Chapter XLVII: Movies and Nightmares

Hello again, everyone. I wish to apologize again for such a long delay, this time one of over ten months. Ten months ago, things started to get busy and depressing for me all at the same time. I took a class in Victorian literature for fun which was my first foray into a classroom as a student in over seven years, and it was a successful one. I also have taken two courses in cake decorating and look forward to taking a third. Should you want to see what I've been able to do, check out my DeviantArt account!

As I enjoyed such triumph, I also tasted pain. Without going into too much detail, too much happened at once. Suffice it to say, I ended up in counseling for about seven months. Why am I telling you all of this, dear readers? I want you to know that if you're having problems, you're not alone. And if you're having problems, it's okay to get help. Check your resources at school and at work. There is help available to you. Get it and you will feel better with time. I reiterate that you are not alone and no matter your age, it's okay to seek help. Thank you for your attention.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise or its characters. I just play in the Yugi-verse. I also don't own anything that is owned by Disney… except some plushies in my attic, some soundtracks and an assortment of home videos and DVDs. I also don't own anything by Dreamworks or any other studio. I don't own any characters from the Yugi-verse or any other TV show or anime except OCs and non-established characters. I own my interpretations and this story. Finally, it is an odd coincidence that I chose Mad Sword Beasts for one dreamer's sequence and that LittleKuriboh used "To Die For" from The Lion King soundtrack for Episode 50 of The Abridged Series. But it was a coincidence as I didn't see the episode until October and thought of it sometime before the episode came out.

Author's note: For those of you who are wondering, yes, the George O'Malley in this tale is gay. It is a nod to T.R. Knight, the actor who played Grey's Anatomy's George O'Malley, who is gay in real life and endured slurs for it. Furthermore, I would like to thank the website, Tour Egypt, for its information on how slaves were treated in ancient times. Special thanks to Vampiric Dragonrider and Hermione494 for their consults on the nightmare sequences!

Toward the end of March, Rebecca and her grandfather returned to their home near Yucca Valley, while Zigfried and Leon went to their family home in Dusseldorf. Mako Tsunami was able to get an apartment close to Domino's fish market as he now had a job there. For the more senior members of the Jedi-like group, life seemed to slow slightly or at least to what was normal for them.

On March 25, a Friday, Joey had an idea in his last-period class, geometry. Hey, guys, he sent, why don't we have a movie night tonight? It's a three-day weekend and we've been trainin' hard for almost a month. Think Leese might be willin' to give us a night off?

In Trigonometry, Seto Kaiba was working through his problems at lightning speed. As usual, everyone else in his class was struggling while he had mastered the Law of Cosines. Yeah, he sent back. We've all been working too hard lately. He had been working on an upgrade to the duel disk system that he'd brought to Duelist Kingdom and was nearly ready with a prototype. He had dark circles under his eyes, a testament to the sleepless nights he'd endured. Meanwhile, he and Mokuba and the rest of the group had just taken the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) in order to graduate the next school year. Joey also had been putting in extra hours mowing lawns and doing other odd jobs around his neighborhood, though he was being tight-lipped about why. Lisa had been putting in late hours at the hospital, sometimes working as much as sixteen hours a day. Yugi also had been helping at the game shop due to a major influx of business.

I could definitely use the break, Teá agreed as she wrote down a proof in geometry. Her feet still ached from last night's dance practice. My recital's coming up next week and I need to relax tonight. Mai, what about you?

Yeah, the older girl sent from her seat. Grandpa will be cool with us having the night off. She shifted a little bit, her skin sticking slightly to the plastic seat in the unseasonably warm room. Deep in her psyche, she thought, I want a shower and I want my shorts on! She could almost feel the water cascading down her trim body and the whisper of her favorite fresh undergarments as she pulled them on. And then she sensed something else, looking over to confirm it. Joey's eyes were slightly glazed over. I didn't shut my mind to him… She quickly did so, but he didn't lose that dreamy expression the rest of the class.

After class, the group gathered at the shoe lockers. "So, what's the plan, Seto?" Joey queried, still trying to shake the image of Mai's beautiful, wet body from his mind. He finally decided to hold the image in a private part of his psyche to give himself further motivation. Whatever he was motivating himself for, he wasn't telling. Right now, though, he turned his attention to the matter at hand.

"Well," the CEO answered, "if all of you are okay with it, we'll order some dinner and then gorge ourselves on movies. Any suggestions on what we should see?"

"Hmm… How about Flashdance?" Teá suggested, to a collective groan. She abruptly sweat-dropped. "Okay, I guess seeing it twenty times is a bit much."

Seto, Mokuba, Mai, Duke and Bakura exchanged glances at this and then each scanned their friends' emotions. Apparently, Flashdanceand Dirty Dancing were the young dancer's movies of choice. Tonight, however, said movies weren't on the list, lest a minor war erupt among the Jedi teens. Mai thought quickly. "Mokuba's too young for Moulin Rouge, isn't he?" When Seto nodded, she asked, "What about a Disney movie?"

"No princesses!" Joey stated forcefully. "Sorry, sis, but that marathon of The Princess Diaries, Cinderella, Sleepin' Beauty and Snow White was too much last weekend."

"Don't worry, big brother, I got it out of my system," Serenity grinned sheepishly, knowing that to put her brother through another princess movie marathon would definitely be pushing it. "What about The Lion King?"

Mokuba, who'd just arrived from one of his classes, caught part of the movie conversation. "I've never seen it! Can we, Seto?"

Seto was actually surprised at this. "You haven't? Any reason why not?"

"No, just never got around to it. Lisa says it's kind of like Hamlet. And we read it in British Literature!"

"Hamlet or The Lion King?"

Mokuba laughed. "Hamlet!"

The older teens chuckled and then picked a couple of other movies to watch. And then they discussed dinner. "How about Japanese tonight?" Yugi suggested eagerly. "There's this new place called Ohtori's and they make great okonomiyaki and sukiyaki!"

There were a few mental groans at the mention of okonomiyaki, a pancake made with cabbage, but they all were happy at the mention of getting takeout from the popular restaurant. "Well, we can have a big selection," Seto answered for all of them. "And Yugi, they do make Kobe beef hamburgers, if you'd like one."

Yugi practically went into what is known to anime fans as chibi-eyed mode. "Kobe beef hamburgers? Really?" He loved hamburgers, but he had never had one made of Kobe beef.

Seto nodded again. "Might as well have the best, right?" Yugi was inclined to agree.

Y

Meanwhile, at Domino Children's free family clinic, Lisa Kaiba finished up with the latest rounds of free vaccinations the hospital gave out. "There we are; all done, Ashley," she said cheerfully to a small dark-haired girl of about five years old. "You can tell your school that your shots are updated!"

"Thanks, Dr. Lisa," the child answered automatically, rubbing her sore arm and receiving a lollipop and a Petite Angel band-aid.

"If she has any reactions to the vaccine, just bring her in," the young doctor instructed the parents. "It happens occasionally, so we just needed to warn you."

"Thank you, Doctor," the child's mother said. Her husband picked up the small girl and they said goodbye.

Lisa sighed happily when everything was done. George, who'd been her assistant today, grinned. "It was a long day, but we got a lot of kids vaccinated. Got any plans tonight?"

She smiled back at him. "Nothing big. But I am going to enjoy a rest. What about you?"

The nurse nodded at her statement and then responded, "Jerry and I are going out tonight. He's wanted to go to the Bolero."

"You're going to love it, George! And if he likes chicken Alfredo, he should try theirs. It's practically an aphrodisiac." She remembered one particular night last year when Seto had taken her to the restaurant and they had both had the dish. What had followed would be best described as an all-out love scene in a cheap and tawdry romance novel. Okay, maybe that wasn't what caused it, but thank God we sent Mokuba over to the Wheelers that night, she reflected mentally.

The brown-haired, blue-eyed nurse nodded thoughtfully, grinning. "I'll keep that in mind, Leese." They finished up and headed to the locker room. She quickly changed, bade George good evening and good luck, and walked out the door to the waiting limo.

"Hi, Darlene!" she greeted the driver as she climbed in the car. "Hello, Bryce," she added to the security guard in the back seat with her.

"Good afternoon, Lisa," they greeted back at the same time.

"Mr. Kaiba just called me and wanted you to contact him, but on the phone," the security guard stated calmly. "He said something about asking your permission to do something…"

The young woman reached out for her husband's mind to find his thoughts, but not his emotions, blocked. Is he..? she wondered, scanning him for lustful thoughts. Hmmm… He's not in the mood, but… he's up to something. "Okay," she sighed, smiling and picking up her cell phone. Her husband would not make this easy.

"Hey, Leese," Seto said when he answered his phone at school, "Bryce told you?"

"Yeah, but he wouldn't tell me what you wanted… What's up?"

"Well, the gang all thought we could use a night to relax and watch a few movies. We picked Shrek, The Lion King,andThe Prince of Egypt." At the last, Seto sensed puzzlement and concern. "Yami picked it. He said something about learning about whatever he may have missed while he was in the Millennium Puzzle. Yugi warned him about what the movie was about and Yami still said he wanted to see it."

"Okay. How about The Lion King?"

Seto thought quickly. "Mokuba's read Hamlet. So he knows what the plot is about and he should be okay."

"What about you?" she asked. Sure, she knew her husband was made of sterner stuff, but she still couldn't help but wonder if it might trigger something. The last thing he needed was to lose it emotionally in front of the group.

Sensing this, he sighed. "Leese, babe, I'm okay. Mokuba will be okay. He's almost eleven and this movie shouldn't be a problem. Don't worry about it."

"Okay, honey," she said softly, still not convinced this was a good idea. "So what are we having for dinner?"

"We're ordering in Ohtori's. Yugi wanted a Kobe beef burger."

Lisa's eyes widened. "You're spending that much on him?"

The young husband sighed again. "He is the King of Games. It's okay, Leese. You're halfway home, right?"

"Yeah. Do you need me to pick something up?"

"No, just c'mon home. We'll order the food and you've had a long week. You can get a shower and Mokie and I will be home in a little bit. The gang will be over in about two hours."

"Okay, see you in a bit. Love you."

Seto closed his cell phone, smiling a little. "She's going for it, guys. We'll meet up a little after six. And yes, Mokuba," he said, reading his brother's unspoken question, "you may ask if it's okay to do that."

Joey grinned in response. "Yeah, kid, you can hang out with us 'til it's time."

"Thanks!" The group headed its separate ways until it was time to meet at the mansion.

Seto headed straight home this afternoon, glad that for once, he didn't have an after-school meeting. Once home, he climbed the stairs to the bedroom, hearing the water run in the shower. "Leese?" he called.

"Hi, honey!" she called back, scrubbing her white-blonde hair. "I'm almost done in here!"

Sweaty from gym class, he'd already stripped. "Mind if I come in?" he asked, sorely tempted to see if she wanted to go further than just showering.

"C'mon in," she invited. "How was school?" she asked when he entered.

"Fine," he answered as the scent of her favorite lavender bath gel assaulted his nose. The warm water caused his skin to tingle as well. She was scrubbing with a lather puff now and turned to face him. "How was your day?" he queried, taking the puff from her and scrubbing her back.

"Oh, it was all right. We gave out free vaccinations at the clinic today, thanks to that donation you made. And we're able to keep them in stock for the rest of the year! What about your day?"

"Oh, the usual. Everything we covered in class, I've covered before. It's too easy, Leese. And then I got a call at noon from the office. There was a minor problem with one of the computers, but it was solved. Someone, it looked like, was trying to hack the system. I was able to take care of it in one minute," he answered with a wolfish grin as she took the puff back and scrubbed him.

"Any idea who it was?"

"I think it was a fan. The username was NKaiba1987. But he or she didn't get very far. The person withdrew fast. I couldn't get a trace on him or her. There was no identifiable IP address." He felt the puff brush against his leg and heard it thud onto the floor.

"I still wonder how you do that. You just took a minute to shut the person down," Lisa murmured, putting her arms around him.

"Yeah. Uh, do we want to get out or..?"

"Hon, I'm a little tired. Maybe later tonight?" she suggested, his disappointment rocketing through her, followed by understanding and anticipation.

"Okay." They stepped out of the shower, not yielding to temptation.

Y

"This is going to be great!" Mokuba whooped as the gang sat in the media room, eating their dinners.

"It already is," Yugi managed to say around a mouthful of Kobe beef burger. The burger, topped with a piece of Colby Jack cheese, crisp lettuce, a thick slice of tomato and then mayonnaise on the bun was ambrosia to the King of Games. He'd never tasted anything so wonderful. The fries were good, but this was amazing! His eyes closed as he swallowed and again bit into the burger, the blend of flavors rippling through his taste buds.

"Yuge, should we leave the burger and you alone?" Joey teased, enjoying the Ohtori's signature ramen dish. Yugi blushed in embarrassment, realizing how goofy his expression must be. "It's okay, man," the blonde boy grinned. "I'd be droolin', too."

The spiky-haired teen grinned at that after he swallowed. "This is great, Joey!" He cut a piece and handed it to his friend. "Try it!" Joey did, with a blissful smile.

"Yuge, remind me next time to get that burger. That is incredible."

Seto tapped his long finger against his soda can to get the group's attention. "Everyone, we're going to start the movies. By my calculations, we have not quite five hours of movies to get through, so we had better get started. It's 7:30."

"The Lion King goes first!" Mokuba shouted, grabbing the DVD of said movie and placing it in the player. "I think we should end with Shrek since the other movies are more serious. Is that good?" Everyone nodded.

As the FBI warning and international legal information came on the screen, Joey and Tristan imitated the 20th Century Fox infamous fanfare. Seto, in his old customary irritated persona growled, "Wrong movie studio, you morons!" The transgressors looked at each other and started to laugh.

The group settled in and was spellbound from the beginning of The Lion King, particularly Mokuba. He laughed as Simba and Nala the lion cubs escaped from Zazu the hornbill using a cleverly choreographed song and gasped in fear, crying when Mufasa was murdered. His brother and sister-in-law held him close, but he didn't want the movie turned off. It's okay, guys, he sent up to them, though his eyes glistened with tears, I want to see it all the way through. And so they did, cheering as Simba triumphed over his evil uncle and became king of Pride Rock.

"Moks, are you okay?" Lisa asked verbally at the end of the film.

The little boy's eyes were red from crying, but he was smiling. "Yeah, I'm okay, big sister. It was a good movie. I liked when Simba's dad came to him and let him know he wasn't alone."

"Yeah, that was good, kid," Seto agreed. He hadn't cried throughout the movie; even now, he wasn't the type to cry at movies. But at the scene when Scar told Simba that the lion cub was responsible for his father's death, something deep within the CEO quaked. He wasn't responsible for Richard's death… was he?

His mind wandered backward to the day his mother had died… His mother lay in the hospital bed, her now-bluish face framed by raven locks. She looked almost as if she were napping as baby Mokuba lay in his bassinette. But the six-year-old boy knew his mother wouldn't wake. In reality, Seto had been alone and his father hadn't returned to the room until well after the nurse had taken Mokuba to the infant ward. But now, his father entered the room, eyes haunted as he gazed at his dead wife and living children. The six-year-old looked up at his father, tears in his eyes. "Daddy, why did Mommy have to die?"

Richard met the eyes so like his, but his own eyes snapped with sudden anger. "She had to die because you were born, Seto. You killed her." The boy went silent. "And…" His father's clothes became wet, his bangs hung in his face and his eyes became glassy and unfocused as they had been in the morgue. "If you hadn't, I would still be alive. That makes you a murderer."

The Seto of the present day shivered slightly. His mental shields were up; he wasn't about to alert anyone of what was running through his mind. He managed to keep his surface emotions in check, not even alerting his wife that something might be wrong. He pushed down everything into an isolated portion of his mind and resolved not to let his wife in there. I'll deal with it later.

Lisa had sensed something from her husband, but he had become so skillful at hiding his thoughts from her that she had only received a flicker of whatever it was. She caught his eyes and sent, Honey? Are you okay?

Yeah. The movie got to me a little. I'm all right. Let's just enjoy the other movies, all right?

The next movie was The Prince of Egypt. Yugi placed the DVD in the player with some apprehension. Yami, are you sure you want to watch this? I don't know why, but I keep thinking it's a bad idea.

Yugi… Aibou, I'm a grown… Well, I appear to be a young adult anyway, even if I am technically a spirit. I believe I can handle this, the spirit sent back wryly. He settled himself in Yugi's mind, watching through his eyes. He read the notation about the story's origin and how Hollywood had changed it a bit and then… He was overwhelmed. What is this, Yugi?!

I warned you, Yami, Yugi sent back, miserable. We can turn it off.

N-no, Yugi… I must see in order to understand. Yugi did not turn off the player. The entire group could sense Yami and Yugi now. Teá sent a query into their dual mind, but they were absorbed in the opening sequence. How was a leader capable of ordering such slaughter?

I don't know. Yami, I can understand how people can fear other people enough to hurt them, but I'll never understand how someone can be so casual about… You'll see…

And Yami did. He shuddered later when Pharaoh Seti so casually stated to Moses that slaves were nothing. How… How could he state that so calmly? They were people.

Yugi sighed and sent, He was trained not to see them as real people. And the people in Egypt, including slaves, were trained to live and die if the Pharaoh needed it to be that way. I read in Grandpa's books that the Pharaoh's personal slaves were executed after he died, so they could follow him into the afterlife. It's probably the same reason why… You remember what we read about mummification and tombs last week, don't you?

Oh, yes, I remember, young one… I remember all too well, Yami sent back, grimacing. The process had made him wonder where his earthly remains were and if his internal organs really were preserved in earthen jars. I wonder, though… I believe that I was a leader, but did I have slaves and were they executed when I died? Did they die for a good person or a wicked one?

I'm sure you were a good one, Yami. Yugi managed a smile for his friend, feeling the spirit relax a little. If you weren't, I would've known. And what happened while you were still waking up doesn't really count, he added quickly. Besides, I know you meant well, Yami.

Yes, but perhaps I could have gone about dispensing justice in a better way. They watched as Moses made his life journey and as the plagues rained down on Egypt. Had I been Ramses, I would have allowed his people their freedom.

Me, too, Yami, Yugi agreed. And I think you would have, he sent as the movie reached its climax. You wouldn't let your people die for something like this, or your son, if you had one. Yami didn't respond in words, and Yugi felt as if he were wrapped in a pair of strong, warm arms. It was times like these that the small King of Games was glad he had his spirit friend.

It was nearing 10:30 when the gang started the last movie. Mokuba's eyelids were droopy, but he insisted that he could make it through. "I want to watch."

"Okay, kid," Seto answered, keeping his thoughts well-shielded. Judging by Mokuba's current position on the couch— snuggled between Seto and Lisa— he would be asleep before Donkey and Shrek made it to Dragon's castle. And sure enough, just as Shrek and Donkey arrived at Duloc, a series of soft snores told the young man and his wife to look down. A small raven head leaned against Lisa's body, its owner's lips parted as he snored. The rest of the gang looked back at the little dreamer and kept their laughter muted until the end of the movie.

"Mokuba, Mokuba, it's time to go to bed, angel," Lisa murmured as Seto saw the gang to the limo shortly after midnight. The little boy's blue-gray eyes opened in confusion.

"Huh? Is it time to watch another movie?" he asked groggily.

"No, honey, it's time for bed. It's after midnight." She gently helped him to his feet and guided him upstairs. Seto joined her, and together they got Mokuba changed and into his warm bed. "He couldn't even keep his eyes open," Lisa murmured as she and Seto strode down the hall to their bedroom.

"Yeah… He's pretty easy," Seto answered absently. He opened the bedroom door and held it open. Lisa stepped in, her right eyebrow raised. "What?" he asked when they had closed the door behind them.

"Is everything all right?" she asked as she undressed. "You told me that The Lion King got to you. Would you like to talk about it?"

He sighed as well, tossing his clothes into the hamper. "Lisa, it wasn't much. The movie just got to me. I didn't think it would hit me like that." He still blocked his thoughts from her, but hoped what he'd given was enough to fool her.

Lisa scanned him with her empathic abilities. Hmmm… He's still hiding something from me, but I shouldn't push him on whatever it is. If I do, he'll pull in. He'll tell me when he's ready… But she wondered how long it would be. They got into their nightclothes and got in bed. Seto kissed her slowly. What's this? she sent.

It's later, he sent back slyly, pressing close. Are you..? But a wave of exhaustion radiated out from her. Leese, you're not…

I'm sorry, honey. It's been a long week.

For all of us, he reminded her, backing off. He wrapped his arms around her, breathing in her scent. Good night, Leese. Leese? But Lisa was already sound asleep. Gamely, Seto closed his own eyes, drifting with her.

Y

Mokuba found himself wandering what looked like a desert at first. The place he was walking in was desolate, except for a couple of gnarled, leafy trees. But as he glanced at his surroundings, he noticed he was in a canyon. "Hello?" he called out. "Is anyone out there? Seto? Lisa? Where are you?!"

You… you… you echoed off of the canyon walls. The sun brightened them, making the rocks orange and blood-red in places. Above the walls, a tall, familiar figure stood. His expression was cruel, his amber eyes narrowing in disgust at the small figure walking alone in the canyon. He raised his hand, signaling something, and Mokuba heard an ominous rumbling.

The little boy went pale as the cause of the rumbling made itself known. Like a raging waterfall, a herd of Mad Sword Beasts ran down the steep hills leading into the canyon. He turned and ran as fast as he could, though he knew he could not outrun them. He jumped into one of the gnarled trees and hung on. "Seto! Lisa! Help me!" he screamed.

And then he saw them on the side of the canyon opposite the cruel figure. "Hold on, little brother! We're coming!" Seto shouted, his voice miraculously carrying over the thundering of the Mad Sword Beasts' hooves. He and Lisa used their Jedi-like abilities to land cat-like on the canyon floor. With enhanced speed, they barely managed to dodge the Sword Beasts and get to the little boy before a creature broke the branch of the tree he was hanging onto.

"We've got you, baby," Lisa murmured, her grip on him tight. They raised their protective physical shields and charged through the stampeding herd. But somehow, Mokuba knew his feeling of safety wouldn't last.

His voice echoed through the canyon. "You honestly think you freaks can stop me? Seto, I should have left you at that orphanage. Now I have to tie up some loose ends!" Abruptly, Mokuba felt Lisa struggling as she, he and Seto rose off the ground.

"What are you doing, you snake?!" Seto demanded, his eyes wide with fear even as he stared at the monster defiantly.

"Killing you, Seto, and your family!" The monster that had long ago forfeited his humanity had clenched his fist as he'd raised them upward. Now he opened that fist and they plummeted. But just before they fell back into the stampede, something caught them.

"No, Father! I won't let you hurt them!" a new voice shouted. It sounded like Leon von Schroeder, but when Mokuba looked up, it was clear that it wasn't his dark pink-haired friend. It was a figure with greenish-blue hair.

"You dare interfere?" The cruel amber eyes narrowed in contempt. "You aren't my son… You're a pampered little brat. My true son is the one who has truly become mine." His gaze turned to the three suspended in the air.

Seto jerked. "You… Argh!" He clutched his head, his face contorting in pain. His cry became a scream, a scream of agony that changed into a cry of… pleasure. The evil figure moved Seto to his right side, the latter's eyes blank. A cold, cruel smirk played on his face. "I am the true son of Gozaburo Kaiba. And you are nothing." Seto's hand raised, moving their would-be savior next to his little brother and his wife. Mokuba finally saw the blue-haired figure, but only caught a glance. He turned to look back at his brother in terrified disbelief.

"Seto," Lisa called out mentally and verbally. "Seto, please!"

"You are nothing to me, Lisa. You're both in my way," he said coldly. "And you," he stated to the mysterious blue-haired boy, "you never should've been born and had we met, I would've figured a way to get rid of you. And now… You are all nothing." He met the demon's eyes and nodded. Together they opened their fists and as Mokuba plunged to the stampede, hearing his sister-in-law and the boy screaming, he saw his brother watch without feeling…

Y

Mokuba awoke screaming, but he didn't scream for long. "Shh… Mokuba… Angel, it's okay," Lisa murmured, putting her arms around him at the same time his brother did. He said nothing for a long moment, trembling in their arms.

"Mokie," Seto asked softly, "what happened? We sensed you were having a nightmare…"

The raven-haired boy nodded again. "Y-yeah… It was about The Lion King, I think… But it wasn't… I was in a canyon and I saw…" He swallowed hard, remembering the Mad Sword Beasts bearing down on him. "…I saw Gozaburo…" He told them about the stampede, the stranger and his brother being turned against him, Lisa and the stranger. "And then… And then, Seto, you dropped us. And that's when I woke up."

The couple exchanged glances. "Mokuba, Gozaburo is dead," Seto said softly. "He's been gone for almost four years. How could he hurt us now? And how could he turn me against you?"

"I… I don't know, big brother. But something happened in that dream and it felt like it was… Well, Lisa, you looked different. Your hair was a little long and you… um…" The little boy felt like he was going into a lion's den. "You sort of looked… fat."

"Fat?" Lisa's eyes narrowed slightly. "Can I see in your head?" He nodded and opened his mind to her. She scanned past the surface thoughts into the place where his dreams dwelled. And there it was. She was suspended in mid-air, face frightened and belly… "Mokuba," she said, releasing from his mind, "I'm not fat… I'm… pregnant in that dream." She and Seto shared a glance. "Sweetie, did you see anything else in the dream?"

"I don't think so. But that boy… I don't recognize him at all. Big sister, who could he be?"

"Lisa?" Seto murmured.

"Mokuba, maybe you saw something of the future," Lisa said slowly. "Something about that vision… I can't explain it. But whoever that boy was, maybe he's someone you're going to meet. And maybe Gozaburo represents something we're going to face. He can't get us from beyond the grave."

"Yeah, Mokuba, he's not coming back," Seto reassured him. But there seemed to be a slight edge in his voice as he said it. "So let's get you back to sleep, all right?"

"Okay." The little boy snuggled back down in his warm bed, albeit a little reluctantly. But with Seto and Lisa sitting with him, he fell asleep rather quickly. Maybe I'll figure out what this dream means on my own, was his last conscious thought.

"Are you sure we should just leave the room?" Lisa asked her husband as they tiptoed out into the hall. "What if he has that dream again? Maybe…"

"Leese, relax," he said firmly, steering her away from his brother's room. "He's had nightmares before and doesn't need us in there. He's almost eleven, remember?"

"Yeah, I know," she answered, sensing… She couldn't put her finger on it, but it felt as if Seto's warm aura had a cold wind blowing through it. It was almost as if he was turning back into the young man she'd first met almost two years ago. Honey? she sent. Please tell me what's wrong.

Leese, I'm okay. I'm just working something out. Just relax. The last seemed harsh and he sensed her jerking back emotionally as if slapped. I'm sorry, babe. That came out wrong. I just have stuff I want to work out on my own, okay? he sent in a gentler way, giving her a physical hug.

Okay. Just please let me know what's going on so I can help if you need it, she pleaded.

I'll tell you when I can, he answered as gently as he could. "Let's go to bed," he whispered. "Mokuba'll be okay."

"Okay…" Lisa lay down in the soft bed next to her husband, but remained awake after he had fallen asleep. In the darkness, she sensed something was coming, and it wasn't just some evil force. Seto… Tell me what's wrong before it destroys you…

Y

Yami wasn't quite sure how it had happened; all he knew was that he was standing in what appeared to be a palace of some sort. Is this my past? Could I somehow be back in Egypt? He looked down in surprise at his clothing, a linen tunic with a gold collar, a purple cape, and sandals that indicated his station. I'm… royalty… "All right, I am ready to face the challenger," he found himself saying as he sat down on what seemed to be a throne. He was looking out over a large arena, also made of stone. Below him were what appeared to be several servants, all dressed in ceremonial white robes. They looked frightened, standing next to large stone tablets. They look like Duel Monsters cards, he thought, examining the tablets.

The challenger came forward. He was clad in a blue tunic with a bright gold ankh on the chest and golden jewelry, including a gold belt. Yami could not see his opponent's face, but somehow, the man seemed familiar. "Greetings, Your Highness. I am here to claim what is mine and regain what I have lost because of you. I have my servants for this game. What about you?"

"I am ready to defeat you," Yami heard himself saying. It seemed as if his perspective was shifting; he was no longer the young man on the throne, but now an unseen observer. He watched his counterpart clad in the Pharaoh's garb raise a hand. "I have my servants as well. They stand to defeat you." But those didn't look like loyal servants, the Yami of the present realized. There was something in their eyes that said they didn't want to be here. What is going on here?

And then he found out. The challenger and Yami's kingly self began to duel. It was fierce. Monsters clashed and fell and then a flash of light came down upon one of the servants. His bone-chilling shriek rang through the air, and then he disappeared. What?! The Yami of the present was stunned. What had just happened? He had seen the man surrounded by the white glow and then seemingly disintegrated where he stood. What did I do?!

"You have sent one of my people to the Shadow Realm," the challenger shouted. "He will not be the last. What of you? Are you willing to sacrifice your servants?"

"Of course." The young ruler said it in such a blasé way that Yami looked back at his counterpart. The expression on the ruler's face was terrifying. His expression was void of compassion; in fact, it was empty of any emotion. "They know what might be asked of them in this fight."

Something of Yami's terror at his counterpart must have awakened Yugi, because the boy was at his side instantly. "Yami, what..? Is this your dream?"

"Yes… I don't understand, but that appears to be me," he answered, pointing at his royal doppelganger. "And… what is happening here?"

"It… it looks like a duel," the small teen said quietly. "But why are those people there?" And then another person was taken, his scream cutting through Yugi like a knife. "What the..?! Yami?!"

"You have taken one of my people," the Pharaoh stated calmly. "I will not hesitate to take another of yours."

"Sire, how many will it take?" an aide whispered, eyes fearful.

"As many as is necessary to defeat him. They're only slaves."

Yugi tossed in his bed, crying out in shock and pain when he was shaken awake. "Yugi… Yugi, wake up," Solomon Muto whispered urgently, shaking his grandson's shoulders. "Yugi, you're having a nightmare! Wake up!"

Yugi finally did. "G-Grandpa?"

"I could hear you in the other room, my boy. What was it about?"

Yugi took a shaky breath and told his grandfather what he'd seen. "… But… Maybe Yami needs to talk to you. You've talked to him before."

"All right. If he wants to."

Yugi took a deep breath and went into the corridors of his mind. At once he saw the familiar hallway with two rooms opposite each other. He could see his own room with toys and games scattered all over the place through the modern metal door. And then he glanced over at his counterpart's side of their mind. He stepped toward it and opened the door. "Yami?" he called out into the dank darkness.

The spiky-haired doppelganger came slowly out of the shadows into the corridor, a beam of light illuminating a shoe, a leg and then the rest of his slim figure. Though his demeanor was still regal, there was something of a very frightened teen in his bearing that was loathe to admit just how much he was truly shaken. "Yes, Yugi?"

Yugi shifted slightly on one foot, slightly nervous. "Did you hear Grandpa? He'll talk to you if you want."

Now it was Yami's turn to shift uncomfortably. "Can he stand me after what you told him?"

"Why wouldn't he stand you? Yami, it was just a bad dream."

"How do I know it wasn't?" the spirit asked miserably. "Yugi… What if I was the cold tyrant I appeared to be? What if I ordered the deaths of innocents? How can I exist with that knowledge if it is so?"

Yugi paced around his soul buddy, wondering how in the world to respond. "Yami," he said finally, "what I know is that now you're a good person. You regret it if you did, and you'd want to make up for it, right?" The spirit nodded. "Then you are a good person. A cold tyrant would never be really sorry. I wouldn't be feeling from you what I'm feeling if you were a cold tyrant. You're really upset by this. Talk to Grandpa. After all, since you're in my body, he's your grandpa too, right?"

Yami considered that for a moment. "I suppose you're right, Yugi. I… never thought of it that way as…" He trailed off for a moment, collecting his thoughts again. "But I guess you're right. All right, I will speak with him…"

Outside the confines of Yugi's mind, Solomon had waited as his grandson sat lost in thought, or so it would have seemed to an outsider. The old man watched and then saw the subtle glow of the Eye of Horus, indicating a power shift in the Millennium Puzzle and then his grandson's eyes opened. It was and was not Yugi whose gaze met his. The eyes were the same shade of violet, yet they were somehow steelier. They held the wisdom of centuries rather than the knowledge of a mere seventeen years. Where there was jet-black and burgundy-tipped hair, there was now the addition of lightning spikes. And yet despite the differences, this young man in front of him had Yugi's fearful expression.

"Hello, there," Solomon greeted kindly. "I'm not sure you and I have talked directly before."

"You did speak with me mentally," Yami observed, not quite meeting the old man's eyes. "First in my duel with Seto and then when I was alone against Pegasus in the Shadow Realm. If not for you and our friends, I would not have survived. Um… what shall I call you?"

Solomon gently put his hand under the boy's chin, for a boy he was despite being a 5000-year-old spirit. He turned the boy's face to look at him. "Call me Grandpa, my boy. It's all right. You're as much my grandson as he is. You're much the same and right now, you have many questions, don't you? And what would you like me to call you?"

The boy considered it for a long moment. "Call me Yugi, then, if you regard us as much the same."

Solomon nodded. "So what's troubling you, Yugi? Would you like to come downstairs and talk about it?" Yami nodded and together the two headed quietly down to the kitchen.

"Grandpa, I am frightened of this dream," Yami admitted, his hands actually shaking around his mug of hot chocolate. "What if I was what I saw? Yugi says that I could not have been a cold tyrant because I feel remorse and would try to make up for it. But… What if that is only who I am now because of his influence, his goodness?"

Solomon regarded the boy again for a long moment. Something at the back of his mind came to him. A tall young man in a pharaoh's garb, holding his hand out to Solomon as the man had dangled over an abyss in a tomb. "I've been waiting for you, Shimon," the young man had said. Not long after, Solomon had found himself safe and with the box holding the Millennium Puzzle. How he'd gotten it out of Egypt with no one noticing was a miracle in Solomon's estimation, but the real miracle was getting out of that tomb alive and staying so.

"I think in your past life that you were a good young man. Perhaps not perfect," the old man said finally, "but I think you were good. Don't doubt that, my boy. If you were a leader, then I suspect you were a good one. In Egypt, a pharaoh was considered a god."

Yami considered that. "But… I'm no god." He took yet another shaky breath. "Grandpa, I am a spirit trapped in an ancient puzzle… I'm not even human anymore." Yami studied the hands he now had clenched in his lap, as he shook his head. "And if I'm not human anymore, what am I?"

It was Solomon's turn to ponder. He sipped his cup of herbal tea for what seemed like a century before he answered. "You are still human, Yugi. Even without a body of your own. And you are a good one." He gently gripped his grandson's—Yami's— hands, and peered into the troubled violet eyes. "My boy, listen to me. What makes us—and you—human has nothing to do with a physical body, or anything that can be easily reduced to flesh and bone. What makes a human a human is the spirit, the soul, the mind...without those, we're no different than animals. Trust me on this, you are most certainly human like me, and like Yugi."

Yami felt his… Yugi's… his eyes well up with gratitude. "Thank you, Grandpa… I'll remember what you both have told me…"

"You're welcome, my boy," Solomon murmured. "You really are a good person. You have helped Yugi more than you know. You've protected and guided him in ways I haven't been able to. You helped him to gain friends and to believe in himself. And that tells me you are good." They finished their drinks and got up from the table. The old man came around and gave the boy a strong hug. "Whatever happens, it's going to be all right… Things will unfold as they should. Now, let's get back to bed. You both need your rest."

"Thank you, Grandpa," Yami answered, hugging back. They broke apart and headed back upstairs. Yami flopped down on his… Yugi's bed, lost in his own thoughts as he stared up at the ceiling.

Yami? Yugi sent.

Yes, Yugi?

What Grandpa said was right, the small teen sent back again. You are human, even if you don't have a body right now. And thanks to you, I've gotten stronger. I mean, maybe I could've made friends but… you helped me not to be afraid of doing it…

But Yugi, you have courage. I think you always did…

Yami, Yugi sighed, picturing himself in chibi mode with a vein popping out of his head, what part of "you're okay," don't you get? Yeah, I have some courage, but you did make me braver. You've helped all of us, even if your methods early on weren't exactly right. So will you relax?!

Yami blinked twice. Yugi… you're… frustrated? I'm sorry, he apologized, mentally sweat-dropping.

It's okay… Let's just go to bed. We hang out with the gang in the afternoon, remember? Yugi reminded him, the angry image fading.

Yes, I remember. Let's go to sleep, then, Yugi… Good night.

Night, Yami. And the spirit felt the warmth of Yugi's mental hug, just before the boy's mind went into blissful unconsciousness. Yami, however, lay awake for a few moments longer, watching as dark clouds became visible through the skylight window. The clouds obscured the moon, the wind came up and Yami heard the staccato sounds of raindrops on the roof and window before he fell into an exhausted sleep.

And that, my friends, is what took over ten months to write. I hope you will forgive me and that it was worth the wait. Merry Christmas, happy Boxing Day and a glorious Kwanzaa to all of you! See you in the next chapter, which I hope will not be as long in coming.