Yu-Gi-Oh Original Series

Parallel

Chapter 010

Song: Nier Soundtrack - Temple of the Drifting Sands

Originally Written: Wednesday, April 6, 2022 549AM to 716AM

. . . . .

"Thank you for helping me against Para and Dox, Tristan."

Instead of thinking of an appropriate response and responding appropriately, Tristan only had a single thought: Bakura's hair was white as snow and just as fluffy. It was easily the most coherent thought Tristan conjured since he started following Bakura around the Duelist Kingdom. It was also the most coherent thought about anything he had just been forced to do.

A white american man who fulfilled most of the white American stereotypes except loving christian housewife named Bandit Keith tricked them into going into a cave, where he and his goons managed to set up a trap involving an actual boulder. Bakura swore it was a weighted balloon, but for the sake of his own pride, Tristan insisted on it being a boulder.

Bakura dueled all three of Keith's goons, Zygor, Sid and Bonz one after the other. He beat them, stole one card and took the appropriate lost star chips from each of them, including Bandit Keith and sent them on their way. Four new cards, and more star chips to qualify for the finals didn't make the experience worth it.

"I couldn't have won without you. Dueling isn't really my thing."

Bakura also smiled like Yugi: all innocence hiding an extremely upset being. Bakura seemed more hopeful in some way, however. Yugi smiled like he was about to quit, and was just letting the world have its way with him.

"I wouldn't have guessed."

Bakura pulled most of the work during that Duel. The cave Keith trapped them in also just happened to lead conveniently close to Pegasus' castle. Not a normal part of a castle, though maybe it could be said it actually was, but a maze that two eliminator duelists set up just in case anyone was trying to cheat their way to Pegasus.

Para and Dox demanded only tag team duels. Anyone who came across them and didn't have a partner to duel with were automatically eliminated from the tournament. They also finished each other's sentences and rhymed. Both actions annoyed Tristan to no end.

"You're a pretty good duelist yourself." Bakura continued as they walked through the dark halls.

"It's not really my thing, ya know?" The quiet in the halls even seemed to drown out their footsteps. It raised the hair on the back of his neck, and he put his hands in his pockets so he wouldn't get trigger-happy.

"What is your thing?"

"I'm more of an...engineer." Tristan smirked.

"With your grades?"

"It's a work in progress. Skills need time to manifest. What about you?"

"I roleplay. Dungeons and Dragons." Bakura smiled wistfully.

"Ah. Do you go all out with the figurines and shit, or do you keep it simple?"

"I'll show you my dioramas after the tournament. If you'd like to? With school and everything, I've not been able to work on them as much anymore, but I still have a good collection."

"Cool cool. I'll be there."

A short kid with shaggy black hair and blue-ish gray eyes showed up in front of them from around the corner. Tristan nearly pulled out his gun, but the kid wasn't wearing a suit like Pegasus' guards.

"Mokuba?" Bakura pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "How did you even-?"

"You were taking too long." The kid, Mokuba replied, folding his arms. "So I let myself out."

"Mokuba?" Tristan narrowed his eyes in confusion, "Mitsura's younger brother?" Something felt off about him, but he couldn't pinpoint what, besides the strange circular trinket hanging from around his neck. Somehow, it seemed like it was there, yet not. He needed to concentrate to see it. The center symbol on the trinket was the same eye on Yugi's puzzle.

"You mean, you let him out." Bakura shook his head, "Ninety percent of the population wouldn't know how to do what you probably did."

"It's fine." Mokuba waved a hand, nonchalantly. "No one saw me."

"Did you look in the upper corners of wherever you were?"

"...It was a cell, thank you." Mokuba folded his arms, and looked away.

"Why does Pegasus have you locked away in a cell?" Tristan asked.

"Stepdad sold me to him."

"His pissant of a stepdad sold Mokuba to Pegasus." Mokuba and Bakura spoke at the same time.

Tristan cleaned out an ear, wondering if he heard correctly. "You can't sell a kid."

"Every human trafficker on the planet has some words for you." Bakura replied.

"Apparently I'm just unimportant and unneeded enough that I'm worth a couple million." Mokuba shrugged. "Who knew?"

"You know what I mean. Shouldn't you be a bit more distraught about this?" Tristan massaged his temples. Would it be possible to return to Para and Dox?

"Nah, stepdad sells me and arranges kidnappings for me all the time. Keeps Seto on his..." Mokuba froze, a distraught look taking over his features... "What is wrong with this family? How is that a test of loyalty?"

"If I sell your brother you care about immensely and you don't immediately try to kill me before, while or after you get him back using your own money, you must be loyal to me." Bakura sighed and shook his head.

"Or I'm a spineless coward. Or I'm biding my time because I need to make it obvious it wasn't me who slit your throat, threw your body out a window and grabbed your soul to send to the shadow realm before your worthless body hit the ground?" Mokuba clenched his arms so tightly Tristan was sure he left bruises on himself.

"I told you you wouldn't like being Seto's younger brother. It's only entertaining if you're one of the assholes watching. Besides, you're incompatible with his body. You're killing him."

Tristan looked at Bakura like he had grown two heads.

"Well if someone hadn't taken so long to win a certain artifact from his deranged sibling-" Mokuba leaned forward as he spoke, each word sounding more and more like it was spoken by an inhuman entity.

"-I know. I know." Bakura held up his hands in front of him. "I wasn't expecting her to figure out it could only formally change ownership in a duel. She suddenly stopped dueling, and constantly avoids me now." He lowered his head, "I'm sorry. I just need to find another way, is all. I'll get you away from her, I promise." He looked up, "But you can't use Mokuba's body in the meantime."

Mokuba scowled. It didn't fit his facial structure at all.

"If you kill Mokuba, Seto will lose what little humanity he has left and help her, guaranteed. This run around he's doing with her will stop. She'll run through us all with his brain on her side."

Mokuba's scowl lessened.

"Uh, you're gonna explain this after, right?" Tristan looked between the two of them, suddenly feeling like some form of a third wheel.

"Of course." Bakura nodded, "I owe you that much."

"...Can I at least beat up the goons headed this way?" Mokuba looked behind them and pouted like he was asking their older, more mature sibling permission to go to the mall.

"No." Bakura snapped. "You're gonna do one of your stupid shoryuken moves, and Mokuba's gonna be in a worse situation than he already is, because all the black market thugs are gonna think he can fight. Which he can't."

"Ugh. Fine." Mokuba voiced his disappointment. "I'll be a good princess, and you can save me."

Tristan looked behind him. Footsteps echoed loudly in the halls. His hand itched for his gun. If only to show Pegasus that you shouldn't buy children from the weirdos lacking morals trying to sell them.