Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Psyche ❯ Places ( Chapter 23 )

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!

 

AN: My mind started wandering off on tangents about Seth and his soon to be lover(s). I was just innocently brushing my teeth and all of a sudden all sorts of alternate pairings, that would be logical, popped into my head. About .5 seconds after I realized that a Seth/Marik pairing would be quite logical (and deeply disturbing). I gagged on my toothpaste and decided I would leave it up to you all. These are the pairings I am willing to consider and my take on the situation:

 

A. Seth, Koori, and Shimo- the one I was planning. There is the master/servant problem to overcome, but the attractions are that Seth and the Blue Eyes have loved each other faithfully for 5000 years, and that the Blue Eyes are the only possible ones that don't and never had to need Seth to take care of them, giving Seth a restful, loving relationship, with no dependency issues lurking around. There is a third reason, but it would give away too much of the plot to tell you. The problems are: Seth would probably be abruptly pounced on by two Blue Eyes, which might be jarring to the story line, and Seth does need to spend a lot of time the mortal realm keep an eye on Seto.

 

B. Seth/Seto with a simultaneous Seto/Jonouchi- which is what I was considering before, but scrapped it when I realized that Seth's truest love would always be the Blue Eyes and this pairing would leave Seto in a dependent relationship with him being dependant on Seth. On the positive side, yamis do tend to fall for their hikaris and Seto, needs intensive looking after by someone besides Jonouchi. Seto and Jonouchi's relationship would be completely untouched. Jonouchi would have plenty of time to recover, and if you readers want to read into the story that when Jonouchi recovers he will join in to make it a threesome, I was intending to leave enough hints for you to play with, or ignore as you choose.

 

C. Seth/Yami and maybe later Seth/Yami/Yugi- Seth and Yami did have a close relationship, though not sexual, in the past. Seth, now that he is, free of his priestly duties and living in a strange world, will need Yami to show him around and teach him how to cope. Yami has already stated in a previous chapter that he missed Seth. Yami is also very aware of Seth and is watching out for him in his own yami-ish way. Once Seth realizes that Yami no longer needs him as a caretaker, he would be in a equal relationship, with someone he has a lot in common with and no deep dependency issues. I originally nixed this because Yami and Seth have shown no desire for a relationship beyond that of friends and cousins.

 

The choice is yours. Also, if you have any lingering issues from the story that you want addressed (besides who the bad guy is, what does the bad guy want, why the baddie is after Seth, and how do they manage to stop him.) please let me know. I just read a long trilogy where the author left one huge plot loop hanging, so I'm feeling a bit over-conscious of these things right now.

 

Psyche

Chapter Twenty Three: Places

 

~*~*~*

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. (Not really an OC)

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

Ledowr: The Magician of Black Chaos, also one of the three rulers of the Shadow Realm, and is trying even harder not to be. He is also Yuai's husband.

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. She is married to Ledowr.

 

~*~*~*

The Shadow Realm

~*~*~*

“You honestly think he's the one who brought the pharaoh here from the boarder lands?” Ledowr sat back on his heels, looking at the intricate pattern of spells he and the others had been painting on the floor of the main reception hall. It spiraled around him in a brilliant web of bright colors, like a delicate cloisonné painting. His wife was still kneeling a short distance away muttering under her breath and painting with a small pink tipped brush.

 

Kallon, who was double checking all their work against the master copy out of an old heavy tome, nodded. “I really don't see any other way to explain it. The spell that the pharaoh and Marik cast should have landed them all together. It wasn't a difficult spell.”

 

Ledowr snorted and cracking his back went back to work.

 

“I think it's kind of sweet.” Yuai glanced over at him, “disturbing in a way, but sweet.”

 

“Dearest, do be careful, you are going to smudge that little cantrip over to the side there,” Kallon pointed towards her left foot.

 

Yuai check it, “It's fine.”

 

“I'm running out of green.” Ledowr peered into his paint can. He looked over to the side where four drooping dragons wilted against the wall. “Go get green paint.”

 

E'on dragged himself listlessly to his feet. “Okay.” The little black dragon walked out of the hall with slow, dragging footsteps.

 

The three remaining white haired dragons watched him leave with tragic blue eyes, then went back to their wilting.

 

Mahaado poked his head in a few moments later, then slumped sadly when he saw his lover. “What kind of paint do you need. E'on's just standing in the hall whimpering.”

 

“Green, and possibly some blue.” Kallon checked the pattern in the book.

 

“I'm running low on silver too.” Yuai shook one can speculatively. “Better to get it now and not have them,” she nodded toward the depressing trio, “wander off and get lost.”

 

“Send them. Let them get lost.” Ledowr painted an intricate swirling design. “They're getting on my nerves.”

 

“After five thousand years of dealing with the court, you still have a few nerves left?” Yuai looked over at her husband with a look of completely false awe.

 

“Wench.”

 

“Bastard.”

 

“Dearest, your foot…”

 

~*~*~*

The Game Shop

~*~*~*

Bakura poked the healthier of the two Kaibas.

 

“Stop that.” Mokuba, who was sitting next to them, uncomfortably perched on the edge of the bed glowered at the thief.

 

“He's not complaining.” Bakura poked him again.

 

Yami and Marik were sitting on the floor with a stack of books that Isis and Shadi had arrived with before breakfast. The two were quickly scanning each book, looking for more information about the Song of Orpheus spell. Downstairs, the sounds of video mayhem growled through the lower apartment as all three lights introduced a shocked, scandalized Shadi to the wonders of Wizard Wars: The Bloodbath on the Playstation. From the occasional enticing whiff of spices drifting through the apartment, the assembled could tell that Grandpa and Isis were busy puttering in the kitchen.

 

“I've checked the book I found the original spell in, but there's nothing about what to do if it goes wrong.” Marik tossed the book into the pile.

 

Yami nodded absently while turning a page. “I've found a few mentions of the spell, but nothing definite.”

 

Jonouchi, sitting on the bed with the more slender Kaiba's head on his lap, pointed to the stack of books.

 

Yami nodded, “Yes, we'll check them all. How are they doing?”

 

Jo ran his fingers through the dry, dull hair of the emaciated form he was holding, with a worried look on his face. It had been a long anxious night. He and Mokuba had spent it carefully watching over the pair, fretting if they so much as twitched in their sleep, not sure if it was a sign they were waking or a terrible omen of impeding death. Yugi, Malik, and Ryou had came in at various times offering to watch over the Kaibas to let the other two rest -which had been adamantly declined- and to offer tea, snacks, pillows, blankets, and comic books. Now both he and Mokuba were bleary eyed and edgy.

 

“This is just fucking great.” Bakura tromped over to the book stack and thumped down with a irritated huff. “As if we don't have enough problems already.” He grabbed a book and roughly flipped it open.

 

“Can't you just…I don't know…” Mokuba looked around desperately. “Put them back together?”

 

Marik shook his head. “Nope. If we tried they might end up with two heads, or three arms, or four legs.”

 

Yami frowned thoughtfully, “There are a few spells to rejoin a soul. They're complicated and Seth would probably cease to exist as a separate entity, if they even survived the rejoining.” He looked at the two forms on the bed. “If their condition worsens, we'll give one of those a try.”

 

Bakura slammed the book shut. “All these fucking books say is that Orpheus's beloved looked back and broke the spell. Anyone want to tell me how you can look back with that spell? All you do is sing it and poof you're here.”

 

“I've come across that reference too.” Yami picked up another book. “Only this book says that he looked back.”

 

“Lot's wife is the one that looked back. It's not in Orpheus.” Marik flipped the page and continued skimming without looking up.

 

“No look.” Bakura pointed a paragraph. “…and she looked back toward the underworld and the song no longer held her. Her shade slipped down… See, she looked back, not the dork.”

 

“That's interesting.” Yami flipped through a few books he'd already gone through. “If I remember there was one in here that said she stepped back just before the spell was broken.”

 

“Looked back, stepped back, what's the point?” Mokuba snapped. “Help Big Brother!”

 

The three yamis looked up from their books, at the angry child. Jo quickly stood up too and pulled him out of the room.

 

“NO. I'm not going!” Mokuba flailed, grabbing things as he was hauled out. “I want to stay with Big Brother.”

 

A quick stampede of feet came up the stairs and Yugi, Ryou, Shadi, and Malik stood in the hall with them. Jo shoved Mokuba into Shadi's arms and pointed to the door shaking his head.

 

“No. I want to stay.” Mokuba squirmed. “You can't make me…”

 

“I understand.” Shadi nodded. He gently forced Mokuba down the hall towards the stairs. “It is time for a break. Maybe after lunch, if you are calmer you can return.”

 

Jonouchi listened to Mokuba's shrieks of protest, but ignoring them, stepped back into the room, where the three yamis were once again looking at their various books. He gestured toward the door and shrugged.

 

Yami glanced up, “Yes, he's very tired. Just keep him out of the way, though, we need to work.”

 

Jo nodded and sat back down, this time scooping Seth's head into his lap.

 

“Stepped back, looked back, this one says she called back.” Marik closed the book, do you think if one of us stood in the Shadows and called Seth back the spell would be broken.”

 

“Seth didn't cast it.” Bakura tossed his book aside and leaned back against the wall with a feline stretch.

 

Yami shook his head. “I think it might be a bit more complicated. Think of the words, I walk toward life, I walk from death, back to bone, back to blood, back to flesh. We might have to redo the song and pull them both back into the Shadow Realm, then sort it all out from there.”

 

“Great, we can probably squeeze that in sometime next week, after we hunt down the psycho that's blowing up buildings and sending people to the Shadow Realm.” Bakura stood up and stalked out of the room.

 

Marik stood up to, “He has a point. We don't have time for this. We should be out there looking for Little Miss Pyro right now, before she decides to banish someone else, or better, blows up the shop with our hikaris in it.”

 

Yami closed the book and nodded. “Yes, I know. We'll get back to that after lunch. You and Bakura go check out the house were Kaiba got sent to the Shadow Realm. I'm going to explore the blast sites and see if I can find anything useful.”

 

Marik shrugged and walked out the door, leaving Yami to face a bewildered Jo.

 

“Alright, this shouldn't take long. Just get out of the way and hope for the best.” Yami suddenly disappeared.

 

~*~*~*

Shadows

~*~*~*

 

It was like floating at night, on an incoming wave that never hit the beach. He was lifted, tossed, buried, shoved, pounded, crushed, and yanked in cold, suffocating darkness. He had managed, he still wasn't sure how, to grab hold of his yami, and cling to him through all the tossing and confusion. He desperately wanted to call to his other, but Seth was frighteningly limp in his grasp, and no amount of hurriedly gasped questions or demands and resulted in even a tiny twitch of awareness.

 

Yami answer me! Seto screamed angrily over their link. Damn it, Seth, wake up!

 

The wave smashed them both down again, sending them spinning through choking cold. Seto thrashed, kicking and reaching till they broke the surface of the tide again.

 

Seth! Where are we? This time the wave lifted them high. Seto could feel the dizzying swoop as they were both tossed carelessly in the air, then the harsh splash back into the dark. The wave promptly buried them under a fall of blackness, forcing them to tumble like leaves in a gale. Seth!

 

He didn't get an answer, not even the, till now, annoyance of feeling Seth in his mind. My fault. That damn spell. He managed to struggle back to the surface and take a few deep breaths, hoping desperately that Seth was still breathing too. He couldn't tell. For all the response he was getting, his yami could be dead. Isn't this perfect. I get someone I know I can absolutely trust and what is the first thing I do? I kill them with stupidity. The tide dropped them suddenly into a frightening stillness. Seto grabbed a few more deep breaths, recognizing that they were in the trough between waves, and braced himself. He felt the dark push them up to a peak, then abruptly curl around and crush them in its fist. When it let them go he kicked them back to the surface. I just fuck everything up. Seth should have just locked me in that room and taken over. He'd have done a better job then I ever could have.

 

The tide shifted, whirling around them, like a predator circling its prey. Seto panted for breath, clinging tighter to his yami. He could feel the waves rising, and tensed for the blow, but instead something caught him, pulling him backwards, yanking Seth out of his arms. “Seth! Seth! YAMI!”

 

He was thrown down, landing with a solid thump onto a hard surface. He struggled, his fingers digging into dirt and grass, the scent of lavender whispering around him. SETH! Where are you!?! Seth… He managed to roll over, to stare up at a black sky framed by silvery leaves. Footsteps rustled, approaching him, and a spiky haired head blocked his vision.

 

“Got you.” Yami smiled.

 

Kaiba blinked then looked around. Next to him lay the still, bedraggled form of his other. “Seth?” He tried to reach out, to touch, but he was, after all his struggles, too weak to manage even that small gesture.

 

Yami shrugged. “He's out.”

 

“Where?” Kaiba turned his head and saw a softly glowing river flowing peacefully along a short distance away.

 

“The Shadow Realm.” Yami shifted to kneel next to Seth. He carefully lifted the unresponsive form and peeled the wet tunic off him. He bundled it up and put it under Seth's head. “This is my spot.”

 

Kaiba traced the intricate web of branches back to the slender trunk of a tree. “Spot?”

 

Yami moved over to him and helped him sit up enough to pull his jacket off. He wrapped it up and shoved it under his head, like he had with Seth. “We tend to have our own spots. This is mine. The thief likes to play with slugs. Marik prefers the dunes.”

 

Yami glanced over and found Seto asleep. “Well, it's an improvement.” He walked over to the tree and whispered a few words. The tree shivered a second, then rustled, its branches extending downward to brush against those that were beneath it. Yami caressed a few curious withies and wove out of the sudden fall of silver, brushing a few of the tree's glowing flowers aside as they nibbled lightly on his hair. “I'll be back soon. Keep them safe till I return.”

 

The leaves murmured a wordless sigh, to which Yami nodded. “Yes, I know you will. I'll leave it to you.”

 

~*~*~*

Game Shop

~*~*~*

 

Yugi set the platter of lamb kabobs on the table and reached for the bowl of vegitable, saffron rice. Bakura was already grabbing a few kabobs before he even turned back around. Ryou, sitting next to his dark, cheerfully trading recipes with Isis, ignored the gnawing and gnashing coming from his yami's direction with the ease of long practice. Mokuba sat poking a sliver of ice around his plate irritably, casting nasty looks at Shadi, who was engrossed in figuring out a small espresso maker. Malik and Grandpa were finishing filling glasses with ice and soft drinks, as Yami and Jonouchi ambled into the kitchen.

 

“Who's with Big Brother?” Mokuba bounced out of his seat and shoved his way to the door. “He can't be alone.”

 

“Kaiba and Seth are sleeping.” Yami snagged the small kid and hauled him back to his seat. “You can watch over them after lunch.”

 

“You tried it.” Bakura grunted, stuffing his mouth with more lamb.

 

“It wasn't hard.” Yami settled into a seat and smiled as Yugi sat next to him. “Just a small rearrangement of the words.”

 

“They're okay?” Mokuba relaxed, the angry scowl disappearing from his face.

 

Yami helped himself to some rice and a kabob. “Kaiba is. Seth is still a bit uncertain.” He paused as Grandpa handed him a glass of JellyJuice and took a sip. “From what I can see, Seth gave Seto all his strength. It saved Seto, but him…” he trailed off with a shrug.

 

“Yay.” Bakura scooped a large helping of rice into his mouth. “We need the priest, so we get the rich boy.”

 

“We should be thankful we have either.” Isis was looking everywhere but at Bakura. “We could easily have lost both.”

 

“Aaack.” A stream of boiling hot coffee spewed wildly out of the espresso maker, causing Malik and Shadi jump. Marik, coming up from the shop holding a stack of mail, snickered and fell into a seat next to Isis.

 

Malik slunk over to sit next to his yami, “Can we go out for coffee? I really need a caramel macchiato.”

 

“I've almost got this…” Shadi sat down absently accepting a plate of food from Isis. “I think we just need to adjust the little spout thing.”

 

Yugi peered over at the directions he was holding. “I didn't think those needed to be adjusted.”

 

A loud pounding from the shop below startled everyone. The yamis were instantly on their feet, sliding wraithlike down the stairs of the shop. Shadi and Isis stood at the door.

 

“Oh great. What's the fruitcake doing here?” They could hear Bakura grumble.

 

“Pegasus?” Yami's voice called softly, as the sound of the door to the shop jingled up the stairs.

 

“It's after me. It's after me.” Pegasus's normally calm, if eerily jovial, voice sounded panicked. “It came to my island. My castle is in ruins.”

 

“The Mad Bomber strikes again.” Marik snickered.

 

“Can this day get any more perfect?”

 

~*~*~*

Duelist Kingdom

~*~*~*

 

“Duke, pet, where are you?” The dark Yuai slunk through the wreckage of what was once Pegasus's castle, idly running her fingers along the shattered stone.

 

Duke was sitting looking blankly across the now polluted pond that had once stretched around the castle like a moat. He turned and looked dully at the dirty figure.

 

“Pet, where would Pegasus go? Hmmm?” She traced one soot blackened finger down the side of his face.

 

“Don't know.”

She smiled, and slapped him hard enough to knock him to the ground. “Think pet. Where would he go?”

Duke blinked slowly at her for a few seconds, a slender trail of blood slipping down his chin unnoticed. “Domino? There's an office there.”

 

She smiled, “Good boy.” She stepped closer and kicked him in the groin, her smile widening as he shrieked in agony and curled into a ball. “I guess you get to go home and say hello to your little friends.”

~*~*~*

Please remember to review, even if you only give me the letter of your relationship choice.

 

dragonlady222: Yep. He's a boy genius all right. Too bad he has absolutely no common sense. I honestly think it's an adorable flaw for a character to have.

 

Sorceress Sarrkh: *blushes brightly* Thanks. I almost feel I should marry you Kaiba really doesn't know how to take care of himself does he? Good thing he's now got a yami to do it for him, and I doubt Seth will make the same mistake with his hikari twice.

 

Velvetina: Sorry, I had to leave it. My wrist was rebelling, but I got this one out ASAP! Yeah, Jo is awful cute with Kaiba. You might be able to understand why he could do that and why Yami knew he could do that if I ever get the prequel of this story out. Okay, that was indeed a shameless plug, but it's going to be so damn cute…