Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh. If I did, I would keep Bakura all to myself. Alas, Kazuki Takahashi owns Yugioh. I do own Nusumi Miru... you'll understand the name in a bit.
Okay, I admit that Yugi is going to be way out of character, but you know what? I'm sick of reading Yugi being the sweet and innocent one. In this, he's... well... messed up.
Blah mind conversation through the millennium rod
Spirit Revolt
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY HAIR?" he yelled sending the group into fits of uncontrollable laughter. His hair was... indescribable. The only way to describe it was that every spike of hair was a different color, none brown blonde white or black, blending into a mix at the top of his head. Whipping around, he glared at Yami who was trying his best to keep a pharaoh-straight face.
As Yami regarded Bakura coolly, Bakura uttered one word that made Yami's crimson eyes widen: "Run."
Malik, Marik, and Ryou watched Yami run with Bakura chasing him in amusement. "I think he overdid it," Malik laughed going back downstairs with Ryou and Marik following behind him, both grinning broadly.
Several minutes later, Yami lay sprawled on the grass in Malik's back yard breathing heavily while Bakura laid near him breathing just as hard. After a minute, Bakura started laughing once he recovered his breath.
"I still can't believe that you made my hair multi-colored," he said looking over at Yami. Yami looked over at him and smiled wickedly.
"I couldn't decide on a color, so Ryou suggested that I do every color," replied Yami.
"There's no pink...right?" asked Bakura uneasily turning his gaze to the stars.
"That's for me to know, and for you to find out."
Yami immediately regretted that phrase as Bakura lunged at him and they started wrestling violently.
Bakura pinned Yami to the ground and shook him. "I'll ask you again nicely before I pummel you. Is there pink in my hair?"
Yami grinned, and reaching up, gave a tug on a spike of hair. Bakura immediately let him go and bolted into the house to see if he was lying. Watching Bakura go into the house, Yami laughed and stood up. Not wanting to be around when Bakura found out that he was lying, Yami walked to the park. Climbing to the top of a tree in the middle of the park, Yami leaned against a branch and looked out over the city. Feeling a warm breeze blow through his hair, Yami allowed himself to slip into a dream that was also a memory.
Flashback
"My prince! Come quickly! It's your father!" shouted a servant. Yami looked up from where he had been grooming his horse and dropped the brush in shock.
Running down the palace halls of the palace, Yami stopped at a pair of doors and entered, somehow knowing that this was the right room. Entering, Yami immediately went to the gigantic bed and took his father's hand.
"Father," he choked out, "father, it's me."
Yami saw the man turn his head weakly and smile slightly. "Atemu," he said, "I'm not going to last much longer. I want you to know that I love you and that I hope that you will remember to rule justly and fairly as pharaoh."
"Yes father," Yami heard himself say as he kissed his father on the forehead, "May the gods see you through safe passage to the afterlife." Letting go of his father's hand, Yami walked out of the master bedroom away from his father for the last time.
Heading to the throne room where he knew that he'd be alone in, Yami saw something glimmering on what would soon be his throne. Going over to it, Yami saw the millennium puzzle lying there next to something wrapped carefully in fine linen. Opening the package, Yami saw a crown that had the sennen eye on the forehead part. Sliding it on, he temporarily smiled when he picked up the puzzle and it glowed softly in acceptance of its new master.
"Atemu?" came a soft voice from the door. Turning, Yami saw someone who looked a lot like Isis come towards him. "Your father wanted me to give you this," she said putting a note in his hand and leaving quietly. Opening it, Yami read:
Atemu,
If you're reading this, then I've departed for the afterlife. I just wanted you to know that the crown that you see is your pharaoh crown. I figured you didn't want to have one like mine. Lastly, the Millennium puzzle is yours now. It's meant for you and only you. Remember that.
Pharaoh Akunumkanon
End Flashback
Yami woke up with a jolt, causing himself to slip off the branch. Grabbing a lower one and swinging safely to the ground, Yami took a second to clear his head. 'What was that memory?' he thought racking his brain. Recalling the memory, Yami saddened for a minute. "Why am I getting these flashbacks all of a sudden?" he wondered out loud.
"It's easy, the puzzle's reacting to your wish to recover your memories and is slowly giving you them as you need them," said Marik coming out of the dark.
"And at very inopportune times too," Yami replied with an eye roll causing Marik to laugh.
"Think logically though Pharaoh. You've had two flashbacks. One when you were fighting Yugi, and it gave you a memory of a similar predicament, and now it sent you a message," said Marik.
There were truth in Marik's words, Yami realized going over the note in his head.
What did your father write to you? came Marik's voice in his head.
That the puzzle is meant for me...and only me...I get it now!
"Good pharaoh, have a cookie. You know what this means..." started Marik.
"It's time to get my puzzle back," smirked Yami.
Meanwhile Yugi sat on the roof of the game shop looking at the puzzle that now lay cold in his hands. Ever since Yami left, Yugi tried to use the puzzle to pull Yami back into it, but the puzzle was resilient and wouldn't listen to him, as if it were siding with Yami.
Yugi, growing frustrated, held the puzzle over the edge and started letting go. He was intent on smashing it to get back at Yami, but something stopped him. Thinking, Yugi realized that it was his inner self that was stopping him. Laying the puzzle on the roof, Yugi remembered that it was because of the puzzle and of Yami, that he had friends at all.
"What am I thinking?" Yugi asked himself crossly, "Yami is being spoiled and is growing corrupt by obviously Bakura's and Marik's influence." Getting up, Yugi went back into his room and threw the puzzle into a drawer in his desk and locked it. Little did he know, someone was watching through the window, and
making a note of Yugi's actions, jumped down and sped off towards Malik's.
As Yami reentered Malik's house with Marik, he heard a somewhat hushed conversation between Malik and someone else. Entering the living room, Yami saw a cloaked person dart into the shadows. Looking up, Malik scowled for a second.
"Thanks a lot pharaoh, you scared her," said Malik as Bakura went to the girl and coaxed her out of the shadows from where she could barely be distinguished from shadow.
"Who is that?" asked Yami after mumbling an apology.
"This is Nusumi Miru," said Marik going over and giving the girl a hug, who gladly returned it.
"Nusumimiru? Spy? Why are you named that?" asked Yami looking at Bakura and snickering for a second, thus losing track of the conversation.
As Bakura pulled his denim jacket over his hair in annoyance, Nusumi pulled the hood of her cloak down to reveal teal hair and purple eyes. "Because that's what I am," she replied in a silky voice, "That's not my real name by the way. I completely lost my memory when I was 3, and grew up without a name. When Malik found me, he couldn't call me by anything, so he named me after the one thing I could do the best, spy on people."
Ryou looked puzzled. "Didn't your parents refresh your memory?" came the question.
Nusumi recoiled as if she were hit. Bakura, sensing the distress, embraced her and looked at Ryou and Yami. "She lost her relatives the same time she lost her memories," he said quietly stroking Nusumi's hair.
"And she takes to Marik and Bakura like they were brothers," said Malik, "They're all she's got."
"What about you?" asked Yami.
Malik grinned, "I'm the big meanie," he laughed.
Nusumi laughed at that and drew away from Bakura. "Shall I spill?" she asked Malik. Seeing him nod, she turned to Yami and bowed slightly. "My pharaoh," Nusumi started, "I was sent by Malik to monitor Yugi's actions to make sure he didn't smash the puzzle. As I watched, he threw it, none too gently, into a drawer and locked it. If you're going to get it back, I'm pretty sure you're going to have to fight him for the puzzle... Oh yeah, he also says that you are spoiled."
Yami just blinked disbelievingly. "right. And if I'm spoiled, then he's 6'5."
Ryou looked up at that. "How does he manage to shrink himself then?" he asked teasingly.
"He sees a shrink," said Bakura laughing wickedly.
Nusumi smiled and shook her head. Suddenly she dropped to one knee in front of Malik. "Master Malik," she said, "I think I know how Yami can get his puzzle and the god cards back."
Malik looked at Yami's puzzled but curious expression. "If you're wondering why she bowed, she was one of my rare hunters, and was extremely loyal," he explained. Turning to Nusumi, Yami looked down at her. "Tell us how," he demanded.
Nusumi looked up, and as everyone came together in a cluster, she told them her plan. When she finished, Marik looked thoughtful.
"If we do go with your plan," he said, "we would have to find someway to deceive Yugi into believing that he still has the god cards in the ark."
Bakura snorted and rolled his eyes. "it's called using shadow magic to make copies," he replied.
Yami nodded. "We'll put the plan into action in two days," he said, "Now, let's get some sleep. It's getting late."
"Or early, depending how you look at it," Nusumi muttered to Bakura as she curled up next to him, causing him to laugh quietly as the lights went off.
Ria: Aww! I think there's going to be a bit of a fluffy romance between Nusumi and Bakura. I think that it'd be cute.
Yami: Bakura...cute? If you ask me, Bakura being cute is like seeing a crocodile dance by in a tutu dancing to michael Jackson... it's impossible!
Ria: says nothing in reply, but watches a crocodile wearing a tutu dance by to Michael Jackson music you mean like him? points
Yami: O.o; I stand corrected.
Ria: giggle oh yeah, before I forget, I had a request to reply to reviews, so here goes.
All Apologies & "unknown": This is interesting huh? I guess you're right, however, I have a tendency to drag my stuff on and on and on.
Christine: Glad you think the same way that I do about a pissed off Yami.
AnimeAngel90: That's all right that you couldn't think of anything to help me with. I contacted an author pal of mine (YamiShiningFriendship if you were curious) and she helped me out, and don't get used to it, as I get involved with more activities, my updates will get farther and farther apart.
The REAL Cheese Monkey: Nice name. I know what you mean by Yugi being a jerk is refreshing. I just got sick of Yugi being so cute and sweet and innocent all the time, ya know?
Wings of a Phoenix: Well I took your suggestion about replying to reviews.
As for doing other fics, I'm thinking of doing a Halo one (don't know if you know what that is or not) but can't think of any more yugioh plots just yet.
AkinoBekyCarterBakura: Glad you liked my torture/ humor. Trust me, it took me a long time to think of that.
Ria: oh yes, to all of you who would like to know how the heck I thought of turning Kura's hair that many colors, I'll tell you. I took a pic of Bakura, put it on Windows Paint program, and just played with the colors and I eventually got that combo because I couldn't settle on a single color.
Nusumi: Read and Review please!