Broken Dreams

The girl cried in her cell yet still he hoped and planned for escape. No one could hear her, but still, she cried for her fate. The darkness played with her mind and tormented it as her frightened tears fell to the cold stone floor. Beyond hope now, all that she could do was wait. Wait in the torture of the dark, the cold, and the knowledge of her own fate.

*****

Maximillian Pegasus descended the staircase to the secret dungeon beneath his castle. While the dueling tournament went on in the world around him, he was content to play with the suffering of his prisoners. A cruel smile played at his lips as the sounds of weeping reached his ears.

My dear girl, why ever are you weeping?

Silence followed. The sobs abruptly stopped as he drew nearer to her cell. The newest addition to his little collection, she seemed to believe that silence would hide her from her own fate. Pegasus smiled. She couldn't escape. She was a key in the puzzle to unlocking his love Cecelia's life once more. Despite his glee at this fact, Pegasus sighed deeply. Cecelia had been gone for years now. The disease had come and run its deadly course so rapidly that he'd been absolutely devastated as she slipped away into death. Not that he wouldn't have been devastated if she'd gone slowly of course, but it was just the suddenness that pierced him straight through the heart.

It's time for your debut my dear.

No! I will escape!

It's so much nicer to stay though my dear. Here... Let me show you!

One anguished scream, and the silence wasn't due to fear anymore. Maximillian Pegasus walked out of the girl's cell leaving only a broken shell in the dark, and with a new card in his hand.

*****

Where is she?!

Seto Kaiba stood up and began to pace. Unusually disturbed at the idea that his sister was missing, Kaiba allowed this emotional display go without holding back. She was his little sister. Only by a year, but she WAS younger. Kaiba stalked down the hallway. Stopping by Mokuba's room to tell him that he wouldn't be back for a while, he boarded the chopper and headed to the Duelist Kingdom. Intuition told him that his business rival would have some hand in this new turn of events. Samantha was more important to him then anything, and he was going to have to get her back. Besides, if Bakura didn't stop calling every five seconds, he was gonna kill him with the nearest item and there'd be no one to hold him back.

Pegasus, I don't know what sort of sick game you're playing, but it stops. Right here, right now.

*****

Ryou Bakura placed the phone down again. It was just like Kaiba to ignore the phone after he'd had enough of answering and saying that Sam was out. Bakura just couldn't help wondering what meant. The silver haired teen sure had enough attention in school. Could Samantha have found someone else? Inside, he laughed. There was nothing that he'd done that would have made her give up on him. Again, he picked up the phone and dialed the number of the Kaiba mansion. Seto just wasn't answering. Sighing, he shrugged and went downstairs. If Sam wasn't answering, then there really wasn't any reason to think she was there. Walking outside, he watched as the sun slowly sank beneath the treetops. He caught the bus and headed to the beach. The beach held so many memories. Many a date had been spent on the pier watching the sunset. Smiling at the thought, Bakura remembered.

Hey Bakura!

Turning, Bakura saw Tea Gardner walking towards him. Some of his that he got at school, Tea always seemed to be in the most unexpected places.

Hi Tea.

Bakura! Where are you going?

I'm going down to the beach. Sam's not at home, so I'm just gonna go and watch the sunset alone.

Oh how romantic! Can I come?

Struggling between his dislike of the annoyance and the urge to be polite, Bakura shrugged.

If you want to take the time I guess.

Great! I'll come and watch with you. Maybe we can talk or something.

Uh... yeah.

The bus pulled into the beach stop and the two walked down to the pier. Joey Wheeler and Yugi Mutou were already there. So much for having a quiet sunset alone... But at least he wouldn't be alone with TEA.

Hey Joey. Hi Yugi.

The two nodded and smiled in reply. The four friends sat on the end of the pier together. As they laughed and talked, they watched the sun setting on the horizon. The colors shone brightly and flowed through the clouds.

So where did Samantha get to Bakura?

Bakura smiled sadly at Joey as he replied.

She hasn't been home lately. I tried calling Kaiba's place, but he's given up on answering already.

The others laughed at the thought.

Kaiba's a stone faced miser. Don't pay attention to him Bakura.

The silver haired teen laughed at Joey's description. Joey and Kaiba never got along. Especially because of the fact that Seto had humiliated him earlier in the Duelist Kingdom tournament. Unknowing of the real location of his girlfriend, Bakura continued to laugh with his friends.

*****

Seto Kaiba guided the chopper's controls with confidence. It wasn't the first time that he'd had to help out a sibling like this. In fact, Mokuba had been kidnapped by the same guy too. His face held a look of determination. Pegasus would have to pay, again, for Sam's disappearance. Damn, if he'd already taken her... No, he wouldn't think about that. Brushing all fear from his mind, Seto concentrated on his piloting and left his thoughts behind. As he landed on Duelist Kingdom's wide beach, Kaiba opened his briefcase for one final check on his cards. All were there. A champion never went anywhere without his deck, and Kaiba took his title seriously. All three Blue Eyes White Dragons were in place. Perfect. That was all that he needed to know. The teen strode purposefully towards the castle and Maximillian Pegasus.

*****

Pegasus looked out of his window. His millennium eye glinted in the dark of the night. Laughing quietly to himself, Pegasus smiled.

I know that you're there Seto Kaiba. You've come for your sister haven't you? Well, all you'll get is the shell. Oh, and maybe something precious imprisoned again as well...

*****

After the night on the beach, Bakura walked quickly through the streets of Domino. It was late. A little past midnight, he caught a bus back home. As he walked in the house, a strange sensation came over him. His head began to hurt intensely, and the room began to spin. He felt his conscious mind being pushed aside for something more mysterious. Pain increasing, he dropped to his knees, all consciousness lost...

*****

A few minutes later, stood. Smiling with a cruelness not usually seen in the boy, Bakura walked out for a night on the town. He passed along seemingly infinite streets many filled with lights and music. When he reached the ocean, he stole away on a boat headed for the Duelist Kingdom.

*****

Seto Kaiba strode into the castle. The hallways were filled with Industrial Illusions executives. They all urged him forward through the corridors as if they had expected him. Not faltering from his purpose, Kaiba strode up the stairs into Pegasus' meeting room. The man sat on a high backed chair reading a Funny Bunny comic book and sipping some red wine from a glass.

Here to retrieve your sister Kaiba boy?

Cut the chit chat. Just give her to me. You know why I came.

Oh come now Kaiba boy. We haven't spoken in so long. How are things going with the corporation?

Pegasus! Tell me where she is!

Oh there'll be plenty of time for business later Kaiba. Let's have a little chat shall we?

I don't have time for your backstabbing games! Where's Samantha?

Well, if you insist upon business Kaiba...

An evil grin touched Pegasus' lips as he spoke to the irritated teen.

Samantha can't talk to you right now. She seems to have lost something very important to her. I'm afraid she's not quite herself.

What the hell do you mean?
Now, now Kaiba. That's not the way to conduct business.

The teen pulled a hand of cards from his briefcase.

I'll duel you for her.

Now do you really think that's such a a good idea Kaiba boy? The last time you decided to duel me, you got stuck in a card.

Let's duel!

Well, fine. If you must be so rude.

*****

Pegasus smiled at the boy's foolish request. Soon, he would be able to add Kaiba to his collection again. He just loved torturing the poor soul's mind. That was the way it always went with him. The mind was the easiest thing to break in a man. Clapping two times, Pegasus activated the code for the dueling arena. A door opened, and he led the way into the dueling area.

Alright Kaiba boy. You can move first. Consider it a pity point.

*****

Unknown to Pegasus, Ryou Bakura scaled the palace walls. Unknown to Bakura himself however, he was being controlled by a dark spirit. The spirit climbed the walls intent on gaining control of Pegasus' millennium eye. So as the dueling commenced inside, A darker foe awaited the Industrial Illusions founder outside. Yet as the sun began to shine, the spirit of Bakura's millennium ring left a very baffled Bakura on the top of Pegasus' northern battlement. The boy shrugged as he pulled himself the remaining foot up the battlement wall. Lately, he'd been finding himself in unusual situations that usually came after his migraines. As he looked around, he realized that he'd been here before. Pegasus' castle loomed menacingly against the sky. The pale haired teen walked across and into Pegasus' domain. As he looked for someone to ask questions of, he noticed a door standing unguarded. Curious, he walked over to the door and cautiously peeked inside. A row of cells led down to the other side of the room. The aura of old screams and pain made the boy uneasy. Looking into each cell, he saw many huddled forms. Something seemed strange about their eyes. It looked as if they had undergone an internal sort of torture. Confused, Bakura tried talking to one child who sat curled up in a corner.

Hello there... Do you need help?

The Child turned at the sound of the stranger's voice. With eyes that seemed agonized yet empty, the child's gaze shocked the boy. It were almost as if the child were dead.

Can you... can you hear me?

The child continued staring the blank stare. Finally, giving up on conversation, Bakura made his way farther down the rows. Men, women, and even people his age lay unmoving or huddled in the cells. Anyone that he tried to speak with only stared at him. The aura in the room made him terribly uneasy as he encountered more and more people. Finally, there were two cells left. Looking to the right of him, he saw a woman crying. She seemed in a decent condition despite her sorrow though her clothing was dirty and full of holes. Bruises on her hands and feet showed her attempts of struggle against her confinement.


The woman lifted her head. Tears streaked down her face, but her eyes shone with life. This person might be able to give information.

Tell me... has Pegasus...?

Get out of here! He'll take you too!

Please... Let me...

NO! RUN! Run or you'll suffer a fate worse then death!

I can help you... Tell me... Has Pegasus been stealing again?

The woman laughed bitterly through her sobs.

He's been stealing. He's been stealing harder then ever. Just recently, he took another. And I'm next. Please! Kill me now!!! Do me this one mercy!!!

Appalled at her outburst and the information he'd just received, Bakura tried again to console the woman.

No. I won't kill you. Please tell me more. What is he doing?

He steals them all. Every man, woman, or child... He doesn't care... He crushes them... The girl planned. She planned until her own death...

Death? What girl?

She planned of escape until the day that SHE was next. Then, she lost hope. Still, she planned until the last second of her life!

A girl died?

Worse then death. She's no longer with us... Believe me... when I say that, I mean that. He took it from her. He took it and ripped her apart. Now, she has nothing. And I AM NEXT!!!

Took what? What did Pegasus take?

Pounding the cold stone floor with her fists, the woman cried.

The cell over there has her shell. It's not full anymore. It's as good as death!

Turning, Bakura walked over to the other cell. A figure huddled in the shadows. He couldn't make out the thing's face, but he could sense a feeling of familiarity.

Come here. Who are you?

The figure stopped its shivering. The silhouette of its head turned to stare at the boy. A shiver ran down his spine, but he didn't stop trying to see the person. Slowly, the thing tried to walk towards him. It could only crawl slowly into the dim light of the cell. When he realized the victim's identity, it was all Bakura could do not to fall over.



The empty shell's eyes flickered with recognition for one instant. Desperately, it tried to speak.



The girl slumped to the floor her seemingly lifeless body limp and unfeeling. For a long moment, Bakura just stared in agonized torture at her lifeless shell. Pegasus had stolen her soul as he had the others. He should have known it. He'd played this game before. A sudden footstep on the stone stair startled him, and he desperately looked around. There was no place to hide.