The Return

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

Parts of this were written when I was bitter over registration. I've been told it shows.

Credit where it's due: I was talking with Artemis Zephyr when she made a comment about Chain Energy, and I borrowed the idea for the knife scene.
~~~~~~~~~~~

The pain of landing upon the ground jolted through him. He was tied completely to the Ring at the moment--since Bakura was unconscious and far away, and therefore blank to him--and the crash transferred directly into his soul. He gritted his teeth as he shook the feeling off.

Now to return to the castle; but he was not certain this next action would be possible. Each time he'd materialized before, he'd used the better part of Bakura's energy to do so, as yet another way of keeping the boy under his control. Now he was forced to rely solely on his strength to supplement the Ring's power. He was capable of that--he'd had to do it before--but could he sustain it long enough to get back into the castle and find Mokuba again?

He would find out. He focused on the Ring and used its power to build himself a body. It was nowhere near as solid and detailed as it could be while using Bakura, but it felt as though it would do. Here was the test, however.

He leaned down and attempted to pick up the Millennium Ring from the ground. His hand passed through it--a disturbing sensation even if it hadn't signified failure. He focused more on the hand, allowing the energy supporting such unnecessary things as his features to slip away. He needed his hand and his legs for this, and that was all. The rest was secondary.

He managed to pick up the Ring on the next try and clenched it in his fist, running for the castle stairs.

As he was racing through the underbrush of the island, he entertained himself with the thought of what he would do with Bakura now that he no longer needed the boy's body. Tristan had done him a favor; now the group would assume that he was gone, and Bakura would unknowingly back them up. Meanwhile, he would simply keep the Ring hidden under Mokuba's shirt and walk out under their noses.

He would, of course, have to get rid of the boy. Not immediately, since even the imbeciles the king surrounded himself with would catch on to that, but someday. The weakling had caused him far too many problems to go free. It needed to be something appropriately painful, yet creative; he wanted Bakura to remember it for the short time he allowed him to continue living. Something that would shatter all those fragile defenses....

He could carve the likeness of the Millennium Ring onto the boy's chest. After all, he no longer needed Bakura's body, so it mattered not how damaged it was.

As he raced across the Island and curved away from a guard, he allowed himself the distraction of crafting the scene in almost perfect detail. First he stripped Bakura naked and used Chain Energy to bind him to the headboard, so the weakling couldn't escape. Still, on the impossible chance the boy might break free, he prevented Bakura from running by breaking the tips of his hipbones and thus immobilizing him.

He would need three knives: a larger one for the outline of the cord, a smaller one for the detailing of the Udjat-eye, and an even more delicate one for fig thg the strands that made up the Ring's c..pe..perhaps that tiny triangular blade that the boy had used for his science project.

He started with the cord. He used the large knife to cut the outline, beginning at the tip of the boy's spine where it met the skull. He had to wrench Bakura's head forward in order to cut there, straining the boy's arms in their bondage. If he pulled too far, it might dislocate one or both shoulders...hm.

Should I gag him? he wondered. Yes. I'd rather hear the cries, but it's too risky if he were to be overheard. He wouldn't cut too deep, of course--he didn't want the boy to collapse from blood loss before he was finished.

As soon as the cord was carved on the back of his neck, he let go of his grip on Bakura's hair so the boy's head fell and the blood began trickling onto the sheets. Then, savoring the tears spilling from Bakura's eyes and soaking into the gag, he began cutting the cord onto the front of the boy's chest. Just the outline; he planned to save the fine detail, the strands, for last so the blood would have dried and wouldn't be in his way.

The larger knife was good enough to carve the circle and the inner triangle of the Ring, but he had to move to the middle blade in order to cut the eye. Perhaps he should leave the other two knives downstairs, so Bakura would have a brief moment to gather himself back to consciousness when he went to get them.

No. He could leave the knives outside the door, but in a place where he could keep Bakura in his sight. The boy was soft, but all the same he had shown the ability to fight back. And after all, he had learned from Ishtar's example to never take chances with something cornered and bleeding. If he left Bakura alone, he doubted the boy would attack him, but he might try to simply throw himself out the window to end it quickly.

He stepped back inside the room with the last two knives, and watched the boy's hands clench above the opaque bonds of Chain Energy. Though Bakura's throat had to be getting raw from screaming, he started sobbing harshly again.

Grabbing the half of the boy's shirt that he hadn't torn up to make the gag, he settled himself on Bakura's legs and wiped away the blood that still seeped from the superficial wounds. Then he carved out the eye. The triangle was shallower than the outline of the circle of the Ring, but the lines of the eye had to be deeper than both to show off the way that it was embossed on the thinner plating of the triangle.

When he finished, he waited as Bakura's screams trailed off into harsh pants. He didn't bother to leave the bed, since he'd brought in the final knife already. He simply gave the boy a few moments to recuperate, then began to make the many tiny incisions that constituted the last details. When was he finished, he ran his fingers along the bloody loop of the cord. Bakura started crying harder with that, the tears trailing down his temples and nose as the boy twisted his face away. He sucked the blood off his fingers, then leaned down and licked the away the tears, flicking his tongue over his lips to catch the last of the salty taste as he sat back up.

He removed the opaque chains and flipped Bakura onto his stomach in order to finish the cuts inside the outline of the cord on the nape of his neck. Bakura was apparently walking the fine line of unconsciousness, because he had ceased screaming and was only shuddering occasionally as he sobbed into the pillow.

So long as he had the boy like that....

He watched how Bakura's limp and bloodless hands tried to grip the sheets in a vain attempt to focus his attention anywhere else at the first thrust against his damaged hips. Then some deity apparently took pity on the boy, because his hands slackened as he passed out. He didn't mind taking Bakura one last time; he savored being inside the boy, no matter how much trouble he caused outside of bed. Though he'd prefer him awake.

He had just flipped Bakura over again, ready to sink the largest knife through his eye and into his brain, when his arm passed through the wall of the stairs and pulled him out of his reverie. He had reached the castle.

The door presented him with another problem. It was barred, with an odd and heavy lock. He soon abandoned it and ran further down the courtyard, searching for another entrance.

When he reached the end of the stone yard, he viewed the surroundings and spotted a window. He climbed up onto the short wall surrounding the court and smashed the Ring into the glass, splintering it. He hit it several more times, making sure to aim at the same spot, and the glass finally broke under the attack. He snapped away enough of the shards to reach inside, grimacing as he cut his fingers, and groped for the lock. After a few moments he managed to undo it and pull up the sash.

He hefted himself over the frame and dropped to the ground, glancing around. He was in a storage room, it looked like--chairs were stacked against the wall and drop cloths were scattered over random articles of furniture.

He headed straight for door, opening it carefully and checking the hallway before he remembered he was essentially invisible. The hallway itself was familiar; he recalled going through it when he was dragging Tristan and Tea back to their rooms. If he went left and turned right at the second corridor, it would lead hnto nto the main parlor.

Barring the possibility of Tristan getting caught on the way back, he suspected that the brunette would have carried Mokuba back to the others. His best move would be to return to the upper gallery.

He took off down the hallway.

~~~
He had been correct. Both Bakura and Mokuba were lying unconscious against the railing. They were unguarded even; Yugi's court was downstairs.

And, oh yes, the dueling arena was currently enclosed in the Shadow Realm. He frowned at the bubble, trying to see through it. However, as much as he was loath to admit it, he was weaker in this detached state and the attempt wasn't worth the cost. He glanced over at the group of teenagers. They had their hands together and were staring intently at the Realm. Odd.

It was extraneous anyway. He lifted the cord of the Ring, ready to drape it over Mokuba's neck.* At last--a clean break from the pathetic weakling that the gods had seen fit to curse him with. He shot Bakura a last contemptuous glance. The boy was slouched against the railing, neck tilted and legs spread out in front of him, still obviously unconscious. With his strength, even using little Mokuba's hands, he would be able to snap the boy's neck. Not the most satisfying way of doing it, unless Bakura chose to oblige him by waking up in the next second or so, but it would take care of the last loose end.

Still. He needed leave the boy alive, for a little longer at least. It would be far too suspicious to kill him now...and besides, he would enjoy bringing his little fantasy to life. With a snort, he jerked his gaze away from Bakura and eyed Mokuba again. While it was true that he would rather have his own features, having to put up with the boy was more than he was willing to deal with to do so.

Just before he could situate the Ring and take over his new body, there were sounds from below. He glanced through the railing.

The Shadow Realm had dispersed, and Pegasus and Seth-Peribsen stood revealed. It only took him a second to realize that somehow, some-impossible-how, Peribsen had won.

Ereshkigal take his soul! How does he do it?! he thought angrily as he watched Pegasus turn and flee down the hall. With a growl of hatred, he turned to the right and threw the Ring over Bakura's head instead. If he was going to be cursed with dealing with a soul in his chosen body, then it might as well be his other half's. He was not interested in taking on Mokuba's flaws as well starting over with a new host.

Inside the mindcorridor, the locks on the boy's door had been undone with his departure. He glanced inside and found Bakura still asleep on the floor. He didn't have the time to waste shutting the boy in again; the events outside required his attention immediately.

Besides, there was a chance to salvage this mess. If Pegasus had been dueling in the Shadow Realm, he would be weakened. And no matter how much power he had used to get back into the castle, he was back in a real body now and had a fresh source of energy--an asset that Pegasus would not share.

He would just challenge the man to the simplest of the games of darkness.

Below him, the group was about to take off after Pegasus as well. Tea spoke up. "But we can't just leave Mokuba and Bakura here all alone...."

He couldn't afford for one of them to stay behind and watch over him. He stood up and started waving frantically over the railing, mimicking Bakura again. "Hey! Up here! Hello! Hey!"

"Bakura!" Yugi called cheerfully, smiling up at him.

"Hey there. Feelin' back to normal?" Tristan asked.

He stopped waving and looked slightly puzzled. "What? Back to normal?" he said quietly, as if speaking to himself. "Have I not been normal, Tristan?" he called down.

"He must not be able to remember anything," Tristan mumbled. He looked up. "Yeah, that weird ring you wear around your neck was makin' ya act like a real freak again!"

He resisted the urge to glower. "A freak? Oh my."

Yugi blinked and turned to Tristan. "His...Millennium Ring? Where is it now?"

"Gone," Tristan answered. "I chucked that thing as far away as I could."

Good to know. "Oh well," he said, apparently startling the group because they all turned to him with a collective gasp. "If it was making me act weird, then I guess it was for the best. But it appears I'm fine now." He watched satisfied as the four easily swallowed the lie, nodding.

Tea smiled up at him. "Well, if you're okay...could you watch Mokuba for us?"

He blinked and nodded. "Sure, I suppose."

"Good. Now let's go find that creep Pegasus," Joey said grimly. The four nodded, and began to run out the door. "After all, he made a promise to free those souls, and he's gonna keep it!"

He turned away from the railing and looked down at Mokuba again. If Pegasus restores Mokuba's soul, his body will be useless to me. But it matters not. Because now that Pegasus is weakened by his duel with Yugi, he has given me the opportunity I have been waiting for. His Ring began to glow, seeking out the energy of the Eye. The time has finally come for me to add Pegasus' Millennium Item to my collection.

The Eye, and therefore Pegasus, was heading to the tower from last night. Smirking, he took off for the stairs, detouring to pick up Pegasus' deck from where it lay scattered on the floor of the dueling arena.

~~~
Slipping in the door was simple; Pegasus was distracted by his own thoughts and didn't notice his presence. The American was staring down at his desk.

"It's all over. Everything I've struggled to obtain is now beyond my grasp. Keeping their souls will not serve me now; besides, I'm a man of my word. And because of the defeat I suffered at the hands of Yugi and the mysterious spirit of his Millennium Puzzle, I am duty-bound to fulfill my pledge." A glow appeared as Pegasus used the Eye upon the cards. "And so, I release there three souls," he finished, dipping his head slightly.

Pegasus looked up and walked over to the giant portrait that hung on the wall, while he moved away from the door to stand at the window. "Cecelia, I'm sorry, but I have failed you," he said sadly. "My attempt to take over KaibaCorp, my efforts to get all the Millennium Items was all done for you, in hopes that I could restore you, body and soul."

The remnants of anger at having his plans ruined made his voice harsh, even though he spoke quietly. "How sweet."

Pegasus jerked around to glare at him. "Who's there?!" The American peered at him, squinting in the sunlight that came from the window he was standing beside. "Bakura..." the man said slowly. Their Millennium Items flickered as they came in close contact with each other, and he could feel the power increase within the room, tingling along his skin. "I remember now! You, you're the one who possesses the Millennium Ring!" Pegasus stared at him.

He stepped forward. "Yes, and I intend to have all the Items. Care to wager yours on a Shadow Game?" he asked jovially. "I'll give you a second chance at a Millennium Item."

Pegasus narrowed his eye at the offer, and he didn't so much grin as bear his teeth in a half-smirk. When the man didn't reply, he let his expression slide to an ordinary grin. "What you couldn't win from Yugi, perhaps you can win from me," he offered, holding up Pegasus' deck before walking over to the desk and shuffling. "Who knows, if you defeat me and claim my Ring, your deepest desire may not be beyond your grasp after all."

Finished with shuffling, he began to lay out the cards, using the power of the Ring. He chuckled at the way Pegasus merely stood there, watching him. "Your Milium ium Item allows you to look into people's minds, Pegasus; mine allows me to see into their souls." He flipped over the first card.

Unsurprising, considering that conversation with paint and canvas, he thought, eyes narrowing in concentration. "I happened to look into your deck, Pegasus, and it reveals to me your true nature. The Happy Lover card....It shows that you have experienced the joys of love. However," he turned to face the man, keeping a hand on the desk, "this card is upside down, which means your romance ended in tragedy," he said, mimicking the boy's soft tone.

Pegasus glared down at him, making an angry noise in the back of his throat. He smirked. "What a pity that is," he mentioned, turning back to the desk and flipping the middle card.

Hn. It seemed that he had overestimated Pegasus for some time. Impressive that the American had managed to keep his weakness under wraps for so long, however. His eyes widened as he spoke. "Ah, the Mask of Darkness, 'ey? So your recent actions were just an effort to mask your true objectives." His gaze shifted to Pegasus, "Objectives that came from deep within your heart. Who would have even thought you had a heart?...Let alone one so easily broken." He dropped his sweet tone, allowing his words to become biting.

He got exactly the reaction he desired. Pegasus clenched his fists and glared. "Quiet! Let's just play the game."

He chuckled and continued to face the desk, hiding his half-smile. "As you wish...but first, there is one more card to be revealed. Don't you want to see your future?" He turned the last card. "Duma, the Angel of Silence," he announced. "It's an appropriate card for your future, since I will now silence you forever!"

He turned and eyed Pegasus, who looked taken aback. "Prepare, mortal, for a Shadow Game lie likes of which you're never played!"

He tapped into the Ring, focusing its power at Pegasus. "This match will be played on the landscape of our minds," he said as the Ring began to glow brightly and the pointers straightened out, directly at the American. Pegasus countered quickly, a reddish glow emitting from the Eye to stop his Ring before it hit. The Shadow Realm merged where the two beams collided, allowing the game to take place.

He knew that Pegasus would be weak from fighting a previous game in the Realm, but he hadn't realized the man would be this drained. He had worn out much of his energy returning to the castle, but though there was Bakura to fall back on, he had to use only a fraction of the boy's energy.

Pegasus had made the exact mistake as Ishtar--expending the bulk of his power to block his Ring and therefore leaving him vulnerable to a continuous attack. He smiled as the American gritted his teeth and bent slightly, trying to draw on reservoirs of strength that weren't there. "Really now, Pegasus, is that all you can muster?" he mocked. There was no risk in diverting his attention slightly with speaking--the man was no threat. "Ah, but you've been fatigued by your Shadow Duel with Yugi. Your mind is weary while mine is fresh!"

After another moment, measured only by Pegasus' groans and the advance of his attack, the Eye faltered and his Ring smashed the American against the portrait on the wall and sprawled him upon the stone steps.

He laughed as Pegasus struggled to sit up. "You are defeated; a rank amateur to one who has played for centuries," he sneered.

Pegasus lifted his head and gazed at him, startled. "You've lived for centuries? What kind of creature are you?!" the man demanded as he advanced.

"I am the one who will possess all the Millennium Items." He stopped in front of Pegasus, watching in amusement as the man still glared disrespectfully at him. "And I will use their combined might to conquer the entire world. You lost the game, and that entitles me to you your Millennium Item." He knelt. "The way you meant to take Yugi's!"

Ah, that was just what to say. As he reached out, Pegasus stared at him in fear, attempting to back away and whimpering, "No...no!" The man pushed himself up a step and threw his hands up, trying to knock him away.

With a growl of impatience, he caught the American's arms. Holding Pegasus' wrists in one hand, he grabbed a handful of his hair and smashed his head against the stones. There was a loud crack, and Pegasus jerked and stilled. He dropped the man's arms, which tried to push weakly at him once more. Curling his fingers slightly, he drove his hand into the fragile skin around the Millennium Eye.

The pain inflicted on his head didn't prevent Pegasus from wailing and thrashing violently at that. He gripped Pegasus' face and slammed his head down on the stone, effectively holding the man in place and smothering his screams.

The Eye didn't come out easily--his fingers were hampered by the zygomatic bone and the width of the Item. As soon as he had his hand curled around the sphere and began to wrench, Pegasus finally fell unconscious. He used his other hand to pinch the sides of the Eye and pull, and at last the Item came up with a wet pop and an ominous crack of the skull.

He lifted the Eye to his face, then licked off some of the blood and flashed the gold in the sunlight. He didn't try to prevent the grin spread widely across his face.

Beautiful....

He cleaned the Eye and his hands quickly on Pegasus' coat, avoiding the blood spilling out of the man's torn face. Then he left the tower, taking the steps two and three at a time.

~~~
When he reached the balcony again, Mokuba was still unconscious. He sat down on the ground next to the child, made sure that Eye was safely stowed away, and abandoned consciousness of the body, assuming Bakura would take it over.

More wearied from the day than he cared to admit, he returned to his soul room only to find the boy in there.

*Regarding the teenager who was killed by the Millennium Ring: either one, the Ring does just about anything Yami Bakura wants it to and he was lying to Ryou when he said it would kill anybody that put it on, or two, Yami Bakura thought he was lying and it would have killed Mokuba whether he wanted it to or not. I don't know how the thing's supposed to work, so that's why it never actually touches Mokuba lest there be a very messily dead brother on Seto's hands.