Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Emergence ❯ Home Again, Home Again ( Chapter 18 )

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

Here it is! *Authoress ducks into bomb shelter* Since starting this storyline I've had 2 car wrecks, 5 computer crashes and now I'm on codeine…. I'm cursed. If this comes out too funky I'll correct as soon as I'm off the weird drugs.

Emergence

Chapter 18: Home Again, Home Again

~*~*~*

Kaiba

~*~*~*

Kaiba settled back into the seat as the limo pulled away from the curb. He turned his head watching the rain strike against the window. Odd, very odd. He shook his head. Okay, I'm ruthless, but this? Not even dear old Gozaburo would try shadow magic, assassination attempts, kidnapping and corporate espionage for a small, nearly dead company who's takeover benefits everyone.

He shifted uncomfortably, tugging at the collar of his trench coat. Quistcell Tech was a tiny company who's only recommendation was a string of small, dilapidated warehouses in Tokyo. Land being scarce there and in high demand, it was worth Kaiba Corp's time and capital to buy out the company just to acquire the warehouses. The CEO of Quistcell, who had inherited his father's company without even getting a small glimmer of his father's business sense, had been the one to approach him with the buyout offer. No shady dealings, no backroom agreements, nothing, just a straight buyout of a floundering business. Then why do this? What is he trying to pull?

Kaiba tapped his finger against his lip, thinking. Could he be the front man for another organization? Who? Who would he know that understands shadow magic? Isis? Doubtful, she didn't impress me as the corporate raider type. Shadi? Again, too deep in ancient Egypt, still it's possible that something is going on there. However, I don't see them hiring hit men and hacking computers. The yamis? Bakura? No, he's devious and dangerous, but he's straightforward about it. If he wanted you dead he wouldn't hire out. Marik? Now there is a possibility. He likes to use underlings and has made attempts on Mokuba, Yugi and me. Yami Yugi? Again possible, but would he put Mokuba in danger after spending so much time and effort to keep him safe? Would he put Yugi's girlfriend in danger? No. How about Pegasus? Could he wrench his attention away from Funny Bunny long enough to get what's left of his mind together to plot anything more than how to avoid the next round of medication? Kaiba snorted at the thought and narrowed his eyes. So I come down to Marik. But Marik the corporate raider??? What could he gain? Take over the world by having a worthless businessman try to make me go to a gaming convention? Tick Yami Yugi off by carting off Yugi? Have hired thugs take pot shots at Mokuba, for what?

The limo turned into a driveway, jerking Kaiba out of his thoughts. They were sitting in front of a large expensive mansion, the home of Hiro Yoshikawa, the owner of Quistcell. The building loomed dark and unlit in the gloom, the driveway that swept in a graceful curve, surrounded by huge trees and lush gardens, was slick and dark with rain water. The gate leading to the drive was open, swinging forlornly in the wind, creaking faintly. He motioned for the driver to continue up to the house. This would give Jo the creeps. He'd probably start in on ghosts and haunted houses.

Kaiba grinned at the mental picture of Jonouchi staring frightened out the car window, mentally swatting down his own foreboding with the image. I wonder what you're doing right now love. He straitened his coat, smoothed down his hair and set his shoulders. Time to end this.

~*~*~*

Yami, Yugi and Yuai

~*~*~*

"So what does he do?" Yuai looked doubtfully over at Yami. "Give messages from beyond like that guy on TV?"

I do NOT! Yami glared back.

"No, he just…uh…uhmmm….well…plays games and stuff." Yugi mumbled then winced as Yami transferred his glare to him, shrinking back into the nest of leaves that he was half buried in, cuddled against Yuai.

"That's it?" Yuai sighed, "How about secrets from ancient Egypt like how the pyramids were built?"

I was the pharaoh, not some common laborer. Yami was sitting cross-legged on the floor of the small cave under the tree.

"He knows shadow magic." Yugi supplied.

"Shadow magic?" Yuai wiggled around in Yugi's arms to look at him. "What's shadow magic."

Along side this realm, this world, is another one, the Shadow Realm. Yami looked out at the storm that was still drenching the forest. When you use shadow magic, you tap into the energies of that realm, letting you summon creatures from there and cast spells.

"Really?" Yuai looked back at Yami. "Can you use it to get us out of here?"

"He's tired." Yugi yawned, "and so am I. Let's get some sleep. We'll get out of here tomorrow. Right Yami?"

Right aibou. Tomorrow. He returned his attention to the two that were snuggled in the dry leaves in front of him. Yugi felt a bit of alarm as he looked at his dark. Yami looked paler than normal, nearly washed out, even his bright hair was dull, nearly grey. The usual confident expression was missing, revealing worry, exhaustion and sadness. And his eyes were nearly lost in shadows.

Yami? Are you okay?

Yami shrugged and disappeared back into the puzzle.

"He's been away for awhile." Yugi shivered. "He needs to rest."

"You don't think he's mad at me do you?" Yuai blinked confused at the space that Yami had been sitting in, "I mean, if you had an ancient Egyptian show up, wouldn't you want to know about the pyramids and the afterlife and all that?"

"Actually," Yugi looked away, "when I first realized who he was and everything, I asked him that sort of stuff. He ranted for days about not giving a damn about what was buried under the pyramids and who the hell cares if some teenage twit of a pharaoh got himself killed a couple thousand years ago."

"Ooops." Yuai blushed. "Tell him I said sorry."

"You should have heard Jonouchi said when he found out. He was planning on putting Yami on TV. He even came up with a title for the show, Good Times with Dead Guys. Yami practically went into orbit."

"Still, tell him…"

"Don't worry. I will. Now lets get some sleep." Yugi kissed her lips gently. "Good night."

"G' night Yugi." She snuggled down. "Let's all dream of good things tonight. Like warm beds, hot breakfasts and me beating you in Life."

"Even better, me beating you in Life."

"Not a chance."

"A night of dishes says I can take you."

"You're already asleep aren't you. You're dreaming."
"Ha."

"Ha."

Will you two please…

"Sorry. Good night Yami." Yugi buried his face in Yuai's hair, closing his eyes.

"Sorry Yami. Good night." Yuai kissed Yugi twice and cuddled closer. "One of those is for you."

~*~*~*

Kaiba

~*~*~*

The door was open allowing rain to spatter across the inlay tile flooring of the foyer. On a table in the center of the room a vase of white lilies lay shattered, the slender flowers scattered across the tabletop amidst glittering pieces of crystal. Two staircases swept up on either side of the entrance leading up into the unlit upper floors. A dark caver of a hall was across the foyer.

Kaiba stood in the dim light provided by the limo's headlights, looking around. Not quite the reception I was expecting. He stepped around the lilies and fragments of crystal, walking into the back hall.

"Yoshikawa! Where are you?!" Kaiba made his way down the hall, listening for some clue where the man may be and carefully negotiating the scattered bits of broken décor as he went. "Yoshikawa! I know what you did. Did you really think you'd get away with it?!"

The sound of breaking glass caught his attention as he passed a door. He carefully pushed the door open and looked inside. Hiro Yoshikawa stood in the center of a small library, methodically smashing crystal goblets against the floor, grinning happily as each glass shattered. He looked up as Kaiba stepped into the room, his grin widening.

"Kaiba, I was just thinking of you." He looked at the glass he held in his hand, then smiling threw it down onto the floor. "How have you been?"

Kaiba looked around the room. At some point in time it must have been a lovely place, but now the books were spread across the floor; the once elegant, upholstered chairs were broken with their fine fabric coverings slashed; delicate lamps lay crushed amidst the ruin, with only one small green desk lamp that lay tipped over on the floor by a overturned desk, providing any light. "Housekeeping's day off?"

Yoshikawa smiled and laughed lightly, "Good help and all that." He waved toward the mess. "I'd offer you a chair, but I seem to be all out."

Kaiba nodded, "Want to tell me what's going on?" He leaned back against the door, keeping a good distance between the man and him.

"Oh, you know…" the man reached out and picked up a glass, raising it and watching the light play across it's facets.

"But there is so much. Shall we start with why you hired people to kill Mokuba?" Kaiba smiled a cold dragony smile as the man raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

"Oh, that." He shrugged and smashed the glass down against the table, cutting his hand. "Bad information gathering, that. I was trying to keep you busy." He shrugged casually and picked up another glass. "Didn't realize you were sick."

"We all have our little problems." Kaiba watched as blood trickled down the sides of the glass and dripped onto the table.

"Yes, we do. I had really hoped Duke stealing Jonouchi away from you would keep you distracted, but…" Yoshikawa shrugged, twirling the glass in his fingers, "You like to drown your sorrows in work." He sent Kaiba a chiding glance, "You really work too much, you're going to have a stroke before your thirty at the pace your going."

"You arranged that? With Duke?" Kaiba slid his hand into his pocket, fingering his cell phone.

"Hmmm. Duke is such a nice lay. Lots of fun." Yoshikawa brought the glass down, shattering it in his hand, then letting the pieces fall to the floor. "He wasn't quite so much fun at first, but a bit of magic and he calmed right down."

"Magic?" Kaiba snorted. "There's no such thing."

The man bent down and picked up a book, "Of course there is, don't be silly." He opened the book, flipping through the pages, ripping them out as he went. "And you're quite good at it aren't you?" he grinned up at Kaiba suddenly, slyly. "What does it take to get you to relax and take a vacation? Hmmm?"

Kaiba shrugged. "I was having computer problems at work. Thanks for the thought."

Yoshikawa laughed, tossing the gutted cover of the book to the floor. "Stress Kaiba, it'll kill you."

Kaiba shifted, watching the other man carefully. "What were you looking for?"

"Looking for?" Yoshikawa waved negligently. "Really, I can't remember right now. Something or other." He looked around the room. "It was right here a moment ago… Ah, well, easy come easy go."

"How about Yugi?" Kaiba flipped open the phone in his pocket.

The man, who had been shuffling through the wreckage, looking at the floor, stopped and looked up at him puzzled. "Yugi?"

"At the convention? You hired someone to kidnap him. We found the van and the dead boy, now where is Yugi?" Kaiba straitened as the man bent forward suddenly.

"I really have no idea what you're talking about." He lifted a rather thick book and clutched it lovingly to his chest. "All I wanted was for you to go to the convention. I have no idea who this Yugi is, or why you're babbling about a van and a dead boy." He turned around and shuffled back to the small bar with it's now almost empty top. He set he book down, stroking the cover gently, smearing blood across the cover.

"You've already admitted to trying to kill Mokuba. You hacked into my computer system. Claim to have used magic to get me to leave town and now you balk at saying you grabbed Yugi Moto and killing some nameless kid?"

Yoshikawa sighed, "I can't claim another person's work." He opened the book, revealing that the insides had been carved out. A small sheaf of papers lay inside on top of something. "There is such a thing as random violence Kaiba." He lifted the papers, revealing a small revolver. "Not everything revolves around you, you know."

Kaiba dove quickly to the side, behind the bulk of a overturned table and pulled out his cell phone. He hit a button, summoning his driver inside. "Give up Yoshikawa. I've already called the police."

"Give up? Why Kaiba, I just told you, not everything revolves around you."

Kaiba looked over the edge of the table. Yoshikawa stood where he had been, next to his bar, holding the gun thoughtfully in his hand. The man was smiling at him lightly, as if he had just told an amusing story at a party. "What the hell are you…"

Yoshikawa, smile never wavering, lifted the gun to his own head and pulled the trigger.

~*~*~*

Yugi, Yuai and Yami

~*~*~*

"I spy with my little eye…"

"Log."

Tree.

"Can you two wait till I at least get the sentence out?" Yugi kicked the damp leaves underfoot and continued trudging.

The day had dawned a bit less wet, a bit more cold and a lot more windy. They had been walking east for the last three hours, hoping to find a road. So far they had found trees, logs, leaves and angry squirrels. Yugi rubbed his head where one small rodent had managed to bean him with a nut.

Sorry aibou. Yami glided watchfully ahead of them.

Yuai sighed, "Let's play another game. There just isn't all that much to look at right now."

"Twenty questions?" Yugi looked up, checking to make sure they were still heading in the right direction.

"Only if we don't pick anything food related." Yuai had her hands tucked under her arms, trying to stay warm.

"Okay, I'm thinking of some…"

"Leaves."

Rain.

"Hey! You're my yami, stop that!"

Yami smiled back at his light, then turned sharply. Aibou? Did you hear that?

"Hear what?" Yugi raced up to where his dark was standing at the edge of a gentle slope, Yuai tagging at his heels.

A car horn. I heard a car horn. Yami darted down the hill. Wait there for a minute. I'll go see.

Yugi nodded, looking eagerly out at the forest.

"Did you hear it?" Yuai stood shivering next to him.

He pulled her into a hug. "No, but I was talking to you guys and Yami was ahead of us. He could have heard something."

Yuai nodded, hugging Yugi back. Yami appeared at the bottom of the slope, smiling and waving to them to come down.

There's a road!

"Yes!" Yugi scampered down the hill, dragging Yuai along with him. "We are out of here!"

~*~*~*

Jame

~*~*~*

"Would you like me to make you some coffee Mr. Moto?" Jame stood at the counter, watching the pale old man sit staring down at the table.

"No. No. I'm fine. Thank you." He didn't even look up at her.

She frowned worriedly, then turned and stared making breakfast. "Well, let me get you something to eat. You can't start a day on an empty stomach."

Solomon nodded listlessly, tracing small patterns on the table with his finger. "You just don't realize how much room someone takes up in your life till they're not there."

Jame nodded, breaking some eggs and whisking them together. She wasn't entirely sure what to say, so she stayed quiet and listened.

"He really is such a small child. Never was very big, even as a baby." Solomon coughed softly and rubbed his eyes.

Jame put some bread in a toaster and set a pan on the stove to heat. "I saw his picture. He didn't seem very tall."

Solomon lifted his head and looked at her. "I'm afraid he got that from me."

Jame nodded, pouring the eggs into the pan and stirring them around with a spatula. "I saw the resemblance. He inherited your hair too, didn't he."

Solomon dropped his head back down to stare at the table. "Yes. I suppose he did." His head jerked up as the door bell jingled bellow.

"Grandpa! I'm home!" A bright voice yelled from bellow.

"Yugi!" In an instant the pale, drooping, old man changed. Solomon was out of his chair and racing down the stairs before Jame could even take in the sudden change. "Yugi, my boy, where have you been? I have been worried sick about you."

A half muffled voice, answered back, "Sorry Grandpa. We were lost in the woods and…"

"Don't you ever worry me like that again! Do you hear me young man!" Solomon sounded like he was both angry and crying at the same time.

"Grandpa, I promise…" The voice was less muffled.

"And you! Are you all right Yuai? Look at you. You are freezing."

"Grandpa, honestly, I'm just a bit damp." A girl's voice, soft, whispery and faintly shocked sounding piped up.

"Upstairs, the pair of you, and into some dry clothing." The old man sounded gruff and a bit growlly.

Jame grinned and reached for some more eggs as a pair of mud splatted, bedraggled figures were herded into the kitchen. She recognized Yugi from his picture immediately, but the small blond girl at his side was a mystery. Solomon stepped in a second behind them. Yugi stopped, looking at her puzzled.

"Uh, hi." He gave her a bright, if somewhat confused look.

"Hi, I'm Jame, Kaiba's secretary. He asked me to come over and help out." Jame nodded to the breakfast that she was making.

Yugi smiled back at her as his grandfather pushed him out of the kitchen toward the steps up to his room, the small blond at his heels, being nudged along too. "Nice to meet you. Thanks for helping Grandpa out."

Jame waved the spatula back. "Nice meeting you too."

They all disappeared for a few minutes, then Solomon, strode happily back into the room smiling. "Lost in the woods, only my grandson…" He looked around the kitchen grinning. "Well, let's get them fed." He reached for the loaf of bread and caught the toast as it popped out of the toaster. "Can't start the day on an empty stomach."

~*~*~*

Kaiba

~*~*~*

Kaiba decided the whole night was something he never really wanted to talk about. Yugi disappearing had not been a happy moment. He liked the other teen. He enjoyed their rivalry. He wasn't ready to admit he was friends with the other, but he appreciated a good opponent, and Yugi and his yami were certainly that.

Finding out that his computer system was being hacked hadn't exactly been joyful either. That someone would break through his security program, that he had designed, and rifled through his files unchecked, made him angry enough to throw his head back and roar at the heavens.

But it had been the whole Yoshikawa incident that he wanted to forget. The look in the man's eyes, the disconnected, absent look in his eyes as they had talked, sent chills down his back. It had almost been like that man hadn't really been there.

Kaiba sat looking out the window of the limo, not registering that he was once again in front of the Kame Game Shop, till his driver knocked questioningly on the window. He nodded a quick acknowledgement and stepped out as the door was opened for him. "Stay close, or have someone come and relieve you."

"Yes sir."

Kaiba barely heard him as he walked into the shop, noting that the floor was getting dirty. A scattering of mud and leaves trailed through the shop and up the steps. He tiredly wondered if he should get a cleaning crew out here to sweep up as he dragged himself into the kitchen.

Jame was standing at the stove, cooking what seemed to be a small mountain of eggs. Yugi's grandpa stood humming happily next to her buttering toast. They both turned to look at him as he collapsed into a chair.

"You look like hell." Jame poured a cup of tea and set it in front of him.

"Lovely day to you too." Kaiba gulped the tea, hoping the caffeine would kick in soon.

"You should go home and get some sleep." Solomon set some toast down in front of him. "Yugi and Yuai showed up a little while ago. Apparently, they had car trouble and got lost in the woods looking for a phone."

Kaiba blinked groggily at them as they grinned happily down at him. "Woods?"

Jame nodded, "Yep, woods."

"They got lost in the woods?" Kaiba tried to fit that into the framework of facts that they had gathered from the day before.

Jame shrugged, "Woods."

The soft thump of feet descending the staircase made him look up as Yugi and Yuai trundled into the kitchen.

"Kaiba!" Yuai thumped herself down in the seat next to him, dressed in what looked like an old set of Yugi's gym clothes.

Yugi sat down next to her reaching for the toast while smiling at him. "Thanks for helping while we were gone."

Kaiba nodded, still trying to figure out what was going on, then looked over at Yugi's grandpa, who was still merrily humming and making toast and figured it out. "Lost in the woods Moto?"

"Well, yeah." Yugi looked a bit guiltily at his grandpa. "The van we were in broke down and we thought the other road was just over the hill and…"

"We got lost." Yuai piped in as Yugi started faltering, looking more and more guilty.

Kaiba gave a silent snort and ate his toast. Yugi grinned sheepishly and stuffed a entire slice in his mouth as Solomon turned around to set a second plate on the table.

Yuai nudged him slightly, "Kaiba, what if I told you that Yugi has a friend that looks just like him, but invisible."

"Congratulations, you met Yami. Now you just have two more to go." Kaiba snagged some eggs as Jame put them on the table.

"Two more? What do you mean two more?"

~*~*~*

Warning

~*~*~*

Okay folks, I am putting a warning here. After debating with myself and trying to rework the plot line of the story arch, I've come to the conclusion that I have to put one more thing in here that is important to the next bit of the story line. It will probably upset people because you'll have to wait till I get around to the next story to have it in any way resolved, which might take awhile since I want to write Tea for Two and Just Shoot Me! before I start in on that one. So, if you are the type who can't wait in suspense for any length of time, stop here and pick it up again when I start on the next story. If you don't mind having chaos erupt and having to wait till the resolution (whatever it may be) then read on.

~*~*~*

End of Warning

~*~*~*

Jame waved back as she walked down the steps. "Nice meeting you."

"Thank you." Solomon stood on the top waving back. "Thank you very much for all your help."

"You're welcome." She gathered up her jacket and shrugged into it. "If you need anything else, let me know."

"Of course, and stop by when you have a chance." Solomon watched as she stepped out the door and into the waiting limo. He turned back around as Kaiba finally finished gathering up the things that had be scattered around the living room.

"Thank you, too Kaiba." Solomon nodded briskly at the young man who was glancing around making one final check of the room.

Kaiba gave a small nod. "Thank Jonouchi. He's the one who dragged me here." He looked over to where Yugi and Yuai were curled together, sleeping on the couch. "I'll send a car to pick her up."

"You don't believe the lost in the woods story do you?" Solomon nearly laughed as the trace of surprise that flicked across Kaiba's face. "I may be old, but I have yet to qualify as stupid."

Kaiba shrugged. "If that's what he wants us to believe, then let him."

The bell on the door below rang cheerily and they both stopped and looked up as Mai, Anzu and Honda walked into the kitchen looking questioningly around, when they noticed Yugi and Yuai grins broke out on their faces and their mouths opened.

Solomon quickly motioned them to be quiet. "They got back about a hour ago. Let them sleep."

Honda nodded, walking over and looking down at his friends. "They okay?"

Anzu and Mai followed him over, "What happened?"

"Lost in the woods." Kaiba managed not to roll his eyes as the three newcomers nodded believingly.

"That must have sucked." Honda whispered.

"Well, they're back now." She looked around. "Where's Jonouchi?"

Kaiba turned sharply to look at her, feeling something cold and tight clench in his chest. "What?"

"He ditched us. Took the car and left." Mai frowned. "When I get my hands on him."

Solomon shook his head, "He isn't here. We thought he was with you."

"We separated. He went to call you, while we went to talk to people at the convention to see if anyone knew anything about Yugi. He never met up with us." Anzu shook her head. "So we looked around for him, then checked and found the car gone. We thought he came back."

Kaiba quickly walked into the kitchen, grabbed the phone and dialed his mansion. The others, still smiling and relieved about Yugi being home, walked in a few minutes later to find him staring blindly at the refrigerator with the phone dangling from his hand.

He looked at them as if he'd never seen them before, then blinked heavily. "They found the car at the bottom of a gorge. Jo wasn't in it, but there was a lot of…" He trailed off, not wanting to say the words, still trying to deny the image that was taking shape in his head. "I have to go."

~*~*~*

Don't kill me! *authoress peeks out of bomb shelter then hides again* I had to do it! Really!

Sorceress Sarrkh : Eeek, virus! Been there pulled out my hair, bought Norton Anti-virus thereby nixing getting a new scanner and still screamed. Ah. Pointless Jonouchi torture, my favorite, I couldn't resist the knitting scene, it just screamed to be done.

DemonandGoddess: Everyone likes Jo knitting, except Jo. I have never hacked a computer in my life, so I'm just guessing there. Yep, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Velvetina: Yami confused is so cute. I love the scene when Yugi sets him up to meet with Anzu in the anime, just before they meet Isis. The whole "what the hell!" expression and him standing there yipping at Yugi for dumping him in that sitch is just too cute for words.

The Panasonic Princess: Yep. Yuai's in the loop. Now how is she going to handle it when Yami gets a body? Questions, questions and singing yamis next time!