Chapter 9.
Shadow Battle.
After his phone conversation with Anzu ended, Yami Yugi took a few moments to steady himself.
"Are you really sure you want to go through with this Aibou? Confronting Bakura again could be dangerous. The spirit that dwells within the Ring is volatile and I have no idea how he will react."
"I trust you Other Me. And we have the Puzzle to protect us. My only concern is not hurting Ryou." Yugi responded, trying to display his usual positive outlook.
Yami Yugi nodded. "That is my concern too. But we also have to do something to help Jonouchi. I fear we're losing him in favour of Katsu."
"I know," Hovering at Yami Yugi's shoulder, Yugi took a deep breath and forced a grin. "Lets do this!"
Nodding, Yami Yugi dialled Honda's number.
Ten minutes later, they heard the rumble of Honda's motorcycle pulling up outside. Yugi put his shoes on, grabbed his jacket and ran downstairs and through the shop.
"Ah! Yugi! Will you be long? I was just going to ask you to help me with some boxes that need moving."
"Sorry Grandpa! Can't stop! In a rush. Honda's waiting for me." He tried not to look at his grandfather. If he did, Grandpa would look at him in a way that would make him feel guilty for not staying to help. His grandfather still retained his gamblers sixth sense, and would instantly guess he was up to something.
"Oh, okay! Not to worry. We will move the boxes when you get back. Tell Honda to drive safely."
Yugi paused at the open door and chewed in his bottom lip before glanced back over his shoulder, carefully trying to avoid any eye contact. "Sure Grandpa! Will do. Bye." He hurried out.
Knotting his brow suspiciously, Sugoroku rubbed his beard. His grandson was up to something, he could tell. Yugi and his friends had been acting strangely lately and from the whispered phone calls he had heard Yugi having with Anzu, it involved Jonouchi. Was he in trouble? The lad had not been around for the last couple of days, and he always popped round without fail on Sunday mornings, for a decent breakfast.
He hoped it wasn't another supernatural danger involving the Millennium Items.
After what had happened with Pegasus, he had started to regret ever stealing the Millennium Puzzle from the unknown Pharaohs' tomb. He should certainly have never allowed Yugi have it!
But he had been so compelled and drawn to that tomb that it had been impossible for him to resist! And young Yugi had been so awed by it on that fateful day, when he had climbed up onto the shelving to play hide and seek, and stumbled across it.
The way the little boy's eyes had lit up like gemstones when held the pieces of the Puzzle in his hands, had made Sugoroku's heart skip a beat. "Look Grandpa?! These two pieces fit together like this!" He had beamed, clicking two small pieces together.
At that very moment Sugoroku had been filled with fear, as he watched, waiting for Yugi to start screaming in pain when the Puzzle attacked his soul.
But instead, Yugi had just smiled even wider and asked if he could keep it to complete.
"You will never complete it Yugi! No one ever has," he had replied, nervously. If anything bad happened to his grandson, he would never have forgiven himself. But something told him that Yugi was meant to have it. Deep inside his heart, he already knew, that one day his grandson would complete the Puzzle and unleash upon the world, a dark and powerful force.
He had repeatedly asked himself, why had he not stopped it? But the answer was simple – he was not meant to.
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Honda looked deadly serious as he handed Yugi his spare crash helmet.
The last time they had played a Shadow Game with the Spirit of The Ring, they had all ended up trapped inside their game pieces. They had been forced to put their faith in the other Yugi to win the game. Yugi had demonstrated just how much faith he had in his other self when he willingly placed his own soul inside his game piece so that they could all work together to defeat the Game Master and his avatar, Zorc.
That time, they had narrowly avoided defeat – but only because their friend, Ryou had managed to rebel against the control the Ring had over him.
Honda had also witnessed for himself how dangerous the evil spirit that lurked inside the ring was, after he had killed the two goons in Pegasus' Castle without even physically touching them! He was so shocked that he had ripped the Ring from Bakura and thrown it into the forest to prevent him killing anyone else.
Afterwards, Ryou had appeared to be confused, and seemingly had no knowledge of what he had just done. But when Honda showed him the two corpses, Ryou had been more upset with Honda for disposing of the Ring, than he was over the dead security guards.
However, the Ring had somehow found its way back to him again. It was like the thing was sentient or something.
Honda suspected that Ryou was not as naïve and innocent as he pretended to be – it was like he was putting on an act to avoid responsibility for the Ring's actions.
He knew they were taking a risk by confronting him again. The other morning when they clashed, Yugi had backed down after Anzu had stepped up to pacify him. But he had a terrible feeling that this time, Yugi would be merciless and not as easy to mollify should he become embroiled in a Shadow Game.
All Honda could do, was observe and hope that Yugi knew what he was doing. If things got out of hand, he would have no choice but to intervene. "I want you to know Yugi, I've got your back, okay?"
Yami Yugi smiled with a forced confidence, as he pulled on the helmet and fastened the chin strap. "Thank you Honda. But let's hope it doesn't come to that." He was nervous, but would never admit to it. He climbed onto the pillion seat and griped the hand rail.
As Honda accelerated away, Yami Yugi's nerves increased. He was unsure if it was because he felt vulnerable riding on the back of this terrifying machine, or because of what he was about to face. But he was calmed a little by Yugi sending him support through their mind link.
They were a team and... what was it Shadi had said? 'Only when they united as one would they realise the full power of the Puzzle.' They had already tapped into that power against Pegasus and they would use it again against Bakura, if they had to!
On the motorcycle, it only took eight minutes to get through the traffic to Bakura's apartment block.
Honda parked the bike in a covered parking bay, that was specifically designed for bikes, and the pair made their way up the stairs to Bakura's apartment.
"Do you have a plan Yugi?" Honda asked nervously.
"Of course..." he began and then realised he was being arrogant. "No! I don't have a plan," he admitted. "I was going to demand that he reverses the spell and wait for his reaction. He was no match for me the other day, but I doubt he will back down as quickly this time."
"Why don't you let me deal with it Other Me?" Yugi pleaded. "If things get out of hand then you can take over."
"But Aibou! I cannot allow you to put yourself at risk. Bakura is dangerous."
"Ryou is not dangerous. He is our friend and I would rather we treat him gently to begin with. If he gets too upset, the Spirit will probably take over and then we will need to move to plan B."
Reluctantly, Yami Yugi allowed Yugi to regain control. "Very well Aibou. But I will be watching closely, and the moment I feel that we are in danger, I will not hesitate to respond accordingly."
"Oh! Yugi?" Honda was surprised that normal Yugi was back in control – was that wise? "I was just saying, that we should let Ryou think we are on a social visit. We don't want to upset him and risk immediate confrontation."
"Sorry Honda." Yugi scratched his head. "I was talking to the other me and didn't hear you. But I was thinking the same thing, which is why we swapped minds. If we take the friendly approach, things might not get ugly."
"Yeah, I agree." He held his hand up to the door. "Ready?"
"Yup!" Yugi nodded his head and Honda pressed the doorbell.
They waited with rather forced silly grins on their faces.
The door opened a crack and a very pale, tired pair of brown eyes peered at them over the security chain. "Yugi and... Honda." he muttered flatly, with so much disinterest that the two boys in question frowned at each other in concern. It sounded like all the life had been sucked out of their friend.
"Hey.. Bakura," Yugi blurted out, way too cheerfully.
"Yeah, man," Honda added. "You weren't at school. We've been worried about you."
"I.. I have been feeling bad. I didn't think you would want to see me after what happened to Jonouchi." He sounded almost tearful.
"We were angry angry to begin with. But we don't hold you responsible. Like Honda says; we're worried about you," said Yugi, kindly.
"Can we come in? It feels a bit weird talking to you through a crack in the door," said Honda.
"I.. I don't think... I'm scared of what He might do."
Yugi laughed stupidly. "We're not frightened of Him Bakura. We just wanted to make sure you were okay."
The comment that they were not frightened, immediately roused the Spirit of The Ring to surface slightly. He did not take over Ryou's body but Ryou could feel him pushing at the back of his mind.
"Let them in my host. I will not harm them. In fact, I will show them my hospitality," he said, sneeringly.
"No! Don't you..." Ryou began to shout at the spirit but realised he was being a little hysterical and stopped abruptly. "I mean, sorry guys. I meant to say, please come in." He flipped the chain and shuffled back towards his sitting room, allowing the front door to fall open on its own.
Giving Yugi a tentative look, Honda pushed the door all the way open and they went inside.
They both noticed how hunched their friend's posture was. He looked like he was carrying a huge burden. "Are you okay Bakura? You look... tired."
Ryou gave them a weak smile. "Yes, I'm okay. I just haven't been sleeping. Would you like a cup of tea?" Without waiting for the answer, he went into the kitchen. Yugi and Honda followed.
"Is there something troubling you Bakura?" Yugi asked, with concern.
"Yeah, we're your friends. You can talk to us buddy!" Honda offered.
"It's okay guys. I know why you're here. You don't have to pretend that you're here for me. If you want to know, I have been trying to find a spell that would help Jonouchi. That is why I haven't been coming to school." That was partly true. What he did not want to tell them was that he had tried to fight back against the control the Ring had over him. He had demanded that the Spirit give him the reversal spell.
He had even gone as far as threatening to place the ring in Sulphuric Acid if it did not help him reverse the spell. And in retaliation, the Ring had dug itself deep inside his chest so that he could not remove it, and then it had tortured him with horrible visions of people being hacked down by Egyptian soldiers. The dying and dismembered people – some just children – were then thrown into a cauldron, that simmered and bubbled with red hot blood, giving off a pungent smell of dark alchemy and burning flesh and screaming souls.
"Now you know how I have suffered. Watching people you love being burned can turn a person insane. You would not want to make yourself insane by doing that to me, would you?" The voice had sounded like a child pleading for something it was not allowed to have, while at the same time holding a snarling threat. Ryou had run to the bathroom and vomited.
"Did you have any luck finding a spell?" Honda asked, a little more forcefully than he had planned.
Ryou shook his head sadly. "I don't believe there is such a spell."
"Look at his expression? He's lying." The other Yugi hissed through their connection.
"I think so too. But I think he is hiding something else. He looks in pain. I hope the Spirit of the Ring isn't torturing him." Yugi decided to challenge him, politely.
"You would tell us if the Ring was making you withhold things from us, or threatening to hurt you, wouldn't you?"
"What makes you think that Yugi?!" Ryou was visibly shocked that Yugi had guessed.
"I hold a Millennium Item too, remember? My item doesn't hurt me because the other Me is good. But I also know that there is something else inside the items that can manipulate it's wearer for it's own gain." He refrained from telling Ryou that he believed that only those with strong souls appeared to be capable of resisting being manipulated by the evil.
Something about Bakura's whole demeanour suddenly changed. His appearance became mildly aggressive and his eyes flashed between lavender and dark brown, while his hair seemed courser. The smile he gave Yugi was none too kind either.
Honda tensed up and adopted his fighting stance. If he needed to subdue Bakura, he would have to move fast to avoid being attacked by the Ring.
Yugi stood his ground and resisted his other Self demanding to take over. "Would you like to tell us about the spell that was used?" He asked, gently. "If there is no way to reverse it, then it won't hurt to tell us how it works. It might even help us to understand what the spell has done to Jonouchi. His female body is not just an external illusion, he really is female." He could see that Ryou was still listening, because underneath the hostility, his facial muscles twitched with concern. His friend was trying to fight back against the Ring's control.
Suddenly, the Ring underneath his shirt started glowing. Ryou felt a crushing pain in his chest as it dug into his soul, forcing him into his soul room and locking him in. He screamed. He hammered on the door in an attempt to escape.
Since it was full of ghosts, it was always so cold inside his soul room. It was where he came when he was feeling miserable and wanted to talk to his family. But he hated being locked in.
Yugi felt his Millennium Puzzle heating up in response to the Ring's activation. Inside, his Other Self was raging and he was having trouble holding him back. But he did not want it to end in violence.
"Very good Little Yugi!" Yami Bakura snarled. "Why don't you let Him out? Or are you afraid of what He is capable of." He tipped his head back and laughed. "If you think that I am evil, just remember all of the people he has maimed and killed! Are you forgetting what he did to the Player Killer of Darkness? What about that boy from school who's soul you took, or the one that suffered third degree burns when you challenged him to a twisted game of Table Ice Hockey over a space in the school fair? Those are just a few of your victims," he snickered. "I won't even mention the criminal that burned to death."
"Shut up Bakura! You don't know what you're talking about. My other Self was only protecting me from danger. He would never hurt anyone deliberately."
"Believe what you like, Little Yugi. Just like my host you are merely a vessel to serve a purpose for a long dead spirit, that was placed inside a Millennium Item because he was evil." Around him, dark shadows began to swirl and the air became heavy. Honda could feel himself struggling to breathe.
Yugi could also feel the oppressive, cloying atmosphere, but since his experience at Duelist Kingdom, he had become stronger. The shadows no longer clawed their way into his lungs, asphyxiating him.
"Yugi! He lies. He is goading you. Let me take over?"
"It's okay Other Me. I know what he is trying to do. But I don't want you to hurt Bakura."
"I won't. His Shadow Magic is too strong for you on your own. Please let me help?"
Honda knew he had to stop Bakura from attacking Yugi. He could see the beads of sweat from the exertion starting to form on Yugi's face and was afraid that his friend was not strong enough to resist an attack on his own. He tried to move but found his body was paralysed; held in place by an invisible force. "Yugi! I think you should stop worrying about hurting good Bakura. Let the other Yugi stop the evil one!"
"What's the matter Yugi? You don't look too well." Bakura pushed his power towards Yugi. If hit by it, Yugi would be slammed into the wall and his bones would be crushed.
In the same moment, Yugi allowed the full power of the Puzzle to flood into him.
Yami Yugi did not have time to express his relief at being allowed to take control, but Yugi could sense his gratitude. When both of them worked harmoniously, the Puzzle was at its most powerful. But if one of them held back, they were vulnerable. And although not as powerful as the Puzzle, the Ring was still a force that could not be taken for granted.
With Yami Yugi in control of their body, the eye started to glow on his forehead. He looked wild and his body was surrounded by crackling Shadow Energy from his dark magic.
The burst stream of energy that Bakura had thrown at him seemed to surround his his entire being but was unable to penetrate the barrier that completely surrounded Yugi. Deep inside, his dark silhouette could be seen shimmering.
Bakura laughed maniacally. "Your little trinket is no match for Me... Pharaoh!" He had not meant to let that piece of knowledge slip.
If Yugi had noticed the slip of the tongue, he did not react. And Honda was unable to hear or see anything through the storm that was now raging inside the apartment.
There was a loud explosion and Bakura was thrown backwards. His body hit the wall so hard that the plaster cracked. All that Yami Bakura had time to do was yell a loud expletive as the air was knocked out of him and he became unconscious. His control over his host was severed and the Ring was ejected from Ryou's chest, landing with a clatter at Yugi's feet.
The storm abated but the Shadow Magic still swirled like a whirlwind around Yugi. Inside, Yami Yugi was raging. The power he possessed right now was intoxicating and exhilarating. The static crackled at his fingertips. He could not, would not, let this feeling go.
Honda was shouting at him in desperation, but Yami Yugi could not hear his friend pleading with him to send the energy back to wherever he had unleashed it from.
Luckily, the light in Yugi's own soul was able to balance the darkness on his soul. "Mou Hitori No Boku?" Yugi's firm but gentle, comforting voice seeped through and pushed aside some of the darkness, allowing him to become grounded once more.
"Aibou..." he muttered, slowly and shakily.
The Shadows vanished into a vortex and Yami Yugi was left standing there, fists clenched and face set into a stern scowl. He was trembling and on the verge of collapsing from the effort to control the darkness in his soul.
He was relieved when Yugi took over again, so that he could retreat inside his room to recover, and make sense of whatever it was that had almost completely consumed him.
Relieved that he could move once more, Honda gasped. "What the heck just happened? Are you okay man?"
Yugi's legs were filled with a tingling sensation, causing them to buckle. Honda had to grab hold of him to keep him from collapsing in a heap.
"Th... thanks. I will be okay in a minute." Yugi forced a weak smile. "That was... immense! The Other Me is fine. He's resting." His attention turned to Ryou slumped on the floor against the wall. Pieces of plaster were scattered over him. "Oh no! Bakura!" This was exactly the sort of outcome he had feared. Poor Ryou always seemed to end up being injured.
Lowering Yugi to the floor, Honda ran over to him and knelt down to check for injuries.
With normal feeling returning to his legs, Yugi retrieved the Ring. He needed to keep it away from Ryou so he placed it in his backpack. He then went over to where Honda was tending their friend.
"This is all my fault! I should never..." he started, but Honda interrupted him.
"It's not your fault Yugi!" He growled. "It's mine too. We were both so desperate to help Jonouchi that we were prepared to do anything we could to help him."
Yugi flinched slightly but did not say anything in return. Instead, he gently lifted Bakura's hand and felt for a pulse. He could not help but notice the ugly scar that still marred his friend's pale hand, from when the Evil Bakura had impaled it on the sharp point of the castle turret.
Relief flooded him when he felt a strong pulse. "At least he's alive."
"We shouldn't move him, just in case his neck is injured. He hit the wall pretty hard," Honda frowned as he noticed blood on the wall and on the floor, and a patch of sticky red, matted in the white/blonde hair on the back of Ryou's head.
"What shall we do?" Yugi suddenly regretted not paying attention during first aid lessons!
Honda looked around the ruined apartment. The furniture was upturned and thrown around the room. It looked like the place had been ransacked. Not to mention the damaged, scorched wall where the plaster had come off. "We should probably call an ambulance. But they might ask questions about the damage to his apartment."
"We could just say we came over and found him like this," Yugi flushed slightly at his suggestion of a blatant lie.
Just then, they heard a groan from Bakura. "Ow...! My head hurts... What happened?" Eyelids fluttered open as he tried to sit up. He was in a bad way but seemed more worried about the Ring. "Where is it?" He mumbled, touching his chest.
Both Yugi and Honda noticed how he winced when he touched his chest. He seemed to be in a great deal of pain.
"Safe!" Honda replied, sternly. "Where it can't do any more harm."
Ryou looked at him with big, sad doe eyes. "Please can I have it back?" He asked, pleadingly. Honda could not understand why he should feel so attached to something so evil.
However, because of his relationship with the Puzzle, Yugi could empathise. It seemed that whatever the spirits inside their items did, he and Ryou just accepted it because they were connected by their souls. "The Ring is safe. But it's probably better that we don't let you have it for now," said Yugi, calmly. "We should clean up the wound on your head."
"Yes, if you say so Yugi." Bakura nodded and winced at the soreness in his neck.
They helped him up and took him to the bathroom, where the first aid kit was kept.
Since Honda had been paying attention during first aid class, and had also learned first aid at Scout Camp, he tended to the cut. It was a nasty cut and had swollen up into quite a bump.
Bakura complained at his none too gentle touch and the sting of the antiseptic. "Ow! Please be careful Honda?"
"I think this will need stitches," Honda told him.
"I'm sorry Bakura," said Yugi. "The other Me didn't mean to hurt you. But the other You attacked us and we had to defend ourself. The Puzzle can get quite angry when we're attacked."
"It's okay Yugi. I know you didn't have a choice. He would have killed you and Honda if you had not retaliated. I will understand if you don't want to come with me to the hospital."
"You're our friend. We're not leaving you on your own," said Yugi, reassuringly.
Honda pulled out his phone and dialled for a taxi to take Ryou to the hospital. "You go with him Yugi. I will see you there. Can I take your backpack?" At first, Yugi did not get why he would want his backpack and opened his mouth to ask why? But then closed it again when he realised that he wanted to dispose of what was inside.
"Oh! Yeah, okay." He handed it to Honda.
"Why do you need Yugi's backpack Honda?" Ryou asked, inquisitively.
"It's got the keys to my motorcycle and also my gloves inside," Honda quickly replied.
"Oh... okay," said Ryou, tentatively. He was too polite to ask why his friends were lying to him. Maybe it had something to do with his Millennium Ring being inside. He kept quiet. It would find its way back to him – it always did!
The taxi turned up a few minutes later and Honda watched as it drove off before checking inside Yugi's backpack to ensure the Ring had not done another Houdini.
Satisfied that it was still there, looking harmless, he set off in the direction of his father's business. The only place he could think of that might be secure enough was the safe in his father's office. He was pretty sure that nothing could get through the concrete and steel lining.
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The Spirit of the Ring was very tempted to lash out and hurt Honda. This was the second time this infuriating boy had tried to dispose of him. Transporting himself from the branches of a tree, back to his host, had taken a vast amount of energy. And if he wanted to return to his host quickly again this time, then he would need to recuperate from the fight they had just had. Yugi and the Pharaoh sure had thrown an awful lot of Shadow Magic at him, and he would have to be very careful when he faced him again next time.
But he was cunning and adaptable. Each time he fought a Shadow Battle, his KA was able to feed off the energy of his opponent. He could then use that energy for his Ka to grow and become stronger.
The stupid Pharaoh had no memories of the last time he faced Bakura's Diabound. And the Thief King was pretty sure that little Yugi and the Pharaoh would be unable to stop him when he finally gathered all of the Millennium Items and placed them in the stone slab to resurrect his master, Zorc.
The thrum of the motorcycle was strangely relaxing and the Ring stayed inside the backpack for most of the fifteen minute ride.
But, by the time Honda reached the factory and went to take the Ring out to place it inside the safe, it had vanished.
I hope you enjoyed that little Shadow Battle.
Please review.
