Yu-Gi-Oh!, and the characters therein, are the property of Kazuki Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or 4Kids Ent., FUNimation, TV Tokyo/NAS/Studio Gallop

Enemy Mine

Chapter Ten

…Save My Shadow…

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~ …you were his most trusted and now the one he loves most trusted…aside from himself that is," Isis said "You may be able to connect with his spirit and save him, though the Pharaoh may be the only one capable but…I believe you should try first," she said.~

Glaring into the shadows Seto sat on the pail whitish blue dragon, his arms folded. He didn't know how long he'd been trapped here but it was starting to piss him off. A sudden question popped into his mind and he blurted it out to the dragon beneath him, "Why did Saggi demand something it knew I wouldn't give?"

The beasts voice rumbled out, a deep sound much like thunder though he knew its mouth didn't move to allow the fluent speech.

"To get you here, into the shadows,"

"Why would it want that?" he asked speaking freely to his long time friend…though when he'd originally befriended the beast it had been little more than a card.

"The dark clown heard of your illness," it boomed and Seto blinked blue eyes not understanding how a shadow/duel monster could have heard of such a thing.

"How?"

"It knows this one knows everything that happens around you, it asked this one replied and later a man came…he appeared around 16 though this one could be wrong. He wanted your Yugi, Saggi wanted you, a deal was struck that if the man could get you to Saggi, the dark clown would lure you in here, into the darkness," the dragon said.

"Yugi?" Seto exclaimed, terrified, here he was flying around on a dragon, obviously out of his mind and his little, lovely Yugi was out there, getting courted by some ingrate!

"Yes," the blue eyes said.

Hugging himself Seto wished he could go back, back to when he'd first found out and change how he'd dealt with the problem. He would tell Yugi and his brother, together. He'd of cause make all the arrangements for his passing but most of all he'd be happy with the time he had left.

…But if wishes were horses he'd have been run over as a child.

…

Clutching Seto's too still hand Yugi stared down at his beloveds face. "What happened to you Seto?" he asked as Yami appeared at his side, his face just as tight, his eye just as pained as his hikaris.

"Yugi," Joey called from by the door, because of Seto's collapse at school and Seto snapping that Joey was allowed into the room, Joey could come and go as he pleased.

"Yugi, you go get something to eat, I'll stay here," his friend said and the diminutive duellist nodded before brushing a kiss over Seto's lips. Those lips stern even in sleep, unresponsive to the light, loving brush. "I'll be right back love," he whispered then he left, the door clicking closed.

Walking over to the comatose corporate boss Joey said, "I know what you did, Malik told me," golden eyes taking in the harsh plans of the CEOs face. "You're an idiot, never EVER step through a Realm portal and stay until the blasted thing closes!" the duellist snapped before sighing.

"I wonder…what monster it was…what it asked for to set you off like that," he whispered "Malik said you were real mad before you barged into their world."

Under those golden eyes the CEOs lips opened, the lower one trembling ever so slightly as a pained look crossed his face, "Yugi," the man breathed.

"I'm sorry," Seto said his whole body tensing before he shuddered and relaxed, his mouth falling closed.

Remembering what Malik and his sister Iris had said, that he had been the high priests most trusted servant, the only one other than the Pharaoh or the Blue eyes Spirit, the priest had called a friend he took Seto's hand in his as he slid into Yugi's seat. Letting out his breath he closed his eyes…

"Yes," a deep voice boomed and Joey opened his eyes, "Holy Shit," he yelled looking around. He stood surrounded by shadows, thick, purple black shadows on a golden plat form and off to his right was the Blue Eyes, with what looked to be a deep blue pimple on its head.

"Jano," an eerie voice echoed and the man-boy turned his head to see a Red-Eyes-Black-Dragon in all its glory on his left. Its clawed hand reached out as his eyes became comically wide, "Come, golden one, I shale take you to your priest," it boomed though it's mouth didn't move.

"I'm look'en for a CEO not a preacher," Joey replied stepping back, gods that thing was huge!

"…I don't understand," it said its wedge like head titling to the side.

Huffing Joey said "Take me to the Blue Eyes over 'dere," jabbing his thumb in the direction of the now silent dragon.

The beast nodded and suddenly he was on its head, falling onto his bottom as it flew over to the greater beast.

"I need to get back!" Seto's voice roared as Joey could finally make his best friends lover out.

The man looked like an irate child, one foot stomping down onto the blue eyes' head. The dragon didn't seem to notice as it swung its large head around, blue eyes narrowing "Who comes near this one?" a deep voice boomed as Seto clung to his perches.

"Me!" the red eyes called stoping before the larger, pail dragon.

"What do you want, Akahran?" it asked and blue and gold eyes widened when the dragon was given a name.

"My master Jano- the Red Eyes began but was interrupted when Joey snapped "The name is Joey, Joey Wheeler!"

"This one is please to meet Joey Wheeler, what would, you have of this one?" the blue eyes boomed as Seto sat strangely silent.

"Ta talk to your rider, Kaiba," Joey snapped beginning to get annoyed, well okay he was past annoyed but at least Seto was now looking at him, his face attentive.

"Joey…" the CEO said slowly before a near desperate light entered his blue eyes, "You have to go back! Yugi! Someone's after him and they wanted…needed me out of the picture!"

"But…you're dieing right?" Joey said feeling confused. Dead was out of the way wasn't it?

"Right now…no; as long as I live here my body won't expire…at least not for the next twenty or so years…the shadow real, is slowing down the rate my…the leukaemia is spreading dramatically," Seto said.

"But that's not the point! You have to protect my Yugi!" he yelled.

"…I thought you guys weren't you know, dating,"

"A feral light filled those blue eyes as the man jerked to his feet, "That doesn't matter!" he roared "Yugi is-

"In pain!" Joey yelled, "You keep hurting him! You push him away, you're dieing and you didn't tell him! You didn't give him a choice!"

"I never had one!" Seto screamed and Joey, who was now standing took a step back. This version of moneybags was down right weird, scary and …human. "I didn't ask for this Joey! I never asked to die like this! To wither away to nothing!" broad shoulders rounded and his breath still in his throat Joey listened as Seto spoke in an agonized voice. "I didn't ask for my mother or twin to be killed by this…curse. I didn't ask to watch my father struggle for life after an accident! I didn't ask for my family" he spat that word like it tasted foul. "To steal my and Mokuba's inheritance and through as into that god forsaken orphanage! I wasn't given a choice!"

"And I didn't have a choice with Gozaburo either…" those words came out soft, almost nonexistent in the Shadows.

"What do you mean/" Joey asked hoping he thought wrong…not that please not that. Anything but that.

"He…forced me to do things for food for Mokuba and me," the man said his chest rising and falling in rapid succession, his blue eyes bright with inner torment.

"I learnt maths and physics, economy and languages, Japanese, English, Irish, French, German, Mandarin, Korean, Spanish, etc, how to run a company…and how to please," he said and Joey flinched.

"I didn't ask for it, I didn't choose it and still it happened," Seto said meeting Joeys gaze so he could see the hollowness in the blue depths of him, "I never had a choice, so why should I give others one?"

With nothing to say to Seto's revelation Joey just stared at him pity and understanding in his eyes.

"Go back, protect Yugi…if not for me then for him and Mokuba, save him…" Seto said before the blue eyes lumbered away leaving a solemn Joey and a sad Akahran in the shadows.

"You should go now, Joey Wheeler, back to the light," the dragon said.

…

"Joey?" Yugi's voice broke threw the cobwebs of his mind and the blond duellist jerked up, dropping Seto's hand like it burned.

Taking in the strange parlour of his friends face Yugi frowned "Sorry," he said moving to standing the door.

"Why don't you go home?"

"Nah, I'll just hang here 'ith ya'," Joey replied even though his eyes belied his casual tone.

Again, Sorry its short the next one should be longer!