Changing Tactics

By Snare-chan

Pairings: Bakura/Yami
Ratings: PG
Category(ies): General
Warning(s): None
Status: One-shot, complete
Summary: Uncertain about the war effort, Yami requests Bakura to give him a sort of edge by revealing his future.

Notes: Despite the fact it's been a couple years since 'YuGiOh: Duelist of the Roses' has been out, I think this is still the first fanfic concerning it (second if you count my continuation of the game, which is currently being revised, so it will not count).

I actually find this pretty sad, since there is much to love about the game (even if you don't normally do card games). The plot itself left a lot of room for speculation and areas to be further explored, much less that so few have actually done it.

And no, that wasn't a blatant hint for you to go get the game, play it through, and write fics about it.

Disclaimer: I dun own YuGiOh: Duelist of the Roses, wish I did like everyone else. They should put YGO: DotR in stock, then I'd buy it all!

Dedication: To my soul sister, Lizzie, because she just can't seem to get enough of my DotR stuff… for whatever reason that may be.

With an angry scowl, Yami slammed his quill pen roughly into its inkwell. The harsh motion sent splatters of it all over the place, black dots covering the surface area of his desk. Blotches of the black liquid quickly fell to the floor, also littering the parchment in front of him.

Nearly five thousand of his finest men dead, half as many horses taken, and doubly as many monsters destroyed or lost entirely… this war was swiftly turning out to be a mass murder, a genocide in every sense of the word! His men, his country, might as well be putting their own heads up to the chopping block at this rate.

Seto and his Rose Crusaders were progressing across France and making their merry little way to Brest, one city at a time. Windsor? Taken. London? Gone. Canterbury? Destroyed. Amiens? Doomed. Everything seemed to be on the madman's side - power, speed, and luck. It was as if the other could see the very future and was planning accordingly.

With an agitated sigh, he rested his head back against his chair, his eyes sliding shut to help him concentrate. There had to be a plan of action, some sort of way to end this all quickly and without fail…

But first he had to calm down; he'd get nowhere fast if he remained frustrated.

-Knock Knock-

The door to his chambers opened wide on well-oiled hinges, whoever it was not patient enough to wait for permission to enter. The only reason Yami knew someone had stepped inside at all was the chime of armor clinking as whoever it was walked in uninvited.

This could only mean it was Bakura, his Secretary of Defense.

"What is it now?" Yami asked, sounding much more calm than he was feeling. He was growing tired of hearing reports telling him nothing more than how badly he was losing this war.

Bakura raised a brow, his liege sensing it without the other even in front of him, "What are you still doing up? The sun set some time ago."

"This war never sleeps, you know that."

He could already sense where this was going and dreaded it passionately. For a man who wanted war, he sure seemed more concerned with Yami's health than the battles happening out in the world. The royal man knew better than to say that, not wanting to get into a pointless squabble at this hour… even though one was inevitable.

"Then it is unfortunate that you are but only a man and not a war," his second-in-command pointed out, coming up behind him and observing the mess he'd made in his moment of anger.

"Is the inventory complete?" Yami attempted to change the subject, despite the fact that it was an obvious and weak attempt.

"It is done."

"Everyone has been briefed on the next stage of attacks?"

"Of course."

"And the soldier's training?"

"All my men have done their work and are asleep on their mattresses, like you should be."

"You are terribly persistent."

The other smirked, his face appearing over the back of Yami's chair as he rested his arms on top of the thing. Yami only shook his head at the other, rising from his chair to move over to the window. Leaning against its edge, he gazed out over the city with arms tiredly crossed across his chest.

By this time it was indeed very dark out, people's homes lit only by a candle or two before being snuffed out by the homeowners as they went to bed. Some guards were out patrolling below, their armor barely lit by the moon and their long swords and spears a tale of the times.

"You know, there is one more thing I must do, now that you have brought up my 'chores.'"

Yami raised a curious brow, the fine line inching up his forehead as he turned to regard the other. He almost started, having not realized Bakura had followed him over to the window. Perhaps he was more tired than he'd originally assumed…

"Oh?"

Bakura chuckled, the sound brushing up Yami's back at their close proximity. Without a word, the man picked him up. His insufferable smirk was enough to fill in any words necessary, not that any were really needed. The action was so quick and so sudden that by the time Yami had given his first protest they were already by his bed. Unceremoniously, the prince was dropped onto the covers of his mattress, his body sinking into it with a soft thump.

"How dare you! Why, if my uncle had seen you manhandling me like that he would-"

"-have done what he already does to me every time we cross paths," Bakura pointed out with no enthusiasm, "I can handle that aged prune, and he did not catch me sending you to bed like a child. So what is the problem?"

At the interruption, Yami had to use all his royal willpower not to pout. Kings do not pout.

…

Which is why it was probably a good thing he was still only a prince.

"I should hang you for betraying me like this," Yami sighed. The soldier in his midst laughed, the sound not nearly as sane as one would like to think. As the armored man plopped down beside him on his bed, the pallet sank deeply where he sat.

"And risk losing your best Secretary of Defense? You would not dare risk it at this point in the war."

"You egotist, you're my only Secretary of Defense."

Once more Bakura chuckled. "Do not be angry with me just because you are far too predictable. Now must I tie you to your bed with your very sheets, or will you willingly rest?"

"Just because I am in bed does not mean I will rest," his liege pointed out stubbornly, though he did relax back against his pillow. With his keen eye for things, this action did not escape Bakura in the least.

"If need be, I will wait here and watch over you all night."

In his own defense, Yami did have a response, but he kept it to himself. He did suppose he could do with some rest; truth be told, the war wasn't really going to be going anywhere anytime soon… He wouldn't admit this, of course.

"If you insist…"

"Oh, I do."

Yami's lids lowered fractionally in a deadpan sort of way, not doubting him in the least. As he grasped the edge of his covers to pull them up to his chest the other rose from his position and made to leave. As he did so, something suddenly occurred to the prince.

"Bakura?"

The other stopped in mid-step at the soft whisper of his name and turned back towards him. At the same time, Yami was sitting up, brows knitting together in deep thought.

"Your people… knew the way of looking into the future, did they not?"

With the mention of such a thing the armored man's gaze didn't falter, but his jaw clenched so tightly that the muscle almost quivered. Yami knew he was treading on painful territory, but he felt he had to ask.

"Could you…?"

For a moment, Bakura looked about ready to outright deny this request and storm outside the room. After a moment of silence, however, he seemed to think differently of it.

"If I do, will you go to sleep?" Bakura finally sighed, his gloved hand already reaching for his deck.

Yami nodded once, getting more comfortable as the other came back to his bed. Skillfully shuffling the slightly-aged cards, he sat down on the edge of his sheets, dividing the pile into thirds and laying them horizontally in front of them. While he was doing all of this preparation Yami watched, entranced, having only heard about such readings.

Flipping over the first card revealed the 'War-Lion Ritual,' right side up.

"The first card always represents your past, and this card depicts duty, loyalty, and dedication. You have followed what has been laid out for you with ferocity and the capability of a leader." The other smirked as he spoke, "Sounds about right."

Not waiting for a comment from his liege, he moved onto the second stack and he turned over the top card. The 'Crush Card,' also presented right side up, greeted their sights with almost a mocking glee. Bakura didn't really even need to comment much about what this card could mean for Yami; he could take a wild guess.

"In your present position you face major conflict and a losing battle, quite the understatement if you ask me," Bakura muttered, licking his lips before pausing before the last stack. Dolefully, his fingers hovered over the top card. Yami reached out gently and grasped the other's arm, seeming to bring him out from his thoughts.

"I must warn you, your future is never certain. Despite what you may see, anything can change it. One small alteration in phrase or action can shift it into one of the many other possibilities before you. This card will only reveal the most prominent outcome."

Silently, Yami nodded in understanding, his free hand motioning for Bakura to proceed. Nodding once, the final card was flipped, both pairs of eyes immediately drawn to it. The last and final card was once again right side up, the face of the 'Change of Heart' smiling at them reassuringly.

While the prince predicted this to be a good sign, one glance at the other's features told him a bit differently. Absently, Bakura's fingers tapped the smooth surface, seeming to either debate saying what it represented or deciding what it meant.

"In your near future, a great transition will occur, though whether it's in your favor or not only time will tell. While right side up usually means the effects are beneficial to you, it does not mean it is imminent."

"I see… thank you, Bakura," Yami murmured after the words had sunk in, his lips pursed.

The man nodded once and gathered his cards, shuffling them twice for good measure before tucking them safely away. Rising one last time to leave, he chanced a glance at the other, already beginning to regret telling the other what he'd seen in the cards. Knowing his prince, he would be up all night contemplating the meaning of what the three cards had said and how it could redefine the war. This, of course, meant he was going to be up all night. Again.

Growing irritated with the idea, Bakura snapped a little, "Stop worrying about it. We have dealt with worse before, and whatever may come our way will be taken care of accordingly."

Raising an amused brow at the sudden commanding tone that could be noted in the other's voice, Yami couldn't help but smile slightly. The other's confident speech echoed, frighteningly enough, how he'd first felt about this war. He almost wondered when his feelings had begun to shift to what they were today…

"Yes… perhaps only a small change in tactics is in order, then."

"Tomorrow," Bakura made sure to clarify sternly, booking absolutely no room for argument.

"Yes, tomorrow… whatever it may bring."

+Fin+

A/N: My information on the cards in Bakura's deck and other parts of the game I received from here. What they meant in the reading was completely made up by me, like whoa!

The 'War-Lion Ritual' and the 'Crush Card' are part of Bakura's DotR deck, while the 'Change of Heart' was taken from his manga/anime deck, for all those who I'm sure were curious to death.