Disclaimer: Nope I refuse to admit anything.
Anya: Haha Kris, they didn't kill me.
Kris: *snaps fingers.*
Anya: None of that now. Just because you got sent to the minors…
Kris: And at the same time, still musing for you.
Anya: Could be worse.
Kris: Do tell, no wait don't.
Anya: lol. Well, I made it under my two day deadline, Sparky16. So I am hoping the poodles are being recalled back, except the purple one, I won it right?. And I hate to say this everyone, but only 2 more minor chapters after this one. And I must say, it has been fun to write. Anyway, I know everyone is dying, heh bad pun, to know how Yami is. Bad time to say I don't reveal his condition in this chapter either?
Kris: You're evil.
Anya: I know.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'What am I going to do?' Tea thought as she tried to comfort Raya down. She had been with the girl for twenty minutes now and neither had spoken. Raya had continued to lay there facing away from the other teen in the room, crying and Tea could do nothing but try to calm her down some. Nothing had worked and in the back of her mind, she knew nothing ever would.
'She loves Yami so much, this has to be killing her. She lost him once before and to lose him again would just be too cruel.' Tea reached out and grasped her friend's hand. She may not know what to say to her, but at least this simple gesture would let Raya know she wasn't alone.
"Tea…"
Tea jumped at the sound. She hadn't expect Raya to speak. Her voice sounded so lonely, so small, so lifeless that it shocked Tea. This wasn't the same girl Tea had grown to call a best friend over the past few weeks. "What is it Raya?"
"He can't die, he just can't. Yugi still needs him. His friends still need him. Grandpa needs him. I…I…still need him." She whispered softly, eyes never moving off the window. A light drizzle was coming down, matching the young woman's mood perfectly.
Tea gulped, not sure how to respond. Raya turned slightly still facing out the window, but enough to keep Tea in her line of sight. The move made her heart swell in anxiety. 'She's terrified of losing another friend. That in the one moment she takes her eyes off us, we're gone, dead. Like what happened with Yami, except Yami isn't dead.' Tea mentally yelled at herself for even thinking that Yami could die. It couldn't, wouldn't happen. Finally, Tea found the words she had been searching for. "Yami will pull through Raya. There is no doubt in my mind." What surprised Tea more, was that there wasn't a speck of doubt in her mind anymore.
"How…How can you be so confident?"
Tea smiled softly. "I wasn't at first, but then I thought about it and it dawned on me. Yami has something very important to fight for. There is no way he will give up and leave you and Yugi behind. Believe me when I say this Raya. He is going to live."
Raya turned back to her friend and peered right into her eyes. "I wish I could believe you and honestly, part of me does. It is just hard to totally believe when my heart and soul feels nothing but pain right now. Pain and emptiness that is." Tears formed in the corner of her eyes, but Raya refused to give into her depression, she had to be strong for Yugi, she had…'oh forget it.' For the first time in a long time, she felt truly weak.
"But that is expected Raya. After everything you have undergone these past few weeks and now to learn this terrible news, it is no wonder why you feel the way you do. And I know you. There is no way you have given up on Yami, even if you heart tells you differently. You're not that type of person."
"Do you think they would let me see him?" Raya asked, eyes tinted with a speckle of hope. It was so small, Tea could have easily written it off as the light catching in Raya's iris.
"I'm not sure Raya. I mean, Yami is in ICU and only family is allowed. And even though techniquely you are family, the hospital doesn't know that. So, I doubt it. But maybe you can talk to your father and let him convince the hospital to let you see Yami."
"Maybe…where is my father? Is he still with Yugi?"
"Most likely. He was breaking the news to Yugi about Yami." Tea stated. 'I wonder how Yugi is taking all of this. God, I hope it is better than Raya.'
Raya remained silent at the sound of her husband's name.
Tea knew she should have just dropped the subject, but she had to ask the question pounding in her head. "How is Yugi taking it?"
"Better than what either of us would have expected." Raya answered. "He is upset, but not nearly as bad as what I had expected. He is blaming himself for all this, which is just ludicrous, but father is convincing him otherwise. But other than that, he is optimistic."
"That's good right?"
"Maybe. It depends. I mean, I am happy that my son is confident that Yami is going to get better, I just hope he realizes that there is a very small chance that he might not."
"Raya, we can't think negatively."
"There is a difference between thinking negatively and realistically. I don't want to build my hopes up that Yami is going to get totally better only to have them crushed later on. I couldn't handle losing him again Tea. Him, Yugi, any of you. That is why I am thinking realistically rather than negatively."
"There really isn't much a difference." a voice called from the doorway. Standing there, was Bakura and Mokuba.
"Hey you two." Raya said, giving Mokuba a hug as he climbed into her bed to give her one.
"How you feelings?" Bakura asked, taking seat near the bed.
Raya shrugged. "Tired, physically, mentally, and emotionally." She paused, then continued. "How is Yugi? Have you seen him?"
"We just came from his room. He is upset about Yami, I won't lie to you like that. But you know Yugi, eternally optimistic. He is more worried about you at the moment however." Bakura answered honestly, not meeting Raya in the eyes.
"Well when you see him again you can tell him that I am doing a little better. I am over the initial shock. It still hurts but I am going to try to ignore that and concentrate on helping Yami get better. How I am going to do that, I have no idea. But I have to do something. I can't just sit here and do nothing. I may be thinking realistically, but that doesn't mean I have given up on Yami. I will find a way to get him better."
"How do you plan to help when you are still a patient here yourself?" Mokuba asked.
"Not sure kiddo. But I will find a way. I need to see Yami, for a piece of mind, soul, and body. How I am going to get in there, I don't know. But I will find a way, somehow. And once I do, I have a feeling that I maybe able to help Yami. I just need to see him."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
['Where I am?' thought Yugi as gazed around his surroundings. He was in a large hallway, but the weird thing about it was that there were no lights on. In fact there was very little light at all. Remembering what the battle between him and Satire and Jarha had taught him, Yugi suppressed his fear of the darkness. It couldn't hurt him. He could find the light, if he needed to, he could create his own.
Yugi moved down the hallway, searching for anything. Another person, lights, or even a doorway out. But there was nothing. It seems like he walked for hours and the hallway never seemed to end. It was just one big endless maze. 'Yami, Raya.' Yugi whimpered. He was alone. He couldn't sense either of his parents or another soul for that matter. There was nothing. Finally, he came across a door. Gingerly he pushed it open, hoping against hope that it was his ticket out of here. Instead, he got worse.
Laying inside was Yami, on a bed, attached to so many different machines that it made his head spin.
"Yami," he whispered. As fast as he could, he moved over to Yami's side. Cautiously, he lifted Yami's hand into his own pressing it to his check. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I am so sorry. This is all my fault. I didn't mean to get you hurt. Please Yami, open your eyes." Yugi could taste the salty tears from his eyes as they hit the corners of his face.
"Not you're fault."
Yugi jerked his head up, "Yammmi?" he stuttered.
"Aibou." he managed to gasp out before taking another deep breathe and then close his eyes.
The machine next to Yugi went flat line.
"Yami?" Yugi asked, shaking the taller boy. "Yami?!? No…it can't be, no I can't lose him. I refuse to believe it. He can't be dead, he can't be. NO YAMI!"]
Yugi jerked out of his dream gasping for air. Sweat ran down his face and his arms. The dream was so real like, so vivid, could it have been a vision? No, he refused to think that Yami was going to die. But he was known to has prophetic visions, after all he got them from Raya. But if Raya hadn't sense anything, then it couldn't be nothing more than a horrible dream. A very realistic dream. Dimly he parried Raya's brush against him to see what was the matter. He didn't want her to know about his dream. It would be too painful for her, especially if it came true. To have your soul mate die was one thing, but to know that it was coming and there is nothing you could do to prevent, well that was a whole other issue. One Yugi didn't feel like dealing with.
Instead he flicked the television on, anything to distract him. When there was a knock at his door, Yugi smiled. 'Perfect timing.' A quick glance at his watch confirmed what he was suspecting. It was either a nurse or a doctor since most of his friends had gone back to school. Two days had past since he had woken from his deep healing trance. Bakura, Tea, Mokuba, and Joey all returned to school, while Tristan and Seto were released yesterday. Tristan was able to get up and do little things (like visit) but not much else. Seto was bed ridden by his employers, to make sure the CEO didn't over do it right away. He still called daily to check in, either with him or Raya. Grandpa had even gone back to work after much persuading from him and Raya. There wasn't much point in sitting in a room with the two of them and staying in the room with Yami….well that was too painful. Though Yugi was positive Grandpa spent more time there than at the shop.
/Oh Yami./
Yugi hadn't been allowed yet to see his brother. The doctors claimed that the shock would be to overwhelming for him to handle. As much as it upset Yugi, it was also a minor relief. He had no idea how he would react to seeing his father in his comatose state. He wasn't even sure if he wanted too. The doctors had told him that Yami's condition had not gotten much better in the past two days. The swelling in his head had gone down, so the surgery to relieve the pressure wasn't going to be necessary. They had also explained to him that it was too early to say whether or not Yami had suffered significant brain damage or not. Only when he woke up would they be able to tell.
A louder, more impatient knock jolted Yugi out of his thoughts. "Sorry, come in."
The door opened and the squeak of a wheelchair was the first thing Yugi heard.
"You know, I was beginning to wonder whether I had the right room or not."
"Mo…Raya!" Yugi shouted, barely catching his mistake in time. Calling a sixteen year old a mother in public would have interesting repercussions, especially since the son was only fifteen. The National Tabloids would have a field day.
"Hey Yugi." Raya wheeled in closer to her son's bed. It was the first time either had seen one another since leaving the Shadow Realm. She bent down and kissed him on the forehead. "Glad you are alright. I was really worried when you passed out."
"How did you managed to get sprung? Hey, you passed out on me too."
Raya grinned. "I took the Seto approach. I whined and begged. Then I threatened. Finally I got smart. I offered them a deal. Let me visit you and Yami and I'll never ask for anything again."
"And they believe that? Even I don't." Yugi replied, returning the smile, even though it was small.
Again, Raya shrugged. "They'll learn their lesson later. That or they just wanted to get rid of me so they gave in. So, how you feeling? I felt you before, something scared you, badly."
Yugi grimaced. He was going to have to learn to control his powers better. Broadcasting emotions could not be a good thing. "It was nothing Raya just a bad dream. And I am feeling better I guess. I'm not as tired as I used to be, but the doctors tell me that I am in here for a least another two days. Something about getting my nutrition levels normal. What ever that means."
"I was told the same thing. Basically sweetie it means that we didn't get all the minerals and victims we needed while in our deep sleep, despite the ivs. It is just a safety measure to make sure we don't make ourselves sick and what not. And to make you feel better, I am stuck here for another day too. The only reason why I get to move around is that I agreed to do it in the chair."
"But at least you get to move. They won't let me see Yami at all."
"Yeah, I heard that. Father was telling me that the doctors thought the sight might be too painful and overwhelming or something like that."
"You're right. And to extent, so are the doctors. I don't think I could handle seeing Yami like this mom. Maybe it is a good thing they won't let me see him yet. I mean I want to be there for Yami, but he and I are still one in the same. Light to Dark. And even though we are two very separate beings now, I can still feel certain things he does. Never is it physically pain, but emotional. In all honestly, I don't think I could see Yami without having sometime of breakdown, you know?"
"I know what you mean. I'm not sure I want to see your father like this either." Raya confessed, playing with her necklace that hung her ring from Yami on it. The stones caught the lights sending light multicolored beams bouncing off the walls . "To see him weak and unable to be himself…" Raya trailed off.
"But yet…"
Raya grabbed her son's hand. "I have too. For a piece of mind. For both of us. Grandpa knew that the doctors would never let you see your 'brother' like this which is why he convince the doctors to let me see him so we both could be there. But, if you don't want me to go, I won't."
"NO! I mean, you have to Raya. Yami needs us, like you said. I can't deny him that. While the doctors block me from getting there, at least you can. Yami needs to know that we are supporting him."
"Believe me Yugi, he knows."
"Then go to him mom. Go to dad and call him back to us. You're the only one who can do it. Your love for each other has overcome death before and has lasted over 5000 years. I know you can bring Yami back to all of us again. Please Raya, go to him and call him back."
"I'll try Yugi." she turned in her chair and headed for the door.
"Raya, one more thing."
"Yes Yugi?"
"Tell Yami that I love him."
Raya nodded and exited the room, tears forming in her eyes.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'I don't know if I can do this.' Raya thought as she rode the elevator up to ICU with the nurse behind her. 'What if I can't handle this? What if Yami is too far to be reached? What if….?'
"Ready?"
Raya looked up, surprised to see that she was now in front of Yami's door. "Ah, yeah. Thank you."
"Anytime." The nurse opened the door and Raya wheeled herself inside. The moment she was inside, she wanted to leave. Machines were everywhere and all were hooked up to Yami. She couldn't begin to name any of the machine, but she knew for a fact that the majority were keeping the once invincible king alive.
She rolled next to his bed and gasped. The nurse had prepared her for the worse, but nothing could truly prepare her for this. Yami's face had turned a deep bluish purple from the amount of bruises he had receive. His hands had been bandaged from the abrasions he had sustained. His normally wild hair wasn't even visible either. With Yami sustaining several abrasions on his head, the hospital staff had wrapped it up, covering the majority of mane Yami called his hair. Only a small wisp of blond hair could be seen, resting against his white check. Wires ran all over the place, each servicing some purpose in keeping Yami alive. Raya couldn't help it. She had promised herself that she wouldn't cry, but the tears were unstoppable.
"Oh Yami. Why did this have to happen?" She laid her head on his bed and took his hand into hers. "Ra, I wish you would just wake up and end this horrible nightmare or better yet, walk through the hospital doors telling all of us this never happened. But I guess I have to face reality, you are here and there is nothing Yugi or I can do to change that. Ra I wish you were awake. I don't know what to do anymore. Yugi is consumed with guilt that you got hurt. He won't come right out and tell me, trying to save me some pain I guess, but he poured his little heart out to Joey. And of course, Joey informed me. You need to wake up Yami and let Yugi know that this wasn't his fault, that he didn't kill or injure his father. Joey tried his best to convince him of this, but you know Yugi, he didn't want to hear it. Once he gets an idea stuck in his mind, it is impossible to get out.
The others are doing alright too. Physically I guess. It's not the same Tea told me not having the whole gang together. And I guess I can understand that. All of you have been together for so long that it would feel weird not to be together. I haven't seen them much since they all returned home. School and bed rest keeps them away. Though Seto calls to harass me and Yugi. I appreciate his attempts though I finally found someone with a worse sense of humor than you. Mokuba told me to tell you that he wish you would get better soon, he misses talking to you. We all do."
Raya paused, not sure at what to say anymore. She wasn't even sure Yami could hear her anymore. Was there a point anymore? Talking that is? She wasn't sure. It felt right to talk, but at the same time, she was uncomfortable doing it. 'I can't leave, I want to stay right here until Yami wakes up, but I can't sit here in silence either. I promised Yugi that I would try to call Yami back, so how do I do that?' Sighing Raya glanced around. Her eyes settled on a picture. Smiling she released that her father had to have put it there. It was a picture of her, Yami, and Yugi asleep in the chair at Seto's house. Seto must have gotten the pictures developed after he was released and sent the photo over.
Staring at the photo brought even more tears to Raya's eyes. "We were so happy in that picture Yami. That was the night we found out that Yugi was truly our son and not the reincarnation. Man we were happy. Who would have guessed that in a few short days that everything would crumble around us? Damn it Yami it isn't fair. Every time it seems that finally our lives seem settled and great something comes along and destroys that dream. I am so sick of it Yami. I can't take it anymore."
More tears fell. All the frustrations Raya had been trying to control this entire ordeal finally erupted. She couldn't maintain her emotions any longer. Finally the dam had broken.
"When will this end? Will we ever have the chance at life that we wanted so long ago? I guess these are question we will never have answers too. They are just too rhetorical. But that doesn't mean that I or Yugi don't want to try. We want to be a family, well as close as one as we can get. But in order to do that, you need to come back to us, to your friends, to grandpa, to Yugi, and to me. I need you Yami. You are part of my life that I can't just ignore, whether in life or death. Yugi needs you just as much or maybe more. You two are closer than closer. Dark to light, light to dark. And if you do wake Yami, we have all the time in the world to figure out what the hell to do about our lives.
Time, there is a funny word anymore. I am beginning to dislike it as much a fate and destiny. But I heard a song the other day on the television. And I don't know, it got me to thinking. About a lot of things I guess. But more importantly, about us I guess. It's hard to explain really, so I'll just sing you the song.
Time ain't nothing but time
It's a verse with no rhyme
Man, it all comes down to you
And change ain't nothing but change
Just the faces and the names
But you know we're going to make it through
I'll believe
When you don't believe in anything
I'm going to hold ya 'til your hurt is gone
Be the shoulder that you're leaning on
I'll be standing here
For the next 100 years
If it all should end tonight
I'll know it was worth the fight
And well be standing here
For the next 100 years
I, when I think that I'm losing my mind
It all comes back to you
And you. You know that it's true
After all we've been through
There's nothing that I wouldn't do
Stand by me
And I would gladly give up everything
I'm going to hold ya 'til your hurt is gone
Be the shoulder that you're leaning on
I'll be standing here
For the next 100 years
If it all should end tonight
I'll know it was worth the fight
And well be standing here
For the next 100 years
I'm going to hold ya 'til your hurt is gone
Be the shoulder that you're leaning on
I'll be standing here
For the next 100 years
If it all should end tonight
I'll know it was worth the fight
And well be standing here
For the next 100 years
Time, ain't nothing but time
It's a verse with no rhyme, Man it comes all down to you.
It's funny how a song can sum up a person's life, don't you think Yami? Okay, maybe that whole exhaustion is settling back into my body and I am losing it greatly. Or maybe I lost it long ago. But when I heard this song, I couldn't help but relate to it. The whole idea of time and change just being time and change. I mean there is nothing we can do to make either of those different, so why worry about them? And the line about it being worth the fight. That is true too. We had to save the future, at all costs. And if that meant death, then it was a risk we all had to take. But Yami, you can not die. I wouldn't know how to go on without you again. I just got you back into my life. I can't imagine losing you again. But if it comes down that either of us dies, then I will wait till we meet again. I waited 5000 years and I will do it again, in a heart beat. But in my heart, I know you can hear me and that you are trying everything in your abilities to get back to Yugi and your friends. I can't explain what I feel, it is something I just sense."
A tapping at the window signaled that Raya's time was up.
"I have to go Yami, the nurses are only letting me visit for a short time. Please Yami, I beg of you. Get better. I…" Raya hesitated. "Yugi told me to tell you that he loved you and just between us Yami, I love you too." She squeezed Yami's hand and started to pull away.
She jerked back when she felt pressure on her hand.
"Yami?" she asked hopefully. This would be too cruel of fate to play with her emotions like this if it was only an illusion.
She squeezed Yami's hand again, a bit harder this time. And then waited. She knew that the nurse was waiting for her, but she had to see, had to know the truth.
Moments passed as if they were centuries. And then she felt it, Yami was squeezing her hand, harder this time. Joy leapt through her body. Could it be true? Could Yami be coming out of his coma?
"Yami?" she asked again more excited this time.
Raya waited, then remembered that Yami wouldn't be able to speak with a tube down his throat. Fighting the fatigue she felt, Raya stood and receive in her opinion, an early Christmas gift. Yami's eye were open, tears running down his face like faucets.
Unable to resist the jab, Raya grinned as she spoke. "First time in my life that I was able to leave you speechless."
Yami rolled his eyes and then weakly pointed to the tube.
"Oh, I get you. Okay, I'll be right back. I'm going to get a nurse. Squeeze my hand if you understand."
Yami did and Raya's heart swelled. Yami was out of his coma and more importantly, he understood her. "I'll be right back."
Raya ignored the wheelchair and ran for the door. She burst outside and grabbed the nearest nurse. "He's awake."
"You mean Yami Motou is awake?"
Raya nodded, too excited to speak anymore.
"Alright, let me page his doctor. You wait here."
"Someone needs to call his grandfather." Raya remembered suddenly.
"We'll do that. Why don't you tell his brother though? Something tells me that he would rather hear the news from you, than us." the nurse replied, smiling at Raya's enthusiastic nod. "Then go ahead, but take the wheelchair, you're still a patient here."
Raya nodded. She would do anything at that moment. She quickly head down to her son's room. She couldn't wait to tell him the good news.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Raya didn't even bother to knock at Yugi's door, rather just rolled in. In her excited state, she could think of her own name let alone to knock at the door.
Yugi's back was to her when she entered. She could hear him talking on the phone with someone, but she wasn't sure who. Yugi must have sensed her presence and turned to her and mouth Seto.
Raya nodded and started to tell him the good news, when the phone drop from Yugi's hand. At first Raya was concerned, but then saw the look on Yugi's face. It was a mixture of awareness and happiness. 'Thought talk, of course.' Raya was jolted out of her thoughts when she heard Seto yelling into the phone asking if Yugi was okay. Knowing that Yugi would be distracted for quite some time, she picked it up.
"Hey Seto, Yugi is busy at the moment. You could say he is off in his own little world."
"Meaning Raya sweetie?" Seto replied, a bit confused. "I mean, the kid is alright right?"
Raya stifled a laugh knowing that Seto would get her meaning quite soon. "He's fine. He's just getting Duel Monster tips so he can really kick your butt next time."
"Duel Monster tips? Wait, you mean thought talk don't you? Why that little…..wait. Talk thought takes him and Yami to do. But that means…."
Raya pulled the phone way from her ear as Seto shouted in pure joy. "Thanks Seto, I am now deaf in my right ear."
"Is he really awake?"
"Yeah, Yami is. I am going to head back up there soon and see the prognoses and everything. Will I be seeing your beautiful face here soon? Shall I alert the nursing staff that jerk boy is coming back?"
"You better believe it. I'll call the others. We'll be there soon."
Raya didn't even get a chance to say bye as Seto hung up the phone. Chuckling, she placed the phone back on its cradle and turn back to Yugi. "How is he?"
Yugi grinned. "He wants to know the number of the truck that hit him. I gave him the rocks name, he didn't get the joke. Also he wants to know where, wait, I have to get this quote right, where the hell the blackmail picture came from and if it was Seto's doing, he was dead."
"Better warn Seto then… How is he feeling?"
"Sore and tired. He went back to bed right now. Seto and everyone on their way?"
"Yeah and the nurses were going to call dad so he is on his way too."
Yugi nodded then started to cry.
"What's wrong?" Raya asked alarmed.
"Nothing more. These are tears of happiness. We did it, we saved the future from the one I had foreseen and managed to stay alive in the process. For awhile there, I wasn't sure. And now that the horror is over, we can be a family again. You, me, Yami, Grandpa."
Raya flinched at her father's name.
"Raya, you're not still upset with him are you? I thought…" Yugi started, noticing Raya's complex expression.
"No Yugi." Raya cut him off. "It is nothing like that. In fact, you remind me of something that I have to do, that is all."
"What is that mom?"
Raya tapped her son's head. "Don't worry about it right now. I'll take care of it later. Right now, let's see if I can't convince the hospital staff to release us now and let us visit Yami."
"Really? Do you think they will?"
Raya grinned mischievously. "If they thought Seto was bad, they have another thing coming to them. After all, I'm a Walker - Motou." She winked at Yugi. "Don't worry, I'll get us out of here. Just relax for a bit."
Yugi snuggled back against his pillows. He had no doubt that Raya wouldn't get them released tonight. He couldn't wait to see Yami.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A few hours later, Yugi was starting to get impatient. Raya hadn't returned yet, but Tea and Joey had come by saying that she was in the process with Grandpa of getting him release. Neither had seen Yami yet, they were only letting one person in at a time and that had to be family right now which meant Grandpa only. But Grandpa had said that Yami looked a lot better than he had.
/Yami? Are you too tired to talk?/
//No aibou, I am alright. How do you feel?//
/Better now that I know you are okay. Is Grandpa with you?/
//He was a minute ago. He just left to sign something. Maybe you are getting out of here today.//
/Doubt it, the doctors really want to keep an eye on me still./
//It is for the best I guess. Is anyone with you?//
/Joey and Tea just left. I saw Tristan and Bakura earlier. Any word from Seto or Mokuba?/
//Hehe//
/What?/
//Seto's under house arrest for the time being. His company isn't letting him out till he is totally recovered. He called earlier.//
/I bet he isn't taking that well./
//No, kept threatening dock pay if they didn't let him out soon. Anyway, have you seen Raya lately? I haven't seen her since I woke up.//
/Not recently. She came to tell me you had woken up but then left. I haven't see her since. You don't think the hospital staff lost her do you?/
//Knowing Raya, that is exactly what happened. That girl never did like doctors much.//
Mentally, Yugi chuckled. /Hold on a second./ Yugi watched as the door to his room open and in bounced, literally, Raya. /Found mom. Be right back./
"You look happy Raya." Yugi commented with a grin. He noted the street clothes that she was wearing. Her traditional jeans, white tank, and red jacket.
"Free at last, free at last!"
"Doctors finally released you?"
Raya settled down and took a seat next to Yugi. "That they did. This is also why I was gone for so long. My hand is going to be permanently cramped. Paperwork and I do not get along at all."
"Yami was asking where you disappeared too. We figured that you had fled."
"Sort of." Raya replied mysteriously. "I did run home for a moment, to take a shower and get a copy of my independence records for the hospital. But for the rest of the time, I was sort of working on other things."
"Sort of? Come on mom, what does that mean."
"Father and I have been arranging something since he couldn't get you discharged today. Something for you and Yami."
Perplexed, Yugi tilted his head, giving Raya the full out puppy dog expression.
"That is too cute, but unfortunately for you it is not working on me. Besides Grandpa wants to be the one to show you. Grandpa!" Raya yelled out towards the door.
Grandpa walked in, smile as big as the sun itself. "Yugi, how would you feel about a roommate?"
"Company is nice I guess." Yugi replied, not sure what was going on.
"Glad you think so. You can bring him in now." Grandpa said to someone in the hallway.
"Yami!" Yugi shouted as he saw the person being wheeled in on the bed.
"Aibou." Yami managed to wheeze out. It was evident to everyone that while Yami was out of the woods, he had a long road of recovery ahead of him.
"Since we couldn't discard you Yugi, your grandfather and Raya suggested that we make Yami your roommate since we could bring him down from ICU. How do you like that?" The nurse asked.
"I like that very much. Thank you."
The nurse left and Sugoroku followed. "I have to finish filling out papers." He winked as he left. He just wanted to give the family a chance to have a small private reunion.
Unable to control himself any longer, Yugi flung himself onto Yami's bed, careful of both patients wires. Wrapping his tiny arms around Yami's neck, Yugi snuggled up close to his 'brother.'
Weakly, Yami returned the hug, still quite fatigued. Still, a question had been looming in his head for quite some time. "How…how did…we get...home?'
Yugi opened one eye and stared at Raya, who was on the other side of Yami. "It wasn't easy Yugioh, let me tell you that. But you'd be quite proud of Yugi. Without his powers, we probably never would have gotten home. He helped me summon the cards. And they got us back to our true time." Raya finished. Tea had told her how the monsters had come and save all of them, it was simply amazing.
Yami grinned. "I was always proud of him, more so after he saved Satire and Jarha."
"Really Yami? I thought you'd be upset. For getting you hurt."
Yami couched in surprise. "Never, you did the right thing. You should maturity and wisdom well beyond your years. Raya is right. I and she couldn't be more proud of you. You faced your innermost fears, beat the darkness, and even overcame obstacles that quite honestly, I am not sure if I could even overcome. But you did it. You managed to stay with the light and because of that, all of us were able to win and escape with our lives."
"Really? I did all that?"
Raya moved to clasp one of her hands onto Yugi's, the other holding Yami's. "That and so much more Yugi. More than you can ever realize. You saved the future from a dark age and restore it to its correct timeline. You gave Satire and Jarha another chance at life. And you gave our family another chance at being together as well. Yugi, you are nothing short of a hero."
Yugi glanced at Yami, then at Raya. "No, not a hero. Just a son. Your son."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'The hospital staff has to be getting sick of everyone.' Yami thought as he glanced around his room. Five days had come and gone since he had awoke from his coma and everyone but him were home and practically back to normal routines. Seto had finally managed to convince his staff to let him do something, anything, so they sent him to Yami. And Yami was thrilled, honestly.
///Yeah right.///
Yami smirked at his wife who for some reason never lost her ability to thought talk with him or Yugi. It was like the bond the three of them shared could never be shattered, even with magic. That or the conniving little sneak had found a way around the rules.
As if reading his thoughts, Raya flashed him a devilish smile and return to watching the gang. Yami decided to do the same, even though secretly he was enjoying the semi-private time he had with Raya. Not that he didn't enjoy his friends company, far from it.
The whole gang was there in fact, Joey and Yugi were in a corner of the room, dueling it out. Of course, his son was winning. Bakura was watching on with much interest as was Seto, though Seto was mainly poking fun at Joey's skills. But even the World Champion had to admit that Joey had come along way since they had dueled. Joey was trying to convince Seto for a rematch, but Seto didn't become head of a company for his looks. He knew easily that playing Joey would be one of the toughest duels he ever played. He needed more time to prepare than this.
Tristan, Mokuba, and Tea were all gazing out the window. Whatever had peaked their interest, Yami had no idea. All that was out there was trees, more trees, and occasionally a deer or twelve. After staring out that window for so long, the outdoors had lost its thrill.
///Never was the outdoor type were you?///
//Not a once.//
///Spoiled Palace Brat.///
//Commoner.// Yami countered. The playful grin had to be plastered on his face.
///Just be glad your hurt or I would so kill you.///
Yami chucked. Grandfather had told everyone to come to the hospital today for three reasons. What those reason were, no one knew, but everyone was dying of curiosity. Hence why everyone was trying to distract themselves in anyway possible. Eventually Yugi got bored with the Duel Monster game and crawled up into Raya's lap and promptly fell asleep. It didn't take much for Yugi to get worn out.
Finally, their patients were rewarded. Grandpa came in hold several pieces of paper and a large white envelope.
"What is all that father?" Raya asked as she gently nudged Yugi awake.
"Due to Ruia. First things first. I know you are all wondering why you have been asked here today so I won't keep you in suspense any longer. First off, Yami. I talked to the doctors today. All your tests came back negative which means they are going to release you tomorrow."
"Thank Ra, it is about time." Yami exclaimed.
Everyone laughed. "What Yami? White not your color?" Seto asked.
"Not any more."
Grandpa cleared his throat and everyone turned back to him. "Next, I mysteriously found this history book on the kitchen counter at home with this page open. I think we gotten a visit from this Clio you all told me about. I think you find the article on the page most interesting." He passed out copies of text.
"During the celebration of the second triad generation of the locking of the Shadow Games, the temple of Ptah suddenly collapsed from internal damages. It was unclear how these damages came to be, however local myth claims that an all out battle for life, love, and stability took place there between the light and the darkness. According to the legends, the Divine Family, who apparently was the late souls of Pharaoh Yugioh, his late wife Ruia Motou, and their son, Yugi, battled against the extreme darkness. Aided by the souls of their friends, the High Priest Setto, his wife Anzu, High Priest Bakura, Guards Jou and Honda and even the younger brother of Setto, Mokuba, the Divine Family was able to overthrow the darkness, locking it away forever. And thus creating the age of the Light, the period of which we live in then, now, and forever." Yugi read.
"So the battle didn't go unnoticed." Raya whispered in awe. "Anyone else getting totally creep out by this? This battle happened over 5000 years ago and we took part in it."
"Creepy yes, but so totally cool none the less." Joey replied, raising his fist into the air. "We are apart of history."
"I wouldn't say that so loud Joey. If overheard it is another event that we really can't explain." Tristan captioned.
Bakura turned back to Grandfather. "And the third bit of news?"
"Is for Raya." Sugoroku replied.
"Me?" Raya said, totally confused.
Bakura watched as Grandpa handed her the white envelope. He remembered that letter. Sugoroku had said that it very well may hold the key to getting Raya to forgive him. He had forgotten all about that letter. That conversation had happened long before they fled to the past to save it. It fact, that was when Raya thought she was Ruia. Curiosity nipped at Bakura's subconscious.
Gingerly, Raya opened the envelope, giving her father curious glances all the while. She pulled out the documents and began to read them over. She gasped and raised her head to father's eye level. Disbelief was set in her eyes.
"Raya, what is it?" Seto asked, concern written all over his face. From the look at Raya's face, what ever the papers said, it wasn't something she was expecting. And Seto couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not.
"Adoption papers."
Anya: Haha Kris, they didn't kill me.
Kris: *snaps fingers.*
Anya: None of that now. Just because you got sent to the minors…
Kris: And at the same time, still musing for you.
Anya: Could be worse.
Kris: Do tell, no wait don't.
Anya: lol. Well, I made it under my two day deadline, Sparky16. So I am hoping the poodles are being recalled back, except the purple one, I won it right?. And I hate to say this everyone, but only 2 more minor chapters after this one. And I must say, it has been fun to write. Anyway, I know everyone is dying, heh bad pun, to know how Yami is. Bad time to say I don't reveal his condition in this chapter either?
Kris: You're evil.
Anya: I know.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'What am I going to do?' Tea thought as she tried to comfort Raya down. She had been with the girl for twenty minutes now and neither had spoken. Raya had continued to lay there facing away from the other teen in the room, crying and Tea could do nothing but try to calm her down some. Nothing had worked and in the back of her mind, she knew nothing ever would.
'She loves Yami so much, this has to be killing her. She lost him once before and to lose him again would just be too cruel.' Tea reached out and grasped her friend's hand. She may not know what to say to her, but at least this simple gesture would let Raya know she wasn't alone.
"Tea…"
Tea jumped at the sound. She hadn't expect Raya to speak. Her voice sounded so lonely, so small, so lifeless that it shocked Tea. This wasn't the same girl Tea had grown to call a best friend over the past few weeks. "What is it Raya?"
"He can't die, he just can't. Yugi still needs him. His friends still need him. Grandpa needs him. I…I…still need him." She whispered softly, eyes never moving off the window. A light drizzle was coming down, matching the young woman's mood perfectly.
Tea gulped, not sure how to respond. Raya turned slightly still facing out the window, but enough to keep Tea in her line of sight. The move made her heart swell in anxiety. 'She's terrified of losing another friend. That in the one moment she takes her eyes off us, we're gone, dead. Like what happened with Yami, except Yami isn't dead.' Tea mentally yelled at herself for even thinking that Yami could die. It couldn't, wouldn't happen. Finally, Tea found the words she had been searching for. "Yami will pull through Raya. There is no doubt in my mind." What surprised Tea more, was that there wasn't a speck of doubt in her mind anymore.
"How…How can you be so confident?"
Tea smiled softly. "I wasn't at first, but then I thought about it and it dawned on me. Yami has something very important to fight for. There is no way he will give up and leave you and Yugi behind. Believe me when I say this Raya. He is going to live."
Raya turned back to her friend and peered right into her eyes. "I wish I could believe you and honestly, part of me does. It is just hard to totally believe when my heart and soul feels nothing but pain right now. Pain and emptiness that is." Tears formed in the corner of her eyes, but Raya refused to give into her depression, she had to be strong for Yugi, she had…'oh forget it.' For the first time in a long time, she felt truly weak.
"But that is expected Raya. After everything you have undergone these past few weeks and now to learn this terrible news, it is no wonder why you feel the way you do. And I know you. There is no way you have given up on Yami, even if you heart tells you differently. You're not that type of person."
"Do you think they would let me see him?" Raya asked, eyes tinted with a speckle of hope. It was so small, Tea could have easily written it off as the light catching in Raya's iris.
"I'm not sure Raya. I mean, Yami is in ICU and only family is allowed. And even though techniquely you are family, the hospital doesn't know that. So, I doubt it. But maybe you can talk to your father and let him convince the hospital to let you see Yami."
"Maybe…where is my father? Is he still with Yugi?"
"Most likely. He was breaking the news to Yugi about Yami." Tea stated. 'I wonder how Yugi is taking all of this. God, I hope it is better than Raya.'
Raya remained silent at the sound of her husband's name.
Tea knew she should have just dropped the subject, but she had to ask the question pounding in her head. "How is Yugi taking it?"
"Better than what either of us would have expected." Raya answered. "He is upset, but not nearly as bad as what I had expected. He is blaming himself for all this, which is just ludicrous, but father is convincing him otherwise. But other than that, he is optimistic."
"That's good right?"
"Maybe. It depends. I mean, I am happy that my son is confident that Yami is going to get better, I just hope he realizes that there is a very small chance that he might not."
"Raya, we can't think negatively."
"There is a difference between thinking negatively and realistically. I don't want to build my hopes up that Yami is going to get totally better only to have them crushed later on. I couldn't handle losing him again Tea. Him, Yugi, any of you. That is why I am thinking realistically rather than negatively."
"There really isn't much a difference." a voice called from the doorway. Standing there, was Bakura and Mokuba.
"Hey you two." Raya said, giving Mokuba a hug as he climbed into her bed to give her one.
"How you feelings?" Bakura asked, taking seat near the bed.
Raya shrugged. "Tired, physically, mentally, and emotionally." She paused, then continued. "How is Yugi? Have you seen him?"
"We just came from his room. He is upset about Yami, I won't lie to you like that. But you know Yugi, eternally optimistic. He is more worried about you at the moment however." Bakura answered honestly, not meeting Raya in the eyes.
"Well when you see him again you can tell him that I am doing a little better. I am over the initial shock. It still hurts but I am going to try to ignore that and concentrate on helping Yami get better. How I am going to do that, I have no idea. But I have to do something. I can't just sit here and do nothing. I may be thinking realistically, but that doesn't mean I have given up on Yami. I will find a way to get him better."
"How do you plan to help when you are still a patient here yourself?" Mokuba asked.
"Not sure kiddo. But I will find a way. I need to see Yami, for a piece of mind, soul, and body. How I am going to get in there, I don't know. But I will find a way, somehow. And once I do, I have a feeling that I maybe able to help Yami. I just need to see him."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
['Where I am?' thought Yugi as gazed around his surroundings. He was in a large hallway, but the weird thing about it was that there were no lights on. In fact there was very little light at all. Remembering what the battle between him and Satire and Jarha had taught him, Yugi suppressed his fear of the darkness. It couldn't hurt him. He could find the light, if he needed to, he could create his own.
Yugi moved down the hallway, searching for anything. Another person, lights, or even a doorway out. But there was nothing. It seems like he walked for hours and the hallway never seemed to end. It was just one big endless maze. 'Yami, Raya.' Yugi whimpered. He was alone. He couldn't sense either of his parents or another soul for that matter. There was nothing. Finally, he came across a door. Gingerly he pushed it open, hoping against hope that it was his ticket out of here. Instead, he got worse.
Laying inside was Yami, on a bed, attached to so many different machines that it made his head spin.
"Yami," he whispered. As fast as he could, he moved over to Yami's side. Cautiously, he lifted Yami's hand into his own pressing it to his check. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I am so sorry. This is all my fault. I didn't mean to get you hurt. Please Yami, open your eyes." Yugi could taste the salty tears from his eyes as they hit the corners of his face.
"Not you're fault."
Yugi jerked his head up, "Yammmi?" he stuttered.
"Aibou." he managed to gasp out before taking another deep breathe and then close his eyes.
The machine next to Yugi went flat line.
"Yami?" Yugi asked, shaking the taller boy. "Yami?!? No…it can't be, no I can't lose him. I refuse to believe it. He can't be dead, he can't be. NO YAMI!"]
Yugi jerked out of his dream gasping for air. Sweat ran down his face and his arms. The dream was so real like, so vivid, could it have been a vision? No, he refused to think that Yami was going to die. But he was known to has prophetic visions, after all he got them from Raya. But if Raya hadn't sense anything, then it couldn't be nothing more than a horrible dream. A very realistic dream. Dimly he parried Raya's brush against him to see what was the matter. He didn't want her to know about his dream. It would be too painful for her, especially if it came true. To have your soul mate die was one thing, but to know that it was coming and there is nothing you could do to prevent, well that was a whole other issue. One Yugi didn't feel like dealing with.
Instead he flicked the television on, anything to distract him. When there was a knock at his door, Yugi smiled. 'Perfect timing.' A quick glance at his watch confirmed what he was suspecting. It was either a nurse or a doctor since most of his friends had gone back to school. Two days had past since he had woken from his deep healing trance. Bakura, Tea, Mokuba, and Joey all returned to school, while Tristan and Seto were released yesterday. Tristan was able to get up and do little things (like visit) but not much else. Seto was bed ridden by his employers, to make sure the CEO didn't over do it right away. He still called daily to check in, either with him or Raya. Grandpa had even gone back to work after much persuading from him and Raya. There wasn't much point in sitting in a room with the two of them and staying in the room with Yami….well that was too painful. Though Yugi was positive Grandpa spent more time there than at the shop.
/Oh Yami./
Yugi hadn't been allowed yet to see his brother. The doctors claimed that the shock would be to overwhelming for him to handle. As much as it upset Yugi, it was also a minor relief. He had no idea how he would react to seeing his father in his comatose state. He wasn't even sure if he wanted too. The doctors had told him that Yami's condition had not gotten much better in the past two days. The swelling in his head had gone down, so the surgery to relieve the pressure wasn't going to be necessary. They had also explained to him that it was too early to say whether or not Yami had suffered significant brain damage or not. Only when he woke up would they be able to tell.
A louder, more impatient knock jolted Yugi out of his thoughts. "Sorry, come in."
The door opened and the squeak of a wheelchair was the first thing Yugi heard.
"You know, I was beginning to wonder whether I had the right room or not."
"Mo…Raya!" Yugi shouted, barely catching his mistake in time. Calling a sixteen year old a mother in public would have interesting repercussions, especially since the son was only fifteen. The National Tabloids would have a field day.
"Hey Yugi." Raya wheeled in closer to her son's bed. It was the first time either had seen one another since leaving the Shadow Realm. She bent down and kissed him on the forehead. "Glad you are alright. I was really worried when you passed out."
"How did you managed to get sprung? Hey, you passed out on me too."
Raya grinned. "I took the Seto approach. I whined and begged. Then I threatened. Finally I got smart. I offered them a deal. Let me visit you and Yami and I'll never ask for anything again."
"And they believe that? Even I don't." Yugi replied, returning the smile, even though it was small.
Again, Raya shrugged. "They'll learn their lesson later. That or they just wanted to get rid of me so they gave in. So, how you feeling? I felt you before, something scared you, badly."
Yugi grimaced. He was going to have to learn to control his powers better. Broadcasting emotions could not be a good thing. "It was nothing Raya just a bad dream. And I am feeling better I guess. I'm not as tired as I used to be, but the doctors tell me that I am in here for a least another two days. Something about getting my nutrition levels normal. What ever that means."
"I was told the same thing. Basically sweetie it means that we didn't get all the minerals and victims we needed while in our deep sleep, despite the ivs. It is just a safety measure to make sure we don't make ourselves sick and what not. And to make you feel better, I am stuck here for another day too. The only reason why I get to move around is that I agreed to do it in the chair."
"But at least you get to move. They won't let me see Yami at all."
"Yeah, I heard that. Father was telling me that the doctors thought the sight might be too painful and overwhelming or something like that."
"You're right. And to extent, so are the doctors. I don't think I could handle seeing Yami like this mom. Maybe it is a good thing they won't let me see him yet. I mean I want to be there for Yami, but he and I are still one in the same. Light to Dark. And even though we are two very separate beings now, I can still feel certain things he does. Never is it physically pain, but emotional. In all honestly, I don't think I could see Yami without having sometime of breakdown, you know?"
"I know what you mean. I'm not sure I want to see your father like this either." Raya confessed, playing with her necklace that hung her ring from Yami on it. The stones caught the lights sending light multicolored beams bouncing off the walls . "To see him weak and unable to be himself…" Raya trailed off.
"But yet…"
Raya grabbed her son's hand. "I have too. For a piece of mind. For both of us. Grandpa knew that the doctors would never let you see your 'brother' like this which is why he convince the doctors to let me see him so we both could be there. But, if you don't want me to go, I won't."
"NO! I mean, you have to Raya. Yami needs us, like you said. I can't deny him that. While the doctors block me from getting there, at least you can. Yami needs to know that we are supporting him."
"Believe me Yugi, he knows."
"Then go to him mom. Go to dad and call him back to us. You're the only one who can do it. Your love for each other has overcome death before and has lasted over 5000 years. I know you can bring Yami back to all of us again. Please Raya, go to him and call him back."
"I'll try Yugi." she turned in her chair and headed for the door.
"Raya, one more thing."
"Yes Yugi?"
"Tell Yami that I love him."
Raya nodded and exited the room, tears forming in her eyes.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'I don't know if I can do this.' Raya thought as she rode the elevator up to ICU with the nurse behind her. 'What if I can't handle this? What if Yami is too far to be reached? What if….?'
"Ready?"
Raya looked up, surprised to see that she was now in front of Yami's door. "Ah, yeah. Thank you."
"Anytime." The nurse opened the door and Raya wheeled herself inside. The moment she was inside, she wanted to leave. Machines were everywhere and all were hooked up to Yami. She couldn't begin to name any of the machine, but she knew for a fact that the majority were keeping the once invincible king alive.
She rolled next to his bed and gasped. The nurse had prepared her for the worse, but nothing could truly prepare her for this. Yami's face had turned a deep bluish purple from the amount of bruises he had receive. His hands had been bandaged from the abrasions he had sustained. His normally wild hair wasn't even visible either. With Yami sustaining several abrasions on his head, the hospital staff had wrapped it up, covering the majority of mane Yami called his hair. Only a small wisp of blond hair could be seen, resting against his white check. Wires ran all over the place, each servicing some purpose in keeping Yami alive. Raya couldn't help it. She had promised herself that she wouldn't cry, but the tears were unstoppable.
"Oh Yami. Why did this have to happen?" She laid her head on his bed and took his hand into hers. "Ra, I wish you would just wake up and end this horrible nightmare or better yet, walk through the hospital doors telling all of us this never happened. But I guess I have to face reality, you are here and there is nothing Yugi or I can do to change that. Ra I wish you were awake. I don't know what to do anymore. Yugi is consumed with guilt that you got hurt. He won't come right out and tell me, trying to save me some pain I guess, but he poured his little heart out to Joey. And of course, Joey informed me. You need to wake up Yami and let Yugi know that this wasn't his fault, that he didn't kill or injure his father. Joey tried his best to convince him of this, but you know Yugi, he didn't want to hear it. Once he gets an idea stuck in his mind, it is impossible to get out.
The others are doing alright too. Physically I guess. It's not the same Tea told me not having the whole gang together. And I guess I can understand that. All of you have been together for so long that it would feel weird not to be together. I haven't seen them much since they all returned home. School and bed rest keeps them away. Though Seto calls to harass me and Yugi. I appreciate his attempts though I finally found someone with a worse sense of humor than you. Mokuba told me to tell you that he wish you would get better soon, he misses talking to you. We all do."
Raya paused, not sure at what to say anymore. She wasn't even sure Yami could hear her anymore. Was there a point anymore? Talking that is? She wasn't sure. It felt right to talk, but at the same time, she was uncomfortable doing it. 'I can't leave, I want to stay right here until Yami wakes up, but I can't sit here in silence either. I promised Yugi that I would try to call Yami back, so how do I do that?' Sighing Raya glanced around. Her eyes settled on a picture. Smiling she released that her father had to have put it there. It was a picture of her, Yami, and Yugi asleep in the chair at Seto's house. Seto must have gotten the pictures developed after he was released and sent the photo over.
Staring at the photo brought even more tears to Raya's eyes. "We were so happy in that picture Yami. That was the night we found out that Yugi was truly our son and not the reincarnation. Man we were happy. Who would have guessed that in a few short days that everything would crumble around us? Damn it Yami it isn't fair. Every time it seems that finally our lives seem settled and great something comes along and destroys that dream. I am so sick of it Yami. I can't take it anymore."
More tears fell. All the frustrations Raya had been trying to control this entire ordeal finally erupted. She couldn't maintain her emotions any longer. Finally the dam had broken.
"When will this end? Will we ever have the chance at life that we wanted so long ago? I guess these are question we will never have answers too. They are just too rhetorical. But that doesn't mean that I or Yugi don't want to try. We want to be a family, well as close as one as we can get. But in order to do that, you need to come back to us, to your friends, to grandpa, to Yugi, and to me. I need you Yami. You are part of my life that I can't just ignore, whether in life or death. Yugi needs you just as much or maybe more. You two are closer than closer. Dark to light, light to dark. And if you do wake Yami, we have all the time in the world to figure out what the hell to do about our lives.
Time, there is a funny word anymore. I am beginning to dislike it as much a fate and destiny. But I heard a song the other day on the television. And I don't know, it got me to thinking. About a lot of things I guess. But more importantly, about us I guess. It's hard to explain really, so I'll just sing you the song.
Time ain't nothing but time
It's a verse with no rhyme
Man, it all comes down to you
And change ain't nothing but change
Just the faces and the names
But you know we're going to make it through
I'll believe
When you don't believe in anything
I'm going to hold ya 'til your hurt is gone
Be the shoulder that you're leaning on
I'll be standing here
For the next 100 years
If it all should end tonight
I'll know it was worth the fight
And well be standing here
For the next 100 years
I, when I think that I'm losing my mind
It all comes back to you
And you. You know that it's true
After all we've been through
There's nothing that I wouldn't do
Stand by me
And I would gladly give up everything
I'm going to hold ya 'til your hurt is gone
Be the shoulder that you're leaning on
I'll be standing here
For the next 100 years
If it all should end tonight
I'll know it was worth the fight
And well be standing here
For the next 100 years
I'm going to hold ya 'til your hurt is gone
Be the shoulder that you're leaning on
I'll be standing here
For the next 100 years
If it all should end tonight
I'll know it was worth the fight
And well be standing here
For the next 100 years
Time, ain't nothing but time
It's a verse with no rhyme, Man it comes all down to you.
It's funny how a song can sum up a person's life, don't you think Yami? Okay, maybe that whole exhaustion is settling back into my body and I am losing it greatly. Or maybe I lost it long ago. But when I heard this song, I couldn't help but relate to it. The whole idea of time and change just being time and change. I mean there is nothing we can do to make either of those different, so why worry about them? And the line about it being worth the fight. That is true too. We had to save the future, at all costs. And if that meant death, then it was a risk we all had to take. But Yami, you can not die. I wouldn't know how to go on without you again. I just got you back into my life. I can't imagine losing you again. But if it comes down that either of us dies, then I will wait till we meet again. I waited 5000 years and I will do it again, in a heart beat. But in my heart, I know you can hear me and that you are trying everything in your abilities to get back to Yugi and your friends. I can't explain what I feel, it is something I just sense."
A tapping at the window signaled that Raya's time was up.
"I have to go Yami, the nurses are only letting me visit for a short time. Please Yami, I beg of you. Get better. I…" Raya hesitated. "Yugi told me to tell you that he loved you and just between us Yami, I love you too." She squeezed Yami's hand and started to pull away.
She jerked back when she felt pressure on her hand.
"Yami?" she asked hopefully. This would be too cruel of fate to play with her emotions like this if it was only an illusion.
She squeezed Yami's hand again, a bit harder this time. And then waited. She knew that the nurse was waiting for her, but she had to see, had to know the truth.
Moments passed as if they were centuries. And then she felt it, Yami was squeezing her hand, harder this time. Joy leapt through her body. Could it be true? Could Yami be coming out of his coma?
"Yami?" she asked again more excited this time.
Raya waited, then remembered that Yami wouldn't be able to speak with a tube down his throat. Fighting the fatigue she felt, Raya stood and receive in her opinion, an early Christmas gift. Yami's eye were open, tears running down his face like faucets.
Unable to resist the jab, Raya grinned as she spoke. "First time in my life that I was able to leave you speechless."
Yami rolled his eyes and then weakly pointed to the tube.
"Oh, I get you. Okay, I'll be right back. I'm going to get a nurse. Squeeze my hand if you understand."
Yami did and Raya's heart swelled. Yami was out of his coma and more importantly, he understood her. "I'll be right back."
Raya ignored the wheelchair and ran for the door. She burst outside and grabbed the nearest nurse. "He's awake."
"You mean Yami Motou is awake?"
Raya nodded, too excited to speak anymore.
"Alright, let me page his doctor. You wait here."
"Someone needs to call his grandfather." Raya remembered suddenly.
"We'll do that. Why don't you tell his brother though? Something tells me that he would rather hear the news from you, than us." the nurse replied, smiling at Raya's enthusiastic nod. "Then go ahead, but take the wheelchair, you're still a patient here."
Raya nodded. She would do anything at that moment. She quickly head down to her son's room. She couldn't wait to tell him the good news.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Raya didn't even bother to knock at Yugi's door, rather just rolled in. In her excited state, she could think of her own name let alone to knock at the door.
Yugi's back was to her when she entered. She could hear him talking on the phone with someone, but she wasn't sure who. Yugi must have sensed her presence and turned to her and mouth Seto.
Raya nodded and started to tell him the good news, when the phone drop from Yugi's hand. At first Raya was concerned, but then saw the look on Yugi's face. It was a mixture of awareness and happiness. 'Thought talk, of course.' Raya was jolted out of her thoughts when she heard Seto yelling into the phone asking if Yugi was okay. Knowing that Yugi would be distracted for quite some time, she picked it up.
"Hey Seto, Yugi is busy at the moment. You could say he is off in his own little world."
"Meaning Raya sweetie?" Seto replied, a bit confused. "I mean, the kid is alright right?"
Raya stifled a laugh knowing that Seto would get her meaning quite soon. "He's fine. He's just getting Duel Monster tips so he can really kick your butt next time."
"Duel Monster tips? Wait, you mean thought talk don't you? Why that little…..wait. Talk thought takes him and Yami to do. But that means…."
Raya pulled the phone way from her ear as Seto shouted in pure joy. "Thanks Seto, I am now deaf in my right ear."
"Is he really awake?"
"Yeah, Yami is. I am going to head back up there soon and see the prognoses and everything. Will I be seeing your beautiful face here soon? Shall I alert the nursing staff that jerk boy is coming back?"
"You better believe it. I'll call the others. We'll be there soon."
Raya didn't even get a chance to say bye as Seto hung up the phone. Chuckling, she placed the phone back on its cradle and turn back to Yugi. "How is he?"
Yugi grinned. "He wants to know the number of the truck that hit him. I gave him the rocks name, he didn't get the joke. Also he wants to know where, wait, I have to get this quote right, where the hell the blackmail picture came from and if it was Seto's doing, he was dead."
"Better warn Seto then… How is he feeling?"
"Sore and tired. He went back to bed right now. Seto and everyone on their way?"
"Yeah and the nurses were going to call dad so he is on his way too."
Yugi nodded then started to cry.
"What's wrong?" Raya asked alarmed.
"Nothing more. These are tears of happiness. We did it, we saved the future from the one I had foreseen and managed to stay alive in the process. For awhile there, I wasn't sure. And now that the horror is over, we can be a family again. You, me, Yami, Grandpa."
Raya flinched at her father's name.
"Raya, you're not still upset with him are you? I thought…" Yugi started, noticing Raya's complex expression.
"No Yugi." Raya cut him off. "It is nothing like that. In fact, you remind me of something that I have to do, that is all."
"What is that mom?"
Raya tapped her son's head. "Don't worry about it right now. I'll take care of it later. Right now, let's see if I can't convince the hospital staff to release us now and let us visit Yami."
"Really? Do you think they will?"
Raya grinned mischievously. "If they thought Seto was bad, they have another thing coming to them. After all, I'm a Walker - Motou." She winked at Yugi. "Don't worry, I'll get us out of here. Just relax for a bit."
Yugi snuggled back against his pillows. He had no doubt that Raya wouldn't get them released tonight. He couldn't wait to see Yami.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A few hours later, Yugi was starting to get impatient. Raya hadn't returned yet, but Tea and Joey had come by saying that she was in the process with Grandpa of getting him release. Neither had seen Yami yet, they were only letting one person in at a time and that had to be family right now which meant Grandpa only. But Grandpa had said that Yami looked a lot better than he had.
/Yami? Are you too tired to talk?/
//No aibou, I am alright. How do you feel?//
/Better now that I know you are okay. Is Grandpa with you?/
//He was a minute ago. He just left to sign something. Maybe you are getting out of here today.//
/Doubt it, the doctors really want to keep an eye on me still./
//It is for the best I guess. Is anyone with you?//
/Joey and Tea just left. I saw Tristan and Bakura earlier. Any word from Seto or Mokuba?/
//Hehe//
/What?/
//Seto's under house arrest for the time being. His company isn't letting him out till he is totally recovered. He called earlier.//
/I bet he isn't taking that well./
//No, kept threatening dock pay if they didn't let him out soon. Anyway, have you seen Raya lately? I haven't seen her since I woke up.//
/Not recently. She came to tell me you had woken up but then left. I haven't see her since. You don't think the hospital staff lost her do you?/
//Knowing Raya, that is exactly what happened. That girl never did like doctors much.//
Mentally, Yugi chuckled. /Hold on a second./ Yugi watched as the door to his room open and in bounced, literally, Raya. /Found mom. Be right back./
"You look happy Raya." Yugi commented with a grin. He noted the street clothes that she was wearing. Her traditional jeans, white tank, and red jacket.
"Free at last, free at last!"
"Doctors finally released you?"
Raya settled down and took a seat next to Yugi. "That they did. This is also why I was gone for so long. My hand is going to be permanently cramped. Paperwork and I do not get along at all."
"Yami was asking where you disappeared too. We figured that you had fled."
"Sort of." Raya replied mysteriously. "I did run home for a moment, to take a shower and get a copy of my independence records for the hospital. But for the rest of the time, I was sort of working on other things."
"Sort of? Come on mom, what does that mean."
"Father and I have been arranging something since he couldn't get you discharged today. Something for you and Yami."
Perplexed, Yugi tilted his head, giving Raya the full out puppy dog expression.
"That is too cute, but unfortunately for you it is not working on me. Besides Grandpa wants to be the one to show you. Grandpa!" Raya yelled out towards the door.
Grandpa walked in, smile as big as the sun itself. "Yugi, how would you feel about a roommate?"
"Company is nice I guess." Yugi replied, not sure what was going on.
"Glad you think so. You can bring him in now." Grandpa said to someone in the hallway.
"Yami!" Yugi shouted as he saw the person being wheeled in on the bed.
"Aibou." Yami managed to wheeze out. It was evident to everyone that while Yami was out of the woods, he had a long road of recovery ahead of him.
"Since we couldn't discard you Yugi, your grandfather and Raya suggested that we make Yami your roommate since we could bring him down from ICU. How do you like that?" The nurse asked.
"I like that very much. Thank you."
The nurse left and Sugoroku followed. "I have to finish filling out papers." He winked as he left. He just wanted to give the family a chance to have a small private reunion.
Unable to control himself any longer, Yugi flung himself onto Yami's bed, careful of both patients wires. Wrapping his tiny arms around Yami's neck, Yugi snuggled up close to his 'brother.'
Weakly, Yami returned the hug, still quite fatigued. Still, a question had been looming in his head for quite some time. "How…how did…we get...home?'
Yugi opened one eye and stared at Raya, who was on the other side of Yami. "It wasn't easy Yugioh, let me tell you that. But you'd be quite proud of Yugi. Without his powers, we probably never would have gotten home. He helped me summon the cards. And they got us back to our true time." Raya finished. Tea had told her how the monsters had come and save all of them, it was simply amazing.
Yami grinned. "I was always proud of him, more so after he saved Satire and Jarha."
"Really Yami? I thought you'd be upset. For getting you hurt."
Yami couched in surprise. "Never, you did the right thing. You should maturity and wisdom well beyond your years. Raya is right. I and she couldn't be more proud of you. You faced your innermost fears, beat the darkness, and even overcame obstacles that quite honestly, I am not sure if I could even overcome. But you did it. You managed to stay with the light and because of that, all of us were able to win and escape with our lives."
"Really? I did all that?"
Raya moved to clasp one of her hands onto Yugi's, the other holding Yami's. "That and so much more Yugi. More than you can ever realize. You saved the future from a dark age and restore it to its correct timeline. You gave Satire and Jarha another chance at life. And you gave our family another chance at being together as well. Yugi, you are nothing short of a hero."
Yugi glanced at Yami, then at Raya. "No, not a hero. Just a son. Your son."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'The hospital staff has to be getting sick of everyone.' Yami thought as he glanced around his room. Five days had come and gone since he had awoke from his coma and everyone but him were home and practically back to normal routines. Seto had finally managed to convince his staff to let him do something, anything, so they sent him to Yami. And Yami was thrilled, honestly.
///Yeah right.///
Yami smirked at his wife who for some reason never lost her ability to thought talk with him or Yugi. It was like the bond the three of them shared could never be shattered, even with magic. That or the conniving little sneak had found a way around the rules.
As if reading his thoughts, Raya flashed him a devilish smile and return to watching the gang. Yami decided to do the same, even though secretly he was enjoying the semi-private time he had with Raya. Not that he didn't enjoy his friends company, far from it.
The whole gang was there in fact, Joey and Yugi were in a corner of the room, dueling it out. Of course, his son was winning. Bakura was watching on with much interest as was Seto, though Seto was mainly poking fun at Joey's skills. But even the World Champion had to admit that Joey had come along way since they had dueled. Joey was trying to convince Seto for a rematch, but Seto didn't become head of a company for his looks. He knew easily that playing Joey would be one of the toughest duels he ever played. He needed more time to prepare than this.
Tristan, Mokuba, and Tea were all gazing out the window. Whatever had peaked their interest, Yami had no idea. All that was out there was trees, more trees, and occasionally a deer or twelve. After staring out that window for so long, the outdoors had lost its thrill.
///Never was the outdoor type were you?///
//Not a once.//
///Spoiled Palace Brat.///
//Commoner.// Yami countered. The playful grin had to be plastered on his face.
///Just be glad your hurt or I would so kill you.///
Yami chucked. Grandfather had told everyone to come to the hospital today for three reasons. What those reason were, no one knew, but everyone was dying of curiosity. Hence why everyone was trying to distract themselves in anyway possible. Eventually Yugi got bored with the Duel Monster game and crawled up into Raya's lap and promptly fell asleep. It didn't take much for Yugi to get worn out.
Finally, their patients were rewarded. Grandpa came in hold several pieces of paper and a large white envelope.
"What is all that father?" Raya asked as she gently nudged Yugi awake.
"Due to Ruia. First things first. I know you are all wondering why you have been asked here today so I won't keep you in suspense any longer. First off, Yami. I talked to the doctors today. All your tests came back negative which means they are going to release you tomorrow."
"Thank Ra, it is about time." Yami exclaimed.
Everyone laughed. "What Yami? White not your color?" Seto asked.
"Not any more."
Grandpa cleared his throat and everyone turned back to him. "Next, I mysteriously found this history book on the kitchen counter at home with this page open. I think we gotten a visit from this Clio you all told me about. I think you find the article on the page most interesting." He passed out copies of text.
"During the celebration of the second triad generation of the locking of the Shadow Games, the temple of Ptah suddenly collapsed from internal damages. It was unclear how these damages came to be, however local myth claims that an all out battle for life, love, and stability took place there between the light and the darkness. According to the legends, the Divine Family, who apparently was the late souls of Pharaoh Yugioh, his late wife Ruia Motou, and their son, Yugi, battled against the extreme darkness. Aided by the souls of their friends, the High Priest Setto, his wife Anzu, High Priest Bakura, Guards Jou and Honda and even the younger brother of Setto, Mokuba, the Divine Family was able to overthrow the darkness, locking it away forever. And thus creating the age of the Light, the period of which we live in then, now, and forever." Yugi read.
"So the battle didn't go unnoticed." Raya whispered in awe. "Anyone else getting totally creep out by this? This battle happened over 5000 years ago and we took part in it."
"Creepy yes, but so totally cool none the less." Joey replied, raising his fist into the air. "We are apart of history."
"I wouldn't say that so loud Joey. If overheard it is another event that we really can't explain." Tristan captioned.
Bakura turned back to Grandfather. "And the third bit of news?"
"Is for Raya." Sugoroku replied.
"Me?" Raya said, totally confused.
Bakura watched as Grandpa handed her the white envelope. He remembered that letter. Sugoroku had said that it very well may hold the key to getting Raya to forgive him. He had forgotten all about that letter. That conversation had happened long before they fled to the past to save it. It fact, that was when Raya thought she was Ruia. Curiosity nipped at Bakura's subconscious.
Gingerly, Raya opened the envelope, giving her father curious glances all the while. She pulled out the documents and began to read them over. She gasped and raised her head to father's eye level. Disbelief was set in her eyes.
"Raya, what is it?" Seto asked, concern written all over his face. From the look at Raya's face, what ever the papers said, it wasn't something she was expecting. And Seto couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not.
"Adoption papers."