Honda's Ghost Part 17

I faded out for a week.

I felt a little bit guilty, but I think depression had finally hit.

So I went away, leaving Honda to manage with school and friends and everything else.

The time I did come up, briefly in the morning, I worked on the translations, feed Kage, glowered at Blanky (and maybe cried in her fur, but that’s between me and Blanky).

The Pharaoh had killed and I had done nothing.

I’m not even sure what I would have done, but a man was dead.

Part of me knew it wasn’t my fault. Part of me knew the Spirit wouldn’t have done it without a good reason but...

It was Jonouchi that pulled me out the dark place in my head.

He was waiting for me that Monday morning, looking satisfied.

I looked him over, startled out of my depression, here was a puzzle.

I made an abortive motion towards him, a whimper dying in my throat. He looked like he had been in a fight.

“What happened?” I asked, knowing Honda hadn’t been in a fight, knowing Jonouchi had been out on his own.

Jonouchi smirked, and rubbed at one of his bruises. “These?” He said, his eyes gleaming.

Not a normal fight, Jonouchi was almost gleeful, something good had happened, he was proud.

Yugi.

He shrugged, “Got into a fight at the museum.”

I did reach out then, catching his sleeve. “Yeah?”

His eyes flickered, “Yeah. The Professor went loco. Lots of weird stuff went down.” He grinned, “Saved Anzu.”

I met his eyes and wondered. “Was Yugi there?” I asked, knowing the answer already.

Jonouchi nudged me, “Yeah... Sorry.”

I let go of his sleeve, letting my hand drop to my side. “Don’t be. I’m glad you were there.”

“I could have done with the back up.” Jonouchi said, and I felt warm inside, knowing the compliment was intended for Honda but my heart didn’t care.

“Jonouchi...” I started, tucking my hands in my pockets, I watched a cloud scurry across the sky. “Tell me what happened?”

Jonouchi gave me a sideways glance, before launching into the story.

I had missed Shadi.

I had missed Shadi.

Good or Bad?

He hadn’t seen me, he hadn’t encountered me, he hadn’t noticed my presence.

I can’t decide. I tentatively marked it as good.

Unless the Spirit of the Puzzle had mentioned me. Would he have? I don’t know, I honestly don’t know.

I walked into school, dreading seeing Yugi again, as I have all week.

I met his eyes, curious purple cutting across the room.

Yugi wasn’t a murderer. Yugi hadn’t killed anyone.

The question remained, had the Spirit? Did it matter? If he had, and I had no proof he had, could I still consider him a friend?

I messed up Yugi’s hair. “Hey Yugi, heard you had a busy weekend”

I wrapped up my worry, my fear, my shock, my horror. Wrapped it up and locked it away.

I couldn’t be friends with a cold hearted killer, but I could be friendly.

Later I would come to think of that weekend of the first Shadi incident.

Whatever else, having Shadi pass me over gave me a surge of energy, a renewed determination to see me through the coming troubles.

I increased my preparations for the upcoming trip, researched the Kaiba Corporation, tried to research Magic and Wizards...

I threw myself into the research, deciding to leave the question of my loyalty to the Spirit for another day.

I didn't want to consider the madness that was my loyalty to Yugi.

It was a strange sort of madness, absolute and unwavering. I didn't know where it would lead me, and I wondered and worried and planned.

Weeks progressed and I took note of a new game taking the school by storm.

I hated them. They beeped and died and everyone seemed fascinated. Even Jonouchi.

Especially Yugi. I wasn't surprised that Yugi would have one of these digital pets, he took an interest in all sorts of games.

They made me itch all over. The beeping annoyed me, like nails on a black board.

And there was something about them that made me want to seize the little things and fix them.

They were stupid and irritating and I wanted them gone.

That didn't stop my mind wondering how they worked, what you had to do to acquire this pet or the other, what pathways there were.

They could mate and I almost laughed out loud at such a thing.

Then felt my face heating up as I heard Yugi and Jonouchi discussing it, and quickly slipped to the back of Honda's mind.

I couldn't drift away, not entirely, not like I had before, the beeping didn't stop, shattering my peace every time I tried to drift off.

It was annoying. I was very glad once that fad had faded away.

The pets didn't live long.

I did get my hands on two of them. Once Jonouchi's pet had died he wasn't much interested in playing with the game.

I restarted it briefly, watching the egg hatch.

I was curious.

Something round bounced around the scene, the baby version.

I considered the baby, wondering if I should just kill the battery on the device straight away.

Three days later it was in it's adult form and floating around the scene like a ghost. Curiosity satisfied I reset the game and returned it to Jonouchi.

I had more than enough to be doing. I didn't have time for games...

Well, not for useless time wasting games.