(A/N: One thing I forgot to clarify and so I'm rectifying that mistake now, I have not read Yu-gi-oh R, nor do I plan to. I used The Wicked Dreadroot because it's a powerful card and I thought that befitted Byakuya's penchant for "best cards money could buy". Whatever connection it holds in the manga has no bearing on this series. The only continuity I'm using for Yu-gi-oh for this story is the anime and any parts of season 0 that would fit the mold of season 1's continuity. And speaking of season 0, *plays appropriate music*, it's game time).
As Joey and Ibuki continued to run through Domino City, the two slowed down when they entered a densely populated area. Ibuki quickly hopped onto the nearest bench. "Man, Ibuki can't find her classmates anywhere," she said, the side of her hand on her forehead as she scanned the general area. "And no one's dueling around here either, it's so weird."
"Well, let's keep looking. I only need one more card and there's still plenty of time left in the day. Kaiba ain't gonna get ridda me dat easily!" Joey exclaimed.
Teá then ran up to Joey and Ibuki, almost huffing and puffing. "Can you two slow down a little? I'm having trouble keeping pace with you."
"Why do you think we stopped?" Ibuki asked and twirled around. "Ibuki can't just ditch one of her two new friends. Heeheehee. Besides, how are you supposed to perform in our band, Teá if you can't handle a sprint like this."
"Wait a sec, when was I part of this band idea of yours?" Teá asked.
"Oh, Ibuki thought it'd be great if we all formed one together." She folded her arms grinning. "I mean, Joey's got the energy to be an amazing drummer and of course, Ibuki's got the guitar." She broke out into a cheerful, carefree smile. "Tristan would play base and you can be our pianist. All we need now is a lead singer."
"Why can't I be the lead singer?" Teá asked.
"Well, I mean, how does Ibuki put this?" Ibuki asked, looking nervous and pushing her fingers together. "You don't exactly stand out of a crowd." She looked serious and pointed her index finger to the sky. "The lead singer of any band should be the one with the most star power next to the lead guitarist."
"Hey! I have star power."
Ibuki laughed. "Teá, who's the Ultimate Musician around here?" Ibuki winked, making a V-shape with her fingers in front of her eye. "Ibuki thinks she knows a talented singer when she sees one. Trust me, you'd probably sing well, but you need to be able to really belt power ballads for the type of band we're gonna be forming. "Besides, the pianist needs to have nice, nimble fingers and your hands are so pretty."
"Um…thanks?" Teá said, not sure of the compliment. Who in the world complimented somebody's hands?
As if fate was determined to make the situation weirder, a voice called out, "Teá! Joey! Is that you?"
Teá looked to her left and saw a young man with long, bushy white hair standing not too far away from her and Joey. "Oh! Bakura! How are you?"
Ibuki squealed. "Oh my gosh! He's so cute! Just look at that hair! He looks like a fluffy kitty!" Joey couldn't help, but snicker.
"I…um…" Bakura wasn't really sure what to say.
"Hey! Hey! Can Ibuki rub her face in your hair? It looks super soft!"
"That's…well…um…"
Teá pushed her way in front of Ibuki.
"Hey! Ibuki was asking an important question."
Teá sighed. "Don't let her get to you Bakura. She's…not exactly on the same wavelength as the rest of the world."
As if on cue, Ibuki cried out, "Meow!"
"She does seem rather…animated," Bakura said. "Who…is she, exactly?"
Joey walked forward and slung a friendly arm around Ibuki, letting his arm drape down in front of her torso. "Bakura, this here is Ibuki Mioda. She's a new pal of ours from that fancy school, Hope's Peak Academy. Ibuki, meet Bakura Ryou, he's a buddy of ours from Domino High School."
"Nice to have met ya!" Ibuki exclaimed.
"Nice to…have…met ya?" Bakura asked confused.
Ibuki explained herself. "Well, I mean, you only ever meet someone once and Joey just introduced us, so Nice to have met ya!" Ibuki exclaimed, throwing her arm in the air. "But seriously, can Ibuki rub her face in her hair?"
"Ibuki," Teá sighed.
"What? It looks really comfy and fluffy like downy baby bunny fur!"
"Um, could we please change the subject?" Bakura asked politely. "Uh, Joey, how's the tournament treating you?"
"Heh, check it out," Joey said, pulling his locator cards out of his pocket. "I've got five locator cards. One more and I'm in the finals. Wait, till Kaiba sees dis! He'll regret treatin me with disrespect!"
"That's great, Joey! I'm sure you'll make it."
"What about you, Bakura?" Teá asked. "You duel, don't you?"
"Oh, no, I never really had an interest in the competitive scene," Bakura said. "It's just a hobby."
"Oh, Ibuki should introduce you to a friend of hers then. Chiaki Nanami, Ibuki's class representative is the Ultimate Gamer. She's super awesome and super nice and she loves loves LOVES people that like games for funsies. We're actually looking for her if you want to walk around with us!"
"Th-that sounds great, but I uh…I have to go!" Bakura exclaimed and ran off.
"Awww, he ran away," Ibuki said, sounding disappointed. "And we were becoming such good friends."
"Don't take it personally, Ibuki," Teá told her. "Bakura doesn't deal well with women. He gets enough attention at school."
"Well, as long as it's not personal," Ibuki said. "Ibuki doesn't like people that hold grudges."
"Oh good, then we're on the same page about Kaiba," Joey said.
"Oh yeah, him," Ibuki said, frowning. "Seto Kaiba might look handsome, but his people skills need serious work."
"Yeah, you see, finally someone who gets it!" Joey exclaimed excitedly, fists in front of his chest.
He and Ibuki then began chatting inanely and making impressions of Kaiba that the man himself would've had a few words to say about if he saw them.
As the two continued to behave like grown-up children, Joey now with Ibuki in a friendly headlock and giving her a fierce noogie—with Ibuki laughing all the while—Teá sighed. These two are so similar it's starting to get a little creepy.
Despite Duel Monsters taking the world by storm, there were still people who didn't find the fad to their liking. One of these people was young novelist Toko Fukawa, author of two best-selling novels, with a third currently being brainstormed. In fact, far as she was concerned, Duel Monsters was shallow tripe. It was a new fad that would fade with the times and then everyone's cards would collect dust on a forgotten shelf in a rundown apartment because they'd spent so much money they couldn't afford anything better. Despite this, here she was in Battle City, peeking around the side of a tree in direct line of sight of a man that she had wound up making one of the most desired bachelors in all of the dueling world: Mako Tsunami.
Because of the success of Toko's book So Lingers the Ocean, fishermen jumped to the top of the Hottest Men polls in Japan. And, with the rise of Duel Monsters as popularity, Mako became the most desired duelist in the nation. Tweens and teens alike flocked to the young man like he was the next George Clooney.
"Now, now, ladies, one at a time," Mako said, signing autographs and pivoting in a semi-circle to address his adoring, screaming fanbase. "There's plenty of Mako to go around, hahahahaha!"
Look at them all, Toko thought bitterly. Flocking towards him like dumb sheep. Just because he's good at some dumb card game. What's so great about him anyway? …Well okay a lot of things, but still…
"Ladies, ladies," Mako said loudly and with a smile. "I'm truly grateful for your praise and adoration, but I still require two more locator cards so that I may compete in the finals of this tournament. You may all bask in my glory once more after I have become Battle City's champion! HAHAHAHA!"
The girls swooned in unison with heart shaped eyes.
Gimme a break, Toko thought, rolling her eyes. Still, she kept her eyes on Mako, watching him intently as the crowd died down girl by girl, until Mako was left standing alone. Nearly an hour had passed. Mako had treated each girl with respect and generosity, not making a move on any of them and taking their praise at face value, trying his best not to be weirded out no matter how many times a girl flashed her chest at him.
Mako then let out a hearty laugh. "HAHAHAHA! Ah, there are so many mermaids vying for my attention. If I were a lesser man I'd be a bit overwhelmed. Now then, it's time for me to fish. Abating so many fans is hungry work." Mako said, speaking his thoughts aloud. He then picked up a harpoon he'd left lying nearby and a small metal bucket and began whistling the tune to Row, Row, Row Your Boat as he headed for the river on the other side of town.
Toko shadowed him as he made his way through the Aquarium's district. Well, until Mako realized he was being followed anyway. He stopped walking and so did Toko, hiding behind yet another tree. "Even the mightiest fish knows when an even bigger fish has it in its sights. But I am no mere minnow so whoever you are, I suggest you cease hiding and face me." Mako turned around sharply, jutting his weapon out and taking a defensive posture. "I don't just use this harpoon to fish."
Because Toko wasn't completely concealed by the tree, he spotted her immediately. They were the only two people in this stretch of road. Mako immediately put the base of his bamboo shafted weapon the ground and rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, it is but a mere mermaid. My apologies. How rude of me to point my spear at a fair lady."
"You can quit it with the nice guy act," Toko said with a crooked smile. "Admit it, a-all that attention has your…w-weapon h-harder than a c-coral reef."
"A good fisherman only uses his harpoon when he spots prey that he likes," Mako replied. "And I've yet to find a sea-fairing lass worth the effort."
"Still, you don't seem to be unwelcoming to all the attention."
"Ah, but what young man wouldn't?" Mako asked calmly. "Still, as a fisherman, I find the thrill of the hunt to be the most exciting challenge. If I was interested only in easy prey, I could head downtown. HAHAHAHAHA!"
Toko's crooked smile reappeared. "That's what separates you from o-other guys. You don't disrespect an adoring crowd. M-most men w-would've f-formed a h-harem by now."
"There is but room for only one lady in Mako's life. And she must be willing to sail the seven seas with me. A captain is only as good as his first mate after all!" Mako exclaimed jubilantly. "Of course, such an unexpected surge in attention makes finding said lady much simpler. I thought I would have to search high and low for a maiden worthy of my attention. I never would've thought to catch so many mermaids in my net unexpectedly."
Finally! This was the opening Toko had been waiting for. "Th-there's a reason for all of the unexpected attention."
"Oh? I just assumed it was my chiseled looks and hardened scars from facing off against the creatures of the deep!" Toko couldn't tell if Mako was kidding or not with that second comment. It didn't matter to her.
"H-have you heard of a book called So Lingers the Ocean?" Toko asked.
"Can't say that I have," Mako said.
"O-oh, r-really? I-it's a best seller in the country."
"Well if it has the ocean in the title, I might pick it up for my next long journey. I spend so much time fishing and dueling that there is rarely time for anything else," Mako declared. "You say this book is connected to my surge in popularity."
"Well…yeah," Toko said. "I wrote it and it caused fishermen to jump up to the top of the hottest men polls in the country. And since Duel Monsters is so popular right now."
"That makes me the most desired fish in the sea," Mako concluded. "Yes, I see, that makes sense. You say you wrote this book?"
"Yes, it's my second work."
"Such an accomplishment for such a young lady, you must be quite proud of yourself!" Mako complimented.
Toko blushed. "P-please, I-I couldn't care less about awards or anything like that."
"Well, nevertheless, I thank you for informing me of my confusion um…" Mako trailed off only to scream, "Augh! Oh how rude of me! I never asked for your name, my dear lady."
"It's Toko, Toko Fukawa," Toko said.
"Well, Miss Toko, I bid thee farewell. I must return to the ocean for that is my true calling. When I read your book, perhaps I will tell you what I thought of it should we meet again."
"What? Just like that? You're just going to leave?" Toko asked. They were having such a nice conversation.
"As I told all of the others, I must acquire two more locator cards and become the Battle City Champion."
"Y-yeah, but…wouldn't it be grand if you won came home and found a well-cooked meal waiting for you at home?" Toko's crooked smile appeared, "Maybe even a fresh bath."
"Miss Toko, it sounds like you're trying to court me."
"That depends…is it working?" Toko asked.
"My dearest Toko," Mako said, "I'm quite flattered that you think so highly of me and I am grateful for you clearing up my confusion regarding the attention I've started to garnish, but I'm afraid I'm looking for love in a different place."
"B-but…" Toko stuttered. "H-how can you tell? I mean…I don't have a problem with boats."
"As I said, I enjoy a good chase. The woman of my dreams must make me work for her love as hard as reeling in a great white."
Toko smirked again. "Never would've pegged you for having a tsundere fetish," Toko said.
"A what now?" Mako asked, unfamiliar with the term.
"N-never mind," Toko said. "Wh-whatever, I get it. You don't want me around." She sighed. "No one does."
"Now that sounds decisively unfair to yourself, Miss Toko. How could anyone not want the companionship of an esteemed author."
"Probably because I'm a vulgar, obscene thing with poor hygine."
Mako sniffed the air. "HAHAHA! Ah, and here I thought it was my own salty odor emitting through the air. You really should take better care of yourself, Miss Toko."
Toko said nothing.
Mako sighed and smiled. "Now then, as I said before, I must be off to fish. Er, not that you aren't pleasant to talk to, but I would appreciate it if you didn't follow me. People might get the wrong idea."
Toko twitched.
"Miss Toko?"
Toko looked like she might cry with the way she was hyperventilating.
"Er, um, I'm sorry?"
"Achoo!"
Running all over creation, Yugi, with the Pharaoh in control, searched high and low for his friends. "JOEY! TEÁ! TRISTAN!" He called, looking around for them. He'd already been to the big clock in the center of the city, the mall—even going so far as to talk to mall security—and even made a beeline for his grandpa's game shop, but found the shop still closed.
"Where could they be?" Yugi asked his alter ego. "We're searching everywhere for them."
"If we had searched everywhere," The Pharaoh said, glancing to the side, "We would have found them by now."
"I suppose you're right," Yugi said. "Let's keep looking." He sighed. "I really ought to get a cell phone. But up until Joey and Tristan became my friends the only person I really needed to stay in touch with was my grandpa."
"We can discuss our technological limitations later. Keep an eye out!" The pharaoh exclaimed. Yugi nodded and floated alongside his friend, looking in the opposite direction in case he saw something his counterpart didn't.
They went running all over the place, eventually making their way towards the Aquarium district on the far side of the city. Following that, Yami came to a halt and began to catch his breath. "Want me to take over?" Yugi asked.
"No, I can do this," The Pharaoh replied. "I just need a few seconds. I…" The Pharaoh stopped only to snap to attention as he heard the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. "Hmm?"
Suddenly, a pair of scissors went whizzing by his head and flew off into the distance. And, right after that, Mako rounded the corner. "Ah, Yugi!"
"Mako?" Yugi asked, seeming quite perplexed to see him.
"Yugi, I need your help. One second I was talking to such a nice girl and the next—AAAAGH!"
Yugi felt something warm and wet splash his pants leg. Looking down he saw blood coating it as well as a pair of scissors protruding from Mako's lower right leg. "Mako!"
"HAHAHAHA! HEEHEEHEEEHEEE! KYAHAHAHA!"
"What the heck was that?" Yugi wanted to know only to see Toko round the corner…except her tongue was as long and as thick as a chili pepper and she was twirling a pair of scissors in each hand. She had become her split personality: the psycho maniac serial killer, Genocider Jill.
"Mako darling, I told you not to run away. Oh, but do my eyes deceive me? If it isn't Yogi Bear himself. Looks like I get to kill two cute boys for the price of one murder scene. That'll be a first. KYAHAHAHAHAHAHEEHEEHEEHEE!"
"Yogi…Bear?" Yugi asked Yami. "Does she mean us?"
"I…suppose," The Pharaoh replied, confused.
"Yugi…as a fellow duelist, I'm asking you nicely. Help me," Mako said, clutching his leg.
"Very well," Yugi said, "Stand back, Mako," he prepared to activate his duel disk. "I'll take care of—"
Yugi was cut off by the fact that Jill suddenly lunged forward at him, swiping at his body with a pair of scissors. Yugi took a step back as his puzzle jerked upwards and the scissors bounced off his artifact, protecting him from harm.
"She doesn't have a duel disk," Yugi pointed out to the Pharaoh. "What do we do? Oh! I know, we could lend her Mako's."
The Pharaoh dodged Jill's next incoming swipe. As he dodged the next one, he briefly assessed the situation. Mako on the ground, bleeding with a pair of scissors in his leg, Jill attacking him wildly in an attempt to leave no witnesses, and Yugi looking apprehensive all the while.
"No, Yugi," The Pharaoh said. "We can't duel her. I'll have to settle this the old-fashioned way."
"What do you mean the old-fashioned way?" Yugi asked.
The millennium symbol flashed on the Pharaoh's forehead as he began to emanate great power. "All right," he said to Jill. "I don't know who you are, but I won't let you hurt my friends! Get ready, it's game time!"
"What are you doing?" Yugi asked.
"I'm doing…this!" The Pharaoh declared as his coat began to billow behind him and the world began to distort, the street becoming longer and Mako suddenly disappearing. Yugi recognized the sensation.
"Yami, what's going on? Is this your doing?" Yugi asked, referring to The Pharaoh by the only name he knew to call him. Suddenly, Yugi materialized and stopped floating, falling on his ass.
"Hey, what the hell are you playing at?" Jill snapped as she too had been separated from her other personality. Toko stood nearby, looking like a nervous wreck.
"Wh-what the hell is all this?"
"Pharaoh, what's going on?" Yugi asked.
"I see, so you are Genocider Jill and the one next to you is Toko. I welcome both of you," Yami said, his body flashing a mysterious aura, "To the Shadow Realm. It's time to play a Shadow Game."
"Shadow Game? Pharaoh are you crazy?" Yugi shouted indignantly.
"Quite sane, actually," Yami replied. "We don't have time to convince her to duel us. There's too much at risk. I said we would do things the old-fashioned way and I meant it." With a snap of his fingers, chains shot forth from the ground, locking Toko and Yugi in place as the ground began to move like a conveyor belt, pulling both of them back towards a set distance from him and Jill.
"Pharaoh! Stop this right now! I don't like this at all!"
"Yugi," Yami said, giving him a serious stare. "Do you trust me?"
"Y-yeah, but…"
"Then I need you to calm down. Just stay calm and everything will be all right."
"Do you promise?"
"I promise," Yami said. "And my word—"
"Is your bond, I know," Yugi said and stood up off the ground, standing at his miniscule height.
With another snap of his fingers, two buckets filled with Jill's custom-made scissors appeared. One had a picture of the millennium symbol on it.
Jill looked annoyed. "So, what's with the freaking atmosphere and the scissors?" She put a crazed smile on her face and spun her scissors around. "Don't think it's gonna save you. I can just cut and stab you endlessly with my lovely scissors!"
"Don't be so sure," Yami said. "Take a good look at our feet." He and Jill were now also chained to the ground and standing in the same line as Toko and Yugi.
"Wrong move," Jill said. "That just makes you a sitting duck!" she threw a pair of scissors at Yami, but he caught them with only his index and middle finger, clamping both fingers down tightly around the pair of scissors before they reached his forehead.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to run around with sharp objects?" Yami asked, spinning the scissors around.
Yugi let out a sigh of relief he didn't realize he'd been holding in.
"They may have said something to Miss Morose, but they've never met me," Jill chuckled. "But fine, I see what you're playing at. A game, right? Can I kill you once I win?"
"You can, if you win," Yami said. "Now then, permit me to explain the rules."
In the next instant, an apple appeared on Yugi and Toko's heads. Yami held up the bucket of scissors with the millennium symbol on it. "We each get a bucket of scissors, the same ones you use all the time. We'll take turns trying to impale the apple atop the heads of our other halves. If the scissors pierce straight through the apple, you win."
"Piece of cake," Jill said.
"It's a little trickier than that," Yami stated. "If you miss, you get to move closer to your partner, unless of course, the apple falls off, then you're forced back. And if you happen to harm your partner, you miss your next turn."
"Sounds simple enough. Are you sure you want to do this, though? These are my trusty scissors. I don't exactly miss with my darlings. You might have amazing reflexes, but I can't say the same of Miss Morose."
"Why don't we let fate decide that?" Yami asked with a smirk and a thumb's up. "You can have the first move."
"HEEHEEHAHAHEEEHEEHEE!" Jill cackled. "Fine by me, this game will be over on the first move. Once I win, I can go back to killing you and my sweet, lovely Mako!"
"What the hell are you doing?" Toko shouted at Yami. "You're going to get us all killed."
"Just shut up and hold still!" Jill shouted, her tongue twirling into the shape of a coiled spring. "From this distance, there's no way I can miss!" Jill tossed her lovely scissors at Toko, officially starting the game.
"Game time," Yami said as the scissors sailed through the air, looking like they were going to hit their mark. Well, until Toko crouched to the ground and forced the apple to roll off her head.
"Wh-what the heck?" Jill snapped. "What the heck are you doing?"
"I should be asking you that!" Toko snapped as she stood up, pointing an accusatory finger at Jill. "Are you trying to kill me?"
"Of course not! You think I want to be stuck here?" Jill asked only to feel the conveyor belt move backwards and she was now several meters farther away from Toko.
"My turn," Yami said. He gave Jill a thumb's up. "I pass my turn." The conveyor belt started up and pulled him towards Yugi a little.
"You cocky S.O.B!" Jill shouted. "You think I still can't hit from this distance. Just watch me!" Jill threw her scissors again at Toko. Once again, Toko ducked and the apple fell, forcing Jill back some more.
"I pass my turn," Yami said, being pulled closer to Yugi.
This same routine played out three more times in a row. By this point, Jill was so far away from Toko, she could barely make out her eyes behind her glasses and Yami was so close to Yugi that they could reach out and shake hands with one another.
Frustrated beyond words, Jill threw another pair of scissors. However, due to the distance between her and Toko, she missed, badly. This let her move closer to Toko. "I assume you're going to pass your turn again?" Jill asked.
"You'd assume right," Yami said and moved close enough to Yugi that he could literally reach out and ruffle his buddy's hair.
What's this guy up to? Jill thought. All he's done is pass his turn continuously. He hasn't thrown a single pair of scissors. And at that distance, he wouldn't be able to get enough momentum to pierce straight through an apple. Jill chuckled calmly to herself. "I pass my turn." She moved a bit closer to Toko. All I gotta do is get close enough to Miss Morose and this game is over. All I got to do is get close enough to the same spot he was in last turn and I win.
However, Jill's plan had one flaw in it: It was Yami's turn and he had already won.
"My turn," Yami said and held the scissors up above his head. He stabbed downward with them, causing Yugi to shut his eyes and wince as he felt slight pressure applied to his head. Jill gasped. Yami had successfully stabbed her scissors straight through the top of the apple and it remained on Yugi's head, unmoving.
"I win!" Yami declared.
"Th-that's not fair! You cheated!" Jill shouted.
"Cheated?" Yami asked. "I said we would take turns trying to impale the apple. I never said we would have to throw the scissors." He plucked the apple off Yugi's head and took a bite out of it. He swallowed the fruit and tossed the bitten object into the air, juggling it. "Yugi and I trust each other and our bond is stronger than even the strongest steel." He stopped juggling the apple. "I knew your distrust between you and your other half would cause your own downfall so I had no problem waiting until I was close enough to avoid putting Yugi in unnecessary danger."
"Thanks, pal," Yugi said.
"I told you, didn't I? As long as you remained calm, everything would be all right."
Jill started to seethe with rage. "GRRRR, Game! Shmame! I'm just gonna kill you! How do you like that?" With sheer brute force, Jill tore herself free of the chains binding her to the ground. She then grabbed a bunch of scissors from her bucket and threw them all at Yami at once.
"The door to darkness has opened," Yami said, pointing a finger at her.
The scissors suddenly changed directions and turned around, impaling Jill from all angles, turning her into a human pin cushion. Yugi and Toko gasped, the former looking mortified, the latter fainting due to her fear of the sight of blood. The world returned to normal as Mako faded into view and no trace of Jill or the blood she was splattered with remained. Yugi was back to being an astral projection and Yami was still in control of his body.
Toko suddenly woke up with a jolt, patting herself down and adjusting her glasses. "Wh-what happened? Was that all a dream?"
"Yugi!" Kaiba shouted, suddenly arriving on the scene. He then saw Mako clutching his leg and the passed out Toko. "Mokuba! Call for KaibaCorp medical immediately!"
"Yes, sir!" Mokuba said and ran to a more secluded spot to call for the company's medical staff.
"Yugi, do you mind explaining to me what the hell is going on at my tournament?"
Toko stood up and looked at the ground. "D-don't get mad at Yugi. It's…it's my fault."
"And? Who the heck are you?"
"T-Toko Fukawa, accomplished author," Toko answered.
"Never heard of you," Kaiba said snappily.
"Gee, that's a surprise," Toko said, surly, rolling her eyes.
"Toko, this is not your fault. It was the fault of the darkness inside your heart and I took care of that," Yami said.
"I didn't ask you to help me!" Toko shouted. "I-I don't n-need a-anyone's help. Y-you got that? A-and wh-what happened just now anyway? Y-you're telling me that wasn't all just some dream? Th-that was real?"
"The Shadow Realm is a powerful force," Yami said, closing his eyes. "I did what was necessary to protect Mako and, in the process," he opened his eyes, looking serene, "I helped you."
"You call that help? I-I'm going to have n-nightmares for weeks remembering that scene!"
Kaiba, feeling confused and, more importantly, uninterested in the conversation, decided to just help Mako and see if he was all right. Yugi and Toko continued to chat.
"So I suppose you want to have me arrested or something now, right?" Toko's crooked smile appeared. "Or maybe you'd like to have your way with me and teach me a lesson, drag me down into the coldest dungeon of that so-called Shadow Realm and punish me severely."
"Okay…that's creepy," Yugi said.
"I'll do nothing of the sort," Yami said. "You were saddled with a great burden, Toko. We all have our demons that we must battle, some of us more literally than others. The demon that was your dark half has been sealed away by the power of my millennium puzzle," Yami said, putting a hand on the artifact. "She won't trouble you, or anyone ever again."
Toko was silent for a long time, looking worried and biting on her thumb nail. In a desperate attempt to test the Pharaoh's words as truth, she tickled her nose with her braid and sneezed. She then promptly wiped her nose with her sleeve and then gasped. "I-I'm still here."
"I told you, the monster lurking deep within your heart is gone. She won't trouble anyone ever again."
Toko looked shocked to her very core. "Genocide Jill is…gone?"
"Haven't I said that several times now? You really ought to pay attention," Yami said with a smirk.
Toko was silent for a long time, long enough for medical to arrive and for Mako to be helped up onto an ambulance so that someone could take a look at his leg.
Biting her lip and looking surly, Toko said, "I…owe you a great debt. I've been battling that fiend for years. S-so…um…if you like…" Toko said as her weird smile reappeared, accompanied by a blush, "Need me to do anything for you. I-I'm all yours to do your bidding, M-master."
"I need no such devotion, Toko. As long as you're safe, that's what matters."
Toko hugged herself and just swooned, drool coming out of her mouth. If it were possible, hearts would be popping above her head.
A little disturbed, Yami looked at Kaiba. "I think it's best you have her looked at too, Kaiba. I feel Toko might've ended up suffering a concussion."
"You're a jerk!" Yugi shouted, knowing Toko suffered no such thing and Yami was literally trying to get rid of her in the politest way possible.
"Don't tell me how to do my job," Kaiba barked. "Someone get over her and examine the girl! Make sure she's not hurt!"
"Yes, sir!" the medical staff responded.
As Kaiba oversaw the treatment of both of his patients, he gave one quick glance to Yugi before pulling out some documents to sign and process.
Left to their own devices now, Yugi felt now was the best time to address a problem he'd been having since he and Yami left the Shadow Realm. "Pharaoh, I'm only going to ask this once and I want an honest answer."
"Okay," Yami stated.
"What in the name of Exodia was that just now?" Yugi snapped.
Yami sighed. Now he had to explain himself. "Before our bond became what it was now, whenever someone was in trouble, whenever you saw injustice, you would call upon my power and I would fix it."
"Oh, yes! That's fixing the problem! I'm going to have nightmares for days!" Yugi exclaimed indignantly.
"In my defense, none of the other victims' penalties were quite that explicitly gruesome," Yami said.
"That doesn't make it better!" Yugi chastised.
"Let me finish," Yami said sharply. Yugi clammed up.
"When it comes to the shadow games, the penalties aren't always within my control. When the door to darkness opens it sees within the human heart and punishes the wicked accordingly."
"How many have died?" Yugi wanted to know.
Yami folded his arms and turned his head away from Yugi. He said nothing.
"How many?" Yugi repeated.
"Zero."
"Is that the truth?" Yugi asked, getting snappy.
"Do you doubt me, Yugi? The Shadow Realm I use is different from the machinations of the likes of Pegasus and Bakura. I don't rescind people's rights to live or steal their souls," Yami replied.
"And what about Jill?" Yugi wanted to know.
"It was a mental attack. I did nothing short of sealing her personality away inside of Toko. The sight was gruesome to behold for sure, but as I previously stated, I don't always have control over the punishments dealt by the shadows."
By this point, Kaiba was approaching the pair again, "Yugi," he said.
"Hmm?"
"I'm sure you've heard this saying before: I've got good news and bad news."
"Just be straight with me, Kaiba."
"The good news is your little friends here are going to be just fine. Mako should even still be able to compete in the tournament in a few hours."
"That's wonderful news. And the bad news?"
"Your friend Wheeler is giving me a headache with how fast and erratic he keeps moving through the city. There's actually another duel disk in close proximity to is."
Yugi gasped. "Is it Marik?"
"Fortunately, no. The duel disk belongs to the classmate of an acquaintance of mine," Kaiba said. "She's harmless, far as I know."
"I would still prefer to speak with Joey in person. He is in grave danger."
"Fine, then follow me. I'll try to keep a constant read on Wheeler, but with the way he and his new girlfriend are running around, it might take some time." Kaiba smirked. "Are you sure you don't want to have our duel now, instead? We'd have a better chance of them running into us."
"Kaiba," Yugi growled.
"Fine, fine. Sheesh, learn to take a joke." He turned around and beckoned Yugi to follow him. "They're this way. Follow me. Let's go, Mokuba!"
"Right behind you, big bro."
As Yugi, Kaiba and Mokuba walked away, Toko watched them go with her eyes set dreamily upon Yugi's focused gaze and wild haircut. Oh the naughty, depraved things she wanted to do to him.
"Um, Miss Toko, are you all right?" Mako asked her.
"Quiet," she said. "You're old news. I have my heart set on my new Master."
"New…master?" Mako was completely confused.
"So nice of him to be concerned for my health. Oh, but the things I'll do for him. I'd gladly get down on all fours and take that large leather boot in my mouth and lick it clean."
"Um, doc?" Mako asked the head medical staff member. "Do you mind if I have a bit more anesthetic? I can still feel the pain." In truth, Mako was looking for any excuse not to now have to listen to Toko's depraved ramblings. And the last thing he heard before losing consciousness was Toko's mischievous chuckle.
For Toko, this was a new lease on her life to not have to put up with Genocide Jill ever again and she would start by pursuing a relationship with the man that made it possible: Yugi Mutoh, until she was on her knees with a collar and leash around her neck, completely subservient to the man she now saw as a worthy master to her indebted depraved self.
(A/N: Crazy alert! Also, Toko, take a number and get in line. Teá has first dibs and Rebecca's called for sloppy seconds. Hell, Toko's not even the third person to want in Yugi's pants, but we'll get to that. Just, word of advice, Yugi: DON'T STICK YOUR DICK IN CRAZY! ...Though given how I've written this story you're going to wind up ignoring that advice XD.
I was actually skeptical in making that decision, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt it would make sense. I mean, Yugi up and made Jill vanish. And, by this point in continuity, Toko hates her alter ego. If someone was able to completely rid Jill from her, I'm willing to bet she'd want to wait on them hand and foot. Still, bet no one expected THIS plot twist though. Danganronpa without Genocide Jill? How will the plot even exist? Oh, I've got my ways. MWAHAHAHA!
And no, I didn't do this JUST because I don't like Toko or anything petty like that. This chapter came to mind when I had the idea that Toko's book, So Lingers the Ocean, would have a profound effect on Mako's popularity. Hell, I exposited enough about that in the chapter itself. Many thanks to two of my friends, including Goshinzilla, for helping me with making this plot thread possible. Special shoutout to my friend Setsubou for providing me with Jill's nickname for Yugi. Makes WAY too much sense when you consider a certain MAD skit XD.
Anyway, next chapter it's back to more of the same with more dueling hijinks. And it's time to see the two richest duelists in this tournament not named Seto Kaiba face off. That's your big hint and if you can't figure out who's dueling from that statement then you'll just have to wait for the next chapter. And, until next time, from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)