Part Six:
* * *
Bakura took the seat Grandpa had vacated, and for the first time his eyes locked with the man at the other end of the table. They stared transfixed for a long time. Slowly, Pegasus lowered his hand, but it was trembling. He knew. That boy was the one who had done it, though not the one exactly. His darker half was hidden away, a wolf in sheep's clothing. Pegasus felt sheer unadulterated fury rising, his eyes narrowed and he grit his teeth. "Bakura," he managed, anger making his accent crisp and clipped. "What a lovely if not entirely unexpected surprise." It was coming again, the Voice of the Eye, and like an unseen laser beam he felt it's blind, ravenous gaze fix upon him and call. They were like two halves of the same being, the same force. Without one the other was incomplete. Pegasus gripped his own knees tightly, trying to remain in control, to keep from leaping on the table and diving for the boy, tearing at his pockets like a madman, searching, searching . . .
"What are you doing here?" The boy looked to Yugi, his eyes innocent and wide. "And I don't understand. How did you know I'd be here, Pegasus? I was on holiday with my family, only just returned today." He was genuinely clueless, which gave Pegasus pause. Did he not know what he carried, what was echoing like a silent endless cry? The sheer innocence in those eyes was infinitely deceptive, and the hatred, the blind desire for revenge leapt up again. He beat it back, closing his eyes and placing the mental barriers he'd so long ago learned to construct. It did no good. The Eye was Pegasus as Pegasus was the Eye.
"I felt you coming. I've felt you since I got here, since the final day of the Tournament, I have sensed you, moving back and forth across continents. You cloud your presence cheaply as an amateur. I have felt each movement, each expression of shock and greedy lust. Every time you reached for your pockets I screamed. I knew you were coming, but not until just a moment ago." He smiled a cold, mirthless smile. "My senses are not as keen as they were before that fateful eve on Duelist Kingdom, but I'm sure you knew that." Bakura was confused and frightened, his large innocent eyes wide and blank as the abyss. The rest of Yugi's friends were struck speechless, looking from Pegasus to their friend. It was obvious who they would side with. Argument was a moot point.
Yugi and his yami watched with deceptive aloofness. They alone understood the meaning and the threat their recent guest now posed. Somehow Bakura had stolen the Millennium Eye, had brought it with him every time he'd traveled, and yet had managed to hide its presence even from Yami Yugi. The decision was made, and Yugi's darker half shifted to better protect his young charges. No matter what Bakura had done, Yami was bound to protect the friends of his akibo.
Pegasus stood, and Yami stood as well, causing a ripple of tension throughout the room. The older man was transfixed, his remaining eye focused on someplace behind the table on Bakura's person. He was tensed, ready to pounce, and Yami felt for his deck. If Pegasus moved forward even slightly, that would be the cue to summon a monster from the Shadow Realm to restrain him.
The silver-haired man licked his lips, his eye wide and slightly glazed as he stared with something like desire. He seemed to be listening to something, and his hands were like claws on the wooden table. Then without a word, he blinked, shook his head, and turned for the door in a near run. "I must go."
Yami watched in amazement, unsure of his opponent's intentions. He surveyed the scene, taking careful account of each of Yugi's friends. Tea seemed outraged, furious that Pegasus would be so cruel after Yugi had defended him. Tristan was staring at Yami, most likely awaiting some sort of expression of reaction or outrage. Only Joey spoke, "What the hell was that about, Bakura? He was being a good sport. He was dealable for a while, then suddenly you show up and he's a wacko again. What exactly do you have in your pocket?"
Bakura shook his head, seemingly torn. He reached into his pocket numbly, his eyes looking only at Yami as he retrieved a small parcel, wrapped in black cloth. He stared at it in surprise, as though a magician had performed some spectacular trick. His eyes shimmered on the verge of tears, and Tea stood immediately, pulling him into a comforting embrace. Bakura did not respond, only stared as the silver tears broke, running down his porcelain cheeks. "What . . . is this? I . . . how did it?"
"Gimme that!" Joey snatched the parcel away resulting in Bakura sobbing uncontrollably.
Tea hugged him again and glared at Joey. "Don't unwrap that! Leave poor Bakura alone. Hasn't that meanie Pegasus done enough already?"
"I just wanna see what it is." Joey peeled back the cloth slowly, revealing a hint of gold. It looked like a lump of metal, perfectly rounded. Joey shrugged and turned it over, spinning it like a ball. When the familiar insignia stared back at him, he yelped and jumped backward overturning his chair. "No way!"
Tristan gaped open-mouthed. "It can't be!"
There, nestled within the black cloth was the Millennium Eye itself. Blood was crusted in the grooves of the familiar Eye of Horus, but there was no mistaking it. The thing gleamed with its own inner light. Bakura sobbed brokenly, soaking Tea's blouse with his tears. Tea shook her head slowly. "It . . . it can't . . . Bakura, how did you -"
"I don't know! I didn't even know I had it! I . . . I think my yami . . . I think it . . . " Bakura collapsed into sobbing again. If his yami could take the Millennium Eye from Pegasus, surely he would try to steal it from Yugi by similar means. Already a plan was forming in his young innocent mind, a plan to do away with himself. Destroying the Millennium Ring would not rid him of his dark and violent half. The spirit was already nestled within his soul, waiting for an excuse to reach out and snatch what he wanted.
"Wait, where's Yugi?" Joey looked around the room. "Yugi? YUG! Where did he go?"
* * *
Bakura took the seat Grandpa had vacated, and for the first time his eyes locked with the man at the other end of the table. They stared transfixed for a long time. Slowly, Pegasus lowered his hand, but it was trembling. He knew. That boy was the one who had done it, though not the one exactly. His darker half was hidden away, a wolf in sheep's clothing. Pegasus felt sheer unadulterated fury rising, his eyes narrowed and he grit his teeth. "Bakura," he managed, anger making his accent crisp and clipped. "What a lovely if not entirely unexpected surprise." It was coming again, the Voice of the Eye, and like an unseen laser beam he felt it's blind, ravenous gaze fix upon him and call. They were like two halves of the same being, the same force. Without one the other was incomplete. Pegasus gripped his own knees tightly, trying to remain in control, to keep from leaping on the table and diving for the boy, tearing at his pockets like a madman, searching, searching . . .
"What are you doing here?" The boy looked to Yugi, his eyes innocent and wide. "And I don't understand. How did you know I'd be here, Pegasus? I was on holiday with my family, only just returned today." He was genuinely clueless, which gave Pegasus pause. Did he not know what he carried, what was echoing like a silent endless cry? The sheer innocence in those eyes was infinitely deceptive, and the hatred, the blind desire for revenge leapt up again. He beat it back, closing his eyes and placing the mental barriers he'd so long ago learned to construct. It did no good. The Eye was Pegasus as Pegasus was the Eye.
"I felt you coming. I've felt you since I got here, since the final day of the Tournament, I have sensed you, moving back and forth across continents. You cloud your presence cheaply as an amateur. I have felt each movement, each expression of shock and greedy lust. Every time you reached for your pockets I screamed. I knew you were coming, but not until just a moment ago." He smiled a cold, mirthless smile. "My senses are not as keen as they were before that fateful eve on Duelist Kingdom, but I'm sure you knew that." Bakura was confused and frightened, his large innocent eyes wide and blank as the abyss. The rest of Yugi's friends were struck speechless, looking from Pegasus to their friend. It was obvious who they would side with. Argument was a moot point.
Yugi and his yami watched with deceptive aloofness. They alone understood the meaning and the threat their recent guest now posed. Somehow Bakura had stolen the Millennium Eye, had brought it with him every time he'd traveled, and yet had managed to hide its presence even from Yami Yugi. The decision was made, and Yugi's darker half shifted to better protect his young charges. No matter what Bakura had done, Yami was bound to protect the friends of his akibo.
Pegasus stood, and Yami stood as well, causing a ripple of tension throughout the room. The older man was transfixed, his remaining eye focused on someplace behind the table on Bakura's person. He was tensed, ready to pounce, and Yami felt for his deck. If Pegasus moved forward even slightly, that would be the cue to summon a monster from the Shadow Realm to restrain him.
The silver-haired man licked his lips, his eye wide and slightly glazed as he stared with something like desire. He seemed to be listening to something, and his hands were like claws on the wooden table. Then without a word, he blinked, shook his head, and turned for the door in a near run. "I must go."
Yami watched in amazement, unsure of his opponent's intentions. He surveyed the scene, taking careful account of each of Yugi's friends. Tea seemed outraged, furious that Pegasus would be so cruel after Yugi had defended him. Tristan was staring at Yami, most likely awaiting some sort of expression of reaction or outrage. Only Joey spoke, "What the hell was that about, Bakura? He was being a good sport. He was dealable for a while, then suddenly you show up and he's a wacko again. What exactly do you have in your pocket?"
Bakura shook his head, seemingly torn. He reached into his pocket numbly, his eyes looking only at Yami as he retrieved a small parcel, wrapped in black cloth. He stared at it in surprise, as though a magician had performed some spectacular trick. His eyes shimmered on the verge of tears, and Tea stood immediately, pulling him into a comforting embrace. Bakura did not respond, only stared as the silver tears broke, running down his porcelain cheeks. "What . . . is this? I . . . how did it?"
"Gimme that!" Joey snatched the parcel away resulting in Bakura sobbing uncontrollably.
Tea hugged him again and glared at Joey. "Don't unwrap that! Leave poor Bakura alone. Hasn't that meanie Pegasus done enough already?"
"I just wanna see what it is." Joey peeled back the cloth slowly, revealing a hint of gold. It looked like a lump of metal, perfectly rounded. Joey shrugged and turned it over, spinning it like a ball. When the familiar insignia stared back at him, he yelped and jumped backward overturning his chair. "No way!"
Tristan gaped open-mouthed. "It can't be!"
There, nestled within the black cloth was the Millennium Eye itself. Blood was crusted in the grooves of the familiar Eye of Horus, but there was no mistaking it. The thing gleamed with its own inner light. Bakura sobbed brokenly, soaking Tea's blouse with his tears. Tea shook her head slowly. "It . . . it can't . . . Bakura, how did you -"
"I don't know! I didn't even know I had it! I . . . I think my yami . . . I think it . . . " Bakura collapsed into sobbing again. If his yami could take the Millennium Eye from Pegasus, surely he would try to steal it from Yugi by similar means. Already a plan was forming in his young innocent mind, a plan to do away with himself. Destroying the Millennium Ring would not rid him of his dark and violent half. The spirit was already nestled within his soul, waiting for an excuse to reach out and snatch what he wanted.
"Wait, where's Yugi?" Joey looked around the room. "Yugi? YUG! Where did he go?"