Chapter 6: Trips and Traps

Yugi's POV

A few weeks later Yami took me out. I asked if this was a good idea since my wing still hadn't healed and had to be kept out in the open. He just winked and put a blindfold over my eyes. We got into his car. This turned out to be a problem since it wasn't built for angels with broken wings. I managed to get inside in the end though. He drove for a long time. When he removed my blindfold I found myself in an area of town I had never seen before. It was full of angels, demons, and other people I had only heard of.

"Welcome to mirror town!" He shouted. Yami seemed so happy to be with me. He was even starting to dress like a normal person! Still wore all black though. He began to give me a grand tour. "Mirror town was originally an inn owned by a man who was half demon half angel. He created it so that angels and demons could talk and negotiate without getting banished. This was achieved by making the place completely neutral. He doesn't allow any demon to attack an angel no matter what and he doesn't allow an angel to attack a demon no matter what. The idea was pretty unpopular at first but it's came in handy in the end. Lost angels and demons came here to recover because they knew no one could harm them. Naturally the inn was hidden from human eyes due to its strangeness. Eventually people stopped leaving and built homes here. They in turn had to be protected from human eyes, it was becoming quite a strain on the poor fellow. Eventually so many people moved here that he just set up a general spell that surrounded the area. The place kept on growing and he had to keep enlarging the area it covered. It became quite popular. Then other creatures began to hear about his place. They began to come here and settled down. Finally he decided to give up control of the spell and let the place become a town." Yami chuckled. "Still alive if I remember correctly. Nice chap. Little rough around the edges though. Don't be frightened of him his bark is worse than his bite!" Yami laughed and led me down the street. I looked at a group of elegant elves trading seasoned wood and farming tools for exquisite flagons owned by…

"Are those dwarves?!" Yami looked over to where I was pointing.

"Yep! And we better move! This could get nasty." He grabbed my arm and walked away from them. I looked behind me to see the elves and dwarves fighting viscously over how much wood and tools should be exchanged for the flagons. I couldn't hear what was said due to the loud voices of centaurs selling astrological charts.

"Come on Yugi! There's someone I want you to meet!" I took a final glance at the fight and followed Yami. "Yugi, Meet Joey! He's a friend of mine!" A man dressed in a white shirt, jeans, and a green leather jacket with a small silver chain in his pant pocket stood in front of me. I looked at him and realized he wasn't a man. He had pointed ears, was covered in fur and had yellow eyes. He had a smile that said he was all too ready to wrestle with danger.

"Glad I could meet ya!" As he talked slightly pointed teeth flashed at me.

"It's a pleasure." I said shaking his hand. Rough pads rubbed against my skin as we shook.

"So, what's ya name?" He asked kindly.

"Yugi." I replied.

"Yug! Great honor!" He turned to Yami. "You said you needed help. What is it?" He whispered. Yami mumbled something that I couldn't catch. I pretended to look at a cart full of stayr wine. "Yeah, he does need to see a healer…but why her?" Yami muttered something else. "Oh…Just for that? Come on man it's not like ya short on cash!" Yami shook his head and muttered something else. Joey's eyes widened. "Ya think…? I mean it's possible considering the resemblance…but your brother?" I gasped. "I mean I have to agree but…what if ya aren't?" Yami sighed.

"I just have to know. It doesn't really matter….Oh who am I kidding?! It means the world to me Joey! I have to know! Ever since I first came to earth I've felt lost….incomplete….like I was missing a part of myself. At first I thought it was because I had fallen….but when he came everything changed! I just have to know Joey! I have to!" Joey was looking at his friend as if he was finally seeing who he really was.

"…All right Atem…I'll take you to her."

"Thank you Joey!" He turned to me. "Come on Yugi. There's someone we need to see." I followed Yami numbly. Atem...the name of my brother…was it really him? I must admit that they look alike…but had I really found him? We walked into the darker parts of town. Angels were more scarce here. The shops were filled with jars of eyes, talismans, and strange weapons like the ones that Yami used. I nearly ran into what I could have sworn was a vampire. Joey led us to a crimson tent. It was like a beacon amongst the gloom. He pulled back the beaded curtain for us. Yami walked in boldly. I stopped in the doorway. This place felt strange. "Come on Yugi." I took a deep breath and walked in. The scent of exotic incense reached my nose. Atem was sitting on a cushion next to a woman with long black hair. She wore an Egyptian style robe and her eyes were a starling blue.

"Welcome Angel Yugi." I gasped. How did she know who I was?

"Ishizu…We've come to you for two reasons…One…Yugi's wing is injured and needs to be healed….Two…I think he's my brother." The woman named Ishizu looked at Yami, nodded her head and held out her hand. Yami reached down and pulled out three gold coins which he placed in her hand. She closed her fist around them and put them in a box. She rose from the floor like she had risen from water.

"Come with me Yugi." I followed her to a secluded part of her tent. She gently took apart the splint and examined the bone. "Atem has always been good with his hands it's almost healed itself." She tapped it and I held back a yelp. I was surprised it hadn't hurt more. "Yes, all it needs is some of this." She picked up a jar and scooped a foul smelling ointment out of it. She rubbed it onto the wound, hard. I held back a scream. Even if my wing hadn't been broken that would've hurt! When she lifted her hand the pain was gone. I raised my wing tentatively. It didn't hurt. I flapped gently a few times, and then cried out for joy. It had worked! My wing was cured!

"Thank you Ishizu!" She smiled oddly and walked back into the main part of the tent. Yami sat there waiting. I flapped my wing to show him and he smiled.

"Now…You wanted to find out if he was your brother?"

"Yes." We both said. We looked at each other and Ishizu smiled.

"Very well." She doused the incense in the room and put it in a jar. Then she filled the bowls with a new incense. She lit it and a strange scent pervaded the room. It made me feel dizzy. I looked at Yami and saw the same thing was happening to him. Ishizu's eyes became blank and soulless. I held my breath to try to stay awake. "Do not be afraid angel Yugi. This will not harm you."

"W-What…is it?" I asked, trying not to breathe it in.

"It is a special incense that lowers the barriers in your mind. It will allow me to examine your memories and tell you what you want." I nodded and made myself breathe deeply. The scent worked its way through my head. I closed my eyes and watched as Ishizu appeared in front of me. I looked to the side an saw Yami still sitting beside me. He was staring at Ishizu. She gazed into his eyes for a long time then turned to me. I froze as her gaze met mine. Memories whirled around me. Then it was like a barrier had been smashed and new memories flooded through me. As they passed I realized they weren't new memories but old ones, the memories that had been blocked by the spell. I watched as I played, laughed and learned alongside Yami. Not Yami. I corrected myself. Atem. I watched as Atem took care of me and helped me master spells. And I watched as Atem told me about the love he felt for Archangel Lilly. So THAT'S why she's always dropping by! I thought she just liked talking! Then I came to the memory of Atem's trial. I could feel fresh tears go down my cheeks as I watched my brother sentenced to falling. I saw the days I spent gazing down from the cliff wishing I could have fallen with him. Then I watched as the council circled me and began their spell….All of a sudden someone cried out and my connection with Ishizu broke. I opened my eyes to see demons wrestling with Ishizu. I looked around. Where was Atem?

"Atem? Atem!!!" The demons saw that I was awake and fled. But not before one of them threw something at my feet. I rushed over and helped Ishizu up. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." She was shaking all over. "They took Atem! I was powerless! I tried to stop the trance by moving away from the two of you but they held me down! Luckily you heard your brothers cry for help and got distracted enough so that when I broke eye contact it was enough to wake you up." I didn't hear any of that.

"Where did they take Atem?!" I asked frantically.

"Outside. It looked like they were taking a left to go down to the warehouses!" I ran out to see a wolf unconscious outside the tent. When I looked closer I noticed some human like features.

"Joey?" I asked in disbelief. He moaned and sat on his haunches.

"Yug…They came outta nowhere!"

"Which way did the demons go?!"

"I don't know…I thought I heard them go left toward the warehouses…" I ran in the direction he pointed which I soon found out was the right. I doubled back and saw Ishizu giving Joey a potion. He shuddered after he drank it and turned back into a human with wolf like features.

"Joey is an uncontrollabe werewolf." She explained, seeing my confused expression. "That means that he can change into a wolf but not back into a human, even on full moons. I have to make him a potion that enables him to change back into a human until he is ready to become a wolf again." She took a something out of her sleeve. "I found this on the ground." I took it with trembling hands. It was a singed scroll. When I had finished reading it my face was pale with fear. I flushed with determination and walked toward the warehouses. Stopping only to thank Ishizu for everything she had done and give her two extra gold pieces for her troubles.

Yugi walked through the warehouse. His newly repaired wings fluttered, he didn't like the feel of this place…But he had to find Atem! He turned a corner and gasped. Atem was tied hands and feet with strange chains that glowed with a sickly green light. The minute Atem saw Yugi he began struggling, trying to shout through the gag that had been placed over his mouth. Yugi ran up.

"Atem! Are you all right? What happened?" He pulled down the gag. The minute his mouth was free Atem shouted.

"RUN YUGI! IT'S A TRAP!!" He whirled around and saw demons forming a circle around him. They lunged at him; forcing him to back toward a net behind the bound Atem. He straightened himself. Before anyone could react he began shooting blasts of light at the demons. Several screeched and disintegrated into dust. The others backed off. Slowly he moved toward Atem. When he was beside him he knelt down and began fumbling with the chains. As he worked on them a demon approached from behind. It raised its claws to sink them into his shoulder. Before that could happen Atem saw what the demon was planning to do and broke through the weakened chains. He slashed through its body with wolf like claws. Atem knelt beside the surprised Yugi. "Yugi! You need to get out of here! I can hold them off but you need to get out!" Yugi shook his head. He sighed. "This is not the time to be playing hero Yugi! Go now! I promise I will catch up!" Yugi still looked hesitant. "When have I ever broken a promise to you?" Yugi nodded. "Good. Now go!" Yugi got up and rushed out. However when he was out of sight he doubled back and watched Atem from above. He was fighting off demons with a viciousness that scared him. No body was left whole as he fought for his and Yugi's freedom. Slowly the demons enclosed and overpowered him. He was bound tightly with chains as big as his arms. They forced a collar onto his neck like a dog and held most of the chain so he was on a short leash. Satan appeared and walked toward Atem. The demons formed a line and knelt, forcing Atem to his knees by yanking the chain on which the collar was attached to. He choked as the air was pushed out of his windpipe. Satan looked down at him smiling maliciously. Yugi held his breath and waited for him to speak.

End Chapter