Umbrae: Such wonderful reviews (and such wonderful reviewers!! ^_^

Ryou: … why do people enjoy my being evil?

Umbrae: It's unexpected.

Ryou: It's unreal. Why??

Umbrae: Oh, you'll find out… eventually. ^_^

Bakura: I kind of like it. It means I don't have to work so hard.

Umbrae: Oh, well... you'll have your work cut out for you soon enough, Bakura. ^_^ I don't own YuGiOh! (as if you couldn't have guessed). Review responses can be found after the chapter. Enjoy!!

IV

Dark Summons

Tristan let out an unmanly cry of surprise and fear when he looked up to see the rocks coming down the mountain. He had thought it was an unsafe choice to climb the steep cliff, but Bakura had not looked twice at the danger.

Tristan was lucky in that he was located underneath an outcropping. The tumbling of the rocks tried to shake off his grip, but he blatantly refused.

Bakura wasn't quite so lucky. He had already passed above the outcropping and was now directly in the line of fire of the rocks and gravity's insatiable desire for revenge.

"Fuck!" he snarled, just before the rocks struck him.

He tried desperately to hang on, despite the pummeling he was receiving. He nearly managed, until a heavy rock smashed viciously against his skull with a loud crack. Between the aching of his body and his wavering vision, his tight fingers lost their grip on the rocks, as his mind lost its grip on reality.

And he fell.


They had found a small brook gurgling like a happy baby through the forest, and Joey had jumped in without hesitation.

Tea was a little more conservative as she cleaned the mud off of herself.

Yami had finished telling them about waking up after lying next to a sick Yugi, to find that he wasn't here, and Yami had his own body. A very pissed off Joey had gone into a mud-splattering rant about the captor of his best friend, but they had managed to finally calm him down.

"Who do you think it is?" Tea asked offhandedly.

Yami sighed and shook his head tiredly. "I don't know, Tea. I wish I did. It would be easier if I knew what I was up against."

A loud roar called their attention from their captive friend and each other. Joey lifted his head out of the brook. Mud-polluted water ran like crocodile tears down his face, as they all turned toward the sound and watched the trees part.

Joey was the first to speak.

"Tell me I'm seein' things," he said weakly.

Tea shook her head. "If you are, Joey, then… so am I." She swallowed hard. "And I don't like it."

Yami had his teeth clenched together as he growled, "Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress."

The blue dragon he was so familiar with roared viciously and towered over them.

"Uh… Yami?" Tea asked, staggering backward a few steps. "How is this… possible?"

Yami just shook his head, not liking any of the possible answers. He wasn't going to say that it was an illusion, though. The heat coming from its far-too-close body was real enough.

Yami thought back to the note. He had found it perched on top of his and Yugi's deck. He looked down at his belt and touched the cards lovingly.

It was worth a shot.

Whipping out the top card off of his deck, Yami glanced at it, before holding it up in the air above his head, facing the dragon.

"Uh… Yami, what're ya doin'?"

"Just trust me, Joey," he replied in a growl. And I'll try not to get you killed.

"Dark Magician!" he cried to the skies, to the card, and to his own rapidly-beating heart. "Come forth!"

The card in his hand lit up like it was a long-captive star finally being released. The light glowed brilliantly, holding it lovingly, before bursting from the card and striking the ground directly in front of Yami. The white glow faded, replaced by familiar purple and a loyal demeanor, as the Dark Magician appeared protectively before his card-holder.

"Now!" Yami cried, as the Dark Magician twirled his staff in his left hand. "Dark Magic Attack!" The magician thrust out his right hand, fingers splayed, and the three watched as the dragon gave a final roar, before bursting into pieces right before their eyes.

The Dark Magician turned and locked eyes with Yami for a moment. He seemed to gaze right through the Pharaoh's soul with those piercing green irises.

Then he nodded, and faded away, back into the card. Yami sighed in relief and silently thanked his loyal companion, before returning the card to his deck.

"Well," he said, turning to face his friends, "looks like this isn't going to be as easy as we had hoped."


Tristan had reached out and grabbed Bakura's wrist as the thief tumbled past him. The sudden weight nearly tore Tristan's left hand from its hold on the rocks, but he just barely managed to retain his grip. Still, for a while, he was in a treacherous position. He was holding onto the cliff with a sweating left hand, and only his left foot had a sure balance. His right had found a narrow ledge on which to stand, but his toes kept slipping and Tristan knew he didn't dare place anymore weight on that leg. Bakura was dangling limply in his grip, unconscious, blood running down the side of his face from where the boulder had struck him.

The rocks had stopped coming and Tristan knew that he should have been grateful for the peace. He couldn't help the worry that lit up within his soul, though. There was so much blood…

He knew that head wounds bled the worst, even if they were only minor. However, Bakura was unconscious, so Tristan couldn't exactly ask him how he was doing, and he couldn't get a close enough look at his companion to see if he was in dire need or not.

We're both in dire need of a parachute, he thought worriedly.

Sadly, the thought of dropping Bakura had crossed his mind, as much as he wished that he could admit it hadn't. Still, he couldn't help but think that Bakura mind have simply let him fall to his death, had their positions been reversed. Tristan had thought for a moment that he only saved Bakura because if he had somehow survived the fall, he would be back for Tristan's blood. There was also the chance that he would come back as a ghost or spirit or a freaking blood-sucking zombie, knowing Bakura, and reap his revenge until the whole of humanity was either insane or dead.

Probably dead, Tristan mused. Most of humanity is already insane.

But then… that thought was unfulfilling. As much as it made sense that he had saved Bakura out of fear, Tristan would admit to fearing death. He was terrified of dying, but he had risked himself toppling from the cliff to save Bakura. There was more there than simply fear.

Just as there's more to you, Bakura, Tristan thought.

It was all so confusing. The only thing that Tristan knew for certain at that moment was that they needed to get off of that cliff edge and onto some level ground, and he needed to check Bakura's head wound.

But where-

Tristan blinked in surprise when he saw it. How could he have not noticed it before? He was sure his eyes must have passed over that section of the mountain at least ten times. How had he not seen the entrance to the cavern?

This would be a whole lot easier if it were closer. Tristan gazed longingly at the cavern. Well… beggars can't be choosers.

"Come on, Bakura," he said to the unconscious boy hanging limply. His arm screamed in protest when he began to pull Bakura up, but he didn't let a sound pass his lips. He grit his teeth angrily at the pain and jerked Bakura up abruptly. He wrapped his arm around the tomb robber's chest, holding the boy against him as he strained to pull himself up the cliff with his other arm.

"Man," he gasped, "for a small dude, you're… pretty heavy." He grinned despite the circumstances and grunted as the jagged rocks cut his hand. "Damn mountains," he swore. "Damn rocks, damn gravity, damn all the cupcakes you eat, Bakura!"

No reply came to his insult and he clenched his teeth. His fingers slipped and he swore loudly. He dug his feet into the crags in the mountainside, pushing himself up. Sweat was rolling down his arms and his back. He could feel Bakura's body beginning to slip through his grasp, but he refused to let go.

"Come on, you dead-weight," he snarled, pulling Bakura up. His arm was shaking with the strain, but he pulled Bakura up above him and shoved him into the cavern. He smirked when he shoved the tomb robber beyond the entrance, and was finally able to let his right arm relaxed.

He breathed a heavy sigh of relief as he was finally holding up only his weight. He leaned his head against the side of the mountain, relishing in his moment of rest and the cool rock on his flesh. He smirked.

Then the rock beneath his hand crumbled. Gravity reached up with greedy hands and pulled him toward the darkness of ultimate destruction.


Bakura: I'm unconscious?! WHAT THE HELL?!?! I SHOULD BE FIGHTING! NOT SLEEPING!

Umbrae: ((knocks Bakura unconscious with gothabie283's frying pan of doom)) MWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Ryou: ((inches away worriedly))

Umbrae: I wasn't going to stop there, but… hehehe

Ryou: And you said I'm evil.

Umbrae: I just finished watching the episodes where Joey is taken over by Marik and forced to battle Yugi. It's such a good duel… ^_^ I think it could have been slightly more dramatic, but… you know me. I'm a total dramatist! ((grin))

Ryou: You… are evil!

Umbrae: Of course. Are you just learning this now? Anyways, onward to review responses!!

Mystie: Thank you, Mystie! Stick around. I hope it gets even moreso.

Gothabie283: HAMLET!! Heh, sorry. I saw Hamlet performed just this year, and I so adore Shakespeare. It's such a classic line… to be or not to be. Of course, you adapted it, but we adapt things to deal with Bakura. ^_^ Anyways, yes, Ryou does appear to be having fun, doesn't he? Heh heh heh…

Crimythest Love: ^_^ I'm just so pleased by all of these reviews! I'm checking my email every hour. I decided to be different and have Ryou be evil, but don't count your chickens (or your Ryous) yet. There are quite a few more tricks up my sleeves, and a lot more secrets, to boot. And oh, thank you for the compliment! It means a lot to hear someone say that! ^_^ Can't wait to see what you thought of this chapter.

Angel Terra: I love that line!! "So Ryou is the new Bakura." ^^ And… well, I think Bakura generally tolerates Tristan, but that may change. I'm surprised you picked up on the affection. There wasn't a great deal of it out in the open, and it pleases me that it caught someone's attention. I think beneath all of that "I can kick your ass if I feel like it"-ness, Bakura has a lot of potential to be… somewhat human.

And because I'm feeling generous (and because I nearly cried in absolute happiness when I saw your long review), I will inform you that no, Ryou did not capture Yugi in order to get back at Bakura. Actually, Ryou has some motives that may come as a complete surprise to everyone. ^^ Including me. Heh.

Oh, and I hope you're pleased about the real monster finally showing up! ^_^

Umbrae: Thank you all so much for reviewing!! I love hearing what you think, and I can't wait to read your reviews on this chapter! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!

As always,

Live long. Live well. Write. Read. Dream.