The Queen Of Illusions
Chapter Two:
A coy smile played across Bakura's pale lips. Relax Anzu... This will only take a minute, he whispered, menace leaking into his voice. Anzu wiggled in the dining room chair, squirming about in a futile effort to peak around the bandanna tied about her eyes to block her sight.
What's the surprise already? she whispered back, anxious and ignorant to the spirit possessing her friend. Although in reality she was fighting back a looming feeling of dread, she managed to keep it under control enough to ignore it.
Oh, a wonderful gift, Anzu-chan. And it's just for you, he whispered back, fingering his Sennen Ring. Anzu giggled naively.
Hurry up then! she insisted playfully, glancing up in the direction of his voice. Bakura's dark smile widened.
As you wish, he replied softly, and a dim glow radiated from the item in his hand.
Anzu shrieked as a great pain tore through her mind, and she clutched hard the sides of the chair till her knuckles turned white. Shadows and spirits of evil entities, lost souls left to be devoured by the void, raced through her being, only to emerge through the other side, creating a never-ending loop that only gained in speed. Bakura laughed coldly as she hollered, and the kitchen lights flickered in protest to the magical energies.
Now, Artemesia, take your host and be my slave! he shouted to the shadows, who writhed in protest. And begone you useless demons! he cried at the other shadows, who reluctantly flew back into the portal created by his Ring. He grinned evilly as Anzu let out a final shriek and slumped over. The kitchen looked like it had been quickly ransacked, and the light still flickered, though less enthusiastically now as it hung down a few inches by a series of loose wires.
Careful now, he said quietly as he caught the beautiful girl by her shoulders before she fell to the floor. We wouldn't want you damaging Artemesia, the thief spirit added, positioning her to look at her face. Now unconscious she seemed rather serene; almost pretty she was. With a curious hand, he untied the blindfold, letting it slip to the floor, and held open one of her eyes to inspect it.
Instead of Ice-blue as Anzu Mazaki's eyes normally looked, this one had a rim of deep purple around the iris, and it darted back and forth, unfocused but frantic as though in the state of REM sleep. Her lip trembled as though she wished to speak, and though her body was limp, her fingers kept twitching as though grasping for something. Bakura considered her carefully, trying to determine if he'd been successful in his ploy.
Well, no use in merely waiting around like this, hm? he told himself softly, and relinquished control to his other.
Ryou Bakura let out a soft gasp as he came to, and glanced around the kitchen quickly, fearing what his dark may have done this time. With well contained fear, he slowly lowered his head to look at the girl lying helpless in his arms. Anzu's breath grew rapid in her unconscious state, and Ryou pursed his lips in thought. She appeared ill. What had the spirit done to her? With a resigned sigh, he lifted her up, encountering a minimum degree of difficulty, and brought the unconscious dancer to his bed to lie down.
Over the night, Anzu's condition worsened, even with Ryou hovering over her like a guardian angel, fussing over her every five minutes. By dawn Ryou reluctantly called 911, in a bit of a state as she'd recently stopped breathing completely. It would appear that something was wrecking havoc in her body and mind. What it was could only be speculated.
The ambulance arrived in a flurry of flashing lights and wailing sirens, troops marching military style up through the apartment to relieve Ryou of his station performing an awkward, amateur version of CPR. After a little less than a minute they managed to get her breathing again, though uneasily, and loaded her into the ambulance. Ryou was at a loss as to her parents' number, so he rode along in the ambulance, racked with hidden guilt, as machines buzzed, beeped and whirred to keep her sustained.
Pacing in the waiting room at two in the morning, he debated whether or not it would do any good to call Yugi or the others. Indeed, he could use the support of his friends, but in fear that he'd somehow caused it, Ryou wasn't exactly sure he'd be able to bear the guilt.
Ryou Bakura managed to fall asleep on one of their benches at about three. At four-thirty one of the nurses shook him awake and told him his friend's status had stabilized and offered him a ride home. He declined, rubbing his tongue against the roof of his mouth in a vain effort to get rid of the taste of medicine flavored hospital air. The nurse grudgingly left him alone to rest uneasily for another two hours before, with sleepy indifference, he pulled himself up and over to the pay-phone, slipping in fifty-zenny and quickly dialling Yugi's number.
Ryou responded tiredly, failing to suppress a yawn. I, I'm calling for Yugi please Mr. Motou. May I speak with him? he asked in a sleepy voice.
Yes, just a moment please, Sogoruko replied in a slightly more awake voice from the other side of the line. There was a long pause before Yugi's equally tired voice buzzed in.
he asked in an innocent tone. Bakura cast a distant and unseeing glance about the waiting room at some of the other occupants. For a split second, he thought he saw someone familiar from across the crowd, but they vanished in an instant behind a passer-by.
Yes, Yugi? It's me, Bakura. I'm in the Domino Hospital waiting room, the boy began in a meek voice. Yugi seemed to instantly snap out of his sleepy daze.
Emergency room? What's happened? he asked hurriedly. Ryou cast his gaze about the room again, searching out the figure. It had been a girl, whose name he couldn't quite place, but he knew he'd been looking for her earlier. Perhaps she'd played a role in his hazy dreams that predawn?
Well, I was at my apartment with Anzu the other night, and she passed out. She seemed to be having trouble breathing. She's stable now, but they're going to be watching her all day, especially if she doesn't wake up soon. She's been out for about, twelve hours now and they're starting to get rather worried, he explained calmly. He heard Yugi draw a sharp breath, and silently prayed he didn't think it was his fault. Yugi knew quite well about Ryou's dark and the insistent streak he had for trouble making.
Oh, Anzu. Do you think I should come and see her? Yugi said quickly. Ryou shook his head, despite the fact that there was no way the king of games could see him.
No. They're not letting her have any visitors for another while now, and we've still got school today, so I'm going to need you to take notes for me. Oh, and call the others, and her parents, because we couldn't find her number anywhere, Ryou told him. There was an instant of apprehensive silence from the other duellist before he spoke again.
'kay Bakura. You take care of her, and yourself. G'bye, he said in a resigned tone. Ryou sighed, both relieved and distraught.
Mm-hm. Good bye Yugi, he said, voice defeated, and carefully hung the phone back up in it's cradle. This was already looking to be a very long day.
