A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! Anyway, a nice long chapter...relative to my other fics that seem to be going down in word count. Coming out nice and fast, I make no promises, but this fic might be done by the end of this week, definitely not saying it'll all be posted by the end of the week, but we'll just have to see about the response I get. I've given up on homework and have proven that I can still get good grades without doing it, and actually going to school during second semester senior year is basically pointless, so I'll have a lot of time to write.
Disclaimer: See previous chapters. I'm bored of trying to think up new disclaimers.
Chapter Four:
"What do we do?" A voice came out of the void.
"Is it really that hard to figure out? We have to find him, before something goes wrong," someone else in the void said with the conviction that they knew they were in control. They weren't supposed to know each other's identities, but it wasn't like they couldn't all tell who their companions were.
"This is something that we've never had to deal with before," a female voice this time. "This...anomaly, we can't let it get too out of control."
"So then it's settled, we find him," the authoritative voice said. The feed was terminated.
"Yami."
Yami stirred in his bed in reaction to hearing his name. His eyes fluttered open, trying to adjust to the light streaming in, and soon he could open his eyes and see black hair blocking his view.
"Mokuba?" Yami asked.
"I was starting to worry," Mokuba said. "I was calling your name and trying to wake you up, since you've been asleep for almost fourteen hours, it's already 10."
"I guess I'm still tired from what happened," Yami replied.
"Oh, then I'll leave, I didn't even think about that," Mokuba said, starting to turn toward the door.
"No, that's okay, you can stay," Yami said. "I'm up now anyway." He smiled as Mokuba turned back around happily.
"Why were you worried that I was asleep so long?" Yami asked.
"Seto and me never really sleep that long, Seto barely sleeps at all, so I just thought all adults slept that way," Mokuba shrugged. "I didn't think that you would still be sleeping off the effects of what happened. Since you recovered so quickly, I thought you were done. Sorry if you're still feeling bad."
"No, I feel better," Yami assured. "Did you need anything else?"
"Oh, yeah," Mokuba said, glad to get on another topic. "I wanted to see if you wanted me to show you around the city a little, just in case you remember anything. I'm on break, so I don't have any school to go to, and I got money from Seto to go to lunch, if we want."
"Sounds good," Yami said, though ignoring the fact that he understood very little of what Mokuba said. "I'll meet you downstairs in a bit."
Mokuba smiled and nodded, leaving Yami alone to get dressed. He still didn't have anything other than what the hospital had given him, but there was a nice pair of jeans and button up shirt that Yami had grown to like.
Once dressed, he walked down the stairs to meet Mokuba. He didn't see Mokuba standing there, but continued on the way and saw the front door open slightly. He walked outside and was greeted with a stiff wind that smelled of the ocean and the warm rays of the sun. Yami stood in the sun a little while, enjoying being out in the open again, but then looked around for Mokuba. Down the driveway, Mokuba was leaning over the fence that separated their property from their neighbors. He seemed to be talking to someone that Yami couldn't see, and turned around to notice Yami. He quickly said something to the invisible person and ran over to Yami.
Mokuba smiled. "We're going to have to walk a little way to the bus stop, but it won't be too far."
Yami nodded. He was up for a little walking after being enclosed for such a long period of time.
Mokuba walked around to the door and locked it. He turned around to Yami and smiled.
"Alright, let's go," Mokuba said.
It didn't take them long at all to get to the bus stop, even though they had to climb up and down severe hills. Yami didn't mind the exercise, because the whole time they were in close proximity to the ocean.
When they were on the bus, though, Yami was staring out at the scenery passing by. Trees, people, buildings in all shapes and sizes, other cars. Lots of cars. In fact, there was a lot of buildings too, and a lot of people. Everywhere, like ants. Yami couldn't remember ever being around so many people.
This confusion must've been evident on his face, because Mokuba caught his attention. "What is it, Yami?" Mokuba asked.
"There's so many people," Yami said.
"Yeah, there is," Mokuba said. "If you're not used to it, maybe you're not from the city. There's always been a lot of people here."
"Maybe," Yami said, turning back to the window.
A loud, crackling voice came over the intercom to announce their position in the city, and Mokuba jumped up.
"We're getting off," Mokuba said. "Downtown."
Yami stepped off of the bus into a steel and concrete jungle. The buildings were so tall he could barely look up at them without getting dizzy, and people were rushing around him like they had something terribly important to do that they had forgotten common courtesy. Mokuba pulled Yami over to a pedestrian alleyway so he wouldn't get taken away in the rush.
"It's Monday," Mokuba said. "People get a little anxious during work. But this is downtown, there are a lot of businesses and stuff like that, Seto works somewhere around here. See? Even I get confused. But let's start the tour."
Mokuba and Yami walked around, with Mokuba talking about various tourist sites in San Francisco, and Yami paying attention, but not remembering ever being in the place. Mokuba was getting tired, but having too much fun playing tour guide to notice anything like that.
Mokuba was just about to point out the Embarcadero when he heard a loud grumble. He looked around to Yami, who was looking down at his stomach.
"Are you hungry, Yami?" Mokuba asked, feeling stupid for not noticing earlier.
"Yeah," Yami said.
"Okay," Mokuba fingered the wallet in his pocket. "I know just the place."
Mokuba lead Yami to a small deli nestled inside a large plaza, where teenagers were skateboarding on the large steps. The deli was small, but barely occupied, and the proprietor came right up to ask if they needed anything. Mokuba took control of the situation and ordered two sandwiches.
When the sandwiches were made and in Mokuba's hands, he walked over to where Yami had already sat down, placing one of the sandwiches in front of Yami and sitting down himself.
Mokuba picked up his sandwich and took a big bite, chewing happily. He looked across the table to Yami, and stopped chewing. He swallowed his food and put the sandwich down.
Yami was sitting there, staring at the food.
"What's wrong? You don't like sandwiches?" Mokuba asked.
Yami looked up at him. "I-I don't know how to eat them," Yami said shakily.
Mokuba raised an eyebrow. "You don't know how to eat them?" He repeated.
Yami just nodded.
"Okay," Mokuba said. "Pick it up, like this," he picked up his sandwich with one hand on either side, "you have to squeeze it a little, so the filling doesn't come out."
Yami mimicked Mokuba's motions, and brought the sandwich up to take a bite. Before, though, he looked up at Mokuba, who nodded.
Yami bit a part of the sandwich off, and started chewing.
"You really didn't know how to eat a sandwich?" Mokuba asked again.
Yami shook his head.
Mokuba shrugged, and they finished the meal in silence, all the while, Mokuba was trying to figure out how someone wouldn't know how to eat something so common.
Two hours later, Mokuba was starting to feel the effects of walking all over downtown with Yami. Of course, Yami was willing to stop every time Mokuba needed to rest, but Mokuba was starting to feel hopeless that Yami was never going to remember anything, or that he was even ever in the city to begin with.
Yami was feeling the same hopelessness. Mokuba seemed to be enjoying himself though, so he made sure to keep the crushing depression away from him, but it was becoming unbearable. Mokuba had stopped saying anything about the surroundings, Yami assumed this was because it seemed they were heading into a residential area, where there were few landmarks.
Mokuba kept walking because it wouldn't be helpful if he just showed Yami the well known sites of San Francisco, and also because he could sense someone behind them. This person hadn't been there for long, but it was definitely something Mokuba was going to keep an eye on.
"A park," Yami said, pulling Mokuba out of his thoughts. Mokuba's eyes widen as he recognized where they were. Wow, we went far, Mokuba thought. "And a church," Yami added, his brows furrowing.
"Yeah, that's Grace Cathedral, I think," Mokuba said. "Let's go check it out."
They walked across the new grass of the park, with Yami's sight focused on the cathedral, and Mokuba's thoughts trained on the person following them. Taking care to avoid cars, they crossed the street, where Yami was still looking up into the stained glass window in the front. Mokuba stopped, as did Yami, and turned around, trying to catch the follower in the act, but came up with nothing.
Mokuba was trying to reason the strange feeling of being watched with normal paranoia that traveled in genes, when he heard a whimper and a thud. He turned around and saw Yami on the ground, pressed up against a car and holding his head in his hands.
"Yami," Mokuba yelled. "Yami, what's wrong?" He ran over and placed his hands on Yami's shoulders, trying to get Yami to move.
Mokuba could hear soft sobbing, and something being repeated, over and over. He leaned closer.
"It's horrible," he heard Yami whisper.
Mokuba pulled away, looking at Yami and wondering what had happened.
"Yami, what's wrong?"
Yami slowly raised his head and looked at Mokuba through watery eyes.
"Everything's dead," Yami said.
Shocked, Mokuba removed his hands from Yami's shoulders. "What do you mean, 'everything's dead'?"
Yami's jaw shook. "It's all dead, we...we stayed here, but it's all gone," Yami said.
Yami was starting to scare Mokuba, especially since he had started sobbing again. Mokuba stood up, and caught a glimpse of someone quickly walking behind a tree in a black coat.
Mokuba couldn't handle this anymore, it had gotten way out of his hands. With shaky hands, he got his cell phone out of his pocket and called his brother.
Seto floored the gas pedal when he got out of the garage, having no concern whatsoever for the pedestrians and other motor vehicles on the streets. He had gotten a call from a very shaken up Mokuba, and all Seto needed to know was the location and the scared sound obviously present in his little brother's voice.
Mokuba had told Seto other things, but Seto's mind was one track at that moment, knowing that all he needed to do was get there. Something about Yami had come up, and being followed, which really set off red flags in Seto's mind. Seto was so caught up in his own little world that he barely turned in time to get to the front entrance of the cathedral. Luckily for other drivers, there were no cars where Seto chose to park. He turned the car off and swung the door open, running across the street and looking for Mokuba.
He spotted a mop of black hair and the top of the steps and took each one three at a time. Getting to the top, he was barely out of breath. But he caught a horrible sight. Yami was all curled up against the wall of the cathedral, rocking back and forth, his eyes wide in fear. Mokuba was standing over him, attempting to comfort, but Seto could see the fear in his brother's stance.
"Mokuba," Seto said. Mokuba spun around, almost in disbelief that Seto was there.
"Big brother," Mokuba said, running to hug Seto.
"What happened here?" Seto asked.
Mokuba pulled away. "I don't know, I was just showing Yami around, hoping he would remember something, and then we ended up here. Yami seemed interested and I noticed someone following us, so I wanted to keep moving. When we got here, Yami," Mokuba turned around to Yami, "he turned into that. I think he remembered something, but doesn't like what it was."
"Where's the person that was following you?" Seto asked.
"I don't know, I haven't seen anything suspicious since I called you," Mokuba said. "What are we going to do?"
"We're going to get him home," Seto said, looking up at Yami. He walked over and crouched down so he would be at eye level. "Yami," he tested.
Yami's eyes looked over at Seto. At least he's still responsive, Seto thought.
"Can you stand up?" Seto asked.
Slowly, Yami nodded. He relaxed a little, and pushed himself up using the wall as support.
"Good," Seto said. He started to walk away, but Mokuba screamed, and just as he turned around, Yami was starting to fall. Seto caught him just in time, and propped him back up. "Looks like I'm going to have to help," he mumbled.
Seto took one of Yami's arms and draped it over his shoulder, picking him back up and helping him walk to the car. Seto glanced over at Yami's face, and frowned at what he saw. Yami looked like something had literally sucked the life out of him. What he remembered must've been very traumatic.
Mokuba rushed over to the car and opened the back door, hopping in to help get Yami in too. Luckily, Yami still had basic motor skills, and could get in the car with little help. The entire way back to the house, Yami stared lifelessly out the window, while Mokuba sat, nervously shaking, and Seto cursed people in his mind to get out of his way.
Once home, though, Mokuba relaxed noticeably as he slouched on the couch. Yami sat down right next to him, but still looked drained. Seto sat on a chair to the left of the couch, and decided that since Yami had remembered something, it was his own rule that he should tell it right away.
"What did you remember, Yami?" Seto asked.
Mokuba glared at Seto, obviously thinking that was inappropriate, but was shocked to find that Yami answered.
"I remember that church," Yami said quietly. "But, it wasn't the same."
"What else?" Seto couldn't believe that just remembering that would scare him to the point of tears.
"The sky was gray, it had always been gray, or brown, every once in a while it would be red. It was always cloudy. There was no plant life, just charred stumps, maybe some dried grass. The glass windows of the church were completely blown out, the building was chipping off in large chunks," Yami said. "My brother was standing at the top of the stairs, waving at me to come in. I remember turning around, and seeing destruction. I didn't see all of the buildings that Mokuba had shown me, just steel skeletons of what used to be." Yami started shaking again.
Seto looked at him like he had lost his mind. Mokuba, on the other hand, looked as if he couldn't be torn away at any cost.
"Everything is dead," Yami repeated.
"So that's what you meant," Mokuba said quietly.
"Do you remember anything else?" Seto probed.
"I..I...I..." Yami couldn't finish the sentence. He looked down at his lap.
Mokuba glared at Seto again, and then put a hand on Yami's shoulder. "It's okay, you should go lay down," Mokuba advised. Yami raised his head and looked at Mokuba, then nodded.
Yami left the Kaiba brothers alone with a heavy trudging up the stairs, all the while, Mokuba stared at Seto.
"How could you be so insensitive?" Mokuba asked.
"What do you mean? He said it himself, if he remembers anything, he needs to tell someone just in case he forgets it again," Seto said.
"But there are limits to how far you can push him," Mokuba said, suddenly appearing much older than he was. "I'm tired too, I'm going to take a nap."
Seto sighed and considered Mokuba's comment. It was for Yami's own good, wasn't it?
A/N: o.O what the hell is happening? At least, that's what I'm hoping you're still thinking. More of the past in the next chapter. Soon some action. Then the end. Review!