Warning: Spoilers for the end of the Waking the Dragons/Orichalcos arc

Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Chapter 2 – Mokuba

Mokuba estimated that they were about an hour away from their destination. Night covered the sky outside the Kaiba Corp helicopter, while inside, the group of weary youngsters were all sleeping.

Well, most of them were, anyway.

Mokuba had slept a little, but for at least the last hour, he had been lying awake, playing Seto's loss to Dartz over and over again in his head.

He was well aware that Seto had dismissed the reality of the consequences of losing a duel in which the Seal of Orichalcos had been played, yet he himself had never been quite as sceptical as his brother. He knew very well what was to happen to Seto as soon as his Life Points hit zero, but he had been powerless to do... well, anything. He was not so foolish as to think that he might have been able to prevent the inevitable, but the least he sought to do was to offer his brother some kind of comfort.

Because for all that Seto was the epitome of emotional stability on the outside, on the inside, he was anything but.

Seto would never admit it – not even to him – but Mokuba had heard the tell-tale noises of nightly terrors coming from his brother's room ever since they had got back from Duelist Kingdom.

Yet, as it turned out, Mokuba hadn't had to worry about his brother quite as much as he had stood helpless on the other side of the green barrier that separated them – for the Pharaoh was there, and he seemed to be doing a pretty good job on his own.

Mokuba realised that his brother didn't believe that the Pharaoh and Yugi were different people – no matter how many times the rest of them, Mokuba included, had tried to convince him otherwise – but the younger Kaiba knew that the man who had held his brother while the Orichalcos had readied itself to relieve his body of his soul was not the man who was currently lying next to him on the floor space of the Kaiba Corp helicopter.

Looking over to his left, his gaze fell on the face of the King of Games, finally reunited with his body and his other self. He was lying on his back, as Mokuba was, his face angled to the ceiling, but his eyes closed. Mokuba would have thought that he was asleep, were it not for the fact that he was breathing far too fast.

A flutter of nervousness flitted through Mokuba's chest, as he contemplated whether or not it would be alright...

He couldn't remember making the definitive decision to do it, but before he knew it, his elbow was stretching out to the side, gently nudging the King of Games.

Yugi was not startled; he merely opened his eyes slowly and looked over at him.

"Mokuba?" he asked, his voice quiet and confused; he may not have been asleep, but he was clearly still tired. A small nugget of guilt nestled in Mokuba's mind, but he couldn't turn back now. "What's wrong?"

"C-can I speak to the Pharaoh? Please?"

Yugi blinked in surprise, but he nodded all the same. The Puzzle around his neck began to glow, the light dimmed slightly by the sleeping bag, and when it had faded, Yugi had disappeared, replaced with his other self.

And if Yugi had been tired, then it was nothing compared to the Pharaoh.

At some point during the transformation, bags had grown and darkened under his eyes, and there was an exhaustion dulling his amethyst irises.

"What is it, Mokuba?" he asked, though he did not sound angry, or even exasperated at being disturbed from his slumber; rather, he sounded concerned. Mokuba found it incredible that he could be so altruistic.

Mokuba took a deep breath; it did not feel right that he should be lying next to someone as powerful as the Pharaoh, almost as if they were equals.

"Mokuba?" the Pharaoh asked, shifting onto his side to face his addressee fully.

"I..." Mokuba began, as the voice in the back of his head which sounded suspiciously like Gozaburo reminded him that Kaibas didn't stutter. "I just wanted to say thank you."

"What for?" the Pharaoh blinked, disbelieving.

"For what you did in the Seal. When Seto lost."

The Pharaoh's brow furrowed. "I didn't do anything," he muttered.

"You could have stayed on the other side of the Field. You could have left him after you caught him. You didn't have to stay. You didn't have to talk to him."

A resigned understanding settled on the Pharaoh's face. He looked over the top of Mokuba to where Seto was sleeping on the other side of his younger brother. Seto was lying on his side, facing Mokuba.

It was easier when Seto was asleep to remember that he was still only just out of his teens. When he was awake, he stood so tall above everyone else, lording it over those who didn't match up to his superior intellect.

Yet when he slept, he was calm and peaceful, his brain no longer working or worrying as it did every waking moment. He could act his age for once, and have some respite from the trials and tribulations of his life.

"He was scared," the Pharaoh murmured, dropping his voice even further so that he couldn't be overheard by anyone else who might have been awake at the time.

"I know," Mokuba replied, turning to look over at his brother. "I wanted to be there for him. The Seal wouldn't let me."

"I'm sure you would have been more comfort than I."

Mokuba let out a soft, exasperated breath, turning back to face the Pharaoh.

"He does like you, you know. If he didn't, you'd know. Believe me."

A small smile twitched at the Pharaoh's lips, a light glinting in his eyes despite his exhaustion.

When he remained silent, Mokuba decided to speak.

"Just... thank you. Cause he won't say it."

The smile on the Pharaoh's face crumpled, replaced with an uncomfortable sadness.

"It's fine," he mumbled, giving Mokuba a brief nod before the Puzzle lit up once more and Yugi returned. A hint of confusion crossed the King of Games' face at his changed position, but he merely gave Mokuba a small smile before shifting onto his back once more and closing his eyes.

Mokuba returned his gaze to the ceiling, his brother still sleeping peacefully beside him.