Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Club 0013 ❯ Learning the Rules ( Chapter 4 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Chibizoo 
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.12.2003 | Pages: 12 | Words: 6.6K | Visits: 197 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.12.2003 | Pages: 12 | Words: 6.6K | Visits: 197 | Status: Completed
Author's notes:
Actually, I just wrote this to confess that I didn't write any of this
*points to Eevee muse slaving away at keyboard*. The Author's
notes, I mean ^_^. I'm dictating, and my Eevee muse is typing.
Ahh.. the joys of having your own personal muse ^.^
Eevee muse: -_-;;; I'm not complaining cause I get paid...
Yuugi: You too? How much?
Eevee muse: Not enough anyway ^-^
Yuugi: Yeah... I think we should go on a strike and make up our
own fic!
*Yuugi and Eevee muse leave*
Zoo: o.O;; Hey! Don't leave! -_-;;; Who's gonna start off my story,
then?
**************************************
" Little Lamb, who made thee?"
*************************************
Chapter 4: Bending the Rules
It was raining again. Fat droplets of water splattered
against the windowsill, leaving rivulets of silver staining the once-
clear glass. A melancholy mood seemed to have swept over the
town, as if the very heavens were crying over a newly remembered
loss. And yet, memories were only memories, plagued by guilt and
fueled by revenge - nothing more.
Or so he had convinced himself. Sighing rather dismally,
the boy put down his pencil, pushing back a few strands of stray
hair. He stared out the window, listening to the soft patter of
raindrops while watching with amusement as they hit the glass and
seemed to disappear, scuttling along the surface like shooting stars.
Even the raindrops had a place to go, disappearing once
they hit the window frame. But not him. Abandoned, adopted,
beaten, and eventually abused, he had no life, no purpose of his
own. The boy shook his head, trying to clear himself out of those
dismal thoughts, slapping himself back into reality. Reality. Huh.
He had given that up ever since...
.... Again he shook his head. There was no need to think
about that right now. He had more things to worry about. A pang
of guilt rang through his heart again, freezing the boy in mid-
stance. It was always like this now. He would be fine, absolutely
happy, until interrupted again by another similar experience. The
guilt chained his heart like an iron fist, unrelenting as it spoke of
_his_ sin. There was no escape. He was guilty.
Momentarily, the boy looked at an object on the side of
his desk, no larger than the palm of his hand, simply and ornately
decorated. It had been his gift, on his fourteenth birthday. Jerking
his gaze rather hastily away, the boy closed his eyes, hugging his
figure closer to himself as if to offer his own body some comfort.
Of course, there was none.
The "gift" had ruined his life. And now, it sought to ruin
more.
He shuddered. He was scared.
Any other thought was again interrupted by a wave of
guilt, this one washing him away from his tidy sanctuary like a
gigantic tsunami. He barely managed to resurface, straining with
only by the bare tendrils of his will, gasping while his mind reeled
endlessly.
That was it. He couldn't take it anymore. This was _not_
his fault - it had never been. But still, he felt so _guilty_.
Tears trickled down his cheeks, solid and brighter than
those that sang outside. And despite his weak emotions, a firm
resolve was building within him. He was going to solve his guilt
once and for all, or at least, die trying. Not that he cared a damn
about his live anyway.
The boy laughed to himself a bit, rather ironically. The
fact that he was beginning to swear was a sure sign that he was
losing his will to his Ya-
Again, he found that he couldn't say the word.
Leaving it at that, the boy picked up from his desk the
dully-glowing "gift", tying it absently to a rope and around his
neck, where his finger didn't dare again to touch it. Or rather, he
did so with the hope that the influence could lessen a bit. In fact, he
prayed. Absently, he pushed another lock of stray silvery-white
hair from his face before grabbing a thick sweatshirt. The door
clicked quietly behind him, sealing his path of second thought as
he plotted his way against the dismal, crying weather. Frankly, he
didn't care about the rain, because his mind screamed louder.
Halfway wherever his desired destination had been, the
silver-haired boy stopped. The ring tied around his neck glowed
once, the small, sad expression curved into a sadistic smile.
Maniacal laughing ensued, frightening as it chuckled with the beat
of insanity.
******************************************
Slee ping on the streets in the middle of a rainstorm was
definitely not a smart choice. Yuugi could testify to that. Curling
his small body into an even tighter ball, Yuugi tried to inch further
back into his shelter, currently a sopping wet cardboard box.
Stubbornly, the small boy had refused to disturb anyone, mostly
his family, at such an unearthly hour. And the hour had only
become unearthly when the boy had immersed himself in an
ethical debate whether or not to return to his family in the first
place. Even with his Yami's promised protection, he no longer felt
the fake sanctity that plastered his life like before. Like reaching
out towards a new school of thought, he discarded the worn ideas
of the past.
"When I was a child, I spake as a I child." Yuugi
muttered, quoting snatches of a memory worn and forgotten. "Now
I put away such childish things..." He paused, not quite
remembering the words properly, although the meaning was still
the same.
Simply put, the small boy knew that he could not belong
to the Authority anymore. The way his Yami shifted restlessly only
sharpened Yuugi's suspicion, as his darkness would often cast
silent malevolent eyes at the Officers and rule-keepers of the
Authority. There was something that his Yami wasn't telling to
Yuugi, and the small boy hesitated to ask. All he knew was that his
Yami was _not_ on good terms with the Authority. Again, the
reason was shrouded.
A drop of stinging wet water fell right on the boy's nose,
as several consecutive ones followed, each leaving a fat round
mark on his face. Without even half a thought, the small boy wiped
away the drops with his wet sleeve, succeeding only in making his
face even wetter.
He sighed, shivering with his hands over his mouth to try
and obtain some heat. Vaguely, Yuugi fantasized about a warm
shelter, lit by a single hearth, crackling and blazing with warmth.
Of course, that only succeeded in bringing the small boy more
misery as he glanced around his drenched environment, where
water was now leaking through the top of the box and spilling onto
his already-wet clothes. Even his baggy jeans clung to his skin,
making his skin icy cold and slightly clammy.
The small boy sneezed a few times, each one echoing
louder than the other. He sniffled, wiping his nose with one sleeve.
//Bless you.// Came the vague reply from Yuugi's mind,
having not made a comment for quite some while.
Yuugi sneezed again. /T-thanks/ Even his mind-speech
reflected his freezing state.
Yami-Yuugi seemed to have returned back to whatever
meditative state he had been in before. But not before one last
question. //Yuugi? Why are you so wet?//
Yuugi could imagine his Yami's reaction. He tried hard
not to think about it, but it was too late.
//WHAT!!!??// Yami-Yuugi's voice practically blasted
Yuugi's skull, vibrating and resonating with a million images of
anger and surprise. //WHAT THE-
Yuugi winced a bit as his Yami said a not-very-nice world
-ARE YOU DOING HERE!?//
/Uhm... trying to get some sleep?/ Yuugi replied,
innocently.
His Yami would take none of that, again muttering a
colourful stream of unethical words, some that Yuugi had
never heard - or wanted to hear - in his life. It was funny,
considering that his Yami hadn't reacted at all in the past
couple of hours.
//I was _sleeping_!// Yami-Yuugi screeched, indignation
and a steadily growing fury rising in his tone. //Of course, I
wouldn't have slept if I knew you were _this_ stupid!//
/Well, I didn't exactly have anywhere else to go!/ Yuugi
snapped back, somewhat irritated, the consistent wet and cold
weather clouding and freezing his mind.
Yami-Yuugi sighed, the talisman around Yuugi's neck
glimmering slightly before he shimmered into "life" beside
Yuugi. The rain collided with his image in a furious roar,
although it only passed through him, as if he were a ghost.
Crimson eyes widened as he saw the miserable, shivering
form of Yuugi, once-large eyes clouded dully with unseeing
light. With a sharp cry of dismay, Yami-Yuugi brought a very
solid, warm hand to his Aibou's forehead, feeling the chilled
skin beneath tendrils of damp hair. Droplets of water fell from
the hair onto his hand, leaving paths of cool liquid after
impact.
"Dammit, Aibou." Yami-Yuugi cursed again. He knew he
shouldn't, but it was a bad habit he had picked up from the last
person he had shared souls with. Frankly, we wouldn't have
even batted an eye if his last host had died on the spot, but he
cared deeply for Yuugi. More than he would ever admit.
"So cold." Yuugi muttered, showing positive signs of
hypothermia.
Yami-Yuugi held his light gently, wrapping the small,
shivering body over his protective warm one.
"Shhh." The darkness whispered, with all the gentleness
of a parent wishing his child good-night. "Go to sleep, Yuugi.
I'll take it from here."
Yuugi nodded. "'Night... Yami..."
Yami-Yuugi chuckled, deeply rich in tone. "Good night,
Aibou."
The Puzzle around Yuugi's neck glowed slightly, and his
small form disappeared in a burst of faintly shining white
light. Said Puzzle re-appeared around the now-standing Yami-
Yuugi's form, bringing with it the burden of reality.
The rain now dropped treacherously on Yami, decimating
his hair and once-dry clothing in less than ten seconds into a
waterlogged mass. The former Pharoah sighed at this new
onslaught of weather, but ignored it as he felt the warmth in
his Aibou's Soul Room, the small boy having automatically
drifted off into a dreamless sleep. Frankly, he wished that he
too could be in his Soul Room, but his light had already done
more than his share, and so, it was only fair that he did the
same in return. He wouldn't have wanted it otherwise.
The Yami adjusted his cloak just slightly so that it
repelled some of the rain, concentrating some of his Magic to
weave a water-repellent spell into the cloth of the material.
Having done that, the Darkness ran hurriedly down the streets,
eyes darting back and forth as he tried to spot a better shelter
for the night. Besides, he wouldn't have fit in that box.
His stomach growled a bit, but Yami-Yuugi ignored it,
continuing his quest to find at least a half-sanctuary. Now was
not a good time to be thinking about eating, although it was
actually Yuugi who was hungry. The Darkness sighed. One of
these days, he was going to have to tell light Aibou exactly
_what_ type of food Yuugi needed to eat to survive. That was
the price of the curse, but Yami-Yuugi realized that he didn't
have a heart to say so. Again, he was just delaying the
inevitable.
It didn't really matter though - Yami-Yuugi had fangs,
Yuugi didn't. It would be a breach of impurity anyway else.
Although, Yami-Yuugi might share a physical body, he didn't
actually need anything to survive. Well, his Millennium
Puzzle and a host, but besides that, he was basically _very_
low maintenance.
Still absorbed into finding a decent shelter, the darker soul
didn't notice that he had bumped into someone until he was
roughly pushed back. Instinctively, Yami-Yuugi dropped to
the ground, using his arms as support to spring from the fall
and land in a crouching, defensive position. Angry dark-red
eyes glared at the obstruction.
The person, whoever he was, obviously thought he was
very important, snarling at the figure of Yami-Yuugi with an
equally enraged demeanor. The spiky-haired Darkness simply
stared back, eyes unmoving as he analyzed the figure.
It appeared to be a boy, no older than he was, with
strangely cropped rather stringy light-blue hair, a dull gray
under the darkness. Drooping eyelids magnified by large-
rimmed glasses only enhanced the boy's rather eerie
expression, making him look like a hallowed spirit, lost
forever in thought.
The boy grabbed Yami-Yuugi rather nastily on the
shoulder, taking out what seemed like a tapered white gun, too
short to form even a muzzle. A pair of glasses flashed once in
the dark, piercing the rain-clouded environment and glaring
straight into the Yami's fierce eyes. The boy then hissed,
rather angrily, still holding a fistful of Yami-Yuugi's wet
clothing.
"Game King." The boy pronounced each word clearly. "I
know you."
Yami-Yuugi responded by jamming his knee into the
boy's stomach, causing the black-haired boy to let go of his
shoulder. The Yami watched as the boy fell down, winded by
the blow.
Yami-Yuugi sneered as he watched the black-haired boy.
"So. You are one of them." His voice dropped into a low tone,
almost growling with disdain. "An Officer. A Pawn of the
Authority. Pathetic."
Angry, the boy snapped back up, pulling the trigger on his
small weapon. Yami-Yuugi jumped, dodging the first fire, only to
realize that there was no reaction from the trigger. No bullets, no
lasers, no nothing. Shocked, the Yami chanced to look back at his
opponent, proving a costly mistake. A sudden jarring pain shot up
the Yami's arm, as though his entire body as everything began to
blur. Hastily, Yami-Yuugi tried to move, only to realize that he
was paralyzed on the spot. The tingling sensation grew worse,
spreading through his blood and releasing a strange toxic that
numbed him to the point of delirium. The former Pharaoh bit back
a scream as he felt the toxic take a form of its own, a gigantic
shadowy beast which tore at his soul, attempting to rip it out of the
body piece by piece.
"Like it?" The boy sneered, glasses flashing slightly. "It's
a modified invention that I created, thanks to the powers of the
Authority." He snorted, a jeering confident smile on his face. "It's
such a pity, really. After all those years, we had hoped that the
Game King would have learnt by now. Such a pity that you didn't
choose to be with us."
Despite his situation, Yami-Yuugi managed to give a
snarl, although weakened by the strange effect of the boy's
weapon. "Go and rot in Hell, you bastard!"
"Ooh!" The boy snickered. "Saying bad words, are we? I
wouldn't do that, cause I'll just make things worse for you."
Blood flowed down Yami-Yuugi's lips as he bit it
suddenly to prevent himself from screaming or showing any
weakness to such agents of the Authority. He would fight and they
would pay. The pain increased, until it was as if the strange beast
consuming his soul was eating its way to his brain, ripping it apart
piece by piece. The Yami found that he could no longer focus his
thoughts properly.
"That's right." The Authority-pawn continued. "My
weapon, the Shadow Mantis, will tear your soul into pieces, once
and for all. After all, even the Game King can't expect to win all
the time." He snickered, laughing at that comment.
Vaguely, Yami-Yuugi wondered if his Aibou would be
safe, and what it would be like to finally rest eternally. Maybe
there was a heaven and angels that Yuugi had talked about. He
hoped so. The darkness shuddered a bit. He hated admitting it, but
he had lived a life built on isolation, even past his death. He hoped
that at least death wouldn't be so lonely...
...Suddenly, it was over. And Yami-Yuugi was still alive.
He blinked, feeling the rush of blood flow back into his nerves and
the sudden full control his body had on the physical and mental
actions. Whatever beast once consuming his soul had also
disappeared, fading into a vague memory of pain.
The boy glasses-boy stared gape-jawed, looking at his
small gun. "What happened? Why isn't it working anymore?" He
shook it a few times like a child does to a defective toy, trying to
find the source.
Frankly, Yami-Yuugi had no clue what had caused such a
miracle, but he was nonetheless grateful. Now, to play things to his
advantage...
The Sennen Eye glowed a pale yellow on his forehead,
appearing as a lurid and malevolent symbol to those who
challenged it.
Yami-Yuugi smirked at the now-cowering boy. "Bug-
King Haga." He stated, staring straight on at the black-haired boy.
"You knew I was the King of Games. And now, I challenge you to
a Duel, in this Game I stake against you and the Authority. The
rules are yours to make."
Haga, or so he was called, suddenly sneered, rising up
from his position. He tugged in his bow tie instinctively, his eyes
gleaming as he thought.
"Fool." Bug-King Haga responded, suddenly cackling an
eerie, shallow laughter full of greed and ambition. "You might be
the King of Games, Yu-Gi-Oh, but you still have so much to learn!
Sooner or later, the powers of the Authority will force you to see
the truth!"
Yami-Yuugi sneered. "Save your crap for later. Do you
accept my challenge or not?"
More cackling ensued, maniacal and rather annoying.
"Yes, I'll accept your challenge. I believe you know about a
famous card game, called "Duel Monsters?"
Actually, Yami-Yuugi had no clue, but rather, delved into
the memory of his sleeping Aibou, searching for a match. He soon
found one, mentally scanning the rules and procedures while he
talked. "Yes. I'll play your 'Duel Monsters' Game."
"You'll need a deck, though." Haga prompted. "Such a
pity that you don't have one. I guess we'll have to settle for
another game then." He commented, voice manipulative.
Unknowingly, Yami-Yuugi took the bait. "Shut your
nonsense! I have a deck right here!" He took out the strange case
from his Aibou's (now his) jacket pocket, opening it to skim over
the cards as he mind did a mental scan of each card's strengths and
weaknesses. A lot of the cards were quite familiar, bringing to him
strange flashbacks of a time long ago when there were the Shad-
Yami-Yuugi shook his head. Now was not the time to
think of such things. "These cards are only cards. They have no life
or spirit in them. What type of game is this?"
Haga giggled insanely. "You sound like an idiot, Yu-Gi-
Oh. This is indeed a game all about stakes. We will infuse our
powers, yours from your Millennium Puzzle, and mine from the
Authority, into the powers of the cards. Whatever monster you
choose shall be a direct summoning of energy. Whatever monster
you loose you shall also feel, in physical torture. The last one
standing wins"
"Fine." Yami-Yuugi proclaimed, in a loud, clear voice.
"Let's Duel!"
A gigantic dome built of pure energy grew and stabilized
around the two Duelists, surrounding them in a sealed shelter, the
arena resembling an ancient-style battle-dome.
Both contestants grabbed their decks, shuffling it before
picking up five cards. The Millennium Puzzle glowed slightly by
Yami-Yuugi's chest, as did the, oddly enough, Bug-King Haga's
glasses.
Haga started off the move. "My first card will be a simple
bug card." He threw the card into the ground beside him, watching
the card glow and distort in shape, lengthening to become a
gigantic insect, a grossly enlarged praying mantis, deadly claws in
tow. "As a card, its power is weak. However, this isn't simply a
card game isn't it? It's also about Magic. How long can you hold
out in your Magic, and when do you attack?"
Yami-Yuugi grunted. He looked at his deck, and scanning
it again, threw a single card, which expanded in size, but never
shifted shape, appearing to be a gigantic card face-down. "I play a
card face down. And for the turn, I choose to defend with Silver
Fang!"
Another card glowed, and Yami-Yuugi concentrated,
focusing his powers slightly to form the card into a physical shape
of a large sliver-furred wolf, bristling protectively at his side.
"Heheheheh." Haga laughed maniacally, "I change my
Mantis to attack mode along with this magic card, a level 3 Laser
Cannon! I am also adding my Forest field card to give _all_ my
insects a field power bonus. You might call it a slight...
enhancement of magical power."
Yami-Yuugi glared, caught slightly off guard. He braced
himself as the blow of the gigantic insect wiped out his wolf in one
blast, watching the creature reduce itself into a mass of flesh and
silvery fur, which simply dissolved into nothing. At the same time,
he felt the blow directly at himself, as invisible claws seemed to
rake and attempt to pry apart his insides, making him hiss
involuntarily in pain. The Game King gritted his teeth, breathing in
shallow gasps as to ease the pain. A long gash rang along his right
shoulder, splicing perfectly the skin as the exposed pink flesh
began to gush and ooze a deep crimson red.
Haga watched this in glee. "Ha! Now you see how the
game goes. And the fun has only begun!"
Still growling slightly, Yami-Yuugi drew another card
from the deck, careful not to move his shoulder too much. "I play
the Curse of Dragon card, in attack mode!" He smirked as he
placed the card into the center of the battlefield, watching it
lengthen and shift into a gigantic dull-ivory dragon, seeming to be
made of only bones and hints of flesh. It shrieked, flapping its
wings, supported only by a faint line of air-resistant membrane.
Without missing a beat, he brought another card into play. "And I
also play my magic card, 'the Magic of Burning Land'."
The Game King closed his eyes, sensing within his own
Magic the power of his dragon. Although deceptively weak at first,
the power of his dragon lay in the magic card in play. And so,
Yami-Yuugi shifted his Magic into the card, watching as the card
shimmered and infused itself with the attacking beast. The Puzzle
glowed at the sudden strain of energy, complying with hidden
sources of power. From the Curse of Dragon's mouth sprang a
stream of molten flames, burning the mantis to cinders on the spot.
Now, it was Haga's turn to feel the onslaught of pain. The
boy shrieked and howled as his entire body was consumed by
invisible flames, wreaking havoc on his body. Slight boils
appeared on the surface of his skin, resembling layers of blisters
that grew and blackened into a slimy, smelly layer of raw flesh.
Then, the pain stopped, the scars and welts disappearing, save the
ones that remained on his forearm as a reminder of his injury. The
boy nursed his wounded arm, cursing slightly. To make the
situation worse, the field magic card that Haga had set was gone,
burnt by the flames of Yami-Yuugi's monster.
Yami-Yuugi smirked. "How does it feel to get a taste of
your own medicine, Bug King?"
Haga glared, adjusting his glasses as their intensity
seemed to grow, veiling his demonic eyes with a brilliant glassy
sheen. To the Yami's amusement, the boy laughed, high pitched
and full of lust. "More." He whispered, caught in some wild
euphoria of power. "MORE!"
Another card was drawn, and the Bug King slammed the
single card down, with so much ecstasy that one could have almost
sworn it was the infamous "Blue Eyes White Dragon" or even
"Exodia". Yet, true to his name, Bug King Haga played only bug
cards.
"Lesse.. Ooh yes! I call upon this defenseless Moth
Larvae." The corners of the boy's lips upturned, smiling rather
triumphantly despite the 'weak' card. "Oh, by the way? Did I
forget to tell you? I'm combining my worm with this 'Cocoon of
Evolution' card to not only increase its defense but perhaps, create
a better card." The smile was absolutely a sickening expression of
uncontrolled fervour. "In a few turns, you'll learn that perhaps the
best cards come with time."
Yami-Yuugi's eyes narrowed. His mind raced over all the
possibilities within the growing cocoon, finding that each
possibility was too much in conflict with the next. If only he knew
this game better! With inexperience at his side, the chances of him
loosing were too great.
/You can do this, Yami!/
The voice came from his mind, and Yami-Yuugi almost
jerked backwards in shock. //Yuugi?// The Darkness asked quite
incredulously, having thought that the young boy was still
sleeping.
Yuugi created a mental picture of him nodding. /I saw the
whole thing from here. You're doing great - just don't give up!/
Yami-Yuugi snorted. //Ha! Give up to him? I'd rather
grovel at the feet of Nefertiti.//
There was a slight pause. /Who's Nerfertiti?/ Yuugi
asked, slightly confused.
//Ahh...// The Yami had forgotten again that his Aibou
had never heard of such things. //Nefertiti was this Egyptian
Goddess who has convinced for the longest time that I was to be
her newly betrothed.//
Yuugi laughed, despite the reality of the situation at hand.
/_That_ I would have to see to believe./ He commented, before his
voice turned slightly serious. /Listen, Yami. I've heard all sorts of
information about the infamous Bug King Haga. He likes to cheat
and use his field cards to give him a bonus, while distracting his
opponents with his other cards bide time for his Great Moth. He's
ruthless, and he'll do anything to win. What you've got to do is
play his weaknesses./
Play his weaknesses? But how? Yami-Yuugi thought
about this carefully, tossing another card into the area, also face
down. He drew his card for the turn, analyzing and comparing it.
What _was_ the cocoon's weakness? With a gigantic thread-like
barrier, and Haga's Magic infused into its defense, the creature was
going to hold back whatever attack thrown at it. Unless...
Yami-Yuugi smirked. //I think... Maybe the key to the
game _isn't_ defeating it, but finding the strategy.//
Yuugi seemed impressed. /You mean, you found one
already?/ The Light scanned the cards on his Yami's hand. /But
none of these are really strong enough to eliminate this cocoon,
even with all the power of your magic./ He exclaimed, dubious.
//I am well aware that how much magic your beasts can
hold depends mostly on their set attack and defense power.// Yami-
Yuugi interrupted. //Trust me on this one. I am the Game King
after all, aren't I?//
Yuugi said nothing but simply speculated. He watched as
his Yami quickly selected two cards from his deck.
"I send out the Magic card, 'Magical mist' as well my
'Gaia the Fierce Knight' in attack mode!"
The first card shifted into translucence, and Yami-Yuugi
felt his Magic reacting with it, letting the card guide his Magic into
forming a gigantic cloud. Spreading out and expanding in size, it
swirled around the battle arena, covering the entire dome with a
hazy, wet atmosphere, not much unlike the weather outside.
"Gaia the Fierce Knight - attack now!" Yami-Yuugi
would complain to his Aibou later about the sheer stupidity of
some of the cards' names.
The new attacker, a strange armour-enveloped knight
riding an equally armoured war-horse, charged, aiming its pointed
lance towards the gigantic cocoon. Of course, the lance only
skidded off, the strange material of the cocoon damp and slippery.
Even as Haga was pushed slightly back by the impact, the
Bug King continued to laugh, non-stop. Yami-Yuugi grated his
teeth, steaming in his own anger. After he won the duel, the Bug
King's laugh would be the first to go; and then the stupid names of
the cards, of course.
"Hahah!" Haga continued, unaware of the killer glare the
Game King shot in his direction. "Your Knight attacking my
cocoon will only provoke it into evolving faster! Such a stupid and
tactless plan!"
Yami-Yuugi simply shrugged, drawing another card and
putting it into play. "I set a trap card face down."
/No use Yami/ Yuugi muttered, being an avid fan of the
Duel Monsters Card game himself. /Haga's sure to have a
counterattack card for that./
"Now, Gaia the Fierce Knight, attack again!" This time,
Yami-Yuugi poured all the Magic possible into the attack,
watching as the horseman charged with the full swing of given
momentum and newly charged power. The Puzzle glowed fiercely
around his neck, and so did the symbol of the Sennen Eye,
appearing briefly on his forehead.
With a yell, the lance of the Knight pierced the tough skin
of the cocoon, breaking a sizable hole into the unyielding material.
Yami-Yuugi smirked, trying to regain his posture as he felt himself
being roughly jolted by a binding force of the same impact. Small
shooting stars still streaked across his vision.
And yet, Bug King Haga was uninjured by such an attack.
And he only laughed.
/I don't like the sound of that/ Yuugi muttered.
But Yami-Yuugi was still unpreturbed. From the gigantic
cocoon rose a strange, withered creature, appearing at first to be
some horrific half-mass, stuck in metamorphosis between the
larvae and adult stages of its kind. But, as the remains of the
pierced cocoon were ruthlessly ripped apart by large, savage claws,
it became apparent that there _was_ something very dangerous
about this newly evolved creature.
"Rise, my beauty!" Haga laughed, raising his hands in the
air to commemorate his prized monster "And obliterate!"
Large, monstrous wings fluttered and shimmered slightly,
shaking off the excess ooze from within its cocoon. It screeched,
and emitted from its serrated mouth a gigantic beam of energy,
brilliant to the point of awe-inspiring. The beam shot out, a perfect,
direct arc of light heading straight for the Knight.
... But Yami-Yuugi just smirked. The Darkness raised a
hand, and moved it quickly over one of his already-set cards.
"I play the trap card - Mirror Force!" He shouted,
watching as the card formed into a gigantic mirror, suddenly
reflecting the attack back on the moth.
Even then, Haga laughed. "It's no use! My moth's
defense power is as strong as its attack power, so there's no way
you can defeat it! Your trap card was just a delay against the
inevitable!"
Yami-Yuugi smirked. "Think again, Haga. Or should I
say - Bug King Haga?"
Bug King Haga's eyes widened as his moth was
completely overwhelmed and obliterated from its own attack,
leaving no sign of its appearance save the remains of a few ashes.
Haga staggered to the ground, doubling over in agony as
his bones cracked and flesh stretched painfully, arching his body in
an unnatural posture as a powerful wave of Magic seized to tear
him apart limb by limb. The boy squealed and even pleaded for
mercy, until suddenly, it was over, leaving the Bug King with a
haunted mask of pain on his face.
The Yami continued smirking. "You're very lucky I
didn't decide to kill you. You know very well that in your
defenseless position, with no monsters in your field, my Magic
would be able to finish you in a snap." Yami-Yuugi growled,
angrily. "But, for you, I find Punishment the much better path."
His Sennen Eye burned brightly, a multi-coloured hue of brilliant
white.
Bug King Haga screeched as he felt an invisible dark
force tug at his body, seeking to enslave and capture his tainted
soul. "You cheated!" He shouted, even as tendrils of dark energy
formed on the ground around him, wrapping over his face and
body before enclosing him into the permanent depths of the
shadows. The boy gave a last despairing cry before he disappeared,
leaving only a pair of dull-grey glasses on the now undisturbed
ground.
The end of the Duel was finally over, and the invisible
battle-dome around Yami-Yuugi dissolved, leaving him to the rain
once more, as the cards returned back into their deck, safely stored
in the jacket pocket.
/How _did_ you defeat Haga anyway?/ Yuugi asked
quietly, still awed at the brilliant display at the end, and even more
scared at Haga's sudden disappearance. /And where did Haga go?/
Yami-Yuugi looked at the part of the street, once covering
a magnificent duel. His shoulder still bled slightly, but now the
blood had caked, as droplets of water carried with it small streaks
of crimson. "Simple, really." He reverted back into mind-speech.
//Haga was overconfident, in that he thought his Moth was
resistant to everything. What he didn't know was that the 'Magical
Mist' I had placed earlier on the field was depleting the condition
of his bugs, as a wet bug equals a slightly tender and defenseless
bug. Therefore, it was no surprise that the Moth's own energy-
induced attack was able to obliterate itself, considering that the
bug's defenses were, at the moment, ineffective.// Yami-Yuugi
gave his trademark half-grin. //Games like these are common to
me, whether with cards, gambling, or actual face-to-face Magic.
They are just all Games. And I am the Game King, the one
destined to win them all.//
Yami-Yuugi listened for a reply from his Aibou, and
realizing that Yuugi had fallen back asleep again, only sighed,
more in incredulousness then in offense. His stomach made slight
grumbling noises, and the former Pharaoh blushed. He had
forgotten that "he" was still hungry. Another sigh. He knew that
taking Haga to the Shad- the place of Eternal Punishment seemed
too good to be true. Yet, as an agent of the Authority, Haga would
have been even more dangerous kept alive. Yami-Yuugi shrugged,
slightly indifferent. Oh well. Everything had its price. That said,
the Yami leapt into the air, landing gracefully on the rooftops as he
searched for his prey.
Little did he notice the pair of glowing eyes, glistening as
they watched him, the silvery hair glowing just slightly in the dark.
***************************
"Sir."
The person being addressed to, a long dark-brown haired
figure swathed in equally dark clothes, ignored the comment. His
arms were folded peacefully over his chest, head tilted down just
slightly as he slept.
"Sir." The voice emphasized again, this time persistent.
A single eye, too dark to reveal its true colour, glared at
the source of the voice, revealing that the person was actually quite
awake. He sighed, snapping the eye closed again while his other
remained undisturbed.
"Please don't bother me. I'm trying to catch up on some
rest."
"But this is very important news." The voice protested,
sounding frustrated at being ignored. "Something you might want
to hear."
The tall boy, for he was still just a boy, shifted his
shoulders slightly, yawning rather cat-like. Both eyes fluttered
open, caged by a few strands of dark chestnut hair, staring rather
hollowly in the somber room.
"What is it now?" He asked, in the same weary tone.
"_This_" The other, persisting voice replied, bringing
attention to a gigantic screen in front of the boy, displaying a map
of the city with a single, beeping dot on one specific location.
"There has been a strange disturbance in this area."
"Yeah." Muttered the boy. "Okay." He obviously wasn't
too pleased at what the voice had to offer. "If that's all you have to
tell me, Computer, don't bother to wake me up until the morning."
"Kaiba-san!" The Computer, for it was simply a
computer, roared. "Please listen to the whole thing! The
disturbance wasn't just a normal disturbance, but a strange Duel in
Magic. One between a force of the Authority and a force of the
Shadow Realm [1]."
That caught Kaiba's, or so he was called, attention. The
boy shot up from his seat faster than the eye could blink, a
magnificent gleam sparking into life within his eyes. Long, slender
fingers raced over the keyboard as the boy began a frantic pattern
of typing on the keyboard, drilling instructions both manually and
verbally.
"Who won this Duel?" Kaiba asked, voice seemingly
neutral.
"_That's_ what I've been trying to tell you." The
Computer huffed. "This force from the Shadow Realm is a familiar
face, one that everyone has been waiting quite a while to see."
Kaiba, also known as Seto Kaiba opened his mouth to
comment that the Computer had never answered his question, only
to shut it again. "Who is this person, the person from the Shadow
Realms?" Kaiba asked suddenly.
The Computer's tone was grave, as if automatically
triggered by the seriousness of its master's tone. "Yu-Gi-Oh. Also
known as the 'King of Games'. Yes, he has returned a few times in
the past, although _this_ time is by far the most significant. There
is something almost... untraceable about his host. I cannot seem to
sense a difference between his host and him, unlike the few other
conflicting times."
Kaiba slammed an angry fist down on the console.
"Damn." He muttered, gritting his teeth in anger. "It is said that
when the Game King has finally Chosen his true lost soul, he will
begin to play the Game for real and raise the stakes of either fate or
destiny." He leant back on his chair, contemplating. "Whether it is
realization or ignorance, I fear both. The white ignorance and
utopia of the Authority and the black reality and actualization of
the Shadow Realms. Ironic that they both seek to conquer through
their Games in the field of grey." Kaiba sighed, slightly. "Who
brought the Game King back? Did you file a trace?"
The Computer hesitated, doing so now. "There is no clear
data file. All that it gives me is a name."
"What name?" Kaiba prompted, voice slightly curious
and annoyed. Annoyed because he had never known about this
additional variable to the equation.
A slight pause. "It calls itself 'Club 0013'."
"Well," Kaiba added, "Prepare to hack into the data files
of this association. I'm going to find out the true reason they would
risk sending the Game King out. After that, I have some other
research to do."
"Oh?" The Computer asked, while filing out Kaiba's
commands.
"Yes. I want to know if he really is the Game King the
legends speak of. If he really has Chosen, then he will be
unbeatable."
"So." The Computer concluded, running through its data-
processed artificial brain billions of possibilities and coming to
one. "You are going to Duel him, even if it means sacrificing
yourself to the Shadow Realm."
"Yes." Seto Kaiba replied. "I shall Duel my one and only
worthy rival. Yu-Gi-Oh."
*****************************
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
Bakura says:
Bakura: Ahh... (blushes)... Are you sure you want me to do this,
Zoo?
Zoo: (sipping green tea) Yes, yes, go ahead.
Bakura: But... I can't. There's too many... people. (hides face in
embarrassment)
Zoo: -_-;;; its not hard! Just read the script.
Bakura: (confused look) You didn't give me a script.
Zoo: What?! I just gave it to you about five minutes ago!
*We cut to a picture of Yami-Bakura running away insanely with a
pile of papers clutched in one hand*
Bakura: ... Errr... Maybe I should just leave now....?
Anzu: (still very PO'ed at Zoo for ruining her "Anzu says") Why
don't you let _me_ say the moral?
Bakura: Sure Anzu!
Anzu: (Takes out pile of photos) Well, the other day, I was looking
through Zoo's desk, and I happened to come across these pictures
of her posing as...
Zoo: (chokes on her green tea, spluttering) Ack! Where's the
cable?! Someone unplug this!! Stop the recording!
*The screen blips and everything turns black, but not before
pictures of Zoo wearing a Magical Girl costume are revealed
(insane laughter is also heard in the background)*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**************** *******************
End notes:
I am well aware of Bakura's Japanese name being "Ryou Bakura (English way)". I
just like "Bakura" better... its sounds.. .cute
Also, I often refer to Yami-Yuugi's name as the "Darkness"
simply because " Yami" translated means "darkness".
Actually, I just wrote this to confess that I didn't write any of this
*points to Eevee muse slaving away at keyboard*. The Author's
notes, I mean ^_^. I'm dictating, and my Eevee muse is typing.
Ahh.. the joys of having your own personal muse ^.^
Eevee muse: -_-;;; I'm not complaining cause I get paid...
Yuugi: You too? How much?
Eevee muse: Not enough anyway ^-^
Yuugi: Yeah... I think we should go on a strike and make up our
own fic!
*Yuugi and Eevee muse leave*
Zoo: o.O;; Hey! Don't leave! -_-;;; Who's gonna start off my story,
then?
**************************************
" Little Lamb, who made thee?"
*************************************
Chapter 4: Bending the Rules
It was raining again. Fat droplets of water splattered
against the windowsill, leaving rivulets of silver staining the once-
clear glass. A melancholy mood seemed to have swept over the
town, as if the very heavens were crying over a newly remembered
loss. And yet, memories were only memories, plagued by guilt and
fueled by revenge - nothing more.
Or so he had convinced himself. Sighing rather dismally,
the boy put down his pencil, pushing back a few strands of stray
hair. He stared out the window, listening to the soft patter of
raindrops while watching with amusement as they hit the glass and
seemed to disappear, scuttling along the surface like shooting stars.
Even the raindrops had a place to go, disappearing once
they hit the window frame. But not him. Abandoned, adopted,
beaten, and eventually abused, he had no life, no purpose of his
own. The boy shook his head, trying to clear himself out of those
dismal thoughts, slapping himself back into reality. Reality. Huh.
He had given that up ever since...
.... Again he shook his head. There was no need to think
about that right now. He had more things to worry about. A pang
of guilt rang through his heart again, freezing the boy in mid-
stance. It was always like this now. He would be fine, absolutely
happy, until interrupted again by another similar experience. The
guilt chained his heart like an iron fist, unrelenting as it spoke of
_his_ sin. There was no escape. He was guilty.
Momentarily, the boy looked at an object on the side of
his desk, no larger than the palm of his hand, simply and ornately
decorated. It had been his gift, on his fourteenth birthday. Jerking
his gaze rather hastily away, the boy closed his eyes, hugging his
figure closer to himself as if to offer his own body some comfort.
Of course, there was none.
The "gift" had ruined his life. And now, it sought to ruin
more.
He shuddered. He was scared.
Any other thought was again interrupted by a wave of
guilt, this one washing him away from his tidy sanctuary like a
gigantic tsunami. He barely managed to resurface, straining with
only by the bare tendrils of his will, gasping while his mind reeled
endlessly.
That was it. He couldn't take it anymore. This was _not_
his fault - it had never been. But still, he felt so _guilty_.
Tears trickled down his cheeks, solid and brighter than
those that sang outside. And despite his weak emotions, a firm
resolve was building within him. He was going to solve his guilt
once and for all, or at least, die trying. Not that he cared a damn
about his live anyway.
The boy laughed to himself a bit, rather ironically. The
fact that he was beginning to swear was a sure sign that he was
losing his will to his Ya-
Again, he found that he couldn't say the word.
Leaving it at that, the boy picked up from his desk the
dully-glowing "gift", tying it absently to a rope and around his
neck, where his finger didn't dare again to touch it. Or rather, he
did so with the hope that the influence could lessen a bit. In fact, he
prayed. Absently, he pushed another lock of stray silvery-white
hair from his face before grabbing a thick sweatshirt. The door
clicked quietly behind him, sealing his path of second thought as
he plotted his way against the dismal, crying weather. Frankly, he
didn't care about the rain, because his mind screamed louder.
Halfway wherever his desired destination had been, the
silver-haired boy stopped. The ring tied around his neck glowed
once, the small, sad expression curved into a sadistic smile.
Maniacal laughing ensued, frightening as it chuckled with the beat
of insanity.
******************************************
Slee ping on the streets in the middle of a rainstorm was
definitely not a smart choice. Yuugi could testify to that. Curling
his small body into an even tighter ball, Yuugi tried to inch further
back into his shelter, currently a sopping wet cardboard box.
Stubbornly, the small boy had refused to disturb anyone, mostly
his family, at such an unearthly hour. And the hour had only
become unearthly when the boy had immersed himself in an
ethical debate whether or not to return to his family in the first
place. Even with his Yami's promised protection, he no longer felt
the fake sanctity that plastered his life like before. Like reaching
out towards a new school of thought, he discarded the worn ideas
of the past.
"When I was a child, I spake as a I child." Yuugi
muttered, quoting snatches of a memory worn and forgotten. "Now
I put away such childish things..." He paused, not quite
remembering the words properly, although the meaning was still
the same.
Simply put, the small boy knew that he could not belong
to the Authority anymore. The way his Yami shifted restlessly only
sharpened Yuugi's suspicion, as his darkness would often cast
silent malevolent eyes at the Officers and rule-keepers of the
Authority. There was something that his Yami wasn't telling to
Yuugi, and the small boy hesitated to ask. All he knew was that his
Yami was _not_ on good terms with the Authority. Again, the
reason was shrouded.
A drop of stinging wet water fell right on the boy's nose,
as several consecutive ones followed, each leaving a fat round
mark on his face. Without even half a thought, the small boy wiped
away the drops with his wet sleeve, succeeding only in making his
face even wetter.
He sighed, shivering with his hands over his mouth to try
and obtain some heat. Vaguely, Yuugi fantasized about a warm
shelter, lit by a single hearth, crackling and blazing with warmth.
Of course, that only succeeded in bringing the small boy more
misery as he glanced around his drenched environment, where
water was now leaking through the top of the box and spilling onto
his already-wet clothes. Even his baggy jeans clung to his skin,
making his skin icy cold and slightly clammy.
The small boy sneezed a few times, each one echoing
louder than the other. He sniffled, wiping his nose with one sleeve.
//Bless you.// Came the vague reply from Yuugi's mind,
having not made a comment for quite some while.
Yuugi sneezed again. /T-thanks/ Even his mind-speech
reflected his freezing state.
Yami-Yuugi seemed to have returned back to whatever
meditative state he had been in before. But not before one last
question. //Yuugi? Why are you so wet?//
Yuugi could imagine his Yami's reaction. He tried hard
not to think about it, but it was too late.
//WHAT!!!??// Yami-Yuugi's voice practically blasted
Yuugi's skull, vibrating and resonating with a million images of
anger and surprise. //WHAT THE-
Yuugi winced a bit as his Yami said a not-very-nice world
-ARE YOU DOING HERE!?//
/Uhm... trying to get some sleep?/ Yuugi replied,
innocently.
His Yami would take none of that, again muttering a
colourful stream of unethical words, some that Yuugi had
never heard - or wanted to hear - in his life. It was funny,
considering that his Yami hadn't reacted at all in the past
couple of hours.
//I was _sleeping_!// Yami-Yuugi screeched, indignation
and a steadily growing fury rising in his tone. //Of course, I
wouldn't have slept if I knew you were _this_ stupid!//
/Well, I didn't exactly have anywhere else to go!/ Yuugi
snapped back, somewhat irritated, the consistent wet and cold
weather clouding and freezing his mind.
Yami-Yuugi sighed, the talisman around Yuugi's neck
glimmering slightly before he shimmered into "life" beside
Yuugi. The rain collided with his image in a furious roar,
although it only passed through him, as if he were a ghost.
Crimson eyes widened as he saw the miserable, shivering
form of Yuugi, once-large eyes clouded dully with unseeing
light. With a sharp cry of dismay, Yami-Yuugi brought a very
solid, warm hand to his Aibou's forehead, feeling the chilled
skin beneath tendrils of damp hair. Droplets of water fell from
the hair onto his hand, leaving paths of cool liquid after
impact.
"Dammit, Aibou." Yami-Yuugi cursed again. He knew he
shouldn't, but it was a bad habit he had picked up from the last
person he had shared souls with. Frankly, we wouldn't have
even batted an eye if his last host had died on the spot, but he
cared deeply for Yuugi. More than he would ever admit.
"So cold." Yuugi muttered, showing positive signs of
hypothermia.
Yami-Yuugi held his light gently, wrapping the small,
shivering body over his protective warm one.
"Shhh." The darkness whispered, with all the gentleness
of a parent wishing his child good-night. "Go to sleep, Yuugi.
I'll take it from here."
Yuugi nodded. "'Night... Yami..."
Yami-Yuugi chuckled, deeply rich in tone. "Good night,
Aibou."
The Puzzle around Yuugi's neck glowed slightly, and his
small form disappeared in a burst of faintly shining white
light. Said Puzzle re-appeared around the now-standing Yami-
Yuugi's form, bringing with it the burden of reality.
The rain now dropped treacherously on Yami, decimating
his hair and once-dry clothing in less than ten seconds into a
waterlogged mass. The former Pharoah sighed at this new
onslaught of weather, but ignored it as he felt the warmth in
his Aibou's Soul Room, the small boy having automatically
drifted off into a dreamless sleep. Frankly, he wished that he
too could be in his Soul Room, but his light had already done
more than his share, and so, it was only fair that he did the
same in return. He wouldn't have wanted it otherwise.
The Yami adjusted his cloak just slightly so that it
repelled some of the rain, concentrating some of his Magic to
weave a water-repellent spell into the cloth of the material.
Having done that, the Darkness ran hurriedly down the streets,
eyes darting back and forth as he tried to spot a better shelter
for the night. Besides, he wouldn't have fit in that box.
His stomach growled a bit, but Yami-Yuugi ignored it,
continuing his quest to find at least a half-sanctuary. Now was
not a good time to be thinking about eating, although it was
actually Yuugi who was hungry. The Darkness sighed. One of
these days, he was going to have to tell light Aibou exactly
_what_ type of food Yuugi needed to eat to survive. That was
the price of the curse, but Yami-Yuugi realized that he didn't
have a heart to say so. Again, he was just delaying the
inevitable.
It didn't really matter though - Yami-Yuugi had fangs,
Yuugi didn't. It would be a breach of impurity anyway else.
Although, Yami-Yuugi might share a physical body, he didn't
actually need anything to survive. Well, his Millennium
Puzzle and a host, but besides that, he was basically _very_
low maintenance.
Still absorbed into finding a decent shelter, the darker soul
didn't notice that he had bumped into someone until he was
roughly pushed back. Instinctively, Yami-Yuugi dropped to
the ground, using his arms as support to spring from the fall
and land in a crouching, defensive position. Angry dark-red
eyes glared at the obstruction.
The person, whoever he was, obviously thought he was
very important, snarling at the figure of Yami-Yuugi with an
equally enraged demeanor. The spiky-haired Darkness simply
stared back, eyes unmoving as he analyzed the figure.
It appeared to be a boy, no older than he was, with
strangely cropped rather stringy light-blue hair, a dull gray
under the darkness. Drooping eyelids magnified by large-
rimmed glasses only enhanced the boy's rather eerie
expression, making him look like a hallowed spirit, lost
forever in thought.
The boy grabbed Yami-Yuugi rather nastily on the
shoulder, taking out what seemed like a tapered white gun, too
short to form even a muzzle. A pair of glasses flashed once in
the dark, piercing the rain-clouded environment and glaring
straight into the Yami's fierce eyes. The boy then hissed,
rather angrily, still holding a fistful of Yami-Yuugi's wet
clothing.
"Game King." The boy pronounced each word clearly. "I
know you."
Yami-Yuugi responded by jamming his knee into the
boy's stomach, causing the black-haired boy to let go of his
shoulder. The Yami watched as the boy fell down, winded by
the blow.
Yami-Yuugi sneered as he watched the black-haired boy.
"So. You are one of them." His voice dropped into a low tone,
almost growling with disdain. "An Officer. A Pawn of the
Authority. Pathetic."
Angry, the boy snapped back up, pulling the trigger on his
small weapon. Yami-Yuugi jumped, dodging the first fire, only to
realize that there was no reaction from the trigger. No bullets, no
lasers, no nothing. Shocked, the Yami chanced to look back at his
opponent, proving a costly mistake. A sudden jarring pain shot up
the Yami's arm, as though his entire body as everything began to
blur. Hastily, Yami-Yuugi tried to move, only to realize that he
was paralyzed on the spot. The tingling sensation grew worse,
spreading through his blood and releasing a strange toxic that
numbed him to the point of delirium. The former Pharaoh bit back
a scream as he felt the toxic take a form of its own, a gigantic
shadowy beast which tore at his soul, attempting to rip it out of the
body piece by piece.
"Like it?" The boy sneered, glasses flashing slightly. "It's
a modified invention that I created, thanks to the powers of the
Authority." He snorted, a jeering confident smile on his face. "It's
such a pity, really. After all those years, we had hoped that the
Game King would have learnt by now. Such a pity that you didn't
choose to be with us."
Despite his situation, Yami-Yuugi managed to give a
snarl, although weakened by the strange effect of the boy's
weapon. "Go and rot in Hell, you bastard!"
"Ooh!" The boy snickered. "Saying bad words, are we? I
wouldn't do that, cause I'll just make things worse for you."
Blood flowed down Yami-Yuugi's lips as he bit it
suddenly to prevent himself from screaming or showing any
weakness to such agents of the Authority. He would fight and they
would pay. The pain increased, until it was as if the strange beast
consuming his soul was eating its way to his brain, ripping it apart
piece by piece. The Yami found that he could no longer focus his
thoughts properly.
"That's right." The Authority-pawn continued. "My
weapon, the Shadow Mantis, will tear your soul into pieces, once
and for all. After all, even the Game King can't expect to win all
the time." He snickered, laughing at that comment.
Vaguely, Yami-Yuugi wondered if his Aibou would be
safe, and what it would be like to finally rest eternally. Maybe
there was a heaven and angels that Yuugi had talked about. He
hoped so. The darkness shuddered a bit. He hated admitting it, but
he had lived a life built on isolation, even past his death. He hoped
that at least death wouldn't be so lonely...
...Suddenly, it was over. And Yami-Yuugi was still alive.
He blinked, feeling the rush of blood flow back into his nerves and
the sudden full control his body had on the physical and mental
actions. Whatever beast once consuming his soul had also
disappeared, fading into a vague memory of pain.
The boy glasses-boy stared gape-jawed, looking at his
small gun. "What happened? Why isn't it working anymore?" He
shook it a few times like a child does to a defective toy, trying to
find the source.
Frankly, Yami-Yuugi had no clue what had caused such a
miracle, but he was nonetheless grateful. Now, to play things to his
advantage...
The Sennen Eye glowed a pale yellow on his forehead,
appearing as a lurid and malevolent symbol to those who
challenged it.
Yami-Yuugi smirked at the now-cowering boy. "Bug-
King Haga." He stated, staring straight on at the black-haired boy.
"You knew I was the King of Games. And now, I challenge you to
a Duel, in this Game I stake against you and the Authority. The
rules are yours to make."
Haga, or so he was called, suddenly sneered, rising up
from his position. He tugged in his bow tie instinctively, his eyes
gleaming as he thought.
"Fool." Bug-King Haga responded, suddenly cackling an
eerie, shallow laughter full of greed and ambition. "You might be
the King of Games, Yu-Gi-Oh, but you still have so much to learn!
Sooner or later, the powers of the Authority will force you to see
the truth!"
Yami-Yuugi sneered. "Save your crap for later. Do you
accept my challenge or not?"
More cackling ensued, maniacal and rather annoying.
"Yes, I'll accept your challenge. I believe you know about a
famous card game, called "Duel Monsters?"
Actually, Yami-Yuugi had no clue, but rather, delved into
the memory of his sleeping Aibou, searching for a match. He soon
found one, mentally scanning the rules and procedures while he
talked. "Yes. I'll play your 'Duel Monsters' Game."
"You'll need a deck, though." Haga prompted. "Such a
pity that you don't have one. I guess we'll have to settle for
another game then." He commented, voice manipulative.
Unknowingly, Yami-Yuugi took the bait. "Shut your
nonsense! I have a deck right here!" He took out the strange case
from his Aibou's (now his) jacket pocket, opening it to skim over
the cards as he mind did a mental scan of each card's strengths and
weaknesses. A lot of the cards were quite familiar, bringing to him
strange flashbacks of a time long ago when there were the Shad-
Yami-Yuugi shook his head. Now was not the time to
think of such things. "These cards are only cards. They have no life
or spirit in them. What type of game is this?"
Haga giggled insanely. "You sound like an idiot, Yu-Gi-
Oh. This is indeed a game all about stakes. We will infuse our
powers, yours from your Millennium Puzzle, and mine from the
Authority, into the powers of the cards. Whatever monster you
choose shall be a direct summoning of energy. Whatever monster
you loose you shall also feel, in physical torture. The last one
standing wins"
"Fine." Yami-Yuugi proclaimed, in a loud, clear voice.
"Let's Duel!"
A gigantic dome built of pure energy grew and stabilized
around the two Duelists, surrounding them in a sealed shelter, the
arena resembling an ancient-style battle-dome.
Both contestants grabbed their decks, shuffling it before
picking up five cards. The Millennium Puzzle glowed slightly by
Yami-Yuugi's chest, as did the, oddly enough, Bug-King Haga's
glasses.
Haga started off the move. "My first card will be a simple
bug card." He threw the card into the ground beside him, watching
the card glow and distort in shape, lengthening to become a
gigantic insect, a grossly enlarged praying mantis, deadly claws in
tow. "As a card, its power is weak. However, this isn't simply a
card game isn't it? It's also about Magic. How long can you hold
out in your Magic, and when do you attack?"
Yami-Yuugi grunted. He looked at his deck, and scanning
it again, threw a single card, which expanded in size, but never
shifted shape, appearing to be a gigantic card face-down. "I play a
card face down. And for the turn, I choose to defend with Silver
Fang!"
Another card glowed, and Yami-Yuugi concentrated,
focusing his powers slightly to form the card into a physical shape
of a large sliver-furred wolf, bristling protectively at his side.
"Heheheheh." Haga laughed maniacally, "I change my
Mantis to attack mode along with this magic card, a level 3 Laser
Cannon! I am also adding my Forest field card to give _all_ my
insects a field power bonus. You might call it a slight...
enhancement of magical power."
Yami-Yuugi glared, caught slightly off guard. He braced
himself as the blow of the gigantic insect wiped out his wolf in one
blast, watching the creature reduce itself into a mass of flesh and
silvery fur, which simply dissolved into nothing. At the same time,
he felt the blow directly at himself, as invisible claws seemed to
rake and attempt to pry apart his insides, making him hiss
involuntarily in pain. The Game King gritted his teeth, breathing in
shallow gasps as to ease the pain. A long gash rang along his right
shoulder, splicing perfectly the skin as the exposed pink flesh
began to gush and ooze a deep crimson red.
Haga watched this in glee. "Ha! Now you see how the
game goes. And the fun has only begun!"
Still growling slightly, Yami-Yuugi drew another card
from the deck, careful not to move his shoulder too much. "I play
the Curse of Dragon card, in attack mode!" He smirked as he
placed the card into the center of the battlefield, watching it
lengthen and shift into a gigantic dull-ivory dragon, seeming to be
made of only bones and hints of flesh. It shrieked, flapping its
wings, supported only by a faint line of air-resistant membrane.
Without missing a beat, he brought another card into play. "And I
also play my magic card, 'the Magic of Burning Land'."
The Game King closed his eyes, sensing within his own
Magic the power of his dragon. Although deceptively weak at first,
the power of his dragon lay in the magic card in play. And so,
Yami-Yuugi shifted his Magic into the card, watching as the card
shimmered and infused itself with the attacking beast. The Puzzle
glowed at the sudden strain of energy, complying with hidden
sources of power. From the Curse of Dragon's mouth sprang a
stream of molten flames, burning the mantis to cinders on the spot.
Now, it was Haga's turn to feel the onslaught of pain. The
boy shrieked and howled as his entire body was consumed by
invisible flames, wreaking havoc on his body. Slight boils
appeared on the surface of his skin, resembling layers of blisters
that grew and blackened into a slimy, smelly layer of raw flesh.
Then, the pain stopped, the scars and welts disappearing, save the
ones that remained on his forearm as a reminder of his injury. The
boy nursed his wounded arm, cursing slightly. To make the
situation worse, the field magic card that Haga had set was gone,
burnt by the flames of Yami-Yuugi's monster.
Yami-Yuugi smirked. "How does it feel to get a taste of
your own medicine, Bug King?"
Haga glared, adjusting his glasses as their intensity
seemed to grow, veiling his demonic eyes with a brilliant glassy
sheen. To the Yami's amusement, the boy laughed, high pitched
and full of lust. "More." He whispered, caught in some wild
euphoria of power. "MORE!"
Another card was drawn, and the Bug King slammed the
single card down, with so much ecstasy that one could have almost
sworn it was the infamous "Blue Eyes White Dragon" or even
"Exodia". Yet, true to his name, Bug King Haga played only bug
cards.
"Lesse.. Ooh yes! I call upon this defenseless Moth
Larvae." The corners of the boy's lips upturned, smiling rather
triumphantly despite the 'weak' card. "Oh, by the way? Did I
forget to tell you? I'm combining my worm with this 'Cocoon of
Evolution' card to not only increase its defense but perhaps, create
a better card." The smile was absolutely a sickening expression of
uncontrolled fervour. "In a few turns, you'll learn that perhaps the
best cards come with time."
Yami-Yuugi's eyes narrowed. His mind raced over all the
possibilities within the growing cocoon, finding that each
possibility was too much in conflict with the next. If only he knew
this game better! With inexperience at his side, the chances of him
loosing were too great.
/You can do this, Yami!/
The voice came from his mind, and Yami-Yuugi almost
jerked backwards in shock. //Yuugi?// The Darkness asked quite
incredulously, having thought that the young boy was still
sleeping.
Yuugi created a mental picture of him nodding. /I saw the
whole thing from here. You're doing great - just don't give up!/
Yami-Yuugi snorted. //Ha! Give up to him? I'd rather
grovel at the feet of Nefertiti.//
There was a slight pause. /Who's Nerfertiti?/ Yuugi
asked, slightly confused.
//Ahh...// The Yami had forgotten again that his Aibou
had never heard of such things. //Nefertiti was this Egyptian
Goddess who has convinced for the longest time that I was to be
her newly betrothed.//
Yuugi laughed, despite the reality of the situation at hand.
/_That_ I would have to see to believe./ He commented, before his
voice turned slightly serious. /Listen, Yami. I've heard all sorts of
information about the infamous Bug King Haga. He likes to cheat
and use his field cards to give him a bonus, while distracting his
opponents with his other cards bide time for his Great Moth. He's
ruthless, and he'll do anything to win. What you've got to do is
play his weaknesses./
Play his weaknesses? But how? Yami-Yuugi thought
about this carefully, tossing another card into the area, also face
down. He drew his card for the turn, analyzing and comparing it.
What _was_ the cocoon's weakness? With a gigantic thread-like
barrier, and Haga's Magic infused into its defense, the creature was
going to hold back whatever attack thrown at it. Unless...
Yami-Yuugi smirked. //I think... Maybe the key to the
game _isn't_ defeating it, but finding the strategy.//
Yuugi seemed impressed. /You mean, you found one
already?/ The Light scanned the cards on his Yami's hand. /But
none of these are really strong enough to eliminate this cocoon,
even with all the power of your magic./ He exclaimed, dubious.
//I am well aware that how much magic your beasts can
hold depends mostly on their set attack and defense power.// Yami-
Yuugi interrupted. //Trust me on this one. I am the Game King
after all, aren't I?//
Yuugi said nothing but simply speculated. He watched as
his Yami quickly selected two cards from his deck.
"I send out the Magic card, 'Magical mist' as well my
'Gaia the Fierce Knight' in attack mode!"
The first card shifted into translucence, and Yami-Yuugi
felt his Magic reacting with it, letting the card guide his Magic into
forming a gigantic cloud. Spreading out and expanding in size, it
swirled around the battle arena, covering the entire dome with a
hazy, wet atmosphere, not much unlike the weather outside.
"Gaia the Fierce Knight - attack now!" Yami-Yuugi
would complain to his Aibou later about the sheer stupidity of
some of the cards' names.
The new attacker, a strange armour-enveloped knight
riding an equally armoured war-horse, charged, aiming its pointed
lance towards the gigantic cocoon. Of course, the lance only
skidded off, the strange material of the cocoon damp and slippery.
Even as Haga was pushed slightly back by the impact, the
Bug King continued to laugh, non-stop. Yami-Yuugi grated his
teeth, steaming in his own anger. After he won the duel, the Bug
King's laugh would be the first to go; and then the stupid names of
the cards, of course.
"Hahah!" Haga continued, unaware of the killer glare the
Game King shot in his direction. "Your Knight attacking my
cocoon will only provoke it into evolving faster! Such a stupid and
tactless plan!"
Yami-Yuugi simply shrugged, drawing another card and
putting it into play. "I set a trap card face down."
/No use Yami/ Yuugi muttered, being an avid fan of the
Duel Monsters Card game himself. /Haga's sure to have a
counterattack card for that./
"Now, Gaia the Fierce Knight, attack again!" This time,
Yami-Yuugi poured all the Magic possible into the attack,
watching as the horseman charged with the full swing of given
momentum and newly charged power. The Puzzle glowed fiercely
around his neck, and so did the symbol of the Sennen Eye,
appearing briefly on his forehead.
With a yell, the lance of the Knight pierced the tough skin
of the cocoon, breaking a sizable hole into the unyielding material.
Yami-Yuugi smirked, trying to regain his posture as he felt himself
being roughly jolted by a binding force of the same impact. Small
shooting stars still streaked across his vision.
And yet, Bug King Haga was uninjured by such an attack.
And he only laughed.
/I don't like the sound of that/ Yuugi muttered.
But Yami-Yuugi was still unpreturbed. From the gigantic
cocoon rose a strange, withered creature, appearing at first to be
some horrific half-mass, stuck in metamorphosis between the
larvae and adult stages of its kind. But, as the remains of the
pierced cocoon were ruthlessly ripped apart by large, savage claws,
it became apparent that there _was_ something very dangerous
about this newly evolved creature.
"Rise, my beauty!" Haga laughed, raising his hands in the
air to commemorate his prized monster "And obliterate!"
Large, monstrous wings fluttered and shimmered slightly,
shaking off the excess ooze from within its cocoon. It screeched,
and emitted from its serrated mouth a gigantic beam of energy,
brilliant to the point of awe-inspiring. The beam shot out, a perfect,
direct arc of light heading straight for the Knight.
... But Yami-Yuugi just smirked. The Darkness raised a
hand, and moved it quickly over one of his already-set cards.
"I play the trap card - Mirror Force!" He shouted,
watching as the card formed into a gigantic mirror, suddenly
reflecting the attack back on the moth.
Even then, Haga laughed. "It's no use! My moth's
defense power is as strong as its attack power, so there's no way
you can defeat it! Your trap card was just a delay against the
inevitable!"
Yami-Yuugi smirked. "Think again, Haga. Or should I
say - Bug King Haga?"
Bug King Haga's eyes widened as his moth was
completely overwhelmed and obliterated from its own attack,
leaving no sign of its appearance save the remains of a few ashes.
Haga staggered to the ground, doubling over in agony as
his bones cracked and flesh stretched painfully, arching his body in
an unnatural posture as a powerful wave of Magic seized to tear
him apart limb by limb. The boy squealed and even pleaded for
mercy, until suddenly, it was over, leaving the Bug King with a
haunted mask of pain on his face.
The Yami continued smirking. "You're very lucky I
didn't decide to kill you. You know very well that in your
defenseless position, with no monsters in your field, my Magic
would be able to finish you in a snap." Yami-Yuugi growled,
angrily. "But, for you, I find Punishment the much better path."
His Sennen Eye burned brightly, a multi-coloured hue of brilliant
white.
Bug King Haga screeched as he felt an invisible dark
force tug at his body, seeking to enslave and capture his tainted
soul. "You cheated!" He shouted, even as tendrils of dark energy
formed on the ground around him, wrapping over his face and
body before enclosing him into the permanent depths of the
shadows. The boy gave a last despairing cry before he disappeared,
leaving only a pair of dull-grey glasses on the now undisturbed
ground.
The end of the Duel was finally over, and the invisible
battle-dome around Yami-Yuugi dissolved, leaving him to the rain
once more, as the cards returned back into their deck, safely stored
in the jacket pocket.
/How _did_ you defeat Haga anyway?/ Yuugi asked
quietly, still awed at the brilliant display at the end, and even more
scared at Haga's sudden disappearance. /And where did Haga go?/
Yami-Yuugi looked at the part of the street, once covering
a magnificent duel. His shoulder still bled slightly, but now the
blood had caked, as droplets of water carried with it small streaks
of crimson. "Simple, really." He reverted back into mind-speech.
//Haga was overconfident, in that he thought his Moth was
resistant to everything. What he didn't know was that the 'Magical
Mist' I had placed earlier on the field was depleting the condition
of his bugs, as a wet bug equals a slightly tender and defenseless
bug. Therefore, it was no surprise that the Moth's own energy-
induced attack was able to obliterate itself, considering that the
bug's defenses were, at the moment, ineffective.// Yami-Yuugi
gave his trademark half-grin. //Games like these are common to
me, whether with cards, gambling, or actual face-to-face Magic.
They are just all Games. And I am the Game King, the one
destined to win them all.//
Yami-Yuugi listened for a reply from his Aibou, and
realizing that Yuugi had fallen back asleep again, only sighed,
more in incredulousness then in offense. His stomach made slight
grumbling noises, and the former Pharaoh blushed. He had
forgotten that "he" was still hungry. Another sigh. He knew that
taking Haga to the Shad- the place of Eternal Punishment seemed
too good to be true. Yet, as an agent of the Authority, Haga would
have been even more dangerous kept alive. Yami-Yuugi shrugged,
slightly indifferent. Oh well. Everything had its price. That said,
the Yami leapt into the air, landing gracefully on the rooftops as he
searched for his prey.
Little did he notice the pair of glowing eyes, glistening as
they watched him, the silvery hair glowing just slightly in the dark.
***************************
"Sir."
The person being addressed to, a long dark-brown haired
figure swathed in equally dark clothes, ignored the comment. His
arms were folded peacefully over his chest, head tilted down just
slightly as he slept.
"Sir." The voice emphasized again, this time persistent.
A single eye, too dark to reveal its true colour, glared at
the source of the voice, revealing that the person was actually quite
awake. He sighed, snapping the eye closed again while his other
remained undisturbed.
"Please don't bother me. I'm trying to catch up on some
rest."
"But this is very important news." The voice protested,
sounding frustrated at being ignored. "Something you might want
to hear."
The tall boy, for he was still just a boy, shifted his
shoulders slightly, yawning rather cat-like. Both eyes fluttered
open, caged by a few strands of dark chestnut hair, staring rather
hollowly in the somber room.
"What is it now?" He asked, in the same weary tone.
"_This_" The other, persisting voice replied, bringing
attention to a gigantic screen in front of the boy, displaying a map
of the city with a single, beeping dot on one specific location.
"There has been a strange disturbance in this area."
"Yeah." Muttered the boy. "Okay." He obviously wasn't
too pleased at what the voice had to offer. "If that's all you have to
tell me, Computer, don't bother to wake me up until the morning."
"Kaiba-san!" The Computer, for it was simply a
computer, roared. "Please listen to the whole thing! The
disturbance wasn't just a normal disturbance, but a strange Duel in
Magic. One between a force of the Authority and a force of the
Shadow Realm [1]."
That caught Kaiba's, or so he was called, attention. The
boy shot up from his seat faster than the eye could blink, a
magnificent gleam sparking into life within his eyes. Long, slender
fingers raced over the keyboard as the boy began a frantic pattern
of typing on the keyboard, drilling instructions both manually and
verbally.
"Who won this Duel?" Kaiba asked, voice seemingly
neutral.
"_That's_ what I've been trying to tell you." The
Computer huffed. "This force from the Shadow Realm is a familiar
face, one that everyone has been waiting quite a while to see."
Kaiba, also known as Seto Kaiba opened his mouth to
comment that the Computer had never answered his question, only
to shut it again. "Who is this person, the person from the Shadow
Realms?" Kaiba asked suddenly.
The Computer's tone was grave, as if automatically
triggered by the seriousness of its master's tone. "Yu-Gi-Oh. Also
known as the 'King of Games'. Yes, he has returned a few times in
the past, although _this_ time is by far the most significant. There
is something almost... untraceable about his host. I cannot seem to
sense a difference between his host and him, unlike the few other
conflicting times."
Kaiba slammed an angry fist down on the console.
"Damn." He muttered, gritting his teeth in anger. "It is said that
when the Game King has finally Chosen his true lost soul, he will
begin to play the Game for real and raise the stakes of either fate or
destiny." He leant back on his chair, contemplating. "Whether it is
realization or ignorance, I fear both. The white ignorance and
utopia of the Authority and the black reality and actualization of
the Shadow Realms. Ironic that they both seek to conquer through
their Games in the field of grey." Kaiba sighed, slightly. "Who
brought the Game King back? Did you file a trace?"
The Computer hesitated, doing so now. "There is no clear
data file. All that it gives me is a name."
"What name?" Kaiba prompted, voice slightly curious
and annoyed. Annoyed because he had never known about this
additional variable to the equation.
A slight pause. "It calls itself 'Club 0013'."
"Well," Kaiba added, "Prepare to hack into the data files
of this association. I'm going to find out the true reason they would
risk sending the Game King out. After that, I have some other
research to do."
"Oh?" The Computer asked, while filing out Kaiba's
commands.
"Yes. I want to know if he really is the Game King the
legends speak of. If he really has Chosen, then he will be
unbeatable."
"So." The Computer concluded, running through its data-
processed artificial brain billions of possibilities and coming to
one. "You are going to Duel him, even if it means sacrificing
yourself to the Shadow Realm."
"Yes." Seto Kaiba replied. "I shall Duel my one and only
worthy rival. Yu-Gi-Oh."
*****************************
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
Bakura says:
Bakura: Ahh... (blushes)... Are you sure you want me to do this,
Zoo?
Zoo: (sipping green tea) Yes, yes, go ahead.
Bakura: But... I can't. There's too many... people. (hides face in
embarrassment)
Zoo: -_-;;; its not hard! Just read the script.
Bakura: (confused look) You didn't give me a script.
Zoo: What?! I just gave it to you about five minutes ago!
*We cut to a picture of Yami-Bakura running away insanely with a
pile of papers clutched in one hand*
Bakura: ... Errr... Maybe I should just leave now....?
Anzu: (still very PO'ed at Zoo for ruining her "Anzu says") Why
don't you let _me_ say the moral?
Bakura: Sure Anzu!
Anzu: (Takes out pile of photos) Well, the other day, I was looking
through Zoo's desk, and I happened to come across these pictures
of her posing as...
Zoo: (chokes on her green tea, spluttering) Ack! Where's the
cable?! Someone unplug this!! Stop the recording!
*The screen blips and everything turns black, but not before
pictures of Zoo wearing a Magical Girl costume are revealed
(insane laughter is also heard in the background)*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**************** *******************
End notes:
I am well aware of Bakura's Japanese name being "Ryou Bakura (English way)". I
just like "Bakura" better... its sounds.. .cute
Also, I often refer to Yami-Yuugi's name as the "Darkness"
simply because " Yami" translated means "darkness".