Chapter 1
It was quiet at first, but it suddenly got louder.
"Bunny..."I opened my eyes to find a ghostly vision of Eshebe. At first, I was surprised, but then my face turned to a frown.
"You're not real...You're a figment of my imagination..." I frowned even more, and she frowned as well.
"Yami...You can use...A fraction...Of my powers..." Her voice was hard to hear, and the ghostly figure of her faded in and out during her speaking to me.
"What...? How? You're dead...Your powers...Went with you..I'm alone..." I asked, sitting up a bit, alarmed.
"You...Aren't..Alone...I still...Have my powers..." She put a vacant hand to the ankh, and I looked up at her, surprised.
"And I can use them...With this?" I held up the ankh, and she nodded.
"Some...Your...Body can only take...some..Just..Use...them..."
"Really...? I just...Can't believe it! YOU'RE ALIVE!" I went to hug the figure, but I only ended up hugging a pillow.
"Yami...I...Will create a realm...In here..." She pointed to the ankh again, and I nodded.
"I'll get to hear you and see you in there... And I'm surprised you have your powers still.."
"Later Yami...Use them..." She motioned to the ankh, and started disappearing.
"Wait-" But Eshebe was already gone, and I looked at the ankh.
"Alright...How do I use her powers...?" I pondered.
It wasn't that hard to figure out, and pretty soon, I smiled down at the ankh.
It had worked. Us putting our powers together and Ryo's original soul, had put her soul into the ankh. She had lived, and that, really turned my mood up.
But what about the others?
I sighed, unsure. We'd find that out later, right now, I had to get back to my time, my home.
But what home? We had graduated, and the dorm was being cleaned for the next years. Eshebe's room had been taken down, the magic had gone back to her. If I got in the future, where would I go?
I sighed, but decided to go into the future anyways. I had to act now, and I had a feeling staying here, wasn't the best choice.
"Okay, help me out of here Eshebe..."I sighed and summoned up her powers, feeling rejuvenated as they flowed through me, Eshebe lending me just enough to get home.
It didn't feel like I was going through a time portal, and I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes while passing through it. I didn't like them very much, and this being the actually first time being in one, I decided I've read enough about them to know not to look. Going through all that time and watching most likely gave you a headache, and I needed my head pain free to figure out what to do next.
There was a moment in using her powers where it felt like her soul had bonded with mine...And before the big fight she had with the Pharaoh... That night, when she danced and what happened after...Our souls had called to each other more then they ever had before. The hum had taken over, controlling us almost completely, summoning up everything we felt for each other to the top of our minds and souls, and almost forcing us together, and well...
I couldn't say no to that, to Eshebe. I didn't fully mean for that to happen, but it did. And it was...Something I'd never forget, considering I almost lost her completely in these past few weeks, and no matter how much I was angry at her for going in directly and almost killing herself, I still loved her.
My heart raced at the feeling of oneness with her, making me ache for her more, another thing that was with the soul mate bond. My soul ached for hers, wanting this oneness, just wanting her in general. It was greater then any gravitational pull, and addition to love made it better.
Eshebe had once explained this to me, and it was natural for souls to ache for one another. Soul mates could come in different ways, love, friendship, family. But the most talked about and known was love soul mates, and it added even more to it.
Having her soul inside the millennium ankh and close to me was good for now. Her soul was with mine, and even though she wasn't here fully, it was good for now.
"Alright, welcome home...I guess." I said as I opened my eyes to Japan.
I ambled around for a bit, unsure where to go...
"I don't suppose you've rested enough for you to have fully restored your powers, have you?" I asked, looking down at the ankh.
'My powers don't restore that easily...' Eshebe's voice sang in the back of my head and I smirked, laughing.
'Could have fooled me...Me using your powers and our souls coming together was amazing...We have to do that more often...It felt just like...' I let her know my thoughts, and I heard her sigh.
'Glad to know my almost death hasn't phased you too much.' she laughed, and I stopped, leaning on a rail and looking out to the river and the city lights gleaming off the cold almost rough waters.
'Losing you to death brought that back...Just don't do it again.' I responded, and I felt a hum of sorrow wash through me. I sighed, but knew she meant well.
'Using the bond to contact me and get your emotions across? Smart.' I remarked, and she laughed.
"Hey..Hey you." Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around.
"What." I spat, angry he'd interrupted me. Mostly just because I hated people, but this time, interruption wasn't a good thing.
"You're standing in the way. MOVE." The brute demanded and I scuffed.
"Buzz off." I shrugged him off, and he glared.
"LOOK-"
"NO. Leave me the fuck alone." I said, grabbing his collar and throwing him back a little.
"You wanna' fight bro?" He asked, and I laughed.
"Bro? HA! Sure, I want a fight." I walked over to him, and threw a left hook into the side of his jaw. He stammered back a bit but came back, trying to hit me. I scuffed again, and Eshebe spoke.
'NEVERMIND HIM! Now is not the time to fight! You might be in the mood to, but right now, rationality must be used. We need to find a place for you to stay Bunny...'
I sighed, but she was right.
"Look, just stay out of my way, and everything will be fine." I spat and walked down the street.
"Yeah! You better walk away!" He yelled after me and I flipped him off, walking away.
I sighed, looking around. I was in the middle of the city, no where to go, no one I knew...With no money, nothing.
'Well, you've gotten me out of one mess...Any ideas for this one?' I asked, and I felt a sadness wash over my own emotions. I sighed, shaking my head.
'Not your fault...I mean...Not entirely.' I joked and laughed, looking around. It was weird not having her next to me, and these past few weeks I went without her were hell.
I'd almost completely given up and just let my life go. Can't explain why I didn't do it, but with the ankh around my neck, I just couldn't. Some small silly hope...That turned true. She was alive, and maybe the other two were alive as well.
But without her...Without even the indication she was alive...Was the worst.
It made me remember everything that had happened when she was alive, the memories washed over me, replaying. Each moment I held her hand, kissed her...looked at her. And especially that night...That night before she went to fight the Pharaoh...THAT was the most memorable.
'You know, you're never going to figure out how to live if you keep thinking of the past...'
'That past, is what kept me going. And almost killed me. But whatever. I get it. Think now, act now.' I sighed, looking around...Time to put some plan into action...
'Exactly.'
What plans did I have? What actions could I go through with?
There was getting a job, but no place to live.
Or robbing a bank, which got me a wave of disapproval from Eshebe, even though it would get us in a money safe place.
She disagreed.
And then there was seeking out Ryo's father, even though I only looked somewhat like him.
No way Would I go begging to Ryo's father.
Which brought me back to the bank robbery-
'NO. IF THERE'S ANY CHANCE OF ME GETTING A BODY, WE CAN'T HAVE CRIMINAL RECORDS ON YOU.'
I sighed, and slumped down on a bench, my hot breath drifting away in the winter air. There was nothing I could do, especially considering the getting a job but no where to live would mean staying outside.
Normally my actions would be something devious and evil, something criminal, but with Eshebe not getting a body on the line of doing something devious, I couldn't risk it. I needed Eshebe more then I'd like to admit.
But that's something for later. Now, now I needed options. Options I didn't have, options that were-
"Bakura?" I quickly looked up. I knew that voice. I knew that voice well.
"Marik!"
"So, it IS you. I thought the Pharaoh killed all of you...Well, that's what he said. I'm just...Happy you're alive!" He exclaimed, laughing and pulling me into a slight hug.
I restrained myself for a minute, then hugged my friend back quickly.
"Yeah, me too..."
"So...She's dead...?" He asked, careful with his question, but it was clear he missed her too.
"Not in every sense." I shrugged, and he frowned.
"He killed her..."
"Her body." My answer earned me a confused look from Marik, and I sighed.
"Look, is there somewhere we can talk? I don't like talking out here..." I looked around, and he nodded.
"Yeah, I have my own place...I mean, I had to get one after we came back...With all my family dead, and the only person left is Odion, we kind of moved into the city. So I have options."
"Your brother. That's right." I remembered.
"Yeah, but he's rarely ever home...And moving back to Egypt. He's got to run the tomb there, while I have my options in the city here. We'll be okay though. Why? Don't you have a place?"
"Nope. The dorm was given back to the school, and I don't look anything like Ryo...Well, not enough to go to his father." I sighed, and Marik nodded.
"You can stay with me. I was just heading there anyways." He said, and pretty soon, we were sitting in his apartment living room.
"Want something to drink? A beer? Maybe a soda?" He asked from the fridge. I shook my head.
"Nah, I'm alright."
He shrugged, but sat in an armchair that was next to the couch.
"So what brings you back here?"
"No where else to go..."
"I see...Honestly, I didn't know Eshebe was that much a bad ass...I mean, even though her choices got her...Somewhere she didn't plan, she took on Atem! And Zorc! Zorc's dead now, and who knows what happened to Atem! Sure, they took me back here almost exactly after the fight, but still..."
"Yeah..."
"I was actually really surprised she went for it alone..."
"She locked us in the ring." I ground my teeth, and Marik gave me a weird look.
"Why would she...? I mean...You two...Seemed...So in love...Guess she showed you then, huh?" Marik smirked and I glared.
"Because she was an idiot...It's what caused her death..." I spat, and made sure she knew exactly what I thought. She sighed in an annoyed way.
"Well...I'm sure you miss her..." He asked, unsure.
"Well, in her bodies death, somehow,-sheer will I suppose-, she came into the ankh. She's just a soul now." I said, holding up the ankh a bit for him to see. His eyes widened, and looked to me.
"Really? Can she come out?"
"No, at least, I won't let her use my body."
"Why not?"
"Because it's my body. We're working on getting her one..."
"But you don't have anywhere to stay..."
"Which is why it was pure luck we ran into you. You've got an extra room here...Can we stay here?"
"But aren't there two of you?"
"She's a spirit, a soul. She won't take up any space." I rolled my eyes and he nodded.
"Right...Well...Sure. You can stay here...I mean, until I'm ready to kick you out." He gave a sly smile, and I sighed.
"Thanks." I walked to the door Marik pointed me to, and I looked longingly at the bed.
'I'm giving in to sleep...Night.' I said, passing it to Eshebe. I felt warmth wash over me, and gave a small smile.
I hadn't even closed my eyes for a few moments, and suddenly, light was shinning over my closed eyelids.
"I. JUST. Went. To. Sleep." I spat, and cursed under my breath, opening my eyes to the light.
I wasn't in the room, but instead, surrounded by warm white sand, a big bright sand in the middle of a blue vast sky, and palm trees behind me. The sound of crashing waves called my attention to the crystal clear water in front of me.
Not a flaw in sight, everything felt like paradise. Pure Paradise.
I stood up, sunglasses on the top of my head, swim trunks and the ankh, being the only things I wore.
The sun felt nice, better then the bitter weather in Japan, and being here...Was like I was home, the sense of belonging here completely filling my core.
I walked to the waves, the water just as nice and warm as I imagined it to be, and stuffed my hands in my pockets, staring out into the water. I didn't feel the need to be on alert, nothing felt wrong here, even though I had no idea where I was.
Something dark darted under the water just a few feet in front of me, and I focused on it for a minute, taking a few steps and looking down.
"Bunny." I turned to my side, and saw Eshebe sitting on a rock, white hair flowing down in a semi-curly way that seemed to match the sea foam color and white caps on the tips of the waves. Her long beautiful legs were replaced by a shiny tail that glistened with an opal appearance, a fin that seemed to be made of pure air at the end. She wore a blue cloth top that was silky, pearls and white gold jewelry dropping form her ears and neck.
"Kitty." I smiled, walking over to the rock she sat upon.
"I've been waiting for you." She laughed, and I sighed.
"You know, I've had a long day...I should be sleeping."
"You'll awake feeling rested, trust me..." She mumbled, placing her hands on my arms, pulling me into a hug.
"Well, why's that?"
"Because, this is in the ankh. The key. This is what I made for myself."
"With your powers? Didn't he take those?"
"Nope." She smiled broadly, and sighed contently.
"Hmm...Well, I'm glad your safe...I thought you had died..."She nodded, and let me go, staring out into the water.
"It can be anything I want here...It responds to me, I have...All my powers. Sure, he took his mothers and turned mine against me, but I still have all of mine...Only thing left to do is destroy all the pieces..."
"But you can't destroy it while you're here, and we need to find you a body..."
"Yeah, and we need to find Ryou and Touzoku." She sighed, and looked down at her tail.
"Although this place is nice, I can't bring them back here with me..." She added.
"I thought you had all your powers..."
"I do...I just can't call them to the ankh, they're trapped somewhere...Or in something...By Atem, and that's impossible for me to reach...We just have to stumble upon them or something..."
"You aren't sure?"
"Not at all..."She shook her head, and sighed, looking up to me.
"Well, don't worry. We'll find them. We can look tomorrow, and we have a lot of time on our hands to find a body..."
"Yeah, but for now, you should get back to sleep...I don't want you to go restless..."She smiled, and before I knew it, the beach faded to blackness.
I awoke, and yawned, sitting up in my room. It felt like I had rested well, but things weren't okay just yet. Replenished, I walked to the kitchen, rubbing my eyes.
"Hey." Marik waved, yawning from the couch. I half waved, my arm flopping back to my side.
"Yeah."
"So. I have another question."
"Hmm?"
"What happened to Ryou and Touzoku?"
"Not sure. He got rid of them I guess."
"She can't be happy about that..."
"Yeah, well."
"So how are you going to get her a body?"
"I have no idea."
"Really? I mean...Can she steal someone's random body?"
"Not sure..." More alert, I sent that question to her, and she sent back an unknowing emotion.
"Well, you should try. I mean, sure, it's got to be someone attractive-"
"Look, all I'm concerned for right now, is how things are going to fall into place. I'm not sure what's going to happen...Finding a body won't be that easy..."
"Yeah it is! You're making it sound so complicated, but really, all you have to do, is lure someone into an alley, knock them out, and put the ankh around their neck. Right? Then she can kick their soul out, and bam! A body."
Maybe he was right.
"Well, if you're right, then you're helping." I smiled, and he laughed.
Authors note:
Hey there! Welcome back! :D
You read the story so you know...
Yami didn't die, and Apparently, Eshebe's soul is IN THE ANKH.
Time to CELEBRATE! Right?
Not really.
R&R?
Yu-Gi-Oh characters (original Characters) © their creators
Alternate universe Characters and Original Characters (My OC's) © me