Catch 22: The Compare, The Contrast and The Everything In Between
By: M14Mouse
Summary: Negotiations? Stealing items from shadows and palaces? All of these experiences are new to Yu but… between…he does see a common thread.
Disclaimer: Don't own them.
Thanks to AKatsinTcups for beta reading this chapter! :D
"Oh, hello, everyone. Did you catch the bandit?" Yu asked as he turned around.
There was a long moment of silence with the thieves just staring at them. He wondered if something happened.
"Our Sensei is a totally badass," Ryuji said in awe.
"Hey! We helped too!" Lilim said with her hands on her hips.
"Yes, you did. You two did a great job," He said with a smile.
Lilim beamed at him. Black Frost grabbed Yu's hand and he patted his head.
"Anyway. We caught the bandit but we were dropped down here as soon as we returned to her with the item. My theory is that she's afraid to have anyone close to her that is why she dropped us down here," Makoto said as she turned to him.
"It is a good theory," he said.
"How did you get down here, Sensei?" Ann asked.
"Lilim had one of the shadows open the door for us."
"You could have done that for us," Yusuke said.
"I didn't know if it was going to work and besides, the Pharaoh said that you had to go after the bandit. Not us," Lilim said.
"Okay, you two…save your energy for the palace," Ren said.
"Take it easy. We don't want to burn ourselves out either," Makoto added.
Ren nodded then the group climbed the wall using the coffins as hand holds. Once, the group was up the wall, Ren went over to one of the vases and broke it. He picked up an item and put into their bag then he moved onto the door.
"So, your shadows don't drop the items that you need?" He asked as the door opened.
"No…I mean sometimes but not as often as you would think. Where did you get your items from?" Ren said.
"The shadows dropped them. We have a bag like yours. It could get pretty heavy sometimes."
"Tell me about it. We take turns holding it," Ryuji said.
"Where did you sell your items?" Makoto asked as they used some broken pieces of wood to cross over to the other side.
"At our local metalwork shop. He made our weapons for us. I still can't believe that you use prop weapons," He said in disbelief.
He was almost envious of them. No matter how well-made Kanji made the jacket, it wasn't very comfortable carrying around a long sword.
One of the first things that he did when he became president was to buy the metalwork shop in town. He knew that the shop was struggling in recent years and it was an hour by train just to the next major city, which he wasn't even quite sure if it had a weapon shop. He couldn't leave the tv world unprotected.
They made the mistake once when the tournament happened.
He refused to let them happen again.
The only rule that he put into place was that the owner had to train someone to take over. Last time that he checked in, the owner informed him that they have two students. Needs to see which one sticks around.
"I still can't believe that you use real ones. How did you sneak them in?" Ryuji asked.
"Practice and Kanji. Once he joined us, he was able to make compartments for us in our bags and outfits. It worked out rather well."
"Wow…."
"Do you think that he would do something like that for us?" Ren asked.
"Of course. Just tell me what you looking for. I will send them along to Kanji. He always likes a challenge," he said.
"Thanks, Sensei," Ren said.
"What's this? Some kinda giant bow and arrow," Ryuji said.
"Oh, that's a…." Makoto said.
He missed last half of the conversation because he was eying Black Frost. He let go of Yu's hand and started approaching the ballista.
"Black Frost. Don't touch," He said.
Black Frost turned to him with a "Hee Hoo?"
"Yes, it is dangerous."
"Hee Hoo?"
"That too."
"Hee Hoo?"
"Yes, you're right. Very good."
Black Frost clapped his hands then came back to Yu's side and grabbed his hand again. Once the others judged that the ballista wasn't in operation or going to harm them, they moved back across the bridge.
"You know…I am also wondering how you understand Black Frost," Ann inquired.
"That can wait. We have another shadow up ahead," Makoto warned as they pressed against the wall.
The group nodded. Ren motioned Morgana, Queen, and Yusuke to follow him and then jumped up the high wall and attacked the shadow.
Lilim approached Ann as they waited.
Before Yu could get back to Ann's question Lilim spoke first to Ann, "I have a question, then Sensei can answer yours, but…where do you go?"
She clarified when Ann looked confused, "When you leave here I mean?"
He smiled softly. The question reminded him so much of Teddie.
"Back home?" Ann answered.
"What is home?"
"Well…home is busy. I have a house….but I have school and my friends. There are cars…people…"
"There are more of you?! Like there are more of shadows?"
"Kind of like that…" Ann said with a chuckle as she scratched her cheek.
"And Cars…like Mona?"
Ryuji covered his mouth trying not to laugh.
"No…animals don't turn into cars."
"Oh…" Lilim said looking disappointed.
Ann looked at him frantic then at Lilim.
"But it has snacks. LOTs of them!" Ann said.
…That probably wasn't a good idea.
"REALLY!?"
"Uh huh. Different types and everything…"
"What are you guys talking about?" Ren asked as he and the others returned. Yu noticed that Morgana and Makoto were gone. He tilted his head slightly at Ren who waved his hand toward a door and he nodded in understanding.
"Snacks! You lied to me! You said that your world only had a few snacks! You just didn't want to share!" Lilim said as she pointed her finger at Yusuke.
"Because you would eat them all!" Yusuke said.
"Unlike you, I know how to share!"
"Calm down, you two. We have a long way to go and I don't want you two to get tired in the middle," He said.
Lilim and Yusuke deflated and spoke in tandem
"Sorry."
Yu smiled softly then he heard a loud crash making everyone jump in surprise.
"What the hell?!" Ryuji yelped.
He turned around to see a huge arrow hit the wall allowing a beam of light flood the room hitting the door causing it to open.
That was a little exciting.
"I knew that was a trap!" Ryuji shouted.
"No, that was the trigger to open the door," Makoto said as she and Morgana returned to the group.
"Yup. Now, if it headed toward someone…" Morgana said as he looked at Ryuji.
"Listen, cat!" Ryuji growled leering at Morgana..
He sighed. He needed to head this off before….
"Stop it! You two are making us look bad in front of Sensei! Geeze…" Ann said as she stomped her foot on the ground.
Morgana looked ashamed. Ryuji tsked and turned away from the group.
"Let make our way to the door and see what happened," Ren said as he ran his hand through his hair.
The group nodded and made its way back across the bridge, Morgana was slightly ahead of them.
"I tried talking to Mona, Sensei. He won't talk to me but I can tell that he is ashamed of his actions. He gets a little huffy when I ask but I can tell by his body language that he regretted what he said. I am hoping that his behavior doesn't affect the rest of the group and cause trouble with us changing Futaba's heart," Ren said beside him.
"That is good to know. If Skull and Mona get out of hand too much, I will make them run laps….outside of the pyramid. That should stop the fighting rather quickly," He said.
"That would," Ren said with a chuckle.
"Whoa! We have a way to the stairs now!" Ann shouted as the group stopped at the opening of the door.
"Excellent, we should push on," Makoto said pleased with their progress.
The group pushed forward until they reached a tablet.
"The light shed by the god of the underworld shall become the sign for those who transverse the pits," Makoto said as she read the tablet.
Lilim sighed, "You are going to have to forgive him. Anubis is a drama queen. He gets mad if you point it out that it is stupid with all of the glowing rocks and stuff."
"Rocks?" Yusuke asked in curiosity.
"You'll see. There should be one around the corner."
"Wait here…we will be right back," Ren said as he, Makoto, Yusuke and Morgana moved around the corner liked Lilim said.
"Now, I go a question for you, Lilim…What does it look like when we leave?" Ann asked.
"You slimmer…like glitter then poof!"
"Glitter…? Man, what did you give her? Hell, what have you been teaching her?" Ryuji said.
"She wanted to try some of my makeup. It was fun," Ann said with a grin.
Black Frost gave Ann a look. He pointed at her and started waving his finger at her.
"Hee Hoo!"
Oh….heh.
"I don't think that Lilim meant to put it on you, Black Frost. She was just doing what Panther taught her," He said.
"Oh…I am sorry, Black Frost. Lilim won't do it again, okay?" Ann said as she kneeled down and pat his head.
"I won't because Slime is much better makeup buddy," Lilim said with a grin.
He heard Ryuji cracking beside him.
"Anyway, we get sad when you leave but you always come back. You guys will always come back, right? Sometimes I worry when you don't have me around to patch you up, that silly cat forgets to," Lilim said.
"Hee Hoo!"
He smiled softly.
"We will always come back because you are the best nurse," He said.
"And assistant!"
"You going to have fight Theo for that role," Ryuji said.
"Sensei already has an assistant?" Lilim said sadly.
Ann hit Ryuji's arm.
"OUCH!"
"I do but you can be my secretary. You always keep everyone in line and everything in order," said.
Lilim looked thoughtful for a moment.
"You know…I like the sound of that. From now on, I am Sensei's secretary!"
Everyone felt the room shake. He glanced over at the other door as it opened.
"Alright, Joker! Finally, the main stairs!" Ryuji cheered.
"Do I get a clipboard, Sensei? I need to write things," Lilim said.
"Hee Hoo!"
"That is right! You can be my assistant!"
"….So, do we ask?" Ren said in curiosity as the others return to the group.
"I am going to be Sensei's secretary and Black Frost is my assistant!" Lilim said as she clapped.
"Uhh…"
"And I get a clipboard too. So, does Black Frost."
"Hee Hoo!"
"That is right! We need those pencils with those fuzzy tops too!"
Ren looked at him and he smiled.
"Next time, I will bring you and Black Frost clipboards and those fuzzy pencils," said.
"YAY!"
"Hee Hoo!"
"You guys have the most interesting conversations while we are busy," Ren said.
"I know, right!?" Ann said eagerly.
"Let's move on before he decides to make one a janitor or something," Morgana mumbled.
YuHe tilted his head slightly and Morgana's eyes widen.
"Come on! Come on!" Morgana said as he rushed ahead.
Lilim gave Morgana a look as he passed them.
"The cat has something up in his ass. I am going to write him up when I get my clipboard," Lilim said.
He sighed softly.
"Or hit him with my clipboard…"
"Let's go before Mona gets too far ahead," Ren broke the tension leading the way after Mona..
The group followed Mona to the main stairs then started the long journey up, stopping at a room by the stairs.
"This is a safe room! You two aren't allow inside," Mona asserted towards their shadow companions.
"Why not?!" Lilim protested angrily with her hands on her hips
"Because you two are shadows and you might mess up the room!"
"Hee HO!"
"That is right!"
"Don't worry. I will stay with you two while the others rest," He said.
"You need to rest too, Sensei," Makoto insisted.
"I'm fine. Besides, we didn't have safe rooms when we explored the tv world."
"What did you have?"
"A fox."
"Were you guys…high?" Ryuji added.
"No but his services came at a cost. A very high cost that required a lot of yen. He is a protector of Inaba's shine. I completed tasks for him and in turn, he helped in the tv world. Next time I go home I should check up on him."
"…."
"…."
The group stared at him in stunned silence. His friends had the same reaction. It was kind of funny.
"Uhh…a fox?" Ann said.
"A fox."
"That is remarkable. A real fox…. Just imagine…." Yusuke said in awe.
"I know, right!? That is so cool. Can I pet Mr. Fox when he comes to visit?" Lilim added.
"You can ask," He said smilingly at Lilim.
"I am going to go inside to mark it on our map," Ren said as he went inside really quickly. A few moments later, he stepped back out.
"You sure that you don't need to rest? Don't push yourself. We can always come back tomorrow," He said.
His students shook their heads no and mumbled that they wanted to go forward.
Aww…he remembered when he did the same thing.
"Okay. If you say so. Let's move on," He said.
The group opened a new door and then started traveling down another corridor. A little ways down Mona spotted a mummy, Ren held out his hand stopping the group before he attacked it from behind. The mummy exploded into an Isi and two Nagas
Hmph. I look better.
Of course.
Ren ordered Mona to use garu and knocked it out. He watched as Mona performed a baton pass with Ren so he could use some type of psychic attack on Isis and knock her down as well.
I am not weak to that. She is a weakling! I am stronger.
The group looked like that they were going to perform all out attack but Ren stopped them.
"Lend me your power," Ren said.
"Well…we must talk about things over first. I know nothing about you, after all…" Isis said.
And I don't sound like that either.
"It's frustrating when others bother me when I have things to do," Isis said.
Yes, you do.
MOT!
Oh, sweetie. You kind of sound like that.
Leanan Sidhe!
"Won't you just leave me be?" Isis said.
Pyro Jack giggled.
"I just couldn't," Ren replied.
"Well, I'll at least accept your consideration, I suppose? No matter the crime, humans treat it more lightly if the perpetrator is a minor, do they not? Ah, so I suppose you commit such extreme acts because you know you won't be punished harshly…"
….That is very random.
It may have to do with the thoughts of the owner of the palace. It may filter down to the shadows.
Still…she sounds ridiculous
Shh….I want to hear.
"Age doesn't matter," Ren answered.
"I see. Whether you're a minor or not has no bearing on your actions, then."
"Speaking with you shows me how similar we really a-Oh! I'm sorry, I remember now…In truth, I am not a Shadow. I originated from the humans' sea of souls…My true name is Isis. From here on forth…I am thou," Isis said before she turned into a mask.
Quickly, the mask approached Ren and absorb into his.
"Well done, Joker. You got another mask," Morgana said. He watched as the other shadows disappeared into the ground.
Hmmm…interesting.
"Impressive. So, that is how you got your other masks."
"You never saw me negotiate before, Sensei?" Ren asked.
"Correct. Now that I have seen it, I can plan our next lesson," He said with a grin.
"I look forward to it."
Hmmm…so that is how it is done.
He tilted his head at the unknown persona.
…..?...
The unknown persona didn't answer back.
What was that about?
End of The Compare, The Contrast and The Everything In Between
Next Chapter: The Turnabout of Fair Play
A/N: Aww…yes, just a fun little chapter about everything. I have nothing really to say. I am working on the calling card chapter right now…and damn…it is long. D: Our little mystery friend will start showing up more and more now. I have plans.
Future Chapters: The Turnabout of Fair Play
The Moments of Clarity
The Calling Card
The Wolf In Sheep's Clothing (Break In Play)
The Secret Base