(A/N) Roae, thank you much for reviewing. Root of all evil, is it. I like. And have no fear, we shall see more Bakura. He is also my fav character. Sometimes I think I'm turning into a fan girl! YEEK! Oh well, moving on. Sukara Nodori, thanks for reviewing. Nameless One, thank you for reviewing. Glad to have you on board. Ping Pong1, did you really draw a picture of Raksha?! That so totally ROCKS! But it seems that the link didn't show up. Darn. Maybe you could E-mail it to us. The site should have my address. And yes, Malik and Serenity are cute. I just love that pairing and there's so little of it on the site. Sorry for the delay. I've been sick and school is starting back up. GRR! And I don't think updates will be as frequent now that we're back at school.
Past the Point of No Return
Chapter 6: Game Start!
"Ryou, how long can it possibly take to make a pot of stew?" Amane asked impatiently.
Ryou and Amane were both standing next to a small campfire. The other duelists were all in their tents readying their decks. Tristan and Duke had wandered off into the jungle a while ago. Tea had gone back to the beach after camp was set up. Ishizu was giving Odeon a hand with his deck. And the last time Ryou checked, Serenity was hanging out with Malik. Ryou didn't understand why this in itself wasn't causing Joey to rip his hair out, but he guessed he was just too busy preparing his deck.
After the fiasco on the beach, all of the duelists had scattered to set up camps. Maybe against their better judgment, Ryou, Amane, and the others had set up all of their campsites together like they were a little village. Ryou had already finished preparing his deck and he'd come out to start on dinner for the whole crew. After all, they'd have to eat something before the duels began and sunset wasn't far off now.
"Well, that depends on whether or not you want it to taste good. If I just stopped cooking the stew now it would be completely underdone and you could get food poisoning from it. Is that what you want?" Ryou asked with a small grin.
Amane seemed to consider this for a few moments. But then she knocked the ladle from Ryou's hand and tackled him to the ground.
"Say Uncle!" she shouted, pinning him beneath her.
Ryou just lay there for a few minutes, laughing his head off. It had been so long since he'd been able to laugh like this. But before Amane knew it, he was up and on her. Ryou attacked, tickling her with a vengeance. The two rolled around for a while, Ryou tickling and Amane throwing in a few playful punches. But Ryou finally ended up on top, his white hair tousled and covered with dirt.
"All right! I give! Uncle!" Amane shouted.
Both Ryou and Amane fell into a fit of laughter. But only a moment later, Amane realized that she was laughing alone.
"A family reunion. Well isn't that sweet."
Amane kept her eyes closed. She recognized that voice. It still haunted her in her sleep. She still had the scars on her body from him. The spirit of the Millennium Ring. Her brother…and yet not her brother. He was the one thing she truly feared…and he was sitting on top of her!
"Hello, Amane. It's been a long time. Won't you speak to me?"
Amane finally opened her eyes and gazed up into Bakura's harsh, unfeeling ones. She willed herself not to shudder as he slowly reached a hand up to touch the scar on her face.
"Ah, I see you still have the scar I gave you. I used to have one just like it," he whispered icily.
Amane steeled her face. She knew what she had to do. Without hesitation, she brought up her fist and slugged Bakura square in the jaw.
He gave a very uncharacteristic yelp and jumped off of her. She leapt to her feet and quickly backed away from him. As she stood watching him rub his jaw she thought about all the times when she and Ryou were younger and the roles had been reversed. Ryou had always begged her to hit back when he was in control; always begged her to defend herself. But she never could. That weakness had nearly cost her her life. It had taken her years to convince herself that this creature was not her brother and that she could fight back.
"Well, little Amane has grown up. I'm impressed," Bakura said, a cold sneer creeping onto his face as he walked slowly towards her.
Amane felt her resolve melting like an ice cube in the sun. What made her think she could fight him?
Bakura finally managed to corner her against a tree. He pinned her shoulders to the bark and leaned his face in close to hers.
"I am not afraid of you," she said with more conviction than she felt.
"Oh, really? Then why are you trembling?" he asked as he dug his fingers into her shoulders.
He was going to hurt her again! Bakura had come so close to killing her the last time he beat her. Amane knew she wouldn't be able to withstand it this time. She opened her mouth wide to scream but Bakura clamped his hand down on her mouth.
"Don't you dare scream. As much as I love hearing you scream, there was no one to help you before. But now there is."
"You're wrong," Amane began tearfully. "Ryou-"
"Ryou!" Bakura snorted. "What can that weakling do? He couldn't stop me then and he can't stop me now!"
"You monster!"
"Ryou? Amane? What's going on? Is dinner ready yet?" Joey asked as he came strolling out of his tent. Yugi also came out of his tent soon after. Both stopped cold when they saw what was happening.
"Ryou, what are you doing?!" Yugi asked, clearly shocked.
"No, Yugi! You don't understand! It's not my brother!" Amane shouted.
Bakura reached over and slapped Amane hard across the face. She stayed quiet, but she kept her eyes on Yugi. Something strange had happened to him. He had suddenly become taller and his hair was different. His eyes were also different, darker and more watchful. Amane's eyes drifted to the faint glow emanating from Yugi's pyramid pendant and she finally understood. That pendant was a Millennium Item. Yugi had a dark alter ego just like her brother.
Yami glanced back and forth between Bakura and Amane, finally seeming to get the picture.
"Ryou, are you nuts?! You can't do that to your own sister!" Joey shouted.
"No, Joey. It's not Ryou. It's the spirit of the Millennium Ring," Yami said.
"Well if it isn't the Pharaoh, come to save the day yet again," Bakura mocked.
"Release Amane at once, you fiend!" Yami demanded as he took a few steps towards them.
"Not another step, Pharaoh," Bakura warned, reaching his free hand up to Amane's throat.
"You heard him, psycho! Let her go!" Joey joined in.
"Why do you delight in tormenting others, Bakura?" Yami asked, not moving for fear of risking Amane's life.
"You think I enjoy this sort of thing, Pharaoh? No. I don't play games. I have my reasons," Bakura said as he turned back to Amane.
"And this is necessary," he hissed in Amane's ear. She stiffened when she felt his grip tightening around her throat.
"BAKURA! STOP THIS!!" Yami cried out just as the last light vanished from the sky.
At this, Bakura removed his hands from Amane's neck and allowed her to slump to the ground. Bakura hadn't spared her out of mercy, or because of Yami's pleas. It was because of the darkness.
"Sunset," Bakura whispered hungrily. "Dragon Country has officially begun, Pharaoh. What do you say we start things off with a duel of our own?" he suggested, raising his duel disk clad arm.
"Gladly," Yami said. He was just about to accept by raising his own duel disk in the traditional stance, but he never had the chance to. Another intruder interrupted them.
"I challenge you to a duel, Yugi!"
Yami shuddered as all eyes in the clearing turned to the new arrival. He'd know that snivelly, whiny voice anywhere.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Mr. Weevil Underpants," Joey laughed at his own joke as the bug duelist walked into the clearing.
"Weevil, we're a little busy here, so-"
"No! You'll duel me now! You humiliated me in Duelist Kingdom and I'll make you pay for it!"
"So sorry…uh, Weevil, was it?" Bakura asked, obviously mocking the name. "Yugi's not in at the moment. You'll have to settle for a duel with me instead."
Bakura had made an on-the-spot decision to duel Weevil instead of Yami. He could use the practice anyway.
Yami's gaze darted between Bakura and Weevil. He knew all too well what Bakura was planning. And as much as Yami disliked Weevil he wouldn't wish such a fate on anyone. Well…almost anyone.
"Weevil, don't duel him! You have no idea what you're getting yourself into!"
"All right, Yugi. If you're so scared of this guy then I'll duel him first and squash him. Then I'll take you out of the tournament," Weevil declared as he turned to face Bakura.
"I'll bet both of my Key Stones on this match. I'm not worried."
"As will I. But I'd be more concerned for my health than my Key Stones if I were you. There is a lot more at stake in this duel than a few pieces of plastic," Bakura said with a sneer as the Millennium Ring began to glow.
"What are you talking about?" Weevil asked.
"I'm talking about the price of your soul! We will duel in the Shadow Realm. The loser will forfeit his soul to the shadows," Bakura announced dramatically as a great black fog drifted into the clearing.
"I- that can't be! You're lying," Weevil said nervously. "This fog is a coincidence or something."
"No, Weevil. It's no coincidence. This is the Shadow Realm. You MUST forfeit this duel before anyone gets hurt!" Yami warned.
"As if, Yugi. Weevil Underwood doesn't back out of a duel,"
"Perhaps you should listen to him. Challenging me was a mistake you will soon regret."
Yami was suddenly distracted from the insult tirade coming from Weevil by a small voice whispering in his head.
"Yugi…Yami- please…listen to me."
Yami cocked his head. It was Ryou.
"You must get Amane out of here."
Amane! Yami had forgotten all about her! He quickly glanced over to Bakura's end of the playing field. Amane was lying behind him, completely still.
Yami! What's wrong with her?!! Yugi cried out.
"Amane has never experienced the crippling power of the Shadow Realm and she was weakened enough to begin with. The shadows are draining away her life energy." Ryou explained sadly. "Please…help me save her."
And then, for a brief instant, Yami and Yugi both saw Ryou's spirit standing beside Amane. But the next moment, it flickered and was gone.
"Joey, we have to get Amane out of here," Yami whispered to Joey.
"But how? I thought we couldn't leave until the duel was over."
"Don't worry. I can get us out of here. We just need to get Amane."
The two quickly made their way to Bakura's end of the field. Yami hefted Amane up from the ground and turned to Bakura.
"Bakura, I'm taking Amane and Joey out of here."
"Whatever, Pharaoh. I won't stop you. But I will be back for you once I defeat this pathetic mortal," Bakura said as he turned to face his opponent once more.
Yami decided to ignore the negative connotations of that sentence for the time being. The important thing was getting Amane to safety. Yami boldly walked into the shadows and away from the field just as Weevil and Bakura shouted, "LETS DUEL!" The Millennium Puzzle began to glow as the shadows slowly receded. Yami breathed a sigh of relief when he and Joey finally walked out of the darkness and found themselves back at the camp. All of the others, except Duke and Tristan, were waiting for them.
"What is happening, my Pharaoh? We heard all of the noise and came to investigate, but when we came out of the tents we found the Shadow Realm had been called. Who is dueling?" Ishizu asked him.
"It's Bakura, the spirit of the Millennium Ring."
"Oh my God! What happened to Amane?" Tea asked fearfully.
"It was Bakura. He did this to her!" Joey said angrily.
"My Pharaoh, let me take her," Odeon offered, gently lifting Amane in his strong arms and carrying her to her tent.
"But who's Bakura dueling?" Malik asked.
"Weevil Underwood," Joey answered matter-of-factly.
"Didn't you beat him during Battle City, big brother?" Serenity asked Joey.
"Yeah, and I can tell you this much…Weevil's good, but he doesn't stand a chance against Bakura."
"Isn't there something we can do to help him?" Jamil asked no one in particular.
"Not unless he forfeit's the duel on his own or Bakura decides to spare him. Neither of which is likely to happen," Yami said as he gazed back at the swirling vortex of shadow energy he'd just emerged from.
"Are you sure there's no hope for this Weevil character? I've fought alongside the spirit of the ring before. He's an extremely reckless duelist," Malik noted.
"You fought with Bakura?" Serenity asked, turning to Malik with a confused expression on her face.
"Yes," Malik answered, a strange, disquiet look passing over his face. "When my dark side, Marik, took over my body. I promised to give Bakura the Millennium Rod if he'd help me win back my body. It was right after the first round of Battle City Finals. I had just heard the real story of my father's death. I had learned that it was I who had killed him and not Shadi. My illusions were destroyed and I was willing to do anything to bring Marik down. Bakura and I fought with him and lost. We were both taken by the shadows."
Malik shuddered at the memory. Serenity involuntarily placed her hand on his shoulder. Joey grimaced slightly at this but chose to ignore it. There were more important matters at hand.
"Hey, where did Tristan and Duke go? They should have been back ages ago," Mai said worriedly.
"I don't know. Maybe we should go look for 'em." Joey suggested.
But just then, screams broke out of the trees. Screams that sounded horribly familiar.
"That's Duke and Tristan!" Tea shouted.
"We gotta help 'em!" Joey said, starting to run in the direction the screams were coming from.
"WAIT, JOEY!" Yami called him back. "I should go alone. It's me they want."
"But Yami, you don't know that for sure," Tea cautioned.
"Which is all the more reason why I must go alone. This could be a trap, and I will not risk any of you," Yami said, as if that settled the matter.
"Be careful, my Pharaoh!" Ishizu called after Yami as he ran off into the jungle.
XxX
"For my first move, I'll place one monster face down on the field and end my turn," Weevil announced smugly.
"All right," Bakura started as he drew his first card. "Then I play Grave Protector(0/2000) in defense mode. I'll also play one card face down and end my turn."
Slowly, the hulking Grave Protector appeared from the darkness. It looked like some sort of mud man created by a little pre-schooler playing in the mud. Its limbs were all held captive by heavy chains and the creature had no eyes. Instead it had gaping mouths at random places all over its body.
Weevil shuddered with disgust as he drew his next card. The sudden appearance of the Grave Protector had shaken his already flustered composure.
"Big deal! I summon Drill Bug(1100/200) to the field in attack mode and end my turn."
At the word of its master, the giant centipede-like bug appeared on the field. It was a sickly off-white color and it had three serrated pincers surrounding a giant red stinger for a mouth. Its strange blue eyes jiggled as it moved.
"Hmm, a foolish move, mortal. I summon Royal Keeper(1600/1700) to the field in attack mode and send it to attack the Drill Bug!"
The instant the zombie appeared on the field it leapt forward and drove its spear down into Drill Bug. The creature gave one agonized screech and vanished.
Bakura(4000): Weevil(3500)
"Oh well, no big deal. One little Drill Bug is nothing compared to what I have in store for you," Weevil said.
"I think it's a very big deal. Take a look."
"Huh?" Weevil wondered out loud. He slowly followed Bakura's gaze to his stomach and…let out a shriek of terror.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BODY?! IT'S VANISHING!"
Weevil frantically swung his hand around where his middle ought to have been. But there was nothing there!
"You fool. Don't you understand yet? This is the Shadow Realm. Whatever happens here is very real. And as you lose life points the Shadows will consume you piece by piece!!" Bakura shouted, laughing maniacally.
Weevil gulped nervously as his gaze drifted over to the Royal Keeper. The corpse of an ancient Egyptian royal guard. Chunks of rotting flesh were peeling away from the bones. The stench of long-dead organs attacked Weevil's nose. The undead eyes of the Keeper fixed themselves unblinkingly upon him.
Real? All real?!
XxX
Yami raced through the darkened jungle, ducking branches and low-hanging fronds. As he continued to run through the dense greenery, he fervently prayed that he wasn't too late to save his friends. The shouts had stopped a while ago so he could no longer follow them. All he could do was try and go in a straight line and trust his instincts. And he knew that he was close. If Alexandra hurt Duke or Tristan then she would pay!
Suddenly he saw a glimmer of light just ahead through the trees. There was a clearing just up ahead. That was when Yami tripped over a root sticking up from the ground in his haste to get there. He couldn't stop in time and crashed face first into the foliage.
"Well, they always said I had the power to make men fall at my feet. Now I know what they meant," a voice with a bright, bubbly air said from somewhere above him.
"Now, Pharaoh. Is that any way to meet with your foe? You've practically surrendered to me already."
Yami leapt up from the ground, spitting out dirt. He knew that second voice!
He quickly dusted himself off and checked to make sure his deck was secure in his duel disk before stepping further into the clearing. Two figures were standing before him. One was a girl holding a torch. Yami had seen her before. The girl with red hair and the green jersey from the disappearing stage. Angelique. But it was the other figure that sent Yami for a loop. He'd seen him many times before. At Duelist Kingdom. In Battle City.
"Rex Raptor? What are you doing here?" Yami asked. He dreaded the answer, fearing that he already knew what was going on. And then, as if in answer to his question, the Sennen Eye appeared on Rex's forehead, glowing menacingly.
"I don't know who you're talking about. If you mean this boy whose mind I have taken over, then yes. But Rex is no longer here. I assume that you're familiar with the powers of the Millennium Rod."
"Who are you and what have you done with my friends?!!" Yami asked furiously.
"You know who I am."
"Alexandra," Yami whispered. So she was the one who had stolen the Millennium Rod!
"And as for your friends," Rex/Alexandra started, backing away from Angelique. Angelique also stepped away from where she'd been standing. Yami stared in horror at what had been concealed just behind them.
It was Tristan and Duke; both lying in crumpled heaps in the dirt. Yami rushed over to them and knelt down beside them. He lifted Tristan's head and shook him roughly, trying to wake him up. But it didn't work.
"Tristan! Please! Wake up!" Yami shouted frantically. "What's wrong with them?"
"Their minds are trapped…in the Shadow Realm," Rex/Alexandra answered.
"No!" Yami shouted, shooting up from the ground and turning to face Rex/Alexandra.
"If you want them back then you must defeat me in a duel. Follow me to the Shadow Realm!"
"You're on, Alexandra!"
"All right then. Angelique, if you would be so kind," Rex/Alexandra turned to the red head.
Angelique giggled, and with one quick movement, whipped the white armband off of her right upper arm. The black 'Water' brand on her arm began to glow a deep, unearthly red. Her eyes glowed the same shade to match it. The clearing was suddenly enveloped in a great black fog. The shadow duel had begun.
"How did you do that?! Only Millennium Items can enter the Shadow Realm!" Yami shouted, clearly caught off guard.
"That…is for me to know and you to find out. I place two Key Stones on this duel. If you survive long enough to finish it that is," Rex/Alexandra added cruelly.
"I'll take that as a challenge, Alexandra! And I will save Duke and Tristan!"
"LETS DUEL!" the two shouted in sync, each drawing five cards. Rex/Alexandra drew another card.
Yami(4000):Rex/Alexandra(4000)
"I'll start things off with a bang by summoning Uraby(1500/800) to the field in attack mode and end my turn."
Yami drew his first card as the small T-rex appeared on the field. Yami sighed in frustration. His hand wasn't very good. He had a few magic cards that wouldn't do him much good on his first turn and only one monster that he could summon without sacrifice.
"I summon Watapon(200/300) to the field in defense mode. Then I'll lay a magic card face down on the field and end my turn."
Rex/Alexandra sneered at Watapon. This puny thing could hardly be considered a monster. It was more like a large pink cream puff with eyes.
"A bad move, Pharaoh. I summon Mad Sword Beast(1400/1200). Then I'll send it to attack your Watapon. And because of my beast's special ability you take battle damage even though it was in defense position. Then I'll send Uraby to attack your life points directly!"
It happened just as Rex/Alexandra said it would. The giant triceratops appeared on the field and took out Watapon. Then Uraby leapt forward and snapped its jaws shut just in front of Yami's face. The difference was quickly deducted from the count.
Yami(1300):R/A(4000)
Yami growled deep in his throat as he drew his next card. Only one turn in and he was already in dire straights. He would need something big to turn this around. Duke and Tristan were counting on him.
XxX
Bakura(3000): Weevil(600)
Bakura smirked as Weevil drew his next card…with what was left of his arm. Weevil was way off his game. His fear of the Shadow Realm was causing him to let his guard down and make stupid, rookie mistakes. Bakura knew he had this duel in the bag. He could barely see Weevil.
The field looked something like this. Weevil had no magic or trap cards and only two monsters. One was the face down monster he'd laid down in his first turn. The other was Fiend Scorpion(900/200). Bakura had down two trap cards; Backup Soldier and Attack and Receive. He had three monsters on the field. Weevil had destroyed his Grave Protector but he still had his Royal Keeper. And now he also had out Malice Doll of Demise(1600/1700), a small puppet-like doll with a large axe, and Skull Dog Marron(1350/2000), the living skeleton of a large dog. Bakura would take Weevil out on the next turn. But then he noticed the look on Weevil's face.
"What's so funny, you idiot? For someone whose soul will soon be sacrificed to the shadows, you don't seem very upset."
"That's because I'm not the one who's going to lose here, got it?! I'll turn this around with just two cards."
"How?!" Bakura asked furiously.
"First, I reveal my face down monster. The 4-Starred Ladybug of Doom(800/1200)! When it's flipped face up its special effect destroys all level four on your side of the field!"
"Oh no," Bakura whispered fearfully. All three of his monsters were level four!
The giant ladybug appeared on the field and a green mist drifted out from it. As it covered them, Bakura's monsters disappeared. All of them sent to the card graveyard.
"Then I'll sacrifice my Ladybug and my Scorpion to summon something even better!"
Then Weevil removed the two insects from his duel disk and discarded them to the graveyard. Then he slammed down another card in attack position.
"I summon Metal Armored Bug(2800/1500) to the field! And you haven't got any monsters on the field to protect your life points! Now, my Bug, attack his life points directly!!" Weevil commanded fiercely.
With that, the huge metal cockroach zoomed forward and bit down its titanic pincers just in front of Bakura. And as the life points were deducted from his score, he collapsed to the ground in pain. The loss of points was taking its toll on his body. Literally! In one fell swoop, Bakura saw that his body was even further gone than Weevil's. He knew Weevil would only need one more turn to finish him. But that didn't matter. Weevil had given him the perfect opportunity to finish the duel here and now.
Bakura(200): Weevil(600)
Using what was left of his body, Bakura got to his feet. Then he let out an evil laugh.
"Why are you laughing?!" Weevil asked fearfully. "There's no way you can win. I'll take you down next turn!!"
"Oh really? Well, allow me to disagree. You have no idea what you've just done. I activate my trap card, Attack and Receive!"
"What does that do?!"
"I can only activate it when I've taken direct damage to my life points. So I guess I should thank you for allowing me to activate its magic. This trap card automatically deals 700 points of direct damage to your life points!"
"NO!!" Weevil screamed as two warring soldiers jumped out of the trap card and swept down upon him. Both drove their swords into what was left of his body.
Bakura(200): Weevil(0)
Weevil gave one final scream of terror and anguish before his body was entirely consumed by the shadows. Nothing was left but the chain and two Key Stones Weevil had been wearing around his neck.
Bakura chuckled to himself as he walked over and picked up the two stones and strung them on his own chain.
"Now the fool is doomed to wander the darkness for an eternity."
With that, Bakura let loose another bout of maniacal laughter. And he continued to laugh until he noticed something. The duel was over but the Shadow Realm was not dispersing.
"Ring, I command you to release me from the Shadow Realm!"
Nothing happened.
"Why isn't it working?!" Bakura shouted frantically. When he reached down to give the Millennium Ring a good shake he noticed it.
One of the Key Stones was glowing a bright blue. It slowly lifted from his chest of its own accord. Bakura desperately tried to rip the chain from his neck but it didn't come off. He tried to grab at the Key Stone but it burnt his hand. There was nothing Bakura could do to stop the Key Stone when it plunged its sharp end directly into his beating heart.
"AAAARRGH!!!!!!" Bakura screamed in pain as he tried to claw the stone from his chest. But it wouldn't come out. Blood leaked from the wound, trying to gush around the stone.
Bakura took a few more shaky breaths before collapsing to the ground, only serving to drive the stone deeper into his heart, which was slowly ceasing to beat.
XxX
Yami(1000): R/A(500)
"You really should have attacked me when you had the chance, Alexandra. Now it doesn't matter how powerful your Cyber Saurus would have become on your next turn. I've just drawn the card that will win it all. For now I sacrifice Celtic Guardian and Gazelle to summon my Dark Magician(2500/2100)!" Yami shouted triumphantly. And as he slammed the card down onto his duel disk, the powerful sorcerer appeared on the field in a blaze of light.
Yami had managed to turn the duel around. Rex/Alexandra was now at his mercy. On his/her previous turn he/she had summoned Cyber Saurus(1800/1400) to the field. He/she also claimed that she had the perfect combo to power it up on his/her next turn and destroy Yami. But now he had Dark magician on his side.
"DARK MAGICIAN, ATTACK HER CYBER SAURUS!!" Yami commanded fiercely.
But as the magician leapt forward and dealt the killing blow to the Cyber Saurus, Yami noticed Rex/Alexandra's face. It didn't have the look of defeat and despair that most of his opponent's faces had shown after losing a duel. Quite the contrary actually. He/she was laughing.
Yami(1000): R/A(0)
Yami was puzzled by his/her behavior but he decided to let it slide for the time being.
"I won, Alexandra. Now set Rex and the others free."
"Set Rex free? I don't think so. You only dueled for Duke and Tristan, and I will, of course, release them. But Rex lost this duel and the shadows must be fed."
"What?! No!"
"Yes. But if you want to free him then you must survive my island and come and face me at the temple. On that happy note, I bid you farewell."
No sooner were the words spoken then the glowing eye disappeared from Rex's forehead and he collapsed to the ground. Angelique gave the boy one last pitying look before her eyes flashed red again and she disappeared.
"Rex! Are you all right?" Yami asked asked as he rushed over to him.
"Where am I? What's going on? Yugi?"
But just as Yami reached him Rex's body began to disappear into the shadows. Rex never even had a chance to scream.
Yami bowed his head sadly. He'd failed to save an innocent life. But he wouldn't fail again. He would make it through the jungle! And Alexandra would pay for her crimes.
"Yugi, is that you?"
Yami looked up again and saw Duke and Tristan rising to their feet. Both were confused but they seemed to be all right.
"Where are we?" Tristan asked.
"Tristan! Duke! You're ok!" Yami said. The relief in his voice was plain to be heard.
But then Yami noticed the strange looks that both boys were giving him. He followed their gaze down to his chest and saw that one of the four Key Stones on his chain was glowing with a strange blue light.
"What's this?"
Yami watched in awe as the glowing stone rose up into the air on its own. He continued to stare right up until the point when the Key Stone drove itself directly into his heart.
Yami gave a scream of pain, reaching up and trying to pull the stone from where it was lodged in his chest.
"YUGI!" both Tristan and Duke cried out in shock. They rushed over to try and help their friend.
Yami pulled his hand away from his chest and noted with horror that it was covered in blood. Yami struggled to take one more breath before crashing to the ground.
Tristan knelt by him and rolled his body over. The sickly white color of his face was unnerving.
Duke and Tristan tried in vain to wake Yami as blood continued to pour out of the wound the Key Stone had created.
XxX
The first thing that Bakura became aware of was the heat on his face. What was going on?
Bakura tried to move but ended up producing a sharp pain in the back of his head. What had happened to him?
He lay still for a few more minutes, letting his memory come back to him. There was a duel in the Shadow Realm. He'd defeated Weevil Underwood. Then one of his Key Stones had stabbed him.
Upon remembering this Bakura reached his hand up to his heart. He was shocked to discover that there was no wound there. Was he dead? No. Definitely not. He had experienced death before and this wasn't it.
He slowly opened his eyes and found that he was lying by a fire. The sky overhead was dark and dotted with stars. When Bakura sat up he realized that he was back in the camp. The pain in his head was already starting to lessen. He puzzled over the situation for a long while. He'd been stabbed and he knew he wasn't dead. So where was the wound? Maybe he should just take a break and let Ryou have his body back.
Bakura began to withdraw into his soul room. But something strange happened. For the first time in a good long while, he realized that he was alone in his own mind. He couldn't feel Ryou's presence. His spirit was no longer there. Was it Ryou that had died instead of him? But how could that be?
Bakura quickly climbed to his feet. When he turned back to Ryou's tent he received the shock of his life. Lying on the ground right next to where he had been was another boy. A boy with pale skin and white hair. Ryou!
Bakura knelt down by his Hikari and felt for a heartbeat. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found that Ryou was alive. If Ryou died then he couldn't exist.
What was going on here? How could this have happened? He and Ryou had separate bodies!
Just then Bakura heard movement in the trees just beyond the fire. He looked up just in time to see three figures emerge from the jungle. Two of them were some of little Yugi's friends. Their names escaped him at the moment. It was the third figure that caught his attention. It was the Pharaoh…and in his arms he held an unconscious Yugi.
Bakura stood up, a look of shock plastered onto his pale face. His gaze darted back and forth between the Pharaoh and Yugi and Ryou. Yami wore the same expression of shock as he did.
"What matter of sorcery is this?" Bakura asked aloud.
XxX
