I don't own Yugioh.
Chapter 30
Yami, Anzu, and Ryou glanced up when there was a flash of light.
Laying there on his back, unconscious, was Yugi. He didn't seem to have any wounds on him, and there were two cards laying next to him.
The three ran over, and Yami propped Yugi up.
"Yugi!? Yugi?!" Yami gently shook the small boy.
Yugi winced and slowly opened his eyes.
"Yugi!" Yami smiled.
"You're alright!" Anzu blew out her breath.
"Thank goodness!" Ryou nodded.
Yugi glanced around warily, then smiled, "Tadaima."
Yami hugged him in relief, letting tears run down his face, "I was worried."
"Me, too," Anzu nodded.
"As was I," Ryou stated.
Yugi smiled, "Sorry to make you all worry…"
"As long as you're safe now, that's all that matters," Yami wiped his tears away and smiled at the younger boy.
Ryou picked up the two cards laying on the ground, "Yugi, I think these are yours."
Yugi sat up and took them. "The Dark Magician and the Polymerization card…"
"They were laying next to you when you came back," Anzu explained.
Yugi just smiled, and pocketed the cards. Thank you. He gripped the pendant that hung out of his shirt. And thank you, too, mom.
"Can you stand?" Yami offered his hand.
Yugi nodded, and stood up, "Yea! Let's go save the others!"
They were guided only by Yugi's intuition. He had explained what had happened with Saigoru in the Shadow Realm while they walked, leaving the others speechless. Currently, they were headed towards the outer limits of the city, and towards the Rainforest.
"It was strange," Yugi admitted about the merge, "But somehow, it felt right. I can't explain it. And I don't remember much of what happened while I was merged with the Dark Magician, except that I had become something else. Something more powerful."
The others listened with interest.
"I had confidence I didn't normally have," Yugi smiled, "I could feel it. Like I had the power and confidence of the Dark Magician. Maybe even more. I don't know how it happened…but somehow, I used the Polymerization card. And maybe…even my mom's pendant helped. It started to glow. It was what saved me. And everyone's belief in me."
"This is very interesting," Ryou stated.
"Interesting is hardly the word I'd use," Yami stated.
They continued to walk, and then had to sneak out of the city to get to the Rainforest. As they were walking towards it, Yugi stopped.
"What's wrong…?" Anzu started.
Yugi held out his hand for her to be quiet, looking around. "I feel something." /Yami. Do you feel it, too?/
//Yes. Some nameless evil. The power of the Shadow Realm is near.//
/Where's it coming from?/
//…I don't know, but I think I know someone who may know.//
Yami turned to Ryou, "Listen carefully, Bakura. I need you to concentrate on any negative energy you feel around this place and tell us where it's coming from."
Ryou blinked, "What…!? But I can't…!"
"You have a strange power within you," Yami stated, "It was what allowed you to see through Saigoru, and I'm sure it'll help us now. Just concentrate. I'm sure it'll come to you."
Ryou glanced at the others in the group, who gave him encouraging smiles. Ryou sighed and nodded, "Alright…here goes." He closed his eyes. A wave of emotions hit him. It was so great that he fell to his knees, and was forced to open his eyes again, panting.
Anzu and Yugi bent down next to him.
"Ryou, daijoubu ka?" Yugi asked in concern.
Ryou nodded, wiping sweat off his forehead, "I just…I don't know what happened. It was too much…"
"Focus," Yami interrupted, "Focus on the negative energies."
Anzu helped Ryou back up, "You can do it, Ryou."
"Un," Yugi nodded, standing up as well.
Ryou took a deep breath and closed his eyes, once more going into a trance-like state. He focused on the emotions of fear, hate, and anger. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, but they were unfocused. He lifted his arm and pointed to a patch of ground a few feet in front of them.
"There?" Yami looked over.
Ryou's arm dropped, and he blinked, then nearly collapsed.
Anzu and Yugi caught him and helped him.
"That's trying," Ryou panted.
"Are you up to continuing with us?" Yami asked.
Ryou stood on his own and nodded, "Yes."
"Well, now…," Yami looked at the patch of ground, "…that must be the entrance. But how do we get in? I'm sure that if we step on it, we'll be captured by them. I'd much rather enter it myself then have them open it."
Yugi paused, then pulled out his deck. He leafed through the cards, then pulled one out and concentrated. He threw it away from himself, and it glowed into a ball of light.
The others watched, taking a step back.
"Winged Dragon!" Yugi shouted.
The blue dragon appeared, hovering above the ground.
"Hi," Yugi smiled, "Ne, Winged Dragon, can you aim a fireball at that patch of ground there?"
The Winged Dragon nodded, then faced the area and threw a fireball from its mouth. The ground there was blown up and disintegrated from the attack, revealing an open shaft that was a dirty incline leading down.
Yugi patted the Winged Dragon on the muzzle, "Thank you." He concentrated, and the dragon went back to being a card, and floated into Yugi's hand. Yugi placed it with his deck and then in his pocket.
"Great!" Anzu hugged Yugi, then broke away, "Great idea, Yugi!"
"Are you sure it's down here?" Yami glared at Ryou.
Ryou shrugged, "That's what I get the feeling of…"
Yugi was already peering down, "It's dark…but let's go. We have to save jiichan, Seto, and Jou. I know they're down there, too." With that, he pushed off, sliding down the dirt incline.
"Yugi! Wait for us!" Yami shouted, going after him.
Anzu went next, and Ryou went last.
Yugi tumbled when he hit the bottom because it just suddenly became a stone floor. He scrambled out of the way as Yami stumbled to an upright position. Anzu and Ryou became a tangled mess at the bottom.
Yugi and Yami helped the two up, then continued through the dimly lit passage. There was no light except for some insects on the walls.
"Everyone, keep right," Yami instructed.
"This is the place from my dreams," Yugi muttered, "They're here. We just have to follow the wall to the right."
"Lead on," Yami indicated.
Yugi shakily took the lead, but determination to help his friends took priority over his fears, and he led them along the walls.
Occasionally, they went down a small flight of steps, or down different passageways. It was an elaborate labyrinth maze.
Finally, Yugi noticed the glow of fire. He pointed it out, and increased his speed. They were almost there…
They emerged into a small room with a couple of dungeon cells there. The guard in the room looked up and stood up, wondering how they got in. In one of the cells were three familiar people…
Yugi gasped, "Jiichan! Seto! Jou!"
Seto ran over to the bars and looked out. He smiled, "Yugi!"
Jou smiled from his seated position against the wall. "Yug…"
"Yugi!" Sugoroku exclaimed, limping over to the bars and looking over.
Tears ran down Yugi's face, "Hang on! I'll get you out…!" He started forward.
"Yugi, look out!" Yami tackled him as a throwing knife went flying over their heads.
Anzu and Ryou yelped and pressed against the wall.
"Are you okay?" Yami stood up and helped the smaller boy up.
Yugi nodded.
The guard glared at them, "I can't let you pass!"
"Let them go!" Anzu shouted at the guard, "You creep!"
"I will not! And now, you are trapped here, too!" the guard smirked, "You can't stop us."
"Yugi! Run!" Sugoroku shouted.
"I won't!" Yugi shook his head. He pulled out his cards.
The guard laughed, "You want to play a game? At a time like this? Well, I don't play…!"
Yugi glanced up. My opponent has a sword, so… He concentrated, and tossed a card in front of him, "Minna, get back! Celtic Guardian! I need your help, please!"
The card glowed, and instead of the card, stood the Celtic Guardian.
Sugoroku gasped. "He…he can summon…"
Seto was supporting Jou as they watched. "Show him what you're made of, Yugi!"
Jou gave a weak thumbs-up.
Yugi nodded and turned to the guard. /Yami. I'll keep this guy busy. Get the others out of that prison!/
//We need the key!//
The Celtic Guardian was engaged in a battle with the guard. Swords clashed on swords, and Yugi occasionally gave directions to avoid a hit.
Anzu, Ryou, and Yami ran over to the bars and inspected them.
"The key goes here," Yami pointed, "But where is it…?"
"That guard has it on him," Seto explained.
Yami growled. //Yugi! The key's on the guard!//
Yugi frowned and thought for a moment, before brightening. /Hang on! I've got an idea!/
//Better hurry…I'm sure that they are sending reinforcements by now.//
Yugi pulled another card out of his deck.
Anzu noticed, "You're not going to try to summon another monster…?!"
Yugi concentrated and tossed the card out. "Kuribo! Please help me! I need you to get the key from that guard! Use your speed!"
The fuzzy brown creature appeared and landed.
Yugi concentrated. "Celtic Guardian! New plan!"
The Celtic Guardian noticed the Kuribo inching towards the battle, and understood immediately. He swung down and forced the guard into a deadlock.
"Go!" Yugi commanded.
The Kuribo ran in and grabbed the key off the guard's waist, then brought it to Yami.
"Thanks," Yami nodded, and opened the prison cell.
The Kuribo glowed and returned to being a card, then floated into Yugi's pocket.
"Right! Mission accomplished!" Yugi nodded.
Seto had Jou on his back despite the pain that caused while Yami had Sugoroku on his back.
The Celtic Guardian had the sword away from the guard and had his own pressed to the guard's neck.
"Give up," Yugi pleaded with the guard, "We don't want to hurt you."
The guard tensed, "You are…Tenko?"
Something in the guard's voice made Yugi think of someone he knew.
Anzu was frowning. She turned to Yugi, "Does he sound familiar…?"
"He just took the shift about an hour ago," Seto stated. "I've never seen this one before."
"He's human," Ryou stated.
They gasped, then turned back to the guard.
"I surrender," the guard stated.
The Celtic Guardian pulled back, then glowed and became the card again, going back to Yugi's pocket.
Yugi sunk to his knees, panting and breathing hard. Sweat ran down his face.
Ryou went over to him, "Are you alright?"
Yugi nodded, "I just…barely have any energy left…"
Anzu was tying the guard's hands together, "So who are you?"
The guard sighed, "Take my helmet off and you'll know."
They exchanged looks.
Anzu slowly did so, and gaped. "No way…!"
Yugi's eyes went wide, "You…you're related to this…!? How long!? How long have you had the powers to be with this group?"
Jou weakly cracked an eye open, "I…shoulda…known…"
"Who is it?" Ryou frowned, unsure.
"It's Honda," Yami whispered.
TO BE CONTINUED…