Trifecta 9
Recap: The Duel for Ryo's soul continues. And with two opponents, one master and one unwilling puppet, things are not going well for Ryo, or they?
Chapter 9 Ryo vs the Evil One Part 2
The sand whipped around stinging Ryo's eyes. He had no monsters on the field and now his remaining life points were wide open.
Due to the effects of Savage Colosseum, combined with the Swords of Revealing Light, all of Zorc Bakura's monsters were destroyed as well.
"Since the Swords of Revealing Light prohibited you from attacking with any of your monsters, they are destroyed by the effect of Savage Colosseum. And my continuous spell Dimensional Fissure prevents you from bringing any of them back again and again." Ryo stated sounding more confident then he felt.
Zorc Bakura didn't seemed phased but just laughed. "True, but the Thief has a monster and you are wide open for attack. And it is his turn."
Ryo cast his eyes downward. He had no monsters to protect him and the Thief Bakura had Diabound out on the field.
His friends cheered him on from above the table field, encouraging him on.
" You just can't lose Ryo, keep fighting. You still have a face down card." Joey announced even though everyone already knew this. They also knew how much was riding on the duel. The very fate of Ryo's soul.
The Thief Bakura drew his card, then placed it face down. An awkward silence felt upon the group. The Thief King just stood there.
"What are you waiting for, puppet? You sold your will to me for revenge centuries ago. I own your soul. Attack him with Diabound and end this!" Zorc Bakura screamed.
The Thief Bakura made no movement. The tension was so high, Yugi thought of it as like the thickness of smoke from a burning building, like when he had tried to put the puzzle back together in the burning warehouse. Everyone was frozen waiting to see what happened next.
Zorc Bakura flipped a card, entitled Thief's Reward. A picture of a soldier drawing and quartering a prisoner rose of it. All of a sudden, a scream came from the Thief Bakura that was unlike anything that the group surrounding the table had ever heard before. A dying, writhing, animal-like scream that made their blood freeze. While no blood was spilled, the screaming continued and the Thief Bakura's knees gave way and he clenched the sand in his hands. Ryo turned his head and closed his eyes.
Then the screaming stopped. Zorc Bakura kicked the prostrate Thief Bakura. "Rise fool, unless you wish to taste that kind of pain again."
Slowly the Thief Bakura stood, but he looked faint and stood hunched over. The Thief's Reward had taken a toll on him, physically and he had only half of his life points left. The Thief Bakura gave a look to Ryo that Yugi was uncertain the meaning of. But from having lived so long with Atem, he knew that had to be personal. It looked personal. Whatever it was, it gave Ryo the confidence he needed to stand straighter.
When the Thief Bakura called the attack, it was spoken so quietly that Joey was uncertain that he had spoken at all. But Diabound moved to strike at Ryo.
However, Ryo stood unblinking. "I reveal my face down trap."
The group cheered. Tea hugged Serenity. Joey and Tristan fist pumped the air and Yugi smiled broadly. Even Marik seemed to smile slightly.
"Mask of Weakness, it reduces your attack by 700 points."
Diabound continued towards Ryo Bakura and his life points dropped down to 100. The group stopped cheering when it sunk in just how close Ryo had come to losing. Somber silence once again remained.
However, Ryo stood back up, his back straight and his eyes set. Even though he was almost transparent a fact that many of the group had seemed to notice now and were commenting on.
This seemed to unnerve Zorc Bakura. "What have you got to be hopeful about, don't you realize that this game is almost over."
Ryo drew a card without speaking. "I play Graceful Charity, which allows me to draw three more cards if I discard two."
When Ryo looked his cards, his face showed no emotion. "I lay two cards face down and I play Hourglass of Courage in defense mode."
Zorc Bakura evilly chuckled. "What will that do, except delay the..."
Ryo spoke up, to everyone's surprise, cutting Zorc Bakura's statement off. "I am not finished."
The Thief Bakura looked up in surprise. Ryo gave him a glance that was compassionate and sad.
"I sacrifice Hourglass of Courage to play this card."
Ryo played another original card. It was a continuous spell card with a picture of what appeared to be two girls, one holding the hourglass of courage and the other a mirror from the Field Reflection card. One girl was dressed in modern clothes and the other was dressed as though she lived in Ancient Egypt.
"What is that?" Joey vocalized speaking for everyone involved. "Yug?"
Yugi shook his head no. "I have never seen this before. This is another original card. But it explains why he allowed both of the previous cards to be destroyed, he needed them for this card to work."
Ryo spoke and everyone attention was drawn back into the game. " I knew this duel would have to happen one day, and so here is my favorite, original card, Redemption and Truth!"
The modern day girl from the card handed Ryo her hourglass which he flipped. As the sand ran down it, the board game seemed to switch from day to night rather rapidly, days going by as fast as a blink of an eye. The board pieces started changing as well. People in the back ground were moving around and growing younger looking. Ryo's gaze seemed to be set on one section of the board, the ruins of Kul Elna.
Soon the ruins rose out of the ashes, and burst into flames. Still Ryo let time keep reversing. Soon the ruins were a thriving thief city and people bustled about seeming completely unaware of the fact they had just been ashes and ghosts. Ryo flipped the hourglass on its side and placed it at his feet.
There was an eerie silence and then Zorc Bakura erupted in laughter. "What did that do for you, but change the scenery?"
Ryo made no comment.
Zorc Bakura drew a card. "I place Death Knight Death Caliber in Attack Mode. And I play the Spell Card, Turn Jump! A little trick I learn from my last defeat. You can also learn from your enemies." He gave a evil grin in the direction of Yugi.
Yugi lowered his head. Turn Jump was going to eliminate the Swords of Revealing Light. And Ryo was wide open.
"Attack my Death Knight, attack his life point directly so that I may claim his soul!" Zorc Bakura began laughing evilly again.
Ryo looked downcast as the Knight came forth. But then his head snapped up. "I activate my face down trap, Physical Double!"
A Mirage Token appeared on the field. "Take the image of his Death Knight, Mirage." Ryo calmly spoke as though speaking in conversation to a friend.
When both Knights collided, they both were eliminated. Zorc Bakura was left without any cards in his hand as conceded his turn. "But now, the thief will finish you."
The Thief Bakura was still staring at his resurrected village. Zorc Bakura hit him. "It is your move, you fool. Crush him!"
The Thief Bakura drew a card, appearing to be sulking. Ryo spoke to him. "You mock me for taking his blows and you are going to do the same? You hypocrite!" Ryo's voice became harsh and angry.
"It isn't the same, he owns my soul, you idiot, he determines what I do. I sold my soul for revenge! Revenge that has gotten me nothing more then more grief and more loss. And now I am going to lose you too... the only person that has ever done anything nice for me, who would risk their pure soul to save a sinner's...who..." The Thief Bakura stopped mid-sentence in shock.
Ryo smiled in mischievous manner, Yugi hadn't seen him make ever before.
The Thief Bakura's eyes widened. "I just spoke to you, directly to you... and nothing." He placed his hand upon his chest were the Millennium ring used to hang.
"Yes, and you are wasting time. Attack him with Diabound, slave." Zorc Bakura angrily ordered.
He gazed at Ryo with a small smile and then clenched his fists. "Diabound, attack his life points directly!" Only the Thief did not point at Ryo but instead turned to point at Zorc Bakura.
"What?" Zorc Bakura yelled. "You can't do that, I forbid you, call back your attack, or feel the darkness and death once again!"
The Thief Bakura just shrugged and then grinned broadly, laughing deeply. "I now understand Ryo's card. With the power of Redemption and Truth, Kul Elna stands again. Ryo has taken us back to before I signed my life away. So, you no longer own me. I can do as I please...and I choose to reject you."
Diabound's power blast hit Zorc Bakura who screamed. His life points dropped to 0 and he screamed and struggled as he crumbled into sand and blew away.
Loud cheering erupted from around the game board. But Yugi and Marik stood quietly, knowing the game was not over. Ryo looked up at Yugi and Yugi gave a sad half smile. Ryo then looked over at Marik, who closed his eyes and clenched his fists. The cheering died down as the group realized that the game had not disappeared.
Tea was the first to speak. "I guess Ryo still has to fight the Thief. He must win to send him away, just like with Atem." Yugi nodded.
"It's your move, Seba." The Thief Bakura spoke up. Ryo's hand shook as he closed his eyes and drew his next card.
Ryo opened his eyes. He looked at the card he had drawn. His eyes became sad and he looked towards the sand at his feet.
"Come Ryo, you can't give up!" Joey yelled.
Yugi grabbed Joey's arm. "He isn't giving up, Joey." He recognized the difference between Ryo's expression of near defeat and the sorrow of one who knows what he is about to lose.
The Thief Bakura gave a deep sigh. "Just play it, Seba. I know what card you drew, and I am asking you to play it and win."
Ryo began to tear up and he wiped his eyes quickly. "It isn't winning if I destroy you." His voice cracked. "I know that I promised that I would help you die, but I won't do it. Your heart will be eaten for sure. Just look at your Ka monster."
The Thief Bakura smiled. He glanced over at the two girls from the continuous spell card and gestured that they should move. The Egyptian girl from Ryo's card approached the Thief Bakura. She handed him the mirror. The Thief Bakura turned it around and around idly in his hand. "You know mirrors in the time of Pharaoh's were expensive and difficult to make, owned only by royalty and wealthy business men and women. Mirrors were supposed to show someone their true nature when they gazed into it."
Ryo bitterly replied. " What could it possibly show me to change my mind?"
"See for yourself." The Thief Bakura held it out to the Egyptian girl who took it back and began walking towards Ryo. Ryo closed his eyes briefly and sighed before taking it the mirror from the ancient girl. As he gazed into the mirror, Ryo's eyes widened. He threw the mirror into the sand at his feet. The crowd around the table held their breath.
"Nothing but lies. What was that supposed to mean anyway?" Ryo yelled, perhaps the most angry that Yugi had ever seen him.
The Thief Bakura shrugged. "I am the King of Thieves. There isn't anything I haven't stolen." He gave a tender, smirk. "Wouldn't it make sense that I would steal that from you as well. We won this seemingly endless game, because I took whatever I deemed necessary to win. I know that you agreed to help me, but let's be honest, you wouldn't have voluntarily given me this." Here the Thief Bakura gestured with his hand towards Diabound.
"That beast...is... NOT... my Ka!" Ryo spoke tersely and looked away from the Thief Bakura.
The Thief Bakura hung his head slightly in apparent remorse. "No, it isn't. Not anymore. Not like this. This is what I have done to it."
The Diabound that stood beside him was just as it had appeared before his destruction in the Memory World. Huge, Dark and Twisted. A power foe and a creature of darkness.
Ryo refused to look at the Thief Bakura. "I activate my spell card, Change of Heart!"
The Change of Heart angel merged with Diabound and Diabound faded away before reappearing on Ryo's side of the field.
It looked if possible even darker and more intimidating then before.
Marik who had been silent for most of the game lost in thought, spoke up with a intensity that Yugi hadn't seen in him since Battle City. It was an intensity of a man who was desperate. "No!"
Ryo heard him and closed his mouth. He looked up at Marik angry, but confused.
Marik continued. "You can't end things this way. Not in anger! Just look at Diabound now!"
Ryo turned his head back to Diabound. It took a few moments before the change that had come over the monster sank in. Ryo closed his eyes in sorrow. Tear began to flow and he sank to his knees.
The Thief Bakura took a step towards Ryo, but then hesitated.
Marik looked to Yugi for guidance. Yugi squared his shoulders and took a deep breath.
"Ryo." Yugi calmly spoke Ryo's name. His voice wasn't quite like when Atem used it, but it was confident and commanding none the less. " You are the bravest and most honorable person I have ever met. You are forcibly taken over by a spirit, who steals your body, your life, your name, and your Ka. And what do you do, you agree to gamble your own afterlife as well to save someone who apparently couldn't even speak to you, who you don't really know that much about." Yugi paused and closed his eyes briefly. "Something that I am not even sure that Atem would have done. You said you keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. I do that too, Ryo. Because you and I understand, that sooner or later, your goodness will rub off on them, and your enemies will be your friends."
Yugi glanced over at Joey and Tristan, who softly smiled, at Mai who nodded silently, and Marik who looked sad, but gave a slight smile. Then Yugi looked at Ryo again who was looking back at him. Ryo wiped the tears from his face and gave a brave smile. He stood up once again and cheering erupted once more.
Ryo timidly approached Diabound. Putting a hand on the beast, Yugi though he saw two wings appear on Ryo's back. One with white feathers and one black bat's wings. A light shown from the field that blinded the group. When the light died down everyone gazed back over the board.
Ryo looked normal again and before him was the shining, white, man-serpent that the Thief Bakura had first introduced to the 6 priests and Atem in the memory world, just as Ryo had seen Diabound in the mirror. Perhaps it even shown brighter then anyone recalled, a real god-like Ka.
Ryo was smiling and looked really happy, more so then ever before. A real happiness that came with feeling complete again. A happiness that Yugi understood.
The Thief Bakura was once again holding the mirror. "You can also have this back." He put the mirror up to his face. The mirror let off a flash of light and when it disappeared the group gasped. Standing before Ryo, was a tan skinned, tall and lanky young man, with dark brown almost black, intense, old eyes, and black, short, but messy, unkept hair. The only thing that remained of the Thief Bakura's previous appearance was the T-shaped scar on his cheek.
The less intimidating looking young thief shuffled his feet awkwardly. "And my name was never Bakura, I stole that as well and you may have it back."
Ryo nodded his head, while the others just stood in shock.
The Thief turned to face the group standing above the table.
"Marik" The Thief began and Marik subtlety flinched. "It was nice working with you. You have been a worthy ally and friend. May you soon come to be free of your own self -loathing. If someone like me could seek redemption, then surely you will be given the same opportunities."
Marik gave a weak smile and nodded.
"Baknesew." Yugi nodded showing he understood that the Thief was talking to him. "When you made all of those speeches, you walked in the path of your own words as well. And you probably didn't think I was listening. But I was, and I was watching. You and...the Pharaoh. Which is why I gave you back, his true name."
Yugi's eyes widened.
The Thief continued. "That information was never contained in the Millennium Puzzle, because the Pharaoh himself wiped it from his memory, so that he, himself, no matter who he became, could never be used to bring back the evil one. But without his name, it also meant that he couldn't stop the evil one, if it came to be that he would have to make the same sacrifice again. Let his true name's presence in the RPG board of the Memory World, be a sign to you that I finally forgave him."
Yugi was still confused but he nodded and gave a thankful smile.
The Thief turned back to Ryo. "I know that I told you that I choose you alone to aid me into death, but that was only half true. I had chosen many others before you, but I was never able to get free. I thought it was because the others were unworthy of the power of the Millennium Ring, but now I know..."
The Thief paused and smiled. "When the student is ready..."
Ryo finished his sentence. "The Seba will appear."
The Thief smiled and putting his hands together, gave a small traditional Japanese bow, in respect. "So right you were, Seba. And I hope that God will be as wise and merciful as you."
The Thief smiled awkwardly at Ryo and then stated calmly. "And for the record, you never needed me or the Ring to be strong, your own Heka is very strong. You will manage just fine without me. But, now you must let me go."
Ryo tearfully nodded. "I must trust in you and your heart."
The Thief gave the mirror a light toss towards Ryo before smiling broadly. "You always have. I believe it is still your move."
Ryo told a deep breath. "Diabound, attack his life points directly. Be the Heka for his heart."
Diabound created a ball of light between his hands and flung it at the Thief. The Thief embraced the attack. His final words were "At last!" And his deep, joyful, bordering on psychotic laugh resonated in the ears of everyone present for several minutes afterwards.
The Thief did not dissolve into the sand as Zorc Bakura had done, but was consumed into the ball of light and disappeared from the playing field.
Diabound turned to face Ryo. In place of the snake, two legs took its place and Diabound stood talk before Ryo and gave him a smile. In a bright light, it disappeared from the field. Ryo picked up the mirror once more and gazed into it and he too disappeared.
On the other side of the room, Ryo's body gave a shudder and a soft moan escaped his lips. Taking the cloth off his face, Ryo sat up in the cot, weak, but smiling.
Next Chapter: The group decides to eat Yugi's graduation dinner at Ryo's apartment. When Ryo descends from his room for food, the group gathered have a revealing talk. What will Ryo admit?