Chapter Ten: Thought Patterns, Darkness and Light.

Vienna International Airport Runway 12. 12:38 am

The creature hits the ground like a sack of bones, then scurries away like a giant, four legged cockroach, of sorts, leaving rips and tears of Joey's uniform and a couple of shallow ones in the flesh of his stomach. Joey watches it nervously for a second as it crawls back several feet and rests itself between him and…

'…Yugi?'

Yugi. Who is standing there, less than twenty feet away of him. Face white, eyes circled with deep, dark lines and a gentle looking hand against his shoulder. The owner of the hand is still shrouded in shadows; But Joey knows exactly who it is, anyway.

'Y…Yugi, that… that's you right? It better be you…' He took a step backwards and staggered against something large and soft. Whatever it is, it shrieks in alarm and hurries out from behind him, joining the other bony-cockroach creature sitting in the middle of the floor. Téa forces herself not to scream. Bakura muttered something under his breath which sounded vaguely like some kind of curse in English. 'If it's not you, then I think we're in trouble. Or dead. Or maybe both…'

'It's me, Joey,' Yugi's voice is barely a whisper, but it echoes loud through the deserted. And Joey wants to run forwards and give him one of those I'm-man-enough-to-do-this-so-shut-up-already hugs he likes to give in times like this, but somehow he can't quite move. His feet feel rooted to the floor. 'I… it's us. We knew you'd come here we just…' Yugi paused, taking a small step backwards. The two strange creatures on the floor shift uneasily after him, as if afraid to get too far away. 'God, Joey I'm sorry, I didn't mean… this is a really bad place right now, if we'd known it was going to get so bad a while ago we… we wouldn't have called and… look, don't be scared of them, okay? I… they won't hurt you; they won't hurt anyone, we've come all the way from the city, because we didn't know what else to do, and we knew if you came you'd arrive here so… so don't be mad? We never meant—'

'Yug,' Joey repeats his name, mostly for emphasis, but partly to get Yugi to shut up already.

'We thought we had need of you,' the other figure said, and now Yami stepped out of the darkness so Jounouchi could see him more clearly: the whites of his eyes almost as red as his irises. His presence makes the worlds seem strangely quiet. 'We see now we may have dragged you into a situation better best left alone, Joey. Forgive us…'

Joey opens his mouth to speak Yami's name, but Téa beats him to it, gasping and running straight towards Yuugi. The creatures hiss at her a little but Téa doesn't hesitate. She doesn't stop at all until her hands are wrapped around Yugi's neck and she's half sobbing into his shirt, clinging until he starts clinging back. 'Yugi you idiot you… you… damn it, you idiot! What the hell did you think would— we came, didn't we? You must've known we'd come, how could you ever doubt we'd come here, Yugi?!'

'I never doubted it… I always knew you'd come,' Yuugi murmured sadly, as if he thought that that was just the problem. Téa had detached herself from him by now, but only remained standing free for as long as it took her to wrap her arms just as tightly around Yami and continue the sobbing with renewed vigour. Yami's hands flit over her nervously. He's never quite sure how to deal with touch. Everyone else seems to see this as a reason to move forwards, almost ignoring the creatures between them as they head for Yugi. Honda throwing his arm around Yami's shoulder, Bakura patting Yugi timidly on the hand.

When Joey finally glances away, Seto Kaiba is standing behind them all with a rather large bundle in his arms –a bundle which is pushing to get down and muttering, saying something about not being a kid anymore. Joey barely takes the time to register that it's Mokuba. Kaiba lets his younger brother go and lets him stand on shaking feet, when he notices Yuugi. And then he steps forwards to, Mokuba clutched possessively at one side. The boy is still short, despite the ten extra years of growth. Joey should really ask if he's okay but he just can't take his eyes off Yugi and the creatures that're surrounding him. Something about Yugi feels cold and strange and very much like a bad dream.

But at least it's Yugi.

That's all Joey needs for now.

12:43 am.

He keeps one eye locked on the freaks at all times.

They came to Yugi when he called them and reached out his hand, though the others had shuddered. So far Kaiba has counted a total of six of the small, strange creature sthat he figures used to be the locals. None of them get too close to Atem.

Atem.

For CEO Seto Kaiba, that name packs almost the same punch as "Frankenstein" might for a literary philosopher. The literal punch that comes with saying this name only serves to add to his annoyance. Even repeating Atem's name inside of his head sends chills right to the base of his spine, evoking times he can't remember and never wished to know about.

It's impossible to escape the memories around Atem –the memories he never truly had. Now as this Kaiba in this time, anyway. And as he sits there on the floor of the airport, with one arm around Mokuba and with those damn people muttering cautiously all around him, Kaiba finds his face drawn to Atem's. They gaze at each other firmly, and Yami's expression is tired and disturbed, but remains as firm and ascertained as ever, even with those creatures so near by, virtually pecking at Yugi's coattails.

It's like communicating without words. Yami says: You came. I'm surprised with the tilt of his head. And Kaiba's responding snort says think nothing of it. Really. Don't. Yugi, for the most part, seems oblivious to their silent conversation. He seems oblivious to most things, right now.

Kaiba is still astounded to find the pair of them alive – but he knows he probably shouldn't be. Atem would stay alive in a vacuum out of sheer damn stubbornness and there's no way Yugi's going to die anywhere without Atem.

And as Kaiba sits there, drinking in the sight and presence of the group of friends and the strange, rotting creatures, a startling truth arises in his mind.

They've been here before.

12:53am.

By the time Bakura has gotten to grips with everything which has just occurred (it had certainly been an eventful twenty minutes) everyone is sitting in the boarding gate foyer and trying to get to grips with the very same thing.

Bakura has never seen the inside of an airport during a black out. It's frankly a rather strange experience. Everything seems to echo so much more than it ever did during daylight – or maybe it's the silent emptiness which is creating that effect. Either way, it's rather peculiar.

'Airports,' he hears Tristan mutter. '…Figures, doesn't it?' and Bakura kind of understands what Tristan means by that, because it seems that every time their little group off to cause (or put a stop to) trouble, airports are in some way involved. Usually because they're heading off to some distant country with the weight of the world on their shoulders. Either that or they're coming back and the weight of the world has been lifted away. Whatever the case, Bakura figures, the airport is usually bad news for them. He wonders whether karma is affected in this particular circumstance, judging by the fact that the chaos had already struck before they even landed in Vienna…

…And now Bakura knowsthat his mind isjust avoiding cognitive thought. Trying to distract himself from what just happened.

What did happen, anyway?

Really, he has no idea whatsoever how or why they're still alive, but he knows it has something to do with--

'…Bakura,' Joey interrupts Bakura's thought patterns. 'I'm trying to tell Yugi here, but frankly I don't know myself… What the hell did you do back there?'

Bakura opens his mouth, and then closes it again having reconsidered what he's about to say.

'It wasn't… me, Joey, I just… well, I guess I just channelled it.'

They look at him, eyes soft and concerned. Their earlier relief at their reunion seems to have faded back into nervousness, and they're all beginning to show how tired they are.

'What?' Joey frowns at him. 'C'mon, man. You nearly blew up half the airport.'

'Mm.'

'So… How… how'd you do that?'

'We saw it from the plane,' Mokuba exclaimed. 'Seriously, we were about a thousand feet up, heading for just three little light flashes, and the next thing I know, whoosh!'

'I don't know, Joey, and that's the honest truth. No more than Yugi understands.. .well, them,' he gestures vaguely at the creatures which still insist on following Yugi around, with their claws that can tear and teeth that can shred and eyes he can barely imagine were once human. They're wandering aimlessly around the back of the room, clambering up the walls like spiders and occasionally glancing in Yugi's direction, as if to check he hasn't left.

'We understand a little,' Yugi said softly, leaning deeper into Atem's side until their heads are practically touching. 'These ones… I think they're still human enough. As much as they can't stand the touch of its brightness, they still crave the light. Like Seto's torches, and the lights of car headlamps. Most of them panic on sight of it, but they're always drawn to destroy it.'

'Like moths around a candle,' Téa says, quietly.

'Exactly,' Yami answered.

'And this has to do with you… what exactly?' Bakura asks calmly. If seemed a fair enough question. After all, not long before Yugi came, all these creatures had been dead set on destroying them. Bakura still remembers the crushing power ripping through him and destroying so many and realises he's not quite ready (or sure how) to explain it to them, yet. His heart and skull still ache from it, he realises, and he's going to have a headache in the morning. If they survive that long, that is.

The next moment of silence is long and choking. Téa's heels tap against the tiled floor. .

'It's… it's all about opposites, I think,' Mokuba says lifting his head and removing the rough gauze Kaiba has been making him hold there for half an hour. (And maybe it's a teeny bit embarrassing, Bakura thinks, that the sixteen year old amongst them is actually the first to work it out, but of course, Kaiba's are supposed to be geniuses.)

'Hardly an appropriate analysis, don't you think?' Bakura blinks. 'What with light suggesting purity and all…'

'What exactly does that mean?' Yugi looks genuinely confused, but then he's looked generally confused for a while now. Bakura figures that the Shadow Magic just does that to him.

'Nothing, I'm… just saying I saw that videotape along with the three of you.'

Tristan winces. 'Uh, Bakura, shut up.'

'…Oh, I'm sorry I wasn't aware it was a secret that we watc—'

'I said shut up, man, there're ladies present here.'

'…I… well, alright, but still, my point is made, isn't it?'

'It's made, but it doesn't necessarily work that way, Bakura. Dark's not necessarily evil,' Mokuba shrugs as if that answer is obvious and his eyes flit in the still oddly-silent Yami's direction. Yami's eyes seem to close on impulse. 'So who says light is necessarily all good? No human being's like that. Magic and personality aren't necessarily interchangeable, you know.'

Joey grunts. 'You got that right. I mean I'd place bets that the Blue Eyes White Dragon is a total jerk for the other Monsters to have to share a deck with.'

'Very funny, mutt.' Kaiba looks up and (for the first time in maybe over an hour), removes his hand from Mokuba's shoulder. 'So let's just say that's true… that these things are drawn towards the essence of light… and towards people who contain whatever the hell chemical composites make up this so called "light magic" in their bodies… that would mean that just being around you two—' his expression turns to Bakura and Yugi. Yugi doesn't notice. Bakura only shuffles a bit. '—Is like sitting around a baited bear trap. Unless of course you're planning on convincing the other two-point-six million once-human freaks out there into doing what you tell them, Yugi.'

'…What?' Yugi blinks a few times and obviously doesn't recognize the sarcasm because he says: 'Oh… Um, no. No, I think I'm maxed out at six.'

Yami mutters something along the lines of "maxed out at one, never mind six", but Yugi doesn't seem to hear. Bakura considers waving a hand in front of Yugi's face for a few seconds and checking he's still capable of following movement, but since Yugi would probably get irritated if he did that, he decides against it.

'Still, that doesn't explain why they attacked us,' Mai points out. She's removed her boots and Bakura can see she had toenails painted the same colour as the trail of dried blood clinging to her calve – he's not certain if it's hers or not. 'I mean, if the rest of us are all a nice mix of the morally grey.'

'But it does explain it,' Mokuba pointed out. 'I mean… we're normal, living human beings who've just happened to drop into a world that's turned completely dark –and somehow I don't think that's really gonna change at sunrise– most of us don't have a jot of magic, but we're still better than the darkness. And the only time they really congregate on us…'

'Is when the lights go up,' Kaiba finishes. 'And then they panic, and go mad and start trying to rip the source of that light into as many pieces as possible. It's not just instinct, then. It's because they fear us, the same way early man feared the lightning.'

'It wasn't me who did that,' Ryou says softly.

That gets everyone's attention and they all look at him. 'Earlier, I mean. Well… at least not alone, I don't think… the Other Me. Yami Bakura, he… I felt him,' his hand grips the place at his neck where the ring used to lie. 'I don't know what he did exactly. He just found it inside of me, but… I was frightened, so he had to make me bring it out.'

Joey's face curls into a scowl. 'That blows, man, he didn't have to make you do anything you don't wanna do, haven't we been through this like a hundred times?'

'Nonetheless, Joey, it happened,' Bakura's tone is calm and soft and not at all frightened. He seems almost docile, even while knowing what he has unleashed. In knowing what he's capable of. 'I think, in some ways, he was necessary. I wouldn't have been able to do it without him.'

'S'why what we did before nearly didn't work,' Yugi says softly from his current position, leaning against Yami's shoulder. Bakura doesn't really get what he means by that, but Yami is frowning and avoiding Yuugi's gaze in a way that suggests he does, and he really isn't happy about it. 'You can't see light without the darkness, right? And the stronger the light, the deeper the darkness. Yami…' he tilts his head a little to get a look at Yami's eyes. 'I needed your power on top of mine, so they could see the difference and…' He blinks again. 'They're scared of you, Yami. That's why they're hiding, way over there. I drew them to us, and the power of your name is what's keeping them here.'

Bakura sees Yugi squeeze Yami's hand as he says that, interlacing their fingers together. 'Because you're the dark. The same stuff that made them. They just don't understand… They're frightened of the darkness, but I think they're still afraid of me, too. They can't deal with it.'

'That would seem to make sense,' Yami said, softly, even though Bakura feels it doesn't, somewhat. He's too tired to argue with them, right now.

Several pairs of eyes glance uneasily towards the other end of the boarding gate seating area. Bakura can still feel them over there, creeping about the chairs and occasionally glancing in the humans' direction, but none of them come any closer no matter how much they might want to.

Joey shudders. 'Well, they still give me the creeps no matter where they are, man.'

'Don't forget: they're human Joey,' Yugi murmurs. 'They just got stuck like this. It's not their fault.'

'Yeah. They were human,' Joey mutters. 'Looking at them now, though, it's hard to believe.'

'Will they come?' Kaiba asks, tersely. People look up at the question. 'If you call them, Yugi. Will they come to you? all of them, not just these few?'

'Um… I'm not sure, exactly. I think they'll keep following us, and they won't hurt us. They're still human enough not to. Just… don't turn a torch on them or anything.'

'You hear that, big brother? No more big industrial lighting,' Mokuba smiles weakly, but Kaiba doesn't seem to appreciate the joke. Or Mokuba removing the cloth from his forehead. ('Hold it there or I'll glue it to you, Mokuba.')

'And if they knew they were human,' Kaiba mutters, leaning back against his chair. 'If they felt what they are now in comparison to what they used to be… in comparison with what they were then. I wonder how quickly they would go insane enough not to care about anything anymore.'

There's probably some kind of warning in his voice, there, only Bakura can't quite make out what it is.

'And what exactly is that supposed to mean, oh great master of the freakin' skies?' Honda scowls.

'I mean we should keep an eye on them every damn second and never let them out of the way. Yuugi I don't know why those things do as you want them too but you'd better keep them doing it until we can work out how to fix this. You hear me? Keep them under control.'

'I'm not their master, Kaiba. They're still human.'

'They were human,' Kaiba says bluntly. 'But they're not human now, are they?'

'Yes, and our objective is to find out why, before this whole mess gets any worse,' Yami avoids Kaiba's gaze choosing instead to direct his eyes towards Joey. 'You don't have to stay.'

'Be serious, man.'

'We are being serious Joey,' Yami went on sternly, in that voice he always used around duels. 'You came when we had need of you, and we're both grateful for that, but we fear our actions may have been too…' he hesitated, searching for the right word.

'Selfish,' Yuugi finishes for him. 'We don't want you guys to be hurt, that's all.'

'Yugi, I don't think…' whatever Téa "didn't think" was cut off before she could say it.

'No, Téa, listen to me –if you can leave then you should. We're going to stay and find out what happened here.'

'More freaks and monsters,' Kaiba snorted. 'I should've guessed. And here I could've sworn we had the military for this kind of thing.'

'N'what's that supposed to mean?' Joey muttered, annoyed.

'Exactly what it meant on the phone six hours ago, Wheeler. Not every end of the world catastrophe is something you personally have to deal with.'

'So what do you suggest we do, exactly, Kaiba?' Yami says dryly. 'Leave it to the experts? We're as close to experts as you can get.'

Yugi pats Yami's collarbone and smiles. 'That's more like the Yami I know.'

'…Has the Yami you know been absent in some way?' Yami frowns and Bakura can't tell if it's genuine confusion or casual mirth.

'Mm, only since the jeep crashed.'

'Since the jeep crashed?' Bakura asks softly, but nobody offers him an explanation.

'I'm glad,' Yami said, dryly, 'that my efforts at normalcy have not been lost on you, partner.'

'And I'm not glad that my efforts on getting you all here are going to be wasted just like that,' Kaiba muttered.

'You could always go home, Kaiba.' Everyone's gazes redirect to Téa in surprise. There's no accusation or anger in her tone. Just simple, quiet commentary. 'You don't want to be here, after all.' Téa says calmly, palms together in her lap. 'You got us out here, you brought us all back together again. But no one's asking you to stay. Sp just take the jet and get out of here. What's keeping you?'

Bakura feels the atmosphere tensing up and casts Kaiba a brief, annoyed glare.

Kaiba doesn't dignify her with a response, but none of them really expect him to anyway. He's leaning back in his chair like some kind of damn pharaoh and gives off the distinctive air of somebody they're stuck with for reasons none of them can explain.

And Joey kind of wonders why he just can't seem to be all that angry this one, small occasion.

A small smile tweaks over Mokuba's split lip.

Yeah. They're stuck with each other.

It's amazing how easily they board their flight, after that. Marik gets them through security easily, though as soon as they approach the runway, the Rod is back in his belt and is staying there – under direct orders from Ishizu who really is brooking no argument this time. By the time they're seated and belted up, the engines are already whirring to life.

Ishizu decides that he is enjoying this far too much.

'Should've really brought some peanuts.'

'Is now honestly the time for thinking about your stomach, Marik?'

'Ends of the world make me hungry, so what?' Marik allows himself a smirk as he placed his hands behind his head and waited casually for lift off. Odion is not nearly so relaxed – his hands remain clenched into tight, nervous fists. 'Perhaps it's related to having caused a couple, a gut reaction of sorts.'

Ishizu decides that if that's a joke, she may actually have to take the rod herself, before he gets them in any more trouble. She honestly can't believe all the rules they have broken in their attempt to get here. Why, if it weren't for the fact that the end of the world was virtually sitting on their doorstep…

The plane's engines seem to whir into life. Ishizu thinks about the frozen guards who should just be coming unstuck by now, and utters a silent prayer under her breath. if this fails, there is no way they're getting back into Cairo,

'Please attempt to cause as little trouble as possible, Marik.'

Marik leans back further in his chair, smiling a smile which does not reassure her in the slightest. 'I promise, big sister. Now, when do they actually take off here?'

Reviews and concrit are appreciated.