Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Unbreak My Heart ❯ One-Year Proposal ( Chapter 2 )

Priestess (Aishisu): This is going to be a problem. The author note, I mean. The reason is obvious: this is being written on two different sites, and I have two different pen names. However, I think I can get over that and still write it correctly. I would like to thank my reviewers, even though I only got six reviews between the two sites. You are ahead by four reviews Fanfiction.net.
To understand why the yamis and hikaris are separated (and why Mariku's alive) read Chapter Six of my Mediaminer fanfiction Pharaoh Bakura and Thief Atemu. Or email me, and I can give you the information you need (the chapter's pretty long, since it wraps everything up.) I probably won't explain it for a few more chapters.

***

It had started to rain, and Yugi was beginning to get worried. None of the hikaris had wanted the final battle between Atemu and Bakura to happen, and this puzzled everybody except Isis and Malik. Ryou himself admitted to being rather confused. He said it was just a feeling that Bakura wasn't all that bad. However, more than half (actually, just about all) of Yugi's friends had unsurprisingly dismissed this belief as bullshit.

"What is taking so long?!" Katsuya Jonouchi (also known as Joey Wheeler, hereon called Jou) finally exploded. "The Spirit of the Millennium Ring couldn't have put up that much of a fight in his state, you saw him!"

"The mutt is right for the first time in his life," remarked Seto Kaiba (no alias, hereon just Kaiba.) He turned to the Ishtals. "You three seem to know everything, why is it taking so long for the great Pharaoh to defeat him?"

Malik and Isis were too focused on the emotions anything else their psychic senses were able to pick up to hear him, but Mariku (Yami Malik) of all people replied. "The Pharaoh defeated Bakura a few minutes ago. Now he has a decision to make, and he must make it quickly. Angry spirits are clamoring to devour Bakura's soul. It seems they too realized sensed that this duel would be the last, and they want revenge."

"Decision?" Jou repeated, predictably and rather justifiably bewildered. "What kind of decision? I thought we agreed that he would kill him once and for all, I mean that was what At-Ate-the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle wanted-"

Fed up, Yugi whirled on Jou and shouted, "What Atemu wanted? Atemu never even wanted this duel!" Every head turned towards Yugi. The Ishtals' eyes widened ever so slightly for a mere moment, but no one would have noticed even if it were perceptible. The reason was evident-Yugi wasn't finished yet.

"How could he have wanted this? I don't know what Kaiba-kun, the Spirits, and the Ishtals saw in there, but Bakura was in no condition to fight! After fighting for over three thousand five hundred years, do you really think Atemu wanted it to end like that? When Bakura wasn't even fighting? Anzu-san, Honda-kun, and Jonouchi-kun made him! Atemu can't bear to disappoint anybody, but if he kills Bakura now he'll be disappointing himself!"

His friends were almost palpably taken aback, the Kaiba brothers appeared stunned, and the Ishtals...they seemed pleased. Yugi was immediately remorseful, and began to apologize, but changed his mind-why should he apologize for telling what he knew to be truth?-and finished with certainty. "If what Atemu wants is to make the right choice for him, he'll let Bakura live. Even if it ends up putting us all in danger."

"He has made his choice already," Mariku announced when Yugi finished, since it was obvious Isis and Malik weren't about to. His lips curled into a satisfied smile. No one could tell if this was good or bad.

"What was the choice?" asked ever-suspicious Kaiba, who had finally become a believer in magic about four or five hours ago and was now determined to learn anything and everything he possibly could. "Did he let him live or kill him?"

"It's more...complicated than that," Isis replied, ambiguously as ever. "But I certainly hope they can hurry up. It was never this cold in Egypt, and it didn't rain this much either." Malik and Mariku nodded in agreement.

"Complicated how?" cried Ryuuji Otogi (a.k.a Duke Devlin, heron Ryuuji) "Is he alive or isn't he?"

The Ishtals seemed to ponder this question, and at last Malik replied, "It's like when he purified Kaiba by shattering his heart, but...more so." Everybody gazed at him in bewilderment, and Isis explained.

"As Mariku mentioned, lost spirits were clamoring for Bakura's soul. What Atemu did was rip out all the evil and anguish in his soul, and the spirits devoured it. But it seems there was still humanity in Bakura-now we just need to see if it's enough humanity that he will live."

"Or at least that's what we sensed," added Malik, as if they might have been wrong!

***

The spirits eventually dispersed, finally satiated with the vast amounts anguish and evil they had eaten. Atemu cradled a nearly lifeless body, his mind riddled with doubts. What would his friends say? What would a purified, almost lifeless Bakura be like? What now? All this and more ran through his head as he waited for the last spirits to gobble up whatever remained and leave. Hopefully now Bakura's victims could finally rest in peace.

He gazed down at Bakura's face. But it wasn't really his face. The expression was at last peaceful, unmarred by madness or anger or glee or pain or despair. And just like that, his spirits lifted and his doubts vanished.

I'll find a way, he decided. I always do.

***

They waited for about thirty minutes, and Mariku finally lost his temper. (At least 41% of them had by now, excluding only the hikaris-Malik isn't technically a hikari-the Kaiba brothers and the other two Ishtals) "What is taking so long?! The spirits must be satiated by now! If they aren't here in eight seconds, somebody's dying!"

Everybody edged away nervously, but a familiar voice said, "Relax, Mariku. You don't have to kill anybody."

"Finally," Hirotoi Honda (alias Tristan Taylor, hereby known as Honda-why does he have the name of a car? Why, I ask you!) muttered, then his jaw dropped and he blinked in disbelief. In spite of what the Ishtals had said, most of them were surprised when Atemu appeared with an unconscious Bakura in his arms. Both of them were drenched by the rain, Bakura's hair seemed to be a miniature white waterfall. But in spite of this Atemu seemed almost...peaceful. Content...

For a moment no one spoke, then Yugi ventured softly..."Is he...alive?"

"He is for now," Atemu muttered, glancing down at Bakura's unmoving body. He glanced at the Ishtals' impassive expressions, Kaiba's mildly surprised one, Ryou and Yugi's almost relieved ones, and everybody else's stunned and bewildered ones. His own expression was just as impassive. Though few people had noticed before, everybody with a past life (Kaiba, Isis, Bakura, and Atemu) had undergone some slight changes during their little trip only a few hours-a lifetime-ago.

Atemu: His hair was a bit fancier (see any pictures of his Pharaoh self, or review me with a request and I'll email it to you), he had a tiny scar on his cheek (same), and he was quite a bit taller (he had reached Kaiba's waist before, and now reached his shoulder)
Bakura: He had a tan, was Kaiba's height, and he had three intersecting scars on his cheek like a double-slashed cross (see any pictures of his Tomb-Robber self, or review me with a request and I'll email it to you) and this was more noticeable now since his other injuries had vanished when Atemu ripped out the evil part of his soul
Isis: She had grown three inches, and was now an inch taller than Mariku
Kaiba: He was an inch taller

Anyway..."I don't get it," said Anzu Makazi (also known as Téa Gardner, hereon just Anzu). "Why did you let him live. I mean, Yugi tried to explain, but I didn't get it." Yugi scowled and Kaiba slapped his forehead, but Atemu didn't react in the least.

Finally Kaiba snapped, "Look, I'm sure everybody has a million and three questions, but can we at least discuss it somewhere dry?" Murmurs of agreement mingled with the sound of falling raindrops, and Isis raised her arms. Her fingertips tingled, and ancient mystical energies slowly curled out to engulf them all.

***

"All right," said Kaiba, signing something Isis had insisted to-a form that promised he couldn't sue no matter what damage Mariku caused. "The `yamis' will stay here, Malik will stay with Ryou, and Isis has her room in the museum. The Millennium Items are twelve feet underground if they still exist at all, but we do have some newfound powers as well as some older ones. We need to figure out all we can about Necrophadisu if we're going to fight him, and our memories of the past aren't enough. Isis, Malik, if either of you find out anything, you have to tell me immediately."

Atemu hated to admit it, but he was rather impressed by the way Kaiba was taking charge. He who had just a few months ago (before he discovered the un-ignorable power of manipulating electricity) believed magic was superstitious bullshit, but he certainly wasn't acting like it. Only he, Kaiba, and the Ishtals were in the living room (well, Bakura was there, lying on the couch, but he was still unconscious), and they could hear scrabbling outside as the others tried to listen in (unfortunately for them, the room was sound-proof).

Kaiba turned to Atemu. "According to the Ishtals, Bakura only has a fragment of a soul left-thanks to you, I would like to mention. We can't defeat the King of Darkness if the Prince of Darkness-maybe the former Prince of Darkness-only has a fragment of a soul left. You have the responsibility of making that fragment a full soul without turning him evil again."

"One-Who put you in charge? I thought I was the Pharaoh! Two-I was planning to do that anyway."

"Umm...all right," muttered Kaiba, rolling his eyes as if he couldn't care less (which was probably true.) "We also need to figure out if he still has his powers, or if that vanished with his evil. Any questions?"

"Yeah, and I already said it," snapped Atemu, but inside his head was churning wildly. Too many thoughts and plans...he couldn't think strait! But he was aware of a feeling of elation-this could work after all.

***

Bakura moaned softly, his head spinning as he forced his eyes open. Where am I? What happened? He wondered, his thoughts feeling blurred. He couldn't recognize his surroundings by looking at a ceiling, but it was too much of an effort to move.

"Well, well, well, look who's finally awake. You've been asleep for a day."

Bakura snapped up, recognizing the voice, but immediately moaned and slumped back against the couch he had been lying on. "Pharaoh?" His voice sounded weak, but it was his voice. "What..."

"Don't call me that. I have a name, you know."

Bakura tried to clear his head by shaking it, but it didn't help. His memories seemed murky, hidden by a mist of dizziness, but he recalled their final battle. Those spirits had been clamoring for his soul, and the Pharaoh...Atemu...He had offered to help him, but then he had ripped his soul out for the spirits to eat...

Hadn't he?

Atemu watched Bakura, and from the look in his eyes Bakura could immediately tell he understood his puzzlement. "Did you think I was lying when I said I wanted to help you? In a way, you were right when you said you were too far gone. But not all of you was. The spirits ate the evil and pain inside you, and there must have been something else. Or you wouldn't be here right now."

"And that would be a bad thing?" Bakura asked softly. It was true, it was a relief not to feel evil or pain anymore-but he still felt empty. He shut his eyes weakly. "Ph-Atemu...Not that I don't appreciate your trying to help or anything, but it's no use. Whatever emotions you want to help me feel I've either never felt or forgot how to feel when I was eight-3521 years ago. That long and a day if I've been sleeping for a day. Like I said before-the only way to help me is to kill me."

Atemu pursed his lips, trying to think. He had expected Bakura to be stubborn, but had decided to try a compromise-if he could just think of one. "How's this? Just give me one year-well, one year starting yesterday since it's such a significant day. At the end of the year, you can decide if you still want me to kill you. If you do, I will. Do we have a deal?"

Bakura shook his head, unable to put the absurdity of his ridiculous suggestion in words. But he almost admired that courage-one year to undo the work of thousands. He had thought he was the only one that audacious. He groaned loudly. "I'm going to regret this," he muttered ruefully. "I justknow I'm going to regret this.

Atemu beamed. "Then you agree?"

"Fine, yes, sure, all right, whatever, why not?" Bakura muttered hazily, turning over on his side so that he was unable to see Atemu's face and vice-versa. "Now go away and let me sleep."