AGKamon: Oh my gosh a really fast update~! I got an idea, and I had to type it. The ideas starting flowing, and then I got this; it's long enough to make a chapter. So I said, why not publish this?
Kayla: If you put that to some music, that could be a song. A really weird song, but a song nonetheless.
AGKamon: I know, I listen to way too much music. ...Disclaimer! *points randomly* ...Ryo, what are you doing here?
Marik: Oh, hey. What are you doing here, Ryo?
Ryo: I heard this chapter had me in it, and figured perhaps I should be a guest like you did with Yami.
AGKamon: How...can he be that cute, without trying?
Kayla: Darn Pharaoh...so annoying...thinks I'm a lair... *continues to mutter angrily*
AGKamon: Well...disclaimer, Ryo?
Ryo: Oh sure. AuraGuardianKamon18 doesn't own me, Bakura, Marik, or anything else related to Yu-Gi-Oh!, she only owns Kayla Kossori, her OC. Shall, uh, start the chapter?
AGKamon: Sure! But...where'd Bakura go?
Kayla's P.O.V.
My feet hit the arena floor so suddenly that I stumbled forward a few steps, but I quickly caught my balance before I fell. The dark cloud that was previously settled in the air was clearing the way for a bright blue sky; it seemed so long ago since I last saw it. I'd been mostly in the blimp, and the times I wasn't was during the few times I witnessed a Shadow Game. The shadowy cloud blocked the sky during the Shadow Game, and then I was sent to the Shadow Realm as well. Although, I was confused, where did Bakura go?
"Kayla, are you alright?" Marik asked, walking up to me. There was a worried look in his purple eyes; I looked up at him.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess. Where's Bakura?" I questioned. My concern for the safety of the spirit of the Millennium Ring grew when the Egyptian's expression darkened.
"It's a long story, I'll tell you on the way back to Domino City, alright?"
"…Fine." Subconsciously, my eyes narrowed when I noticed the Pharaoh and his group of followers walking up to us; I noted that his eyes seemed to sadden when he saw me.
I hope he feels guilty…
"Pharaoh…" I growled, crossing my arms.
"…I am quite sorry for not believing you. I know it doesn't make a difference now, but I would like to make it up to you somehow."
"I'll try to think of something; there's only one thing on my mind now and it doesn't involve you."
"Alright, listen nerds, as the person who began the tournament, I suppose I should congratulate the winner. However, Yugi, you wouldn't have won if Marik hadn't surrendered," Kaiba suddenly said.
"I see he's still as egotistical as always," I muttered. For a reason I couldn't place, I felt oddly bitter and resentful. I had just been saved from Dark Marik's grasp again, and said psychopath was trapped in the Shadow Realm forever; so why was I feeling these out-of-place emotions? Then again, I never had liked the Pharaoh. He was just too much of a do-gooder for me, perhaps that was it; maybe I was holding a bit of a grudge against him too.
"Nice win, Yugi! According to the Battle City rules, you now get your opponent's rarest card," Kaiba's little brother said.
"That's right…" the Pharaoh noted.
"Well then, I assume it's obvious which of my cards you get. The Winged Dragon of Ra."
"Make sure he doesn't give you the fake one," the Pharaoh's blonde friend whispered. I sent glare his way as Marik handed the important card to the winner.
"Now, Pharaoh, it is finally time for me to complete my duty as a tomb-keeper and show you the Secret of the Pharaoh." Suddenly, Marik stripped himself of his shirt and turned around, revealing various marks tattooed across his back. I assumed that they were Egyptian hieroglyphs.
"I'll try to read it…" the Pharaoh mumbled, looking intensely at the markings. He seemed to recognize it.
"Also, all the victims who were banished to the Shadow Realm by my darker half have been freed," Marik said, turning to face the Pharaoh once more. It was then that I wondered where he'd put his shirt; he wasn't holding it, his sister didn't have it, neither did his brother, and it wasn't on the ground anywhere.
That's strange. Where'd the shirt go…?
"I believe these would be safer with you as well…" Marik added, handing the Millennium Rod to him and preparing to do the same with the Ring.
"Wait!" I interrupted, stopping the Egyptian in his tracks.
"What?"
"The Millennium Ring belongs to Bakura, what right do you have to give it away? Even if Bakura said you could give it to someone, don't you think he'd prefer me having it over him?" I explained, nodding my head toward the Pharaoh.
"Well…Pharaoh?"
"No, it's fine, Marik. Let her have the Ring," he replied. Reluctantly, Marik handed the Ring to me, and I put it around my neck. I suddenly felt a lot better; this thing did belong to Bakura, who wasn't here, I guess it was the next best thing to having him around.
"Thanks, Pharaoh, you're on the road to earning my forgiveness."
Bakura's P.O.V.
I blinked repeatedly to rid my vision of the spots of light that had appeared when the flash shone to signal that I was being transported to the home of the Egyptian Gods. Even though it was my fifth time being called here, I could never get used to that bright flash.
"Well, what do you need?" I asked irritably, thinking of many better things I could be doing with my precious time. The three figures sitting on the trio of thrones before me studied me and my most likely obvious impatience. It seemed as though the Egyptian Gods had decided to take on their human forms for this meeting.
"You really should be more respectful, thief," the figure sitting on the right scolded. His dull yellow eyes were narrowed in either annoyance or he was deep in thought, probably both. A set of red armor covered his body, and a blue helmet concealed his hair which I knew was bright red like his armor.
"Why, Slifer, don't you know that's not in my job description?" I taunted, waiting for the outburst to come from the figure on the far left.
"Shut your mouth!"
There it is. I smirked while turning my head to look at the man in blue armor, his red eyes were shining angrily like embers. A matching blue helmet was set on the marble floor, revealing his messy, short blue hair.
"Now, now, boys. Relax. Honestly, I swear these meetings always start out the same way," the third figure sighed, twirling a strand of golden-blonde hair with their index finger. This was the only female. Her ankle-length yellow dress shifted as she crossed her legs, one of her gold-colored heels glinted when the sunlight hit it, as did the sapphire-encrusted headband holding back her bangs. A pair of sky-blue eyes looked between Obelisk and I with a tired expression.
"Of course, Ra. What did you need me for?" I questioned. Obelisk was always fun to toy with, especially when I set off his nasty temper. My ears picked up a growl from the temperamental Egyptian Gods.
"I-"
"We," Slifer interrupted.
"Fine, we have noticed a sudden change in your behavior, it's for the better, but it's still curious."
"…So?"
"If you have changed, we wish to know."
"…It's personal, you don't need to know," I defended. The last thing I needed was the Egyptian Gods thinking I've gone soft, especially since it's for a mortal girl with nothing mythical about her.
Well, there's her looks, but that certainly doesn't count...
"Did the tough little thief find a girlfriend?" Obelisk mocked. Not wanting to make a scene, I simply crossed my arms and stared at one of the walls. The whispering among the three revealed they'd gotten an idea.
"If you tell us the truth, Bakura, it will have benefits," Ra suggested.
"What kind of benefits are we speaking about?" I asked, narrowing my eyes in suspicion.
"There are a few details we might have to work out, but at the current time, we can get you a body of your own," Slifer replied. My ears perked up at hearing those words, and I sighed.
"If you're really that desperate to know, then I'll agree to your terms. As long as I get my own body, and I have a few other deals I wish to discuss with the three of you as well. However, I shall tell why I've changed my behavior. For once, Obelisk actually did something right, it's all because of a girl." Ra leaned forward in interest, her eyes sparkling more than usual.
"So you really like this girl, huh? What's she like? Is she a mortal?" the golden Egyptian God questioned.
So this is what it's like when a 'girl talk' occurs. You're pressed for answers until you give them up.
"I do. If you've been watching me like I know you have been, then you know what she's like. And yes, she is indeed a complete mortal."
"Then why'd she get your attention? Since when do you care about anyone besides yourself?" Slifer wondered, blunt as usual.
"I'm still attempting to figure out why, out of all the mortal females, she got my attention. She brings out the softer side of me that I never knew existed."
"Aw, that's so cute!" Ra gushed, clasped her hands together in glee. I raised an eyebrow and gave her a strange look.
"Oh no, here she goes again…" Obelisk sighed.
"Since she doesn't get any time to talk about anything 'feminine', she completely goes off the deep end whenever something comes up that peaks her interest," Slifer added.
"I'll help you in whatever way possible, Bakura. After your hard life, you need someone to be with. This is so sweet!" She jumped up from her seat and patted the top of my head.
Oh dear Ra, what did I just get myself into?
Kayla's P.O.V.
Marik shut the door behind him and turned to face me.
"Marik, tell me now, where is Bakura?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips and giving him a threatening look.
"Well, right after the duel ended and that dark cloud swallowed us momentarily, he told me where he was going. Supposedly, the Egyptian Gods were holding a meeting, and they needed him to be there. That's all I really know," Marik explained, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.
"…Do you know when he's coming back?"
"He wasn't completely sure, but at least a few months. However, I'm sticking around, so you won't be lonely, right?"
"Yeah, I guess…" I sighed, sitting down in a chair that happened to be behind me. I pinched the bridge of my nose and felt my heart racing.
He could've just told me, why did he give the message to Marik? I already feel lonelier. My heart was racing, being around Bakura had given me comfort. My fears melted away at a quicker rate, and my urges were almost completely gone. I hadn't even noticed until now, but I haven't set anything on fire or set any bombs off since I blew up Marik's wallet.
That seems like so long ago now. It looked as though Marik was about to say something else to me when the door burst open and a blonde woman stepped in.
"Come on, we're abandoning the blimp. The engines are dead, and we have to take a helicopter," she warned, motioning for us to follow her lead. Even though I felt as if my entire body was numb, I forced myself to stand and run behind the two who were already out the door.
Kaiba's such a sore loser, blowing up his own island when he doesn't win. Even so, I wonder how Bakura's doing with his meeting. I took the empty seat by the window next to Marik when I finally boarded the crowded helicopter. Smoke and fire filled the air outside the copter when we took off, and I was thankful that we weren't down there. However, in the silence, my mind wandered back to thirty minutes ago.
My nose caught the scent of food, and I, curious, peeked into the food storage room. A head of white hair grabbed my attention, and my breath caught in my throat. My eyes grew wide for a moment.
Is that…Bakura?
"Oh hello there, was there something you needed?" he asked, and at once, I knew that this boy must be the other half of Bakura that I'd heard so much about. His voice was too innocent, and his accent was too strong.
"You're…Bakura's good half, right?" I inquired, walking up and sitting next to him.
"I guess you could call me that. Can I assume you're the young woman he's always thinking about lately? He's never mentioned your name though…" I could feel my face flush, since when did Bakura think about me so often?
"I-I guess. The name's Kayla by the way. How did you know Bakura thought about me?"
"He doesn't let me interfere at all, or listen to me, but we can usually see what the other is thinking. You've been on his mind a lot lately, he actually seems to care about you. Usually, he uses people and leaves them behind, but you're different."
"How so?"
"Many of his thoughts were about keeping you safe, or contemplating why you attracted his attention without even trying, or even how he thinks you're beautiful."
"Wha-what?" I stuttered, looking at the boy in shock. He'd set down the piece of food he was previously consuming to focus on his thoughts.
"Indeed, I remember him comparing you to a goddess multiple times. As well as considering how your current situations are similar, in a way. After all, I've seen some of what his past was like. It's no wonder why he's still haunted by thoughts of it. He constantly compares that to your nightmares, thinking how similar the two of you are, even though you hadn't met before Battle City. He really likes you, Kayla. I've never seen him think like this before, and he's been inhabiting my body for years now. I would know." He smiled softly at me while I considering his words.
"Really…? Well, I've never really thought about it. I didn't have the life of a 'normal' teenager after all; I never had crushes or went on dates or giggled with a bunch of girls about some guy we thought was hot. But, Bakura is pretty amazing when I think about it. He's risked himself twice for me already and comforted me every time since he discovered my nightmares. I can tell that he doesn't do much of either one." The boy laughed lightly.
"True, true. Before you came along, he thought about the Millennium Items and how to get rid of the Pharaoh, mostly. I haven't seen those thoughts enter his mind for a while, it seems like."
"Hey, Kayla! You around here?" a familiar voice I recognized as Marik's pierced our conversation. We both jumped at hearing the sudden shout.
"Thanks Bakura-" I started.
"Please, call me Ryo. Bakura's his name, right? We don't want anyone to be confused, now do we?"
"No, we don't. But, thanks Ryo." I stood and headed for the door to meet Marik.
"What are you thanking me for? All we did was talk!" The young British boy never got my answer because now my mind was set on one thing: getting Marik to tell me where Bakura disappeared to.
I shook my head to clear my mind when someone tapped my shoulder.
"What?" I questioned, turning my head to Ryo and Marik looking at me expectantly.
"You fell asleep," Ryo said.
"And we've landed in Domino City, come on," Marik added. Both of them smiled pleasantly at me as I walked past Marik to get off the helicopter; Marik seemed to be acting oddly nice.
What did they talk about when I was asleep? The thought was discarded when Marik suddenly flung his arm around my neck, and Ryo suddenly appeared next to me.
"What the heck is wrong with you two? Especially you Marik, you're acting strange," I accused.
"I'm just happy my dark side's gone for good. Anyway, we have good news, I bet you're curious about it!"
"Unless you found out when Bakura's coming back, then no, I'm not curious. But, you're going to tell me anyway."
"Ishizu and Odion are going back to Egypt, and my sister left me her 3 bedroom apartment. We're living there now."
"And it's in my apartment building, so I can visit!" Ryo added.
"Great, can you get your arm off my neck now?"
"Dear Ra, what's your problem, Kayla? You've been acting really-"
"Depressed?" Ryo suggested.
"I was going to say bitter, but that works too. Either way, why?"
"It's…just…Bakura and I were really close. I'm kind of missing him, I guess." I stared at the sky in thought: why did him being gone bother me so much? I mean, Marik said it would be temporary, that Bakura would be coming back, right?
"Well, if that's it, I'm sure he'll be back in a few months. Now, let's go check out our new place!" Marik then grabbed my wrist and pulled in a random direction with Ryo following close behind us.
Bakura, you better not have lied. You better be back in a few months like you said.
AGKamon: Is Bakura going to return soon, and with a body of his own too? Also, the comment about Marik's shirt seeming to disappear actually happens. I was reviewing that episode, and Marik takes his shirt off. However, when he turns back around, the shirt is nowhere to be seen. So I was like 'where'd his shirt go?' Because that's the kind of things I notice. Also, I just made up the personalities and appearances of Ra, Silfer, and Obelisk - I can picture a human Obelisk having a temper for some reason.
Bakura: *walks in* I'm back...
Kayla: Yay, Bakura! *jumps at him, only to be caught*
Bakura: I know better by now, did you reply to the reviews yet, AG?
AGKamon: Doing it right now!
.Fortune - Yes, I would never injure one of my characters too badly. Don't worry, I have plans for Kayla's revenge on the Pharaoh, she won't forgive him without payback. And, I'm not going to say anything about Bakura's time of return. I'm keeping that as my little secret, I think you'll find out a little bit more sometime soon...the suspense is totally going to bother you, right? Anyway~! Is this a soon enough update for you?
Bloody Rabbit Alice - Okay, these were the reactions to your tackle hug *Kayla: Cool, hugs! -hugs you back- ~ Marik: Uh, alright...why not? -awkwardly pats you on the back- ~ Bakura: What the heck? -attempts running until Kayla walks over and hugs him too. Marik gives him a thumbs-up in the background while I face-palm-* Alas, I cannot write a character who is pure evil like Zorc. So instead, I made him decent to Bakura because Thief King Bakura is sort of the one who awoke Zorc in ancient Egypt. Therefore, Zorc owns Bakura. Au Revior...I love that song (is referring to a song by my favorite singer Cascada). Anyway...YAY~! Updates are great.
AGKamon: And thanks to VintageStardust for putting Neutral on their story alert list. Finally, I have some news. I think that sometime in the near future, I will end Neutral and start the second story of this little series I'm making. Why? Well, because Neutral takes place during the Battle City season, and it makes sense if it ends at the ending of that season. The second story will take place during the fourth season, Waking the Dragons because I'm totally going to be tweaking the story-line from that season to include Bakura (definitely Yami Bakura, maybe a little Ryo), Kayla (of course), and Marik (why would I leave him out?), plus my new mystery OC who's being paired up with Marik!
Marik: Alright! So, Ryo, are you planning on staying. Either way, you should sign out the chapter.
Ryo: I don't know...
AGKamon: But Ryo~! You should stay at least until the end of Neutral!
Ryo: Okay then. Read and review everyone!
AGKamon: Who's going to deny that cute little face *points at Ryo while he's not looking* reviews? Besides, aren't you curious about what's going to happen next?