Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Stranger of the Duel ❯ The Search ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Yugioh, and nor do I wish to: it's perfect the way it is… I would probably mess it up!

Note: Italics always mess up when I transfer documents into the site, so if you think something's a thought, it probably is.

The Search

Yugi felt very apprehensive as he prepared for school the next day. He was hoping his spirit would remember whom Calliope was, memories jump-started by the sight of Cali. However, he didn't know if they would be good or bad. Well, all news is good news, right? Right. Don't do that!

They were nervous all the way to school. After they arrived, Yugi quickly scanned the classroom for her, hoping to jog some memories. She could normally be seen typing into her laptop, posture perfect, identical to Seto, who did the same each morning. He sat next to her (arranged seating).

She's not here! Yugi thought as the bell rang.

"Hmm… there's no note from the office… She has an unexcused absence," the teacher pronounced, half to herself.

Snickers ensued, with whispers of "Cali's playing hooky!" and "she's skipping!"

Yugi was confused. Cali wasn't the type of girl to do so. Tea looked strangely happy that Cali was gone. She smiled at Yugi, but he looked away. Tea had forgotten that Yugi broke up with her that morning.

The morning passed very slowly. Yugi and his darkness grew increasingly more worried. Yami had a supernatural sense of foreboding the whole time, and Yugi was just worried as a friend. He also knew that Yami still had slight feelings for Cali, even though they knew more about her that revealed she wasn't as good as they'd thought.

At lunch, Yugi approached Seto Kaiba. He wasn't very thrilled to be interrupted from his work, much less by Yugi.

"What do you want?" he growled.

"It's Cali, Seto."

"She's absent. What of it?"

"I think it's more than that, though."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, I was just with Cali last night, and-"

"WHAT? You were with Cali?" she wouldn't do this to me!

"Um, I was teaching her how to play Duel Monsters…

He was teaching her? Ugh, I was the world champion…she knows I'm better than him!

"…and she seemed fine. I don't think she's sick or anything…"

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Well, she left my house alone and it was all dark…"

She was at his house alone after dark? Grr…

"…so I think something might have happened to her!"

"So?"

"Don't you care, Seto?"

"No. She can handle herself."

"Aren't you concerned a little bit? I mean, weren't you guys dating?"

"What? No, we weren't." Kaiba said gruffly.

"Oh. Well, you're probably the only one who knows her cell phone number, so…"

"So you want to me to call your new girlfriend? How sweet."

"She's not my-"

"What happened to Tea? Huh?" Seto mocked, trying to change the subject.

"Kaiba, stop. Now do you have her number or not?"

"Yes, I do."

"I really need to make sure she's all right, so will you let me use it?"

"Fine, but you owe me."

"Thanks!" Yugi said while Seto dug through his wallet, looking for her card.

He handed it to Yugi and went back to his typing. That's when Yugi remembered- cell phones weren't allowed on school grounds. Cali and Seto had been excused from this rule since they needed to be in contact with their companies at all times.

"Uh… Seto…"

"I know. Give me the card."

"Why didn't you remind me?"

"Wanted to see how long it would take."

Seto dialed the number on his phone and waited. It rang many times before someone picked up.

"Hello?" It was Cali! Luckily she was alone and no one could hear the ring. She had been sleeping.

"Cali, it's Seto."

"Seto?" She was dazed and weak.

"Yugi's here with me, and he's very worried about you."

"Yu- He is?" Cali was VERY dazed, and surprised that Seto was calling, AND that he was associating himself with Yugi.

"Where are you?"

"Um… I don't know."

"You don't know?" Seto relayed this information back to Yugi, who became very concerned.

"These weird guys hijacked my car after I left Yugi's… and I woke up here."

"Describe your surroundings." Seto said, slipping into his professional manner. Now he was worried.

"I'm in a dungeon. This guy was talking to me earlier..." Cali said, waking up.

"Who?"

"I'd never seen him before. His name is Talon; he's the leader of some cult."

"A cult?"

"Yeah. Oh no! I just remembered! Let me talk to Yugi!"

"No, we're at school, he's not allowed."

"Fine, Talon's going to kidnap him next!"

"What? Just who is this Talon guy?"

"He's a priest from ancient Egypt; I'm the reincarnation of Calliope; he stole her life force and has been living all these years! Tell Yugi, he might understand…"

Seto told Yugi, and he nodded, although he couldn't grasp all of it.

The bell cut their conversation short.

"That's the bell, we've got to go. We'll call in a few hours."

They hung up. Cali made sure she hid her phone well. She had a slight feeling it would be confiscated if found. Hmm… I can't be too far from Domino City if my phone is still in range… and there was hardly any static at all. Hey! Call locator! I hope Seto remembers it.

***

Seto couldn't concentrate on school any longer. He still loved Cali, and now some strange cult leader kidnapped her. I need to find her. She might not want me to do it, but who else could? That incompetent Yugi? No, I'll save her, and then she'll realize that I really do love her and it's not just some game.

The same was going on with Yugi. I wonder where she could be? He and his yami discussed this back and forth. Yami did remember Talon, the priest who replaced the high priest, but not much more than that. Of course, he didn't know what had gone on. Cali said that we would be kidnapped next. Not if I can help it, and I can. Are you sure? Well… let's just make sure Cali is safe first. Yeah.

School was over in two of the longest hours of Yugi and Seto's lives. Right after the last bell rang, Seto whipped his silver phone open and started dialing Cali's number. Wait…duh… He finally remembered the locator! He used it on her phone and it revealed her location-the Museum.

Seto cleared his phone and called his driver. He was going in. Kaiba was about to enter his long white limo, when Yugi ran up to him.

"Where are you going?"

"Where do you think I'm going, Yugi?"

"I'm coming, too!"

"No."

"I am! If it weren't for me you never would have even called her."

Grrr "Fine."

They got into the car and sped towards the Museum. Seto could pay for any possible tickets. As soon as they got there, they rushed inside the building.

"Where could she be?"

"I'm guessing the Egypt exhibit," Yami Yugi was out now.

"Then let's go there."

They speed-walked over, and entered the `No admittance' door, heading for the secret collection. The evil cult wouldn't stick her in broad daylight.

The odd pair went down the stairs, and quickly looked at the Egyptian hieroglyphs. They saw their own ancestors fighting in a deadly game of Duel Monsters. Temporarily allied, Seto shrugged and continued their search. He was the one to notice the trap door. Yami Yugi was still distracted by the hieroglyphs of his puzzle. He was having an inner conversation with Yugi, telling him about the dangers of the game. In fact, he kind of zoned out until hearing the loud boom of the door hitting the ground as it opened.

It was dark, but Seto had a bright portable flashlight on his belt. He'd invented it himself (patent pending, lol). Now, light wasn't an issue. They slowly descended, Seto leading, of course. He WAS the one with the flashlight, and he was determined to save Cali himself. Then again, Yami knew more about her past, and how dangerous this place could really be. Plus, he was the pharaoh and was used to being in power.

It got progressively colder down in the secret basement of the museum. Both of the guys didn't know exactly how well she'd be guarded. Well, Seto didn't even understand why she had been kidnapped in the first place. Yami knew a little bit more than he did, but still not quite enough to get everything taken care of.

They had been walking along a damp tunnel, chilly and silent. They finally came across a door on their left.

"Should we go in, Seto?"

"Yes."

They creaked the door open and cautiously peered in. It was empty, luckily. They let out the breaths they had been holding and entered the room, more relaxed. There were only three things in it.

There was a large black chair, with fat cushions and a smooth fabric. It was very dusty and old. This was Talon's `throne.' To the left was a gold-framed mirror, engraved in arabesque form. Then, next to it was a long bureau.

Satisfied with their cursory search of the room, the boys left it and continued down the hall. They hadn't noticed, but there were now torches on the wall, starting back at the throne room. It took them a while to become aware of them. When they did, Seto put away his flashlight, preserving its battery.

Yami Yugi and Seto weren't making any conversation. They were both grim and prepared for whatever would come towards them. There was always the negativity between them too, and now they both liked the same girl.

Suddenly, Yami Yugi stopped walking.

"Shh…" he said.

"What?"

"Quiet," Yami was leaned forward, one ear cocked and listening. Seto did the same. They could hear footsteps and voices quickly approaching from behind them! The throne room was quite far away, but the people who were coming up were not.

"Yugi, the rafters," Seto said. Yugi looked up. There were thick wooden beams going across, supporting the stone walls.

"Okay."

Yugi knelt down on one knee, and prepared his hands, placing them on his bent knee one under the other. Seto put his foot here, and got ready to bounce up and jump.

"On three," Seto said, "One…"

"Two…"

"Three!" they said in unison.

At this, Seto pushed up from the ground with his left leg, balancing out with the right on Yugi's leg. He reached up and grabbed the closest beam, and then swung up and around so that he was sitting on it. He took off his leather belt and strapped his feet tightly to the beam. Then he dangled off the beam, reaching out to Yugi.

Yugi jumped and caught Seto's hands. They started swinging back and forth, like acrobats. Yugi swerved in a large arc and landed on the beam. Seto untied his feet and put his belt back on. They sat in the middle of the corridor, where there was less light, and waited for the footsteps to pass.

They saw about ten people pass, all wearing hooded black robes. Each carried a white tapered candle. They seemed identical, except the women's long hair flowed out from the hood. They were talking amongst themselves in a strange tongue that neither could understand. It seemed familiar to Yami Yugi though… so he figured it was some form of the ancient Egyptian.

Seto and Yugi held their breaths until their footsteps could not be heard any longer. Then Seto extended down, and helped Yami Yugi come down also. Since he was taller than Yugi, it was easier if he was in his own form.

Then they continued to walk along the tunnel, until they came to a room. It had a large altar and many candles lit on it. They saw a tapestry hanging on the wall, swaying very slightly. Seto: Why would it move against a wall? He walked towards it, and pulled it to the side, revealing another smaller room behind.

"Yugi, look at this!"

They both entered the room. It had a hard wooden bench in it, smooth and shiny from years of use. They examined the room. It seemed to have no purpose at all. Yami Yugi was looking at a gold ornament on the wall closely. It looked to be a small jar. There had not been any other decorations before… why now?

He took it off its little shelf, and removed the top. Inside was a yellowed parchment, with a diagram drawn in black ink. There were two lines, then an `X' below it. Yami Yugi couldn't make any sense of it, so he showed Seto. Sighing, he sat down on the bench to figure it out.

Yugi watched him. Of course!

"Seto! It's a picture of the bench!"

So then they looked underneath the bench. There was a small handle. They slid it back towards them and opened yet another trap door.