The Return

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

The story begins non-linearly. Chapters 2-6 take place before this one, with 6 being the lead-in to chapter 1. This is because the story was originally begun as a six-parter (hence the chapter titles using words like "end," "beginning," and "middle").
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"We understand hitting people. I bea beautifully simple and right there for the world to see. But deliberately walking through someone's psyche and leaving scars on their soul, that's a labyrinth."

-- Storm


He couldn't believe his luck. The boy, the weak, simple, betraying boy had not only come here, but had also come wearing the Millennium Ring--all he needed to return.

After the king had sent him into the Graveyard, it had been a nasty bit of business to dodge the Reaper and escape into the wider confines of the Realm...but he had succeeded. And yet, he'd still been unable to reenter the real world.

He was soon drawn to Pegasus' Shadow games, which were being held in a place where the Shadow Realm touched the borders of the real world. It had been easy enough to divest one of the chanters of his robe and hide in the background...quite a bit like the old days, in fact, if he wanted to get nostalgic.

He lived on the fringes of the game, studying Pegasus, taking care never to be caught. He'd found that the American was both very powerful and completely insane--a bad combination any way you took it. It brought to mind another man he'd known back in Egypt: an interesting companion, but not someone he'd wanted at his back.

Time passed, and in the middle of one particularly high-risk game, he felt it: his Ring, coming toward him. As soon as Pegasus won, there came a gasp from the hallway, causing all the chanters to turn and say "What?" He followed suit, surrounding the three children standing there. Two of them he recognized as friends of Yugi. The third was his boy Bakura.

"Where did that robed guy go?!" demanded the brunette teen.

While Pegasus answered and the girl gasped, he abandoned the robe and slipped back into his soul room.

Inside, he could hear Bakura's thoughts through the link: fear of being trapped here in the Shadow Realm, horror at what Pegasus had just done, and one particularly nasty thought towards Tristan that made him raise an eyebrow. His other half rarely got hostile, but when he did, it was creative.

I'll take over now, he informed Bakura, and the shthatthat echoed through their mindlink made him want to laugh.

[No!] the boy shouted in disbelief, trying to block him out. [You should be dead!]

You've come to a place where reality mingles with Shadow Realm, host. Remember that? The very place you trapped me? So Bakura's arrival here with the Ring had been pure coincidence, if the boy hadn't realized he was alive. Perhaps the fool had expected the Reaper to finish him off. Well, either way the Ring was here and he was back. It mattered not whether it was by accident or intention.

Although intention would have made it easier to begin working with Bakura again, he thought to himself.

The boy, still trying to hold barriers against him, overheard. [I won't fall for that again,] his other answered. [I won't let you hurt them.]

So you're going to die here, then? he asked. And I thought you had plans for your life. University in England, that trip to Egypt with your father. Last I was aware, you were going to become a designer for Monster World. Did you get tired of that dream, Bakura?

Bakura didn't answer him, but when Pegasus, who had been explaining how his Eye was powered--a fact he already knew--said, "For that magic I must capture more souls like yours,"coulcould feel the boy's resolve waver. The two beside him spoke out in shock, but he had no interest in them.

Even if you do continue to hold out against me until your soul is trapped here--which, I might add, is not a pleasant experience--all you'll be doing is completely handing over your body to me, he continued.

Hm, he reflected. That wouldn't be so bad.

Bakura's shields faltered more, but he was still holding in a token resistance at the least. The boy had become more courageous again while he was gone.

Appreciation for his other's steel did not lessen his annoyance, and his tone grew sharper. Listen boy, either you die here and I get everything, or you stand aside and we all escape!

[All? Why would you save Téa and Tristan?] came Bakura's flat voice. [I don't trust you.]

He resisted the urge to snap at the child. Patience was key here. I don't see why not, he replied tightly. I have a vested interest in your existence, at least. And 'all', because it would be rather difficult to explain why you came back and the others did not. He was curious as to why Yugi had allowed his friends to run rampant in the Shadow Realm without the protection of King Seth-Peribsen, but that was a question that could wait until after the American was dealt with.

Bakura hesitated for a beat longer, but his attention snapped to the outside when Pegasus said his name. "...your capture will do more than strengthen my shadow powers--for I shall also gain control of your Millennium Ring," he laughed.

Bakura took a step back at that. Then he felt the remains of the barrier obligingly tumble down, giving him free access to the body again. Good boy.

Pegasus immediately noticed the change. "What's this?!" the man gasped as he brought the Ring out from underneath Bakura's sweater.

When he saw the shock on Pegasus' face at his appearance, he did laugh, though only for a short time. He was too busy being enraged that the man would dare an attempt to steal his Ring and threaten his other. Bakura was a forsaken nuisance, but the boy was still his host. And no one was going to interfere with him this time.

"Change of plans," he answered.

"Can this be?" Pegasus activated his Millennium Eye, and he responded in turn. The room grew bright. 'I sense a dark soul within your ring!' the American thought.

His power allowed him to overhear. "You may indeed sense me now," he mocked, "but you won't remember any of this later. Erase their minds!"

[No!] Bakura cried inside his soul room.

Yes.

There was an explosive flash, and he felt Bakura collapse in his soul room as the aftereffects knocked him unconscious. Beside him, Tea and Tristan fell to the floor.

He lunged at Pegasus and knocked the taller man to the ground. Pegasus lashed out against him, so he caught the man's arm and threw him against one of the immobile chanters. The two fell in a heap, creating a slight domino effect, and he attempted to claw the Eye out while the American was disoriented.

But Pegasus recovered sooner than he expected and kicked his hand away. He stumbled back a step, and the man began to scramble up, jerking off the rest of his hood.

He tackled him again, and Pegasus' head hit the stone floor with a satisfying crack. The man groaned, and he rose up slightly, drawing his fist back. Then Pegasus threw the hood over his head and wrapped it around.

Blinded, he brought his fist down anyway, only to hit the floor and scrape his knuckles bloody.

He growled at the pain in his hand, and Pegasus managed to throw him off. He landed on the stone with a grunt and tore off the cloth over his eyes, but by the time he could see, Pegasus had already fled.

He swore and quickly checked through the room, but the American was gone. After laying a curse on Pegasus and the swine that spawned him, he walked back to the stairs.

Bakura still lay dormant in his room, and he sifted through the boy's memories of the castle to learn where the guest rooms were, and which was his. He nearly tripped over the girl.

He was tempted to simply leave the pair there and let the security deal with them, but there was the possibility they would say that Bakura had been with them as well. And he wasn't interested in spending the rest of the night killing off anyone who might have seen the boy wandering around; he had the more pressing matter of finding Pegasus. Besides, a murder spree would raise awkward questions.

There was also the fact that Bakura had displayed an irritating tendency to overprotect his friends, and leaving these two to rot would drive an even deeper wedge between them. In the end, everything would go much quicker if Bakura would stop resisting and come to his side of things. So, irksome as it was, he had to make an attempt to pacify the child.

He reached down and picked up the girl, then kicked Tristan in the arm. "Get up."

The teen stirred, but didn't wake.

"Bloody hell," he muttered, falling into the language of Bakura's mother's country, "I'm not carrying the both of you all the way. Now get up!" He grabbed Tristan by the arm and pulled him into a standing position. When the teen started to topple over oon oon as he started to let go, he swore in his native tongue. Then he shuffled Tea around until she was draped over his shoulder. With his free arm, he started to drag the teen down the tower's stairs. He didn't meet up with any guards on his way out, which was pleasant, because the best he could do with his current burdens would be throwing Tristan at them.

He cursed how undignified he had to look, lugging two unconscious teenagers around the castle grounds several times before he got the pair into their respective rooms; and then he had to dodge another idiot in a bandanna skulking through the halls.

Finally, he was inside Bakura's room. The others would be waking up right about now, but he suppressed the boy's return to consciousness in order to hunt for the American with his Ring.

He continued to search until it was almost dawn, but he could find no trace of the Item within the limit of his range. If it weren't for the fact that Bakura's new friends would regard his absence with suspicion, he could have traveled the island until he came upon the Eye. He would have to get rid of those inconveniences as soon as possible.

The boy began to toss inside his soul room. It wouldn't be soon until the aftereffect completely wore off and he would become leery. The only remaining problem were his bloodied knuckles--how to make that look natural?

He thought for a moment, then simply threw himself onto the floor so it would appear that Bakura had fallen out of the bed. He slipped back into the Ring and returned the body to the boy.

~~~~~
Ryou stirred to wakefulness, surprised to find himself inside his room, and on the floor. He could have sworn that Tristan and Tea had dragged him off on a wild goose chase, and that Pegasus had captured them all. And then taken them to somewhere around the Shadow Realm...where his other returned....

Ryou climbed up onto the bed and stared down at the Millennium Ring hanging from his neck. He'd gone to sleep with it on, so the fact that it was there wasn't suspicious in and of itself, but....

He pulled the cord over his head and held the Ring in one hand. "I'm going to break this," he said quietly, willing his hand not to shake. I'm going to smash it against the wall until it's completely bent out of shape, and then I'm going to melt it down and scatter remaremains. He lifted his hand at an angle to hammer the Ring against the wall next to his bed.

There was nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not even a whisper of his other half, and considering he'd just threatened to murder him, the spirit ought to have either separated and knocked the Ring out of his hand or just taken over. There was no way he should have been able to get away with that.

But he had.

Ryou sighed in relief and lowered the Ring. He eyed it warily, not eager to wear it if he were going to have any more nightmares like that one. He'd almost believed it was real.

But, it was a gift from his father, after all, and he didn't want to lose it. He hesitated a moment, then slipped the cord back on and snuggled under the covers. So he might have a nightmare. He wouldn't be dueling tomorrow, so it didn't matter much--and he'd keep his father's gift safe.

Ryou stretched out under the covers, his muscles feeling oddly sore, and soon fell asleep.


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