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I Almost Had You	By : Hideki LaShae Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 8336 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh!, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-I Almost Had You
- 2-Two
- 3-Three
- 4-Four
- 5-Five
- 6-Six
- 7-Seven
- 8-Eight
- 9-Nine
- 10-Ten
- 11-Eleven
- 12-Twelve
- 13-Thirteen
- 2
- 3
- 4
Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters and references belong to their respective owners. The song lyrics from Come a Little Bit Closer belong to Jay and the Americans and Welcome To My Life belong to Simple Plan and the companies that recorded them and were used in this story with the best of intentions. The song “Witch Doctor” as performed by David Seville and the Chipmunks belongs to the artists and the company that recorded it. The song I Can’t Fight This Feeling belongs to Chicago and the company that recorded it and was used in this story with the best of intentions. Story elements © Hideki LaShae. No money was gained in the writing of this story.

I Almost Had You
By
Hideki LaShae

Chapter Three
Don't Know What You’ve Got Until It's Gone

- - 3000 years ago - -

Seth caressed the lock of golden blond hair he cut from Jono’s head. He dropped a few of the hairs onto the ground at his feet. “Damn these weak monsters you’ve gathered, Jono! Damn them all save but a few!”

- - Modern Day - -

“Kaiba Seto! You ass! If you didn’t have those three Blue-Eyes White Dragons backing you, you wouldn’t be able to win shit!” shouted Jou glaring intensely at Seto. He stood in the school courtyard just five feet away from the object of his constant torment and agony.

“What did you just say, you filthy mongrel?” exclaimed Seto raising his voice out of anger.

“You know I’m right! Without those dragons, you’re worthless!” exclaimed Jou, “You couldn’t win shit without them!”

“I can beat you with or without my Blue-Eyes! It’s a matter of skill, and you don’t have any!” shouted Seto.

“Prove it! Prove to me and everyone else here that you actually have better skills than I do. Prove you’re not winning all your matches because of your money! I challenge you to a duel! Only you can’t use your deck! You use mine and I use yours!” exclaimed Jou, “Then we’ll see who is truly the better duelist! If you defeat me using my deck, I will admit that you are superior to me! Even get down on my knees like a dog and call you ‘Master’! I challenge you to prove you aren’t just a coward hiding behind your three rare dragons!”

“I am not a coward, and you will kneel before me, mutt!” exclaimed Seto, “You want to duel me so bad… Well… Fine! Let’s duel! Give me your damn deck!”

“Guys… don’t do this!” exclaimed Yugi with a sigh. He stood back away from the two fighters just in case they decided to take their fight to a more physical plane. The last thing he wanted was to go home to his grandfather with a black eye. However, this didn’t sound like a good idea to him. “What is Jou thinking?”

Jou and Seto traded decks and quickly shuffled them before placing them into their respective duel disks. They both shouted at the same time, “Let’s duel!”

Jou’s friends sat down to watch the two stubborn, pig-headed individuals duel it out over who had the bigger ego.

“Who wants to bet that Jou still loses?” whispered Honda.

“Honda!” hissed Anzu giving him a reproachful look.

“What? Even with the Blue-Eyes, this is still Jou we’re talking about,” whispered Honda.

“But you also have to remember,” said Ryou meekly as he looked at the ground, “Jou’s deck and strategy are based on luck. Who do you think would really have the better luck? Jou or Kaiba? When faced with the Skull Dice, would Kaiba roll high or low, or would he even use the card at all. His pride may prevent him from using half the cards in Jou’s deck…”

“Jou can win. He has the skill. As long as he has the will, he can win,” said Yugi confidently. He smiled before yelling out, “You can win, Jou! We’re all behind you!”

- - 3000 years ago - -

“I miss your bright smile and your cheerful attitude, Jono. I miss you,” said Seth. He took a deep breath and summoned up the Shadow Magic he’d grown so accustomed to wielding in his seventeen years of life. “I summon Time Wizard!”

- - Modern Day - -

“Damn these stupid weak cards of yours, mutt! I’m amazed you ever win anything with this deck!” exclaimed Seto, “I summon Time Wizard!”

“Stupid ass!” exclaimed Jou, “Don’t you dare fucking insult my deck!”

“Time Roulette! Go!”

- - 3000 years ago - -

“Time Roulette! Go!” screamed Seth, “Return Jono to me!”

The roulette wheel spun and landed on the time machine.

- - Modern Day - -

The roulette wheel spun and landed on the time machine. The customary portal appeared, but instead of time on the duel field progressing, or reversing as it had been sometimes known to happen, a fierce wind pulled Jou towards it.

“Jou!” screamed Yugi grabbing a hold of the bench he sat on. He noticed the others doing the same.

“Fuck! What did you do, Kaiba?” exclaimed Jou scrambling to grab hold of something.

“I didn’t fucking do anything!” shouted Seto.

Jou fell to his knees and slid towards the portal.

“Stupid mutt!” exclaimed Seto as he ran towards Jou, “You still have my deck! You’re not going anywhere with it!” He grabbed Jou’s hand just as the gravitational pull from the portal increased and sucked them both inside.

“Jou!” screamed Yugi.

“Jou!” exclaimed Honda releasing his hold on the tree and running awkwardly towards the portal only to have it vanish before he reached it with Jou and Kaiba gone forever. “JOU!”

Screams of fright were soon joined by sobs of pain as everyone began to realize that Jou vanished, and they might have a hell of a time finding out to where so they could get him back.

- - 3000 years ago - -

The familiar portal opened, and Seth expected to travel back in time, just enough so he could save Jono from his deadly fate, but the shadows seemed to have another scheme in mind.

Two oddly dressed boys fell out of the portal, both of them unconscious from their journey through time.

Seth’s eyes widened as he gaped at the blond teen, just maybe a year younger than himself. “Jono!”

Deep cerulean eyes then turned to the second boy, roughly the same age as himself… and although paler in skin and lighter in hair, his exact twin. He looked at the two in confusion for a moment before reason hit him. Something must have gone wrong… horribly wrong… He looked at the blond again. “Something wonderfully right.”

“High Priest!” called a voice from just beyond the door, “Is something wrong?”

“Gather the guards! And fetch the healer to meet us in the Inner Sanctum!” exclaimed Seth loudly.

“Yes, High Priest!”

Footsteps sounded on the stone floor as the guard ran away to get assistance.

Seth walked across the room and knelt beside Jou. He reached down and brushed the blond hairs away from the peaceful face, and he smiled. “Welcome back, Jono.”

“This way!” called a guard as the sounds of a human stampede echoed through the stone room.

Seth stood and backed away from Jou.

Six guards ran into the room with their weapons at the ready.

“High Priest?” asked the Captain of the Guard, a young man with a head of brown hair in a single spike. He stared at the two bodies lying on the cold stone with an open mouth and a slight tinge of fear in his brown eyes.

“Hiroto! We must take them to the Inner Sanctum! A healer is meeting us there!” ordered Seth.

“Yes, High Priest!” Guard Captain Hiroto immediately began to bark orders to the guards, but he kept one eye on Seth.

The guards carried the two young men away.

Hiroto turned towards Seth and fell to his knees in subjugation. “High Priest Seth… a word?”

“Make it quick! And rise! You annoy me!” exclaimed Seth.

Hiroto stood again. He glared at Seth. “What have you done?”

“There is no reason for me to explain myself to you!” exclaimed Seth glaring back at Hiroto.

“Jono was my best friend! I have every right to know what you’ve done! Who the hell is that imposter?” asked Hiroto raising his voice slightly out of anger.

Seth stormed away from Hiroto.

Hiroto clenched his fist and raced after Seth towards the Inner Sanctum. “Answer me! Dammit! Why can’t you answer me?”

Seth led Hiroto to the Inner Sanctum. He saw Atemu standing in the shadows, and he moved towards his cousin.

“You will explain this all to me soon, High Priest of Ra,” said Atemu gravely. His crimson eyes stared at the scene before him.

The lavender-eyed healer, Namu, worked his hands and his magic over the two boys. He sat back perplexed. He glanced over at Atemu. “I don’t understand. There is nothing wrong with them. They don’t even have bumps on their head. There’s no reason why they shouldn’t be awake right now.”

“Then why aren’t they, Namu?” asked Hiroto, “I want to find out who the hell that imposter is so I can kick his ass back where he came from!”

The brunet groaned and lifted his hand to his temple before rolling onto his side.

Namu smiled his angelic smile. “He’s waking up!”

Seto opened his eyes slowly.

Namu helped Seto to sit up and brushed one strand of his sandy blond hair behind his ear. “Good afternoon! My name is Namu!”

“Wwww… wwww www www wwwww wwww?” asked Seto looking into the innocent face of the person he believed to be Malik Ishtar.

“Huh?” asked Namu blinking in confusion.

“Www www www wwwwwwww wwww wwwwwwwwww wwwwwwww?” snapped Seto sending his patent glare at Namu.

Namu sent a sideways glance towards Atemu and Seth. “Do you understand me?”

Seto pushed himself to his feet and looked down at Namu on the floor. “Ww wwww wwww wwww ww wwww ww www, Ishtar?”

“Ww… wwww… wwww wwww ww ww www!” groaned Jou as he opened his eyes and sat up.

Namu turned his innocent, angelic smile towards Jou. “Hello. My name is Namu. Are you well? Can you understand me?”

Jou looked at Namu with wide eyes. He screamed and yelled out words that made Seto roll his eyes, but no one else understood them. “Wwww www wwww www www wwwww wwww, Malik?”

“Malik?” asked Namu in confusion, “Are you calling me ‘Malik’?”

Jou jumped to his feet and continued yelling, saying the word ‘Malik’ several times.

Namu stood up. “Are you well?”

“Wwww www wwww www www ww www www wwwwwww wwwwwwwwww, Malik!” Jou clenched his fist and punched Namu square in the left eye before Namu even saw what he planned to do.

The guards rushed forward and restrained Jou to prevent him from completing his second strike on Namu. Two of the guards also grabbed Seto and prevented him from moving, not that he actually tried to. He preferred the more practical approach of discovering his opponent’s weaknesses first.

“Are you all right, Namu?” asked Hiroto.

“It doesn’t hurt that much,” said Namu touching his already bruising flesh. He winced and closed his eyes.

Seto watched curiously as a lavender light surrounded Namu’s hand and seeped into his skin.

Namu removed his hand. “There! All healed!”

Jou struggled fiercely against the guards holding him hostage. He didn’t notice when Hiroto moved up to him in a blind rage and punched him as hard as he could in the face. He fell limp in the guards’ arms and panted heavily.

“How dare you strike a Healer!” shouted Hiroto.

“Www wwww www wwwwww wwwww w wwwwwwww ww w www wwwwwwwwww www? W wwwww wwwwwwww, wwwwwww, www wwwwww. Wwww www wwww ww wwwww ww wwww!” screamed Jou turning his head back to look at his attacker. His eyes widened and he threw the guards off him. He pulled Hiroto into a brotherly hug. “Honda! Wwwwww, w wwwwww ww www Malik wwwwww ww! Wwww www wwwww wwwww ww? Wwww www www wwww, Honda?”

Hiroto blushed a bright burgundy, which showed off extremely well on his tan skin.

Seth and Atemu stood side by side in the shadows and tried desperately to hide their snickers of amusement.

Seto looked towards the shadows where he heard some sounds being made. “Wwww wwww wwwww?”

Hiroto shoved Jou away from him. “Don’t touch me!”

Jou laughed at the expression of utter shock and embarrassment on Hiroto’s face as he pulled his supposed spiked haired friend into a headlock only to grind his fist into the top of Hiroto’s head.

Hiroto screamed in shock and tried to shove Jou away again.

Seto continued to watch the shadows until Seth stepped out of them. His eyes widened. “Www www www?”

Seth sighed. “I do hope you know how annoying this is. We can’t understand a word you’re saying!”

Jou released Hiroto and fell to the floor in shock.

Seth held out his Millennium Rod towards Seto and mumbled some magical words in a quiet tone.

A shadow shot from the decorated head of the rod and passed straight through Seto’s chest.

Seto gasped and fell to his knees. “What the hell was that?”

“Kaiba? Wwww www wwww wwwwwwww ww www?” asked Jou.

“Calm down… We’ll figure this out in a moment,” said Seth slowly, “Once we get your friend to understand our language.”

“He’s not my friend!” snapped Seto.

Seth aimed his rod at Jou and repeated his words so the shadow once again emerged from the rod and passed through Jou’s chest.

Jou gasped and nearly lost consciousness at the sensation of being swallowed alive by the shadow.

“Are you all right, mutt?” asked Seto.

“I’m not a fucking mutt!” snapped Jou glaring at Seto.

Seto stood up and scoffed. “Imbecile! Do you really speak French?”

“Like I told Honda… I know enough French to get by,” said Jou blushing. He stood up and brushed the dust off his clothing.

“I highly doubt that’s Honda,” said Seto, “If you haven’t noticed… we seem to be in Egypt, and how do you think Honda would have gotten to Egypt?”

“Probably the same way we did, moneybags!” exclaimed Jou.

“Silence!” exclaimed Seth.

Jou turned his eyes to Seth again. “Fuck, Kaiba! Now there are two of you!”

“Who are you?” asked Seth, “And I suggest you answer quickly!”

“Screw…”

Seto clamped his hand over Jou’s mouth. He hissed, “If you get me in trouble with your big mouth, I will kill you.”

“You’re just upsetting them,” said Namu walking in front of Jou and Seto. He smiled. “My name is Namu. I am a Healer.”

Jou bit on Seto’s hand to get him to retract it. “Are you sure you’re not Malik pretending to be Namu again?”

“Who is this Malik?” asked Namu kneeling before them.

“Never mind,” said Jou. He glanced over at Hiroto who finally beat his blush down. “Hey, Honda… what’s going on?”

Hiroto looked at Jou. “Are you talking to me?”

“Of course I am!”

“I am Hiroto, Captain of the Pharaonic Guard!”

“My name is Jounouchi Katsuya, but everyone calls me Jou. The snob behind me is Kaiba Seto…”

“I am not a snob!” exclaimed Seto.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah… Keep telling yourself that!” Jou snapped. He turned towards Seth. “So who the hell are you?”

“I am High Priest Seth of Ra!”

Atemu stepped out of the shadows at that moment, and Hiroto and the guards forced Jou and Seto down onto their knees with their foreheads touching the floor.

Jou looked up at Atemu and forced Hiroto off. He sat up and gawked at the Pharaoh. “Yugi! When’d you grow two feet?”

“Yugi?” asked Atemu, “Who is this Yugi you speak of?”

“Yugi is my best friend. He looked just like you, only he’s shorter,” said Jou with a hint of sadness in his eyes, “Who are you?”

“I am Pharaoh Atemu…”

“Pharaoh?” asked Jou, “You’re the other Yugi…”

“Other Yugi?” asked Atemu.

Jou pointed at the Millennium Puzzle dangling from Atemu’s neck. “Yugi has the Puzzle in our time. He solved it and released the spirit of an ancient Pharaoh from… I don’t know, three… five thousand years ago, a Pharaoh who looked like him… you.”

“If what you say is true, mutt, you shouldn’t be telling them!” snapped Seto.

“And why shouldn’t he tell us?” asked Seth forcefully as he glared at Seto.

Seto stood up and glared at Seth. “If the stupid mutt and I are in the past, then anything we do here can change our future! By telling you what will happen, we might change it so that it doesn’t happen at all!”

“And that would be a bad thing?” asked Hiroto.

“One changed event could be a catalyst for a series of events, one after another, sculpting a new world,” said Seto, “For example… if we kill a rat here that was supposed to be food for a cat who drinks the water from a poisoned spring and warns everyone not to drink the water, then the cat could starve before drinking the water. So then anyone could drink from the spring and not realize it’s been poisoned, so maybe the heir to the throne drinks from it and dies, and then the country is brought into war over who will be the new successor. Chaos ensues and thousands of lives are lost, including the life of a healer who would have found the cure to one of the world’s most deadly diseases, so thousands more die…”

“Okay! I get the point!” exclaimed Hiroto.

“Ahem…”

Everyone turned their attention back to Atemu.

“You claim to come from the future, and your clothing might suggest that. I have never before seen the likes of it,” said Atemu.

“Nor have I,” said Seth.

“But you could still be spies from another land,” said Atemu eyeing the boys cautiously.

Jou burst out laughing. “Us? Spies?”

Hiroto struck Jou across the back of the head. “Don’t mock our Pharaoh!”

“Hey! That hurt!” exclaimed Jou.

“Enough bickering! Tell us how you came to be here!” commanded Atemu.

“We were dueling with each other’s decks,” said Seto, “And I commanded Time Wizard to use its Time Roulette. When it landed on the time machine, a portal opened and sucked us in.”

“You mean to say it was sucking me in. If you hadn’t gotten pissed about me still holding your deck and grabbed me, you wouldn’t have come!” exclaimed Jou.

“You used Time Wizard?” asked Seth. His eyes widened in shocked comprehension.

“Yes,” said Seto pulling Jou’s deck from his duel disk. He withdrew the card and held it up for Seth to see.

“May I see?” asked Atemu holding out his hand for the deck.

Seto raised an eyebrow as he looked at Jou.

“Go ahead, Kaiba. Let him see it,” said Jou.

Seto passed the deck to Atemu.

Jou pulled Seto’s deck from his duel disk and offered it back to the brunet. “We’ll finish our duel later.”

Seto took his deck and tucked it into his duel disk for safekeeping.

Atemu rifled through the deck with wide ruby red eyes.

Seth stepped up beside Atemu and looked at the cards. “Those monsters…”

“These monsters are the ones Jono captured and tamed!” exclaimed Atemu.

“Jono? Who’s Jono?” asked Jou with increasing curiosity, “He kind of sounds like me. Can I meet him?”

“Jono is dead,” said Seth, “but when I first saw you, I thought you were him.”

“He looks… looked like me?” asked Jou.

“You are most likely his reincarnation,” said Seth, “Tell me! How did you get these monsters? Do they obey you?”

“I got some of them as gifts, some I won, and some I bought,” said Jou, “and yeah… they obey me, I guess. I mean, they haven’t turned on me and blasted me during a duel or nothing!”

“It must surely be a strange time they live in if they can simply purchase creatures as powerful as these,” said Atemu.

Seto snorted. “Powerful! Oh, yes! His monsters are so powerful he could never defeat me with his own monsters! We had to swap decks for him to even have a hope of defeating me! Powerful my ass!”

“Then what monsters do you wield in your duels?” asked Seth glaring at Seto, “I doubt your monsters are more powerful than mine!”

Atemu passed the deck to Jou who slipped it into his duel disk.

Seto pulled three random cards from his deck and placed them on top of his duel disk to summon their holographic forms to appear before him.

“Shit!” exclaimed Hiroto as he saw the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons appear.

“How could you have three?” screamed Seth, “There are only four of those dragons in existence and I am master to three of them!”

“In my time, you do not exist! There are only three Blue-Eyes White Dragons…!”

“Bastard!” interrupted Jou.

“… And I am their master!” exclaimed Seto glaring at Seth with hatred to equal that coming from Seth aimed at him.

“Enough!” exclaimed Atemu, and Seto withdrew his three dragons and placed them back in his deck. “Hiroto, take them… away! Give them rooms and post guards outside of them so they cannot leave. They are not our prisoners yet, but until I am sure that this is not some trap, we will not allow them to roam.”

“Yes, Pharaoh!” exclaimed Hiroto, “Come!”

Jou and Seto followed Hiroto out of the Inner Sanctum while the rest of the guards followed behind them.

Atemu moved over to sit down. “You are dismissed, Namu. I don’t believe we have any further use for your services.”

“Thank you, Pharaoh,” said Namu smiling as he headed out.

Atemu looked at Seth. “What happened?”

“Pharaoh?” asked Seth looking at Atemu in confusion.

“Don’t play dumb with me. I saw the panic in your eyes when your look-alike told us he used Time Wizard,” said Atemu, “What were you trying to do, bring the Jono from the past into the present?”

“No… worse, Atemu… I was trying to send myself back in time to save him,” said Seth, “I found the forbidden spell, and I performed it. I only needed to go back a single day, and I could have saved him.”

“Why?”

“I love him.”

Atemu sighed. “Cousin… why?”

“I wanted to save him because I love him!” exclaimed Seth, “Not as I love you or Isis, but I truly love him! If I could have just one more day with him, I would shower him with my love and take him into my bed from which he would never depart!”

“What I meant was… why did you never tell him?” asked Atemu.

Seth sat down beside Atemu in the chair normally reserved for Isis during their meetings. He sighed and ran his hand through his chestnut locks. “I… I think I honestly believed that he loved someone else. Mai swears up and down that I am the one her beloved cousin cared so much for, but I couldn’t see it. He wouldn’t show me that love. I didn’t think that I deserved his love. I didn’t think he would return it. I was stupid and I thought he would always be here… standing right beside me and laughing at me because of something I've done! I wanted to tell him, but I couldn’t find the right time to bring it up. Now I never will.”

Atemu reached out a hand and gently placed it on Seth’s shoulder. “I know how you feel, cousin. I understand all too well.”

“Whose love have you lost through your own stubbornness and stupidity?”

“I don’t think you knew my angel,” said Atemu, “I barely did until I lost him. He saved my life.” He closed his eyes and let his hand fall from Seth’s shoulder. He stood abruptly. “Maybe now you can have a second chance at love, Seth. Use it wisely.”

“Yes, Atemu,” said Seth with a small smile.

“However… you have defied me and broken the sacred laws, so you must be punished. Anyone not of our blood would be invoking the wrath of the gods and would be a ritual sacrifice to appease them,” said Atemu.

Seth hung his head.

“Yet you have been chosen by the Gods, a High Priest to Ra! While such a punishment is fitting, I doubt Ra would request it or even permit it!” Atemu paced back and forth. “What to do? What to do? You must have some punishment, but since it is only you and I who know of your crime…”

“Whatever you deem fit, my Pharaoh.”

“I know… the two young men are not from this time, and they might wish to return to their own,” said Atemu, “but I will not prevent them from staying if they wish to do so. If they both, or one of them, should choose to return to their time, then we will need to know of a way to send them back. You will be in charge of the search to discover a way to return them should they choose to leave. I will request Isis and Mai assist you. It would help to get their minds off the loss of the Priest of Osiris.”

“Why would you only suffer me this… to find a way to lose the boy who surely must be Jono’s reincarnation?” asked Seth, “For what I have done, I was surely expecting death, and I was prepared to face it as long as my task succeeded and Jono could live on. Forgive me, Pharaoh, but I feel that this punishment is unwarranted.”

Atemu sighed. “To tell you the truth, Seth, I believe having that boy… that Jou… here might be healing for us all. Jono was a good friend, and I loved him dearly. Just as I love you. If he is truly Jono’s reincarnation, and I believe he is, then he will help us all to heal! He will give us the chance to say good-bye to Jono, and for that chance, I should be thanking you… even if you did use forbidden magic to give us that chance. So your punishment will be to find a way for the two replicas to return from whence they came!”

“Yes, Atemu. I will not fail you. I will find a way to send them back,” said Seth.

“Very good,” said Atemu with a smirk, “but do try to save some time to convince Jou not to leave us!”

Seth smirked in return. “I will do my best.”

“They will need something to do in the meantime. They’ll need to occupy their time or else they might go mad,” said Atemu.

“I believe there are some odd jobs that they could do,” said Seth.

Atemu nodded. “See to it. I am tired now and will be retiring to my chambers until evening.”

“Very well…”

Atemu and Seth left together but parted ways just outside of the door.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“What are you doing?” asked Jou with a sigh as he plopped down onto the bed.

“Reading,” said Seto simply.

“You’re always reading! Or working on your laptop! Do you ever stop?”

“No.”

Jou fell backwards to lie on the bed. “What are you reading?”

“I’m not sure. This papyrus scroll seems to be telling some history, but there are many things that are missing,” said Seto.

The door opened silently, and Seth entered the room.

“If it’s a history, what does it say? Is it talking about a war? About a person?”

“It’s talking about the Pharaoh,” said Seth, “Not Pharaoh Atemu, but his father. The name has been burnt away though. Apparently, he was a tyrant.”

“His name has been stricken from our records. He was just as vile as that document said he was,” said Seth, and both Jou and Seto jumped up to look at him. “We have chosen to remember his deeds so we will not repeat them, but his name is forbidden to even speak. Atemu’s father, Akunumkanon, was not what our people needed in a Pharaoh. Atemu is trying to make up for his past indiscretions.”

“Like burning down an entire village because a camel spit on him?” asked Seto.

“So you can read our language,” said Seth, “very impressive. Where did you learn it?”

“I didn’t,” said Seto, “I just look at it and I understand it.”

“The other Yugi said that’s because you are the reincarnation of Seth,” said Jou with a smirk.

“He is definitely no future incarnation of me!” exclaimed Seth crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at Seto.

“Yeah… that’s what Kaiba said!” exclaimed Jou.

Seto rolled his eyes.

“That reminds me. You have not mentioned what you wish us to call you,” said Seth, “Which is your proper name? Kaiba or Seto?”

“Kaiba was the name I took on when I moved in with my adopted father. My proper name is Seto.”

“That is what I thought, but I don’t understand why you said your family name first. Is that how they do it in your time?” asked Seth.

“Yeah,” said Jou, “Family name first. Then your given name.”

“So we will call you Seto,” said Seth, “Atemu has instructed me to find you a place to work here in the palace until we can figure out what to do with you.”

“Work? Um… what kind of work?” asked Jou.

“I think you might do well in the gardens,” said Seth with an odd smirk, “Jono loved the gardens.”

“So I’d be… weeding and watering and stuff?” asked Jou.

Seth nodded.

“Okay! I can do that!” exclaimed Jou.

Seth turned to Seto. “And you… I think we could use your help in the library since you can read our language. Our staff in the library is having a little trouble getting it all categorized properly.”

“That shouldn’t take that long,” said Seto.

“You haven’t seen the library yet,” said Seth, “Come. I will show you both around and introduce you to the people you will be working under.”

“Great! We get a tour of an Egyptian palace during the height of its civilization! The guys would kill for this!” exclaimed Jou smiling ecstatically as he stepped over to Seth.

Seto sighed as he walked over to them. “Silly puppy…”

Jou sent a glare Seto’s way. “I’m not a puppy!”

Seth smiled as he looked at Jou. “Actually, I think I would have to agree with him. You do look like a puppy.”

“Hey! No siding with Moneybags!” exclaimed Jou with a feral growl.

Seth’s grin only widened as he reached out a hand and brushed a stray lock of Jou’s blond hair back behind one ear. His fingertips caressed Jou’s cheek as he pulled his hand back.

“Seto! Keep your doppelganger away from me!” yelped Jou jumping behind Seto and clinging to his shoulders. He peaked over Seto’s shoulder and glared at Seth. “No touching! No touching!”

Seto set his jaw firmly as he felt an unfamiliar tingle rain down his spine from Jou’s hands on his shoulders.

Seth seethed in anger as he looked at Jou hiding behind Seto. He clenched his fist.

“What’s the matter, mutt? Are you afraid of having anyone other that your midget lover touch you?” asked Seto shaking Jou’s hands off.

“Hey! Yugi is my friend! We aren’t lovers, you rich bastard!” snapped Jou.

“Keep telling yourself that,” said Seto.

“Are you two… lovers?”

“Oh, hell no!” Two voices rang as one.

Seth breathed a sigh of relief. “Come… we’re to tour the palace now, and I’ll show you where you will be working for the time being.”

“Great!” exclaimed Jou looking at Seth skeptically, “but no touching me!”

Seth nodded as he led them out of the room past the guards. “The guards will be following you around for awhile.”

“Can’t get lost that way,” said Jou.

“Trust you to be the one to get lost,” said Seto.

Jou simply growled.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Mai walked into the Inner Sanctum slowly. She rubbed her eyes as she moved to her seat.

“How are you feeling, Mai?” asked Isis taking her hand as Mai sat down beside her. Her worried blue eyes rested on her blond friend’s blood-shot eyes.

Mai leaned up against Isis’s shoulder. “The same…”

Atemu sighed from his position in his throne. “It’s not the same without Jono.”

Seth stormed into the room and stopped right beside his seat. His eyes stared at the empty seat where the blond love of his life would normally be sitting.

“Sit down, Seth, please,” said Atemu.

Seth slowly took his seat. “The young men have been assigned their positions. One is working in the garden, and the other is working in the library. He can read our language.”

“What young men are you talking about?” asked the ebony haired man sitting on the other side of Jono’s vacant seat.

“There has been an incident,” explained Seth slowly, “Time Wizard has brought one of Jono’s incarnations to us, as well as someone who could be my reincarnation.”

Mai perked up when she heard these words. “Jono? There is someone here who possesses the soul of my cousin?”

“We aren’t certain of that, yet,” said Atemu, “but he would appear to be Jono. They could be identical twins.”

“He’s in the garden?” asked Mai.

“Mai!” exclaimed Atemu standing up quickly.

Mai looked at Atemu hopefully.

“Don’t look at me like that. He may have Jono’s soul, but we don’t know that yet,” said Atemu, “and I don’t think it would be wise for you to see him until we know for certain. I know you miss Jono. We all do. He was the light in our darkness, and we are all feeling his loss! But Jou is not Jono. No matter how much he may look like him, he is not your cousin. I am forbidding you from seeing him for the moment. I will personally take you to him when I feel the time is appropriate.”

Mai buried her face in her hands.

“I understand how difficult this is for you, Priestess,” said Atemu taking one of Mai’s hands and using his other hand to brush her hair back from her face.

“You have asked Shada to see if this boy truly does possess my cousin’s soul?” asked Mai looking into Atemu’s eyes.

“Shada will be meeting with them tomorrow,” said Atemu.

Mai took a deep breath and nodded her head.

“Very good. On to other news,” said Atemu sitting down in his throne.

“The girl’s trial will be held at first dawn tomorrow, if it pleases you, Atemu,” said the black haired Priest Otogi of Anubis turning his emerald green eyes to the Pharaoh.

“The sooner the better,” said Atemu, “Seth, Isis, I trust you two will be present at the trial?”

“Yes, Atemu,” said Isis with a nod of her head.

“Of course, Atemu,” said Seth, “I intend to enact her punishment.”

“I wish to be present as well,” said Mai.

Atemu nodded. “Otogi, I would be pleased to see you and Hiroto there as well.”

“Hiroto is planning on escorting her to the trial in person,” said Otogi, “She has been charged with aiding an assassin.”

Mai sighed as she tried to prevent her tears from falling.

“Cousin, I doubt we will be able to get very much accomplished today,” said Isis pulling Mai closer to her, and she wrapped her arms around the blonde haired woman, “Perhaps it would be prudent if we canceled the rest of our meeting.”

“Yes. Our wounds are all still too raw,” said Atemu, “I will see you at the trial. Good night, everyone.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Seto pulled off his trench coat and folded it neatly before placing it on the trunk at the foot of his bed.

“So… can I call you Seto too?” asked Jou.

Seto stiffened and spun towards the balcony. “What the hell are you doing in my room, mutt? Didn’t they give you your own?”

“Yeah… they did. It’s right next to yours. We have a connecting balcony,” said Jou, “Now answer my question.”

“You might as well,” said Seto, “but don’t get too used to it! I will not allow you to address me by my first name once we return to Domino! What are you doing in here?”

“I got lonely. You’re the only person I know here, so I figured you’re the only person I could really talk to.” Jou walked over to the bed and plopped down on it. “So… what do you think Mokuba’s doing right now?”

“Let’s see… my driver should have picked him up after soccer practice, and with any luck he took Mokuba to the restaurant where we had our dinner reservations. I know the Maitre D’ there, and he would make sure Mokuba had a well-balanced meal in my absence,” said Seto, “Then the driver should have taken Mokuba home where he finished his homework and went to bed.”

“So… what do you think Mokuba’s doing right now?” asked Jou smiling at Seto. A sudden blush crossed his cheeks and he averted his eyes when he saw Seto pull his black turtleneck off and fold it before placing it on the chest beside his trench coat.

Seto lay down in the bed beside Jou and sighed. “Mokuba went straight home after the driver picked him up, ordered pizza and Chinese, and was playing video games all night. That’s assuming your whiny little friends didn’t tell him that we’re missing. Otherwise, he’s worrying himself to death, organizing a search party, arranging for funds if a ransom is demanded, and quite possibly trying to contact a hit man if a ransom is demanded.”

“Damn! You really know your brother, don’t you?” asked Jou rolling onto his side and opening his eyes to look at Seto.

“Of course I do. He’s my brother.”

“Ouch. That stung,” said Jou averting his eyes again.

Seto looked at Jou with feigned indifference. “Oh… your sister, right? How well do you know her?”

“Not well enough to even know her favorite food,” said Jou, “Mom wouldn’t accept any letters that came from me, so I couldn’t talk to her for the longest time. It wasn’t until just before Battle City I finally got to see her again.”

“And your mom still doesn’t let you two talk?”

“She’s becoming a little nicer. Mostly I think it’s Shiki that’s bothering her about talking to me,” said Jou, “Shiki called me occasionally, and since she’s living closer, we get to see each other once in a while. I was thinking about visiting next weekend. I guess I can’t go now. It’s beside the point that she absolutely refused… Hey, what was your mom like?”

“I don’t remember.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“It doesn’t bother me. I just wish I could remember her for Mokuba. He asked me about her sometimes, but I can’t tell him anything,” said Seto.

“If we’re rivals or whatever, why are we having a conversation with each other so easily?”

“Like you said. You’re the only person here I know.” Seto yawned, but he tried to hide it behind his hand. “I’m tired, mutt. Go back to your room so I can get some sleep.”

“No… I think I’ll sleep here,” said Jou yawning and closing his eyes. “Good night, Seto.”

Seto rolled onto his side so his back faced Jou. “Good night, Jou.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Darkfire struggled as Hiroto literally drug her into the palace’s lavish throne room. “Release me, you foul, hideous, baboon’s ass!”

A whip from one of the guards following Hiroto and Darkfire cracked loudly as it struck against her back.

“Just you wait until I get out of these chains, you pile of camel dung! I’ll rip you a new hole to breathe through!” screamed Darkfire. Her brown hair with its silver highlights flew around her face as she continued to struggle wildly.

Hiroto knocked Darkfire’s feet from beneath her and pressed her face into the stone floor. He risked a glance at Otogi before turning his eyes to Atemu. “The fugitive, Darkfire, great Pharaoh.”

Atemu sat in the throne in full regal attire with the Millennium Puzzle hanging around his neck. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Darkfire.

Seth stood before Atemu, slightly in front and just to the right of the throne, in the sapphire colored robes befitting his station as High Priest. He held the Millennium Rod in his hand and he caressed the symbol of the all-seeing eye upon the head of the Rod.

Isis stood just to Seth’s left in her formal robes of cream and white. A nearly invisible veil covered her nose and mouth but still allowed the Millennium Tauk around her neck to be seen.

Beside her stood an elderly priest who hid the Millennium Eye beneath a lock of graying hair.

Three Priests stood on the other side of Atemu’s throne and faced the other three item holders. All three wore their finest clothes. One held the Millennium Scale to his chest; one wearing the Millennium Ring dangling from a leather cord; the other clutched the Millennium Key in one hand.

Mai stood to the left of Atemu’s throne with Otogi holding her in a half-embrace.

“When I get out of these chains, you will be the first person I kill, Spike!” screamed Darkfire although her voice muffled by the fact her mouth pressed against the stone floor.

“Let the trial commence,” said Atemu.

Darkfire screamed in pain as she ripped her right arm from the chains by sheer force of will, dislocating her shoulder and wrist in the movement. The chains fell away. She used her newly freed left hand to shove Hiroto away from her and push herself to her feet. Her colorless eyes seemed to glow as she spun in a circle looking for a weapon.

“Bitch!” shouted Hiroto grabbing a whip from one of the other guards and snapping it so it wound around Darkfire’s neck and cut off her air supply.

Darkfire fell to her knees panting.

“Darkfire,” said Otogi calmly, “You are charged with the crime of aiding an assassin.”

“Oh, yes, I aided him!” gasped Darkfire, “My loyalty to none but the King of Thieves!”

“Your crime will be judged by the Seven Millennium Items!” exclaimed Hiroto.

“Priest Shada!” exclaimed Otogi, perfectly acting out his role as advisor to the hearing.

“With the Millennium Key, I look into this woman’s heart!” exclaimed the man holding the Key. Priest Shada of Thoth stepped forward and held the Millennium Key out towards Darkfire.

A window opened to Darkfire’s soul, and a monster hissed back at Shada.

“As expected, I see the shadow of an evil Ka in her heart,” said Shada.

“Now I, Priest Akunadin, will use the Millennium Eye to reveal the true form of that Ka!” exclaimed the elderly Priest as he stepped forward.

Darkfire tilted her head back in a silent scream as a pillar of smoke erupted from her mouth.

“High Priest Seth! Use the power of the Millennium Rod to seal the Ka within the stone!” exclaimed Otogi as a stone slab was brought into the chamber.

The smoke billowing from Darkfire took shape, forming a weak and fragile looking girl with tear-filled eyes.

“Such an insignificant Ka,” said Seth with a sigh. He stepped forward. “Evil Ka! Dark spirit of the Unhappy Maiden! Be gone and enter the holy stone!”

The shadowed girl hissed at Seth and her shape changed rapidly into her ultimate, true form of a giant spider.

“The woman was able to disguise her Ka!” exclaimed the Priest with the Ring hanging from his neck.

“Now this is a Ka commendable of the crime she has committed!” exclaimed Seth narrowing his gaze at the new shadow monster, “Evil Ka! Dark spirit of Jirai Gumo! Be gone and enter the holy stone!”

The spider attacked Seth before the stone slab sucked it backwards preventing it from completing the attack. Its image appeared on the stone.

“I see only death in your future if you do as you are thinking!” exclaimed Isis.

“Better dead than a slave to the Pharaoh!” Darkfire smirked at Isis. In an instant, she lunged towards Hiroto and freed the whip from his hands.

The other guards grabbed Darkfire and wrenched her arms behind her back, relishing in her cry of anguish.

“If death is truly her wish,” said Atemu, “Then grant it to her! Have her drawn and quartered in the public square! Perhaps that will discourage her partner from trying to kill anyone else.”

Hiroto bowed his head to Atemu before following his guards and the still ranting Darkfire out of the room.

Mai collapsed in Otogi’s arms and sobbed in anguish.

Isis turned towards Mai with wide eyes. “Mai!”

“Shada. I wish to have a word with you,” said Atemu standing and heading from the room.

Shada followed Atemu as Isis ran to Mai and held her tightly as the heartbroken woman cried on her shoulder.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Seto rolled over in his bed and bumped into a warm body. He yawned quietly. “Morning, Mokuba.”

“Mmm not Mok…ba,” mumbled Jou snuggling closer to Seto.

Seto opened his eyes. He blinked several times before the reality of the situation sunk into his sleep-groggy mind. He sat up abruptly and pushed himself away from Jou.

“Hey… don’t go, drag, dragon,” whispered Jou.

“Get up, mutt! We have things to do today!” exclaimed Seto, “Like find a way to go home!”

Jou opened his eyes and looked at Seto. He yawned. He blinked once, then twice, and then he nearly jumped out of the bed. “What the hell happened?”

“We were… were we actually having a civil conversation last night?” asked Seto.

“Damn! You know I think we were!” exclaimed Jou, “We can’t let that happen too often, Seto. We might actually become friends!” He shuddered at the thought.

“That would be reason enough to go into the asylum,” said Seto grabbing his turtleneck and pulling it on.

“You’re going to get heat stroke wearing that,” said Jou.

“No. I won’t.”

“Why did you let me sleep in here last night?” asked Jou stretching as he climbed from the bed. His back popped loudly as he realigned it by stretching his back muscles taut.

Seto winced slightly at the sound, but he ignored it and started to pull his trench coat on. “You reminded me of Mokuba when he had a nightmare. Don’t expect it to happen again.”

“I won’t,” said Jou. “So… off to the library, book worm?”

“Yes. You off to water the plants by hiking your leg on them, mutt?” replied Seto.

“Hey… not a bad idea!” exclaimed Jou. “I wonder where I can get something to eat around here!”

“There should be fruit in your room,” said Seto.

“Oh, I ate all that last night before coming to bug you!”

Seto waved his hand towards the bowl of fruit on the small table.

“Thanks, Seto!” exclaimed Jou. He grabbed a piece of fruit and tossed it towards Seto.

Seto caught the fruit. “Quit throwing your food at me! You’re lucky I’m being nice enough to give it to you!”

“I was trying to tell you that you should eat that!” exclaimed Jou grabbing another piece of fruit for himself. “I’ll eat this on the way to the garden! See you later!”

Seto took a bite of the bitter fruit only after Jou ran out of his room through the main doors and called to his guards to help him find the way to the garden. He ate his breakfast before leaving to make his way to the library with his own guards following behind him. He began his work by yelling at his ‘supervisor’ and instructing the other few assistants to start sorting the scrolls out by main focus point. Then once everyone else had an assigned task, he dove into the task of organizing the piles that the others slowly created.

Shada entered the library and looked around, amidst the gasps of some of the people there at seeing him in the library all dressed up in his finery.

Seto, not knowing that seeing someone dressed so elegantly was a rarity in the library, ignored the newcomer and continued his work.

“You do look exactly like Seth,” said Shada approaching Seto.

“Nice observation,” said Seto still not looking up from the scroll he read, trying to decipher where it would go in his categorization system.

“You act like him too. So pompous,” said Shada.

Seto looked up at Shada at that comment. “I am nothing like that ancient idiot!”

“Would you allow me to see for sure?” asked Shada, “I am Priest Shada of Thoth… and Atemu has requested I look into your soul to see if you are the reincarnation of Seth.”

“I do not believe in all this magic mumbo-jumbo!” exclaimed Seto.

“Is that a yes?” asked Shada.

“Do what you wish. Just leave me alone so I can complete this task,” said Seto, “I am trying to find a way back home.”

“Really? Seth is responsible for that,” said Shada. He helds the Key up and whispered a few words that Seto paid no attention to.

Seto’s body stiffened as a window to his soul appeared for Shada to see into. He gasped as Shada released his magical hold on him.

“Atemu is correct. You are the reincarnation of Seth’s soul, three thousand years in the making,” said Shada, “Please, do not let me prevent you from continuing your work, Kaiba Seto. You have more than enough work to keep you busy.” He turned and left as abruptly as he came.

Seto shook his head and continued reading. “Insane people…”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Shada walked out into the garden and saw Jou kneeling amongst the herbs, tenderly pulling brown leaves from some of the plants while pulling others straight out by the roots. He moved towards Jou with a smile on his face as he saw how Jono-like the futuristic blond truly was. “If I did not know better, I would swear you are Jono returned to us.”

Jou jumped and looked up at Shada. He growled. “I’m not Jono!”

“You even sound like him. He used to always growl just like that,” said Shada kneeling in the dirt beside Jou, “He was a friend of mine… Jono was. I am Priest Shada of Thoth… and Atemu has requested I look into your soul to see if you are the reincarnation of our friend.”

“You can do that?” asked Jou turning back to his plants.

“Yes… I can,” said Shada.

“I want to know if I am,” said Jou, “That would confirm my belief in reincarnation rather than a Summerland.”

“Summerland?” replied Shada.

“Yeah. Some people call it Summerland, some call it Heaven or Hell, some call it the Abyss, some call it the between, some just simply call it the Afterlife. It’s a place that you’re supposed to go after you die where you remain for the rest of eternity,” said Jou, “but in some cases, it may be where your soul rests until it is reincarnated into a new body. I like that idea of the Summerland’s purpose. I don’t want to be stuck in one place for all eternity. That would be boring.” He smiled at Shada. “Okay… see if I am Jono!”

Shada held the Key up towards Jou and whispered a few words that made little sense to Jou.

A window into Jou’s soul appeared as Jou fainted.

- - Enter Jou’s Soul - -
I lay on my side in the dirt of the gardens and I twisted the green leaf from a plant around my fingers. “So this is a healing herb, huh? It looks like a weed to me.”

Namu propped himself up on one elbow to look over my shoulder at the plant. He shifted to slide a little closer to my back. “That is a powerful healing herb you’re throttling, Jono.”

“Sorry.” I released the leaf. I looked at Namu sheepishly.

Namu sighed. “I wish you loved me.”

“So do I, Namu. So do I.” I leaned over and gave Namu a chaste kiss on the lips.

“Whoever he is that owns your heart is truly lucky,” said Namu pushing away from me and standing, “I hope he knows thus.”
- - Exit Jou’s Soul - -

“Would it be good news to tell you that you are in fact the reincarnated soul of Jono?”

“It would be an affirmation to my beliefs, so yes.”

“You are… you were Jono once upon a time.” Shada looked at the pile of plants dying at Jou’s feet. His eyes widened. “What have you done?”

“What?” asked Jou quickly following Shada’s gaze to the plants, “I’ve just been plucking weeds!”

“Those are not weeds! They are powerful healing herbs!” exclaimed Shada.

“Really? They look like weeds to me!”

“The weeds are the ones with flowers!” exclaimed Shada, “Quickly, we must gather up these herbs and rush them to Namu! Perhaps he can spare them from their death long enough to cure them!”

“Um… okay, I understood up to the ‘get the herbs to Namu’ part!” exclaimed Jou helping Shada to gather the herbs into their arms. “Seriously, they look like weeds to me.”

“You are Jono. You are Jono,” said Shada as they stood and he led Jou into the palace.

The two hurried, along with the guards trailing behind, to Namu’s chambers, and a guard rapped on the door loudly.

Namu swung his door open and smiled when he saw Jou until his eyes lowered to the large pile of herbs in his arms. “In! Quickly! Place the herbs into the tub! I will fill it with water!”

Jou and Shada quickly obeyed the command as Namu grabbed a pitcher of water, poured it into the bathtub, and shouted at the guards to bring more water as quickly as they could.

“I’m very sorry, Malik… I mean, Namu! I thought they were weeds!” exclaimed Jou sadly.

“You are exactly like Jono!” exclaimed Namu smiling, “He said the exact same thing once! I forgive you, Jou! It is not your fault that they are weeds to your eyes! Now, go! I have work to do, and I’m sure Atemu would much rather you be put to some task to keep you busy as well… something away from the garden, I would suggest, Shada.”

“But first you must bathe before you could do any other task,” said Shada, “I will escort you back to your room.”

“Thanks, and I’m very sorry about the herbs! I hope I didn’t cause too much trouble!” exclaimed Jou before heading out with Shada.
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I Almost Had You