. . . = Yugi's thoughts
~ . . . ~ = Yami's thoughts
Bakura ran clear across the arena as the Battle Ox's sword came crashing down. "This can't beeeeeee!" he yelled as he ran.
Isn't it odd that Yugi isn't being dragged by him somehow, choking to death?
"It worked!" Yugi cried. He clutched his Puzzle happily. Yami, you were right about the holograms! The items have successfully split!
~Hmm.~ was all he said in response.
Gee, thanks for all your support. Yugi thought sarcastically. I thought you'd be a little more . . . proud.
~I would be~ Yami thought, ~but something doesn't seem quite right. Let me come out so I can investigate.~
As Yami came out, Kaiba's incessant laughing stopped. "I'm done with you. Tell your little friend, Téa, that nobody 'degrades' Seto Kaiba without some kind of retaliation. I hope you have enjoyed the company of my dear Battle Ox. Care to meet the Blue Eyes White Dragon, up close and personal?" One could tell that Kaiba probably didn't get much sleep the night before, being more cranky and hoarse than usual.
"That won't be necessary, Kaiba," Yami said. "I ask that you let us go now."
"Of course," Kaiba responded. "But I don't want to see either you or Bakura in here without an invitation ever again! Now . . . aren't we late for school?" He pushed a button to open the doors, but two men in black suits were blocking the way.
"We have some bad news, Master Kaiba," the one on the left said. "We have to shut down all the computers the devices in the building. A rampant virus has infected all the computers, and in a few minutes, they will all be frozen."
"Bah!" yelled Kaiba, with his eyes darting vacantly. "Shut down, it is. What a morning." He stormed off so that he could take a look at the problem.
Back in his room, Yugi was getting ready for school.
We're late for school. Better go back in, Yami.
As luck would have it, they could not switch.
What happened?! Yugi began to panic.
~Could it be?~ Yami thought. ~I KNEW something was wrong, but I can't tell what . . . ~
No . . .! Ever since I broke the Puzzle, we've had nothing but bad luck. Yugi sounded like he wanted to cry. He was quite stressed because of the recent events and the lack of sleep he got the night before.
~Now, calm down, Yugi. I'll take care of this.~
And . . . what if Bakura is having problems, too? He can't get help from his spirit . . . and -
~Yugi, don't worry! You need to rest. Here, I'm locking you into your Soul Room, where I know you'll be happy. I'll let you out when I fix all of this.~
You can't do this on your own! And what about school?
~I'll take care of you; I've been here to guide and protect you, and I'm not stopping now.~
Yugi finally agreed, since he had recently been making an effort to trust Yami more. You've really come a long way.
Yami then locked Yugi in his colorful and peaceful Soul Room and began to investigate.
~There, Yugi should be fine. There's no point in leaving him with me, all worried, if he can't come out. I just hope that I can follow through on my word and take care of things . . . It's not often that I'm on my own like this.~
Grampa walked in just then. "Yugi! What are you still doing here? School started two hours ago, and - Wait a minute, you look different . . ."
Yami gulped. Could it be that he was losing his edge of staying hidden? "How?" he asked.
Grampa smiled. "I see that you and that young man were able to solve that little problem of yours. What was his name again?"
"Bakura," Yami replied, sort of relieved. "Yes, we solved our little problem." ~But our problems are not over yet.~
Grampa patted Yami on the head. "Well, I'm glad, since I was about to resort to my power tools." He laughed. "Now get to school, my boy!"
"Mmm," he said, and nodded. Yami did not know where Yugi had placed his backpack and began to look around everywhere for it. Finally, he decided to go to school without it, but he found it next to the door.
At Domino High, the students were on their mid-morning break when Yami walked in.
"Yugi Moto, late again?" the teacher inquired. "What has gotten into you this week?" He handed Yami a pink slip. "One more, and I'll have to have a conference with your mother."
"Surely you don't understand, sir," Yami said, aggression flaming.
"Rules are rules, Yugi," the teacher responded, "even if you ARE one of my best students."
Yami walked away and found Joey and Bakura dueling on Yugi's desk. Tristan and Téa were watching.
"Hey, Yuge!" Joey exclaimed. "Sorry for using your desk, but check THIS out. My Axe Raider is in action!" He slapped down a card.
Bakura laid a card down and attacked, but Joey used his Kunai with Chain and wiped out the rest of Bakura's Life Points.
"All right!" Joey shouted.
Bakura smiled. "That was a good match, Joey."
"Wow, he's such a good sport," Téa said quietly to Tristan.
In fact, Bakura was more than a good sport. According to Tristan, Bakura had been giddy since he got to school (He came a little earlier than Yami did.).
Yami pulled Bakura aside. "By any chance have you noticed anything since this morning at Kaiba's company?"
"Oh, indeed!" Bakura smiled.
"Oh?" Yami asked, looking curious.
"Since we left, I have felt as though the spirit from my Millennium Ring is powerless to control me."
~I get it.~ thought Yami to himself. ~Somehow, Bakura's spirit is locked inside, just like Yugi is. But, why?~
"NO!!!!!!" a loud voice suddenly rattled the room.
"What was that?" Téa asked.
The teacher had been on the phone, but now, he was at his desk, banging his head. Téa walked over to see what was wrong.
"I have 200 shares of Kaiba Corporation, but just now, I heard that the value fell sharply today because they had to shut down temporarily," the teacher explained.
"Oh," Téa said, "you'll be all right. I'm sure whatever is going on there right now, Kaiba is working on it." (Of course, Kaiba was not at school then.)
"I sure hope so. If he can save my stocks, I will happily save his grade."
Téa thought that was a little unfair, but better than having to be his mock wife.
~Wait a minute! The virus! Those two guys said that the virus froze all the computers. Maybe, through the hologram, the computer 'froze' Bakura's Millennium Ring and my Millennium Puzzle so that whoever is out, stays out.~
Yami shared this idea with Bakura, who could only smile. "I think my problems are finally solved," Bakura said.
For the rest of the day, Yami was extremely worried. He didn't know a thing about computers, so there wasn't going to be much he could do that way. Also, even if he DID fix it, would he have to risk Bakura's newfound happiness? Should he let Yugi out to help? How could he help if he can't come out?
Worse yet, shortly before they were dismissed for the day, the teacher (in a slightly foul mood), reminded the class to finish their math packets before a big test on Friday. (And it was already Wednesday afternoon.)
Yami walked home alone quickly that afternoon, trying to make sense of everything that he had to tackle.
(To be continued.)
Bakura ran clear across the arena as the Battle Ox's sword came crashing down. "This can't beeeeeee!" he yelled as he ran.
Isn't it odd that Yugi isn't being dragged by him somehow, choking to death?
"It worked!" Yugi cried. He clutched his Puzzle happily. Yami, you were right about the holograms! The items have successfully split!
~Hmm.~ was all he said in response.
Gee, thanks for all your support. Yugi thought sarcastically. I thought you'd be a little more . . . proud.
~I would be~ Yami thought, ~but something doesn't seem quite right. Let me come out so I can investigate.~
As Yami came out, Kaiba's incessant laughing stopped. "I'm done with you. Tell your little friend, Téa, that nobody 'degrades' Seto Kaiba without some kind of retaliation. I hope you have enjoyed the company of my dear Battle Ox. Care to meet the Blue Eyes White Dragon, up close and personal?" One could tell that Kaiba probably didn't get much sleep the night before, being more cranky and hoarse than usual.
"That won't be necessary, Kaiba," Yami said. "I ask that you let us go now."
"Of course," Kaiba responded. "But I don't want to see either you or Bakura in here without an invitation ever again! Now . . . aren't we late for school?" He pushed a button to open the doors, but two men in black suits were blocking the way.
"We have some bad news, Master Kaiba," the one on the left said. "We have to shut down all the computers the devices in the building. A rampant virus has infected all the computers, and in a few minutes, they will all be frozen."
"Bah!" yelled Kaiba, with his eyes darting vacantly. "Shut down, it is. What a morning." He stormed off so that he could take a look at the problem.
Back in his room, Yugi was getting ready for school.
We're late for school. Better go back in, Yami.
As luck would have it, they could not switch.
What happened?! Yugi began to panic.
~Could it be?~ Yami thought. ~I KNEW something was wrong, but I can't tell what . . . ~
No . . .! Ever since I broke the Puzzle, we've had nothing but bad luck. Yugi sounded like he wanted to cry. He was quite stressed because of the recent events and the lack of sleep he got the night before.
~Now, calm down, Yugi. I'll take care of this.~
And . . . what if Bakura is having problems, too? He can't get help from his spirit . . . and -
~Yugi, don't worry! You need to rest. Here, I'm locking you into your Soul Room, where I know you'll be happy. I'll let you out when I fix all of this.~
You can't do this on your own! And what about school?
~I'll take care of you; I've been here to guide and protect you, and I'm not stopping now.~
Yugi finally agreed, since he had recently been making an effort to trust Yami more. You've really come a long way.
Yami then locked Yugi in his colorful and peaceful Soul Room and began to investigate.
~There, Yugi should be fine. There's no point in leaving him with me, all worried, if he can't come out. I just hope that I can follow through on my word and take care of things . . . It's not often that I'm on my own like this.~
Grampa walked in just then. "Yugi! What are you still doing here? School started two hours ago, and - Wait a minute, you look different . . ."
Yami gulped. Could it be that he was losing his edge of staying hidden? "How?" he asked.
Grampa smiled. "I see that you and that young man were able to solve that little problem of yours. What was his name again?"
"Bakura," Yami replied, sort of relieved. "Yes, we solved our little problem." ~But our problems are not over yet.~
Grampa patted Yami on the head. "Well, I'm glad, since I was about to resort to my power tools." He laughed. "Now get to school, my boy!"
"Mmm," he said, and nodded. Yami did not know where Yugi had placed his backpack and began to look around everywhere for it. Finally, he decided to go to school without it, but he found it next to the door.
At Domino High, the students were on their mid-morning break when Yami walked in.
"Yugi Moto, late again?" the teacher inquired. "What has gotten into you this week?" He handed Yami a pink slip. "One more, and I'll have to have a conference with your mother."
"Surely you don't understand, sir," Yami said, aggression flaming.
"Rules are rules, Yugi," the teacher responded, "even if you ARE one of my best students."
Yami walked away and found Joey and Bakura dueling on Yugi's desk. Tristan and Téa were watching.
"Hey, Yuge!" Joey exclaimed. "Sorry for using your desk, but check THIS out. My Axe Raider is in action!" He slapped down a card.
Bakura laid a card down and attacked, but Joey used his Kunai with Chain and wiped out the rest of Bakura's Life Points.
"All right!" Joey shouted.
Bakura smiled. "That was a good match, Joey."
"Wow, he's such a good sport," Téa said quietly to Tristan.
In fact, Bakura was more than a good sport. According to Tristan, Bakura had been giddy since he got to school (He came a little earlier than Yami did.).
Yami pulled Bakura aside. "By any chance have you noticed anything since this morning at Kaiba's company?"
"Oh, indeed!" Bakura smiled.
"Oh?" Yami asked, looking curious.
"Since we left, I have felt as though the spirit from my Millennium Ring is powerless to control me."
~I get it.~ thought Yami to himself. ~Somehow, Bakura's spirit is locked inside, just like Yugi is. But, why?~
"NO!!!!!!" a loud voice suddenly rattled the room.
"What was that?" Téa asked.
The teacher had been on the phone, but now, he was at his desk, banging his head. Téa walked over to see what was wrong.
"I have 200 shares of Kaiba Corporation, but just now, I heard that the value fell sharply today because they had to shut down temporarily," the teacher explained.
"Oh," Téa said, "you'll be all right. I'm sure whatever is going on there right now, Kaiba is working on it." (Of course, Kaiba was not at school then.)
"I sure hope so. If he can save my stocks, I will happily save his grade."
Téa thought that was a little unfair, but better than having to be his mock wife.
~Wait a minute! The virus! Those two guys said that the virus froze all the computers. Maybe, through the hologram, the computer 'froze' Bakura's Millennium Ring and my Millennium Puzzle so that whoever is out, stays out.~
Yami shared this idea with Bakura, who could only smile. "I think my problems are finally solved," Bakura said.
For the rest of the day, Yami was extremely worried. He didn't know a thing about computers, so there wasn't going to be much he could do that way. Also, even if he DID fix it, would he have to risk Bakura's newfound happiness? Should he let Yugi out to help? How could he help if he can't come out?
Worse yet, shortly before they were dismissed for the day, the teacher (in a slightly foul mood), reminded the class to finish their math packets before a big test on Friday. (And it was already Wednesday afternoon.)
Yami walked home alone quickly that afternoon, trying to make sense of everything that he had to tackle.
(To be continued.)