A/N: Wow, this story is going good! Only had writer's block for a good half- hour! Now, to answering comments made by the reviews:
Goddesskali: I know the chapters are a little short, (they're three pages in Word at font size 12), but it helps for making great cliffhangers. I originally thought to make this one long one-shot, but gave up in favor of cliffhangers. - Love your name, btw. One of my favorite goddesses.
Rowan and Sakura: You battle with an evil Yami too??? Pain aren't they? Yami no Cassandra always has something bitchy to say. -
Yami no Cassandra: Get on with the fic, loser!
Ms. Chant: Fine!
ON WITH THE FIC!
Tea pulled away from Bakura, her eyes locked on the figure standing in the chipped doorframe in need of paint. She took in a long shuddering breath.
"Yugi!"
"Tea," said Yami slowly, his voice rough and dry. "What are you doing?" His hands balled into fists and they quivered with rage. He watched her stutter, looking for words.
"I...Yugi, you need to know that I didn't want this!"
"You did last night," smirked Bakura. Yami's eyes flashed dangerously towards the dark spirit, who watched him with amusement through narrowed brown eyes.
"Since both of you seem to be at a loss for words," he continued suavely, slipping behind Tea and looping his pale arms around her shoulders, making Yami's eyes bulge slightly, "I'll explain what transpired.
"I was at Darkness Blooms, a club on Kamtsuki Road, when I discovered Tea, dancing all alone. So we danced for a while and then I bought her a drink. She poured out her sorrows – that she had confessed to you, Pharaoh, that she loved you, and you had rejected her. I must admit that we had adamant and passionate 'relations' -"
"Pharaoh?" interrupted Tea with confusion, in the same moment that Yami said angrily, "That wasn't me!"
"Ah," said Bakura, grinning. "I see. You never told her?" He looked at Yami, who seemed to be holding his rage with every ounce of strength he possessed.
"Should I?" he hissed dryly, his mouth twisted into a leer as he bent forward and kissed Tea's neck. "Or would you like to do the honors?"
Tea shivered as she felt Bakura's lips against her skin...His lips were cool, unlike the warmth one might expect. His breath was like a snake's tongue in her hair, like Lucifer in the Garden tempting Eve. She looked towards Yugi, looking for answers and escape.
"Tea," began Yami, taking a step towards her, extending his hand, "I'm not who you think I am." Tea recoiled slightly, but felt trapped. Yugi was in front of her – but he just admitted that he wasn't Yugi! But to step back would be closer to Bakura – another who was never what he seemed. Tea wanted to scream, 'This isn't happening!' She let out a small gasp of air to release some of the tension. What was going on? Could she trust anyone?
"I'm not Yugi," he continued. "You've seen it, haven't you? The way Yugi...changes. When he changes – that's me. I'm the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. We share the same body."
"Wait...you're like him?" asked Tea in anguish and uncertainty. "An evil spirit possessing Yugi like Bakura is possessing Ryou?" She turned to look at the dark spirit who was draped carelessly around her, his hands slithering through her hair. Her eyes flicked back to Yami. Bakura chuckled inwardly. This was going better than he expected. The Pharaoh looked distressed, and Tea looked afraid. And he got the best of both worlds – toying with the Pharaoh and with Tea. Though in completely different instances, of course, he thought to himself, smirking.
"No!" said Yami desperate. "The Spirit of the Ring and I are nothing alike. Yugi accepts me freely. Ryou was taken by force."
"You're still controlling him, aren't you?" snapped Tea, beginning to panic. "Where's Yugi?"
"We're partners. We're friends...We're...aibou." He stopped as he watched her face, full of fear. "We're...I'm his guide, Ra-damnit!" He took another step towards her. "You have to believe me, Tea. I would never hurt you or Yugi."
"This is like some science fiction movie gone completely out of control," muttered Tea to the floor. "I can't believe I ever loved you. I don't even know what you are...what your name is!"
"Yugi calls me Yami – darkness," said Yami shortly. "Or simply aibou. Does it really matter what my name is? You – " He stopped suddenly. "You love me?"
"I did," whispered Tea. "But...I don't know anymore. Nothing makes sense. If you're not Yugi, then who are you?"
"You've always known me," said Yami. "You've known me ever since Yugi solved the Millennium Puzzle. It wasn't Yugi who saved you from the creep who lured you to an old warehouse. That was I. I've always looked out for you. I've...always loved you."
Tea faltered. This was too much to take in at once. She cleared her head with a soft shake of her hair, trying to piece together what had happened so far that day. She had woken up in a strange apartment, with Bakura – the evil Spirit of the Ring. Then she finds out that she made out with him at a club last night. And then, Yugi comes and admits he's not Yugi – but another spirit of a Millennium item! And that he loves her.
On top of everything, she had a splitting headache.
So this is a hangover.
"Well, Pharaoh, I would love to keep watching this cross between the Twilight Zone and a Hallmark special, but Tea and I have business to attend to," said Bakura, smirking. He turned to the girl's vacant blue eyes. "Unless you'd rather take your chances with the strange evil spirit who's taken over your best friend."
"Bakura!" roared Yami with blazing anger. The Eye of Horus lit on his brow, a bright glowing golden eye twinkling with unseen rainbow light. "This is none of you concern."
"What are you going to do?" asked Bakura, mocking him. "Send me to the Shadow Realm?"
"You always manage to escape somehow," Yami spat. "It would be a waste of my energy."
Tea looked up at him – seeing the glowing Eye emblazoned on his forehead like a living tattoo.
"What is wrong with you?" she whispered, so quietly no one could hear her words. She wouldn't have been surprised if it was her mind had said this, and her tongue had never moved at all.
"Come, Tea, let's get you home," said Yami, his eyes slightly softer. He extended his hand to help her away from Bakura's coils. She watched his hand, smooth and slim, the tips faintly scarred with cuts like lace from too much dueling.
She looked back at Bakura, who was grinning like a cat with a bird, teeth like fangs glinting in the pale, watery dawn light.
She had to make a decision. The time was now.
A/N: Yami no Cassandra: I'm responsible for all the cliffhangers. –grins wickedly-
Goddesskali: I know the chapters are a little short, (they're three pages in Word at font size 12), but it helps for making great cliffhangers. I originally thought to make this one long one-shot, but gave up in favor of cliffhangers. - Love your name, btw. One of my favorite goddesses.
Rowan and Sakura: You battle with an evil Yami too??? Pain aren't they? Yami no Cassandra always has something bitchy to say. -
Yami no Cassandra: Get on with the fic, loser!
Ms. Chant: Fine!
ON WITH THE FIC!
Tea pulled away from Bakura, her eyes locked on the figure standing in the chipped doorframe in need of paint. She took in a long shuddering breath.
"Yugi!"
"Tea," said Yami slowly, his voice rough and dry. "What are you doing?" His hands balled into fists and they quivered with rage. He watched her stutter, looking for words.
"I...Yugi, you need to know that I didn't want this!"
"You did last night," smirked Bakura. Yami's eyes flashed dangerously towards the dark spirit, who watched him with amusement through narrowed brown eyes.
"Since both of you seem to be at a loss for words," he continued suavely, slipping behind Tea and looping his pale arms around her shoulders, making Yami's eyes bulge slightly, "I'll explain what transpired.
"I was at Darkness Blooms, a club on Kamtsuki Road, when I discovered Tea, dancing all alone. So we danced for a while and then I bought her a drink. She poured out her sorrows – that she had confessed to you, Pharaoh, that she loved you, and you had rejected her. I must admit that we had adamant and passionate 'relations' -"
"Pharaoh?" interrupted Tea with confusion, in the same moment that Yami said angrily, "That wasn't me!"
"Ah," said Bakura, grinning. "I see. You never told her?" He looked at Yami, who seemed to be holding his rage with every ounce of strength he possessed.
"Should I?" he hissed dryly, his mouth twisted into a leer as he bent forward and kissed Tea's neck. "Or would you like to do the honors?"
Tea shivered as she felt Bakura's lips against her skin...His lips were cool, unlike the warmth one might expect. His breath was like a snake's tongue in her hair, like Lucifer in the Garden tempting Eve. She looked towards Yugi, looking for answers and escape.
"Tea," began Yami, taking a step towards her, extending his hand, "I'm not who you think I am." Tea recoiled slightly, but felt trapped. Yugi was in front of her – but he just admitted that he wasn't Yugi! But to step back would be closer to Bakura – another who was never what he seemed. Tea wanted to scream, 'This isn't happening!' She let out a small gasp of air to release some of the tension. What was going on? Could she trust anyone?
"I'm not Yugi," he continued. "You've seen it, haven't you? The way Yugi...changes. When he changes – that's me. I'm the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. We share the same body."
"Wait...you're like him?" asked Tea in anguish and uncertainty. "An evil spirit possessing Yugi like Bakura is possessing Ryou?" She turned to look at the dark spirit who was draped carelessly around her, his hands slithering through her hair. Her eyes flicked back to Yami. Bakura chuckled inwardly. This was going better than he expected. The Pharaoh looked distressed, and Tea looked afraid. And he got the best of both worlds – toying with the Pharaoh and with Tea. Though in completely different instances, of course, he thought to himself, smirking.
"No!" said Yami desperate. "The Spirit of the Ring and I are nothing alike. Yugi accepts me freely. Ryou was taken by force."
"You're still controlling him, aren't you?" snapped Tea, beginning to panic. "Where's Yugi?"
"We're partners. We're friends...We're...aibou." He stopped as he watched her face, full of fear. "We're...I'm his guide, Ra-damnit!" He took another step towards her. "You have to believe me, Tea. I would never hurt you or Yugi."
"This is like some science fiction movie gone completely out of control," muttered Tea to the floor. "I can't believe I ever loved you. I don't even know what you are...what your name is!"
"Yugi calls me Yami – darkness," said Yami shortly. "Or simply aibou. Does it really matter what my name is? You – " He stopped suddenly. "You love me?"
"I did," whispered Tea. "But...I don't know anymore. Nothing makes sense. If you're not Yugi, then who are you?"
"You've always known me," said Yami. "You've known me ever since Yugi solved the Millennium Puzzle. It wasn't Yugi who saved you from the creep who lured you to an old warehouse. That was I. I've always looked out for you. I've...always loved you."
Tea faltered. This was too much to take in at once. She cleared her head with a soft shake of her hair, trying to piece together what had happened so far that day. She had woken up in a strange apartment, with Bakura – the evil Spirit of the Ring. Then she finds out that she made out with him at a club last night. And then, Yugi comes and admits he's not Yugi – but another spirit of a Millennium item! And that he loves her.
On top of everything, she had a splitting headache.
So this is a hangover.
"Well, Pharaoh, I would love to keep watching this cross between the Twilight Zone and a Hallmark special, but Tea and I have business to attend to," said Bakura, smirking. He turned to the girl's vacant blue eyes. "Unless you'd rather take your chances with the strange evil spirit who's taken over your best friend."
"Bakura!" roared Yami with blazing anger. The Eye of Horus lit on his brow, a bright glowing golden eye twinkling with unseen rainbow light. "This is none of you concern."
"What are you going to do?" asked Bakura, mocking him. "Send me to the Shadow Realm?"
"You always manage to escape somehow," Yami spat. "It would be a waste of my energy."
Tea looked up at him – seeing the glowing Eye emblazoned on his forehead like a living tattoo.
"What is wrong with you?" she whispered, so quietly no one could hear her words. She wouldn't have been surprised if it was her mind had said this, and her tongue had never moved at all.
"Come, Tea, let's get you home," said Yami, his eyes slightly softer. He extended his hand to help her away from Bakura's coils. She watched his hand, smooth and slim, the tips faintly scarred with cuts like lace from too much dueling.
She looked back at Bakura, who was grinning like a cat with a bird, teeth like fangs glinting in the pale, watery dawn light.
She had to make a decision. The time was now.
A/N: Yami no Cassandra: I'm responsible for all the cliffhangers. –grins wickedly-