Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Psyche ❯ Allies ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: Yugi-oh is the property of Kazuki.Takahashi, who is a genius. Everything that isn't his or someone else's is mine.

 

This is the third part of the Chrysalis series. You will enjoy this more if you read Chrysalis and Emergence first. You will get lost!

 

AN: I just want to say, don't judge Mrs. Jonouchi too harshly. People react to grief in various ways. She just isn't coping well at the moment.

 

Ahmose is Egyptian for the moon is born

Koori is Japanese for ice

Shimo is Japanese for frost

 

Psyche

Chapter 8: Allies

~*~*~*

Jonouchi

~*~*~*

Jonouchi sat next to the small fountain, watching jewel toned fish dart through the clear water of the blue tiled pool. Above him a soft canopy of bright silk fluttered in a light breeze. Around the courtyard he sat in, long stemmed flowers that resembled fluttering butterflies nodded lazily amidst the darker foliage of lavender scented bushes. Standing at the paths that led to the fountain two men with long white hair and sapphire blue eyes stood guard. A slender girl, with identical hair and eyes, hovered protectively a couple feet away, with the even more slender black haired, red eyed teen shifting uncertainly next to her.

 

Jo, however, didn't pay them much attention. He sat staring down at his hands, flexing his fingers, all ten of them. He'd woken up here a few days ago, expecting, at the very least, to find himself back in that cabin. Expecting that the whole episode with the man dragging him out to the edge of the cliff had been nothing but another dream. Expecting, if he was dead, to wake up in the afterlife with his relatives standing around him smiling. Instead, he had woken up to Kaiba's beloved dragons, in human form, guarding him. His own Red Eyes, looking like a rather small, scruffy and determined kid, sitting on the foot of his bed, and the Dark Sage looking rather proud of himself. He had also woken up to find that all signs of the last few…weeks?...months?...were gone. The only thing different between how he was when the psycho had lured him out of the hotel with a false message from Kaiba, to the time he found himself here, was that his hair was now half way down his back. Otherwise, he was eerily fine.

 

He flexed his fingers again. They were all there. All ten of them flexing, moving and feeling just like they should, as if nothing had happened to them. As if it had been nothing but a bad dream and he had just woken up to find himself here. He could remember the man cutting off his finger, the feeling of the garden sheers as they sliced through skin, muscle and bone in one quick, almost neat snap, the stunned disbelief as his own finger lay on the ground twitching slightly, the pain, the screams, the blood that didn't seem to ever want to stop pouring out of his hand.

 

One of the dragons shifted, the largest of the males. Jo looked up quickly, ready to run if the dragon moved again. The female cooed softly and came to sit next to him as the other male shifted his attention toward the castle.

 

“It's only Lord Kallon.” His Red Eyes came to stand next to him, looking both protective and jittery at the same time. “Probably checking to make sure you ate.” The dragon teen looked around hurriedly for the plate that had Jonouchi's lunch. It sat half empty on the fountain edge. “Could you shove a bit more into your mouth before he comes?”

 

Jonouchi shook his head, trembling and pressing himself into the warm side of the dragon girl. As the footsteps approached, he felt a ball of pure terror start curling in his stomach. She cooed again and smoothed his hair.

 

“E'on, Master Jonouchi has eaten enough.” The larger Blue Eyes, Koori, turned completely and faced the Dark Sage as he came down the path.

 

“He barely eats.” E'on grumbled, picking up the plate, his red eyes inspecting it carefully. A half eaten, immature, Hungry Burger sat on it. “Isn't he a growing boy? Aren't burgers their preferred diet?”

 

“He was doing fine till you told him that the grown up burgers sneak up behind you and bite your…” The smaller male Blue Eyes snatched the plate away.

 

“Hey, they do!” E'on rubbed his butt. “But I killed this one first! It didn't even wiggle.”

 

“Ahem.” Lord Kallon stood looking at them.

 

Jonouchi shivered and cuddled closer to the Blue Eyes girl. Honestly, he didn't think Lord Kallon meant him any harm. The Dark Sage had treated him with nothing but gentleness since he woke up. He really seriously doubted that even if the man meant to harm him, Kaiba's dragons would allow it. He knew that his own dragon would, in his own bumbling, over eager, not too bright way, protect him.

 

Still, he couldn't help the fear that swamped over him whenever anyone approached. Yesterday, he had nearly clawed through a wall when he'd accidentally bumped into a surprised looking Celtic Guardian in one of the castle halls. He'd only had E'on with him and the Red Eyes had taken his true form, which of course didn't really fit in the hall way, which of course caused both Jo and the shocked elf to be suddenly squished into the walls, which led to the three Blue Eyes running into the hall to help, which led to E'on thrashing around in panic, which led to the Magician of Black Chaos arriving to see why a large portion of the castle wall had just fallen into the garden. Maybe he had a good reason to be afraid…of the dragons.

 

Lord Kallon looked down at the plate that the smaller Blue Eyes male held. “I see you've had lunch.” He looked doubtfully at the burger, then over at the other Blue Eyes.

 

They all pointed at E'on in unison.

 

“Hey, it's a burger! Master eats them. During one duel, the kid with the pointy hair told master to hurry up so they could go catch a burger.” The little dragon, tossed his head in uncertain defiance. “I just caught it for him, since his isn't up to hunting them himself.”

 

Jo took deep breaths trying to stop shaking as he listened to his dragon justify the monster burger he'd been served for lunch. It honestly hadn't been a bad burger, it was only when he found a sharp, serrated tooth in it did he start wondering where it had come from. From the looks Kaiba's dragons had given his Red Eyes, he was sure there wouldn't be a repeat of today's surprise.

 

Funny, how they had a tendency to look, act and even smell like Kaiba at times. Or maybe, Kaiba looked, acted and smelled like his dragons. Either way, it was good. It was the only way he could sleep at night, with the dragons curled around him. He could close his eyes, rest his head against Koori's chest and fall to sleep. It was almost as if Kaiba was there holding him. Almost.

 

“I don't think they actually hunt the burgers down and kill them in the mortal realm.” Lord Kallon handed the plate to E'on. “Why don't you take this to the kitchen and ask them for some food for Jonouchi.”

 

“I don't trust them…” E'on glared suspiciously at the castle. “Who knows what they might try to give him.”

 

The smaller Blue Eyes male snorted and pulled the plate out of E'on's hand. “I'll do it.”

 

“Thank you Shimo.” Mr. Kallon smiled and walked over to Jonouchi. “Now, how does my patient feel today?”

 

Jonouchi, scooted away, his eyes darting around looking for an escape. He couldn't help it. No matter how he tried to tell himself that he was safe, that there was nothing short of an act of god that could harm him with the dragons so near, that the Sage was not the psycho that had hurt him for so long, he couldn't make himself believe it. The fear that had started growing in his stomach was now taking over the rest of him.

 

“He's much better Lord Kallon.” Koori came and sat next to Jo, pulling him gently against his side. The other Blue Eyes pressed against his other side, both protecting him and holding him still. “He's still a bit nervous though.”

 

The Dark Sage nodded and knelt down in front of Jo. “Well, that's very understandable.” He slowly raised his hand and reached toward Jonouchi's face. Jo flinched back, feeling Koori's arm circle around his shoulders. The Sage paused. “I would like to look in your eyes, Jonouchi.” He waited for a second, then carefully, touched Jo's chin. “Be calm, young one, be calm. No one here will hurt you.” He peered intently into Jo's terrified eyes for a moment, turning his head slightly so the sun shifted through them, then let him go. “There all done.” He stood up and backed away slowly.

 

Jo nearly wept with relief. The farther the man stepped away, the more the fear drained out of his body. He curled into Koori's arms, breathing deep, smelling Kaiba's scent, desperately trying to still the tremors that raced through him. The dragon hummed softly and cuddled him on his lap.

 

“He still needs to rest.” The Sage's smooth voice sent small shocks down his back, causing more small shudders to fan through his tense muscles. “Try to get him to eat more and keep him away from the others till he calms down more.”

 

“Yes, Lord Kallon.” The Blue Eyes girl got up and stepped away. Jo didn't have to look to know she was taking a guard position at the path, nor did he have to see to know that his own Red Eyes now stood at the other path.

 

“Has he spoken at all yet?” The Sage's voice was more distant, heading back toward the castle.

 

“No. Not yet.”

 

~*~*~*

Kaiba

~*~*~*

Jonouchi's memorial service was well attended. Kaiba was rather shocked over the sheer number of people that flocked to the small funeral parlor. They crammed into all the seats, stood around the edges of the room, flocked in the doorway, crowded into the small vestibule and spilled in pools out the door and into the parking lot.

 

Many, he admitted were not even acquainted with Jo. They were duelists and fans who came to “be” at the service and maybe get a peek at him, Yami, and Mai. Even poor Ryou, who had only publicly dueled once and had been sent to the hospital for doing it, had been mobbed. Most of the others that attended were from school, classmates and teachers, who seemed more confused and surprised than truly sad. The paparazzi was also well represented as reporters snuck through the crowd, trying to get into the room for pictures of the grieving friends, who clustered in the front of the parlor with Jo's stunned father, complaining mother and distraught sister.

 

 

Kaiba had the dubious honor of sitting next to Mrs. Jonouchi and Serenity. The woman had started bitching the moment she stepped out of the limo he'd provided and hadn't paused for breath, yet. Everything displeased her: the limo wasn't good enough; the driver was rude; the small funeral parlor Mr. Jonouchi had insisted on renting with his own money, was decrepit; the flowers that gathered like a small forest around Jo's memorial picture, were tacky; Jo's friends were freaky punks; Kaiba had heard her mutter a few choice words about him being a perverted homo who would burn in hell for molesting her boy. Most of the abuse though, was aimed at Mr. Jonouchi. A ceaseless tirade of short comings, past sins, and vicious speculations of how he had driven Jo to lead a depraved life that led to his death.

 

Kaiba kept quiet, stayed next to Mrs. Jonouchi in the second row, and repeatedly told himself that he was doing this for Jo. Jo had loved his father, even knowing all the man's faults. He had also loved his mother, knowing all her faults. He wouldn't have been happy with Kaiba tossing his mother out of his memorial service any more than he would have liked Kaiba shifting seats so that her vicious tongue could start slicing into Mr. Jonouchi.

 

Mr. Jonouchi sat in the other row, staring blindly at the wall behind the memorial display. He was a big, solid man, with more grey hair than Kaiba had remembered. His thick, work hardened hands folded neatly on his lap. The dark blue suit he wore strained across his heavy shoulders and his white shirt and black tie seemed to be chokingly tight around his neck. He didn't seem to care though. He smiled politely when spoken to, managed to say a few words of thanks to people who offered their sympathies, but nothing really seemed to register in his eyes. It was almost as if he had hired someone to take his body to the memorial while the rest of him stayed home.

 

“Why are we sitting over here? We're back with his friends! We're his family!” Mrs. Jonouchi snapped, staring around the room. “That no good ass. He did this on purpose.”

 

Kaiba mentally ran through a series of equations in his head and thanked the gods that he had sent his little brother to sit next to Yugi.

 

“How dare he do this to me! To us! Yes, baby, I know, you're as insulted by this as I am.” Mrs. Kaiba patted Serenity's knee.

 

Serenity didn't even acknowledge the touch. She was sitting on the other side of Mrs. Jonouchi, sobbing wildly onto Honda's shoulder. She had managed to get through the crowds, the paparazzi, the endless stream of sympathetic condolences, but had finally collapsed, weeping as soon as she saw Jo's picture smiling at her from it's flower decked easel. While Mrs. Jonouchi complained about the choice of photo, Honda had quietly gathered Serenity up and had retreated to let her cry. She hadn't stopped yet.

 

Mrs. Jonouchi glared at her ex-husbands back. “I'm his mother! And what is he, except an old drunk?”

 

Kaiba glanced over at her out of the corner of his eyes. He didn't like where this was going. Jo had told him, back when they were still getting used to the idea of having a relationship together, about his father and mother, all the dirty little secrets, the petty schemes, the nasty truths. He had done it, not because he wanted to smear his parents, but because he had cared. He admired Mr. Jonouchi's ability to love him, even knowing Jo wasn't his real son. He cared that his mother seemed bent on destroying herself and everyone around her. He worried that his little sister was going to follow her mother's path. Jo's ultimate loyalty, his relation with Kaiba aside, had always been to his father. When push had come to shove, the elder Jonouchi had stood next to his son, so his son had stood next to him.

 

“How dare he shove us back here with…them.” She made a motion to get up.

 

Kaiba blocked her. “Sit down.”

 

“How dare you!” She turned and nearly snarled in his face. “Don't you dare tell me…”

 

“This is your son's funeral. You should show some respect.” Kaiba kept his voice down, making it as soothing and pleasant as was possible under the circumstances. For Jo, remember, do this for Jo.

 

“Respect!” She stood and nearly howled at the top of her lungs. “Respect! I'm tossed into the second row with a group of… of friends” she made the word sound like an insult as she waved her hands around, “and you think that I should show some respect?”

 

Mr. Jonouchi turned and looked over his shoulder as his ex shrieked. His tired eyes blinking into focus, coming back from whatever place he had been in his mind.

 

“Respect for a… an old drunk? Respect for a bunch of punk kids who got my son killed? Yes! MY SON! Not that… that sodden loser's. He was my son!”

 

Kaiba could practically hear the hum of the paparazzi's pencils. Mr. Jonouchi frowned back at his ex and shook his head warningly. She sneered back.

 

“He was my son! You… you were nothing. A jerk. A loser. A pathetic ass who couldn't even keep his cock up for more than five minutes.” She tried to get past Kaiba, but he stood and blocked her way. It didn't seem to slow down the woman's ranting. She just looked around Kaiba and continued. “How dare you even show your face here! He was no relation to you. His father was a man, something you will never be! Get out!”

 

“Shut up.” Kaiba hissed at her, catching a glimpse of the flash from a camera. “Sit down and shut the hell up.”

 

“How dare you tell me what to do! It's your fault my son's dead.” She tried to slap him, but he caught her hand. “You fucking pervert. You raped my son, then hired some goon to kill him to shut him up so you wouldn't get caught.”

 

Kaiba let her hand go and opened his mouth to snarl a reply, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to look into Mr. Jonouchi's eyes.

 

“Go sit with your friends, son.” The man nodded to where Mokuba, Yugi, Yami, Ryou, Mai, Anzu and Duke all sat in various poses of stunned outrage. “She's my problem, been my problem for years. Thank you for trying.” He gently steered Kaiba away, then turned to face his former wife.

 

“Oh, take his side. What, he pay you for Katsuya? Give you a nice sum if you let him fuck MY son and keep quiet?”

 

The sound of the slap silenced the entire room, even some of the people that had been shifting around in the entry hall became quiet.

 

“Shut your foul mouth.” Mr. Jonouchi's voice was quiet, but in the sudden stillness, it carried through the small hall. “This is Katsuya's funeral. These are his friends, his schoolmates, and his family. A family that he made, not the one you destroyed.”

 

She stood with one hand on her cheek, her eyes wide and furious. “You bastard. You no good, fucking, shithead…” She slapped him back. “Get out. Get out of MY son's funeral” Her voice rose till she was nearly screaming. “Do you hear me? GET THE FUCK OUT!”

 

Serenity stood up, placing a hand on her mother's arm. “Mom, please. Please. This is Jo's funeral…”

 

“Shut the fuck up!” Mrs. Jonouchi swung around. “Who the fuck do you think you are to tell me how to behave?”

 

“Mom, I know you're upset, but please…” Serenity's words were cut off as Mrs. Jonouchi's hand smashed into her face. She stumbled back into Honda, with a shocked cry. Honda gathered her close and pulled her out of the row and over towards their friends.

 

“Enough.” Mr. Jonouchi pulled his ex around to face him. “Hit me all you want, but don't you dare hurt my child.”

 

“Ha you don't have any children. None. You were fucking lucky I let you keep Katsuya, and look what a good job you've done.” She motioned around the silent room.

 

“Sit down and be quiet or I'll have one of the ushers show you out.” Mr. Jonouchi motioned for a usher to come forward. While Mr. Jonouchi had insisted on paying for the memorial, Kaiba had been able to convince him to allow his security to act as ushers and crowd control, so the usher that responded to the summons was a bit…larger than normal.

 

“Throw me out! After all you have done! You should be ashamed to show your pathetic face here.” She shoved him back. “YOU get out!”

 

Mr. Jonouchi shook his head and stepped back. “Please, escort her back to her car. She's a bit… upset.”

 

The bulky man nodded and stepped forward.

 

“You're throwing me out of my son's memorial?” She stepped back away from the man. “You can't do that. He was MY SON!”

 

The security man calmly reached over and began herding her toward the door. She snarled, and cursed at him, but couldn't quite work up enough courage to physically resist him.

 

Half way down the aisle she turned with a jerk and tossed her head up. “Serenity, we're leaving.”

 

“No. You are leaving. Serenity is staying right here.” Mr. Jonouchi stood at the front of the aisle with Jo's picture looking over his shoulder. Serenity sat cowering on the seat next to him, hiccupping small sobs into Honda's shoulder. “She will stay and say goodbye to her brother. I'm sorry you cannot find it in your heart to realize the pain you've caused here, but she won't be punished for your bad behavior.”

 

“Serenity. Come here!” The woman tried to turn around, but the usher gently insisted she keep walking toward the exit where people were already parting to let them through.

 

Serenity didn't move and Mr. Jonouchi sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. The rest of the people in the small hall looked back and forth between the two former spouses, then, as Mrs. Jonouchi was nudged firmly out the door, turned back to the true reason they had gathered.

 

“Dad, she's going to be so angry…” Serenity whispered.

 

“Shhh. Don't worry about it sweetheart. I'll take care of it later.” Mr. Jonouchi kissed the top of her head.

 

“But she'll…” Serenity looked back over her shoulder, but she couldn't see her mother through the crowd.

 

“You can come stay with me. She'll calm down, in time.” He gave her another kiss and turned to look around the room. “She never could handle things like this. She's just upset.”

 

“Can I stay? She won't like it. She'll try and…” Serenity glanced around.

 

Kaiba, now sitting with Mokuba in the seats behind her, leaned forward. “You can stay. I'll make sure of it.”

 

~*~*~*

Yami

~*~*~*

 

He was sitting in a window overlooking the courtyard of his palace. Retainers were running around down bellow, helping a dignitary off his skittish horse, while the rare spring rains washed across the yard in blowing sheets of water. His son was sitting in his lap, his small head resting against his shoulder as the little on napped. Behind him, the sound of small stones falling onto wood caught his attention. He turned to look and found himself looking at a young lady with odd golden hair.

 

“Your turn.” She leaned back away from the mancalla board that sat between them. “Unless you want to go out and run through the rain.” She looked outside. “I wouldn't blame you.”

 

He shook his head, staring at her. She was probably the most beautiful creature he had seen, but, as he looked at her, he realized that was exactly what she was, a creature. Hanging around her like a invisible mist was the feeling of Shadow Magic. The same magic that swirled in light eddies around the ka beasts that he and the priests could summon, only hundreds of times stronger. However, she also looked, vaguely like… “Yuai?”

 

All too perfect blue eyes looked questioningly at him. “Yes?”

 

He stared at her. Someplace in the planes of the inhumanly lovely creature that sat in front of him, the small waif-like girl he knew, peeked back. Maybe, it was in the curve of a cheek, or the slant of her eyes. It was like trying to find familiar features in a blurred photograph.

 

“It's your move.” Her lips tipped up in a small, half hidden laugh.

 

He looked down at the board, noted the best move and began dropping his stones into the appropriate cups. “Just caught in my own thoughts.”

 

She nodded, looking out the window. “Rainy days seem made for thinking, don't they?”

 

He nodded, shifting carefully so he wouldn't wake his son, as he reached for a small cup that sat next to his elbow. “Yes, it's easy to get lost in the rain.”

 

She laughed softly and bowed her head back over the game board, “How can you drink that stuff?”

 

Choking down mouthful of wine, that, again, tasted like a bad science experiment, he wiped the tears out of his eyes. “Test of courage.”

 

She dropped her stones into the cups and looked up at him. “Do you want me to take Ahmose while you go recover from all your manly courage?”

 

He finished choking, looked down at his still sleeping son, and shook his head. “No, he can sleep through anything.”

 

“Are you two done yet?” A irritated voice grumbled from the doorway.

 

Yami looked up. The Magician of Black Chaos stood glowering in the door.

 

“I would like my wife back sometime this week.” The Magician growled, looking accusingly at Yuai's back.

 

She grinned up at Yami. “He's grumpy because he had to sit in court while we visited.” She turned and stuck her tongue out at her spouse. “All the gods defend The Realm if he ever needs to hold court more than twice.”

 

Yami reached over and scooped up his stones and deposited them in the cups, as the two continued to bicker quietly. Ahmose, the moon is born. My son, Ahmose. The little one snuffled lightly in his sleep, his tiny hands tightening slightly where they rested against his chest.

 

~*~*~*

A shadow shifted in the back of the now quiet funeral parlor. The scent of flowers lingered softly in the air, as did the more intangible, but far more powerful emotional aura of grief. The shadow grinned to itself, drinking in the bitter taste of other's sadness. So many, with just one stone. Not just Seto, but I struck at the pharaoh as well. Yes, that was a well played piece.

 

It drifted down the aisle, tasting the various flavors of the emotions that had been felt, feasting on them, delighting in them. It stopped where Kaiba had sat next to his brother. I'm not done with you yet. For all the pain, for all the dreams you shattered. You will pay. A shadowy hand reached out to where Mokuba had sat. And I know just how to do it.

 

~*~*~*

 

*authoress looks innocently around* What? You expected it to be that simple? BWAHAHAHAHAHA. I haven't even gotten started on the real bad guy yet! Review and let me know how evil I am. After all, I try soo hard.

 

MM. org

 

dragonlady222: Nope, Yuai is alive and well, if a bit unhappy with her new look. Jo is now all fixed up, but still not at 100% and he now has all sorts of dragons to watch over him. How happy he is with his self appointed body guards….that's a different story.

 

Sorceress Sarrkh: Yes, there will be more Kaiba magic in just a short bit. After all, look where Jonouchi is presently sitting, one way or another if Kaiba wants him back he's going to have to deal with more magic. This story is plotted out to be about 20 chapters, so we are just getting into the middle of the story.

 

Daebird: It's really not safe to assume anything yet. There's still twelve chapters to go and the real bad guy is only now making an appearance on the scene. Bakura's quest for his wandering eye will continue next time, as will the ongoing sage of Captive Passions! Thank you for the praise, it's nice to know that this is keeping everyone entertained.

 

 

FF. net

Hikari Raine: I hope you're still alive Yep, that's who she is. I did try to weave a few clues through the trilogy to point in that direction, but I tried to keep it a surprise. I'm glad my little OC has fans!

 

Clarity: Well, here's more Kaiba, but I admit he was sort of in the background while Jo's dad took care of things. Kaiba's due for more a bit more grief, that will actually be to his benefit, so you'll see more of him soon. Hey, look, Jo has all ten fingers! Magic is handy, handy stuff.

 

Doomed to Ekko: I hope your questions have been answered! Jo is, of course, the master of the Red Eyes Black Dragon, though right now, the Blue Eyes will also consider him master, or more accurately, their master's beloved, who had better be treated with absolute respect or else Master will be angry. Thanks for the review, I love your way with words!

 

HellsEternalFlame: Thanks! I love to hear when people enjoy my work. Now that you're here, you can join the chaos…