Greetings! Here's another chapter for your enjoyment. It's a bit short, but
I figured it was better than no chapter at all. I hope that you all enjoy
it.
Reviews:
Cyberkat: Heartbreaking in a good way, I hope!
I luv Yugi and Kurt: I'm not sure about the memories. It's way too early in the story to have made up my mind yet!
Anime Addict: I'm glad you're enjoying the story!
Jaid Skywalker: Thank you very much! I'm glad you like the story.
TZ: *takes bag of chocolates and starts munching on them* Candy is such great incentive to write, you know!
Lizzy9046: An author's creative license is a wonderful thing. You get to do whatever you want. . . *sniker* And yes, in this case, coincidences are wonderful!
Treska: Thanks for the review! I hope you weren't late for class.
eliz: Wow, I'm glad you like the story! Thanks.
SilverFang: but, but, but? LOL! Out of words, huh? Well, I hope this update was soon enough for ya!
Sukai Kaiba: Hey there! Glad you're enjoying the fic.
angelkitty: The song is really sad and angsty. It was actually supposed to go in the last chapter but I forgot it. I hope this chapter answers some of your questions.
KaTyA: Hey! I didn't know that you were reading this one too. How cool! I'm glad you're enjoying it.
Dranzer: Your wish is my command: one chapter, coming up!
Lavender Wonder: Okay, I admit it: I DO like torturing poor people. . . it's just fun! Hmmm. . . Joey brooding. I like that idea. I like the idea of Kaiba brooding as well. Must work on that!
lil: Yes, I'm most definitely going to continue, it's just that sometimes it takes me longer to update than other times.
IrishJade: Captivating is a very good thing! I'm gald you're enjoying the story.
BIG YuGiOh Fan: :o)) Good observations! You'll see what happens at the end of this chapter.
Jailee: How's this for 'ask and ye shall receive'? You just happened to review at the moment when I was just finishing the chapter!
insane yami: I ALWAYS listen to the shadow realm, you know! I'm afraid of what'll happen if I don't.
Once again, thanks a million for the reviews! Now, on to the story.
Part 7: Tainted Obligation
I saw the shoals at night, with the moon above.
I felt an obligation, and heard your voice again.
If you were here once, you were here a hundred times.
If I reached out tonight, I found I couldn't fight it.
If you were here once, you were here a hundred times.
Kaiba shifted uncomfortably in his seat, wincing every time his knees hit the seat in front of him. He hated these cramped, uncomfortable buses, because the space was never adequate for someone of his height. After shifting a few more times, he finally attained a position that wouldn't numb his legs. He returned his attention to his laptop, trying, but failing, to ignore the person sitting beside him.
Kaiba had tried to get out of this trip, because he'd already been to the museum several times with Mokuba. However, the teacher had said that in order to get credit for the activity he had to attend, so here he was. He would have preferred to sit with anyone other than who he'd been stuck with.
He and Joey had a very shaky relationship. They'd been adversaries before, and that had been fine with Kaiba. It had amused him, even. Now, things were different. Joey's blame for what had happened to Yugi had cut deep, though he'd never admit it to the younger teen. Kaiba's own guilt had made him stay away from Joey for the longest time. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that he'd started baiting the other boy again like he'd used to. Joey, however, refused to rise to the bait like he had in the past, which frightened Kaiba more than if Joey had fought back. He didn't want Joey to hate him for what had happened to Yugi, because Kaiba already hated himself enough for it. His attempts at drawing a reaction from Joey had been a way of getting some sort of absolution, but it had never happened.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kaiba saw Joey slumped against the window. His eyes were closed and Kaiba guessed that he was sleeping. It was strange, but Kaiba wanted to talk to Joey about what had happened that day at the docks. He knew that Joey blamed him for not getting to Yugi on time, but he'd never said anything to him, except for what was said on that day. Kaiba almost wanted Joey to accuse him. He closed his eyes and remembered that fateful day.
****
Kaiba quickly turned into the small street that bordered the docks, throwing everyone off balance. He looked around at the warehouses, confused as to what else he was supposed to do.
"It's the one on the far end of the docks, I know it," Joey said.
Kaiba did as he was told and drove to the warehouse at the end of the street. He parked the car and immediately got out. As soon as he was out, Joey took off running towards the big doors that led into the warehouse.
"Shouldn't you be more careful? If whoever took Yugi is still in there, they'll kill you if you just barge in."
"Butt out, Kaiba," Joey yelled.
"Kaiba's right," Ryou said from where he stood next to Kaiba. "You need to be more careful, Joey."
"We don't have time for that. I'm going to go in."
Kaiba watched as Joey walked inside the warehouse. He wanted to know more about what was going on and who the spirit was, especially after the spirit had disappeared on the way, but knew that this wasn't the time or the place to ask. Maybe when this was all over he could talk to Yugi about it.
"Joey, wait!" Tristan yelled, before running after him. Ryou followed, and finally, Kaiba decided to do the same.
When he walked into the warehouse, he saw Joey kneeling on the floor of the dirty and dark warehouse. He was holding something in his hands. Kaiba walked over to him, frowning. He looked around but didn't see anyone else there. He had a sickening feeling that they were too late.
"What's that?"
Joey didn't reply. Instead, he quickly got to his feet and decked Kaiba, sending him to the ground. He didn't have a chance to react because Joey was suddenly on him, his fists flying. Kaiba brought his arms up in an attempt to block the blows, and was only partially successful. Joey's eyes were bright with tears, his face flushed with rage. Kaiba knew that Joey wasn't usually this strong, so the anger was probably fueling his sudden strength.
"Stop it, Joey."
Someone said that, before that same someone pulled Joey off of him. Kaiba lay on the ground, trying to get his bearings and his breath, and saw Tristan holding Joey back. When Joey broke out of Tristan's hold, Ryou joined in and they were both finally able to hold the enraged teen.
Kaiba wiped his mouth and nose in a feeble attempt to stop the blood from flowing down his face, and then got up. He stood in front of Joey.
"What the hell was that for?" Kaiba asked.
"It's your fault, Kaiba. If you'd only agreed to help us when I asked, we would have gotten here in time to find more than just that," Joey yelled at him. He was seething, and Kaiba could almost feel the anger radiating from him.
Kaiba turned to look at what Joey was pointing at, but saw nothing more than a rumpled piece of cloth.
"What is that?"
"Those are Yugi's pajamas, Kaiba. He was wearing them last night," Joey said. "I hope that for the rest of your life, you think about this day and know that whatever happens to Yugi will be your fault. If you hadn't been so cold hearted and selfish, we'd have found my friend, instead of just that. If he dies, or is hurt, it'll be on your conscience."
Kaiba stared down at the discarded and dirty pajamas. Instead of seeing the blue print of the material on the floor, however, he saw the green and yellow material that his brother's pajamas were made out of. His heart clenched. What if it'd been Mokuba?
Best as a wishing star, I saw you better far away.
And I felt obligation, and heard your voice again.
Hear the rush of water, passing over the shoals.
Hear my heartbeat rather, if I reached out tonight.
If I reach out tonight and find I can't fight it.
****
Kaiba suddenly jerked himself out of the memory, flinching violently. His knee hit Joey's leg, causing him to jerk awake.
"Do you mind? I'm trying to sleep here," Joey said.
Kaiba's jaw tightened. "Isn't that what beds are for? Oh, excuse me; you must be used to sleeping on buses."
Joey glared.
"You're some piece of work, Kaiba. Why are you here, anyway? I'd have figured that a rich guy like you had already seen the museum."
Kaiba chuckled, but it was a cold, humorless sound.
"As a matter of fact, I have. I don't need to depend on some school field trip to go anywhere."
Joey smirked. "So what are you doing here? Let me guess, the teacher said you had to come?"
Kaiba didn't reply. Instead, he looked away.
"Hah, I knew it. Poor little rich kid, he can't even get his way."
Kaiba ignored Joey until the younger teen turned away and directed his attention to the passing scenery.
'I have to talk to him now, or I'll never get another chance.'
"Joey, we need to talk about what happened at the docks."
Joey immediately turned back to face him, his face registering shock. The shock immediately transformed to anger, though.
"No, we don't. I said what I needed to say to you that day."
"You can't pretend that what happened that day didn't happen, you know. Denial isn't the answer."
Joey's eyes widened. "Denial? You think that's what this is? Let me tell you something." Joey's voice gained volume as he spoke. "I live with Yugi's grandfather, remember? I hear him when he's sobbing his heart out because he misses his grandson. The first thing I see when I get up every morning and the last thing I see before going to bed each night is the closed door to Yugi's room. I carry around Yugi's puzzle in the hopes that Yami will come out of it and tell me that Yugi is okay. That's not denial." Joey got up from his seat and stood pressed against the window, glaring at Kaiba. "The reason I don't talk to you is not because I'm in denial about what happened, Kaiba. I don't talk to you because I hate you, because you could have made a difference that day and you didn't. Now if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than to continue this pointless conversation with you."
Joey unceremoniously stepped over Kaiba, knocking the sleek computer off of Kaiba's lap. The machine fell on the floor with a loud clatter that made Kaiba wince. He watched as Joey made his way to sit with Ryou Bakura, who was sitting a few rows in front of them, and sighed.
Perhaps this wasn't the best time to bring it up after all.
And look to the stars, and wander towards a
Heartfelt obligation, a place that you called home
And heard your voice again, but it's too late.
You left long ago, and now you're probably dead and gone,
And I'm left here with the water and the shoals and a tainted obligation.
**~~**
"I think everyone on the bus heard that."
Joey sighed. "Would you mind trading seats with me for a little while? I promise not to make you sit with Kaiba for the entire trip," he added as the kid sitting with Ryou shook his head. "Just for a little bit, okay?"
The kid finally nodded and grudgingly made his way back to Kaiba's seat.
"What was that about, Joey?"
Joey shrugged as he took the seat next to Ryou. "It was just Kaiba being a jerk."
"It sounded like a little more than that. Is everything okay? You've been a bit quiet all day, Joey."
"Things are fine, Ryou. It's just not been a good day."
Ryou nodded. He suddenly reached up to touch his chest, and Joey could see the fabric of his school uniform sticking up a little bit.
"You have the Millennium Puzzle with you today, don't you? My ring senses it. Bakura has been wondering if you still had it."
Joey reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and took out the puzzle. He ran his fingers over the smooth surface, not for the first time wishing that Yugi had the puzzle instead of him.
"Yeah. I don't know why, but I felt like I had to bring it."
Joey turned to find Ryou staring at him with a serious look on his face.
"Why don't you wear it?"
Joey was quiet for a moment. He really didn't know how to answer that. Why didn't he wear it? Why did he keep the puzzle hidden in an inner pocket of his jacket or back pack?
"It's Yugi's puzzle, Ryou. Why would I want to wear it?"
Ryou only shrugged. "Why wouldn't you? If you're keeping it safe for him until he returns, then wouldn't wearing it be the safest thing to do?"
Joey shook his head.
Ryou smiled sadly at him. "You're afraid, aren't you?"
"What? Why would I be afraid of the puzzle?"
"You know the rules for the items, don't you?"
Joey nodded.
"So then you understand that if anything ever happens to Yugi, Yami is trapped in the puzzle until he can find a new host, right? You're afraid that if you wear it, and Yugi is dead, Yami will need you for a host."
Joey swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. That wasn't right. He wasn't afraid of Yami, was he?
"Yugi would want you to care for the puzzle and Yami, you know. I don't think he'd trust anyone else to do it."
Finally, Joey managed to form his tumbling thoughts into coherent sentences.
"It's not Yami I'm afraid of, or being his host. I'm afraid that if I put on the puzzle and Yami does use me as his host, then that confirms to me that Yugi is dead. Call me stupid, but I don't want to lose hope."
Ryou nodded. "I understand, Joey. I hope, for all of our sakes, that Yugi comes back to us."
**~~**
Jomei was tired. He'd had to stay at work late because of the school group coming in, and he was just about ready to drop. He'd gotten an hour off for dinner, but since he lived so far away he hadn't been able to go home to eat. Instead, he'd found a corner of the kitchen and settled down, while one of the chefs cooked him some pasta. He was just about finished with his food, but had no desire to get up and continue to work.
"How's it going there, kid?"
Jomei looked up to find Alex grinning down at him. The man was always cheerful, no matter how tired he was. Jomei sometimes wondered if he was like that around everyone, or just him.
"It's going okay. I'd love to go home, though."
"I understand. It wasn't fair to ask you to stay late, but I'm understaffed tonight. I'll make you a deal, if the kids aren't rowdy and don't make too much of a mess, I'll let you go home early, how's that?"
Jomei smiled. "Sounds like a deal to me. Let me get these dishes put up and I'll go over to help you finish setting up."
He walked over and deposited the dishes in the dish washer, then thanked the cook for the meal. He gathered up his cleaning supplies and stepped out into the room reserved for the school group. He immediately noticed that the kids had already started to arrive. They were all wearing uniforms, as most school kids in his area did. Jomei watched as the kids interacted with each other, not for the first time wishing that he could be a part of a group like that. He wondered what it would be like to have friends, go to school, learn new things, and just be a kid.
Jomei stood and watched them for a while, smiling wistfully as each group interacted in different ways. Some were loud; others were quiet, while a few chose to sit by themselves. A dark haired woman would hover around each kid for a few moments, and Jomei figured that she was the teacher in charge. She seemed to be concerned for their well being, which was nice.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jomei saw Alex looking at him. He gave the American a small smile, before turning his attention back to the kids. To his right, Jomei noticed that someone had spilled something. He sighed, and began to head that way. It was his job to clean up, after all.
**~**
"Joey, you are so clumsy!" Tristan exclaimed as he laughed. "You should have seen that one coming."
"It's not funny, Tristan. My uniform is ruined now. I'm going to be walking around looking like an idiot for the rest of the night."
Joey brushed at his white shirt, trying to get the rest of the tea out of it, but without success. Tea tossed him one of the napkins, but even that didn't help.
"This tea is pretty hot. I think I need to go and wash it out for a bit."
"Just be careful not to spill anything else," Tea called after him, but he ignored her.
Joey got up from his chair and began to walk in the direction Ryou had gone, since the younger teen had headed for the rest room a few minutes earlier. On his way, Joey bumped into someone.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, and kept walking.
He'd taken a few steps when he suddenly stopped. He whirled around and watched as the person he'd bumped into mopped up the mess from the tea he'd spilled. The others around his table were ignoring the guy doing the cleaning, but Joey couldn't figure out why he couldn't just walk away. The boy wasn't anything out of the ordinary. He was short, and wore a sweatshirt with a hood over his head. He was a little young to be working, but Joey figured that this was Tokyo and the laws might be different for students here. He still couldn't walk away, though.
As if guided by an invisible hand, Joey slowly walked back to the kid with the mop.
"Excuse me."
The boy turned towards him, and the moment Joey saw the face staring back at him, he felt as if he were about to pass out.
"Oh, my God," he whispered.
The boy frowned. "Can I help you? Are you looking for something?"
Joey looked into the violet eyes he thought he'd never see again and wondered why all he saw there was mild interest. Tentatively, he reached out and removed the hood from the boy's head, revealing the unruly mop of black, magenta, and golden hair that was his friend's trademark.
"What are you doing?"
Joey was at a loss for words. He couldn't speak, and he couldn't move; all he could do was stand there and stare at a person he'd last seen over six months ago.
"Are you okay? Do you want me to get you some help?"
"What are you doing here? Why didn't you go home?" Joey finally found his voice, but it was barely above a whisper.
"I'm sorry, do I know you? And for your information, I had to work late, so I didn't get to go home."
"Work? What do you mean work? What are you even doing here, in Tokyo? Why didn't you go back to Domino?"
Joey's voice was growing louder, and he'd finally managed to get the attention of the people at his table.
"Yugi? Oh, my God, Yugi!" that was Tea.
She ran up to the boy and embraced him, but Joey could see that the boy was scared. He pulled out of the embrace quickly and took a few steps back. He was frantically looking around, and it seemed to Joey as if he were looking for a way to get away from them.
"I don't know who you people are, or what you want from me, but I don't want to have anything to do with it. So just leave me alone."
"You don't remember us?" Tristan asked.
The boy shook his head. He looked from one person to the other, until he finally settled on looking at Joey.
"Should I?"
"Of course you should, Yugi. We've known you for a while, until you disappeared," Joey replied.
The boy frowned. "What? I didn't disappear. I've been here. How do you know me?"
Joey took a few steps towards the boy and put a hand on his shoulder.
"You're our friend Yugi Moto. We went to school together until a few months ago."
The boy shook his head. "I'm not Yugi Moto. My name is Jomei Asami. You must have me confused with someone else."
Joey suddenly felt the weight of the Millennium Puzzle in his pocket, and he took it out. He held it out to the boy, who looked at it strangely. In one swift movement, Joey had the puzzle hanging around the boy's neck. The boy looked at it again, and then looked up at Joey, annoyance and anger in his eyes. He was about to take the puzzle off when it glowed. When the brightness disappeared, Joey was shocked to see Yami standing beside him.
"Yami, are you okay? Where have you been?"
Yami turned to look at Joey, and then redirected his gaze towards Yugi.
"I was trapped in the puzzle, Joey. Ever since that day in Kaiba's car, the day Yugi disappeared, I've been unable to will myself out of the puzzle."
Joey saw the boy's eyes widen as he stared at Yami. Could it be true? Could Yugi really not remember any of them, not even Yami?
Joey sighed. They were all in for a long, long night.
**~~**
Song credit: Tainted Obligation, performed by R.E.M.
Well, most of you figured it out before I got to it, so kudos to you! *hands Oreo cookies to everyone* Coming up: Well, let's just say that there are going to be a lot of confused people. You'll see when you get to the next chapter.
Reviews:
Cyberkat: Heartbreaking in a good way, I hope!
I luv Yugi and Kurt: I'm not sure about the memories. It's way too early in the story to have made up my mind yet!
Anime Addict: I'm glad you're enjoying the story!
Jaid Skywalker: Thank you very much! I'm glad you like the story.
TZ: *takes bag of chocolates and starts munching on them* Candy is such great incentive to write, you know!
Lizzy9046: An author's creative license is a wonderful thing. You get to do whatever you want. . . *sniker* And yes, in this case, coincidences are wonderful!
Treska: Thanks for the review! I hope you weren't late for class.
eliz: Wow, I'm glad you like the story! Thanks.
SilverFang: but, but, but? LOL! Out of words, huh? Well, I hope this update was soon enough for ya!
Sukai Kaiba: Hey there! Glad you're enjoying the fic.
angelkitty: The song is really sad and angsty. It was actually supposed to go in the last chapter but I forgot it. I hope this chapter answers some of your questions.
KaTyA: Hey! I didn't know that you were reading this one too. How cool! I'm glad you're enjoying it.
Dranzer: Your wish is my command: one chapter, coming up!
Lavender Wonder: Okay, I admit it: I DO like torturing poor people. . . it's just fun! Hmmm. . . Joey brooding. I like that idea. I like the idea of Kaiba brooding as well. Must work on that!
lil: Yes, I'm most definitely going to continue, it's just that sometimes it takes me longer to update than other times.
IrishJade: Captivating is a very good thing! I'm gald you're enjoying the story.
BIG YuGiOh Fan: :o)) Good observations! You'll see what happens at the end of this chapter.
Jailee: How's this for 'ask and ye shall receive'? You just happened to review at the moment when I was just finishing the chapter!
insane yami: I ALWAYS listen to the shadow realm, you know! I'm afraid of what'll happen if I don't.
Once again, thanks a million for the reviews! Now, on to the story.
Part 7: Tainted Obligation
I saw the shoals at night, with the moon above.
I felt an obligation, and heard your voice again.
If you were here once, you were here a hundred times.
If I reached out tonight, I found I couldn't fight it.
If you were here once, you were here a hundred times.
Kaiba shifted uncomfortably in his seat, wincing every time his knees hit the seat in front of him. He hated these cramped, uncomfortable buses, because the space was never adequate for someone of his height. After shifting a few more times, he finally attained a position that wouldn't numb his legs. He returned his attention to his laptop, trying, but failing, to ignore the person sitting beside him.
Kaiba had tried to get out of this trip, because he'd already been to the museum several times with Mokuba. However, the teacher had said that in order to get credit for the activity he had to attend, so here he was. He would have preferred to sit with anyone other than who he'd been stuck with.
He and Joey had a very shaky relationship. They'd been adversaries before, and that had been fine with Kaiba. It had amused him, even. Now, things were different. Joey's blame for what had happened to Yugi had cut deep, though he'd never admit it to the younger teen. Kaiba's own guilt had made him stay away from Joey for the longest time. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that he'd started baiting the other boy again like he'd used to. Joey, however, refused to rise to the bait like he had in the past, which frightened Kaiba more than if Joey had fought back. He didn't want Joey to hate him for what had happened to Yugi, because Kaiba already hated himself enough for it. His attempts at drawing a reaction from Joey had been a way of getting some sort of absolution, but it had never happened.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kaiba saw Joey slumped against the window. His eyes were closed and Kaiba guessed that he was sleeping. It was strange, but Kaiba wanted to talk to Joey about what had happened that day at the docks. He knew that Joey blamed him for not getting to Yugi on time, but he'd never said anything to him, except for what was said on that day. Kaiba almost wanted Joey to accuse him. He closed his eyes and remembered that fateful day.
****
Kaiba quickly turned into the small street that bordered the docks, throwing everyone off balance. He looked around at the warehouses, confused as to what else he was supposed to do.
"It's the one on the far end of the docks, I know it," Joey said.
Kaiba did as he was told and drove to the warehouse at the end of the street. He parked the car and immediately got out. As soon as he was out, Joey took off running towards the big doors that led into the warehouse.
"Shouldn't you be more careful? If whoever took Yugi is still in there, they'll kill you if you just barge in."
"Butt out, Kaiba," Joey yelled.
"Kaiba's right," Ryou said from where he stood next to Kaiba. "You need to be more careful, Joey."
"We don't have time for that. I'm going to go in."
Kaiba watched as Joey walked inside the warehouse. He wanted to know more about what was going on and who the spirit was, especially after the spirit had disappeared on the way, but knew that this wasn't the time or the place to ask. Maybe when this was all over he could talk to Yugi about it.
"Joey, wait!" Tristan yelled, before running after him. Ryou followed, and finally, Kaiba decided to do the same.
When he walked into the warehouse, he saw Joey kneeling on the floor of the dirty and dark warehouse. He was holding something in his hands. Kaiba walked over to him, frowning. He looked around but didn't see anyone else there. He had a sickening feeling that they were too late.
"What's that?"
Joey didn't reply. Instead, he quickly got to his feet and decked Kaiba, sending him to the ground. He didn't have a chance to react because Joey was suddenly on him, his fists flying. Kaiba brought his arms up in an attempt to block the blows, and was only partially successful. Joey's eyes were bright with tears, his face flushed with rage. Kaiba knew that Joey wasn't usually this strong, so the anger was probably fueling his sudden strength.
"Stop it, Joey."
Someone said that, before that same someone pulled Joey off of him. Kaiba lay on the ground, trying to get his bearings and his breath, and saw Tristan holding Joey back. When Joey broke out of Tristan's hold, Ryou joined in and they were both finally able to hold the enraged teen.
Kaiba wiped his mouth and nose in a feeble attempt to stop the blood from flowing down his face, and then got up. He stood in front of Joey.
"What the hell was that for?" Kaiba asked.
"It's your fault, Kaiba. If you'd only agreed to help us when I asked, we would have gotten here in time to find more than just that," Joey yelled at him. He was seething, and Kaiba could almost feel the anger radiating from him.
Kaiba turned to look at what Joey was pointing at, but saw nothing more than a rumpled piece of cloth.
"What is that?"
"Those are Yugi's pajamas, Kaiba. He was wearing them last night," Joey said. "I hope that for the rest of your life, you think about this day and know that whatever happens to Yugi will be your fault. If you hadn't been so cold hearted and selfish, we'd have found my friend, instead of just that. If he dies, or is hurt, it'll be on your conscience."
Kaiba stared down at the discarded and dirty pajamas. Instead of seeing the blue print of the material on the floor, however, he saw the green and yellow material that his brother's pajamas were made out of. His heart clenched. What if it'd been Mokuba?
Best as a wishing star, I saw you better far away.
And I felt obligation, and heard your voice again.
Hear the rush of water, passing over the shoals.
Hear my heartbeat rather, if I reached out tonight.
If I reach out tonight and find I can't fight it.
****
Kaiba suddenly jerked himself out of the memory, flinching violently. His knee hit Joey's leg, causing him to jerk awake.
"Do you mind? I'm trying to sleep here," Joey said.
Kaiba's jaw tightened. "Isn't that what beds are for? Oh, excuse me; you must be used to sleeping on buses."
Joey glared.
"You're some piece of work, Kaiba. Why are you here, anyway? I'd have figured that a rich guy like you had already seen the museum."
Kaiba chuckled, but it was a cold, humorless sound.
"As a matter of fact, I have. I don't need to depend on some school field trip to go anywhere."
Joey smirked. "So what are you doing here? Let me guess, the teacher said you had to come?"
Kaiba didn't reply. Instead, he looked away.
"Hah, I knew it. Poor little rich kid, he can't even get his way."
Kaiba ignored Joey until the younger teen turned away and directed his attention to the passing scenery.
'I have to talk to him now, or I'll never get another chance.'
"Joey, we need to talk about what happened at the docks."
Joey immediately turned back to face him, his face registering shock. The shock immediately transformed to anger, though.
"No, we don't. I said what I needed to say to you that day."
"You can't pretend that what happened that day didn't happen, you know. Denial isn't the answer."
Joey's eyes widened. "Denial? You think that's what this is? Let me tell you something." Joey's voice gained volume as he spoke. "I live with Yugi's grandfather, remember? I hear him when he's sobbing his heart out because he misses his grandson. The first thing I see when I get up every morning and the last thing I see before going to bed each night is the closed door to Yugi's room. I carry around Yugi's puzzle in the hopes that Yami will come out of it and tell me that Yugi is okay. That's not denial." Joey got up from his seat and stood pressed against the window, glaring at Kaiba. "The reason I don't talk to you is not because I'm in denial about what happened, Kaiba. I don't talk to you because I hate you, because you could have made a difference that day and you didn't. Now if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than to continue this pointless conversation with you."
Joey unceremoniously stepped over Kaiba, knocking the sleek computer off of Kaiba's lap. The machine fell on the floor with a loud clatter that made Kaiba wince. He watched as Joey made his way to sit with Ryou Bakura, who was sitting a few rows in front of them, and sighed.
Perhaps this wasn't the best time to bring it up after all.
And look to the stars, and wander towards a
Heartfelt obligation, a place that you called home
And heard your voice again, but it's too late.
You left long ago, and now you're probably dead and gone,
And I'm left here with the water and the shoals and a tainted obligation.
**~~**
"I think everyone on the bus heard that."
Joey sighed. "Would you mind trading seats with me for a little while? I promise not to make you sit with Kaiba for the entire trip," he added as the kid sitting with Ryou shook his head. "Just for a little bit, okay?"
The kid finally nodded and grudgingly made his way back to Kaiba's seat.
"What was that about, Joey?"
Joey shrugged as he took the seat next to Ryou. "It was just Kaiba being a jerk."
"It sounded like a little more than that. Is everything okay? You've been a bit quiet all day, Joey."
"Things are fine, Ryou. It's just not been a good day."
Ryou nodded. He suddenly reached up to touch his chest, and Joey could see the fabric of his school uniform sticking up a little bit.
"You have the Millennium Puzzle with you today, don't you? My ring senses it. Bakura has been wondering if you still had it."
Joey reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and took out the puzzle. He ran his fingers over the smooth surface, not for the first time wishing that Yugi had the puzzle instead of him.
"Yeah. I don't know why, but I felt like I had to bring it."
Joey turned to find Ryou staring at him with a serious look on his face.
"Why don't you wear it?"
Joey was quiet for a moment. He really didn't know how to answer that. Why didn't he wear it? Why did he keep the puzzle hidden in an inner pocket of his jacket or back pack?
"It's Yugi's puzzle, Ryou. Why would I want to wear it?"
Ryou only shrugged. "Why wouldn't you? If you're keeping it safe for him until he returns, then wouldn't wearing it be the safest thing to do?"
Joey shook his head.
Ryou smiled sadly at him. "You're afraid, aren't you?"
"What? Why would I be afraid of the puzzle?"
"You know the rules for the items, don't you?"
Joey nodded.
"So then you understand that if anything ever happens to Yugi, Yami is trapped in the puzzle until he can find a new host, right? You're afraid that if you wear it, and Yugi is dead, Yami will need you for a host."
Joey swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. That wasn't right. He wasn't afraid of Yami, was he?
"Yugi would want you to care for the puzzle and Yami, you know. I don't think he'd trust anyone else to do it."
Finally, Joey managed to form his tumbling thoughts into coherent sentences.
"It's not Yami I'm afraid of, or being his host. I'm afraid that if I put on the puzzle and Yami does use me as his host, then that confirms to me that Yugi is dead. Call me stupid, but I don't want to lose hope."
Ryou nodded. "I understand, Joey. I hope, for all of our sakes, that Yugi comes back to us."
**~~**
Jomei was tired. He'd had to stay at work late because of the school group coming in, and he was just about ready to drop. He'd gotten an hour off for dinner, but since he lived so far away he hadn't been able to go home to eat. Instead, he'd found a corner of the kitchen and settled down, while one of the chefs cooked him some pasta. He was just about finished with his food, but had no desire to get up and continue to work.
"How's it going there, kid?"
Jomei looked up to find Alex grinning down at him. The man was always cheerful, no matter how tired he was. Jomei sometimes wondered if he was like that around everyone, or just him.
"It's going okay. I'd love to go home, though."
"I understand. It wasn't fair to ask you to stay late, but I'm understaffed tonight. I'll make you a deal, if the kids aren't rowdy and don't make too much of a mess, I'll let you go home early, how's that?"
Jomei smiled. "Sounds like a deal to me. Let me get these dishes put up and I'll go over to help you finish setting up."
He walked over and deposited the dishes in the dish washer, then thanked the cook for the meal. He gathered up his cleaning supplies and stepped out into the room reserved for the school group. He immediately noticed that the kids had already started to arrive. They were all wearing uniforms, as most school kids in his area did. Jomei watched as the kids interacted with each other, not for the first time wishing that he could be a part of a group like that. He wondered what it would be like to have friends, go to school, learn new things, and just be a kid.
Jomei stood and watched them for a while, smiling wistfully as each group interacted in different ways. Some were loud; others were quiet, while a few chose to sit by themselves. A dark haired woman would hover around each kid for a few moments, and Jomei figured that she was the teacher in charge. She seemed to be concerned for their well being, which was nice.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jomei saw Alex looking at him. He gave the American a small smile, before turning his attention back to the kids. To his right, Jomei noticed that someone had spilled something. He sighed, and began to head that way. It was his job to clean up, after all.
**~**
"Joey, you are so clumsy!" Tristan exclaimed as he laughed. "You should have seen that one coming."
"It's not funny, Tristan. My uniform is ruined now. I'm going to be walking around looking like an idiot for the rest of the night."
Joey brushed at his white shirt, trying to get the rest of the tea out of it, but without success. Tea tossed him one of the napkins, but even that didn't help.
"This tea is pretty hot. I think I need to go and wash it out for a bit."
"Just be careful not to spill anything else," Tea called after him, but he ignored her.
Joey got up from his chair and began to walk in the direction Ryou had gone, since the younger teen had headed for the rest room a few minutes earlier. On his way, Joey bumped into someone.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, and kept walking.
He'd taken a few steps when he suddenly stopped. He whirled around and watched as the person he'd bumped into mopped up the mess from the tea he'd spilled. The others around his table were ignoring the guy doing the cleaning, but Joey couldn't figure out why he couldn't just walk away. The boy wasn't anything out of the ordinary. He was short, and wore a sweatshirt with a hood over his head. He was a little young to be working, but Joey figured that this was Tokyo and the laws might be different for students here. He still couldn't walk away, though.
As if guided by an invisible hand, Joey slowly walked back to the kid with the mop.
"Excuse me."
The boy turned towards him, and the moment Joey saw the face staring back at him, he felt as if he were about to pass out.
"Oh, my God," he whispered.
The boy frowned. "Can I help you? Are you looking for something?"
Joey looked into the violet eyes he thought he'd never see again and wondered why all he saw there was mild interest. Tentatively, he reached out and removed the hood from the boy's head, revealing the unruly mop of black, magenta, and golden hair that was his friend's trademark.
"What are you doing?"
Joey was at a loss for words. He couldn't speak, and he couldn't move; all he could do was stand there and stare at a person he'd last seen over six months ago.
"Are you okay? Do you want me to get you some help?"
"What are you doing here? Why didn't you go home?" Joey finally found his voice, but it was barely above a whisper.
"I'm sorry, do I know you? And for your information, I had to work late, so I didn't get to go home."
"Work? What do you mean work? What are you even doing here, in Tokyo? Why didn't you go back to Domino?"
Joey's voice was growing louder, and he'd finally managed to get the attention of the people at his table.
"Yugi? Oh, my God, Yugi!" that was Tea.
She ran up to the boy and embraced him, but Joey could see that the boy was scared. He pulled out of the embrace quickly and took a few steps back. He was frantically looking around, and it seemed to Joey as if he were looking for a way to get away from them.
"I don't know who you people are, or what you want from me, but I don't want to have anything to do with it. So just leave me alone."
"You don't remember us?" Tristan asked.
The boy shook his head. He looked from one person to the other, until he finally settled on looking at Joey.
"Should I?"
"Of course you should, Yugi. We've known you for a while, until you disappeared," Joey replied.
The boy frowned. "What? I didn't disappear. I've been here. How do you know me?"
Joey took a few steps towards the boy and put a hand on his shoulder.
"You're our friend Yugi Moto. We went to school together until a few months ago."
The boy shook his head. "I'm not Yugi Moto. My name is Jomei Asami. You must have me confused with someone else."
Joey suddenly felt the weight of the Millennium Puzzle in his pocket, and he took it out. He held it out to the boy, who looked at it strangely. In one swift movement, Joey had the puzzle hanging around the boy's neck. The boy looked at it again, and then looked up at Joey, annoyance and anger in his eyes. He was about to take the puzzle off when it glowed. When the brightness disappeared, Joey was shocked to see Yami standing beside him.
"Yami, are you okay? Where have you been?"
Yami turned to look at Joey, and then redirected his gaze towards Yugi.
"I was trapped in the puzzle, Joey. Ever since that day in Kaiba's car, the day Yugi disappeared, I've been unable to will myself out of the puzzle."
Joey saw the boy's eyes widen as he stared at Yami. Could it be true? Could Yugi really not remember any of them, not even Yami?
Joey sighed. They were all in for a long, long night.
**~~**
Song credit: Tainted Obligation, performed by R.E.M.
Well, most of you figured it out before I got to it, so kudos to you! *hands Oreo cookies to everyone* Coming up: Well, let's just say that there are going to be a lot of confused people. You'll see when you get to the next chapter.