Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
Chapter 13: A plot revealed
A/N: Sorry for the long stance between updates, but I had several good reasons. The last several months have been very hard for me. Not only have I been in the middle of a move that turned out to be a major bust, but my grandmother passed away in late March. She went in for surgery for a malignant tumor in her lung and caught pneumonia when liquid got into her good lung. She passed away less than a week after that even though the doctors spent days trying to save her. I've been depressed ever since and so have not had the urge to write.
In August, my boyfriend also had to go into the hospital for surgery. He had a stroke in the middle of the night and they had to operate in order to save his life. He had been in the ICU twice since this happened and though he was showing good signs in the recovery department, it will be awhile before he can leave the hospital for anything other than therapy. The doctors are confident about his recovery, but it will still take a long time. So with all this happening, I'm sorry for the lack of updates but my heart just hasn't been in it. Thankfully though, I have been getting help for my depression and the emotional breakdown that I suffered from a couple of weeks ago. This has helped me find my muse again and hopefully I will be able to get back in the swing of updating. So please expect this story to be finished sooner or later and enjoy the read.
Solitaire found Yugi almost instantly. Without even really trying, she found him in one of the side alcoves that were scattered throughout the garden behind the Kaiba property. This particular one had become a favorite of Yugi's since they had come to stay at this place and Solitaire had learned that it was where he would go when he wanted to think. In fact, it was where he had been going a great deal as of late whenever he managed to slip away from the others.
This time, as he always was whenever she found him, he was seated on the ornate bench that sat off to one corner of the alcove. Next to it, there was lattice that was covered in red and yellow roses. There were no such flowers in the Shadow Realm and like many things; Yugi had grown quite fond of them during their time on Earth. On sunny afternoons when it was just him, Jou, and Solitaire, he had spent hours starting at the blossoms.
Right now he was gently stroking one of the new buds, his mind obviously elsewhere as Solitaire approached. There were pale red petals just starting to poke through the protective green covering that sheltered it. In time, the petals would darken to a deep red as they aged. Though it would not be the deep crimson of his lover, Yugi knew that the blossoms would be a similar shade to Yami's eyes. That was one reason why he liked these particular bushes so much. It was painful sometimes, but it gave him some reminder of the one he loved best.
The problem was, right now Yugi didn't want to be remind about Yami. It just brought closer to home, at least for him, that he had not yet reached his goal. Though he had been learning so much about another world and had made allies of some of its inhabitants, there was still so much left for him to do. Yugi knew that there was still more for him to learn about humanity, which was a puzzle unlike any other that he had come across.
The species and its values were constantly opening his mind to new possibilities that he had never even dreamed of before. And what he had learned so far was only of one culture. According to his friends, there were hundreds of different cultures across the globe, each with its own set of ideals and customs to live by. With such things existing on this world, it could take eons to learn everything about them. That meant that Yugi's original plan to learn about the people of Earth and how to survive among them before heading for home again had changed drastically. Now he could very well be here for who knew how long in order to accomplish his goals.
From behind the dense covers of the many rose bushes, Solitaire watched her Master lost in thought. She wasn't sure of everything that was going on in Yugi's head right now, but she at least had a few ideas. It was also a clear sign to her that this was seriously getting out of hand. Yugi was sick even though he wouldn't admit it and being stubborn and all the worrying he had to be doing wasn't helping matters. If anything, it was just making it all worse. She could tell that much just by seeing how pale Yugi had become.
Inwardly, Solitaire continued to berate herself for letting things come this far. She should have known that something was wrong with Yugi. She had been able to do so in the past, so why should this time have been any different?
Probably because you were too busy watching the humans make fools of themselves when it came to teaching us about their world and not watching your friend like you were supposed to, she thought bitterly.
She moved forward a little, trying to get a better look at what Yugi was doing. So far he hadn't seen her yet, which was good. It gave her a chance to observe him some more without raising a fuss. Given how he had reacted earlier, that was probably for the best. As much as he needed to go back to the Shadow Realm and recover, Solitaire knew that any time that he had to calm down would be good for the Hikari. The dragon kept that in mind as she reached up to move aside a branch that was blocking her view.
SNAP!
Stupid bushes. Too thin for handling with claws. I ought to make a complaint to Kaiba about these stupid things, Solitaire cursed inwardly.
Apparently the branch she had been reaching for was thinner than the dragon had believed and had snapped under the movement. Now she held the broken twig in one clawed paw and had a surprised Hikari starting her way. Well, so much for the element of surprise. That had been lost thanks to the apparent delicateness of a plant that Solitaire was seriously starting to hate for other than its thorns.
Yugi had looked up to meet Solitaire's gaze. Not totally surprised that she was there, given her habit of doing so, he mentally berated himself for not noticing her sooner. If he had, he would have had the chance to tell her to go away. Then he could think in peace rather than have a possible argument with the dragon. Something which he knew was bound to happen with the mood that he was in right now.
"I told everyone that I wanted to be left alone right now, Solitaire," Yugi grumbled.
"True, but you never actually ordered me to remain behind. Unless I received a direct order to do so, there's no reason for me not to be nearby in case my master needs me," Solitaire replied as she moved out of hiding and scrambled up on onto the bench to sit beside him.
Yugi sighed. This was one of those times that he really wished that Solitaire wasn't so good at finding her way around things. It would have made it easier to figure this out on his own if she had just left him alone for a change. Knowing Solitaire as he did, Yugi already knew that that was asking too much of the dragon. The only time she would ever leave him alone was if either Yami or Yugi himself ordered her away. Otherwise she was right there, sticking her snout into whatever was happening.
He had not done that this time, so she had come looking for him. Now that she was there, Yugi did have the option of directly ordering the dragon to leave alone so that he could collect his thoughts. Yet at the same time, he didn't want to send his friend away when she was probably worried about him. She wouldn't have come after him otherwise, that he knew. It made wanting to send her away harder for Yugi, who was already feeling emotionally drained from both fending off Yami's constant mental prodding and then the argument with his friends.
"You still shouldn't have come, Solitaire. I really need to be alone right now," Yugi said finally.
"No, you don't. I know you, Yugi. If I leave you alone in this state, you're bound to get into trouble," Solitaire smirked.
It was meant to be a joke, but obviously Yugi didn't see it as that. He glared back at the dragon, who cleared her throat nervously as a result. She immediately tried to think of something else to say, but for once, she was at a loss. Things were just a little too tense for even her to come up with something right on the spot in order to lighten this situation.
The problem was slightly solved when Yugi asked," So did you come alone or should I expect Jou or someone else to pop out from behind a bush?"
"No, I went solo this time. The others wanted to come, but I said that it would be better if I talked to you. Besides they're still kinda getting over the fact that you yelled at that. They're not exactly used to seeing you lose your temper like that," Solitaire replied.
"I didn't mean to do that, but I meant what I said, Solitaire. You all have to understand. I'm not going back until I've finished what I started. Everything will be for nothing if I go back now. I don't see why everyone can't get that. They just keep telling me to go home and come back," Yugi protested.
"They're doing that because they're worried about you, Yugi. The humans really care about what happens to you and so do I," Solitaire insisted.
"I know, Solitaire, I know," Yugi murmured.
"Then please don't shut us out. I know that we came here so that you could prove that you could stand on your own, but you know better than anyone that sometimes you need to ask for help. That's what you want Yami-sama to do with you. If that's true, then you need to let us do the same for you. Otherwise, you're just being as hardheaded as he was," Solitaire said.
Once again, part of Yugi found himself glad for the friendship that he shared with the dragon. It had taken her awhile this time due to the surprises that he kept throwing his way, but she had come through for the Hikari again. When he needed a little dose of reality, she had given him just that. Another part of him might have felt it was a little harsh, given the mood he was in, but deep down he knew that he needed it.
Yugi opened his mouth to answer Solitaire when a new pressure started to build in the back of his mind. Not the kind that came from the link being strained, that had started to feel more like a throb than a pulse. This was more direct and persistent, stronger in fact than anything else that he had felt before. And right away, he knew exactly what it was. And once identified, that drained any color that remained in Yugi's face. The Hikari could feel as he started to go numb from the realization.
"Yugi? What's wrong, huh? What I said couldn't have been that bad," Solitaire prodded.
Yugi didn't answer. He was too busy trying to block out the strong pulse that was now constantly trying to force its way into his mind. It took every ounce of willpower and mental strength that he could muster in order to accomplish this. For what seemed like an eternity, both sides kept pushing back and forth, back and forth. No side seemed to give on either end and it was a process that was starting to drain Yugi more than the headaches had been.
"Yugi? Come on now, you're scaring me. What's wrong?" Solitaire asked again.
"It's Yami. I can feel him trying to find me," Yugi whispered," Yami's trying to break down the barrier in my mind. He wants to find where I am."
Solitaire instantly froze at that confession. If what Yugi said was true, then it meant that their absence from the Shadow Realm had finally been discovered. If that was the case, then it was only a matter of time before the others came looking for them. Such a search might not find them immediately given how many worlds there were but eventually, Yami and the others would find them. The dark spirit would be relentless in his search for Yugi now that he knew he was gone and nothing was going to stand in his way.
Given the condition that Yugi was in, Solitaire almost told him to just give in and allow Yami to find them. It would have been a quick solution to a problem that she knew was only going to get worse. For she knew that if dark and light were to touch mind and so renew their bond, it would start to repair the damage that had already been done to Yugi. Yet at the same time, she was torn between that and her loyalty to what her friend and Master would want.
It was times like these that being bound to Yugi in the way that she was really didn't work out. Solitaire had known that it was meant to prevent betrayal and to keep her from going against her Master's wishes, but right she was starting to think that now was one of those times when she needed to. Yugi wasn't thinking straight and even if he couldn't see that, others could. What he needed was to be taken back to the Shadow Realm and quickly. The longer he put it off, the more damage he was doing to himself and Yami. She could see that now, as he was trying to fight off both the mental stress in the link and trying to hold back Yami.
Solitaire opened her mouth to say something else, though she stopped when she realized there that they were no longer alone. A new scent had reached her nose while Yugi struggled to keep Yami's presence out of his mind. It was a dank smell that reminded her of the sour milk that she had found in the back of the fridge one day when they were getting lunch. It was nasty and starting to make her feel like she was going to gag.
Yugi, having momentarily succeeded in pushing Yami back, looked up to see a snarl forming on Solitaire's face. His struggle had not been easy and he was exhausted. So to see her acting like that so suddenly was a shock that Yugi needed to start acting a little more alert.
"Solitaire, what's wrong?" he asked.
"I don't like that smell," Solitaire hissed quietly, eyes darting back and forth as she tried to figure out the source," It just feels wrong."
"The only thing that I see as wrong is for anyone to allow you to call yourself a dragon. Honestly, what are the worlds coming to if a pathetic creature like you gets away with claiming relation to some of the most magnificent creatures to walk the Realms," a voice sighed.
Dragon and Hikari turned towards where they believed the voice had come from. At first, they saw nothing other than the blooming gardens of the Kaiba estates. But there was still a distinct aura in the air that both Shadow Realm beings were picking up. One that held the unmistakable signature of dark energy at its core. Not the kind that they were familiar with when it came to creatures from their own world. That was a bit more stable than this, which held an undercurrent unpredictability to it that had them both on edge.
On instinct, Yugi put up a shield around himself and Solitaire. Due to his condition, this might not have been the best idea. His reserves were already severely depleted and this move only made matters worse. It also weakened any protection that the shield might have offered them, only serving to keep any dark energy out for a short amount of time. And even that could have been shortened if enough blows were placed upon the shield, causing it to shatter.
"Oh, isn't that cute? The light actually thinks that he can keep me out," the voice said again.
This time, a figure stepped into view. It came through a portal which opened along the path leading up to the alcove where Yugi and Solitaire were. Out of it came a tall, slender woman with dark purple hair that shimmered almost like the skies of the Shadow Realm. Her skin was pale in comparison, almost making her seem like a ghostly figure than a solid being. The stark contrast made her seem all the more unreal as she came closer to the pair.
Behind her came several creatures that neither one had ever seen before. For an instance, they appeared solid and then it seemed as if they were made of smoke. Like the things that humans called mirages that often played tricks upon the mind. It was a disturbing sight even for unearthly beings such as themselves. How that was possible neither knew nor were they sure that they wanted to find out. Right now the one thing that the two wanted was for these creatures to return to wherever they came from and let them be. Unfortunately, their unexpected guests had other ideas as they continued to come closer.
"Well, well. What do we have here? A little light away from the darkness? How unusual," the woman purred.
Yugi shivered at her tone. For some unknown reason, the way she spoke made him feel afraid and uneasy. There was an unsaid promise that she would deliver a pain that he had never known before and one that he would regret coming into contact with. That struck the Hikari to his very core in a way that had never happened before and he didn't like that one bit.
At his side, Solitaire raised her spinal crest in alarm rather than to intimidate. She too sensed the undertone in the woman's words and she didn't like it anymore than Yugi. The difference was that she also sensed something a little deeper than her friend did. As a dragon, many of her senses were sharper than that of many other creatures. Thus she was starting to pick up on just how deep the dark magic ran within the being of this woman and that scared her.
She snarled deeply, baring her teeth in the most threatening manner that she could muster. The woman spared the dragon no amount of attention. Her entire focus was upon Yugi, who visibly started to shiver under her intense gaze. Hers was a predatory gaze that meant only harm and caused distrust despite the calm that tried to mask it.
"You know you really shouldn't be out here alone, Hikari. There's no telling what might happen to you," she said.
"He's fine with me. So whoever you are, buzz off," Solitaire growled.
"Mistress will leave when she gets what she came for!" a toad-like creature screeched as it bounded into view.
At first, he had been hidden by the crowd of smoke creatures that still lingered just beyond the woman. Unlike them however, he was of a solid shape and boy, what a pathetic shape it was. This creature seemed to be an amalgamation of several things at once rather than anything singular. He was a little shorter than Yugi, but not by much. His body was roughly shaped like a toad, but with dark purple skin with splotches of green and white littering his arms and legs. Bright orange eyes that would have fit a hyena lay on either side of his head, watching everything around him. The tattered skin of some poor animal was tied around his waist, hiding most of his lower torso. Spikes grew out of his back in disarray, while a broken fang jutted from his lips.
"Silence Gil," she ordered, gaze never leaving Yugi.
Gil gulped before nodding and crouching near his Mistress. He could be insane at times, but even he was no fool to incur her wrath. Past lessons and sights had taught him better of that. The last thing he wanted to do was to end up on her experiment table like so many others that had displeased her. That was a surefire road to oblivion if that happened.
"W-who a-are you?" Yugi stammered.
"I am Miaka, Sorceress of the Abyss," she smiled maliciously.
Neither Hikari nor dragon needed any explanation after that. They knew full well what the Abyss was and what it entailed. It was supposedly a dark world that came close to rivaling the Shadow Realm when it came to gloom and power that was spawned from its depth. The main difference was while both had power, the Abyss lacked the balance of the Shadow Realm. There was no light there as there was in the Shadow Realm, which had its power divided between the yamis and the hikaris. This meant that any beings that dwelled there were composed of evil intent that often lacked purpose and did not have the same understanding of balance as others did. Definitely a place to stay away from unless one had a death wish.
At least, that was what everyone assumed. No one really knew what went on in the Abyss. Or to be more accurate, no one had ever actually gone there and brought back word of what that world was truly like. Like so much, it was still a mystery to those that dwelled outside of its borders. All anyone knew was that it was a place to be avoided at every possible cost.
"All right, so you're some witch from the Abyss. What do you want?" Solitaire snarled.
"Nothing that concerns you," Miaka sniffed.
Solitaire bristled, electricity crackling along her spine. Though she longed to use her Glint Strike on the stranger, she knew that it would have little if any effect. For the best effect, she needed to strike a target at short range. That was how she did so well whenever she had to use her attack on stupid creatures like Honda and Jou. The closer the hit, the more punch it packed. From where Miaka was standing though, Solitaire knew that she might stun the woman slightly but not enough to immobilize for them to have a chance of escape.
The same went for Gil and the smoke creatures, who kept well out of range. It was a little frustrating since part of Solitaire was itching for a fight. These creatures were aggravating her dragon pride and that was never a good thing. When a dragon, no matter how large or small, took offense to something, then it was not something to be taken lightly. It could oftentimes also cause the dragon to do things more drastic than they would do under normal circumstances.
"Ha-ha," Gil snickered," Keep on snarling, dragon. It's almost funny."
"Come over here and say that, toad," Solitaire snapped.
"You think that you're a threat," Gil taunted," But you're not. We had more to be afraid of from those pathetic Monsters that serve Bakura than we do you."
"B-Bakura?" Yugi said slowly.
"Why yes, little Hikari. You don't think that you were the first Hikari that I tried to capture do you?" Miaka yawned.
"You tried to kidnap Ryou?" Yugi yelped.
"Yes, I did but unfortunately he was able to contact his yami before my creatures were able to secure him. And once Bakura knew, I knew there was no point in trying to take a Hikari like that again. All the Yamis would be on alert once word got out," Miaka said.
She started to pace in a semi circle around them as she talked. It was like she was a predator stalking her prey, trying to make it nervous enough to bolt in a vain attempt to reach safety. For now, her gesture wasn't enough to make Yugi and Solitaire leave the meager protection of the shield. Both were more on edge of course, but that was to be expected. Instead they just continued to watch as Miaka paced back and forth, speaking in that cold tone while her minions watched from the surrounding garden for the first sign of mistake.
"Who would have thought that the very thing that I sought would save me the trouble of finding him. I really must find a way to thank you for that," Miaka smirked.
"You're not doing anything for him, you witch. Stay away from him or I swear you'll regret it," Solitaire snarled.
Miaka and her minions only laughed at the dragon's threat. To them, she seemed no more a threat than a fly would to an elephant. The sparks flying off her back and the exposed fangs and claws were nothing to be impressed by. If anything, they only saw a joke.
"If you seriously think I'm about to worry about some runty dragon, then you're sadly mistaken. Gil, seize the Hikari so that we can be on our way. I've got better things to do than listen to this beast prattle on," Miaka yawned.
"I'll show you who to worry about, witch," Solitaire growled, darting out of the shield's protection as she made a full lunge at the sorceress.
Behind her, she could hear as Yugi yelled in protest but it was too late. Solitaire had her target in sight and wasn't about to give in. Too bad for the dragon that Miaka had other plans in mind. The sorceress raised her hand, uttered a few words, and a burst of dark magic blasted from her palm. It was in the direct line that Solitaire had set for herself in attacking Miaka, so there was no chance for the dragon to avoid the disaster that was coming.
She let out a protesting squeal as she and the magic contacted. The instant that they did, Solitaire felt as her body went rigid. She was frozen in the posture of her ill-fated lunge, claws extended, mouth opened in a snarl, and a few sparks coming weakly off her back as the energy that had fed was suddenly cut off. No longer able to control her descent, Solitaire landed with a thud upon the grass. Her gaze was partially cut off from the way her face now lay in the grass, but she was aware nonetheless and could still see and hear everything that went on around her.
"Solitaire!" Yugi cried, trying to run to her side.
That proved to be a fatal mistake. In turning his full attention to Solitaire, Yugi dropped the shield that had been protecting him. Without it, weak as it was, he had no longer had any protection from the dark creatures who had been lying in wait for just such a moment. He was stopped when a pair of guards grabbed hold of him. Yugi struggled against their hold, but it was in vain. They had his arms and hands bound within seconds. Soon, like his dragon, there was no way for him to move against what held him. He knew all that was going on, but otherwise, he was stuck fast and was helpless to change that fact.
"What did you do to her?" Yugi grunted as he tried desperately to break the ropes that held him.
"Oh, don't worry about it so much. I didn't kill your stupid dragon just yet, Hikari," Miaka said," She's only been placed under a freezing spell. It's temporary of course, but it will hold her long enough to keep her from interfering any further. And now that she's out of the way, I think that it's time to finish with you as well."
With that said, she started to approach Yugi. He froze again as he came closer, suddenly feeling as if he had been the one hit with the freezing spell instead of Solitaire. He didn't know why, but there was just something about this being that terrified Yugi to his core. The magical aura that she gave off was unlike anything that he had ever felt before. All he could feel from it was a malicious darkness that he had ever felt from the yamis or any other shadow creature.
"Well, at least you've stopped struggling. That should make this a little easier than," Miaka sneered.
"W-what are you going to do to me?" Yugi demanded.
"For now, just a sleeping spell to ensure that you don't cause anymore trouble before I'm ready. After that, well, you'll just have to wait and see. I'm not one to spoil a surprise, Hikari," Miaka answered.
With that, she waved her hand again and released another burst of dark magic. This was not as violent as it had been with Solitaire. This time, the magic formed a mist that spread from her hand and over Yugi's face. The Hikari gave a surprised then dazed expression that slowly faded as his eyes became dull and seemingly empty. A few seconds more and his head dropped as he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. Soon all that kept Yugi standing were the two guards who had captured him when he tried to help Solitaire.
"All right, we've got what we came for. Captain, have your guards take him to the holding cell that I've had prepared. Keep him there and make sure that no harm befalls him until I've finished with the rest of my preparations," Miaka ordered.
"As you wish, Mistress," the captain said, motioning for his troops to carry the unconscious light and follow him.
Nearby, Solitaire could only watch in horror as they carried her friend away. She tried to struggle against the spell which held her down but it was in vain. Whatever magic they had cast upon her, it held fast. Her struggles did nothing but remind her powerless she was in this situation. All she could do was watch as a portal opened in the middle of the path and Yugi disappear into its depths with his captors.
A shadow fell over Solitaire as the brute known as Gil blocked off her view. He glared down at the dragon with undisguised glee and anticipation. One could almost see the gears grinding in his head as he thought of the possibilities that might lie ahead of him in the short time ahead.
"What should we do with the dragon, Mistress?" Gil asked.
Waving her hand absently, Miaka yawned," Do whatever you want. I have no use for such a pitiful little waste of scales."
"As you wish, Mistress," Gil smirked.
Miaka didn't hear him. Now that Yugi had been secured, she had other matters to attend to. So she turned without a second glance back and headed towards another portal which she had opened. The soldiers that had remained behind followed behind her, soon leaving only Gil and Solitaire in the garden.