First: thanks for all the reviews so far. I appreciate them so much. And Seabird, I'm very happy you and your friend are enjoying this. I can't promise a non-redemptive plotline, but redemption is certainly not the main theme. Hope that's some consolation.
Sorry this is late. I was taking an hiatus anyway but then I had some unexpected family grievances, so yeah that killed my urge to write for a while. I owe you guys a chapter for Christmas at least.
Chapter 11
A Spreading Corruption
Yugi was awoken by two angry cries and the slamming of a door, from somewhere outside the bedroom.
"Who's that maniac demon trying to kill this time?" Joey muttered into his pillow.
Yugi staggered out of bed, dreading the same thing. His link with Yami flashed into life, and Yugi looked down at the Puzzle.
"Be careful, Pharaoh," he said, before handing over control of his body.
Yami went into the lounge and found Bakura stood just outside the bathroom door. Not thinking on it, Yami grabbed him by the wrist;
"What did you do?"
Bakura blinked at him, alarmingly bemused. "Nothing."
"Leave him alone," Marik sided up to the Spirit, fixing Yami a harsh stare. "He hasn't done anything."
Yami realised he hadn't, or at least so far as he knew. He released Bakura and looked round the room.
Tristan and Duke were stood in the middle of the lounge, nursing their jaws and glaring at each other. Serenity stood between them, looking very upset.
"What happened?" Tea walked in, rubbing her eyes. "I heard yelling…oh, what's wrong?" she went to Serenity, and gave both Tristan and Duke dark looks. "What have you boys done now?"
"No, it's my fault," Serenity said quickly. "I…shouldn't have done that, it was stupid."
"Was it?" Tristan glared at her. His face was red.
"I didn't want to upset anybody!"
"Did I miss something?" Joey hung in the doorway, watching as his sister brushed past him, her head bowed. "Just tell me it's nothing to do with mind controlling demons and I'm totally okay with it."
Tea scowled; "try to be a little more sensitive?" she trailed into the bedroom, after Serenity.
"What did I say?" Joey perched on the edge of the couch and gave Bakura a cagey look; "Have you been summoning the depths of Hell or something crazy like that again?"
Bakura raised a brow; "I don't recall ever doing that."
"It's nothing to do with him," Tristan said icily. If looks could kill it seemed like Duke should have been dead in that moment. "All I know is I can't spend another day in this house with him."
"The feeling's mutual." Duke curled his lip.
Yami rolled his eyes. It was probably a good thing that stuff involving mind controlling demons were not happening. Even so, complicated love triangles seemed the rawer deal right now.
Luckily, he had a plan.
"We won't be spending too much longer in this apartment, anyway," he said. It seemed the right sort of time to announce it, and he felt Yugi's agreeable link within the Puzzle.
"Eh?" said Joey.
"We're going to Egypt."
Nobody said anything for a long moment, and it was all quiet, except for a munching sound coming from in the direction of the boxy kitchen area. Bakura was there, putting messy handfuls of dry cereal in his mouth. He didn't look very surprised by the news.
"What?" Serenity and Tea peered out the bedroom door in some bewilderment. "Egypt?" Tea repeated. "That's very…random."
"I can't really afford that," Ryou wandered into the lounge, sleepy yet intrigued. "Unless I suddenly inherit a lot of money from my nonexistent rich dying uncle, of course." He made a beeline for the toaster and gave Bakura a careful smile. Bakura still seemed much more interested in scoffing cereal though.
"Well, Yugi's grandpa is willing to help us out there," Yami said.
"Great, and I can work on my tan," Duke declared, "this is gonna be sweet."
"Well, not just yet." Yami glanced at Bakura, hoping he was being subtle about it. The Spirit looked anything but engaged in the conversation; busily snatching up toast which Ryou was offering at an impressive rate. He ate like there was no tomorrow and had not gotten any tidier about it either.
"First we need all three God cards," Yami continued, "and as many of the item's as we can get, for that matter."
"We all know who has the last God card," Joey snorted, leaning back in his chair. "Good luck with that one."
Yami sat back on the kitchen table, observing his audience for a second. "I'm duelling Kaiba today."
Everyone blinked at him like he'd sprouted a new head.
"Where do you think I went the other day when I left that note?" Yami said. "Kaiba has agreed to it. In a little less than an hour, to be exact."
"It's a trick." Joey decided. "It must be."
Tea sighed in his direction; "Stop being so paranoid."
"You're expecting Kaiba to just hand over his God Card? That'll never happen."
"If he loses the duel he'll have no choice," said Serenity. "He has to abide by the rules."
"Poor naive little sis," Joey patted her pitifully on the head. "One day you'll learn."
"Learn what?"
"What an incredible douche Kaiba is."
"Well we need that God Card, so lets just hope Kaiba cooperates." Yami was unable to hide his apprehension. Duke seemed to pick up on it;
"What's the big rush? Are we still in some sort of danger?" he asked like it was all very tiresome. "I thought we were safe, so long as Bakura has the Ring?"
Bakura looked up from his savage breakfast munching, and wiped the crumbs from his mouth. He gave Yami a look which didn't reveal anything, but seemed to have been saved just for him anyway.
Nobody had acknowledged that Bakura was helping them yet. Or at least he seemed to be. It was an uneasy sort of fact, and when Yami looked at Bakura now he could easily understand why nobody wanted to trust him.
The Spirit grinned, mouth full of sharp teeth. It was impressive how he managed to look dangerous with a box of colourful breakfast hoops wedged under his arm.
"Yes, I have this," he lifted the Ring and tapped it. It looked dull and loose round his neck, similar to the Puzzle's current state around Yami.
Yami could not detect a connection between them anymore. Not like before, when he had somehow found the Spirit's link, and they had caught a tiny piece of each other. A memory, a feeling, whatever it was, it had been something.
Yami was beginning to think that maybe the other night had been a one off. A lucky, or unlucky-depending on how he looked at it, encounter with the Spirit's essence.
He wasn't sure why he should feel disappointed he couldn't find it now.
"Are you having second thoughts, Pharaoh?" Bakura asked, a spiteful flash in his eyes.
"About what?"
"Your duel with Kaiba, of course."
Yami glared at him. "Of course not."
"There's the confident Pharaoh I'm familiar with," Bakura said poisonously, preventing it from being anything close to a compliment. Not that Yami would have ever expected such miracles.
"Shut your trap," Tristan said guardedly.
Bakura beamed, which was out of place on his face, and snatched some more toast off Ryou's plate.
"Erm, excuse me if this is a stupid question," Ryou asked tentatively, not seeming too worried about his disappearing breakfast, "but just what are we going to do in Egypt with all the items and God cards?"
"Yugi and I went to see Grandpa the other day," Yami looked briefly at his Puzzle, acknowledging his host; "he told us some interesting things."
"What about?" asked Duke.
"Well," Yami hesitated. "I don't really understand it myself just yet. Only that the items belong somewhere in Egypt."
Duke raised a brow. "This certainly inspires lots of confidence in me," he turned away. "Oh well, at least my tan is for certain."
"What are we waiting for, then?" Joey said. "let's go kick some Kaiba butt." He tugged Serenity up with him, who still looked a little upset about whatever had happened earlier.
As it happened, most people wanted to watch the anticipated duel between Yami and Kaiba, although Bakura surprised most everyone by refusing to budge from the couch.
"I don't like you lot. I'm not joining your little cheerleading squad," he said, and flicked on the television set.
"You've turned him into a telly addict." Marik said to Duke, in a matter-of-fact way.
Yami watched, feeling intrigued and a bit wary, as Marik bent closer to Bakura. His hand was brief on the Spirit's, but Yami noticed it. He noticed how Marik spoke softer than he needed to, and how the Spirit flinched a little but gave him a tolerating look.
"Yes?"
"I'm going to the hospital." the tomb keeper said. "You don't have to come. I know you hate it."
Bakura opened his mouth, as though he might protest, then he just nodded instead. "Alright." Conflict looked strange on his face.
"Hey," Duke said, "Tell me what happens in that soap at two, right?"
Bakura glared daggers at him.
Duke grinned; "Or I could just catch a repeat. Yeah, I'll just do that."
"Good idea."
"If he's going then I'm staying." Tristan said from the kitchen, eyes hard on Duke.
"That works," Duke agreed. "I kinda like the idea of you being sent to that Shadowy Realm place." he looked expectantly at Bakura, whose gaze was much more intent on the blank television set.
"He won't do that," Marik said.
Bakura gave Tristan a listless look; "but I can make exceptions."
"I can deal with it," Tristan gritted his teeth.
"Are you trying to act tough?" Serenity looked aghast. "Because that's a stupid way of going about it!"
"I wouldn't bother anymore," Tristan growled. "and you're way off, anyway. I can handle this Spirit thing. He's weak without the Ring."
Bakura stood up, taking everyone off guard as he sprung toward Tristan with a swinging arm. Marik was the only one alert or apparently knowing enough to stop it, twisting Bakura's wrist back and holding it there.
"Don't. It's not helping anything!" he almost pleaded. The two locked gazes for a moment, then Bakura slowly lowered his arm, though his face was still furious.
"I'm not weak." he said, like a hiss. He glared past Marik at Tristan. "I'm not weak."
"I know," Marik let go of him, his expression flickering anxiety and waiting for Bakura's next move. Everyone else was too, between moving back or tensing forwards. Yami was tensed, keeping his eyes on the Ring. He was waiting for the pull of the Realm, if it would even happen.
But Bakura just moved back, his face darkening and nothing else. His eyes locked on Marik's, and Yami could almost sense the mutuality between them. Of course it made sense, things were different between those two, especially now.
Yami could not forget that Bakura had wanted to protect Marik. Through that he was helping all of them, whether he had planned it that way or not. That didn't matter anymore, it was just how it was.
It was barely a comforting thought though; Bakura looked like he might rip Tristan's head off.
Joey stared at Tristan; "And you want to stay here? Your funeral, man."
Yami sort of agreed with him.
"Are you sure you won't come with us?" he tried to reason with the Spirit anyway.
Bakura shook his head. "Don't you trust me alone?"
"Of course I don't."
Bakura glanced at the Puzzle with interest, as he always did, then back at Yami again.
"Good luck, then."
"With what?"
"Your duel with Seto Kaiba." the Spirit considered, "I bet your Puzzle you win."
"Thanks," Yami wasn't sure whether to be flattered or not. Bakura wasn't the flattering sort. "But no bets." he briefly touched the Puzzle and then felt Yugi's link round his neck. It was encouraging to feel his host there.
"I'll go with you to the hospital," Ryou said to Marik.
"Are you sure?"
"Very sure," Ryou nodded. "I've always wanted to go hang out with sick people."
Marik grinned at him. "you're sick. You'll be right at home there."
The two didn't dwindle in the apartment, but Marik stayed long enough to say something quiet to Bakura that nobody else could have heard. The Spirit's mouth just slid into a thin line, giving nothing away.
When Marik and Ryou were gone, Bakura stiffened on the couch and looked all around at Yugi's friends, like he was their reluctant captive.
"Are you going to make me join you anyway?" he said hatefully.
Yami shook his head. Despite himself, he felt sympathetic. He moved to sit on the couch, and Bakura looked suspicious.
"What? I don't want to talk to you."
Yami ignored him, and put a hand on the Ring. He wasn't quite sure what compelled him to do it, only that he needed to, to calm some worried part of himself. Bakura's eyes widened and then he lurched back, covering the Ring up. But nothing could hide how easily it glowed, like it had been switched on by Yami's touch.
For some reason Yami was not so surprised about that, nor was he surprised by the way his Puzzle had started heating up against his chest too. He lifted it thoughtfully, remembering Bakura's mind, and knowing their link existed.
"What game are you playing?" Bakura stood up, and looked angry. "if you mean to take my item from me, you already know what might happen if I don't have it-"
"That's not the intention at all," Yami interrupted. "it's the last thing I would do."
"Good," Duke muttered. "cos I don't want to see that weird tongue guy any time soon."
Bakura moved into the kitchen area, brushing deliberately past Tristan as he did. Yami could feel the crackles of angry energy there, and he knew that some part of the Spirit's essence still lingered with him, even if it didn't want to.
"I hate you." Bakura said quietly, his back to all of them.
Yami stared at him, feeling oddly upset.
"Right back at ya," Joey sighed; "c'mon guys. Are we gonna beat some Kaiba butt or what?"
Yami got up, nodding to the door. As everyone began to file out, he turned a concerned look to Tristan.
"Awful bastard isn't he?" Tristan said.
Yami looked past Tristan's shoulder to see Bakura was eyeing the toaster with apparent interest. "Are you sure you're okay with this? In case he tries anything-"
"Hey, I was talking about Duke." Tristan said sourly. "But yeah, I can handle him. I might give him a good grilling too."
"Right," Yami smiled weakly.
Bakura tipped his head to them for a moment, his eyes narrowed. "Have fun, dear Pharaoh."
0000000000000000000
Even though he hated the hospital, Bakura still missed Marik being there, and wished he had gone with him.
He was also still hungry, and happened to miss Ryou too; in a practical sense. Ryou was handy and always provided him with food, even if it was burnt and often tasted like it was trying to damage his insides.
He stared at the toaster, trying to recall what Ryou did, or anybody else for that matter. It should have been easy. How many times had he spent within that Ring in the early morning, listlessly watching his old host go about his morning routine? Too many times, so it was quite shameful he couldn't remember anything now.
Uncertainly he inserted some bread, then looked at the buttons, half hoping one might flash and tell him to pick it. It didn't seem to want to work like that, though.
"I suppose you're going to gloat then." Tristan said, moody and expectant, from somewhere in the lounge. Bakura wasn't particularly interested.
"What would I gloat about?" he tried the first button and was disappointed when the bread decided not to do anything.
"You know what," Tristan snapped. He sounded a little nearer. "You saw this morning. You were the first to see it."
"Oh, that." Bakura pressed the second button, and remembered Duke and Serenity sitting on the bathroom floor, with their faces tilted and too close together. "Don't flatter yourself."
"What?"
"Do you really think I have the slightest interest in your pathetic little problems?" Bakura asked.
Tristan snorted, but said nothing else.
Bakura pressed the next button on the toaster, which was more of a lever. He watched the bread move downward with a small and perhaps ridiculously misplaced sense of pride.
He had lied a bit to Tristan, though. He was interested, to some degree.
He was interested in the way the two humans on the bathroom floor seemed to join up like that, and move together so naturally. How their lips touched and seemed to move in a rhythmic sync, and then how their eyes closed like nothing else existed.
A human kiss; he knew of it well enough. It was quite hard to avoid seeing in this world, and how important it was supposed to be. Although he could never understand it's purpose before.
Now he thought of closing his eyes and being close to a human, not wanting anyone else to be there. It was difficult; his mind didn't seem to like conjuring such ideas, and when it did they were all fragmented and didn't make much sense at all. It was like a slideshow flashing images far too fast for him to take in properly. It made him feel a little nauseous, trying to find emotions he didn't know existed.
He found some though, and remembered Marik, and the human's hand on his face. That had been a strange emotion, being pulled from him if only for a few seconds. It had happened in the arcade too.
Marik was probably good at kissing.
"You know, it works better when you do this," Tristan dangled the toaster plug and then fitted it into the socket.
Bakura blinked at it. "I see," he commented. "How interesting."
"Yes, a miracle." Tristan said flatly. "What will us lowly mortals think up next, I wonder?"
Bakura turned to see Tristan had stepped back; but his arms were folded and he looked hostile. Bakura was not intimidated by Tristan; in fact most of the time he wanted to maim the stupid human. Still, Bakura would give him credit for being gutsy.
"Lowly mortals?" he leaned against the kitchen unit, grinning a bit. "Well, you said it." there was no harm in humouring humans.
Tristan frowned; "I remember what you did to those guards, back at Pegasus's castle. And I remember what you tried to do to Mokuba."
"Well done." Bakura nodded. "I'm glad you have a memory. Some of us aren't so fortunate."
"I could still tell the others," Tristan said tightly. "I could tell them what you planned to do with Mokuba."
"You can tell them whatever you like," Bakura was not bothered. "Do you really think it would make any difference? I already know your friends do not trust me. I would be foolish to believe otherwise. So would you. In fact," Bakura leaned forwards, smiling a bit; "I'm rather surprised you haven't already told them about the little Mokuba incident."
"It's not something I like to think about," Tristan snapped. "See, that's what separates you from me, and everyone else."
Bakura moved back against the kitchen counter again, frowning.
"You can act like it was nothing. " Tristan explained. "Just another little cock-up in your grand scheme. You don't have any reason to care. Humans don't work like that, you know."
"How wonderful." Bakura folded his arms.
He had expected flying fists, but never a lecture from Tristan Taylor, of all people. It was almost like the human was trying to reason with him on some weird level.
"What would you like, then? A pointless apology?"
Tristan laughed sarcastically; "A bit late for that."
"Hence it being pointless."
"Smart ass." Tristan said; "And you're going to burn the apartment down."
Bakura followed Tristan's gaze to the toaster, and saw the thick smoke pluming out of it. The toast itself was peeking out, blacker than anything Ryou had ever made.
Bakura moved to take it out.
"Don't do that!" Tristan knocked his hand away. "Damn, for a potentially psychotic demon, you're pretty stupid." he unplugged the toaster.
"So psychotic demon equates to intelligence?" Bakura considered. "Why would you think such a thing?"
"I have no idea," Tristan muttered. "and intelligent is too generous a word. I just expected you to be a bit more toaster savvy."
"I've never needed to get my own food before." Bakura argued half-heartedly, watching as Tristan pushed the toaster to him.
"There. Now go nuts. Burn yourself if you like. I'll just stand here and laugh."
Bakura plucked the toast out and proceeded to crunch on it. It tasted nasty, and made his eyes water.
True to his idiot word, Tristan laughed. "You really are stupid. I kind of wonder why we should be scared of you."
Bakura spluttered out the rest of the toast and then attempted to gather what was left of his composure. He could feel the Ring's gentle heat against his chest, coaxing him into mischief.
He remembered Marik's disappointed face though, and it stopped him. It'd be a stupid move anyway. Opening up the Realm would probably lead to Marik's dark half, and Bakura wasn't up to facing that just yet.
He crunched on the rest of his horrible toast with a bitter grimace.
"You're still eating it. You really are psychotic." Tristan commented.
Bakura eyed the human. So he couldn't send him to the Realm, but that didn't mean he was out of options.
"I wonder," he said thoughtfully, as he swallowed down another lump of charcoal, "What your friends Duke and Serenity are up to right now?"
Tristan's reaction was instantaneous; his face flushing bright red and his hands curling into large fists.
Bakura grinned widely; how easy it was to find and exploit human weakness. It was fascinating too, how people could get so worked up over small things. Things like kisses. These sorts of things were important to humans, Bakura would try to remember that.
"I don't give a damn what they're up to," Tristan said between his teeth.
Bakura swallowed down some more toast, and almost choked. Tristan gave him an alarmed look;
"What's your problem, anyway? You haven't stopped eating since you woke up." he slapped Bakura on the back.
Bakura steadied himself against the kitchen unit, but found it wasn't enough; some familiar dizziness had come over him. These headaches were getting quite vicious now, and he couldn't ignore them so much as he'd like. He walked to the kitchen table and sat down.
"Are you okay?" Tristan sounded level and not exactly concerned. Bakura was glad of it.
"I'm not weak," he said with determination, and rested his head in his hands. "I just need to sit for a bit."
"I wasn't going to say-"
"-I have to be stronger though," Bakura interrupted. "For next time."
"Next time?" Tristan repeated, and sounded softer. Bakura wasn't sure. He did feel awfully dizzy though, and it was humiliating more than anything else, how he couldn't even lift his head from his hands to offer the human stood near him a practised glare.
He squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the hand on his arm.
"Don't touch me," he murmured. "I'm warning you."
The hand moved away and Bakura waited for the dizzy spell to pass. When he looked up again he saw Tristan had turned away, his focus set on the toaster.
"I take it Ryou didn't show you how to work this thing, then?"
"No."
"Right." Tristan seemed to be aware of Bakura's bemused face, and he looked at the Spirit out of the corner of his eye. "Listen, I still hate you, but I know what you've done. I know you're helping us somehow. So I'm making you toast, okay?" he spoke very fast, like he was being forced by some unknown person to explain himself.
"Okay," Bakura nodded, not helping his amusement. "Suppose I'm in your debt, then."
"Just don't mention another thing about Serenity and Duke and we'll call it even." Tristan placed a plate of much more appealing coloured toast on the table.
"Sounds fair." Bakura snatched up the toast; it tasted a lot more appealing too. "Thank you."
Tristan's face flashed brief but pleasant surprise; "You're welcome, I guess."
0000000000000000
"My brother's awake! He'll be out of the hospital in a few days!" Marik beamed as he sat on the couch, his arms curling round Bakura in a hug that would have meant severe death for anyone else in his position.
As it was, Bakura just pressed him away rather sheepishly, a smirk on his lips. He looked past Marik to Yugi.
"And looks like you owe me a Puzzle too," he said, his eyes gleaming on the item.
"If I remember, the Pharaoh said no bets," Ryou said helpfully, and offered a scowling Bakura a piece of celebratory cake.
"Shut up," Bakura said, taking the cake.
"Oh man," Joey said from the kitchen, where he and Tea were making drinks. "you should have seen it. Kaiba swore like a million times over. It was pretty hilarious."
"You would say that." Serenity rolled her eyes. "since you hate him."
"It's always nice seeing a jerk get taken down a peg or two, don't you think, Yug?"
Yugi couldn't help but grin; he had been for much of the afternoon.
As soon as Kaiba had given him the last God card it had felt like a weight had been lifted. A small one, but nonetheless the worry wasn't there anymore.
The duel had been hard of course, but that was what had made the victory more meaningful. Kaiba hadn't taken it great, but Yugi hoped he would get over it sooner rather than later. He glanced at the phone hanging up on the dingy wall. He'd need to talk to Kaiba again quite soon…
"Careful, don't rip them." Marik batted at Duke's hand, who was inspecting all three God Cards with some awe.
"I'm not, I'm super careful." Duke insisted.
"Yeah, right." Marik said, but laughed anyway. He had arrived back at the apartment not too long after Yugi and his friends, Ryou linked in his arm and balancing all sorts of sweet foods and declaring celebrations.
The mood had brightened between everyone. Even Duke and Tristan could bear to pass a drink to each other without resorting to attempted murder, whilst Serenity offered them both sweet and nervous smiles.
From within the Puzzle Yugi could feel the Pharaoh's tension disappearing somewhat too. Ever since the complications with Bakura and dark Marik, the Pharaoh had been on edge, and little wonder. Now though, there was a sense of relief between their link, and some progress too. They were a little closer to unlocking the Pharaoh's mind after all.
The only thing that still distracted him, which Yugi could easily sense, was the creature curled up on the couch. Bakura looked like he might be falling asleep.
"Isn't it great?" Marik pushed more cake into the Spirit's hand. He sat nearer than he needed to, brushing arm against arm.
Bakura yawned and stretched rather indulgently. He did look very tired. Even though his lazy stance wanted to look obnoxious, Yugi could already see the dark shadows under his eyes that gave him an odd purplish tint.
"I wanted to see Seto's face when he lost." the Spirit said. "You should have taken a photo."
Joey beamed; "for once I agree with the nutcase. I'd pin it up on my bedroom ceiling, so It's the first wonderful thing I wake up to in the morning."
"Waking up to Kaiba every day? I never knew you felt that way about him." Duke sniggered.
Joey turned red, and Tea chose the moment to interject;
"So…just the rest of the Millennium items to go, right?"
"Yes, then we're off to Egypt to get tans!" Duke said, taking a large swig on his drink. "and do mystical Egyptian secret stuff, of course." Serenity had a hand on his shoulder, giving him a disapproving glance.
"I still can't believe you guys are drinking." she said.
Duke shrugged; "the Pharaoh is perfectly above the drinking age. We have adult supervision."
"By about five thousand years," Joey grinned.
"I can't believe the Pharaoh would buy drinks for us." Tea said, but she was smiling coyly at the Puzzle, like she rather liked the idea. She was a bit tipsy.
"Hey, Pharaoh's party hard." Duke concluded.
Yugi smiled faintly. He wasn't drinking, and neither were Ryou or Serenity; the sensible ones. It had been Duke's idea to get wasted, and although Yugi wasn't prepared to go that far, he was willing to let his friends enjoy themselves a little.
It wasn't much fun being cooped up in a second rate apartment trying to figure out psychotic demon whereabouts, after all.
"Hey, we've got two adults amongst us," Marik reminded, nudging Bakura. Bakura gave him a questioning look. "well, you went a whole afternoon without killing Tristan. I'm very proud," Marik explained.
"Yes," Bakura murmured. "I'm a big boy now. Being thousands of years old, and all that." he looked at Yugi and the Puzzle. "Am I in your good books now?" he asked sardonically.
Yugi glanced at Tristan, who just shrugged.
"It was like looking after a dog. I just gave him lots of toast and he seemed happy."
"Toast." Joey pondered. "I'll remember that, for the next time we run into crazy malevolent Spirits."
"Perhaps we should try it against Dark Marik," Duke suggested. "Might be his one weakness."
Serenity pulled a face. "I somehow doubt that."
Bakura helped himself to another drink; he'd been consuming alcohol at a steady rate and seemed to be keeping up a good pretence of sobriety despite it. Maybe he was just a drowsy drunk. Maybe demons didn't even get drunk…
"Well," the Spirit said conversationally. "Your Pharaoh might at least honour me with a little of his gratitude. I am the one keeping your enemy at bay, and tolerating every inane word which comes out of all your mouths."
"He's got a point," Tristan rolled his eyes at the bathroom, where Duke had just dashed off to throw up. "Lightweight."
Yugi considered Bakura, who looked far too sly sitting on the chair with his drink, even slouched down and weary looking.
Yugi was rather afraid of the Spirit, he could admit that to himself. The way Bakura licked his lips like every person in the room was a meal, and how his dark eyes didn't really reflect anything real in them.
It would have been easy to hand over control to the Pharaoh, like he was always offered the chance whenever something dangerous threatened. Within their link, the Pharaoh seemed ready for a confrontation and expected the switch.
"I guess you have been helping us," Yugi said aloud, swallowing down his apprehension. He looked at Bakura properly. "I can trust you for now."
Bakura's steady expression faltered, like he'd been insulted.
"You?" he tossed the word out with rich disdain, turning his head away. "Your word doesn't matter to me at all."
Marik nudged him. "Don't say things like that."
"It's nothing personal, Yugi," Bakura amended, and looked round at everyone else too. "It's just that none of you matter to me."
Yugi bit his lip. He wasn't especially surprised by Bakura's words, but he could feel the Pharaoh's surge of anger through the link. It would never change. Maybe Bakura just said these things to wind the Pharaoh up and make him appear, anyway.
"Isn't he charming?" Joey said brightly. "You'd think we were his mortal enemies, or something."
Marik slapped Bakura quite hard on the arm.
Bakura frowned at him, his face twitching; "what was that for?"
"Being a bastard. I hope you liked it."
Bakura sneered, but leaned back on the couch and shut his eyes. "Best feeling in the world," he muttered.
0000000
Nearly everybody fell asleep in the lounge, except for Ryou who complained about Joey's snoring, and Serenity who had helped a sick and blushing Tea to bed and decided to stay with her the rest of the night. She'd been muttering something about Pharaoh's and crushes, although Yami couldn't be sure, and he really didn't want to think about it too much.
Yugi had gone to bed too, but it was Yami who was awake in the bedroom now, in the early hours of morning with the Puzzle alight on his chest. Things had been going too well, he supposed. There was always something.
He went into the lounge and found Duke was snoring on the floor, propped up against Tristan. Joey was drooling on the arm of a chair, and Marik was curled on the couch, near the empty space where Bakura was supposed to be. Yami was almost tempted to wake the tomb keeper up, but the light pooling from under the bathroom door caught his eye and stopped him.
He crept over and gave it a careful knock. "Ryou? Serenity? He rather hoped it was one of those two. Sensible people, with no history of craziness. Well, Ryou had his moments… When there was no reply to either name, Yami braced himself. "Bakura?"
There was no answer. Yami glanced down at his Puzzle and took it as good enough confirmation of what to do. He pressed a hand against the bathroom door.
The tiled floor, painfully white, was dotted with red. Yami followed the odd trail to the wall. Bakura was sat against it; his knees up and his head bowed into them, like he might have just been sick and was waiting for his stomach to settle.
"Hey," Yami wavered a moment, then went to Bakura's side. "What's wrong?"
The Spirit made a coughing sound, but didn't lift his head or speak at all.
"Bakura? Are you sick?" then Yami noticed the red leaking past the Spirit's arms, down his elbows and onto the floor. "Hey."
He pulled Bakura's head up and saw the Ring clutched tight between his hands; they were red and white knuckled. The Ring was glowing as bright as the Puzzle, and it's points were moving about jerkily.
Bakura coughed again, and Yami watched, partially reviled, as the blood ran from his open mouth onto the floor. His hands were shaking on the Ring, like he was trying in vain to hold onto it. He fell onto his side, moaning a bit.
Yami bent over him; "Bakura, can you hear me? Please, tell me if you can?"
The Spirit's fingers scraped at the Ring, and Yami didn't think, as he placed his hand over Bakura's, and tried to recall the link that he knew existed between them.
The Puzzle jangled, and it's glow seemed to reach the Ring's.
Yami remembered the way Bakura's mind had touched his own, how the Puzzle and the Ring had touched each other, because Bakura was brash and bold enough to invade Yami's mind like that. He remembered the excitement and the thrill of it, and how he'd been disappointed to think it might not be there anymore. He blinked at Bakura's prone form now, realising it was his turn to be brash and bold.
He closed his hand round Bakura's on the Ring, feeling the sensations of the other Spirit, and finding the familiarity which was Bakura, whatever he was.
It hardly mattered; Yami knew the presence well enough now, as he fell back into the Spirit's mind.
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He'd never get used to the sensation; the creeping darkness that was Bakura's Soul Room made Yami light headed and prickled him with shock, like he was being doused in freezing cold water. But he was more focussed now, and he knew what to expect at least.
He lifted himself up, panting a bit, to see the large silhouette standing before him come to life with a familiar deep voice;
"This one, again? You are always inviting royalty into your sick little mind, aren't you?" Dark Marik said. "And at the most inopportune moments too." He tilted his spiked head away from Bakura. He was holding the Spirit by the collar. Bakura was limp and seemed to be unconscious, but then he turned his head and looked at Yami as well.
"What are you doing here?" the Spirit's voice was faint but somehow indignant, despite his predicament.
Yami held the Puzzle between his hands. "Let him go."
Dark Marik raised a brow and laughed, dropping Bakura anyway. Bakura sank to the ground, holding his neck. The Ring was still there.
"Bakura, come to me," Yami ordered, keeping his eyes trained on dark Marik. "Quickly."
Bakura looked at Yami, his gaze bemused, then he started to get up and fell back down again.
Dark Marik laughed. "He can't, I've drained him of most of his energy. All that remains is for me to take the Ring. And I must thank you, Pharaoh. You've saved me the trouble of coming after you and your item too."
"It won't be so easy," Yami focussed upon his Puzzle, encouraged by the energy that flowed through his fingers and sparked out toward Dark Marik. He watched with mild satisfaction as the creature staggered back with the hit.
His cape of dark purple coiled round as he yielded the Rod. Yami tensed, readying himself for it's attack. But Marik turned to Bakura instead, and the Rod's light exploded toward the Spirit.
Yami set his Puzzle in motion at the same moment, and he ran between them.
White hot heat met his vision, as the Rod and all it's energy stung at his body, and the Puzzle burned into his chest, like it might be on fire. Dark Marik's laugh was low and mostly drowned out by sound which shouldn't have existed, till Yami realised it was his own scream.
He collapsed onto his knees, panting and sucking in air that hurt his tendered lungs.
His ears were ringing, and as he blinked round everything looked bleary and unclear. It took him a minute or two to recognise the Soul Room was foggy with dispersing darkness; twisting up over his head and disappearing into the air like phantom snakes. Dark Marik was nowhere to be seen.
Bakura lay on his back a few feet away, staring at the ceiling.
"You shouldn't have helped," he muttered.
"You're welcome." Yami crawled over to him, his body shaking and feeling unusual. Then, as he ran a hand over the Puzzle, a terrible unease gripped him.
"Yugi…"
"What is it?" Bakura pulled himself upright, frowning at Yami.
"…I can't…he's not here…I can't find the link..." Yami clutched the Puzzle tighter, like that might help, but of course it couldn't. Nausea stung his throat, the emptiness inside of him was overwhelming. "Yugi…he's gone…I can't sense him at all!"
"Stop it," Bakura's hand was harsh on Yami's arm, then he grabbed the Puzzle. "Keep still,"
"What are you doing?" Yami cried and tried to pull away.
"I said keep still!" Bakura growled, and then his Ring began to glow rather faintly. A soft flow of light stemmed from it, and Yami lurched back on instinct; it was usually the mark of an attack. Bakura held him in place though, his hand tight on the Puzzle round Yami's neck.
Yami could only watch as the two items glowed in unison, then the light from Bakura's Ring reached the Puzzle's, and Yami made a small noise of surprise as a coil of strange black smoke fell away from the item, and floated up onto the ceiling of the Soul Room.
Bakura let go of the Puzzle and stepped away. "He's gone now."
"I know that!" Yami said savagely, thinking of Yugi.
"No, Marik's darkness is gone," Bakura said. "for the moment, anyway." he kept his eyes on the Puzzle. "Your host should be there again."
Yami grabbed the Puzzle in his hands, shaking a bit as he concentrated on the link for himself.
Bakura was correct; Yugi's presence was simmering about his mind, like it had never gone away. For a moment Yami was truly elated. Then he remembered Bakura, who was watching him strangely, his eyes fixed and narrowed.
Yami grabbed the Ring, pulling Bakura close. The Spirit smiled through his grimace;
"Are you angry?" he asked knowingly.
"Shut up," Yami spoke through his teeth.
It should have been a relief, to return to the safety of the real world. But Yami came round wanting to cry, pulling out of Bakura's mind as fast as he could manage, and testing the link which was Yugi with a wretched sort of comfort.
"What happened?" he demanded. "what happened to Yugi?"
Bakura sat up shakily, wiping his mouth. "I suppose it was to be expected." he muttered.
"Expected? What was to be expected?"
Bakura's gaze faltered. "Since you protected me from Marik's dark half," he said slowly, like he was unsure of the fact himself, "You have forged a link with him too."
"What are you saying?" Yami stood up, his head was aching, and he could barely find Yugi's link; the presence was so weak.
"It's simple," Bakura coughed, and more blood leaked from his mouth as he doubled up, "since you used yourself as a shield for me, Dark Marik now has access to your link as well. Now he can attempt to reach your host, just as he attempts to reach Marik through me."
"Yugi?" Yami realised. His chest felt hard with sickness. "He's just a boy…how is he expected to defend himself from this monster?"
Bakura grinned, blood flashing on his teeth; "It's up to you to protect your host, Pharaoh. I thought you were good at that."
Yami stared at the Spirit, all upset draining away and falling into anger. Bakura did not show any remorse, did not show any concern, he just sat with his mouth full of blood, shaped into a crooked leer, like he'd expected it all to happen like this.
"You think this is amusing?" Yami snarled. "To have put another innocent in this mess?"
Bakura shrugged; "I didn't do anything. It was your actions that decided this would happen."
"Is that all you can say?"
"Your host is not my concern."
"You bastard,"Yami slammed into the Spirit, and flung him back onto the ground. Bakura groaned but his mouth was still quivering a grin.
"What's wrong, Pharaoh?" he asked, breathing unevenly. "Didn't you even know this could happen…?"
"Of course I didn't!"
Yami put his hands tight round the Spirit's throat, pressing it hard. He wouldn't think about what he was doing. He was too angry for that. He wanted to kill that nasty grin and everything it belonged to;
"Do you think I'd want to protect your life at the cost of Yugi's? Do you really think I'd ever do that?"
"…no." Bakura croaked. "Of course not…" He heaved a bit, and his eyes flickered as he seemed to struggle with consciousness.
"I would never do that! I'd never choose your life over his!" Yami eased his grip only a little, just to hear the wretched Spirit's response;
"I…I didn't expect you to protect me at all…"
The words were soft. A grateful look flashed on Bakura's face, and Yami was caught by it. Thick blood was still pooling from the Spirit's mouth, and Yami remembered why it was there. He released Bakura at once.
"Of course I would protect…" Yami realised. "There's no question, whoever it was…"
Bakura coughed as he took in needed air; "you would help," he muttered. "that's just how you always were before…"
Yami tipped his head, so that he was low and close to Bakura, but not in a threatening way.
"Before what?" he asked.
Bakura struggled up into a sitting position. He ran slender fingers over his neck and grimaced at Yami.
"Quite the grip you have there, Pharaoh."
"Tell me," Yami held Bakura's sleeve, ignoring everything else. "What did you mean by that?"
Bakura blinked at Yami's hand, his face undecided between repulsion and resignation. Then he looked at Yami and closed a hand round the Puzzle at the same time, as though trying to test his reaction.
Yami didn't say anything; he anticipated Bakura's essence. He felt the Puzzle light up against his chest, and then the glow emitting from Bakura's Ring too. Yami reached out and held it.
The Ring burned, but not in a painful way. It was intense and flared inside his mind, making it run with distant, dream-like thoughts. Like the tips of memories he couldn't yet grab a hold of, even though they were so close and he almost knew what there were. He could almost see them, teasing and baiting him.
"You do know, don't you?" he said to Bakura. "You know everything about me…everything I need to know, don't you?"
Bakura took a while to answer; his expression was glazed; almost bored, not hindered by any sort of emotion.
"I don't know that much," he murmured. "so don't waste your time asking me."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Yami demanded.
Bakura shut his eyes, and his features sunk into exhaustion. "You should let Yugi out now," he said. "He wants to."
"What?" Yami snapped. He hated that Bakura might use his own host's name so knowingly, never mind know things he might not. He pushed Bakura's hand away from the Puzzle, then remembered his own on the Ring. Jerking away, he felt Bakura's exhaustion disappear from his mind, along with everything else about his essence.
It was easy to find and leave the Spirit's mind, Yami realised, now he knew what to do.
"I could detect your host through the link, and he wants to come out," Bakura explained. "Perhaps you are unable to sense it just yet."
Yami opened his mouth, wanting to be indignant, but not sure what about.
"Is he…will he be okay?" he asked instead. It was weird asking Bakura that sort of thing.
"Probably," Bakura said, like he could care less.
"You could at least pretend to have some concern," Yami said hatefully.
"You want me to lie to you, now?" Bakura snapped back, and seemed to wince with it. He rubbed a hand on his back. "I could detect your host's presence, isn't that comfort enough for you?"
"No it isn't," Yami said. "especially hearing if from the likes of you."
Bakura grinned a bit; "my word means so little to you, and yet you have no choice but to take it."
"I have other choices," Yami said steadily. "but I'm more moral than that."
"Threats? How wonderful. I wonder how far I can push you?"
"This isn't a game, Bakura. No matter what you might think."
Bakura nodded. "I know." he looked at the Puzzle again. "So let your host come out."
Yami saw Bakura's expression somehow matching his serious words. The Spirit's mouth faltered and for a moment Yami saw the strain there. There was no point in trying to second guess things now. Even if it was frightening, listening to Bakura, and trying to trust what he said.
Yami remembered that Yugi wanted to trust Bakura, for now at least.
He sighed and closed his eyes, allowing himself to fall into his own Soul Room. Yugi's essence passed by him, brief and rather weak, but there all the same. It covered him then, as it returned to it's corporal body.
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Yugi whimpered and slumped down on Bakura's chest.
"Hm." the boy said, and nothing else.
Bakura hauled himself up some more, so that he was rested on his elbows. He stared at Yugi with an irritated face, and then spat the rest of the blood out of his mouth.
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Notes: this didn't really want to write. Probably needs editing. Hopefully I can pick it up next time. There was also going to be a kiss between certain people (no, not that Duke/Serenity one) but I'm evil and decided to hold it off. Also Kaiba will come back, I love him too much to dismiss him in an off-page duel. He'll be nice n pissed off too.
Happy Holidays everyone, and here's to a better New Year.
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