Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ An Egotists Change of Heart ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh or any of its characters.

Chapter 1

Mai briskly walked down the faintly let up street. It was getting dark outside and she was alone, but she did not care. She just had to get away, away from him. Tears traced down her cheek as she stopped and leaned against an old brick building in an alleyway. Her stomach rolled and her knees began to feel weak.

What was wrong with her? Joey's comment to Yugi should not be having this effect on her. It was not like she really had feelings for Joey in the first place, right? But she could not stop the aching in her heart. 'Who am I kidding?' she thought to herself. 'I do care about him.'

Slumping down onto the hard concrete, she covered her face with her hands. How could she have let this happen? How could she have let herself fall for that moron? She never let herself get close to anyone. She did not want to admit that it got lonely sometimes because of that. But her time at Duelist Kingdom changed all that. Getting to know Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Tea and Bakura had started to crack the shell she put around her heart. Seeing Joey go from an amateur duelist, to a duelist who duels with both heart and soul and having the support of friends, impressed her. Little by little did she realize, that he was also stealing her heart in the process.

A cold chill ran through the air and Mai wrapped her arms around her. She ran off without thinking straight and left her jacket behind. The moon was now hanging in the sky and she took in her surroundings. She did not know where she ended up. Her thoughts felt scattered, but she knew she was not in the safest of neighborhoods. She let out a sigh of frustration, and just prayed she could find her way back to somewhere familiar.

Walking down the sidewalk, she kept herself alert. Here she was, a beautiful girl all alone in a seedy part of town. Who knows what kind of weirdo's were out tonight, and what could happen to her. Images filled her mind of what horrible things could occur. She swallowed hard.

The faster she began to walk, she more she could swear she heard footsteps following behind her. She quickened her pace even more, beginning to break into a sprint. The sound was becoming closer. She darted her head back quickly and spotted a shadowy figure on her heels. She panicked and looked for a place to hide, when suddenly she felt a hand grab her arm.

"Come on, this way!'

She was stunned to see Bakura racing with her down an alleyway.

"In here."

He opened an old wooden door and pulled her in. She leaned against a wall to catch her breath and let her heartbeat slow down.

"Bakura, thank god you were here." She said, still a tad breathless. "I thought for sure I was going to be mugged, or worse."

Even in the faint darkness she could still see his tender smile.

"I'm glad I found you when I did." His soft voice almost echoed in the silent room. "What are you doing in this part of town? I mean it is not the most safest place to be at this time of night."

A sad expression covered her face. Bakura could see the hurt in her violet eyes. What could have happened to make her so upset, he wondered? She looked away from his questioning gaze, trying to keep herself from letting him see her cry. She felt a little silly, getting this worked up over something Joey said. She should be used to his mouth by now.

Bakura reached out his hand and tipped her face back toward his. He stared into her sorrowful eyes for a moment and then gently smiled at her.

"You don't have to tell me. But if you need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here for you."

She smiled. "Thank you, Bakura."

Mai embraced him, resting her head upon his shoulder. He wrapped his own arms around her tightly. He could smell her lovely, soft flowery scent and it consumed his senses. He soon could feel his spirit being tugged away into a dark abyss that he could not control.

Mai just let herself melt in the warmth of his embrace. He felt so calming and comforting in her arms.

"Maybe you can comfort me after all." She whispered in his ear, her head still resting on his shoulder.

"I most certainly can."

Suddenly she could feel the tranquil presence in the room shift. A cold shiver gripped her body as she recognized the husky voice. She carefully released him and backed away, her eyes growing wide. He smirked at her and she eyed the golden ring hanging around his neck. She gasped as he stepped toward her and yanked her back into his tight embrace.

"Where do you think you're going?" he chuckled, amused at her reaction.

"I…I…was not…going anywhere." She managed to stutter.

"It's dark outside and a pretty girl such as yourself should not be out wandering the streets alone now, should she?" he said, a bitter grin broadening his lips.

Her body flushed as she felt him squeeze her close. This was the dark Bakura she was dealing with. She knew she could not take him lightly.

"Let me go!" she protested, trying to break free of his unrelenting hold.

"Do you really want to brave the streets lost on your own?" he glared down at her.

She stopped struggling and looked at him, pondering the state of her current situation.

"You could get robbed, assaulted …or raped." He stated.

He could see the distress playing in her eyes as he spoke those last two words, and it amused him.

"I will let you have a choice." He said matter-of-factly. "You can go on your own and I won't stop you, or you can come with me. But think carefully. After your choice is made, if you go off on your own I will not help you if something happens."

Mai bit her lip. How could she have gotten in such a mess? She ran off like a child, that's how. She let Joey's words get the best of her. 'I have no one else to blame this on but me.' She thought.

She could just run off alone again and get away from Bakura. He said he would not stop her. But then there was the possibility of somebody or somebody's could hurt her. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. She could tell that Bakura had something up his sleeve in store for her, and he could be pretty ruthless. His eyes radiated with such a heated gaze, that she could tell that his mind was formulating some type of plan. But could it be worse than what she could possibly be faced with alone on the streets, trying to find her way back home?

"Fine! I will go with you." She said, feeling a bit defeated.

"Good girl. Now follow me."

He released her from his tight embrace but still held onto her arm.

Where are you taking me? She questioned.

"You will see soon enough." He could see the distrust on her face, but it did not faze him. "You will enjoy it. I am sure of that."

She took a deep breath and let him lead her back outside into the darkened street.

A/N: Hope you liked it. This story is only probably going to be a few chapters long. I know I should not be starting another story but I just had to get this idea out there. Does it seem interesting or maybe not? Well I have not decided if Mai will end up with Bakura in the end or maybe somehow with Joey. Just let me know what you think.