DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.
AUTHOR'S NOTE 1: I'd just like to say a really big 'Thank you!' to everyone who's reviewed so far! I love hearing your views on what's happening and why.
Chapter 12: Guilty Silences
By Shadow's Mirror
For a moment, no one spoke as all eyes looked from Marik to Bakura to Isis and back again. Most of those present were shocked at the thought that the three could have had anything to do with Kaiba's erased memory. But their silence in the face of Kaiba's accusation did seem to indicate that they had guilty consciences.
Kaiba wasn't shocked. At least, not about Marik and Bakura. They had been his main suspects, after all. He glared at both of them furiously. But when he turned his glare onto Isis, it became tinged with confusion. He hadn't expected her to be involved. Marik, most definitely. Malik, most likely. But not Isis. What made him even more uncertain was the fact that she returned his glare with her usual calm gaze. He started to speak, but Malik's startled voice beat him into breaking the silence.
"Marik! You didn't! I can't believe it! How could you?" The boy jumped out of his seat and glared down at his yami, his hands on his hips and his expression one of outrage. "Honestly Marik! How could you do something like that to Kaiba…" Malik poked his darker half in the chest, "… and not even tell me about it afterwards!"
The wild-haired yami blinked up at his counterpart. "What do you mean, my light? I didn't do anything to Kaiba." He looked around, apparently noticing the looks he was getting for the first time. "Why is everyone staring at me?"
It was Malik's turn to blink. "Marik… didn't you erase Kaiba's memory about the cards?"
Marik shook his head immediately. "No. I can't do that. I can control people's minds, and I can make them think the way I want them to think, but I can't erase their memories. The Rod doesn't have that kind of power."
Joey groaned. "So how come you didn't say anything then?" At Marik's look of confusion, he elaborated. "When Kaiba accused us all, most of us," he glanced at Bakura and Isis, "spoke up in our defense. How come you didn't?"
Marik blinked at him. "Oh. Was I supposed to?"
Duke and Tristan's snickers interrupted the stunned silence. "Um, Kaiba, I think we can rule Marik out on this one," Duke offered, in between bouts of laughter.
Kaiba sighed. "I'm inclined to agree," he muttered, shooting the yami in question an irritated look.
"Well you can rule Bakura out too! He did not do it." Everyone turned to look at Ryou in surprise. Most of them had never heard him sound so determined before. Or so annoyed.
"Ryou…" Joey trailed off, shifting uncomfortably as his attempt to soothe his friend's ruffled temper was met with an impatient shake of the normally mild-mannered light's head.
"I am sorry, Joey. But I just know that Bakura did not do this." Ryou turned to Kaiba, meeting the mildly surprised sapphire gaze without flinching. "You said this happened not long after the end of Duelist Kingdom, correct?"
Kaiba nodded slowly. "Yes. About a month after."
Ryou lowered his head, staring at the floor. "After Duelist Kingdom, Bakura kept to his soul room for several months. He was making plans to steal the Millennium Puzzle and to locate the remaining Millennium Items. He did not take over my body during that time. It was too risky for him. If Yami had learned of his return from the Shadow Realm… Bakura knew he would lose any advantage he had. He was hoping to catch Yami off-guard."
Ryou raised his head again, his cheeks flushed at the admission of his yami's wicked scheming. "I may not have known what Bakura did when he took over my body, back then, but I always knew when he took control. There was always a blank space in my memory afterwards. It is true that the Millennium Ring possesses the power to erase memory. However, Bakura could not have used it on you without being there, Seto. I know he was not. Therefore, he could not have done this."
For a long moment, Seto Kaiba thoughtfully studied Ryou's determined expression. The certainty in the boy's chocolate eyes left no doubt as to his feelings on the matter. He knew his yami was innocent. Kaiba sighed and nodded curtly. "Very well."
Everyone except Ryou blinked. Joey almost fell off the arm of the couch, where he was perched. He stared at Kaiba in shock. "What the… You mean you're just gonna take his word for it? Just like that? No questions asked? Man Kaiba… that ain't like you! What happened to your usual paranoia?"
Kaiba glared at Joey. "I happen to believe him. I know he isn't stupid enough to lie to me."
Ryou smiled faintly. "Thank you... I think."
Joey shook his head and glanced at Ryou. "I'm sorry, Ryou. It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that… I don't trust Bakura. I mean, maybe he did his body-snatching routine while you were asleep or something, so you wouldn't have noticed. I'm not saying he did what Kaiba reckons someone did, but…"
Joey turned his attention to Bakura, directing the rest of his words to him. "You've been awful quiet over there. It's not like you to let Ryou do the talking. I figure that means you know something about all this." Joey wasn't the only one looking at Bakura now. All eyes were on him.
"Yes and no." Bakura shrugged. Oddly enough, he didn't seem at all angry at Joey's veiled insults. "I did not say anything because I was thinking it over. For the record, Ryou is right. I had nothing to do with it. Also for the record," now a flash of annoyance flickered in his eyes as he glared at Joey, "I did not take over his body at all after Duelist Kingdom for at least three months." Ryou smiled slightly.
Joey settled back in his seat. "Okay. So if you didn't do it, what were you thinking about?"
Bakura leaned forward, his expression changing from mildly annoyed to more serious than anyone had seen him when he hadn't been dueling or sending someone to the Shadow Realm. "I know all of the items. I tried to steal them millennia ago. I did my research first. I know what each one is capable of doing. They can all affect minds and souls to varying levels, but the Millennium Ring is the only one capable of erasing memory. And it does not work in quite the way you described," he added, looking at Kaiba. "There is a flash of light, sometimes. But once the memories are gone, that's it. There might be some lingering traces, but they cannot just return if something happens to remind you of them."
Yami spoke up before Kaiba could respond. "Bakura, how can you be so certain that none of the other Millennium Items are capable of such a thing? Not even I know the full extent of the Puzzle's powers."
For once, Bakura didn't sneer at a question from the mighty Pharaoh. "The Millennium Items can all do a lot of things, but each one has only one or two specialties. I don't know everything that every Item can do. But I do know the main powers of all seven. I also know what it takes to erase a memory. We're taking power. A lot of it. Kaiba's memory loss… If it was caused by a Millennium Item, then the Ring is the only one with the power to do it."
Kaiba scowled at him. "Do you seriously expect me to believe that it wasn't one of these infernal things that stole my memory? What else could it have been? It's hardly the first time they've caused trouble."
He turned his attention onto the other one who had remained silent during the earlier protestations of innocence. "How about you? I suppose you're going to say that you know nothing about this either!" If looks could burn, his sapphire glare would have set the entire game store on fire.
Isis looked Kaiba directly in the eyes and silently shook her head. "No, I cannot say that. For it is not true."
"Sister!" Malik stared at her in shock. "You don't mean you… How? Why? I can't believe it. I can't believe you didn't tell me! All this time and you never said a word!" He pouted at his older sister as he moved to stand in front of her. "And what about all those lectures you gave me and Marik about being good and behaving ourselves? We thought you meant them! And all the time you'd done something like this!" Malik continued to frown and pout at her as his yami joined him.
"We're so proud of you!" Marik grinned happily as he suddenly moved forward, perching on the arm of Isis's armchair as he hugged her enthusiastically.
Kaiba cleared his throat, his sapphire glare promising severe retribution to anyone who dared to annoy him at that particular point in time. Marik ignored him and continued to hug Isis happily. Isis patted his arm. "Marik. Stop now." The yami obeyed, looking confused.
"Sister Isis?" Marik frowned as he studied her. Then he sighed. "Aww… You didn't do it."
"Huh?" Malik bent down and stared into his sister's face. He sighed too as he straightened up again. "Yeah. You're right. She didn't. She doesn't have that guilty look she gets whenever she does something wrong." Malik looked around at the others and shrugged. "She doesn't get it often, but I have seen it. Like the time she ate the last chocolate chip cookie."
Marik pouted and nodded. "That cookie was supposed to be mine."
Isis gently patted his hand. "I did get some more cookies that afternoon, remember?"
Marik smiled slightly. "Oh. Yeah. You did. They were good too!"
Kaiba cleared his throat again. "Ishtar… Explain. Now." His low growl made both Malik and Marik's attention snap to him.
"Don't speak to Sister Isis like that!" Marik jumped to his feet, glowering at the CEO just as furiously as Kaiba was glaring at Isis. The angry yami's hand began to move towards his back pocket. Isis's eyes widened slightly.
"Marik! No!" Reaching out, she caught Marik's hand and tugged it. "Please, Marik. Sit down. Kaiba meant no insult."
"Yeah. He's just being his usual rude and arrogant self." Joey shot an irritated look at Kaiba. They all knew better than to insult Isis. Especially when her brother and his not-quite-sane yami were around.
Marik reluctantly sat down on the arm of the chair again, although he kept his narrowed eyes locked on Kaiba.
Kaiba nodded slightly at Isis. Apparently he realised that she had probably just saved his soul from an impromptu trip to the Shadow Realm. "I meant no insult," he agreed quietly. His gaze locked with hers. "All I want is a straight answer."
Isis nodded back. "At the time in question, I was in Egypt. However, I believe I saw the moment of the… attack on you."
"One of your visions, Isis?" Yugi asked quietly. Isis nodded, smiling at him.
"Yes. Although, I do not believe it was a premonition. It felt as though I were watching it as it occurred." Isis looked around at the group. "I saw a young man leaning over a computer terminal. Of course, at the time, I did not know who he was. He made an exclamation of great annoyance and then there was a flash of light. When the light faded, I noticed that the young man no longer looked annoyed, merely a little confused. Then the vision ended." She turned to Kaiba. "So, although I was not directly involved in what happened, I cannot say that I knew nothing of it."
Kaiba sighed and closed his eyes, his hand rising to pinch the bridge of his nose, as though he had a headache. "Sometimes, it is possible to take things too literally," he muttered, not quite loudly enough for her brother and his overprotective yami to hear.
Joey frowned. "So… that leaves us back where we started, right? Except, if it wasn't a Millennium Item, what else could have done something like this?" A murmur of agreement filled the room.
Bakura sighed. "There is… one other possibility. You don't need an Item to be able to use Shadow Magic. You said this all started because of a card. Well, I learned something about the cards too, not long ago. I have a feeling it fits in somehow. So I guess there's only thing to do."
"And what might that be?" Kaiba crossed his arms, eyeing Bakura warily.
Bakura smirked and took his deck from his pocket. He drew the top card and held it up. "We're going to ask someone who knows all about the Shadow Magic."
As he spoke, the card in his hand began to glow. The air in front of him shimmered.