Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Psyche ❯ Wounds ( Chapter 12 )

 

Disclaimer: Yugi-oh is the property of Kazuki Takahashi, who is a genius.

 

This is the third part of the Chrysalis series. You will enjoy this more if you read Chrysalis and Emergence first. You will get lost!

 

Psyche

Chapter Twelve: Wounds

 

~*~*~*

OCs

~*~*~*

Ahmose: (Egyptian for: The moon is born) Yami's son back in Egypt.

E'on: Jonouchi's Red Eyes Black Dragon.

Jame: Kaiba's obsessive-compulsively organized secretary who wants to be fired.

Kallon: The Dark Sage and one of the three rulers of the Shadow Realm, though he tries hard not to be.

Kisara: The only female Blue Eyes White Dragon.

Koori: (Japanese for: Ice) The largest male Blue Eyes White Dragon.

Ledowr: The Magician of Black Chaos, also one of the three ruler of the Shadow Realm, and is trying even harder not to be.

Pepi: Yami's third wife back in Egypt.

Shimo: (Japanese for: Frost) The other male Blue Eyes White Dragon.

Yuai: Yugi's girlfriend, sort of..., one of three rulers of the Shadow Realm. Though she's been slacking lately.

 

~*~*~*

Kaiba, Ledowr, Kallon, Yuai

~*~*~*

It was late. The castle was still and quite. The wind, whispering up from the city bellow brought sleepy scents to flow amongst the tall scented candles and the banked fires that glowed drowsily here and there in the rooms. The court and it's attendant courtiers, had long ago yawned their softly padded selves off to bed, and now only a few ghosts and spirits flitted restlessly about.

 

The exceptions to this quiet slumber, were seated around a fire sipping wine. Kaiba, who had snuck out of bed, after making sure Jonouchi was asleep for the night, was sitting in an overstuffed lounge chair, that seemed to have been imported straight from some English country house. Kallon, who had been unearthed from the castle library, had settled into a high wing back chair and was defiantly still reading a heavy, leather bound tome that occasionally mumbled sarcastic things at him. Yuai and her sometimes beloved spouse, were sitting over a small table, near the fire bickering their way through a chess game, and taking turns holding a conversation with the others.

 

“He still hasn't figured it out?” Yuai tapped her fingers against the side of the table keeping half an eye on her husband and half on Kaiba, who was frowning irritably at the fire, rolling the bowl of a wine glass in his fingers.

 

“No. As far as Jo's concerned, I got a good night's rest, a few good meals and bounced back to normal.” Kaiba flicked one long fingered hand dismissively. “If he starts getting suspicious one of the dragons distracts him.”

 

Yuai nodded and turned to the game as Ledowr set back in his chair with a tiny smirk. “Not terribly observant.”

 

Kaiba took a sip of his wine and shrugged. “He sees what he needs to see. He needs Seto, so he sees Seto.”

 

“We really shouldn't lie to the boy.” Kallon lifted his nose out of the books pages, rapping it roughly with his hand as it muttered a particularly offensive comment. “He should be well enough to handle the truth.”

 

“E'on says no.” Kaiba yawned and stretched back into the chair, edging his feet closer to the fire and setting his glass down on a convenient side table. The castle seemed too cold and damp for his liking tonight. He wondered idly if a storm was coming. “And I don't want to chance any harm coming to him. Seto would never forgive me.”

 

Yuai, poking her beloved to get his attention, nodded. “He does love Jo.” She sighed, shaking her head. “How is Seto? Any better?”

 

Kaiba looked blank for a moment, then blinked as if waking up. “He's still sleeping. Considering the damage done to his mind, I'm not surprised.” He shook his head, frowning. “I wish you hadn't shown him that damn mirror.”

 

Yuai bit her lip. “I thought if he saw his brother, it would help. If I knew it would only cause him more stress…”

 

“Stop doing that, love.” Ledowr looked up from the chess board. “Thinking's never been your strong point.”

 

Yuai smacked him. “This from the man who's motto is eat, annoy, and get laid as often as possible.”

 

Kallon tisked softly, “Children, children. That's enough. We still have to figure out a way to get our guests home. As much as I like young Jonouchi, it would be better for him, Seto and Ryou to return.”

 

“Yes.” Ledowr watched as Yuai contemplated the chess board. “We aren't the SPCA for stray humans.”

 

“Thank all the gods for that.” Kaiba tapped his foot and gazed thoughtfully into the fire. “Is there any way we could use Ryou to contact the tomb robber?”

 

Kallon shook his head. “Ryou's too far away from his yami right now. They can't communicate over this distance.”

 

“I sent Mahado out to patrol the area closest to your realm.” Ledowr made a pleased sound in the back of his throat as Yuai leaned back. “If the pharaoh or any of his dim witted hangers on think to come over for a visit, Mahado can bring them here.” He growled. “It also has the added bonus of sparing us having to watch him and your dragon snuggle cutely in every corner of the castle. Damn, I was coming out of the solar yesterday and nearly tripped over the two of them giggling on the steps.”

 

“Fine. One more dragon to keep Jo distracted.” Kaiba's lips twitched into a humorless grin. “If Seto doesn't recover soon, I'm going to have to find some believable reason to move to another room.”

 

“Frisky in the morning, is he?” Ledowr captured one of Yuai's pieces and tossed it into a basket by the edge of the board with a triumphant smirk.

 

“And talented. If Seto wasn't so attached to the boy, I'd be a happy, well satisfied man.” Kaiba shook his head. “However…”

 

Yuai grinned nastily back at her husband and wiped his queen off the board. “If you want a bit of relief, Neo seems to be interested.”

 

“Such a concerned mother.” Ledowr lightly kicked her foot. “You're not supposed to toss our sweet innocent darlings into bed with every horny male that wanders past.”

 

Yuai blinked, “Neo's our son? When did that happen?”

 

“A few millennia ago.” Ledowr arched an eyebrow at her. “Maternal instincts short circuiting there, love?”

 

Yuai glowered at Kaiba. “I take it back, stay away from my son.” She then returned the kick to Ledowr, with interest. “And you had better be careful, or the only satisfaction you're going to get is if you really do figure out how to fuck yourself.”

 

“Getting back on topic here.” Kallon set his book down. “We have to get our guests back to their own realm.”

 

“I was thinking, you mentioned killing frogs.” Yuai smiled as Ledowr narrowed his eyes in frustration at the board.

 

“Unhappily, we are rather short of frogs at the moment.” Kallon coughed delicately. “Apparently the Great White find they are a delightful aphrodisiac.”

 

“Frogs are out then.” Kaiba rubbed his chin. “Yuai said that she met you twice. Once at the convention she went to and then in Domino. If you only had enough power to go over there once…”

 

“True. I had to plant an anchor on her,” Kallon shook his head. “Something to catch her soul and draw it into this world. It took awhile for it to attune to her. Once it did the anchor allowed me to return the second time, using Yuai's own power to do the transfer.”

 

“An anchor?” Yuai frowned. “What anchor?”

 

“The statue.” Ledowr mumbled, chewing on one lip.

 

“My statue?” Yuai blinked. “Isn't it still there? Could we use it again?”

 

“No.” Kallon shook his head. “It was destroyed when you shifted back to our realm.”

 

“Oh.” Yuai pursed her lips into a tiny frown. She had liked that statue. She looked over at the life size version that sat absently biting a cuticle across from her. She gave the top of his head a fond smile, which she quickly smothered when he glanced up.

 

“So the only way to get back, is for someone over there to summon one of us.” Kaiba tipped his head. “I'll bet Bakura tries to call Ryou home to him.”

 

“It's still too far.” Ledowr made his move and groaned as Yuai put him neatly in checkmate. “He has to locate Ryou to transfer him back.”

 

“How about the game? If they summon Mahado or one of the dragons, could we deliver a message then?” Kaiba looked questioningly over at Kallon.

 

“No. Those are still holograms.” Yuai scooped the remainder of the pieces off the board and into the basket. “They can't talk or interact with anything. Even if we hung a sign around Mahado's neck, it wouldn't show up.”

 

“Seto has a memory of a sorcerer Anubis…” Kaiba frowned in concentration. “He was bringing monsters over from the Shadow Realm.”

 

“And a fine mess that made too.” Ledowr snorted. “Thinien is still cowering in the cellar, scaring the shit out of every maid that needs a new mop.”

 

“Also, Anubis was in that realm summoning monsters from this realm.” Kallon sighed and stood up. “Which is precisely what we need to happen, only this time for the good of us all, and not to puff up the ego of a megalomaniac.”

 

Kaiba stood as well, “It seems we are back at the beginning, and I need to get back to Jo before he realizes I'm not there.”

 

Yuai and Ledowr stood as well. “Once Ryou wakes up, maybe we can get a better idea of what's happening. There might be something we can use.”

 

Kallon nodded, heading for the door. “Yes, that sounds reasonable. Good night children.”

 

Kaiba nodded. “Sleep well.” He nodded to the two others. “And you as well.”

 

Ledowr shrugged. “Wasn't actually planning on slee…”

 

Yuai's elbow hit his ribs with a loud thunk. “Good night Seth. We'll see you tomorrow.”

 

~*~*~*

Bakura

~*~*~*

Ryou? It had to have been the thousandth time that day that he'd called, and like the previous nine hundred and ninety nine times, his light didn't answer.

 

He sat in the chair, looking at the book that Ryou had been reading. He could picture his slender light, with his head bowed intently over the novel, sitting with the afternoon sun glittering in his hair.

 

Hikari, answer me!

 

In his mind, he could see his light look up from the book and watch the mailman walk away from the building. He could here his voice call out. “Mail's here.”

 

Where are you? Hikari?

 

“It's getting creepy the way he keeps staring at that book.” Malik sat perched on a footstool watching the thief carefully.

 

Marik glanced at his fellow yami and shrugged. “Just keep watching him. Yami and I will be done in a few more minutes.”

 

Yugi, stood across the room, hugging himself, with a stunned look on his face. “Maybe we should…”

 

“Sit down.” Mokuba walked in from the kitchen carefully holding three steaming mugs of tea. “Here, drink this.”

 

Yugi obediently took a cup of tea and sat down sipping it. Mokuba handed the other one to Malik and shooed him over to sit next to Yugi. Marik took another look at Bakura, then disappeared down the night darkened stairs.

 

Yami was kneeling on the floor, carefully putting the finishing touches on the hieroglyphs of a chalk circle. Candles stood inside the circle, guttering in the breeze coming in the buildings doors. “Any improvement?”

 

Marik shook his head. “Did you really expect one? Yugi looks like he's going to shatter at any second. My hikari is pretending everything is just fine and the thief is catatonic. Just be happy the initial shock hasn't worn off yet, or we'd be trying to figure out how to hide all the bodies.”

 

“Why bother?” Yami sat back and inspected his work. “It's not like they can put him in jail.”

 

“Ready?” Malik carefully stepped into the circle, trying not to catch his pants on fire.

 

Yami nodded and stood up. It was a simple spell, a few chalked lines, a quick activating spell and it should reveal who attacked Ryou, and hopefully where Ryou was. Considering the condition Bakura was in, Yami didn't have much hope that Ryou was calmly sitting on the other side, waiting patiently to get called back.

 

Yami and Marik turned and faced one another and started chanting.

 

“Darkness, light, fire bright

Burn the veil of time

Let us behold

What is hidden from sight.”

 

The chalk circle flared incandescently. Instead of the dim light of the streetlights, soft afternoon light flooded through the door. A far off door opened and closed, and a light, rapid steps could be heard descending. A moment later Ryou skipped down the last set of stairs and walked over to his mailbox. Smiling, the white haired hikari pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the box. As he did, a shadow appeared in the door.

 

“By Ra!” Yami breathed.

 

Marik took his eyes off Ryou and saw Yuai standing in the doorway.

 

“Yuai! Where have you been?” Ryou turned, smiling. “Yugi's wondered where you went.”

 

“Dear Ra. It was Yuai.” Yami watched wide eyed as the girl nodded ans stepped closer to Ryou.

 

“Your yami is getting to be a bother.” Her voice was harsh, low and grating. “I need a distraction and you're it.”

 

“She looks different.” Marik stepped as close to her as the circle permitted. “Didn't she clean… Fuck! She's got the Eye.”

 

Yami came to stand next to him. “She doesn't sound or look the same either. Given a choice, she prefers to be clean. She doesn't look like she's bathed in weeks.”

 

“Yuai?” Ryou stepped back, a frightened look spreading across his face. “Are you…”

 

She looked up at him, grinning. The Eye gleamed where her left eye should have been. “I don't have time to deal with that scum now.”

 

Ryou stumbled into the staircase, half falling as he looked wildly up the stairs.

 

The Eye glowed in Yuai's petite face. “Say hello to Kaiba for me.”

 

“Huh?” Marik looked over at Yami. “Did she just say…”

 

“Damn. I knew we should have checked that out.” Yami watched as Ryou scrambled backwards and was unceremoniously tossed into the Shadow Realm. “When the thief is right, the thief is right.”

 

Yuai still grinning a nasty smile, turned and walked out of the building.

 

“Okay. If the Eye, or Yuai or whatever, was after Kaiba, then what does it want now?” Marik shook his head and leaned over to snuff out one of the candles, ending the spell.

 

“A distraction.” Yami still stood looking at the spot Yuai had stood.

 

Marik snuffed out the rest of the candles and noted the carpet had melted where the chalk hieroglyphs had been. “Kaiba too? That means both Ryou and him are now over in the Shadow Realm. Do you think there's anything left of him?”

 

Yami shook his head and turned around. “If this is true, probably not. He was mentally unstable before he was banished. After nearly a week, I doubt there'd be anything left but a mindless shell. If that.”

 

“Maybe your old friend Seth…” Marik arched his eyebrows questioningly.

 

Yami looked over at him. “What's with the questions? Please don't say you've decided to get interested in interpersonal relationships. I'm an old, old spirit. I can't take too many shocks in one day.”

 

Marik shook his head. “I like the kid.” He nodded upstairs toward the apartment.

 

Yami walked up the stairs. “Fine. Just don't go developing a conscience on me.”

 

~*~*~*

Yami

~*~*~*

The dueling arena was just as he remembered it. The stone walls were covered by carvings of Shadow beasts. The sand where the monsters would be summoned was neatly raked in circles. Candles sparkled in golden holders, illuminating the scene with a warm amber light. He could even smell the scent of sandalwood oil that someone had mixed with the wax.

 

Why he could remember the dueling arena, but couldn't clearly picture his mother's face, he didn't know. However, this was the arena, and oddly he was already there when he walked in. This was a new twist in his dreams. His other self was standing at one end of the arena, and Seth stood opposite. The heavy stone door behind him swung shut with a soft sigh.

 

He took a deep breath and walked over to where he was sitting, waiting for Seth, who was fussing with a broken sandal strap.

 

“I told you not to buy sandals from Hisop.” His other self called cheerfully across the arena.

 

“Thanks cousin.” Seth growled as another strap broke. He shook his head in disgust and pulled the sandals off his feet. “But seeing that you spend half your life limping around with blisters, I'm not about to take your advice on footwear.”

 

His other self grinned broadly sprawling back in the chair with his legs stretched in front of him. “I may limp, but I look good while doing it.”

 

Seth tossed the sandals over towards the door. “Remind me to get another set.”

 

Yami sighed. He didn't remember any of this. Still, as he watched his other self stand up and amble over to his position at the side of the sand, he was happy to see it. It wasn't often that he remembered relaxing and teasing Seth. Most of his memories were about betrayal, war and death.

 

“Remember, no holding back.” Seth flipped his cape out of the way. “I want to test and see just how powerful my new monster truly is.”

 

His other self nodded. “No holding back.”

 

Yami settled himself into the abandoned chair as the two began the duel. The opening moves weren't spectacular on either of their parts. Seth seemed more interested in trying to keep his feet clean then winning the duel, and his other self seemed more interested in teasing his cousin.

 

“Careful, you might get your sweet little feet dirty if you do that.” His other self snickered as Seth's monster demolished a sluglike creature that sprayed goo across the arena.

 

“You summoned that on purpose didn't you.” Seth hopped backwards avoiding the green slime.

 

“Of course I did. This is a duel.”

 

Yami smiled and wondered if this is how Yugi felt, before he had gotten his own body and watched him duel from the sidelines. He felt oddly disjointed, as if he was both there and here. He watched a few more turns pass, then Seth summoned the Blue Eyes.

 

Wait, wait. He got up frowning. He didn't get that till later. Till nearly the end.

 

His other self looked up at the dragon admiringly. “Beautiful. It's absolutely amazing cousin.”

 

Seth nodded sadly. “It cost me, though.”

 

“I heard.”

 

No I didn't. Wait a moment…Yami stepped closer to himself. He was exactly the same as the last time. The same hair, the same clothes, the same jewelry… But the earrings... I got them just a few months before I died, but I…he's wearing them.

 

“Let's see what it can do.”

 

The other him called on the Celtic Guardian to come forth and, not surprisingly, the Blue Eyes demolished him without effort.

 

“Not bad. Not bad at all.” Seth nodded, pleased.

 

The other him pursed his lips thoughtfully, then summoned the Dark Magician. Mahado appeared, turning his attention to the white dragon.

 

Oh Ra! This has to be close to the end. Bakura has the Ring and Seth and I…

 

Seth shook his head. “Summon another. I don't want to attack him.”

 

His other self set Mahado into defense and summoned Ancient Elf. The dragon made short work of her too.

 

“Hmmm. I wonder.” A small mischievous smile tugged at his other self's lips.

 

Seth looked questioningly at him.

 

“Let's see your dragon handle something a bit bigger.” The smile got wider.

 

Yami suddenly felt cold. “No, don't. Don't do that.”

 

A sudden low hum reverberated through the arena, making even the chair vibrate across the floor. A few loose carvings shook loose and crashed down in a shower of dust. An explosion of light filled the room and Obilisk, the Tormenter stood before the dragon.

 

“No! You idiot, don't summon…” Yami yelled desperately at his other self, unreasoning panic clawing into his stomach.

 

Seth stepped back out of the arena, staring at the god with awe filled eyes. “That's more of a test than I really wanted cousin.”

 

The other him smiled and raised his hand pointing across the sand. “Obilisk, destroy.”

 

Time seemed to slow.

 

A tiny figure raced out onto the sand. A tiny figure with black and gold hair, smiling happily at him. Reaching for him as he ran. The bright ruby eyes crinkled in laughter and love. “Papa home!”

 

His other self's eyes snapped disbelievingly to the tiny boy, then traced back to where the door was stuck ajar. A fallen carving propping it open.

 

Yuai stood panting breathlessly in the door, with one hand stretched out. “Ahmose! No!”

 

Obilisk grinned. The cold stone face twisting in glee as he aimed, not at the Blue Eyes, but at the child who raced towards his father.

 

Seth leapt forward, trying to intercept. “Ahmose! Ahmose! I resign. I RESIGN!”

 

Yuai was racing after the small one.

 

His other self screamed. “NO! OBILISK NO!”

 

Yuai grabbed Ahmose, twisting around trying to shield him with her body as the god struck. There was a blinding flash of light and it was over. Yuai's lifeless charred body fell to the sand and shattered. The small, far more vulnerable form of Ahmose had been obliterated.

 

His other self fell to his knees, staring at the spot. The spot he'd killed his son. Then he threw back his head and howled. A long despairing cry of pain and loss and guilt.

 

Seth fell to his knees next to the cinders that had once been Yuai. “Oh Ra. Ahmose. Yuai.”

 

Yami woke screaming.

~*~*~*

Review Please! You know you want to….

 

Mediaminer

dragonlady222: Seto has to show up first! Sneaky, sneaky Seth. But at he's working on it!

 

Taji Kanjinnamida: I work hard not to turn anyone into a Mary Sue. It's one of the reasons I limit the time Yuai gets in the story. My take on fan fics is that I'm writing a story about the characters in the original story, not about my character, so I'm carefull.

 

FanFiction

dragonlady222: Thanks again for the reviews. Poor everyone. Only Jo and the dragons seem happy. I'm sure once Seto wakes up from his nap, yells at his yami, and gets to thinking something will pop into his head.

 

Kuramarulze: I'm working on it! I think I've gotten nearly everyone except Kaiba into place. Well, Ryou too, but then again….