Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, have the intelligence to own anything as worthwhile as Yu-Gi-Oh!, so buzz off.
Warning: I have no idea where the story is going, but this WILL have SLASH! Yugi is a bit depressed, there may be a few inappropriate things, and of course, violence. I doubt I own a story without any of the above...
A/N: Hullo, sorry for the cliffie! I'll let you get on to the next chapter and then please read the A/Ns at the bottom.
Seriously, read them. It's important.
Chapter 8: A Little Miracle
Last Time…
"Very well then, I will have to break you. First, I believe we shall begin with Ryou." He moved for the prostrate boy before pausing and frowning at Yugi, puzzled. "Ah, yes, I forgot. We must renew the mind-link for you to have the proper attitude. At least until you are broken." He pulled the Millennium Puzzle from a bag near Ryou and tossed it to Yugi, who reached for it with shaky hands, amazed and fearful that his darker side had granted him the tools for the being's destruction. He pulled it over his neck cautiously, the familiar weight of the chain reassuring him. Yami again turned for Ryou.
"Yami," Yugi whispered, "What are you doing?" His yami did not look nice as he paused above the white-haired boy's head. He raised his hands in an all too familiar movement. "Yami?"
"MIND CRUSH!"
"NO!"
*
(A/N: READ THE FRIGGIN' AUTHOR NOTES AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER! GOT IT???!! Serpent of Light (my beta reader): *dryly* I think they got it …)
Seto looked over the assembled group and frowned. Two were missing.
"Where are Yami Bakura and Ryou?" he queried, looking for the white-haired couple. Mai shrugged.
"They didn't answer the phone, I guess they're out somewhere." Seto frowned to himself, but was distracted by an antsy Malik.
"So … what exactly did you want, Kaiba? Make it fast; we need to get home."
"It's Yugi," started Seto. "I think there's something wrong. I mean, I thought so before, but then there was all that trouble with the company and I wasn't around … we think Yami Yugi has been abusing him. I don't think he's sick at all …"
"And you called us why?" asked Ishizu softly from the back of the room.
"Because … we need to get Motou out of there," said Seto. Everyone (but Mai, who was clued in) blinked. Was the cold CEO actually saying that he cared about anyone but his brother? Apparently. "And I doubt that Yami will give him up easily. Mai, Joey and I possess no Shadow Powers of our own; we ask for your help -" He was cut off by an exclamation from Marik as the platinum blonde leapt in shock and smacked his pants pocket.
"What in the name of Ra was that?!" he yelled. Malik leapt at him.
"The cell phone!!"
It appeared that the item was on 'vibrator' mode because there was no noise from the object, but it took awhile to get it out of Marik's pocket. Seto shot the duo exasperated looks as they whipped it out. Malik appeared to be praying.
"Hello?" asked Marik, glancing nervously at the others present. He frowned as whoever was on the other line responded. "Yugi?" Everyone jumped; looking at the couple in shock. Marik ignored them. "Please let this be a joke -" There was an audible yelp on the other end of the line, and a muffled shout. Marik paled –
– And the phone went dead.
``````````````````````````
"So Yugi has been living with you two for the past however-long?" asked Joey, blinking. "Man, am I outta it …" Everyone was crammed into Seto's spacious limo, speeding toward Malik and Marik's house. The two had related everything in the first fifteen minutes, and Seto seemed to be … blushing? 'Hm,' mused Malik, 'I suppose panicking isn't normal for the former High Priest of Egypt.' He snickered quietly; despite the danger Yugi was in, the thought of Seto Kaiba losing his cool was just … He sighed happily … amusing …
Marik was the first out as the limo pulled to a halt before his house. There was a gold and black glow coming from the bedroom Yugi had hidden in.
"Oh, Ra, no," he whispered, dashing up to his demolished front door. Seto was right behind him, Malik and the rest of the group following, pale despite – or perhaps because of – the lack of noise from the house.
They hastened to the bedroom, but none were prepared for what had occurred …
`````````````````````````
"No!" wept Yami Bakura; desperately holding a glassy-eyed Ryou. He didn't notice what was occurring around him, and he didn't care. If Ryou was gone … There was no reason to live.
His ears deaf and eyes unseeing, Bakura conjured a knife out of Shadows and examined it for a moment. He raised it –
- To be stopped by a familiar white hand.
Ryou sat up as the knife dropped from Bakura's nerveless fingers.
"Oh, yami," the boy sighed sadly, looking at the knife, but was cut off as the disbelieving and incredibly happy Tomb Robber pulled him into a hard kiss. Violet eyes closed in the background, and the bedroom door slammed open as Marik tumbled in …
````````````````````````
Yami stood laughing in the center of the room, dark shadows swirling about his lean frame. Behind him, Yugi was lying on the floor, his eyes closed and blood on his face. He was also … glowing?! Seto stared as Yami's laughter began to fade and the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle noticed that Ryou was moving.
"What?!" he growled, as the white-haired lovers kissed, oblivious to the Pharaoh. "I sent him to the Shadow Realm! What could have - " The room was enveloped in light.
"You told me I had the Power, Yami," came a familiar, soft voice from behind the bewildered man. He whirled.
"Yugi! What are you doing?!" The former Pharaoh looked enraged as the defiant hikari slowly levered himself to a sitting position.
"Yami," Yugi's voice echoed in the golden light, "Yami, I found the Power. You gave it back to me, Yami. The Puzzle helped me to bring back Ryou - "
"No!"
"- And now, it will help me to destroy you … I'm so sorry Yami …" The Puzzle pulsed and the golden air rippled …
And all Yami knew was darkness.
`````````````````````````
When the light finally faded, Yugi could be seen leaning against the bed, crying softly to himself as he cuddled the Puzzle. Seto, Malik and Marik hastened over to him; the others were still staring.
"What just happened?" asked Ryou tiredly, snuggled against his yami's chest. Yugi shook his head, but as Seto's arms wrapped around him he began to sob.
"Y-yami … I banished … I banished him to the Shadow Realm …" he whispered brokenly. "He's gone … I want my yami!" he wept, grabbing Seto in a hug that had to hurt the ribs. "I mean … He was nice until a few months ago … why couldn't he have stayed that way? He was me; he was a part of me and now he's gone, and … and …"
"Shh," soothed Malik, petting his hair. "Why don't we get you fixed up, and then you can have breakdowns without hurting yourself." Marik snorted and Malik glared. "Have a little respect, you unemotional ninny!" His partner rolled his eyes and patted Yugi's shoulder.
"But really Malik; nice way to put it." And then Malik was sniggering helplessly too. As an amber eye peered over Seto's shoulder to glare at them, he shrugged helplessly.
"I'm sorry, Yugi, but there's no way we're staying that serious, and it was very *snort* funny -"
"Did you just snort?!" demanded Marik. "You did!" The smaller of the two blushed.
"I did not!" he protested. Marik disagreed.
"You did so!"
"I did not!"
"You did so!"
"I did not!"
"You did so!"
"I did not!"
"You did so!"
"I did not!"
"You did so!"
"I did not!"
"You did so!"
"I did so!"
"You did not!"
"Gotcha!"
"Mal~ik!"
And Yugi gave a tearful smile as his eyes closed once more, falling asleep on Seto's shoulder.
```````````````````````````````
When Yugi awoke, his ankle was no longer broken and he was feeling much better, though still upset over the events of … yesterday? today? … what was the day, anyway?
"Master Kaiba, Master Kaiba! He's awake!" Yugi turned over in what he now realized had to be a huge bed to see a maid scurry out, shrilling for Seto. He really wished she wouldn't yell; her voice was obviously piercing enough on its own. He sat up as Seto walked in smoothly.
"Hello, Seto," murmured Yugi. "How long have I been asleep?"
"Two days, nothing serious, thank goodness. How are you feeling?"
"I miss Yami," he said bluntly. "Even when I shut the connection he was always there … and now he's gone … Seto, why did he have to make me do it? I feel so … dirty." Seto sat down on the bed.
"I don't know, Yugi. And I don't even understand what you must be going through, but if you ever … want to talk … or something … I'm right here." Seto's face was stony, and Yugi would bet anything that the other boy didn't really want him around, but … he had to tell him. After Yami had gone, Yugi knew he needed someone, and Malik and Marik – fun as they were – just didn't cut it. Yugi had already chosen whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He could only hope that, eventually, Seto might feel the same way.
"Seto?" asked Yugi in a small voice. The brunette didn't look up.
"What is it, Yugi?" he returned; his voice as hard as it had ever been in their duels as rivals, when Yami was still … Yugi shook away the thought as his throat tightened.
"I … have to tell you that … I …" Seto looked up, and Yugi finished with a whisper, "love you."
……
……
……
……
Seto stared.
……
……
……
……
And stared some more. Yugi began to grow uncomfortable, and fidgeted nervously.
"Seto?" he queried, his lips parting invitingly with the words.
Seto's lips: meet Yugi.
"I love you, too."
The End. (read the Author's Notes!!!!!)
*
A/N: Hey! I didn't expect that to happen so soon! *scratches head nervously* Oops…
How'd you like it? There will be an Epilogue – probably next week – so I can kill Tea and wrap things up, but it's pretty much finished; unless there's something else you guys want me to do.
REVIEW! I think I deserve it; the story's nearly done!