Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Cat of the Lilac Eyes ❯ Chapter 14: Water ( Chapter 14 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Shiro: I'm back! I've lived through Christmas break without killing myself with sleep!

Bast: U-U Please forgive her, she got a little too much sleep.

Shiro: You know, I had forgotten what a decent night's sleep was there for a while...

Kaze: (snorts) Why does that not surprise me?

Bast: I hope everyone else out there had a happy holiday!

Shiro: A merry Christmas! (gets several glares from audiance) Ra, I hate this stupid sudden 'anti-Christmas' crap. Lets make it a 'Holiday' Tree. Keh! So stupid! It's like it's a friggin crime to say Christmas now. (continues rambling)

Bast: Ignore Shiro's ramblings and please enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: If you still think that I own Yu-Gi-Oh by this point in the story, then that's a sad sad thing. I do own all OC's in this story and the plot. Oh, I also don't own Wet n' Wild.

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“Can they please come with us this year?” Ashling begs. “This is possibly our last summer together!”

Mrs. Phoenix sighs. “All right. But they’ll have to pay to get in.”

Ashling cheers. “Yay! Thanks mommy!” She says, kissing her mom on the cheek before running upstairs to call her friends and tell Malik and Marik the news.

It’s June now, so school has been out for quite a while. They’ve had to extend their list of staff members at the café since so many people have been coming. All of the new staff members were members of the Anime club at school, so they all know one another.

Because it’s June it’s time for the annual Gryffon-Phoenix trip to Wet n’ Wild water world in North Carolina. This year Malik, Ishizu, and Marik are coming and so Damian, Riley, Max, Kaylie, Tabby, Jiro, and Holly are able to come. Usually it’s only Damian because he stays with them during summer vacation.

“They can come! They can come!” Ashling exclaims, bounding into the room like a Chihuahua on crack.

Malik and Marik watch in amusement from the safety of the blow-up mattress as Ashling skips across the room and picks up her silver and black portable phone to call her friends. Fifteen minutes later she has talked to each one of her friends. Damian, Riley, Max, and Holly are able to come, but Kaylie, Jiro, and Tabby are all busy.

Ashling sighs happily as she sets down her phone and Malik sits down on the bed beside her.

Marik almost growls when his hikari puts his arm around Ashling’s shoulder.

“So who’s coming?” Malik asks.

“Damian, Riley, Max, and Holly.” Ashling replies. “I’m so glad they’re finally able to come this year. I’ve been trying to get Riley, Max, and Holly to come for the past two years, but they’ve either been busy or this has been a ‘only family’ thing. That doesn’t really explain why Damian has always been able to come though…”

A knock comes at the door and Malik springs away from Ashling and back to his bed.

“Ashling?” Ishizu questions through the door. “Damian is here and wants to talk to you about something.”

“Coming!” Ashling says, getting up. She walks across the room to the door and walks out, closing the door behind her.

Marik fiddles with the end of a pillow for a moment before looking over at his Light. “You like her, don’t you?” It’s not a question.

Malik shrugs. “I guess. I mean, we get along a lot better than we did, but neither of us want to get married or anything. We’re still trying to get out of this thing.” He studies Marik for a moment. “Why do you ask?”

Marik shakes his head. “No particular reason. Just curious.” He replies. “So, you think the pharaoh and midget pharaoh are getting hell from their kid?”

“If they didn’t they’d have to be the luckiest parents on earth.” Malik replies. “You think it’s a boy or girl?”

Marik thinks for a minute on which one he thinks would give the two more trouble. “A girl.”

Malik snorts. “You’re just saying that because you think they’d have more trouble with a girl despite the fact that their closet family member is their girl cousin and that there’s several girls over in Domino willing to help them.”

Marik blinks. “You know, I hadn’t thought of that… curse them.”

Malik just rolls his eyes. ‘That’s my idiot yami for you. He never completely thinks things through.’

“I heard that.”

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The day of their trip comes before they know it and everyone is gathered at Ashling’s grandparents house, which is the starting point. Ashling and Cheyenne’s two cousins and their aunt and uncle are there, so Ashling gets to introduce them to her guests except for Damian who they already know.

“So, are we ready to go or not?” Cheyenne asks.

“Chill, brat.” Damian says, already annoyed at the second youngest girl in the house. (Tullia, their cousin, is younger.) “We’ve got to get everything organized.” He then leans over to Riley and whispers, “I swear if I have to ride in the same car as her I. Will. Die.”

Riley chuckles. “It would be just your luck if you got stuck with her, wouldn’t it?”

Ashling’s grandfather pulls out one of his handy maps at this time and Mrs. Phoenix opens up a notebook and takes a pencil from the jar on the table.

“Alright. There are seventeen of us. The cars that seat the most people are the van, which can seat up to seven, and the three trucks, which can seat up to five. The three Mazda’s can each seat four comfortably.” Ashling’s grandmother, Mrs. Gryffon (1), says. “I’ll be driving the van. Cheyenne and Tullia can be with me…”

Slowly they get everything worked out. Ashling’s grandparents, Cheyenne, Tullia, and Ashling’s parents will be in the van. Ashling’s aunt, uncle, and older cousin Caragh wil be in their truck, despite Caragh’s protests about wanting to drive herself. Damian is driving his eye-catching truck and will have Max, Malik, and Marik with him, a fact he’s not the happiest about but he admits it’s better than being stuck in a car with Cheyenne and Tullia. Ashling is driving her Mazda and has Riley, Holly, and Ishizu with her.

Soon the large group is on their way to Wet n’ Wild, which is roughly a three hour drive. Each vehicle has a walkie talkie so that they can communicate with one another.

In just one hour they stop three times for a bathroom break; twice of which was for the two brats in the van. The third time was for Mrs. Phoenix because she drank too much coffee that morning.

They finally make it there a little after ten and finally get into the park fifteen minutes after that. Amazingly, the group manages to find a shaded area that’s not too crowded to put their stuff.

Cheyenne and Tullia are the first to rush off after putting on minimal amounts of sunscreen. Ashling’s mom and aunt go after them, determined to get the two to put more on.

Caragh is the next to run off, having spotting one of her friends from college.

This leaves Ashling’s group, her dad, uncle, grandfather, and grandmother in the shaded area.

Riley’s wearing a forest green bikini, Max is wearing dark red swim trunks, Damian’s are purple, Holly’s bikini is pale yellow with light blue polka dots, Ashling’s bikini is black, and both Malik and Marik are wearing navy blue swim trunks and a t-shirt.

Damian’s green eyes glitter in delight as he looks excitably around the park. “Man, they add something new every year… C’mon Riley! I’ll give you a tour!” He says, grabbing Riley’s arm once he notices she’s done putting on sunscreen. He then proceeds to pull Riley toward the rides.

“Hey!” Max shouts, shoving the bottle of sunscreen into Ashling’s hands. “Oi! Come back here with my sister! Damian!!!”

Ashling and Holly both laugh when he chases after the two in his quest to protect Riley from Damian.

“I think it’s going to be Damian who needs protection, not the other way around.” Ashling comments, her voice amused, as she pulls out a bottle of high SPF sunscreen from her bag.

Malik almost groans at the sight of the bottle. ‘Great… she’s going to be like Tama and Ryou and apply a bunch of strong sunscreen just so she won’t get even a little tan.’

“So… wanna go exploring, Marik?” Holly questions.

Marik glances at his hikari before shrugging. “Sure.”

Holly smiles and grabs Marik’s hand.

Ashling and Malik watch as the two walk off to explore all the rides and things to do.

“So Malik,” Ashling’s grandmother starts.

Ashling stiffens, not at all liking the tone her grandmother used. ‘Please don’t ruin today. Please, grandmother, don’t.’

“may I ask why you’re wearing a shirt?” She continues.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business!” Ashling snaps, her eyes flashing bright crystal blue for a moment. She then grabs Malik’s sleeve and leads him off in the direction Holly and Marik went, fed up with her grandmother’s hostility.

Ishizu watches the two walk away with a knowing look on her face. ‘It’s as I though. Bu creating a strong bond between the two I sped up the true bonding process. By now the link should be stronger than that of the yami’s and hikari’s.’ She closes her eyes for a moment. ‘It shall prove useful for what I have foreseen.’

A golden object around her neck glitters. On closer inspection it can be seen that it is the Millennium Necklace.

‘Especially since the Millennium Items are returning. Mine is but the first.’

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Later that night back at home, Ashling and Malik are sitting on her bed quietly talking so they don’t wake up Marik, who’s snoring rather loudly. Ashling’s wearing one of her brother’s old NASCAR t-shirts and a pair of blue plaid soft pants. Malik’s also wearing a t-shirt and a pair of soft pants.

“I’m really sorry about my grandmother.” Ashling says for what seems like the millionth time that day.

“It’s fine, Ashling. Really.” Malik reassures her.

Ashling sighs and rests her head on Malik’s shoulder.

“Um, Ash-”

-Scratch scratch- “Lass! Let me in! The abomination is driving me insane!”

Ashling sweat drops and gets up, not noticing Malik’s confused look. “Get in here, Allan.” She says, opening the door.

“Close it, quick!” Allan shouts, dashing in.

Ashling quickly completes before the “abomination”(3) has a chance to follow. “Allan, you’re a dork.”

“Well lass, you’re not the one who has to avoid the runt like the plague.” Allan replies, jumping up onto her bed.

Ashling snorts. “Right. There’s no way he’s worse than Cheyenne.”

“Ashling?” Malik questions. “Are you talking to the cat?”

Ashling blushes as she sits back down beside Malik. “Erm… yeah. I guess it’s a side effect of being Bastet’s chosen or something. So, what were you going to say before Allan interrupted?”

Malik sighs, almost dreading what he’s about to do. “I know you’re probably curious about the whole me not taking off my shirt thing.” ‘Okay, that came out a little weird, but there’s really not another way to say it.’

“I was a little curious.” Ashling admits.

“You’re digging yourself into a hole.” Allan comments.

Ashling ignores the cat.

“It’s a little complicated so it’d probably be easier to just show you.” Malik says.

Ashling squeaks when Malik begins taking off his shirt and Allan jumps off the bed and runs under it yelling, “Code red! Code red! Abort!”

Ashling’s partial mortification turns to shock when Malik turns around so his back is facing her. “My god…” She murmurs. “Who-…?” She stumbles over her words as she hesitantly reaches a hand out toward him. She swallows. “Who did this to you?”

“My father.” Malik replies, flinching slightly when Ashling’s cold hand light brushes one of the scars on his back.

“That’s so horrible.” Ashling murmurs, tracing her finger over the hieroglyphics. “But… why? Why did he do this?”

Malik closes his eyes, fighting back the painful memories. “It was the Tomb Keeper’s initiation. I was ten."

“Oh Malik-”

“Don’t.” He says sharply. “I don’t want your pity. I get enough pity from other people as it is.”

Ashling sighs and takes her hand off of Malik’s back. “I’m not going to treat you any differently, Malik. But nobody should have to go through that.”

Malik stiffins when something warm and soft touches his back. “Ashling, what…?”

“I know I can never make them go away but…” Ashling smiles weakly. “I’m kissing them to make them better.”

Malik turns around and looks at Ashling in something akin to amazement. “Sometimes you remind me of a little kid.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” Ashling asks, relieved that the pain coming from Malik’s side of the link is gone. “I just don’t like seeing people upset. My childish ways tend to make people laugh, or so Riley and Damian tell me.” She blinks in surprise when Malik hugs her and then her smile fades away as she wraps her arms around him and hugs him back.

‘No one should have to go through what you did. Especially not you.’

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(1) Gryffon can be spelled many, many different ways. Why did I choose this particular name? Because it's another mythical creature like the Phoenix, so I thought it'd be funny.

(2) unmarked note- the names of all of Ashling's family are Irish, except for Cheyenne which is Native American. (And also is really a boys name...) Cheyenne means "A tribe", Caragh means "love", Tullia means "peaceful", and Ashling means "a vision or dream". Oh! And Allan means "harmony" or "the cheerful handsome one".

(3) The younger siamese has yet to gain a name, so he shall be referred to as "the abomination" from this point.

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Shiro: I can't even begin to explain how hard it was for me to write that last scene. It's not that my wonderful muses weren't cooperating, because they were! Kei-kun got a headache trying to help me with the scene because he was thinking a little too hard.

Bast: Hikari, it wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that he kept banging his head on the table, would it?

Shiro: (blinks) He was? (glances at Keitaro who's playing cards with Kyle) I didn't know that...

Kitsune: I'm not surprised as you were basically doing the same thing.

Shiro: (blinks again) I was?

Bast: (sweatdrops) Okay... go ahead and click the nice light purple button in the right-hand corner 'cause Shiro's posting the next chapter right after this one.