Disclaimer: Still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!… that Kazuki Takahashi, he's good at Go Fish! ^sweatdrops^
Unknown Identity
Chapter Twenty
Ryou Bakura walked slowly down a long dark hallway, running his fingers along the wall as he went. Not so different from my own, he reflected. But not quite the same, either – darker, more sinister perhaps. It's fairly tingling with unleashed power – Yami's, no doubt. He paused.
Is that a light up ahead? he wondered. Or maybe – he looked closer. Yes! A door! He ran to the door, nudged it open. It swung inward easily and quietly – it's not squeaky, like mine, he thought in surprise. The small room it revealed was well lit with a gentle light, and almost bare – if you ignored the huge tree, that is.
"What's that?" Ryou exclaimed in surprise as his eyes fell on a small rectangular block at the base of the tree. Walking forward, he picked it up – a Duel Monsters deck. He set back down carefully.
Nothing of use here, he thought glumly. A tree and a set of cards won't help Yugi and Yami Yugi at all. Turning, he walked back out of Yugi's soul room. Now to find Yami's…and I bet that's it right there! The door was directly across from Yugi's door. He pushed, expecting it to open as easily as Yugi's had, but was unpleasantly surprised.
"What?" He shoved harder, and finally managed to force it open a few inches. A slight draft of chilly air from inside wafted across his face.
How can Yami stand that cold? he wondered as he shoved the door the rest of the way open. And this darkness! The former Pharaoh's soul room was almost as dark and uncomfortable as the Shadow Realm itself, a stark contrast to Yugi's warm and well-lit chamber. Shaking his head to free himself of such thoughts, Ryou took a step forward –
And threw himself backwards just in time to prevent himself from falling into the deep hole in front of him.
"What the!"
A harsh light appeared in front of him, throwing its rays around the chamber, and Ryou could just make out the numerous staircases, doors, and dark passageways leading off from the walls. He raised his eyes to the source of the light and gasped.
"The Dark Magician!" he exclaimed. The head of the mage's staff lowered until it was aimed directly at the light-haired boy. Slowly, so slowly, it was enveloped in a blinding light, until Ryou could no longer bear to look at it.
"No, wait, stop!" he shouted, scrambling to his feet and backing up until he ran into the wall. "Don't attack! I'm a friend!" The brilliant light dimmed for a moment, but then burst back into life with renewed intensity. "Please! I'm trying to find a way to help Yugi and Yami!"
"What?" the Dark Magician asked, startled. Both the garish light that surrounded him and that at the end of his staff faded instantly, and the chill darkness rushed back in. Ryou breathed a sigh of relief.
"My yami trapped both Yugi and Yami Yugi in the Shadow Realm," he explained rapidly. "I don't know of any way to dispel the cage of Shadow energy he's surrounded them with, and I thought Yami might have a memory somewhere that would help."
The Dark Magician shook his head. "Even if he does, he doesn't know where to find it," he said. "The Pharaoh's memories are stored so far back in his chambers that even he cannot find them."
Ryou's spirits fell. "Then there really is no way to help them," he sighed. "Yami was right."
"Perhaps not," the Dark Magician spoke up, his tone thoughtful. "I usually don't interfere with the lives of mortals, but…please, tell me more about this cage."
"I don't know much about it," Ryou said, shaking his head, "except that it's made of the deadly Shadow energy, and that to touch it is fatal."
"A Shadow trap," the tall mage said, nodding. "Do not lose hope just yet, young one. There may yet be a way. Can you find your way to the Pharaoh again?"
Ryou nodded. "I wasn't the one who spoke with them, but I'm sure Jounouchi or Honda can lead us back to them," he replied. "Why, what do you intend to do?"
"It's an ancient ritual," the Dark Magician said, "and very dangerous. I will have to enlist the help of my master to make it work, but…" He shook his head. "That is irrelevant at the moment. Come, let us go to the Shadow Realm."
"But I can't go from here!" Ryou exclaimed. "I must return to my own body first."
"Then wait while I prepare myself, and I will go with you."
"All right." Ryou followed the mage into the hallway and a few paces down the hall, and then removed himself from Yugi's mind. He didn't understand how the Dark Magician intended to follow him, but wasn't going to waste the time that it would take to ask. Not, of course, that he would explain it to me anyway, he thought wryly. The Dark Magician was, if anything, a man of few words and strong loyalties.
You! the mage snapped as soon as he was inside Ryou's mind. Soul-stealer, I should destroy your very mind for what you've done to the Pharaoh!
Do you really think you could manage that? Yami Bakura sneered. Fool.
Both of you, shut up, now! Ryou shouted. We haven't the time for this! Yami, I'll let you and the Dark Magician go head-to-head later, but for now, can it! He could feel his yami's surprise – never before had he been bold enough to yell at the dark spirit.
"Jounouchi, Honda," he said, startling the two teenagers in question. "Care for another trip to the Shadow Realm? I need someone to lead the Dark Magician and me to Yami and Yugi. He says there may be a way to free them." Jounouchi began to sweat, but he nodded.
"I'll go back," he said. "For Yami and Yugi."
"I'll go, too," Honda added.
But Ryou shook his head. "I can only transport one of you there and back safely. Controlling my Millennium Ring and keeping my yami at bay this long is exhausting me, and I don't want to leave one of you stranded in the Shadow Realm. As soon as you lead us to Yami and Yugi, I'm going to send you back."
Jounouchi nodded. "All right, then what are we waiting for?"
"Good luck," Honda and Anzu said simultaneously.
Ryou's Millennium Ring glowed brightly as the three souls – Ryou's, Jounouchi's, and the Dark Magician's – were transported to the dreaded Shadow Realm…
"Yami!" Jounouchi called again. "Hey, man, where are you?"
"I thought you knew where they were," Ryou said.
"I do," Jounouchi replied, shrugging, "but I'd like to go the right direction, you know? It's kind of hard to tell in this place. Now hush while I figure out which direction they're in…" He shouted again.
"Over here!" the former Pharaoh's voice rang out clearly. The tall blonde took off in the direction of the voice, counting his paces carefully.
"One hundred and seventeen, one hundred and eighteen, one hundred and nineteen – there, the cage!" He motioned for Ryou to hurry.
"Coming," the much shorter pale-haired boy panted. "Thanks, Jounouchi."
"Not a problem," the blonde said, waving as he disappeared back into the real world.
"Hold on, Yugi, Yami!" Ryou called. "We're coming!"
"Ryou?" Yami murmured. "What's he doing here?" He peered out through the brilliant bars of Shadow energy, but couldn't yet see the boy's pale hair.
"Yami!" The teen breathed a sigh of relief as he came into view. "I almost didn't expect to see you, knowing my yami. How's Yugi?"
"Not good," the ancient spirit admitted. "He's been in and out of consciousness for a day now. If he doesn't get out of the Shadow Realm soon…" But he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. "But Ryou, why are you here? I told Jounouchi to tell you – " He broke off as the Dark Magician came into full view. "What? What are you doing here?" he exclaimed.
"No one ever told me that my duties as your protector only lie in your chambers," the mage said darkly. "But to destroy this cage, I'm going to need your help. Are you strong enough?"
"I'll help regardless," Yami said. "Let's get started."
A/N: Once again, running off of my own twisted views of how all this YGO stuff works…doesn't really follow the dubbed (or the manga, as far as I know), but ^shrug^ it works for this fic! May the wind beneath your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks! ^has been reading way too much Tolkien stuff^