AGKamon: Welcome back loyal and totally awesome readers! I don't really have any important to except that school's being a complete pain! * collapses on nearby couch and whines* I shouldn't have homework every night!
Bakura: She *points at AG* will be replying to your reviews at the end of the chapter, like usual.
Marik: So I'll get this show on the road by saying the- *is interrupted*
Kayla: *glomps Bakura and interrupts* I'll say the disclaimer! AuraGuardianKamon18 also known as AGKamon or AG doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Bakura, or Marik. She only owns me.
Bakura: *somehow blushes slightly* Wha? G-get off me!
Marik: Hey Bakura, since when do you stutter?
Bakura: *gets angry* I was surprised, alright? Start the stupid chapter...
Kayla's P.O.V.
I felt a shudder travel down my spine, and I knew something wasn't right at once. My eyes opened slowly, and a frightening thought hit me; there wasn't anyone in here. Immediately, I felt some fear threatening to course through my veins.
"Bakura?" My voice sounded small in the seemingly empty room. I waited a few moments to see if I could hear a sound, any sound at all. But I couldn't; it was silent.
"Bakura…you there?" I called again; I sounded more fearful, my voice was starting to get shaky by now. That was never a good sign. Suppressing a shiver, I hopped out of my bed and looked around.
It's so eerie when it's dark in here…and empty…and… I quickly shook my head to rid myself of the scary thoughts threatening my possible impending loneliness.
Bakura wouldn't do that! He said so; as long as he's around, I'm not alone! But…where is he? I knew that I wouldn't be able to fall asleep without knowing where he was, so I changed, grabbed my equipment, and quietly slipped out of the room. I waited a few moments outside the door, allowing my eyes to adjust to the pitch-black hallways before I cautiously stepped forward. The sound echoed through the empty air, and I flinched at how loud it was. Contemplating a plan, I tapped the communicator behind my ear, hoping Bakura would get my call. Marik wouldn't hear anything because his communication device had been shattered when his dark side took over.
"Bakura? Bakura, come on tell me where you are!" I whispered, panic was starting to set in. There was no other option, I had to look for him. Taking one last look at the room I'd be leaving behind, I took off running.
Bakura's P.O.V.
I glanced at the cards in my hand before a familiar sound entering my ears.
"Bakura? Bakura, come on tell me where you are!" I almost flinched at the tone of her voice; she sounded afraid. Cursing under my breath, I realized that once again, one of Marik's plans had failed - or was going to. Marik's dark side had this duel in the palm of his hand, and it seemed as though there was nothing I could do to turn the tables on this dark figure. However, this was to protect her, and I'd keep fighting until my last breath to keep her safe. I wasn't sure why I'd felt attracted to her, of all girls, but she had me falling for her. Hard.
My free hand clenched into a fist because of my frustration as I selected my move, hoping to drag this duel out long enough until I could come up with a strategy to banish this being to the Shadow Realm permanently. It tugged on the heartstrings I didn't know I had anymore, but I ignored her voice calling my name. Even as I could hear fear and distress penetrating it more every time she called.
Kayla's P.O.V.
He wasn't answering my calls. That fact worried me enough to send me rushing through the hallways of the blimp, frantically looking for him wherever I went. I tapped the communicator for what I thought, seemed to be at least the fifth time.
"B-Bakura…c'mon…where are you?" I only got empty static as a response, no sounds at all and definitely not the slightly British-accented voice I was hoping to hear. My breathing was heavy from running, and I stayed still, panting to catch my breath before taking off again. I was sure I had checked everywhere; so where could that Egyptian spirit be? Suddenly, I stopped, coming to a realization.
"The duel arena, of course." I turned around and entered the elevator I'd just passed, tapping my foot impatiently as it made its way to the top of the blimp. A freezing blast of wind greeted me as the doors opened, and they made me wish that I'd remembered to bring a coat with me. There was a dark, desolate feeling hanging in the air, and living with Bakura and Marik taught me to know that feeling. Whoever was out here was having a Shadow Duel, and I'd just walked in on it.
It wouldn't surprise if Dark Marik's partially the cause of this and…oh no! Bakura! I fought back against the raging wind pushing me back to confirm whether my worries were true. The first thing that I saw was the Winged Dragon of Ra that Marik had told me about; now Dark Marik's involvement was obvious. Tearing my eyes away from the golden beast, I let them travel toward the other side of the arena. A head of white hair caught my eye. A barely visible, tanned form was standing slightly behind him; both of them were glaring at the dark half of Marik. The gasp I felt coming was caught in my throat.
Is that…Marik? The good one? I opened my mouth to speak, but a certain translucent Egyptian spoke first when his purple eyes happened to glance in my direction.
"Kayla?" I saw Bakura's form stiffen slightly as he looked toward me as well. He seemed surprised that I'd found him, but there was a worried look in his eyes.
"You should've given up; what are you doing here?" he asked. I mentally questioned why he thought I'd give up on anything, but I quickly disregarded the thought in favor of answering him.
"I was worried when I woke up and couldn't find you. You wouldn't answer your communicator, so I looked everywhere," I replied, raising my voice over the wind. The slight glare that was always in his eyes softened before he turned back toward the duel he was obviously losing. His eyes were mostly looking at the ground; they had the look of a kid when they've failed something they wanted to do.
"You should've stayed in our room; there's nothing you can do now." The tone of voice he used was the same as the tone he used to comfort me; softer and gentler than usual, but still firm. I glared at Dark Marik when he cackled at Bakura's apparent worry for me.
"How touching, you seem to care for the girl. I might just have to pay her a visit after you and my weaker half are banished to the Shadow Realm!" I felt a shiver course through my body, and my fear tripled. I know about sanity and insanity, and that being was completely psychotic; he could and would do absolutely anything to me. And I really mean anything; as long as it involved pain, that thing would probably go for it. Bakura's head jerked up at Dark Marik's words to look at him, a murderous gleam in his eyes.
"This is between you and me, Marik! Leave her out of it!" Bakura snapped. Both Mariks seemed stunned at the white-haired spirit's outburst and clear protectiveness over me. Dark Marik grinned before replying.
"You can't be sure of that when you're in the Shadow Realm, now can you? However, first things first: Winged Dragon of Ra, attack them and end this duel!" Dark Marik ordered. A sphere of flames formed in the golden dragon's mouth as I felt a sudden urge to run and protect the two people I cared about, but I was frozen to my spot with fear. I couldn't run away either; how could I bring myself to leave my friends behind? Even as their cries of pain echoed through my head.
The flames subsided to reveal Bakura's form slowly giving away to darkness, and I turned away to hide the tears I didn't know had welled up in my eyes.
"Any last words before you're sent to the Shadow Realm?" Dark Marik asked tauntingly. I felt myself start to shake slightly, whether it was from fear of Dark Marik, fear of being alone again, the cold, or a mixture of the three - I couldn't be sure.
"Kayla…I need you to know something…" Bakura started, his voice was uncharacteristically weak and shaky. I turned back to him; his expression seemed softer but also more solemn, as if he thought it was the last time he'd ever see me again. As if it was the final time he'd ever see anything but darkness. He seemed to contemplate his next words before he spoke once more.
"You're the one I needed; I think I might've fallen for you…" The sound of the Millennium Ring clattering to the floor signaled his departure to the Shadow Realm. As the words continued to run through my mind a second and a third time, I felt my cheeks heat up slightly.
He'd fallen for me…? It all makes sense now… Dark Marik stepped forward victoriously to claim the Ring, but I had another plan in store. I climbed onto the arena, snatched the Ring, and took off as quickly as my legs could carry me. I wanted to get Bakura's Ring and myself as far away from that monster that I could manage without tiring myself too much. As I continued pushing my legs to run the fastest I've ever run in my life, I put the Ring over my head so it'd hang loosely around my neck. I turned my head to see if he was behind me, and that's when I ran into something. Or someone, since the obstacle seemed softer than the metal walls of the blimp. One plea chanted itself in my mind as I turned to look in front of me once more:
Please don't be Dark Marik…please don't be Dark Marik…please don't be Dark Marik!
AGKamon: *sing-song voice* Oh~ cliffhanger~! Bakura finally confessed his feelings, how sweet!
Kayla: Marik, your dark side's a sadistic, psychotic, monster.
Marik: *sighs* I know...
Bakura: Why did I listen to another one of your plans, Marik? I should have known it'd fail like all of them do!
Marik: H-hey! My plans aren't that bad!
AGKamon: I'll start replying to the reviews before you two start an argument:
katz341 - I thank you for looking at the picture, and you commented on it on deviantart too! It did take a long time to do the shading, and if you were wondering, the picture was drawn and colored in the usual paint program that came with my computer, and I blended the shading and did the writing in Photoshop. And I can't wait for the next chapter of Exercise!
Adriatic Rose - I love the way this story of mine is going, so I will certainly keep up the good work! ...I've heard a lot of good things about the Phantom of the Opera, but I've never actually read it...I think I should though. I'm still glad you're an obedient friend!
sorecess of the nile - Glad you liked the chapter, and yes, it is true that Bakura's always in a good mood. But to the people who write fan-fiction about him, we don't mind right? I made him not in a completely horrible mood, and he still seems kind of in character, so I'm pretty sure it's possible for him to have a 'good mood', but no one's ever seen it. What a shame...
Thanks for reviewing all of you. Also thanks to katz341 for putting me on their favorite authors list and putting this story on her favorites list, I'm not sure if I already thanked you, Adriatic Rose for putting Neutral on their favorites list and story alert list. Whenever I get your reviews, I feel like I have fans and it boosts my horrible self-confidence. Thanks again!
Bakura: *still glaring at Marik*
Marik: *also still glaring at Bakura*
Kayla: *looks nervous* Uh...we'll get this sorted out somehow...see ya next chapter!