Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Judgement ❯ Domino High ( Chapter 2 )

Judgement

Disclaimer: Well, this is a FAN fic right?

Summary: The Chosen bring the sinners in the Otherworld to Judgement. Now the world's best three are assigned a mission together. But the members of the Chimera Brigade are not easily subdued.

Warnings: Semi-Alternate Universe, OOC (on some parts, not all), yaoi/shounen-ai (I still can't tell the difference, gomen), angst, murder, rape, little fluffs now and then, depression, suicide and . . . I think that covers it for the moment. If you don't like, DON'T READ! Sheesh, don't come complaining to ME if you get scared easily or can't take this kind of stuff. I did my job and warned you about it.

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Chapter Two: Domino High

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Mokuba attended Domino Elementary, which was almost halfway across the town from Domino High. It would have been an inconvenience to most, but since the Kaibas were wealthy, they could afford to have Mokuba taken in a separate limousine to Seto himself. That was the problem solved.

The aforementioned, rambunctious preteen had already left for school. Seto sat at the dining table, reading a document, already dressed in his school uniform. He had a cup of coffee in front of him, already half empty - or half full, depending on your current spirits - and seemingly neglected. There was also an empty plate, waiting to be cleared up by a servant.

As Seto finished up the document, a soft knock caught his attention. He looked up. Ryou was in the doorway, dressed also in his school uniform, still looking pale, but nevertheless better than before. Beside him was the ever-hyper Ryuuji, who was grinning madly.

"Ohayou, minna!"

"Kami-sama . . ." Seto muttered, filing the document carefully.

"He's a morning person," Ryou mumbled, yawning.

They sat down at the table also; Ryuuji immediately dug into the food set out there. Ryou just stared at the toast and cereal, lost in his own thoughts. He decided that he didn't feel well, just looking at the food. Seto noticed this.

"Are you feeling all right?" he asked.

"Un . . . I - I just don't feel like eating anything."

Ryuuji looked up then, a fairly unattractive dribble of milk on his chin. The albino recoiled slightly. They had gotten over initial doubts of working with each other fairly quickly over the weekend, but that didn't mean he would be able to live with the game creator's lack of table manners.

"You don't look good, Ryou."

"Close your mouth when you're eating," Seto snapped. He turned to Ryou in concern. "Look, if you're not feeling well, you can stay here. I know that you'll be feeling pretty beat up after Friday night, so it's all right."

"Iie, daijoubu," Ryou said, attempting to be reassuring.

If Seto hadn't felt inclined to make up for risking Ryou's life on Friday, he would have dropped the subject. But it was due to him that Ryou was feeling unwell and he needed to help him, if only to get rid of the guilt that rose within him every time the albino looked ill.

"Has your sixth sense recovered?" he asked.

"Yes."

"It's strange, though," Ryuuji said, wiping his mouth. "How come your energy levels drained so quickly? I thought fatigue only clouded your sixth sense and third eye area."

They exchanged worried looks. If it weren't fatigue, then there was only one other explanation for his rapid depletion of energy. An Otherworldly being must have been wreaking havoc again. And only one Otherworldly being could do something like drain energy.

"Spectre."

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Classroom 2-B - Domino High

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Eyes turned to stare at the newcomers as they sat down, after introducing themselves. Ryou sat to the right of Seto, while Ryuuji sat in front of Ryou. The class kept shooting them glances, noting how strange it was that they had two exchange students - one from Britain and one from America - at the same time and both seemed to be hosted by Kaiba Seto. In fact, they seemed very familiar with him. This was set aside, however, as the lesson progressed. Ryou looked distinctly uncomfortable with all the whispers and giggles directed at him. He wasn't used to attention.

It's your hair, a voice in the back of his head told him. They've never seen such a freakish white colour to your hair before. You're like a new species.

He ignored the voice and stubbornly went on with his work. Being British-born-Japanese, he understood the language perfectly, having spoken it with his parents when at home. That was, before they died. He continued to practise the language and so retained his fluency.

You're a freak, admit it.

The voice was giving him a headache. He shook his head a few times, only succeeding in getting dizzy. Seto noticed this movement and looked over worriedly. Ryou's grip on his pen was shaky and he was shivering slightly. Sweat had begun to collect on his forehead and solar plexus. After a gentle probe, Seto realised his mental defences were all lowered.

Ryou, what's wrong?

Ryou looked at him, brown eyes hazy.

/Nothing. Nothing's wrong/

Seto frowned.

Don't lie to me Ryou. Something's bothering you, otherwise your defences wouldn't be down. It's that spectre again, isn't it?

/I said there was nothing - /

He never got to finish his sentence because the bell rang. Everyone shot up from their seats, eager to get outside, or meet with their friends. Chatter burst out in a tidal wave, washing over Ryou's already sore head. He put his pen down and closed his book. Seto stood to go over to him, but someone beat him to it.

"Oi, you foreigner," the blonde said, towering over Ryou. "What's with the freakish hair? You from the circus in Britain or something?"

"Jounouchi-kun," his companion, a short, tri-haired boy, protested.

"I'm serious, Yugi, look at him! Have you ever seen hair like his before?"

Ryou ignored him, taking a shaky breath. He knew it was his hair. It was always about his hair and how strange the colour was. It wasn't natural. And the voice at the back of his mind was right. He was a freak, an abnormality and a new species for them to study and criticise. Somehow, he didn't like the idea.

His shaking hands accidentally pushed his book off the table, in front of Jounouchi's feet. The blonde picked it up and Ryou reached out for it.

"Onegai, that's mine."

"So?"

"Could I have it back?"

Jounouchi hefted the book in his hands a few times, looking at Ryou. He seemed to be mock-concentrating on something.

"No. At least, not until you answer my question, freak."

Ryuuji, silent until now, reached up a plucked the book right out of Jounouchi's hands. He handed it to Ryou silently, who gave him a look of gratitude. The blonde glared at Ryuuji, who turned away and ignored him, packing away his things. Finally, Jounouchi yanked Ryou up by the hair, dragging him out of his chair roughly. Too exhausted to retaliate, Ryou only let him.

"Hey, freak, I was talking to you!"

"Jounouchi-kun!"

A moment later, Jounouchi was sprawled on the floor, Yugi hovering over him. His eye was beginning to darken around the edges and a bruise was forming. Above him, eyes flashing dangerously, was Seto. He stood in front of Ryou protectively, who just stared out in front of him.

"Get lost, make inu," Seto growled. "Stop bothering him."

"Kaiba," Jounouchi snapped.

"I said GET LOST!"

"You heard him," Ryuuji added, getting out of his seat. "Get out of here."

After Jounouchi and Yugi were out of the room, the two turned to Ryou. The albino was swaying slightly, eyes blank. Seto came over and touched his shoulder gently, probing his mind again. He pulled back, startled at the dark cloud that shrouded it again, not relinquishing him passage.

"Ryou . . . daijoubu ka?" Ryuuji asked tentatively.

"It's back . . ." Ryou whispered hoarsely. "It's back . . . what do I do?"

"The spectre?" Seto asked. Ryou nodded.

"It won't leave me alone!" he suddenly cried, clutching his head. "It keeps distracting me, whispering to me, telling me that I'm worthless, going through my mind, my thoughts -violating me!"

"Ryou calm down!" Seto exclaimed, pulling his hands down and holding them in front of him. "We'll think of a way to force it out!"

"Onegai . . . tasukete . . ."

Without another word, Ryou collapsed against Seto in a dead faint.

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Ryou's Subconscious

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He was in a dark room of sorts, the only source of light being a tiny tongue of flame. It was burning weakly in a large leaden dish in the centre of the room, barely visible in the overbearing shroud of darkness. It was an oppressing feeling, like he was being weighed down in his mind and body.

This was his soul room, the source of his mental and psychic powers. The fire represented his energy and it was nearly gone. If that little flame went out as well, he would be dead in less than twenty four hours.

It was then he noticed the other presence in the room. A ghostly figure, hovering in the shadows, away from the light and warmth of the flame. A spectre, a drainer of the higher, etheric energies and the being that had caused him to fall at the hands of a vampire.

The only visible part of the spectre was its eyes. Unlike the vampire, whose eyes were as red as the blood he drank, the spectre's eyes were icy blue. The only way you could tell its eyes apart from a human's was that it had no irises. The whole eyes was just ice blue.

"Just a little more . . ." it whispered, voice gravelly. ". . . a little more."

It seemed not to notice his presence in the room. The flame got a little smaller. He ran over to it, shielding it from the darkness threatening to put it out. The spectre kept muttering to itself.

". . . soon it will be gone . . . gone . . . gone . . ."

He didn't have his physical body with him, but his etheric body was powerful.

". . . just a little more . . ."

The flame got a bit smaller.

"Soon . . . soon . . ."

He shielded it with his body, fighting off the darkness crowding in.

"No help now . . . nothing you can do . . ."

His etheric body faded a little and he sent his mental energy in to support its failing strength. After his mental energy, he would send his emotional energy. Rarely would he have to resort to using his emotional energy - it was his most powerful weapon.

"There's going to be no more left . . ."

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Nurse's Office - Domino High

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Ryuuji watched as the school nurse checked Ryou over. She 'hmm'ed and 'ah'ed quietly, taking his pulse, checking his eyes and taking his temperature. Seto had gone to make a phone call and to tell the teacher where they were.

"Well, Otogi-san," the nurse finally said. "It seems that Bakura-san is in perfect health.

There's nothing wrong with his physical state."

"Demo, he's unconscious!"

"There's nothing I can do about that, Otogi-san."

The game creator sat back down in his chair next to Ryou's bed, brow furrowed. The nurse went back into that little conjoined room of hers, humming. Ryou had been sick over the weekend, ever since that vampire incident, and seemed to have never recovered.

Seto burst into the room, closing it behind him with a bang.

"Ryou wa?"

"Unconscious," Ryuuji told him. "The nurse said he was in perfect health."

A very pregnant pause followed his announcement.

"Is it - is it the spectre?"

Seto's voice was hushed now. He took a seat opposite Ryuuji, looking a Ryou's still form. The boy was breathing normally and he seemed to be doing no more than sleeping. The two exchanged worried looks.

"I think it is." Ryuuji glanced at the nurse's closed door. "Do you think we should go inside his mind and see what's wrong? It's obviously the spectre acting up. He's been feeling weak for days now."

"I - maybe we should," Seto admitted. "But it's risky."

"All in the name of cooperation, my friend," Ryuuji replied sagely, spreading his arms wide.

"Our first big problem and we don't have a medium."

"Ah, but I'm a psychic."

"I knew that. Look, I'll freeze time, but we only have about an hour until it wears off. During this time, you'll go in and see just what's wrong with Ryou, rescue him if you can, otherwise come back out and we'll see what we can do."

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Ryou's Subconscious

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"Ryou!"

He lifted his head a little, turning away from the tiny flame which had reduced its size by half already, at the voice. It was muffled by the darkness. Someone was calling his name. Someone was inside his soul.

"Ryou! Where are you?"

"Seto . . .?"

"Ryou!"

The CEO burst through the darkness, his etheric form a bright beacon in the darkness. In the corner, the spectre recoiled at the light.

"No . . . so bright . . . go away . . ." it hissed.

"Ryou, you're here!" Seto came over to where he was, standing at the end of the large dish.

"What are you doing?"

"Seto . . .?" he murmured. "I'm protecting my essence. The spectre. . ."

The brunette saw what he was guarding. The tongue of flame was barely more than the size of a thumb now. Ryou's form was flickering along with it. Seto knew the other boy was about to give out if he didn't do something quickly about it. He stepped hesitantly into the dish.

"Is there something I could do to help . . .?"

"Hai . . . destroy that spectre. It hates light. Help me produce more light. I can't do it alone . . . it's barely more than I can manage, protecting the fire of my essence. Tasukete."

"No more . . ." the spectre giggled.

Seto knew the only source of light was from their etheric energies. The only pure source of etheric energy was the flame Ryou was protecting. In order to illuminate the place, he would need to fuel the flame with his own energy. But was it enough?

"Seto! Only twenty minutes left! Hurry!"

Ryuuji's voice came from the real world. There wasn't much time left. Ryou looked up again, fading a little more, along with the flame. Seto grasped him quickly from behind, resting the palm of his hands on top of the back of Ryou's. He fed his etheric power into the albino, who pushed it into the flame. It grew.

"No . . ." the spectre wailed, recoiling further. "Put it out!"

"Hang on, Ryou," Seto whispered into his ear. "Almost there . . ."

The flame grew and grew.

A little more . . .

Ryou's body began to solidify in his arms.

A bit more . . .

The spectre wailed and its form dispersed, leaving behind nothing more than dust. Ryou spun around and grabbed him by the waist, sending them crashing to the floor outside the dish. The flame roared into life again, illuminating the room. They got up, panting.

"Let's go back," Seto suggested, taking him by the hand.

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Nurse's Office - Domino High

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Ryuuji wiped the sweat beads on his forehead away with a tissue. He focused on maintaining the current timeframe, the task itself taking a lot out of him. The most he could freeze time for was an hour. He hadn't tried to hold it any longer, otherwise he would burn himself out.

Seto's form was hunched over Ryou, grasping his hand tightly. He needed close contact with

the boy in order to delve right into his soul. They had both been out for a good forty or so minutes.

"Come on, Seto," Ryuuji said, clenching his fists. "I can't keep it up much longer . . ."

Another twenty minutes ticked by and the hour was up. He struggled to hold onto the timeframe, but his mind gave up on him. It was too much. The shuffling sound in the nurse's office had begun again, as if nothing had happened. But Ryou and Seto hadn't woken up yet.

"Minna," he said anxiously. To his relief, Seto stirred.

"We're back . . ."

"Hey, Seto, you had me worried there," Ryuuji laughed weakly, punching the other guy on the shoulder. "Did you get Ryou out okay?"

"He's fine . . ." Seto looked down at Ryou, who hadn't woken up. "Ryou?"

The albino stirred, eyelids fluttering. They opened slowly, revealing tired, brown eyes. Ryou was back. A smile graced his lips as he regarded his two 'partners'.

"Arigatou, minna," he whispered.

The door banged open, causing them all to whirl around. Seto dropped Ryou's hand. A girl with a purplish-blue coloured hair sailed in, simpering.

"Otogi! Here you are! I was getting worried!"

Ryuuji back away from the door, shaking his head and stumbling over his own chair. His two partners blinked in confusion at the girl and then back at him. Seto helped Ryou into a sitting position, supporting his back with pillows.

"Anou . . . konnichiwa, Miho-chan," Ryuuji said, still backing away.

"Otogi-kun," Miho simpered, coming over. "Daijoubu ka?"

"D-daijoubu, daijoubu!"

He hid behind Ryou's bed, causing the other two to sweatdrop, while Miho tried to fawn over him.

"Anou . . . arigatou, Seto," Ryou whispered. "I guess partners are a good thing after all."

"Hn," Seto replied, though his eyes brightened. "Don't expect too much where that came from."

They smiled, watching Ryuuji wail pathetically, trying to get away from Miho.

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End Chapter Two

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Author's Notes:

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