Greetings *waves as she tries to see if there are any readers left. Stops
waving when she realizes that there's no one out there*
Oops! Yes, I know, it's been all of two and a half months since I last updated this story, but I have a very good reason (and no, it's not writer's block). My school schedule this semester is driving me insane. I have never had so much homework to do in my life. I swear that all of my programming assignments are going to send me to the grave early. That's part of the problem. After spending hours and hours trying to get a stupid program to work, the last thing I want to do is spend more time on my computer... sigh. Okay, enough complaining: my schooling is worth the lack of sleep and lack of time to write. I'm on spring break now (not much of a break since I still have to work) so I have some time to write. I'm going to try to update my other two stories before I go back to school and once again have no time.
Thank you all for the wonderful reviews!! New readers, welcome to my wonderful world of madness and mayhem. Older readers, I'm glad that you're still around and putting up with me. I hope that you'll be around through to the end. I won't answer to replies this time due to time constraints, but know that I appreciate every one of your reviews.
My apologies in advance for any and all grammar, spelling, and other errors. The chapter was written in a hurry and proofread only once, so it's not perfect. Hopefully it'll at least be entertaining. Now, on to the story!
**~~**
Part 26: Shattered Reflections
The night was dark and quiet. The ship's deck was illuminated only by the full moon in the sky, bathing everything in eerie shadow. The ocean breeze flowed through the ship, caressing everything it its wake.
Yugi shivered as the cold, night breeze blew open the thin jacket he'd borrowed from Ryou, and then winced as that simple action brought back all the aches and pains in his battered body. He huddled deeper into the jacket, but the thin material was no match for the winds. He supposed he should move deeper into the ship, find a cubby hole where he could hide for the night, but he didn't want to. He had tried, but the closed in space had made him hyperventilate, which had led to his escape to where he now sat, next to the railing with his feet dangling over the edge of the ship.
The sounds of the ocean brought back horrific memories of his time in the water. He didn't remember everything, but he remembered enough to know that he'd been lucky to have made it anywhere near shore again. He shivered again, barely holding back a groan.
Bakura had skillfully sneaked him onboard the ship in no time, making Yugi wonder just how much sneaking around the spirit did in his spare time. There had been a moment of panic when Ryou's father had yelled something which sounded suspiciously like 'hey, you, with the weird hair', but Ryou had come to the rescue and Mr. Bakura had not come after Yugi. The spirit had left him in a storage room in the upper levels of the ship, where supplies were kept, saying that no one but the crew visited that area, and that was only in the early morning to get ready for the day. Yugi figured he had the entire night to roam around, before having to climb into the box Bakura had told him to hide in.
Yugi sighed. Talking to Yami had felt so good. He'd missed the spirit of the puzzle more than he'd realized, and having that calm and soothing presence near him again had done more for his stability than anything else. Yugi felt a small pang of guilt as he remembered the conversation he'd had with Yami, in which he'd explained everything that had happened. He had told Yami everything he needed to know, but not everything that had happened. Even though Yami was essentially the other half of him, Yugi hadn't felt it necessary to tell him everything. Yami was more than likely to get mad at those that had hurt him, and Yugi didn't have the strength to keep Yami calm right now. Besides, Yugi wanted nothing more than to forget those horrible experiences, and telling Yami wasn't going to make that happen.
A hand on his shoulder made Yugi jump, and he was halfway to his feet, his hands up in a position to strike back, when he realized that it was Ryou who had touched him. The moon glinted nicely off his white hair, which made him visible to Yugi. Ryou released Yugi's shoulder, took a step back, and held his hands out in a gesture of peace.
"Sorry, Yugi, I didn't mean to startle you."
Yugi took deep breaths to calm his racing heart, before attempting to give his friend a smile.
"It's okay. Sorry for overreacting."
Ryou looked around the darkened deck and shivered. "It's pretty cold out here, Yugi. Why don't you come with me?"
Yugi shook his head. "I don't want to go back to where Bakura took me, Ryou. I'm okay out here for now. I'll go back in the morning before anyone sees me."
"No, I'm not taking you back there, just come with me."
Ryou took a hold of Yugi's arm and began to drag him inside, where the corridor that led to the rooms was. Yugi stopped in his tracks and pulled his arm out of Ryou's grasp.
"What are you doing? I don't want to get caught," Yugi hissed, looking around as if people were lurking in the shadows.
Ryou smiled. "Its okay, Yugi, trust me."
Yugi swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. Part of him wanted to run away, not content to trust anyone but himself. The other part, however, had already trusted Ryou and Bakura to bring him on board. If they'd wanted to hurt him, they would have already done so.
"Okay," Yugi said and followed Ryou into the corridor.
They walked quickly and when they were halfway down the corridor, Ryou took a card key out of his pocket and opened one of the rooms. He motioned Yugi to enter before him, but Yugi hesitated. Why were they inside the ship? At this rate, someone was going to see him and know that he'd snuck on board. What would they do to him then? Would they send him back?
"My goodness, child, you look horrible."
Yugi stopped dead in his tracks, his jaw dropping open as he saw Mr. Bakura sitting in one of the cozy chairs in what looked to be the living area of the room. The elder Bakura stood up and walked to Yugi, scrutinizing him the entire way.
"Ryou told me you'd been through some rough times, but I didn't imagine it being this bad."
Confused, feeling as if he'd been dropped on his head, Yugi turned to look questioningly at Ryou.
"Dad saw when Bakura snuck you on board, Yugi. I tried to play it off, but he wouldn't believe me so I had to tell him the truth."
Yugi's heart stopped momentarily in shock and fear. He looked up at Ryou's father, afraid of what he'd see in the older man's eyes. The man smiled kindly at him, however.
"Don't worry, Yugi, I'm not going to turn you in," Mr. Bakura said. "I'm not happy with what Ryou did, or what you did, but what's done is done. You can stay here and share Ryou's room for the remainder of the trip, but as soon as we get to New York, I'm sending you back to Japan. Is that understood, young man?"
Yugi nodded mutely. What else could he say? While he appreciated not being turned in, he wasn't about to get sent back to Japan. Even though he didn't have to find Joey in America, he still had to find Shadow and keep the man from doing any more harm.
"Now, you look like you could use a hot bath and a hot meal. Ryou, take Yugi to your room so he can get a hot bath. There's a first aid kit in the bathroom if you need new bandages, Yugi, and I'm sure some of Ryou's clothes can fit you. While you're doing that, I'll get us dinner. How's that?"
"Okay, dad," Ryou smiled, and took Yugi's arm to lead him deeper into the large quarters.
When they were out of hearing range of Mr. Bakura, Ryou sighed.
"I'm so sorry, Yugi. I couldn't convince him that he was imagining things so I had to tell him the truth. I know that you have no plans on going back to Japan, so just humor my dad until we get to New York. You can take off on your own when we land."
Yugi nodded, slightly relieved. At least Ryou still understood why he had to do what he was doing.
"You're too weak, brat."
The insult came as a surprise, and it made Yugi jump slightly.
"For Ra's sake, Pharaoh's brat, it's just me. When did you get to be so jumpy?"
Yugi tightened his fist in anger.
"You should know, tomb robber. What was it like for you when you got beaten to a bloody pulp after you got caught robbing the king's tombs?" Yugi retorted.
Bakura's eyes darkened and he stepped a little closer to Yugi. "Watch your mouth, brat. We both know how easy it is for me to take over Ryou and do some serious damage."
"You do that, thief, and you will spend a not so comfortable eternity in the shadow realm," Yami said, appearing beside Yugi.
Bakura laughed. "Ah, so the pharaoh is back once again. Too bad, I rather liked it when you were stuck in that puzzle."
Yugi stepped away from the two bickering spirits. He didn't have the energy or inclination to put up with them, not when he had to figure out how to give Mr. Bakura the slip once they got to New York. His English was okay. He'd been taking English since his first year in high school and had done quite well with it. He'd never gotten a chance to practice it with Americans, but he figured that now was as good a time as any.
"The bathroom is this way," Ryou said. "Let's leave them to bicker in peace."
Yugi nodded. A hot bath sounded like an incredibly good idea at the moment.
**~~**
Seto Kaiba gently closed his brother's bedroom door, sighing in relief that the boy had finally gone to sleep. It had taken him half the day to reassure him that the divers had not found Yugi's body in the ocean, which meant that there was still hope for the younger duelist. After Mr. Moto explained to them about the key they'd found, Kaiba was more convinced that for some reason, by some miracle, Yugi had survived his ordeal in the warehouse. It had made it easier to convince Mokuba and get him to go to sleep.
Once he'd arrived back at the game shop, Joey and Mr. Moto had told him about the key, and about the broken lamp they'd found. To Kaiba, both incidents seemed too related to be a coincidence. If Yugi had gone home, something or someone had prevented him from going inside and waiting for the rest of them. For that reason, Kaiba had packed everyone up and brought them to the mansion. Mr. Moto and Joey had both been given rooms and should be sound asleep by now, which gave Kaiba plenty of opportunity for some late night thinking and planning.
He walked downstairs to the lower den, where he usually went to think. The room had been one of Gozaburo's favorites as a place to drink and unwind, which is why Kaiba had completely redone the room once Gozaburo had died. He'd lined the walls with bookshelves, removed all of Gozaburo's furnishings in favor of his own, more modern ones, but had not removed the small bar in one corner. Kaiba was not much of a drinker, but once in a while, on nights like this, he felt the need to unwind and take the edge off with a small sip of alcohol. He expected the room to be empty, since it was nearly 2 in the morning, but as he neared it, he saw light coming from inside. Frowning in annoyance, he slowly walked up to the door to see who had dared intrude into his private room. What he saw as he reached the door made his blood boil.
"What do you plan on doing, drinking yourself into oblivion?" Kaiba snarled as he saw the occupant reaching for one of the bottles. "I guess I should be grateful you didn't just sneak out to go meet with your hooker."
Wheeler turned, his face a mask of anger and indignation. Underneath it all, however, Kaiba thought he detected a little embarrassment.
"I don't owe you any explanations, Kaiba."
"You're a guest in my house, Wheeler. Of course you owe me an explanation. Besides, you're too young to be drinking."
Wheeler laughed, but stepped away from the bar. "So are you, Kaiba. Don't tell me you just came by to sit and stare at the walls."
Kaiba had no answer to that, so he gave none. He glared at Wheeler, hoping that the teen would take the hint and leave, but he didn't. Instead, he plopped down on one of the couches and put his feet up on the cushions.
"That's Italian leather, Wheeler. Put your feet on the floor," Kaiba snapped. When Wheeler didn't do as he'd been told, Kaiba walked by and pulled Wheeler's feet off the couch.
"So, why do you keep a bar around if you don't drink?" Wheeler asked.
Kaiba shrugged. He sat on the opposite couch, determined to get rid of Wheeler as soon as possible so he could be alone to think.
"This was my adoptive father's room. He kept the bar stocked," Kaiba answered.
Wheeler nodded. "My old man drinks too. That's where I got the habit."
Kaiba's eyes widened and Wheeler seemed almost embarrassed by what he'd said. The other teen looked away and began to pick on a loose thread on his shirt.
"Just because he drank doesn't mean you have to," Kaiba said.
"Yeah, but it sure as hell makes it easier, doesn't it, Kaiba?"
Kaiba had to agree that Wheeler had a point. If Gozaburo had never kept the alcohol around, he never would have been inclined to know what it was and therefore taste it. He supposed that he was no better than his adoptive father in that regard, because Mokuba could come in here one day and wonder what the stuff was, or want to try it for himself.
"It seemed so easy, you know. My dad drinks almost every day. He forgets about everything and everyone when he drinks and I just wanted to know what it was like," Wheeler said despite the fact that Kaiba hadn't answered his question.
Kaiba raised an eyebrow and looked at Wheeler, whose head was bent. He then looked at the bar, and remembered quite a few nights after Yugi had disappeared for the first time when he'd come in here and used the alcohol to forget his own sorrows. Despite his better judgment, he found himself responding to Wheeler's words.
"It was what happened with Yugi, wasn't it? Is that when you started associating with that hooker? She got you the alcohol." The last part was a statement, not a question, because Kaiba had no doubt that's what she would have been doing for Wheeler. If it was simply sex Wheeler had wanted, he could have gotten it from any number of teenaged girls at school.
Wheeler didn't immediately reply. He sat with his head down, staring at the floor. His shoulders tensed, and he clenched his fists. Kaiba was beginning to think that the other boy wasn't going to reply to the question, when Wheeler looked up, his face clouded with barely contained rage and self loathing.
"If you weren't such a cold hearted bastard, Kaiba, you'd know what it was like to feel guilty over not being able to save a friend."
Wheeler's voice was like ice, burning Kaiba with its intensity. Anger quickly rose to the surface, and Kaiba clenched his own hands in response.
"I grew up in an environment where emotions would get you hurt. Just because I don't react to my emotions doesn't mean I don't have them," Kaiba ground out from between clenched teeth. He forced his mouth open slightly before he did permanent damage to his jaw.
"Oh, really?" Wheeler smirked, his face contorting in disbelief. "Do tell me, oh mighty Kaiba. What could you have possibly suffered growing up in a place like this?"
Kaiba's first instinct was to defend himself, to tell Wheeler that what he saw around them had come with a price, but he shut his mouth before the words could leave it. No one would ever know what had happened in this house, away from the public eye. He and Mokuba had made a pact to keep it a secret between them, and he wasn't about to let Wheeler in on it.
"Feel free to think whatever you want, Wheeler. The point of this is that drowning your sorrows in alcohol and bedding a hooker didn't bring Yugi back. Getting drunk now isn't going to bring him back this time either."
Wheeler got off the couch and stood in front of Kaiba.
"You don't know the first thing about me," he spat, his face reddened in anger. "You can sit there in your expensive suit and in that expensive couch and lecture me about right and wrong, but you don't have the first clue about what it's like to grow up with a drunk for a father, or a life full of pain and uncertainty. I would go out into the real world and experience that, before I started to lecture others."
With that, Wheeler turned on his heel and stalked out of the room. Kaiba stared after him long after he'd disappeared from view. He felt empty, alone, as he hadn't felt in a long time. Most of the time, he could care less about what people thought of him. Right now, however, he wished that just one person could see beyond his cold exterior into the wounded boy underneath. It would be nice to be able to relax around someone who wouldn't judge him and take him for who he was. It was one of the reasons he had always found himself drawn to Yugi. Yugi had never assumed anything about him, had never judged him, and had just accepted him for whom and what he was. No one else had ever done that for him, and Kaiba missed it.
He looked around the now empty room and out into the hallway beyond the door. He was glad for what he had. He had worked hard and paid dearly for it, because he'd wanted a better life for himself and his brother. He wondered, though, whether it had been worth it.
**~~**
"You should be grateful to me, you know."
Yami raised a slender eyebrow, amused at the thief's tone.
"I saved the runt's life. If he'd gone into that house, he would have been captured again. Not only that, but I retrieved the puzzle for him. If not for me, you'd still be stuck inside it."
As much as Yami hated to admit it, Bakura did have a point. He'd be dammed if he let the spirit know that, though.
"I'm sure you didn't do it out of the goodness of your heart, Bakura. You want something out of this," Yami said.
Bakura's eyes widened slightly, before his expression returned to his typical haughty smirk. They had gone outside to argue in peace shortly after Ryou and Yugi had announced that they were going to bed. Both teens had been sleeping with their Millennium Items, so arguing in close proximity would have woken them up.
"Of course I want something, Pharaoh. You'll just have to wait to find out what it is."
Yami shook his head, already tired of the thief's pointless banter. He wanted to talk to Yugi more in depth, because he'd felt as if there was something between them, a distance he couldn't quite get across. It was as if Yugi were keeping things from him. He wasn't given a chance to mull over that train of thought, because Ryou came rushing outside, his eyes wide with fright.
"Yami, you have to come with me. Yugi's having a nightmare and I can't wake him up!"
Yami immediately ran back inside to see about his partner. When he reached Yugi, he saw the boy tossing in bed, his hands held up in front of him as if he were pushing someone away. He tried to talk to Yugi, but the boy wasn't hearing anything but what was in his mind.
"I'm going to go into the puzzle and see if I can reach him through there," Yami said.
Without waiting for a reply, he willed himself inside the puzzle. He raced out of his soul room and into Yugi's soul room. It took him a full minute to realize that Yugi's soul room was different. Instead of the usual décor, Yami found himself staring at himself.
The previously cluttered room was now empty, devoid of furnishings and toys. The walls had been replaced with mirrors, so that no matter where Yami turned, he saw a reflection of himself. Yugi was nowhere to be found. Yami walked to one of the mirrors and put his hand on it. He immediately removed it, however, when extreme cold greeted his touch.
"Yugi, are you here?"
Instead of a reply, Yami heard soft sobbing. He turned in search of the sound, but found the room still empty.
"Stop! Please, let me go!"
The mirror to Yami's right suddenly came to life, displaying an image of Yugi, face down on the floor with something covering him. The object was in shadows, and Yami couldn't tell if it was a person or an object. As soon as the image had appeared, it was gone, and Yami was left to once again stare at his reflection.
What had happened? Who had Yugi been yelling at?
"We'll finish what we started, Jomei. I have no doubt we'll both be pleased afterwards."
Another mirror came to life, this time displaying the image of a boy Yami did not recognize. He was older, taller, and bigger than Yugi was, and had an expression of cruel amusement on his face. The image quickly disappeared again, and Yami shook his head, confused but desperately trying to put the pieces together.
"Yugi, where are you? I want to help you, so please let me. Talk to me!"
"You can't help me, Joey, no one can. This is my problem and I'm sorry for dragging you into it."
Yugi's voice, but at the same time, it wasn't Yugi's voice. It contained a detachment, a coldness, which Yami had never heard in Yugi's voice before. As expected, the mirror in front of him came to life, this time showing him a picture of a bound Joey, sitting on the floor of a warehouse. Joey looked frightened and worried about something.
"Yugi please, let me help you," Yami said again, but Yugi did not appear.
A part of Yugi wanted help, which was why his soul room was giving him these brief glimpses into Yugi's memory. Yugi's consciousness, however, wanted desperately to keep this sealed from Yami and from himself, which is why the soul room had transformed. Mirrors bounced images back. Yugi couldn't face and deal with memories he couldn't see. That alone set Yami's nerves on edge. Whatever had happened had seriously wounded his young partner, and he had to get to it, get to Yugi, before the memories destroyed the kindness in Yugi's heart.
"Help me! Someone please help me!"
The last mirror came to life, showing a battered Yugi crawling away from something. Yugi was pulled backward and flipped onto his back. The terror on Yugi's face made Yami's heart race and his hands clench in anger. Who had hurt his partner? What had they done to him?
As the image faded, Yami rushed to the mirror and put his hands on the surface, ignoring the pain the cold brought him. He tried to keep the image from fading, but was unsuccessful. He pounded on the now lifeless mirror, a growl of frustration leaving his throat.
"Please, Yugi, let me help you," Yami yelled. "You don't have to go through this alone."
The mirror rippled, and Yami found himself staring not at his reflection, but at Yugi. The younger teen was bloodied, his clothing ripped to shreds. His eyes, usually bright and expressive, were dull and his expression was one of defeat and acceptance.
"You can't help me, Yami. No one can help me."
The room was suddenly flooded with light, and a crack appeared from the top of the mirror. The crack descended until it had cut Yugi's reflection in half. The two distorted sides of the image grew, and Yami could see silent tears falling down Yugi's cheeks.
"Stay away from me, Yami. You won't like what you're going to find."
The mirror shattered, sending Yami flying backwards. He brought his arms up to cover his face, but the shards of the mirror imbedded themselves into his arms instead. When the noise died down, Yami lowered his arms to find that all of the mirrors in the room had shattered, leaving Yugi's previously blue walls shredded and torn. The furniture in the room was back, but it was destroyed. Yugi's deck sat on the floor in the middle of the destruction. The top card was face up, displaying the Dark Magician. The card had been ripped in half, just like Yugi's reflection had been. Yami picked up the deck and shuddered when half of the deck remained on the floor. Something had cut through the entire deck, leaving the cards mutilated and destroyed.
"Oh, Yugi, what happened to you and why won't you tell me?"
Yami cradled the deck in his hands. He had a feeling that it was going to take a long time to resolve this.
**~~**
Ahhh, poor, confused Yami. I seem to like him poor and confused. I wonder why that is? Thanks for reading!
Oops! Yes, I know, it's been all of two and a half months since I last updated this story, but I have a very good reason (and no, it's not writer's block). My school schedule this semester is driving me insane. I have never had so much homework to do in my life. I swear that all of my programming assignments are going to send me to the grave early. That's part of the problem. After spending hours and hours trying to get a stupid program to work, the last thing I want to do is spend more time on my computer... sigh. Okay, enough complaining: my schooling is worth the lack of sleep and lack of time to write. I'm on spring break now (not much of a break since I still have to work) so I have some time to write. I'm going to try to update my other two stories before I go back to school and once again have no time.
Thank you all for the wonderful reviews!! New readers, welcome to my wonderful world of madness and mayhem. Older readers, I'm glad that you're still around and putting up with me. I hope that you'll be around through to the end. I won't answer to replies this time due to time constraints, but know that I appreciate every one of your reviews.
My apologies in advance for any and all grammar, spelling, and other errors. The chapter was written in a hurry and proofread only once, so it's not perfect. Hopefully it'll at least be entertaining. Now, on to the story!
**~~**
Part 26: Shattered Reflections
The night was dark and quiet. The ship's deck was illuminated only by the full moon in the sky, bathing everything in eerie shadow. The ocean breeze flowed through the ship, caressing everything it its wake.
Yugi shivered as the cold, night breeze blew open the thin jacket he'd borrowed from Ryou, and then winced as that simple action brought back all the aches and pains in his battered body. He huddled deeper into the jacket, but the thin material was no match for the winds. He supposed he should move deeper into the ship, find a cubby hole where he could hide for the night, but he didn't want to. He had tried, but the closed in space had made him hyperventilate, which had led to his escape to where he now sat, next to the railing with his feet dangling over the edge of the ship.
The sounds of the ocean brought back horrific memories of his time in the water. He didn't remember everything, but he remembered enough to know that he'd been lucky to have made it anywhere near shore again. He shivered again, barely holding back a groan.
Bakura had skillfully sneaked him onboard the ship in no time, making Yugi wonder just how much sneaking around the spirit did in his spare time. There had been a moment of panic when Ryou's father had yelled something which sounded suspiciously like 'hey, you, with the weird hair', but Ryou had come to the rescue and Mr. Bakura had not come after Yugi. The spirit had left him in a storage room in the upper levels of the ship, where supplies were kept, saying that no one but the crew visited that area, and that was only in the early morning to get ready for the day. Yugi figured he had the entire night to roam around, before having to climb into the box Bakura had told him to hide in.
Yugi sighed. Talking to Yami had felt so good. He'd missed the spirit of the puzzle more than he'd realized, and having that calm and soothing presence near him again had done more for his stability than anything else. Yugi felt a small pang of guilt as he remembered the conversation he'd had with Yami, in which he'd explained everything that had happened. He had told Yami everything he needed to know, but not everything that had happened. Even though Yami was essentially the other half of him, Yugi hadn't felt it necessary to tell him everything. Yami was more than likely to get mad at those that had hurt him, and Yugi didn't have the strength to keep Yami calm right now. Besides, Yugi wanted nothing more than to forget those horrible experiences, and telling Yami wasn't going to make that happen.
A hand on his shoulder made Yugi jump, and he was halfway to his feet, his hands up in a position to strike back, when he realized that it was Ryou who had touched him. The moon glinted nicely off his white hair, which made him visible to Yugi. Ryou released Yugi's shoulder, took a step back, and held his hands out in a gesture of peace.
"Sorry, Yugi, I didn't mean to startle you."
Yugi took deep breaths to calm his racing heart, before attempting to give his friend a smile.
"It's okay. Sorry for overreacting."
Ryou looked around the darkened deck and shivered. "It's pretty cold out here, Yugi. Why don't you come with me?"
Yugi shook his head. "I don't want to go back to where Bakura took me, Ryou. I'm okay out here for now. I'll go back in the morning before anyone sees me."
"No, I'm not taking you back there, just come with me."
Ryou took a hold of Yugi's arm and began to drag him inside, where the corridor that led to the rooms was. Yugi stopped in his tracks and pulled his arm out of Ryou's grasp.
"What are you doing? I don't want to get caught," Yugi hissed, looking around as if people were lurking in the shadows.
Ryou smiled. "Its okay, Yugi, trust me."
Yugi swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. Part of him wanted to run away, not content to trust anyone but himself. The other part, however, had already trusted Ryou and Bakura to bring him on board. If they'd wanted to hurt him, they would have already done so.
"Okay," Yugi said and followed Ryou into the corridor.
They walked quickly and when they were halfway down the corridor, Ryou took a card key out of his pocket and opened one of the rooms. He motioned Yugi to enter before him, but Yugi hesitated. Why were they inside the ship? At this rate, someone was going to see him and know that he'd snuck on board. What would they do to him then? Would they send him back?
"My goodness, child, you look horrible."
Yugi stopped dead in his tracks, his jaw dropping open as he saw Mr. Bakura sitting in one of the cozy chairs in what looked to be the living area of the room. The elder Bakura stood up and walked to Yugi, scrutinizing him the entire way.
"Ryou told me you'd been through some rough times, but I didn't imagine it being this bad."
Confused, feeling as if he'd been dropped on his head, Yugi turned to look questioningly at Ryou.
"Dad saw when Bakura snuck you on board, Yugi. I tried to play it off, but he wouldn't believe me so I had to tell him the truth."
Yugi's heart stopped momentarily in shock and fear. He looked up at Ryou's father, afraid of what he'd see in the older man's eyes. The man smiled kindly at him, however.
"Don't worry, Yugi, I'm not going to turn you in," Mr. Bakura said. "I'm not happy with what Ryou did, or what you did, but what's done is done. You can stay here and share Ryou's room for the remainder of the trip, but as soon as we get to New York, I'm sending you back to Japan. Is that understood, young man?"
Yugi nodded mutely. What else could he say? While he appreciated not being turned in, he wasn't about to get sent back to Japan. Even though he didn't have to find Joey in America, he still had to find Shadow and keep the man from doing any more harm.
"Now, you look like you could use a hot bath and a hot meal. Ryou, take Yugi to your room so he can get a hot bath. There's a first aid kit in the bathroom if you need new bandages, Yugi, and I'm sure some of Ryou's clothes can fit you. While you're doing that, I'll get us dinner. How's that?"
"Okay, dad," Ryou smiled, and took Yugi's arm to lead him deeper into the large quarters.
When they were out of hearing range of Mr. Bakura, Ryou sighed.
"I'm so sorry, Yugi. I couldn't convince him that he was imagining things so I had to tell him the truth. I know that you have no plans on going back to Japan, so just humor my dad until we get to New York. You can take off on your own when we land."
Yugi nodded, slightly relieved. At least Ryou still understood why he had to do what he was doing.
"You're too weak, brat."
The insult came as a surprise, and it made Yugi jump slightly.
"For Ra's sake, Pharaoh's brat, it's just me. When did you get to be so jumpy?"
Yugi tightened his fist in anger.
"You should know, tomb robber. What was it like for you when you got beaten to a bloody pulp after you got caught robbing the king's tombs?" Yugi retorted.
Bakura's eyes darkened and he stepped a little closer to Yugi. "Watch your mouth, brat. We both know how easy it is for me to take over Ryou and do some serious damage."
"You do that, thief, and you will spend a not so comfortable eternity in the shadow realm," Yami said, appearing beside Yugi.
Bakura laughed. "Ah, so the pharaoh is back once again. Too bad, I rather liked it when you were stuck in that puzzle."
Yugi stepped away from the two bickering spirits. He didn't have the energy or inclination to put up with them, not when he had to figure out how to give Mr. Bakura the slip once they got to New York. His English was okay. He'd been taking English since his first year in high school and had done quite well with it. He'd never gotten a chance to practice it with Americans, but he figured that now was as good a time as any.
"The bathroom is this way," Ryou said. "Let's leave them to bicker in peace."
Yugi nodded. A hot bath sounded like an incredibly good idea at the moment.
**~~**
Seto Kaiba gently closed his brother's bedroom door, sighing in relief that the boy had finally gone to sleep. It had taken him half the day to reassure him that the divers had not found Yugi's body in the ocean, which meant that there was still hope for the younger duelist. After Mr. Moto explained to them about the key they'd found, Kaiba was more convinced that for some reason, by some miracle, Yugi had survived his ordeal in the warehouse. It had made it easier to convince Mokuba and get him to go to sleep.
Once he'd arrived back at the game shop, Joey and Mr. Moto had told him about the key, and about the broken lamp they'd found. To Kaiba, both incidents seemed too related to be a coincidence. If Yugi had gone home, something or someone had prevented him from going inside and waiting for the rest of them. For that reason, Kaiba had packed everyone up and brought them to the mansion. Mr. Moto and Joey had both been given rooms and should be sound asleep by now, which gave Kaiba plenty of opportunity for some late night thinking and planning.
He walked downstairs to the lower den, where he usually went to think. The room had been one of Gozaburo's favorites as a place to drink and unwind, which is why Kaiba had completely redone the room once Gozaburo had died. He'd lined the walls with bookshelves, removed all of Gozaburo's furnishings in favor of his own, more modern ones, but had not removed the small bar in one corner. Kaiba was not much of a drinker, but once in a while, on nights like this, he felt the need to unwind and take the edge off with a small sip of alcohol. He expected the room to be empty, since it was nearly 2 in the morning, but as he neared it, he saw light coming from inside. Frowning in annoyance, he slowly walked up to the door to see who had dared intrude into his private room. What he saw as he reached the door made his blood boil.
"What do you plan on doing, drinking yourself into oblivion?" Kaiba snarled as he saw the occupant reaching for one of the bottles. "I guess I should be grateful you didn't just sneak out to go meet with your hooker."
Wheeler turned, his face a mask of anger and indignation. Underneath it all, however, Kaiba thought he detected a little embarrassment.
"I don't owe you any explanations, Kaiba."
"You're a guest in my house, Wheeler. Of course you owe me an explanation. Besides, you're too young to be drinking."
Wheeler laughed, but stepped away from the bar. "So are you, Kaiba. Don't tell me you just came by to sit and stare at the walls."
Kaiba had no answer to that, so he gave none. He glared at Wheeler, hoping that the teen would take the hint and leave, but he didn't. Instead, he plopped down on one of the couches and put his feet up on the cushions.
"That's Italian leather, Wheeler. Put your feet on the floor," Kaiba snapped. When Wheeler didn't do as he'd been told, Kaiba walked by and pulled Wheeler's feet off the couch.
"So, why do you keep a bar around if you don't drink?" Wheeler asked.
Kaiba shrugged. He sat on the opposite couch, determined to get rid of Wheeler as soon as possible so he could be alone to think.
"This was my adoptive father's room. He kept the bar stocked," Kaiba answered.
Wheeler nodded. "My old man drinks too. That's where I got the habit."
Kaiba's eyes widened and Wheeler seemed almost embarrassed by what he'd said. The other teen looked away and began to pick on a loose thread on his shirt.
"Just because he drank doesn't mean you have to," Kaiba said.
"Yeah, but it sure as hell makes it easier, doesn't it, Kaiba?"
Kaiba had to agree that Wheeler had a point. If Gozaburo had never kept the alcohol around, he never would have been inclined to know what it was and therefore taste it. He supposed that he was no better than his adoptive father in that regard, because Mokuba could come in here one day and wonder what the stuff was, or want to try it for himself.
"It seemed so easy, you know. My dad drinks almost every day. He forgets about everything and everyone when he drinks and I just wanted to know what it was like," Wheeler said despite the fact that Kaiba hadn't answered his question.
Kaiba raised an eyebrow and looked at Wheeler, whose head was bent. He then looked at the bar, and remembered quite a few nights after Yugi had disappeared for the first time when he'd come in here and used the alcohol to forget his own sorrows. Despite his better judgment, he found himself responding to Wheeler's words.
"It was what happened with Yugi, wasn't it? Is that when you started associating with that hooker? She got you the alcohol." The last part was a statement, not a question, because Kaiba had no doubt that's what she would have been doing for Wheeler. If it was simply sex Wheeler had wanted, he could have gotten it from any number of teenaged girls at school.
Wheeler didn't immediately reply. He sat with his head down, staring at the floor. His shoulders tensed, and he clenched his fists. Kaiba was beginning to think that the other boy wasn't going to reply to the question, when Wheeler looked up, his face clouded with barely contained rage and self loathing.
"If you weren't such a cold hearted bastard, Kaiba, you'd know what it was like to feel guilty over not being able to save a friend."
Wheeler's voice was like ice, burning Kaiba with its intensity. Anger quickly rose to the surface, and Kaiba clenched his own hands in response.
"I grew up in an environment where emotions would get you hurt. Just because I don't react to my emotions doesn't mean I don't have them," Kaiba ground out from between clenched teeth. He forced his mouth open slightly before he did permanent damage to his jaw.
"Oh, really?" Wheeler smirked, his face contorting in disbelief. "Do tell me, oh mighty Kaiba. What could you have possibly suffered growing up in a place like this?"
Kaiba's first instinct was to defend himself, to tell Wheeler that what he saw around them had come with a price, but he shut his mouth before the words could leave it. No one would ever know what had happened in this house, away from the public eye. He and Mokuba had made a pact to keep it a secret between them, and he wasn't about to let Wheeler in on it.
"Feel free to think whatever you want, Wheeler. The point of this is that drowning your sorrows in alcohol and bedding a hooker didn't bring Yugi back. Getting drunk now isn't going to bring him back this time either."
Wheeler got off the couch and stood in front of Kaiba.
"You don't know the first thing about me," he spat, his face reddened in anger. "You can sit there in your expensive suit and in that expensive couch and lecture me about right and wrong, but you don't have the first clue about what it's like to grow up with a drunk for a father, or a life full of pain and uncertainty. I would go out into the real world and experience that, before I started to lecture others."
With that, Wheeler turned on his heel and stalked out of the room. Kaiba stared after him long after he'd disappeared from view. He felt empty, alone, as he hadn't felt in a long time. Most of the time, he could care less about what people thought of him. Right now, however, he wished that just one person could see beyond his cold exterior into the wounded boy underneath. It would be nice to be able to relax around someone who wouldn't judge him and take him for who he was. It was one of the reasons he had always found himself drawn to Yugi. Yugi had never assumed anything about him, had never judged him, and had just accepted him for whom and what he was. No one else had ever done that for him, and Kaiba missed it.
He looked around the now empty room and out into the hallway beyond the door. He was glad for what he had. He had worked hard and paid dearly for it, because he'd wanted a better life for himself and his brother. He wondered, though, whether it had been worth it.
**~~**
"You should be grateful to me, you know."
Yami raised a slender eyebrow, amused at the thief's tone.
"I saved the runt's life. If he'd gone into that house, he would have been captured again. Not only that, but I retrieved the puzzle for him. If not for me, you'd still be stuck inside it."
As much as Yami hated to admit it, Bakura did have a point. He'd be dammed if he let the spirit know that, though.
"I'm sure you didn't do it out of the goodness of your heart, Bakura. You want something out of this," Yami said.
Bakura's eyes widened slightly, before his expression returned to his typical haughty smirk. They had gone outside to argue in peace shortly after Ryou and Yugi had announced that they were going to bed. Both teens had been sleeping with their Millennium Items, so arguing in close proximity would have woken them up.
"Of course I want something, Pharaoh. You'll just have to wait to find out what it is."
Yami shook his head, already tired of the thief's pointless banter. He wanted to talk to Yugi more in depth, because he'd felt as if there was something between them, a distance he couldn't quite get across. It was as if Yugi were keeping things from him. He wasn't given a chance to mull over that train of thought, because Ryou came rushing outside, his eyes wide with fright.
"Yami, you have to come with me. Yugi's having a nightmare and I can't wake him up!"
Yami immediately ran back inside to see about his partner. When he reached Yugi, he saw the boy tossing in bed, his hands held up in front of him as if he were pushing someone away. He tried to talk to Yugi, but the boy wasn't hearing anything but what was in his mind.
"I'm going to go into the puzzle and see if I can reach him through there," Yami said.
Without waiting for a reply, he willed himself inside the puzzle. He raced out of his soul room and into Yugi's soul room. It took him a full minute to realize that Yugi's soul room was different. Instead of the usual décor, Yami found himself staring at himself.
The previously cluttered room was now empty, devoid of furnishings and toys. The walls had been replaced with mirrors, so that no matter where Yami turned, he saw a reflection of himself. Yugi was nowhere to be found. Yami walked to one of the mirrors and put his hand on it. He immediately removed it, however, when extreme cold greeted his touch.
"Yugi, are you here?"
Instead of a reply, Yami heard soft sobbing. He turned in search of the sound, but found the room still empty.
"Stop! Please, let me go!"
The mirror to Yami's right suddenly came to life, displaying an image of Yugi, face down on the floor with something covering him. The object was in shadows, and Yami couldn't tell if it was a person or an object. As soon as the image had appeared, it was gone, and Yami was left to once again stare at his reflection.
What had happened? Who had Yugi been yelling at?
"We'll finish what we started, Jomei. I have no doubt we'll both be pleased afterwards."
Another mirror came to life, this time displaying the image of a boy Yami did not recognize. He was older, taller, and bigger than Yugi was, and had an expression of cruel amusement on his face. The image quickly disappeared again, and Yami shook his head, confused but desperately trying to put the pieces together.
"Yugi, where are you? I want to help you, so please let me. Talk to me!"
"You can't help me, Joey, no one can. This is my problem and I'm sorry for dragging you into it."
Yugi's voice, but at the same time, it wasn't Yugi's voice. It contained a detachment, a coldness, which Yami had never heard in Yugi's voice before. As expected, the mirror in front of him came to life, this time showing him a picture of a bound Joey, sitting on the floor of a warehouse. Joey looked frightened and worried about something.
"Yugi please, let me help you," Yami said again, but Yugi did not appear.
A part of Yugi wanted help, which was why his soul room was giving him these brief glimpses into Yugi's memory. Yugi's consciousness, however, wanted desperately to keep this sealed from Yami and from himself, which is why the soul room had transformed. Mirrors bounced images back. Yugi couldn't face and deal with memories he couldn't see. That alone set Yami's nerves on edge. Whatever had happened had seriously wounded his young partner, and he had to get to it, get to Yugi, before the memories destroyed the kindness in Yugi's heart.
"Help me! Someone please help me!"
The last mirror came to life, showing a battered Yugi crawling away from something. Yugi was pulled backward and flipped onto his back. The terror on Yugi's face made Yami's heart race and his hands clench in anger. Who had hurt his partner? What had they done to him?
As the image faded, Yami rushed to the mirror and put his hands on the surface, ignoring the pain the cold brought him. He tried to keep the image from fading, but was unsuccessful. He pounded on the now lifeless mirror, a growl of frustration leaving his throat.
"Please, Yugi, let me help you," Yami yelled. "You don't have to go through this alone."
The mirror rippled, and Yami found himself staring not at his reflection, but at Yugi. The younger teen was bloodied, his clothing ripped to shreds. His eyes, usually bright and expressive, were dull and his expression was one of defeat and acceptance.
"You can't help me, Yami. No one can help me."
The room was suddenly flooded with light, and a crack appeared from the top of the mirror. The crack descended until it had cut Yugi's reflection in half. The two distorted sides of the image grew, and Yami could see silent tears falling down Yugi's cheeks.
"Stay away from me, Yami. You won't like what you're going to find."
The mirror shattered, sending Yami flying backwards. He brought his arms up to cover his face, but the shards of the mirror imbedded themselves into his arms instead. When the noise died down, Yami lowered his arms to find that all of the mirrors in the room had shattered, leaving Yugi's previously blue walls shredded and torn. The furniture in the room was back, but it was destroyed. Yugi's deck sat on the floor in the middle of the destruction. The top card was face up, displaying the Dark Magician. The card had been ripped in half, just like Yugi's reflection had been. Yami picked up the deck and shuddered when half of the deck remained on the floor. Something had cut through the entire deck, leaving the cards mutilated and destroyed.
"Oh, Yugi, what happened to you and why won't you tell me?"
Yami cradled the deck in his hands. He had a feeling that it was going to take a long time to resolve this.
**~~**
Ahhh, poor, confused Yami. I seem to like him poor and confused. I wonder why that is? Thanks for reading!