Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Change of Heart ❯ Keleos ( Chapter 3 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: sterlingsylver 
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.27.2002 | Pages: 3 | Words: 1.5K | Visits: 368 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.27.2002 | Pages: 3 | Words: 1.5K | Visits: 368 | Status: Work In Progress
Title: Change of Heart
Author: Britani Gael
* * *
"Well, it's about time."
Bakura tried to answer the woman, but was failing miserably. The pain in his head was almost unimaginable. He could barely hear, barely think, let alone for a coherent response. He held his head in his hands, trying to block out the worst migraine in recorded history.
"You are awake, aren't you?"
He managed a nod. God, it was cold. He found himself shivering.
"My, you are ill, aren't you? This could be a problem."
The shimmery woman who had stolen his Ring knelt down in front of him, like a concerned mother-figure. She gently titled his head up.
"Yes, a problem indeed."
One look into her face was enough. Her features flowed like water, her nose, her mouth, her eyes. She wasn't a person, she was a thing. It was terrifying.
He jerked out of her grasp, and fell back against the stone floor. Nothing had scared him that bad since ... well, since the last time his Yami had managed to get out of the Ring.
Where was his Yami now, anyway? Bakura looked at the Ring. Was he still in there? Was he going to possess her, now? Scary as she was, Bakura still felt sorry for her. No one deserved punishment like that.
Well, almost no one. He could think of a few.
The woman stood up. She scowled at him. "This isn't going to work at all. Either this is taking much more energy than I anticipated, or you are as weak as a puppy."
"I would have to say the latter."
Bakura and the woman both turned to look at the source of the cold voice, but Bakura didn't need to check. He knew who it was.
For once, he could be glad that the look on his Yami's face wasn't directed at him.
* * *
Yami Bakura had a feeling that he had just found the source of all of his problems. This might have made him happy, if he didn't also have a feeling that she would be causing him many more. And, even worse, a feeling that she had led him right to her.
She was wearing the Millennium Ring, and she certainly wasn't human. From what he could see of her shifting expression, hard eyes and cruel smile, she reminded him of someone he wouldn't be wanting to mess with under the best of circumstances. Him.
Bakura was flat on his back, awake. Shaking like a leaf, with a skin tone that matched his hair, but he was awake. The look of fear on his face was apparent. Yami wondered who was causing it, him or her. Likely both.
"Well," she said. "Yami and Hikari, both here at last. I have been waiting every so long, you know."
Yami took a step into the room. "I guess you're 'she'. The one who brought us here."
Her eyes narrowed. "Who said that?"
"A little bird told me."
"Iol," she spat. "Meddling little worm."
"What do you want?"
Her form started glittering brighter. "Don't you mean, what do you want?"
Yami raised an eyebrow.
"You wish for yourself and your Hikari to be taken back safely to your home."
"That's debatable."
She ignored him. "And you wish for the return of this fascinating device." She lifted the Millennium Ring, and allowed it to drop back to her chest. "Well, I want something, too."
"I think I'd prefer to just walk out of here and find my own way out."
She sat down in a stone chair behind her. Yami blinked. There hadn't been a chair there before, had there?
Whatever.
Bakura grabbed his head, seemingly in pain. What on Earth was wrong with him? Wimp.
Her face showed amusement, he didn't know if it was directed at Bakura's plight or his. "There is no other way out. Not out of here. And, anyway ..."
Yami heard a clinking sound. He turned around. The doorway he had entered though was being built up from the ground up. Stone block by stone block. He looked back. The Millennium Ring glimmered.
Bakura clutched his head harder, whimpering.
Yami was considering jumping through the hole before it was completely blocked up, and considered how long it would take her to blast it open again, probably injuring him in the process, and dragging him out again. Probably, say, five and a half seconds.
The pain hit him in the head, hard enough to cause his eyes to water. Not crying, mind you, but watering. He felt dizzy, and staggered back against the newly built wall. It didn't last more than a few seconds, then it left.
He looked at her, expecting her to be delighted. Instead, she looked confused. "Now, that is odd."
Bakura's head rolled back onto the ground. He had passed out.
"Why?"
She looked up. "Why what?"
"Why is it odd?"
"I don't think it should have any effect on you. Must be a sort of echo."
"Echo of what?"
She waved it off. "You are trapped in a dimension with no name. It has no edge, but it has a center."
"You're starting to sound like the little bird."
She ignored him. "This place does not obey the laws of reality, as you probably have noticed by now."
"I thought you were causing that."
"I can control it a little, with this item of yours. Before I could not. I didn't even have a form, which is why my appearance now is so ..."
"Different?"
She rolled her eyes. "My name is Keleos. I was trapped here a long time ago. Now I want out. You are going to do this for me. Then you will be returned. Do you understand?"
Orders. Orders he might have to take. Infuriating. He didn't speak. There was nothing to say.
"I told you there was a center to this place. There's an object there, its called the Paradox. It's what keeps this world like it is, and it keeps me here. You will fetch it, and bring it back to me."
Yami Bakura ground his teeth.
Now she looked delighted. Apparently he wasn't the only one who was fond of winning. "There is a pyramid. Walk in any direction and you will find it. I can't enter it, because I have no body. If you make it that far, and retrieve the Paradox, well, then, we'll all be happy, won't we?"
Ah, yes, he would. He would do it, and get back his Ring, and then he would ... well, he didn't like being humiliated, that was for sure. "Fine," he said.
She clapped her hands. "Oh, I was sure you would do it. There might be something in it for you too, if you're nice about it."
He wondered what Keleos could possibly offer him. "What about him?" he asked, gesturing towards Bakura. "He'll stay here?"
"What? Oh no. No no no. That wouldn't do at all."
Yami decided not to ask why. The woman simply wouldn't tell him, and he would lose face once again. "I'm not carrying him another step."
She sighed. "Very well." The Millennium Ring shone again, and she grew paler, almost translucent. Bakura sat up immediately, rubbing his head. He looked around, confused.
"What -" Then his eyes settled on Yami, and he jumped.
"We're leaving," Yami said. "Now."
Bakura shakily got to his feet. "I'm -"
"- Leaving. Now."
Yami turned around, and, as he expected, a door had reappeared there. He looked back at Bakura, who seemed hesitant at the idea of going in first. He heard Keleos laughing in the background.
He grabbed Bakura by the front of his sweater, and threw him into the tunnel, and then stepped in after him. The wall started going up again.
"Tell me," Keleos said. "Could you do me a favor?"
"That depends on what it is."
"If you seen Iol again, would you kill him for me?"
Yami laughed. "The bird did me a favor. That wouldn't be the best way to repay it, now, would it?"
The last brick went up. They were sealed inside. There wasn't any light source, but they could still see. Yami didn't even blink at the contradiction. He was getting used to the lack of rules.
Bakura was staring, wide eyed. Yami threw him a glare. Bakura averted his gaze to the floor. Amazing what a little fear could do to someone.
There was only one way to walk. Yami took the lead, Bakura trailing silently after him.
Yami didn't feel like doing Keleos any favors. He would get the stupid thing, the Paradox, but after that, the helpfulness ended. But if that bird being alive would make Keleos unhappy, then that bird would keep breathing for as long as Yami could manage it.
* * *
Author: Britani Gael
* * *
"Well, it's about time."
Bakura tried to answer the woman, but was failing miserably. The pain in his head was almost unimaginable. He could barely hear, barely think, let alone for a coherent response. He held his head in his hands, trying to block out the worst migraine in recorded history.
"You are awake, aren't you?"
He managed a nod. God, it was cold. He found himself shivering.
"My, you are ill, aren't you? This could be a problem."
The shimmery woman who had stolen his Ring knelt down in front of him, like a concerned mother-figure. She gently titled his head up.
"Yes, a problem indeed."
One look into her face was enough. Her features flowed like water, her nose, her mouth, her eyes. She wasn't a person, she was a thing. It was terrifying.
He jerked out of her grasp, and fell back against the stone floor. Nothing had scared him that bad since ... well, since the last time his Yami had managed to get out of the Ring.
Where was his Yami now, anyway? Bakura looked at the Ring. Was he still in there? Was he going to possess her, now? Scary as she was, Bakura still felt sorry for her. No one deserved punishment like that.
Well, almost no one. He could think of a few.
The woman stood up. She scowled at him. "This isn't going to work at all. Either this is taking much more energy than I anticipated, or you are as weak as a puppy."
"I would have to say the latter."
Bakura and the woman both turned to look at the source of the cold voice, but Bakura didn't need to check. He knew who it was.
For once, he could be glad that the look on his Yami's face wasn't directed at him.
* * *
Yami Bakura had a feeling that he had just found the source of all of his problems. This might have made him happy, if he didn't also have a feeling that she would be causing him many more. And, even worse, a feeling that she had led him right to her.
She was wearing the Millennium Ring, and she certainly wasn't human. From what he could see of her shifting expression, hard eyes and cruel smile, she reminded him of someone he wouldn't be wanting to mess with under the best of circumstances. Him.
Bakura was flat on his back, awake. Shaking like a leaf, with a skin tone that matched his hair, but he was awake. The look of fear on his face was apparent. Yami wondered who was causing it, him or her. Likely both.
"Well," she said. "Yami and Hikari, both here at last. I have been waiting every so long, you know."
Yami took a step into the room. "I guess you're 'she'. The one who brought us here."
Her eyes narrowed. "Who said that?"
"A little bird told me."
"Iol," she spat. "Meddling little worm."
"What do you want?"
Her form started glittering brighter. "Don't you mean, what do you want?"
Yami raised an eyebrow.
"You wish for yourself and your Hikari to be taken back safely to your home."
"That's debatable."
She ignored him. "And you wish for the return of this fascinating device." She lifted the Millennium Ring, and allowed it to drop back to her chest. "Well, I want something, too."
"I think I'd prefer to just walk out of here and find my own way out."
She sat down in a stone chair behind her. Yami blinked. There hadn't been a chair there before, had there?
Whatever.
Bakura grabbed his head, seemingly in pain. What on Earth was wrong with him? Wimp.
Her face showed amusement, he didn't know if it was directed at Bakura's plight or his. "There is no other way out. Not out of here. And, anyway ..."
Yami heard a clinking sound. He turned around. The doorway he had entered though was being built up from the ground up. Stone block by stone block. He looked back. The Millennium Ring glimmered.
Bakura clutched his head harder, whimpering.
Yami was considering jumping through the hole before it was completely blocked up, and considered how long it would take her to blast it open again, probably injuring him in the process, and dragging him out again. Probably, say, five and a half seconds.
The pain hit him in the head, hard enough to cause his eyes to water. Not crying, mind you, but watering. He felt dizzy, and staggered back against the newly built wall. It didn't last more than a few seconds, then it left.
He looked at her, expecting her to be delighted. Instead, she looked confused. "Now, that is odd."
Bakura's head rolled back onto the ground. He had passed out.
"Why?"
She looked up. "Why what?"
"Why is it odd?"
"I don't think it should have any effect on you. Must be a sort of echo."
"Echo of what?"
She waved it off. "You are trapped in a dimension with no name. It has no edge, but it has a center."
"You're starting to sound like the little bird."
She ignored him. "This place does not obey the laws of reality, as you probably have noticed by now."
"I thought you were causing that."
"I can control it a little, with this item of yours. Before I could not. I didn't even have a form, which is why my appearance now is so ..."
"Different?"
She rolled her eyes. "My name is Keleos. I was trapped here a long time ago. Now I want out. You are going to do this for me. Then you will be returned. Do you understand?"
Orders. Orders he might have to take. Infuriating. He didn't speak. There was nothing to say.
"I told you there was a center to this place. There's an object there, its called the Paradox. It's what keeps this world like it is, and it keeps me here. You will fetch it, and bring it back to me."
Yami Bakura ground his teeth.
Now she looked delighted. Apparently he wasn't the only one who was fond of winning. "There is a pyramid. Walk in any direction and you will find it. I can't enter it, because I have no body. If you make it that far, and retrieve the Paradox, well, then, we'll all be happy, won't we?"
Ah, yes, he would. He would do it, and get back his Ring, and then he would ... well, he didn't like being humiliated, that was for sure. "Fine," he said.
She clapped her hands. "Oh, I was sure you would do it. There might be something in it for you too, if you're nice about it."
He wondered what Keleos could possibly offer him. "What about him?" he asked, gesturing towards Bakura. "He'll stay here?"
"What? Oh no. No no no. That wouldn't do at all."
Yami decided not to ask why. The woman simply wouldn't tell him, and he would lose face once again. "I'm not carrying him another step."
She sighed. "Very well." The Millennium Ring shone again, and she grew paler, almost translucent. Bakura sat up immediately, rubbing his head. He looked around, confused.
"What -" Then his eyes settled on Yami, and he jumped.
"We're leaving," Yami said. "Now."
Bakura shakily got to his feet. "I'm -"
"- Leaving. Now."
Yami turned around, and, as he expected, a door had reappeared there. He looked back at Bakura, who seemed hesitant at the idea of going in first. He heard Keleos laughing in the background.
He grabbed Bakura by the front of his sweater, and threw him into the tunnel, and then stepped in after him. The wall started going up again.
"Tell me," Keleos said. "Could you do me a favor?"
"That depends on what it is."
"If you seen Iol again, would you kill him for me?"
Yami laughed. "The bird did me a favor. That wouldn't be the best way to repay it, now, would it?"
The last brick went up. They were sealed inside. There wasn't any light source, but they could still see. Yami didn't even blink at the contradiction. He was getting used to the lack of rules.
Bakura was staring, wide eyed. Yami threw him a glare. Bakura averted his gaze to the floor. Amazing what a little fear could do to someone.
There was only one way to walk. Yami took the lead, Bakura trailing silently after him.
Yami didn't feel like doing Keleos any favors. He would get the stupid thing, the Paradox, but after that, the helpfulness ended. But if that bird being alive would make Keleos unhappy, then that bird would keep breathing for as long as Yami could manage it.
* * *