Yuki
By: Rogue Fox
Part Three: Into The Shadows
I dropped my luggage as I walked into the hotel room Seto had gotten for us girls. Mai immediately squealed and ran over to the window. She threw open the curtains to reveal a gorgeous view.
" Wow." Anzu murmured.
" Look at that! It's the Nile! It's really the Nile!" Mai cried. " And look over there! You can see the Pyramids! Wow, it's so beautiful!" I murmured a few noises of awe, but mostly I kept silent. I could feel Himeko in the depths of my heart, and it was slightly distracting. I longed to reach out to her, to let her know that I would try to help her, but she was deeper than I dared go. And I was still afraid of her.
" How do you like the view?" a voice behind me asked. I turned to see Seto, standing in the doorway.
" It's incredible!" Mai cried.
" It's unbelievable!" Anzu added. I only smiled. Seto knew everything I had to say by only looking at me. I knew my smile would fool the others, but Seto saw things about me they missed. Like the way my eyes dragged at the corners, and the way my lips were almost always pursed tightly. The other guys streamed in and admired the view. Yugi had to stand on a chair, but he managed. Instead of joining them, I slunk back to Seto and leaned my head on his shoulder. He touched my hair softly and made an unintelligible sound that was somehow comforting. I smiled genuinely into his jacket.
" It really is beautiful, isn't it?" I asked him.
" Yeah. Beautiful." Seto mumbled back. I looked up at him to find his eyes glued to me. Embarrassed, he turned away to look out the window.
" What makes you think we can find the boys here, in Egypt?" I asked. Seto shrugged, turning and walking out the door to the guys' room next to the girls'. I followed him. " Well?" I asked.
" A hunch." Seto said finally. He winced, and I knew why. He expected me to get mad at him. I expected myself to get mad, but strangely, I didn't. I hopped over the guys' luggage and followed him into the room.
" A hunch is better than what I've got. What gives you a hunch that they'll be here?" I said. Seto plopped lazily onto the bed and looked at me as I laid down next to him. He pulled me to him affectionately and laid my head on his lap. He stroked my hair like he used to when it was longer and we were younger as he considered his answer.
" I used to have an enemy who was… connected to Egypt. He wasn't just my enemy, he was Yugi's too. He was this whole group's enemy." Seto mumbled finally. I knew from what Anzu had told me that Yugi was a world class gamer, recognized all over the world for his skills, particularly in Duel Monsters. Seto was famous for his gaming skills and prowess in Duel Monsters also, as well as for his company and business skill. So it hardly surprised me that the two of them shared a common enemy. I nodded to show I understood and let Seto continue stroking my hair silently until jet lag finally caught up with me. I soon dozed off, my head on Seto's lap, uncomfortably aware of Himeko in my subconscious, watching my every move and hearing every word said.
*+*+*
I had slept until I could sleep no more. I finally awoke and tried to peer through Yuki's eyes. I caught vague glimpses of the world she knew, of faces she cared for, but no more. I saw the most of the boy, the one named Seto. I saw his face scrunched up in worry for Yuki, afraid for her and afraid of what lived inside her. Afraid of me. He cared very deeply for Yuki, it was easy for me to see. He had unknowingly devoted his heart to her, given her his undying devotion. And neither one of them knew it. They hid behind the pretense of their friendship and shrank away from the truth. Soon enough it would hit Yuki that her "friendship" was developing into something more. Or maybe I was being too reminiscent, remembering my own love too much.
It was hard for me not to dwell in the past, not to stay too long in days gone by. Things were foggy, and some things I couldn't remember at all, but what memories I had I treasured. I wanted to cry, but the funny thing about crying is that a soul can't weep like a normal person. I could only weep internally, and that made the pain all the harder to bear.
I could feel Yuki's presence very distinctly. She spent a lot of time wondering at me, trying to figure me out. I wasn't sure if I wanted her to succeed. I felt her concern for me, her desire to talk to me so that I, in turn, might talk to her. But I also sensed her fear of me. She was afraid, and I hardly blamed her. She was handling the situation surprisingly well, much better than I imagined I would have handled it myself. But she was still afraid. She was scared of the power of my will and emotions. She wasn't sure if she could trust me. I cried again in my silent way. I somehow felt like I had failed her. Like it was her I needed to please, when I had always thought that she was here to please me, and her needs were second to mine. I couldn't connect this knowledge with some memory from my past to justify it, but I knew it was there. There was the nagging question floating around in my thoughts; wasn't Yuki just a catalyst, a carrier? A tool for me to use? Somehow, she had become more than a tool. Somehow, I had begun to care for her. Love makes a person weak, and I had to be strong. And yet, I was weak anyway with the realization of my death. Memories of my own death were vague. I could only remember rage and desperation as my body died and my still-conscious soul was trapped inside the darkness of the orb. The time in the darkness was sparkling clear. I had been so lonely. I spent what must have been at least a half a century in the real world crying out the names of the ones I had lost, desperate to find them. Finally, in desperation and loneliness, I used the power that had been granted to me by that loathsome contract on myself. A form of internal suicide. I sentenced myself to eternal sleep until light fell on me. It was a natural thing for me to do. I had spent my entire life around people. People I loved. I had never been alone for a second in my whole life. So in the solitude of the darkness, I went into a state of madness. I finally sealed myself away, until Yuki brought the light back to me.
It was hard not to get attached to that girl. I wanted to care about her, but memories and lust for revenge were stronger than whatever humanity was left in me.
*+*+*
I don't know exactly when Yuki fell asleep with her head on my lap. All I knew was that I was frightened and exhausted. Jet lag was taking its toll on me, but I refused to close my eyes. I was afraid to even blink, for fear that the heavy weight on my eyelids wouldn't allow me to open them again. But I needed to stay awake and think.
A hunch Yugi and I shared had brought us here, to a bleak and desolate place in Egypt that had once been a bustling place of the arts and business. We knew that if Pegasus was to ever emerge from the darkness Yugi had banished him too, it would be here. In Egypt. Where, according to Yugi, this whole thing started a millennia ago. Where, hopefully, we would find the answers we were looking for. I glanced down at Yuki. It was hard not to look at her the way the other guys were allowed to look at the other girls. For me, it was taboo to look at her like that, the way a man looks at a woman. Yuki was my best friend. I wanted to protect her, to stand beside her, and to always help her when she needed me. I did not want to be her lover. Did I? It was hard. She was so beautiful. Those deep, red-violet eyes, the shoulder length golden hair streaked with crimson, those long, slender legs, the curvaceous figure… I shook my head and stopped myself. Stupid hormones, I thought angrily. The last thing I needed was to be battling inner demons concerning Yuki.
I tried to concentrate. Locating the main suspect, supposing it was him that had kidnapped the boys, would be a feat all in its own. Then there was the whole matter of getting to him. Pegasus had never been surprised in his life by anything, and chances were he wouldn't be now. What scared me most was that if he knew we were coming, there was a chance he might hurt the boys. I almost screamed in frustration. Finally, I scooted myself out from under Yuki and walked out onto the balcony the guys' room sported. Leaning on the rail, I felt the dry desert wind scrape against my face, trying to push those thoughts of Yuki out of my head. Again, I found it difficult. Instead, I turned my gaze onto the Nile and the Pyramids. Such a strange beauty that surrounded them, wrapped in an air of ancient mystery. They seemed so familiar to me. It seemed like once, a long time ago, they were part of my life as normal as a refrigerator was to me now. But that was impossible. I had been to Cairo a few times on business trips, but I had never seen the Pyramids or the Nile so close before. Just another part of the huge, tightly tangled mystery we were here to solve.
Suddenly, the door behind me opened and Yugi walked out to join me. He jumped a little, grabbing the rail and supporting himself on his arms, his feet dangling freely.
" Need a hand?" I asked.
" Nope." The little guy responded simply. He indignantly swung his feet over the rail until he was sitting on it, his feet hanging off the other side. I had to hand it to him, he was definitely not a quitter. We sat in silence for a moment.
" It's beautiful, isn't it? In a weird way." Yugi said finally.
" Yes, it is." I answered. Again the silence. " How are we going to find him?" I asked suddenly. The question was on my mind, but the words popped out of nowhere. Yugi didn't look surprised by the question.
" You want me to lie or tell the truth?" Yugi asked after considering his answer.
" Tell the truth." I said quickly.
" You're sure?" Yugi asked.
" Yes." I responded patiently. Again, Yugi sat silently, contemplating his answer.
" I haven't got the faintest clue." He said finally. I could have shoved him off the balcony, but I didn't.
" Then, in a word, we're screwed." I said. Yugi winced at my crude choice of words.
" Not entirely." He said. " If Pegasus wants us to find him, he'll make sure we do. And if it is Pegasus, you know he's out for revenge. Which means that we have bought ourselves a ticket into his lair."
" Doesn't that sound oh so inviting." I mumbled sarcastically.
" About as inviting as a Nile crocodile's grin." Yugi agreed.
" Inviting enough to send chills right up your spine." I said, unable to resist smiling.
" Come een to my lair." Yugi said, imitating a Dracula accent and smirking the whole time. I had to chuckle. Yugi always knew how to put the best face on a bad situation. I finally left Yugi on the balcony and returned to the room. Yuki still lay where I had left her, her arm stretched over her head and a serene look of contentment flooding her soft, caring features. I lowered my hand and touched her face, brushing away a silken lock of golden hair and grazing her soft, dark olive skin. She smiled softly in her sleep and shifted her weight ever so little.
" Sleep now, Yuki." I mumbled to myself. I knew she couldn't hear me. " Sleep now so you can be strong later." I sighed. I was becoming far too close to Yuki for comfort.
The pounding of a drum in the distance and the constant roar of the voices of the hundreds of people swarming all around caused an eternal noisy atmosphere in the bazaar we were currently fighting our way through. Merchants shouted at me to buy their fish, nuts, or whatever else they happened to be selling at the time. Several shouted at Seto and the other guys to "buy the lovely ladies some pretty jewelry." The guys simply ignored the remarks. One incident in particular nearly unglued the ladies present.
" Excuse me!" a man called, jogging up and grabbing Seto's arm to get his attention. Seto glanced at him disdainfully, liking his looks as much as I did. Fortunately, the man seemed to speak English, if not very roughly.
" Yes, how may I help you?" Seto responded politely, pulling his arm out of the man's grip.
" I wondered if perhaps you sell me that girl there," the man said, pointing to me. " I willing to pay forty camels and fifty chickens."
" Sell her?" Seto asked, clearly bewildered. I opened my mouth to speak, but Yugi's light touch on my arm stopped me.
" Yes. She yours, yes? I see you leading her, I think she yours. Your sister? You are too young to marry, I think, but she the right age. She make a good mother for children, I think." The man said, looking me up and down. He grabbed my arm roughly and spun me around. " I can tell. She would be very good. I add ten chickens to my offer, as you might have troubles parting with such girl." The man continued. His touch sent shivers straight up my spine, and I could see Seto tense visibly.
" She's not mine to sell." He said through gritted teeth.
" I see. Then perhaps you tell me who I talk to? I like very much this girl." The man said, frowning.
" No." Seto said firmly. " If she was for sale, I would be the one to talk to. But she's not, because she is her own person." He said, maybe too forcefully.
" I understand." The man said, slightly disappointed. Then he looked at Anzu and Mai, who both stiffened.
" Either one of them? The one on left a little too blonde, but one on right is good." He said.
" No." both Yugi and Jounouchi said firmly. Jounouchi paused to clamp a hand over Mai's mouth to keep her from saying anything. After the man had left, Anzu nearly leapt down Yugi's throat and I was about to strangle Seto.
" Who says you get to tell people I'm not for sale, like you own me or something?" Anzu growled, bristling.
" Who died and gave you the right to talk like you own me but gave me my freedom?" I asked, trying to stay calm. Mai simply went about the process of wringing Jounouchi's neck.
" In his mind, your father." Seto said calmly. Yugi held up his arms, signaling that he meant no harm.
" It's their religion! In their culture, women are revered, but they can be bought and sold! We had to say something, because women aren't really allowed to say whether they can be bought or sold!" he cried. I backed off Seto, considered, then finally decided to let it go. I paused, however, to give Seto a dirty glare which he responded to with a smile. I caught Anzu staring at him, and she quickly looked away. It was hard for them to understand why Seto treated me like he did. I knew he gave me selective treatment. I also knew he spoiled me, and very thoroughly. But I also knew why. That was the only way Seto knew how to show his affection for me. No one had ever shown him any affection besides Mokuba, and he didn't know how to respond to me sometimes. He was different around me, not the cold, ruthless competitor the world knew. He was soft and caring, showing the side of himself that he considered a weakness. While he had he ability to condemn people to a fate worse than death without flinching, he was also capable of stroking my hair and cheek, holding me tight, and soothing all my troubles away. Those actions usually embarrassed him or shook him up, though, so he didn't absolutely lavish praise and affection on me. I was glad for that. If he had done that, I doubted my ability to resist the urge to start to like him as more than a friend. It was hard enough just as it was. Whenever we hugged, held hands, or were simply affectionate, I was always distinctly feeling his presence as a male and my own as a female. It was hard for me to hold onto the image I had always had of Seto, as a little boy who was over-protective and always open to new experiences.
I stopped pondering and emerged back into the real world. Mai was pouncing Jounouchi to get him to buy her something, Anzu was listening with rapt attention as Yugi gladly shared with her some knowledge he had about some merchandise, Honda was admiring a few pieces of art, and Seto was standing on his tiptoes, craning his neck, and looking around, trying to get a bearing on his position. I walked up to Seto and gave him a gentle shove, causing him to reel a little.
" Whatcha doing?" I asked innocently. Seto looked down at me and went back to trying to see over the crowd.
" Trying to see if the map we have is right. I think it's a little out of date." He told me. I took the map from him and investigated it.
" Well, let's see. I know we passed this shop just back there." I mumbled. I spun around to orient myself. " And there was a fountain around that corner… Hey, Seto?" I asked, glancing toward him.
" What?" he asked me.
" Is there a three way path down that way?" I asked.
" Yes." Seto asked.
" Then it's your map skills that are out of date. This map is fine." I said, smiling. Seto rocked back onto his heels and frowned at me.
" I'm positive it was leading us around in circles." He said. I smiled and wrapped both my arms around his left one.
" You've got the sense of direction equal to that of a cow." I told him.
" A cow? But a cow doesn't have a sense of direction that I know of." He muttered.
" My point exactly." I said.
" That was not funny." Seto told me.
" Anyway, it's not like we have a specific destination. And if you don't mind me saying so, it seems to me that I'm the only one with absolutely no clue what we're looking for anyway." I said, releasing Seto's arm and moving to the right to inspect a piece of jewelry.
" Like you said, it's not like we have a specific destination, so I don't think anyone here as any idea what we're looking for. Just a hunch." He said, sneaking up behind me and tickling my sensitive sides. I squealed and shied away from him, but he only chased me. He finally gave up the chase after a few minutes, especially after I threatened to tickle him. A very not well known fact is that Seto is incredibly ticklish on his sides and under the arms.
I could feel Himeko stirring deep inside me. I felt a few emotions radiate from her, but mostly I felt emptiness. She felt she had failed somehow. I tried to reach out to her, but she shrank away.
Why won't you talk to me? I asked her in my head, but there was no response. Instead, feelings floated up from her, anger, regret, hatred, sadness, loneliness… She felt so lost. Once, a night that now seemed so incredibly long ago, she reached out to me and offered to help me, but now it was me who reached for her.
I guess those men in suits had finally learned that I was a force to be reckoned with, because the hand that suddenly reached around my neck and covered my mouth and nose had a white, strange smelling cloth on it. The smell was overpowering, and suddenly I felt woozy and light-headed. The next thing I felt was the incredible urge to sleep, and I blacked out before I had a chance to make any noise at all.
I was suddenly aware of Yuki's absence. Don't ask me how, I just was aware of it. Yami stirred forcefully within me, and before I knew it, he was wide awake and waiting for me to let him take control. I spun around, searching for Yuki. I found Kaiba wheeled around, glaring at a man in a black suit, who was holding an unconscious Yuki. I caught the glint of a knife in his hand.
" You people has to come with us." The man holding Yuki said, glaring back at Seto.
" Says who?" Jounouchi growled, brandishing his fist. The man wagged the knife reprimandingly.
" The boss says. Besides, if you don't, this girl here gets it." The man said, dragging the knife dramatically across Yuki neck lightly to show us what "it" was.
" Why you-" Kaiba growled, his body literally quivering with rage.
" Calm down, Kaiba." I interrupted. " We'll go with you as long as we think you're not hurting her. If we see a single sign injury, I swear on my life that we'll kill you. Slowly." I threatened. The man wasn't taking me seriously, because of my height, no doubt. One look at Kaiba, Jounouchi, and Honda seemed to convince him I meant business. I was really just all talk. I doubted my ability to do anything that might endanger Yuki further, and I doubted anyone else's ability as well. Besides, Yami may be perfectly capable of killing someone, but I'm not, and I never will be.
" This way." the man said, working his way through the bazaar, always sure to never totally turn his back on us. Amazingly, no one seemed concerned with a big man carrying an unconscious girl followed by a troop of angry looking young adults. People just went about their business.
The man led us down into a shop. He whispered something to the shopkeeper, who nodded and went behind a curtain into another room. I took the opportunity to memorize our surroundings so that I could find it again. It seemed to be a curio/souvenir shop. There was a bust of an ancient pharaoh on a shelf, and a stone with ancient Egyptian carvings on it. Probably cheap copies, both of them. But they were land marks I could remember. I paid especially close attention to the stone, memorizing the hieroglyphics as best I could.
" Come back here." The man holding Yuki, who Kaiba had refused to take his eyes off of, ordered. We followed him. Anzu and Mai shared a look of apprehension, Jounouchi, Honda, and Kaiba all had a look of anger and hatred etched over their features, and I must have looked strangely calm, given the situation. We followed the man behind the curtain the shopkeeper had gone behind. There was a small room behind the curtain, undecorated and utterly bare. On the far wall, a large slab of the stone wall had been removed to reveal a cave, with stair leading downward. I got a nasty feeling from the cave, and I really didn't want to go down there. Yami scoffed my apprehension and forced our legs onward. I'm sure I looked odd. My upper body was leaning back, but my legs were striding confidently forward. I muttered a few things to Yami about my thoughts on him at the moment in my head, to which he only laughed.
I'm beginning to think I've finally had an influence on you. he thought at me in amusement. I ignored him and followed the man, leading the way down the stairs into the shadows.
I distinctly felt evil. With every step I took, the urge to run away grew stronger. Even Yami was jumpy, and he liked the situation even less than I did. Only Kaiba seemed to lack fear. He had glued his gaze to the back off the man's head and was not moving it. I could just see the ruthless wheels in his head turning, imagining all the methods of torture he would inflect on the man and his boss. Kaiba had treated Yuki selectively from day one. When Yuki was around, he would smile, which all in itself was a miracle. He would laugh, he would seem happy. All the things I had never seen Kaiba do before. But Kaiba's relationship to Yuki was explainable. They had known each other for most of their lives. It was my relationship to Yuki, and, even more importantly, Yami's that were unexplainable. Yami never talked about his emotions, and he was very good at hiding them, even from me. He viewed my emotions as weaknesses, and often urged me to abandon them. I wouldn't, but I often wondered what went on inside Yami's private mind, and why he was so dead set on saving Yuki. Yami, as always, was following my train of thoughts.
She reminds me of someone I knew a long time ago. he interrupted, annoyed.
Who? Your girlfriend? I asked. I was totally serious, but Yami seemed to think that I was teasing him.
No! he protested sharply.
Then who? I asked again. There was a pause.
Someone. Someone I cared about. Yami said finally, his tone telling me he'd rather drop the subject. I wanted to pursue it, but Yami jerked our left leg so that we stumbled. I took that as a threat and dropped the subject.
After what seemed like hours of walking at a steep incline down the stairs, we finally reached the bottom. The man, who had Yuki slung over his shoulder, simply dropped her. Kaiba growled and ran up to her.
" Huh?" Yuki mumbled groggily. " Wha? Oh, crap!" she cried, jumping to her feet. Kaiba continued to glare at the offender.
" You has to stay here." The man told us.
" Like Hell we're staying here." Kaiba informed him immediately. Jounouchi showed his agreement by cracking his knuckles. The man shrugged.
" Those is the orders from the boss." He said.
" When do we get to see your boss?" I asked. I didn't like this dark room, and I really didn't like the bad feeling I was getting.
" When he's good and ready." The man said, turning and walking out a door. The door slammed resolutely, and I could hear the lock clicking into place. Anzu let out a muffled cry as the single bulb over head went out, leaving us in complete darkness. There were muffled sounds of shuffling and movement as we all crawled and crept about, searching for each other in the darkness.
" Seto, is that you?" Yuki's voice asked, tinted with fear.
" Mai, where are you?" Jounouchi called.
" I'm here!" Mai called back.
" Who's touching me?" Anzu cried suddenly.
" I think that's me." I said, trying to remain calm. Anzu's hand gripped mine. There was a thunk to our left.
" Ow! I think I just found a wall with my head." Honda told us. There was a little laughter.
" Jounouchi, that had better be you." Mai suddenly threatened.
" Well, judging by the whiff of perfume I just got, it's you that's next to me." Jounouchi responded.
" Ah! Who's that?" Yuki cried.
" It's me! Don't yell in my ear!" Kaiba yelled back.
" Don't yell in mine, then!" Yuki cried at him. There was more laughter at their exchange.
We finally managed to gather together towards the middle of the room. It wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but we were warm and felt at least a little safer, all huddled together, back to back. That's not to say our little confrontations didn't end.
" Who just touched my butt?" Mai asked suddenly. Everything went silent for a few moments, until we all burst out into laughter. " I'm serious! Who touched my butt?" Mai repeated.
" Someone is sitting on my foot." Honda confessed a little bit later.
" So that's that hard thing under me!" Yuki cried triumphantly. There was more laughter.
After what seemed like hours of story-telling, singing songs, Jounouchi and Honda's bad jokes, and more touching than most of us thought we could bear, something began to happen. I first became aware of it when Yami suddenly forced his way up to consciousness, next to me. The only way I can describe the sensation is this; a very large something shoving its way next to you behind your eyes. It's never failed to give me a headache. I could feel a headache starting up as Yami directed my attention to a small pinprick of light.
I want an aspirin. I muttered in my head, squinting into the light.
" Hey, look!" I said out loud. After everyone had discovered the light, which had started growing, Yami began to freak on me. I felt an overpowering rush of fear not my own.
No! I don't want to go! Yami cried. I got the feeling that he would have been climbing the walls if he had control of our body.
Go where? I asked.
Back! I don't want to go back! They can't make me! Don't make me go! Yami begged me in fear.
What? I wondered. If it was making Yami, who was utterly fearless, act like this, then it must be bad. Just then, the light flashed, and for a confusing moment, all I knew was the white hot light, the sensation of drifting, and Yami's cries to "not go back."
By: Rogue Fox
Part Three: Into The Shadows
I dropped my luggage as I walked into the hotel room Seto had gotten for us girls. Mai immediately squealed and ran over to the window. She threw open the curtains to reveal a gorgeous view.
" Wow." Anzu murmured.
" Look at that! It's the Nile! It's really the Nile!" Mai cried. " And look over there! You can see the Pyramids! Wow, it's so beautiful!" I murmured a few noises of awe, but mostly I kept silent. I could feel Himeko in the depths of my heart, and it was slightly distracting. I longed to reach out to her, to let her know that I would try to help her, but she was deeper than I dared go. And I was still afraid of her.
" How do you like the view?" a voice behind me asked. I turned to see Seto, standing in the doorway.
" It's incredible!" Mai cried.
" It's unbelievable!" Anzu added. I only smiled. Seto knew everything I had to say by only looking at me. I knew my smile would fool the others, but Seto saw things about me they missed. Like the way my eyes dragged at the corners, and the way my lips were almost always pursed tightly. The other guys streamed in and admired the view. Yugi had to stand on a chair, but he managed. Instead of joining them, I slunk back to Seto and leaned my head on his shoulder. He touched my hair softly and made an unintelligible sound that was somehow comforting. I smiled genuinely into his jacket.
" It really is beautiful, isn't it?" I asked him.
" Yeah. Beautiful." Seto mumbled back. I looked up at him to find his eyes glued to me. Embarrassed, he turned away to look out the window.
" What makes you think we can find the boys here, in Egypt?" I asked. Seto shrugged, turning and walking out the door to the guys' room next to the girls'. I followed him. " Well?" I asked.
" A hunch." Seto said finally. He winced, and I knew why. He expected me to get mad at him. I expected myself to get mad, but strangely, I didn't. I hopped over the guys' luggage and followed him into the room.
" A hunch is better than what I've got. What gives you a hunch that they'll be here?" I said. Seto plopped lazily onto the bed and looked at me as I laid down next to him. He pulled me to him affectionately and laid my head on his lap. He stroked my hair like he used to when it was longer and we were younger as he considered his answer.
" I used to have an enemy who was… connected to Egypt. He wasn't just my enemy, he was Yugi's too. He was this whole group's enemy." Seto mumbled finally. I knew from what Anzu had told me that Yugi was a world class gamer, recognized all over the world for his skills, particularly in Duel Monsters. Seto was famous for his gaming skills and prowess in Duel Monsters also, as well as for his company and business skill. So it hardly surprised me that the two of them shared a common enemy. I nodded to show I understood and let Seto continue stroking my hair silently until jet lag finally caught up with me. I soon dozed off, my head on Seto's lap, uncomfortably aware of Himeko in my subconscious, watching my every move and hearing every word said.
*+*+*
I had slept until I could sleep no more. I finally awoke and tried to peer through Yuki's eyes. I caught vague glimpses of the world she knew, of faces she cared for, but no more. I saw the most of the boy, the one named Seto. I saw his face scrunched up in worry for Yuki, afraid for her and afraid of what lived inside her. Afraid of me. He cared very deeply for Yuki, it was easy for me to see. He had unknowingly devoted his heart to her, given her his undying devotion. And neither one of them knew it. They hid behind the pretense of their friendship and shrank away from the truth. Soon enough it would hit Yuki that her "friendship" was developing into something more. Or maybe I was being too reminiscent, remembering my own love too much.
It was hard for me not to dwell in the past, not to stay too long in days gone by. Things were foggy, and some things I couldn't remember at all, but what memories I had I treasured. I wanted to cry, but the funny thing about crying is that a soul can't weep like a normal person. I could only weep internally, and that made the pain all the harder to bear.
I could feel Yuki's presence very distinctly. She spent a lot of time wondering at me, trying to figure me out. I wasn't sure if I wanted her to succeed. I felt her concern for me, her desire to talk to me so that I, in turn, might talk to her. But I also sensed her fear of me. She was afraid, and I hardly blamed her. She was handling the situation surprisingly well, much better than I imagined I would have handled it myself. But she was still afraid. She was scared of the power of my will and emotions. She wasn't sure if she could trust me. I cried again in my silent way. I somehow felt like I had failed her. Like it was her I needed to please, when I had always thought that she was here to please me, and her needs were second to mine. I couldn't connect this knowledge with some memory from my past to justify it, but I knew it was there. There was the nagging question floating around in my thoughts; wasn't Yuki just a catalyst, a carrier? A tool for me to use? Somehow, she had become more than a tool. Somehow, I had begun to care for her. Love makes a person weak, and I had to be strong. And yet, I was weak anyway with the realization of my death. Memories of my own death were vague. I could only remember rage and desperation as my body died and my still-conscious soul was trapped inside the darkness of the orb. The time in the darkness was sparkling clear. I had been so lonely. I spent what must have been at least a half a century in the real world crying out the names of the ones I had lost, desperate to find them. Finally, in desperation and loneliness, I used the power that had been granted to me by that loathsome contract on myself. A form of internal suicide. I sentenced myself to eternal sleep until light fell on me. It was a natural thing for me to do. I had spent my entire life around people. People I loved. I had never been alone for a second in my whole life. So in the solitude of the darkness, I went into a state of madness. I finally sealed myself away, until Yuki brought the light back to me.
It was hard not to get attached to that girl. I wanted to care about her, but memories and lust for revenge were stronger than whatever humanity was left in me.
*+*+*
I don't know exactly when Yuki fell asleep with her head on my lap. All I knew was that I was frightened and exhausted. Jet lag was taking its toll on me, but I refused to close my eyes. I was afraid to even blink, for fear that the heavy weight on my eyelids wouldn't allow me to open them again. But I needed to stay awake and think.
A hunch Yugi and I shared had brought us here, to a bleak and desolate place in Egypt that had once been a bustling place of the arts and business. We knew that if Pegasus was to ever emerge from the darkness Yugi had banished him too, it would be here. In Egypt. Where, according to Yugi, this whole thing started a millennia ago. Where, hopefully, we would find the answers we were looking for. I glanced down at Yuki. It was hard not to look at her the way the other guys were allowed to look at the other girls. For me, it was taboo to look at her like that, the way a man looks at a woman. Yuki was my best friend. I wanted to protect her, to stand beside her, and to always help her when she needed me. I did not want to be her lover. Did I? It was hard. She was so beautiful. Those deep, red-violet eyes, the shoulder length golden hair streaked with crimson, those long, slender legs, the curvaceous figure… I shook my head and stopped myself. Stupid hormones, I thought angrily. The last thing I needed was to be battling inner demons concerning Yuki.
I tried to concentrate. Locating the main suspect, supposing it was him that had kidnapped the boys, would be a feat all in its own. Then there was the whole matter of getting to him. Pegasus had never been surprised in his life by anything, and chances were he wouldn't be now. What scared me most was that if he knew we were coming, there was a chance he might hurt the boys. I almost screamed in frustration. Finally, I scooted myself out from under Yuki and walked out onto the balcony the guys' room sported. Leaning on the rail, I felt the dry desert wind scrape against my face, trying to push those thoughts of Yuki out of my head. Again, I found it difficult. Instead, I turned my gaze onto the Nile and the Pyramids. Such a strange beauty that surrounded them, wrapped in an air of ancient mystery. They seemed so familiar to me. It seemed like once, a long time ago, they were part of my life as normal as a refrigerator was to me now. But that was impossible. I had been to Cairo a few times on business trips, but I had never seen the Pyramids or the Nile so close before. Just another part of the huge, tightly tangled mystery we were here to solve.
Suddenly, the door behind me opened and Yugi walked out to join me. He jumped a little, grabbing the rail and supporting himself on his arms, his feet dangling freely.
" Need a hand?" I asked.
" Nope." The little guy responded simply. He indignantly swung his feet over the rail until he was sitting on it, his feet hanging off the other side. I had to hand it to him, he was definitely not a quitter. We sat in silence for a moment.
" It's beautiful, isn't it? In a weird way." Yugi said finally.
" Yes, it is." I answered. Again the silence. " How are we going to find him?" I asked suddenly. The question was on my mind, but the words popped out of nowhere. Yugi didn't look surprised by the question.
" You want me to lie or tell the truth?" Yugi asked after considering his answer.
" Tell the truth." I said quickly.
" You're sure?" Yugi asked.
" Yes." I responded patiently. Again, Yugi sat silently, contemplating his answer.
" I haven't got the faintest clue." He said finally. I could have shoved him off the balcony, but I didn't.
" Then, in a word, we're screwed." I said. Yugi winced at my crude choice of words.
" Not entirely." He said. " If Pegasus wants us to find him, he'll make sure we do. And if it is Pegasus, you know he's out for revenge. Which means that we have bought ourselves a ticket into his lair."
" Doesn't that sound oh so inviting." I mumbled sarcastically.
" About as inviting as a Nile crocodile's grin." Yugi agreed.
" Inviting enough to send chills right up your spine." I said, unable to resist smiling.
" Come een to my lair." Yugi said, imitating a Dracula accent and smirking the whole time. I had to chuckle. Yugi always knew how to put the best face on a bad situation. I finally left Yugi on the balcony and returned to the room. Yuki still lay where I had left her, her arm stretched over her head and a serene look of contentment flooding her soft, caring features. I lowered my hand and touched her face, brushing away a silken lock of golden hair and grazing her soft, dark olive skin. She smiled softly in her sleep and shifted her weight ever so little.
" Sleep now, Yuki." I mumbled to myself. I knew she couldn't hear me. " Sleep now so you can be strong later." I sighed. I was becoming far too close to Yuki for comfort.
The pounding of a drum in the distance and the constant roar of the voices of the hundreds of people swarming all around caused an eternal noisy atmosphere in the bazaar we were currently fighting our way through. Merchants shouted at me to buy their fish, nuts, or whatever else they happened to be selling at the time. Several shouted at Seto and the other guys to "buy the lovely ladies some pretty jewelry." The guys simply ignored the remarks. One incident in particular nearly unglued the ladies present.
" Excuse me!" a man called, jogging up and grabbing Seto's arm to get his attention. Seto glanced at him disdainfully, liking his looks as much as I did. Fortunately, the man seemed to speak English, if not very roughly.
" Yes, how may I help you?" Seto responded politely, pulling his arm out of the man's grip.
" I wondered if perhaps you sell me that girl there," the man said, pointing to me. " I willing to pay forty camels and fifty chickens."
" Sell her?" Seto asked, clearly bewildered. I opened my mouth to speak, but Yugi's light touch on my arm stopped me.
" Yes. She yours, yes? I see you leading her, I think she yours. Your sister? You are too young to marry, I think, but she the right age. She make a good mother for children, I think." The man said, looking me up and down. He grabbed my arm roughly and spun me around. " I can tell. She would be very good. I add ten chickens to my offer, as you might have troubles parting with such girl." The man continued. His touch sent shivers straight up my spine, and I could see Seto tense visibly.
" She's not mine to sell." He said through gritted teeth.
" I see. Then perhaps you tell me who I talk to? I like very much this girl." The man said, frowning.
" No." Seto said firmly. " If she was for sale, I would be the one to talk to. But she's not, because she is her own person." He said, maybe too forcefully.
" I understand." The man said, slightly disappointed. Then he looked at Anzu and Mai, who both stiffened.
" Either one of them? The one on left a little too blonde, but one on right is good." He said.
" No." both Yugi and Jounouchi said firmly. Jounouchi paused to clamp a hand over Mai's mouth to keep her from saying anything. After the man had left, Anzu nearly leapt down Yugi's throat and I was about to strangle Seto.
" Who says you get to tell people I'm not for sale, like you own me or something?" Anzu growled, bristling.
" Who died and gave you the right to talk like you own me but gave me my freedom?" I asked, trying to stay calm. Mai simply went about the process of wringing Jounouchi's neck.
" In his mind, your father." Seto said calmly. Yugi held up his arms, signaling that he meant no harm.
" It's their religion! In their culture, women are revered, but they can be bought and sold! We had to say something, because women aren't really allowed to say whether they can be bought or sold!" he cried. I backed off Seto, considered, then finally decided to let it go. I paused, however, to give Seto a dirty glare which he responded to with a smile. I caught Anzu staring at him, and she quickly looked away. It was hard for them to understand why Seto treated me like he did. I knew he gave me selective treatment. I also knew he spoiled me, and very thoroughly. But I also knew why. That was the only way Seto knew how to show his affection for me. No one had ever shown him any affection besides Mokuba, and he didn't know how to respond to me sometimes. He was different around me, not the cold, ruthless competitor the world knew. He was soft and caring, showing the side of himself that he considered a weakness. While he had he ability to condemn people to a fate worse than death without flinching, he was also capable of stroking my hair and cheek, holding me tight, and soothing all my troubles away. Those actions usually embarrassed him or shook him up, though, so he didn't absolutely lavish praise and affection on me. I was glad for that. If he had done that, I doubted my ability to resist the urge to start to like him as more than a friend. It was hard enough just as it was. Whenever we hugged, held hands, or were simply affectionate, I was always distinctly feeling his presence as a male and my own as a female. It was hard for me to hold onto the image I had always had of Seto, as a little boy who was over-protective and always open to new experiences.
I stopped pondering and emerged back into the real world. Mai was pouncing Jounouchi to get him to buy her something, Anzu was listening with rapt attention as Yugi gladly shared with her some knowledge he had about some merchandise, Honda was admiring a few pieces of art, and Seto was standing on his tiptoes, craning his neck, and looking around, trying to get a bearing on his position. I walked up to Seto and gave him a gentle shove, causing him to reel a little.
" Whatcha doing?" I asked innocently. Seto looked down at me and went back to trying to see over the crowd.
" Trying to see if the map we have is right. I think it's a little out of date." He told me. I took the map from him and investigated it.
" Well, let's see. I know we passed this shop just back there." I mumbled. I spun around to orient myself. " And there was a fountain around that corner… Hey, Seto?" I asked, glancing toward him.
" What?" he asked me.
" Is there a three way path down that way?" I asked.
" Yes." Seto asked.
" Then it's your map skills that are out of date. This map is fine." I said, smiling. Seto rocked back onto his heels and frowned at me.
" I'm positive it was leading us around in circles." He said. I smiled and wrapped both my arms around his left one.
" You've got the sense of direction equal to that of a cow." I told him.
" A cow? But a cow doesn't have a sense of direction that I know of." He muttered.
" My point exactly." I said.
" That was not funny." Seto told me.
" Anyway, it's not like we have a specific destination. And if you don't mind me saying so, it seems to me that I'm the only one with absolutely no clue what we're looking for anyway." I said, releasing Seto's arm and moving to the right to inspect a piece of jewelry.
" Like you said, it's not like we have a specific destination, so I don't think anyone here as any idea what we're looking for. Just a hunch." He said, sneaking up behind me and tickling my sensitive sides. I squealed and shied away from him, but he only chased me. He finally gave up the chase after a few minutes, especially after I threatened to tickle him. A very not well known fact is that Seto is incredibly ticklish on his sides and under the arms.
I could feel Himeko stirring deep inside me. I felt a few emotions radiate from her, but mostly I felt emptiness. She felt she had failed somehow. I tried to reach out to her, but she shrank away.
Why won't you talk to me? I asked her in my head, but there was no response. Instead, feelings floated up from her, anger, regret, hatred, sadness, loneliness… She felt so lost. Once, a night that now seemed so incredibly long ago, she reached out to me and offered to help me, but now it was me who reached for her.
I guess those men in suits had finally learned that I was a force to be reckoned with, because the hand that suddenly reached around my neck and covered my mouth and nose had a white, strange smelling cloth on it. The smell was overpowering, and suddenly I felt woozy and light-headed. The next thing I felt was the incredible urge to sleep, and I blacked out before I had a chance to make any noise at all.
I was suddenly aware of Yuki's absence. Don't ask me how, I just was aware of it. Yami stirred forcefully within me, and before I knew it, he was wide awake and waiting for me to let him take control. I spun around, searching for Yuki. I found Kaiba wheeled around, glaring at a man in a black suit, who was holding an unconscious Yuki. I caught the glint of a knife in his hand.
" You people has to come with us." The man holding Yuki said, glaring back at Seto.
" Says who?" Jounouchi growled, brandishing his fist. The man wagged the knife reprimandingly.
" The boss says. Besides, if you don't, this girl here gets it." The man said, dragging the knife dramatically across Yuki neck lightly to show us what "it" was.
" Why you-" Kaiba growled, his body literally quivering with rage.
" Calm down, Kaiba." I interrupted. " We'll go with you as long as we think you're not hurting her. If we see a single sign injury, I swear on my life that we'll kill you. Slowly." I threatened. The man wasn't taking me seriously, because of my height, no doubt. One look at Kaiba, Jounouchi, and Honda seemed to convince him I meant business. I was really just all talk. I doubted my ability to do anything that might endanger Yuki further, and I doubted anyone else's ability as well. Besides, Yami may be perfectly capable of killing someone, but I'm not, and I never will be.
" This way." the man said, working his way through the bazaar, always sure to never totally turn his back on us. Amazingly, no one seemed concerned with a big man carrying an unconscious girl followed by a troop of angry looking young adults. People just went about their business.
The man led us down into a shop. He whispered something to the shopkeeper, who nodded and went behind a curtain into another room. I took the opportunity to memorize our surroundings so that I could find it again. It seemed to be a curio/souvenir shop. There was a bust of an ancient pharaoh on a shelf, and a stone with ancient Egyptian carvings on it. Probably cheap copies, both of them. But they were land marks I could remember. I paid especially close attention to the stone, memorizing the hieroglyphics as best I could.
" Come back here." The man holding Yuki, who Kaiba had refused to take his eyes off of, ordered. We followed him. Anzu and Mai shared a look of apprehension, Jounouchi, Honda, and Kaiba all had a look of anger and hatred etched over their features, and I must have looked strangely calm, given the situation. We followed the man behind the curtain the shopkeeper had gone behind. There was a small room behind the curtain, undecorated and utterly bare. On the far wall, a large slab of the stone wall had been removed to reveal a cave, with stair leading downward. I got a nasty feeling from the cave, and I really didn't want to go down there. Yami scoffed my apprehension and forced our legs onward. I'm sure I looked odd. My upper body was leaning back, but my legs were striding confidently forward. I muttered a few things to Yami about my thoughts on him at the moment in my head, to which he only laughed.
I'm beginning to think I've finally had an influence on you. he thought at me in amusement. I ignored him and followed the man, leading the way down the stairs into the shadows.
I distinctly felt evil. With every step I took, the urge to run away grew stronger. Even Yami was jumpy, and he liked the situation even less than I did. Only Kaiba seemed to lack fear. He had glued his gaze to the back off the man's head and was not moving it. I could just see the ruthless wheels in his head turning, imagining all the methods of torture he would inflect on the man and his boss. Kaiba had treated Yuki selectively from day one. When Yuki was around, he would smile, which all in itself was a miracle. He would laugh, he would seem happy. All the things I had never seen Kaiba do before. But Kaiba's relationship to Yuki was explainable. They had known each other for most of their lives. It was my relationship to Yuki, and, even more importantly, Yami's that were unexplainable. Yami never talked about his emotions, and he was very good at hiding them, even from me. He viewed my emotions as weaknesses, and often urged me to abandon them. I wouldn't, but I often wondered what went on inside Yami's private mind, and why he was so dead set on saving Yuki. Yami, as always, was following my train of thoughts.
She reminds me of someone I knew a long time ago. he interrupted, annoyed.
Who? Your girlfriend? I asked. I was totally serious, but Yami seemed to think that I was teasing him.
No! he protested sharply.
Then who? I asked again. There was a pause.
Someone. Someone I cared about. Yami said finally, his tone telling me he'd rather drop the subject. I wanted to pursue it, but Yami jerked our left leg so that we stumbled. I took that as a threat and dropped the subject.
After what seemed like hours of walking at a steep incline down the stairs, we finally reached the bottom. The man, who had Yuki slung over his shoulder, simply dropped her. Kaiba growled and ran up to her.
" Huh?" Yuki mumbled groggily. " Wha? Oh, crap!" she cried, jumping to her feet. Kaiba continued to glare at the offender.
" You has to stay here." The man told us.
" Like Hell we're staying here." Kaiba informed him immediately. Jounouchi showed his agreement by cracking his knuckles. The man shrugged.
" Those is the orders from the boss." He said.
" When do we get to see your boss?" I asked. I didn't like this dark room, and I really didn't like the bad feeling I was getting.
" When he's good and ready." The man said, turning and walking out a door. The door slammed resolutely, and I could hear the lock clicking into place. Anzu let out a muffled cry as the single bulb over head went out, leaving us in complete darkness. There were muffled sounds of shuffling and movement as we all crawled and crept about, searching for each other in the darkness.
" Seto, is that you?" Yuki's voice asked, tinted with fear.
" Mai, where are you?" Jounouchi called.
" I'm here!" Mai called back.
" Who's touching me?" Anzu cried suddenly.
" I think that's me." I said, trying to remain calm. Anzu's hand gripped mine. There was a thunk to our left.
" Ow! I think I just found a wall with my head." Honda told us. There was a little laughter.
" Jounouchi, that had better be you." Mai suddenly threatened.
" Well, judging by the whiff of perfume I just got, it's you that's next to me." Jounouchi responded.
" Ah! Who's that?" Yuki cried.
" It's me! Don't yell in my ear!" Kaiba yelled back.
" Don't yell in mine, then!" Yuki cried at him. There was more laughter at their exchange.
We finally managed to gather together towards the middle of the room. It wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but we were warm and felt at least a little safer, all huddled together, back to back. That's not to say our little confrontations didn't end.
" Who just touched my butt?" Mai asked suddenly. Everything went silent for a few moments, until we all burst out into laughter. " I'm serious! Who touched my butt?" Mai repeated.
" Someone is sitting on my foot." Honda confessed a little bit later.
" So that's that hard thing under me!" Yuki cried triumphantly. There was more laughter.
After what seemed like hours of story-telling, singing songs, Jounouchi and Honda's bad jokes, and more touching than most of us thought we could bear, something began to happen. I first became aware of it when Yami suddenly forced his way up to consciousness, next to me. The only way I can describe the sensation is this; a very large something shoving its way next to you behind your eyes. It's never failed to give me a headache. I could feel a headache starting up as Yami directed my attention to a small pinprick of light.
I want an aspirin. I muttered in my head, squinting into the light.
" Hey, look!" I said out loud. After everyone had discovered the light, which had started growing, Yami began to freak on me. I felt an overpowering rush of fear not my own.
No! I don't want to go! Yami cried. I got the feeling that he would have been climbing the walls if he had control of our body.
Go where? I asked.
Back! I don't want to go back! They can't make me! Don't make me go! Yami begged me in fear.
What? I wondered. If it was making Yami, who was utterly fearless, act like this, then it must be bad. Just then, the light flashed, and for a confusing moment, all I knew was the white hot light, the sensation of drifting, and Yami's cries to "not go back."