SJ: *laughs nervously*
Kageka: once again not working on what you're supposed to. *rolls eyes*
Dragon Child: but, good news – symbols are back. If you want to know how, go to Wingleader Sora Jade's page, click on her homepage, and scroll down past the pictures. She's got a detailed description of how to get the symbols back, thanks to Lonewolf 16.
SJ: *staring at the asterisks* precioussss… *tries to pet the computer screen*
Kageka: *grabs SJ* that's enough. Go back to your soul room or something.
SJ: *sticks tongue out*
Kageka: *grabs one of her knives and chases SJ* I'll cut that stupid tongue of yours OFF!
Dragon Child: sorry about them. A major migraine and falling down the stairs are not good things to mix. *groans*
SJ: Dragon Child, being the genius she is managed to slip in her socks on the way down the stairs the day before yesterday. We're fine, but our rump is still sore if we sit in the same position for too long, then move.
Dragon Child: and school started a few days ago (just to give you an idea of how long it takes us to get things out) and so I've been gingerly sitting and standing back up all day yesterday and today. I'm a sophomore now. But I'm in junior level math and science classes. How cool!
SJ: she's just excited because she gets to sit next to her crush in math class.
Dragon Child: *grabs a sword and chases SJ*
SJ: Yikes! I don't own a thing!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The elevator opened, and all three of them just stood there for a second. Yugi sighed and led the way to Naid's room, Seto and Ryou following on his heels. They arrived at an ICU, a doctor on duty in the area informing them that only two people were allowed in there at a time. Yugi gestured and both Ryou and Seto walked into the room, even Seto's icy shell of emotions cracking at the sight before them.
Naid was hooked up to several different kinds of machines, with an IV in one arm giving her blood. There were tubes in her nose and her leg was in a cast, suspended from part of the bed. Her head had a bandage around it and one arm was also heavily bandaged. Apparently she had sustained a lot of internal damage as well in her fall because otherwise she wouldn't be in an ICU. But it seemed that her wounds were recovering nicely, having partially healed themselves before the doctors ever got to her. And the only real thing to worry about was the coma, according to her clipboard.
Seto sat down in the chair next to Naid, staring at her, not knowing why he was this upset. After a while he was aware of a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Yugi, giving him a small smile. "Visiting hours are over. C'mon. Your driver is really worried about you." Seto stood and followed Yugi out to his limo.
*~*
The next day, Yugi went over to the Kaiba mansion, Ryou standing a little behind him. The butler looked slightly annoyed at the unexpected visitors, but allowed them in without complaint. Seto was in one of the rooms, his laptop in front of him and typing so hard that the keyboard was making protesting squeaking noises.
"Kaiba?" Yugi said hesitantly and Seto turned to face Yugi. He had a somewhat harsh expression, but not as harsh as usual. "We were wondering what you were going to do about Mokuba." Yugi said quietly.
"I'm actually glad you came. I don't want any more people involved in this than possible, especially not the police, not yet, and I was about to call you and ask if you and your friends can help me look for him." Seto said.
"Why don't you want to involve the police?" Ryou asked, curious.
"Too many questions. A lot of them would involve Naid. There'd be an investigation and I imagine your Millennium Items would get dragged into it. Also, I don't want that kind of publicity." Seto shook his head, "it's better if we conduct a private search. Will you help me?"
"Of course. I'll call Joey, Tristan, and Tea and see if they'll help." Yugi said, leaving the room.
"I'll help, too." Ryou nodded. After a few minutes, Yugi came back in.
"They agree to help, too. Just tell us when we're going to go look."
"Good. I …"Seto trailed off, staring at the Ring and Puzzle.
"What?" Ryou and Yugi asked simultaneously.
"Get your yamis out here. I've got something to ask them." Ryou and Yugi shrugged and their yamis took over. "Do you think it's possible that whoever took Mokuba took him to the Shadow Realm?"
*~*
Naid was in a familiar place. Not a welcome place, just a familiar one. She, or rather her mind as the case is now and was then, had come here also when she'd had the yami sickness, as they'd called it, and once before when she was very, very young. That time it was right after she'd put the Armlet on the first time. Her head had felt like it was about to burst with suddenly acquired information and she ended up blacking out for three days, waking up in the exact same position. She'd asked Ryou and Yugi if anything strange had happened when they'd gotten their Items, but for both it was that they'd "blacked out" while their yamis took control for the first time. When she'd blacked out, Sola hadn't taken control. She figured it had happened to her only because of both Sola having all her memories and the sheer power of the Armlet.
The place was green, a really retched lime green. She was floating in the middle of all the lime green, as always. She was spinning slightly, but every direction was up, all at the same time. Though it didn't seem like it, it was a very horrible experience – no noticeable gravity, no change in color, no one else to talk to, no change at all.
Currently she was sighing for the hundredth time, trying to figure out how to get out, even though she knew she had only been there an hour. Gathering the Armlet's strength, she pushed outward in all directions. For a second she thought it hadn't worked, but then she heard a horrible shattering noise and she fell. It seemed like she fell forever before she hit the ground with a thud, knocking her breath out. She slowly stood, noticing that she was on sand, in the middle of the day. Her clothes, which had been her normal clothes in the greenness, were now a light sandy tunic and pants with brown sandals. She still had the Armlet and the tunic covered it, a very good thing seeing as she had absolutely no idea what was going on. Deciding she'd get no answers just standing there, she headed off with her back to the sun. Unknown to her, the Armlet was glowing faintly, protecting her from minor attacks that came almost constantly.
*~*
"Why do you think that, Kaiba?" Yami asked, a frown on his face.
"Because, the only tracks Naid saw were those of the other motorcycle. It only makes sense that whoever took Mokuba somehow got into and out of the tent without leaving tracks. As much as I hate to admit it, that leaves us with only one solution." Seto explained.
"It's possible." Bakura mused.
"Perhaps all of the recent activity of the Shadow Realm was to distract us from sensing when that happened." Yami suggested.
"That's possible, too." Bakura nodded.
"Would you two be willing to…" Seto began, but Yami cut him off.
"Only for a few hours at a time, even less if you want to come too. Going into the Shadow Realm puts strain on our hikaris' bodies."
"That's good enough." Seto nodded.
"The thing you need to understand, though, is when can't go in too often. Something's wrong, wither with the Shadow Realm itself or someone controlling it, but whatever it is if we go in too often we might accidentally bring something with us." Yami said with a frown.
"Also you need to know that the Shadow Realm is as large if not larger than the real realm. That's a lot of space to cover."
"That's alright. As long as someone's searching all our leads, I think it'll be fine." Seto said and almost sighed. For a second Yami saw a brief glance of the stress the teen must be feeling flash on his face, but it was gone as fast as it came.
*~*
"Hello, Muto residence." Yugi said into the phone two days later.
"Hello, Yugi. How did the trip go?" Grandpa asked on his end. Yugi could hear a large crowd in the background and then he heard someone announce a flight – Grandpa was at the airport.
"Okay, I guess. How'd the meeting go?" Yugi asked, nervous.
"Good. There's a new game that I'm bringing a sample of back and I want you and Naid to play to see if you two think we ought to stock it."
"Neat."
"How's Naid?"
"Um, well, I think I ought to tell you in person. She's doing okay, but it's a long story." Yugi gulped. Grandpa's next words were full of worry.
"Put her on, Yugi."
"Sorry, I can't. I'll have to explain when you get home. Bye." Yugi hung up and sighed.
//Are you alright, Yugi?// Yami asked.
/Fine. I just know Grandpa's worried out of his mind for Naid and how do you tell someone something like this?/ Yugi sighed again.
//I could talk to him. He'll understand.//
/No. I'd better do it./ Yugi shook his head.
About forty-five minutes later, Grandpa walked through the doors, demanding answers. Yugi explained what happened and Grandpa insisted they go visit Naid.
When they arrived they didn't head to the ICU, but to a normal room that Naid had been moved to just that morning. A doctor was in there doing a check up and nearly smiled when Grandpa and Yugi walked into the room.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Tofu. I'm the doctor assigned to your granddaughter."
"How is she?" Grandpa asked. From the composed look on his face, one could not tell just how worried he was.
"Doing very well. She's making a fast recovery, except she hasn't shown any signs of waking up. If she doesn't wake up soon, we'll have to move her to the long term ward."
"Is there anything that we can do that will help the situation?"
"Stay with her a lot. Even though they don't really know you're there, company always seems to help someone in a coma. That's about all you can do." Dr. Tofu shrugged and left. Grandpa and Yugi placed themselves on either side of Naid, sat down, and each took one of her hands, comforting themselves as much as they were trying to comfort Naid.
*~*
"I thank you for helping me with this." Seto said to the five people in front of him. Seto, Tea, Tristan, Ryou, and Yugi were there, waiting for Seto to give them instructions on where to search for Mokuba. Seto was really bruising his ego to thank them, but since it was Mokuba they were looking for, he figured a bruised ego was a small price to pay for their assistance. "Yugi, Ryou, you know what to do." With that the hikaris nodded. They went into another room, where their yamis took over, and from there the Shadow Realm.
"Can we have that talk now?" Bakura asked after they closed the Shadow Realm portal behind them. Both had automatically shielded themselves against the Shadow Realm the instant they were in.
"I guess so." Yami shrugged and they headed off in no particular direction, searching the shadows carefully as they talked.
"I can tell you want to know what happened to me in here this time around to change me so much."
"Yes."
"It was where in here I was sent that changed me. That stupid Guardian sent me to one of the worst parts of the Shadow Realm. It's bad because in the right spots your mind replays every bad thing that's ever happened to you. But you see all sides of the story." Bakura paused, shuddering.
"And what does that have to do with the way you've changed?"
"The worst thing that ever happened to me was something that I thought you were behind, or at least knew about. But I saw that you weren't and the ones responsible failed the judgment from Anubis, their souls were eaten by Ammit. Even to a rotten person like me it was obvious that my hate of you was pointless. Plus when I escaped that part of the Shadow Realm into the rest I was granted a vision of the future. I'm not allowed to tell you what it was, but I can tell you that if we don't work together, the world may fall to the hands of the one after the Guardian."
"Why do you call her that?"
"Because that's what she is." Bakura shrugged.
"Where's that castle that you talked about at the camping trip, the one where you found out about Petra and Falcon."
"This way." Bakura jerked his head off to their right and headed that way.
After nearly an hour they came upon a large medieval castle. It was made of black stones and seemed to blend right in with the shadows behind it. The gate was up and shut tight, but Bakura didn't head towards the gate. Instead he headed for the back. He fiddled with one of the large stones and it pulled out with ease. He gestured and Yami crawled into the space it had opened. Bakura followed, pulling the stone back in place behind him. Instantly they were shielded by the magic set into the building and could drop the shields they'd made.
Yami kept crawling forward until he reached a fork in the path.
"Which way, Bakura?" he whispered.
"Right. At all the forks." Bakura whispered back. Yami nodded and headed off to the right. After about ten minutes later the tunnel opened up into a small storage room. There was dust covering everything and the entrance to the tunnel was skillfully hidden by several boxes. The only break in the dust were footprints that Yami suspected belonged to Bakura. Both darks stood and Bakura led the way out of the room.
Bakura carefully snuck around the halls, Yami attempting to imitate him. After ten or twenty minutes, Bakura froze. Yami sent him a questioning glance and Bakura held a finger to his lips and pointed to the door they were standing near. Yami arched an eyebrow, then nearly jumped when a voice practically exploded out of the door.
"WHAT?! SHE'S NOT DEAD?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!" it was a piercing feminine voice, used to being obeyed, and speaking in ancient Egyptian. After a few more seconds, she spoke again, still loud, but softer than before. "I want you to go back and finish the job. If you can't, it's your head."
Bakura narrowed his eyes and grabbed Yami's arm, leading him away. They had just turned the corner they'd come from when the door they'd been listening at opened.
"Back." Bakura mouthed, nodding the way they'd come. Yami nodded and led the way. There was one close call where they were nearly caught, but otherwise they made it to the storage room all right. Bakura crawled into the tunnel and led the way out. When they were out and the rock in place, Bakura turned to Yami. "I say we go back and tell Kaiba about this."
"Good idea, and we need to hurry, Naid's in danger."
An hour later they were back at the Kaiba mansion, telling Seto about what they'd overheard.
"Interesting. No sign of Mokuba at all?" both yamis shook their heads. "Okay. Could you two search for Mokuba in the Shadow Realm again tomorrow?" Yami and Bakura glanced at each other and nodded.
"Right now, though, I need to go to the hospital to check on Naid. If either of you want to come you're welcome to." Yami said briskly.
"We'll take the limo." Seto said and led the way out to the garage, Yami and Ryou – Bakura figured that it would be better if it were Ryou instead of him just in case – following.
They arrived at the hospital twenty minutes later and Yami took the lead. He practically ran through the halls and it took them less than two minutes to get to Naid's room.
When they got to Naid's room they were horrified to see a man dressed in head to toe in black, no skin or hair showing at all, reaching down towards Naid's throat.
"Naid!" Yami yelled and the man jerked up and looked at Yami. His eyes – they were the only things visible – widened and he stepped back. Yami stepped forward, but the man quickly opened a portal to the Shadow Realm behind him and stepped into it. It was sealed again before they could react.
"Is she alright?" Seto asked, walking into the room. Bakura followed and Yami nodded.
"I don't think he ever even touched her." Yami said, going and sitting in a chair next to Naid. Seto made as if to sit as well, but Bakura's half gasp half hiss made him stop.
"What?" Both Yami and Seto asked.
"You didn't sense that, Pharaoh?" Bakura asked, his eyebrows arched. "Something big was just let into the middle of the city. From the Shadow Realm."
"Let? You mean this isn't just random monsters escaping or something?" Yami asked, standing.
"I'm not sure. I just automatically said let. We should go stop it." Bakura said, heading out the door. Yami nodded and followed. Seto glanced from them to Naid and back before sitting in the chair Yami had just vacated.
*~*
"This is gonna take some work." Yami muttered, staring at the Jinzo that was currently wreaking havoc on the city.
"Why don't we just summon something as well?" Bakura said, an eyebrow arched at Yami's stupidity.
"I've never done that other than in a Shadow Game. I'm not sure if it would work. Wouldn't hurt to try, though." Yami shrugged. "Should we try to summon high level things or go by the sacrifice system?"
"High level, you baka!" Bakura was about to strangle Yami. "Summon that precious Dark Magician of yours. It's your ka, so it should be easier than anything else. It's also stronger than Jinzo." Yami gave Bakura a funny look.
"Ka?"
"Just do it, Pharaoh, before I loose my patience!" with that Bakura switched to ancient Egyptian and said a string of swear words that made Yami's stomach curl. He glared at Bakura before gathering his magic and attempting to summon the Dark Magician. To his surprise, it was relatively easy.
Instantly after the Dark Magician appeared, the Jinzo headed for them. Its eyes glowed and it was about to attack Yami when he ordered, "Dark Magician, attack Jinzo!" the Dark Magician nodded and attacked. The Jinzo screamed and disappeared; fading away like a mist, most unlike the shattering duel monsters did when sent to the graveyard in holographic duels. Yami relinquished his magic on the Dark Magician and he disappeared, a slight smile on his face, quite enjoying being able to serve Yami in the real world once more.
"Even if you don't know it, you seem to have retained some of your old powers." Bakura said, and there was something along the lines of respect in his eyes. Yami opened his mouth to reply, but Bakura held a finger to his lips. Yami nodded and Bakura walked over to behind a nearby car and grabbed something, roughly yanking it around to the front of the car. In his hands was Malik's hair, a struggling Malik attached.
"Get off! I didn't come to hurt you!" he said, swiping at Bakura's hand. Bakura let go and Malik fell onto his rump. "Humph." He growled, straightening and adjusting his shirt, which was longer than what he wore during Battle City, but still a weird purple hoodie … thing.
"Why are you here? Didn't Naid send you to the Shadow Realm? And I thought you were sane after Battle City." Yami asked.
"That, Pharaoh, was a brief moment of insanity. Insanity is like a bad habit, when you're trying to get rid of it, it kinda takes over for a few minutes, or days as the case may be. As for being in the Shadow Realm, I was released with the Jinzo, though as far as I know my yami is still in there. Anything new happen?" Yami and Bakura exchanged a glance. Yami was wondering if the two of them really were ok now, or if it was some kind of trick. Bakura was wondering if Malik was gonna have another "brief moment of insanity" anytime soon.
Between the two of them, on the way back to the hospital, they explained what had happened. It was mostly Yami talking, but Bakura would cut in with a correction or a comment every so often.
As soon as they arrived in the hospital room Yugi and Ryou took over. They both wanted to see Naid and they could explain Malik to Seto as well as their others. Seto wanted surprisingly little info about Malik's reappearance, but he kept looking at him suspiciously.
*~*
Naid was tiring. She'd been walking for a long, long time. She'd lost track of just how long because the sun wasn't moving in the sky. Some distance away she could see an oasis and was headed for that. On her arm, the light of the Armlet flickered and died out, it's resources completely exhausted. Instantly the sand below her started to sink slightly. She flung herself forward onto solid sand and pulled herself out of the quicksand. Just barely out of that, a scorpion crawled out of the sand beside her and raised its stinger. She leaped up and made a dash toward the oasis, avoiding snakes, spiders, and two more scorpions on the way.
She collapsed nest to the lake, panting. Nothing had bothered her after she'd entered the trees, but she hadn't taken any chances.
"Who's there!" a small voice that Naid recognized with a start asked.
"Just a friend." She said, looking around. She spotted a quivering bush and focused her attention on it.
"No, you're not!" the bush said.
"How do you know?" she asked, a gentleness in her eyes and voice that she'd rarely shown anyone.
"Because! I don't have friends." The bush rustled even more. There was a sniff and Naid smiled sadly.
"I'll be your friend." She suggested.
"Really?" the bush asked.
"Yes. Come on out of that bush now, so I can see the face of my new friend." She said, holding a hand out. A small child came out of he bush and looked at Naid with shining, tear-filled but defiant eyes that she recognized very well. That small child was …
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
SJ: end of chapter. I'll get killed for that, won't I? Can anyone guess where the doctor is from? And, guesses on who the child is are much appreciated too. Sorry if I seem to bash Yami a bit in this chapter, but it was essential. On to replies.
*~*
Lonewolf – she's Japanese by birth, kinda sorta American by assimilation. (you'll understand when parts of her past are revealed, starting next chapter or the one after) I can see that argument. Funny picture. Motorcycle races, trick competitions, Grandpa, Yami, Seto, Yugi, Ishizu, and Odion yelling at them to stop… I should write that as a side story.
Off topic idiotic joke complements of my father – What kind of lights did they use on the ark? Floodlights.
Also, Naid is the yami. Sola kinda guards her, but Naid's too proud for a Yami/Yugi guardian thing from Sola. Parts of your Armlet power theory are right, parts are not. You'll have to wait and see which parts are and which parts aren't.
"I am logged on, therefore I am." Love it. Stealing it. Will accredit you. *grabs Djanil* I want to pet his fur!!! *pets him* You supply his reaction. Hope he don't kill me! *hides behind Kageka and Dragon Child*
Phoenixfire – yay! *showers you with presents* My first reviewer for this story! This one is happy! Anyways, SUCKS FOR TAKING DOWN YOUR STORY!!!!! It was them, right? With the whole "no-script-format" crap.
Now that I've got that outta my system, thanks for checking this story out. It's my brainchild. The first part of this (Guarded Meets the Guardian, it's called and it royally sucks. Eventually I'm gonna go back over it and edit it to a non sucking state, but till the *shrug*) sorry about the whipping boy thing. He does seem to be that, don't he? It'll get better. This series will be very long, and there'll be some Seto-centered, non-whipping boy moments somewhere along the line.
*~*
SJ: okay, guys. I'm not going to update for a while, I've got a special date in mind that both the next chapter or this and of In Medias Res is going up, and reviews will help the quality of both chapters.
Carpe diem