Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Hunters ❯ Evening the Score ( Chapter 18 )

****For all of you that have been wondering why I have not updated, here is my reason. My finals here in Spain have finally arrived. I have been working on several papers and studying. I still have three more to go! @_@ I am taking a break to type this. I hope you enjoy it. Remember I am thinking in Spanish and trying to type in English, so please pardon any grammatical errors that I do not catch.

Unfortunately, this is the last update I will be able to make until I get back to the U.S. I should have a new update for you sometime around the 26th. Enjoy!

¡Adios! Tiger_Serenity****

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Nor do I own the "Dark" series. I am just a fan fiction writer having fun. So please don't sue me. ^_^

/ Yugi to Yami / // Yami to Yugi // \Ryou to Bakura\

\\ Bakura to Ryou \\ [Malik to Marik] [[Marik to Malik]]

(Seto to Jou) ((Jou to Seto))

* General conversation * Personal thoughts +Commands+

The Hunters

Tiger_Serenity

Chapter 18

Evening the Score

Normal View

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An hour later Solomon was staring at them. With each account, his eyes had grown wider. He stared especially at Jou for a few minutes.

"Grandpa?" Yugi shifted on his feet.

"Give me a second, Yugi. This is…a little hard to believe."

"We know." Ryou smiled.

"Yugi, come here." Yugi stepped forward. Solomon examined his neck. "You're not joking. I can barely see them."

"You're not…mad or upset are you?"

"No, Yugi." Solomon sighed. "As long as you are happy. I take it that bank robbery was not as I remember it?"

"No, it wasn't. Yami changed everyone's memories."

"So…Duel Monsters are real?"

"Yes."

"May I see Dama?"

"If he lets you. Dama, could you come here, please?" He flipped the card over.

"Yes, Yugi?" He materialized, bowing slightly. Solomon saw the card flash blank.

"Grandpa knows now. Everything." Solomon looked at the area Yugi was talking to, but didn't see anything. "He wants to see you."

"Why?"

"He couldn't stay in the dark forever, could he?"

"No."

Solomon gasped as suddenly Dama, the Dark Magician was standing in front of him. "Hello."

"Hello." He barely managed squeak out in shock.

"I am Dama, one of Yugi's guardians." He bowed respectfully.

Recovering quickly, Solomon returned the bow. "Thank you for protecting him." He turned. "May I see the others as well?"

Whip, Che, and Asman appeared before them. They also bowed respectfully.

"They're great, grandpa. You should hear Dama's stories. They're awesome!" Dama blushed at the compliment.

"I hope to get to know all of them." Solomon smiled. Then he laughed as he heard Yugi's stomach growl. "Are you hungry Yugi?"

Yugi blushed. "Just a little."

"It's past lunchtime. Flip the sign to closed for me please, Jou, and lock the door. Any unwanted visitors…"

"We will take care of them, sir." Che finished.

"Let's eat." He looked at Jou uneasily. "Uh…"

"It's all right. I can still eat food. But, I'll just stay in here for a few minutes." Jou shifted on his feet, his shoes suddenly very interesting.

"I'm sorry, Jou. I didn't mean to upset you. A little blood won't make me queasy. I used to fix up the injured men on digs all the time."

"Its okay, gramps." Jou smiled.

"Do you eat?" He looked at Dama and the others.

"We don't need food. However, we can eat. Asman has a sweet tooth."

"Dama!" They all laughed at the shocked look on the Duel Monster's face.

"Poor Asman." Jou purred. "You want a sugar cookie?"

"Do you have any?" His eyes brightened.

"We do actually. I will have to bake them, though, if you are patient."

"I'll wait!" Everyone laughed again, Asman joining their laughter.

The duel monsters shifted into more comfortable clothing. A kitchen was not a place for a sword or tuxedo.

Stories about ancient battles and kingdoms began.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Yami woke up to hear laughter. The clock read 5:37 on Yugi's desk. Might as well see what is going on downstairs.

Everyone was watching television. The news anchors were trying to explain what had happened during the bank robbery. "We were filming during the robbery, but strangely our tape is blank. Upon asking, we discovered that all the tapes from other new stations are also blank. A truly strange coincidence."

Yami woofed. // Like we could let them have to truth. //

Yugi didn't answer him back mentally. "Hello, Yami. How are you, boy?" He was grinning from ear to ear. His eyes held a strange glint. His mind was blocked secretly to Yami.

Strange…what is going on?

"Hey, boy." Solomon scratched his head. "You hungry? I bought dog food today." He set the bowl in front of him.

Yugi and the others were trying to keep straight faces at Yami's look of disgust. What in the world? He sat on his haunches, sending a pleading look at Yugi. He ignored him. He expects me to eat this…whatever it is?

"You never did give him a bath, Yugi."

"We tried." Yugi smirked. "He ran from us." Yami shifted under Solomon's gaze.

Yami sniffed at the food. It smelled weird. He whined. He could feel Yugi's amusement at his situation.

"Eat, boy." Solomon smirked. Strangely his mind was also closed to Yami.

What the hell is going on here!

"He doesn't seem to like it." Ryou was fighting righteously to keep from bursting out into laughter. Malik was shaking slightly, barely covering his.

"He looks a little uncomfortable. Don't you think so, too, boys?"

"You know, gramps, I think you are right." Jou agreed with a smile.

"Well…maybe he should change into something a little more comfortable."

It took Yami almost a full minute to get Solomon's meaning. He jerked his head to look at Yugi, who promptly started laughing. Everyone else joined him. "He knows, Yami. We told him." He managed to choke out. He was whipping moisture from his eyes.

"I'm glad he did. So, don't you erase anything."

Yami sighed internally. He shifted. Solomon stared at him. "Hello, sir." He bowed respectfully.

"You do look like Yugi. I have heard quite a lot about you in the past couple of hours."

"I bet." Yami was staring at Yugi. He blinked at Yugi stuck his tongue out at him, blowing a raspberry. // Why you… // Yugi laughed.

"I can't complain, though. As long as you take care of him."

"I will. How much do you know?"

"We told him everything, Yami."

"Everything?"

"Everything." / Read my memories if you are so curious. /

// No, Yugi. I believe you. He took it well? //

/ Yes, he did. He says as long as I am happy, he's happy. /

"I was just kidding by the way. They told me that you could eat meat, so there is a steak, if you want it, in the kitchen. Save some for the other three, though."

"Thank you." He disappeared through the swinging door. He came back out chewing on a piece meat. // The others are awake now. //

/ Hide! /

// You guys aren't going to… //

/ Yep. /

// Oh boy. // He ducked into the bathroom, shielding his presence from the others. Yugi told him the plan. He laughed silently. They're in for it!

Seto and Bakura came down the stairs. Marik was hitching a ride on Bakura's back. Seto meowed loudly as Solomon scooped him up from the floor. "Hey, Kaiba. Where have you been all day?"

Jou was trying not to laugh. Seto was staring at him, blue eyes wide. Why can't I read his mind? He is blocking me somehow.

"Did Kaiba enjoy his bath yesterday, grandpa?"

"I think he did. All it took to get him was a piece of turkey."

Marik and Bakura burst into laughter at him. * It wasn't funny! *

"And look at you two. Filthy. They could use a bath, boys."

"You think so?" Ryou's eyes blinked mischievously.

"You know, Ryou, he's right." Malik grinned. Bakura started backing up slowly as they advanced on them.

* They wouldn't!? *

* Oh yes they would! * Seto laughed as Ryou tackled Bakura. Marik squeaked at Malik caught him.

* What are they doing?! * Marik struggled, but in his current form he couldn't break free of Malik's grip.

* Help! * Bakura squirmed as Ryou and Yugi were carrying him out the back door. He barked several times. * Yami! *

Yami was trying hard not to laugh at his friends' distress calls. He was enjoying watching them struggle.

* Augh! * Bakura was soaked by soapy water from a bucket. Ryou and Yugi started scrubbing him.

* No! * Marik was hit by water from the kitchen faucet.

Seto was rolling on the floor in laughter. He yelped as Solomon again scooped him up. "You still need sprayed for fleas. Want to help, Jou?"

(Jou?!) The look in Jou's eyes told him he was doomed.

Soon all three of them were standing, dripping wet, on the tiled kitchen floor. They glared at their mates, who were laughing back at them.

"They don't look too happy." Solomon laughed.

"No, they don't. Do you think they look happy, Yami?" Yugi smirked.

On cue, Yami stepped out of the bathroom. "No…they look more…wet."

They stared at him. Yami finally couldn't hold it and burst into laughter. "If you could see the looks on your faces!"

* How? * Bakura blinked.

* What? * Malik looked around.

* We were tricked! * Seto hissed. He leapt at Jou, shifting as he did. Jou yelped and ran. Seto chased him around the house, pouncing on him near the living room couch.

[[Why you…]] Marik shifted and ran after the laughing Malik.

\\ No…way. Ryou? \\

\ Gottcha! \ Ryou laughed as Bakura chased after him.

Yami and Yugi were laughing hard; they were bent double, holding their sides. Solomon chuckled as he watched. He heard Ryou yelp, signaling that Bakura had finally caught him. "Motou-san knows, you guys. They planned the whole thing. They got me, too." Yami finally managed to say.

Each dragged back their laughing partner. Jou and Malik looked a little dazed and rumpled.

"Hello. It's nice to finally meet the one's I have been hearing about."

"Hello, Motou-san." They said simultaneously as they bowed.

"Solomon, please. You are all older than me, you know." Solomon grinned. "Jou and Yugi thought it was a little unfair that only Yami and Seto had baths, so we decided to even the score. Since leaving Seto out would be too obvious, we gave him a flea dip."

(You are going to get it for that.)

((Whatever.))

Bakura and Marik stared at their mates, who attempted to keep straight faces, but were failing quickly. \\ Why you… \\

\ All's fair. \ Ryou smiled.

[[I don't believe you!]]

[What?]

[[When I get you alone…]]

[Bring it on.] Malik smirked.

"There is a piece of steak in the kitchen. That is, if Yami left you any."

"I did!" Yami huffed.

Soon all three were chewing on a piece of meat, after squabbling over how to cut it. Bakura insisted that Marik's piece was larger than his. Yami had finally stepped in, sighing, to divide it for them. * You're acting like youngsters! *

Solomon had been silent for quite a while. The room was quiet. They jumped as he broke the silence. "Ryou, are you going to tell your father?"

"I don't know. He's hardly even home anymore."

"He should know."

"Maybe…"

"We will tell him, Solomon, when he comes home the next time." Bakura replied pulling Ryou to him. \\ Ryou, we need to talk later. \\

\ Okay. What about? \

\\ Later, Ryou. Later. \\

"How long will this take? I mean no one knows where Pegasus is."

"And we can't sense him, either. He is masking himself. Even from me. I don't know when he learned to do that." Yami sighed. He is using power from the eye to hide himself.

"But, when we do…He's going to pay for hurting Malik." Marik's eyes flashed.

"And Jou." Seto eyes were ice cold, blue flames flickering in their depths.

"You were right, Yugi. Remind me not to say or do anything that seems bad to these three. I would like to stay alive as long as possible, thank you very much."

Yugi laughed. "They are a little protective."

"A little!?"

"Okay…sometimes they are a little over protective."

"I thought Marik was going to slice a girl in half yesterday when she grabbed my arm."

"She had no reason to touch you." Marik frowned at the memory.

"See what I mean?" Jou laughed.

"Oh! What time is it?" Yugi perked up.

"7:12. Why, Yug?"

"The party!"

"Party?" Yami frowned.

"The last party before finals party. Our school has it every year. It's tonight." Yugi looked at Yami, hopefulness showing in his wide eyes.

"I don't know…"

"I told Yugi last week that he could go." Solomon shrugged.

"We are allowed to bring a friend…or a date." Yugi let the meaning hang in the air.

Yami smiled. "You guys up for a dance?"

"Let's go!" Marik whooped.

"We need to change first." Yugi interrupted.

"Change?" Bakura blinked.

"Our clothes, silly." Ryou laughed. He waved pieces of paper in the air.

"Hmm…I take it…" Jou sighed.

"You mind, Jou? We want it to be a surprise."

"Oh, all right. I am going to be very tired after this."

"Don't worry. We'll help you through the items. It won't drain you so much."

(Jou, what does he mean?) Seto growled in worry over Jou.

((You'll have to wait and see.))

"No peaking into our heads, guys! This is a surprise!" They ran up the stairs to Yugi's room. Laughter filtered down to their ears.

Yami gasped as he felt Yugi suddenly pull on the puzzle's power. Seto jerked as he felt that energy flow into Jou and out of him. "What are they doing?!" He was ready to run up the stairs.

"No, Seto. They want to surprise us. Yugi is helping Jou do whatever it is he is doing. He is fine. Yugi will make sure of that." Yami soothed him.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Sorry, Yug, but metal snaps aren't natural. I can't make them."

"Then how are we going to get out of these?"

"Uh…cut them off, I guess."

"Oh well."

"Do you think they'll like what we did." Ryou blushed as he looked at himself in the mirror.

"They're going to love it. Let's go!" Malik dragged Ryou out the door.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Four mouths dropped open in shock.