Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Do You Dream of Me? ❯ Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh. If I did, I wouldn't be doing fanfiction in advance so I can keep updating while I work on an original work that is not Yu-gi-oh.

 

As was apparent in the last chapter, Death-T is where this is going to start to diverge even more from the manga. This Yami isn't going to sit back and basically let all that Death-T stuff happen. He's a lot less hesitant to use his powers than even the early manga's `psycho' Yami is, although the last chapter I hope showed that there are limits that are imposed on him by the nature of gaming. I hope you like it.

 

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It was obvious to both Yami and Yugi that the Kaiba brothers were behind the attempt to kidnap Sugoroku, but what could they do? Yami wanted to Shadow Game them immedietly, but Yugi told him no.

 

Kaiba Corp. was a huge company. This house showed that they were really rich, and rich people could pay to have things happen. Like the Game Shop be taken away, they could be sued for some reason, Yami could defend against assassins, as he'd just proven, but what could he do if the water got turned off, the electricity too, their bank accounts closed down…

 

Maybe… he could even find magicians who could fight Yami, and who knew what would happen? Would the Millennium Items and Shadi step in? What if they were overpowered too? Was there anyone who could fight the items?

 

…that was an interesting thought. If there were people who could fight the Items, maybe Yugi could learn to too… but would the Puzzle let him? How much did it know about what was going on in his head?

 

The golden weight around his neck was a strange combination of best friend and deepest enemy, Yami's vessel (Yugi wished Yami could stay with him even when the Puzzle was taken off, but he couldn't) and Yami's tormentor.

 

He stroked the rope that held it around his neck, a nervous habit he'd picked up. Yami was there, shadowy and real in his arms and his mind, but his physical arms wanted to hold something as well when things were scary.

 

Yami cuddled up to him to reassure him. Yami didn't understand these things. Master ordered and people obeyed: that was the way it should work. Merchants, even merchants with gaming skills, being able to overpower his Master made no sense whatsoever. But he vowed he would learn these things so he could serve Master better.

 

Had he made a mistake by trying to aid the one something insisted he call Seth?

 

Seth had needed help, but it seemed the loss and the Shadow Game had injured the pride of him and now his brother. Causing them to become Master's enemies.

 

He had acted incorrectly, and now Master and Master's family and interests were at risk because of it.

 

Perhaps the Penalty Game should have been to make Seth forget he had ever seen the Blue Eyes card?

 

No, the same feeling within him that named him Seth cried out against that. He owed Seth what he owed every gamer, everyone with that spark within them: the chance to improve, to redeem themselves. Well, he owed it to all, to punish to teach, but those who played games were… special.

 

Master played games, and Master was the best, so his knowledge of this world reinforced that feeling.

He wished he knew the things he knew he had known. He knew he could help Master better then. So much lost… no. Not lost. Taken.

 

He shivered in Master's arms as Master bid a cheerful goodnight to Mokuba and was led upstairs to `sleep over.' Master held him and reassured him and he could feel that Master cared for him even though he was unworthy. It made him feel happy and sleepy, and cleansed him from the taint of his alliance with the Items earlier.

 

It had felt wrong. The power had been… But it wasn't wrong if it was for Master.

 

He should rest while Master was getting ready to go to sleep, so that he could stay awake and guard Master from attack while he slumbered. There were the wards, but… the Kaibas had powers, though it seemed no one in these days knew of them… but the money that had bought this palace might by tutoring, or mercenaries, and he knew not of the state of the art of magic in these times.

 

He would have to be on guard, for Master's sake.

 

So he asked permission to rest and it was granted. Master hugged him and tucked him in.

 

Warm… Master's soul was always warm. Even when Master was angry and worried, like now.

 

Yami would do everything in his power to ease that worry.

 

Yugi sighed quietly, following a chattering Mokuba showing off his house (rubbing it in how rich and powerful the Kaibas were) up the grand staircase.

 

Yami had cowered after Yugi had told him not to Shadow Game the Kaibas right away. He'd tentatively asked why not, and then blamed everything on himself. They'd been flinging magic around, Yugi should have thought about consequences: Yami didn't understand this world and these things. Yami shouldn't be blaming himself.

 

But of course Yami thought Master was perfect, so of course it was Yami's fault instead of Yugi-dono's.

 

It had almost broken his heart to see him cower in fear of being sent back to the Puzzle again. Yugi had tried since Yami had woken up to reassure him, show him he cared, that he would never send him back, that he would in fact fight to keep him!

 

…had he helped Yami so little that Yami still thought… It hurt, that he'd failed him like that. Failed to show him he cared for him, loved him.

 

Hurt to see him so afraid.

 

He'd gathered him up in his arms again and rocked him, all the while keeping on chattering innocently while Mokuba smiled a `secret' smile, knowing the time the kidnapping had been planned for and probably still thinking it had gone according to plan.

 

Yugi wondered what would happen when they found out it hadn't.

 

Shadi had been, in a way, less frightening.

 

Shadi was a magical threat, and up until recently he'd thought magic wasn't real. This all felt like a dream still, in some ways. Too good to be true, a fantasy adventure… the `rational' part of him, if any of him was rational, still didn't totally believe in this, in the danger.

 

But the Kaibas… he'd seen his Grandpa do his books. He'd heart gossip in the school's halls, stories about what ruthless businessmen did in the news and in TV shows… he was just a boy, that rational part of him still thought. What could he do against the billions of yen the Kaibas had?

 

Focus, Yugi, he told himself. You have Yami: what more do you need? What more do you want?

 

Jou was glancing at him, as they walked a few steps behind Mokuba. Clearly, he wanted an explanation. Yugi couldn't give him very much of one, and what he did know wasn't really very reassuring.

 

Yugi wondered if he should have Yami send Jou home.

 

No, Jou was probably safer here where Yami could keep an eye on him than anywhere else.

 

So many scary possibilities… when had it all gotten so complicated?

 

He made um-hum noises of polite interest while Mokuba talked, and Jou occasionally burst out with statements of incredulity when told something unbelievable like the number of rooms this house had, and how many different game areas it had. Bowling allies, arcades… appropriate for a game company's owners, but still almost unbelievable.

 

Mokuba finally stopped in front of a door and Yugi told himself to pay attention. “Here're your rooms. There's jammies inside, and if you put your clothes in the laundry chute they'll be clean in the morning. Night, guys! I have to be up bright and early tomorrow for the big day!” Cheerful and menacing.

 

Yes, Yugi was far past the point of having a bad feeling about this. The other shoe would drop tomorrow, and it would probably be trying to squish them.

 

They went into the rooms, and it was what they had kind of expected. A suite with two huge separate bedrooms, bathrooms, and a living room they shared. When the door closed Jou turned to Yugi. “Yug…”

 

Yugi made a shushing motion. There were probably security cameras. This was really creepy… he didn't want them to be listened in on.

 

Maybe Yami could quiet their voices, but if they had someone who could read lips… Yugi was feeling very paranoid, but was he paranoid enough?

 

They could… go to the Shadow Realm, but he wasn't sure if… no, Kaiba knew about the Shadow Realm, he'd been sent there, so it wouldn't be letting him know about anything he didn't already know about.

 

Yugi didn't want to wake up Yami when he'd just gone to sleep, but he didn't think he had a choice. Jou looked like he was going to be pretty annoyed if he didn't get an explanation soon.

 

-Yami?- He gently tapped Yami on the shoulder.

 

Yami was instantly awake and attentive. -Yes, Master?—

 

-Could you take Jou and me to the Shadow Realm so we can talk without being overheard?- That was probably overkill, but Yugi didn't want to let them know Yami could disable security cameras… if they didn't already know he could affect technical things… how much did they know?

 

Yugi's head hurt. He didn't like thinking like this.

 

-Yes, Master. But… it is very simple.—

 

-Can you show me how, then, so you can go back to sleep?- Yugi smiled. Yami was so clever.

 

Yami let him feel how. It actually was pretty simple.

 

-Okay, go back to sleep then.- Yugi pet him.

 

Yami smiled and let his head fall back down to the pillow. He wanted to be well rested for this night and whatever would happen tomorrow.

 

Yugi concentrated and the shadows around them deepened until they were surrounded by them.

 

“Whoa…” Jou said, looking around. “What's going on here, Yugi?”

 

“This,” Yugi explained, pointing at where they were now, “is the Shadow Realm.”

 

“Where you told us Duel Monsters lived?” Jou looked around cautiously, like he was worried about being jumped by a Wicked Worm Beast.

 

Yugi nodded. “I brought us here because I was worried about security cameras.”

 

“…security cameras?! …Okay, now I don't want to change.” That was just wrong. But probably correct. “Good thinking, Yugi. Now, what the hell is going on?”

 

“Yami played a Shadow Game with Kaiba when he tried to steal Grandpa's Blue Eyes White Dragon card. Mokuba challenged us a few days ago to Capsule Monster Chess, and Yami played a Shadow Game with him too. They both cheated, so he made him experience what the monsters in the games did. And now there's this big project Mokuba's talking about, and someone tried to kidnap Grandpa.” It sounded even worse now he was telling Jounouchi.

 

“They tired to kidnap Gramps?!” Jou punched his palm. “Why I oughta…!”

 

Yugi shook his head frantically. “No, don't! They're rich, and they probably have bodyguards and things!”

 

Jou sighed. “Damn… so what do we do then? Can't just let them get away with this.”

 

Kaiba had started it by trying to steal the card… but now Yugi was in trouble because Yami'd Shadow Gamed Kaiba and his crazy kid brother. Anzu, Honda and Jou were going to have to think about this. And they'd been pretty sure Yami wasn't half bad too… but if he got Yugi in big trouble like this with his crazy magic punishments… Something to worry about later.

 

Yugi slumped. “I don't know. The best plan we have is to just see what happens. Yami doesn't understand modern rules and how society works and things and I don't really either. If there's a game, we'll win, and both Kaiba and Mokuba play games… but I'm really worried.”

 

Jou smiled. “Hey, look on the bright side, bud, you've got me and Yami on your side, and Anzu's good at this stuff even if me and Honda aren't. Class Rep, remember? She knows all that rigamarole for sure, and your Grandpa's no slouch either. We'll get you out of this okay, don't worry bud.”

 

Yugi tried to smile. “Thanks, Jou.”

 

Yugi noticed Jou shiver. “I'm going to take us back now, okay? Yami says this place can drain you if you aren't prepared for it and do too much stuff here.”

 

Something to think about. “Sure. And I'll try to come up with a plan and if I do we can talk about it here. But I think you're right, best thing to do is wait'n see.”

 

Yugi smiled, glad Jou agreed. “Thank you. I'm sorry you're involved in this.”

 

Jou shrugged. “What are friends for?”

 

Yugi smiled for real. “Thank you.”

 

And they were back in the opulent guest rooms.