Chapter 23

Kaiba paced back and forth across the floor in Mokuba's room, trying to work out just how much worse this situation could get. Between Tristan's continuing state of unconsciousness, Mokuba's insanity and whatever the hell was going on with Yugi, Kaiba felt as though he was starting to lose his own mind. On top of everything else he was too exhausted to even attempt to be rational about this situation. Crazy thoughts somewhere halfway between mildly disturbing and full on nightmarish began swirling through his mind; extreme paranoia wasn't slow in following.

At that moment in time Kaiba knew he had a shield to defend himself and the others. But a good defence was nothing if you had no way of striking back at your attackers. He needed some kind of weapon or something he could use to show whoever came for him next he meant business. As these thoughts raced through his head Kaiba remembered the Elemental Axe lying in the hallway where it had been discarded. The thought made him nervous. The Axe was designed for someone with power to use; in fact it had been design with only one person with power in mind, Crovell. The chances of it doing what Kaiba wanted it to do magically was slim, but it was still a weapon; it could still do some damage on a non-magical level and at that moment in time having it with him felt like a really good idea.

Taking a deep breath in, Kaiba made his way out into the hallway. He felt like a small animal darting for cover, just praying there were no predators around watching him as he made his way towards the weapon. Once he reached it he spent a long couple of minutes just staring at it, half afraid of what it might do to him. It was only when he remembered Mokuba and Tristan were currently defenceless that he forced himself to bend down and pick the weapon up. The second he did the Axe reacted to the aura swirling around his right arm. His gut reaction was to drop it, but something in him kept his hand steady and his grip firm.

Kaiba sucked another deep breath in, before turning and making his way back towards Mokuba's room. He barely got halfway there when the glow from his arm and the Axe increased. As it did a strange tingling moved up through his arm and into the rest of the body, causing his tired mind to freeze with fear. Every inch of his body felt rigid and tense as the glow turned into a blinding light. The light was so intense Kaiba felt sure he was about to pass out, but still he couldn't look away from it. Somewhere in his tired brain he understood what was happening to him and that feeling was enough to get him through.

'Cat,' Jay gently shook her, 'Catilin. Come on, wake up, we kinda need your help. Cat? Cat, I know you can hear me. Wake up,' his voice became edged with concern. 'Cat? Catilin?'

'And just when I didn't think it was possible for things to get any worse,' SK's tongue skated across his lips.

'What... what do you mean?' Jay's eyes turned towards him.

'I mean, I don't think she's going wake up.'

'You mean you think there's something wrong with her?'

'To put it simply, yes.'

'But…?' Jay's eyes were wide as he stared back down at her. 'But she has to wake up. She has to.'

'Why?'

'Because... because she's everything to me,' Jay pulled her into his arms, 'she has to be alright. She has too.'

'Okay Jay you're being ever so slightly creepy right now,' SK squirmed with a strange level of discomfort. 'I know you're upset, but...'

'But what, you have no idea how hard this is for me,' he buried his head into Catilin's neck. 'What's wrong with her SK, why won't she wake up?'

'Way to make it even more creepy,' SK kept his voice low as he rolled his eyes. 'Look I'm not sure what's wrong with her, but I'm kind of hoping it has nothing to do with the blonde.'

'Yeah, because right before absconding with Joey, our mystery blonde came here to put some kind of sleeping beauty spell on Cat,' Jay gave an almost hysterical sounding laugh. 'Why... why would anyone do that?'

'Well you said yourself Calicaccus know things other people don't. Maybe Catilin knows something about the blonde and this was the only way to keep her quiet,' SK licked his lips again. 'But...'

'But?'

'Well... as nice as theory as that is, it's not exactly what I was getting at.'

'Then what are you getting at?' Jay's eyes met with his.

'Look, don't get me wrong here, I'm not accusing Catilin of any wrong doing, but...' his tongue made another pass across his lips, 'isn't it at least possible that Catilin is controlling the blonde somehow?'

'Why would you say something like that?' Jay jumped on the defensive. 'Just because she's unconscious doesn't mean she's done or is doing anything wrong. How are you even drawing this connection to begin with? It doesn't make sense. You know it doesn't make sense, right?'

'Hey, cool it Jay, I told you not to get the wrong idea. I'm just asking if it's possible, I'm not accusing anyone of anything.'

'You're just looking for a way to turn the three of us into the bad guys again, aren't you?' Jay glared at him.

'No, that's not what I'm doing,' SK couldn't quite believe how juvenile he was being. 'Jay are you okay?'

'Of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be okay?'

'Well... you're acting like more of a child than usual.'

'I am a child.'

'No Jay, you're an adult stuck in a teenager's body, there's a huge difference there.'

'You're an adult stuck in a teenager's body, there's a huge difference there,' Jay whined in imitation.

'Oh grow up.'

'Can't, I'm dead, remember,' Jay rolled his eyes. 'And why the hell do you always act like I'm inferiorto you? I've been dead for a hell of a lot longer than you so I should be the one in control.'

'Okay, for a start I don't treat you like you're inferior, or if I do its not deliberate. Secondly the Mistresses were the ones who said I was in charge, so if you have an issue with it you should take it up with them.'

'Oh look at the adult being all adult,' there was something really nasty about Jay's tone.

'Okay Jay now you're just being deliberately childish.'

'I am a child, a perpetual sixteen year old, that gives me the right to act anyway I want.'

'Jay...'

'Sorry,' Jay's tone was sulky and sharp, 'I guess I just don't like seeing Cat in pain, that's all. You should have been more understanding.'

'I... err... sorry,' SK's tongue skated across his lips once more as he tried to figure out what had just happened.

'It's okay SK, just don't do it again.'

It had started off as an almost unnoticeable feeling in the pit of her stomach. As the day had worn on the feeling had just become stronger and stronger. Now she was resting her arms on Crovell's crib trying to figure out why she was feeling so angry. She knew it had something to do with Joey; after all, he still wasn't back yet. But that didn't feel like enough of an explanation, because she was the one giving him the benefit of the doubt. Or at least she was...

'I guess I'm just disappointed in you,' she sighed, 'I know you're probably being controlled right now, but... I guess I thought you were stronger than that.'

Crovell began to make distressed noises as he slumbered, but she ignored him.

'But you're not are you. You're just like all men. Weak. Pathetic. Easily led. It doesn't matter that you're supposed to take the First's feelings into consideration too, does it? Because you're a man and you don't think with your heart or your head. You think with your hormones. You think with your...'

Crovell began to cry as though he didn't want her to finish her sentence. There was something strangely harsh about the way his cries moved through her body; it was as though it was trying to snap her out of something. Knowing how smart and in tune with the world her little baby was, she leant down and scooped him up out of the cot.

'There, there my baby,' she whispered as she jiggled him back and forth, 'Mummy's not angry at you my little one. Hush, hush don't cry. Mummy's not angry at you, promise.'