Chapter 9 – Confrontations

The group approached the massive black mountain in silence. There was an entrance into it visible to them now as they were quite close. The ground solidified from the soft sand and became hard stone. Tristen was carrying Yami at this point and set him down into his chair. He flexed his arms and attached his Duel Disk to the left one. They all followed suit and attached theirs.

"Here goes." Said Yugi and began to push Yami towards the entrance of the mountain. Once inside they found it to be fairly light. There was no obvious power source and the very walls seemed to glow and dance with energy.

"This is all the power of the items, it is contained in this mountain for now but once Kaiba decides to release it, the results will be truly devastating – for the world" Said Yami studying the energy closely. He turned to Mokuba.

"He has so much power inside of him that his appearance may have changed from what you remember." Mokuba nodded slowly secretly feeling relieved that Seto might look different, as it would make it easier for him when it came to crunch time.

They made their way along the passage and eventually it opened on a large cavern.

"We must be close to the centre of the mountain." Said Yami quietly and as he did a dias rose up in the centre with someone on it.

Everyone stared as it was undoubtedly Seto Kaiba standing on it as it rose up out of the ground, but it wasn't the Seto they remembered. His one eye glowed bright red and his face was a mask of twisted evil. He had replaced his white trench coat with a black one and it billowed round him, blown with a wind borne of true power. From head to foot his entire body glowed and bright blue flames danced all over him. His face broke into a twisted smile that made Tea and Serenity shiver in fear.

"I would say welcome, but you are not welcome here." His voice was low and deep sounding very different from the Kaiba they remembered and more like a demon than anything.

"The only think that is welcome here is that." And he pointed at the Millennium puzzle, which glowed and quite suddenly was ripped from yami's neck, breaking the chain and causing Yami to cry out as he was yanked forwards. Yugi grabbed him before he tumbled to the ground and they all watched in horror as the puzzle flew into Kaiba's waiting hands where is shone with a fierce white light.

"Now I have all the items I need thanks to you. However I do not need you!"

"Fine you have my puzzle, exactly what are you plotting Kaiba?" Yami's voice was low and there was a growl to it. Yugi had heard this voice before and knew that if he carried on his darker side would surface and if there was one thing that Yugi hated, it was Yami's darker side.

"Well I could tell you since you will not survive this night cripple." At this everyone gasped and stared at Yami whose eyes had begun to burn in anger.

"What did you call me?" he growled.

"I called you a cripple, a useless, weak cripple. You cannot hope to stop me. Look at you, you can't even walk! You're no good to anyone!" Kaiba threw his head back and laughed loudly while Yami's eyes burned in fury.

"Well he is good enough for me Kaiba you bastard! Together we will all stop you." Yelled Yugi, furious that Kaiba had called Yami a cripple. Oh he was going to pay for that big time.

"I don't think so 'little' Yugi." He taunted. "But then I can't call you little anymore can I since the cripple is now shorter than you!" Yugi felt a rage such as he had never known and he charged at Kaiba.

"I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!" he screamed but he didn't get too far as a bolt of energy left Kaiba's hand and hit Yugi flinging him against the wall with force. His limp body slid down and lay on the floor unmoving.

"Kaiba what have you done?" Whispered Joey as he stared at the still and unmoving form of his best friend.

"Who wants to join him?" Kaiba said looking at the rest of the group. Nobody moved. "Ha I thought so. Now in order to attain maximum power and fulfil my plans there is one more thing that I need." So saying he jumped from the dias and onto the ground. In his hand was a cup bearing the Millennium Symbol on the front.

Yami eyed the cup his orbs still a burning fiery red.

"What is that for?" asked Tristen, fear clear in his voice.

"Kaiba I thought you just wanted to beat Yugi in a duel!" said Serenity tears running down her face as she kept glancing at Yugi who still hadn't moved.

"It's too late for that little girl." He sneered, now I have much bigger fish to fry like building the world to my own design! I will destroy this world and create another virtual world, which will be designed exactly how I want it and in that world I will be the world's number one duellist!" He punched the air as he said it and Mokuba hung his head ashamed that this madman in front of him had once been his brother.

"Now then," Kaiba continued. "I don't believe you need those anymore do you?" So saying he pulled out a shotgun and fired.

Serenity and Tea screamed as blood sprayed them. The others cried out and Yami looked down in utter horror and disbelief as he watched seemingly in slow motion as the remains of his right leg separated from the knee down and exploded. It happened in a fraction of a second, but to Yami it seemed to take a lifetime.

He felt no pain just the jolt as the blast had hit him and blew his chair back a few yards only to be grabbed by Joey who was looking horrified.

Yami couldn't quite get his head round what Kaiba had done and done so calmly. Tea and Serenity were holding onto one another and crying and the whole group was sprayed with his blood.

"By Ra Kaiba what have you done." He whispered and saw Kaiba smirk and walk up to him.

"The one thing left that I needed Pharaoh, was your blood." He stooped and placed a cup to the hideous wound and gathered a full cup. As soon as he had done, he strode over to a table where there was a tray with the Millennium items on it and retrieving the puzzle from where he had left it on the dias, he placed it in the centre of the tray.

Quick as he could, Tristan whipped off his coat and pressed it to Yami's leg in an attempt to stem the flow of blood from the wound. Yami was beginning to feel weak from blood loss, which ran over the floor in little gory rivers.

He had to know if his hikari was alive or not and took the opportunity to say to Joey "Please see if Yugi lives." Joey nodded and rushed over to the wall. He knelt next to Yugi and placed two fingers to his throat.

Yami was hoping against hope that his light was alive but knew it was a futile hope when he caught sight of Joey's face.

"No…Please, he can't be gone, not now I need him so much." Tears rolled down his face as Joey bowed his head and wept himself for Yugi. This time he knew, there would be no coming back.

Kaiba had started to pour Yami's blood onto the tray where it ran into little dips that held it at the base of each item. He turned to look at them and the group shrank back in fear, all except Yami who looked at Kaiba defiantly.

"You will pay for what you have done Kaiba." He spat.

"Ahhh missing your little boyfriend are we? Never mind, you will soon be joining him in the Shadow Realm. But first you can watch me take down your friends one by one." He smirked.

"Kaiba you have to stop this! I can sense that you have not been fully overtaken by the Millennium Items! Think of your brother Mokuba, he loved you and you betrayed him, think of the innocent people you are going to destroy. Please Kaiba I know the real you is in there somewhere!" Yami was shouting desperate to slow Kaiba down.

"Foolish Pharaoh, You honestly think I care? All that matters to me is gaining the recognition I deserve and the only way to do that is to create my own universe! And one more thing, I have no family."

At these words, Mokuba collapsed on the floor and a strangled cry came from his throat. Yami knew those words must have hurt him more than anything else and he curled into a tight ball sobbing bitterly.

"Pathetic worm." Sneered Kaiba and pointed a finger, which began to glow at the form of Mokuba on the floor.

"KAIBA NO!" Yelled Yami, but he was too late. A bolt of energy shot from Kaiba's finger and hit Mokuba who was blown backwards across the floor and onto his back. When the smoke from the blast had cleared, Mokuba's eyes were wide open and staring in shock at the ceiling. But his eyes were sightless and would never see again, nor would his heart beat inside his chest as his soul had departed for the shadow realm and like Yugi, there would be no return.

Kaiba threw his head back and laughed insanely while the remaining friends clung to each other in terror.

Yugi woke in his dark room and rubbed his eyes. He remembered being blasted by Kaiba just before he blacked out. 'Am I unconscious?' he wondered and found his way to the door.

Opening it he stepped outside and looked across to Yami's closed door. 'I hope he's alright' thought Yugi and his own door closed behind him with a small click. He turned round at the noise and was greeted with a bare wall. The door to his body was gone!

Realisation sunk in. Kaiba's energy blast had killed him and he knew Yami would be devastated but at the same time he remembered their promise to each other that if one died, the other would follow. 'He will destroy Kaiba and then join me.' He thought and comforted, he settled down to wait.

Suddenly a pain shot through his right leg and he screamed in pain. Kaiba had done something to Yami! He just knew it and he was stuck here unable to help. 'Please be safe my koi.' He whispered through the tears of pain that ran down his face. The pain subsided after a while and he began to pace up and down.

Somewhere near him a door slammed and sounded hollow in this huge place. He jumped and yelled.

"Whose there?"

"Yugi?" Came a familiar voice and Yugi gasped as Mokuba came into view.

"Mokuba! How did you get in here?"

"Where are we Yugi? This place is weird! I woke up in a dark room and when I found the door I was here."

"Mokuba did your door vanish after you went through it?"

"Yeah it did, Yugi what's going on? Where are we?"

"This is the maze inside of the Millenium Puzzle. This is where Yami used to live while he and I shared the same body. I expected to arrive here but I have no idea how you ended up here. Your door vanishing though means you can't return to the real world."

"You mean I'm dead?"

Yugi nodded and Mokuba hung his head.

"It was Seto. He said he had no family and then pointed his finger at me and I ended up here."

"Oh Mokuba I'm so sorry."

"It's okay Yugi, my brother died for me a long time ago. OH! Yugi, Seto did something to Yami. Something bad."

"I know it was his right leg wasn't it?"

"How do you know?" Mokuba was astonished.

"We have a special link, we can feel each other like we are as one, we feel each other's pain, heartache and joy. I felt terrible pain in my right leg under my knee and I knew Kaiba had come something to him."

"Wow you two really are two halves of a whole. Yes he did do something terrible. He…He shot him."

Yugi closed his eyes and could feel Yami's shock and horror. He was glad that he hadn't seen it though feeling it had been bad enough!

"Yami and I made a promise that if one of us died, the other would follow. That is his room there, if we wait, he will come."

"But if all of us die, how will Kaiba be stopped?"

"I don't know Mokuba, I just don't know." Yugi shook his head and together they sat down to wait and see what would happen next.