We focus on HCG, along with her three muses. All four of them are facing an oddly glowing portal, which is distinctly silver in color and very large.
HCG: Wow, they actually DO exist?
Karma: ¬_¬;; We ARE in your own little story, Guardian, anything can happen here.
HCG: ^_^;; Oh yeah, that's right!
Kaiba: *blinks* I think it's opening...
*The Negative Realm Gate, for that is most certainly what it is, opens up and deposits two people onto the ground at the foursome's feet*
NR Kaiba: (the first person) *rubs head* Ow...geeze, there has GOT to be a better way to travel like that...
NR Bakura: *winces* You're telling me...
HCG: ^_^ Hey guys!
NR Kaiba: *stands up* Oh, hello..
Kaiba: O_O;; Weird...
NR Kaiba: o_O Yeah...
*two Kaibas stare at each other for a minute before turning away at the same time*
HCG: o_O;; Uh...so...anyway...
NR Bakura: ^_^ We came to see the fic! We're staying here in the little "author's mini-stories/notes" for the whole thing!
HCG: o_O You are?
NR Bakura: You bet!
HCG: Cool! Although, you, NR Bakura, are going to have to deal with MANY hugs...
NR Bakura: -_-;; Can I change my mind?
HCG: ^_^ Nope! Too late!
Kaiba: *sighs* Shall we get to the author's notes before you get side-tracked?
HCG: RIGHT! Okay, first, thanks to ALL the reviewers--I still can't believe I've gotten 24 reviews already. When I had 24 reviews on STL, I was somewhere around Chapter 6...I'm doing a lot better thanks to you guys! ^_^ Okay, now the individual notes:
Shiney mew ~ You think NR Bakura's cool, eh? Funny, a lot of people seem to--I think I'll stick with WSJ's theory on that.
NR Bakura: Why bother? I'm just so damned cool--without being an abusive freak--that EVERYONE loves me!
HCG: ¬_¬;; You have an ego to match that of my muse Kaiba's...
Silver Fang ~ Sleep? Yeah, I sure needed it that time...by the time I'd actually finished editing and reformatting the second chapter, it was 12:30 at night...*tired sigh* And I had Math first block, Fencing second the next day....too strenuous for in the morning..
YumeTakato ~ 'Course I left it on an evil cliffhanger! You've been reading my earlier fic, you should know by now that evil cliffhangers are what I live for! Well, anyway, here's the next chapter so you can actually figure out what happens...
Towariaito Zoon ~ ^_^ Somebody actually remembered what happened to NR Kaiba! How's his leg?
NR Kaiba: It's in a great fat load of pain right now! *growls*
HCG: *whacks him over the head* You big liar! *turns back to TZ* Actually, keep reading and you'll probably get your answer soon enough.
Wingleader Sora Jade ~ That's an interesting "why people love NR Bakura" theory. Unfortunately, I don't think he's very fond of it...
NR Bakura: x_X Tackled AND hugged?! This is too much!
HCG: Aw, come on, she's just complimenting you on how you've never been an insane abusive meanie before! You're not even that psycho!
NR Bakura: *gags from WSJ's strong grip around his neck* If she keeps hugging me she'll probably drive me insane anyway!
HCG: ^_^ I don't think so...I don't have to write it into your profile, you know!
NR Bakura: -_-;; Crap...for once I want to be the scary one...
HCG: And as for a general comment on the reviews...well, lots of people seem to like NR Bakura, NR Ryou, and NR Yami *coughSparky16cough*. Okay, the first two I can understand...I mean, come on, it's Bakura and Ryou, who doesn't love them? But how, HOW, HOW can you people love NR Yami?! He's an insane crazy guy! And he killed lots of people!
*reviewers glare at HCG*
HCG: *wince* Okay, so he did get healed at the end. And I'm not criticizing your tastes. I'm just confused, that's all.
Anyway! So, you people are all anxiously awaiting the next chapter, to see what happens to Yugi, Joey, and NR Kaiba, yes? Well, if that's the case, then I'm really not one to stand in your way and block you from reading it! So, here we go...hmmm...NR Kaiba, disclaimer?
NR Kaiba: Sure, why not. Guardian here doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of it's characters. Karma and Slash (who didn't show up here) belong to her, however, as well as the personalities and ideas concerning the Negative Realm and all it's characters. HCG would be more than willing to share her theories, histories, and basic ideas for you to use in your own stories, provided you email her and ask first.
HCG: Wow, that sounded almost professional.
NR Kaiba: Hey, I'm good at that. I mean, how many big organizations do I run?
HCG: ^_^;; Oh yeah, that's right. The Opposition and KaibaCorp. Okay, great. Anyway....time for the fic! First, notes:
/word/ ~ Yugi to Yami, via mind link
//word// ~ Yami to Yugi, via mind link
italicized words are thoughts or dreams/memories
And on the side, I'm going to try and write this a bit less confusing than it actually COULD be...but keep in mind that it's hard to distinguish between two of the same person, such as Kaiba and NR Kaiba...so stick with it if you can, and if you can't, I apologize for writing weird o_O;; To help...NR Kaiba will probably be written out as "the Negative one" or something of the sort, while I won't add a title to the Regular/True Kaiba...usually....x_X wow I'm confusing...I'll shut up now....
Negative Chaos
Chapter 3: The Blue Eyes
Yugi and Joey bore twin expressions of shock as they stared across the alleyway towards the figure that had just spoken to them, and deep within Yugi's mind, Yami had a similar feeling of surprise. They were facing Kaiba--and yet, at the same time, a completely different person, and not related to Kaiba at all.
The CEO, in turn, watched Yugi warily, his ice blue eyes meeting the other's smoldering crimson ones. He seemed determined, and was holding himself in a wary, ready stance, as though he was preparing to get into a dangerous fight.
I wonder why he's acting like that, Yugi thought to himself, as he watched the figure across from him with a slight frown. It was only then that he realized--Yami had almost unconsciously bonded with him, allowing himself just as much control over his host's body, and at the same time giving it the small changes that occurred when the darker spirit took over. He started in surprise as the answer to his own question came to him. That Kaiba...he knows how to tell a yami and a hikari apart. And since it's Yami's appearance that he sees now, he's being cautious...especially since it's Yami that caused so much trouble in his Realm.
/Yami?/ the young Hikari asked quickly, seeking his darker half.
//Yes, Yugi?// came the reply, though there was a slight growl in his tone.
/Yami, you're making him nervous,/ Yugi hissed mentally, still watching the wary form of Seto across from him. /Remember, he's from the Negative Realm? Remember what you did there?/
//Yes, but what does that have to do with anything? He can't even see me.//
Yugi gave a mental sigh. /Do you realize you've bonded with me? You look like you now, not me./
//I have?// There was a sudden start of surprise through the link, before the pharaoh spoke again. //I never even realized! It was just instinct...something odd happened, and naturally I tried to take over so I could protect you.// He hastily withdrew his control on Yugi's body and retreated, although he still took advantage of his host's eyes and ears to keep up with what was going on.
Yugi blinked as he returned from his zoned-out look, shaking his head quickly and bringing his gaze back to the figure across from him.
Kaiba, noticing Yugi's abrupt change back to his own form, easily withdrew into a calm, laid-back stance--though the Hikari knew he would be ready to fight at the drop of a hat, and very dangerously, too.
"I'm guessing, then, that I'm in the True Realm," Seto said easily, and quite suddenly.
Yugi blinked at the calm tone in the CEO's voice, surprised that he could sound so completely undisturbed at what had just happened to him. He recovered hastily and nodded, adding, "Yeah, you're right. It's nice to see you again."
"Likewise," Kaiba murmured, again calmly, as he absent-mindedly brought his left hand to his lower arm, holding it carefully. The reason was soon obvious to the young Hikari he spoke too; both of the ice-eyed teen's trench coat sleeves were covered in dark stains that looked suspiciously like blood, and several tears scored the fabric in a rough matter.
"What happened to you?!" Yugi hissed, his voice coming perilously close to a yell. "Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine," the Negative figure reassured easily, withdrawing his left hand from his other arm quickly. "This is nothing to fuss over; I've had much worse, as you know doubt know. As for what happened to me--I was in the middle of an Opposition raid when I was dragged into this Realm."
The young Hikari frowned in confusion. "The Opposition's still up? But Yami...he said he was going to willingly retreat! Why would you still need the Opposition if he's not there for you to fight against?" Vaguely, the boy was aware of the angry growl in his mind that came from Yami; the spirit was absolutely disgusted with his Negative Realm self, and showed it in any way he could.
"It's true that you made him retreat," Kaiba said slowly, stepping forward a few paces to join up with the other two, "but we're still cleaning up his act from before. There's a lot that has to be fixed, and we've met up with a few difficulties."
"Oh," Yugi murmured, a thousand new questions bounding into his mind. "Like what?" He asked first, deciding to get the most obvious question out of the way.
The Negative version of Kaiba opened his mouth to answer, but abruptly groaned and leaned against the nearby alley wall with a sigh.
"What's the matter?" the young Hikari across from him asked, concerned. Could those wounds on his arms be a lot more dangerous than their bearer made out?
The thought was quickly erased from his mind, however, as Seto muttered in a rather exhausted manner, "Damnit, did you get this tired after going through that portal?"
"I...I'm not exactly sure," Yugi answered him truthfully. "Parts of my memories from going through that portal were erased; I can't ever remember coming out of one."
Joey, who had up to that moment stayed silent, suddenly found himself jogged with a memory. He spoke up quickly, eager to help with the situation. "Yeah, I think that happens whenever somebody goes through one of those portals," he said, focusing the memory in his mind. "When Yugi came out of one the last time, he fell asleep almost instantly. I think traveling through those Gates just takes a lot out of you."
The Negative Kaiba turned his naturally icy gaze on Joey for the first time since he had stepped--or rather, fallen--out of the portal. He looked the blonde teen over quickly before saying easily, "Ah, Joey. From this Realm, I presume. No matter...it's a pleasure to meet you."
Joey's open mouth threatened to fall off completely if he didn't close it soon, and he hastily snapped it shut, drawing his thoughts back into his mind to think. He could have sworn that Kaiba had just been completely polite to him, treating him as if he was an equal. He sighed and shook his head roughly, confused.
He was jarred from his thoughts as the Negative CEO pushed back against the wall, attempting to stand up fully. He succeeded for a few seconds, but wavered dangerously, betraying his fatigue. Quickly, Joey moved forward a step and shot his hand out to grab the brunette teen's shoulder, steadying him. When he had regained his balance, Kaiba shoved the other boy's hand away and slid down against the wall, sitting at it's base in a cross-legged position. His back to the brick behind him, he sighed and leaned his head forward, closing his eyes and murmuring, "Give me a few minutes to rest and I should be recovered enough to get by."
Joey again had a tough time concealing his shock, and Yugi found himself struggling with the same problem. Nevertheless, the Light boy quickly muttered his agreement to the Negative figure sitting quietly on the ground.
As the Hikari raised his head to face Joey again, he tilted it slightly, indicating a point a few feet away near the opposite wall of the alley. The two walked over to the wall, so as not to disturb the resting Kaiba, and slowly began to talk.
"Er...Yug'," Joey began, glancing at the tired figure a yard or so away from him, "is that the Negative Realm Kaiba you were telling us about in that story of yours?"
Yugi nodded quickly. "Yeah. This Kaiba is the leader of the Opposition--remember, they called him the Blue Eyes?"
"I remember now," the blonde teen muttered, nodding. "That story was actually real?"
"Yeah," the Hikari murmured in reply, looking somewhat hurt that he hadn't been believed in the first place.
Joey, spotting the look, hastily said, "Well, you gotta admit, it didn't really seem like it could have been real."
"I suppose," Yugi replied slowly, though still with a rather unhappy tone.
There were a few seconds of silence before Joey gave an abrupt start. "Oh, geeze, I just realized something!" On seeing his friend's questioning face, he continued. "Okay, this Kaiba...the Negative Kaiba...he just came through that Realm Gate into our Realm. But our Kaiba is here at the same time. I think....I think we have a double of the same person, Yug'."
Yugi, apparently, had not realized this fact, and it registered plainly on his face. "Two Kaibas? But...but that's going to cause a lot of trouble.."
"You're telling me," Joey replied dryly. "I can't stand one Kaiba, let alone two."
The Hikari across from him, however, shook his head. "No, it's not that," he said quickly, wanting to explain. "Two of the same person would be hard to hide. It's a well known fact that Kaiba's only other relative is Mokuba...he doesn't have any twins. So if somebody suddenly finds out that there are two Kaibas, they're going to get suspicious. And from there....from there, people'll begin to dig into our personal lives, figure out about the Millennium Items, and generally get us into trouble. We can't risk that." He sighed, rubbing his temple absent-mindedly. "No, we've got to keep this secret."
Joey nodded quickly in agreement. "You're right. But if we've got to hide him...then where do we take him?" He frowned slightly, and a few stray blonde bangs drifted in front of his vision. "I mean, we can't just take him to the nearest arcade or whatever and blend him in. He's a CEO of a huge, famous company; he'll attract unwanted attention in the wrong place."
Yugi sighed again, turning to look at the calmly resting Negative version of Kaiba. Where could they take him, without him being noticed?
Quite suddenly, he realized that his yami was trying to contact him once more through their mind link. He quickly concentrated and dragged himself out of his thoughts and into the link. /Yeah, Yami?/
//You need a place to hide Kaiba?// The voice of his darker half sounded very serious, as though he had been thinking carefully.
/Yeah. That's the problem, though...we don't know where to take him./ A mental sigh flowed through the link, almost without the lighter half even thinking about it.
There came a quick chuckle from the pharaoh before his voice returned to it's serious tone. //Hide him right under the peoples' noses. Take him to the one place that he doesn't look out of the ordinary in--in fact, make it a place that he usually goes to, so people don't get any reason to be suspicious.//
/Hey, that's a great idea, Yami!/ Gratefulness rolled through the link to the darker half, and the spirit chuckled again as the mind link was cut off.
"Yami gave me an idea of how to hide Kaiba, and I think I have the perfect idea as to where to take him," Yugi explained, returning from his mind to his conversation with his friend.
"Really? At least one of us is thinking, then," the blonde joked, chuckling. "What's the idea?"
"To hide Kaiba in a place that looks completely ordinary in...some place he's at regularly." A small grin spread over Yugi's lips as he continued. "And there's one place that Kaiba'll never be questioned in."
Joey frowned as he picked up on his friend's idea. "You don't mean..."
Yugi nodded, the grin spreading wider. "Yup. KaibaCorp."
The taller of the pair thought over the idea quickly before nodding a bit. "It might work," he said agreeably, "but there's one problem."
"And that is?" the Hikari asked, his grin fading slightly.
"The Kaiba from here is currently working at KaibaCorp. People might notice if two of the same person were wandering around the building, especially those that already have a suspicious eye on Kaiba to begin with. And then, of course, there's the problem of the True Realm Kaiba. I doubt he's going to sit back and let the three of us, one of which is the exact same person as himself, use his building as a hide-out and keep perfectly calm at the same time. I mean, come on; do you honestly think that Kaiba's the kind of person to put up with this stuff?"
"Maybe not," Yugi admitted, "but we've got to try nevertheless. We really don't have much of an alternative choice; we'll just have to explain the whole problem to the True Kaiba when we get there."
Joey sighed, then shrugged. "Suits me then, I guess," he muttered. "I don't have any brighter ideas, in any case."
Their conversation was brought to an end as they saw the Negative figure leaning against the opposite wall stir and begin to sit up straighter; the two of them turned and returned to their newfound companion quickly.
"Hey, feeling more rested?" Yugi asked cheerfully, as the CEO turned his head to look up at the pair addressing him.
"A bit," came the reply, though slowly. "Still a little tired, but I can keep going easily."
"That's good," Joey said, "because we've got a general idea of what we're gonna do now."
"Really? And that would be...?"
Astounded that there was no joke about himself getting smarter, the blonde continued quickly. "We're gonna take you to KaibaCorp. You'll look in your element, and nobody will question you. We don't want news to get around that there's two Kaibas, see."
The Negative Seto nodded easily. "It makes perfect sense. 'Draw not the attention you do not desire.'" He stood up slowly, wobbling for a few seconds but catching his balance without much trouble, and added, "Shall we go, then?"
"Er..right," Joey murmured, a little surprised that the CEO could sound so laid-back about his situation. He shook his head quickly and fell into step behind the darker-haired teen, with Yugi walking not too far behind him.
The trio stepped out into the bright sunlight and found themselves quite close to the city. The tall KaibaCorp building was easily recognized, and the group set off quickly for their destination. At the Negative Kaiba's suggestion, the three took to the shadows and allies when they could, so as not to draw unwanted attention. Yugi, not as used to the Negative Realm figure's life, had a tough time slipping through the darkness without being seen; Joey was surprisingly good at it, however, and Kaiba was practically invisible even in the light of day, his dark black trench coat helping him blend into the darkness easily.
As they made the transition suddenly from one alley to another, Yugi found himself focusing on Kaiba, who was in front of them--or more precisely, his walk. The Hikari was surprised he hadn't noticed the CEO's problem earlier; Seto had a definite limp in his gait, though he hid it relatively well, along with the help of his trench coat.
That's right, Yugi thought to himself suddenly. He got shot in the leg when he was escaping Yami's main building...I never did find out what happened to him after that, not even in the Shadowdream.
As if to find this missing information, Yugi spoke up quickly. "Er...Kaiba? I remember seeing you on the security camera when you helped me break into Yami's complex...you got shot, didn't you? How's your leg now, then?"
The Negative version of Kaiba stopped and turned to look over his shoulder at Yugi before speaking. "It's mostly healed, now, although I'll probably have a permanent limp." He frowned for a second before continuing. "I got lucky, though. When those guards fired on me in the hall, they very nearly got me in the back, and that would've killed me. I was smart enough to fire the gun I stole at one of them; it made him jerk his own gun and hit my leg instead."
Joey's eyes widened at the statement, and he hastily blinked away his startled expression. He had forgotten that part of the story Yugi had told...
The Hikari, however, went right on talking. "So you caused one of the gunshots?" At the CEO's nod, he continued. "That's good to know, then. You had me and Bakura really worried...we thought they had fired on you more, and possibly killed you."
Surprisingly, Kaiba laughed. "Oh no, it's much harder to kill a Blue Eyes...you need more than simple guns." There was another small chuckle before he continued walking on down the alley, slipping through the shadows to another with only the silver-blue flames on his trench coat showing through the gloom.
The other two followed him, and Yugi hastened to catch up to the Negative figure ahead of them. He spoke quickly, eager to get more answers to his questions. "So, what's been going on in your Realm since I left?"
The Opposition leader sighed, gathering his thoughts together so as to answer Yugi's question. "Quite a bit has happened. After I left Yami's complex that day, I wasn't sure what was going to happen next, but a few hours after I made it back with Joey, Bakura showed up. He looked pretty surprised; the way he explained it, Yami snuck him out of the complex and managed to keep his guards at bay long enough for Bakura to escape." The teen shrugged. "I don't know what you did to him that day, Yugi, but it sure worked. He withdrew soon after that, but we've still had quite a bit of work set up for us, cleaning up his act."
The Hikari frowned slightly. "He withdrew? Where'd he go? How is he now?"
Kaiba raised an eyebrow at him slightly before saying in a rather dry tone, "How is he now? Your yami is a pain in the ass, that's what."
Yugi blinked in surprise, but before he could react the Millennium Puzzle began to glow. He felt the odd sensation of his mind separating, and realized with a start that Yami was leaving the Puzzle and forming a physical appearance.
Oh, boy, the Light thought to himself, it's tone slightly worrisome. This can't be good.
Quite suddenly, the air seemed to come together and solidify, forming a body that soon gained the distinctive, tri-colored hair and narrowed crimson eyes. Yami, now completely free of the Puzzle, spat angrily, "I am not!"
The Negative Kaiba, startled, had jerked his hand quickly, and within seconds a silver blade was clutched dangerously in his hand. His stance had changed as well, as though he as preparing to fight, and quite a bit of weight was rested on his once-injured leg, making Yugi flinch as he thought of how painful it must have been.
Yugi stepped between the two hastily, cutting off their smoldering glares directed at each other. "Yami, look, he didn't really mean that," he hissed, facing his darker half quickly. "He's talking about you in his Realm. And Kaiba," he added, whirling to face the Blue Eyes, "this is my Yami. He's not going to try and harm you unless you attack one of my friends, and as I doubt that you plan on doing that any time soon, you're perfectly safe near him. He's much like Bakura from your Realm, okay? So both of you, just calm down."
Yami bristled angrily for a second before abruptly dropping his angry look, sighing and running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry," he muttered in the Negative figure's direction, "I wasn't thinking, that's all. Believe me, I can understand your situation perfectly." He growled under his throat, adding, "I still despise hearing of myself in your Realm, and I can see it from your point of view just as well."
Kaiba hardened his gaze and stared at the yami spirit across from him for a second before nodding, slipping his knife back into it's sheath up his arm as he straightened into an upright position once more. "I was probably a bit harsh with my wording," he admitted, sounding calm once more, though still looking wary. If there was an apology to be had, it would be found in that once sentence, for the Negative teen said no more.
Yugi sighed in relief. The two hadn't leaped at each others' throats, and were already being friendly, if a bit forcefully. He doubted there would be much more trouble between the two--they just had to learn to get used to each other, now.
Turning, Seto began to walk down the alley once more, talking as he spoke. Joey and Yugi caught up to him again and listened to his explanation of the events that had occurred in his Realm. Yami followed behind them, listening carefully.
"A few days after you left, Yugi," the Blue Eyes began, "Yami announced that he would be giving up his hold over the country, returning it to it's original leaders and retreating peaceably. At first it looked as if he was going to succeed, and that things would go back to normal--but then came the problem. Remember his Special Guard? The men that were trained to use their weak, natural magic to help him in his conquering? They revolted, trying to take hold of the power Yami had gained when the one person who could defeat them backed away. When the Pharaoh gave up his power and tyrant rule, the Special Guard, along with the majority of his followers, grasped hold on it again. The Opposition has been trying to disband them ever since, but they're dangerously powerful.
"However...at the beginning, when they first took over, they weren't focused on the Opposition. They were trying to find Yami, of all people. The Pharaoh had gone into hiding after he pulled back from his rule, and the new group--they call themselves the Hand of the Shadow--wanted to locate and eliminate him. They were worried that, since he was far more powerful than they, he could return and stop their new reign of terror.
"After nearly a month, they did locate him, in a neighboring city to the North. The Hand of the Shadow tried to close in, kill him, and steal the Millennium Puzzle, in hopes of gaining his enormous power. However, a few of my most loyal scouts were able to pass the information along to myself and my top agents. We staged a counter attack, meeting the Hand of the Shadow head on and stopping them from capturing Yami. We brought him back to the Opposition with us, so that the Hand would have no chance of stealing his power, and he has been under our protection ever since." Kaiba frowned slightly, breaking for the first time in his story and staring over at Yami.
Yugi took all the new information given to him in with surprise. He thought carefully before asking slowly, "So...if Yami's on your side now...why isn't he helping?"
The Negative version of Kaiba sighed, shaking his head absent-mindedly, almost as if he was disagreeing with something. "That would be another problem of ours. Despite the fact that we've taken him into our own haven, he's still refusing to help. On the bright side, he isn't attempting to hurt us either, but..." another sigh, this time with a slightly exasperated tone. "It gets worse, though."
Joey looked shocked. "How could it possibly get worse than what you guys've already been through?" He might not have gone to the Negative Realm himself, but he had heard enough of the stories Yugi had told him to understand the basic ideas of the place, and he knew far too well what Yami had done in that opposite Realm.
Kaiba raised an eyebrow at Joey's outburst before answering. "There are many ways it could've gotten worse, and unfortunately for us, one of those paths was followed." He turned his speech slightly, directing it towards Yugi more than Joey, now. "Even though you removed the shadow from Yami's Millennium Puzzle, the long-term effects still remained. His mind has basically been altered--though he doesn't want to kill or conquer anymore, he still has a very dark sense of humor and justice, and his temper can get him to act very violent at the worst of times. Even worse is what this is combined with; he seems troubled with an intense wave of depression constantly. He feels horrible for everything he's done...all the pain he caused...and it drives him deeper into his depression every day." The CEO rubbed his temples in a rather exhausted manner before continuing. "He must've tried to commit suicide no less than eight times by now, since we've taken him into the Opposition's protection, and usually it's me or one of my other top agents that finds and stops him from succeeding. By now, we have to post a guard with him to make sure he doesn't try to kill himself, and we have to keep him under close watch."
Joey and Yugi's shock practically thickened the air around them; how had such a dangerous, yet intelligent ancient spirit gone so far over the edge? Yet it was Yami who registered the most shock. He stood in complete silence for a few moments before asking slowly, "But how could I possibly kill myself? I'm immortal!"
The Negative Kaiba turned a rather cold, ice-filled stare towards the Pharaoh, answering him angrily. "In my Realm, you created a physical body for yourself when you stole the remainder of Yugi's life forces. You still had some of the major advantages of a yami spirit, but you can very well die, at this point."
"I did what?" Yami hissed in reply, giving his aibou a quick glance. He slowly began muttering under his breath, growling words that sounded suspiciously like swears, which were directed at his Negative self. Kaiba, though a little surprised, seemed to approve of the spirit's actions, and became noticeably nicer towards the Dark figure as they continued to walk again.
"In any case," the Negative CEO continued, finishing up his report about the Negative Realm, "the Opposition is still working as strong as ever. A few of our secrets were given away when we got you into Yami's complex, but it was well worth the sacrifice for what we gained in return. Now we're trying to break up the remainder of the Special Guard and their Hand of the Shadow, but it's not easy. They still know how to block magical attacks and use their own natural magic against us, so many of us aren't much use any more. Probably the biggest problem concerning the loss of magic is that I can't use the Millennium Items at my disposal against the Hand...the Ring, Eye, Rod, and Tauk wouldn't have any effect on them. It's been forcing me to pile too much of the workload and missions on most of my non-magical men, with the Joey from our Realm at their lead, to fight the Hand, and even then we only just break equal." He shook his head, angrily this time, not wanting to admit defeat. "But I'll find a way somehow. I know I will, I just have to read over the reports and double my efforts." He muttered something about summoning dragons under his breath, but the majority of the words were lost to the listeners.
The group walked through new streets and allies in several minutes of silence before the Negative Kaiba spoke again. "I'm sorry," he muttered, "there I go again talking about my strategies and problems. I should be helping you guys out, not whining about my own troubles."
Yugi blinked. "Kaiba, you're not whining, and we don't mind hearing. You've got a lot of work on your shoulders, and you need some way to loose stress."
Kaiba laughed bitterly. "Can't afford it," he hissed. "Waste any energy that could be used in what's important, and you're guaranteed to fail. I learned that lesson a long time ago, and the hard way as well." Leaving the other three behind, he half-walked, half-limped ahead of them a few paces to travel on his own, thinking to himself.
Joey watched the retreating back of the Negative CEO before turning to speak to Yugi. "Geeze, he's creepier than the Kaiba from here."
Yugi laughed. "Oh, come on, you just haven't gotten used to him yet. He's really nice, and determined."
Joey frowned. "If you say so. I still think this is really weird, though."
The Hikari glanced up at his friend before focusing his gaze on the figure ahead of them. "How so?"
"Well, just look at how he's been acting!" the blonde teen hissed. "He's been talking in a friendly way to you, and he hasn't tried to bash Yami's head in yet." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder, indicating Yami, before continuing. "And the kicker is, he hasn't insulted me yet! I haven't heard a single dog crack or intelligence joke out of him--he even spoke politely to me!"
Yami rolled his eyes. "If he's being kinder than you're used to, don't complain. Unless you want him to insult you, of course."
Joey growled slightly at the dark spirit. "'Course not! I just ain't used to Kaiba being nice!"
Yugi laughed. "Well, he is the opposite of the Kaiba we know, Joey. Of course he'd be acting nicer, he has to be a completely different version of the True Realm Seto."
The blonde just shrugged. "If you say so." After that, the journey to KaibaCorp was left in silence.
It was nearly a half hour later that the Negative Kaiba came back in their direction, saying easily, "KaibaCorp is only a block away. We shouldn't have to worry about traveling in the shadows any more; I should look fairly in place here."
Joey nodded in agreement, with Yugi following his lead only seconds later. Yami showed his own agreement by disappearing into the Puzzle, so as to make travel easier for Yugi when he walked through the busy streets.
With one final breath, the trio stepped out onto the sidewalk, pushing through crowds of people to reach the crosswalk. They traveled to the other side of the street with some difficulty, still pushing past the huge quantities of people, but luckily for them they weren't questioned. Even Kaiba, who stood out quite well with his tall height and dark trench coat, was ignored as the group pulled themselves to the KaibaCorp doors.
The Negative Kaiba only waited long enough to make sure Joey and Yugi were behind him before shoving open the heavy front doors and stepping into the lobby. He surveyed the room with a practiced eye, nodding approvingly before moving off towards the stairs.
"Wait, Kaiba, where are ya goin'?" Joey asked, giving the elevators a quick glance before following the CEO towards the dark-colored doors marked 'stairs.'
"I'd be too noticeable on the elevator," Seto replied easily. "For one, people would wonder why I'm not up in my office working. For another, they'd probably question these bloody cuts up my arms." He pushed open the doors and started up the first flight of stairs easily, acting almost laid-back.
Yugi, seeing the sense in the Blue Eyes' words, followed him up the stairs, giving Joey no choice but to come right behind the first two. They walked up the stairs quietly and quickly, each pouring over their own thoughts without interruption.
After a few minutes, they stepped out of the stairwells and into one of the many halls in the building. It was plainly furnished, with several doors leading off into various rooms. They all looked the same, but Kaiba headed with perfect sureness towards one particular door, standing in front of it and halting suddenly.
"What's the matter?" Yugi asked, stepping up next to his friend. "This is his...er...your office, isn't it?"
"Oh, it is," the brunette muttered, still facing the door. "I'm just thinking I should probably wait outside first, until one of you explains the situation."
"Why?" the question came from Joey, who had also caught up and was now standing next to the CEO with a confused look on his face.
The Negative figure answered with unbroken patience. "I would guess that any sensible person, even myself, would find it shocking to be facing an exact replica of themselves. He might not mean to, but he could be forced into a dangerous reaction just because of my unusual presence."
The young Hikari listened carefully, nodding his agreement. "You're right," he said carefully. "Here, I'll go in and explain it first while you guys wait out here."
"Yeah, I'd probably better wait out here until you finish explaining," Joey muttered, a slightly annoyed look coming over his face. "I'd probably just get on Kaiba's nerves and ruin the whole thing."
The Negative version of Kaiba raised a questioning eyebrow at Joey's latest statement, but before he could say anything, Yugi had already knocked on the door and had heard a voice from within murmur thickly through the doorframe, "Come in." The Light teen grinned slightly at the Negative figure's look of surprise at hearing his own voice from beyond the door, but before he could see much more, he had already opened the doors and entered the office of Seto Kaiba.
The Hikari looked around the finely furnished room, quite liking the overall effect that the rich furniture and other odds and ends added to it's appearance. Seto Kaiba, sitting at the desk in the middle of the room, enhanced the look of the room even more, giving it a powerful air. The wealthy CEO, looking exactly the same as the Negative Kaiba outside the door, only differed from his opposite counterpart by his clothing; he wore his simple, dark blue trench coat over green-blue pants and shirt, with plain brown boots. He was busily tapping away at his lap-top, shuffling papers about on his desk and scribbling on a few of them with a nearby pen, but he stopped as Yugi entered the room.
"Well?" the company-owning teen snapped irritably, looking distinctly annoyed. "I don't have all day, you know. What're you doing here, anyway?"
Yugi fidgeted under the icy stare of his duelist rival. "Well...see, Kaiba, there's a sort of problem we need your help with..."
Kaiba sighed in annoyance, raising himself up a few inches from his lap-top to focus clearly on the boy standing in the middle of his office. "Then hurry it up and tell me what the problem is. I've got lots of work to do, Yugi, I don't have time to spend chatting."
The Hikari sighed. "Kaiba, this is going to sound weird, but do you believe in other Realms?"
There was silence for a moment before the answer came to him. "What? What're you talking about?"
"I'm talking about how there are hundreds upon thousands of other Realms that exist alongside our own. We exist in each one, but in each one, we may make different choices or have different personalities. I've been to one, in fact. Another Realm, I mean. Actually, it's the Negative Realm, the opposite of our Realm...the True Realm."
Kaiba snorted, holding in his laughter. "That's a very nice story, Yugi, and I suppose it'd make an interesting book or something...but really, do you expect me to believe that?"
Yugi tried to ignore the insulting tone of the other teen's voice, continuing with his rapid explanation. "There's also a time when people from the Negative Realm may be pulled into our own Realm to help us out when we're in too much trouble. That's the Realm's Balance. And Kaiba...your Negative self is standing right outside the door, at this moment."
The CEO chuckled again, but the annoyance in his voice was beginning to become evident. "Really, Yugi, I have no time for your stories. I have too much work to do. Why don't you go bug one of your other friends? I'm sure they have nothing better to do than to listen to your made-up stories."
The Light teen he spoke to sighed in frustration. "I really wish you'd believe me, Kaiba," he muttered. "But I do have a way to convince you." He turned and faced the door, calling softly. "Guys, you can come on in. I don't think he's gonna believe any other way."
Seto looked thoroughly fed up now, and growled in frustration. "Yugi, I don't have time for games. I'd appreciate it if you left now."
At that moment, however, Joey entered into the office, walking over to the side to make room for another person to come through. He gave Kaiba a quick, startled look, which changed just as quickly to an angry one, before the brunette teen's attention was brought to the second person entering through the door.
His ice-blue eyes widened in pure, utter surprise, and he unconsciously found himself standing up, as if preparing to fight or flee.
The person facing him was...there was no other way to describe it....was himself.
There was a full minute of complete silence, as though some higher being had placed the world on mute, not wanting to hear it's troubles. Then, abruptly, the silence was shattered brutally, as though a hammer had gone through a sheet of glass.
"What's going on here?!" Kaiba roared, staring across at his flame-adorned counterpart. The other being looked just as surprised, though it was obvious he was attempting to hide it.
"I'm sorry, Kaiba," Yugi apologized quickly. "I know this is a bit of a shock, but you wouldn't listen to my story. You wouldn't understand yet, but I'll try to explain." He sighed quickly before continuing. "Kaiba, this is your Negative self, like I was saying earlier. He's you...but nearly the exact opposite of you, at the same time."
"I...I don't believe it..." the CEO hissed softly, but his expression betrayed him; the evidence spoke clearly in his mind, and it was obvious that he had accepted the story.
The Negative Kaiba, meanwhile, had gotten over his shock and was calmly looking his counterpart over. After a few minutes, he spoke. "So. You are the True version of me. You don't look so different, and you can obviously run KaibaCorp perfectly, from what I've seen around here...we'll just have to find our differences in due time." He nodded slightly, approvingly, before returning to his silence once more.
The True Kaiba, meanwhile, was staring at his opposite in surprise. They even had the same voice...he blinked, wiping his baffled look from his face, before turning to Yugi and asking hoarsely, "You needed my help, right? What do you need?"
The Hikari he spoke to grinned, relieved. "We need a place to hide him." He jerked his head towards the Negative teen, indicating him, before continuing. "People would get suspicious if they saw two of you, or even saw you wandering around when you're supposed to be at work. We figured this would be the best place to hide him, as he looks natural here."
Kaiba nodded, understanding instantly. "Makes sense. Of course I'll help." He gave his opposite an odd and slightly confused look before leaping into action; likewise, his Negative observed his plan closely.
Whirling around his desk, Seto pressed his finger to a small panel on the side of his desk, emitting a loud buzzing noise as he did so. After a few seconds, a small, slightly fuzzy voice could be heard. "Yes, Mr. Kaiba? Can I help you?"
He's calling his secretary? Yugi thought to himself, disbelieving. Now?!
"You can indeed," Kaiba continued, unaware of Yugi's mental exclamation. "I don't want to be disturbed by anyone right now. Call off all the business meetings I had scheduled for later, and don't allow any visitors or other business managers to come through. Understood?"
"It's very clear, Mr. Kaiba." The reply sounded almost bored. "I'll relay the message right away, sir."
"Good." Conversation done, the CEO removed his hand from the button and turned to stand facing the others.
"Er...Kaiba? Isn't that gonna seem suspicious?" Joey asked, curious.
"No," the brunette replied, his voice slightly rude, but only out of habit. "I do it all the time. It should seem pretty normal to the others out there by now. Of course, when my usual load of paperwork doesn't come out by the end of the day, that's when they'll get suspicious, but until then..." he let it hang, shrugging. His Negative version chuckled, as if it had all been some huge joke.
Seto raised an eyebrow at his opposite's laugh and turned to study him once again. He let the smallest expressions of surprise cover his stone-hard face as he looked over the Negative's sleeves; they were stained in what looked horribly enough like blood, and were covered in scratches and cuts.
"Those have to be treated," he said suddenly, indicating the torn sleeves and the cuts underneath. "You can't just leave them open all day, you know."
"I'm fine," the Negative Kaiba assured, waving aside the advice casually. "I don't need any help, thank you."
The True Seto, however, shook his head. "You're stubborn, like me," he hissed. "I'm not putting up with that. I'm calling for somebody to get some supplies up here, now." His no-nonsense tone caused his opposite to raise an eyebrow in amusement, but he didn't protest.
Kaiba, seeing this, picked up the phone on his desk and dialed a few numbers quickly, with practiced ease. He gripped the hard plastic of the phone easily as he waited, counting off the number of rings that had passed. On the third ring, the person on the other side picked up, and he began speaking to them quickly.
"Hey, where are you?" he muttered into the phone, as the other three people listened to his end of the conversation. There was a garbled, inaudible reply from the other side before Kaiba continued. "Third floor? Okay, good. I need you to pick up a few medical supplies...bandages and some other items...for healing cuts." There was another inaudible sound from the phone, and Kaiba nodded, despite the fact that the other person couldn't see the action. "Thanks. You're the only one who can get up here without being suspected." Without waiting for an answer, the CEO hung up and sat down behind his desk, returning his icy stare to the other figures in the room.
The Negative Kaiba gave his counterpart an odd stare, looking slightly suspicious and confused. He quickly forgot his thoughts, however, as he swayed slightly and moved to sit down on an over-stuffed chair a few feet from the desk.
"What's the matter?" Seto asked, frowning, as he watched his opposite.
"Oh...he's fine," Yugi assured quickly. "When you go through a Negative Realm Gate, it gives you this really strong sense of fatigue. It'll pass after a while, but it's really powerful while you've got it."
"I...see," the True Kaiba muttered, nodding, as he watched his other self with confused interest. After a few seconds he sighed, shook his head, and returned his gaze to the other two in the room. "Make yourselves comfortable," he said easily. "We may have to wait a while." After seeing his two guests sit down in a few more of the over-stuffed chairs around the room, he returned to his lap-top, tying furiously.
Joey found this amusing, and laughed. "Why're you working now of all times?" he asked, still grinning.
"I'm trying to get as much work done as I possibly can," Kaiba muttered in reply, a curt tone filling his voice. "I have the feeling I won't be getting much done after this." His Negative chuckled in amusement and muttered something under his breath; the words were hard to hear, though Yugi could have sworn he heard "universal trait" mixed in with the mumbles.
For several minutes, all that could be heard was the clacking of the keyboard at the brunette teen's fingertips. The others amused themselves by staring around the lavishly furnished office. The Negative Kaiba, for one, seemed unimpressed; Yugi and Joey, however, were fascinated.
Quite unexpectedly, there was a knock at the door. Seto's work lurched to a halt, and he stood up quickly, murmuring, "Come in."
The door cracked open a fraction, and a small figure stepped in. His messy black hair and long bangs made his face seem slightly paler than it actually was, but made his dark, grey eyes almost shine. His attire had changed since Yugi had last seen him; it was no longer a costume and consisted of a casual, striped shirt, a pair of jeans, and sneakers. Under his arm, he carried a roll of bandages and a first-aid kit.
"Hey, big brother," he began, but halted abruptly. With his free hand, he rubbed his eyes, as if trying to scrub dirt out of them, and stared about the room again. "Woah," he muttered, looking surprised. "I must be seeing things...there are two of my big brother in the room."
Yugi chuckled at Mokuba Kaiba's shocked expression. "You aren't seeing things," he said, laughing, "there really are two Kaibas in this room. See, this is--" he halted abruptly as he heard a startled, choking gasp behind him. Confused, he turned around in his chair, facing Seto and his opposite counterpart.
The Negative Kaiba had stood up, and was now staring at Mokuba in wide-eyed surprise. His body had gone rigid, and he was shaking slightly, while his breath had become quicker, more labored. After several seconds, he gasped slowly, "M...M...Mokuba?!"
The black-haired boy blinked in surprise before frowning. "Yeah, it's me," he said, confused. "What's the matter?"
The Negative teen opened his mouth to respond, but without warning his eyes rolled backwards into his head and he fell backwards, hitting the chair and sliding to the floor on the smooth material.
Kaiba was shocked. "What happened?!" he hissed, coming quickly around the desk and pulling his opposite self back up to rest on the chair again. He frowned as he felt what had the suspicious shape of knives under the teen's trench coat, but said nothing.
Yugi, however, had suddenly slapped his forehead with his palm. "I'm such an idiot!" he snapped angrily, mostly to himself, before hastily moving to explain. "See, in his Realm, Mokuba was killed by Y--er, by their opponent over there."
Kaiba looked surprised, but quickly nodded and gave his Negative a glance, frowning again. Mokuba looked shocked, his wide eyes betraying his emotions. And within his soul room, Yami growled softly as his name was almost mentioned...growled, too, at the pain his own Negative self had managed to cause.
Joey muttered out loud, "Oh...so it's like seeing his little brother come back to life...you didn't expect it, did you?" The question was obviously addressed to Kaiba, who looked a bit surprised, but murmured in return, "I wouldn't have."
The Opposition Leader, meanwhile, began to groan softly, blinking his eyes open and staring around the room once more. His icy blue gaze fell on Mokuba once again, but now his shock had passed, and he seemed to understand that he was seeing the True Realm Mokuba, not his dead relative. Sighing, he sat back in his chair, his eyes roaming the room again with a slightly angry look in them.
Mokuba, meanwhile, frowned. "What's going on?" he asked, curious. "Why are there two of my big brother? And where am I dead?"
Joey laughed. "Here, kid, I'll explain it to you." the blonde teen quickly launched into a summarized account of Yugi's travels to the Negative Realm, giving Mokuba the details he needed.
Meanwhile, Kaiba and Yugi had collected the medical supplies from Mokuba and were tending to the cuts that scored the Blue Eyes' arms. The Negative teen protested, but both Yugi and Kaiba together were too much for him, and he didn't bother to put up a struggle. Instead, he muttered under his breath as the other two bandaged the deeper cuts on his arms, covering the smaller and less-important ones with a simple disinfectant lotion.
Yami, in his soul room, had lost all connection to the physical world as he buried himself in his own thoughts. Kaiba, being pulled from his own Realm into ours...it must be the work of the Balance theory. He creased his brow thoughtfully before continuing. But...I don't understand. How could one person who isn't a Millennium Item holder aid us against the Shadow Realm's overflowing power? It doesn't make sense...he sighed, running a hand through his golden bangs. There must be an answer...I'll find it.
Yugi, not hearing any of his darker half's thoughts, was continuing his conversation with the Negative Realm Kaiba as he cleaned another deep gash in the teen's arm. "What were you doing when you got dragged into our Realm?"
"I told you already," the Blue Eyes replied. "I was in the middle of a fight. The Hand of the Shadow had attempted a raid on one of our minor Opposition bases, trying to capture Yami back from us so they could destroy him and get the Puzzle. It was hell when they attacked," he muttered, shuddering slightly. "We didn't have enough men to face them. Yami wasn't at that particular base, of course, but the Hand wouldn't give up; they were relentless, murdering left and right. I was out in the middle of the battle when one of those silvery portals just opened up in front of me and--" suddenly he stopped, wide-eyed.
The Hikari he spoke to frowned slightly. "What's wrong?"
"I can't believe I didn't remember it sooner!" the Negative Seto hissed. "I remember now...the silver portal had just appeared in front of me, and I remembered that you had gone through the same thing. I remembered looking around quickly before stepping through; there were two other Realm Gates spaced out in the battle area."
"Temporary memory loss also goes along with traveling through a Realm Gate," Yugi reassured hastily. "It makes sense that you wouldn't remember until now."
The Opposition leader nodded slowly before tilting his head back against the chair's rest and closing his eyes to help him think. After a few seconds, he murmured slowly, "I wasn't the only one to come through."
The Light teen frowned, confused, at the statement. He heard his Yami murmuring as their mental link was established as well.
//I thought so. The Shadow Realm is too big for one person alone to handle, and especially one who doesn't even own a Millennium Item.//
/What?/
//Never mind, Aibou. Just ask him if he can remember who went through the other portals.//
Shrugging, Yugi closed the link and turned back to the Negative Kaiba, asking his Yami's question. "Do you know who was meant to go through those other portals you spotted?"
The Negative teen creased his brow slowly, muttering under his breath. His voice suddenly became louder until it was audible; Yugi listened intently.
"Three portals. I went through one; the other two were near two of my best agents. Let me think...over to the left flank, Bakura was controlling that side...that's it, Bakura, he went through one of the Realm Gates. He didn't look too happy about it, but he was with Ryou when he went through, I'm sure...not like your travel, Yugi. The other person was on my right side, a few hundred yards away....Joey, that's it...Bakura and Joey."
Joey, returning from his explanation to Mokuba, looked a little surprised. "You mean, there's going to be two of me?" he asked.
Yugi nodded slowly, smiling a bit at his best friend's baffled look.
The blonde teen, meanwhile, was thinking quickly. Finally he asked, "Well, if three of you came through, how come you didn't all come out at the same spot?"
The Negative Kaiba inspected the finishing touches of his bandages as he responded. "Remember, the Negative Realm is a reflection of this Realm. If the portals were spaced out there, they'll be spaced out here, too. I wouldn't be surprised if the other two from my Realm are already here."
Yugi blinked, frowning. "Well then...where are they? We have to find them, don't we?"
The Negative brunette frowned. "I wouldn't know," he said, slowly. "Joey may be my best agent, but I still don't know how he would react in a situation like this. As for Bakura, he's just as mysterious as the first day I met him, and Ryou even more so, though that's surprising."
Joey shrugged as well. "I don't know either," he muttered. "If this Negative Joey is my opposite, he'd have a completely different train of thought than I would. I have no idea where he'd go."
Yugi thought carefully, running over the personalities of the Negative Bakura and Joey he had met while traveling to the Negative Realm. He had to admit, the Negative Joey was going to be a problem...there were far too many locations he could have headed to. Sighing to himself, he turned to trying to figure out the Negative tomb robber's next move. At first, it seemed as if he couldn't come up with a single idea...but then, abruptly, he gave a mental start.
//What is it?// Yami asked, curious. He had contacted his Aibou once more.
/I don't know why I didn't think about it sooner, Yami./
//About what?//
/The Negative Bakura's location. He practically gave me the answer when I last met him./
//What do you mean, Aibou?// The darker spirit sounded interested, and Yugi hastened to explain.
/"If I ever cross into your Realm, Yugi, the other me had better watch out. I'll teach him a lesson about a yami/hikari relationship..." Those were his exact words, Yami./
//You've got to be trying to trick me.//
/No, I'm not, and you know it./
//Oh, great...I know how Bakura "teaches"...I think we're in for a bit of trouble, Aibou.//
Yugi sighed mentally and returned to his awareness, blinking around at all of his companions. Slowly, almost hesitantly, the Hikari muttered, "I...I think I know where the Negative Realm Bakura is."
* * * * *
HCG: ^_^ ANOTHER CLIFF-HANGER, YUMETAKATO! HAHAHAHA!
NR Kaiba: x_X Too many capital letters....
HCG: *snickers* Well, anyway...that should satisfy the lot of you. Nope, NR Yami is not coming through to the True Realm, sorry to all you odd reviewers who seem to like him o_O;; Maybe if you're lucky and I'm in a good mood, you'll see him in later chapters...*evil grin*
NR Bakura: -_-;; Oh, goodie..
HCG: ^_^ AND, all you NR Bakura-lovers! That ought to make you REALLY happy, yes? NR Bakura IN the True Realm, AND being so noble that he has to go save TR Ryou from his super evil abusive yami! Awwww!
NR Bakura: o_O What the hell was that?
HCG: ^_^ You're just being so sweet! You realize you're probably gonna get a lot of hugs from people that love you just for acting like that, yes?
NR Bakura: O_O NO! NOOOO! *puts up an "Anti-Hug" shield* You'll never get me! NEVA! HAHAHAHAHAHAH!
HCG: O_O;; Um...wow....I didn't even know you were still capable of an evil laugh...
NR Bakura: ¬_¬;;
HCG: ANYWAY! Thanks for being patient again, people ^_^;; This WOULD have been up by last Friday, but...well...my new Shonen Jump came in, and I kinda got side-tracked...*gleefully reads about Yami, Roronoa Zoro, Yoh, and Yusuke, her fave Shonen Jump characters*
Kaiba: o_O What about me?
HCG: Don't have the one with you in it yet. That's next month.
Kaiba: *sigh*
HCG: Anyway. Review, peoples! Keep up the good work...you've got me at 24 so far, let's get me even MORE reviews! HAHAHHAHAHAHAH!
NR Bakura: And you think I'M weird for having an evil laugh? ¬_¬;;