Disclaimer: I don’t own Yu-Gi-Oh! The woman in chapter two is mine and the digital concept of Monster World is inspired by the digital game app Duel Links. This story takes place after the movie, Dark Side of Dimensions.
Chapter One- I Know
Ryou tapped a finger on the desk as he re-read the rules he had written for his latest tabletop game. Graduation had occurred a week ago and he was in full swing on his future plans. Plans that hadn’t included his yami, Bakura, still being around.
Ryou didn’t remember flying to Egypt two years ago and suspected that Bakura had taken over and went to Egypt. The reason for it made sense even if Ryou didn’t like Bakura’s goal of ruling the world at the cost of destroying the present world by changing the ancient past.
The Ceremonial Duel between Atem and Yugi was an epic one and resulted in allowing both Atem and Bakura to live again and in their own bodies. This was a good and bad thing for Ryou. The good thing was that he was no longer sharing his body with a spirit. The bad thing…well there was more than one bad thing. Bakura was still a thief, so Ryou had to constantly beg him not to steal as the police may arrest Ryou as he and Bakura look very much alike. Bakura heeded to Ryou’s pleas…most of the time. Bakura would successfully steal something and then assure Ryou that no one saw him.
The other bad thing was Bakura constantly telling Ryou to be more confident or to grow a spine. Ryou didn’t like hearing these comments though he knew them to be true. He did need to be more confident, especially if he intended to market his games. He knew Yugi would be happy to sell them but to have them produced in large numbers, he needed a company to be willing to invest money and interest in him. He hoped he would be able to convince Kaiba.
He made a small correction in one of the rules, read the rest of them, and nodded. The rules were good and then turned to the building of the pieces of the game. He had just gathered the materials when he heard Bakura call his name in a singsong manner that surely meant nothing good for him.
“Uh, yeah?” he asked when Bakura appeared at his door.
“I set up a meeting with Kaiba for you.”
Ryou blinked. “You did? When?”
“Four o’clock today. So, you better have all your papers together.”
“I will. Bakura, how did you convince Kaiba to meet with me?”
“I didn’t threaten him if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“No, no. Of course not,” he said quickly so as to avoid an argument.
Bakura narrowed his eyes. “Are you trying to avoid an argument?”
“Uh…no,” Ryou said not sounding very convincing.
“Ryou, you need to grow a spine. Arguments will occur in the real world, and you need to deal with them instead of avoiding them.”
“I know,” Ryou sighed. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Bakura left, rolling his eyes. Ryou always says he’ll see what he can do, but he never does. He’ll never make it in the real world if he doesn’t stand up for himself. Hopefully, the meeting with Kaiba will give him an idea of what he needs to do to survive in the world.
Ryou sat before Kaiba’s desk, a folder of his papers in front of him. “Thank you for seeing me, Mr. Kaiba,” he said, feeling a formal tone was the way to go as this was a meeting.
“Bakura was quite persuasive, but the truth is that I am looking into giving classic games a digital upgrade or designing new pieces. I’m thinking of creating chess pieces using Duel Monsters character, for example.”
“I see. May I assume that the king is a Blue-Eyes monster?”
Kaiba smirked. “Naturally. I believe my Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon would be best. Of course, the original Blue-Eyes would also make a good king piece.
“Now, you have papers to show me concerning your tabletop games.”
“Yes.” Ryou pushed the folder to Kaiba who opened it and began to read the papers quickly before looking at Ryou. “You’re quite creative in coming up with lands, characters, and rules.”
“Thank you.”
“There’s potential here to produce it as a digital world. Yes, great potential.” Kaiba nodded to himself as he perused the papers again.
“Uh,” Ryou said softly. “Actually, I was thinking of selling the games as a physical product.”
Kaiba looked up to fix Ryou with a cold stare. “Kaiba Corp is dedicated to introducing games using cutting-edge technology. Believe me when I say that a digital version would be best. You would get a larger audience on a global scale.”
Ryou wanted to have physical versions of his games, but by the same token, Kaiba’s idea made sense. “Well…if you think that’s best…”
Kaiba continued with his cold stare. “Ryou, you need to stand up for yourself. Do you think I would have gotten where I am if I didn’t speak my mind?”
“No. I don’t believe you would have. I know I have a problem speaking up, but I’m trying to work on it.”
“See that you do. I’m going to make copies of your papers and give the originals back to you. Wait here.” Kaiba left before Ryou could respond.
Ryou left fifteen minutes later, lost in thought. He really wanted to sell physical versions of his games but couldn’t work up the nerve to say so. I wish I could stand up for myself. There is almost nothing I wouldn’t pay for that.
“Hi, Ryou,” Yugi greeted as the white-haired boy entered the empty shop. Grandpa and Atem were busy in the house.
“Hi Yugi.”
Yugi took in his friend’s posture and felt something was wrong. “Ryou, is something wrong?”
“Kind of. Bakura set up a meeting with Kaiba for me to discuss the possibility of producing my games only he sees them as digital games instead of physical. I wanted to tell him I prefer the physical ones, but I didn’t.”
“Ryou, these are your games. You do have a say in them.”
“I know,” Ryou moaned. “I just don’t have the confidence that you or our friends have.”
“I didn’t have quite the confidence I do now if it wasn’t for Atem and our friends,” Yugi admitted.
Ryou smiled a little. “Bakura is not as supportive as Atem, and I could spend more time with our friends.”
“How about tonight?” Atem spoke up as he entered. “All of us are going to a traveling carnival in that empty field on the other side of the park.”
“A carnival? Well, sure. I’ll come. Sounds like fun.”
“Good. Oh, Bakura’s invited too if he’s interested.”
“I’ll tell him. See you tonight.” Ryou left the shop, looking forward to a night of fun and not thinking about his work or the comments of him not being confident or lacking the courage to stand up for himself. He would just be a normal teenager.
“A carnival,” Bakura said when Ryou got home and told him. “That does sound like fun. Nice of the pharaoh to invite me.”
“It was,” Ryou agreed as he set his papers in his room before fixing a light dinner for them and then they headed out for the night.
Chapter Two- Solution
The carnival was in full swing by the time the gang arrived. The lights, sounds, and people around them brought a smile to Ryou’s face. I definitely needed this. The gang walked through the carnival, splitting off when something attracted his or her attention. Joey and Tristan gravitated toward a variety of food booths, Yugi and Atem for the carnival games, and Bakura simply disappeared into the crowd. This left Ryou with Tea. “So, Tea,” he said. “Anything you like at carnivals?”
“Usually the rides, but this carnival has an arts and crafts section.”
“Really? Then, let’s check it out.” The pair weaved through the crowd as they looked for booths that displayed arts and crafts in a variety of categories. Tea was drawn to the jewelry while Ryou observed the sculptures and figurines both giving him ideas for new characters, and he made mental notes so he could write them down later.
“Hello, young man,” said a voice and he looked over to see a woman at the next booth wearing the typical garb of a gypsy. Her open face and smile immediately put him at ease. “Hello,” he replied as he took the seat in front of her booth. “I’m Ryou.” He held out his hand to shake.
Instead, the woman turned his hand palm up, held it in her left hand, and ran her right fingers over it. Ryou, knowing what she was doing, did not pull away.
“Hmm, a very long lifeline. Oh, yes. You are blessed to live for a very long time.”
“Uh, glad to hear it.”
“Ah, but here is an interesting intersection of lines. Yes, you are shy and loathe confrontation, yet you long to be confident so you can stand up for yourself.”
“Yes,” Ryou said, surprised that she was able to determine that just by reading his palm. “Yes, I do.”
She released his hand and reached under the booth. “I believe I have the talisman to help you achieve your desire, but it carries a price most people wouldn’t want to pay.” She put on the booth’s surface a beautiful piece of jewelry. It was a leather cord and hanging from it was leather oval that was studded with two different gems in a pattern that seemed magical. “It’s lovely,” he breathed.
“Thank you. The moonstone and red jasper are just two of several gemstones said to bestow confident on the owner and these two work especially well together for confidence.”
“You spoke of a price.”
“Ah, yes,” the woman sighed. “Well, while one would gain confidence almost immediately, the full moon would turn one into a werewolf.”
“A werewolf?” he whispered in horror.
“Yes, but it is not as bad as it sounds.”
“I would think becoming a monster would be a bad thing.”
“Now, see, you would only become a danger if you became angry. You would then transform and attack the cause of your anger.”
“I don’t become angry very often.”
“Then, that is nothing to worry about. You will be self-aware every night and whenever you wish to change. The full moon allows you to move on two legs or four. The other times would be on four legs.”
“I would be a wolf every night?”
“Unless you wear something silver to prevent the change.” She smiled gently. “Your lifeline indicates that werewolf is your destiny as you would be immortal.”
“Immortal?” Ryou repeated, interested.
“Indeed. You will never age and be impossible to kill. Only a silver bullet or stake to the heart will kill you.”
“How…much do you want for it?”
“For you? Nothing; as I said, werewolf is your destiny. Once you put it on, it will go inside you and start working on your DNA to add the wolf to it.”
Ryou licked his lips as he picked up the talisman. It would give him the confidence he desired, but it would also make him a werewolf. He would change every night and whenever he wanted. He would only be a monster when he became angry. The full moon would give him a two-legged form and he would be self-aware all the time. I would also be immortal once the full moon comes. He slipped it on under his shirt and then gasped slightly as the talisman glowed and sank into his body.
“It is done,” the woman said. “By tomorrow morning, you will be surer of yourself.”
“Ryou!” came Tea’s voice.
“I’m coming,” he called back before looking at the woman. “Thank you for your help.”
“My pleasure,” she said before Ryou raced off to rejoin his friend.
“Hey, Ryou. You find anything?” Tea asked as he came up to her.
“I saw sculptures and figurines that gave me some ideas for more characters.”
“That’s great.”
“Thanks. So, you ready to fulfill your dream?”
“Absolutely. About another week and I’ll be ready to go.”
“We’ll miss you, though.”
“And I’ll miss all of you.”
“Even Bakura?”
“Yeah, even Bakura.” Tea laughed.
“You’ll miss me?” drawled Bakura as he came up to them. “I’m touched.”
“Save it,” Tea snapped as she turned to face him.
“I thought you would miss me.”
“I haven’t left the country yet. I can’t miss you before that.”
“Of course you can’t.”
“Bakura, please stop,” Ryou requested.
“Sure. I’ve had my fun.”
Ryou rolled his eyes once Bakura wasn’t looking. There were times when the thief and tomb robber tried to be nice, but his personality tended to cause his sentiments to get mangled and come out as a mocking comment. Ryou was sure that Bakura was truly touched that Tea would miss him, but of course he would never admit to feeling that way.
Tea, Bakura, and Ryou met up with the others. Joey and Tristan looked as if they had too much in as they looked as if they might be sick. Yugi and Atem were happy and relaxed, the former holding a large stuffed animal he had won. They spoke of the games they played as the gang left the carnival and Yugi described his win in greater detail. Bakura revealed that he had watched people playing games, sampled some food, and went on some rides. He swore he stole nothing and proved it by turning out his pockets.
Tea spoke of the jewelry but hadn’t bought any as she said she would need her money while in America.
“You find anything, Ryou?” Yugi asked.
“I saw statues and figurines that gave me inspiration for characters in future games. Oh, and I had my palm read. The lady said I have long lifeline.”
“That’s great,” Tea said.
Ryou did not mention why he was told this as his friends would think he was crazy to accept a talisman that would turn him into a werewolf. Ryou accepted it as he was desperate for confidence and being immortal sounded wonderful. Of course, that won’t happen until the full moon…which is tomorrow night! Ryou’s heart pounded at how close he was to becoming a full-fledged werewolf and he could hardly wait.
Chapter Three- Confident
Ryou awoke the next morning, feeling excited and nervous, the latter more than the former. Tonight, he would officially become a werewolf and, as it was the full moon, he would be a two-legged wolf who would also move on four legs. Plus, he would be self-aware. The nervous feeling was born of him wondering if it would hurt to change.
Ryou then felt his nervousness evaporate. Yes, it could hurt for the first time, but I’ll be all right. I can hardly wait to become a werewolf. I’ll have sharper senses to explore and how to move as a wolf. I wonder what I’ll look like. Ryou felt so sure of himself and his upcoming transformation, and he knew it was the talisman that was boosting his confidence and he loved how good it felt. He hopped out of bed and started to get ready for the day.
“Morning, Bakura,” Ryou greeted when he exited his room and saw the thief lounging on the couch.
Bakura blinked at the greeting. Ryou doesn’t usually talk to him with that level of happiness. “Uh, morning,” he said.
Ryou laughed at Bakura’s reaction. “Not used to seeing me like this, right?”
“Right. You must have had a good night’s sleep.”
“I must have. I’m thinking of calling Kaiba to follow-up on yesterday’s meeting.”
“You didn’t tell me what happened at that meeting.”
“Oh, yeah, I didn’t. Well, Kaiba saw potential for my games only he saw them as digital versions. I tried to tell him that I’d prefer having physical versions, but he practically railroaded me.”
“Well, of course he did. You don’t assert yourself.”
“Yes, and that’s why I’m going to insist on a follow-up and tell him I want physical versions of my game. Kaiba can produce the digital ones as there is potential there.”
“You’ll insist? Wow, that’s a strong word for you.”
“I know, but maybe all those remainders are finally getting through to me. So, I’m making that call.” Ryou headed to the phone and was reaching for it when it rang. Ryou did not hesitate as he answered it. “Hello?”
“Ryou, perfect,” came Kaiba’s voice.
“Kaiba. I was about to call you.”
“Were you? I assume you were thinking about the meeting?”
“Yes, and I’d like a follow-up meeting.”
“As do I. I insist you come during lunch hour. We can eat while we discuss our partnership.”
“I’ll be there. See you then.” Ryou hung up and he turned to see Bakura with an amused smirk. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. I just heard you sound so certain and decisive. I love hearing and seeing you take charge.”
“Kaiba called. I just agreed to meet with him during lunch hour.”
“Yes, but you sounded certain when agreeing.”
“I did and I really like how good it makes me feel.” Ryou was aware that he wasn’t telling Bakura the truth about last night but he wasn’t too bothered by it. Bakura would probably want to be a werewolf too, but I will not allow it. He would use this gift to terrorize the people and to steal with impunity. No, I will not tell him. No one needs to know.
A few hours later, Ryou had a sense of déjà vu. Once again he sat across from Kaiba, but this time each man had a delicious lunch in front of him. Kaiba’s copies of Ryou’s papers rested to the brunette’s right.
“I appreciate you taking your lunch hour to talk to me,” Ryou said while Kaiba a bite of a deli pickle.
“I insisted on this meeting,” Kaiba stressed once he had swallowed his bite. “I did not have to do this.”
“Of course.” Ryou took a bite to gather his thoughts. He was not nervous as he knew what he wanted to say and had the courage to say it.
Kaiba perused the papers. “I find your game of Monster World has the most potential to be successful on the digital and global stage.”
“I won’t disagree with that assessment, but I still believe that physical versions would benefit your company and me.”
“I told you yesterday-,”
“Yes, I heard you,” Ryou cut in. “But, you weren’t listening to me. The game Monster World has several different board configurations which can be sold as individual pieces so those seeking certain board will buy multiple packs to find it. Furthermore, players could play in tournaments or casual play using their own personal boards to build a new world together or trade board pieces.”
Kaiba had leaned back as Ryou talked, his fingers pressed together. He then nodded slowly and thoughtfully. “Yes, the game does build on what a player has. One can’t be limited in terms of race and class of their character, however, the different battle board options are virtually limitless and Kaiba Corp alone would provide the supply.”
Ryou beamed as Kaiba and he laid out the contract and terms that would make the two of them partners in creating digital and physical versions of Ryou’s games. Ryou pointed out that Monster World wasn’t exactly his own creation but Kaiba waved a hand at this. “I’ve already spoken to the creator and bought the rights. Monster World and all of its creations belong to Kaiba Corp with the exception of what you bring to it, of course.”
“Oh. Cool. So, how would players get more money in the digital version?”
“Well, leveling up is one way. I was thinking of creating special events where players could earn money and other prizes from it.”
Ryou’s eyes lit up. “That sounds like fun. May I bring any concepts to you if I come up with some?”
“Please do. My company will handle the production of the events and the updates of the game as needed. You and I are creating the next level of Monster World alongside the classic version veteran players know so well.”
“This is very exciting,” Ryou commented as he stood and Kaiba did the same.
“I’m pleased that you think so. I will say that I am impressed with how you stood up to me today. It seems what I said yesterday brought your confidence to the surface.”
“Your words as well as Bakura’s. I also spent a long while yesterday thinking and telling myself that even if my words anger people, I should not back down, especially if I’m right.”
“Exactly. You’re being confident and voicing your opinion. I like it.”
“And I feel great about it.”
Kaiba glanced at his watch. “Lunch hour is over, Ryou. I need to get back to work.”
“Okay. Thanks again for having me.”
“My pleasure.”
Ryou left, feeling his confidence growing. He attributed the feeling to the talisman inside him. I must have always been confident. I just needed something to bring it out and the talisman’s done that.
Of course, it comes at a price. I will become an immortal werewolf. Tonight is the full moon which will unlock all of the aspects of a werewolf. I will become a self-aware wolf who can move on two and four legs. Hmm…I think I’ll lock my door and try to minimize my cries of pain as it will hurt. Still, I look forward to it.
Chapter Four- Full Moon
Ryou piled his sub with mostly meat but paired it with cheese, vegetables, and condiments before cutting it in half. Bakura watched this with a raised eyebrow. “Craving meat, are we?” he quipped.
“Uh-huh,” Ryou answered. He was aware of the unusual amount on his sandwich and why; as wolves were carnivores, so was he as a werewolf. He had already smuggled meat and water into his room as he suspected that he would be hungry after his change. He suppressed a shiver of excitement at tonight’s events.
“Kaiba agreed to both versions of the games, huh?” Bakura asked as he built his sub.
Ryou swallowed a mouthful of meat before saying, “Once I had pointed out the benefits, yes. He told me he had bought the rights to Monster World and intends it to be the first one to be released.”
“Monster World, huh? Oh, that brings back such memories.” Bakura smirked while Ryou rolled his eyes. Both of them would never forget that: Bakura sealing his friends’ souls in their figurines and Ryou fighting Bakura so he could join his friends in defeating Bakura and returning their souls to their bodies.
“Yes, well,” Ryou said. “You can’t seal anyone anymore so if Yugi and the others want to play with me again, it’ll be more enjoyable.”
Bakura said nothing for a moment before saying, “Would you be the Dark Master or one of the adventurers?”
Ryou considered the question. “Both options are fun…I think I would be one of the adventurers. A lot more options one can take.”
“Fine with me. I’d rather be the Dark Master.”
“Of course you would.” Ryou finished his dinner and headed for his room, closing and locking the door.
Ryou put on a set of pajamas that was old, but wearable. He wasn’t sure if his clothes would meld with his skin or be destroyed; if it was the latter then it was fine if he lost this set of pajamas. He peered behind the curtains to see the sun go down completely and stepped back.
He then doubled over and moaned softly as he felt a burning in his stomach. He felt an itching in his fingers and lifted them to see sharp claws growing out of them and pads developing on his palms. He then noticed his clothes had faded away and his arms were covered in white fur.
He felt his legs crunch and pop and his heels rose up while his feet formed paws. He had grown taller and bigger with his legs and overall muscle and bone growth. He gave a low grunt as an abrupt pain occurred in his tailbone and craned his neck to see a full white tail.
A full coat of white fur spread across his body before his nose and mouth formed a muzzle and his ears became wolf ears. His brown eyes turned gold and intense before a sense of strength and a warm feeling washed over him.
He panted a little as he began to recover from his change. He slowly rose to his full height and lifted his furry, clawed hands to his eyes. He examined the fronts and the backs before flexing his fingers. A wolf’s grin curled his muzzle.
“Nice,” he said, teeth clicking. He ran his hands over his muzzle, nose, and chin. He then planted his hands on the floor so that he stood on four legs comfortably. He paced the room, delighting in his swift, quick movement and feeling his muscles ripple as he paced.
He sat back on his legs, curled his tail to one side, and ran a hand over it. It was soft, full, and strong. The end twitched and he grinned at it. Oh, I love my tail! Okay, I’ve learned to move my legs, so now I’m ready to explore my senses. I know that dogs have sharp senses and since they’re related to wolves, it makes sense. So, as a werewolf, I should have sharp senses too. However, knowing that and experiencing it are two very different things.
He closed his eyes, lifted his nose, and breathed in. He took in the smells he usually noticed and then the ones he never smelled before came to him. He focused on the latter scents to identify them. The scent of the floor polish he had used two days ago was detectable to him but this morning it hadn’t been so. He rose to his legs and moved two-legged to the door, using only his nose as his eyes were still closed. He sniffed as a scent went by his door and his ears heard footsteps that were quick and light but audible to him.
That’s Bakura. Hmm, his scent brings to mind musty tombs and he was moving with the stealth of a thief, but my ears heard him walking. Bakura would never be able to sneak up on him again. My nose and ears are definitely sharper. Now for the eyes.
Ryou opened his eyes and shut off his light before turning and his muzzle parted in amazement. His room was still visible! Normally, his room would be pitch-black but his wolf eyes changed that.
The visual acuity he had gained was put aside when he felt his stomach growl as well as heard it. He chuckled softly. He had been correct in having food and drink set aside. He had burned calories and energy during his change and he needed to replenish them. He loped over on all fours to the meat before sitting on his back legs, picked up a piece of meat, and proceeded to eat it, his teeth cutting it easily and the taste of juice and meat filled his mouth. He licked his chops as he ate his piece and drank some water from a jug, taking advantage of having hands to hold his food and water.
I will have paws on non-full moon nights unless I wear silver. I’ll take a look at my jewelry to see what kind of silver I have. Once the full moon is over, I’ll wear it to keep from changing every night. I won’t wear silver all the time; for all I know wearing silver too much could cause a side effect.
Once Ryou had finished eating for the time being, he then came up against the problem of hiding his condition. He couldn’t walk around his apartment and have to sneak to the bathroom when he needed it. He chuckled a little; he had pads on his hands and feet which would give him an element of stealth to his approach. But that did not dismiss the fact that he could not walk around his home if he wished to hide that he was a werewolf.
I have to hide it. If Bakura knew, he would want me to bite him. I’m sure the bite only works on the full moon as that is the crux of being a werewolf. He, as arrogant as this sounds, doesn’t deserve to be bitten. He would be the bad werewolf that comes to peoples’ minds. He would terrorize people and bite on the full moon. Ryou pondered his situation for a time and considered telling Bakura about the talisman and what he was now. He could tell him that he will not bite him, no matter what. He nodded to himself. Yeah, I’ll tell him and make it clear that I will not bite him, period.
Ryou then thought of his friends and felt shame wash over him. He did not tell them exactly what had happened last night. Instead, he had told a partial truth. He shouldn’t keep a secret like this from them, but this was a secret that would generate different reactions: Fear, sympathy, and horror. Yes, those would be the reactions his friends would have.
Bakura would have different reactions. He would envy me and be jealous as well. He would be angry when I refuse to make him a werewolf. I willingly paid to be a werewolf in order to be more confident and that’s exactly what I became. Ryou yawned, chose to curl up on the floor due to his claws and not wanting to rip his bed and bedding, and slipped off to sleep, feeling content now.
Chapter Five- Anger
Ryou woke up to his human form and Bakura still asleep. He quickly dressed and headed to the kitchen to put one steak back in the fridge and choosing to cook a second one along with some eggs for breakfast. He thought of how to broach the subject of him being a werewolf as he cooked and ate his food. Honestly, bringing it up is not that hard. I just have to mention the carnival. At that point, he heard the key turn in the lock and the door opening. He tensed until he heard Bakura enter and chuckle to himself which made Ryou realize that Bakura hadn’t been asleep: He had been out and about. “Oh, that was perfect,” Bakura said to himself which Ryou heard due to his sharp hearing.
“What was perfect?” Ryou asked, coming into the living room where Bakura had gone. “And when did you get up?”
“I got up with the dawn,” he answered with a grin. “And I had a wonderful time.”
“What did you do?” Ryou asked with concern.
“Really? You have to ask?”
Ryou moaned. “Bakura! You know how I feel about you stealing! What if you’re noticed and I get arrested for your crimes?”
Bakura scoffed. “As if some modern mortal would ever notice me.”
“Someone might,” Ryou snapped.
“Perhaps.” Bakura gave a shrug. “If you were arrested, it wouldn’t bother me.”
Ryou gaped at the response. “You wouldn’t care? Do you have any idea what an arrest would do to my life? It would be impossible to get a job or for anyone to want to work with me because I would have a criminal record!”
“Oh, Ryou,” Bakura laughed. “Don’t exaggerate.”
“Exaggerate!” Ryou exclaimed, feeling himself getting angry at Bakura’s disregard for Ryou’s future. He growled as his eyes turned red and glowing before he shifted forms and slowly advanced on his yami, teeth bared and a desire to attack filled his mind.
“Ry…ou?” Bakura said faintly as he slowly backed away from the white wolf that had taken the boy’s place. Ryou growled and snarled as he unsheathed his claws. Bakura turned, dashed, to his room, slammed the door, locked it, and slid his dresser and chair in front of it. His heart pounded as Ryou snarled and the sound of ramming was heard.
“Ryou?” he called out. “Look, I’m sorry for what I said. I really do care about you and I wouldn’t really want to ruin your life! Please, believe me!”
There was a growl before a gravelly, angry voice said, “I can smell your fear. It makes me want to attack you.” Another ram sounded.
“Is that really what you want to do?” Bakura asked, mastering his fear. “Calm down and think about it. If you attack and, say, kill me, you may not be able to live with yourself even if you’re not arrested for it.”
“I…don’t want to kill you,” Ryou said, sounding horrified and normal. Bakura heard a whine and the faint sound of clicking claws that grew fainter which meant Ryou had walked away. Bakura moved his dresser and chair back to where they had been, unlocked his door, and opened it to see no one. He ventured around and found Ryou in the living room on the couch, human again, and his head bowed.
“Ryou?” Bakura asked as he sat beside him.
Ryou lifted his head, contrition in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he whispered hoarsely. “I was so angry, I couldn’t control it.”
“Right,” Bakura said slowly. “Maybe you could explain how you became a werewolf.”
“The carnival. I was at a booth run by a gypsy. She did read my palm. She did speak of a long lifeline and then saw an intersection of lines that said I was shy and longed to be more confident and stand up for myself.
“She offered me a talisman. It was a leather oval embedded with red jaspers and moonstones and said it would make me confident with the price being a werewolf.”
“Red jasper and moonstone. The two gems that promote confidence and associated with werewolves as well,” Bakura said. “Clearly you change when angry.”
Ryou nodded. “And I wanted to attack the source of that anger. I…didn’t think I would actually be angry. I usually don’t.”
“True.” Bakura paused. “You do change during the full moon, right?”
Ryou nodded. “I’m a wolf with clawed hands who can walk on two legs or four. I am self-aware so I’m not dangerous except when angry.
“I’ll become a four-legged wolf the other nights. Only the wearing of silver can I prevent those changes. Oh, I can change when I want. Plus, I’m…immortal.” He whispered the last word.
But Bakura heard it. “Immortal?” he said with interest.
“Yes. I won’t age and be impossible to kill. No, I won’t bite you,” he said, seeing the look of interest and desire in Bakura’s eyes.
“Oh, come on,” he pleaded.
“No.”
“Why not?”
Ryou shot him an incredulous look. “Seriously? Surely, you know why not.”
Bakura was silent for a moment before saying ruefully, “Because I would abuse it by stealing as a wolf and terrorizing people. Yeah, you have a point and are right to refuse.”
“I know you well enough to know how you think. Bakura, why do you continue to steal?”
“Well, that’s what I did in Egypt. I got a thrill in taking what I wanted without paying for it and avoiding capture each time. I knew the fate that awaited me if I was caught and did my best to avoid it. I…don’t know anything else.”
“Because you didn’t try. If you tried something, you might find that you like it.”
“Maybe…I could help you with your tabletop games?” he suggested. “I share an attention to detail, just as you do.”
“Yes,” Ryou admitted. “You do have an attention to detail. I imagine such a talent is also useful in stealing.”
Bakura nodded at this. “Especially in this era with all its security cameras…oh.” His voice trailed off. “Oh, Ryou,” he said softly. “Now I get it. I could have been spotted on camera. You were right to insist I stop stealing.”
Ryou exhaled in relief. “I’m glad you finally understand. So, you’ll stop?”
“I’ll stop, but it won’t be an immediate thing. I will make a big effort, though.”
“That is all I ask.” Ryou stood and stretched. “I’m going to see if I have any silver jewelry I can wear to stop my non-full moon changes.”
“You don’t have any. Believe me, I’ve looked.”
“Oh.” Ryou bit his lip.
Bakura smirked. “I, however, do have some silver. None of it was stolen,” he said hastily. “I either bought it or received it in the mail from the Ishtars.”
“Okay. Well, what would you recommend?”
“There’s a thin but sturdy silver necklace Ishizu sent me. I think that would be perfect. You can keep it seeing as you’ll need it and you’re immortal.”
“Thanks, Bakura.” Ryou hugged him.
“No problem. So, you going to tell our friends?”
“Yes. I should not hide it. They deserve to know but I’ll wait until after the full moon.”
Chapter Six- Admittance
Ryou put the chain around his neck and nodded in approval at his reflection. The silver went well with his clothes which, now that he thought of it, silver pretty much went with anything.
Bakura stood in the doorway with a satisfied smirk. He had gotten to see Ryou’s wolf form the last two nights and was properly impressed. His friend stood taller and larger than in his four-legged form. He made use of his hands to hold his meat and could manage to drink his water with his muzzle. The silence with which Ryou moved made Bakura jealous as he knew he could put it to good use. He spoke of it and Ryou reminded him that he said he would make an effort to not steal anymore.
Now the full moon was over and Ryou would become a four-legged wolf every night unless he wore silver. “Ryou, you’re going to want meat like you did the last three days?”
Ryou shook his head. “The intense craving only hits during the full moon, but I will eat meat as usual.”
“I see. That’s good as we don’t want our friends to see you acting and doing unusual things before telling them about your new condition.”
“Condition?” Ryou repeated as they left his room and the apartment. “Bakura, you make it sound like I have a disease.”
“It kind of is,” Bakura said quietly. “It’s called Lycanthropy. Yes, it refers to people who think they turned into wolves, but you do turn into a wolf.”
“Okay. Yeah, it is a disease but one I can manage easily.”
“You certainly can and I will help if you need it.”
“If I need it, but I don’t think it’ll be necessary.”
“Ryou, I understand that you’re impossible to kill…”
“Except for a silver bullet or stake to the heart.”
“But are you immune to injuries? Cuts, bruises, abrasions, things like that?”
“I…don’t know. The woman didn’t say and I didn’t think to ask.”
“We could find out before we see the others. I have a switchblade in my pocket and we could buy some band-aids and tissues and test with a minor cut on your arm.”
“Well…okay. The sooner I learn about this, the better.”
“Good.” Bakura pulled Ryou into a drug store to purchase a box of band-aids and pack of to-go tissues. The boys ducked into an alley where Ryou opened both packages before pushing up a sleeve as Bakura got out and opened his switchblade. Bakura put the edge above Ryou’s forearm before swiftly drawing it across the arm, horizontally.
Ryou hissed as the blade cut his skin and blood welled up. He dabbed at the cut with a tissue while Bakura pulled out a standard size band-aid. Ryou wiped away the blood and Bakura applied the band-aid. “If you do heal faster, the cut will be gone by the end of the day.”
“True as cuts usually take days to heal,” Ryou said. “We may have to explain the band-aids and tissues,” he added as he put the used tissue in a trash can along with the band-aid wrapper.
“We will explain as we’ll tell the truth.”
“We?” Ryou repeated. “It’s my condition so I’ll do most of the explaining.”
“Of course.” Bakura was inwardly amused at how assertive Ryou sounded just now. Three days ago, Ryou would rather let me do the talking, but now he has the confidence to speak up. It’s nice to see.
“Hi, Ryou,” Tea said as the pair met up with the gang. “Oh, uh, hi Bakura.”
Ryou saw the nervous looks of his friends and smiled. “It’s all right,” he said as they sat. “Bakura’s finally realized that he shouldn’t be stealing considering the security cameras. It’ll take time for him to stop, but he will eventually.”
“Great,” Tea said.
Bakura nodded at Tea’s comment. He knew the gang was getting together as it would be the last time they would before Tea left. He had to admit that Tea would be the first to believe that Bakura wanted to change; the others not so much.
“You really think he means it?” Joey asked.
“I do,” Ryou stated simply.
“Oh, come on! Seriously?”
“Yes,” Ryou said firmly.
“I don’t know.” Joey shot Bakura a dark look.
“Joey, Bakura promised he’d stop and I believe him. So, give it a rest,” Ryou snapped, shocking everyone with his words.
“Easy, Ryou,” Bakura said, not sure if the silver would prevent an angry change and not wanting his friend to chase down Joey as he would be the source of that anger.
Ryou inhaled and slowly let it out. “I’m fine.”
“You okay?” Yugi asked with concern.
“Yeah…well, no. Look, I wasn’t entirely truthful about what happened at the carnival. The lady who read my palm also said I had an intersection of lines that said I’m shy and longed to be confident. She offered me a talisman. A leather cord with a leather oval setting studded with red jaspers and moonstones. She offered it to me for free…well not completely free. The talisman, which went inside me, would give me confidence but the price for it is that I would become a werewolf.”
“A werewolf?” Joey said, his voice shaking a little.
“I’m not dangerous unless I become angry. I would then change and attack the source of my anger. Otherwise, I’m a self-aware, tame one.”
“It’s true,” Bakura stated. “The morning after the first full moon, I angered Ryou. He changed and I barricaded myself in my room and asked him to calm down as he was trying to ram my door open.”
“The woman who gave me the talisman told me I would turn into a four-legged wolf every night unless I wear silver to prevent the change.” He lifted up the necklace.
“I never heard of wearing silver to prevent a change,” Yugi said. “I mean, silver is supposed to hurt or kill a werewolf.”
“Wearing it may keep the wolf within restrained,” Ryou theorized. “I was told a silver bullet or stake to the heart will kill me, the only things that will.”
“Impossible to kill, hmm?” Atem finally said.
Ryou nodded. “I’ve also become immortal.” At his friends’ gasps, he added, “Yeah. I won’t age.”
“Last night was the full moon,” Tea said. “Are you aware on those nights, too?”
“Yeah. I can move on two or four legs and I have hands instead of paws.”
“Ryou,” Bakura said. “Perhaps we should check on your arm.”
“What’s wrong with your arm?” Atem asked.
“Bakura was curious if I heal faster so we bought band-aids and tissues before Bakura gave me a small cut.” Ryou pushed up his sleeve, seized the band-aid, and quickly ripped it off. Everyone leaned forward to see smooth skin. “It seems I do. We did that not long before we got here.”
“Amazing,” Bakura said.
Ryou pushed down his sleeve. “I am more confident. I had a second meeting with Kaiba and insisted on physical versions of my game. He agreed.”
“Great,” Yugi said. “It’s clear being a werewolf hasn’t changed you aside from being confident.” Everyone else nodded and Ryou beamed at everyone accepting his condition.
Chapter Seven- Research
Ryou watched as night fell and he was still human, thanks to his necklace. He smiled at his friends, a couple of them nodding. “It’s true,” he said. “I admit, I was a little skeptical as it is unusual to wear siler to prevent the change.”
“Have you told Kaiba about this?” Yugi asked before he answered himself. “No, of course you didn’t. He wouldn’t have believed you.”
“He would if I changed in front of him,” Ryou said. “Seeing is believing, as the saying goes.”
Joey snorted a laugh. “Kaiba tends to disbelief his senses. Unless something’s in black and white, he doesn't believe it.”
“He did believe that I was a pharaoh in the past,” Atem pointed out. “He might have also accepted that he had a past life back then as well.”
“In any case, I don’t need to tell him,” Ryou said. “It’s not a topic that’ll come up in our future dealings.”
“Future dealings?” Duke repeated.
“Oh! Right. Only Bakura and Yugi know. Kaiba is willing to work with me in mass producing my tabletop games. He bought the rights to Monster World and intends to release it with physical and digital versions.”
“Cool,” Duke said. “I’d be happy to sell it in my game shop. Maybe even have casual play in the store. I have a couple of empty rooms that would be perfect.”
“Grandpa and I would be happy to sell it too. Maybe even buying and selling pieces players don’t want or are looking for.”
“You may want to tell Kaiba that you’d like to sell them,” Ryou said. “Monster World does belong to Kaiba Corp now.”
Duke nodded. “Good point. You’re absolutely correct.”
“That went well,” Bakura said as they entered their apartment. “You have great friends and very understanding too.”
“After everything they’ve seen and done, it’s easy to believe in werewolves,” Ryou said.
“You going to wear the necklace to bed?”
“I shouldn’t. Wearing silver too much could have a side effect, for all I know.”
“Any ideas on what that could be?”
“Well, being ill from silver or preventing the change would stop working comes to mind.” Ryou removed it and it fell to the floor as Ryou’s hands became paws and he couldn’t hold it. Bakura picked it up and put it with Ryou’s other jewelry. He then ran hand over Ryou’s head, feeling the soft fur.
“Night, Ryou.”
“Good night.” Bakura pulled the door almost closed so Ryou could leave for the bathroom or get a drink. Bakura set out a bowl of water in the bathroom that was out of the way before going to the laptop in the living room, planning to research werewolves so that he was better informed and up-to-date with the subject.
Ryou lay on his side on the bed. He wasn’t tired as it was still early but he couldn’t do anything with paws…or could he? If I practice, maybe I can write or type if I get a brainstorm in the night. For now, I can think of different gaming ideas or even events for the digital Monster World. His gold eyes took on a faraway look as he thought on his games until he grew tired and he surrendered to slumber.
Bakura leaned back and rubbed his eyes. He had been looking for werewolves and found a lot of conflicting information. He wasn’t sure what to believe. Ryou’s condition may be unique; one that’s not on the Internet. He sighed. Maybe I should cross-reference werewolves with the gemstones that are associated with them and promotes confidence as the talisman is what caused the condition.
He leaned forward and typed in the search parameters. He was presented with several sites and he scanned the list before clicking on one that seemed promising. He read the site, nodding when something that pertained to Ryou’s werewolf type was mentioned. He bookmarked the site before returning to perusing it. When he was done, he logged off, and turned off the laptop before leaning back to absorb that he had read. Ryou definitely needs to know all this, but he’s sleeping right now. I’ll wait until morning. He got up, stretched, and headed off to bed himself.
Bakura headed to Ryou’s room in the morning. “Ryou?” he asked as he opened the door and froze. Ryou was seated at his desk in wolf form, his paws on the top, pinning a piece of paper down and a mechanical pencil in his mouth. “Ryou?”
The wolf released the pencil and looked at him. “Hi,” he said.
“Why are you trying to write as a wolf?”
“In case I get an idea in the middle of the night and don’t want to forget it.” Ryou resumed human form.
“I was researching werewolves last night and found a site that could be useful. I bookmarked it so we could refer to it.”
“What did you find?”
“Well, you were right about side effects of silver. If you wear it too much, then you will feel ill and change forms, day or night. It would take a day or night to recover.
“If you do attack, try not to bite. You’re capable of turning someone at any time.”
“What!?”
“Yeah. Anyone bitten will transform at the next sunset.”
Ryou moaned. “Oh, if I had attacked you, I would have bitten you. Biting is an automatic form of attack for animals.”
“True, but you are self-aware. Just know that once you have bitten someone, you will want to turn others.”
“I don’t want to do that!”
“Of course, you don’t and I’ll help you.”
“I know you will.” He sighed. “I can’t believe I was right about the side effects of silver.”
“Same here. The idea that you can turn others at any time is a little scary and worrying.”
“Would I cause confidence in any I bite?”
“Actually, it would increase that which the person lacks which makes sense. You lacked confidence and the talisman gave you confidence. The talisman is inside you so its power can spread to others.”
“Wolfsbane.”
“What?”
“Wolfsbane. It’s supposed to be a werewolf’s allergy.”
“Oh. Right. Well, it’s rare and hard to care for so the odds of encountering it are small.”
“Please tell me, Bakura. I’m immortal and will likely have to move in my long life.”
“You have a point. All right. The close proximity of it will make you aggressive and cause you to transform and attack the flower. The plant will also make you feel ill, a kind of sick to your stomach feeling. Once you’re away from it, you’ll feel better. If you change to destroy the flower, you won’t be able to change back until the following morning.”
“O-kay. Avoiding places where Wolfsbane can grow would be a smart choice as well as avoiding rich people who would want to purchase it.”
Bakura nodded as he dwelled on the last part of Ryou’s statement. Kaiba’s rich, but he wouldn’t buy Wolfsbane as he has no reason to do so.
Chapter Eight- Kaiba
Tea left a few days later amidst tears and promises to write. Ryou had gotten inspiration for a new game and an event for digital Monster World and spent three days writing and designing. He wore his silver once when he was absorbed in his work and didn’t want to stop yet. When he had decided to stop, he was pleased with what he had done and decided to call Kaiba for another get-together.
The CEO was interested in meeting with him, especially since Ryou had an event in mind for Monster World. So, he set up a meeting for the day after tomorrow to give Ryou time to gather his notes and organize them.
The day of the meeting arrived and Ryou met with Kaiba in his office as usual. “You said you had an idea of an event,” he said.
“Yes,” Ryou said, opening his folder and removing a few papers. “I was thinking about an event where players can collect event only items as they play and exchange them for money or other prizes. The event would feature a section of the board that they can’t ordinarily get unless they have the event only items.”
“Prizes such as skills for characters, re-roll options, and chances to move extra spaces?” Kaiba asked as he read the papers.
“Skills and weapons mainly. I had thought there could be a global chat room where players could trade skills and weapons they don’t want for ones they need or want.”
Kaiba nodded thoughtfully as he continued to peruse the papers. “Yes, there is such a program being developed for trading. Collecting exclusive items for a limited time during the event would increase the number of people playing. The leftover items can be converted into money when the event ends.”
“Sounds reasonable and perfect,” Ryou said as Kaiba copied the papers and handed back the originals.
“Now…about this game you recently came up with.”
“Yes. The concept is the Dark Master is a sorcerer who rules over a once peaceful, happy land. He used his magic to transform any who opposed him into a type of monster like manticores, a minotaur, gnomes, and others. I imagine the sorcerer to be a kind of chimera.
“The players are under the same spell, but a special charm only makes them hybrids. Obviously, the players must defeat the sorcerer for his spells to break.”
“Changing villagers and the players into some kind of creature does present almost limitless combinations. Where does the battling aspect come into play?”
“Some villagers suffer a punishment where they are under the DM’s control and he ordered them to live in the forests around his castle and act as guardians, attacking any who approach.”
“I see. The players must defeat the guardians to approach and enter the castle.”
“Yes, breaking the spells on them is not an option. Only defeating the sorcerer will do that, although breaking the sorcerer’s control over them would be allowed.”
“Obviously the players’ characters will possess at least some of the abilities of their animal side.”
“Of course. Those abilities would make the game interesting as players could try out different hybrids.”
“I can clearly imagine one option as a half-wolf.” Kaiba smiled slightly. “That character would be a kind of werewolf.”
“What are you imagining?” Ryou asked, though the topic made him a little uncomfortable.
“A tail, obviously. The feet are paws, a pair of ears, and sharp teeth. It would be ironic if the character is originally a vegetarian.”
“Ironic, yes but I don’t find this funny. If that is your idea of a half-wolf or werewolf, fine. I just don’t agree.”
“That could be the design if this game goes digital.”
Ryou frowned. “As this game is my creation, I believe I have a say in what designs will be accepted. That half-wolf design is one I find offensive.”
“Offensive?” Kaiba raised an eyebrow. “How is it offensive?”
Ryou shifted in his seat. “Well…you see…the night before our follow-up meeting I was given a jewel-studded piece of jewelry that boosted my confidence and made me a werewolf.”
Kaiba blinked and then laughed derisively which Ryou had expected. “A werewolf? That is ridiculous.”
“It’s not. I can prove it.” Ryou stood and assumed his wolf form. Kaiba stood and looked over and down his desk before his eyes went wide and his mouth opened and closed soundlessly.
Ryou bared a wolf’s grin and his tail swished once before he changed back to human. “I can change when I want but I must change every night. The full moon gives me hands instead of paws and the ability to move on two legs in addition to four. I can talk and am self-aware all the time. I do have intense meat cravings during the full moon.”
“You can also bite during that time,” Kaiba added.
“Actually, I can bite at any time. It could be due to how I became a werewolf.”
Kaiba leaned back. “What else?”
“I do change if I become angry and then attack the source of the anger. I can prevent my every night change if I wear something silver but if I wear it too much, I will become ill and change forms, day or night. I will recover in one day or night.
“I’m also allergic to Wolfsbane. I feel sick to my stomach in its presence until I get away from it. I could become aggressive and change to attack the flower but I’d be unable to change back until the following morning.”
“If you bite, what happens to your victim?” Kaiba asked.
“They would change with the next sunset. So, say I bit in daylight, they would then change in mere hours. They would also gain whatever traits they lack. I lacked confidence which I got from the talisman and changing into a wolf. Oh and I also became immortal but I can still die with a silver bullet or stake to the heart.”
Kaiba sat up straight with interest. “Immortal?”
Ryou nodded. “I’ll be the age I am now forever.”
“You don’t sound happy about that.”
“Honestly, I would have been happy to be a werewolf who ages but immortality seems to be a part of werewolves and vampires.”
“Indeed. So…given this revelation, you have complete control over the design of the players’ characters and personality profiles of the hybrid states.”
“Thank you.”
&&&&
“How did it go?” Bakura asked as he cooked dinner, something he had agreed to do as Ryou needed to wear his silver less.
“It went fine, particularly after I admitted my condition.”
“You…what? What prompted you to do that?”
“He spoke of a hybrid half-wolf in a way that offended me. I said as much and Kaiba asked how it was offensive. After telling him all, he conceded the final decision of all character designs and profiles to me.”
“Did he seem interested in any aspect of your condition?”
“Yes. The specifics of the bite and being immortal. Bakura? I don’t really like being immortal as much as I had been.”
“Really? How come?”
“It hit me last night that I would see my friends age and die while I remained young and continuing to live. I would be lonely.”
Bakura took Ryou in his arms in a hug, a move that was a bit unusual. “You can kill yourself so you won’t have to be alone.”
Ryou laughed and felt better. “Yes, of course. I just need a silver bullet or stake and have it strike my heart. Thanks for reminding me, Bakura.”
“You’re welcome.”
Chapter Nine- Bitten
“Ryou’s a werewolf, Seto?”
“A tame self-aware one, but yes. I asked for everything he knew and…”
“You’re thinking of being one too,” Mokuba cut in.
Kaiba smiled. “He spoke of being immortal. He will be the age he is now forever. If I was immortal, Kaiba Corp would live forever too.”
“But wouldn’t the people of the future think it’s odd that the CEO looks like the one who made the company over into the business it is now?”
“I can claim to be descended from myself. I can easily forge papers for that purpose.” He was still smiling. “After I’m bitten, I can bite you.”
“Maybe wait until I’m older before that?”
“Fair enough. Now, I could either make Ryou angry or use Wolfsbane.”
“Wolfsbane, Seto?”
“Ryou admitted that it makes him aggressive and he’ll change to attack it. After that, he can’t change back until the next morning. So, if I can get bitten as he savages the plant, good. If not, I will have the rest of the day and all night to convince him to bite me. Making him angry could be tricky and being bitten that way could carry the risk that I could end up dead.”
Mokuba winced. “Wolfsbane would be safer but isn’t it rare?”
“Yes, but I shouldn’t have any trouble finding and obtaining it.”
It took Kaiba a little longer than he had anticipated in finding, paying, and having the plant shipped. When it finally arrived, Ryou had had his second full moon and was approaching his third. They had met at least once in all that time and Kaiba was all business. He gave no indication of wanting to be bitten as he knew Ryou would say no.
So, it was the day of the first night of Ryou’s third moon when Kaiba had scheduled a meeting and put the Wolfsbane on his desk. He knew he would have to move fast to trap Ryou in the room. He could also become angry at being trapped but he’s likely controlled his anger and it will be the plant he’ll react to that will trigger a change rather than being trapped.
Kaiba ordered a meat-only lunch for Ryou as Ryou did mention his craving during the full moon. He sat behind his desk, his finger posed over the lock button on the underside of his desk. He heard the knock and said, “Enter.”
Ryou came in and once the door had closed, Kaiba locked it. The werewolf had a smile on his face that vanished upon seeing the flower. His face went pale and he looked as if he was going to be sick. He was also annoyed that Kaiba would torture him like this. “Kaiba, you know I’m allergic to Wolfsbane.”
“Yes, but I find the scent rather pleasant.” That was a lie; the scent was unpleasant but he wasn’t going to admit it. Instead, he kept his eyes on Ryou, waiting for him to change and attack the flower. Kaiba had decided that he would stick his arm near Ryou’s mouth during the attack and get his bite that way. At least I hope he uses his teeth.
Ryou knew he was at risk of being angry or aggressive, both of which would trigger a change. He decided that he would leave and call Kaiba to discuss the situation. He turned around, grasped the knob, and tried to turn it. It was locked. He faced Kaiba. “Unlock the door, please.”
“No.”
“No?” Ryou felt anger rising, but pushed it down by taking a deep breath which was tainted with the smell of Wolfsbane. He felt his aggression grow from being close to the plant and wanted to eliminate it. He knew he would be stuck in wolf form until tomorrow morning but at least the plant would be dead; with his decision made, he let his aggression go, shifted forms, and launched himself at the Wolfsbane, Kaiba doing nothing to stop him.
The first slash of his claws cutting through the petals was therapeutic to him. He slashed again, delighting in seeing the petals being scattered as they were separated from the stem. The stem…yes, that must go too. Once the whole thing’s destroyed, I will ask Kaiba for a ride home. I will not apologize for destroying the plant. I told him what it does to me. He opened his mouth to seize the stem and pull the entire thing to the floor. His teeth came together and, to his horror, bit flesh instead of a stem. No! he thought. He released and backed away quickly, hardly believing what he had just done.
Kaiba breathed fast as he pressed his left hand to his wound as his right hand pulled up a first-aid kit from under his desk. He managed to open it and remove the bandages and dressings he needed. A grim smile played across his lips as he applied a thick gauze pad to the bite and bound an ace bandage tightly around it and secured it in place. He used a towelette to wipe his left hand clean before putting the kit away and looking at Ryou with that same grim smile.
Ryou whimpered before saying, “I’m sorry. It-it was an accident.”
“Oh, that wasn’t an accident. I meant for you to bite me.”
Ryou managed to roll his eyes. “Of course, you did. I’m guessing the immortality was attractive to you.”
“Of course.”
“Yes.” A gurgle was heard and Ryou blushed while Kaiba got up and put plates of meat and a bowl of water in front of him. “I promised you lunch. Go ahead.”
Ryou gave in to his hunger though he wanted to chastise Kaiba for what he had done to get bitten. Different thoughts went through his head as he ate and intended to voice some of them.
He lapped up some water and licked up the droplets on his muzzle before looking up at Kaiba. “You don’t plan to bite Mokuba, do you?”
“I do but not until Mokuba’s older. He insisted and I felt it was fair to wait.”
“Good. Thirteen is too young.”
“I came to the same conclusion last night.”
“And what will happen when people notice that Seto Kaiba seems like he’s been young for too long?”
“I can forge papers to throw off suspicion. I can do the same for you.”
“All right. So…was this meeting just a ruse to get bitten?”
“No. I did want to meet with you and discuss your latest game idea. I re-read the rules and gameplay and have questions about some of them.”
Ryou leaped into the chair as Kaiba pulled out his copies of Ryou’s game idea. He was still annoyed at Kaiba’s trick but pushed it aside as he answered Kaiba’s questions. What’s done is done and Kaiba would transform tonight due to being bitten and it being the full moon. So, me changing due to Wolfsbane is fine as I would have changed tonight anyway.
Kaiba scribbled an answer to one of his questions, the ace bandage catching his eye. The bite had hurt as Ryou had been focused on attacking the flower but he hadn’t cried out. He felt a thrill of excitement that he would be an immortal werewolf once he changed tonight.
I’ll have Ryou driven home as he likely stays in at night. I too will stay home at night but I will keep a silver ring in the office if I have some work that needs to be done. I won’t wear silver too much as Ryou had said it would make one ill. Nonetheless, I look forward to tonight’s change.
Chapter Ten- Brothers
Bakura frowned in confusion when he heard knocking and Ryou saying, “Bakura, could you open the door, please?”
He went to the door. “I thought you had your key,” he said as he opened the door and blinked as a white wolf entered.
“I do, but it’s currently in limbo along with my clothes,” he answered.
Bakura closed the door and followed Ryou to the kitchen where he was trying to paw open the fridge. Bakura opened it and Ryou seized the meat that was on the bottom shelf. Bakura closed the door and said, “Ryou, what happened?”
“Kaiba had a Wolfsbane plant on his desk and he locked the door behind me so I couldn’t leave.”
“You got aggressive and attacked the Wolfsbane,” Bakura said, now understanding: Ryou could not change back until morning. “Well, this will be interesting. You’ll go from four legs to two.”
“There’s more. I went to grab the stem to drag it off the desk and Kaiba stuck his arm between my mouth and the stem.”
“Kaiba’s a werewolf now.”
“Yes. He deliberately bought that plant knowing what it does to me all for the purpose of getting bitten as I would have said no if he had asked.”
“So, the meeting was a ruse.”
“Not entirely. We did discuss my latest game as he had questions about some of the rules or gameplay.”
“Will he bite Mokuba?”
“Not until he’s older and if he wants it.”
&&&&
Kaiba entered his home and headed for the kitchen, Mokuba falling into step beside him along the way. “Seto? How did it go?”
Kaiba held up his right arm to show the bandage. “It went perfectly. I’ll be changing tonight.”
“Will-will you be dangerous?”
Kaiba laughed. “Only if I changed out of anger. Otherwise I will be self-aware and can talk. I will be able to walk on two or four legs during the full moon, have hands instead of paws, and crave meat.”
“Yeah, I think that part’s already showing,” Mokuba said as Kaiba pulled out slabs of steaks and put them on the counter.
“I have just enough time to get dinner and water to my room before I change.”
“Can I bring my dinner up and watch you change?”
“Of course.” Kaiba knew Mokuba was curious to see his wolf form and there was no harm in allowing it.
The two brothers carried their food and drink to Kaiba’s room where Mokuba put his tray on the desk and Kaiba removed his coat. He knew his clothes would vanish as Ryou had proved but took the coat off anyway.
The light outside the window vanished and Kaiba gasped at the pulse that went through him. He felt an urge to howl and did not fight it. A wolf’s howl emerged as his muscles grew larger and his frame expanded to accommodate them.
Brown fur bloomed all over his body and he staggered as his feet morphed into paws and his legs bent into wolf shape. He yelped as his tail grew out. He lifted his hands to see pads on the palms and fingers as well as the claws on his fingers. He then closed his eyes and whined as he felt his nose and mouth push out into a muzzle of sharp teeth and his ears moved up to the top to become wolf ears. He opened his eyes that had turned gold and intense as he felt strength wash over him.
“Seto?” Mokuba asked.
“I’m fine,” he said, hearing his teeth click. He turned to his brother and padded over on all fours. His nose sniffed and he ran it over Mokuba’s face and hair, making the teen giggle. Kaiba grinned at Mokuba’s reaction and the smells that filled his nose. “You smell good and I don’t mean as food.”
“I would hope so.” He watched Kaiba move on four legs before he rose onto two. “Whoa. Seto, you’ve gotten taller.”
“I am on the balls of my paws. Naturally, I’m taller.” Kaiba felt his muzzle, his chin, and his ears. He felt his tail brush his legs and chuckled a little. “This is better than I thought it would be.”
I’m glad he likes it, but later on, he may not. “Seto, you may not like it later on.”
“Oh, I know the novelty will wear off and I’ll resent it from time to time but I will remind myself that I chose to be bitten and I don’t get to complain about it. Now, let’s eat.”
Kaiba crouched down, grabbed a piece of meat, and started to eat, finding that his teeth easily cut through the meat. It makes sense as I have the teeth of a carnivore. These teeth…they have the ability to turn another into a werewolf at any time, just as Ryou bit me today. I promised Mokuba that I will wait to bite him, as thirteen is too young. I’ll wait until he’s eighteen and then ask if he would like to be bitten. That would be nice. Both of us would be eighteen forever.
Mokuba ate his food, glancing at Kaiba occasionally. His brother was impressive in his full moon form. His hands sported fur and claws but he could use them easily. He knew that once the full moon was over, Kaiba would have paws and unable to hold anything. He did tell me that he has a silver ring in his desk at work and it’ll come in handy once the sun starts setting earlier.
“Seto, you won’t wear silver too much, right?”
“I won’t. Ryou said wearing silver too much will make me ill and force me to change, day or night. Then I would have to take a day off from work to recover. I will leave work before dark to avoid wearing silver too much. I will only wear it for when it is absolutely necessary.”
Mokuba nodded as Kaiba managed to drink some water. “You gave this a lot of thought.”
“I had the time to plan it out while the plant was being shipped. I reviewed the footage in my office the day Ryou proved he was a werewolf and told me all about it.”
Mokuba returned to his dinner while Kaiba alternated between eating and playing with his body and senses. He seemed to be really enjoying himself as he tested his senses and Mokuba found he liked watching Kaiba test them. He used his nose to sniff me and now he’s sniffing around the room. He can leave the room as he had spoken to the staff about his becoming a werewolf. No one would scream and run away if they saw him.
“Seto?” he asked quietly and he saw one of Kaiba’s ears turn toward him before Kaiba turned to face him. “Did Ryou say anything else about the bite?”
“He did. He said that the person would gain whatever he or she lacks personality-wise.” A grin curled his muzzle. “Honestly, I don’t think I’m lacking anything so I’m not concerned about that.”
Mokuba finished dinner and left with his tray, his mind dwelling on what he had just heard. So, the bite would fill in whatever personality trait the person is lacking. Seto believes he’s complete, but I know he’s not. Before we were adopted, Seto was a fun-loving, friendly kid. Then Gozaburo came into our lives. Seto beat him at chess and, as per the deal, Gozaburo adopted us. Then, he had Seto tutored for hours without sleep and eventually Seto ceased being friendly to everyone but me.
Ryou gained confidence from being a werewolf, I have seen that a couple of weeks ago when I was in the office and I was impressed with how confident he was. So, Seto lost the ability to be nice and being a werewolf may restore that trait, at least a little bit. I hope so. It would be nice to hear my nickname again.
Chapter Eleven- New Kaiba?
“Kaiba’s a werewolf too!?” Joey exclaimed.
“Not so loud,” Ryou said. “But yes, he is.”
“How did it happen?” Yugi asked.
“We had a meeting yesterday at noon. When I got there, there was a Wolfsbane plant on his desk. I’m allergic to Wolfsbane and he knew that. I feel sick to my stomach being around it and it makes me aggressive to where I will change and attack the flower. I had slashed off the petals and was about to grab the stem to pull it off the desk when Kaiba stuck his arm in between and I bit him.”
“He tricked you,” Joey growled.
“Yes. The idea of immortality is what motivated him.”
“You don’t seem happy about that,” Atem observed.
“The idea of living forever scares me but Bakura reminded me that I can die. I don’t want to live beyond all of you.”
“Of course you don’t,” Atem said.
“Eternal youth is cool, though,” Bakura added.
“Yes,” Ryou said slowly. “Oh! I forgot to mention that by biting someone, that person will gain whatever personality trait they lack. I lacked confidence and now I have it.”
“So, Kaiba will gain…what?” Joey asked.
Ryou smiled in amusement. “I think the capacity to be nice to others makes sense.”
Yugi said, “Kaiba being more compassionate and considerate would be nice.”
Kaiba was hard at work, determined to get a lot of business taken care of before dark. When lunchtime came, he decided to go out and get some lunch. A couple of big, juicy cooked steaks sound good, he thought, licking his lips and aware that his food choice was motivated by his condition. It didn’t bother him. He had to be a werewolf to be immortal and it was a price he gladly paid.
He ventured to where he could get the steaks he desired and he was soon walking to where people usually ate. He gazed around and saw Yugi and the gang seated at a table. He was about to head toward them but went to a food truck to get a large cup of water; as he waited for the water, he wondered why he wanted to join what he called the Dweeb Squad among other names. He couldn’t explain it but chose to just join them and not question it. He was closing in on their table when he heard Joey say, “Kaiba? Nice? No way.”
Since he was behind Joey as he approached, he decided to have a little fun with the blonde. He simply put a hand on the empty chair next to Joey and quipped, “Is this seat taken?”
Joey looked back and sputtered in surprise, “K-Kaiba?”
“Hi,” Yugi said before gesturing at the seat. “Sit down.”
“Thanks.” He took the seat and actually smiled at Joey who was still astounded that Kaiba was there with them. “Wheeler?” he prompted as he opened his box of steaks.
“What are you up to?” Joey snapped.
Kaiba gave a shrug. “I just felt like sitting with you. Is that a crime now?”
“You were never friendly with us and especially me.”
“Yes,” Kaiba agreed. “I can’t explain why I came over here. I just felt like it.” He saw everyone exchange knowing looks, though Joey also looked suspicious.
“I can explain, though I think you do know why you’re here with us,” Ryou spoke up.
Kaiba frowned. “It’s because of the bite, isn’t it? So I was lacking something.”
Ryou nodded. “Everyone lacks some kind of trait. No one’s complete.”
“So, what was I lacking?”
“Compassion for others? Just being nice overall?” Yugi suggested.
“I used to be nice,” he said after taking a bite of lunch. “But my stepfather destroyed most of it.”
“Well, some of it has returned.” Ryou let Kaiba eat for a while before asking, “Did you enjoy last night?”
“Yes,” he said immediately. “It was better than I thought it would be. I had stayed in my room, but I will roam the mansion the next two nights and then explore the backyard the night after that.” He ate the rest of his steaks and drained his water before standing. “I need to go back to the office. I still have work to do before dark.”
“Maybe we can get together sometime?” Yugi asked.
Kaiba was silent for a moment. “I would like to discuss a partner agreement between my company and your shop, Yugi. Your store too, Duke.” Kaiba looked at Duke.
“Sure,” Yugi said and Duke nodded in agreement.
“Good. I’ll call later to set up the meetings.” Kaiba turned and left the gang behind, not exactly sure what happened. He wouldn’t say he was friends with any of them for the conversation centered around his first night as a wolf and that he may be nice again. Okay, so I was wrong about being complete. I suppose I could spend time with them.
“Of course you could, Seto,” Mokuba said as they ate dinner, Kaiba’s dinner being meat-only like lunch had been.
“It’s been years since I had fun and I’ve never hung out with people my own age.”
“Yeah. You were home-schooled though you did attend high school occasionally, but you were too busy with the company to relax and have fun.”
“The only pleasure I knew was Duel Monsters until it ceased to be fun and became an obsession to win.”
“Maybe it’s time to play it again for fun and enjoyment.”
“Maybe it is.”
“Great. How about against me after you’ve changed?”
“You? You’ve been learning?”
“Yeah. I have some friends at school who have been teaching me how to play. They were surprised I didn’t know how to play considering you’re my brother.”
“You did learn how the game’s supposed to go,” Kaiba said.
“Yeah, but I’d like to duel you. I beat all my friends before summer break started.”
That got Kaiba’s attention. “Really?” A smile crossed his lips. “All right. After I’ve changed, we’ll duel…Mokie.”
Mokuba’s face lit up at hearing his childhood nickname before adding, “With the new duel system you designed?”
“Sure. I just need to adjust the arm piece on mine as I’ll have larger muscles not to mention fur.”
Mokuba eagerly ate the rest of his dinner before rushing off to prepare his deck. He knew he wouldn’t win but that wasn’t the point. He was playing with his brother again. That’s what mattered.
Kaiba smiled at Mokuba’s enthusiasm. His brother was a young teen and still liked to play. I’m a teen also and should have some fun as well. I’m also a werewolf and will never age. I have projects and games to release but I have time. Kaiba left the table and went to his room to prep his deck and then change forms before joining Mokuba on the roof to have a duel that ended up being fun and instructive.
