Original Yu-Gi-Oh Series
Parallel
Chapter 067
Originally Written: Tuesday, May 3, 2022 944AM to 1040AM
. . . . .
No one liked the bad days. They liked Joey's bad days least of all. They didn't last long, but they were most intense. Usually they were days where Joey was training. Trying to use magic he simply wasn't meant to.
A pillow flew across the room. It hit the wall with enough force to shake the building and leave a dent. "I can fucking do that, but not anything else!?" Joey shouted, "You gotta fuckin' be kidding me! How the fuck did I do that thing with the fire then?!" A random gust of dark cloud filled wind filled the room, making his red tank top flutter. He threw his arms up in disappointment and frustration.
Ishizu shrugged, still dressed in her signature skimpy shorts. They were frayed now. Ishizu and Yami Marik adjusted easier to the lack of comforts that came from easily accessible clean water for drinking and cleaning, and soap as well. She sat on a small stool, her legs tucked in close to her. Kiba sat on her lap, barking, distressed because Joey was distressed.
"I don't know why you seem to work better when you're not thinking about it, but maybe you should play to that strength." Ishizu tapped her fingers against her chin. Her dark hair was up in a messy, frayed bun. A strap of her tank top slipped off her shoulder.
"That 'strength' is gonna get me or someone else killed!" Joey pushed down his jeans partially, giving her a better view of the large scar on his left hip. It went down further than that, scarring nearly the entirety of his thigh. Both of them shared a look before Joey fixed his pants with a growl, and restarted his rant.
The hiding spot they were in was small, but one that Yami Marik had gone on ahead to set up before they arrived. They were too large a target to stay with anyone else more...normal.
Seto walked into the room as Joey lifted the puzzle up from around his neck. He pinched the bridge of his nose and held out a hand. Pharaoh, Yami, watched indifferently, as though he were bored or tired of his very existence, and didn't care what Joey was about to do.
Joey stared at the puzzle floating in the air. "What, Seto?"
"You can break it, but can you put it back together after you regret it?"
Joey turned to look at him. He snatched the puzzle out of the air, and put it back around his neck.
"Come." Seto turned around. Joey followed.
Mokuba jumped up from the floor he was sitting on, before he stopped. He groaned, unable to do anything else. "Aww, c'mon Namu. I wanna see this!"
Yami Marik walked up to him. The Millennium Eye glowed on his forehead. He crossed his arms over his chest, the Millennium Rod held in one hand. He guided Mokuba over to the window.
Mokuba bounced on his feet. "Big Brother's come a long way. He even took over training Joey from you and Ishizu."
"Watch and learn." The spar Joey and Seto got into was more of a free-for-all fight. It mainly consisted of Joey setting everything on fire, and Seto blinding everyone with his light while cleaning up the bulk of Joey's flames. "Your brother isn't necessarily the stronger one here. Joey is just using his powers wrong."
Joey eventually managed to back Seto up against the wall of a nearby wrecked and abandoned building. His fists blurred, surrounded by deep purple flames. The building shook as he punched the wall around Seto. Mokuba looked on, stunned. He opened the window. Joey stood in front of Seto, arms hanging limp at his sides.
"What was that?" Joey breathed, shaking out his hands. "I ain't never did that against Ishizu or Namu."
Seto lowered his head, and wiped his glasses on the pristine white cloth he always had on him. His plain white Duel Academy trench coat stood out against the black of the turtleneck and slacks he wore. "Your magic isn't luck based. Rather you subconsciously hold yourself back when in the presence of those you admire. You don't want to disappoint them." Seto looked up, eyes glowing with the blue of his signature dragon's attack. "But you don't admire me. You are still angry with me for letting Yugi down."
Joey turned away as though he had been smacked. "No I ain't. The fuck does that gotta do with anything anyway?"
"It doesn't matter. I don't care if you're upset with me. The point is Yami goes in full strength, but you hold yourself back, because you admire him. Thus, you are doing exactly what you don't want to: let him down. The one thing you two agree on, is that you're both upset with me. Thus when sparring with me, you two are in sync, just as you were when trying to put out the fire to save Tristan." Seto put his glasses back on his face. "Look around you. You're welcome."
Joey circled around staring at the well placed circle of burning red and purple flames.
"Now you have no excuse. Please put out your fire." Seto pushed himself off the wall. He casually walked through the ring of flame as though it was no big deal, waving to Mokuba along the way. Namu shut the window, and pulled Mokuba away from it.
Ishizu let herself flop back off the stool. Kiba licked her face as she stared up at the ceiling. "Seto's amazing. I never would have caught that." She mumbled.
Joey looked down at his hands.
'I trust you, Joey.' Yami coached from within Joey's head. 'It's myself I worry about.'
'I'm here...You don't gotta worry about you, Yami. I'm here for that.' Joey held out his hands. Yami's warmth filled him. He blinked back something or other that came out as tears. The fire jumped back to his hands in a long arc. It didn't burn like it usually did. The purple flames circled around him, centering on his puzzle. Both flames disappeared. He dropped to his knees on the broken ground, and held his head in his hands.
The next day, Joey made it rain indoors, purified the water with Ishizu and Seto's help and had some of their duel monsters bring the water to civilians in need. A few weeks later, it was uncomfortably hot outside, so Joey brought a cool breeze to the city. The next day he hid with Namu in the shadows of the city defending those who were ambushed by Zorc's corruption.
A few days later, he used his light to convince a small clan of Mystical Elves to help Domino's strained medics. They grabbed Mokuba to train him in their healing ways. Mokuba learned quickly with Bakura's help, and was back within a week or two.
The next day Joey accidentally offended his Red Eyes Black Dragon in a fight. He sat on top of him while attacking with lightning strikes. He fixed his error by burning one of Zorc's corruptions to a crisp with intense reddish purple flames so dark they looked black. Kiba barked in his lap, and Red Eyes roared in approval.