SleepyKitty: You picked a great time to review. I already had the rough draft of the chapter finished, and it just needed a second read-through. So, here is to bringing joy! I love you too. Haha.

Everwild: As if Seto didn't have a reason to avoid Joey hugs before. Haha. This just proved Seto's theory that he shouldn't associate with Joey.

Stormygio: AGJSOEH I'm sorry for not updating sooner! I really have been trying to give each of the dragons a different personality. I don't think I'm doing it well enough with Krin and Kara. You'll get to see a lot of Kray's personality in this chapter.

Guest: I'm so glad you liked the battle scene. I worked pretty hard to make sure it came out smoothly. I'm going to get into the "painful need for the monsters to find their person" in the next few chapters. No need to apologize for late reviews. I update really late. I'm the one who should be apologizing.

sycoandcrazy: I like writing Kray. I think he is the dragon I'm most similar too (aside from some things he does in later chapters). His dialogue is pretty close to what I would say in his situation. The story isn't really ALMOST over. I have probably about ten chapters left. It will be super sad to see it end.

Harvest Dragon: I'm glad you liked the chapter. This one isn't really suspenseful, since it would get old to be on edge with every chapter. But hopefully, you'll find this chapter interesting. And I'll explain the monsters' pain over "their human" pretty soon.

AnonymousGuest: Yikes. I hope you didn't log in every day waiting for this one. It has been quite a while. Thanks for the review!

Kazo the Hedgehog: Not all of Possessions can be intense or dark. I have to throw the funnier portions in, and I've found that Joey is a great means to do so. But I'm so glad you found it funny. I was worried it wouldn't come across.

Seto

"Sit."

Kray pointed to his bed before walking to the adjoining bathroom. Seconds later, I heard water running. When I glanced over, I caught Kray's eyes in the mirror. He turned his head, likely noticing that I still stood, and said, "Sit down."

"You really should just let me walk back."

"No. It's dark."

"I walk around at night."

"You shouldn't."

"I have to get back," I said.

"You're staying here. Sit down."

When I looked down to the bed, I noticed that it was as clean as the rest of Kray's apartment. It was strange in comparison to the Slaver's apartment or my house. The Slaver had lived in filth, while the other dragons never took time to pick anything up. Kray kept his space immaculate.

"How does Krin put up with your disobedience? Sit."

I did, seeing no reason that I shouldn't. As I sat down, I watched Kray's reflection. He tried to remove his shirt without further hurting his arm. But since the arm was completely burned, the act proved impossible. Kray gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes together. He refused to give up until the shirt was off.

My own hands were pulsing with pain. They were covered with dirt and blood, still filled with small shards of glass that I had been unable to pick out on the walk over. Blisters had formed on my fingertips and palms. I traced them gently.

A quiet growl came from the bathroom. A spark of light erupted from Kray's unburned hand, and talons appeared in the place of his fingers. I watched with interest. I didn't know that they could just transform part of themselves.

Kray took one of his claws and dragged it up from the hem of his shirt. I heard the tear from across the room. Once he had the long rip up the center, Kray tore the rest of the shirt off. The sleeve on his hurt arm had mostly burned away, but I could see bits of fabric fused to his skin.

"Is there any reason you're staring?" Kray shook his hand and it lit up before returning to the human form. He carefully pinched pieces of the material stuck to his arm and peeled them off. The pain displayed on his face was evident, and I didn't want to add to it, so I went with a lighter subject.

"Is your hair naturally like that?"

"No."

Kray turned his head away when he ripped another piece from his arm. I heard a quiet moan.

"Then why did you do it?"

Kray's eyes met mine in the reflection. It was clear that he didn't want to talk, but he answered anyways. Maybe talking was a helpful distraction.

"Got sick of being confused with the little brother."

He twisted his arm around to look at the backside. His every movement brought about a new wave of groans. The extent that his arm was burned would have hospitalized him if it happened until normal circumstances. I wondered if him really being a dragon had any affect on how he could handle pain. I knew that I had a high tolerance, but an injury on that level would be far too much for me.

"Do you want my help?" I offered when he bit off a scream.

"Keep talk-" Kray tried ripping another piece off as he spoke, and his sentence came to an abrupt end. "-ing," he finished, taking several heavy breaths.

"You're the oldest?"

Kray made a "mmhmm" sound in affirmation, slightly nodding his head.

"Are you much older than the others?"

This time, Kray shook his head. "I hatched first."

I couldn't stop the sudden exhale. It took a second to process the idea that I was carrying on a conversation with something that had come out of an egg. It was a strange notion.

"What order did the others come in?"

Kray examined his arm another time and seemed to decide that there was nothing else stuck on. He bent down and opened the cabinet underneath the sink, then pulled out a large, white bottle.

"Kisara. Krin. Kara."

I chuckled in surprise. "Kisara is older than Krin and Kara?"

"Yes." Kray started squeezing the contents of the bottle out onto his arm. His breathing was coming in short spurts as he began to rub it into his skin.

"How much older?"

"In your time?" Kray's hand froze, and even from several feet away, I could see the tremors running through his body. It amazed me that he was still conscious. He took a few seconds to collect himself. "A day or so."

As much as I wanted to keep talking, I knew that as soon as Kray finished tending to his arm, he wouldn't want the distraction. I doubted that he would likely tell me anything after he completed his task.

"Time in your world is different then," I said. I knew I should have been asking more relevant questions, but I didn't want to push him too far. If I edged into the subjects, I would be more likely to get information.

Kray leaned forward and propped his good elbow on the counter. He let his head fall down, nearly hitting the mirror when he did. "It's slower here." His words were forced, close to a whisper.

"In my time, how old would you be?"

Kray steadied himself and pushed himself back up. A roll of bandages sat on the counter top, and he picked it up. He used his teeth as much as his hand to unravel just over a foot of material. He started with his wrist and began wrapping. "Five thousand years?"

I stopped talking. Having been previously obsessed with Duel Monsters, and acquaintances with Yugi, I knew the history of the monsters. Five thousand years was certainly a span of time that stuck out. I shook my head and blinked a few times. It was just another thing to chalk up to coincidence.

Kray reached his shoulder and tied off the bandage. He didn't drop the bandage roll, but kept it in his hand. Bending back down to the cabinet, Kray picked up a box. He brought both items into the bedroom. I watched as he set them on the bed bedside me. I peered into the box, noting that it was a first aid kit.

But when I looked up, I saw something that I hadn't been able to see from across the room. Kray didn't put a shirt back on after bandaging his arm, so I could see the thick, dark scar circling his chest. It was about as wide as my fist, messy and rough. If Kray noticed me staring, he didn't say anything.

"Hands."

I lifted my upturned palms to him. He moved items around in the box until he found a bottle of peroxide. He bit down on the lid to unscrew the bottle, then poured it on my hands. I didn't react, not because it didn't hurt, but because after watching what Kray had just gone through, flinching at a minor sting would be pathetic.

"How did you get that?" I asked, gesturing to his stomach with my chin.

Kray moved his foot so that it was out of the path of the dripping peroxide. While I waited for a response, Kray twisted the bottle cap back on. No reply came.

I thought about offering to wrap my own hands up, but with both injured, it would turn out for the best if I let him work on it. Letting him wrap my hands also kept him close, more prone to conversation.

"What happened?"

"Don't concern yourself." Kray wound the bandages around my palms quickly, leaving my fingers uncovered.

"Would Kisara tell me?"

"No. She couldn't. The scratches on your face can heal on their own."

Kray went back into the bathroom, but he had given me a clear string of information to follow, so I tugged.

"Does she not know?"

"I don't even know," Kray said from the next room. I dropped my hands, having been too distracted from the conversation, and had left them hanging in the air.

"You don't know how you got that scar?"

Kray walked out of the bathroom and over to a closet. A few seconds later, he came out with a shirt. I could see that it was too large for him, but when he tried to put it on, the reasoning was apparent. With his arm burned, getting anything else on would be more difficult.

"You're not going to tell me?" I asked when he didn't respond.

"I can't tell you what I don't know."

"When did it happen?"

Kray groaned and sat down on a chair in the far corner of the room. "What does Kisara see it you?"

"I'm just really charming."

Kray leaned his head side to side and I heard his neck pop. He propped his elbow on the chair's arm so that he could rest his head on his fist. His eyes didn't even glance my direction.

"You're really not going to tell me anything?"

"There's no reason I should."

I knew that once he had finished with the first aid kit, Kray would be less inclined to talk. I had to get him back in the conversation.

"You kidnapped me." I had been purposefully pushing my concerns about Mokuba out of my mind, since logic stated that I couldn't do anything to get back to him. I didn't want to bring him into the discussion, but since Kray seemed to share my concern over a younger sibling, that common ground might be cause for relating to him. "My brother's life is in jeopardy. I deserve answers."

Kray laughed. I clenched my teeth and waited for him to stop.

"I do for cooperating and not trying to run."

"You couldn't get away from me."

"I escaped all three of them," I said. Arguing was likely a bad idea, but I was tired of his laughter.

But Kray still seemed amused. "Not really a challenge."

If I was trapped with Kray, and unable to get back to Mokuba, then I wasn't going to waste the time. Kray would talk to me, or I would fight to leave.

"I'd like some answers anyways."

Kray rubbed at his eyes. I could almost see his internal debate as to whether or not he wanted to continue talking. "I don't promise answers. But ask whatever."

"How did you get the scar?"

"I just told you that I don't know."

"No one gets a scar like that without knowing something."

"You sound confident."

"Experience. You must know some detail."

Kray moved his gaze down to his hurt arm. He let a few seconds pass before answering. "It just happened."

"When?"

"In your time?" Kray paused to think it over. "Maybe three years."

That triggered something in my thoughts. The two events could not possibly coincide. Approximately three years had passed since I had stolen the fourth Blue-Eyes. Too many coincidences were adding up. But that was all they were — coincidences.

"It just appeared?" I asked. I hoped he would give me any details that would disprove the nagging voice in my head.

"Came out of nowhere."

"Did it hurt?" I wanted more specific details.

Kray absent-mindedly scratched his stomach. "Like being torn in two."

It was his phrasing. His words called back the memory of holding the Blue-Eyes and ripping it in half. That happened three years ago. I looked at Kray's scar. I couldn't have done that. It wasn't possible.

"And after that?" I asked the question as a filler, just to keep him talking while I attempted to put the information in order. My mind was reeling with the vague and scattered facts.

"I realized that it was absurd to separate light and dark. My siblings didn't agree. I left."

"And you and your siblings were fine before that?"

Kray nodded. I kept my eyes on the scar, my mind still feverishly trying to convince itself that I was wrong. I had nothing to do with Kray leaving the other Blue-Eyes.

"Why did you come through the portal?"

Kray looked at me for the first time in a few minutes. "Why are you so interested?"

"We have to talk about something, and you don't want to hear about me."

Raising his eyebrows, Kray nodded several times. "That's true."

"So, why leave your world?"

"It doesn't matter."

I shrugged casually, as if I didn't particularly care to know. I did, but I couldn't let Kray onto that fact.

"I would still like to know."

"I had to find someone."

"The group that Krin mentioned?"

"No."

I understood what he meant. "You chose someone?"

"No."

He blinked too rapidly. I was edging near a topic he wasn't comfortable discussing. I kept going.

"But there is someone?"

Kray's expression changed. While he had before appeared annoyed, he now looked borderline sad. His eyebrows moved closer together and he bit down on his lip. His eyes moved away from me again.

"Not anymore."

I knew the answer to the question before I asked. "What happened?" I could see what he would say in the pain that crossed his features. It was different from the pain he had been going through from the burn. It was deeper.

"I killed him." His eyes shot back to connect with mine; the intensity in his gaze almost made me glance away. Although he didn't want to talk about it, I had to know.

"Because you didn't want to keep up with him?"

Kray grew angry at my suggestion. "You don't get it, do you?"

"About how it hurts to be separated from the person you choose?"

Kray's head bounced back and forth. "If you felt it for just a day, you wouldn't try to run from my sister." It continually struck me as odd how he singled out Kisara. "And it isn't fair that it only happens to some. You should pity Kisara for having to experience it."

"You want my pity?"

"I don't. But Kisara deserves it."

I shook my head. "Then why kill the person you are connected to?" I thought back over my sentence. My mind wasn't doing its job to push away my theory.

"To stop it. My group doesn't allow pets."

"If you can't keep someone, it's best to kill them?"

"No," Kray said. It was subtle, but I heard the slight waver. "I was wrong. It gets far worse."

That might account for the reason Krin appeared so relieved when he found me alive at the Slaver's house. He knew that my death would make things worse for him.

"Have you told your siblings about that?"

"I don't talk about it."

His foot was tapping against the leg of his chair. I reconsidered what I had thought about Kray before. I had based everything I knew about him off of Krin's warning. Krin depicted him as a traitor, as someone to be feared. Kray just seemed more broken than anything else. I knew there had to be some merit to Krin's warning, so I didn't write off Kray as misunderstood just yet.

"What was he like?" I assumed the person Kray chose was male.

Kray shifted in his chair, but didn't find any suitable position. He got to his feet and walked across the room to lean against the wall. "I don't know. I killed him as soon as I found him."

I pulled my feet up on the bed and stared at the bandaging on my hands while I asked the next question. "Who was he?"

It took Kray a few seconds to answer. "Some old man. I never even got a name," he said quietly.

Chills ran down my arms. My body froze in place as I processed what he said. Though I knew it was a bad idea to ask, I couldn't stop myself. The thought processes I had been repressing jumped to the forefront of my mind. "Short man, spikey hair?"

I forced myself to look at Kray. He stared back with his lips parted in surprise. "What makes you guess that?"

"Did he live here, in this city?" I pressed. Please say no.

"How do you know that?"

Everything clicked. It seemed crazy, and I felt crazy for thinking it, but I understood everything that had happened with the monsters. I could answer every question that was ever raised in the past. It felt like a haze had been lifted from around my brain. It all cleared.

But in my revelation, I didn't answer Kray. He stormed across the room and grabbed onto the collar of my shirt, pulling me to my feet. I stumbled a bit to keep from falling over.

"How do you know that?" he repeated more forcefully.

"I think I knew him." I tried to lean back, but Kray closed the gap, keeping his face right in front of mine.

"What was his name?"

It wasn't the question I had been expecting. "Solomon."

Kray released me with a push and took a step away, using the back of his hand to rub his nose. I adjusted my shirt as I waited for him to speak.

When he spoke, it wasn't directed to me. He just repeated the name. "Solomon." He pronounced each syllable carefully.

As he continued to get a feel for the name, I started to inch towards the door. It was only a matter of time before he realized that I had no reason for being able to guess the name just based on the description "old man." He would want answers. And now that I had the answers, I couldn't risk telling him.

Kray was oblivious as I moved away from him. When I reached the bedroom door, he still stared at the floor, mouthing the name. The moment I could no longer see him, I spun around and ran for the front door.

It took just a few seconds for a hand to circle around my neck. I was thrown against the nearest wall, and not even given a moment to react before Kray flipped me around so that I faced him. He kept the hand pressed against my throat, his other arm limp at his side.

"You aren't leaving tonight."

I couldn't respond through his grip. I lifted a hand to attempt to pull his hand from my neck, but even if my hands hadn't been hurt, Kray was far stronger than I.

"It strikes me that you know a lot more than you let on." He tightened his hold. My lips parted as a choke slid through. "Either that, or you are lying."

I wondered if he knew how close I was to passing out. He didn't seem to, and unfortunately, I knew that I couldn't let on. I couldn't allow him to question me. Just a few more seconds and I would-

He had moved be back to the bed. Kray was still awake — I could hear him pacing in the room — so I couldn't have been out for long. I stayed motionless to keep him from realizing that I had woken up. I needed to wait out the rest of the night. I laid still until I fell asleep.

My eyes opened on reflex. I blinked them closed, but knew that Kray, sitting across the room, had noticed. He jumped up from the chair and moved over, grabbing my shoulder to shake me.

"Don't pretend you are asleep."

I opened my eyes again and rolled my head to the side. "You knocked me out."

"You fell unconscious, and that's what you will tell Kisara."

"Unconscious from lack of oxygen." I pushed myself up and rubbed at my neck as if it still hurt. It wasn't as painful as I would have expected, after both Red and Kray trying to strangle me.

Kray seemed horrified that he had hurt me. His mouth was stern, but his eyes were wide. I knew he was worried that I would tell, and that would cause a rift between the siblings. That meant I had something to hold over him.

"Take me home."

"You're not going anywhere."

I held my hand to my throat and coughed. "Then what do you think I'll tell Kisara?"

Kray's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't."

"I will." I got to my feet. Kray stood close enough that I had to look up at him, but I didn't let that shake my gaze.

Kray's nose started wrinkling and twitching. His lips lifted in a snarl. "That's the thanks I get for saving your life?"

"I don't even know if my brother is alive right now. I'm going back."

I walked past him and towards the door. Kray moved behind me. Unlike the last time, he didn't attempt to stop me.

I reached for the doorknob but pulled my hand back. The second time I reached out, I just let my fingertips grab the knob. They were the least injured part of my hand.

Kray closed the door behind us. I kept ignoring him as I walked out onto the street. I looked down the road in the direction of my house, then sighed, knowing that it would take me at least half an hour to get there.

There were several soldiers within my sight. Kray walked up next to me, but when he saw them, he stopped. We both stood near his apartment and looked at them. I knew that they couldn't see me walking with a monster. If word got back to the government that I was choosing to associate with them, the government might moving the attack on Domino up. So I slid back, hiding in the hallway of the apartment building.

Kray moved back with me.

"I can't be seen with you."

"Yeah. Me neither."

I glanced at Kray, then back to the street. There had to be a way to get home without anyone realizing that I was with Kray. The answer didn't take long to come to me.

"Fly me back," I said.

"What?"

"We can't be seen with each other. But everyone expects me to be with your siblings. You're indistinguishable from them as a dragon."

Kray groaned, but then nodded. "Fine. Hold on."

He walked back out onto the street and I turned my head. In a crack of lightning, Kray shifted into a dragon. The heat tingled on the back of my arms and the moment it wore away, I faced the Blue-Eyes.

Kray had ducked his head down so that he could peer into the hallway. His head was about the size of the entrance. It had been a while since I stood so close to one of the dragons in their real form, and I had nearly forgotten how large they were.

Kray growled when I didn't immediately move. Shaking my head, I went over to him. I walked to the side without the injured arm because I needed to be able to climb up to his back. Kray didn't seem interested in providing me with any assistance. He just turned to watch as I found a way to climb his leg and onto his back.

When I made it, he didn't waste a second before jumping into the air. I ducked my head, and grabbed onto grooves in his scales. I gritted my teeth, feeling my hands splitting open. I held on tightly as Kray rose higher.

On the street below, I could see people staring up at us. Kray drew a crowd that before the compromise, would have hidden away at the sight of him. People were adjusting too easily to the monsters' presence. It might be the death of many of them.

I looked up from the street and out towards the horizon. Standing on the ground, the horizon was blocked by the city's structures. But so far up in the air, I could see all the way out from the earth's subtle curve to the mountains out ahead of me. Even the bite of the cold morning couldn't detract from the view.

I had seen the view many times before. Not just flying around with the other dragons, but in my jet. Flying in an enclosed space didn't compare. The bitter wind woke me up, bringing about an alertness that I only felt while in the open air. I knew that I chose the Blue-Eyes as signature cards for a reason. They had such freedom and strength. It was demonstrated in their flight.

When my house came into view, I almost regretted having to land. But then I saw Kara standing at the front door. She had her head tilted up, watching as Kray flew closer. Right before we landed, she threw the front door open, almost ripping it off its hinges, and leaned inside.

The moment Kray's feet hit the ground, I jumped off. I ran to the front door and pushed past Kara.

"Seto?" she called once I had already gotten by. I noticed the light behind me, but didn't stop to see what Kray did.

Krin and Kisara came out of the bedroom, pushing each other aside as they tried to be the first person to reach me.

"Where have you been?" Krin demanded.

I looked around the room and only saw the dragons. Mokuba was nowhere to be seen. But the crutches were propped up against the wall. I didn't see Kuriboh either. I had assumed that if Mokuba was okay, he would be waiting in the living room for my return.

"Where is Mokuba?" I asked.

"Seto, dear! Are you okay?" Kisara ran up and grabbed my hands, but I shoved her away.

"Mokuba. Where is he?"

"You were late," Krin said.

My breaths caught in my throat and my entire body felt heavy. I couldn't stop my jaw from dropping open. "You didn't."

"Where were you?" Kara asked.

I just looked at her, knowing that my expression must be horrified. I couldn't answer.

"Big brother?"

I caught a deep breath and looked to Mokuba's closed door. Without another second passing, I sprinted over and opened the door.

Mokuba sat on the bed with Kuriboh in his lap. Mokuba's face was red and his eyes bloodshot. He looked up at me and burst into tears.

"Mokuba, I'm so sorry." I ran over and as I did, Kuriboh moved out of the way. I climbed on the bed and pulled Mokuba into my arms. He dropped his head onto my shoulder and continued crying.

I started gently rocking him back and forth, whispering apologies. His entire body shook and his heart pounded with such force that I could feel it beating. It took a few minutes for Mokuba's hyperventilating to calm, but he managed to speak. "What happened?"

I gently moved Mokuba away so I could look at him. His bottom lip quivered to the extent that I could hear his teeth clattering together. I hadn't seen him so scared since we were much younger.

"Red attacked me."

Mokuba's eyes widened, only slightly, since they were still filled with tears. "Why?"

"I smelled like Wheeler."

Mokuba laughed, but it came out more like a choked sob. He started to rub at his eyes and when he did, Kuriboh moved closer. Mokuba began to run his fingers through Kuriboh's hair.

"But you didn't come back."

"I know. I tried. Kray-" I paused to sigh. "Kray saved me," I admitted. "But he wouldn't let me come back last night."

"Seto-" Mokuba began. He didn't get the chance to finish. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and was jerked back off the bed. I managed to get my feet underneath me before I toppled to the ground. The hand from my shoulder moved to grab my jaw and spun me around.

I tried to pry Krin's hand away from my face, but could do nothing as he dragged me out of the room. I scratched at his hand, trying to get him to let go of my jaw. Krin didn't until he threw me against the wall in the living room, then stepped in line with his sisters.

"Where were you?"

"Kray didn't tell you?" I said. My heart was burning with anger. Krin lead me to believe that Mokuba was dead, even though it was only for a few moments. I knew he did it just to spite me for being late.

"Seto, please tell me," Kisara said.

I lifted a hand to point at her, but had to clench it into a fist to keep from shaking. "Don't. How could you?"

"You broke-" Kara started.

"No." I cut her off because there was absolutely nothing they could say to me that would take away my anger. "I tried to get back. You should know that I wouldn't leave Mokuba here."

"How should we know that?"

"I told you. I swore. You were prepared to kill my brother."

"That was our agreement."

"Did you even think that I might have been in trouble? That I was trying to get back?" I noticed that my words were shaking as badly as Mokuba's had been. I had been just as scared, but it only came to me now that I was confronted with the situation.

"We looked for you all night," Kisara said. She reached out for me, but I hit her hand away.

"You terrified him. You made him think he was going to die."

"And he would have," Krin said. "I don't care if you are too busy to make it back on time."

"Red attacked me," I said. "I couldn't get back." I spoke forcefully, trying to emphasize my point without shouting. I knew that if I started shouting, nothing would stop me.

"Seto! What happened?" Kisara said. I didn't answer her, but kept my eyes on Krin. I could barely see Kray leaning against the door, watching the situation with interest. He must be lingering for a reason.

"Red tried to kill me," I exaggerated slightly. Ripping the bandages off my hands, I held them out for the dragons to see. From the night before, they had turned a deeper red. Because of the bandages, my hands were damp, and the flight over had reopened the scabs in some places. I knew they could see the damage on my face, and probably my neck, as well. "I was trying to get here."

Krin's eyes darted down to look at my hands. He frowned. I kept going before he had the opportunity to speak again. "If anything happens to my brother, that's it. You'll have no hold over me."

"We still have the compromise," Kara said.

"You think I'd care? Do you really believe, for a second, that I would be working so hard to protect this city if Mokuba wasn't in it?" I shook my head to answer it for them. "If I lose Mokuba, I'm done. Keep that in mind next time you think about hurting him."

I was finished talking to them. I stepped to the side to get around them and started walking towards Mokuba's room.

"Seto, wait!"

Kisara grabbed onto my arm to try to stop me. I spun around and shoved her away for the second time. She looked like I had hit her when she was forced to fall back several feet. "Do not talk to me," I said. I felt the hatred leaking through my expression. She looked scared and she stepped back further.

"How dare you?" I asked quietly. I walked off without another word.

I went back into Mokuba's room, taking his crutches with me. Before walking in, I took a deep breath to calm myself. I didn't want Mokuba to see me angry.

Kuriboh was back in Mokuba's lap. I found it surprising that he hadn't protested to my being in the room yet. He had even moved earlier so that I could reach Mokuba. He was cooperating with me.

Mokuba's face had cleared up a little. He still stroked Kuriboh's hair. His eyes traveled to the crutches I held. I could see his deep swallow when he saw them.

"They're mad," he said.

I nodded. "So am I." I crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed. I put the crutches where Mokuba would be able to reach them without issue.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?"

I thought about Kray standing in the other room, and then what I had figured out from talking to him. I wanted to tell Mokuba, but not with Kuriboh in the room. He might not be able to tell the dragons, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't tell someone else. So for now, I would tell Mokuba nothing about it.

"I will," I said. "Later," I added. I met Mokuba's gaze and held it with a slight dip of my chin. He seemed to understand that I wasn't able to give him the real story.

Mokuba looked down at Kuriboh, still messing with his hair. Mokuba didn't even seem annoyed that Kuriboh was hovering so close. Kuriboh appeared content with just sitting in Mokuba's lap. I wondered if he had been as afraid as Mokuba.

I held my hands up and wished that I hadn't ripped off the bandages. The chilly air in the bedroom made my hands feel like they were getting crusty. But I didn't want to walk outside. I didn't want to face the dragons again for a long time.

I moved up on the bed and rested against the headboard with Mokuba. He placed his head on my shoulder, and I put mine on top of his. Mokuba's body still shook, but as we sat there, the tremors faded.

. . . Hey guys. I'm sure you're sick of hearing my apologies, but I'm sorry anyways. National Novel Writing Month (and the preparation for it) took precedence over fanfiction. But now that classes are out, I hope to have more time to write. No promises, since I never seem to meet my scheduled deadlines.

Thanks to everyone who stuck with me! And let me know what you thought of this chapter!

Chapter Twenty Eight Preview: Mokuba has a sit down with Kisara. Seto goes to visit with someone to confirm his ideas.