Part 2: Out of the Darkness

Chapter 3

"Kaiba-kun! Kaiba-kun!" Yugi shook Kaiba by the shoulder but there was no answer. Yugi let go in horror.

Mokuba had called Yugi in the early hours of the morning in a panic. Yugi had stumbled out of bed in a blank stupor, mind not even awake but the sound of Mokuba's scared voice ringing in his ears. It hadn't even been a week yet since that fateful showdown between Yugi, Kaiba, and Aigami, and Yugi's bruises were still healing. Nevertheless, Yugi had limped to the door to wait for a KaibaCorp car to pick him up. He called the rest of the gang just in case, for moral support.

The car that arrived for Yugi had spun around to pick up the others, and then drove to a location outside of Domino City, in a lab location closer to the coast. As they sat in the car, Mokuba explained the situation.

Kaiba had secretly taken Aigami's cube back to his laboratory and locked himself inside for several days and nights, before emerging with a new code and a bunch of stripped equipment hastily cobbled back together in new arrangements. Eventually Mokuba and the scientists learned that Kaiba had a new, reckless, plan. He intended to combine the unbounded, unpredictable power of the Quantum Cube with KaibaCorp technology in order to travel across dimensions, cross the threshold of life and death, and find Atem in the afterlife.

The idea was, in the words of Jounouchi, absolutely batshit crazy.

"Nii-sama!" Mokuba shouted. Kaiba lay unconscious in a KaibaCorp pod, unmoving. He looked dead, if it weren't for the duel disk and headset lights blinking slowly, indicating his brain was still active.

"Is he still breathing?" Jounouchi asked. He patted Kaiba's cheek a few times, but there was no reaction.

Kaiba had emerged from his lab and ordered all his employees to drop what they were doing and help him. He completely renovated the space station in just a few days and installed lots of new equipment such as KaibaCorp virtual machines and life support. He stripped the space elevator and turned it into a high-speed corridor to shoot a KaibaCorp VR pod, now outfitted into a high-speed shuttle, straight down at the Earth.

"My brother did the calculations. His reasoning was that if you generate enough speed, the energy would be enough to activate the cube without magic." Mokuba explained. Kaiba had cleaned up his best outfit, the one with the duel disk implanted inside the coat, and programmed the VR headset to link his brain waves to the shuttle and the cube. In theory, Kaiba could focus his mind into thinking of the destination he wanted to arrive at, and the shuttle plus the space elevator would provide him the energy necessary to make the trip.

However, nothing in Kaiba's plans suggested a way for Kaiba to make it back.

"We need to take him to the hospital," Honda crouched down and gestured over to Kaiba.

"The scientists said it's too dangerous to disconnect him. His mind could be lost in there, and then he'd be in a coma forever." Mokuba said tearfully. "I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen! He just told me to take care of things and left!"

Jounouchi immediately enveloped the younger Kaiba brother in a comforting hug. "Hey, don't worry! We'll definitely rescue your brother and bring him back."

"If he didn't make any plans on how to come back, and he still hasn't been able to return on his own, our only chance might be to jump in a shuttle ourselves and bring him back that way," Yugi said.

"Yugi!" Anzu exclaimed. "That's way too dangerous!"

"Even if you guys go, how are you going to make it back?" Honda argued. "If you guys go without a plan, there will just be more people in danger."

Yugi turned to Mokuba. "How many of these shuttles do you have?"

"I had the scientists make more the moment my brother left, because I was afraid of this. But we've only been able to make two so far."

"That will be enough. I will go get Kaiba back," Yugi said.

Jounouchi opened his mouth to say something, but a KaibaCorp employee walked into the room at that moment and whispered something into Mokuba's ear.

"Let him in," Mokuba ordered.

The employee moved out of the way and Aigami came into the room. He smiled at Yugi.

"Aigami-kun! What are you doing here?" Yugi asked.

"Although we have lost our powers, we can still sense when there is a disturbance between the dimensions. I thought the Quantum Cube had disappeared along with our powers. When Sera and I sensed the shift, I came here immediately." Aigami explained. "I was afraid someone might be abusing the Quantum Cube's power, and something told me to find Kaiba."

"Your instincts were correct. Kaiba-kun combined his technology and the Quantum Cube to shoot himself into the afterlife to look for the Pharaoh, and we need to figure out how to bring him back," Yugi said.

"Why would he do that?" Aigami asked. "Just to duel the Pharaoh again?"

"It can't just be about a duel!" Honda argued. "This is insane!"

"This has to be about more than a duel. Kaiba's not stupid," Anzu added.

Mokuba hung his head sadly. "I don't know what's going on with my brother. That's why I called you Yugi."

Yugi gave Mokuba a one-arm hug. "I'll take one of the shuttles and follow Kaiba. I'm sure I can bring him back."

"Can I go with you?" Aigami asked. "I think it would be best if someone like me went along. I'm experienced in traveling between dimensions and the powers of the Quantum Cube. You will need a guide like me if you want to make it back."

"You have a point, but there's a chance we won't be able to come back. Are you sure about this?" Yugi asked.

"Yugi Muto, why are you doing this then?" Aigami asked gently.

Yugi frowned in confusion. "Because he's our friend, and he needs help. Of course I would go."

Aigami shook his head. "Maybe you can help, Yugi Muto, but you don't have to take on everyone's problems as your own. You can't save everyone. There's a very high chance you'll die trying to save Kaiba and then what? What about your family? Your friends?"

"Aigami-kun…"

"He's right, it's too much of a risk. I'm sorry Yugi, I shouldn't have asked," Mokuba said. "I want to go, but my brother made me promise to stay here and take care of things. I should just wait for my big brother to come back and if he doesn't, well, he made his choice." Mokuba's voice wavered as he spoke.

Yugi grasped both of Mokuba's shoulders and met his eyes with his own. "Mokuba-kun, I will definitely go find your brother. If something happens to me, I accept the risk. Grandpa will understand. He can explain it to my parents."

"Yugi!"

"I have to go," Yugi continued. "I understand how he feels. I understand what he's going through. If there's a chance, I can break through to him…no matter what, I have to go. I have to try."

"Then I will go as your guide," Aigami said. "You will need my help, and I owe you for saving my life, Yugi Muto."

"I'm going too," Jounouchi added.

"Jounouchi, not you too!" Anzu exclaimed.

Honda grabbed Jounouchi's shoulders. "Neither of you should be going, but why are you going? For Kaiba? I thought you hated Kaiba!"

"I don't hate Kaiba, even if he's an asshole at times. He's in trouble, and we should help!" Jounouchi insisted.

"What are you going to do there? What can you do? This isn't just another duel!" Honda argued.

"Whatever needs done, Honda! It doesn't matter if it's about Duel Monsters, I'm going! There's no point trying to convince me, Honda, I have to go too." Jounouchi said stubbornly.

"I'm not trying to convince you; I need you to explain this to me! What are you thinking? What's going on this empty head of yours?"

"Yugi, isn't there another way?" Anzu pleaded.

"Don't worry, Anzu. I've survived far worse," Yugi smiled, although he winced after he said it. It didn't sound very reassuring.

"What am I going to tell your father if you die, Jounouchi? What am I going to tell your mom, your sister?" Honda shook Jounouchi. "That you ran off to test some mad scientist technology? That you wanted to play the hero? That you wanted some thrills?"

"Honda! I have my reasons, and they're good reasons! Just trust me!" Jounouchi yelled back. His face was slightly red.

"If they're good, then explain it to me!"

"I can't tell you right now, ok? I'll tell you later, alright? Just let it go!" Jounouchi pushed Honda back.

"No, why can't you tell me now? If you die, who's going to explain it to me?"

"Mokuba can explain it!" Jounouchi said.

Mokuba groaned. "I really don't want to be the messenger. Besides, there's another problem. Three of you want to go, but we only have two shuttles. What do we do?" He asked.

"How fast can another one be built?" Yugi asked.

"It will take days or more. My brother used up all the supplies we had already, we might have to order more parts in." Mokuba explained.

"It might be better to wait," Anzu said. "Maybe he will wake up on his own?"

"The scientists and doctors agree my brother can't stay like this for long, we need to get him out as soon as possible." Mokuba explained.

"Didn't you say something about life support equipment?" Honda asked.

"They tried that, but to hook up the life support equipment they would have to detach the VR headset and duel disk, and we can't do that. I'm sorry everyone." Mokuba looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"Then let's stop debating other options and focus on a plan. Mokuba, what should we do?"

Mokuba straightened his back. "This time, we can hook you up with life support equipment before you go in, and then put the duel disk on you. After your shuttle stops flying, we will connect the shuttle to the life support equipment. I can't guarantee nothing bad will happen, but your chances will still be higher."

Yugi nodded. "Ok, then we will do that. Aigami-kun, are you sure you want to go?"

Aigami nodded. "You will need a guide."

"Jounouchi-kun?" Jounouchi didn't say a word. Yugi and Jounouchi exchanged one look and Yugi nodded.

"There is one way to send all of us. Aigami-kun and Jounouchi-kun can each take a shuttle, and I will take the third one," Yugi explained.

"What third shuttle?" Mokuba asked.

It was Yugi's turn to blush. "…I can ride in Kaiba's shuttle."

"What, on top of him?" Honda asked incredulously.

"We're out of options and we have to think of something!" Yugi's face grew redder. "I'm small and Kaiba-kun is skinny. It will be tight, but I should be able to fit."

"I don't know if you will fit with the life support equipment, and even if you could, there are safety and weight concerns with the shuttle." Mokuba explained.

Yugi didn't say a word. "Yugi, no." Anzu said.

"Don't give me the life support equipment then." Yugi said.

"No!" The room erupted into yelling.

Yugi held up his hand and they fell silent. His gaze was steady and determined. "The longer we argue about this, the more time we waste. Our best chance is to get in and bring Kaiba out as quick as possible. Our best scenario is that no one will need life support equipment."

"And what if the worst happens?" Honda asked. "You can't rely on Atem saving you again."

For a moment, Yugi's face flashed with anger. "I'm not relying on Atem. He is finally at rest, and nothing should disturb him."

"I hate to be that guy, but are we sure there's even a point to doing this?" Honda asked. "Kaiba could already be dead."

Mokuba jumped up. "No, my brother isn't dead! I know it!" Honda raised both his arms apologetically.

"Yugi, why don't you share a shuttle with me? You should take the life support equipment and I'll go without." Jounouchi said.

"Jounouchi-kun, I don't think I can fit in the shuttle with you even if we both don't wear any equipment. You are much broader than Kaiba-kun, and heavier." Yugi countered.

"He's probably right," Mokuba said.

"The only way we know if anything will fit is if we go try it," Yugi continued. "There's no time to waste."

A few hours later, they had all reassembled at the space station. Yugi only had time to change into his school uniform and grab his duel disk and deck. He was also wearing his leather accessories and jewelry. They probably weren't ideal in a situation like this, but Yugi felt better wearing them. It was like his armor. Yugi had ridden the KaibaCorp car back to KaibaCorp, and then rode the space elevator with Jounouchi, Aigami up into the space station. Mokuba and a team of scientists had to take a special trip to transport Kaiba and his shuttle into the space station after them.

Yugi and Jounouchi had convinced Honda and Anzu to stay behind in Domino City instead of waiting in the space station. They wouldn't be any help there. They left as quick as possible to avoid prolonging a painful goodbye.

"We're not going to die, right Yugi?" Jounouchi asked when they were alone.

"We're not going to die," Yugi responded.

The moment had come. The three of them had been separated. Aigami and Jounouchi were each led away by a group of scientists busily hooking cables, tubes, and monitors to them, before putting on a duel disk. Yugi stayed with Mokuba and the main scientists standing vigil over a still-sleeping Kaiba. Yugi's heart pounded as Mokuba worked to unlock the shuttle.

The top unlocked with a click and opened with a hiss from its hydraulics cylinders. "Well, give it a try," Mokuba said awkwardly.

Yugi gingerly put his foot inside and immediately got stuck. There was nowhere to step that wasn't on Kaiba's body. There wasn't any open space for Yugi to sit, and there wasn't enough clearance for his head to stick up. He would have to lie entirely on top of Kaiba.

"I'm sorry, Kaiba-kun." Yugi muttered, blushing. He carefully lowered himself onto Kaiba. He lay there stiff as a board and tried to not move.

"You might as well get comfortable Yugi," Mokuba suggested, as the scientists buzzed around the shuttle hooking Yugi up with his own cables. "You're going to be lying there for a while."

"Do you think your brother will be mad at me?" Yugi asked nervously. He wiggled a little to try and find a comfortable spot, but if it wasn't the hard surface of the shuttle, it was the bony angles of Kaiba himself.

"If he gets mad, it's his own fault for doing this," Mokuba retorted. "I'll yell at him if he tries to make your life hard Yugi."

Yugi took a deep breath and then scooted up until he was resting his weight on Kaiba's thighs and his back was lying against Kaiba's chest. It would have to do.

"Okay, here's what you have to do," Mokuba said. "My big brother said it all came down to willpower and your mind, ok? It's all about your brain. Just focus on thinking of my brother and thinking where he could have gone. Think about what he could be thinking and think about what he's imagining. If you focus on that, hopefully your consciousness will link with my brother's, or at least send you to the same place. Just concentrate and the technology will do the rest."

As Mokuba spoke, the scientists put his duel disk on him and slipped the VR headset onto his head. Then they strapped him in. The safety belts crisscrossed over his body, tying him to Kaiba underneath him.

"Yugi? I really appreciate you doing this." Mokuba said gravely. Yugi smiled back and tried to look confident.

The scientists fussed over Yugi and Kaiba for a few more minutes, but before Yugi was ready, the shuttle was moving through the facility, until the tracks stopped in front of a dark tunnel.

"Light at the end of the tunnel huh, Kaiba-kun?" Yugi asked. Kaiba didn't answer him. The shuttle rotated until the nose of the shuttle pointed downwards, towards the earth.

Transparent screens appeared all around him, all displaying different information and graphs. One of them showed Mokuba's worried face. Yugi decided to focus on him, instead of the gaping chasm of darkness in front.

"Yugi, are you ready?" Mokuba asked.

"I'm ready," Yugi said.

"Last chance to back out," Mokuba said in a strange voice.

"It's okay, Mokuba. Just do it." Yugi replied. All the screens blinked out, until there was only Mokuba's face remaining. The darkness loomed all around Yugi, and he was trapped in a tiny shuttle with Kaiba. He tried to control his breathing and not feel claustrophobic.

"Starting launch in ten, nine, eight!" Yugi grabbed Kaiba's hands and held on tight.

"Yugi, be careful!" Mokuba said. Yugi thought about Aigami and Jounouchi.

"Seven, six, five!"

Yugi thought about his grandpa, his parents. About Anzu and Honda.

"Four, three!"

Yugi thought about Atem.

"Two, one, rockets engaged!"

I'm coming, Kaiba-kun. I'm coming, Other Me.

Together, Yugi and Kaiba fell through the darkness and catapulted through time and space. The darkness gave way to dazzling blinding light, and Yugi closed his eyes.