Ranko: Yo, yo, yo!
Yami: What is your problem?
Yuugi: Ranko is in a good mood because of all the awesome feedback from her lovely reviewers!
Ranko: Wait! I just realized that this story is going to end soon! In like…two chapters! Holy cow! How time flies!
Yami: Let's just answer from reviews.
hikari no senshi17: I'm happy to know that I'm not the only one getting upset at Yami! Oh my goodness, you are so close to the actual location of the base! You have no idea! You can have half a cookie for that amazing guess! Please continue to review!
raindropdew: That's what I was thinking of where Bakura would go too! Thanks for the help! Dang, your guess is so close to what the actual base is! But not quite! Good luck on the exams and please continue to review!
1: Ain't it just! Please continue to review!
TheGuardian'sOfTheFishBowl: I loved your review so much! It made me laugh when you called me a demoness, and I thought in my mind, "Thank you!" Anyway, I hope that you are reading this now because that means I still have you guys in my story! Please continue to review!
sea girl: You make me feel so loved! I'm happy you love my little story so much and I can tell by your review that you also love my updates! I appreciate your enthusiasm and please continue to review!
Pharaoh Silver: Yay! You are back! And for all of the people who want Yami to win, raise their hands (Ranko raises hand). Also, Ryou-bunny is certainly not dead ;) Please continue to review!
Storm15: Ah! Your review made me happy! I know that it is bad, but I usually don't review most stories, especially those that haven't updated in a long time. Seto is a diva but that is why we all love him! It is a good thing that I will be ending it differently, I don't want to get hurt =3 Please continue to review!
Yuugi: My favorite part of the chapters is when you answer reviews.
Ranko: That's because I don't abuse you in that part of the chapter.
Yami: Ranko twin owns nothing!
Ranko: Enjoy!
-/-
"Damn it," Bakura muttered under his breath as the rain began to come down harder and colder. He pulled his hood over his head and pressed it against his face to shield himself from the wind.
He knew that he shouldn't have come out here in the middle of the night with no one else to back him up in case he had an encounter with a Shadow Man, namely Akefia; he hated that man so much. But despite that, Bakura felt surprisingly safe.
He had a dream that night; it was about Ryou, again. However, this dream was different than the other dreams he had had about the boy. Ryou was dressed entirely in white and standing in an empty, blank room. He looked scared for some reason and kept looking over his shoulder.
"Bakura," he said. "Listen to me! Go to the rooftop at the high school. You have to trust me! Please, go!"
So Bakura went, just as Ryou said. He didn't think for a minute that it was the Shadow Men manipulating his dream; he knew it in his gut that it was real. Bakura made it to the high school and broke the lock open. Any normal person would be afraid to walk in an empty school in the middle of a rainy night, but Bakura pressed on, climbing up the stairs to the roof.
When Bakura made it to the roof, it felt like the rain was coming down even harder and he could hear the faint sound of the storm sirens. He didn't know why Ryou wanted him to be up here, he didn't specify. For all Bakura knew, this could be where Yami's base was, but he highly doubted that.
Bakura walked to the railing at the edge of the roof. His hood flew off his head, his hair whipping around his face, and his thin jacket flapping at his sides. This was the place where Ryou kissed him for the first time; Bakura chuckled as he remembered how Ryou fled afterwards.
Ryou was only in middle school at that time, wasn't he? He walked all the way to the high school, which was in the opposite direction of his house just so he could confess his feelings to Bakura.
"Bakura!"
The man in questioned jumped in surprise; that was Ryou's voice. It was coming from all around him, muted by the rain. Bakura began to look around in all directions and called out, "Ryou! Where are you?"
"…Kura!"
"Ryou!" Bakura cried again, looking around more desperately. The rain had become like a curtain; he could barely see what was in front of him but he could swear that he saw an outline of a person.
"…Ra!"
And suddenly Bakura was reminded of the story Mai told them, about the boy who disappeared in one of those voids. His mother went to the spot he disappeared each day and his voice slowly grew fainter and fainter each day until it faded away completely.
Bakura felt his heart clench in horror. He ran head long through the rain, not caring that he could possibly even run off the roof. "Ryou!"
His voice echoed back at him, except this voice was much more mocking and cocky. "Ryou!"
Bakura whipped around and saw glowing yellow eyes cut through the gray sheet of rain that was still falling down.
It was the phantom snake.
He felt something similar to someone tapping him on his shoulder. He turned back around and it was like staring into a mirror. Except this cruel reflection was tanner than he was and had a scar running down his left eye. Two pairs of burgundy eyes locked and Bakura growled, his canines peaking out. His reflection's canines peaked out when he smirked.
"Isn't that just the sweetest thing," Akefia asked, still grinning cruelly. "Ryou! Ryou!" Akefia laughed. "Pathetic," he spit out.
Bakura swung his fist out to hit the man in front of him but it went right through him, like the Shadow Man didn't exist.
Akefia appeared again behind him; Bakura spun around. "Let me guess," Akefia began, "you came here because you had a dream about Ryou who told you to come, am I right?" Akefia laughed again.
Bakura swung again, missed, and advanced forward to try and hit the man again. This became a pattern as Akefia continued to taunt him. Swing, miss, step. Swing, miss, step.
If Ryou were here he would probably tell Bakura to control his anger because Akefia wasn't worth the time or energy. But honestly, Bakura didn't care at the moment. All he saw was red from rage.
"Honestly," Akefia said as he continued to taunt Bakura. "How gullible can you be? Ryou is our victim in the Shadow Realm, did it ever occur to you that my brothers and I could have created that dream so you could come here."
Bakura growled and took a few more steps forward as Akefia continued to take steps back. "No!" he cried, refusing to believe that.
"Why? It makes perfect sense, you are the only strong one in the group left, we need to get rid of you if we want to win this Game," Akefia said as he nonchalantly cleaned his fingernails.
And it all hit Bakura like a ton of bricks. He had left Malik and Yuugi all alone without any defense. Yami or Marik could easily come in and hurt them, or take them away. He had fallen into the Shadow Men's trap and foolishly went up to a roof in the middle of the night during a rainstorm, where he could barely see two feet in front of him. And he had been following Akefia to the edge of the roof.
Akefia smirked as he saw the understanding on Bakura's face. He disappeared in front of Bakura and reappeared behind him. "You'll be with your beloved Ryou soon," he whispered in Bakura's ear and pushed him over the edge of the roof.
Meanwhile ~
"I really hope that we're not too late," Malik huffed as he and Yuugi sprinted across the wet sidewalk to the school.
Yuugi didn't want to even think about that at the moment. He wasn't afraid at this point, more furious than anything else. He was mad at Bakura who had foolishly gone outside, even after what had happened to all their friends. Yuugi pushed his damp bangs away from his face. "Just keep running."
They made it to the high school and they saw that the front lock to the school had been broken. Yuugi gripped the handle and was about to pull it open when Malik put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "What?" Yuugi nearly snapped out. Malik simply shook his head and pointed to something that was sitting on the ground beside the door.
Yuugi's eyes widened when he saw a white haired paper doll with a drawn on scowl that was holding a folded up paper heart.
Yuugi felt his entire being go numb and he knew it wasn't because of the cold. He exchanged a look with Malik; he couldn't even cry anymore over a loss of a friend. Fear was beginning to take over and it was just the two of them now. Malik delicately picked up the paper doll of his lost best friend and cradled it to his chest. Yuugi began to play with the paper heart as they walked home, the rain was beginning to clear up but the darkness didn't go away.
It wasn't until after they got back to Yuugi's apartment that they realized the paper heart was the next clue. It was so strange, coming back to such an empty place that was once filled with people. Now their friends were narrowed down to two and Yuugi constantly looked over his shoulder, wondering if Yami would suddenly appear.
They put Bakura's doll beside the rest of them. It was a long line up; they all stared at him with those waxy, crayon eyes. Malik burrowed himself into a pile of blankets, shaking badly.
The riddle on the heart was simple, something one would learn in kindergarten.
What gets bigger the more you take away from it?
Malik and Yuugi both knew the answer; it was a hole.
Malik chuckled dryly. "It doesn't really say who is next but that doesn't matter. I'm going to be next; Yami wants to save you for last." Malik burrowed himself deeper into his cocoon. "It doesn't say how it's going to happen, but that doesn't really matter, does it? As long as you know it's going to happen." Malik's voice was surprisingly calm but Yuugi could hear the hysteria in his voice.
"Malik, calm down…" Yuugi said, his voice weary.
"So that means I'm going to fall into a hole…somewhere," Malik said, his voice wavering at certain points.
Yuugi shook his head. "No, Malik, there is still a chance to find the base."
Malik looked out the window at the dark sky. "We're never going to find it…"
"You don't know that," Yuugi said, trying to sound encouraging. "I have an idea; Yami said something about the hint being as clear as black and white. And then, in my first dream, he said something about image and reality."
Malik looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "How do we know what is reality? We could still be in the paper house. Like, maybe we're in someone's nightmare right now. Maybe we're still in the old Game?"
Yuugi shook his head. "No, Malik, we got out of the old Game," Yuugi said as if he were speaking to a child. "Just lie down, Malik; I'll get you a glass of water." Yuugi moved to stand up but Malik's hand shot out and gripped Yuugi's wrist, tugging him back down.
"No!" he cried desperately. "Don't leave me! When you leave me alone, the Shadow Men will get me!"
Yuugi made soothing shushing noises and sat back down next to Malik, rubbing his back comfortingly. "Okay, I'll stay right here with you, Malik."
Malik shook his head and giggled. "No, it's not okay. I have to go to the bathroom but then one of the Shadow Men could get me in there too. I really have to go though. What a dilemma, huh?" He giggled again.
"Malik, stop it," Yuugi said with force behind his words. It made Malik look up and into Yuugi's eyes for the first time since they found Bakura's paper doll. "Calm down, I won't let the Shadow Men get you. I'll stand right outside the door. Just do your business and then we can talk about the base."
Malik stared into Yuugi's eyes a moment longer and then sighed. "Okay," he said and got up to go to the bathroom, Yuugi trailing behind him.
Malik walked into the bathroom and Yuugi stood patiently outside the door, just like he promised. Malik left the door opened a crack. "Hey, Yuugi, the toilet is a lot like a hole," Malik said from inside the bathroom, his voice sounding small.
"Just do it, Malik," Yuugi called back.
"Okay," Malik said quietly. A moment later the toilet flushed.
"You see? You're just fine," Yuugi said…Malik didn't answer. Yuugi felt an odd feeling settle in his stomach. Worry…it was a familiar feeling at this point. "Malik?" Yuugi called. "Malik, this isn't funny, come on out of there." Yuugi pushed the door open and was greeted with an empty bathroom. Perched on the edge of a porcelain seat was a paper doll.
Yuugi took the small doll that looked so vulnerable, just as Malik was. He put it beside the rest of his friends. He was alone now. There was no one here with him to keep him company, to make him feel safe. Just six, small paper dolls. He had no one to protect him from Yami and he had a sinking feeling that he would never find the base.
Malik's violet eyes seemed to stare at him sadly, Yuugi had to turn away. He had promised Malik that he would be safe and Yuugi broke that promise. It was the same feeling he got when he "killed" Ryou. It was because he was the one who got Ryou into it. He had invited all his friends to play and it turned out to be deadly.
Yuugi had come out alive and Ryou was stuck somewhere in the Shadow Realm with those vicious Shadow Men. Now the rest of his friends were gone too.
His friends had been picked off one by one, like the Ten Little Indians. Now he was the only one left in the empty apartment. He had to find the base, no matter how dim the chances were. At least for his friends, before Yami got to him, then the Game would be over.
How could he? He had to remember the clues. But it was so hard with the emptiness crushing him. 'Think of the hints', he told himself. 'But I'm alone…"
Image as opposed to reality.
The thought came to him suddenly and he didn't understand why. A room that he had been in or gone through, but hadn't. Someplace that was familiar to him.
Yuugi knew that it wasn't in the Shadow World. It was in a halfway point like the game store he met Yami in for the first time.
Black and white.
A light went off in Yuugi's mind. He could hear it all clicking in his mind and it actually made sense. A room that he had been in but hadn't been in. It was impossible to be in this room, depending on how you looked at it.
It is as clear as black and white, like a picture.
Just then, a piece of paper came fluttering down from no where, like back in the old Game. Yuugi snatched it up and read it over quickly.
I'm something. I'm nothing. / I am short. I am tall. / When you fall at your sport, then I stumble and fall. / I have never been seen yet beneath a new moon. I thrive in the evening but vanish at noon. / I am lighter than air, I weigh less than a breath; / Darkness destroys me, and light is my death.
A few weeks ago, Yuugi might have had trouble with this. But ever since the day of the Game, the subject of this particular riddle had been on Yuugi's mind. He had been haunted by it.
He saw the shadows all the time. He knew that that was what the riddle was about. A shadow was going to get him—the shadow. Yami was going to take him away personally. He had barely thought of this when the lights in the apartment went out.
Yuugi felt a cold shiver run up his spine, like someone was running icy fingers up his back. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He had little time before Yami came here, he had to hurry and find the base.
The first thing he had to do was find his way through the apartment.
He could see a sliver of light coming in from outside from the streetlamps. So the kitchen was over there. He carefully made his way over to the kitchen and scrambled to find the drawer that grandpa's pistol was in, in case of emergencies. Yuugi held the gun in his trembling fingers, switching the safety off and keeping it pointed in front of him.
He felt his way down the hall. He felt a closed door to the left; that was his room. So two more doors down, take a right, and the first door on the right would be Mai's room.
Yuugi felt a presence right behind him, like someone watching him down the hall. This had turned in to a game of cat and mouse. And the mouse was running. The cat was playing with the mouse, taunting it.
"Right before eating it?"
Yuugi remembered Mai say that at the very end of the old Game.
That was the bathroom, now take a right. You're almost there, hurry! Outside, Yuugi could hear a car screeching as it made a sharp turn and then the sputtering of an engine as it died. He then heard a car door being slammed shut and footsteps running across the wet pavement.
Yuugi began to run, he knew that it wasn't smart of him but he ran anyway. It was like dealing with a bully, which was what Yami was. Don't run, you'll encourage chase.
He felt Mai's door, it was closed. He started to twist the knob furiously, it was stuck. 'Come on, come on!' Yuugi finally took a step back and kicked the door open. The force of the kick knocked the door off one of its hinges. Yuugi gained a lot of leg strength from running away from bullies.
Now there was the challenge of scrambling around in the dark until he found the blasted thing!
Was it his imagination, or did Yuugi hear footsteps in the house? Walking around, taunting him, and walking down the hall calmly. Yuugi tripped over his own two feet, his arms out in front of him, searching. Where was it?
"I won't let you win, Yami!" Yuugi cried as he blindly searched for what he was looking for. Mai's desk should be around here somewhere!
The footsteps faltered and then continued their confident stride. Yuugi felt like crying.
The lights began to flicker on and off, and when the lights were on, Yuugi could swear that he saw a great shadow with star shaped hair bounce off the walls. There was no doubt that Yami was physically in the house with him.
This wasn't a dream.
His legs were shaking so badly, he was surprised that he could still stand up. The cold metal of the pistol made Yuugi's hand numb. It was getting really hard not to cry now.
Finally the lights stopped flickering and died. It was pitch black, he could be anywhere around Yuugi now.
Yuugi took another step forward and his leg bumped against the leg of a chair. Yuugi nearly sobbed in relief as he groped blindly around the desk. His hand brushed something and he was so excited that he finally found it that he knocked it over.
There was the sound of breaking glass.
Yuugi dropped to the floor and began running his hand across the smooth carpet, trying to find it…again. He heard the whispering sound of someone counting to ten, and then, right in his ear, someone whispered,
"Ready or not, here I come."
Yuugi screamed and groped for the pistol, he felt his hand brush against something and it cut his hand. Yuugi was hefted to his feet and pulled against a hard, warm chest.
"You didn't think that I would actually let you get there, did you?" the voice whispered in Yuugi's ear.
Yuugi could barely hear him, his voice was drowned out by the rushing of blood in his ears.
"Actually, I'm surprised you made it this far. I didn't think you would. But again, I underestimated you. I told you back in the old Game that something had changed in you, but I never got a chance to tell you…oh well, we'll have plenty of time to talk."
Yuugi finally let the tears he had been holding back run down his cheek. Yuugi knew that he would faint if he wasn't supporting him.
Yuugi felt a comforting hand run itself through his hair. "Shh, there is no need to cry, Yuugi. You lost the Game, that's it. It's all over now, you don't have to be afraid anymore."
But this shadow didn't understand that Yuugi had every right to be even more afraid now. Yuugi looked around wildly, if only he could see a tiny light—but there was nothing. The Shadow Creatures weren't there to let off an eerie glow, that meant Akefia and Marik also weren't here.
He was all alone with the Shadow Man.
And he was going to take him, just like he had promised at the beginning of this new Game.
"Oh, God, where are we?" Yuugi managed to choke out between his tears. "Are we at the base?" It was impossible to tell where they were in this darkness.
"No. Shh, shh, Yuugi. We're going to be there in a moment. It's okay, calm down." Yuugi hated how he relaxed at the sound of his voice. "See, here is the way."
Yuugi was nearly blinded when it suddenly became bright. It was a weird, eldritch light like blue electricity. Yuugi looked up and, now that he could see, saw Yami smiling down at him with a strange gentleness in his eyes.
Right in front of Yami's feet was a gap, a vortex. A hole.
-/-
Ranko: I didn't like the beginning of this chapter, but the end of kickass! I have to admit, I felt really bad for Malik, I just wanted to give him a big hug! And I wrote this chapter in the middle of the night so I kept looking over my shoulder.
Yami: I was so creepy in this chapter.
Ranko: I know right.
Yuugi: Please don't tell me that Yami wins this Game, that would be the worst ending, right under the Black Butler season 2 ending.
Ranko: Don't worry, it won't be that bad. Anyway, who can guess where the base is now? Its not like I made it obvious or anything.
Yuugi: Also, Ranko wanted to be clever so the car that I heard outside while I was running through the house was supposed to be Jenny from the original book when she was running away from Julian.
Ranko: (pouts) I thought that it was cute.
Yami: Leave nice long reviews for Ranko!
Ranko: I am so close to 200!