MnY:  AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Naito:  {{o_O?  What is it now, aibou.}}

*stutters*  I-I just went back and read through all my previous chapters…and…and…

{{*sigh*  What did I tell you?}}

THEY'RE SO BAD!!!!  *crying*  I can't believe that people actually reviewed them and said that they liked them!!  Noooo!!  And now I can't even go back and re-edit everything, since I'm pressed for time and I'm trying to get this story finished by June-!  NOT FAIR!!

{{*groan*  Aibou.  Stop whining.  I'm getting a headache.}}

And NOW I'm afraid that this chapter is just as bad as the last one, and I don't know what to do and my head is spinning and I know where I want the story to end but I can't seem to get there and all the gods hate me and-

*WHACK*

@_@

{{-_-''''  Yakamashi, hikari no baka.  Pft.  Stupid; I told her this wouldn't be any good, but does she ever listen to me?  NO….}}

*shakes head, sighs*  Oh well.  That's life I suppose.

Well, thanks to the following people:

Wolfspeaker

Towairaito Zoon

Yugi  {{What?  What's that brat doing around here?  *smack*  OW!!  Hikari!}}

TidBits

And the Reviewer-Award-Of-The-Year goes to…. Ko-chan and co.!

{{WHAT???  Those bakas?}}

Heeheehee!  Ko-chan and the others have been so nice and so entertaining – they even sent us FanArt of Naito!!  It's on my website, which I promise I will put up as soon as I'm able!  Thanks again, the pic is sooo awesome!  ^_^_^

{{*looks at picture*  That's ME???  Man, a blind man could've done a b-}}

*WHACK*  *grabs Naito by shirt front*  You should only be so lucky that Ko-chan saved you from Dai while you were in your little drunken stupor last time.  You really think she's going to help you if it happens again?

{{*remembers last review, eyes widen*  Errr…I'm sorry!  Ko-chan, you're the best, really!  …I refuse to say anything about Dai, though.}}

*puts him down*  Hmpf.  Anyway, like I was saying, because Ko-chan and co. have been so incredibly awesome, because…well…they ARE…I've decided to dedicate the rest of this story to them!  Yay!  *does happy dance*  Oh, not that the rest of you aren't important and loved by me – far from it!!  I love you all, especially since you've managed to struggle through these pathetic chapters of mine!

{{*rolls eyes*  You can say that again…}}

O_o?  *shrug*  I love you all, especially since you've managed to struggle through these pathetic chapters of mine!

{{o_o  What-?}}

…Ah, yes – and before we begin, we have the disclaimer:

Disclaimer:  Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh (or Yuugiou, for that matter), don't own Ken Kesey, don't own any hospitals, don't own SQUAT – just this storyline, Merodi, and Naito-chan here.  *BIG hug*

{{*strained gasp*  For the LAST TIME AIBOU, are you trying to kill me???}}

*grins evilly*  Sore wa himisu desu.

{{o_o}}

Oh, also, a note of warning – the first section is from Yugi's point of view, specifically it's his train of thought after one of his 'treatments'.  There's a lot of foreshadowing to further chapters, and allusions to what will be the prequel to this story, but in all honesty it's not really supposed to make sense.  So, if it doesn't, don't worry, everything will be fine, I promise.  Also, while we're on the discussion of warnings, there is suicide ahead, though not by any of our main characters.  I didn't go into a whole lot of description, I don't think, but if even the mentioning of such things disturbs you, skip over it.  This also has the tinest bit of fluff, even though it's not suppose to be there.  ^_^;;;  Eh heh….

Well, good luck!  If you can make it all the way through without throwing up, I applaud you!

{{…quite.  ^_^}}

**blah blah blah** - point of view

[ blah blah blah ] – thinking

/blah blah blah/ - Yugi talking

//blah blah blah// - Yami talking

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Destinies of the Past - Chapter 10: A Bloody Memory

**Yugi's Point of View**

Air raid!

The dragons are coming.

What are you doing?

YUGI!

Screams everywhere.

The monsters are attacking.

Run, run, RUN.

Night.

Knight.

Darkness.

My hands are red – they are the Nile, drenched in blood.

Drip, drip, drip.

Feeling weak – where is my strength.

I see it now – it's…crying?

Father never cried for me.

Father pushed Mother.

Spiky blue hair pushed too.

Mother was an angel.

Too bad she couldn't walk on water.

There she goes – drowning in the demon's eyes.

Another scream.

A look-alike writhes in pain.  I try to help, but I'm stuck – the water's trying to pull me down.

Who are you?

Ra blazes overhead.

What?  Attacking?  Where?

"In another time, you could have been pharaoh."

I sit on the sand, looking up.  A demon has come for me.  I wonder if he's come to finish the job that was started.  My parents died in the fire, its power by Ra's himself.  Stranger kneels before me, staring.  Wait – he's smiling?  Those eyes.  I always liked the color red over blue.  I wonder if he can hear the dead singing as well.  I watch as angel wings sprout from his back, unfurling and protecting me.  I fall asleep, only to wake up to darkness.  Falling, falling into the abyss.

Light.  Dark.

Can't have light without dark.

Will you be here when I wake?

I failed you.  How do you know it won't happen again?

"I believe in you, Yugi."

Yami.

Light.  It's a lamp.

The golden orb that I thought was the sun – Ra – is just a simple standing lamp, piercing the darkness of the room around me.

Yami.

You tried to take the pain away, didn't you?  Tried to find me within my jumbled thoughts?

I can't remember.  I know Naito did something, something that hurt.  But what?

He wants you.  This I know.

But, I don't – I can't – remember.

I think this is the third time.  Could be more.

His maniacal laughter – that I CAN remember.

Is this what it was like, Yami?  When you were trapped in the puzzle – is this how you lost your past?

Bit by bit?  Like sand through an hourglass?

I now see how you lost everything, a little at a time.  Though, for you, it simply slipped away.

My memory's being painfully extracted with each "session".

I'm scared.  For once, I'm truly scared.

Yami, where are you?

**End POV**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Which way do we go now?"

"I don't know."

Silence.  Then, the voice continued.

"I'm going to try and connect with Yugi again."

Merodi stopped walking.  Since Yami's last contact, they had been able to narrow down Yugi's location to Kaze Avenue.  Having parked the car, the two exited and had started looking around when Merodi posed the question.  She looked at her companion worriedly, vividly remembering what had happened last time.

"Yami, are you sure?"  Her concern was answered by her friend's fiery glare.  She stepped back, a little afraid.

He relaxed as he saw her retreat in apprehension.  Sighing, he replied, "Yes," as Yami closed his eyes and began to mentally narrow down on Yugi's presence.  Up until now he had been able to locate the general area of his aibou's whereabouts without having to open up their mind-link.  Now he hoped to narrow their search down further, as well as check to see if Yugi was alright, perhaps talk with him.

Yami found him, though the location was still a little vague.  The pharaoh sighed again, this time with relief.  At least now, his charge didn't seem to be in any pain; rather, he was sleeping – a bit fitfully, but that was better than physical torture, right?  Cautiously, hoping not to arouse Naito's suspicions, he opened their mind-link completely.

//Yugi?  Yugi, can you hear me?//

Suddenly Yami stepped back, his head flooding with random words, thoughts, and emotions.

/PainconfusionwherehelpwhysorryhatedrowninghelphelpHELP/

//YUGI!//

/Nononopleasedon'tdiecomebackwherealonewhatsgoingon-/

[This isn't right,] Yami thought, concerned.  [His thoughts are completely jumbled together.  What did Naito do to him?]  Concentrating, he tried to break through Yugi's chaotic waterfall of words in an attempt to reach the boy's soul room.  At first the emotions intensified ten-fold in response, nearly overwhelming him.  However, they soon began to fade – perhaps sensing something familiar or comforting about Yami's mental presence.

In his mind's eye, Yami stepped out of the shadows and into the cold, smooth hallway.  Yugi's door stood in front of him.  He took a step forward, when suddenly the door changed in form and color.  Then it changed again.  And again, as if it couldn't decide what kind of door it wanted to be.  Cautiously Yami approached it, reaching for the doorknob.  He grasped it firmly, noting how cold it felt.  Usually the door to Yugi's soul room radiated with a warm glow, but now that warmth seemed lost.  A little panicked, Yami turned the knob and pushed the door open.

Yami stepped back in amazement. He had been into his hikari's room before, and loved how everything was so simple, pure, and child-like.  Could this be the same room he had visited so often?  Salvatore Dahl would have been proud – it looked like something out of an abstract painting.  Instead on the floor where it should have been, Yugi's bed was now on the ceiling.  A lamp hung in midair, and the book case sat on the wall, sideways.  It was the same room, except everything in it looked like it had been caught in a tornado.  [How did Yugi's mind get so turned around like this?] he wondered.  [Could it be because of that EST thing Naito did?  If so, I'll…] he began, his anger starting to flare again.  Before he could decide what punishment he would extract on his brother, however, the wall across from him suddenly disappeared without warning.

Yami blinked, staring at what lay behind the wall.  First there was simply darkness, but he was soon able to distinguish the silhouette of a boy.  Yami stood as he watched a 10-year old Yugi emerge from the shadows.  He looked a mess; his hair tousled and drooping, his body bruised all over.  The boy stopped walking forward suddenly, never noticing Yami as he fell to his knees and began crying.  The former pharaoh's heart wrenched as he began moving towards the boy to comfort him, when suddenly a man also emerged from the shadows behind Yugi.  Yami squinted, but couldn't make out anything save the man's form – though the figure had come forward he remained hidden.

Hearing the new presence behind him, the little Yugi whirled around as he turned his tear-streaked face towards the person, furious.  "WHY?" he screamed, "WHY?  YOU KNEW SHE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM!!  HOW COULD YOU??"

[This…this is a memory?  Of Yugi's past?]  Yami thought, stunned.  The shadow murmured something beyond his hearing, but apparently Yugi heard it loud and clear as he continued his yelling.

"BUT SHE LOVED YOU!!  SHE LOVED BOTH OF US!!  HOW COULD YOU JUST KILL HER LIKE THAT??  YOU'RE A MONSTER!!"

Again the shadow murmured, and this time Yugi's eyes widened in fear.  Despite the fact that it was a memory, Yami could feel the boy's rising panic at whatever the figure had stated.

"No…no…please…don't….Otous-sama…"

The man said nothing, but slowly raised an object to his head.  Little Yugi looked on in horror as the shadow pulled a trigger, collapsing as a loud shot rang though the room.  The color red stained the surrounding pitch as blood splattered everywhere.

Covered in red and shaking madly, little Yugi looked like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown as his mind processed what had just happened.  Suddenly, he let out a heart-piercing cry, running back into the darkness towards his father as he did so.

"…Tou-san…no…No…NO!!  OGAS-SAMA!!  OTOUS-SAMA!!!  NO!!!!"

Yami stood in stunned silence as the wall reappeared.  He could feel tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as he continued to stare at the place where the horrible image had taken place.  [Oh Ra…I had no idea…Yugi…I'm so sorry….]  He had never asked why Yugi lived with his grandpa, and now he wished he hadn't found out.  [And yet he's still so innocent, so pure.  Yugi….]  Suddenly he heard a loud creaking sound from behind him, turning around, Yami watched as the bed unhooked itself from the ceiling.  Flipping itself around, it gently fell to the floor, in its proper place.

[Yugi's mind must be clearing up…but where's Yugi?  Is he trapped within his own memories, like I was before being reborn?]  Before he continued with that thought, a shimmering light began to appear in front of him.  Yami held up a hand to shield himself from the piercing rays, when suddenly he heard a sweet yet sad, timid voice.  He opened his eyes to see a spiky-haired teen kneeling on the floor.

"Y-yami?"

"Yugi," he breathed as he rushed forward to embrace the teen.  Gathering his young charge in his arms, the other clung to him like a lost animal, never wanting to be separated from his yami again.  Silence passed, each latched onto the other.  Finally, Yugi shifted a little before murmuring something into Yami's shoulder.

"…You saw that, didn't you?"

Yami sighed, tightening his hold on the teen.  "Yes Yugi.  I'm sorry."

Silence.  No cries were heard, no tears were shed.  The two simply held each other for a while, as Yami rubbed his charge's back comfortingly.

Moments later Yami hesitatingly separated himself from Yugi, though still keeping a firm grip on the teen.  "Yugi, are you alright?" he asked as he stared into the solemn violet orbs that graced Yugi's face.  "Where are you, where's Naito?  What has he done to you?  Are you ok?"

Feeling a little overwhelmed by the sudden bombardment of questions, Yugi stared for a moment as he processed what Yami had said.  Blinking, his eyes became refocused before sighing as he began to answer his protector's questions.

"To start with, I honestly don't know where I am, Yami.  He's locked me up in a basement of some kind, but that's all I know.  As for Naito, I remember seeing him leave just before I received another shock treatment, but I'm afraid I've been out for so long that he's probably returned by now."

"Wait a minute," Yami started, his eyes wide.  "Another shock treatment?"

Yugi nodded wearily.  "He has the machine on a timer now.  But…I'm afraid I can't remember much else – I don't even remember how many times I've had EST so far.  I wasn't even sure if you were real, Yami, when you got here – I thought I was just imagining things."  Suddenly Yugi's expression turned from a weak smile to one of shock as he realized something.

"Yami," he said urgently, "You have to get out – you must not try to find me!"

"What?"  Yami asked, bewildered.  "Yugi, what's gotten into you?"

"It's Naito," he explained,  "…he said something about the past, your past life in Egypt.  He wants revenge for something, Yami – please, don't let him get you; run away!"

"Yugi-"

"I don't want to see you get hurt Yami!  Please, just leave me here!"

"Aibou-"

"I'm not worth it, really, get out of here!"

"YUGI, STOP IT!"

Yugi looked at his yami blankly as Yami took him by the shoulders firmly, staring him in the eye.

"Yugi, I am not leaving you here, got that?  You are my charge, my aibou, and my friend, and there's no person or God that is going to stop me from rescuing you.  I love you too damn much to do anything else, hikari."

[Oops.  I said that word, didn't I?]  he thought, dimly realizing with a shock at what he had just uttered.  Not wanting to dwell on what Yugi thought of him now – [He probably thought I was talking about love between friends, anyhow] - Yami pressed on, looking elsewhere as he missed Yugi's slight, shiny-eyed expression fading away.

"Anyway, if it really has been as long as you say it has, we'll have to take a chance.  If Naito was here, he most certainly would have sensed my presence by now, and vice-versa."  His eyes slanted further in concern as he refocused on his charge.  "But Yugi, seriously, how are you?  Are y-"

Both boys turned suddenly at the sound of wood creaking.  To their left, the bookcase had finally decided to right itself, as it set itself gently back onto the wall in the correct position.  Smiling slightly, Yugi turned back to his protector.

"Now that you're here?  I'll be fine."

Yami could feel his heart flutter at the comment – for the first time since that morning, he felt optimistic about the future.  Little did he know that, at the same time, Yugi's insides were jittery from his protector's previous statement as well.  Hugging him lightly, Yami pulled Yugi to his feet. 

"Hang on a little longer, aibou - we're coming, I promise."

Yugi smiled as he watched Yami turn to leave.

"Hai!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As much as Yami wished he could stay in Yugi's soul room and make sure that he would be safe, he found himself retreating to the outside world.  Just before breaking the contact, Yami checked Yugi's mind once more.  With relief he noted that the confusion that had dwelled within his charge's conscious previously had now lessened considerably.  Stretching out his mind to properly pinpoint his aibou's location, he finally was able to hone in on a small hospital which was no longer in service.  Feeling a brush of reassurance against his mind, Yugi confirmed it – he was no more than six blocks away.

Finally Yami opened his eyes to the real world as he turned around to face Merodi, who was leaning against the side of a car anxiously waiting for him.

"So," she spoke hurriedly, "You got through?"

"Yes.  Yugi is well for the time being; I know where he is."

"Then what are we waiting for?  Let's go!"

Yami nodded in agreement as he took off down the street, Merodi close behind.  However, as they dodged and weaved between people on the sidewalk, they had run no more than two blocks when suddenly Yami heard a sudden cry.

/YAMI!!/

//YUGI!// Yami tried to connect with him, but his aibou's presence disappeared as quickly as it had come, almost as if someone had interrupted the transmission.  The past-pharaoh's eyes widened as he picked up his speed in response to his aibou's painful call.  He was no longer concerned for the welfare of other pedestrians, as he knocked over any person who dared to get in his way while he raced towards the old hospital in a panic.

Finally reaching the abandoned building, Yami quickly circled around it, looking for an entrance.  [The basement,] he kept repeating to himself as he and Merodi violently rammed a pair of doors and headed for the nearest stairwell, [He's in the basement.]

[Yugi, hold on.  Please.]

The two raced down the stairs as echoes of Yugi's screams came up to greet them.  There were the beginnings of a coppery smell in the air as Yami propelled himself downward, praying to every god he knew that Yugi would not be dead before they arrived.  Finally reaching the bottom, he sprinted toward an open door, only to stop and stare at his surroundings.  Merodi arrived seconds later; the girl nearly recoiled in shock at what lay before them.

The floor seemed nearly painted with blood as Yugi laid on the floor, unconscious.  A figure loomed over him, smiling as he watched the substance seep out of the numerous wounds on the teen's back; several ribs poked out from Yugi's chest, and his left arm hung at an unnatural angle. 

The figure raised his eyes; cobalt blue meeting fiery red.

"Why hello, Yami.  Long time, no see."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MnY:  Whew!  Finally made it through Chapter 10!  Everyone, I applaud your efforts!!

{{*single clap*  Yay.  -_-}}

Grrr…oh!  *gets idea, starts talking slyly*  By the way, wonderful readers, I noticed many of you like to inflict pain on Naito when he does something bad…which I agree with whole-heartedly, of course….

{{Huh?  Wait, what are you doing?}}

I've got some information here which you all might find useful…especially DAI…

{{WHAT??  No, aibou, you're not-}}

YES!!  I HAVE THE POWER!!

{{No, aibou, please!!!  O_O}}

Attention all!  Naito has an e-mail address!!

{{ACK!  NO!  URUSAI NA!!}}

^_^  Yep, he does!  It's dark_prince_of_egypt @ juno.com (well, minus the spaces on either side of the @).  Now you can bother him as much as you want, isn't that awesome??  ^_^_^_^

{{-_-'''  Nante ne…NANI SU NAYA?!?!?!  *punches MnY*}}

HEY!!  It's what you deserve!!  *brawls starts…again….*

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[      Note from Management:           ]

[                                                      ]

[     Please review.  Thank you.        ]

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