Queer As Tachi – Chapter 31
It was difficult for Yugi not to think about Marik and Odeon being in town, a few blocks away from him, even though he didn’t see them at all for several days. He guessed they were busy about their investigation and didn’t have anything important to share, which was both good and bad. Good, that there was no sudden emergency to warn him about, no trouble or suspicious movement, but Yugi couldn’t stop himself worrying the longer it went without any kind of news at all. At first, he hadn’t been certain he could accept the Ishtars’ urgent concern that there was something wrong when he had no evidence of anyone being after him, but after watching the tablets leaving Japan for Egypt and hearing the messages passed on from Ishizu and Shadi, he understood that they wouldn’t be so serious if there were no real threat. It was just a matter of waiting to see whether the threat would show up on his doorstep, or if it could be curtailed in Egypt or America or somewhere else, making Marik breathe a sigh of relief that his temporary relocation was for naught.
A week after the unusual visit to the Industrial Illusions office, Yugi got a call one day from an enthusiastic-sounding publicist, asking him about his schedule in order to plan a time for him to go down to the office for an official photoshoot. A few preliminary posters to advertise the tournament were out, Kame even got some (featuring what Yugi thought was the dumbest picture of him), but they wanted to press forward with a full-color extravaganza featuring the promise of dueling the world champion a little more prominently. The publicist was delighted to find a spot just a couple of days forward that worked with Yugi’s schedule in the game shop to allow him to come downtown. “Uh…I’ve never done anything like this before,” Yugi said hesitantly. “Is there anything I need to do, or bring, or…?”
“Well, if you’d like to bring a couple of different outfits,” the publicist flippantly suggested, “the stylist can go over them with you and decide which ones will look best with our graphics scheme. We’ll maybe shoot a couple of different looks.”
Stylist?! Yugi was almost certain he heard the pharaoh’s internal chuckle at that. “Um…okay. I…I’m not really a fashion-conscious type, I don’t know if I have anything special…”
“That’s all right,” the woman continued in her cheery tone. “Just as long as you bring yourself and a big smile, we can work with it. Just check in with the receptionist at the main desk when you come in, and I’ll take care of you. All right?”
And that was how Yugi found himself toting a backpack full of clothes downtown to the Industrial Illusions branch office one chill autumn day, feeling very stupid and trying to convince himself that the money was going to be worth his embarrassment. As per his agreement with his special bodyguards, he called Marik to let him know where he would be going, and his friend insisted on meeting him at the office building after it was over to escort him home. He hesitated to report anything over the phone, but said that when they met, he might have something to share. Glancing around just in case he might spot Marik or Odeon doing something silly like tailing him, Yugi took a deep breath for courage and pushed open the door. The secretary who greeted him had him wait a moment while she called the publicity department, and within seconds Yugi was being ushered ceremoniously into another wing of the company while the publicist chatted his ear off about how wonderful it was to meet him and how much this was going to help Industrial Illusions kick off a huge advertising campaign right before the holidays. Yugi clutched at the straps of his backpack in his nervousness and just kept nodding politely to everything she said. At last, she brought him to a room off the cubicle-packed publicity department where a photographer’s backdrop and lights were set up and several people busied themselves in preparation. Only one came over when Yugi entered the room. “You must be young Mr. Muto,” he said brightly, extending a hand in a manner to suggest that he was, as his accent told, American. “Just call me Andy. I’m here to make you look good.”
“Uh…hi,” Yugi stammered, shaking his hand. He doubted this stranger’s sense of looking good, judging by his loud shirt and metrosexual haircut, but wisely kept his mouth shut.
Andy scanned him up and down with a critical eye. “Hm, not much to work with,” he began. “The hairstyle…”
“Um, I wasn’t under the impression I was coming down here for a makeover,” Yugi interrupted, combing his bangs out of his eyes with a finger.
“Oh, yes, sorry. It’s just so…out there. I won’t mess with it, though, if it’s your ‘thing,’” Andy prattled on. “Did you bring anything else to change into?”
“Oh, yeah…” Yugi slung his backpack off his shoulder. He had come down wearing a fairly normal outfit for him, jeans and a tight-fitting black shirt with long sleeves, but he had thrown his slinky black pants and a couple of other shirts in the bag just in case. He stood back while Andy picked critically through them and started laying one shirt or the other on top of the black pants to see which looked better. “I’m sorry,” Yugi felt he needed to say. “I don’t really have a huge wardrobe. Most days I work in the game shop, it’s just t-shirt and jeans for me.”
“Oh, but these are nice,” Andy gushed, indicating the sexy pants. “My, you do like the color black. Well, and isn’t this interesting,” he added, holding up a blue vest with buckles Yugi had not worn for a couple of years, after too much teasing by Joey. “I know, why don’t you run along and change into these pants instead. We’ll see what kind of difference that makes.”
“There’s a restroom just down the hall,” the publicist said to help.
Yugi closed himself away inside the bathroom for a little bit, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself before changing his pants and then giving himself a few minutes to preen in front of the mirror. He was now clad head-to-toe in black, collar to boots, and didn’t mind the way it made him look. As he gazed into his reflection’s eyes, his thoughts turned inward. “Why am I doing this again?” he complained.
Yami’s voice chuckled softly in the back of his mind. “For your grandfather, and the game shop,” he answered truthfully.
Yugi sighed. “I was afraid you were going to say something like that.” He lowered his gaze, his eyes going unfocused as his mind concentrated on the mental communication. “And I don’t suppose it would do any good to ask if you want to do this, instead of me.”
“I have even less experience or understanding of this photoshoot business than you do, Yugi,” Yami said gently. “I don’t know that you want me representing you.”
“Well…” Yugi pictured his lover in his corporeal body and figured there was absolutely nothing wrong with him being representative of them both. “I had a thought. They want a picture of the world champion for their publicity, right? Then it should be both of us, bonded, like when we duel. That’s who people see when they challenge us, that’s who they should see now.”
Yami was silent for a while, but only because he couldn’t come up with a proper response. “Your logic is flawless,” he murmured after a bit. “I can’t really argue with it. You won’t take ‘but I don’t want to’ as an answer, will you?”
“Please?” Yugi looked into the mirror again, the most plaintive look possible in his eyes. “For me?”
The pharaoh heaved a long sigh. “Stop that,” he grumbled. “You know I can’t resist that.”
“I love you, Yami…”
The inner voice chuckled again. “All right, all right. We’ll do this together.”
Yugi smiled more strongly as he stepped back from the mirror, the Puzzle around his neck beginning to glow. The bathroom door opened to reveal the slender, sultry bonded form of pharaoh and vessel, partners of the game and of life, Yami Yugi. He stalked into the photo room in such a way as to give Andy a reason to gasp. “Yes, I like it!” he crowed. “Very nice, very…modern. Like a punk rocker. It looks good with the black shirt, we’ll just leave it for now. Maybe try a different one later. Just a little makeup and we’ll get started.”
Yugi’s eyes widened. “Makeup?” he repeated in disbelief.
“Just to take the shine off your nose,” Andy insisted. “It won’t be much. Ah, and here I thought you were already wearing some. No, that’s your natural eyelashes…wonderful.”
Yugi tried not to flinch as he was primped and powdered for the camera’s sake, and eagerly escaped from Andy in order to go stand against the backdrop as ordered and pose. “Did you bring your cards with you?” the photographer asked him as he checked his focus.
“Well, yes. Of course.” Yugi reached to draw his deck from the pouch on his belt.
“Perfect!” Andy squealed from behind the photographer. “Oh, just one or two will do. You can hold them like you’re about to play them. Hmm.” He stood back with another critical look. “That big pendant of yours…”
Yami Yugi placed a hand firmly on the Puzzle. “This stays with me at all times,” he said sternly, giving Andy a narrow-eyed gaze.
“Don’t worry about it,” the publicist assured the stylist. “It’s like a trademark or something. There’s two main things that say ‘Yugi Muto’ whenever you see him – the hair, and the pyramid necklace. It never changes.”
“Oh, fine, fine,” Andy sighed. “It’s honestly too big and too flashy, but…I suppose if it’s your thing…”
“It is my thing,” Yugi said, still glaring. “I’ll thank you not to touch it.”
The photographer was ready, so Andy got shoved out of the way while the professional took over the role of directing and deciding how best to pose and shoot their subject. Yami and Yugi together in this form felt mutually ridiculous turning this way or that, giving the camera certain looks as directed, but the photographer was kind and not nearly as irritating as the stylist and knew how to bring out the best in his subjects. He took a series with cards and without in that black outfit, and then they had Yugi switch to the buckled vest and jeans for variety’s sake, trying some of the same poses over again. By this time, Yami Yugi was having a difficult time mustering even his “come duel me” daring smirk for the camera, and simply looked cool and aloof and dangerous with only a stare and not a smile. Finally, a good hour and a half after starting, the photographer checked his camera and gave him a friendly grin. “I think that’s it. That should do.”
Yugi wilted in place, having had quite enough of the stupid poses trying to make him into a sex symbol with his cards. “Thank you,” he groaned. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to change back into something more comfortable. It’s…cold outside.” The office staff all agreed, and when he came back out of the bathroom, it was just regular old Yugi in his long-sleeved shirt and jeans, brushing back the bangs which Andy had tried hairspraying into place. While he was packing up his backpack and looking for his coat, the publicist came back in and handed him an envelope. “What is this?” he wondered.
“Your paycheck,” she said as if it were obvious. “Mr. Pegasus said that you’re to be paid a percentage of the agreed salary when we see you, since there isn’t a way to know exactly how many times between now and the tournament that we’ll call you in.”
“Oh…okay,” Yugi said innocently. “I thought I was just going to get it all at once, when it was over.”
“Oh no,” the woman smiled. “Mr. Pegasus wouldn’t let you go that long without being paid. He insisted.”
“Oh. Well, thanks. Thank you very much.” Yugi bowed politely and headed out, returning the wave Andy gave him from across the room while he went through the photo thumbnails with the photographer.
It was with great relief and welcome that Yugi found Marik waiting for him outside the Industrial Illusions building, bundled up in a nice warm coat for once. “There you are,” he said as Yugi approached him. “I was beginning to wonder. How long does it take to snap a couple of pictures?”
“An hour and a half,” Yugi groused, clapping a hand to his forehead. “It was a real photoshoot, like I was a model or something. I even had to change clothes!”
“Oh no,” Marik said, unable to keep from laughing. “Sounds terrible.”
“It was,” Yugi insisted. “That’s okay, I made Yami help me. He’s much more suited for all the looks they wanted me to give the camera anyway.”
“Oh, that had to be interesting.” Marik shrugged a shoulder. “Come on, let’s get out of here. We can walk back, or take a bus I guess.”
“What, no motorcycle?” Yugi pouted as they started down the sidewalk.
“No, sorry,” Marik said with a shake of his blond head. “I sent it back with the boat. If we end up here longer than a month, it needs to get sold so we have the extra money.”
“Aw…I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s all right.” Marik smiled appreciatively. “It wouldn’t have done me any good to cling to it if I’m just going to get rid of it. It’s okay. Maybe I’ll save up, and someday get a new one.”
Yugi nodded and shifted his backpack higher onto his shoulder. “So…what have you been up to the last few days? Settling in?”
“Mostly,” Marik replied with a glance around them. They were just casually walking up the street, there was no possibility that anyone passing them by could overhear private conversations or would care. “We’ve been working on more traditional routes of finding out who this imposter archeologist is and what he’s after. Maybe, if we can stop him before he finds out about you and the other Items you hold, we can avoid a lot of trouble and let you get back to worrying about tournaments.”
“That would be nice,” Yugi agreed. “You said you may have found something?”
Marik tucked his hands warmly into his coat pockets. “Well, we know by now that the academic credentials he used to get into the country and gain a meeting with Ishizu were false. He didn’t even bother to use realistic credentials in case we checked them, he completely made up the university he was supposed to be from. Not to mention, he gave us a false name.”
“So you have no idea who he really is.”
“We didn’t. But Ishizu has connections – we ran his picture through Interpol.” Marik gave him a subtle grin of malice. “It made them sit up and take notice. He’s a wanted international criminal.”
Yugi stopped in his tracks, mouth agape. “What?”
“That’s right.” Marik waited for Yugi to collect himself and start walking again before continuing his explanation. “His real name is David Archer – American – and he’s wanted by Interpol mostly for smuggling and trafficking in antiquities. Nothing like killing or drug smuggling or anything violent. He’s one of those people who helps buy or steal rare artifacts and treasures from countries where it’s really hard to get them from. They didn’t have any information on where he might be located or working from, their last sighting was somewhere in Europe and they were really interested when Ishizu told them he was in Egypt.” With his eyes forward and down toward the sidewalk, Marik frowned darkly as he walked. “The Egyptian cultural ministry is very serious about keeping artifacts in the country, where they belong, they’re part of our history and cultural heritage. Loaning objects to museums is one thing, but they get really upset at people who try to buy and smuggle artifacts out of the country for personal collections or to be sold on the black market.”
Yugi strode on in silence, digesting this. “So…looking for rare artifacts like the Millennium Items is what this guy does.”
“It sounds like it. But according to Interpol, he’s just a low-level criminal, a thief, a…what do you call it? When your job is to sell stolen items you’ve acquired.”
“Uh…a fence?”
“Yeah.” Marik frowned even more deeply. “So, unless this is some kind of unusual circumstance, there’s a possibility he isn’t looking for the Items for his own personal reasons. He may be working for someone else.”
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Yugi sighed. “But, at least you know who he is, now.”
“Yes,” Marik said, “and what’s more, now that we’ve alerted Interpol, there will be international police forces looking for him. Especially in Egypt – the cultural ministry would have no problem authorizing police to hunt him down if he might be trying to steal and traffic Egyptian artifacts.” He gave Yugi a slight but confident smile. “So if all goes well, they’ll arrest him somewhere far from here and you won’t have to put up with me and Odeon any longer.”
“Aw, I’ll put up with you anytime,” Yugi assured. “But yeah…I imagine we’ll all feel a lot better if the authorities can track him down and stop him before he gets near a single Millennium Item.”
“Well, they’ve got alerts out now,” Marik said calmly. “If he tries to fly to Japan now, they’ll catch him on the spot. There’s no way he’s getting to Shadi, I can promise you that – the ones in danger are the ones here.”
They walked on together in silence for a while, thinking their private thoughts, including the pharaoh who was listening to their conversation from within. He whispered something across the bond with Yugi, making him lift his head and speak up again. “Marik…do you suppose we should warn Bakura?”
Marik looked sharply at him. “Bakura?”
“You know, since he holds the Millennium Ring again.”
“Oh…” Marik sighed. “I hadn’t thought of that. Maybe you’re right.” He glanced sidelong at Yugi. “Do you think we can trust him?”
“Well…” Yugi felt his face flush with shame that he was thinking such adversarial thoughts toward someone who was supposed to be his friend. “Yeah, Bakura’s okay. I mean…I don’t think he knows how the Ring got back to him. The spirit of the Ring is dangerous, we all know that, but what can he do to us now? If we’re warning him about someone who might try to steal the Ring?”
Marik gave a sudden visible shiver. “I can remember that evil face like it was yesterday,” he breathed. “I know I made a pact with him, and tried to count on him to help me, but I should have known better. I thought I could control him.”
“But you never really met the real Bakura,” Yugi insisted. “Ryo Bakura is a nice guy. Sweet, gentle…totally the opposite of the spirit. He’s been my friend since Duelist Kingdom, he even helped me save the Puzzle from…” He stopped in mid-thought and suddenly laughed. “From you!”
Marik stared. “Really?”
“Yeah! Wow, talk about your weird connections.” Yugi shook his head with a chuckle. “I hadn’t thought about that. That’s kind of funny. Anyway…” He sobered and glanced at Marik. “For Ryo’s sake, we need to tell him. I don’t know what the spirit of the Ring will do, but I’d rather protect Ryo than freak out about his other side.”
“Yes, you’re right,” Marik nodded. “Now that he is in possession of the Ring, he’s in the same danger as you.”
“He’s in university now, just like Joey,” Yugi mused. “I saw him not too long ago, he gave me his phone number. I can call him up…”
“It would be best if we arranged to meet him somewhere private,” Marik said darkly. “I don’t want to take chances, particularly if the spirit awakens and decides to make some noise.”
“All right. I’ll take care of it,” Yugi agreed.
Though Ryo Bakura had started university a full year after Joey and Yugi, it was Joey’s contention that he must have tested up, because he saw Bakura taking classes at a level equal to him. They didn’t have any together, but they did occasionally see each other crossing campus, so Joey was able to tell Yugi now and then that Bakura was alive and well and seemed to be doing fine. They hadn’t been in contact, however, so when Yugi called Bakura later that evening, he was met with a warm note of surprise and a desire to chat for a little bit to catch up. Bakura had homework to do, though, so Yugi cut it short and steered around to the reason he had called in the first place. “It’s about the Millennium Items,” he said hesitantly.
“The Millennium Items?” Without being able to see him face to face, it was hard for Yugi to tell whether the concerned note in Bakura’s voice came from a sudden shift to the Ring spirit’s presence. “What about them?”
Yugi sighed shortly. “Bakura, I…I know you have the Ring back,” he confessed. “I don’t care how or why, it doesn’t matter. But don’t be afraid, because I know.”
There was a little noise over the line, as if Bakura had recoiled in fear from the phone. When he spoke again, his voice was even softer than usual. “I’m sorry, Yugi. I don’t know, either…”
“It’s not the point,” Yugi quickly assured him. “Can I ask a favor of you? Can you meet me somewhere, so we can talk about it?”
“It’s kind of late, and I have a lot of homework…”
“Not tonight. How about…tomorrow night? Somewhere really private, where it wouldn’t look weird if we ran into each other…”
Bakura thought about it. “How about the park? I know it’s an odd place for people to meet at this time of year, and it’s cold out, but…there probably wouldn’t be anyone else around.”
“Sure,” Yugi said. “At eight tomorrow? Is that too late?”
“No, that’s fine. I can be
there.” He sounded suspicious. “What is this all about, Yugi?”
“I’ll explain everything face to face,” Yugi promised. “I’m going to be bringing someone along,
an old friend, who might be able to explain it better.”
“All right, then,” Ryo agreed. “The park at eight tomorrow night. Well…I guess I need to get back to my homework.”
“Okay, I’ll let you go,” Yugi said, amiably enough. “Night, Bakura. Have a good one.” As he hung up, Yugi was aware of the pharaoh’s spirit beside him. “I just know that as soon as we start talking about the Ring, the spirit is going to come out,” he sighed in Yami’s direction. “I don’t want to face him. I don’t think I can. But Bakura needs to know that he might be in danger.”
“If it makes you feel any better,” Yami said in return, “I will take control in order to talk to Bakura. If the spirit decides to play rough, he’ll have to contend with me.”
“Yeah…sure…” Yugi wrapped his arms around himself, setting one hand lovingly on the Puzzle. Anything further said between them was mere thought. As long as Bakura knows that we’re his friends. Just make sure you tell him that, Yami. No matter what that dark spirit says.
Thanks to the cold snap that enveloped Domino in chilly gray skies and stormy seas, Yugi bundled himself up warmly in a thicker coat and gloves before going out the following night. He just told his grandpa that he was going to see Marik, which was partially true. He walked to Marik’s flat and warmed up for a few minutes chatting with Odeon before he and Marik headed off to the park, trying to keep conversation light in case the mood would be changing upon making their meeting. A few light snowflakes drifted down out of the darkened sky on them as they entered the park and followed the sidewalks to the designated meeting place, all talk between them ceasing. As they neared the rendezvous, Yugi murmured under his breath, “I’m going to let Yami handle this.”
“Okay,” Marik said back. Their eyes were forward, searching the darkness ahead for a glimpse of the one they expected to meet, but he guessed at the moment of change when it seemed his companion walked a little straighter and lifted his head proudly. Marik brushed away a snowflake that had alighted with a chill on his cheek, and then he saw it. “Someone’s coming towards us,” he noted.
“Yes, I see him.” They kept walking, until the figure on the path ahead crossed under a streetlamp. It was clearly Bakura, the collar of his navy peacoat turned up to keep his neck and face warm. He must have spotted them as well, for he paused under the light and waited for them to approach with a wary look on his face. Yugi’s hair was enough to identify him even in silhouette, but as soon as the two of them came into the light, Bakura’s brown eyes widened. “Bakura,” Yami greeted him.
“Is that…Marik?” Bakura breathed.
Marik smiled very faintly. “You remember?”
“It’s…kind of hard to forget.” Ryo Bakura’s eyes shifted to the one who had called him there. “Yugi…”
Yami did not correct him, as for now, he was essentially operating as Yugi, with his partner’s consent. Yugi’s spirit remained tentatively bonded to him, listening and watching but not interfering. “I’m sorry for the clandestine meeting in the middle of the night,” he said quietly. “But there is something going on that you need to know about. This is the safest way.”
“I see.” Ryo’s eyes kept going from one to the other in curiosity. “If it involves Marik, then it certainly must be something.”
Marik grew rather serious. “Yugi said you had regained possession of the Millennium Ring. That makes you an unwitting participant, and we had to inform you before something happened to you, or it. Do you recall anything about how it got back to you?”
Bakura shook his head, his brown eyes wide and innocent. “I know nothing,” he said plaintively. “Usually, whenever the spirit of the Ring is active, I just…black out, whether for minutes or days. I woke up one morning, literally, to find the Ring laying next to me on my bed. I’ve been afraid that I might have done something to you in order to get it back, under the spirit’s control,” he added to Yugi directly.
Yami shook his head. “However it got to you, I never noticed,” he confessed. “I couldn’t even say whether it happened by mystical powers or under a more mundane circumstance.”
“That’s good,” Ryo sighed. “I’d hate to think I – well, that is, the spirit – hurt you.”
Despite the friendship between Yugi and Ryo, they stood far apart at opposite ends of the pool of light cast off by the streetlamp, all three of them with their hands in their coat pockets while snowflakes occasionally drifted between and onto them. “It doesn’t matter how you got it,” Yami went on in his usual solemn tone, “the fact is you have it. I’m not here to ask for it back or to take it from you. You have a connection to it, so it may be safer in your hands after all.” He glanced aside at his companion. “Marik has come because someone is seeking the Millennium Items. You and I have a number of them, therefore, if this person learns of their whereabouts, he will come here looking for us.”
Brown eyes widened again. “Who? Who is dong this?”
“A thief, an international smuggler,” Marik replied. “We’re still working to find out as much about him as we can. We don’t know who he’s working for, or if he’s after the Items for his own sake.”
Bakura shook his head in disbelief. “But…why? What does he want with them?”
“We don’t know yet. My family and I have been watching over the pharaoh’s tomb, and we chose to act quickly to make sure the pharaoh is protected. We’re still gathering information.”
“But the fact remains that there is someone out there,” Yami added gravely, “and if he finds out that in their history the Puzzle and the Ring were brought to Domino and given to the two of us, he will search for us. And we don’t have any way to predict what he will do when he finds us, or what lengths he will go to in order to get the Millennium Items away from us.”
“We have to stop him,” Bakura cried, quivering. “He can’t have our Millennium Items. Not if he’s going to steal them or hurt us…”
“I know,” Yami said as gently as he could. “That’s why Marik is here. He is looking after the Items in his own way, and passing along the information they uncover in Egypt. I thought it would be best if you knew, so that you could be protected also.”
“You thought of me…” Ryo lowered his head, so that his sheaf of silvery hair hid his eyes. “Thank you.”
“Of course. We are friends,” Yami said, though the sentiment in his voice came from his partner’s spirit. “I would never leave you to face this kind of threat in order to protect myself alone. If you bear the Ring, you must be on your guard against anyone who might be after it.”
“I don’t suppose there’s any way we could convince you to return the Ring to the pharaoh and let him guard it?” Marik asked warily.
“Of course not,” Bakura said, a little more sharply. “The Ring is mine.”
Yami scowled; he had sensed the change come over Ryo, but hoped against hope that Yugi’s wish of friendship might get through to him before it was too late. “I was afraid of this,” he muttered.
Lifting his head, Bakura gave both of his companions a nasty little smirk. Marik growled under his breath. “I see. It’s you.”
“Why, Marik,” the spirit of the Ring purred. “It has been a long time, hasn’t it? It’s good to see you again, even if you have given up your pursuit of power to fawn at the pharaoh’s feet like a good little dog.”
Marik bristled, but Yami held up a hand to caution him. “You heard everything we told Ryo, didn’t you?” he said to Bakura. “Someone is hunting the Millennium Items.”
“Well, I’ll be damned if I let anyone lay so much as a finger on my Ring,” Bakura snarled. “You should know that, pharaoh.”
“You should give the Ring back,” Marik argued. “There’s no sense in risking yourself, it was doing just fine with him. It rightfully belongs to the pharaoh.”
“On the contrary.” Bakura eyed them both with contempt. “You have no idea who it rightfully belongs to. Just because he’s the pharaoh doesn’t mean he has a claim to all seven Items. Then again…” He smirked condescendingly. “How could you know? The true history of the Millennium Items is no longer written for the likes of mere tombkeepers to read, and he, well…” He laughed snidely at Yami. “He doesn’t remember a thing. Do you, pharaoh?”
“And I don’t suppose you’re of a mind to share,” Yami smirked right back.
Bakura tossed his hair flippantly. “I’m not the sharing type.”
Marik glared at him across the pool of light. “We could have just left you to fend for yourself against this threat, be glad we cared enough about Ryo Bakura to let him know.”
“Oh yes, I am grateful for that,” Bakura admitted casually. “To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Should any mere mortal come sniffing around for my Ring, he’ll get a nasty surprise. Even if doing away with him inadvertently helps you.” He threw a scornful look at Yami.
“Don’t make any rash moves,” Yami warned. “If this smuggler is working for someone else, it would be better to find out who, lest he decide to send more of his men after us. My main concern is Ryo’s safety.”
“He is quite safe with me around,” Bakura muttered. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to him. He is my vessel, I need him.”
“That hasn’t stopped you from abandoning him before,” Marik retorted.
Bakura growled at him. “Don’t speak as if you know what really goes on inside here,” he said, tapping his forehead.
“You forget, I poked around in there for a brief time,” Marik smirked. “Not only did you sacrifice Ryo, you completely failed, almost taking me with you. Ryo deserves better.”
“That’s not for you to decide,” Bakura snapped. “If you really do only care about Ryo, then you have nothing to worry about. He is in my hands, and I will make sure no one threatens him. We are in this together.” He shifted his gaze to the stern pharaoh again. “That rankles you, doesn’t it? To have to consider me an ally?”
“We are not allies,” Yami said curtly. “I have no need for you at all. I came to warn you out of courtesy, and concern for Ryo. If anything, it is you who will have to rely on me. Stomach that however you have to,” he added with a grim smile.
“I don’t need you either,” Bakura said darkly. “I can take care of myself. But thanks for the heads-up. Should you find yourself wanting a safer place for those other Items you have, well…I’d be happy to take them off your hands.”
Yami glared. “That won’t happen.”
Bakura smirked. “Of course not.”
“Will you back off, and let me speak to Ryo?” Yami demanded. “I want to assure myself that he understands the danger he’s in before we part for tonight.”
“Actually, for once I’ve been letting him listen in on everything,” Bakura said, seeming a little too happy about it. “It concerns him, he should know. But this is all rather nebulous, pharaoh…” He eyed them through the snowflakes. “How do I know you’re not baiting me to give up the Ring, or having a bit of fun at my expense?”
“Marik’s presence should be proof enough,” Yami replied. “He’s not here all the way from Egypt for a vacation.”
“The smuggler in question has been to see my family, asking all sorts of questions trying to find out about the Millennium Items and where they’re being kept,” Marik related. “I came to protect the pharaoh. It wasn’t my intention to have to also protect you.”
“I told you, I don’t need your protection,” Bakura sniffed. “Fine. I will be on my guard, as I always am. But don’t expect me to come rushing to your side if you need protection, pharaoh.”
“It is my hope that we don’t have to speak to each other over this matter again,” Yami said bitterly. “International authorities are hunting down this person, they may take care of it for us.”
“Lucky us.” Bakura turned to go, glancing back over his shoulder at them. “Enjoy your stay in Domino City, Marik. You’ll find it a much colder place than you may last remember. I hope that delicate desert constitution of yours doesn’t suffer too terribly.”
“Bastard,” Marik hissed. “Yugi came to warn his friend of danger, and this is how you repay him? Perhaps I’ll let the crook come and find you, and steal your Ring, and then perhaps you’ll leave Ryo Bakura for good.”
Bakura’s sly eyes narrowed with a wicked glare. “No one will be stealing anything from me,” he declared in a low, seething voice, and turned his back on them. A few quick strides carried him out of the light from the streetlamp, and out of their presence.
Yami stood for a moment watching, to be sure that he had departed, before turning and nodding to Marik that they were safe to leave also. They walked back the way they had come and left the park, though they waited until they reached more well-lit streets before breaking the tense silence between them. “Well, that went better than I expected,” Yami sighed.
Marik gave him a disbelieving look. “Better? Are you kidding?”
“I had a strong feeling we would come face to face with the spirit of the Ring sooner or later. We were talking about someone possibly stealing his Millennium Ring, of course he was going to show himself.” Yami kept his eyes focused on the wet sidewalks in front of him as they walked side by side. “Yugi expected it as well. That’s why I took over.”
“Ah. I figured as much.” Marik shrugged under his heavy coat. “The best of intentions are fraught with disappointment. At least we did as we intended, and warned Bakura. Do you think he’ll be all right?” he added with a glance at his companion.
“I may not like that dark spirit,” Yami mused, “but I believe him when he says he will make sure no one steals the Ring. It makes its way back to him of its own accord, it has a connection to him almost as strong as mine to the Puzzle. Ryo may be fragile and uncertain of his safety, but Bakura will see to it that no harm comes to him.” He smirked sideways at Marik. “His self-preservation instinct is incredibly strong.”
“So I’ve noticed.” Marik huffed a sigh, his breath clouding in the chill air. “I still don’t trust him, but I guess we have no choice but to take him at his word. Not only because we don’t want to see the Ring lost like the Eye, but because Ryo should not be made a victim. On that, I agree.”
Yami’s voice dropped to a dreadful, serious level. “Marik, when you next speak to your sister, tell her I hope that she and the international police can stop this plot against the Items before it comes here. Enough innocent people are under threat now, I don’t want it to escalate any further.”
Marik glanced aside at him, studying his inscrutable expression for just a moment. “Yes, my pharaoh,” he breathed. They walked the rest of the way home in silence, with snowflakes tumbling around them.
“Hey,” Joey said as he and Yugi lounged on the living room floor going through their dueling decks. “I wanna do something huge for Mai’s birthday.”
It was a random night in November, nothing of note had been going on since Yugi’s secret meeting with Bakura and he was all too happy to hang out with Joey upstairs while Grandpa Muto handled the late shift downstairs. The best friends hadn’t gotten much of a chance to visit lately, between Yugi being away, Joey having class and occasionally work, and the undercurrent of danger Yugi was facing. Rather than make serious plans to go out, the boys just flopped on the floor upstairs to geek over their decks under the pretense of deciding whether to restructure and add new cards before the world tournament. Yugi gave Joey a curious look. “When is Mai’s birthday?” he asked.
“Couple of weeks. It’s not any kind of milestone, but…” Joey made a shy face. “This is the first time I’ve ever been able to celebrate her birthday with her. I wanted her to see how much she means to me, how much her friends care about her.”
“Well, that makes sense.” Yugi shuffled his cards together and set his deck aside. “Do you have any ideas, or you just know you want it to be huge?”
“I dunno…” Joey was sprawled on his side, propped up on one elbow, with all his cards strewn about in front of him. He rested his head on his hand and looked at Yugi. “I thought about maybe asking Duke if he can set aside one of the dueling arenas in his shop for a private party. You know, kinda take over the whole floor and game or hang out or whatever.”
“Oh, that sounds cool!” Yugi crossed his legs and sat up excitedly. “I bet Duke would be happy to reserve an arena for a private party. Especially if it’s Mai, and all of us.”
“Yeah,” Joey said. “I know she doesn’t know a whole ton of people here in town, but I can invite some of the people she actually likes at work, and some of our friends. Maybe use it to introduce her to folks, too.”
Yugi grinned. “If you plan it for the full moon night, Yami can come too.”
“Oh yeah!” Joey brightened up. “Okay, that takes care of what day to have it.” He raised a finger warningly. “But no saying anything to her. I want to surprise her.”
“No problem. A surprise it is.” Yugi then thought of something, and his smile began to fade. “Uh, Joey…that reminds me. I’d have a couple of people to bring along, but I don’t think that should be part of the surprise. To either of you.”
“Eh?” Joey pushed himself up to a seat. “What do you mean, Yug?”
Yugi seemed to curl into himself, growing shy all of a sudden. “Promise you won’t be mad that I didn’t tell you right away?”
“Why would I be mad?” Joey wondered. “What’s goin’ on, Yug?”
Yugi took a deep breath and sighed it out, unable to lift his eyes to meet Joey’s questioning gaze. “I might be in trouble. There’s someone after the Millennium Items. But I didn’t want to tell you,” he went on right away, though he heard Joey gasp, “because of who came to tell me about it. I didn’t know if you or Mai would freak out to hear he was back.”
Joey frowned in confusion. “Who?”
“Marik.”
“…oh.” Yugi looked up to find Joey sitting across from him with a conflicted look on his face. Most of it didn’t seem negative, though there was a hint of uncertainty about him. “Marik, huh?” he added after a bit.
“Yami and I talked about it. We remember what Mai said to you when she was under Dartz’s control, about how she still had nightmares about what Marik’s evil half did to her,” Yugi tried to explain. “That’s why we weren’t sure we should tell you that he’s here. He did worse to you,” he said more softly, “but I know after the tournament was over and we all got back safely, you didn’t hold it against him.”
Joey nodded absently. “Yeah…I let it go. And I guess…I don’t really have any reason to be upset if I saw him again. He begged my forgiveness like crazy. But Mai…”
“I’d have to drag Marik and Odeon to the party with me, so she’d have to confront him there,” Yugi worried. “I just don’t know if you want to break it to her now, so it’s not a surprise, or what.”
Joey lifted his eyes and gave Yugi a steady look. “Mind explaining to me just why he’s here, and why you’d have to drag him along, first?”
Yugi nodded and quickly related to him what he knew of the sketchy plot and ambiguous details of the threat, but Joey reacted as a best friend should and looked suitably worried. By the time Yugi had explained it all, down to Marik and Odeon being there to serve as the pharaoh’s bodyguards, Joey was not as concerned about Mai’s feelings as he was his best buddy’s safety. Yugi waved it off casually. “It’s not like we think there’s spies tailing me or bugging the phones or anything, we don’t even think this guy knows I exist. It’s more of a precaution than anything.”
“Well, yeah. And a damn good one.” Joey wagged a finger sternly. “Don’t take any chances, Yug. Let ‘em do their job. They want to be good tombkeepers and protect the pharaoh? Let ‘em. I’m behind that all the way.”
Yugi blinked at him. “I am, I am,” he assured. “So…you see why they’d be there if Yami and I were separate, and out on the town with you guys?”
“Yeah, I get it now.” Joey pursed his lips in thought for a moment. “Hmm. Well, let me see if I can hint around and find out how Mai feels before I hit her with any shockers. But I agree…she needs to know ahead of time. I don’t want to bring her to her own birthday party and have her run out on me because Marik is there.”
“If you want me to tell her all about the Millennium Items…”
“Nah, that’s okay. I don’t think you should be running around spreading that to everyone you know.” Joey gave Yugi a knowing stare. “You haven’t even told your grandpa, have you?”
Yugi looked down at his feet. “No…”
“Yeah, you see?” Joey set his hands on his knees and leaned forward determinedly. “You don’t like dragging us into the pharaoh’s affairs, I know that. You’ve always been like that. We always get dragged into it anyway, but that’s not the point. The point is…this is your fight. The less of us who know, the better, or you’re gonna get all of us worked up for nothin’ if the guy never shows up here or gets arrested in Egypt or whatever. You know we got your back when you need us, but that doesn’t mean everyone has to be kept up to date on the latest gossip from around the globe. Just say the word and we’re there, man. That’s all it takes.”
“Yeah…thanks Joey.” Yugi lifted his head and met his best friend’s gaze. “All I want is to keep you guys safe. I don’t want anyone else becoming an innocent victim. It’s happened too many times, I’m finally smart enough to know not to let my friends be the targets of all the weirdoes and villains who want my Puzzle.”
“Can’t help it, Yug.” Joey smacked him on the leg. “We wouldn’t be your friends if we weren’t there to put ourselves in harm’s way for ya. And we’ll do it again.”
“I just hope I don’t have to hold you to that.” Yugi smiled warmly.
“Hey, at least this one isn’t like all the others. Pegasus and Marik and them? They were all magic and shadow realm and stuff, but this guy’s just a regular old crook…right?” Joey grinned smartly. “I can take a guy like that, no problem. You’ve got nothin’ to worry about.”
“I really hope that is all it is,” Yugi said quietly. “Well, I’ll leave it up to you how to handle Mai. But if there’s anything I can say to make it go smoother, let me know.”
“Yeah. Meantime, if you think you can trust me…”
Yugi blushed faintly. “I’m sorry, Joey. I do trust you…I just didn’t want to get you caught in this, too.”
“I know you don’t. But you gotta tell somebody. Just in case.” Joey gave him a brave smile. “It’s like you’ve always got the weight of the world on your shoulders. If anybody’s going to help you bear it, I will.” He picked up one of his cards – the Time Wizard Yugi had given him so very long ago – and waved it threateningly at his friend. “At least until the tournament. Then, all bets are off.”
Yugi laughed. “That’s still two and a half months away. Boy, I sure hope this Millennium Items thing blows over before then! I don’t want to have to look over my shoulder for two and a half more months!”
“No kidding,” Joey pouted. “That’ll drive us all crazy. Well, at least this time, maybe you can leave all the heroics to the police and Interpol, instead of taking it on yourself. Not everything is about saving the world, you know.”
“I know.” Yugi smiled, though his thoughts were slightly more serious. Only Yami heard them. But most of it is. At least for us.