Last Time: Yugi wanted his Yami to come back to him, but was promptly refused. But in actuality, Yami has a plan to teach Yugi a lesson and has TK's total cooperation. Sensing hopelessness, Yugi has actually gone as far at to get help…from Seto Kaiba.


Taking A New Host: Part 4


TK was trying to sleep soundly. It had been a long day and maybe a good night's sleep could help him relax. And he felt himself drifting off into dreamland. He saw himself getting to his feet and walking towards his front door and out of his apartment. It felt so real, the way dreams often did.

But then it hit him. He wasn't dreaming! Yami had come out again and was walking him out.

/// Yami, what are you doing? It's late and I need sleep. ///

// I'm sorry, TK. But I need time to think. //

/// Can't you think from inside the puzzle? ///

// I'd much rather think while looking at the stars…the way I used to do back in Egypt. //

/// Do you ever do this to Yugi? ///

// My Aibou doesn't complain nearly as much as you do! //

/// Ok, I can see I won't be getting any sleep tonight. Well, if you need someone to listen, I'm here. What's on your mind? ///

Yami walked TK's body out of the apartment and over to the second-story ledge, where he looked out into the sky.

// I'm thinking about what led up to this. What made Yugi want to do this? I was just trying to do what I felt was right! //

/// What exactly did you do, anyway? ///

There was a moment of silence before Yami's voice sounded again.

// We were in a place called the Duelist Kingdom. We had gone to save Yugi's grandfather's soul from the clutches of an evil man known as Maximillion Pegasus. We had just reached Pegasus's castle but were intercepted by a lowlife known as Seto Kaiba. He challenged me to a duel, with the winner going into Pegasus's castle. Naturally, I had come out to duel for Yugi. Even after dishing out his most powerful attacks, Kaiba couldn't beat me. I was ready to deliver the final blow. But Kaiba thought he could force me to throw the duel by standing on a ledge that was a few dozen stories from the ground. If I had made my move, Kaiba would have likely fallen to his death. I didn't flinch. I continued the attack, but Yugi reached from within and took control at the very last second. He stopped me from attacking and Kaiba won the duel. //

/// You were willing to risk killing someone? ///

// Kaiba is a poor excuse for a human being! He dared to stand against us in our quest to save Yugi's grandfather! I was willing to do away with him, but Yugi was not. He showed compassion. Yugi interpreted the whole incident as just me wanting to win at any cost. But I did it for his grandfather! I did it for Yugi! //

/// But trying to kill someone is wrong. There had to be another way and you shouldn't have FORCED Yugi to make a move! It was his body first. ///

// But we've been together for a long time. It's as if he's suddenly lost trust in me. //

/// I don't really trust you, either. You stole a kiss from Kari! ///

// Uh…um…that's…just a little ancient puzzle humor. //

/// Humor or not, you just jumped right in and pushed me out of my own body. You can't be doing that if you want things between you and Yugi to ever be like they used to be. ///

// Well…I guess I've learned that much. To tell you the truth, I've missed my Aibou. Maybe I should just go back. //

/// Does that mean this whole nightmare will be over tomorrow? ///

// I must apologize again, TK. This must be very awkward for you. You have my word that this ends tomorrow. //

/// Does that mean we can go to bed now? ///

TK started to feel someone tugging on his arm. He sensed that he had control of his body again. Yami must have gone back into the Millennium Puzzle.

"TK?"

TK turned his head and realized that nine-year-old Cody Hida had come out to check on him. Cody was the only other friend that lived out in the apartment complex after Yolei's family moved into a house of their own.

"Oh…I was just coming out for some fresh air," TK muttered.

"You had this weird look on your face," Cody said. "It was like your mind just went off into space."

"Uh…something like that."

"Huh?"

"Um…never mind. Thanks for coming out, Cody, but I'm fine."

"Hey, what's that around your neck?"

TK looked down at the Millennium Puzzle hanging over his neck. "Oh, this? It's…just something I found. Don't worry about it."

Cody eyed it once more before walking off. He was obviously concerned, but TK didn't want anyone else to think something was wrong. After all, this would all be over by the next day.

A new day had arrived and TK was about to fall asleep. His eyes were red from not getting enough sleep the night before and he had no one to blame but Yami, who had him up all night long. TK just wanted this borderline-psychotic episode to end.

TK was almost in dreamland. He nearly didn't hear someone knock on the door. He shrugged off his weariness and walked over to answer the door. Opening the door to see Kari should have made him happy, but he honestly felt like collapsing.

"TK! Uh…it is TK, right?"

"It's me, Kari," TK yawned.

Kari gasped. "TK, you poor thing! You're a wreck!"

"It's not easy when my body's not my own anymore," TK sighed. "My other half wanted to stay up and think. So I didn't get much sleep. And a few hours ago, when I DID start to fall asleep, my mom woke up when she slammed the door on her way out to work. I just want this to be over."

"Maybe I can help you get your mind off everything," Kari suggested. "You want to grab some breakfast?"

"Sounds good! I think my night built up an appetite."

TK and Kari were about to walk out hand-in-hand, but found they almost forgot someone.

"Hey! Can I come, too?"

TK turned around and saw Patamon sitting up on the couch. He looked pretty hungry, himself. TK wasn't in the mood to argue, so he would simply agree. TK walked over and grabbed his gym bag.

"Ok, but stay out of sight. Maybe I'll give you some leftovers."

Patamon zipped into the bag as TK's stomach started to growl. His stomach growled for a good thirty seconds. He bashfully gazed at Kari.

Kari sweatdropped. "I'm pretty hungry, too. Let's eat."

The night passed by slowly for Yugi and daytime couldn't come soon enough for him. The thought of his lost Yami kept him tossing and turning the whole night. But there was more that was distressing Yugi on this morning. It was knowing who was waiting for him outside the door.

Yugi sighed deeply. "I can't believe I'm doing this."

He walked past his friends and opened the door to see the man he had reluctantly asked for help.

"It's about time. Does it ALWAYS take you this long to start your day?"

Yugi couldn't believe he was actually asking for Seto Kaiba to help him. Of all the people that could help, this was the last person he expected to turn to.

"I'm glad you came," Yugi said politely.

"Let's get this over with," Kaiba growled. "The sooner we end this, the sooner I get what I want."

"I see you aren't doing this out of the goodness of your heart, Kaiba," Joey muttered.

"Oh, please! I have a score to settle with Yugi and his alter ego, but to do that, I need them to be together."

Kaiba walked over to the motel's parking lot where a limousine was waiting for him. He opened the back door for his guests.

"Téa…"

Téa made her way into the limo.

"Tristan…"

Tristan went in behind Téa.

"Yugi…"

Yugi went in third.

"Monkey…"

Joey was about to go in…before that last comment hit him.

"Why, you…!"

Téa pulled Joey into the limo before anything could erupt between him and Kaiba. Kaiba and Joey had a rocky relationship that stemmed back from the day Kaiba demolished Yugi's grandfather in a duel and sent him to the hospital. The animosity intensified after Kaiba humiliated Joey in a duel. They had never seen eye-to-eye and likely never will.

Kaiba finally entered the limo. "Driver, take us to this address…"

Kari hadn't seen TK eat like that in a long time. He was still gobbling down a plate of all-you- can-eat pancakes at the local diner. Kari sweatdropped as she watched her boyfriend eat like there was no tomorrow.

"You aren't eating for two, are you?" Kari asked.

"I'm pretty sure this guy doesn't eat," TK said with his mouth full. "But that's ok. I'll still eat for him. I'm really hungry."

"I can tell," Kari said dryly.

TK's gym bag shook. "Psst…TK!"

TK stuffed a pancake in his bag, which Patamon happily ate up. Breakfast hadn't nearly been as awkward as Kari was expecting it to be. There was no sign of Yami at all. It was just Kari and TK (and occasionally Patamon popping up) for the whole time.

A few minutes later, the tranquility of breakfast was interrupted. The door opened and a scruffy thug with a denim jacket and black jeans came in and held a gun up in the air.

"Ok, everybody get down! This is a robbery!"

Everybody got down as the thug shot his gun in the air. It finally got TK to stop eating, as he ducked right alongside Kari. Kari felt comforted when TK held her close. Patamon stuck his head out of the bag. It looked like he wanted to do something, but he couldn't risk exposing himself. But just as the robber reached the counter to rob the cash register, Kari was nearly blinded when he saw the puzzle around TK's neck start to react.

When the light faded, TK's bewildered expression was replaced by an expression that was confident, yet outraged at what was happening. To Kari's shock, TK started to get out from under the table. Kari reached for his hand, but TK shrugged it off. It was obvious that Yami had come out.

Yami TK got out from under the table and started to approach the counter. When the thief saw him coming, he turned and aimed his gun at him.

"Get back, kid!"

"You're very brave when you're holding a weapon," Yami TK said with his uniquely deep voice. "Why don't you face me like a man, rather than like a coward? Why don't you and I play a little game?"

"A game? Are you nuts?"

"I think you'll like this game," Yami smirked. "Because it's a game for your life! The game is simple. Using one finger, you'll try and take the other's life. The only rule is, you are prohibited from using any other finger. So what will you do, coward? Which finger will you use to kill me?"

Kari gasped in horror. "TK!"

That was crazy. That spirit inhabiting TK was talking about playing a life-and-death game. Kari couldn't believe she was about to watch Yami just risk TK's life like that.

The thug chuckled. "You're out of your mind, kid. But I'll play your little game. I choose my index finger, which is also my trigger finger."

Yami chuckled right back. "And I'll choose my thumb. Tell me something, coward. Is that alcohol I smell on your jacket? Russian vodka, if I'm not mistaking?"

"What's it to you?"

Yami just kept chuckling. "Oh, you'll see. Game start!"

The thief pointed his gun at TK. "Game over! Say goodbye, kid!"

Yami casually took a lighter out of his pocket and lit it with his thumb. He lowered the flame to the thief's alcohol-soaked jacket. The jacket immediately burst into flames. The robber dropped his gun and frantically tried to put the fire out. Satisfied with having foiled this robbery, Yami calmly looked over at Kari.

"Kari, let's go."

Kari nervously got out from underneath the table, but quickly stopped when she saw that the robber had taken his jacket off and tossed it to the ground. He then reached for his gun on the ground with his other hand. TK had his back to the whole thing and Kari feared the worst.

"Look out!" she cried.

Yami sighed and kept his back to the thief. "Coward! I knew you'd cheat!" He turned around and extended his hand. "The gates of darkness have opened and now *I* decide your fate. MIND CRUSH!!"

The thief's stare suddenly went blank and he fell to the ground. The thief just looked at the ceiling and started convulsing and twitching. Kari couldn't believe what she saw and the rest of the diner was left speechless. Yami walked over to Kari and extended his hand to her.

"Let's go."

Not knowing what to make of any of this, Kari just grabbed TK's gym bag and came out from underneath the table. The robber was still in convulsions on the ground. As they left the diner, Kari looked back one more time at the twitching thief.

This definitely wasn't her TK she was walking with. Kari was a child of light and she knew when something wasn't right. And there was something very dark about this spirit known as Yami.


Next Time: If you thought breakfast at the diner was intense, wait until you see the walk home. Yami's only just begun. And what happens when they get back to the apartment and meet up with Yugi and the others?


Author's Note: Fans of anime subs should recognize the way Yami dealt with our robber. He actually used a very similar method of dealing with a bad guy in the first Japanese season's second episode, before Duel Monsters became a focal point in the series. From what I've seen and heard, the original first season of Yu-Gi-Oh was VERY dark and violent. Anyway, that was just to explain the scene. Hope you enjoyed it. ^_^


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!