Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ XX09 ❯ Section 0.2 ( Chapter 2 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Chibizoo 
The Hybrids come!
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.12.2003 | Pages: 10 | Words: 6.2K | Visits: 240 | Status: Completed
The Hybrids come!
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.12.2003 | Pages: 10 | Words: 6.2K | Visits: 240 | Status: Completed
Author's notes:
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh. But when I rule the world, it will be mine!
BWAHAHAHAHA-*cough cough*
Okay, I realize that last chapter was a bit… excessive in the description, and I
apologize for that. I have a slight (very minor, I assure you) obsession with blood, but
I'll lower the violence from now on to keep my lovely PG-13 rating ;P.
Eevee muse: Good thing I'm back to put things in order -.-;;; What did I tell you about
the warning?
Zoo: ^_^() Eh heh.. *nervous smile*
Eevee muse: *WHAP* And that was for not checking over your grammar. *WHAP*
And that was for your wordiness. *WHAP* And that was for-
Zoo: -Hey! I have a PG-13 rating here! Keep the violence down!
*WHAP!!!*
x.X
WARNING: Excessive dialogue. Lack of action. Lack of author having a brain.
******************************************************
"Ignorant I am, and ignorant I shall be…"
Entry 0.2.
"YAH-HOO!"
He darted under the low pavement overhangs as fast as his feet would allow
him, careful to duck his head. Streaks of wet dewdrops collected against his body,
creating dark golden strips against some of the exposed light-yellow fur. With
another triumphant shout, he burst from the thicket of fallen metal and cement,
propelling his body into the air with a shove of his hind legs.
He landed on a metallic slab a few meters away with a rather ungraceful
thump of his heavy frame. Dust and particles of cement scattered around his impatient
figure.
"What's taking you so long, Anzu?" He demanded, tongue lolling slightly
from his mouth in heavy, excited pants.
Some distance behind him was another figure, trailing rather sulkily behind, as
if trying to appear somewhat dignified and pristine. Said figure glanced disdainfully at
the first.
"Jounochi, I am not a morning person." Came her aggravated and thoroughly
condescending reply.
Jounochi huffed, shaking his golden-yellow mane to loosen the dust collecting
on his fur. "Well, you could always change." He grinned, unperturbed by Anzu's
slightly cranky attitude. "After all, its never too late to teach an old dog new tricks."
Anzu sighed. "I am _not_ a dog!" She cried in an outraged voice, long feline
tail lashing out slightly in annoyance. Her twin, pointed ears flattened against her
skull to emphasize her irritation. "Why on earth did I come with you again?" She
complained, "I could have been sleeping."
"You say that every time!" Jounochi's flat canine-like muzzle wrinkled in
amusement. "Besides, this is really important."
Anzu rolled her cat-like eyes, shaking her head just slightly and causing some
of her almond-brown hair to rustle against her face. "Please. You say that everything
is important."
The two had continued walking now, all the time still merrily bickering with
each other, voices rebounding against the flat, bland landscape. There was a slight
early sun that bathed the slabs of concrete and metal in a yellowish tint, making them
glitter and shine rather delicately. Large pools of darkened rain-water were
transformed into crystal mirrors under the same sparkling influence.
It was the type of morning that made one wake up and forget about their
worries. Indeed, a peaceful and serene atmosphere seemed to have surrounded the
city, to the point where even the grim-faced statues' expressions softened to one of
acquiescence.
It was the type of morning that promised ignorance to the unsuspecting
residents of Hell City.
The two had walked a fair distance now, reaching a slight, rocky outcropping.
Tendrils of moss collected in the damper corners of the concrete, though most of the
ground was absent of vegetation.
There was a slight crowd circling a specific area, the masses of bodies large
and small alike covering the object of scrutiny. Jounochi, with the ever reluctant Anzu
trailing behind him, soon found himself at the edges of the crowd, barking out a few
questions every so often.
"So what is it?" The blonde-haired lycanthrope asked, directing his voice to
the general, muttering public.
The rat-humans simply glared at Jounochi, though a fellow wolf-human turned
around to answer.
"Some kid. He came to the city last night, and hasn't awoken since."
"What happened?" Anzu piped up, momentarily forgetting the tension that cat
and wolf-humans held for each other. She and Jounochi had been comrades - they
refused to be termed "friends" - for quite a while, so she viewed both species as
equals.
The wolf-human in question hesitated a moment before asking, shrugging
slightly.
"I'm not too sure. Something about the kid's grandfather. I think they were
attacked by _ it_ yesterday."
There was a hushed moment of silence. Everyone knew what _it_ meant,
though few dared to speak of it beyond a simple term. In the world of darkness and
fear, "it" was simply viewed as a normal, natural disaster, preying upon the ignorant
and undeserving. One could be alive one day, and mysteriously dead by nightfall.
"Then why is he still alive?" Jounochi scratched his head, blithely ignoring the
fear constricted by the previous word. "Don't most people who get attacked, well, you
know."
A nearby lizard-human hissed his laughter, long, forked tongue passing
slightly over his sharp eyeteeth. "Why do you think we're here?" Came the derisive
question.
Indeed the kid was drawing a growing crowd of attention, though he remained
blissfully unconscious. Finally, one of the smaller lizard-humans, unable to restrain its
curiousity, crept towards the sleeping figure, prodding him lightly with a pebbly
finger.
The small boy groaned just slightly before once again drifting into
unawareness.
Prod, prod. The lizard-human was just as persistent, finding a small amount of
amusement in trying to awaken the sleeping figure.
This time, the boy slowly opened his eyes, lashes fluttering rapidly in an
expression of confusion. Large, violet eyes gazed blankly at the world around him.
Where was he?
A ripple of hushed whispers and murmurs erupted from the watching crowd,
entranced eyes watching the boy in the center like a miraculous spectacle.
His small body trembled with apprehension at the strange figures around him.
Slowly, he lowered his eyes to the ground, covered slightly by his golden bangs.
"Oi, oi!" Shouted Jounochi, over the sea of excited, chattering voices. He
glared at the others. "Give some respect to the poor kid. He's probably scared out of
his wits because of you!"
Having said that, the blonde-haired wolf-human sauntered over to the small
boy, smiling at the small boy with a good-natured grin.
Naturally, the boy backed away as far as possible, upon seeing the large,
menacing golden-furred lycanthrope. A small whimper escaped from his throat.
"Hey, kid." Jounochi addressed the small boy. "I'm friendly, you know."
Somehow, the boy didn't look convinced. Slowly, he brought his eyes level
with Jounochi's face, regarding the lycanthrope with an expression of awe and fear.
"W-who are you?"
"The name's Jounochi, but you can call me Jou." The golden-haired wolf-
human responded. He tried to appear as non-threatening as possible, hunching his
back slightly to diminish his rather tall frame. "What's your's?"
The boy hesitated. He glanced once at Jounochi, and twice at the figures
around him. What was his name? Slowly, he closed his eyes, searching into the dark
recesses of his mind for the answer.
It was as if he was searching into a bottomless pit. Instead of the reassurance
and guidance of his memories, he encountered an impenetrable, bleak barrier. A
steady pool of disappointment and panic began to creep into his thoughts as he finally
realized the truth.
"I-I-" He suddenly felt so small, so alone. "…I can't remember." Tears began
collecting around his eyes, pooling at the rims like crystal pearls. They dribbled down
his cheek, staining his soft white skin.
"I can't remember!" The words came out in a half-desperate shout, as if
command alone could force the memories to return.
Jounochi regarded the boy with an incredulous stare. As gruff as the
lycanthrope might seem at first glance, Jounochi was actually a rather soft-hearted
individual. Now, the wolf-human laid his hand gently on the boy's shoulder, careful
not to let his thick nails pierce the boy's soft shoulders.
"It's alright." Jounochi soothed, smooth alto rumbling in reassurance. "You
don't have to remember."
The boy needed no further encouragement. He immediately broke down into
small, silent sobs, burying his head into the lycanthrope's soft, golden fur. Just the
strain of having lost everything he knew, having no memory of anything or anyone
was able to break his fragile shell of comfort. He was alone, and there was no one.
No one, save Jounochi. The lycanthrope's earthly-brown eyes softened to one
of slight understanding. And even when all the spectators had left, Jounochi stayed,
letting the boy sob his grief, letting the boy pour his shrouded sorrows to the
emptiness around him.
And finally, when the sun rose to the top of the sky with a vainglorious burst
of light, the boy stopped, staring at the world around him with large, silent, violet
eyes.
Anzu slowly made her way towards them, gently introducing herself before
the trio headed for the Shelter.
***********************************
The Shelter was not a single complex, but rather, a large sub-city of dwellings,
each one piled up, beside, under, and against the next. It was a rather ludicrous hive of
shelters, cleverly situated in a large, underground cave. There was a stiff lake of
blackened water to one side of the Shelter, and an unnatural field of mossy green
substance behind it. The walls of the cave emitted a slightly luminescent glow,
bathing everything in a mixture of contorted green and bleary yellow light.
The small boy stared at the sight in awe. For him, the Shelter was his first
impression of society. He shyly tugged Jounochi's loose, stringy pants to gain the
larger lycanthrope's attention.
"Jounochi…where are we?"
"Oh." Jounochi gave a sheepish grin, as Anzu simply sighed. "I forgot to tell
you, didn't I?" Not bothering for a reply, he continued. "This place here is called the
Shelter, and it's where most of us live."
The boy cocked his head to one side questioningly. "But why underground?
You could always build shelters outside."
This time, it was Anzu who replied, interrupting whatever Jounochi was about
to say with a subtle shake of her head. "It's safer underground. And this way, when it
rains, the water wont drip and flood our dwellings."
The boy simply nodded, accepting the rather feeble excuse. He continued to
tread on, eyes wandering all around him before suddenly coming to a stop at a thin
corridor beside him. The corridor was dark, dripping dankly, filled with a pungent,
muffled air.
~~ *~~
There were growls again. His head shot up towards the sound, body paralysed in
petrifaction.
They were coming for him.
He closed his eyes, finally letting his arms part the heavy shape once held so
protectively in his grasps. The blank eyes staring back at him only emphasized his
predicament. He was alone… and they were coming…
~~*~~
"Hey, kid!" Jounochi shouted, shaking the paralysed boy a few times to wake
him from his reverie. "Let's get going."
The boy shook his head, clearing his mind from the vivid image. He glanced
once more at the darkened corridor, but this time, it revealed nothing but a murky
emptiness once more. Eyebrows furrowed in confusion, the boy followed the rapidly
disappearing figures of Jounochi and Anzu once more.
"There we are!" Jounochi finally came to a stop at one of the openings. It was
on the third elevation, so that when one looked down, one good see a good expanse of
the cavern ground from beneath them. A narrow stretch of flat rock lay connected
each door to the next, sloped rather dangerously.
The golden-haired lycanthrope pulled out a crude, rectangular piece of dull
metal from one of his pant pockets, inserting the object in a matching slot engraved in
the door. The door opened with a resounding click.
Jounochi swung the door wide open as a blast of stagnant air rushed from the
room. "Welcome to my beloved abode." The golden-haired lycanthrope stated, rather
proudly.
"Excuse me?" Anzu interrupted, putting her hands on her hips. "_Your_
abode?"
The wolf-human gave a nervous chuckle. "Eh.. well… our abode then. Yeah."
He winced slightly as Anzu shot into the house, wincing once more as the feline-
human began complaining about the decrepit state of their house in front of a "guest".
Jounochi gestured to the boy, who was still standing by the doorframe, peering
inside rather hesitantly. "Eh, why don't you come in."
The boy nodded, slowly stepping inside. The dwelling was actually a single,
large room, with smaller extensions branching from the sides. A pile of dried straw
lay sprawled to one corner of the room, covered by a thin layer of patched-up faded
sheets. There was a crude hole representing a window, and the entire ground was
layered with a soft, green moss. Bits of unusual metals and twisted mechanisms lay
sprawled in a random fashion over the ground, most of it collected on a raised,
makeshift metallic table in the centre. More of the wiry substance lay arranged in
thick bulbs around the ceiling, some hanging like a stringy set of drapes.
Jounochi shuffled nervously as the boy stared around the room. "I guess I
forgot to clean up," The blonde-haired lycanthrope finally professed, "Though I
wasn't really expecting visitors of any sort."
However, the strange metallic contraptions sprawled around him fascinated
the boy. As his eyes located the various decorations, a pang of nostalgia hit him,
making him reel in confusion, head swarming incoherently. From the unconscious
recesses of his mind, a single word escaped from the boy's lips. Then, everything
disappeared, back into the impenetrable wall of blankness.
"What did you say?" Jounochi seemed confused.
"Game." Anzu was the one to reply in a soft, subdued voice, her sharp ears
able to pick off even the slightest sound. She turned her cat-like blue eyes towards the
boy. "He said, 'Game'." She repeated the word in an almost fearful reverence.
The boy frowned. That single word Anzu had mentioned seemed to open
another pipeline of flowing memories. They flashed through his mind in abstract
sequence, creating flashing, meaningless images. There, a strange, glowing, metallic
box. Here, the glitter of ruby-red eyes. That too, all disappeared.
His eyes flashed angrily in annoyance. "Why can't I remember?" The boy
asked, voice desperate and pleading. "I don't even know my name!"
Quietly, Jounochi comforted the boy, softening the child's anger with a
restraining paw. "Don't worry." He reassured once more, "It will come on its own."
The small boy shook slightly. His eyes radiated fear and apprehension, face
pale with both physical and mental exhaustion. "I want a name." He demanded, voice
rising and falling slightly to his muffled, controlled sobs. "I want to be _someone_."
"Fire."
The small boy looked at the lycanthrope in confusion. "Fire?" He repeated
Jounochi's single word.
Jounochi nodded, breaking into a fanged grin. "Fire! I think you should be
called 'Fire' for now. It suits you, with your vibrant hair style." Truly enough, the
blonde-haired wolf-human had never seen such peculiar hair, a combination of red,
black, and yellow. Perhaps it was to make up for the kid's inherently fur-less face?
The boy wrinkled his nose slightly in distaste.
Anzu chuckled. "I'm not surprised. 'Fire' is such an awful name, kind-of like
'Star' or 'Moon'." She clicked her tongue in disproval. "Such clichéd ideas, Jounochi.
Maybe you should let him decide on his name." Here, she was clearing referring to
the boy as "him".
He hesitated. "I'm not sure." Once again, the small boy tried wracking his
brain for memories, for anything that would link him to the past. He got nothing. "I-I
really don't know."
Suddenly, Jounochi brightened. "Game!" He exclaimed, as if the single word
was his utter moment of glory. "His name should be 'Game'!"
Anzu spluttered. She disliked the name from the start, and not only because of
its blunt meaning, but also because of what it implied. "Jounochi-" She began, voice
threatening.
"Actually, I like that." The boy interrupted. The single word seemed to spark
something from his cloud of fogged memories, a trigger to his uncertain past. "It's a
good name."
"Thought so." Jounochi looked triumphant, smirking over Anzu's scowling
face. "After all, he had mentioned the word 'Game', so he must feel some relationship
to it."
"But," Anzu protested, "We can't call him that. It's not a _good_ name," She
gestured silently with her hands to emphasize the meaning, though it was clear from
the flashing doubt and slight fear in her eyes what she meant.
"Oh." Jounochi's ears flattened against his skull. He thought for a moment,
scratching his chin. "Then what else, besides 'Game'?" The blonde-haired
lycanthrope ignored Anzu's slight flinch at the mention of the word. "The question
then becomes, what other word means game?"
"Yuugi." It was not Anzu who interrupted but the boy himself. He stared at
both Anzu and Jonouchi with resolute eyes. "I-I think Yuugi is another word for
game."
Anzu and Jounochi exchanged glances. Indeed, 'Yuugi' was a direct
translation of the word 'game', but in a language so archaic and old, only the eldest
scribes and remaining machinery (of which Jounochi hoarded endlessly) recalled such
context. It surprised the pair that someone so young as the boy would know such a
forgotten language.
Jounochi was the first to break the silence. "Well… so Yuugi it is!"
"Yes." He nodded, softening into a shy smile. "My name is Yuugi!"
*******************************
He gazed apprehensively at the sight in front of him. It was a shallow, rather
wide pit, dug rather crudely to the ground. Bubbling and frothing inside the ditch was
a rather unhealthy-looking layer of water.
"Come on, Yuugi." Jounochi urged, smiling encouragingly at the reluctant
boy. "It's not that bad!"
Yuugi shook his head, red-black hair rustling slightly. "I am not taking a bath
in _that_." The voice came out very firm and determined, surprising even himself.
Anzu had discreetly gone to the other room, to avoid any further
complications between different gender privacies.
"Here." Jounochi handed Yuugi a makeshift towel, a piece of cloth perforated
by one too many holes. "Just take off your cloak and wrap yourself around with this.
It'll make you feel better."
Yuugi finally consented, blushing slightly. He then quietly obliged the blonde-
haired lycanthrope's orders, unfastening the clasp around his cloak so that it fell to the
ground with a single shrug. The small boy then accepted the towel, wrapping it
around his waist, though he made no intention to move his faded shirt or pants
underneath.
Jounochi gave an involuntary hiss. All this time, the wolf-human had thought
that Yuugi had not arrived at maturing age, so that his fur was still soft and sleek,
covering only his body and upper arms like most hybrid cubs, and shrouded out of
sight by the thick, long cloak. There was a slight problem to that theory.
Yuugi had _no_ fur. Not even a speck on his bare, ivory-smooth arms, and
definitely none protruding from where his back met the fabric covering of his shirt.
And most of all, the boy lacked a tail. There was no bump, or slight protrusion
extending from his spine, but rather, absolutely nothing. Yuugi's back was perfectly
smooth, body beautifully erect, knees unbent.
Jounochi's eyes widened like saucers. He spluttered a few times, trying to get
the feeling of his tongue back into his mouth, but no words came out but a garbled
sense of gibberish. The boy - he was-!
From the corner of his eyes, Yuugi felt Jounochi's gaze. It wasn't a pleasant
stare, slightly leery and too analytical. The small boy, knees half-in the bathtub,
turned his face towards the hybrid lycanthrope's.
"W-what's wrong?"
A shadow of doubt crossed the boy's expression. Had he done something
wrong? Did Jounochi not like him? Maybe, maybe he was intruding…
But Jounochi, calm, complacent Jounochi, only shook his partially furred
head. "No, its nothing, Yuugi." He muttered, trying to retain his calm and reassuring
tone. "Nothing at all."
Yuugi gave the other one more suspicious glance before crawling into the
water. The liquid was warm to the touch, and oddly pleasant, creating a soothing air
of relaxation. The boy immediately felt his mind drift, wandering in a blissful plane of
comfort, suddenly dead to the world around him.
And Jounochi, sensing that he was no longer needed, slipped out of the door,
walking jerkily towards Anzu.
********************************
"You're sure?"
Anzu looked at Jounochi with dubious, disturbed eyes. "If this is some prank,
Jounochi, it's not very funny."
But the blonde-haired lycanthrope's face was dead serious. "I'm positive. I
swear that it's true. No _hybrid_ could have such…"
Anzu shook her head. "That's impossible!" She repeated, muttering the word
over and over. "Most of their kind died of centuries ago! They should have ceased
existing."
"Should have, could have, would have." Jounochi muttered sourly. "What
matters now is that he _is_ one of them, and most likely the last."
"The last." Anzu repeated, biting her lip. "It just…its so…" Her voice trailed
off slightly.
"How would if you feel if you were him?" Jounochi demanded. "Unable to
remember who you are, unaware of your predicament, heck, even unaware of your
power, your potential."
Anzu's shrouded eyes opened at an alarming rate. "You can't tell him!" She
hissed, voice urgent. "He mustn't know! It's too dangerous for him!"
"I care about him too!" Jounochi protested. "I just think that you're being too
overprotective. If he really is destined for this, then we should try and help him, not
hinder him. After all, this is the only chance we have, if he is truly the last…"
"I don't care!" Anzu shouted. "You are not risking any _live_ individual, even
if he is _that_ type of individual, against… against… _it_!"
It. The single phrase that every living hybrid feared. Yes, it was because of
this force that humans died off so easily.
For Grandpa, "it" had been the glowing-red eyes, the shadow creatures
haunting him until death.
For Jounochi and Anzu, "it" was the consistent daily fear that everyone lived
through, the nameless phenomena who derived pleasure through its dark Games of
death. Yes, in the Games, "it" would attack, and kill the unaware.
And for Yuugi…. Yuugi had no clue. He did not remember, and he was yet
unaware of it.
… Which only complicated matters further for the two hybrids. True,
Jounochi and Anzu could inform Yuugi of "it", tell the boy to fight against the evil
like so many of his same-species predecessors had done, and see if he survived
afterwards. But it was a brutal gamble, and an even more dubious Game. The odds of
Yuugi winning against an ageless master of the Game were less than one percent.
And it didn't help that Yuugi was the only one. Or the last.
"Shit." Jounochi murmured, slamming his fist against the metallic tabletop.
"Holy crap. We spend every bit of our existence wishing for someone - something -
that will end _it_ and we finally get a chance." The blonde-haired lycanthrope gazed
at Anzu with a sour expression. "Only, we're talking about someone who has no
memory, no experience, and possibly, no courage! It's sheer murder!"
Anzu shook her head sadly. "Yuugi is not an option. True, he may be the last-"
And here, her voice lowered to a bare whisper -"_human_, but we cannot take
advantage of him this way."
"Feh." The blonde lycanthrope glared at the other in disdain. "Humans. Look
what they did to us." He held up his hand, covered in thick, golden fur. His handsome
face seemed demonic, twisted into a short snout, canines protruding from the tips of
his mouth. "What the hell happened? Why are we so freakishly different?"
"I wish I knew." Anzu stared at Jounochi with her sad, feline eyes. "We must
have evolved for some reason in the past." She sighed, azure eyes clouding over in
regret, "We haven't lost intelligence, and actually have gained the strengths of our
counterpart animals. But what I don't understand is why can we not see the Game?
Why can we not play the Game?"
"Hybrids." A single word. "We're hybrids, a mix, a defect. We don't have the
purity in our genes to sustain an entire human-made reality like the Game. It would
kill us before we even started." Jounochi's tone seemed to have delved into a deeper
bitterness.
Another pause.
"Well." Anzu finally spoke up. She stopped, realizing what she was about to
say with an expression of despair.
"Life will continue as it is." Jounochi sighed. "Let the Games handle
themselves. As long as we avoid them, we should be safe."
Both hybrids continued speaking, unaware of the pair of amethyst eyes hiding
in the shadows, listening to the conversation with a rapt awareness. There were
glittering tears that stained his fair face, tears which dribbled and fell silently on the
mossy ground. But otherwise, he could have been invisible.
********************************
"Yuugi?"
The small boy looked up, his silent reverie pierced by the softened voice. He
stared at Jounochi mutely for a few moments, just watching the other's actions as the
lycanthrope paced uneasily across the room.
Suddenly, the boy spoke out. "I want to leave." It was a deliberate resolution,
and he forced his eyes to gaze firmly and levelly at Jounochi's.
The blonde-haired hybrid was taken by surprise. "Leave?" Puzzlement then
fear flashed across his features. "But why?" He finally spluttered.
"You don't want me." Yuugi stated the blunt obvious. "I'm a danger to your
safety. You said so yourself."
"When did…" Jounochi trailed off as realization dawned upon his expression.
"You…!" He began to accuse, but then held it back, lest he would further offend the
small boy.
"I don't belong here." Yuugi continued. "I know that. Even if I can't
remember anything, I _know_ that there is a place for me, a task, something I need to
achieve." His resolute eyes turned toward the other's. "And if you are going to keep
me in your protective shell, hindering my task, then I will have to leave. I cannot keep
living my life in this make-belief sancturary."
The boy spoke with wisdom beyond his ages. That much Jounochi was
immediately able to conclude.
"Yuugi." He began, mind scrambling for the right words. "It isn't that easy.
There's a great danger that lies out there, unstoppable and impossible to defeat. Once
you leave the Shelter, _it_ will see you and hunt you down."
"I don't care!" Yuugi shouted angrily. Once again frustrated tears began to
brim around his eyes. "If you won't tell me what this threat is, then I'll just deal with
it myself!" His childish voice cracked slightly with emotion.
The blonde-haired lycanthrope now saw the message clearly in the boy's
shimmering, violet eyes. They were the eyes of a haunted soul, but more, the eyes of
the destined; the determined; the resolute. And, just staring into those eyes, Jounochi
came to the single, dreaded conclusion.
Yuugi was the one.
And he was their only chance.
The blonde-haired hybrid sighed, a tone of one who has finally come to accept
their burden of fate. "I'll help you." His voice sounded hollow and detached, as if
someone else was talking. "I'll help you achieve your destiny."
*****************************
Jounochi, Anzu, and Yuugi were currently situated on the table, staring at a
map made of some indistinguishable material, though Jounochi persistently claimed
that it was something called "Plastik (TM)", probably after an ancient deity of sorts.
"So, here's the plan." Jounochi stated, outlining certain segments on the map
with his blunt foreclaw. "The only one who knows any information about humans is
Seto Kaiba, a cyber-droid able to access the Game."
Yuugi was confused. "If Seto can play this Game you keep on talking about,
why doesn't he defeat _it_?"
"He doesn't quite work like that." Anzu finally stated, ignoring Jounochi's
suddenly sour face. "Cyber-droids are cloned humans made partially of machinery,
and they are programmed to only have indirect access to the Game. That means that
even though they see and manipulate the Game, they are programmed against actually
playing."
Then, it suddenly dawned on Yuugi. "You said that only _humans_ can play
the Game, so _it_ must be human!"
Jounochi and Anzu cast their eyes to the ground, fiddling uncomfortably.
"I believe _was_ is the better term." Anzu said. "We-we don't really know
much about it, save the fact that it has been here since forever, living like a natural
virus. _Its_ initial purpose was to destroy humans, though again the reason is hidden
to us. All that we know now is that it comes and goes in waves, able to appear in any
form, able to deceive any one. For it is not a single individual but a network of lost
souls, bonding together to form a pattern of ultimate destruction."
"Hate. Greed. Jealousy." Jounochi continued. "Fear. _It_ lives off these
elements. It has no enemies, because in a single flash, it can destroy anything he
wants."
"Yes." Anzu confirmed. "Anything could become its victim." She turned
towards Yuugi, eyes just as cold and serious. "Do you know why you're so important
to us, Yuugi? You are our last chance. For its only weakness is the ones it seeks to
annihilate completely."
Yuugi was slightly confused. "But I am a human. I am weaker than you, and I
don't have any magical abilities. Why would I be special?"
Anzu and Jounochi exchanged momentary glances.
Finally, Jounochi spoke up. "Yuugi, let me tell you about the Game…"
**************************************
Tomor row.
Yuugi looked up at the darkened rock ceiling, resting his hands under his
head. His mind was swarming with everything Jounochi and Anzu had explained, and
even some they hadn't. He could read their expressions, see the hidden messages in
their eyes, though it was a gift best kept secret.
And then, there was the Game.
Even now, Yuugi was confused about the concept. What exactly was the
Game? According to Anzu and Jounochi, it was like a virtual reality, a different world
altogether, controlled only by mental will. Well, mental _human_ will, since the
Game was originally created by humans. But then, Jounochi and Anzu's had radiated
sheer reluctance and fear at the mention of the word.
Was this fear created by the nameless entity lurking inside the Game, able to
twist the Game's reality into true reality to destroy all in its reach? Or was there
something else about this Game? Something… beyond fear.
Whatever it was, Yuugi found himself embracing it with a grim determination.
His destiny was set. Even if nothing else remained in his empty, hollow mind, a
continuous, instinctive urge drove him on. It was as if the Game was calling him,
waiting for his presence. And though Yuugi was nowhere near ready, he was
prepared.
He would come.
****************************************
Clunk. Clatter.
Yuugi fumbled with another segment, tracing its outline with an absent finger
before placing it thoughtfully in the imagined space.
Click. With a resounding snap, the oddly shaped piece connected together,
forming an indistinguishable, growing mass of dull, metallic gold.
It was Jounochi who had found the box in the first place, left behind in folds
of Yuugi's cloak. The box had sparkled with familiarity the moment it was presented.
Click. Another piece fell into place. It was aggravating to not know what
exactly drove the familiarity or why the box meant so much to him. Yet, it was
enough to drive his curiousity and determination.
Yuugi glanced momentarily at the box, admiring its intricate golden design
one more time. The single eye patterned in the center seemed to smile at him, just
slightly. The lid was of said box was currently open, revealing several jumbled, oddly
arranged contents inside.
A puzzle. It was a box with a puzzle.
Which, ironically, had presented the most concrete information Yuugi had
about it.
Snap. Click..
Yet another piece fell in place. Yuugi sighed - every piece that spontaneously
connected seemed to bring alive a flicker of memory. Something from this puzzle was
pulling at his heart, beckoning him to complete its pieces.
The eerie glowing walls of the gigantic cavern outside illuminated one face of
the half-complete puzzle. Each piece was melded together in undistinguishable
perfection, glittering with uniformity. Vague streaks of morning sunlight shot from
the slight holes in the cavern, a confirmation of the beauty outside.
And yet, he was here, hiding from the opponent. One day, he would be ready,
and would gamble his life against its oppressive power. But now, now he would wait.
He would gather information and build upon his strengths. That was the true meaning
of power.
Now, there was only one last piece left. It lay, almost sulking inside the box, a
single piece that broke the uniform design. On its face lay a single, golden eye, like
the one decorating the box.
Yuugi took the piece in his hands, turning it over and inspecting it curiously.
Something was different about this single piece, though it was an intuitive feeling,
barely explainable.
The small boy then looked at the puzzle. It was only missing one piece, shaped
in a perfect pyramid. There was a slight loop at the base, just large enough to slip a
rope through the center of the hole and wear it like a bulky pendant of sorts.
It was almost disappointing, to be finished such an intricate and complex ritual
so quickly. Yuugi placed the last piece of the puzzle into the center, pressing it down
with his finger so that it gave a firm click.
There. He was finished. With a triumphant sigh of relief, Yuugi held out the
puzzle, gazing appreciatively at its elegantly angled shape. His finger once again
traced over the single eye in the center, noting how smoothly the protruding metal
melded with the flattened sides.
"You need a name." Yuugi mused, thinking aloud. He then giggled slightly as
he realized to whom - or rather, what, - he was addressing to. The boy brought the
puzzle towards his face, staring at it at eye level. "I'm tempted to call you 'Jou', cause
your colour is just as golden as Jounochi's hair."
Yuugi could have sworn the puzzle's eye flashed in indignation.
At that moment, the door swung open, revealing a rather exhausted-looking
Jounochi. He stumbled into the room, shaking his head slightly so that his fur and hair
stuck out like a fluff ball. Anzu followed him silently inside, disgusted face
expressing her current attitude towards the other.
"Good news, Yuug." Jounochi drawled, slurring Yuugi's name. He the smiled,
lolling his tongue out, like the canine he represented. "We found someone who will
bring you to Seto."
In the way Jounochi mentioned Seto's name, it was as if the golden-haired
lycanthrope detested said person. Yuugi said nothing, though.
"Well, get on your cloak." Jounochi continued. "We'll escort you there, but
after that, you're on your own, buddy."
Anzu elbowed Jounochi in the ribs. "What he means is that we can't come
with you. Apparently, this Seto individual prefers to keep his hiding location in secret,
even from us."
Yuugi gazed apprehensively at the two. "But, will I come back?" His voice
betrayed his reluctance.
Jounochi put a comforting hand on Yuugi's shoulder. The blonde
lycanthrope's hand was warm, slightly sweaty to the touch. "As long as I'm alive, kid,
I'll make sure you do." He then winked good-naturedly, not wanting to scare the boy.
Yuugi nodded, fetching his cloak from the makeshift coat-rack while still
holding the puzzle in one hand.
"Hey, you finished it!" Jounochi exclaimed. The blonde-haired hybrid's sharp
eyes immediately noticed the loop protruding from the top of the pyramid-shaped
puzzle. "Here, let me get a cord for you. Then, you can tie it on and wear it."
Anzu frowned, disapprovingly. "Isn't it a little bulky?" She commented, eying
the puzzle suspiciously. There was an unconscious bubble of enigma surrounding the
puzzle, one that slightly disconcerted the feline-human.
"Nah." Jounochi disappeared into the other room, returning a few moments
later with a thick, fibrous cord. "There ya go!" His hands deftly wound the cord
around the loop of the puzzle, pulling a final knot in place to join the ends together.
Smiling, Yuugi murmured a shy thanks. He put the offered object on, feeling
the cord slip over his head, its cold touch biting his neck just slightly. The puzzle was
slightly heavy, hanging just at chest-level. It seemed to glitter for a slight moment,
though no one noticed; they were all too absorbed in leaving.
"All right!" Jounochi rubbed his hands together. "Let's go!"
Even under the thick folds of his cloak, Yuugi could feel the strange metal of
the puzzle, jangling against his chest and pulling at his heart.
***************************************
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh. But when I rule the world, it will be mine!
BWAHAHAHAHA-*cough cough*
Okay, I realize that last chapter was a bit… excessive in the description, and I
apologize for that. I have a slight (very minor, I assure you) obsession with blood, but
I'll lower the violence from now on to keep my lovely PG-13 rating ;P.
Eevee muse: Good thing I'm back to put things in order -.-;;; What did I tell you about
the warning?
Zoo: ^_^() Eh heh.. *nervous smile*
Eevee muse: *WHAP* And that was for not checking over your grammar. *WHAP*
And that was for your wordiness. *WHAP* And that was for-
Zoo: -Hey! I have a PG-13 rating here! Keep the violence down!
*WHAP!!!*
x.X
WARNING: Excessive dialogue. Lack of action. Lack of author having a brain.
******************************************************
"Ignorant I am, and ignorant I shall be…"
Entry 0.2.
"YAH-HOO!"
He darted under the low pavement overhangs as fast as his feet would allow
him, careful to duck his head. Streaks of wet dewdrops collected against his body,
creating dark golden strips against some of the exposed light-yellow fur. With
another triumphant shout, he burst from the thicket of fallen metal and cement,
propelling his body into the air with a shove of his hind legs.
He landed on a metallic slab a few meters away with a rather ungraceful
thump of his heavy frame. Dust and particles of cement scattered around his impatient
figure.
"What's taking you so long, Anzu?" He demanded, tongue lolling slightly
from his mouth in heavy, excited pants.
Some distance behind him was another figure, trailing rather sulkily behind, as
if trying to appear somewhat dignified and pristine. Said figure glanced disdainfully at
the first.
"Jounochi, I am not a morning person." Came her aggravated and thoroughly
condescending reply.
Jounochi huffed, shaking his golden-yellow mane to loosen the dust collecting
on his fur. "Well, you could always change." He grinned, unperturbed by Anzu's
slightly cranky attitude. "After all, its never too late to teach an old dog new tricks."
Anzu sighed. "I am _not_ a dog!" She cried in an outraged voice, long feline
tail lashing out slightly in annoyance. Her twin, pointed ears flattened against her
skull to emphasize her irritation. "Why on earth did I come with you again?" She
complained, "I could have been sleeping."
"You say that every time!" Jounochi's flat canine-like muzzle wrinkled in
amusement. "Besides, this is really important."
Anzu rolled her cat-like eyes, shaking her head just slightly and causing some
of her almond-brown hair to rustle against her face. "Please. You say that everything
is important."
The two had continued walking now, all the time still merrily bickering with
each other, voices rebounding against the flat, bland landscape. There was a slight
early sun that bathed the slabs of concrete and metal in a yellowish tint, making them
glitter and shine rather delicately. Large pools of darkened rain-water were
transformed into crystal mirrors under the same sparkling influence.
It was the type of morning that made one wake up and forget about their
worries. Indeed, a peaceful and serene atmosphere seemed to have surrounded the
city, to the point where even the grim-faced statues' expressions softened to one of
acquiescence.
It was the type of morning that promised ignorance to the unsuspecting
residents of Hell City.
The two had walked a fair distance now, reaching a slight, rocky outcropping.
Tendrils of moss collected in the damper corners of the concrete, though most of the
ground was absent of vegetation.
There was a slight crowd circling a specific area, the masses of bodies large
and small alike covering the object of scrutiny. Jounochi, with the ever reluctant Anzu
trailing behind him, soon found himself at the edges of the crowd, barking out a few
questions every so often.
"So what is it?" The blonde-haired lycanthrope asked, directing his voice to
the general, muttering public.
The rat-humans simply glared at Jounochi, though a fellow wolf-human turned
around to answer.
"Some kid. He came to the city last night, and hasn't awoken since."
"What happened?" Anzu piped up, momentarily forgetting the tension that cat
and wolf-humans held for each other. She and Jounochi had been comrades - they
refused to be termed "friends" - for quite a while, so she viewed both species as
equals.
The wolf-human in question hesitated a moment before asking, shrugging
slightly.
"I'm not too sure. Something about the kid's grandfather. I think they were
attacked by _ it_ yesterday."
There was a hushed moment of silence. Everyone knew what _it_ meant,
though few dared to speak of it beyond a simple term. In the world of darkness and
fear, "it" was simply viewed as a normal, natural disaster, preying upon the ignorant
and undeserving. One could be alive one day, and mysteriously dead by nightfall.
"Then why is he still alive?" Jounochi scratched his head, blithely ignoring the
fear constricted by the previous word. "Don't most people who get attacked, well, you
know."
A nearby lizard-human hissed his laughter, long, forked tongue passing
slightly over his sharp eyeteeth. "Why do you think we're here?" Came the derisive
question.
Indeed the kid was drawing a growing crowd of attention, though he remained
blissfully unconscious. Finally, one of the smaller lizard-humans, unable to restrain its
curiousity, crept towards the sleeping figure, prodding him lightly with a pebbly
finger.
The small boy groaned just slightly before once again drifting into
unawareness.
Prod, prod. The lizard-human was just as persistent, finding a small amount of
amusement in trying to awaken the sleeping figure.
This time, the boy slowly opened his eyes, lashes fluttering rapidly in an
expression of confusion. Large, violet eyes gazed blankly at the world around him.
Where was he?
A ripple of hushed whispers and murmurs erupted from the watching crowd,
entranced eyes watching the boy in the center like a miraculous spectacle.
His small body trembled with apprehension at the strange figures around him.
Slowly, he lowered his eyes to the ground, covered slightly by his golden bangs.
"Oi, oi!" Shouted Jounochi, over the sea of excited, chattering voices. He
glared at the others. "Give some respect to the poor kid. He's probably scared out of
his wits because of you!"
Having said that, the blonde-haired wolf-human sauntered over to the small
boy, smiling at the small boy with a good-natured grin.
Naturally, the boy backed away as far as possible, upon seeing the large,
menacing golden-furred lycanthrope. A small whimper escaped from his throat.
"Hey, kid." Jounochi addressed the small boy. "I'm friendly, you know."
Somehow, the boy didn't look convinced. Slowly, he brought his eyes level
with Jounochi's face, regarding the lycanthrope with an expression of awe and fear.
"W-who are you?"
"The name's Jounochi, but you can call me Jou." The golden-haired wolf-
human responded. He tried to appear as non-threatening as possible, hunching his
back slightly to diminish his rather tall frame. "What's your's?"
The boy hesitated. He glanced once at Jounochi, and twice at the figures
around him. What was his name? Slowly, he closed his eyes, searching into the dark
recesses of his mind for the answer.
It was as if he was searching into a bottomless pit. Instead of the reassurance
and guidance of his memories, he encountered an impenetrable, bleak barrier. A
steady pool of disappointment and panic began to creep into his thoughts as he finally
realized the truth.
"I-I-" He suddenly felt so small, so alone. "…I can't remember." Tears began
collecting around his eyes, pooling at the rims like crystal pearls. They dribbled down
his cheek, staining his soft white skin.
"I can't remember!" The words came out in a half-desperate shout, as if
command alone could force the memories to return.
Jounochi regarded the boy with an incredulous stare. As gruff as the
lycanthrope might seem at first glance, Jounochi was actually a rather soft-hearted
individual. Now, the wolf-human laid his hand gently on the boy's shoulder, careful
not to let his thick nails pierce the boy's soft shoulders.
"It's alright." Jounochi soothed, smooth alto rumbling in reassurance. "You
don't have to remember."
The boy needed no further encouragement. He immediately broke down into
small, silent sobs, burying his head into the lycanthrope's soft, golden fur. Just the
strain of having lost everything he knew, having no memory of anything or anyone
was able to break his fragile shell of comfort. He was alone, and there was no one.
No one, save Jounochi. The lycanthrope's earthly-brown eyes softened to one
of slight understanding. And even when all the spectators had left, Jounochi stayed,
letting the boy sob his grief, letting the boy pour his shrouded sorrows to the
emptiness around him.
And finally, when the sun rose to the top of the sky with a vainglorious burst
of light, the boy stopped, staring at the world around him with large, silent, violet
eyes.
Anzu slowly made her way towards them, gently introducing herself before
the trio headed for the Shelter.
***********************************
The Shelter was not a single complex, but rather, a large sub-city of dwellings,
each one piled up, beside, under, and against the next. It was a rather ludicrous hive of
shelters, cleverly situated in a large, underground cave. There was a stiff lake of
blackened water to one side of the Shelter, and an unnatural field of mossy green
substance behind it. The walls of the cave emitted a slightly luminescent glow,
bathing everything in a mixture of contorted green and bleary yellow light.
The small boy stared at the sight in awe. For him, the Shelter was his first
impression of society. He shyly tugged Jounochi's loose, stringy pants to gain the
larger lycanthrope's attention.
"Jounochi…where are we?"
"Oh." Jounochi gave a sheepish grin, as Anzu simply sighed. "I forgot to tell
you, didn't I?" Not bothering for a reply, he continued. "This place here is called the
Shelter, and it's where most of us live."
The boy cocked his head to one side questioningly. "But why underground?
You could always build shelters outside."
This time, it was Anzu who replied, interrupting whatever Jounochi was about
to say with a subtle shake of her head. "It's safer underground. And this way, when it
rains, the water wont drip and flood our dwellings."
The boy simply nodded, accepting the rather feeble excuse. He continued to
tread on, eyes wandering all around him before suddenly coming to a stop at a thin
corridor beside him. The corridor was dark, dripping dankly, filled with a pungent,
muffled air.
~~ *~~
There were growls again. His head shot up towards the sound, body paralysed in
petrifaction.
They were coming for him.
He closed his eyes, finally letting his arms part the heavy shape once held so
protectively in his grasps. The blank eyes staring back at him only emphasized his
predicament. He was alone… and they were coming…
~~*~~
"Hey, kid!" Jounochi shouted, shaking the paralysed boy a few times to wake
him from his reverie. "Let's get going."
The boy shook his head, clearing his mind from the vivid image. He glanced
once more at the darkened corridor, but this time, it revealed nothing but a murky
emptiness once more. Eyebrows furrowed in confusion, the boy followed the rapidly
disappearing figures of Jounochi and Anzu once more.
"There we are!" Jounochi finally came to a stop at one of the openings. It was
on the third elevation, so that when one looked down, one good see a good expanse of
the cavern ground from beneath them. A narrow stretch of flat rock lay connected
each door to the next, sloped rather dangerously.
The golden-haired lycanthrope pulled out a crude, rectangular piece of dull
metal from one of his pant pockets, inserting the object in a matching slot engraved in
the door. The door opened with a resounding click.
Jounochi swung the door wide open as a blast of stagnant air rushed from the
room. "Welcome to my beloved abode." The golden-haired lycanthrope stated, rather
proudly.
"Excuse me?" Anzu interrupted, putting her hands on her hips. "_Your_
abode?"
The wolf-human gave a nervous chuckle. "Eh.. well… our abode then. Yeah."
He winced slightly as Anzu shot into the house, wincing once more as the feline-
human began complaining about the decrepit state of their house in front of a "guest".
Jounochi gestured to the boy, who was still standing by the doorframe, peering
inside rather hesitantly. "Eh, why don't you come in."
The boy nodded, slowly stepping inside. The dwelling was actually a single,
large room, with smaller extensions branching from the sides. A pile of dried straw
lay sprawled to one corner of the room, covered by a thin layer of patched-up faded
sheets. There was a crude hole representing a window, and the entire ground was
layered with a soft, green moss. Bits of unusual metals and twisted mechanisms lay
sprawled in a random fashion over the ground, most of it collected on a raised,
makeshift metallic table in the centre. More of the wiry substance lay arranged in
thick bulbs around the ceiling, some hanging like a stringy set of drapes.
Jounochi shuffled nervously as the boy stared around the room. "I guess I
forgot to clean up," The blonde-haired lycanthrope finally professed, "Though I
wasn't really expecting visitors of any sort."
However, the strange metallic contraptions sprawled around him fascinated
the boy. As his eyes located the various decorations, a pang of nostalgia hit him,
making him reel in confusion, head swarming incoherently. From the unconscious
recesses of his mind, a single word escaped from the boy's lips. Then, everything
disappeared, back into the impenetrable wall of blankness.
"What did you say?" Jounochi seemed confused.
"Game." Anzu was the one to reply in a soft, subdued voice, her sharp ears
able to pick off even the slightest sound. She turned her cat-like blue eyes towards the
boy. "He said, 'Game'." She repeated the word in an almost fearful reverence.
The boy frowned. That single word Anzu had mentioned seemed to open
another pipeline of flowing memories. They flashed through his mind in abstract
sequence, creating flashing, meaningless images. There, a strange, glowing, metallic
box. Here, the glitter of ruby-red eyes. That too, all disappeared.
His eyes flashed angrily in annoyance. "Why can't I remember?" The boy
asked, voice desperate and pleading. "I don't even know my name!"
Quietly, Jounochi comforted the boy, softening the child's anger with a
restraining paw. "Don't worry." He reassured once more, "It will come on its own."
The small boy shook slightly. His eyes radiated fear and apprehension, face
pale with both physical and mental exhaustion. "I want a name." He demanded, voice
rising and falling slightly to his muffled, controlled sobs. "I want to be _someone_."
"Fire."
The small boy looked at the lycanthrope in confusion. "Fire?" He repeated
Jounochi's single word.
Jounochi nodded, breaking into a fanged grin. "Fire! I think you should be
called 'Fire' for now. It suits you, with your vibrant hair style." Truly enough, the
blonde-haired wolf-human had never seen such peculiar hair, a combination of red,
black, and yellow. Perhaps it was to make up for the kid's inherently fur-less face?
The boy wrinkled his nose slightly in distaste.
Anzu chuckled. "I'm not surprised. 'Fire' is such an awful name, kind-of like
'Star' or 'Moon'." She clicked her tongue in disproval. "Such clichéd ideas, Jounochi.
Maybe you should let him decide on his name." Here, she was clearing referring to
the boy as "him".
He hesitated. "I'm not sure." Once again, the small boy tried wracking his
brain for memories, for anything that would link him to the past. He got nothing. "I-I
really don't know."
Suddenly, Jounochi brightened. "Game!" He exclaimed, as if the single word
was his utter moment of glory. "His name should be 'Game'!"
Anzu spluttered. She disliked the name from the start, and not only because of
its blunt meaning, but also because of what it implied. "Jounochi-" She began, voice
threatening.
"Actually, I like that." The boy interrupted. The single word seemed to spark
something from his cloud of fogged memories, a trigger to his uncertain past. "It's a
good name."
"Thought so." Jounochi looked triumphant, smirking over Anzu's scowling
face. "After all, he had mentioned the word 'Game', so he must feel some relationship
to it."
"But," Anzu protested, "We can't call him that. It's not a _good_ name," She
gestured silently with her hands to emphasize the meaning, though it was clear from
the flashing doubt and slight fear in her eyes what she meant.
"Oh." Jounochi's ears flattened against his skull. He thought for a moment,
scratching his chin. "Then what else, besides 'Game'?" The blonde-haired
lycanthrope ignored Anzu's slight flinch at the mention of the word. "The question
then becomes, what other word means game?"
"Yuugi." It was not Anzu who interrupted but the boy himself. He stared at
both Anzu and Jonouchi with resolute eyes. "I-I think Yuugi is another word for
game."
Anzu and Jounochi exchanged glances. Indeed, 'Yuugi' was a direct
translation of the word 'game', but in a language so archaic and old, only the eldest
scribes and remaining machinery (of which Jounochi hoarded endlessly) recalled such
context. It surprised the pair that someone so young as the boy would know such a
forgotten language.
Jounochi was the first to break the silence. "Well… so Yuugi it is!"
"Yes." He nodded, softening into a shy smile. "My name is Yuugi!"
*******************************
He gazed apprehensively at the sight in front of him. It was a shallow, rather
wide pit, dug rather crudely to the ground. Bubbling and frothing inside the ditch was
a rather unhealthy-looking layer of water.
"Come on, Yuugi." Jounochi urged, smiling encouragingly at the reluctant
boy. "It's not that bad!"
Yuugi shook his head, red-black hair rustling slightly. "I am not taking a bath
in _that_." The voice came out very firm and determined, surprising even himself.
Anzu had discreetly gone to the other room, to avoid any further
complications between different gender privacies.
"Here." Jounochi handed Yuugi a makeshift towel, a piece of cloth perforated
by one too many holes. "Just take off your cloak and wrap yourself around with this.
It'll make you feel better."
Yuugi finally consented, blushing slightly. He then quietly obliged the blonde-
haired lycanthrope's orders, unfastening the clasp around his cloak so that it fell to the
ground with a single shrug. The small boy then accepted the towel, wrapping it
around his waist, though he made no intention to move his faded shirt or pants
underneath.
Jounochi gave an involuntary hiss. All this time, the wolf-human had thought
that Yuugi had not arrived at maturing age, so that his fur was still soft and sleek,
covering only his body and upper arms like most hybrid cubs, and shrouded out of
sight by the thick, long cloak. There was a slight problem to that theory.
Yuugi had _no_ fur. Not even a speck on his bare, ivory-smooth arms, and
definitely none protruding from where his back met the fabric covering of his shirt.
And most of all, the boy lacked a tail. There was no bump, or slight protrusion
extending from his spine, but rather, absolutely nothing. Yuugi's back was perfectly
smooth, body beautifully erect, knees unbent.
Jounochi's eyes widened like saucers. He spluttered a few times, trying to get
the feeling of his tongue back into his mouth, but no words came out but a garbled
sense of gibberish. The boy - he was-!
From the corner of his eyes, Yuugi felt Jounochi's gaze. It wasn't a pleasant
stare, slightly leery and too analytical. The small boy, knees half-in the bathtub,
turned his face towards the hybrid lycanthrope's.
"W-what's wrong?"
A shadow of doubt crossed the boy's expression. Had he done something
wrong? Did Jounochi not like him? Maybe, maybe he was intruding…
But Jounochi, calm, complacent Jounochi, only shook his partially furred
head. "No, its nothing, Yuugi." He muttered, trying to retain his calm and reassuring
tone. "Nothing at all."
Yuugi gave the other one more suspicious glance before crawling into the
water. The liquid was warm to the touch, and oddly pleasant, creating a soothing air
of relaxation. The boy immediately felt his mind drift, wandering in a blissful plane of
comfort, suddenly dead to the world around him.
And Jounochi, sensing that he was no longer needed, slipped out of the door,
walking jerkily towards Anzu.
********************************
"You're sure?"
Anzu looked at Jounochi with dubious, disturbed eyes. "If this is some prank,
Jounochi, it's not very funny."
But the blonde-haired lycanthrope's face was dead serious. "I'm positive. I
swear that it's true. No _hybrid_ could have such…"
Anzu shook her head. "That's impossible!" She repeated, muttering the word
over and over. "Most of their kind died of centuries ago! They should have ceased
existing."
"Should have, could have, would have." Jounochi muttered sourly. "What
matters now is that he _is_ one of them, and most likely the last."
"The last." Anzu repeated, biting her lip. "It just…its so…" Her voice trailed
off slightly.
"How would if you feel if you were him?" Jounochi demanded. "Unable to
remember who you are, unaware of your predicament, heck, even unaware of your
power, your potential."
Anzu's shrouded eyes opened at an alarming rate. "You can't tell him!" She
hissed, voice urgent. "He mustn't know! It's too dangerous for him!"
"I care about him too!" Jounochi protested. "I just think that you're being too
overprotective. If he really is destined for this, then we should try and help him, not
hinder him. After all, this is the only chance we have, if he is truly the last…"
"I don't care!" Anzu shouted. "You are not risking any _live_ individual, even
if he is _that_ type of individual, against… against… _it_!"
It. The single phrase that every living hybrid feared. Yes, it was because of
this force that humans died off so easily.
For Grandpa, "it" had been the glowing-red eyes, the shadow creatures
haunting him until death.
For Jounochi and Anzu, "it" was the consistent daily fear that everyone lived
through, the nameless phenomena who derived pleasure through its dark Games of
death. Yes, in the Games, "it" would attack, and kill the unaware.
And for Yuugi…. Yuugi had no clue. He did not remember, and he was yet
unaware of it.
… Which only complicated matters further for the two hybrids. True,
Jounochi and Anzu could inform Yuugi of "it", tell the boy to fight against the evil
like so many of his same-species predecessors had done, and see if he survived
afterwards. But it was a brutal gamble, and an even more dubious Game. The odds of
Yuugi winning against an ageless master of the Game were less than one percent.
And it didn't help that Yuugi was the only one. Or the last.
"Shit." Jounochi murmured, slamming his fist against the metallic tabletop.
"Holy crap. We spend every bit of our existence wishing for someone - something -
that will end _it_ and we finally get a chance." The blonde-haired lycanthrope gazed
at Anzu with a sour expression. "Only, we're talking about someone who has no
memory, no experience, and possibly, no courage! It's sheer murder!"
Anzu shook her head sadly. "Yuugi is not an option. True, he may be the last-"
And here, her voice lowered to a bare whisper -"_human_, but we cannot take
advantage of him this way."
"Feh." The blonde lycanthrope glared at the other in disdain. "Humans. Look
what they did to us." He held up his hand, covered in thick, golden fur. His handsome
face seemed demonic, twisted into a short snout, canines protruding from the tips of
his mouth. "What the hell happened? Why are we so freakishly different?"
"I wish I knew." Anzu stared at Jounochi with her sad, feline eyes. "We must
have evolved for some reason in the past." She sighed, azure eyes clouding over in
regret, "We haven't lost intelligence, and actually have gained the strengths of our
counterpart animals. But what I don't understand is why can we not see the Game?
Why can we not play the Game?"
"Hybrids." A single word. "We're hybrids, a mix, a defect. We don't have the
purity in our genes to sustain an entire human-made reality like the Game. It would
kill us before we even started." Jounochi's tone seemed to have delved into a deeper
bitterness.
Another pause.
"Well." Anzu finally spoke up. She stopped, realizing what she was about to
say with an expression of despair.
"Life will continue as it is." Jounochi sighed. "Let the Games handle
themselves. As long as we avoid them, we should be safe."
Both hybrids continued speaking, unaware of the pair of amethyst eyes hiding
in the shadows, listening to the conversation with a rapt awareness. There were
glittering tears that stained his fair face, tears which dribbled and fell silently on the
mossy ground. But otherwise, he could have been invisible.
********************************
"Yuugi?"
The small boy looked up, his silent reverie pierced by the softened voice. He
stared at Jounochi mutely for a few moments, just watching the other's actions as the
lycanthrope paced uneasily across the room.
Suddenly, the boy spoke out. "I want to leave." It was a deliberate resolution,
and he forced his eyes to gaze firmly and levelly at Jounochi's.
The blonde-haired hybrid was taken by surprise. "Leave?" Puzzlement then
fear flashed across his features. "But why?" He finally spluttered.
"You don't want me." Yuugi stated the blunt obvious. "I'm a danger to your
safety. You said so yourself."
"When did…" Jounochi trailed off as realization dawned upon his expression.
"You…!" He began to accuse, but then held it back, lest he would further offend the
small boy.
"I don't belong here." Yuugi continued. "I know that. Even if I can't
remember anything, I _know_ that there is a place for me, a task, something I need to
achieve." His resolute eyes turned toward the other's. "And if you are going to keep
me in your protective shell, hindering my task, then I will have to leave. I cannot keep
living my life in this make-belief sancturary."
The boy spoke with wisdom beyond his ages. That much Jounochi was
immediately able to conclude.
"Yuugi." He began, mind scrambling for the right words. "It isn't that easy.
There's a great danger that lies out there, unstoppable and impossible to defeat. Once
you leave the Shelter, _it_ will see you and hunt you down."
"I don't care!" Yuugi shouted angrily. Once again frustrated tears began to
brim around his eyes. "If you won't tell me what this threat is, then I'll just deal with
it myself!" His childish voice cracked slightly with emotion.
The blonde-haired lycanthrope now saw the message clearly in the boy's
shimmering, violet eyes. They were the eyes of a haunted soul, but more, the eyes of
the destined; the determined; the resolute. And, just staring into those eyes, Jounochi
came to the single, dreaded conclusion.
Yuugi was the one.
And he was their only chance.
The blonde-haired hybrid sighed, a tone of one who has finally come to accept
their burden of fate. "I'll help you." His voice sounded hollow and detached, as if
someone else was talking. "I'll help you achieve your destiny."
*****************************
Jounochi, Anzu, and Yuugi were currently situated on the table, staring at a
map made of some indistinguishable material, though Jounochi persistently claimed
that it was something called "Plastik (TM)", probably after an ancient deity of sorts.
"So, here's the plan." Jounochi stated, outlining certain segments on the map
with his blunt foreclaw. "The only one who knows any information about humans is
Seto Kaiba, a cyber-droid able to access the Game."
Yuugi was confused. "If Seto can play this Game you keep on talking about,
why doesn't he defeat _it_?"
"He doesn't quite work like that." Anzu finally stated, ignoring Jounochi's
suddenly sour face. "Cyber-droids are cloned humans made partially of machinery,
and they are programmed to only have indirect access to the Game. That means that
even though they see and manipulate the Game, they are programmed against actually
playing."
Then, it suddenly dawned on Yuugi. "You said that only _humans_ can play
the Game, so _it_ must be human!"
Jounochi and Anzu cast their eyes to the ground, fiddling uncomfortably.
"I believe _was_ is the better term." Anzu said. "We-we don't really know
much about it, save the fact that it has been here since forever, living like a natural
virus. _Its_ initial purpose was to destroy humans, though again the reason is hidden
to us. All that we know now is that it comes and goes in waves, able to appear in any
form, able to deceive any one. For it is not a single individual but a network of lost
souls, bonding together to form a pattern of ultimate destruction."
"Hate. Greed. Jealousy." Jounochi continued. "Fear. _It_ lives off these
elements. It has no enemies, because in a single flash, it can destroy anything he
wants."
"Yes." Anzu confirmed. "Anything could become its victim." She turned
towards Yuugi, eyes just as cold and serious. "Do you know why you're so important
to us, Yuugi? You are our last chance. For its only weakness is the ones it seeks to
annihilate completely."
Yuugi was slightly confused. "But I am a human. I am weaker than you, and I
don't have any magical abilities. Why would I be special?"
Anzu and Jounochi exchanged momentary glances.
Finally, Jounochi spoke up. "Yuugi, let me tell you about the Game…"
**************************************
Tomor row.
Yuugi looked up at the darkened rock ceiling, resting his hands under his
head. His mind was swarming with everything Jounochi and Anzu had explained, and
even some they hadn't. He could read their expressions, see the hidden messages in
their eyes, though it was a gift best kept secret.
And then, there was the Game.
Even now, Yuugi was confused about the concept. What exactly was the
Game? According to Anzu and Jounochi, it was like a virtual reality, a different world
altogether, controlled only by mental will. Well, mental _human_ will, since the
Game was originally created by humans. But then, Jounochi and Anzu's had radiated
sheer reluctance and fear at the mention of the word.
Was this fear created by the nameless entity lurking inside the Game, able to
twist the Game's reality into true reality to destroy all in its reach? Or was there
something else about this Game? Something… beyond fear.
Whatever it was, Yuugi found himself embracing it with a grim determination.
His destiny was set. Even if nothing else remained in his empty, hollow mind, a
continuous, instinctive urge drove him on. It was as if the Game was calling him,
waiting for his presence. And though Yuugi was nowhere near ready, he was
prepared.
He would come.
****************************************
Clunk. Clatter.
Yuugi fumbled with another segment, tracing its outline with an absent finger
before placing it thoughtfully in the imagined space.
Click. With a resounding snap, the oddly shaped piece connected together,
forming an indistinguishable, growing mass of dull, metallic gold.
It was Jounochi who had found the box in the first place, left behind in folds
of Yuugi's cloak. The box had sparkled with familiarity the moment it was presented.
Click. Another piece fell into place. It was aggravating to not know what
exactly drove the familiarity or why the box meant so much to him. Yet, it was
enough to drive his curiousity and determination.
Yuugi glanced momentarily at the box, admiring its intricate golden design
one more time. The single eye patterned in the center seemed to smile at him, just
slightly. The lid was of said box was currently open, revealing several jumbled, oddly
arranged contents inside.
A puzzle. It was a box with a puzzle.
Which, ironically, had presented the most concrete information Yuugi had
about it.
Snap. Click..
Yet another piece fell in place. Yuugi sighed - every piece that spontaneously
connected seemed to bring alive a flicker of memory. Something from this puzzle was
pulling at his heart, beckoning him to complete its pieces.
The eerie glowing walls of the gigantic cavern outside illuminated one face of
the half-complete puzzle. Each piece was melded together in undistinguishable
perfection, glittering with uniformity. Vague streaks of morning sunlight shot from
the slight holes in the cavern, a confirmation of the beauty outside.
And yet, he was here, hiding from the opponent. One day, he would be ready,
and would gamble his life against its oppressive power. But now, now he would wait.
He would gather information and build upon his strengths. That was the true meaning
of power.
Now, there was only one last piece left. It lay, almost sulking inside the box, a
single piece that broke the uniform design. On its face lay a single, golden eye, like
the one decorating the box.
Yuugi took the piece in his hands, turning it over and inspecting it curiously.
Something was different about this single piece, though it was an intuitive feeling,
barely explainable.
The small boy then looked at the puzzle. It was only missing one piece, shaped
in a perfect pyramid. There was a slight loop at the base, just large enough to slip a
rope through the center of the hole and wear it like a bulky pendant of sorts.
It was almost disappointing, to be finished such an intricate and complex ritual
so quickly. Yuugi placed the last piece of the puzzle into the center, pressing it down
with his finger so that it gave a firm click.
There. He was finished. With a triumphant sigh of relief, Yuugi held out the
puzzle, gazing appreciatively at its elegantly angled shape. His finger once again
traced over the single eye in the center, noting how smoothly the protruding metal
melded with the flattened sides.
"You need a name." Yuugi mused, thinking aloud. He then giggled slightly as
he realized to whom - or rather, what, - he was addressing to. The boy brought the
puzzle towards his face, staring at it at eye level. "I'm tempted to call you 'Jou', cause
your colour is just as golden as Jounochi's hair."
Yuugi could have sworn the puzzle's eye flashed in indignation.
At that moment, the door swung open, revealing a rather exhausted-looking
Jounochi. He stumbled into the room, shaking his head slightly so that his fur and hair
stuck out like a fluff ball. Anzu followed him silently inside, disgusted face
expressing her current attitude towards the other.
"Good news, Yuug." Jounochi drawled, slurring Yuugi's name. He the smiled,
lolling his tongue out, like the canine he represented. "We found someone who will
bring you to Seto."
In the way Jounochi mentioned Seto's name, it was as if the golden-haired
lycanthrope detested said person. Yuugi said nothing, though.
"Well, get on your cloak." Jounochi continued. "We'll escort you there, but
after that, you're on your own, buddy."
Anzu elbowed Jounochi in the ribs. "What he means is that we can't come
with you. Apparently, this Seto individual prefers to keep his hiding location in secret,
even from us."
Yuugi gazed apprehensively at the two. "But, will I come back?" His voice
betrayed his reluctance.
Jounochi put a comforting hand on Yuugi's shoulder. The blonde
lycanthrope's hand was warm, slightly sweaty to the touch. "As long as I'm alive, kid,
I'll make sure you do." He then winked good-naturedly, not wanting to scare the boy.
Yuugi nodded, fetching his cloak from the makeshift coat-rack while still
holding the puzzle in one hand.
"Hey, you finished it!" Jounochi exclaimed. The blonde-haired hybrid's sharp
eyes immediately noticed the loop protruding from the top of the pyramid-shaped
puzzle. "Here, let me get a cord for you. Then, you can tie it on and wear it."
Anzu frowned, disapprovingly. "Isn't it a little bulky?" She commented, eying
the puzzle suspiciously. There was an unconscious bubble of enigma surrounding the
puzzle, one that slightly disconcerted the feline-human.
"Nah." Jounochi disappeared into the other room, returning a few moments
later with a thick, fibrous cord. "There ya go!" His hands deftly wound the cord
around the loop of the puzzle, pulling a final knot in place to join the ends together.
Smiling, Yuugi murmured a shy thanks. He put the offered object on, feeling
the cord slip over his head, its cold touch biting his neck just slightly. The puzzle was
slightly heavy, hanging just at chest-level. It seemed to glitter for a slight moment,
though no one noticed; they were all too absorbed in leaving.
"All right!" Jounochi rubbed his hands together. "Let's go!"
Even under the thick folds of his cloak, Yuugi could feel the strange metal of
the puzzle, jangling against his chest and pulling at his heart.
***************************************