Ah yes, yet another chapter is up. Hope it hasn't been too long. I can never keep track of time lately ^__^

Thanks sooo much for the reviews. They brighten my day. Anyways, next chapter.

Chapter 3

Kaiba paced up and down the stairs. "Gah, what am I doing?" he stopped and took a seat on the bottom step. He had NEVER been this hesitant about anything in his life. 'I am NOT going to let HIM mess up my routine lifestyle!'

A voice from behind him interrupted his thoughts. "Um, Kaiba? I'm ready to go."

Kaiba knew it was Yami. He stood up and turned to face him and almost gasped. Yami looked magnificent. He had on one of Kaiba's white sarongs that stopped just above his knees and was held up by a loosely tied royal blue and gold scarf. Tucked loosely into that was a plain white sleeveless chemise, and draped over one shoulder was a long blue cape, decorated with gold patterns, that barely brushed the ground.

Yami looked at Kaiba with curiosity. "Is something wrong?"

Kaiba cleared his throat and turned around fast. "No, nothing is wrong." 'What is with me today?' When someone tapped him on the arm he jumped off the bottom stair and whipped around fast. "Yami! Do NOT do that! I'll have a heart attack." He brushed off his shirt and sighed.

"Kaiba, are you okay? If this is about the kiss then--- well, I was only messing around." Yami paused for a moment. Was he messing around? He wasn't sure any more. He wasn't even sure why he had kissed Kaiba in the first place. They had been so close. He just couldn't help it.

Kaiba just waved a hand in the air. "It's nothing. Come now, we can't waste time."

--

An hour later, they were at the town. They had got there by way of a carriage-like 'vehicle'. It looked like a coach, yet in the front, pulling the cart, was a Petit Dragon. ((AN: I'm getting a strange mental pic here.)) Kaiba got off the coach first, then helped Yami down as well.

The town was relatively large. ((AN: I wouldn't really call it a 'town,' more like a market place.)) Shops lined the roads and people crowded the streets. It was a busy day.

"Well Yami, what would you like to see first?" Kaiba asked, less than thrilled.

Yami looked around and almost immediately spotted a large lavender tent with extravagant designs. "There."

Kaiba heaved a sigh. "Very well." He walked with Yami over to the pergola and before they had even gotten very close, a young boy, around the age of 10, ran out of the tent to greet them.

"Hello! Welcome! Please come in!" he urged them.

The two older teens stepped into the tent, which was much larger on the inside than it looked on the outside. Glass balls of many colors hung around the interior, and brightly colored tapestries lined the walls. The little boy had seemed to disappear but from somewhere in the back, an older women appeared.

"Welcome, what brings you two here?" She asked. Her tone was somewhat alluring.

Kaiba looked at Yami, "He wanted to see this place."

The girl tapped a finger on her chin. "Oh really? Well this place is a Seer's abode. Would you like me to do a reading for one of you?"

"We really don't have time---"

Yami cut him off. "Yes, do one for Kaiba."

"Excuse me?"

The girl smiled. "As you wish." She turned around. "Mystie, please come out here for a moment." A few seconds later, a small pink sheep walked out into the open. "Please, meet Mystie. She can tell things about people that are almost impossible to know by anyone else. She is a Mystical Sheep #2.[1] Now, Mystie, please do a reading for him," she pointed to Kaiba.

The sheep trotted over to Kaiba and looked up at him. It was now that Kaiba noticed a small sphere on the end of the sheep's tail. As he looked closer at it, it began to move slowly back and forth. All of a sudden, Kaiba couldn't think straight. He felt light headed.

Right as he felt as if he would slip into slumber, something or someone jerked him from his thoughts. He opened his eyes and saw Yami. "Kaiba, it's over."

Kaiba shook his head for a moment. "Over? Already?"

"It's been nearly a half an hour."

"It has?"

The mysterious girl walked over to Kaiba. "Well, I have analyzed everything that Mystie sensed from you and saw and I will tell you this: Something is not as it seems."

"Something is not as it seems?" he repeated.

"Yes."

Kaiba was very puzzled. He was going to press the matter further but, a young and soft voice interrupted him.

"Yami, is that you?"

Kaiba and Yami turned quickly to see a young girl, about 14, dressed in elegant red and black gowns.

Yami looked surprised to see her. "Annette, hello! It's been a while."

"Indeed it has, how are things at your place?"

"Things are going well."

Everyone slowly 'migrated' out of the small pergola and back out into the street and continued the conversation from there.

"Oh, Kaiba, this is my friend Annette," Yami said while turning to Kaiba. "She used to go to formal studies with me," he explained to him.

Kaiba only slightly nodded. He wasn't in the mood for social pleasantries.

Annette smiled at Kaiba for a moment, but the smile seemed to instantly fade. "Oh my god, it's--- it's him."

Yami looked at Annette with confusion. "It's who? Kaiba is my dearest friend."

Annette looked sadly from Kaiba to Yami. "Yami, you should stay as far away from the town as you can if you'd like to keep your friend."

Yami was still befuddled. "I don't understand."

"I have to go Yami, goodbye," she said quickly and left.

"Strange."

Kaiba stretched, "Well, where to now?"

"Um, I think we should go back now."

"Go back? Why?"

"I don't know. Can we?"

Kaiba groaned. "Fine."

They were both in a non-talkative mood once they had started off on their way back to Kaiba's Castle. It was partly due to the fact that each was thinking about what they had been told earlier.

Kaiba had the "Something is not as it seems," phrase while Yami had the "Yami, you should stay as far away from the town as you can if you'd like to keep your friend."

Neither really knew what to make of it at all.

Well, at least Yami didn't. Kaiba's mind kept rewinding back to the kiss.

'No! It was just to shut me up, nothing more!' He slumped somewhat in his chair. 'Wishful thinking I guess.' He turned slightly and looked at Yami, who was currently staring off into the distance as if he missed something. Possibly someone. Kaiba shook away his thought, or at least tried to. 'Who cares if he likes someone else. I don't, that's for sure.' He crossed his arms and looked forward. 'Why the heck would I care about someone like him? That's right, I wouldn't!' He diverted his gaze back to Yami. That slender figure, long legs, well-built frame. 'Look away. Look away!'

Yami slightly turned in his direction. "Kaiba, why do you look at me like that?"

Kaiba almost fell off the coach. He needed and excuse. FAST. "Well, Yami, I was just admiring how nice you look in my clothes." 'OH MY GOD! Did I just say that?!'

"Um, well thanks," Kaiba would have sworn he saw him blush.

He needed a diversion. "Well, uh, what I meant to say was that you were looking better these days." 'DAMN! How was that any better?' "I mean, better as in better looking." Talk about being redundant.

"I think I'll take that as a compliment," Yami said smiling.

'Yeah, go ahead and smile all you want. You're not the one who's having mixed feelings.' He faced forward just in time to see something heading their way at a very high speed. "Yami move!" He yelled and pushed him off the carriage. The coach went up in smoke as soon as it was hit with the rapid object.

Kaiba and Yami slammed onto the ground hard. They weren't granted any type of soft landing.

Kaiba was the first to stand up, and the first thing he did was search frantically for Yami. Thankfully he was still on the ground. "Yami, what's wrong?" Yami was holding one of his legs and scorning at it.

Yami shook his head. "I don't know. I think the fall just made it worse." He looked up at Kaiba, "Don't worry about me though, you should get yourself out of here."

Kaiba smirked, "I can't just leave you here." He looked up at the accelerating article that was once again heading their way. "You're MY responsibility now." He grabbed Yami and pushed him out of the way.

Both guys were separated by the foreign object which seemed to stop and hover for a moment. Now they could both see exactly what it was.

Yami called over to Kaiba, "Kaiba, it's a Mega Thunderball![2] It won't stop until it's enemies are destroyed!"

Kaiba was not in the mood for fun and games but he found himself saying, "And who do you suppose are his enemies?"

"Kaiba, get yourself out of here! It's getting ready to use it's lightning attack!"

"Yami I told you, I'm NOT leaving without you! Don't make me repeat myself!"

Yami sat back feeling defeated. He knew that it was no use to reason with Kaiba now.

The Mega Thunderball raised higher into the sky and from one of its spikes, a bolt of lightning was shot in Kaiba's direction.

With one swift leap, he evaded the shot almost with ease. The bad thing was, now he was even farther from Yami.

Again, the Mega Thunderball shot out a bolt of lightning directed once again at Kaiba.

"Kaiba! Get out of the way!" Yami yelled in distress.

The lightning struck the dry ground again, this time sending smoke clouds up and blinding Yami's vision. He couldn't see whether or not Kaiba was still okay or not. Or even worse, whether or not he was even alive.

This time, the Mega Thunderball slowly turned towards Yami aimed to kill. This would be it, this would be the end. Yami would be no more.

A single shot of lightening was fired at Yami.

Suddenly, out of the dust clouds, Kaiba seemed to emerge. He ran towards Yami right as the bolt would've hit him but instead, Kaiba took the blow.

It hit him like a thousand knives stabbing into his back and at the same time, he felt numb. He fell onto Yami, who quickly supported him.

"Kaiba, get up! You idiot! Why'd you do that?!" Yami yelled. He wouldn't admit but he was close to tears.

Kaiba forced a smile. "You know, I thought about some of the things you said, and, even if we're not lovers, I figure, I should protect you no matter what anyways. You're my responsibility, remember?" He drifted into unconsciousness.

"Kaiba! Open your eyes! KAIBA!" It was no use. He was out cold. Yami's gaze quickly became dangerous as he looked at the Mega Thunderball. "You will pay." His right arm outstretched towards the green and silver sphere and in his palm, a small, faint crimson light began to glow. "Sinister Enchantment!" the crimson glow shot from his hand and struck the middle- sized orb right in the middle. Almost immediately upon impact, the sphere exploded.

Yami looked back down at Kaiba with worry, "Kaiba, please be alright. I don't know how we're going to get out of here." He hugged Kaiba tightly in an effort to keep him warm, but he himself was cold.

The last thing he remembered was a bright bluish light from above descending down and engulfing both of them.

--

Kaiba went to stretch and almost cried out in pain. Well, he was IN PAIN. Where the heck was he anyways? He was on his stomach laying down on a bed? As he looked up he could barely see someone sitting next to him. "Yami?" he just barely managed out.

"No," the person said. "It's me, Water Omotics. You won't be seeing Yami until YOU are better."

"I'm fine, it's just a flesh wound," he muttered.

"Kaiba, that's what you said when you nearly had your arm ripped off by that one winged beast. Remember?"

"Hey, as long as my arm was still connected to my shoulder. Wait, where IS Yami?" He went to sit up again and fell back onto the bed. "Why the hell does it hurt so much?!"

"You were struck by lightening, what do you expect? Now, you needn't worry about Yami. He is resting in his room. He too has had a strenuous evening."

"Heh, I only pushed him over the carriage."

"Not only that, but he destroyed the Mega Thunderball that you two were pitted against."

"HE did? YAMI?" He went to once again sit up, "JESUS CHRIST!" he collapsed yet again onto the bed. "Tell me how in the world he did that?"

"I'm not sure, none of us are."

"Well then, how did he and I get back here?"

"Oh, didn't you know? Yami dragged you all the way here by your legs."

"HE DID WHAT?!?!" He jumped up and nearly fell off the bed yelling a string of curses. "OWWW!" He laid back on the bed.

Water Omotics couldn't help but giggle. "Kaiba, I'm only joking. Dragoness transported you two here. Did you forget she had that power?"

"Is it that obvious?" he asked in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"Well Kaiba, I am going to go check on Yami now. The healer is scheduled to arrive any time now. Then you can be on your feet and ready to do whatever you want with Yami."

"Fine, WAIT! What are you suggesting?!"

"Nothing, nothing at all," she turned to leave.

"Wait a sec," Kaiba said suddenly, all the sarcasm gone from his voice. "How is the only way that a Mega Thunderball can be 'awakened?'"

"Um," she thought for a moment, "Well, the only way to awaken a Mega Thunderball is by another person using some sort of special power to do so."

"Thank you, that is all."

After Water Omotics had left, Kaiba began to analyze the attack in his mind. The two shots fired at him were definitely intentional, but, they weren't meant to kill him. The attacker knew that Kaiba would easily get away. But, the attack aimed at Yami was meant to kill. "So then, who is trying to kill Yami?"

---TBC---

[1]- Mystical Sheep #2: "a monstrous sheep with a long tail for hypnotizing enemies." That's straight off the card! I had to change it a little for the story so it's not really monstrous and evil or anything O.o

[2]- Mega Thunderball: "Rolls along the ground releasing bolts of electricity to attack it's enemies." Hah! That's off the card too but I changed it as well. It 'floats' in my story.

Well, this chapter was pretty short and all. Please forgive me for that. It's just that, I couldn't go into the next chapter yet or it's take all the fun away!

===Next Chapter: Kaiba and Yami get into some "interesting" situations that leave each of them questioning their own feelings. To top that off, a mysterious rainstorm begins that has a few damaging effects.

Um, that last sentence of the preview was stupid. What I meant to say was bad stuff happens that is related to the rainstorm. ^__^ Please, bear with me here.

Yami seems really 'femininish' in this story! With Kaiba helpin' him do stuff and all. You gotta admit though, wouldn't it be cute if Kaiba helped Yami out of a car or something? I'm such a loser.

Oh yeah, and please review! They help a bunch! Thanks a lot 4 reading! Ü

```AmethystRoze```