"Seto!" Yugi shouted, completely forgetting that he was called 'Kaiba' now. The ceiling of the cave had collapsed from Exodia's blinding attack and he coughed, dust coating his lungs and stinging his eyes. He searched frantically, while having a mental conversation with his darker half:
/How could you do something like that?! I TOLD you, he was about to come around; and you messed it up!/
Yugi. Listen to me--
/ NO I WILL NOT LISTEN to YOU. You forced me to HURT my best friend. And now he's---he's
Calm down. I promise you, he is all right…
/NO, I won't listen to your lies!/ Tears streaming from the thick cloud of debris and pain, Yugi reached up and removed the chain around his neck. His fingers felt funny, and he could tell the spirit was trying to take over again to stop him. He tried to unclench his fist, but they held fast. /I swear, I will never let you hurt another again…..I swear IT!/
Yugi. You have to get out of here! the spirit pleaded. Any moment, the ceiling will crush you flat!
/ And then you won't have anyone to possess and force to do your bidding?! / Yugi thought back bitterly.
Inside his soul room, the spirit blinked as if the words had hurt him. Feeling ashamed, Yugi turned away and continued to search for his friend. His hand still held the Puzzle, then he put it back around his neck. I need two hands to search anyway. But I won't let him near Seto again. Ever The spirit didn't answer.
"Yugi!" Tea hollered from the distance. "Are you all riiiiight….?" Her voice sounded slurred; he was about to pass out. The dueling arena had been hit repeatedly by falling boulders; a small fire had started, and the smoke was filling the dusty air. "Yugi!" Tea called again desperately. "Please! Answer us!"
Yami watched as the little boy, coughing and choking, still searched around for his old friend in the darkness. He didn't agree that this 'Kaiba' had really changed; he was still skeptical. Though he didn't remember about himself, he'd known sadistic, cruel people somehow. But he felt he should let Yugi search, even though he was putting their body in danger. Yami still felt that Yugi was angry at him, and he himself felt a bit ashamed, though he was not sure why.
Outside, Yugi heard the spirit again pleading him to run and save his life. He could very well take over control and run for it himself…. he thought weakly. The fact to he doesn't says that he doesn't want to force me…….but it's too late. I've sawn how he obliterated another so callously…..I can never trust him again…..I won't! The last sentence lingered, as Yugi closed his eyes, feeling weary and sleepy. His small body hit the floor with a dull thud; the trauma of the days events fading him……
"There he is!" Tea shielded her face, pointing as Joey hurried over and picked up the small unconscious boy. "Do you think that Kaiba got out okay?" she asked nervously, hurrying out with them.
"Feh. I hope not," Joey said bluntly, reaching outside. Firemen had arrived and were attacking the cave with water hoses. "Yo! We need an ambulance here quick!" A medic came and took Yugi away, attaching an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. Seeing the chain, the medic also took off the millenium puzzle and hurried to the ambulance van.
Tea was worried. She called his grandpa, saying that Yugi had been hurt and was in the hospital. She glanced at the fire, it hadn't reached the main house. Even though she disliked Kaiba with a passion, she hoped he'd got out all right…..
Domino Memorial Hospital, next afternoon.
Slowly, Yugi blinked open his eyes. For some reason, his mind was a total blank.
"Hey, lad. You're up," Grampa's friendly face came into focus, smiling kindly. Beside him, Tea wiped her face.
"W-what….where am I …….?" Yugi felt stiff and his whole body felt like it'd been beaten head to toe. He'd been dreaming of the recent events. "I had the worst nightmare….ow, my head…."
"In the hospital, lie back down!" Tea fretted. The doctor came in, smiling.
"Well, Mr. Yugi Moto," he said. "It seems you haven't been taking care of yourself. Don't you know how dangerous it is to linger in a collapsing cave?" Yugi forced a sheepish smile absently. "We had to pump out tons of smoke from your lungs, you are very lucky." The doctor checked his stats. "Well, I'd like to keep him overnight, just to make sure," he said to Grampa. "He inhaled an awful lot of smoke."
"Of course," Grampa agreed. Suddenly Yugi's eyes widened.
"Grampa! Your cards……" he gulped anxiously. "S-- Kaiba had stolen them, and they were in the cave……"
"It's okay, Yugi," the old man said reassuringly. "They're just cards. I've wanted to build a new deck for years, anyway!" he laughed, and Tea forced a weak chuckle.
"I'm sorry….." Yugi still felt responsible, even though it wasn't his fault. He touched his neck. "My Puzzle….it's gone….!" He breathed. "I'll go and ask about it," said the doctor. To the others, he said, "Mr. Moto needs his rest, you can visit later."
"Okay, just a few more minutes doctor." Tea said, and the doctor nodded and left. "How do you feel?"
"Like I almost got smashed." The boy tried to joke. "Was it you that saved me…..? I felt someone pick me up….."
"That was Joey. He was in here, but he left to….." she rolled her eyes, "get some food."
"I have to thank him," Yugi murmured. "And what about…." He gulped, feeling a wave of guilt. "Kaiba..did he get out okay?"
The two exchanged glances. Yugi felt his nerves rise on edge. If he died, I will never forgive myself! "He's….er…..been missing since yesterday," Grampa said finally.
"Missing?!" What does that mean?
"You all shoo," a nurse told them, coming in. "Come back later!" They nodded and waved goodbye, leaving. "Here you go; you meant this, right sonny?" she said, giving the chain back to him.
"Yes, thank you," Yugi said automatically, though he had mixed feelings of accepting it back. He ran his thumb across the eye symbol on the front of the shiny golden pyramid. It seemed to be looking straight at him, through him, inside him. Looking back up, he saw the nurse had left and the door was closed. Then he set it aside on the table next to his bed and went to sleep.
%%%%%% Dream %%%%%%%%%
"I'm so glad you sold that puzzle thing away," a young Seto was saying, with his little brother and Yugi on a some sort of boat at sea. "Now we can sail around the world!"
"Yay! No more orphanage!" Mokuba and Yugi cheered. Seto, the leader, nodded, his kind blue eyes shining.
"Adventures await us!" He struck a dramatic pose, one knee bent, his arm outstretched forwards, toward an island in the distance. Giggling, the other two boys imitated him. It was fair weather outside, perfect for the three pirates.
Yugi was having so much fun, that he didn't notice gray clouds rolling over head. The sky turned red, and he looked up idly, thinking it was because of the sunset. They were almost at the island, just a few minutes more….
/ Yugi…../ a deep baritone voice called his name.
"Huh?" Yugi looked up innocently. The other two stared back. "Sorry, I thought you two said something…."
"You're crazy!" Mokuba giggled. "Only crazy people hear voices inside their heads, right big brother?"
"Mm." Seto nodded, standing up. "We'll have to make you walk the plank!" He started pushing Yugi gently overboard. Their giggling filled the air.
Suddenly he felt a stab, like all his breath escaped him at once. A bright light burst in front of his eyes, like a camera's flashbulb. Looking at the other two, he saw they were staring at him in fright. "What's wrong, guys?"
"Stop it!" Seto suddenly shouted. "You're scaring Mokie!" He put his brother behind him protectively. Mokie peeked out at him.
"What are you two talking about……you're the ones whose scaring me….." Yugi dropped to his knees on the raft and peered into the water's reflection. The water looked bright red, reflecting the sky, which had no sun anymore. At first, he couldn't see his reflection, the water was frothing around, and the boat was tossing and turning all the sudden. He looked back to make sure they were okay, and caught a glimpse of them falling into the blood red sea. Horrified, he turned back to the bubbling water, which had steam coming out.
Then suddenly it stilled. Yami's reflection stood staring back instead of his own. / They tried to push you overboard, Yugi…..I couldn't let that happen…../ He smiled……
"Yugi!" Seto yelled, his voice trailing off….
%%%%%% End Dream %%%%%%%%
"Yugi! Wake up!" a hissing voice jolted him awake. His eyes popped open, and he saw…..nothing. My God, I'm blind! He thought, panicking. His hands touched something cool around his neck. A chain. But I remember I put it away……
"Quit flailing around!" Kaiba said in his harsh voice. Recognizing it, the smaller boy grabbed him.
"You're all right!" he said gratefully, fully relieved. The taller boy was dressed in the same blue suit he had while they were dueling.
"I don't know why I bothered," Kaiba growled, his face angry. I ought to flail him alive for beating me in our duel! "But….I guess I'm doing what I promised a long time ago….." He thrust something into Yugi's hand. "Here's your pathetic deck," he sneered. "I still think it is, by the way." He turned away and headed out the door.
" ' What you….promised?' " Yugi's echo, made him pause. He said over his shoulder, not meeting his eyes:
"Remember when I cheated at chess? I promised that I wouldn't next time we played another game."
Yugi sweat-dropped. But you did anyway…… "I don't understand."
Kaiba breathed an impatient sigh. "We were dueling for each other's best cards," he spat. "I wanted your Blue eyes White Dragon, but only if I won. I didn't, so you can keep it." he said resentfully.
"Cards….." Yugi murmured. "All that for cards….? We could have been killed!" I see a certain resemblance in him and Yami….they'll do anything for power.
"Hmph. You wouldn't understand, but then again, I'm not surprised. You're much too naïve, even when we were kids!" Kaiba said, his voice dripping with disgust.
"You're right." Yugi said sadly. His admission startled the taller boy. "I am naïve and don't understand. I'll never understand why anyone would hurt another for a pointless thing such as winning…..!" He slammed his fist on one thigh, feeling horribly angry.
Kaiba narrowed his eyes but didn't answer for a minute. It was perhaps two in the morning, and he had other pressing matters to attend to. "You'll see soon enough," he said ominously, facing him again. The weird thing around the boy's neck glinted at him from the doorway's light. For some reason, he remembered the Other Yugi, the one he'd been dueling against in the cave, then it switched to at the orphanage, when Yugi was happily showing him his weird golden…..what was it? A puzzle game of some sort…..could those two things be related? How intriguing….
"If you want Grandpa's Blue Eyes, you can have it," Yugi took the said card out, interrupting his musings. He knew that Seto would think it a token of pity, so he added, "I don't want what happened in your cave to ever happen again. So, just take it!" he held it out, looking away.
Kaiba hesitated, watching the prized card start to shake in the boy's hand. After a long while, he did so. "….Fine. But you have to leave me alone as well, got it?! And that goes for Mokuba too. I won't have you filling his head with your nonsense." He pulled it out his own deck, and shuffled it in. His cell phone rang just then, startling them both. "WHAT?!" he hissed into it.
Grampa'll miss his card, Yugi thought wistfully, but he'll understand. Seto was once my friend, anyway…… and I think he still wants to be, even though----
"What….?" The voice sounded so unlike him, full of surprise and worry. Yugi looked up quickly at him, wondering what happened.
"I'll be there in a second." Kaiba hung up with a sharp click.
"What is it?" Yugi felt a sharp dread, one that felt like slithery bones going down his back.
"Mokuba…….he's missing." Kaiba turned to the door again dejectedly, knowing he was going to regret telling him. But he was in shock. "He's been kidnapped....."
A/N eek! Another cliffie! (bow bow) I hope the dream sequence wasn't too boring….. You'll notice that I wrapped the Exodia scene, the castle scene, and the warehouse scene all into one event. I'll write more but I'm so tired now X-x. So R&R! it'll give me some energy! =)