Toli: I would have updated sooner if it weren't for three things. 1: I got Writer's Block. 2: My Writer's Block dissolved--in the middle of my groundation--darn those D's. 3: I had to take care of poor sickly Mena. She has a cold. But, I'm back now! Anybody who thinks we own Yu-Gi-Oh is clueless at the moment. And before we start, we have a few guest appearances in here, although only one was requested. A little surprise for a few of our faithful reviewers. Now, here's the next chapter!

CHAPTER NINE: THE KIDNAPPING

Tea gently tapped Yugi on the shoulder. He didn't stir. So she tried lobbing an eraser at him. That woke him up.

Tea glanced up front to see if the teacher noticed Yugi's head down on his desk. Fortunately, she hadn't. Tea slid her arms back into her lap and watched Yugi out of the corner of her eye.

Yugi looked so sleepy. She guessed that he hadn't gotten much sleep after what had happened to him last night, which both Serenity and Joey had told her about before school started. Right now Yugi was leaning on both hands and his eyes were half closed.

Tea hoped he was all right.

Yugi barely heard the teacher talking. Once again, more thoughts were running through his mind. When he had asked Yami about the girl, Yami had cut off the mind link. Why? What was he hiding? Yugi was almost glad Yami had decided to stay home, because he wasn't sure he wanted to be around the spirit at the moment.

Suddenly, without any warning at all, not even a funny feeling, Yugi threw up. Luckily the chair in front of him was empty, so nobody got hit with puke.

Immediately several girls screamed as if a huge monster had just come in and eaten someone. A couple of kids got up on their chairs like the floor was now contagious. While pandemonium arose, Yugi slumped backwards into his chair, his eyes closed.

Tea jumped out of her chair and went to Yugi. "Yugi? Are you all right?" she cried.

Yugi didn't respond.

"All right, class, settle down!" the teacher was saying over the screaming and laughter. "Boys, off the desks, please. Luna, could you go get the janitor?"

"Yes ma'am," the girl next to Tea said, jumping from her seat and heading for the door quickly.

Tea and Ryou, who was in the same class, escorted Yugi to the nurse while Luna ran off to get the janitor.

"That was so spontaneous," Ryou said as they waited outside the nurse's for a report on Yugi. "What do you think prompted his regurgitation?"

Tea sighed. "I think I might know." She explained to Ryou everything that had been happening. When she finished, he looked perplexed. "So you think that stress caused him to throw up?"

"I don't know," Tea said. "I just hope he'll be all right."

Suddenly, without any warning, Bakura's transparent form appeared next to them. "So, someone's trying to murder the Pharaoh's runt, eh? Not a bad idea. Maybe, after he's dead..."

"Back where you belong," Ryou said with an uncharacteristic growl as he pulled the Millennium Ring out of his backpack.

"You never let me see the outside world anymore," Bakura complained. "What are you afraid of? It's not like I can do anything to anyone in this state, as much as I would like to--"

"You heard me," Ryou said. The Millennium Puzzle glowed briefly, and Bakura's form disappeared. "I've really got to find some way to keep him under wraps," Ryou sighed.

Just then the nurse came out. Behind her was Yugi, who still looked pretty bad.

"I'm sending him home," the nurse told Tea and Ryou. "I'd suggest one or both of you escort him there in case he has another attack."

"Any idea what caused it?" Ryou asked.

"It could be a number of things," the nurse said. "Spoiled lunch food--which seems to be the best explanation--illness, stress..."

Ryou offered to escort Yugi home. Tea had to go back to class. She watched over her shoulder as the two boys left the school and headed for Yugi's house.

AFTER SCHOOL

The four friends ran down the street. After Tea had related the incident to Joey, Tristan, and Serenity, they had all been eager to go to Yugi's after school and check on him. And, even though none of them would say it, they were a little worried that Ryou would go psycho and try to toss Yugi out of a window or something.

They made it to Yugi's house in record time. Tea knocked on the door and rang the doorbell at the same time. They waited rather impatiently.

Joey frowned. "Ya know, it looks kinda dark in there. I mean, I know da store'd be closed, but I didn' see any light in any windows."

"That's strange," Tristan said.

"Maybe he's taking a nap," Serenity suggested.

Tea shook her head. "Even so, I know Ryou wouldn't leave until he was certain Yugi would be all right, and he'd have a light on. I don't think anyone's here."

"Well, I'm pretty sure they didn' go onna shoppin' spree!" Joey exclaimed.

"Let's just go to Tristan's house and call here from there," Serenity said.

Everyone agreed. They turned to leave.

"What da--?!" Joey could barely speak.

"Ryou?!?! What happened to you, man?" Tristan exclaimed.

Ryou was suddenly behind them. He looked like he'd been in a fight with 16 people. His left eye was bruised, his school uniform was torn and dirty, cuts and scrapes showing through tears, and he was clutching his right arm with a sore red left hand. Two people, a guy and girl, wearing the school uniforms, were holding him up on either side.

"We got to...call police," Ryou breathed, looking ready to topple. "A man...stopped us. He...beat me up and...Yugi's gone..."

"What are you sayin', man?" Joey yelled.

"Yugi's been kidnapped," Ryou said. "The man...pulled over...he just grabbed Yugi...and threw him in the truck...I tried to stop him...he was too strong."

"We saw this kid at the tail end of his run-in with Burly Truck Dude," the guy said.

"We also saw Burly Truck Dude toss somebody in his truck and drive off," the girl added.

"Oh no!" Tea cried. She was deathly pale.

Tristan pulled Ryou up on his back, and they started running.

"Thank you guys so much for finding Ryou," Tea said to the two people as they went.

"No problem," the girl said. "Torru here was the first one to spot them."

Torru nodded. "We wouldn't have noticed if Kira hadn't dropped all her stuff on the sidewalk, though."

"Let's not worry about dat! Let's just get Ryou to da hospital!" Joey exclaimed. "And somebody call da cops!"

ELSEWHERE...

Her laughter was loud and satisfied. The stupid idiots. Not even the best police force could find Yugi now. He wasn't in reach anymore. Her idea to take over someone's mind and have them kidnap Yugi, right from under his stupid friends' noses, had been foolproof. And it worked. Now Yugi was at her mercy, hidden away from any possible rescue by her own twisted magic.

"Why didn't I think of this before?" she thought aloud. "It's going to be so much easier to get rid of him now! Now that no one can interfere!"

Then she stopped. "No one except...stupid! Why didn't I think to have that man toss the Millennium Puzzle? I'll have to dispose of it myself."

She stood up. Turning, she headed for an open doorway to her right at a brisk pace. She should hurry. She was too close to success to mess up now.

END CHAPTER

Toli: Whew! Chapter 9's done! Don't forget to review because we will respond! See you next time!

NEXT IN CHAPTER TEN...The whole story about the villain is finally revealed, and Yugi finds out why he's going to be murdered...

REVIEW RESPONSES

Toli: I hate doing this by myself.

Mena: (stuffy voice) You're not by yourself! (blows nose)

Toli: Oh. You finally decided to join us. Anyway, here we go! (game show music plays) Yeah, it's that time again. Our first response goes out to DMoS13. Hi guys! I don't want anything bad to happen to Yugi either, but the show must go on! And thanks for sticking around, Torru. We have business.

Mena: (suspicious) About?

Toli: Shut up. The next response is to Ayamari. Welcome! I wish I could tell you why someone wants to kill Yugi, but not yet. All will be revealed in our next chapter, however!

Mena: (blows nose) I bet that's an incentive to stick around. Anyway, next up is Silver Moon Phoenix. And Luna the Meanie.

Toli: She's not a meanie, she just has different preferences for the ending of this story.

Mena: If you say so. I feel sorry for SMP. Luna is a weird yami.

Toli: Like a certain someone else you just decided to make up in your spare time, no?

Mena: (angry) YOU KEEP LEXIE OUT OF THIS!

Toli: We're not having three people doing this, Mena. Anyway. Next we'll respond to Millenniumgrl126. Well, you're certainly attentive. You're right about the mystery murderer, but that's all I can say right now. And you might be surprised about how Yami's connected to her. The way this story ends may--MAY, I don't want to get carried away--prompt a sequel.

Mena: And throw Killer in a dungeon if you have to. We need our bad girl for another few chapters! (stops to blow nose) All right, now we reply to Erckie and Kyrie. Hey guys! You know, Sugar Highs aren't that bad of a thing...

Toli: Yes, if the victim of Sugar High is strapped in the hug jacket and locked in the boingy room.

Mena: I don't know what those are.

Toli: (to Erckie and Kyrie) She doesn't spaz if I don't say "straight jacket" and "padded cell". Okay, next we have SilverTiger-GoldenPhoenix, which Mena will help me with bnecause this mess is her fault.

Mena: (hands up) Hey, I didn't know Kira couldn't operate a microwave!

Toli: You shouldn't have given her the paste recipe!

Mena: (ignoring Toli) I wonder what would have happened if she had gotten to the milk part? (giggles and then blows nose)

Toli: Not funny. ST-GP and Kira could be permanently stuck to the wall.

Mena: Oh. Right. (becomes serious) Next time, Kira, ask ST-GP to push the buttons for you.

Toli: Or better yet, forget glueing your face to the screen!

Mena: You ruin everything!

Toli: That's my job. Next is the response to dragon shadows. Hey, and welcome! We appreciate your nice review very much! And as to your question, Mena and I are twin sisters. I'm three minutes older, though sometimes it seems like three years. Unfortunately, Mena has found herself some obscure Millennium Item in the kitchen and is planning to release its spirit on us sane people.

Mena: You ruined the surprise.

Toli: Once again, my job. Next we'll respond to StubsMcGimp. Hi! (returns returned wave) It's nice to see you and Damion again.

Mena: Make sure you hang up ALL those posters! (blows nose) And it might not be a bad idea to consume less sugar. More people will like you. And don't worry, Damion, I'll talk to Lexie about it. She claims to have a mind vacuum and can remove anything from someone's mind.

Toli: That's why she isn't joining us. She's trouble.

Mena: She's sweet!

Toli: She trouble. And blue.

Mena: So? Anyway, here's the response to Elizabeth Aiken. What bad luck! I can't imagine how many people must ask you if you're related to Clay Aiken. Don't worry, I feel your pain. Someone once asked me if I was related to Maximillian Pegasus. Just because I dyed my hair white once...

Toli: She didn't ask all that. I like your copyrighted phrase. Things like that are cool! Hope you hang around until next time!

Mena: (blows nose) Next we'll be talking to Krista123. Yes! You put the Toilet away! I'm so happy I'll live till Chapter...whichever one the next one is! Thank you! Yes! We're happy! Come back next time!

Toli: Stop copying her.

Mena: What! Are! You! Talking! About?!

Toii: Never mind. Anyway, our final response goes out to Julianna. Welcome to the story! We're glad you've enjoyed it so far. We hope to continue to enjoy it!

Mena: And that goes double for everyone else!

Toli: Quick shout out to SilverTiger-GoldenPhoenix, DMoS13, and Silver Moon Phoenix. We hope you noticed the weird little treat Mena ordered me to add to this chapter. Your friend/personality/yami/hikari/brother/sister/whatever was well appreciated in the chapter. We hope to see you next time.

Mena: (blows nose all over screen)

Toli STOP IT! (grabs conveniently placed baseball bat)