Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.
I'm using 'Ryou' as Bakura's
first name, so when the story calls him that, it's his POV. When he's 'Bakura'
it's Yugi's.
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"Surrender, Yugi," Kaiba said to him. "That is, unless you have the courage to unleash your attack!"
Yugi stared at him in horror. How can you call that courage, Kaiba? he wanted to ask.
I must, the spirit thought.
I can't! Yugi replied.
We must, it said.
NO! It's not right! Yugi insisted. An image of his Grandpa calling for him flickered across his--their--mind. There must be another way!
There isn't, it replied with a tone of finality that was almost saddened.
"Kaiba, I've never backed away before--and I'm not starting now!" the spirit shouted, using his mouth but not his words. "Celtic Guardian, attack!"
As the monster began its charge, Tea started running in his direction, calling to him. "Yugi! You can't! You can't take this risk! Call him back!"
Kaiba simply stood there, refusing to step down. He's going to die! Yugi thought frantically. Our attack--it'll....
Tea was still running towards him, trying to reach him in time. "Yugi, you can't do this! You can't! This isn't like you!"
This isn't me, he thought. Tea, this isn't who I am!
Doesn't she understand? the spirit thought. Yugi couldn't tell if it was talking to him or itself.
"You've gotta stop!" Tea begged. "Yugi!"
She's right! We can't do this! Yugi fell to his knees as he tried to reclaim his body. It wasn't until now that he realized how much freedom he had given this presence--he was barely there in more than thought. The spirit stood firm against him for a second, and he could feel it's unwillingness to lose this battle. Then it slipped away.
"Stop!" Yugi screamed, terrified that he was too late. On the wall, the Celtic Guardian drew to a halt, a mere few feet from the dying Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon.
Tea stood frozen in front of him. Beyond her, he could hear Kaiba ordering the Dragon to attack. There was a roar, and then the scanner he wore indicated his remaining life points had been depleted. The spirit stirred inside him as the counter hit zero, but it stayed away.
How could I have ever thought I could trust it? he wondered hollowly. Even after what Bakura told me about his, I didn't believe that this one was like it. But there's no difference between them; they'll both do anything for their goals. Even...murder....Yugi could feel himself crying, though he didn't want to.
The rest of his friends were calling to him, and a moment later he was surrounded by more pairs of feet. Bakura was there, he could feel.
"I almost couldn't control it," he said, unable to move enough to even look at the other boy, "this other presence deep inside me." He squeezed his eyes shut, more tears beginning to leak out as he remembered how it had been ready to trade someone's life for a victory. "It was willing to go all the way against Kaiba!" he cried out.
"Anudder presence?" Joey asked. "Inside you?"
"Whadda ya mean?" Tristan asked. "What the heck are ya talkin' about, buddy?"
Gratefully, Yugi heard Bakura explaining things. "Like me, Yugi has some sort of ancient spirit living inside him. It has...." Bakura's words drifted away in his mind as the statement sunk in. Living inside me. This...this monster...is a part of me.
Then he remembered. Bakura said these items had something to do with Duel Monsters. If that's true, then I'll stop it! Now!
"I'm afraid of this spirit," he told them, his voice shaking. "So afraid, that I'll never duel again!"
Tea sunk down to her knees so she could face him. She was crying too, he saw. "I'm sorry, Yugi," she said. "Sorry about your grandpa; but you did the right thing." He looked up at her. "You couldn't have harmed another person, not even to save him. He wouldn't want to be saved that way."
I failed him, he wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come out. I don't know how to rescue him now.
Across the roof, Kaiba said something, and it caused Tea to jump up. "He spared you!" she yelled. Yugi's head jerked up, and he stared at her and Kaiba, who had stepped down from the wall.
He's safe, Yugi thought, unable to feel relieved. He was dimly aware of Tea and Kaiba arguing, but he didn't pay attention. But Grandpa is still gone...I'm sorry. I didn't have any other choice.
The spirit inside him stirred again, and Yugi was afraid it would try to come back again. He shuddered. There was a pause, and it disappeared completely.
Bakura knelt down next to Yugi and placed a hand on his shoulder. The shorter teen clasped his hand, but still never looked up from the ground. Joey was yelling something, but he couldn't hear the words. They all ran together.
"I can't believe I was so stupid, Bakura," Yugi whispered. "I thought he was better. I trusted it to help me."
Bakura squeezed his shoulder. "It'll be okay, Yugi. We'll still save your grandfather."
Yugi shook his head violently. "No! No, Bakura," he said, finally sitting back and staring at the white-haired teen. "I'm never. dueling. again. If there is some connection between the Millennium Items and Duel Monsters, it's the only way to make sure he doesn't get free." Then he remembered what Bakura had confessed about his spirit, and he moved so he was no longer covering Bakura's hand, but his wrist.
"Is that enough, though?" Yugi asked, wide-eyed.
"Yes!" Bakura answered forcefully, cutting Yugi off. "Yes! Don't try it, Yugi. It won't work; and you have so much more to lose."
Joey had knelt down beside them by now, and he was giving Bakura a strange look. "What're you two talking about?" he asked, struggling to make his voice soft. He clearly had no clue how to help Yugi here. Tea and Tristan were both standing a little further away, looking equally lost.
Bakura glanced down at the ground, but didn't answer. There was silence for a time, and then Joey shook his head. "Well then, I'll get the star chips back for ya. I owe you big time, Yug'." He stood up and glanced around the castle walls. "Alright, where's someone ta duel?"
Yugi shook his head. "No, Joey. You can't risk your sister for me."
Joey crouched down again. "Yugi, if it weren't for you, Serenity wouldn't even have th' chance she's got now. And I promised I'd help you."
Yugi looked up at him. "Even if I had the star chips, they'd be useless. I wouldn't duel if I did get into the castle. I won't risk any more lives!"
"But if you don't duel," Tristan said quietly, "then your grandpa's gone. Forever."
Yugi squeezed his eyes shut and bent his head, unable to look at any of them, even Bakura, who was still holding his shoulder. "I know." I know...Grandpa, I'm so sorry...but I'm afraid of what this thing might do. I'm afraid to let it free anymore. Please...please forgive me....
Tea yanked on Tristan's coat sleeve, glaring at him.
"Hey! You brats!" came a harsh, authoritative sounding voice. "If you don't have ten star chips, you have to get off the castle walls!" One of Pegasus' security guards came into view.
Joey stood up. "Hey, I got the ten," he said, holding up his glove. "So back off, man."
The guard crossed his arms. "And the rest of you?"
"We're going," Tea said. She gave Joey a look.
"What?!" he demanded. "We don't--"
"Ah, Joey?" Bakura quietly interrupted. "You're the only one. Most of us don't even have gloves. We'd better not argue."
"Oh. Right," Joey answered, quieter. He held out a hand, and with Bakura's help got Yugi up and walking.