Okay all, you wanted the next chapter desperately.. lol. I know, I know, I did the unthinkable! I killed off Kaiba... or did I? ::laughs evily:: I guess you're just going to have to read to find out now aren't ya?! lol but anyways, I have done a lay out on the last couple chapters and in total there will be twenty five chapters in all. So starting after this one, the first of the final chapters will begin. They also will be much longer in length because I want to throw alot of things in and finish this story off so I can concentrate on my other story, 'A billionaire doesn't fall in love'. I actually get confused sometimes when I go to write and end up switching my OC names by accident. Well Sydney and Seral are rather similar... anways, on with the show! Oh, and to those who were wondering about me wanting to become an author or perhaps a directer, I'm afraid those are not my passions. Although I love to write, especially of my beloved Seto... I am actually planning on majoring in Game Art & Design in college. Don't be sad though for I will continue to write even than and who knows, maybe I will take a turn in that direction but for now, I will let you enjoy the story.
Disclaimer: Consider this a disclaimer.
Chapter Twenty: Consummation, The Last Mystical Item
"Damn it, damn it, damn it," Sydney cried as she cradled her head in her hands. They had made it out of the museum safely and now they were waiting for Kaiba's return. Unfortunately, they had been waiting for almost an hour now and it was pretty clear that he wasn't coming.
Yami studied Sydney and slowly stroked her head, running his hand through her hair,"I'm sorry."
A sob escaped the woman on the ground, her face completely buried into her hands,"Damn...him...."
Her body shook with the impact of her tears. He was gone, he was truly gone. There was no other explanation. They had been waiting for almost an hour now and he wasn't coming. The museum had killed him, the creature had killed him... Sydney had killed him...
"I killed him...." She repeated to herself outloud, her words choking on her tears as her shoulders continued to shake,"Seto...how could... you ... leave me?"
Yami let out a trouble breath. What were they to do now? They had already retrieved two of the three items, but they had no idea where the last one was. Kaiba was the only one who knew where they were located and without Kaiba, they couldn't proceed any further. The situation had suddenly turned hopeless.
'I have to admit, that was noble of him,' Yugi's voice suddenly invaded Yami's mind, 'Kaiba gave it his all.'
'Indeed he did,' Yami's voice answered Yugi's comment, 'But look at Sydney. She's grieved over him once before... she's in so much pain and I cannot do a thing.'
'What happens now?' Yugi asked Yami,'What do we do now?'
'I do not know, without Kaiba we cannot find the last item,' Yami responded, 'I'm afraid all hope is lost.'
Yami slowly returned to studying Sydney and watched as her beautiful form was curled up in a seated position, her shoulders shaking, her chest heaving and her face filled with tears. He needed to comfort her, Kaiba would have wanted it that way. He approached her slowly, seating himself beside her and taking a glance at what was left of the museum. He slowly slid an arm around her waist, rubbing her side and slowly whispering to her that it was alright to cry. She moved slightly and allowed herself to get close to him, resting her head upon his shoulder as she gaze out at the museum that had been Kaiba's resting ground.
'He's really, truly gone,' Sydney's mind reeled, 'The man I love is dead.... all because he wanted to save me.'
"Sydney?" Yami's voice spoke up,"We should get back to Joey's."
Sydney suddenly lifted her head. That's right. She had totally been caught up in her emotions that she had completly forgotten that Mokuba was still at Joey's house. She almost passed out at the sudden thought of seeing the poor child having to go through the pain of losing his brother - again. She was barely handling it and Mokuba was in no condition to deal right now. The poor child was exhausted. This whole situation was hard for a 10 year old boy to handle, especially the brother of the richest man alive.
"I have to tell Mokuba...." Sydney said solemly,"How...how.. am I going to do it? I just can't tell him... he'll be so heartbroken.."
Yami's hand slowly left her side as he slowly stood. His expression was rather twisted into a weird distraught face of confusion and bewilderment, but Sydney was too busy thinking to really notice. She raised her legs and wrapped her arms around herself, still trying to process the realization of losing the one she loved. She had known that she would eventually have to deal with leaving him behind but not so soon and not in the manner of this. She sniffled slightly and immediately brought a hand up as her flow of tears increased.
She finally raised her head to look at Yami and found him laughing.
"Yami, what the hell is so funny?!" She barked angrily. She didn't know how he could laugh at a time such as this, especially when she had just lost the man she loved and her only way of saving the world order.
She watched as the young pharoah turned slightly, grinning sheepishly,"If you'd care to slowly stand for a moment, you will see what has me baffled in amusement."
Sydney eyed him suspiciously but slowly let her arms loosen and struggled with herself to stand. She had forgotten about her injured side but the pain was numbed and she was too curious at the moment to really focus on it. She slowly took a couple steps near Yami and peered out of the small cliff and down into the rubble. Her eyes widen at the sight that lay before her.
Kaiba was holding onto the ledge of the cliff, his hands digging into the freshly sunken rock. He was only a couple feet below them but he was alive. He was covered in dirt, dust and rock and also contained numerous cuts and bruises but he was alive none the less. The part that was amusing was that his mouth was stuffed with plaster from the walls inside the museum and his skin had taken on the color of the plaster - a pure white, as though he were a ghost. The sight was amusing as well as relieving to both of them. Sydney tilted her head slightly when she realized he was looking extremely pissed at the moment. His eyes were narrowed into slits as he gave Yami a strong death glare as he continually chuckled at the sight.
Yami slowly leaned downward, a smirk heavily set into his face,"What's wrong Kaiba, can't pull yourself up?"
Kaiba tried to speak but couldn't. He tilted his head slightly to spit out all the plaster that had made its way into his mouth and spit constanstly below him at the taste. Yami continued to laugh as Sydney just stood in shock. She still couldn't believe that he was alive. He might look extremely pissed but he was alive and relatively healthy.
"Shut it Yami and help me already," Kaiba sneered angrily,"I felt like I just ran five miles in two minutes - the least you could do is wait until I'm standing to laugh at me."
Sydney shoved Yami aside and reached out for the brunette, grabbing on to the sleeve of his trenchcoat and began to pull him upwards. With Kaiba's help, she was able to haul him over the edge and onto the secure ground of the cliff. He immediately began to cough and gag at the taste of the plaster again and immediately turned away from Sydney to spit over the cliff's edge. Yami's laughter slowed as he looked at him concerned.
"Hey are you-"
Both Yami's and Sydney's faces twisted into disgust at the heaving sound Kaiba suddenly made as he emptied out the contents of his stomach down the length of the cliff's edge. Yami looked away immediately as Sydney placed a hand upon Kaiba's back, rubbing it slightly as she joined his side. Either the plaster had worked its way into his stomach or he was just recovering from having to run so fast in such little time. Kaiba stopped his vomiting to gasp for air than coughed slightly.
"Hey, relax," Sydney said rubbing his back,"That must have been some run."
Kaiba only nodded and continued to gag,"You... have... no idea."
Sydney opened her mouth to respond to only hear him heave again, than project over the cliff's edge, causing her to close her eyes and turn away for a brief moment. Kaiba finally let out a deep breath and cleared his throat, sending one last spit over the edge. He slowly backed up than slowly stood, raising his hand to wipe at his mouth. Sydney shot up quickly and held his arm away from him.
"You're going to ruin your coat - here," She slowly tore from her skirt again more of the soft white material and handed it to him,"I doubt you want to walk around with the smell on your sleeve."
He took it and wiped his mouth and realized Yami's figure was standing a large distance away from him. He grinned after his mouth was clean and tossed the cloth down over the cliff, crossing his arms and eyeing Yami suspiciously.
"What's this?" Kaiba said with a low tone,"Yami have a weak stomach?"
"Perhaps I do," Yami said turning to face him,"But I am alright now. How about you? You still feeling ill?"
"I'm fine."
Sydney suddenly faced Kaiba and eyed him angrily. Kaiba raised his eyebrow slightly than returned her evil glare playfully to only have her slap him across the face. The stinging sensation in his right cheek startled him and his hand shot up to touch it gingerly before sneering at her furiously.
"What THE HELL was that for?!"
"For staying in there!" Sydney yelled at him,"Do you know how scared I was?! I swear Kaiba, you think only of yourself sometimes!"
"I was actually thinking about YOU," Kaiba argued back,"Better for you to live than me! Damn it Sydney you're the one who has to stop Tskusa not me!"
"Settle down already!" Yami suddenly interrupted,"We still have one item to retrieve. I suggest we return to Joey's and make sure Mokuba is alright. I also would like to talk to Garuza as well."
Sydney and Kaiba exchanged glares but Sydney's was the first to soften as she walked to him and wrapped her arms around his chest, snuggling into him and squeezing him tightly. Kaiba let out a sigh and placed his hands upon her back, rubbing the skin softly. He raised his gaze momentarily, catching a glimpse at Yami's hurt expression as he slowly turned to start walking the other direction. Sydney and Kaiba were left alone for a moment and the two exchanged looks.
"I'd kiss you but you probably have puke breath," Sydney said with a grin getting a slight laugh out of him.
"I think you can wait until we get back and I get to brush my teeth," He said with a wicked smile,"Than I will ravish you like there's no tomorrow."
She rolled her eyes but laughed when he began to nip at the skin on her bare shoulders, causing her to squeal slightly. He pulled back than grinned again, taking her hand and turning to follow Yami. They still had one last item to find and than it would be off to face Tskusa.
Joey let out a groan once he finally collapsed into his sofa chair. Bakura followed suit and slumped down into the couch next to him, taking note of the small form of Mokuba lying across the last couch. He was fast asleep and seemed to be clutching the form of the necklace that hung around his neck. It had been one heck of a day. First of all Kaiba's mansion had caught on fire and he had been jolted from the nap he was having to find himself in a room full of smoke. By the time he reached downstairs, the whole entire place was covered in crimson flames. Than he remembered turning around to head back of the stairs and than his vision went blank.
He also had the lovely experience of waking up tied up and than coming face to face with a man that looked like Kaiba, sounded like Kaiba and even held that same irritating egotistical attitude as Kaiba. Than he realized that the man wasn't Kaiba at all and was planning to kill the REAL Kaiba and take his place. The whole entire situation was confusing and so unbelievable that he began to rub his temples at the memory of it. Now he sat in his living room finally, Bakura next to him and Mokuba sleeping soundly on his couch.
Bakura turned to him slightly,"Do you suppose the others are alright?"
Joey shrugged and slowly lowered his hands from his head,"I don't know but I hope so. Which reminds me. How'd ya find me Bakura? How'd ya know I was in that strange place?"
Joey watched Bakura fidget in his seat uncomfortably,"I actually so you being taken from Kaiba's mansion. I followed them and stayed low until I was sure it was safe to help you. It was all quite strange. That man that was talking to you looked so much like Kaiba."
"I know, strange ain't it?" Joey said exasperated,"Dis is gettin' weirder and weirder the longer da day goes on."
Bakura opened his mouth to speak but at that moment the door swung open and Yami, Sydney and Kaiba walked through it. Joey stood up quickly, glad to see they were all alright and opened his mouth to greet them but was disappointed as Sydney walked straight past him and to Mokuba's sleeping figure. She bent down and shook him slightly, rousing him from his slumber. Joey watched as Kaiba walked past him as well and headed up the length of his stairs, disappearing into the depths of his house. He had to admit, it was quite eerie seeing the real Kaiba but he was relieved that his eyes had been blue - which meant he was indeed, Seto Kaiba and not that strange man that looked like him.
Yami slowly joined Joey's side and looked at him strangely,"You're here."
The blonde blinked at him confused,"Why wouldn't I be?"
The pharoah's eyebrows joined,"Where is Tea?"
Joey's eyes widened,"Isn't she with you?"
Sydney's voice bombarded to answer,"No, of course she's not. We left you guys at the mansion, remember? We came back to see the place on fire but we had no idea where you all were. Luckily, Garuza and Mokuba were safe but they had no idea what happened to you two."
Yami cut in,"We were going to search for you but I'm afraid we had no idea where to start so we were forced to search for the second item."
Joey only nodded,"We hafta find her."
Mokuba yawned and looked to Sydney than looked around the room frantically,"Where's Seto?! Is he okay? He's not hurt is he?! Please, don't tell me you guys left him behind!"
Sydney was surprised by the sudden panic and pain in the young child's voice. She tried to stop the oncoming questions by placing her hands upon the child's shoulders but he trailed on.
"Don't lie to me, Sydney, I can take it. He's hurt isn't he?!" Mokuba's eyes began to water just as he thought about it,"My brother's dead!"
"Mokuba!" Sydney yelled at the frantic boy,"Will you relax for just a second?!"
"My brother's dead!" Sydney cringed as the boy began to wail and finally sighed in relief when Kaiba's form finally came down the stairs. He stood at the bottom to watch his brother cry and wail about his death. He raised his brows at Sydney curiously and she returned it with a look of desperation. Mokuba's wailing had gotten loud and Yami and Bakura looked to him sympathetically as Joey just blinked, bewildered by the boy's concern.
"Mokuba I'm fine," Kaiba said interrupting his boisterous yell,"I'm standing right over here."
Mokuba's head turned to notice him and in a matter of seconds, he had himself plastered to his sibling's midsection, his arms tightly encased around him in a hug,"Seto you're okay! Seto!"
"Yes, I'm fine, yes, Mokuba," Kaiba tried to pry the young child from his form but it was obvious it wasn't going to happen,"Come on, ease up on me kid, I need to breathe."
Mokuba slowly loosened his hold and smiled up at him,"I was so scared you left me big brother, but now I know you would never leave without saying goodbye!"
Sydney let out a small laugh and turned back to Joey and Bakura,"We succeeded in achieving the second item - thanks to Seto that is."
Kaiba simply snorted,"Yeah, AFTER you went all kung fu on the giant."
Joey's eyebrows raised and than he finally realized the condition of her dress,"Guess that explains the outfit."
Sydney looked down at herself and realized how poorly dressed she was. Her skirt was pretty much non-existant but that had only occured so she could fight properly without the hassle of tripping over the hem. Her body was filthy, her skin darkened from the dirt and rubble from the collasp of the building. Her hair was also loose and falling out of her clip, causing it to cascade over her face rather messily. She reached out to push the stray hairs out of her eyes and tilted her head with a smirk.
"You act as though I look horrible," She said with a wicked grin,"But it's so obvious you find it attractive - you're practically drooling all over yourself."
"Dat obvious huh?" Joey grinned sheepishly and tried to ignore the death glare Kaiba was giving him from across the room. He knew making that comment was really uncalled for but he liked to joke around with Sydney, regardless of the fact that it was clear that Kaiba was her boyfriend. There was nothing wrong with joking around.
"You two done?" Kaiba's flat response came from behind her and caused Sydney to sigh and turn to face him, a hand upon her hip. She knew how protective Kaiba could get when it came to other men, especially the friendship she shared with Joey. In fact, she knew he was quite envious of the strong bond her and the blonde young man held.
"Jealous?"
Kaiba snorted and slowly took a step into the room,"Please, of that fool? You're joking."
Sydney grinned and threw Joey a menacing look,"I don't know.... Joey's a pretty good kisser."
Kaiba's eyes widen and his mouth almost hung open. He quickly shut it, his eyes narrowing and his expression falling into a sneer. Mokuba snickered from behind him but Kaiba didn't notice. He was too busy experiencing a million emotions at once, the biggest one of anger.
"What did you just say?"
Joey caught the game and ran with it, even though Bakura and Yami were shaking their heads like crazy, trying to keep him from causing Kaiba to go into hysterics.
"Heh, heh. Did ya think you were the only one to get a piece of this beauty?" Joey gave Sydney a wink and she grinned.
Kaiba's fists balled and he took a step forward,"Wheeler, you're digging your own grave right now. If you seriously touched her, I suggest you run because I'm giving you five seconds before I kill you."
Joey continued to grin,"She's pretty good in bed too, huh Sydney?"
That was the last straw. Kaiba went forward, reaching to grab him by his collar and slam him into the nearest wall but was stopped by Sydney, her arms clutching onto him before he made it all the way to Joey's position. He continued to grin, only fueling Kaiba's anger.
"Kaiba he's joking," Sydney told him,"Relax, will you?! I've never done such things with Joey before!"
Kaiba broke her hold on him and raised a finger to Joey's face,"You're EXTREMELY lucky. Next time, I don't care if you're joking, I'll just kill you for the hell of it."
Joey continued to grin,"I know but it was worth the look on ya face."
Kaiba's eyes narrowed but Sydney put herself between them,"Stop it you two. Joey will you quit torturing him?!"
"Sorry, sorry," The blonde responded as he slumped back down onto the couch,"I'm done."
"Well," A voice came out from behind them,"I see you've all had quite a day."
Sydney turned to see Garuza and smiled slightly,"You could say that. So, find anything?"
Garuza looked at her strangely,"What makes you think that I was out, Mi Lady?"
"I think I know you well enough to know that you love to find information."
Garuza smiled slightly and bowed shortly,"I am glad to inform you that I have found the location of the last mystical item. I had been traveling between the shadows and had stumbled upon two followers. It seems that Tskusa is well aware of our journey. He is holding the last item in his hideout."
"Which is where?" Kaiba asked irritated,"Just tell us where it is and stop rambling."
Garuza turned to Kiaba and than back to Sydney,"Mi Lady, are you sure he is fit to court you? He is quite arrogant if I would offer an opinion."
Sydney couldn't help but smirk as Kaiba narrowed his eyes and growled at his comment,"This is not the time to discuss my love life, Garuza. Where is Tskusa hiding this item?"
Garuza nodded and proceeded to tell her,"In the building that I am sure Mr. Kaiba is acquainted with."
Kaiba's eyebrows raised slightly,"Oh really?"
Garuza turned to him,"My dear boy, Tskusa has placed his ceremonial induction in the organization of your company, Kaiba Corp."
Kaiba's mouth hung open,"What?!"
Disclaimer: Consider this a disclaimer.
Chapter Twenty: Consummation, The Last Mystical Item
"Damn it, damn it, damn it," Sydney cried as she cradled her head in her hands. They had made it out of the museum safely and now they were waiting for Kaiba's return. Unfortunately, they had been waiting for almost an hour now and it was pretty clear that he wasn't coming.
Yami studied Sydney and slowly stroked her head, running his hand through her hair,"I'm sorry."
A sob escaped the woman on the ground, her face completely buried into her hands,"Damn...him...."
Her body shook with the impact of her tears. He was gone, he was truly gone. There was no other explanation. They had been waiting for almost an hour now and he wasn't coming. The museum had killed him, the creature had killed him... Sydney had killed him...
"I killed him...." She repeated to herself outloud, her words choking on her tears as her shoulders continued to shake,"Seto...how could... you ... leave me?"
Yami let out a trouble breath. What were they to do now? They had already retrieved two of the three items, but they had no idea where the last one was. Kaiba was the only one who knew where they were located and without Kaiba, they couldn't proceed any further. The situation had suddenly turned hopeless.
'I have to admit, that was noble of him,' Yugi's voice suddenly invaded Yami's mind, 'Kaiba gave it his all.'
'Indeed he did,' Yami's voice answered Yugi's comment, 'But look at Sydney. She's grieved over him once before... she's in so much pain and I cannot do a thing.'
'What happens now?' Yugi asked Yami,'What do we do now?'
'I do not know, without Kaiba we cannot find the last item,' Yami responded, 'I'm afraid all hope is lost.'
Yami slowly returned to studying Sydney and watched as her beautiful form was curled up in a seated position, her shoulders shaking, her chest heaving and her face filled with tears. He needed to comfort her, Kaiba would have wanted it that way. He approached her slowly, seating himself beside her and taking a glance at what was left of the museum. He slowly slid an arm around her waist, rubbing her side and slowly whispering to her that it was alright to cry. She moved slightly and allowed herself to get close to him, resting her head upon his shoulder as she gaze out at the museum that had been Kaiba's resting ground.
'He's really, truly gone,' Sydney's mind reeled, 'The man I love is dead.... all because he wanted to save me.'
"Sydney?" Yami's voice spoke up,"We should get back to Joey's."
Sydney suddenly lifted her head. That's right. She had totally been caught up in her emotions that she had completly forgotten that Mokuba was still at Joey's house. She almost passed out at the sudden thought of seeing the poor child having to go through the pain of losing his brother - again. She was barely handling it and Mokuba was in no condition to deal right now. The poor child was exhausted. This whole situation was hard for a 10 year old boy to handle, especially the brother of the richest man alive.
"I have to tell Mokuba...." Sydney said solemly,"How...how.. am I going to do it? I just can't tell him... he'll be so heartbroken.."
Yami's hand slowly left her side as he slowly stood. His expression was rather twisted into a weird distraught face of confusion and bewilderment, but Sydney was too busy thinking to really notice. She raised her legs and wrapped her arms around herself, still trying to process the realization of losing the one she loved. She had known that she would eventually have to deal with leaving him behind but not so soon and not in the manner of this. She sniffled slightly and immediately brought a hand up as her flow of tears increased.
She finally raised her head to look at Yami and found him laughing.
"Yami, what the hell is so funny?!" She barked angrily. She didn't know how he could laugh at a time such as this, especially when she had just lost the man she loved and her only way of saving the world order.
She watched as the young pharoah turned slightly, grinning sheepishly,"If you'd care to slowly stand for a moment, you will see what has me baffled in amusement."
Sydney eyed him suspiciously but slowly let her arms loosen and struggled with herself to stand. She had forgotten about her injured side but the pain was numbed and she was too curious at the moment to really focus on it. She slowly took a couple steps near Yami and peered out of the small cliff and down into the rubble. Her eyes widen at the sight that lay before her.
Kaiba was holding onto the ledge of the cliff, his hands digging into the freshly sunken rock. He was only a couple feet below them but he was alive. He was covered in dirt, dust and rock and also contained numerous cuts and bruises but he was alive none the less. The part that was amusing was that his mouth was stuffed with plaster from the walls inside the museum and his skin had taken on the color of the plaster - a pure white, as though he were a ghost. The sight was amusing as well as relieving to both of them. Sydney tilted her head slightly when she realized he was looking extremely pissed at the moment. His eyes were narrowed into slits as he gave Yami a strong death glare as he continually chuckled at the sight.
Yami slowly leaned downward, a smirk heavily set into his face,"What's wrong Kaiba, can't pull yourself up?"
Kaiba tried to speak but couldn't. He tilted his head slightly to spit out all the plaster that had made its way into his mouth and spit constanstly below him at the taste. Yami continued to laugh as Sydney just stood in shock. She still couldn't believe that he was alive. He might look extremely pissed but he was alive and relatively healthy.
"Shut it Yami and help me already," Kaiba sneered angrily,"I felt like I just ran five miles in two minutes - the least you could do is wait until I'm standing to laugh at me."
Sydney shoved Yami aside and reached out for the brunette, grabbing on to the sleeve of his trenchcoat and began to pull him upwards. With Kaiba's help, she was able to haul him over the edge and onto the secure ground of the cliff. He immediately began to cough and gag at the taste of the plaster again and immediately turned away from Sydney to spit over the cliff's edge. Yami's laughter slowed as he looked at him concerned.
"Hey are you-"
Both Yami's and Sydney's faces twisted into disgust at the heaving sound Kaiba suddenly made as he emptied out the contents of his stomach down the length of the cliff's edge. Yami looked away immediately as Sydney placed a hand upon Kaiba's back, rubbing it slightly as she joined his side. Either the plaster had worked its way into his stomach or he was just recovering from having to run so fast in such little time. Kaiba stopped his vomiting to gasp for air than coughed slightly.
"Hey, relax," Sydney said rubbing his back,"That must have been some run."
Kaiba only nodded and continued to gag,"You... have... no idea."
Sydney opened her mouth to respond to only hear him heave again, than project over the cliff's edge, causing her to close her eyes and turn away for a brief moment. Kaiba finally let out a deep breath and cleared his throat, sending one last spit over the edge. He slowly backed up than slowly stood, raising his hand to wipe at his mouth. Sydney shot up quickly and held his arm away from him.
"You're going to ruin your coat - here," She slowly tore from her skirt again more of the soft white material and handed it to him,"I doubt you want to walk around with the smell on your sleeve."
He took it and wiped his mouth and realized Yami's figure was standing a large distance away from him. He grinned after his mouth was clean and tossed the cloth down over the cliff, crossing his arms and eyeing Yami suspiciously.
"What's this?" Kaiba said with a low tone,"Yami have a weak stomach?"
"Perhaps I do," Yami said turning to face him,"But I am alright now. How about you? You still feeling ill?"
"I'm fine."
Sydney suddenly faced Kaiba and eyed him angrily. Kaiba raised his eyebrow slightly than returned her evil glare playfully to only have her slap him across the face. The stinging sensation in his right cheek startled him and his hand shot up to touch it gingerly before sneering at her furiously.
"What THE HELL was that for?!"
"For staying in there!" Sydney yelled at him,"Do you know how scared I was?! I swear Kaiba, you think only of yourself sometimes!"
"I was actually thinking about YOU," Kaiba argued back,"Better for you to live than me! Damn it Sydney you're the one who has to stop Tskusa not me!"
"Settle down already!" Yami suddenly interrupted,"We still have one item to retrieve. I suggest we return to Joey's and make sure Mokuba is alright. I also would like to talk to Garuza as well."
Sydney and Kaiba exchanged glares but Sydney's was the first to soften as she walked to him and wrapped her arms around his chest, snuggling into him and squeezing him tightly. Kaiba let out a sigh and placed his hands upon her back, rubbing the skin softly. He raised his gaze momentarily, catching a glimpse at Yami's hurt expression as he slowly turned to start walking the other direction. Sydney and Kaiba were left alone for a moment and the two exchanged looks.
"I'd kiss you but you probably have puke breath," Sydney said with a grin getting a slight laugh out of him.
"I think you can wait until we get back and I get to brush my teeth," He said with a wicked smile,"Than I will ravish you like there's no tomorrow."
She rolled her eyes but laughed when he began to nip at the skin on her bare shoulders, causing her to squeal slightly. He pulled back than grinned again, taking her hand and turning to follow Yami. They still had one last item to find and than it would be off to face Tskusa.
Joey let out a groan once he finally collapsed into his sofa chair. Bakura followed suit and slumped down into the couch next to him, taking note of the small form of Mokuba lying across the last couch. He was fast asleep and seemed to be clutching the form of the necklace that hung around his neck. It had been one heck of a day. First of all Kaiba's mansion had caught on fire and he had been jolted from the nap he was having to find himself in a room full of smoke. By the time he reached downstairs, the whole entire place was covered in crimson flames. Than he remembered turning around to head back of the stairs and than his vision went blank.
He also had the lovely experience of waking up tied up and than coming face to face with a man that looked like Kaiba, sounded like Kaiba and even held that same irritating egotistical attitude as Kaiba. Than he realized that the man wasn't Kaiba at all and was planning to kill the REAL Kaiba and take his place. The whole entire situation was confusing and so unbelievable that he began to rub his temples at the memory of it. Now he sat in his living room finally, Bakura next to him and Mokuba sleeping soundly on his couch.
Bakura turned to him slightly,"Do you suppose the others are alright?"
Joey shrugged and slowly lowered his hands from his head,"I don't know but I hope so. Which reminds me. How'd ya find me Bakura? How'd ya know I was in that strange place?"
Joey watched Bakura fidget in his seat uncomfortably,"I actually so you being taken from Kaiba's mansion. I followed them and stayed low until I was sure it was safe to help you. It was all quite strange. That man that was talking to you looked so much like Kaiba."
"I know, strange ain't it?" Joey said exasperated,"Dis is gettin' weirder and weirder the longer da day goes on."
Bakura opened his mouth to speak but at that moment the door swung open and Yami, Sydney and Kaiba walked through it. Joey stood up quickly, glad to see they were all alright and opened his mouth to greet them but was disappointed as Sydney walked straight past him and to Mokuba's sleeping figure. She bent down and shook him slightly, rousing him from his slumber. Joey watched as Kaiba walked past him as well and headed up the length of his stairs, disappearing into the depths of his house. He had to admit, it was quite eerie seeing the real Kaiba but he was relieved that his eyes had been blue - which meant he was indeed, Seto Kaiba and not that strange man that looked like him.
Yami slowly joined Joey's side and looked at him strangely,"You're here."
The blonde blinked at him confused,"Why wouldn't I be?"
The pharoah's eyebrows joined,"Where is Tea?"
Joey's eyes widened,"Isn't she with you?"
Sydney's voice bombarded to answer,"No, of course she's not. We left you guys at the mansion, remember? We came back to see the place on fire but we had no idea where you all were. Luckily, Garuza and Mokuba were safe but they had no idea what happened to you two."
Yami cut in,"We were going to search for you but I'm afraid we had no idea where to start so we were forced to search for the second item."
Joey only nodded,"We hafta find her."
Mokuba yawned and looked to Sydney than looked around the room frantically,"Where's Seto?! Is he okay? He's not hurt is he?! Please, don't tell me you guys left him behind!"
Sydney was surprised by the sudden panic and pain in the young child's voice. She tried to stop the oncoming questions by placing her hands upon the child's shoulders but he trailed on.
"Don't lie to me, Sydney, I can take it. He's hurt isn't he?!" Mokuba's eyes began to water just as he thought about it,"My brother's dead!"
"Mokuba!" Sydney yelled at the frantic boy,"Will you relax for just a second?!"
"My brother's dead!" Sydney cringed as the boy began to wail and finally sighed in relief when Kaiba's form finally came down the stairs. He stood at the bottom to watch his brother cry and wail about his death. He raised his brows at Sydney curiously and she returned it with a look of desperation. Mokuba's wailing had gotten loud and Yami and Bakura looked to him sympathetically as Joey just blinked, bewildered by the boy's concern.
"Mokuba I'm fine," Kaiba said interrupting his boisterous yell,"I'm standing right over here."
Mokuba's head turned to notice him and in a matter of seconds, he had himself plastered to his sibling's midsection, his arms tightly encased around him in a hug,"Seto you're okay! Seto!"
"Yes, I'm fine, yes, Mokuba," Kaiba tried to pry the young child from his form but it was obvious it wasn't going to happen,"Come on, ease up on me kid, I need to breathe."
Mokuba slowly loosened his hold and smiled up at him,"I was so scared you left me big brother, but now I know you would never leave without saying goodbye!"
Sydney let out a small laugh and turned back to Joey and Bakura,"We succeeded in achieving the second item - thanks to Seto that is."
Kaiba simply snorted,"Yeah, AFTER you went all kung fu on the giant."
Joey's eyebrows raised and than he finally realized the condition of her dress,"Guess that explains the outfit."
Sydney looked down at herself and realized how poorly dressed she was. Her skirt was pretty much non-existant but that had only occured so she could fight properly without the hassle of tripping over the hem. Her body was filthy, her skin darkened from the dirt and rubble from the collasp of the building. Her hair was also loose and falling out of her clip, causing it to cascade over her face rather messily. She reached out to push the stray hairs out of her eyes and tilted her head with a smirk.
"You act as though I look horrible," She said with a wicked grin,"But it's so obvious you find it attractive - you're practically drooling all over yourself."
"Dat obvious huh?" Joey grinned sheepishly and tried to ignore the death glare Kaiba was giving him from across the room. He knew making that comment was really uncalled for but he liked to joke around with Sydney, regardless of the fact that it was clear that Kaiba was her boyfriend. There was nothing wrong with joking around.
"You two done?" Kaiba's flat response came from behind her and caused Sydney to sigh and turn to face him, a hand upon her hip. She knew how protective Kaiba could get when it came to other men, especially the friendship she shared with Joey. In fact, she knew he was quite envious of the strong bond her and the blonde young man held.
"Jealous?"
Kaiba snorted and slowly took a step into the room,"Please, of that fool? You're joking."
Sydney grinned and threw Joey a menacing look,"I don't know.... Joey's a pretty good kisser."
Kaiba's eyes widen and his mouth almost hung open. He quickly shut it, his eyes narrowing and his expression falling into a sneer. Mokuba snickered from behind him but Kaiba didn't notice. He was too busy experiencing a million emotions at once, the biggest one of anger.
"What did you just say?"
Joey caught the game and ran with it, even though Bakura and Yami were shaking their heads like crazy, trying to keep him from causing Kaiba to go into hysterics.
"Heh, heh. Did ya think you were the only one to get a piece of this beauty?" Joey gave Sydney a wink and she grinned.
Kaiba's fists balled and he took a step forward,"Wheeler, you're digging your own grave right now. If you seriously touched her, I suggest you run because I'm giving you five seconds before I kill you."
Joey continued to grin,"She's pretty good in bed too, huh Sydney?"
That was the last straw. Kaiba went forward, reaching to grab him by his collar and slam him into the nearest wall but was stopped by Sydney, her arms clutching onto him before he made it all the way to Joey's position. He continued to grin, only fueling Kaiba's anger.
"Kaiba he's joking," Sydney told him,"Relax, will you?! I've never done such things with Joey before!"
Kaiba broke her hold on him and raised a finger to Joey's face,"You're EXTREMELY lucky. Next time, I don't care if you're joking, I'll just kill you for the hell of it."
Joey continued to grin,"I know but it was worth the look on ya face."
Kaiba's eyes narrowed but Sydney put herself between them,"Stop it you two. Joey will you quit torturing him?!"
"Sorry, sorry," The blonde responded as he slumped back down onto the couch,"I'm done."
"Well," A voice came out from behind them,"I see you've all had quite a day."
Sydney turned to see Garuza and smiled slightly,"You could say that. So, find anything?"
Garuza looked at her strangely,"What makes you think that I was out, Mi Lady?"
"I think I know you well enough to know that you love to find information."
Garuza smiled slightly and bowed shortly,"I am glad to inform you that I have found the location of the last mystical item. I had been traveling between the shadows and had stumbled upon two followers. It seems that Tskusa is well aware of our journey. He is holding the last item in his hideout."
"Which is where?" Kaiba asked irritated,"Just tell us where it is and stop rambling."
Garuza turned to Kiaba and than back to Sydney,"Mi Lady, are you sure he is fit to court you? He is quite arrogant if I would offer an opinion."
Sydney couldn't help but smirk as Kaiba narrowed his eyes and growled at his comment,"This is not the time to discuss my love life, Garuza. Where is Tskusa hiding this item?"
Garuza nodded and proceeded to tell her,"In the building that I am sure Mr. Kaiba is acquainted with."
Kaiba's eyebrows raised slightly,"Oh really?"
Garuza turned to him,"My dear boy, Tskusa has placed his ceremonial induction in the organization of your company, Kaiba Corp."
Kaiba's mouth hung open,"What?!"
