Disclaimer: You know what? Just to spite all of you, I DO own it! And there's nothing you can do about it! (lawyers come out of nowhere) Don't hurt me.
If you have the time, PLEASE REVIEW!
A/N: Yeah, this new editing system does not allow me to put the slashes where mindlink convos are....SO NOW that I can't use these symbols (b/c the flip side of that symbol doesn't show up...) SO NOW, I'm using colons ::::::::: Get it? All mindlinkies are in italics!
Chapter #28: Lead the Way
-------Meanwhile-Kaiba's POV-----
I keep a firm grip on the Millennium Rod as I walk into nothingness. Someone still eats at my mind. Why did Marik give me his Rod so easily? Does he honestly think I can't just turn back on my 'promise'?
"Kaiba, I'm most certain you won't." Marik's voice echo's behind me. I whip around to see nothing is there.
"Marik? Where are you?!" I shout at...nothing...
"Your freedom is important to you....When the others are left behind in this Ra-forsaken place, you'll be free." He reminds me. "Just distract them while we do our work."
"What work would that be?" I ask, glaring at my unseen enemy.
"None of your concern." A cold breeze passes by me and all is silent again. What IS that work he spoke of?
Through the darkness, which my eyes have adjusted to, I notice a dead end with two doors. One door on the right. One door on the left.
As I look between the two doors, the Item in my hand begins to vibrate and glow. With a questioning gaze, I notice that the Rod is pointing in the direction of the door on the right. But why?
The door on the left.....A much darker doorway than the right one....I hear voices from that door. Lots of they be the voices of Yugi and his 'friends'? If I distract them, I'll go free. But can I trust Marik? Does he trust me?
The door on the right, however, is almost silent. The light from this Item makes it less dark. What's going on? Since when do these trinkets have minds of their own? My breathing quickens. Why am I getting all worked up on? Just pick a stupid door and get on with it!
As I move towards the left, the Rod glows brighter and continues to point towards the door on the right. I try pulling it towards the left, but it doesn't budge. What?! Why is it not moving? It's stuck! It won't pull away from the door on the right! The Item just keeps glowing.
Why is it doing this? I return to my spot in the middle of the two doors and stare at the Item Marik gave me.
[Pharaoh Atemu! I do not wish to kill you......Give up your palace and you and your people will be spared!] A loud voice that sounds almost like mine booms in my head.
Where did that come from?! [Death is the easy way of winning. I wish to gain your power with pride. Let's duel!]
There it is again! Is that me? Why am I speaking like that? The Rod glows brighter, still pointing in the direction of the right. The silent door.....I don't know what's behind it....but this stupid Item won't let me move towards the left to get my freedom! What the hell is so important at the door on the right?
[To kill a friend, Atemu, is the worst deed next to family.] What is going on? Where is this voice coming from?! The Millennium Rod glows steadily and vibrates in my hand faster. I look once more to my left. Maybe that door is a trick door Marik planned for me. I breathe in slowly and head towards the door on the right.
The Item continues to glow as I step in the entranceway. AH! My head! My head! Clutching at my skull I drop to my knees in front of the door.
"Fool! You are going the wrong way, Mr. Kaiba! Your task lies in the door on the left!" Marik voices echoes.
"AH!" The pain continues in my head. It's like a jack hammer is directly on top of my skull, drilling holes in it. The pain laces down my spine and it feels like my whole body is on fire! "I can't go....to that...door!" I shout at him.
"Yes you can! You can control the Rod to do what YOU want to do."
"No! I....AH!" More pain. Through a weary eye, I see a bright light.....It's the Rod again! It's reacting to something!
The pain....it's fading. I stagger to my feet and run in the direction of where the Rod pointed to. The right. "NO!" I hear Marik shout. I run faster, even with the pain returning. If that Rod wanted to go to in here, something must be happening.
But what if.....it's all a trick? What if Marik MADE that Item do this and that I'm running into a trap?
[Keep moving.] That voice again! It's my voice, only different! [Keep moving. Don't look back. Save him.] Silence. As if something took over my mind, I run faster, ignoring the pain that Marik sends to me.
My vision gets foggy, but I run even faster. Why AM I running so fast? I feel like my brain can't keep up. Where is this voice leading me to?
Then I see.....two men....one is holding down the other......one has spiky hair...Yugi!...the other....white....Bakura?....Why are Yugi's eyes so white? I run even faster. "GET OFF OF HIM!"
Bakura looks up, distracted, as I close the gap between us. I aim for his mid-section and tackle him to the ground, freeing Yugi. "What were you doing to him?!" What am I saying?!
He smiled then....vanished.....from under my grip. Where did he--?
"Behind you!" That sounds like.....Ouch, that hurt--
------Atemu's POV------
Air hits my lungs fast as the fingers are abruptly taken off my throat. Coughing and rolling over on my side, I blink several times and try to steady my breathing. Focusing my weak eyes on the walls in front of me, I notice a tall, brown haired man holding down a vanishing Ryou.....
Why has Kaiba saved me? Why was Ryou disappearing like that?
At the corner of my eye, I notice.....Yami Marik, standing behind Kaiba, with the Millennium Rod over his head. Kaiba! Move out of the way!
"Behind you!" I choke out, but as his eyes open in actualization, Yami Marik makes the blow to his head and he falls to the ground, unconscious.
"Stupid fool." Yami Marik scowls at the fallen CEO. "Tried to get away."
"Well, you WERE the one to give him the Millennium Rod, Yami Marik." Ryou's body reforms out of thin air beside Yami Marik and in front of me.
They turn towards each other. "Enough of this bickering. You failed to complete the job." Yami Marik says, pointing to me.
"If you hadn't interrupted me with that whole plan, he would have been dead." Ryou shouts.
They continue to snap at one another as I stare at Kaiba's unmoving form. Yami Marik knocked him out. I have to get him and myself out of here without being noticed....But how?
I have finally regained control over my senses. My eyesight has gotten better and my heart has slowed down a bit now that I have oxygen. Putting my gaze back to Kaiba, I notice my Millennium Puzzle! It's still intact....But it is between myself and the line of sight for Yami Marik.
Moving an unsteady hand, I stretch it out slowly, towards my Puzzle. I'm almost....Just about....Ugh! My fingers are just inches away from it! No! I'm so close! Ryou and Yami Marik are still arguing over something, but I pay no heed to them. Just a little on......My middle finger touches the circle on top of the Puzzle to where the chain used to link through. Wrapping it in the circle I pull it slowly towards me....Almost.....
Someone wide and hard crashes down on my hand. "Doing something, Pharaoh?" Ryou sneers at me. I look to see that his foot is placed on my wrist, not allowing me to move the Puzzle any farther in my direction. He 'tsked' at me before continuing. "Sorry. This is no time to be stealing."
"That......Puzzle is mine!" I mutter from clenched teeth. He smirked at me as he bent down, pulled it from my finger and placed it in his hand.
"I believe we have some unfinished business to take care of, Atemu." Ryou grins. Yami Marik, I presume, pulls me up by my collar and hoists me to my feet. One of his hands is placed around my forehead-nails digging into my scalp and hair-to keep my head still and pushed back. With his other hand, he places a cool metal at my throat.
"Open your eyes!" Yami Marik shouts at me. Kaiba still lays motionless in the corner. Ryou, with two Items, the Ring and the Key, around his neck, dangles the Puzzle-MY Puzzle-in front of my eyes, mockingly.
"How does it feel to have everything precious being ripped away from you?" He asks, sneering. "What will he do when there is no one to save him? What will he do when his friends aren't here to help? What is a Pharaoh to do without his power? How does it feel to be completely helpless with your life in the hands of your captors, hmm?"
I look down at the object at my throat and notice that it is....The Millennium Rod?
The Item that my people and I created is being used against me.
As a knife.
------In the Corridors-Reader's POV-----
"What's all that commotion?!" Ishizu asks as different, unfamiliar noises strike the air. [What is going on?]
"Only one way to find out! Come on! Faster!" Joey shouted, leading the way.
By the time they had reached the end of their corridor, they were all huffing and puffing. "Now, where to?" Yugi says between breaths.
"I think the only way is straight ahead...." Pegasus mumbles, pointing to the only door directly in front of the one they just got out of.
"But what about-" Tristan began to say, but as he looked from side to side, he answered his own question. [There ARE no other ways but straight ahead....Beside us are just stones....]
"Is it just me, or are the walls getting closer?" Téa asks nervously, eyes darting from side to side.
"Quick! Everyone to the door straight ahead!" Shadi shouts. "This is a mind trap! Quickly! Before we are squished and lost forever within the Pharaoh's mind!"
They all made a mad dash to the other side and just in time. As soon as the last person was out of harm's way, the walls closed in on each other, blocking their entrance. [That was really....REALLY close...] Elaya thought as she got up from the ground. She, like Tristan, Téa and Joey had fallen to the ground on their dash over.
Téa's mouth opened to say something, but Yugi hushed her. "Shh! Did you hear that?"
Everyone went silent. [What is Yug' talkin' abou--] Joey's thoughts were cut short as gasping noises were heard. "Where is it coming from?" He asks just above a whisper.
Yugi did not hear Joey but only recognized the voice that was struggling to speak. [That's Atemu! He's in trouble!] "COME ON!" Pulling the rest of them up, as they were still linked, Yugi raced towards the sounds.
"Yugi! This is way! Justi can sense it too!!" Elaya shouted as they continued to run forward. They turned a sharp corner and came to an abrupt halt. Everyone's eyes opened to their fullest to take in what was going on.
Yami Marik had Atemu by the throat with the Millennium Rod.....Yami Bakura had the Puzzle-not to mention the Ring, Key and Eye......and Kaiba lay motionless in the corner.
"NO!" Yugi shouts as Yami Marik prepared to slit Atemu's throat. [They can't hurt him! NO!]
Yami Marik turned his head towards the shouting voice. "What is--?!" was all he could get out before Yugi grabbed on to the arm yielding the harmful Item. "No! You can't! Let go of him!" The smaller one shouted.
[Dog-pile!] Joey smirked as he and Tristan made a dash towards Yami Marik, breaking his hold on Atemu. "Let go of him, you cape-wearing freak-a-zoid!"
Yami Bakura stepped backwards totally shocked at the turn of events. [But how did they--? I thought--! No! My plan! This can't be!]
"Spirit of the Ring!" Shadi shouted loudly, causing the struggle between Yami Marik and the three boys to stop. "You have caused great imbalances as you have more than your original Item. Let us free and you will be spared!"
"Spared from what exactly?!" Yami Bakura sneered. "I end of being sealed inside this stupid Ring if that ritual takes place! So I think, why become dormant when I can be alive and have power beyond any human comprehension!"
"No." Shadi replied emotionless. "You will be spared from the torture of the Gods that take care of evil, menacing spirits like you."
"And those 'Gods' of yours will be a problem for me?" Yami Bakura grinned. "I've been to the Shadow Realm and back, mind you, and been alive for over three millennia's. Nothing scares me now."
"I can assure you that they will scare you. You'll wish that you were dead....and then, they'll grant that wish for you, Yami Bakura, in the most painful way imaginable." Shadi threatened, never leaving the eyes of the white-haired spirit. A blast of unseen air flung Yami Bakura to the other wall, making him lose the grip of the Puzzle. "That is only part of the power from the Gods of the Underworld."
[NO! The Puzzle!] Yami Bakura thought as he watches it go right in front of Atemu.
"Téa!" Elaya whispered looking to her friend and back to Kaiba. "Come and help me lift Kaiba off the ground!" [Please let him be alright.....PLEASE let him be alright....]. Téa agreed and they both moved, without being noticed, towards Kaiba. Putting his arms around their shoulders, they managed--although struggled--to lift him up.
[Man, he's heavier than I thought....] Téa never knew Kaiba would be so heavy. [He's so thin....] Elaya was recieving some help from Justi to lighten Kaiba's dead weight body for both of them.
"Let go of me!" Yami Marik shouted loudly, but Joey, Tristan and Yugi held on tight. Joey had a hold of one of his arms, Tristan had him in a parital head lock and Yugi was trying to get the Millennium Rod from his grip. [Because of these fools the Pharaoh has gotten away!]
Atemu, who was recently freed from the death grip of Yami Marik, was on his knees on the stone cold surface of his mind. He placed cautious fingers at his throat to check for damages and breathed a sigh of relief to see that only a small cut was made. [I was almost killed....]
:: Atemu! Get out of the way! Grab your Puzzle! :: Yugi shouted in his mind link.
:::: Yugi! How--? ::::
:: Never mind that! We can only hold on to Yami Marik for so long! Get out of harms way! Get the Puzzle back! Quick! :: Yugi instructed. Atemu could tell that the physical strain to hold Yami Marik back was taking its toll on his body. Quickly standing up, he grabbed the Puzzle before Yami Bakura could get up from the opposite wall and he looked around. Shadi was talking to Ryou.....Elaya and Téa--and also Justi--were helping Kaiba up.....Pegasus and Ishizu looked on, unsure of what to do....and Joey, Tristan and Yugi were holding back a struggling Yami Marik. [All of this has occurred because of my past. I'm not even sure what the full story is, but I'm not proud of it.......]
Yami Bakura, hearing the thoughts of Atemu, through the power of the Millennium Eye, laughed. "Well, that's the smartest thing you've ever admitted to! Your past IS what has caused this! Everyone thought that you were the best Pharaoh that could ever happen to Egypt! And you thought the same! But thanks to my story, I guess your opinion of yourself changed. My preferred end of the story resulted in your body resting in a puddle of blood. But apparently, that won't be so easy now, will it?!"
"Ryou.....Please...." Atemu began to say slowly.
His eyes glowed a furious hue of red. "Don't call me that!"
[What's with him?] Joey asked while trying to hold the other spirit down. [And why does Atemu call him that name anyway?]
"It is your name. Back when you were better." The Pharaoh explained.
[Is he saying that Yami Bakura was normal once?] Tristan thought.
"The past is past, Pharaoh." Yami Bakura said. "Don't call me that."
"If the past is past, why do you insist of carrying out your revenge if the cause of it happened in the past?" Atemu asked slowly, stepping closer towards Ryou.
Yami Bakura, noticing his mistake with word, stopped and glared at the Pharaoh. "A name is a name. The death of your family is something else."
"Pharaoh!" Ishizu shouted "What is this spirit talking about?!" [Could it be that the Pharaoh has a morbid secret?]
Atemu sighed. "I am not proud of what my family did, but for that ritual to save the world after the God Card Battle and to seal the Games in the Items, I needed the blood of ninety-nine."
"And some of them were family with Yami Bakura?" Téa asked, taken back. [So this is what caused the anger of the Spirit of the Ring! Atemu, or someone in the Royal Family must of ordered the blood.......and his village was chosen.]
Yami Bakura smirked, using the power of the Eye to read Téa's thoughts. "Exactly, my dear. It was his father that brutally ordered the throats to be slit. Witnessing my own family's demise....I went on a little trip. I wanted to take everything that was precious to that Pharaoh away from him, so he could experience what I felt! And it just so happens that your friend here, Atemu, and the Items, were on my list. Just so you know, I found out afterwards what powers these Items contained and that only fueled my desire for them. Not only did I get my revenge, but I also got something for myself."
"You're a sick twisted freak, you know that?" Joey shouted.
"You shouldn't be the one to be making insults, Wheeler," Yami Bakura shot back, "When you're lives are at stake."
"But I don't understand...." Elaya spoke. "Why did you continue to get this revenge even after the Pharaoh that killed your family died?"
He grinned again. "I have my reasons. If you ever feel the same was as I did, you'll know that revenge will stick in your blood until your task is completed, no matter who's alive or dead."
"Ryou.....Listen to--" Atemu started to say.
"--DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Yami Bakura shouted at him.
Atemu growled. "That IS your name, Yami Bakura! Don't deny the facts! You were once kind. You were once a loving son! What my family did to yours IS unforgivable! But please, try to understand, without their blood and the other ninety-seven that perished, the world would of been destroyed by now. If I'd known what was going on, I would of protested against the brutal way they were killing them. I would of suggested another possible alternative if their was one!"
"You're lying! Pharaoh, you're lying!" Yami Bakura cursed at the man in front of him. He didn't want to believe him. Part of him believed that he did it without reason. A sinister voice rang in his head, 'He killed them all for his own selfish needs. He killed them to prolong his own life and get away from the destruction HE had caused from that Shadow Game!'
But another part, a very small part, believed him.
"I'm NOT lying to you Ryou!" Atemu shouted, getting angry at the spirit. "Listen to me! I did not want this to happen, but it did! You need to move on and not hold on to your grudges. I'm sorry for your loss; I cannot compare with your grief--"
"--Damn straight you can't." Yami Bakura glared at him. "That's why I started my revenge. To make YOU feel that grief. You and your family! My plans over the years were not a complete waste.....I have made you tremble in fear of losing your friends MORE than once you stupid Pharaoh!"
Atemu closed his eyes and sighed. "I am sorry for your losses, Ryou. Please, try to understand. Your family saved the free world. They died for a noble cause...."
"It didn't seem that way!" The spirit of the Ring shouted. "They were slaughtered because of the orders from YOUR family!"
"If I could of changed that, I would of! I am not the one to wish a cruel death onto the innocent.....My opinion on that matter will stay the same, I can assure you. Ryou, I am truly sorry for what you had to experience. I mean that from the depths of my soul." Atemu looked up to see Ryou on his knees on the floor.
"Lies! You're lying!" He shouted. "Shut-up! Stop lying to me!"
"You're in denial, Ryou! Let go! Your family is safe where they are! They do not wish you to be like this! They do not want you to be vengeful! They do not want to see their son...or brother...be full of evil and commit evil! Aria would not want to see her brother this way!" Atemu yelled over Ryou's wails. "Aria would not want to look into the eyes of a vengeful spirit, to hug and love an evil man."
Suddenly, Ryou stopped shouting. He just rocked his body back and forth, hands fisted and pulling in his hair. He continued to whisper "No...No...He's lying...They're all lying! Don't listen to them!"
Everyone around the room was wide-eyed. No one spoke and no one moved-- except the occasional struggle from Yami Marik. All eyes were on the spirit of the Ring rocking slowly, trying to deal with his emotions of his past and what he had become.
Atemu slowly walked up to Ryou. "Ryou...." He whispered loud enough for him to hear. "Here." He extended his arm waiting for Ryou to reach for it, hopefully signally that he was Ryou once more.
His brown eyes saw the hand. [That is the hand of the man that you loath!] A voice rang inside his head. "No. NO!" Ryou shouted out loud. Looking back at Atemu and then to the hand, he slapped it away. "Stay away from me, you murderer!"
Ryou stood up on shaky feet, an unlikely composure for an evil spirit that tried to kill Yugi and the gang on numerous occasions. [Kill him!] The voice shouted again. Standing straight and tall once more, Ryou smirked. "I challenge you to a Shadow Game, Pharaoh. My Items against yours."
"That's not fair!" Yugi shouted angrily. [Atemu only has the Puzzle! Yami Bakura has three of the Items!]
"Too bad you little punk." Yami Marik hissed as he flung Yugi off of him, sending him backwards towards Pegasus and Ishizu. He quickly threw his Rod to Yami Bakura. {{ Use it wisely and win this!}} He shouted through their un-used mind link.
[[[ Rest assured, Yami Marik. Four Items against one is an easy contest. ]]] Yami Bakura smiled evilly. "Prepare to lose everything that you love Atemu! For this Shadow Duel, if I win, the powers I want WILL be mine! And since you all will be trapped here, no one will stop me from taking your Scales Elaya, and your Necklace, Ishizu."
All four Items on Yami Bakura's chest began to glow. "And if I win?" Atemu asked as he fastened his Puzzle around his neck and as it began to glow.
"We will discuss that IF it happens.....I can assure you it won't. Be prepared for a life time of living within the death traps of your mind!" Ryou shouted.
[I will fight this duel with all the strength I have.....I hope it is enough to beat his four Items....] Atemu thought, looking at the glowing Eye, Ring, Key and Rod in Ryou's possession. [Destiny has played this out. It was meant to happen that Ryou would challenge me.....I pray to the Gods that Destiny has written an appropriate outcome as well.....]
Atemy looked at his face. Ryou's face...not Yami Bakura's; the scar was there.
----------
WOW! This chappie came out better than I thought it would!
At first, I was thinking of making it this whole, 'Yami Bakura becomes good' thing, but then, I'm like, "No way, that would ruin his whole bad guy persona!" And we ALL know that Yami Bakura is a REALLY awesome bad guy! (he's hot too! LOL!) Also, I realized that THAT would make Yami Bakura REALLY OOC!
Anyhow, hope you enjoyed this evil cliff hanger! And now, I know EXACTLY what's gonna happen at the end! (well...almost...)
PLEASE REVIEW!
PS. I am please to announce that I have reached--and gotten over--the 50 review hill! WOOHOO! Thanks guys!