Isolation 007
Time felt slow for both the young dancer and the nameless pharaoh. Duel after duel was done throughout the tournament with Yugi being the winner once more. Even Kaiba didn’t seem too upset about Yugi winning the tournament. After all, it was just a simple tournament to do some publicity for Kaiba’s business. What surprised the young duelist the most was when the pharaoh was out to duel. He would take his place as he usually did, but once the duel was over, he would disappear once more back into puzzle. He did catch that during the duel, the young pharaoh would browse to the side. The young dancer was always there, watching the duel with her arms wrapped around her body. There would be no expression upon her face, and as soon as the duel was done, she would turn and walk away.
It already had been a week since the tournament ended. Things seemed to be back to normal. However, that is where everything was wrong. While the young dancer seemed like she was back to her normal cheerful self, Yugi knew that wasn’t completely true. He saw each morning the sadness in her eyes, but especially when he caught her staring at the Millennium Puzzle. Glancing to the side also acknowledge what he was thinking, too. The spirit stood, arms crossed with a glaring look in his eyes, as he stared at the young woman.
“The weatherman said this storm was probably going to be worse than the last one,” said Joey as he took a bite of his sandwich. The group was currently hanging out at the rundown building.
Tristan nodded as he took a drink, “Ya, I have already seen people on the boardwalk putting boards over their windows. No idea when the storm will hit, but they are making sure to be prepared.”
“It’s going to be soon. You can tell by the clouds and the shift in the wind,” stated Joey as he glanced out. Already dark clouds were forming on the horizon.
Yugi was sitting silent beside his friends, but he could tell what was on the pharaoh’s mind. A similar storm like what the weatherman is predicting cause emotions to be revealed and a complicated problem of isolation to happen. Was there any chance of theses complications to be solved? Will the young dancer finally smile or at least look at her friends? Yugi knew that both the pharaoh and the girl had feelings for each other. He just didn’t know how to fix a problem that was so isolated.
Just as Yugi was thinking about the young dancer, said dancer and Joey’s little sister walked into the area of the rundown building. They were whispering to each other and completely ignored whatever Tristan and Joey were saying to them. Occasionally, Yugi would catch Tea looking towards him and down at the puzzle, but she would quickly glance away and continue her conversation.
Yugi looked over at the crumbling wall. The pharaoh sat with one leg bent and the other straight. He had one arm draped over the bent leg while the other laid across his body. Occasionally, he would glance in the direction of the young dancer, but then just shake his head before turning to stare out at the scenery before them.
It was only a couple of hours later when the young dancer stood, stretching her arms. “I better head home. I don’t want to be caught out in the storm when it hits,” said Tea as she turned and started walking away from the group while waving goodbye at the same time.
“Tea are you really going to continue this?” called out Yugi. His question was out of the blue. Joey, Tristan, and even Serenity all looked at him wondering where he was leading with this question.
Tea stopped a few steps away before wrapping his arms around her waist. “It’s probably for the best. You know as much as I do, Yugi. He doesn’t want any attachments. We don’t know what is going to happen when he finds his lost memories or when he duels next. This is probably for the best.”
“But you love him.”
Tea nodded, “Yes, but keeping my distance will help. He can focus on his task, and I can try going on living. It hurts now, but I know it is only temporarily.”
“Tea, haven’t you learned anything since the pharaoh has been with us?” asked Joey as he stood and walked over to the young dancer. He placed his hand upon her shoulder causing her to look up. “He does everything because he cares about us. He might be searching, but that isn’t going to stop him from doing what he normally does.”
“You just don’t get it?” yelled Tea as she stepped away and turned, her arms going wide. “I’ve tried explaining this to him. He duels every time. During Battle City, I watched him take a blow for you, duel Kaiba and Marik all to protect us. What happens if he loses? I can’t handle that.” The young dancer shook her head and dropped her arms, tears burning behind her closed eyes.
Joey chuckled as he walked over, stopping in front of the young woman. “That’s why you love him so much. The pain of being apart, it isolates you so much from just letting go.”
“Wow, Joey,” stated Tristan as he glanced at the blonde boy.
“What? It’s true,” he replied.
Tristan laughed. “It’s not that. It’s just you said something smart for once.”
Joey turned towards Tristan, placing his hands into fists upon his hips. “I can be smart occasionally.”
The rundown building was soon echoing with laughter. Yugi glanced over to where the spirit was sitting before but noticed that he was no longer there. He tried contacting him in the puzzle, but there was no answer. He even looked over at the young dancer and even though she was smiling, he could tell that her smile was only a façade.
When clouds started to cover the horizon, the small group of friends decided it was probably best to head home. Serenity went to walk with Tea with Joey and Tristan following from behind. Yugi stayed behind hoping to speak with the pharaoh, but after a few tries, he found that the spirit was in no mood and soon started heading home himself.
****
It was already late in the evening. The weatherman was still predicting the storm. No one knew when the storm was coming, but the clouds on the horizon showed that it would be soon. Yugi was currently sitting in his room. The pharaoh finally appeared an hour after he arrived. He was currently sitting on the window seat staring out into the horizon. There were no words spoken between the young duelist and the ancient spirit, but Yugi had a feeling he knew what the spirit was thinking. It wasn’t hard especially after the conversations both heated and sad were thrown back and forth between the pharaoh and the dancer. He just didn’t have a solution for them.
“Yugi, phone call,” yelled Yugi’s grandfather from downstairs.
Yugi took one more look at the pharaoh before running out of the room. “Hello,” said Yugi as he took the phone from his grandfather.
“Hey Yug, Serenity wants to know if you heard from Tea lately,” asked Joey on the other end.
“No. She isn’t really talking to me.”
Yugi heard Joey sigh on the other end. “Strange. Usually she answers her phone especially if Serenity is calling.”
Yugi pulled the phone down and leaned his head back against the wall. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the pharaoh sitting upon a few steps. “I’ll go over and see if everything is okay,” replied Yugi. Why was the young dancer avoiding Joey’s sister? Something just didn’t add up. “I’ll let you know if I find something.”
Yugi hung the phone up and quickly ran to explain to his grandfather what was happening. The pharaoh was already leaning against another wall with his arms cross over his chest. “Do you think she is avoiding everybody now,” he asked as Yugi came around the corner.
Yugi shook his head. “I don’t know. However, I do know this much. You both have caused a lot of problems.”
Yami eyes went wide. “I did no such thing,” he stated quickly, dropping his arms to his side.
Yugi just shook his head and walked out of the Game Shop. He quickly started walking down the street towards Tea’s home. The pharaoh was beside him trying to get him to stop. Finally, Yugi stopped and turned towards him. “She loves you, and you tell her no to attachments. It is destroying her. Yes, there is a chance a lot can happen, but that doesn’t mean you give up. Just like in Duel Monsters, you never give up. You just have to trust the heart of the cards.”
Yami stood, eyes wide and mouth open as he watched the young duelist begin to run down the street. Was he wrong what he said? He was a spirit, not long for this world. Was it fair for him to enjoy the pleasures of life or should he remain isolated from the feelings that ravel inside him? Yami had an answer, but it was an answer that scared him.
Yugi arrived at Tea’s house. He knocked on the door and watched as Tea’s mother answered. “Tea? She went down to the boardwalk, but that was a couple of hours ago. Why?”
“We’ve been trying to get a hold of her. Thank you, Mrs. Gardner,” replied Yugi as he walked away from the house.
“She wasn’t home?” asked Yami.
Yugi shook his head as he walked over to the crossroad, one leading in the direction of the boardwalk. Something didn’t feel right. He doesn’t know why or how, but ever since he got off the phone with Joey, something just didn’t sit right with him. “You sense something, don’t you?” asked Yugi.
Yami shook his head. “I am not sure what it is, but I know something isn’t right.”
Yugi closed his eyes, allowing the puzzle to glow. Yami was soon standing where the young duelist once stood. “I’m not talking to her. You are. You need to clear things up with her.” Yami wasn’t given a chance. The young duelist disappeared leaving the pharaoh alone with his thoughts. He continued walking towards the boardwalk and the location where he had a small hunch that the young dancer would be located at.
****
The water was lapping against the pillars of the pier as the dark grey storm clouds appeared even closer than before. The young dancer stood leaning against the rail looking out at the vast sea and the incoming storm. Her hair was blowing in the wind, and the young pharaoh could see moisture upon her face. He walked slowly down the pier, stopping on a few steps away.
“What are you doing here,” Tea asked softly.
“Yugi was worried. Joey called saying Serenity couldn’t get a hold of you,” responded Yami as he walked to stand beside the young dancer.
The young dancer glanced at her side. The pharaoh stood leaning his back against the rail facing towards the boardwalk with his arms crossed over his chest. She sighed deeply before turning to look back out at the dark sea. “I see. I’m sorry for making them worry. I’ll return home and call them.”
Yami raised his head towards the sky, closing his eyes, and breathed deeply. “I think it’s time we talked.” There was no emotion as he spoke.
Tea shook her head as tears began to burn within her cerulean eyes. Swallowing hard, she stared out before turning with a solid look in her eyes. “I think you said enough. You didn’t want any attachments? Well, you got your answer. Sure, I am scared about what might happen to you, but I will ignore the feelings that come with it.”
The young dancer pushed away from the rail and started walking away. Her arms were wrapped around her body. She held a strong pose as she took each step, trying to ignore the feelings that were racing through her. The pharaoh didn’t allow her to get far, though. He quickly turned and reached for her arm. She shook her head, but he pulled her towards him grabbing her other arm. “Damn it, I said attachments were not a good idea because of who I am, not that I didn’t fucking want them.”
The young dancer brought her knee up, kicking him where she knew would hurt but also get the point across. She watched as the young man hissed venomously as he dropped down to his knees. Tea was breathing hard as she glared down at him, her hands in tight fists. “You just don’t get it,” yelled Tea heatedly. “If you do anything, there is a chance I could lose you. I cannot deal with that type of pain. So, screw the attachments. You don’t have to worry about me caring anymore.”
Yami growled deeply in his throat causing the young dancer to jump. “And you don’t think I like the very thought of losing you. Damn woman, you have no fucking idea.”
Tea’s eyes were wide as she slowly backed away from the young pharaoh. He was bent over, breathing hard, but when she saw the look in his eyes, she couldn’t help a small squeak to escape her lips as she turned and began running down the pier. She knew he was behind her. The sound of his feet as he pushed from the ground were echoing louder as she turned down one of the many streets.
Tea quickly dipped down an alley and pressed her back against the cold bricks of the building, hoping to hide in the shadows. She didn’t understand why she was so afraid of him, but something about the way he stared at her, it made her skin crawl.
The young dancer stared in the direction that she ran from. Her breathing was coming in the pants as she began carefully walking backwards. Following the wall, she took steps one at a time before she felt something behind her, causing her to freeze in one spot.
“I would never hurt you.” His voice was smooth, but there was a hint of darkness laced with each word. The young dancer turned quickly. The pharaoh stood with his arms crossed over his chest. Beads of sweat were running down the side of his face. He stared at her with a strange, demonic look in his eyes. The young dancer quickly turned away, but he reached out grabbing her tight upon her arm. “Not this time.”