Till Death Do Us Part

Chapter 5: Jounouchi's Folly

The Kaiba property came into view with its twelve-foot surrounding stone wall, the first defence against those who would try to break in and do mischief, rising up out of the mist. Silent alarms and security cameras ran along the top and inside of the wall. The only entrance was at the front where a black, wrought iron gate blocked the driveway, inaccessible without express clearance from the guard on duty. The mansion itself was impressive in both size and architecture even when seen from the end of the driveway, three floors high and towering imperiously over the well manicured lawn and pruned trees and shrubs. It had been featured in several Home and Garden magazines over the years, but now it just looked dark and foreboding.

Katsuya peered through the bars of the gate, which felt more like ice than iron where his hands gripped them, and surveyed the yard. There was no one in sight, not that he had honestly expected there to be. He rested his forehead against the bars and waited for Kaiba to quit cursing at the uncooperative security panel. Normally the Kaiba brothers could enter without the help of a guard by punching in a number known only to them and going through a quick voice recognition process, none of which seemed to be working now.

Growing bored, Katsuya stepped back and scanned the walls on either side of the gate. The tops were well above his head, but otherwise they were regular mortared stone walls without spikes or other ornaments. He considered them for a moment, then shrugged and strolled over to where the brunet was now glaring with blatant venom at the panel.

"Hey…"

"This confounded thing might as well be a three thousand yen piece of junk for all the good it's doing. If it broke down on a regular day, security or one of the staff would let us in from the other side, but as you can see…" Kaiba swept his arm toward the empty yard in obvious disgust.

"Well…"

"If it's the wiring that is the issue, then I can do something about it. I need a screwdriver and… Great, everything is in my briefcase and I have no idea where that's disappeared to."

Taking in the other's frustrated scowl and clenched fists, Katsuya bit his lip and wondered if he should butt in and risk bruising Kaiba's pride. He really didn't want to start another of their infamous arguments, not now when there was finally a chance for him to be close to Kaiba in ways he'd never dared to dream of before. Kaiba had hugged him, had said he liked him – what it must have cost the proud businessman to let his guard down enough to do that, Katsuya couldn't imagine. A warm, fuzzy feeling washed over Katsuya, but he wiped the silly grin from his face as soon as he realized it was there.

Stupid. He doesn't like like me, that couldn't be what he meant.

Something moved on the other side of the street. Katsuya had only seen it out of the corner of his eye, but he was sure he hadn't imagined it. Nervously he stared at the shadows and shuffled closer to Kaiba.

"Can ya fix it?" He asked hopefully.

"If I had the proper tools, yes." Kaiba folded his arms over his chest and frowned. "Unless you have some hidden in your jeans pocket, it's doubtful that we're getting in this way."

"We can climb over," Katsuya finally blurted out. He grinned sheepishly in response to the incredulous gaze that Kaiba turned on him. "It'd be a piece of cake, really. The cameras and alarms won't be working, and who'd be monitoring them, anyway? We just hop over and—"

"Hop over? Good luck with that."

"Aw, c'mon! I'd get on your shoulders first, or you can get on mine, whichever. It'll be the fastest way in!"

"Fine."

"I've climbed much higher… huh? Really?" Katsuya stared, bewildered by the unexpected approval of his plan, as Kaiba walked over to the base of the wall and crouched down.

"Yes. It's either climb the wall or kick the gate in. So get on already."

"You mean I get to be on top?" Katsuya teased. He couldn't believe that Kaiba was going to cooperate without a fight, but he wasn't about to question it either.

Kaiba rolled his eyes and replied drily, "Funny. Don't get used to it."

Fighting a blush, Katsuya carefully stepped onto the other's shoulders, placing his hands against the wall for balance. He had returned the trench coat to Kaiba once they'd reached the mansion, the walking having warmed him up enough to stop shivering, and now he winced a little at the thought of how his dirty shoes were probably ruining the nice white leather. He swore to himself that he'd pay for dry cleaning when it became possible to do so again, even if he had to pick up a fourth part-time job.

The taller man held onto Katsuya's ankles and slowly stood up until Katsuya could feel the wall's top edge by stretching his arms over his head. His fingers scrabbled to get a good grip. With some grunts and curses, he managed to pull his weight up with his arms and use his feet to find purchase in the stones where ever possible. Gasping, he finally got his upper body over the ledge where he was able to swing one of his legs over and straddle the top. He rested there a moment to catch his breath before checking below to see where his companion was at.

"Hold your hand out for me," Kaiba instructed, backing away from the wall.

"Right."

Katsuya lay down on his stomach and stretched his arm out and down, his hand open and ready. With a run and a flying leap, Kaiba latched firmly onto Katsuya's hand. Katsuya hissed and gritted his teeth against the burning pain that tore through his arm muscles and shoulders, concentrating on keeping a good grip on the other. After a small struggle and more curses, Kaiba joined him on top of the wall. They sat there panting for a moment and then Katsuya leaned forward and pressed his lips against Kaiba's cheek. He broke away with a tentative smile, pleased that Kaiba hadn't flinched.

Appearing mildly surprised by the action, Kaiba asked, "What was that for?"

"Jus' a thank-you. For before," Katsuya said with an embarrassed shrug. It had actually happened out of an impulsive curiosity to see how Kaiba would react to something he initiated. He wanted to know what 'I like you' meant when it was Kaiba who said it. Friendship? More than that? But he didn't have the courage to ask.

"You're an odd pup," Kaiba commented, but there was no anger or disgust in it. Not waiting for a response, he turned and slid over the side of the wall, hanging on until he was able to drop the remaining five or so feet to the ground on the inside of his own property.

Katsuya quickly followed suit. He didn't land quite as gracefully as Kaiba had, losing his balance and falling to his knees. Fortunately the soft, springy grass cushioned the impact. He scrambled to his feet and brushed some dust off his jeans, the whole time feeling the other's amused gaze on his back.

"Clumsy."

"Hey, it's cats that land on their feet, not dogs." Katsuya turned and stuck out his tongue. The hint of a smile on Kaiba's lips made him nearly burst with happiness and pride. He couldn't recall anyone who wasn't Mokuba ever causing the aloof CEO to crack a sincere smile.

As the two men walked over to the driveway, the hazy sky began to darken and by the time they stepped onto pavement a few seconds later, night had fallen. The air was still and the sky dark with the absence of stars. Katsuya had never experienced anything like it. And then gradually the moon rose from behind the mansion, bathing them in an eerie red light.

Katsuya stood frozen on the driveway, unable to look away from the giant orb that now hung directly above the oversized house. Beside him, Kaiba sucked in a breath with a hiss of shock.

"A blood red moon," the brunet whispered.

Freaked out, Katsuya leaned closer to Kaiba and said, "I… I heard it's a sign of disaster. That there's a war or some tragedy coming." When he was nine years old, he had been obsessed with ghost stories and had read everything that was available at the school library on the subject. In the stories, when the moon turned that color, it always signified something terrible about to happen.

"Superstition," Kaiba muttered. "It is merely a natural phenomenon caused by the passing of the light through the atmosphere as the moon rises."

Katsuya tore his eyes from the sky to glance at Kaiba's face. The red light reflected off of Kaiba's eyes, turning the sapphires to an unnatural crimson hue. It sent a shiver up Katsuya's spine. He didn't care what scientific explanations there were, he couldn't help but feel that this was a warning of some sort.

"L-let's get indoors. I don't wanna be out here any—"

He jumped in fright at the squealing and clanging of metal behind them and they spun around in unison to face the sight of the gate twisting in on itself. A pitch black mass roiled on the other side of the barrier, sending tentacles of darkness through the warping bars as though impatient to break through. A stench that reminded Katsuya of a dead, rotting animal carcass reached his nose, choking him, burning his throat and making his eyes tear up. Trembling, his teeth chattering, he stood there frozen as the lurid thing continued to destroy the gate. He wanted to move, to run, but for some reason his feet refused to cooperate with what his brain was screaming at them to do.

"Jounouchi!"

Jerked out of the terrified stupor he'd fallen into, Katsuya gasped and stumbled back against Kaiba, turning to cling to him.

"It's that th-th-thing from Kaiba Corp!"

Kaiba didn't hesitate long enough to reply. He sprinted for his home, now hand in hand with Katsuya, who somehow managed not to trip or fall the entire way. When they finally came to the front steps, Katsuya was winded and silently cursing rich people for having such needlessly long driveways. They rushed up the stairs, taking two and sometimes even three at a time. At the top, he risked a glance over his shoulder and cried out when he saw that the thing from hell had made it through the gate and was advancing up the drive at an alarming speed.

"Open the door! Open the door!" Katsuya panicked, vigorously shaking Kaiba's arm up and down in his excitement.

"I am!" Kaiba yelled as he yanked the handle. The door flew open with unexpected ease, almost causing them to lose their balance. Not stopping to question why it wasn't locked like all the other ones in the city had been, they leaped inside, and the door slammed shut behind them with an ominous, firm thud, leaving them stranded in the dark and praying that they were safe from the monster.

Katsuya fought to get his breathing under control, his own gasps mingling with Kaiba's to fill the otherwise silent room. After a short time, when he'd calmed down enough to become aware of his surroundings, he realized that his eyes had yet to adjust to the darkness. He couldn't see a thing, not even the silhouette of Kaiba next to him.

"K-Kaiba? Where's the light switch?"

"Never mind that. I have the layout of this house perfectly memorized."

"Well… I wouldn't mind a little light anyway," Katsuya mumbled. He felt Kaiba start to move and tightened his grip on the other's hand. "Don't let go!"

"I won't."

"Where are we going?"

"The stairs, to the right. Follow me closely and I promise you'll not run into anything."

They began to walk with cautious steps, Kaiba taking the lead. The house was as dark and silent as a tomb, the passing of time meaningless in this place. They walked and walked until Katsuya began to wonder exactly how big the mansion was and why they had yet to turn to avoid furniture or walls – they should have hit something by now – but he didn't want to distract or annoy Kaiba by asking the obvious. He instead concentrated on the feeling of the other's cool, elegant fingers wrapped snugly around his own rough and calloused hand.

What are others gonna say when they see me, an ordinary, foul mouthed street-punk, hand-in-hand with the source of every girl's wet dream himself?

A lot more people were going to hate him for this, assuming Kaiba would still want to be friends with him after all this was over. Mr Rich and Famous could have anybody he desired, after all.

Katsuya eventually grew tired of listening to the doubts swirling in his head. There was no point in thinking about the future when they had enough to worry about at present. He'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

"It feels like we're walkin' in circles. You sure you know where you're going?" Katsuya couldn't help but wince a little at how loud his voice sounded even though he'd barely spoken above a whisper. He tugged on Kaiba's hand when the other didn't reply. "Hey? We should've reached the end of the room long before now… This is weird, ain't it?"

Heh, Kaiba probably just doesn't want to admit that he's lost in his own mansion.

Katsuya opened his mouth again with the intention of teasing the prideful brunet, but before he got the first syllable out, he was struck dumb by a sudden revelation. The hand in his was not Kaiba's – it was too wide and too rough, definitely nothing like the one he'd been holding minutes ago.

With a shriek that wasn't manly by any definition, Katsuya planted his feet and attempted to snatch his hand away, but the other's grip tightened, making it impossible to escape.

"Who the fuck are ya? Where's Kaiba? Get the hell away from me!"

"Hey! Hey, calm down! It's okay, Jou. It's me."

"No, I won't calm down, you fuckin' psycho ghost! Let go! What the fuck did ya do to Kaiba?" Katsuya struggled against the other person's hold, desperate to get away. This was impossible, he hadn't let go of Kaiba's hand for even a second since they entered the mansion. There was no way someone else could have slipped between them and taken the other's place.

"Come on, man. You're not going to tell me you're afraid of your best bud now, are you?"

Katsuya hesitated, recognizing that voice. Tentatively, not daring to believe it, he whispered, "Hond'?"

"Yeah, there you go," Honda's deeper, familiar voice answered him.

There was a snap and gradually the darkness began to fade, light taking its place from some unknown source. Shadowed shapes became visible, at first only vaguely recognizable, and then details could be made out. He was in what appeared to be a sitting room, although one that was rarely used. There was a sofa and an armchair, dark green and stiff-looking. A dark wood coffee table and end table with a brass lamp were the only other furniture, along with a cabinet off to the side with glass doors that showed it contained various bottles of liquor. In the middle of the room, directly in front of Katsuya, stood Hiroto Honda.

Stunned, Katsuya blinked hard and stared down at their linked hands before returning his gaze to his long-time friend's face. "Wha… how the hell...?"

"You've no idea how relieved I am," Honda said with a warm smile. "I was hoping you'd come here, but it sure took you long enough."

Hope and distrust warred within Katsuya. On one hand he was happy to see one of his friends, but on the other he couldn't help but remember what had happened in the game shop when he went to see Yugi not long after running into Kaiba at the orphanage.

"Where is he? Where's Kaiba?"

"Huh? I have no idea where that bastard is." With a concerned frown, Honda stepped in closer to Katsuya. "Why do you keep asking about him?"

"He's not a bastard," Katsuya muttered. He ignored the other's surprised look and continued, "We were together until a moment ago. But somehow…"

"Well, don't worry too much about it. I'm sure he'll show up."

Shaking his head, still unsure, Katsuya backed away a bit. Even though nothing seemed out of place in regards to Honda's personality and appearance, except for the way he was still clinging to Katsuya's hand, there was a bad feeling growing in the pit of Katsuya's stomach. "Honda… What's going on? How did you get here? Where is everyone?"

"I don't know what happened, your guess is as good as mine, but I can get us out of here at least."

"Out?"

"Yeah, I was just waiting for you."

Katsuya stared at his friend, uncomprehending. Honda made it sound so easy. "How… how is that possible? Kaiba and I have been looking for answers this fuckin' whole time, and then you just appear and say there's a way out? Outta what? Where are we?"

"I can't answer that, I told you. But you know you can trust me, Jou. Now come on, Yugi and Shizuka have been in tears, they're so worried about you, and Anzu's on the verge of running off to find you herself."

Honda's expression was so sincere that Katsuya felt guilty for being difficult, but he still held back. He looked into his friend's hazel eyes uncertainly. "I want to go with you, I really do. But first… first I want you to tell me a secret."

"Huh?" Honda's brow furrowed. "A secret? What do you mean by that?"

"Just… go with it, okay? It's the only way I can tell if you're real, that I'm not just hallucinatin' you," Katsuya explained, not breaking eye contact, anxious for the other to prove himself. "It can be anything, I don't care. Just so long as it's something I don't know yet. A secret that you've never told me or something that you know but I wouldn't. Please, Hond'?"

"Jou… I don't get you sometimes," Honda grumbled. "But sure, if that's what you want. All right, let me think. I guess it'll have to be from before we met, seeing as I've never kept anything secret from you…"

"Yeah, I know." Katsuya smiled a little, feeling more hopeful.

Finally the brunet grinned and snapped his fingers. "Oh, I know. My sister used to have a pet gold fish named Goldy, 'cause she sucked at naming things. Did you know that?"

Katsuya thought for a moment, then shook his head. The only pet he'd ever seen at Honda's place was their dog, Blankey.

"Yeah, so she had it for like a month, but one day I was so mad at her that I flushed it down the toilet. Boy, she was pissed about that. Got me in huge trouble, too, and I was grounded for weeks."

Laughing, Katsuya asked, "How old were you?"

"I dunno. Fourteen, I think."

"Shit, you and your sis are a riot. Well…" Katsuya sighed and decided to trust Honda. He didn't know what else to do and he really needed his friends. "Fine, you pass."

"Uh, great? So we can get going now? I hate this place."

"I know what you mean. But I just gotta look for Kaiba first, he shouldn't be far..."

"No."

Katsuya started at the firm response. "Honestly, Hond', I need to find him. I can't just abandon him here!"

"It's too dangerous to stay any longer than we already have. Sorry, man, but he can find his own way out. We have to go."

Before he could protest any further, Honda pulled him towards the door. It didn't feel right to leave without Kaiba, especially after what they'd already been through together, but maybe Honda was right. Kaiba was the smartest guy Katsuya knew, so he had probably already discovered how to get back to the real world and it would be dumb to stumble around blindly looking for him.

They walked out of the sitting room and into a hallway that stretched on forever in both directions. It was dimly lit by wall lamps and felt chillier than the room they had exited. Honda turned left and Katsuya followed without comment, although a shiver of trepidation travelled up his spine when he saw how dark the end of the hall was. As they got closer, Katsuya realized the darkness was not normal; it appeared to be moving, writhing. When the smell of decomposing corpses drifted to his nose, Katsuya gasped and planted his feet firmly on the carpet, refusing to budge another inch.

"Wait! Hond'!"

"What?"

The other man turned to look at him, his darker eyes not showing even a hint of the fear that Katsuya felt for what was ahead. The stench grew stronger and a whisper of sound that was like the rustle of wind through leafless branches floated towards them.

"It's the thing that was chasing me and Kaiba! We can't go that way!" Katsuya pulled away, ready to run, but failed to throw off Honda's strong grip.

"But that's the way we have to go. It's the way home, Jou."

"Are you crazy? That fuckin' monster tried to kill us!"

"Hey, trust me, remember? The only way to see the others again is to go through that. They're just on the other side." Honda grinned confidently and took a step closer to the darkness. "I know it looks bad, but can't you hear them?"

Katsuya stopped struggling when he noticed that it wasn't the sound of wind he was hearing, but the voices of his friends. The whisper of Yugi's gentle voice calling out for him, along with his sister's desperate cries, and even Anzu, Bakura and Otogi. Everyone he cared about and they were so close, just within the pitch black entity that filled the end of the hall. It sent a shot of longing and relief through him to know that they were all right.

He unconsciously began to follow Honda again, step by step closing the distance between him and the awaiting monster, but he hardly cared, too caught up in the anticipation of seeing his friends again. If Honda said that this was the only way, then it had to be true.

Before long they were standing just in front of the turbulent darkness that gave off such an offensive odour that Katsuya gagged and fought not to throw up. His heart pounded as he stared into the darkness, wondering if he'd be able to go through with this.

Honda let go of his hand and touched his back. "Ready?"

"I… Y-yeah, I guess." Katsuya shakily inhaled, trying to prepare himself. Just one more step – one more and this nightmare would be over.

Please let it be over.

With Honda at his side, he took that final step and walked straight in – and ran into a wall of ice that stole his breath away and froze his insides solid. At that moment he knew he'd chosen the wrong path. He was blind and a billion needles pierced his skin, the pain beyond anything he'd ever experienced, even after the fall from the top of Kaiba Corp. Katsuya tried to scream, to fight, to turn back, but he couldn't. He couldn't. He had no breath for it. And then he began to turn numb, starting at his toes and ever so slowly spreading up his legs. He had a hunch that when it reached his heart, that would be it. Game over. There would be no escape after that.

I'm dying!

Help!

Somebody! Help me!

The numbness reached his waist. It was no use. He gave up resisting and instead wished it would just hurry up and chase away the knife-like cold.

Kaiba… oh gods, you were right all along 'bout how stupid I am. I'm such an idiot.

All feeling disappeared from his stomach and lower chest. The thumping of his heart was like a drum in his ears, with the pause between beats becoming longer and longer every second.

...don't want to die yet…

If he disappeared, he would no longer be able to protect Yugi from bullies or spend a lazy afternoon at Honda's place, chatting about girls, future plans, motorcycles and everything else under the sun. There would be no one to take Shizuka to their favourite beach or to make her every-topping banana splits whenever she visited Domino. And his dad…

What'll Dad do without me to make sure he's eating right and doing well at his job? He'll turn to booze again for sure and drink himself to his grave.

I can't die…

Through half-closed eyes he noticed a pinpoint of light in the dark and unconsciously reached towards it. His arm felt like lead but he forced it to stretch out as far as it would go, trying to touch the sparkle with his fingers.

Not yet…

He reached.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"I just thought I'd stop by to say 'hi.' It's been a while."

"How much?"

"Um… how much what?"

"Money. How much do you need, mutt? You wouldn't be here unless—"

"I'm not here for your money! I don't want anything from you! I just—"

"Just what? Thought you would barge in and interrupt my work just for the fun of it?"

"Fuck you. I don't even know why I bothered to… Huh? H-hey, wh-what's going on?"

"Shit, we need to get out of here. This is—!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

And reached…

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Kaiba! Oh fuck, are you okay?"

"Don't come any closer. Just go!"

"The hell I will! Hold on, I'm—"

"Get out! Listen to me—"

"No, I'm not leaving you!"

"You idiot! Shit, just get out of here before—"

"No. NO!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

…until the next thing he knew, he was lying on a hard, carpeted floor, coughing and gasping for air. There was an immense weight crushing his chest, preventing oxygen from entering his lungs. Curling into a ball, he continued to wheeze with his eyes squeezed shut and hands clutching his chest. His body shook uncontrollably, still overwhelmed by the deathly chill. It felt like he'd never be warm again.

Through the fog of fear and panic, Katsuya heard his name being shouted. At least he thought it was his name, as garbled and far-away as it sounded. He tried to answer but only managed a quiet, high-pitched whine. A person was leaning over him and maybe even touching him but he couldn't feel anything beyond a faint pressure on his shoulders. He coughed weakly, beginning to lose consciousness.

It'll be nice to sleep anyway, an' maybe when I wake up, I'll be at home, in my own warm bed, remembering all this as a bad dream that'll fade away like it never happened. I'll go see Kaiba at his office and let him laugh at my silly imagination. Then we'll hug and…

Someone was forcing him to uncurl, pressing him to the floor, flat on his back. He didn't – couldn't – fight it. A new pressure was on his mouth now. Shivering hard, he was only vaguely aware of his mouth being pried open and his head tilted back. And then air, sweet, life-giving air rushed in and filled his lungs, again and again until he was able to take a deep breath on his own. He was still shaking, still unable to feel much, but at least he could breathe and that was one thing to be thankful for.

"You idiot! You goddamn, crazy ignoramus!"

Katsuya attempted to curl up again but was thwarted by two strong arms that lifted him up against something not as hard as the floor and, more importantly, not as cold. Immediately he latched onto the source of heat, pressing his body against it, so desperate to stop feeling like he was caught naked in a blizzard in the Antarctic. Warmth surrounded him as what felt like Kaiba's trench coat settled over him, but he was afraid that it would not be enough. He felt frozen to his very core.

"Damn fool. Why do you always rush into things without thinking it through first? You walked straight into that atrocity!"

"N-no… H-H-Honda…"

"Honda?"

Pressing his face against the soft skin of the other's neck, Katsuya gratefully inhaled the scent of expensive cologne to replace the memory of the disgusting odour from before. Armani Code, he recalled dreamily, remembering the time he'd come across the same cologne and discovered its name at a duty free store in the airport on a class trip to Singapore. He'd recognized it immediately as the one Kaiba normally wore and had sprayed some on the back of his hand. He hadn't been able to stop sniffing it until the scent wore off a day later.

"…hallucinating?"

"Nn?" Oh, Kaiba was still talking. He was probably supposed to be paying attention, but it was so hard to concentrate. "Asked… didn't know 'bout… gol'fish…"

"Well, you must have known about whatever he said about goldfish, because I can assure you that that fin-headed monkey did not truly just show up and guide you to your death! You were hallucinating, plain and simple."

"No, I…"

A thought niggled at the back of Katsuya's mind, interrupting his weak protest. He frowned and struggled to recall what it was that was nagging him. There was something… something about a puppy and a fish… a long time ago…

Then, in a flash, it came back to him.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

He is fourteen years old and in a pet shop watching a tiny puppy race in hyper excitement around its cage. He saw it through the store window and, although he didn't care much for animals and even threw empty cans at the strays that hung around in the alleys near his home, he'd decided to go in and have a look at this young mutt. It's kind of cute, he decides, poking his fingers through the bars of the cage for the puppy to lick. It does so with so much enthusiasm that it makes Katsuya grin and laugh.

The bells above the shop door jingles, startling Katsuya and making him glance over his shoulder suspiciously. He's still avoiding the cops after he and a couple of others from his gang stole some food from a Family Mart across town. It's not a cop, however, but a girl who is older than him. She notices him and comes over with a smile.

"Hi, Jou-chan! What are you doing in here?" The young woman says cheerfully.

Katsuya glares. He hates it that she always calls him 'Jou-chan.' She could at the very least address him using '-kun.'

"Nothin'," he answers sullenly. He might not like her much, but she is Honda's sister, after all, so he has to show some respect.

"Ooh, he's adorable!" She exclaims as she notices the puppy. "Are you thinking of getting one?"

"No." Katsuya scuffs his shoe on the floor, wishing she'd just go away and leave him alone already.

"I don't blame you. They're cute at this age, but then they grow up into big, slobbery beasts like Blankey. Ugh. I prefer small animals, like birds and fish."

"Yeah?" Geeze, she won't shut up. Girls.

The young woman nods and points to a glass goldfish bowl on a nearby counter. "I had one of those once, named Goldy, until my stupid brother flushed it down the toilet. Just because he was mad that I ate the pudding he was saving in the fridge, can you believe that? He got grounded for weeks for that stunt, though!"

"Huh. Well, I gotta go." Katsuya forces a smile and edges towards the door. "It's been nice chattin' with ya an' all."

Not.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Oh." Coming out of a memory-induced daze, Katsuya winced. "Right…"

It was just that it had been such a small, forgettable moment in his young life. He'd put the whole thing behind him the moment he'd left the pet store, never once imagining that it would ever be important enough in the future to care about.

"Numbskull."

"Mnh…" Darn, that was supposed to have been a great comeback.

"We'll stay here until you feel up to walking," Kaiba said, tightening his arms around Katsuya and relaxing against the wall.

Katsuya mumbled in agreement. There was no way he could even stand up right now, much less walk anywhere. Besides, it was wonderful enough in Kaiba's arms that he wasn't too keen on leaving any time soon. He snuggled down between the other's chest and the coat draped over them, praying that the heat from both would soon penetrate beyond the surface of his skin.

"Before I pulled you out, did you hear anything?" Kaiba asked suddenly, his deep voice low and brooding.

There had been no noise inside the darkness, only impenetrable silence. No sound, no voices, nothing. Katsuya had never felt more alone. He opened his mouth to say just that, when it occurred to him what Kaiba must have been talking about.

"Fuck you. I don't even know why I bothered to… Huh? H-hey, wh-what's going on?"

"Shit, we need to get out of here. This is—!"

"Me 'n you?" Although he was deeply tired, he blinked his eyes open and forced himself to focus. His eyelids felt like lead and his mind was filled with cotton wool. He sighed in pleasure when long, thin fingers massaged the back of his neck before threading into his hair where they rubbed his scalp in a soothing manner.

"That's right. I believe it must have been a memory of what happened to us before this."

"Somethin' happened?"

"Yes, of course. If only we could recall exactly what it was. It may help," Kaiba said, frustration evident in his tone.

Katsuya mumbled something, even he wasn't sure what, and finally gave in and let his heavy eyelids drop. With Kaiba's fingers running through his hair and the strong, steady beat of Kaiba's heart beneath his ear, he felt safe enough to drift asleep. The last thing he heard before he lost consciousness was the deep hum of Kaiba speculating aloud on what catastrophic event might have caused them to be thrown into this lonely, dark version of Earth.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Seto's POV of what was happening to him in the mansion coming up next! Getting near to the end now, a few more chapters (plus epilogues). Thanks for sticking with it so far!