Jou's POV
I woke up to the sound my alarm clock buzzing annoyingly and realized with a groan that it was Monday and that I had to go to school. Since Kyrri's accident was on Thursday me and the gang had skipped school through the weekend, but now everyone was expected back. We had finals coming up after all.
Grudgingly, I got up and stumbled into my small bathroom. After relieving my full bladder I brushed my teeth and quickly rinsed off in the shower. I walked back to my room and grabbed my phone seeing I had a missed call and message from Anzu.
'Guess I missed you, I have a late class. Call you tonight.' It read and I frowned. I hadn't talked to her much over the last few days and I felt guilty for letting everything get in the way of making time for her. then again, She hadn't had much time for me either. I would talk to her about it, I mean I was pretty much paying for her apartment in the states. When I used my dueling money to buy my shitty house, I had also used a sizable chunk and paid for a year's lease in full in her tiny, but nice loft apartment. It had cost nearly as much as my home, but it was worth it because she was living her dream.
'Okay, babe. I love you.' I replied and then got dressed for school. After I put my shoes on I grabbed my bag and walked into the living room. Through my window that faced the south, the side that faced Kyrri's house I saw her father as he stumbled to his door. He was messed up and I began to question if it was merely alcohol that had him inebriated. A too thin, skanky woman clung to his side pathetically and I was positive she was a prostitute.
He fumbled with his keys for a bit and then swung the door open. I waited until he was inside the house before I shook my head and walked outside. As soon as Kyrri was feeling better I had to have a serious talk with her, she needed help because her father was a monster.
Thinking of her I pulled my phone back out of my pocket as I dialed Yugi's number. After a few rings, a girl answered sounding half asleep.
"Hello?" She rasped out and I heard shuffling through the line.
"Who is this?" I asked in shock checking my phone's screen to ensure I had indeed dialed the right number?
"Uh..." She said rather ungracefully uttered and I heard the phone the being pulled away and more shuffling.
"Jou?" Yami asked sounding surprised and half asleep, even though no one was around to see it my eyes widened and I came to a halt on the sidewalk.
"What the hell Yami? Who the hell was that?" I demanded feeling anger swell through me, how could he do this to Yugi? Everyone knew he had feelings for the spirit that resided within him, and I was sure that the Pharaoh cared for Yugi until now. How could he worry about sex at a time like this, in Yugi's body at that!
"Um... Look you're not going to believe me unless you see it for yourself. Come to the Kaiba mansion and I'll explain everything." He said and hung up. I stared at the phone for a while without moving. I guess school would have to wait. Maybe I could just miss the first period and make it for the second.
I turned around and walked back to my house since I was only a two blocks away and unlocked the garage. Inside was my motorcycle, Honda gave it to me when he moved. I didn't drive it to school because we weren't allowed to drive, or have jobs for that matter which I still managed in my spare time. Kaiba's mansion was close to six miles from my own house, him on the rich side and me on the poor side completely opposite of each other.
I cringed when I realized I would have to deal with money bags and revved the engine and shot down the street.
On the way I let my mind relax and just enjoyed the feeling of the breeze rushing through my hair and across my skin. I was always most at peace while racing through the streets on this bitch. I smiled wickedly to myself, this was my baby and I never had enough time to appreciate riding anymore.
It didn't take me long to get to Kaiba's house. I waited for the gates to open and rode slowly through the long drive-way that stretched to his overkill of a house. I walked up to the door and reached my hand to the doorbell just as it swung open and revealed a very pissed looking Kaiba.
"What the hell Yami? Who wishes to invite the Mutt to my house? You better not have fleas." He glared down at me whilst he spoke to Yami who was tripping over his feet as he strapped up his leather boot.
Kaiba himself was only wearing a pair of pajama pants and his hair was ruffled. My jaw dropped when I realize he was not crippled. He turned sharply to let me in and I saw that his back was fine. Free of any scars as evidence of him skidding across the sidewalk.
"How?" I stuttered and touched his back. He jumped and spun around slapping my hand away. I grinned sheepishly and backed away rubbing the back of my head, no need to fist fight a man still in his pajamas after all.
"Kyrri healed him." Yami piped up smiling like a madman, I looked at him in shock and he leaned against the back of the sofa.
"Kyrri did what?" I asked glaring at him as I remembered why I was here in the first place. He quickly explained that she woke up with her memories restored and had healed herself then basically escaped the hospital and had then healed Kaiba too. Yami went on to explain she was currently with Bakura and that she and Kaiba had gotten into an argument.
"Watch your mouth." Kaiba jabbed glaring at Yami and the spirit held his hands up in surrender before he started to smile again.
"Okay... Well, that explains one miracle, now explain to me why I shouldn't kick your ass into next week you horny asshole!" I shouted pointing to Yami, he meeped and put the couch between us with one swift leap over the top. He threw his hands back up to signify that he had no intentions to defend himself if I made a move. Kaiba smirked as he watched us.
"I can explain that Jou..." Said a soft voice at the end of the room and I looked up to see Yugi standing in the entrance to the living room. Wearing a blue pajama top that slumped off one of his shoulders and hung down damn near to his knees. He looked adorable and I stopped staring, something was different about him besides the fact that he had a body.
"You're separated!" I exclaimed happily and ran around the couch giving my best bud a huge hug in which I picked him up. He shrieked shrilly, and I froze up, I could actually feel the difference of his body against my own and was completely shocked.
"Jou! Let me down!" He swerved to free himself and I could feel small yet supple breasts pressed against my own chest. I dropped Yugi and he fell to the floor with a thud.
"You're a... Holy shit! You're a... A..." I couldn't finish the sentence and I pointed at him in utter shock. He stood with Yami's help and Kaiba cackled behind me as he stalked out of the room.
"A girl." She whispered in a small voice and looked down in shame. I realize that she must be pretty shaken and probably needed a lot of comforts, but I couldn't help as laughter erupted from my lips. I doubled over and held my stomach.
"Hey, jerk! This is serious!" Yugi yelled and hit me on the head hopping up to do so. This made me laugh even more. I realized I, rude but after everything, this was just too much. I had to be losing my damn mind.
"You have to admit that this is pretty funny," Kaiba commented and I looked over to see him smirking from behind a large cup I coffee.
"You're not helping Seto!" She yelled and launched a couch cushion at his head. He leaned slightly out of the way and actually laughed as it shot past him and this sobered me up. Kaiba acting like a normal guy his age instead of scowling and pretending to be an icicle. How surreal is this?
"I'm sorry Yug, I guess everything's been so crazy lately and this... he was just the icing on the cake of crazy," I admitted rubbing the back of my head. Kaiba picked up the pillow and replaced it on the couch.
"That's actually an accurate assessment dog." He smirked and sat down. Yugi pouted angrily and crossed her arms while I stuck my tongue out at the back of his head.
"Assholes," Yugi grumbled and stalked to the love seat sitting down. Yami trailed after her with a huge grin plastered on his face and I got the impression that he was enjoying this turn of events. Well, whatever works for them. I ended up dropping down and crossing my legs on the floor.
"What are you going to do about school Yug?" I asked and she popped her eyes open in thought. And shifted around with her legs spread apart. I looked away quickly to avoid causing her embarrassment.
"I hadn't thought about that, obviously I can't go like this." She motioned towards her chest and blushed.
" But you can!" She looked at Yami and smiled. " you can go to school like a normal kid in my place." Yami frowned and took her hand.
"But that isn't fair aibou." He said quietly speaking just to Yugi.
"I could probably work up a birth certificate and even a social security card and id. Forging school records is simple enough." Kaiba spoke for the first time since we sat down. I was pleasantly surprised he was offering help.
"Really Seto?" She gasped smiling ear to ear. Seto cleared his throat and looked away awkwardly, it was good to see that he wasn't immune to Yugi's new charm either.
"You'll have to dye your hair though, someone might still recognize you otherwise," I added hand Kaiba nodded approvingly.
"So it's settled then. Yami will continue on in Yugi's place while he goes on under a new alias. Well, I have business to attend to." He frowned and stood, all traces of his happy mood gone as he stalked out to the room.
"Well I probably ought to get to school I'm late as it is. Think Kaiba will care if I leave Sally here?" I asked referring to my bike.
"I'll bring it into the garage master Katsuya. There is a limo waiting for you outside to take you to school." I blinked at the creepy butler that popped up behind us out of nowhere.
"Well, I guess I'll be off then. Hey Yug?" I asked without looking at her petite form and she jumped up to wish me farewell.
"Yea?" She replied as she stood behind me.
"Next time I see you please wear more clothes," I said and watched her light up crimson red. Even Yami was blushing as I walked out of the Kaiba mansion.
Mokuba's POV
I walked into the den with a blanket wrapped around me tightly. I was cold and hadn't slept a wink in three nights now.
Whatever Mitch had given me had really messed me up. I was wired for sound at first and then it had started to wear off and now I just felt crappy. Of course, I wasn't going to school.
Just as I lounged myself on the couch and closed my eyes trying to ignore my shaking hands Seto walked into the room. I closed my eyes before he saw me awake. He knelt quietly in front of me and brushed my bangs out of my face as he pressed his hand to my four head.
"Hey kiddo, how are you feeling?" He asked shaking my shoulder slightly. Even though it touched me that he had bothered to check on me I still wasn't ready to stop being angry. Suddenly I wanted out of the house. I sat up and grunted at him.
"Yea whatever. I have to get ready for school." I muttered and pushed his shoulder to get him out of my face as I stood and left the room without looking at him.
I went to my room and threw open my closet and began digging through my clothes. I pulled out a pair of jeans and a legend of Zelda shirt. Then I put on my shoes and walked downstairs. Seto was gone to work by now but as I walked into the living room I came to a firm halt at the sight before me.
Yami sat holding the hands of Yugi, seeing the two together wasn't actually what shocked me the most. What really got me was that Yugi was wearing my brother's shirt and maybe it was because suddenly I knew what I was looking for but even I could see the supple curves of the obviously female body.
"What the fuck is going on around here? This isn't a god damn nut house! Get out my face with this insanity!" I screamed but instead of waiting for them to respond I ran out of the house and off the property instead of calling a limo to take me since I didn't plan on going to school like this.
I ended up walking through town. I passed my favorite burger joint but as soon as I reached the door I realized how very not hungry I was. Funny, I haven't eaten since the night on the beach either besides a few chips.
"Here kid, you wanna see whole new worlds? Hit this shit to promise it will take you places." Mitch stated as he reached a funny looking glass pipe, not like the one Ally had taught me how to use, towards me. My stomach dropped, and I felt like the scared thirteen-year-old I was.
Still, with my desire to piss Seto off for forgetting all about me I grabbed it and he helped me light it. My mind grew fuzzy and I felt like I was flying. I remember laying back in the sand and looking at the stars and it was beautiful, suddenly I didn't care about Seto or his drama. We stayed up all night laughing and playing guitar and Mitch told stories about other party's he had been to and what a legend he was.
But as the sun had come up I started to feel strange. My skin was itchy and my eyes were dry almost as if I had forgotten to blink all night.
I walked aimlessly as everyone began to go home or climb into the van to go where ever they were going. My walk was terrifying as I felt like I was being watched and followed the whole time. I ended up hiding in a part for several hours while I continued to sober up because I was afraid to go home and face Seto like this. Then I had bumped into Yami at the pier and he had freaked on me.
Shit Yami! I completely forgot he had blackmail on me, he could tell Seto about me having sex, even though I hadn't cared when I did it suddenly I was so paranoid about what would happen if he found out.
What would I do if Seto found out about the speed? I'm young but I'm not ignorant. Of course, Seto had always made sure I understood the dangers of drugs and alcohol and the school I had been in was very proactive in making sure we understood the world outside our educations.
I felt like a fool, no I felt like a tool. Yet here I was wanting to wait until the sun went down. Already anxious to see Ally and even the others. They gave me something to focus on that didn't stress me out. It was fun to be with them and it made me feel normal. Like I had friends.
I found myself at the pier again, so I walked out onto the beach and lay down on the warm sand on my stomach. Why I had come here I didn't know but the sun felt good on my back and I ended up falling into a restful slumber for the first time in days.
"Hey!" I woke to my shoulder shaking and looked up at the gleeful eyes of Ally as she smiled from ear to ear.
I quickly sat up and began to brush the sand out of my hair. The sun was setting and it was humid outside making my hair stick to my face.
"That looks pretty annoying. Want a ponytail?" She asked as she reached an pulled a very pink band off Her wrist. I smiled and quickly pulled my hair back. She reached up and brushed her hand across my cheek.
"Your face is pretty cute. Why do you hide it under all that hair? You should cut it!" She chirped as she helped me up and we began to walk behind the big boulder that leads to the place that I had first met everyone.
I frowned, cut my hair? I had never cut my hair, Seto always told me how I had moms hair. How it reminded him of her so much so I had kept it long as a memento to her memory.
Anger bubbled in my chest at the thought of Seto. I hadn't done it for my mom I had done it for him. Yet he never had time for me anymore and I wanted to show him how I no longer needed him.
"You have some scissors?" I smiled sweetly at her and pushed all thoughts of my asshole brother out of my head. Let him play magic with his so-called 'friends, ' and I'll be here having a real life.
"Really? There's some in the van, come on let's go." She yelled as she intertwined our fingers and pulled me after her as we ran the rest of the way.
"Hey, kid," Mitch said as he sat in the same beach chair he had the other day. I smiled and nodded and he began to strum on his acoustic guitar again.
Alyssa sat me down on a large piece of driftwood and ran off to get the scissors. When she returned she pulled the ponytails out and handed it to me. I slid it on my wrist as she began to chip away at my hair.
I bit my lip as my stomach flipped uncomfortably. My head was growing lighter the more hair she cut causing me to feel disoriented and anxious but I kept the worries to myself. Soon I was surrounded by locks of my hair piled up on the sand and sadness slammed over me.
I closed my eyes tight no longer able to watch as my hair fell from my body and was suddenly no longer a part of me. Making me feel less and less a part of my mother who had given her own life so that I could live. I forced these thoughts back and sat in silence staring at the backs of my eyelids while I waited for it to be over.
"There all done!" Alyssa giggled and gave the top of my naked feeling head an affectionate ruffle. I opened my eyes refusing to look at the hair in the sand and ran my hands through it. Oh god! It's so short, I could easily run my fingers through it. There wasn't enough length for tangles to be a problem. I gasped and Ally frowned in disappointment.
"Here." She said and handed me a small handheld mirror. I took a deep breath and looked at my face first, that was usually so hidden under my thick mane but now it was completely exposed. I realized with some distaste that I actually looked a lot like Seto this way. We had the same sharp angular face and pointed chin. Even my eyebrows were shaped in a similar way.
Luckily she had cut my hair in a different fashion, it was messy still, and I still had wild bangs sweeping over my four head. It shagged over my ears and curled up in places where I had long forgotten cowlicks. I shook my head for good measure and smiled, it wasn't so bad. I looked so much older and I kind of liked that it made me feel more confident. No longer would I hide behind my hair, I would face the world head-on.
"Yea," I said to myself then turned to Ally before I spoke again. " I like it. You did a good job." She beamed at me and commented how much cuter it made me and then she began to collect my fallen hair and toss it into a bag tied to the van for trash.
"Where are the others? I asked as we all gathered around in a circle all sitting in beach chairs.
" Just us tonight kid," Mitch said and then pulled his rasta colored backpack out from behind him. He pulled out the same pipe and I looked away trying to pretend that the ocean was much more intertwining.
I could see Alyssa in my peripheral as she immediately jumped to attention and waited for him to hit it and then pass it to her. I turned and watched her transfixed as she held the flame to the ball-shaped end and turned it as she sucked in the smoke. She relaxed visually and exhaled without coughing when she opened her eyes she looked absolutely euphoric. She grinned and leaned it towards me. I just stared at it in shock, why did I even want to do this again?
Against my better judgment I grabbed it but just as I began to hit it too Mitch cleared his throat.
I stopped and looked up he pulled out a bag that had the crystals in it and also a small pipe. I took my hit quickly wishing it to be over with and handed it all back to the girl I was starting to really develop feelings for. She swayed to music that was all her own an as I exhaled I felt the wave of pleasure rush over me.
"Let's call this the starter kit. You got Forty bucks it's yours."Mitch said with a satisfied grin. I stared at it but my head was fuzzy and it was hard to think rationally about the situation. I mean did I want to feel like this again, hell yes. But did I want to feel horrible and sick, absolutely not?
" I... I don't know." I admitted and held the bag as he passed it over. Once it was in my hands I think the decision left my control as I pulled out the money and passed it over. I put the bag in my pocket and enjoyed the night into the long hours.
Kyrri's POV
(Two Weeks Later)
I woke up and rubbed my eyes stretching like a cat as I came into awareness. It was still pitch black and I looked around disoriented until I found an alarm clock in the same place I found it every morning for well over a week but I wasn't really keeping count of the days I had been hiding out here.
Apparently, it was one in the afternoon. My eyes shot open as I realized I had never slept this late before.
I stood up an fumbled for the light switch. I looked around Bakura's room. The curtains and comforter were dark chocolate brown while the floor and walls were cream colored. Those must have been some nice curtains to have blocked out so much light that I kept sleeping in.
Leaving the room I turned the light off and padded my way down the hallway until I reached the living room. Bakura sat on the couch reading some book about war strategies and I chuckled softly to myself.
"I didn't know you could read." I teased as I sat down next to him. He glared and poked my arm rather offended.
"Look who's up sleeping beauty." He joked and put a bookmark in place between the pages and sat the book down on the small wooden coffee table.
"I ordered pizza for lunch." He motioned towards the table and I smiled in delight.
"Oh pizza for breakfast my favorite." I pulled up a slice. And with glee realized it was still a little warm. After I was full which only took one slice since I never really ate much and leaned back in relaxation.
"You seem to be in a good mood today." He commented and I smiled again just to be sure I was convincing him.
"Yup, now that I don't have to worry about Kaiba trying to smother me with feelings." I made sure my voice sounded hard and glared at my fists for good measure. But inside my stomach was flipping and my heart beating rapidly around the insufferable pain that was brewing at the thought of my beloved priest.
Of course, Seto had tried to contact me, seeming in disbelief that my feelings had died. Sometimes he would call and I would sit watching my phone ring, with my knees pulled up to my chest and unable to answer for fear I would break down. Sometimes he would text me, and it would take me an hour if not more to build up the courage to read what he said. These were half of the reasons why I was hiding at Bakura's house, the other half being my father.
He narrowed his eyes and watched me for a minute before shaking his head and clearing up the pizza mess. I stood to help him clear it away but he held his hand up to stop me sticking his tongue out.
I walked to the bookshelf to see if I could find something to read myself but stopped when I came across a picture that hands been knocked down so it was flat on the shelf. I picked it up and inspected it closely. I could tell this was a picture of Ryou not just because Bakura had told me all about him. His eyes were softer and a lighter chocolate brown. He was also a little boy, maybe ten and he stood next to an even smaller girl with the same long white hair and brown eyes. They both had Popsicles and their faces were sticky as they grinned up at whoever took the picture.
"I wish I knew how to save him," Kura whispered right behind me making me jump and drop the picture frame. He quickly caught it and sat it face down again without even looking at it. I placed my hand on his shoulder.
"We will find him. We just need to come up with a plan." I encouraged and he turned away from me.
"You don't understand. Zork is more powerful than you remember, we need all the power we can get. Right now our alliances aren't strong enough." He snapped and picked up his book. This surprised me, our alliances? Was he really considering working with my brother and Seto? Had they already moved past everything that happened in the past, and more importantly was I the only one struggling to come to terms with this?
I watched him read and slowly after a few minutes the lines of worry ebbed from his face a little though not completely disappearing and when I was sure he had calmed down I turned my attention inward satisfied to have time to think.
We sat in silence for a while with him continuing to read his book and me just sitting with my thoughts. We had been talking for days while we rekindled our long lost friendship so now it was easier to just be around each other without needing to talk. We talked about everything, except of course that fatal night in the palace when everything fell apart.
I chewed on my nails as I brewed over the situation I was currently in. I've technically run away, though I doubt dad really cares and I'm living with my best friend who technically forced my hand in committing suicide in my past life all because I was afraid to go home to my increasingly abusive father. Oh did I mention that I was now accepting that I had a past life where I was this amazing and loved princess, a slap in the face at how far I have fallen from that person?
Seto crossed my mind and I flipped my phone open and opened the last message he sent for the thousandth time and he had only sent it yesterday.
'Please come back to work.' It was simple enough, of course, it had followed several pleas for me to explain what he had done wrong or what he could do to regain my trust. These messages hurt too much to read and I had deleted them as soon as I had read them the first time. But this message was simple enough for me to handle. it posed a very important question, would I go back to work? I Mean after all I could never land another job like this. The pay was phenomenal and I hated to admit that there was a selfish part of me that wanted to see Seto every day. The same side of me that craved self-torment obviously.
My eyes landed on the little calendar app on my phone and widened. It was February 23, the anniversary of the day my mother committed suicide. My birthday. No wonder I was a ball of nerves today.
My chest was stricken with unbearable pain and I curled up tighter in on myself causing Bakura to eye me cautiously.
So to add to my list of problems now I flashed through the memory of her funeral, of the moment my father had found her a blood cutting scream that had sounded through the house when he stumbled across her limp body. Or the beating I had received every year on this day that was worse than all the others every year for the last ten years. The horribly ugly thought that my own mother had hated me so much that she killed herself on my birthday just so she could scar me for life.
Thinking about this made me anxious and my chest squeezed tightly and I clenched my fists. It was getting hard to breathe and I excused myself to the bathroom where I gasped for breath and sank to the floor on my knees.
I tried to get it together, I tried to compel my sobs so that Bakura wouldn't hear me. I tried to be strong like I had once been when I had helped run the whole country of Egypt, but I couldn't control my shaking hands as I reached into my pocket and brought out a little black hollowed out eyeshadow case. I opened it and revealed the hiding place for my emergency cure, I carried it everywhere I went.
I pulled out a box cutter razor blade and without hesitation yanked my sleeve up and drew the blade up the length of l my arm. Unsatisfied I watched the blood pool around my wrist and on the white tiles of the floor. Again, I drew it up and again. Before I knew it I stared down mutely at the blood on the floor, a nice sized puddle of it now gathered at my knees and soaking into the material of Bakura's sweatpants I was wearing. I had this sense of detachment about it all and just watched as the blood ran from my body without any emotion at all.
"Wake up child!" Demanded a voice from above me and I looked up to see a familiar yet misty almost see through the face.
" I thought I was a tiny god?" I giggled in a loopy state at the beautiful woman I met while I was lost in the shadow realm. The same woman who had tried to help me remember who I was. Maybe, she was my guardian angel.
She glowered in anger down at me and I began to focus more lost in the bright blue of her eyes. Her face twisted even more into a scowl and I shrunk down afraid of her power.
"Wake up from your delusions. You are too important to be defeated like this." She waved her wrist down to my bleeding arms and I followed her gesture to state at it myself.
"You must bridge the gap, or all will suffer. Only you can do this, as you don't bring the pieces together everything you know and love will be reduced to ashes."She warned as she disappeared her voice fading into a ghostly whisper.
Once alone the gravity of my situation came rushing over me and with a sharp clarity I realize I had gone too far. These cuts were too deep and I was in serious danger. I stumbled to my feet and fought the dizziness that threatened to knock me down. I had to get help, I didn't want to die.
"Kyrri! Kyrri please open this door, say something damn it." Bakura's shouts reached me slowly and I could faintly make out the sound of him banging on the door over the sound of my frantically beating heart.
I dropped the razor and with the hand that wasn't maimed, I twisted the knob slowly to reveal an extremely panicked Bakura.
I tried to step forward and ask for help but only one word left my lips as I tumbled into his waiting arms.
"Seth."
Seto's POV
Listening to the rhythmic sound of my fingers hitting the keys of my laptop I sighed in content. It was easy for me to block out thoughts of the emotional kind while I was writing codes or editing previous codes for whatever program I was working on. Numbers were easy to understand and were universally the same everywhere you went. While thought, a feeling, and the way people talked all changed around me too quickly for me to be comfortable with. Numbers would always stay the same.
I cracked my neck and fingers quickly and began to type away furiously once more. I had missed more than enough work lately and even though I had a valid excuse I was glad to be back in my office. It was actually pretty funny to listen to the rumors spread around that I had used some super machine to heal myself and that I was keeping the cure for cancer a secret. I chuckled just thinking about it.
Taking a sip of my coffee I glanced at a picture of Mokuba that sat on my desk, this was recent. Only a few months ago. He smiled around a large bite of ramen and chopstick jammed in his mouth. Completely happy and bubbly, I missed this Mokuba and it drove me crazy he was in such a hurry to grow up.
Kyrri crossed my mind and for some reason, my stomach fluttered in nervousness. I tried to shake the feeling I didn't want to think about her while at work. It was bad enough I hadn't slept a wink over the last week because every time I closed my eyes I would see her beautiful face and it broke my heart. I couldn't handle thinking of her while I couldn't have her in my arms.
Forcing myself to focus on the string of numbers on the screen I narrowed my eyes and typed faster. I made it another five minutes before my phone began to vibrate. When I saw the number I almost dropped the phone.
"Kyrri?" I asked hopefully Answering it quickly. Silence greeted me for a moment before I heard the person on the line take a big breath.
"Priest get here now and bring the rod. Kyrri is hurt and this is beyond my abilities to handle, I'm sure she doesn't want to go back to that hospital anytime soon." The thief spat over the line and I gasped standing and running out of the room without bothering to grab my coat.
"What happened this time?" I asked as I waited for the first elevator to go down to my secretary's level so I could get to the main elevator. I was coming to the realization that Kyrri was a danger magnet.
"I... I think she tried to kill herself." He finally managed quietly and my heart stopped. Oh god. Oh my god why would she do that? How could I fail to protect her? How do you even protect someone from themselves? I hung up the phone and ran to my secretary's office.
On the way down the next elevator, I called my family doctor only to have him inform me that he was out of town. I screamed over the phone and threw it across the cab of my porch. I decided to drive myself using one of the several cars I kept in the basement garage h set Kaiba corp since the limo driver refused to drive over the speed limit. I ignored my racing heart and thoughts, if the price to have Kyrri in my life and alive was all this craziness then I was willing to pay that price.
The ride to Bakura's house was a blur of worry and fear as I contemplated the worst case scenario. That I would arrive too late and she would already be dead.
By the time I made it to my destination I was practically hyperventilating. And I slammed on the brakes with an audible shriek and the tires came to a halt in the street outside his house.
Bakura opened the door before I knocked and I ran in and straight to his couch where he had Kyrri.
She was pale, too pale and her eyes were closed and the lids were a purplish color with her brows knit together in worry even in her unconscious state. I reached out and took her arm in my hands. Blood was still gushing out at an alarming rate and I plunged into an even more blind panic I looked up at Bakura in fear. His eyes held much the same anxiety that I'm sure mine held.
"Why didn't you try to stop the bleeding?" I yelled and his eyes widened as he gaped his mouth open a few times before he shrugged and looked at the floor.
"My medical knowledge goes about as far as to rub some mud in the wound and even I'm smart enough now to know that would be a horrible idea." He defended and I stared blankly at him for a moment before I snapped All to attention back to the poor bleeding angel before me.
"I need some kind of cloth to wrap her arm up with!" I barked out while lifting her arm up delicately. I could see five maybe six long gashes up her arm stretching from her wrist to her inner elbow.
The tomb robber thrust his freshly discarded shirt in front of me and then disappeared into his kitchen. I focused fully on Kyrri as I ripped the shirt in half and began to wrap up her wounds making sure I applied more pressure where it was needed. Blood quickly soaked the shirt.
Bakura returned with a bowl of water and several wash towels and sat them at my feet. I grunted in thanks and held my own hands over her wrist to apply the right amount of pressure.
"Should I call the Pharaoh?" He asked quietly to me and I stopped for a moment looking at him in surprise. It seemed out of character for him to be so helpful and I tried to remind myself that it must be easier for Bakura to show his true colors without the influence of the dark lord Zork. Perhaps he may be worth keeping around after all, but then again perhaps not.
"Go ahead, Akamenatsu is out of town with another patient. He said he would rush back but it will take hours for him to make it back to Domino and we don't have that kind of time." I nodded in his direction as he called Kyrri's brother.
"Tell him to take a limo, and to bring me the rod." I barked out and shifted so that I could better hold her at this angle whilst still keeping pressure on her wrist.
He returned yelling over the phone at Yami about how this wasn't his fault, but I ignored him and used my free hand to find the pulse behind her ear. It was faint and starting to fade.
"NO! Damn it Kyrri don't you dare fucking die on me." I yelled and wrapped myself tighter around her. Bakura hung up the phone then, obviously deciding the arguing wasn't helping.
" What can I do to help?" he panicked and dropped himself at my feet right in front of her. I looked at him through blurry tears and shook my head.
"I don't know what to do. She's lost too much blood, she wouldn't even make it to the hospital at this rate..." I spoke with a cold and dead sounding voice. I watched as tears of his own began to fall he took her I injured hand. Who the hell was this Bakura and where had he been in the past?
"Look hold pressure here, and here," I demanded as I directed him where to put his hands. I then stood and took off my tie and wrapped it around her upper arm like a makeshift turnicate. After a moment it seemed like maybe the blood flow was decreasing. I checked her pulse again and felt as it fluttered almost too softly to direct.
"Please, baby don't do this to me. I need you!" I whispered as I pressed my four head to hers. Her skin was cold, and her whole body was limp. I kept my index finger pressed to where I still felt her beating heart as it lost the ability to continue beating coming to a stuttering stop.
"NOOOO!" I screamed clutching her closer to me jerking her arm out of Bakura's hands, he was too shocked to stop me.
I felt white hot energy electrify from my chest through my arms and out of my hands. I felt it's glow all around me as it seeped through Kyrri as well.
-flashback-
" You're trying too hard." Kyrri giggled as she sat perched on the stone table that was in the middle of the ritual room next to a wounded kitten. I groaned and focused my mind holding my millennium rod high. I was still getting used to using it, Kyrri was years ahead of me on using magic having been trained her whole life for this role while I had been chosen as a young boy for my natural talent with sorcery. Though healing just wasn't my strong suit.
" If it's so easy when you do it!" I grumbled and crossed my arms in frustration. She smiled and swayed herself in front of me. She held up her left hand over the wounded cat that sat on the table with a broken leg.
In an instant, she began to glow brightly in a beautiful white bluish light and for a second her whole body turned white as she touched her hand softly to the poor animal. The cat stretched happily and licked her hand in thanks before jumping down and running away. She turned to me then, her hair still white and her eyes as blue as the sky and smiled a breathtaking smile before the energy faded and she was her normal self. Midnight hair and crimson eyes and all.
"The power to heal resides in all of Amaterasu's children. You have just to look inside and find it. It's easier if you care for the person or animal... Oh, I have an idea." She lunged backward and turned quickly grabbing a small blade.
Before I had time to stop her she lunged the knife into her stomach and doubled over screaming as she jerked the weapon out of her flesh.
"Princess!" I yelled and caught her as he tumbles forward. Blood was getting everywhere and I felt tears prickle at the corners of my eyes. She was in pain because I couldn't heal her. With a sudden clarity, I took a deep breath and clenched the rod tightly as I channeled the energy into the stab wound on her stomach.
We both gasped as my own power hit hers and intertwined brilliantly around us Creating a sort of wind. She touched her stomach with one hand and then my face with the other.
" I knew you could do it." She beamed and I smiled too, unable to be angry while we were so close, our auras melding together in such an intimate way. We both realized something that day, that without each other there was nothing in the world.
-end flashback-
White hot flames of energy roared out from within me as I refused this reality in which I lost her again. The shockwave blasted Bakura into the wall and I screamed incoherently in sadness.
"Kaiba?" She whispered and I dropped my face down to hers. Her eyes were wide and she clutched me tightly. For a moment we just stared at each other.
"You healed me?" She gasped and I nodded still unable to speak through the lump in my throat.
"Without your rod?" She whispered and again I nodded. At this, she forced herself out of my arms and I watched as she put several feet between us, now having plenty of energy that I had pumped through her. I myself was feeling rather drained from using so much at once of the power I had.
"Seto?" The door blew off its hinges revealing Yami as he kicked it open and ran in with a wild look in his crimson eyes. Yugi ran in a second later gasping for breath with the rod clutched to her chest and a wild look in her lavender eyes.
"Kyrri!" He shouted when he saw her sitting up and obviously not near death. He rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her tightly. She returned the hug gladly and I listened as she apologized over and over again. I found myself jealous that I could not hold her myself.
"Why would you try to leave me after we only just found each other?" He finally asked sounding heartbroken. Revealing that he felt the same way that I did about the whole ordeal. She grabbed his hand with a guilty look and they locked eyes sharing one of their rare twin moments when it was almost like they could actually touch minds. Though I knew this wasn't the case.
I felt a tug on my sleeve and looked down to see Yugi standing next to me looking up with her big oval eyes sadly. She held out a tissue and I gladly took it wiping my face of the tears that were beginning to dry already. She grabbed my had and I looked down shocked as she smiled.
"It's okay Seto. You don't have to be sad alone anymore, you have us. I know I've said this to you before but we are your friends." She said and I looked away awkwardly but I didn't let her hand go. For once glad to have the support, of course, it meant nothing. She was Yami's Hikari and I had Kyrri, or rather I wish I had her. I would never love anyone else after loving her.
Yugi and I sat back and let the siblings catch up since they really hadn't and Bakura busied himself cleaning up the mess.
Eventually, Yugi began to get sleepy and she took the limo back to the mansion, for some reason instead of going home.
Her and Yami had actually been staying at the mansion since she reviewed a body of her own. After Kyrri had promised at least a hundred times that she would never even think about doing something like this again she finally convinced her brother to go home with Yugi. She seemed to be very grateful that she was alive. Yami followed Yugi out but I stayed behind.
Bakura left the room then, and I was grateful to have a moment to speak to her. I opened my mouth to ask if she was okay but she cut me off.
"I want you to leave me alone." She glared and I couldn't even fathom why she was angry at me.
"I saved your life!" I defended while I narrowed my eyes in disbelief. She stood up and faced my anger head-on with an anger of her own that rivaled mi e.
"Thank you. But enough is enough. What I do is none of your business Kaiba. I don't belong to you." She shouted and began to pace back and forth in front of me. I didn't even know what to say.
"But I didn't want you to die." I pleaded with her holding my hands out like I was going to pull her to me. She flinched and backed away from me more.
"What you want is none of my concern priests." She hissed and flashed her blood red eyes at me hatefully. I stopped cold in my tracks. Who was this, where had my sweet Kyrri gone? I had never seen her look at someone with such hate. Not even when Bakura was facing us down on the last night we were all still alive.
"What the hell did I do to deserve this? Tell me what the fuck did I do to you to make you hate me so much. I was willing to die for you, to take your place. I lived my whole life in dedication to you. I LOVED YOU WITH EVERYTHING I HAD! And it wasn't enough... I was never anything more to you than a plaything was I?" She stood shocked at my outburst, even I was shocked. Her eyes popped open as my voice rose in volume and she began to shake.
"None of that matters now!" She shouted but refuse to look at me. I grabbed her shoulders lightly. She didn't fight me this time but instead grew rigid as a stone.
"You need to leave." She begged quietly and her lip was trembling. I tipped her chin up with one finger and kept my hand pressed to her cheek. She looked up with her beautiful eyes and I could see so much pain.
"Don't touch me! Get out. GET OUT, I never want to see you again. Leave me alone!" She pushed me as hard as she could and ran to the back of the house. After my shock wore off I dropped my arms to my side and stared blankly at the wall.
Swiftly I turned and grabbed my rod from the table and marched out of the house to hurt to do anything else. I climbed into my car and peeled out down the street in anger.
If she wants me to leave her alone then fine. She would never be bothered by me again since I was such a problem for her. I pushed the pain back and replaced it with my familiar icy mask. When I returned home Yugi was asleep on the couch with her head resting in Yami's lap. He looked up at me but his eyes quickly narrowed at the sight of me.
" Don't you have a home of your own to go to. Do you think I'm running a god damn charity? GET OUT!" I screamed and Yugi jumped up afraid. Yami tried to speak some since I to me but I ignored him and pointed to the door as I stalked out of the room.
Screw having friends, screw trying to make her love me. If the world wanted me to be a heartless bastard then it was on the right track. Tomorrow I was going to fire half my staff, maybe even everyone. I didn't care about Kaiba corp. I didn't care about myself I didn't give a shit about anything. None of it mattered now. All that mattered what this gaping hole in my chest.
I threw myself on the couch that Yami ha been sharing with his light and buried my face in my arms. I couldn't have been there long when I heard the door open swiftly.
Mokuba walked in and my jaw dropped as I took in the sight of him with his hair cut shorter than I ever remember it being. Momentarily forgetting everything else that happened today I sat up shocked and took in his appearance, he looked away and shifted under my scrutiny. After a long awkward silence, I sighed.
"You look so grown up." I finally said, he actually kind of looked like me and despite the fact that I was upset that he cut his hair in the first place I took pride in how handsome of a young man he was turning out to be. But all traces of our mother had vanished with his wild raven locks.
"Yea well that was the point. I'm not a baby anymore." He muttered annoyed an began to leave the room. I called after him, in the hopes that maybe we could watch a movie together or play a game. I missed him so much and I knew he was one of the only people who would be able to cheer me up but he rolled his eyes when he looked back at mean slammed the hallway door on his way out.
I wondered idly if perhaps the problem wasn't with everyone else but with myself. I had always tried to play the part of a heartless bastard. Maybe karma was just getting me back to how I had lived my life, perhaps I was pushing those I loved away. My soul mate hated me, my brother hated me and now I had screamed at and kicked my only real friends out of my house when I was supposed to be helping him and Yugi. I was an asshole. Shit.