Twill: Yay! Another update! My block must finally be thinning...or
something like that. O____O Anyway, this chapter starts off in Bakura's POV
and then switches to Malik's. I'll get around to doing one in either Yugi's
or Yami's someday, just so you can have their perspective. On with the
show!
Seth: Twill does not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters, plots etc. She likes to think she does but she really doesn't
/blah/ = hikari thoughts
//blah// = yami thoughts
Yaoi between Ryou and Bakura...implied for now...You know, this might turn into a Marik/Bakura fic. Hard to say...^^; opinions are welcome
---
Patchwork Drawing: The Path Unfolds
---
How in Ra's name did I end up here? My memory was hazy and distorted; I couldn't clearly remember much. There was a boy with sun bleached hair starting at me with surprise and worry. I knew him from somewhere...but why couldn't I remember his name? I thought harder in hopes of dredging up more clues. There was another boy; he looked a lot like the first only more ominous. And someone standing next to them with wild tri-colored locks. No..there was two of them, like the others. One seemed cherub-like and the other was cold and stern. Who were they? My hands found their way to the sides of my head and pressed against my temples as if trying to squeeze out any drop of information that may be within.
"...think he's alright? He's been out for..." A voice penetrated the depths of wherever it was that I was. It seemed to be a fragment of some sort of conversation, the voice sounding familiar.
"Hard to say...dragon could have done...damage..."
"...the Dark Magician...going to rescue him...give him a body?"
"...millennium items...could take a...lot of strength...up to it?"
The voices faded back to where they had come from. Four of them, all of which were familiar in some way, all of them belonging to the faces I could remember. What were their names? Deciding that sitting here was going to get me nowhere, I stood and looked around. Something nagged at my hazy mind; I knew where I was but the name of the place wouldn't come to me. The sky and ground was pitch black and yet I could still see my own hands and other parts of my body. My hair, the pieces I could see at least, stood out like a beacon. The nagging feeling told me it wasn't safe to wander around attracting attention like this. I peered around, looking for cover, wishing I was home with those people who I seemed to know.
There was a bright flash of light in front of my eyes which blinded my vision with white instead of black. When this subsided I found myself looking up at crumbling tiles that were in bad need of repair. My mind cleared momentarily to give me one name, just one: Marik. I took advantage of this small victory and managed to mumble it to myself. I suppose it must have been a bit louder than I thought because I heard movement from somewhere off to my right...or was it left?
"You've finally woken up. That is good to see." I tensed at the sound of a foreign voice. Someone was in the same room that I was. I wasn't alone. Were they friend or foe? Enemy or ally? Preparing myself for the worst, I jerked my head to the side to confront the other occupant. My eyes were met with a sight I'd never expected to see. A man, clad in purple armor with light indigo hair was carefully regarding my movements. His cerulean eyes coolly flicked from my face to a window and what lay beyond. Something about him, like so much else, rang a bell of familiarity within my mind.
"Who...are you?" My voiced croaked out from within my throat. I discovered that my lips were chapped and most likely covered in dry blood. I rasped and coughed a few times before the man stood and fetched a small bowl of water. I gulped the cool liquid down greedily, feeling the dryness ebb away. He took the container once I was finished and returned to staring at me. "Who are you?"
"I am the Dark Magician. I'm surprised you don't recognize me, tomb robber." Nothing he said made sense. Images began to bombard my mind. I could see this man, no, mage, standing tall beside one of the two spiky- haired youths. I could see myself skulking in shadows with some sort of sack slung over my shoulders.
"Should I?" My eyes slid shut of their own will as more fractured images began to play themselves before my eyes. Strange and fantastic creatures of every imaginable shape, size, color, type...all of them seemed to appear from nowhere or simple blackness. On image in particular shone strongly- a figure of good and evil entwined to one. My eyes opened again.
"Do you know who *you* are?" The question came as a shock...but, did I?
"Of course, I'm...I'm..." This wasn't what I was expecting at all. Alright, so I couldn't remember this purple mage, or those other people I saw earlier, that wasn't anything too serious, but my own name? Something was amiss.
"You are Bakura, thief of the desert." I nodded. Something told me he wasn't lying although I wasn't sure how I knew that. "I am not sure how you came to be here, but it is my duty to get you home."
"How do you figure that?"
"Your hikari is a close friend to my Little Master, who is the hikari to Master Pharaoh and I am sworn to assist him in every way. That includes protecting his friends and anything that has to do with them. If that were not the case, I'd leave you to the mercy of Mystical Elf, who found you first." I shuddered involuntarily at that and nodded gratefully. He moved across the room to peer out a window. "Can you recollect anything?"
"All I can remember is faces and senses of familiarity and trust." I closed my eyes to get a better picture. "Two boys, both with tri-colored hair of black, blonde and red, I know I can trust them however much I might not want to. Another pair, these two with sun bleached hair and violet eyes. I feel more strongly attached to them." Opening my eyes I found him looking at me quizzically. "What?"
"You've never been this open, so I've been told."
"Am I supposed to be closed off?"
"From what I know, you usually are."
"Why?"
"Your past." Silence fell as he drifted off into thought and I decided to try and remember more. Lying back and closing my eyes once more, I tried clearing my mind of everything. After a few moments, he rose, spoke of returning soon and then departed.
I quickly opened my as, stood and followed, unwilling to be left behind. However I encountered a stationed guard just outside the door. "Let me pass, I want to accompany the Dark Magician." The other, an elf with short yellowish green hair and covered in armor, complete with a sword, shook his head.
"I'm sorry but you are to remain here for your own safety." Something within me tensed and I found myself glaring at the monster.
"I can take care of myself! There is nothing out there that either I or he couldn't face."
Shaking his head again, the elf turned back to gaze across the gloomy landscape. "He's not worried about something out there attacking you while you travel, but rather here. Dark suspects even himself."
"Then why leave me here with you? Surely you could also be suspect."
"That is true. But," he smiled sadly, "few have use for a monster without outstanding attack or defense capabilities. Thus I am a wise choice for I am unlikely to be corrupted."
"And you're more likely to be defeated by those who are." He winced subtly but I somehow managed to catch the movement. There seemed to be a lot to me that I didn't know about. "All right. I'll stay here and you can protect me, but I want something in return."
A small smile touched his lips. "Such as?"
"Information."
~*Elsewhere, Malik's POV*~
It was halfway through lunch. We were all still waiting to see or hear some sign of life from the motionless Bakura.
//He can't die, if that's what you're worrying about//
/Then why isn't he waking up?/
Marik didn't have an answer for me and silence again settled. We had discussed possibilities of using the magic of our items to try and heal Bakura or help him in whatever way possible. We'd even argued over contacting the Dark Magician and asking if he knew anything, or else giving the purple mage a body in our world like my dragon. The thought of my mistake still sent my stomach into knots. My darkness had been the one to suggest all of this but Yami wasn't convinced it would work. The only reason he would give is that 'we didn't know where the tomb robber is and we shouldn't mess around with his body until we do.'
Honestly, he has got to learn he's not Pharaoh anymore. It's almost like the puzzle is cutting off his awareness of reality.
"What about Ryou?" I snapped from my thoughts and glanced over to the shortest member of our group. Yugi was staring down at the ring on Bakura's chest.
"What about him?"
"Well, he has the ring plus he's Bakura's hikari."
"So?" Marik shook his head, not understanding what the other light was getting at. I, however, was catching onto what he was saying.
"So Ryou should be able to tell us where Bakura is, assuming he's not lying right in front of us, which he is I might add." Yami's face was impassive and cold but I knew deep inside he was bristling with irritation. Such a royal porcupine.
"But Ryou went home or something. How do we get him here to fix the problem before lunch is over?" For the guy who lifted out spirits seconds before, Yugi could sure send them crashing down again.
"Tea." We all cringed and made faces, looking at Yami as though he had just declared that Seto Kaiba was a professional ballet dancer bent on making all men part of his troop of performers.
"Care to fill us commoners in Pharaoh?"
He ignored my sassy yami and turned to look at Yugi. "Doesn't she always carry a cell phone around with her, aibou?"
"Hey, yeah, you're right." He began rummaging through a neon pink bag decorated with rainbows and unicorns. "Tea always has her cell in case some cute guy decides to call and profess his undying love to her."
"Ugh, and I thought she kept it in case of family emergencies."
"That's just what she tells people so they won't look at her with the same expressions you two are staring at me with."
"We didn't need to know that much Yugi!" Yami smirked, I had to vigorously fight the urge to wipe it off his face with a certain bag.
"Sorry." He removed his hand from the pink abyss producing a similarly colored phone covered with butterfly stickers and a large nameplate which read 'Friendship Phone.' And she expected someone to call her expressing their love? More like call to tell her that her phone service is cancelled and that they were going to hurl after hanging up.
"So who's going to call?"
"Hand it over, I will." I extended my hand expectantly. Ymai's face went from 'I was right' to 'You're going to mess this up.' Wow, such a vote of confidence. Yugi finally handed me the cell and I dialed, observing that the Pharaoh's number was programmed on speed dial one. The line rang five times before connecting.
"Hello this is the Bakura residence..."
"Hey Ryou, this is Malik-"
"Unfortunately we are unavailable to answer the phone at this time.
Please leave your name and number after the beep and we'll be sure to
get back to you as soon as possible." The recording went then
proceeded to give directions as to how to reach Ryou's father. Yami
shook his head and I just rolled my eyes at him. Marik added his two
cents with a snort towards the former Pharaoh as well.
#Beep#
"Hey Ryou, this is Malik. I guess you're not home which is a little
weird considering your yami said you left. Anyway, speaking of Bakura,
something's happened to him and-"
#Click#
"Hello."
"Ryou? I guess you're home after all."
"You said something about Bakura."
"Yeah. It's hard to explain over the phone, but we need you here as soon as possible. Definitely before the school's lunch hour is over."
"We?" Something in his voice changed but I couldn't quite place it. Whatever it was, my instincts told me to be careful. With my free hand I caught Marik's attention.
"What is it?" I shook my head and put a finger to my lips. He rolled his eyes at me.
//What?//
"Malik are you going to answer me?"
/Listen in/
//Why?//
/Just do it!/
//Fine//
"We as in Yami, Yugi, Marik and I."
"The Old King?"
//Okay have we just entered The Twilight Zone?//
/You watch too much TV/
//Only because you do!//
"Yeah, that Yami."
"I'll be there in a few minutes." He hung up. Marik and I exchanged a glance before focusing back on the other two.
"What?"
"Something is wrong with Ryou."
"What makes you say that?"
Marik zeroed in on Yami." The fact that he referred to you as 'The Old King'." Both halved of the millennium puzzle stared at us.
"This must be what the Dark Magician was talking about." Yami just lives to point out the obvious doesn't he? "We have to be prepared for anything when Ryou arrives."
I shook my head with exasperation and muttered a 'whatever'. Chucking the phone back to Yugi I began walking out of the room. "You go ahead and do that, in the meantime, I have to go sterilize my hand."
---
Twill: My, Yami was very arrogant, Yugi actually spoke and Malik had sarcastic thoughts. *shrugs* If any of you out there think is was a bit much, well, there's an explanation out there somewhere, er, there will be once I get it out of my head. ^^;
Malichi: That shall never happen! Bwahahahaha!
Twill: *kicks him off to be squished by various appliances* So, let me know your votes for a POV, or any other ideas you have (I love incorporating ideas so don't be afraid to tell me yours!). Otherwise, review, because that makes me updates extra super fast. -_-;
Seth: Twill does not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters, plots etc. She likes to think she does but she really doesn't
/blah/ = hikari thoughts
//blah// = yami thoughts
Yaoi between Ryou and Bakura...implied for now...You know, this might turn into a Marik/Bakura fic. Hard to say...^^; opinions are welcome
---
Patchwork Drawing: The Path Unfolds
---
How in Ra's name did I end up here? My memory was hazy and distorted; I couldn't clearly remember much. There was a boy with sun bleached hair starting at me with surprise and worry. I knew him from somewhere...but why couldn't I remember his name? I thought harder in hopes of dredging up more clues. There was another boy; he looked a lot like the first only more ominous. And someone standing next to them with wild tri-colored locks. No..there was two of them, like the others. One seemed cherub-like and the other was cold and stern. Who were they? My hands found their way to the sides of my head and pressed against my temples as if trying to squeeze out any drop of information that may be within.
"...think he's alright? He's been out for..." A voice penetrated the depths of wherever it was that I was. It seemed to be a fragment of some sort of conversation, the voice sounding familiar.
"Hard to say...dragon could have done...damage..."
"...the Dark Magician...going to rescue him...give him a body?"
"...millennium items...could take a...lot of strength...up to it?"
The voices faded back to where they had come from. Four of them, all of which were familiar in some way, all of them belonging to the faces I could remember. What were their names? Deciding that sitting here was going to get me nowhere, I stood and looked around. Something nagged at my hazy mind; I knew where I was but the name of the place wouldn't come to me. The sky and ground was pitch black and yet I could still see my own hands and other parts of my body. My hair, the pieces I could see at least, stood out like a beacon. The nagging feeling told me it wasn't safe to wander around attracting attention like this. I peered around, looking for cover, wishing I was home with those people who I seemed to know.
There was a bright flash of light in front of my eyes which blinded my vision with white instead of black. When this subsided I found myself looking up at crumbling tiles that were in bad need of repair. My mind cleared momentarily to give me one name, just one: Marik. I took advantage of this small victory and managed to mumble it to myself. I suppose it must have been a bit louder than I thought because I heard movement from somewhere off to my right...or was it left?
"You've finally woken up. That is good to see." I tensed at the sound of a foreign voice. Someone was in the same room that I was. I wasn't alone. Were they friend or foe? Enemy or ally? Preparing myself for the worst, I jerked my head to the side to confront the other occupant. My eyes were met with a sight I'd never expected to see. A man, clad in purple armor with light indigo hair was carefully regarding my movements. His cerulean eyes coolly flicked from my face to a window and what lay beyond. Something about him, like so much else, rang a bell of familiarity within my mind.
"Who...are you?" My voiced croaked out from within my throat. I discovered that my lips were chapped and most likely covered in dry blood. I rasped and coughed a few times before the man stood and fetched a small bowl of water. I gulped the cool liquid down greedily, feeling the dryness ebb away. He took the container once I was finished and returned to staring at me. "Who are you?"
"I am the Dark Magician. I'm surprised you don't recognize me, tomb robber." Nothing he said made sense. Images began to bombard my mind. I could see this man, no, mage, standing tall beside one of the two spiky- haired youths. I could see myself skulking in shadows with some sort of sack slung over my shoulders.
"Should I?" My eyes slid shut of their own will as more fractured images began to play themselves before my eyes. Strange and fantastic creatures of every imaginable shape, size, color, type...all of them seemed to appear from nowhere or simple blackness. On image in particular shone strongly- a figure of good and evil entwined to one. My eyes opened again.
"Do you know who *you* are?" The question came as a shock...but, did I?
"Of course, I'm...I'm..." This wasn't what I was expecting at all. Alright, so I couldn't remember this purple mage, or those other people I saw earlier, that wasn't anything too serious, but my own name? Something was amiss.
"You are Bakura, thief of the desert." I nodded. Something told me he wasn't lying although I wasn't sure how I knew that. "I am not sure how you came to be here, but it is my duty to get you home."
"How do you figure that?"
"Your hikari is a close friend to my Little Master, who is the hikari to Master Pharaoh and I am sworn to assist him in every way. That includes protecting his friends and anything that has to do with them. If that were not the case, I'd leave you to the mercy of Mystical Elf, who found you first." I shuddered involuntarily at that and nodded gratefully. He moved across the room to peer out a window. "Can you recollect anything?"
"All I can remember is faces and senses of familiarity and trust." I closed my eyes to get a better picture. "Two boys, both with tri-colored hair of black, blonde and red, I know I can trust them however much I might not want to. Another pair, these two with sun bleached hair and violet eyes. I feel more strongly attached to them." Opening my eyes I found him looking at me quizzically. "What?"
"You've never been this open, so I've been told."
"Am I supposed to be closed off?"
"From what I know, you usually are."
"Why?"
"Your past." Silence fell as he drifted off into thought and I decided to try and remember more. Lying back and closing my eyes once more, I tried clearing my mind of everything. After a few moments, he rose, spoke of returning soon and then departed.
I quickly opened my as, stood and followed, unwilling to be left behind. However I encountered a stationed guard just outside the door. "Let me pass, I want to accompany the Dark Magician." The other, an elf with short yellowish green hair and covered in armor, complete with a sword, shook his head.
"I'm sorry but you are to remain here for your own safety." Something within me tensed and I found myself glaring at the monster.
"I can take care of myself! There is nothing out there that either I or he couldn't face."
Shaking his head again, the elf turned back to gaze across the gloomy landscape. "He's not worried about something out there attacking you while you travel, but rather here. Dark suspects even himself."
"Then why leave me here with you? Surely you could also be suspect."
"That is true. But," he smiled sadly, "few have use for a monster without outstanding attack or defense capabilities. Thus I am a wise choice for I am unlikely to be corrupted."
"And you're more likely to be defeated by those who are." He winced subtly but I somehow managed to catch the movement. There seemed to be a lot to me that I didn't know about. "All right. I'll stay here and you can protect me, but I want something in return."
A small smile touched his lips. "Such as?"
"Information."
~*Elsewhere, Malik's POV*~
It was halfway through lunch. We were all still waiting to see or hear some sign of life from the motionless Bakura.
//He can't die, if that's what you're worrying about//
/Then why isn't he waking up?/
Marik didn't have an answer for me and silence again settled. We had discussed possibilities of using the magic of our items to try and heal Bakura or help him in whatever way possible. We'd even argued over contacting the Dark Magician and asking if he knew anything, or else giving the purple mage a body in our world like my dragon. The thought of my mistake still sent my stomach into knots. My darkness had been the one to suggest all of this but Yami wasn't convinced it would work. The only reason he would give is that 'we didn't know where the tomb robber is and we shouldn't mess around with his body until we do.'
Honestly, he has got to learn he's not Pharaoh anymore. It's almost like the puzzle is cutting off his awareness of reality.
"What about Ryou?" I snapped from my thoughts and glanced over to the shortest member of our group. Yugi was staring down at the ring on Bakura's chest.
"What about him?"
"Well, he has the ring plus he's Bakura's hikari."
"So?" Marik shook his head, not understanding what the other light was getting at. I, however, was catching onto what he was saying.
"So Ryou should be able to tell us where Bakura is, assuming he's not lying right in front of us, which he is I might add." Yami's face was impassive and cold but I knew deep inside he was bristling with irritation. Such a royal porcupine.
"But Ryou went home or something. How do we get him here to fix the problem before lunch is over?" For the guy who lifted out spirits seconds before, Yugi could sure send them crashing down again.
"Tea." We all cringed and made faces, looking at Yami as though he had just declared that Seto Kaiba was a professional ballet dancer bent on making all men part of his troop of performers.
"Care to fill us commoners in Pharaoh?"
He ignored my sassy yami and turned to look at Yugi. "Doesn't she always carry a cell phone around with her, aibou?"
"Hey, yeah, you're right." He began rummaging through a neon pink bag decorated with rainbows and unicorns. "Tea always has her cell in case some cute guy decides to call and profess his undying love to her."
"Ugh, and I thought she kept it in case of family emergencies."
"That's just what she tells people so they won't look at her with the same expressions you two are staring at me with."
"We didn't need to know that much Yugi!" Yami smirked, I had to vigorously fight the urge to wipe it off his face with a certain bag.
"Sorry." He removed his hand from the pink abyss producing a similarly colored phone covered with butterfly stickers and a large nameplate which read 'Friendship Phone.' And she expected someone to call her expressing their love? More like call to tell her that her phone service is cancelled and that they were going to hurl after hanging up.
"So who's going to call?"
"Hand it over, I will." I extended my hand expectantly. Ymai's face went from 'I was right' to 'You're going to mess this up.' Wow, such a vote of confidence. Yugi finally handed me the cell and I dialed, observing that the Pharaoh's number was programmed on speed dial one. The line rang five times before connecting.
"Hello this is the Bakura residence..."
"Hey Ryou, this is Malik-"
"Unfortunately we are unavailable to answer the phone at this time.
Please leave your name and number after the beep and we'll be sure to
get back to you as soon as possible." The recording went then
proceeded to give directions as to how to reach Ryou's father. Yami
shook his head and I just rolled my eyes at him. Marik added his two
cents with a snort towards the former Pharaoh as well.
#Beep#
"Hey Ryou, this is Malik. I guess you're not home which is a little
weird considering your yami said you left. Anyway, speaking of Bakura,
something's happened to him and-"
#Click#
"Hello."
"Ryou? I guess you're home after all."
"You said something about Bakura."
"Yeah. It's hard to explain over the phone, but we need you here as soon as possible. Definitely before the school's lunch hour is over."
"We?" Something in his voice changed but I couldn't quite place it. Whatever it was, my instincts told me to be careful. With my free hand I caught Marik's attention.
"What is it?" I shook my head and put a finger to my lips. He rolled his eyes at me.
//What?//
"Malik are you going to answer me?"
/Listen in/
//Why?//
/Just do it!/
//Fine//
"We as in Yami, Yugi, Marik and I."
"The Old King?"
//Okay have we just entered The Twilight Zone?//
/You watch too much TV/
//Only because you do!//
"Yeah, that Yami."
"I'll be there in a few minutes." He hung up. Marik and I exchanged a glance before focusing back on the other two.
"What?"
"Something is wrong with Ryou."
"What makes you say that?"
Marik zeroed in on Yami." The fact that he referred to you as 'The Old King'." Both halved of the millennium puzzle stared at us.
"This must be what the Dark Magician was talking about." Yami just lives to point out the obvious doesn't he? "We have to be prepared for anything when Ryou arrives."
I shook my head with exasperation and muttered a 'whatever'. Chucking the phone back to Yugi I began walking out of the room. "You go ahead and do that, in the meantime, I have to go sterilize my hand."
---
Twill: My, Yami was very arrogant, Yugi actually spoke and Malik had sarcastic thoughts. *shrugs* If any of you out there think is was a bit much, well, there's an explanation out there somewhere, er, there will be once I get it out of my head. ^^;
Malichi: That shall never happen! Bwahahahaha!
Twill: *kicks him off to be squished by various appliances* So, let me know your votes for a POV, or any other ideas you have (I love incorporating ideas so don't be afraid to tell me yours!). Otherwise, review, because that makes me updates extra super fast. -_-;