Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Children of Shadow ❯ Finally, Some Answers ( Chapter 14 )

Me: *hearts for eyes* I LURVE YOU, TABBY AND MISAKI!

Marik: *holding ears in pain* Speak up, why don't you?

Me: Really? Okay! *deeeep breath*

Marik, Kaiba, and Isis: NO!

Me: Fine. *pouts* Whoopee! I have motivation! Thanks to Misaki and her lovely review- and, of course, to Tabby and all her support. Yay! ^^ Now- Kaiba, if you don't want me to "speak up", do the disclaimer.

Kaiba: No.

Me: What?

Kaiba: If you really shouted, the house would fall down.

Me: Shoot… he's right… U_U

Kaiba: Aren't I always?

Isis: No.

Kaiba: NO ONE ASKED YOU!

Me: JUST- do the disclaimer!

Kaiba: Fine. AMK doesn't own Yugioh. Happy?

Me: I was already happy. Reviews make me happy! ^^

Marik: *under breath* Crazy wench.

Me: I HEARD THAT! *chases Marik with a can of mace*

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Not surprisingly, Jou was the first one to break the stunned silence.

"WHAT the HELL?" the blonde shouted loudly. My sentiments exactly, Cassie thought, but didn't have the mental capacity left to put it into words. Everything in her life was being freakishly twisted around. Nothing was making sense. Her universe had been flipped haphazardly upside-down, and now some weird floating boy was- well, floating. In front of her.

Ignoring Jou's outburst, the boy locked eyes directly with Cassie. His eyes were dark and shining, like twin black stars. He nodded slightly.

"Hello, chosen one."

Cassie couldn't help it. She snorted. The absurdity of that one phrase was enough to have anyone rolling their eyes. Chosen one? Sounded like something out of a bad science fiction movie.

The boy looked stern. "It's no laughing matter, I assure you." There was no mistaking that voice. It was the same one from the necklace- mysterious and strong, soft and hard at once.

"Who are you?" This came from Yugi. Cassie tore her gaze away from the strange figure to look at the short boy. He was surprisingly calm, considering the current state of events. Maybe his 'freaking out' meter had an off switch.

The boy straightened his back, lifting his chin. With the utmost pride, he replied, "I am Jep, guardian of the Protectors and celestial servant to Queen Isis herself." He smiled, apparently satisfied, as if waiting for recognition.

None came.

"Well…" Jep slumped slightly. "I guess I can drop the imperial attitude, huh?" He grinned sheepishly.

Cassie blinked. His voice was different now. It wasn't as commanding, and it had lost its resonating tone- in fact, there was a downright bounce to it. Suddenly she wasn't quite as unnerved as she had been.

"Isis?" Cassie swiveled her head back to look at Bakura- who, apparently, was the only one who had actually absorbed what the new arrival had said. "You said Isis?"

Jep nodded. "That's right." The note of pride was back in his voice- not pride for himself, but for who he served.

"Isis?" Chrissy sat up tentatively, looking at Jep with timid eyes. "Who's Isis?"

For the second time in as many minutes, Cassie snorted, this time in disbelief. "You mean you don't know who Isis is?"

Chrissy shook her head in a tiny motion. Cassie rolled her eyes and was about to offer a smarmy reply when there was a glow from next to her. Chrissy yelped and scooted instinctively backwards, staring fearfully at the light- which was emitting from Yugi's Millennium Puzzle. When it faded, a boy very much like Yugi was standing there. There were a few differences- he was taller, some of his golden bangs stood up against his hairstyle, and he was transparent. Cassie immediately realized who this was- Ryou had mentioned him before. It had to be Yami, the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle.

"Isis was the Egyptian goddess of the Nile, and also queen of the gods," Yami supplied in a steady voice. Chrissy gaped blankly at him, still wide-eyed.

"Oh, look who decides to show up," Bakura scoffed. Yami shot him a glare and focused his attention on Jep.

"You say you're Isis' servant?"

Jep nodded emphatically, his face shining with admiration. "I live to serve my queen- and therefore, I live to serve the Protectors." He looked over at Chrissy, who shrank back a little more.

"Protectors?" Honda said loudly. "Who are they?"

Jep smiled and stretched out an arm. "Those two," he said, pointing.

Total silence. Once again, broken by Jou.

"CASSIE and CHRISSY?" he yelled.

Like everyone else in the room (minus Jou) Cassie was staring numbly at Jep with her mouth hanging open. Protector? Her? Protector of what?

"What?!" Cassie jumped, surprised at Chrissy's shriek. The other girl was sitting up straight, staring incredulously at the floating boy, fear replaced by disbelief. "What do you mean?" Her voice sounded shrill, and her face was even paler than before. It made her eyes stand out like glittering green stones.

Jep raised a hand, fluttering his feathery wings once or twice. "Let me explain-"

"Yeah, that would help!" Otogi cut in.

"So how about you shut up and let him?" Mai glared at her classmate, an aura of command radiating from her. Otogi decided to back off rather than argue with the aggressive blonde. Jep coughed slightly.

"Ahem-" Everyone's eyes flickered back to him. "As I was saying- I will explain, but only if the Protectors are willing to hear what I have to say." Jep gazed at Chrissy. "Are you?"

Chrissy bit her lip, her eyes worried, but she nodded slowly. Jep turned to face Cassie. "And you?" His eyes bored into hers. Cassie hesitated. This was her chance- to learn what was going on, why she was given such a weird necklace, who Jep was and where he came from- and most importantly, why could she (and Chrissy, as an afterthought) do what they could. But did she really want to know the truth?

There was only one way to find out- and it was hovering patiently in front of her. Cassie steeled herself. "If it'll answer my questions… then hell yes."

Jep nodded. "You should sit down," he said, motioning towards the hospital bed Cassie had previously abandoned. Cassie paused, then walked over and sat on the edge of the mattress. Surprisingly, Ryou joined her. He scooted over slightly, moving closer to his cousin. A protective gesture. Cassie rolled her eyes. He just couldn't help but feel like she was his responsibility.

Jep straightened up into a sitting position. After making sure that everyone was watching, he began to speak.

"Hundreds of thousands of years ago, before humans ever lived in Egypt, the gods chose a king among them- Ra, god of the sun. He, in turn, chose a queen, which was the goddess Isis, my mistress.

"However, one of the goddesses was jealous. Bastet, goddess of the heavens, challenged Isis to a great clash of powers, saying that whoever won would take the place of queen."

"And Isis won," Bakura interrupted. His eyes were fixed on Jep, taking in all of the story. I guess so, Cassie thought, it's the history of his country we're discussing. Glancing over at Yami, she saw that the spirit's face showed the same concentration.

"Yes," Jep confirmed. "This angered Bastet, and she swore an oath to send out her spirit on the Earth one day and destroy the civilization built by the king and queen- that is, all of Egypt." There was a silence while Jep's words sank in. "None of the gods knew when this would occur, but Isis knew that when it did, she couldn't let their kingdom fall. So she cast her own magic- in the form of two human girls."

All eyes turned to either Cassie or Chrissy. Cassie was suddenly uncomfortable. "So, are you saying that Isis made me and Chrissy?" she prompted Jep, hoping to get the story back on track.

"Not really," Jep replied. Cassie felt slightly better when no one was staring at her. "Isis only gave you your powers- and your necklaces," he added.

"Powers?" Ryou spoke for the first time. Cassie was startled to see him staring directly at Jep with a determined look on his face. "What do you mean?"

Is Ryou… trying to protect me from Jep? Cassie thought, confused. She had never seen her cousin like this before- almost as if he was starting a fight. Was that really Ryou?

"The powers necessary to defeat Bastet's evil," Jep explained. "They-"

"Defeat evil?" Cassie stood suddenly. "Wait a damn minute- you never said anything about that!" Her fists were clenched. Jep looked taken aback.

"I- I thought it would be obvious," he said, sounding confused. "The only way to stop Bastet is to fight her spirit and win."

"Fight?" Chrissy looked like she might faint. "B-but… I don't.." Her eyes were threatening to leak.

Cassie was about to boil over. On top of learning that she was supposedly meant to fight some evil reincarnation of an Egyptian goddess- a goddess, for crying out loud!- and that she had been given her necklace AND apparently, her power… Cassie felt her emotions churning like a furious machine inside of her. And that whore was about to cry because she was scared to even throw a punch!

Cassie snapped. "If you cry, I swear I'll beat the living crap out of you!" she yelled at Chrissy, who stopped whimpering abruptly.

Instant silence. Cassie wasn't done. She felt anger like never before rising up inside her, about to explode. Anger not just at Chrissy, but at Jep, at Isis- at everything. She tensed her body, feeling the heat of her temper sweep all reasoning clear out of her mind. She was mad. She wanted to let loose.

Her necklace was glowing-

"STOP!"

Cassie felt something clamp her head from behind. A calming sensation pushed its way into her mind. The light from her necklace faded. Cassie jerked free and whipped around to see Jep floating at her head level, panting slightly. There was a strange look in his eyes. Cassie felt a cold dread replace her anger. She- she had almost…

"C-Cassie?"

Cassie turned shakily. Ryou was staring at her, concerned and- afraid. Cassie scanned the room slowly. There was no mistaking it. They were all afraid.

Afraid of her…

"Wh-what was that?" Honda stammered. Cassie looked at him, and he flinched visibly. Cassie felt sick. It was like she was something deadly- but she already knew that…

There was movement. Jep drifted forward, stopping at Cassie's shoulder. "What was what?" he asked Honda. The tone is his voice stated that he already knew the answer.

Honda gulped and didn't speak. Mai stepped in.

"It was like- something was moving. Something invisible-" She broke off, frustrated at her incapability to explain. "Something alive-"

"I'll tell you what." Bakura clenched his teeth, staring hard at Cassie. "It was an energy. A powerful kind that I've never felt before." He pointed an accusing finger at Cassie. "And it was coming from her." His voice was stabbed with hostility.

Cassie's insides felt like ice. Ryou threw a warning glare at his counterpart. "Bakura-"

"You felt it too, Ryou!" Bakura snapped. "There's something going on here, and I'm not going to let whatever's happening get an advantage! She's dangerous!"

"I DON'T CARE!" Ryou shouted. Bakura blinked. Cassie stared at her cousin.

"Ryou…"

Ryou glared harder at Bakura, then turned to Cassie. "Cassie-"

"I'm leaving," Cassie announced to no one in particular. Ryou stood up and grabbed her arm forcefully.

"Not you're not." There was a quiet fire in his eyes.

"Yes I am. I'm going to throw up." Cassie's voice cracked and she tugged at her arm. Ryou tightened his grip.

"Sit down." The way he said it was almost an order. Cassie went limp and let herself be pulled back to the bed. She sat down with a flump. Ryou settled himself next to her. Bakura stared hard at the both of them, then turned away harshly. Jep hovered anxiously in front of Cassie.

"Are you all right?"

"I don't know," Cassie mumbled. Jep looked concerned. There was an awkward silence.

"Jep?" came a quiet voice. Everyone turned to- Chrissy. She was trembling, but her words came out clear. "Can you- can you finish the story? And-" here she hesitated, then quickly said, "And tell us what happened to Cassie just now?" Her eyes flickered to Cassie, who stared expressionlessly back.

"Right…" Jep shook his head slightly, then resumed his tale after casting a glance at Cassie also. "Isis gave the two of you your powers so that you could protect Egypt from Bastet's force- which also explains why I've been calling you the Protectors."

"Yeah, well, we have names," Cassie said loudly. Her knees still felt weak. Jep nodded.

"I know, Cassie. I was there."

Cassie snapped her head up to look him in the face. "What do you mean, you were there?"

"When your mother named you. Chrissy as well. You see," Jep said, by way of explanation, "The reason you two have those necklaces-"

"My mother gave this to me," Cassie interrupted. Her voice had a definite tremble to it- the result of Jep mentioning her mother.

"No," Jep said, shaking his head. "You had it when your parents took you in. You were born with it."

"Took you in?" Otogi said, following Cassie's example and butting in. He turned to look at Cassie. "You're adopted?"

"Yes," Cassie said shortly. Her throat felt tight. "And can we stop discussing my childhood?" she added reflexively.

"So then… I was adopted too?" Chrissy said slowly. Jep nodded. Chrissy's face fell. "Oh," she said quietly, her eyes lowered to the floor.

"How do you know all this?" Cassie demanded. Jep ran a few fingers through his mop of hair.

"Now- we get to my part in the story," he replied. "Isis created those necklaces so that I could keep an eye on you two. A part of me was sealed into each necklace. The reason you can see me now is because the two necklaces have found each other- so, that makes me whole again."

"You've been watching us?" Chrissy said questioningly. "All our lives, I mean…"

"All your lives," Jep confirmed. "It was my duty to watch over you, and, in time, to teach you how to use your powers. I guess I'm sort of like a protector for the Protectors, hm?"

More than a few of those present cracked a smile at this- Ryou included, who hadn't smiled since before Chrissy woke up. Cassie, on the other hand…

"Well, I can see you did your job, then," she said bitterly. Jep looked at her, confused. She continued. "I mean, you obviously weren't just supposed to keep us from getting hurt right? You were supposed to keep us from hurting other people." Cassie's voice was unsteady, but her words were sharp- and she could see that they had their impact. Jep cringed slightly.

"Cassie…" he said as gently as possible. "This isn't really the time…"

"And why isn't it?" Cassie shot back. She felt anger now, but it wasn't her usual blinding rage. This anger was different- cold and hostile, and yes… more deadly. This anger could be directed. This anger could be controlled.

Well aware of the fact that everyone was watching her, Cassie plunged relentlessly on. "You knew what I was like. You knew how dangerous it could have gotten- and you didn't do anything. Hell, you didn't even TRY!" she yelled suddenly. "And because of that, they…" Cassie broke off abruptly, clamping her teeth like a vise and falling silent. She was trembling, she could feel it.

"What's wrong?" Ryou looked into Cassie's eyes, his own full of concern. Cassie instantly turned. She couldn't look him in the face.

Oh… it was back. Cassie laughed at the magnitude of it. Yes, dammit, it was back. Her anger. The familiar kind that overpowered hor body like a poison and made her do the stupidest things in the history of history. And it was mad, mad, mad.

"I don't have to ask, you know," she blurted out. Everyone was silent. Cassie stood without warning, making direct eye contact with Jep. The spirit flinched visibly. Cassie smiled. It was a cold, empty smile.

She turned just as quickly, facing all the others. They were all staring back at her. Nine pairs of eyes were wide and quiet, waiting for her to speak.

And speak she would. Cassie's smile grew wider. Her face felt like a sadistic mask that could shatter anysecond, exposing the emotional wreck that she was experiencing inside.

"I don't have to ask," she announced loudly to everyone, "what kind of powers me and the cheerleader-in-training have. Because- I've used them before. Once, just once. But because of that one time…" Cassie paused, letting her words sink in. When she spoke next, her words were issued with a vengeance.

"They've made my life hell."

The truth would finally come out.

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Me: Ah HAH! Another cliffhanger! And it's 12 am Saturday morning and I don't freaking care because I'm on a rush and if I didn't post this before I went to sleep I'd fecking kill myself and I must really be able to hold my breath for a long time because boy is this a long sentence! *GASP* Whoo, I feel like Jin! ^^

Kaiba: We should check her room.

Me: Huh?

Kaiba: For receipts.

Me: Of what, pray tell?

Kaiba: *flatly* Pot.

Me: Ooh- dang! You caught me! *stuffs receipts into a coffee percolator* But where's the PROOF, hmmmm? Ha HA! ^^

Marik: *cough* FLIPPING INSANE *cough*

Me: You know it! ^^ Boy, do I ever feel accomplished today. Now hurry up and say your line, Kaiba, so I can go to bed, because I'm reeeeeally tired all of a sudden.

Kaiba: Yeah, yeah, yeah, review the stupid thing. Like anyone even will.

Me: Shows how much YOU know! Tabby and Misaki will! Because they're awesome like that! Nyah! XP Speaking of awesome- read Misaki's YYH fic, 'One Week'! It is awesomeness squared to the bajillionth! Yippee! *passes out*