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Altered States	By : Johnnyjosh Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 2569 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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
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Altered States 4/?
Author: Zoicyte aka
Johnnyjosh
Fandom: Yu-gi-oh!
Rating: NC-21
Pairing: Seto/Joey
Beta: Kitsune Seven
Spoilers: Dartz Saga.
Disclaimer: I don�t own YGO
or its characters, and am making no money from this.
Warnings and Notes: Yaoi,
lemon, language.� OOC, TWT, AU, General
Weirdness.� This idea came from a piece
of fanart I saw on the web, and was further developed thanks to some RP with my
pal Kyrre.
Summary: Joey and Seto find
themselves the victims of a little wild magic in the midst of an accident, and
both of them go through quite a few...changes, both inside and out.�
� � Speaking
* * Thoughts
~~oOo~~ Change of scene or
POV

�Now, we�ve figured out where they are, and I think
I already have an idea of how to get them back.�� The Pharaoh turned and, with a slight smirk, watched the men down
below who were just starting to clear away some of the debris from the ruined
duel platform.

�� You know how to get them out of there?�� Mokuba asked, jumping up off the couch and
moving quickly to stand beside Yami, before he too turned to look at the
arena.� �What do we have to do?��

�� Yami turned and gave the boy a smile, setting a hand on top
of his head gently.� �You�re going to
play the biggest part in this, Mokuba.��

�� Huh?� What am I
going to do?��

~~oOo~~

��
�� "Just
shut up, rich boy, not everything is about you, okay? You just think this is
some weird dream you�re having.� Well,
it's not! This is somethin� more. We're really stuck here, and I, for one, am
gonna do more than just sit there, scowl, whine, and be a jerk about it!"
Joey hollered, waving a fist at the other teen.

"Calm down, Joey," Timaeus said as the
Dark Magician girl stepped forward and latched onto his arm.

"Yeah, let's go get you something to eat, then
we'll see about helping you stay on your feet without needing to have Helmos
hold you up," she gave him a sunny smile, as Joey blushed with
embarrassment over his own more than usual clumsiness.

"Idiot, huh, moneybags? No food, huh,
huh?!" He stuck his tongue out again, as the Dark Magician girl and Helmos
escorted him out of the room.

Timaeus merely held back a chuckle, looking over at
Critias with a slight smirk, before they both glanced at Kaiba, wondering what
the CEO would make of this.

Seto growled under his breath, gripping another
pillow and nearly throwing it at the retreating blond, before he slumped back
down onto the bed.� �That bumbling
nitwit,� he groused, blue eyes narrowed as he stared at the ceiling, trying to
ignore his own body�s first stirring of hunger.� *I�m not giving in to this.�
None of it is real!� I�m not
feeling hungry, nor am I fused with a Blue Eyes White Dragon.� I don�t care how real it feels, I�m not
going to fall for any of it!*

�� Critias watched the former brunette silently, and then
sighed inwardly as he saw the stubborn set of the teen�s jaw.� *You�d think that after someone had
witnessed as much as Kaiba has, that he would finally start to believe in
magic.� Instead all he�s seen has merely
made him more resistant to the idea of anything beyond what he can prove for
himself, or explain with logic.*� The
knight shook his head slowly, turning to Timaeus and giving a one-shouldered
shrug, as if to indicate he was out of ideas.�

�� Timaeus frowned, arms folded as he leaned back against the
wall beside Joey�s now-vacant bed.� He
found himself wishing faintly that Yugi had ended up here with them as well,
for the diminutive duelist would have been able to act as a mediator between
the two volatile teens.� *Oh, well, they
needed to learn to work together properly someday I suppose.* He thought to
himself, shaking his head and opening his mouth to speak.�

�� Both Legendary knights paused as Kaiba began to struggle,
flailing his long limbs in a rather graceless display as he attempted to sit
up.�

�� Dammit!� The brunette snarled, finally getting his legs
over the side of the bed, then using his arms to prop himself up into a
semi-sitting position.�

�� You�ve decided to join Joey for a meal?�� Timaeus ventured quietly, taking a few steps
closer to the teen.

�� No, I�m not going to join that moron for anything!� Kaiba
snapped, glaring up at the two of them.�
�What I am going to do is look around for answers.�� He still refused to admit to the hunger that
was actually starting to become bothersome now.� Seto growled under his breath, shifting his wings around manually
as he tried to get to his feet.�

�� Critias stepped forward, reaching out and grasping Seto�s
arm and shoulder gently, helping him up.�
�Remember what Helmos said to your friend,� he said, deliberately
choosing his words in an effort to inspire some sense of camaraderie.� �Keep your wings folded, it�ll help you
balance.�

�� Kaiba narrowed his eyes at the knight as he was helped to
his feet, and then tried to follow his suggestion.� He paled slightly at the feel of new muscles in his shoulders,
chest and back flexing, almost instinctively, trying to move the large, white
wings.� Taking one step to his left, he
gasped at the foreign sensations.� �What
th-ouch!� The pale-haired teen bared elongated teeth in a hiss of pain as his
foot came down on his own tail.� He
looked down, glaring at the bothersome appendage, and wondering just how he
could be experiencing such vivid sensations from body parts that his logical
mind told him couldn�t possibly be there.�
With a frustrated growl he managed to take a few wobbly steps, making it
across the room and grasping onto the doorframe, holding himself steady.�

�� I�ll go with you, it wouldn�t do for you to get lost here
in your�condition,� Critias said, moving to stand behind the CEO in case his
assistance was required.� He couldn�t
hold back a slight smile at Kaiba�s resolute assertions that this was nothing
more than a dream.�� He decided that if
the teen wanted to write it off, then perhaps he should make sure it was a
dream that Seto would never forget.�

�� Seto kept one hand firmly on the doorframe as he maneuvered
himself out into the hallway, then moved his hand over onto the wall for
support, managing two more small, slow steps.�
He managed to right himself by leaning forward, countering the weight
that sought to pull him back. He stared down at his feet and shook his head,
seeing his tail nearly underfoot again.�
With a soft growl, he concentrated and managed a short jerk of the long
appendage; just enough to move it back behind him.� *This is going to be tougher than I expected* Kaiba thought to
himself as he took another, bigger step.�
The struggling teen became aware of a presence close behind him.� �I am capable of walking, even like this,�
he said, voice low and annoyed as he eyed Critias, motioning for the Legendary
Knight to move ahead of him.

�� I�m going to check on Joey, if you two will excuse
me.�� Timaeus said, after watching Seto
for a few moments, deciding the teen was doing nicely.� He nodded to Critias, then moved around
Kaiba, mindful of the large white wings as he stepped out of the doorway and
moved down the hall slowly, hearing the sounds of Kaiba all but shuffling
along, trying to walk with some semblance of grace, despite the weight and
awkwardness of his wings.� He chucked to
himself as he thought about the differences in Joey and Seto�s attitudes toward
their predicament.� *It will definitely
be interesting, seeing how all this plays out, how their relationship changes,
and I know it will.*�

�� I�ll give you the tour of this place, seeing as it�s where
you�ll be staying until we can get you home.�
We might as well start at the dining hall.� I know you said you�re not hungry, but�you may change your mind
later.�� Critias said, hoping that
seeing food set out for him might change Kaiba�s mind.� He knew that fusing with a dragon was going
to wreak havoc on the teen�s metabolism, and the sooner he started looking
after his new body�s needs, the better.�

�� Whatever,� Kaiba said almost absently as he tried to
perform the seemingly simple task of walking, which of course was no longer
simple when one had three extra appendages to control.� He followed Critias down the hall slowly,
trying to maintain some appearance of poise and dignity, refusing to allow
himself to look like Wheeler had not long ago, stumbling along and being held
up by others.�

When Timaeus reached the dining hall, his good eye
widened as he took in the sight of Joey Wheeler sitting at the table, wings
loosely folded back, tail coiling and swaying behind him in what looked like
happiness as he ate heartily.� Before
the blond teen sat three large plates, two of them empty, and one bearing a
bone from what must have been a rather large roast.� Timaeus just chuckled and shook his head as the duelist finished,
pulled over a fourth plate, then eyed yet another.� *Must be the transformation, it probably sped up his metabolism,
and gave him a bigger appetite...* He thought to himself.� �Well, I see the stress hasn�t affected your
appetite,� the knight joked, moving over to sit down on the bench beside
Helmos, eyeing the fused duelist a moment before picking up a plate and taking
some food for himself.� Glancing up, he
smiled faintly as he noticed Critias standing in the entranceway, keeping off
to one side in order to leave room for Kaiba, who managed a surprisingly
graceful entrance.�

Seto lifted his head and put on a stoic expression
as he took the last step into the room, and, like Critias, stared with surprise
at the amount of food Joey was shoveling into his mouth. "Heh, I knew you
weren't really a dragon. You're a pig," he chided as he slowly and
awkwardly made his way toward the table.

Joey looked up, mildly surprised at the way Kaiba
walked into the room unattended. However, his eyes narrowed as he remembered
Critias had stayed behind, and had come out into the room first. *I'll just bet
he needed help, but he's too stubborn and proud to admit it. I'll show him.*
Joey nodded to himself, smoothly picking up a roll and tossing it at Kaiba's
head. He gave no further indication he'd heard the remark, merely keeping his
eyes on his plate and continuing to stuff himself with food. He couldn't
remember being so hungry before, but he was smart enough to figure out that it
might have something to do with what he'd become.

Critias reached out and caught the roll, locking
eyes with Helmos as the two of them smirked at each other.� He then shook his head at Joey before
turning around and extending the roll to Kaiba with a smile. "I know
you're not hungry, but you should try to eat something.� You�ll need your strength," he said
politely.

�"Actually,
what Joey's doing is normal, for what he's become. The two of you will likely
consume a fair quantity of food at once, then not be hungry again for a few
days," Helmos said quietly from his place at Joey's side, watching the
blond duelist eat.

Timaeus looked back and forth between Kaiba and
Joey, and the other two Legendary Knights, smiling faintly as he noticed there
still seemed to be a bond between each pair. *That's good.� Perhaps Critias and Helmos can help them
learn to adapt to these forms until Yugi and the Pharaoh can find a way to get
them back.*

�� Kaiba snorted and reached out, all but snatching the roll
out of Critias� hand, no longer able to ignore his own gnawing sense of
hunger.� �Fine, I see I�m going to have
to treat this like a quest game, is that it?�
Perform certain tasks before I�m shown the next step in getting out of
here?�� He trudged over and sat down
heavily on the bench, careful to keep his tail well out of harm�s way as he did
so.� After picking up a plate, Seto was
surprised to find himself almost instinctively reaching for meat, and ignoring
most of the other foods laid out for them.�
With a frown, he gave in to the impulse, taking only a few vegetables,
and loading his plate with meat before he turned away slightly from Joey, doing
his level best to ignore the other teen.�

�� Joey merely smirked as he continued to eat his fill,
finishing off that fourth plate he�d taken, eying another but deciding that he
didn�t want to give Kaiba anymore reason to ridicule him for the moment.� After he was done eating, he sat back a bit
and studied the other teen, unable to keep from comparing this new Seto to the
old one.� Red eyes raked over the thick,
platinum hair, then down over the pale skin that seemed to hold a slight bluish
cast.� He gazed at the smooth, white
wings on the other�s back, wondering what they would look like spread out,
catching the wind, that pale hair stirring in the breeze, what it would feel
like to�� *He looks�pretty hot like
that.*� Joey stiffened when he realized
just where his thoughts were heading, and he gave a slight start when those
intense blue eyes shot up and pinned him with a glare, almost as if Kaiba knew
what he�d been thinking.� The blond
released the breath he hadn�t realized he was holding in a soft sigh as Kaiba
merely continued eating, instead of snapping at him.�
"Well, I'm done for now, I think I just ate
more than I usually would in two days of three square meals each, plus
snacks..." He sweatdropped, then laughed and rubbed at the back of his
head, a blush staining his cheeks.

"It's fine, Joey," Helmos said, helping
the blond to his feet as Joey made to stand up. "Now, what say we go
outside and start getting you used to this new form? I think I might be able to
round up a special someone that you'd really enjoy meeting," the Legendary
Knight chuckled.

The Dark Magician girl clapped her hands and nodded,
a grin on her face. "Good idea!"�
She had an inkling of what Helmos was planning, and thought there was no
better creature to put the teen at ease.

�� "I'll go see if I can find one, you take your time
coming out." Helmos said, turning and striding quickly down one of the
corridors.

"Hey, what's he up to?" Joey asked,
leaning a bit on Dark Magician girl as he was assisted down the hall. He looked
back over his shoulder, and closed his eyes tightly, focusing on controlling
the large black wings on his back.�
Finally, they gave a jerky twitch and slowly drew inward, folding
compactly at his back. "Wow, he was right.� It is easier to balance them, when they're in line like
that," he said with a grin, able to walk on his own, with only a little
weaving.

Timaeus watched them leave, already knowing what
Helmos was planning, a smirk on his lips as he decided to level the playing
field a little.� He quirked a brow at
Joey�s sudden improvement, tilting his head to one side.� "Impressive," Timaeus said
quietly, gaze shifting over to Kaiba to see what he'd make of that little
development.� �Your friend seems to be
learning quickly.� I think he�ll adapt
to all this quite nicely.��

Kaiba closed his eyes and scowled, though he did
file what he�d just seen away for later use.�
�He�s not my friend,� he growled, before quickly finishing his second
plate of food.� He was still bothered by
the way the other teen had been staring at him, wondering just what that
expression on Joey�s face was.� The only
way Seto could describe it was�� *No,
I�m not even going to consider that, this dream, or whatever it is, is messing
with my head.*� Blue eyes widened as he
realized he�d pulled a third plate of food over while he�d been distracted, and
with a disgusted sound, he pushed it away again.� �Only in a nightmare or a virtual world could my appetite rival
Wheeler�s,� he sneered, then put his hands down on the table, trying to push
himself to his feet.� Kaiba blinked,
then gave an annoyed sigh as Critias was at his side to help him in an
instant.� �I can handle it,� he said
quietly, casting a sidelong look at the knight.� �I don�t need a babysitter.��

Critias simply sighed and nodded. He walked over to
the doorway and leaned against the door. "You don't need to be so bold
here Kaiba." he lowered his head and closed his eyes.� �I just want to help you.� Whether you realize it or not, there are a
lot of adjustments you will have to make, many things you�ll need to
learn.��

�Well then, I guess it�s a good thing I�m a genius,
now isn�t it?�� Kaiba said smoothly,
before he closed his eyes and focused his attention on trying to fold his wings
back as tightly as he could.� He felt
them shift, slowly, almost painfully, then at last it was as if something
clicked into place.� Seto was surprised
to find it easier to stand upright now, and he started to walk, slowly at
first, in the direction Joey and the Dark Magician Girl had gone.� *I�m not going to let Wheeler get the jump
on me, if there�s anything to see, anyone to meet, I�m going to be there.� That third-rate chump wouldn�t know an important
clue if it came up and bitchslapped him.*

Joey meanwhile, had made it outside, red eyes nearly
closed from the brightness of the sun as he stood in an open, grassy area, far
to the right of the building.� �Okay,
here goes,� he said, taking a few steps forward, then trying to turn around and
go back the way he�d come.� He wobbled
slightly, tail lashing, arms out.� The
blond managed to catch his balance and go back to where he�d started, heaving a
sigh.� �Well, at least I didn�t end up
on my butt that time,� he chuckled.�

�You�re definitely doing better.� Helmos smiled,
then stepped closer to the duelist.�
�Now, try stretching your wings out.�
You need to learn to stay on your feet with them in all positions.��

�Eh��
Alright, here goes.�� Joey said,
looking around at Helmos and Dark Magician Girl a bit anxiously.� He closed his eyes, then without warning,
the large black wings flared out behind him, their weight spread too far from
the blond�s body for him to hold his balance properly.� �Nyaahhh!��
Joey flailed his arms as he fell backward, wings snapping back tight
against his back again before the teen came down heavily, managing to turn onto
his side at the last minute.� With a
grunt of pain he curled up a bit, taking a deep, shaky breath.� �This isn�t gonna be as easy as I thought,�
he sighed.�

Kaiba moved forward and leaned against a tree trunk,
throwing his head back and laughing at Joey�s predicament.� �I don�t know why you thought it would be
any different now, you�re a klutz even without wings.��

�Shut it, rich boy!� Joey shouted, brandishing his
fist as he sat up and glared at Kaiba.�
With a frustrated snarl he scrambled to his feet, emotion and instinct
taking over as his wings flared aggressively, tail lashing behind him.� Suddenly the anger drained from the blond�s
face as he made a rather important discovery.�
That tail, which until now had been such a nuisance, was helping him
keep his balance.� He frowned, trying to
remember what he�d learned about animals, particularly those with long tails,
or with wings.� As he thought about the
functions their tails provided, a smirk settled on his lips.� �Okay, I think I�m startin� to get it now,
thanks, Kaiba.�

�What are you thanking me for, you geek?�� Seto scowled, arms folded over his chest as
he watched Joey, inexplicably finding himself getting angry at the other�s posture.� His own wings had jerked and spread out a
bit when the blond�s had, and Kaiba wondered about the sudden rush of emotion
he�d experienced, mainly a brief flash of nervousness, then a swell of anger
and aggression.�

�For this,� Joey grinned, managing a few steps with
the large wings flared out at his sides, before he turned around and managed to
get back to the point he�d started from, tail waving and shifting, helping to
keep him balanced.� �This thing�s actually
pretty handy.�� The blond reached down,
brushing a claw lightly over his tail as it came within reach.�

�Excellent,� Helmos nodded, giving Joey a pleased
smile.� �You�re learning to use your
tail as a counterbalance.� Very
impressive.��

Critias had come up silently
behind Kaiba during Joey�s attempts and chuckled softly as he moved to lean
against the other side of the tree trunk.�
�Perhaps you should be trying this too, wouldn�t want Joey developing
his skills before you,� he said quietly, once again trying to use psychology to
prod Kaiba into action.� He�d noted
Seto�s reaction to Joey�s earlier display, and pondered just how many more
dragon-like characteristics and instincts the two teens would develop.�

�� Seto huffed in annoyance, then nodded.� �As if that could ever happen, but fine.�� He closed his eyes, making sure his wings
were tightly folded against his back, then took a few hesitant steps, feeling
his tail swaying slightly behind him.�
Kaiba was loath to admit it, but watching Joey had definitely given him
more than a few pointers, especially that bit about using his tail as a counter
balance.� Blue eyes opened slowly, then
fixed on the ground, narrowed in concentration as Seto spread his wings, legs
braced, arms out slightly at his sides while he adjusted to the distribution of
their weight.� �Hn�this isn�t that
difficult after all,� he murmured, managing a few larger, more confident
strides.�

�� Seems Joey�s impetuous nature will come in handy after
all,� Critias commented, smirking as he folded his arms, still leaning against
the tree and watching Kaiba.�

�� Why do you say that?�
He�ll likely just end up getting himself, or everyone around him, in
some kind of ridiculous predicament, because he�s too reckless,� Kaiba groused,
managing to turn somewhat gracefully with his wings fully extended.�

�� True, but he jumps right into things and even though he
makes mistakes, he learns quickly.�
You�ve learned as well, just by watching him make those mistakes.� You�ve already learned to move around
better, and use your tail to balance just by observing him, hm?�� The Legendary Knight tilted his head and
gave Kaiba a searching look.�

�� Whatever, it�s nothing I couldn�t have learned on my
own.�� The CEO gave the knight a look
that put an end to further arguments.�
�I don�t need Wheeler around to help me with anything.��

�� Think what you will, Kaiba,� sighed Critias, before he
glanced around, wondering where Timaeus had gone.� �Although this would be easier if you two would just work
together to learn to adapt.��

�� I can handle this on my own, that second-rate�What is that
idiot doing now?�� Kaiba growled, hands
on his hips as he watched Joey.�

�� Joey had asked the Dark Magician girl to conjure him a
mirror, and the blond was now posing in front of it, lashing his tail, flaring
his wings and holding up his hands, claws outstretched.� He even widened his eyes and bared his fangs
in a comical attempt to look fierce.�

�� Give it up, dweeb,� Kaiba said, trying to turn the smile
he hadn�t been able to hold back at the other�s antics into a sneer.� �You look like some cheap B movie vampire
that got stuck halfway through trying to transform into a bat.��

�� Well I must admit, things are not going to be dull around
here with you two around,� said Critias.�
Even he had to laugh as he looked over and watched the other duelist�s
display.�
��
�� I�d like to see you try, moneybags, I don�t think you�d do
much better!� Joey turned and bared his teeth at Seto, blinking as the CEO
bared his own, white wings flaring slightly.�
He jerked his own wings, then lowered them, brow furrowed, as the blond
wondered why he suddenly felt like he was standing down from a
confrontation.�

�� "I�m afraid you don't look quite as fierce as the real
thing," Helmos called, standing on a ridge a little ways off to Joey's right.

The teen spun around and grinned at the knight, one
hand behind his head. "Yeah, I guess you just gotta be a certain size to
pull it off, huh?" He chuckled, shaking his head.

�Not to mention you can�t have the overall look of a
buffoon to begin with,� sniped Kaiba, smirking as he took a few steps in Joey�s
direction, wanting a better look at himself in that mirror.�

"Indeed," Helmos smiled, ignoring Kaiba�s
added comment as he gestured behind himself. "Speaking of which, there's
someone that wants to meet you, maybe you can even learn a few things from
him."

Suddenly a large, black shape soared up from behind
the ridge, casting a shadow over everyone watching.� A high-pitched roar sounded as it reared its head, wings flared,
then long jaws opened, a ball of dark red energy shooting up into the sky
before, with a loud thump that shook the ground beneath their feet, a Red Eyes
Black Dragon landed in front of Joey.

�� "Oh
man...are you serious?!" The blond duelist stammered, staring up at it
with wide eyes. The dragon observed him, tilting its head, before the large
beast hunched down in front of him, muzzle extended to bump him in the chest
lightly.� Joey staggered back a step or
two, then laughed and caught himself, reaching out one hand hesitantly,
touching the dragon as he turned his head, smirking at Kaiba. "And you
said none of this is real... Feels pretty darned real to me," he murmured,
moving closer and setting both hands on the dragon, patting, stroking lightly,
knowing full well this was not just some hologram.

Kaiba had taken a few steps back when the dragon
appeared, staring at it in shock.� The
sounds, the feel of it landing before them, everything seemed so real.� He was starting to have trouble keeping his
grip on reality, and he didn�t like it one bit.� �You should remember, Wheeler, after the last time we were
trapped in a virtual game, just how real things can seem.�� He folded his arms and narrowed his eyes,
glaring at the blond duelist and his favorite monster, wondering why he suddenly
felt as if he was outnumbered.�

�I think I�ve found someone that wants to meet you
as well, Kaiba,� a voice spoke up from Kaiba�s left, Timaeus smirking as he too
stood in front of the ridge, further down from where Joey�s dragon had made its
entrance.� �I think you�ll need this
mentor to help you adapt just as much as Joey needs his.��

�Mentor?��
Blue eyes widened as a familiar roar rang out, making birds and other
small creatures nearby scatter.�
Suddenly a huge, shimmering form shot up from behind the ridge, soaring
up into the air.� The sunlight reflected
off gleaming white wings as the beast launched itself into a cloud, bursting
out the other side in a blast of white lightning.� Kaiba simply stared, mouth open, a stunned expression on his face
as a Blue Eyes White Dragon descended, landing with a ground-shaking thump in
front of him as well.� �It can�t
be�� Seto said quietly, stiffening as
the large dragon lowered its head and made a much softer roar than usual,
almost as if it were greeting him.�

�Wonderful, now they can really learn to adapt to
these new forms of theirs, and explore their full potential.�� Critias walked up, and, without any fear,
patted the white dragon�s leg.� The Blue
Eyes White Dragon turned its head, gazing at him, then turned back to the
still-shocked CEO.�

�Yeah, speaking of potential, I can�t wait to see
how the flying lessons go,� Helmos muttered.�
Joey didn�t hear the comment, as he was too wrapped up in fussing over
his dragon, but Kaiba did.� He turned
and gave a baleful glare at the knight, as Timaeus stifled a snicker at the
expression on Seto�s face.�

TO BE CONTINUED�
Flying lessons?
<<;;� Now this should be
interesting�
There you go, for everyone
that wanted to get back to our hapless dragon/duelists XD� next time, we�ll see how�that�works out, and
find out how the gang�s doing on a plan to get them home.� Read and review!
JJ
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Altered States