Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Psyche ❯ Ruins ( Chapter 20 )

AN: Sorry this is late. I had finals to deal with. By the way, does anyone else feel guilt when you close a file and the little Microsoft Word avatar -I have the little dog. I evilly named him Jou.- has to go away, then when you realize that you forgot something, you have to reopen the file and you make him come back?

 

Psyche

Chapter 20: Ruins

~*~*~*

OCs

~*~*~*

Ahmose: (Egyptian for: The moon is born) Yami's son back in Egypt.

E'on: Jonouchi's Red Eyes Black Dragon.

Jame: Kaiba's obsessive-compulsively organized secretary who wants to be fired.

Kallon: The Dark Sage and one of the three rulers of the Shadow Realm, though he tries hard not to be.

Kisara: The only female Blue Eyes White Dragon. (Not really an OC)

Koori: (Japanese for: Ice) The largest male Blue Eyes White Dragon.

Ledowr: The Magician of Black Chaos, also one of the three rulers of the Shadow Realm, and is trying even harder not to be. He is also Yuai's husband.

Pepi: Yami's third wife back in Egypt.

Shimo: (Japanese for: Frost) The other male Blue Eyes White Dragon.

Yuai: Yugi's girlfriend, sort of..., one of three rulers of the Shadow Realm. Though she's been slacking lately. She is married to Ledowr.

 

~*~*~*

The Mansion

~*~*~*

“Ummmm….so can we stay at your place?” Mokuba looked over at Yugi, who nodded numbly back.

 

They had landed back in the mortal realm in a park just a few blocks from the Kaiba Mansion, so they had all raced quickly down the twilight streets hoping, futilely, that no one would notice a band of tunic and hose wearing twins, a blond clutching a grumpy flower pot, complete with a flower that was warbling “Day-O” merrily off key, two scantily clad Renaissance noble women, a small, wild haired boy wearing a scarlet cape that flapped dramatically behind him, a tall brunet clutching a huge stack of baggage, and a supposedly dead multi-billionaire taking a quick jog through the most affluent section of town.

 

Seth stood looking at what had once been a magnificent statue of one of his Blue Eyes, semi-shocked at the language his hikari was using. Seto had woken up and wandered into their soul corridor when they had arrived back in his home world. He hadn't showed any interest in taking control, which Seth wasn't entirely sure he was ready for yet -though after seeing some of the “wonders” of this modern age, he was more than ready to let him- but had sat down and merely watched through his eyes, occasionally making snippy comments when Seth nearly shrieked over such things as streetlights, automobiles, and the latest fashions. When they reached his home, Seto had taken one look and started raging.

 

The mansion was in ruins. Wisps of smoke still rose above shattered blackened beams that poked out of the foundation like blackened fingers pointing accusing fingers at the sky. The once magnificent fountain with the Blue Eyes statue in the center was shattered with one of the dragon's metal wings bent in pathetic twist against its side. A long line of yellow police tape was clumsily stretched across the gates and the heavy smell of burning trash hung in a shroud around the estate.

 

Jonouchi clutched his flower tighter and stepped behind Seth, looking uncertain. Seth, still listening to Seto curse and secretly thankful that his “innocent” hikari wasn't in HIS soulroom shocking all the gods, reached back and pulled the blond to his side. “Whatever happened is over, Jo. Whoever did this is probably far away by now.”

 

“Let me guess,” Bakura looked disgustedly through the gate at the ruins, “The other Yuai is also a closet pyro.”

 

“Not terribly imaginative.” Marik stood with his arms crossed over his chest and head tipped thoughtfully to one side, looking at what was left of the mansion with the air of a disappointed art critic. “It lacks statement. No flare.”

 

Mai, standing next to him, shook her head. “No it has statement. It clearly says, “I hate you. Die.” I think it's the execution that's off. It probably was one of those performance things.” She gestured to the ruins. “It probably had lots of flare while it was happening. We just missed the show.”

 

Honda, dropping their luggage, stretched, cracking the kinks out of his back. “I think we need to get the hell out of here.” He nodded to were an old, curious woman was peeking through her hedges at them from across the street.

 

“Anybody got a cell phone?” Anzu looked hopefully around.

 

Mai, Honda, Yugi, Ryou, Marik, and Malik pulled theirs out.

 

“Great! Is anybody's cell phone charged?”

 

The cell phones dispiritedly went away.

 

“Oh man. You guys carry your own things.” Honda took one small bag out of the stack and started down the street.

 

~*~*~*~*

The Game Shop

~*~*~*~*

The game shop looked as warm and comforting as he remembered it. He paused in the doorway of the shop, grinning as Grandpa's sleepy, happy voice called a hello to them from the upstairs apartment. All the time that he had been…away… that he had been away, he had imagined himself doing the things he had loved to do, being in the places he had loved to be, seeing his friends, having long conversations, being with Seto, eating. He had imagined coming into the game shop, calling a greeting and being met with smiles from Yugi and his grandpa.

 

“Hey Grandpa!” Yugi was already running up the stairs, “You aren't going to believe who we have with us!”

 

Jo, unable to get a wide happy grin off his face, set his Rainbow Flower down carefully on the counter and dropped his pack on the floor. A second later he was wrapped in Grandpa's arms.

 

“My boy, my boy…” The old man hugged him tight. “Give an old man a heart attack…”

 

Jo hugged him back, darting a glance at a suddenly tense Seth, and giving him a reassuring nod.

 

Grandpa pushed him back and held him at arms length. “Let me see you. Let me see you.” He got abruptly squished into another hug. “Thank all the gods, you're all right.”

 

Jo nodded and patted his back.

 

“Jo's going through a silent phase.” Yami nodded in greeting as he passed. “He'll have to tell you about it later.”

 

Grandpa let Jo go, and stood smiling at them all. “I see you're fine as well, Ryou.”

 

“Yeah… Fine.” The slender hikari stood panting next to his darkness, silently grumbling about abnormally fit yamis and how the heck did Yugi, who had even shorter legs then he did, manage to jog two and a half miles without breaking a sweat. He could understand Seto..err…Seth…whoever… managing it, and Jo, with his naturally athletic body. Marik was a freak, so he didn't count, and he was pleased to see Malik and Mokuba wheezing pathetically at his side. Yami, he could guess, used Shadow Magic to cheat. Okay, so maybe his yami did too. Anzu and Mai had dropped back after the first block and were strolling along somewhere behind them, with Honda keeping a careful watch over them. But how did that explain Yugi bouncing about like the Energizer Bunny on speed?

 

Grandpa nodded at Kaiba, “Good to see you too.”

 

“Shimon?” Seth finally managed to choke out. He hadn't expected this.

 

Grandpa looked doubtfully at him.

 

“Gramps, meet Seth. Seth meet Yugi's grandfather, Solomon.” Bakura waved casually as he passed by, then yelled as he jogged up the stairs. “I get the shower pharaoh. I called it three blocks ago.”

 

“Too late, Yugi got there first. But I've got his Banana Bonanza ice cream and his hot fudge.” The pharaoh's voice came back. “Revenge is indeed sweet.”

 

Jo grabbed his flower and raced up the stairs. The apartment was just as he had dreamed, warm, welcoming, with the faint smell of coffee. Yami and Bakura were already digging into a carton of ice cream, with a collection of bowls sitting on the counter next to them. The kitchen table, where he had dreamed of sitting with his friends and laughing, sat, worn and beautiful in the center of the floor, with a faded yellow tablecloth and a stray deck of playing cards on it. He bypassed a brewing argument about the ice cream, and dug out the coffee and coco.

 

Mokuba fell tiredly into a chair at the table, looking warily at the silent, if no less threatening argument, that had started in one corner of the kitchen. Bakura was growling silently and waving a ice cream scoop at Yami, who was snarling quietly back and threatening the thief with a large spoon.

 

Malik and Ryou sunk into chairs next to him, nodding tiredly. “Tea. I want real tea, that doesn't swirl in a cup all by itself.” Ryou sighed.

 

Malik moaned, “Food, real food…”

 

Seth, looking confused and slightly rumpled, slipped into the kitchen and went to stand next to Jo, muttering, “He hugged me. I can't believe he hugged me. He never used to hug me, so why start now?”

 

Because, he's Grandpa, and he's evil. You'll get to love him for that. Jo handed a cup of coffee and coco to Seth and shooed him to the table.

 

Seth took a sip, wrinkled his nose, and handed the cup back. “No coco, Jo. Seto says it's better without the coco.”

 

Jo turned around and looked into Seth's eyes. Seto? He gently touched Seth's face with a finger tip. Seto, you okay?

 

“He's in a mood.” Seth edged around him, and reached for another cup and the coffee pot. “He's been cursing non-stop since the mansion.”

 

Jo nodded, with a silent laugh. He really didn't have to dream that one, and for once he was glad that Seth was standing there and not Seto. His love would be in a incoherent rage, and selfish as it sounded, he didn't want his warm happy moment spoiled by his lover's ranting. Once Seth had gotten his coffee, Jo shooed him back to the table. Yami and Bakura had divided the banana ice cream to their satisfaction and he could hear the girls and Honda coming up the stairs with Grandpa. Upstairs, Yugi was calling down for someone to order takeout, and Mokuba, Ryou, and Malik were discussing the deck of playing cards and fingering them speculatively.

 

“Anybody call Jo's dad and sister yet?” Honda, who had somehow ended up carrying the girls' luggage upstairs, asked as he plopped into a seat next to Malik.

 

Jo grabbed the phone and handed it to him, tapping it pointedly.

 

“That would be a no.” Honda started dialing.

 

“Anybody order takeout?” Yugi wandered in toweling his hair dry.

 

Bakura leapt towards the door, elbowing Yami out of the way. “I called it pharaoh. Go back to your bananas.”

 

“I live here. I should…”

 

“I'm a guest. Treat me nice.”

 

“Fuck you, thief.”

 

“I called that first, pharaoh.” Malik grinned around a mouthful of sweetness. “Back before we had bodies.”

 

“Take him. Actually shower together and save water.” Yami shoved Bakura into him and made a dive for the door.

 

Bakura caught his foot and dragged him back. “Why don't you two fuck each other on the table while I shower. There are some things even I shouldn't witness.”

 

“Let go of my boot, thief.” Yami thrashed, kicking Bakura in the face and knocking him into Mokuba.

 

“Hey, you made me drop my spoon.” Mokuba elbowed his way toward the drawer. “If your going to do stuff in front of me that my big brother would object to, could you do it when Seth isn't here to tattle?”

 

Seth, idly listening to his hikari snarl and wondering what possessed Seto to call coffee a drink, much less a good one, shrugged. “You're how old? Thirteen? You should be looking for a wife. Actually, for a boy in your station, you should have been married long ago. I'll talk to Seto about it.” Fortunately, only Seth could hear Seto's yowl of protest.

 

Honda had one finger pressed to his ear and was yelling into the phone. “Yeah, Serenity. It was all some freaky, freak who kidnapped Seto and Jo. They're both back safe and… what's that? I can't…Are you crying… Serenity, don't cry…come on baby, it's all right…No I can't put Jo on the phone…he's…” Honda looked around desperately. “He's in the shower.”

 

“Stay away from the shower, Blondie.” Bakura clambered over Yami and raced up the stairs, cackling gleefully.

 

Grandpa, holding his cell phone, looked around, “Chinese food? Or Italian?”

 

“Pizza!” Yugi yelled from under the towel.

 

“Chinese.” Anzu and Mai chimed in together, settling next to Malik and getting dealt into whatever game they were playing.

 

“Chinese.” Malik raised his head from his hand of cards.

 

“I don't care as long as it doesn't move.” Ryou shivered, and slid two cards across the table.

 

Marik, snitching his hikari's dessert and stuffing the ice cream in his mouth, mumbled, “Chinese.”

 

Jo pointed to Yugi with a grin.

 

Yami, annoyed, growled, “Chinese.”

 

Mokuba, elbowing his way back to his seat, grunted, “Chinese.”

 

Seth, looking annoyed, smiled nastily. “Seto keeps yelling Chinese, so I'll say pizza.”

 

“Oooooh, you're gonna get it.” Mokuba grinned.

 

Honda still on the other phone, pointed toward the girls, then startled. “No, no baby. I'm here. Yeah, you and your dad should get over here right now.” Jo stood next to him with pressed his ear against the other side of the phone, listening to his sister's voice. “Jo really wants to see you.”

 

“Okay, Chinese food wins.” Grandpa started dialing, as a chorus of cheers and a few towel muffled boos filled the room.

 

“Okay, baby, we'll be waiting.” Honda grinned into the phone a second then clicked it off.

 

Jo looked at him reproachfully.

 

“Hey, she and your dad are on the way.” He grabbed Jo and hauled him back to the table by the neck. “You're such a goof. They had to get off the phone to get over here to see your sorry ass.”

 

Seth made a threatening sound as Jo and Honda started wrestling and started getting up.

 

Yami pushed him back into his chair. “Let them be. They're only playing.”

 

Seth looked mutinously at his pharaoh. “He' been hurt. He needs time to heal.”

 

Yami opened his mouth, thought a second, then shut it, and started again. “He needs to prove himself. To start testing his own strength. What better way then against someone he knows would never hurt him.”

 

Seth snorted, but settled back down.

 

Yami watched him a moment then turned away to pick an argument with Marik, whispering, “And who should know better then you and me?”

 

~*~*~*

Honda

~*~*~*

The shop was empty, except for him and Honda. Upstairs he could hear Mai and Bakura arguing over a hand of gin. Yugi, Ryou, Malik and Mokuba had abandoned the kitchen and the fainter sounds of video carnage could be heard in the background.

 

“…slapped Serenity and then you're dad…” Honda paused in the middle of his story. “Are you even listening to me?”

 

Jo nodded, then stood up as a car pulled up to the curb. Serenity was stumbling out of the car before it even came to a full stop, and was running towards the shop. Jo's dad, carelessly parked the car and was out and at his daughters heels before she even got the door open.

 

She stopped abruptly as she saw Jo coming towards her, then with a cry threw herself into his arms sobbing. Jo's dad came up and crushed both his children into a hug.

 

Honda smiled, happy for his friend, but felt a bit out of place as Serenity, Jo and their dad all stood clinging tightly to each other crying.

 

“Ssst.”

 

Honda looked around to find Anzu, Mokuba, and Yugi all perched on the stairs. They waved him over and pointed back up towards the apartment. Honda took one more quick look at the happy, tearful family, then followed the others back to the kitchen.

 

“We're going to have to come up with something to tell them.” Anzu glanced downstairs. “Seto and Jo suddenly reappearing…that's going to hit the news.”

 

Yugi nodded, “We can't tell them that Jo was saved by Yuai threatening the Magician of Black Chaos into bringing him into the Shadow Realm.”

 

“I wish Big Brother was better.” Mokuba looked longingly over at Seth. “He's great with dealing with these kinds of things. You know he actually got the police to believe that the Duel Dome at Kaiba land was damaged in a freak tidal wave after that whole Anubis thing. And all the damage from the city tournament, he got them to believe a group of radical environmentalist extremists from Save-The-Bottlehanger Beetle had sabotaged the games and caused it all.”

 

“What's a Bottlehanger Beetle?” Anzu frowned, puzzled.

 

“I don't know. Big Brother probably made it up. He's good at that.” Mokuba grinned fondly. “He's the greatest.”

 

Bakura looked up from his hand. “He's a psycho.” He nodded at Seth. “He is too, but at least he doesn't get prissy when people start talking about sex.” He looked back at his hand as Yami discarded a card, then shrugged, “You'd think Jonouchi would have gotten Kaiba over that by now.”

 

“Honda?” Serenity stood at the door looking unsure. “Why isn't Jo talking?”

 

“Oh, uhm.” Honda looked nervously around. “Well, yeah, about that…”

 

Seth, who was still trying to figure out the mystery of chopsticks, stood up and walked over. “Post-traumatic stress.” He nodded down to where they could hear Jo's dad talking. “Physically, he's fine. If he isn't talking in a couple of days, I'll send him to a therapist.”

 

Serenity looked worried. “Kaiba, are you sure? Isn't …”

 

Seth gently turned her around and gave her a nudge down the stairs. “Don't worry about that now. Just go be with him. He's missed you.”

 

Serenity nodded and went back downstairs.

 

“Post-traumatic stress. Pretty good.” Mai tossed her cards on the table as Yami called gin. “Kaiba told you to say that, didn't he?”

 

Seth nodded and rubbed his temple tiredly. “I need to rest. Seto's upset and I can't deal with him and …” he gestured to the chopsticks, the coffee, the chaos that was suddenly erupting between Yami and Bakura about where the gin came into the game of gin, and down to where the Jonouchis were having their reunion.

 

Yugi, ducking out from between two grumpy yamis, motioned for Seth to follow him out of the kitchen. “You can sleep in Mokuba's room with him and Jo. Ryou, Malik and I are in the room next door, so if you need anything, just knock.”

 

Seth trudged up the stairs behind him.

 

“Your priest doesn't look all that good.” Bakura eyed Seth's slightly slumped shoulders. “You should probably talk to him or some other feel-good thing your hikari gets you to do.”

 

Yami watched Seth a moment, then returned to collecting the cards from where Bakura had thrown them. “He tries too hard.” Yami shuffled the cards he held in his hands absently.

 

~*~*~*

Seth

~*~*~*

“He blew up my house!” Seto was still raging when Seth appeared in the hall between their soul rooms. “My house! What if Mokuba had been home? He could have been killed.”

 

Seth nodded and walked into his room, with Seto tagging at his heels. He bowed tiredly to the gods as he passed, but kept walking past them and up the stairs.

 

“What kind of explosive happy psycho is he?” Seto panted when they finally got to the small bedroom. “First he blows me up, now he's blown up my house.”

 

Seth collapsed on the bed, wearily watching his light rant.

 

“Not that I care about the house. Actually, he did me a favor. Gozaburo had it in his will that I couldn't tear the house down. I hated that house. It resembled a cheap funeral parlor…”

 

Seth just watched him. Apparently the destruction of his home had drastically improved his hikari's health. He still looked frail, and he wasn't so much storming around as pacing unsteadily, but considering just a few days ago all he would do was sleep, he was pleased. Now in possession of a migraine headache, but still pleased.

 

“Mokuba could have been there.” Seto paused to catch his breath. “What if Mokuba hadn't been with us in the Shadow Realm. He could have been killed.” Seto sunk down to the edge of the bed, and Seth scooted over to give him room. “I'll destroy him. I'll hunt him down and tear out his lungs. No…that's too good for him. I'll…” He paused again panting slightly.

 

“Ants, honey, desert sun. Any combination of those always worked well for me.” Seth watched as Seto struggled back to his feet. He considered pulling him down for an enforced nap, but, after watching Seto wobble unsteadily for a second just to thump back down to the bed, he decided against it. Better to let him get it out of his system.

 

“I lack a desert.” Seto glared over his shoulder at him. “But I've heard about the ants and honey. How much honey do you think it would take?”

 

Seth yawned, “Not much. Once the ants have the idea, they take over from there.” He tugged lightly and Seto collapsed down next to him.

 

“I'm not taking a nap.” Seto struggled back to sitting position. “I have to find that bastard and…”

 

“Bitch.”

 

“What are you babbling about?” Seto gave him a disgusted look. “It's a guy. I know. I saw him.”

 

“It's a girl, or it's a girl right now. It's using Yuai's cast off body.” Seth tugged again and Seto fell over again.

 

“It's using… That's impossible. You can't just trade bodies like…like cards.” Seto twisted around so he could glare at Seth.

 

“Either that, or Yuai just got one hell of a yami.” Seth watched as Seto's eyes narrowed.

 

“There're no such things. She probably has a split personality or something.” He nodded. “She had a very traumatic childhood. It wouldn't be unreasonable.”

 

“Of course, how could I even say such a thing.” Seth's lips twitched as he smothered a smile. “However, I should point out that you could claim the same thing. If I'm not a yami, then you, with your traumatic childhood, are also the happy victim of having a split personality. Isn't it nice. You can go to therapy with Jo.”

 

“I don't need therapy. I'm perfectly fine.” Seto huffed, twisting back around to face away from him. “I'm just hallucinating, due to lack of sleep and a lousy diet. I'm only a couple of meals and a good night's rest away from getting rid of you.”

 

There was a knock on the door of the real bedroom. Seth sighed and carefully got to his feet, leaving Seto stretched out on the bed, fuming and angry. It only took him a second to take control of the body and wake up. “Come in.”

 

Mokuba stuck his head in the door. “Seth, uh, is Seto listening?”

 

“What's wrong Mokuba?” Seth watched the child squirm.

 

“Well, Jo's dad just…” Mokuba winced and blurted it out. “Someone blew up Kaiba Corp towers. Two of them, here and in San Francisco. They also wiped out the main administrative building at Kaiba Land.”

 

Seth was surprised the people downstairs couldn't hear Seto's enraged roar. His delicate light was up and frothing at the mouth, making the insides of his head echo in increasingly painful waves of pure fury.

 

Seth carefully nodded to the boy. “Thank you Mokuba.”

 

“I'm going downstairs now.” He edged out the door. “You know, just in case…ummm…I'll be sleeping in Yugi's room tonight. Bye.”

 

Smart little brother. Seth winced as Seto howled in rage. Well, if blowing up the mansion made Seto a little better, he should be absolutely fine now.”

~*~*~*

Please take the time to feed the starving muses with your words of you excellent review!

 

dragonlady222: I kind of hope Jo wins his game too. Now if only Seto would play…

 

Velvetina: Oh, not much happened next, a couple of blown up buildings, quarrelling yamis and poor Seth having to deal with a irate Seto. Next up…the hunt

 

Sorceress Sarrkh: Well, a few more buildings are gone, and you'll still have to wait. I feel so evil… Thanks, I gave the flue to the best friend of the person who gave it to me. As Yami said, revenge is sweet.

 

princess sunnydale: Seth and his Mousetrap duel is still coming. Believe me, he's not forgetting that one. Thanks for the nice review.

 

dancing lil hobbit: Thanks! I just might try that, but I admit, I'd miss all of my reviewers, you guys are really the greatest!