The break in at the game shop was nobody's business except that of the police and the Mutous, so naturally the whole school knew about it by the time Yugi got there the following morning.
Questions flew thick and fast and Yugi, who didn't quite know how to handle the crowd of people who gathered to hear the details first hand, was relieved when class started and the others settled down.
Last night had been bad enough. Ojiisan had arrived home before they had had a chance to do anything about the mess caused by Hirutani and had immediately rushed upstairs to check on them. He had gotten most of the details from them and then called the police out of necessity. He needed a police report if he was going to call the insurance companies.
There was no way they could tell the truth, not without revealing Oneesan, the other girl and their powers so they had to edit the truth slightly. The version of events they gave the police, the same one Yugi gave her classmates the following day, was that Yugi had been home alone when someone had broken in. She had tried to confront him but he had easily overpowered her, hence the bruises and had been trying to rob the store blind when Jou had gotten home and scared him off.
Of course this made Jonouchi a hero in the books of most of the school's female population and Anzu overheard several of the girls who had previously maligned him suddenly discussing his 'charms.'
There was still one such conversation going on when the Teacher entered the room, followed by a tall, half asian girl with some foreign hints to her features, with long white hair and soft brown eyes. Yugi's eyes widened as she recognised the girl even before the teacher introduced her as Bakura Amane, a transfer student from England.
The only free seat in the classroom was beside Yugi, who gave the other girl a smile and nod. The other girl looked nervous as she nodded back, causing Yugi to feel sorry for her. Starting a new school wasn't easy, powers or no powers, and Bakura kind of reminded her of a deer in the headlights. A feeling that only deepened when Jou had to shield the new girl from the horde that descended upon her the moment the lunch break started.
Yugi pulled her into the school's library and headed for the back stacks where no one normally ventured. "You should be safe here." Yugi promised, "I swear they're like seagulls. The slightest bit of gossip and they descend in flocks."
"That's happened in every school I've been to so far." Bakura admitted ruefully, her Japanese fluent but her English accent obvious, "I think it's a teenage thing."
"Maybe." Yugi allowed, before offering her hand, remembering something her Grandfather had told her about English introductions, "Mutou Yugi, nice to meet you properly."
Bakura paused for a moment, as if steeling herself, before shaking it, "Bakura Amane." She replied, "Thanks for the save."
"I know it can get overwhelming." Yugi shrugged it off, "I just figured you could probably use a hideway."
Bakura nodded for a moment, her eyes coming to rest on the Millennium Puzzle as she did so. "If I may, where did you get that?" She asked, pointing at it.
"My Ojiisan." Yugi explained, her hand resting on the artefact that hadn't been further than arm's length from her since the break in."He brought it back from Egypt while it was in pieces and I assembled it. It took me years."
"I see." Bakura nodded thoughtfully, pulling something out from underneath her school blouse. A golden artefact, a ring with a triangle in the middle with the same Eye of Anubis that was on Yugi's Puzzle, along with several points running around the outside of it. "My father brought this back from one of his expeditions." She explained as she let Yugi reach out and touch the somehow cold metal, only for Yugi to pull her hand away when pain spiked up her arm, almost as like a static shock. "Since your pendant has the same symbol on I thought it might be linked to my Millennium Ring."
"I'm pretty sure they are and there's more of them out there." Yugi nodded, convinced of the fact as she remembered that Shadi had held two Millennium Items and had used both against her.
"Mutou-kun..." Bakura hesitated, then shook her head, "No, never mind." She got to her feet and bowed lightly to her, "It was nice meeting you and thank you for looking out for me, but I have to go and get lunch." With that she seemed to almost flee the room.
"I didn't think you were that scary, Yuge." Jou, who had followed them, having not forgotten then events of the previous night, commented as Yugi examined her fingers, able to feel her elder sister's concern at the back of her mind. "Oneesan on the other hand..."
"I don't know what I said." Yugi replied, confused, "But..." A determined look crossed her features, "Excuse me guys." With that she got up and went to catch up to Bakura. She finally managed it when she passed a bathroom and heard Bakura's voice telling someone else to 'get out of her head!'
Oneesan took over and slipped into the bathroom quietly. Having once feared that exact exclamation ever coming from her Imoto-chan, she couldn't help but wonder what the other Bakura was thinking. "Bakura-chan?" She asked as she came around the corner, not wanting to startle the girl, only to come face to face with a narrow eyed, wilder haired version of the girl she was looking for.
"Are you stalking me Mutou-kun?" Bakura's features seemed to soften as Oneesan looked at her, though the smirk looked out of place, reminding her less of the student her little sister had been talking to and more of the girl who had vanished Hirutani last night.
"I wanted to thank you for last night." Oneesan shrugged, pretty sure that the Bakura in front of her now was the same as the one who had helped her. "I'm still not sure what I would have done about the body."
"Probably dumped it somewhere horrendously impractical." Bakura snorted, "Don't worry, it won't show up again."
"Bakura." Oneesan hesitated for a moment, causing the other girl to give her an amused look, "What do you know about the Millennium Items, besides what you said in the library."
"Look, why don't you come over tonight and we can discuss a few things." Bakura looked thoughtful as she considered Oneesan carefully. Oneesan just nodded, not sure what to say and not wanting to seem too eager. Bakura pulled pen and paper out of her backpack and wrote an address on it. "We'll play a game and I'll tell you what I know, okay?"
Oneesan glanced at the door, where Anzu was waiting just out of sight of Bakura, "Is it alright if I bring my friends with me?" She asked, well aware they would follow her even if she didn't ask Bakura's permission.
"Sure." If anything Bakura seemed to want a bigger crowd, "I have no issue with that. Just don't come over till about six. I need time to set up after all."
Oneesan nodded her agreement and then stepped aside, allowing Yugi control of the body again. The light paused for a moment and considered Bakura carefully as she tried to decide whether to speak up or not, then she gave Bakura a sheepish smile and asked, "Bakura no Oneesan? Can I speak to the other you now please?"
Bakura started, staring at her for a moment before smiling slightly, amusement obvious, "Bakura no Oneesan?" She asked.
"I don't know your name." Yugi was apologetic, "So..."
"I answer to Bakura, same as my Landlord." The spirit of the Ring answered, "It's close enough to my real name that it makes no difference."
"Alright." The holder of the Puzzle nodded, "Can I speak to the other Bakura please?"
She didn't get an audible response, instead Yugi felt something 'shift' and then she was being watched with wide eyes, "You're okay? You're not..." The girl in front of her gasped.
"I'm fine but I think we need to talk." Yugi replied, guiding her out of the bathroom.
"But..."
"Don't worry." Yugi smiled at her, "I think I know what you're going through. I can help."
"You don't understand." Bakura pulled away from her, fear obvious on her features, "Everyone I made friends with, everyone who played games with me ended up unconscious. It happened at every school I went to. I won't let it happen here too, so stay away from me."
Bakura went to leave but Yugi stepped into her path. "I know what it's like to be afraid of something you can't control. Something that happens and leaves you with a gap in your memories and consequences for something you don't understand." Yugi told her, "I have another self too. But Anesan and I work together now. I'm sure, if you give her a chance, you'll be able to do the same with your other self."
"I don't want to." Bakura shook her head, backing up a bit, "I just want... just leave me alone." With that she brushed past Yugi and Anzu and darted out of the bathroom.
"Are you still going tonight?" Anzu asked Yugi after a few moments of silence.
"The other Bakura knows something about the Millennium Items. It could link to Anesan's past, so yeah. I'm going." The girl nodded.
"Okay, then we'd better tell the guys to watch out." Anzu sighed, cutting Yugi off before she could protest, "You really think we'll let you go alone?"
"No." Yugi sighed. "I just..."
"You and Oneesan don't lose." Anzu grinned at her, confidence showing, "And we already know bad things only happen if we cheat or lose."
"Just...be careful, please?"
"Of course."
LINE_RECOGNITION_HAS_GONE_AGAIN
The gang gathered at Yugi's place and headed downtown to the address that Bakura's Other Self had given Yugi. It wasn't a particularly fancy place, in fact it was a beacon of clean and tidy in an otherwise rundown neighbourhood. None of them were overly bothered by the fact. Jou had regularly haunted worse areas during his gang days and between him, Honda and Oneesan, they were much scarier than anything or anyone they might run into on their way to Bakura's.
The neighbourhood was surprisingly quiet considering the time of day. In fact as they drew closer to Bakura's place it became more obvious that people were trying to avoid the place. It was a bad sign, though of what Yugi wasn't sure. If Bakura had been throwing magic around, it could be fear. However it could just as easily be xenophobia. Bakura was, quite obviously, not from Domino and the Japanese could be remarkably narrow minded about foreigners.
Gaijin people were lazy after all, didn't know the value of hard work and expected everything to be done for them and everything to be provided for them without having to work for it. At least that was what most people believed.
Bakura was waiting for them, answering the door after only a couple of knocks. She ushered them inside, glancing around as she did so. After taking off their shoes, they found themselves ushered straight through to the living room where an intricate game board was set up.
"Monster World!" Yugi's face lit up as she examined the world that had been set up for them to play in. She had a few bits and pieces for the table top rpg setting, but she couldn't afford this sort of set up and Bakura seemed quite happy for her to poke about, examining the board and the terrain pieces, though she did ask that Yugi didn't touch the figures. They were set up for the story after all and she would get a better look as the game went on.
"You need to roll up your characters." Bakura informed them, passing them some character sheets, "If you need a hand building, I'm more than willing to lend you some. Just remember you won't need anything fancy. This is just a one shot campaign after all. Of course who knows, you might end up sticking with the character after the story's over depending on how well you get into the role."
Yugi scanned the rules of character creation quickly, already well aware of the system and how it worked, paying more attention to Bakura's explanation of the rules then her character sheet as she jotted down a level one version of what would have been her character if she had ever actually started a campaign.
"I'm taking the role of D.M. or Dark Master." Bakura explained, "I run the world, the story and the enemy monsters. My role is to stop you lot, the Adventurers, from continuing on your quest. In the mean time you Adventurers work together as a team, working together to beat the Dark Master. If I defeat all of you I win. If you find the 'boss monster' and kill him, you win. Simple as that."
"So we get to kill things?" Jou looked pleased by that, especially after the last few days.
"You cut right to the point." Bakura nodded.
"So what classes and races are there?" Anzu asked, scanning the basic character creation rules Bakura had kindly typed up for them in advance.
"Yuge's already made hers." Jou snatched up the character sheet Yugi had filled in, "Huh, Birdtail BeastTamer?" He glanced at her.
"Each race has different abilities." Yugi nodded, noting that Bakura had pulled a generic birdtail race character out of a box by her side and started making adjustments to it, "Birdtails can fly and have both high dexterity and charisma, so I'll be able to scout long distances, I'll be hard to hit and it should be easier to get people talking. And I want to be a BeastTamer so I can get enemy monsters to work with us, instead of having to fight them."
"Heh." Jou chuckled, "Why am I not surprised?"
"Because unlike you, you knucklehead," Honda interrupted, "Yugi doesn't need to punch things to get her point across."
"Boys." Anzu tutted at them as she jotted down her Elf Magician's stats and equipment. "Behave, we're guests here."
"You should totally be a Pixie-Fairy."Jou ignored her in favour of taunting Honda, "Totally suits you."
"I'll give you Pixie-Fairy." Honda threatened, writing down Human as his race before Jou could try anything. "Now, let's see those classes."
The boys quickly decided on what characters they were building, Jou a Human Warrior, Honda a Human MagicGunman, and after spending ten minutes convincing Jou that spending all of his starting money on six different weapons, three of which his class couldn't use, was a bad idea they were handed a figure each by Bakura.
"Wow!" Jou was startled as Yugi examined the female Birdtail piece in her hands. "They look just like us!"
They did, Yugi had to allow. Her Birdtail kind of reminded her of the Harpie Ladies from Duel Monsters, but it had the BeastTamer's basic armour on and her face in place of the blank, impersonalised models. Bakura had even managed to get her three tone hair colour just right with a little fast drying paint.
"Yes, I pride myself on detail." Bakura smirked at them, seeming pleased with their reactions. Yugi couldn't help but glance over, finally making up her mind, when she saw the smirk, which Bakura was out and about, "It helps the immersion if you can visualise yourself in the role you're acting out on the board. Now, just let me tap the information into my laptop here..." She proceeded to do so. "The numbers in this computer will make a huge difference in a life or death situation." Bakura explained, "And as D.M. I will make the crucial rolls."
They put their pieces on start at Bakura's direction and sat back to let the D.M. weave the story. Yugi could feel Oneesan at the back of her mind, her emotions coming down the link clearly, making Yugi aware she was partly curious about the game and partly impatient to hear any information Bakura might have.
"You Adventurers have just arrived in the land of Abydos." Bakura spoke, her tone taking on the lilt of a storyteller just getting into their tale. "Having travelled a long way, the sight of the local town and the nearby castle is welcome."
That was a plot hook if ever Yugi had heard one. "I say we make for town." Yugi spoke up, getting the weird feeling that Bakura was watching her closely, even though when she glanced over at the D.M. she seemed to be absorbed in her screen.
"Why not the castle?" Jou asked, sizing it up as if considering it for a raid.
"Because in video games you always get information in towns." Anzu pointed out, "Castles are normally for later on."
"You actually play video games?" Jou asked with a small, amused smirk.
"RPG's mostly." Anzu admitted, "And only rarely. I have to keep my grades up if I ever want a scholarship after all."
"Huh, the more you know." Jou chuckled, "Okay, town it is."
Yugi scouted ahead, trying to get a feel for the 'flight' rules before the story officially started, which meant her movement was double the distance that the ground bound races could cover per round. It took the others five turns to reach the city by which point she had already she had already given the town a look over and decided that their best source of information was probably the tavern. A feeling her friends shared.
They watched in amazed delight as Bakura carefully took the 'village' off of the board to reveal a tavern set up below, complete with barkeeper, patrons, tables and chairs.
Jou, of course, was the one who went straight to the heart of the matter, stepping his Warrior up to the bar and asking the barkeeper a simple question, "What's the best way to make money round here?"
"Well," Yugi gave Bakura a startled glance as the 'barkeeper' spoke, only to find that she couldn't catch Bakura moving her lips or throwing her voice, her ventriloquism act was perfect, "There aren't many jobs in town for strangers such as yourself, but we have been looking for some vi...Adventures to rid us of a problem."
"Oh?" Anzu's Magician asked, noting the slip up and wary. "And what's that?"
"There's a Dark Lord, goes by the name of Zorc, who holds rule over this land. He and his monsters make it hard, if not impossible to get food and other essentials in and out of this land." The Barkeeper explained. "There's a large reward offered for anyone who's brave enough to enter the castle and rid us of Zorc forever."
"There's our 'boss' monster." Honda muttered.
Yugi nodded distractedly, trying to shake the feeling the voice that was speaking was actually coming from the figurine and not from Bakura. Her earlier delight tempered by the steadily increasing feeling of something being wrong and the headache that had started up the moment Bakura had started weaving the tale.
She felt the mental equivalent of a hand on her shoulder and the headache eased up, making Yugi smile slightly even as she watched Jou's Warrior almost get into a bar fight with a couple of the other patrons after accusing the towns people of being chickens for letting 'Zorc' and his monsters run all over them.
"If you want to play...?" Yugi thought, knowing Anesan couldn't hear her but directing curiosity at the spirit and mentally taking a half step back. Her elder sister responded with amusement and by mentally shoving her forward again, obviously not wanting to take over from her when Yugi had wanted to play the Monster World RPG for years but had lacked the players to do so.
Before she could say anything, Jou had gotten the party caught up in the quest and they were leaving town. Yugi's Beast Tamer stuck close to the party, her player loath to leave her friends behind when she couldn't shift the 'wrong' feeling.
After tackling a couple of weak, low level monsters and getting a feel for the battle system, the proceeded down the main road out of town, towards Zorc's castle. A little ways out of town, they found a young man led, injured, in the middle of the road. Anzu's Magician used a healing spell to help the injured traveller as the rest of the group gathered close by.
"Thank you." The young man said, his eyes the only part of him they could see and his outfit reminding Yugi of Shadi, "I would have been in big trouble if you hadn't come this way. You see I was attacked in the forest and the monsters there stole the treasure I was carrying."
"Treasure?" Jou perked up, causing Honda to roll his eyes.
"I was on my way to give it to the hero of the village." The young man continued, "The treasure is a holy sword! It's the only thing that can defeat Zorc! Please, I beg you, get back the treasure."
Yugi frowned slightly. An NPC like the young man was a character added into the story by the D.M., they could be an ally, or they could lead them into a trap. Besides she knew it was a one shot campaign, but getting them a weapon to defeat the 'boss' this early seemed too easy.
"Didn't one of those villagers say something about avoiding the forest?" Anzu asked.
"Yeah." Honda agreed, "Just before Jou nearly got into a brawl with them."
"I lose my Dexterity bonus in the forest." Yugi piped up, something about the whole situation screaming 'trap' to her.
"You do?" Jou asked, surprised.
"She does." Bakura agreed, seemingly amused by something, "Forests are no fly zones, as are small, indoor rooms and mazes."
"We'll protect you, Yuge." Jou promised, thumping his chest and reminding her of an over excitable puppy, "Right Honda?"
Honda nodded shortly, wondering when his friend had gone quite so treasure mental.
"See Yuge?" Jou grinned at her, "No problems. Just stick close, okay?"
When Yugi nodded, Jou turned to Bakura, "Okay, we'll go."
"Okay," Part of the diorama flipped over to reveal a forest, "You walk until you get to the forest. Tall, thick grass coats the floor and shadowy leaves surround you." Bakura smirked slightly, "Just a warning. The encounter rate here is eighty percent."
"Eighty?" Anzu yelped.
"Judgement roll." Bakura chuckled, rolling a pair of dice, one blue, one red. The red one stopped on zero while the blue spun around to five. "Not good for the adventurers at all." Bakura spoke, "Red is the tens and blue the ones. The closer to zero I roll, the stronger the monsters I can pit against you."
Four monster figurines were put on the forest squares of the board opposite the player characters. "Remember," Bakura said as she put them in place, "You need to roll under the success rate to land a blow. The closer you get to double zero, the super critical, the more damage you do."
"Okay," Jou grinned, scooping up the dice, "I get first swing." He rolled the dice, only to let out a groan when he rolled an eighty-two.
"Too bad." Bakura chuckled, "Jou doesn't just miss his target, he trips and falls on his face." With that she tipped the little model over so it was on its front.
"Aw man." Jou grouched.
"Leave it to me." Honda chuckled, rolling and scoring a twenty one. His Gunman's shot took out the weakest of the monsters and Yugi's twenty four a moment later allowed her Monster Taming abilities to work on a second beast, making it an ally.
"Okay," Anzu grinned, picking up the dice as Bakura switched a model of an evil ball of teeth and claws with a much friendlier looking puffball, "My turn." She rolled and let out a started and delighted cheer as the dice landed on a double zero, her attack blowing up the two remaining monsters.
"Aww." Jou half mockingly sulked, "I didn't get a go."
"Next time, Jou." Yugi reassured her friend, pausing when an evil chuckling started, almost seeming to come from over her shoulder.
The young man on the board was the source of the noise and all four of them stared down at him as he started cackling.
"I think he's snapped." Jou commented.
"So you four are the heroes who would defy me?" The young man sniggered, "You fell for my trap and entered the Forest of the Dead. This will be your grave!"
"Who in the world are you?" Yugi asked, half surprised, half thinking 'called it.'
"What's this?" Bakura asked, obviously delighted by events, "The young man changes before your very eyes, shifting and warping and growing until he towers above the trees." She swapped the models.
"I'm the Lord of these lands." The beast the young man had become stated, "The Dark Master, Zorc!" Yugi's heart sank. There was no way they were ready for this particular encounter. Not unless Zorc was the weakest boss monster ever. "And before you die, I should let you know. There is no sword that can beat me!"
"The Adventurers, completely deceived by his lies are caught unawares and Zorc gets the first attack." Bakura cackled, rolling the dice, scoring zero. "Super Critical! His Shadow Powers assault the players, and his target is you, Anzu! Mind Doll!"
Yugi and her friends were startled as Anzu collapsed on the side of the table, only for Anzu's voice to start coming from the miniature on the table. "G...guys?" Anzu was terrified, "How did you get so big?"
"What the...?" Honda yelped.
Yugi got it though and she turned to glower at Bakura, Oneesan bristling and ready to take over in a heartbeat and deal with this upstart. "Bakura!" Yugi snapped, "What did you do to Anzu?"
"What did I do?" Bakura asked, amused by their reactions and resting her chin on interlocked fingers, "I'm the Game Master. I just followed the rules to keep the game going but just to let you know, the game you're playing is the ultimate in role playing games."
"So to get Anzu back all we gotta do is win, right?" Jou demanded, scooping up the dice, "Fine..."
"No!" Yugi yelped, realising what he was about to do, "It's not your turn and it's a Shadow..."
She was too late, Jou's dice rolled across the table and landed on ninety-nine.
"...Game."
"Ahem." Bakura looked a lot less amused now as she glowered at Jou, "It wasn't your turn to attack. Not only is your roll the worst possible, but your gaming etiquette is atrocious. To roll without the Game Master's permission is to break the rules, so prepare yourself."
"Shit!" Jou had just enough time to yelp before his soul joined Anzu's on the game board, sealed within his character piece.
"Jou!" Yugi looked down, biting her lower lip, trembling with both anger and fear, "Anzu!"
"Sorry, Yuge." Jou apologised, realising that he had just made things much harder and that they were now down two players in a Shadow Game they hadn't even known they were in until this moment. "What should we do?"
"Careful, Yugi." Bakura answered, taunting her, "If you and Honda become miniatures too, no one will be able to roll the dice. If that happens the game ends automatically and you four will be trapped forever. Doomed to be pieces in my games for eternity. Hahahaha!"
Yugi growled slightly as Bakura started cackling, startling her friends.
"Yugi!" Jou called up, startling the girl in question into looking down at the board. "Roll the dice in our place."
"That's fine with me." Bakura continued to cackle, "But first it's the MagicGunman's turn."
"That's fine with me!" Honda snapped at her, well aware they were in well over their heads and the only one who really understood exactly what was going on was Yugi.
"There's just one thing. With Zorc on the field, you have to roll at the start of each of your turns to see if you're effected by the paralysing fear that Zorc's aura creates."
"I'm not scared of you!" Honda growled.
"That's for the dice to say." Bakura tutted at him. "Let them go and let's see."
Honda might deny his fear, but Yugi could see it etched on his features as he gulped and then released the dice. "Ninety-four!? This roll is stupid!" Honda yelped, staring at the dice, panic obvious.
"The MagicGunman is frozen in fear." Bakura's grin was somehow more unsettling than the smirks that had graced her features earlier, "He curses his cowardice."
"You dirty..."
"Now, Zorc wins initiative." Bakura interrupted what was sure to be an expletive filled rant, "Shadow Power!" Bakura rolled, scoring another super critical, causing Yugi's anger to further rise.
Bakura was cheating! Bakura was cheating in a Shadow Game and the Shadows were letting her get away with it!
"What did you do to the dice?" She demanded of the other Shadow wielder.
Bakura didn't answer, just flicked her fingers at Honda, who collapsed alongside the others, his soul transferred into his figurine.
"Honda!" Anzu yelped.
"No. This isn't fair! I wasn't afraid!" Honda protested.
"Well Yugi, it's only you left." Bakura informed the Puzzle holder, seeming pleased by that. "You must roll the dice, move the pieces and make the decisions all on your own and before I forget, if the health of an Adventurer hits zero, they die. Not just in game, but in real life too, so be careful with the lives of your friends."
"You can do it, Yugi!" Jou called up, noting the fear that was now crossing her features.
"Yeah!" Honda nodded, trying to reassure her. "You can kill him!"
"Guys..." Yugi bit her lower lip for a moment, she didn't lose in a fair game, but this wasn't a fair game and she was afraid. Afraid she would cost one of her friends their lives, afraid she would screw up so badly someone wouldn't survive.
"The battle continues." Bakura wasn't about to give her any time to think, as the Game Master spoke again before Yugi could say a thing, "The MagicGunman gets one more chance to attack Zorc."
Yugi knew she wasn't the right person to handle this. She wasn't confident enough in her abilities and she didn't know how to handle Bakura's cheating. The others were afraid too, their fear would taint her rolls further if emotions really were a driving factor in what rolls they were getting. Then a thought came to her.
She didn't know how to handle the Shadows and Bakura's tricks, but Anesan could deal with both and she could sense her older sister was ready and rearing to tear into Bakura for her actions.
And if she joined her friends on the field, it might reassure them. Especially when she reminded them of the promise she had made Jou.
"Before the Gunman rolls, Bakura." Yugi faced down the D.M., "Transfer my soul to my miniature too."
"What did you say?" Bakura looked shocked, making Yugi wonder just how much attention she paid to what was said around her other self. "You want to be transferred to your miniature?"
"Yugi?"
"What're you doing?"
"I'll fight together with my friends on board!" Yugi ignored her friends' protests as she continued to stare Bakura down. "If they're risking their lives, then so will I!"
"It would be easy to grant that wish." Bakura still looked confused, "But if you become a miniature, there will be no one left to roll the dice. Are you sure this is what you want?"
Yugi nodded, even as her friends' protests grew louder.
"Well..." Bakura looked thoughtful, "The Game Master is supposed to be of service to the players. Very well, I'll do as you say." Bakura smirked, "I was hoping for more of a challenge from you after waiting all this time, but beggars can't be choosers, I win!"
"No!" Jou watched in horror as Yugi collapsed and suddenly her miniature started moving of its own accord, examining itself. "Yugi, you promised! You swore you wouldn't throw your life away!"
"And I'm keeping that promise." Yugi smiled at him, "Don't worry."
"Of course he should worry." Bakura cackled, "With no one left to roll the dice, it's a perfect victory for me!"
"Not quite."
Bakura jumped and stared at the other side of the board where Yugi's body was sitting up, scowling at her as it did so.
"Are you okay, Imoto-chan?" The body asked, worried.
"Just fine, Anesan." Yugi nodded back, beaming. "Let's do this."
"Right." Oneesan nodded, amused by Bakura's shock, "I believe the MagicGunman was about to attack." She rolled, "Three." She smirked, "Honda?" She asked.
Honda smirked and fired his gun at the seemingly now living model of Zorc. His Thunder Grenade bullet blowing off Zorc's hand.
"I told you, horn face, with my friends helping me, who'd be afraid." Honda smirked.
"Another Yugi..." Bakura realised.
"Don't worry guys." Oneesan looked smug, "From now on your lives are in my hands. And so is Zorc's."
LINE_RECOGNITION_HAS_GONE_AGAIN
Author Note: Okay so I lied and the explanation of why Bakura was hanging around with Jou will be in the next chapter. I do have one but I didn't want to shoehorn it in here when it would fit better later.
Also I can't believe the next chapter will be the last one of 'Ennead: Season Zero.'
Some of you may be pleased to hear that the end of this book won't be the end of the tale. When I post the last chapter of this fic, I will post the first chapter of the next one, which will cover the Duellist Kingdom arc, so you'll get a double update.
Here's hoping you guys stick with me to the end of Season Zero, into 'Ennead: For Those We Love' and beyond.