Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Falling From Grace ❯ Chapter 9 ( Chapter 9 )

YUGIOH

Falling From Grace

 

 

Chapter 9.

It was the next day at school. Kaiba had once again been as quiet and to himself as normal, perhaps even going out of his way to avoid Joey. Joey had been thinking since last night about how Kaiba reacted around him.....but since he seemed normal today, he pushed those strange thoughts aside.

 

Tristan on the other hand, had been bawling like a baby all morning. It seemed the reason they hadn't seen Tristan until today was because he actually made his move on the janitor the other day, who hit him with a bucket.....calling Tristan a freak and to stay away.

 

“He rejected me! He doesn't love me!!”, Tristan sobbed.

 

“Dude......don't you get what you're saying?”, Joey asked. “It's one thing to think of some girl, but.....we're talking about the janitor, some wrinkled up prune!”

 

“Don't call him a prune! He's the best thing that ever walked into my life!!”, Tristan bawled.

 

Yugi looked concerned, as Joey tried to support his friend. Tea was just outright worried, and the things Marik said kept going through her head.

`You must kill the janitor!'

`Enough, Marik. Tea is no killer'

`But she wouldn't have to do the dirty work......she could always make a Shadow Pact'

 

“.....I wonder what a Shadow Pact is?”, Tea quietly muttered.

 

“What did you say, Tea?”, Yugi asked.

 

Tea whirled around to Yugi, looking startled and totally embarrassed. “Oh, nothing Yugi. I was just trying to.....figure out these math problems.”

 

“Oh......”, Yugi said, assuming she was probably just worried about Tristan.

 

Tea was feeling even more guilty, now. She was actually considering doing something horribly wrong. `But Tristan was suffering, and the janitor was like.....80 something, wasn't he? Wasn't he like close to dying, anyway? Maybe it would be kind of like putting him out of his misery. Plus, Marik said I wouldn't actually be doing it.....'

 

“Hey Tea, you do plan on coming down to my house today, right?”, Yugi asked.

 

“Oh, uh.....I would Yugi, but there's something I have to do”, Tea said. “I've been really busy, but I should be free tomorrow.......”

 

Yugi was once again disappointed to not have Tea coming back with them. But Yugi was equally worried about Tristan. Joey had his arm around him, trying to offer him support, while he was still bawling like a kid.

 

~You know, spirit~, Yugi mentally said to him, after turning his attention to Yami. ~Joey's right. It is a bit strange for Tristan. It just seems so out of the blue.~

 

~Hmm......perhaps dark magic's at work, here~, Yami stated.

 

Yugi smiled, answering him, ~You always think dark magic is involved.~

 

~Perhaps~, Yami smiled back. ~But, how often am I wrong?~

 

~I guess you're right, there~, Yugi mused. ~But that doesn't make sense. Why would someone use dark magic to get Tristan to like the janitor?~

 

~Yes......I suppose that doesn't make any sense~, Yami agreed. ~But still, Tristan does not seem to be acting himself.~

 

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

 

Tea had asked Tristan later in the day what he knew about the coffee. It was tough to get anything out of him crying so much, but he told her he didn't know. That only led to one other person to talk to.

 

After school, Tea's first destination was Mr. Gumcruff. She had been feeling guilty enough to even think of having the guy killed, but now to have to face him, too. It was almost unbearable.

 

Tea approached the broom closet where the guy was getting his mops ready, and knocked lightly on the door. The old man must have jumped ten feet in the air, in shock and fear. After gasping and wheezing a couple times, he spat out, “Don't be sneaking up on an old man, like that! You trying ta give me a heart attack?”

 

“I'm not trying to kill you!”, she blurted out, quickly covering her mouth in guilt. `oh god, now he knows!'

 

But the old man laughed, saying, “Take it easy, young lady.....it's only a figure of speech. So, how can I help you?”

 

“Um.....yesterday, there was this coffee cup in class. Well, it belonged to a friend of mine, and he was looking for the mug, and......well I wondered if you knew what happened to it”, Tea said.

 

“Coffee.......coffee......hmmm. Oh, yes....I remember the coffee mug. It was being drinken by that.....that, yahhh!” At realizing who the kid was, the janitor suddenly yelped, startling Tea. He turned to her, and snapped, “Your friends with that crazy kid?? You keep him away from me, you got that! He comes near me again, I swear I'll press charges!”

 

“Oh, no no! I'm not talking about him.....it wasn't his cup! That cup actually belonged to....”

 

“I don't care who it belonged to!”, Gumcruff snapped. “I took the whole thing and threw it out. When you leave property behind like that, that's what happens. Tell him to get himself another cup somewhere!” Gumcruff then turned away, mumbling about crazy kids, and headed away with the mop and bucket.

 

Tea sighed, “Well.....atleast that part is over with. If it's thrown out, then it's safe. I'll just have to go back and let Marik know.”

 

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

 

It wasn't long before Tea once again ended up back at the museum. She looked at the place that seemed to become more foreboding every time she saw it. Part of her was still thinking about what Marik had said, and Ishtar's harsh warning never to return.

 

`But I have to come back', Tea told herself. `I have to tell Marik that the rest of the potion was destroyed, and it's safe from harm. That's all......I'm not coming here for any other reason, just to let him know that. There's nothing wrong with that, right? And so what if he happens to tell me about this `Shadow Pact' while he's at it.....it's not like I'm going to accept, anyway.'

 

She approached the museum and finally went inside, ignoring the storm clouds and distant thunder. She continued to convince herself that she was only here to relay a message, and Marik was good now.....he was a friend, so he wouldn't lead her to do anything `too' bad.

 

Tea was stopped short to see Ishizu right in the front foyer of the museum, as if she had been waiting for Tea to arrive.......and she didn't look very happy to see her, either.

 

Tea swallowed, thinking, `For someone who has no more psychic powers, that woman sure has a funny way of showing it!'

 

“So.....I see you've come back”, Ishizu stated coldly.

 

Tea had guilt written all over her face, as she sputtered out, “I just needed to give Marik a m-message........about the potion. I thought he-......”

 

“You thought he'd like to know. Of course”, Ishizu said, still very cold. “I have warned you Tea Gardner again and again, on your path to darkness. I warned you never to return, and yet.....here you are.”

 

Tea sucked in her chest, trying to be strong, stating. “Marik wanted me to check on what happened to the coffee, so I did.”

 

“You can continue to convince yourself of this reason all you want, Tea”, Ishizu said. “There is nothing more I can do. If you go now to visit my brother......I'm afraid you will be lost. This is your final chance, and I will not be here to warn you any further. Good evening.....”

 

With that said, Ishizu left the museum heading, well.....home, Tea assumed. She looked back to where Ishizu went, then ahead where she knew Marik was. After a moment of thought, Tea finally decided, `She doesn't know what she's talking about. It's not like I'm accepted anything. Listening to what Marik has to say doesn't mean I'm going to agree to what he says. If I don't like it, I'll just leave.....that's all.'

 

Tea then headed deeper into the museum, back downstairs to see Marik once again.

 

---------------------------------

 

Narr: So, is everyone jumping in their chairs yet, anxiously awaiting to see what happens next chapter? Well, guess what? You wont! Heh heh.....I'm so mean. Honestly, next chapter is focusing on Yugi's group. So, yeah.....you'll have to wait to see what happens to Tea alittle while longer. Sowwy.

 

Anyway, for next chapter.....Yugi gets a surprise visitor! Who is it, and what will happen? Plus, what about poor Tristan? All will be revealed soon. (hope you guys like the teasers, btw. Since we're more into the story now, I thought I'd give very slight and subtle hints for the next week....)

 

This is so wonderful! At ffnet all the time, I could never properly signify telepathic communication to each other, because they took the little squiggle mark out, no longer allowing me to use it in their sight. But over here, I can still use it!! That is so great! I no longer have to do all that modify crap I absolutely hated doing over there! Well.....I do, but not over here. So, that's really nice. ;)