Warning: Very dark chappy, not at all happy or positive in the end...
Oh and... This chappys not put together very well... Sorry/Gomen/Whatever you understand! … Then again a lot more happens in this part XD
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!
"This is talking"
'These are thoughts'
"Yami-i, please st-op..." Yugi cried helplessly, covering his eyes to try and stop the flow of tears escaping him. Yami was sitting in what used to be Yugi's room, trying desperately to piece together the Millennium Puzzle. It had been like this for weeks, and Yugi had somehow suffered every minute of it in a short amount of natural time.
It was the same nearly every day; the only sleep Yami got was when he collapsed while trying in vain to piece together the Millennium Puzzle, and spent most of his days at the cemetery 'talking' to Yugi and asking him if he was putting the Puzzle together right. He wouldn't talk to anyone else, and he refused to eat anything while he was working.
Yami was seriously started to lose it, and he looked terrible. His clothes, which were once semi-tight fitting, were now slightly loose (which shocked everyone considering it didn't seem he could lose any more weight) and filthy, seeing as most days he wasn't bothered to change. His skin was ghostly pale, almost grey, and eye's blood-shot and dark. The lines under his eyes stood out among his pale skin, his hair was mated and dirty. It was heartbreaking to see one so strong now so weak, especially when Yugi considered Yami his brother rather then guardian.
He had to get out of there. But how? His magic was gone, his mind weak and spirit exhausted. To make matters worse he had no control over what was happening around him. Where he went, what he saw, what he heard... he was trapped, and to weak to break out...
"Please... someone... help me..."
"We're almost done here..." he whispered to himself, reaching out towards a book lying on the table beside Yugi. Then something caught his eye. Beside the book lay the Millennium Ring, still and lifeless, only the slightest wave of magic emitting from it. "Hmm..." He reached past the book and picked up the Ring in his hand, fingers stroking the surface thoughtfully.
The rest of the group turned their attention towards the two boys, but a glare from the former tomb-robber signalled that if there was anything wrong it was none of their business. Whilst Ilia, Steve and Joe continued on, the Bakura's fell a little behind. "Well?" Ryoura looked at his yami quizzically.
"I don't really know what's wrong, I just know there's something not right..."
"Is it the Ring?"
"Could be..." Bakura was pretty sure it was the Millennium Ring making him feel this way. He was directly connected to the item, despite the distance. When it was in the hands of another he could sense it, and he knew that, at this moment, Kage had he filthy, greedy hands on his Millennium Ring. That's what sparked his anger. "He's planning something..."
"Come to me, Ryoura..."
In the distance he was sure he could hear his name being called and was barely aware he was being shaken. A feeling of darkness was blanketing his mind slowly, though he tried desperately to ward it off. His energy was draining, he couldn't hold out mush longer... No, he had to remain conscious. He couldn't give into the darkness. He may never wake up again.
"Bakura what's wrong!" Steve yelled. Bakura, oblivious to his own actions, was crying out and writhing in pain, trashing in such a violent manner Joe had to help Steve pin him down. What ever was wrong with him, his mind was definitely not focusing.
"Ilia, what's wrong with him?" Ryoura asked, his voice fearful at his yami's unpredictable outbursts.
Ilia stood, frozen to the spot, staring at the thrashing tomb-robber, whose actions where slowing with each passing second. "My father must have put a spell on the Millennium Ring. Because your friend is linked to it, he must... be... Ryoura?" Her gaze landed on the teen next to her, whose attention seemed to have reverted to the end of the corridor. Confused, she waved her hand in front of his face. "Hello? Anybody in there?"
"The Millennium Ring..." Ryoura whispered, his voice almost a whisper as he spoke. Ilia looked at him in confusion as he turned and walked a few steps down the corridor before stopping again. When he spoke next, his voice was dazed, as if he had been hypnotized. "It's magic is stronger now, somehow..."
"Ryoura?" Ilia repeated, but she received no response.
"Bakura...?" Joe looked down at the spirit, who had suddenly fallen completely silent, body limp and breaths quiet, almost inaudible. Afraid, Joe checked for a pulse, finding a weak one. His eyes suddenly widened. "Um... R-Ryoura? What's going on with him?" he asked, taking a few steps away from the tomb-robber's motionless form. Steve didn't likewise, a look of shock matching Joe's.
Ilia tilted her head, confused, when Ryoura made no response. His eyes were glazed over, as if he was hypnotised. Frowning, she looked back at Bakura, walking over and standing beside the tomb-robber. "What on Earth...?"
Bakura's form was translucent, paled like a ghost though he was still quite solid. Kneeling down next to him she picked up his hand, only to have it slip through her palm, as if she suddenly wasn't there. What was going on? A soft glow emitted from th Millennium Necklace as she concentrated, studying Bakura's condition carefully but softly as not to alert his mind to her presence. She couldn't have him throwing up mental barriers and blocking her away from him. Opening her eyes she frowned. "Whatever's happening, Bakura's life force is dissolving, fast." she explained, turning her attention to Steve and Joe "If we don't figure out what's happening he won't survive much longer."
"You... mean..." Joe's gaze fell on Bakura, biting his lip at the weakness of the spirit of the Ring. Bakura was a strong person; strong of mind and strong of spirit, but now... To see him so weak was wrong. He was struggling to breathe at this point, and Ryoura was in a complete trance, unable to help him. What was with Ryoura anyway? Looking over his eyes widened. "Ryoura where do you think you're going?"
"Huh?" Ryoura stopped in his tracks and turned to face the group much further down the corridor. When next he spoke he voice was just as dull as he had been earlier. "The Millennium Ring is this way..."
"We know that, you told us already. Don't you care about Bakura?"
"I have to find the Ring." With that he turned and darted down the corridor.
"Ryoura!" Steve yelled after him, but it was no use. Ryoura was out of sight before he knew it. "Stupid little... what is he a cheetah?" he brought his hand up his face the through his hair. "Why the heck did he take off so fast?" He turned to face the others. Joe was down on one knee with his back facing Ilia, who helped him get the barely conscious tomb-robber onto his back. "And why did he get so weak all of a sudden?"
"Like I said before," Ilia began, helping Joe to stand up as she did, "a spell was put on the Millennium Ring. As the guardian of the Item Bakura is directly linked to it. The reason Bakura is alive is because The Millennium Ring used it's powers to keep him alive, giving him some of it's magic to live and, in the process, making him the magic user he is today."
"I don't understand, Ryoura can use magic to, but he doesn't need it to live." Joe said, walking up beside Steve but with his attention split between Bakura and Ilia. The group walked at a fast pace down the corridor, deciding they wanted an explanation.
"He has a gift, to put it simply, just as Bakura had when he first took ownership of the Item." She explained. "Very few can use magic and he just happens to be one of them. Of course, his real powers are but a fraction of what he can do with an Item, but to gain access to that power he has to submit a part of his soul to the Item."
"Making him linked to the Ring too..." Steve finished.
"Exactly. Somehow my father has drained all the magical energies related to the Millennium Ring, including Bakura's life force." Ilia looked over at Bakura sadly, limp arms hanging over Steve's shoulders though his posture was relaxed, his body refusing to notice what was being done, bringing him no pain. "The only reason he is still with us because of the slight amount of magic he possess' that is not Millennium magic, but if we don't find my father soon that, too, will be taken."
"And Ryoura?"
"His actions are influenced by instinct alone. Because his soul is a part of it and the power has grown by draining Bakura's energy, he is drain to it against his will."
Joe thought for a minute, trying to understand the situation, then looked at Ilia. "Like he's in a trance?"
She nodded, turning a corner as the others followed. "But why is Kage drawing him there?" Joe questioned, clearly bewildered. Ilia did not answer.
"..Ilia...?" Steve looked over at the girl with confusion, but he was unable to identify her expression. Suddenly his eyes grew wide as he remembered what Ilia had said earlier.
"My father will kill you on sight if you don't get out of here. You two won't stand a chance, he wants you dead, Ryoura."
"No..."
"We have to hurry!" Ilia announced when a soft glow escaped her Item, taking off down the corridor with the other two quickly behind. "They're all in trouble!"
Though the Dark Magician Girl had tried to keep him standing, she found herself doing nothing but hurting the boy after a few turns. Koumori Dragon had tried to help also, but Yujhi no longer had enough strength to hold himself up, even with the dragons help. Sitting on the floor now, the Dark Magician Girl sitting behind him and holding his shoulders to try and keep him sitting up at very least, his head was hung low, arms and body limp as his eyes fell shut, lungs burning as he gasped for air.
"Come on Yujhi..." Mark mocked in fake sympathy. "You know you want me to end it..."
"No..." Yujhi whispered, voice hoarse, causing him to erupt in a coughing fit.
"Then draw your next card..."
Separate from his body, his soul was five millennia in his past, though not a past he should be able to remember. And things had just become much worse with his new spell. "This should be fun..."
A smashing sound behind him caught his attention. Grinning, he turned to face his intruder. "Ah, Ryoura, so glad you could make it."
Ryoura stood in the doorway, fists clenched by his side and eyes narrowed at the sight of the Millennium Ring around the man's neck. The man he hated the most in the world. The one man that made him want to run away and hide in fear, just as he did before Kage's trail when he was five; while at the same time making him so full of rage he almost feared he would be labelled a murderer himself. That would never happen. He would never let himself become like him.
Kage chuckled in amusement, gripping the Ring in his hand and lifting it up in front of him slightly. "What's wrong Ryoura? Don't you want it back?" He shook the Ring slightly, grinning as Ryoura tensed, clearly holding himself back. "Go ahead, try to get your precise Item from me. Try and fail."
"Don't...."
Ryoura froze as a weak voice echoed in his mind. "Bakura...?"
"Your... monsters... use... your......"
"...Bakura? Bakura!"
"Having yami problems?" Kage muttered, raising his hand as a ball of black magic appeared, hovering over his palm and pulsing with power. A mixture of red magic, from the Millennium eye, and green magic, from the Ring, swirled like smoke around the inside of the orb, taking forms of sharp-toothed dragons with giant claws, glaraing at Ryoura, before dissolving into smoke again. Ryoura was still concentrating on getting Bakura to respond. Swinging his arm back, he thrust the orb forward, striking a powerful blow to Ryoura's chest.
Tossed across the floor, Ryoura struck his head hard against the wall outside the door, crumbling the floor and he curled up on the floor, trying to but pressure on his head and his chest to suppress some pain. That power. It was too much. He couldn't hold off an enemy like that, not alone anyway.
A hand grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him to his feet, slamming him against the wall hard and causing him to cringe in pain. A sound of metal on metal sliced through the air, a cold blade pressed against his neck. Opening his eyes, he looked down at the blade then back at his attacker. Kage grinned sinisterly.
"Do you know what this is?" Kage asked, pulling the blade away from Ryoura's neck just enough to hold it in front of his face. The blade had something black and hard smeared across it; dried blood.
"A spoon?" Ryoura retorted sarcastically. The blade was pressed of against the right side of his face, blade stopping just below his eye, causing him to fall silent.
"This is the very dagger that took your parents lives..." Kage hissed, grinning as Ryoura's eyes widened. He chuckled and pressed the dagger against Ryoura's face, causing him to flinch, and brought it down slowly as he spoke. "And this hardened blood? Your parents also... let's just say I kept it as a souvenir." He sliced the dagger down the rest of the way, receiving a yelp from the teen. A single line of blood ran down his face, like a single tear of blood.
Ryoura was shivering now, eyes shut tight in pain and breathing raspy. "Mom... dad...." Images of their murder came back all to clearly to him; the visions, the sounds, the feelings... the fear. The fear of death, of losing people close to him again, but most of all the fear of the man that took his parents lives...
Kage smirked and raise the dagger in front of him. "Remember what I said, that day after my trail?" When Ryoura remained silent, he lowered his voice to a harsh, cold whisper, "'I'll get you, you little brat... I'll get you like I got your parents'... And I plan to live up to my word now..."
Ryoura shivered fearfully as the dagger was moved to his chest, the point resting over his heart and digging in slightly, only enough to pierce the skin.
"Right... through..." Kage raised the dagger back, holding it tightly in his fist, grinning. "...The heart..."
Kage thrust his arm forward and Ryoura cried out in agony...
"Yugi?"
"Did someone just call me." Yugi froze at his thoughts. No. That was impossible. No one could have, he was a ghost, a spirit, nothing more. Looking back his heart skipped a beat. Yami was standing on the hill a short distance away, staring directly at him. "Y-Yami?"
The Magician nodded in understanding, drawing the card for her master and holding it before him, tilting her head curiously as if inspecting the card herself. Yujhi looked at the card, but couldn't find his voice to declare his guess.
He could feel his heartbeat. He didn't know whether it was a delusion of weakness or he could really hear his heart beating in his chest; the rhythmic thumping of his physical life force. He found his left hand over his heart as his breaths became quieter, his heart beating slower... and slower... and slower...
To Be Continued
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Waa! Poor Ryoura! -glomp- And Yujhi -glomp- and Pepper -glomp- I'm evil... -holds gun to head-
Ryoura: Wait! -grabs gun- We need you to decide if we live or not, no dying til the end of the story!
... Ok, guess you got a point...
Was it good? Bad? Rotten-tomato-deserving? please leave a review guys, slán slán for now!
Bay Bay!
Bayleef