GOMEN NASAI!
i know it's been a while and i hope u didn't all think i'd given up on you...
i guess i have a commitment thing to work on...well, maybe not quite, since i WILL finish this....eventually. it's more the personal deadline thing i have to figure out how to make work....
lol :P
but anyway, here's more for everybody to enjoy, and, of course, a brief thanx to fans:
to Isis - glad u like! and wow, it does sound easy the way you put it, but sorry to say, it won't be quite that. ;) my only hope is that i can write myself out of the hole i've dug myself into (and it does get deeper before i can start filling it in....) oh well, i've done it before...
Cettie-girl - yup, very interesting situations. and ya know, giving the evil yami a soul makes everything just so much more fun in general...
Phantom Phoenix - new reviewer! hiya! the music is an important part, but i think it's about played it's role....and the little girl will be explained eventually, but prolly not for another few chapters.
Fyredra - heartless yami does some more thinking in this chapter - how fun! and btw - the way i figure things, at least in this story, a soul is more somewhere between just what makes us human and alive, kinda like having a conscience, but the soul doesn't really talk to a person or anything. and the yamis don't have souls b/c they're just spirits, and when they died (at least in yami & bakura's case) they lost the soul. i dunno if that makes sense. i confuse myself. just figure that the soul is what separates the hikari from the yami. shrugs and it is sad, isn't it. even though ryou's practically a zombie, we can't help luvin him anyway...lol :P
SilentSilverWolf - yay! another new reviewer! go me! anyway.... thanx for the completely positive comments. and yes, i am considering writing as a possible career....(so much to chose from! aaaa!)
anyways, enough with the chit-chat and on to the story. and if i missed u're review, it's because of that one day messed up and deleted reviews - like the day after i posted or something, i dunno. anyway, read on!
Part 2 (Chapter 13) – Tension Building
"Yami!" Kali finally broke the silence. "Will you please give it up?!"
Yami clenched his fists and turned away from the wall that had, so far, endured all his magic without even a trace of damage. "Well, perhaps if you helped..." he hinted at darkly.
Kali sighed. "Far be it from me to give up. But from what I've seen, it doesn't seem that either of us will win this way."
"You may be willing to let your hikari suffer, but I need to go in after Yugi, NOW!" At the last word, Yami threw another fistful of magic at the wall in frustration, though Kali noted that it was somewhat diminished from his previous attempts.
"You won't help him by wasting your magic like this," Kali pointed out. "Calm down and maybe you'll be able to think of something better."
"Well, have you?" Yami demanded after a moment.
"Have I what?" Kali asked in surprise.
"Thought of something - because apparently that's all you've been doing to help."
Kali shook her head. "I don't have any ideas...yet." Yami scowled, and she continued. "But at least I've saved my energy. I won't be too weak to fight when danger comes."
"The danger's in there!" Yami shouted, pointing sharply at the wall beside him. "With our lights!"
"It'll find us soon enough." Kali's voice was still calm. "If I know Bakura, he's already aware of our presence."
"And Yugi and Kira are nothing but easy prey for him!"
Kali opened one eye to look at Yami. "You told me that I would die when Kira did. I'm still here." She closed both eyes again. "Have some faith, Yami. You've given enough to everybody else - now it's your turn."
"Ryou!" Yugi grabbed his long-time friend in a fierce hug. "I've found you at last!" The white-haired boy didn't reply. "Ryou?" Yugi asked hesitantly.
Kira just sighed. "It's no good, Yugi. He's not going to answer."
Yugi turned to look fearfully at her. "What...what do you mean?"
"Look at his eyes, Yugi," Kira told him.
Yugi let go and did so. When he spoke again, his voice was just a tremble. "Ryou? What's happened?"
Kira shook her head, surprising herself by feeling a sudden rush of pity for the boy that had practically been Bakura's slave.
"What's happened?" Yugi asked again, but this time, the question was directed at Kira.
Why do they always expect me to have the answers?! she grumbled silently. "Bakura must be responsible," is what she said out loud. "I think it has something to do with stealing his soul. At least, that's what it sounded like from the conversation Bakura had with that little spirit."
"Yeah," Yugi nodded in agreement. "But what does he want with Ryou's soul anyway?!"
Kira shrugged. 'Your guess is as good as mine."
"Ryou..." Yugi turned back to his friend. "It's me, Yugi. Don't you remember? All the good memories, before the Millenium Items? Don't give up on our friendship...please...I've been searching so long for you. I can't lose you now."
Kira watched in quiet as tears began to leave their marks on Yugi's cheeks. He continued speaking to Ryou, even though the other boy made no sign of recognition or response. Standing by this sad sort of reunion, Kira couldn't help the growing feeling of unease in the pit of her stomach.
"Kali." His voice was soft but firm as was the touch on her shoulder. Startled out of her thoughts, the dark spirit opened her eyes with a sudden intake of breath. Yami was giving her a wry smile. "You said you were waiting for danger to find us." He nodded to a glowing shape in front of them, only just outside the barrier. "Well, it's arrived."
Kali quickly stood up and took a defensive position next to Yami. Together, they watched as the bright blue light in front of them took on a definite shape. "It's Bakura," hissed Yami, recognizing the person inside the strong energy field. He tensed but did not make any other movements, knowing, at least, that if he tried magic now, it would just be reflected. Better to save what he had for the battle that was about to start.
As Bakura continued to materialize, he kept his eyes closed and his face expressionless, revealing nothing of the strange battle going on within his mind. Concentrate! he ordered himself fiercely. He had let the two pathtic children of light go for the time being, but they were of no concern. So why do my thoughts continually return to them?
Because they beat you, a voice answered from somewhere inside.
Bakura scowled. Its tone sounded a little too much like the one used by the child spirit that came all too often to torment him. They did not beat me! I let them live for the time!
Because you could not destroy them, the voice responded. Because their power was still greater, and you are at a loss about what to do.
Bakura clenched a fist tightly at his side, feeling the last of his power flowing into his now complete shadow form. It is only the voice of my fears. I cannot afford to be distracted...
Since when did you have fears? the voice interrupted. Did they come with your soul?
"Shut up!" Bakura shouted.
"We didn't say a thing."
Bakura looked up to see Kali giving him a strange look while the Pharaoh never let up on his expression of intense anger.
Bakura flushed slightly, realizing that he had responded to the voice by speaking aloud. But only a moment later, he was able to catch himself. And, losing the blush, Bakura's face contorted into an expression of intense rage and frustration.
Kali took all this in with a mute sort of surprise. Bakura's presence was expected, but the changing emotions took her unawares. Yami didn't seem to notice, but continued to meet Bakura's anger with his own dark glower. But she knew Bakura the best - she had worked for him after all.
And she knew that Bakura wasn't the sort to show emotion. He didn't even believe in emotions really, but accepted them all only as human weakness. True, the dark spirit would sometimes grow angry, but not like this. In a way, this strong anger that was crossing Bakura's face was a disadvantage to himself.
Normally, this dark spirit would maintain composure with taunts and over-confidence miles above the rest. That was how he intimidated and controlled. If he was ever bothered by something, he would never show that – it would give the enemy an advantage. So why was he showing all this now?
"Bakura," Yami hissed. "You will pay for all you've done."
Bakura didn't seem to hear him, but glanced from Kali to Yami and then back again. And when he spoke, it took even Yami off of his guard. "You don't have souls, do you?!"
"Wha-what?" Kali stammered. This was not what she had expected at all.
Bakura threw magic, not at the other two, but at the ground. Yami lessened the shield he had made to watch. Bakura stared for a moment as his own dark energy exploded into the shadow earth, then slowly faded away. Looking up, he shouted even louder. "That's why you couldn't get through the wall! You don't have souls!!"
"Bakura..." Kali breathed, clearly at a loss for what to do.
Luckily, Yami was still on guard, because the next blow of Bakura's magic was even more powerful and aimed for him. "Your lights got through, but not you! You're both just dark spirits - like I'm supposed to be!!!" Bakura was practically screaming at them by now, and the power that came from him was stronger than ever though out of control.
"Something's not right," Kali whispered to Yami as they formed a back-to-back defensive formation. "I've never seen him like this."
Yami frowned, "Even his power feels different somehow..." he trailed off, sensing Bakura's next attack, and shoved Kali to the ground, falling the other way so as to avoid the incoming power.
"Yeah," Kali agreed, rolling over and forcing herself to stand once again. "It reminds of something familiar, like..."
"Ryou." Yami finished, throwing a burst of his own power back in Bakura's direction.
"You won't win, Bakura!" Yami cried out, a fierce anticipation taking over him. He would defeat this evil spirit and put an end to the torture that so many had already suffered from Bakura's deeds.
"Yami! No!" Kali shouted, but it was too late. Building up his strength, Yami threw all he had in Bakura's direction, and it hit the dark spirit squarely. But Kali had seen what Yami hadn't: only a split second before Yami released the magic, Bakura let his own shield of power dissapate, and from what Kali knew, it wasn't because he was weakening.
Instead of falling back as Yami had expected him to do, Bakura stood his ground, now a look of intense concentration in his face. As the Pharaoh's power slammed into him, it melted into his already strong spirit, energizing him even further. It wasn't anywhere close to the soul energy that he got from Ryou, but it was enough to add to his own magic attacks.
To his dismay, Yami found that he couldn't stop his attack, but instead, power continued to flow between him and Bakura. The Pharaoh felt himself dragged forward onto his knees, and winced, feeling his own spirit waning. Soon, he would be no more use to any of his friends.
"Stop this!" Kali shielded her own spirit and then threw herself between Bakura and Yami. The energy drain stopped. Kali knelt beside the weakened Pharaoh and glared up at Bakura. "It won't be so easy to beat us as you think."
Bakura's expression didn't change. "Probably not," he muttered. "We're too evenly matched."
Kali started as did Yami, both unsure of why he would admit such a thing and what the meaning was behind it. Slowly, Bakura managed a grin. "So let's widen the odds..."
Inside the garden, something was happening that Yugi and Kira did not expect. Without warning, Ryou stiffly forced himself to his feet, his eyes never wavering from their vacant, forward stare. Yugi let his reminiscing trail off into silence, and backed away from his friend uneasily.
"Ryou?" Kira asked hesitantly. The boy didn't respond, but turned and began to walk.
Creepy, Kira thought to herself. He's like a machine or something, without really a mind of his own. Yugi walked over to her side in nervousness, and soon, Ryou had walked past them, never once even acknowledging their presence.
"Kira," whispered Yugi. "What's he doing?"
Kira frowned. "I think he's being controlled." She stared at the retreating figure of Ryou a moment longer, then grabbed Yugi's arm and began to follow the other boy, walking purposefully.
"Kira?" Yugi asked, dragging his feet.
She glanced down and nodded at the smaller boy with just the trace of a smile. "Trust me. If we follow him, we'll find the way out."
Yugi sighed and made himself fall in step. "I hope you're right."