Chapter 57

It felt like he'd been away forever and yet nothing had changed. For a few long moments Yugi stared down at the unconscious form of Téa and willed her to just open her eyes and let him know everything was back to normal again. When she failed to respond to his silent desires he rested his head against her chest, next to the Millennium Puzzle, and stared up at her.

'Come on Téa, please, you should be awake by now. Please.'

'Yugi...'

The sound of her voice was so faint at first he thought he might have been imagining it. Then she stirred and her eyes began to flutter open.

'Yugi...'

'I... I'm here Téa,' he lifted his head up from her chest in order to stare down at her.

'Where... where am I?'

'You're in the hospital.'

'But...' for a moment her face pulled into a confused frown, then her eyes began to flicker about as though she were reliving something. 'You... you attacked me.'

'I... I know, but I... I'm so sorry Téa, please believe me.'

'It's okay Yugi,' her lips pulled into a strange smile, 'I forgive you.'

'I... I don't understand...' he shook his head, 'it shouldn't be this easy. I attacked you Téa; I almost killed you. You... you should hate me.'

'No... no I shouldn't, I should hate myself,' her expression wavered. 'I'd become so focused on trying to get the old Tristan back I refused to notice the changes which were happening in you. You hadn't been acting like yourself for a while, but... I couldn't stand the thought of another friend leaving me behind so I... I focused all my energy on the wrong person. And in the end where did that really get me? I was a bad friend to both of you.'

'No, that's not true,' he shook his head, 'you've never been a bad friend to any of us. You... you were just afraid of being left on your own. But I promise you Téa, none of us will ever leave you on your own. Yes we're all changing, growing into different people, but that doesn't mean we can't remain friends. Even if it means we have to learn how to be friends again.'

'Why... why do I feel like you've given me that speech before,' her face pulled into a deep frown.

'It's a long story and when you're feeling better I'll tell you all about it, but right now... right now it's enough to know you're awake again.'

'You've been really worried about me, haven't you,' her eyes carefully studied his features, 'and you've not once left my side.'

'Huh?'

'I think this belongs to you,' she lowered her gaze towards the Puzzle, which she was now holding between her hands. 'The Pharaoh misses you Yugi.'

'How…?'

'I can hear him. It's faint, but it's there. He's told me everything I need to know and now it's time for you to take the Puzzle back; it's yours and you deserve it.'

'I'm not so sure about that,' he lowered his gaze as she took the Puzzle off and passed it back to him.

'Well I am Yugi,' her lips pulled into a warm but weak smile. 'So what do you say you stop moping around and start filling me in on everything I've missed?'

Everything felt strangely different. It was a good feeling, but he knew it was going to take a while to get used to it. Sighing heavily, he sat down on the edge of his bed and stared down at the deck of cards he was holding. Piper's deck. She'd become his easy escape when his own thoughts and feelings had become too much for him. Whenever he needed to step out of himself for a while, bury his head in the sand and pretend things weren't getting to him, she'd been there. But now... now it was time for him to take his life back, stop running away and really start living.

When he tried to get rid of her before it had been out of fear. That's why she'd reacted so angrily; because they both knew it was too soon for her to leave. But now... now he was ready to let her go, so she would understand. She would understand her job was over and he could walk away from her and never look back.

'It seems a shame to destroy her deck now,' the sound of Mokuba's voice made him jump. 'I mean, it did help us out, right?'

'Yeah,' he nodded, 'but... it's the only way to get rid of her without asking for Yugi and Wheeler's help.'

'So why don't you ask for their help?'

'Please, I'd never live it down and you know it,' he rolled his eyes. 'Besides I don't want Wheeler thinking I can't handle it; you heard what he said before.'

'Yeah I did,' Mokuba shifted his gaze away. 'You still want me to do it for you?'

'No,' he shook his head, 'I think I can deal with this one on my own. After everything she's done for me, I think I owe it to her.'

Mokuba nodded, before turning to leave. He took less than half a step forward before hesitating and casting a look back towards him.

'Seto,' he voice was filled with uncertain tones, 'is Piper… is she the reason you've been putting in so much overtime lately; to make up for the time you've missed being her?'

'Yeah, as shameful as it is to admit I was using her as an escape a little too much.'

'So... does this mean you'll be home again more now?'

'Yeah, I guess it does.'

Mokuba nodded again and this time there was a small but pleased smile on his face. He then turned and properly left the room. Kaiba listened to his footsteps as they padded their way across the hallway and down the stairs. Once he was sure he was alone his gaze returned to the deck in his hands. A part of him felt like he was mourning her, which filled him with mixed feelings; how do you mourn someone who didn't truly exist to begin with?

'I'm not doing this out of malice, you understand that, right? I know the last time we spoke we argued and we both said some things I'm sure we both regret, but there's no hard feelings, right? I just... I just don't need you anymore; so this is for the best.'

Taking a deep breath in, he got up from the bed and placed the deck down on the floor. He then took a few steps back from it and flicked an energy ball into his hand.

'Do you really think this is just about what you need?' A voice sounded from inside his mind.

As it did his whole body became rigid and the energy ball he was holding dissipated. Pain rippled through his body as his genetic structure began to rewrite itself of its own accord. It made his heart pound heavily with fear as he realised just how much worse the pain was when the act of Flipping wasn't his choice. It felt like he was in agony forever before his gaze flicked up towards the mirror to reveal Piper's all too familiar features. Her gaze was at once both angry and pained and Kaiba wasn't sure if he should be terrified of her or pity her.

'Didn't I tell you what would happen if you tried to get rid of me?' Her voice trembled with emotion as she made her way towards his bed and dug out her backpack.

'Piper please, be reasonable about this,' he projected his image next to her, 'we both know this is over now.'

'So what? The guy gets the house, the power and the money, he gets the friends, he gets the family and he even gets the guy. And what does the girl get? Nothing? A thank you, your services are no longer needed?' She pulled her clothes out of the bag and began to change. 'I'm a person too Seto. A living entity you created. I have feelings and thoughts of my own and I will not be discarded like yesterday's newspaper.'

'What are you doing?'

'What does it look like I'm doing?' She gave a strained sounding laugh. 'I'm getting ready to meet my family.'

'Piper...'

'I won't let you get rid of me,' her lips trembled and tears burned in her eyes, 'I won't let you do that to me. I told you what would happen if you tried to get rid of me and I meant it. If it's the only way I have of surviving then I will take everything you have.'

'You... you can't be serious.'

'Why not,' she wiped the tears away and turned back towards him, 'you're serious about getting rid of me without so much as a second thought. Just because I'm a part of you doesn't mean it's not murder. And people who attempt murder get punished,' her voice shook with a mixture of anger and tears, 'this is your punishment.'

'I know you Piper, you don't really want to do this; please, just accept your fate.'

'I can't. I don't want to die.'

'You don't want to do this either.'

'No, you're right, I don't, but you've given me no choice,' she hardened her jaw line. 'If it's a choice between you and me Seto, then I'm choosing me. I won't let you get rid of me.'

'Piper...'

'No. No you can't try to wipe a person out of existence and not expect there to be consequences. These are you consequences Seto.'

'But…?'

'No,' she glared at him, 'you had your chance to do the right thing by me and you chose to destroy me, twice. You've made your stance on this whole situation very clear to me; so now I'm making mine clear to you. If I have to then I will take your life from you piece by piece; first the friends and then the family and finally the guy.'

'Piper please don't do this. I didn't design you to be so... vindictive.'

'You made me to be like you, so I'm just reacting in the same way you would. Since you're so determined to make this an either or situation, I'm fighting for my right to exist,' as she spoke she made her way towards the discarded deck, picking it up from the ground and slipping it into her pocket. 'So you see, the girl will have the house, the power and the money, she'll have the friends and the family and even get the guy. Then the guy will have nothing,' her eyes were filled with a mixture of sorrow and determination as she made her way towards the door. 'Poor guy,' she glanced back towards Kaiba's projected self, 'glad I'm not him.'

The End.