Usual Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I do own Pokemon
though ^-^. Ne? Don't I?

Eevee muse: *sweatdrops* You wish....

I'm in a serious jam right now. Its called... *drumroll*
homework. Also, I have been slaughtered by numerous rejections
for my fanarts and fics. I think I'll just sit down and cry now...

*hugs Eevee and Yuugi plushies while sobbing*

*********************************

"Bring me my Bow of burning gold:
Bring me my Arrows of desire:"

********************************

Chapter 6: Setting the Traps

The alarm rang down the corridors, shrieking
intermittently as it wailed its urgent tune. A chain reaction seemed
to have spread across the workers, arousing them from their
dormant sleepy states into a flurry of excitement and newfound
agitation.

Despite this sudden emergency, Pegasus remained
unpreturbed, calmly sipping his wine in the vast deserted expanse
of his chamber. Briefly, a golden gleam flashed across his strange
ornamental eye before disappearing back into the darkness under
his lengthy silver bangs.

He refilled his wineglass twice before standing up,
although neither drunk nor sedated as his single real eye glanced
across the room. Briefly, that eye fell upon his huddled "mistress",
softening a bit before resuming its steely hue.

"Looks like we have company." Pegasus murmured,
straightening his red jacket self-consciously. He sighed, almost in
regret. "It's really too bad. I was enjoying my dinner, but I should
have known that it wasn't wise to choose dinner at a time like
this."

The strange man then laughed at his own sentence, as if
finding something rediculously hilarious in those words. There was
a the clicking of polished shoes against an equally polished floor,
the sliding of an electronic door, and finally, the hiss of the same
door slamming shut before everything returned to silence.

Everything, except for the nervously rustling garments of
the single caged resident.

**************************************

"Kaiba-san."

A voice addressed the tall boy, cool and smooth in tone,
much like his own Computer. Seto Kaiba turned around, coming
face to face with an even taller woman, perhaps in her late thirties;
sporting long green hair half-tied in a single bun, and blood-red
garnet eyes. Her tanned face would have been elegant, had it not
contained an expression void of emotion, calm and composed.

"What is it?" Kaiba grunted, upset at having been
disturbed from his research.

The woman's gaze briefly traveled to the computer screen
on which the boy had been examining before shifting back to eye
contact. "I am well aware that you are searching for restricted
information." She began, tone as emotional as a slab of granite.
"Be warned though - the Authority leaks no vital information, save
the intentional."

Kaiba laughed, tone ridiculing and harsh. "Don't play
games with me. I can hack into anywhere and anything I want and
I'll crack the secret of the Authority and of this entire 'Game' once
and for all."

"I too once thought that I had such power and control."
The dark green-haired woman mused, smiling enigmatically.
"After the time passes by, though, you begin to learn. You see,
there is no secret. Obtaining secrets, even from the Authority, is
almost irrelevant to our task."

Kaiba snorted. "You say that you bunch are in opposition
to the Authority, planning to create a new and reformed world. If
so, how come you just sit in the background and watch everything?
If you wanted to revolutionize the world so much, why not actually
try?" He huffed, rather annoyed at this intruding woman. "Unlike
the rest of you, I'm actually trying and doing something. I actually
want to win."

"This Game is not about winning or losing. It is only
about watching and learning. That is all."

And true to her words, that was all the woman said before
politely closing the door behind her, eyes fixated on Kaiba until the
last moment. And the tall boy couldn't help but feel intimidated
under her impassive glare.

*******************************

As soon as the same green-haired woman re-entered the
common room, everyone stirred, eyes gazing expectantly at this
arrival.

"So, Setsuna, what did he say?" A young woman asked,
auburn pony-tailed hair bobbing slightly.

Another girl snorted, tossing back strands of long ebony-
violet hair. "Huh. I wouldn't be surprised if he gave you the 'I'm-
so-superior-for-the-world' conversation."

The green-haired lady, Setsuna, only shook her head.
"There is nothing to worry about. Kaiba-san is very
important, as he has a great role to play in the future. Never
underestimate anyone, especially your allies."

The auburn-haired woman tossed herself back on the
couch, hands over her head in defeat. "All right. If you wanna
work with him - enjoy!"

"Our mission is not to enjoy anything." Setsuna retorted,
voice serious. "As 'Club 0013', we are empowered with a serious
task. Our task is to prevent the Authority from re-creating the
mistakes of the past. And only when we free humanity from the
chains of the past will we have achieved our task. Argument has it
that we do not have enough power to break out all these chains,
which is where the Talismans come in handy." Setsuna paused,
letting everyone contemplate before continuing. "_Our_
Talismans, unlike the other Talismans, the Millennium Items,
represent our past selves, given a second chance at the future. _We_
are the consequence of that past, and as long as we remember this,
we will not falter from our goal." At long length, she stopped. "Now, if you
would please, Ami, may you file a current report?"

The girl being addressed to, Ami, was a petite woman,
short blue hair and glasses making her appear highly esteemed.
She took out her clipboard, scanning over her notes one more time
before clearing her throat. "As you know, the infamous soul of the
Game King has found his way to a vessel."

There was a murmur of aroused voices, which eventually
died down under Ami's glare.

"There are also numerous others who have such
Millennium Items, although I am sure, none with a role as
important as the Game King's." Ami added, noting dryly the
almost strained faces of the listeners. "Now, everything is
beginning to move. The Authority is beginning to show signs of
weakness, which signals the turn of a tide and the beginning of the
end. Now is the time to act and take positions."

Setsuna politely thanked Ami before standing up again
and continuing. "We have already began to arrange
duties for either survey or for more... friskous actions."
Here, Setsuna said this, looking at the smirking face of a handsome
short blonde-haired woman. "Now, I shall read out your assigned
roles. Make sure that you are ready and well-prepared before
beginning your new tasks."

"Finally!" Someone called out, sporting a trademark
red bow in her long, blonde hair. She flung herself off
from her seat in anticipation. "I hate this stupid waiting! We can
finally fight and make progress to our mission."

Setsuna sighed, almost wearily. "We have already progressed
without fighting," The woman began, but upon realizing that no one
was listening to her, retraced her steps. "All right. Assigned
rolls."

"Mizuno Ami."

The short blue-haired girl nodded at the sound of her
name.

"You will be in charge of all communications and data
management, since Kaiba-san is currently engaged in the hacking
and private information systems."

"Aino Minako. You will join Tenou Haruka and Kaiou
Michiru as part of the battle force, ensuring that the Authority
never finds the whereabouts of Club 0013, and also ensuring the
protection of the innocent."

The three women being addressed to, a bright-eyed
blonde, a taller and huskier dirty blonde, and an elegant, teal-
haired lady each nodded, leaving the room upon consent.

"Kino Makoto and Tomoe Hotaru."

The two woman, one a tall auburn pony-tailed girl, and
the other a considerably shorter, black-haired girl also responded at
the sound of their name.

"We need steady hands to ensure the safety of our Club. If
anyone gets hurt or needs nourishment, it is up to you to take care
of them."

Finally, the green-haired woman turned to the last of the
room's participants. "Hino Rei, you shall come with me. My
foresight is not so clear these days, clouded by the strange powers
of this Authority, and I hope to use your own skills to break this
barrier."

The last girl, a long, violet-black haired girl nodded, eyes
serious.

And so, the room was emptied by the clicking of footsteps
followed by the snap of lights shutting off, returning it into its
darkened state. The door creaked slowly behind it and then, there
was nothing more.

*********************************

Darkness. Shadows everywhere. That, and the flash of
images flying past him, each a grey unidentifiable blur. Nervously
pushing sweaty golden bangs away from his eyes, Yuugi scanned
the sight in front of him.

Even after the sirens rang, signaling Yuugi's unwanted
intrusion, the small boy continued his quest, beads of sweat
staining his already-damp skin. Behind Yuugi was Jounochi, not
faring any better as he would jump at every sound and motion.

Both boys hastily crept through another door, careful
not to make a sound. After re-checking their safety, Yuugi slid the
door closed behind him, opening the lights in the strange
room. He and Jounochi had roamed the deserted halls for quite
a while, unsure of what to say as the sirens blazed a
warning and yet signaled no one. A part of him was afraid, very
afraid. What if the Authority was waiting for him, massing
together to overwhelm him? What if they were holding Anzu and
Honda as ransom? A million 'what if's' crossed his mind, each one
for the worse.

Momentarily, Yuugi glanced at his best friend, the taller
boy sitting with his back against the door, drawing in long muffled
breaths.

"You know, Yuugi. If they catch us, we're history."
Jounochi muttered from his position, his voice as minimally loud
as possible.

Yuugi nodded, dismissing the comment as the blonde-
haired boy had mentioned it a good three hundred times during the
entire ordeal. And it wasn't over yet.

There was a strange whirring sound over the hum of the
lights, although both Yuugi and Jounochi were too exhausted to
have noticed. But someone else did.

//Wait!// The Yami's voice came in a sharp bark,
//There's someone watching us!//

That caught the younger boy by surprise. Frantically,
Yuugi looked around, although there was no one in this empty
room save him and Jounochi.

//Not a _person_!// Yami-Yuugi sent a mental image of a
strange item, square in shape with a protruding glass lens. //It's
by the corner of that wall, called a security camera and able to
monitor every single of your actions.//

Yuugi boggled at that thought. /You mean, this 'Security
Camera' knows where we are?/ A pit fell in his stomach, his tone
flattening into sudden disappointment.

//I'm afraid so.// Yami-Yuugi's tone was as tense as
Yuugi felt. //It will only be a matter of time before they pinpoint
us. Our best bet is to keep on moving so they can't track us.//

Yuugi voiced his agreement before standing up. "We've
got to go right now, Jounochi." He proclaimed, voice urgent.

Jounochi gave Yuugi a puzzled look, but to the boy's
credit, did not complain and simply followed the spiky-haired boy
out the door. As they left the room, the whirring sound fell silent,
the rectangular device flashing a consistent red.

Suddenly, there was a loud click, resonating against the
once-silent hallways and echoing with a million screams. Both
Yuugi and Jounochi jumped, hearts pounding fiercely in their
chests, frozen with fear of being discovered. Instinctively, both
boys backed up, until they were back-to-back with each other, each
scanning a part of the room that the other missed.

"See anything?" Jounochi muttered, still too afraid to
move, lest he walk right into the Authority's traps. A part of him
knew that he was going to be caught anyway, and regretted into
sneaking inside the most guarded and secretive association known.
Why was he here anyway?

Yuugi simply shook his head. "Nothing. I think they
might be-"

The boy never finished his sentence as suddenly a
muffled yell emerged from one of the many corridors leading to
their spot, followed by the harsh pounding of footsteps and flashes
of fleeting shadows against the whitewashed walls. The fluorescent
lighting gave off an eerie glow, silencing the hallways against the
disjunct tapping of footsteps, rapidly becoming louder.

Usually, Yuugi was a very calm and reasonable boy,
admired for his ease to make the right judgments at the right time,
always making sure to meticulously analyze a situation before judging.
However, there are many types of judgments. And Yuugi decided
in less than a blink of an eye that this type of judgment was not one
to think clearly and reasonably on.

Therefore, it was to no surprise that he panicked, body
filled with adrenaline and a steadily growing fear. As fast as his
short legs could carry him, he ran, racing down the hallways until
they became a steady blur, the world around him falling to jagged
ups and downs. Vaguely, he was aware of Jounochi following right
beside him, although it remained a mystery to why the taller boy
could run no faster than Yuugi.

"They're- gaining... on... us..." Jounochi panted between
gasps of air, often frantically looking back as his face rapidly
drained of any colour it had left. The yells behind them were
becoming excited and frantic, the shouts and patters of rapid
running like lust-filled hounds eager to seek their prey.

Yuugi closed his eyes. It would only be a matter of time
before they found him. Already, his legs wobbled uncontrollably,
exhausted and bearing a fatigue he refused to believe. His mind
was yammering with a million warning signals and mourning
shouts of regret, each one louder than the other. If only... if only...
if only!

//Yuugi!//

Only after his Yami had repeated his name five times did
Yuugi realize that someone was trying to contact him.

// You're going to get nowhere in this blind panic. You
guys have to split up.//

Split up? Even with this peak amount of fear, Yuugi felt
somewhat insecure to part with his friend, afraid both for Jounochi
and himself.

//Unless you both want to be caught, I suggest you split
up right now!// Yami-Yuugi's voice came in not as a warning but
as a command.

"Jounochi..." Yuugi spluttered out, ignoring his dry lips
which cracked and bled with the strain. "Split up... now!"

"What?" Jounochi squawked, almost tripping and
slamming into the side of a wall as the pair turned another sharp
left. "You crazy?"

Yuugi shook his head. "It's our best bet."

With a last dubious nod, the taller boy agreed. "Fine
then." He laughed nervously, despite the situation, dry laughter
turning into a hacking cough, courtesy of his burning lungs. "If I
die, just make sure that you hold a decent funeral for me. No
flowers though - they give me hay fever." He continued talking
despite the situation, somewhat unaware of his babbling tone.

And Yuugi listened to it with all seriousness, as do many
panicked, frenzied minds. Then, the duo gave a last parting look at
each other before banking off to different pathways, Jounochi
veering to the left while Yuugi slammed against the wall and
rebounded with a sharp right.

Fortunately, the pursuers were momentarily confused at
this change of tactics. Unfortunately, they knew what to do. That
is, they split forces.

//Shit!//

Yuugi heard that much from his Yami before his
screaming mind overtook his senses. His lungs gasped with each
breath as he sought to overcome this endless fleeting nightmare.

And as luck would have it, things decided to come to an
abrupt end. That is, the winding pathway that Yuugi had chosen up
to now came to a dead end, sealing off all escape. Frantically,
Yuugi glanced around, trying to spot a door, window, or anything,
although none came to sight. What was he going to do? Was this
the end? Yuugi's mind wailed despairingly, like a caged and
trapped rabbit, helpless against the large hulking forms that
threatened to kill him. An icy cold chill swept across the small boy,
and Yuugi couldn't help but wonder if that was the same chill that
those who saw death felt.

//-WILL YOU LISTEN TO ME!!??//

Yami-Yuugi's tone came in an agitated yell, obviously
irritated and as panicked as Yuugi felt.

// I _can_ help you, Yuugi.// The Yami grated, once
Yuugi's mind cleared enough to at least provide a path for
coherent thought. // Don't you trust me?//

Yuugi wanted to remark that right now, when he was
face-to-face with being caught and killed, trust or faith didn't
really matter. However, he fell short of time, and finally withdrew
his control to switch places with his Yami. Besides, what was there
to lose?

Suddenly alternating between watching and acting, Yami-
Yuugi was at first overwhelmed and paralyzed by the simple
thought of decisions, billions of them swarming into his mind,
yammering with unhelpful suggestions. And more than ninety-nine
percent of them screamed "run!". Of course, Yami-Yuugi chose to
listen to that other one percent.

The hunters came now, each one uniformed in a black suit,
wearing sunglasses that masked their stoic eyes, frames bulky and
a good ten feet in height, heads almost touching the ceiling. And
every figure had the same meaningless expression of glee, fixated
at being only moments away from its prey.

Yet, Yami-Yuugi was not prey. Oh no- he never was. The
Darkness's eyes narrowed as he shifted into a firmer stance, planting
his feet against the linoleum ground.

/What are you going to do?/ Yuugi's voice asked, curious
and yet surprised.

Yami-Yuugi smirked. //You'll see.// His own crimson
eyes analyzed the movements of each of his opponents before
falling to the lead opponent, who was now parting from the crowd to make a
move. And the Yami laughed; baring his fangs and letting them glint
against the artificial light as he watched his new opponent try to
intimidate him by crackling bony knuckles.

"Pathetic." Yami-Yuugi spat, voice contemptuous. "Do
me a favour and die, wont you?"

There was a sudden pause as the tall, bulky Authority
pawn realized that he was no longer able to feed on his opponent's fear.
However, the man continued to grin rather dumbly, beady eyes
hidden under the black glasses. "You won't be saying that once we
get a hold of you." He chuckled, motioning for the others of his
group to circle closer.

To the Yami's credit, Yami-Yuugi did not balk at the
sudden confrontation against these multitudes of opponents, but rather,
folded his arms over his chest, face set in his trademark smirk.
Briefly, there was a flash of light from his forehead in the symbol
of a strange third eye, although its suddenness made it seem
an illusion.

"Lets play a game, wont we?" Yami-Yuugi licked his
lips, muscles amazingly relaxed as he talked to the head person of
the group, as if unaware that they were about to either maim him or
capture him - or possibly do worse. Crimson eyes gazed levelly
into the dark reflection of the Authority troop leader's sunglasses.
"You guess how many of your people I kill. If you're
right, I spare your life. Otherwise..." Despite the sheer incredulity
of his statement, his voice was serious, containing a confident and
smug tone that trailed into a hidden threat.

/I don't think bluffing helps in this situation./ Yuugi
panicked inside his Yami's mind, half-afraid and half in awe over
his Yami's confidence.

//Maybe you should just close your eyes.// Yami-Yuugi
replied smoothly. // Things are going to be a little.... Rough//

The head person facing Yami-Yuugi paused, as if the
words had not sunk into his mind properly. Then, he threw back
his head and laughed, a harsh bark ridiculing and mocking.
"You're funny, kid." He replied. "However, spunk isn't gonna
save you. As for your 'game', I predict, zero."

Yami-Yuugi shrugged, slightly closing his eyelids,
making him appear half-asleep. "If you say so."
He then leant back against the wall, slouching against the
shadows and diminishing his already thin frame. Crimson eyes
sparkled underneath half-closed lids as Yami-Yuugi watched the
bulk of Authority members spring into action, charging and
leaping towards him like a rough gang of wolves set to tear a rabbit
apart.

And yet, the head of the pack stood to one side, his taller
bulk sticking out from the crowd of gangly Authority members,
smiling and confident face too impassive to be called a coward.
"Tie him down."

Compliant, the minions struck, stretching limbs and
brandishing fists as they scrambled to grab a piece of
the Yami.

However, 8000 years of experience did not come to
waste. The once-invisible Sennen eye, a permanent marking of the
Ancient Magic, burned a brilliant white on Yami-Yuugi's
forehead, colour changing to a dull ochre as the Yami began to
chant in a soft hiss, language of an age long forgotten.

Just as the first fist attempted to make contact with him,
Yami-Yuugi completed his strange ritual, the glow of the Sennen
Eye disappearing into the fire of his eyes. He shoved his knee
against the first assailant's stomach, snapping his fist backward to
grind into another opponent's nose while slamming his heel
against the groin of a third. All three simultaneously collapsed,
making room for the eager crowds of the others as they rushed to
fill the sudden space around the Yami.

And the captain of the Authority assault group watched
with disbelieving eyes as Yami-Yuugi took out another three
attackers, snapping his foot into a spiraling kick flung by
momentum to knock out a fourth.

Unable to restrain his battle-lust, Yami-Yuugi began to
chuckle, a low rumble that grew in intensity, drawing upon power
and confidence. The Puzzle around his neck began to glow,
flashing with a million facets of light.

And when the Yami realized that he was completely
surrounded and unable to counter all attacks at once, he suddenly
fell still, closing his eyes and laying his index and third finger so
that the tips touched his forehead. The ground around him grew
deathly silent, a foreboding wisp of wind ruffling his hair as the
Puzzle dropped into a deep crimson hue.

Time began to slow down, lapsing into nothingness, the
actions of each attacker freezing on the spot, their faces a painting
of anger and lust. Till now, the hidden Magic of the Puzzle was
compiling and pooling into a gigantic node of power, waiting to be
released and exercised. And till now, the Yami had held the power
at bay, like a trump card.

Yami-Yuugi dropped his poised hand.

And the world around him exploded into a millions of
fragments of darkness, slicing across time and space, each a solid
curve of deadly Magic. The curves danced and collided with each
other, pooling like ripples of the ocean. And like a gigantic
tsunami, they overwhelmed those who stood in opposition,
whether shocked and unaware or grim and perceptive.

Yami-Yuugi watched almost lazily as his summoned
Magic sought the soft flesh of his assailants, slicing through bodies
in perfect arcs as they danced and flashed repeatedly, eager to
carve apart more flesh; to spill more blood before fading away to
nothingness.

There was the howl of anguished cries, screeching as the
arcs of Magic hit them, randomly slicing apart an arm or impaling
them by the neck. Scattered and serrated limbs stuck against the
walls, redecorating the once-white face into a painting of glittering
crimson. And on the ground lay the heavier parts of the body,
crudely disassembled so that they leaked and splurged out blood,
the once-contained vital fluids spilling into the floor and covering
the ground with an almost pungent layer. Some of the more
ravaged bodies had been elongated or grossly distorted as organs
stuck out, no longer contained, torn or shredded until they burst,
revealing the odd stench of undigested food or perhaps the dark
maroon clumps of bloody tissue. Layers of filmy white covered
these organs, the incomplete membrane lying folded against each other,
sometimes spread out and plastered so that they formed a strange
gauze over the background of crimson.

Lastly were the heads, some of them no longer
recognizable as heads, although the odd gleaming, curved skull could
be seen jutting out from flesh or mats of hair. Sometimes the
eyes gazed permanently in accusation while others lacked eyes, the
liquid that once held their eyeballs having ruptured, now dripping
down their empty black sockets.

In the middle of this entire scene of carnage lay the still
form of Yami-Yuugi, perhaps not as still as he seemed, half-hidden
under the shadows. He seemed to be wearing a glove on one hand,
licking the glove, although closer inspection revealed that it was
not a glove at all, but a layer of shimmering scarlet.

Bile built up in the leader of this once-alive assault
group's mouth, being the only remaining survivor of that single
attack. The leader's face drained of colour, watching with fixated
eyes as Yami-Yuugi scooped up another handful of blood, lapping
it up cat-like with his tongue, oblivious to the same liquid staining
his fair skin and clothes.

"Y-You..." The tall burly man said, using the remainder
of his self-dignity to restrain himself from babbling in fear. His
voice lowered to a hush of disbelief. "You... killed them. _All_ of
them."

The triggering of the remaining live voice seemed to have
stirred Yami-Yuugi out of his blood bath. The Puzzle around his
neck was no longer glowing, although his eyes still shimmered
with power.

"Ah yes." Yami-Yuugi smirked. "You like my little trick,
don't you? It's a form of Shadow Magic, the Blood-Binding
Spell." The Yami paused for a moment to wipe his mouth,
absurdly irrelevant and yet oddly chilling. "The price of this spell
is of course, blood." Here, Yami-Yuugi waved his other free hand
almost vaguely at the sea of red, sometimes lumpy, pooled around
him.

Any remains of self-restraint abandoned the tall
Authority-bidding man. "Holy Shit!" He swore, almost at the stage
of wetting his pants. The man spoke with a tone of recognition,
finally realizing for the first time that Yami-Yuugi was no ordinary
person. "You're _him_ aren't you?"

Yami-Yuugi stood up, the blood that had pooled and
seeped into the fabric of his shirt dripping and re-staining his
already crimson pants. He bowed, mockingly. "Many people call
me the Game King, though I have had many names before that.
Yet as this name suggests, any Game I play, I dominate. And you
have fallen under the trap of my Game."

Not surprisingly, the good ten-feet and three hundred
pounds of muscled man broke down, falling onto the group and
burbling incoherent words that could almost be seen as apologies.
"Please don't kill me." The pawn of the Authority pleaded,
beginning to babble and cry, as do many who brush death face to
face.

Any compassionate person, upon seeing the suddenly
broken spirit of the man, would have automatically let him be,
marking him as insignificant. Yet, Yami-Yuugi had never been
raised to be compassionate. So now, as he gazed levelly at the
pleading man, he felt no pity but a deep sense of disdain. The
powers of the Authority had brainwashed this man, making him
into their toys, and now, this _slave_ had to be killed.

The Sennen Eye on Yami-Yuugi's forehead glowed
fiercely, wisps of darkness suddenly coiling and expanding from
the floor, grasping at the targeted man's legs.
"You lost." Yami-Yuugi shouted, amidst the sudden
furious screech of winds and fluttering shadows, seeking to suck
and confine the defeated opponent. "And now, your punishment
is the Shadow Realm!"

The man screeched and begged for mercy as the darkness
sucked his body, wrapping him with a shadowy membrane and tugging
his bound body into a gigantic chasm of darkness, which had
unfolded behind the prey. The once-Authority pawn had lost his
sunglasses, and though the tendrils of shadows bound his
mouth, his eyes still pleaded blindly and desperately for some
hopeless miracle.

Yami-Yuugi was not a believer of miracles, and did not
pay attention.

/STOP IT!/

Suddenly, the Yami felt someone roughly seizing
control, as if trying to overwhelm his senses. With the loss of
concentration, the Magic disappeared, darkness shriveling and
evaporating until they left a choking man, paralyzed with fear, still
alive although barely conscious.

Yami-Yuugi growled, mental and physical voice tinged
with fury. //What are you doing?// He cried, angry of having been
deprived of his Punishment Games.

And everything came to a grinding halt; the Yami suddenly
plunged into a strange spiritual world, not unlike his own Soul Room.

Darkness pooled around him, infinitely confining, though in the
midnight sky stood a single shining star, almost too far away to be
seen. This star had a familiar face, much like the face of....

.... His Aibou.

Large violet eyes mournfully gazed into crimson ones,
pools of silvery-white tears dripping and staining the small face,
falling onto the ground with half-hearted plunks. The expression of
Yuugi's face was one of complete shock and pain, devastated as he
stood still, a piece of light frozen forever.

/Yami.../ A voice traveled across the fathoms of
darkness, though the Yami's body remained rigid.

/Yami.../ Yuugi's voice echoed again.

The Yami said nothing as he simply stared at his other.

Momentarily, Yuugi cast his eyes down, one hand
rubbing away the tears before fiercely glaring at his other self.
/You promised me! You said you would protect me!/
Here he laughed bitterly, conjuring mental images of carnage, of
death, of lust. /What kind of protection is this? Are you protecting
me from others or am I really protecting myself from _you_?/

Yami-Yuugi was listened, speechless. He opened his
mouth to retort, to say something soothing and slightly appeasing,
yet nothing came out. Time rippled and lapsed around them,
drifting into a rift of silence.

Yuugi's face was masked with agitation and agony,
mouth parted slightly open, eyes wide and unblinking. Both his
fists were clenched firmly together, revealing the tension within his
small frame.
/Answer me, Yami!/ He collapsed, golden bangs covering his
face as he fell onto his knees, staring at the ground while fresh
tears brimmed and threatened to spill. /Why? Do you _hate_ me? Is this your
way of showing me that you really don't care?/

Why? Why indeed? Yami-Yuugi was completely aware
of his Aibou's anguish, aware that he had suddenly violated a
sacred spirit, unintentionally breaking the innocence with his
brutality and desire for revenge. He had been selfish; and now,
only now, after 8000 years of dormant sleep did he begin to realize
that he had not lived at all.

After all, Darkness is nothing without the strength of the
Light.

Yuugi, eyes still fixated downwards, jerked in surprise as
he felt a firm pressure on his shoulder. His head traveled upwards, to
see a beautiful face, much like his own but completely different.
And he felt the sorrow of that face, and the need for repentance.

//Forgive me, Aibou.// Yami-Yuugi murmured, lips
beside the ear of his other, voice sincere and wistful. //Forgive me
for having forgotten you, my only Light.//

Yuugi whimpered, although it was uncertain whether the
sound was from fear or relief. /I'm so afraid that you'll do
something really horrible./ He confessed. /And, I wont be able to
stop it./

The small boy buried his head against his other's chest,
feeling the rise and fall of his Yami's breathing as well as a
consistent soft heartbeat. Suddenly, something fell onto his face,
something moist and slightly warm, like a raindrop. Startled,
Yuugi looked up, to see his Yami hastily wiping his eyes.

Upon seeing the look of surprise on his Aibou's face, the
Yami broke into a smile, touching his own moist cheek, once
graced by a single tear.
//Crying.// He muttered absently, fingers still tracing an
invisible line down his face. //And emotion I could only imagine. It's
funny that now I'm dead, I have all these feelings.//

/It's not funny at all!/ Yuugi retorted. /I cry all the time,
but it doesn't mean that I get hurt more than you. Everyone gets
hurt, but keeping it to yourself will only make it worse./ The small
boy looked up at the face of his other, seeking for compassion in
those crimson eyes. /I-I'm glad that you cried. It makes me
understand that you can feel and _do_ care, even if you don't show
it most of the time./

//Then teach me.// Yami-Yuugi stated, bringing his head
down to the smaller boy's face, lips grazing lips gently. The single
interaction blossomed, mouth now traveling across the face and
sliding down the neck, hands idly tracing down each other's bodies
to explore and embrace.

There needed to be no more exchange of thoughts as both
Darkness and Light clutched each other tightly, drawing from the
comfort and desire of the other. And it was only then when both
realized that they were not so different at all.

Here, Yami-Yuugi couldn't help but voice a chuckle.
//We might be the same, but I'm still taller.//

A squeak of indignation was heard from the other.

//Speaking of that, I'm also smarter, and faster...//

What Yuugi did will be left to the reader's imagination.

***************************************

Jounochi looked from the rusting iron bars of the cages,
trying for the umpteenth time to wrestle them open. Of course, this
yielded no result.

Angry at haven been caught so easily, enraged at having
been beaten and struck down so badly, and furious at having been
treated like a sac of dirt, the blonde-haired boy screamed, taking
out his frustration on the metal bars, ignoring the jarring pain of
firm metal against soft flesh and bones.

"Damn!" He shouted in this empty room, voice resonating
as he repeated this single phrase several times. "Damn them all!"

Completely absorbed in his thoughts and flurry of anger,
Jounochi remained completely oblivious to two figures advancing
towards his cage. Both of them hastily scurried towards the cage
like twins points of flowing water.

Jounochi jerked up in surprise as he heard the grating of
metal against metal. His eyes scanned the half-dark room, falling
onto two cloaked figures; one of them holding a strange device in
one hand while the other looked around, searching for danger. He
was about to scream and tell them off when he realized that they
couldn't have been guards. If they were guards, why were they
_cutting_ open into his cell? So, the blonde-haired boy wisely held
his tongue and temper, crawling towards these possible rescuers.

The cloaked figure with the strange device began to
speak, barely audible against the grating sound. "Look. We're here
to help you escape."

However, Jounochi was never a believer of sudden flukes,
and began to grow suspicious. "What for? Why would you help
someone like me escape?"

The other figure snorted, voice dry and sardonic. "I knew
he would say that."

"You'll just have to trust us." The first figure said, now
having broken several bars, making an opening large enough for a
small child to fit through.

Jounochi was still dubious, although he wistfully eyed the
opening. "Give me a reason to trust you."

"Mutou Yuugi did." The figure replied. Another bar broke,
yielding a considerably large opening.

The blonde-haired boy gave a start. "You guys know
Yuugi?"

"More than you'll ever realize." The other figure's tone
was still dry, although it contained a degree of sincerity.

Jounochi shrugged. Ah... what did he have to lose? It was
better than risking things as a prisoner, anyway. The blonde-haired
boy nodded. "Fine then, lead on."

The last bar broke with a muffled snap as Jounochi
escaped into freedom.

******************************************


Pegasus Says:

*There is an empty room with a recording machine in the middle.
Suddenly, the machine sets off, having been set at the EXACT pre-
recorded time*

Pegasus's voice: Hello. I didn't bother to come and reveal my
glorious and powerful self because I have better things to do.
However, I had predicted that I had no choice but to do this, and
after realizing my fate, I pre-recorded this tape so that you may
hear my melodious voice even when I'm not here.

*The table sweatdrops*

Pegasus's voice: The moral of today's story is that I can predict
anything I want, and there is nothing you can do to deter me from
determining your fate. Don't laugh because I know that your
skepticism will only lead you to demise. Namely in the form of
losing a duel to me.

*the choking of various listeners is covered by the sound of
Pegasus sipping wine*

Pegasus's voice: And don't make any comments about my wine
sipping. I know you're doing that. I also can read your every single
move, but since I'm so much better than you, I'm not even going
to bother. By the way, I predicted that you would think I'm a jerk
for saying that, so I decided to make this recording as long and
drawn out as possible to irritate you more.

*Finally, Zoo bursts into the room, taking out a GIGANTIC
Zanbata (think Kenshin) battleaxe and slicing the recording
machine in half.*

Pegasus's voice: *from another source* Hah! I predicted that Zoo
would break apart the first recording machine, so I have, of course,
prepared a second one.

Zoo: -_-;; Don't even tempt me...

********************************

Author's notes:

Arigatou to Smeaghead for commenting on my preview!

By the way, the Talismans I refer to are not related to
Talismans from any other crossover! *eye twitches at the thought
of a Yu-Gi-Oh!/Sailor Moon/Jackie Chan Adventures crossover*

One question: Is Pegasus related to Bakura?

Eevee muse: Hai! *image of Bakura with wings and a horn, talking
to a certain pink yamhead*

Zoo: *Whacks Eevee muse for that bad crossover pun* Not _that_ Pegasus!
I mean, Maximillion Pegasus!

Eevee muse: *Shrugs* Dunno. Why don't you ask the readers?

Next time:

- let's visit Grandpa!
- the match you've all been waiting for! What happens when the
Yami's of Bakura and Yuugi collide?

Some strange yaoi fanfic author: You get lots of groping and
feeling!

Zoo: @.@ I did NOT need that...