Visitor

By Tara B Amy

Here's some new piece for you to enjoy. I really like it and that is a surprising fact, because I didn't like much of the things I wrote over the last weeks – even months. That's why the updates are currently rather lacking -.- But I have the feeling it gets better now, yay!!

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! doesn't belong to me and I don't make any profit with my story.

Enjoy!

Summary: Yami x Yugi, Seto x Jou; AU. It's normal for people of other dimensions to visit the earth for vacation. On a school project to learn something about those people, Yugi gets to meet Yami, who is quite different to all he has ever known.

---

People coming from other dimensions were nothing new to the ones living on earth. Everyone had heard of them, everyone had met one of them – if only once. Those strangers loved to visit them, behaving like tourists in an unfamiliar land, making pictures, learning, having fun.

The first reaction toward them had been fear, but after the people on earth soon had discovered that there was no danger coming from the them, they were accepted, even welcomed and introduced to their world.

After many years of living together with them, there was finally created an institute to get and save as much information about them as possible – the Institute of New, Strange and Unearthly Discoveries. And at that one building our somewhat weird story shall begin...

---

Yugi yawned, dragging his heavy bag with him, followings his schoolmates. Jou beside him looked exactly how he felt: bored.

"I wanna go home," Jou whined quietly, at the same time trying to bring his archenemy to fall by sticking his foot out into his way. Kaiba just sent him a dark look and avoided the foot easily, striding on, being his confident and ever so unfazed self. All the others were battered and tired. But not so Seto Kaiba.

"Me too, Jou." Yugi answered in a whisper. "All this is absolutely ridiculous. The name alone says it all."

"Institute of New, Strange and Unearthly Discoveries..." Jou snickered. "They must'a been drunk or something!" They reached a door and the teacher leading their group turned around to them, while they went in.

"This, children," the teacher explained happily, never once having stopped babbling since they had reached the institute to take a breath. "is the library of the Institute of New, Strange and Unearthly Discoveries! Here you'll find everything concerning the different races of the 'Visitors'. Who can tell me more about them?"

Now she paused and no one raised his hand, though everyone knew the answer. After all they were raised in a world full of those 'Visitors'. How were they supposed to not know?

"Come, on, children!" The smile on Mrs Izumi's face never wavered, but her eyebrows furrowed dangerously. Now everyone hurried to grant her the answer. "Ah, I knew it! Yes, Ryou?"

The shy boy looked down to the floor. "They are people who come from other dimensions. Visiting other dimensions is their kind of vacation. It's a common tradition in other worlds, since they have the technology, but less nature left."

"Good." The teacher's eyebrows rose back up again, disappearing under her thick black mob of hair and everyone sighed in relief. "While we are in town this week, this place will be there for you to get information. You'll have to create groups of three people now and each group will have to do research on three different races of Visitors. Work out the differences to our own race, their politics, their economy and culture. Then write a report about the advantages and disadvantages of their social systems – using the human race as a comparison. Today I'll give you the names of the races and you'll try to get as much information about them as you can. I want to see a progress report tomorrow morning after breakfast. Later today we'll all eat out at the local vegetarian restaurant and then finally drive to our hotel, your new home for the week. Any questions? Any complaints?" She didn't seem to hear the groans her pupils emitted, the twinkle in her eyes never fading. Only her eyebrows furrowed slightly again. The class fell silent immediately and the signs of bad temper vanished from her features. "Fine, start now!"

Yugi heard Jou uttering a curse and nodded as a questioning look was sent his way. Now they were two, but who would be the third in their group? He looked around for Honda, but the other boy seemed to already be in a group with Ryou and Anzu.

"Who's gonna be working with us?" Jou questioned, unhappy to not be able to work with both of his closest friends, Yugi and Honda.

"I don't know." Yugi shrugged. "Maybe we could ask Hanasaki..." He was interrupted by their teacher who stood above them now with a stack of sheets in her hands.

"Are all of you in a group?" Mrs Izumi asked sweetly. "What about you, Seto?"

"There's no need for you to put me into a group." The CEO snorted haughtily. "I'll manage on my own just fine."

"I'm sorry, but that will not be possible." There her temper was again. Seto cringed slightly, not as much as to be seen by someone who didn't know him, but Yugi noticed it. "There are thirty people here. Thirty people, ten groups. Ten and not eleven. Now go find yours."

The brown haired boy growled, but eventually nodded. "Of course, Mrs Izumi."

Yugi watched as his eyes scanned the crowd of students until they came to a rest on the only group not having their third member yet. Yugi grinned nervously as Kaiba's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Whassup?" Jou asked, confused now. "Ya look terrified, Yug'." Then he turned to see what had caused his friend's distress just to see Seto Kaiba approaching them. "Oh, no..." His face went pale with the dawning understanding.

"Stuck with the loser-team." Kaiba sneered as soon as he reached them. "Well, then let's make the rules clear."

"Kaiba, you-"Jou gritted his teeth, insults already waiting to be thrown at the other teen, but Kaiba spoke up before he could even get one blow in.

"First: You will leave the work to me." The brown haired teen was all business. "I don't want you to have your curious noses in my business or to mess with the information you research. Second: Stay out of my way and don't talk to me if you don't have to say anything close to intelligent." He shot Jou a glare. "Which will mean that you, mutt, won't talk at all. Third: Do not at any cost touch my poverty. Is that all understood?"

Two glares were the answer, but only the third one coming from behind Kaiba made his superior expression fall.

"Seto, dear?" The voice of their teacher chimed in cheerfully. Kaiba's fist clenched tighter around the handle of his briefcase. "You three are working together peacefully, I suppose? You all do get along?" Her angelic face held a hidden edge of fierceness.

"Just fine," Seto drawled. "We are working... together..."

The woman smiled, satisfied with the affirmation for now and pushed a few of the pages from the stack she still held in her arms into Jou's hands. "I see. You three get along perfectly. The tasks you get to work on are listed on the worksheets, just to remind you in case you didn't listen to anything I told you over the last three days at school. Or a few minutes ago. There will be a few notes to help you as well." Her eyes lasted on Jou a few seconds, then she abruptly held out a bag. "Draw out one of the snippets now. On it you will find the races you get to work on."

The three teenagers stared at each other for a moment, their eyes daring the others to move. As Yugi could see one eye of Mrs Izumi twitch slightly though, he immediately stepped forward and grabbed one of the pieces of paper from the bag.

"Great!" The woman's smile broadened. "Have fun and do not damage the books. They are the only ones existing and thus very rare. Get one scratch on them and you'll pay." Nodding she turned around and walked over to the next group. She left behind three very scared teenagers.

---

"Can't you get your own table to sit at?" Kaiba asked as Yugi and Jounouchi approached him, not once looking up from his laptop. "Your presence is not required right now."

Jou slammed a heavy book down onto the table angrily, making the computer jump slightly on the wooden surface. "Didn't ya listen ta Mrs Izumi at all? We're supposed ta work together, ya moron!"

"I'm sure even you don't need my help while reading a book." Then Kaiba's scowl changed to one of his trademark smirks. "If the common words are too complicated for your simple mind to understand, ask your dear friend."

"Bastard." Jou sat down defiantly and Yugi followed him a bit more hesitant. Then they started to work, they all looking through the books and making notes.

"Jerk," Kaiba shot over the table at the blonde, typing something down all the while.

"Idiot." Jou turned a page, gnawing on his pencil, concentrating on the text he read.

"Dog." Kaiba stopped typing, pulling the book he worked on closer to himself. "Stop slobbering onto your pencil. It's a bad habit."

"S'not your business," the blond teenager mumbled, the anger long lost, answering automatically while reading. "Money-grubbing toff."

"Low-class oaf." The CEO wrote something down on a note, then went back to typing at an unmatched speed. "Stop eating it already."

"I don' eat it, ya arrogant git!" Jou looked up for a second, glaring, then continued reading, this time without chewing on the pencil.

"I think you are badly in need for a doggy-bone," Kaiba smirked, but kept his eyes on the monitor. "There are even some cleaning your teeth. Every dog loves them."

"I hate them and I hate ya." The blonde kicked his enemy under the table. Kaiba flinched in surprise and pain, then returned the favour with a sharp look.

"You don't say, dog." he smirked darkly as Jou winced.

"Could you two stop bickering, please?!" A strained voice asked furiously. The two turned their heads to Yugi, who seemed to have difficulties working.

"Bickering?" Kaiba obviously didn't like to be referred to as immature and petty. His blue eyes were fixed on the smallest of them now, clearly saying 'Take that back'.

"Yes, please stop that." Yugi returned to his book and left the two other boys to their glaring-contest. Jou started kicking again and received Kaiba's revenge straight after that. Of course Jou wouldn't let it drop like that. He kicked again. After all he was stubborn... but so was Kaiba.

"Hey, you hit me!!" Yugi cried, almost toppling over with his chair.

"Oh, sorry, pal," Jou smiled, apologising. "Didn't mean to."

"You two are so childish." Yugi huffed. "We'll never get done anything at that rate."

He yelped as a foot hit him again, but this time it was not Jou's.

"I'm not childish in any way." The CEO turned away angrily, now continuing his work.

An amused chuckle resounding directly beside them but belonging to someone not sitting at their table aroused their attention and their heads snapped around, searching for the intruder. Their eyes landed in a boy their age, clad in a strange black cloak, ornamented belts attached to it, fastened around his waist and arms. His hair and eyes were the most outstanding characteristic though. His hair was three-coloured, a mixture of purple, black and blond. Much like Yugi's. And the eyes... the eyes were red. It was a fiery ruby red, demonic, dark... alien. Yugi gasped involuntary, flinching away. Who was that person?

"My, my, don't you know you are in a library?" the stranger asked with a sly smile. "I could still hear you in the farthest corner."

"Sorry, man." Jou didn't seem to be affected by the strange aura surrounding the other. "We didn't want to disturb ya."

"You didn't." The boy grinned nonchalantly, his eyes flashing darkly. Yugi felt a soft tickle of fear invading his mind. There was something... different about him. "I've been just intrigued."

Yugi watched him closely. The boy seemed to look for something in particular. And he also seemed to know exactly what it was and who he wanted it from. Yugi felt incredibly small as the red eyes wandered over to him, looking him up and down as if evaluating him. He felt uncomfortable, panic rising in his chest. The eyes burned away his clothes, through his skin, down to his bones, further even, piercing into his mind and soul. Taking away his every shelter. He couldn't avoid them, couldn't escape the red flame engulfing him completely.

"You're a Visitor." Kaiba suddenly stated matter-of-factly and the stranger turned around to him, releasing Yugi from the grip of his gaze. Immediately Yugi scooted further away with his chair, gaining some distance between him and the red eyes. He felt cold now though.

"Obviously," the strange boy answered, his voice having lost the friendly tone now, his look matching the cold one he received from the CEO as the two eyed each other carefully.

"What do you want?" the brown haired teen asked, showing clearly that the other wasn't welcomed in any way. "We're trying to study, you know."

"Right." The sarcasm betrayed the short nod the Visitor gave them.

"Don't listen to him, bud." Jou laughed heartily, although a bit nervous, waving at Kaiba as if he was a little, unnerving fly, who nevertheless glared at him furiously now. "He's always like that. Would you like to sit with us for awhile?"

An honest smile broke out on the handsome face of the boy and he nodded again, this time generously. Then he pulled over a chair to their table, sitting down between Jou and Kaiba.

"So, what is you world like?" the blonde started questioning curiously.

"Couldn't you at least ask for his name first?" Kaiba mocked, sending him a dignified look. "You have no sense for manner, mutt."

"Shut up, you nuisance!"

Before the new conflict could end in a full-flexed argument, another voice made itself heard. "Hey, what are you doing here, you idiot? We'll be late!"

Yugi stared unbelievingly at the newcomer. The clothes were completely different to the other boy's. He wore a dark grey robe, long enough to reach the ground and a weird hat of the same colour. But what shocked Yugi the most, was another thing.

Fluffy white hair, deep brown eyes – he knew that boy very well.

"Ryou?!" Jou squeaked as the teenager came to a halt at their table, robe fluttering, an impatient foot tapping the ground. It stopped the moment Jou spoke to him and the person scanned them all with distaste, soon dismissing them as of no interest.

"I'm not Ryou. I'm Bakura." He told them, a sharp canine tooth showing as he snarled down at them. Then he turned to the red eyed boy. "Stupid dimwit! You know that the bus is going to be here in a minute, don't you?!"

Sighing unwillingly the other stood up. "Yeah, let's go then." Before he left though, he smiled at the three students. "The name is Yami, nice to meet you." He didn't bow, instead fixing his eyes on Yugi again, a somewhat wicked, maybe even calculating glint in their depths. "I'm sure we'll meet again... soon."

Then he was gone, his black cloak billowing slightly behind him. That was the moment Yugi realised he had held his breath and gulped in air greedily.

"Be not too sure about that." Kaiba growled, looking after Yami and Bakura, speaking to himself quietly. "In all probability we won't ever bump into you again – hopefully not. If it happens, well, then surely because you caused that deliberately." He shook his head. "What maniacs!"

"Did ya see their eyes?" Jou breathed, impressed. "They looked so evil!"

Yugi stayed silent, not trusting his voice to sound normal. Why had this Yami been looking at him like that? Was it coincidence? He himself had seen Visitors a few times before but never had talked to them personally and definitely had never been the centre of their attention. Maybe it was normal for them to have that... that burning effect on them, leaving them cold like ice after their departure. Maybe they all were dark in their own way – people like Yami in an intense, mysterious, invading way, people like that Bakura-boy in an evil, reckless one. Thinking about it like that, he decided he never wanted to meet a Visitor again. He feared the darkness like nothing else.

Shivering, rubbing his arms to get the coldness away, he looked at the book lying forgotten on his table. He had been touched by darkness, its invisible fingers still sliding down his back and making him freeze. He yearned to get the hot energy of the red eyes back to balance out the coldness he now felt by burning it away with the heat of molten rubies.

He didn't feel able to study anymore.

---

To Be Continued...

What do you think? I like the idea, but you'll get the real expression of it and the main problem of the story in the next chapters. I'm so happy right now to have managed writing something again. I hate writer's block!!

I can see snow fall outside! Christmas is soon to come!!