Brood: *on the ground gasping for air, still in pain from Zutsokaki's
spell* I'm.....going....to murder.....you....
Zutsokaki: I didn't mean to do that! I just wanted you asleep so I could sneak away!
Brood: Or get into the wine....*gasp*
Zutsokaki: Where does it hurt most? *gets out his book of magic*
Brood: EVERYWHERE! *gasp gasp*
Zutsokaki: Awww....there are tons of remedies for all over pain....*flips through some pages* If you die, can I have your stereo?
Brood: No......
Zutsokaki: Damn. Hey, if you're dead....how would you know?
Brood: I'll come back *gasp* and haunt your sorry ass.....
Zutsokaki: ...............
Brood: *suddenly is immersed in a golden light from nowhere, and when it subsides, it is made very clear what happened to her*
Zutsokaki: Oh god......
CHAPTER 13
Keith stumbled along the ways of the forest, and raised his hand to his face. He looked at his nineteen diamond chips and sighed.
The duelists so far could not recognize the former American and Intercontinental Champion of Duel Monsters......he was merely a shadow....no....more fitting as a ghoul.....of his former self....
His bandanna was ragged and torn in a couple of places, and his leather pants had a rip towards the bottom. His boots were covered in mud from trudging endlessly through the rain. His eyes were sunken and blank, yet held the illusion of being wild still. His breath was staggered and heavy, and his hair stuck in many different directions. He hadn't had it cut since his defeats on Duelist Kingdom, so he had it back in a ponytail But half of his hair, and other little strands of it were flying and wild now.
He had made himself deaf to the storm raging around him, because it was nothing in comparision to the storm inside of his mind. Keith's mind was muddled and heavy with all of the arguing going on inside of it. He decided to call his darker voice, the one he listened to, Duke, and his nicer one Terrence. He never listened to Terrence much.
When Duke and Terrence argued over revenge and mercy and other things like that, he could only sink back into the recesses of his mind and listen to them yell. Or rather, Duke yelled and Terrence tried to calm him down, saying he was too mean.
Duke would always bring Keith into the arguement, saying about how he must get his pride back from them all. Terrence would try and explain calmly that he needed to forget all of this, and that it happened to the best of duelists. And that he didn't need to dwell on the past.
Terrence reminded Keith of his mother. He never listened to his mother much. He liked Duke's ideas better anyway. Revenge suited him well. It was all he ever really liked about being a bad guy. Bad guys could get revenge.....and do it well.
He looked down at the magnum in his other hand, and let out a small smile. Terrence had gone away for a moment, and Duke was talking to him. He was telling Keith about how he could drag out their horrible ends......hmm...he liked Duke's ideas more and more. The more he agreed with Duke, the less headaches he would get. If he tried to remember what had happened, they would come back, and Terrence would nag him again.
Keith had decided to listen to Duke more and more lately, since he didn't get the headaches if he did. Duke had neat ideas on how to hurt people, and they were fun to listen to. He gripped the magnum tighter and soon came upon a duelist.
It was just a young boy, maybe around twelve or thirteen. Keith got closer, his heavy steps clodding along alerting the boy of Keith's presence. The boy cried out and began to run, but Keith promptly challenged him to a duel. The boy's body shook in pure fear at the fright before him, and ran off anyway. Keith raised his magnum to fire, but the boy darted behind some trees and was gone. He lowered it again.
"Damn kids....don't know anything at all.....can't respect their elders....." Keith grumbled lightly and continued walking along.
Most of the duelists he had managed to get to duel him had given up after one or two turns because they were so frightened of him. He always held that magnum with him, which only increased that fear. Duke always laughed loudly when his happened, and Terrence would just Tsk tsk at them both.
Keith turned a corner around the path, and then his mind flashed. His head snapped up, and he staggered over to the side of the pathway, sitting down shakily. There was an image....he could remember something.... There was someone standing in front of him. They were holding a card..........it was so odd. Why would he remember something like that?
Stop, Duke hissed at him. There is no use in this at all.......
No....I think he needs to see this, Terrence countered. He was back, and Keith could tell he just went for a slurpee, or ice suckey.
Stop
No *sluurrrrppp*
Stop
No
"STOP IT BOTH OF YOU!!! NOOOOWW!!" When they began to do that, his head began to pound. And not to mention the current strain on his aching head already from just remembering that image. He sometimes hated his companions. He yelled at them, and they both quieted for awhile.
He stood up and began walking along again. How he wished he could just think about things alone again.....but now.....he was never alone anymore..
Ryou Bakura's eyes fluttered open lightly, and he sat up. The rain had died down some, and it was fairly silent, thunder wise. He was soaked, and covered in mud.
Now how did this happen....
Oh yeah. That's right. His Yami had nearly massacred two innocent people.
\ALRIGHT YOU! UP! EXPLAIN!\
\\...................\\ His Yami didn't seem much in the talking mood.
\NOW!\
Now he wasn't about to stand for his aibou demanding and yelling at him.... \\Stop your yelling now pathetic mortal! How DARE you raise your puny voice at me! How do you even have the balls to do a thing like that!?\\
\You nearly killed Mai and Amoura! WHY!?\
\\Those reasons are for me to explain when I wish to do so! Now bugger off slave!\\
\I remember something......you called a girl Ahmunet. Who is that?\
\\..............I said leave me alone!\\
\I will not. You cannot do a thing about it.\
\\Oh can I!?\\ Suddenly the Ring glowed and Bakura's evil half emerged, glaring Ryou hard in the face.
"Now what can I not do?," he sneered at him. Bakura raised his hand and slapped Ryou hard across the face. "Why do you care what I do? The Pharaoh must be broken, body and soul, before I can steal his Items!"
Ryou recovered quickly, but his fear grew now that he wasn't simply trading insults from inside the Ring. "But you don't have to kill them! Who is this Ahmunet girl?"
Bakura slapped Ryou again, and this time, Ryou fell back and let out a small groan. Bakura grabbed Ryou by his collar and stared him in the face.
"Do NOT ask questions of what does not concern you! This matter will be taken care of by the spirits of the Items, not puny mortals like you!" He then rammed Ryou against a tree and delved his hand into Ryou's pocket, drawing out the Millennium Eye.
"Now to take care of other business....put this in your eye."
Ryou whispered at this Yami, "Never."
"PUT IT IN AIBOU!!!!"
Ryou didn't even know why he even responded to "aibou." He knew Bakura only said it to him to mock him.
"Put it in for yourself....if you want it so badly...."
"I need it in YOUR body! Yours is the physical one !"
"How can I do anything with you pinning me to this tree?"
"You seem to be learning a bit too much mouth from me.....as 'proud' as I am, I still demand you put this in......NOW!"
"I will......"
"Good aibou....."
".......consider it. IF you tell me about Ahmunet."
Bakura only grew more angry at his aibou, shoving him against the tree harder, but soon let go, letting Ryou fall to the ground. Ryou picked himself up quickly and Bakura sat down on a fallen tree. Ryou picked a rock to sit on a safe distance away, shivering in the rain, and also for his own safety. Bakura DID try to kill Amoura and Mai, along with that Ahmunet girl.
"Fine. I will tell you SOME things. It's not like you won't find out sooner or later anyway."
Ryou's head perked up, and stared at his Yami hard. "You are? Really?"
"Don't get to excited. I may change my mind. Now, all I can tell you about her is that I blame her for my imprisonment in the Ring. She caught me trying to loot the palace itself....."
"But I thought you were a tomb robber?"
"Let's just say that I got a little big for my linens. And DON'T interrupt me again." Bakura glared at his aibou, and Ryou shut up.
"Anyway, she called for.....help......and soon enough after that, I was in the Ring for a millennia."
"Seems innocent enough to me...."
"But she is the reason I am even here today! If she hadn't called, then nobody would have come, and I would be dead now, with Anubis's judgement passed on me, and probably wandering the deepest pits of hell right now! But here I am in this time and era, a Spirit of the Shadow Realm, like the Pharaoh and Malik's other half."
Ryou decided to play on his own other half's arrogant side. "But if it weren't for her, then you wouldn't have the great powers you have today......"
"................Maybe so. But being sealed in the Shadow Realm with nothing more than your imagination for a millennia isn't exactly my idea of fun, now is it, annoying one? I used my imagination there to dream up some lovely torment for the Pharoah......I do believe I came up with some good ones....."
Ryou frowned and looked at his dark half. "Then tell me why she is here now. If she was the reason you were sealed away back in Egypt, then something had to have brought her back to this time."
".....I don't know how or why she is here. I'm going back in the Ring now. Keep walking. Go in that direction." Bakura pointed to the east. "I can sense something in that direction. Don't stop until you absolutely have to. Gods, my back hurts..." Bakura then glowed, and disappeared into the Ring. Gosh, Ryou thought, I wonder WHY Bakura's back hurts.....
Ryou sat rooted where he was for a moment, then rubbed the sore red part on his face. In all actuality, his darker half didn't hit him much. He only got violent when he was extremely angry, and that only happened once in a great while. He knew that his Yami knew more than he was letting on.
After another moment, Ryou got to his feet and began walking in the direction Bakura indicated. He didn't know what was going to be in that way, but he felt that it was better not to disobey the angry spirit.
Then, a shiver went up Ryou's spine, and some rainwater dripped into his eyes. He stopped for a moment and rubbed them, then remembered a small umbrella in his bag. He got it out so he could shield his already soaked body from further rain. His hair was plastered to his back and the sides of his face, and he pushed the soggy strands away with a quick movement of his hand.
The shiver went through his back again. He kept trying to ignore it, but he really couldn't any longer. The plain and simple truth was that he tried to kill Mai and Amoura. Even if it was his dark spirit counterpart, it was still in essence HIM.
He remembered suddenly being tossed out of the soul room as Bakura sought refuge inside in the middle of running through the woods just the last night. As Ryou had been shoved out and back into his body, he had been overcome with the sickening feeling of what had almost happened, and fell over in a dead faint. He commended Amoura's courage. She looked like a lost deer in headlights the whole time, but she was brave to stand up to the evil spirit of the Ring.
He then thought of his friends. He knew that Yugi would know what happened, and possibly Joey, Honda, and Anzu would also. They had run- ins with Bakura before, but none as bad as this one. Mokuba wouldn't understand maybe, and Amoura wouldn't understand either. She didn't understand the Millennium Items and the 'properties' that some of them had. Like spirits residing in them.
Maybe Ryou would never be forgiven....maybe this time he would be blamed. They might never accept him back, saying that his Ring was too much trouble for them all to handle, and that he brought too much danger with him. And what about Mai? She was the one that Bakura pulled the knife on first....she had gotten separated from the others in the confusion after his yami yanked the power on the dueling station. She had made an easy target since nobody else was very close.
Mai might not forgive him. She was naturally a bit vindictive, and didn't understand the Millennium Items much either. But she had been just as scared as Ryou was at that moment, being forced to watch the whole scene unfold through his own eyes. Eyes that were controlled by his Yami at that moment.
He wanted to come back out and tell both of the girls to run away, but Bakura's evil was flowing so freely and powerfully, that Ryou was much to weak to even counter it a bit. He was completly submissive and couldn't do a thing about it. He was glad he didn't have to watch them being hurt. His eyelids were heavy, but he kept walking on.
Ryou really didn't sleep soundly after he had fainted. He was uneasy, and wishing for the safety of his friends. He was beginning to hope they were a good deal far away. He really couldn't stand seeing them again after this, and he thought they would be safer without him around. They didn't need the likes of him endangering them.
He sighed and trudged along his lonely path.
"What is it Crawford, I'm busy!" Malik's other half yelled over the storm and into the wireless phone.
"Malik, I want a report on what's going on. I have been informed that a dueling station has gone down, and that the duel involved you."
"You are correct in that. I was dueling a French champion. I could tell from her stats on the ID."
"So you finally used it....did your actual self help with that?"
"This isn't the time for that ! The dueling station is indeed down right now, and I can sense evil around...."
"Oh? More so than you?"
"I don't like to blow my own Horn of Summoning Dragon...."
"Of course you do, but that's beside the point, Ishtar. The point is I want to know where little Yugi-boy and his friends have gone!"
"There was no way to tell in this rain! You think that I can find them in this weather! I don't know why, but this weather is really odd! First it's cold in the middle of summer, and now it's fine, but raining like this!
"That I cannot help at all. But you know the first order of business....and I want that done first and foremost!"
"Don't push your luck Pegasus. I was the one who tracked you down, remember? I am the reason this deal was made!"
"I get that perfectly fine, Ishtar. But I still need that done! And I would prefer your task finished before round two of the tournament begins!"
"That is....how long from now, O' Winged One?"
"Don't word play on my name again. It will be in exactly ten days. I will arrive in ten days to await the arrival of my round two duelists."
"How long are you staying again, Unicorn?"
"Errr....I am staying for three days. That is it." Pegasus really Hated being called Unicorn....
"Fine. I will come in soon after you arrive. I guarentee at least two of your prizes by then."
"Two? Well, that's better than none. Just hurry up. I have packing to attend to."
"Alright, Uni-boy, I am leaving now. I have things to take care of myself." With that, Malik's Yami hung up the phone.
Pegasus put down the phone and sighed. Yes....two was indeed better than none.....his eyes strayed over to a picture on the wall of three things designed by him to be like the old originals. He wouldn't mind having those back as well. He would tell Malik of them the next time he spoke with him.
Otogi sauntered down the streets of Domino again, but this time he was being followed by one of the old members of his 'cheering squad.'
"Oh Otogi....you must be soooo bored without anyone to play with around here....I know....I've learned how to play Dungeon Dice Monsters lately....why don't we go and play a game back at your place?"
"Erm....maybe later, Julienne. I have....other things to attend to right now."
"Oooh! Can I come to, Otogi? I can help if you need anything carried!" Julienne batted her large eyelashes at him and grinned.
"Erm....I really don't need help....." Sure, fangirls were neat at first, but after awhile, they were just really annoying at times.......
"Awww....are you sure, Otogi......?" She wobbled her bottom lip at him and threw in another cute eyelash bats.
"Yeah....I'm pretty sur....AHH!" He was suddenly grabbed and yanked into an alleyway by a darkly tanned hand.
Julienne freaked out and tried to follow him, but when she turned into the alley, they were gone. She bounced on her heels nervously and then turned tail and ran off, squealing to her friends that Otogi had been kidnapped.
When Julienne had gone, the tanned hand removed itself from in front of Otogi's mouth, and he managed to speak.
"What in hell is going on here!" He turned his head to his assailant, and saw Isis. She was wearing fairly non-Egyptian looking clothing, uncharacteristic of her, but at least she blended in better.
"Isis! Err...did you find out something about your brother?"
Her eyes narrowed at him and she lowered her voice to a whisper.
"Yes. I did have a vision. It was light and brief, but enough. I need your help."
Mai stood up shakily and looked herself over. She was covered with mud, and it saturated her hair thoroughly. She frowned at all of this and then sat down, sighing. They had mentioned quite a few times that Bakura could get evil....but she never thought this evil.....
When she had gotten separated from the others, she had initially panicked. That panic got worse when she saw the tall and wildly evil Bakura step from the driving rain with a knife, poised to do away with her existence.
She had never been more glad that they had taken on Amoura than in that moment, for when he swiped at her, she ran and grabbed him around the waist, taking them both to the ground. Amoura got up and went after the knife, but Bakura grabbed at her and made them both fall down again. When Amoura stood again, Mai had stepped on Bakura's back with her heels and bought her a moment, but Bakura shook her off and hit her. She had been out for a few moments, and the next thing she saw was a strange woman threatening Bakura with his own knife, and he ran off.
After that had happened, Mai had gotten herself up and ran in a direction, hoping to find the others. It had soon become evident, though, that she had gone in the wrong direction, and she was in the middle of the forest again.
She checked her map on her ID, and had been angered to find that this had been one duelist station she hadn't marked. She checked the last place she had marked, and in the end decided against going there. They wouldn't head back in that way. They would go ahead, and travel further, taking it for granted that she and Bakura would do the same.
If Amoura had gotten back to them herself, she would tell them what happened to Bakura, but she wished she had stayed with Amoura instead of running off on her own. Mai sighed again. She was really afraid now that she was alone again, but she had managed it before, so she hoped that she would re-adjust quickly. She did, in fact, still have chips to earn if she were to get into the fortress....eight, actually. That was all she had needed. Eight more and she would be free to find the fortress.
Mai began to trudge lightly down the pathways, hoping that she could find a decent place to rest. She looked up at the quickly clearing skies and noticed that it must be the day after. Damn. She really hoped that they were all looking for her by now...
What was she thinking? Of course they were! And she was willing to bet that some of them were throwing fits....like Joey. He would be mad if he found out what happened. Joey always overreacts. He shouldn't have so easily pressed buttons....Mai grinned to herself just thinking about the others trying to hold Joey down, him spouting threat after threat to a non-present Ryou Bakura. He would be the only one to lose his cool in that situation....
Her face was drawn into a frown as she remembered the rain still spattering lightly above her. She hoped that the dissipating rain would wash out some of the mud that was all over her. Her poncho was still with Anzu, but that was the least of her worries.
Mai sat down and looked at her bag. She was glad it was made out of plastic. It repelled the water for the most part, but there was mud on the towel she had put on the top of her bag. Strategical packing. She had to do everything with a touch of strategy.
She pulled the towel away and dried her hands off. She was under a thick canopy of trees, so very little of the weakening rain was getting her her. On the other hand, even though she WAS glad that the rain was going away, she resented the fact that her clothes and hair were clinging to her even more tightly than usual.
On this extended journey, she had opted for a pair of jeans shorts and a black baby t-shirt. It seemed like everyone was wearing vests though. She herself was wearing a black polyester vest, and Joey, Yugi, Amoura, and Anzu were in vests. Only Honda and Bakura really weren't in vests. Mokuba had a coat on that went down to his knees, sort of like something his brother would wear. So only Honda and Bakura were the ones who weren't following the new "trend." Mai smirked at the thought.
She then stopped and shook her head. Now was not the time to think of clothes and trends. She DID have larger problems. Like finding food. She pulled the bag of berries that was miraculously not squashed in last night's events. Mai examined them closely, and then decided to go looking for them. She stood again and walked into the brush.
A bush twig scratched her leg, and a bramble caught in her hair. She swore loudly and continued on into the brush. Soon she came upon a bush with berries on it. Honda had been right earlier on. These berries were everywhere.
She glanced at her bag, and noticed that the berries on the bush were a slightly more purpleish color than the ones in her bag. Mai figured that they were alright, and picked as many as her bag would hold.
When she had taken her fill of berries, she made her way carefully back out into the open. She looked in another pouch of her bag and pulled out her dueling deck. Mai flipped through her cards absently while she munched on some berries. There had to be other things to eat on this island besides berries. After she was done eating, she decided, she would go find water. Water wouldn't be too hard to get.
"When I face times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me, whispering words of wisdom....Let it be...." Mai began whispering the words to a Beatles song she liked. It fit her situation a little bit. Let it be. Since there wasn't really anything she could do about it at the moment....just let it be. For now.
She continued humming the song to herself as she flipped through her cards. She paused on a new one. Harpy's Brother. He was a neat one, and when she had first found him, she had to put elements from her old Harpy's deck into her latest Amazon deck. So she had reverted back a bit, so what? She liked her old Harpy's Deck, and it felt right in a tournament like this. It certainly brought back memories, that was for sure.
Mai grinned at the memory of her duels with Joey, Anzu, and Yugi. And how she had duped Dinosaur Ryuzaki into dueling for her. Boy, had she been a bad girl in the past. Her grin grew a little wider at that thought. Who was she kidding....she had to go back to them.....she had to find them. They were her friends now, and not some old lingering feeling of needing to be alone could stop her now. She was over that. And it had to stay that way.
She put her cards and her berries away, stuffing the towel back over her things. Mai stood back up and began her search for water. She would have to be well stocked if she were going to keep up with the other duelist. She at the least wanted to clean up before she went and challenged someone. She must have looked like a fright......
Insector stood up from his place on the front of the fortress and stood up, looking at the sky. It was a dark murky grey, and there was rain still pattering down a bit. Another good half an hour, and it would most likely be done. That was good. He didn't want to stay at the fortress much longer. What good would being here do him if he was short two diamond chips?
He leaned against the doors and pulled out his ID. He flipped it on and checked out his map, noting the twenty or so places he had marked so far. Haga noticed that he hadn't marked a single place on the map during the whole time he had been following the arrow, but that didn't bother him much. It wasn't like he was going to walk another five to seven hours just so he could go and mark the arrow on his map.
There was bound to be a duelist somewhere that wandered aimlessly close to his find. The chances were slim that anyone else would find the place so soon, like he did.....maybe it was divine intervention. Maybe he was being given a sign that it was HE who was destined to win this tournament. He already had twenty three diamond chips, practially a guarentee to go on to the next round, so why not find the fortress a little over a week before the great Pegasus even had to be there?
Haga continued to muse as himself being champion. He was standing high above the cherring masses as Pegasus announced him as the winner, giving him the check for the prize money.....and that fifth Blue Eyes White Dragon.....Ah.....the look on Kaiba's face when it was Haga and not him who got that coveted prize.....
He could see the admiring looks from girls down below him, chanting his name....anxious to get close to a champion.....Finally, the bug boy would come out on top. Nobody thought he could pull something like this off at all, with his bugs. What did they know.....he became Regional champion with his lovely bug deck! Everyone prefered decks like Kaiba's because they held alot of power, but sometimes it took more than power to win a match....sometimes it took something like intuition to win!
Then he suddenly jolted as he thought of another prize he could win. Pegasus could announce him as.....as........King of Games......Haga's eyes widened at the very thought. King of Games......him.
He shook the thought out of his head as quickly as it came, but little pieces of the thought clung for dear life to him. To become King of Games, he would have to beat the current King of Games in a duel. And that would be Yugi Motou. Haga thought that it would be near impossible to beat Yugi in a duel....even with his cheating, he couldn't beat him. He had the upper hand the whole duel! No fair! He narrowed his eyes in anger. He would just HAVE to beat Yugi in this tournament. There was no denying it. If he were to pay for the humiliations of his past, he would have to beat Yugi and take his title as King of Games.
The rain slowed and stopped, leaving just the murky skies as reminder of the rain last night. Haga picked up his things and began down the steps, looking for another outlet from this area other than the one he came in at.
Soon enough, he came upon an opening in the thick of trees he could squeeze through, and came out close to a small pond. He thought he could hear some splashing in the water, and his curiousity (plus a good touch of perversion) implored him to explore further. He hid behind a large rock and peeked over the side of it, and was suddenly met with a wave of water to the face.
It took all of the self reserve he had to not yell out in frustration, but he ducked behind the rock again and clamped his hands over his mouth. After a moment, (and a couple of more splashes later) he dared peeking again.
His 'curiousity' had rewarded him. There was a young woman in the pond, but she had her back to him. He snickered lightly and then saw her begin to turn around. He ducked again, so as not to be seen, his face bright red.
/This is a really good day......I hope she doesn't find me...../ Then he saw it. There was a line strung up between two trees, and on it hung some black and blue clothes. If she went for her clothes, not only would he get an eyeful, but when she did turn back around to dress, he would be spotted easily. And in his current position, there was no way he could really sneak off and not be seen.
/Okay....this day just MAY turn ugly.....the bug boy always gets the trouble..../
Dinosaur Ryuzaki stepped outside of his tent, and a boot squelched into the mud.
"Aww....gross...."
Seto popped his head out after Ryuzaki. "The rain has stopped....but it seems as if your boot has met with an unfortunate accident...."
Ryuzaki turned his head back to Seto. "And is this why you asked me to step out first?"
Seto grinned with a dash of evil and stuck his head back inside. Over the night, Seto had found Ryuzaki to be a good conversationalist, and had spent half the night talking with him. Now that it was day, and that the rain had cleared out finally, he was ready to get moving again. Seto gathered up his things inside the tent and listened to Ryuzaki grumble to himself about the boot he had cleaned up last night.
As soon as his things were all together, he stepped outside with him and avoided the puddle that Ryuzaki was so kind to point out. He stood beside the smaller person, and noted that lots of other people were looking out of their tents at the campsite also.
The effects of the rain being done were almost instantaneous. One boy jumped outside and yelled in the direction of another tent in rapid Portugese, and a tent three spaces away opened up, and an extremely tall girl got out and ran up to him, holding her dueling deck. They both ran off to one of the dueling stations and got started. After this, about twenty or so other duelists wandered in that direction to watch.
Ryuzaki was about to go over as well, touching Seto's arm and beckoning him to come also. Seto shook his head no.
"I really have to get moving, Ryuzaki. You know....."
Ryuzaki looked up at the taller person and nodded.
"Yeah, I do. But so soon? The rain just stopped."
"As soon as I can. Since I have a full glove now, I don't have to worry about dueling much, but I still have to find Lisa and the fortress. I wish you nothing but luck in getting the rest of your chips."
"Yeah, good luck in keeping yours. All you really have to worry about now are the eliminators....I heard about this really creepy one last night actually."
"Eliminators? They are already out?"
"Yeah man. There's this one that's really brutal. Thinks it's fun to break a person. They have no mercy in dueling at all. And what's more, they don't leave their victims physically well either....."
"That eliminator hurts the people they defeat!?" Seto's eyes widened at the thought.
"Secrets about eliminators don't stay secrets for long, Kaiba. These people are left unconscious. One of 'em turned up yesterday to rest before they headed back to the docks. I think the poor guy may have to wait until the next boat though, since the rain was bound to have slowed him down." Ryuzaki held a bit of pity in his voice for the person.
Seto on the other hand was infuriated that an eliminator could be like that. He remembered hearing about Player Killer from Yugi and his friends, one of the eliminators on Duelist Kingdom, and knew that he was described as brutal, but this was beyond him.
Sure he knew people who could be like that.....Bakura's evil side for one, but he knew that Bakura was with Yugi, and Yugi's other side would not tolerate that kind of thing from the tomb robber. Who else could it be....oh wait. Duh! It could only be the same person that he suspected of making Lisa see her sister like that.....
If it came down to who he would personally expect, then Malik would definitly be it. It could be a duelist from somewhere else in the world doing all of these things, but he didn't know many other people with such horrible tendencies.
He looked back down at Ryuzaki. "Will you keep an eye out for her? If you see her, tell her that there are people out looking for her."
"Why not just get everyone who speaks english to look for her?"
"Because not everyone here can be trusted. I know that already."
Ryuzaki nodded. "Yeah, I hear ya there, man. Well, good luck, and steer clear of eliminators...."
"Will do. Thank you for letting me stay in your tent last night. I appreciate the shelter...."
"No problem." Ryuzaki stuck out his hand to Seto, and he shook it quickly. "Hope to see you in the next round."
"Good luck to you. Goodbye." Seto then turned around and began walking away from the encampment. Ryuzaki turned in the other direction and went to watch the duel.
As soon as Seto got back into the thick of the forest, he looked at the map on his ID. Seto quickly spotted the direction with the most open area on it and began walking. The clouds were clearing up very quickly and the morning sun was shining brightly. Seto could feel the comfortable heat on the top of his head every time he passed under an open patch in the canopy. He hoped to find some sign of Lisa soon. His search was most likely taking away from his other search....
Malik woke up that morning underneath of an overhanging rock, resting on a soft bed of dried mosses. He had slept until about nine, he guessed. His Yami had let him in control at the end of last night, saying he needed some time to think. So it was now Malik's task to follow the map on his ID to the fortress.
Malik quickly picked up camp and began walking in the direction pre-specified by his Yami and the map. As he walked he munched on some cooled (but cooked) meat that he really didn't want to know how his Yami had gotten it. It was good and well cooked, at the least.
Soon enough, his quiet walking was interrupted by a dark voice above him. It wasn't his Yami, for once.
"He...Hey kid.....you will duel me.....now......." The voice was haggard and strained, and almost sounded off his rocker. Malik turned around.
The first thing he thought of when he turned around was a wraith. Not the usual wailing moaning vision of death wraiths, but some kind of punker biker vision of death. His bandanna was askew on his messy hair, and he was very soaked from last nights storm. His leather jacket was torn in a couple of places, and his sunglasses has smudges all over them. His leather pants had a rip going from the ankle cuff and up to his knee, and his black leather boots were caked in mud.
His body shuddered with each breath, and from behind the glasses, Malik could tell that the guy's eyes were flicking around wildly, like they couldn't settle with eachother on what to look at. Yet, through all of this crazyness, he thought he could recognize this wild man.....
Malik calmly went for his ID and turned it to the man. There was some measure of understanding in his eyes, but it soon flicked away and returned to it's crazy self.
He scanned the creature, and suddenly felt as if someone had kicked him in the stomach. It was Bandit Keith. Hardly even a shadow of his former self. If Malik could see his eyes clearer, he was sure that he would find lost emptiness. Suddenly, he felt the smallest pang of guilt for the seemingly broken man. It seemed as if time and various other things had taken it's toll on his mind. Of course, Malik himself didn't help a bit when he possessed his mind back just before Battle City......
Then he saw it. Malik saw the large handgun in Keith's hand. His heart fluttered with the faintest trace of fear. There hadn't been rumors of anyone being shot so far....so maybe it wasn't loaded. Then Keith raised the gun to Malik.
"Wha....what's it going....to be, nancy boy? Duel me? Or.....no." His thumb went for the back end of the gun. Malik's eyes widened.
"Erm.....of course I will duel you! Just name the place!" His hands rested on the Millennium Rod that hung from a belt loop at his side. His brow narrowed and he followed the staggering Keith to a dueling station about one hundred feet from where they were standing. He must have had this planned. Even though Keith seemed to be out of it alot, he still could think a bit.
Keith clambered up onto his side of the dueling station, and Malik lightly jumped up to his side. They inserted their Duelist ID's, Keith's missing the slot once or twice, and then Malik dared to look at Keith.
"What will the bet be for?"
"We will.....duel for ten chips....." Keith pointed to his glove and Malik noted that Keith had sixteen chips. Either his addition was off a bit, or he just wanted an extra just in case.
Either way, Malik nodded and pressed in the bet. They placed their decks down and drew their first cards.
"DUEL!"
"First....turn....is mine....." Keith croaked. Malik had no qualms with that. "I lay.....the Overdrive in attack mode....(A/1600 D/1500) .....and then I lay this card face down and.....end my turn."
"Alright." Malik looked over his cards. "I will summon the Gil Gars, in attack mode! (A/1800 D/1200) I place this card face down, also! Now I will destroy your Overdrive!
The Overdrive was destroyed and Keith took two hundred life point damage.
Keith's face contorted in irrational anger, but he drew his card anyway. He placed a card face down and then played the Steel Ogre Grotto. (A/1900 D/2200) and launched an attack on Malik's Gil Gars.
"Are we forgetting the card I layed face down earlier?" Malik grinned and flipped over the Riddle of the Traveler. "What this does is lets me take a card from my hand, and if you can guess what kind of card it is, then your attack goes through. If you guess incorrectly, then the monster goes back to your hand....." Malik looked at his hand and held up one of his Monster cards, the Hell Poemer.
Keith looked confused, but even in his state he knew that there were three types, Trap, Magic, and Monster. "I gues....ahhh....er.....uhhh......Trap card." His eyes flickered around wildly.
"Sorry. You guess wrong. I had a monster card held up." Malik showed him the Hell Poemer with a smirk.
Keith wasn't used to this....no he wasn't. Duke had told him that duelists ran from him in fear....not face him in battle like this! Nobody got the better of the soon to be champion of this tournament! Nobody! Keith grabbed his gun and pointed it at Malik's shocked face.
"G-g-g-give up the match now, or I blow your brains out!" Malik's eyes were the size of saucers as he stared down the barrel of the gun. It was shaking wildly in Keith's hand, but Duke told him to stop shaking so much, and just smear the station with his brains.
Malik looked at Keith with a small hint of fear in his eyes. "Do you really want to do this?"
Those words struck a chord with Keith. Terrence spoke up quietly.
The boy is has a good point. Do you want to do this?
YES! HE DOES!! Duke yelled at Terrence, and all Terrence did was take a sip of his ice suckey.
"SHUT UP!! BOTH OF YOU!!!" Keith yelled that out loud. Malik's slightly frightened eyes turned to confused ones. Who was he yelling at?
"You guys make my heads hurt when you fight! Stop it stop it STOP IT!!" Keith bent over double on the dueling station and held his head, dropping the gun. Malik felt like this was a good time to leave, but if he wanted to go now, he would have to concede defeat to get his ID out. That was one thing he would never do.
Instead, Malik opted for something else. Make small talk.
"Who are you talking to?" Malik tried to put some genuine curiousity in his voice.
"They guys....they always talk to me and tell me what to do! I can never get them to be quiet! NEVER!! Duke is always yelling! Terrence is nice! But they fight! And my head has been hurting nonstop since I woke up yesterday!!"
Well. That was more than Malik needed to know. Keith named the voices inside of his head. Who would name a voice Terrence anyway? Stupid name actually. Duke wasn't exactly something he would want to tag on a poor soul either.
"If your head hurts so much.....why don't we end the duel. You concede defeat, and we just go along our ways....."
Keith's head shot up, fire blazing in his near empty orbs. He grabbed up the gun again and had it trained on Malik in an instant. Well, that was the wrong thing to ask him.
"NEVER! YOU WILL PAINT THE DUELING STATION IN YOUR BLOOD FIRST!!" Keith shook all over with rage.
Hmm.....that sounded like something his Yami would say. And speaking of Yamis.....He felt his own imploring to take over. He shrugged and submitted. Might as well. It would get his Yami off his lazy bum for awhile.
Malik's darker half stood in front of the confused crazy man. Although Keith couldn't place why the boy's hair stood up on end, or why he grew taller, it was still the boy, and he still had a target for his mini boom stick.
"You tried to kill me. You will play my game now." The dark spirit smirked at Keith.
"B-b-but we were just playing....we still haven't finished....."
"How are we supposed to finish with a gun on my head? We will play a special game.....Yami no Game......" At these words, a darkness surrounded the both of them, and then Keith collapsed in utter fear.
"NOO!! MY HEAD!!! EXPLODING!! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Anzu was looking out of the cave entrance, Mokuba's legs somehow resting horizontally over hers during the night. She hadn't bothered to remove the sleeping boy, and had opted for gazing and watching the rain die down instead.
She soon found that she wasn't the only one awake though, as she saw Yunet creep amoung the sleeping others stealthily. The small tabby paused by Yugi's head, and pounced right on his face kamakaze style, attempting to win the ongoing war with Yugi's bangs.
Yugi shot up with a shout, and Yunet tumbled off of his face, landing in a fuzzy heap on his lap. She shot up again, and leaned up onto his chest, reaching for his bangs again. Yugi just grinned after his heart stopped beating a mile a minute, and picked up the still slightly damp kitten.
Anzu tried unsuccessfully to supress a giggle, and Yugi looked over at her.
"Ehh...G'morning Anzu....." Yugi looked at her dumbfoundedly. He had no idea that she was awake at all.
She smiled at him. "Good morning Yugi. It looks like the rain has died away now...."
"That's good." Yugi couldn't help but blush. The cave was dark, so he was safe for now.
Anzu looked at the others still sleeping. "Should we wake them up and tell them? We might need to clear out of here soon....."
"Uh, why don't we let them sleep for awhile, Anzu. You know that it takes alot to get Joey up anyway."
She giggled. "Yeah. It does take alot to get him up!"
Yugi scooted closer to Anzu so he could talk with her easier, his blush increasing a little bit.
Yunet chose that moment to bounce on Mokuba's head. Mokuba's legs kicked out, barely missing Yugi's head, and Anzu jolted. The boy shot up and immediatly spotted the kitten clinging to his hair with her little claws. He sighed and picked her out carefully.
He then spotted Yugi and Anzu sitting up. "Hey guys! Morning! This cat sure knows how to wake someone up, doesn't she!"
Yugi smiled weakly and patted his bangs down. "Yeah, she sure does!"
Mokuba then got a sadistic grin on his face and placed Yunet on Amoura's hair. Yunet immediatly began her favorite activity of digging in Amoura's wavy hair, and Amoura shot up just as Mokuba and Yugi had.
"AH! Yunet......you should not be playing vith zleeping people's 'air!! 'Ow many times do I 'ave to tell you....." Her eyes fell on Yugi and the others. "Oh. Bonjour!" She smiled at them. "Yunet zeems to 'ave voken me up again....."
"Me too," Yugi and Mokuba said at the same time. Yunet scrambled away from her master and bounded lightly over to Honda. The others watched, giggling, as Yunet twanged Honda's hair point back and forth. Yunet seemed to like the fact that if she swatted his hair, it would immediatly bounce back into place. She played with that fun thing known as Honda Hair until he finally woke up a moment later.
His eyes opened to see a large paw close to his eyes.
"AHHH!!!!!!!" He panicked and shot up quickly. Yunet was just having her fun ruined time after time this morning. She had gotten soggy and muddy last night.....why not allow her some fun?
The others laughed, and Honda grumbled lightly, then began sneezing loudly. Amoura pulled Yunet away from him and he grabbed a tissue from his bag.
Finally, after making continuous noise, threatening his food supply, shoving Yunet into his poofy hair, threatening to shove dead fish into his water again, calling him a dog, and possibly with the help of an act of God, the rest of them woke Joey up.
He sat up groggily and shook out his bedhead. His eyes drooped sleepily and he just stared straight ahead for awhile. Soon enough, the fact that he was awake now registered to him, and he acknowleged their presence.
"G'morning everyone......" He rubbed his eyes and put a shirt on. Everyone began to pack up their things, and Amoura grumbled a little bit about the mud all over her and her cat still. She hadn't been able to get all of it out, and needed a bath to get it all out.
After they had all gotten their things together, Yunet slouched into her bag and began sleeping immediatly. They all ate a quick breakfast of berries and water, and left the cave.
The whole time, they kept an eye out for Mai or Bakura. Yugi personally wanted to find Bakura before Joey did. He had more.....evil....tendencies than he did.
The damp ground made little noise as they walked, and they all kept their eyes open for any signs of their missing party. The warm sun overhead confused Yugi a little bit, since rain usually didn't clear up this quickly. But he was glad for it all the same.
Soon, Anzu caught the sound of trickling water, and the rest of them heard it when they strained their ears. They all followed it and found a pond area that had a small waterfall pouring into it. It was surrounded by pretty flowers, well kept by the banks of the pool. Honda tested the water with a long stick, and it came up to about his own waist.
Amoura's eyes lit up. "I can finally vash out zis mud in my 'air and clothes!" Then she eyed the three boys. "But I vill need Anzu to ztand guard vhile I vash....."
The boys sweatdropped and grinned cheesily. Anzu stepped in quickly.
"You guys will go over there, beyond that thicket there. Stay there until you want to bathe, if you want to. But after Amoura, I am going. Will you stand guard for me, Amoura?"
"Of course, Anzu....."
So then the plan was executed. Anzu stood close to the direction the boys were going to, and Amoura went into the cold water, taking her cat with her. She held Yunet while she scrubbed the groggy kitten. Yunet mewed in protest, but gave up after a moment, since she was very sleepy.
Then Amoura was free to bathe herself. She managed to get all of the mud from her body, hair, and clothes, and set her clothes down on a nearby rock to sundry. She wrapped herself in a towel and got out, drying her thick hair with a handtowel. When she was dry, she put on a spare outfit and a pair of sandals, tying her hair up in a ponytail. Then she called to Anzu.
Amoura took her place on the "guardpost" and watched her kitten lazily lick herself, while sunning on the rock next to her clothes. Amoura sighed and picked up her dueling deck, looking at her cards. She could hear Anzu's water splash around and thought idly of the boys and what they were talking about right now.
Probably something about their cards.....and the prize. That Blue Eyes White Dragon. Maybe it was a silly thing to give the card back to Seto. But she didn't care. She did at least gain his trust. That was important. She could always win this Blue Eyes by winning the tournament.
Anzu then called out to Amoura, and Anzu got out of the water, drying herself off. As soon as she was fully dressed, Anzu walked to get the boys, and they came back. Amoura stayed with the clothes just in case. As soon as they came back, the girls told them to leave the drying clothes alone and go ahead and do their thing.
The ladies went to the spot to keep away from the guys and watched Yunet curl up on a towel and go to sleep.
He stopped in the water. He could swear that he could hear a voice. A feeling from his Millennium Puzzle indicated that his darker half heard it to. It was the voice of the girl calling out to him, like in that dream he had nights ago. It creeped him out. The voice was pleading and hurting, like someone was tearing her soul away. The voice sounded ancient, like a whisper of an age long gone. He shivered again and continued washing, hoping that the guys didn't notice his cringing.
It didn't seem to matter much anyway. Joey and Honda were having a water fight, trying to see who could splash the most water at each other. Yugi watched them for a moment, but was soon caught up in it all when Honda splashed him with a particularly large wave.
Yugi laughed. "You guys are going to get it now!!" Then he joined in the game, him and Joey ganging up on Honda, felling him quickly.
"Hey guys, cut it out! I can't even open my eyes anymore," Honda laughed.
Joey snickered at him. "That's what you get for messing with Yuge and me at the same time!!"
Shadi looked up at the sky. Hmmm....this weather was getting very strange indeed.....soon though, he would be at the place where he had last felt an Item being activated. He hoped to find answers soon. But this weather was really very odd. First a chill in the air, then pouring thunderstorms, and now this warmth. Very odd indeed.
He straightend his turban and stood up, walking again. He was glad he knew how to stay out of sight from duelists like he did. All he wanted was to know the whereabouts of his Millennium Ankh, then he would be thoroughly pleased.
Lisa cuddled against the wall of the church, wondering if she should venture out into the outside. She was in the light of the hole in the ceiling, and the sun was warm. And Kebby-kun's jacket was really warm also. She didn't want to risk getting cold again. She wasn't even sure if it was dry outside. She liked it where she was.
But soon, her stomach grumbled and she had to go outside anyway. She left Kebby's jacket behind the altar, and steered clear of the puddles on the floor of the sanctuary.
As soon as she had gotten outside, she fished out a handkerchief and began picking the berries that grew wild outside of the doors. She took alot of the juicy ripe ones and ate a few off of the bushes herself. When she had gotten alot of them, she went back inside and at her food, leaving a bunch in the handkerchief for later.
She munched quietly and thought about her sister. He sister taught her Duel Monsters and Lisa hoped she could find her sister soon. And Kebby-kun of course. So Lisa decided that she would have to leave the place very soon. She couldn't just sit there and wait for someone to come and find her. She had to go and do it herself.
Lisa checked over her things and packed her berries carefully away. She thought momentarily of bringing the soft pad she had slept on with her, but quickly realized that there wouldn't be enough room. So she had no choice but to leave it behind. Oh well. She could always get another one. Maybe. But now was not the time to worry about the comfy things she would be leaving. She had to keep moving so she could get to Kebby-kun or Faife.
Lisa hoisted her sack onto her back again and started out of the church, marking the place on her map. She followed the brick road back out to the sign, and then went along in the direction she had been heading before that detour.
She suddenly heard a rustling beyond the trees where she was. Lisa poked her head through, and saw a woman cleaning herself in a pond. Lisa politely averted her eyes, but in the direction she averted them, she could see that there was a guy hiding behind a rock. Well, that wasn't very nice at all......
Brood: *gasping* Get......me a cure.....or DIE!!
Zutsokaki: I'm trying! I'm trying! I don't want to die!!!
Brood: I WILL get you for this!!!! *gasp!*
Zutsokaki: Ahh...*reading off things* permanent pain spells....torture.....maiming...internal organ mushing......
Brood: Comforting.....*wheeze!*
Zutsokaki: I think I may have something here! *Points his hand at her and mumbles a few words.....*
Brood: AHH!! *suddenly flashes a bright golden color, and when the light subsides, the affects of both spells is made perfectly clear.....*
Zutsokaki: Oh my god.....what have I done???
**Last chance for review contest! Rules are on my bio! Winner announced in a few days!**
bRead the story, "Come out to the Future" by YugamiNny777!!! That is a dang good story, and I have been written in! It is about Yugami, the granddaughter of Yugi, and she is trying to save the whole world from the crazy wielder of the Millennium Rod! *Possible character death! Woo! I think.....lol.* Read it! And review! Good stuff! Lots better than I am making it sound!!b/
FANFICTION PICCYS!!
www.geocities.com/cherish_lyneytte/Brood_Mayran.html
Zutsokaki: I didn't mean to do that! I just wanted you asleep so I could sneak away!
Brood: Or get into the wine....*gasp*
Zutsokaki: Where does it hurt most? *gets out his book of magic*
Brood: EVERYWHERE! *gasp gasp*
Zutsokaki: Awww....there are tons of remedies for all over pain....*flips through some pages* If you die, can I have your stereo?
Brood: No......
Zutsokaki: Damn. Hey, if you're dead....how would you know?
Brood: I'll come back *gasp* and haunt your sorry ass.....
Zutsokaki: ...............
Brood: *suddenly is immersed in a golden light from nowhere, and when it subsides, it is made very clear what happened to her*
Zutsokaki: Oh god......
CHAPTER 13
Keith stumbled along the ways of the forest, and raised his hand to his face. He looked at his nineteen diamond chips and sighed.
The duelists so far could not recognize the former American and Intercontinental Champion of Duel Monsters......he was merely a shadow....no....more fitting as a ghoul.....of his former self....
His bandanna was ragged and torn in a couple of places, and his leather pants had a rip towards the bottom. His boots were covered in mud from trudging endlessly through the rain. His eyes were sunken and blank, yet held the illusion of being wild still. His breath was staggered and heavy, and his hair stuck in many different directions. He hadn't had it cut since his defeats on Duelist Kingdom, so he had it back in a ponytail But half of his hair, and other little strands of it were flying and wild now.
He had made himself deaf to the storm raging around him, because it was nothing in comparision to the storm inside of his mind. Keith's mind was muddled and heavy with all of the arguing going on inside of it. He decided to call his darker voice, the one he listened to, Duke, and his nicer one Terrence. He never listened to Terrence much.
When Duke and Terrence argued over revenge and mercy and other things like that, he could only sink back into the recesses of his mind and listen to them yell. Or rather, Duke yelled and Terrence tried to calm him down, saying he was too mean.
Duke would always bring Keith into the arguement, saying about how he must get his pride back from them all. Terrence would try and explain calmly that he needed to forget all of this, and that it happened to the best of duelists. And that he didn't need to dwell on the past.
Terrence reminded Keith of his mother. He never listened to his mother much. He liked Duke's ideas better anyway. Revenge suited him well. It was all he ever really liked about being a bad guy. Bad guys could get revenge.....and do it well.
He looked down at the magnum in his other hand, and let out a small smile. Terrence had gone away for a moment, and Duke was talking to him. He was telling Keith about how he could drag out their horrible ends......hmm...he liked Duke's ideas more and more. The more he agreed with Duke, the less headaches he would get. If he tried to remember what had happened, they would come back, and Terrence would nag him again.
Keith had decided to listen to Duke more and more lately, since he didn't get the headaches if he did. Duke had neat ideas on how to hurt people, and they were fun to listen to. He gripped the magnum tighter and soon came upon a duelist.
It was just a young boy, maybe around twelve or thirteen. Keith got closer, his heavy steps clodding along alerting the boy of Keith's presence. The boy cried out and began to run, but Keith promptly challenged him to a duel. The boy's body shook in pure fear at the fright before him, and ran off anyway. Keith raised his magnum to fire, but the boy darted behind some trees and was gone. He lowered it again.
"Damn kids....don't know anything at all.....can't respect their elders....." Keith grumbled lightly and continued walking along.
Most of the duelists he had managed to get to duel him had given up after one or two turns because they were so frightened of him. He always held that magnum with him, which only increased that fear. Duke always laughed loudly when his happened, and Terrence would just Tsk tsk at them both.
Keith turned a corner around the path, and then his mind flashed. His head snapped up, and he staggered over to the side of the pathway, sitting down shakily. There was an image....he could remember something.... There was someone standing in front of him. They were holding a card..........it was so odd. Why would he remember something like that?
Stop, Duke hissed at him. There is no use in this at all.......
No....I think he needs to see this, Terrence countered. He was back, and Keith could tell he just went for a slurpee, or ice suckey.
Stop
No *sluurrrrppp*
Stop
No
"STOP IT BOTH OF YOU!!! NOOOOWW!!" When they began to do that, his head began to pound. And not to mention the current strain on his aching head already from just remembering that image. He sometimes hated his companions. He yelled at them, and they both quieted for awhile.
He stood up and began walking along again. How he wished he could just think about things alone again.....but now.....he was never alone anymore..
Ryou Bakura's eyes fluttered open lightly, and he sat up. The rain had died down some, and it was fairly silent, thunder wise. He was soaked, and covered in mud.
Now how did this happen....
Oh yeah. That's right. His Yami had nearly massacred two innocent people.
\ALRIGHT YOU! UP! EXPLAIN!\
\\...................\\ His Yami didn't seem much in the talking mood.
\NOW!\
Now he wasn't about to stand for his aibou demanding and yelling at him.... \\Stop your yelling now pathetic mortal! How DARE you raise your puny voice at me! How do you even have the balls to do a thing like that!?\\
\You nearly killed Mai and Amoura! WHY!?\
\\Those reasons are for me to explain when I wish to do so! Now bugger off slave!\\
\I remember something......you called a girl Ahmunet. Who is that?\
\\..............I said leave me alone!\\
\I will not. You cannot do a thing about it.\
\\Oh can I!?\\ Suddenly the Ring glowed and Bakura's evil half emerged, glaring Ryou hard in the face.
"Now what can I not do?," he sneered at him. Bakura raised his hand and slapped Ryou hard across the face. "Why do you care what I do? The Pharaoh must be broken, body and soul, before I can steal his Items!"
Ryou recovered quickly, but his fear grew now that he wasn't simply trading insults from inside the Ring. "But you don't have to kill them! Who is this Ahmunet girl?"
Bakura slapped Ryou again, and this time, Ryou fell back and let out a small groan. Bakura grabbed Ryou by his collar and stared him in the face.
"Do NOT ask questions of what does not concern you! This matter will be taken care of by the spirits of the Items, not puny mortals like you!" He then rammed Ryou against a tree and delved his hand into Ryou's pocket, drawing out the Millennium Eye.
"Now to take care of other business....put this in your eye."
Ryou whispered at this Yami, "Never."
"PUT IT IN AIBOU!!!!"
Ryou didn't even know why he even responded to "aibou." He knew Bakura only said it to him to mock him.
"Put it in for yourself....if you want it so badly...."
"I need it in YOUR body! Yours is the physical one !"
"How can I do anything with you pinning me to this tree?"
"You seem to be learning a bit too much mouth from me.....as 'proud' as I am, I still demand you put this in......NOW!"
"I will......"
"Good aibou....."
".......consider it. IF you tell me about Ahmunet."
Bakura only grew more angry at his aibou, shoving him against the tree harder, but soon let go, letting Ryou fall to the ground. Ryou picked himself up quickly and Bakura sat down on a fallen tree. Ryou picked a rock to sit on a safe distance away, shivering in the rain, and also for his own safety. Bakura DID try to kill Amoura and Mai, along with that Ahmunet girl.
"Fine. I will tell you SOME things. It's not like you won't find out sooner or later anyway."
Ryou's head perked up, and stared at his Yami hard. "You are? Really?"
"Don't get to excited. I may change my mind. Now, all I can tell you about her is that I blame her for my imprisonment in the Ring. She caught me trying to loot the palace itself....."
"But I thought you were a tomb robber?"
"Let's just say that I got a little big for my linens. And DON'T interrupt me again." Bakura glared at his aibou, and Ryou shut up.
"Anyway, she called for.....help......and soon enough after that, I was in the Ring for a millennia."
"Seems innocent enough to me...."
"But she is the reason I am even here today! If she hadn't called, then nobody would have come, and I would be dead now, with Anubis's judgement passed on me, and probably wandering the deepest pits of hell right now! But here I am in this time and era, a Spirit of the Shadow Realm, like the Pharaoh and Malik's other half."
Ryou decided to play on his own other half's arrogant side. "But if it weren't for her, then you wouldn't have the great powers you have today......"
"................Maybe so. But being sealed in the Shadow Realm with nothing more than your imagination for a millennia isn't exactly my idea of fun, now is it, annoying one? I used my imagination there to dream up some lovely torment for the Pharoah......I do believe I came up with some good ones....."
Ryou frowned and looked at his dark half. "Then tell me why she is here now. If she was the reason you were sealed away back in Egypt, then something had to have brought her back to this time."
".....I don't know how or why she is here. I'm going back in the Ring now. Keep walking. Go in that direction." Bakura pointed to the east. "I can sense something in that direction. Don't stop until you absolutely have to. Gods, my back hurts..." Bakura then glowed, and disappeared into the Ring. Gosh, Ryou thought, I wonder WHY Bakura's back hurts.....
Ryou sat rooted where he was for a moment, then rubbed the sore red part on his face. In all actuality, his darker half didn't hit him much. He only got violent when he was extremely angry, and that only happened once in a great while. He knew that his Yami knew more than he was letting on.
After another moment, Ryou got to his feet and began walking in the direction Bakura indicated. He didn't know what was going to be in that way, but he felt that it was better not to disobey the angry spirit.
Then, a shiver went up Ryou's spine, and some rainwater dripped into his eyes. He stopped for a moment and rubbed them, then remembered a small umbrella in his bag. He got it out so he could shield his already soaked body from further rain. His hair was plastered to his back and the sides of his face, and he pushed the soggy strands away with a quick movement of his hand.
The shiver went through his back again. He kept trying to ignore it, but he really couldn't any longer. The plain and simple truth was that he tried to kill Mai and Amoura. Even if it was his dark spirit counterpart, it was still in essence HIM.
He remembered suddenly being tossed out of the soul room as Bakura sought refuge inside in the middle of running through the woods just the last night. As Ryou had been shoved out and back into his body, he had been overcome with the sickening feeling of what had almost happened, and fell over in a dead faint. He commended Amoura's courage. She looked like a lost deer in headlights the whole time, but she was brave to stand up to the evil spirit of the Ring.
He then thought of his friends. He knew that Yugi would know what happened, and possibly Joey, Honda, and Anzu would also. They had run- ins with Bakura before, but none as bad as this one. Mokuba wouldn't understand maybe, and Amoura wouldn't understand either. She didn't understand the Millennium Items and the 'properties' that some of them had. Like spirits residing in them.
Maybe Ryou would never be forgiven....maybe this time he would be blamed. They might never accept him back, saying that his Ring was too much trouble for them all to handle, and that he brought too much danger with him. And what about Mai? She was the one that Bakura pulled the knife on first....she had gotten separated from the others in the confusion after his yami yanked the power on the dueling station. She had made an easy target since nobody else was very close.
Mai might not forgive him. She was naturally a bit vindictive, and didn't understand the Millennium Items much either. But she had been just as scared as Ryou was at that moment, being forced to watch the whole scene unfold through his own eyes. Eyes that were controlled by his Yami at that moment.
He wanted to come back out and tell both of the girls to run away, but Bakura's evil was flowing so freely and powerfully, that Ryou was much to weak to even counter it a bit. He was completly submissive and couldn't do a thing about it. He was glad he didn't have to watch them being hurt. His eyelids were heavy, but he kept walking on.
Ryou really didn't sleep soundly after he had fainted. He was uneasy, and wishing for the safety of his friends. He was beginning to hope they were a good deal far away. He really couldn't stand seeing them again after this, and he thought they would be safer without him around. They didn't need the likes of him endangering them.
He sighed and trudged along his lonely path.
"What is it Crawford, I'm busy!" Malik's other half yelled over the storm and into the wireless phone.
"Malik, I want a report on what's going on. I have been informed that a dueling station has gone down, and that the duel involved you."
"You are correct in that. I was dueling a French champion. I could tell from her stats on the ID."
"So you finally used it....did your actual self help with that?"
"This isn't the time for that ! The dueling station is indeed down right now, and I can sense evil around...."
"Oh? More so than you?"
"I don't like to blow my own Horn of Summoning Dragon...."
"Of course you do, but that's beside the point, Ishtar. The point is I want to know where little Yugi-boy and his friends have gone!"
"There was no way to tell in this rain! You think that I can find them in this weather! I don't know why, but this weather is really odd! First it's cold in the middle of summer, and now it's fine, but raining like this!
"That I cannot help at all. But you know the first order of business....and I want that done first and foremost!"
"Don't push your luck Pegasus. I was the one who tracked you down, remember? I am the reason this deal was made!"
"I get that perfectly fine, Ishtar. But I still need that done! And I would prefer your task finished before round two of the tournament begins!"
"That is....how long from now, O' Winged One?"
"Don't word play on my name again. It will be in exactly ten days. I will arrive in ten days to await the arrival of my round two duelists."
"How long are you staying again, Unicorn?"
"Errr....I am staying for three days. That is it." Pegasus really Hated being called Unicorn....
"Fine. I will come in soon after you arrive. I guarentee at least two of your prizes by then."
"Two? Well, that's better than none. Just hurry up. I have packing to attend to."
"Alright, Uni-boy, I am leaving now. I have things to take care of myself." With that, Malik's Yami hung up the phone.
Pegasus put down the phone and sighed. Yes....two was indeed better than none.....his eyes strayed over to a picture on the wall of three things designed by him to be like the old originals. He wouldn't mind having those back as well. He would tell Malik of them the next time he spoke with him.
Otogi sauntered down the streets of Domino again, but this time he was being followed by one of the old members of his 'cheering squad.'
"Oh Otogi....you must be soooo bored without anyone to play with around here....I know....I've learned how to play Dungeon Dice Monsters lately....why don't we go and play a game back at your place?"
"Erm....maybe later, Julienne. I have....other things to attend to right now."
"Oooh! Can I come to, Otogi? I can help if you need anything carried!" Julienne batted her large eyelashes at him and grinned.
"Erm....I really don't need help....." Sure, fangirls were neat at first, but after awhile, they were just really annoying at times.......
"Awww....are you sure, Otogi......?" She wobbled her bottom lip at him and threw in another cute eyelash bats.
"Yeah....I'm pretty sur....AHH!" He was suddenly grabbed and yanked into an alleyway by a darkly tanned hand.
Julienne freaked out and tried to follow him, but when she turned into the alley, they were gone. She bounced on her heels nervously and then turned tail and ran off, squealing to her friends that Otogi had been kidnapped.
When Julienne had gone, the tanned hand removed itself from in front of Otogi's mouth, and he managed to speak.
"What in hell is going on here!" He turned his head to his assailant, and saw Isis. She was wearing fairly non-Egyptian looking clothing, uncharacteristic of her, but at least she blended in better.
"Isis! Err...did you find out something about your brother?"
Her eyes narrowed at him and she lowered her voice to a whisper.
"Yes. I did have a vision. It was light and brief, but enough. I need your help."
Mai stood up shakily and looked herself over. She was covered with mud, and it saturated her hair thoroughly. She frowned at all of this and then sat down, sighing. They had mentioned quite a few times that Bakura could get evil....but she never thought this evil.....
When she had gotten separated from the others, she had initially panicked. That panic got worse when she saw the tall and wildly evil Bakura step from the driving rain with a knife, poised to do away with her existence.
She had never been more glad that they had taken on Amoura than in that moment, for when he swiped at her, she ran and grabbed him around the waist, taking them both to the ground. Amoura got up and went after the knife, but Bakura grabbed at her and made them both fall down again. When Amoura stood again, Mai had stepped on Bakura's back with her heels and bought her a moment, but Bakura shook her off and hit her. She had been out for a few moments, and the next thing she saw was a strange woman threatening Bakura with his own knife, and he ran off.
After that had happened, Mai had gotten herself up and ran in a direction, hoping to find the others. It had soon become evident, though, that she had gone in the wrong direction, and she was in the middle of the forest again.
She checked her map on her ID, and had been angered to find that this had been one duelist station she hadn't marked. She checked the last place she had marked, and in the end decided against going there. They wouldn't head back in that way. They would go ahead, and travel further, taking it for granted that she and Bakura would do the same.
If Amoura had gotten back to them herself, she would tell them what happened to Bakura, but she wished she had stayed with Amoura instead of running off on her own. Mai sighed again. She was really afraid now that she was alone again, but she had managed it before, so she hoped that she would re-adjust quickly. She did, in fact, still have chips to earn if she were to get into the fortress....eight, actually. That was all she had needed. Eight more and she would be free to find the fortress.
Mai began to trudge lightly down the pathways, hoping that she could find a decent place to rest. She looked up at the quickly clearing skies and noticed that it must be the day after. Damn. She really hoped that they were all looking for her by now...
What was she thinking? Of course they were! And she was willing to bet that some of them were throwing fits....like Joey. He would be mad if he found out what happened. Joey always overreacts. He shouldn't have so easily pressed buttons....Mai grinned to herself just thinking about the others trying to hold Joey down, him spouting threat after threat to a non-present Ryou Bakura. He would be the only one to lose his cool in that situation....
Her face was drawn into a frown as she remembered the rain still spattering lightly above her. She hoped that the dissipating rain would wash out some of the mud that was all over her. Her poncho was still with Anzu, but that was the least of her worries.
Mai sat down and looked at her bag. She was glad it was made out of plastic. It repelled the water for the most part, but there was mud on the towel she had put on the top of her bag. Strategical packing. She had to do everything with a touch of strategy.
She pulled the towel away and dried her hands off. She was under a thick canopy of trees, so very little of the weakening rain was getting her her. On the other hand, even though she WAS glad that the rain was going away, she resented the fact that her clothes and hair were clinging to her even more tightly than usual.
On this extended journey, she had opted for a pair of jeans shorts and a black baby t-shirt. It seemed like everyone was wearing vests though. She herself was wearing a black polyester vest, and Joey, Yugi, Amoura, and Anzu were in vests. Only Honda and Bakura really weren't in vests. Mokuba had a coat on that went down to his knees, sort of like something his brother would wear. So only Honda and Bakura were the ones who weren't following the new "trend." Mai smirked at the thought.
She then stopped and shook her head. Now was not the time to think of clothes and trends. She DID have larger problems. Like finding food. She pulled the bag of berries that was miraculously not squashed in last night's events. Mai examined them closely, and then decided to go looking for them. She stood again and walked into the brush.
A bush twig scratched her leg, and a bramble caught in her hair. She swore loudly and continued on into the brush. Soon she came upon a bush with berries on it. Honda had been right earlier on. These berries were everywhere.
She glanced at her bag, and noticed that the berries on the bush were a slightly more purpleish color than the ones in her bag. Mai figured that they were alright, and picked as many as her bag would hold.
When she had taken her fill of berries, she made her way carefully back out into the open. She looked in another pouch of her bag and pulled out her dueling deck. Mai flipped through her cards absently while she munched on some berries. There had to be other things to eat on this island besides berries. After she was done eating, she decided, she would go find water. Water wouldn't be too hard to get.
"When I face times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me, whispering words of wisdom....Let it be...." Mai began whispering the words to a Beatles song she liked. It fit her situation a little bit. Let it be. Since there wasn't really anything she could do about it at the moment....just let it be. For now.
She continued humming the song to herself as she flipped through her cards. She paused on a new one. Harpy's Brother. He was a neat one, and when she had first found him, she had to put elements from her old Harpy's deck into her latest Amazon deck. So she had reverted back a bit, so what? She liked her old Harpy's Deck, and it felt right in a tournament like this. It certainly brought back memories, that was for sure.
Mai grinned at the memory of her duels with Joey, Anzu, and Yugi. And how she had duped Dinosaur Ryuzaki into dueling for her. Boy, had she been a bad girl in the past. Her grin grew a little wider at that thought. Who was she kidding....she had to go back to them.....she had to find them. They were her friends now, and not some old lingering feeling of needing to be alone could stop her now. She was over that. And it had to stay that way.
She put her cards and her berries away, stuffing the towel back over her things. Mai stood back up and began her search for water. She would have to be well stocked if she were going to keep up with the other duelist. She at the least wanted to clean up before she went and challenged someone. She must have looked like a fright......
Insector stood up from his place on the front of the fortress and stood up, looking at the sky. It was a dark murky grey, and there was rain still pattering down a bit. Another good half an hour, and it would most likely be done. That was good. He didn't want to stay at the fortress much longer. What good would being here do him if he was short two diamond chips?
He leaned against the doors and pulled out his ID. He flipped it on and checked out his map, noting the twenty or so places he had marked so far. Haga noticed that he hadn't marked a single place on the map during the whole time he had been following the arrow, but that didn't bother him much. It wasn't like he was going to walk another five to seven hours just so he could go and mark the arrow on his map.
There was bound to be a duelist somewhere that wandered aimlessly close to his find. The chances were slim that anyone else would find the place so soon, like he did.....maybe it was divine intervention. Maybe he was being given a sign that it was HE who was destined to win this tournament. He already had twenty three diamond chips, practially a guarentee to go on to the next round, so why not find the fortress a little over a week before the great Pegasus even had to be there?
Haga continued to muse as himself being champion. He was standing high above the cherring masses as Pegasus announced him as the winner, giving him the check for the prize money.....and that fifth Blue Eyes White Dragon.....Ah.....the look on Kaiba's face when it was Haga and not him who got that coveted prize.....
He could see the admiring looks from girls down below him, chanting his name....anxious to get close to a champion.....Finally, the bug boy would come out on top. Nobody thought he could pull something like this off at all, with his bugs. What did they know.....he became Regional champion with his lovely bug deck! Everyone prefered decks like Kaiba's because they held alot of power, but sometimes it took more than power to win a match....sometimes it took something like intuition to win!
Then he suddenly jolted as he thought of another prize he could win. Pegasus could announce him as.....as........King of Games......Haga's eyes widened at the very thought. King of Games......him.
He shook the thought out of his head as quickly as it came, but little pieces of the thought clung for dear life to him. To become King of Games, he would have to beat the current King of Games in a duel. And that would be Yugi Motou. Haga thought that it would be near impossible to beat Yugi in a duel....even with his cheating, he couldn't beat him. He had the upper hand the whole duel! No fair! He narrowed his eyes in anger. He would just HAVE to beat Yugi in this tournament. There was no denying it. If he were to pay for the humiliations of his past, he would have to beat Yugi and take his title as King of Games.
The rain slowed and stopped, leaving just the murky skies as reminder of the rain last night. Haga picked up his things and began down the steps, looking for another outlet from this area other than the one he came in at.
Soon enough, he came upon an opening in the thick of trees he could squeeze through, and came out close to a small pond. He thought he could hear some splashing in the water, and his curiousity (plus a good touch of perversion) implored him to explore further. He hid behind a large rock and peeked over the side of it, and was suddenly met with a wave of water to the face.
It took all of the self reserve he had to not yell out in frustration, but he ducked behind the rock again and clamped his hands over his mouth. After a moment, (and a couple of more splashes later) he dared peeking again.
His 'curiousity' had rewarded him. There was a young woman in the pond, but she had her back to him. He snickered lightly and then saw her begin to turn around. He ducked again, so as not to be seen, his face bright red.
/This is a really good day......I hope she doesn't find me...../ Then he saw it. There was a line strung up between two trees, and on it hung some black and blue clothes. If she went for her clothes, not only would he get an eyeful, but when she did turn back around to dress, he would be spotted easily. And in his current position, there was no way he could really sneak off and not be seen.
/Okay....this day just MAY turn ugly.....the bug boy always gets the trouble..../
Dinosaur Ryuzaki stepped outside of his tent, and a boot squelched into the mud.
"Aww....gross...."
Seto popped his head out after Ryuzaki. "The rain has stopped....but it seems as if your boot has met with an unfortunate accident...."
Ryuzaki turned his head back to Seto. "And is this why you asked me to step out first?"
Seto grinned with a dash of evil and stuck his head back inside. Over the night, Seto had found Ryuzaki to be a good conversationalist, and had spent half the night talking with him. Now that it was day, and that the rain had cleared out finally, he was ready to get moving again. Seto gathered up his things inside the tent and listened to Ryuzaki grumble to himself about the boot he had cleaned up last night.
As soon as his things were all together, he stepped outside with him and avoided the puddle that Ryuzaki was so kind to point out. He stood beside the smaller person, and noted that lots of other people were looking out of their tents at the campsite also.
The effects of the rain being done were almost instantaneous. One boy jumped outside and yelled in the direction of another tent in rapid Portugese, and a tent three spaces away opened up, and an extremely tall girl got out and ran up to him, holding her dueling deck. They both ran off to one of the dueling stations and got started. After this, about twenty or so other duelists wandered in that direction to watch.
Ryuzaki was about to go over as well, touching Seto's arm and beckoning him to come also. Seto shook his head no.
"I really have to get moving, Ryuzaki. You know....."
Ryuzaki looked up at the taller person and nodded.
"Yeah, I do. But so soon? The rain just stopped."
"As soon as I can. Since I have a full glove now, I don't have to worry about dueling much, but I still have to find Lisa and the fortress. I wish you nothing but luck in getting the rest of your chips."
"Yeah, good luck in keeping yours. All you really have to worry about now are the eliminators....I heard about this really creepy one last night actually."
"Eliminators? They are already out?"
"Yeah man. There's this one that's really brutal. Thinks it's fun to break a person. They have no mercy in dueling at all. And what's more, they don't leave their victims physically well either....."
"That eliminator hurts the people they defeat!?" Seto's eyes widened at the thought.
"Secrets about eliminators don't stay secrets for long, Kaiba. These people are left unconscious. One of 'em turned up yesterday to rest before they headed back to the docks. I think the poor guy may have to wait until the next boat though, since the rain was bound to have slowed him down." Ryuzaki held a bit of pity in his voice for the person.
Seto on the other hand was infuriated that an eliminator could be like that. He remembered hearing about Player Killer from Yugi and his friends, one of the eliminators on Duelist Kingdom, and knew that he was described as brutal, but this was beyond him.
Sure he knew people who could be like that.....Bakura's evil side for one, but he knew that Bakura was with Yugi, and Yugi's other side would not tolerate that kind of thing from the tomb robber. Who else could it be....oh wait. Duh! It could only be the same person that he suspected of making Lisa see her sister like that.....
If it came down to who he would personally expect, then Malik would definitly be it. It could be a duelist from somewhere else in the world doing all of these things, but he didn't know many other people with such horrible tendencies.
He looked back down at Ryuzaki. "Will you keep an eye out for her? If you see her, tell her that there are people out looking for her."
"Why not just get everyone who speaks english to look for her?"
"Because not everyone here can be trusted. I know that already."
Ryuzaki nodded. "Yeah, I hear ya there, man. Well, good luck, and steer clear of eliminators...."
"Will do. Thank you for letting me stay in your tent last night. I appreciate the shelter...."
"No problem." Ryuzaki stuck out his hand to Seto, and he shook it quickly. "Hope to see you in the next round."
"Good luck to you. Goodbye." Seto then turned around and began walking away from the encampment. Ryuzaki turned in the other direction and went to watch the duel.
As soon as Seto got back into the thick of the forest, he looked at the map on his ID. Seto quickly spotted the direction with the most open area on it and began walking. The clouds were clearing up very quickly and the morning sun was shining brightly. Seto could feel the comfortable heat on the top of his head every time he passed under an open patch in the canopy. He hoped to find some sign of Lisa soon. His search was most likely taking away from his other search....
Malik woke up that morning underneath of an overhanging rock, resting on a soft bed of dried mosses. He had slept until about nine, he guessed. His Yami had let him in control at the end of last night, saying he needed some time to think. So it was now Malik's task to follow the map on his ID to the fortress.
Malik quickly picked up camp and began walking in the direction pre-specified by his Yami and the map. As he walked he munched on some cooled (but cooked) meat that he really didn't want to know how his Yami had gotten it. It was good and well cooked, at the least.
Soon enough, his quiet walking was interrupted by a dark voice above him. It wasn't his Yami, for once.
"He...Hey kid.....you will duel me.....now......." The voice was haggard and strained, and almost sounded off his rocker. Malik turned around.
The first thing he thought of when he turned around was a wraith. Not the usual wailing moaning vision of death wraiths, but some kind of punker biker vision of death. His bandanna was askew on his messy hair, and he was very soaked from last nights storm. His leather jacket was torn in a couple of places, and his sunglasses has smudges all over them. His leather pants had a rip going from the ankle cuff and up to his knee, and his black leather boots were caked in mud.
His body shuddered with each breath, and from behind the glasses, Malik could tell that the guy's eyes were flicking around wildly, like they couldn't settle with eachother on what to look at. Yet, through all of this crazyness, he thought he could recognize this wild man.....
Malik calmly went for his ID and turned it to the man. There was some measure of understanding in his eyes, but it soon flicked away and returned to it's crazy self.
He scanned the creature, and suddenly felt as if someone had kicked him in the stomach. It was Bandit Keith. Hardly even a shadow of his former self. If Malik could see his eyes clearer, he was sure that he would find lost emptiness. Suddenly, he felt the smallest pang of guilt for the seemingly broken man. It seemed as if time and various other things had taken it's toll on his mind. Of course, Malik himself didn't help a bit when he possessed his mind back just before Battle City......
Then he saw it. Malik saw the large handgun in Keith's hand. His heart fluttered with the faintest trace of fear. There hadn't been rumors of anyone being shot so far....so maybe it wasn't loaded. Then Keith raised the gun to Malik.
"Wha....what's it going....to be, nancy boy? Duel me? Or.....no." His thumb went for the back end of the gun. Malik's eyes widened.
"Erm.....of course I will duel you! Just name the place!" His hands rested on the Millennium Rod that hung from a belt loop at his side. His brow narrowed and he followed the staggering Keith to a dueling station about one hundred feet from where they were standing. He must have had this planned. Even though Keith seemed to be out of it alot, he still could think a bit.
Keith clambered up onto his side of the dueling station, and Malik lightly jumped up to his side. They inserted their Duelist ID's, Keith's missing the slot once or twice, and then Malik dared to look at Keith.
"What will the bet be for?"
"We will.....duel for ten chips....." Keith pointed to his glove and Malik noted that Keith had sixteen chips. Either his addition was off a bit, or he just wanted an extra just in case.
Either way, Malik nodded and pressed in the bet. They placed their decks down and drew their first cards.
"DUEL!"
"First....turn....is mine....." Keith croaked. Malik had no qualms with that. "I lay.....the Overdrive in attack mode....(A/1600 D/1500) .....and then I lay this card face down and.....end my turn."
"Alright." Malik looked over his cards. "I will summon the Gil Gars, in attack mode! (A/1800 D/1200) I place this card face down, also! Now I will destroy your Overdrive!
The Overdrive was destroyed and Keith took two hundred life point damage.
Keith's face contorted in irrational anger, but he drew his card anyway. He placed a card face down and then played the Steel Ogre Grotto. (A/1900 D/2200) and launched an attack on Malik's Gil Gars.
"Are we forgetting the card I layed face down earlier?" Malik grinned and flipped over the Riddle of the Traveler. "What this does is lets me take a card from my hand, and if you can guess what kind of card it is, then your attack goes through. If you guess incorrectly, then the monster goes back to your hand....." Malik looked at his hand and held up one of his Monster cards, the Hell Poemer.
Keith looked confused, but even in his state he knew that there were three types, Trap, Magic, and Monster. "I gues....ahhh....er.....uhhh......Trap card." His eyes flickered around wildly.
"Sorry. You guess wrong. I had a monster card held up." Malik showed him the Hell Poemer with a smirk.
Keith wasn't used to this....no he wasn't. Duke had told him that duelists ran from him in fear....not face him in battle like this! Nobody got the better of the soon to be champion of this tournament! Nobody! Keith grabbed his gun and pointed it at Malik's shocked face.
"G-g-g-give up the match now, or I blow your brains out!" Malik's eyes were the size of saucers as he stared down the barrel of the gun. It was shaking wildly in Keith's hand, but Duke told him to stop shaking so much, and just smear the station with his brains.
Malik looked at Keith with a small hint of fear in his eyes. "Do you really want to do this?"
Those words struck a chord with Keith. Terrence spoke up quietly.
The boy is has a good point. Do you want to do this?
YES! HE DOES!! Duke yelled at Terrence, and all Terrence did was take a sip of his ice suckey.
"SHUT UP!! BOTH OF YOU!!!" Keith yelled that out loud. Malik's slightly frightened eyes turned to confused ones. Who was he yelling at?
"You guys make my heads hurt when you fight! Stop it stop it STOP IT!!" Keith bent over double on the dueling station and held his head, dropping the gun. Malik felt like this was a good time to leave, but if he wanted to go now, he would have to concede defeat to get his ID out. That was one thing he would never do.
Instead, Malik opted for something else. Make small talk.
"Who are you talking to?" Malik tried to put some genuine curiousity in his voice.
"They guys....they always talk to me and tell me what to do! I can never get them to be quiet! NEVER!! Duke is always yelling! Terrence is nice! But they fight! And my head has been hurting nonstop since I woke up yesterday!!"
Well. That was more than Malik needed to know. Keith named the voices inside of his head. Who would name a voice Terrence anyway? Stupid name actually. Duke wasn't exactly something he would want to tag on a poor soul either.
"If your head hurts so much.....why don't we end the duel. You concede defeat, and we just go along our ways....."
Keith's head shot up, fire blazing in his near empty orbs. He grabbed up the gun again and had it trained on Malik in an instant. Well, that was the wrong thing to ask him.
"NEVER! YOU WILL PAINT THE DUELING STATION IN YOUR BLOOD FIRST!!" Keith shook all over with rage.
Hmm.....that sounded like something his Yami would say. And speaking of Yamis.....He felt his own imploring to take over. He shrugged and submitted. Might as well. It would get his Yami off his lazy bum for awhile.
Malik's darker half stood in front of the confused crazy man. Although Keith couldn't place why the boy's hair stood up on end, or why he grew taller, it was still the boy, and he still had a target for his mini boom stick.
"You tried to kill me. You will play my game now." The dark spirit smirked at Keith.
"B-b-but we were just playing....we still haven't finished....."
"How are we supposed to finish with a gun on my head? We will play a special game.....Yami no Game......" At these words, a darkness surrounded the both of them, and then Keith collapsed in utter fear.
"NOO!! MY HEAD!!! EXPLODING!! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Anzu was looking out of the cave entrance, Mokuba's legs somehow resting horizontally over hers during the night. She hadn't bothered to remove the sleeping boy, and had opted for gazing and watching the rain die down instead.
She soon found that she wasn't the only one awake though, as she saw Yunet creep amoung the sleeping others stealthily. The small tabby paused by Yugi's head, and pounced right on his face kamakaze style, attempting to win the ongoing war with Yugi's bangs.
Yugi shot up with a shout, and Yunet tumbled off of his face, landing in a fuzzy heap on his lap. She shot up again, and leaned up onto his chest, reaching for his bangs again. Yugi just grinned after his heart stopped beating a mile a minute, and picked up the still slightly damp kitten.
Anzu tried unsuccessfully to supress a giggle, and Yugi looked over at her.
"Ehh...G'morning Anzu....." Yugi looked at her dumbfoundedly. He had no idea that she was awake at all.
She smiled at him. "Good morning Yugi. It looks like the rain has died away now...."
"That's good." Yugi couldn't help but blush. The cave was dark, so he was safe for now.
Anzu looked at the others still sleeping. "Should we wake them up and tell them? We might need to clear out of here soon....."
"Uh, why don't we let them sleep for awhile, Anzu. You know that it takes alot to get Joey up anyway."
She giggled. "Yeah. It does take alot to get him up!"
Yugi scooted closer to Anzu so he could talk with her easier, his blush increasing a little bit.
Yunet chose that moment to bounce on Mokuba's head. Mokuba's legs kicked out, barely missing Yugi's head, and Anzu jolted. The boy shot up and immediatly spotted the kitten clinging to his hair with her little claws. He sighed and picked her out carefully.
He then spotted Yugi and Anzu sitting up. "Hey guys! Morning! This cat sure knows how to wake someone up, doesn't she!"
Yugi smiled weakly and patted his bangs down. "Yeah, she sure does!"
Mokuba then got a sadistic grin on his face and placed Yunet on Amoura's hair. Yunet immediatly began her favorite activity of digging in Amoura's wavy hair, and Amoura shot up just as Mokuba and Yugi had.
"AH! Yunet......you should not be playing vith zleeping people's 'air!! 'Ow many times do I 'ave to tell you....." Her eyes fell on Yugi and the others. "Oh. Bonjour!" She smiled at them. "Yunet zeems to 'ave voken me up again....."
"Me too," Yugi and Mokuba said at the same time. Yunet scrambled away from her master and bounded lightly over to Honda. The others watched, giggling, as Yunet twanged Honda's hair point back and forth. Yunet seemed to like the fact that if she swatted his hair, it would immediatly bounce back into place. She played with that fun thing known as Honda Hair until he finally woke up a moment later.
His eyes opened to see a large paw close to his eyes.
"AHHH!!!!!!!" He panicked and shot up quickly. Yunet was just having her fun ruined time after time this morning. She had gotten soggy and muddy last night.....why not allow her some fun?
The others laughed, and Honda grumbled lightly, then began sneezing loudly. Amoura pulled Yunet away from him and he grabbed a tissue from his bag.
Finally, after making continuous noise, threatening his food supply, shoving Yunet into his poofy hair, threatening to shove dead fish into his water again, calling him a dog, and possibly with the help of an act of God, the rest of them woke Joey up.
He sat up groggily and shook out his bedhead. His eyes drooped sleepily and he just stared straight ahead for awhile. Soon enough, the fact that he was awake now registered to him, and he acknowleged their presence.
"G'morning everyone......" He rubbed his eyes and put a shirt on. Everyone began to pack up their things, and Amoura grumbled a little bit about the mud all over her and her cat still. She hadn't been able to get all of it out, and needed a bath to get it all out.
After they had all gotten their things together, Yunet slouched into her bag and began sleeping immediatly. They all ate a quick breakfast of berries and water, and left the cave.
The whole time, they kept an eye out for Mai or Bakura. Yugi personally wanted to find Bakura before Joey did. He had more.....evil....tendencies than he did.
The damp ground made little noise as they walked, and they all kept their eyes open for any signs of their missing party. The warm sun overhead confused Yugi a little bit, since rain usually didn't clear up this quickly. But he was glad for it all the same.
Soon, Anzu caught the sound of trickling water, and the rest of them heard it when they strained their ears. They all followed it and found a pond area that had a small waterfall pouring into it. It was surrounded by pretty flowers, well kept by the banks of the pool. Honda tested the water with a long stick, and it came up to about his own waist.
Amoura's eyes lit up. "I can finally vash out zis mud in my 'air and clothes!" Then she eyed the three boys. "But I vill need Anzu to ztand guard vhile I vash....."
The boys sweatdropped and grinned cheesily. Anzu stepped in quickly.
"You guys will go over there, beyond that thicket there. Stay there until you want to bathe, if you want to. But after Amoura, I am going. Will you stand guard for me, Amoura?"
"Of course, Anzu....."
So then the plan was executed. Anzu stood close to the direction the boys were going to, and Amoura went into the cold water, taking her cat with her. She held Yunet while she scrubbed the groggy kitten. Yunet mewed in protest, but gave up after a moment, since she was very sleepy.
Then Amoura was free to bathe herself. She managed to get all of the mud from her body, hair, and clothes, and set her clothes down on a nearby rock to sundry. She wrapped herself in a towel and got out, drying her thick hair with a handtowel. When she was dry, she put on a spare outfit and a pair of sandals, tying her hair up in a ponytail. Then she called to Anzu.
Amoura took her place on the "guardpost" and watched her kitten lazily lick herself, while sunning on the rock next to her clothes. Amoura sighed and picked up her dueling deck, looking at her cards. She could hear Anzu's water splash around and thought idly of the boys and what they were talking about right now.
Probably something about their cards.....and the prize. That Blue Eyes White Dragon. Maybe it was a silly thing to give the card back to Seto. But she didn't care. She did at least gain his trust. That was important. She could always win this Blue Eyes by winning the tournament.
Anzu then called out to Amoura, and Anzu got out of the water, drying herself off. As soon as she was fully dressed, Anzu walked to get the boys, and they came back. Amoura stayed with the clothes just in case. As soon as they came back, the girls told them to leave the drying clothes alone and go ahead and do their thing.
The ladies went to the spot to keep away from the guys and watched Yunet curl up on a towel and go to sleep.
He stopped in the water. He could swear that he could hear a voice. A feeling from his Millennium Puzzle indicated that his darker half heard it to. It was the voice of the girl calling out to him, like in that dream he had nights ago. It creeped him out. The voice was pleading and hurting, like someone was tearing her soul away. The voice sounded ancient, like a whisper of an age long gone. He shivered again and continued washing, hoping that the guys didn't notice his cringing.
It didn't seem to matter much anyway. Joey and Honda were having a water fight, trying to see who could splash the most water at each other. Yugi watched them for a moment, but was soon caught up in it all when Honda splashed him with a particularly large wave.
Yugi laughed. "You guys are going to get it now!!" Then he joined in the game, him and Joey ganging up on Honda, felling him quickly.
"Hey guys, cut it out! I can't even open my eyes anymore," Honda laughed.
Joey snickered at him. "That's what you get for messing with Yuge and me at the same time!!"
Shadi looked up at the sky. Hmmm....this weather was getting very strange indeed.....soon though, he would be at the place where he had last felt an Item being activated. He hoped to find answers soon. But this weather was really very odd. First a chill in the air, then pouring thunderstorms, and now this warmth. Very odd indeed.
He straightend his turban and stood up, walking again. He was glad he knew how to stay out of sight from duelists like he did. All he wanted was to know the whereabouts of his Millennium Ankh, then he would be thoroughly pleased.
Lisa cuddled against the wall of the church, wondering if she should venture out into the outside. She was in the light of the hole in the ceiling, and the sun was warm. And Kebby-kun's jacket was really warm also. She didn't want to risk getting cold again. She wasn't even sure if it was dry outside. She liked it where she was.
But soon, her stomach grumbled and she had to go outside anyway. She left Kebby's jacket behind the altar, and steered clear of the puddles on the floor of the sanctuary.
As soon as she had gotten outside, she fished out a handkerchief and began picking the berries that grew wild outside of the doors. She took alot of the juicy ripe ones and ate a few off of the bushes herself. When she had gotten alot of them, she went back inside and at her food, leaving a bunch in the handkerchief for later.
She munched quietly and thought about her sister. He sister taught her Duel Monsters and Lisa hoped she could find her sister soon. And Kebby-kun of course. So Lisa decided that she would have to leave the place very soon. She couldn't just sit there and wait for someone to come and find her. She had to go and do it herself.
Lisa checked over her things and packed her berries carefully away. She thought momentarily of bringing the soft pad she had slept on with her, but quickly realized that there wouldn't be enough room. So she had no choice but to leave it behind. Oh well. She could always get another one. Maybe. But now was not the time to worry about the comfy things she would be leaving. She had to keep moving so she could get to Kebby-kun or Faife.
Lisa hoisted her sack onto her back again and started out of the church, marking the place on her map. She followed the brick road back out to the sign, and then went along in the direction she had been heading before that detour.
She suddenly heard a rustling beyond the trees where she was. Lisa poked her head through, and saw a woman cleaning herself in a pond. Lisa politely averted her eyes, but in the direction she averted them, she could see that there was a guy hiding behind a rock. Well, that wasn't very nice at all......
Brood: *gasping* Get......me a cure.....or DIE!!
Zutsokaki: I'm trying! I'm trying! I don't want to die!!!
Brood: I WILL get you for this!!!! *gasp!*
Zutsokaki: Ahh...*reading off things* permanent pain spells....torture.....maiming...internal organ mushing......
Brood: Comforting.....*wheeze!*
Zutsokaki: I think I may have something here! *Points his hand at her and mumbles a few words.....*
Brood: AHH!! *suddenly flashes a bright golden color, and when the light subsides, the affects of both spells is made perfectly clear.....*
Zutsokaki: Oh my god.....what have I done???
**Last chance for review contest! Rules are on my bio! Winner announced in a few days!**
bRead the story, "Come out to the Future" by YugamiNny777!!! That is a dang good story, and I have been written in! It is about Yugami, the granddaughter of Yugi, and she is trying to save the whole world from the crazy wielder of the Millennium Rod! *Possible character death! Woo! I think.....lol.* Read it! And review! Good stuff! Lots better than I am making it sound!!b/
FANFICTION PICCYS!!
www.geocities.com/cherish_lyneytte/Brood_Mayran.html
