The Pond
By Wusai, the Dark Phantasy
2. Light in the Shadows
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!
A/N: Finally, Chapter 2! @.@ I had writer's block on this. Sorry!
~*~
I watch as the morning sun rises over the calm horizon. I slip from the shadow of the tree, gliding swiftly. I creep next to a shop. The Turtle Game Shop. I see a person. The Pharaoh, or at least his reincarnate, Yuugi Motou. He's sleeping. I see his Millennium Puzzle hanging from his bedpost. I will take it. If not by asking, I will take it by force. I wait until he wakes up.
At last, he wakes up, rubbing his eyes. He changes from his pajamas to his normal clothes. And, of course, I don't watch. I'm not that rude. He walks downstairs, telling his grandfather he'll be at the park.
I follow him, stalking him like a predator would to its prey. He leads me to the park, and he pauses beside the pond. He stares at its surface, which is glittering as if there were a million diamonds on its surface. He toys with the Puzzle hanging around his neck; a pyramid of power hanging from the neck of one fifteen-year-old. His height may be that of a 5th Grader, but his heart is larger than any person's could ever be. At least, this is what I've heard. I pull out my own Millennium Item, the Millennium Rod. I pull out the knife from its sheath. Who knows, I might need it, considering this is the Pharaoh I'm dealing with.
I creep up behind him. He still stares at the pond, apparently not noticing me. Only when I am a few feet away from him does he finally turn around. When he sees me with my knife, his orchid eyes widen. I push him to the ground, and hold the knife to his neck.
"The Millennium Puzzle. I want it. Give it to me."
~*~
Another day like this. I'm innocently staring into the pond, and some mysterious person creeps up behind me, and holds a knife to my neck, asking for the Puzzle. Why does everyone want it? In fact, why do I want it? After all, Yami, or Ouji, the Pharaoh, is of no use to me. And this time, he can't come out to save me. The slightest movement would have the knife come closer to his skin, maybe even into it. And the light might blind him, whoever he is, and make him drop the knife.
Obediently, I take the string around my neck, and lift it up. I place it onto his knife. His eyes widen, as if he didn't expect me to just give him the Puzzle. I, myself, do not understand, either. But something just made me do it. I don't know what.
I feel like a burden has been lifted off my chest. Taking off the Puzzle makes all my tense muscles relax. The mysterious stranger looks at me, nods, then opens his mouth to speak.
"I am Malik. Malik Ishtar. You are Yuugi Motou, the Pharaoh's reincarnate."
I nod, finding my throat has constricted. He turns and walks away. Shakily, I stand up. Even if the burden has been lifted off my chest, I feel weaker. Why is that?
~*~
I wake up to greet the morning sun. I smile at it, my everyday ritual. But I can't stare at it too long, for the light hurts my eyes. I quickly dress, then walk outside, my Millennium Ring glittering in the sun.
As I walk around, aimlessly, I notice something in the shadows. But when I turn to look at it, it disappears. I shrug it off. But I see it again from the corner of my eye. A light in the shadows. Is it a person? I decide to go to the park. We, meaning Yuugi and I, don't know why we always go there. I feel it's peaceful there. But, for some reason, both of us are attracted to the pond.
I walk to the pond, and sit at its edge. Smiling, I dip a finger into the cool water. Tadpoles swim around my finger. A beautiful lotus flower floats in the middle of the pond. I notice something gold glimmering on the pond's surface. Pale gold. I look closer, and I realize it's a reflection. I turn around to see a boy.
His pale, golden hair shines in the sun's light. His lavender eyes stare deep into my brown ones. I notice he holds a rod. A Millennium Rod. And dangling from one of the wing-like structures is… Yuugi's Puzzle?!
"What… why do you have Yuugi's Puzzle?"
"He gave it to me."
I stare at him questionably. Then, I feel the usual tugging from the ring as Afifus[1] comes out of the Ring.
~*~
I come out of Ryou's Ring. I stare at the familiar figure in front of me.
"Malik! It's been a while."
"I have the Puzzle."
"I can see that."
"Isis planned on giving Yuugi the Tauk."
"Well, now she has no proof that he's the Pharaoh, since we have the Puzzle."
"I could, of course, possess her with the Rod, and make her give me the Tauk, if she does not plan on giving it to me when I ask. After all, we 'share' it. I'm her 'innocent' little brother."
"Innocent?" Afifus snorted.
"She does not think I am evil. She thinks my Yami is the evil one."
"I agree, if not partially."
"The only reason I'm taking the items is Yami. He's forcing me."
"Ah."
"So how is Ryou?"
"Fine."
"Still treat him badly?"
"It's lost its fun."
Malik smirked.
"And why?"
"Why do you care?"
"Wondering."
"Curiosity will kill the Malik."
"I get your point. At least Ryou's not being tormented anymore…"
"Why? Are you?"
"Yami's getting impatient. He wants all the items."
"I have the Millennium Eye."
"So we have the Rod, Ring, Eye, Puzzle, and soon the Tauk."
"But how are we supposed to get the Scales and the Ankh from Shadi?"
"That I do not know."
"What if we give all the items to Shadi…?"
"Then, one, Yami will be very angry, and two, why should we? What would he do with it?"
"Considering he cursed you, Ryou, and the other holders of the Items with our spirits, I think we should give the items back to him. Then he could be cursed with us. But my question is, what would he do with us?"
"I do not know… if we get all the items, it would give us the power to open the gate to the Shadow Realm, right? But why do we want to open the gates?"
"It would give us great power."
"To do what?"
"Wreak havoc on Earth."
"And why would we want to do that?"
"Because of what the Pharaoh did to us."
"But why punish the world when you can just punish the Pharaoh?"
"He's too powerful."
"No he isn't. Now, since we have him away from his human counterpart, he is sealed in the Puzzle. He can't come out because he has no body to use[2]."
"True…"
"So we can just take apart the Puzzle, and wait for someone else to put it together, or just destroy one piece. That way, no one can put it together, and he will never be able to come out again."
"Yes, that's true… but still…"
"Still what?"
"I don't want you to get hurt."
"Why would I get hurt?"
"Your Yami."
"Oh yeah…"
"Idiot."
Malik was silent for a moment. Then, he glowed, and his Yami came out.
"What are you and Malik talking about?"
"Nothing."
"Hmph. Right."
"Anyway, shouldn't you be asking Isis for the Tauk now?"
"Whatever."
With that, Yami Malik disappeared, and Malik was back. He walked off toward his home.
~*~
"You what?!"
I flinched at Ryou's sudden outburst.
"I told you. I gave the Puzzle to Malik."
"Gave?! Do you know what he might do with your puzzle?!"
I wince.
"No..."
"He could open the Shadow Realm! That's a very scary thought!"
"I know... Ryou? Could you please return to your normal, calm self?"
Ryou hesitated, then relaxed.
"I guess so. Sorry, Yuugi, I shouldn't have been so mean..."
"It's alright, Ryou. I understand your worry."
"But there's one person that can stop them, and I'm not sure if he can resist Malik's ability to possess people."
"Who's that?"
"Shaadi."
~*~
1. I thought Yami Bakura's name was Akifa. I watched the episode again, and heard it to be either Afifa or Afifus. Personally, I think Afifus sounds better. Or actually, my friend watched it with the closed captioning on, and it turned out that he said, "I am a thief, a stealer of souls." Ick. He needs a name. I don't want 3 or 4 Yamis running around, nameless!
2. Well… I know he'll come out even without Yuugi, but bear with me. But don't flame me for this!
A/N: Please review, for I have finally updated. :3~