Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-gi-oh, but I have Yami no Bakura chained to my bed. Please read and review, for it makes him happy, and a happy Yami no Bakura is an insanely destructive Yami no Bakura. If you don't review, he will drown you in darkness. Heh heh heh.
Author's Note: Another chapter wherein not much of anything substantial happens, and yet the storyline is continued nonetheless! Huzzah!
"Otogi-san?"
The dice kitty glanced down at Shizuka, who was leaning against a tree, eyes closed. Her face showed none of the ravages that had been evident when she had first appeared on his doorstep, and she had been quiet the entire time they had wandered the park. He had respected her silence and enjoyed just being with her, soaking up the rays of the sun and the pleasant breeze and the happy sounds of children playing around them. She had soon grown tired, however, and insisted on resting for a while. He couldn't really complain, though the tree and the ground were not very comfortable. He was spending time with her, and that in and of itself made him happy.
"Yes, Shizuka-chan?" He turned his head and looked at her curiously.
"Are we doing the right thing?"
Otogi blinked in surprise. "What?"
Her eyes opened and she sighed as she watched a couple walk past, hand in hand and smiling at one another. Her expression was glum.
"Are we doing the right thing?"
Otogi drew his knees up to his chest and frowned, chewing on his lower lip.
"I don't know."
Shizuka looked at him, tilting her head lazily against the tree as if she lacked the energy to hold it up on her own. A stray breeze toyed with a single piece of paper, sending it flying into the boy's chest. He lifted it up, reading the headlines.
It told of a local boy who had been discovered missing from his home only days before.
Otogi crumpled the paper in his hand and tossed it away in anger.
"He's gone."
The kitty turned to regard the girl who sat perfectly still, staring at the crumpled piece of paper blankly. "Who's gone?" he asked, keeping his tone gentle.
"Honda-san."
"They'll find him," Otogi said, trying to sound soothing.
"No." Shizuka closed her eyes again, a few tears trickling down her pale cheeks. "He's gone, and he's never coming back."
"What are you talking about?"
"He killed him." Shizuka's voice was slowly losing its calm, and she sounded on the brink of hysteria. "He killed him, and he screamed, and there was so much blood…the screaming…"
In an instant Otogi was at her side, pulling her close and stroking her back. "Who?" he prompted gently. "Who killed him?"
"Bakura-san."
Otogi blinked again. "Bakura-kun!"
"Not him, but…the one living inside of him." Shizuka apparently did not care that she was making no sense. "H-he…killed him…and he's not ever coming back, just like onii-chan…so much death…"
Otogi was stunned. When he had discovered his friend missing he had been only slightly worried, knowing the boys proclivity towards staying out all night and not returning till late the next afternoon. However, when forty-eight hours passed with not a word from Honda, the kitty had grown anxious and began having troubled dreams. He had called Anzu to see if she had heard from the boy, and she had just laughed and assured him that everything would be fine.
And now…
The news of his friend's death angered him, and he tightened his grip on the young girl protectively. He had no doubt what would have befallen him had he not agreed to help Anzu with her ludicrous scheme, and so he had acquiesced, determined to keep Shizuka safe from the dancer's obvious insanity.
What a great protector he was turning out to be.
"I don't want to be alone," she murmured against his chest. "Anzu-chan promised to stay with me forever, and take care of me, but I don't know if all of this death is worth it. Maybe I should just die, because then I could be with onii-chan again, and I really won't be alone."
"Don't talk like that!" Otogi shook her harshly, holding her up by her upper arms. She stared at him dully. "I don't want to hear another word out of you about that, do you understand?"
She nodded.
He sighed and shook his head, pulling her close to him again. "Don't worry, Shizuka-chan. I'll find a way out of this, and when I do, I'll bring you with me."
He did not notice the way Shizuka smiled against him, or Anzu watching them from behind a nearby tree.
"Wake up, sweetie."
Yuugi groaned, clenching his eyes shut and rolling over, burying his head under a pillow. He muttered something unintelligible, his words completely muffled.
"What was that?"
Yuugi politely repeated himself.
The girl sighed and yanked the pillow away. "Wake up, sleepy head!" she cooed pleasantly, kneading her fingers into his bare back. "You have a package waiting for you."
"A package?" he mumbled sleepily, pushing himself up and rubbing his eyes.
"Yes, it arrived this morning. Your grandfather told me to give it to you whenever you woke up." Her blue eyes glittered with amusement. "However, you sleep forever, and I'm tired of waiting. Hurry up and open it, I'm dying to know what's inside!"
Yuugi nodded, stifling another yawn and glancing over at the small, plainly-wrapped package sitting on the end of his bed. It had no return address.
His eyes seemed pinned to it, and he could not will himself to look away. There was something about the box that he really did not like. After a quick discussion, his darker half took over, the Sennen Puzzle giving off a brief burst of light.
The girl looked pleased at this transformation and she leaned forward, kissing him gently. She pouted and pulled away at his lack of response.
"What's wrong?"
He did not say anything, amethyst eyes examining the package.
She pouted more.
Yami no Yuugi slid off of the bed and picked up the package, shaking it gently. Whatever was inside thumped against its confines heavily, making a slight squishing sound. He placed it back down and began to pluck at the packing tape reluctantly. He remembered what had happened the last time his aibou had opened a package like this. He glanced over at the girl warily, prepared to push her out of the way if something jumped out.
The girl stood beside him, smiling beautifully.
He eventually pried the package open, his eyes widening as he stared inside the box. He let out a choked cry and backpedaled away from it until he hit the wall, shaking and moaning.
The girl peeked in.
Her smile faltered.
Amongst its more gruesome contents, there was a note.
I'm coming for you.
Bakura laughed insanely as he gently stroked several large, gaudy pieces of gold. He stepped over a man's crumpled form and continued laughing, neatly avoiding stepping in the blood seeping across the floor.
"I'm coming for you, prince-sama," he chortled, holding up his prizes and admiring them in the light.
The Sennen Ankh.
The Sennen Scales.
At long last, they were his.
Now he had only to take the Rod from the vapid, posturing peacock before confronting the Pharaoh and doing away with him once and for all.
"It's close," he giggled. "So close…we've almost won…you're next Malik…and then prince-sama will fall."
His laughter echoed off the walls.
