(no subject)
"I told you this would happen," Bakura said. "But even if I'm not technically allowed in..."
Bakura Ryou had been staring between his friends and Bobasa as if waiting for someone to say it was a trick and he could go into the Pharaoh's memory after all, an expression of wounded surprise on his face.
This Bakura was assertive and impatient; this was the shadow that stopped Bakura Ryou from living the life he should.
"I have a back-up plan," he said.
"I know, I remember you said that. But I can't waste time, Bakura-kun. I need to find my other self," Yuugi said. He knew that this Bakura approved of plain speaking, but still felt guilty for putting his priorities so bluntly. "Will your plan be quicker?"
"I can give you a path straight into the memory world." Bakura was hunching over to talk quietly with Yuugi. "It won't be necessary to go into the Pharaoh's mind. He's such a good strategist that I'm sure he has lots of protection in there that would slow you down. Coming with me will be much easier. I can't bring that giant, but the others can come."
"Bobasa is the keeper of the Items," Yuugi protested. "You said yourself that we need the Items to make the reflections of them in the memory real..."
"The giant doesn't even have all of them," Bakura said. "Where's the Millennium Eye?"
Bobasa spoke up - he was too far away to have heard what Bakura said, but he wore a frown. "Mister Yuugi, we must leave! Master Shadi said that it might be important for you to help the Pharaoh - it has never before been thought that others would have to go into the memory too, but he allowed it. We can not let this opportunity pass!"
"What's the problem, Yuugi?" Honda asked, a hard quality to his voice. He seemed to be looking at the Millennium Ring gleaming on Bakura's chest.
Bakura gripped Yuugi's shoulder, snatching Yuugi's attention back. "You can carry the Items," he said. "You're the Pharaoh's vessel, after all, he'd trust you with them far more than he'd trust the giant."
"Yuugi?" Anzu said, and Yuugi glanced back. She took a step towards him and Bakura - but only one step. She looked wary, and so did the others.
"I remember the past..." Bakura said softly, "but I would like to see someone else do the same."
If they could both come ... the other Bakura would be there too. All of them would be together. And if they could go right to the Pharaoh's memory world, they could help out with his other self's mission...
That mission might have to end in his other self's death, Yuugi remembered.
"Okay," Yuugi said. "Your idea sounds best." He stepped back, shrugging off Bakura's hand and walked halfway to his friends. "Bakura-kun has another way of getting to the Pharaoh's memory," he announced. "He suspected that he wouldn't be allowed in there, so he got an alternate way. He says we can all come ... except you, Bobasa. He didn't think you'd be here, so he couldn't make preparations."
"But Yuugi!" Honda was staring at the Millennium Ring, suspicion clear in his expression. His hands were curling into fists, and his stance was ready to leap into a fight.
"Don't trust him, mister Yuugi!" Bobasa said. "Remember, the Millennium Scales showed an evil shadow in him!"
Yuugi shook his head decisively. "I've seen my other self's mind. It's a huge maze. He's searched it for the door that would lead to his memories for a long time, but he never even found clues. We might not find the door in time either, and he needs us."
"A maze!" They looked shocked, but when Anzu took her hand away from her mouth, she strode to Yuugi.
"We should go help him as quickly as possible," she said.
"Yes, we should. Come on now," Bakura said. Yuugi could tell he was grinning, but before he could even turn to see Bakura had grabbed his hand and dragged him halfway across the room.
"Bakura-kun!" Yuugi wailed quietly, trying to get his hand free as he stumbled along. "There are people around!"
"Hurry," Bakura said, holding Yuugi's hand tighter. "Speed up or I'll carry you."
It was hard to tell when Bakura was joking, so Yuugi got his feet under control and ran. He glanced over his shoulder and caught glimpses of his friends: shocked, suspicious. Other people in the museum were looking at them too.
he gritted his teeth and ignored the stares. None of it mattered. His other self needed him.
They reached a set of stairs and Bakura looked behind them. "Those guys are so slow - ah, there they are. Let's go, they've seen where we are."
Yuugi tugged at his hand. "You're squeezing too tightly."
"Oh?" said Bakura as he opened the door, flashing Yuugi a grin over his shoulder. His cheeks had two spots of high colour from running - but it wasn't just that. He was excited, sheer elation in his grin, and his eyes were dark and intense. Yuugi realised that he'd seen Bakura look that way some nights...
Bakura loosened his grip, but did not allow Yuugi to pull away. Yuugi was glad that the steps down to the basement were dark enough that his friends wouldn't be able to see them properly. It was different, being with Bakura ... like this ... where everyone could see.
Bakura unlocked a door at the bottom of the stairs - "my host's father let him have the key" - and pushed Yuugi into the room. The hand on the small of his back threatened to linger, and Yuugi skittered away.
He glared mildly at Bakura's smirk, then looked at what was before him and stared in shock.
"It's great, isn't it?" Bakura said, coming to stand beside him. "My host made it, though he never believed me when I said it was for your good."
Banging sounds and the squeaks of sneakers resounded from the concrete walls as the others tumbled through the door. They all gasped and exclaimed in the next breath.
"Not another Monster World!" Jounouchi said.
"Yuugi, get away from him!" Honda barked.
Yuugi spared them one desperate glance, then turned back to Bakura. "What is this, Bakura-kun?" For a moment he hated the way his voice sounded: fierce and suspicious. He'd promised himself he wouldn't be like this with Bakura.
Bakura straightened up and struck up his announcement pose. "This is the Memory World RPG!"
He was looking at Anzu, Jounouchi and Honda, and the bulky figure of Bobasa behind them. He didn't glance at Yuugi, and the boy allowed himself a bit of relief. Bakura wasn't offended - he knew Yuugi would believe in him. He just had to explain what this was about...
"What the hell?" Jounouchi yelled. "Like we're going to start playing this kind of game with you again!"
"You're wasting time," said Bakura. "This game is linked to the Pharaoh's Memory. In fact, it makes his memory stronger, because mine's added to it. Pharaoh won't know only what they wanted him to know." He slid a look at Bobasa, and the others glanced at the man too.
Yugi nudged Bakura with his elbow. "Don't," he admonished softly. "Bobasa is here to help us."
Bakura looked fleetingly sullen, then crossed his arms and grinned. "This was the best way I could add my memory. It's easier for you, too, so stop complaining and get on with it. I've arranged seats for you." He jerked his thumb to one side of the room. Against the wall was an overstuffed, scuffed couch.
"We're over here, Yuugi," Bakura said, and jerked his thumb at the table. There were stairs leading up to their seats.
Yuugi felt as if his friends staring at his back; he could hear them murmuring among themselves. Then Anzu said, "Let's sit," and he felt a little better.
He felt a lot better once he got a good look at the game board. "Wow!" He looked up at Bakura's proud smirk across the table. "This is game is amazing! I can't believe you did it in so little time."
"Thanks, Yuugi. It turns out that half of what I remembered about Egypt was because of those stupid questions you used to ask ... it helped me to make the game."
Yuugi smiled back for just a second, then remembered his friends sitting a few feet away from them.
"Let's play," he said, trying to sound businesslike.
"Let's," Bakura said, and laughed low and long.
He's always liked being theatrical, Yugi told himself, and rolled the dice.