Disclaimer: I own all your pathetic lives and the whole world!
BWAHAHAHAHAHA-

*thinks for a moment*

Then again, why would I want to own your pathetic lives? Forget it... I
don't own anything, not even Yu-Gi-Oh or Sailor Moon. -_-;;;.

BTW: I'm not changing the format of my story - gomen.

~ dream sequence ~
/ Yuugi talking to Y.Yuugi/
// Yami-Yuugi talking to Yuugi//

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

..."So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into
the past."

- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

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

Chapter 7 - "The Price of a Tribute" - Part 1


"And on the weekends, I wake up super early just to help my
Grandpa with his shop."

It was just a bit past dawn, the sun having risen over the dark
line of the horizon, spreading its phoenix-like form on majestic wings
painted from a sacred red to a golden, glimmering yellow. Tendrils of
darkness, chased away by the call of the sun, escaped hastily, fading away
to reveal a placid light-blue face, slightly flushed from being hidden for
so long.

And it was at this time that Yuugi was talking, happily
conversing with his Yami. After an hour of pleading and cajoling, the
small boy had finally convinced his Yami to walk beside him, as if the
latter were a real person or friend, instead of some strange spiritual
guardian. Yuugi had confessed to his other that it comforted him, to see
his Yami outside, not always confined to the actions of a single body.
And although Yami-Yuugi had complained and grumbled a lot, especially
on how dangerous it was for Yuugi to be alone - which Yuugi then
countered by replying that Yami-Yuugi was still beside him - the Yami
seemed to be enjoying the freedom. Sometimes, his visual manifestation
would walk beside his Aibou, or other times, crane his neck, gazing
almost in awe at the dilapidated buildings that compiled around them,
having been abandoned for so long that its only inhabitants were saplings
and moss growing on its once-firm surface. And times in between, Yami-
Yuugi would fluctuate from illusion into solidity, kicking a stray pebble
aside or bringing his hand against the smooth edge of dying granite walls.

Both of them were traveling across the Old City now, the
abandoned city, full of wives' tales concerning ten-headed beasts and
other fanciful creatures mutated enough to discourage the general public.
Yet, Yuugi was now an outcast, so figuring that he had nothing else to
lose, the boy bravely picked his way across the eerie ruins, aware of their
silent songs and hollow thoughts, speaking wistfully of times once
spectacular. It was only an added bonus that his Yami, striding beside
him, provided some comfort and protection in the strange, solitary
wasteland.

"You must like your family a lot." Yami-Yuugi finally said,
breaking the silence for the first time since their excursion, husky alto
slightly amused. The morning light glinted of his sharp eyeteeth, only
emphasizing his unnatural presence.

Yuugi nodded his head vehemently, spiky hair bobbing up and
down. "You bet! Ojiisan is the best! And Mom - well, you should see
how great she cooks. Wait until I intro-"

Abruptly , the boy stopped talking, and it seemed as if in that
single moment, the weight of everything that had happened finally fell on
him, chaining his spirits to the ground. And yet, the boy only faltered for
a single moment before picking up the beat again, bravely fighting
against his chains with twice the spirit. "Mom would probably freak out if
she saw you," Yuugi confessed, as if that was all he had meant,
"Although Grandpa would definitely be cool about it."

To his credit, Yami-Yuugi pretended to ignore the shift in
moods. "I'm sure your family are nice people."

Again, Yuugi nodded, about to open his mouth to add a
comment when he suddenly came up with a brilliant brainstorm. "Hey!
Just because they can't see us doesn't mean we can't see them!" The
smaller boy shouted, elated at such an idea. "I propose that we visit them
right now, and see how they're doing. That way, you can see them too!"

Yami-Yuugi shook his head, rather condescendingly. "I don't
know about that." He muttered, voice dubious and always slightly
negative. "It might be dangerous, and we might get discovered."

"Just because it's dangerous doesn't mean that you cannot do it."
Yuugi retorted, still to happy to have his bubble burst. "Besides, you're
the one who always lives on chance and risk, so you should be used to it."

The Yami opened his mouth to protest, but upon realizing that
his Aibou had gotten him pinned down perfectly, sighed in defeat. "All
right." He finally consented, "But only for a few moments." He hastily
added, watching as Yuugi cheered.

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

It had only seemed like yesterday when Yuugi was running
down these streets on the way to school, book-bag on one hand and jacket
clenched in the other. And now, as Yuugi strolled down the very same
paved and cobbled streets, each stone and denture invoked a small
memory, a past dream, a million thoughts and moments of the past,
disappearing as fast as they came. Another wave of sadness and regret
washed through the smaller boy, but he swallowed it again like a bitter
pill, unwilling to wallow in faded desires.

"A penny for your thoughts."

Yuugi looked up, to see the face of his Yami, smiling kindly at
him. The smaller boy shook his head. "Nah. Just speculating. I always
do."

Yami-Yuugi chuckled. "I've noticed."

The pair turned along another corner, passing by a stolid red-
brick building and then a long white-washed fence. Dirty sneakers
trundled across damp grass, soaking the faded grey material into a slight
unhealthy green.

Suddenly, Yami-Yuugi snapped his head, turning sharply to the
right, glaring at something that wasn't there.

"What is it?" Yuugi asked, curious and intrigued as he watched
his Yami stare at what appeared to be nothing.

"Someone..." Yami-Yuugi didn't finish his sentence, although
in his mind embedded the image of a white-haired figure fleeting down
the streets, disappearing as fast as he came, wearing a strange golden relic
around his neck. The relic was oddly familiar; the Yami could have sworn
he saw the Sennen Eye engraved in the center, although it was too far to
be sure. And it was then that a strange prickling sensation overtook Yami-
Yuugi, a sudden glimpse of a foreboding premonition dancing in his
mind.

"Wha-" Yuugi chased after Yami, who had sudden dashed off in
what seemed to the smaller boy to be a sheer act of stupor or hidden
obligation. "Wait! Where are you going?" The boy tried his best to keep
up with the taller form of his Yami, already beginning to grow out of
breath.

Yami-Yuugi silenced the boy with a look. "No time to talk. I
think your Grandpa might be in danger." Was his grim reply.

Lavender-violet eyes widened even larger. "What? Grandpa's in
danger?"

Even in the middle of leaps and stride, Yami-Yuugi managed to
shrug, talking fluently as if he were still walking. "I don't know." He
confessed, "But it's just a feeling."

"How... good are your... 'feelings'?" Yuugi persisted, voice
edged with a growing worry.

Since Yami-Yuugi had never been instructed on the ways of tact,
he replied with all sincerity, or, as most people like to put it, bluntness.
"I've never been wrong."

Yuugi was about to scream in panic, when the duo suddenly
came face to face with a spectacle that forced them to silence.

Yuugi remembered his house since the day his grandpa had been
promoted and assigned into it. The house was a simple ordinary shelter,
the outside face an exact parallel to every other house on the
neighbourhood - in fact, the same house as everyone in this society.
However, his grandpa had made a few alterations, such as a gigantic
wooden board which wrote "Turtle Game Shop" in proud green letters
hanging above the doorframe, as well as small chimes that would jingle
lightly every time a customer entered via door. His own room, directly
above the makeshift shop, had always been slightly small and most of the
time messy, littered with scattered arrays of flying paper as well as the
occasional pen or unused articles of clothing.

But now...

Now... it didn't matter did it? And, as Yuugi stared, unbelieving
at the sight in front of him, his mind feel into a long lapse of sheer mental
shock, unable to comprehend what was going on. His house was gone,
completely annihilated, the oak walls and friendly shining windows now
a simple black scorch on the ground, remainders of its past pride in the
form of charred wood, sticking out from the smoldering ruin like
landmarks lost in time.

Tendrils and lingering wisps of smoke rose from these ashes,
flaring suddenly in hues of burnished red before withering back into
darkness. Only that, and the fresh acrid smell of burnt wood, hinted that it
had not been long since the house had burnt down.

And Yuugi stood, staring in complete devastation. Tears fell
from his eyes like fragments of crystal, although they remained opened
and unblinking. Like a lifeless statue, Yuugi stood, frozen in time as he
simply stared, numb mind unable to act.

Yami-Yuugi gazed in discomfort at his other, aware of the agony
burning in his Aibou's chest. The Darkness shifted awkwardly, clearing
his throat slightly to try and gain the smaller boy's attention. Of course,
there was no response. Finally, the Yami took a deep breath, summoning
all his courage to give his other a rough shake on the shoulders, half-
afraid of how Yuugi would react.

Yuugi did nothing.

Yami-Yuugi shook his other harder, and finally was forced to
slap Yuugi forcefully on the cheek, leaving a red welt on the smaller
boy's soft skin, although the tears continued to trickle down the stinging
cheek.
"Speak to me!" Yami-Yuugi called in frustration, anger making
him act irrationally, although compassion making him restrained and
confused. The Yami had never lost anyone close to him before - and now
it hurt him just to see his other in that position, sitting limp and devastated
like a broken rag doll.

A small whimper escaped from Yuugi's throat, dying as fast as it
came.

It was the saddest thing, to see the only person one has loved,
break apart, falling like ashes to the wind. Yami-Yuugi's felt his
breathing contract, chest tightening painfully, binding and squeezing his
heart. The Darkness looked at his broken Aibou, and in a sudden
impulsive action, wrapped his arms around Yuugi's small frame, body
arched as if to protect his other from the world. He nuzzled the smaller
boy's soft hair, leaning his face against Yuugi's slim shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Yuugi." Yami-Yuugi finally murmured, although
those words felt awkward and unused. "I'm sorry."

Yuugi said nothing, but the smaller boy's eyes seemed to have
lost their stunned stare, now gazing at the scene of wreck with sad
acknowledgment.

"Aww... what do we have here?"

A dry voice suddenly rang out amidst the silence, breaking the
moment of solitude and remembrance. From the shadows slid a tall, lithe
form, slightly sinewy and menacing, hair a glittering silvery-white. The
figure bowed, mockingly, the strange golden amulet around his neck
flickering with facets of light. "Sorry to have interrupted your little
emotional act, but I was running out of tissues." As the figure smiled,
white canines glistened under the sun, dull blue eyes mischievously
menacing.

Yami-Yuugi snarled, leaping with arms outstretched as if to kill
the intruding figure with his bare hands.

And Yuugi did another double take as he watched the white-
haired boy agilely dodge Yami-Yuugi's attack, trading the attempted
blow for another, which Yami-Yuugi hastily avoided. His mind began to
swirl uncontrollably, head pounding as he raced through millions of
implications. His house was burnt, which meant that his grandfather and
mother were either dead or going to be dead. His friends had all
disappeared one by one. Now, this strange dangerous person was
threatening his Yami....

Dangerous? Wait! Yuugi _knew_ this person! It was... it was -

"What do you want here, Bakura?" Yuugi shouted, watching as
now, the two figures circled each other like two wolves seeking for
dominance, eyes never leaving the figure of the other.

The white-haired boy's lips curved into a sadistic smile, voice
coming out in a pounding low hiss. "Call your Yami off and perhaps I'll
tell you."

"It's a trap!" Yami-Yuugi immediately countered. "The moment
you turn your back on this weasel, he'll kill you!"

"Now why would I want to do that?" Yami-Bakura mocked,
voice keen and dully sarcastic. "It's much more fun taunting you like
this."

Yuugi's mind reeled as he sought to make sense of the entire
conflict, sought to resolve this sudden tension. In the corner of his mind
lay the image of a sad-eyed boy, unruly white hair splayed in all
directions as he lay motionless in the grasp of his own replica. Yuugi's
eyes then traveled back to the flowing form of _this_ Bakura, and he
started to make connections.

"You're a Yami, aren't you?" Yuugi concluded, voice rising in
realization. "You're Bakura's Yami - his complete opposite!"

"Maybe." Was the demure reply, although the answer was
obvious. "Or maybe this is the real me and the other whom you think was
real the copy."

"Bullshit." Yami-Yuugi spat out right afterwards. "You're as
real as I am, and judging from your actions, unworthy of your namesake."

"Namesake?" Yami-Bakura countered back, laughing harshly.
"Get this straight. I _am_ the rightful owner of this body, whether you
like it or not. I'm surprised you haven't figured it out."

Yuugi listened to this entire conversation, mind reeling.
"Figured what out?" He asked, standing like a prone figure from the
bleachers.

"Your soul is comprised of two sections. One Light and one
Dark. Without my Darkness, the person whom you know as simply
'Bakura' would be no more." Yami-Bakura gloated.

"You lie!" Yami-Yuugi exclaimed. "Yes, there is a Light and
Darkness, but they are different and aware of each other. Each part has a
_different_ purpose, though they may share the same experiences. It is the
Yami's goal to _protect_ his other, not to force it into submission!"

Yami-Bakura snorted. "You were always such an idealist. You
and those others. I can't stand the likes of you."

"Then let me free you from you misery." Yami-Yuugi snarled,
baring his fangs menacingly.

"Try me." Yami-Bakura responded with a similar action,
crouching into an offensive stance. "You like Games, don't you, Game
King? Then, let's take this challenge to the Shadow Realm."

Yami-Yuugi responded with a curt nod. "Fine. But Yuugi stays
here."

"I made no such promise." Yami-Bakura sneered, bringing his
hands to touch the golden Millenium Ring hanging from a loose cord
around his neck. The Ring began to glow a dark amber, flashing
erratically and spilling out a maelstrom of shadowy winds.

Before Yami-Yuugi or Yuugi could react, the world around
them reeled into darkness, everything spinning and sucking into a
gigantic black void.

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

Yami-Bakura sneered as he straightened himself from the rough
landing into the depths of the Shadow Realm. This place was a nether-
world, once rejected and anticipated by many because of the potential in
both the Power and Punishment it held. It was a place called upon by
many a sovereign of the old, now as dead and forgotten as their lost
kingdoms, save the few who dared uncover its mystery.

The white-haired Yami walked across the strange atmosphere,
stopping at the unconscious body of Yuugi, who lay crumpled in a small
heap, golden Millennium Puzzle resting lightly on his chest. Self-
consciously looking around for any signs of danger, Yami-Bakura then
leant over the small boy, kicking the limp body roughly with his foot to
confirm Yuugi's unconscious state. Then he laughed, chuckling gleefully
as he leant over and grabbed the golden Puzzle, fingers clasping around
the smooth golden face.

Without warning, the Puzzle began to glimmer, the light-gold
sheen intensifying until it projected a blinding white light, making Yami-
Bakura back up a few paces to shield himself from the sudden glare.
Yuugi's eyes suddenly snapped open, although it was no longer Yuugi,
but rather, his Yami, which stood to attentiveness, glaring at Yami-
Bakura as he protectively held his Millennium Puzzle.

Deep crimson eyes bore into sapphire blue ones. "You haven't
changed." Yami-Yuugi muttered in disgust as he elevated himself to a
level where he stood relatively face-to-face with the other white-haired
Yami. "Still trying to steal all the Millennium Items. Are you so desperate
as to go after the _Puzzle_ now, even though you know you can't use its
Magic?" The King of Games's voice was smug, although it contained the
same tone of disdain.

"Idiot." Yami-Bakura laughed, dark blue eyes slanted under
locks of greyish-white. "It's not _just_ the Puzzle I want but all of the
Millennium Items. For it is said that he who can obtain all the Millennium
Items will have unlimited Power."

"Power, Pride, Greed, Lust." Yami-Yuugi said these words,
spitting out each syllable. "That's all you ever concern yourself with. Too
bad you're too dense to realize it any other way."

Yami-Bakura growled angrily, eyes fierce and menacing.
"Enough of this stupid idle talk! I'm sick of your dumb morals. I came
here to challenge you to a Game, and I challenge you now."

"Consider it granted." Yami-Yuugi replied, not missing a beat.
"Name your Game and your stakes and I shall accept."

"You should know that the stakes are much higher directly in the
Shadow Realms." A tongue rang across ivory fangs as Yami-Bakura
continued to speak. "The price I name is therefore the conventional -
your soul. Oh, and might I add, you're not just playing for your soul but
your soul-called 'Light's' soul too."

Yami-Yuugi's eyes widened as he realized for the first time
since his appearance into the Shadow Realm that his Aibou was missing.
"Yuugi!" He cried out, searching vainly for the presence of his other,
although finding none. "What have you done to him?"

"Play my Game and you shall find out." Was the only reply.

Yami-Yuugi growled. "Fine! Let's duel!"

Without even stating the rules or procedures, both Yami's took
into their hand a set of cards, each one representative of a monster or
power. However, the real power lay in their own perseverance and use of
Magic. The cards were simply added as a guide, a layout of rules, nothing
else.

Yami-Yuugi picked a card from his hand, analyzing the picture.
"I call upon the Winged Dragon!" He shouted. Then, he closed his eyes,
recalling his experience from his past as he invoked his Magic. He had
once been a master of the Shadow Games and he would be so now.

"Interesting." Yami-Bakura commented. "A flying-type of
Magic." He sneered, looking at his own chosen card. "In fact, I'm _so_
scared that I'll just play the defensive for this turn."

Yami-Bakura continued to smirk as Yami-Yuugi summoned a
gigantic demon from the image of his card, the demon resembling a
gigantic blue pteradon, jaws open wide, flashing rows of serrated teeth as
it screeched menacingly.

"Winged Dragon! Attack the card!" Yami-Yuugi commanded
with no hesitance, his voice ruthless.

And yet, Yami-Bakura still held his smug and superior air. He
watched as his destroyed card momentarily flared to life, a strange
bloated lizard that gave a last squeak before scattering into fragments. He
then began to laugh, shaking his head in disdain. "Too bad. You just
attacked my Electric Lizard. And it doesn't like to leave the field without
putting up a good fight."

Yami-Bakura touched his Millennium Ring, making the dull
gold flare to life. "I guess I'll have to do that for it." The empty space
between his two hands suddenly flared to life, dancing with bolts of
electricity that crackled and fizzed in jagged streaks. Giving no warning
time, Yami-Bakura attacked, snapping his right wrist in a sudden
throwing motion as a discus of electricity danced across space, hungrily
leaping towards its target. That target of course, was Yami-Yuugi.

Fortunately, split-second decisions were second nature to the
Game King, and he reacted by recalling his own monster, re-absorbing
his summoned Magic. His figure shimmered slightly, the Sennen Eye
glowing as a pair of feathered wings flickered into existence from his
shoulder blades. Faster than time could count, the wings unfurled
themselves, black tips outstretching to an impressive span, easily
enveloping the diminished form of Yami-Yuugi in the centre. With a flex
of his newly-accumulated wings, Yami-Yuugi shot off into the air,
gaining altitude as he agilely piloted himself through the brunt of Yami-
Bakura's electrical assault. There, he hovered in mid-air out of attack
range, although his sharp eyes allowed him to see all to clearly the moves
of his opponent.

Yami-Bakura growled at this sudden change of tactics.
"Interesting, using your monster's Wind element to fabricate your own
Magic. However, that puts you directly into the line of fire. Perfect prey
for my Man-Eating Bug." The white-haired Yami summoned his card, his
own Magic, enhancing his monster to a gigantic size, the creature easily
spanning ten metres in height. With deft, powerful leaps, Yami-Bakura
leapt on the head of his called monster, playing another wind-elemental
monster in defense. Ebony dragon's wings sprouted from Yami-Bakura's
back as he invoked the card's wind Magic, giving him the same
advantage as his opponent.

Yami Bakura grinned maliciously as he flew level with the other
Yami. Electricity still sparkled at the tips of his fingers, jolting out
occasionally in powerful crimson arcs as the white-haired Yami
addressed his opponent. "Now, you can't run. If you think about landing,
my Man-Eater Bug will destroy you. And in the air, you're a rather easy
target for me."

"I'd like to see you try and avoid this." Yami-Yuugi countered,
calling from his hand a magic card. "Swords of Revealing Light!" The
Game King infused his Magic to form a sudden flurry of energy-sustained
swords, the Swords flying from the depths of the skies to surround Yami-
Bakura, immobilizing the white-haired Yami. "You see, it stops all turns
for three rounds, allowing me time to both think and, of course, to attack
you."

Yami-Bakura snarled as he sought for a strategy to protect his
prone figure. "You're just wasting your time! If you attack me, the attack
will only destroy your stupid swords!"

"Maybe I don't want to just yet." Came the glib reply. Enjoying
his time watching the struggling form of Yami-Bakura, Yami-Yuugi drew
his next card, smirking as he did so. "You see, at first, I was too scared to
attack you, in case I could indirectly damage my hidden Aibou. But now,
I figured a way out."

The Game King threw the card until the floated in mid air,
invoking the card's power with his Magic. "I call upon the power of the
magic card 'Monster Reborn', to give the power of rebirth to any monster
discarded. But since this isn't any normal card game, and since any active
being is allowed to attack like a monster, I choose to call upon Mutou
Yuugi, who was discarded since the beginning of the game!"

From the flat face of the card grew the translucent form of
Yuugi, who glimmered for a few seconds like a sleeping ghost before
solidifying and stumbling on top of the floating card's face. The small
boy looked around, eyes widening as he saw below him the fathomless
shadowy depths and a gigantic monster, hungrily snapping its jaws. He
looked around and did a double take as he regarded the immobilized
furious form of Yami-Bakura and the impassive and smiling face of his
own Yami, both of them strangely surreal as they hovered in the sky.

With a deft flex of his wings, Yami-Yuugi was beside his Aibou,
cradling the smaller boy in his arms rather protectively.
"You okay, Yuugi?" The Game King questioned, personally
relieved that his twist of magic had worked.

"I guess." Yuugi shrugged, accepting his Yami's sudden
embrace with a note of surprise. "But where are we? And what's going
on?" He felt like he was part of a sequel to an original he had never seen,
completely disoriented and confused. The last thing he remembered was
the sudden appearance of Yami-Bakura, although this by far did not
explain what was currently going on.

Yami-Yuugi eyed the Swords that were beginning to wobble and
fade under the counter-spell of Yami-Bakura. "I'd love to explain, but
right now, we have to finish this Game."

Yuugi blinked. "Game? You mean, all this is just a game?"

Yami-Yuugi paused for a moment to give his other a dry smile.
"I wouldn't call this 'just a game', especially when the stakes are either
life or death." He quickly drew another card from his hand, summoning
the card to create a gigantic skeletal dragon, ferocious claws outstretched
as it screeched a battle cry. "I call upon the Curse of Dragon in attack
mode, discarding my Kuriboh to complete my turn."

Suddenly, Yuugi was no longer standing on the blank face of a
card but the smooth bony surface of a gigantic beast, the small boy
clutching on to the softer membrane between the bones to avoid slipping
and falling off. "Why are you discarding one of your cards?" The spiky-
haired boy questioned, slightly surprised at this tactic.

Yami-Yuugi smirked. "You see, Kuriboh has a special effect, for
when I discard this card from my hand, I am allowed to protect any of my
cards from the next attack. At least, I'll have one more turn with you
safely protected before the real battle begins."

"Oh right." Came the reply, although Yuugi had to think for a
moment before it made any sense. A part of him regretted the fact that he
was being a burden, that he was holding his Yami down my making his
Yami always play moves to protect him. A sudden thought struck his
mind. "So, I'm basically a card now?"

Yami-Yuugi never had the chance to reply as Yami-Bakura
broke the last Sword from the magic card, smiling triumphantly as he
drew his card for the turn.

"I my magic card called 'Just Dessert', which has a very
_special_ effect." The white-haired Yami placed his card down, enlarging
the card through an infusion of Magic as a gigantic ghostly hand shot
from the face of the card, extending until the grabbed Yami-Yuugi in its
gigantic fingers, squeezing the Game King like a sponge. "Just Dessert is
able to suck out 500 life points for every monster on your field. But since
we're not playing a regular card game with life points, you'll find this
card's effect much more... interesting."

"Yami!" Yuugi cried, watching as his Yami uttered choked
gasps of agony, cut off with each contraction of the hand's fingers. Even
more, the hand drained the Game King's Magic every moment it stayed
in contact. Already, the strain of losing so much Magic was proving to be
fatal as Yami-Yuugi ceased struggling, wings and glowing puzzle fading
into darkness as his form hung limply within his captor's grasp.

There had to be something he could do. The small boy's mind
raced to the game's rules, trying to find a loophole that would free his
Yami. If Yuugi was a card, then he could be attacked. Yet, how could
Yami-Yuugi be attacked if the Game King was playing the game? Or did
the player not matter, as long as the cards were set?

Either way, what could he do? He was only a small boy,
insignificant in this strange magical battle against powerful and ancient
beings. He, Mutou Yuugi, was nothing, a nuisance like a fragile porcelain
statue, easily shattered. Shameful tears welled down his cheeks as he
helplessly watched his Yami dwindle, the fire of the ancient Game King's
spirit escaping with each second. It was only a matter of time before
Yami-Yuugi would fade away completely.

Torn between scared and tormented, the boy tried to calm
himself, nails digging into clenched fists to subdue his tears. He _had_ to
be brave: to at least try. But... how?

~ The angel turned around, to see the huddling and sobbing form
of Yuugi, crouched on the ground in a miserable shadow. Her soft blue
eyes reflected compassion as she flew towards the small boy with two
swift strokes of her wings, downy white feathers lightly scattering in the
wind. Golden hair blew past her face, swirling like mist along her body as
she landed, bare feet making no sound on the grass.

Gently, the angel cupped Yuugi's cheek, stroking away the small
boy's tears. "Why are you crying?" The question was simple and
straightforward, softly demanding.

"I- I'm worthless." Yuugi stated, voice hushed and slightly
choked. "I can't do anything."

"Who said that?" The angel gave Yuugi a quizzical look. "You
can do anything you want -"

Angrily, Yuugi pushed the embrace of his angel away. "Stop
trying to make things better!" His lips quivered as he tried to retain his
emotions. "There's nothing you can do."

"You're right." The angel sighed, her garments rustling as she
approached the small boy once again. "There's nothing I can do, but
maybe something you can."

Surprised, Yuugi looked up into her exquisite face, eyes showing
both fear and confusion. "But what can I do? He's so much stronger than
I am."

"That's not true." The angel replied. "Even the smallest twig is
able to keep a flood at bay."

"But I'm so scared." Yuugi admitted, beginning to cry again,
although the tears dripped soundlessly down his chin. "I'm afraid that I'll
only make it worse."

"Your Yami wouldn't be scared." The angel interjected, voice
still reasoning.

"My Yami isn't me!" Yuugi retorted. "He's stronger, and
smarter, and he knows.... Magic."

The angel laughed. "Is that all?" She smiled kindly, peaceful
eyes radiating serenity. "Then I'll tell you a secret. You see, your Yami is
only an alter-ego of yourself. Anything he does is a reflection of yourself,
including using Magic."

"But I don't know how to!" Yuugi protested, scared rather than
reassured. "I can't do anything!"

Shaking her head sadly, the angel knelt towards the smaller boy,
large wings extended and outstretched over their heads. "If you do not
believe, I cannot help you. Your struggle you must overcome by
yourself." Gently, she kissed the smaller boy on the forehead, a symbol
of the crescent moon glowing on Yuugi's brow before it faded away.

Then, like the multitudes of feathers scattering against the
invisible wind, the angel began to fade out of existence, still smiling
serenely. "You have my blessings. The rest is up to you." ~

Yuugi opened his eyes to the darkness around him, his small
form enshrouded by the eternal view of shadows, pierced only by only a
few points of light. One of them was his Yami, quickly diminishing back
to darkness, and the other the confident, cocky figure of Yami-Bakura,
idly waiting for Yami-Yuugi's flame to be snuffed out completely.

Yet, if those were the only points of light existing to shroud this
strange Shadow Realm, what was Yuugi holding on to? The spiky-haired
boy felt underneath his sweaty palms a firm and hard surface, and started
in surprise as the "surface" shook violently, uttering a primal avian
screech. Yuugi blinked. If his Yami was unconscious, why was this...
card still alive?

'Do _I_ know magic?' Yuugi thought to himself, still
incredulous at the concept. 'I-I sure don't feel like I do.' Yet, life never
provided clear signs of everything. Any action always involved a risk and
a possible mistake.

Mustering all his strength, Yuugi took a breath of air, steadying
himself against the very-solid form of the Curse of Dragon. Whether or
not it was _his_ summoned Dragon, he didn't know. But now - now, he
was going to find out.

From his pocket he extracted a single card, grimy from being
half-forgotten, now remembered all too clearly. It had been his gift,
representing his past memories and even more, his reason for a present
determination.

The boy looked at this lone disheveled card one more time,
trying to fixate into his memory the simple picture, drawing from it
recollections of hope and faith. Briefly, he glanced around, although his
blank eyes took in nothing. The boy's fingers unclenched themselves,
loosing their vicious hold on the yellow-ivory skin. Below him lay the
chasm of infinity, and far away like a star, his Yami.

That was all he needed to know.

And clutching the single card close to his chest, Yuugi jumped.






To Be Continued.

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

End notes:

Well, I've been attacked by the infamous "writer's block", which
Melinda was kind enough to inform me about. Hopefully, with - -NC - -
driving behind me with a tethered whip and Myst-Lady always there to
support me no matter what I write, (plus the stimulus of dodging mutated
cabbages and whatnot), I think I might be able to pull through.

Eevee muse: If your idea isn't stolen by then.

Zoo: Hush, you pessimistic plushie

Next time:

- sacrifices are always necessary for a greater cause - or so Yuugi is
forced to believe