Across the Cosmos: Devouring Time-Chapter Twenty-Seven
Title::Across the Cosmos: Devouring Time
Author: eachainn or Spirithorse on FF.net
Rating: M
Pairings: YamixYugi, BakuraxRyou, JoeyxMai
Warnings: Character death
Spoilers: Season 2 of Doctor Who
Summary: Think you’ve seen everything? Think again. The continued adventures Yugi Mutou through time and space. Sequel to Across the Cosmos: The Nameless Pharaoh. Based on the BBC series Doctor Who.
Disclaimer:I don’t own Yu-Gi-Oh or Doctor Who, just the plot.
Prologue- 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9- 10- 11- 12- 13- 14- 15- 16- 17- 18- 19- 20- 21- 22- 23- 24- 25- 26-27
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Chapter Twenty-Seven: Fall from Grace
"Except that implies, in this big grand scheme of gods and devils, that she's just a victim. But I've seen a lot of this universe. I've seen fake gods and bad gods and demigods and would-be gods. And out of all that, out of that whole pantheon, if I believe in one thing, just one thing… I believe in her."
-The Doctor
"Ah-ha!" Danny held up a chip, Yugi looking up from his place slumped against the railing. The young man smiled before waving the chip in the air. "This will stop the Ood."
"Really? I thought you said we didn't have viruses."
"We don't." Danny smirked and leaned on the console. "But we do have this. I can broadcast a flare that will knock out the Ood's telepathic field. Pretty good for almost nothing to work with."
"And right on time." Jefferson backed away from the door. "The Ood are about to get in and we're trapped here. I'm waiting for another brilliant idea, Yugi."
Yugi stood up slowly, his muscles complaining. He ignored them for the moment, glancing around before looking helplessly at the others. "I don't know this place."
"Maintenance ducts." Zachary's voice drifted over the intercom, the sound of rapid typing following it. "I'll bleed air through the maintenance ducts manually, and guide you through to Ood Habitation. First section is good, be ready for more instructions."
Jefferson nodded, even though Zachary couldn't see him, walking over to a section of flooring and pulling it up. "Everyone in, even you, Yugi."
Yugi bit his lip to keep from snapping at the man, glancing back to the door before nodding. He couldn't stay here, as much as he wanted to. The Ood would get in and kill him, and then he would be useless in helping save the Pharaoh. Yugi stepped forward, waiting for Danny to jump down into the duct before following him.
It was cold in the ducts, Yugi wincing as he got down on all fours, quickly scooting forward so that Toby would have room to climb in. He didn't hear Zachary's order over Jefferson's entrance into the ducts, the head of security lowering the grate back into place before looking at all of them. Yugi nodded before turning to move after Danny, happy about his height for the first time in his life, it made moving through the cramped ducts easier. He glanced over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the rest of the group before forcing himself onward.
He nearly ran into Danny as the young man came to a stop, leaning against the door to the next section and speaking to Zachary through the communicator on his wrist. Yugi pressed back against the wall as Jefferson leaned forward, warily eyeing the gun that the man held. "Warn the captain that he may have to hurry. The Ood got through the door."
"He's tracking us, isn't he?" Yugi's question got a nod from Danny. "Then can't he track the Ood."
"No." Danny fiddled with the communicator around his wrist. "They don't register as life forms in our computers."
Yugi stared at him in shock. "So you just let that slide?"
"We never thought that they would do this!"
"Obviously." Yugi rolled his eyes and glared at the door, ignoring the hostile stares that he got from the others around him. Let them hate him for what he was saying, it was just the truth. Besides, the Ood were possessed by that thing, something that Yugi to relate to. He hadn't asked for Cassandra to take over his body, but it had happened. Hopefully there would be some way to dislodge the Beast from their heads, like the flare that Danny was carrying. If not, then Yugi was out of ideas, and it hurt to think that he would be letting the Ood just die because they had been used.
He bit his lip and glanced at the door, watching as it began to rise. Danny was the first through, quickly crawling into the straight hall before taking a right. Yugi scrambled to his hands and knees to follow when Toby gave him a rough push, Yugi looking back at the archeologist, surprised to find the man frightened. "Go. Go. Go!"
Yugi caught a glimpse of white before he moved, quickly scrambling after Danny. The young man ahead of him seemed to pick up on the group's panic and began moving faster. Apparently, the Ood had followed them into the ducts, and they were being helped by the oxygen that Zachary was pumping through. Yugi smothered a curse, glancing ahead to see the next door already up. He felt a hand push him on, stumbling and slamming into a wall, allowing Toby to squeeze past him with that move. Yugi glared at the archeologist, shaking his head before moving on, suddenly aware that Jefferson wasn't following. "Mr. Jefferson?"
"Go on kid, you need someone to hold them off."
"No." Yugi tried to reach back and tug at his sleeve only to be pushed forward again. He growled and tried to turn in the cramped space. "I'm not leaving without you. We all get out or none of us do."
"Then your friend back there is dead." Yugi paled at that statement, Jefferson barely glancing at him. "You know it and I know it."
Yugi nodded slowly before hurrying after the others, keeping his eyes focused on the duct ahead of him. He hated that it was so easy to make a choice like this; it would always be the Pharaoh over someone else. And that was beginning to scare him. He was willing to give up everything for this alien, even the lives of other people. He growled to himself, sliding to an awkward stop behind Toby and Danny, the two looking behind him. "Where's Jefferson?"
"He's staying behind to guard our escape."
"What?" Danny waved the wrist that the communicator was strapped to. "Zachary says he can't open the next section without Jefferson here!"
Yugi glanced back, flinching at the sound of gunfire. Automatically, he reached out for the Pharaoh's hand, jumping when his palm just landed on cold metal. He had forgotten momentarily that the Time Lord was stuck down the drill shaft. He had become so used to having the alien there as a source of comfort. Yugi swallowed harshly, glancing up at the door that blocked them and back at where the gunshots were coming from.
"Danny?" The faint sound of Zachary's voice sounded loud, Yugi jumping and wincing when the top of his head hit the top of the duct. He cursed and rubbed the top of his head, Danny giving him a sympathetic look before turning his attention to the communicator.
"Yes?"
"I'm pushing air into the next section. Jefferson has to make it to that door before it closes." Yugi glanced back down the way they had come, watching the door slowly begin to slide down. He swallowed nervously before looking back at Danny, the young man trembling. That could happen to any of them if they remained behind, no matter what their good intentions. And Danny had to be the one to get out since he had the flare already programmed. But Yugi wasn't about to die, the thought bringing a surge of guilt. He wasn't going to let himself die here and abandon the Pharaoh. There had to be some way that he could save the Time Lord.
Yugi took a deep breath, turning to look at the slowly lowering door, his eyes going wide as he watched Jefferson rush towards it, losing sight of the man as the door slammed shut in front of him. He heard Jefferson bang futilely at the door once before the sound ceased, Yugi trembling as he pressed up against the door they were next to, his eyes closed tightly. It was too much like before, and it could have been him again.
"Yugi? Yugi where are you?" He tried to calm his panting, pressing his forehead into the metal door. No matter what, he couldn't sound like he was close to crying, it would just show how weak he was. The Pharaoh would mock him for that. And, no matter how much he could deal with, he didn't want the last thing he heard to be insults from the Time Lord. "Did you make it?"
Yugi gave a long sigh before shaking his head, speaking slowly and rubbing a cramp in his side. "I was…Ow…I was too slow. Sorry?"
He tried to smile, not knowing what else to do. The expression was more for himself than the Pharaoh anyway. After all, the Time Lord could just go off and find another stupid human to travel with him. And, no matter how much it hurt him to admit it, it had been fun while it had lasted.
Yugi perked up at the sound of something coming down the hall, turning to look and letting a curse slip past his lips. He could see the Dalek moving towards him, the creature's shadow thrown against the wall as it trundled steadily down the corridor. He took a deep breath before turning away, not wanting to watch his death come to get him. "See you, Pharaoh. And don't you dare blame yourself for this. It was my choice. Alright?"
There was no answer from the other line, Yugi's hand gripping the phone tighter as his stomach twisted. Why did the idea of leaving the Pharaoh suddenly hurt more than it should have? He bit his lip, trying to keep himself calm. "I wouldn't have missed with for the world. So…thanks."
For a reason unknown to him, he laughed after he said that, cutting off the sound before it could turn into a sob as he heard the Dalek roll to a stop, bracing himself against the door. "EXTERMINATE!"
"Yugi!" He was shaken out of his memories by Toby, the archeologist staring at him before shoving him on. "Come on!"
He fell to his side, grunting as Toby scrambled over him in his impatience to follow Danny. Yugi slowly rolled to his hands and knees, wincing at the new bruises before following the two, their group silent as they followed Zachary's instructions, heading for another door. Yugi slumped as soon as they had reached their destination, rubbing at his aching knees as he stared at the others. To his surprise, only Danny looked as shocked as he was. Toby was constantly looking between the communicator and the door.
Yugi was about to comment on Toby's behavior when the next door began to open, Toby pushing past Danny only to scream and scramble backwards, Yugi pushed out of the way by the move. "Close it! Close it! The Ood are there!"
The door began to shut slowly, Yugi staring at the gloved hands that were slipping under the metal as the Ood tried to pry it back open again. He backed up some more, trying to avoid Danny and Toby's flailing limbs. Yugi ducked, watching the arm move over his head, staring at the grating above them. He blinked and twisted slightly, trying to sit up. If there was a grate about them, then it meant that there was a way around the Ood. The others were dead behind them with Jefferson and the Ood that had remained in Habitation were in front of them, so their way was clear. He smiled to himself before pushing up on the grate, hauling himself up into the corridor.
The open space was given a cursory glance before Yugi reached down for Danny, the young man immediately grabbing his hand and nearly pulling him back into the duct. Yugi braced himself, pulling backward until Danny was stumbling to his feet. Yugi reached back down for Toby, frowning when the archeologist seemed too entranced with the oncoming Ood to notice him. He shook his head and gestured at Danny with his other hand. "Go on. We'll meet you there."
Danny nodded and rushed off, the sound of him retreating drawing Toby's attention to them again. The archeologist turned on the spot and leapt for the edge of the grating. "Don't you dare leave me behind!"
Yugi scrambled backwards, slamming the grate shut as the Ood began to push the door up. He was nearly pushed to the side as Toby sprinted away, Yugi staring at him for a moment before following, getting to the door before the grate flipped back open again, the Ood beginning to pull themselves out. He yelped and slammed the door shut behind him, wincing as he scraped some skin off his finger. Yugi stuck the injured digit into his mouth before turning to look at Toby and Danny, the two scrambling to get the flare broadcast. He took his finger out of his mouth, staring at it before wiping it on his shirt. "Ready?"
"Almost."
"We don't have time for almost." Yugi jumped away from the door as something banged on it, watching the wheel in the center spin. "The Ood are here."
"A few more…got it!" Yugi stumbled further away from the door, relieved when it opened to reveal an Ood splayed out over the entrance. He placed a hand over his racing heart before shooting a smile at Danny and Toby. As much as he wanted to congratulate the two, there was something more important on his mind.
He edged around the fallen Ood before rushing into the corridor, glancing around to get his bearings before sprinting in the direction of the drill room, dodging the unconscious Ood as he went. Behind him, he could hear Danny calling for him to slow down, assuming that Toby went to get Zachary. The more people the better, now they could try to figure out the problem of getting Ida and the Pharaoh back up. And then, they could find the TARDIS and leave this place to the black hole. The Beast could rot for an eternity on this asteroid and he wouldn't care, because he would have the Pharaoh, his wonderful Time Lord.
Yugi leapt over the last Ood between him and the door to the drill room, slowing down to step onto the door, the metal rectangle pushed to the floor because of the Ood's efforts to get in. The metal creaked under his sneakers, Yugi flinching at the sound before hopping off, the sound of him landing on the grating loud to his ears. He glanced back at the Ood, wanting to be sure that they were unconscious before he moved back to the console, reaching for the communicator. Since they had the power back on and the Beast was thwarted for the moment, he would be able to contact the Pharaoh and Ida.
He paused long enough to wave at Danny as the young man came in, catching a glimpse of Toby and Zachary out of the corner of his eye before he turned back to the console, pressing the button on the communicator. "Pharaoh? Ida? Come in. Can you read me?"
There was a crackle of static, Yugi making out the end of a word. His heart beat faster at that, they could talk to each other now. "Pharaoh?"
"No." He frowned as Ida spoke the word softly. "He's gone."
The communicator nearly fell out of his hands, Yugi gripping it tightly the next moment. "W-what do you mean gone?"
"I mean…I couldn't stop him."
"What do you mean gone?"
"He fell, Yugi. Into the pit. He fell and I couldn't stop him." Yugi felt his heart stop for a moment, slumping forward to lean on the console as he panted for breath, barely hearing the others behind him. His whole world was focused on the sound of Ida's voice, waiting for her to say that she was mistaken or that the Pharaoh was just trying to joke with him. Yugi took a shaky breath before shaking his head, Ida making several false starts before actually speaking. "He said your name…before it happened."
Then it was too much. Yugi threw the communicator away and stumbled back to the railing by the drill shaft, his arms wrapped around his stomach. This couldn't be happening. The Pharaoh couldn't just be gone; the Time Lord wouldn't be killed that easily. The Pharaoh had promised that he would come back; he had promised that they would live a kind of normal life together while they looked for a way to get the TARDIS back. And, if the worst case scenario had happened, then the Pharaoh didn't deserve to die alone.
Yugi bit his lip, looking up at the others in the faint hope that they would help him. Both Danny and Toby were looking anywhere but him and Zachary was talking to Ida; none of them would be any help. But he was useless right now, his mind always coming back to that fact that he had lost his best friend. Even now he could feel a kind of aching emptiness in his head, the spot where the budding bond with the Pharaoh had formed and was now silent. The realization of this made him clutch at his sides. He couldn't feel the Pharaoh in his head, as faint as that had been before. He shivered, resisting the urge to sink to his knees, he had to stay upright. He was strong; the Pharaoh had showed him that he could be. He was strong enough to survive this.
He wiped the tears that had escaped off his face, feeling a little embarrassed that he was crying. Yugi took a deep breath before moving forward again; feeling the sympathetic stares of Toby and Danny on him, but his focus was on Zachary. The captain was talking to Ida, the man looking resigned. "We can't get you back up here, there's no way."
Yugi didn't hear Ida's reply, his heart beating faster. There was no way that he was just going to give up. There had to be some way, something that they hadn't thought of yet. If they stayed long enough, they could cannibalize the base to get the others out. More oxygen could be lowered to Ida to keep her alive while they worked. Or they could extend the oxygen field; make it so it covered only the command center and this room, anything to keep them alive long enough for them to be saved.
He looked up as Zachary put down the communicator with a sigh. "We're getting out of here. Leave everything and get to the rocket."
Danny and Toby nodded, scooting around Yugi to follow their captain. Yugi stepped out of their way, glancing at the drill shaft before shaking his head. "No. I-I'm going to stay here." Zachary stopped to look at him, Yugi managing to meet his gaze. "I have to wait for the Pharaoh."
"He's dead."
"He isn't." Yugi gave a small smile. Zachary didn't know the Pharaoh like he did; the Time Lord wasn't that easy to kill. There were millions of dead Daleks that could attest to that. It was only a matter of time before the Pharaoh called up to them with the final bits of a plan to save them, and Yugi had to be there for him. "He isn't dead."
"Yugi…" Zachary sighed and shook his head, glancing over at Danny and Toby before nodding. "I'm not losing another crew member. If you won't come with us on your own, I'll have to force you."
His eyes widened, Yugi scrambling back from his place by the drill shaft as Danny and Toby lunged for him. He managed to dodge Toby, but Danny got a hold on his arm, Yugi turning to try and yank himself out of the hold. The hesitation gave Toby enough time to recover, the archeologist grabbing his other arm and holding him still. Yugi glared at them both, thrashing around in their grip. "No! I have to stay! I have to!"
"Keep him still." Yugi's eyes darted to the pencil-like object that Zachary held in his hand, his stomach churning and he tried to edge away. "This will only take a second."
"No! Get that away from me!" The fragment in his head stirred before dying, Yugi frantically trying to incite it to work. The one time he needed it, it wasn't helping. He wanted to scream at the betrayal, trying to steady himself enough to kick out at Zachary. "I'm not one of your crew."
"He wouldn't want you dead, Yugi." The end of the object was jammed into his arm, Yugi yelping as he felt a needle pierce his skin. He lashed out, Toby and Danny letting go of him with that move, Yugi falling to his hands and knees on the floor as his legs gave out. He tried to stand up again only to fall, glaring up at Zachary as his vision began to fade, his thoughts becoming slow and fuzzy. The last thing he was aware of was Zachary lifting him from the ground and beginning to walk away. He lost his struggle to keep conscious soon after.
---
Something sharp was pressing against his cheek, the Pharaoh automatically shifting so the object wouldn't cut him. He struggled back towards consciousness, groaning as he slowly shifted so he could stand, feeling more sharp objects pressing against him. It took more effort than it should have for him to open his eyes, his whole body aching from hitting something on the way down. The Time Lord sat up, his vision adjusting to the dim light of the cavern that he was in, his gaze dropping to the shards of glass that were on the floor, catching the jagged edge of what had once been his visor before.
He gasped, instinct causing his respiratory bypass to kick in, the Pharaoh waiting a moment before realizing that there had to be oxygen down here; he would have already been dead there wasn't. There was no way of telling how long he'd been unconscious. The Pharaoh swallowed nervously before slowly standing up, looking around the cavern. Something had prepared this place for him, or another species, a long time ago, the oxygen pocket acting as an air cushion for a fall as well as making sure the one down in the pit was able to breathe. The Pharaoh gave a short exhalation of relief before looking up, unable to see where he had fallen from.
The Pharaoh fumbled for the flashlight that he had attached to his belt, smiling wryly as it gave off a weak beam of light. The fall must have damaged it, but it was still better than nothing. He sighed and reached up for his helmet, pulling it off; it was useless now. He stared at the yellow plastic before tossing it aside, untangling himself from the oxygen tubes. Now that his suit was compromised, he wouldn't be returning to the surface, the thought causing his hearts to pound faster. Yugi. He would never see Yugi again.
He swallowed harshly before turning away to look at the wall, freezing as he heard the sound of a rocket taking off; the walls shaking slightly with the force of the take off. The Pharaoh turned to look up, his gaze moving as he followed the sound of the rocket until it faded completely away. "Yugi…"
His vision blurred for a moment, the Pharaoh stumbling over to the wall and ducking his head. He fought back the tears that threatened to come, cursing himself for his own curiosity. He had talked himself into going down here, knowing that there wasn't a way out. It had been a better alternative than dying from lack of oxygen above, just sitting in the dark and fearing the end. It had been a bad choice to come down here at all; he should have just let another go instead of him. Then he could have still been with Yugi, he could have been leaving with the others. He wouldn't have had to break his promise to Yugi and, because of him; Yugi would be stranded in the future on his own.
Something in him rebelled against that, hating the fact that Yugi would eventually move on. Then someone would be touching his companion, his Yugi. The Pharaoh shook his head and turned to glare at the wall, trying to push his thoughts away from that eventual end. It was only right that Yugi should move on, he didn't want the wonderful person that Yugi had become to disappear and Yugi to return to the way he had been before.
The Pharaoh blinked as he realized he was glaring at a picture painted on the wall. He frowned and moved closer, raising the flashlight so the dim beam could illuminate the pictures.
The first figure that drew his attention was a horned beast that had been painted red, the resemblance to the devil of any religion making him uneasy. His own species had thrown off their belief in gods, the belief hard to hold when they traveled through space and time. It hadn't been too far a jump for them to assume that they were the closest things to gods; it had seemed that the Time Lords had been the ones to administer justice. The Pharaoh himself had just avoided the question entirely, not ready to admit to anything that he couldn't prove with science, a weakness of his own. He reached out to rest his hand on the devil figure, looking down the painting.
Around the devil were crude white drawings of bipeds, resembling humans. The Pharaoh frowned, noticing black lines on the wall that weren't natural, assuming that the lines were weapons. So there had been a battle against the devil, or a creature with enough power to be considered close to it. The Pharaoh sucked in a quick breath. Of course, this could have happened a long time ago, long before the Time Lords had even evolved, so the creature could just be a powerful being that had later become the devil. That was easier to stomach than the creature actually being the devil.
The painting continued down the wall, the Pharaoh directing the beam downward, watching the white figures trap the devil in a pit. He frowned and leaned forward, staring at the two shapes scrawled into a dip. He tipped his head to the side, turning his flashlight so he could see the painting better, confused when two amphorae were all that was there. He took a step back, turning around to look around the rest of the cavern for any other paintings that would explain what he was seeing here. After the scenes of battle pottery seemed a bit random.
The Pharaoh froze as the beam of his flashlight landed on an amphora on a stand. He hesitated before moving forward, staring at the amphora before reaching out to touch the handle. His fingers had just brushed over its surface when it began to glow, going from a dull brown to a golden color. More light spilled from a source on the other side of him, the Pharaoh stepping back from the first amphora and looking at the second one. He turned back to look at the wall, glancing down at the last drawing on the bottom of the wall, the devil chained beneath the two amphorae.
A growl drew his attention back to the amphorae, his eyes widening as he saw a great creature moving. Despite himself, the Pharaoh moved forward, watching as the Beast slowly uncurled itself, the light from the amphorae playing off its red skin, the Pharaoh jumping as the horned head jerked up, an animalistic look in the Beast's yellow eyes. He took a step back as the creature roared, trying to lash out at him with its claws only to be jerked back by the chains that bound him. The creature hissed but settled back down, continuing to stare at the Time Lord.
The Pharaoh shook his head, staring at the creature before taking another step back. "So it wasn't just a myth, it was fact."
The sound of his voice echoing in the cavern drew a snarl from the Beast, the chains clanking against each other as it shifted. The Pharaoh watched the creature warily before glancing up at where the ceiling of the cavern would be. "But how did you orchestrate all of this. Your captors wouldn't have let you control any of your own power if they wanted to seal you down here, beneath a seal and a…"
He trailed off, turning back to the painting on the wall. Off to one side, away from the original painting was a crude representation of a black hole, the black hole. The Pharaoh stared at the picture for a while before turning back to the Beast, a little worried that it was following his every move like a hunter. "They created this place. The air is for someone like me and the gravity tunnel is to allow someone to come here and finish the job. Catching and containing you must have destroyed the Valtino, so it was up to someone else to destroy you completely. And you made sure that no one would."
The Pharaoh narrowed his eyes, the Beast hissing in response. Of course no one would want to face the creature that had inspired thousands of tales about the devil and caused people to fear for their lives so early in the life of the universe. Because it had taken a whole race to imprison the Beast, all other species would stay away, and then it would be forgotten. The devil would remain a concept while the living thing lingered in the center of an asteroid. It was only because of human curiosity that they had come here. The Pharaoh sighed and rubbed his forehead, the solution obvious. The creature had to be destroyed before the bonds that kept it here weakened; nothing could last forever. The prison was probably already strained. But there had to be a catch, a reason that the creature hadn't tried to escape before.
The Time Lord looked up, glancing at the amphorae; they would probably free the Beast, which would trigger the safeguards that the Valtino had to have left in place. So he had to move now, the Pharaoh glancing up at the chains that held the Beast, his time sense telling him that they only had minutes before the Beast would free himself. And still there was something bothering him. The Pharaoh tapped his flashlight against the side of his leg before looking up at the creature. "Speak to me. I know you can do it, I heard you threaten Yugi. I dare you to try it again."
He got an enraged roar as an answer, the Pharaoh staring at the Beast before letting out a laugh. "So you can't talk…But where did that go unless…."
The Pharaoh jerked his head up to stare at the ceiling, his mouth open in shock. The thing that had infected the Ood had just been a distraction. The Beast knew that the humans wouldn't hesitate to kill the Ood, they were only slaves to them after all, but they would think twice about killing a human, especially one that had been used as a pawn. The humans would want to protect that person, which meant that part of the Beast was escaping. One of the crew members still had the Beast controlling it, and they were getting away. But Yugi was on that rocket. The Pharaoh cursed and looked back at the Beast. "So that's my choice, the universe or Yugi."
The Beast broke into a hissing laughter, the Pharaoh glaring at it before turning around to stare at the nearest amphora. He took a deep breath before turning to stare back at the Beast, smirking as he reached down for a rock. "But you know what I'm going to do anyway." The creature stopped laughing, staring at him in fear. "I'm the killer of my own kind. I'm the one without mercy; it's been taken from me. I'll risk my life and Yugi's, because Yugi will figure out what is going on."
He brought the rock now on the nearest amphora, the pottery shattering on impact. The Pharaoh spared at glance at the Beast before throwing the rock at the other amphora, smiling when it too shattered. He turned to look at the Beast, spreading his arms out with a shrug. The Beast hissed and tried to lash out at him, the chains that held it creaking with the strain but holding. And they would hold, all the way into the black hole; the Beast would finally be defeated.
The Pharaoh gave the creature a nod before turning and walking off, his exit ruined as the whole place began to rock, the Time Lord thrown into the wall. He gasped and pushed himself away, rubbing at his sore side before moving away, trying to dodge the rocks that were falling from the sides of the cavern. Behind him, he could hear the Beast screeching, the sound echoing eerily off the stone walls. He twisted slightly to avoid a larger falling rock, tripping over the many already scattered on the ground. The Pharaoh grunted, rolling on the ground only to come to a stop against something.
He remained on the ground for a moment before pushing himself upright, his mouth dropping open at the thing that he saw before him. The dark blue of the TARDIS stood out against the drab rocks, one of the most beautiful sights that he had ever seen. He reached out to touch his ship, relieved when the connection snapped back into place, the TARDIS frantically trying to fill the emptiness that she had left in his head, the Pharaoh just happy that the connection was back. The creature must have had just enough power to block it and now, while it was struggling in its death throes, it wouldn't bother.
He petted the TARDIS, glancing up at the opening in the cavern's ceiling, nodding to himself before scrambling inside his suit pocket for the key to his time machine. "Come on, girl. Let's save a few people."
---
Yugi groaned, wondering why his head hurt. He turned his head to the other side, flinching at the pounding in his temples. He couldn't quite remember what had caused the headache, only that the Pharaoh was gone. Yugi squeezed his eyes shut, hoping that when he opened them that it would just turn out to be a bad dream. He would be asleep in the captain's chair and the Pharaoh would be waiting for him to wake up so they could go on their next adventure. This nightmare will have never happened. Of course, that was just a childish way to avoid the real problem. Yugi sighed, opening his eyes and jerking forward in his seat when he realized where he was.
Gone were the dirty computers and faded colors of the drill room, replaced with the soft colors of the interior of a spaceship, Yugi could see the stars from the small window beside him. He looked around the cabin, his movements gaining Toby and Danny's attention, the latter flinching away. "Captain, we're about to have trouble."
Zachary glanced back over his shoulder before shrugging, Yugi glaring at the back of the man's head. He looked at the ledge beside him, surprised to see the bolt gun there. It would be too easy to use it to make Zachary take him back to the Pharaoh, all he had to do was pick it up and aim. He reached out for the gun, his hand hovering over it and trembling, he couldn't bring himself to reach down and pick it up. The Pharaoh could do something like that without a problem, even Joey could, but he couldn't. Yugi sighed and flopped backwards, staring out the window. "Why didn't you leave me there?"
"I didn't want to lose another crew member. I already had to leave Ida because there was no way to get her out."
"We could have saved her!"
Zachary turned in his chair, staring at Yugi. "How? Tell me one solid plan." Yugi blushed and looked away, hearing the captain sigh and turn back to the controls. "Thought so."
He went back to staring out of the window, finally twisting around in his seat so he could see out of the small widow. He easily found the asteroid, staring at Krop Tor and cursing it. That asteroid had taken everything he cared about away from him; it deserved to just hover under the black hole for the rest of its existence. Yugi closed his eyes, tilting his head to rest against the window. He had lost his Pharaoh again, and it was taking all of his will just to avoid goading the time vortex fragment into action and just letting himself burn. Maybe then he could save his Pharaoh.
Yugi knocked his head against the window, surprised at his train of thought. When had he been so willing to just give up? He worked on a second plan, closing his eyes as they got further from Krop Tor. Yugi sighed, his hands grabbing onto the sides of his seat as he tried to keep himself calm, he didn't want to break down completely in front of the other people in the cockpit. He bit his lip, opening one eye as he heard Toby nearly laughing as he read out how far they had come from the black hole. He stared at Toby for a moment before flipping onto his other side as much as the seatbelt would allow him to.
Didn't Toby understand that good people had died so they could escape? It was alright to be glad that you were alive, but there was a time to mourn them, the times when it was quiet and you were safe. And even now Toby could be jinxing their escape. After all, that creature had just let them go. Yugi's eyes opened wide at the thought, the human sitting up straight and staring at the back of the empty seat in front of him.
The Beast had been so desperate to make them leave, in hindsight. First it had tried to send them into a flurry of fear, which would have had them either turning against each other or giving up. And, if the crew had given up, they would have brought Ida and the Pharaoh back up and just left. Second, it had sent the Ood after them, trying to get them to escape. Or, maybe in both situations, it was trying to kill them. Either way, it seemed odd that the creature was just letting them go, unless that was its plan all along. But why? It could have just wanted them off Krop Tor.
Yugi's gaze strayed to the laughing Toby, his stomach dropping. Or maybe it was because they were blindly carrying something of it out with them. He hadn't even though that that the Beast could still keep some kind of control over Toby. And maybe Toby wasn't really Toby any longer. Yugi swallowed nervously and reached for the bolt gun, still trying to come up with a way to make sure that he got Toby out of the rocket. His hand landed on the metal, Yugi reminding himself that it was only for protection and that he wasn't going to use it, only to have it slip off as the rocket jerked suddenly. He was thrown forward in his seat, gasping as the seat belt pressed against his stomach, looking up as Zachary gave a curse. "The gravity tunnel collapsed. We're being pulled in."
He turned in his seat, flinching as his forehead knocked against the window. Yugi pulled back a bit, rubbing his sore forehead as he watched the rocket turn back towards the black hole. His mouth dropped open as he stared at it before he reeled backward. He didn't know what would happen to him if they fell into a black hole. The Pharaoh had said that it wouldn't lead to another world, so he might just die in there. Is this what the Beast had meant? Yugi shook his head and turned back around, struggling to move closer to the window in the next second as he found Toby glaring at him.
The archeologist was possessed again, staring back at him with angry red eyes. Yugi stared at the symbols on his face before trying to scramble back more, Toby glancing over at Danny before giving an angry roar. "You cannot do this to me! I am the beginning and the end! I am the thing that haunts the darkness! I am the great destroyer! I am the dark! I am the fear, the greed, the hatred and I am everything that is temptation and sin. I will live on forever and no puny mortal can stop me."
Yugi's hand fell on the bolt gun, Yugi looking back at it for a second before grabbing it and shifting in his seat. He would have one shot at this and he hoped that it would work. He took a calming breath before pulling the trigger. "Go to hell."
The bolt slammed into the front window of the rocket, shattering a section of it because of the force and nearly point blank range. Almost immediately, oxygen began to be pulled out of the cockpit, alarms going off as the computer systems tried to stabilize the rocket. Yugi turned in his seat, shutting his eyes against the rush and fumbled for the buckle on Toby's seat, ignoring Toby's attempts to shove his hands away. His fingers brushed over the clasp, Yugi gritting his teeth before pulling the metal tongue back. Toby remained in his seat for a second before he was pulled forward, sucked through the hole in the front of the rocket and out into space. Yugi turned his head to look, watching as Toby clawed at the empty nothingness around him, tumbling back to the black hole.
"Shields!" Zachary screamed the word, a translucent screen coming down and fitting over the broken visor. They all slumped in their seats, Yugi only then realizing that his hand was trembling, the bolt gun clattering to the floor. He curled up on his seat, hugging his knees to his chest. All this time with the Pharaoh and he had never killed someone before. There was little chance that Toby was still in there, but it had still been Toby's body. He took a deep breath to try and calm himself, looking up and meeting Zachary's gaze. "Well, you get your wish, we're going back."
Yugi just nodded, turning to look out the window before closing his eyes. His hand slid into his pocket, finding his cell phone. It was useless this far out, but he still wanted to call his mom, tell her that he loved her and that he was sorry for being such a pain at times. And he should tell her that he wouldn't be coming back again, as much as it hurt him. Junri deserved more than a call just before he died. He bit his lip, resting his head against the small window. It couldn't be helped now; they would fall into the black hole and then…probably nothing.
He sighed, shaking a bit as he tried to remain calm. Hopefully it would be a painless death, just a stop to his existence; he didn't want his last moments to be painful. Yugi flinched at the thought, remembering the look on Scooti's face as she had floated above the base. Anything but pain at the end of his life. He felt himself curling up, not bothering to stop the instinct. It wouldn't matter in the end.
Yugi yelped as he was suddenly jerked forward, looking forward as the rocket trembled in place for a moment before slowly moving away from the black hole. He leaned to look out of the window, his mouth dropping open in shock as he watched the black hole moving further away, turning back to meet the astonished gazes of Zachary and Danny. He jumped as a crackle of static came over the speakers on the ship, Yugi straining to hear anything and jumping when a familiar voice did come over the speakers. "Captain Zachary Cross Flaine?"
Zachary looked at all of them carefully before nodding. "Yes?"
"This is the Pharaoh." Yugi could help himself at that point, he let out a whoop, falling back in his seat and bursting into laughter. He heard an answering laugh from the Pharaoh before the Time Lord spoke again. "I hear Yugi in the background. How about a trade? I'll take him off your hands for Ida Scott."
"She's alive!" Zachary turned around with a huge smile, Yugi glancing over at Danny who was nearly dancing in his seat.
"Suffering a bit from oxygen deprivation, but she'll be good. I couldn't save the Ood." The Pharaoh heaved a sigh, Yugi biting his lip to keep from laughing. He knew that he should feel bad, but it was impossible, especially knowing that the Pharaoh was still alive. "I'll come and get Yugi once I've pulled you clear of the black hole. Meet me in the cargo bay."
"Got it!" Yugi beamed up at the speakers before fumbling with his seat belt, glancing over at Danny. "I'll need your help with Ida."
Yugi nearly jumped out of his seat, edging down the small aisle before racing into the hallways of the spaceship. He thought he heard Danny call for him to slow down, but was too busy running for the cargo bay. Now that the Pharaoh was so close, it was almost impossible to stay still, the minutes seeming to drag. Through the sound of his sneakers hitting the metal of the walkways, Yugi heard the Pharaoh's voice come over the speakers again. "You're out of harm's way, disengaging."
There was a dull thud, the rocket wobbling a bit before steadying. It was a moment later that Yugi heard the familiar sound of the TARDIS materializing, coming to a stop and looking around. He had no idea how to get to the cargo bay from here; turning as Danny came jogging up to him, the young man jerking his head to the side, Yugi following him after a moment. He forced himself to keep pace with Danny, not wanting to rush ahead and get lost again, but the time slowly ticking by grated on his nerves.
Danny finally slowed down by a door, Yugi hurriedly opening it, barely sparing a glance for Ida, the scientist propped up against the nearest wall. He only had eyes for the blue box that stood close by. Yugi barely heard Danny take a quick breath of surprise, already reaching for the key under his shirt and slipping it into the lock. He paused for a moment then, turning back to smile at Danny. "Thanks."
The young man stuttered out a reply, Yugi just giving him a wave before opening the door of the TARDIS and stepping inside, spinning around to look up the ramp. He spotted the Pharaoh easily, the Time Lord still wearing the orange Sanctuary base spacesuit. Yugi smiled at that, freezing as he heard the Pharaoh speak. "So, we'll be off."
"Sure." Zachary laughed, Yugi shifting to lean against the railing, listening to the captain of the rocket. "But, what are you two?"
The Pharaoh laughed, turning around and pausing when he saw Yugi. The Time Lord's eyes widened before he got control of himself again, but Yugi could see that he was edging closer to him, trying to wrap up the conversation with Zachary. Yugi swayed in place on the ramp, his hand twitching by his side as he waited for the Pharaoh to shut down the line of communication. "The stuff of legend."
The link was shut down quickly, the Pharaoh turning and rushing towards Yugi. He smiled and ran up the ramp towards the Time Lord, leaping into his arms. The Pharaoh caught him in a hug, lifting Yugi off the ground and holding him close. The two swayed in place, Yugi pressing himself as close as possible to the Time Lord. He heard a rumble of laughter from the alien, responding with his own laughter. He turned his head to the side, rubbing his cheek against the Pharaoh's before he was set down.
Yugi slid down the Pharaoh's body, feeling the Time Lord shiver at the move. He pressed close to the Time Lord, sighing as he felt the Pharaoh's hands move down his back, rubbing it. Yugi smiled and looked up at him, tipping his head up to kiss the underside of the Pharaoh's jaw. "Hello."
"Hello." The Pharaoh raised one hand to tangle in Yugi's hair, pulling Yugi forward into a kiss. Their lips brushed before they pulled apart, Yugi humming happily and resting his head on the Pharaoh's shoulder, one hand fisting in the Time Lord's suit and the other resting over the Time Lord's other heart. Yugi sighed, shifting to kiss the Pharaoh's neck. His lips lingered on the Time Lord's skin for a moment longer than necessary; shaking as everything came crashing down on him.
"I-I thought I was never going to see you again."
"It takes a lot to kill me. You should know that." The blithe tone that the Pharaoh used made Yugi flinch, the Pharaoh raising one hand to rest against his companion's cheek, his thumb rubbing against Yugi's skin. Yugi leaned into the caress with a sigh.
"Yes. I do." Yugi stared up at the Pharaoh, smiling at the tender look in the Time Lord's red eyes. They were so different then the eyes of the Beast when it had taken over Toby, softer and more haunted. Yugi reached up a hand to trace his fingers over the Pharaoh's face, the Time Lord standing still to allow him to explore. Yugi gave a wavering smile before burying his fingers in the Pharaoh's hair, pulling him into a kiss.
The Pharaoh stumbled back into the console, Yugi moaning as he pressed up against the Time Lord. He could feel the Pharaoh scrambling to get a hold on the console. Yugi felt the Time Lord shift, reaching up to hold Yugi close as he steadied himself. Yugi moaned into the kiss, the Time Lord's tongue pushing into his mouth to brush against his own. Unable to help himself, he rubbed against the Pharaoh, growling when he just feel the suit. He reached up to fumble with the zipper, the Pharaoh pushed off of the console, wrapping his arms around Yugi and pulling out of the kiss.
When Yugi gave a soft whine, the Pharaoh just smiled, the Time Lord panting for breath. "Let's continue this somewhere more comfortable."
Yugi nodded, the Pharaoh stepping away long enough to strip out of his suit, the familiar shirt and leather pants appearing. The Pharaoh kicked the suit to the side, reaching out to take Yugi's hand and led him into the corridors beyond the console room. Yugi wasn't patient enough to wait until they got into any of the rooms, lasting long enough for them to step into the corridors before he pushed the Pharaoh up against the wall. "Don't care. Want you."
"Yugi…" The Pharaoh stared at him before groaning, rolling his eyes and pressing his head back against the wall. Yugi hesitated, not sure how to take the move. The Time Lord stared at him for a moment before growling. "Get back here."
Yugi was pulled back into a deep kiss, his eyes widening in surprised before his hands went to grip the Pharaoh's shirt, grabbing fistfuls of material before he began to unbutton the shirt. He sought out skin as soon as it was revealed, running his hands over the Pharaoh's skin, reveling in the coolness. Yugi pulled back from the kiss to breathe, his head tipping back to allow the Pharaoh to rain kisses on his neck. He whimpered as the Pharaoh nipped his neck, hands running down the Pharaoh's chest and stomach to reach for the belts around the Time Lord's waist. He moaned with the Pharaoh, the Time Lord nuzzling his neck. "Yugi..."
"My Pharaoh." He felt the Time Lord smile against his neck before the Time Lord slipped his hand under Yugi's shirt, pulling it off before reaching for the button on Yugi's jeans. The human moaned, clinging to the Time Lord as the Pharaoh undressed him, allowing himself to be lowered to the floor. He smirked as the Pharaoh's belts fell to the floor, the Pharaoh looking at him in surprise before shaking his head.
"My sneaky companion."
"You love it." He barely had the time to smile before the Pharaoh was kissing him again, Yugi arching up against the Time Lord and closing his eyes. The cold floor against his back faded away, leaving only the feeling of the Pharaoh's hands moving over his skin. He opened his eyes slightly reaching down for one of the Time Lord's hands before bringing it up to rest on his temple, the Pharaoh shooting him a confused look. "I want all of you. All that you can give me."
The Time Lord stared at him in awe before nodding, sliding up his body to kiss Yugi.
"Yours. All yours." Yugi tried to muffle the moan, failing as the Pharaoh's free hand ventured lower. Then all he knew was heat and wonderful friction.
Author: eachainn or Spirithorse on FF.net
Rating: M
Pairings: YamixYugi, BakuraxRyou, JoeyxMai
Warnings: Character death
Spoilers: Season 2 of Doctor Who
Summary: Think you’ve seen everything? Think again. The continued adventures Yugi Mutou through time and space. Sequel to Across the Cosmos: The Nameless Pharaoh. Based on the BBC series Doctor Who.
Disclaimer:I don’t own Yu-Gi-Oh or Doctor Who, just the plot.
Prologue- 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9- 10- 11- 12- 13- 14- 15- 16- 17- 18- 19- 20- 21- 22- 23- 24- 25- 26-27
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Chapter Twenty-Seven: Fall from Grace
"Except that implies, in this big grand scheme of gods and devils, that she's just a victim. But I've seen a lot of this universe. I've seen fake gods and bad gods and demigods and would-be gods. And out of all that, out of that whole pantheon, if I believe in one thing, just one thing… I believe in her."
-The Doctor
"Ah-ha!" Danny held up a chip, Yugi looking up from his place slumped against the railing. The young man smiled before waving the chip in the air. "This will stop the Ood."
"Really? I thought you said we didn't have viruses."
"We don't." Danny smirked and leaned on the console. "But we do have this. I can broadcast a flare that will knock out the Ood's telepathic field. Pretty good for almost nothing to work with."
"And right on time." Jefferson backed away from the door. "The Ood are about to get in and we're trapped here. I'm waiting for another brilliant idea, Yugi."
Yugi stood up slowly, his muscles complaining. He ignored them for the moment, glancing around before looking helplessly at the others. "I don't know this place."
"Maintenance ducts." Zachary's voice drifted over the intercom, the sound of rapid typing following it. "I'll bleed air through the maintenance ducts manually, and guide you through to Ood Habitation. First section is good, be ready for more instructions."
Jefferson nodded, even though Zachary couldn't see him, walking over to a section of flooring and pulling it up. "Everyone in, even you, Yugi."
Yugi bit his lip to keep from snapping at the man, glancing back to the door before nodding. He couldn't stay here, as much as he wanted to. The Ood would get in and kill him, and then he would be useless in helping save the Pharaoh. Yugi stepped forward, waiting for Danny to jump down into the duct before following him.
It was cold in the ducts, Yugi wincing as he got down on all fours, quickly scooting forward so that Toby would have room to climb in. He didn't hear Zachary's order over Jefferson's entrance into the ducts, the head of security lowering the grate back into place before looking at all of them. Yugi nodded before turning to move after Danny, happy about his height for the first time in his life, it made moving through the cramped ducts easier. He glanced over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the rest of the group before forcing himself onward.
He nearly ran into Danny as the young man came to a stop, leaning against the door to the next section and speaking to Zachary through the communicator on his wrist. Yugi pressed back against the wall as Jefferson leaned forward, warily eyeing the gun that the man held. "Warn the captain that he may have to hurry. The Ood got through the door."
"He's tracking us, isn't he?" Yugi's question got a nod from Danny. "Then can't he track the Ood."
"No." Danny fiddled with the communicator around his wrist. "They don't register as life forms in our computers."
Yugi stared at him in shock. "So you just let that slide?"
"We never thought that they would do this!"
"Obviously." Yugi rolled his eyes and glared at the door, ignoring the hostile stares that he got from the others around him. Let them hate him for what he was saying, it was just the truth. Besides, the Ood were possessed by that thing, something that Yugi to relate to. He hadn't asked for Cassandra to take over his body, but it had happened. Hopefully there would be some way to dislodge the Beast from their heads, like the flare that Danny was carrying. If not, then Yugi was out of ideas, and it hurt to think that he would be letting the Ood just die because they had been used.
He bit his lip and glanced at the door, watching as it began to rise. Danny was the first through, quickly crawling into the straight hall before taking a right. Yugi scrambled to his hands and knees to follow when Toby gave him a rough push, Yugi looking back at the archeologist, surprised to find the man frightened. "Go. Go. Go!"
Yugi caught a glimpse of white before he moved, quickly scrambling after Danny. The young man ahead of him seemed to pick up on the group's panic and began moving faster. Apparently, the Ood had followed them into the ducts, and they were being helped by the oxygen that Zachary was pumping through. Yugi smothered a curse, glancing ahead to see the next door already up. He felt a hand push him on, stumbling and slamming into a wall, allowing Toby to squeeze past him with that move. Yugi glared at the archeologist, shaking his head before moving on, suddenly aware that Jefferson wasn't following. "Mr. Jefferson?"
"Go on kid, you need someone to hold them off."
"No." Yugi tried to reach back and tug at his sleeve only to be pushed forward again. He growled and tried to turn in the cramped space. "I'm not leaving without you. We all get out or none of us do."
"Then your friend back there is dead." Yugi paled at that statement, Jefferson barely glancing at him. "You know it and I know it."
Yugi nodded slowly before hurrying after the others, keeping his eyes focused on the duct ahead of him. He hated that it was so easy to make a choice like this; it would always be the Pharaoh over someone else. And that was beginning to scare him. He was willing to give up everything for this alien, even the lives of other people. He growled to himself, sliding to an awkward stop behind Toby and Danny, the two looking behind him. "Where's Jefferson?"
"He's staying behind to guard our escape."
"What?" Danny waved the wrist that the communicator was strapped to. "Zachary says he can't open the next section without Jefferson here!"
Yugi glanced back, flinching at the sound of gunfire. Automatically, he reached out for the Pharaoh's hand, jumping when his palm just landed on cold metal. He had forgotten momentarily that the Time Lord was stuck down the drill shaft. He had become so used to having the alien there as a source of comfort. Yugi swallowed harshly, glancing up at the door that blocked them and back at where the gunshots were coming from.
"Danny?" The faint sound of Zachary's voice sounded loud, Yugi jumping and wincing when the top of his head hit the top of the duct. He cursed and rubbed the top of his head, Danny giving him a sympathetic look before turning his attention to the communicator.
"Yes?"
"I'm pushing air into the next section. Jefferson has to make it to that door before it closes." Yugi glanced back down the way they had come, watching the door slowly begin to slide down. He swallowed nervously before looking back at Danny, the young man trembling. That could happen to any of them if they remained behind, no matter what their good intentions. And Danny had to be the one to get out since he had the flare already programmed. But Yugi wasn't about to die, the thought bringing a surge of guilt. He wasn't going to let himself die here and abandon the Pharaoh. There had to be some way that he could save the Time Lord.
Yugi took a deep breath, turning to look at the slowly lowering door, his eyes going wide as he watched Jefferson rush towards it, losing sight of the man as the door slammed shut in front of him. He heard Jefferson bang futilely at the door once before the sound ceased, Yugi trembling as he pressed up against the door they were next to, his eyes closed tightly. It was too much like before, and it could have been him again.
"Yugi? Yugi where are you?" He tried to calm his panting, pressing his forehead into the metal door. No matter what, he couldn't sound like he was close to crying, it would just show how weak he was. The Pharaoh would mock him for that. And, no matter how much he could deal with, he didn't want the last thing he heard to be insults from the Time Lord. "Did you make it?"
Yugi gave a long sigh before shaking his head, speaking slowly and rubbing a cramp in his side. "I was…Ow…I was too slow. Sorry?"
He tried to smile, not knowing what else to do. The expression was more for himself than the Pharaoh anyway. After all, the Time Lord could just go off and find another stupid human to travel with him. And, no matter how much it hurt him to admit it, it had been fun while it had lasted.
Yugi perked up at the sound of something coming down the hall, turning to look and letting a curse slip past his lips. He could see the Dalek moving towards him, the creature's shadow thrown against the wall as it trundled steadily down the corridor. He took a deep breath before turning away, not wanting to watch his death come to get him. "See you, Pharaoh. And don't you dare blame yourself for this. It was my choice. Alright?"
There was no answer from the other line, Yugi's hand gripping the phone tighter as his stomach twisted. Why did the idea of leaving the Pharaoh suddenly hurt more than it should have? He bit his lip, trying to keep himself calm. "I wouldn't have missed with for the world. So…thanks."
For a reason unknown to him, he laughed after he said that, cutting off the sound before it could turn into a sob as he heard the Dalek roll to a stop, bracing himself against the door. "EXTERMINATE!"
"Yugi!" He was shaken out of his memories by Toby, the archeologist staring at him before shoving him on. "Come on!"
He fell to his side, grunting as Toby scrambled over him in his impatience to follow Danny. Yugi slowly rolled to his hands and knees, wincing at the new bruises before following the two, their group silent as they followed Zachary's instructions, heading for another door. Yugi slumped as soon as they had reached their destination, rubbing at his aching knees as he stared at the others. To his surprise, only Danny looked as shocked as he was. Toby was constantly looking between the communicator and the door.
Yugi was about to comment on Toby's behavior when the next door began to open, Toby pushing past Danny only to scream and scramble backwards, Yugi pushed out of the way by the move. "Close it! Close it! The Ood are there!"
The door began to shut slowly, Yugi staring at the gloved hands that were slipping under the metal as the Ood tried to pry it back open again. He backed up some more, trying to avoid Danny and Toby's flailing limbs. Yugi ducked, watching the arm move over his head, staring at the grating above them. He blinked and twisted slightly, trying to sit up. If there was a grate about them, then it meant that there was a way around the Ood. The others were dead behind them with Jefferson and the Ood that had remained in Habitation were in front of them, so their way was clear. He smiled to himself before pushing up on the grate, hauling himself up into the corridor.
The open space was given a cursory glance before Yugi reached down for Danny, the young man immediately grabbing his hand and nearly pulling him back into the duct. Yugi braced himself, pulling backward until Danny was stumbling to his feet. Yugi reached back down for Toby, frowning when the archeologist seemed too entranced with the oncoming Ood to notice him. He shook his head and gestured at Danny with his other hand. "Go on. We'll meet you there."
Danny nodded and rushed off, the sound of him retreating drawing Toby's attention to them again. The archeologist turned on the spot and leapt for the edge of the grating. "Don't you dare leave me behind!"
Yugi scrambled backwards, slamming the grate shut as the Ood began to push the door up. He was nearly pushed to the side as Toby sprinted away, Yugi staring at him for a moment before following, getting to the door before the grate flipped back open again, the Ood beginning to pull themselves out. He yelped and slammed the door shut behind him, wincing as he scraped some skin off his finger. Yugi stuck the injured digit into his mouth before turning to look at Toby and Danny, the two scrambling to get the flare broadcast. He took his finger out of his mouth, staring at it before wiping it on his shirt. "Ready?"
"Almost."
"We don't have time for almost." Yugi jumped away from the door as something banged on it, watching the wheel in the center spin. "The Ood are here."
"A few more…got it!" Yugi stumbled further away from the door, relieved when it opened to reveal an Ood splayed out over the entrance. He placed a hand over his racing heart before shooting a smile at Danny and Toby. As much as he wanted to congratulate the two, there was something more important on his mind.
He edged around the fallen Ood before rushing into the corridor, glancing around to get his bearings before sprinting in the direction of the drill room, dodging the unconscious Ood as he went. Behind him, he could hear Danny calling for him to slow down, assuming that Toby went to get Zachary. The more people the better, now they could try to figure out the problem of getting Ida and the Pharaoh back up. And then, they could find the TARDIS and leave this place to the black hole. The Beast could rot for an eternity on this asteroid and he wouldn't care, because he would have the Pharaoh, his wonderful Time Lord.
Yugi leapt over the last Ood between him and the door to the drill room, slowing down to step onto the door, the metal rectangle pushed to the floor because of the Ood's efforts to get in. The metal creaked under his sneakers, Yugi flinching at the sound before hopping off, the sound of him landing on the grating loud to his ears. He glanced back at the Ood, wanting to be sure that they were unconscious before he moved back to the console, reaching for the communicator. Since they had the power back on and the Beast was thwarted for the moment, he would be able to contact the Pharaoh and Ida.
He paused long enough to wave at Danny as the young man came in, catching a glimpse of Toby and Zachary out of the corner of his eye before he turned back to the console, pressing the button on the communicator. "Pharaoh? Ida? Come in. Can you read me?"
There was a crackle of static, Yugi making out the end of a word. His heart beat faster at that, they could talk to each other now. "Pharaoh?"
"No." He frowned as Ida spoke the word softly. "He's gone."
The communicator nearly fell out of his hands, Yugi gripping it tightly the next moment. "W-what do you mean gone?"
"I mean…I couldn't stop him."
"What do you mean gone?"
"He fell, Yugi. Into the pit. He fell and I couldn't stop him." Yugi felt his heart stop for a moment, slumping forward to lean on the console as he panted for breath, barely hearing the others behind him. His whole world was focused on the sound of Ida's voice, waiting for her to say that she was mistaken or that the Pharaoh was just trying to joke with him. Yugi took a shaky breath before shaking his head, Ida making several false starts before actually speaking. "He said your name…before it happened."
Then it was too much. Yugi threw the communicator away and stumbled back to the railing by the drill shaft, his arms wrapped around his stomach. This couldn't be happening. The Pharaoh couldn't just be gone; the Time Lord wouldn't be killed that easily. The Pharaoh had promised that he would come back; he had promised that they would live a kind of normal life together while they looked for a way to get the TARDIS back. And, if the worst case scenario had happened, then the Pharaoh didn't deserve to die alone.
Yugi bit his lip, looking up at the others in the faint hope that they would help him. Both Danny and Toby were looking anywhere but him and Zachary was talking to Ida; none of them would be any help. But he was useless right now, his mind always coming back to that fact that he had lost his best friend. Even now he could feel a kind of aching emptiness in his head, the spot where the budding bond with the Pharaoh had formed and was now silent. The realization of this made him clutch at his sides. He couldn't feel the Pharaoh in his head, as faint as that had been before. He shivered, resisting the urge to sink to his knees, he had to stay upright. He was strong; the Pharaoh had showed him that he could be. He was strong enough to survive this.
He wiped the tears that had escaped off his face, feeling a little embarrassed that he was crying. Yugi took a deep breath before moving forward again; feeling the sympathetic stares of Toby and Danny on him, but his focus was on Zachary. The captain was talking to Ida, the man looking resigned. "We can't get you back up here, there's no way."
Yugi didn't hear Ida's reply, his heart beating faster. There was no way that he was just going to give up. There had to be some way, something that they hadn't thought of yet. If they stayed long enough, they could cannibalize the base to get the others out. More oxygen could be lowered to Ida to keep her alive while they worked. Or they could extend the oxygen field; make it so it covered only the command center and this room, anything to keep them alive long enough for them to be saved.
He looked up as Zachary put down the communicator with a sigh. "We're getting out of here. Leave everything and get to the rocket."
Danny and Toby nodded, scooting around Yugi to follow their captain. Yugi stepped out of their way, glancing at the drill shaft before shaking his head. "No. I-I'm going to stay here." Zachary stopped to look at him, Yugi managing to meet his gaze. "I have to wait for the Pharaoh."
"He's dead."
"He isn't." Yugi gave a small smile. Zachary didn't know the Pharaoh like he did; the Time Lord wasn't that easy to kill. There were millions of dead Daleks that could attest to that. It was only a matter of time before the Pharaoh called up to them with the final bits of a plan to save them, and Yugi had to be there for him. "He isn't dead."
"Yugi…" Zachary sighed and shook his head, glancing over at Danny and Toby before nodding. "I'm not losing another crew member. If you won't come with us on your own, I'll have to force you."
His eyes widened, Yugi scrambling back from his place by the drill shaft as Danny and Toby lunged for him. He managed to dodge Toby, but Danny got a hold on his arm, Yugi turning to try and yank himself out of the hold. The hesitation gave Toby enough time to recover, the archeologist grabbing his other arm and holding him still. Yugi glared at them both, thrashing around in their grip. "No! I have to stay! I have to!"
"Keep him still." Yugi's eyes darted to the pencil-like object that Zachary held in his hand, his stomach churning and he tried to edge away. "This will only take a second."
"No! Get that away from me!" The fragment in his head stirred before dying, Yugi frantically trying to incite it to work. The one time he needed it, it wasn't helping. He wanted to scream at the betrayal, trying to steady himself enough to kick out at Zachary. "I'm not one of your crew."
"He wouldn't want you dead, Yugi." The end of the object was jammed into his arm, Yugi yelping as he felt a needle pierce his skin. He lashed out, Toby and Danny letting go of him with that move, Yugi falling to his hands and knees on the floor as his legs gave out. He tried to stand up again only to fall, glaring up at Zachary as his vision began to fade, his thoughts becoming slow and fuzzy. The last thing he was aware of was Zachary lifting him from the ground and beginning to walk away. He lost his struggle to keep conscious soon after.
---
Something sharp was pressing against his cheek, the Pharaoh automatically shifting so the object wouldn't cut him. He struggled back towards consciousness, groaning as he slowly shifted so he could stand, feeling more sharp objects pressing against him. It took more effort than it should have for him to open his eyes, his whole body aching from hitting something on the way down. The Time Lord sat up, his vision adjusting to the dim light of the cavern that he was in, his gaze dropping to the shards of glass that were on the floor, catching the jagged edge of what had once been his visor before.
He gasped, instinct causing his respiratory bypass to kick in, the Pharaoh waiting a moment before realizing that there had to be oxygen down here; he would have already been dead there wasn't. There was no way of telling how long he'd been unconscious. The Pharaoh swallowed nervously before slowly standing up, looking around the cavern. Something had prepared this place for him, or another species, a long time ago, the oxygen pocket acting as an air cushion for a fall as well as making sure the one down in the pit was able to breathe. The Pharaoh gave a short exhalation of relief before looking up, unable to see where he had fallen from.
The Pharaoh fumbled for the flashlight that he had attached to his belt, smiling wryly as it gave off a weak beam of light. The fall must have damaged it, but it was still better than nothing. He sighed and reached up for his helmet, pulling it off; it was useless now. He stared at the yellow plastic before tossing it aside, untangling himself from the oxygen tubes. Now that his suit was compromised, he wouldn't be returning to the surface, the thought causing his hearts to pound faster. Yugi. He would never see Yugi again.
He swallowed harshly before turning away to look at the wall, freezing as he heard the sound of a rocket taking off; the walls shaking slightly with the force of the take off. The Pharaoh turned to look up, his gaze moving as he followed the sound of the rocket until it faded completely away. "Yugi…"
His vision blurred for a moment, the Pharaoh stumbling over to the wall and ducking his head. He fought back the tears that threatened to come, cursing himself for his own curiosity. He had talked himself into going down here, knowing that there wasn't a way out. It had been a better alternative than dying from lack of oxygen above, just sitting in the dark and fearing the end. It had been a bad choice to come down here at all; he should have just let another go instead of him. Then he could have still been with Yugi, he could have been leaving with the others. He wouldn't have had to break his promise to Yugi and, because of him; Yugi would be stranded in the future on his own.
Something in him rebelled against that, hating the fact that Yugi would eventually move on. Then someone would be touching his companion, his Yugi. The Pharaoh shook his head and turned to glare at the wall, trying to push his thoughts away from that eventual end. It was only right that Yugi should move on, he didn't want the wonderful person that Yugi had become to disappear and Yugi to return to the way he had been before.
The Pharaoh blinked as he realized he was glaring at a picture painted on the wall. He frowned and moved closer, raising the flashlight so the dim beam could illuminate the pictures.
The first figure that drew his attention was a horned beast that had been painted red, the resemblance to the devil of any religion making him uneasy. His own species had thrown off their belief in gods, the belief hard to hold when they traveled through space and time. It hadn't been too far a jump for them to assume that they were the closest things to gods; it had seemed that the Time Lords had been the ones to administer justice. The Pharaoh himself had just avoided the question entirely, not ready to admit to anything that he couldn't prove with science, a weakness of his own. He reached out to rest his hand on the devil figure, looking down the painting.
Around the devil were crude white drawings of bipeds, resembling humans. The Pharaoh frowned, noticing black lines on the wall that weren't natural, assuming that the lines were weapons. So there had been a battle against the devil, or a creature with enough power to be considered close to it. The Pharaoh sucked in a quick breath. Of course, this could have happened a long time ago, long before the Time Lords had even evolved, so the creature could just be a powerful being that had later become the devil. That was easier to stomach than the creature actually being the devil.
The painting continued down the wall, the Pharaoh directing the beam downward, watching the white figures trap the devil in a pit. He frowned and leaned forward, staring at the two shapes scrawled into a dip. He tipped his head to the side, turning his flashlight so he could see the painting better, confused when two amphorae were all that was there. He took a step back, turning around to look around the rest of the cavern for any other paintings that would explain what he was seeing here. After the scenes of battle pottery seemed a bit random.
The Pharaoh froze as the beam of his flashlight landed on an amphora on a stand. He hesitated before moving forward, staring at the amphora before reaching out to touch the handle. His fingers had just brushed over its surface when it began to glow, going from a dull brown to a golden color. More light spilled from a source on the other side of him, the Pharaoh stepping back from the first amphora and looking at the second one. He turned back to look at the wall, glancing down at the last drawing on the bottom of the wall, the devil chained beneath the two amphorae.
A growl drew his attention back to the amphorae, his eyes widening as he saw a great creature moving. Despite himself, the Pharaoh moved forward, watching as the Beast slowly uncurled itself, the light from the amphorae playing off its red skin, the Pharaoh jumping as the horned head jerked up, an animalistic look in the Beast's yellow eyes. He took a step back as the creature roared, trying to lash out at him with its claws only to be jerked back by the chains that bound him. The creature hissed but settled back down, continuing to stare at the Time Lord.
The Pharaoh shook his head, staring at the creature before taking another step back. "So it wasn't just a myth, it was fact."
The sound of his voice echoing in the cavern drew a snarl from the Beast, the chains clanking against each other as it shifted. The Pharaoh watched the creature warily before glancing up at where the ceiling of the cavern would be. "But how did you orchestrate all of this. Your captors wouldn't have let you control any of your own power if they wanted to seal you down here, beneath a seal and a…"
He trailed off, turning back to the painting on the wall. Off to one side, away from the original painting was a crude representation of a black hole, the black hole. The Pharaoh stared at the picture for a while before turning back to the Beast, a little worried that it was following his every move like a hunter. "They created this place. The air is for someone like me and the gravity tunnel is to allow someone to come here and finish the job. Catching and containing you must have destroyed the Valtino, so it was up to someone else to destroy you completely. And you made sure that no one would."
The Pharaoh narrowed his eyes, the Beast hissing in response. Of course no one would want to face the creature that had inspired thousands of tales about the devil and caused people to fear for their lives so early in the life of the universe. Because it had taken a whole race to imprison the Beast, all other species would stay away, and then it would be forgotten. The devil would remain a concept while the living thing lingered in the center of an asteroid. It was only because of human curiosity that they had come here. The Pharaoh sighed and rubbed his forehead, the solution obvious. The creature had to be destroyed before the bonds that kept it here weakened; nothing could last forever. The prison was probably already strained. But there had to be a catch, a reason that the creature hadn't tried to escape before.
The Time Lord looked up, glancing at the amphorae; they would probably free the Beast, which would trigger the safeguards that the Valtino had to have left in place. So he had to move now, the Pharaoh glancing up at the chains that held the Beast, his time sense telling him that they only had minutes before the Beast would free himself. And still there was something bothering him. The Pharaoh tapped his flashlight against the side of his leg before looking up at the creature. "Speak to me. I know you can do it, I heard you threaten Yugi. I dare you to try it again."
He got an enraged roar as an answer, the Pharaoh staring at the Beast before letting out a laugh. "So you can't talk…But where did that go unless…."
The Pharaoh jerked his head up to stare at the ceiling, his mouth open in shock. The thing that had infected the Ood had just been a distraction. The Beast knew that the humans wouldn't hesitate to kill the Ood, they were only slaves to them after all, but they would think twice about killing a human, especially one that had been used as a pawn. The humans would want to protect that person, which meant that part of the Beast was escaping. One of the crew members still had the Beast controlling it, and they were getting away. But Yugi was on that rocket. The Pharaoh cursed and looked back at the Beast. "So that's my choice, the universe or Yugi."
The Beast broke into a hissing laughter, the Pharaoh glaring at it before turning around to stare at the nearest amphora. He took a deep breath before turning to stare back at the Beast, smirking as he reached down for a rock. "But you know what I'm going to do anyway." The creature stopped laughing, staring at him in fear. "I'm the killer of my own kind. I'm the one without mercy; it's been taken from me. I'll risk my life and Yugi's, because Yugi will figure out what is going on."
He brought the rock now on the nearest amphora, the pottery shattering on impact. The Pharaoh spared at glance at the Beast before throwing the rock at the other amphora, smiling when it too shattered. He turned to look at the Beast, spreading his arms out with a shrug. The Beast hissed and tried to lash out at him, the chains that held it creaking with the strain but holding. And they would hold, all the way into the black hole; the Beast would finally be defeated.
The Pharaoh gave the creature a nod before turning and walking off, his exit ruined as the whole place began to rock, the Time Lord thrown into the wall. He gasped and pushed himself away, rubbing at his sore side before moving away, trying to dodge the rocks that were falling from the sides of the cavern. Behind him, he could hear the Beast screeching, the sound echoing eerily off the stone walls. He twisted slightly to avoid a larger falling rock, tripping over the many already scattered on the ground. The Pharaoh grunted, rolling on the ground only to come to a stop against something.
He remained on the ground for a moment before pushing himself upright, his mouth dropping open at the thing that he saw before him. The dark blue of the TARDIS stood out against the drab rocks, one of the most beautiful sights that he had ever seen. He reached out to touch his ship, relieved when the connection snapped back into place, the TARDIS frantically trying to fill the emptiness that she had left in his head, the Pharaoh just happy that the connection was back. The creature must have had just enough power to block it and now, while it was struggling in its death throes, it wouldn't bother.
He petted the TARDIS, glancing up at the opening in the cavern's ceiling, nodding to himself before scrambling inside his suit pocket for the key to his time machine. "Come on, girl. Let's save a few people."
---
Yugi groaned, wondering why his head hurt. He turned his head to the other side, flinching at the pounding in his temples. He couldn't quite remember what had caused the headache, only that the Pharaoh was gone. Yugi squeezed his eyes shut, hoping that when he opened them that it would just turn out to be a bad dream. He would be asleep in the captain's chair and the Pharaoh would be waiting for him to wake up so they could go on their next adventure. This nightmare will have never happened. Of course, that was just a childish way to avoid the real problem. Yugi sighed, opening his eyes and jerking forward in his seat when he realized where he was.
Gone were the dirty computers and faded colors of the drill room, replaced with the soft colors of the interior of a spaceship, Yugi could see the stars from the small window beside him. He looked around the cabin, his movements gaining Toby and Danny's attention, the latter flinching away. "Captain, we're about to have trouble."
Zachary glanced back over his shoulder before shrugging, Yugi glaring at the back of the man's head. He looked at the ledge beside him, surprised to see the bolt gun there. It would be too easy to use it to make Zachary take him back to the Pharaoh, all he had to do was pick it up and aim. He reached out for the gun, his hand hovering over it and trembling, he couldn't bring himself to reach down and pick it up. The Pharaoh could do something like that without a problem, even Joey could, but he couldn't. Yugi sighed and flopped backwards, staring out the window. "Why didn't you leave me there?"
"I didn't want to lose another crew member. I already had to leave Ida because there was no way to get her out."
"We could have saved her!"
Zachary turned in his chair, staring at Yugi. "How? Tell me one solid plan." Yugi blushed and looked away, hearing the captain sigh and turn back to the controls. "Thought so."
He went back to staring out of the window, finally twisting around in his seat so he could see out of the small widow. He easily found the asteroid, staring at Krop Tor and cursing it. That asteroid had taken everything he cared about away from him; it deserved to just hover under the black hole for the rest of its existence. Yugi closed his eyes, tilting his head to rest against the window. He had lost his Pharaoh again, and it was taking all of his will just to avoid goading the time vortex fragment into action and just letting himself burn. Maybe then he could save his Pharaoh.
Yugi knocked his head against the window, surprised at his train of thought. When had he been so willing to just give up? He worked on a second plan, closing his eyes as they got further from Krop Tor. Yugi sighed, his hands grabbing onto the sides of his seat as he tried to keep himself calm, he didn't want to break down completely in front of the other people in the cockpit. He bit his lip, opening one eye as he heard Toby nearly laughing as he read out how far they had come from the black hole. He stared at Toby for a moment before flipping onto his other side as much as the seatbelt would allow him to.
Didn't Toby understand that good people had died so they could escape? It was alright to be glad that you were alive, but there was a time to mourn them, the times when it was quiet and you were safe. And even now Toby could be jinxing their escape. After all, that creature had just let them go. Yugi's eyes opened wide at the thought, the human sitting up straight and staring at the back of the empty seat in front of him.
The Beast had been so desperate to make them leave, in hindsight. First it had tried to send them into a flurry of fear, which would have had them either turning against each other or giving up. And, if the crew had given up, they would have brought Ida and the Pharaoh back up and just left. Second, it had sent the Ood after them, trying to get them to escape. Or, maybe in both situations, it was trying to kill them. Either way, it seemed odd that the creature was just letting them go, unless that was its plan all along. But why? It could have just wanted them off Krop Tor.
Yugi's gaze strayed to the laughing Toby, his stomach dropping. Or maybe it was because they were blindly carrying something of it out with them. He hadn't even though that that the Beast could still keep some kind of control over Toby. And maybe Toby wasn't really Toby any longer. Yugi swallowed nervously and reached for the bolt gun, still trying to come up with a way to make sure that he got Toby out of the rocket. His hand landed on the metal, Yugi reminding himself that it was only for protection and that he wasn't going to use it, only to have it slip off as the rocket jerked suddenly. He was thrown forward in his seat, gasping as the seat belt pressed against his stomach, looking up as Zachary gave a curse. "The gravity tunnel collapsed. We're being pulled in."
He turned in his seat, flinching as his forehead knocked against the window. Yugi pulled back a bit, rubbing his sore forehead as he watched the rocket turn back towards the black hole. His mouth dropped open as he stared at it before he reeled backward. He didn't know what would happen to him if they fell into a black hole. The Pharaoh had said that it wouldn't lead to another world, so he might just die in there. Is this what the Beast had meant? Yugi shook his head and turned back around, struggling to move closer to the window in the next second as he found Toby glaring at him.
The archeologist was possessed again, staring back at him with angry red eyes. Yugi stared at the symbols on his face before trying to scramble back more, Toby glancing over at Danny before giving an angry roar. "You cannot do this to me! I am the beginning and the end! I am the thing that haunts the darkness! I am the great destroyer! I am the dark! I am the fear, the greed, the hatred and I am everything that is temptation and sin. I will live on forever and no puny mortal can stop me."
Yugi's hand fell on the bolt gun, Yugi looking back at it for a second before grabbing it and shifting in his seat. He would have one shot at this and he hoped that it would work. He took a calming breath before pulling the trigger. "Go to hell."
The bolt slammed into the front window of the rocket, shattering a section of it because of the force and nearly point blank range. Almost immediately, oxygen began to be pulled out of the cockpit, alarms going off as the computer systems tried to stabilize the rocket. Yugi turned in his seat, shutting his eyes against the rush and fumbled for the buckle on Toby's seat, ignoring Toby's attempts to shove his hands away. His fingers brushed over the clasp, Yugi gritting his teeth before pulling the metal tongue back. Toby remained in his seat for a second before he was pulled forward, sucked through the hole in the front of the rocket and out into space. Yugi turned his head to look, watching as Toby clawed at the empty nothingness around him, tumbling back to the black hole.
"Shields!" Zachary screamed the word, a translucent screen coming down and fitting over the broken visor. They all slumped in their seats, Yugi only then realizing that his hand was trembling, the bolt gun clattering to the floor. He curled up on his seat, hugging his knees to his chest. All this time with the Pharaoh and he had never killed someone before. There was little chance that Toby was still in there, but it had still been Toby's body. He took a deep breath to try and calm himself, looking up and meeting Zachary's gaze. "Well, you get your wish, we're going back."
Yugi just nodded, turning to look out the window before closing his eyes. His hand slid into his pocket, finding his cell phone. It was useless this far out, but he still wanted to call his mom, tell her that he loved her and that he was sorry for being such a pain at times. And he should tell her that he wouldn't be coming back again, as much as it hurt him. Junri deserved more than a call just before he died. He bit his lip, resting his head against the small window. It couldn't be helped now; they would fall into the black hole and then…probably nothing.
He sighed, shaking a bit as he tried to remain calm. Hopefully it would be a painless death, just a stop to his existence; he didn't want his last moments to be painful. Yugi flinched at the thought, remembering the look on Scooti's face as she had floated above the base. Anything but pain at the end of his life. He felt himself curling up, not bothering to stop the instinct. It wouldn't matter in the end.
Yugi yelped as he was suddenly jerked forward, looking forward as the rocket trembled in place for a moment before slowly moving away from the black hole. He leaned to look out of the window, his mouth dropping open in shock as he watched the black hole moving further away, turning back to meet the astonished gazes of Zachary and Danny. He jumped as a crackle of static came over the speakers on the ship, Yugi straining to hear anything and jumping when a familiar voice did come over the speakers. "Captain Zachary Cross Flaine?"
Zachary looked at all of them carefully before nodding. "Yes?"
"This is the Pharaoh." Yugi could help himself at that point, he let out a whoop, falling back in his seat and bursting into laughter. He heard an answering laugh from the Pharaoh before the Time Lord spoke again. "I hear Yugi in the background. How about a trade? I'll take him off your hands for Ida Scott."
"She's alive!" Zachary turned around with a huge smile, Yugi glancing over at Danny who was nearly dancing in his seat.
"Suffering a bit from oxygen deprivation, but she'll be good. I couldn't save the Ood." The Pharaoh heaved a sigh, Yugi biting his lip to keep from laughing. He knew that he should feel bad, but it was impossible, especially knowing that the Pharaoh was still alive. "I'll come and get Yugi once I've pulled you clear of the black hole. Meet me in the cargo bay."
"Got it!" Yugi beamed up at the speakers before fumbling with his seat belt, glancing over at Danny. "I'll need your help with Ida."
Yugi nearly jumped out of his seat, edging down the small aisle before racing into the hallways of the spaceship. He thought he heard Danny call for him to slow down, but was too busy running for the cargo bay. Now that the Pharaoh was so close, it was almost impossible to stay still, the minutes seeming to drag. Through the sound of his sneakers hitting the metal of the walkways, Yugi heard the Pharaoh's voice come over the speakers again. "You're out of harm's way, disengaging."
There was a dull thud, the rocket wobbling a bit before steadying. It was a moment later that Yugi heard the familiar sound of the TARDIS materializing, coming to a stop and looking around. He had no idea how to get to the cargo bay from here; turning as Danny came jogging up to him, the young man jerking his head to the side, Yugi following him after a moment. He forced himself to keep pace with Danny, not wanting to rush ahead and get lost again, but the time slowly ticking by grated on his nerves.
Danny finally slowed down by a door, Yugi hurriedly opening it, barely sparing a glance for Ida, the scientist propped up against the nearest wall. He only had eyes for the blue box that stood close by. Yugi barely heard Danny take a quick breath of surprise, already reaching for the key under his shirt and slipping it into the lock. He paused for a moment then, turning back to smile at Danny. "Thanks."
The young man stuttered out a reply, Yugi just giving him a wave before opening the door of the TARDIS and stepping inside, spinning around to look up the ramp. He spotted the Pharaoh easily, the Time Lord still wearing the orange Sanctuary base spacesuit. Yugi smiled at that, freezing as he heard the Pharaoh speak. "So, we'll be off."
"Sure." Zachary laughed, Yugi shifting to lean against the railing, listening to the captain of the rocket. "But, what are you two?"
The Pharaoh laughed, turning around and pausing when he saw Yugi. The Time Lord's eyes widened before he got control of himself again, but Yugi could see that he was edging closer to him, trying to wrap up the conversation with Zachary. Yugi swayed in place on the ramp, his hand twitching by his side as he waited for the Pharaoh to shut down the line of communication. "The stuff of legend."
The link was shut down quickly, the Pharaoh turning and rushing towards Yugi. He smiled and ran up the ramp towards the Time Lord, leaping into his arms. The Pharaoh caught him in a hug, lifting Yugi off the ground and holding him close. The two swayed in place, Yugi pressing himself as close as possible to the Time Lord. He heard a rumble of laughter from the alien, responding with his own laughter. He turned his head to the side, rubbing his cheek against the Pharaoh's before he was set down.
Yugi slid down the Pharaoh's body, feeling the Time Lord shiver at the move. He pressed close to the Time Lord, sighing as he felt the Pharaoh's hands move down his back, rubbing it. Yugi smiled and looked up at him, tipping his head up to kiss the underside of the Pharaoh's jaw. "Hello."
"Hello." The Pharaoh raised one hand to tangle in Yugi's hair, pulling Yugi forward into a kiss. Their lips brushed before they pulled apart, Yugi humming happily and resting his head on the Pharaoh's shoulder, one hand fisting in the Time Lord's suit and the other resting over the Time Lord's other heart. Yugi sighed, shifting to kiss the Pharaoh's neck. His lips lingered on the Time Lord's skin for a moment longer than necessary; shaking as everything came crashing down on him.
"I-I thought I was never going to see you again."
"It takes a lot to kill me. You should know that." The blithe tone that the Pharaoh used made Yugi flinch, the Pharaoh raising one hand to rest against his companion's cheek, his thumb rubbing against Yugi's skin. Yugi leaned into the caress with a sigh.
"Yes. I do." Yugi stared up at the Pharaoh, smiling at the tender look in the Time Lord's red eyes. They were so different then the eyes of the Beast when it had taken over Toby, softer and more haunted. Yugi reached up a hand to trace his fingers over the Pharaoh's face, the Time Lord standing still to allow him to explore. Yugi gave a wavering smile before burying his fingers in the Pharaoh's hair, pulling him into a kiss.
The Pharaoh stumbled back into the console, Yugi moaning as he pressed up against the Time Lord. He could feel the Pharaoh scrambling to get a hold on the console. Yugi felt the Time Lord shift, reaching up to hold Yugi close as he steadied himself. Yugi moaned into the kiss, the Time Lord's tongue pushing into his mouth to brush against his own. Unable to help himself, he rubbed against the Pharaoh, growling when he just feel the suit. He reached up to fumble with the zipper, the Pharaoh pushed off of the console, wrapping his arms around Yugi and pulling out of the kiss.
When Yugi gave a soft whine, the Pharaoh just smiled, the Time Lord panting for breath. "Let's continue this somewhere more comfortable."
Yugi nodded, the Pharaoh stepping away long enough to strip out of his suit, the familiar shirt and leather pants appearing. The Pharaoh kicked the suit to the side, reaching out to take Yugi's hand and led him into the corridors beyond the console room. Yugi wasn't patient enough to wait until they got into any of the rooms, lasting long enough for them to step into the corridors before he pushed the Pharaoh up against the wall. "Don't care. Want you."
"Yugi…" The Pharaoh stared at him before groaning, rolling his eyes and pressing his head back against the wall. Yugi hesitated, not sure how to take the move. The Time Lord stared at him for a moment before growling. "Get back here."
Yugi was pulled back into a deep kiss, his eyes widening in surprised before his hands went to grip the Pharaoh's shirt, grabbing fistfuls of material before he began to unbutton the shirt. He sought out skin as soon as it was revealed, running his hands over the Pharaoh's skin, reveling in the coolness. Yugi pulled back from the kiss to breathe, his head tipping back to allow the Pharaoh to rain kisses on his neck. He whimpered as the Pharaoh nipped his neck, hands running down the Pharaoh's chest and stomach to reach for the belts around the Time Lord's waist. He moaned with the Pharaoh, the Time Lord nuzzling his neck. "Yugi..."
"My Pharaoh." He felt the Time Lord smile against his neck before the Time Lord slipped his hand under Yugi's shirt, pulling it off before reaching for the button on Yugi's jeans. The human moaned, clinging to the Time Lord as the Pharaoh undressed him, allowing himself to be lowered to the floor. He smirked as the Pharaoh's belts fell to the floor, the Pharaoh looking at him in surprise before shaking his head.
"My sneaky companion."
"You love it." He barely had the time to smile before the Pharaoh was kissing him again, Yugi arching up against the Time Lord and closing his eyes. The cold floor against his back faded away, leaving only the feeling of the Pharaoh's hands moving over his skin. He opened his eyes slightly reaching down for one of the Time Lord's hands before bringing it up to rest on his temple, the Pharaoh shooting him a confused look. "I want all of you. All that you can give me."
The Time Lord stared at him in awe before nodding, sliding up his body to kiss Yugi.
"Yours. All yours." Yugi tried to muffle the moan, failing as the Pharaoh's free hand ventured lower. Then all he knew was heat and wonderful friction.