Once again, I don't own Yugioh.
Chapter 32
They were all back at the hotel, resting. Jou had seen a doctor, and was on some antibiotics. Seto and Sugoroku also had their wounds patched up, and Yami and Yugi had their injuries tended to. They had purchased two rooms connected by a door between Seto and Ryou's money. Yugi, Yami, Sugoroku, and Anzu took the first room, while Jou, Seto, Honda, and Ryou settled in the next room.
"Aibou? Are you alright?"
Yugi jerked out of his thoughts when he heard Yami's voice. He nodded, "I'm just tired, I guess…"
"Yugi," Sugoroku spoke up from the bed he was resting on, "You don't look well. Are you feeling alright?"
Yugi sat down on the bed and sighed, "…no. I feel weird."
"Weird?" Anzu put down her book and sat up on the couch, "What do you mean?"
"I feel cold," Yugi shivered, wincing a bit.
Yami placed a hand to Yugi's forehead, then blinked, "He's running a fever. Anzu, go next door and ask Seto for the thermometer, please."
Anzu nodded and went through the door to the next room.
Yugi was shaking, "I don't feel well…"
Yami hugged him, then had him lie down on one of the beds, propped up by pillows.
Sugoroku watched in concern. "Yugi…when that monster grabbed you earlier, what color were its claws?"
Yugi blinked, "Um…dark blue."
Sugoroku frowned and appeared lost in thought.
Anzu came in with the thermometer, and a concerned Seto following.
"What's going on?" Seto asked.
Yami took the thermometer and clicked it in Yugi's ear, then pulled it out and looked at it. "Yugi's running a fever…"
"Probably exhaustion," Seto stated, "He did perform a combination of summoning two monsters at once today…"
"No," Sugoroku spoke up, "Not exhaustion."
They looked at him.
"What do you mean?" Seto took the thermometer back.
Yugi shivered, and Yami gently brushed his bangs back.
"What is it, then?" Anzu asked, fearing the answer.
"Poison," Sugoroku stated.
They stared in shock.
Yugi paled again, "P-poison…?"
Yami held the smaller boy to him as Yugi shook uncontrollably in fear.
"It's curable," Sugoroku replied, "But…I don't have the antidote on me…"
"I know it."
They looked up and saw Honda standing there, a bottle in his hand.
"What's that?" Anzu quipped nervously.
"The antidote," Honda stated, "The monster Pegasus used to hold Yugi had a natural poison on it, and we have to be careful not to be scratched. We were given antidotes for the poison should we be scratched. It doesn't taste that good, but it will work."
"It better be safe…," Yami growled, and Honda could see the Senen Eye on his forehead glowing a bit.
Honda nodded, "It is. I want to help." He glanced at Yugi, "Better hurry before he slips unconscious."
Yami snarled, but Anzu took the vial.
Seto prodded Yugi, "Wake up."
"I'm…tired…," Yugi whispered, shivering but sweating at the same time.
"Get him to drink that," Honda stated, "All of it."
Anzu nodded, and went over, uncorking it, "Ew! This smells terrible!"
"It tastes even worse," Honda stated, "I saw someone take it once, and they said it was horrible. But that guard is alive today because of it."
Anzu nodded, "Yugi, drink this."
Yugi turned his head away from it, shaking.
"It's alright," Sugoroku assured him, "Drink it, Yugi. Please."
Yugi was shaking from the poison and the fear, and whimpered a bit but opened his mouth.
Yami went over and took his hand in silent comfort, giving Yugi's a gentle squeeze.
Anzu tilted the purple liquid into Yugi's mouth.
Yugi swallowed, then gagged and coughed. Tears ran down his face, and he whimpered again, trying to inch away from what remained in the vial.
"Yugi, please!" Anzu chided him, "Stop that! Take the rest!"
Ryou peered in, wondering what was going on but at the same time keeping an eye on Jou.
Yami held Yugi's hand, "It's alright, aibou. Take it."
Yugi closed his eyes and let Anzu pour the rest of the horrible stuff down his throat. He coughed again, choking on it, and rolled over to burry his head in Yami's shoulder, shaking.
Yami wrapped his arms around the smaller boy and rocked him back and forth, "It's alright now, Yugi. You're safe. It's over."
Yugi continued to cry.
Sugoroku looked over, "Yugi…it's alright."
"Will he be alright?" Seto asked.
Yami gently put a hand to Yugi's forehead, "His fever went down already."
The group blew out their breaths.
"I think we can all use a good night's rest," Seto leaned against the doorway tiredly, his body still aching from the treatment.
"Go rest, then," Ryou pointed into the room, "Come along…scoot. We're going to bed. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call." Honda helped Seto back to the room.
They nodded. The door closed.
Anzu was sleeping on the couch. Sugoroku took one bed, while Yami and Yugi shared the other bed.
Yami was under the covers with Yugi in his arms, whispering comforting things to the boy, feeling sleepy himself. His shoulder was aching a bit, and he wanted to rest. He winced and closed his eyes.
Yugi whimpered. He knew Yami was hurt, but he was still afraid. He felt better, sure, but now everything was happening so fast. He couldn't keep up with it. He blinked when a gentle hand caressed his face. He looked up and saw Anzu kneeling by the bedside, smiling at him.
"Hush," Anzu cooed to him. Then, she started to sing. It was a quiet song, gentle and soothing. Yugi soon found his eyes closing as the entrancing words made him relax. For some reason, he thought of his mother, and he weakly took a hold of the pendant around his neck, then his grip weakened even more as he fell asleep.
Anzu smiled and pulled the covers over him, ending the song and going to her own little bed.
"That's a nice tune," Sugoroku whispered, "You have a wonderful voice. Nobody used to be able to get him to sleep when he was an infant."
"It worked once before," Anzu yawned, pulling the covers around herself, "On the plane ride over here. He wasn't feeling well, and so I sang a lullaby, and he fell asleep."
Sugoroku smiled tiredly, "Someone might think you are an enchantress."
Anzu blushed, then smiled, "Perhaps."
Sugoroku chuckled, "Thank you for helping me and my grandson."
"You're welcome…are you really Yugi's grandfather?" Anzu thought to add.
"Yes," Sugoroku nodded, "Yugi's father, Shinbu, is my son. I wish I knew what happened to him."
Anzu was quiet, "I hope things are alright…I'm just glad we were able to help. But now that we rescued you…what happens?"
"I'm not sure. There are a couple things we need to do. Help Honda free Isis from Pegasus's clutches, and find the seven Millennium Items so we can open a portal to Gaia."
"Why do we need seven Millennium Items?" Anzu asked.
"Seven was a number of power in ancient Egypt," Sugoroku replied, "And the Gaians liked that concept. So, after sealing away some spirits that were evil into items, or after a spirit like Yami was sealed away trying to help seal the others, they created more Millennium Items and scattered them so that nobody could get into Gaia. In order to get into Gaia, you need all seven items in a certain location, and a Holy Spellcaster."
Anzu nodded, understanding dawning on her, "I get it…so that's also why Yami wanted the Millennium Eye."
Sugoroku nodded, his eyes closing, "Yes. His connection to the other Senen items somehow gave him the knowledge that we needed the Millennium Items. I don't think he quite knows why, himself."
Anzu nodded, her eyes closing, "I get it now."
Sugoroku chuckled, "Well, that's good. Sleep well, Anzu."
"Good night, sir."
With that, the two were asleep in an instant.
* * *
Come morning, Jou still needed rest. Seto was also resting from his injuries, as was Yami and Sugoroku. Yugi, however, was perfectly fine. And, Yugi was talking almost nonstop to his grandfather, relaying what had happened, and was finally able to tell him how Shike and Takada had treated him.
Sugoroku held Yugi while he cried. It still hurt, the memories of being beaten. Yugi would never forget them.
Yami was grateful for the rest.
"Yugi," Sugoroku whispered, "So you know that your home is Gaia?"
Yugi nodded, wiping his eyes while sitting next to his grandfather on the bed, "I know. I know that my mom is Nagisa, and my dad is Shinbu. And my uncle is Kodai. But I don't know much else…I don't know how to get to Gaia. I want to go, jiichan. I want to go and find out exactly who I am."
"I told you," Sugoroku blinked, "You are a Holy Spellcaster. You fused with the power of the Dark Magician…"
"I mean," Yugi whispered, "I want to find out what happened on Gaia. Why I ended up on Earth, and what happened to mom and dad."
Sugoroku sighed, "That…I don't know, Yugi."
Yugi nodded and slid off the bed, then went next door to see how Jou was doing.
Sugoroku sighed, "He isn't satisfied with that answer."
"He's been searching for who he is all his life," Yami whispered, "He's not giving up now. The original quest was to find and rescue you. But now that he's started to find out more about who he is and where he came from, he wants to learn more. It's only natural."
"He wants too much," Sugoroku shook his head, "We need all seven Millennium Items to open the portal to Gaia."
"Then we'll find them," Yami stated, glancing over at the shelf where the Puzzle and the Eye sat. "We already have two of them. And I know where to get the third, easily."
"But what about the others?" Sugoroku shook his head, "They can be anywhere."
"I don't know," Yami responded, "But I do know that I, too, want to find out more about Gaia and the darkness. I want to know what my role in this is, and I want to help Yugi find where he belongs. When you spend your life not knowing who you are and where you came from, then to be in a situation where you are so close to the answer, would you stop and go home?"
Sugoroku shook his head, "I suppose not."
"I wouldn't," Yami stated, "And I am going to help Yugi find where he belongs. I swear it."
TO BE CONTINUED…