Co-authored by Ko and MemoriesOfErika (on deviantart... can't recall her name on here). We take turns writing each part, so don't be alarmed if the writing style shifts often. Also, because we each have little time to work on this, updates will undoubtedly take quite a while. Please excuse us for taking so long between chapters in the future.
Thank you, and enjoy.
Disclaimer:
Yu-Gi-Oh copyright Kazuki Takahashi
Fate/Stay Night copyright Type-Moon
[Daybreak]
{Prologue}
Long ago, when mankind was still young, the ancient powers sought to grant the growing race the great force of 'magic.' At that time, when all heroes and legends first came into being, when the forces of good and evil began their long and bloody battle over the fate of the earth, it was wrought. It was brought into existence. It was filled with its great power and potential for either side…
Yes, far, far back when its unending string of tales was first spun…The Holy Grail.
A power sought by hero and villain and god and simple, mortal man alike.
But only the deserving could use its powers. Every hundred years, 7 mages and 7 heroes were chosen to compete for this great gift. A fight, often to the death, to see if evil or good would triumph. The reward was but a single wish.
That time would arrive yet again…
A lot less long ago, however, when many of old heroes and great magicians had already been established in history's hall of fame, the world turned to the age of chivalry. In that time, there lived a young knight. In spite of his age, his power was great and as the tales would tell, by his nineteenth year, he had vanquished a thousand shadows. Strong evils had learned his name and feared his blade.
The wealthy lord he served under was well pleased that his knight had come back from each mission alive and well, and grew to trust him, even to treat him like a son, second to his own first born. The lord's son and his knight also became close friends and acted even as brothers…
One terrible day, however, it all came to an end…along with his life.
(Atemu)
I seem to have been here time out of mind in this dark realm of despairing souls, and yet not as long as those who have come before me. As they, I am here for a single reason. My spirit will not rest. I will not rest. I cannot, knowing that I failed, on that day. I broke my promise.
They told me, when I came into this world, this existence between the land of the living and realm of the dead, that I was being given a chance to find life again, to undo what plagued my soul. I know that it cannot be reversed…history will not be undone.
And yet…if I succeed, perhaps it will be enough to redeem me.
Knowing this, I will wait for the day that I, too, may join the war and atone for my failure.
I feel it will be soon, now...very soon...
In modern times, a young, somewhat odd high-school student was headed to class, mostly oblivious to what the day, and fate, had in store for him.
The vertically-challenged junior carefully picked his way through the crowded halls, wary of being jostled by the more unsavory sorts as he headed toward the southern wing of Domino High for Glass Art. He'd avoided Ushio and his gang already for most of the day, and was thankful that school was drawing to a close.
Sighing, he descended the short flight of stairs leading into a small, covered courtyard and entered the classroom, seating himself at one of the large tables that filled much of the room. After settling in at his preferred spot near the beading work table at the head of the room, he wandered over to his teacher's desk with a warm smile.
"Hello, Ms. Ed. How are you, today?"
The young woman turned toward him, swiveling her chair with her feet. She was a slim, genial woman, only slightly taller than he was, and was one of his favorite teachers in the school. Though she was above favoritism in her class, it seemed that she had nothing against befriending the majority of her students, and allowed them to stop in and have lunch in her classroom whenever she didn't have a staff meeting. Yuugi was eternally grateful for this, as it was much harder for anyone who might have it out for him to catch him alone.
"Hello, Yuugi," she smiled, "I'm fine, thanks. Did you have a good fifth period?"
The small boy nodded, leaning up against the counter so that he could continue the conversation without disrupting traffic as his classmates trickled in through the open door. "It was alright. Mr. Webster had us read The Crucible while he put on 'Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog' and graded papers. I overheard him mutter something about 'nosy substitutes,' though... I wonder if he's doing alright..."
His teacher smiled at the mention of the song, but frowned at the implications of what Yuugi had overheard. At least she knew that John was being careful around his students. "I'm afraid he's having a little trouble getting the lessons across with one of the substitutes, that's all. He's worried that they might not follow his lesson plan the way he wants them to because of misinterpretation of his instructions. It'd be horrible if you guys missed the information because of something silly like that, don't you think?"
Yuugi nodded slowly, wondering if there was more than Ms. Edington was letting on, but promptly dropped the subject as the final bell rang, drowning out the buzz of chattering students who had taken their seats. He grinned sheepishly at her as she sighed, commiserating a little that she had to get through one more group of eager and unruly students, and took his place at the table, sending his teacher encouraging thoughts as she rose to address the class. He listened thoughtfully as she got everybody on track, frowning a bit at the mention of midterm critiques. It wasn't that he was behind, as they still had a week yet before the deadline, but he wasn't too eager to stand at the head of the class and explain the construction process as his peers gathered around to make comments. Not that they were mean, of course, but he wasn't comfortable being the center of attention all the same.
He was startled from his thoughts as everyone else rose from their seats, scraping the stools as they made their way to their respective cubby holes to retrieve their projects. Yuugi waited a few minutes until traffic died down to get his own work, as he was less likely to be bumped into accidentally and drop it. The classroom was rather cramped when filled with a good thirty students, so one mislaid backpack or wrong turn often proved fatal.
Reaching into the cubby, he pulled out part of a small curved form of bluish-black glass that had been soldered together, triangle by triangle, until it began to resemble a cone. This was followed by more triangles of glass, a roll of metal filament, and a medium-sized disk of the same black glass. He carefully set these on his work station before returning to retrieve a handful of smaller glass triangles, as well as the mother pane. He then settled down to begin working; lovingly piecing together the rest of the cone and topping it off with soldered filament so that the sharp points wouldn't hurt anyone. He did the same to the rounded bottom, doing so one half at a time so that none of the solder would get on the table.
Once finished, he rose and headed over to the scrap materials box, rooting through it in search of the small square of marbled gray glass he'd spotted last week. After a few minutes of picking through the remnants, he found it towards the bottom next to a stick of grayish-white that was normally used for beading. He gingerly extracted them both, then returned to his table. He scooted his stool back a few inches and knelt down to retrieve a pair of thick work gloves and an exacto knife from his locker, then set to work; painstakingly carving out a set of small gray rectangles that tapered in at the sides and gently tapping the pieces so they would snap off of the mother pane. These he soldered to the bottom of the cone, creating a gray ring around the opening that overlapped the black glass slightly, giving the effect of a band around the base of a hat.
With that done, he glanced up at the large clock and grumbled when he noted that there were only a few minutes left of class. He had really wanted to at least finish the feather today, and as such, decided to ask his teacher for permission to stay after school for a while to do so. After placing the exacto knife back in his locker for safekeeping, as people were known to borrow tools from each other and forget to return them, he straightened up and approached Ms. Edington's desk.
Sensing his presence, she turned from her computer and smiled at him. "Do you need help with something?"
Yuugi shook his head, crossing his arms behind his back nervously. "Actually, I was wondering if I could stay for a little while after class to finish something. Beading is generally a lot easier without having to worry about someone bumping into you from behind..."
She laughed in agreement, then nodded. "I don't see why not. I wanted to speak with Katrie for a bit, though, so I'll be next door if you need me for anything. I trust you not to burn yourself."
The boy nodded, giving his thanks. "I'll be careful."
The bell rang, signaling the end of the period. Yuugi stepped to the side, allowing his classmates to pour through the door until the classroom emptied. He stride across the tiled floor and gathered his gloves and the white-gray glass, then placed them near one of the burners before finding the other needed supplies. As he donned his gloves and lit the burner, Ms. Edington pat his shoulder warmly and exit the room.
Resuming his work, Yuugi carefully heat the glass stick, curling it around a metal rod until it formed a small molten ball on the end. He then used the rest of the stick to gently pull the molten glass so it formed little strands, giving each one a moment to cool so that they maintained their shape. Once he was satisfied, he moved the rod to a small stand that allowed it to cool without resting on anything that would bend its shape, then smiled faintly at his creation. Turning his eyes from the tiny feather, he reached for the knob on the burner to turn it off. Before he did, however, something strange caught his attention, and his gaze focused on his reflection in one of the glass cases that lined the walls.
There was someone standing behind him.
The only warning Yuugi received was a ridiculously high-pitched squeal before a yellow and pink object flung itself at him and latched on.
"Oh, Yuugi! I thought we'd lost you! I haven't seen you for a full hour!"
Rebecca carefully checked over 'her darling Yuu,' as she sometimes called him.
"He's all right!" She called back cheerfully to a small group of girls behind her.
"Uwwaagh!" the small boy cried, narrowly avoiding the still-lit burner. "R-Rebecca! Be careful! You nearly pushed us both into the fire!"
He scowled up at the blond, whipping out his 'chiding finger.' "You really shouldn't go around tackling people like that... Someone could get hurt!" Namely, me.
There was a quiet sniffle, and Yuugi sighed, taking in her subdued expression. He really hadn't meant to hurt her feelings...
Tucking his fingers under her chin, he lifted her head until their eyes met. Smiling apologetically, he placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
"It's okay... I'm not really mad at you or anything. I was just surprised, that's all."
Rebecca's baby blues teared up and her lip wobbled with guilt when Yuugi chided her, but she broke into a grin just as quickly when Yuugi squeezed her shoulder and explained that he wasn't really angry.
"I'm sorry, Yuugi-dear. I'll be much more careful next time." She hugged him a second time, but very, very carefully.
Mai chuckled from behind Rebecca. "Hey, Yuugi. Sorry about that...you know Rebecca." Anzu was behind her, and at the back of the female procession was the shyer, quieter Shizuka, who smiled and waved at Yuugi.
Yuugi returned the gesture, pulling away from Rebecca's embrace and turning to address his friends and 'self-proclaimed fanclub/bodyguard unit.' "Hi, guys! What brings you to this side of the campus? Well, other than Shizuka, I mean."
He gave the shy brunette a lopsided grin. Shizuka's sixth period painting class was just next door with Mr. Gould, so they would often accompany each other to the front of the school and talk until her brother's friend Hiroto came to pick her up on his motorcycle. Seniors had the option of taking only five classes, assuming they were caught up on everything, so Jounouchi and Hiroto went home an hour before them; allowing them to drop off their backpacks and change before they had to pick up Shizuka. Thus, considering it hadn't taken him very long to make his feather, he wasn't all that surprised to find her standing in the doorway.
Mai rolled her eyes.
"Anzu accidentally left her backpack two rooms over, which still has one of my books in it from studying together yesterday."
Anzu nodded, with a sheepish smile, still holding the pink and blue bag in question.
"And…well, you know Rebecca."
"I see... Well, thanks for stopping in to check on me." Yuugi stated, reaching up to tousle Rebecca's hair before turning back to the rest of the group. "I'm just about done here, so give me a minute to put everything away and I'll join you at the usual spot, okay?"
Shizuka hesitantly stepped forward, recalling what little Yuugi had mentioned regarding how often he was bullied. "U-um... We can wait here for you if you'd like. Do you need help with anything?"
Anzu and Mai shared a knowing smirk, formulating a plan between them to get the two alone. With a nudge, Anzu spoke up.
"Hey, 'becca! Didn't you mention something about needing to pick up a copy of Night from the library before we go? You're already behind in the reading as it is, aren't you? If you forget, I'm sure Ms. Nichols won't be too happy about it..."
The bespectacled blond scowled at Yuugi for messing up her hair, but blinked at Anzu's words. "Ah! I totally forgot! I'd better hurry before they close!"
With that, she squeezed past her friends and raced off in the direction of the school library; her footfalls echoing throughout the halls. Mai shrugged, chuckling a bit at her friend's behavior, and strode off after her, leaving Anzu to catch up.
"We'd better go make sure she doesn't trip or anything. See you at the pick up zone!" She waved cheerfully before jogging after the two blonds.
Shizuka blushed a bit as she found herself alone with Yuugi, shaking her head at her friends' antics. What on Earth could they be thinking... Yuugi's sweet, but it's not as if I like him that way... We're just friends!
She sighed inwardly. I'd better set them straight about all this later... Not that they'll think otherwise.
Breaking away from her thoughts, she noticed Yuugi's questioning stare and smiled to show that she was okay. "Well, then... Is there anything I can help with? What are you working on now, anyway?"
Yuugi blushed a bit as she leaned over to glance at the table behind him, trying to see the rest of his project. "I-it's a glass box. Well, it's supposed to be... It's not really done yet, but..."
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. This was Shizuka he was dealing with, not a huge crowd of acquaintances. He could relax.
Waving her over, he retrieved a piece of paper from his workstation; after turning off the burner, of course. "Here. These are the sketches of what it's supposed to look like when it's finished. I'm most of the way there already, but the next bit is kind of tedious..."
The brunette took the sheet in her hands, comparing the sketch to the actual thing. "It looks like all you've got left is the base, the latch and hinge, and attaching the feather..."
She smiled, handing the paper back to Yuugi as he nodded. "Pretty much. It's hard to cut a good circle for the brim, though... It took a couple tries before I got one that I was satisfied with, as you can see..."
He held up the mother pane, peeking through the series of holes that dotted the surface like Swiss cheese. Shizuka giggled, then gestured to the cone and other materials on the table.
"It looks really good so far. I can't wait to see the whole thing..." She stated, pressing the tips of her fingers together under her chin. "What a unique idea, though... I bet everybody else in the class is working on a square or rectangle box, right? What made you decide to try a hat?"
Yuugi shrugged, gently setting the pane of glass in his cubby. "I'm not really sure. I've just always liked stories about magic, I guess, so I decided to make a mage's hat. Besides, I made a rectangular one already a few months ago, so why not try something a little more difficult?"
Shizuka smiled understandingly and nodded in agreement. Yuugi was a very unique person, too, and it suited him for his project to stand out among the typical, overdone block shapes.
"Sounds like a plan. And it makes a project a lot more fun if it's about something you love."
After admiring the careful work a little longer, she looked back at Yuugi. "Well, we'd better get going."
Before the girls start thinking we're doing something other than talking back here... She thought, and couldn't help blushing again, though faintly.
She re-adjusted the bag on her shoulders and walked over to the doorway, waiting for Yuugi.
The small boy smiled, noting his friend's embarrassment, and gingerly scooped up the remaining pieces of his project, depositing them on his shelf before scuttling over to the beading table. After double-checking that the gas burner was completely closed, he held his hand close to the small feather he had made, wary of the temperature. Hand hovering above the end of the metal tube, he found the radiant heat was minimal, and the feather therefore cool enough for him to touch without the risk of burning himself.
Not that it would bother him much if it did, of course; he always seemed to heal right away regardless of how many 'accidents' happened. The few times he had managed to burn himself, the skin had stung for a while before winding down to a dull throb within a few hours. Still, fast healer or not, there was no need to go and injure himself again if he could help it.
Lost in his musings, he absentmindedly chose to forgo the work gloves and snapped the bottom of the feather from its base, causing small fragments of glass to nick his hands and cheek. Alarmed by the sudden pains, he focused his attention on the task at hand, continuing on as if nothing had happened. He returned to his seat, kneeling down to place his tools, sketches, and the metal rod in his locker while surreptitiously picking out any shards lodged in his skin. After making sure his hands were free of glass, he turned his shirt cuff inside out and wiped the blood from his face onto his sleeve, knowing that the dark fabric would hide it and none would be the wiser.
Satisfied, he slammed the locker shut and straightened up, placing the feather in his cubby with the rest of the pieces. Gathering his belongings, he slung his backpack over one shoulder and joined Shizuka at the doorway.
"All set! Just let me pop in and tell Ms. Ed I'm leaving, okay?" He chirruped, scurrying over to the ceramics room down the hall.
Knocking politely on the heavy metal door, he tugged at the handle and opened it enough to shove his torso through, grinning widely at the two women chatting animatedly at one of the dusty worktables. Clearing his throat to get their attention, he waved shyly at Ms. Uno before addressing his teacher.
"Hi, Ms. Ed, I just wanted to let you know that I'm heading out now. I'll see you on Saturday for the festival showing, okay?"
The small woman smiled, "Take care, Yuugi. I'll see you then."
The teen nodded. "Eight o'clock, right? I'll be there."
Leaning back, he held up a hand as he turned to go. "G'bye Ms. Ed! G'bye Ms. Uno!"
Shizuka waited patiently for Yuugi to finish up and nodded when he told her he needed to inform the teacher. Watching him smile brightly and say goodbye to their hardworking educators, she really didn't understand how anyone could pick on Yuugi. While they hadn't been friends forever, she certainly knew he'd never done anything in his life to provoke it, other than simply be himself. Just a nice, shy teenager with large, gentle eyes, and a very unique hairdo.
But then, being himself meant that he was different. Not a carbon copy clique member, not one of the crowd, not the leader of any pack. And some people just simply didn't have the brain capacity to understand that differences were good. That was why all of her friends decided to rally around Yuugi in the first place.
When Yuugi returned, Shizuka had already snapped out of her thought train and they walked together towards the school's front doors. She hummed thoughtfully, trying to remember what Anzu had mentioned during third period. "Oh! Anzu, Mai, and I were planning to go to the beach, Sunday, with my brother and Hiroto. Do you want to come?"
She knew Yuugi wasn't well-acquainted with Jou, or Hiroto, but they already knew that he was Shizuka's friend, and that would be enough reason to be friendly and sociable towards the vertically challenged teen. Before Yuugi was given a chance to answer, a streak of very light color, perhaps white hair, passed through her peripheral vision, accidentally bumping into her before moving out of sight. She dropped a couple of her books out of surprise and sighed at the lack of an apology, kneeling to pick them up.
I wonder what that was about.
Yuugi frowned at the stranger's back for a moment before helping Shizuka with her things.
"Well, that wasn't very nice..." he muttered, gathering up the paintbrushes that had scattered across the pavement and returning them to their case. "People should learn to be more considerate toward each other..."
Shizuka shook her head, graciously accepting the case from Yuugi's outstretched hand and placing it in her bag. "I don't think they meant to bump into me on purpose, Yuugi. They were probably just preoccupied with something..."
She paused, wincing, and began rubbing her left eye. Concerned, the violet-eyed teen dropped the portfolios he'd been collecting and leaned forward, placing a gentle hand on his friend's arm.
"Are you alright?"
The brunette blushed faintly, touched by his compassion. "It's okay. My contacts are bugging me again, that's all."
After readjusting the lens, she turned back to the rest of her belongings, placing them in her bag as she sighed. "To be honest, it could've been my fault as well. My eyes have never been very good, even with contacts..."
Tucking a lock of hair back behind her ear, the girl focused her gaze on the gum-littered pavement, absentmindedly fiddling with the Oryzae charm attached to her bag's zipper. "That's kind of why we wanted to go to the beach on Sunday... Mom has been looking into the possibility of lasic surgery before my eyes get any worse, but the one my optometrist recommends is still in the experimental stages. In theory, they would put a contact with my prescription under the surface of my eye so that I won't have to keep getting new ones all the time. They're made so that they can easily be removed if a better method comes along in the future, but..."
She paused, taking a deep breath. "...but there's always a chance that the contact might not balloon out like it's supposed to when they inject it, and it could end up injuring my eyes even more. Especially if they try to get it out again afterward..."
The brunette rose shakily to her feet, dusting off her skirt as she turned to face Yuugi with a halfhearted smile. "I want to see the beach one more time with everyone in case the worst does happen... You'll be a part of that memory too, won't you?"
"Shi... Shizuka...."
Shizuka's smile grew just a little more to put on a brave face for her friends. Yuugi had too big and too soft a heart to see any of his friends in pain without suffering with them.
"Just in case…I want to be able to remember everyone I care about really well. I don't want to forget the way my friends smile." She chuckled softly. "So, I want you to be there. With a smile, kay?"
The boy's lips curled upward, but the gesture failed to reach the violet eyes still filled with such compassion for his friend. "Of course."
Rising to his feet, he took Shizuka's hand, pulling her into his comforting embrace. She stiffened for a moment out of surprise, but soon relaxed, enjoying the soothing way Yuugi lightly rubbed his hand up and down her back. It was as if he had known exactly what she needed.
I wish there was something more I could do to help you... he thought, giving her a squeeze before stepping back to offer his hand.
"Come on, we'd better not keep the others waiting... They might get suspicious." he teased, flashing Shizuka a wry grin.
The brunette's face reddened, but she quickly caught on that he was trying to get her mind off of the potential operation. "Why, what ever do you mean? Is there something I should know about your intentions, Yuugi?"
The boy shrugged, fighting the urge to blush. "Oh, I don't know... You are very pretty, after all. The only reason you don't have more suitors is because they're terrified of what Jou will do to them if he ever found out they like you."
Shizuka blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Really? You're just kidding me, aren't you?"
Yuugi feigned surprise. "What! You mean you have no idea how overprotective he is of you! The first time I met him, he pulled me aside and subjected me to the whole Spanish Inquisition routine!"
Shizuka giggled and pretended to pause in sudden revelation. "Really? Oh, well…now that you mention it, I guess I did notice that every time guys tried to flirt with me, they had a tendency to disappear for a few days…and you know, I'm not sure they all came back."
She smiled sheepishly. "Ah…maybe I should have a talk with him."
By this point, the pair had reached the entrance to the school where said blond was waiting with Honda near the doors. Anzu waved at them cheerfully and Mai nodded to them with a small smile, in spite of being very involved in a cell-phone conversation.
Shizuka stepped out onto the front patio overlooking the school parking lot, nodding to her brother as she passed through the double doors. Yuugi made to follow after her, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Blinking, he followed the arm up to its owner's face.
"Hey, now. I've got my eye on you..."
The shorter teen sighed. "For the last time, Jonouchi, I don't have the hots for your sister."
Shaking his head, Yuugi thumbed in the direction of the parking lot. "If anything, I'd worry more about Honda... He doesn't seem to mind picking her up on his motorcycle everyday now, does he?"
The blond frowned, turning to watch his friend chat with Shizuka as they waited for him to join them. "Come to think of it, he does seem a little familiar with her, doesn't he? That bastard... I better straighten him out later."
"Now, now, Katcchan... There are worse guys for her to be consorting with, right?" Mai smirked, stashing her phone in the pocket of her denim jacket.
Jonouchi glowered at her. "No one, and I mean NO ONE touches my sister!"
He turned back to the teen in front of him. "Now, you may be an alright guy, Yuugi, but there's no way in hell I'm lettin' you off the hook if I find out you're makin' passes at her, ya hear?"
The boy nodded, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. But I already told you I don't-"
The blond ignored him, scowling at Mai. "...and don't call me that! What if someone hears you!"
Mai laughed and grinned impishly at Jounouchi. "Now, don't try and pretend you don't love it, hun. And no one's around here who hasn't already heard me say it, so you can worry about your all-important macho pride later. Leave Yuugi alone and let's go already, while we're still young."
Shizuka giggled when Honda, trying to lean casually up against his bike while talking to her, missed and fell down backwards onto the concrete. "You okay?"
Honda leapt to his feet, embarrassed, and tried to cover it up with a confident smile.
"Of course," he replied smoothly. "I, uh…meant to do that. I just wanted to see you laugh. You looked kind of down earlier."
Shizuka smiled. She didn't buy it, but it was a nice sentiment, anyway. "That's…very sweet, Honda."
The blond boy glowered at his tormentor, opening his mouth to retort, but was distracted by the scene playing out behind her.
Sidestepping Mai, he rushed to Shizuka's side. "Hey, hey, hey! Don't you try to sweet talk my sister!"
Honda paled and tried to stammer out a defense. "B-but I was just-"
Katsuya wouldn't have it.
"Just what? Undressing her with your eyes? You fell down on purpose, didn't you? You were lookin' up her skirt, weren't you! I'll fuckin' kill you!"
He lunged for the shell shocked brunette, catching his jaw with a right hook. Honda staggered back from the blow, wincing as he brought a hand up and gingerly worked his jaw, assessing the damage.
"The fuck, man? I didn't do nothin'!"
Shizuka, meanwhile, looked horribly confused and then just horrified when a blond blur shot past her and knocked Honda backwards.
"Brother!"
As insanely protective and paranoid as her sweet, very misguided brother was, she hadn't expected him to randomly deck his best friend. Since he had already scared off almost all her guy friends except Yuugi, he might as well start working on his own, perhaps?
Never put anything past Katsuya... she reminded herself with a frustrated, fond sigh.
"He wasn't doing anything to me, brother! We were just talking, for heaven's sake! Control yourself, please."
She stepped in between them before her sibling had an opportunity to protest. Hopefully she could keep him from totally pummeling the brunette.
"Are you all right, Honda?" She asked, examining his face. "It's not bad, is it? I'm sorry."
Anzu had stepped out of the school doors in the meantime and watched in mild amazement. A fuming Katsuya, an injured Honda, and a concerned, apologetic Shizuka. It wasn't too hard to figure out the gist of whatever had happened.
"I guess I missed something?" She asked Mai and Yuugi.
"Just the usual, hun." Mai replied, with a disapproving shake of her head. Quietly, she added, "I feel very sorry for any guy Shizuka really decides to date. Their father ought to be a doctor…or an undertaker."
The group stiffened, and Yuugi turned to gaze upward at Mai. She seemed to be puzzled by their reaction, and knew that she had crossed a line somewhere, even if she wasn't quite sure what it was. Even though she was Katsuya's girlfriend, he wasn't all that open about himself, especially when it came to family matters. She knew the basics- his parents had split up, and he lived with his dad in an apartment on the poorer side of town. He never really talked about his parents, though looking back, she recalled times where he had subtly steered the conversation away when she asked about them in passing.
As she began to mumble her apologies, the compassionate youth placed a comforting hand at her elbow.
"I...I'm..."
"It's alright... you didn't know."
The blond bombshell's eyes widened a bit, then jerked upward to focus on Jonouchi's tensed shoulders. The boy sighed, running a hand through his golden bangs, and continued.
"Me and the old man don't get on too well. Things have been a bit crazy lately since we're both so worried about the surgery, and I've been actin' like a regular s.o.b. here."
He turned to address Honda, meeting his eyes with a solemn expression. "I'm sorry, man. I didn't mean to take it out on you."
The brunette smirked, stepping around Shizuka and clapping his friend on the back. "Heh. I didn't even feel it, you wuss. You fuckin' hit like a girl."
Jonouchi snorted. "I do not! You want I should try again?"
Honda laughed. "Nah, you'll hurt yourself. Come on, let's take her home."
"Bitch."
"Fag."
The boys grinned at each other, then escorted a flabbergasted Shizuka to her seat on the back of the motorcycle. Honda sat up front, releasing the kickstand and starting the engine. Jo helped his sister put on the spare helmet and gave his friend a thumbs up to let him know they were all set.
"See you there."
Honda nodded, waited a second for Shizuka to wave her goodbyes and get a strong grip around his waist, and sped off out of the parking lot and down the street.
Mai stared off after Honda and Shizuka as they road away, about as surprised by the sudden way everything fell back into place. Her comment, insensitive as it had accidentally been, had some how managed to halt her hot-headed blond boyfriend's protectiveness long enough to remind him Honda was a good guy.
She regretted it, certainly, but at least its effects hadn't been all bad. Apologetically, Mai walked up to Jounouchi's side and gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek. "You're absolutely crazy, hun. But you're also probably the best big brother in the world. She's lucky."
She smiled at him, then at Yuugi, and sighed. "Well, boys, I just remembered I need to go buy a new bathing suit. Anzu, you promised to help me shop, right?"
The brunette stared blankly at her for a moment before perking up at the prospect of ransacking the mall. "Oh, yeah! Sorry, I totally forgot about it for a minute, there... Sixth period is always so agonizingly dull that it takes my brain a while to boot up again."
She pulled a face, recalling the teacher's droning voice. "I'll never understand why people find math entertaining..."
Yuugi chuckled. "Aw, come on, Anzu. It's not all that bad... Sometimes it can be kind of fun, like solving a puzzle."
Katsuya grimaced. "Ugh. You're sick, man...you know that?"
Mai laughed at the squeamish look on Jou's face, nudging him in the side. "Go on, hun. You'd better get home to Shizuka before Yuugi decides to make it his personal quest to change your mind about math homework."
"You don't have to tell me twice- I'm outta here."
Jou grinned at Yuugi, just to make sure the smaller teen knew it was all in good fun, then waved his goodbyes and headed off.
Mai extended the shopping invite to Rabecca and a furiously blushing Yuugi, who both declined.
"I'd love to, but I've got viola lessons at four. Then I've gotta catch up with the reading or Ms. Nichols will have my head." Rabecca sighed, and Yuugi pat her shoulder gently.
Normally Rabecca loved nothing more than to bury herself in a world of words, which was part of what had drawn them together as friends in the first place. After all, there weren't many people who could allude to Camus, Dostoevsky, and Carpentier in the same sentence, and fewer still who actually got the joke. They both took pride in the vast number of novels they had read, and often compete with one another to see who could finish first when the latest Stephenson hit the shelves. But Night...
Night was different. It was one he had to force himself to finish, and the ache in his heart always returned whenever someone mentioned it. Part of him wished he'd never read it, but he knew just how significant the story was to the world's history, and how big an impact it had on the lives it had touched.
Yuugi smiled softly at the blond.
"Don't worry, it took me a while, too."
Sensing the shift in mood, Mai cleared her throat, trying to pick things up again.
"Alright, enough with the somber reflection of past literary conquests. 'Becca, go home and do your homework. Yuugi, go do whatever it is you need to do. As for Anzu and I, we've got a mission to complete."
Yuugi quirked an eyebrow, silently grateful Mai had spoken up. "Oh? Surely the simple act of buying a bathing suit isn't as grand as all that?"
Anzu gasped dramatically. "Simple? Bathing suit shopping is never simple! It takes hours of combing over racks for the perfect cut and pattern... But of course, you're a boy. There's no way you could understand the warrior's art of seasonal shopping."
Yuugi laughed. "Yeah, yeah. I'll leave you ladies to it, then."
He made to leave, but stopped as he recalled the festival. Turning to face them, he grinned.
"Oh, hey! I almost forgot- are any of you interested in coming to the showing tomorrow? The Art Club got together with the teachers to sell some of their stuff for a club fundraiser. A couple outside dealers will be coming to hawk their wares, and the school's setting up food stands and stuff."
Yuugi paused, blushing faintly. "There's also a small gallery of student work in the library. Advanced students are required to participate, so..."
Anzu smiled. "So some of your work will be on display, right, Yuugi?"
Rabecca was ecstatic. "You mean we actually get to see your stuff, Yuu! Eeeeeeeeek! I can't wait!"
She bounced up and down, beaming at him as Mai nodded.
"We only ever get to see bits and pieces, so it'd be nice to actually see the whole thing."
Anzu gave him a thumbs up. "It's your big premiere! Of course we're gonna be there to show our support."
The boy smiled. "Thanks, guys. I'm sure Shizuka will appreciate it, too. She's never shown her work to anyone, not even me, so she's probably really nervous about it."
The brunette tilted her head to the side. "That's right... she's in advanced painting, huh? I wonder why she didn't mention the exhibition..."
Yuugi frowned, wondering if there was something in that, but shook his head. "Well, she's not a member of the Art Club, so she's not required to volunteer. A lot of students just handed their stuff in to the teacher to be displayed and totally forgot about it. I wouldn't blame her if she did, especially with all the stress she's been under regarding the surgery..."
Anzu nodded, satisfied with his explanation. "Yeah, you're probably right. Still, I'm curious as to what her work looks like. With all the time she spends painting at home, she's probably pretty good."
"I know. I can't wait to see her piece. I'm sure it'll be fantastic."
Mai smirked. "You can't wait to see her piece, huh? Are you sure it's her painting you're talking about, there?"
Yuugi jumped, startled, his face turning a beet red. "W-what! Of course I mean her painting! I-"
He glowered at her as the girls laughed. "You're horrible."
Anzu wiped a mirthful tear from her eye and regarded the boy in front of her. "Oh, you know we're only teasing..."
She ruffled his hair, upsetting a few strands from his low ponytail. "You're a good guy, Yuugi. Don't ever change."
He grinned cheekily. "Well, technically, that's impossible, but sociological philosophy aside, I'll do my best."
"Now who's the horrible one?"
"Aw, you know you can't resist the manly charms of my intellectual prowess."
Anzu shook her head. "Manly. Right."
Adjusting her backpack, she nudged Mai and turned to the parking lot. "Well, we'd better get going. See you guys tomorrow?"
"Yep. The festival's from eight to five, but I've gotta be here by six thirty to help set up."
Mai winced. "Ugh. Good luck with that. I'll call you when we get there, k?"
"We?"
She pointed accusingly at Anzu. "Knowing her, we'll end up shopping all day and she'll just wind up spending the night."
Mai ignored Anzu's indignant squawk, gazing down at Rabecca. "We can pick you up on the way, if you like."
The girl shook her head. "Thanks, but I only live a couple blocks away. I'll be fine."
She grinned, the light not quite reaching her eyes, and turned to leave. "Bye, guys! I'll see you tomorrow!"
Yuugi frowned slightly, noting her behavior, and sighed. Dammit, guys... This is why you shouldn't tease me about stuff like that... People will get the wrong impression.
Shaking himself from his thoughts, the teen waved as Anzu and Mai drove off in the blond's Sebring convertible. Hefting his backpack, he headed off across the track field, toward home.