MythCreatorWriter: Oh my gosh, you know what I love? I love listening to Yu-Gi-Oh! Sound Duel 2. It's So awesome. I love all the acoustic music they use in the Japanese version, it's fantastic. Anyways, oh yeah, so last chapter, I forgot to mention in the author's note that you wouldn't be able to understand what she meant till this chapter. My bad! Don't feel bad for being confused; you aren't supposed to get it till now. Don't worry, it'll all be explained in this chapter(although sometimes I feel like I didn't explain it well, but I'll let you tell me what you think in your next review:3) Nah, I had Yugi's puzzle in mind, except without the eye. It's basically just a giant, golden pyramid, nothing special. I actually got the idea for that from my brother. I needed something for Mokuba to climb up and struggle to overcome but I wasn't sure what. I was thinking a cliff but that just seemed too dangerous. Yeah, wow, I remember talking to my brother about it after school one day in KFC. Anyways, so my brother tells me, "Why not make it a pyramid?" And I thought, 'Cool!' Because it relates back to the show and allows me to do other stuff. Wow this is long talking about a pyramid… tight! Sorry again for your confusion, thanks for the review though!

WhiteAsukalover: Why thank you! I don't know if I was going for funny last chapter, but hey, a laugh never hurt anyone and I sure love laughing myself. So thank you for the review!

Chapter 31: Escape! From The Virtual World

-M-

There comes a time in every man's life… where he must give up. Where he throws in the towel, says he gave it his very best shot, and gently lowers his arms in defeat. I was already far past that point as I lay there in agony, the stairs I had my body laying across was stabbing my spine. It was done, I was finished.

I had heard the virtual world computer system announce that time was running short, it was going to shut down soon and I simply didn't have anymore energy to pull my way up the rest of those steps. Even though the tip top of the pyramid was in sight, only a couple steps from reach, I couldn't move a single muscle. Some things just weren't meant to be.

Over to my side, Joan was hovering around me, shouting things, probably trying to convince me to get up and keep moving. I was too tired to make out much what she was saying, but I could understand a few things.

"Come on Mokuba, you can do this! You're almost there!" My eyes felt very heavy. I was so tired and my body was drenched with sweat. It was a very uncomfortable feeling. I turned my head slightly, opening my eyes halfway as I stared up at her. Joan looked desperate, almost afraid. "The virtual world is going to blow! You need to get up!"

"I can't…" I whispered, "I'm sorry, but I can't… I tried… but even those last couple steps seem like a thousand miles for me." Joan shook her head, standing above me now, continuing to try and convince me otherwise.

"You can do this, Mokuba. I know you can. Just get on your feet. All you need to do is touch the top of the pyramid and you'll be free to go." My body cringed at the thought of anymore movement. I tried to move my arms but it just wasn't possible. I titled my head up and looked into the blank and empty sky. I was panting heavily. Death was imminent, but acceptance had already overcome me. "Mokuba, the exit isn't that far away! Just get up!"

"Look Joan, just shut up, okay? I'm done," I snapped, Joan fell silent, "I… I know I won't be able to make it out of here… and I'm okay with it, I understand it now." Joan's expression shifted with confusion. I decided to explain to her my realization, since there was no reason to hide it now.

"You were right about me… about passing judgment on other people, about understanding other people… about everything. I was so angry at Noah; I hated him so much for what he had done. Then, I don't know, I just started thinking about it and realizing that… if I or Nii-sama had ever been in his situation, I would've done the same thing.

"We would've done anything to get out of this place… we would've gone to any length to obtain a body of our own and escape. That's why I can't be angry at Noah anymore. He only did what any one of use would've done… what any other human would've done. Deep down… I know I would've done the same." I slowly started to close my eyes, wanting my exhaustion to take over and pull me into a deep slumber as the virtual world crashed around me, accepting my fate.

But the sleep never came and instead, I felt two gentle arms lift me up from the ground. My body was slowly lifted up and began to float in the air as I was being carried. I opened my eyes and looked up, assuming it was Joan who was taking me to the exit. But when I looked up, I didn't see what I had expected.

Instead of her short, brightly orange hair, it had changed and grown to be much longer, turning to a jet black color. Her eyes had faded from being a crystal blue to a deep violet, glistening in whatever light this place produced. Her outfit didn't change much; the gold had disappeared from her dress, now it was only a pure white color, the end of the dress fluttering in the wind. And her wings seemed to have gotten bigger, with giant, beautiful feathers, becoming similar to that of… an angel.

My eyes widened when I realized who she was, who Joan really was, just as she descended me down to the ground. I opened my mouth but it seemed there was no words I could say to fully describe how I felt in that instance. I felt my energy come back as she placed me on my feet. Her soft-skinned hand lightly held mind as she placed my palm on the pyramid's top, and everything around me began to glow as it always did before I was about to transport to another location.

But I wanted to stay here…! Joan had been right before. She hadn't been real, but she wasn't just another virtual simulation of a memory from my distant past… she was my mother. Or at least… what I had never realized I remembered of her.

"I couldn't let your soul parish here, now could I?" I shook my head. I reached out towards her; the winds surrounding me began to pick up. It was time to go, but I didn't want it to be. I wanted to stay with her… forever.

She took up both my hands within hers, patting them softly. I was mesmerized by the eyes that were identical to mine, truly a mirror into a kind and welcoming soul.

"There are some things that can't be explained in many words… All I know is that you and your brother need to be together. You are strong, my dearest Mokuba, but Seto… he cannot survive without you. You must return to him in the real world." Suddenly I began floating upwards, things became so bright, but I held her hand tightly. I didn't want her to leave, I wanted her to be with me… but I felt her grip slowly slip out of mine. "I love you… Mokuba."

"I love you… Mother."

Everything went white.

-S-

"How could I lose this?!"

"That's what happens when you go challenge someone who is superior to you in every way," I said with certain smugness, standing across from him with my arms crossed. Gozaburo slammed his hands down.

"I'll show you WHOSE SUPERIOR BY TAKING OVER YOUR BODY!" Gozaburo's body changed again; reverting back to the purple, flame monster he was before. He rose up, growing ten times his normal size. Gozaburo ran across the field towards me. I took a step back.

"What about our agreement??" I yelled. Gozaburo threw his hand in my direction.

"THE AGREEMENT'S OFF!" Gozaburo yelled, slashing his hand towards me. Suddenly the dueling platform was pulled backward, just in time for me to be able to completely miss his attack. I quickly turned and looked back. It was Yugi who was standing in the control room; he had his hand on the lever that had just saved me from being pummeled a second ago.

"Yugi?"

"JUMP KAIBA!" Yugi commanded. I did as he said and leaped right off the platform. Gozaburo launched his hand forward and destroyed the platform just as I had gotten away. I landed skillfully into the control room where Yugi was standing. He clicked a button and a doorway opened up in the control room. "HURRY!"

We both ran out of the room, an explosion was heard from behind us as Gozaburo had most likely busted through the entire building chasing us. I kept my eyes forward even amongst all the noise and saw another doorway up ahead that would lead us to the landing on top of Kaiba Corp. I slipped my hand onto the lock and opened the door. Another explosion could be heard as he busted onto the landing… he was gaining on us.

Both of us jumped through the smoke that surrounded us and continued running.

"You've got to escape! Head to the Domino Arcade immediately!" I heard Noah's voice say overhead. I didn't feel exhausted or tired while I was running for my life, but I could sense Gozaburo was getting closer. We both stopped simultaneously when we reached the edge of the landing. I heard Yugi gasp.

"Oh crap, a dead end." We both turned around at the same time. Gozaburo was only a couple feet away, he was laughing loudly at our misfortune.

"You boys aren't going anywhere…" Gozaburo said.

"Jump now!" Noah said. I turned back around and looked down. It was a long way down from here. This wasn't safe and there was no way I was going to jump to my death from the top of Kaiba Corp. That would've been way too ironic.

"I don't think so, I'd rather live," I said quickly.

"We have to trust him!" Yugi declared, running forward and jumping off the side of the building. I followed him, falling forward with Yugi only a couple feet in front of me. All I could think was that I was going die… with Yugi, of all people. I shook my head. I really didn't want to die this way… I really didn't.

Suddenly a portal appeared just below us.

"Noah opened a doorway!" Yugi announced.

'Oh thank god…' was all I could think to myself as we fell through and were consumed by the transporting light.

"Satellite attack, approaching," I heard the virtual system say just as I opened my eyes. The glass covering the top part of my pod opened up and I sat up. I looked down at my hands and all around the room. We were back in the real world, at last.

"It's about time," I said to myself with satisfaction. That was a close one. The pod next to me opened up right after mine; Yugi popped his head out of it.

"We made it back to the real world." I turned my head to the side; the pod to my right still contained Mokuba. There wasn't much time left.

"Mokuba… he's still in there." I got out of my pod quickly and clicked on the control pad. I forced the glass top to open. Mokuba's eyes were still closed. I assumed his mind was still trapped in the virtual world. I started calling out to him. I needed him to wake up; we had to get out of this place! Time was running out.

-M-

I wasn't out of the virtual world. No, not just yet, I was in a different place though. At first I was pretty sure the virtual world had exploded and my mind had been lost, after realizing Joan was my mother and all, but then I appeared in this strange, misty place that wasn't as boring as No Man's Land. Something about it, however, assured me I was still in the virtual world to some degree. Not to mention the fact that I opened my eyes to see Noah, standing right in front of me.

But my anger had vanquished and I was at peace… Noah was looking at me with gratitude. I had a feeling there was still time left to get out of here.

"Thank you for helping me, Mokuba. I'm glad I got to know my brother."

"So… does this mean you're not coming back?" I asked simply and without thought.

"I am. But I must return to cyber space first…" My eyes widened and I leaned forward.

"But it's shutting down Noah!" I heard my frightened voice echo in the distance. Noah slowly turned away from me.

"I'll be back."

"Then come with me!" I pleaded, wishing he would only just agree with me and go. Noah looked back towards me.

"I'm afraid there's still something I have to do. You believed in me… and you treated me like a brother. Now it's my turn to return the favor…" Noah started turning back around and faded away from me. I reached out towards him, calling for him to come back.

"No! Please don't go! Noah!"

"I am a human being, not a machine…" was the last thing I heard Noah whisper as he started to disappear from my sight. I shook my head. Tears formed on the brim of my eyelids as I tried to reach farther and farther towards Noah who could no longer be seen as I was being pulled back. I heard another voice in the back ground, one that was calling my own name. I continued to reach out towards Noah; I couldn't want to leave without him…!

"Mokuba! Open your eyes!" My eyes shot open, Seto and Yugi were standing over me. I was… in the real world. "Mokuba…" Seto said softly with relief. I sat up.

"Nii-sama, Noah is still back there!" Seto shook his head and picked me up out of the pod and onto the ground.

"We need to get out of here… right now." Yugi nodded with agreement.

"Let's go!" All three of us began running through-out the station. The emergency siren was going on, and the hallways kept blinking bright red.

"Alert. Alert. Central computer will destruct. Evacuate immediately," the robotic voice said over head as we were running through. I had to keep running; I knew that was all I should be focusing on. But I couldn't; my mind was in another place. Noah was the only thing I could think about.

"Why did Noah have to go back to that place? It's not fair!" I said, closing my eyes and looking down. Yugi placed his hand on my back as we were running and I looked back at him in surprise.

"I know you feel bad but we have to get out of here. You can't let yourself get distracted." I took in a deep breath and nodded. Yugi was right. I had to get out of here first. As I looked up, we sprinted out of the building and onto the landing. The sun was shining brightly over us. The KC blimp could be seen lifting off just up ahead, but there was still a long way to go before we would make it and my legs felt like they were breaking. I wasn't use to running in the real world.

Joey, Tristan, and Duke positioned themselves on the stairway into the blimp, each of them was holding out their hands towards us. I noted Joey was yelling for us to hurry up but I couldn't quite hear him. My heart was beating much too fast. We were getting close, but it still seemed too far. Suddenly I felt like I was back in the state I had been in back in the virtual world… my legs were going to give out any second. It was all over.

"I'm not going to make it!" I cried, feeling that in the next five seconds my legs would stop working and I would get left behind.

"Not on my watch!" Seto said, grabbing me by the shirt and flinging my entire body into the air and into the arms of Duke. I watched as my brother leap over all of us and landed right on the top of the stairway. I was… in shock.

"Okay, they're in, LET'S GO!" I was tossed into the main lobby with everyone else and the rest of them rolled in just as the missile hit the station below. We immediately felt the explosion erupt, and could see the flames right out our window. We weren't far enough away; the blast was still going to get us. Everyone had fallen to the floor, everything was shaking so much. I grabbed onto a random railing I had found and held on for dear life.

In these crucial moments, I recalled what people had said about near-death experiences, how their lives would flash before their eyes. That didn't happen with me. Instead of seeing my past, I saw my future, I saw the things I would never get to experience, and I saw my death. Then I saw… Noah.

-S-

I had no time to waste. I stumbled my way into the control room. One of my co-pilots turned back towards me.

"This blimp is too slow! We're not going to get out of here in time!" I spotted the captain's seat and took this opportunity to get in it.

"I'm taking control," I stated, somehow in the back of my mind I heard Gozaburo speaking to me… saying that I would never escape. The flames were beginning to consume the entire blimp. But I wasn't going to have it, Gozaburo wasn't going to win. "Not this time, old man!" I yelled, slamming my fist down onto the emergency control. Now all I could do was wait… and watch.

The blimp thrust forward as the afterburners ignited, leaving the explosion behind and flying freely into the air. The flames had disappeared from the windows and we had somehow managed to escape the blast. I had won… again. Gozaburo was never going to defeat me.

We had escaped the virtual world, alive.

A/N: THERE. WIN. I WIN ALL OF YOU. YES! Oh man… I gotta tell ya folks, writing these intense scenes are SUCH a thrill for me but my god, are they intense. I mean, I have this splitting head ache just from writing it. I mean, there's a missile coming and they have to get out and I have to fit the word count and everyone has their fingers crossed and yeah, things are NUTS! But hey, it's also crazy because I think there's only about another chapter left in this story. Isn't that crazy/sad? I can't believe it myself, but it's been one wild ride! I realize some people might've been somewhat confused by stuff in the last chapter, but I hope this chapter was able to wrap things up pretty well. Like I said, only about one chapter left so it looks like I have to conclude everything pretty soon. It's sad but it'll be fun too! Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter, thanks for reading!

P.S: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOKUBA!!!!!:)