The Millennium Eye, Part 3: Silver-Haired Duelists
A.N. Yay! Another chapter! After this chapter and the next one, I'm planning on going back and doing Yami Bakura's Duel in the Shadow Realm. There's two reasons for this:
1) It's the first thing that happens, and I haven't done it yet. I have the episode recorded like five times over, and I have it on my cassette player (and I listen to it every night before I go to bed. ^_^ I can recite every single line that Yami Bakura (and everyone else, for that matter) says. Er, you didn't really need to know that...), but I just... haven't done it. So I thought that I should do it...
2) In the next two episodes that Yami Bakura is in - the first of those two episodes, especially - 4kids changes Yami Bakura's lines quite a bit. First, Anzu bumps into Bakura. Now, in the american version after Anzu leaves, Yami says something about wanting to get the Puzzle for himself. But you know what?! In the original version, he says to himself, what could Yuugi be doing to let the puzzle be stolen from him? And he thinks to himself that this is a sign that bad stuff's going to happen, because the Items have the keys to the past in them (or something of that nature; I don't speak japanese that well ^_^). Then, he says that YUUGI IS THE OWNER OF THE MILLENNIUM PUZZLE, AND THAT AN ENEMY OF YUUGI IS AN ENEMY OF HIM!!!!! Okay, in the American version, they totally left that out! The dubbers are in a conspiracy to make Yami Bakura evil!!!!!!! I think that this is completely unfair to Yami Bakura and everyone in general. Yami Bakura wanted to help Yuugi get the Puzzle back, for gosh sakes!!! LET THE WORLD SEE HOW YAMI BAKURA WAS WRONGED!!! ...Okay, I'm done now. ^_^ Sorry about the rant, but it's true... so anyway, my original point is that I'm kind of avoiding that episode right now.
ANYWAY. Let the chapter commence!
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!. I wouldn't want to own the Pharaoh himself. I don't like him very much, really. I wouldn't mind owning the Millennium Ring, though... ^_^ But, as I stated before, I DO own some of Yami Bakura's thoughts!
~~~~~~~~~~
I smiled as I began to draw on some of the deepest and most powerful of my Shadow Powers. A cerulean aura was beginning to form around my Ring; I noticed that Pegasus was powering up his Millennium Eye in much the same fashion as I - a scarlet light was collecting around his Item.
This match will be played on the landscape of our minds! I declared, to clear up any confusion that the mortal might have. With a final burst of energy, I launched my Shadow Powers through my Ring - they collided with the crimson beam of power emitting from Pegasus' Eye halfway across the room.
The space around the beams twisted and twirled in distortion, but my opponent's face remained clear to me. I stood strong, unmoving - tall like an obelisk. I was too busy using all of my energy to defeat Pegasus; I couldn't afford to be making wild movements. My stance was as impassive as I.
Pegasus, on the other hand, didn't seem half as comfortable with the situation as I did. He was leaning back on one foot, and - was it just my imagination? - swaying back and forth unsteadily. I smiled; this was shaping up to be much easier than I had imagined.
Really, now, Pegasus, is that all you can muster? His lack of strength was rather surprising, actually. I had expected him to be tired, but I was hardly getting a challenge... the millionaire's only response to my taunt was a narrowing of the eyebrows and a grit of the teeth.
Ah, but you've been fatigued by your Shadow Duel with Yugi. Your mind is weary while mine is fresh, I answered my own question, when it became apparent that I would not get a reply out of my silver-haired opponent. I sighed inwardly. If Pegasus was too weak to even speak, than this game was already won. Time to finish this... who knows when Yugi and his friends will trace Pegasus here? With a final flare, I intensified the beam of light coming from my Ring, which promptly engulfed Pegasus' weak red beam and sent the man flying across the room - ironically, right into a picture of Cecilia.
I cut my energy immediately, not wishing to injure my opponent... not more than I had to, anyway. I couldn't afford to damage the Eye, and I felt... pity for this man, who had lost everything. I couldn't destroy him outright. I would give Pegasus a second chance; but this time, I wouldn't give my enemy an opportunity to backstab me. I learned fast.
Instead, I approached him slowly, grinning to my heart's content. You are defeated! I said triumphantly, a right amateur to one who has played for centuries.
This statement seemed to surprise him. You've lived for centuries!? What kind of creature are you!?
I winced inwardly. Creature? Must you call me a creature'? I thought that perhaps you, of all people, might realize how much such words sting... I sighed to myself. All mortals were the same, in the end. To answer your question, I am the one who is going to spare your pathetic soul! Why do I even bother with you ungrateful idiots?
As always, I said nothing of how I felt. Emotions would do me no good. Standing over him, I simply smiled, and answered, I am the one who will possess all the Millennium Items... and I shall use their combined might to conquer the entire world! By this time, my grin was genuine. You have lost the game, and that entitles me to take your Millennium Item. The way you meant to take Yuugi's...
I reached forward. Pegasus didn't struggle - he seemed paralyzed with fear - but he screamed. No! NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
I placed two fingers and my thumb around the Millennium Eye, listening to my opponent's pleasant screams for mercy. Narrowing my eyes, I pulled; Pegasus screamed louder as the source of his Shadow Powers was ripped from his body and soul. I couldn't help but smile. With a gush of blood, the Millennium Eye was mine.
Pleasant as they were, I drowned out Pegasus' screams, and beheld my prize for a moment. After waiting so long, finally, I was getting somewhere. It would only be a matter of time before I obtained all of the Items.
I'm not sure what startled me back into the real world, but I sensed something was wrong. Pegasus' crying had been reduced to weak moaning (not that that's wrong), but other than that I heard no sound. I closed my eyes. Something. Was. Not. Right.
Suddenly, my eyes shot open. Someone was coming; I could sense a pathetic life source coming up the stairs. They must have heard Pegasus' screams, and decided to come investigate. I realized. No time to gloat over my victory - I had to get out of there, and fast. Pocketing the Eye, I reopened the window that had previously served as my way of entry, suddenly glad that I hadn't had time to lock it before. I scrambled out just in time; the head guard, Croquet, had just entered the room as I shut the window behind me, breathing a sigh of relief.
My relief didn't last for long, though, as I became aware of something else - heavy breathing; distant, but nearby. I looked around wildly, then spotted the source of the noise. Or rather, sources. It was Yugi and his friends, running right towards the tower.
Well, this was just peachy.
I climbed quickly but carefully, trying to reach the other side of the tower before they spotted me. Bakura was supposed to be guarding Mokuba; what would his friends think if he was climbing Pegasus' keep for apparently no reason?
After what seemed like forever, I reached the corner of the wall. Although they were pretty close, now, Yugi's group's attention was fixed on the doorway of the sanctuary tower, where Croquet and another guard emerged, carrying Pegasus' limp body piggyback style. Those idiots really were dense, not to see me - and for once, I was grateful.
Once I had reached the other side of the tower, I leaned against the wall, resting for a bit. I was starting to develop a slight headache - from a combination of Tristan's blow earlier, and my using vast amounts of my Shadow Powers all at one time. I sighed. Today was turning out pretty well, on the whole; it would have been better if I had obtained Mokuba's soulless body, the Millennium Eye, and the Millennium Puzzle, but it wasn't a bad haul, overall. A guy had to take what he could get. Besides, there was always time to plot later, and-
My last thought was interrupted by the crumbling ledge at my feet breaking off into nothingness, and taking me with it. I resisted the urge to yell out as I fell, knowing that if I did, I'd be found and identified as the one who stole Pegasus' Millennium Eye. And I was in enough trouble already. Not to mention, the mortals were busy with Pegasus; they didn't have time for the likes of me. And it wasn't like they could save me, anyway.
My arms flailed, grasping for a hold on the wall tumbling by. My efforts were to no avail; there was nothing to grab onto...
Halfway down, the thought crossed my mind that I could simply force my hikari to take over his body again, and he would receive the brunt of the impact, not me. The thought left my mind as quickly as it entered. I'm much more athletic than Ryou; I'll bet he doesn't know how to fall so he doesn't receive as much damage.
Three fourths of the way down. Besides, if he dies, who knows how long it will be before I can find a new host...?
Only an eighth of the way left. Besides, it... wouldn't be the right thing to do.
Suddenly, my hand shot out, grabbing a ledge that couldn't have been more than a foot wide, where part of a stone had broken away. I marveled at my own skill. My muscle strained as I caught, but that wasn't quite at the top of my worry list at the moment. I sighed in relief, and swung my other hand up to grasp the small ledge as well. It seems luck and fate are on my side today... I thought. I' m in possession of the Millennium Eye, and I am still alive. I guess being sealed in a mystical object for a few thousand years alters one's perception of .
I looked around for the mortals that I had seen earlier; I noticed that Pegasus' parade were currently entering another part of the castle, on the far side of the courtyard. Yugi and his group had entered the keep, or so I presumed. They weren't anywhere in sight, so where else could they be? I relaxed a bit, knowing now that I was safe from possible detection.
After taking a brief moment to rest and get my bearings back, I looked down. I was only a little over fifteen feet or so from the ground; it would be an easy climb down. I didn't trust Ryou's body - or myself, for that matter - to jump. I shook my head. What a wuss I was becoming! But it was better safe than sorry, and injured pride hurt less than a broken leg or a twisted ankle. Not to mention, it wouldn't be good if Yugi's friends noticed that Ryou suddenly had a limp, when he had been perfectly healthy at the time they had left. Even they weren't that dumb, unfortunately. I couldn't afford to risk it.
Upon reaching the ground, massaged my sore arm, and checked my pocket (which, luckily, the blood wasn't leaking through) to make sure that my latest valuable had not sustained any damage. It was fine, of course. I put the Eye back in my pocket, and began licking the still-warm blood off of my hand as I walked back towards the Dueling arena, where I had left Mokuba...
~~~~~~~~~~
Eh, I lied. This chapter was way longer than I expected! Now the next chapter ends the Duelist Kingdom Saga. Sorry. ^_^ By the way, in the original version, there WAS blood. And a lot of it, at that. ^_^ I couldn't just leave the gory stuff out! There's a bit more gore in the next chapter, too. I'll try not to be too descriptive... anyway, I had to figure out a way that Yami Bakura got out of the keep before someone else noticed him. Did I do a good job of it? How'd I do with Yami Bakura's personality? As always, please review!!!