((/N- Now, I know some times I will differ from the Tv show plot line, but that's only because I don't know all of it, and I'm not skipping ahead into the time the Japanese version is in. I don't want to spoil things to come, just know that I've given this a fair amount of thought and since I don't know everything I'm just doing the best I can. In my mind this happening during Jaden/Judai and Syrus/Shou's first year at the Duel Academy.

Also, I know if I used the Japanese names I'd never get the end-name honorifics right. I'll stick with English; I understand that.

Thank you tons to those who reviewed! waves a happy little flag

I hope you guys like the rest of the Fic.
Kayleth))

"…the cases have anything to do with the disappearance?" a female voice from down the hall asked. It was the next thing Akail heard.

"Possibly, but we can't be sure of anything until they wake-oh, you're awake." a man in a white doctor's shirt stated.

"Ky-…Kyira?" Akail murmured, hoping they'd understand. Her arms still hurt a fair amount, but she was felt a lot better than before.

"You're friend hasn't woken up since we brought her here." the nurse who had spoken first mentioned, concern dripping from her voice.

"She's in a perfectly healthy physical condition," the doctor continued. "But no matter what we do we can't wake her. It's one of the strangest things I've ever seen."

Akail groaned to show her displeasure of his announcement. Shaking the last strands of fuzzy sleep from her head she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. The doctor and nurse looked quite appalled at her attempt to get up and started rambling on about how she should rest and wait to see Kyira until later, but Akail would not be deterred.

She walked slowly into her friend's room, which was right across the hall, luckily for Akail. She knew the people here would probably never tell her where Kyira was.

What she saw disheartened her. Kyira's face looked slightly paler than normal, but perhaps that was because her normally willful and cheery eyes were closed. Her light brown, almost blonde hair was strewn across the pure white pillow. It gave Akail shivers.

"Kyira…?" the dark brown haired girl questioned, taking a seat on the side of the large, fluffy, white bed. She received no answer.

But then, did I think that just because I came she'd wake up? Akail questioned forlornly. Whatever's happened to you, I hope you get better fast. That was all Akail could come up with as a consoling thought for her friend.

Sighing, she stood again and started towards her room again. At the door way she turned and softly spoke, "Please come back soon." and then left.

---------------

Darkness had settled over the bleak landscape that had surrounded Kyira for some time now. The silent figure that was Zane had still not spoken another word. In a way, that really ticked Kyira off, the nerve of some people! Yet, it held a certain air of unknown about him. The unknown had always intrigued Kyira.

Every new place her family had moved, and they did move often, almost every year, Kyira had gone out to explore. She enjoyed that more than trips to the mall or talks on the phone. Sure, it wasn't typical, but 'typical' was so boring to Kyira.

Though, there had been days when she wished she lived in a 'normal' family that stayed in one place without moving all the time. Being the oldest, her parents had expected her help with pretty much everything. Packing, unpacking, helping her little sister with homework, vacuuming, dusting, washing the dishes; everything it seemed had become Kyira's responsibility while her parents went off to work. The only thing her little sister did was feed the cat, which was the "beloved family pet we could never part with."

So it was that Kyira had gotten used to not getting many of the things she wished she had. It just didn't work that way for her.

Leaning farther back against the hard rock Kyira had chosen as her 'spot' for the night her turquoise green eyes stared over towards the spot Zane stood. Though she slipped between her personal thoughts and her puzzling over him, Kyira's most prominent thought still remained, Where am I? How did I get here?

Kyira… a voice that was not her own echoed through her mind eerily.

"Wha…?" Kyira murmured, looking around. After a while she wondered if she'd just been hearing things, but then the voice spoke again Please come back soon…

"Akail!" Kyira questioned loudly, pushing herself to her feet. "Where are you? What do you mean 'come back soon'? Where did I go? This isn't funny!"

Zane's cool eyes turned to watch the spectacle that lay before him. Who was she talking to? Perhaps the girl had lost it, but then, he remembered his thoughts when he had first woken up in this place. It wasn't anything that was easy to get used to; waking up every day and remembering…

"Where are you? I know I heard something! Akail! This isn't funny…!" Kyira continued on, her last line becoming a desperate sob. Turning towards Zane she called, "You heard her too, right? Right?"

Zane sighed softly to himself and slightly shook his head.

"Well you're some help!" Kyira ranted, still looking around, expecting her dark brown haired friend to appear out of nowhere and be laughing up a storm at how stupid she looked.

Taking several steps closer so he didn't have to speak so loud, Zane took another moment still to consider his words. "I don't think she's here." he stated flatly.

"But I heard her!" Kyira protested, her voice a harsh whisper. At the same time she felt like she couldn't blame him for what he'd said. She wouldn't believe it either if she hadn't been the one who heard it. There was something else though, something about his voice. It made her ears shiver in a strange, pleasant way, like it might feel to have a cold breeze brush past you just as you stepped outside into the cold.

"This place…" he started, "It's hard to understand."

Like you are. Kyira's brain retorted, and yet the thought was thinly laced with interest. "Explain." she stated bluntly, demanding an answer.

Zane had none. His situation was probably different from hers anyway.

"It's different for me." was all the explanation he gave her.

"Why?" Kyira questioned, crossing her arms. Her characteristic stubbornness was flaring up again.

"It…just is." Zane replied, his voice kept level and calm the entire time. It was really starting to get to Kyira. How could one person be so intriguing one moment and so impossible the next!

"Well, if you won't explain that, then will you at least explain where we're going?" Kyira bargained.

He was silent again for a moment.

Why does he have to do that all the time? Kyira complained to herself, but she knew it was just a remnant reaction from all those times her parents would take forever 'thinking about it for just a moment' in the other room.

"To win our freedom." he finally answered, turning his gaze, now cold and determined in the direction of the towering mountain, barely distinguishable in the darkness.