Chapter Text
Ding-Dong!
Ryou’s eyelids lifted with a weak groan. What happened? Where? Dreary thoughts floated through his cobweb infested head. Hadn’t he been at school? The thought caused him to sit up right with a jolt, yes, school, Karita...yet, this wasn’t his school desk. Confusion overtook him and his head swam, forcing him to hold it in order to remain upright. With a shake of his head, Ryou attempted to dispel the sensation to minimal effect.
Ding-Dong!
That was his doorbell. He was at home.
Okay, so he knew where he was now but, how? Regardless, he needed to answer the door. Carefully, he pulled himself up from the chair and to his feet. His chest hurt, it felt sore all over, but that was sidelined by the sound of insistent knocking coming from his front door. Hazily, Ryou figured it was just from falling asleep at his desk, this hadn’t been the first time he’d done it, and it woken up stiff. Tenderly, Ryou tried stretching out his back, only to wince- okay, that hadn’t been a good idea.
“Coming! Who is it?” He called out, hand to his aching chest.
A boisterous voice responded from behind his front door, “Ay, Bakura! It’s us!”
Jonouchi? What’s he- Ryou felt himself freeze. Suddenly a sensation of overwhelming dread filled him. Danger. If they came inside, they’d been in danger! No, no, no! He couldn’t let anything bad happen to them! Not again! He, he had to warn them!
Ryou hurried down the hall but was halted by a sudden, sharp, twisting hot pain in his chest. He knew this pain- it was happening again. Something, inside him, was trying to force its way out. Somewhere, inside his mind, Ryou knew he couldn’t fight it, couldn’t win against it but he had to try. Body riddled with pain; he dragged himself towards the front door one laborious step at a time. Weak, he croaked out, “No. Don’t...don’t come in- stay, away-!”
Cold overtook him.
And everything went, black.
.
.
.
“Boy! Boy, wake up! I won’t do this again!”
“Wha?” Ryou felt a familiar crawling numbness coat his being. Fear assaulted him as he realized, there was nothing around him. Just an unending void. One that was hauntingly familiar, he’d been here just before he’d woken up at his desk. He tried to force himself to move but couldn’t manage so much as a twitch of a finger. If something was holding him in place, he couldn’t tell even that. For all Ryou knew he could’ve been suspended upside down. The thought only left him feeling even more disoriented. What was going on!?
His “company” didn’t seem concerned with his pending panic attack, “Oh good, you’re awake,” the tone sounded nigh scolding, irately so, “you’re lucky he’s distracted.”
Confusion only lasted a brisk second before his panic broke loose, “My friends!”
“Quiet!” Hissed the voiced. “He’s distracted but, you caterwauling your head off will draw attention!” An aggrieved sigh wafted through his thoughts, “They’re fine. For the moment.”
The statement stilled Ryou, at least the first half did. The second half sent a spike of alarm. Immediately he asked, “What’s going on?” A pause. Ryou, realizing he knew nothing of this entity, asked, “And, just who are you? Why are you helping me?”
“Unimportant. All you need to know, is, I want the leech gone.”
Given the situation, Ryou didn’t feel pressed for answers. He didn’t trust this other voice, just on the basis it sounded like him but, as they say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
“Ok.” Ryou relented.
“Good.” The voice huffed. “As for the situation, he’s lured them into a shadow game. They’re playing something called, “Monster World?”
“Shadow game?” Ryou parroted, voice oozing stress.
“You don’t know?” The voice questioned, confusion evident. A tense hum, “And I’m guessing you can’t see, or hear what’s going on- beyond me.”
“No, nothing!” Ryou professed. The response of silence didn’t soothe his fraying nerves, he pleaded for an answer, “A-are you there?”
“What did I say about drawing attention.” It was clear the new entity wanted to yell with how restrained his tone was.
If possible, Ryou felt himself shrink away from the radiating agitation. “Sorry...” He received a dismissive grunt in turn. When the silence trailed on, Ryou softly asked, “What’s going on...?”
His quieter tone was received well and garnered an answer, “It’s difficult for me to tell. I’m unfamiliar with this game. They’ve...chosen small dolls? Ah, I just heard they’re entering a tavern.”
“They’ve chosen player figures. By the sounds of it, they’ve just started their journey.” Ryou answered. He could already picture the tavern in question, naturally, he had made it by hand of course. Hard to forget something when you spent days planning, building, and painting things from scratch. Then there were the villagers, A through D. He hadn’t thought of names for them yet. He was so picky about that. Now that he thought about it, villager D looked like Karita.
“You know this game?” The voice asked.
“Of course, I built the set up.” Ryou asked, minding his tone.
“What is its goal then?”
“They’ve got to defeat the Dark Master’s boss monster.” He explained. “But if they’ve just started, it wouldn’t be a good idea for them to head there right away. They’re levels will be too low.”
“Therein lies the problem.” The other voice stated. “He isn’t going to let them do so. He’ll let them blunder they’re way to the boss. The blond one seems quiet keen on marching straight there.”
That sounds like Jonouchi! Ryou tensed. He was loud and brash by nature, a good guy but not the type to think things through and plan. Again, he tried to struggle against, whatever held him, he had to help them! His struggle was in vain. Not so much as a muscle on his face budged. Still, he felt the strain of the attempt, fatigue sinking in.
“Conserve your energy.” The voice instructed plainly.
“For what? I can’t even see anything.” Ryou lamented. How was he supposed to save his friends if he couldn’t see much less move.
“For an opportunity.” He said smoothly. “The whelp has a pendant. I can see it around his neck. If he has an item, I wager things will not go as smoothly as he expects. Best not waste energy and have none when a moment arises.”
That’s right, Yugi has an item like mine! If anyone could overcome the odds, it’d be the other Yugi.
Still, he felt wary, “O-okay.”
“Ah, they just finished combat.” The voice noted. “Nothing eventful there. Just a puny monster.”
Another silence. Ryou wondered how this voice could see and hear things while he was stuck in darkness. Was it because he was using his body. This was where he put his consciousness while in control? This voice had been the one to wake him each time, but how did he not notice this one waking him? Ryou supposed he shouldn’t look the gift horse in the mouth.
“They’ve run into another figurine.” The voice updated.
“What does it look like?” Ryou asked. He knew all his figures by heart, whether he painted a premade one, modified one, or made it by scratch. He had certain ones that were for certain stories, so maybe he’d be able to tell which story he was running.
“Cloaked, wearing a turban, heh, looks like a thief to me.” The voice seemed amused by this fact. “I see a bit of white hair.”
If able, Ryou would’ve blinked in confusion. “I... don’t recall making a figure like that.”
“He might have influenced you to create it. Or made it himself.” The voice surmised, “He has a habit of taking skills that aren’t his.”
Ryou was left disturbed by the fact. Had...had he been making things while not aware of it? That would explain why he was so tired sometimes, despite getting what should’ve been a full night of sleep. Then, how did he not notice them in his game room? Was he making him forget, or just- look over new addition like they’d always been there? Ryou wasn’t sure which was worse!
“They’re in combat again. Five monsters this time. Feh, still look puny.” The voice said dismissively.
The amount worried Ryou and he got a feeling this voice wasn’t to invest in his friend’s well-being. Nor did he have a measure of what counted as a strong monster to this voice. For all he was aware, they could be going up against a dragon, cockatrice, manticore, hydra, or chimera. He pushed the thought of his mind; speculation wouldn’t get him anywhere.
Just, wait for the next update. Ryou told himself.
“He’s had the boss monster reveal itself.”
That wasn’t what Ryou wanted to hear. Already? They’ve just started! Not even an hour in! While he couldn’t tell the passing of time, the voice’s updates gave him a vague sense that a couple of turns could’ve passed judging by the number of players. At most it’d been thirty minutes, maybe five at the least. But, of course, he was throwing his player killer out now, he just wanted to put his friends in dolls and get Yugi’s pendant, pacing and storytelling be damned.
“The purple haired girl was just struck down.”
The matter-of-factness caught Ryou off guard, “What-”
The second voice hissed for silence before he could begin to shout. “Silence. Remember, if this is to work, we’ll need the element of surprise. The game isn’t over yet. Her soul can still be saved.”
Ryou clenched his teeth, wanting to cry but unable to. He kept waiting.
“Tch, the brown-haired one ticked him off, now he’s a doll.”
“Honda? What’d he do?” Ryou asked, worry building ever more. That was two of his friends turned into dolls already!
“Went out of turn, apparently.” The voice tsked. “For someone out to steal souls, he’s rather anal about etiquette.”
“He’s just looking for excuses.” Ryou seethed. He found himself surprised by his own anger. Never in his life, had he felt so genuinely angry. No, he had when he’d found out what he’d been doing to his friends, but it’d been swamped with intermingling fear at the discovery of the dark entity. Now he felt it purely, raw.
“There you go.” Crooned the voice. “Hold onto that anger. Keep in mind all he’s done to you and use it as a weapon.”
Ryou felt a cold chill go up his spine. He...didn’t know how he felt about those words. Holding onto anger, that felt venomous. The words sounded like poison to his ears but, out of everyone: didn’t the entity deserve it? It’d turned his life into a living hell he’d lived for most of his life thinking he was cursed. Even now, as he was thinking, the evil spirit was turning his newest friends into dolls!
And they think it’s me...The realization crushed him. Right now, Yugi and his friends, thought he was doing this. Not some evil being puppeteering his body for his own ends. Every one of his friends, from the past to now, thought he was some monster, holding them hostage to use as play things.
No, no, it’s not me! Ryou wanted to cry and scream out, but he couldn’t, he couldn’t risk ruining any possible opportunity to stop him. Sadness mixed into his anger, building into something else, something cold.
“There you go. Hold onto it.” The voice encouraged evenly. It sounded rehearsed, practiced. All too familiar. He continued, moving along as if he’d not just spoken, “Hn, the blond fumbled. Two left- Oh?”
Thrown by the shift back, Ryou urgently asked, “What happened?”
“You’ll be happy to hear this, the runty one, he doesn’t think it’s you.” The voice relayed, sounding ever so slightly impressed.
“Wha, Yugi?” A beacon of hope lit up inside him. One of his friends, had seen through the evil spirit’s ruse! Realization struck, “Of course, he has a yami too.”
“Does he now?” The voice replied, tone tilted. “Interesting. That would explain, why he’s voted to voluntarily be put inside his figure. The other girl has gotten onto his plan as, well. And here I thought, they’d all gone mad. Let’s just hope this “other” Yugi is worth hinging everything on.”
“If anyone can, he can! I’ve seen how he is at games.” Ryou assured. Capsulemon and Duel Monsters were two very different games, yet he out played masters. Monster World was very different from both, but surely this yami could pick up on things quickly and defeat his.
He felt a sudden surge of anger from the voice, “Ngh, he-”
“What, what is it?” Ryou questioned, desperately trying to keep his tone done.
“Nothing, it’s nothing.” The voice assured, a twinge of confusion. “For a moment, I thought...nothing. Forget it.”
Ryou stayed quiet, too confused to respond. Then, suddenly, he felt something. Through the numbness, he got the sensation of, movement. Yet he wasn’t moving. Ryou focused on it, he could feel air, air through his fingers! This was it! This was the opening they’d been waiting for!
“Hey, I, I can feel something.” Ryou reported immediately, to the other voice.
“You can?” He was just as surprised.
“Yes, I... I think it’s one of my hands. I can feel my fingers.”
“Interesting.” Mused the voice. “The boss monster, Zorc, just got his hand cut off by the blond one.” A realization hit. “Of course, that must be his character. The loss of a limb must’ve freed you up a little. Just as Yugi’s soul being taken into his figure, brought the other out.” He chuckled darkly, “All the more evidence, that if he loses then we’ll be rid of him. Perfect.” The voice’s tone turned firm, “Wait for my signal, then we’ll strike.”
Now with a fire of hope in him, Ryou responded, “Right.”
“Ah, this other “Yugi” has called him out on his cheating. Things’ll be a little fairer. For now, no doubt he has other tricks up his sleeve.” The voice intoned. Ryou felt himself stiffen some. So that’d been why he felt his hand clench. “They’re at the castle now.” A sudden wave of indignation came through from the second entity, “You’ve got to be kidding me...”
“Uh?” Ryou questioned, he was getting a bit tired of waiting for play by plays.
“Your friends are falling into a painfully obvious trap.” He grumbled.
“Which one?”
“It’s a tower with a strange pedestal.”
Ryou felt dread well up all over again. “That one? They’ll need to roll doubles to get out of that one alive.”
“Roll specific numbers on the dice? Shit. The other Yugi isn’t allowed to use his fancy dice tricks any longer.”
Fighting his urge to clench his hand, or do something erratic, Ryou cursed himself for designing such a trap. It’d seemed neat at the time, and woefully obvious, he’d assumed his players would avoid it. What’s worse is, he couldn’t even tell which set of doubles it was, he decided what they’d be set to this game.
“Dammit, he rolled with the other hand. Zorc is back.” Hissed the voice. Sensing Ryou’s spike in desperation he growled, “Hold steady, boy.” If possible, he bit his lip, trying everything to keep himself acting out. It took everything he had to keep his hand from shaking out of fear. An exhale came from the voice, “Seems the gypsy girl has a use after all, an ability of hers gave the number they needed: ninety-nine.”
Ryou himself exhaled. That’s right, gypsy characters had the ability to change the numbers rolled. A “luck” attribute.
“DAMMIT. Fuck it all, damn it!” The string of swears alert Ryou something bad had happened. “He’s using brainwashed dice. There’s a fragment of him in them- he just killed them all in one shot.”
Cold overtook him. His friends were dead. Even though Yugi saw through- No. He wasn’t going to allow this. There had to be something he could do!
“Wait, is my hand near the computer?” He asked.
“That shining thing he keeps tapping away at?” The voiced asked in confusion.
“Yes, that’s it.”
“It is...” The voice trailed off, wanting to see where he was going with this.
“They’re health is recorded in there, if I can change it.” Ryou focused, he knew the keyboard layout well. As well as anyone who wrote stories down on a laptop. Yes, he could feel his fingers tapping away. Yes, his left hand was in perfect position to tap the one key. One by one, he tapped it in time he felt was best for each of his friends. He knew he succeeded when he could practically feel the voice grinning.
“Well done.” He said smoothly. “Hanging on by a thread but they’re alive again.” A brief pause, the tone turned sharp, authoritative, “Now, boy, his Mind Dice are unguarded, swipe them. The regular dice are nearby he won’t notice a thing.”
Ryou twitched his fingers, yes, he could feel them. With just a few fingers he grasped them and tucked them away in the palm of his hand.
“Now, toss them! Will him to fumble!”
Filled with the desire to have his tormentor fail, Ryou tossed the dice.
The thrill of acting out against his oppressor was short lived, as a powerful wave of pure wrath assaulted the both of them. Ryou even felt the other voice cringe back, vanishing, the cold and collected voice Ryou had last heard was growling, “Landlord, I know you're interfering.”
“I-”
“I don’t care how because-you will NOT do it again!” A blistering red-hot pain shot up through his palm. He could feel some sort of spike protrude through, warm wetness leaking from his skin. The yami cackled cruelly, drinking up his hosts pain, “How does your craftsmanship feel, eh, Landlord!?”
Punishment inflicted, the dark entity left Ryou to whimper in pain. It wasn’t bad as the forced bonding of the ring, but the pain couldn’t be ignored when it was all he could feel. It was like a rusty nailed had been driven through his hand! Though, judging by the remark of his yami, it’d more likely been the spire of the castle.
“Shit. Boy, you’re not sealed. Focus!” Hissed the second voice, seemed he hadn’t ditched him.
“On what?” Ryou snapped back. Pain and frustration overriding any ingrained behavior to be courteous. “I can’t even really move the hand I have now!”
He wanted to cry. He wanted to cry so badly. The pain was searing like a red-hot brand.
The other voice growled, Ryou was in too much pain to care whether it was at their situation or his attitude. Then, it smoothened out to a thoughtfulness, “I believe our ally just thought of something. Hold on there, boy, I’m going to pull a trick of my own.”
Suddenly, there was a familiar sensation of darkness, except, this time it didn’t feel painful or like it was pulling him into himself. Instead, it was like he as shunted out, blown away by a powerful gale-force and into: the light. Ryou blinked, at first, perplexed, this didn’t feel like his body. Everything felt off, compressed down in sized.
“Hurry, take my hand!”
That voice, he knew that voice. It was Yugi. It was good to hear him again. He took what felt like a soft, spongy, plush glove. Gently he was eased onto the ground. There he was supported by vaguely familiar shapes.
“Bakura! It’s you!”
“It worked!”
“Miho is so happy to see you!”
Shaking off the daze with a couple more blinks, Ryou recognized his friends, well the player characters his friends were trapped in, which just so happened to look spot on to them. He smiled, “Guys, thank you for saving me!”
“Yeah, welcome to the party!” Warrior Jonouchi cheered.
Ryou nodded curtly, “Let’s beat Zorc together and get you all out of here!”
“You...How did you get out!?”
The sudden seething voice caused Ryou to straighten up, his, and everyone else in the group’s, head snapped up to the Dark Master. Seeing an absolutely crazed expression on his own face was like looking in twisted fun house mirror. It was just wrong. Ryou didn’t even think he could make such an expression, yet there it was, glaring down at him like he’d committed a heinous crime.
“It’s like I said,” The confident voice drew Ryou’s attention to the other side of the table. It was Yugi’s yami. There he sat, like he had everything all figured out. Again, he felt that guilty pang of envy. “Zorc mirrors you, through his left arm, I pulled out the real Bakura.” He crossed his arms, shooting his yami a smirk. “This is a Shadow Game, after all many things are possible.”
If possible, his yami liked even more furious at the mockery being aimed at him. He was being lectured, humiliated during his Shadow Game. He turned his venomous gaze down at his piteous Serfling host, to his ever-burning anger, this time he didn’t shrink back as he should’ve. The look he was giving him made him tremble in his seat, his stomach was in such turbulent wrath that it threatened to make him retch up hellfire.
“I’m tired of being made to suffer because of you! I’m going to help my friends defeat you!” Ryou declared, shoving his fear down. Easier said than done with his tormentor being ten times his size currently, but he managed to not sound like an infant. He had to be stopped. First and for most to get his friends back to their rightful bodies, and take his life back.
“Bakura is so brave!” Miho cheered. Though she coward back behind Honda when a wicked sneer of a grin cut its way across the possessed Bakura’s body.
“It seems I was much too kind in punishing you, landlord.” Yami Bakura hissed. “But, since you were so thoughtful to bring yourself out onto the playing field, allow me to tell you about your fate in this shadow game.” He savored each and every word, the still bleeding hand held loft as if holding a prize. “In the even that you and your little friends win, you’ll all return to your bodies, safe and sound. But” he clenched the hand, making blood drip from his trembling fist. “If you lose, they all will be sealed away in their chosen figures as planned. But you?” He hissed, making Ryou’s very soul shiver in distress. “You, I’ll see to it that you never see the light of day again. I’ll keep this body, “landlord!”