Yugi

"Somebody call an ambulance!"

Someone hollered this above the ruckus that had formed around Bakura. Things like this always seem to attract attention when it's not wanted. Nearly half of the theater had gathered around, though most of them couldn't see anything, and that was good.

Yami, Jounouchi, Honda, Anzu, and I tried to fight our way closer. But nobody seemed willing to part with their spot.

"Would you move out of the way?!" Honda shouted. "We know him." At this, the theater manager forced the crowd to clear a path, and we moved in closer. Several staff members were trying to make the people leave, but without much success. This was a better show than the one they were missing.

Bakura was sprawled against the wall behind the door, unconscious. Blood tricked down from his hairline. Popcorn and change were all over the place. But worst of all, the millennium eye was plainly visible, and this was causing some worrisome conversation.

"What's with that eye?"

"Isn't that the same one that Duel Monsters guy had?"

"Yeah, Pegasus. But he's dead, isn't he?"

"What's this kid doing with something like that?"

"It's just a look alike," I said, trying to stop problems before they started. Yami, Anzu, and I crouched beside Bakura while Jounouchi and Honda yelled loudly at the big guy who'd hit Bakura with the door. If there hadn't been so many people around, I'm sure a fight would have erupted.

Bakura didn't move except for some visible eye movement and a shudder every now and then.

"He's dreaming," Anzu said. Yami stood up, suddenly.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Something's not right about this," he answered. "Something strange is going on. I can sense it."

"What's so strange about it?" I said. "Everything happens to Bakura. This isn't that unusual."

Yami didn't reply, but looked deep in thought. Anzu lifted up Bakura's hair and inspected the injury.

"He's already got some bruising," she said. "And the skin's broken. That guy pummeled him good. He must have a concussion." She looked solemn and then continued. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have sent him."

"Now, Anzu," Honda said. "There is no way you could have known this would happen. If anything, it's Jounouchi's fault for ticking you off."

"MY fault!" Jounouchi said angrily. "You're the one who started that popcorn fight!"

"Did not!"

"You guys," I interrupted. "It's nobody's fault. It just happened." They sighed but stopped fighting. Anzu moved Bakura's hair to cover the eye. The less people who saw it, the better. But I could already see trouble on the horizon. The eye wasn't on Bakura's medical records. There would be a lot of questions that we really couldn't answer.

I could hear sirens. The ambulance was coming. I strained my mind to try to think up some story to explain the millennium eye, but I was distracted when Bakura stirred suddenly and opened his eye.

He seemed dazed as he weakly looked around, focusing on each of us. He hesitated on Yami.

"Bakura, can you hear me?" Anzu asked. He nodded his head but said nothing. He seemed to be fighting to stay awake. This was understandable. But just before he gave up and closed his eye again, he smiled.

I could see confusion in everybody's face. "What was that about?" I said. Jounouchi looked just as puzzled as everyone else, but then he suddenly laughed.

"Isn't it obvious?" he said.

"What?" I asked.

He laughed again and glanced at Anzu who was still crouched over Bakura. "Heh. He must have gotten a peek down Anzu's shirt. I wonder if he saw my popcorn."

"Idiot!" Anzu hollered at him. "He's not a pervert like you!" But she buttoned up her shirt a bit more anyway, her face red.
 

Yami Bakura:

The first thing I noticed after waking up was an intense, throbbing pain in my head. I could feel the slow trickle of blood down the side of my face and a distinct feeling of nausea in the pit of my stomach. It was the best feeling I'd had in a long time. It meant I had truly left the shadow realm. I was back, and better than ever. At least I would be after I healed from whatever injury Ryou had left me with.

I could not sense Ryou at all. I was alone in this body. I'd not had a body to myself in centuries. It was wonderful. Even the pain thrilled me. It had been ages since I'd experienced real pain. It was great to be back in the flesh. Unfortunately, it had its drawbacks too. Seeing as I was alone in the body, I was unable to retreat from the pain after it had lost its appeal, as it was already threatening to do. Also, the injury to my head was affecting my mind. My thoughts were unclear and I had no way to escape from it. I felt as if any movement would cause me to be sick. So I stayed still. But I could not resist opening my single eye to get a fresh look at the world.

I was barely able to focus, but I was able to see a girl crouching next to me. She was one of Ryou's friends. It seemed he had grown quite close to Yugi's group once I had left. All this info was still stored in Ryou's mind, though Ryou was no longer present. The lights were on, but nobody was home, as some might say. I looked at each one of these "friends" in turn. There was the girl Anzu, who showed obvious concern; the equally worried Honda; the puzzled Yugi; and the anxious Jounouchi. Then I saw the all-too- familiar arrogant face of Yami Yugi. Already he looked at me suspiciously. How I wanted to use the eye's magic to see what he suspected, now that Ryou had mastered it. But I couldn't find the concentration necessary. My mind was too clouded from the injury. But I wasn't complaining. Oh, no. This injury was what had allowed me to renter this world, and I was thankful for it.

"Bakura, can you hear me?" the girl asked. I merely nodded in response. They were still treating me as if I were Ryou. Even if Yami suspected something, the others didn't. I'd escaped my imprisonment and came back stronger, wiser, and more powerful than I had been before I was trapped in that accursed shadow realm. With so many things in my favor, I could not help but smile.

I was forced to close my eye. All this stimulation was making me dizzy. I could do nothing at the moment. 'All in due time...' I thought. 'I will be patient. I will wait. And when the time is right, I will rule all with the power of the millennium items at my side. And the next one I will possess...is the puzzle.'