MP: Hello readers! Welcome to the next exciting installment of Seal of Fears. This chapter majors on insects. So those of you who are really afraid of them, feel free to skip the scene where Tea gets attacked. By the way, I'm trying to get the plot moving along more. So I'm bringing up a certain suspect in the next chapter. But for now, read this one. Here it is, Chapter 4...

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Seal of Fears

Chapter 4

A worried pair of blue eyes watched the sidewalk as their owner walked on. Tea continued toward her home. The dim lights of the streets of Domino was the only thing that made her surroundings visible. This night was unusually dark. But the girl didn't seem to notice. Her mind was set on her friend and friend's grandfather that were in the hospital.

She felt so responsable for Serenity's attack. She should have been paying more attention. She looked up into the black night sky. The stars were out, but were faded in the sky, due to the dominating lights in the city. A cool wind blew, sending a few locks of brown hair out of her eyes. The brunette found herself wondering about what had happened. She couldn't have had her back turned to Serenity for less than a minute or two. But now...

"tea..." a harsh voice whispered. It seemed to come from the wind itself. Tea spun around. She saw no one. "...tea.." the voice arose once again. Tea looked around, but still found not a soul. She turned back toward the direction she was going, and walked on. "I must have bonked myself on the head too many times. I'm starting to hear things." she decided.

"oh tea..." called the eerie voice once again. Tea turned, not seeing anyone. Her heart started to pound against her chest. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. She had to get out of here. She took off in a blind run. Turning every corner, passing every street sign, drifting in and out of the light emmited from above. She ran without thinking. Finally, she stopped, thinking she had gone far enough. She panted, trying to calm herself down. She looked at her surroundings. She suddenly realized that she had no idea where she was.

Deadly silence was all around her. And if she knew her life, that wasn't a good sign. She tried to concentrate and figure out what to do. She was lost and alone in the dark. This wouldn't end well.

Before Tea could realize what happened, she was surrounded by a thick black smog and a red circle that had a ten pointed star in the middle. "W-what's going on?" she said nearly screaming. Her voice was high pitched and she was on the verge of a breakdown. This isn't happening! This isn't happening! she told herself in her mind.

A deep voice laughed evily. It was the voice from before. Also not a good sign. Tea looked around, her eyes darting in every direction. She had to find a way out. She had to escape. She had to get help.

A sudden noise rose from the ground. The scuttering and scurrying of tiny creatures. Tea dared not look down. She knew what that sound meant. She didn't want to, but she found herself doing it anyway. She looked down.

Beneath her feet were thousands of insects. Beatles, cockroaches, huge spiders, ants, and every kind of bug she absolutely hated. She screamed in terror. "Ahh! Bugs! I hate bugs!" She found herself jumping around, yelling at the top of her lungs. She couldn't move an inch without stepping on a roach or a black widow.

The insects hissed and crawled everywhere. It looked as if the ground was moving. Tea found herself trapped. She couldn't go anywhere. She stood perfectly still, petrified and trying to figure out what to do. "This isn't happening! This isn't happening!" she tried to convince herself. She closed her eyes, as if that would make this all disappear.

She felt something on her leg. She prayed it wasn't what she knew it was. She opened her eyes to see the bugs starting to crawl up her feet and onto her legs. She let out a shreik of horror. She bounced around, screaming childishly. "Get them off! Get them off!" she cried. The insects continued to crawl up her. They soon made their way up to her stomach. By now she was yelling her head off.

Before she realized what was happening, she started to sink into the floor. The bugs crawled all over, engulfing her entirely. They reached her head and covered all but her eyes, nose, and mouth. At this point Tea had just fallen into a complete state of shock and terror. She felt herself reaching the ground. Before her vision was blocked by the insects, she found herself thinking in a desperate cry. Yugi! Help me!

A cloaked man stepped out of the shadows. A young brunette girl was lying in the street, her face frozen in a look of fear. He smiled evily. "These mortals are too easy. Especially the women." he said to himself. He bent down and looked at the red seal that was marked on her palm. "Well, either way, it's one more victim. And one more little nudge toward the edge for the pharoah."

The man turned his head at the sound of a car coming. Even from this distance, he could tell it was a police car. No doubt the policemen making their nightly rounds. He stood up and took one last glance at the girl. "This is the one the pharoah fancies isn't it? This will be amusing." he chuckled to himself. Without another word, he disappeared into the shadows.

"So these angels told you about what happened to Serenity and Grandpa?" Yugi asked when he and Joey were having a private conversation in Mr. Mutou's room. Yugi had wanted to visit his grandpa, and Joey needed to warn Yugi.

"Yeah." Joey said, trying to avoid staring at the face of the old man that lie in the hospital bed. "They said that it had something to do with you. Probably another Millenium Item deal." he explained. Yugi looked down with a sorrowful face. "So much trouble. And all because of me." he muttered. The duelist looked to face his best friend. "Joey, I'm sorry I drag you and the gang into all this stuff. It always ends up hurting you guys. Maybe it would be better if we weren't friends. That way, all of you would be safe, and wouldn't have to worry about me." "Yugi! Don't get crazy ideas like dat!" Joey retorted. The smaller boy looked surprised. "We're friends and we're suppose ta stick together! Through the good and the bad! Even if that bad is super-abnormally-crazy-take-over-the-world-pycho-evil-guy--bad!"

Yugi smiled at his friend. "Thanks Joey. You know, you're pretty good at these friendship speeches." he commented. "Yeah, I've been hanging around Tea for too long." the blonde laughed. "Hey, I'm thirsty. You want to go get a soda from a vending machine?" Yugi offered. "Sure. Why not?" Joey said walking out with Yugi.

After finding that the machine was out of order on their floor, the two went down to the main floor and found a machine in the lobby. They got their drinks and decided to go outside for some freash air. The two boys stood outside the entrance doors, breathing in the cool night air. Joey was thinking of how he would evade security in order to stay with his sister tonight, when he heard the sound of an ambulance siren.

"Huh? What's that?" Yugi asked turning his head toward the noise. "Sounds like an ambulance." Joey said. "Should we check it out? Maybe someone else got attacked." Yugi suggested. Joey nodded in agreement. "Let's go." The two threw away their soda cans and rushed over just in time to see the ambulance pull into the driveway.

It backed up and stopped. The back door opened and several ambulance operaters jumped out. "Come on! Let's get her out!" one man called. For some strange reason, Yugi felt a sudden jolt. "Who is it?" Joey asked in a whisper. "I don't know. I can't see." Yugi said. He jumped up continuously, trying to catch a glimps. When he saw the body, he immediately recognized it. His heart felt like it lept in his throat. "Oh no..." he said in a strangled whisper. "What? Who is it?" Joey asked anxiously. "It's...Tea..."

Joey punched the wall in anger. He, Yugi, and Tristan were now in Tea's hospital room. Tea herself was lying in the bed, a look of terror plastered on her face. Just like the others. "Darn it! Why does this keep happening?" Joey yelled. "First Serenity, then Gramps, now Tea! Who's doin' dis?"

"It is weird that the only victims are people we know." Tristan said, trying to maintain his cool. "Not as weird as you might think." Joey muttered." "Huh?" Tristan looked at him curiously. "Nothing." the blonde turned away. Yugi sat silently on a chair next to Tea's bed. He looked close to tears at the moment. Joey glanced at him, noticing Yami by his side. Yugi looked depressed and unsure of what to do. Yami, however, looked about ready to start busting some heads right away. The blonde had seen that look before. He decided it would be best if he kept quiet for now.

After a long while, Yugi spoke somberly. "So what now?" Joey shrugged. "I honestly don't know Yugi. Sumi and Kiko don't give me much info you know." "Who are Sumi and Kiko?" Tristan asked. It was then that the blonde realized he had never told anyone but Yugi and Yami about the angels. "Uh, just friends." he said. He didn't feel like getting into a long explaination right now.

"I just don't get it. Who would want to hurt everyone like this? And why would they go after our friends and family? It dosen't make any sense." Yugi sighed. "It's da oldest trick in da book of course." Joey said, leaning against the wall. "What do you mean Joey?" Tristan asked. The blonde folded his arms and spoke in a serious tone. "You know, get your enemy in their weakest spot. Get them emotionally. Then when you face them physically, they're usually a depressed wreck."

Yugi looked from Joey, to Tristan, to Tea, then at the floor. "So that's why everyone keeps going after you guys. They get to you to get to me." he thought outload. "That's a coward's way to fight!" Tristan growled, clentching his fists. "It may be a coward's way, but it's a smart way. It usually tends to work." Joey went on, "Like the time Malik brainwashed me and Tea and made Yugi duel me to the death."

That statement made Yugi feel even more guilty about how he endangered his friends. And Joey noticed. "Uh, of course, everything turned out alright with that! And the plan usually fails in the end!" he scrambled with his words, attempting to make his friend feel better.

It was a long time later before anyone said anything else. But after what seemed like an eternity of silence, Tristan spoke up. "So, you guys have any ideas as to who is behind this?" Yugi and Joey shook their heads 'no'. Joey tried to fall back asleep to try and contact the angels and get some information. But he just couldn't keep his eyes closed.

Whoever this was, they were pretty smart. They used a coward's method, but they were tactful. They attacked Serenity, then Grandpa, then Tea. Who would be next? Yugi's eyes scanned the room. Yami was next to him, still looking angry. He shifted his vision from Joey to Tristan. One of them would most likely be the next target. The spiky-haired teen felt a wave of guilt and fear rush through him. His best friends and closest family were being attacked. And all because of him. This wasn't fair. Maybe it would be better if he just left. Then they could have normal lives.

Joey was thinking to himself. He had given up on trying to sleep. He wasn't going to be able to rest anytime soon. He was trying to figure out who could have done this. Though usually it was some weird evil guy that just appeared out of nowhere. This would probably end up being the same case. Whoever it is, I'll bash his skull in before I turn him in! he thought. --Wait a second! Jail. That's it! He still has a grudge against both me and Yugi! Plus, if whoever is behind this is really after only people who were involved in my death, then it's gotta be him! He's the only bad guy that could have remembered that!

Joey sprang from his leaning position on the wall. "That's it!" he exclaimed. He cletched his fists and wore a broad grin. "I got it!" "Got what?" Yugi asked, slightly startled at the sudden break in silence. "I figured out who attacked everyone!" the blonde practically yelled. "What? Who?" Yugi and Tristan asked in unison.

The blonde boy turned to his friends. "Yugi, Tristan, you guys keep an eye on Tea, Serenity, and Gramps." he ordered. "Huh? Why Joey?" Yugi asked, unsure of what his friend was planning.

Joey's smile faded to a smirk and he walked to the door. He turned the knob and opened it, ready to run out. Before he exited, he said, "Let's just say I've gotta go visit someone at the Domino Correctional Facility."

MP: Welp. There it is. I hope you enjoyed it. Can you guess who Joey thinks it is? If not, you might wanna go read Friendship Beyond the Grave again. Anyway, there will be a slightly surprising twist. Though not that surprising. Anyway, hope you enjoy it. And remember to Review!

Preview for Chapter 5

"Yukazuma, you have a visitor." the man said. Kutana lay on the cot-like bed in his cell, his face turned toward the wall. There was no response. "Hey Yukazuma! Wake up! You have a visitor!" the man repeated. Still no response. Joey began to wonder if Kutana was just as sound a sleeper as he was. "Ugh, just a minute sir. I'll wake him up." the man groaned. He pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the cell door. He walked in and shook Kutana to wake him. "Yukazuma! I'm not going to tell you again!" he shouted.

That's when Joey noticed something on Kutana's hand. It was a red circle with a ten-pointed star in it. His eyes widened at the famliar symbol. Could it be? The man in the cell turned Kutana's face over to see if he was simply faking to annoy him. He yelped and jumped back. Joey's eyes immediatly went to Kutana's face. It was frozen in fear just like the others. So it wasn't him. But it looked like the mysterious attacker had struck again.