Yugi's shrill scream echoed in his own ears as he felt like his body was hurling through the air. The scenery reeled around him and somehow the empty blackness stretched and began to line with blurred color as he felt he had transcended from the dismal darkness to a different place altogether. His stomach lurched as his spinning body made contact with the ground as he somersaulted to a stop on the crunchy surface. He turned his head and vomited then rolled away from the indigested oozy pile of throw up. His vision spun. Weaving pine trees with crispy silver bark stretched towards the sky and beneath him their fallen needles poked at his back. He sat up while embracing his woozy head. A setting sun cast its scarlet rays through the trees, but there was little more to say about the forest which was made of an endless display of dying foliage. The air hung chilly and unsettling around him and he felt no more at peace than he did in that bloody shadowed place. A mournful howl from a far off creature sent the petite boy into a shuddering fit. He brought his knees up under his chin and hugged them tight. His hands were discolored with blood and to his alarm the ground a few feet in front of him displayed a trail of crimson splatters that led into the dimming woods to his right. They looked new enough and as he followed their path with intense panicky eyes he saw their maker; a figure against a tree. It raised its head and the sun's dying rays caught its eyes. They shimmered a brilliant violet in the fading light then cooled and stared out at Yugi like two dark amethysts set into the sockets of an unseen face. The boy knew in an instant that it was his long lost partner leaning on the tree's hard surface. He dashed to Yami impulsively and tears started to stream down his face from the joy of seeing him alive. The closer he got to his companion the details of his poor condition was revealed. "Yugi…" Yami was still in immense pain but his face did not portray it. His expression became soft and filled with joy when he saw his partner approach him and gradually he lifted his tattered blood stained arms towards him. Yugi's tears of joy suddenly changed into tears of remorse in seeing his close friend so battered and bruised. He noticed Yami's arms extended yearning to embrace him, but he could not leap into them so rashly like he intended to. Finally he reached his comrade and fell to his knees. The boy's tear filled eyes sorrowfully gazed at his friend. "Are you alright?" his words were overflowing with concern. Yami smirked "Yes, it's just a few cuts and bruises nothing to worry about." He said while lowering his arms to the ground and slowly pushed himself up against the tree to straighten his posture. "What about you Yugi? Are you alright?" the small boy nodded his head in reply his eyes still streamed with tears. "Yami…" the words came out in a quiver. Yami gave the boy a puzzled look, "What? Is something wrong?" Yugi could not contain himself any longer. The boy swiftly but cautiously wrapped his arms around his partner as he began to cry heavier.
The water gently lapped at the motion-less body upon its shores. It rippled around the boy's face and he steadily opened his eyes; the cool liquid tickling his lower lids. Joey lifted his head from the small pool its indentation in the mud had created and did the same with the rest of his body; but when he drew up onto his hands and knees he winced. He flopped over onto his back then sat up and immediately saw the source of pain. The wound on his left leg was open and raw and now that the air could hit it, the stinging became concentrated and intense. The blonde pushed the pain from his mind and more importantly calculated his circumstance. He was some way down the river that had gushed from the side of the mountain in which he had made an encounter with the fire breathing beast, and all around him he could see nothing but the tree-lined shores of the murky river that didn't reflect the off-white moon. He shivered from fright and cold and could think of nothing better to do than to rise to his feet after he had torn some of his dangling pant leg off to wrap around his wound. He stepped away from the wide river for he felt intimidated by its ugly waters, but he didn't feel any more relieved as he approached the woods. "Everything feels…distorted?" If that was the word, he didn't care; the sound of his own voice was semi comforting. "Like a dream." He continued on until he was well within a grove of trees. "Nightmare." This awkward forest with its disfigured dead trees was intolerable and Joey felt his eyes swell with tears. He wanted Seto. He wanted Yugi. He wanted Yami. Hell, he even would have settled for Serenity. But his solitude was inevitable and he limped on in search of anything to ease his fear and loneliness. He didn't hear the guttural snarl of the slinking wolf nor its ruby eyed companions. The tang of blood was on the air and forest floor, and soon Joey would have more company than he was seeking…
The darkness formed into a blurred image as Seto gradually opened his eyes. "I'm alive?" He had awoken in some sort of ruined building which was openly exposed to the evening sky. He checked himself for cuts or breaks and noticed that the coat that threatened to destroy him still lay gently on his back. After his brief self examination he tottered to sit up, but his body was sore and ached making the simple task quite difficult. The palm of his hand supported his heavy head which throbbed creating immense pain to surge down his spine. "Grrr, of course I'm alive!" He muttered to himself, "I won't succumb to such trickeries!" He staggered to his feet, stumbling a few times during the process. One foot after another his footsteps ricocheted on the empty hallways walls. His hand swept against the cold stone barricade as he advanced. Along the way he would stop to pick up a few good sized rocks to break and sharpen them against the wall. "As primitive as this is, these things will make for a decent weapon or tool if the situation is given." After he was content with the work of his stoneware he would drop the objects into his coat pocket and continue his way out of the structure. Nearly an hour had past since his adventure began and the warm evening sun soon turned into bitter darkness. Seto grew irritated with the vast hallways that seemed to encircle him so he decided to find a way to higher ground. His cerulean eyes gleamed in the moon light as they looked about the tall stone structures trying to find holes in its surface wide and deep enough to dig hands into. Some huge darkened areas in the wall caught his eye. He pushed his fingers into the crevasse and to his satisfaction they were large enough to help him scale up to the walls top. It only took him a moment to reach the pinnacle of the barricade; there he could see the exits of the ruins and the forest that surrounded it. He followed the rocky path until he reached the closest outlet but hindered at the sound of rustling leaves and vicious barks. He listened attentively to the echoing noise to pin point which direction it was approaching from. The rustling came from his right side. He quickly spun his head and followed the movement in the trees. The panting of the snarling beast billowed louder in the air but there was also another being gasping for air. It sounded human induced with the gasps were whimpers that only a person could deliver from out of their gullet. Seto leaped off the wall then fell into a roll as he hit the grounds lush grass. He hastily stammered to his feet then dashed off into the shadowy forest. If it was a human the beasts were chasing he had to help them. He had been perusing them for a while now and finally he got close enough to see one of the black dire wolves. He gritted his teeth and reached into his pocket to seize up one of his sharpened stones…
Yami Bakura twiddled his thumbs under his chin as he rested his head upon his enfolded hands. "How heroic dear Seto Kaiba, I must say." He moved the Seto miniature to the square where the Joey miniature lay on its side surrounded by six small plastic wolves. "But even an intellectual man of moderate strength can't take on six flesh hungered instinctive killers can he?" Malik stopped massaging his lover's shoulders and leaned over the game table. "I'm glad to see you're having fun." Yami Bakura nodded and pulled his still naked partner into his lap. "I couldn't have accomplished this without your help; I hope it is entertaining to you as well." Yami Malik 'mmhm-ed' and started to lick the paler Yami's lips. Yami Bakura's eyes drifted towards the two star-headed figurines only squares away from the Joey and Seto ones. 'Perhaps they all should have one more hopeless reunion because Kaiba is going to need all the help he can and then they will all be substantially wounded after this battle; which is only a ripple in an ocean of what is yet to come!' He guffawed as he thought and his psychotic smile pasted onto his face. Trying to maintain clear thoughts though, was hard as his naked seducer licked and groped him, but he reached out and moved Yugi and Yami closer to their struggling friends.