Disclaimer: I don't own Yuugioh.
Again, thank you for my review; I appreciate each and every one.
Proofreading is annoying when you've accidentally made one chapter longer then the others. I read it over and over again to make sure I didn't make any typos (and I usually end up missing at leat two) and when I'm really tired, (like I am as I sit here typing this) it's even more tiresome. Ah well. C'est la vie. It's what I've got to do.
Under Pressure
New Friends and Old Friends
"Brother!" Calypso cried, taking a step forward, the chains she had used to tie up Joey jingling loudly. Dimys pushed the dagger closer to Proteus's throat.
"Careful now, little girl. You wouldn't want anything… bad happening to your baby brother. And I can't be held responsible for what might happen if my wrist were to… slip." Dimys mocked taking the dagger and plunging it into Proteus. He whimpered slightly, looking to his sisters for a rescue, but they didn't know what to do.
"Alright, Dimys." Joey said, raising his hands and lacing his fingers behind his head. "You've got us. Now put down Proteus."
"Or I could keep Proteus and you and your girlfriends come with me." Dimys said, motioning to Calypso and the others to mimic Joey and put her hands behind her head.
"Fine, fine but don't hurt him." Leucothea whispered.
"I can't make any promises." Dimys breathed. "Now come."
Joey stepped forward, but bumped into Calypso, knocking the two down. While Dimys rolled her eyes, he scrambled to his feet, blushing. He shuffled forward to meet Dimys face-to-face, his hands now behind his back, and she grinned. This is easier then I thought, she said to herself. But then… Joey grinned right back at her, much to her, and by the looks of it Calypso and Leucothea's surprise. Kaiba and Tristan looked at each other and picked up two pieces of loose lumber off the ground.
"What are you smirking about, boy?" Dimys snarled.
Suddenly, Joey whipped around and Dimys felt something smack the side of her head. She was thrown down to the ground and Proteus scrambled out of her grip. She put her fingers to her wound and then examined them, her anger boiling over at the sight of blood. She jerked her head up at her attacker and saw him swinging a chain that he had taken from Calypso when he bumped into her, around in circles, while Proteus pulled out a small sword.
Calypso sprinted up next to Joey and cracked a whip that had been tied to a belt on her waist. Leucothea fell back, looking desperately around for something to arm herself with. She spotted a stool in the corner of one of the open cells and scampered over and broke off one of the legs and raised it threateningly. Kaiba and Tristan rushed to Joey's side while Tea pulled Mokuba back and stepped in front of him.
Dimys looked furious. Her face turned into a contorted mask of rage and fury. She stood up against the small troop of attackers lined up against her.
"You think you scare me?" She screeched. "I have more power in my little finger than all of you put together!"
"Original." Kaiba muttered as Joey and Calypso gave fierce battle screams, lunching themselves at Dimys and Tristan, Proteus, and Leucothea dashed past him, casting themselves into the fray.
-
- - -
-
Neptune inched down a gloomy corridor, toward Dimys's private chambers. He poked his head around a corner, looking down the passage that lead into Dimys's chambers. He saw two monsters standing guard in front of the entrance. Neptune clapped his hand over his mouth to prevent himself from giving a cry of surprise.
He had never seen anything like these creatures in his life. They had the head of a shark and the body of a leopard. He gulped and reached into his pocket and pulled out a small capsule. He couldn't risk leaping out and fighting them; he had no idea what they were capable of. And if he lost… well… he didn't want to think about what would happen to the kid who was going to be Emperor.
He flicked his wrist, lunching the capsule within two inches of the beasts. He grinned. Yes! He thought. Nice shot! He covered his nose.
The capsule began giving out a toxin into the air. It was silent, unscented, and efficient. The beasts' eyes started drooping and their bodies swayed. Without warning, the two monsters fell over completely knocked out. Neptune guessed by how quickly the creatures blacked out, he had about two hours before they woke up.
He crept down the corridor and carefully stepped over the monsters. He picked the lock open and swiftly darted inside. As soon as he was in, he locked the door and found cover. He didn't know if Proteus had pulled through or not but after the noise the two guards made falling down and judging by the fact that no one was coming to check on it, he guessed he rightly put his faith in Proteus. He tiptoed across the room to a dresser on the other side of the room. He looked through the bottles on it, looking for the crystal bottle that Dimys had shown off to them a couple days before.
When he found it, he twisted the diamond cap off and wafted the scent of the contents toward himself to check if maybe it smelled like something he wanted to force down the throat of a monarch. The smell reminded him of being happy… every kind of sweet smell imaginable was drifting out of the bottle… flowers… sweets… and then he smelled something that made his heart ache and leap at the same time…. He smelled his mother's perfume… tears formed in Neptune's eyes. She had been so loving… so kind… before she had been stricken with a virus that took her life… and away from her children. The same rare virus that was threatening another inhabitant of the land again… the Future Emperor. He had heard about the symptoms that the kid was suffering from Leucothea, who kept very close with the news from the palace.
He quickly capped the jar, not wanting to be reminded of his mother's cruel fate anymore. He blinked his tears away and pocketed the antidote.
"Emperor… I only hope the Pure Shadows have at least spared your mind… even if they didn't help hers…"
-
- - -
-
Joey was blasted backwards into Proteus. The two grunted as they were thrown into the wall behind them.
It seemed that even if she was outnumbered, Dimys was still a formidable opponent.
Calypso flicked her whip and caught Dimys on her back. Dimys gave a scream of pain and fury, and whirled around cracked Calypso across her head, sending her spinning into Kaiba, knocking them both to the ground. Tristan leapt forward and punched Dimys in the stomach but she swiftly brought her knee up and caught him in his groin, and he doubled over, his eyes watering, leaving him wide open to Dimys's drop kick that slammed him into the ground. Proteus sprinted ahead grabbing Tristan and dragging him out of danger, and gasped as he was submerged in a water shot that came spewing out of Dimys's fingers.
"You fools thought you could defeat me?" Dimys bellowed, catching Leucothea by the throat and throwing her backwards into a cell. Leucothea grunted as she climbed to her feet and back into the brawl.
"Oh shut up!" Kaiba murmured swinging his bit of wood into Dimys's head, flinging her into the cell, of which, Leucothea had just crawled out. Mokuba sprung forward and slammed the door shut, and Tea threw the pieces of the stool that were left in front of the cell. Following Tea, Proteus and Joey flung every piece of anything they found in front of the door.
"Let's… get out of here." Calypso declared and scurried out of the door and up the path, the makeshift army at her heels. Dimys's screams of rage followed them up the trail.
As they turned a corner, Calypso collided with a burly figure, which was obviously in a hurry to get down to the dungeons. Tristan got ready to attack but Proteus exclaimed, "Triton!"
Triton looked frightened, prompting Kaiba to ask, "What's wrong?"
"Aura! She's coming!" Triton cried, pulling them up the path, double the speed they were originally going.
When they reached the room that Calypso had introduced her brothers and sister, Triton threw everyone under a table, making sure they were all safely hidden before lunging under, himself.
Aura's flip flops made faint smacking sounds as each time she took a step, the bottom would snap her feet. She slowly strolled across the dim, murky chamber as if she hadn't a care in the world.
Proteus felt one of the brown haired boys tense up next to him. He peered over to see the boy's brown eyes flashing with fury and his fists were balled up. Proteus registered this as a reaction of someone whom had been betrayed by the young princess exiting the room. That's what Aura did, after all. Build up trust and then smash it into little bitty pieces.
Mokuba gave a breath of relief that was quickly stifled by Triton. Kaiba's head jerked over and put a finger to his lips, gesturing for Mokuba to hush. The group seemed to hold its breath, waiting… their ears listening for Aura's steps to fade away.
Calypso finally crawled out from under the table, closely followed by her brothers and sister. Triton still held a hand out, preventing Joey and the others from trailing after them.
"We haven't got much time," Calypso whispered, looking around, her ears listening for Dimys to tell them otherwise. "As soon as Aura finds Dimys, we'll be in so much trouble…"
Triton nodded, and turned, helping Mokuba and Tea out from under the table. Joey, Tristan, and Kaiba stumbled out, Kaiba cursing quietly when he tripped over Joey's foot.
"What about Atemu?" Mokuba asked, looking toward the Sprites, his eyes shining, welling up with tears.
Proteus smiled kindly, in a way that reminded everyone who knew, of Atemu. He kneeled down, leveling himself with Mokuba and said gently, "Our brother is going to get the antidote for your friend, so don't worry, Little One. Chin up; I can't stand to see a child cry. It tears up my heart into little pieces. Besides, would the Emperor want you to cry?"
Mokuba shook his head, reminded so much of Atemu that he was willing to tell this Sprite anything. "No, he hates to see me cry. He says it hurts his feelings, too."
"Emperor sounds like Proteus." Leucothea remarked. "Proteus loves children."
"Trust Leucothea to notice these sort of things." Calypso said. "Of course... that's what you brains like to do, right? Absorb information?"
"What about you!" Proteus grinned. "You're so trusting, you'd trust a complete stranger who claims he's trying to fight Dimys."
"I am!" Joey cried indignantly.
"I know, I know." Proteus smiled. "But I didn't know at first."
"We don't seem trustworthy?" Mokuba asked.
Kaiba put a reassuring hand on his brother's shoulder, but cast an angry glare to everyone else. "This is all fine and dandy. You know... having a sweet little chat about things." His gaze could have made flowers die."But maybe we've forgotten... we have to get out of here. Now!"
His allies nodded and began to flee, hearing a hysteric scream from below.
-
- - -
-
"Atemu, are you quite sure?" Solomon Mutou managed to croak out after a few minutes of silence.
Though it looked like it took him great effort, Atemu nodded, his body once again racked with pain. Atemu was leaning on Mr. Mutou, his body occasionally starting to shake and tremble, his muscles tense and taut. He was white as a sheet and looked as if he were already dead. His usually thin body was now gaunt and meager, his body practically wasting away. Atemu's usually bright, loving eyes were dull looking, staring at the ground.
"No wonder the Pure Shadows came to help him." Typhoon said, putting a cool rag on Atemu's neck.
"Atemu…" Yuugi muttered. "Who is Mahaado? We heard you screaming that name earlier."
Mr. Mutou and Typhoon looked at Atemu expectantly, obviously wondering the same thing. Atemu took a long, shuddering breath before explaining.
"Mahaado was my best friend when I was Pharaoh. Well… my only friend. We were like brothers. He was my most loyal priest, a magician,and carried the Millennium Ring."
"But Bakura's evil half… the Thief King… he's got the Millennium Ring." Yuugi said, utterly confused.
A terrible sadness crept onto Atemu face, his eyes starting to well over with tears. But Atemu wouldn't let them fall. Yuugi now wished he had never said anything, watching Atemu's features change so miserably.
"Yes… yes he does." Atemu whispered. "He killed Mahaado. And took his Ring."
Yuugi gasped and Typhoon clapped a hand to her mouth. Mr. Mutou squeezed Atemu comfortingly, but Atemu still didn't let his tears fall. No… Atemu didn't cry. He didn't let himself weep. He had been taught that it showed weakness and that's how he lived. But suddenly Typhoon said something that changed everything.
"You know? There's a magician visiting the palace from the Dominion of the Beasts named Mahaado."
Yuugi jerked his head up as he was the first to register what that could possibly mean.
"Could you introduce us, Typhoon?" He whispered, watching Atemu's head slowly rise, his eyes wide and hopeful.
"Yes, yes! Of course!" Typhoon cried, leaping up, pulling Yuugi by the arm to follow as Mr. Mutou wrapped Atemu's arm around his shoulder and helped him walk down to the first floor of the palace in the Guest Hall.
"Tell the Dark Magician, Mahaado, that the Empress demands his presence." Typhoon barked to a Sprite ,as she positioned herself in the hallway Yuugi at her side, Mr. Mutou and Atemu behind, hidden from view.
A tall man, dressed entirely on purple armor came out of the room, carrying a long staff with an orb on the very tip, followed by a girl with pink and blue armor and a shorter staff that curved at the end. The girl had large blue eyes that were framed by long blonde hair. The man had purple hair that grew long and fell into the bright blue eyes that Atemu knew so well.
"Mahaado?" Atemu whispered, causing the blue-eyed man's face to become contorted with fear. Mr. Mutou made a noise of confusion.
"Mana… I'm hearing him again…" He whispered to the girl beside him. The girl shook her head.
"I heard him too this time." Mana said, looking around the corridor that was filled with Water Sprites and servants, watching the scene. Typhoon raised an eyebrow, the two magicians' whispers fueling her curiousity.
"The Future Emperor wishes to speak with you, Dark Magician, Mahaado." Typhoon declared stepping aside to reveal Atemu.
The man stared, his light blue eyes becoming bright with happiness. "Atemu?"
Atemu stood up straight, but clutching on to Mr. Mutou for support. "Mahaado? Can it really be you?"
Mahaado sprinted across the corridor, pulling Atemu into a tight embrace. "I've missed you, my dear, dear friend."
"How? How can it be possible?" Atemu whispered, returning Mahaado's hug. "I thought… the Thief King-"
"Oh he did." Mahaado said, shrugging as if it weren't a big deal. "To fight him, I joined myself with my ka becoming the Dark Magician. So I when I lost went to the Dominion of the Beasts, not the afterlife. Same with Mana"
The girl leapt forward, wrapping her arms around Mahaado and Atemu. "Oh Atemu! We missed you!"
"I missed the both of you so much more than you can imagine." Atemu said, a genuine smile on his face and a hope and light in his eyes that Yuugi had never seen before.
Yuugi made a sound of awe. Mahaado glanced up at him, suddenly remembering that there were other people in the vicinity and looked back at Atemu. Immediately, Mahaado realized how thin and sickly his friend was.
"Atemu… what has happened you?" Mahaado gasped.
Atemu smiled sadly. "Mahaado… I am dying."
"What?" Mana cried, her eyes mournful. "But-"
"Atemu was poisoned by a woman named Dimys." Yuugi said. Mahaado's eyes flashed furiously toward Yuugi; he swiftly was at Yuugi's side in less than a second. He grabbed Yuugi, and pulled him to be face-to-face with himself.
"Boy, tell me, where is this Dimys?" Mahaado hissed. Suddenly, Mahaado felt a strong grip wrap around his arm and start squeezing. Mahaado jerked around, his eyes falling on Atemu, who had a strained look on his face.
"Mahaado put the little one down." Atemu said sharply. Mahaado promptly let go of Yuugi, who scampered behind Atemu. Yuugi noticed that Atemu used his title "Little One" for him. Yuugi only guessed it was to remind Mahaado how much biggerMahaado was then Yuugi.
"Pull yourself together," Mana mumbled, though she looked as if she were to burst into tears.
"Forgive me Atemu." Mahaado said, bowing. "Who is this boy? And that man? And where can we find this Dimys?"
Atemu took a breath, his strength steadily decreasing. "This is my dear friend, Yuugi. And that is his grandfather, Solomon Mutou. Sadly, I haven't the slightest clue where to find Dimys."
Mahaado bowed and muttered, "It's a pleasure to… uh… meet you."
"Looks like Siamun, doesn't he?" Mana whispered to Mahaado, who nodded quickly.
Typhoon stepped forward. "Dark Magician, Mahaado, do you think you can use your magic to make an antidote for the Tainted Shadow Virus? That is what my si-… I mean… Dimys poisoned Atemu with."
"The Tainted Shadow Virus? Why isn't Atemu convulsing on the ground reliving his memories, or completely insane?" Mahaado asked, bewildered.
"Apparently Atemu is the new Shadow Guardian." Mr. Mutou declared.
Mana sighed and pulled at Mahaado's arm. "Finally Nyx chose a successor, I mean, really! Those shadows were beginning to get out of hand." Catching Yuugi and Mr. Mutou confused faces, Mana continued, "It's up to the Shadow Guardian to prevent the Tainted Shadows from leaking into other realms other than the Shadow Realm, but because Nyx died, people have been able to call the shadows to your realm and the Dominion of the Beasts. Oh it's nasty."
"Atemu, you're the new Guardian?" Mahaado said, but he paused seeing the look on Atemu's face. He was completely weakened now, his face fixed with concentration trying to think clearly.
"I... don't… remember… " Atemu muttered, his body once again completely relying on Mr. Mutou to stay upright, but shaking furiously. "Mahaado? I can't… I'm not feeling well… help… Mahaado-"
Atemu's knees buckled and he collapsed, his eyes closed. Mahaado knelt down and picked up Atemu, his eyes shaking but never leaving Atemu's face. Mana put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but her other hand was on her mouth and she was shaking her head. Typhoon and Yuugi ran down to Atemu as well, a look of fear and despair on both. Mr. Mutou stayed upright while Sprites closed in, looking at their fallen Future Emperor.
"Mahaado… what does this mean?" He muttered, watching the man's reaction.
"It means…" Mahaado whispered, wiping off the sweat appearing on Atemu's pale brow. "That no matter how much the Pure Shadows helped him… he hasn't got much time."
"Not enough time for us to create an antidote." Mana said. "It takes a lot of time… almost two months."
"He hasn't got that much time!" Yuugi cried. "He doesn't have two months!"
"He doesn't even have two hours." Mahaado mumbled, tears slipping down his face. He hid them from Mana, because if she saw him crying, she'd start, setting off a annoying little chain…
It's not fair! Mahaado thought angrily to himself. I finally got to see my best friend again… and he's dying! And there's nothing I can do to save him… what good am I? I missed him so much and… damn it all! I can't do anything but sit back and watch Atemu die in my arms.
"I hope Joey and the guys can get back in time with something to help." Yuugi breathed.
"What?" Mahaado said, jerking his head up. "You've friends who have gone to retrieve an antidote?"
"Yeah. Even though we don't know if their guide is completely trustworthy-"
"It matters not!" Mahaado declared, standing up, Atemu in his arms. "I can track them if somebody who knew them were to accompany me. We can assist them and get the cure here quicker!"
"But we don't even know if they have the remedy." Typhoon said, her eyes watching Atemu's chest rise and fall in uneven intervals.
"So?" Yuugi cried, looking at Mahaado. "What if they do? Mahaado can help! I'll go with you."
"As will I!" Mana stated.
Mahaado looked at Yuugi and Mana confidently. A Sprite stalked up beside him and he, gently and reluctantly, place Atemu in his arms. Mahaado cast a hopeful look at Atemu before leading Mana and Yuugi out. Typhoon watched them run and her gaze lingered in the spot the vanished from sight. She motioned to the Sprite and Mr. Mutou to follow her back up to the infirmary.
Atemu was placed back in the bed had been in originally, but while they were gone, it had been fixed back up. He didn't thrash or jerk this time, though. He lie still… his breathing loud and uneven, soft moans escaping his lips, and sweat pouring, making his hair damp and matted.
"Atemu… keep fighting… there are so many people trying to save you… keep fighting…" Mr. Mutou murmured.
Typhoon was silent. Mr. Mutou noticed and said, "What's the matter?"
"There are so many people trying to save him…"
"Well, of course! So many people love him and rightly so! He treats everyone with love and… and… I don't know what we would do if he… if he…"
"So many people love him…" Typhoon echoed. "So many people love this kind, loving man… and I want to take him away."
Mr. Mutou fell silent. He forgot that Typhoon wanted to marry Atemu. Now that he thought about it, he felt slow because people were calling Atemu "Emperor".
"One crisis at a time." Mr. Mutou managed to choke out. He sat on the bed and scooped Atemu up, holding him like he held Yuugi when Yuugi was a baby. Typhoon watched. Mr. Mutou looked up and saw her longing gaze, as if she wanted to be held from a grandfather, as well. Mr. Mutou held out an arm and Typhoon stared for a little while and walked over and sat and Mr. Mutou hugged her like he would do his grandchild or Atemu. She smiled and picked up Atemu's hand.
And the three of them, old man, young man, and young girl, sat in the infirmary, waiting. They didn't quite know what they were waiting for but… they hoped that whatever it was… it would bring the light and hope back into the young man's eyes.
"Keep fighting… just keep fighting…"