Chao- Heh, been working on this piece ever since the beginning.
YChao- Ah, so this is why you take forever to update your dumb stories.
Chao- It's much more fun to edit than do the actually writing.
"Talking."
"Thinking."
Chapter 12: Plan in Motion
Yami heavily paced back and forth in his prison that was his room. He couldn't stand the thought of being there any longer. He refused to partake in any more actions with the vile man named Bakar.
He wanted to be outside in the open.
He desired to be with his friends who cared about him.
He longed to be with Yugi.
His heart ached. His friend had an innocent view on life. The young boy only wanted to have friends, and despite being alone he never allowed himself to be consumed with darkness and hatred. Yami fully believed his evil boss will target Yugi for the twisted, selfish magical spell.
"I can't take this anymore!" Yami finally shouted. "I need to think of a plan… but I can't do this alone. If I am to defeat Bakar, I will need help. I do not wish to place anyone in danger, but this may be my only option."
The teen glanced down at his weapon. Bakar had mentioned it having some sort of mystic liquid. Yami despised the sword. Furiously, he tossed the Dark Stone that reverted back to a black rock and landed on his mattress. He did not need it for his mission. He was sick of the magic that emitted from it.
He recalled one of the spells he had been practicing. He used it to escape from the chamber at the bottom, and he had made a clean getaway. He knew his new idea would be risky, but it may be his only chance. He had been given so much time before Bakar would go after Yugi.
Yami glanced at the book he kept at his clean desk. Opening it, he flipped through it several times with a great fire in him. His eyes skimmed the pages with great attention; he desperately tried to locate the spell he had placed on his friends. He could only hope even after the memories were revived everyone would go along and defeat Bakar once and for all.
Yami's heart beat with joy when he finally found what he had been searching for.
He placed himself with his arms across from each other against his chest. He had his legs apart with his eyes closed. He chanted a spell and disappeared.
xxx
Yami took a deep breath of the cool, night air. He was glad to be out of the cage he was trapped in. He opened his eyes and happily glanced up at the almost full moon. He wished he could spend time and appreciate the outside world, but he knew he must act quickly; it would only be a matter of time before Bakar found out he was missing. He looked around and grew shock seeing he was in front of the Turtle Game store.
"What am I doing here!" Yami gasped as he backed away. "Is this… where my heart is telling me I should be?"
He wanted to burst through the door and tell his friend he was back. He wanted to rescue his companion from the madman. He wanted to be back in the home where he was cared for and felt like he belonged. But he knew he couldn't.
Hesitantly, he sprinted off in the opposite direction. He couldn't risk having Bakar hurt Yugi. He did not wish for the one he cared about most to be in anymore danger. He decided it would be best if he began his project elsewhere.
A window from the Turtle Game store opened. A young teen with tri-color hair glanced around. He didn't understand why, but something told him someone was out there. Since he did not see a single soul, he went back inside and closed the window.
Xxx
"Tea! There's someone here for you," called out a young adult's mother.
"Ok!" Tea answered back.
The teen sat at her desk finishing some homework. Earlier she had an empty feeling within return once more. She shook her head and told herself to continue with her work.
Looking at her clock in the shape of a cat, she wondered who needed her around seven at night. She stood up and walked towards the front door. As she did, she thought to herself, "Heh, it's probably just Yugi needing some help with science again."
The female adolescent stepped towards the front of the house and opened the door. There stood a stranger who appeared to have tri-color hair. However, the figure seemed to be a bit taller for him to be Yugi. He was too busy looking out into the distant to notice the door had been opened.
"Um… Hello?" Tea greeted confused.
"It's good to hear your voice again," said the mysterious stranger who snapped back into reality. He turned around to reveal himself having narrow purple eyes and a heroic smile, "Tea."
The girl was caught off guard; she was captured by the person standing in front of her. Memories from her past overflowed her mind and heart. She became faint as her eyes became a hollow blue. She nearly lost her balance.
"Tea!" called the stranger as he grasped the young adult. He carefully placed her on the steps and waited for her to wake up.
When she did, she had shiny blue eyes that made contact with the set of purple orbs. She smiled a bit and welcomed warmly, "Hello, Yami."
The older boy smiled gleefully, delighted knowing the spell cast over had broken. He knew things were about to become complicated. He prayed everyone would stay by his side. He also knew the girl would have a lot of questions, so he began to explain everything that took place.
"So, there's this Bakar person who made you his apprentice and now you want to break free?" Tea asked wanting clarification.
Yami nodded.
"And you placed a spell on me, Yugi, and everyone else so we wouldn't suffer while you weren't here?" Tea questioned once more.
"Yes, I apologize for committing such a repulsive act." Yami replied quietly with melancholy in his eyes. "But I did not wish to cause anyone harm."
"But that's what friends are for," the girl reminded with a small laugh. "We are supposed to get hurt in order to be there for each other."
Yami remained quiet. He allowed the words to sink into his mind and also his heart. He wanted to set everyone free, not just himself.
"What about Yugi?" Tea asked.
Yami immediately flashed his attention towards the other adolescent.
"Haven't you seen him yet?"
"No, I haven't." Yami explained as he turned away with disgrace. "There's… another spell on him… cast by Bakar. I couldn't risk losing him."
"So then you went to see me first?" Tea inquired.
Yami nodded.
The girl looked at the ground. She was pleased knowing the older boy could go and talk with her whenever a problem came around. She remembered how harshly the boy treated himself for what happened to their mutual friend. She looked up at the sky. The moon shone nicely out. She had a feeling beyond the peaceful night lied a day filled with agony and adventure.
Standing up with excitement, she exclaimed, "So what's the plan!"
"What?" Yami asked confused.
"You said you didn't want to hurt any of us," Tea began. "But you should know all of us are willing to jump through hoops of fire to be with you and Yugi! You said you wanted to be free of Bakar! I'm letting you know we're all here to help!"
Yami smiled. He was filled with gratitude knowing a friend was there for him. He stood up and explained, "I'll tell you tomorrow. I need to leave as I don't know if Bakar knows I'm missing."
"Ok." Tea replied softly.
The male teen stepped off of Tea's porch and walked a few steps away. He slowly vanished. He turned around, smiled, and gave a thumbs up.
Once she was alone, Tea continued to stand outside. She looked up at the sky once more with eyes that seemed livelier than before. She finally saw the stars shinning above. She smiled once more. She turned around and sighed happily.
She was glad she was part of something bigger than herself.
Xxx
Yami returned to his room feeling a bit faint but not as big as before. He felt the presence of someone else. Quickly, he turned and saw Kaiba standing in the doorway.
"Where were you?" the tall teen asked coldly.
The one with gold bangs figured Kaiba would do all he could to keep his sibling safe. Yami would do all he could to help the brothers, but he decided to wait on the plan for them. He glanced down and saw the Dark Stone remained in its position. He reached over for it and held it away at it arm's length towards Kaiba.
"Out." Yami replied smoothly. "Practicing magic."
The other boy thought nothing of it. He left the room and headed towards his own.
Yami took a seat on his mattress. He became cheerful no one was aware about him missing. He grew ecstatic at least one person was now broken from the spell.
Looking out his window, he saw the moon. He had once disliked it in his past. He noticed how the vast, silver object in the sky was starting to grow bigger. He smiled. He, too, felt himself growing larger once more thanks to light he was receiving from everyone.
The next morning, Yami used his time perfecting his magic. He was able to appear and disappear at a faster rate without using so much stamina. His skills in using his sword also improved, despite him secretly disapproving of it. Even though he acted like his usual self, he was also filled with anxiety. He waited like a mouse in search of cat for Bakar to leave, so he could continue on with his plan.
When the time was right, Yami briskly went from the chamber towards his room. He stopped for a moment when he needed to first past by Kaiba's room. Quietly, he saw the teen asleep in his bed. Yami soundlessly walked past him. He believed Kaiba was assigned to watch over him as he assumed Bakar would use whoever meant most to Kaiba against him. Yami was careful to not act too suspiciously, but he was grateful for the adolescent with brown hair's assistant in his early time of need and mourning.
"Don't worry Kaiba… Soon, all of us will be free of this madman."
Yami positioned himself correctly and cast the spell to transport him. He allowed the familiar sensation to enter his body. He slowly vanished from his cage and into the outside world.
He opened his eyes and examined his surroundings. He could see he was not too far from Domino High School.
Xxx
A few hours before…
Yugi awoke a little woozy in his bed. He tiredly stepped out and changed into his uniform. As he left his room and went downstairs, he nearly lost his balance. At once, he grabbed the hand rail to prevent himself from falling. He sighed with relief seeing he was safe.
Although he didn't hold much strength, he managed to eat a small breakfast. While chewing on his morning food, he couldn't help but feel a tad lonely. There was no one in the kitchen or in the entire house, other than himself. He sighed as he stood up and washed his plate. He was about to head out the door when he felt an abrupt, sharp sting in his chest.
He paused for a moment and cringed in pain as he placed his hands over his heart. He felt another cold wave enter his form. As a result from clashing feelings, he fell to his knees. He tried the best to block out the unwanted, bitter sensation. The throbbing gradually left.
When he collected enough stamina, Yugi stood up and went straight to school.
After he arrived, he took a seat at his desk. He glanced out the window in a daze. He spotted a butterfly dancing around.
"Good morning, Yugi." Tea greeted happily.
The small adolescent turned and noticed his friend appeared chipper than usual. He greeted back sleepily, "Good morning, Tea."
The girl's smile faded a bit. She remembered Yugi had not had his memories returned to him yet. The boy also appeared unwell. She asked sincerely, "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, just a little tired." Yugi answered honestly.
Tea took her seat when the bell rang. Students entered in to place themselves in their assigned spots. Two other peers came in and made a racket. Tea glanced up to see one adolescent with blonde hair and the other with brown. She was about to speak to them when she glanced back at Yugi. She remembered for now neither of them were friends with each other. She looked down and hoped everything would be over soon, and their lives could return back to normal.
When class was over, Yugi and Tea walked down the hall. The boy suddenly stopped, feeling a little discomfort enter his chest once more. Making both hands into fists, he placed them on his heart. As soon as the pain entered, so did the uneasy cold sentiment. Even though the bleak feeling made the pain stop, Yugi did not like it. He felt something else was within him. He squeezed his eyes tightly as he waited for the ache to stop as he tried to push out the freezing sensation.
"Yugi!" Tea called out alarmed.
"I'm fine." Yugi replied groggy when everything came to an end.
The two continued their way towards their next class. They separated and went to their individual rooms, which were adjacent to one another. Yugi took a seat next to a blonde student. Neither of them made any type of interaction between each other. As the lecture proceeded, the small teen experienced difficulty concentrating. Every few minutes he would slightly cough, his chest gave him problems, and he developed a light headache.
"Mr. Muto, are you all right?" asked the instructor. When the student made no reply, the teacher asked, "Would you like to go to the nurse?"
The shaggy hair student glanced over towards Yugi. A part of him was not enjoying seeing a member of his class suffer. He felt compelled to do something. Boldly standing up, he insisted, "I'll take him to the nurse."
"Well, if that's fine with Mr. Muto then I will allow it, Mr. Wheeler." the instructor said, a tad surprised.
Yugi nodded. Even though he did not want to be burden to someone, he did not want to fall down on his way over to the infirmary.
The two left the classroom and walked down the hall. With each step, the small boy felt his own body becoming heavier and heavier. On the way over, the two met with another male student with brunette hair, who came out of the boy's restroom.
"Where're you off to?" he asked out of curiosity.
"To the moon." Joey answered sarcastically. "Yugi ain't feeling well, where else would I take him Tristan!"
"Sorry I showed a little concern!" Tristan spat back.
A small smile crept over Yugi's face. A feeling within him told him this felt right. The sentiment did not last long, for he soon lost his balance once more.
"Yugi!" both adolescents replied as they caught the unwell student.
"I'm fine." the small teen answered after regaining some strength.
"We're almost there." Joey tried to encourage.
The blonde took the student to the nurse's room. The bell rang, and Tristan waited outside for his friend to come back out. He glanced up and noticed a female adolescent coming his way. She accidentally made eye contact with him but quickly turned away.
"Hey, Gardner." Tristan called.
Tea turned back and was curious to know what a soon to be reunited friend needed to say.
Tristan continued and informed, "Your little boyfriend is in the nurse's office."
"He's not my boyfriend!" Tea hurriedly corrected as her face became red. She calmed herself down as she was grateful someone told her where her companion was. She walked into the room and said quietly, "Thank you."
As Tea entered, she saw Joey speaking to the nurse. She looked away and waited patiently for her other friend to arrive to fix all this mess.
Joey took a look at the girl but continued on with his way.
Tea spoke to the woman, and the nurse had informed her that Yugi had a bit of a fever.
The girl had wanted to insist she be there for her buddy, but something told her she needed to be someplace else. She left the infirmary to allow her friend to rest. She cautiously walked behind the two boys she spoke with earlier. Coincidentally, they all had the next lesson together.
She hoped Yugi would be fine so he could be reunited with Yami.
Xxx
Yami quickly sprinted down the path while dodging other people. He knew he only had so much time before Kaiba would wake up and notice him missing. He already took a big risk the day before, and he did not need any more attention drawn until the time of battle.
He paused in front of the school. To secure he was not spotted by any other students or teachers, he took cover in some bushes. He had to stay hidden his plan was perfect, so he could work. He sprinted onto the school grounds. Plenty of students were out, so Yami assumed it was their break.
"Guess I came at a good time." he smirked. He hid between a building and a few bushes. He glanced around, and he soon spotted who he was looking for. On a bench with a pink top and blue skirt with short, brown hair and caring blue eyes sat Tea. Yami took a rock and carefully tossed it in the girl's direction.
Tea turned surprised seeing the object. She stood up and glanced around. Her heart beat with worry but also excitement. She eyed a hidden figure beckoning for her. She briskly went over to see who she thought she saw.
"Hello again, Tea." Yami greeted.
"Hey, Yami." Tea greeted back.
"Where's Yugi?" Yami asked with great curiosity as he looked around. He knew the boy was always around the girl. He became surprise to not see him anywhere near.
Tea's smile faded as she explained, "He's in the nurse's office with a fever."
"Oh no," the teen quietly gasped as he stared at the ground.
"Come on, what's the plan?" Tea asked, trying to keep her friend's spirit up. "You said if you want to save Yugi you would need a plan, so what is it?"
Yami nodded. He knew he must stand strong to save everyone. He asked, "Have you seen Joey and Tristan?"
The girl shook her head. The time she had spotted them was earlier in the morning, but it was now past noon. She giggled, "I almost greeted them this morning when I remembered there is a spell cast on them and, in a sense, we're not friends."
"I apologize for that."
"There's no need. Guess we'll need everyone's help then, right?"
Yami nodded once more. As he tried to figure out a way to reach them, the two of them heard loud, familiar voices.
"Can you believe what happened in class today?" once voice whined. "I can't believe I lost to a girl in a simple match of checkers!"
"You sure do suck at that game." the other one replied. "But it was just a simple class experiment."
"To prove what? Boys suck more at games than girls?"
"No, just that you suck at everything."
"Hey! You lost too!"
Yami and Tea's eyes met. They knew the people who were approaching their direction.
"We need to find a way to bring them over here." Yami instructed.
"Let me handle this." Tea winked as she had a plan of her own in mind. She jumped into the open. With her hands around her mouth, she yelled, "HEY WHEELER! TAYLOR!"
Yami became stunned about the girl's action. He had never seen her act like this before nor did he ever expect to.
"Hey, it's that Gardner chick." Joey spat annoyed.
"What does she want now?" Tristan wondered.
"YEAH I'M TALKING TO YOU!" Tea continued bravely. "YOU'RE JUST MAD BECAUSE I BEAT YOU IN A GAME OF CHECKERS EARLIER!"
"What!" the two boys shouted as they felt their masculinity damage.
The female adolescent dashed behind the building where she came from.
"I'll show her!" Joey yelled with his anger raising.
"Dude! That's Tea Gardner!" Tristan reminded, a tad scared of the bold female.
"So what!" Joey argued, not caring, "Girl's gotta know her place! It ain't cool to brag about victory like that!"
"Then why do you do it all the time?" Tristan mumbled.
The angry blonde raced to where the teen disappeared with his friend following him. They stopped, seeing Tea standing and talking with a stranger who had his back turned towards them. She looked over to see the two needed team members.
"Who's this!" Joey growled as noticed the person was not in a school uniform. "Your boyfriend?"
"He's not my boyfriend!" Tea yelled with her face becoming red once more.
"Right, just someone you're secretly tutoring." Tristan remarked casually.
"It's good to see your sense of humor again," smirked the mysterious stranger as everything seemed to be falling into his favor. He then turned around to show his face, "Joey, Tristan."
"Y-Yami!" the two shouted at the same time.
Like Tea, their eyes became hollow as memories flew into their mind. They both fell backwards and landed on the ground. Tea and Yami raced towards their fallen companions to be sure they were fine. They both were unharmed as they lied on the ground with swirly eyes.
"Uh… you guys ok?" Tea asked.
"You bet we are!" Joey and Tristan declared as they stood up.
The four them laughed.
Yami was overjoyed to have almost everyone back. His smile diminished as he retold the story everyone was in.
"Damn this Bakar guy!" Tristan swore as he angrily punched one first into his opposite hand.
"So that means Yug is still underneath his control?" Joey asked.
Yami nodded.
"Then we gotta do something!" Joey persisted. "You gotta revive Yug's memory!"
"I'm not sure if I can." Yami mumbled passively.
"Why not?" Tristan asked.
"Something worse may happen to him," the boy with the tri-color hair explained.
"But we need him!" Joey tried to convince. "He's an important member of our group!"
"He's right." Tea agreed. "I know it may be hard, but I think it would be best."
Yami remained quiet. He had a strong desire to see his small friend with the cheerful smile and innocent eyes once more. But there was still fear and doubt in his mind.
"I think we should all go see him." Tea suggested to everyone. "He wasn't feeling too well, and I think some of it is because he doesn't have the courage and strength from all of us to lighten up his spirit."
Yami tried to have everything that was stated sink in. He was in a mess between his mind and heart once again. His brain reminded him of all the trouble he had caused for the one named Yugi. His heart reflected the times he was rescued by the small teen and vice versa.
Yami knew his female companion was correct. Yugi's kind spirit existed because of his friends, which included Yami, who knew what he had to do.
He finally asked, "You said he's in the infirmary?"
Xxx
A nurse sat at her desk typing away at her computer when she saw four teenagers enter her office. She noticed one of them appeared to look similar to a student who was currently in the other room.
"Are you here to pick up Mr. Muto?" she asked as she lifted her thick glasses.
"Yes." Yami confirmed. "I'm his brother."
"He's in the next room," the lady informed as she stood up.
Yami and Yugi were accustomed to being accused of being related. The two eventually shrug off the uneasy sentiment and accepted the idea. The act was easier when Yami was adopted and made an official member of the Muto family, a day he always kept in his heart.
The nurse led the other group into an area with two beds and a set of light green curtains to offer privacy. The other mattress was vacant, but the one furthest from the group was hidden. The lady removed the curtain, and as she did she informed the ill student, "Mr. Muto, your brother is here to pick you up."
Yami's heart sank seeing a small boy with tri-color hair asleep in an uncomfortable rest. He appeared unwell and was breathing heavily in uneven patterns. Yami quietly stepped over to wake his friend up.
"Yugi," he called out as gently as he could. "Wake up. It's me, Yami."
The ill student slowly came around. He grew confused who was calling him. He did not recognize the voice, yet the sound was very warm and soothing. He tried to sit up but was too weak. He nearly lost his balance, but the older boy quickly caught hold and took a seat on the mattress. The small boy moaned a little.
"Yugi, it's me, Yami." the adolescent tried his best to reach his friend.
"Ya… mi?" Yugi questioned. His mind was very hazy as he attempted to piece together the voice. The name he heard was unusual, yet something was telling him to trust the person who was holding him. His heart grew warm as he repeated tiredly, "Ya… mi…"
"Please, open your eyes," the older boy begged.
Everyone stood by anxiously for the last of the member of their group to wake up, so they could became whole again.
The younger tried to obey, but his eyes were too watery. He didn't feel well, and he grew even wearier. His chest was also causing him a few problems with faint burns. He moaned again as he was losing contact with reality while slipping into darkness. However, he did his best to remain with the person who was caring for him. Bit by bit, he struggled to unlock his very heavy pupils.
At that moment, a strong gust of wind took place. An arrogant voice called out, "I'm very disappointed in you, Yami!"
"What's going on!" the school nurse demanded to know as she reentered the room. She was knocked off her feet and landed in the other room where she became unconscious.
"Stand your ground!" Yami ordered.
Everyone dropped to their knees and tried to keep themselves from being blown away.
Yami kicked down the mattress and used it as a shield to block away the powerful force.
Joey did the same as Tristan reached for Tea.
Yugi was unsure of what was occurring around him. He held onto the person for protection.
Yami tighten his hold on his friend. He knew he was found out and the inevitable battle was about to begin. While continuing on with his hold, he peeked to see if anyone else was with his enemy.
A figure appeared, and soon everyone saw a man with a brown robe and green bangs. He wore an overly confident smirk.
"Bakar!" Yami bellowed with anger.
"Hey! It's the asshole who started all this!" Joey added with rage. Anger erupted inside of him as well as recalling all the terrible situations the man had put himself and his friends in.
"Tsk, tsk. Didn't I say no harm would come to Yugi if you joined me?" Bakar stated. "I believe I managed to fulfill my part quite well."
Although Yugi was unaware of the people around him, he shivered at the sound of Bakar's voice: The sound was similar to the unwanted sensation in his chest - cold and agonizing.
"This ends now!" Yami shouted. "There's nothing more you can do!"
"Oh, is there?" Bakar questioned with an evil grin. He snapped his fingers, and Yugi screamed in pain. He gripped his shirt over his heart as struggled with the unbearable throbbing in his chest.
Yami tried not to flinch. He couldn't risk having Baka treat his friend like a toy. He had difficulty, for with every beat of Yug's heart agony afflicted Yami as well.
"Yugi!" everyone called out. They tried to race over, and as they did Bakar snapped his fingers once more. A glow grew over the younger teen. Yami did his best to keep his grip on his friend. However, the magic that engulfed the smaller boy was too much. He was soon ripped apart from his caring companion.
"No! Yugi!" Yami cried as he was separated from his pal once more. He wasn't sure what else Bakar planned to do. He knew he had to at least have his spell over Yugi broken. He tried once more as he begged with all his heart, "Yugi! Open your eyes!"
The teen was consumed with fear. He didn't know what was going on. He believed deep within though he should at least trust the one who was trying to help. He tried once more to unlock his heavy pupils when Bakar interfered.
"Oh no you don't," he ordered furiously as he snapped his fingers once more.
Yugi cried out in pain as another familiar burnt his chest. When the pain passed, he attempted to open his eyes. When he finally did, his vision was completely black.
"Yugi!" everyone called out.
"I… I can't see… anything!" Yugi announced terrified.
Bakar chuckled, for he knew he was in favor of victory. He snapped his fingers once more and revealed how he was controlling his puppet. Yugi's shirt ripped down the center like tissue paper and flung wide open. Everyone gasped seeing the small teen branded with a pink purple symbol of triangles on his chest. Yami's eyes widen when he finally realized how Bakar was doing all this.
"I guess you now choose to fight me rather than protect Yugi." Bakar stated a tad bitterly.
Yami stared down at the man he hated.
Another gust of powerful wind formed. Bakar and Yugi started to vanish.
"No! Yugi!" Yami cried in angst.
"Yugi!" everyone called out once more.
"You cannot run away!" Bakar informed as he faded. "If you wish to save Yugi, than you must come get him. That is, if he's still alive."
The evil man laughed maniacally as he and his puppet completely disappeared.
When the wind died down, Yami fell to his knees.
Everyone rushed over. They wanted to know what they could do to help, so they could rescue their captured companion.
Yami was too busy absorbing what took place.
He couldn't believe it.
Yugi was taken from him once more.
He lost faith in himself and knew he was no match for his enemy. The man was too powerful. He could easily destroy Yugi in an instant if he wanted.
Yami's eyes became hollow as darkness consumed his broken spirit once more.
To be continued…
Chao- Dun dun dun! What's gonna happen with Yami and Yugi? (receiving a message) Wait, what's that? You're saying the way Yami broke the spell was NOT an original idea? NO!
YChao- Guess it was that predicable.
Chao- Aw, man. How could that be! Chao worked really hard! Chao doesn't like unoriginal ideas!
YChao- Well, this IS coming from someone who takes old ideas for stories.
Chao- Lousy fantasy genre… why do you have to be so hard?
YChao- Because you don't spend enough time in that genre. Speaking of which, YGO is shonen and adventure but isn't it somewhat fantasy?
Chao- Oh just shut up and let the reviewers leave a review…