Chapter Text
Chapter 44
"Wow, that's intense," Bakura said in wonder. We were sitting on my couch the day after Battle City ended. I invited him over so I could explain to him everything that happened. I figured I owed him that much.
"I'm sorry about what happened to you," I said.
Bakura shook his head with a smile on his face. "That's alright, Samia. It's not your fault." His emotions told me he was being honest. I smiled slightly at him in return. Then his eyes fell on the Millennium Ring around my neck, and he became worried. "Are you sure you don't want me to take that back?"
I shook my head. "If I do that, the Spirit of the Millennium Ring will just control you again. He can't do any harm if the Ring is with me."
But it would be so much more fun, said the Spirit. I ignored him.
"I guess that's a good point," said Bakura. "Are you sure he can't control you?"
I nodded. "I'm not the true owner of the Ring. Plus, I'm immune to the magic of the Millennium Items. The Spirit can talk to me, but he can't do anything to harm me."
As if I would have such a desire, said the Spirit.
He doesn't know that, I said to him.
The tension eased from Bakura. "Well, alright," he said. "I trust you. Just let me know if you need anything."
I gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Bakura. I'm glad we can talk again."
Bakura smiled warmly in return. "Me too."
I felt better after talking to him. Still, there were things on my mind I still needed to process. Primarily, I remembered the kiss Yami had given me. I wondered if it meant anything to him aside from the act of giving me physical strength. I decided to talk to him the next day to see if I could find out.
"How are you feeling, Samia?" Yami asked me once we were alone in my room, Yugi agreeing to give us some privacy.
"I'm doing alright," I said. "The last few days are just a lot to take in."
Yami nodded. "I understand. I think you acted remarkably well given the circumstances."
I looked at him in surprise. "Really? Even when I lied to you and joined Marik?"
Yami gave me a soft smile. "I understand why you did it. If I had been more open to your views from the start, you would have been comfortable enough to confide in me. Just know that you can tell me anything. I will never judge you, and I will always do what I can to support you."
I smiled warmly at him in return while happiness filled my soul. "Thank you. I'll always support you too."
"Thank you. Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?"
I paused. His emotions were calm. "Not really. Is there anything you wanted to talk about?"
"No, I believe we covered it all."
"Okay. Then we're good." I hid my emotions from him and smiled. It seemed he was not thinking about our kiss. I would have to bring it up to him later.
What did you really want to talk about? the Spirit of the Millennium Ring asked once Yami left.
Nothing, I replied.
Sure...
If you want to talk, why don't you tell me about Rehema?
I felt a slight shift in his emotions. Who?
She's my ancestor, isn't she? You said her name once.
Really? I don't recall. Suddenly, I couldn't sense his presence anymore. Weird.
I tried to get back to my normal life, but I did not know what that was anymore. I talked to Yugi and my friends at school. Yami spoke to me when I addressed him but otherwise kept silent. Bakura and I hung out on Saturday. There was no longer any reason for us to stay apart. Still, with everything that happened, there was a distance between us that made things awkward. I knew I needed to think hard to figure out how to fix the relationship.
Later that evening, I hung out with the rest of my friends. It was Serenity's last night in Domino City. I had not gotten to know her hat well, but I liked her quite a bit. We all had a good time. Things almost felt normal.
Early Sunday afternoon, I decided to take a walk around the city to clear my head. The Spirit of the Millennium Spirit remained silent as usual, which was fine. I was enjoying myself until I sensed Yami's presence nearby. I quickly scanned the area, freezing when I spotted him. He stood in the middle of the town plaza with Tea. His emotions were controlled like always, but I could tell they were pleasant. I felt a strange ache in my heart. I hurried away before he could notice me.
I see what's going on, the Spirit of the Millennium Ring said once we were a good distance away. You have feelings for the pharaoh.
Yeah... I said. Is aw no use in denying it. If he was going to live in my head, he would pick up on my emotions eventually.
It's pointless, you know. Even if he were to return your feelings, once he fulfills his destiny, he will leave.
I winced at the reminder. Maybe not.
True. He could decide to take the power for himself and stay here to rule as king.
I bristled. No, he won't. There has to be another way.
Just keep telling yourself that... He will choose duty over love.
I ignored him and continued on my way. I did not talk much to anyone the next day at school. Yugi seemed worried about me, so I let him follow me home. He had us ask the spirits to take a rest so we could speak in private. I sat on the couch next to him, not looking at him.
"Did something happen between you and Yami?" Yugi asked gently. "He says you've been avoiding him."
I looked at him in surprise. "What? He's the one avoiding me."
Yugi's confusion mirrored my own. "He felt your presence yesterday, but you ignored him."
I winced. So, Yami had sensed me after all. "He was busy. I didn't want to bother him."
"You've been silent all day."
"I just need time alone after everything that happened recently."
Yugi looked at me in concern but nodded. "Okay. I'll tell him it's nothing personal. You know you can come to either of us with anything, right?"
I smiled slightly at him. "Yeah, I know. Thanks, Yugi. I'm fine."
Yugi smiled in return. "Good. I'll give you some time alone now. Take care, Samia."
"Bye, Yugi." I watched him leave, feeling a mixture of emotions. I decided to go to my room. Raiden stopped me in the hallway.
"Samia, I was looking for you," he said. "Was that Yugi?"
I nodded. "Yeah, but he had to leave."
"That's too bad. Anyway, I wanted to give this to you." He handed me a wooden box with a key hole. I accepted it and looked it over curiously.
"What's this?"
"It's from grandma. She said to give it to you when you're ready. I figured now is as good of a time as any."
I smiled slightly. "Thanks, Raiden. Where's the key?"
My brother shrugged. "She said you would have it." He walked past me. "Good luck."
I took the box into my room and set it on the bed, where I stared at it. Don't tell me you lost the key, said the Spirit of the Millennium Ring.
She never gave me a - I stopped as I remembered something. Oh, wait. I opened the drawer of my night stand and pulled out the key I got from the puzzle box that my grandma gave me. I took a deep breath as I stuck the key in the slot. It fit. I quickly turned the key and opened the box.
Not bad. What's inside?
Hopefully some answers. The box contained folded pieces of paper with writing on them. I picked up a paper and unfolded it so I could read it. I gasped. They're letters... to my grandma. I quickly scanned the first letter. Then I picked up the second one. I could hardly believe what I was reading. They're love letters from Marik's grandfather.
It sounds like they were bonded together.
I nodded. I continued skimming through the letters, hoping to learn more. One thing started to become clear. They were in love, but they couldn't be together. Their bloodlines needed to be kept separate. I bet he same was true when the empath was bonded to the pharaoh.
Exactly.
I wonder if it was common for the two of them to fall in love.
Common? I don't know, but I can guarantee you and your grandmother are not the only ones. The bond is a curse.
I frowned as I thought about something. What about Rehema and Yami? Did they-
I don't know, and I don't care. I tire of this. And then he was gone from my mind.
I sighed, not understanding. Oh well. I continued to read the letters carefully. My thoughts and emotions ran wild with the new information. I decided I needed to talk to Yami and Yugi about the letters.
I invited Yugi over the following day. Instead, I got Yami. I remained silent as I led him to the couch. Only once we were seated did I speak to him. "I want to talk to both you and Yugi."
"I know," Yami said calmly. "He will join us after the two of us talk."
I looked away from him. "There's nothing to talk about."
"Then why won't you look me in the eye?"
I take a deep breath and look right at him, trying not to think about my ancestor or our kiss. "I can. I just... have a lot on my mind. That's why I need to talk to you and Yugi."
I could tell Yami was not convinced, but he nodded. "Alright."
Yami switched with Yugi, though I still saw Yami in spirit form. "What did you want to talk about, Samia?" Yugi asked.
I took a deep breath and picked up the box from the coffee table. "My grandma left these for me." I handed him the box.
Yugi pulled out a piece of paper and looked at it curiously. "Letters?"
I nodded. "They're from Marik's grandfather to my grandmother. It seems they were in love. That's why my grandma moved to Japan. The empath used to live with the tomb keepers in Egypt, and she was bonded to one of them."
Yugi's eyes widened in understanding. "She was in love with the man she was bonded to, but they couldn't be together. That's why she left."
It was destiny, said Yami. We would never have met if your family remained in Egypt.
"It's a cruel destiny," I said, "to have forbidden love be the cause."
Are you surprised? said the Spirit of the Millennium Ring. Those bonded will always choose duty over love.
"It doesn't seem fair," Yugi said sympathetically.
It is what it is, said Yami. I tried to gouge his emotions but found nothing. If he could relate to the situation, he did not give it away.
"Is this all, Samia?"
"Yeah," I said. "I just wanted to share with someone." And see what Yami thoughts. The results were not encouraging.
Yugi continued to look through the letters. "Writing letters to each other seemed to make them happy. It wasn't all for nothing."
I gave him a small smile. "Yeah, I suppose. Love isn't wrong."
Yugi nodded. "Exactly. It certainly seems like your grandma didn't regret anything. She made the right choices, and I know you will too."
"Right..." I averted my gaze. I wondered if Yugi sensed my feelings. Yami seemed to be oblivious, so probably not. He did have a point though. No matter what, I had to choose the path I believed to be right.
I found myself deep in thought all throughout the next day. I almost did not hear Tea call out to me as I walked home, "Hey, Samia, wait up!"
I slowed down so she could catch up. "What is it, Tea?"
Tea gave me a smile as she started to talk beside me. "We haven't talked in awhile."
"True. I something on your mind in particular?" I felt conflicting emotions within her.
Tea smiled sheepishly. "You're close to the other Yugi, right?"
"You mean Yami?" When she stared blankly, I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. It seemed my friends still did not completely grasp the situation. "The pharaoh?"
"Yes."
"We are close. We are bonded together."
Tea hesitated before speaking again. "Do you think he will be leaving soon?"
My heart hurt at her question, but I did not show it. I tried to think about it logically. "That depends on what you mean by 'soon.' I don't think we're going to wake up one day and he decides to leave. He was sent here for a reason - to defeat a great evil. Until that evil appears, he will not be leaving anytime soon."
Tea frowned. "But I thought Marik was the great evil."
I shook my head. "Marik's dark side was an evil but not the evil. Not the evil foretold in the prophecy. That wouldn't make sense. Marik's job is to help Yami fulfill his destiny, and he resented that fact. Why send Yami to our time at all only to defeat an evil that his presence inspired? That would mean the solution created the problem."
Tea nodded slowly. "That makes sense." Her emotions became troubled. "So, you're saying we're not out of danger yet?"
I gave her a sympathetic smile. "Yes, but it will be alright. We've gotten out of trouble before, and we will do so again."
Tea smiled back at me. "You're right. As long as we all stick together, there's nothing we can't do."
"Right. And hopefully we'll have a break this time."
Tea grinned with excitement. "Yes, it's almost summer. We should all enjoy the time we have together, especially with Yugi. We don't know when it will be over."
I felt a little better from her reassuring words. "Yeah, we should enjoy our time together." I would rather focus on that than when it would end.
Summer turned out to be just what I needed. There was no evil, only relaxation. I hung out with my brothers and my friends, mostly in groups. Yami rarely took over Yugi's body, but we had friendly conversations with our minds. All in all, everything appeared to be quite normal. As normal as things could be with us, at least. It was a shame when it had to end and school started up again.
One day, in the middle of September, I received an interesting email from Marik. The two of us had exchanged email addresses before he left so that we could keep in contact. Most of our conversations were friendly, but sometimes he revealed information he has learned as a tomb keeper. This email was one of those.
Talking to your boyfriend? said the Spirit of the Millennium Ring.
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Huh? It's just Marik.
And he's clearly in love with you.
My eyes widened, and I froze. What? He is not!
Dark Bakura was amused. It's totally obvious. You're en empath who allowed him into your mind, and you couldn't figure it out?
I stiffened. Then maybe it's not true, and you're imagining things. Let me read this email.
He chuckled softly. Sure...
"Whoa," I said as I stared at the computer screen.
Dear Samia,
I am glad school is going well for you. I am doing fine. I have something interesting to share with you. I was talking with Ishizu, and she confirmed a piece of information that you may find important. As you know, the empath always formed a bond with the pharaoh of Egpyt. After Yami was sealed into the Millennium Puzzle, she bonded with the tomb keeper instead.
However, the empath before the transition, the woman who was supposed to be bonded to Yami, was not actually bonded to him. The fact that you are bonded to Yami is proof of this. Such a bond can only exist once within a person. In other words, Yami could not be bonded to two different empaths. You are the only one. Ishizu was assured me that you are not a reincarnation of the former empath. Therefore, she must have been bonded to someone other than the pharaoh.
I have no idea who this person could be, nor if it is important. I simply thought you might want to know. Please tell me if there is anything else I can do for you. I will do whatever I can to help you. I know you will succeed int he path you choose.
Sincerely,
Marik
I felt relieved to know that Rehema had not been bonded to Yami. That meant there was a greater chance they were not in love. Still, I was curious about who she was bonded to. Bakura, did you know about this? I asked the Spirit of the Ring.
Perhaps, he replied mysteriously.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at that unhelpful response. Do you know Rehema was bonded to?
I might.
I thought back to one of our conversations, and I came up with the answer. You do know.
Dark Bakura remained calm, giving nothing away. What makes you say that?
You seem to know a lot about the bond. Rehema must have told you about it. Plus, you mentioned that others have tried and failed to break the bond. Maybe you tried to break it, or- My eyes widened when I realized something. Maybe people in the palace tried to break it. It must have been a scandal for her not to be bonded to the pharaoh.
I felt a hint of amusement from him. Yes, you are very smart. You clearly don't need me. Then he disappeared into the Ring once more.
Hey, wait! I let out a heavy sigh. Why did he keep doing that?
I put the Spirit out of my mind and focused on the information Marik told me. If it was important enough for him to mention it, then I should probably let Yami know as well. I invited him over the next day, which was Saturday. He and Yugi met me in the afternoon with Yugi being in spirit form.
"Tell me, Samia," Yami said as we sat on the couch together, "did Marik tell you something about my destiny?"
I shook my head. "No, it's nothing like that."
Then what is it? said Yugi.
"It's probably easier if you read it yourself." I handed Yami the printed email from Marik. I watched him and Yugi scan the document.
"Your ancestor was not bonded to the pharaoh- to me?" said Yami.
I nodded. "I don't know if it's important, but it must have been a scandal for Rehema to be bonded to someone else."
"Rehema?"
"That's my ancestor's name. The Spirit of the Millennium Ring let it slip once. They knew each other."
Do you think he knows who she was bonded to? said Yugi.
"I think so, but I can't get him to tell me."
"That's not surprising," said Yami. "I doubt he has any reason to help us."
I hesitated before responding. "It's not just that. If he simply didn't want me to know, he would just refuse to tell me or mess around with me. He's done it before. But whenever I bring up Rehema, he always ends up disappearing into the Ring. It's almost like... he's trying to hide his emotions from me."
Wow, said Yugi. It sounds like that could be important. You should keep trying.
I smiled slightly. "Yeah, I don't plan on giving up."
"Let you know if you find out anything more," said Yami. "Is that all you needed?"
"Well, that's all I needed, but..." I looked down as I shifted in my seat. Finally, I gathered the courage to look him in the eyes. "Do you think we could hang out together? Just the two of us? It's been awhile..."
Yami stared at me blankly, his emotions giving away nothing. "What for?"
You don't need a reason to hang out with a friend, Yugi said cheerfully. You should do it!
Yami smiled softly at me. His emotions felt happy and relaxed now. "Alright. I would love to hang out with you, Samia."
I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I smiled back at Yami. "Great."
I'm sure you two will have fun, said Yugi.
The amount of naivety here is astounding, Dark Bakura suddenly spoke up.
Where have you been? I asked. But then he was gone.
I pushed the Spirit out of my mind and focused on my day with Yami. I decided I needed to finally talk about my feelings. I had become complacent, but I knew our days were numbered. If I wanted to find a solution that would allow him to stay, then I needed to have him on board. If he felt the same way as me, I had a better chance of succeeding.
My heart pounded when I opened my door and saw Yami standing there. "Hello, Samia," he said with a warm smile. "How are you doing today?"
"I'm good," I said. I managed to gain control of my emotions enough so that he would not suspect anything. "Do you want to head out now?"
"Alright. Where are we going?"
I smiled slightly. "I thought we could go to the movies. I know you've seen some with Yugi, but-"
"I was always a bystander. It would be nice to see a movie with you."
I relaxed at his agreement. Perhaps I was overthinking things. I nodded. "Okay. Then let's get going." While we walked to the theater, I wondered if he considered this a date. Did he even know what a date was? Things worked differently in ancient Egypt, not that he remembered anything. In any case, I needed to be open about my feelings if I wanted him to understand my intentions. But that could come later.
We watched a comedy movie together. I was pleased to hear Yami laughing at the funny parts. I thought he deserved to relax and enjoy himself after all the dramatic situations he had been in. Afterwards, we ate at a fast food restaurant. Then we found some ice cream and walked along the peer.
I enjoyed myself immensely, and I could tell he did as well. It really did feel like a date. Our interactions were natural, and we got along so well. Though he kept a tight lid on his emotions, I knew he had to feel it too. Once we finished our dessert, I knew it was time to talk. I leaned against the wooden railing and stared out at the water. I could not bear to face him just yet.
I took a deep breath before speaking. "Hey, Yami? There's something I wanted to talk to you about."
"What is it, Samia?" I felt his eyes on me, but I did not look at him.
"Do you remember the Battle City finals when I tried to help Marik, and then you gave me energy so I could watch your duel?"
"Yes, I remember. What about it?"
I swallowed hard. This was it. "W-Well... To help me, you, uh, kissed me..."
I felt something shift in Yami, but he quickly hid it. Perhaps I could have discovered his emotions if mine were not so overpowering. "Yes, that is correct."
"I was just wondering... why did you do it?"
"Ishizu told me our bond is strengthened through physical contact. I thought something more intimate would give you more power, and I was right." I felt a flash of concern from him. "I did not make you uncomfortable, did I?"
I finally looked at him, my eyes wide. "No, not at all! Quite the opposite, actually." I hesitated before admitting the truth. "I liked it a lot."
Yami gave me a gentle smile. "I liked it too."
His words gave me hope, so I continued. "Then maybe... we could do it again."
Yami looked me over carefully. "But you are fine now."
I shook my head. "Not to give me energy. Just to... kiss."
Yami's emotions shifted, and I knew he understood. "I do not think that is a good idea."
My heart started to beat rapidly while I tried to remain calm. "Why not? You said you liked it."
"Yes. That's not the issue." Yami sighed before looking at me with compassion. "Samia, I do care for you and feel deeply for you, but you know there can be nothing romantic about our relationship. I am here for a reason. I have to fulfill my destiny."
My heart twisted in pain. It wasn't a rejection. Not really. Still, it hurt like one. "I'm not saying you shouldn't, but why does it have to be one or the other? What if there is a way for you to stay after you complete your destiny?"
"You know I do not belong here."
"Says who? Aren't our bond and feelings evidence that you should be here? If we try hard enough, I'm sure we could-"
Yami placed his hands on my shoulders and gave me a stern look. "Samia, I cannot afford to be distracted. Do not make this harder than it needs to be. We are friends. That is enough."
I swallowed hard. "F-Fine."
The day seemed to be almost ruined after that. I hated that I made things awkward, but I had to try to make my case. Yami was polite when he brought me home. I ignored my brothers as I made my way to my room.
I told you he would choose duty over love, Dark Bakura said in my mind
Leave me alone, I grumbled. Surprisingly, he did.