Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Do You Dream of Me? ❯ Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh. You can tell by the way this is not manga.

 

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“Kaiba! Let my Grandpa out of the box!” Yugi clenched his fists, glaring at Kaiba but still seeing, out of the corner of his eye, his Grandpa cowering in the box.

 

“Very well!” It couldn't be that easy could it? “But I have one condition.” Here it came… “There is a hidden side of Kaiba Land-`Death T!'” Kaiba was gloating already. “Yugi, I've spent 10 billion yen to prepare this for you! The Theme Park of Death!” That didn't sound good.

 

“Yugi! I'll stop that simulator if you swear to face Death-T!”

 

Yugi gulped. The power of Yami's magic against `real' power, the power of money and technology… there would be cameras, what if Kaiba exposed them, what if people tried to take Yami away…

 

A real game! Yami's guilt that he had brought this upon Yugi was beginning to be overshadowed by the desire for a real test of his skills. And perhaps the chance to find out what it was about Kaiba, no, Seth, that made him seem to catch the barest glimpse of memories… Don't worry, Master, I will protect you!

 

“I understand! I'll face Death-T!” Yugi swore, heartened by Yami's oath to him. It would be fine. Somehow.

 

Kaiba laughed quietly. “Stop the simulator!”

 

“Yessir!” The holograms disappeared.

 

Yugi ran into the box. “Grandpa! Are you all right?!” Yami! Help him!

 

His mind is safe, he has a strong self, as a true gamer. But his heart is old… Yami bent down, red eyes concerned, and touched his hand to Sugoroku-sama's chest so the shadows would not show as he healed him. Sugoroku seemed to recognize who looked out of Yugi's eyes at him and kept taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself.

 

“Grandpa?” Yugi took control again.

 

“Y… Yugi… I'm sorry I lost,” he gasped out.

 

“Grandpa…” Yugi knew what it must mean to his Grandpa to have lost a game. He tried to console him. He would feel guilty if he knew what Yugi had agreed to to save him… not that Yugi himself knew what awaited.

 

“He… he's a terrible young man… He'll do anything to win a game… even taking a person's life…”

 

“Grandpa, don't talk!” He was still tired from the ordeal, even if he would be all right now.

 

“Yugi…” Sugoroku took his deck out of the pocket he had instinctively placed it in to keep it safe from the monstrous visions. “Th… these are the cards I used in my duel. I lost, but to me, these cards are my soul… take them.”

 

“Grandpa!” His deck?! Yugi was shocked.

 

“Yugi! I know you can defeat that young man!”

 

His Grandpa believed in him! “I'll beat him!” Yugi swore, gripping the cards.” And it will be your victory too, with your cards!

 

“Yugi!” Jou had disappeared, but now he appeared again. “I called the ambulance! Quick, get your Grandpa…”

 

Yugi nodded and let them load him onto a stretcher. He wanted him away from here, where he could rest and not worry. Although he seemed to know he would be facing Kaiba soon…

 

“Ha ha ha ha ha… Yugi! I see you holding your grandfather's cards. You think you can defeat me with those?!” Kaiba grinned, watching with his arms folded across his chest.

 

“I promised my Grandpa! I'll beat you with these cards!” Yugi held them tightly, glaring slightly.

 

“Oh, you will, will you?” Kaiba grinned wider. “I have thereof the most powerful card on earth, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Take a good look!” He held the cards up for Yugi to see. “Now you don't even have one Blue-Eyes in your deck!”

 

Yugi glared for real now. Kaiba had torn up Grandpa's Blue-Eyes! The card he loved the most, the card of his heart! Kaiba had to pay, so Yugi and Yami wouldn't lose!

 

Yugi's confidence and determination made Yami smile, kissing him on the cheek. Master had come so far…

 

Yugi restrained a blush. He didn't mean it that way! He was just proud of him, he could tell. But it would have been nice if he had meant it that way…

 

“A rematch with you is what I've wanted from the beginning.” A strange smile. “The stage for our duel will be the dome at the top of the building! WE're on the second floor now. Each deadly game you clear brings you closer to the top!”

 

Yugi nodded firmly. Kaiba seemed unsurprised he wasn't frightened.

 

“But! You will never conquer Death-T!” Kaiba laughed then, laughed that Yugi would be crushed.. and laughed for the game itself? Was there that much honor in him?

 

“Kaiba! Count me in too!” Jou had come back after making sure Grandpa was taken care of by the paramedics. “I'm not letting Yugi go alone!”

 

…was this a good thing? Yugi wondered. It was brave of Jou, and it made him smile that Jou was willing to risk a Theme Park of Death, that he was that close a friend, but Yugi didn't want to put his friends in danger.

 

We will be able to watch him better if he is with us, Master. And Jounouchi-sama is a true gamer as well. He will help us triumph.

 

You're right, Yami! Yugi smiled at Jou, thanking him for coming to help him.

 

Kaiba laughed quietly again.

 

“Listen Kaiba! I could punch in your lily-white face with my fist right here and now!” Kaiba moved like he'd done martial arts, but there was a world of difference between that and real street-fighting, and Jou had been the best. “But that wouldn't mean anything! Yugi'll beat you at your card game! And I'll stake my life to help him get there!” Even though Yami would be there… well, Yami hadn't gotten Gramps out of the box. There were limits to what he could do. It hadn't been that long ago that Jou had seen Yami too exhausted to even switch back. Yugi would need Jou's help too, Jou was sure of it.

 

“Don't forget about me!” Jou and Yugi both turned their heads, surprised. Honda's voice?! “Yugi! Jou!”

 

“Honda!” Why was Honda here! But Jou was relieved. Honda was a great man to have at your back.

 

“Heh heh…” Honda flashed a predatory grin at Jou, who reciprocated. Kaiba wouldn't know what hit him.

 

“Honda! What's with the kid on your back?!”

 

“Gaaa…” The baby waved his hand.

 

“Ah, this thing? My sister made me babysit her kid. He kept whining to go to Kaiba Land… We were in the audience when things started getting weird and you guys showed up! Good thing I was here-you look like you need a hand! Count me in, Yugi! You're not going in there without me!” It had been a snap to get past the arena security, even with the whiny kid.

 

“Yaay Kaiba! Kaiba's gonna win!” The kid waved at Kaiba.

 

Honda hit it on the head. “Shaddup you little brat!”

 

“Waah!” The baby whined repeatedly.

 

“Hey, don't make him cry, Honda!”

 

“That hurt, Hiroto!” The baby glared. “I'll tell mommy!”

 

“Just shut up!” Honda glared back. What a brat!

 

Yugi watched smiling. Those guys… putting their lives on the line for him.

 

“So, let's start the game already!” A united front faced Kaiba.

 

Kaiba gestured grandly, still gloating. “Open the gates of Death-T!”

 

A very serious set of door opened. Yami reassured Yugi. He would protect him, and so would Jounouchi-sama and Honda-sama. Yami would owe them more favors after this.

 

“Step through the gate, Yugi! We're all waiting for you!”

 

The crowd was jealous. A whole other theme park only special guests could get into? If only they knew…

 

Yugi, Jou, and Honda stepped through. As the doors closed slowly, Kaiba announced, “Yugi! I'll be waiting for you at the top! Ha ha ha ha ha!” The doors sealed off the sound of his laughter.

 

They were in a tunnel. Yugi could feel Yami working, at what he couldn't tell. But he didn't want to distract him.

 

No, wait. Get some rest, Yami. I'll need you later, but I'm sure I can get through the first few games with their help.

 

…yes, Master. An approving smile. He would have liked to help Master, but seeing how he had truly made Master braver, turning down help for strategy's sake… I will be here when you need me.

 

I know. Yugi pet him as Yami curled on the bed, mind returning to the tunnel.

 

“Hey… this feels creepy…” Jou muttered.

 

Honda taunted him as they walked along the long tunnel. Where was the game?

 

Finally, there was another set of doors, labeled Death-T 1.

 

“Is this the first game?” An obvious question, but Honda was sick of the tunnel.

 

Suddenly, alarms sounded. “Emergency! Emergency!”

 

“What's going on!”

 

“Please help me!” A woman in futuristic clothing ran towards them.

 

They all stared in shock. “Anzu?!”

 

“Whaa?!” She stared back. “What are you doing here?!”

 

“That's my line!” Jou responded.

 

“I started work at this amusement park today! I lost my job at Burger World when I punched out this customer who touched my butt. So I applied at Kaiba Land! They put me in this costume and made me the guide for this game. You guys surprised me!”

 

“So, why did you yell help?”

 

“It's an act! Part of this game! After that, I say this line to the customers. `The enemy is about to blow up this space station! You are the only ones who can save it! Put on your cyber-vests and defeat the intruders with your laser guns!'” She seemed very into it.

 

“Anzu, how can you act like that at a time like this!?”

 

“I practiced hard! My acting isn't that bad!”

 

“Sheesh, are you stupid? Do you have any idea what this theme park is about?!” First Grandpa Motou here, then Honda, now Anzu… once was happenstance, twice was coincidence, three times was enemy action. Jou was pretty sure Kaiba had gathered them here, but why? If he was just after a rematch with Yugi.

 

But perhaps he wanted to destroy Yugi's state of mind first by targeting his friends. He seemed at the type. Rich bastard… “I guess you're better off knowing nothing…” Jou turned away. Hopefully she wouldn't get involved.

 

Yugi hoped the same thing. Anzu was his oldest friend. Should he gather her into his party so he could look after or leave her here…

 

“Anyway,” Honda interrupted their thoughts. “The first game looks like a shootout!”

 

There were three sets of futuristic garb like Anzu's and three laser guns haingin on the wall. “There are the cybervests and lasers!” Yugi pointed out. A physical game? He wasn't so good at those…

 

“All right, everyone! Time to get dressed!” What a coincidence! He first customers were her best friends! It had to be a good omen! “Yeah! Looking good! Okay, the game is a shooting match, three against three! The battle takes place in the electrical field beyond that door! There's a sensor on the front of these cyber-vests! Aim for the spot.” She pointed to it. “If the enemy's laser hits your sensor you'll feel a light vibration over your whole body. If you get hit even once, you're out of the game. The first team to lose all its members loses… then it's game over!”

 

Jou and Honda looked at each other.

 

Yugi worried. It couldn't be that simple… Kaiba had put so much effort into this, there had to be some sort of trap…

 

“Hey, Anzu! Could you take care of this kid during the game?”

 

Anzu stared at the baby. “I… is he yours, Honda?”

 

“Are you crazy?!” Honda stared.

 

The baby made cute noises. “Coochie coo, cute baby!” Then he stuck her head on her breasts. “Yech… this kid's a perv.”

 

“Awright, let's go!”

 

“Good luck!”

 

“Yugi?” Jou said quietly as they went through the door. “No offense, but you're short and all. Let Honda and me handle this.”

 

Yugi was relieved. On the one hand, he wouldn't have a glorious victory to show Yami when he woke up, but on the other Yami would never forgive himself if Yugi got hurt somehow. And he just knew this wouldn't be as fair as it seemed.