Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Emergence ❯ Rain and Shadows ( Chapter 16 )

The Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! I am just playing with it a bit for entertainment. I don't get anything out of this. Nope, nada, nothing.

Author's Notes: Eeek, bad author, bad author. I thought I posted this Friday and here it still sits un-posted. Sorry about that. Blond moment…

Emergence

Chapter 16: Rain and Shadows

~*~*~*

Yami and Yugi

~*~*~*

Sobbing, Yugi raced to the corridor between his soul room and his yami's and flung himself hysterically into his dark's arms. "Yami, you're here, you're here, you're here."

Yami caught his light mid-leap and clutched the smaller one tightly to him. "Oh Ra, how I have missed you." He buried his face in Yugi's soft colorful hair, breathing in his light's sweet, fresh scent. "I promise Yugi, I will never leave you again for so long."

Yugi nodded, his wet face pressed against Yami's throat, his arms wrapped desperately tight around his other. "I was so scared. I couldn't find you. The men came and I broke the puzzle and I couldn't …" Yugi shivered, trying to burrow farther into his yami's arms. "I want to go home."

Yami snuggled closer, "Then we will go home." He kissed his light and pushed him toward his soul room. "Go sleep, little light, I will deal with these men."

Yugi clung, "No! Please don't leave." Yugi wrapped his arms around his darkness, refusing to let go. "We can face him together. Right? Please? Please don't leave me." More tears gathered at the edge of his eyes.

Yami smiled, bending to kiss the tears away before they fell, "Alright. Together."

Yugi opened his eyes and looked around the drippy forest. Rain still drizzled down between the leaves, occasionally gathering into large drops that plashed soggily onto already waterlogged leaves. Early spring vegetation drooped, battered down by too much water, leaves glistened and a small wind scuttled around the trunks sending random sprays of water across the gloomy landscape.

Yami? Where is Yuai? Yugi looked under the bush that they had been hiding under. Yuai was notably not there.

Yugi straightened looking around the forest, not seeing anything. Yami sighed, I am not sure aibou. She was with you under that bush, correct?

Yugi crawled under the bush, nodding his head. Yeah. We were hiding. We didn't know if the guys in the car followed us or not.

Yami peeked into Yugi's recent memory and snarled. They threw you into a trunk! Aibou, your hand! Are you alright?

Yugi looked down at his hand. It feels kind of numb. But where is Yuai? Do you think they…

They would have grabbed you too. Yami noticed some of the leaves were disturbed leading out the opposite side of the bush. I think she went that way.

Yugi scrambled out from under the bush, heading in the direction Yuai went. Why did she run away, Yami? He followed the path of disturbed leaves heading off deeper into the forest.

I don't know aibou. Something must have scared her. Yami caught a glimpse of something moving off to the right, just before a shot rang out and the tree trunk just in front of them exploded into a shower of chips.

Yugi flung himself down onto the ground and slithered behind a tree. They found us!

Yami shrugged. Good. Now I won't have to hunt them down. It's always so much handier if your prey comes to you.

~*~*~*

The Rescue Party

~*~*~*

Jonouchi fell out of the car onto the curb of the hotel wondering if he would ever be able to get feeling back into his legs. His only consolation was that Honda was presently in worse shape as the brunette tried to pry himself out of the opposite side of the car. Of course there was Anzu and Mai, who slipped out of the car and leisurely stretched as they looked around at the hotel's elegant, if now somewhat soaked, landscape.

"This is really a nice place." Anzu smiled as a doorman hurried forward holding a umbrella. She stepped over Jonouchi's sprawled form and linked her arm with Mai, then placidly walked up the path to the hotel, careful to keep under the shelter of the umbrella.

Honda moaned and managed to finally yank himself out of the back of the car. "Oh Kami, I think my dicks gonna fall off." He rolled out onto the pavement then sprang to his feet, hobbling as quickly as he could for the front door, shoving past the girls. "Outta my way! Kami, please let there be a bathroom in the lobby."

Jo moaned as suddenly feeling decided to return. Unfortunately, the feeling his legs chose was pain. He curled onto his side, feeling cramps shoot up through his calves and thighs. "Hey, uh girls…" He managed to wave a hand towards where Mai and Anzu strolled up the walkway under the benevolent protection of the umbrella wielding doorman. "Girls, uh a little help?"

Mai waved back, "Don't worry Jo, we'll save you a nice cup of cocoa when you get in."

Anzu smiled, "We'll get going on finding Yugi, you just take your time and come in when you want."

They waved merrily goodbye as the doorman opened the front door and ushered them inside, disappearing after them, the golden oak door swishing gracefully closed after them. Jo moaned and flopped back to the wet cement. Kaiba, when I get home, we're gonna have a little talk about cars. Couldn't you get at least one with a decent back seat? hmmm? How about a nice SUV or somethin'? PT Cruisers look pretty cool. How about one of them? He painfully stretched one leg into something resembling it's usual shape. Rain splashed down on him, patting him gently on the face. Or how `bout a nice Hummer? Wouldn't a Hummer work for ya? He groaned as he pressed his other leg down into a semi-straight position.

By the time he managed to finally stagger through the front door, he was drenched. His blond hair hung in limp brown tendrils down his face and his shirt was plastered wetly to his back as he squelchily hobbled into the lobby. He growled at the pretty artwork, snarled at the potted plant and glared at the cheerful fire that was presently snapping and hissing to itself in a immense floor to ceiling fireplace. He wobbled up to the desk and dripped on the counter as a weasel faced man in a neatly pressed suit pursed his lips disapprovingly together and bustled over to him.

"How can I help you?" The little weasel's lips were so stiff and thin Jo wondered how he managed to talk.

"A group of my friends just came in. We're looking for Yugi Moto and Yuai Tasuke." Jo shivered as the wet fabric of his shirt started cooling.

"Oh." The weasel looked down his nose disapprovingly. "Your friends went to talk to the head of our security personnel." He waved toward a small discreet door with a tiny brass plate reading Security on it and promptly disappeared as fast as he could into a small door leading to what looked like an office.

Jo soggily tottered over to the door and pushed it open, revealing all his friends huddled around a small carafe of coffee in a tiny waiting room, chatting. "Thanks guys. Yur sympathy is overwhelming me here."

Mai cooed, "Poor Jo, want some cocoa?" She waved a steaming mug at him.

Jo shivered and grabbed the cup and shuffled painfully toward a chair and let his body fall into it. "Thanks, got some pain killers there too?"

Mai shook her head as she came up behind Jo and wrapped him in a hug that nearly smothered him in cleavage. "No schnookums, there isn't any painkillers. Why don't you tell Mai where it hurts, hmmm?" She snuggled closer, threatening Jonouchi's air supply. "Want me to kiss it and make it better?"

"Hey, are you trying to hit on my girlfriend?" Anzu yanked Jo away from Mai. "Look all you want, but no touching."
"I wasn't the one…." Jo desperately tried to wiggle away from the smaller girl, clutching his now sloshing cocoa.

"Man, how low can you get. Hitting on your friend's girlfriend right in front of her." Honda flung himself into another chair.

Jo shook his head, causing little drops of water to spatter around. "But…"

"You were just using me, weren't you?" Mai gasped, her large blue eyes widening.

"Now that's just slimy." Honda waved a warning finger at him. "You're lucky we're your friends and we'll forgive you, but don't let it happen again."

Anzu sniffed, "I don't know if I'll ever be able to trust you again Jo. I turn my back for one second and your trying to steal my girl." She threw herself into Mai's arms sobbing dramatically. "Don't think I blame you love. It's all his fault."

Mai cuddled closer, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling, "I don't know what I was thinking. Honest, one minute it was just cocoa, the next he dumps me like a used tampex."

Jo slumped in the chair, "Ha, ha, ha. Very funny. First ya shove me in the back seat, then ya leave me laying there in the rain, next ya make fun of me. See if you're getting a ride back."

Mai smile, "But I've got the valet ticket."

Jo smiled and held up a set of keys, "And I got the keys."

"How the hell…?" Mai frowned.

"While I was waitin' out there in the rain, the valet came over ta see if I needed anything, so I asked him for them." Jo smiled leaning back in the chair. "Nice guy, a little strange, but a nice guy." He peeked over at Mai. "All I had to do was give him your phone number."

Mai squawked, lunging for his throat. Jo grinned happily as she yanked him to his feet and started shaking him. "You gave him what?!"

"You'll like him. So he smells like salami, you can handle that. Can't ya?" Jo let himself get shaken, watching water and cocoa get flung over Mai, Honda, Anzu and the small collection of magazines that cluttered the small waiting room. "You'll be very happy together."

Honda snickered, "Hey, does this mean we get to ride up front."

Mai snarled and let Jo slide back into his seat, "You had better be kidding Jonouchi or I swear I'll…"

"Walk home?" Jo leaned back in the chair, shoving the keys back into his pocket. He sighed blissfully. "Don't worry Mai. We're friends. I'll forgive ya. Your gonna ride in the back seat from now on." He closed his eyes relaxing to the heavenly sound of Mai's teeth grinding together. "But don't worry. I'll forgive ya. Just don't let it happen again."

~*~*~*

Yami and Yugi

~*~*~*

Yugi crouched behind a tree watching the man slide carefully down the slope. The man still had his mask on and was holding the gun steady as he finally landed and started scouting around. Yugi shifted quietly back, out of sight, listening to the man blunder through the bushes, heading away to the left of where he hid.

What are we going to do? He huddled closer to the ground, trying to make himself as small as possible.

We're going to let him walk over that way for awhile, then we're going to get behind him and then I'll deal with him. Yami nearly purred, all but oozing dark, shadowy satisfaction.

Yami? What are you going to do? Yugi shivered half from the cold and half from the darkness swirling around his other.

Maybe you should go to your room, you probably aren't going to approve. Yami snuck a peek at the gunman, who was still moving steadily away.

Yugi shook his head. No. I don't want to leave. Yugi's essence clung closer to his dark. I want to stay. Please don't make me go.

Yami wrapped himself around his light. Alright, but no arguing. That man will kill you if I give him a chance, so you let me handle this. NO HEROICS for the bad man.

Just don't send him to the shadow realm, okay? Yugi settled back down, meshing his mind back with his dark.

Okay, no shadow realm. Yami slipped silently through the forest, trailing after the man.

The masked man walked just as silently, inspecting the bushes, peering through the leaves, checking behind fallen logs and large rocks. He occasionally stopped to whisper something quietly in a tiny microphone on his lapel, then move forward again, scanning the ground and the surrounding terrain.

Yami ghosted up behind him, his eyes glowing eerily in the misty woods. The man paused, looking up at a tree, then stepped forward again. Yami paced him, quiet as a shadow, then reached out as it about to touch the man's shoulder whispering, "Mind crush." The man froze in place. Yami stepped forward and grabbed the gun from the man's hands as the man started to slowly wilt to the damp leaf strewn forest floor. "Surprise. Next time, hunt someone else's hikari"

~*~*~*

Jame

~*~*~*

The small game shop looked quite homey, Jame decided as she stood on the curb, peering up at it from under her umbrella. She wasn't entirely sure what the connection was with turtles, but she gave it points for charm. She checked the address again, then with a dismissing wave to the waiting cabbie, walked to the front door.

The shop looked closed. The lights inside were off and only a dim light could be seen from far in the back. She knocked, then waited, neatly folding her umbrella and shaking the water from her coat. When no one answered, she knocked more briskly and tried to get a better view into the shop. What light there was seemed to be coming from up a staircase behind the main counter. As she watched, the light flickered and someone started coming down the stairs.

Jame stepped back and waited as the door was unlocked and yanked open. "Store's closed."

"Nice to see you too." Jame smirked at her boss, who stood scowling at her.

"What are you doing here?" Kaiba stepped aside, letting his secretary into the shop.

"Someone's breaking into Kaiba Corps. computer system. I tried to call you at home and no one answered, not even the machine. So I tried your cell, again no one answered." She shrugged, ignoring the look of surprise and anger on Kaiba's face. "It took awhile, but I finally tracked your little brother down in Sri Lanka. He told me to check here."

"Someone's breaking into the computer system?" Kaiba stalked past her and up the stairs. "How do you know?"

Jame pattered up after him, surprised to find herself in a small cheerful kitchen that smelled pleasantly of coffee and chocolate. "I tried to pull up one of my files and was rather rudely told: access denied." She nodded questioningly at the coffee sitting on the counter. At Kaiba's nod, she poured herself a cup and refilled his. "So I called a friend of mine, who is good with computers to help. He checked it out and told me to tell you that your system was being hacked."

Kaiba had his laptop out and was already glaring at the screen. "Who exactly did you say this friend was."

"I didn't, and I'm not going to." Jame took a sip of her coffee then wiggled out of her rain jacket.

"How do I know that he's not the one hacking my system." Kaiba growled, eyes never leaving the computer screen.

"Because, he owns a Dell." She looked around and only saw a massacred plate of what might once have been cookies sitting on the counter. It was hard to tell since all that was left was a light dusting of crumbs. She looked over at her boss. "Is this all you've eaten?"

Kaiba grunted and continued to scan the screen. "When did you try to access your files?"

"About four hours ago." Jame scooped up the dish and quickly washed it and set it aside to dry, then noticing a cluster of used mugs began to wash them as Kaiba stated snarling wordlessly behind her.

"Damn."

"I take it you found them." Jame set the now clean mugs aside and wiped down the counter.

"No. Whoever did this knew the correct passwords to access all the secure files." Kaiba snarled at the computer. "The only giveaway was that someone got greedy and tried to hack some of the personal files, which crashed one of the maintenance subroutines. Clumsy. "

Jame shrugged and wiped off the table. "So you can't find them?"

Kaiba slapped his lap top closed. "No, maybe if I'd been online when they were hacking the system, but not now."

Jame took another sip of coffee and looked around the kitchen. She liked this kitchen. It was neat and friendly and very well organized. She wondered who it belonged to. She sat down and set her coffee in front of her. "So, what are you going to do?"

"Nothing." Kaiba picked up the phone that had been sitting next to him and started dialing. "Kado's out working on another assignment and I can't leave here right now. So nothing."

"Someone hacked into the company computer system and all you're going to do is sit here and drink coffee?" Jame arched her eyebrows surprised.

"Priorities." Kaiba lifted the phone to his ear and motioned for her to pull her chair around next to him. "Come here and I'll fill you in."

~*~*~*

Yami and Yugi

~*~*~*

I don't see him. Do you? Yugi poked his head over the tree they were laying next to, trying to find the other man.

No, and I don't sense anyone else out here either. Yami slipped down and worked his way back till the log shielded them from the rain. He didn't want to worry his light, but right now, the wet and the cold were just as dangerous as the man with the gun. It was only through magic that kept their body from giving in to the chill.

Not even Yuai? Yugi snuggled into the dry leaves.

No, not even her. Yami closed his eyes trying to concentrate, extending his senses out, trying to locate the little blond.

You don't think they caught her do you? Yugi fretted, trying to stay still, trying not to distract his other.

No. Yami put a ghost finger over Yugi's mouth. Be quiet and rest, then we'll go find her.

Yugi took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. Okay, but just for a couple minutes.

Yami slid into a trance, his mind racing out trying to find a clue to where the girl had gone. He conjured her image in his head, large hazel eyes, a swirl of blond hair, delicate bones. He gasped as the shadows raced forward hungrily, out of his control, pouncing on the mental image. No, get back. He desperately grabbed at them, yanking them away, shoving them down, forcing them back into the shadow realm. He took a deep breath and tried again, rebuilding her image in his mind. Yuai. You are Yuai. He looked at the image. Tell me where you are.

The shadows surged again, breaking through his barriers. Ours. Ours. You can't have…

Yami shoved them away, holding tight to the picture he had built of Yugi's friend, trying to add more detail; the sound of her voice, whisper soft; shy laughter; the way she moved like a frightened doe; the humorous slant of her eyes as she watched Mokuba.

Ours. The shadows hissed, trying to snatch her away.

No mine. Yami concentrated adding the scent of lavender shampoo, the taste of her kisses, the way she bit her lip as she bent over her school work.

Ours, always ours. The shadows caught the edge of the image pulling it, trying to drag it back with them into the shadows. Betrayer. Killer. You aren't worthy.

Yami snarled, turning his full attention on them, slamming them back, tearing the image away from their clutching claws. Mine. Go and don't return!

The shadows fled away, leaving Yami snarling into the darkness that surrounded him. He swung around, holding the mental picture tight. Yuai, tell me where you are! I command it!

He felt it at the edge of his mind, a slight flicker, fear, worry, desperate anger. He concentrated, trying to focus on that tiny spark. By your name, I command you, tell me where you are!

An outraged cry carried back. YOU are commanding ME! Then darkness suddenly fell over everything. The image he held shattered and the shadows flowed back, devouring the shards, racing toward that distant voice. Yami tried desperately to reach them, to pull them back, but the darkness constricted tightly around him and all was lost in a flood of velvet smooth black.

~*~*~*

The Rescue Party

~*~*~*

"What do you mean, they just left." Jonouchi leaned forward in the small chrome chair he was sitting in, looking more closely at the security guard. "Yugi was hallucinating and you just let him take off with some hippie dude?"

"This is a hotel, not a jail. Our guests are free to leave whenever they wish, with whoever they wish to leave with." The thin pale man, who was the head of security, folded his hands on the desk blotter and looked condescendingly at the dripping blond.

"But that's…"

"Leave it Jo." Mai leaned back in her chair. "When we get home, Kaiba can have fun. Might liven up his weekend." She grinned as the pale man started to fidget and looked innocently over at Jo. "Have you ever considered dating someone who doesn't think of destroying people as entertainment?"

Jo, noting the thin coating of sweat on the man's forehead, shook his head. "Nah, I like Kaiba. So he's got a few quirks," he shrugged, "but he's calmed down. Really. Last week, when a maître d' didn't seat us right away, he just settled for getting the man fired and having his car and house repossessed. See? He's improving."

Anzu shook her head, smiling gently at the now trembling man. "Can't you tell us more about what happened? We really are very worried. Yugi's been our friend for years and Yuai is such a sweet."

The man twisted his fingers, "All we know is that they left immediately. They didn't even take their things from their rooms." He gestured towards the parking lot. "They raced out of here so quickly, that, honestly, our security men couldn't keep up."

"So you let your delusional, star attraction, run out of here and didn't even get a peek at the car?" Honda snorted. He was standing behind Jo scratching under his cast with a pencil.

"It was a van, actually." The man frowned. "A green van with a white roof, driven by a young man who liked to be called Poncho." The man's mouth twisted slightly as if the name left a bad taste in his mouth.

"And they left yesterday afternoon?" Anzu wiggled forward eagerly.

"Yes, just about this time yesterday." The man shifted back in his chair. "I really don't have anymore information to tell you."

"Gee, and you've been so helpful." Jo slouched to his feet. "Can we have our friend's stuff?"

The man opened his mouth with a outraged expression on his face, then wavered. "Of course. I'll have the bellboy take it out to the curb for you."

Jo nodded and sauntered out the door with the others trailing behind. "Okay, any ideas?"

"We could look for the van. If it broke down they might be sitting by the side of the road, waiting." Anzu sounded more hopeful than believing.

"We could ask around at the convention, see if anyone knew this Poncho guy." Mai nodded toward the small sign indicating the direction to the convention.

"Or we could check in and see if Yugi's shown up yet." Honda had a blissful look on his face as he kept scratching with the pencil.

Mai nodded, "Jo you call Kaiba and we'll go to the convention. If Yugi's home, then we'll have fun for a bit and head home. If he isn't, we can see if we can find anything useful and get back on the road."

"Sounds good." Anzu walked in the direction that the sign pointed.

"I'm in too." Honda followed after her, "Let's get some lunch too. I'm starving."

Mai strolled after them waving back over her shoulder at Jonouchi. "We'll meet you there. Don't take too long."

Jo watched them leave, then headed for the public phone that was tucked into a small niche. He dumped his money into the slot and dialed Kame Game Shop, hoping his friend would answer.

~*~*~*

Yuai

~*~*~*

The chickens were getting out of hand. It was bad enough that they were perching on the banister, but now they were racing through the living room and nesting on her favorite chair. Yuai looked around the Kaiba mansion, brushing airborne chicken feathers out of her face and tried to assess the damage. So far they had taken over the stairs and were making headway on the living room, she was sure that if she checked the kitchen it would be snowed under a layer of feathers, chicken droppings and hay.

"Get off that chair." Yuai scooped one of the offending chickens off and dropped it back on the floor. Kaiba was going to be furious when he got home, the were feathers sticking to his laptop that lay open on the coffee table, where two chickens were playing a web game.

Mokuba strolled by heading for the kitchen. "Hey Yuai? Do we have any eggs?"

A golden rooster, looked up from where the computer and fluttered one wing toward the dinning room. "Over there kid. We got plenty."

The brown rooster that sat next to him snickered gleefully as it blew the golden one's hot rod off the screen. "Ha! Eat my tail feathers!"

"Thanks Jo." Mokuba headed off, tossing a handful of chicken feed to the rooster.

"Don't tell him that! Who knows what he's going to do with them." Yuai scampered after Mokuba, expecting a disaster, just to find herself back in her old apartment.

A scrawny hen perched on the back of a worn, cracked, vinyl chair squawking at a rather fat shabby rooster who was watching a football game and scratching himself absently.

"Where the hell is the money?" the hen shrieked, fluttering her wings, scattering a few worn feathers.

The fat rooster pecked at her. "Went out with the boys. Now shut the fuck up, they're gonna punt."

Yuai tiptoed past heading for her room. As usual there were piles of garbage tossed around, a plastic bag slumped half full in the center of the room next to the mattress that passed for her bed.

Two chickens sat on her bed playing Duel Monsters. Both were brightly colored with black, gold and red feathers and clucked softly to each other as they played.

"I call on the Dark Chicken to destroy your Coop Guardian!" The slightly larger one cackled tossing down a card.

The smaller one clucked worriedly to himself, then yanked out a card and tossed it down, "I activate the dreaded KFC dark whole chicken fryer and your Dark Chicken…is now a chicken bucket meal."

Yuai stepped by them, heading out towards the utility porch that connected to her room and looked around for Mokuba. She saw a shadow move towards the back, behind the sway of half dried laundry that hung from clotheslines that crisscrossed the room.

"Mokuba?"

"Yuai, where are you going?" One of the chickens behind her called out and ran after her grabbing her ankle with it's wings looking pleadingly up at her with soft purple eyes.

"I have to find Mokuba. He's going to play with eggs." Yuai shook the chicken off gently and stepped into the tangle of laundry.

"Where are you?" The other chicken poked it's head out of the room, glaring at her with red eyes.

She stepped farther into the laundry, weaving around a hanging group of tee shirts and ducking under an old moth eaten blanket. It was wet and cold here and she desperately wanted to get back to the mansion and her warm clean room. She slipped a little on a slick dark spot and had to grab a old house dress to keep herself from falling.

"Tell me where you are." The red eyed chicken squawked, racing forward and trying to tackle her ankle.

She stepped around the bird, seeing a small dark haired figure slipping behind the washing machine. The rooster dove back at her ankle in a fluff of red tipped black feathers. Yuai sighed, reached down and plucked it off her foot then and gave it a little toss back in the direction of his friend. She looked around again and noticed that it was getting considerably darker. She wiggled around an enormous pair of jeans that soggily dripped onto the linoleum floor and spotted Mokuba holding a basket of eggs. He grinned mischievously at her and dodged as she made a grab for him.

The rooster wasn't finished yet and came storming through a cluster of underwear. "I command you to tell me where you are!" The chicken grabbed her foot tripping her, allowing Mokuba to race away through the laundry, chuckling and fondling his new eggs.

Yuai glared at the stubborn bird and scooped him up. "YOU are commanding ME!" She threw the chicken back towards his buddy. Darkness quickly descended and Mokuba's chuckles were growing fainter in the distance. Yuai raced through the laundry, following that laugh as soft dark wings wrapped around her, lifting her above the laundry, letting her see the grimy apartment clearly. She smiled, reaching out to stroke the warm feathers, soon, she could go home soon…

Yuai woke with a start, looking around her little hidey-hole, trying to figure out what woke her. She was tucked deep beneath the roots of a fallen tree, unless one crawled under the tree and saw that it hid a small cave, she was hidden from sight, and more importantly, dry. She had spent enough time sleeping in the woods to recognize the need to not only hide from the people with guns, but also get someplace dry.

She cuddled back farther into the dry leaves and wondered how Yugi was. She felt a bit bad leaving him, but by the time she had stopped running away from the sight of an invisible Yugi, she hadn't known where she was, much less Yugi. "Yugi, please, please be okay…."

~*~*~*

Review and be loved ^_^

Amunra: Yay for Yami! Somehow, I just don't think Yuai reacted well… But then, think, what would you do if suddenly after a horrific day you looked up as saw your boyfriend's invisible friend. Run?

Yami no Jean: You'll just have to wait to see who our mystery baddie is. I have to admit I do like him, he's fun to write. I almost don't want to expose him just so I can play with him a bit more. Singing Yami's are coming up in a few more chappies.

The Panasonic Princess: Possible, but someone has to take Yuai aside and explain a few things first. The watch out, I haven't forgotten Haski…

Daebird: Pease is from Shakespeare's Peaseblosssom, Tink is short for tinker, and Drover is someone who herds cattle. They came from a experimental fic I was doing that I later trashed, but I liked the characters so I tossed them in for a bit of background.

DemonandGoddess: Ah typos, since I have no beta they seem to proliferate. Guaranteed as soon as I post this I will spot at least 10 typos in it. The glitch will be coming up soon, but Kaiba-boy (hehehe- I love that) has a few things to deal with first.

Sakiyama: Honestly, I'd like to see that too, but since I doubt we'll ever see it, I'll write it in a few chapters. Yami has a few issues he has to work out and Bakura, as you will see, is kind of busy in a rather romantic looking tent in the middle of a dark desert night… (snicker, hint, hint)

Stwabewwy Cotton Candy: Welcome to the confusion. All shall be revealed -well okay, maybe not all- by the end of the story.

Sorceress Sarrkh: Yep, the black hole that is my story just keeps sucking… just kidding (LOL). I've looked over the master plot for this arch and I think Mahaado will be perfect for the next section, since it has a lot more action in the shadow realm. But I have two fics in front of that one. Tea for Two- how Jo and Kaiba got together, and Just Shoot Me- with Yami suffering through every bad fan fic cliché I can throw at him, then I'll be able to do the shadow realm story.