Wizard

by Xeora

Edit: No matter how careful I try to be, I still fail at life and everything. I think once its all written, I'm going to sleep on it then start editing, instead of posting shame. Ahgawd... ze shame... Enjoy the fix.

AMG. THE NEXT PART. WHO'S EXCITED? ... Or something... like... asdf. Omg. I did some major fixes for chapter 8, and hopefully I don't have to go back and fix 9 majorly. Editing for everything else is still underway.

My warnings are violence and my attempt at good grammar. O gawd. ;c

–

Nine

The old shipyard smelled of salt water and fish decay. The fish decay being from the open market scraps that were left earlier in the mornings for seagulls to pick at and consume. Unfortunately these scavengers weren't as thorough as the dock workers liked to pretend. Many bones, tails and heads from the fish carcass were left behind, leaving an almost overpowering rotting fish and ocean scent. It was something that one would surely notice first when entering the dock areas. It was almost completely dark by the time Yugi, and his companion of sorts, Jounouchi Katsuya, rode in on that old beat up bike, taking in the harsh atmosphere. The only sources of light were a few lamps, which flickered on and off, or blinked as if they were running out of power.

To Yugi, it all looked and felt ominous. He found himself swallowing, and his skin almost crawling at being in such a place at night. Albeit he had been here before at least once or twice in his life, during the daily fish market when his grandfather wanted to get a fresh catch. In the daylight it didn't look so foreboding. An old dock wasn't something he had considered to be frightening. This, however, had changed his mind quite a bit.

Completely oblivious to Yugi's thoughts, Jou most likely didn't think it was a place to be feared at all.

"This place smells like shit," Jou said disdainfully, wrinkling his nose. He sat back on the bike seat almost nonchalantly, letting his sneakers touch down on the cracked cement ground. Something crunched beneath his foot. Looking down, they could see it was a rotting fish head. "Gross..."

Once the bike slowed to a complete stop, Yugi carefully got off from the handlebars, wincing as he landed on his severely abused knee. A squeak almost escaped his lips. He had to stay still for a moment, and wait for the pain to ease away on its own.

"You okay?" Jou asked then, leaning over the handlebars.

The boy nodded slowly, and forced himself to stand properly. He gave Jou a weak half-grin. "Yea... Im fine." He turned his head to scan out their surroundings, and at first glance was almost convinced they were in the wrong place. Darkness made a huge difference to what he had initially seen, but he was certain they were heading in the right direction.

"The warehouses are just ahead." He said softly.

"I know," Jou was still watching Yugi, a frown on his face. He dismounted, then walked the bike forward so he stood beside the tiny teen. "Used to come here a lot."

"Oh. I see..." Yugi gave him a sideways look, blinking when he thought he saw an unusual expression on the taller male. That expression was masked almost immediately with one of uncertainty.

"Now... the real question is, are they still here?" Jou said, placing his bike against some piled wooden crates. He would leave it there for now, Yugi guessed, and go back for it later.

"They are," Yugi said, rubbing his sore forearms. They had grown a little stiff from keeping himself up on those rusting handlebars. "I... I feel it." He shivered a little. The temperature had dropped by several degrees, especially so around the cold ocean waters. The docks weren't exactly the warmest places to be, but Yugi tried not to think about his discomforts or the ache still plaguing his small frame. If anything, he had to keep moving forwad, and he had to retrieve his puzzle. He had to get back Yami. He feared what may happen if the wizard suddenly woke up, only to find that Yugi wasn't there. What would go through Yami's mind? Would he be angry? Worried? Worst of all, Yugi feared that Yami may have thought that he decided to simply throw him away, that Yugi would just ungratefully abandon him.

That thought alone filled Yugi with a little dread. He couldn't really imagine what Yami might do, but his young imagination ran amok, taking him away to a thousand different scenarios. He had seen Yami's fierceness before. He was almost merciless with Hirutani. The wizard had been a blink away from ending the life of a bully. Albeit the sight of this fierce side was only a glimpse, but it still left room for many more possibilities. Shaking his head, Yugi tried not to let those thoughts get to him. He sighed, turning his head to look at his companion. Jou was looking at him again, an almost contemplative frown on his face. His brow was creasing, as if he were trying to pinpoint something.

Yugi looked back at him questioningly, tilting his head slightly. "What's wrong?" He decided to ask.

The blond blinked, that look washing away almost immediately as he was addressed. After a moment of silence, Jou just shook his head. "Nah. Never mind." He grinned a little lopsidedly then.

The smaller teen scratched his cheek. "Oh... okay. Well." Yugi looked around once more. "I suppose... um..." he didn't really know how to word himself. Yugi didn't want to sound foolish in saying that it was time for them to part, but it was. From here, he was sure he was alone in this task. Jou had given him a lift, but Yugi somehow doubted the blond would stay to help him further.

Much to his surprise, Jou was still grinning.

"This is the part where I go get your stuff back."

"... excuse me?" Yugi wasn't quite sure if he heard that right.

"Yep." Jou rubbed his nose.

"You mean... I as in... you?" The boywent on hesitantly.

Jou openly rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling somewhat. He reached out to pat Yugi's shoulder. "It's not like you can do much."

The smaller teen pouted then, feeling a little miffed. Yugi opened his mouth to defend himself, but was immediately cut off.

"Don't gimme that look." Jou went on to say. "You know I'm right. You're all beaten up! Not to mention that very obvious limp. They'll laugh themselves silly before killing you."

Yugi winced at how bluntly he said that. He knew, however, that the blond was right. There was no way he could defend himself in this state. He could barely walk without wincing or taking in a sharp breath. It seemed almost impossible that he could take back his puzzle. And yet...

"But..." Yugi tried to protest nonetheless, mind racing to find an excuse for Jou not to do what he intended. "This... um... this isn't your responsibility..."

"Well," Jou crossed his arms, quirking a brow. "Seeing if you were all right wasn't my responsibility."

"Yes, but-"

"Helping you get here wasn't my responsibility."

"But that's different-"

"Listen, Yugi." Jou held up a hand, silencing Yugi's attempts to persuade him to think otherwise. "It's not different. I'm going to help you. I'm gonna go in there, give Ojiro a good kick to the mouth, and come back with your necklace."

Aghast, Yugi's mouth hung open. This blond boy, no Jou, technically still a stranger wanted to help him. He wanted to go in there and actually fight for him. For what reasons, Yugi just couldn't understand at all. They only knew each other for only about two or so many hours. It just didn't make any sense.

"But... why?" Yugi managed to say, feeling his heart beat almost painfully against his chest. Nothing about this seemed right at all.

Jou's lips curled into the strangest of smiles. He shook his head, blond bangs swaying over his honey eyes. "Just think of it... as an apology."

"... apology?" Yugi murmured, now confused. "But why would you apologize?"

"You don't remember?" Jou said. "Man," he ran a hand through his hair. "Really? That's a bit of a downer. Haha... but not to worry. Just wait here, okay?"

"But.. Jounouchi..." Yugi said carefully, still giving him a look of utter disbelief.

Jou just turned around on his heel, waving Yugi off over his shoulder. "If I'm not back in an hour, just take the bike and go."

"Jou, wait...!" Yugi held out a hand as if to stop him. Yet, he did not.

Hands shoved into his jean pockets, Jou kept walking forward. He didn't even look back, and Yugi could only stare after him. The smaller teen just didn't know what to think, nor could he come up with an explanation for as to really why that young man wanted to do such a thing. He was putting himself in harm's way for Yugi. The concept itself left the boy feeling unsettled. The feeling was almost foreign. Honestly, just what was Jou trying to prove, with his hands in his pockets like some greaser running off to his final gang fight? It didn't seem right at all. It seemed downright outrageous! Not to mention very stupid!

I don't understand... Yugi thought, closing his eyes tightly. He felt something pricking at the corners of his eyes, something warm and wet. He sniffled. I'm not worth that much trouble... Eyes narrowing, and biting his lip, Yugi knew he couldn't let this just happen. Jounouchi was going to get hurt, and it would be his fault.

"I already messed up pretty bad today..." He said quietly to the darkness. He wiped his eyes on the back of his sleeve, leaving a streak of moisture there. He blinked away the tears, trying to tame the sudden emotional burst in his chest. He looked towards the direction Jou had taken, his silhouette already gone. With the sun set entirely, a blanket of darkness overtook the sky. The stars could not be seen at all due to the lights of the city, and the smog of industrial pollution. Yet Yugi asked each and every one of them for strength.

"Please, let me make things right..."

With a deep breath, he took his first painful step forward.

--

The old warehouses were just beyond the third dock on the most northern part of the Domino City Shipyard. All lined up in four rows of eight, they once stood as the main units for storage for cargo. Each had huge iron double door entrances, once numbered numerically with bright white paint. The warehouses themselves were made of wood, which termites had attacked the moment maintenance had stopped. What the termites didn't eat was left to rot, taking on salt water damage when the ocean got just a little too rough. Sighting these old storage units, he couldn't stop the nostalgia from washing over him.

Jounouchi Katsuya remembered coming here often, back before he started high school. However, none of the memories concerning this area were particularly pleasant. The farther he walked down the cracked ground, the more vivid these memories had become. These images and voices he had hoped to suppress, and block entirely from his subconscious, returned at full force. Yet Jou wouldn't allow himself to get lost in the dark path of reminiscence. There was a reason why he was here, and surely it wasn't to submerge in something he attempted to convince himself didn't happen. He didn't like to think he was so awful once. He didn't like to think he was a terrible person, and further more he didn't have time to dwell on something that had once fueled his adolescent anger.

The reason why Jounouchi was here was for even the slightest bit of penance, and to for once have a clear conscience.

Maybe that's why I'm doing this. He thought as he passed by the fourth warehouse. The lamp on that one had fallen to the ground. Even shattered, the bulb miraculously sustained power. However, it blinked more often than the others.

Usually, Jou would not risk his neck for a complete stranger, but there were several factors involved to justify his actions. The first one was that he hated Ojiro. Ojiro was a person in his life he hoped to avoid for the rest of his existence. He was a link to a time he wished he hadn't experienced. As far as Jou was concerned, that fat ass more than deserved a good beating more than anyone he had known. The very thought of him made Jou scowl, and the suppressed rage within him shifted like a sleeping lion being poked by a stick, causing it to bare its teeth.

The second reason was for that kid, Yugi Mouto. That kid, who had fallen victim twice in the same day, and for that Jou couldn't help but hate himself for it. Honestly, Jou wasn't the one looking when he nearly ran over him that morning, yet Jou's anger got the best of him and he scorned the small boy, who had looked at him like a cornered, frightened child. Jou hated that look, it drove him absolutely nuts! It was that image that was burned in his mind the entire day he did his day jobs. He couldn't get it out of his head, because that was the look...

… that I used to give my father... Jou paused in his stride, pinching the bridge of his nose. Ugh... don't think about that now...

He couldn't afford to think about that right now, but he knew, it was for that reason he had to help the poor kid. Jou feared that this may have been some kind of backwards, twisted karma for snapping at him that morning. He hurts the feelings of a small boy, and that small boy gets the stuffing nearly knocked out of him by people Jou used to consider his friends.

"If that doesn't make someone feel guilty, I don't know what does..." Jou shook his head. He put on a hard look, then took a very deep breath. He needed to concentrate. His self-proclaimed mission was to go in there, knock some brains around, and take back that necklace.

He couldn't let Yugi down, and that final and third reason alone is what kept him moving forward. As he came upon the eighth and final warehouse of this row, he took immediate notice of the firelight coming from the broken down entrance. Yugi had been right, Ojiro and his sidekicks were still inside, probably setting fire to old trash bins and drinking until their blood turned to piss.

Swallowing down the lump in his throat, Jou stepped over the rotten wood debris and garbage. With his unusual reasoning, he was going to justify them further with his actions.

Then, maybe he could start to forgive himself.

–

…

(ducks and waits) … o-o Yea, its short. But the next part will be better. And LONGER. I just don't feel that there's anything else I can add here. ANYWHO.

We just took a small peak into Jounouchi's character and his complexities. Which tie in with everything else. I promise. NOTHING IN HERE IS TOTALLY RANDOM.

Well, I updated. I'll probably detail this further later. And I may have the third part to this crap done tomorrow. C;

But what's to happen now? They made it to the warehouses, Yugi is still very much hurt, and Jounouchi has some irrational ways of thinking. Will Jou get Yugi's puzzle back? And will Yami wake up to teach those asswipes a lesson? Who knows. o3o

But hey, that just makes shit more interesting.

Review pls.

Xeora

PS: If you didn't read the detailed chapter 8, you might want to. There's some stuff in here that pertains to the fix in the previous content.