Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Emergence ❯ Lost ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: Yugi-oh is the property of Kazuki Takahashi, who is a genius.

Please read Chrysalis before you read this story. Otherwise you might find yourself wondering what the hell is going on. This is the second part of a story arch and while you might be able to understand what is happening, you'd like it a lot more if you read the first part and came back to this later.

Emergence

Chapter 8: Lost

~*~*~*

Jonouchi took one last look around the bedroom and saw a picture of him and Kaiba sitting on the desk. He picked it up and looked at it for a moment. They had been taken a couple months ago, when he had dragged Kaiba off to the mountains for a day of skiing. They were posed on the top of a mountain, their skis leaning against their shoulders, dressed in bright ski clothes. Kaiba's hair was wind ruffled and his eyes were startlingly bright in the clear light. They had their arms around each other, a rare smiling carefree moment. Jonouchi ran a finger lightly down Kaiba's image, then resolutely turned and put it in the box with all the other things.

The room looked bare. All personal things were now packed, pictures, small mementos, personal items, games, cards, even his lucky pencil. It looked depressing. Jonouchi slumped tiredly against the dresser and felt depression slide over his shoulders. Just when you think you have it good, everything changes.

"Is this room clear?" Kaiba poked his head in the door, carrying another box in his arms.

"Yep. But how 'bout the office?" Jonouchi shut the box and picked it up, following Kaiba down the hall.

"I'm going to lock it. I'm having the locks changed this afternoon while Mokuba's in school." Kaiba led the way down to the basement, where they deposited their boxes in the growing stack that they had been building all morning.

"Okay, that just leaves…what? The library?" Jonouchi sighed and dragged himself back up the stairs.

"I suppose I could have that lock changed too." Kaiba trudged up after him then tugged him toward the kitchen.

Jonouchi slumped into a counter chair as Kaiba scoured the refrigerator for a drink. "Isn't there anything we can do to change this?"

"No." Kaiba stood up holding two beers and handed one to Jo.

"But it's not fair! We've been so happy!" Jonouchi pulled the top off his beer and took a gulp.

"No it's not fair," Kaiba sat down opposite Jo and opened his own beer, "But it had to end sooner or later."

Jonouchi shook his head, "I just hoped it wouldn't, ya know."

Kaiba took a drink and nodded, "It's part of her contract. She gets one weekend a month off. We've just been lucky. Yuai's taken only a day here and there and not really taken her days off consecutively."

"Couldn't you…" Jonouchi looked pleadingly at Kaiba.

"No. I tried. We are going to have to stay the entire weekend alone with Mokuba." Kaiba gulped down the rest of his beer and turned to the frig.

Jonouchi suddenly perked up, "Hey! Honda has a race. I could…"

"Leave and I will hunt you down and drag you back by your balls." Kaiba took out more beer.

Jonouchi slumped. "Kaiba? How did we manage this before?"

Kaiba pulled the top off another bottle. "We didn't realize that there was another way to live. We managed."

~*~*~*

Honda and Ribbon

~*~*~*

Honda smiled happily as Ribbon wound her arm through his and pulled him toward a sidewalk vendor selling waffles covered in butter and syrup. It was their first date and so far he had to crush down the urge to drag her home to his parents and introduce her as his future wife. She was lovely, gentle, kind, beautiful, sweet, graceful, smart, playful, shy, caring, …he lost himself for a few moments trying to catalog all her excellent qualities, there were a lot, it took some time. He blissfully smiled and handed the waffle lady some money in exchanged for buttery, syrupy waffles.

"Honda, would you like to take a walk through the park?" Ribbon tipped her head back to look up at him with her exquisite, glorious, perfect, lovely eyes.

"Sure, if that's what you want." Honda couldn't make himself stop smiling as he admired her silky, bright, beautiful, lovely hair.

Ribbon hugged his arm and they headed toward the park. "It's so peaceful in the park. After spending so much time in school, it's nice to come here and just relax."

"Yeah. It is nice here." Honda wrenched his eyes off his date and glanced briefly around the park, absently noting grass, trees, a few statues and a winding path, before letting himself return to gazing at the vision of lovely, perfect, delightful…

"I come here everyday after school." Ribbon tugged him gently toward a large pool with a statue of lady pouring water out of a large jar into the deep water below. Koi soared under the surface, gliding through lily pads and occasionally causing ripples. Beneath a willow at the edge of the pond was a stone bench that Ribbon led him to. "This is my favorite spot. I like to come here and read."

"It's lovely." Honda sat down next to her on the bench.

"What do you do after school?" Ribbon graced him with one of the loveliest, gentlest, purest smile he had ever seen.

"Oh, I race motorbikes with my dad." Honda blushed, somehow feeling he should have been spending his time someplace lovely, reading and maybe writing poetry. He made a quick note to himself to find a nice spot, find a suitably profound book and learn how to write poetry.

"Oh! That's wonderful! My father used to race motorbikes." Ribbon's delightful, adorable, angelic eyes widened worshipfully. "Some of my fondest memories are sitting in the stands and cheering for my father."

"Really?" Honda gave up his quest for a beautiful spot, the search for a great novel and his poetic aspirations instantly. "Does he still race?"

"Oh, no. He fell off a ladder when I was about ten and really hurt his knee. He had to give up racing." She looked sad for a second, then perked back up. "But we still go to races when he has time."

"That's too bad." Honda's brain suddenly came up with an idea. He blinked at it for a second as it shoved it's way past his preoccupation with worshiping Ribbon, then before he really had too much chance to think it over, spat it out. "I'm racing in this weekend's big race and I have free seats in the stands, would you and your dad like to came?"

Ribbon frowned at him and his heart sank. Too much, too soon. Idiot. He cringed, waiting for his happy day to come to a crashing halt. As soon as I get home, I am ripping my tongue out.

"I don't know. I'll have to ask my father, he sometimes works during the weekends." She leaned forward, her bright, radiant, magnificent smile returning, "But I'll come."

"You will?" Honda felt like floating up to the clouds singing like a bird. "That's wonderful!"

~*~*~*

Yami

~*~*~*

The shadow realm had to be the most depressing thing in all creation. Yami came to this conclusion after trudging through it for days. He wasn't even sure how many days it had been anymore. They all blurred together in a endless stream of gloom, watching one foot land in front of the other, only stopping for a few moments to look around the gray, monotonous landscape before returning back to the endless plodding.

This was a complete was of time. How could the secret of anything be here? There was nothing here to be secret. Just mist, shepherds with purple sheep, dull grass and dim light. He would have had more luck staying home and looking for how to acquire a body by reading tea leaves. Yes, home with Yugi, cuddled in his light's arms. Not trudging through damp, cold, lifeless landscape, searching fruitlessly for something that probably didn't exist.

He stumbled over a dead log and kept trudging, his feet squelching down into damp soggy weeds. He was slowly coming to the realization that the whole idea of getting his own body was a hopeless dream. Only a complete moron, like himself, would even consider the idiotic notion that a incorporeal spirit could ever have a body. His brain must have been damaged from all the time he had spent in the puzzle. But, then again, he hadn't been the most brilliant pharaoh in history either. He had sent his childhood friend to a needless and pointless death, his kingdom had been torn apart by shadow wars, and his best friend had tried to kill him and take his throne. If that didn't clue him in to how very, very stupid he was, then what would? A huge sign floating in the sky proclaiming his complete ineptitude? His ancestors were probably cringing in shame. He probably never got to the afterlife because all his forefathers had probably flung themselves down in mass and begged all the gods to not inflict his dim-witted presence on them.

Yami drooped, shoulders slumping, head hanging, even his hair fell limply forward as he continued to slog through the shadow realm. He should just turn back, go home. But would Yugi even want him there? Right now his light was probably dancing for joy about having him out of his life even for a little while. Yugi was too kind, too gentle to ever tell him to his face that all he was was a burden. A parasite. His beautiful light was probably ecstatic right now, being free of his brainless posturing, his useless talent at playing a silly card game, his unwanted sexual advances. What ever made him think that someone as beautiful as his light would want him? Yugi could have anyone, man or woman. All he had to do was smile and people loved him. Why would he want a pharaohnic failure? A royal reject. Better to just drop to the ground and lay there for the rest of eternity and let his light be happy.

He slogged on, never noticing the shadows dancing gaily in his wake.

~*~*~*

Jonouchi and Kaiba

~*~*~*

Kaiba locked the last door and leaned against it with a sigh. "Okay, everything is clear."

Jonouchi wrapped his arm around Kaiba's slender waist and leaned against his shoulder. "It's only a weekend, right? She will come back."

A large crash echoed up the stairwell, followed by a unholy scream that would have surprised Yugi if he ever heard it. "Mokuba, I told you. No electric scooters in the house! What makes you think that wood parquet is the place to practice 180s?"

There was the whine of a small electric engine, another crash, something that sounded like a growl of an enraged grizzly bear, then a high pitched shriek. "Yuuuuuaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

"You'll get it back sometime right after your grandkids retire."

"I'm telling Big Brother!"

There was another crash.

"Mokuba! That's it. The DVD is gone, too. If you keep this up I'm taking the computer next."

"I'll just get it back tomorrow."

"Not if I lock it away in my room you won't."

"That's not fair!"

"Deal with the unfairness. Now stop with the property damage and get a broom. You're cleaning this entire room."

"I won't. That's what staff is for."

"That's what is saving you from a long weekend watching the Family Channel. Move!"

Jonouchi shivered as Kaiba put his arm around him and pulled him closer. They stood in the hall watching the stairs, half expecting to see a mop of unruly black hair to appear at any moment. There was more grumbling, a couple snarls, a tiny thump and then silence. They both sighed in relief.

"Is it my imagination or is Mokuba getting wilder?" Jonouchi looked up into his lover's eyes.

"He's definitely gotten worse. Probably just acting out over the shooting." A sudden excited gleam glowed in Kaiba's eyes. "Of course! Why didn't I think of it sooner." He grinned broadly, if not too nicely at Jonouchi, "My poor brother. He needs to deal with the trauma of nearly being shot to death. What better way to deal with it, than to join a trauma therapy retreat?" He let go of Jonouchi and strode quickly over to his office, "The sooner he deals with this the better! My brother shouldn't suffer a moment longer! I'll go make arrangements."

Jonouchi stood still as hope seeped into his soul, then grinned and jumped into the air, yelling, "Yes! Halleluiah, free at last, free at last!"

~*~*~*

Yugi and Yuai

~*~*~*

Yuai looked down at her cards that were laid in front of her on the table and then looked doubtfully over at Yugi. He was sitting across the table from her sipping at his milkshake and watching the cars zip past. Twilight was casting it's soft glow across the city and a few of the passing cars were putting their headlights on against the gathering dark. Every once in awhile a car would pull to the curb in front of them and people would get out and come into Burger Bonanza.

They had come here to finalize plans for leaving tomorrow. Thankfully, Kaiba had taken charge of Mokuba, pulling him upstairs and into his office for a brotherly chat. From the ecstatic grin on Jonouchi's face, she could be that the chat would probably end with Mokuba out of the house for the weekend. So, when she had found herself unexpectedly free for the evening, she had called Yugi and found herself playing Duel Monsters with the world champion. Which made this whole evening confusing.

There was no way that he couldn't see Doma, the Angel of Silence sitting in attack position on her side of the table. Nor could he easily miss her Mystical Elf sitting in defense position along with her very vulnerable Fire Princess. So, why was he putting his Summoned Skull in defense position? She contemplated a trap, but there were no trap cards down on the board. She mulled over the idea of a magic card, but again, no cards down on the board. She pondered a special magic or trap card that could be pulled straight from your hand, she wasn't entirely sure, but she didn't think there was one. But why sacrifice the Summoned Skull? His only other card out was Kurribo, who was in attack position. Confusing.

"Okay, I take Fire Princess out of defense position and she attacks and destroys Summoned Skull. Doma, attacks Kurribo, taking him out with the rest of your life points." Yuai felt more bewildered than victorious.

Yugi smiled. "Hey! That was a great move."

Yuai looked at him doubtfully, but kept her mouth shut. That had been a mediocre move at best. Almost, a routine move. A putting your enemy out of his misery move. A move that she would have been stupid not to have made. Kaiba would have washed his hands of her and teaching her Duel Monsters if she had missed that move. Jonouchi could have made that move. Anzu, from what little she had seen in before school duels, could have made that move. Honda, who barely knew the mechanics of the game could have made that move. A great move? Hardly. Maybe I'm not being girlfriend-y enough? Would a girlfriend have taken that move? Should I have let him win? Maybe that's it. He's letting me win. Odd though. He's never let me win any other game we've ever played.

"Hey. You want to play again?" Yugi snarfed down a few fries and collected his cards, careful not to get ketchup or grease on them.

"Uuuhhh. No, not tonight." Yuai smiled, then reminded herself to be girlfriend-y, "We can play all weekend, right?"

"Sure!" Yugi nearly bounced in place. "I can't wait to go!"

Girlfriend-y, girlfriend-y. "I can't wait either. It'll be the first time we…well, be on our own." Yuai tried to sound shy and excited. Remember, girlfriend-y!

Yugi blinked cluelessly at her, "Uh, Yuai. We're alone a lot. What's so different about being at the convention?"

Yuai looked down at her cards, then back up to her boyfriend. Maybe a little less girlfriend-y. She was sure Jonouchi had said Yugi had experience being in a relationship. Positive in fact. He had to figure it out, being alone, away from his grandfather and friends, just the two of them, alone, staying in the same hotel, alone. It wasn't a hard equation. Then again, maybe Yugi wasn't interested. She really wasn't. But considering how many people had used her body, letting Yugi play with her wasn't a biggie. However, if Yugi didn't want too… "I just meant no school work, no Kaiba, no grandpa. It'll just be us."

"Oh, yeah. That will be neat." Yugi shoved the last of his burger in his mouth. "Hey, I can actually stay up and watch the whole Weekend of Wildness on the anime channel." He smiled a little ketchup on his chin.

Yuai smiled back, somehow feeling relieved. "Great!"

~*~*~*

Domino City-midnight

~*~*~*

The boy shuffled down the street hunching his shoulders against the cool breeze that had sprung up a few hours after sundown. His ragged jacket hung from the slender bones of his shoulders, wrapping nearly double around his gaunt form. His long dark hair hung in mats around his bruised face as he shivered. It was so cold, so dark and he was so tired. He retreated to a ally, hoping to find a warmer place, out of the wind.

"Hey, man, ya got a light?" A shadow loomed behind him.

He jumped back, looking nervously around and shaking his head.

The shadow stepped closer, a taller kid, expensive jacket, long hair and a cocky attitude. "Too bad." The kid grinned and a couple more shadows stepped forward, "But, hey, I'm sure you got something we'd want."

~*~*~*

Review! The muse whimpers when she's lonely and it keeps me up….

DemonandGoddess: Yeah, that would have been a tough lemon. Bakura though got friskier faster than I intended. He really does have a mind of his own…

Amunra: Sorry about the cliffie, but I just couldn't write my way out of that corner. Bakura is hard for me to write, he likes to take over and do his own thing and I tend to have to cut him short before everything goes to hell. Thanks for the great review and thanks, I am feeling better.

Daebird: I'm glad you liked the yami/hikari scenes, they were fun to write. Don't make judgments about Duke yet, you know me by now. I like to mess with things ^-^