Greetings!
Sorry for the delay is posting this, but I've been a tad busy. Hopefully, updates will be done more often after this.
Wolfspeaker: Glad you're enjoying the fic. I hope the update was soon enough for ya!
TZ: ^____^ Poor Yami, he's being abused this time
Charmed48092: I'm very glad you like the story! I should be able to update sooner from now on *crosses fingers*
Shadow Realm: Thank you very much!!
Ashley Motou: Thanks! I hope the wait wasn't too long.
Jadesaber: I do love to torture the poor kid, don't I? Ahh, but it's so much fun!
Silver: Let's hope the chapter was worth waiting for :o)
Shadow Rika: Patience is a virtue. . . or so they say. So yes, patience is a good thing!
Millennia Star: Thanks for the review!
Cyberkat: I'm definitely going to finish the story. . . sooner or later, at least!
Thank you all for reviewing!! I really, really, appreciate it! Oh, one small note: On the read through of this chapter. I noticed that I kept referring to Tea as Anzu. I have no clue why I kept thinking of her that way, since I've been using the English names. If you see Anzu written in for Tea, just ignore it!
Now, on with the show:
Part 4: So Close, Yet So Far Away
'I'm late, again,' Seto Kaiba thought as he got out of his car.
He slammed the door closed and began to quickly walk towards the school's main entrance. It didn't really matter if he was late. It wasn't like he had to be in school anyway, so whether he was on time or not was trivial. His teachers expected him to attend his classes, but understood the fact that he had responsibilities that his other classmates did not. They made allowances for him because of that, which was why Seto even bothered to show up. He didn't need the education, but he was still young enough to belong in a school setting. He attended classes when he could, and still managed to sustain high marks, so the teachers and administrators generally left him in peace.
He was about to enter the building through the main door when Joey Wheeler came rushing out. Joey spotted him and stopped in his tracks, causing Ryou Bakura to slam into him. The white haired boy apologized and asked what was wrong, but Joey didn't answer him. Kaiba was about to make a remark about Joey's lack of coordination when he noticed Yugi standing beside Joey. Yugi looked odd, though. He didn't seem like his normal self.
"Why Yugi, you're looking rather transparent this morning," Kaiba quipped, noting that the younger teen did indeed look transparent; Kaiba could see the door Yugi was standing in front of. Come to think of it, he looked taller too. "Would it have something to do with the fact that there are police squad cars surrounding your house?"
Yugi frowned, but it was Joey who reacted first.
"Do you have your car with you today?"
"As a matter of fact I do. What's it to you?"
"We need you to give us a ride to the docks," Ryou stated from behind Joey. Tristan, who was standing behind him, remained quiet.
Kaiba's eyes widened, and then he laughed out loud. "Are you kidding me? I'm not taking you losers anywhere. Besides, we're all supposed to be in class."
"Please, Kaiba," Ryou insisted. "Yugi needs our help."
"Yugi?" Kaiba asked, confused. "He's standing right in front of me, and he doesn't look like he needs any help, except for maybe some food to make him solid again."
Kaiba still couldn't explain why Yugi looked so transparent. Maybe there was something wrong with his eyes and he was seeing things.
"I am not Yugi, and if you do not help us, neither Yugi nor I will be alive much longer to give you an explanation of what is happening."
Kaiba physically reacted to the unexpected voice by taking a step back. It wasn't that the voice was unexpected, because he recognized it as Yugi's voice. Kaiba was just not used to hearing the teen use that tone outside of the dueling arena. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Yugi once again, noticing for the first time the narrow set to Yugi's eyes, the proud stance, and almost superior demeanor. This was the way Yugi looked and sounded when he dueled. Kaiba had always thought that it was extra concentration on Yugi's part, but what if it was really someone else?
"You mentioned the police at Yugi's house, didn't you Kaiba? Well, Yugi was kidnapped last night. Yami was able to communicate with him a short while ago and we think he's being kept at the docks. We need to get to him before the kidnappers take him somewhere else."
"What are you talking about Wheeler?
"What's the matter with you, are you stupid?" Joey practically yelled. He moved forward and stopped just inches away from Kaiba.
Kaiba noticed the wild and almost desperate look in Joey's eyes and for the first time, a tinge of fear touched his heart. He stood his ground, however, and let the blonde say what he needed to say.
"Forget your pride, Kaiba, forget your own little world and pay attention to those around you for once!" Joey practically screamed. "Yugi was taken from his room last night, taken to who knows where. Yami can talk to Yugi through the bond they share, but he can't remain outside of the puzzle for very long without Yugi, so if he's going to help us find him, we have to go now."
Joey closed the gap between them, so that his body was pressing against the front of Kaiba's. His eyes nailed him with their intensity, and Seto could do nothing but look into them.
"I'm giving you a choice. You either take us, or I swear I'll knock you out and take your car without your permission."
Kaiba stared into Joey's brown eyes and knew without a shadow of a doubt that he meant what he said. He didn't care, however. Without taking a step back, Kaiba put on his best sneer.
"You and what army, little man?"
Joey's face contorted into a mask of anger, and Kaiba could see Joey's right fist out of the corner of his eye as it lifted on a path towards his face. He braced himself to block the punch, but Tristan beat him to it.
"He's not worth it, Joey," Tristan said, glaring at Kaiba. He grabbed Joey's arms and pulled him away from the taller teen. "We don't have time for selfish bastards like him. Let it go and let's get to Yugi."
With effort, Tristan pulled Joey completely away from him. He led Joey down the walkway, followed by Ryou. Yugi's look alike stopped directly in front of him.
"Remember that day on the towers of Pegasus castle?" he asked.
Kaiba frowned. What towers? Then it hit him.
"You mean at Duelist Kingdom? That duel we had?"
Yugi's look alike nodded.
"I remember."
"I would have gladly gone through with the attack on your Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon and watched you fall off the tower. Yugi, however, did not want you to be harmed. He fought me for control and got it, then called off the attack. He saved your life, Kaiba. It is truly a shame that you are too self involved to notice."
With that, he was gone, leaving Kaiba staring after him. He was about to go into the building when a shout caught his attention.
"What would you do if someone broke into your house, went into Mokuba's room and then kidnapped him while you watched and yet were powerless to stop it?" Ryou Bakura asked, his eyes showing uncharacteristic hatred. "Yami just went through that. The thing is, Yugi and Yami would have helped you if you asked."
Ryou turned and walked away with his friends, leaving Kaiba standing at the front of the school. A sudden wind brushed against him, causing his coat to blow out behind him. He felt a chill go down his spine, but he doubted that it was due to the wind.
If it had been Mokuba, what would he have done?
**~~**
Yugi shivered. He huddled into the wall beside him, desperate to feel the heat coming from there. He had heard the sound of water earlier coming from outside, and he'd immediately told Yami about it. Yami had said that they'd figured out that he was at the docks and were on their way to get him.
He felt relief. He still didn't know what was going on, but having Yami's calm voice in his head made him feel safe and secure. Yugi knew that Yami would do what he said; Yami would find him.
Suddenly, Yugi heard the sound of a door opening. He turned his head in the direction of the sound, and could hear footsteps. The door closed again, and the footsteps got closer and closer. Finally, Yugi felt the presence of someone beside him. The person stood there, very quiet, for a while, before finally reaching out to bring Yugi closer to him. Yugi tried to struggle out of the grasp, but the man's grip was tight. He was turned around, and the blindfold was removed from around his eyes. Yugi blinked at the sudden brightness in the room. He looked up and saw a row of windows at the top of the room. He could see a clear, blue sky outside, and wished that he was out there, instead of in the room he was in.
"Good morning, Yugi Moto. Good of you to join the land of the living."
The man got up from where he'd been kneeling beside Yugi and took a few steps back. Yugi gently maneuvered himself so that he was facing the man. He wanted to ask why he'd been taken away from his home, but the gag kept him from saying anything.
"Ah, so you want to talk, huh? Here, let me take that."
The man reached behind Yugi and removed the gag as well. Yugi quickly moistened his dry lips and cleared his throat a few times. He was thirsty and his mouth and throat felt incredibly dry.
"Why did you bring me here?" Yugi asked, his voice hoarse.
The man, who Yugi could tell was the same one that had taken him from his room, regarded him quietly for a moment.
"That's complicated, you see. Your being here is a mistake. You look much younger than you really are, which makes you useless for what my boss wants you for."
Yugi felt a sliver of hope. If it had been a mistake to bring him here, than maybe they were going to let him go.
"I won't tell anyone about you, I promise, just please let me go."
Yugi's eyes filled with tears and his voice broke slightly as he spoke. He blinked and the tears fell down his cheeks.
The man laughed. "I can see why my boss mistook your age, little one. Unfortunately, we can't let you go. You've seen me, you've seen this place, and you know too much. We can't risk that."
Yugi shook his head, dislodging even more tears. "I won't tell anyone. Please let me go. I'm no use to you."
"That's where you're wrong, little one. You are of use to us, even if it's not for what we originally intended." The man once again kneeled, except this time, he was facing Yugi. "We will find you a nice home, somewhere that you can be useful to someone."
"No. You can't just take me somewhere else. My grandfather will never stop looking for me. I'll never stop wanting to be with my family!"
Yugi screamed at the man, rage and fear flowing through him. This couldn't be happening. He didn't want to go to another home; he wanted to go back to his home with his grandfather, his yami, and his friends.
"You can't do this."
The man laughed. "I've already done it, Yugi. This will ensure that you're never a problem again," he said, and took out a syringe from the front pocket of his coat.
"What is that?" Yugi asked, his voice rising in panic. "What are you going to do?"
The man leaned closer to Yugi, pulling up the sleeve of his pajamas to expose his upper arm.
"This is a little something I came up with. You see, we can't get rid of you effectively, without killing you, of course, if you still know who you are. Killing you would simply be a waste, so we came up with an alternative. This little drug will make sure that your mind is wiped and left a blank slate for us to mold as we see fit. In an hour, Yugi Moto will be dead, and you, whoever we choose you to be, will be alive in his place."
"No. . . NO! I won't let you do that to me!"
With a sudden surge of strength, Yugi got to his feet. He tried to run away, but his feet were still bound together. He succeeded only in falling down again. He winced as his chest hit the ground, but didn't have more time to react or do anything else. The man grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him up so that their faces almost touched.
"There's nothing you can do about it, Yugi. Say goodbye."
**YAMI! YAMI, HELP ME! He's going to. . .**
His mental concentration was broken as he felt a burning pain in his left arm. Yugi looked down to see the man emptying a syringe into the upper part of his arm. Immediately, he began to feel faint. The man laid him on the ground and stood up. He walked a few steps and then stopped, remaining there to watch.
** I'm sorry. I'm so sorry**
'I can't lose myself, I have to be me. I can't let them take away my life, my freedom, and my memories. I won't!'
Yugi told himself that over and over as he felt the drug quickly working in his system. His vision was getting blurry, and he could feel his consciousness wavering. His mantra suddenly changed, and he held on to it like a lifeline.
'I am Yugi Moto, I am fifteen years old. I live at the Turtle Game Shop with my grandfather. I love Duel Monsters and my favorite card is the Dark Magician. I have four best friends named Joey, Tristan, Tea, and Ryou, and have a spirit protector named Yami. I love my family, I love my life. I will remember this forever.
*Yugi? Yugi, what's wrong? Talk to me, Yugi!*
Yugi could hear Yami's voice in his mind, but was too weak to respond.
'I am Yugi Moto, I am fifteen years old. I have a spirit protector named Yami who never let me down and always protected me. I love Duel Monsters. I have four best friends named Joey, Tristan, Tea, and Ryou. I love my family, I love my life.'
His vision was black now, and he could barely feel the cold floor underneath his body. He shuddered as a gripping pain coursed through his body, crying out in agony as it hit a climax in his head.
*YUGI?? Please talk to me!*
Yami sounded desperate, and Yugi wished that he could do something to ease Yami's pain.
'I am Yugi Moto, I am fifteen years old.'
**I will never forget you, Yami**
Yugi cried out as the pain in his head intensified, leaving him with nothing but blackness. In the darkness of his mind, he could see people, places and things. As soon as he tried to get to them, pick them up to see what they were, they disintegrated in his hands like sand.
'I am Yugi Moto.'
Soon, there was nothing left but blackness; deep, all consuming and suffocating darkness.
'I am Yugi Moto'
The darkness began to disappear, leaving a blinding white light in its wake. When the light became too intense to withstand, he finally gave up, but not before one final thought entered his mind.
'I am Yugi Moto'
**~~**
Four hours later
Joey Wheeler entered the darkened room quietly. He shut the door behind him but made no move to walk towards the bed. He stood there, his back to the door, shaking. He knew what he had to do, he just wasn't sure if he could do it. Finally, after a few more moments, he gathered his courage and made his way to the unconscious person on the bed. When he reached his destination, he dropped to his knees.
"I failed him, Gramps. I failed Yugi and I failed you," Joey said, his voice breaking as heart breaking sobs were torn from his throat. "We were too late. Even after Kaiba decided to help us and give us a ride, we were too late. The docks were empty; Yugi and the kidnappers were already gone! All we found were Yugi's pajamas in a cold, empty room. . ."
Joey trailed off, as the sobs became unbearable to control. He had to tell Yugi's grandfather what had happened, because he owed it to the old man. Even though gramps was in a coma and couldn't hear him, Joey felt he had to tell him.
"Yami was in so much pain, Gramps. We were almost there when Yami just began to lose it. It was as if he were in physical pain, but I know that's not possible without Yugi's body. I tried to get through to him, get him to tell me what was going on, but he didn't reply. He just kept repeating that he was Yugi Moto. He vanished after that. He hasn't come out of the Millennium Puzzle since then, and I'm afraid that. . ." he trailed off, not wanting to admit that he thought Yugi was dead. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I tried to get there in time, I tried to help him. But I couldn't even get that right!"
Joey broke into sobs again, reaching up to grasp the old man's hand in his own. He lay his wet cheek against the old man's time roughened palm and let himself cry for his lost friend and his failure. He felt as if his world had just been taken from him, torn into unrecognizable shreds. He wanted comfort; he wanted gramps to wake up and tell him that it was okay, that he'd done his best, but Joey knew that wasn't going to happen. The doctors didn't think that gramps would make it through the night, not with injuries as extensive as his. He wasn't expected to even wake up, but Joey still felt like he owed Yugi's grandfather an explanation.
"If Yugi is alive, I will find him. . . if he's dead, I'll never forgive myself."
**~~**
Eeek!! Angst galore, huh? So, anyone care to guess what's going to happen?
Sorry for the delay is posting this, but I've been a tad busy. Hopefully, updates will be done more often after this.
Wolfspeaker: Glad you're enjoying the fic. I hope the update was soon enough for ya!
TZ: ^____^ Poor Yami, he's being abused this time
Charmed48092: I'm very glad you like the story! I should be able to update sooner from now on *crosses fingers*
Shadow Realm: Thank you very much!!
Ashley Motou: Thanks! I hope the wait wasn't too long.
Jadesaber: I do love to torture the poor kid, don't I? Ahh, but it's so much fun!
Silver: Let's hope the chapter was worth waiting for :o)
Shadow Rika: Patience is a virtue. . . or so they say. So yes, patience is a good thing!
Millennia Star: Thanks for the review!
Cyberkat: I'm definitely going to finish the story. . . sooner or later, at least!
Thank you all for reviewing!! I really, really, appreciate it! Oh, one small note: On the read through of this chapter. I noticed that I kept referring to Tea as Anzu. I have no clue why I kept thinking of her that way, since I've been using the English names. If you see Anzu written in for Tea, just ignore it!
Now, on with the show:
Part 4: So Close, Yet So Far Away
'I'm late, again,' Seto Kaiba thought as he got out of his car.
He slammed the door closed and began to quickly walk towards the school's main entrance. It didn't really matter if he was late. It wasn't like he had to be in school anyway, so whether he was on time or not was trivial. His teachers expected him to attend his classes, but understood the fact that he had responsibilities that his other classmates did not. They made allowances for him because of that, which was why Seto even bothered to show up. He didn't need the education, but he was still young enough to belong in a school setting. He attended classes when he could, and still managed to sustain high marks, so the teachers and administrators generally left him in peace.
He was about to enter the building through the main door when Joey Wheeler came rushing out. Joey spotted him and stopped in his tracks, causing Ryou Bakura to slam into him. The white haired boy apologized and asked what was wrong, but Joey didn't answer him. Kaiba was about to make a remark about Joey's lack of coordination when he noticed Yugi standing beside Joey. Yugi looked odd, though. He didn't seem like his normal self.
"Why Yugi, you're looking rather transparent this morning," Kaiba quipped, noting that the younger teen did indeed look transparent; Kaiba could see the door Yugi was standing in front of. Come to think of it, he looked taller too. "Would it have something to do with the fact that there are police squad cars surrounding your house?"
Yugi frowned, but it was Joey who reacted first.
"Do you have your car with you today?"
"As a matter of fact I do. What's it to you?"
"We need you to give us a ride to the docks," Ryou stated from behind Joey. Tristan, who was standing behind him, remained quiet.
Kaiba's eyes widened, and then he laughed out loud. "Are you kidding me? I'm not taking you losers anywhere. Besides, we're all supposed to be in class."
"Please, Kaiba," Ryou insisted. "Yugi needs our help."
"Yugi?" Kaiba asked, confused. "He's standing right in front of me, and he doesn't look like he needs any help, except for maybe some food to make him solid again."
Kaiba still couldn't explain why Yugi looked so transparent. Maybe there was something wrong with his eyes and he was seeing things.
"I am not Yugi, and if you do not help us, neither Yugi nor I will be alive much longer to give you an explanation of what is happening."
Kaiba physically reacted to the unexpected voice by taking a step back. It wasn't that the voice was unexpected, because he recognized it as Yugi's voice. Kaiba was just not used to hearing the teen use that tone outside of the dueling arena. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Yugi once again, noticing for the first time the narrow set to Yugi's eyes, the proud stance, and almost superior demeanor. This was the way Yugi looked and sounded when he dueled. Kaiba had always thought that it was extra concentration on Yugi's part, but what if it was really someone else?
"You mentioned the police at Yugi's house, didn't you Kaiba? Well, Yugi was kidnapped last night. Yami was able to communicate with him a short while ago and we think he's being kept at the docks. We need to get to him before the kidnappers take him somewhere else."
"What are you talking about Wheeler?
"What's the matter with you, are you stupid?" Joey practically yelled. He moved forward and stopped just inches away from Kaiba.
Kaiba noticed the wild and almost desperate look in Joey's eyes and for the first time, a tinge of fear touched his heart. He stood his ground, however, and let the blonde say what he needed to say.
"Forget your pride, Kaiba, forget your own little world and pay attention to those around you for once!" Joey practically screamed. "Yugi was taken from his room last night, taken to who knows where. Yami can talk to Yugi through the bond they share, but he can't remain outside of the puzzle for very long without Yugi, so if he's going to help us find him, we have to go now."
Joey closed the gap between them, so that his body was pressing against the front of Kaiba's. His eyes nailed him with their intensity, and Seto could do nothing but look into them.
"I'm giving you a choice. You either take us, or I swear I'll knock you out and take your car without your permission."
Kaiba stared into Joey's brown eyes and knew without a shadow of a doubt that he meant what he said. He didn't care, however. Without taking a step back, Kaiba put on his best sneer.
"You and what army, little man?"
Joey's face contorted into a mask of anger, and Kaiba could see Joey's right fist out of the corner of his eye as it lifted on a path towards his face. He braced himself to block the punch, but Tristan beat him to it.
"He's not worth it, Joey," Tristan said, glaring at Kaiba. He grabbed Joey's arms and pulled him away from the taller teen. "We don't have time for selfish bastards like him. Let it go and let's get to Yugi."
With effort, Tristan pulled Joey completely away from him. He led Joey down the walkway, followed by Ryou. Yugi's look alike stopped directly in front of him.
"Remember that day on the towers of Pegasus castle?" he asked.
Kaiba frowned. What towers? Then it hit him.
"You mean at Duelist Kingdom? That duel we had?"
Yugi's look alike nodded.
"I remember."
"I would have gladly gone through with the attack on your Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon and watched you fall off the tower. Yugi, however, did not want you to be harmed. He fought me for control and got it, then called off the attack. He saved your life, Kaiba. It is truly a shame that you are too self involved to notice."
With that, he was gone, leaving Kaiba staring after him. He was about to go into the building when a shout caught his attention.
"What would you do if someone broke into your house, went into Mokuba's room and then kidnapped him while you watched and yet were powerless to stop it?" Ryou Bakura asked, his eyes showing uncharacteristic hatred. "Yami just went through that. The thing is, Yugi and Yami would have helped you if you asked."
Ryou turned and walked away with his friends, leaving Kaiba standing at the front of the school. A sudden wind brushed against him, causing his coat to blow out behind him. He felt a chill go down his spine, but he doubted that it was due to the wind.
If it had been Mokuba, what would he have done?
**~~**
Yugi shivered. He huddled into the wall beside him, desperate to feel the heat coming from there. He had heard the sound of water earlier coming from outside, and he'd immediately told Yami about it. Yami had said that they'd figured out that he was at the docks and were on their way to get him.
He felt relief. He still didn't know what was going on, but having Yami's calm voice in his head made him feel safe and secure. Yugi knew that Yami would do what he said; Yami would find him.
Suddenly, Yugi heard the sound of a door opening. He turned his head in the direction of the sound, and could hear footsteps. The door closed again, and the footsteps got closer and closer. Finally, Yugi felt the presence of someone beside him. The person stood there, very quiet, for a while, before finally reaching out to bring Yugi closer to him. Yugi tried to struggle out of the grasp, but the man's grip was tight. He was turned around, and the blindfold was removed from around his eyes. Yugi blinked at the sudden brightness in the room. He looked up and saw a row of windows at the top of the room. He could see a clear, blue sky outside, and wished that he was out there, instead of in the room he was in.
"Good morning, Yugi Moto. Good of you to join the land of the living."
The man got up from where he'd been kneeling beside Yugi and took a few steps back. Yugi gently maneuvered himself so that he was facing the man. He wanted to ask why he'd been taken away from his home, but the gag kept him from saying anything.
"Ah, so you want to talk, huh? Here, let me take that."
The man reached behind Yugi and removed the gag as well. Yugi quickly moistened his dry lips and cleared his throat a few times. He was thirsty and his mouth and throat felt incredibly dry.
"Why did you bring me here?" Yugi asked, his voice hoarse.
The man, who Yugi could tell was the same one that had taken him from his room, regarded him quietly for a moment.
"That's complicated, you see. Your being here is a mistake. You look much younger than you really are, which makes you useless for what my boss wants you for."
Yugi felt a sliver of hope. If it had been a mistake to bring him here, than maybe they were going to let him go.
"I won't tell anyone about you, I promise, just please let me go."
Yugi's eyes filled with tears and his voice broke slightly as he spoke. He blinked and the tears fell down his cheeks.
The man laughed. "I can see why my boss mistook your age, little one. Unfortunately, we can't let you go. You've seen me, you've seen this place, and you know too much. We can't risk that."
Yugi shook his head, dislodging even more tears. "I won't tell anyone. Please let me go. I'm no use to you."
"That's where you're wrong, little one. You are of use to us, even if it's not for what we originally intended." The man once again kneeled, except this time, he was facing Yugi. "We will find you a nice home, somewhere that you can be useful to someone."
"No. You can't just take me somewhere else. My grandfather will never stop looking for me. I'll never stop wanting to be with my family!"
Yugi screamed at the man, rage and fear flowing through him. This couldn't be happening. He didn't want to go to another home; he wanted to go back to his home with his grandfather, his yami, and his friends.
"You can't do this."
The man laughed. "I've already done it, Yugi. This will ensure that you're never a problem again," he said, and took out a syringe from the front pocket of his coat.
"What is that?" Yugi asked, his voice rising in panic. "What are you going to do?"
The man leaned closer to Yugi, pulling up the sleeve of his pajamas to expose his upper arm.
"This is a little something I came up with. You see, we can't get rid of you effectively, without killing you, of course, if you still know who you are. Killing you would simply be a waste, so we came up with an alternative. This little drug will make sure that your mind is wiped and left a blank slate for us to mold as we see fit. In an hour, Yugi Moto will be dead, and you, whoever we choose you to be, will be alive in his place."
"No. . . NO! I won't let you do that to me!"
With a sudden surge of strength, Yugi got to his feet. He tried to run away, but his feet were still bound together. He succeeded only in falling down again. He winced as his chest hit the ground, but didn't have more time to react or do anything else. The man grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him up so that their faces almost touched.
"There's nothing you can do about it, Yugi. Say goodbye."
**YAMI! YAMI, HELP ME! He's going to. . .**
His mental concentration was broken as he felt a burning pain in his left arm. Yugi looked down to see the man emptying a syringe into the upper part of his arm. Immediately, he began to feel faint. The man laid him on the ground and stood up. He walked a few steps and then stopped, remaining there to watch.
** I'm sorry. I'm so sorry**
'I can't lose myself, I have to be me. I can't let them take away my life, my freedom, and my memories. I won't!'
Yugi told himself that over and over as he felt the drug quickly working in his system. His vision was getting blurry, and he could feel his consciousness wavering. His mantra suddenly changed, and he held on to it like a lifeline.
'I am Yugi Moto, I am fifteen years old. I live at the Turtle Game Shop with my grandfather. I love Duel Monsters and my favorite card is the Dark Magician. I have four best friends named Joey, Tristan, Tea, and Ryou, and have a spirit protector named Yami. I love my family, I love my life. I will remember this forever.
*Yugi? Yugi, what's wrong? Talk to me, Yugi!*
Yugi could hear Yami's voice in his mind, but was too weak to respond.
'I am Yugi Moto, I am fifteen years old. I have a spirit protector named Yami who never let me down and always protected me. I love Duel Monsters. I have four best friends named Joey, Tristan, Tea, and Ryou. I love my family, I love my life.'
His vision was black now, and he could barely feel the cold floor underneath his body. He shuddered as a gripping pain coursed through his body, crying out in agony as it hit a climax in his head.
*YUGI?? Please talk to me!*
Yami sounded desperate, and Yugi wished that he could do something to ease Yami's pain.
'I am Yugi Moto, I am fifteen years old.'
**I will never forget you, Yami**
Yugi cried out as the pain in his head intensified, leaving him with nothing but blackness. In the darkness of his mind, he could see people, places and things. As soon as he tried to get to them, pick them up to see what they were, they disintegrated in his hands like sand.
'I am Yugi Moto.'
Soon, there was nothing left but blackness; deep, all consuming and suffocating darkness.
'I am Yugi Moto'
The darkness began to disappear, leaving a blinding white light in its wake. When the light became too intense to withstand, he finally gave up, but not before one final thought entered his mind.
'I am Yugi Moto'
**~~**
Four hours later
Joey Wheeler entered the darkened room quietly. He shut the door behind him but made no move to walk towards the bed. He stood there, his back to the door, shaking. He knew what he had to do, he just wasn't sure if he could do it. Finally, after a few more moments, he gathered his courage and made his way to the unconscious person on the bed. When he reached his destination, he dropped to his knees.
"I failed him, Gramps. I failed Yugi and I failed you," Joey said, his voice breaking as heart breaking sobs were torn from his throat. "We were too late. Even after Kaiba decided to help us and give us a ride, we were too late. The docks were empty; Yugi and the kidnappers were already gone! All we found were Yugi's pajamas in a cold, empty room. . ."
Joey trailed off, as the sobs became unbearable to control. He had to tell Yugi's grandfather what had happened, because he owed it to the old man. Even though gramps was in a coma and couldn't hear him, Joey felt he had to tell him.
"Yami was in so much pain, Gramps. We were almost there when Yami just began to lose it. It was as if he were in physical pain, but I know that's not possible without Yugi's body. I tried to get through to him, get him to tell me what was going on, but he didn't reply. He just kept repeating that he was Yugi Moto. He vanished after that. He hasn't come out of the Millennium Puzzle since then, and I'm afraid that. . ." he trailed off, not wanting to admit that he thought Yugi was dead. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I tried to get there in time, I tried to help him. But I couldn't even get that right!"
Joey broke into sobs again, reaching up to grasp the old man's hand in his own. He lay his wet cheek against the old man's time roughened palm and let himself cry for his lost friend and his failure. He felt as if his world had just been taken from him, torn into unrecognizable shreds. He wanted comfort; he wanted gramps to wake up and tell him that it was okay, that he'd done his best, but Joey knew that wasn't going to happen. The doctors didn't think that gramps would make it through the night, not with injuries as extensive as his. He wasn't expected to even wake up, but Joey still felt like he owed Yugi's grandfather an explanation.
"If Yugi is alive, I will find him. . . if he's dead, I'll never forgive myself."
**~~**
Eeek!! Angst galore, huh? So, anyone care to guess what's going to happen?