Oddpart: Y&H and the Broken Chains: Redo

“Giving up Mutou?” The men asked as Yugi struggled in his companion’s grip, trying to break free and escape only for the grip to tighten, pinning Yugi securely.

Boh watched in horror as Yugi dropped his wand, his head falling forward and his gaze staring blankly at the floor. “You’re going to wipe my mind again, aren’t you?” Yugi asked, defeated.

“No.” The leader shook his head, causing Yugi to look up, startled and slightly hopeful. “Oh it’s not a good thing, Mutou.” The leader continued, causing panic to flare up in Yugi’s eyes, “It’s been decided that you’re too much trouble to keep around anymore. You’ve broken through the programming one too many times. We’ve been ordered to ‘remove’ you.”

Yugi started struggling again, crying out for help only to earn a backhand across the face that had him reeling. Boh went to help only for a swift mental command to keep him in place as Yugi hung limply in his captor’s grasp and the leader continued talking, “Silencio.” The leader commented with a lazy flick of his wand. Yugi’s voice vanished the moment the magic settled, leaving the young man unable to protest, just listen, “You have yourself to blame. If it had just been your own head you’d fixed, it might not have come to this, but you insisted on restoring the memories of the others too and well...”

He pulled a vial of some liquid out of his pocket and showed it to Yugi. “We were ordered to get rid of you, they didn’t say how. Just that you had to be unable to reawaken everyone again. So you have a choice.”

Confusion warred with fear in Yugi’s eyes as he took in the vial then glanced at the man.

“It’s really quite simple.” The man explained, “Either you drink this, go to sleep and you’ll die painlessly in an ‘accident.’ Or we’ll obliviate you until there’s nothing left in that head of yours and we’ll make everyone believe your brother did it. It seems like something his ‘Shadow Games’ could do after all.”

It was, Yugi was fully aware of that fact and he didn’t want to choose between either option. Either he was going to die, or they were going to destroy him and make Yami take the fall. Before this had all started, he would have taken the second option, trusting that his friends would be able to return his memories to him and that they would never think that Yami would do such a thing.

Now, however, he couldn’t trust that. He couldn’t even trust that they would be there for him when he was a vegetable. All because of the men who had captured him and the people they were working for.

At least if he was dead, his friends wouldn’t blame Yami. Nor would they wreck vengeance on the Pharaoh for something they hadn’t done. And if he got Boh to take his notes to Mahado or Kisara, there was still hope of the others getting away, even if he was gone.

“Well Mutou?” The leader of the group asked, “The potion or the wand?” He flicked his wand again and Yugi let out a soft sigh before speaking.

“The potion.”

“Smart boy.” The leader chuckled. Yugi could still feel a wand pressed into the back of his head when the guy let go of him and didn’t try and escape as the leader offered him the vial.

“Hey Boh?” Yugi thought at the Kuriboh, knowing the little fuzzball was watching, “Tell everyone ‘I’m sorry.’ Please? And make sure my notes get to Mahado or Kisara.”With that he downed the potion in two gulps.

Boh panicked as Yugi’s mind swiftly faded out and his partner slumped, unconscious, into the waiting arms of one of the Obliviators. His partner had made him promise not to tell anyone about the memory wipes and the fact they were being manipulated, but if he didn’t they were going to kill Yugi and make it look like an accident.

He had to break his promise to Yugi. He just had to. He didn’t like it but he couldn’t just let them end his partner’s life.

“Mahado!”  His mental call went unanswered to start with, causing his panic to increase, “Mahado, please! Yugi’s in danger!”

That got the Dark Magician’s attention. He felt the Dark Magician snap into focus as he tried to follow the men who were levitating his Deck Master’s unconscious form down the corridor. “Boh? What’s going on? Where are you?”

“Heading for the exit.” Boh replied, desperate, “Yugi made me promise not to tell you but they’re going to kill him.”

“We won’t let them.” Mahado promised, helping Boh calm down slightly, “Who is it?”

“Yugi...” Boh hesitated, he had promised after all but this was important, “Someone’s been messing with the memories of the Pharaoh and his friends.” He felt Mahado’s mind stall for a moment, then anger flared up, encouraging Boh to continue, “Yugi’s been trying to work out a way to get everyone out and regain the lost memories for months, but they kept rewiping their minds every time Yugi managed it. Now they’ve decided it’s easier to get rid of the problem then keep brainwashing everyone over and over again.”

“We’re on our way.” Mahado promised, “As are Yugi’s friends.”

“But...”

“They’ll come together for this, or they’ll lose their friend.” Mahado pointed out, “We’ve seen lesser miracles happen because of Yugi.”

That was true at least and as Boh continued to follow the men, heading out of the school and down towards the Forbidden Forest, he just hoped they could put aside their arguments quickly enough.

Clanverse: 3 Days in the Puzzle: Part 1

“Pharaoh, Pharaoh!” Yugi let out a soft pained groan and the shaking stopped, but the voice accompanying it continued to babble at him. “Please, wake up!”

Opening his eyes was a lot more effort than it should have been. When he managed it, he was rewarded with the sight of the Kuriboh and the Dark Magician Girl nervously awaiting his awakening. The latter helped him sit up as he tried to take in his surroundings, for a moment becoming confused by the sandstone walls and escher-esque staircases.

Then, as he looked directly up and noted the hole in a wall a few stories above where he was led, what had happened struck him. “Oh.” He managed as the memories of exploring the Puzzle, only to run afoul of one of the booby traps that made up the complicated maze played over in his head.

“My Pharaoh, are you alright?” The Dark Magician Girl asked, concern obvious.

Yugi blinked away the memory of crashing through the wall and slamming into the floor hard enough to render him unconscious as he turned to look at her, confusion obvious. “You’re talking?”

“I’ve always talked.” The Dark Magician Girl chuckled at him, “You’ve just forgotten how to listen. I’m Mana. It’s nice to meet you properly, my Pharaoh.”

“Yugi.” Yugi shook his head, “It’s just Yugi, Yami’s the Pharaoh.” He paused, eyes widening as he realised that his darker self was going to be freaking out and tried to send a mental message to the Pharaoh, only to realise he couldn’t get one through. “Uh oh.”

“What’s wrong?” Mana questioned as the Kuriboh jumped into Yugi’s lap, prompting the young man to ruffle its fur.

“I can’t reach Yami.” Yugi’s soft, slightly panicked reply caused the Duel Monster asking to let out a soft, worried hiss, “I don’t get it. I’m in the Puzzle. I should be able to reach him.” He paused and considered the Duel Monsters properly, “I am in the Puzzle right? I mean I’ve never seen you two here before...”

“Yes, Yugi,” Mana nodded as the Kuriboh kree’d reassuringly, “This is still the Puzzle, but you were already deep into its maze when you fell.” She smiled slightly, “Thanks to the Puzzle’s powers, we can access this place too and Boh,” She gestured to the big eyed ball of brown fluff in his lap, “Was already exploring when you fell and he came and got me.”

“Do either of you know the way out?” Yugi asked even as he nodded his understanding, grateful to not be completely alone.

“Unfortunately no.” Mana admitted as somehow Boh managed to make himself look embarrassed and ashamed, “The Puzzle changes so much that trying to work out up from down is a challenge, yet alone remembering where the exit is.”

Yugi couldn’t blame the pair. Yami had complained of the same thing often. His darker self only ever managed to find the door out because he had an innate sense of where it was. No matter where he was, Yami could always find his way out to help him. It was a shame that that was one ability they didn’t share.

With their link blocked or broken as it was at the moment, Yugi had a funny feeling it would be up to him to find his own way out. If he couldn’t reach Yami, then he doubted the Pharaoh could reach him either.

“It’s alright.” Yugi reassured her, getting to his feet and hiding a wince as his right leg protested the weight, his back ached and his world spun slightly as a pounding headache sank in. “I’ll just have to work my way through carefully until I find it.”

“Let us come with you.” Mana asked, watching him with great concern, “The Puzzle is full of traps and monsters, not all of them as friendly as Boh and I. You’ll need protection.”

“No, I’ll be fine.” The teen shook his head, contemplating where to start as he did so and not wanting the pair of Duel Monsters to get hurt while wandering the halls of the Puzzle with him.

 “Please, Yugi?” Mana’s earnest plea startled the boy. He turned to her, wondering why she was so worried about him when they had only truly met for the first time just a few moments ago, “You’re hurt already and it’s a long way back to the exit. At least let us accompany you back to the upper floors where the Pharaoh resides.”

The concern was familiar, Yugi realised as he stared at her. It was the same concern that his friends often had for him when he and Yami were trapped in dangerous situations. His answer, though, was the same as when they wanted to follow him into trouble. “No, please Mana. I don’t want you two to get hurt.”

“Listen here, Yugi.” And now she seriously reminded him of Tea as she drew herself up to her full height, hovering slightly to get an extra couple of inches and scowled at him, “Boh and I are Duel Monsters, there is very little that can seriously injure us. You are mortal and squishy. Even here, in the Puzzle, the fact your soul is mortal means you could easily be killed by one of the traps. Either we come with you, or I pick you up and carry you.”

“You’d fly me out?” Yugi asked, wondering why he hadn’t thought of it before.

“No,” Mana admitted, “If we were anywhere else, I’d do it in a heartbeat, but it changes too much around here. I’d end up flying into a wall or a floor that wasn’t there a second ago. No, I will literally pick you up and carry you out.”

Yugi wasn’t sure Mana looked strong enough to carry anyone, but he wasn’t going to fight it. He knew better than to argue with people. It was a waste of time, no one ever listened to him even when he was just trying to make sure they were safe. “Alright.” He sighed, “But be careful. Please?”

“I’ll try.” Mana nodded as Boh kree’d happily and pressed himself against Yugi’s bad leg, causing Yugi to let out a pained hiss and the leg to buckle. Mana caught him before he hit the floor, worry etched in her features. “Boh, go and get Evonne.”

“Who?” Yugi asked, confused as the Kuriboh darted off into a dark corner and vanished.

“She’s a Mystical Elf.” Mana explained as she shifted herself so she was supporting him, “She can heal that leg of yours and then we can get going.”

“Sorry.” Yugi apologised, flushing red in his embarrassment. The Dark Magician Girl, Mana, was one of his favourite cards and the only way that this could be any worse was if it was the Dark Magician who had to bail him out.

“Don’t apologise.” Mana shook her head, looking a little frustrated, “Just tell me next time,” She paused, her expression shifting to one of mischief, “Or I’ll set the Pharaoh on you.”

Yugi squeaked. Yami was his friend and would never harm him, but if Mana told him that Yugi had gotten himself hurt, Yami would never let him in here again.

“Do we have an agreement, Yugi?” Mana asked, a mock serious expression on her face.

As Boh returned from wherever he had gone with a Mystical Ef in tow, Yugi nodded.