Greetings!
This wasn't supposed to be a whole chapter, but it got a little longer than it should have been. So, here you go. This chapter is entirely Yugi/Yami and Kaiba, so my apologies to the Joey fans out there. His chapter will be the next one!
I don't have time to reply to all of the reviews tonight (or early morning, I should say), but thank you for reviewing! You guys are absolutely awesome! You all make it a pleasure to write, and I thank you for that.
Thank you benign sadist for the link. The starter decks for Joey and Pegasus will work great for what I need, because the cards are almost exactly the same, so thank you so much!! Also, thanks TZ for the chibi plushies *hugs Yugi, Yami, and Kaiba plushies, while the rest sit around the computer desk* Adrienne-Lillian, you're up to episode 19 of the English version? I could see how Marik/Malik wouldn't make sense to you then. He's two different things depending on if you're watching the English version or the original Japanese version. I based mine on the Japanese version, which has him as a descendant of the family in charge of caring for the pharaoh's tomb (or something like that. Translations are horrible in the DVDs and I haven't watched enough episodes to really know yet). Anyway, Marik wants revenge on the pharaoh because he thinks that the pharaoh killed his father, when it was really his yami that did it. If that doesn't make sense, let me know and I'll try to find some episode translations for you to read.
Thanks again to everyone! Enjoy the chapter.
**~~**
Part 17: Millennium Magic
**Yami! What's going on?**
Yugi felt his partner's conflicting emotions, but was being blocked from accessing Yami's senses as he usually did. He shared his body, which meant that at any time, Yugi could 'take a peek' out of his eyes and see what Yami was doing, or in his case now, 'take a peek' at Yami's senses to see what was going on around him. Something was blocking him from connecting to Yami right now and it was freaking Yugi out. He didn't think Yami was blocking him, because if that were the case, Yugi wouldn't be able to sense any emotions at all.
**Yami, talk to me!**
Nothing.
Yugi got up from the bed in his soul room and walked out into the hallway. It was darker than usual, which usually happened when Yami was distressed or angry. Taking a deep breath, Yugi walked to the door of Yami's soul room and opened it. He walked inside, finding the room darker and more foreboding than usual, which was also what he expected. The maze of corridors seemed especially endless because of whatever was affecting Yami, but Yugi wasn't worried. He didn't have to traverse the maze. Yami could come to him when he could.
Yugi just didn't think he'd have the patience to wait until Yami appeared.
"What could have happened?" Yugi said to the shadows of Yami's soul room. "He was going to talk to Kaiba. Unless whoever it was that kidnapped us came back."
The thought left Yugi frightened. He felt helpless, because he couldn't do anything. Yami had control of the body, but even if Yugi did, he wouldn't have been able to help.
"What am I supposed to do, just stand here and wait?"
As if someone had listened to his question, the soul room began to glow and morph around Yugi. He looked around, surprised. Neither Yami's nor his soul room had ever done this and Yugi was afraid of what it meant. The light got brighter and brighter until Yugi couldn't keep his eyes open. He closed them tightly, feeling the heat from the light brush his face. After a few moments, the heat dissipated, leaving Yugi feeling chilled. He opened his eyes and gasped at what he saw.
"Woah."
The room he was in now was not Yami's soul room, nor was it his own. Instead of the mazes in Yami's room or the toys in his, this one was made up of steel. It was bright and cluttered with technological equipment of all kinds. Computers lined one end of the room while several dueling disks in various states of disarray lined the other. If Yugi didn't know any better, he'd think he was in one of Kaiba's labs.
"What am I doing here? Where am I?"
"That's a good question. What are you doing inside my head?"
Yugi whirled around to find Seto Kaiba glaring at him. Unconsciously, Yugi took a step back.
"I'm inside your head?"
Kaiba nodded. "I'm new to this whole magic mumbo jumbo, but Marik is currently controlling my body again. I found myself in here the last time he did it, so I came in here again. I didn't even know this room existed."
Yugi nodded. "Yami and I have soul rooms in my head so that we can each control my body when we need to, while the other has a place to go. You must have created this room when Marik invaded your mind the first time," Yugi explained.
"How can he do that?" Kaiba asked. He seemed both interested and somewhat hurt that he could be controlled.
"Magic. Yami was telling me that he was aware that some of the Millennium items had powers similar to this, but he'd never seen this particular power displayed."
"Magic. You know, if I wasn't experiencing it for myself, I would not believe it," Kaiba said. He made his way over to one of the tables and plopped down on it. He regarded Yugi carefully, which made Yugi squirm.
"You're not blind here."
Yugi shook his head, a sad smile on his face. "The mind has no eyes, Kaiba. I can see what I want here, even in your mind."
"I'm sorry about what happened at the morgue. I know that you don't believe me, but I had no control. I couldn't stop it."
Yugi swallowed, the fear that he'd felt as Kaiba had been chasing him suddenly hitting him. He shivered slightly, and wrapped his arms around his chest.
"Look," Kaiba said, and it was clear to Yugi that whatever he was about to say wasn't easy for him to say. "Yami said something about how you started to doubt your judgment because you thought I'd betrayed you. I just wanted to tell you that I didn't betray you and that you shouldn't doubt yourself. I think the best thing about you is that you don't listen to what people say about a person, but rather judge them with your own moral code. I was always glad for that, because you never treated me like everyone else did."
Yugi was speechless. Kaiba had not only apologized to him but was now giving him a pep talk about doubts? Maybe all the injuries to his head had made him go insane in addition to making him blind.
He was about to say something, when an overwhelming sensation overtook him. He felt as if he was drowning, and he clutched at his throat as he fell to his knees. He gasped for air, but none came.
"Yugi?" Kaiba was suddenly beside him, holding him up. "What's wrong?
His vision was beginning to blur around the edges, when the suffocating feeling left him. He greedily took in air, wondering what had just happened.
*Yugi, Marik knows you're in Kaiba's mind. Get him out of there, get Kaiba back in control as soon as you can*
**Yami! What's going on?**
*The only way to escape is for you to drive Marik out of Kaiba's mind. I helped you transfer your consciousness from the puzzle into Kaiba's head and then blocked Marik from sensing you there, that's why I wasn't responding to you. I can not hold him off any longer. His magic is powerful, and I'm too weak to fight him completely*
**How am I supposed to drive him out?**
*Use magic. My magic is your magic, Yugi, you just never learned to use it. Here's your chance. The physical injuries are dulling my senses, but you are uninjured in your current state. You are more powerful than I am right now, use that to our advantage*
**How do I know what to do**
Yami actually chuckled. *I have faith in you, aibou. You will know. Do it fast, because time is running out*
"Yugi, are you okay? Talk to me".
Kaiba was getting desperate, Yugi could hear it in his voice.
"Yami brought me here to get rid of Marik for you. I just don't know how. Now, Marik knows I'm here and is going to try to drive me out."
Kaiba frowned. "Do you realize that everything you're saying sounds incredibly farfetched?"
Yugi laughed. "Yeah, but we're living it, so believe it, Kaiba."
Suddenly, a cold, cruel laugh filled the room.
"You think you're clever, little Yugi? Well, you're not clever enough," Marik said. "I've had a lifetime to perfect my magic; you've had all of five minutes. Who do you think will win?"
"Why don't you stop using other people to do your fighting and fight your own battles?" Kaiba goaded. "A man would fight one on one, you know."
"Shut up, you imbecile. You're nothing but a vessel, something to use and discard when the need arises."
Kaiba was speechless, but Yugi could see the anger in his eyes.
"I can do this," Yugi whispered to himself. "I have to do this."
"Go back into the puzzle, little Yugi. The Pharaoh can't protect you forever. His magic is strong, but not stronger than mine. Soon, he'll be vanished and I'll have my revenge. I'm allowing you to return to the puzzle so that you won't be banished along with him, but you have to go now."
"Kaiba, do you trust me?"
Yugi turned to see Kaiba staring at him.
"What choice do I have?"
"That's not what I asked, Seto. Do you trust me?"
Kaiba thought about it for a moment, before he nodded. "Yes, I do."
"Okay. Close your eyes and focus your strength on me. Ignore Marik and his taunts, don't give him any more ammunition, and just concentrate."
"What am I waiting for?"
"You'll be waiting for control of your body. Once you regain it, disable Marik before he can control you again. I don't think Yami or I can do this again if we have to."
Kaiba nodded. "Okay. Good luck."
Yugi took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Good luck indeed."
How was he supposed to drive Marik out of Kaiba's head? How did he usually do things he needed to do? He visualized them, and then did them. Okay, he could do that here. Yami said that he could control his magic, and Yugi was going to believe him. He had to believe.
Yugi visualized the Mirror Wall card. That was one of his favorite cards, because it sent an opponent's attack right back, causing damage. Yugi was going to use it to do the same to Marik. He visualized a small wall, at first, just covering himself and Kaiba. But then the wall grew, encompassing the entire room. As the wall grew, it pushed Marik's influence a little further out. Marik, however, was not an amateur and began to push back. The more Marik pushed, however, the more the wall grew.
With a sudden force, Marik pushed back harder than before, sending Yugi stumbling backwards, causing him to almost lose his perilous control of the magic. Before he hit the ground, however, strong hands caught him and held him up. In the moment Kaiba's hands came into contact with his arms, Yugi felt a rush of strength enter him and he pushed back with twice the strength, driving Marik out.
Before he knew it, there was a loud popping sound in his head, followed by waves of pain. Yugi felt Yami loose control of the protective shield he'd built around Kaiba at the same moment he felt Marik's consciousness leave the older teen. For a split second, Yugi saw nothing but darkness and felt nothing but numbness. When he returned to himself, he felt cold asphalt underneath his hands and face and realized that he was back in control of his body.
Somewhere ahead of him, Yugi heard the sounds of a struggle. Someone was fighting, and he figured it was Kaiba and Marik. Both teens grunted as each landed blows, but Yugi had no idea who had the upper hand. He was glad that Kaiba had control of his body, though.
*You did well, aibou*
Yugi smiled. **Yeah, who would have thought?** *I never doubted that you could do it*
The sound of a gun shot brought Yugi's attention back to the fight happening somewhere around him, his heart speeding up at the thought that Kaiba had been shot. He slowly got up, but had no idea what to do to help.
"You imbeciles, take care of. . ." There was the sound of a grunt and a crash, which Yugi assumed that meant Marik had been knocked unconscious. The sounds of fighting continued for a while, until silence ruled.
"Kaiba? Where are you?" Yugi called out, his voice trembling slightly.
He took a few tentative steps forward, remembering having done the same thing in the morgue only to land on top of a dead body. He didn't want to have to do that now, especially if that body could be Kaiba's.
*Do you think he's dead?* Yami asked.
Yugi swallowed the lump in his throat. **I hope not**
Yugi's foot hit something soft, and he gasped in surprise. Gingerly, so as not to aggravate his own injuries, he kneeled down next to it and began to run his hands over it. The body felt too bulky to be Kaiba's, so Yugi stepped over it and continued on, until he bumped into someone else. He hoped that there wasn't anyone else waiting for him to get close to knock him out, while he was groping around in the dark.
He was halfway up the body when he felt something rectangular, like a card. He fingered it, before picking it up. He tried to pull it but couldn't, because something was holding it in place.
**That necklace Kaiba wears, the one in the shape of a Duel Monsters card. This has got to be it** Yugi told his partner.
Yugi let his hands roam over the face, and winced when he felt something sticky around the head and cheeks.
*He probably took quite a beating from Marik's hunters. I'll be surprised if he survived*
**Don't be a pessimist, Yami** Yugi chided.
"Kaiba," Yugi said, shaking the teen gently. "Kaiba, you have to wake up."
With dread, Yugi's fingers snaked down to Kaiba's neck, where he felt for a pulse. He released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when he found it.
"Come on, Kaiba, we don't have time for naps."
Yugi's efforts were rewarded with a groan.
*He has a thicker skull than I thought* Yami stated.
"Come on, Kaiba, wake up."
"Yugi? What's going on?"
"Um, you don't remember?"
There was silence. Yugi heard the rustle of clothing before he felt Kaiba sit up.
"I remember, alright. My head is killing me."
There was silence again, until Kaiba picked himself up and hauled Yugi up with him.
"Yugi, we have to go."
"What?"
"I don't want to be under that psycho's control anymore, so we're leaving."
Yugi dug in his heels until Kaiba stopped dragging him. "Where is Marik?"
"He's over there, unconscious. I don't plan to be here when he wakes up. We'll just send the police after him, okay?"
Yugi nodded. He didn't want to be around when Marik woke up either.
They began to walk quickly away from the scene, neither of them saying a word. Yugi had no clue where they were going; he was trusting Kaiba to get him back to the hospital or to a police station.
They'd been walking for a few minutes when Yugi heard sirens. The sirens began to get closer and closer, until Yugi figured that whatever was making the noise had to be right in front of them. His hypothesis was proven correct when he heard the sounds of car doors opening.
"Hold it right there. Put your hands up!"
Yugi immediately halted and felt Kaiba stop beside him.
"What's going on?" Yugi asked.
"Seto Kaiba, you're under arrest for kidnapping. Let go of Mr. Moto and put your hands up."
Yugi frowned. **They think Kaiba kidnapped me?**
*Technically, he did, Yugi. It was his body, even if he wasn't controlling it* Yami supplied.
"This is a mistake," Yugi said and started to walk in front of Kaiba. He stopped, however, when he felt Kaiba's hand on his shoulder.
"They've got guns pointed at us, Yugi. I recommend you do as they say."
"But you didn't kidnap me, Kaiba. They're wrong."
"Mr. Moto, please step away from Mr. Kaiba," one of the police officers said to him.
Yugi shook his head. "No. You're not going to arrest him."
"Yugi, do as they say. It's okay," Kaiba said.
"I'm not going to let them arrest you, Kaiba."
"We'll get this straightened out later, okay, Yugi? For now, have them take you back to the hospital where you should have been all along."
Yugi continued to shake his head. He didn't want them to arrest Kaiba, but what could he do?
"Okay."
Yugi stepped away from Kaiba and stopped when his back hit a wall. He heard the police officers talking as they read Kaiba his rights, and then put him in one of the squad cars.
"Come with me, please," a female voice said to him.
Yugi nodded and walked in her direction. She put an arm around him and led him into one of the other cars. She set him down and closed the door. After a few moments, Yugi felt the car lurch into motion.
**Out of one situation and into another one. Is this ever going to end?**
Yami sighed. *For the sake of everyone, I hope that it does.*
Yugi finally succumbed to the darkness that had threatened to overwhelm him and let his mind shut down. He'd deal with the consequences later, much later.
**~~**
Next up, a chapter entirely devoted to Joey. Well, maybe not entirely. . . I do have to visit Kaiba in jail, after all ^__^.
This wasn't supposed to be a whole chapter, but it got a little longer than it should have been. So, here you go. This chapter is entirely Yugi/Yami and Kaiba, so my apologies to the Joey fans out there. His chapter will be the next one!
I don't have time to reply to all of the reviews tonight (or early morning, I should say), but thank you for reviewing! You guys are absolutely awesome! You all make it a pleasure to write, and I thank you for that.
Thank you benign sadist for the link. The starter decks for Joey and Pegasus will work great for what I need, because the cards are almost exactly the same, so thank you so much!! Also, thanks TZ for the chibi plushies *hugs Yugi, Yami, and Kaiba plushies, while the rest sit around the computer desk* Adrienne-Lillian, you're up to episode 19 of the English version? I could see how Marik/Malik wouldn't make sense to you then. He's two different things depending on if you're watching the English version or the original Japanese version. I based mine on the Japanese version, which has him as a descendant of the family in charge of caring for the pharaoh's tomb (or something like that. Translations are horrible in the DVDs and I haven't watched enough episodes to really know yet). Anyway, Marik wants revenge on the pharaoh because he thinks that the pharaoh killed his father, when it was really his yami that did it. If that doesn't make sense, let me know and I'll try to find some episode translations for you to read.
Thanks again to everyone! Enjoy the chapter.
**~~**
Part 17: Millennium Magic
**Yami! What's going on?**
Yugi felt his partner's conflicting emotions, but was being blocked from accessing Yami's senses as he usually did. He shared his body, which meant that at any time, Yugi could 'take a peek' out of his eyes and see what Yami was doing, or in his case now, 'take a peek' at Yami's senses to see what was going on around him. Something was blocking him from connecting to Yami right now and it was freaking Yugi out. He didn't think Yami was blocking him, because if that were the case, Yugi wouldn't be able to sense any emotions at all.
**Yami, talk to me!**
Nothing.
Yugi got up from the bed in his soul room and walked out into the hallway. It was darker than usual, which usually happened when Yami was distressed or angry. Taking a deep breath, Yugi walked to the door of Yami's soul room and opened it. He walked inside, finding the room darker and more foreboding than usual, which was also what he expected. The maze of corridors seemed especially endless because of whatever was affecting Yami, but Yugi wasn't worried. He didn't have to traverse the maze. Yami could come to him when he could.
Yugi just didn't think he'd have the patience to wait until Yami appeared.
"What could have happened?" Yugi said to the shadows of Yami's soul room. "He was going to talk to Kaiba. Unless whoever it was that kidnapped us came back."
The thought left Yugi frightened. He felt helpless, because he couldn't do anything. Yami had control of the body, but even if Yugi did, he wouldn't have been able to help.
"What am I supposed to do, just stand here and wait?"
As if someone had listened to his question, the soul room began to glow and morph around Yugi. He looked around, surprised. Neither Yami's nor his soul room had ever done this and Yugi was afraid of what it meant. The light got brighter and brighter until Yugi couldn't keep his eyes open. He closed them tightly, feeling the heat from the light brush his face. After a few moments, the heat dissipated, leaving Yugi feeling chilled. He opened his eyes and gasped at what he saw.
"Woah."
The room he was in now was not Yami's soul room, nor was it his own. Instead of the mazes in Yami's room or the toys in his, this one was made up of steel. It was bright and cluttered with technological equipment of all kinds. Computers lined one end of the room while several dueling disks in various states of disarray lined the other. If Yugi didn't know any better, he'd think he was in one of Kaiba's labs.
"What am I doing here? Where am I?"
"That's a good question. What are you doing inside my head?"
Yugi whirled around to find Seto Kaiba glaring at him. Unconsciously, Yugi took a step back.
"I'm inside your head?"
Kaiba nodded. "I'm new to this whole magic mumbo jumbo, but Marik is currently controlling my body again. I found myself in here the last time he did it, so I came in here again. I didn't even know this room existed."
Yugi nodded. "Yami and I have soul rooms in my head so that we can each control my body when we need to, while the other has a place to go. You must have created this room when Marik invaded your mind the first time," Yugi explained.
"How can he do that?" Kaiba asked. He seemed both interested and somewhat hurt that he could be controlled.
"Magic. Yami was telling me that he was aware that some of the Millennium items had powers similar to this, but he'd never seen this particular power displayed."
"Magic. You know, if I wasn't experiencing it for myself, I would not believe it," Kaiba said. He made his way over to one of the tables and plopped down on it. He regarded Yugi carefully, which made Yugi squirm.
"You're not blind here."
Yugi shook his head, a sad smile on his face. "The mind has no eyes, Kaiba. I can see what I want here, even in your mind."
"I'm sorry about what happened at the morgue. I know that you don't believe me, but I had no control. I couldn't stop it."
Yugi swallowed, the fear that he'd felt as Kaiba had been chasing him suddenly hitting him. He shivered slightly, and wrapped his arms around his chest.
"Look," Kaiba said, and it was clear to Yugi that whatever he was about to say wasn't easy for him to say. "Yami said something about how you started to doubt your judgment because you thought I'd betrayed you. I just wanted to tell you that I didn't betray you and that you shouldn't doubt yourself. I think the best thing about you is that you don't listen to what people say about a person, but rather judge them with your own moral code. I was always glad for that, because you never treated me like everyone else did."
Yugi was speechless. Kaiba had not only apologized to him but was now giving him a pep talk about doubts? Maybe all the injuries to his head had made him go insane in addition to making him blind.
He was about to say something, when an overwhelming sensation overtook him. He felt as if he was drowning, and he clutched at his throat as he fell to his knees. He gasped for air, but none came.
"Yugi?" Kaiba was suddenly beside him, holding him up. "What's wrong?
His vision was beginning to blur around the edges, when the suffocating feeling left him. He greedily took in air, wondering what had just happened.
*Yugi, Marik knows you're in Kaiba's mind. Get him out of there, get Kaiba back in control as soon as you can*
**Yami! What's going on?**
*The only way to escape is for you to drive Marik out of Kaiba's mind. I helped you transfer your consciousness from the puzzle into Kaiba's head and then blocked Marik from sensing you there, that's why I wasn't responding to you. I can not hold him off any longer. His magic is powerful, and I'm too weak to fight him completely*
**How am I supposed to drive him out?**
*Use magic. My magic is your magic, Yugi, you just never learned to use it. Here's your chance. The physical injuries are dulling my senses, but you are uninjured in your current state. You are more powerful than I am right now, use that to our advantage*
**How do I know what to do**
Yami actually chuckled. *I have faith in you, aibou. You will know. Do it fast, because time is running out*
"Yugi, are you okay? Talk to me".
Kaiba was getting desperate, Yugi could hear it in his voice.
"Yami brought me here to get rid of Marik for you. I just don't know how. Now, Marik knows I'm here and is going to try to drive me out."
Kaiba frowned. "Do you realize that everything you're saying sounds incredibly farfetched?"
Yugi laughed. "Yeah, but we're living it, so believe it, Kaiba."
Suddenly, a cold, cruel laugh filled the room.
"You think you're clever, little Yugi? Well, you're not clever enough," Marik said. "I've had a lifetime to perfect my magic; you've had all of five minutes. Who do you think will win?"
"Why don't you stop using other people to do your fighting and fight your own battles?" Kaiba goaded. "A man would fight one on one, you know."
"Shut up, you imbecile. You're nothing but a vessel, something to use and discard when the need arises."
Kaiba was speechless, but Yugi could see the anger in his eyes.
"I can do this," Yugi whispered to himself. "I have to do this."
"Go back into the puzzle, little Yugi. The Pharaoh can't protect you forever. His magic is strong, but not stronger than mine. Soon, he'll be vanished and I'll have my revenge. I'm allowing you to return to the puzzle so that you won't be banished along with him, but you have to go now."
"Kaiba, do you trust me?"
Yugi turned to see Kaiba staring at him.
"What choice do I have?"
"That's not what I asked, Seto. Do you trust me?"
Kaiba thought about it for a moment, before he nodded. "Yes, I do."
"Okay. Close your eyes and focus your strength on me. Ignore Marik and his taunts, don't give him any more ammunition, and just concentrate."
"What am I waiting for?"
"You'll be waiting for control of your body. Once you regain it, disable Marik before he can control you again. I don't think Yami or I can do this again if we have to."
Kaiba nodded. "Okay. Good luck."
Yugi took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Good luck indeed."
How was he supposed to drive Marik out of Kaiba's head? How did he usually do things he needed to do? He visualized them, and then did them. Okay, he could do that here. Yami said that he could control his magic, and Yugi was going to believe him. He had to believe.
Yugi visualized the Mirror Wall card. That was one of his favorite cards, because it sent an opponent's attack right back, causing damage. Yugi was going to use it to do the same to Marik. He visualized a small wall, at first, just covering himself and Kaiba. But then the wall grew, encompassing the entire room. As the wall grew, it pushed Marik's influence a little further out. Marik, however, was not an amateur and began to push back. The more Marik pushed, however, the more the wall grew.
With a sudden force, Marik pushed back harder than before, sending Yugi stumbling backwards, causing him to almost lose his perilous control of the magic. Before he hit the ground, however, strong hands caught him and held him up. In the moment Kaiba's hands came into contact with his arms, Yugi felt a rush of strength enter him and he pushed back with twice the strength, driving Marik out.
Before he knew it, there was a loud popping sound in his head, followed by waves of pain. Yugi felt Yami loose control of the protective shield he'd built around Kaiba at the same moment he felt Marik's consciousness leave the older teen. For a split second, Yugi saw nothing but darkness and felt nothing but numbness. When he returned to himself, he felt cold asphalt underneath his hands and face and realized that he was back in control of his body.
Somewhere ahead of him, Yugi heard the sounds of a struggle. Someone was fighting, and he figured it was Kaiba and Marik. Both teens grunted as each landed blows, but Yugi had no idea who had the upper hand. He was glad that Kaiba had control of his body, though.
*You did well, aibou*
Yugi smiled. **Yeah, who would have thought?** *I never doubted that you could do it*
The sound of a gun shot brought Yugi's attention back to the fight happening somewhere around him, his heart speeding up at the thought that Kaiba had been shot. He slowly got up, but had no idea what to do to help.
"You imbeciles, take care of. . ." There was the sound of a grunt and a crash, which Yugi assumed that meant Marik had been knocked unconscious. The sounds of fighting continued for a while, until silence ruled.
"Kaiba? Where are you?" Yugi called out, his voice trembling slightly.
He took a few tentative steps forward, remembering having done the same thing in the morgue only to land on top of a dead body. He didn't want to have to do that now, especially if that body could be Kaiba's.
*Do you think he's dead?* Yami asked.
Yugi swallowed the lump in his throat. **I hope not**
Yugi's foot hit something soft, and he gasped in surprise. Gingerly, so as not to aggravate his own injuries, he kneeled down next to it and began to run his hands over it. The body felt too bulky to be Kaiba's, so Yugi stepped over it and continued on, until he bumped into someone else. He hoped that there wasn't anyone else waiting for him to get close to knock him out, while he was groping around in the dark.
He was halfway up the body when he felt something rectangular, like a card. He fingered it, before picking it up. He tried to pull it but couldn't, because something was holding it in place.
**That necklace Kaiba wears, the one in the shape of a Duel Monsters card. This has got to be it** Yugi told his partner.
Yugi let his hands roam over the face, and winced when he felt something sticky around the head and cheeks.
*He probably took quite a beating from Marik's hunters. I'll be surprised if he survived*
**Don't be a pessimist, Yami** Yugi chided.
"Kaiba," Yugi said, shaking the teen gently. "Kaiba, you have to wake up."
With dread, Yugi's fingers snaked down to Kaiba's neck, where he felt for a pulse. He released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when he found it.
"Come on, Kaiba, we don't have time for naps."
Yugi's efforts were rewarded with a groan.
*He has a thicker skull than I thought* Yami stated.
"Come on, Kaiba, wake up."
"Yugi? What's going on?"
"Um, you don't remember?"
There was silence. Yugi heard the rustle of clothing before he felt Kaiba sit up.
"I remember, alright. My head is killing me."
There was silence again, until Kaiba picked himself up and hauled Yugi up with him.
"Yugi, we have to go."
"What?"
"I don't want to be under that psycho's control anymore, so we're leaving."
Yugi dug in his heels until Kaiba stopped dragging him. "Where is Marik?"
"He's over there, unconscious. I don't plan to be here when he wakes up. We'll just send the police after him, okay?"
Yugi nodded. He didn't want to be around when Marik woke up either.
They began to walk quickly away from the scene, neither of them saying a word. Yugi had no clue where they were going; he was trusting Kaiba to get him back to the hospital or to a police station.
They'd been walking for a few minutes when Yugi heard sirens. The sirens began to get closer and closer, until Yugi figured that whatever was making the noise had to be right in front of them. His hypothesis was proven correct when he heard the sounds of car doors opening.
"Hold it right there. Put your hands up!"
Yugi immediately halted and felt Kaiba stop beside him.
"What's going on?" Yugi asked.
"Seto Kaiba, you're under arrest for kidnapping. Let go of Mr. Moto and put your hands up."
Yugi frowned. **They think Kaiba kidnapped me?**
*Technically, he did, Yugi. It was his body, even if he wasn't controlling it* Yami supplied.
"This is a mistake," Yugi said and started to walk in front of Kaiba. He stopped, however, when he felt Kaiba's hand on his shoulder.
"They've got guns pointed at us, Yugi. I recommend you do as they say."
"But you didn't kidnap me, Kaiba. They're wrong."
"Mr. Moto, please step away from Mr. Kaiba," one of the police officers said to him.
Yugi shook his head. "No. You're not going to arrest him."
"Yugi, do as they say. It's okay," Kaiba said.
"I'm not going to let them arrest you, Kaiba."
"We'll get this straightened out later, okay, Yugi? For now, have them take you back to the hospital where you should have been all along."
Yugi continued to shake his head. He didn't want them to arrest Kaiba, but what could he do?
"Okay."
Yugi stepped away from Kaiba and stopped when his back hit a wall. He heard the police officers talking as they read Kaiba his rights, and then put him in one of the squad cars.
"Come with me, please," a female voice said to him.
Yugi nodded and walked in her direction. She put an arm around him and led him into one of the other cars. She set him down and closed the door. After a few moments, Yugi felt the car lurch into motion.
**Out of one situation and into another one. Is this ever going to end?**
Yami sighed. *For the sake of everyone, I hope that it does.*
Yugi finally succumbed to the darkness that had threatened to overwhelm him and let his mind shut down. He'd deal with the consequences later, much later.
**~~**
Next up, a chapter entirely devoted to Joey. Well, maybe not entirely. . . I do have to visit Kaiba in jail, after all ^__^.