Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Half Full or Half Empty? ❯ The Ultimate Price ( Chapter 24 )

Chapter 24 up!! ^_________^

Warning: Language (I think) death and yet ANOTHER TWIST!! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

The Ultimate Price
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Shika's POV…

Mai's funeral was today so I decided not to attend to the court case. I didn't care too much for it anyway. My mother would update me later. I would rather pay my respects to Mai than have to face another day in agony waiting for my father's verdict. Ryou and Bakura agreed to come with me but the people that would need me there most would be Jou and Anzu.

"You can't wear that to a funeral, Bakura!" I shrieked as he came casually downstairs in a pair of jeans and a loose shirt, hands in pockets.

He looked at me strangely. "Why not?"

"Because it's disrespectful, yami. You're supposed to wear black or dark clothes to funerals." Ryou replied.

"I don't think I have anything black though…"

Ryou rolled his eyes. "Correct me if I'm wrong but, did you not come home one night with a pair of black leather trousers and a matching trench coat when we lived in England, yami?"

Bakura blushed. "I forgot about that." He rushed upstairs.

"I haven't seen him in leather before." I remarked.

Ryou smiled. "You should wear your hair up more often." He said, smoothing out the stray hairs in my loose ponytail.

"So should you."

%#i&*(_&*!@$)+%#i&*(_&*!@$)+

A lot of people showed up to the funeral. It was a sad day, I'll tell you that. Many people turned up. These people included; Anzu and Taree, Jou, Kaiba and Shizuka, Miho and Honda, Malik and Marik, Ryou, Bakura and myself, and lots of others whom I didn't know. Most probably co-workers and relatives. Anzu was a wreck and Jou didn't look too good either.

The burial was in the church cemetery. Mai was lowered into the ground on a hill underneath an oak tree. Most people had left by now but for some strange reason I felt I needed to stay by her for a little longer, like I needed time alone to say my goodbyes.

"Shika, don't you want to go home now? We've been here a while now, love." Ryou asked as he put a hand on my back.

"You go," I said. "I'll stay a little longer."

Ryou sighed. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"

I nodded. "I won't be much longer."

"I hate leaving you like this." Ryou said.

"Ryou I'll be fine. It's just a cemetery."

"Alright, but please don't be too long." With that he kissed me on the cheek and turned to walk down the hill with Bakura.

I read the tombstone, which, on top of it, was an angel sitting on top of a cross. The tombstone read "In loving memory of Mai Kujaku, 1979 - 2003 may she rest in peace." There was a small photo of her at the bottom. She was winking at whoever took the photo.

Very silently, a figure came and stood beside me. Out the corner of my eye I noticed it being Seto Kaiba. Was this guy stalking me or something? I was curious as to why he wasn't with Jou. Or Mokuba for that fact.

"It must be awful for you." He said.

Like that really helped. "To say the least."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"I didn't know her well. Where is Jou?"

Kaiba shrugged. "He got all emotional and basically didn't want to know me. Where is Ryou and his nuisance yami?"

I raised an eyebrow. "That nuisance yami of his happens to be my boyfriend too you know."

He grinned. "Two timer."

"Oh shut up." I never knew Kaiba had a sense of humour. He was the first one to make me smile all day. "They've gone home."

He nodded, and pulled his black trench coat around himself tighter. "Do you need a lift home? There's room on the back of the motorbike since Jou's decided to run away."

I frowned. "I hope he'll be okay." Concern flickered in my voice.

"He will. He just needs time alone. Don't worry he'll be back."

I blew the bangs out of my face and looked at the ground. "I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't speak to me again. Do you realize how bad this makes me look?"

Kaiba grasped my face in his hands and tilted my head up to face his height. "Just because your father committed a crime is no reason for people to look at you differently."

He had a point. "But they will Kaiba. I know that as soon as spring break is over that going back to school is going to make my life a living hell!"

"Shika, listen to me. I killed my own stepfather. People still treat me the same you know." Kaiba said hardheartedly.

"But you had a reason…" I muttered.

"It doesn't matter what the reason may be. You have to put it behind you Shika, don't dwell on it."

For someone who I used to think was a ruthless jerk, Kaiba sure knew had some logic about him. He wasn't quite as cynical as everyone makes him out to be. Still, I wondered why he was being so nice to me. Maybe it was to do with what happened while we were on camp. Guess I'll never know.

"Thanks Kaiba." I said, smiling up at him.

He smiled back, as in actually smiled. "You know I'd kill to take Ryou or Bakura's place in your life. You're a one in a million kind of girl, Shika."

I creased my brow. Was it `let's spill our feelings to each other' day or something? "But I thought you were-"

"Bi, not gay." Kaiba finished.

I nearly choked. "But I… but you…"

"I like girls too you know. Now do you want a ride home? It's getting late."

I decided to brush it off. So Kaiba liked girls too. So what? "Alright."

Kaiba nodded. "Come with me."

Out the front of the small church was a black and silver motorbike, similar to that of Malik's or Honda's but a lot more expensive-looking. Kaiba handed me a helmet.

"Put this on." He said.

I put it on over my head. He put his helmet on too and hopped into the driver's seat. I got on behind. Where was I supposed to hold on? On Malik's bike there was a handle to hold onto on the side of the back seat, but I used to always just put my arms around his waist. I didn't feel too comfortable doing that with Kaiba.

"Um, Kaiba where am I supposed to hold onto?"

"Me of course. Unless you want to can off and smack your ugly head open."

"Ugly?" I reeled.

He laughed. "I was joking."

I rolled my eyes and put my arms around his waist. He started the engine and we were off. It didn't take long to get back to my place, and I vaguely wondered how Kaiba knew where I lived. Jou must have told him or something.

I got off the bike and took off my helmet. "Thanks for the ride. Go and find Jou."

Kaiba nodded. "Take care."

"Thanks." Without another word he turned direction and roared up the road and out of sight. I sighed and went inside. I found my Mom sitting at the table with Paul.

"Hi there Shika." Paul greeted.

"Hi."

"Honey, your father's trial ended today."

"And?"

"The verdict was guilty." Paul replied.

"So is he going to prison?"

Paul and my mother looked at each other for a minute, and Ryou came down the stairs quietly in the background.

"Well?" I repeated.

"Shika, Sevilin is on death row."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"So your Pa got the death sentence, huh?" Jou asked as he shoveled some more fries into his mouth. Jou had come around shortly after Seto had dropped me home. Somehow we ended up downtown at the diner.

"Yup. I think he deserves it though. He pushed his luck too far this time." I replied, taking a sip of my iced chocolate.

Jou sighed. "It hurts to know that people like him are better off not here."

I snorted. "Yeah, especially when they're your father."

Jou smiled at the sarcasm in my tone. "What's the execution date?"

"The twenty-sixth of July. About two months away."

"Geeze that's not too far away."

"I know," I said as I took a bite of my vegetarian burger. "Mom wants to watch him die."

Jou winced.

"So do I, quite frankly." I added.

"Never knew you guys hated your Pa so much." Jou replied.

I shrugged. "He needs to pay for what he's done, Jou. You know I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't the first homicide he's committed."

Jou finished off his burger and looked at his watch. "Shit! I gotta go, Shika! Dammit, I'm gonna be late for work again!"

I giggled. "Okay, take care Jou. By the way, your boyfriend is looking for you!" I called after him as he dashed out of the store.

"I know! See you later Shika!"

When I returned home, I collected the mail on my way in and went inside. There was a note on the table from mom saying that she had gone out with Paul for lunch, and to feed Harry. I walked over to Harry's terrarium and found him lying motionless on his tree branch, as he usually was. Suddenly a spark caught my eye, and I found something sitting on the stairs. I went to investigate, only to find that it was Ryou's Millennium Ring. Why wasn't he wearing it?

"Ryou? Bakura?" I called. No answer.

Well that's strange… I put the Ring around my own neck and went to sort through the mail. They had probably just gone down to the arcade or something. I began to look through the pile of junk that came out of the letterbox.

"Phone bill… power bill… rates… God they all come at the same time! Hey what's this?" I thought aloud to myself. In amongst the junk mail I found a blank envelope. My name was printed on the front, but there was no return address. I opened it.

"To my dearest Shika, if you want your precious little Ryou to see the light of day again, bring the stash to us."

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Next chapter: Who is the note from and where is Ryou?!?!?!!

Updates: Soonish.