And here we are; the last chapter of Act 1 of Through Another's Eyes! I'm gonna skip a couple months after this chapter to get some chapters in Act 2 pre-written, and for NaNoWriMo this year (and to get off my lazy butt and work on Remembrance; I know I've said I'll start back on the once-a-month posting, but I overestimated my ability to write duels. This...is not gonna be fun for Act 2).

Also, it feels like I need to mention it. Again. When you review, please, please give actual feedback! Just posting a review saying stuff like "cool story", "awesome chapter", or "nice" is as useful as if you give no review at all. I'm trying not to be rude about this and I'm not begging for reviews, just...please, if you want to leave a review, please take the time to write something that is actual feedback, rather than a few words that just feel like spam. Especially if it's the same two words every time (you know who you are). It may come off as rude if you guys are reading this, but if you just do the same two words as a review after every chapter rather than taking the time to give feedback, it can make authors feel like you're not even reading the chapter before reviewing. So please, if you want to review, please don't do a two-word-wonder.

That being said, I'm still not one of those authors who say "if I don't get X number of reviews I won't post the next chapter SO REVIEW BITCHES". No. Just no. I won't hold my stories hostage for reviews, that's just plain rude. I've run across a few of those myself, and let me tell you; it. Is. Annoying. So, whether I get reviews on a chapter or not, I'll still post the next one; I feel like that's the least I can do for the people who do read but just can't think of anything to say.

Okay, I've got that off my chest now. On to the chapter!

Chapter 46

One Last Roll

Selena here. So, quick recap; it turns out that Ryo Bakura and Yugi have a lot in common, other than being a couple of gaming nerds. They both have Millennium Items—how many of the things are there?—both those Items have weird abilities, and they both have alternate selves. The big difference is, the "alt-Bakura" is a lot less nice than Alt-Yugi. In fact, he's a psycho.

I wish I had my Eye. I hate the thing, it's a pain in my ass, and some days I just want to rip it out of my head. But right now, I wish I had it, so bad. But, apparently, when I got switched into this damn figurine, it didn't come with me. I wish I knew why.

XXX

Selena cracked her knuckles, a grin spreading across her face. "So, we're a group of what, seven badasses?" She shot the guys a look. "How's about we show it off?"

There were a few moments of silence before Jonouchi spoke up. "Selena…has anyone told you that you look kinda crazy when you do that?"

"And have I told you that I don't give a crap?"

"Guys, we have bigger problems." Honda said, pointing. "Zorc's changing!"

Sure enough, the already-ugly Zorc was getting uglier. A lot uglier. Selena stepped back, making a face. "Damn…Bakura, exactly how powerful is Big Ugly?"

Ryo only shook his head. "I'm not sure, but I have a few ideas." He replied. "None of them good."

"So…you're saying we're basically fucked?"

"Well…probably."

Selena rolled her eyes and ran a hand through her hair. "Just like Death-T…."

Bakura gave her a look. "Pardon?"

Selena winced. "Eh, long story. One that's probably best told when we survive this misadventure." She replied.

"I'm not sure if I should look forward to that or not."

"Let's say not." Melhana said, adjusting the grip on her staff. "Be glad you weren't there. Anyway, guys, we gotta figure out that ugly…thing. And if it has any weaknesses."

"You'll have the afterlife to consider that!" Not-Bakura said, rolling the dice. "It's my turn, and I'm attacking!"

The roll was, again, a critical. Selena instinctively went for her bow, even though she knew it wouldn't do anything.

As her hand went to her quiver, Bakura shouted, "Get behind me!" And ran forward, staff outstretched, already casting. Right before Zorc's fire hit, a shining white shield erupted from Bakura's staff and enveloped them.

Selena hunkered down until the attack passed, feeling the damage that'd been done to their hit points, and smelling burnt hair. Shit…he wasn't kidding when he said there was a level-up. Even with Ryo's shield we still took a lot of damage.

Seeing the condition her friend was in, Bakura had taken the brunt of the attack. "I'll cast a healing spell on the next turn, maybe—" Anzu began, when she was interrupted.

"No." Bakura said, shaking his head. "If you have enough magic to heal me, then use it to attack Zorc. If we don't take him out now, we never will."

"That's assuming he has a weak point." Honda said. "I don't see anything."

"I do." Alt-Yugi sad. "There, the eye! It's still closing."

Selena grinned as the meaning sunk in. And then stopped as she realized… "It'll be closed by the time we roll for attack."

Jonouchi let out an unintelligible yell. "Sonofabitch! Can't Zorc just friggin' die already?!"

It was then where the little pink puffball, Pokii, got itself lodged in Zorc's eye—once again frustrating Not-Bakura—and started chattering. Not being a speaker of Pokii-ese, Selena had no idea what the babble was about. "Uh, Yugi, care to translate?"

Yugi just shook his head slowly, the color draining from his face. "He's saying that…he'll keep Zorc's eye open until we attack." He replied. "Which, since that's the weak point…"

"Means we attack Pokii too."

Yugi nodded. "If I have anything to say about it, we won't have to."

Selena didn't ask what he meant, and had enough presence of mind to step back when his roll came up and the big, gloved hand popped into existence. It punched through Zorc's eyehole, emerging through the other side with Pokii intact.

The next initiative rolls were for Selena and Jonouchi, which were tied. Both attacks were crits, with Jonouchi cutting Zorc in half with his sword and Selena blinding Zorc with her dual arrows. Following that was Honda blowing off one of Zorc's arms, and Melhana summoning that same green-clad mage as before and attacking with it.

Finally, it was Zorc's turn again. "You…you puny little adventurers. This shouldn't be possible!" He snarled. "You've come this far, yet it all ends here."

"You're right about that, Bakura." Alt-Yugi replied. "Zorc's nearly dead, and you're about to lose."

Not-Bakura, rather than raving again, smirked and chuckled. "No, no. I'm not." He said. "Right now our initiatives are the same. That means that this last roll will determine who attacks first, and therefore who wins.

"And when I roll, Zorc will blow up! Yes, I'll die, but you'll all go with me into the abyss!"

"He's suicidal." Melhana muttered. She pushed her glasses up on her nose again, and Selena couldn't help but get the feeling that the Egyptian girl knew more about Not-Bakura than she let on.

Selena frowned, but said nothing. There'd be time enough for that after the game.

"Now, Yugi, let's end this! Final roll!"

Selena readied her bow, keeping the arrows nocked on her string but the bow itself pointing down. Like the rest of them, she watched as the dice clattered onto the table.

00. For both sets.

It was a tie.

We're dead. We'll attack all right, but at the same time Zorc'll blow up.

Damn it to hell!

Selena turned to Not-Bakura to say something, but as she did she noticed something wasn't right; Zorc wasn't blowing up. Not-Bakura had a look on his face, and his attention wasn't fixed on the adventurers…

His eyes were on the dice.

Selena frowned, then backed up as cracks appeared in the set of dice. At the same time, they emitted an…aura.

Oh shit, Ryo Bakura you're an idiot.

"I won't let you kill any more friends." Ryo said, the dice cracking. "I'm going to stop you this time. Even if it kills me, I'm stopping you."

"Yugi, everyone…thank you."

A moment later the hairs on the back of Selena's neck stood up and she felt a sting behind her right eye as the dice cracked apart…and the aura of their friend disappeared.

The dice were gone, but so was Ryo.

Rubbing a spot next to her eye, Selena let that sink in…as well as considered a fact.

At the last moment, when the dice shattered, I felt my right eye sting, the same one when my Eye is reacting to something. But…I don't have it in this figurine. It didn't come with me when Not-Bakura sealed me into my figure.

So why did it react to the dice shattering?!

Selena frowned, still rubbing the sore spot. Vaguely she heard Alt-Yugi shout, and roll. Anzu's attack went through, killing Zorc…as well as Not-Bakura.

Suddenly, Selena's priorities switched from her eye—or Eye—to Ryo as Alt-Yugi ran to the other side of the table. "Is he all right?"

Silence hung in the air as Alt-Yugi checked for a pulse, then shook his head. "It's no good. He's gone." He said, softly.

Selena returned the bow and arrows to her quiver, her frown deepening. Shit. Damn it all, shit.

"…No, he's not. Not entirely, at least."

The group looked to Ryo. "What do you mean?"

Bakura took a breath. "I'm a level thirteen white wizard. Much like with what…he did to you, and the others, a part of Ryo Bakura's soul is a part of me, even though I'm an NPC." He explained. "Over the years, those adventures he's had—whether he was in control or not—allowed me to level up, and more of his soul became a part of me."

"Hang on, so you're saying you're Bakura, too? The guy in our class?" Honda asked.

Bakura nodded. "And being level thirteen, my healing magic should be enough to transfer my soul back to my master. Only…"

"Only…what?" Anzu prompted.

"Only, once I do…I'll be set back to square one. I'll be a level 1 spellcaster, with no experience, and without the will of the GM or a player, I'll just be a lead figurine." Bakura finished.

Silence hung again, before Jonouchi spoke up. "Well…ain't that going to be what happens to these?" He asked, motioning in general to their figurine bodies. "Well, if it wears off…."

"It will." Melhana said. Selena didn't bother asking how the girl knew that.

Bakura nodded, then looked to Alt-Yugi. "There won't be much time before the spell won't work. Roll the dice for me, so I can cast."

Alt-Yugi nodded, and tossed the dice.

000

"Dammit Selena!"

Selena laughed at Jonouchi's outrage. "Relax, you'll win next time."

"You keep saying that, but you keep beating me!" Jonouchi outraged. "You got this game rigged!"

Selena only laughed harder. They were in class, a week after the Monster World incident. The dark spell Not-Bakura had used hadn't taken long to wear off, and they returned to their ordinary bodies shortly after. Bakura's healing spell had also worked, although Ryo had had to spend a day or so in the hospital for the hand injury and the lingering effects of the…fiasco.

Melhana had gotten quieter than normal since the incident, too. Sure, at the moment she was snickering at Jonouchi's outrage at losing—again—to Selena at Magic, but it didn't get past Selena that the taller girl was more thoughtful of late.

If I could get it out of her why.

That thought was blown out of her head as Jonouchi went from griping to grinning. "Bakura, hey!"

Selena turned, and sure enough there was Ryo. "Hey, welcome back. You're looking better. Got the bandage off?"

Bakura nodded, holding up his hand in answer. "Yeah, thanks." He replied. "You beat Jonouchi in Magic again?"

Selena grinned at the look on Jonouchi's face. "Yep. I can go against you sometime, if you like."

Ryo held up a hand. "No, thanks. I don't want to have my butt handed to me." He laughed.

Yugi was grinning too. "What's that?" He asked, pointing to the object Ryo had under his arm.

"Oh, right." As Selena and Jonouchi cleared the desk, he set the object down on the table. "It's a diorama I made, from our figurines. I also added a few…call it a memento from last week."

Like at that ill-fated game night, Selena was impressed. He's got a way with this stuff. She thought, admiring it. "Damn you're good. You sure you're not taking any art classes?"

Ryo laughed, running a hand through his hair, bashful. "No, I'm not, sorry." He said. "I guess I just have a talent with model-making…and no, that's not the psycho talking."

Selena held up a hand, smiling. "I believe you." She said, pointing to her right eye. She still hadn't fully explained the Demon Eye to Ryo yet…only that she was a little different.

Considering the situation they'd gotten through, it was an understatement.

As they settled into their chatter and laughing and joking, Selena pretended not to notice how Melhana stayed in the background of it all. She smiled and piped up some of her own teases—usually at the expense of Jonouchi or Honda—but for the most part was quiet. Thinking.

About something.

Selena pushed it to the back of her mind. The mystery of Melhana was for another day.

For now…they were just normal.

000

As they settled back into their joking and laughs, Melhana turned her focus to Ryo Bakura. She'd recognized his pendant, the Millennium Ring, and it's power. Ryo himself was nice enough, and the aura she picked up from him was benevolent. Innocent. He may be aware of the evil spirit—the Not-Bakura—but he wasn't of the same alignment.

That was reassuring.

As she smiled at one of Anzu's jokes about Jonouchi, Melhana fiddled with her pen. In Monster World, she'd seen a glimpse of that spirit. And she'd seen, and spoken to, the spirit within the Puzzle.

There was no doubting it; Yugi had solved the Millennium Puzzle. He was the Puzzle's heir.

Melhana…was the heir to the bloodline.

Originally she'd thought that someone in her line would solve it. But the Millennium Puzzle had been brought from Egypt decades ago, and apparently had cropped up in Japan…and then solved by a teenager. Who was now one of Melhana's classmates.

And, admittedly, she was considering him a friend.

Looking to Yugi and Ryo, Melhana couldn't help but wonder…did they have any idea what they were?

Or, what she was?

XXX

We survived Monster World. Just like we survived Death-T, and before that Shadi, and before him Hirutani…and since that, so much more. The mysteries Melhana hints to, and the countless others she has that we don't know about, bother me. She's nice enough, and seems to be fitting into our group as well as the rest of us, but there's something about her that I don't get. When she's around, my Eye tingles. It's not like it's warning me about something bad happening, more like it's…reacting. Similar to when I'm around the Puzzle, but at the same time different. She's got some sort of connection to it, even if it's not direct, but she knows something.

I can't help but get the feeling that Melhana isn't telling us everything about her, or her family.

Thank you so much to everybody who's followed and favorited and reviewed this story! I've got a few revisions to do for Act 2, which will result in it having fewer chapters than Act 1, but the trade-off will be (hopefully) longer chapters. And with any luck, we'll get to see more story involving Selena's Demon Eye.

I'm not going to give too much away, but I will say that Act 2 Selena's going to be spending some time away from the group. That means I won't be following the manga as exactly as I have...so the events Selena will be experiencing will be more along the lines of a "meanwhile" rather than her thoughts on what her friends are up to, as a lot of Act 1 has been.

Melhana's also taking a vacation; she'll pop up once or twice in Act 2, but we won't see her fully return to the story until Act 3...which will bring some story for her as well. But that's a while away.

Again, thanks to everyone who's found and stuck with this story! I appreciate all of you, I really do! And, hopefully, I'll have Act 2 ready to start in January. Until then, enjoy!