. And I did nothing wrong.
Nothing wrong? You don't even deserve to live. You've corrupted and destroyed shadows. You are a killer of innocent beings. A rebel against the forces that keep order. A disturbance and danger of the very worse kind!
She was in shock. What do you mean? I would never hurt anyone. I've never killed, and I hope I never will. Where did you hear such evil talk?
Why would I believe you? You only lie for your own gain. You tell stories, hoping to convince me otherwise. You need to be taught the way of obedience before it is too late.
And whom do I obey? You? Bakura? The both of you are evil, and I wish you would just leave me alone.
Suddenly, Kira felt a strange presence tighten around her chest. Her breath came in short gasps, and her heart struggled to beat. Slower. Slower. Don't question my authority again!
Please stop! Kira begged mentally. Please. You're hurting me. She gasped again, louder. The teacher looked up.
How weak you are! You haven't even begun to feel real pain yet. Don't think you will get away with your destruction any longer.
You don't understand! Please listen! Please...stop... Kira closed her eyes and grasped the edges of the desk to keep from falling. To her, it felt like being suspended in air. All was silent and still. Not a sound came from around or within. Suddenly, the table fell away, vanishing under her grip as did the chair on which she sat. Kira was floating, somewhere in a grey void.
Looking again, Kira opened her eyes. Before her stood the two people that she had glimpsed in her previous dream. One was the Pharaoh; the other was his boy, the small one who was always at his side. The pharaoh gazed at Kira, in shock as she floated before him, his maroon eyes open wide at the sight. His much shorter companion was still in the dark, but enough light reflected from the glow around the group that Kira could see obvious surprise in his wide-open violet pupils. Then, the two of them faded again into a misty nothingness.
Yugi.
Yami?
Did you...?
I saw it. Just for a moment, the image of a girl had floated in his view. She had been positioned upright, but with the appearance of someone asleep. Her skin had been a deadly white color, and her brown hair had hung limp around her face. Her shirt had been blood-stained and rumpled. Heavy bruises had been laid across her head. Absolute silence had been in the air, muffling the sound of his friends in the next room. Yami and Yugi had watched the sight, both through the hikari's eyes. The next moment, the vision had gone again, and the sounds around Yugi had returned. What was it?
Danger, and a need for help, the ancient spirit told him. But first we need to find the girl.
The girl? But she could be anywhere. How would we even start?
I'm not sure. Yami was confused, but didn't want to worry his hikari. It was only a vision. I could be wrong.
Yugi didn't answer. Instead, he thought hard on the face that he had just seen. The girl had seemed so familiar. Brown hair...just the same shade as..."Kira?"
Mai ran into the game shop and, without even a wave to Grandpa, rushed straight into Yugi's living room. Joey and Tristan were in the middle of some video game battle while Seto instructed both Tea and Mokena in a friendly game of Duel Monsters. Yugi sat quietly on his couch. He seemed to be watching Joey and Tristan, but his eyes were tightly closed, his mouth moved almost invisibly, as though he were talking to someone only he could see.
"Oh, hey Mai," Tea was the first to notice the late arrival. Seto glanced up and frowned, upset he had lost Tea's attention.
Yugi opened his eyes at her voice, "What's up? Didn't you have detention?"
"I did," started Mai. "But there was an emergency."
"What sort?" Tea asked.
"You know how Kira had detention too?" The others nodded. "Well," Mai took a deep breath. "Not even fifteen minutes into the time, Kira started acting funny. She had been staring out the window, but suddenly, she turned pale, like something had frightened her. She was shaking a little, and then she grabbed the table real hard."
Joey and Tristan finally paused their game to listen to Mai's story. "Kira started breathing real strange. It was loud and unsteady, like she was fighting to get air. All of us were watching her by then, but I don't think she even noticed any of the strange looks. The teacher started to ask if she was all right, when she just went limp." A collective gasp went around the living room.
Mai continued, "She let go of the table, and slumped to one side of her seat. Her eyes were closed. The teacher practically jumped over the desks to get to her. I got sent to call for help, and on my way out, a couple other teachers and the nurse came rushing in. One of the teachers took charge and made the rest of us leave. The last thing I heard was that they couldn't find a pulse. The nurse said it was as if her heart had suddenly stopped. An ambulance came up a few moments later, and they loaded her up and drove her off. I don't know if she's all right."
Six shocked faces stared back at Mai as she finished her tale. Yugi fell to his knees, "Kira. Why is this? What's happening to you?"
"Yugi?" Tea asked hesitantly.
"Yami is sensing it too," Yugi explained. He told them about the vision he had just received, and the feeling of darkness that had been hanging over him. "Bakura's evil has been growing, and we believe it's spreading to more than just Ryou. He's after something; I just wish we knew what."