Light Amongst Shadows Part 22

“Jou, I can walk.” The spirit of the Millennium Puzzle protested, feeling embarrassed as some of the people who were awakening pointed them out as they passed.

“You can, but you shouldn’t.” Jou informed her with a teasing grin, “Now shut up and let me have a ‘Prince Charming’ moment. I don’t get them very often.”

“No, you’re normally the damsel in distress.” Oneesan teased back, “Now you see how much effort being the royal is.”

“Eh, it’s not so bad.” He grinned down at her, “The view is good and you’re not heavy. I don’t think Yuge’s eating enough.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” Oneesan shrugged, lethargy seeping in as Jou carried her. “I don’t know how much we should be...”

Jou frowned as Oneesan’s words steadily slurred together worse and worse and he looked down in time to see her eyes closing and her breathing evening out, “Hey, don’t go to sleep.” He shook her slightly, causing her to give him a sleepy and irritated look, “I refuse to let you sleep through explaining this whole mess to the others.”

“But I’m so tired.” Oneesan complained. Now she was off of her feet the pain and exhaustion was catching up to her, muddling her thoughts and causing her to say things out loud that she would not normally even say to Imoto-chan.

“I know.” Jou sighed softly, seriously worried about Yugi and Oneesan. The spirit of the Puzzle never let herself slip like this. She had to be seriously injured in order to be in this state. He had thought this would happen, that when the adrenaline had worn off she would collapse, but he had expected to have gotten Yugi back before then.

He had to make sure Oneesan stayed awake. He recognised this lethargy and he knew that letting her sleep now would be a huge mistake. He had been the ‘part time medic’ for Hirutani’s gang for long enough to have seen people die from blood loss. As long as she stayed awake, would stay alive. If he let her sleep, there was a risk she would not awaken again and then they would lose both of them. “But it’s your mess. You don’t get to skip out that easily.”

“Lemme walk.” Oneesan complained, “I walk, won’t sleep.”

“No.” Jou shook his head again, “Your legs won’t hold you up, watch.” He tried to put her down, only for her legs to give out underneath her. “See?” He asked as he scooped her back up again.

“Oh.” Oneesan considered the body in a hazy, concerned yet amused way, “I thought I had more left than that.” She glanced up at Jou, “I think Imoto-chan got really beat up.”

Jou snorted at the huge understatement. He had been seriously concerned about their health when he had seen them after Bakura’s rescue and she looked worse now then she had then. It was more than plausible that Yugi had gotten them so hurt that the pair of them would need a long hospital stay.

They were not that far from the shop and Oneesan was not heavy enough to cause him any distress as they reached the shop. Ojiisan was waiting at the door for them, fear crossing the elderly gentleman’s features as he rushed over to them.

“Hi.” Oneesan smiled at him weakly. “Jou, put me down.”

“What happened?” Ojiisan worried at them as the blonde refused to drop his friend.

“’Neesan’s hurt.” Jou shrugged, “And...” He trailed off as the ball of light that had been following them settled in Ojiisan’s hands. “You can see that?”

“Why...why does this light feel like Yugi?” Ojiisan’s voice wavered as he asked the question, not entirely sure he wanted an answer.

Oneesan reached for the light, not entirely coherent, “Imoto-chan. You’re scaring him.”

The ball of light almost jumped out of his hands and hid itself in Oneesan’s jacket.

“Do you got a puzzle piece made of light?” Jou asked, wincing as he did so. He did not want to be the one to explain this but Oneesan’s mental state was worsening and he was beginning to think it was not just because of the blood loss. “Would have flown over to you before you woke up?”

“I wasn’t asleep.” Ojiisan frowned at him, “The rest of the city was but yes,” He pulled it out of his pocket, “What does...”

“Give me.” Oneesan demanded, her focus completely on the glowing puzzle piece as the ball of light peeked out from its hiding place.

Warily, carefully Ojiisan handed it over. Within moments it had merged itself with the ball of light, which, now it was over halfway restored, seemed brighter and, somehow, happier.

“Where is my granddaughter?” Ojiisan demanded of Jou, watching Oneesan’s reaction to the light growing. “And what is that?”

“Imoto-chan said goodbye.” Oneesan replied, sorrow obvious even in her confused and befuddled state, “Saved the city. Shattered.”

Ojiisan’s eyes went wide for a moment, then Jou had no choice but to put Oneesan down. The Pharaoh fell straight to her knees as Jou caught the elderly old gamer who had to sit down, his hand going to his chest as his heart skipped a beat at the news.

“It’s okay.” Jou promised both of them, “We can get her back, we just need the other pieces.”

“And how many are there?” Ojiisan did not sound reassured by Jou’s statement.

“Seven.” Jou explained, “We have four and I think Anzu and Honda should have two more. That just leaves the last one.”

“The others are already here.” Ojiisan informed him, accepting the hand Jou offered when he tried to get back to his feet, “And yes, they have glowing puzzle pieces too. We figured it had something to do with the Millennium Puzzle, not my granddaughter being murdered.”

“Wasn’t murdered.” Oneesan tried to explain as Jou scooped her up again, “Gave own life.” She shivered and glowered down at the Puzzle that rested on her chest, “Not yet.” She growled at it, “Not going back yet.”