Bound with Darkness and Light: Chapter 9: Discussion
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!
A/N: Gomenasai to everyone who've been waiting for me to update this. The reason I haven't is because of a nasty case of writers block. I think I'm over it, so you should see more regular updates. Ahem, it also doesn't hurt to submit a review, it just might inspire me to hurry up with the next chapter. . . .:)
Ember grinnned as Jou and Honda's fight over the last piece of pizza sent them tumbling into the isles. She could only be glad the two weren't at their booth, which was fairly crowded with herself, Ryou, Bakura, Malik, and Marik. Yugi, Yami, and Anzu weren't so lucky, they had to sit with the fighting boys. Feeling a pang of nostalgia as she recalled her teenage foolishness, Ember went back to finishing her own slice, thinking over the last couple hours.
A faint smile of satisfaction tugged at her lips—the sword fight between herself and Master Kidaio had ended in a draw, the very first time the older woman had not beaten her outright. The Master practically glowed as they honorably bowed to one another at the battle's end, Ember happily basking in her Master's shining pride.
She would have liked to have spoken with her Master at length but Ryou and Yugi-tachi practically tossed her in the changing room and dragged her off to their favorite pizza parlor for a celebratory dinner. Celebrating what Ember had no clue, it's not like she won and it's not like they could understand the importance of ending the battle in a draw. She had a feeling they just wanted an excuse their parents might swallow to go out on a weeknight, although Ember thought Jou was game for anything involving food.
"Ever thought about using the Rod on those two Malik? Maybe send them walking into rush hour traffic?" Bakura asked the smaller platinum blond when Honda and Jou rolled over the very slice of pizza they were fighting over, splattering it messily over themselves and the carpet.
"I've thought about it, but frankly I'd rather do that to Anzu, particularly when she does one of her stupid friendship speeches." The Egyptian hikari replied, making everyone at the table either laugh outright or snicker quietly (Ember and Ryou snickered, the others pratically bust a gut).
Ember had been supremely disappointed in the other female of the group, 2 minutes of talking to the brunette and 15 of silent obervation told her Anzu was a manipulative little bitch who didn't care about anyone but herself (never mind her stupid speeches). It was completely obvious Yugi and Yami were a couple, but Anzu still flirted shamelessly (also desperately) with the tri-haired dark.
Speaking of the tri-haired dark, Yami was approaching their table, questions in his claret-colored eyes. "Might I have a word with you alone Ember?" The dark asked politely. Nodding wordlessly, Ember stood to follow the Pharaoh only to be stopped by a pale hand on her arm.
She looked down at the decidedly unhappy face of her yami. :You are NOT going with that bastard.: He growled. Anger rose up her spine like the mercury in a thermometer on a blazing summer day—how dare he!. Ember pulled her arm from his grasp and mentally spat. :Yes, I am going with him. One, you don't tell me what to do—EVER. Two, the shackles are a new form of Shadow Magic so Yami isn't going to rest until he has a look at it. Three, you don't need to worry if you think I'm going to beg the Pharaoh's help to get free, I'm NOT.:
Bakura's frown melted into startlement before slipping into an impassive mask. :You aren't: The yami clearly didn't believe her and what was that odd lilt to his words? :No, I'm not going to abandon Ryou to deal with YOU all by himself again.: Ember shot back meanly and closed the link, stalking to the opposite side of the mostly empty restaurant where Yami and Yugi had decided to hold their little conversation.
"Are you all right?" Yugi asked as Ember scooted into the booth. "Yeah, I'm fine, Bakura still thinks he can order me around."
Yami smiled gently. "I'm glad you aren't letting him, but are you all right in general? Shadow magic can be hard on someone not used to it." Depthless crimson eyes seemed to stare right through her, as though she were a glass of distilled water. Ember stoutly resisted the urge to squirm and break eye contact.
"Healthwise I feel perfectly normal and everything. I can't say this hasn't been a major adjustment, but we're working things out."
Yami chuckled, his laughter smooth and rich as a chocolate crepe. "With your fists if necessary right?" Ember blushed and nodded. "When it comes to Bakura yeah."
"May I?" Yami gestured at her wrists, grasping them gently at her assent. "Do you Duel at all Ember?" The dark enquired, staring intently at the sculpted gold permanently fused to her skin.
The question perplexed her—why did it matter if she played Duel Monsters or not? Maybe he's wondering why Bakura picked me. Heh, if he only knew Bakura didn't pick me anymore than I picked him. "No, I'm not good with any kind of game. Martial arts training takes up quite a bit of my free time, leaving very little for any other hobbies." Answered the young woman, shivering a little at the chill tingle racing up her arms-a definite sign Yami was using ShadowMagic to scan the shackles.
"We can tell! I've never seen anyone in real life fight that way." Yugi chirped with a bright smile. "Thanks." Ember said quietly, she hated compliments, they always embarassed her for some reason.
Yami's eyes were a touch unfocused when he looked up, probably due to whatever spell he used. "Ryou told us some of what happened, but he did not go into details. Would you mind giving us your account?"
Ember quickly told them her story, elaborating on certain details when asked; which occurred several timse during her narration, particularly around the parts where she beat up Bakura. Both tri-haired boys seemed greatly amused by that.
"I'm afraid I don't see a way of reversing this magic, but I can try to find a way if you like." The dark offered once she'd finished. Ember shook her head quickly, sending her ponytail swinging; her eyes drifted to the gleaming metal on her wrists. "No thank you, I want to stay like this, Ryou needs me."
The two tri-haired boys nodded, smiles of relief on both of their faces. "We're glad Ryou has a protector now, Yugi and I were beginning to worry about both his health and sanity." Yami sighed. "I've been wanting to step in for awhile, but I feared I'd make the situation worse. There's no way I could be there to protect Ryou all the time and once Bakura got him alone. . . ."
The dark spread his pale, elegant hands helplessly. "Right, I can imagine what the Tomb Robber'd do and it wouldn't pretty." Agreed the young woman, not looking forward to dealing with the pouting yami later on.
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"C'mon Ryou! I bet I can whip your ass at video games!" Malik challenged, grabbing the white-haired boy's hand and yanking him towards a bank of arcade games, giving him no chance to answer. Bakura shared a smirk and a headshake with his fellow yami at their light's antics.
"So, what's the deal with you and Ember?" Marik asked without preamble, slowly ripping a paper napkin to pieces as he spoke. Since Bakura told both Ishtars about the girl previously, he knew the other dark wasn't questioning her prescence. "Truthfully, I don't know Marik. She's pissed I forced her into the Bond and I'm pissed because I can't put her in her place. The only person who seems to like the whole situation is Ryou."
Bakura raked a pale hand through his spiky locks, frustration tight in his voice. The first napkin reduced to shreds no larger than a pinkie-nail, Marik started on another. "I imagine he does—how many times have I told you beatings aren't the best way to subdugate a light? Hikari's are easy to manipulate-if you'd seduced him the right way you'd have a delicious love-sick slave willing to do anything you wish."
Marik paused and glanced up, deciding to let that line of conversation drop on seeing the simmering anger in Bakura's eyes. Not that he FEARED the Tomb Robber, certainly not, but if he started a fight with the other yami Malik would nag him no end.
"Regardless, that doesn't help your woman problems. I've seen her fight now, she's good but she's also just a mortal. You SHOULD be able to take her, but I think those shackles are giving her an unfair advantage." Bakura's attention, which had been somewhat wavering, snapped back to the Egyptian like a bungee cord on rebound. "How so? They nullify ShadowMagic, not physical energy." Asked the pale yami with a confused frown.
Tossing his three-quarters shredded napkin to his plate Marik reached over and smacked Bakura up side the head. "Idiot! What do you think MADE these bodies we're in right now? Playdough? The spell that gave us permanent physical forms is comprised entirely of ShadowMagic, and ShadowMagic helps keep them going; it's why we don't need to eat nearly as much as a mortal and why we're stronger and faster than they are." Explained the blonde acidly.
Bakura's glare at being hit softened into a thoughtful expression. "The shackles nullify some of the magic keeping my physical body going, so when I fight her I'm as weak as a mortal." The blond Egyptian nodded, but uncharacteristically kept silent while Bakura continued musing out loud. "I suppose I was too pissed and shocked to notice before, but why don't I feel it whenever I'm close to her?"
The other yami shrugged and went back to tearing up napkins. He so loved to destroy things, but rarely got to indulge himself in his favorite pastime. All to often Marik destroyed something Malik liked and Malik witheld sex from his yami. Since Marik had a libido a faun might envy there was no better punishment.
"Probably the shackles only weaken you when you intend violence towards the girl. You've said they don't nullify your Ring's magic unless you're throwing it at Ember after all." Bakura agreed somewhat absently, coffee-dark gaze following his two hikaris. Apparently Ember finished her chat with the Pharaoh and Ryou called her over to play Dance Dance Revolution with him.
Marik found his own hikari playing a shooting game with Jou, who probably challenged him the minute Malik got within 3 feet of the gaming area. Ryou danced surprisingly well considering he rarely got the chance to, his movements graceful as a backwinging swan; by contrast, Ember danced more like a hippo on dry land, her steps clumsy and awkward, shocking considering how well she fought.
Well, at least she was being goodnatured about it, encouraging Ryou to laugh right along with her everytime she did something particularly clumsy. Bakura wasn't laughing though, he watched both of them with a peculiar intensity. Marik grinned to himself-well well, it seemed the Tomb Robber had feelings for Ryou and Ember no matter what he thought.
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Take about an exhausting day. . . . Ember sighed mentally as she followed her men into the house. Had it been only a day? It seemed like she lived a week's worth of days between today's violent emotional rollercoaster rides and the sheer physical exertions. Hell, it'd only been four days since she met the albinos, a fact she had a hard time wrapping her mind around.
For all she'd never asked for this, Ember suddenly realized it felt like she belonged with Ryou. . . .and also Bakura. She opened her mouth to share her thoughts and had to swallow a yelp as Bakura stopped abruptly. The young woman started to snap at him when she caught his stony expression.
Back rigid and head thrown back the yami appeared to be listening for something, immediately stirring up Ember's own suspicions and setting her nerves on edge. "'Kura?" Whispered Ryou fearfully, a mere whisp of sound. "Shut up," Bakura hissed.
Ember understood when his gaze flicked briefly to the floor where some cinnamon spilled during breakfast this morning held a partial impression of a boot-print; one easily twice the size of their shoes and not even close to anyone's in Yugi-tachi.
Slowly Ember slipped her katana from her dufflebag, freeing the polished steel from it's sheath and shifting into a defensive stance. Catching her movement out of the corner of his eye Bakura nodded approval. :Good, stay here and guard Ryou.: He mindspoke Ember alone, then, to both them. :Someone broke in-Ryou, stay with Ember, I'm gonna check the house to see if they're still here.:
Ivory skin turned paler still from fear, Ryou nodded mutely and moved closer to Ember. The two hikaris spent a few tense minutes while Bakura crept silently through the house, checking every room and possible hiding place for intruders. After what seemed like an eternity squared Bakura returned, swaggering like usual rather than the impressive liquid stealth he displayed earlier.
Gods, Bakura must have been one helluva Tomb Robber Ember thought admiringly. "It's alright, you can move now, whoever the fuck broke in is gone." Ember released a breath she didn't know she was holding and sheathed her blade. "Any ideas as to who and why?" Ember queried as she plunked down next to Ryou at the kitchen table, her katana in her lap.
Their unwelcome visitors couldn't be ordinary thieves, not when they covered their tracks, and the house looked as neat as they left it. "That's what I should be asking YOU girl." Shot back the yami, striding over to stand over her menacingly. "Nothing like this happened before you came." He quirked a dark blade-slash of an eyebrow. "Anything about your past you'd care to reveal?"
"What the fuck? You think I had something to do with this?" Ember jolted up from her chair, face a bare inch from her yami's, indignation burning in her gut. "There's no reason anybody'd be after ME Bakura. Up until now my life has been so boringly normal it'd put someone hyped up on speed to sleep. I've never even been arrested. Can YOU say the same thing Mr. King of Thieves?" The girl returned sharply.
Bakura looked sceptical, though he seemed satisfied with her answer; ignoring her question entirely he walked past her to grab a can from the fridge and took her recently-vacated seat. After shooting Bakura a chastising look Ryou pulled Ember into the empty chair on his other side with an apologetic smile for his yami's suspicions.
"To answer your first question my only major enemy of this time is the Pharaoh, so I don't know what's going on." Bakura said, slugging his drink, a bitter yeasty smell in the air telling her it was beer. "Was anything taken Bakura?" Ryou asked the larger male. "Nothing of value that I could see." Was the thoughtful reply. Then what could they be after? Ember wondered to herself, looking from Ryou frightened expression to Bakura's cool one. Unfortunately, they wouldn't be finding that out anytime soon.
