The Spirit of Reunions

by HappyCat14

The last thing Yugi expected was to become valedictorian. Even after throwing himself into his studies when his closest friend moved on to the afterlife.But then, after six long years, his parents return home. Knowing nothing about the son they left behind - or how to deal with him. Which may be for the better. Because as Yugi comes to learn, he knows nothing about them either.

6. Chapter 6

Here it is! Chapter 6!

Enjoy! Let me know what you think!

P.S. Kaiba and Atem are on the way. They just might be a while before they are introduced. :)

Hayate had never seen a duel in person, nor watched one on television screen that wasn't a billboard. Despite his childhood home being an apartment attached to a game shop, he had never picked up an interest in any of the hobbies his father sold.

He knew Duel Monsters was a massive sensation. The advertising was hard to miss, and TV channels now held 'Duel Saturday' blocks for reruns. But it still mostly fell under his radar when considering the importance of his work. He needed to be investigating cases, not watching television.

Yet to think this game had become so big they had celebrity players... it made him scratch his head. Still not seeing the shine nor the appeal.

That is, until Anya put in the first DVD after spending a good portion of time trying to connect the DVD player to an old television set in the office. The team pooling together so they all had a good view. She even brought 'Kuri-chan', a fluffy brown monster plush she insisted she always watched the duels with.

On screen, Yugi stood tall, the millennium puzzle displayed in full view around his neck. He spoke with a voice of confidence throughout the whole match despite the field disadvantage - seemingly obtained through scrupulous means. His green opponent - Weevil Underwood - appeared pathetic in comparison. Especially in regard to his strategy, not that Hayate knew much about Duel Monsters strategies, but Weevil's pride indicated a lack of insight into his opponent.

A large moth - a great one - was on Weevil's side of the field while Yugi had nothing.

"This is the best part!" said Anya. Clenching her hands together and moving closer to the screen and hugging the fluffy monster tighter.

Weevil. I know it will be very difficult for you to accept losing a duel. Especially after spending so much time finding inventive ways to cheat. But if you thought bending the rules will help you when this match - your wrong!

No! This is a trick!

You duel dishonestly so expect the same of your opponents. But I duel with honor, Weevil, and that makes all the difference!

You got nothing!

Here's what I got! The mighty SUMMONED SKULL!

After pulling an impressive victory, it goes onto the next duel - one featuring a dinosaur duelist against a random player- and so Anya pressed pause while Suzuki whistled.

"Weevil's fanbase disappeared overnight after this aired!" said Anya, placing Kuri-chan on her desk and picking up a brand-new DVD case titled Duelist Kingdom - The Crowning of the King featuring a determined Yugi on the cover staring over a view of a medieval castle. "I'm glad we started with this one. It has all the duels that won Yugi his title and launched Duel Monsters into the mainstream. Though if we are looking for spiritual evidence, we might need to skip to the finalist duels."

"He's very talented," said Atsuko sitting on the edge of a desk next to Hayate. "I mean, we had heard he was good, but this..."

"That's one way of putting it!" said Suzuki, clapping in applause. "I can see why dueling has gotten so popular."

Anya's eyes lit up. "You all are missing out! If you thought that was impressive. You should see him during battle city... or even watch the Title Round of the KK World Championship! Yugi only gets better! I'm planning to get tickets to see him live once he becomes of age and goes for the pro-leagues! There's also rumors that he will be present to award the winner at the Japanese Nationals!"

Her excitement caused the pit of pressure to return to Hayate's chest. He leaned back into his seat in contemplation. Gazing at the image of Yugi on the DVD cover. Concern stemming from the unlikelihood of his previously shy son appearing on a DVD case and being viewed by who knows how many people on a regular basis. Complete with rumors and fan theories usually limited to pop culture.

Miyuki eyed him from her chair. "What's on your mind, Hayate? You only sit like that when you notice something we don't."

"Doesn't Yugi seem... different? He doesn't sound like himself. This filmed the year he started high school, but he sounds older... and... then..." He furrowed his brow.

"Spit it out, Hayate," said Suzuki.

He tried to find the words as he continued to stare at Yugi overlooking the castle. The way his son's soft eyes were angled, and his chin raised so high it made him seem arrogant. It was a feeling he couldn't shake. "It's just...That's not him. I'll bet my blade on it. There's spiritual influence going at least this far back in Yugi's history."

"I agree," whispered Atsuko. Her gaze also on the image of Yugi on the DVD cover. "I've never heard him talk like that. Even after we came back. There's something off."

"Which 'M' are you expecting then?" said Suzuki, leaning back onto his desk. "Is the type of this spirit malicious, manic or melancholic? Usually it's easy to tell just by their behavior, but Yugi doesn't seem to match any."

"Malicious actively aim to hurt others and the host, manic gives the impression of insanity, and melancholic creates depressive behaviors," said Anya, listing off all three while counting on her fingers. "Plus all their sub types, of course, but if they don't meet a main profile then they won't match the rest."

"You are forgetting one other typing," said Miyuki matter-of-factly. She leaned on her desk, finally joining the conversation. "There is a fourth, and this type wouldn't be as obvious on camera and would explain how Hayate and Atsuko are feeling. I, for one, don't doubt a parent's intuition on these matters. But if it's true... well, we will need to be ready for conflict."

Hayate could feel the pressure on his chest constrain his heart at Miyuki's implication. Hoping she was wrong, despite his own intuition agreeing with her.

"A guardian spirit..." whispered Atsuko, saying the words Hayate didn't want to hear while moving towards the center of the group. Raising her hands to her chest. "You can't be serious. Yugi wouldn't... No..."

Miyuki sighed, her shoulders dropping. "When am I not serious? Besides, your son matched the most important criteria when he was here. He protected the spirit. The host and spirit working together is the defining criteria of the guardian type, and it is also what makes them so terrifying. Out of all the types it is also the most likely to leave the host alive. There is also the protective nature of the barrier. Whether or not it is for Yugi's sake or the spirit's is yet to be determined, however guardians have a nasty habit of benefitting them both."

"But Guardians are so... lethal," muttered Atsuko. "Survival occurs in less than five percent of cases."

Miyuki shrugged. "I'm not saying it's good news. It's just what the information is pointing towards. It may also explain Yugi's behavior at home."

"But a guardian wouldn't just walk away from their host without reason," says Suzuki, causing Hayate and Atsuko to breathe a sigh of relief. "It says in the Modern Compendium not to underestimate their possessive nature. While I agree, they are less likely to harm their host, almost all cases end up with host dying with the spirit, or the host committing suicide post separation. Which again begs the question..."

"Why Yugi was left behind?" interrupted Hayate. He had grown solemn listening to all these theories about which type of spirit possessed his son. None he liked to hear, but all valid. "And how is he coping so well post separation? I think we need to gloss over Guardian cases. Not that we have many. Suzuki, you mentioned one from our predecessor earlier? Where is it?"

Suzuki hung his head back. "Yeah. In that dump of a casefile room at the back. There was an old guardian case from the 60's... Tatsuki of '65. Hell of a case. Literally. Almost destroyed a town. I found it while researching other cases back when apprenticeships were still a thing at this place and I was stuck with the grunt work."

"Why isn't it in the database?" asked Hayate with an annoyed growl."Sounds important."

"Our old boss didn't want any of her old Guardian cases online. She was scared it would be too easy for the spirits to access the old cases and change their mode of behaviors. Especially the ones who were still active."

Atsuko nodded, a vague look in her eye. "Guardians can be quite smart like that. Very good at hiding under the radar."

A fact Hayate didn't want to think about.

He crossed his arms and stared into the distance, his thoughts becoming clear as the evidence was laid out. His fingers tapped the table, each beat in tune with a sentence in his mind. Their next move becoming more obvious with each tap.

"You're thinking, Hayate. That's dangerous," said Suzuki as he walked over to lean on Hayate's desk. "Enlighten me."

"I'm thinking we need to find those guardian case files," said Hayate, tilting his head in further contemplation. " We need to comb through Yugi's old duels and his personal life before his rise to fame. I also think we may need to back him into a corner to get him to talk. It worked with him the other day when he was avoiding me and Atsuko..."

"And how do you plan on doing that? I won't tolerate you using your interrogation methods on our son," said Atsuko, eyes flashing and taking a few bold stomps towards him. "I know it's your specialty, but Yugi isn't an active spirit causing mayhem!"

Hayate shook his head, his fingers still tapping. "I would never consider that! We'll just work with the assumption that this was a guardian spirit."

"Elaborate Hayate, we can't read your mind," said Suzuki, a grin forming on his face. Anya's head went down as she started to take notes.

Hayate tilted his head, making brief eye contact with Atsuko before continuing. "Most guardian hosts are protective of the spirit's source. In this case, we suspect the millennium puzzle. We don't have that. However, if Yugi is anything like me, and if he cared for this spirit as much as Miyuki claims, then he will be holding a memento close to him. Something to replace the original source. The gold chest the mellenium puzzle was found in, perhaps? Or an object from Egypt? If we try and get him to act on that instinct, revealing this object, then get him to admit this spirit existed..."

"Then we might be able to convince him to listen and remove the barrier," nodded Suzuki. "We can't change what the spirit has already done, but we can prevent it from using the barrier to mess with Yugi's life further."

Hayate nodded. "My thoughts exactly. If we can get him on board, the spirit shouldn't be alerted on the other side as Yugi won't feel threatened."

"And what will we do if he doesn't want it removed?" said Atsuko. A question Hayate knew she would ask.

Hayate winced "We'll discuss that if we need to."

Off to the side, actually taking notes for a change, Miyuki nodded. One hand scribbling on her notepad while the other stroked her spirit blade, an older floral style from the 70's embedded with rich red crystal in the hilt. "I agree with this approah. Finding a previous case will assist us with moving forward safely. And a cooperative host will make this easier. Hopefully we will be able to end this spirit's contact with Yugi without the need to engage combat."

There was a unanimous hum of agreement, with the exception of Atsuko, who hung back with a frown. Her shoulders curling forward.

"Hayate! When you're ready, I'll meet you in the file room," said Suzuki with a mock salute. "We have a knack for finding what we need back there. You ladies can start the research, since you have a talent for accessing the old newspapers and archives."

His words caused Atsuko, their lead researcher, to retreat into herself further. Her body coiling together as if she were trying to hide.

Suzuki eyed Hayate, then signalled for Miyuki and Anya to get to work. The three of them getting up to move to their respective stations, and giving Hayate a few moments of limited privacy with his wife. He stood up and walk over to her, leaning on her desk.

"Astuko..." he said, reaching out to rub her back, her shoulder relaxing at the touch. "Go home. Yugi will probably be back by now and it would be better if one of us is there. Just in case he wants to talk. I'll stay back long enough for the both of us."

She looked down for a moment, then back up at him."Okay... Just promise me you won't take it too far. The influence of a guardian spirit is serious. I don't want to truly believe it until we have definitive proof."

Hayate felt her shiver as she spoke. He didn't blame her.

"It won't be like the others..."

"We don't know that!" she said. "And we won't until well after the barrier is removed. If it's removed."

"But the spirit is no longer here to influence his behaviour. Only Yugi's mind is floating around in his head. Which means we have a good chance of convicing him to cooperate so long as we remain tactful. He responds well to reason."

"I hope you're right," her shoulders somehow slumping further.

And despite the gnawing sensation in his chest telling him otherwise, Hayate hoped so too.

...

With a final swipe, the counter was polished clean. The glass so clear Solomon Motou could read the text on his shop's display of Duel Monsters cards without his glasses. Each for sale, lined evenly and in order of card type, rarity and class. The most sought after (and therefore most expensive) in the front row, tempting all who looked at them. Even Solomon himself.

It had been another busy day. He had just sold out of duel disks again and had just finished setting up a new display for the latest middle school craze - a zombie battle game, of all things. He's even hosting a local tournament next weekend.

Yet, despite the kids coming in to spend their hard earned pocket money on the latest zombie mystery box, it was Duel monsters they spoke about. Leaning over the glass case and pointing out their favorite cards, and inevitably asking if Yugi was home - wanting a photo, an autograph, or just his opinion on whatever deck they had scrounged together with their limited resources.

Solomon never denied it. His business has been booming since Yugi's victory at Duelist Kingdom.

He sighed, raising a hand to rub his aching back. The extra money was certainly going to allow him to retire in the next few years.

The glass door pushed open. His grandson walking in while nervously glancing around. Like mouse trying to avoid a cat.

"They're not here," said Solomon. He gestured for Yugi to come over to him. "How was it at this institute place?"

"It was fine," grumbled Yugi. Which meant the exact opposite. He stared at the floor as he walked over, slumping his school bag on the counter.

Solomon nodded. "As expected. They didn't perform an exorcism on you did they?"

"No... but I was interrogated. I think? I don't know."

He leaned on the counter, staring up at him. "They seem really worried. I don't think they like spirits at all. As if there is never a benefit to having one around. I could only tell them so much."

"Then leave it at that. You don't owe them the full story. No matter how much they demand otherwise and especially if they are going to bury their heads in the sand on the issue. They weren't here when all the chaos happened, therefore they shouldn't have much say in how you cope afterwards."

"You think they're not listening?"

"Your father has a bad habit of getting lost in his beliefs. Your mother in her nerves. You inherited the same thing, though you are stubborn with your values. So yes, all three of you aren't listening to each other for one reason or another," he leaned forward, chuckling. "Classic in this family."

Yugi sighed, leaning forward on the counter. "I just don't know what to do."

"Wait until they calm down, then they will listen. Trust me, this isn't my first rodeo. Your father inherited his people blindness from your grandmother, and she was worse! Neither of them can see anything human related beyond their glasses."

That did it. His grandson started to smile. "It makes way too much sense when you say it like that."

Solomon shrugged. "Just be glad you were too young to deal with their stalemates. It was like another cold war every time they shared space in the kitchen. Sound familiar? It's why I used to eat on the couch before your parents left for America, and to be honest, I might have to start again considering the way you three are going."

Yugi laughed. "A cold war? Are we that bad?"

Solomon laughed with him. "More than you know! At least I can keep the peace between you three. No one was able to hold your grandmother back."

The door pushed open again, causing the two to look up. Yugi's smile faded and his expression became neutral.

His mother shuffled in, eyes sunken and her usually neat hair ruffled out of place, looking as if she hadn't slept for weeks.

"Are you alright, Atsuko?" said Solomon, rushing out from behind the counter. "I have a medical box upstairs and some herbal remedies if you need."

"I'm fine," she said, her eyes settling on Yugi and walking over next to him. " It's been a big day."

"If you say so," said Solomon, ready to reach out to steady her. "But let me make you some chamomile and ginseng tea. It's good for rest."

"Actually, I was hoping to spend the afternoon with Yugi. I want to know more about Duel Monsters."

That caused Yugi's head to snap up at her. Eyes scrunched in suspicion. "Since when were you interested in Duel Monsters?"

Atsuko flushed, "I want to understand your obsession with it. Even if I'm not good at games, I want to know what's going on when we eventually watch you play."

Solomon may not have known much about Spirit Hunters, but he did know Atsuko, and whatever Yugi's 'interrogation' revealed had set off her nerves. Not necessarily hard to do, but the fact she was home rather than working with Hayate spoke volumes. It was a monumental task to drag either of them from their jobs.

He sighed. This was an offer of peace, the so-called extension of an olive branch. A desperate one by the sounds of it.

He gave Yugi a look, causing his grandson to grimace. He knew Yugi would rather hide in a cellar than deal with conflict. Even if it meant resolving it.

"Okay," said Yugi with a nod. "I'll find some starter sets and we can discuss the basics. The shop tables would be best to work on."

Solomon nodded with him. "And I'll make some tea for us and watch. A casual game is always best with warm drink," said Solomon, keeping his eyes on Yugi. Knowing his grandson would bail out at the first opportunity if he wasn't present. "You pick a table and sit down."

For the first time since she came home, a small splash of color returned to Atsuko complexion and her twitching hands began to still.

She smiled. "Okay. I'll wait for you."

Solomon knew she would wait for eternity. Especially for the young man running upstairs towards the family Duel Monters closet. Not that Yugi had figured that out yet, despite his intelligence. A fact which caused Solomon to shake his head.

He will learn. Once he was out of his head long enough to hear the tears his mother was holding back.

...

The 1950's-1980's archives were covered in dust and yellowed with age - each stuck with a different telltale astroboy sticker from Suzuki's predecessor. The bookcases lined several rows and filled out the walls - causing Hayate to gulp. These were the cases that had taught Suzuki and Hayate's now retired mentor. The ones that made them the great spirithunter they became.

But what they weren't known for was organisation... causing a sigh to escape the two men as they faced the monumental task before them.

"What did you say it was again?" muttered Hayate. "Takuya Fujimoto of '65?"

"Tatsuki not Takuya," said Suzuki. He stretched his shoulders. "You tackle the left, I'll cover the right?"

"Sounds like a plan. Just like our apprentice days..."

Suzuki wiped the sweat on from his forehead, though he remained smiling. "How did we end up in this job again?"

Hayate shrugged. "Both of us went for 'accounting' interviews."

"And why did we stay?" said Suzuki with a tilt of his head, eyes squinting as he tried to gaze the top of the bookshelf.

"Can't remember," grumbled Hayate. "Well, ready to start?"

"Be my guest. You were always the one better at paperwork."

And the quest for the 'Tatsuki Fujimoto of '65' case file began. With Suzuki starting down at the farther end of the right side and Hayate aiming for the middle of what looked like the '1960's' section on the left.

He pulled out the first case file - 'Ayumi Hachimo, 1983'. "They're not even remotely organized."

"Why do you think I keep putting off organizing it? It will take a team of hunters off the field for a week just to make this place look pretty - and another to get them all in the online database. We need boots on the field."

"It would have helped us now," muttered Hayate.

"Fair point, but I bet we'll find it in a day or two. Much better than a week."

Hayate couldn't argue with that logic.

This continued for several hours. A job they hadn't had to do since their mentor retired. Case file, after case file, after case file...

Some of them were classic cases. Like the Oregon Lake Haunting of 1973 and the Riverside Spirit of 1968. Both cases used to teach new hunters coming into the company today.

Yet there was no time to sit down and read the original files. Only put them aside for later and stay focused.

Piles and piles of case files had started to build-up on their office desks, if only to try and visually thin out their workload. Time seemed to fly as they worked through each and every folder, doubling and triple checking to make certain they hadn't missed it.

It was only after Suzuki had gone home that Hayate looked up at the time. It was two in the morning, but he didn't remotely feel like sleeping. Yugi was at stake, and he couldn't fail him again.

It was then he noticed it, in the center of a small pile at the back, a slightly less yellowed file stuck with a unique feature - it had a Devilman sticker rather than an Astroboy one.

He slid it out the pile, figuring it was just another standard case and that his mentor ran out of Astroboy stickers - but no- staring back at him was the name and date Tatsuki Fujimoto '65. He let out a breath of relief, opening the aged pages delicately with a silent prayer that all the effort was worth it.

As Hayate slowly went through it, a pressure tugged at his chest, nearly making him throw up. It was like the Pelorsi family all over again.

Case report: Tatsuki Fujimoto, 15 years old, Takayama.

Case type - Guardian, Possession, Spiritual Bonding

NOTE - Types of spirits - excerpt from pg. 21 of 'The Spirit Compendium'

-Most cases involve the three core spirit types known as the three M's - Malicious, Manic, Melancholic. However, there is the much rarer fourth type, most commonly known as the 'Guardian' which almost exclusively occurs in possession cases. Their intrinsic purpose for existing varies between each spirit. What makes them unique is the increased quality of life of the host once the possession begins - making them the one category notorious for being difficult to exorcise as the host is not only aware of their existence, but actively tries to maintain them and keep them alive, often at the expense of the people around them.

It should be noted, despite the lack of harm to the host, these spirits cause just as much damage to people's lives - in fact, they are known for creating the most destruction in their quest to maintain the obsessive relationship with their host out of all known spirit groups and types. Most cases end with either the host's suicide, disappearance or, in the case of a successful exorcism and therapy, life-long mental health complications.

End result of case - family and village saved, Tatsuki - suicide.

Report:

First contacted by Tatsuki's sister, who claimed her usually shy brother had a sudden string of successes unrelated to his previous interests and skills. Namely in his grades and baseball. What concerns her is his sudden change in demeanor, almost as if he were a different person when playing the game and his increased confidence in the classroom.

Several bullying situations had appeared resolved overnight - with one of Tatsuki's tormentors ending up in the local asylum and another found dead in the river last season.

There was also an incident regarding a potentially violent suitor for their youngest sister whom Tatsuki was particularly close too. The situation involved blackmailing the family and threatening the city. The suitor disappeared the night before he planned to retrieve his new bride. There has been no evidence of his where abouts thus far.

While our contact had no evidence of Tatsuki's involvement, she claimed all this started after he found an old trinket inside an empty well after his tormentors threw him in and left him. The item is a bracelet of non-Japanese origin, and she claims her brother is obsessed with it.

We made contact with Tastuki one week later. He couldn't stand the Pomegranate Spirit tea - claiming it tasted musky. A classic sign of previous possession. Our All Sight member, Ayumi, concluded he had been lying throughout the entirety of the interview and that the spirit was present throughout within Tatsuki himself - though not actively possessing him at the time.

Overnight we had a close call when Tatsuki - possessed by the Spirit - attempted to harm Ayumi by luring her from the family residence and attempting to seal her soul in the surrounding woodland. Thankfully, Ayumi passed the test of judgement and returned alive and in her right state of mind. She is currently taking leave post-case.

We concluded the Spirit was of middle-eastern origin - suspected to be Turkish. Though how the spirit ended up in a Japanese well is unknown.

With the help of his family, Tatsuki was confronted. He denied the Spirit's existence at first - then we asked to retrieve the bracelet, which elicited a violent response. After a confrontation, Tatsuki escaped into the forest. Claiming he would never give up on the Spirit - whom he called 'Haluk'.

Permission was granted to use the spirit knife on 'Haluk' to try and save Tatsuki and future potential victims.

Locating Tatsuki proved difficult, however we were able to find him with the help of his youngest sister who attempted to convince him he was capable of succeeding in his life without the spirit and that the stress he felt from people to succeed meant nothing if he did not achieve them through his own merit.

This failed considerably. Tatsuki refused to return to his own life. We managed to get him into our trap to separate him from the spirit, however the spirit was one step ahead. Having placed a rather powerful barrier on Tatsuki's soul to prevent their separation.

Later that night, Tatsuki -possessed by Haluk - was found attempting to cast a spell on the whole city. We believe it was a sacrificial circle. Though it is unclear what Haluk was trying to summon or open as there is no circle of its likeness in the literature nor if this was caused by the institute's presence or if Haluk had planned this from the beginning.

After a difficult confrontation, we managed to seal Tatsuki in a spirit cage and attempted to destroy Haluk. In an unfortunate turn of events, by the time we got close enough to use the blade, Tatsuki was found dead in the cage with self-inflicted stab wounds in his stomach. It is unknown whether this act was completed by Haluk or Tatsuki or both.

The barrier seemed to have evaporated on the death of the host. No spiritual energy remains. It is theorized that Tatsuki chose to pass on with the spirit to save it, rather than live with its destruction.

The body was returned to the family, who had been present with us the entire night and does not hold the institute accountable. The bracelet has been moved to a safe location - though no known spiritual presence remains.

Victim death: Tatsuki Fujimoto, aged 15. Caused by the Spirit 'Haluk'. Spirit class: Guardian

As Hayate read over the report - once, twice, three times... he couldn't help but see the similarities to Tatsuki and Yugi. The quiet boy becoming a success and overcoming obstacles.

But a concern lay beneath the surface. 'Haluk' clearly handled the disappearance and deaths of those causing Tatsuki and his family grief. Even sending people insane!

The more Hayate read the report, the less he wanted to see. He wanted to crush it between his fingers, terrified what this would mean to the investigation. They would need to look at what was happening around Domino during the past five years, especially around Yugi's social group and the local area. Not just his dueling.

But this case also didn't answer their biggest questions - Why Yugi was left behind? What was the exchange for the barrier?

Hayate put the report down then rubbed his forehead. The prospect of searching through this entire room giving him his second headache of the day.

But he had to do it. For Yugi's sake. He needed to find a case of barrier wielder with no spirit.

Hope you liked it!

I've got some of the next chapter written. Let me know what you think!