NOTES: Another Kleenex warning, and another "this is not yaoi" reminder ;D
Yugi and the others had searched everywhere for Bakura, with no success. The police had put out an all-points bulletin for the missing boy and also were looking everywhere they could.
"Yugi, this is terrible," Tea cried. "I was so afraid that something like this would happen. What if we never see Bakura again?"
"We'll find him, Tea," Yugi assured her. "We have to have faith."
"Yeah, I'm sure his Yami will protect him," Joey said.
Yugi sighed inwardly. He had the feeling that Yami Bakura was not able to protect Bakura now . . . and that perhaps he never would be able to again.
They entered the game shop, feeling defeated. They had looked everywhere, praying to know what to do, and they had even visited Madame Fiona, but the psychic hadn't been home.
"We've been up all night," Joey remarked groggily, stifling a yawn.
"Where could Bakura be?" Tristan threw his hands in the air in despair.
****
Bakura staggered to the door of the game shop and leaned against the door frame, trying to catch his breath. He had made it! Somehow, someway, he had had the strength to keep going—and he had made it!
"I knew you could do it, Bakura," Kasumi whispered.
Bakura turned to thank her for her help, but she was gone.
Weakly he pushed the door open and everyone gasped. "Bakura!" they all exclaimed in unison.
Bakura smiled weakly and collapsed on the floor, his strength finally depleted.
"Call a doctor!" Yugi ordered, kneeling down next to the unconscious boy.
Seto was already at the phone.
"What happened to Bakura, Yugi?" Tea asked worriedly.
"He looks like he was beaten very badly," Yugi replied grimly. "I don't know how he ever made it here."
****
"How is he, doctor?" Tea asked anxiously. They had laid Bakura upstairs in Yugi's bed and the doctor was examining him.
The doctor shook his head, removing his stethoscope. "He's delirious," he told them.
Bakura moaned. "Don't hurt me," he pleaded, his voice slurred. "Please don't hurt me!"
"Most likely, he's reliving the experience of being beaten up," the doctor told them. "It was quite a shock to his system."
"Poor Bakura," Tea whispered, a tear falling from her eye.
"Will he be alright?" Yugi asked.
The doctor sighed. "His physical wounds will heal, but he's been injured emotionally as well. Those wounds may or may not heal as easily."
"Bakura? It's Tea," the girl said, looking into the boy's tortured, vacant eyes.
"Stay away from me, you vampyress!" Bakura screamed, sounding terrified. Tea leaped back in shock.
"Don't take what he says personally," the doctor told her. "He doesn't even know you're here. In his mind, you are the person he addresses as 'the vampyress.'"
Yugi, Tea, and the other three teens exchanged knowing and worried Looks.
"What can we do?" Joey asked.
"I'll give him a sedative," the doctor replied. "If you can bring his fever down, his delirium should stop."
Bakura thrashed frantically. "No, no, oh please stay away from me!!" he cried. "You've already killed my Yami! You won't kill me too!"
Gently the doctor injected the drug into Bakura's neck and the boy relaxed, whispering, "Please help me, Kasumi," before the drug took effect.
Seto gasped, hearing the familiar name.
The doctor raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean something to you, Mr. Kaiba?" he asked.
Seto nodded slowly. "Yes it does," he replied, not elaborating.
The doctor looked at him for a minute, then turned to the door. "I'm going to talk to your grandfather, Yugi. Don't leave Bakura alone at any time," he warned.
"We won't," Yugi assured him. "Thank you for your help, doctor."
When they were alone with Bakura, Joey exclaimed, "What did Bakura mean when he said they had killed his Yami? That doesn't make sense; how can his Yami die?"
"It was probably just something he said in his delirium, Joey," Tristan replied.
Yugi shook his head slowly. "I don't know about that. We know that these wraiths have stronger powers than even Yami Bakura has. What if they did destroy him somehow?"
"Well, I don't know about his Yami, but they definitely did something to Bakura," Tea said angrily, laying a damp washcloth on the boy's forehead. "It's so hard to see him acting so terrified and delirious . . ."
"And did you hear what he said about a vampyress?" Joey exclaimed. "Madame Fiona must've hurt him! I knew that weird lady was nothin' but trouble . . ."
"Hold on, Joey, don't jump to conclusions," Yugi told him. "True, it could've been Madame Fiona, but I somehow have the feeling that she was not involved."
"If it wasn't her, then who was it?" Joey shot back.
Yugi shook his head. "I don't know."
Joey slammed his fist into his palm. "Well, I'm not gonna just sit around and do nothin'! I'm gonna find out who did this to Bakura and make 'em pay!" Before anyone could say another word, he was out the door.
"He shouldn't go alone," Tea remarked.
Tristan nodded. "You got that right. Joey always gets himself into some kind of trouble."
"I'll go with him." Seto picked up his briefcase and headed for the door. "The rest of you should stay with Bakura. Call me if and when he wakes up." He left without another word.
"That should be interesting," Tristan commented. "Joey and Kaiba always come to blows about something or other."
Tea wasn't half-listening. She gently touched Bakura's forehead, hoping that his fever was going down. "Poor Bakura," she whispered.
"I wonder how he got away from whoever was torturing him," Tristan said. "I'm sure they meant to kill him."
Yugi nodded, checking Bakura's pulse. "Something happened that saved his life. I wonder if Kasumi had something to do with it . . . whoever she is."
****
Joey whirled around. He was certain he was being followed, but every time he turned around, no one was there. "Oh man . . . I must be gettin' paranoid!" he decided.
He stopped in front of Madame Fiona's house and grinned mischievously. "Perfect! No one's home!"
"Do you know how many years you could get for breaking and entering?"
Joey jumped a mile high and turned around. "Kaiba!! What are you doing??! Were you followin' me? Don't answer that," he said quickly.
Seto shrugged. "You're not going in there without me. I'm getting as fed up with this mystery as you are."
Joey sighed. He didn't really want to spend the next few hours with Seto Kaiba, but it didn't seem as though he had a choice.
****
Bakura screamed. "No, Yugi, watch out!"
Yugi jumped. "He's awake, but he's still delirious," he said grimly.
"Bakura, what do you see?" Tea asked.
Bakura gasped. He couldn't look. "You horrible, vile person! How could you do that to Yugi?! How could you do it to anyone?!" He started to cry. "All of my friends are dead . . . I'm the only one left!"
"Bakura, we're here," Tea said, her heart breaking. "We're alright!"
"Oh man . . . I hate to think what they must've done to him," Tristan muttered.
"Yugi, what can we do?" Tea worried.
Yugi looked sad. "I don't know." He laid a hand on Bakura's shoulder. "Bakura, come back to us," he pleaded.
Bakura jerked away. "Don't touch me! Stay away! Please . . . just stay away!" In his tormented mind, Yugi, Tea, and Tristan were Franceska and her wraiths, and there was no escape from their evil powers. They had killed all of the others and were now after him. "Yami, where are you?" he moaned.
"Bakura, I'm here," the familiar voice replied. Bakura couldn't see him anywhere, but his voice echoed all around him. "Rest now, you foolish mortal."
Bakura sighed and closed his eyes.
"He's going to sleep," Tea said in surprise and relief.
"What made him calm down?" Tristan wondered.
Yugi smiled. "I'm not sure, but let's pray that when he wakes up the next time he'll be back to normal."
****
"Oh man, look at this place!" Joey gawked, staring at the unusual furniture and knick-knacks.
"Never mind the decor. Just look for anything suspicious," Seto grumbled.
Joey gulped. "You mean like that?!" He pointed in horror at a room with a coffin in the middle of it.
Seto raised an eyebrow and went in for a closer look. He raised the lid and stepped back in shock. "What the . . ."
"Eh? What is it, Kaiba?" Joey asked.
"Have a look, Wheeler," Seto replied, moving out of the way.
Joey leaned over and looked in. "Oh man . . ." Inside was a fluffy pillow and a blanket. "This has gotta be a joke!"
"You're the one who always says that the psychic woman is a vampyre," Seto told him.
"Yeah, I know, but still . . ." Joey ran a hand through his messy blonde hair. "To actually see somethin' like this is kinda disconcertin' . . ."
"Let's find the room where she might keep a computer," Seto said. "We'd be more likely to find something out from her computer's data than from a coffin in her bedroom."
"Lead on, Sherlock," Joey said sarcastically, following him down the hall.
Yugi and the others had searched everywhere for Bakura, with no success. The police had put out an all-points bulletin for the missing boy and also were looking everywhere they could.
"Yugi, this is terrible," Tea cried. "I was so afraid that something like this would happen. What if we never see Bakura again?"
"We'll find him, Tea," Yugi assured her. "We have to have faith."
"Yeah, I'm sure his Yami will protect him," Joey said.
Yugi sighed inwardly. He had the feeling that Yami Bakura was not able to protect Bakura now . . . and that perhaps he never would be able to again.
They entered the game shop, feeling defeated. They had looked everywhere, praying to know what to do, and they had even visited Madame Fiona, but the psychic hadn't been home.
"We've been up all night," Joey remarked groggily, stifling a yawn.
"Where could Bakura be?" Tristan threw his hands in the air in despair.
****
Bakura staggered to the door of the game shop and leaned against the door frame, trying to catch his breath. He had made it! Somehow, someway, he had had the strength to keep going—and he had made it!
"I knew you could do it, Bakura," Kasumi whispered.
Bakura turned to thank her for her help, but she was gone.
Weakly he pushed the door open and everyone gasped. "Bakura!" they all exclaimed in unison.
Bakura smiled weakly and collapsed on the floor, his strength finally depleted.
"Call a doctor!" Yugi ordered, kneeling down next to the unconscious boy.
Seto was already at the phone.
"What happened to Bakura, Yugi?" Tea asked worriedly.
"He looks like he was beaten very badly," Yugi replied grimly. "I don't know how he ever made it here."
****
"How is he, doctor?" Tea asked anxiously. They had laid Bakura upstairs in Yugi's bed and the doctor was examining him.
The doctor shook his head, removing his stethoscope. "He's delirious," he told them.
Bakura moaned. "Don't hurt me," he pleaded, his voice slurred. "Please don't hurt me!"
"Most likely, he's reliving the experience of being beaten up," the doctor told them. "It was quite a shock to his system."
"Poor Bakura," Tea whispered, a tear falling from her eye.
"Will he be alright?" Yugi asked.
The doctor sighed. "His physical wounds will heal, but he's been injured emotionally as well. Those wounds may or may not heal as easily."
"Bakura? It's Tea," the girl said, looking into the boy's tortured, vacant eyes.
"Stay away from me, you vampyress!" Bakura screamed, sounding terrified. Tea leaped back in shock.
"Don't take what he says personally," the doctor told her. "He doesn't even know you're here. In his mind, you are the person he addresses as 'the vampyress.'"
Yugi, Tea, and the other three teens exchanged knowing and worried Looks.
"What can we do?" Joey asked.
"I'll give him a sedative," the doctor replied. "If you can bring his fever down, his delirium should stop."
Bakura thrashed frantically. "No, no, oh please stay away from me!!" he cried. "You've already killed my Yami! You won't kill me too!"
Gently the doctor injected the drug into Bakura's neck and the boy relaxed, whispering, "Please help me, Kasumi," before the drug took effect.
Seto gasped, hearing the familiar name.
The doctor raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean something to you, Mr. Kaiba?" he asked.
Seto nodded slowly. "Yes it does," he replied, not elaborating.
The doctor looked at him for a minute, then turned to the door. "I'm going to talk to your grandfather, Yugi. Don't leave Bakura alone at any time," he warned.
"We won't," Yugi assured him. "Thank you for your help, doctor."
When they were alone with Bakura, Joey exclaimed, "What did Bakura mean when he said they had killed his Yami? That doesn't make sense; how can his Yami die?"
"It was probably just something he said in his delirium, Joey," Tristan replied.
Yugi shook his head slowly. "I don't know about that. We know that these wraiths have stronger powers than even Yami Bakura has. What if they did destroy him somehow?"
"Well, I don't know about his Yami, but they definitely did something to Bakura," Tea said angrily, laying a damp washcloth on the boy's forehead. "It's so hard to see him acting so terrified and delirious . . ."
"And did you hear what he said about a vampyress?" Joey exclaimed. "Madame Fiona must've hurt him! I knew that weird lady was nothin' but trouble . . ."
"Hold on, Joey, don't jump to conclusions," Yugi told him. "True, it could've been Madame Fiona, but I somehow have the feeling that she was not involved."
"If it wasn't her, then who was it?" Joey shot back.
Yugi shook his head. "I don't know."
Joey slammed his fist into his palm. "Well, I'm not gonna just sit around and do nothin'! I'm gonna find out who did this to Bakura and make 'em pay!" Before anyone could say another word, he was out the door.
"He shouldn't go alone," Tea remarked.
Tristan nodded. "You got that right. Joey always gets himself into some kind of trouble."
"I'll go with him." Seto picked up his briefcase and headed for the door. "The rest of you should stay with Bakura. Call me if and when he wakes up." He left without another word.
"That should be interesting," Tristan commented. "Joey and Kaiba always come to blows about something or other."
Tea wasn't half-listening. She gently touched Bakura's forehead, hoping that his fever was going down. "Poor Bakura," she whispered.
"I wonder how he got away from whoever was torturing him," Tristan said. "I'm sure they meant to kill him."
Yugi nodded, checking Bakura's pulse. "Something happened that saved his life. I wonder if Kasumi had something to do with it . . . whoever she is."
****
Joey whirled around. He was certain he was being followed, but every time he turned around, no one was there. "Oh man . . . I must be gettin' paranoid!" he decided.
He stopped in front of Madame Fiona's house and grinned mischievously. "Perfect! No one's home!"
"Do you know how many years you could get for breaking and entering?"
Joey jumped a mile high and turned around. "Kaiba!! What are you doing??! Were you followin' me? Don't answer that," he said quickly.
Seto shrugged. "You're not going in there without me. I'm getting as fed up with this mystery as you are."
Joey sighed. He didn't really want to spend the next few hours with Seto Kaiba, but it didn't seem as though he had a choice.
****
Bakura screamed. "No, Yugi, watch out!"
Yugi jumped. "He's awake, but he's still delirious," he said grimly.
"Bakura, what do you see?" Tea asked.
Bakura gasped. He couldn't look. "You horrible, vile person! How could you do that to Yugi?! How could you do it to anyone?!" He started to cry. "All of my friends are dead . . . I'm the only one left!"
"Bakura, we're here," Tea said, her heart breaking. "We're alright!"
"Oh man . . . I hate to think what they must've done to him," Tristan muttered.
"Yugi, what can we do?" Tea worried.
Yugi looked sad. "I don't know." He laid a hand on Bakura's shoulder. "Bakura, come back to us," he pleaded.
Bakura jerked away. "Don't touch me! Stay away! Please . . . just stay away!" In his tormented mind, Yugi, Tea, and Tristan were Franceska and her wraiths, and there was no escape from their evil powers. They had killed all of the others and were now after him. "Yami, where are you?" he moaned.
"Bakura, I'm here," the familiar voice replied. Bakura couldn't see him anywhere, but his voice echoed all around him. "Rest now, you foolish mortal."
Bakura sighed and closed his eyes.
"He's going to sleep," Tea said in surprise and relief.
"What made him calm down?" Tristan wondered.
Yugi smiled. "I'm not sure, but let's pray that when he wakes up the next time he'll be back to normal."
****
"Oh man, look at this place!" Joey gawked, staring at the unusual furniture and knick-knacks.
"Never mind the decor. Just look for anything suspicious," Seto grumbled.
Joey gulped. "You mean like that?!" He pointed in horror at a room with a coffin in the middle of it.
Seto raised an eyebrow and went in for a closer look. He raised the lid and stepped back in shock. "What the . . ."
"Eh? What is it, Kaiba?" Joey asked.
"Have a look, Wheeler," Seto replied, moving out of the way.
Joey leaned over and looked in. "Oh man . . ." Inside was a fluffy pillow and a blanket. "This has gotta be a joke!"
"You're the one who always says that the psychic woman is a vampyre," Seto told him.
"Yeah, I know, but still . . ." Joey ran a hand through his messy blonde hair. "To actually see somethin' like this is kinda disconcertin' . . ."
"Let's find the room where she might keep a computer," Seto said. "We'd be more likely to find something out from her computer's data than from a coffin in her bedroom."
"Lead on, Sherlock," Joey said sarcastically, following him down the hall.