Greetings and welcome to another chapter!
Reviews:
Alex: Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad that you are enjoying the story.
Kaial and Luke Skywolf: Thanks for the info on the Millennium Items! It really helps.
KaTyA: I really enjoy reading fics with long chapters, so I tend to write them that way too. And yeah, Seto is being really good to Yugi. . . who knew he had it in him.
Jaid Skywalker: Thanks for the review!
Adrienne-Lillian: *examines YGO goodies and goes into a screaming fit when she sees the life size pic of Seto and Yugi. . . YAY!* You'd like to see Asami suffer, huh? That can be arranged. I'll keep updating. . . I definitely don't want to get blown up!
TZ: I'll definitely try visiting in the morning! There's a Thai site that has some of the manga summaries in English, so it's not really enough. It's awesome to see the pics, though.
Lizzy9046: Tea's cell phone is not only pink, but she has a little Kuribo figure hanging on it. Someone should get Kaiba a mini Blue Eyes to put on his. I think you're right about Bakura. I guess it seems easy to write angst about him because of the way he is.
Yugi: Kaiba's past is all messed up, and I'd love to know more about it too. Since I don't, I'm more than happy to make it up. About Yugi's parents: In the original Japanese series, Yugi's mom is alive and lives with them at the game shop. She's been in only one of the episodes I've seen so far (I think it's the one where Bandit Keith steals the puzzle and forces Yugi into a duel). They cut out the scenes in the dub, which was kind of pointless. There's been no mention of his father. I haven't really had time to work on the other fic, but I will definitely send it to you when it's finished.
Amiasha: Have you seen pics of Seto when he was a kid? He was adorable with big, blue eyes. All together now: AAAWWWW. I'm glad you were able to like the chapter, even though you don't normally like Seto. That's awesome!
SilverFang: There should definitely be more Kaiba angst! If you ever do write the fic, please let me know. I'd love to read it.
B-chan: WOW! Thank you so much for all that info! I had no idea how Seto's parents had died, so I assumed that they'd died together. . . oh, well. So Seto really did push Gozaburo out a window? I'd read about it somewhere, but assumed it was fandom rather than canon. I could definitely do something with that. . . *muse goes scurrying for the computer* Thanks again for the info!
Jadesaber: I'm trying to be good about updating regularly. Now that I'm out of school for the summer it should be a lot easier.
Setsuna-kitogem: Hmm. . . interesting theories there! Angst is fun, though. And, of course, angsty characters are very sexy! I didn't get any demons, so I'm assuming this update was fast enough. :o)
LadyIcyBlue: *pats LadyIcyBlue in the back* There, there, it's okay. . . I think it's great that you liked the chapter, even if you didn't like Kaiba. I always hated the way he was, but figured he had his reasons for being cold hearted and cruel. Putting up with Gozaburo would do it to anyone.
Cyberkat: Thank you!
Amariel: Yup, nezumi is rat in Japanese. Somehow, it sounds so much more elegant in Japanese. . . I've read a lot of fics that portray him as a real SOB, which is fine, as long as there's a reason for it. Sadly, there usually isn't and the character is pretty hateful, which is why I try to write him differently. That's just me though. I think Kaiba is a very interesting character because of what isn't known about him. I'm glad you're not injuring yourself in Chemistry lab. I've had many teachers the way yours seems to be and writing fanfic in class was the best answer to that for me. Luckily, they never found out what I was really doing.
Okay, now on to the story! Enjoy.
Part 11: Miracles Do Happen
"I was responsible for what happened to you, so I owe it to you to be here."
Jomei frowned at the teenager sitting beside him. He had such an intense look on his face, which made Jomei wonder just how much of this situation he was involved in. At the same time, though, Jomei saw him as a kindred spirit. He knew what it was like to be mistreated and abused, which Jomei was grateful for. Maybe he could finally talk to someone about what had happened to him without worrying about being judged. He really wanted that.
On the other hand, he was very confused about what was going on. One minute, he was fine, doing what he always did. The next minute, he was being called by another name, told that he'd been kidnapped and taken away from his home. Jomei wasn't sure if he'd quite processed everything yet, especially after Asami's little stunt. He felt as if everyone else was running ahead of him and he was struggling to catch up.
Now he'd been hit with this admission. Jomei heard the guilt in the guy's voice and wondered what could have happened to put it there.
"How were you responsible?" Jomei finally asked. "Did you kidnap me?"
The teen's blue eyes grew wide and he shook his head. Jomei could tell that he was trying hard to keep his face clear of all emotions, but there was something there that let Jomei know it was all an act. It was important for the teen to believe that he was unreadable to everyone else, so Jomei didn't comment on the emotions he saw.
"Of course I didn't kidnap you! But I could have helped save you and I didn't," came the soft response.
Jomei shifted in the bed, trying to get his back to stop aching. The teen next to him must have taken that as a sign that he wanted to be left alone, because he started to get up.
"No, don't leave. I was just trying to get my back to stop hurting."
The teen frowned. "Do you want me to get the doctor for you?"
Jomei smiled sadly. "No. It's okay. I've had worse."
After finally finding a comfortable position, Jomei spoke. "How could you have helped? Do you know what happened to me?"
The teen opened up his mouth, but then closed it. "I'd rather wait for your grandfather to tell you about that, if you don't mind. As for how I'm responsible, let's just say that we might have gotten to you in time if I hadn't stopped to fight with Wheeler."
Jomei's mouth opened in a silent 'oh'. So that was why the two of them were not friendly towards each other.
"So you and Wheeler, is it?" Jomei asked, making sure he had the names right. When the other teen nodded, he continued. "What's your name again? I'm sorry; I know you've already told me."
"It's Seto Kaiba."
"Okay, Mr. Kaiba, so you and Wheeler fight a lot?"
The boy frowned, and then shivered slightly. "Please call me Seto. Mr. Kaiba reminds me of my adoptive father," he said.
Jomei winced, remembering what Seto had told him about his adoptive father.
"To answer your question," Seto continued, "Wheeler and I used to argue a lot back then. We just got on each other's nerves, I guess. We shouldn't have argued the day you were taken, though."
Jomei could tell that Seto still felt a lot of guilt over what had happened, which made him curious. He'd respect Seto's wishes and wait to ask more questions, however.
"I don't think you should feel guilty, though. You didn't do whatever it was that happened."
Seto turned to regard him carefully. "Now that sounds like something Yugi would say," he said, a small smile on his face.
Jomei smiled back, realizing how weird that sounded. "So what was I like?"
Seto thought about it for a moment. "Like I said, we didn't really know each other very well. I just knew you because you beat me at Duel Monsters and I was intent on reclaiming my title by defeating you."
"What title?" Jomei asked, intrigued. He never really thought he was good at anything, and Asami certainly hadn't done much to dissuade him from thinking that.
"World Duel Monsters Champion."
"Wow. That sounds pretty impressive. What's Duel Monsters?"
Seto looked at him, surprise clearly written on his face. "You don't remember? Oh, of course you don't," he corrected himself quickly. "Duel Monsters is a card game. Here, I'll show you."
Seto reached into a pocket of his trench coat and pulled out a deck of cards. He handed it to Jomei, who took it gently. As soon as he saw the first one, he remembered the two cards he'd found by the bus stop, and the visions he'd gotten from the cards. At the top of the deck was the picture of a dragon. Blue Eyes White Dragon was neatly written at the top of the card and Jomei couldn't help but remember the rotting, three headed dragon.
"I found two of these cards one day and when I was looking at one, I had a vision of you on top of a tower, standing behind a rotting, three headed dragon."
Jomei looked up to see Seto studying the dragon in the card. He took the deck from Jomei and rifled through it, until he found another card. He handed it to Jomei and Jomei was surprised to see the three headed dragon in the card.
"Ultimate Dragon. . . this was what I saw in my vision."
Seto nodded. "That was at Duelist Kingdom a few months ago. You and I were dueling on top of a castle."
Jomei frowned. Okay, so the monsters were in the cards. He hadn't seen a card, though; he'd seen the real monster.
"The monster I saw was real, though. It wasn't a card."
Seto chuckled as he took back the deck of cards.
"Yes, the monster was real. Well, it was a hologram designed to behave as a real monster. That's what I do for a living, I design gaming systems. I specialize in gaming systems for Duel Monsters, since it's my favorite game."
"Cool!" Jomei exclaimed. "So you work for someone doing that?"
"Not quite. I actually own the company that produces the systems," Seto replied. He seemed a bit ashamed to admit that, which Jomei couldn't understand.
"That's great! You must be really smart and talented. I would love to see your company some time. Maybe you can tell me more about this Duel Monsters game, if you can."
Seto looked at him with an expression of sadness, understanding and something akin to hope.
"I would like that."
Both men were quiet for a moment, which allowed Jomei to try and digest everything he'd just been told. How could it be possible, that he had a whole other life that he didn't remember?
"Oh, I almost forgot. Here," Seto said, reaching into a briefcase Jomei hadn't seen before and taking out the golden pyramid looking necklace the blond had given him at the restaurant.
Jomei didn't reach out for it. Instead, he looked at it with a measure of disgust and confusion.
"That's a hologram generator, right? You said you were an expert on those, so you must have programmed it to emit the hologram of the guy that looks like me. It wasn't a very funny joke, you know."
Seto looked at him for a moment, confusion clearly evident on his face. He looked down at the pyramid in his hands, and then back up at Jomei.
"No, this isn't a hologram generator, and the person you saw, the guy that looks like you, isn't a hologram," Seto explained. "I'm not exactly sure what it's all about, but Wheeler said that the guy was the spirit of a 3000 year old Egyptian pharaoh. This puzzle is actually a very rare and valuable Egyptian artifact. I did some research on it a few months ago," Seto added.
Jomei frowned. Hadn't the guy with the white hair said something about spirits in millennium something?
"You don't really believe that, do you Seto?"
Seto shook his head, chuckling a bit. "I didn't, not until I talked to the spirit of the puzzle. He was actually leading us to you that day you disappeared, before something happened. I think he's been trapped in the puzzle ever since. Why don't you talk to him and find out for yourself?"
Jomei looked up at his companion. "How do I do that?"
Seto shrugged. "I'm not sure, but you used to always wear this thing. Maybe that helps."
Jomei nodded. It seemed a bit farfetched to him, because spirits weren't supposed to exist, but he was curious. He took the puzzle from Seto and carefully settled the chain around his neck, just as the blond guy had done earlier. He waited for something to happen, but nothing did.
"Maybe it's broken," Jomei said.
"No, I don't think so," Seto said and pointed to Jomei's left.
Jomei turned in that direction and saw the same guy that looked like him standing there, regarding him carefully. Jomei was so tempted to take the thing off and toss it, but he didn't. If that guy really was a spirit, Jomei wanted to find out more about it.
"Kaiba," the spirit said, "what are you doing?"
"I'm explaining to Yugi about the puzzle. Wheeler left it and asked that I give it to Yugi when he woke up."
Jomei noticed that the guy wasn't really solid. He was more transparent than anything, which raised the hairs on the back of Jomei's neck.
"Are you okay, Yugi?"
Jomei didn't answer, nor did he bother correcting the guy about his name. It seemed so freaky to be talking to a guy he could see through.
"Seto, are you sure this isn't a hologram generator?"
"No, it isn't, Yugi," the spirit said.
He had walked to the bed and was now standing right beside Jomei. "I'm a spirit. I live in the Millennium Puzzle. I've shared. . . I've been connected to you for a while now. If you have any questions, I will be more than happy to answer them."
Jomei looked at the guy, and then looked at Seto, who didn't seem scared or upset to be talking to a spirit. He was probably more used to it, though.
"I'm not really who you think I am," Jomei said. "I'm Jomei Asami."
The spirit's eyes narrowed, before he nodded. "I am aware of that. Joey told me about what happened. I am sorry, aibou, for not being able to protect you that day."
Jomei was completely caught off guard by the genuine remorse in the spirit's voice. It was as if he felt responsible for what had happened. Could spirits feel guilt and remorse, or was this another sick joke? He turned to Seto, but saw nothing on his face that would indicate that what was happening was a prank. Jomei sighed, and turned back to the spirit.
"It's okay, I guess. I don't really know what happened. Do you?"
The spirit seemed to think it over for a moment, before replying.
"I was there the night you were kidnapped, yes."
Jomei tilted his head, confused. "And you didn't do anything to help?"
The spirit was quiet, but Jomei could see that his words had a deep impact on him. He closed his eyes and seemed to gather himself for a moment, before finally returning his attention to Jomei.
"I am a spirit, Yugi, or would you rather I call you Jomei?"
"Jomei is fine. I'm more than likely not to know you're talking to me if you call me Yugi."
"Very well, Jomei. I am a spirit. I can not exist as a solid being unless I am in control of your body. That night, you were not wearing the puzzle. If you had been, I would have been able to take over and maybe overpower the assailant. As a spirit, I could do nothing but observe."
Jomei's eyes widened at the words. "You 'take over' my body? Why?" his voice was slightly higher pitched, bordering on hysterical. He shuddered at the thought of having a spirit take him over. "Why would you do that?"
The spirit's eyes narrowed in confusion. "It is what we have always done. We share your body and I help you when you're in trouble. You put the puzzle together and granted me my freedom from it, and in exchange, I pledged my allegiance and protection to you. You did not mind it before."
"Are you going to do that now? If I keep this thing on, are you going to take over my body because that's the only way for you to be real?"
Jomei was shaking. He didn't know why the thought scared him so much, except maybe because it meant losing his self and his identity if someone else was in his body. Especially if that someone else was a 3000 year old spirit.
The spirit shook his head, and there was what appeared to be panic in his eyes.
"No. I would never take over your body unless you gave me permission, or unless it was necessary for your survival. We agreed on that. Do you not trust me?"
Jomei fingered the puzzle, and then yanked it off.
"No, I don't trust you."
The spirit stood watching him for a moment, a look of hurt on his face, before he disappeared. Jomei threw the puzzle to the end of the bed and leaned down, his arms wrapped protectively around himself.
"Well, that could have gone better."
Jomei turned to glare at Seto.
"What? It could have gone better," Seto replied.
Jomei turned away and stared at the puzzle that now rested by his feet. "Was he telling the truth? Would he respect my wishes?"
There was a long moment of silence and Jomei was beginning to wonder if Seto had heard him. Finally, the teen spoke.
"I really don't know. You're better off asking Wheeler or Bakura about that."
Jomei sighed. He wanted to go home and get away from all of these crazy people. Asami had beaten him, but at least Jomei had always known where he stood with his guardian. His life hadn't been as uncertain and upside down as it was now.
**~~**
Joey sat alone in the spacious limo, wishing that it would go faster.
He looked out of the window at the passing scenery, but found that he wasn't really paying attention. He'd already complained to the driver that he was going too slow, which had resulted in his being informed that if he didn't like the speed they were going, he could get out and walk. It was almost as if Kaiba were in the car with him. It stood to reason that Kaiba would hire cold bastards like himself to do his driving. Joey had given the man a not so nice gesture, before settling in the seat.
After being flown from Tokyo, the helicopter had landed on the roof of Kaiba Corp. It had been a very surreal ride, because everyone had treated him as he assumed they treated Kaiba. He'd liked the attention, which had made him a bit more at ease about what he was about to do.
Joey still couldn't understand why Kaiba was helping him. It would have been really hard and would have taken a lot of time if Joey had done this on his own, without the use of Kaiba's helicopter and car, so he appreciated the gesture. However, he didn't see what was in it for Kaiba. The man didn't do things out of the goodness of his heart; that had been painfully obvious the day Yugi had disappeared, which led Joey to wonder what he or Mr. Moto were going to have to do for Kaiba when this was all done.
Joey shook his head. He'd deal with Kaiba later.
He still couldn't believe that Yugi was alive. Even though he'd refused to openly accept the fact that Yugi might not be coming back, Joey had feared that it was true, that they'd never see him again. So many months had passed, months with no results, which had caused him to begin to lose hope. Now that he had seen his friend alive and well, Joey wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around his friend and confirm to himself that Yugi really was there, that he wasn't just a figment of his imagination. He couldn't do that, however, because Yugi had no idea who he was.
Joey sighed, his heart heavy with the knowledge that his best friend was alive but a virtual stranger to them. The look of fear on Yugi's face when Tea had hugged him still haunted Joey, because he'd never thought he'd see Yugi afraid of one of his friends. He'd seemed so confused with everyone. In the end, it didn't matter. They could get through anything as long as Yugi was alive.
That led to his current situation. How was he going to tell Yugi's grandfather that even though his grandson was alive, he wasn't really his grandson? Yugi even had another name. It was hard enough for Joey to call him by the new name, so he had no doubt that it was going to be even harder for Mr. Moto.
He sighed. It was going to be okay. No matter what happened, they would all get through it together.
"We've arrived at the game shop, Mr. Wheeler."
The driver's voice shook Joey out of his musings and he looked out of the window again to find that they were parked outside of the shop. The windows were all dark, which made sense due to the late hour.
"Thanks. I'll be right out."
Kaiba had told the driver to wait for them and immediately take them back to Kaiba Corp., so they didn't have much time.
Joey got out of the limo, fishing out his keys as he walked to the front door. He wasn't very particular about being quiet, because he knew that he'd be waking Yugi's grandfather up anyway. When he finally found his keys, he let himself in and immediately walked to Mr. Moto's room.
"Gramps, it's Joey. I'm back from the trip," he said as he knocked on the door a couple of times.
When there was no response, he gently opened the door. By the moonlight streaming form the window, Joey could see that Mr. Moto was sleeping. He walked up to the bed and gently shook the older man, causing him to wake up.
"Joey?"
"Yeah, Gramps, it's me."
Mr. Moto reached out to the night table and turned on one of the lamps, bathing the room in soft light.
"It's almost 3 am. Did you just now get back from Tokyo?"
Joey grinned. He couldn't help it. "Yeah. Something came up."
Mr. Moto seemed confused at Joey's reaction. He slowly sat up and regarded him with a curious look on his face.
"What happened?"
Joey took Mr. Moto's hands and squeezed them. "Yugi's alive, Gramps. We found him!"
Mr. Moto could only stare at Joey, as if he hadn't heard what had been said.
"Did you hear me, Gramps? Yugi's alive, he's okay!"
Suddenly, Mr. Moto's face broke out in a wide grin.
"My grandson is alive?" he asked, disbelief clear in his tone, even though he was grinning too.
"Yes, Gramps, he is. I'll tell you all about it on the way."
The grin disappeared from the older man's face.
"Where are we going?"
"Tokyo. That's where Yugi's been all this time. There's a limo waiting to take us to Kaiba Corp., where there's a helicopter waiting to fly us to Tokyo."
"Where is Yugi now, why didn't he just come with you?"
Joey's smile faded then. He'd hoped to avoid the explanations until they were on the helicopter, but he might as well do it now.
"Yugi doesn't remember who he is, Gramps. He's been living with a 'guardian' for the last six months. We found him at the restaurant we went to after the museum. Apparently, he's been working there. The police decided to go talk to this guardian of Yugi's and Kaiba and I decided to tag along. There were some difficulties. . . " Joey trailed off. He sighed. "Yugi's in the hospital now and the doctor won't release him until you get there."
"Oh my God, is he okay? What happened?" Mr. Moto asked, immediately concerned.
"Yugi's fine, just a little beat up. Kaiba stayed with him while I came to get you. I figured you'd rather hear the news from me than from him."
Mr. Moto was quiet for a moment, and then his grin returned. "He's alive, Joey. He's really okay! No matter what, we're going to get through it. That's a promise!"
**~~**
Three hours later
Salomon Moto wasn't tired. It was almost 5 am, but he wasn't the least bit sleepy. Instead, he was giddy with excitement at the fact that his grandson was alive. He'd prayed for this every night, prayed to every deity he knew, in hopes that they'd grant his wish. Now that they had, Solomon didn't know where to start. He understood that Yugi didn't remember who he was, but it was okay. They'd deal with it, no matter what.
On the other hand, Solomon wasn't happy that his one fear had come to light: that Yugi had been mistreated while away from his home. He only hoped that he could give his grandson enough love to deal with the consequences.
"Ready, Gramps?" Joey asked as the young man wheeled him out of the elevator.
Solomon nodded, tightly clutching the bag in his lap. He'd brought Yugi some clothes and other mementos, which he only hoped would help. Joey wheeled him up to a closed door, and he could hear soft voices coming from behind it.
"So what's it like?"
The sound of Yugi's voice, after six long months of absence, was like music to Solomon's ears and he couldn't help but smile.
"It's okay. It's a good sized city. . . Like everything else, it has its good parts and its bad parts."
Solomon frowned at Seto Kaiba's answer. He wondered what Yugi was asking about.
"Is it as big as Tokyo? I always wanted to see more of Tokyo but my guardian never let me get out much."
The wistful tone in Yugi's voice pulled on Solomon's heartstrings and angered him at the same time. If only he could get his hands on the bastard that abused Yugi, he'd. . .
"Should we go in?"
"Not yet, Joey. I want to hear him first, before I have to pretend I'm okay with the fact that he doesn't remember me."
"Domino is a good sized city, but nowhere near as big Tokyo. There are so many more things to do here."
"Oh. I hope to get to explore Domino sometime."
Kaiba chuckled. "I'm sure your friends or grandfather will take you if you ask."
Solomon nodded, and Joey opened the door for him. He wheeled himself in the rest of the way and found both teenagers staring at him. His eyes immediately filled with tears as he saw his grandson, sitting on the bed next to Seto Kaiba, looking peaceful, content and very alive. There were bruises on Yugi's face, which immediately drew Solomon's attention, but he kept his face cleared of all emotion. He wanted Yugi to feel comfortable around him, not guarded.
"Yugi," he whispered, a sudden lump in his throat.
The boy on the bed looked at him with interest, but nothing else. Yugi was thin, almost gaunt even. His face was pale, which made the nasty scratch on his cheek and other bruises on his face stand out more than they should. In addition, his eyes seemed to be a bit too big on his face. The normally expressive and bright violet eyes were dull and weary, as if they'd seen more than they should have. Yugi's normally wild mane of hair drooped. Wherever Yugi had been for the last six months, he hadn't been well taken care of.
"Jomei, this is Solomon Moto, your grandfather," Joey said as he closed the door behind him. "Gramps, this is Jomei Asami."
Solomon smiled weakly at his grandson. He understood the importance of Yugi feeling safe and comfortable with everything going on, which included being called by the name he was used to now. He just didn't think he'd be able to do it.
"Jomei."
Solomon gave Joey a reassuring smile and began to wheel himself to Yugi's side of the bed. Kaiba got up from the bed and took a few steps back, carefully watching the two.
"Kaiba, thank you for staying with my grandson, and for bringing me here."
"You're welcome, Mr. Moto," Kaiba replied.
Solomon arrived at Yugi's beside and looked at his grandson. He wanted nothing more than to throw his arms around him and never let go, but he couldn't do that. He had to be more careful, because he didn't want to scare Yugi. Yugi, on the other hand, simply watched him, his expression guarded.
"Can I give you a hug?" Solomon asked.
Yugi tilted his head a bit, before slowly nodding. Yugi leaned down slightly to Solomon's level and the older man enveloped him in a hug. Yugi tensed up at first and pulled back a bit, but then relaxed into Solomon's arms. The tears that had been threatening to overwhelm him finally broke free and he wept on his grandson's shoulder.
"Oh, my boy. . . my beautiful boy. I've missed you so much. I'm sorry. . . I'm so sorry."
Sobs cut off his speech. Months of worry, grief, and fear broke free, and Solomon felt as if he were being overwhelmed. He felt Yugi tense and realized that he was probably scaring the boy.
"I'm so glad you're okay," he continued, still not letting go of his grandson. "I'll never let anything happen to you again, I promise. You'll never have to suffer again."
****
Awww. . . let's hear it for family reunions!! Sniff, sniff. . . they always make me cry! Next up: Back to Domino, I guess. Or not. . . depends on what I decide to do with Asami.
Reviews:
Alex: Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad that you are enjoying the story.
Kaial and Luke Skywolf: Thanks for the info on the Millennium Items! It really helps.
KaTyA: I really enjoy reading fics with long chapters, so I tend to write them that way too. And yeah, Seto is being really good to Yugi. . . who knew he had it in him.
Jaid Skywalker: Thanks for the review!
Adrienne-Lillian: *examines YGO goodies and goes into a screaming fit when she sees the life size pic of Seto and Yugi. . . YAY!* You'd like to see Asami suffer, huh? That can be arranged. I'll keep updating. . . I definitely don't want to get blown up!
TZ: I'll definitely try visiting in the morning! There's a Thai site that has some of the manga summaries in English, so it's not really enough. It's awesome to see the pics, though.
Lizzy9046: Tea's cell phone is not only pink, but she has a little Kuribo figure hanging on it. Someone should get Kaiba a mini Blue Eyes to put on his. I think you're right about Bakura. I guess it seems easy to write angst about him because of the way he is.
Yugi: Kaiba's past is all messed up, and I'd love to know more about it too. Since I don't, I'm more than happy to make it up. About Yugi's parents: In the original Japanese series, Yugi's mom is alive and lives with them at the game shop. She's been in only one of the episodes I've seen so far (I think it's the one where Bandit Keith steals the puzzle and forces Yugi into a duel). They cut out the scenes in the dub, which was kind of pointless. There's been no mention of his father. I haven't really had time to work on the other fic, but I will definitely send it to you when it's finished.
Amiasha: Have you seen pics of Seto when he was a kid? He was adorable with big, blue eyes. All together now: AAAWWWW. I'm glad you were able to like the chapter, even though you don't normally like Seto. That's awesome!
SilverFang: There should definitely be more Kaiba angst! If you ever do write the fic, please let me know. I'd love to read it.
B-chan: WOW! Thank you so much for all that info! I had no idea how Seto's parents had died, so I assumed that they'd died together. . . oh, well. So Seto really did push Gozaburo out a window? I'd read about it somewhere, but assumed it was fandom rather than canon. I could definitely do something with that. . . *muse goes scurrying for the computer* Thanks again for the info!
Jadesaber: I'm trying to be good about updating regularly. Now that I'm out of school for the summer it should be a lot easier.
Setsuna-kitogem: Hmm. . . interesting theories there! Angst is fun, though. And, of course, angsty characters are very sexy! I didn't get any demons, so I'm assuming this update was fast enough. :o)
LadyIcyBlue: *pats LadyIcyBlue in the back* There, there, it's okay. . . I think it's great that you liked the chapter, even if you didn't like Kaiba. I always hated the way he was, but figured he had his reasons for being cold hearted and cruel. Putting up with Gozaburo would do it to anyone.
Cyberkat: Thank you!
Amariel: Yup, nezumi is rat in Japanese. Somehow, it sounds so much more elegant in Japanese. . . I've read a lot of fics that portray him as a real SOB, which is fine, as long as there's a reason for it. Sadly, there usually isn't and the character is pretty hateful, which is why I try to write him differently. That's just me though. I think Kaiba is a very interesting character because of what isn't known about him. I'm glad you're not injuring yourself in Chemistry lab. I've had many teachers the way yours seems to be and writing fanfic in class was the best answer to that for me. Luckily, they never found out what I was really doing.
Okay, now on to the story! Enjoy.
Part 11: Miracles Do Happen
"I was responsible for what happened to you, so I owe it to you to be here."
Jomei frowned at the teenager sitting beside him. He had such an intense look on his face, which made Jomei wonder just how much of this situation he was involved in. At the same time, though, Jomei saw him as a kindred spirit. He knew what it was like to be mistreated and abused, which Jomei was grateful for. Maybe he could finally talk to someone about what had happened to him without worrying about being judged. He really wanted that.
On the other hand, he was very confused about what was going on. One minute, he was fine, doing what he always did. The next minute, he was being called by another name, told that he'd been kidnapped and taken away from his home. Jomei wasn't sure if he'd quite processed everything yet, especially after Asami's little stunt. He felt as if everyone else was running ahead of him and he was struggling to catch up.
Now he'd been hit with this admission. Jomei heard the guilt in the guy's voice and wondered what could have happened to put it there.
"How were you responsible?" Jomei finally asked. "Did you kidnap me?"
The teen's blue eyes grew wide and he shook his head. Jomei could tell that he was trying hard to keep his face clear of all emotions, but there was something there that let Jomei know it was all an act. It was important for the teen to believe that he was unreadable to everyone else, so Jomei didn't comment on the emotions he saw.
"Of course I didn't kidnap you! But I could have helped save you and I didn't," came the soft response.
Jomei shifted in the bed, trying to get his back to stop aching. The teen next to him must have taken that as a sign that he wanted to be left alone, because he started to get up.
"No, don't leave. I was just trying to get my back to stop hurting."
The teen frowned. "Do you want me to get the doctor for you?"
Jomei smiled sadly. "No. It's okay. I've had worse."
After finally finding a comfortable position, Jomei spoke. "How could you have helped? Do you know what happened to me?"
The teen opened up his mouth, but then closed it. "I'd rather wait for your grandfather to tell you about that, if you don't mind. As for how I'm responsible, let's just say that we might have gotten to you in time if I hadn't stopped to fight with Wheeler."
Jomei's mouth opened in a silent 'oh'. So that was why the two of them were not friendly towards each other.
"So you and Wheeler, is it?" Jomei asked, making sure he had the names right. When the other teen nodded, he continued. "What's your name again? I'm sorry; I know you've already told me."
"It's Seto Kaiba."
"Okay, Mr. Kaiba, so you and Wheeler fight a lot?"
The boy frowned, and then shivered slightly. "Please call me Seto. Mr. Kaiba reminds me of my adoptive father," he said.
Jomei winced, remembering what Seto had told him about his adoptive father.
"To answer your question," Seto continued, "Wheeler and I used to argue a lot back then. We just got on each other's nerves, I guess. We shouldn't have argued the day you were taken, though."
Jomei could tell that Seto still felt a lot of guilt over what had happened, which made him curious. He'd respect Seto's wishes and wait to ask more questions, however.
"I don't think you should feel guilty, though. You didn't do whatever it was that happened."
Seto turned to regard him carefully. "Now that sounds like something Yugi would say," he said, a small smile on his face.
Jomei smiled back, realizing how weird that sounded. "So what was I like?"
Seto thought about it for a moment. "Like I said, we didn't really know each other very well. I just knew you because you beat me at Duel Monsters and I was intent on reclaiming my title by defeating you."
"What title?" Jomei asked, intrigued. He never really thought he was good at anything, and Asami certainly hadn't done much to dissuade him from thinking that.
"World Duel Monsters Champion."
"Wow. That sounds pretty impressive. What's Duel Monsters?"
Seto looked at him, surprise clearly written on his face. "You don't remember? Oh, of course you don't," he corrected himself quickly. "Duel Monsters is a card game. Here, I'll show you."
Seto reached into a pocket of his trench coat and pulled out a deck of cards. He handed it to Jomei, who took it gently. As soon as he saw the first one, he remembered the two cards he'd found by the bus stop, and the visions he'd gotten from the cards. At the top of the deck was the picture of a dragon. Blue Eyes White Dragon was neatly written at the top of the card and Jomei couldn't help but remember the rotting, three headed dragon.
"I found two of these cards one day and when I was looking at one, I had a vision of you on top of a tower, standing behind a rotting, three headed dragon."
Jomei looked up to see Seto studying the dragon in the card. He took the deck from Jomei and rifled through it, until he found another card. He handed it to Jomei and Jomei was surprised to see the three headed dragon in the card.
"Ultimate Dragon. . . this was what I saw in my vision."
Seto nodded. "That was at Duelist Kingdom a few months ago. You and I were dueling on top of a castle."
Jomei frowned. Okay, so the monsters were in the cards. He hadn't seen a card, though; he'd seen the real monster.
"The monster I saw was real, though. It wasn't a card."
Seto chuckled as he took back the deck of cards.
"Yes, the monster was real. Well, it was a hologram designed to behave as a real monster. That's what I do for a living, I design gaming systems. I specialize in gaming systems for Duel Monsters, since it's my favorite game."
"Cool!" Jomei exclaimed. "So you work for someone doing that?"
"Not quite. I actually own the company that produces the systems," Seto replied. He seemed a bit ashamed to admit that, which Jomei couldn't understand.
"That's great! You must be really smart and talented. I would love to see your company some time. Maybe you can tell me more about this Duel Monsters game, if you can."
Seto looked at him with an expression of sadness, understanding and something akin to hope.
"I would like that."
Both men were quiet for a moment, which allowed Jomei to try and digest everything he'd just been told. How could it be possible, that he had a whole other life that he didn't remember?
"Oh, I almost forgot. Here," Seto said, reaching into a briefcase Jomei hadn't seen before and taking out the golden pyramid looking necklace the blond had given him at the restaurant.
Jomei didn't reach out for it. Instead, he looked at it with a measure of disgust and confusion.
"That's a hologram generator, right? You said you were an expert on those, so you must have programmed it to emit the hologram of the guy that looks like me. It wasn't a very funny joke, you know."
Seto looked at him for a moment, confusion clearly evident on his face. He looked down at the pyramid in his hands, and then back up at Jomei.
"No, this isn't a hologram generator, and the person you saw, the guy that looks like you, isn't a hologram," Seto explained. "I'm not exactly sure what it's all about, but Wheeler said that the guy was the spirit of a 3000 year old Egyptian pharaoh. This puzzle is actually a very rare and valuable Egyptian artifact. I did some research on it a few months ago," Seto added.
Jomei frowned. Hadn't the guy with the white hair said something about spirits in millennium something?
"You don't really believe that, do you Seto?"
Seto shook his head, chuckling a bit. "I didn't, not until I talked to the spirit of the puzzle. He was actually leading us to you that day you disappeared, before something happened. I think he's been trapped in the puzzle ever since. Why don't you talk to him and find out for yourself?"
Jomei looked up at his companion. "How do I do that?"
Seto shrugged. "I'm not sure, but you used to always wear this thing. Maybe that helps."
Jomei nodded. It seemed a bit farfetched to him, because spirits weren't supposed to exist, but he was curious. He took the puzzle from Seto and carefully settled the chain around his neck, just as the blond guy had done earlier. He waited for something to happen, but nothing did.
"Maybe it's broken," Jomei said.
"No, I don't think so," Seto said and pointed to Jomei's left.
Jomei turned in that direction and saw the same guy that looked like him standing there, regarding him carefully. Jomei was so tempted to take the thing off and toss it, but he didn't. If that guy really was a spirit, Jomei wanted to find out more about it.
"Kaiba," the spirit said, "what are you doing?"
"I'm explaining to Yugi about the puzzle. Wheeler left it and asked that I give it to Yugi when he woke up."
Jomei noticed that the guy wasn't really solid. He was more transparent than anything, which raised the hairs on the back of Jomei's neck.
"Are you okay, Yugi?"
Jomei didn't answer, nor did he bother correcting the guy about his name. It seemed so freaky to be talking to a guy he could see through.
"Seto, are you sure this isn't a hologram generator?"
"No, it isn't, Yugi," the spirit said.
He had walked to the bed and was now standing right beside Jomei. "I'm a spirit. I live in the Millennium Puzzle. I've shared. . . I've been connected to you for a while now. If you have any questions, I will be more than happy to answer them."
Jomei looked at the guy, and then looked at Seto, who didn't seem scared or upset to be talking to a spirit. He was probably more used to it, though.
"I'm not really who you think I am," Jomei said. "I'm Jomei Asami."
The spirit's eyes narrowed, before he nodded. "I am aware of that. Joey told me about what happened. I am sorry, aibou, for not being able to protect you that day."
Jomei was completely caught off guard by the genuine remorse in the spirit's voice. It was as if he felt responsible for what had happened. Could spirits feel guilt and remorse, or was this another sick joke? He turned to Seto, but saw nothing on his face that would indicate that what was happening was a prank. Jomei sighed, and turned back to the spirit.
"It's okay, I guess. I don't really know what happened. Do you?"
The spirit seemed to think it over for a moment, before replying.
"I was there the night you were kidnapped, yes."
Jomei tilted his head, confused. "And you didn't do anything to help?"
The spirit was quiet, but Jomei could see that his words had a deep impact on him. He closed his eyes and seemed to gather himself for a moment, before finally returning his attention to Jomei.
"I am a spirit, Yugi, or would you rather I call you Jomei?"
"Jomei is fine. I'm more than likely not to know you're talking to me if you call me Yugi."
"Very well, Jomei. I am a spirit. I can not exist as a solid being unless I am in control of your body. That night, you were not wearing the puzzle. If you had been, I would have been able to take over and maybe overpower the assailant. As a spirit, I could do nothing but observe."
Jomei's eyes widened at the words. "You 'take over' my body? Why?" his voice was slightly higher pitched, bordering on hysterical. He shuddered at the thought of having a spirit take him over. "Why would you do that?"
The spirit's eyes narrowed in confusion. "It is what we have always done. We share your body and I help you when you're in trouble. You put the puzzle together and granted me my freedom from it, and in exchange, I pledged my allegiance and protection to you. You did not mind it before."
"Are you going to do that now? If I keep this thing on, are you going to take over my body because that's the only way for you to be real?"
Jomei was shaking. He didn't know why the thought scared him so much, except maybe because it meant losing his self and his identity if someone else was in his body. Especially if that someone else was a 3000 year old spirit.
The spirit shook his head, and there was what appeared to be panic in his eyes.
"No. I would never take over your body unless you gave me permission, or unless it was necessary for your survival. We agreed on that. Do you not trust me?"
Jomei fingered the puzzle, and then yanked it off.
"No, I don't trust you."
The spirit stood watching him for a moment, a look of hurt on his face, before he disappeared. Jomei threw the puzzle to the end of the bed and leaned down, his arms wrapped protectively around himself.
"Well, that could have gone better."
Jomei turned to glare at Seto.
"What? It could have gone better," Seto replied.
Jomei turned away and stared at the puzzle that now rested by his feet. "Was he telling the truth? Would he respect my wishes?"
There was a long moment of silence and Jomei was beginning to wonder if Seto had heard him. Finally, the teen spoke.
"I really don't know. You're better off asking Wheeler or Bakura about that."
Jomei sighed. He wanted to go home and get away from all of these crazy people. Asami had beaten him, but at least Jomei had always known where he stood with his guardian. His life hadn't been as uncertain and upside down as it was now.
**~~**
Joey sat alone in the spacious limo, wishing that it would go faster.
He looked out of the window at the passing scenery, but found that he wasn't really paying attention. He'd already complained to the driver that he was going too slow, which had resulted in his being informed that if he didn't like the speed they were going, he could get out and walk. It was almost as if Kaiba were in the car with him. It stood to reason that Kaiba would hire cold bastards like himself to do his driving. Joey had given the man a not so nice gesture, before settling in the seat.
After being flown from Tokyo, the helicopter had landed on the roof of Kaiba Corp. It had been a very surreal ride, because everyone had treated him as he assumed they treated Kaiba. He'd liked the attention, which had made him a bit more at ease about what he was about to do.
Joey still couldn't understand why Kaiba was helping him. It would have been really hard and would have taken a lot of time if Joey had done this on his own, without the use of Kaiba's helicopter and car, so he appreciated the gesture. However, he didn't see what was in it for Kaiba. The man didn't do things out of the goodness of his heart; that had been painfully obvious the day Yugi had disappeared, which led Joey to wonder what he or Mr. Moto were going to have to do for Kaiba when this was all done.
Joey shook his head. He'd deal with Kaiba later.
He still couldn't believe that Yugi was alive. Even though he'd refused to openly accept the fact that Yugi might not be coming back, Joey had feared that it was true, that they'd never see him again. So many months had passed, months with no results, which had caused him to begin to lose hope. Now that he had seen his friend alive and well, Joey wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around his friend and confirm to himself that Yugi really was there, that he wasn't just a figment of his imagination. He couldn't do that, however, because Yugi had no idea who he was.
Joey sighed, his heart heavy with the knowledge that his best friend was alive but a virtual stranger to them. The look of fear on Yugi's face when Tea had hugged him still haunted Joey, because he'd never thought he'd see Yugi afraid of one of his friends. He'd seemed so confused with everyone. In the end, it didn't matter. They could get through anything as long as Yugi was alive.
That led to his current situation. How was he going to tell Yugi's grandfather that even though his grandson was alive, he wasn't really his grandson? Yugi even had another name. It was hard enough for Joey to call him by the new name, so he had no doubt that it was going to be even harder for Mr. Moto.
He sighed. It was going to be okay. No matter what happened, they would all get through it together.
"We've arrived at the game shop, Mr. Wheeler."
The driver's voice shook Joey out of his musings and he looked out of the window again to find that they were parked outside of the shop. The windows were all dark, which made sense due to the late hour.
"Thanks. I'll be right out."
Kaiba had told the driver to wait for them and immediately take them back to Kaiba Corp., so they didn't have much time.
Joey got out of the limo, fishing out his keys as he walked to the front door. He wasn't very particular about being quiet, because he knew that he'd be waking Yugi's grandfather up anyway. When he finally found his keys, he let himself in and immediately walked to Mr. Moto's room.
"Gramps, it's Joey. I'm back from the trip," he said as he knocked on the door a couple of times.
When there was no response, he gently opened the door. By the moonlight streaming form the window, Joey could see that Mr. Moto was sleeping. He walked up to the bed and gently shook the older man, causing him to wake up.
"Joey?"
"Yeah, Gramps, it's me."
Mr. Moto reached out to the night table and turned on one of the lamps, bathing the room in soft light.
"It's almost 3 am. Did you just now get back from Tokyo?"
Joey grinned. He couldn't help it. "Yeah. Something came up."
Mr. Moto seemed confused at Joey's reaction. He slowly sat up and regarded him with a curious look on his face.
"What happened?"
Joey took Mr. Moto's hands and squeezed them. "Yugi's alive, Gramps. We found him!"
Mr. Moto could only stare at Joey, as if he hadn't heard what had been said.
"Did you hear me, Gramps? Yugi's alive, he's okay!"
Suddenly, Mr. Moto's face broke out in a wide grin.
"My grandson is alive?" he asked, disbelief clear in his tone, even though he was grinning too.
"Yes, Gramps, he is. I'll tell you all about it on the way."
The grin disappeared from the older man's face.
"Where are we going?"
"Tokyo. That's where Yugi's been all this time. There's a limo waiting to take us to Kaiba Corp., where there's a helicopter waiting to fly us to Tokyo."
"Where is Yugi now, why didn't he just come with you?"
Joey's smile faded then. He'd hoped to avoid the explanations until they were on the helicopter, but he might as well do it now.
"Yugi doesn't remember who he is, Gramps. He's been living with a 'guardian' for the last six months. We found him at the restaurant we went to after the museum. Apparently, he's been working there. The police decided to go talk to this guardian of Yugi's and Kaiba and I decided to tag along. There were some difficulties. . . " Joey trailed off. He sighed. "Yugi's in the hospital now and the doctor won't release him until you get there."
"Oh my God, is he okay? What happened?" Mr. Moto asked, immediately concerned.
"Yugi's fine, just a little beat up. Kaiba stayed with him while I came to get you. I figured you'd rather hear the news from me than from him."
Mr. Moto was quiet for a moment, and then his grin returned. "He's alive, Joey. He's really okay! No matter what, we're going to get through it. That's a promise!"
**~~**
Three hours later
Salomon Moto wasn't tired. It was almost 5 am, but he wasn't the least bit sleepy. Instead, he was giddy with excitement at the fact that his grandson was alive. He'd prayed for this every night, prayed to every deity he knew, in hopes that they'd grant his wish. Now that they had, Solomon didn't know where to start. He understood that Yugi didn't remember who he was, but it was okay. They'd deal with it, no matter what.
On the other hand, Solomon wasn't happy that his one fear had come to light: that Yugi had been mistreated while away from his home. He only hoped that he could give his grandson enough love to deal with the consequences.
"Ready, Gramps?" Joey asked as the young man wheeled him out of the elevator.
Solomon nodded, tightly clutching the bag in his lap. He'd brought Yugi some clothes and other mementos, which he only hoped would help. Joey wheeled him up to a closed door, and he could hear soft voices coming from behind it.
"So what's it like?"
The sound of Yugi's voice, after six long months of absence, was like music to Solomon's ears and he couldn't help but smile.
"It's okay. It's a good sized city. . . Like everything else, it has its good parts and its bad parts."
Solomon frowned at Seto Kaiba's answer. He wondered what Yugi was asking about.
"Is it as big as Tokyo? I always wanted to see more of Tokyo but my guardian never let me get out much."
The wistful tone in Yugi's voice pulled on Solomon's heartstrings and angered him at the same time. If only he could get his hands on the bastard that abused Yugi, he'd. . .
"Should we go in?"
"Not yet, Joey. I want to hear him first, before I have to pretend I'm okay with the fact that he doesn't remember me."
"Domino is a good sized city, but nowhere near as big Tokyo. There are so many more things to do here."
"Oh. I hope to get to explore Domino sometime."
Kaiba chuckled. "I'm sure your friends or grandfather will take you if you ask."
Solomon nodded, and Joey opened the door for him. He wheeled himself in the rest of the way and found both teenagers staring at him. His eyes immediately filled with tears as he saw his grandson, sitting on the bed next to Seto Kaiba, looking peaceful, content and very alive. There were bruises on Yugi's face, which immediately drew Solomon's attention, but he kept his face cleared of all emotion. He wanted Yugi to feel comfortable around him, not guarded.
"Yugi," he whispered, a sudden lump in his throat.
The boy on the bed looked at him with interest, but nothing else. Yugi was thin, almost gaunt even. His face was pale, which made the nasty scratch on his cheek and other bruises on his face stand out more than they should. In addition, his eyes seemed to be a bit too big on his face. The normally expressive and bright violet eyes were dull and weary, as if they'd seen more than they should have. Yugi's normally wild mane of hair drooped. Wherever Yugi had been for the last six months, he hadn't been well taken care of.
"Jomei, this is Solomon Moto, your grandfather," Joey said as he closed the door behind him. "Gramps, this is Jomei Asami."
Solomon smiled weakly at his grandson. He understood the importance of Yugi feeling safe and comfortable with everything going on, which included being called by the name he was used to now. He just didn't think he'd be able to do it.
"Jomei."
Solomon gave Joey a reassuring smile and began to wheel himself to Yugi's side of the bed. Kaiba got up from the bed and took a few steps back, carefully watching the two.
"Kaiba, thank you for staying with my grandson, and for bringing me here."
"You're welcome, Mr. Moto," Kaiba replied.
Solomon arrived at Yugi's beside and looked at his grandson. He wanted nothing more than to throw his arms around him and never let go, but he couldn't do that. He had to be more careful, because he didn't want to scare Yugi. Yugi, on the other hand, simply watched him, his expression guarded.
"Can I give you a hug?" Solomon asked.
Yugi tilted his head a bit, before slowly nodding. Yugi leaned down slightly to Solomon's level and the older man enveloped him in a hug. Yugi tensed up at first and pulled back a bit, but then relaxed into Solomon's arms. The tears that had been threatening to overwhelm him finally broke free and he wept on his grandson's shoulder.
"Oh, my boy. . . my beautiful boy. I've missed you so much. I'm sorry. . . I'm so sorry."
Sobs cut off his speech. Months of worry, grief, and fear broke free, and Solomon felt as if he were being overwhelmed. He felt Yugi tense and realized that he was probably scaring the boy.
"I'm so glad you're okay," he continued, still not letting go of his grandson. "I'll never let anything happen to you again, I promise. You'll never have to suffer again."
****
Awww. . . let's hear it for family reunions!! Sniff, sniff. . . they always make me cry! Next up: Back to Domino, I guess. Or not. . . depends on what I decide to do with Asami.