Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Reborn The Monster ❯ Prelude to Danger ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter Four: Prelude to Danger

Joey wasn't really feeling all that comfortable in the predicament he was currently stuck in. Avoiding contact with Mai when you're forced to sit right next to her was pretty hard. "Tristan you have to let me borrow your CD player." Joey begged. Joey cringed waiting for his friend to taunt him so more about his current situation.

Tristan merely offered a sympathetic smile and handed over the CD player. "Here ya go man." He said.

"Thanks." Joey gleamed popping a CD in and blasting the volume as high as it could go.

Mai leafed through her magazines trying her hardest to ignore the current pounding in her ears. Finally she figured enough was enough. "Do you think that's loud enough?" She steamed.

"Well," Joey said turning it down to talk to her. "I can still hear you so no." He snapped back on the headphones and turned the volume back up.

What an ass Mai thought. And if he thinks for a second that his clever little antics are going to do anything for him he can think again. Mai resumed her magazine reading discreetly peeking glances over at Joey who was staring out the window.

*

Yugi was a bit uncomfortable himself. It had been about an hour since Yami had woken up from what appeared to be a nightmare and he hadn't said anything since. Questions burned in Yugi's mind but something kept telling him not to say anything. This didn't stop a curious and concerned demeanor to spread across Yugi's face.

Yami looked down at Yugi whose face was furrowed in a look of worry and concern. "Something wrong little one?" Yami asked.

Yugi smoothed his pants still debating in his head on if he should press the issue with Yami. "Well," Yugi said looking up at his other half. "You seem a bit worried lately is everything alright?"

Yami leaned back in his chair and sighed. He had been hoping Yugi wouldn't ask something like that, though he had come to expect it. "It's just something I can't explain, Yugi," He looked down and offered a smile. "When I can put my finger on it then I'll share it with you, but until then . . . I don't know." Yami smiled again running his finger along the end of his drink glass. "Until then I just don't know."

Yugi leaned back. "Well if you figure it out before I get up then don't hesitate to wake me up."

"Yugi and Yami are counting on us Bakura!" Joey voice screamed out as he thrust a book into Bakura's hands. "Don't worry about what happens to me! Whatever you do don't look back just get this book to Yami and Yugi! Bakura I'm counting on you!"

Bakura' s hands quiver as he watches bony hands wrap around Joey's arms and legs. "Joey!" Bakura screams trying to grab the blonde youth's hand.

"Bakura! Go now while you still have a chance. You're their only hope! Go! Don't worry about me."

Bakura takes off running and, as Joey instructs, doesn't look back. Behind him Joey offers his friend a sad smile as the arms pull him into the darkness. There is a loud scream and then silence. Bakura, heart pounding, stops in his tracks. "Joey." He squeaks out almost inaudibly.

Yugi snapped up quickly from sleep. That dream he thought to himself. It just seemed so real, but what was it about? What happened to Joey? Why did Yami and I need that book? Yugi looked over at Yami who was leafing through the pamphlet for what seemed to be the sixtieth time. Yugi took a deep breath in and shook his head. That airline food must not set well with me He thought to himself, because that sure was a strange dream. "Something wrong Yugi?"

Yugi looked up with a start. Yami's was looking directly at him with a bit of concern gleaming in his eyes. "I just had the strangest dream, that's all." Yugi said cheerfully. "I suppose lunch didn't set well with me."

Yami nodded. "As long as you're alright."

"I am." Yugi chirped leaning back in his seat. "I am."

*

Attention passengers we'll be landing in about ten minutes so we ask that you please buckle your seat belts and prepare for landing. Yugi yawned and reached over re-buckling his seatbelt. He looked over at Yami who did the same. "Long flight?" Bakura said putting his seat back up. "Did I really sleep the whole time?"

Yugi nodded. "Yeah, it's actually a good thing it's only eight o' clock in the morning where we're landing. (A/N: I made that up I'm not even going to confuse myself with time zones)

Bakura shifted in his seat. "Well I pity those who didn't get any sleep at all."

Yami leaned against the window folding and re-folding the pamphlet from Yugi's back. The pamphlet was starting to look as if it was going to fall apart any minute. "Yami?" Yugi said taking the pamphlet out of his hands. "Why do you keep looking at this?" He said staring blankly at the paper wondering that if he stared at it long enough, whatever Yami was seeing would appear.

Yami shook his head. "It's like I said before, I have a bad feeling Yugi. It's something I can't quite stick my finger on, but it's there."

Yugi nodded it was the same way he felt about the dream he had earlier. He decided not to voice that to Yami though he had enough on his mind as it was why bother him with that?

*

"Welcome to the Grand Pyramid Hotel." A young woman greeted them as they arrived at a quaint little hotel a couple hours away from the airport. "You can get your room key's from Karen over there. We already have your reservations."

The students all bustled towards the front desk "After you get settle in your rooms," The teacher called out. "You have until seven tonight to do whatever you want. Please be check in at seven we want you to be here for our guest speaker. Mr. Finglemyer himself."

"Great sounds like loads of fun." Joey said dully. "Just what I want to do listen to some guy talk about his life's work. If I wanted dat I would've gone to da job fair."

"Uh, Joey you did go to the job fair. It was mandatory." Tristan stated.

Joey blushed and quickly shook his head. "Aw it was jus a figure of speech dats all."

*

Night had fallen quickly and all the students were ushered into the ballroom to hear from the speaker. Mai slumped down on a couch in the corner of the ballroom. The only reason she had come on this trip was to do some shopping in other parts of the world. Coming with the school was cheaper, so she wasn't pleased when she was forced into the ballroom. To even more of her displeasure Joey and the others drifted into the room shortly after. Yugi caught Mai's glance and quickly looked away. He wanted to avoid getting his best friend hurt by her again if at all possible, so naturally he cringed as she got up and walked over.

"Yugi." She said nodding at him.

"Hello Mai." Yugi said trying to be pleasant. Mai glared mockingly over in Joey's direction. Yugi looked up at his friend who was down casting his eyes trying his best to avoid Mai's gaze. Mai cleared her throat. "I really don't understand why you're here Joseph I mean I didn't think this whole academics and learning was your scene."

Yugi couldn't see Joey's face but he could tell that his face was turning red. Joey took a deep breath and shifted his gaze and looked Mai directly in the eye.

"I don't understand why you're here either I didn' think da whole getting' dirty and diggin' up stuff was your scene either." Tristan gave Joey a high five behind his back and snickered.

"You know what Joey?!" Mai screamed. "I honestly don't understand why you ever thought I'd like you. I mean come on a girl like me and a guy like you?! It's unthinkable." Mai turned around sharply and stomped off.

Bakura looked over at Joey who looked like he had been hit by a bus. "Joey?" Bakura asked softly not really sure what to say.

"It's, It's okay." Joey said not looking up. "I'll be right back I juss gotta go to da bathroom that's all."

Joey quickly pushed pass Tea and walked off. "Poor guy." Tristan said shaking his head. "I don't see why she had to go and say that. It's as if what she did on the plane wasn't bad enough."

"It's not fair!" Tea spoke up. "She's the one who told him not to talk to her, but she had to go and start this. I don't know why she couldn't have just left it alone."

"I'm going to go talk to him." Yugi said pushing through.

//Mind if I help?// Yugi smiled as he walked out the ballroom door.

/Yeah, Come on out. I think I'm going to need some help with this one./

Yami appeared before Yugi and the two walked off to the bathroom. "Joey?" Yugi said cautiously opening the door.

"She's right." Joey said sadly.

"No she isn't." Yugi argued his violet eyes pleading with his friend. "You really don't have to take that from her."

"What's da use?" Joey asked. "Afta what happened on da plane she's never gonna quit."

"Joey." Yami said sternly. "What's the one thing Mai craves more then anything else?"

"Designer shoes?" Joey asked.

"No, attention. Particularly attention from guys." Yugi said catching on.

"So if I wanna drive her nuts, all I gotta do is act like she don't exist?" Joey said grinning at the simplicity of it.

"Do you think you can handle that Joey?" Yugi laughed.

"Yeah, I'll juss treat her like my math homework." Joey said following them out the bathroom door.

*

Mai had already retreated back to her couch when Joey, Yugi, and Yami reentered the room. Mr. Finglemyer was just about to make his speech. "Why couldn't we have stayed in the bathroom?" Joey groaned.

Mr. Finglemyer cleared his throat and beamed out at the students. "I am Dr. Finglemyer and I'm here to talk about my studies."

"We already knew that!" Shouted a student from the middle section.

"Right," Dr. Finglemyer stated looking a bit embarrassed. "Anyway I brought along my most recent and, to me, my most special discovery." Dr. Finglemyer carefully held up the item Yami had been looking at in the pamphlet. "I believe to be some piece of a key, perhaps it unlocks a secret treasure or tomb of a long forgotten pharaoh."

Yami gritted his teeth. You don't want to know what the key will unlock he thought clenching his fists. Yami was so absorbed in his anger and frustration he didn't notice the change that had taken place in Bakura. Bakura suddenly seemed darker and his eyes slanted maliciously as he looked up at Dr. Finglemyer.

"Hand it over!" Yami Bakura snarled pushing through the crowd. Yami snapped up and looked in horror.

"Excuse me?" Dr. Finglemyer said looking surprised. "I don't-"

"You will hand that over you disgusting mortal or suffer the consequences." Yami Bakura snarled.

"Is that a threat?" Dr. Finglemyer said eyes darting looking for a teacher.

"It's a threat a intend to make good on." Yami Bakura reached for his pocket. Tristan knew suddenly what was coming.

"Yami!" He screamed. "You've got to stop him he's going to try something funny."

It was too late. Yami Bakura held up the card of his choice. "Shadows of Darkness!" (A/N: Not a real card, I don't think, I just made it up) A dark mist wafted through the room making it impossible to see. When it finally cleared Yami Bakura was gone.

Yami took off toward the door. "Yami!" Yugi shouted as he and his friend pursued.

"I have to stop him." Yami said as Yugi and the others caught up.

"What's going on?" Yugi said running along side of him. "Is this what you've been worried abou-" Yugi stopped short gasping at the figure unconscious on the ground in front of them. It was Bakura.

Author Note: Ohhh Cliffhanger. I'm so mean aren't I? Well please leave a review and tell me what you think.

Shadow Vitani