Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Left Behind ❯ Completely Insane ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Insane \In*sane"\, a. [L. insanus. See In- not, and Sane.]

1. Exhibiting unsoundness or disorder of mind; not sane; mad;

deranged in mind; delirious; distracted. See Insanity,

~

…Chapter four, Completely Insane….

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Are you him then?"

Toki froze, blood running cold as her heart beat sped right back up to where it was before. She was afraid to turn around, mind racing about whoever was in the house being a burglar, murderer, or rapist that followed her home.

And yet, she was afraid to just stand there. Who knows, maybe he had a gun, or something worse.

"Did you hear me?"

Toki felt her hands begin to shake again, and she clenched them in tight fists to make them stop. Slowly, she turned around, knowing inside that what she would see would most definitely be some hairy, derranged middle aged man after anything valuable. That he would grab her as soon as she began to scream like the other man had. That she would see---

...nothing?

Toki jumped, knowing that she had heard a voice. Where had he gone? She knew he was here! Her idea of being safe was immediately flipped as she then spun around, looking for the person.

"Are you alright?" The voice asked again, seemingly coming from all around her so she couldn't place where his location was exactly.

"Where are you!?" She shouted.

"What a change..." He mused.

Toki growled. Even people that she can't see think she's weird!

"I know you're here!" She called out angirly, but slowly feeling more and more on the defensive.

"I am." He said, "In fact, I'm right behind you."

Toki looked, eyes met with those of a deep, velvety purple, and jumped back an inch. Impossible! This man must be a ghost! That's the only explanation! There isn't any way possible he would have been able to do that otherwise!

"W-w-who are you?" She stuttered, taking steps back from him.

His face was shadowed, but his profile showed him to be reasonably tall and well built. He took a step to her and she took one away, determined not to let him within two feet of her. He, however, was determined to get a closer look, and followed her.

"You were right about one thing," He cooed, "You ARE very strange. In fact, you're..."

He stopped, head perking up like a sleeping dog when it hears the word `walk'. Toki looked behind her, almost feeling like there was some sort of monster behind her. Like in the movies when the person is talking to another while something looking for blood was right behind them listening. But (luckily) she found none. Only the large window in her parent's room, clouds moving away from the moon enough to let a little light in.

"You're...a girl!" He exclaimed softly.

Toki couldn't help feeling insulted by his comment and asked softly, "You didn't realize that before? I would have thought my voice would give it away."

The man paused, and then chuckled, "Let's just say the pitch of my last host's voice wasn't far from yours."

"Host?" You whispered, "So you...you ARE a ghost?"

He took in a breath of air to speak, but was interrupted abruptly as the front door slammed shut and the lights turned on in the house. Mr. Nakagawa's walked carelessly into his bedroom and flicked the lamp on, only to see Toki there, standing by the window with the palest of complexions.

"Toki?" He asked, "What on earth are you doing?"

Toki blinked, assuming that he would address the male stranger first. Of all things, shouldn't he be more surprised there was someone he didn't know in the house?

"Dad I was just..." She turned.

The lights washed against the white walls and illuminated every corner in an orangeish glow. But where...?

"Toki-chan I wish--"

"He's gone..." Toki said softly, "I don't understand...how could..."

Her father cocked an eyebrow, "Who's gone?"

She ignored him and called out to the ghost that had spoken to her before, "HELLO?!"

Mr. Nakagawa grabbed her arm forcefully and yanked her to him, "Quiet, kid, it's late! You'll wake up the neighbors!"

"B-but, he was here!" She squeaked, "I know he was! I saw him!"

"Toki, I think it's time for bed." He said with a sigh, pushing her out. "You've had a long day, I'm sure, you need rest."

Toki couldn't reply right away, finding too much truth in his statement. And he hadn't even heard the real story yet...

"But Dad! I know he was--"

"Good night Toki, I hope you feel better in the morning!" He called, shutting the door once she was outside. Toki heard him then start dialing numbers on his cell phone, and though she heard him speaking, she couldn't tell who was on the other line. But things like that happened frequently lately, and Toki had almost grown immune to the suspiciousness.

Toki shut her mouth and closed her eyes, trying to calm down. So she heard, no, TALKED TO some guy who wasn't even there.

...not exactly a good sign.

"What's wrong with me?" Toki whimpered quietly, trudging off to her bedroom, "First I'm weird, now I'm a loony bin."

Slowly Toki began to unbutton her shirt, and noticed something underneath that wasn't there before. A flash of gold caught her eye as she ran her fingers down to it.

"No...way." She mumbled, gripping the golden puzzle around her neck, "It was gone...it should be gone. Why is it here?"

Another quick flash was the reply as the lamp light licked the golden reflection, and Toki only glared down at it for a while. Then she took a deep breath, put on her PJs, and before turning out the light muttered:

"This is insane."

*-*-*-*-*-*

The next day didn't hold up to Toki's hopes. Tutomu sensed her mood and didn't talk to her much during the day (not that he had a chance to) and she sat alone at lunch. She did her schoolwork in silence, and walked home alone because Tutomu had to stay after school for some activity Toki didn't bother to remember.

In conclusion, the day was dull and depressing.

The only highlight of the day was talking to her penpal online. They had been talking for almost a year now, but he had recently sent her a link to download an AIM program that would allow them to talk in real time. They spent most of the afternoon (or night, in his case) discussing random things. Only, much to Toki's displeasure, most of these things focused around what happened the night before.

N3v3rKn0: So u mean ur crazy?

ToKiGaWa: I don't know yet

ToKiGaWa: But I'm positive I saw him there

N3v3rKn0: Thats weird

ToKiGaWa: Yes

N3v3rKn0: Could u hear him breathing?

N3v3rKn0: That would mean he isn't a ghost

ToKiGaWa: I couldn't hear, I was too busy listening to my heart beating in my ear

N3v3rKn0: If you see him again, you should listen

ToKiGaWa: I guess, but I'm sort of hoping I won't be seeing him again

N3v3rKn0: I guess....

N3v3rKn0: Are you sure it's a guy?

ToKiGaWa: Yes, I'm sure. But he thought I was a guy too

N3v3rKn0: Really?

N3v3rKn0: What do you have short hair and a man voice or something?

ToKiGaWa: NO!

N3v3rKn0: ??

ToKiGaWa: He said his host had a high girl voice or something weird like that

N3v3rKn0: He did?

N3v3rKn0: Then he is a ghost. Plain and simple.

ToKiGaWa: Listen, I have to go now, homework and all.

N3v3rKn0: Sure, TTYL!

ToKiGaWa: What?

N3v3rKn0: TTYL= Talk To You Later

ToKiGaWa: Oh, ok

ToKiGaWa: ttyl then!

N3v3rKn0: Bye

Toki sighed and leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. In truth, her homework was finished an hour ago, but talking about her mental issues was tiresome, and she welcomed any change in attention.

"I have to get this ghost thing off my mind, its driving me nuts..."

Suddenly, she got an idea. With a deep calming breath, she got up and made her way to her parents bedroom. She turned the lights off, and even though it wasn't quite dark yet, it was dark enough to give her the same atmosphere. She walked into the room in the exact way she had last night (or as close to it as she could) and waited.

Nothing.

It wasn't that she actually expected this to work, but she thought she'd give it a try nonetheless. Her heart stopped pounding again, part of her regret about what she might do, and she prepared herself for something more drastic.

"I'm never going to get my mind off of this until I prove to myself that it isn't real..." She mumbled to herself, fingering the puzzle absentmindedly. "Or if...it really was..."

The room was eerily still, like it was focusing only on the girl and listening intently for her future plan of action. Toki gulped, like it was certain something would happen to her if she attempted it. And somewhere in her heart, she did believe it.

"I know you're here." She said, the words coming out far more timidly than she had hoped.

No reply. She tried again.

"You might as well come out now." She called out, a little louder this time.

Still nothing. Toki began to feel frustrated more than relieved, and before she knew it, she shouted out loud:

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HIDING I KNOW YOU'RE HERE!"

Toki froze, and blushed. Maybe she was just being silly...She turned to leave with a huff, but then-

"There's no need to yell like that, I'm right here."

Toki spun around at top speeds for sight of her ghost. Her hand flung out to touch him, if he truly existed, seeing still nothing but his mere shadow. But when her hand reached where he stood, she encountered a new sensation. It was like burning heat and freezing cold all attacking her hand at once, and though her hand could pass though it, the air was...thick. Not at all like she expected, almost like...air soup, if that made any sense, or maybe what space would feel like if she was able to stick her hand out that far. She gasped out in fear at the new feeling, but the ghost seemed only mildly fazed.

"What are you?" She whispered with volume that seemed only loud enough for dogs to hear.

Suddenly he did something she didn't expect. He outstretched his own hand, and brushed a long bang out of her eyes gently. Toki felt the same awkward sensation once more, flinched and shut her eyes tightly when he started to run a finger down her cheek.

"Stop shaking." He ordered, "If you calm, it'll all come to pass."

Toki opened her eyes again and stared at him. He was more then a shadow now, his features seeming to glow more then the night before and enough so that she could see most of his body. He smiled warmly, and she instantly felt a strange wave of comfort overcome her.

"See?" He touched her bare arms this time, but the feeling was much softer then it had been, and almost soothing, "You'll get used to it in time."

Toki shuddered. His hands, his touches, they all felt so...real. But when she had touched him before, it was like he was nothing. His glow became more intense, and Toki could see him completely now. His eyes were gentle, yet stern. His whole disposition held a position of pride and determination, but his actions were so careful. Almost tender. He was quite handsome in her eyes, didn't look like any person she had seen before. And yet...

He was so strangely familiar.

"Why do I feel like I know you?" She asked him quietly, as if afraid the simplest question would offend him.

He smiled again. The smallest, faintest smile she had seen, but it was most definitely there.

"It is because, my Toki," He began deeply, "However far it may be, you are my descendant. My reincarnation."

He paused, as if searching for the right words, and glanced back down at the puzzle still hanging from her neck.

"In essence," He said, "You are...the future me."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Hisako, Tutomu-san! Please step out for your testing!"

Tutomu felt his body tense up, but he hid it well and stepped foreword, out of the straight line he and his classmates stood in. He tugged apprehensively at his uniform, and bowed to the three judges sitting at the table in front of him along with his instructor. A reluctant glance was cast to his side, where his younger brother grinned and nodded at him.

Tutomu scowled in response.

It wasn't that he hated his brother, it was that he hated his brother for being HIM. His brother was years younger than he was, and somehow, he showed more natural talent then Tutomu had when he first started. He was able to wiz past the levels with ease right up to a place Tutomu had worked hard for three years to earn.

And now, his brother had scored a high enough score to get even higher then that.

If Tutomu didn't do better (or even as well) as his brother had, then he was going to have to face the humiliation of his brother showing him up.

And for that, he hated it.

The weeks before testing always put him in a bad mood, for this very reason. He wished that his brother would just give up and let Tutomu keep his title as the martial artist in the family.

But he wouldn't.

And neither would Tutomu.

And so the same thing happened year after year.

"Tutomu-san." His instructor called, grabbing the attention of the teen before it was too far gone.

"Yes?" He replied, tightening his fists.

"Please begin your kata."

Tutomu nodded, and took his position. They had been working on this routine for months now, and he knew it almost as well as the back of his hand. He started off with a bang, punches, kicks and sweeps flowing perfectly. But as soon as Tutomu let himself relax, things worsened. His footing got off, and his attacks weren't as strong.

"Tutomu..." He heard his brother whisper.

He shut his eyes, picturing the exact look on his brother's face and trying to shake it free and concentrate. But it wouldn't leave him, and before Tutomu knew it, he had completely blown the routine. Humiliated would have been a huge understatement.

"Thank you, Tutomu-san." His instructor spoke, disappointment painfully obvious in his face, "You can step back in line now."

Tutomu cursed a million times in his head and stepped back. His brother shed him a sympathetic glance, and he glared back.

He was not in the mood.

When the testing was finally over with, he decided to walk back home. His parents had driven them there, so they could watch, and if he wanted to be driven back he'd need to be in the car with them. And he didn't feel much like facing them. He walked back slowly, angry thoughts swirling around in his head as he spat bitterly on the ground.

"Damn, how the heck could I screw it up?" He muttered, kicking a rock to the side, "I had it perfectly the other day, why couldn't I do it today? The day when it really mattered!?"

He looked up at the sky, bright and blue. Sun shining cheerily on the warm green grass while a cool breeze ruffled his hair. He scoffed and looked back down at his feet.

It seemed the weather was on his brother's side too.

"Yo! Tutomu!"

He turned, Keiji was chasing after him. He waved half-heartedly at him, but continued walking.

`How is it he always seems to find me?' Tutomu thought bitterly to himself.

"Hey!" Keiji said, walking next to him, "You never told me why you had to leave the other day just when things were getting good."

Tutomu thought for a moment, confused on what he was talking about, and then sighed, "Oh, the bar gig?"

Keiji nodded, "Yeah, what was with you dude?"

Tutomu shrugged, "A friend of mine got in some trouble with the police, I had to help her out."

Keiji's brows raised, "HER? Wow Tutomu, didn't think of you much of the `wild woman' type..."

Tutomu chuckled a little, "Nah, its just Toki. She got blamed for murdering some people and she needed my help and stuff."

Keiji let the silence hang in the air for a while before saying, "And you say all of this like its no big deal...?"

Another shrug from the down hearted teen, and he kept walking, "I thought I told you before I left. Oh well."

Suddenly, Keiji laid a hand on his shoulder and said quietly, "Hey, are there people following me?"

He looked over his shoulder and cocked his head. There were three people following them. This was strange, because they were all clumped in a group, and there was no one else anywhere on the street. Two guys, and one girl. All of them similar in looks, making Tutomu assume they were siblings. But he got a strange feeling from them.

`Sort of like the three that were at Toki's place yesterday.'

"Yeah," He said quietly, "Two boys and a girl, they look almost our age."

Keiji glanced quickly, as if to make sure, and murmured, "They've been following me almost everywhere for a week now, and I don't know why. The chick's not even hot."

Tutomu looked again, unable to see how Keiji could dub the girl hot or not because of the trench coat and glasses she was wearing. She was the only one wearing that sort of thing in the three though, so Tutomu didn't' think too much of it.

"I'm sure it's nothing." Tutomu said.

Keiji looked at him, "Somehow, I don't believe you."

Tutomu looked once more, but Keiji elbowed him hard in the ribs and hissed, "Stop staring! I don't know if they realize I notice them yet."

"Why are you so paranoid all of a sudden?" Tutomu said, getting a little ticked off again at the whole day, "Do you have something to hide?"

Keiji didn't answer right away, as Tutomu expected he would, and just stared off at a nearby store for a long time before mouthing, "I'll tell you later."

"Alright?" Tutomu said rolling his eyes and saying casually, "My house is down this way, guess I'll see you later Keiji."

Keiji's face fell and he pouted in a scarily feminine way, "You're leaving me?"

"Bye Keiji!" He shouted, jogging over to where he needed to be without looking back.

"FINE!" Keiji shouted, loosing all sense of secretism, "SEE IF I CARE! LEAVE ME ALONE TO DIE!"

Tutomu shouted something Keiji couldn't make out, and as an afterthought, he added, "IF I DIE I'M BLAMING IT ON YOU! YOU HEAR ME!? I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU LET ME DIE HISAKO!"

It wasn't until a few seconds later he realized the error in his threat, but he didn't care. It would loose all of its effect if he corrected himself out loud.

"KEIJI!" A girl's voice shouted.

For a moment, his heart leapt. Thinking of a girl calling out his name made him turn grinning. Only then, his grin was broken as his own cousin's eyes met with his.

"Kimi?" He said, hiding his disappointment quite well, "What are you doing here?"

She stopped in front of him and plastered her hands to her knees in order to keep standing, panting like crazy as she held up a finger to signal him to "wait".

"Aunt Yanaka..." She took a gasp of breath, "Wants you home...right now...to discuss something...she wouldn't tell me....what it was..."

He glanced back to check for the three stalkers, but they had already vanished. He sighed, (half in relief and half in disappointment for having to come home) and followed the still panting little cousin back home. At a slow pace mind you, because he didn't want to have Kimi hyperventilate in the middle of the street.

When they got into the house, Kimi walked ahead of him into the living room saying loudly, "I found Keiji, he's here now."

Keiji sauntered in, slinging his jacket onto the floor and dropping his bookbag next to it like any normal day after school. He had no idea of knowing almost his entire family tree was sitting inside waiting for him, and clicking their tongues at his "messy" behavior. He nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of them, all gazing back with disapproving eyes, and fixed his posture immediately.

Being the son of corporate genius' escalate expectations of you.

"Please take a seat, Keiji." His father bid, out stretching a hand gracefully to the chair next to him.

The burning eyes of his relatives never cooled as he walked respectfully to his seat, trying to raise their confidence in him once more. His plan worked to some extent, and most aunts and uncles were once again pleased.

"Where have you been?" His mother asked, almost mock sternly.

She was a gentle woman, but strict. Like his father, and most of his family. All of them were dignified, though not necessarily snobbish, and everyone had high expectations of everyone else. And this year, because Keiji was turning eighteen, their critic eyes had been turned on him.

Keiji sat up straight, "I was enjoying the weather. Been so long since things had been cool."

Apparently, he had a good answer, and even more of them relaxed their eyes.

"Very well..." His father said, looking to his mother for help with the next statement, and getting nothing; "Keiji, your mother and I have something to tell you."

Keiji nodded for them to go on, and then it was his mother's turn.

"You see Keiji, you know that when you turn eighteen, certain things are going to be...expected of you."

`You mean more then now?' He thought cynically.

"I know that." He answered out loud.

His father cleared his throat, "As you may or may not know, my business isn't doing as well as it was before Kaiba Corporation moved into the district."

"I know that...?" Keiji said, curious as to where this was going to.

Another nervous glance between Mr. and Mrs. Yanaka, and his father continued.

"Its getting very difficult for us now, and by the time you're at age to take over, it might be gone completely. And so your mother and I had a chat with the Narita's, the owners of Kaiba Corp., and they had...a funny idea on how our companies could merge."

"Keiji..." His mother cooed, "They have a daughter, almost your age, going to your school in fact. And we thought that if you were to...get to know her..."

Suddenly, it hit Keiji like a pile of bricks, "You aren't really thinking what I think you're thinking are you?"

"Look," His father said, getting annoyed, "I'm not saying you HAD to marry her, it was just a..."

"MARRY her?" Keiji said, jumping to his feet, "Well I was WAY off then, have you looked at a calendar lately, Dad? Betrothal is behind our times!"

"Keiji please..." Mrs. Yanaka said, touching her son's shoulder, "It was only an idea, but if you could at least try starting a relationship with her I'm sure it couldn't---"

"THERE IS NO WAY!" He shouted, "You can't just pick and choose my future for me! I can't believe this!"

"Settle yourself boy." His grandfather grunted, "This is for the good of the family. In a good five years we'll be completely broke unless you at least try."

"Besides," His third aunt's second cousin, or something equally ridiculous and far related, added, "You knew all of the Yanaka's were to be married by the age of eighteen, might as well marry a girl with power. It's tradition after all, didn't your parents tell you?"

Keiji glared at the two behind him and growled through clenched teeth, "No, they didn't. It must have slipped their minds."

"Keiji..." Mrs. Yanaka said, raising to her feet to comfort the teenaged boy, "You have to at least consider it. It may be old fashioned, but our family takes pride in doing traditions that most families carelessly left behind over the ages. Can't you see that? Don't you care?"

Keiji was speechless. He just stood froze in place for a long while before throwing his arms in the air in frustration and retreating to his bedroom. (Making sure to close the door with a slam and lock it so they couldn't come in after him). He then seized his baseball bat from the closet and began furiously attacking the bed.

A strange, but highly efficient stress reliever he had found.

After his arms had grown tired he threw himself on the bed and stared at the ceiling. It was his plotting stance.

"How the heck are you going to get yourself out of this one, Keiji?"

His eyes wandered to the bulletin board on his wall, covered in random pictures of him and his numerous girlfriends. He sighed, and flopped over.

"And now it'll all be over." He groaned, "I'm be forced to live another hundred years with only one girl, how cheap. I'm not even twenty yet and I'm already being tied down!"

`This isn't fair.' He thought, `And that other girl I'm supposed to be hitching up with is probably getting the exact same rude awakening and feeling the exact same way I am about this whole thing and neither of us can--'

Suddenly, Keiji blinked. The girl...maybe, just maybe...

He had figured a way out of this! It was perfect! Fool proof! All he had to do, was find the girl before her parents broke the news to her. An evil grin spread across the lips of Keiji Yanaka. Yes...and then he could show her what a repulsive, idiotic, barbaric womanizer he was and she'd never want to get married to him! She'd end up fighting his battle for him, and she wouldn't even notice!

...of course, he wasn't really any of those things. But that was an easy thing to fix. His grin widened. Oooh it was clever. It was sneaky. It was pure genuis in the making! Who else could come up with something so cunning? No one, that's who.

"Oh yes," He said, smirking, "Keiji Yanaka wins again."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Retaw- ^_^ End of chapter four. I was going to make it longer, but this just seemed...ending worthy. I don't know if I have any notes to add to the end of this, except I'm only mildy happy with this chapter. Try as I may, I just can't seem to make the Toki/Yami conversations exciting enough or as interesting as the rest. But I guess I have to get over it, and hopefully someone will point out my crutial error in this.

Oh! And I'd just I like to send digital cookies to my reviewers! They're hot (err...sort of) off the e-mail, and waiting for you. Chocolate chip and sugar cookies, come and get `em. ^-^ YAY! I feel welcomed into AU fanfictioning!

...I'll send another cookie to anyone else who'd like to review. It's a big confidence booster, and I really want to know what you think. It makes me write faster. Heck if you hate it, I want to know! TELL ME! I need to get better SOMEHOW!

Course I love praising reviews too. ^^ See, if you send a healthy balance of both, it's the best. Happy reviews make me write fast, constructive criticism reviews make me write better. Now it's all up to you! *points at you* YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

And I know people are reading...please. ;_; just review.

^^;> Ok, now I'm just getting plain annoying. Thanks for bothering to read anyway folks! I'll try and update post haste! Ja ne!