Summary:

Argent pearls
Did my tears seem
Yet with the passing years
Chinese crimson
Have they become.

- Ki no Tsurayuki (c. 872 - c. 945)

We have arrived at our last chapter of this arc. (August 30 2016 1051 pm - I am feeling quite ill atm. no more chai before bed)
*April 21, 2017 - What was I on?
*May 26, 2017 - This is long. Prepare for your dose of smut. Please don't hate me.
*July 15, 2017 - At an anime convention, doing homework. Also doing some fic work. A certain relationship has always tortured me in the way that the characters would be abruptly parted later in the story. I have solved it.
*July 17, 2017 – This is 11,546 words for you all. I love you. This is also an early birthday present for me, because I turn 23 in on the 19th. :D

Chapter 27: Creation Myth - Amenominakanushi

Yuugi smiled at the figure that Bakura had made of him. It was very detailed, as though it had been made by an experienced individual that had taken time to care for the figurine, someone that wanted to make the figurines last a long time

"How do we play then?" Anzu asked, setting down her magician's apprentice figure. The apprentice looked eager.

"The best part of this game," Bakura explained, "is that within the bounds of the rules of the Dark Master - that would be me - you can essentially make up the story and the moves." There was a list of moves that each species of inhabitant of Monster World held, but the strength was determined by rolls of die.

"You are all on the adventurers' side. My job is to stop you from fulfilling your goal, which is exterminating all monsters. You win when you find and defeat the boss monster that represents me.

"The story will unfold for you. After all, this story is for all of us to enjoy." Bakura opened his laptop, on the opposite side of the table. He had no figurine to represent him, but his command over the complexly built board was evident; even as an outside presence, he was King.

"Just remember; this is a role-playing game, meaning that everyone has a role to play. The players need to be completely drawn into the fantasy world the characters are in! This is what makes the game so interesting."

Yuugi's King was sitting next to him, between him and Anzu. He looked over he traits of his character, smiling down at the warlock that he had chosen. The King looked up to Yuugi and just stared for a split second.

Those red eyes were perturbed for a moment, but they quickly filled with mirth. Yuugi realized then that this would be the first game that the King had ever played with him and with his friends. The thought filled him with fire, with joyous light.

Their group - consisting of Joey the Warrior, Hiroto the Hunter, Yuugi the Beast-Tamer, Anzu the Magician Apprentice, and King the Warlock - made their way to a town where they found out the identity of their villain. One of the men in the town saloon - "He looks like Karita-sensei!" Jounouchi guffawed - told them how to get to the forest to journey to the Dark Master.

"Zork? Let's get him!"

Their journey through the forest showed them how the decisions were made in the game. Ten-sided die and probability would be read by Bakura, who would follow the rules and let the players know of them as they progressed.

"You're entering an area of monsters. In this zone, you have a thirty percent chance of having an encounter with a monster! If you throw anywhere from thirty-one to ninety-nine, you have evaded the monster. The red die represents the tens-digit, the white is the ones-digit."

Bakura rolled the die, and the dice showed a twenty-one. "A level-three goblin!"

"All right! Without battles, this thing would be boring!" Jonouchi reached for the die, claiming the first move of the battle. He rolled a thirteen.

"Based on your warrior's agility and the compatibility with your weapon, you have a 40% hit-rate to damage the goblin! You attack!"

The warrior seemed to move and cut down the goblin in half.

"The closer to 00 you are, the more damage you inflict on the monster! If you throw a fumble, a ninety-nine, you receive a penalty."

As their pieces moved, Yuugi's team came upon a figure on the board.

"Suddenly, you stop as you see someone lying across your path up ahead," Bakura narrated. "You can't tell much about him without coming closer. Is he alive or is he dead? You can move on without helping him, or you can find out. What will you do?"

Anzu hummed to herself. "I feel sorry for him. Let's help!"

"But it could be a trap," the King interjected, his Warlock character pointing his staff to follow deeper into the Monster World to find Zork.

"Leave it to me!" Jonouchi said, bringing his character forward. "First, I'll poke him with my sword!"

Bakura nodded, continuing the story: "The warrior prods at the strange person with his sword. They watch- Oh... He moves slightly. It appears to be a young man. He looks at you and seems very afraid..."

The small character was stood up. A covering hid the top of his head, and a long scarf was wrapped around his neck, going down his back and covering most of his face so that only his eyes and nose showed.

"We're not you enemy! Nothing to fear!" Jonouchi reassured the figurine.

"Please help me! A monster attacked me in the forest and stole my treasure!" The figurine was shaking with passion. "I was on my way to give it to the hero of the village! That treasure is a holy sword, part of an enchanted armory! It is the only thing that can defeat Zork!"

"A sword that can beat Zork?"

"Please! I beg you! Get back that treasure!" Bakura turned to team in front of him, looking up to them. "Do you respond to the young man's request...?"

"Didn't one of the villagers tell us to stay away from the forest?"

"There's the treasure, though!"

"I don't know," Yuugi said, interrupting everyone. "Can it really be that easy to find a sword that'll defeat Zork?"

They deliberated for quite a time, Bakura mentioning that he would play music for them to enjoy during their game. He pulled out a separate laptop to play the music as they waited for their next move.

"Have you decided?"

"Take us to the forest!" Honda urged.

"Thank you very much!" the young man shouted. "I'll come with you!"

They headed into the forest, a shadowy area where Bakura explained that there was an eighty percent chance of meeting a monster. The music played on, a foreign kind of style that Anzu commented on hearing in her dance classes every once in a while.

"Are you ready, everyone?" Bakura rolled the dice and looked into his computer again. "You get a 05! Not a good roll for you all. The closer to 00, the stronger the monsters that appear!

"The statistics bring up five monsters from the trees! Straight into battle and the players attack first! Remember: roll closer to 00, the critical mark, and you inflict more damage on your enemy! Roll under the success rate or you have a miss!"

"I get the first swing!" Jonouchi grabbed the dice roughly, enthralled in the game. "Damn it! 82!"

Bakura chuckled, calling out the statistics "Jonouchi needed to roll a 30 or less to hit his opponent Beega! He trips and falls!"

"That sucks!" Jonouchi didn't bother to look at his friends behind him to see who on Earth had said it.

"Let me handle this one!" Honda blew on the dice, flipping them up into the air just over the game board. "21!"

A bullet went straight through the Beega, saving Jonouchi.

Yuugi rolled a 25 and turned one monster into an ally, a loyal little creature named Poki. The King rolled a 10, killing another and finding a potion for healing them should they suffer blows.

"I'll take it from here," Anzu cried out. The dice fell from her hand and rolled into a perfect 00.

"That's a super critical hit!" Bakura did not even bother to type into his computer as he spoke, "That means that she can use the top-level magic for an apprentice magician!"

The other two monsters were blown away in a great explosion brought on by the little magician. After cheering for their friend, the group turned their eyes back to go through the forest-

"Ha ha ha..."

"Huh?" Jonouchi stared down at their new companion. Yuugi and the King felt something rather ominous.

"You are the four heroes who would defy me... You fell for my trap and have entered the Forest of the Dead. This place will be your grave!"

Bakura raised his head, bringing the game laptop back to himself. "What's this? The young man's form changes and grows before your eye! He is none other than Dark Master Zork!"

Zork was a large creature, looking very much like an armored, rotting cadaver of a giant. A fanged mouth opened slightly, and Yuugi shivered at the sight. The game piece, easily four times taller than anyone of the other characters in the game, seemed to cackle. "Before you die, there's one thing you should know! There is no sword, no longer, in this world that can defeat me!"

"In their surprise, Zork attacks!" The figure moved forward as Bakura rolled the dice.

00.

A wave of energy, an atmosphere, flooded the room, flooding Yuugi's eyesight for just a moment and only breaking once a chair squeaked. With the feeling gone, Yuugi looked in the direction from which he had heard the noise.

The girl was slumped over onto the table and her eyes were empty, vacant of thought, but they were open. She was a creature stopped halfway, partway.

"Anzu!" Yuugi reached for her shoulder, trying to shake her awake. He cried out her name again, his heart beating faster and faster as her silence continued. The King stood quickly, putting himself between Yuugi and Bakura.

"What have you done, Bakura?!"

"What's that noise?" Jounouchi mumbled, looking to Anzu and the table.

"Me?" Bakura scoffed, looking at him through interlaced fingers. "I'm following the story that would allow the game to precede. I will have you know that this is the ultimate role-play game.

"I told you that RPGs require you to become the character. You transcend reality to become a different person, a different existence, to live the story of their lives."

Jounouchi slammed a fist against the edge of the table, eyes looking for blood. "Bakura, what did you do to Anzu!"

"Calm down, she's alive-" Bakura leaned over slightly and let his gaze fall on the game board, "-in Monster World."

At that, a scream came from the table. The little Apprentice Magician was shaking and asking why everyone was so big, in the most familiar voice.

"I knew I heard something," Jounouchi hissed. "The Magician figure just screamed in Anzu's voice!"

Yuugi held Anzu's shoulders, shuddering in fear. Whatever Bakura did, Anzu was left with her vacant, syrupy-shiny eyes that were like a doll's. He moved her head slightly to see if she was hurt at all; no bruises, but her eyes stayed focused on the spot that they were left looking at when she had first fallen.

"Her fate was decided by the roll of the dice," Bakura continued to explain. "When Dark Master Zork rolls a critical hit - the double-zero - or if the player rolls a fumble - the double-nine - the player will have their soul removed from their body and they will stay in the game by the powers of Shadows and the Darkness. The only way to get her back is by defeating and killing Zork himself!"

Yuugi felt anger swell up from inside of his chest; not his own, but the Danava's anger was dwelling inside of his chest.

Jonouchi grabbed the dice, declaring an attack.

99

"Not only have you rolled the worst combination possible, Jonouchi-" Bakura growled, as though they had offended him worse; against the loss of their friend's soul, they had broken his rules, "-but so is your gaming etiquette, as it wasn't your turn! Prepare yourself!"

"Jonouchi-kun!" Yuugi cried out as Honda grabbed Jonouchi to keep their friend from hitting himself on the table. There was a sound from the table, their friend's voice and Anzu crying out in shock.

"Be careful, you guys! If all of you turn to lead figures, then there won't be anyone to roll the dice, and that's an automatic loss. You would all be trapped in this game forever, until I decide to play with you all again in the future!" Bakura's eyes were nothing like the eyes that Yuugi first saw when the shy student had been introduced to their class. "Honda's turn.

Honda grabbed the dice, his fist quivering.

"Are you frightened, Honda?" Bakura looked down at the hunter, whose gun shone with the special sealant that he had graced the fake metal with to make it look like its real-world counterpart. "Your character has been frozen in fear by Dark Master Zork. If you roll less than 70, your gunman can conquer his fear and attack. If not, Zork attacks first."

"You think I'm scared?" Honda slammed his fist against the table, the dice in his hand stabbing into his flesh with the force. "I'm angry, Bakura!"

The dice were thrown onto the table, the two pieces clattering onto the table's surface and then landing on... 94.

"This roll is stupid! I'm not afraid of Zork!"

The King reached for Yuugi as Honda fell forward, Yuugi crying out in anguish as another friend fell to another critical hit from Zork, 00.

"Bakura! What'd you do to the dice?" The King held Yuugi closely as he glared at the Dark Master. "Two in a row?"

"The dice don't lie."

The King looked down to Yuugi, who was trembling still but had a fire of determination in his eyes. Those violet eyes held a flame that made the King want to hear every word, thought, behind them.

"Why are you doing this?"

"You're the holder of the Puzzle and you don't know?" Bakura chuckled darkly. "Don't worry, I don't really want to fight you, little Yuugi. I want to deal with this King of yours."

"Why?" The King gripped Yuugi tightly.

Bakura just laughed. "Play the game and maybe you'll find out. But I just want to fight you, high and mighty King."

Yuugi looked up to his King.

"Can you win?" Yuugi asked.

His King looked down at him, and Yuugi saw just how young his lover was. They had to be so close in age, maybe the King just a bit older. He knew that his Other Self, the Danava, had dealt with magic, and he seemed like an ancient thing already, having spoken with Dragons and other beings, like Aileen's Other Self. Here, his King was like a boy his own age, and he didn't know if his lover had powers like the Danava did. There was a certainty in those red eyes.

"I can."

Yuugi nodded and looked to Bakura and then to his friends on the gameboard.

"Don't worry about me, okay?" Yuugi kissed the other's cheek sweetly, ignoring his friends' small sounds of confusion. "You'll have help.

"Bakura, transfer my soul to my miniature too!"

"What?" Bakura hummed. "It would be easy to grant you that wish, but the King will be my only opponent... Then again, the Game Master is supposed to be of service to the players... Very well!"

Yuugi's mind faded out, and his King's warmth dissipated into nothingness, accompanied only by a voice that was familiar in the way that a forgotten dream was.

The King held Yuugi's body close before settling it down in its seat, head resting carefully on the varnished table edge. He sighed, wondering if he and Yuugi thought the same thing. He knew that Yuugi was so trusting, but the King wasn't as much so, especially as this person that Yuugi had trusted had become an enemy to them.

"Well, then, King," Bakura welcomed, as though he were welcoming a guest to a party. "Grab the dice and let's get on with our game."

"Why don't you tell me why you're doing this, Bakura?" the King questioned. "Unless, you're not Bakura."

"Clever little King." The Other Bakura grabbed his own dice, smirking back at him. He unbuttoned his shirt, and Bakura revealed a ring with five attachments that dangled like pendants or pointers at its circumference. An eye identical to the eye on the Millennium Puzzle graced its surface. "You and I are similar, but we are opposite numbers. Where you have a guardian, I am the guard. Well, you are seen as a kindness, and I might be a demon. Why don't we play our game?"

The King looked down at the table, staring at the arm that was reaching across to grab the dice. He turned and saw Yuugi's body animated. Bakura's chair made a grating noise as he moved backward in shock, demanding to know what was going on.

"We are in the middle of a battle, right?" Red eyes directed themselves at the King, eyes that were too familiar now. The Danava smiled, a warm gesture that was welcomed by the King. The dice were in the palm of the Danava's hand, ready to roll as the demon turned his eyes to their opponent. "My roll for Honda-san."

03

The little hunter on the game board came to life, shooting at their enemy. The little figures grew alive as they saw Zork's left hand be blasted away, cheering for Honda and for the Danava, who reached for the dice to hand them over to the King, who took them with a smile.

"Thank you." The Danava blinked up at him with wide, blood-red eyes, curious and shiny-eyed.

"Of course... Teishu-sama."

The King took the dice with his fingers, trying to feel them again. There was a familiarity to how he held them like beads in his fingers, a pair of gems that were precious to him in his hand. He looked down to the Yuugi on the game board, around whom Poki, their newest little ally, was gliding around, making tinkling, questioning sounds about the new King-master, and the new vision of their Yuugi-master that appeared to take the place at the table.

The Danava smiled down at the gameboard, to his Danna-sama. The King could feel the feelings flowing between them; there was joy at their first meeting, eagerness to know one another, hesitance, and trust.

He looked up to the Other Bakura, saying "Well then, Nightmare-Eater, let's keep playing, or are you afraid to fight against Teishu-sama?" There was a cockiness in his voice that seemed more confident than he had ever heard it before.

"Tch..." He growled at him. "The Danava... Been a long time since I had seen you. Still serving yourself as you did before?"

The Danava frowned at that, responding with "I only live to serve my masters."

"Although Zork lost his hand when his guard was down... He looks almost uninjured! You could say that things have gotten worse for the adventurers." The hand that landed on the ground in front of them became a dragon and an eye-demon, a spherical creature that rose above them, focused on the group. Zork bid them farewell, announcing their final stage to be elsewhere.

"Zork! You coward!" Jonouchi yelled out in frustration as the monster made its way to Zork Castle. "You're going down, I tell you!"

"We're just following his script." Yuugi cradled his head in his hands, Poki coming close to comfort him.

'Bakura got us involved with his game, and it was easy to be tricked!' Yuugi shuddered at the feeling of helplessness that was curdling in his belly. Then, confidence burst through him.

'You're right.'

'King?!' The Link between them had grown stronger and speech was there, ready for them to use. Feelings more than anything powered through the Bond of Souls – concern, confidence, love, love, love – but the words were wonderful to feel, solid in his soul.

'Yes… Bakura made Zork appear when your guard was down and then sealed your souls into the lead figures. Everything has gone according to his plan!'

'Is there anything that we can do?'

'There is.'

The King raised his dice, calling to Jonouchi for his turn to fight.

"Roll, your Highness," Bakura sneered, using his voice of the Game Master. "But don't forget that if you roll a fumble, that character will die!"

The King smiled and threw his dice, landing a 03. Jonouchi quickly ran forward, slicing through one monster, its dragon companion fleeing to the side. Yuugi quickly ran forward for his turn, raising up his hands as his Danava rolled the dice for him. He targeted the dragon, the roaring beast stalking forward.

"I'm capturing you!" Yuugi declared, and he could feel his Danava's pride and trust in his decisions from the other end of their Bond; he did his best to send courage back. "Beast Tamer Hand Power!"

"Until moments ago, the Zork Arm Dragon was a part of Zork! The potential to brainwash him is very low at 10%!" Bakura narrated, warning them… threatening them.

Yuugi sent all the belief to his Danava, his Other Self. He could hear the clatter of the dice, and he heard Bakura say what he dreaded.

"The red dice of the 10s column is an 8! There's no way you can-" Yuugi heard the sound of a clicking, and magic coursed through his body. Yuugi found himself loving the feeling there, the feeling of light in his veins. Power was running through his body in such a way that he wondered how his Other Self felt, how his King felt, living with this feeling of power in their bodies. Better, his Other Self was made of this, Shadows and magic.

"Another critical?!" he heard, but the Magic Training Hands came forward – his own magic – and captured the dragon, its body becoming smoother and kinder.

'Yuugi?'

'Yes?'

'It was a double hit technique.'

"Double-hit technique?" Yuugi repeated, trying to understand.

"Yuugi, what's a double-hit?" Anzu asked.

"Yeah," Honda said, "what are you talking about?"

The King's figurine moved his mouth, but his voice was thrown over him, as though the figurine were a transmitter.

'When you can spin the die on its vertex, if the numbers are all even on top, they won't land on an odd number. There will be a weaker spin on one die, but then the stronger can hit it if the number isn't the desired one. Just jiggling the table with your knee can vibrate the table enough to change your number as many times as you like!'

Anzu cheered happily. Jonouchi and Honda threw their weapons high, cheering at their new way to victory.

'We cannot spin the dice now,' the King cooed to him, reassurance flooding Yuugi, 'but he cannot cheat anymore either… The Danava and I agree to that, but the Danava is laughing… He says he's laughing at peaches?'

"On with the game! After taking care of Zork's creatures, the adventurers come to the Gates of Zork Castle!"

'Danna-sama is in a miniature, his friends are as well, and the Baku is playing with us.' The Danava finished his small chuckles of amusement. The Other Bakura – the Baku – was starting to grow a bit discouraged at the fact that they now had an enemy and they were now enemies.

'Perhaps… we can use this, after we beat the Baku.'

"Poki! Be careful, my master! There are traps set for you in Zork Castle!" The little creature, named Poki, burled against Yuugi.

"Okay, we'll be careful, Poki."

"We have the Other Yuugi and the King on our side; we can't lose!" Jonouchi brandished his sword, ready for his turn in another three turns.

They heard the creaking of the Gate of Zork's Castle opening, Bakura saying "Now at last, the adventurers' goal lies before them! The drawbridge lowers, making a path into the castle!"

As they walked inside, the Castle opened, allowing the players to see them. Yuugi thought on the fact; Bakura loved games and making dioramas, so why try and hurt them? One needs players – more than one person – to play a game, or else it is just so lonely. He could tell from his own experiences that his gaming life was not as much fun as he was when he was with friends.

"You've come to the last stage of your quest. Somewhere in the castle waits Zork. Can the group of heroes find and slay the demon?"

"Come out, Zork!"

"Jonouchi!" Anzu shook her head, looking to Yuugi. "We need to have an advantage, right? Why is he shouting?"

"Is there any use in that, when Bakura-kun knows where we are from the game board?" Yuugi looked around, trying to spot anywhere that Zork may be hiding.

Honda did the same and spotted something suspicious.

"What about that tower?" Honda led the way, pistol ready. He pointed to the pedestal inside. As they went in, Anzu touched the markings, unable to understand them.

"What are those marks on it?" Yuugi wondered, before hearing the shriek of something. It sounded like his own voice, but braver, stronger, and it wasn't exactly that of a man's… Not even a woman's…

'Other Me?'

The sound of a chain rattled through the air. The ceiling was falling and the spikes were not entirely painful, Yuugi thought; they were just not supposed to be digging into his head.

"Poki!"

"Don't worry, Poki," he grated out between his teeth, looking over to Anzu, whose face was contorted in a horrible grimace.

"Not only is this heavy," Jonouchi groaned, "we can't move!"

Yuugi could feel the anger rolling through him from both the King and his Other Self. He tried to reassure them that he was okay, and relief and caring washed over him in waves.

"Both of you don't need to be so mad. Instant death traps are for amateur game masters! I'll give you a chance to save them. You'll have three turns to save them, three rolls of the dice. This is the puzzle: to save your friends, you must create the column to support the ceiling-" Yuugi then realized that the pedestal was actually the unfinished column "-but you must roll a certain number on the dice!"

"Roll a critical, Yuugi!" Jonouchi yelled, and Yuugi found himself smiling at the idea that his friend might be accepting his Other Self after all. Not too long after Bakura's voice announced the three-turn chance, the sound of dice clattering echoed through their ears.

04.

They all cheered, but Bakura's voiced cut through the air, repeating that they needed a certain number, specifically doubles. The ceiling lowered and Yuugi didn't feel the pain, now. He even heard his friends sigh out their exhaustion.

"It's like the pain was taken away," Honda groaned out.

'By what? We need another number,' Yuugi worried.

"It is about time for a monster encounter roll to see if Zork appears. It's a 30% chance. Judgement roll… 28! The worst possible number for our heroes!"

They cried out as Zork appeared from smoke, the scent of rotting food accompanying him. Yuugi prayed that people weren't really dead because of this game.

"You fell into my trap, foolish children! I'll cut you to shreds while that trap holds your corpses in place!"

There was no pain as the claws slashed through their little bodies, still in one piece, luckily, as his Other Self took the dice this time, rolling 31.

"Guys!" Anzu called out to Yuugi and Jonouchi, both who had been directly attacked by Zork. Yuugi grit his teeth through the pain.

"Believe… in the King and… my Other Self, everyone…"

Jonouchi chuckled. "O-Of course, Yuugi!"

Anzu chirped in agreement, and Honda just hummed out an affirmative sound.

A final clatter of dice, a sound that would haunt Yuugi for a while.

33.

The ceiling rose above them, enough that Yuugi and his friends quickly moved as Zork was granted another attack.

"Zork rolls a 12. Demon Hand Blade!" They held their breaths as the attack moved over them.

"You forget, Game Master! The players have a much higher speed. They succeeded in escaping as soon as the puzzle was solved."

'The voice is back,' Yuugi thought, recognizing it. As they came to gain ground behind Zork, he came to his conclusion. 'Surely, it's my Other Self.'

"The adventurers get a surprise attack at getting to Zork's back! Dice roll!"

15.

Jonouchi jumped up at the chance, slashing at Zork's chest. The monster roared, reeling backwards before glaring down at them.

"They get extra attacks, actually, in order of their remaining HP," they heard Bakura say, almost monotone or disinterested. "Got it? Roll the dice."

"This doesn't even matter to him!" Honda adjusted his grip on his pistol.

"Honda-kun…" Yuugi felt the anger from his friend

"We agreed to play this game because he was our friend, and he turned us into this!"

The dice came down: 09.

"Thunder Grenade!" Honda cried out, followed by Anzu's "Apprentice Death Blaze" spell. The King and Yuugi, both with 13 HP, led Poki and the Dragon forward, the King's "Immolation Enhanced" spell intensify the fires from the two beasts.

"The players' anger has been channeled into the dice."

"Heh heh… Do you think that you actually have enough experience to defeat Zork? You are still apprentices, level-one adventurers!"

From where Zork fell, he stood. His jaws were open in a grin.

"Then… We can't win at all!" Yuugi couldn't have felt angrier than he did now.

"Are you calling me unfair, Yuugi-dono? Cowardly, perhaps?" Bakura laughed. "As the Dark Master, I made everything in this game world! I am the rules, the monsters… I am the God!"

'This game was rigged so that we couldn't win from the start!'

"Now, continue the battle! You can at least act your deaths out gracefully!" Bakura was surely grabbing dice again, because there was a rattle in the air. "I roll!"

00.

"Zork Black Magic! Dark Catastrophe!"

Everything went dark.

He almost felt bad that it happened. It was the way of the game, however, and the players were defying God. The King and Danava had cried out for their comrades on the field, and he laughed at the thought. Cruel, perhaps for the innocents; these two, however, deserved no mercy.

"Zork's magical attack has the power to kill characters with more than 50 Hit Points in an instant. These player characters are dead…" He shrugged at the growl that the King gave him, deciding "I'll put all of the numbers and variables into the computer, just to be safe."

He enjoyed the feelings of the keys underneath his fingertips. There was a sense of control under his hands, one that nothing else offered him. He began to put in the defense points, hit points, magical variables of each character and let the computer run its calculations.

'No… Something's wrong.'

The players were all standing back up in their little bodies.

'No, how?' He looked down, and there, he saw his Master's left hand, typing away. On the monitor was a message:

I am Bakura Ryou. I won't let you kill my friends. I'll fight too.

'I hid my Master away. I hid him from the Shadows of the Game. Wherever there are Shadows, the Danava will come to eat whatever is there, so it is the only way to keep my Master safe!'

"I roll for the Warrior!" The King let the dice fall from his hand, and the result was a 05, another critical. Jonouchi's figure came up, brandishing his sword and jumping up to dig it into the soft flesh of Zork's left eye.

He cried out at the sensation of his eye being cut into. The vision was gone, and the muscles all around were certainly on fire, the pain coursing from Zork into him. He could feel himself fragment slightly, a part of his soul separate from everything else that he was made from, and he felt sickened by his own actions for a trace moment.

Just a moment.

He looked back down at the keyboard and the board itself. Zork was his avatar in the Game World. His Master must have awoken when his left hand had been blown off by the Hunter Hiroto.

'MASTER?'

Why did the thought irritate some part of him? He had chosen Bakura Ryou as his Master-

'I have no MASTER!'

-But his mind was denying that now. He pulled the computer out of the left hand's reach.

'If I do this, you have been left powerless.'

'There was a miscalculation from Bakura, I know there was!' The King held the dice in his hand, ready to pass them to the Danava. Those blood-red eyes came to gaze at him and the thought of the computer at the Game Master's table came to mind. He passed the information to Yuugi through their Link.

"All right – The Warrior strikes a perfect hit! His short sword gouges out Zork's left eye, only reducing Zork's hit points by a fraction…"

"This sucks!" Jonouchi adjusted the grip on his sword. "No matter how many criticals we get, we can't do Zork any real damage!"

"How in the world can we defeat him?" Anzu tightened the grip on her scepter.

'First things first,' the King's figurine stepped in. 'We have to restore Hit Points – Fast! My attacks are based on Darkness. The most I can do it create potions that would heal us one at a time. Anzu, you can use Healing Magic on your turn.'

"Then, I hope that I go next." Anzu took in a deep breath. "My level's too low for resurrection magic."

"According to the initiative scores, Anzu's magician goes next." Bakura laughed. "However, Zork and Anzu are tied! That means they go at the same time. The first attack, then, is decided by a die roll. Is that fair enough, Devil?"

The Danava gave no answer that anyone on the game board could hear.

"The one to roll closest to 00 goes first. You might be able to save everyone's lives, heh heh."

The dice fell close to where the group was on the game board, and Anzu hurried over by them to see: 09.

"The game is over, Devil! Zork moves faster than Anzu-"

They all heard a laugh.

"Are you blind? Look at your own roll!"

"… 10!?"

"The dice don't lie, remember?"

"I get to go first!" Anzu turned to her friends, eyes wide with happiness. "Healing Magic of Luona!"

The feeling of warmth and light spread over them, a cover of energy washing them clean of the damage that they had already received.

"All right, you're healed, but compared to Zork, you're still nothing more than micro-organisms! Zork's next attack will turn you to dust! Zork can hit with 80% chance!"

The clatter of dice came...

"99! A fumble!" Zork bared his own claws and launched an attack on himself, the creature falling to his knees.

"What just happened?" Honda asked, before being interrupted by a shriek. Anzu pointed up, and they saw Bakura's hand pierced through by one of the spires of Zork's castle, accompanied by a laugh that was manic in its tone.

"How does that durable poly-resin feel, Bakura Ryou?!"

'Do I want to do this?'

'No, but I do.'

"Did he just say 'Bakura Ryou'?" The King took the dice from the Danava, gingerly.

"He did," the demon confirmed. "This is certainly an adapa, but… as familiar as this one seems to me, it is not the one I remember."

"Look at Bakura's expression!" Anzu cried, the haze of the game's illusion finally wearing off enough for them to see the reality above them.

"He looks terrible!" Jonouchi felt almost sorry for striking Zork in the face, if that was the reason for their former friend's damaged eye.

'How could this be the same Bakura?' Yuugi wondered, thinking of the first day that they had all met. Bakura Ryou had been so kind… The thought stayed there as the illusion righted itself.

"I don't believe it! I won't!"

"I think so, too!" Honda agreed. "That guy's not Bakura!"

"If Bakura-kun can move his hand now that the same hand of Zork is cut off," Anzu chimed, "Couldn't it be that he is trapped inside of Zork?"

"Next is Beast Tamer Yuugi. Your turn, Vessel!"

Yuugi hugged her quickly. "I'll try and save Bakura-kun!"

He sent the thought to the King, who returned the sentiment, voicing such: "Game Master! The Beast Tamer will try his Hand Power on Zork, the Lord of Darkness!"

"What?" The Other Bakura wanted to laugh. "Your power is a magic ability that turns enemy monsters into allies. Do you honestly think that it will work on Zork?"

"I'm trying it anyway! I roll!" The King let the dice fall from his hand, his heart racing.

05.

"The training hand has appeared!"

"Fool!" Zork cackled. "You'll need to have a level of a million before thinking of making me an ally! You'll- What?!"

Smoke arose from the spot where Zork's left arm had been severed.

'How… How could this be happening?' came the thought, as an image of Bakura Ryou came out of the left arm, dressed in the robes of a holy mage.

'Let him go,' came a voice.

The world was blurry for a moment before it focused. He knew he had a role to play, but he wanted to thank somebody…

"Bakura-kun? Are you okay?"

"Thank you, everyone… For saving me." The little mage stood and smiled. "I'm the White Wizard Bakura! I'm an NPC, non-player character, made by Bakura Ryou and a part of his soul exists inside of me. May I join your party?"

"Of course!" Yuugi cheered. "Let's defeat Zork together!"

"It's still your turn!" The Other Bakura growled. "The Gunman goes next!"

"The Gunman attacks, shooting Zork!" The Danava rolled the dice, resulting in a 15 which allowed the Gunman to fire. A large part of the monster's torso was blown away, when before it only tickled the beast.

"What going on?!" Jonouchi laughed, hope flooding his voice. "That hurt him a lot more than before!"

"As an NPC, I obey the will of the other Game Master, Bakura Ryou. I thought it would help, so I lowered Zork's defenses with my white magic."

'No…'

'He will be safe from you.'

"It is the least that I can do!" the White Mage assured them. "You save me from the darkness of Zork's heart. Let me fight together with you this time."

'Damn it. How did he thwart us this much?!' The Other Bakura glared at his opponents, a haughty little prince and a jade-dragon. 'I'll show you all! No matter how many of you low level characters there are, you'll never defeat the Dark Master!'

At his will, Zork began to change, a monstrosity becoming a demon, crouching low to the ground and claws sharpened as it prepared for battle.

"This is Zork's final form! His attack and defense both level up! It is his turn!"

"Look out, everyone!" he heard Bakura Ryou cry out. The dice of the Game Master fell on 00, and the Eye of Zork in the middle of the demon's chest opened.

"Zork Inferno!"

The White Mage held out his scepter. "Level 13 Shining Shield!"

"How long will your magic shield last against Zork's flames, Bakura Ryou?!" The Demon cackled and let his flames spread, the shield barely reaching beyond the edges of where the other children stood.

When the attack was finally over, they all tried to regain their bearings, the flames having burned away their regained health. Honda and Jonouchi had been left with just one HP left, Yuugi with two, and Anzu with three. The King's Wizard was left with only two left as well, but he was helping up their White Mage. Bakura, who had stood in front of all of them, was now left with one hit point, having turned the rest of his hit points into energy for the shield.

As they helped Bakura up, they looked him over. Anzu and the King's Wizard helped him stand. Anzu had tears in her eyes; she had almost lost a friend to her own selfishness, and she might lose a friend because of their selflessness.

"Just wait, Bakura. I'll my healing magic on the next turn to-"

"I'm… all right… Anzu, if you have the magic points to heal me, use that… energy on your attack this turn!" Bakura looked to his friends. "I don't have the power to protect everyone again. If we don't finish it this turn… we will all be destroyed!"

"We understand, Bakura, but if we gotta die, we'll do it together!" Jonouchi said, gripping onto his friend's shoulder.

Yuugi smiled at Bakura before talking to his King. "If Zork can raise his power levels when he transforms, why didn't he do it before?"

'It's his last gamble. We've pushed him so far that he had no choice, but in return for this power, he's exposed a weak point!' The figurine pointed to the Eye of Zork which was now started to close itself again.

"That's the weak point?!" Honda cried. "It'll seal up before we can strike again!"

Poki, the little creature that Yuugi had befriended, growled before jumping into the Eye's socket, the blades that covered the opening now stuck in place.

"Poki!" Yuugi yelled.

"Poki! This is your chance, my master! Blow me away alone with him! Hurry!" The little creature didn't know, but tears were evident in its eyes.

"We're not going to sacrifice a friend, Poki! An evil soul isn't worth an ounce of a friend's life!" The voice was a strong one and Poki looked up to see that the King held the dice that would decide his face.

'But your Majesty,' the little Poki thought, as hard as he could to try and communicate with his Master, 'It's impossible to save me. I can't get out, poki!'

"The Beast Tamer attacks!"

"I'll save you, Poki! Just wait!" Yuugi stretched out his hands, and the magic that he loved to feel ran through his blood as his King rolled a 02. The Magic Hand transformed into a fist and ran its way right through the Eye of Zork, opening just for a moment before emerging from Zork's back. The Other Bakura grasped onto the table, gasping for air.

The fist came back to the group of friends.

"Poki!" it chirped. The fist disappeared and Poki curled into Yuugi's side.

"Die roll, for the Warrior!" The Danava rolled the dice for the next attack, hopefully the last.

01.

Jonouchi jumped up, yelling as his sword cut through the demon that was hurting his friends. The beast fell apart where he had sliced it, lower half going a different direction from the top half.

"We beat him!" he heard and Jonouchi hurried to his friends, joining them in their cheer.

"Not yet."

The Danava's voice was clear, and it cut through the air. Jonouchi turned and everyone held their breath as the top of half of Zork's body was pushing itself up.

"Zork isn't dead yet?!"

"Ha ha ha… I still have a card to play! The fact that you didn't finish Zork on this turn will be your downfall! We roll for initiative again!" The Other Bakura held up his dice, pointing defiantly at his two opponents. "This is the last die roll! We roll at the same time! Winner goes first!"

'If I win, I'll have Zork self-destruct and take the adventurers with him! I'll win with your deaths as my trophies!' The Other Bakura smiled as he rolled his own dice in his hands.

'You think you can beat us?'

'How dare you come near us, jade-dragon?' He laughed as the Danava gave the dice over to the little boy-king. 'The next stage for your game is in Hell!'

'How so?'

"Because," he said out loud, "if we roll the same number, we both die! I'll blow up at the same time that you attack me! I win either way!"

The Danava glared at him, feeling the anger and hope of his masters and their friends in the air. He felt it all and he placed his hand over the hand that the King held the dice in.

"Do you feel it? That faith?"

"Yes," the King answered.

"I'll channel it all into this hand." He pressed his fingers as firmly as he could.

'With the Millennium Ring, I'll take the step I can only take once! I'll seal a part of my own soul into these dice! I'll call them my Doppelganger Dice! There's no way I'll lose!'

'There's no way you'll win!'

The dice were thrown onto the table, no spinning or tricks involved save for those that humans couldn't see.

'Please respond… Please hear our hearts!'

Their dice read 00.

Their friends cheered, but the King and Danava held their breaths until the Dark Master's dice fell.

"I salute your skills as gamers for their score of a super critical, but your lives will end the moment these dice hit the ground!"

00.

The Danava felt his heart freeze, and he closed his eyes as he searched anywhere, in any plane, for hope. Surprisingly, he felt it in the dice.

'How are you here?'

"What a cruel strike for you! Two sets of double zeroes! The most dramatic ending, where everyone dies."

'Please! Whatever you need, please help my Danna-sama and Teishu-sama!'

"The dice are cracking!" The Danava opened his eyes as he heard his King cry out. As the dice began to crumble, they could see a vision of Bakura Ryou there.

"It's you!" The Other Bakura stood up in shock.

"I don't want to lose any more friends! Even if my soul should shatter!"

'His soul was in the dice? He'll die!' the Danava realized, reaching out as far as he could with his Shadow magic. He was holding Bakura Ryou's soul now, and he was pushed away by other Shadows, Shadows that hated him.

'I have him… Take him and put him in the Mage.'

'And you?'

'Don't pretend that you care.'

The Danava sent the small, bright soul into the White Mage's hands, just as the Game Master's dice turned to dust.

"… Attack Zork, Anzu!"

Anzu raised her wand, rising into the air above her friends.

"Final Big Bang!"

The Game Master fell as the living part of Zork was blown away. The Other Bakura fell to the table, the Millennium Ring falling to the floor. The King ran over, feeling the boy's pulse.

There was nothing there.

"He's dead?"

"No, Game King!" Yuugi and the others turned to White Mage, who held a small orb of light in his hands. "I have the soul of my Master inside of me and here in my hand! I owe it to my master, who gave birth unto me and let me grow through his adventures. I am a level 13 White Wizard, capable of resurrection.

"May you roll the dice for me, Great Dragon?" the little mage asked the Danava. "I cannot move without the will of a Game Master or Player. For you or the Game King to roll would be an honor!"

"I will," the Danava said, smiling as he grabbed the dice. "I'll be sure to roll a critical."

Ryou opened his eyes blearily and he saw Yuugi and his friends standing across the table, relief on their faces. A warm hand was on his shoulder, and he felt safe.

"What? ... Guys, what happened?"

"Bakura Ryou-dono, what do you remember?" Ryou turned to the new voice on the other side of the table, one much like the voice of his Other Self, but it was softer. A version of Yuugi was standing there, red eyes lulling him in a way that made him wish to run away... Those eyes were just so kind, it was frightening.

"I... I sacrificed myself, and then the part of my soul in my character brought me back, right?" Ryou shivered at the thought.

"Yes, and your adapa also kept part of you safe."

The other Yuugi stood straight up, and the warm hand never let go of Ryou's shoulder. His other hand held the Ring that had once made Ryou feel less lonely; ever since he felt his Other's presence, he wouldn't feel safe if he was alone with that thing.

Ryou looked to the new voice and he saw a different version of Yuugi. No, the one holding him, he had seen before his Other Self had hidden his consciousness. The one holding him must be the King, then. This pale, thin Yuugi might be... If Ryou's Ring carried another version of him, perhaps the different Yuugi was from the Puzzle.

"What do you mean, Danava?" Jounouchi asked the question, and the different Yuugi answered. The King helped Ryou stand.

"What do you mean that it kept him safe?"

"If Bakura Ryou-dono's soul was truly destroyed, you would not have been able to bring it back," the Other Yuugi said simply. "The Spirit of the Ring may be insane, but that only means breaking rules to follow his own. It was a way to protect Bakura Ryou-dono while following an agenda; keeping the Master of the Ring's soul out of the way during the Shadow Game would be the best."

"Other Yuugi," Anzu interjected, and Ryou was off-put by how comfortable the other teenagers seemed talking to this spirit that lived in their friend's body. "Why are you in the Puzzle? Why is the other spirit in the Ring?"

The Other Yuugi shook his head in response, and his face seemed so much sadder. "Forgive me, Anzu-san, but there is much in the world for you to fear. The Spirits in the Millennium Items are children of gods, adapa, that have long had arguments with each other. There are many like us out there, but we are seven, caught up in a long war, a game of skill and wit."

"And me?" The King came forward, letting go of Ryou and coming to the Other Yuugi. "Danava, what do I have to do with your game?"

"You should have never been involved in the first place. I know nothing but that you are the only one that is able to collect the Items to bring us to peace, and to free yourself of the Puzzle as well." The Other Yuugi's head dropped, ashamed. "Forgive me, Teishu-sama, for not being able to tell you more."

"You tried, and that's good." The King placed a hand on the Other Yuugi's head, as though consoling him. The Other Yuugi's eyes - red, like blood or hibiscus flowers - were wide, they seemed perplexed at the gesture. Ryou could relate to the feeling of confusion that he felt from the Other Yuugi; why would they trust someone that they saw as a danger? He felt a hand on his back, and he looked up to see Honda there.

"Are you okay, Bakura?"

Ryou nodded slowly. "Thank you... I'm so sorry." His shoulders began to shake, his breath shuddering out.

"No, it's not your fault," Anzu told him, coming towards him. "If it's the Spirit of the Ring that did everything, then it's not your fault!"

"But I didn't warn you. I tried when you all first arrived, but I couldn't. He took over right away-"

"That is strange, though," the Other Yuugi said. He came close to Ryou, watching him like a fantastic specimen. "The Peach should have never tried to overtake you so violently."

"'Peach'?" he asked, wondering what on Earth the Other Yuugi was talking about. The Other Yuugi was about to place a hand on Ryou's shoulder, possibly to comfort, when the Ring glowed brightly.

And he fell into a slight darkness, as though he was watching his body move. He saw himself, a vision of malice as his Other Self gripping the Other Yuugi by the wrist, ire in his eyes.

"You do not touch Yadonushi-sama!" The Other Bakura was holding that wrist so tightly, yet the Other Yuugi only brought his eyebrows closer together in apparent confusion.

"Hmm… The Peach wasn't asleep then," the Other Yuugi noted, as though what had just occurred wasn't shocking.

"Your King might have won sovereignty but you, Demon, cannot touch my master." The voice was one that Ryou found himself growing cold towards, a voice that belonged to a monster under his bed or the feeling of a dead animal on one's platter upon learning where food comes from; there was a sensation that tingled, crawling steadily up from the depths of Ryou's soul – dread.

"I won't do anything, Peach. I only mean to question why you harm your master."

The Other Bakura didn't wish to be polite, and he said as much, adding, "And allow humans to keep hurting him? They rebuke him, abandon him, and you expect me to believe that I am to let it slide. Your masters are strong enough and they have support. My master has nothing of that, and I will pay back his hosting of me in this body of his in the way that I can."

"No more," the Other Yuugi spoke, voice low in pitch but powerful. "Stay out of your master's life a while, and you observe the changes in his life. They shall be wonderful," and with that, the Other Yuugi placed a hand on his other self's forehead; Ryou felt the warmth before the touch, back in his own body. His Other Self sank down, a foreign emotion – frustration – separate from Ryou but still felt by the young man, disappearing soon after the acknowledgement.

"Ryou -dono, your Adapa will sleep a while. He will no longer be of any harm to you, and all of your friends will wake up soon." The Other Yuugi's voice was warm, welcoming, and sweet. As the spirit disappeared and Ryou found himself looking at Mutou Yuugi again, sweet soul shining, Ryou couldn't help but think that pieces were too nicely placed.

My Other Self,

Thank you for saving Bakura-kun. I cannot thank you enough, and I trust you to keep protecting us. I only hope that I can pay you back someday; I want a friend from knowing you, nothing else. If you give more, I will do my best to give you the same.

Danna-sama,

We are grateful for the chance to meet you, though we were still separated by the rules of the Fruitful One's game. Perhaps we can exchange real words one day; we can hear each other's voices in the way that written text cannot imitate and see each other's faces to see the expressions that we would have on them. Do not worry for payment; you have liberated us from the darkness of the Puzzle, and that is more than anything I could ask for; every day is a blessed one when you are there, and Teishu-sama also makes the day wonderful. I hope that we meet one day.

The day after the Monsters World Game, Yuugi had invited the spirit of his Other Self, his Danava, to talk to him, to write something down, and the spirit had taken up the offer. He only left a short message back, but it was enough that Yuugi felt so jovial of it, holding the notebook close.

"Are you happy, Yuugi?" The teenager turned to see his King, and his grin grew wider.

"Yes… We're all safe and the Danava is talking to me."

The King nodded and came close, laying a hand over one of Yuugi's. "I… I never got a chance to talk to you before we came to your house."

Yuugi blinked up at him. "About what?"

Those fingers gripped more tightly to his hand, the dark skin a welcome contrast against his lighter skin. Their skin seemed to be burning, making a pleasant warmth between their flesh that had his breathing quivering in his lungs. He moved enough to set down his notebook down on the desk, standing up to meet his King face-to-face.

Their faces were close to each other, breath warm on their cheeks. The kiss that followed was warm and heated; Yuugi thought of how he had felt before, in his Soul's Room, and the passion was not better, but different. It was physical, like the warmth of home during the winter. He brought his hands up to his King's face, the dark hand still on his and gripping vice-like as their kiss broke for a moment, only to start again.

The King's other hand came to Yuugi's waist, stroking with gentle, curious fingers. Smiling at that shyness, Yuugi opened his mouth and licked at the lips that had come against his own. He felt his King shiver against him, and Yuugi found himself pulled closer, a warm, wet tongue against his.

'Warm – safe – heat.'

They were tasting each other, and if Yuugi could only trap the taste forever in his tongue; it wasn't a taste that his tongue could receive, but his Soul was churning around inside of him, wanting to reach the Soul that he could only taste in a hot mouth. The heat so similar in his belly was growing stronger, boiling his blood.

"Hah," he panted out as he pulled away. His King followed, pressing kisses to Yuugi's chin. The hand on Yuugi's waist made its way to Yuugi's neck and tried to unbuckle the collar there. Yuugi's hands removed themselves from his lover's face, and soon they were disrobing each other and making their way to Yuugi's bed, which they shared.

The King held Yuugi close, pressing his nose into the younger's neck.

"You are beautiful, truly." He felt Yuugi's skin heat up under his mouth, and he smiled as the younger man keened softly. The King was pressing kisses all over the younger man's body, decorating it occasionally with love bites and giving little huffs of breath to mingle with the leaving warmth Yuugi's body. His partner only responded in pleased tones, whispers of encouragement and consent; Yuugi was so generous in his love, and now that his singular love - the love that he would focus on one person in the most intimate of ways - was upon the King, the older man felt like sobbing.

They were naked against each other, and their hands and lips were their best form of communicating this dance that was engraved into their bones, spilling from their marrow. Their hearts were binding together again, just as how they had connected their Souls before. The King's hands were sliding up and down Yuugi's sides, trying to find new areas of skin that he had never touched before. Yuugi was shivering when those fingers traced over his lower ribs, almost like feathers on his skin that traced nonsensical patterns. Lips began to make similar motions on his collarbone, accompanied by teeth and tongue; everything was being marked, the beginning of bruises coming up on his flesh.

"King..."

"What else do you wish for, my love?" Yuugi felt a fire bloom inside of his chest, another bloom that erupted at the word "love". He pulled the other up, seeing those red eyes curious and wide. He almost laughed at the thought that this was something that he probably knew more about compared to his lover above him.

"How about I show you what I want to do to you?" The King only nodded, letting Yuugi to be the one that was peppering kisses and giving little love bites. As Yuugi progressed lower and lower, the King began to let out little keening noises, hardly above a whisper. The tanned skin was solid, tasted of sweat, but the emotions that Yuugi was feeling from his King - love, pleasure, affection, excitement, trepidation - made the skin under his tongue addicting. His tongue dipped into the other boy's belly button and they laughed together when the King jolted up, letting out a stream of giggles amid the happy sounds of arousal. They were happy here, together in this fog of sexual heat and emotional intimacy.

"Show me more," the King gently ordered, and Yuugi willingly complied, pressing kisses along the other's waist. As the King lied back again, humming out his pleasure, Yuugi dared to go lower. His mouth formed little, nonsense words against the sensitive, soft skin that had hair curling just beneath it. The King was letting out soft, almost silent gasps as Yuugi laid kisses close to his most intimate area, carefully avoiding the cock that was erect and now spilling in anticipation for the true pleasure that would come soon. The King was at the younger boy's mercy, and that made Yuugi terribly excited and somewhat frightened to make sure that he did not ruin this moment between them. His mouth was still careful as he laid kisses to the base, the King jolting slightly and letting out an appreciative moan that let Yuugi know that he was doing this right; the tapes that Jonouchi had lent him before could only help him so much in this affair; and it was there that Yuugi felt more confident in his thought to then lay kisses all over the hardened flesh of his lover's penis, skin cut and different than his own, but it was still lovely to him because it was part of the person that was whispering out sweet praises and showing his pleasure with gentle joy-wrought tremors.

Yuugi felt a hand in his hair, and he smiled as he prepared himself for his next idea; he kissed the tip of his King's cock, letting his lips make contact with the head, before opening his mouth and letting his lips come all the way around to bring the head into his mouth. The King let out a deep groaning, red eyes glazed over with euphoria. Yuugi stayed still and the King did not push him, letting the moment coalesce into reality. Yuugi's shy tongue made its way to taste the cock in his mouth and he found that the taste would take to getting used to but it was skin, it was his lover's skin, and that he shouldn't be used to it anyway.

After a few moments of getting familiar to the taste, Yuugi took a breath in through his nose and brought himself downward, more of the King entering his mouth and the King moaning, pleasured. He let his mouth fill, just a little bit left that he couldn't fit into his mouth, and then sucked gently as he pulled up, keeping the head in his mouth.

"Yuu-!" The King let a cry before biting his lip, groaning as Yuugi came down and repeated the wonderful, torturous motion of sucking as he pulled away again. It continued for what seemed like an eternity until Yuugi felt himself growing weak at the sound of his King's whimpers and now babbling pleas for release.

"Shh..." Yuugi murmured, lifting himself from his lover's cock and kissing the King on his cheek sweetly. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yes... What more?" The King sounded needy, needy for more attention and pleasure, though not at the expense of Yuugi's own pleasure.

"I want to be inside of you, if... If you want." Yuugi cursed silently at his own hesitance and yet... He was so blunt and wanting, but if the King did not want that, if he wanted to be inside of Yuugi, he wouldn't mind.

He watched as his King caught his breath and looked up to him, a smirk on the lush lips that had been bitten roughly.

"Prepare me, then, Yuugi. Can you pleasure me as much from the inside as you did with your mouth?"

"E-eh..?" Yuugi's face was burning, clumsily reaching for lubricant, condoms, and a hand towel that he had once stashed away in his drawer once he had realized the embarrassment that he would face should his mother ever decide to talk to him about the workings of his body. The King was chuckling as Yuugi opened the bottle and poured some of the slick substance onto one of his hands.

Yuugi moved to sit between the King's legs, stroking one knee with his clean hand, speaking deliberately: "Just relax; breathe."

The King nodded, his body growing just a bit laxer as Yuugi let his fingers drag down over the other's entrance. He pressed gently there, leaning forward and kissing his love on the lips. The King's mouth opened and his body seemed to as well, the tip of Yuugi's index finger slipped into a warm tightness.

A small grunting came from the King when the finger came to the second knuckle, Yuugi hushing him and bringing his free hand to the King's cock again, stroking gently. Gradually, Yuugi could press his finger in all the way, and then he brought two, and then three.

He looked down at his lover, the King smiling up at him and shifting his hips.

"I'm ready."

Yuugi nodded, sighing. His own cock was hard, and he carefully pulled out his fingers from his King, looking for his hand towel. The condom, he was careful with, was lubricated generously after he slipped it on.

"Have you done this before?"

Yuugi looked at the King, whose question made him nervous. He shook his head, and the King smiled.

"I haven't, either." His King, keeping his legs open, moved to a bit more comfortable position and pulled Yuugi close, smiling up at him. Their bodies moved and soon they were taking nice, slow breaths.

They kissed slowly as Yuugi pressed himself at the lubricated, stretched opening that his King let himself relax. As Yuugi entered, he groaned into the kiss, the King bringing a hand to Yuugi's face and caressing his cheek with his smooth thumb. Their mouths were hardly touching once Yuugi was fully inside, the two of them panting at the feeling of being full or being in a tight heat.

Pleasure and heat was making Yuugi feel like this wasn't real; this was surely a dream, with his imaginary King starting to rock back and forth, Yuugi's own throat producing sounds that he had only ever heard when he was thinking of making love, of being with someone like this. Yuugi started to move as well, the King letting out a stuttering cry of surprise and gripping onto Yuugi harder in his embrace.

Yuugi moved faster, holding onto his King as they rocked against each other. They were getting lost in their passion and as the King kissed him, whispering "love" to him, Yuugi forgot about the other person that always seemed to be watching them.

The pain from the game had caused his fantasy, caused his yearning for touch and stimulation. He closed his eyes, his breath cool against his chest as he lowered his head. His hand wandered downward, painting a heated path as he moved to touch himself. He imagined her body again and his body responded. He embraced himself with his unoccupied arm; oh, he wouldn't be lonely after everything was said and done; he'd have a child no matter what the Faceless One had said, the desire for such a thing burning his blood. He felt the belly flutter in the fantasy. He felt her name against him, clawing its way out of his throat. Her eyes were the only things that he could feel, searing into his flesh.

The expanse of her chest was pale, as was the rest of her body; she was the anomaly of beauty that combined liveliness with the paleness of mortality; an ice sculpture melting the world away. In his dreams, she had nothing alive about her as she moved, her body cold and burning against his skin. As he pulled her towards him, her skin rippled, her image waving like seaweed in the ocean. Her mouth opened and her eyes disappeared, pupils blowing out and taking over the white of her eyes. Her teeth became fangs, and he came to completion finally. He was coming into her, disappearing, and he was dying again, her body drowning him with its strength, crushing him.

He wanted to know - so much - her name, but he could never have it spill past his lips. She'd not tell, but it would eventually come from his lips and the lips of others. At that moment, she coalesced into something more beautiful and terrible than anyone could have imagined it, her form more solid and strong. Her body moved again, and he was disappearing into her; she was eating him and he came again inside of her, losing himself more and more each time he dared to think about her...

The Danava opened his eyes and smiled.

'I want to know that name... Maybe when I die.'

He closed his eyes one more time, and he saw his masters meet. There was the feeling of closeness between them, something that made him shiver with delight. Now that the idea of carnal pleasure had returned to him, he found himself craving it when the idea came in to intrude upon him.

Perhaps he could liberate it, draw the sword from its stone and sheath it in his King's chest.

'All part of the plan...' he thought, as he gazed at his Danna-sama's face in ecstasy. 'All part of the plan.'

CREATION MYTH - END

* Amenominakanushi - This god is the first god of Shintoism, from which all of the Universe came. The god exists in duality, masculine and feminine, in the deities Takamimusubi and Kamimusubi.
** (I wrote something on my own biological v. psychological v. survival views on masculinity and femininity here. Too much.)

*Album of music: The Trial of Lancelot by Heather Dale

*Doll's eyes - this is one of the tell-tale signs of a person's brain stem being intact after falling into a comatose state. If the eyes move with the head, not focusing on the tester, this is "negative doll's eyes" and the brain stem is not intact.

*Danna-sama and Teishu-sama: Both are terms for denoting someone as a master, owner, and proprietor, among other things.
**Danna-sama has been the Danava's way of addressing and talking about Yuugi since close to the beginning of the story, but now the Danava will address the King as Teishu-sama to further distinguish their own perception on the people around them. Danna-sama is his light and freedom. Teishu-sama created a sense of order and air of propriety for them to continue to emulate.
***Wait for Sata-dono :)
****(No, it's not Japanese)

* [name]-dono: Dono is similar to "lord" but does not mean nobility. The person speaking has the same rank as but has respect towards the referred party. The Danava will use this to refer to people who hold his respect in a private setting or those that hold the Millennium Items.
**Except for Shadi. He was an asshole.

*The Danava is a Yandere. This is fact. ::evil laugh::

Thank you for reading. Please, if you wish, continue the story in Claiming: The Sword