Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ A Figure from the Past ❯ Explosions ( Chapter 4 )

A Figure from the Past

Chapter 4: Explosions

Heaven Sent Tenshi

 

Lea proved difficult to find. The group of four wandered around the park for ten minutes before giving up and taking to the streets of Domino.

 

“I can't believe she just took off like that…” Téa murmured.

 

“I can…” spat Joey. He gripped tighter to Lea's book bag but never looked back at her.

 

“Look, Joey,” Tristan began, crossing his arms over his chest, “your attitude's gettin' on my nerves. So why don't you just cool it?”

 

“Why don't you stop spying people?” Again, Joey refused to look back.

 

“I only did it once!”

 

“Twice!”

 

“Fine, whatever! Point is, Joey, you shouldn't be mad at us!”

 

Joey turned his head, emitting a frightening glare from his eyes. “Gimme one good reason.”

 

“We're your friends and friends should forgive each other,” Tristan hissed.

 

Téa nodded. “He's got a good-”

 

“Yeah, well, I'm not the one who upset Lea!”

 

“What's with you, Joey?” Tristan glared back at him, suspicion clear in his eyes. “You're always protecting Lea and you barely know her!”

 

“I know her better than you!”

 

“We all know her about the same now, Joey,” Téa muttered. Joey grumbled something incoherent and went back to his walking.

 

“Fine, be that way!” Tristan shouted, looking away and scanning the area. Téa sighed as he did this, also looking about. Yugi caught her eye. He was staring across the street and hadn't said anything in quite some time. As least, not out loud.

 

`Did you see her reach for her bandana when you fell through the trees?' Yami had asked.

 

`… No, I couldn't see much of anything…'

 

`I still believe there's something she isn't telling us…'

 

`Yeah… probably… but what? Do you still think it's a Millennium Item?'

 

`Perhaps, though, it's a stretch… We may have seen her use it by now…'

 

`True…'

 

“Yugi?” Téa asked. Yugi blinked, looking up from the road.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“You haven't said anything since we left… at all….”

 

Yugi looked back at the street. “I've just been thinking…”

 

“What about?”

 

“… What Lea's been keeping under that bandanna…”

 

Tristan looked over at him as Téa watched the back of Yugi's head. Joey made no unusual moves, however, he listened intently.

 

“What d'ya think it is?” Tristan inquired.

 

“Not sure… but… What if it's another Millennium Item?” All three pairs of eyes, besides Yugi's, widened.

 

“Ya think?” Tristan asked, pondering over what truth could lie in his statement.

 

“It's possible…” Téa added, “I mean… she did beat Joey in two moves…”

 

“No way…” Joey murmured, “I doubt it…”

 

“You just want her to be normal,” Tristan hissed.

 

“Who doesn't?”

 

“Guys, stop fighting!” Téa griped, “We'll never find her if you two keep bickering!”

 

Joey and Tristan scoffed simultaneously and went back to their search.

 

“Uh… guys…” Yugi muttered. The others looked back at him. He pointed.

 

A small glow was coming from an alley a block up the street. It was a pale violet and growing in intensity.

 

“Weird,” Téa gasped.

 

“We should go check it out,” Tristan cried, bounding forward. As he took his fourth step, something exploded. The noise resembled a sonic boom and a flash as bright as a thousand suns lit up the area. The teens shielded themselves, preparing to be killed by what seemed like a bomb. They were thrown back nearly two yards, but otherwise were unscathed. The blast resonated from the core of the light and continued past them, setting off car alarms, shattering weak windows, and frightening several people.

 

Joey was the first one to his feet. Without uttering a single word, he raced off toward the epicenter; something told him to worry, but to go toward it. Tristan sat up, along with Téa and Yugi, rubbing his head where it had hit the cement. He looked up.

 

“Joey! Where're you going?!” He chased after him with Téa and Yugi in tow.

 

As Joey reached the building that created one wall of the alley, he stopped; he was breathing shallower. Suddenly, he gasped, rushing into the nook.

 

“Joey! What is it?!” Téa cried. She saw, along with Yugi and Tristan, as they reached the alley.

 

Lea was breathing heavily and she gripped her bandanna tightly, making sure it wouldn't slip. Joey was sitting her up and helping her keep her balance while seated.

 

“Thank-you, Joey… I'm fine…”

 

Her hair was extremely messy. It looked as if she had sat in front of a large fan for several minutes. A small stream of blood lined her chin. She reached back, tying the bandanna securely into place.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yeah…” Lea made a move to stand and Joey helped her up. “Thank-you,” she muttered again. She leaned away from him, but nearly collapsed. Joey held onto her, allowing Lea to lean against him and support her weight.

 

“Don't worry, I'll help ya…”

 

“What happened here?” Téa asked, concern apparent in her voice.

 

“I'm… not sure…” Lea refused to look at anyone; in fact, she hadn't even looked Joey in the eye yet.

 

`A Millennium Item wouldn't do that… would it?' Yugi inquired.

 

`Perhaps…but, I'm not sure…'

 

“Are you alright?” Téa continued to ask.

 

“Yes… I just… I'm a bit tired…” Lea leaned a bit more heavily on Joey.

 

“Do you need a doctor?”

 

“No… just some rest…”

 

Tristan watched her apprehensively. “What happened again?”

 

“I… I don't know… I don't remember… there was that blast… and the light… and I blacked out and Joey sat me up… and….” She shook her head.

 

“Where'd the blast come from?”

 

“I don't know, I told you that…”

 

“Who-”

 

“Tristan,” Joey growled, “stop with the questions already!”

 

“Don't jump all over me, Joey; she's the only one here that knows what happened!”

 

“No she doesn't; she said she can't remember!”

 

“She remembers…” Yami murmured. He had taken over Yugi's body and stalked forward. The puzzle around his neck glowed faintly.

 

“I… do…?” Lea asked weakly, attempting to look innocent as her head rose and her eyes met his.

 

“You created it, didn't you?”

 

“I…” She made a move to back up, but Joey, her only means of standing up, didn't budge.

 

“Yug, what're ya talkin' about?”

 

“She isn't quite as innocent as she would like us to believe…”

 

“You still think…” Téa began, but was unable to finish.

 

“Lea… what is it that you have beneath your bandanna?”

 

Lea shook her head and buried her face in Joey's shoulder. He looked down at her as Yami advanced a bit further.

 

“Lea?” Joey asked. She shook her head again. Suddenly, she pulled away, attempting to run, but slumped against the wall. She slid down, resting roughly on the ground.

 

“Lea, you can't hide it for long…” Yami continued, “Just tell us.”

 

Lea began to take deep breaths. “Please… I…” She shook her head again. Was she going to be forced to reveal every secret in just one day? Why couldn't it just be one each day… or week… or month! “I don't want you to know!”

 

“Well, that narrows it down…” Tristan murmured. “It has to be… what else would she be hiding?”

 

Lea squinted at her tears. She waited a moment before freezing. Joey stepped forward, kneeling down. “Lea…?”

 

“It's… not what you think…” She shook her head again. “It's… I don't have an item like yours, Yugi… I don't have a Millennium Item…”

 

No one moved. They barely breathed. After several moments, Joey blinked. “You know about `em?”

 

Lea nodded. Slowly, she rose to her feet, leaning, still, on the wall.

 

“If you know…” Téa deduced, “then you do have one.”

 

“No, it's not that.” Lea faltered then caught herself on the wall again. “Just because I know about dogs doesn't mean I have one.”

 

“That's different!” Tristan cried.

 

“So am I!” Lea froze as she said this. She slapped her hand over her mouth; she hadn't meant to say that.

 

“Lea, please,” Téa implored, “tell us what's going on.”

 

The girl looked away. “I… I can't… you'll leave…”

 

“Leave?” Joey asked, perplexed.

 

“Yes… just like my parents… and everyone else…”

 

“Lea,” Yami pressed. She shook her head again and again, but he only continued. “If it isn't a Millennium Item… then what is it…?”

 

“I'll…” Lea looked up, “I'll only tell if you four swear to never again speak of this… to anyone…” They nodded.

 

“It's your secret,” Téa assured her, “we won't say anything.”

 

“Anyone?”

 

“Anyone,” was the resounding answer.

 

Lea paused, reached up to her bandanna. Her hand hovered for a moment over the knot at the back of her head before pulling at the old purple fabric. The group of four didn't move as they held their breath again. There, in the middle of Lea's forehead, shining in the small ray of sun that hit it was a gem. It was perfectly round and small in size; about two-thirds the radius of a dime. Like a good portion of her outfit, it was purple, though dim, as if it were meant to be lit up. Also, it was a semi-sphere; the other half of it was embedded into her forehead.

 

“What…” Joey began,” What is it?”

 

Lea swallowed. “It's… well… I'm not sure… but… I've always called it a Psychic Jewel…”

 

“A what?” This question, also resounded, sounded hollow and somewhat monotone.

 

“A Psychic Jewel…”

 

“Psychic,” Téa clarified, “as in, see the future?”

 

“Well… yes, that too….”

 

“What else?”

 

Lea sighed. “I'm clairvoyant, telekinetic, and I'm a telepathist…”

 

“Wait…” Joey murmured, thinking for a moment, “ya lost me…”

 

“Clairvoyant…” Téa thought aloud, “that's… being able to see things we can't… like the future, the past… and the present, too, right?” Lea nodded. “Telekinetic means you can move things with your mind… and telepathy is speaking to someone without actually speaking.” Lea again nodded. Joey pondered this.

 

“So… you're not normal, are you?”

 

“Far from it,” Lea whispered, looking away. “I'm sorry,” she began in a louder voice, “I shouldn't have gotten involved with you all… I've brought all of you into something that you probably didn't want to be involved in…”

 

“You think we're not dealin' with weird stuff?” Tristan asked. “We know about those Millennium Items, don't we? I mean, Bakura's whole freak-out thing was really weird…”

 

“You're just as normal as I am,” Yugi chirped, crouching down. He had his body back now.

 

“Yeah…” Joey nodded, “we're not afraid of you… we've got weirder things to worry about…”

 

“Like that creepy Shadow Realm…” Téa shuddered as she said this. Lea rubbed her arm.

 

“I suppose it was foolish of me to worry about telling you…”

 

“Didn't you know you would have to do it, anyway?” Tristan asked.

 

“I haven't used my powers for a while now…”

 

“What about earlier…?” Yugi asked. Lea paused…

 

“Yeah… that was me…” She nodded. “I… I got… frustrated… I do that when I get frustrated….”

 

“We shouldn't have done that…” Téa apologized.

 

Tristan and Yugi nodded.

 

“We should have left you two alone,” Tristan murmured.

 

“And we shouldn't have eavesdropped,” Yugi finished.

 

Lea nodded. “You were curious… and I shouldn't have kept it only between me and Joey… I should have told you guys right away…”

 

Another silence fell over the group.

 

“You're not hiding anything else, are you?” Yugi asked. Lea shook her head.

 

“No… that's all…” They nodded. Again, silence.

 

“Do ya still need a place to stay?” Joey suddenly questioned.

 

Lea paused. “I… I'll be fine…”

 

“I didn't ask ya that, I asked ya if ya had a place to stay.” Joey smiled as he said this.

 

“… No, I don't…”

 

“We've got a spare bedroom,” he pressed, “You'd probably be welcome to stay…”

 

“No, Joey… really, I don't want to intrude…”

 

“You won't be intruding.”

 

“… I just… I think it would be best if I stayed out here…”

 

Tristan nudged Joey in the ribs with his foot. “Dude, she's the psychic, I think she knows better…”

 

“And I have the ability to defend myself… Really, Joey… I'm best off on the streets… take my word for it…” Lea reached out as she said this, placing her hand on his. Joey looked over and she smiled. Slowly, Lea rose to her feet again, leaning on the wall less and less. She took a deep breath and pushed away, standing up on her own. “All I need is a few hours sleep, and I'll be back to my normal energy level…” She paused, watching the teens around her. “Oh… when I use my jewel… I lose energy… the larger the blast or more advanced the ability I use, the more energy I use…”

 

“And that blast was enough to knock us backward…” Téa murmured.

 

Lea nodded. Suddenly, she looked up. “Speaking of that blast… I think the local authorities heard it…” Indeed, the faint wail of a siren called in the distance. “Perhaps… we should go…” The others nodded and those who were either crouched or kneeling rose to their feet. As a group of five, they jogged away down the street before the police arrived.

 

“So… you're gonna stay in the park?” Joey asked.

 

Lea sighed. “Yes, for the third time, I'm staying in park.”

 

“Then we'll walk ya there,” he insisted. The other three nodded, as Lea blushed faintly and rubbed her arm. “Oh, and, uh, here's your book bag…” He pulled the strap off of his shoulder and handed it back to her. Lea thanked him as they continued on.

 

As they reached their destination, Lea looked up at Joey. “Thank-you, Joey…” she hugged him lightly then pulled away, still blushing. “And everyone else, thank-you…” With that, she hurried off into the darkening depths of the trees and foliage.

 

Téa looked over. “I think she likes you, Joey…”

 

“Really?” Joey asked, somewhat anxiously.

 

“You like her, too, don't you, Joey?” Tristan teased, elbowing him. “Admit it!”

 

“What?” he cried, “No I don't!”

 

“Right, Joey…” Téa joshed as they walked away from the now quiet park.

 

Lea leaned against a tree, listening with more and more strain to the group as they teased Joey and he attempted to defend herself. The red on her cheeks grew a bit, but eventually faded with the voices. She sighed. Shifting her book bag on her shoulder, she slowly made her way out of the park, headed for the middle of town.

 

Slowly, she came upon the hotel she was headed for. She swallowed; she hadn't seen her in a while. Slowly, she made her way into the building. As Lea ascended the stairs, she began to rethink her decision. Should she really go and see her? Yes, she had to. She looked down the hall. The door at on the end was the one that she wanted. As she passed a large window, she looked out to see, in the fading light, the museum. The tapestries hanging outside the building ranted on about the new Egyptian exhibit. She would see it soon.

 

Her had rested on the knob; she knew she needn't knock, she would know Lea was there.

 

“Come in, Lea…” the voice inside called. Lea nodded, taking a deep breath. How long had it really been since she had seen her? Years… She turned the knob and opened the door. A woman with a black hair and dark skin sat upon the chair facing the window. Outside was the museum. Lea approached the chair with an air of caution.

 

“Hello…”

 

The woman smiled. She then turned her head to see Lea. “I see you've grown quite a bit since I last saw you… Good to see you again.”

 

Lea nodded. “Thank you, Miss Ishtar…”

 

“Lea, please…” she turned back to the window, waving her hand dismissively, “Call me Ishizu… you have no reason not to…” Lea nodded again as Ishizu pointed to a door of the hotel room. “There is a bed made up for you.”

 

“Oh, Ishizu… I couldn't… I mean…”

 

“No, Lea, you will… I have foreseen it…” Lea nodded again. “Haven't you?”

 

“I haven't activated my jewel in a while… Well… not for anything constructive, at least…”

 

“That's alright… but you will stay here for the time being…”

 

“How long will that be?”

 

“For some time… you will know when you are to leave…”

 

Lea nodded for what seemed to her to be the hundredth time. “Alright…” She turned from the woman and made to enter her room.

 

“Oh… and Lea…” The girl paused, looking back at her.

 

“Yes, Ishizu?”

 

“Did all go as planned?”

 

“Yes… Moto, Wheeler, Gardner and Taylor all trust me… to a large extent…”

 

Ishizu nodded. “Good… all will go as it should, then…”

 

“Ishizu? Not to be rude… but… you've seen what will happen… correct?”

 

“Yes… And… do not try to use your jewel again…”

 

Lea nodded. “It backfired…”

 

“And it will backfire again should you try to use it when you are not to.”

 

Lea nodded again. “I am to wander in the darkness for now…”

 

“Correct…”

 

She gestured her understanding and turned the knob, opening the door to the room. It was small with a twin bed against the wall and a computer table against another, minus the computer. This would mark the first time she had slept in a real bed since she had last met Ishizu in Egypt.

 

“Good night,” the woman called. Lea responded with a mimic and flopped down on the soft bed. She fell asleep almost instantly.