Author's Note: Hey, this is BEWD. I just want to apologize for being gone for so long. Anyway, here it is finally, Chapter 9! Enjoy. ;D

Yu-Gi-Oh: Wolf

Chapter 9

Seto heard the growl again. What ever it was, it wasn't happy. He nudged his brother against the wall, out of the way of danger in the meantime.

I think it's a bear, Bakura said from up front.

Are there any tunnels over there, tomb robber? asked Yami tensely.

Luckily for Bakura, he had better night vision than the rest of them. Seto decided he didn't really want to know why.

Yup, came Bakura's completely calm, almost bored reply. 3 or 4.

All right. Follow Bakura.

Wait, we should onto each other to keep from getting separated, Marik said, though he too sounded completely comfortable in the dark.

Seto grabbed Marik's tail in his mouth before motioning for Mokuba to grab his.

Okay, readysetrun! yelled Bakura, probably ecstatic about being able to boss the Pharaoh around.

Marik jerked forward, catching Seto by surprise and he ended up pulling out most of Marik's tail fur before stumbling.

OW! Watch it! Marik snapped.

Seto spit out the fur before hurrying to catch up with the others, who had just turned a corner.

The bear, Seto heard it though couldn't see it, roared and rumbled after them.

Seto strained forward and managed to grab Marik's tail again. It was insane. They were pelting down a dark, seemingly endless tunnel with an angry grizzly bear on their tail. Couldn't get any worse, right? Wrong.

Huge boulders were littered across the floor. This proved to be no problem for the bear, who crashed right through them. The wolves on the other hand, had to weave left and right, almost always crashing the one holding onto them into the rock instead.

Seto had already sustained multiple bruises and he was sure the others had too, due to the sound of bumping ahead of him every few seconds.

The bear seemed intent on catching those that had disturbed its hibernation and tore after them. Seto could hear the crashing and scraping of stone as it tore after them as they ran blindly.

Narrow point here! Bakura called from the front. Remember to duck!

Seto darted under the low crag. Just as his brother slipped past it, Seto heard the grizzly smash head first into it. It gave an outraged bellow that slowly grew softer as they put distance between them and it.

When they had left the bear far behind, they stopped and let go of each other to try and catch their breaths.

That was fun, said Joey. Let's never, EVER do that again.

Bakura? Where are we now? Yami called.

Why do you always ask ME? asked Bakura grumpily.

Duh, you're in front.

How many tunnels, Bakura? Yami asked, impatiently this time.

Let me count... Zero, said Bakura smugly.

A dead end?!

Um, yeah, looks like that, Bakura said sarcastically.

Why in Ra's name did you lead us to a DEAD END?!

Fine, if you don't like me leading, YOU lead.

There was a sound of scuffling and Seto guessed that Bakura had pulled Yami ahead.

Fine then. C'mon I'll lea-

But Yami's thought speech was cut off and there was a dull thud.

OW! BAKURA!!

Bakura laughed.

You could have at least TOLD me there was a stalagmite here!

Seto smirked.

--

They were walking through twisting tunnels, occasionally bumping off the walls. Seto was beginning to feel slightly claustrophobic again. He could barely keep himself from pelting full out down the tunnel.

Hey, said Joey suddenly. I smell something! Something like-

6 wolves about to lose their minds?

No, like… fresh air!

Joey pushed past the others to get in front. Seto heard him running, no doubt following his nose.

They crowded through the tunnel, trying to keep the sound of Joey's footfalls in their hearing range.

After a few yards of running, Seto too smelled the cold breeze up ahead.

Yes!

All of them burst out of a hole, spraying snow in all directions. For a moment, they all lay panting in the sunshine, glad to be free from the narrow tunnels.

Wow. I think I nearly lost my mind in there.

You and me both.

Look!

Seto turned to look where Mokuba was staring. A huge mountain, so tall the top was shrouded in cloud, loomed over them. Somewhere behind it, they could see the faint outlines of more mountains but none looked as monstrous as the one closest.

They had reached their goal. The tallest mountain.

Hey! That means we should be human again, right? Ryou asked.

Wrong, Yami corrected darkly. We'll have to get to the top first.

Great.

Seto impatiently glanced around. There were no trees in this particular area. Just snow and rocks. And those mountains.

We need to hunt before we scale THAT, said Marik, nodding at the mountain.

Seto trotted a little way away from the others and climbed to the top of a rock formation. He could see quite a distant from his post.

Then he noticed something in the shadow of a rock ahead of him. A darker than dark shadow?

No.

It moved forward and Seto saw the glint of bright blue eyes, similar to his own. A wolf! Before Seto could even move, the wolf went forward enough to give Seto a mischievous grin before melting out of sight.

Seto stared blankly at the spot it had been. A real wolf wouldn't have done THAT. Then who-?

Hey! Kaiba! Keep up!

Seto turned and saw the others heading closer to the mountain. He scrambled down the rock and hurried to keep up.

--

Seto sighed in exasperation. They had been sniffing around the base of the mountain for quite a while now and STILL no sign of food. The only other animal they had come across was a snowshoe rabbit that had been gone before they could even glance at it a second time.

Yami flopped down on a nearby rock panting.

Ok, let's take a break.

Tired already? Seto sneered, trying not to show his exhaustion.

The others came over and also lay or sat on the rock with the tri colored wolf. That is, except Joey. He continued to snuffle hopefully through the snow.

Joey! Come on and rest for a bit! Yugi called to him.

Joey continued to sniff. They continued to watch him. He went around a boulder, blocking himself from their view.

YES!

Seto jerked in surprise from Joey's thought-speak yell.

C'mon! I found food! Food!

They instantly got up and trotted towards the boulder.

Suddenly a loud snap! and a sharp yelp of pain cut the air.

Joey! You okay? called Mokuba, concern evident in his voice.

Owowow…

The pack quickly ran the rest of the way towards and around the boulder. Joey was lying next to a log, a dead rabbit a few feet in front of him.

'Maybe Wheeler tripped and broke his foot,' Seto thought, unconcerned. 'Maybe-'

Then he caught sight of the steel trap closed around Joey's front right paw.

JOEY!

Yami was first to reach him. He grabbed the top of the contraption, braced the bottom with his paws and pulled. But it was no use without hands.

Seto glanced around. This was his chance to pay the dog back for the ice incident. All he needed was a good strong stick. His eyes stopped on Malik's Millennium Rod.

((NOTE: not for those of green minds. ;) Heh heh.))

Without warning, Seto ran forward and grabbed the Rod in his teeth. The cord slipped up over Malik's head and it came free.

HEY!

Marik grabbed onto the other end of the Rod and braced his paws.

GIVE IT BACK!

I'm just borrowing it! Seto growled and yanked on it. The sheath came off in his teeth and he and Marik fell backwards in opposite directions.

It would have to do.

Seto scrambled to his feet and towards Joey. He jabbed the sheath between the jaws of the trap.

Kaiba, what do you think you're doing? Joey demanded weakly.

Paying you back, Seto snapped. Now hold still.

He placed the middle of the sheath on the log and pushed down on the other end. Leverage.

The jaws protested as they were slowly, centimeter by centimeter pried apart. Yami and Ryou grabbed the fur along Joey's back and yanked him free.

Th…Thanks, muttered Joey.

Just don't get in trouble again. I'm not going to save your butt next time, Seto answered, turning away.

'One down, 2 to go,' Seto thought to himself.

Marik, annoyed, went forward and snatched up the sheath Seto had left lying in the snow.

Yami went carefully towards the rabbit, eyes keenly looking for more traps. Once close enough, he swiftly grabbed it by the ears and carried it back to the others.

Not enough for all of us. We'll have to ration it.

Yami ripped it up in 6 pretty-much-equal-but-not portions and threw a piece to each wolf in turn. Seto caught his and lay down to eat it.

Somehow the idea of eating something raw had become normal. Seto gulped down half his share and gave the rest to his brother before standing.

Niisama, that's YOURS, Mokuba said, batting in back at him with a paw.

I'm not hungry, Seto lied. You have it.

Before Mokuba could protest further, Seto had pushed it back at him and trotted off. He got to the top of a rock not far away and lay down, resting his head on his paws. He watched the others eat.

He realized that whoever had done this to them as right. Though not purposefully they has started getting along.

Yami stopped shooting death glares at the 'tomb robber.'

Bakura stopped shooting death glares back.

Marik didn't seem to care that he could easily get the other's Millennium items.

And he, Seto, wasn't fighting with Wheeler. Much.

Seto wondered if it would be the same once they were back to normal.

He hoped not.

Or did he?