Author's Note: First of all, thanks for suggesting names! My favorite by far was "Yukei," suggested by Leigh. It means "tangible," and while that's not the most imaginative thing in the world, I really like the way it sounds! ^_^ Yay! Okay, next chapter is definitely the last one. It'll be short. Just to clear things up, I refer to Bakura (the light side) as 'Ryou' to save a bit of confusion when they're both in the same scene. Also, I found my focus straying away from the Dark Magician occasionally, but I try to keep him in the scene. And the way Ryou deals with his yami has been done before a lot, I know, but I really like it. I'm not trying to steal it from anybody, really. Thanks for the reviews. Keep it up!
Escape to Reality
The next morning found me walking casually down the street, back the way I had come yesterday. I walked alone. The Sennen Puzzle hung heavily around my neck. Yami Yuugi had done something to make it stay on me for a short time. This 'Bakura' person hadn't specified a place to meet him, so I just returned to the park.
Sitting on the same bench was the hikari. His knees were up against his chest with his arms wrapped around them. His eyes looked reddish, as if he had been crying or was very tired.
"I'm sorry I took so long," I said, approaching the boy. He jumped slightly and stood up. "You haven't been here all night, have you?"
The hikari shivered and nodded. I really felt sorry for him. His yami didn't seem to care at all how he felt.
"Well… here it is," I said, removing the puzzle from around my neck.
The circle on his chest glowed (the Sennen Ring under his sweater, Yuugi had informed me), and the yami took control.
"You came alone?" he asked.
"You see no one else here, do you?" I asked. He narrowed his eyes at me. There was a rustling in the bushes beside us. He quickly stepped over and kicked into them. His foot connected with something that said, "Ow!" and a child fell out. The yami took a step forward and growled menacingly. The child let out an "Eek!" and ran.
Secure in the knowledge that no one else was around since there were no other hiding places around, Yami Bakura reached out for the puzzle.
Just before he touched it, the golden puzzle began to glow. I took a step back from the yami.
"You fool!" he spat, stepping back a bit himself. "How dare you deceive me!"
To his great surprise, both the yami of the puzzle and the hikari appeared, both with the Sennen Puzzle around their necks.
"What!?" Yami Bakura exclaimed. But before he could do anything else, the eye on Yami Yuugi's forehead appeared and shimmered. Yami Bakura found himself completely immobile and helpless. Yami Yuugi pointed at him with two fingers. He slowly separated those fingers, and as he did there was suddenly a splitting and Ryou, the hikari, dropped to the ground. His yami remained standing, helplessly under Yami Yuugi's spell. Yuugi quickly went to help Ryou up and took him off to the side to explain the plan to him.
"You've gone too far this time, tomb robber," Yami Yuugi said. "Your thieving ways and abuse of your hikari will stop right now." I stood behind him and watched. "And you'll keep your promise to the Dark Magician, though I know you didn't intend to."
"Ha," the pale spirit sneered. "Try to make me. Without the Sennen Rod, you can't control my actions. And somehow, I don't see Malik helping you any time soon!"
"Oh, I don't need it or him," said Yami Yuugi, smiling. Then he raised his voice a bit. "Yuugi? Is everything ready?"
Yuugi ran back to his Yami with Ryou trailing behind hesitantly. "Yep! We're all ready," he said. Ryou looked worried.
"First of all, this piece of filth must pay for what he has done," Yami Yuugi said. "I'll be glad to see the last of you."
Suddenly, Ryou stepped up to him. "Please…" he said in a soft voice. Yami Yuugi turned to him. "Please don't' kill him. Or lock him in the Shadow Realm forever."
"Are you asking me to show this disgusting piece of vulture-bait mercy!?" Yami Yuugi asked incredulously. "After all he's done to your friends? After all the abuse he put you through!?"
"I… I know," Ryou said quietly. "But… he's still my yami. Could you stand by and watch Yuugi be killed, even if he'd been mean to you?" Yami Yuugi looked horrified. "It's the same thing, mostly. I know it isn't obvious, but… I don't think he's completely evil, the way you all think he is."
We all stood staring at the white-haired hikari for a moment. Yuugi and his yami looked as if they couldn't believe it. I know I certainly couldn't. Yami Bakura had a strange look on his face. Mostly angry, but almost as if he could cry at the same time. Finally, Yami Yuugi spoke again.
"If… that is what you wish, Ryou. It is your decision since he's your yami. But I will at least lay an enchantment on him so that he cannot harm you or anyone else any more."
The boy looked fearfully from Yuugi's yami to his own, and back again. "All right," he said in barely a whisper.
So Yami Yuugi cast the spell on Yami Bakura. He also removed the other yami from his paralysis. Yami Bakura staggered, regained his balance, glared at all of us, and went back to the Sennen Ring without another word.
The other three turned to me. "Now," said Yami Yuugi, "The Sennen Ring and Sennen Eye, both of which Ryou now owns, can be used to draw and seal a person into the Shadow Realm. If I guide him, he should be able to reverse the effect and draw a Shadow Creature completely into this world."
So Ryou, assisted by Yami Yuugi, carefully went through the steps to reverse the power of his Sennen items. He held the Eye behind the Ring, and as he recited the spell, a beam of black light crackling with red energy shot out of the Eye. As it passed through the Ring, it turned white and green. The light touched me, and for a second I felt nothing. Then suddenly the light washed over me completely. It was warm but felt like millions of tiny pinpricks all over my body. Then there was an instant of sheer agony and the light disappeared…
Endnote: Ooh, cliffhanger!! Sorry, I couldn't resist. The last chapter's short, so expect it not too long from now. I've got it partially finished, but I'm not quite sure exactly what I want to do with everybody. Oh well, I'll figure it out soon. PLEASE review!!! Thanks!
Escape to Reality
The next morning found me walking casually down the street, back the way I had come yesterday. I walked alone. The Sennen Puzzle hung heavily around my neck. Yami Yuugi had done something to make it stay on me for a short time. This 'Bakura' person hadn't specified a place to meet him, so I just returned to the park.
Sitting on the same bench was the hikari. His knees were up against his chest with his arms wrapped around them. His eyes looked reddish, as if he had been crying or was very tired.
"I'm sorry I took so long," I said, approaching the boy. He jumped slightly and stood up. "You haven't been here all night, have you?"
The hikari shivered and nodded. I really felt sorry for him. His yami didn't seem to care at all how he felt.
"Well… here it is," I said, removing the puzzle from around my neck.
The circle on his chest glowed (the Sennen Ring under his sweater, Yuugi had informed me), and the yami took control.
"You came alone?" he asked.
"You see no one else here, do you?" I asked. He narrowed his eyes at me. There was a rustling in the bushes beside us. He quickly stepped over and kicked into them. His foot connected with something that said, "Ow!" and a child fell out. The yami took a step forward and growled menacingly. The child let out an "Eek!" and ran.
Secure in the knowledge that no one else was around since there were no other hiding places around, Yami Bakura reached out for the puzzle.
Just before he touched it, the golden puzzle began to glow. I took a step back from the yami.
"You fool!" he spat, stepping back a bit himself. "How dare you deceive me!"
To his great surprise, both the yami of the puzzle and the hikari appeared, both with the Sennen Puzzle around their necks.
"What!?" Yami Bakura exclaimed. But before he could do anything else, the eye on Yami Yuugi's forehead appeared and shimmered. Yami Bakura found himself completely immobile and helpless. Yami Yuugi pointed at him with two fingers. He slowly separated those fingers, and as he did there was suddenly a splitting and Ryou, the hikari, dropped to the ground. His yami remained standing, helplessly under Yami Yuugi's spell. Yuugi quickly went to help Ryou up and took him off to the side to explain the plan to him.
"You've gone too far this time, tomb robber," Yami Yuugi said. "Your thieving ways and abuse of your hikari will stop right now." I stood behind him and watched. "And you'll keep your promise to the Dark Magician, though I know you didn't intend to."
"Ha," the pale spirit sneered. "Try to make me. Without the Sennen Rod, you can't control my actions. And somehow, I don't see Malik helping you any time soon!"
"Oh, I don't need it or him," said Yami Yuugi, smiling. Then he raised his voice a bit. "Yuugi? Is everything ready?"
Yuugi ran back to his Yami with Ryou trailing behind hesitantly. "Yep! We're all ready," he said. Ryou looked worried.
"First of all, this piece of filth must pay for what he has done," Yami Yuugi said. "I'll be glad to see the last of you."
Suddenly, Ryou stepped up to him. "Please…" he said in a soft voice. Yami Yuugi turned to him. "Please don't' kill him. Or lock him in the Shadow Realm forever."
"Are you asking me to show this disgusting piece of vulture-bait mercy!?" Yami Yuugi asked incredulously. "After all he's done to your friends? After all the abuse he put you through!?"
"I… I know," Ryou said quietly. "But… he's still my yami. Could you stand by and watch Yuugi be killed, even if he'd been mean to you?" Yami Yuugi looked horrified. "It's the same thing, mostly. I know it isn't obvious, but… I don't think he's completely evil, the way you all think he is."
We all stood staring at the white-haired hikari for a moment. Yuugi and his yami looked as if they couldn't believe it. I know I certainly couldn't. Yami Bakura had a strange look on his face. Mostly angry, but almost as if he could cry at the same time. Finally, Yami Yuugi spoke again.
"If… that is what you wish, Ryou. It is your decision since he's your yami. But I will at least lay an enchantment on him so that he cannot harm you or anyone else any more."
The boy looked fearfully from Yuugi's yami to his own, and back again. "All right," he said in barely a whisper.
So Yami Yuugi cast the spell on Yami Bakura. He also removed the other yami from his paralysis. Yami Bakura staggered, regained his balance, glared at all of us, and went back to the Sennen Ring without another word.
The other three turned to me. "Now," said Yami Yuugi, "The Sennen Ring and Sennen Eye, both of which Ryou now owns, can be used to draw and seal a person into the Shadow Realm. If I guide him, he should be able to reverse the effect and draw a Shadow Creature completely into this world."
So Ryou, assisted by Yami Yuugi, carefully went through the steps to reverse the power of his Sennen items. He held the Eye behind the Ring, and as he recited the spell, a beam of black light crackling with red energy shot out of the Eye. As it passed through the Ring, it turned white and green. The light touched me, and for a second I felt nothing. Then suddenly the light washed over me completely. It was warm but felt like millions of tiny pinpricks all over my body. Then there was an instant of sheer agony and the light disappeared…
Endnote: Ooh, cliffhanger!! Sorry, I couldn't resist. The last chapter's short, so expect it not too long from now. I've got it partially finished, but I'm not quite sure exactly what I want to do with everybody. Oh well, I'll figure it out soon. PLEASE review!!! Thanks!