" The Shadow Game starts now." said Penta softly, a malicious , gleeful light shining in his yellow eyes. " I ask you as I did before, Thief Sama: are you afraid?"
The dice knocked together in Yami Bakura's tightly clenched fist. " My answer is the same it was a millennia ago, as will be the outcome. Except this time you won't come back."
Bakura watched the two spirits lock eyes. He could almost feel an aura crackling between them.
He wondered if they even remembered he was there. For a moment they seemed to be in there own world, their own private arena. He felt like he was only standing on the side.
Yami Bakura grabbed his little character - not without giving it a look of revulsion- and moved it to the forest.
Why are you going there? Bakura asked his Yami. You are most likely to get attacked there.
So? You can't win this game without fighting. Yami Bakura retorted.
An RPG is not just fighting. his hikari argued. You have to visit towns, get supplies, talk to people...
Worry about yourself, hikari.
Off to the side Yugi whispered. ". Bakura's glaring at his Yami. And Yami Bakura looks very annoyed. What do you think is going on?"
Yami sighed. " My guess is that they are already arguing amongst themselves."
" Are you going to move?" Penta's voice shook Bakura out off his mental argument with his Yami.
" Hai." said Bakura , sighing and moving his piece to a town. " I'll start here."
" It's not good." said Yugi, in a low, tense voice. " They are not working together. They can't beat him if their efforts are divided."
" I agree, aibou." Yami replied, looking uncharacteristically apprehensive. " I hope they realize this in time."
Bakura's piece was greeted by a middle aged man in rags. He felt his stomach clench. It was his old gym teacher, the one that had told him to either cut his hair or not return to school.
Yami Bakura wore an expression of cold amusement; he remembered the teacher too.
The ragged piece blinked up in confusion at seeing two Bakura's. He concluded that being a game piece for so long had finally driven him mad, and went along with his role play.
" Welcome stranger. Either leave me, or come to my tavern in town. Hurry on, and you may beat your opponent down faster. Stay , and you may learn something worthwhile about your enemy."
" Then I choose to stay." Bakura said. " Tell me what you know."
When they walked toward the tavern, Bakura learned that there was a band of orphan children hiding in the east mountains. Rumor was they had opposed Zork, surviving many skirmishes, and may have something to defeat them.
Exiting the tavern, he saw a girl selling medecine. He had no money though, and felt sickened further when he recognized her from his junior high class.
Feeling rather pale, and reminded painfully again of why he'd put this game away in the first place, he ended his turn.
Yami Bakura eagerly moved his piece towards the castle, making no signs of heading towards the mountains. There was a beeping sound , and some monsters appeared on the stat board.
Yami Bakura gave the dice a role. He got a zero and an eight.
Bakura gasped. That was luck indeed for his Yami to have gotten a low number like that.
"Take this!" the white haired thief said, challengingly.
His spiky haired game piece attacked in a flurry of daggers. The wolven looking monster let out a howl of agony, glowed, fell to its side, and shattered into several pieces. Then it was no more.
The other monster , however, had time to send it's own attack, and it was a level 10 monster. Certainly not enough to destroy Yami Bakura with a level 8 attack and defense, but enough to hurt him.
It gave him a swipe of it's paws that sent the daggered piece staggering, with a bit of a bewildered look on its annoyed face. A bit of his life bar went down.
" Counter attack!" Yami Bakura ordered, furiously.
The piece complied, and destroyed the other monster. But for the first time, the millenium spirit seemed worried. His life bar wasn't it critical condition - yet. However, he had no means of healing himself.
He was awarded some money, and that only irritated him further. He'd have to go back to the town after all to buy medecine. Bakura was in the town, yet he had no money.
Apparently potions were needed to heal him. He vaguely remembered something about this. He'd never been an actual player, he'd always controlled the role play. He scowled and moved his piece away from the forest. How absoulutely aggravating!
The line of Penta's mouth curved into a smirk as he watched his fellow tomb robber struggle. He was tempted to start gloating, but not yet. He would savor this moment and save the self praise for the right moment.
In the mean time, the little hikari had no idea what was planned for him.
Yami Bakura moved his piece back to the town and ended his turn.
" A wasted effort." Yami commented quietly to Yugi. " He should have listened to Bakura."
" Hai." Yugi agreed. " I think Yami no Bakura thinks so too. Of course he'll never admit it though."
Bakura made his move towards the mountain plains. He could fight a weak monster there if he was attacked and get some money or items. The stat screen beeped, but not in the same ominous way it had when Yami Bakura had been attacked. It wasn't a monster.
It was a fairy. It giggled merrily at him. Bakura smiled despite his situation.
" If you answer my question right , I'll reward you." she said. " If you get it wrong, you must start the game over."
Bakura tensed hoping it was not a hard question. " Yes?"
" The mountains hide many secrets. Those who have not triumphed, but have not been conquered. Those who have been alone since birth. The young who need guidance, yet guide those many summers older than they. What does the mountains hide?"
Bakura relaxed some. It wasn't difficult. It would have been if he had not talked to the tavern owner. Who had not triumphed over Zork , but had not been conquered by him? People who had been alone since birth were orphans.
" The mountain orphans." Bakura replied.
" Correct!" the fairy said all the more merrily. " Here"
She threw Bakura's White Bishop a bag of money. " I can heal all the wounds you have received from monsters. Or you can choose to pause, and wait for a fellow traveller to catch up to you."
" I'll wait." the hikari answered, ending his turn and hoping his Yami would take the hint and meet him.
Why don't you keep going? Yami Bakura questioned his hikari.
The last time this game was won, it was won by people working as a team. I believe it will be won that same way this time. Bakura answered.
Yami Bakura met his hikari's serious gaze.
I can't do this alone, Yami. the boy continued.
The millenium spirit glanced stonily back at his other for a second.
" Yami no Bakura!" yelled out Yugi whi could stay silent no longer. " You've got to help each each other! If you support one another you will win!"
For the first time , Penta showed some reaction.
" Uresai!" he snapped at Yugi. " You are a pawn and a spectator here! Be silent!"
" Yugi's right, tomb robber." Yami said. " And Penta knows it too. He would not let you merge spirits because he is afraid of what you could do together."
Yami Bakura's eyes flickered in some surprise. He looked at Penta who was still glaring furiously at the hikari. But he looked less confident. Tense.
I think the baka Pharoah is correct, thought the thief. Penta is scared!
" Think of what will be lost today if you fail, Yami Bakura." Yami urged. " Our hikari's and Malik will lose their lives. You and I will be lost in the shadow realm, and eventually lose our minds."
Yami Bakura's expression went softer at the look of his his hikari's pleading eyes. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Malik still lying there, a strand of his blonde hair laying idly across his face. His arms still wrapped around the millenium rod.
I had missed one important point, thought Yami no Yugi. If we are gone, Penta will have my puzzle, the ring, and the rod. If they do not drive him insaner than he is, he will still wield incredible power. And who knows what he will do to this world? And if my suspicions are right, Yami Bakura is the one who stole Pegasus's Eye. How long would it take for him to get Isis's necklace? Then the only person standing in his way would be Shadi.
A fine trickle of sweat dripped down the pharoah's face.
Seeing Yami so unnerved was one of the main things that shook Yami Bakura. Yami was always confident.
He looked back at his hikari and smirked. "Well I sure don't want to spend eternity in this place with the Pharoah no Baka."
Yugi made a strangled expression, and Yami face faulted. " That's ALL you can say?!!!"
Bakura couldn't help but grin back.
Yami Bakura moved his piece to meet Bakura's.
Yet something put a damper on Bakura's lightened mood. Penta knew the odds weren't so favorable to him now, but he still had the look of a person who held an extra ace.But what was he hiding?
" Enjoy each others support while it lasts." he taunted the two white haired ones. " There is a limit to how long the hikari's can survive here. And I'm guessing you have about forty minutes left."
He let out a low snicker, and pointed at Bakura. " Including him." To Yami Bakura. " I wonder....just how long will you have an 'aibou'?"
( Yay, the chapter was longer! I enjoyed writng this, though I was under the influence of the Lord of the Rings soundtrack while I wrote it. You know how they say music can affect you. Anyway, I'm think that the Kaiba's should pop up again soon. Ja ne, peeps.)
Mel: I did try to take my time. I hope I made this all intersesting.
Grave Robbers Aman: I'm glad someone likes my sense of humor.^^ * gives cookies*
DMG Hikaru: I'm glad you liked that boring chapter.
Shining Carizard: Am I right in assuming someone has a soft spot for Malik? ^^
Hyozanryu: the description of his piece just popped out of my mind, strange mind it is...and well, I couldn't resist.
Lunis: It was really a filler chapter, but thanks^^ I'm glad people are appreciating my sense of humor.
KokoroHikaru: thanks. It was fun to write actually. * cries her praises to the Lord* My writer is unblocked.
Manga nut: Isn't he always cute like that? No actually I have few clues how it works. I think the dice was correct, but I'm really playing this by ear.
Ciu Sune: I am better, thankyou. Ok. Bakura is the White Bishop/Priest whicever. Y.Bakura is a pyschotic porquipine - joking - he's a little dagger throwing thief. I think Bakura did a good job with the character programming^^
Elle FATE: Yes I too want to read that part of the manga badly. *pouts *
The dice knocked together in Yami Bakura's tightly clenched fist. " My answer is the same it was a millennia ago, as will be the outcome. Except this time you won't come back."
Bakura watched the two spirits lock eyes. He could almost feel an aura crackling between them.
He wondered if they even remembered he was there. For a moment they seemed to be in there own world, their own private arena. He felt like he was only standing on the side.
Yami Bakura grabbed his little character - not without giving it a look of revulsion- and moved it to the forest.
Why are you going there? Bakura asked his Yami. You are most likely to get attacked there.
So? You can't win this game without fighting. Yami Bakura retorted.
An RPG is not just fighting. his hikari argued. You have to visit towns, get supplies, talk to people...
Worry about yourself, hikari.
Off to the side Yugi whispered. ". Bakura's glaring at his Yami. And Yami Bakura looks very annoyed. What do you think is going on?"
Yami sighed. " My guess is that they are already arguing amongst themselves."
" Are you going to move?" Penta's voice shook Bakura out off his mental argument with his Yami.
" Hai." said Bakura , sighing and moving his piece to a town. " I'll start here."
" It's not good." said Yugi, in a low, tense voice. " They are not working together. They can't beat him if their efforts are divided."
" I agree, aibou." Yami replied, looking uncharacteristically apprehensive. " I hope they realize this in time."
Bakura's piece was greeted by a middle aged man in rags. He felt his stomach clench. It was his old gym teacher, the one that had told him to either cut his hair or not return to school.
Yami Bakura wore an expression of cold amusement; he remembered the teacher too.
The ragged piece blinked up in confusion at seeing two Bakura's. He concluded that being a game piece for so long had finally driven him mad, and went along with his role play.
" Welcome stranger. Either leave me, or come to my tavern in town. Hurry on, and you may beat your opponent down faster. Stay , and you may learn something worthwhile about your enemy."
" Then I choose to stay." Bakura said. " Tell me what you know."
When they walked toward the tavern, Bakura learned that there was a band of orphan children hiding in the east mountains. Rumor was they had opposed Zork, surviving many skirmishes, and may have something to defeat them.
Exiting the tavern, he saw a girl selling medecine. He had no money though, and felt sickened further when he recognized her from his junior high class.
Feeling rather pale, and reminded painfully again of why he'd put this game away in the first place, he ended his turn.
Yami Bakura eagerly moved his piece towards the castle, making no signs of heading towards the mountains. There was a beeping sound , and some monsters appeared on the stat board.
Yami Bakura gave the dice a role. He got a zero and an eight.
Bakura gasped. That was luck indeed for his Yami to have gotten a low number like that.
"Take this!" the white haired thief said, challengingly.
His spiky haired game piece attacked in a flurry of daggers. The wolven looking monster let out a howl of agony, glowed, fell to its side, and shattered into several pieces. Then it was no more.
The other monster , however, had time to send it's own attack, and it was a level 10 monster. Certainly not enough to destroy Yami Bakura with a level 8 attack and defense, but enough to hurt him.
It gave him a swipe of it's paws that sent the daggered piece staggering, with a bit of a bewildered look on its annoyed face. A bit of his life bar went down.
" Counter attack!" Yami Bakura ordered, furiously.
The piece complied, and destroyed the other monster. But for the first time, the millenium spirit seemed worried. His life bar wasn't it critical condition - yet. However, he had no means of healing himself.
He was awarded some money, and that only irritated him further. He'd have to go back to the town after all to buy medecine. Bakura was in the town, yet he had no money.
Apparently potions were needed to heal him. He vaguely remembered something about this. He'd never been an actual player, he'd always controlled the role play. He scowled and moved his piece away from the forest. How absoulutely aggravating!
The line of Penta's mouth curved into a smirk as he watched his fellow tomb robber struggle. He was tempted to start gloating, but not yet. He would savor this moment and save the self praise for the right moment.
In the mean time, the little hikari had no idea what was planned for him.
Yami Bakura moved his piece back to the town and ended his turn.
" A wasted effort." Yami commented quietly to Yugi. " He should have listened to Bakura."
" Hai." Yugi agreed. " I think Yami no Bakura thinks so too. Of course he'll never admit it though."
Bakura made his move towards the mountain plains. He could fight a weak monster there if he was attacked and get some money or items. The stat screen beeped, but not in the same ominous way it had when Yami Bakura had been attacked. It wasn't a monster.
It was a fairy. It giggled merrily at him. Bakura smiled despite his situation.
" If you answer my question right , I'll reward you." she said. " If you get it wrong, you must start the game over."
Bakura tensed hoping it was not a hard question. " Yes?"
" The mountains hide many secrets. Those who have not triumphed, but have not been conquered. Those who have been alone since birth. The young who need guidance, yet guide those many summers older than they. What does the mountains hide?"
Bakura relaxed some. It wasn't difficult. It would have been if he had not talked to the tavern owner. Who had not triumphed over Zork , but had not been conquered by him? People who had been alone since birth were orphans.
" The mountain orphans." Bakura replied.
" Correct!" the fairy said all the more merrily. " Here"
She threw Bakura's White Bishop a bag of money. " I can heal all the wounds you have received from monsters. Or you can choose to pause, and wait for a fellow traveller to catch up to you."
" I'll wait." the hikari answered, ending his turn and hoping his Yami would take the hint and meet him.
Why don't you keep going? Yami Bakura questioned his hikari.
The last time this game was won, it was won by people working as a team. I believe it will be won that same way this time. Bakura answered.
Yami Bakura met his hikari's serious gaze.
I can't do this alone, Yami. the boy continued.
The millenium spirit glanced stonily back at his other for a second.
" Yami no Bakura!" yelled out Yugi whi could stay silent no longer. " You've got to help each each other! If you support one another you will win!"
For the first time , Penta showed some reaction.
" Uresai!" he snapped at Yugi. " You are a pawn and a spectator here! Be silent!"
" Yugi's right, tomb robber." Yami said. " And Penta knows it too. He would not let you merge spirits because he is afraid of what you could do together."
Yami Bakura's eyes flickered in some surprise. He looked at Penta who was still glaring furiously at the hikari. But he looked less confident. Tense.
I think the baka Pharoah is correct, thought the thief. Penta is scared!
" Think of what will be lost today if you fail, Yami Bakura." Yami urged. " Our hikari's and Malik will lose their lives. You and I will be lost in the shadow realm, and eventually lose our minds."
Yami Bakura's expression went softer at the look of his his hikari's pleading eyes. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Malik still lying there, a strand of his blonde hair laying idly across his face. His arms still wrapped around the millenium rod.
I had missed one important point, thought Yami no Yugi. If we are gone, Penta will have my puzzle, the ring, and the rod. If they do not drive him insaner than he is, he will still wield incredible power. And who knows what he will do to this world? And if my suspicions are right, Yami Bakura is the one who stole Pegasus's Eye. How long would it take for him to get Isis's necklace? Then the only person standing in his way would be Shadi.
A fine trickle of sweat dripped down the pharoah's face.
Seeing Yami so unnerved was one of the main things that shook Yami Bakura. Yami was always confident.
He looked back at his hikari and smirked. "Well I sure don't want to spend eternity in this place with the Pharoah no Baka."
Yugi made a strangled expression, and Yami face faulted. " That's ALL you can say?!!!"
Bakura couldn't help but grin back.
Yami Bakura moved his piece to meet Bakura's.
Yet something put a damper on Bakura's lightened mood. Penta knew the odds weren't so favorable to him now, but he still had the look of a person who held an extra ace.But what was he hiding?
" Enjoy each others support while it lasts." he taunted the two white haired ones. " There is a limit to how long the hikari's can survive here. And I'm guessing you have about forty minutes left."
He let out a low snicker, and pointed at Bakura. " Including him." To Yami Bakura. " I wonder....just how long will you have an 'aibou'?"
( Yay, the chapter was longer! I enjoyed writng this, though I was under the influence of the Lord of the Rings soundtrack while I wrote it. You know how they say music can affect you. Anyway, I'm think that the Kaiba's should pop up again soon. Ja ne, peeps.)
Mel: I did try to take my time. I hope I made this all intersesting.
Grave Robbers Aman: I'm glad someone likes my sense of humor.^^ * gives cookies*
DMG Hikaru: I'm glad you liked that boring chapter.
Shining Carizard: Am I right in assuming someone has a soft spot for Malik? ^^
Hyozanryu: the description of his piece just popped out of my mind, strange mind it is...and well, I couldn't resist.
Lunis: It was really a filler chapter, but thanks^^ I'm glad people are appreciating my sense of humor.
KokoroHikaru: thanks. It was fun to write actually. * cries her praises to the Lord* My writer is unblocked.
Manga nut: Isn't he always cute like that? No actually I have few clues how it works. I think the dice was correct, but I'm really playing this by ear.
Ciu Sune: I am better, thankyou. Ok. Bakura is the White Bishop/Priest whicever. Y.Bakura is a pyschotic porquipine - joking - he's a little dagger throwing thief. I think Bakura did a good job with the character programming^^
Elle FATE: Yes I too want to read that part of the manga badly. *pouts *