The Puzzle in the Puzzle

Chapter 2: The Heart of the Matter

            It had taken quite some time for Shadi, Yami, and Yugi to explain it all to Bakura.  Especially since the other three kept interrupting.  Now they were silent, allowing Bakura to absorb it all.  Unfortunately the quiet gave Marik time to think about the fact that he was now seeking refuge in another item for the second time.  And it was all his yami's fault!

            Yugi watched nervously as Marik and his yami glared at one another.  Bakura was staring uncertainly at his own yami, who was glaring back at him.  Shadi stood to one side observing them all calmly.

            “Are you alright Bakura?” Yugi asked timidly, forcing his attention away from the Mariks.

            Bakura nodded numbly.

            “Okay,” Yugi swallowed, searching his mind for something to take their minds off the awkwardness caused by their previous conversation. “Hey,” he said uncertainly, turning to Shadi, “Uh, Shadi, I was wondering, what happens to your body while you’re in here?  I mean, you aren’t normal right?  You’ve been alive a long time.” He stopped, realizing he was rambling.

            Shadi focused on him intently, his eyes glazing strangely.

            “It… rests.” He said emotionlessly.

            “Oh…” Yugi looked away.  That hadn’t been a good choice.  He tried again, “Um, I was thinking… what are we going to call all of you?”

            All eyes turned to the small teen. He laughed nervously, “Well,” he swallowed once more, “There’s me, and Yami, and Shadi,” he pointed, “we’re okay.  But then there’s Bakura and Bakura – and Marik and Marik. Isn’t that a little confusing?”

            For a moment everyone just stared at him and Yugi shifted nervously.  It looked like he’d stuck his foot in his mouth again.  But this question really did need to be answered, especially if they were going to be here for a while.

            “Well,” Bakura came to Yugi’s rescue, “If they’re ancient Egyptians we don’t we just use their Egyptian names?  You know, the ones they had when they were alive.” He had expected agreement, or at least an angry outburst from one of the sullen yamis.  But he was met only with silence.  Yami Bakura’s eyes shifted away and he frowned.  Yami Marik closed his eyes completely and clenched a fist.  Yugi and Yami looked pained.

            Bakura looked around in confusion, “What’s wrong?”

            When it was clear neither of the other spirits was going to answer Yami cleared his throat, “They can’t remember,” he said quietly, “I cannot even remember my true name.  In fact, I remember very little about my mortal life.” True, Yami Bakura seemed to actually remember quite a bit about their past, but clearly that detail eluded even him.

            “Oh, that is a problem.” Bakura considered a moment, “Well, I suppose Marik and I, the mortal one,” he quickly added, “could go by our last names.”

            “Ryou and Ishtar?” Yugi asked.

            “Why do we have to use our last names?” Marik snapped (note: they will be referring to each other by the new designations, I will continue on as before, sorry if that confuses you).

            “Well, they don’t actually have last names.” Bakura explained apologetically.

            “They don’t have first names either.” Marik pointed out harshly.

            Bakura swallowed and smiled nervously, “Oh, right.”

            “Well, I think it’s a good idea.” Yugi said firmly.  Bakura smiled at him in gratitude.

            “It will do for now.” Yami agreed.  Yami Bakura nodded stonily, but Yami Marik growled. “That name is not worthy of me.” He said imperiously.

            The real Marik snorted, “Don’t you mean you are not worthy of it?”

            Both men growled.

            “Very well,” Yami interrupted, wishing to avoid another argument, “We will call him Marikue.  Will that do?”

            The two grudgingly agreed to this arrangement.

            “Great!” Yugi’s voice was overly cheerful as he tried to brighten the gloomy group.  “So, how do we get out of here?”

***     

            “I am certain the answer must lie within the puzzle itself.” Shadi’s quiet, calm voice broke the long silence.  It seemed like an eternity since Yugi had posed his question, and no answers had been forth coming.

            “As to how we came to be here,” the man continued, “I cannot say, but why – that I have a vague idea of.”

            “Really?” Yugi’s voice held a thread of hope.  If they could figure out how they got here it might help them get out.

            Shadi nodded solemnly, his gaze holding Yugi’s, “There is a grave imbalance of shadow powers.  I felt it just before I was brought here.”

            “Yugi and I felt it as well.” Yami confessed, “It was very strong.”

            “Is that what knocked us out?” Yugi asked.  Yami nodded.

            Shadi began to speak again, “I do not know what could have caused such an imbalance, but-”

            “I think I know.” Marik interrupted.  All eyes turned to him in shock.  Marik actually knew something?!

            “How could you possibly-” Yami Bakura started.

            Marik gave a laugh that was neither evil nor pleasurable, it was actually rather bleak and despondent.  “I can’t believe you haven’t figured it out yet.” Yami Bakura looked from Marik to Bakura to Yami Marik.  Yami Bakura's eyes widened.

            “No!” he breathed.

            “What is it?” Bakura asked.

            “The Shadow Duel-” Marik explained testily, “the one we were talking about earlier - and even before that.  He,” Marik paused, “Marikue” he spat the word as though it were distasteful, “Attempted to banish me to the Shadow Realm, but I used,” he paused again.  He didn’t want the pharaoh and his vessel to know that Tea was still under his control.  Though he doubted they could do anything to free her even if they returned to their normal lives he didn’t know what they could do to him in here.  “One of my servants,” he continued carefully, “to place myself into the ring.”

            Yami’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.  He didn’t like the sound of that, but he let it pass.

            “That in and of itself may have been the cause.  The ring was not intended to house three souls,” Shadi remarked, “Nor was the rod meant to be wielded by one alone.” He focused his gaze on Yami Marik.  Never mind the fact that the rod actually belonged to Seto Kaiba and Seth.  When Yami Marik had taken it all that had changed.

            Marik snorted unhappily, “There is more.”  He continued, “We were in a Shadow duel where the loser’s body disappeared.  Bakura – we,” he quickly amended, seeing the thief’s murderous look, “lost, and Bakura’s body ceased to be.”

            “Ceased to be.” Bakura echoed.  They had said something about that earlier, but he had been too confused to notice.  “Forever?” he asked weakly.

            Marik ignored him.  “Bakura has explained how that sent the three of us here, similar to the way I sent myself to the ring when I was banished from my own body.”

            “But why the rest of us?” Yugi asked, glancing nervously at Yami Marik.  The spirit wasn’t saying much.  He was leaning on the wall, his arms crossed casually as though this, and they, didn’t matter.

            “We may have been drawn,” Shadi mused.  The others clearly didn’t understand.  “Like things often attract one another... molecules... science.” He tried to explain.  “Shadow magic is much the same.”

            They just stared at him.  What was he talking about?  A light went on in Yugi’s head, “You mean like siphoning?” he asked, “like how the water molecules stick together and that, coupled with the pressure, allows it to be pulled upward once a flow has begun.”

            Now Bakura was remembering his science classes, “or like when you draw a trail from a drop of water.” He said brightly.

            “Yes, something like that.” Shadi agreed, “however, the puzzle was not meant to support shadow powers of this magnitude.”

            “Meaning?” Bakura asked uneasily.

            Shadi drew in a breath, “I am uncertain how long the puzzle can sustain us all.”

            Yugi gulped.

            Yami placed a hand on the teen’s shoulder, “Then we had better begin our search.” He said calmly.