Chapter 2: Door to the Past
Yami opened his eyes. He was in a large room with stone walls and guards all over in long tunics with bows and arrows over their shoulders. Someone who looked like Seto was standing off to the side with five others, four men and a woman.
"Sleeping, my sons?" came a voice beside him.
Yami turned and reeled as he saw an older man with long brown hair. He turned on the other side and saw a blond male who looked like Joey. "Joey!" he cried in surprise.
"Brother, you've been out in the sun too long. Right, father." The boy asked. "The name's Joshia, remember?"
'Brother? Father?' "Um…sorry. Must be the sun." Yami shrugged.
"Your highness, may I present you the Mikaa clan." Servant announced. An older man appeared, followed by three boys and three girls. Yami let out an audible gasp as he recognized one of the girls.
"Hailey? Yami asked, getting up and approaching. The girl bowed down.
"My prince, my name's Hali." The girl mumbled.
"Get out of the way, you stupid girl." The older man backhanded Hali and advanced on Yami.
"You don't hit a woman in front of me." Yami growled. He grabbed the man and gasped as a knife plunged into his stomach.
"Son!" Yami's father cried, hurrying over. One of the boys stabbed Yami's father in the chest before they were taken away.
"I didn't do anything!" Hali cried as the guards grabbed her. Seth caught Yami and lowered him to the floor.
"Let her go." Seth ordered the guards and they let her go. "Hang in there."
"Yuge, what's wrong?" Joey asked, frightened. Yugi had hunched over.
"It feels like my stomach is on fire!" Yugi groaned.
"Something's wrong with the Pharaoh. You must go into the past and save him. You need a modern doctor." Shadi said, appearing among them.
"How?" Tristan asked.
"I can get the doctor." Seto piped up. Everyone stared at him as if he'd grown three heads. "I won't have a death on my hands. I'll call my personal doctor. He won't ask any questions."
As Seto called, Shadi explained the details. "We will go into the Puzzle, via the Key and find the door to the past." He explained.
When the doctor arrived, they formed a circle. Joey discovered the only place left was between Seto and Luna so he squeezed his way between Luna and Hailey. "Hey." He said casually, giving her a grin.
"Hi." Luna looked uncomfortable next to him, which made Seto laugh.
The key activated and they disappeared from the museum. When they opened their eyes, they found themselves in the maze-like interior of the Puzzle. Yugi was still hunched over. "Where is the doorway?" Joey asked.
They searched the rooms but couldn't find it. "Maybe it's invisible." Yugi suggested. "Maybe we should close our eyes and focus on him."
They gathered in a circle and held hands with their eyes closed. They felt a light shine and opened their eyes, looking up. A large square hole had opened up in the ceiling. They floated up to the hole. A desert city was splayed out below them. "How are we going to get down there?" Joey asked. Yugi jumped. "Yuge!" he called.
They all jumped and landed safely in the sand. They were dressed like the locals, but no one gave them a second glance. "Where would the Pharaoh be?" Tristan asked.
"There." Yugi pointed to the palace a distance away. "The palace." He took off in that direction.
"Yuge, wait up!" Joey called after him and the group chased him to the palace. Two guards blocked the way through the gates as Yugi skidded to a stop.
"We need to see the Pharaoh." Yugi panted. "We um…brought him a gift."
"See?" Hailey asked, holding out a basket of apples.
"Fine. But no funny business." The guards opened the gates and the group entered into a courtyard flanked by statues.
"How did you get that?" Joey asked, disbelieving.
Hailey shrugged. "I thought it and it appeared in my hands."
Chaos reigned as they entered the palace. "What's going on?" Yugi asked a passing servant.
"A man attacked the Pharaoh and prince. The Pharaoh's dead!" the servant cried.
"No, Yami!" Yugi cried.
"Where are they?" Luna asked calmly.
"In the throne room." She answered, looking warily at Yugi. She pointed straight ahead.
Yugi burst through the door to the throne room and everyone turned to them. The male that looked like Seto was kneeling beside a figure on the floor. "Where's the Pharaoh?" Yugi asked.
"The Pharaoh is over there. The prince is here. I suppose you're looking for the prince. I'm Seth." The boy said.
Yugi went over and gasped. Yami was pale and barely conscous. He knelt beside him. "Yami…"
"Yuge…?" came his faint voice.
"We need to move him somewhere private." The doctor told Seth.
Seth picked Yami up like he was a rag doll and carried him upstairs to a room. It was large with a huge bed, which Seth set him down. "Can you help him?" Yugi asked the doctor desperately.
"How did you get the apples again?" the doctor asked a girl that looked like Hailey.
"I'm Hailey." Hailey said from her spot next to Luna. "I just thought of it and it appeared."
Items appeared such as medical instruments and blood bags and even an IV stand. "I need assistance. I need people who aren't afraid of blood." The doctor removed Yami's tunic with a pair of scissors. Yami's stomach was covered in blood. "He looks about twelve." He commented offhand.
"He's like sixteen, how's that possible?" Yugi asked.
The others shrugged.
"I'll help." Hali and Seth offered. Hali came over. "What can I do?"
"I'll have to intubate him. You'll have to squeeze the bag to keep him breathing." the doctor put a tube down Yami's throat and showed her how to squeeze the bag. He set up an IV and a heart monitor and began the surgery. An hour later, he stood back. "I've done the best I can. It's a matter of time before we know whether he'll make it."
Hali squeezed the bag with one hand and stroked Yami's cheek with the other. "He can't die, he just can't."
"What would happen if he did, Yuge?" Joey asked.
"I don't know. I guess the world would end here." Yugi fought tears.
An hour later, the doctor removed the tube and Yami coughed, opening his eyes. "Pharaoh, you're awake." Yugi smiled, relieved.