Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Unfufilled Vow ❯ The Funeral ( Chapter 3 )

The Funeral

As Kaiba helped Mokuba with his tie he wondered why the child had been so insistent on going. Every time he asked Mokuba would just become silent. For the past few nights since the discovery the child had been kept awake with nightmares but claimed not to remember them.

"There you go Kido."

"Thanks Oni-sama."

"Mokuba?"

"Yes?"

"I know you don't want to talk about it but why do you want to go to Jou's funeral? You didn't really know him that well."

"…"

"Mokuba, there's something you're not telling me."

"Promise you won't get mad that I didn't tell you or the police?" Seto had an uneasy feeling but assured his little brother it would be OK.

"Well you know when I wandered off and found Jounouchi?" Seto nodded. "I didn't exactly wander off I was fallowing someone." Seto became alarmed.

"Did you see who it was? What if that was Jou's killer? Why didn't you-"

"It was Jounouchi-kun." He said quitely.

"What? Mokuba, Jounouchi is dead. It couldn't have been him."

"But I'm sure it was him…at least that's what I thought."

"Mokuba just what did you see?"

"I think I saw his ghost."

* * *

The ride to the funeral hall had been a quiet one. Seto made Mokuba sware not to say anything about "Jou's ghost" espically in frount of his friends. The child understood and promised not to say another word. Although he wouldn't admit it he was worried about his brother's claim to see the ghost of the dead teen. As he walked with the child into the building he was very uncomfortable. He wasn't a friend or loved one rather the bully who got a laugh at making fun of the boy. It wasn't very funny anymore.

The room was full of people, some from school and some he did know at all. He noticed Mai off to the side her make-up a mess from her tears. She was talking to an older woman how look frightenly like Jounochi himself. Logic told him that this was most likely his mother but it looked as though she didn't want to be confronted by anyone else so he passed her without a second glance. It was fairly easy to spot Yugi in the crowd, his brightly colored hair stood out sharply against the see of black. Although he had been avoiding it he felt he needed to talk to the boy. He knew he really should have told him about Jou in person but he didn't want to see the look on his face. Mokuba seemed to be leading him towords the group of Jou's closes friends and so he fallowed.

* * *

Yugi was still very upset to say the least. He had lost his best friend and to him it felt like he a lost a part of himself the night he got `the call.' Then the news started covering the story with talk of rape and tourchered. The arrest of his father had started a lot of roomers around school about child abuse and that maybe his father went a bit to far this time. Yugi didn't think it was true though. He had gotten a call from the man on Tuesday demanding to know where his `sorry excuse for a son' was. His voice had been surred drinking again no doubt. -Jounochi complained about that a lot.- But thinking back he was assamed to realized that his best friend was showing signs of abuse at home. He would show up to school with bruses and blame them on a fall or a fight with another kid. Yugi knew he was lying but whenever he tried to ask Jou would become defencive not wanting to talk about it at all, so he left it alone. But the guilt was beginning to eat at him from the inside. -I should have done something about it or at least talked to him...now it's too late.- The boy stubbernly wiped his eye. He had cried enough already, with the support of his grandfather and Yami, he let out all of the pain and anguish shortly after the call. But it wasn't over, it wouldn't be until they found the bastard who did this to best friend who he loved like a brother. But he had to stay strong even if it wasn't showing on the outside.

His Grandfather had been strong while helping him but late one night he could hear the old man quietly weeping in his room. Yami was now out of shock. His initial reaction was almost indifferent as if his mind wasn't regeresting that Jounouchi was indeed gone and not comming back. The ride to the furneral had been quiet he notised that his other self seemed to be in a minor state of shock as the drove up to the Hall. It was only now it fully hit him head on that Jounouci was dead and that it was time to say good-bye.

Yugi had told Anzu and Honda over the phone after he was able to calm down enough to dial. They were with him now supporting each other. Ryo had come as well and was now letting Jounouchi's little sister cry on his shoulder. Bakura had politely refused to go but he did stay with Ryo in his soul room.

Honda had done his crying as well but was now left with a lot of unresolved anger. His buddy had been hurt and killed and he wasn't there for him. After the funeral he planed to take some time to himself and beat the hell out of something. He wanted to do something more constructive to help his fallen friend but there wasn't much else he could do. It was then he spotted Kaiba and his little brother entering the hall. Needing a focal point for his anger and Kaiba made a worthy target.

"What the hell is that creep doing here?" he wispered loudly to his friends so as to not upset the other morners. They all turned to see the Kaiba brothers signing in at the enterencs. "He's got some nerve coming here after the way he treated Jou!" He baled his fist up as he looked at the taller boy. "If he makes one dog comment I'm gonna-"

"STOP IT!" Anzu almost shouted causing Yugi to jump slightly. She grabbed Honda collar forcing him to her lever as she spoke. "This is Jounochi's funeral for God's sake! I will not let you start up a fight in here! I don't care what Kaiba says or what he used to do Jounochi deserves a proper and respectable funeral. We couldn't help him..." tears were now starting to leak from her eyes as he voice cracked. "We couldn't help him then so let's say our good byes in a way he'd be proud of. Do you think he'd want you to fight Kaiba here?"

Honda flinched, she was right, if nothing else Jou's funeral would a proper one. It was all they could do for him now.

*

While Kaiba couldn't here the conversastion he didn't miss the hateful glairs Honda was giving him as he advanced tword the group. He hoped the boy wouldn't try to start anything in the hall but he saw Anzu forcefully calm him down and figured it was safe.

"Yugi?" The boy in question looked up.

"Yes Kaiba?"

"Mokuba and I wish to offer our condolences on your lose."

"I'm sorry about what happened to Jounochi-kun guys." Added Mokuba. Honda was a bit surprised that Kaiba acually being polite to any one of them.

"Thanks guys, and I'm sorry you were the ones how had to find him…like that." Said Yugi quietly. Anzu nodded in response not trusting her voice not to crack. Honda wasn't as willing to accept Kaiba's speech just yet.

"I'll bet you are. You never gave him an once of respect all you did was humilate and harrass him!"

"Honda!" Anzu said trying to calm her friend down. "What did I just tell you?"

"No, he's right. But while I did find him anoying and stubon, I'm not going to sugercoat it but…he was loyal and a good friend to all of you. And even though I personaly disliked him he NEVER deserved this. If you want to have it out with me Honda please wait until after Jounochi's funeral. Now if you'll excuese me." He said starting to walk off but Yugi jumped up and went after him.

"Kaiba wait!" Yugi caught up with him and his brother. "I'm sorry about Honda back there, everyone's just dealing with this in their own way and he's anger is his way of greiving. Don't leave…please." Kaiba found that he couldn't resist the boy's pleads on a day like this.

"Fine, but don't expect a euagy about how great I thought he was."

"I don't expect anything from you Kaiba, but I would like to talk with you…in privet." While wanting nothing more than to leave this nightmare behind him he did feel the need to talk to Yugi. Silently he knodded and fallowed the boy to a sacluded corner of the building. There was silence for a few moments until Yugi finally broke the silence.

"I…wanted to thank you Kaiba."

"Thank me? For what?"

"For being the one to tell me about…About Jounochi-kun. I'm glad I didn't hear it on the news." Kaiba shrugged.

"I was just being civil."

"And I wanted to thank you for being honest." Kaiba turned his head at Yugi's words. "Ever since Jounochi died everyone has been so…just so fake. Their either being real nice to me or saying what a great guy Jounochi was. Don't get me wrong he was the best friend I ever had but it really make me mad when strangers pretend that they've know him for years. He had his faults and he wasn't the smartest person in the world but…" he paused for a moment to compose himself. "But I really miss him." He said in almost a whisper but his next thought was ment to be heard. "And I hope the monster who did this to him dies a painful death." Kaiba was a little surprised but the venomous tone in Yugi's voice but couldn't really blame him.

"So far they have no real leads but all the attention this case is getting the presure is on to find this guy as quick as posible." Yugi knodded but the thought of Jounochi's killer running free while they had to bury their friend just made him sick.

"Speaking of which, I've been hearing a lot of roumers and reports but a lot of them are conflicting." He looked up at the taller boy. "You found his body Kaiba, did he…was it a quick death. Kaiba turned away not wanted to look into those eyes but felt the need to tell him the truth and not what he wanted to hear.

"I'm no medical expert Yugi but…he was fully clothed but I could still see a lot of burses. The fingure on his left hand were bent back and his fingures on his right were torn off. There was also a dark ring around his neck. I hate to say this but I doubt he died right away. I'm sorry"

Catching a glimps of the boy he could see that he was badly shacken by learning the truth but refused to sink any further into depression. After a moment he spoke.

"Thank you for telling me the truth. After all the `be careful what you say around Yugi' stuff it's nice to hear a bit of reality."

* *

Seto closed the door of the bathroom stall. He didn't want anyone to see him like this, a wreck -Funny. - he thought to himself. -Seeing him in that coffin was accually worse then finding him on the ridge. - he took a few more deep breaths. Just as he was about to leave he heard the door open and two boys walk in.

"Man, everyone's taking it pretty hard out there."

"I know, I didn't know him that well but it's still hard to believe it really happen. Jou was murdered."

"Say, Just what did happen? The news wasn't giving us a lot of information and I've been hearing a few different stories."

"You know my Dad's working the case Right? Well, They know that Jou was abducted sometime on Sunday and they found his body a week after Monday."

"That much I know but not much else."

"He may have been abducted on Sunday but he didn't died until Thursday."

"Wait a minuit, that would mean he was alive for four day…"

"Being touchered, raped and god knows what else. There were burn marks, cuts, he was starved, the fingernails on his right hand were ripped out and the fingures on his left were bent back. The killer tried to strangle him on several ocasions."

"Dear Lord…four days of…that?"

"That's not all. The killer through him from the top of Widow's peak but it wasn't the fall that killed him. He blead to death waiting for someone to find him and save him."

"What kind of sick fuck would do something like that?"

"I don't know they still don't have any leads."

"But I heard that his dad is being held for the murder."

"The station is holding his Father but not for murder."

"What do you mean?"

"He couldn't have done it. The poor kid was tourchered and raped but the semen form the rape-kit didn't match the Father. Not only that but they found blood under his fingernails and once again no match."

"Then why is he still being held?"

"They fond evidenve of child abuse. Looks like it had been going on for years.

"Oh man, poor Jou, first his parents get devorsted, he dad treats him like shit and now this."

"I know, it's horrible, but please don't tell anyone else about this. My dad doesn't know I over heard him."

"Gotcha, besides his friends are hurting enough, espically Yugi. I'm getting worried about him." Their voices faded away as they left the privacy of the rest room.

Seto let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and slumped against the stall. -Oh Dear Lord…this just keeps getting worse and worse. - He put a hand to his head feeling another headach coming on. -I'm going to need a few more minutes. -

** *

Seto walked out of the rest room and spotted his brother talking with Yugi. He prayed Mokuba had remembered his warning not to tell anyone about `That Night' Yugi spotted the elder brother walking twords him and looked up.

"Kaiba, are you OK? You look a little pale." Silently he cursed to himself. He didn't like showing weakness infront of others. Then again given the situation he doubted anyone would blame him.

"I'm fine but Mokuba and I have to leave soon."

"I understand they'll be taking his body to the cemitary in a few minuites. You're…welcome to join us." He was about to decline when he glanced at Mokuba, eyes silently pleading with him to stay. He sighed, if this is what Mokuba needed to get over this than so be it.

"Alright…we'll stay."

"Thank you." Soon the crowd dispursed leaving for their cars to fallow the hurse. Seto was about the leave when he happened to glance out a passing window…and stopped dead in his tracks. There was Jou, eyes hidden by his blood stained hair, but the blackened ring around his neck was clearly visable. Pressing his hand against the glass pain he ran his right down leaving a trail of crimson from his nailless fingers.

"Kaiba!" He jumped at the sound of Yugi's voice breaking eye contact with the figure in the window. "You coming?" Quickly he turned back to see…Darkness there and nothing more. Shaking his head he turned to fallow the tricolored haired boy.

"Ya, I'm coming." -I've got to get some sleep, I'm starting to see things. - Or was he?

To be continued…

In: The Mirror

Next time: Kaiba doesn't believe in ghost but Jounouchi has something to say, and he isn't about to be ighnored.

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