Note: Please read note in profile! Thank you.

Episode 18 – On Mercury

"Yami, we've been going for AGES…" Ryou whined, stopping and leaning against a wall. "You said it would only be a few hours!" Yami turned back and sighed, walked to where Ryou was and slipped his arm around his body.

"Come on, Ryou…we're not far now. And I mean it this time." Yami smiled at him, pulling Ryou along slightly to get him to move.

"Thanks, Yami…"

Bakura was lagging behind with Seto, wishing he could walk faster so that he could stop and rest. However, he knew that if he did stop, he probably wouldn't be able to get back up again.

"I hope Yami's right…I don't think these legs will willingly support me for much longer…" Bakura mumbled, squinting at Yami and Ryou walking in front of them.

"Yeah…I think I agree with you this time." Seto looked up from staring at his feet, apparently trying to will them to move faster.

"What's the time?"

"Half three…" Seto said, checking his watch.

"We've been walking for…" Bakura paused for a moment. "Seven hours! Ugh, that's bad…not good for the soul." Seto laughed. "I'm being perfectly serious! I know it just sounds lazy, but I don't really have the need to walk for miles and miles at a time any more…"

"Yeah…" Seto smirked, before suddenly grabbing Bakura's arm and running at full pelt towards Yami and Ryou.

"SETO! WHAT'RE YOU DOING!" Bakura yelled as he tried to stop, but it was to no avail; soon they were way ahead of Yami and Ryou, and they weren't stopping, either. "SETO! STOP!" Bakura looked petrified as a great wall of whiteness loomed ahead of them, growing ever closer with each step. He dug his heels into the ground and pulled Seto back, crying out as both he and Seto were sent crashing down on the ground. "Ow…"

Bakura sat up and looked at the white wall, which was now only a few feet away from where they lay.

"What's that?" Seto asked as he stood up, walking unsteadily towards it as he ventured to find out.

"Wait, I wouldn't go so close…" Said Yami, who had finally managed to catch up with them, Ryou trailing close behind. "Let me see…" Yami walked towards it cautiously, searching all over the wall with his eyes.

"Are you alright?" Ryou asked as he helped Bakura up.

"Yeah…"

They watched as Yami searched, waiting impatiently for the verdict.

"There's something here…" Yami said, pausing at a point in the middle of the wall. He ran his fingers over the surface, and found what he was looking for. "There's a door here!" He found the edge of the door, and tried to pull it open; but it remained sealed.

"Do you think we should go in there? It could be dangerous." Seto said, walking over to Yami to see the door for himself.

"I don't think there is any danger here…" Yami smiled. "Yugi is close. He's in there…"

"Are you sure?" Ryou said, also walking forward. Yami nodded.

"Yes…I can feel him."

"Are you sure the hunger isn't getting to your head?" Bakura said, feeling Yami's forehead. Yami looked at him critically.

"Excuse me, but I'm not the one who's been complaining about how hungry they are all the way here…" Bakura seemed to be considering what he said.

"Yes, there is always that…" He said, nodding his head.

"Okay, so somehow we're going to get this thing open…" Yami took a step towards it, dug his fingernails under the crack of the door, and pulled on it as hard as he could. After a few seconds he pulled back, hissing with pain.

"What's wrong?" Bakura asked, looking slightly worried. Yami frowned, before showing the end of his fingers to him. The skin had been scraped of the end of each one, and blood was now trickling down them. "Ow…"

"Yeah…" Yami turned back to the wall. "We have to get in…" His voice sounded desperate now; the prospect of never seeing Yugi again… Yami shook the thought from his head; he didn't want to think it. He would see Yugi again.

"Maybe we should use our Items…" Bakura suggested, the Ring flashing on his chest.

"Maybe…" Yami stared at his Puzzle for a moment, before turning back to the door again. "But mine won't be so powerful without Yugi's…"

"That doesn't matter." Bakura beckoned to Ryou, taking his hand when he reached him. "We'll need your help, too."

"Right." Ryou and Bakura flashed, and in a moment Bakura had disappeared, leaving only Ryou standing there. "Okay, let's try this…" Ryou walked and stood next to Yami, turning sharp eyes on the crack of the door.

"Ready?"

"Yes…" Ryou and Yami started to glow, Yami red and Ryou blue. They concentrated all their energy on one point on the door, which began to crack and crumble under the beams. With a bit more effort, the door began to creak open, slowly at first but it grew faster and finally slammed against the wall.

"We're in…" Seto said as he cautiously approached the door.

"Yeah!" Bakura said jovially as he reappeared by Ryou's side.

"Be careful…" Ryou said as Bakura walked towards the door, following him slowly.

"Don't worry!" And Bakura was gone through the door.

"Uh, Bakura…wait!" Ryou ran in after him, wanting to stay as close to him as possible.

"Come on, Seto…" Yami said, before walking in after the two white-haired boys.

"Okay…"

"They are coming, brother!"

"Indeed they are! We should greet them!"

"No! Let them see Yugi first…"

Para and Dox watched the screen as they saw Bakura, Ryou, Yami and Seto walk in through the doorway they had just opened.

"Come, brother; let us go…"

"Yami, slow down!" Bakura panted as he ran to catch up with him; Yami had been running as soon as he sensed Yugi was nearby, and had not stopped for anyone.

#Yugi…# Yami thought desperately as he ran towards the next door; this place seemed to be /made/ of them. #Please be okay…#

Yami burst in through the door to find himself in the strangest room he had ever been in; decorated with the most interesting and curious things, and things that certainly didn't go with each other. As if it was made to rebel… But he didn't stop to think as he started walking across the room towards the fireplace. Yugi was so close…

Yami gasped as saw Yugi curled up on one of the armchairs, his head poking out of the top of the blanket that was covering him. He noticed how cute Yugi looked, and blushed slightly as he knelt by his side.

"Yugi…" Yami reached out a hand stroked his face, running his thumb across his cheek. "I'm here now…Yugi…" He leant forward and kissed his cheek, resting his forehead against Yugi's.

"He's okay…" Ryou said with relief.

"Yeah… I knew he would be." Bakura smiled at Ryou.

"Hmm…" Ryou and Bakura hugged as Seto watched on sadly, missing Joey more than he thought possible.

#Joey… I'll get you back…#

Yugi woke up with his eyes closed. He frowned when he realised there was something pressed against his head, so he opened his eyes and cried when he saw it was Yami.

"Yami!" Yugi leapt up and hugged Yami tightly, crying into his shoulder.

"It's okay Yugi…" He held Yugi gently in his arms, nuzzling his cheek as he waited for him to calm down. He lifted Yugi into his lap as he sat down on the chair, covering him with the blanket that he had thrown off when he had leapt up.

"You came…" Yugi whispered, sobbing quietly into Yami's neck. "I knew you would…"

"Of course I did… I promised you I'd never let you go, didn't I?" Yugi nodded his head, a small smile spreading across his face.

"You did…and you kept that promise, Yami. Thank you…"

They sat like this for a while, enjoying each other's company. But soon Yami began to worry; he had no idea where this place was, or if it was even /safe/.

"Yugi…how did you get here?"

"I don't know." He replied quietly, too content with snuggling as close to Yami as possible.

"Is this place safe? Who lives here? If anyone…"

"It's safe…they showed you to me…"

"What?" Yami frowned with confusion. "Who are you talking about, Yugi?"

"You know…"

"No, I don't…" Yami shivered as a draft of cold air blew past him as the door they came in through opened and shut, announcing the arrival of more people. Yami tried to look around, but the back of the chair was blocking his view; so he lifted Yugi up slightly, standing just enough so he could see over the top…

"At last!"

"You have come!" Yami sweatdropped.

"Para…and Dox. What a /pleasant/ surprise…" Yami said sarcastically, sighing and sitting back down as they walked around to stand in front of him.

"You should be grateful-"

"to us! We rescued-"

"your Yugi from being eaten!" Yami looked questioningly at them.

"What?" He stared coldly at them; they had been a threat before, so why not now? He looked down though when he felt Yugi wriggle in his lap, and saw his face peering up at him.

"You can trust them, Yami…" Yami stared blankly at him.

"Why should I?"

"It's true…they did save me. When I woke up for the first time, I was out in the open…all alone…" Yugi was now whispering in Yami's ear, as if only wanting him to hear. "So lonely…" Yami frowned again, but this time with concern.

"Aibou, are you alright?"

"Yes…I'm not alone anymore…"

Yami looked up at the Paradox brothers with confusion, getting more and more anxious by the second. Yugi was curling himself up in his lap, as if he was seeking comfort from him…

"Yugi…" But he didn't reply. Yami scowled, before turning his angry gaze up at the brothers.

"What have you done to him? He wasn't like this before…"

"This is not of our doing!"

"This world is what's causing it!"

"Well if it is, it's driving him mad inside…" Yami placed a hand on the side of his face, as if protecting him from the dangers of the world they were in. He decided to see if his theory was true, so he delved into their soul rooms and seeked out his younger self in the mess it had become…

Yami stepped into the corridor between their soul rooms and looked to the left, hoping to see the normally clean and innocent looking door to Yugi's room that usually stood open, welcoming people in…

Although it was still clean, it had become strangely cold. Yami approached the door carefully, not wanting to be attacked by some sort of mental defence that Yugi may have prepared. To his surprise though, there was no attack; and Yugi's door was firmly shut, leaving no way for him to get in.

Yami reached his hand forward and touched the ice-cold door with the tip of his fingers, frowning at the sensation. However, he found that the door yielded to his grasp when he placed his hand on the handle and pushed it open, gasping in horror at what was inside.

The whole room had seemingly been /decorated/ with ice, and intricate designs surrounded the walls that had been engraved into the ice; but upon further inspection, these were pictures that showed nightmares and hidden fears that had long since been forgotten…

And right in the furthest corner of the room was Yugi, sitting with his knees drawn to his chest and rocking back and forth.

"Yugi…" Yami walked towards him, and as he did so he noticed that the ice that surrounded him melted as he went past. Steam rose up behind him, apparently from the heat that he was producing.

"Yami…" Yugi whispered, making Yami stop in his tracks. He watched as Yugi lifted his head up, and saw that there were frozen tears on his face; and if he was breathing, his breath must have been as cold as the room itself, for there was no steam rising from his mouth like there was from Yami's. Yami glanced quickly glanced behind him and noticed that the room had re-frozen itself, leaving no evidence that he had just walked in. He shivered as he felt the cold pressing in around him, as if it were trying to trap him… "You should never have come in here…" Yugi's voice had become fainter, as if something was trying to stifle him.

"Why Yugi?" Yami was surprised to find that his voice had become equally as quiet, as if someone had stuffed some cotton wool down his throat.

"He's trying to…trying to…" But Yugi seemed unable to continue; his voice cracked, and he became silent.

"Yugi, tell me!" Although Yami had been shouting this, it was no louder than a whisper when the words had finally reached past his lips. Yami knelt down and took Yugi up in his arms, holding him tightly as he tried his best to warm him up. #Yugi…please…# he said mentally, in the hopes that his mind was still conscious.

#Him…he's doing this to us, Yami…#

#You mean Malik?# Yami asked quickly, hoping to get a response before Yugi passed out.

#No… Nooooo…# Yugi was wailing now, as if he was fighting something that had intruded his mind. Yami shivered, the feeling of being watched suddenly flowed through his body.

#Yugi…what's going on?#

#Please…nooooo…stop…# Yugi was shaking uncontrollably in his arms, his breathing becoming quicker and more ragged. #Make him go away Yami…make him go…#

#Who! Yugi, tell me!# Silence followed this request. Yami stared at him through wide eyes, hoping that nothing had happened…nothing had gone wrong…

But his mind was becoming foggy; he could no longer concentrate on what was happening to him. He vaguely heard the door of Yugi's soul room slam shut behind him, and a voice…so faint, so very very faint…but it was so familiar. So /horribly/ familiar…

"I will have you…Yugi…"