Greetings! Yes, I know it's been a long time since I updated. My sincerest
apologies for that. I went on vacation, and then came home and got sick.
I'm still sick, and the chapter will probably reflect that, since I doubt I
caught all of the spelling errors. The chapter is a bit long, so hopefully
it'll make up for the delay.
Please read the note at the end of the chapter. It will explain where the memories come from.
Reviews:
Tsuki Koumori, Dragon Goddess: Thanks for the compliments about the song! I had listened to it a few days before, and knew it'd fit very well. Song fics are fun. I've never really written one, but I started one a little while ago to an Evanescence song and I've had a blast. You should definitely try one. As far as angst vs. humor goes: both are equally hard to write, because it takes talent to make them work. I can't write humor. For me, it always comes out fake for some reason. But it's good to branch out every once in a while.
Morgane: You'll find out about Jomei in this chapter, but will have to wait for the next one to find out about Joey. Sorry!
Lizzy: Yup, Seto's middle name should be 'control freak'. I don't think he knows how to function unless he's in control. Your story isn't incredibly pathetic at all. I thought it was pretty interesting.
Fin-Phoenix: Someone mentioned Shadi to me a long, long time ago, when I first started writing this story. I wish I remembered who it was so I could credit them for the thought. Back then, I didn't think it could work, but the thought stuck in my head until it made sense. Glad you liked it!
Ginger Ninja: You'll have to read the chapter to find out about Jomei *snicker*. You'll have to wait for the next one to find out about Joey. I agree that Seto and Mokuba are cute. I wish they had more scenes together in the show.
Starheart: Thanks for the compliment, I think. :o) My evilish tendencies have gotten worse lately. Glad you liked the chapter.
Adrienne: You're probably going to hate me after this chapter, but Joey's not in it *ducks for cover*. As for that Kano plushie. . . I think I'll keep it to myself for now. I may have use for it later. But when I'm through with it I promise to give it to you.
Amiasha Ruri: Don't be embarrassed. I think Shadi rocks, especially when he helps out our favorite hero. I think he likes being in people's heads. That way they'll stay out of his.
Sorceress Vanessa: *takes cookie and chomps on it greedily* Got any more? Not that I could taste them at the moment, since my nose is all stuffed up *darned sinus infection*. Sorry for the delay, but I hope the chapter is worth it.
Katya: Hey there! Long time no hear from you. I've missed your story too! Any updates coming any time soon? Yikes, reading 10 chapters in one sitting is not easy, since they're so long, but I'm glad you enjoyed them. I still haven't gotten better at the cliffies. It's my muse, really. Thanks for your sympathy about the theft of ideas. It sucks to have it happen, but what can you do?
Hobbit13: Soon? Define soon. Just kidding. The first half of the chapter was written two weeks ago. Then I went out of town, got sick, and it got hopelessly delayed. I hope the wait wasn't too long!
Lady Elfskye: Thanks! I think you're going to be happy with this chapter.
Red*: Thanks! I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter.
Tricia: I think I answered your questions over e-mail. If not, you can always ask.
Kyuugi: I'm glad you liked the chapter and didn't mind the blood and gore all that much. Sometimes, I get carried away. You'll have to wait until next chapter to find out about Joey, but I'll try to get it out soon.
Aura Black Chan: Um. . . kill Jomei? *looks around for weapons that may be aimed at her*. It's a good thing I'm going into hiding at the end of this chapter. Thanks for the review, though! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. And just remember what you said in the review when you finish reading this one, okay?
Dark angel5221: Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.
Vappa: Thanks! I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter, even the violent Kano bits. I hope you like this one as well.
Shitsumon: I think Kaiba puts that in the contract of the people he hires: 'must put up with my constant yelling and ranting. If you agree, sign on the dotted line' or something like that :o) Harris really does care for the brothers, though. Interesting question you brought up. Some memories will feel like they're his, while others won't, if that makes any sense.
Millennia Star: Thanks! I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter.
Digitaldreamer: Jomei is definitely not Yugi, nor is Yugi anything like Jomei, but both memories/personalities are going to be around, so who knows what will happen. Yugi is the stronger personality, though, if that helps at all.
Naomi Silverwolf: Thank you very much!
BlackDragonDiva: *blushing* Thank you very much for your kind words! I'm very glad that you enjoyed the story enough to sit through and read all 160 pages of it at once. I loved the steak analogy, by the way! Very funny, especially since I love steak.
That's it for today. I hope I didn't miss anyone. Thank you all so very much for your support. I'll have more treats next time, when I'm coherent enough to get some. Now on to the story. Enjoy!
**~~**
Part 21: The Past Remembered
Jomei stood in the middle of the enormous room. He was looking at the spot where the robed man had stood until a few minutes ago, trying to figure out who he was and what had happened. He'd been waiting to die, and now had just been told that he couldn't. He wasn't sure if he believed he had actually talked to someone, or if all of this was just a figment of his waning mind.
He looked down at himself again and found that he was still dressed in the pristine uniform. There was not a cut or bruise on him, and he wasn't in pain. He should be. He shuddered at the memory of Kano's attack, the feelings still crystal clear in his mind, but didn't have any of the bruises to show for it anymore. Maybe he'd already died? Could this be where he was meant to reside for the rest of his life? Jomei let out a breath. He wasn't a religious person, but he'd somehow thought that the afterlife consisted of more than just a dusty room with a lot of doors.
"Well, since I don't have much else to do, I might as well explore."
He looked carefully at the doors, noting that some were darker, more protected than others. He wondered why that was. Jomei stepped up to the closest one and laid his hand on the knob. Should he go in there? What if it was a trap?
"What do I have to lose? I'm already dead," he told himself and opened the door.
He came face to face with an empty classroom. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the classroom wasn't entirely empty. A teenager sat by himself in the middle of the room, and Jomei immediately recognized the boy because of the unmistakable hair. Curious at this vision of himself, Jomei stepped inside the room. The door behind him closed, which made Jomei jump. Shrugging, he walked towards the lone teenager. On the way, Jomei bumped into one of the desks, crying out as his knee hit hard. The kid at the other desk didn't even flinch, which led Jomei to believe that he was invisible.
With renewed confidence, Jomei walked faster and got to the boy's desk in time to see him putting away a deck of cards. Jomei didn't know what the kid had been doing with them, since there was no one for him to play with. The kid suddenly smiled, reached into a backpack and took out a golden box.
"In this box lies my treasure, but it's my secret!"
Jomei smiled at the boy's enthusiasm. He couldn't remember ever being that excited about anything.
A blond boy whom Jomei immediately recognized stepped into the room quietly, so as not to disturb the other boy. He felt a pang of guilt and loss at the sight of Joey. What had happened to him?
Joey stepped up to the desk and got the box out of the kid's hands.
"Yugi, what are you staring at? Is this that old thing you said you could see but not see?"
Yugi got up from his desk and reached up for the box. Joey, being much taller, had no difficulty keeping it away.
"Joey, come on, give it back!" Yugi said. He jumped up, but was unable to get the box from Joey.
Joey threw the box to the side, jumped over a row of desks and then easily caught it.
"Do you call this living, Yugi? You spend all your free time in here by yourself. Why don't you come out?" Joey said, his voice mocking. "I'll tell you what, since you look like a man in need of guidance, I'll be more than happy to give it to you. I'll also give you back your box if you come out to the courtyard."
"I don't want to play ball!" Yugi yelled.
Joey put his hands over his ears. "Ah, don't do that! Your voice is annoying."
"Come on, Joey, please give it back," Yugi tried again.
"Hey, Joey, what are you doing?"
Jomei, as well as Joey and Yugi, turned to see Tristan enter the room. He and Joey began to argue, while Yugi tried again to get the box back from Joey.
"What's in this thing anyway?" Joey asked Yugi, ignoring Tristan.
"You can look in it, but don't tell anyone," Yugi replied, smiling again.
Joey looked in the box, and then frowned. "Man, this is boring. I thought it'd be something valuable."
"If you think it's boring, then why don't you give it back? Why don't you two stop picking on Yugi while you're at it? He hasn't done anything to you."
Tea walked into the room, took the box from Joey and gave it back to Yugi. Jomei laughed at the expression on Joey and Tristan's faces. They looked like they were scared of Tea. A girl he didn't recognize, who Tristan addressed as Miho, also came into the room and shortly after, Joey and Tristan both left with her. Tea stayed behind with Yugi, telling him that he had to have a stronger will and stand up to Joey. Yugi blushed and said that Joey wasn't such a bad guy.
Jomei wondered why Yugi and Joey weren't friends. Or if they were, the friendship was one sided, because Joey didn't seem to consider Yugi anything more than someone to torment. Shaking his head, he decided to leave that question for another time. Instead, Jomei stared at Yugi, fascinated. A part of his mind was aware that he was looking at himself, but another felt like Yugi was another, completely different person. Yugi looked very young and he also seemed naïve and trusting, as if he held no ill will towards anyone. He smiled a lot and his eyes shone in merriment. Jomei couldn't picture himself being like that. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had something to smile about, and he'd never had friends to talk to.
Yugi began to tell Tea about the box, which Jomei now realized contained the unassembled pieces of the Millennium Puzzle. Yugi talked about it as if it were a myth, so Jomei had to assume that what he was looking at happened a few years before what he had just lived through. The uniform Yugi was wearing matched the one Jomei had on, so the robed man had been right on at least that one count.
The scene changed, and Jomei was now standing outside of the school. He shook his head in confusion at the sudden change. He wasn't sure how long he'd been in the memory, but it seemed like it had been a while. He looked around, noting that he was in a secluded spot, most likely an alley, a few feet away from the school. He stood around, trying to decide what to do, when he saw Yugi walking towards him. A large boy, wearing a uniform similar to Yugi's, came out of the alley beside Jomei. He intercepted Yugi and dragged him into the alley. Jomei, his stomach in knots, followed.
"What do you have to show me?" Yugi asked.
The boy chuckled. "You should be thrilled about what I've done for you."
Jomei didn't see what was going on, but he did hear Yugi's gasp of surprise. As he got closer, he saw both Tristan and Joey on the ground, bruised and bloody. His eyes widened in surprise, and Yugi continued to stare at the two boys.
"Joey, Tristan!"
The bigger boy held out his hand to stop Yugi from getting close to his classmates.
"How do you like it, Yugi?" he asked. "Since you hired me as your body guard yesterday, it is my job to protect you against bullies. I made sure that these two never got near you again."
Jomei's eyes widened. Had he missed a portion of this memory? When had Yugi hired the big guy as his bodyguard? Somehow, Yugi didn't seem like the type who would do that. Yugi's next statement proved him right.
"No, this can't be. It's a mistake. I would never do that." Yugi ran to Joey and Tristan, and kneeled in front of them. "Are you okay?"
"How could you be so cruel? How could you hire that creep to beat us up?" Joey asked, his voice barely audible, and laced with pain.
"You've got it all wrong, Joey. I would never do this."
"That's enough, Yugi," the big guy said and knocked Yugi down. "I haven't finished protecting you yet."
With that, the guy continued to beat up on Joey and Tristan.
Yugi got up from the floor and got in front of the guy, his arms held out to either side.
"Stop it, that's enough! Don't do this."
"Ah, so you've had a change of heart, eh? I would have thought you'd like the chance to enjoy yourself, make them pay for what they've done to you."
Jomei saw Yugi's face transform into a mask of anger, and he had to admit that it looked foreign on him.
"I don't hurt my friends!" Yugi yelled.
The bully laughed and demanded his payment. Yugi seemed shocked, and Jomei was sure he didn't have the kind of money the bully wanted. Jomei was about to get closer, when the scene changed again.
"Damn it, what is it with this memory? Can't it make up its mind?" Jomei asked no one in particular.
He was again standing in the alley, but this time, the bully was beating Yugi up, demanding payment. Jomei ran over to them and tried to do something, but his hands went right through the bully's body.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
Jomei turned to see Joey and Tristan running up to them.
"Are you little bullies here for a second helping?"
Joey went to Yugi, who was still on the ground. Jomei got closer to them both, and saw how Joey's expression softened when he looked down at Yugi.
"Yugi, hang in there, okay?"
"I really want to finish the puzzle," Yugi whispered.
Both Joey and Jomei turned to where Yugi's bag had fallen open, and the completed puzzle, minus the last piece, lay on the ground in front of the bag. Joey smiled bitterly, placed a puzzle piece inside Yugi's outstretched hand, and then closed Yugi's fingers around it. Jomei didn't know how Joey had come to have the last piece, but it was clear that he felt guilty about having taken it. Angry, he got up and rushed the bully. Tristan did the same, but they were no match for the bully, who beat them both up. All Jomei could do was stand helplessly and watch.
Yugi shifted a little and raised his head. He saw Joey and Tristan on the ground, and then turned to look at his hand. When he opened it, the last piece was in his palm. He struggled to get to the puzzle, and inserted the last piece in. There was a blinding glow, and before Jomei knew it, he was outside in the dark room with all the doors again. He was on the ground, and he ached, as if he'd been the one that had just been beaten. He lifted his hand to his face, shivering at the cold sensation he got from it. It was as if he could feel the puzzle piece resting in his hand.
"Yugi, even though we're different, I have to thank you."
Jomei was startled by Joey's voice. He looked around, but didn't see Joey anywhere. He closed his eyes and saw Joey standing next to a wall, hands in his pockets, face still bruised from the beating. He smiled, and Jomei felt incredible happiness that the smile was directed at him. Jomei felt himself smile as well, even though the movement of his lips hurt the bruises around his mouth. He didn't care. Joey was being friendly with him, that's all that mattered.
He opened his eyes and lifted his hand to his mouth. Nope, there were no bruises. The pain he'd felt was also gone. He frowned. He hadn't just seen that last part, he'd actually experienced it. Could it be that he was remembering?
With renewed confidence at the small glimmer of hope, Jomei got up and walked to another door. He didn't pay much attention to it, simply opened it and went inside.
"Grandpa, grandpa!"
Yugi was kneeling in front of a blank television set, his hands on either side of it, yelling. Joey, who was sitting behind him, shook his head as if coming out of a trance, and went to Yugi. They were all sitting in the living room of the Moto's house, but Jomei had no idea what was going on.
"Yugi, what's wrong? Grandpa is right here."
Joey turned to look beside him and Jomei saw that Mr. Moto was lying on the ground, unconscious.
"Grandpa? What's the matter?"
Joey went over to the older man, but got no response. Tea and Tristan, who were also in the room, simply looked from one to the other. They didn't know what was going on either. Yugi was still by the television, but he had stopped yelling. Tears fell down his cheeks, and he looked heartbroken.
"Yugi, what happened? What's wrong?"
Joey pried Yugi away from the television and turned him so that they could all see his face. Tea walked over to them and put her arms around Yugi. Yugi buried his face on her shoulder and sobbed. Tea gently ran her hand up and down Yugi's back, while she shot worried glances at Joey and Tristan.
"He took him. He took my grandpa's soul," Yugi finally said.
He pulled away from Tea and walked over to his grandfather.
"Who took your grandpa's soul?" Tristan asked.
Yugi sniffled, and wiped the tears off his face. "Pegasus. We dueled, and I lost. He said that he wanted to test me, and that he'd like to duel me again," Yugi continued, his voice rushed as he ran his hands over his grandfather's hair. "I told him that I wouldn't cooperate, and he took my grandfather's soul to make sure that I would."
Jomei was very confused now. Who was Pegasus and how could he take someone's soul away? Besides, he'd seen Mr. Moto. The older man had seemed fine to Jomei.
"We didn't see Pegasus, Yugi. If he wasn't here, how could the two of you have dueled?" Tristan asked.
Yugi wiped his cheeks as he shook his head. "He wasn't here, Tristan. I don't know how to explain it, but I know that it has something to do with a millennium item, like my puzzle, that he has. I think it's what lets him take people's souls. He said he'd keep my grandpa's soul until I dueled him again."
Jomei was very confused, but he couldn't exactly ask any of them for an explanation.
"It'll be okay, Yugi. We'll get your grandpa's soul back, I promise."
A bright flash of light, and once again, Jomei found himself standing outside in the dusty room. He wanted to see more of that memory, but couldn't remember what door he'd come out of. He had a terrible feeling of loss that he couldn't explain. "When am I supposed to get out of here?" he asked himself, looking at the many doors that were available for him to look into. "Am I supposed to go through all of them?"
Deciding that he had no other choice but to keep looking, he walked to yet another door and opened it.
He found himself on a tower; directly in front of him were two people playing the game Seto had been telling him about, Duel Monsters. With a jolt, Jomei realized that this was what he'd seen in his vision as he'd ridden the bus in Tokyo: Seto standing behind a rotting three headed dragon. What he hadn't seen in the vision then was Yami standing across from Seto behind a wall of small, fury monsters, smirking.
"Once again, your attack has failed Kaiba. My defense holds and you have no other strategy to use against me. Your time has run out. You should never have challenged me, Kaiba. Even now, my mammoth takes another 1200 points from your dragon. Even my weakest monsters can destroy it now."
Jomei turned to Seto, who looked shocked and a little desperate. It was odd seeing that expression on Seto's face, since Jomei knew him to be collected and cool at all times. He was quiet for a long moment, his expression far away, as if looking at something only he could see. Yami's expression changed as well, becoming serious and puzzled. They both stood there for a moment, until Yami spoke.
"This is it, Kaiba. Prepare to meet your demise."
He pulled on a small disk, put something on it, and then threw it back. Once the disk had landed on the floor, a flash of light followed, and then a figure appeared. It was the same one from that card he had, the Celtic Guardian. Jomei could feel the tension in the area as tick as fog.
"Celtic Guardian, attack Ultimate Dragon," Yami yelled.
The monster did as instructed and cut off the head of one of Seto's rotting dragons.
"All right!"
Startled, Jomei turned to one side and only then realized that Joey, Tristan, Bakura, and Tea were also present. They all seemed very happy that Yami was about to win the duel. Tristan and Bakura talked about what was happening to the dragon, but Jomei paid no attention. He was focused on Yami's satisfied smirk and Seto's look of utter disbelief.
"Yugi, it can't end this way," Seto finally said, his voice calm. "If I don't beat you in this duel, Pegasus will keep Mokuba prisoner forever. I can't let that happen. Even though I don't have a card that can keep you from attacking, I think I still have a strategy that will stop you in your tracks."
"What do you mean?" Yami asked.
"I'm going to force your hand and win this battle, Yugi."
Seto started to walk backwards without looking where he was going. Jomei watched, fascinated, as Seto climbed up one of the spikes of the tower, the wind flapping his long coat around his legs.
"Kaiba, stop this!" Yami yelled when he realized what Seto was doing.
"What's going on? Does Kaiba really think that a cheap stunt is going to keep Yugi from winning the match and saving his grandpa?" Joey asked.
'His grandpa,' Jomei repeated in his head. Seto had mentioned that Pegasus had taken Mokuba, so this memory must be of how Yugi got his grandfather back. He didn't really understand what was going on, but seeing that Seto was willing to do anything to make sure he won the duel for his brother was enough to let him know that he and Yami weren't just playing a game. A lot more was at stake than just winning or losing.
"Your move, Yugi. You can attack my blue eyes again and wipe out my remaining life points, but if you do, the resulting shockwave might cause me to lose my balance."
"Don't tempt me!" Yami replied.
"My fate is completely in you hands, Yugi. You'll decide this duel one way or another. Of course, if you don't surrender, I might be hurt. You wouldn't want that, would you?"
"Stop it, Kaiba, you know this is dangerous," Tea yelled.
"Kaiba's bluffing," Joey said. "Come on, drop this cheap ploy and get down from that ledge and play fair. You know that Yugi doesn't want to hurt you."
Seto only chuckled.
"He knows," Bakura said, "he's counting on Yugi to surrender."
"He can't do that," Joey replied. "If he loses to Kaiba, he won't get into the castle to save his grandpa."
"I'm warning you Kaiba, don't push me too far," Yami said. "I must win to rescue my grandfather."
"And I must win this duel to rescue Mokuba," Seto countered. "The difference is that I'm willing to risk anything to do it. You know I can stand up here all day, Yugi, and I'm certain that you won't make any attacks for fear that you may knock me off, even though you know by not attacking, you give up the only chance you have of saving your grandpa, which means that I have the advantage over you, because there's nothing holding me back."
Jomei looked from one to the other, noting the determination on both of their faces. He suddenly felt scared for Seto and scared for himself, too. He felt as if he were being given a choice that he couldn't possibly make. Seto drew a card from his deck and by the expression on his face Jomei knew that it was something he had been waiting for.
"Ah, a magic card," Seto said, "Reborn the Monster, which I'll use to resurrect the blue eyes head that was just destroyed by your guardian."
"What? Restore a head of the blue eyes?"
At the moment the words left Yami's mouth, a heart wrenching screech could be heard as one of the dragon heads roared to life.
"Now, one of my blue eyes with its normal attack strength of 3000 has been reborn. With all of your Kuribohs in defense mode I couldn't touch you. Since you put an attack monster on the field, I can take out the rest of your life points, which I'll do next turn. Two of the Ultimate Dragon's heads are still weakened, but the third can take out your guardian in a breath. Our life points are equal, Yugi. Strike now, if you dare, otherwise next turn, I swear I'll take you down."
Jomei wanted to go over to Seto and shake sense into him. He could tell that Joey and the others wanted to do the same. Yami, on the other hand, seemed furious. Jomei could tell from having met the spirit that he didn't like being challenged, and maybe this was why he and Seto didn't get along. Actually, Seto didn't get along with any of Yugi's friends. Was this where the rivalry started, or did it start long before? Jomei shook his head. He had so many questions and not enough answers.
"Surrender, Yugi, unless you have the courage to unleash your attack."
"Kaiba, you bastard!" Jomei yelled.
Something inside him ripped open, flooding his senses with feelings and memories he hadn't had before. He staggered at the intensity of it, but ended up focusing only on the disappointment and pain he felt for what Kaiba was doing to him.
"You're playing with my sympathy for you, counting on my kindness in order to get your way."
He felt tears falling out of the corner of his eyes. He turned to Yami, already knowing what he would do, already feeling what it was like to lose control, to watch the attack happen without his consent. It was then that Jomei realized that he remembered. Without having to see the rest of this scene, he knew what would happen. He knew he'd have to fight Yami to keep him from killing Kaiba. He knew that this moment would make him doubt himself for many nights to come, would make him doubt Yami and what their relationship meant to both of them. He couldn't stand to watch the memory anymore, but he didn't have a choice.
'I must.'
'I can't'
Jomei closed his eyes, and heard the conversation he'd had with Yami at that moment.
'We must'
'No, it's not right. There must be another way.'
'There isn't.'
"Kaiba, I've never backed away, and I'm not starting now," Yami finally said. "Celtic Guardian, attack!"
"No, Yami, don't!" Jomei yelled, running towards where Yami was standing.
"Yugi, you can't!" Tea yelled as well. "You can't take this risk, call him back."
She and Jomei began running towards the same place, but Jomei was only a spectator and had no say in what happened.
"Yugi, you can't do this, you can't. This isn't like you, you've got to stop. Yugi!"
Jomei stopped running and focused on Yami. This was the moment he had wrestled control of his body away from Yami. It had physically hurt, as well as the damage it had done to him mentally. He wanted to see what it'd been like on the outside, since he already knew how it'd felt on the inside. He saw Yami's face contort in what could have been pain or rage, before his own face became visible, a mask of pain, tears already running down his cheeks. He fell to his knees, head bowed.
"STOP!"
The word had been torn from his throat, and it sounded as wounded and vulnerable as he'd felt when he'd uttered it. He heard the clink as the sword struck the ground and knew that his guardian had halted his attack. He saw himself on his hands and knees, shaking from the effort of regaining control. The ragged breaths he was taking were quick and full of pain.
"Couldn't do it, huh?"
If he hadn't been so far away, he would have walked over to Kaiba and hit him. How could he be so insensitive? Why was he so uncaring?
"White lightning attack!"
The blue eyes roared, and Jomei didn't have to look back to know that his guardian had been destroyed. He heard himself sobbing, and couldn't take another step. His whole body was trembling, and he remembered feeling as if he'd been torn in two. It had been so close, so terribly close.
The scene changed, and he'd never been more grateful to be out of a memory as he was at that moment. He dropped to his knees and wept. Even though he knew everything had worked out in the end, that one duel would forever haunt him. It would forever signify his weakness, and the fact that his enemies knew how to take advantage of it.
"It is done."
Yugi jerked his head up and found Shadi standing in front of him once again. They were in the hallway that separated his soul room from Yami's, and he remembered everything. He remembered his life as Yugi and still remembered his life as Jomei. He shivered as the conflicting thoughts and emotions hit him all at once. He had to separate them somehow, but at the moment, he had no idea how.
"You are yourself again, but there is one more thing you must see."
Shadi was pointing towards a dark door, and Yugi had a feeling that he didn't want to go in there. The one memory he didn't have, the event that ended his life as Yugi and began his life as Jomei was behind that door, and he didn't want to see it. He looked up to find that Shadi was gone once again. He got up, wiped his tears, and began walking towards the door. When he got there, he put his hand on the handle and felt an incredibly wave of loss hit him. When he tried to walk away from it, he found that he was rooted to the spot, stuck to the door. Before he knew it, the door had opened of its own accord and he found himself inside his room on the night he'd been kidnapped.
He saw the man enter the room and head directly towards his bed. He saw himself struggle helplessly with the intruder until he was drugged. He felt helpless as he watched the scene, reliving the terror and desperation he'd felt that night, the disappointment in himself for not being stronger. He saw Yami appear and felt incredible relief; relief that was short lived when he realized that he couldn't make it to the desk to put on the puzzle. He'd wanted to, more than anything, but his body had weakened, betraying him. It had been just another indication of how weak he was, of how he needed constant supervision. He'd wanted so badly to have been able to take care of himself, to show Yami that he could, to make him proud. But he hadn't been able to do so. He'd collapsed and had allowed the man to take him.
Yugi put his hands up to his face, unwilling to see any more. Images invaded his mind, vividly appearing in rapid succession. He remembered asking Yami for help when he had been at the warehouse. He heard himself chanting the names of his friends in order to retain a small piece of himself. He saw himself giving in to his weakness, letting the drug take him away from those that he loved. He saw Asami beating him because he was weak and couldn't follow instructions. He saw Kano try to rape him, and he heard himself asking Shadow to let him die. He heard Joey yelling his name, demanding to know where he was being taken. He'd dragged Joey down into his hell, and he would forever pay the price for it.
"Stop it, stop it!"
He said the words over and over until it was all he could hear, until he'd drowned out the sounds of his own screaming. A bright light flared in his mind, blocking out the painful memories. The light turned to dark in an instant, and Yugi was more than happy to let it take him.
**~~**
"What are you doing?"
Dante looked up to find one of the outside guards looking at him.
"I'm disposing of this, as Shadow instructed." He held the body out so that the guard could see it.
"Wow, he's one of the worst ones I've seen. How old is he anyway, he looks like a kid."
Dante shrugged. "He was a teenager, I think. He won't be growing up any more, though."
The guard chuckled. "Yeah, he looks pretty dead. What happened to him?"
"Kano got to him, tried to rape him, I think. You know how crazy Kano is. I guess the kid couldn't take it."
"Where did Shadow tell you to dispose of him?"
Dante chuckled. "He didn't, but I think the ocean is a nice place for a dead boy, don't you?"
The guard laughed. "Are you sure he's dead?"
"With a face like this, who'd doubt it?"
Dante looked down at the blood covered face. The lips were blue and the skin was cold and clammy. The wild, tri colored hair hung limp, and in Dante's mind, there was no doubt that the kid was dead.
"So you're just going to throw him in the ocean?"
"Sure. The currents will carry the body to the bottom and nature will do the rest."
Dante walked to the end of the dock and held the body out. He took one more look at it, shrugged, and then threw it into the water.
"Rest in peace."
**~~**
*hiding behind monitor and not coming out for a week*
Note on the memories: The first one was an edited portion of episode 1 of the first series. The events were edited, but the dialogue that I did use was kept the same. Well, the same as the subtitles, at least. The second was not directly from an episode, but took place during episode 1 of the second series. The third one was the last part of episode 23 of the second series. The fourth one was taken from chapter 1 of this story.
In case it's never been stated, this story takes place between Duelist Kingdom and Battle City. I realized that as I was looking for episodes to use for memories.
Next up: Kaiba finds something interesting, and we go back to Tokyo.
Please read the note at the end of the chapter. It will explain where the memories come from.
Reviews:
Tsuki Koumori, Dragon Goddess: Thanks for the compliments about the song! I had listened to it a few days before, and knew it'd fit very well. Song fics are fun. I've never really written one, but I started one a little while ago to an Evanescence song and I've had a blast. You should definitely try one. As far as angst vs. humor goes: both are equally hard to write, because it takes talent to make them work. I can't write humor. For me, it always comes out fake for some reason. But it's good to branch out every once in a while.
Morgane: You'll find out about Jomei in this chapter, but will have to wait for the next one to find out about Joey. Sorry!
Lizzy: Yup, Seto's middle name should be 'control freak'. I don't think he knows how to function unless he's in control. Your story isn't incredibly pathetic at all. I thought it was pretty interesting.
Fin-Phoenix: Someone mentioned Shadi to me a long, long time ago, when I first started writing this story. I wish I remembered who it was so I could credit them for the thought. Back then, I didn't think it could work, but the thought stuck in my head until it made sense. Glad you liked it!
Ginger Ninja: You'll have to read the chapter to find out about Jomei *snicker*. You'll have to wait for the next one to find out about Joey. I agree that Seto and Mokuba are cute. I wish they had more scenes together in the show.
Starheart: Thanks for the compliment, I think. :o) My evilish tendencies have gotten worse lately. Glad you liked the chapter.
Adrienne: You're probably going to hate me after this chapter, but Joey's not in it *ducks for cover*. As for that Kano plushie. . . I think I'll keep it to myself for now. I may have use for it later. But when I'm through with it I promise to give it to you.
Amiasha Ruri: Don't be embarrassed. I think Shadi rocks, especially when he helps out our favorite hero. I think he likes being in people's heads. That way they'll stay out of his.
Sorceress Vanessa: *takes cookie and chomps on it greedily* Got any more? Not that I could taste them at the moment, since my nose is all stuffed up *darned sinus infection*. Sorry for the delay, but I hope the chapter is worth it.
Katya: Hey there! Long time no hear from you. I've missed your story too! Any updates coming any time soon? Yikes, reading 10 chapters in one sitting is not easy, since they're so long, but I'm glad you enjoyed them. I still haven't gotten better at the cliffies. It's my muse, really. Thanks for your sympathy about the theft of ideas. It sucks to have it happen, but what can you do?
Hobbit13: Soon? Define soon. Just kidding. The first half of the chapter was written two weeks ago. Then I went out of town, got sick, and it got hopelessly delayed. I hope the wait wasn't too long!
Lady Elfskye: Thanks! I think you're going to be happy with this chapter.
Red*: Thanks! I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter.
Tricia: I think I answered your questions over e-mail. If not, you can always ask.
Kyuugi: I'm glad you liked the chapter and didn't mind the blood and gore all that much. Sometimes, I get carried away. You'll have to wait until next chapter to find out about Joey, but I'll try to get it out soon.
Aura Black Chan: Um. . . kill Jomei? *looks around for weapons that may be aimed at her*. It's a good thing I'm going into hiding at the end of this chapter. Thanks for the review, though! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. And just remember what you said in the review when you finish reading this one, okay?
Dark angel5221: Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.
Vappa: Thanks! I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter, even the violent Kano bits. I hope you like this one as well.
Shitsumon: I think Kaiba puts that in the contract of the people he hires: 'must put up with my constant yelling and ranting. If you agree, sign on the dotted line' or something like that :o) Harris really does care for the brothers, though. Interesting question you brought up. Some memories will feel like they're his, while others won't, if that makes any sense.
Millennia Star: Thanks! I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter.
Digitaldreamer: Jomei is definitely not Yugi, nor is Yugi anything like Jomei, but both memories/personalities are going to be around, so who knows what will happen. Yugi is the stronger personality, though, if that helps at all.
Naomi Silverwolf: Thank you very much!
BlackDragonDiva: *blushing* Thank you very much for your kind words! I'm very glad that you enjoyed the story enough to sit through and read all 160 pages of it at once. I loved the steak analogy, by the way! Very funny, especially since I love steak.
That's it for today. I hope I didn't miss anyone. Thank you all so very much for your support. I'll have more treats next time, when I'm coherent enough to get some. Now on to the story. Enjoy!
**~~**
Part 21: The Past Remembered
Jomei stood in the middle of the enormous room. He was looking at the spot where the robed man had stood until a few minutes ago, trying to figure out who he was and what had happened. He'd been waiting to die, and now had just been told that he couldn't. He wasn't sure if he believed he had actually talked to someone, or if all of this was just a figment of his waning mind.
He looked down at himself again and found that he was still dressed in the pristine uniform. There was not a cut or bruise on him, and he wasn't in pain. He should be. He shuddered at the memory of Kano's attack, the feelings still crystal clear in his mind, but didn't have any of the bruises to show for it anymore. Maybe he'd already died? Could this be where he was meant to reside for the rest of his life? Jomei let out a breath. He wasn't a religious person, but he'd somehow thought that the afterlife consisted of more than just a dusty room with a lot of doors.
"Well, since I don't have much else to do, I might as well explore."
He looked carefully at the doors, noting that some were darker, more protected than others. He wondered why that was. Jomei stepped up to the closest one and laid his hand on the knob. Should he go in there? What if it was a trap?
"What do I have to lose? I'm already dead," he told himself and opened the door.
He came face to face with an empty classroom. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the classroom wasn't entirely empty. A teenager sat by himself in the middle of the room, and Jomei immediately recognized the boy because of the unmistakable hair. Curious at this vision of himself, Jomei stepped inside the room. The door behind him closed, which made Jomei jump. Shrugging, he walked towards the lone teenager. On the way, Jomei bumped into one of the desks, crying out as his knee hit hard. The kid at the other desk didn't even flinch, which led Jomei to believe that he was invisible.
With renewed confidence, Jomei walked faster and got to the boy's desk in time to see him putting away a deck of cards. Jomei didn't know what the kid had been doing with them, since there was no one for him to play with. The kid suddenly smiled, reached into a backpack and took out a golden box.
"In this box lies my treasure, but it's my secret!"
Jomei smiled at the boy's enthusiasm. He couldn't remember ever being that excited about anything.
A blond boy whom Jomei immediately recognized stepped into the room quietly, so as not to disturb the other boy. He felt a pang of guilt and loss at the sight of Joey. What had happened to him?
Joey stepped up to the desk and got the box out of the kid's hands.
"Yugi, what are you staring at? Is this that old thing you said you could see but not see?"
Yugi got up from his desk and reached up for the box. Joey, being much taller, had no difficulty keeping it away.
"Joey, come on, give it back!" Yugi said. He jumped up, but was unable to get the box from Joey.
Joey threw the box to the side, jumped over a row of desks and then easily caught it.
"Do you call this living, Yugi? You spend all your free time in here by yourself. Why don't you come out?" Joey said, his voice mocking. "I'll tell you what, since you look like a man in need of guidance, I'll be more than happy to give it to you. I'll also give you back your box if you come out to the courtyard."
"I don't want to play ball!" Yugi yelled.
Joey put his hands over his ears. "Ah, don't do that! Your voice is annoying."
"Come on, Joey, please give it back," Yugi tried again.
"Hey, Joey, what are you doing?"
Jomei, as well as Joey and Yugi, turned to see Tristan enter the room. He and Joey began to argue, while Yugi tried again to get the box back from Joey.
"What's in this thing anyway?" Joey asked Yugi, ignoring Tristan.
"You can look in it, but don't tell anyone," Yugi replied, smiling again.
Joey looked in the box, and then frowned. "Man, this is boring. I thought it'd be something valuable."
"If you think it's boring, then why don't you give it back? Why don't you two stop picking on Yugi while you're at it? He hasn't done anything to you."
Tea walked into the room, took the box from Joey and gave it back to Yugi. Jomei laughed at the expression on Joey and Tristan's faces. They looked like they were scared of Tea. A girl he didn't recognize, who Tristan addressed as Miho, also came into the room and shortly after, Joey and Tristan both left with her. Tea stayed behind with Yugi, telling him that he had to have a stronger will and stand up to Joey. Yugi blushed and said that Joey wasn't such a bad guy.
Jomei wondered why Yugi and Joey weren't friends. Or if they were, the friendship was one sided, because Joey didn't seem to consider Yugi anything more than someone to torment. Shaking his head, he decided to leave that question for another time. Instead, Jomei stared at Yugi, fascinated. A part of his mind was aware that he was looking at himself, but another felt like Yugi was another, completely different person. Yugi looked very young and he also seemed naïve and trusting, as if he held no ill will towards anyone. He smiled a lot and his eyes shone in merriment. Jomei couldn't picture himself being like that. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had something to smile about, and he'd never had friends to talk to.
Yugi began to tell Tea about the box, which Jomei now realized contained the unassembled pieces of the Millennium Puzzle. Yugi talked about it as if it were a myth, so Jomei had to assume that what he was looking at happened a few years before what he had just lived through. The uniform Yugi was wearing matched the one Jomei had on, so the robed man had been right on at least that one count.
The scene changed, and Jomei was now standing outside of the school. He shook his head in confusion at the sudden change. He wasn't sure how long he'd been in the memory, but it seemed like it had been a while. He looked around, noting that he was in a secluded spot, most likely an alley, a few feet away from the school. He stood around, trying to decide what to do, when he saw Yugi walking towards him. A large boy, wearing a uniform similar to Yugi's, came out of the alley beside Jomei. He intercepted Yugi and dragged him into the alley. Jomei, his stomach in knots, followed.
"What do you have to show me?" Yugi asked.
The boy chuckled. "You should be thrilled about what I've done for you."
Jomei didn't see what was going on, but he did hear Yugi's gasp of surprise. As he got closer, he saw both Tristan and Joey on the ground, bruised and bloody. His eyes widened in surprise, and Yugi continued to stare at the two boys.
"Joey, Tristan!"
The bigger boy held out his hand to stop Yugi from getting close to his classmates.
"How do you like it, Yugi?" he asked. "Since you hired me as your body guard yesterday, it is my job to protect you against bullies. I made sure that these two never got near you again."
Jomei's eyes widened. Had he missed a portion of this memory? When had Yugi hired the big guy as his bodyguard? Somehow, Yugi didn't seem like the type who would do that. Yugi's next statement proved him right.
"No, this can't be. It's a mistake. I would never do that." Yugi ran to Joey and Tristan, and kneeled in front of them. "Are you okay?"
"How could you be so cruel? How could you hire that creep to beat us up?" Joey asked, his voice barely audible, and laced with pain.
"You've got it all wrong, Joey. I would never do this."
"That's enough, Yugi," the big guy said and knocked Yugi down. "I haven't finished protecting you yet."
With that, the guy continued to beat up on Joey and Tristan.
Yugi got up from the floor and got in front of the guy, his arms held out to either side.
"Stop it, that's enough! Don't do this."
"Ah, so you've had a change of heart, eh? I would have thought you'd like the chance to enjoy yourself, make them pay for what they've done to you."
Jomei saw Yugi's face transform into a mask of anger, and he had to admit that it looked foreign on him.
"I don't hurt my friends!" Yugi yelled.
The bully laughed and demanded his payment. Yugi seemed shocked, and Jomei was sure he didn't have the kind of money the bully wanted. Jomei was about to get closer, when the scene changed again.
"Damn it, what is it with this memory? Can't it make up its mind?" Jomei asked no one in particular.
He was again standing in the alley, but this time, the bully was beating Yugi up, demanding payment. Jomei ran over to them and tried to do something, but his hands went right through the bully's body.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
Jomei turned to see Joey and Tristan running up to them.
"Are you little bullies here for a second helping?"
Joey went to Yugi, who was still on the ground. Jomei got closer to them both, and saw how Joey's expression softened when he looked down at Yugi.
"Yugi, hang in there, okay?"
"I really want to finish the puzzle," Yugi whispered.
Both Joey and Jomei turned to where Yugi's bag had fallen open, and the completed puzzle, minus the last piece, lay on the ground in front of the bag. Joey smiled bitterly, placed a puzzle piece inside Yugi's outstretched hand, and then closed Yugi's fingers around it. Jomei didn't know how Joey had come to have the last piece, but it was clear that he felt guilty about having taken it. Angry, he got up and rushed the bully. Tristan did the same, but they were no match for the bully, who beat them both up. All Jomei could do was stand helplessly and watch.
Yugi shifted a little and raised his head. He saw Joey and Tristan on the ground, and then turned to look at his hand. When he opened it, the last piece was in his palm. He struggled to get to the puzzle, and inserted the last piece in. There was a blinding glow, and before Jomei knew it, he was outside in the dark room with all the doors again. He was on the ground, and he ached, as if he'd been the one that had just been beaten. He lifted his hand to his face, shivering at the cold sensation he got from it. It was as if he could feel the puzzle piece resting in his hand.
"Yugi, even though we're different, I have to thank you."
Jomei was startled by Joey's voice. He looked around, but didn't see Joey anywhere. He closed his eyes and saw Joey standing next to a wall, hands in his pockets, face still bruised from the beating. He smiled, and Jomei felt incredible happiness that the smile was directed at him. Jomei felt himself smile as well, even though the movement of his lips hurt the bruises around his mouth. He didn't care. Joey was being friendly with him, that's all that mattered.
He opened his eyes and lifted his hand to his mouth. Nope, there were no bruises. The pain he'd felt was also gone. He frowned. He hadn't just seen that last part, he'd actually experienced it. Could it be that he was remembering?
With renewed confidence at the small glimmer of hope, Jomei got up and walked to another door. He didn't pay much attention to it, simply opened it and went inside.
"Grandpa, grandpa!"
Yugi was kneeling in front of a blank television set, his hands on either side of it, yelling. Joey, who was sitting behind him, shook his head as if coming out of a trance, and went to Yugi. They were all sitting in the living room of the Moto's house, but Jomei had no idea what was going on.
"Yugi, what's wrong? Grandpa is right here."
Joey turned to look beside him and Jomei saw that Mr. Moto was lying on the ground, unconscious.
"Grandpa? What's the matter?"
Joey went over to the older man, but got no response. Tea and Tristan, who were also in the room, simply looked from one to the other. They didn't know what was going on either. Yugi was still by the television, but he had stopped yelling. Tears fell down his cheeks, and he looked heartbroken.
"Yugi, what happened? What's wrong?"
Joey pried Yugi away from the television and turned him so that they could all see his face. Tea walked over to them and put her arms around Yugi. Yugi buried his face on her shoulder and sobbed. Tea gently ran her hand up and down Yugi's back, while she shot worried glances at Joey and Tristan.
"He took him. He took my grandpa's soul," Yugi finally said.
He pulled away from Tea and walked over to his grandfather.
"Who took your grandpa's soul?" Tristan asked.
Yugi sniffled, and wiped the tears off his face. "Pegasus. We dueled, and I lost. He said that he wanted to test me, and that he'd like to duel me again," Yugi continued, his voice rushed as he ran his hands over his grandfather's hair. "I told him that I wouldn't cooperate, and he took my grandfather's soul to make sure that I would."
Jomei was very confused now. Who was Pegasus and how could he take someone's soul away? Besides, he'd seen Mr. Moto. The older man had seemed fine to Jomei.
"We didn't see Pegasus, Yugi. If he wasn't here, how could the two of you have dueled?" Tristan asked.
Yugi wiped his cheeks as he shook his head. "He wasn't here, Tristan. I don't know how to explain it, but I know that it has something to do with a millennium item, like my puzzle, that he has. I think it's what lets him take people's souls. He said he'd keep my grandpa's soul until I dueled him again."
Jomei was very confused, but he couldn't exactly ask any of them for an explanation.
"It'll be okay, Yugi. We'll get your grandpa's soul back, I promise."
A bright flash of light, and once again, Jomei found himself standing outside in the dusty room. He wanted to see more of that memory, but couldn't remember what door he'd come out of. He had a terrible feeling of loss that he couldn't explain. "When am I supposed to get out of here?" he asked himself, looking at the many doors that were available for him to look into. "Am I supposed to go through all of them?"
Deciding that he had no other choice but to keep looking, he walked to yet another door and opened it.
He found himself on a tower; directly in front of him were two people playing the game Seto had been telling him about, Duel Monsters. With a jolt, Jomei realized that this was what he'd seen in his vision as he'd ridden the bus in Tokyo: Seto standing behind a rotting three headed dragon. What he hadn't seen in the vision then was Yami standing across from Seto behind a wall of small, fury monsters, smirking.
"Once again, your attack has failed Kaiba. My defense holds and you have no other strategy to use against me. Your time has run out. You should never have challenged me, Kaiba. Even now, my mammoth takes another 1200 points from your dragon. Even my weakest monsters can destroy it now."
Jomei turned to Seto, who looked shocked and a little desperate. It was odd seeing that expression on Seto's face, since Jomei knew him to be collected and cool at all times. He was quiet for a long moment, his expression far away, as if looking at something only he could see. Yami's expression changed as well, becoming serious and puzzled. They both stood there for a moment, until Yami spoke.
"This is it, Kaiba. Prepare to meet your demise."
He pulled on a small disk, put something on it, and then threw it back. Once the disk had landed on the floor, a flash of light followed, and then a figure appeared. It was the same one from that card he had, the Celtic Guardian. Jomei could feel the tension in the area as tick as fog.
"Celtic Guardian, attack Ultimate Dragon," Yami yelled.
The monster did as instructed and cut off the head of one of Seto's rotting dragons.
"All right!"
Startled, Jomei turned to one side and only then realized that Joey, Tristan, Bakura, and Tea were also present. They all seemed very happy that Yami was about to win the duel. Tristan and Bakura talked about what was happening to the dragon, but Jomei paid no attention. He was focused on Yami's satisfied smirk and Seto's look of utter disbelief.
"Yugi, it can't end this way," Seto finally said, his voice calm. "If I don't beat you in this duel, Pegasus will keep Mokuba prisoner forever. I can't let that happen. Even though I don't have a card that can keep you from attacking, I think I still have a strategy that will stop you in your tracks."
"What do you mean?" Yami asked.
"I'm going to force your hand and win this battle, Yugi."
Seto started to walk backwards without looking where he was going. Jomei watched, fascinated, as Seto climbed up one of the spikes of the tower, the wind flapping his long coat around his legs.
"Kaiba, stop this!" Yami yelled when he realized what Seto was doing.
"What's going on? Does Kaiba really think that a cheap stunt is going to keep Yugi from winning the match and saving his grandpa?" Joey asked.
'His grandpa,' Jomei repeated in his head. Seto had mentioned that Pegasus had taken Mokuba, so this memory must be of how Yugi got his grandfather back. He didn't really understand what was going on, but seeing that Seto was willing to do anything to make sure he won the duel for his brother was enough to let him know that he and Yami weren't just playing a game. A lot more was at stake than just winning or losing.
"Your move, Yugi. You can attack my blue eyes again and wipe out my remaining life points, but if you do, the resulting shockwave might cause me to lose my balance."
"Don't tempt me!" Yami replied.
"My fate is completely in you hands, Yugi. You'll decide this duel one way or another. Of course, if you don't surrender, I might be hurt. You wouldn't want that, would you?"
"Stop it, Kaiba, you know this is dangerous," Tea yelled.
"Kaiba's bluffing," Joey said. "Come on, drop this cheap ploy and get down from that ledge and play fair. You know that Yugi doesn't want to hurt you."
Seto only chuckled.
"He knows," Bakura said, "he's counting on Yugi to surrender."
"He can't do that," Joey replied. "If he loses to Kaiba, he won't get into the castle to save his grandpa."
"I'm warning you Kaiba, don't push me too far," Yami said. "I must win to rescue my grandfather."
"And I must win this duel to rescue Mokuba," Seto countered. "The difference is that I'm willing to risk anything to do it. You know I can stand up here all day, Yugi, and I'm certain that you won't make any attacks for fear that you may knock me off, even though you know by not attacking, you give up the only chance you have of saving your grandpa, which means that I have the advantage over you, because there's nothing holding me back."
Jomei looked from one to the other, noting the determination on both of their faces. He suddenly felt scared for Seto and scared for himself, too. He felt as if he were being given a choice that he couldn't possibly make. Seto drew a card from his deck and by the expression on his face Jomei knew that it was something he had been waiting for.
"Ah, a magic card," Seto said, "Reborn the Monster, which I'll use to resurrect the blue eyes head that was just destroyed by your guardian."
"What? Restore a head of the blue eyes?"
At the moment the words left Yami's mouth, a heart wrenching screech could be heard as one of the dragon heads roared to life.
"Now, one of my blue eyes with its normal attack strength of 3000 has been reborn. With all of your Kuribohs in defense mode I couldn't touch you. Since you put an attack monster on the field, I can take out the rest of your life points, which I'll do next turn. Two of the Ultimate Dragon's heads are still weakened, but the third can take out your guardian in a breath. Our life points are equal, Yugi. Strike now, if you dare, otherwise next turn, I swear I'll take you down."
Jomei wanted to go over to Seto and shake sense into him. He could tell that Joey and the others wanted to do the same. Yami, on the other hand, seemed furious. Jomei could tell from having met the spirit that he didn't like being challenged, and maybe this was why he and Seto didn't get along. Actually, Seto didn't get along with any of Yugi's friends. Was this where the rivalry started, or did it start long before? Jomei shook his head. He had so many questions and not enough answers.
"Surrender, Yugi, unless you have the courage to unleash your attack."
"Kaiba, you bastard!" Jomei yelled.
Something inside him ripped open, flooding his senses with feelings and memories he hadn't had before. He staggered at the intensity of it, but ended up focusing only on the disappointment and pain he felt for what Kaiba was doing to him.
"You're playing with my sympathy for you, counting on my kindness in order to get your way."
He felt tears falling out of the corner of his eyes. He turned to Yami, already knowing what he would do, already feeling what it was like to lose control, to watch the attack happen without his consent. It was then that Jomei realized that he remembered. Without having to see the rest of this scene, he knew what would happen. He knew he'd have to fight Yami to keep him from killing Kaiba. He knew that this moment would make him doubt himself for many nights to come, would make him doubt Yami and what their relationship meant to both of them. He couldn't stand to watch the memory anymore, but he didn't have a choice.
'I must.'
'I can't'
Jomei closed his eyes, and heard the conversation he'd had with Yami at that moment.
'We must'
'No, it's not right. There must be another way.'
'There isn't.'
"Kaiba, I've never backed away, and I'm not starting now," Yami finally said. "Celtic Guardian, attack!"
"No, Yami, don't!" Jomei yelled, running towards where Yami was standing.
"Yugi, you can't!" Tea yelled as well. "You can't take this risk, call him back."
She and Jomei began running towards the same place, but Jomei was only a spectator and had no say in what happened.
"Yugi, you can't do this, you can't. This isn't like you, you've got to stop. Yugi!"
Jomei stopped running and focused on Yami. This was the moment he had wrestled control of his body away from Yami. It had physically hurt, as well as the damage it had done to him mentally. He wanted to see what it'd been like on the outside, since he already knew how it'd felt on the inside. He saw Yami's face contort in what could have been pain or rage, before his own face became visible, a mask of pain, tears already running down his cheeks. He fell to his knees, head bowed.
"STOP!"
The word had been torn from his throat, and it sounded as wounded and vulnerable as he'd felt when he'd uttered it. He heard the clink as the sword struck the ground and knew that his guardian had halted his attack. He saw himself on his hands and knees, shaking from the effort of regaining control. The ragged breaths he was taking were quick and full of pain.
"Couldn't do it, huh?"
If he hadn't been so far away, he would have walked over to Kaiba and hit him. How could he be so insensitive? Why was he so uncaring?
"White lightning attack!"
The blue eyes roared, and Jomei didn't have to look back to know that his guardian had been destroyed. He heard himself sobbing, and couldn't take another step. His whole body was trembling, and he remembered feeling as if he'd been torn in two. It had been so close, so terribly close.
The scene changed, and he'd never been more grateful to be out of a memory as he was at that moment. He dropped to his knees and wept. Even though he knew everything had worked out in the end, that one duel would forever haunt him. It would forever signify his weakness, and the fact that his enemies knew how to take advantage of it.
"It is done."
Yugi jerked his head up and found Shadi standing in front of him once again. They were in the hallway that separated his soul room from Yami's, and he remembered everything. He remembered his life as Yugi and still remembered his life as Jomei. He shivered as the conflicting thoughts and emotions hit him all at once. He had to separate them somehow, but at the moment, he had no idea how.
"You are yourself again, but there is one more thing you must see."
Shadi was pointing towards a dark door, and Yugi had a feeling that he didn't want to go in there. The one memory he didn't have, the event that ended his life as Yugi and began his life as Jomei was behind that door, and he didn't want to see it. He looked up to find that Shadi was gone once again. He got up, wiped his tears, and began walking towards the door. When he got there, he put his hand on the handle and felt an incredibly wave of loss hit him. When he tried to walk away from it, he found that he was rooted to the spot, stuck to the door. Before he knew it, the door had opened of its own accord and he found himself inside his room on the night he'd been kidnapped.
He saw the man enter the room and head directly towards his bed. He saw himself struggle helplessly with the intruder until he was drugged. He felt helpless as he watched the scene, reliving the terror and desperation he'd felt that night, the disappointment in himself for not being stronger. He saw Yami appear and felt incredible relief; relief that was short lived when he realized that he couldn't make it to the desk to put on the puzzle. He'd wanted to, more than anything, but his body had weakened, betraying him. It had been just another indication of how weak he was, of how he needed constant supervision. He'd wanted so badly to have been able to take care of himself, to show Yami that he could, to make him proud. But he hadn't been able to do so. He'd collapsed and had allowed the man to take him.
Yugi put his hands up to his face, unwilling to see any more. Images invaded his mind, vividly appearing in rapid succession. He remembered asking Yami for help when he had been at the warehouse. He heard himself chanting the names of his friends in order to retain a small piece of himself. He saw himself giving in to his weakness, letting the drug take him away from those that he loved. He saw Asami beating him because he was weak and couldn't follow instructions. He saw Kano try to rape him, and he heard himself asking Shadow to let him die. He heard Joey yelling his name, demanding to know where he was being taken. He'd dragged Joey down into his hell, and he would forever pay the price for it.
"Stop it, stop it!"
He said the words over and over until it was all he could hear, until he'd drowned out the sounds of his own screaming. A bright light flared in his mind, blocking out the painful memories. The light turned to dark in an instant, and Yugi was more than happy to let it take him.
**~~**
"What are you doing?"
Dante looked up to find one of the outside guards looking at him.
"I'm disposing of this, as Shadow instructed." He held the body out so that the guard could see it.
"Wow, he's one of the worst ones I've seen. How old is he anyway, he looks like a kid."
Dante shrugged. "He was a teenager, I think. He won't be growing up any more, though."
The guard chuckled. "Yeah, he looks pretty dead. What happened to him?"
"Kano got to him, tried to rape him, I think. You know how crazy Kano is. I guess the kid couldn't take it."
"Where did Shadow tell you to dispose of him?"
Dante chuckled. "He didn't, but I think the ocean is a nice place for a dead boy, don't you?"
The guard laughed. "Are you sure he's dead?"
"With a face like this, who'd doubt it?"
Dante looked down at the blood covered face. The lips were blue and the skin was cold and clammy. The wild, tri colored hair hung limp, and in Dante's mind, there was no doubt that the kid was dead.
"So you're just going to throw him in the ocean?"
"Sure. The currents will carry the body to the bottom and nature will do the rest."
Dante walked to the end of the dock and held the body out. He took one more look at it, shrugged, and then threw it into the water.
"Rest in peace."
**~~**
*hiding behind monitor and not coming out for a week*
Note on the memories: The first one was an edited portion of episode 1 of the first series. The events were edited, but the dialogue that I did use was kept the same. Well, the same as the subtitles, at least. The second was not directly from an episode, but took place during episode 1 of the second series. The third one was the last part of episode 23 of the second series. The fourth one was taken from chapter 1 of this story.
In case it's never been stated, this story takes place between Duelist Kingdom and Battle City. I realized that as I was looking for episodes to use for memories.
Next up: Kaiba finds something interesting, and we go back to Tokyo.