The Puzzle in the Puzzle

Chapter 5: A Final Challenge

            “Argh!!!” Marik dropped to his knees, he could take it no longer.  Even Bakura was starting to get a little perturbed.  The only person who seemed unaffected was Yami Marik.  And that was because he was doing his best to pretend none of them existed.

            It had been some time since their chase scene, and they were all getting rather tired of the whole ordeal.

            “This is the fifth time.” Yugi said wearily, sitting down.

            “I must admit, I am getting rather tired of this chamber.” Bakura sat down next to his friend.

            “Get up.” Yami Bakura ordered, “We have to keep moving.”

            “Are you so certain?” Shadi asked, “Perhaps the best thing to do is wait.”

            “Perhaps the best thing to do is drop you over a short ledge, but I haven’t done it yet, and I suggest you move before I do!” Yami Bakura snapped.

            Shadi blinked at him calmly.  “Very well.  Let us try that way.” He pointed to a distant door and walked toward it.  Wearily the others followed after him

***

            “We’ve been here before.” Yugi sighed.  The others looked up sharply, he was right, they had been here before.

            “But we veered left!” Marik insisted, “We saw the central chamber and moved away from it!”

            “Well, we aren’t in the central chamber now are we?” Yami Bakura snapped mockingly, “But we are still going in circles.”

            “I don’t understand.” Bakura shook his head.

            “Then keep quiet.” His yami said smartly.

            Bakura nearly rolled his eyes; the spirit wasn’t nearly as menacing as he had seemed before.  More bark than bite, at least – that was how it appeared to Bakura.

            “Why should he keep quiet?” Bakura blinked at Marik in surprise.  Was the Egyptian defending him?  “Why should any of us keep quiet?  It isn’t doing any good!” evidently not.  

            “Neither is yelling!” Yami Bakura yelled back.

            It was a miracle, really, that they hadn’t totally snapped earlier, after all –it had been a very stressful, and unusual day.  And considering their temperaments to begin with…

            “Then stop yelling!” Marik yelled even louder.

            “Both of you stop yelling!” Yami Marik couldn’t ignore them anymore, they were giving him a headache.

            “Guys please,” Bakura pleaded, but they either couldn’t hear him over the sound of their own voices, or were choosing to ignore him.

            “Why don’t you!?!” they both yelled.

            Soon they were speaking over top of one another, rehashing all of the day’s events until they finally returned to the subject of their earlier shadow duel.

            “You cannot even win a simple card game!”

            “I would not have lost had it not been for you!”

            “You are both fools, I could defeat you in a comma.”

            Yami Bakura’s eyes snapped with dark fire, “Say that again and I will banish you to the depths of the Shadow Realm!!!”

            “It is you who will be going to the Shadow Realm as I claim my place as ruler of the world!”

            “Not in my body!”

            “Alright that’s enough!” the passage fell dead silent at Yugi’s sudden outburst.  They were all shocked, and, truth be told, Yugi was a bit surprised himself.  But he was determined to hold his ground.

            He resisted the urge to thank them, knowing it would only remove what little respect his command had earned from them.  “We are never going to get anywhere fighting like this.  I know Yami can’t remember much, but this is his dwelling – I think it’s time we let him take the lead.”  The last bit came out in a rush, all in one breath, that left Yugi breathing hard.  Regaining his breath he swallowed, “okay, so,” he looked at Yami expectantly, “where to?”

            Yami had had to resist the urge to smile when his timid hikari took control of the group like that. <Well done Yugi> he inwardly cheered.  However, he wasn’t certain he agreed with Yugi’s decision.  Not that he lacked the courage to lead. It was in his very nature to lead, but tact was also a part of his nature. It was unlikely the other spirits, or Marik, would follow him willingly.  That was why he had chosen to remain relatively silent, only interceding when no other solution was forthcoming.  Wisely, he had chosen to be a mediator and enforcer rather than the speaker, the guide.  They had accepted his lead only because it had been so cleverly disguised that they had missed it.  

            How would they react now?

            He studied the faces of the two yamis and the sullen Egyptian teen carefully. They didn’t look happy, but neither had they offered protest.  Apparently they’d had enough of this senseless wandering.  They were ready to follow, to allow him a decision.  And he had the feeling it had better be the right one.

            They weren’t likely to listen to him more than once.

            He considered the last few hours, their struggles and choices, how they seemed to be going in circles.

            “We go back to the main chamber.” He stated firmly.

            Marik’s jaw dropped, “but-”

            Yami held up a hand, a clear command, and surprisingly the blond fell silent.  “Don’t you see,” Yami said earnestly, “every path we take leads us back there, and when we veer away we only end up traveling in circles.  Something or someone is trying to guide us, and we have been refusing that guidance.  The answer must lie there.”

            “But there’s nothing there!” Marik protested, looking to the other two yami’s for support.  They gave him none.  Actually, Yami Bakura had been leaning toward the Pharaoh’s side for some time now.  Each decision Yami made chipped away at the thief’s carefully built wall of hatred and added a bit of respect; though had he realized it he would likely have cut his own throat.  

            “Perhaps.” Yami agreed, “or perhaps we are missing something else, some other, vital, piece of the puzzle.”

            The others considered this for a moment and not one could think of an argument.

            “Then it’s off to the main chamber.” Yugi said brightly, relieved that the arguing had ceased.

            Yami Bakura, Yami Marik, and Marik let out low growls.  That boy was far too cheerful.

            “Now how do we get there?” Bakura asked quietly.

            “That would not seem to be an issue. We seem to have more trouble staying away from it than finding it.” Shadi reminded the teen.

            “Oh, yes.” Bakura’s cheeks tinged slightly in embarrassment, and he shied away from his yami’s incredulous look.  There he went asking stupid questions again.  Where was his brain today?  It seemed like nothing would stay in his head.  It worried him.

            “Well,” Yami Marik said emotionlessly, “which way?”

            Yami closed his eyes, considering the three doors carefully, allowing instinct rather than reason to be his guide.

            As he focused on the far door it seemed to flare in his mind.  He heard Yami Bakura draw an involuntary breath and turned to see the thief stagger a little. He turned toward the far door and then caught Yami Bakura’s gaze in question.  The other yami nodded silently.

            Yami had never thought he would take the advice of that soulless thief, but in the time they had spent here the man had earned some respect from him.  At the very least Yami respected his abilities, his senses, his instincts.  And, perhaps the fact that he had once witnessed Bakura use the ring to escape a maze added to his confidence in the spirit.

            “That door.” He pointed it out for the sake of the others and strode purposefully toward it.  Yami Bakura was already there, facing it.  Just as Yami would have passed him to enter he stuck an arm out, blocking him.  Yami gave him an inquisitive look, and without turning Yami Bakura shook his head.

            “I’ll go first. Just in case.”

            Yami nodded and took a step back allowing yami Bakura to enter the passage ahead of him.  The ancient thief was far better equipped to handle any traps than he.

***

            He knew they were going the right way, he could sense it, but even to Yami Bakura it seemed they were getting nowhere.             

            “I don’t understand, when we didn’t want to go to the main chamber that’s where we always ended up.  Now that we do want to go there, we can’t find it!” he grumbled, under his breath.

            He heard someone sigh behind him and had the sneaking suspicion it was his ‘host’.  They were all more than a little restless.  This passage seemed to never end.  And nothing seemed to happen here either.  As though to mock their caution this passage appeared to be the only one in the entire labyrinthine puzzle with no traps of any kind.

            He found himself almost disappointed.

            Suddenly he sensed a shift in the air, imperceptible to anyone else, but his senses were almost un-human.

            “Stop.” He hissed, holding out an arm to block the passage, just in case anyone failed to heed his warning.  The last thing he needed right now was for someone to get himself killed and then have Yami turn out to be right about them needing everyone.

            They all stopped, studying the passage ahead intently.

            Yami took a step closer to Yami Bakura, “What is it?” He asked in a low voice.

            “I’m not certain. But something is definitely ahead.”  He inched forward a few painstakingly slow steps.  Then he motioned for the others to follow.  Several yards down the passage Yami Bakura stopped.  

            “What are these?” Yugi reached a hand toward the opposite wall, it was dotted with what appeared to be random holes.

            “DOWN!” Yami Bakura hissed and they dropped to the floor.  From the holes, now above them, shot tiny darts.

            “Likely poison.” Yami Bakura stated calmly, “I trust you’ll be more cautious in the future.” He speared Yugi with a cold glance and the teen nodded, gulping.

            Yami Bakura stepped forward once more, carefully observing the walls, floor, and ceiling of the passage.

            “And here’s another.” He tapped a toe forward and quickly withdrew his leg.  Another barrage of darts shot past.

            The others stepped closer to him.  In this way they slowly progressed down the corridor until they reached a section lined with stone tablets with familiar carvings.

            “This appears to be similar the room Yugi and I were in once before.”

            Marik stared at the walls as they passed, “They’re duel monsters.” He observed, in awe.

            Yugi nodded, “Yeah, careful, they might be more real than you think.”

            Bakura had stopped and reached toward one, his yami quickly pushed his hand down.

            “Fool.” He snapped.  “You’ll wake them.”

            Bakura’s eyes widened and he quickly brought his hand back to his side.

            “It may already be too late.” Shadi said ominously, peering at a glowing tablet ahead of them.  “he has awakened.”

            “Who has awakened?” Marik asked.

            “The guardian of the pharaoh, the Dark Magician himself.”

            And as Shadi spoke the glow manifested itself in the form of the all powerful magician.  He stood, in fighting stance, blocking their way.       

            “Well, he’s in our way.” Yami Bakura took a step forward only to be pulled back by Shadi.

            “No, he is preparing to attack.”

            “No!” Yugi pushed his way to the front.  “Don’t attack us, we’re your friends!” he pleaded, “Don’t you remember me?  I was here once before.  I promise we won’t do anything!  We only want to leave!”  The Dark Magician studied him for a moment, hesitating.  His staff began to lower, then his gaze focused on Yami Marik and his staff raised again, his face set in determination.

            “Dark Magician!” Yami barked in command, “I command you to lower your staff.  We are not the enemy!”

            The Dark magician’s gaze darted to Yami and his eyes widened in recognition.  He looked in confusion between Yami and Yugi and then lowered his staff slowly.

            Yami’s gaze softened, “Thank you my friend.  Now, you must let us pass.”  

            The Magician studied them a few tense moments and then, with a solemn nod, disappeared back into the tablet.  The way was now clear.

***

            They were very near, they could all sense it, and the feeling was almost overwhelming.  The end of this nightmare was close at hand.  Turning a corner they could see the lights of the main chamber ahead.  But Yami Bakura was still cautious.  Most traps were laid near the treasure.  He carefully tested the floor before him and then took a tentative step.  Once he had determined that it was safe he motioned the others to join him.  They proceeded this way down almost the full length of the passageway.  And then something happened.

            In an instant a sickening crack was heard and the floor beneath them gave way. At the same time it seemed to buck, sending them upward and toward the center of the now gaping hole. Yami Marik was the first to fall and he managed to catch hold of the last bit of solid ground; desperately he clung to it with both hands, but any hope he had of pulling himself up died when he felt firm hands grip his ankles.  He looked down to see Yami dangling there.  Marik had caught hold of Yami almost immediately, out of reflex, and was clinging to the spirit’s knees.  Below him hung Shadi gripping one of Marik’s ankles with both hands.  The teen's other ankle was out of reach, as he had lifted one leg to steady himself. It was a difficult situation.

            But by far the most precarious of all was the position of Bakura and his yami.  Yami Bakura was clinging to one of Shadi’s ankles by a single hand.  With the other he grasped the pant leg of his now upside down host.  Somehow Bakura had fallen head first and, unable to catch hold of anyone or anything, would have continued into the abyss had not his yami grabbed him at the last minute.  Yami Bakura’s only thought, as he watched his host’s white hair sway, was <I checked that floor!  What happened?>

            Yugi was left alone in the passageway, pressed against the wall.  He had watched in horror as they all fell, but knew it would do little good to go after them.     

                        “No! Not when we’re so close!” Marik groaned.  He tightened his grip on Yami’s knees and scowled.  In his frustration he unwisely chose a scapegoat.  “This is all your fault tomb robber!  You said you checked this passageway!” He yelled.

            Yami Bakura growled, the collective stress of the day finally getting to him, “Thief,” he snarled, “I am a thief not a tomb robber! And I did check!”

            “Not well enough!” It was a good thing Yami Bakura couldn’t reach Marik, he might have killed him.

            “Now, now,” Bakura’s voice was laced with fear, he was getting dizzy from staring down into blackness, “I don’t think this is the time to be casting blame.”

            Marik snorted.

            “You’re all too heavy.” Yami Marik snapped, trying to readjust his hold on the ledge.  “Let go, at least that way I’ll survive.”

            “Oh, that’s a wonderful idea.” Marik agreed sarcastically.  “We should let the homicidal maniac live!  Over my dead body!”

            “That is my point.” His yami told him.  He began shaking his legs, kicking his feet.  Yami held tighter.

            “Don’t you dare.” He commanded.  His grip was vice-like, and, to prevent the loss of his legs, Yami Marik stopped.

            “Yugi, can you pull us up?” Yami called up to his partner.

            “I – I don’t think so.” Yugi stammered.

            “Please try!” Bakura pleaded, “I think the blood is rushing to my head.”

            Yugi’s spiky hair peeked out over the ledge, followed by his wide lavender eyes.  He looked down at his friend and then studied Yami Marik uncertainly.  “A-alright.” He gulped, “here goes.” He grabbed Yami Marik’s wrist and pulled.  Nothing happened.

            “Are you all crazy?!” the Egyptian snapped, “this child will never be able to support our weight!”

            “You have a better idea?” Yami Bakura snapped.

            “Yes.  You all LET GO!”

            “NO!!!!!!!!” their collective shout echoed off the walls and resonated down the endless pit of blackness before disappearing entirely.  When the last echo faded Shadi spoke.

            “He is correct though.  Yugi will never be able to pull us up.  Perhaps there is something I can do.”  Closing his eyes he began to chant.

            “What are you doing?” Marik yelled, “This isn’t the time for silly chanting!”

            “I am attempting to summon a monster.” Shadi said calmly.

            “No!!!” they all yelled once more. Both of their encounters with duel monsters in this place had been far from pleasant.  Shadi stopped chanting.

            “So, what do we do?” Bakura’s boldness came from a very real sense of urgency.  He didn’t know how much longer he could take this.

            Yami Bakura looked up at Yami, which wasn’t easy considering he had to hold Bakura and try to look around all of Shadi’s robes.  Why couldn’t the man just wear pants like normal people?

            “It’s your puzzle! Can’t you do something!?”  Yes, Yami Bakura had laughed at Marik for asking a similar question earlier, much earlier, but you have to understand, that had been much earlier.  He was exasperated, he was tired, and on top of that he was now trying to hold himself and his host up, and he was deathly afraid Bakura might fall. At this point his thinking was a little cloudy.

            Yami shook his head, “No.  But Yugi can do this.” Three snorts of derision were heard, though they were a little strained.  Yami ignored them, “Yugi, listen to me,” he called up in a deep steady voice, “you can do this.” His voice held an undercurrent of absolute faith and confidence.

            “H-how?” Yugi was really concerned for all of them, but he didn’t see what he could do.

            “Yugi, believe in yourself.”

            “Alright,” Yugi wrapped both hands around one of Yami Marik’s wrists and pulled as hard as he could, but nothing happened.  Yugi’s face fell, “I can’t,” he said weakly, “I’m just too small, too weak.”

            “No Yugi,” Yami said firmly, “You are thinking of yourself in physical terms, but this is not the physical world.  Here it isn’t your stature that is important, but your strength of mind.  And your mind is as strong as any of ours.  Believe.”

            “Okay!” Yugi’s voice held confidence now.  Yami was right; he might be small, but he had survived Shadow duels; his mind was strong.  Focusing on this he grabbed Yami Marik’s wrist once more and pulled.  Slowly, ever so slowly, the chain of people started to rise, faltered, and then began again.

            “I believe in you Yugi.” Yami said quietly.

            “I believe in you too!” Bakura called anxiously, he figured it couldn’t hurt.

            “We believe in you Yugi.” Shadi said quietly.  Then he yanked on Marik’s ankle.  The teen rolled his eyes, but, as he felt the pull falter, hastily spoke up.

            “I believe in you.” He couldn’t bring himself to say the boy’s name.

            Shadi looked down at Yami Bakura, “I believe already!” he snapped.

            They all looked expectantly at Yami Marik who scowled deeply, his lips tightly pressed together.  Yami tightened his grip on the spirit’s ankle momentarily.

            “Oh alright! I believe.” He said it with such disgust one had to wonder who he thought he was fooling, but it sufficed.

             Yugi, focusing on the task at hand, barely heard the others, but he could feel himself strengthen.  Slowly he pulled and eventually each man was pulled up onto solid ground.

            As they all lay catching their breath Yami came over to Yugi and clapped his shoulder, squeezing it lightly.  He smiled down at him.  “I knew you wouldn’t let us down.”

            Yugi laughed wearily, “Yeah.”

            “You IMBECILE!” Yami Bakura’s raised voice drew their attention.  He had risen to his feet and was towering over a shocked Bakura.  “Don’t you ever, EVER do anything like that again!”  He raised his hand as though to strike the teen, but didn’t.  Bakura flinched. “You could have been killed!” his yami shouted.

            Yugi blinked in surprise and Bakura just stared at the angry yami as though he’d lost his mind (the yami, not Bakura).

            “Your concern for him is touching,” Yami Marik mocked, earning himself a murderous glare from Yami Bakura and a look of utter shock fro Bakura, “But we need to get moving before one of you fools gets me killed.”  Two very distinct growls were heard at this statement, but the main chamber was beckoning, and the feeling that the answer lie just ahead was stronger than ever.

            “Then let’s go.” Yami said, setting out down the passage.  And this time he was very cautious.