Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Shades Of Gray ❯ No Matter What ( Chapter 7 )

Priestess: All right, I'll make a deal with you. At least one review for every chapter of this fanfiction, and I make it a series-three or more fanfictions, and maybe a few funny little side stories (suggestions are always good, I'm already planning a beach one) Not, and I put this fic on a hiatus for a few months (look at all the stories I have, it wouldn't be hard)

***

"You expect me to believe that? I was fooled by you once, don't expect me to be fooled again."

Yu-Gi-Oh was floating (hey, it's a dreamhere, people) in what seemed to be a large underground chamber, probably part of a temple. What worried him was not the temple itself, or even the slab in the middle-the Tablet of the Millennium Items, with all the Items but the Ring-were the people.

Standing next to the tablet was a tall, tanned, muscular, exhausted-looking man with white hair and a familiar face and the Millennium Ring glowing around his neck.

And, though he had three intersecting scars on his cheek and pale violet eyes, Yu-Gi-Oh recognized him from a memory that felt distant but at the same time very recent.

Touzoku Ou Bakura-sama.

Facing him, on his knees, also looking exhausted, but at the same time quite angry, was a man Yu-Gi-Oh recognized with a shock as a fancy-looking Egyptian version of himself. He was the one who had spoken.

Behind him were more people, but Yu-Gi-Oh didn't notice them. He was focusing on Touzoku Ou and the Pharaoh (Yu-Gi-Oh doesn't know his name is Atemu, remember?)

Touzoku Ou looked at the Pharaoh with pain in his eyes, then suddenly grabbed the Puzzle from the Tablet and flung it at him.

The Pharaoh reached up and caught it, though it seemed more instinctive than actually thought-out.

"I don't want to fool you," Touzoku Ou replied in a voice full of pain and sorrow, and that cleared away any and all doubts Yu-Gi-Oh may have had-he was Bakura. He had Bakura's voice. "I love you. I've alwaysloved you. I thought you loved me, too."

"I thought I did, too, but I guess I was wrong," the Pharaoh spat, and Yu-Gi-Oh stared at his carbon-copy in horror. How could he be so cruel? He would be thrilled if Bakura said he loved him. Not that that would ever happen…

Touzoku Ou stared at him helplessly. In a broken voice barely more than a whisper, he reminded him, "You told me you'd love me no matter what…"

"Did I? Well, you lied to me, didn't you? And you did a lot worse." The Pharaoh glared at him, fierce, wicked, and Yu-Gi-Oh wished he could punch him.

You fought me, you desecrated my father's tomb, you killed my Priests, you almost destroyed my country, and you stole the Millennium Items. And now that you realize you're going to lose, you give back the Puzzle, but I notice you're still wearing the Ring. Well, if you like the Ring so much, you can spend all eternity in it!"

"No!" Yu-Gi-Oh shouted in spite of himself, though he knew they wouldn't hear it. "Don't do it…you can't…you can't!"

Ignoring him, the Pharaoh gripped the Puzzle and uttered a spell. Both the Ring and the Puzzle blazed with ancient, evilpower.

Touzoku Ou screamed and almost crumpled against the Tablet, hands pressed against it for support. The Pharaoh stared at him without support, but Yu-Gi-Oh continued to yell, "Stop it! He didn't do it! Stop it, stop it, stop it!"

Suddenly he realized that his voice wasn't the only one. Because it was a dream, he could somehow see the torrents of spirits appearing and twining around the Pharaoh and what was left of his followers.

Yu-Gi-Oh covered his ears. The screams were deafening, and he was certain Yugi would be able to hear them from his dreams.

"Stop it…" Touzoku Ou whispered, then his voice rose. "Stop! Don't hurt them!"

And the spirits stopped, and the Pharaoh stared at Touzoku Ou. He was crying now-Touzoku Ou, not Atemu-and judging from his obvious exhaustion and the blaze coming from the Ring it seemed he was almost dead. But he wasn't dead yet.

In a voice so quiet Yu-Gi-Oh barely heard it, he whispered, "I still love you. No matter what happens…I'll always love you."

Then his eyes shut, and he slumped against the Tablet, and the Millennium Ring clattered to the ground.

***

Yu-Gi-Oh screamed and screamed and screamed as he woke up. Even once he did, he continued shrieking as if he would never stop.

He heard Sugaroku climbing up the stairs, and quick as a flash Yami knocked him out with a spell. Then, with another spell, he sealed Yugi into sleep-mode for three more hours.

Yu-Gi-Oh didn't have the strength or will left to lecture him.

Eventually, his yells dissolved into gusts of sobs, which in the end resided into quiet weeping. He curled up like a child who needed a teddy bear, ignoring Yami's taunt that he would soon be sucking his thumb-or would he rather suck a tongue?

He was just pissed that Yu-Gi-Oh wouldn't let him beat the crap out of Necrophadisu for fear of hurting Ryou and Bakura.

What had that been? A dream? No, it couldn't have been. Meaning it must have been some memory from his past life-but of what?

Words drifted to him as from across a stream of time-though, in truth, it had been barely a month ago.

"Well, he did me into the worst enemy of the one friend I didhave."
"Was I that one friend?"
"Yes."

Had they been more than friends? He had hoped so for a while now. But…

I didn't know about Necrophadisu in Egypt. I must have thought it was really Bakura. And when he told me the truth…

//It was too late\\ came Yami's dreadful voice-so like his, yet so different, malicious and hissing. //You killed him. So why can't I kill the cause of it?\\

<Shut up!> Yu-Gi-Oh thought fiercely. <You're the part of me that did it! You must be!>

//Now, are you sure about that?\\

<Yes!>

He could practically feel Yami's shrug, practically see his smirk. How could anyone think they were the same being? //Fine. But I'm still a part of you!\\

"Go away!" Yu-Gi-Oh shouted through his tears, not even aware he was speaking aloud. He flung a pillow at the wall, then another. "Go-the-fuck-away!"

Then he started sobbing again, burying his head in his arms. This time even Yami was silent.

***

The next day, Ryou was sneezing quite frequently, there were shadows under his eyes, and he walked as though his feet were hurting. Within two hours of school starting, Katsuya confronted him about it.

"You all right, Ryou?" he asked, all friendly concern. He, Yugi, and Yu-Gi-Oh were the first to remember to call him 'Ryou' rather than Bakura-for rather obvious reasons (though Yugi is just naturally like that, Yu-Gi-Oh and Katsuya are in lo-ove-and not with each other.)

"I-" he sneezed. "I'm fine. Ah-ah-achoo!" This sneeze was so harsh his white hair lifted for a moment, before once again settling around his shoulders.

"You don't look fine to me," Katsuya retorted. His voice became gentle once again. "What's wrong?"

"No-achoo-idea," Ryou admitted after another fit of sneezing. "What I do know is that-achoo! Achoo! Achoo!-Bakura or Necrophadisu had something to do with it. Either both of them are-achoo-planning something bit, or-achoo-at least Necrophadisu-achoo-is, but Bakura-achoo-probably-achoo-is too. He's seemed so-achoo-distant lately, though…I'm getting-achoo-a bit-achoo-lonely."

Katsuya sighed. Though he trusted Ryou with all his heart, it was sometimes rather difficult to remember that he had told him he wasn't in love with Bakura-difficult not to feel jealous of this kind, intelligent being that his beloved Ryou clearly cared for so deeply.

"Don't," he suggested. "You have friends, remember?"

"But it's different," Ryou half-whined. He sneezed onto his sleeve. "My-achoo-friends don't-achoo-live in-achoo-my body and-achoo-share-achoo-my thoughts and-achoo-dreams and-achoo-feelings!" He finished with a fit of sneezing.

"Not all your feelings, unless you're in love with Yu-Gi-Oh." He paused, sudden nervousness clenching his heart. I'm getting paranoid…"Are you?"

Ryou rolled his watery emerald eyes and sneezed again. "No-achoo-of course not! Why would I-" he could not continue, due to another gust of sneezing.

"No idea," replied Katsuya, relieved. "I'm just thinking…" he searched for an excuse. "Well, if your other half likes guys…"

"Do-achoo-you?" asked Ryou, curious suddenly.

"I dunno. I had a crush on Mai, once, but it kind of faded. Now the person I like is a guy, but I actually think I may have liked him before and Mai was just an excuse-I said all that aloud, didn't I?"

Ryou nodded and sneezed. "So, who-achoo-is it? And do I know him?"

"Err…Umm…Well…I…I…I…" he searched his mind for a subject that was both important and distracting. "Hey, what are you getting everybody for Christmas?"

"You-achoo-are just trying-achoo-to change the-achoo-subject," said-or, rather, sneezed-Ryou. "So, who-achoo-do you like?"

"My question first."

Ryou rolled his eyes again and sneezed twice. "I don't-achoo-really know. I'm-achoo-getting Anzu-san a book on-achoo-ballet, and Yugi-kun and Mou Hitori-achoo-no Yugi some-achoo-board games, but I don't really-achoo-know what to get you or Honda-kun."

"Good, then we're even. Because I don't know what to get either of you. By the way, does Bakura celebrate Christmas?"

"Yes. Achoo! He isn't-achoo-Christian or-achoo-anything, but he-achoo-likes it for-achoo-the same reasons Necrophadisu-achoo-hates it-or maybe because Necrophadisu hates it."

"I'm officially getting you cough drops," Katsuya muttered. Louder, he replied, "So why does the Lord of the Lunatics hate it? Besides the goodwill, the gift-giving, the cheerfulness…" he trailed off. "Oh…that's why."

"Simply-achoo-put, yeah. The only-achoo-reason He does like it is-achoo-because people get drunk and He can-achoo-control them easier. Last Christmas-achoo-He had these four guys-achoo-who were drunk from wassailing-achoo-He had them-achoo-burn down-achoo-an orphanage."

"Damn, that sucks," Katsuya remarked ruefully. "It must be really, really hard having to live with an evil god in your body."

"On the-achoo-bright side, He-achoo-always leaves-achoo-me and-achoo-Bakura alone on Christmas-with-achoo-so much joy all-achoo-around the-achoo-world to squash-achoo-and all."

"So, can we finally meet him?" asked Katsuya. For the third time in about four minutes, Ryou rolled his eyes and sneezed.

"Yes-achoo-you can. We'll-achoo-probably need-achoo-it."

"What do you mean?" Katsuya asked, searching through his pocket and handing him a Kleenex. Ryou sneezed into it and wiped his nose.

"Thank-achoo-you, Jonouchi-kun."

"Don't mention it." Katsuya dismissed his thanks with a shrug, then returned to the question at hand. "So, what did you mean, 'we'll probably need it?' Probably need what?"

"Achoo! Remember that-achoo-time when I-achoo-told-achoo-you that-achoo-Necrophadisu gains His-achoo-strength from suffering, Bakura's in general?"

Katsuya nodded.

"Well-achoo-Bakura can use-achoo-his and my-achoo-good-achoo-memories to-achoo-fight Him, but his-achoo-memories work-achoo-better against-achoo-Necrophadisu than-achoo-mine do."

"Yah know, you're lucky it's the last day of school," Katsuya said, handing him another Kleenex. "You're gunnu need to sleep for fifty or so hours after this."

"Well, either-achoo-Bakura or-achoo-Necrophadisu have-achoo-been doing-achoo-something or another-achoo-at least every-achoo-other night since-achoo-his meeting with-achoo-Mou Hitori no Yugi. Achoo! Achoo! Achoo! Doesn't really-achoo-leave a guy-achoo-with much time to-achoo-sleep."

"Are you going to be healthy enough to get to the Gift-Giving bash?" he asked. Every year on Christmas, the school had a party where everybody who wasn't out of town (or just didn't want to) could come, eat, dance, give gifts, and play games.

Ryou hadn't been to it last year, but he really wanted to come this time. He sneezed a couple times. "Yes, Jonouchi-achoo-kun, I'll be-achoo-there. Bakura-achoo-and I will-achoo-both be there."

Katsuya let out a cheer and did a cute little dance. At that moment the bell rang, and they both went to their classes with reasons both for happiness and dread.

Katsuya's reasons for dread didn't even occur to him until he had sat down-then again, his reasons weren't nearly as bad as Ryou's were.

I have enough trouble buying gifts for my best friends, what am I going to get for a guy I've never met? And what about Ryou? You don't give coupons to a guy you're in love with, that's all I can say.