Finally done! –faints- Sorry to keep y'all waitin'. Note: Italics either means thought-speak/Ryo speaking to bakura/ out of first person speech. Example below.
Before anyone could ask why I was /still/ smoking, the doorbell rang. Who could it be? Everybody was here.
"Shadi?" Yugi asked in disbelief after he had opened the door. The Egyptian man bowed his head.
"Yugi, I have come in feeling the prescense of a great evil at work." His voice echoed through the Duel Arena.
"What are you - "
"Beware, my young Egyptian friend. Beware."
"But I'm Japansese -"
Yugi was cut off again.
"Beware."
And with that, Shadi, who was not seen in ten years, walked away from our lives once and for all.
Come back, I wanted to scream. I need answers! Help!
No one cared. No one could hear me pleading for help within. They all thought that the Spirit was actually me … and they knew the terrible false truth. They all thought that Shadi was mad, apart from Yugi (he always believed the 'wise' man's words.)
"That was weird," Yugi muttered. Everybody stared. They seemed to have forgotten about me. And my smoking coat. Bloody heck …
"Joey, come over here," he said in a low voice, so low that I nearly didn't catch it. But Bakura had a keen sense of hearing, and he was able to detect the words. Joey obediently went over to Yugi' side.
"Joey", Yugi said, sounding very worried indeed. "I have a feeling that Shadi is right."
"What are you talkin' about, Yug'? It's been eight years since we last met and now you're in to hunting down that freak again?"
"No. I have a
feeling that this is different. Keep a watch on Kaiba and the other
duelists."
"Even Ryo?"
"Yes. Don't you think it's weird how he knows how to duel?"
"I guess … but he could have picked up on it. It's been 10 years, Yug'. Too long. But eight years for me. Several months for Tae … what did you do with her?"
"Just hanging
out."
"You didn't –"
"No, Joey. Anyways, keep a sharp eye on Ryo. I have to make sure whether or not he is being possesed again. Even though he looks and seems to be like himself, without Atem I can't sense if a Millennium Item is at work."
"But I thought they were locked away!"
"I don't know, Joey. It's a dark age."
"Yugi."
"Yes, Joey?"
"Did you give it … away?"
"Yes, Joey. To a very potential-prone teenager. He reminds me of you."
"His name's Jaden Yuki, right?"
"Yes."
"I heard of him. He's a duelin' prodigy, but still in Slifa Red! What's that lowlife of a person Kaiba doin', keepin' him there?"
"It's not Kaiba's fault." Yugi said simply. He glanced at Scott, then nodded.
"Yug', we'll
need to get back to dueling."
"I know. I just gave Scott the
signal …
"Uh … let's continue dueling!" Scott said. He then looked like he regretted his choice; Kaiba was already smirking as he drew a card. The Blue Eyes, no doubt.
"Okay, Tristan," I – we? Him? – said.
Time to teach this foolish mortal a thing or two about dueling … my taicoat should suffice…
It's not a tailcoat, I suddenly thought. It's a big coat. Tailcoats have these two little tails …
The Spirit didn't reply. I could feel cold, slow, and controlled anger seeping through every pore in his body at me contradicting him.
For your insolence, I will turn this duel in to a Shadow Game!
No!
Too late. The lights flickered. Everybody looked up. They struggled to remain lit, then all of the lights were extinguished and the Duel Arena was plunged in to total darkness.
Yugi! I shout-thought. Joey! Kaiba1 Anyone!
Hahahahahaha …
What did you do to them?!
Nothing. I just froze time, that's all …
What about the lights? 。。。 answer me!
The work of the unimaginable power I sealed in this jacket!
Laughter rang through the Duel Arena.
"Where is everybody!"
I recognized Tristan's voice.
"Let's continue dueling."
"Bakura? Is that you? Don't worry, I'm coming!"
"Mwuhuahahha…"
"Bakura?"
Tristan's disbelief was in every syllable of my name.
"If you haven't noticed, this is a Shadow Game!"
"BAKURA!"
"I activate the Spell card, "Dark Fusion"! I sacrifice the Avian in my hand to bring out Evil Hero Cyclone!"
"Whoa …" Tristan said. His anger was melted away at the feat we had completed in the firs turn.
"That's not all. I activate 'Premature Burial!' ((tell me if Dark Fusion removes the material monsters from play.)) Which brings back the Elemental Hero Avian from my Graveyard and on to my field. Of course, I'll have to pay a fine."
I only had 3200 LP left, but LP didn't count. My hand and field was better than Tristan's. I nearly forgot the danger Bakura was posing in the midst of the excitement.
"Now Avian, attack his face-down card!:"
The card was flipped face-up. It revealed Bubonic Vermin.
"Bubonic Vermin's Flip Effect activates! Now I get to summon a Bubonic Vermin from my deck to the field in face-down defense position!"
"Whatever! You're dead in several turns! Now, my mighty Dark Hero, attack his Bubonic Vermin!"
The effect activated again, so Tristan had another Bubonic Vermin on the field. However, he was getting worried; you could only have 3 copies of the same card in your deck at one time.
"I'll end my turn by placing a card face-down," We concluded.
Tristan gritted his teeth. "I'll get you, Bakura!" he shouted. He made a movement as if to run forwards, but looked down. "What the -"
Chains were attached to his legs and wrists, as were to mine.
"You see, whenever you lose Life Points," we explained, "the chains tighten around your ankles and wrists, and a chain link on the ground breaks. When your Life Points are reduced to zero, the chains are completely demolished and you are sent to the Shadow Realm, doomed to spend there for an eternity!"
Maniacal laughter, once more.
"Of course, the chains aren't just for that. Usually you can't end a duel – this is a matter of endurance. As long as you stand, you're in the duel – but you'll wish you weren't. Another thing … you lose a bit of your body away to the Shadow Realm each time you lose Life Points, too…. So you better watch out."
Tristan tugged on the chains, and then winced. "Bakura! Stop this right now!"
We shook my head in a sarcastic pitiying way. "Sorry," we said, grinning maliciously, "I can't do that. Only the victor of this Duel can come out unharmed!"
Tristan gritted his teeth. "You can't be," he said, suddenly realizing what really was going on. "No! Zorc was locked away! He's gone!"
"He went and now he's back," We said.
I struggled within myself. Free me, Zorc! How dare you do this to Tristan!
Hahaha … never. Not until I gain control of the darkness and take my revenge on the Pharoah!
"Did you forget," Tristan said, snapping me out of my little argument with Zorc. "That you had to -800 LP due to Premature Burial, your own card?"
"Ah, yes," we said. "Of course…"
My left foot disappeared.
"My turn," Tristan continued. He drew a card. "Hmmm… I have four cards in my hand so far."
"I flip Bubonic
Vermin in face-up attack position! And now, I activate my face-down
card, Creature Swap! You know what that means …"
Bubonic
Vermin and Avian switched positions.
"Weakling," we hissed.
"And now Avian, attack his Bubonic Vermin!"
The Elemental Hero leapt towards the Earth attribute monster, floating up in the murky gloom as dust tornadoes erupted from its wings, firing it towards the mouse, which cowered.
"I activate a trap card, Mirror Force." We said smugly, calmly. A holographic shield covered the Vermin and fired the tornado back to Avian. The hologram exploded, and Tristan grunted.
"I suppose it's my turn," we said. Drawing, we glanced at our card.
"I see. I activate Wave-Motion-Cannon!"
Growling, Tristan
asked, "What does that card do?"
"During each of our StandBy
phases, my Wave-Motion cannon gets to add 1 turn in its charger …
when it gets up to 4 turns, this is over!" We said.
"Oh, and I place a card face-down, and End Turn."
Several minutes later, Tristan was struggling. He had managed to eliminate my Hero, but I had successfully Summoned the ace of my hand. I suppose you know what it is.
"What IS … that thing … BAKURA!" Tristan said once again. I suppose he realized what it was. "This is bringing back bad memories!" as he stared at the Demon Monster.
Laughing, we ignored him.
"It's been four
turns. This is OVER!" We said. "I activate Wave-Motion Cannon!
Now, you take damage to your LP equal to the number of turns that had
passed x1000."
"What?" Tristan said. "I should have
activated my Heavy Storm card .. if only I had the chance."
"Yes, you should have." We said. "Now, mortal, off you go to the Shadow Realm!"
WOOT! Done! Sorry to keep y'all waitin'! More coming up! What will happen – and how did Zorc reincarnate?