Joy: Here you go. Again for Fire Drastar. I love your ideas. Hehe. I'm in Ooolalala land. Okay. I'm sure this is a short chapter and it doesn't really hit all your nerves for reading entertainment. Kazue is a feminine name but I don't care. It's simply a nickname anyway. Kazue is going to be coming back again in the future, he may be one of the keys to solving the problem with Bakura but we don't know yet.
Arzania: We forgot to do the disclaimer and all that good stuff…But chapters 1-5 nothing belongs to Joy. 6,7 and the rest is all Joy's except the characters of course.
Joy: Anzu wasn't even in this chapter but that will be coming soon. And I'm not sure but this may not go beyond 15 chapters…I may not go any further. But if people keep on wanting more and have ideas for it then I will continue. This is a story for you, the readers. I am only taking your ideas and putting them to paper.
Yugi woke up first in a dark room with only one source of light, the crack under the door. His cat like eyes automatically adjusted to the dark and he found Heba sleeping beside him. Yugi looked around, wondering just where he was. Turning his head, he quickly noticed that they were on a large stone table. Yugi's ears flicked to the door as footsteps descended stairs and down a short hall towards the door. When the door opened, Yugi had to slam his eyes shut to keep the blinding light out. Yugi opened his eyes again to come face to face with a strange man and white hair.
The man barked, "You woke up, little one."
Yugi hissed, "No one calls me that but Heba, Papa and Mama."
The whitette looked at Yugi and chuckled darkly, lifting a knife from his side, "Time for you to die."
A woman's voice from outside the door called, the sound grating on Yugi's ears, "Hurry up, Bakura. Someone's going to come!"
The man, now named Bakura for a lack of anything else, looked behind him at the half closed door, "Be quiet, you bitch." He turned his head back to Yugi and then looked at Heba.
Another hiss made its way from Yugi's lips, "You are not touching Heba."
Heba woke up at Yugi's hiss and his eyes adjusted slowly to the lighting. He looked over at Bakura and stood up.
"You're both up. Good. I wanted you to see my face when you died." Bakura crept closer to the white table and lifted the knife to swipe at Yugi.
The knife clattered to the table as a hand grabbed Bakura's and nearly crushed his wrist just before he could hit the young neko.
Yami had watering eyes and was covered in blanket from head to toe. He wouldn't leave the bed and Atem had to return to the throne room so Malik and Ryou were staying with Yami.
Malik looked at Yami's form under the blankets and walked over with Ryou. They sat on opposite sides of Yami.
Ryou placed a hand on Yami's shoulder, "Yami, they will come back. Atem and the others are searching for them frantically. They will be found."
Malik nodded, "You do trust Atem right?"
"Yes. I trust him." Yami's voice was husky from crying and muffled from the blankets.
Malik gave a small smile, "Do you trust Atem to find Yugi and Heba?"
Yami poked his bed head out from under the blankets, his eyes red from crying, "…Yes. I know he'll find them."
Ryou smiled, "Don't give yourself a hard time. They'll be back before you know it."
Yami gave a skeptical nod and slowly emerged from the blankets, the baby's silk blanket clutched to his chest.
Atem sat on his throne, his face depicting how tired he was and the morning wasn't even half through yet. He looked over at Seth, "How far have we gotten?"
Seth shook his head, "Not very far." Looking at his scrolls, Seth spoke up, "We do know that whoever took the children must have some kind of magic or a casting set upon them."
Atem raised a tired eyebrow, "Why is that?"
Seth looked at his scrolls again before looking at Atem, "You always have a spell on your room so you know when someone enters. If the children were taken, how did the kidnappers get into your room?"
Atem's eyes widened, "They must have had magic to hide their presence."
Seth nodded, "And even then, very strong magic. Even my magic doesn't hide me completely from your room unless I try hard enough."
Atem nodded and looked over at the council, "Search for those that have magic—strong magic."
The council paused movements before continuing on their search.
Atem lifted a stack of papers marking the missing people that hadn't been reported dead yet. It was a surprisingly short stack. He worked through the stack when a few names struck him.
The doors to the throne room burst open and Marik stood there slightly out of breath but otherwise perfectly fine, "Pharaoh, Prince Heba and Yugi have returned. A young man has returned with them."
Atem didn't hear anything past "Prince Heba and Yugi have returned" He was already up and out of his throne. He asked, "Where are they?"
A softer voice responded, "Right here."
Atem turned to look at the young man that held both children in his arms. Atem instantly asked, "Why aren't they awake? What happened them?"
The man shushed gently, "My Pharaoh, they just fell asleep moments ago. They are fine. The kidnapper did no harm to either of them, I made sure of that."
Atem calmed a little before asking skeptically, "Who are you?"
The short young man smiled and only said, "Kazue is my nickname."
Atem nodded a little and walked down to Kazue and the two children.
Kazue gently handed Heba over and held Yugi in both arms. He smiled down at the neko and brought him up so he could gently whisper, "Yugi, wake up. Come on, young one."
Yugi slowly woke up and meowed. He nuzzled Kazue's chest again and purred.
Atem was slightly confused at the action, "Who are you to him?"
Kazue slowly looked at him, "I am simply his caretaker. I watched him when he was a very young babe. He is a son to me and I have no reason to wish him harm."
Yugi looked up at Kazue, "I didn't get the chance, but where were you when everyone was killed?"
Kazue sadly looked at the young kitten, "I was with you. I may be able to protect myself and you from vicious fighters but not when there are many and they all retain magic."
Yugi's eyes widened, "What happened to you?"
It was then that Heba woke up and listened in on what they were saying as was Atem even though he could only hear Kazue's responses.
Kazue shook his head, "I will tell you when you are older. Your new mother must be worried sick. I must return to my husband."
Yugi and Heba both spoke at the same time, "Don't go yet."
Atem looked at Marik, "Tell Yami to come here."
Marik nodded and left the room to do as he was asked.
Yugi clung to Kazue's white shirt, "You just found me. You can't leave me again."
Kazue touched Yugi's hand with one of his and Yugi clung to his fingers instead. Kazue smiled a little, "I have to go. Kaede will be worried and you have a new family to take care of you. I am no more than your caretaker. I am afraid I have been replaced."
Yugi's eyes watered and tears slowly fell from his eyes, "But, Kazue, you are family to me. You are like my third father. I don't want to lose another family member."
Because of the link, Heba could feel the sorrow that had swept over Yugi.
Yami stepped in, his eyes puffy and red. He looked at Atem, surprised, "Heba!" He looked at Kazue, "Yugi!" Then he noticed that Yugi was crying and Heba looked like he was going to. "What's wrong?"
Heba looked at his mother and extended his hands. Yami took him and Heba slowly explained.
Yami looked at Atem, a questioning look in his reddened eyes.
Atem thought for a second, "Kazue, you could stay here."
"I'm afraid that isn't an option. I have an overprotective husband at home that will scold me for running off. I didn't tell him why it was so urgent." Kazue moved his hand away from Yugi's and wiped off his tears, "Young one, I don't want to part with you either but I can't just stay." He lifted Yugi up into the air and looked him in the eye, "Promise me, Yugi. Promise you won't forget me."
Yugi nodded and Kazue placed him in Atem's arms. Kazue smiled his eyes a little misty.
Atem frowned and spoke slowly, "Feel free to come for a visit at any time."
Kazue smiled, "Thank you, Pharaoh." He slowly turned and walked away.
Atem clutched the crying Yugi to him and excused himself from the throne room along with Yami and the two children.
Joy: It's a good bit short…Sorry…also, I'm doing a time skip in the next chapter. I may be making it like a good six months or maybe a year. Make it seem like the threats gone away…Then the second attempt happen…Does that suit everyone's needs okay?
