Sakakku
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Chapter 32
xXx
"YAMI!"
"YAMI! CAN YOU HEAR ME?"
"IT'S ME, YUGI!"
"Yugi?" Yami muttered groggily, forcing his eyes open. Bad idea. He squeezed them shut again. Ra, his head hurt.
"You're awake," Yugi said, his voice considerably quieter and full of relief. "What happened?"
What happened?
What happened…
"I forgot," Yami said in a dull voice.
"Oh. You mean you just fainted?"
Fainted?
"Yugi, what happened?" he asked, forcing the words through his dry throat.
"Oh. Well." He heard Yugi shift around uncomfortably. "Do you remember where we are?"
"Shadow Realm…"
"It that what this is? Oh well. Do you remember me coming in to find you? In that maze?"
He tiredly nodded his head up and down. His strength was returning. Cautiously, he cracked open his eyes. The light was blinding, but he could start to make out the blurry outline of Yugi.
"And do you remember opening the door?"
Yami paused a while. Then he tried to sit up. Yugi hesitated, like he was about to reprimand him, but bit back the words, respecting Yami's determination.
Propped securely on his elbows, Yami thought about it. "I think so."
"Well. There's not much more to say." Yugi shrugged. "We opened the door, and someone screamed. I thought it was you. It sounded like you, but it was coming from inside. And then… you fainted."
"Fainted?" he asked, almost skeptically.
"Sorry." Yugi grinned sheepishly, then extended a hand. Yami grasped it, struggling to his feet. He only swayed slightly, before turning to look at the door. It was sealed shut once more.
"It was a memory," he said, biting his lip.
"A- memory? That's what we've all been seeing. I wonder why I couldn't see it too? What was it?"
"I've forgotten…" Yami said somberly. "But it was about my rule as Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt."
Yugi's face was so flabbergasted Yami almost found it comical. Almost.
"All the memories you lost… are they hidden in here?" Yugi asked dubiously, gazing around.
"One behind every door…" Yami mused, glancing around. He hadn't noticed before exactly how many doors there were…
"What are you going to do?" Yugi's voice was hesitant. Yami could understand why; there must have been thousands of doors, and many more where they couldn't see. The chambers seemed to go on and on forever. Not only that- even if he did go and open every single door, to what avail? Would he just be knocked unconscious a hundred thousand times, with no recollection of the memory?
It was so frustrating. He stood quietly, gazing around.
"I have an idea!" Yugi suddenly chirped. Yami turned, trying to see what Yugi was beaming at. A staircase, nothing particularly important. It looked like any of the others.
"Come with me!" In his enthusiasm, Yugi dragged Yami forward by the arm. "I remember this now!"
"You remember?" He didn't understand.
"Well, sort of." Yugi giggled, then began climbing up the stairs, his short legs churning. "I was in here once before. With Shadi."
"With-" Yami began, but Yugi quickly shook his head. "It's a long story. And it happened a long time ago. But never mind, it's not important. I'll tell you someday. Just trust me for now, okay? I'm gonna take you to the Dark Magician!"
xXx
The second his hand seemed to become unglued, Seto yanked it hurriedly away from Joey.
The blonde boy was still blinking rapidly, shaking his head. Seto started to scowl, but something seemed to be wrong with his facial muscles. He closed his eyes and shifted, trying to regain his balance.
Ezra was trying to run towards him, her face twisted in irritation. "Stupid Shadow Realm!" she muttered. Running through this place was like trying to run on a hamster wheel! Her legs kept churning, but she wasn't moving.
Seto blinked. Gave her a good, long look.
And burst into laughter.
She abruptly stopped running. And, by some immensely irritating trick, she was now next to him. "Okay, what's so funny?"
"I honestly couldn't tell you," Seto said, chuckling. It was the weirdest thing. Joey was discreetly backing up, staring at Seto like he was about to lunge and attack. With his teeth.
"What happened?" she asked, directing her question towards Joey.
"I honestly couldn't tell you," Joey quoted dryly, shooting Seto a slightly scared look. "I think, when we touched- our minds went into each other."
Her eyebrows went up. And Seto laughed.
"All I know is, I went flying through his memories," Joey said, shuddering. "It wasn't all that pretty, either."
"And I got essence of Wheeler," Seto sighed, a grin still on his face. "That's just my luck, isn't it?"
They both gave him wary looks. "What you're saying is, you got some of Joey's attitude?" Ezra asked dubiously.
"Yeah. Kinda sucks, doesn't it?" he asked casually, scratching his head.
Joey and Ezra turned away in fear. "Who is that creature, and what the heck happened to Seto Kaiba?" Joey whispered.
"I really, really hope it goes away when we leave this place," she muttered back.
"Uh-oh." They both realized the imminent problem at the same time.
"How the heck are we gonna get him to come to terms with himself when he's acting like me?" Joey moaned.
xXx
"The Dark Magician?" Yami repeated slowly. Yugi was still dragging him through corridors.
"Okay," he said, pulling up and taking a quick gasp of air. "Come on. Into here."
Apprehensively, Yami followed Yugi into a large, cold chamber. Wonderingly, he glanced around, taking in the strange sights. "What is this place?"
"It's your mind," Yugi giggled. "I was hoping you could tell me."
Yami shook his head, gazing around. The walls were lined with huge stone tablets depicting Duel Monsters. Save for those, the room was bare. The floor was grey stone, but for one off-color tablet in the middle. Feeling a strange tug on his heartstrings, Yami advanced forward. One step… two steps…
And then the tablet glowed and his heart took a leap. A figure materialized in the air, slowly, hovering a few feet off the ground and staring imperiously at them. Yami and Yugi craned their necks backwards to stare directly into the eyes of their favorite card: The Dark Magician.
The Dark Magician paused a moment to collect himself, having newly appeared here. Then his eyes locked with Yami. Deliberately, he floated to the ground until his feet had a solid purchase. Then he knelt, shifting all his weight onto his knees, bending his head as low as possible. His purple bangs brushed the ground lightly.
Yugi drew back in awe, seeming to sense that the moment belonged to Yami and the Dark Magician. But Yami shook violently. Down the hall, four or five more of the mysterious doors banged open.
"My- friend-" Yami choked out before the world went black again.
xXx
"You're nothing but a worthless dog," a cold Seto Kaiba taunted.
Seto blinked. "Did I really say that?" he wondered bemusedly.
"You are a third-rate duelist!"
"Just get out of my life."
"Drop dead."
"Rot in hell."
"I'm not a very nice person, am I?" he asked thoughtfully.
Ezra and Joey exchanged glances. "He doesn't usually act like that," Joey muttered. "But neither do I."
"No… something else is going on here." She squinted at Seto. Something seemed… off.
Suddenly, she gasped, instinctively grabbing for Joey's arm. "Look! Do you see that!"
Joey gave a low whistle. "He got… younger…"
"So he's a little kid again. And he's got your 'essence' or whatever."
"But why?"
Cecelia appeared again. Ezra's eyes widened as she took in this new stranger. Joey sucked in a breath.
"Whoa. What are you doing back here?" he asked, before realizing how rude that sounded. "I mean… Thanks for your help last time, and all."
"Seto Kaiba has become what he most fears," she said quietly, gesturing at the boy, who was now intently studying memories of long hours at the office. ('Man, I had no life!') "Vulnerable."
"Vulnerable to physical elements, like a child…" Ezra continued slowly, starting to understand things.
"Or vulnerable to other people?" Joey asked suddenly, his eyebrows nearly shooting off his face. "He thinks I'm vulnerable because I rely on my friends."
"Yes," she nodded solemnly. "But he will need his friends if he has any hope of making it out of here."
And with that ominous warning, she vanished.
xXx
"Uh-oh, not again," Yugi said, glancing at Yami worriedly. The Dark Magician quickly stood, making it over to Yami's side without seeming to move.
"Is he okay?" Yugi asked the Dark Magician anxiously. He didn't respond, and Yugi hadn't quite expected him to. But, gently, the Dark Magician shifted Yami's body so that the Pharaoh's head was supported on his armored knees.
Uneasily, Yugi shifted. He abruptly stood up and began pacing, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He wanted to stay by Yami's side, but he felt restless.
He was conscious of the Dark Magician's eyes, following him warily as he walked up and down the dimly-lit corridor, examining the Duel Monster carvings. He bypassed the Celtic Guardian, the Winged Dragon, and the Mystical Elf. A tablet at the end of the corridor was drawing his attention. For some reason, he felt the Dark Magician stiffen up as he approached it, but he ignored the duo behind him for the time: The tablet was far too intriguing.
It was yet another Duel Monster, but this one was apparently of some significance. It stood alone at the end of the narrow hallway, raised slightly. It was also cast in shadow the most, but Yugi followed the grooved lines carefully and realized what it was.
The Dark Magician Girl.
Hesitantly, he put a hand out to touch it. He glanced once over his shoulder. The Dark Magician's face had settled into a faint scowl, but he was making no move to stop Yugi. He simply put his slender fingers on Yami's shoulders, bracing his Pharaoh.
Yugi touched the tablet.
xXx
"Are you going to help or not?" Ezra challenged, putting her hands on her hips.
Joey looked decidedly grumpy. "Yeah. I'll help Kaiba. Or I'll try, anyway."
"You heard what Cecelia said," she reminded, her eyes softening. "He needs his friends."
Joey swallowed, balking at the idea of being considered Kaiba's friend. Then he happened to glance over at the boy-Seto-with-a-touch-of-Joey. He was sitting down now, looking sad as he examined the latest scene.
"It's you and me now, Mokie," a child murmured to the shorter boy clutching his hand for dear life. "Mom and Dad are gone, but I'll be here for you forever. I'll protect you."
"Don't leave me," the small, dark-haired toddler pleaded, his eyes welling with tears.
"Never," the brother promised.
"I sure miss Mokie," child-Seto proclaimed with a sniffle.
Ezra went over and sat down next to him. After a minute, Joey sunk down on Seto's other side, looking troubled. "You had it rough," the blonde said gruffly.
"Yeah," Seto admitted. "But my little brother was always there for me."
"You two helped each other out a lot," Joey said reminiscently. "I remember. You two always stuck together. Did you know Mokuba once challenged Yugi to a duel, to reclaim your honor?"
Seto turned to look at Joey, his blue eyes open and honest, wide with wonder. "He did? Really?"
"Really," Joey grinned. "He loved you so much. 'Course, I couldn't understand why, half the time. That kid was too smart to be following you around when you didn't give him anything back…" Ezra carefully reached around Seto's back and drove a fingernail into his arm, quite deliberately. "Ah, I mean. Yeah. You loved him too."
Seto nodded eagerly. "I sure did," he confirmed. "My little brother is the best ever!"
"I've got a little sister too," Joey said quietly. "I really care for her. Nothing can break the bond of family."
"Never," Seto said determinedly. Then his eyes opened wide.
" 'Never'," Ezra repeated. "You promised Mokuba you'd never leave him."
"You owe your little brother that," Joey said passionately, his eyes flashing. "You can't stay in here."
"No-oo…" Seto shook his head doubtfully. "I don't want to. I want to get out and see Mokie. I want to see everyone. I want to be friends."
Joey nearly swallowed his tongue. Seeing as he was no longer capable of being diplomatic, Ezra took over. "Do you think you can get out now?"
Seto cocked his head. "I don't know how," he admitted.
"Just… think about yourself," she urged. "Think about everything that makes you who you are. And tell yourself, 'It's okay'."
Seto seemed to be deep in concentration. But as Ezra and Joey watched anxiously, he didn't dissolve and head back to the normal world. Instead, his features shifted again; his shoulders became broader and his face more severe- he was returning to his normal state. He let out a breath, and it appeared as a bluish mist; when Joey inhaled, the mist took him by surprise and returned to his body (slightly disgusting Joey).
"Wheeler?" Seto asked, that all-too-familiar scowl on his face. He shifted his gaze. "And Ezra?? What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay with Mokuba!"
"Yep, Kaiba's back all right," Joey muttered, still making a face from the mist traveling down his throat. "And I can tell our challenge is just beginning."