Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh or TBAA. But if the owners would like to hand it over to me, I will accept it gladly.
Author's Notes: Hi all! Have you all recovered from the last chappie yet? Some of you guessed what that was. So now that I have traumatized you all, we can get on with the ficcie. A special thank you goes to my beta-reader, Hyatt Insomnia!
Warnings: Mild violence and language, so far.
To Steal, Kill, and DestroyChapter Twelve: Shadow Games
"AHH!" Yugi awoke with a start. Panting, he looked wildly around his room. Yami appeared next to his bed in his false form. "Yugi," he began as he stretched his arms out to him.
Yugi involuntarily jumped at the sight of the Pharaoh. He scooted over on the bed, away from Yami.
Yami stopped moving forward when he saw Yugi's reaction to him. "Yugi…aibou," he said gently. "It was a dream. Just a horrible nightmare, that's all. It wasn't real." From inside the Puzzle, Yami had watched the horror unfold before him as well. He found himself unable to stop it. He didn't know what had brought it on, but he knew some sort of evil force was behind it.
"But it could happen. It could have been real," a female voice said. Yami looked up to find Monique standing on the opposite side of Yugi's bed. "You," he hissed and narrowed his eyes.
Monique just smiled and sat down on the bed beside Yugi. "It could happen. Are you willing to take that chance?"
Yami's crimson eyes blazed with anger. He knew she was somehow the one behind Yugi's nightmare. How dare she torture his lighter half!! He clenched his fists. "Leave here now or I'll send you to the Shadow Realm where you belong!"
"Y-yami?" Yugi whispered in a frightened voice.
Monique's smile became wider. "You see? Even now, it starts."
"BE QUIET!!"
"AAHH!" Yugi covered his ears with his hands and squeezed his eyes shut. He pulled his knees up to his chest.
Monique couldn't help but chuckle. "You see? He yells at you…just as he did in your dream."
Yami growled. "I was speaking to you, not Yugi. Do you honestly think that he will believe you?"
"He's unstable. You can't trust him." Monique whispered in Yugi's ear.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!!"
"AAAHHH!" Yugi jumped.
A knock came on the door. "Yugi? Are you alright?" Solomon stuck his head in the doorway.
The spiky haired teen managed a fake smile. 'I…I'm f-fine, Grandpa. J-just had a b-bad dream."
"Well…if you're sure you're okay…."
"Yes, I'm fine." Yugi forced his voice to be steady. He didn't want his Grandpa to be in danger.
"All right, then. Hurry or you'll be late for school."
"Yes, Grandpa." After Solomon had closed the door, Yugi breathed a sigh of relief. He looked cautiously up at his Yami, fear mixed with sadness evident in his eyes.
As his darker half looked at him, he began to realize something. "He can't see you…can he?"
Monique whispered once again in Yugi's ear. "What if he had hurt your Grandfather just now? Do you want to take that chance?"
"Yugi…you must listen to me. I know that you cannot see her but believe me: there is another presence in this room. Monique is here."
"M-monique?"
"Yes, Yugi. Monique is here. She is the one who gave you that nightmare."
The evil woman chuckled. "He would say anything to protect himself. He's lying."
"Don't listen to her, aibou!"
"You don't see anyone else but the Pharaoh. How do you know if what he says is true? Can your really trust anything he says?"
"He can certainly trust me more than he can trust you."
"Aahh! I'm so confused!" Yugi cried, putting his hands over his ears once more. Suddenly, he jumped off the bed. "I have to get ready for school!!" He scampered over to the bathroom.
Yami glared at Monique. The Puzzle began to glow in his anger. "You will pay for what you have done." He held out his hand and sent her a blast of Shadow Magic. Monique simply faked a yawn as the Magic bounced off of an invisible wall right back at Yami. He grunted as he was knocked into the wall by his own blast and fell to the floor. "Sorry, Pharaoh, but your parlor tricks don't work on me."
Yami sat up and looked at her with wide eyes. That had never happened to him before! "Who are you? What are you?"
She chuckled once more. "Come now, Pharaoh…can't you guess?"
Yami slowly stood up. "You're definitely not human."
"Hmm…well, you're on the right track. Come on, Pharaoh…you can do it."
Yami stared at her with wide eyes. What exactly were they up against?
"I'll give you a hint…what is the opposite of an angel?"
"A demon," the Game King whispered.
She smiled broadly. "Well, give that ancient Egyptian spirit a prize! Yes, I am a demon, she-devil, not-so-nice thing, hateful hottie…. do you like that one? I made it up myself."
He growled at her. "You're a despicable creature."
She smiled broadly. "Why, thank you! I consider that quite a high compliment, especially coming from you, Pharaoh."
"You won't succeed with whatever evil plans you have in mind. I will personally make sure of that."
Monique laughed heartily. "Really, Pharaoh? And what do you plan to do to stop me? Challenge me to a duel?"
Yami crossed his arms and glared at her. "If that is what it takes to get rid of you. I will be more than happy to duel you. Name the time and place."
She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Pharaoh, do you really think I'm that stupid? Thank you, but I'm having way too much fun playing my own game."
"And what game would that be?"
"Watch and weep, my dear Pharaoh. Watch and weep."
"You won't get away with this."
Yugi came back into his bedroom, fully clothed and ready for school. He gave a frightened, cautious look to his Yami, who still looked very angry. The small teen silently went to his backpack and picked it up. He walked over to his bed, where his Puzzle was hanging from the bedpost. He hesitantly grasped it in his hands.
"You don't want to take the Puzzle with you, Yugi," the evil she-devil advised, "After all, you don't want all that happened in your dream to happen in real life…do you?"
"Don't listen to her, aibou."
"Who?" Yugi asked softly.
"Monique. I know you can't see her, but somehow you can hear her. She's dangerous, Yugi. Don't listen to anything she has to say."
"Ah, yes, the Pharaoh would say anything to protect himself. How do you know there's anyone else here? You can't see anyone."
Yugi bit his lower lip thoughtfully. "But, Yami…I don't see anyone else here but you and I."
"I know, Yugi. You'll have to trust me on this."
"Do you really want to run that risk? You've been wrong before. What if you're wrong now? Do you want all your friends to die? And your grandfather as well?"
"She's lying, aibou. Don't listen to her."
Poor Yugi was so confused. He wanted to believe in Yami…but was it worth putting his friends' lives in danger if he was wrong? There had been so many times he had been willing to trust someone, only to be let down in the end. Still, he always wanted to believe the best of everyone. But the lives of his grandfather and friends hung in the balance. He slowly walked over to his dresser and pulled out the golden box the Puzzle had come in.
Yami's eyes widened. "Yugi…"
"We…we'll talk about it later…when I get home from school," he wiped a tear that had started to fall from his eye, "I have to go now or I'll be late!" The tri-colored boy quickly placed the Puzzle in the box and closed it. He quickly dashed out the door, slamming it behind him.
"Yugi, wait!" Yami tried to go after him, but found that he could not go through the door as he usually did in his false form. He then tried opening the door and found that it was locked. The Game King pulled angrily at the knob, but it wouldn't budge. He whirled around to face the she-devil. "Let me out of here at once!"
Monique simply smiled and walked over to the Millennium Puzzle's box. "I don't think so, Pharaoh." She casually opened the box and took out the Puzzle.
"That doesn't belong to you!" He tried to reach out and grab her, but his hands went right through her.
She chuckled. "Oh, I've never let little details like that stop me before. So, what you think, Pharaoh? Am I good at my game or am I good at my game?"
Yami growled at her with his fists clenched. "I won't let you get away with this! I will find a way to defeat you!"
"Yes, yes, I've heard that all before. Now, why don't you be a good little Pharaoh, and get back in the Puzzle, hm?"
The crimson-eyed spirit felt himself being drawn towards the Puzzle. He tried in vain to resist its magnetic pull. Slowly, but surely, he was pulled closer and closer until he finally disappeared into the golden upside down pyramid once more.
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Well, now you all know what Monique is.
For all you Ryou and Yami Bakura fans out there, they are coming up next! I finally got 'em in my story!
Please read and review! Arigato!