HCG: Aaaah, chapter 7! Do you know what this means?
Karma: um...no?
HCG: Well, there's only this chapter, along with two other chapters, until the entire fic is complete. Interesting, no?
Slash: Very ^_^
HCG: Hmm, yes. Now, lesse here, what've I got to say today?
Kaiba: *waves hand impatiently*
HCG: Oh, right! In honor of the chapter, I've invited the whole "Negative Realm Sneaking Team" to view it. That's right...Kaiba, Ryou, and Bakura have all returned, and for the first time ever, introducing Joey!
Joey: ^_^ Hey!
Ryou: Hello, Guardian.
Bakura: *going through a pile of loot and not responding*
Kaiba: ¬_¬;;
HCG: o_O;; What's wrong with you, Kaiba?
Kaiba: *annoyed frown* My cool-ness in the fic got stolen.
Karma: What?
Kaiba: You see, for chapters four and five, I was the awesome, brave, determined, and not to mention cool character that everybody paid attention to. But Joey over there stole my spotlight!
Joey: Did not!
Kaiba: Did too!
Joey: What about Bakura, or Ryou? Half the last chapter was about them!
Kaiba: So? Everybody likes Ryou and Bakura. Whenever I get any attention, you steal it.
Joey: Do not!
Kaiba: Do too...mutt!!!
Joey: YOU JERK!
Kaiba: LOOK WHO'S TALKING, YOU DUELING MONKEY!!
Slash: Well, I think you BOTH SUCK!
*Joey, Kaiba, and Slash get in a three-way cartoonized fight, again with dust clouds and bright stars. Guardian, Karma, Ryou, and Bakura side-step the fight and continue talking some ways away*
Bakura: Idiotic mortals...
Karma: *helpfully* And one anteater.
HCG: ¬_¬;; Ooookay....so apparently these three are only best friends in their opposite Realms...but they don't work together too well in this Realm.
Ryou: *nodding* Hmm, yes...shall we get to the story?
HCG: *nodding* But first: we must thank the reviewers. Thanks to ALL of you who reviewed my story. I can't make a list anymore, because there are too many separate people, but I thank you all the same.
Karma: *laughing* Hah, you should've seen Guardian's face when she saw the number of reviews change from 14 to 25. It was hilarious!
HCG: ¬_¬;; Thanks, Karma. *returning to reviewer topic* Anyway, thanks people! I worked really hard on that, and I appreciate all the kind reviews ^_^ *tosses T a large box of chocolate, and gives the rest of them more of Slash's large, ever-diminishing pile of loot--much to his annoyance* Also, to answer TZ's question of "Where is the real Yami?" Well, the answer is simple: he didn't get pulled through the portal like Yugi did, so he's still in the Real Realm. Question answered?
Ryou: I should think so.
HCG: Great! Now...*takes out her useful new writing tool, the Yu-Gi-Oh! Soundtrack* I know most of the songs aren't that good, but the instrumentals are great--that, and I like the "Kaiba songs" too.
*the fight comes to an abrupt halt, and Kaiba steps out of the rapidly clearing dust cloud* Kaiba: Really? My songs?
HCG: o_O;; Yeah...they sound good...
Kaiba: *turns to Joey, who is standing behind him* HAH! TAKE THAT, YOU LOOSER!
*another fight begins, this time between just Joey and Kaiba*
HCG: O_O;; ...um....ficcie...DISCLAIMER! *shoves Bakura forward*
Bakura: ....um...HCG does not own Yugioh or any of the characters in it....although Slash and Karma belong to her, and--*evil grin* if you try to take'em I'll send you to the Shadow Realm and--
HCG: ENOUGH!
Bakura: o_O;;
HCG: Story! First, notes:
/word/--a hikari to a yami
//word//--a yami to a hikari
italicized words are thoughts or dreams/memories
Again, recall that Ryou will call Yami Bakura a simple "Yami." Don't get him confused with Yami Yugi
Shadow Turned Light
Chapter 7: Into the Maze of Pain
Bakura woke with the sun shining brightly in his eyes, forcing him to squeeze them shut momentarily against the sudden blaze of light. After several seconds he re-opened them, then sat upright suddenly, feeling refreshed.
For a second he found it surprising that he was still in his temporary physical form; usually, when he planned to rest, he returned to the Millennium Ring so that he conserve his energy. He wondered momentarily why he had kept his fake appearance, when he recalled what had happened during the night.
Ryou had been healed.
The thought hit him like a bolt of lightning. He had never thought his aibou would be found, yet Yugi Moto had brought the boy out of the darkness in his mind and back into the light. He still couldn't believe it had happened.
Smiling gently, Bakura glanced over at his hikari. The boy was sleeping on the second bed in the room. He no longer breathed raggedly, or moaned of the terrors in his head--no, he was free, and safe.
Still smiling, the ancient tomb robber headed for the door quietly, trying not to disturb his slumbering other. He wanted to let his lighter side rest after everything he had been through, and to prepare for what would happen later that day.
He had just reached the door when he heard a feeble attempt at a thought being sent through his mind link. /...Yami?.../
Bakura was startled, at first. The thought was weak, true, but it was there. He hadn't heard his aibou try to talk to him in such a way for ages, beyond his pitiful cries for help that could not be given. Now, to hear an obviously lucid thought through the link, he suddenly felt a sense of relieved contentment. His charge was back, at last; he had not failed in his self-appointed duty to protect the younger one.
//What is it, Ryou?// he asked through the link, stopping near the door. He turned to face his Light, still laying on the bed, and discovered the white-haired boy watching him with half-opened eyes.
/Wait up...one second.../ Ryou said slowly, fatigue filling his thoughts. He tried to lift himself off the bed, falling back with a sigh. /...ugh.../
Bakura walked over to him calmly, asking through the link, //What's the matter?//
/I just feel...so tired. Like I haven't...slept...in weeks. And like...my muscles...are made out of string.../
The tomb robber chuckled slightly. //It is to be expected. You used quite a bit of energy to follow Yugi out of that maze in your mind. I'm surprised you have any energy at all.//
/So am I...God, that was some hell.../ the boy blinked suddenly. /Did you say Yugi?/
The Ring spirit looked surprised. //Yes, I did. You recognized him last night, too. Don't you remember?//
/Not really.../ Ryou managed a weak laugh. /I don't really remember much at all, other than all those...those memories...starting to leave me alone. But...but how can Yugi...how could he have helped me? He's...dead.../ his thought broke off with a small wave of emotion, a mix of anger, fear, and sorrow.
//It's a long story, Aibou,// Bakura said hastily, wanting to get off the subject. //I'll tell you everything later. Right now, you need to get some rest.//
The white-haired hikari tried to sit up again, despite his darker side's protests. He managed to raise himself farther this time before flopping back into the sheets and pillows, tired once more. Deciding to try something else for the time being instead of wasting his energy trying to get up, Ryou spoke out loud instead. "I can't rest, Bakura. I know I feel tired, and I know I should sleep...but at the same time, I can't. I'm so restless that if I tried to doze off, I'd only use up more of my energy. I need to move."
The tomb robber changed to speaking verbally as well. "You shouldn't. You need as much rest as you can possibly get; we've got a huge mission today, and both of us need every scrap of strength we can possibly build up. Please, just get some rest."
The spirit's Light shook his head, voicing his opinions with a tired, yet stubborn voice, his British accent only increasing his headstrong thoughts. "I can't, Bakura, and that's a fact. I'm going to get up and move around whether it takes me all day or not."
The spirit sighed and rolled his eyes in frustration. "At least let me help, okay? You're so weak you would collapse as soon as you took a step."
Ryou smiled at his darker spirit's concern and nodded. "Very well, then."
Bakura's form shimmered and disappeared as he returned to the Ring. Seconds later, Ryou's body seemed to gain strength as the ancient thief took possession of it.
//There. We're merged. I'll control most of you, but you'll still be able to see and hear everything.//
With souls bonded together, the Light and Dark beings left the room, still talking together in their mind link. Ryou bombarded his yami with questions the entire time, asking about what had happened after his accident. The ancient tomb robber was only too glad to answer the questions, delighted that his lighter side was back.
The two of them entered the main room of the Opposition's base, Bakura still in control, for the most part. The resistance agent headed straight for one particular table, which had been separated from the others slightly so that it's occupants weren't bothered by the general bustle of the workers around the room.
There were only two figures sitting at the table, Kaiba and Joey. Both had plates of breakfast food in front of them, as well as mugs of steaming liquid. Joey's plate was completely empty, as was his cup; Kaiba, however, had not eaten a single scrap of his food. The reason was soon clear; the maps of Yami's complex were in front of the two of them, and Kaiba was checking over the plans one last time with the assistance of his top agent.
Bakura sat down calmly, across from Kaiba, and looked over the map as well. He had to admit, their plan was a risky one--even more so than their previous schemes--but he had no doubt they could pull it off.
"Getting ready?" he asked slowly, yawning despite himself. Kaiba's only answer was a nod before the teen CEO turned back to the map and marked another section with one of the nearby pens on the table.
The ancient thief chuckled slightly before turning to Seto's plateful of food. He snatched it easily and began wolfing down the eggs and bacon, not caring about the teen's response to his food being stolen. Kaiba didn't even seem to notice; he went right on jotting down a few notes on one corner of the map as though it were the only thing that existed.
/He looks like he's recovered from his whole ordeal,/ Ryou muttered through the mind link.
//Don't be fooled,// Bakura thought back. //He only hides it well; he hasn't recovered by far.//
The three top Opposition agents sat in silence, the only sounds to be heard being the scratching of Kaiba's pen and the crunch of bacon from his plate as the tomb robber devoured it.
Using the long stretch of quiet, the darker spirit explained carefully to his hikari Yugi's whole story, adding in the Negative Realm theories to finish the tale. Ryou seemed interested, asking several questions about the whole account. He was just about to ask about his sudden recovery and it's relation to Yugi when Kaiba spoke.
"Where is he?!" the CEO hissed, throwing down his pen in annoyance.
"Where's who?" Joey asked, frowning.
"Yugi!" the Blue Eyes spat, staring at the living quarters corridor angrily. "He knows when our mission is starting...he should be up by now!"
"I would give him a break," Bakura said calmly, slowly. "He has a reason, and a good one at that."
"It had better be good!" Seto was plainly annoyed from the way he was shifting in his chair, as if he was planning on standing up suddenly.
"Yugi exerted a large majority of his magic last night to save Ryou's life," the tomb robber said, his voice almost making him sound as if he was in charge. "In fact, my aibou was on the brink of death, and he could not escape the mind trap Yami placed him in. But Yugi was able to use the pure magic of the Millennium Puzzle to find my hikari's soul, and to bring him out of the maze the Pharaoh built. Ryou has, in short, returned. Unfortunately, the whole experience has drained both Ryou and Yugi of their energy, so he has probably not recovered from the loss of so much strength."
Kaiba looked shocked. "He healed Ryou? But...but I thought...that he was lost!"
"Not any longer," Bakura said, the ghost of a smile on his face.
"I don't believe it!" Joey said, grinning. "Ryou's back! Man, this other Yugi shows up, and suddenly everything's going our way!"
"Indeed," Seto said calmly, though his eyes still held shock as he glanced at the tomb robber for a second. "If that is the case, I suppose we can allow him to sleep a little bit longer. He does deserve it, if he was able to save the Lost..." he trailed off, though his thought was obvious.
Ryou must have seen it too, because he whispered through the mind link, /He's thinking about Mokuba./
//I know...but no matter how much power Yugi may have within that pure Puzzle, the power of life over death does not reside in one Item alone.//
/I feel sorry for him./
The mind link conversation cut short as Kaiba returned to his original work of looking over the maps spaced out before him. The other two agents gathered more of the charts and other scraps of paper together, going over notes and preparing for the day's work ahead of them. And even then, they didn't think they'd ever finish getting ready.
They didn't have enough time to ever fully prepare for what lay in store for them, and they knew it. All they could do was get their few defenses and plans together, placing all their hope and trust into one boy that they knew...and did not know.
Could they trust him? They were putting all their faith into this plan, and everything--everything--resided on the boy. If he didn't come through for them, everything would fail.
For once in life, Bakura wished he could get a straight answer out of their problems.
* * * * *
Shadows. Shadows all around him, never going away, building the very existence of the Realm he was in. They followed him, huge, powerful, and deadly, stalking him like a tiger after it's wounded prey.
Oh, god, he thought to himself, feeling desperate terror building within his very heart and soul. Not this again. Anything but this again.
"You know why we call on you again..." The voice, dripping with deadly truth, stabbed through the Realm like a knife.
"My destiny...that's what it all is, isn't it? You want me to follow my destiny..."
"Exactly."
"But...but I am! I'm here, in the Negative Realm! I'm helping them, just like you said!"
"Not quite. Not quite. You still have much to do, Yugi Moto."
"The mission..." the boy's voice was soft, fear weaving around it, easily noticeable in the Shadow Realm. All dark feelings are noticeable in the Shadow Realm.
"Do not mistake your Destiny. You have come to the Negative Realm, true...but while you have promised your help, you have not given it."
"But I will!"
"So you say. But remember this: the final test is still to come. Do not be tempted. It will be a terrible challenge set before you...but do not allow yourself to fall into the trap. Your destiny will always be destroyed that way."
"What?" The boy was confused. "But...I don't understand!"
"You will understand when the time comes, and not before. You are never meant to know before." With this said, the huge, nearly solid shadows retreated, backing away into the depths of the Shadow Realm and it's darkness.
"Wait!" the young boy yelled. "Come back! I still have questions! WAIT!"
The shadows refused to listen. They dispersed into the Shadow Realm completely, disappearing within seconds. But then...
The boy jumped in shock as the shadows twisted to form a shape. It was an illusion, he realized, but only momentarily--for at the next moment the form became more recognizable.
It started with simply a pair of eyes, violet in color, with a cold and dangerous look in them. Golden bangs became more visible next, followed by the rest of the face and body. Somebody the boy knew very well.
Yami.
The spirit illusion faced him for only a few moments, a sickeningly evil grin twisting on his face. The Sennen Eye glowed on his forehead, giving his appearance a more powerful look.
"Those Destined will soon meet their deaths!" he spat, before leaping forward, Millennium Puzzle glowing dangerously...
Yugi shot upright with a gasp, finding himself sitting in bed. He breathed heavily, staring around the room in surprise.
How did I get here? the Hikari thought quietly to himself. The last thing he remembered was talking to Bakura, and then...and then everything had gone black. Must have passed out, he thought to himself.
He sighed to himself and turned his attention to the dream. It had been another Shadowdream, he knew that much. Much more terrifying than the last one that had come to him. But what scared him the most was how Yami had acted in it. True, it was an illusion, but it didn't change the startling fact that he had attacked Yugi.
The Hikari sighed and shook his head in frustration. He didn't want to think about how his darker self had acted, for he knew that his Yami really would attempt to kill him if he had the chance. He snapped his eyes shut tightly, trying to filter the Shadowdream out of his head.
It wasn't the only dream that had visited him in the night, either. There had been others, each one getting stranger--and scarier--as they flashed through his mind. Bakura, holding a bloody Duel Monsters card, easily identified as the Change of Heart. Kaiba, trapped in a cage made of glass walls, staring out of his prison with a tortured expression. And Yami, reaching down to help his aibou up from where he had fallen, only to change suddenly with a snarl of anger, slapping Yugi's hand aside. But what was strange about all of these dreams was that they all seemed real, as if they were trying to tell him something.
The young Hikari groaned in a mix of emotions. He didn't want to have to deal with this; he shouldn't have to deal with it. But he could not avoid his destiny, now clearly set before him.
The destiny that will be the death of me, the boy couldn't help thinking to himself, recalling the Shadowdream.
He sighed and rolled off the bed, heading for the door after quickly snatching his backpack from a nearby chair. Turning and heading down for the main room of the Opposition's base, he soon became lost in thought. He found himself running over all of the memories he had half-received from Ryou's mind. They were horrible, every single one; he couldn't imagine how the people in this Negative Realm could stand living there.
He was broken from his thoughts as he reached the main room and heard an angry voice from a table in one of the corners of the room.
"If Yugi's not out here in ten minutes, Joey, I'm sending you to wake him up!"
"Aww, com'mon, give him a break. You heard what Bakura said, he's--"
"I don't give a damn! I want to get moving within the hour, or all our plans will have to be re-written. Yami's spy network gets news quick."
Yugi trotted up to the table, smiling, and said calmly, "Don't worry about waking me. I'm here."
Kaiba, the occupant of the first voice, turned to look at him in surprise. Joey glanced at his friend, grinning slightly, before returning to gazing over the map on the table. Bakura, the final person at the table, only stared at him silently, though his eyes had a thankful look in them.
Kaiba spoke first. "Are you ready for the mission? Do you need anything before we begin?"
Yugi shook his head. "No, I don't think so." He took a second glance at the teen CEO and smiled slightly. Seto was wearing his usual trench coat, a deep, rich blue in color. He laughed at seeing such a familiar item in this Realm--that was, until Kaiba noticed his stare and explained that the heavy material of the coat made it easy to hide several sheathed knives up his arms. He proved his point by flicking one of his hands quickly, letting one of the small-bladed weapons slip into his hands; it looked as though it had simply appeared out of thin air.
"I'm nearly as good a knife-slinger as Bakura," he said, as if explaining that the sky was blue.
"Better," the tomb robber muttered slowly, as if he regretted saying it. "You've gotten far better than I."
"I doubt it," Kaiba said, raising an eyebrow. He flourished his hand again, and the blade disappeared into one of it's hidden sheaths.
Yugi blinked in surprise. "But...what happened to your gun?"
"I wouldn't bring a gun on a mission like this...it's far too noticeable. Even the knives are hard to hide, though I can do it with some difficulty."
"Oh." the young Hikari sighed.
There was silence for several seconds before Bakura broke through it. "Yugi," he said quietly, "Ryou would like to talk to you."
"What?" the boy gasped, turning towards the tomb robber quickly. "But he should be resting!"
"I know," the thief replied. "I have tried to make him rest, but he flatly refuses to."
Yugi raised his eyebrows slightly. Hmm...so Ryou gains a stubborn streak in this Realm...
"Well...I guess it'd be okay for him to talk for a while," the Hikari said, shrugging.
Bakura nodded. "Wait a few seconds," he said calmly, before closing his eyes.
The Millennium Ring glowed brightly, and suddenly it's owner slumped a bit. He looked tired, but when he raised his head there was a look of determination in his eyes.
"Hey, Yugi," Ryou said shakily, leaning slightly on the table for support.
"Ryou! I'm glad to see you're safe again." Every word in Yugi's sentence was genuine, and it showed on his face. His violet eyes seemed to shine in happiness, and he was smiling.
"Thanks to you, I am," the white-haired Hikari said slowly. "That's really what I wanted to talk to you about. I want to thank you, for helping me escape that hellhole. I couldn't get out...no matter how much I tried, I couldn't get out. I could tell that Bakura was searching for me, but I could never be found...until you came along, that is."
Yugi nodded slowly. "Anything to help a friend," he said, eyes alight with determination.
"Thank you...thank you so much...." Ryou sighed, leaning forward on the table more. "God, I'm tired."
The other Hikari moved forward a pace, concern on his face. "Maybe you'd better rest, Ryou. Let Bakura take over again."
"...right..." the white-haired boy nodded, fatigue filling his face. "...I will...thanks, Yugi, and good luck. I hope you reach your Realm again." The Ring around his neck glowed once more, and within seconds Bakura had returned.
Kaiba and Joey stared with twin surprised looks at the tomb robber. Kaiba was the first to speak. "It is true...Yugi, I think we really can expect your presence to change everything in the Opposition." Joey nodded in agreement, staring at his friend with respect.
"Did you think I was lying?" Bakura muttered, annoyed, as he stood up from the table.
Kaiba shrugged. "Not exactly, but you must admit that hearing of such an amazing recovery is rather unheard of."
The thief shrugged. "It is of no matter. Now...shall we begin the mission?" He stared at each of the other three teenagers with a cold, serious look on his face. Kaiba nodded, as did Joey, who was also clenching a fist. Yugi did not hesitate to nod as well.
"Then let us begin."
Kaiba stepped calmly to the head of the four of them, reserving the right to lead the group as Head of the Opposition. Bakura came next, walking in a calm and in-control fashion, followed by Yugi, who did not share his confident gait. Last came Joey, who moved with his face set and his eyes shining with determination.
They exited the base, leaving by the giant steel double doors and walking down the long, dark corridor. Yugi could barely see the others in front of him, the shadows pressed so close around him. It reminded him uneasily of his Shadowdream, and he wished the odd foreboding feeling in the pit of his stomach would disappear.
After what seemed like an age, they reached the end of the shadowy corridor and stepped into the light. The sun was blazing high in the noonday sky, beating down on the four companions in a fury.
Absent-mindedly, Yugi looked over his shoulder, nearly yelling in shock. The building they had just exited was the Game Shop, and they were standing in front of the emergency back door.
Kaiba must have noticed his surprise, because he said smugly, "Never would have thought of it, would you? That corridor that we just went through is underground a majority of the way from the Game Shop to the base. Yami can't find or trace it, and he certainly hasn't thought to come back here to check for any clues."
"No, I...I never thought of it," the Hikari whispered in surprise, staring at what had once been his house.
"Come on, keep moving," Bakura hissed, his eyes darting up and down the street for signs of people watching. There was nobody on the road at all, much to his satisfaction.
The four of them turned and walked towards the center of the city, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. Joey may have fit into the groups of people traveling the streets easily enough, but Bakura and Kaiba were far too noticeable, and Yugi was even more so.
It took nearly an hour to make their way from the Game Shop to the city's center, but it was time well spent, for nobody noticed them. Once they made it to the general area that they aimed for, Bakura took the lead, bringing them all to a selection of buildings nearby.
The area Yugi found himself staring at was enough to strike terror into the hearts of even the bravest of people. There were several small, house-sized buildings surrounding one gigantic skyscraper that reached upwards to the heavens as if trying to tear it open. Though the overall appearance of the buildings themselves were not too terrifying, it was the one addition to the building that really caused the heart to grow cold with fear.
On the side of the skyscraper was one easily-seen symbol--the eye that sat on the front of Yugi's Millennium Puzzle.
There was a fence with a gate running around the skyscraper and it's surrounding, small buildings. The gate looked almost golden, and seemed to shine slightly in the noon sun. It was to this gate that the tomb robber lead them, striding forward confidently, as if he knew he was going to achieve victory at something. The others followed him, carefully scanning the surrounding areas for any observers. Not surprisingly, there were none; nobody wanted to come near the building if they could help it.
Bakura studied the gate carefully for a few moments, staring at the lock with a frown. The Egyptian eye symbol, part of the lock, stared back at him without emotion. Slowly, he bent down and touched one of the pointers of the Millennium Ring to the middle of the eye. There was a brief flash of light before the gate swung open with a groan.
The tomb robber snorted. "He must think me an amateur," he said with distain. "That magic seal was simple to break with my experience."
Kaiba shrugged. "Remember, he thinks he's weakened you."
Bakura rolled his eyes slightly before leading them through the gate. When all four of them were inside the premises, he swung the gate shut with a click.
Kaiba, Joey, and Yugi had already spread out to check each of the surrounding buildings carefully before trying to get to the main building. Some of them were guard stations, which could pose a problem for the intruders if they were caught running across the grounds.
Within minutes the four had regrouped, pointing out the various buildings to watch out for. They slunk around the guard stations carefully, staying within the shadows as before to decrease their chances of being caught. Finally, with one last mad dash, they reached the entrance to the sky scraper that served as Yami's base.
Joey backed up slightly, swerving his head this way and that in order to check for any watching eyes. "This is where I leave you guys," he said slowly, almost regretfully. "I'll be patrolling around here, watching those guard stations out. I'll warn you if there's any problems, don't worry. But don't hesitate to ask if you need my help, alright?"
"Thanks, Joey," Yugi said quietly, staring up at his friend. "I may not see you in this Realm again, if everything goes according to plan, so I want to thank you right now for everything you've done to help me out."
"Fergetaboudit," Joey said, smiling a bit as he slurred the words together in his Boston accent. "Good luck, Yuge. Nice to see ya again." With that, he turned and strode off along the side of the building, moving with an alert stride that suggested he was ready for anything.
Tearing his eyes from his last glimpse at his friend, Yugi turned and followed his final two companions into the skyscraper.
Almost as soon as they entered, both Kaiba and Bakura slid into equally skilled, stealthily paces. They both looked as if they were used to the position they were putting themselves into and knew how to handle it. Yugi followed them both, trying to be as sneaky as they were, but not even closely resembling the natural skill both the Blue Eyes and Ring spirit possessed.
They slid down the corridor carefully, all three of them watching the doors and halls surrounding them. There were no people around to give them away on the first floor, however; it was deserted and looked as if it had been for years.
The second and third floors were much the same, devoid of all life in a rather eerie fashion. Yugi hoped feverishly that it would last the entire way up; Yami resided on the fiftieth floor, and it was some distance away. However, the fourth floor brought them some trouble. There were two guards in the hallways that the trio needed to travel across in order to get to the next flight of stairs. Both looked tough and ready for action.
"They're mine," the Hikari heard Kaiba hiss, before the CEO leaped forward from the doorway the they were all standing in. The teen lashed out with his right fist in a vicious attack at the first of the two black-suited men. The guard was surprised, but he managed to block the fist from hammering him in the side of his head. With a grunt, he shoved Kaiba backwards, away from him, before shooting one of his own, much larger fists towards the teen's head.
The Blue Eyes didn't even bat an eyelid. He ducked downward, allowing the punch to shoot harmlessly over his head. From there, it was all over for the first guard; within seconds Kaiba had knocked him out completely with a strong uppercut to the jaw and a second punch into the side of his head.
The second man had tried to rush up on the teen from behind while he was busy with his partner. Seto didn't even bother to turn around, but instead jerked his elbow backwards and slammed it into the guard's stomach. The man crumpled with a loud grunt of pain, and was out cold in the span of only a few moments more as his opponent kicked him in the side of the head.
Bakura leaped forward as soon as the two guards were completely unconscious, grasping one by the collar and dragging him to the nearest closet. Kaiba followed with the second man, shoving him into the small storage space with the first of the guards. He slammed the door shut and turned to run down the hall towards the staircase as if nothing had happened.
Yugi hurried to catch up, asking the Ring spirit a question as he did so. "Why did you lock them in there?"
"Can't have evidence laying around this time, unlike when we were leaving the prison. We need our entrance to be as secret as possible."
"Oh." the young Hikari nodded in understanding as the three of them reached the stairs, trooping up two more flights before reaching the case's end.
He had wondered about the stairs at first, and how they usually only went up two or three flights at a time before ending. Kaiba explained that the building used to be built differently, with staircases that lead up to higher stories, but Yami had rebuilt pieces of it to slow down intruders--and it seemed to be working. The stairs were spaced out in all sections of the floors, forcing the trio to run through the hallways and giving them the chance to be caught if they were not careful.
Guards were not the only challenges that awaited them, Yugi realized, as they reached the ninth level. Kaiba had started to charge down the corridor they were met with when Bakura suddenly shouted for him to stop.
"What is it?" the CEO asked slowly, turning to face the tomb robber.
"Magic trap," the dark spirit replied curtly, moving forward to stand a few paces ahead of Kaiba. "Right were Pegasus said it would be."
Yugi looked around the hallway, confused. He saw nothing other than ordinary-looking hallways and ceilings.
Suddenly Bakura's Millennium Ring started to glow, shining with a light so powerful that it was painful to the eyes. The light seemed to flow forward, down the hall, before disappearing entirely. What it left behind, though, was startling.
There was a huge mass of what looked almost like threads, twining and entwining around the hall in front of them. It looked somewhat like a spider-web, the way every small string was woven around countless others. But they weren't threads, exactly...or at least not what one would consider thread. The web was made out of strings of magic, glistening brightly with disturbing innocence.
"Have you disabled it yet?" Kaiba asked irritably, tapping his foot.
Bakura noticed Yugi's shocked expression and said calmly, "He can't see them. He doesn't have a Millennium Item with which to sense them...but you do." Turning to Seto, he muttered, "give me a few seconds..."
Yugi watched in amazement as the tomb robber formed what looked like a solid blade of light with his Ring, sending it slicing through the thin strings of magic and snapping them all. Each time a thread was destroyed, it vanished into thin air as if it didn't exist.
"There," the thief said easily, moving forward. "Destroyed, and Yami shouldn't sense the disappearance at all. We're lucky I noticed that in time, though; the trap would have caught us and notified Yami instantly that we were in the area."
They moved off down the hallway again, each noticeably becoming more observant as they walked.
It had gone on in such a manner for at least three more floors. The magic traps became stronger and harder to identify, sometimes even with more than one for every floor. Bakura had broken into a light sweat from all the energy he was using to disable the magical energies, but he went on gamely. Guards were also showing up in the halls more often, between the different magical traps. Kaiba handled these when he could, although occasionally he would need the assistance of the tomb robber when the men were more numerous.
On the thirteenth hall, the trio came upon their first technical obstacle. As soon as they stepped through the door leading to the staircase, they found themselves facing a gigantic steel door, filling the entire width of the hallway, with a computer sitting next to it. The computer was connected to the door, and it was obvious that it was the computer that would open it.
Kaiba strode forward with easy grace, his fingers snapping in place at the keyboard so quick it was hard to notice at first. He was typing within seconds, bringing up screenfuls of data easily and muttering to himself. Suddenly he barked a laugh. "Password?" he chuckled, fingers clicking over the keys easily. "What kind of a fool does he take me for?"
Within moments the computer sounded a beep, and the door swung open silently. Kaiba laughed for a few moments before slipping through the door confidently, muttering, "Easier than taming a Blue Eyes White Dragon."
It was much the same for the next ten floors, although the traps and obstacles in their way grew increasingly tougher. Kaiba had been forced to re-wire several access panels and computers before he could gain entrance to the next hallway for the three of them. Bakura was also showing the strain of disabling so many magical traps, and Yugi found himself allowing the tomb robber to draw on large amounts of his pure Millennium Puzzle's power to assist him. There seemed to be no end to the guards, as well; there was an endless supply of them, and it was wearing both Kaiba and Bakura down just to defeat them. Yugi had asked if there was some way he could help, but they both told him to save his energy for facing Yami and would not allow him to do much more than loan Bakura his magic.
Once the trio hit the twenty-fourth floor, however, things began to get much dirtier.
They had already broken through another magic trap, as well as taken down three more guards, when the communicator hanging at Kaiba's belt beeped suddenly. Allowing Yugi and Bakura to handle hiding the unconscious guards, he snatched the small device and hastily turned it on.
"What is it?" he spat, his voice far more venomous than he meant it to be.
"Are you guys okay?" Joey's voice, full of static, reached them over the communicator. He sounded worried, and vaguely relieved that Kaiba had answered.
"Yes! And why are you contacting us if you don't have any information? Didn't I tell you to play the watchdog?" Yugi winced at Kaiba's choice of words and mentally prepared for the explosion that would come from Joey, but he never heard it.
"I am!" the boy's voice sounded frantic now. "Kaiba, I do have information! Yami somehow knows that you guys are all in there--I'm not sure how--and he's sending his men out after you. He knows roughly where you are in the building, too. Guys, you have to get out of there!"
"We aren't abandoning such an important mission," Kaiba snapped. "Especially not when we've finally tossed aside all our cover stories and showed our true strength."
"But, Kaiba, listen! He's sending the Special Guard after you! Bakura's magic will be useless, and you'll be weakened!"
"It's a chance we'll have to take," the CEO snapped into the communicator. "This has to work, or the entire Opposition will be destroyed."
Joey started to say something more, but at that moment the trio heard the murmur of voices from behind them. Snapping the communicator off, the Blue Eyes shoved it onto his belt and ran down the hallway, motioning for the others to follow him.
The three of them whipped up two flights of stairs and turned the corner into a brand new hall. Bakura scanned for magical wards and found only two; he destroyed them quickly, though not as carefully as before in his sudden nervousness. The guards had disappeared, and so the trio was allowed to rush down the hall, unhindered.
Just as the end of Kaiba's trench coat whipped around the doorway leading to the staircases, at least a dozen guards appeared where the three of them had first entered the hall.
"Somebody's down there!" one of the men shouted. There was the sound of pounding feet a second later as all twelve men leaped forward down the hall, trying to catch their quarry.
Kaiba and Bakura, with their longer legs, pounded up the next flight of steps much quicker than Yugi did, easily out-distancing him. He arrived at the top of the stairs in surprise, looking around for his two comrades as he ran into the halls. He could hear the guards down on the first flight of stairs now, yelling loudly as they hammered up the steps. They hadn't actually seen any of the intruders, but they were pretty sure that they were on the trail of one.
Darting nervously into the hallway, Yugi glanced about quickly for his friends. He didn't see them, and began to worry that he had been separated from them.
The guards were behind him now. He turned to run down one of the halls...when a hand grabbed him from behind, smothering his yelp of surprise as it covered his mouth.
"Be quiet!" his captive hissed. Yugi turned to look over his shoulder and found Kaiba standing over him, eyes darting towards the stair entrance warily. The CEO suddenly grasped the young Hikari by the collar and dragged him into a nearby room, closing the door silently.
As soon as they were in the room, Kaiba released his friend and stood with his ear against the door, listening. Yugi turned to look around the room and noticed Bakura there as well.
"I apologize," the tomb robber whispered, so as not to be heard by the guards outside. "We forgot that you were not as fast as us."
"It's okay," the Hikari said quietly, turning back to look at Kaiba. The teen was listening intently, his steely eyes focused and grim. Suddenly he stood upright, hissing, "They've gone by, but for how long I can't say. We'd best leave now, while we can."
The three of them slipped out the door quietly, slinking along the hallway with sly grace. There was only one magical trap for Bakura to disable, as well as a computer panel for Kaiba to re-wire, making the corridor relatively simple to pass by.
They had nearly made it to the next set of stairs when a guard whipped around the corner ahead of them. He started in surprise at the sight of the trio rushing towards him, but recovered enough to yell. "Alert! Alert! Intruders, here, on--"
Seto didn't even bother to slow down. Even as he ran, he lashed out at the man, dropping him where he stood. The guard crumpled in a heap; none of the three bothered to hide him as they darted for the staircase. If the man had sounded the alert, then there was only so much time that they had, and they needed to get as far as they could with it.
They hammered up the first set of steps, each of them panting with exhaustion, when they heard the sounds above them. At least two flights of steps above them, there had to be as many as two dozen guards coming down to meet them.
"Damn it!" Kaiba cursed silently, staring upward at the stairs above them.
"They haven't seen us yet, have they?" Yugi panted, reaching the top of the first flight.
"No," Kaiba replied, avoiding traveling up the second flight of steps. Instead, he veered off towards the door to the level they were on, the other two following his lead.
They blasted down the first hallway at an incredible speed, turning into at least two more adjoining corridors and hurrying down those as well. There was only one magical trap in the way this time; Bakura practically exploded it out of the way as they ran, shattering the magic onto all sides. They whipped around another corner into the next corridor...
And found themselves facing a dead end.
"NO!" Kaiba hissed, whirling frantically to face the direction they had just come from. Unfortunately, they could hear the pounding of feet down the other corridors, as well as the shouts of the guards.
"Alright, they're here somewhere. Just spread out and keep looking. As soon as you find one, destroy him, on the Great Leader's orders!"
"They're onto us," Bakura hissed angrily, peeking around the corner skillfully without being seen. He could spot a few of the guards running back and forth along the end of the second corridor--and he froze as he saw the symbol on the front of each of their suits, the same eye symbol on the front of the Millennium Puzzle.
"Special Guards!" he growled, pulling back to look at Kaiba and Yugi. The CEO shook his head, groaning.
Yugi, however, asked quietly, "Why can't you just banish them to the Shadow Realm?" he hated the idea of it, but if it was necessary....
"Because they're Special Guards," the tomb robber muttered back. "Yami has trained them to use what little magic they were born with to resist my own, more powerful magic. They can make the Ring's powers backfire on me; I could very well end up sending you and Kaiba to the Shadow Realm instead."
"That's not good," Yugi muttered. If that was the case, then his Millennium Puzzle wouldn't be much help either.
Bakura had turned back to the Blue Eyes and was speaking quietly, so as not to be heard. "Listen to them. They're not going to give up without finding a target to hunt down. We'll never get out of here!"
"A target," Kaiba muttered darkly. "They want a target." He sighed and shook his head, as if clearing away thoughts. "Very well then, if they want a target they can have one."
The tomb robber's eyebrows raised. "You don't mean you plan to--"
"I do," the CEO interrupted. "There's a change in plans now. You'll have to get Yugi to Yami's rooms by yourself, at any cost. Do you understand me? Don't give up."
Bakura nodded silently, staring at Kaiba with new respect. The CEO sighed and turned to Yugi. "Good luck. I hope you succeed in finding your way back home."
"Wait, what are you doing?!" Yugi hissed, his voice coming perilously close to breaking over a whisper.
"Buying your way out of here," Seto growled, a dangerous tone filling his voice. His hand waved with a flourish, and instantly he had one of his hidden knives in his hand.
Realization suddenly dawned on the young Hikari. "Wait! You can't! They'll kill you!"
But it was too late; Kaiba had already leaped around the corner, running full tilt, with knife in hand.
He darted towards the rapidly gathering guards, yelling all the while to get their attention. The men turned towards him, some unlimbering guns. Unfortunately for them, they weren't quick enough in doing so.
Kaiba hit the first one in a rush, jamming his knife into the guard's shoulder and causing him to drop his gun. A flicker of his hands, and two more knives had leaped into them. He swung them dangerously, slicing left and right, leaving a path of bloody scars in his wake. He was slowly but surely carving his way through the mass of men, most of which could not fire the threatening guns for fear of shooting a partner.
Kaiba, nearly out of the throng, dived forwards one last time. With a ragged yell of, "FOR MOKUBA!" he slashed outwards with one of his knives, pinning the final gunman to the wall by his jacket. He snatched the gun from the man's quivering hands and ran full-out, blasting around the corner.
The other men followed with shouts of, "He's escaping! GET HIM!" A few of the gunmen whipped around the corner, following their quarry angrily...into a far less populated area.
Within seconds all the guards were around the corner; only a few moments after that there was the sound of three rapid gunshots. Yugi heard a cheer from the guards, and cold dread filled his heart. Had they shot Kaiba?
There was a long period of silence; the guards had left the floor completely, figuring their job complete. If one thing was for certain, Kaiba had achieved his goal: to get his comrades an open chance at Yami.
"Is he...okay...do you think?" Yugi asked shakily of the Ring spirit beside him.
"Of course he is. The Blue Eyes isn't fool enough to get himself shot like that. He'd be laughing his fool head off if he saw us worrying about him now," the tomb robber snapped, staring in the direction the CEO had gone in.
The Hikari nodded shakily, trying to force his thoughts into the same optimistic manner. Bakura said he's fine. Don't worry about him.
Bakura did know about the Seto Kaiba in this Realm better than Yugi did, after all. Yet something pulled at his mind...
Bakura's voice. There had been worry in his voice. The ancient tomb robber had only half-believed what he was saying.
He was more trusting than Yugi, then. The boy didn't believe his words at all.
* * * * *
HCG: Ahh, I think that should wrap it up for the day. (Takes off headphones, where she was listening to more of the Yu-Gi-Oh soundtrack). Oh, and YumeTakato, I was surprised how close your idea came to my actual plan for this chapter ^_~ Good job!
Karma: You've written another cliff-hanger, I see.
HCG: Yup ^_^
Kaiba: *who has long since gotten out of his fight with Joey to read the story* O_O!!! WHAT HAPPENS TO ME?!?!
HCG: Aww, I can't say that...yet...
Kaiba: *having a heart attack* WHAT HAPPENS?! *shakes HCG by the shoulders* I DON'T WANT TO DIE!
HCG: o_O;; um...Kaiba...are you feeling okay?
Ryou: Of course he is. He's just happy that he got to be the main character people focused on again.
HCG: Aaah...
Joey: ^_^ I liked my part too.
HCG: ...Even the watchdog part?
Joey: ¬_¬;; never mind.
HCG: You know what's funny? I wrote that entire last section, with Kaiba's whole great act, while listening to the track Exodia on the Yu-Gi-Oh soundtrack. *cracks up laughing*
Kaiba: O_O;; Eeeeevilllllllllll!
Joey: *also laughing* Hah, you just can't escape it, Kaiba! Exodia HAUNTS YOU!
Kaiba: *growl* Why you little...*starts chasing Joey around*
HCG: Alright, people, that wraps up Chapter 7! Nice and long...again...tell me what you thought of it! REVIEW!
*loud fighting sounds in the background as Joey and Kaiba start attacking each other for the THIRD time*
HCG: ¬_¬;; must go break those two up. See you...and REVIEW! PLEAAAASE!