Disclaimer: ...Do I look like a male Japanese millionaire? Oh wait, you can't see me... Well, I don't, so I must not be Kazuki Takahashi.
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Part 1: Separate
Chapter 4: Yami no Yugi: Wish
Ah... so you've heard Bakura's side of the story, and now you want to know what I was doing, eh? Well, contrary to what you might think, I did not immediately run for Egypt. That was Bakura's little fixation. In fact, I didn't want to go near Egypt at all. It held just as many memories as Japan did, for me, and I had no desire to recall them.
So where was I while Bakura was languishing in an Egyptian prison? ...Would you believe America?
No, seriously. After Yugi first became ill, I really had nothing to do with my time and ended up learning English and Arabic. When I left Japan I took a plane to New York City and dropped in on Yugi and Anzu's youngest daughter, who hadn't been able to get away from her studies at Julliard to come to the funeral. She and I had never been as close as her brother and sister had been with me, but she still welcomed me with open arms. She managed to get me hooked into the local dueling circuit, and for awhile I was reigning King of Games again. To the reporters, I had revived a "classic deck" used by "the great Yugi Moto himself" in the original Battle City (which is now held every two years in Domino).
For eight years I dueled across America. I took a year-long tour in Europe. But people were beginning to notice that I didn't seem to age, and my claims of a hormonal disorder wouldn't hold forever. I finally decided it was time I dropped out of the public eye again.
So I retired to a nice small apartment in southern France, where there was plenty of sun and reclusive houses and no awkward questions. Strangely enough, I took up painting. I know, I know, there's the whole Pegasus issue, but honestly I just didn't care anymore, and painting helped get my thoughts in order.
A lot of the time I just painted the scenery. If you've never been to southern France, let me tell you that it is gorgeous. It's some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe, and the sunrises are to die for.
I spent a good decade or so in my quiet little villa, painting and thinking. I'd come to terms with Yugi's death relatively quickly. I knew he was gone, and that hurt, but I also knew that I was still alive. For me, that was proof enough that Yugi wasn't truly gone, that someday he'd return, and my job as guardian would resume. Until then, I could only wait and enjoy what the gods gave me.
I spent a lot of time thinking about Bakura, too. I hadn't forgotten the fact that we'd all but promised to meet again. But how long would it take? Bakura could be anywhere. And even if he was looking for me, I was holed up in the remotest part of France!
I tried not to let it bother me. After all, he was a tomb robber. He could find me if he wanted to.
Thoughts of Bakura always made my head spin, and upset the peace that I worked so hard to achieve. I tried not thinking about him, but that only made my thoughts linger. Remarkably, it took me very little time to realize what my feelings for the tomb robber were, but then I did my best to hide them away and paint over them.
I missed him. I missed him awfully. I missed his sarcastic voice and his smirk. I missed the devilish look on his face when he was getting ready to pull a prank. I missed the way he always lost to me at everything, but never quit trying. I missed those dumb bat wings in his hair and his attitude when I tease him. I missed the cute look on his face when he's mad...
Oh Ra, I did not just think that.
Nope. Definitely not. Bakura, if you're reading this, I am very sorry and I swear to Horus I'll never use the 'c' word again! Please don't hurt me!
*cough* Yes, well, anyway...
The point of that was, my life wasn't the same without a loud, obnoxious tomb robber around. It wasn't nearly the same, of course, without Yugi either, but there was something about Bakura that... I don't know. When I was with him, I felt safe, complete. When he wasn't there, I felt that same suffocating darkness I had the day Yugi had been buried.
I tried to paint it away, but nothing worked.
I had just about made up my mind to sell the villa and spend a few years trying to find Bakura, when there was a knock on my door. It was an early spring morning, and my easel was set up in the sun room where I was getting ready to paint the sun coming through the open window and falling on the tile floor. Wondering who the hell knew where I was, I got up and headed for the front door. And I must admit that my heart fluttered, hoping beyond hope that maybe Bakura had found me at last.
But no. When I opened the door I was greeted with two familiar and welcome faces, and the mystery of how they'd found me was solved. Standing on my front steps were a man and a woman of about equal height, both with creamy coffee skin and lavender eyes. The man had dark hair, while the woman had sandy blond. The man carried the Sennen Rod in one hand, and the woman was wearing the Sennen Tauk. Both of them grinned when they saw me, and I smiled back, motioning for them to come inside. We took seats in the livingroom. She flopped backward onto a chair, while he sat down delicately on the edge of the sofa and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. I couldn't seem to stop grinning. It had been so long since I saw a familiar face, and I hadn't seen these two since they were children.
The woman's name was Gypsy, she was Malik's daughter, and the older of the two. The man's name was Ebon, Malik's son, and Gypsy's younger brother. None of us had ever met Malik's wife, as he'd met her while in Egypt, and she'd died soon after Ebon's birth.
Gypsy giggled, smiling at me. "It's good to see you, Yami-san," she said cheerfully. "You're looking very well."
I chuckled wryly. "I look the same as I always have, Gypsy."
She shrugged. "Good point."
"What brings you here?" I asked, setting back into my favorite arm chair. "Surely you could have tracked me down before now, if you'd wanted."
Gypsy absently reached up to touch the Tauk. "Yes..." she said slowly. "But before now there was no need. We all thought it would be better to let you have your peace."
I blinked, slightly alarmed. "And there is need now?"
Ebon nodded, looking at me from under his bangs. He'd been the shier of the two, preferring to stay by his father while Gypsy ran all over the place. "Yes," he said in his quiet voice that reminded me (strangely) of Rashid's. "We came to tell you, because you're probably the only one who can do anything."
I sighed a little. "Oh, it's one of those, is it? Who'm I dueling this time?"
Despite the seriousness of the situation, both Ishtars cracked a smile. "No, not quite." Gypsy said. "It's not a saving the world gig."
"It's not?" I asked, puzzled (no pun intended). "Then how am I the only one who can help?"
Ebon smiled a little. "You're the only one he'll listen to."
My blood ran cold. I knew who they were talking about immediately. "What happened to him?"
Gypsy shook her head slightly. "We can't tell you. You'll have to find out for yourself."
"Where?" I asked, almost pleading. "Please tell me where." My heart was pounding. If Bakura was in enough trouble that even he couldn't get out of it...
"Egypt," Gypsy said.
"Luxor," Ebon clarified, standing and offering me a hand. "Come on, we'll give you a ride to the airport."
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Next chapter is also Yami POV. You'll see why. Reviews please?