A/N: Hi! Just wanted to respond to a review I got in which I was informed that Rebecca shows up in Battle City (wearing glasses) and that Malik basically becomes a good guy and gives the Millennium Rod to Yugi. I wasn't aware of any of this. The Battle City episodes have just started on the WB where I am. If I'd known earlier I would've worked it in (made references) and maybe altered this story a little. But that would've interfered with the first story I wrote "The Quirks of Love", so I guess I should leave the sequel as it is. Besides, according to all of you...it's working out fine as is. ^_^ In light of this new information though, I guess this fic, and the one before it, are sort of A/U. In other words, this timeline is based off of the first two episodes with Rebecca and the Malik that was still evil (yet still constantly thwarted by Yugi and Yami). Thank you so much. I appreciate all the reviews and tidbits on the series. Feel free to keep me up to date. Spoilers don't really bother me. ^_~
For the Love of Past and Present
Part Eight: The Beast Within
It was eighteen minutes past midnight. The card shop/residence of Yugi, Solomon, and Rebecca Hawkins was dark and silent. But only one of the occupants was asleep, Solomon.
Yugi sat at the table in the kitchen and watched hopelessly as Rebecca gripped the counter with trembling hands. She'd been pacing for a good half hour and now had obviously resigned herself to remaining in one spot. He'd brought her back from the studio/gallery only to find he and the spirit of the puzzle were unable to console her. She was miserably beyond their reach now. And she would remain so---until her new power surfaced.
Clutching tightly to the rim of the countertop, as if holding on for dear life, Rebecca stared into the empty space where the shadows consumed the appliances. She was waiting, waiting for whatever her new power and form was to take full effect. With each convulsion she could feel it growing stronger. Every uncontrollable shake brought her closer to her strange Duel Monster form.
So I'm the link between human and Duel Monsters huh? she thought to herself, I wonder what a link looks like? Gosh I hope I'm not all slimy or scaly or anything too hideous. What'll Yugi and Yami say??
Yugi rested his chin on his hand and stared intently at Rebecca from his seat. He felt so helpless, just sitting there and doing nothing. I can't take this anymore. She's over there suffering and I'm just sitting here feeling sorry for her. I should help her...somehow.
Quietly, Yugi got up and went over to his distressed girlfriend. Reaching out he gently brought a hand down onto her shoulder. With a slight jump she spun around to face him. "Oh, Yugi! You startled me."
"Sorry about that," Yugi forced a grin, "I was just, worried about you. You were right back at the gallery you know? It's not fair. And you shouldn't have to go through this alone."
"But I'm not alone Yugi," she smiled warmly while wrapping her arms around him, "you're here. And Yami's here too. I might be uneasy and all but I'll be alright so long as I've got you guys."
"Right." Yugi grinned and tightened the comforting embrace.
After a few moments, Rebecca slowly lifted her head off of Yugi's chest and gazed up into his loving violet eyes. Those eyes expressed so much concern and compassion for her that she was completely blown away by their intensity.
She's so pretty. Yugi thought while looking down at Rebecca. Her emerald eyes twinkled in the dim moonlight streaming in through the kitchen window. Her light complexion and golden hair were illuminated by the enticing moonbeams. She was more than just pretty, she was beautiful.
And he had to kiss her.
Leaning down Yugi slowly closed his eyes as he felt the warmth of Rebecca's breath grace his skin. Rebecca brought her lips to just the right angle to meet Yugi's as they came towards her at an agonizingly slow pace.
Finally the two anticipating lovers were locked in a passionate kiss. It wasn't often that their complicated lives allowed them time for such an intimate moment. But when they were finally permitted one, they enjoyed it to its fullest bliss.
The kiss was deepened as Yugi and Rebecca slid their arms completely around each other and tenderly moved them across the other's form. Using the counter for support Rebecca leaned back a ways, and brought Yugi with her.
Raspy breathing ensued followed by gentle moans and whispered flirtation. They had to be particularly careful when making out due to the fact that Yugi's grandpa was asleep just a short distance away.
A sudden cry of pain from Yugi broke their heated kiss.
"Yugi?!" Rebecca gasped and jerked back, "What's wrong?"
"I don't know." Yugi admitted bringing a hand to his mouth, "I think I might've bit my tongue or something."
"Bit your tongue or something?" Rebecca raised an eyebrow, "How the heck did you do that?"
"I'm not sure. You didn't accidentally do it, did you?" Yugi couldn't hold back a small laugh.
Placing her hands on her hips Rebecca smirked back at him, "How should I know? You're the one who was practically choking me a few seconds again genius!"
"Shh..." Yugi cautioned, "...you're gonna wake up my grandpa."
"Don't shh me Yugi Mutou," Rebecca snapped, "now come over to the light and show me. It can't be that bad you big baby."
"Oh so now I'M the baby," Yugi teased while sticking out his tongue. Honestly though, he did feel rather childish having his girlfriend inspect his hurt tongue.
"That's odd." Rebecca thought aloud.
"What?"
"The bite on your tongue," she explained, "there's just two tiny little holes."
"Huh?" Yugi wished she'd hurry so he could talk right again.
A horrible thought entered her mind as Rebecca looked at the strange bite mark. Bringing her hand to her mouth she touched the tips of her front row of teeth. This isn't happening! she panicked upon feeling the needlepoint sharpness of fangs.
Yugi's joking attitude quickly changed when he saw the terrified look on Rebecca's face. "Rebecca, what's wrong?!"
"Yugi." tears started swelling in her eyes and she quickly rushed forward to bury her face in his chest. "I can't hold it back anymore..."
"What?!" now it was Yugi's turn to panic. "Well--uh--hold on Rebecca. I'll get Yami out of the puzzle. He'll know what to do!"
Rebecca didn't move her off his chest as Yugi summoned the pharaoh's spirit and allowed him to take full control of his vessel.
Once Yami was in control he gazed down at the worried blonde trembling against his chest. "Rebecca? Are you alright?? What's happening?!"
"M-my other power." Rebecca answered fearfully, still not willing to look at him, "I-it's taking over!"
Yami's eyes grew wide, And exactly how did Yugi expect me to handle this?!
At a loss for what to do he simply held her close and tried to keep her calm during the transformation. Hopefully, this wouldn't be as bad as they all had feared.
A few muffled cries of pain escaped the blonde who's trim figure was slowly covered in a lightly tan fur. Her ears grew pointed and elongated as her nails shifted to sharp claws. Yami felt these claws dig into his back, they sank right through his jacket and shirt and went into his flesh. This drew a scream of pain from the pharaoh and he reflexively tried to pull away.
"R-Rebecca..." he groaned, "...stop this!"
Fiery and catlike emerald eyes met his as Rebecca lifted her head from his face. Her claws remained in place and a low growl emanated from the depths of her throat. Flashing her fangs fiercely she spoke in a threatening tone, "What's the matter pharaoh? Don't you like cats?"
I-is that Rebecca? Yugi's panicked voice asked Yami.
I'm afraid it is. The transformation has already had a devastating affect on her behavior. Yami answered worriedly and with a twinge of alarm in the tone of his thoughts, And I fear that this is just the beginning.
His back was now throbbing with the pain that Rebecca's claws were still inflicting on him. "Rebecca, it's me, Yami. Try to remember, we are friends. More than friends. Please, remove your claws. We can-"
"Oh I get it now," Rebecca snarled with a mixture of mockery and disdain, "you're stalling for time. Hoping that I'll go back to the same ol' weak little girl that you love so much. Well pharaoh, I suggest you get used to someone else in this town having more power than you. Cause I'm not giving mine up!"
In a screeching cry of rage she pinned Yami to the wall with his feet high off the floor. Wings burst forth from behind each shoulder blade while a tail whipped about her feet. Holding him in place with one hand clutching his shirt and the other tightly grasping his neck Rebecca looked like a lioness ready for the kill. But just before she lost full control...
The symbol of the Millennium Puzzle shown on Yami's forehead. His item began to glow brightly around his neck. "Rebecca, don't fight me. I don't want any harm to come to you."
Yugi's mind raced with unnerving thoughts. What if this doesn't work? What if she can't regain control? What if she hurts Yami...or herself?!
Reluctantly, Rebecca felt her mood changing. Her features softened along with her grip. Sorrowfully she watched Yami slide to the floor and gasp for breath.
"Yami?" dropping next to him Rebecca reached out a clawed hand. "Oh Yami, I'm sorry. I couldn't---I didn't know---I-"
Sirius scampered into the kitchen and cheerfully purred at the two humans (more or less) sitting on the floor. Rushing over to Rebecca the black kitten rubbed himself around her ankles as if her form had never changed.
Inside his mind Yugi sighed with relief, It's alright, Rebecca's herself again. Sirius doesn't seem scared of the new form at all.
Yami still wasn't sure all was well. "Rebecca? Are you alright now?"
"ALRIGHT?!" Rebecca looked at her fur covered and sharp clawed hands in disgust. "HOW CAN I BE ALRIGHT?? I ALMOST KILLED YOU JUST NOW!! IT'S NOT SAFE FOR ANYONE TO BE AROUND ME WHEN I'M LIKE THIS!"
Getting to her feet (or paws) she darted for the back door. I have to get out of here! Yami...Yugi...Solomon...they're not safe with me! No one is.
"Rebecca, WAIT!" Yami called out to her, but it was too late.
By the time the pharaoh rushed outside to stop her, she was gone.
******
Inside the Shadow Realm Felaine led Bakura to an exceptionally dark region of the dimension. The feel of sinister magic and black forces could be sensed by any creature, even the Ring holder.
"Alright," Bakura spoke timidly yet tried to sound brave, "I'm here. Now what do you want me to do?"
"My my, aren't we in a hurry?" Felaine smiled slyly.
"You told me Dina's safety was at risk!" Bakura snapped, "What did you expect me to be, relaxed?!"
"In a word my dear boy," Felaine chuckled and spun around with an outstretched arm ready to cast a spell, "exactly."
"What-?!" Bakura gasped and felt an onslaught of drowsiness hit him as the blast of shadowed magic consumed his form. W-why is she doing this? he wondered. Then he remembered what'd she'd said about the spirit of the ring. 'You have managed to banish the spirit and without your permission (or your shift to unconsciousness) he cannot regain control.'
OH NO! Bakura mentally screamed upon realizing what was happening. She's rendering me unconscious so that the spirit of the ring can emerge!
Very clever, for a mortal. The Proclaimer smirked, there was no need for words in the Shadow Realm. One could communicate solely through thoughts, if they desired. But I'm afraid that you've discovered the catch to this deal a little too late. Pity, and you DID give me your consent to follow through with this plan. And you did so even before knowing what it was.
She was right! He did agree to all of this! How could he have been so foolish?? Now Dina really was in danger! Along with his other friends. Unable to fight off the sleepiness any longer, Bakura found himself reluctantly losing his consciousness and fading back into the darkness.
Amused laughter greeted the tomb robber's ears as he took control of Bakura's body. "What fools these mortals be."
"Using lines from English playwrights now Proclaimer?" the spirit teased.
"For one in so indefinite a position you speak very loosely with your tongue." the cat creature remarked.
"Yes well, I was never one for pleasantries." Yami Bakura spoke with an evil grin, "So tell me Proclaimer, why have you brought me here and freed me from this boy's love blinded control?"
"I have a job for you." Felaine answered solemnly.
"A job?"
"Yes, I want you to retrieve Malik's Millennium Rod for me."
The spirit let out a loud laugh which echoed through the dark realm, "Me?! You want me to obtain a Millennium item for you?! How absurd!"
Felaine did not look amused, "I am quite seriously tomb robber. And after all, who better than a thief to retrieve the item of such a sinister force?"
"You make a grave misjudgment if you don't perceive me to be an equal or far more dangerous force Proclaimer." Yami Bakura jeered. "But, out of sheer curiosity. Why is it Malik's item you seek and if I were to retrieve the item, what would I receive for my efforts?"
"I seek Malik's item because he is, as of now, quite bothersome with it. He plots to use the Rod against two mortals placed in my care. And since I cannot take the item from him myself, I require the services of a human (or once human) being. And your past trade makes you perfect for the job. As to your pay, you'll be compensated with any power you wish. But this desire shall be fulfilled only AFTER you have brought me the item."
"Hmm...you drive a hard bargain Proclaimer." Yami Bakura considered the offer. "But seeing as how obtaining all the items for myself has always been my ultimate goal all I need to do is merely steal Malik's Millennium Rod, present it to you, and wish for a power so great that it can rival the pharaoh's and allow me to possess ALL the items!"
Felaine nodded, "I was hesitant to make this offer, but Malik's recent coarse of action has left me no alternative."
"And what about the boy?" the spirit asked. "What if his little infatuation should cause him to get in my way once he regains consciousness?"
"I wouldn't worry about him," Felaine responded craftily, "the spell I've placed upon Bakura will hold for quite a while. And should he find the means by which to wake he won't make a move for fear of harm coming to the young woman he loves."
Dina. Yami Bakura thought recalling his incomplete revenge.
Mind you Spirit, Felaine warned, that girl is a more formidable opponent than you have yet to encounter.
Hmph, the tomb robber huffed, I fear no mortal. Especially not a woman. Let her come between me and what I desire, she'll spend all eternity trapped in the Shadow Realm.
After opening a portal, Felaine watched the dastardly spirit leave. He thinks like a fool, but he might yet be able to manage this task.
******
A helicopter flew over the city of Domino during the early morning hours when the sun had not yet appeared over the horizon. A black haired teen sat at the controls wearing a headset through which he communicated with his older brother, the head of the company.
"Alright Seto, from the aerial view it looks like the work on your new Kaiba Land arena complex is coming along just fine. We should be able to expand off of the old architectural designs and create an awesome layout that can be up and running for duelists by next spring!" Mokuba spoke into the headset's microphone.
"Good work little brother." Seto answered on the other end of the line, "Now if we can just keep things running on schedule we'll be months ahead and crush all of our competitors."
Mokuba smiled and shook his head. Same old Seto. Yep, that's my big brother! "Better not let Serenity hear ya talking like that big bro, you know how much she hates it when ya let work consume all your time."
Seto was smirking from his desk, "Just leave Wheeler's sister out of this Mokuba, right now I've got a company to run."
"Aye aye sir," Mokuba joked, "I'll head down and make sure today's construction work goes smoothly."
"Good."
"Over and out."
Mokuba switched off the frequency and was startled as a strange shadow swept over the control panel. "What on Earth was that?!"
Looking through the windshield he could just barely make out what looked like some sort of Duel Monster perched atop the spire of Domino's new clock tower.
How did that thing get there? Mokuba decided to check this out.
Rebecca stared down gloomily at the still slumbering city. Everything looked so normal from up here. Just like it was supposed to be. Unfortunately for her, today was anything but life as usual. Her solemn thoughts were interrupted by strong winds and the loud approached of a helicopter.
Standing upright on the side of the spire she took a defensive stance. The pilot leaned out of the side door and caught a glimpse of her and her strange form.
Having set the controls on auto pilot Mokuba drew close enough to get a good look at the creature. But wait...he KNEW that face. Sure it was all covered in fur now but something about still sparked a memory. A bossy little girl who wanted to challenge Yugi to a duel at one of Kaiba Land's arenas. "Hey, I know you!"
Rebecca had experienced the same recollection. The younger Kaiba brother who'd arranged the duel between Yugi and her that day, "Mokuba?"
******
"Five rings!" Dina was growling as she marched herself over to Bakura's place to find out just what the heck was going on. "I let the phone ring FIVE TIMES and he NEVER answers! And then I call back, five rings again! Just who the heck does this guy think he is??"
She wasn't so sure now that Yami Bakura hadn't regained control. He was just the sort of jerk that she'd picture leaving a girl hanging and worrying about her friend's safety all night. "Bakura told me to call. I did. And he doesn't answer! Even that creep in the ring should show a little more courtesy that ignoring me! And who the heck doesn't check their answering machine all night anyway?!"
Normally Dina wouldn't have been this upset over a simple unreturned phone call. But she'd had a sinking feeling that something was amiss all night. And now every fiber of her body was telling her that something awful had happened to Bakura. So, like any good girlfriend (yeah she was happy about that title), she was going to check on him.
No one seemed to be home when she got there. Five rings on the doorbell and no answer, she was beginning to get annoyed. Whipping out a lock pick (she wasn't one to carry credit cards) she set to work on opening the door.
Once inside a quick look around told her that either no one was home, or they were still asleep. "Bakura?"
It was easy enough to find his room. The hard part was finding Bakura. A quick search of the entire domicile told her that he was nowhere nearby. In fact, his bed was still made. No pajamas or whatnot lying around or draped over anything. "It's like he never went to sleep last night." she told herself.
Wandering back to the living room of the homey apartment Dina noticed a book lying on the floor. Picking it up she inspected the bent pages. He must've dropped this. So he's either really sloppy or got startled by something. Psh, yeah right, Bakura (Mr. Organizes His Locker) sloppy?!
The fireplace still contained a few glowing remains of the logs. Clearly, the fire had been left to burn itself out. He doesn't seem one to leave a fire unattended either. So what in the name of- a familiar sensation gripped her senses, -she wouldn't.
Dina followed her instincts along the far wall of the room until she felt a strong sensation of magic by the edge of the sofa. "There was a portal to the Shadow Realm here. Bakura must've been taken there. And the only person who'd do that is Felaine!"
Ready to slap herself for not thinking of this sooner Dina pounded furiously on the wall where the portal had been. She told me to beware of the Ring holder, but I never thought she'd get rid of him if we got too close!
Making up her mind Dina decided to go to the Shadow Realm and get him back. Bakura was innocent and didn't deserve to spend an eternity in that dark dimension. But to go there she needed someone with enough power to open a portal. Thinking back to the beings she could trust Dina knew that Felaine was out of the question. That only left one person, her charge, the Queen of Games. Donning her guardian robes she set off into the approaching morning light to find Rebecca.
________________________________________________________________________
*I'm grateful for all the reviews readers! Please continue to post them. ^_^ In the next chapter Mokuba, Rebecca, and Dina team up to find Bakura and discover that Felaine's released the evil spirit of the ring. Yami and Yugi set out with their friends to search for Rebecca before her powers get out of control again. And worst of all, Malik prepares to strike while the Queen of Games is preoccupied with her new powers and aiding Mystic.*