Gema's Personal Disclaimer: I'm putting this in front of every chapter I write, so no one can miss it.
First, the obvious, I don't own anything trademarked or copyrighted.
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Now, most of you aren't the problem, but this is for the few that are. This might come across as crabby, and I'm not really like this, but I've been pushed to my limit because of certain reviews.
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AU/ Thank you Ryumasa for helping me pass the writer's block on this chapter.
Shaylana was walking quietly down the hall, back to where Shayla's room was. It was getting late, about midnight. Only the occasional moonbeams filtered through the round windows, leaving the entire corridor to be lit by the long florescent lights. Despite these, there seemed to be a lot of shadows. Though, perhaps that was merely because Shaylana was wearing Shayla's sunglasses.
Everyone else had already retired for the night. The entire ship was silent, as if it was holding its breath. The only sound was the faint hum of the motors, deep below her. Shaylana hardly noticed this. Thoughts were turning over and over in her head, causing her to walk in a stupor. So many things had happened today, and these things would open the door for a series of events she could not fathom. But mainly, her thoughts were on Seto…and then on how she was going to break everything to Shayla.
She had just turned a corner when a faint sound stopped her short. It was such a small noise that she was surprised she even heard it in the first place. It was the sound of someone walking on the thick carpet, right behind her. She stiffened, listening carefully. Shaylana had no reason to be wary, but some sort of sixth sense was telling her to be, regardless. The footsteps got closer and closer…then she heard them turn off, down a staircase she had passed.
Shaylana then dared to peek her head around the corner. The person was gone down the stairwell. All she saw was a quick flash of white. That was not enough for her to tell who it was. For a moment she stood there, hesitating. She knew she shouldn't be bothered by that person, but curiosity was nagging at her to do more. Though she remembered her last bout with curiosity—it had gotten her killed.
Nonetheless, Shaylana felt herself step away from the wall and walk towards the stairwell. She tried to set her feet down gently, so they made no noise at all—though the thick carpet helped greatly. She lightly stepped onto the next level down and quickly looked both ways for the person she was following. That person was nowhere to be seen. However, she thought she heard footsteps to the right. Shaylana took the gamble and started down the hall towards where she thought she heard the sound come from.
At the end of the hall, it branched right again. Shaylana went down it, and stopped suddenly, surprised. There was only one, small steel door down this hall, nothing else. She double checked, and there was still nothing. Shaylana put a hand on the door and paused again, wondering if she should bother to continue. She had no idea why she should continue. Nonetheless, sheer curiosity caused her to open the door.
She then saw who she was following; Bakura. Shaylana carefully shut the door behind herself, taking extra care that it didn't make a single noise. He had not yet noticed her presence behind him. She could tell he was very focused on whatever it was that he was planning. She could feel her Millennial Scales reacting to a great darkness in Shayla's backpack.
"This…there is no way that he can be the same person Shayla remembers," thought Shaylana with a small gasp. "The darkness…it's coming from the Millennial Ring! I must do something, I sense evil is happening." She watched as Bakura—no, not Bakura, Yami Bakura—walked further down the hallway. She sized up everything present, trying to tie it all together for a definite plan.
One quickly formed. Shaylana set the backpack down in front of her and pulled out the scales. She then calmed her mind and focused on the powers within them. A dark vortex grew, starting between them and quickly engulfing them.
Yami Bakura whirled around, his eyes blazing. They looked on the figure before him. She did not meet the gaze, since her eyes were closed behind the sunglasses. The Eye of Horus flickered on her forehead. The walls of the lower blimp were fading, leaving nothing but a row of doors on either side. But space seemed warped, making it look like the doors were surrounding them in a perfect circle. The floor and ceiling vanished too, making it look like they were floating in darkness.
"A Shadow Game!" gasped Yami Bakura. "What is the meaning of this!"
"I know you're planning something to harm the others," asked Shaylana, with much more confidence than she felt. She also tried to hide the strain she was feeling. She had never used the scales so strongly before. "I won't let you."
Yami Bakura took a few steps toward her. Shaylana eased back on her left foot, but tried not to back down any more. "You don't stand a chance against me, blind fool," he growled.
Shaylana pulled off the sunglasses. Yami Bakura gasped, realizing she could see. It caught him off guard, and gave the first hints that he had been under-estimating his opponent.
"Who are you!" he demanded.
Shaylana paused a moment before she answered, "The spirit of the scales." Yami Bakura's eyed her up. "Much like you're the spirit of the ring. I can sense that much."
"The spirit of the scales in a girl? What sort of trickery is this? She cannot possibly know who she's dealing with!" Yami Bakura thought, fuming. "I'll destroy you like I did any other bearer who dared oppose me!" He placed his hands around the Millennial Ring.
"The rules of this game are already established, you cannot change them," replied Shaylana, one noticeable waver breaking her tone.
"Then what are they?" he growled, crossing his arms, eyeing her up, asserting her weakness.
"The doors," she answered. "We both enter one. Behind each door is part of our mind, our personality. Its simply a matter of overcoming or being overcome by the hidden parts of your heart."
"What foolish nonsense!" shouted Yami Bakura. "You make a mockery of the true power of the Millennial Items!" He calmed a moment. "Though perhaps I should be grateful. This pathetic game will make it easy for me to take your Millennial Item!"
Their brown eyes locked for a moment, and Shaylana was the first to waver. Yami Bakura laughed.
"You're the thief they talked about…" she said, softly.
"Correct," Yami Bakura smirked. "Once I deal with you, I'll get the pharaoh. He's got three Millennial Items in his grasp—the perfect target!" He smirked again, more evilly this time, and gestured to where the points on his ring were pointing. "But once I lock you in the darkness, I'll have three as well. The fool won't stand a chance!"
Shaylana lowered her head, looking at where the ground should be. She talked softly, but with confidence hidden deep down. "That is why I cannot let you. I cannot let you hurt whoever you want while I have strength to stop you—that is also a form of justice."
"Shut-up, fool," grumbled Yami Bakura. "Let's finish this game so I can claim the power of the Millennial Scales."
Shaylana said nothing in response. She just finished with the power of the scales. Now, faint sounds could be heard coming from the doors. They were voices, people talking, all just barely unidentifiable. But it was clear the voices sounded familiar. Yami Bakura seemed a bit taken back, and his eyes shot from door to door, trying to make sense of what he was hearing.
"Like I said before, our memories, fears, dreams, and subconscious thoughts are behind those doors," answered Shaylana. "Choose well, so you won't be destroyed by them."
"What are you trying to pull here?" asked Yami Bakura, steel lacing his tone.
"Do you deceive yourself? Can you trust what you hear is the same as what's behind the door?" asked Shaylana. "Do you fear the things you love, do you seek the things you fear?"
Yami Bakura's eye twitched slightly, clearly becoming irritated by Shaylana. He would have easily killed her, had he not been surrounded by her Shadow Game. Those were consequences he wished to avoid.
"Let's choose then," said Shaylana. She closed her eyes and began to listen carefully, trying to separate the chorus of voices surrounding them into distinctive speakers.
Yami Bakura, however, kept his gaze on her, still figuring her out. He hardly seemed to care about all the noises coming from nearby doors. Shaylana looked up and their eyes locked. The malice in his glare once more caused Shaylana to shift and look at the ground. He held his glare a moment longer, before wordlessly walking to the nearest door and opening it.
Shaylana too, had selected a door. She walked to the second door on her right and pushed it open, not giving room or time for second thoughts.
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Seto Kaiba was up late again, typing up the paper work for the tournament. Mokuba was already asleep on the couch in the room. It was dark for that reason, the only light coming from the computer screen and the stars. However, for once his mind was not 100 on his work. It kept drifting back to Shayla.
Without warning he felt himself jump to his feet, slamming both hands onto the desk. "Shaylana's in trouble!" he gasped.
Kaiba shook his head, trying to clear it, wondering where this strange action came from. The only answer was a wave of blackness.
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The voices clarified themselves the moment the door shut behind Shaylana. They were voices she had not once forgotten; her family. Hearing them again brought tears to her eyes. She searched the shadows, seeking any sign of their faces. However, her entire body froze up when she realized what they were saying to her.
"How dare you betray us?"
"You are an Israelite, you have shamed us!"
"How dare you even consider an Egyptian!"
"You are no longer one of us!"
Shaylana's eyes went wide and she felt as if air would not leave her lungs. Fingers of ice wrapped around her heart, stopping it cold.
"It's…not like that!" pleaded Shaylana, choking on her words. "I…love Seto…But I would never do anything against you guys!"
"How could you fall for a pagan!"
"You knew better, and you still betrayed us!"
"Get out of our sight!"
"Please! I beg you, don't leave me!" sobbed Shaylana as she slid to her knees. Tears weld up in her eyes, blurring her vision. What was worse was the silence that followed—and the feeling of abandonment. "I'm s-so s-sorry…"
The shadows grew darker, threatening to engulf her. It hardly seemed to matter. Nothing had been more important to Shaylana than her family, which is why it hurt so much to lose them. She could never imagine anything worse than her family abandoning her—and she truly feared that.
She about fell face forward, but a strong pair of arms caught her. They held her close and steady. A new, yet familiar voice, spoke to her. But it was quiet. So quiet it was almost in the back of her mind.
"Do not fear, know that no matter what choice you made, we would never hurt you."
"You're our sister and you will always be."
"Even if you did make a mistake, we would forgive you. We would never abandon you."
"We'll always protect you, little sister."
Shaylana saw eight forms through a veil of tears…then, overwhelming darkness.
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Yami set bolt upright on his bed. Yu-Gi was still asleep. But Yami had sensed something powerful at work. He could not tell what that was, but something dark was going on. His eyes went wide when it occurred to him what that something might be.
"It's a Shadow Game!" he gasped. He leapt to the floor in his bare feet and hurried to the hall, not caring that he was still in his PJs.
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Seto entered the lower hallway on the blimp. The outer rim of the Shadow Realm was what greeted him.
"What! A Shadow Game! Here!" he gasped. "Shaylana!"
His timing was near perfect, because the moment those words left his lips, the Shadow Realm dissipated. Seto was shocked by what he saw. Both Shaylana and Bakura were passed out in the middle of the hall. Though they showed no physical signs of damage, there was clearly more that had happened.
"Shaylana! Shaylana!" he called, running to her and cradling her in his arms. "Please open your eyes!" She groaned slightly, but other than that did not stir.
Seto's head bobbed up when he heard footsteps quickly approaching. With a reluctant sigh he let go of his control on Kaiba and sunk back within his mind. Yami rounded the corner, noticing Bakura and Shayla still unconscious on the ground, and Kaiba wavering, looking like he was fighting off a migraine.
"What happened here!" demanded Yami.
Kaiba shook his head again, trying to clear it, and glared at Yami. "I could ask the same thing."
Yami responded to the glare with one of his own and walked over to Bakura. He bent down on one knee and checked on him. "I know I sensed a Shadow Game, but the Millennial Ring is no where in sight…"
"Kuruelna…" Bakura said, softly, on an exhale.
"Shayla…are you okay?" Kaiba asked her, gentle.
Shayla moaned softly, "Rudy?" Kaiba pulled back slightly in surprise.
"Bakura?" called Yami.
"Oh…my head…" groaned Bakura with his British accent as he slowly sat up. "Huh? How did I get here? …and where is here?"
"Do you know what happened, Bakura?" asked Yami. Bakura looked up at him totally perplexed.
"What…happened…?" asked Shayla, coming to her senses as well.
"Shayla, are you okay?" asked Kaiba.
"Fine…I think…" she muttered as he helped her to her feet.
"What was that about Rudy?" he asked, icily.
"Rudy?" asked Shayla, sounding a bit confused. "I thought he was here…but I think I was dreaming.
"She's dreaming of this guy!" thought Kaiba. "I see…"
"Kaiba, do you have any clue as to what happened here?" asked Yami, Bakura standing beside him.
"No, I don't, Yu-Gi," Kaiba snapped back.
"Kaiba, please, let's not fight," pleaded Shayla. "I don't feel so well."
"Then I'll help you back to your room," said Kaiba, taking her hand. The two left, Shayla heavily leaning on Kaiba as she was still disoriented. Yami and Bakura watched them, before leaving the other direction.