Yami Bakura

I used the millennium eye to make sure Yugi was gone. It was three fifteen. Time to get moving. I took the needle out of my arm and all the tape that went with it. I slipped on my clothes from the day before. I didn't give a damn if they were dirty. I passed by the mirror and remember the bandage on my head. This I took off as well. There were a couple stitches closing the wound, but it was near my hairline and so easy to hide. I also covered the millennium eye to make myself less conspicuous. But after using the eye, I realized that there were too many people in the hall for me to make and escape there. And I did not want to waste my magic to eliminate them all. And so I decided on the window. So what if I was on the second floor? Gravity is not a big problem for someone such as me.

The power given to me by both the ring and the eye was incredible. Not only did they give me the dark powers, but they also increased my physical endurance. Invoking the power slightly, I was able to nimbly jump from the second story ledge to the parking lot below, landing on one knee. It felt great to be up and really moving again. The sky was darkening as storm clouds moved in. Fitting weather, I suppose.

Using Ryou's memory, I waited for the bus that would take me to my destination. The wind picked up, blowing my hair into my face. It felt good. To be truly alive... I breathed deeply, taking in the smell of the approaching rain. Thunder rumbled in the distance. I would have walked were time not an issue. I liked the rain. The bus arrived just as the first drops began to fall, and I boarded. Luckily I would not have to ride long. Only five minutes.
 
 

Honda

"Jounouchi, is that salsa?"

"Yep," he replied. "It'll go great with the spicy corn chips"

"You do remember that this is for a recovering hospital patient?" Anzu questioned.

"Hey, we gotta eat too!" he replied. I rolled my eyes. Jounouchi always thought with his stomach. Luckily, he'd remembered tamer foods as well.

When Jounouchi told me about Bakura's condition, I did not know whether or not to believe him. He had a habit of blowing things out of proportion. I did not want to believe him, that was for sure. To think that Bakura could go over the edge like that without even having the ring to blame it on. It was weird. But any excuse to party.

I really hoped Bakura would be all right. Jounouchi said the Yugi told him Bakura was okay physically, but wasn't really acting like himself. And the thing with the millennium eye. I knew Yugi wouldn't joke about something like that and neither would Jounouchi. I wish I had been there. But I had been given a long list of chores by my folks. Shopping, cleaning, washing, yard work... I'd only just finished. But that didn't stop me from feeling guilty about it. But then I felt guilty about the whole thing.

Anzu had seen right through me. She knew I felt guilty about Bakura being hurt and tried to tell me it wasn't my fault and I could have done nothing to prevent it. But I really didn't listen. I'd always looked out for Bakura. Ever since I got to know him on Duelist Kingdom. Face it, the guy needs someone to look out for him. An only child, his father gone most of the time, and misery follows him wherever he goes. Someone's got to watch his back. Even though he's seen the way the world works the hard way, he is still too trusting and innocent for his own good. I saw his being hurt from something like a simple accident as a failure. Something I had been unable to protect him from. Sure, with the kinds of things that plague Bakura, I can't help him all the time. But I felt this was something I could have prevented, even though Anzu said I was being unreasonable.

I felt unusually nervous today. I had a bad feeling I could not place. Maybe it was just the weather getting to me. I looked out the window. It was black as night outside, rain just beginning to beat against the glass. I shook the feeling off. I guess I was just worried about seeing Bakura. I did not want to see him the way Jounouchi said he was.

"Jounouchi! Save some for later!"

Anzu's shouting at Jounouchi brought me out of my thoughts. I looked away from the window.

"Hey! They should be a while. I'll die of starvation if I have to wait 'til five!" Jounouchi said through a mouthful of corn chips.

The thunder rumbled outside, closer than before and the electricity flickered. Anzu peeked through the curtains. "It's getting bad out there," she said. She squinted through the storm.

"Something wrong, Anzu?" I asked.

"Thought I saw someone out there."

"Who'd be out in that mess?" Jounouchi said.

"Guess it was my imagination," Anzu said, looking doubtful.

We went back to setting up (having to replace the food that Jounouchi ate). Anzu continued cleaning up, openly more nervous. I think we were all a little shaken up. The atmosphere just called for it.

We all jumped about a foot when there was a sudden knock at the door, Anzu crying out loud. "You expecting somebody else?" I asked.

"No one 'til five," she said, looking at her watch. Unfortunately, nobody seemed to think to answer the door. There was a knock again that finally snapped us out of it, and Anzu opened the door.

There stood a very wet figure on the other side, water dripping down from locks of long white hair, clothes soaked, and shivering slightly. "Bakura?! Why are you here now?" Anzu said before she could catch herself.

He looked up for the first time, the millennium eye only slightly covered by his dripping hair. "Please, Anzu, can I come in? It's horrible out here."

"Uh, I, uh, well yes, of course! Come in." She stepped aside allowing the soaking wet Bakura to step in, a puddle almost instantly forming on the floor by his feet. Anzu ran to get him a towel.

"Bakura, what are you doing here now?" Jounouchi asked. "Yugi said you weren't getting out 'til five."

"Speaking of which, where is Yugi?" I asked.

Anzu returned and handed Bakura the towel. He began to dry himself off before answering. "He had an emergency errand to run for his Grandfather," he stated. "The hospital let me out early and Yugi told me to meet him here, though I can't imagine why."

"Well, uh..." I stammered, scratching my head. This was a somewhat awkward moment. "We were trying to welcome you out of the hospital, but you were kinda early and we weren't really prepared for you."

There was something about the way his gaze brightened. Something almost mischievous. I quickly dismissed it, though. I was sure that I was seeing things that weren't there.

"Really?" Bakura said. "All this for me? That's awfully kind of you. But why all this trouble just because I'm recovering from a bump on the head?"

"Just reminding you about who your friends are, Bakura," Jounouchi said in what I am sure he thought was a good-natured manner, but I thought it was just a bit on the blunt side.

Bakura's gaze narrowed. "You've been talking to Yugi, I see."

"He was just worried about you is all," Jounouchi said. "It shows he cares. We just wanted to make you feel better."

"Oh, don't worry, Jounouchi. I don't know that I could possibly feel any better than I do right now..."

I raised an eyebrow. That had seemed more sinister than sincere, for some reason. I shook it off again. But even I could not ignore the strange way he continued on.

"I suppose Yugi told you that I really was acting different," he said thoughtfully as he strolled deeper into the room, looking idly at different items in Anzu's living room, having abandoned drying off even though his hair was still quite wet. He continued. "Suppose he said I was doing things I wouldn't normally do. And doubtless he told you that his Yami was concerned."

"Yeah, something like that," Jounouchi said. "Like I said, he was worried."

"You say 'was' like he shouldn't be anymore..." he said.

"Bakura, you're starting to scare me," Anzu said. "Jounouchi meant nothing by it."

Bakura paused by the window and looked out, a smile spreading across his face. "You probably should be scared. I have no intension of changing my plans in order to make this easier on you."

"Bakura, what are you talking about?" I said, starting to get really worried. "Snap out of it! You're not acting like yourself."

"There's a very good reason for that...." he muttered as thunder clashed loudly outside and the lights blinked and then went out completely, leaving us shrouded in darkness.