"Man, I can hardly see a thing!" Joey complained as the snow flew onto the windshield.
"At least you are not driving," Ishizu retorted. She knew something terrible had just happened to her brother and that she had to find him immediately.
And then suddenly, there he was—standing in the middle of the road. Ishizu slammed on the brakes, horrified. She had nearly ran the boy down!
"What's the matter with you, Marik?!" Joey yelled.
"Yeah!" Tristan agreed. "Have you gone crazy?! We almost hit you!"
Marik strode up to them, an evil glint in his eyes that they knew all too well. "You fools. Now you are all in my grasp, and I will never let any of you go!" The voice sounded much deeper than Marik's, but at this point the other boys were too stunned to realize.
Tristan gaped. "What the . . ." His hazel eyes narrowed. "Whoa, Marik's turned evil again!"
Joey was disgusted. "I saved your pathetic life! What kinda guy are you to turn around like this and . . ."
"You know what kind of person I am," Marik sneered. "You shouldn't have ever trusted me."
"Why you . . ." Joey's eyes flamed red with anger.
"Joseph!" Ishizu scolded. "He has not turned on you. This is his Yami!"
"Man, how can you tell?" As far as Joey was concerned, Marik was almost just as bad as the ancient spirit.
"I know my brother," Ishizu said firmly. "He has changed since you knew him before."
"Oh, have I? Let's see how well you know me after this!" Marik held up the Rod and it glowed, entrapping both Joey and Tristan under its mind-control powers. The boys cried out, trying to break free but finding it useless. "Take her away," Marik ordered, and the two boys pulled Ishizu out of the car and into the flying snow.
"Do not try to fool me," Ishizu said sternly, struggling to pull free. "I know you are not Marik!"
"What are you doing?!" the real Marik screamed in his soul room, banging on the door. "I won't let you hurt my sister! I won't!" Rage burned within him. The Yami was also taking away any hope Marik had of keeping Joey and Tristan as his friends! He wanted them to think it was Marik doing this! And now he was mind-controlling them both!
"Just watch me, insolent cur," Yami Marik returned, forcing Joey to twist Ishizu's arm painfully. The woman cried out and the boys shoved her forward onto the snow-covered ground.
Joey blinked, again trying to regain control. "Ishizu . . . I'm . . . I'm . . . sorry," he gasped, but then Yami Marik took over again. Joey roughly pulled Ishizu to her feet and Tristan grabbed her other arm.
"Marik!" Ishizu cried, looking into the boy's wild eyes. "I know you are in there. I know you can overcome your Yami. I believe in you, dear brother!" She knew Marik was fighting. And she had to let him know she believed in him.
"SILENCE!" Yami Marik roared, forcing Tristan to press a pressure point on Ishizu's neck. With a soft moan, the Egyptian woman fell unconscious.
"Sister!" Marik screamed. "What have you done to my sister, you devil?!" His eyes flashed with anger. He was helpless, forced to stand by and watch this!
"That's it," Yami Marik said in satisfaction, "I want you to feel anguished. I want you to feel pained. You deserve every bit of it!"
Marik agreed that he should be punished, but not for the same reasons Yami Marik had in mind. "You cannot torment my sister to get at me!! She doesn't deserve to suffer!! She doesn't!!" He struggled to get free but couldn't. Sobbing angrily, he collapsed to the floor of his soul room. There was no escape.
****
Yugi struggled as he and Weevil were pulled viciously out from under the boxcar by the Rare Hunter.
"This is ridiculous!" Weevil fumed. "Put me down!!"
"Eavesdroppers, eh?" the man sneered. "Do you know what we do with eavesdroppers?"
"These aren't just any eavesdroppers," the other man replied, grabbing Yugi harshly. "This one here is Yugi Muto. Seth's been wanting to get rid of him for a long time!"
"What?" Yugi cried. "Why does he want to get rid of me?!"
The men laughed. "You've been in his way for much too long, but I'll let him tell you all of his reasons himself," the first one sneered.
"Let us go!!" Yugi cried.
"I'll have you know, I won't stand for this!!" Weevil screamed hotly, kicking wildly.
The Rare Hunters looked at each other. "Do we really want this kid too?" the second one wondered. "Seth didn't say nothin' about him."
"No," the first said thoughtfully, "he didn't. But Four-Eyes here was eavesdropping too. Maybe he'll try spilling the beans to someone if we let him go." He shrugged. "Seth can decide what to do with him."
Yugi's heart sank. This was bad, very bad. ~Yami!!!~ he cried frantically, before their connection was abruptly cut off by an unseen force.
Yami Yugi, at the other side of the railroad yard, looked up in alarm when he heard Yugi's cry of panic. **Yugi? Yugi, can you hear me?** he called, but received no answer. Somehow, their mental bond had been severed.
****
Duke and Bakura exchanged looks as the woman continued to rant about her "master" and his plan for conquering the world.
"I think she's more than a little nuts," Duke remarked, and Bakura had to admit he agreed.
"Enough of your talk! Who is your master, woman?" Yami Bakura demanded, his eyes narrowing in irritation.
The woman sneered, the ring on her finger suddenly glowing with a eerie, dark light. "Instead of me just telling you, why don't you just find out for yourselves!!"
The two teens and the thief shielded themselves from the light. "What's happening?!" Duke yelled.
Bakura didn't understand it either, but he felt himself growing weak. "Yami, help!" he said feebly, falling backwards into Yami Bakura's arms.
"Foolish mortal," Yami Bakura muttered, but even he couldn't overcome the dark spell. He sank to the ground, still holding Bakura.
The woman, breaking free of the chains, smirked nastily. "Now you are under my master's evil spell," she remarked.
****
Seto was driving down a dark country road, looking ahead with narrowed eyes. He couldn't risk anyone seeing him, so he was taking an alternate route to Domino City. Unfortunately, the snow made it difficult to see very far ahead, and Seto had to swerve at the last possible moment to avoid a reindeer in the road. "Of all the . . ." he muttered in disbelief. That had happened to him last month as well, but that time he had accidentally crashed the limo into a tree and knocked himself unconscious.
This time he found himself on a different road—the one leading into the deep canyons beyond which lay Domino City—his destination. This canyon road was much more dangerous than the other one, however—but there was no way to turn back now. He would just have to continue on this road until he neared the town.
But what if Seth wasn't in Domino City? The evil priest hadn't given any indication where he was hiding out, and Seto knew it wasn't likely that he was there. But where on earth could he look? He didn't have a single clue as to where an ancient wicked spirit would house.
At least not until he saw a strangely familiar figure up ahead in the trees. Could it be? It looked almost like Cheryl, the corrupt police officer! After her antics the other night, Seto wondered if she could even be part of Seth's cult. Quickly he turned off the car's engine and crept outside, hiding amongst the shrubbery.
Cheryl wasn't alone. Three cloaked men were assisting her in lifting three limp bodies out of the snow. Seto's eyes narrowed. He'd recognize that long, silvery hair anywhere—one of the motionless forms was Bakura. But what was Bakura doing in the canyons, and why was Cheryl abducting him? . . . And Duke Devlin? . . . And—Seto blinked in disbelief—Yami Bakura as well?!
Something was very wrong, that much was clear. Seto decided to follow the group. Maybe he would find some important answers.
****
Tea lay on the floor of an old ship's hull, shivering—more from fear than the chill. She was frightened—very frightened—and keeping a constant prayer for help in her heart. Seth had just dumped her here ages ago and then had gone off again, leaving five fierce guards around to prevent any escape from the cold room.
"Oh, what am I going to do?!" she wailed, wringing her hands in despair.
Suddenly the door opened and Seth appeared, holding a small, limp form in his arms. "Another prisoner for you to amuse yourselves with," he smirked, depositing Mokuba on the floor in an ungraceful heap.
Tea was horrified. "Mokuba!" she cried in alarm, taking the boy's body into her arms and holding him close.
Seth smirked. "Ah, how touching." He raised his staff. "Perhaps I should give him a rude awakening, hmm?" Dark lightning flickered from the dark sphere on the scepter's top.
Tea glared at him. "Don't you dare! Hurt me if you want to, but don't you lay a finger on Mokuba!" How eerie it was, she thought, that Seth looked so much like Seto Kaiba but instead was his complete opposite.
"Noble." Seth held his staff in front of him. "But I'm afraid I want to put the both of you in torment!"
A horrible pain enveloped Tea and she doubled over, screaming.
****
Mokuba awoke to Tea's cries and unbelievable pain shooting through his little body. At first he couldn't recall what had happened to him, but then he heard Seth's treacherous laughter. "What . . . what are you doing to us?!" he gasped, writhing in agony on the floor. He had never felt such horrible pain before!
Seth sneered. "As long as I have this, your torture is in my capable hands!" he declared, holding the staff over his head.
Mokuba screamed, shuddering uncontrollably. "My . . . my brother . . . will . . ." He paused, shaking. "He'll stop you!" he cried at last in a vehement voice.
Seth laughed. "I don't think so. Here, let me show you what I mean." He strode up to one of his guards. "Try to take my scepter from me," he directed, stopping his captives' excruciating pain for the moment so that he would have their full attention.
The guard looked uncertain. "Master? . . ."
"Do it!" Seth ordered.
Shakily the guard reached out and grabbed the staff. With a horrible scream, he flew backward and crashed near Tea, laying still. The girl gasped, seeing the deathly gaze of the man's vacant eyes. "Oh!" she cried, clapping a hand over her mouth in horror.
Mokuba was likewise alarmed, his gray eyes wide.
Seth kicked at the guard and then looked at his prisoners. "You see?" he cackled. "This is what will happen to anyone who tries to relieve me of my staff—including your brother! If he is so foolish as to try rescuing you and Tea, he will perish!"
Mokuba's eyes filled with tears. "No!" he wailed. "Not my brother!!"
Tea was also stunned at the thought, but before she could think of what to do, Seth resumed the physical torment. The screams rent through the otherwise quiet night.
****
Marik still remained furiously in his soul room, crying from despair and anger. What was he going to do? His Yami would kill Ishizu and the others—he knew it!
"What shall I do?" he wailed. He had already tried to escape—multiple times— but it had never worked. Yami Marik had expected the boy to make an escape attempt and he had prevented every one of them.
It is hopeless, Marik thought sadly. Everyone he cared about was going to die and he wouldn't be able to do anything to stop it! Even if he had defeated the Yami once, it didn't seem that it would work again.
"Marik."
The Egyptian boy looked up. That sounded like Ishizu! "Sister?" he called.
"Listen to me, brother! You *can* defeat your Yami!" Ishizu's smooth voice came to him then. "I know you can!"
"But how?" Marik cried. "He is unstoppable!"
"That is only what he wishes you to think," Ishizu replied. "There are ways to overcome him, and I know you will find them!" Her voice began to fade away. "I love you, dear brother," she whispered. "And Rishid does as well."
Marik was still for a while after that, and then he stood in determination, one last tear falling from his eye. "I will not let you down, dear Ishizu and Rishid," he vowed. "I will not let any of you down!" Again he had a bit of hope left in him. No matter what the Yami did, there had to be a way around it! Marik had to be able to get back in control of his own body!
"At least you are not driving," Ishizu retorted. She knew something terrible had just happened to her brother and that she had to find him immediately.
And then suddenly, there he was—standing in the middle of the road. Ishizu slammed on the brakes, horrified. She had nearly ran the boy down!
"What's the matter with you, Marik?!" Joey yelled.
"Yeah!" Tristan agreed. "Have you gone crazy?! We almost hit you!"
Marik strode up to them, an evil glint in his eyes that they knew all too well. "You fools. Now you are all in my grasp, and I will never let any of you go!" The voice sounded much deeper than Marik's, but at this point the other boys were too stunned to realize.
Tristan gaped. "What the . . ." His hazel eyes narrowed. "Whoa, Marik's turned evil again!"
Joey was disgusted. "I saved your pathetic life! What kinda guy are you to turn around like this and . . ."
"You know what kind of person I am," Marik sneered. "You shouldn't have ever trusted me."
"Why you . . ." Joey's eyes flamed red with anger.
"Joseph!" Ishizu scolded. "He has not turned on you. This is his Yami!"
"Man, how can you tell?" As far as Joey was concerned, Marik was almost just as bad as the ancient spirit.
"I know my brother," Ishizu said firmly. "He has changed since you knew him before."
"Oh, have I? Let's see how well you know me after this!" Marik held up the Rod and it glowed, entrapping both Joey and Tristan under its mind-control powers. The boys cried out, trying to break free but finding it useless. "Take her away," Marik ordered, and the two boys pulled Ishizu out of the car and into the flying snow.
"Do not try to fool me," Ishizu said sternly, struggling to pull free. "I know you are not Marik!"
"What are you doing?!" the real Marik screamed in his soul room, banging on the door. "I won't let you hurt my sister! I won't!" Rage burned within him. The Yami was also taking away any hope Marik had of keeping Joey and Tristan as his friends! He wanted them to think it was Marik doing this! And now he was mind-controlling them both!
"Just watch me, insolent cur," Yami Marik returned, forcing Joey to twist Ishizu's arm painfully. The woman cried out and the boys shoved her forward onto the snow-covered ground.
Joey blinked, again trying to regain control. "Ishizu . . . I'm . . . I'm . . . sorry," he gasped, but then Yami Marik took over again. Joey roughly pulled Ishizu to her feet and Tristan grabbed her other arm.
"Marik!" Ishizu cried, looking into the boy's wild eyes. "I know you are in there. I know you can overcome your Yami. I believe in you, dear brother!" She knew Marik was fighting. And she had to let him know she believed in him.
"SILENCE!" Yami Marik roared, forcing Tristan to press a pressure point on Ishizu's neck. With a soft moan, the Egyptian woman fell unconscious.
"Sister!" Marik screamed. "What have you done to my sister, you devil?!" His eyes flashed with anger. He was helpless, forced to stand by and watch this!
"That's it," Yami Marik said in satisfaction, "I want you to feel anguished. I want you to feel pained. You deserve every bit of it!"
Marik agreed that he should be punished, but not for the same reasons Yami Marik had in mind. "You cannot torment my sister to get at me!! She doesn't deserve to suffer!! She doesn't!!" He struggled to get free but couldn't. Sobbing angrily, he collapsed to the floor of his soul room. There was no escape.
****
Yugi struggled as he and Weevil were pulled viciously out from under the boxcar by the Rare Hunter.
"This is ridiculous!" Weevil fumed. "Put me down!!"
"Eavesdroppers, eh?" the man sneered. "Do you know what we do with eavesdroppers?"
"These aren't just any eavesdroppers," the other man replied, grabbing Yugi harshly. "This one here is Yugi Muto. Seth's been wanting to get rid of him for a long time!"
"What?" Yugi cried. "Why does he want to get rid of me?!"
The men laughed. "You've been in his way for much too long, but I'll let him tell you all of his reasons himself," the first one sneered.
"Let us go!!" Yugi cried.
"I'll have you know, I won't stand for this!!" Weevil screamed hotly, kicking wildly.
The Rare Hunters looked at each other. "Do we really want this kid too?" the second one wondered. "Seth didn't say nothin' about him."
"No," the first said thoughtfully, "he didn't. But Four-Eyes here was eavesdropping too. Maybe he'll try spilling the beans to someone if we let him go." He shrugged. "Seth can decide what to do with him."
Yugi's heart sank. This was bad, very bad. ~Yami!!!~ he cried frantically, before their connection was abruptly cut off by an unseen force.
Yami Yugi, at the other side of the railroad yard, looked up in alarm when he heard Yugi's cry of panic. **Yugi? Yugi, can you hear me?** he called, but received no answer. Somehow, their mental bond had been severed.
****
Duke and Bakura exchanged looks as the woman continued to rant about her "master" and his plan for conquering the world.
"I think she's more than a little nuts," Duke remarked, and Bakura had to admit he agreed.
"Enough of your talk! Who is your master, woman?" Yami Bakura demanded, his eyes narrowing in irritation.
The woman sneered, the ring on her finger suddenly glowing with a eerie, dark light. "Instead of me just telling you, why don't you just find out for yourselves!!"
The two teens and the thief shielded themselves from the light. "What's happening?!" Duke yelled.
Bakura didn't understand it either, but he felt himself growing weak. "Yami, help!" he said feebly, falling backwards into Yami Bakura's arms.
"Foolish mortal," Yami Bakura muttered, but even he couldn't overcome the dark spell. He sank to the ground, still holding Bakura.
The woman, breaking free of the chains, smirked nastily. "Now you are under my master's evil spell," she remarked.
****
Seto was driving down a dark country road, looking ahead with narrowed eyes. He couldn't risk anyone seeing him, so he was taking an alternate route to Domino City. Unfortunately, the snow made it difficult to see very far ahead, and Seto had to swerve at the last possible moment to avoid a reindeer in the road. "Of all the . . ." he muttered in disbelief. That had happened to him last month as well, but that time he had accidentally crashed the limo into a tree and knocked himself unconscious.
This time he found himself on a different road—the one leading into the deep canyons beyond which lay Domino City—his destination. This canyon road was much more dangerous than the other one, however—but there was no way to turn back now. He would just have to continue on this road until he neared the town.
But what if Seth wasn't in Domino City? The evil priest hadn't given any indication where he was hiding out, and Seto knew it wasn't likely that he was there. But where on earth could he look? He didn't have a single clue as to where an ancient wicked spirit would house.
At least not until he saw a strangely familiar figure up ahead in the trees. Could it be? It looked almost like Cheryl, the corrupt police officer! After her antics the other night, Seto wondered if she could even be part of Seth's cult. Quickly he turned off the car's engine and crept outside, hiding amongst the shrubbery.
Cheryl wasn't alone. Three cloaked men were assisting her in lifting three limp bodies out of the snow. Seto's eyes narrowed. He'd recognize that long, silvery hair anywhere—one of the motionless forms was Bakura. But what was Bakura doing in the canyons, and why was Cheryl abducting him? . . . And Duke Devlin? . . . And—Seto blinked in disbelief—Yami Bakura as well?!
Something was very wrong, that much was clear. Seto decided to follow the group. Maybe he would find some important answers.
****
Tea lay on the floor of an old ship's hull, shivering—more from fear than the chill. She was frightened—very frightened—and keeping a constant prayer for help in her heart. Seth had just dumped her here ages ago and then had gone off again, leaving five fierce guards around to prevent any escape from the cold room.
"Oh, what am I going to do?!" she wailed, wringing her hands in despair.
Suddenly the door opened and Seth appeared, holding a small, limp form in his arms. "Another prisoner for you to amuse yourselves with," he smirked, depositing Mokuba on the floor in an ungraceful heap.
Tea was horrified. "Mokuba!" she cried in alarm, taking the boy's body into her arms and holding him close.
Seth smirked. "Ah, how touching." He raised his staff. "Perhaps I should give him a rude awakening, hmm?" Dark lightning flickered from the dark sphere on the scepter's top.
Tea glared at him. "Don't you dare! Hurt me if you want to, but don't you lay a finger on Mokuba!" How eerie it was, she thought, that Seth looked so much like Seto Kaiba but instead was his complete opposite.
"Noble." Seth held his staff in front of him. "But I'm afraid I want to put the both of you in torment!"
A horrible pain enveloped Tea and she doubled over, screaming.
****
Mokuba awoke to Tea's cries and unbelievable pain shooting through his little body. At first he couldn't recall what had happened to him, but then he heard Seth's treacherous laughter. "What . . . what are you doing to us?!" he gasped, writhing in agony on the floor. He had never felt such horrible pain before!
Seth sneered. "As long as I have this, your torture is in my capable hands!" he declared, holding the staff over his head.
Mokuba screamed, shuddering uncontrollably. "My . . . my brother . . . will . . ." He paused, shaking. "He'll stop you!" he cried at last in a vehement voice.
Seth laughed. "I don't think so. Here, let me show you what I mean." He strode up to one of his guards. "Try to take my scepter from me," he directed, stopping his captives' excruciating pain for the moment so that he would have their full attention.
The guard looked uncertain. "Master? . . ."
"Do it!" Seth ordered.
Shakily the guard reached out and grabbed the staff. With a horrible scream, he flew backward and crashed near Tea, laying still. The girl gasped, seeing the deathly gaze of the man's vacant eyes. "Oh!" she cried, clapping a hand over her mouth in horror.
Mokuba was likewise alarmed, his gray eyes wide.
Seth kicked at the guard and then looked at his prisoners. "You see?" he cackled. "This is what will happen to anyone who tries to relieve me of my staff—including your brother! If he is so foolish as to try rescuing you and Tea, he will perish!"
Mokuba's eyes filled with tears. "No!" he wailed. "Not my brother!!"
Tea was also stunned at the thought, but before she could think of what to do, Seth resumed the physical torment. The screams rent through the otherwise quiet night.
****
Marik still remained furiously in his soul room, crying from despair and anger. What was he going to do? His Yami would kill Ishizu and the others—he knew it!
"What shall I do?" he wailed. He had already tried to escape—multiple times— but it had never worked. Yami Marik had expected the boy to make an escape attempt and he had prevented every one of them.
It is hopeless, Marik thought sadly. Everyone he cared about was going to die and he wouldn't be able to do anything to stop it! Even if he had defeated the Yami once, it didn't seem that it would work again.
"Marik."
The Egyptian boy looked up. That sounded like Ishizu! "Sister?" he called.
"Listen to me, brother! You *can* defeat your Yami!" Ishizu's smooth voice came to him then. "I know you can!"
"But how?" Marik cried. "He is unstoppable!"
"That is only what he wishes you to think," Ishizu replied. "There are ways to overcome him, and I know you will find them!" Her voice began to fade away. "I love you, dear brother," she whispered. "And Rishid does as well."
Marik was still for a while after that, and then he stood in determination, one last tear falling from his eye. "I will not let you down, dear Ishizu and Rishid," he vowed. "I will not let any of you down!" Again he had a bit of hope left in him. No matter what the Yami did, there had to be a way around it! Marik had to be able to get back in control of his own body!