Chapter Eight – Healed

Yugi's POV

Yugi's eyes slowly opened, his body was stiff and his muscles ached from having been still for so long.

He groaned softly, the room spinning before his eyes. The spinning made him nauseous so he closed his eyes tightly. Another groan escaping his lips. This groan was matched by one from deep in his mind; Yami must have also just woken.

Slowly he sat up and opened his eyes. This time the room stayed still. A room Yugi didn't recognise. He ran a shaking hand through his damp hair.

How long was I out for? Where am I? Have I missed anything? Did we have to change hotel 'cos of the attack?

Yugi was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a soft sigh. Looking down he saw the Princess sleeping peacefully in a chair next to him, her head resting on her arms, which were on the edge of the bed. Yugi couldn't help but smile, she looked so cute when seeping.

/You look cuter, Aibou/ Yami's voice, even through the mind link, was husky.

This worried Yugi.

What happened to us? Was it 'cos I brought him back? Or something else? What the hell is going on?

Aria slowly she sat up rubbing her eyes with her fists, reminding Yugi of a little kid.

"Yugi?" Her voice was a soft whisper.

"Yeah?" To Yugi's surprise his voice was just as husky as Yami's had been.

The half-asleep girl blinked at him a few times, then her mouth fell open.

"Yugi!" she exclaimed happily, hugging him tightly causing the short hikari to wince. "I thought we'd lost you, oh, I'm so sorry for putting you in danger!"

Her words were lost in the sobs that now swept her over.

Yugi rubbed her back, trying to sooth her.

"Its okay, everything's okay. I'm fine now. Please don't cry Aria."

Their voices had obviously carried into the hallway as a few minutes later the others rushed in, followed slowly by Kaiba who just lent against the wall by the door. Kaiba had never fit in with Yugi's group, no matter how hard Yugi had tried to make him a part of it. Kaiba had never seemed bothered by not being part of the main group, by just being on the sidelines of it, but the look on his face now said it did bother him. Yugi could tell it bothered him greatly.

He stared at the taller boy across the room, his brow slightly creased. Yugi had not once stopped rubbing Aria's back, even after the others had arrived, so now her sobs had turned into gentle hiccups.

"Yug', how'd you get better so quick? You were dying." Joey was the first to break the silence that had started.

Yugi flinched slightly. He'd been worse off then he'd thought.

Marik placed a hand on Yugi's shoulder, seeming to sense the small boys uneasiness, "I think I know how he got better so quickly… Aria, care to explain?"

Yugi looked down at the girl clinging to him. Gradually she sat up straight, letting go of Yugi. He reached out a hand and wiped her tears away, she just looked at her hands.

"I made a potion, The Millennium Tear, it's magical… it's meant to be able to heal all types of injuries and illnesses… it can even bring someone back from the brink of death… I didn't know if it would work…" slowly she looked up, two sets of amethyst eyes locked their gaze on each other, "but I guess Yugi is the evidence that it does…" Her voice trailed away.

Marik's hand tightened on Yugi's shoulder as Yugi's stomach churned.

Yugi broke his gaze from Aira's and looked at Kaiba, he was still leaning next to the door.

"Kaiba..?"

Said guy just grunted.

"What happened to me?" Yugi didn't know why he was specifically asking Kaiba and not the whole group but he felt like he needed to included the multimillionaire and somehow make him apart of the group.

The young CEO hesitated before answering, whether because he was thinking if he should answer or thinking of the best way to say it Yugi didn't know, "The dagger that cut you was coated in a slow release poison, you were dying."

Yugi paled, his voice caught in his throat.

Dying… I'd been dying… How could I have been dying, it was just a small cut… Does that mean that Yami was dying… wait he's already dead, he can't die again… but he could go beyond death… he could have just stopped existing… I… I nearly lost him forever… I nearly lost everyone forever… no they nearly lost me…

He heard a small chocking sound, as if a young child was struggling to suck air into its small lungs. Then he realised he was the one making the sound, he was the one struggling for air, he was the one that couldn't breathe.

"Breathe, Yugi, you have to breathe."

Yugi couldn't tell who was speaking to him; the voice sounded to far away to be sure who it belonged to.

A voice Yugi could put a name to spoke to him from in his head, /Aibou, you have to calm down, can you do that for me? Can you try and steady your breathing for me?/

Yugi tried to do as the spirit had asked, but failed badly, his breath coming in short, quick intakes. A soft, gentle hand was placed on his cheek.

"Yugi, listen to me, you need to calm your breathing down. If you don't it'll only get worse and you'll hurt yourself." Aria's voice was as soft and gentle as her hand on his face.

As she spoke she rubbed her thumb in a circle on his cheek, trying to help sooth him. Steadily he began to relax, his breath coming easier to him.

"Why don't we get you some fresh air, how about that? We could go and sit by the Nile, how does that sound?" She spoke soothingly to him, as she slipped her hand into his.

Without waiting for an answer, she gently started to lead him outside and into the bright Egyptian sun.