Across the Cosmos: Devouring Time-Chapter Twenty-Eight
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- 27-28
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Chapter Twenty-Eight: Fear Her
"And you're terrified of her. And there's no one to turn to. Cos who's going to believe what you see out of the corner of your eye? No one. Except me."
-The Doctor
"Chloe?" Trish bit her lip, carefully opening the door when there was no answer from her daughter. She looked into the room, her eyes straying to the wall by her daughter's bed, the white paint covered with colored pieces of paper, drawings covering their surface. For a moment, she felt a swell of maternal pride. Chloe was getting better with all of her practicing, Trish still had some of her older drawings stowed away and there was a marked difference. She smothered the urge to smile, turning back to the look at her daughter.
As she expected Chloe was sitting at her desk, the small television on the corner playing a cartoon, but it was obvious that the girl wasn't paying attention to the program. Trish sighed and walked into the room, glancing at the bed and finding that the blankets were messed up, the bed still unmade; that alone was a sure sign that Chloe had another nightmare. Trish shook her head and looked at her daughter again; it was easy to figure out what had happened. Chloe had woken up from her nightmare and started to draw, the only thing that distracted her from the terrors, and she had just kept drawing. Trish bit her lip before crossing the room. "Chloe?"
This time Chloe's hand hesitated for a moment, Trish taking that as a good sign. She smiled and went to lean on the desk, noticing that Chloe had started a picture of a person. She turned her head to one side before looking out the window, the white drapes pulled back so Chloe could look out into the street. In the yard across from theirs two boys were playing football, Trish smiling sadly before resting her hand on Chloe's shoulder. "You could go out and ask if you could play. I'm sure Dale would-"
"I'm busy." Chloe ducked her head, going back to her drawing. Trish glanced at the boys outside before looking at the television, reaching over to change the channel for the news station.
"Have you seen this, the opening ceremony is tonight. The Olympics, right down the street." There was no response from Chloe, Trish clearing her throat before continuing. "The torch is going to pass through here, you know, right at the end of our street. We could go down with the others when it comes through."
"I don't want to."
"Chloe, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity." There was no response from her daughter, just the scratch of the pencil across the paper. Trish dropped her head, staring at the hand that rested on the desk, her dark skin standing out against the light colored wood. It had been like this for months now, ever since Chloe's father had died. Chloe had turned inwards, spending her time drawing and reading, anything she could think of to keep her from nightmares, and then she would fall into an exhausted sleep. Trish tapped her fingers against the desk before looking up, her breath catching as she thought she saw one of the drawings move, pushing the thought aside. She was nearly as exhausted as Chloe was. "Just come outside for a little bit, it'll make you feel better."
"I'm busy."
"You always say that." Trish chuckled and stood up, walking over to the wall covered in paper. "You must have used up a whole rainforest by now."
There was no response from her daughter, Trish clearing her throat. She hated these one sided conversations, something that she thought that she had escaped from when her husband had died. She had hoped that they could start a new life, a better one now that they were free, but Chloe had just shut down on her. Trish tried to distract herself by looking at the drawings, the collection of people and animals arranged in no particular order, although all of the people looked angry or sad. Trish scowled and tried to find a happy face in the sea of colors.
"All they do is moan."
"What?" She turned to look at Chloe, sure that she had just imagined that Chloe had spoken because her daughter was concentrating on her latest drawing. Trish glanced up at the drawings on the wall before pointing at one. "That's a good one of Lauren there, but why isn't she smiling? In fact, why are all of them so sad?"
"I give them friends, they shouldn't be. They all have each other."
Trish froze at the strange response, her hand dropping back to her side. She turned back to her daughter, glancing at the television before shaking her head. "Come on Chloe, we're going outside for a bit."
She went to rest her hand on Chloe's shoulder when the girl turned around, Trish recoiling at the look on her daughter's face. It wasn't threatening; it was just blank, frighteningly blank. "I'm busy, unless you want me to draw you."
Chloe stared at her for a moment longer before going back to her drawing, her threat delivered. Some part of Trish wanted to scold her daughter for that, but her heart was pounding too quickly. Chloe would have never said that to her before and certainly never had meant it, but she did now and that scared her. Trish turned and walked back towards the door, her mind swirling with thoughts of nightmares and moving drawings.
Her hand was on the doorknob when she heard the first screams from outside, Trish wincing and holding onto the doorknob like it was the only thing that was keeping her here. She couldn't turn around and look outside, because she knew what she would see, but she couldn't believe it. She would accept that Dale had just disappeared from where he was playing without a trace and she could accept the panic that would spread because of it; both of those were completely natural in their own way. What she couldn't accept was the conclusion that she had come to about where the children disappeared to when they went missing, her mind just would not wrap around the idea.
She tightened her grip on the doorknob before opening the door, ready to trudge down the stairs and out into the street to help calm the frantic parents down, ready to let the soothing mix of lies and half-truths escape because they would help somehow. Trish ducked her head and stepped out of Chloe's room, feeling the stares from hundreds of eyes on her back.
---
Yugi peeked out of the bathroom and into his room, glancing around for any sign of the Pharaoh before walking out of the steam filled room, his hand gripping the towel around his waist. Just because it was clear didn't mean that he was safe, the Pharaoh had a skill of finding interesting spots to hide in. He didn't mind at all, he just wanted to be the one who got the jump on the Time Lord this time. After ten straight victories on the Pharaoh's side, Yugi was more than ready to even the score.
He shivered at the thought, a smirk crossing his face. What he wouldn't give to have the Pharaoh staring up at him in complete surprise, just once. And maybe he hook his finger under that collar that the Pharaoh wore while he leaned over to…Yugi shook his head to clear it, not wanting to take another shower so soon. The Pharaoh probably had better things to do, like some of the endless TARDIS repair that was needed to keep the time machine running. As much as Yugi was enjoying himself, he didn't want the TARDIS to fall apart because he was distracting the Pharaoh.
He reached out to rest a hand on the wall of the TARDIS, hearing a happy hum from the time machine. She had been sounding happier lately, and the Pharaoh had even confirmed this. It was like the TARDIS was happy for them, Yugi smiled up at the ceiling. "Morning, girl."
The TARDIS responded with a rumble, Yugi chuckling to himself before walking over to his dresser to root through it for clothes. He absently tossed a pair of jeans onto the bed, a sleeveless black t-shirt following. He glanced towards the door, his favorite jacket hanging on the back, ready in case he had to run back to get it. Yugi dropped to his stomach, reaching for his sneakers that had been kicked under the bed sometime in the past few days. He strained to reach one, jumping as he heard the familiar chime of his ring tone. Yugi stared at the semi-darkness under his bed before scrambling out from beneath it, adjusting the towel around his waist as he reached for the phone on his bedside table.
He glanced at the caller ID smiling as he saw that his mother was calling him, flipping the phone open and flopping back on his bed, nearly laughing as he heard Junri's voice over the line. "Hello?"
"Hey Mom. How long has it been this time?"
"This time? Oh, time travel." Junri sighed. "Just a few days actually. I just missed you."
Yugi sat up at that, recognizing the tone of voice. He bit his lip and glanced toward the door before sighing. "Another one not work out?"
"Another…yes." The last word was almost spoken as a whisper, Junri clearing her throat quickly. "But I never expected it to. I just thought I was over your father, and I should be. He just ran off and left me but…Never mind."
"Mom, honestly, I don't mind talking about it." Yugi smiled, hoping that Junri would talk about her life. He still missed his mother at times, but it was right that they would slowly grow apart as Yugi got older. He just didn't want her shutting him out completely. He knew most of her friends and he knew that they would be encouraging her to just find another man, a better man and forget about his father. Yugi knew better, he knew that she still held up some sort of ideal that frustrated her, but she couldn't get out of the habit of keeping it. "It'll make you feel better."
"No. I'm getting over it, I promise. I'm not going to break down again." He heard her sigh, the sound coming to an end with a little sob.
"Should I ask the Pharaoh to head back?"
"Don't you dare. Enjoy yourself, Yugi, you're only young once. This is just a little thing; I'll save you for the big things that I can't handle." Finally, Junri laughed, Yugi relaxing at the sound. His mother would be fine after a couple of days, once the frustration ebbed away. "So, what have you been up to?"
"Traveling around."
"Yugi…" she made an annoyed noise, "where have you been?"
He opened his mouth, ready to tell her about what had happened on Krop Tor, that he was going to die soon and that he wasn't technically even human anymore thanks to a fragment of the time vortex in his head. But none of that would come out. All he could think of would be how she would suddenly be alone. Of course, Junri had her friends, but that wasn't the same as family. Even Joey wasn't around anymore, he was off in a parallel world fighting off Cybermen; he was the only family she had left. He suddenly wished that the Pharaoh was there so that he could ask the Time Lord to tell his mother what was going on, but it still wouldn't be right coming from the alien, that job was his alone.
Yugi cleared his throat, about to tell his mother the truth when his cowardice got the better of him. "Artos. It's a medieval planet."
"Medieval planet, huh"
"Yes. It was great; the Pharaoh took me to a festival, one of those for rain, nice weather and fertility." He heard his mother smother a laugh. "What?"
"A fertility festival? Don't you think he's hinting at something there?" Yugi blushed and ducked his head, his mother giving into the urge to laugh. "Really now, that's too obvious, even for him."
"It wasn't like that! We just ate and danced, had a good time…but not that kind of good time." He could almost see his mother's smile, Yugi rolling his eyes and glancing at his bedside table, smiling at the little dome of red gold. "But we stopped at a bazaar on another planet and I got you something."
"Really? Yugi, you didn't have to."
"I missed your birthday, Mom." That wasn't entirely true, but Yugi didn't want to explain the entire parallel Earth adventure to her. "So better late than never, right? I'll bring it around the next time we come home."
"Something useful? I have enough clutter in this place."
Yugi laughed at the old complaint, reaching out to touch the top of the dome. "Definitely. It forecasts the weather. The Pharaoh said it might take a day or two to adjust to the Earth's weather patterns, but it'll work."
"Thank you, Yugi. So, where are you off to next?"
"I don't know. The Pharaoh hasn't come in to tell me."
"Just remind him that I'll regenerate him again if you are hurt."
"Mom, if you go into that speech again, I'm shoving you under my pillow until you're done. He takes good care of me."
"And if you forget that I'm still on the line? I don't want to hear what you and the Pharaoh do when you are alone." Yugi blushed at that, turning onto his side and away from the door, listening to his mother's laughter fade away on the other side. "Yugi? Sweetheart, are you sure you're alright? You would normally deny anything was going on between the two of you. What's happened?"
Yugi swallowed before forcing himself to speak, trying to sound cheerful as he pushed those thoughts away. "Yeah, I'm alright. It's just that…uh…"
"Oh, I see." His mother sighed and shook her head. "Well, I may not like it, but as long as you are happy, I'm happy. Just bring him around soon because I have a talk to give him."
"Mom!"
"It's my duty as a mother, Yugi; I have to make sure that he takes good care of my son."
"He already does."
Junri huffed. "There's something else, but I'm not going to push you for it. You're old enough to know how to handle yourself. Just, please, if just for my sake, be careful."
"Alright, Mom. I-"
"And use protection." Yugi was sure that he squeaked at that, Junri not seeming to hear it. "You have no idea what diseases that alien has picked up. Besides, the male of his species could carry the young. I don't want you coming home pregnant."
"Mom!" He was sure that he was bright red by now, trying to bury his face into his pillow.
"I'm just being practical, Yugi. I've seen the way you act around each other and it wouldn't surprise me if you two had already slept together. Just try and keep safe, you have not idea what's out there."
"A-alright, Mom. Love you."
"Love you too, sweetheart. Now how soon is 'soon'?"
"We'll be there when we're there. We're kind of just wandering at this point."
"Honeymoon."
"I didn't marry him, Mom!"
Junri laughed. "You better not have. I'll see you soon, sweetheart."
Yugi mumbled his own goodbye before hanging up, closing his phone and splaying out over the bed. He barely heard the Pharaoh come into the room, lost in his own mortification. Was he that easy to read? He had gotten up the courage to tell his mother that he and Miho were sleeping together, finally stopping the need for awkward lies on his part, about three weeks after they had started. How long had she actually known? It might explain some of the disappointed looks that she had given him early on in those weeks. Yugi groaned and pushed his face further into the pillows, wanting to just disappear into the bed.
He jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder, Yugi rolling over onto his side and relaxing when he saw that the Pharaoh was sitting on the end of his bed, the Time Lord rubbing his shoulder gently. Yugi gave a smile before rolling onto the other side of the bed in an attempt to give the Time Lord room to lie down, only to have the Pharaoh pull him close into a hug. He hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arms around the Pharaoh, closing his eyes with a long sigh.
"Everything alright?" Yugi opened one eye to the look at the Pharaoh before nodding, pausing for a moment before shaking his head. At the Time Lord's confused hum, he pulled back to look at the alien.
"Yeah, my mom is just…being herself."
"Mothers."
"Yeah." Yugi winced at the memory of the conversation that he just had with his mother. "She thinks I'm going to come home with an alien kid or an intergalactic STD."
The Pharaoh looked away, Yugi surprised to see a blush on his face. Yugi sat up, crawling into the Pharaoh's lap and turning the Time Lord's face so their eyes would meet. He smiled at the alien for a moment before reaching up to touch his cheek, the Pharaoh leaning into the brief touch before smiling slowly. "New body, new everything. Tell her she doesn't have to worry."
"I will." Yugi leaned forward for a quick kiss, suddenly acutely aware that the Pharaoh was completely dressed and he was only in a towel. "Now, you, out."
"It's not like I haven't seen it, Yugi."
Yugi stuck his tongue out at the Pharaoh, reaching for his clothes and heading back for the bathroom. "Yeah, but you seem to be unable to go without touching me."
"Is that such a bad thing?" He turned to look at the Pharaoh, noticing that the Time Lord was smirking. He gave his own smile before shutting the door, throwing off his towel and quickly scrambling to get into his clothes. He was just pulling the shirt over his head when the Pharaoh opened the door, Yugi yelping as he was hauled back into his bedroom and pressed against a wall, the Pharaoh kissing him. Yugi wrapped his arms around the Pharaoh's neck, tipping his head to the side.
The Time Lord pulled back a moment later, smiling and resting his forehead against Yugi's. He pushed away from the wall, allowing the Pharaoh to wrap his arms around his waist, pressing up against the Time Lord with a happy sigh. After a moment, he allowed his head to drop to rest on the Pharaoh's shoulder, absently nuzzling the skin there. "No, it's not so bad, you touching me."
He thought he heard the Time Lord laugh, but decided to ignore it for now; the Pharaoh could have his victory here. Yugi sighed happily and tried to snuggle closer, frowning when the Pharaoh had to shift to stay balanced. Reluctantly, he pulled away, staring up at the Time Lord before pulling him down for a quick kiss. "So, where to now?"
"Olympics." The Pharaoh gave him a smile and reached for his hand, Yugi eagerly taking it. He reached out to grab his jacket as they walked from the room, the Pharaoh giving him a sideways glance before leading him into the console room. "Summer Olympics, you won't need that."
"I could always use it as a pad for my seat…unless you would rather me sit on your lap." Yugi winked at the Pharaoh before flopping down in the captain's chair, raising an eyebrow as the Pharaoh stared at him. "What? I'm not allowed to be coy and sexy?"
The Pharaoh shrugged before walking around the console, stepping in front of Yugi and easily pinning him back against the captain's chair. "Of course, but you'll have to deal with the consequences."
"I like the consequences." Yugi nearly moaned at the lustful look that the Pharaoh was giving him, managing to rein himself in. They had spent the first two days after Krop Tor in bed, neither of them moving from bed unless they had to. It was only when the TARDIS needed repairs that the Pharaoh had reluctantly moved them back into their normal pattern. But they had still taken it slow, being more like tourists than anything else. It was mostly festivals that they had visited, or ancient ruins that took Yugi's breath away; more than once he had wished for a camera. But he almost missed the times when they had to run for their lives as much as he had loved taking it slow. He reached up to rest his hands on the Pharaoh's arms, drawing the Time Lord's attention away from his lips. "Olympics first though. We've been stuck inside for too long."
The Pharaoh licked his lips before nodding, turning back to the console. Yugi braced himself for the rough transition from the time vortex, the Pharaoh glancing at him before beginning to land the TARDIS. The time machine rocked as they began to enter the time they were headed for, the Pharaoh moving quickly around the console as he piloted the TARDIS to a smooth stop. He paused to grin at Yugi before walking down the ramp and opening the door, coming up short.
Yugi leaned around the time rotor, getting a glimpse of blue before the Pharaoh shut the door and nearly jogged up the ramp. He watched as the Time Lord sent the TARDIS into its dematerialization cycle before landing again quickly, rushing down the ramp to look out the door before nodding. Yugi raised an eyebrow and slipped off his seat, carrying his jacket in one hand. He stepped outside, glancing around and spotting the two crates that they had landed beside, smothering a laugh as he realized what had happened the first time that they had landed. "A little trouble there?"
"Not at all."
"Really?" Yugi walked forward to hook his arm around the Pharaoh's. "So, you parked the TARDIS the wrong way on purpose?"
The Pharaoh snorted by didn't answer, the silence saying enough for Yugi. The human chuckled and then shook his head, looking around at where they were. He didn't have to wait long before the Pharaoh spoke up. "We're in London, England in 2012."
"Do you always aim for England?"
"I was aiming for the nearest Olympics. I didn't want you to freeze in Russia or get heat stroke in Brazil, so I settled for a moderate climate." The Pharaoh looked at him, Yugi smiling at that and snuggling up to the Pharaoh, frowning as a shiver ran down his back. Experimentally he exhaled, watching as a puff of white mist drifted from his mouth.
"It's summer, right?" He turned to look at the Pharaoh, the Time Lord watching the puffs of white with a worried look on his face. Yugi shifted, wiggling free of the Pharaoh to pull on his jacket, suddenly shivering in the cold. The frown on the Pharaoh's face was enough to answer his question, it was summer here, and it felt like the middle of winter, Yugi pausing as he shrugged the jacket onto his shoulders, his attention caught by the flyers that were attached to a pole. He wandered over as the Pharaoh continued to look over the street, his eyes widening as he saw the word missing in bold across most of the flyers.
The pictures were all of children, Yugi's stomach lurching as he remembered his mother's own panic as his disappearance. And that had been knowing that he was old enough to take care of himself, he could only wonder what these parents were feeling. He frowned, lifting up one, surprised to find that there were more underneath. It was strange that there would be so many children missing from one street, especially from a residential neighborhood; there was an equal chance of it just being humans as it was aliens.
He let the paper fall back into place, aware that the Pharaoh had walked over, immediately pointing to one of the flyers on top. "This one is recent, from today."
The Pharaoh gave a curt nod, Yugi standing aside to allow the Pharaoh to look over the paper before the Time Lord turned and walked off. Yugi followed him, carefully looking around. A sign to one side said that they were in Dame Kelly Holmes Close, a seeming safe enough place. He looked up; noting the kids playing in the yards and the amount of watchful parents outside. He went to glance towards the Pharaoh, stopping when he noticed a young girl looking out of her window down at them, a chill running up his spine. That girl was connected to all of this, his instincts told him that.
He looked away, more to stop the shivers from running down his back than anything else, glancing around the street again. The only thing that looked out of place in this idyllic setting was the huge van parked to one side, two men in bright yellow vests working on the road. Yugi spared a glance their way, the van on the opposite side of the street, he would worry about them when he came back down the street on the other side or the Pharaoh would get to them. Either way, any anomaly on the street would be looked over. Yugi trudged along, trying to noticing small things that would be off, often distracted by some small family thing that would have him smiling wistfully, until he remembered that he would never be part of a family like that. Even his father from a parallel world had rejected him.
Yugi stuffed his hands into his pockets, looking up as a car stalled out on the street. He paused, glancing up to where the Pharaoh was looking over someone's yard before focusing on the car again. One of the workers moved away from his van, smiling at the person inside before shaking his head. "It's no good, they've been doing this all week. Come on, I'll help you push."
The man scrambled out of his car, the two beginning to push the car down the street. Yugi hesitated for a moment before going to help, throwing his small weight into the task and smiling when the car rolled forward at an even pace. The worker glanced over at him before nodding, the three working in silence until the car stuttered into life a couple of feet away from where it had stalled out. Its owner gave them both a wave of thanks before getting in a driving off, the worker shaking his head and looking at Yugi. "Fourth time today."
"Do they usually do that?"
"No, just around this street. Apparently it started a week ago." The worker shrugged before gesturing to the filled pothole on the street. "I'm just supposed to worry about these. The council wants this place looking its best for when that torch goes by."
"So cars stopping has become…normal?"
"Just over this part of the street." The man gestured back to the street again. "Just here and nowhere else. Strange really, that and the weather. Cold as fall but in the middle of summer."
Yugi nodded slowly, looking up when he saw that the Pharaoh was having a discussion with a man on the other side of the street. From the looks of things, the Pharaoh was getting himself into trouble. Yugi rolled his eyes and walked over. The Time Lord didn't glance back at him, reaching out to grab him and pull him close. "Ah, there you are. What have you found?"
He stared at the Pharaoh for a moment, glancing over at the angry homeowner before nodding. "Cars keep stalling out."
"You call yourselves detectives?" The homeowner laughed and shook his head. "That's nothing. You're on the case about our kids, right? Then here's a tip; find them and find them fast."
Yugi flinched as the door to the man's house slammed shut, glancing over at the Pharaoh as he felt the Time Lord's hand tighten on his arm. He wiggled his arm slightly before the Pharaoh relaxed, smiling at the Time Lord before waiting for an explanation. He didn't get one, the Pharaoh dragging him over to a spot by a goal set up in the yard, waving his hand at it. "What do you smell?"
He raised an eyebrow before taking a deep breath, Yugi coughing at the overwhelming metallic smell in the air. He backed away, leaning over as he tried to catch his breath again, relaxing a bit as the Pharaoh rested a hand on his back. Yugi cleared his throat and looked up, shaking his head as he caught a whiff of the metallic scent again. "What is that?"
"Ion energy. Something is picking things out of the world and putting them somewhere else." The Pharaoh glanced around. "It's the same with a teleport, there's always a metallic smell left behind."
"So, if we went to the places where the other kids disappeared, we'd find the same thing?" The Pharaoh nodded, Yugi glancing around the neighborhood. "So it's going to be an alien this time. Great, where do we start?"
"Keep looking around, something might come up." Yugi stared at the Pharaoh as the Time Lord walked away. It wasn't the best plan that he had heard, but it was their only plan. He sighed and stuffed his hands into his pockets, wiggling his cold fingers. He bit his lip, moving one hand out into the cold long enough to zip up his jacket before returning the hand to his pocket, walking slowly down the street and taking everything in. At times, he spotted the Pharaoh, the Time Lord visiting every spot that a child had disappeared at.
Yugi sighed, watching his breath rise in the air before tucking his chin into his jacket, closing his eyes for a moment. It was odd for things to be so normal when something was wrong; aside from the small hints, but there was no way to connect them. Missing children did not immediately trigger a change in the weather. Yugi shook his head, continuing his stroll down the street, taking careful note of the looks that were shot his way. All of them were wary, the people here not liking strangers, probably afraid for their own children.
He hummed to himself as he walked, wanting to do something to fill the silence of the street. He hated the moments where it would go all silent, too used to those meaning that something would come after them. Yugi froze as he heard something rattling around, turning to stare at the garage door beside him. He stood still, listening to the sound disappear before starting up again. He bit his lip, glancing around for the Pharaoh before shrugging and walking forward. Whatever was in there sounded small and, if it was small, there was a better chance of it not being dangerous. But that theory had been proven wrong before. Yugi reached out to get a hold on the garage door, staring at the white surface in front of him before taking a deep breath, there was only one way to find out.
The first push got him nowhere, the door creaking a bit before settling back into place. Yugi tried again, smiling as the garage door slowly began to rise, shifting to adjust his grip so he wouldn't drop it back down. In the short moment it took, Yugi pausing to be sure that he had it, something slipped out of the garage. Yugi heard it buzzing around near the ground before it suddenly leapt up at his face. He yelped and fell backwards, the garage door slamming back to the ground.
He grunted as he hit the ground, the compact black creature launching itself at his face and neck, Yugi immediately curling up in a ball to protect himself. The move made the creature buzz more angrily, attacking fast and actually hitting Yugi, but there was no pain, only a slight crinkling noise when the creature bounced off him. Yugi cautiously opened one eye, staring at the thing for a moment before he had to close his eye again, the creature lunging for it. From the one look that he had managed to get of the creature, it looked like a tangled mass of black wire, Yugi trying to think of a way to stop it from attacking.
Yugi twitched a bit at the sound of his name, hearing the sound of someone running before the buzz of the sonic screwdriver. The creature gave a whine before dropping, Yugi rolling over onto his back to catch the thing, staring at it. Now that it wasn't trying to kill him, it was packed into a smaller ball, Yugi staring at it before cautiously getting to his feet, the Pharaoh obviously trying not to hover over him. Yugi rolled his eyes and pulled the Pharaoh into a hug, the Time Lord clinging to him. "You alright?"
"Yeah, no harm done." Yugi pulled away, going back to staring at the creature in his hand. "But what is it?"
The Pharaoh cautiously looked over the creature, picking it up and holding it up to the light before shaking his head, dropping it back into Yugi's hand. "No idea."
"Well, it isn't dangerous." Yugi gave him a smile before shrugging, jerking his head back towards where they had left the time machine. "TARDIS?"
The Pharaoh nodded, reaching for Yugi's free hand and grabbing it. The tight hold spoke volumes about the Pharaoh, the Time Lord still worried over the attack. Yugi just smiled, tucking the creature into his pocket before snuggling close to the Pharaoh, offering his physical presence as comfort. The move worked, the Time Lord taking a deep breath and relaxing, glancing down at Yugi with a soft smile, the smile that always made Yugi's heart flutter. "Better now?"
"Much." The Pharaoh squeezed his hand in thanks before he turned his attention to the street that they were walking down, the blue of the TARDIS visible between the two crates.
Yugi laughed at the sight, the Pharaoh glancing back down at him with a confused look. "She's making friends."
"Probably not. The TARDIS can be a bit snobbish, she only takes the best." Yugi raised an eyebrow before laughing, shaking his head and leaning against the Pharaoh. The Time Lord stopped, pulling Yugi away from his side and turning to face the human. He lifted Yugi's chin slightly, smiling at his companion. "I mean it, Yugi, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
He closed his eyes as the Pharaoh kissed his forehead, sighing as he felt the Time Lord wrap an arm around his waist. Part of this sudden relaxation had to come from their bond, Yugi was sure of it. The Pharaoh was probably sending some happy emotion down it. Of course, Yugi couldn't reciprocate, not unless he was imitating the Pharaoh's methods of getting into another's mind. It made him feel a little bad at times, that the bond was there but he wasn't able to offer the Pharaoh the full potential of the tie. Yugi just sighed and allowed the Pharaoh to pull him into a quick hug. "Come on, creature to look at."
Yugi nodded and grabbed the Pharaoh's hand again, smiling as he towed the Pharaoh forward, listening to the Pharaoh chuckle. He glanced back before reaching for the chain around his neck, pulling the TARDIS key out of its spot under his shirt. The little ankh that he had hung on the chain knocked against the key, Yugi smiling at that before pushing it out of the way, sticking the key into the lock and unlocking the time machine. He stepped into the console room, unzipping his jacket with a happy sigh, glad to be in the warmth.
He reached into his pocket, pulling out the creature and passing it to the Pharaoh as the Time Lord walked past, rubbing his hands together as he followed the Pharaoh. He blew on his hands, walking around the console and leaning against it as he watched the Pharaoh work, setting the creature on a section of the TARDIS console. There was a flurrying of clicks, Yugi jumping as they were translated into a melody in his head.
Slowly, he was beginning to understand what each thing was. The gentle presence in the back of his mind was the Pharaoh, strong and steady. The TARDIS was harder to detect, the ancient time machine subtle in it's presence in his mind. And the music, the music was something that Yugi was still working out. It seemed to be the combined presence of the Pharaoh and the TARDIS, but so much more. He had spent a few days in the library trying to figure it out, only coming up with the music of the spheres as the closest thing to what he had. Reluctant to talk to the Time Lord about it, Yugi just assumed it was his version of dealing with time. The Pharaoh seemed to instinctively know what to do, and Yugi heard music. Sometimes he could heard it when something was wrong, the melody hiding somewhere in his mind the rest of the time. Sometimes it cropped up when there was nothing wrong, but it was welcome then.
Yugi smiled to himself, jumping when the Pharaoh made a surprised noise, Yugi's gaze darting back to the view screen, trying to read the symbols that were flashing up on the screen. After a moment, the Pharaoh reached out and grabbed the creature, reaching into the pockets of his long coat to pull out a pencil. Yugi merely raised his eyebrow at that, too used to the Pharaoh pulling strange things out of his jacket. The Time Lord paid no attention to him, using the eraser to erase part of the creature, Yugi leaning forward to make sure that he wasn't just seeing things. "You can erase it!"
"Yes." The Pharaoh put the creature down on the console again with care, tucking it carefully among the stuff already there. Yugi smiled and reached out to stroke the creature with a finger before looking at the Pharaoh, the Time Lord looking back at the screen. "Says it's made of graphite."
"Like a pencil?" Yugi shivered, his mind suddenly going back to the little girl that had been staring down at him from her window. He didn't remember if she had been holding a pencil, but it was just a hunch. He licked his lips, reaching out to put a finger on the creature again. "If things can be pulled from this world, could things be pulled from another?"
"It's not worlds, just places. But yes." The Pharaoh waved a hand, Yugi ducking around the limb before clearing his throat.
"It's a scribble." The Pharaoh turned to look at him, an eyebrow raised. "From a child's drawing. You scribble it out when you make a mistake. There's this girl on that street, I think she might be a good place to start."
The Pharaoh leaned back against the console, drumming his fingers against the coral before slowly nodding, Yugi smiling as he looked up. The Time Lord smiled as well. "See, you're the best."
"Nah, there's probably someone better."
"No." The Pharaoh pulled him into a hug, Yugi squeezing the Time Lord tightly before spinning around in his hold, wrapping them both in the Time Lord's coat, pressing back against the Time Lord. The Pharaoh was slightly cooler than he was, but it was still comforting, and much warmer than it would be outside. "You can't stay in my coat."
"It's warm."
"It may be warm, but we have something to do." Yugi huffed and shuffled out of his warm spot, the Pharaoh giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll make it up to you later."
"Good." Yugi zipped up his jacket again, tucking one hand into his pocket while leaving the other out. The Pharaoh took his hand, the two of them stepping out of the TARDIS and walking back up the street, Yugi's gaze going back to the second floor of the houses. He spotted the one where he had seen the little girl in the window, relived that she wasn't there. He wasn't sure he could stand up to that stare again. Yugi nudged the Pharaoh in the right direction, staring at the front door as they approached the house. "So, still masquerading as cops?"
"No. We tell the truth." The Pharaoh glanced over at Yugi. "We owe it to them."
Yugi didn't answer, reaching forward to knock on the door, letting his hand slip from the Pharaoh's. The Time Lord glanced his way once before the door opened, Yugi giving a friendly smile, but he stayed silent; he would let the Pharaoh talk. "Hello, we've come to see you daughter."
The woman tensed, staring at the both of them, Yugi noticing that she was clinging to the door. "I-is she in some kind of trouble? How come I didn't hear about it?"
"She's not in trouble. We're just here to help."
"Help?" The woman's hand twitched on the door, Yugi watching her glance back inside before shaking her head. "No, no we don't need you…" She bit her lip, shaking as he looked down at the ground. Yugi was about to move forward when she looked up again. "Can you really help her? I've done everything I can think of, but there's nothing I can do. Can you?"
The Pharaoh smiled softly before nodding, the woman opening the door the rest of the way before allowing them to step in. She looked nervously outside before shutting the door, ushering them into the living room and quickly turning off the television, Yugi getting a glimpse of the Olympic coverage before she began to pace the front of the room. The woman made several false starts before clearing her throat and standing in one place, swaying a bit. "Well, I'm Trish, Trish Webber."
"I'm Yugi Mutou and this is the Pharaoh." Yugi gestured at the Time Lord, who gave a little nod. Trish stared at him for a moment before shaking her head.
"You said you could help my daughter, and please don't lie to me. She hasn't been right for a week and before that she was getting barely any sleep, she had all of these nightmares." Trish bit her lip, glancing towards the stairs before lowering her voice. "They started when her father died, and don't apologize, he was horrible to the two of us, I'm almost glad he's gone. But Chloe, my daughter, she's been having nightmares and not sleeping. Then, all of a sudden, she's just drawing all the time and refusing to go outside. And she's still not sleeping."
Yugi glanced at the Pharaoh, watching the Time Lord nod slowly before getting up. He made a vague motion towards the hallway, Trish pausing a moment before realizing what he meant. "Sure. The bathroom is upstairs, last door on the right."
He nodded his thanks before walking up the stairs, partially listening to Trish continue to defend her daughter, sure that the Pharaoh would distract her for as long as it took for him to check out Chloe's room. Yugi stood in the upstairs hallway for a moment before looking at the doors on the right, padding down the hall. He paused at the door with the sign Chloe's Room on it, staring at it before darting into the bathroom as Chloe came out. Yugi swallowed, glancing out from his hiding spot in the bathroom, having to crane his head to even get a glimpse of her.
Chloe walked downstairs, Yugi hearing her footsteps instead of seeing her, the angle too hard for his neck to handle. He let out his breath quickly, glancing around the bathroom before leaning over to flush the toilet, hoping that it would be enough of a cover. He walked out of the bathroom before passing Chloe's room, noticing that the door was open. He looked around, peeking his head in further as he listening for anyone coming upstairs.
From what he could see from the room, it was clear. There was nothing remotely alien about the room, just a bunch of pictures on the wall. Yugi smiled as he saw one of a cat sitting, chuckling to himself and glancing down the hall before looking into the room, his smile disappearing. He was sure that he was looking at the same picture, it was definitely the same. A yellow cat on a piece of orange paper, but the cat wasn't sitting anymore; it was leaping up to bat as something at the top of the paper and falling back down. It repeated the maneuver a few more times before going to sit in another corner, licking its paw.
Yugi swallowed nervously before looking around the room, catching other pictures in motion, sure of what he was seeing. All the pictures in this room were alive, and that was definitely alien. He pushed away from the doorway, about to go out when he heard a deep chuckle from the room. "I'm coming for you."
He froze, trembling as he registered the voice. The cruelty in it and the rumble to it reminded him of the Beast, Yugi's breath coming quickly as he remembered the Beast's own prophecy about him. "The valiant child who will die in battle so very soon." He was barely aware of the closet in the room rattling, backing up against the wall as he tried to fight the impulse to go in and open the closet. There was something in the room that wanted him to go and set it free.
Yugi shook his head, reaching up one hand to clutch at the key under his shirt, trying to calm himself. The Pharaoh would sense his distress soon enough and the Time Lord would come up here. Until then, he needed to stay away from that thing and keep from opening the door. Perhaps that thing was the reason that the kids were disappearing, that a better reason that the girl that lived here. Maybe she was too frightened to scare the alien away, but that's what they were here for.
He shivered violently as the creature spoke again, not hearing the words, his mind thousands of planets and years away as he remembered the Beast again. "He will die and I will live. Nothing you try will change that, Time Lord."
Yugi dropped the key, wrapping his arms around himself and trying to fight off the urge, smothering a yelp as he shuffled into the room, reaching for the closet. He shook his head, wondering why he couldn't control his body, vaguely aware of the worry that was being sent down the link from the Pharaoh, but Yugi couldn't answer back, just staring in horror as he opened the closet doors, the clothes already pushed to the side to reveal the thing that was in there.
A great beast of a man stared back of him, the back of the closet tinted red through some means that Yugi couldn't see, but his eyes jumped to meet the drawing's eyes, shivering at the bright yellow eyes that stared back at him. The drawing laughed again, Yugi's hands tightening on the closet doors, his arms shaking as he tried to shut it, but the drawing was still trying to get them to keep it open, to keep the doors open so it could escape. "I'm coming to hurt you."
"Pharaoh!"
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- 27-28
---
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Fear Her
"And you're terrified of her. And there's no one to turn to. Cos who's going to believe what you see out of the corner of your eye? No one. Except me."
-The Doctor
"Chloe?" Trish bit her lip, carefully opening the door when there was no answer from her daughter. She looked into the room, her eyes straying to the wall by her daughter's bed, the white paint covered with colored pieces of paper, drawings covering their surface. For a moment, she felt a swell of maternal pride. Chloe was getting better with all of her practicing, Trish still had some of her older drawings stowed away and there was a marked difference. She smothered the urge to smile, turning back to the look at her daughter.
As she expected Chloe was sitting at her desk, the small television on the corner playing a cartoon, but it was obvious that the girl wasn't paying attention to the program. Trish sighed and walked into the room, glancing at the bed and finding that the blankets were messed up, the bed still unmade; that alone was a sure sign that Chloe had another nightmare. Trish shook her head and looked at her daughter again; it was easy to figure out what had happened. Chloe had woken up from her nightmare and started to draw, the only thing that distracted her from the terrors, and she had just kept drawing. Trish bit her lip before crossing the room. "Chloe?"
This time Chloe's hand hesitated for a moment, Trish taking that as a good sign. She smiled and went to lean on the desk, noticing that Chloe had started a picture of a person. She turned her head to one side before looking out the window, the white drapes pulled back so Chloe could look out into the street. In the yard across from theirs two boys were playing football, Trish smiling sadly before resting her hand on Chloe's shoulder. "You could go out and ask if you could play. I'm sure Dale would-"
"I'm busy." Chloe ducked her head, going back to her drawing. Trish glanced at the boys outside before looking at the television, reaching over to change the channel for the news station.
"Have you seen this, the opening ceremony is tonight. The Olympics, right down the street." There was no response from Chloe, Trish clearing her throat before continuing. "The torch is going to pass through here, you know, right at the end of our street. We could go down with the others when it comes through."
"I don't want to."
"Chloe, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity." There was no response from her daughter, just the scratch of the pencil across the paper. Trish dropped her head, staring at the hand that rested on the desk, her dark skin standing out against the light colored wood. It had been like this for months now, ever since Chloe's father had died. Chloe had turned inwards, spending her time drawing and reading, anything she could think of to keep her from nightmares, and then she would fall into an exhausted sleep. Trish tapped her fingers against the desk before looking up, her breath catching as she thought she saw one of the drawings move, pushing the thought aside. She was nearly as exhausted as Chloe was. "Just come outside for a little bit, it'll make you feel better."
"I'm busy."
"You always say that." Trish chuckled and stood up, walking over to the wall covered in paper. "You must have used up a whole rainforest by now."
There was no response from her daughter, Trish clearing her throat. She hated these one sided conversations, something that she thought that she had escaped from when her husband had died. She had hoped that they could start a new life, a better one now that they were free, but Chloe had just shut down on her. Trish tried to distract herself by looking at the drawings, the collection of people and animals arranged in no particular order, although all of the people looked angry or sad. Trish scowled and tried to find a happy face in the sea of colors.
"All they do is moan."
"What?" She turned to look at Chloe, sure that she had just imagined that Chloe had spoken because her daughter was concentrating on her latest drawing. Trish glanced up at the drawings on the wall before pointing at one. "That's a good one of Lauren there, but why isn't she smiling? In fact, why are all of them so sad?"
"I give them friends, they shouldn't be. They all have each other."
Trish froze at the strange response, her hand dropping back to her side. She turned back to her daughter, glancing at the television before shaking her head. "Come on Chloe, we're going outside for a bit."
She went to rest her hand on Chloe's shoulder when the girl turned around, Trish recoiling at the look on her daughter's face. It wasn't threatening; it was just blank, frighteningly blank. "I'm busy, unless you want me to draw you."
Chloe stared at her for a moment longer before going back to her drawing, her threat delivered. Some part of Trish wanted to scold her daughter for that, but her heart was pounding too quickly. Chloe would have never said that to her before and certainly never had meant it, but she did now and that scared her. Trish turned and walked back towards the door, her mind swirling with thoughts of nightmares and moving drawings.
Her hand was on the doorknob when she heard the first screams from outside, Trish wincing and holding onto the doorknob like it was the only thing that was keeping her here. She couldn't turn around and look outside, because she knew what she would see, but she couldn't believe it. She would accept that Dale had just disappeared from where he was playing without a trace and she could accept the panic that would spread because of it; both of those were completely natural in their own way. What she couldn't accept was the conclusion that she had come to about where the children disappeared to when they went missing, her mind just would not wrap around the idea.
She tightened her grip on the doorknob before opening the door, ready to trudge down the stairs and out into the street to help calm the frantic parents down, ready to let the soothing mix of lies and half-truths escape because they would help somehow. Trish ducked her head and stepped out of Chloe's room, feeling the stares from hundreds of eyes on her back.
---
Yugi peeked out of the bathroom and into his room, glancing around for any sign of the Pharaoh before walking out of the steam filled room, his hand gripping the towel around his waist. Just because it was clear didn't mean that he was safe, the Pharaoh had a skill of finding interesting spots to hide in. He didn't mind at all, he just wanted to be the one who got the jump on the Time Lord this time. After ten straight victories on the Pharaoh's side, Yugi was more than ready to even the score.
He shivered at the thought, a smirk crossing his face. What he wouldn't give to have the Pharaoh staring up at him in complete surprise, just once. And maybe he hook his finger under that collar that the Pharaoh wore while he leaned over to…Yugi shook his head to clear it, not wanting to take another shower so soon. The Pharaoh probably had better things to do, like some of the endless TARDIS repair that was needed to keep the time machine running. As much as Yugi was enjoying himself, he didn't want the TARDIS to fall apart because he was distracting the Pharaoh.
He reached out to rest a hand on the wall of the TARDIS, hearing a happy hum from the time machine. She had been sounding happier lately, and the Pharaoh had even confirmed this. It was like the TARDIS was happy for them, Yugi smiled up at the ceiling. "Morning, girl."
The TARDIS responded with a rumble, Yugi chuckling to himself before walking over to his dresser to root through it for clothes. He absently tossed a pair of jeans onto the bed, a sleeveless black t-shirt following. He glanced towards the door, his favorite jacket hanging on the back, ready in case he had to run back to get it. Yugi dropped to his stomach, reaching for his sneakers that had been kicked under the bed sometime in the past few days. He strained to reach one, jumping as he heard the familiar chime of his ring tone. Yugi stared at the semi-darkness under his bed before scrambling out from beneath it, adjusting the towel around his waist as he reached for the phone on his bedside table.
He glanced at the caller ID smiling as he saw that his mother was calling him, flipping the phone open and flopping back on his bed, nearly laughing as he heard Junri's voice over the line. "Hello?"
"Hey Mom. How long has it been this time?"
"This time? Oh, time travel." Junri sighed. "Just a few days actually. I just missed you."
Yugi sat up at that, recognizing the tone of voice. He bit his lip and glanced toward the door before sighing. "Another one not work out?"
"Another…yes." The last word was almost spoken as a whisper, Junri clearing her throat quickly. "But I never expected it to. I just thought I was over your father, and I should be. He just ran off and left me but…Never mind."
"Mom, honestly, I don't mind talking about it." Yugi smiled, hoping that Junri would talk about her life. He still missed his mother at times, but it was right that they would slowly grow apart as Yugi got older. He just didn't want her shutting him out completely. He knew most of her friends and he knew that they would be encouraging her to just find another man, a better man and forget about his father. Yugi knew better, he knew that she still held up some sort of ideal that frustrated her, but she couldn't get out of the habit of keeping it. "It'll make you feel better."
"No. I'm getting over it, I promise. I'm not going to break down again." He heard her sigh, the sound coming to an end with a little sob.
"Should I ask the Pharaoh to head back?"
"Don't you dare. Enjoy yourself, Yugi, you're only young once. This is just a little thing; I'll save you for the big things that I can't handle." Finally, Junri laughed, Yugi relaxing at the sound. His mother would be fine after a couple of days, once the frustration ebbed away. "So, what have you been up to?"
"Traveling around."
"Yugi…" she made an annoyed noise, "where have you been?"
He opened his mouth, ready to tell her about what had happened on Krop Tor, that he was going to die soon and that he wasn't technically even human anymore thanks to a fragment of the time vortex in his head. But none of that would come out. All he could think of would be how she would suddenly be alone. Of course, Junri had her friends, but that wasn't the same as family. Even Joey wasn't around anymore, he was off in a parallel world fighting off Cybermen; he was the only family she had left. He suddenly wished that the Pharaoh was there so that he could ask the Time Lord to tell his mother what was going on, but it still wouldn't be right coming from the alien, that job was his alone.
Yugi cleared his throat, about to tell his mother the truth when his cowardice got the better of him. "Artos. It's a medieval planet."
"Medieval planet, huh"
"Yes. It was great; the Pharaoh took me to a festival, one of those for rain, nice weather and fertility." He heard his mother smother a laugh. "What?"
"A fertility festival? Don't you think he's hinting at something there?" Yugi blushed and ducked his head, his mother giving into the urge to laugh. "Really now, that's too obvious, even for him."
"It wasn't like that! We just ate and danced, had a good time…but not that kind of good time." He could almost see his mother's smile, Yugi rolling his eyes and glancing at his bedside table, smiling at the little dome of red gold. "But we stopped at a bazaar on another planet and I got you something."
"Really? Yugi, you didn't have to."
"I missed your birthday, Mom." That wasn't entirely true, but Yugi didn't want to explain the entire parallel Earth adventure to her. "So better late than never, right? I'll bring it around the next time we come home."
"Something useful? I have enough clutter in this place."
Yugi laughed at the old complaint, reaching out to touch the top of the dome. "Definitely. It forecasts the weather. The Pharaoh said it might take a day or two to adjust to the Earth's weather patterns, but it'll work."
"Thank you, Yugi. So, where are you off to next?"
"I don't know. The Pharaoh hasn't come in to tell me."
"Just remind him that I'll regenerate him again if you are hurt."
"Mom, if you go into that speech again, I'm shoving you under my pillow until you're done. He takes good care of me."
"And if you forget that I'm still on the line? I don't want to hear what you and the Pharaoh do when you are alone." Yugi blushed at that, turning onto his side and away from the door, listening to his mother's laughter fade away on the other side. "Yugi? Sweetheart, are you sure you're alright? You would normally deny anything was going on between the two of you. What's happened?"
Yugi swallowed before forcing himself to speak, trying to sound cheerful as he pushed those thoughts away. "Yeah, I'm alright. It's just that…uh…"
"Oh, I see." His mother sighed and shook her head. "Well, I may not like it, but as long as you are happy, I'm happy. Just bring him around soon because I have a talk to give him."
"Mom!"
"It's my duty as a mother, Yugi; I have to make sure that he takes good care of my son."
"He already does."
Junri huffed. "There's something else, but I'm not going to push you for it. You're old enough to know how to handle yourself. Just, please, if just for my sake, be careful."
"Alright, Mom. I-"
"And use protection." Yugi was sure that he squeaked at that, Junri not seeming to hear it. "You have no idea what diseases that alien has picked up. Besides, the male of his species could carry the young. I don't want you coming home pregnant."
"Mom!" He was sure that he was bright red by now, trying to bury his face into his pillow.
"I'm just being practical, Yugi. I've seen the way you act around each other and it wouldn't surprise me if you two had already slept together. Just try and keep safe, you have not idea what's out there."
"A-alright, Mom. Love you."
"Love you too, sweetheart. Now how soon is 'soon'?"
"We'll be there when we're there. We're kind of just wandering at this point."
"Honeymoon."
"I didn't marry him, Mom!"
Junri laughed. "You better not have. I'll see you soon, sweetheart."
Yugi mumbled his own goodbye before hanging up, closing his phone and splaying out over the bed. He barely heard the Pharaoh come into the room, lost in his own mortification. Was he that easy to read? He had gotten up the courage to tell his mother that he and Miho were sleeping together, finally stopping the need for awkward lies on his part, about three weeks after they had started. How long had she actually known? It might explain some of the disappointed looks that she had given him early on in those weeks. Yugi groaned and pushed his face further into the pillows, wanting to just disappear into the bed.
He jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder, Yugi rolling over onto his side and relaxing when he saw that the Pharaoh was sitting on the end of his bed, the Time Lord rubbing his shoulder gently. Yugi gave a smile before rolling onto the other side of the bed in an attempt to give the Time Lord room to lie down, only to have the Pharaoh pull him close into a hug. He hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arms around the Pharaoh, closing his eyes with a long sigh.
"Everything alright?" Yugi opened one eye to the look at the Pharaoh before nodding, pausing for a moment before shaking his head. At the Time Lord's confused hum, he pulled back to look at the alien.
"Yeah, my mom is just…being herself."
"Mothers."
"Yeah." Yugi winced at the memory of the conversation that he just had with his mother. "She thinks I'm going to come home with an alien kid or an intergalactic STD."
The Pharaoh looked away, Yugi surprised to see a blush on his face. Yugi sat up, crawling into the Pharaoh's lap and turning the Time Lord's face so their eyes would meet. He smiled at the alien for a moment before reaching up to touch his cheek, the Pharaoh leaning into the brief touch before smiling slowly. "New body, new everything. Tell her she doesn't have to worry."
"I will." Yugi leaned forward for a quick kiss, suddenly acutely aware that the Pharaoh was completely dressed and he was only in a towel. "Now, you, out."
"It's not like I haven't seen it, Yugi."
Yugi stuck his tongue out at the Pharaoh, reaching for his clothes and heading back for the bathroom. "Yeah, but you seem to be unable to go without touching me."
"Is that such a bad thing?" He turned to look at the Pharaoh, noticing that the Time Lord was smirking. He gave his own smile before shutting the door, throwing off his towel and quickly scrambling to get into his clothes. He was just pulling the shirt over his head when the Pharaoh opened the door, Yugi yelping as he was hauled back into his bedroom and pressed against a wall, the Pharaoh kissing him. Yugi wrapped his arms around the Pharaoh's neck, tipping his head to the side.
The Time Lord pulled back a moment later, smiling and resting his forehead against Yugi's. He pushed away from the wall, allowing the Pharaoh to wrap his arms around his waist, pressing up against the Time Lord with a happy sigh. After a moment, he allowed his head to drop to rest on the Pharaoh's shoulder, absently nuzzling the skin there. "No, it's not so bad, you touching me."
He thought he heard the Time Lord laugh, but decided to ignore it for now; the Pharaoh could have his victory here. Yugi sighed happily and tried to snuggle closer, frowning when the Pharaoh had to shift to stay balanced. Reluctantly, he pulled away, staring up at the Time Lord before pulling him down for a quick kiss. "So, where to now?"
"Olympics." The Pharaoh gave him a smile and reached for his hand, Yugi eagerly taking it. He reached out to grab his jacket as they walked from the room, the Pharaoh giving him a sideways glance before leading him into the console room. "Summer Olympics, you won't need that."
"I could always use it as a pad for my seat…unless you would rather me sit on your lap." Yugi winked at the Pharaoh before flopping down in the captain's chair, raising an eyebrow as the Pharaoh stared at him. "What? I'm not allowed to be coy and sexy?"
The Pharaoh shrugged before walking around the console, stepping in front of Yugi and easily pinning him back against the captain's chair. "Of course, but you'll have to deal with the consequences."
"I like the consequences." Yugi nearly moaned at the lustful look that the Pharaoh was giving him, managing to rein himself in. They had spent the first two days after Krop Tor in bed, neither of them moving from bed unless they had to. It was only when the TARDIS needed repairs that the Pharaoh had reluctantly moved them back into their normal pattern. But they had still taken it slow, being more like tourists than anything else. It was mostly festivals that they had visited, or ancient ruins that took Yugi's breath away; more than once he had wished for a camera. But he almost missed the times when they had to run for their lives as much as he had loved taking it slow. He reached up to rest his hands on the Pharaoh's arms, drawing the Time Lord's attention away from his lips. "Olympics first though. We've been stuck inside for too long."
The Pharaoh licked his lips before nodding, turning back to the console. Yugi braced himself for the rough transition from the time vortex, the Pharaoh glancing at him before beginning to land the TARDIS. The time machine rocked as they began to enter the time they were headed for, the Pharaoh moving quickly around the console as he piloted the TARDIS to a smooth stop. He paused to grin at Yugi before walking down the ramp and opening the door, coming up short.
Yugi leaned around the time rotor, getting a glimpse of blue before the Pharaoh shut the door and nearly jogged up the ramp. He watched as the Time Lord sent the TARDIS into its dematerialization cycle before landing again quickly, rushing down the ramp to look out the door before nodding. Yugi raised an eyebrow and slipped off his seat, carrying his jacket in one hand. He stepped outside, glancing around and spotting the two crates that they had landed beside, smothering a laugh as he realized what had happened the first time that they had landed. "A little trouble there?"
"Not at all."
"Really?" Yugi walked forward to hook his arm around the Pharaoh's. "So, you parked the TARDIS the wrong way on purpose?"
The Pharaoh snorted by didn't answer, the silence saying enough for Yugi. The human chuckled and then shook his head, looking around at where they were. He didn't have to wait long before the Pharaoh spoke up. "We're in London, England in 2012."
"Do you always aim for England?"
"I was aiming for the nearest Olympics. I didn't want you to freeze in Russia or get heat stroke in Brazil, so I settled for a moderate climate." The Pharaoh looked at him, Yugi smiling at that and snuggling up to the Pharaoh, frowning as a shiver ran down his back. Experimentally he exhaled, watching as a puff of white mist drifted from his mouth.
"It's summer, right?" He turned to look at the Pharaoh, the Time Lord watching the puffs of white with a worried look on his face. Yugi shifted, wiggling free of the Pharaoh to pull on his jacket, suddenly shivering in the cold. The frown on the Pharaoh's face was enough to answer his question, it was summer here, and it felt like the middle of winter, Yugi pausing as he shrugged the jacket onto his shoulders, his attention caught by the flyers that were attached to a pole. He wandered over as the Pharaoh continued to look over the street, his eyes widening as he saw the word missing in bold across most of the flyers.
The pictures were all of children, Yugi's stomach lurching as he remembered his mother's own panic as his disappearance. And that had been knowing that he was old enough to take care of himself, he could only wonder what these parents were feeling. He frowned, lifting up one, surprised to find that there were more underneath. It was strange that there would be so many children missing from one street, especially from a residential neighborhood; there was an equal chance of it just being humans as it was aliens.
He let the paper fall back into place, aware that the Pharaoh had walked over, immediately pointing to one of the flyers on top. "This one is recent, from today."
The Pharaoh gave a curt nod, Yugi standing aside to allow the Pharaoh to look over the paper before the Time Lord turned and walked off. Yugi followed him, carefully looking around. A sign to one side said that they were in Dame Kelly Holmes Close, a seeming safe enough place. He looked up; noting the kids playing in the yards and the amount of watchful parents outside. He went to glance towards the Pharaoh, stopping when he noticed a young girl looking out of her window down at them, a chill running up his spine. That girl was connected to all of this, his instincts told him that.
He looked away, more to stop the shivers from running down his back than anything else, glancing around the street again. The only thing that looked out of place in this idyllic setting was the huge van parked to one side, two men in bright yellow vests working on the road. Yugi spared a glance their way, the van on the opposite side of the street, he would worry about them when he came back down the street on the other side or the Pharaoh would get to them. Either way, any anomaly on the street would be looked over. Yugi trudged along, trying to noticing small things that would be off, often distracted by some small family thing that would have him smiling wistfully, until he remembered that he would never be part of a family like that. Even his father from a parallel world had rejected him.
Yugi stuffed his hands into his pockets, looking up as a car stalled out on the street. He paused, glancing up to where the Pharaoh was looking over someone's yard before focusing on the car again. One of the workers moved away from his van, smiling at the person inside before shaking his head. "It's no good, they've been doing this all week. Come on, I'll help you push."
The man scrambled out of his car, the two beginning to push the car down the street. Yugi hesitated for a moment before going to help, throwing his small weight into the task and smiling when the car rolled forward at an even pace. The worker glanced over at him before nodding, the three working in silence until the car stuttered into life a couple of feet away from where it had stalled out. Its owner gave them both a wave of thanks before getting in a driving off, the worker shaking his head and looking at Yugi. "Fourth time today."
"Do they usually do that?"
"No, just around this street. Apparently it started a week ago." The worker shrugged before gesturing to the filled pothole on the street. "I'm just supposed to worry about these. The council wants this place looking its best for when that torch goes by."
"So cars stopping has become…normal?"
"Just over this part of the street." The man gestured back to the street again. "Just here and nowhere else. Strange really, that and the weather. Cold as fall but in the middle of summer."
Yugi nodded slowly, looking up when he saw that the Pharaoh was having a discussion with a man on the other side of the street. From the looks of things, the Pharaoh was getting himself into trouble. Yugi rolled his eyes and walked over. The Time Lord didn't glance back at him, reaching out to grab him and pull him close. "Ah, there you are. What have you found?"
He stared at the Pharaoh for a moment, glancing over at the angry homeowner before nodding. "Cars keep stalling out."
"You call yourselves detectives?" The homeowner laughed and shook his head. "That's nothing. You're on the case about our kids, right? Then here's a tip; find them and find them fast."
Yugi flinched as the door to the man's house slammed shut, glancing over at the Pharaoh as he felt the Time Lord's hand tighten on his arm. He wiggled his arm slightly before the Pharaoh relaxed, smiling at the Time Lord before waiting for an explanation. He didn't get one, the Pharaoh dragging him over to a spot by a goal set up in the yard, waving his hand at it. "What do you smell?"
He raised an eyebrow before taking a deep breath, Yugi coughing at the overwhelming metallic smell in the air. He backed away, leaning over as he tried to catch his breath again, relaxing a bit as the Pharaoh rested a hand on his back. Yugi cleared his throat and looked up, shaking his head as he caught a whiff of the metallic scent again. "What is that?"
"Ion energy. Something is picking things out of the world and putting them somewhere else." The Pharaoh glanced around. "It's the same with a teleport, there's always a metallic smell left behind."
"So, if we went to the places where the other kids disappeared, we'd find the same thing?" The Pharaoh nodded, Yugi glancing around the neighborhood. "So it's going to be an alien this time. Great, where do we start?"
"Keep looking around, something might come up." Yugi stared at the Pharaoh as the Time Lord walked away. It wasn't the best plan that he had heard, but it was their only plan. He sighed and stuffed his hands into his pockets, wiggling his cold fingers. He bit his lip, moving one hand out into the cold long enough to zip up his jacket before returning the hand to his pocket, walking slowly down the street and taking everything in. At times, he spotted the Pharaoh, the Time Lord visiting every spot that a child had disappeared at.
Yugi sighed, watching his breath rise in the air before tucking his chin into his jacket, closing his eyes for a moment. It was odd for things to be so normal when something was wrong; aside from the small hints, but there was no way to connect them. Missing children did not immediately trigger a change in the weather. Yugi shook his head, continuing his stroll down the street, taking careful note of the looks that were shot his way. All of them were wary, the people here not liking strangers, probably afraid for their own children.
He hummed to himself as he walked, wanting to do something to fill the silence of the street. He hated the moments where it would go all silent, too used to those meaning that something would come after them. Yugi froze as he heard something rattling around, turning to stare at the garage door beside him. He stood still, listening to the sound disappear before starting up again. He bit his lip, glancing around for the Pharaoh before shrugging and walking forward. Whatever was in there sounded small and, if it was small, there was a better chance of it not being dangerous. But that theory had been proven wrong before. Yugi reached out to get a hold on the garage door, staring at the white surface in front of him before taking a deep breath, there was only one way to find out.
The first push got him nowhere, the door creaking a bit before settling back into place. Yugi tried again, smiling as the garage door slowly began to rise, shifting to adjust his grip so he wouldn't drop it back down. In the short moment it took, Yugi pausing to be sure that he had it, something slipped out of the garage. Yugi heard it buzzing around near the ground before it suddenly leapt up at his face. He yelped and fell backwards, the garage door slamming back to the ground.
He grunted as he hit the ground, the compact black creature launching itself at his face and neck, Yugi immediately curling up in a ball to protect himself. The move made the creature buzz more angrily, attacking fast and actually hitting Yugi, but there was no pain, only a slight crinkling noise when the creature bounced off him. Yugi cautiously opened one eye, staring at the thing for a moment before he had to close his eye again, the creature lunging for it. From the one look that he had managed to get of the creature, it looked like a tangled mass of black wire, Yugi trying to think of a way to stop it from attacking.
Yugi twitched a bit at the sound of his name, hearing the sound of someone running before the buzz of the sonic screwdriver. The creature gave a whine before dropping, Yugi rolling over onto his back to catch the thing, staring at it. Now that it wasn't trying to kill him, it was packed into a smaller ball, Yugi staring at it before cautiously getting to his feet, the Pharaoh obviously trying not to hover over him. Yugi rolled his eyes and pulled the Pharaoh into a hug, the Time Lord clinging to him. "You alright?"
"Yeah, no harm done." Yugi pulled away, going back to staring at the creature in his hand. "But what is it?"
The Pharaoh cautiously looked over the creature, picking it up and holding it up to the light before shaking his head, dropping it back into Yugi's hand. "No idea."
"Well, it isn't dangerous." Yugi gave him a smile before shrugging, jerking his head back towards where they had left the time machine. "TARDIS?"
The Pharaoh nodded, reaching for Yugi's free hand and grabbing it. The tight hold spoke volumes about the Pharaoh, the Time Lord still worried over the attack. Yugi just smiled, tucking the creature into his pocket before snuggling close to the Pharaoh, offering his physical presence as comfort. The move worked, the Time Lord taking a deep breath and relaxing, glancing down at Yugi with a soft smile, the smile that always made Yugi's heart flutter. "Better now?"
"Much." The Pharaoh squeezed his hand in thanks before he turned his attention to the street that they were walking down, the blue of the TARDIS visible between the two crates.
Yugi laughed at the sight, the Pharaoh glancing back down at him with a confused look. "She's making friends."
"Probably not. The TARDIS can be a bit snobbish, she only takes the best." Yugi raised an eyebrow before laughing, shaking his head and leaning against the Pharaoh. The Time Lord stopped, pulling Yugi away from his side and turning to face the human. He lifted Yugi's chin slightly, smiling at his companion. "I mean it, Yugi, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
He closed his eyes as the Pharaoh kissed his forehead, sighing as he felt the Time Lord wrap an arm around his waist. Part of this sudden relaxation had to come from their bond, Yugi was sure of it. The Pharaoh was probably sending some happy emotion down it. Of course, Yugi couldn't reciprocate, not unless he was imitating the Pharaoh's methods of getting into another's mind. It made him feel a little bad at times, that the bond was there but he wasn't able to offer the Pharaoh the full potential of the tie. Yugi just sighed and allowed the Pharaoh to pull him into a quick hug. "Come on, creature to look at."
Yugi nodded and grabbed the Pharaoh's hand again, smiling as he towed the Pharaoh forward, listening to the Pharaoh chuckle. He glanced back before reaching for the chain around his neck, pulling the TARDIS key out of its spot under his shirt. The little ankh that he had hung on the chain knocked against the key, Yugi smiling at that before pushing it out of the way, sticking the key into the lock and unlocking the time machine. He stepped into the console room, unzipping his jacket with a happy sigh, glad to be in the warmth.
He reached into his pocket, pulling out the creature and passing it to the Pharaoh as the Time Lord walked past, rubbing his hands together as he followed the Pharaoh. He blew on his hands, walking around the console and leaning against it as he watched the Pharaoh work, setting the creature on a section of the TARDIS console. There was a flurrying of clicks, Yugi jumping as they were translated into a melody in his head.
Slowly, he was beginning to understand what each thing was. The gentle presence in the back of his mind was the Pharaoh, strong and steady. The TARDIS was harder to detect, the ancient time machine subtle in it's presence in his mind. And the music, the music was something that Yugi was still working out. It seemed to be the combined presence of the Pharaoh and the TARDIS, but so much more. He had spent a few days in the library trying to figure it out, only coming up with the music of the spheres as the closest thing to what he had. Reluctant to talk to the Time Lord about it, Yugi just assumed it was his version of dealing with time. The Pharaoh seemed to instinctively know what to do, and Yugi heard music. Sometimes he could heard it when something was wrong, the melody hiding somewhere in his mind the rest of the time. Sometimes it cropped up when there was nothing wrong, but it was welcome then.
Yugi smiled to himself, jumping when the Pharaoh made a surprised noise, Yugi's gaze darting back to the view screen, trying to read the symbols that were flashing up on the screen. After a moment, the Pharaoh reached out and grabbed the creature, reaching into the pockets of his long coat to pull out a pencil. Yugi merely raised his eyebrow at that, too used to the Pharaoh pulling strange things out of his jacket. The Time Lord paid no attention to him, using the eraser to erase part of the creature, Yugi leaning forward to make sure that he wasn't just seeing things. "You can erase it!"
"Yes." The Pharaoh put the creature down on the console again with care, tucking it carefully among the stuff already there. Yugi smiled and reached out to stroke the creature with a finger before looking at the Pharaoh, the Time Lord looking back at the screen. "Says it's made of graphite."
"Like a pencil?" Yugi shivered, his mind suddenly going back to the little girl that had been staring down at him from her window. He didn't remember if she had been holding a pencil, but it was just a hunch. He licked his lips, reaching out to put a finger on the creature again. "If things can be pulled from this world, could things be pulled from another?"
"It's not worlds, just places. But yes." The Pharaoh waved a hand, Yugi ducking around the limb before clearing his throat.
"It's a scribble." The Pharaoh turned to look at him, an eyebrow raised. "From a child's drawing. You scribble it out when you make a mistake. There's this girl on that street, I think she might be a good place to start."
The Pharaoh leaned back against the console, drumming his fingers against the coral before slowly nodding, Yugi smiling as he looked up. The Time Lord smiled as well. "See, you're the best."
"Nah, there's probably someone better."
"No." The Pharaoh pulled him into a hug, Yugi squeezing the Time Lord tightly before spinning around in his hold, wrapping them both in the Time Lord's coat, pressing back against the Time Lord. The Pharaoh was slightly cooler than he was, but it was still comforting, and much warmer than it would be outside. "You can't stay in my coat."
"It's warm."
"It may be warm, but we have something to do." Yugi huffed and shuffled out of his warm spot, the Pharaoh giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll make it up to you later."
"Good." Yugi zipped up his jacket again, tucking one hand into his pocket while leaving the other out. The Pharaoh took his hand, the two of them stepping out of the TARDIS and walking back up the street, Yugi's gaze going back to the second floor of the houses. He spotted the one where he had seen the little girl in the window, relived that she wasn't there. He wasn't sure he could stand up to that stare again. Yugi nudged the Pharaoh in the right direction, staring at the front door as they approached the house. "So, still masquerading as cops?"
"No. We tell the truth." The Pharaoh glanced over at Yugi. "We owe it to them."
Yugi didn't answer, reaching forward to knock on the door, letting his hand slip from the Pharaoh's. The Time Lord glanced his way once before the door opened, Yugi giving a friendly smile, but he stayed silent; he would let the Pharaoh talk. "Hello, we've come to see you daughter."
The woman tensed, staring at the both of them, Yugi noticing that she was clinging to the door. "I-is she in some kind of trouble? How come I didn't hear about it?"
"She's not in trouble. We're just here to help."
"Help?" The woman's hand twitched on the door, Yugi watching her glance back inside before shaking her head. "No, no we don't need you…" She bit her lip, shaking as he looked down at the ground. Yugi was about to move forward when she looked up again. "Can you really help her? I've done everything I can think of, but there's nothing I can do. Can you?"
The Pharaoh smiled softly before nodding, the woman opening the door the rest of the way before allowing them to step in. She looked nervously outside before shutting the door, ushering them into the living room and quickly turning off the television, Yugi getting a glimpse of the Olympic coverage before she began to pace the front of the room. The woman made several false starts before clearing her throat and standing in one place, swaying a bit. "Well, I'm Trish, Trish Webber."
"I'm Yugi Mutou and this is the Pharaoh." Yugi gestured at the Time Lord, who gave a little nod. Trish stared at him for a moment before shaking her head.
"You said you could help my daughter, and please don't lie to me. She hasn't been right for a week and before that she was getting barely any sleep, she had all of these nightmares." Trish bit her lip, glancing towards the stairs before lowering her voice. "They started when her father died, and don't apologize, he was horrible to the two of us, I'm almost glad he's gone. But Chloe, my daughter, she's been having nightmares and not sleeping. Then, all of a sudden, she's just drawing all the time and refusing to go outside. And she's still not sleeping."
Yugi glanced at the Pharaoh, watching the Time Lord nod slowly before getting up. He made a vague motion towards the hallway, Trish pausing a moment before realizing what he meant. "Sure. The bathroom is upstairs, last door on the right."
He nodded his thanks before walking up the stairs, partially listening to Trish continue to defend her daughter, sure that the Pharaoh would distract her for as long as it took for him to check out Chloe's room. Yugi stood in the upstairs hallway for a moment before looking at the doors on the right, padding down the hall. He paused at the door with the sign Chloe's Room on it, staring at it before darting into the bathroom as Chloe came out. Yugi swallowed, glancing out from his hiding spot in the bathroom, having to crane his head to even get a glimpse of her.
Chloe walked downstairs, Yugi hearing her footsteps instead of seeing her, the angle too hard for his neck to handle. He let out his breath quickly, glancing around the bathroom before leaning over to flush the toilet, hoping that it would be enough of a cover. He walked out of the bathroom before passing Chloe's room, noticing that the door was open. He looked around, peeking his head in further as he listening for anyone coming upstairs.
From what he could see from the room, it was clear. There was nothing remotely alien about the room, just a bunch of pictures on the wall. Yugi smiled as he saw one of a cat sitting, chuckling to himself and glancing down the hall before looking into the room, his smile disappearing. He was sure that he was looking at the same picture, it was definitely the same. A yellow cat on a piece of orange paper, but the cat wasn't sitting anymore; it was leaping up to bat as something at the top of the paper and falling back down. It repeated the maneuver a few more times before going to sit in another corner, licking its paw.
Yugi swallowed nervously before looking around the room, catching other pictures in motion, sure of what he was seeing. All the pictures in this room were alive, and that was definitely alien. He pushed away from the doorway, about to go out when he heard a deep chuckle from the room. "I'm coming for you."
He froze, trembling as he registered the voice. The cruelty in it and the rumble to it reminded him of the Beast, Yugi's breath coming quickly as he remembered the Beast's own prophecy about him. "The valiant child who will die in battle so very soon." He was barely aware of the closet in the room rattling, backing up against the wall as he tried to fight the impulse to go in and open the closet. There was something in the room that wanted him to go and set it free.
Yugi shook his head, reaching up one hand to clutch at the key under his shirt, trying to calm himself. The Pharaoh would sense his distress soon enough and the Time Lord would come up here. Until then, he needed to stay away from that thing and keep from opening the door. Perhaps that thing was the reason that the kids were disappearing, that a better reason that the girl that lived here. Maybe she was too frightened to scare the alien away, but that's what they were here for.
He shivered violently as the creature spoke again, not hearing the words, his mind thousands of planets and years away as he remembered the Beast again. "He will die and I will live. Nothing you try will change that, Time Lord."
Yugi dropped the key, wrapping his arms around himself and trying to fight off the urge, smothering a yelp as he shuffled into the room, reaching for the closet. He shook his head, wondering why he couldn't control his body, vaguely aware of the worry that was being sent down the link from the Pharaoh, but Yugi couldn't answer back, just staring in horror as he opened the closet doors, the clothes already pushed to the side to reveal the thing that was in there.
A great beast of a man stared back of him, the back of the closet tinted red through some means that Yugi couldn't see, but his eyes jumped to meet the drawing's eyes, shivering at the bright yellow eyes that stared back at him. The drawing laughed again, Yugi's hands tightening on the closet doors, his arms shaking as he tried to shut it, but the drawing was still trying to get them to keep it open, to keep the doors open so it could escape. "I'm coming to hurt you."
"Pharaoh!"