S: I AM SO SORRY!!! I really did not intend this to take as long as it did!!! I lost my first draft, started to rewrite it, found my first draft, and then was too busy with Real Life (so annoying!!!) to be able to type it!!!

Onyx: Are you quite finished?

S: I guess so. (looks around, half-expecting Kakashi or Bakura or Kuriboh to be hanging around)

Onyx: I think they've all given up on us. Just hold up the sign and get on with it.

S: (holds up the 'Disclaimer See Chapter One' sign)

Dedications: Chapter is dedicated to inuyasha0001, for giving me a boot up the butt, and to blue leafy, because you'll like it. (I hope!)

Warnings: Uhm, nothing serious… mild language, more shonen-ai, minor suggestion of het. Only major thing is unintentional self-injury and arboreal damage… As always, read at your own risk. Ta!

LIVES TO LIVE

Chapter Seven: Arrivals

For a long moment, nobody moved. Damus was the first to react; wrenching the dagger out of the tree and catching his sister's card as it fluttered to the ground. Two seconds later, a crash announced the arrival of Joey and Lustire, the former looking winded with exertion and panic, the latter looking faintly concerned. The pair took in the scene almost immediately, before their gazes settled on Damus. The mage was shaking.

"What - " Joey got no further than that when Damus spun towards them, his eyes snapping with blue fire.

"Someone find Mysti," the mage ordered, clutching the torn card like a lifeline. Without question, Lustire turned and raced out of the clearing along one of the paved park walkways, gone to search for the absent mystic. Looking disbelieving, Joey stumbled towards Mai, dropping to one knee to check the woman's pulse. Celtos set the cooing Kuriboh by the unconscious woman's side, then turned, moving towards a path at the far side of the clearing. Before he could get far, though, Yami called him back, searching rapidly through his deck and withdrawing a single card.

"Here," the spirit said quickly, extending a card to the golden haired Elf. "Silver Fang."

"What am I to do with his card, Master?" The Elf was genuinely perplexed, but Yami was almost expecting that.

"You summoned Gaia, no matter how unintentionally. Perhaps you can do the same again."

Celtos' expression was dubious, but he accepted the card without argument, raising it over his head and closing his eyes. "Silver Fang!"

Somehow, Celtos was the only one surprised when there was a brilliant flash of light and the white wolf appeared, blinking, in the clearing. Staring between the wolf and the now-blank card in his hand, he only shook his head. "I'm not even going to ask… Silvis! Find Mysti!"

The wolf let out a single, sharp bark and took off at a run, opposite the direction Lustire had gone. Celtos swore once, then shot off after the creature at a full sprint. Within moments, both were out of sight. Damus, meanwhile, moved to the center of the clearing, closed his eyes and pressed his fingertips against his temples. A faint, blue-white glow began emanating from the center of his forehead. Yuugi and Joey stared in astonishment; Yami watched as though struggling to recall something.

However, a rustling in the bushes by Mai's feet drew their attention away from the mage. Yami raised his hands slightly, a faint black aura appearing around them, but lowered them instantly when Gaia's face appeared out of the brush. The knight took one look at the scene, cursed, and leapt out of the bushes, clearing Mai's prone form and about ten feet of ground, to land nearly next to Damus.

"Who's missing?" Gaia asked as he landed, giving Tristan room to squirm out of the bush as well, carrying Mokuba pig-a-back.

"Mirai," Yuugi answered immediately, confusion evident on his face. "But how did you - "

"He's doing an energy trace. If Mirai's close by, he'll be able to feel her energy signature, and use it to track her. I saw him do this once before, when she pitched a fit over something and ran away from the Deck… Damn, what kind of trouble is she in this time?"

Quite abruptly, Damus gave a low moan and collapsed to his knees, his head bowed and his face in his hands.

"Sir!" Gaia, anxious, darted forward, dropping to one knee and setting his hands on the mage's shoulders. "Are you all right? Did you find her?"

"No," came the shaky reply, barely more than a whisper. "I can't find her signature anywhere."

At that moment, Celtos reappeared, slightly out of breath, with Silver Fang, Mysti, and Teá in tow. Mysti did not hesitate, but dropped to her knees by Mai's shoulder, placing her hands over the lump on the woman's head. A pale blue glow rose from her palms, and the injury slowly shrank down to nothing.

Joey was the first one after that to find his voice. "Neat trick ya got there."

Mai gave a faint groan as she regained consciousness, her eyes slowly blinking open and a look of confusion stealing over her face. "Joey?"

The boy nodded slightly, leaning forward. "Yeh, it's me. You okay?"

"My head hurts," Mai answered, lifting a hand to her temple just before an expression of terror swept over her face. "Mirai! He's trying to kidnap Mirai!"

"Who?" Yami demanded, stepping forward into Mai's line of vision. "Who kidnapped her?"

Mai shook her head slowly, flinching a little and clearly confused. "I couldn't see his face… He was wearing a cloak, and a mask, I think."

Celtos stared at the woman for almost a full thirty seconds after she had fallen silent, then looked to Damus, staring brokenly at the ground. Without warning, the Elf took two long strides to the tree where the card had been impaled, drew back his fist, and struck the tree with all his strength. The thick trunk split down the middle from the force of his blow, and ruby-bright droplets splattered across the rough bark. Turning on one heel, his injured hand hanging limp at his side, the Elf strode to where Damus knelt and shoved Gaia forcefully out of the way before pulling the mage to his chest. Damus reacted almost instinctively, winding his long fingers into Celtos' shirt and burying his face in the crook of Celtos' neck and shoulder.

Mai, sitting up with Joey's help, twisted carefully around until her eyes fell on the shaking mage and the furious Elf who held him close.

"He… took her, didn't he?" she ventured quietly, and Joey nodded.

"Whoever he was, he was long gone by the time we got here. We heard ya scream, but we couldn' run fast enough, I guess."

"I'm sorry…"

"It is not your fault, Mai." Yami's tone was forceful enough that any thought of argument fled the woman's mind, and she watched as the Pharaoh helped Gaia to his feet. As the winded Knight walked away, Yami crouched next to Damus, his face dark with concern. "Damus, it will be all right. We will find Mirai again, and I will punish the person that took her. It will be all right."

Damus, however, straightened so abruptly that his head struck the underside of Celtos' jaw, rising to his feet in one blindingly fast movement to tower over the diminutive Pharaoh. His magic seemed to be going haywire; black sparks were dancing around him like fireworks.

"No," the mage hissed, "it will not be all right! Our parents' last order to me was to defend my sister! They charged me with protecting her, and I FAILED!!"

In Yami's mind, the magician's face and voice somehow twisted themselves into those of Seto Kaiba, echoing the older boy's anguish of not long ago, when Mokuba had been stolen away. The shock suddenly overwhelmed the spirit, who reeled backwards a step, landing on his backside on the grass with a muffled thump.

Damus was swaying on his feet, completely drained from his wild emotions. When he crumpled again, it was so swiftly that Celtos barely had time to catch him before he hit the ground. The Elf's hand ghosted briefly over the mage's too-pale face, down over the pulse-point in his neck, up again over the closed eyelids.

"Is he okay?" Yuugi's voice was a half an octave higher than usual, but surprisingly steady.

"He passed out." The answer was tense, low-voiced. "He won't wake up until his powers have resettled themselves."

"Say what, now?"

Celtos barely glanced at Joey. "It's a defensive mechanism – all mages have it. Their powers are linked to their emotions. When they get distraught, their powers will go completely out of control. Their bodies can't handle the vacillations, and they shut down to avoid being destroyed."

Joey looked more confused than ever, but Yuugi nodded in careful comprehension. "So, if he gets too stressed, his majic gets too strong, and he passes out?"

"It's the same for all mages, not just him. But yes, that's it."

"Okay, next question for ya – when's he gonna wake up?"

"Not for the next several hours, at least. It takes a lot for Damus to lose control like this – I've known him since the Deck was assembled, and this has only happened twice." The Elf pulled his gaze away from the unconscious mage long enough to lock eyes with the younger of his two Masters. "He needs to rest until his powers settle."

Yuugi nodded. "I understand. The rest of us will look for Mirai, see if we can uncover any clues to where she was taken."

"I'll go to KaibaCorp and get Seto to help us," Mokuba spoke up instantly.

"I can cover more ground on Zephyr," Gaia added quietly, "but I'll need someone to glamour him."

"I will go with Gaia," offered Amystria, stepping forward.

"Very well." Yami had finally recovered himself, and rose to his feet, gathering his regal air about him once again. "Celtos, take Damus home and stay with him. Gaia and Mysti, go with Mokuba to retrieve Zephyr, then attempt to convince Kaiba to help us. The rest of us," he glanced around at Joey, Teá, Tristan, Yuugi, Mai, Lustire, Silver Fang, and Kuriboh, "will stay here and begin the search."

Celtos rose quietly to his feet, lifting the unconscious Damus bridal-style in his arms with no visible effort, and walked out the clearing. Mokuba beckoned to Gaia and Mysti, and the three set off for the center of town at a run. With them gone, eight pairs of eyes fastened themselves firmly to Yami's bloodred ones.

"Pair off," the Pharaoh ordered flatly. "Lustire, come with Yuugi and I. Joey, Tristan, meet up with Gaia and Mysti when they return. I want no monster unattended until this is solved."

"What about Celtos and Damus, then?" Teá asked worriedly. "You sent them out alone!"

Yami sighed heavily before answering. "Mirai was at a disadvantage. She is neither as trained nor as powerful as Damus, particularly without her staff. However, Celtos is a warrior and he has a knife in each boot."

Night had long since fallen by the time the group returned to the Game Shop. Celtos, his nose buried in a book and his hand buried in Damus' hair, glanced up sharply at the soft knock on the bedroom door.

"Come."

The door squeaked open a foot or so, and Yami poked his head in. "How is he?"

Celtos set his book aside and glanced down at the figure beside him. Damus' head was lying against the Elf's thigh, his blue eyes still tightly closed, though tear tracks marred his porcelain cheeks. His arm was resting over Celtos' waist, his hand clenched convulsively on the blankets over the Elf's opposite hip.

"Still not well," Celtos answered flatly, stroking the magician's long hair with his wounded hand. Yami's eyes traced briefly over the white bandages wrapped over the shattered knuckles, but refrained from commenting. "He's been screaming in his sleep."

When Yami's eyes widened in alarm, Celtos shook his head slightly. "You have to understand, his parents have been dead since he was a child. Their last wish was that he protect his sister. Their grandfather could provide training, but he is ignorant in the ways of raising children. Damus has been the closest thing to a parent Mirai has ever known, and he feels for her more as a father than a brother. He has trained her to the best of his ability, but Mirai has always been a little unskilled, a little flighty." Celtos paused, clearly choosing his next words. "She is a powerful magician, Master, but she lacks control."

"Celtos, what are you trying to tell me?"

The Elf's face twisted as though he had tasted something unpleasant. "That if Mirai tries to fight her way out, she may be hurt. Severely. She has too much power, not enough control. It is a dangerous combination."

"With any luck, it will not come to that."

The Elf glanced up at him again, and the darkness in his amber eyes turned Yami's heart cold. "Let us hope that it does not. If Mirai is not recovered, you will lose not one monster, but two."

Ice stabbed through Yami's gut, the air leaving his lungs in a heavy exhale. "And you?"

Celtos huffed out a short, bitter laugh. "I'm not the kind of Elf that can die of a broken heart. My life is eternal. I will survive without them. Not live, perhaps, but survive."

Yami straightened slightly. "I swear to you, Celtos, I will do everything in my power to see that Mirai is returned safely."

"Thank you, Master."

Yami nodded once, his eyes dark in the low light. "You are welcome. If you can think of anyone who may be able to aid us in our search, the Deck will be on my dresser. You are welcome to it at any time."

"I highly doubt my continued ability to summon my friends, Master, but thank you." Celtos somehow managed to bow while seated in bed.

Yami was just stepping back to close the door when something bumped into the backs of his legs, nearly sending him sprawling. "What the - "

"It's all right, Master. Silvis usually stays with me." Leaning over the edge of the bed, Celtos greeted the white wolf with a light scratch between the ears.

"As you wish. Goodnight, Celtos."

"Goodnight, Master."

Celtos watched silently as Silver Fang selected a comfortable spot in the corner to curl up, and continued starting somewhat blankly at the wolf until it began to snore faintly. The sound jolted him from his drifting reverie, and he was just retrieving his book when Damus' low voice startled him into dropping it.

"I thought of someone who can help."

"How long have you been awake?" Celtos demanded, rubbing his sore kneecap where the book had struck him.

"Since 'I'm not the kind of Elf who can die of a broken heart.' "

"Oh."

"If you were - "

"If I was, my feä would follow yours the instant it departed your body," Celtos answered, without hesitation. "I am yours, Damus, heart, mind, body, and soul."

"As I am yours," the mage responded, leaning up enough to kiss the Elf's lips.

"Who was it that you believe can help?" Celtos asked a moment later, his eyes narrowing in thought.

"My troublesome cousin, of course. He's unmatched at tracking a person's majic signature."

"You mean Cayenne?"

There was an immediate bang and a crash from downstairs, followed by a volley of shouted curses. Celtos dropped his head back against the headboard with a thud. "This is getting ridiculous."

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, love," chided Damus as he scrambled for his pants.

A moment later, Damus and Celtos were standing at the foot of the staircase, watching in badly concealed amusement as Cayenne, the Magician of Black Chaos, paced the length of the living room, still ranting at the top of his lungs.

" – dragging me out of bed because my incompetent cousin can't keep herself out of trouble for more than two hours on any given day - "

Lustire, sitting cross-legged on the sofa with a faintly amused expression, gave his head a minute shake; a silent 'oh, please.' Gaia was still fast asleep on the floor in front of the couch, having slept through both Cayenne's entrance and his nonstop ranting since then. Damus was watching the entire display with a bemused expression, one thumb hooked through a beltloop of his leather pants. Celtos, standing beside him in the previous day's jeans and a clean shirt, thrown on unbuttoned and only to hide the scarring on his back, was shaking his head in disbelief.

" – little twit doesn't have enough sense to fill a thimble, and I always seem to be the one to bail her out - "

"What is going on here?"

The thunderous voice from the top of the stairs caught all of their attention. Celtos and Damus spun around, Lustire glanced upwards, and Cayenne, still in midstep, tried to look and keep walking at the same time, and as a result fell headlong over Gaia. The overhead light snapped on just as he landed.

Lustire stifled a snort as Gaia blinked awake, looking beyond confused, and Cayenne's vocabulary threatened to start peeling the paint from the walls.

"Chaos Mage?" Yuugi, looking young and adorable in blue cotton pajamas, pattered down the staircase for a closer look. Yami followed close behind him, shirtless and dangerous in black silk.

The monster in question glanced up, kicked Gaia hard in the chest in an attempt to untangle himself, and finally managed to stand up. He was an intimidating sight; a little over six feet tall, with wide shoulders and glaring, bright-red eyes. He was wearing only a pair of loose, crimson pants that rode low on his slim hips. His pale blue-skinned form was powerfully muscled, and both his arms were tattooed. Slender, jet-black lightening bolts ran in a wild spiral, wrapping seven times around each arm and spanning from shoulder to wrist. Jet-black hair, silky-straight without the usual enchantments in it, fell like a cloak to his thighs. When he snarled back at his young master, fine needle-point fangs flashed in his mouth.

"Yes, Chaos! You should know, you summoned me!"

"Actually, Cayenne, that wasn't the Masters," Damus' calm voice interjected, and the blue-skinned mage whirled on him.

"What the Hell do you mean it wasn't them?! They're the only ones who could - "

"Celtos did it."

Cayenne stopped short, openmouthed, and stared at his cousin in utter disbelief. "Huh?"

The Elf stepped forward, his broad shoulders tense beneath his unbuttoned shirt. "I summoned you, Cayenne."

"That's not - "

"He summoned me, too," Gaia spoke up, still sprawled on the floor and nursing his bruising chest. "And Silvis." The wolf, sitting at the foot of the staircase beside Celtos, tilted his head to one side and gave a single, short bark.

Cayenne opened his mouth to object, but Lustire had evidently heard enough. Hooking one foot around Cayenne's left ankle, he used the other foot to kick the back of Cayenne's left knee, knocking the mage's leg out from under him and sending him sprawling backwards onto the couch. Then, the red-haired swordsman swung himself sideways, sitting heavily in the mage's lap.

Yami raised his eyebrows and Yuugi looked astonished; however, none of the monsters even reacted. Damus was pinching the bridge of his nose as though attempting to ward off a headache.

"Lustire, if you wouldn't mind putting him in a better mood before morning?"

The swordsman raised an eyebrow and cast a significant glance towards Gaia.

"I'll sleep with Mysti," the Knight said promptly, scrambling to his feet. A moment later, what he had said actually processed in his mind, and he blushed heavily. "Not sleep-with, sleep with, but sleep - "

"Oh, shut up!" Cayenne snarled from behind Lustire's shoulder, only to receive an elbow to the gut.

Looking rather lost, Yuugi glanced around to Damus and Celtos. "Is he always like this? And are you feeling better, Damus?"

"Unfortunately," Damus yawned, "yes. And somewhat, thank you. Cayenne is always cranky when his sleep is disturbed. Much like an infant…"

The reply from behind Lustire was caustic enough to leave Celtos rubbing his ears and Yuugi twelve shades of red; Damus, however, merely laughed. "Infantile or not," he continued, ignoring the snarl, "Cayenne is an unmatched tracker. He's much stronger than I - " the snarling finally ceased, "and he will be able to track Mirai over half the planet if necessary, provided…" he trailed off suddenly, his eyes darkening to an almost cobalt shade. Celtos immediately grasped his shoulder and squeezed it, almost harshly. Damus flinched slightly, but straightened again, his eyes clearing.

There was a moment of tense silence before Yami cleared his throat. "Well," he began, sounding distinctly awkward, "if we're going to find Mirai, we'd better get some rest."

"I agree," chirped Yuugi immediately, thankful for a break in the tension. "Things will be better in the morning. We can get an early start." They all knew there was no point in going out now – it was too easy to miss small details in the dark.

There was a low mutter of agreement among the monsters, even Cayenne, who gazed at them over Lustire's shoulder with his piercingly red eyes.

Gaia, still flushed with embarrassment from his earlier, unintentional, double entendre, tried to slip unnoticed up the staircase, only to run into a nightgown-clad Mysti halfway up and start blushing worse than ever. She smiled faintly and took the sheepish Knight's hand, silently leading him up the stairs. Damus and Celtos followed them, the mage clasping his lover's uninjured hand tightly, still struggling to keep an emotional storm at bay.

Yuugi stumbled, yawning, up the stairs with Silver Fang's nose against his back, not truly awake enough to get up on his own. Yami followed them all up the stairs, pausing in the hallway above to turn out the light. He only just saw Cayenne transfigure the sofa into a large bed before the darkness engulfed them.

END NOTES

Feä – a concept taken from Lord of the Rings. (Which I don't own) Tolkien's Elves are immortal, as I have always taken the Celtic Guardian to be. However, Tolkien's Elves, if left in a state of severe emotional turmoil or depression, will 'fade,' until their life force simply gives out. My guess is that all Elves, while related, are not the same, and that there are different subtypes. Celtos is aware of these other Elves, and their risk of fading, hence the reference.

Cayenne – yes, like the pepper. I figured it was appropriate enough. And don't worry, he's not going to be this insufferable the whole time. He just needs his beauty sleep. Hope you appreciate, blue leafy! Although I was planning on bringing Cayenne in from the start, I was debating whether to pair him with Lustire and have Gaia be straight, or vice versa. However, I think it's worked out for the best this way.

Ja ne!!

S.