AN: Oh mah guh, I've almost hit 100 reviews! You people are awesome :D (Fushigi Akugi(which is 14 chapters long and took like 2 years to write), only had 51 reviews. I've never gotten a lot of reviews for my fics, so I'm happy :3)
I was going to tell you that I posted a super cool video on youtube to the tune of "In The Dark Of The Night" from Anastasia that was all awesome and featured Thief King Bakura. And I was going to tell you to go check it out.
But I can't. Apparently that song can't be used because it violates regulations or some such nonsense. So instead I'll just tell you that I spent time I could have been writing on making a super cool video that I don't know what to do with now except enjoy privately. *pout cry cry*
I did come up with this. Man I feel like I'm plagiarizing and stuff. I mean, I sort of am, but that's because my story and season 5 are at a point where a lot of things have to happen. So I'm flipping between youtube and OpenOffice to make sure I get scenes right and have some dialog that I couldn't put better accurately portrayed (for as accurate as I can get using a Hong Kong sub).
Don't get me wrong, though. I did change things. And still no one has seemed to noticed one thing I did (no one who's reviewed anyway). And usually I'm laughing at how accurate people guess what I'm doing. Ah well, the evil thing I did is spelled out in this chapter. Bwa ha ha ha ha.
But something sad happens too. Go get some tissue. I'll wait. In the mean time I'll just remind you all that, in case you'd forgotten, I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. As I've said before, if I did it would be less card games and more yaoi. And stuff like this would have happened. :3
Annnnnnd moving on! Please enjoy and thank you again for reading and reviewing! *bows*
Marik watched the two seated at the table with no outward trace of emotion except a brief hiss when Malik had shielded Yugi. He knew, however, that his hikari would be fine. His eyes moved to the game master, noting the emotions in the other's eyes.
Mostly he seemed annoyed with something. The yami assumed it was the disobedience his "pawn" had shown in stopping the game master from carrying out his threat on Ryou. The Pharaoh, on the other hand, seemed cautiously hopeful that the game would draw to a close without Zorc being summoned.
Marik looked back at the playing field, which showed the scene being played out as if a movie were being protected on the table. He tugged on his restraints, testing to see if the game master was paying him any attention and still found his bindings holding firmly, though something had changed. They had loosen marginally, meaning "Bakura"'s attention was divided. The blond toyed with the idea of informing the Pharaoh that his air of caution was justified but kept to his silent vigil.
'If Pharaoh doesn't know already, he is at least anticipating...' lilac eyes deepened to a shade closer to true purple as, at the edge of his peripheral vision, he caught the smirk that crossed the game master's features. He winced slightly before his face became an emotionless mask once more.. 'Be careful hikari.'
Tozokuo/Zorc trembled, legs threatening to buckle as he was left defenseless, strength waning. Ryou looked up at the thief, concerned for the real Tozokuo.
"You've lost, Tozokuo," Yami announced, adopting a confident pose and standing before the others.
"It won't end this way..." the thief strained, eyes still burning blood red and staring down at the Pharaoh. He turned away, dropping into a crouch over the Millennium Tablet and setting the scales into their recess.
"We have the remaining items, Tozokuo. You can't break the seal on Zorc," Yami called to the struggling thief. Ignoring him with a dark grin and wild eyes, Tozokuo/Zorc set the puzzle and ring into their places as well and struggled to rise. "Give up. You've lost."
A chuckle caught the group's attention and all eyes fell on the robed figure that stood at the foot of the stairs.
"Master Akunadin?" Set questioned the man, eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"All of the Millennium Items are together once more," the elder priest grinned.
Isis gasped. "The Millennium Key! Where's is Priest Shada!?" Her only reply from the priest as he approached was another chuckle.
"The time has come," he announced darkly. Tozokuo/Zorc looked back over his shoulder at them with a low laugh. Shadows seemed to seep from his body, gathering before him before to flew away. With a pained cry, the thief staggered to face them, hands rising to grasp at his robe as he slowly dropped to his knees, biting back a second cry.
"I have no more use for this pawn," a disembodied voice boomed overhead.
"Akefia?" Ryou's eyes widened as the thief's body began to turn to coarse sand before him.
"Bastard!" Bakura yelled to the ceiling, hands balling into fists.
"I....can...still...do this..." Tozokuo strained, one hand reaching to his back beneath his robe and drawing a dagger. With a quick, desperate motion, he slashed at the ropes binding Ryou's wrists, letting the knife fall from his faltering grasp and looking at the stunned teen. "D-don't...you...dare..." he all but growled, brushing sand-fingers against Ryou's cheek. "Don't...you...dare cry..." he forced a grin. "I...deserve worse...My Ryou..." he looked up at Yami and Bakura before falling forward onto his hands and crying out as his body crumbled away leaving only his clothes and a scattering pile of sand.
"Akefia!" Ryou whimpered.
"Master...Aku...nadin..."
The priests looked to the stairway as Shada appeared, leaning heavily against the wall. Yugi took that moment to grab Malik's hand and drag the blond away from the others to help Ryou get loose. Bakura wheeled around to watch the scene play out, vowing silently to get Zorc back for his past self as well. Yami broke out of his trance when Shada spoke again.
"My...Millennium Key..." Shada reached his hands out to Akunadin, grasping his shoulders. "Return it...please..."
"Unhand me," the elder priest snarled, pushing the other back. Weakened, Shada stumbled and fell to the ground.
"What's gotten into you, Akunadin?!" Siamun cried, moving to attend to the fallen priest.
Malik carefully cut the rope around Ryou's ankles and Yugi gently rubbed the teen's wrists, looking for injuries. Ryou reached away suddenly and lifted one of the bracelets Tozokuo had been wearing before looking at his friends.
"Thanks...We should grab the Millennium Items off the slate,'" he said lowly, looking to the three items as he slipped the bracelet on. Yugi nodded, moving automatically for the puzzle.
"Bastard!" Bakura snarled, suddenly lunching at the priest as he caught a glint of red in his good eye. The elder priest grinned, looking at the thief, instantly stopping him mid-step.
"Bakura!" Yami turned on Akunadin, who laughed.
"I told you, the time has come!" With those words, all gathered save Akunadin found themselves frozen. "By the power of the dark lord, time has stopped for all but me!" he announced, arms raised. He moved then to Priest Set. "You are not fit to be the Pharaoh," he informed Yami as he took the Millennium Rod and turn to Isis. "Millennium Rod. Millennium Necklace. And finally," he grinned, tipping his head back as his fingers fastened onto his Millennium Eye. With a cry of half triumph, half agony, he wretched the item from it's home of fifteen long years.
The elder priest as he sauntered toward the Millennium Slate, an amused smirk falling into place as he saw the three teens frozen in the attempt to retrieve the items Tozokuo had laid in place. Seeing that Malik's foot impeded his placement of the Millennium Rod, he grabbed the teen by the front of his shirt and tossed him toward the others, laughing at the grunt of pain the blond pain as he slid several feet after landing.. Turning to Yugi, he merely placed his hand on the short teen's forehead and gave him a mighty shove, toppling him painfully onto his back and earning a growl from Yami. (1)
Finally he looked down at Ryou before glancing to Bakura. "It seems your host is just as bad as you, Bakura." Unhindered this time, he pointed a hand, palm open, at the teen. "Batsu."
The thief roared, struggling to move, though no effort could be seen. Ryou hugged himself, momentarily allowed to move, and bit his lip to deny the game master the pleasure of drawing a pained cry from him. A sound kick in the ribs moved the teen out of his way and left him lying on the ground, breathlessly panting and once more immobilized.
"Now then," Akunadin spoke, bending to the task of placing the remaining items.
Marik was shouting every swear word he knew in every language he knew, all aimed at the smiling game master. Yami was fairly certain that some of the words uttered weren't in any real language, but felt them appropriate enough as he was biting his tongue from saying worse.
"What's going on," he asked, raising his voice to be hear over the raging yami.
"Oh, I forgot to mention," Zorc (formerly Bakura I hope that's less confusing) grinned, lifting an item from below the edge of the table and setting it into view. "As the game master, I posses three tools to use as I choose. This one," he gestured to the hour glass he had placed on the table, "for instance, allows me to stop time for all pieces that aren't in my control."
"Wait, Akunadin is-"
"If you had been on time, you probably would have figured that out sooner," Zorc tsked. "Now the game is going to move to the next stage. All of the Millennium Items have been gathered and returned to-" he paused and snapped his fingers, a band of shadows moving cover Marik's mouth. "Much better," he smirked at the stifled rantings of the blond yami. "As I was saying, now that all of the Millennium Items have been gathered, the seal on my true form is broken in the game and Zorc the Dark One will come into play."
"So if I don't defeat Zorc, then I lose," Yami narrowed his eyes.
"Oh, even better. Not only will you die when you lose, but so will the other players as well as our...unexpected guests." He grinned, waving a hand to show the Pharaoh an image of Jounouchi, Honda, and Anzu frozen before the entrance of a cave.
"My friends!" Yami gasped, getting to his feet.
"Sit," Zorc commanded sharply, the Pharaoh begrudgingly complying. "They thought they could sneak in without me noticing. The game master sees all, I'm afraid." He paused to laugh, waving the image away. "They came looking for your name. And the fools might actually have had a good idea as to where it might be found. Too bad they can't move. But that doesn't concern us. Why don't we see what Akunadin does next. I'm certain it will be amusing." He glanced at the still seething Marik, who growled at him for lack of being able to continue his tirade. "I'm leaving that muzzle on him. I like it."
Jounouchi stared into the shadowed entrace of the cave they had arrived at. According to Sugoroku, this was the entrance to the Pharaoh's tomb.
But why couldn't they move? The blond's mind turned this information over as he stared into Seto's eyes, the CEO standing just inside, blue eyes focused on the trio.
'We must have been found out,' he thought, frustrated.
"What's the hold up? I thought we were in a hurry." The brunette smirked before turning away, coat flowing behind him with a flourish. "If you're going to just stand their and waste time, I'll just go on without you."
'Why can Seto move? Ever since we came in, he's been acting weird. There has to be a reason...and dammit I'm going to find out. If I could just move...'
Priest Set stared in disbelief at the immense shade of the alleged "Zorc" loomed over the Millennium Slate, peering down at Akunadin.
"And so you have returned, creator of the Millennium Items" the demon spoke. "Have you come to make a deal with me then? I will grant you your heart's desire in exchange for your servitude."
"Yes," Akunadin spoke, looking up at Zorc. "I have only one wish. I want my son, Set, to be the Pharaoh."
The young priest's eyes widened. 'Akunadin is...my father? That...can't be true, can it?' He shivered inwardly, searching his memories. 'No...He was Priest Set's father. If it is true that I was Set in some past life, then perhaps he was...hnn...I'm just confusing myself. I think I know what happened. This is a game. Like the Duel Monsters World virtual reality game. When I entered, I was placed in this role as Priest Set by whoever the game master is. But then why isn't Yugi placed in the Pharaoh's role? Why are Yugi, Malik and Bakura here in their normal clothes? And there are two Bakuras...one is wearing a top someone in this world would wear. I have to find the answers to this puzzle.'
"Your wish will be granted. Now accept my power, Akunadin." Zorc held out a hand, bathing the priest in a purple ray of energy. With a cry of pain, his form changed and he turned to face the others. Now he was clad in a dark purple robe with a matching cloak and had wild, red hair. His face was completely hidden behind a mask that was mostly smooth and white with a line of gold running down the right half. The left had the appearance of muscle tissue. He had but a lone eye on the left that appeared as the Millennium Eye, which rested it's gaze squarely on Set.
Zorc laughed, gaining Yami attention once more. "Now, Akunadin's level increases and he gains the powers of a dark mage. He is now the Shadow Priest!(2)"
"Shadow Priest?" the Pharaoh grit his teeth, staring at the game master.
"Pharaoh, do you remember what happened? Despite some...minor changes, things are occurring as they did in the past. Last time, you sealed Zorc and yourself away in order to stop him," Zorc grinned. "Heh, but this time I won't let you." He waved his hand over the edge of the table, another hour glass rising into view. "Now that all of the Millennium Items are in place, I can use this hour glass." He flipped the device upright, sand falling to the vacant chamber below. "When the last grain of sand falls, Zorc will be revived." He laughed, sitting back in his seat triumphantly. "What can you do, Pharaoh?"
AN: (1) Well, it looks like it that they can't move or talk. So I'm just having Bakura and Yami making angry noises. Hope that's ok :D
(2)It *sounds* like he's calling Akunadin "Yami no Daishinkan". I can't figure out what Daishinkan means, but it doesn't seem to be "official" like that horribad sub I'm watching calls him (stupid Hong Kong sub :( ). Shinkan seems to mean priest though. Correct me if I'm wrong so I can learn :D (It was either that or call him "The Great Shadow Magus", which I thought sounded weird. And too long.)
Man, episode 211 has a lot of things going on in it. I think I'll stop here for now. Let all this new information sink in.
*Gathers Ryou into arms and cuddles* Poor thing. Having to watch Tozokuo die like that and then being punished. *feeds cookies*