Ryou: *sweatdrops* What?
WSJ: They showed the Panik episode last week. *cries* And the day before they didn't show "Evil Spirit of the Ring"! It's no faaaaiiiiiiirr!!!! That's almost the only episode I haven't seen! (The very first one I ever saw was the second half of the Paradox Brothers duel, which left me very confused and very intrested) Well, that and "Duel with a Ghoul", which I'm also dying to see... *pouts*
Bakura: *sighs*
WSJ: ^_^ Anyway! By my calculations this story is about half over, maybe two-thirds over. It'll probably run about twelve to fourteen chapters or so. I plan to have it done by Thanksgiving, probably much earlier then that, so I can devout all my time to a holiday humor fic I'm working on with KaTyA, HotaruMaxwell, and Baby Winter, Pine Cones and Holly Are Not Good to Eat. Once I'm done with that I'll need a bit of your help. I have several stories in the works, and I want you guys to tell me which one to do after PCHANGE.
1) Sacrifice of Shadows -- Sequel to Visions of the Heart. I can't give you a summery yet, obviously, because that would ruin the ending of VotH. But I'll give you a teaser in the last chapter.
2) In the Public Eye -- Malik/Tea, alternate universe. Malik's a teen idol/pop star, and Tea's a world-renown dancer. Socioty forses them together, and they find they begin to have feelings for one another. There's only one problem. Tea's engaged... To the in-high-demand actor, Yugi Moto.
3) If I Could Kill Jounouchi -- I've already started this, but I need to finish it. Basicly, Seto, Malik and Joey dress as girls so they can go to the all-girls college that Isis, Mai and Tea go to. Tea/Malik, Mai/Joey, Isis/Seto.
4) Camelot -- Another one that I've started, but haven't had time to finish. Sequel to A Yami of My Own. Ryou gets kidnapped and taken to England, Bakura's "dead", and it's up to Yugi, Malik and Joey to save our favorite white-haired bishie.
5) Oops, Wrong Dimention... -- The Ring, Rod and Puzzle are stolen, leaving Malik, Yugi and Ryou stranded together, cut off from their yamis, each with a major physical disability. Ryou's gone blind (*giggles* Again...), Malik can't hear and Yugi has no use of his legs. Oh, and did I mention they're in a completly wrong world with only a familiar little blue Digimon to help them out?
6) Lord of the... Um... Rings? -- LotR/YGO X-over. Basicly, Sauron gets bored, hooks up with Pegasus, and they switch Ryou and Frodo into each other's places. ^_^ *squeals* Yami-Frodo... *drools*
WSJ: So, which should I do? ^_^ Personally, I can't wait to get started with Sacrifice of Shadows. I'll write them all eventually, it's all just a matter of when and in what order.
Ryou: Jeez... Talking much, yes?
WSJ: Well, I just wanted to give everyone a breifing on what I'm planning on doing... ^_^v Thanks for the presents! I'm not gonna take the time to list them out anymore, because I'm getting too many and it's taking away from the actual story, and I've begun to write the chapters in advance. I just wanna thank you all for your support and I'm happy you're being so patient with me! And since KaTyA and Baby Winter are being such dolls, allow me to advertise for them! *clears throat* Go read their fics! *grins* I love doing the voice...
Bakura: Ahem?
WSJ: *checks reviews and blushes* I thank you for thinking you had to defend me from Bandit Keith's sis, but really, it's all right! Flamers are flamers, and in my experience, they're usually not worth mentioning or correcting. *shrugs helplessly* *oogles* Brood?!? I'm honored that you reviewed! I've been a big fan of your fics for a long time!
Ryou: *coughs* Onee-chan...
WSJ: *blinks* Oh yeah... Sorry onii-san! ^_^ On to the story! ^_~ I still don't own YGO, but Jonathon and Kuroi Karasu (the demon posing as Jonathon) are mine.
((October 30 -- Wow, hard to believe I finished this almost two weeks ago, and my computer's just now coming back online for me to post it. I'm really sorry for the long delay, but we've been trying to move. Good news, however! I've begun to write the chapters in advance, and I'm at the moment in the middle of chapter twelve. I have most of the plot for the sequel worked out too, I just need to start on it. ^_^ Hope you enjoy! *grins* And even better! "Evil Spirit of the Ring" is on tomorrow, in honor of Halloween!!! *whoops happily* I'm going to be out of it all day... I've been waiting to see that episode forever...))
()()()()()
Chapter 7 -- Bakura's Pain: Death by Falling
~Bakura's POV~
I hated to admit it, even to myself, but I was beginning to get a little worried. Ryou was becoming more and more sullen by the minute. Or was it hours? Days? It was hard to keep track of time in the Shadow Realm.
Even with the Ring's sphere of protection, the shadows were beginning to creep closer to Ryou. The purple mist was beginning to play over his skin again. He sat silent, his knees pulled up to his chest and his faded eyes half-lidded.
I growled and cursed at myself. Why should I care whether or not the Shadow Realm took him? He was pathetic, weak. If he couldn't hold off the shadows himself then he deserved his fate.
But a small corner of my heart, or whatever was left of it, was telling me I was wrong. It was saying I needed Ryou to even be out of the Ring, which was something that was true that I hated even more to admit.
The Ring's power was beginning to wane. The Shadow Realm was steadily draining it of its magical properties.
Again I asked myself, why would I care? And the answer came to me. He was my hikari. I had to care. I pushed the answer away and refused to believe it as the Ring's golden sphere of protection faded and died.
Ryou slumped to the side immediately, and I suddenly had to fight the erge to catch him as he fell to the stone floor. The shadows swarmed over him and I somehow found myself in their midst, trying to fight them off. One of them tore at the strap around my neck and sent the Ring clattering to the floor. I swore but kept fending the things off of Ryou.
I lost track of time, swatting shadow-things right and left. Sweat and blood ran down my face and mixxed into one big foul mess. I was sure my hair looked gastly.
Ah yes, that idiotic hair... That was the reason for the very first beating I ever gave poor little Ryou. That stupid, stupid hair! It was far beyond me how any person could have white hair and yet not be albino.
I battled on, ignoring the pain in my body and the dull throb that called out for me to give up. But I did not. I could not.
What seemed like hours later I became aware of a soft glow, much like that the Ring had given off when it activated. It was a long way away, but seemed to be coming closer. I swiped at the bangs hanging in my eyes and took a chance. I knew it could be a demon that wandered the halls of the Shadow Realm, or a lost or stolen soul. But it the back of my mind I knew who it was.
"A little help here?" I called.
The golden sphere stopped for a moment, and then began to come towards us at a much faster pace. I sighed as the sphere washed over me, sending the shadows packing. I dropped to my knees in exhaustion and glanced over at Ryou. He looked all right, but I didn't think he'd be waking up anytime soon.
"Bakura?"
Feebly I looked up into the face I knew would be there. That's why it surprised me that there were two, though it shouldn't have. I groaned and swayed slightly. Putting a hand to my head, I was only mildly intrested when it came away bloody.
"M-Make sure they d-don't get to R-Ryou..." I said before passing out. The last things I saw were my brother's concerned face as he caught me and the look of one-eyed amazement Pegasus was giving me.
(Nyah! How many guessed it was gonna be Pegasus and Jonathon (the real Jonathon)? ^_^ Everything will be explained next chapter, so just hold on. Ok, on to our little demon-chase...)
~Yami-Malik's POV~
I skidded around a corner, Yami Yugi close behind me. Up ahead I heard a crash and sped up as best I could. "Any idea where he's going?" I panted.
Yami shook his sweaty bangs out of his eyes and nodded grimly. "I'm afraid so. Look up ahead."
I did and swore furvently. "Not good!"
He gave me a look. "Ya think?"
The two of us tried to pick up the pace as the massive buildings of Kaiba Corp loomed above us.
~Kaiba'a POV~
There was a desperate knock, almost a pounding, on my door and I didn't even glance up from the contract I was reading. In hind-sight I really should have. "Come in."
The door burst open and this time I really did look up, my eyes narrowing in suspisioun. There stood Yami and Yami-Malik, both sweaty and panting. I rose half-way out of my seat. "What do you think you're-"
"Kaiba! Watch out!"
Yami didn't have a chance to get any farther as the window behind me shattered into a million peices. I was suddenly very thankful for all the terrorist drills we'd had and dived behind my desk, Yami and Yami-Malik joining me a second later.
"What is it? A helecopter?" I asked, crouched down beside the two darks. "We're ten stories up!" I had a gun in the left-hand drawer of my desk, but I doubted I could get to it before I was shot.
Yami gulped and it didn't do me any good to see fear in his eyes. "I'm afraid that isn't really an issue with him..."
I stared at him in disbelief. "What?" I peeked up over the top of the desk and almost wished I hadn't. Outside my shattered wall-long window floated a huminoid shape, outlined and glowing a brillient red-scarlet color. His eyes glowed with the same gastly shade as he smirked triumphantly at me.
I ducked back and stared in amazement at Yami. "Bakura?"
He shook his head, a scowl settling onto his face. "No, a demon that took advantage of Ryou's weakened state and banished Bakura to the Shadow Realm."
I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. "What's wrong with Ryou?"
"Too long of a story." Yami-Malik growled from my other side.
"Ok then, we'll try this. What does it want?"
"Unfortunatly," Yami said. "We don't know that either."
It was that moment the demon chose to speak. "Oh Seto Kaiba, come out come out wherever you are! I've got a bone to pick with you!"
I made no move to answer, but suddenly I was hovering three feet above the two yamis, who were staring at me in shock. I gaped back, and then my head was forced around to look at the demon. He smirked and floated closer, taking my chin in his hand. This close I could see the utter hatred in his eyes, and tried to flinch back, but found I couldn't. "What do you want with me?"
"Revenge. This will teach you for locking me in the Shadow Realm all those years ago!"
"But I never-"
Flowing purple robes...
A golden rod in my hands...
Sentencing a Perssian prisinor of war to death by Shadow Realm...
A promise to come back and kill me...
I let out a small, strangled cry as the thoughts, no, memories? came back to me in a small tidal wave. "Kuroi Karasu!" I managed to gasp around the choke hold he'd tightened around my neck.
He sneered and moved his face closer to mine. "That's right preist! And now I can finally fulfill my promise!" With that he turned and flung me back, right out the newly-broken window.
"Kaiba!"
I heard Yami's and Yami-Malik's shouts as I dropped away from the building, and Kuroi's demonic *coughBADcough* laughter rang in my ears. I closed my eyes as one thought trailed lazily through my surprisingly calm mind.
'I'm sorry Mokuba...'
(Yeah, I know that has absolutely nothing to do with what he was just thinking about, but don't you think that if he knew he was going to die his mind would instantly jump to Mokuba?)
~Yugi's POV~
Joey gaped at us as Malik and I finished up with the explanations. "No way!" he said, his eyes wide and his face a little paler then normal. He looked over at Ryou and a pained expression came across his face. "What are we gonna do?"
Malik and I looked at each other, and then back at him. "We don't know..." I said, mournfully. "If our yamis were here, they might be able to help. But they're out chasing that demon thing..."
Joey swung around to look at us. "What? So you're jus' gonna give up on 'im? Com'on! I know ya' better then that Yug'! We gotta help 'im... Somehow..."
We sat silent, simply watching as Ryou's skin seemed to get darker and darker. Was there really something we might be able to do, like Joey said?
//Kaiba!//
I jerked and looked at Malik. Apparently, he'd gotten the same yell from his own other.
"What?" Joey asked, looking a little paniked. He could tell when something was wrong. "What happened?"
I swallowed hard as a tear slid down my face. Joey's jaw dropped a fraction of an inch, and then he put an arm around me. "Oh Yug'..." he breathed.
I took a deep breath and hiccoughed, trying to keep my tears in. "Not Yami. Kaiba."
Joey looked at me in shock. "Kaiba?"
Malik nodded mournfully, and I was surprised to see a tear slide down his cheek as well. It seemed to me he was holding the Millenium Rod a little tighter, and I suddenly remembered Yami telling me that its original owner had been Kaiba. Or rather, Kaiba's preincarnation.
"Yes," Malik said, his voice barely a whisper. "Seto Kaiba is dead."
()()()()()
WSJ: *cackles* I think I'll leave it there! And yes, Kaiba's dead. He wasn't saved at the last minute or anything. But don't run away, ok? I have some plans I think y'all might want to see play out. *chuckles*
Kaiba: *looks fearful* Um...
WSJ: Kuroi Karasu is Japanese for 'black raven'. I probably should have given him at least an Arabic name, since Kaiba's flashback hinted that he was Perssian, but my book of names is currently in the bottom of a box somewheres. *sweatdrops* Oooh yes, and to answer someone's question, no, this will not be a yaoi. I don't write yaoi. ^_^ Sorry!
Chapter 8: Yugi, Malik and Joey, more determined to help then ever, come up with a plan. But it could be dangerous and involves entering Yami's and Yami-Malik's soulrooms... Meanwhile in the Shadow Realm, Bakura comes back to conciousness to find Pegasus and Jonathon, who have some explaining to do... And back at Kaiba Corp, Yami and Yami-Malik deside to give Kuroi the beating of his, er, life. And when Mokuba finds Kaiba's lifeless body... Well... I don't want to be there when he does. (^_^ Mokuba kicks some serious demon-buttock! *cheers*)