Chapter Eleven

It still seemed unreal that they were finally free of the cruel Shadow Game. Marik and Ishizu were clutching Rishid close, not wanting to let him out of their sight. Joey was feeling very protective of Mai. Yami Bakura, of course, felt likewise about Bakura and was sitting close to him. And those who had been lost were grateful to be found and shaken by their experiences.

"I don't even fully remember what happened," Bakura admitted. "I was able to let go of Oreo so she wouldn't fall into the ink machine, but I couldn't save myself as well. Then everything was so dark and cold and nightmarish. . . . I can't even remember details, just feelings and visions in shadow. It was horrible. . . ."

Yami Bakura growled. "I couldn't even do anything," he said bitterly.

"We're together now," Bakura smiled. He sobered. "But I'm so sorry, Yami. . . . I never wanted to cause you any pain. . . ."

Yami Bakura grunted. "It wasn't you, it was that blasted other me."

"And you did save Nesbitt," Gansley said coolly, "although we know you wished you hadn't when Bakura was a casualty."

Yami Bakura looked away uncomfortably.

"He was already feeling badly enough believing he wasn't able to help Gansley," Johnson spoke up. "We realize of course that you were hurting, but did you have to actually blame Nesbitt to his face?"

"No, I didn't," Yami Bakura retorted, "just as you didn't have to do any of the wretched things you did in the past."

"Touché," Johnson conceded.

Lector kept an arm around Nesbitt's shoulders. He was angry that Nesbitt had been blamed as well, especially for something that really hadn't been his fault. But, he supposed, they had all blamed others for things that weren't their fault. All of them had cast blame on Yugi and the rest when it had been their own fault that they had become trapped in virtual reality. Maybe it was their just desserts to be blamed now, although it was hard for him to really see it that way when he saw how Nesbitt was hurting.

"There's something I'd like to know," Marik spoke up. "If being hit by the monster forms of Bendy is instant death, why didn't the Game Master vanish?"

"Maybe because Bendy was dying?" Joey shrugged. "Eh, you'd know a creep like this would always have a backdoor way to save himself."

"Anyway, we made it back to the real-world in the next instant, so even if he was going to vanish, that reversed it," Tristan said.

"But he's still wounded," Marik pointed out. "Gansley was healed. Bakura, Mai, and Rishid don't seem to be suffering any lingering physical effects. Why is he?"

"Perhaps because he's not from this dimension," Yami Bakura suggested. "Or simply because he enjoys pain." He quirked an eyebrow. "People have thought I was masochistic through the centuries, but this version of me actually is."

". . . You know, that could explain a lot," Mai mused. "If he likes pain, maybe he thinks his Bakura does too, and in his twisted mind, by doing things that cause pain, he thinks Bakura will appreciate it and it's a way of showing affection for him?"

"My word," Bakura gasped.

"Well, what are we supposed to do with that?!" Téa moaned. "How do we reason with someone like that?!"

"I'm not sure we can," Yugi said. "Being free of Zorc should have helped him, but . . ."

"Not if he was already off-kilter before Zorc got to him," Yami Bakura grunted. "Not to mention, he clearly doesn't seem ready to be free of Zorc. He calls himself Zorc."

"But . . . I hate to think of just sending him to the Shadow Realm," Bakura frowned. "Is that really the only option?"

"I don't know," Atem frowned too. "We can't leave him around to cause trouble here, and even if we knew how to send him home, I wouldn't want to plague those poor souls with his presence if he would start in causing trouble for them again."

"Hey. . . ." Yugi looked to him. "Can you still do the Mind Crush? Maybe you could do that on him and that would give him the chance he needs to soul-search and find his way."

Atem blinked in surprise. "I've never tried it with the Infinity Puzzle, but I suppose I could try." He looked to the Game Master, who seemed lost in his own world.

"Well, try it before he snaps out of La-La Land and puts us in Nightmare on Elm Street or something!" Joey cried. "Not that I wouldn't rather face Freddy Krueger than Bendy. . . ."

Yami Bakura smirked at him. "I'm sure I could arrange that, if you really want to."

"No!" Joey yelped.

Atem ignored their hijinks, instead focusing on powering the Infinity Puzzle. When it felt ready, he looked to the Game Master. He was looking up at the same moment and they locked eyes. "Mind Crush!" Atem yelled without explanation.

The Game Master roared, furious and shocked. But when the light from the Puzzle faded, he was laying in the grass. The Mind Crush had apparently worked.

"Okay, so now what do we do with him?" Crump wondered.

"We'll have to keep him somewhere until he comes out of the coma and we can see if it's helped him any," Atem said. He looked to Seto.

"You want me to put that lunatic in my medical center?!" the businessman cried.

"Well, we can hardly take him to a regular hospital, Kaiba," Atem pointed out.

Seto scowled. "Alright. I'll take him. But I'd better not regret it."

Atem sighed. "Hopefully, none of us will regret it." From his eyes, he wondered if sending him to the Shadow Realm would have been a better option. Still, once in there he might have started a disastrous feud with Yami Marik. Or maybe Khu would have seen him and mistaken him for the Yami Bakura from this dimension. Maybe this was the best option.

"There's something else I'm wondering," Yami Bakura remarked. "Why is he solid?"

Yugi's eyes widened. "You don't think he's still using his Bakura's body?!"

"He shouldn't be," Yami Bakura said. "The destruction of Zorc and the Millennium Ring should have pulled him apart from his host. Plus, I'm certain his Bakura would be fighting against him after awakening to see all the destruction he was causing."

"So . . . what other option is there?" Tristan wondered. "How can he be solid?"

"There is one other possibility," Yami Bakura said. "He told us he took the knowledge of how to put us in a Shadow Game without the Millennium Ring from that demon. What if he also took the knowledge of how to make a solid form for himself?"

"Oh wow," Yugi breathed. "Yeah. That's probably what he did!"

"Oh great!" Tristan threw his hands in the air. "As if one nutcase who does that isn't more than enough!"

Marik looked sickened. So long after his Yami should have been destroyed, he was still enduring in the darkness and causing trouble. And none of it would be possible if Marik hadn't created him in the first place.

Rishid laid a hand on Marik's shoulder. "I blame your father for that being's creation," he said quietly. "And my own inability to do more to help you."

Marik looked up with a start. "But it was only because of you that I was able to restrain him for as long as I did, Rishid!" he cried. "Without you, I would have dissolved into madness the day I received the Tombkeeper's Initiation!"

Ishizu sighed. "Our family lived in darkness for so many generations, believing that abominable act was good and righteous in spite of all the proof that it was not. So many Ishtars went mad because of the horror of that ritual, and that was documented in our books." She looked down. "To be honest, I don't believe our father was sane either."

Marik looked away. "I hope now he's found some peace," he said quietly. "And I hope he regrets how he treated Rishid."

"Even if he never does, that is alright," Rishid said. "It's over. We have all moved into the light."

"Only how can we fully live in the light when that evil being keeps coming out of the darkness to torment us?!" Marik burst out. "I thought renouncing him and casting him into the shadows would destroy him, but living in the darkness has only made him stronger! And now this other Yami Bakura has even taken some of his dark knowledge for himself! Who else might learn and come after us?! What if the alternate Yami Marik has endured as well and follows him here?!"

"Marik . . ." Mokuba grabbed his friend's hand. "Thinking about all the What Ifs is only gonna make it worse. . . ."

Marik looked down at the younger boy. "You're wise, Mokuba," he said with a sigh. "I know you're right . . . even though that still doesn't make it easy to stop thinking about things."

Seto walked over to the Game Master, giving him a distasteful look before taking out his phone and calling for his limousine. "I'd better get this madman out of here before your nosy neighbors wonder why there's two of you," he growled at Yami Bakura.

"Oh, I'm sure they've been observing ever since we arrived," Yami Bakura grunted.

Bakura flamed red and looked to the house next-door. Indeed, the curtains were fluttering.

"Hey, how are all of us gonna get home?" Crump wondered.

"We could simply call our chauffeurs to bring the cars around," Gansley pointed out. ". . . Although I imagine we would like to stay together after everything that's happened." The others nodded. "I'll call my chauffeur."

"And maybe some of us will just hang out here for a while?" Joey said. Seeing Yami Bakura's frown, he quickly added, "If that's alright with you, Bakura. I know we're all pretty shaken up about all of this. . . ."

"And we lost you for a while there," Tristan said.

Bakura blinked in surprise, then gave a kind smile. "Of course you can stay," he said. He knew Yami Bakura wanted some time alone with him, but the others were his friends as well and he also wanted to help them. They had all suffered in this twisted game.

"Great!" Joey exclaimed.

"We won't stay long," Yugi said, mostly to Yami Bakura, who grunted.

Before long Seto's and Gansley's limousines arrived. Seto loaded the Game Master into his vehicle and prepared to leave with Mokuba and the Ishtars. The Big Five started to climb into Gansley's limo.

"Gansley?" Yugi called after him.

He looked back questioningly.

Yugi smiled. "I'm really glad we all got out of this alive. It was good, fighting alongside you."

Gansley nodded. "We made a good team, Yugi. And I imagine in the future we'll be partnered again."

"The way things go, probably," Yugi chuckled. Sobering, he added, "I just hope next time won't be so life-threatening."

"Do we ever work together when it isn't life-threatening?" Gansley grunted.

"We're gonna have to go back to New Orleans soon to testify in court against Lector's dad and Dr. Raven," Crump remembered. "That shouldn't be life-threatening. I know it won't be fun, though."

Lector sighed and nodded in complete agreement.

"And even when things start out innocently enough, it always seems like eventually it degrades into something disastrous," Yami Bakura pointed out.

"Ugh. Unfortunately true," Téa groaned.

Mokuba hugged Lector. "Well, I'm sure happy we're all safe," he said softly.

Lector returned the gesture. "I hope you won't have too many nightmares, Mokuba."

Mokuba shuddered. "I probably will, but what else is new."

Seto glowered into the limo at the prone form of the Game Master. His expression clearly said, I won't forgive this.

Everyone bade their goodbyes and the two limos drove off. Both those staying and those going wondered what calamity might happen next . . . and prayed for a little reprieve before it did.

xxxx

Lector was especially concerned about Nesbitt as they drove back to Gansley's house. From the others' expressions, so were they. It wasn't usual for Nesbitt to be so subdued and quiet.

"Nesbitt, surely you're not still blaming yourself for Bakura falling," Gansley finally spoke. "Or for what happened to me?"

"I don't know." Nesbitt sank wearily into the plush seat. "I don't want to, and logic tells me not to, but in spite of everything I've said, I'm really not very good at listening to logic."

"You did save Joseph's sister," Johnson reminded him.

"And you got hurt in the process." Lector frowned. He had found quite a bump when they had examined Nesbitt after that experience. Had it vanished now that they were back in the real world?

Apparently not; Nesbitt touched the tender spot and grimaced. "At least I did something right."

"You've done a lot of things right," Lector insisted. "It's just not so easy to remember them when things go wrong."

Nesbitt considered that. "That makes sense, I guess."

"But we'll be here to help you remember," Gansley told him.

"And thank God we're all here," Crump said gruffly.

Everyone was in firm agreement.

"We've had far too many close calls," Johnson said with a shudder. "And not just in Shadow Games, but in reality."

"Man, I hope there won't be any Shadow Games in New Orleans," Crump cringed.

"I wish we didn't have to go back to New Orleans," Lector muttered. "But I knew it was coming and I knew it would have to be done."

"We'll get through it," Gansley said. "Then we'll all come home and hopefully not leave again for a while."

"No kidding!" Crump exclaimed. "With everything going on, it's been hard to focus on getting Penguin World ready to open!"

"We'll have time for it soon," Gansley said. "A new project always moves slowly at first, even without all the chaos."

"I just hope it'll be more successful than the Bendy Land in that creepy game," Crump said.

"With all of us working on it, it'll be a hit," Lector insisted.

"And it should give us some much-needed good press," Johnson said.

"You're still onboard, right, Nesbitt?" Crump asked.

Nesbitt started. "What? . . . Yes."

"We'll think about it later," Gansley said. "Right now we should focus on recovering from this madness."

Lector wondered how long that would take. The more things piled on them, the more distressing it became. They were all being stretched to their limits.

"I wonder how those kids handle all that saving the world," he mused. "They're still relatively normal and grounded for the most part, despite all the terrible things they've been going through."

"Maybe because they always come out of it together?" Nesbitt suggested.

"Then I'd say we should be able to handle it as well," Gansley said.

"We're less suited to it than they are," Nesbitt said. "They're good kids. They haven't gone astray."

"We're getting there," Gansley said. "Yugi was right that all of us do work together well. Anyway, some of them went very far astray in the past, such as the Ishtar boy."

"That's true," Nesbitt conceded. "Although as I understand it, in his twisted mind he was seeking justice for what he thought was the murder of his father."

"And still dragging innocent people into it," Lector said, "just as we did in our schemes."

Gansley nodded. "If he can get set on a better path, there's no reason why all of us can't stick with it."

"We're gonna," Crump insisted.

"You know, I don't really deserve any of this kindness you've been showing me," Nesbitt suddenly blurted, looking up at Lector. "I treated you like dirt when Gansley was gone, but you've just been right here for me ever since I found you after you left. Yami Bakura lashed into me, and maybe I didn't deserve what he said, but you didn't deserve what I said. I just got a taste of my own medicine."

Lector sighed. ". . . I hadn't even really stopped to consider the irony or the possible poetic justice. You were hurt when you didn't deserve it, and I wasn't going to stand by and not be there for you. Remember how we talked about families?" Nesbitt weakly nodded. "There wouldn't really be love if we only cared when the person was pleasant to be around. You frustrate me so many times, and today you deeply hurt me, but I always love you. And you understand that better than you might think right now. You never stop caring about me when you're angry with me, do you?"

"No," Nesbitt said slowly.

"There you go," Lector said quietly.

"It's not logical," Nesbitt frowned.

"You're saying it would be logical to only care when people are kind?" Gansley grunted.

"No. . . . But . . . I mean, giving people too many chances could lead to toxic and abusive relationships," Nesbitt said.

"You have to know the person well enough to be able to discern if they deserve more chances," Lector said. "And I will admit that unfortunately some people don't seem to be able to tell, and some are more tolerant than others whether it's deserved or not, but I know you do deserve more chances, Nesbitt. You're a good person."

"And we all care deeply about you," Johnson added.

Nesbitt looked down. "Thank you," he said to the floor. His voice was gruff and awkward, but humble.

xxxx

Mokuba wasn't sure what to think as he stood and observed the alternate Yami Bakura resting in one of the KaibaCorp medical center's private rooms. "I don't know if this is really a good idea," he said.

"Neither do I," Seto grunted. "I would have rather they had sent him away." He turned, stalking out of the room. "There's no guarantee he'll come out of the coma with his mind any better than before."

"I wonder if his Bakura misses him at all," Mokuba said.

"I guess anything's possible," Marik said. "I have certainly never missed the being I created. And the descriptions of what was happening in this other dimension were unsettling. His Bakura might be grateful to be rid of him . . . unless deep down, he fears being alone even more."

"There's nothing left to do but wait and see what happens. And keep guards on this room at all times," Seto said. "I won't let someone like Dr. Portman break all the rules and get in here to release a patient again."

"Good idea," Mokuba said.

It was a relief to get out of the room. Seto quickly led the others back outside to the limousine.

"I wonder how many other dimensions there are, and if we'll ever meet anyone from any more of them," Mokuba said.

"Let's hope not," Seto said. "This dimension and its people are more than enough to deal with."

Marik had to smirk, but he wondered himself what the other worlds were like. Had he cracked up in the other worlds? Judging from what the Game Master had said about his world, Marik wouldn't be surprised if somehow or another, he was even darker in that world.

"I wonder if we're friends in other dimensions," Mokuba said.

Marik smiled. "I'm sure we are. Some things don't change much across dimensions."

"Maybe that means there's hope for this Yami Bakura and his Bakura," Mokuba mused.

"It's a nice thought," Marik said. "We'll have to see."

xxxx

Bakura found Yami Bakura at their computer after everyone left. He had opened Steam and seemed to be in the process of determining whether he wanted to download Bendy and the Ink Machine.

Bakura stared. "You're really going to play the game, Yami? After all we went through?"

Yami Bakura growled. "I went up against another me and I couldn't do a thing to change his mind or fight against him. At least this is something I can control."

Bakura sighed. "Yami, I'm so sorry." He sat next to his friend. "I wish I could have stopped myself from falling overboard into the ink machine. I don't even know how it happened. One minute I was trying to get away from Bendy, and the next . . ." He shuddered.

Yami Bakura leaned back in the chair and folded his arms. "It really doesn't matter how, except that I didn't see it happen and I didn't stop it."

"That wasn't your fault," Bakura frowned.

"In New Orleans, Yugi and the Pharaoh even found out that I'm apparently supposed to be the leader now!" Yami Bakura suddenly spat. "My Infinity Ring is the top Infinity Item. What kind of a leader lets the person closest to him fall into oblivion?!"

"Even a leader doesn't see everything," Bakura insisted. "The Pharaoh has admitted that there were things he wishes he had done differently and that he regrets some of his actions, including some of his encounters with you. He wishes he had never sealed your soul into the Millennium Ring. He didn't know then what he knows now." He paused. "And honestly, Yami, from what I've heard, you were a leader in the game. You didn't see me fall, but you caught and saved someone you did see fall. And you went to confront the other you all alone to keep everyone else safe."

Yami Bakura glowered at the desk. "I raked Nesbitt over the coals when he actually didn't deserve it for once. That's hardly the behavior of a leader. And I went off alone because I thought the other me would be more likely to come out that way."

"And you were right," Bakura said. "As for Nesbitt, I don't know what you said, but you could always tell him you're sorry."

Yami Bakura flushed. "I barely apologize to you, and you're suggesting I apologize to someone I barely know or like?"

"If you really want to become a better leader, Yami, one important lesson is being humble," Bakura said softly. "I did notice that you acknowledged to him that you did wrong, and that was a big step by itself. I'm very proud of you for that."

Yami Bakura gave a half-hearted shrug. Naturally Bakura would find something positive and focus on that.

"I'll think about it," he said at last.

He turned his attention back to the computer. As Bakura watched, he clicked the Download button.