Predictions and Observations:
A Reversal of Fortune

Yugi and the others can not only be seen, but also make contact with both Yami and Bakura. Yugi held Yami’s hand; Tristan socked Bakura (go, Tristan!). I wonder if either Yami or Bakura could see Bobassa?

The question of the week: How on Earth did Bakura do that?! I’m going to go with either “power of the Millennium Ring,” “power of Diabound,” “just plain power,” or the fact that he seems to be able to tamper with anything he wants there, including getting there in the first place which Shadi said was impossible unless Yami invited you. Unless it’s something about this being *his* ultimate shadow game, in which case you must then wonder how he’s manipulating Yami’s memory or if Shadi was wrong or something. I really don’t know, and I shudder to think what he’s capable of in the event that he actually can use the Millennium Puzzle (I debated that below). By the way, there are probably plenty of people who know exactly what’s going on, but really, I’d rather be left in the dark, please. I’d rather figure it out myself, and until then anyone who *does* understand can have a good laugh at my ramblings.

I thought it very important how much Seto refuses to give up on Yami. He’s very loyal to him. I’m still kind of figuring out what was so important about Seto, Shimon, and Isis that made them alone be reborn, as it were, in the future, to help Yami, what special connection there was. I think I’m starting to see it in Seto. (Come to think of it, they were the only ones who were reborn *humans.* Mahad was there all along as the Dark Magician, and I have my hunches about Mana and the Dark Magician Girl…)

Maybe this will trigger another “reversal of fortune?” Seto can’t possibly continue to go through with his plan after this!

And speaking of Seto, come on, dude, Akhnadon’s not in his right mind! You can’t let him do this to Kisara! Smack ‘im down, blast him with the Millennium Rod (though come to think of it that might not work…), something!

I was listing all of the loose ends to talk myself in circles with this week and I came to “Bakura has the Millennium Puzzle!” A moment later I even surprised myself by answering, yes, but he can’t use it, because there’s one original wielder still in action: the Millennium Puzzle belongs to Yugi! Then later on I answered to this, yes, but Yami’s not out of the picture yet either; then to that, yes, but as Tea said he lost the battle so by the rules of possession of Millennium Items that I worked out a while back, he would no longer prevent Bakura from using it. Yes, I answered myself, but there’s still Yugi; then I started to think of how as soon as Yugi entered Yami’s memory his own Millennium Puzzle disappeared, because there can be only one Millennium Puzzle and in this setting, this world, it belongs to Yami, and might not be Yugi’s even partially in this world, and therefore we know nothing and there’s nothing to do but wait. I often talk myself in these sorts of loops.

I also wondered, well, what could Yugi and the others do now? To whom can they turn? For some reason, I answered myself, Seto, because in the battle Yami showed that he trusted Seto, and it’s clear to me that Seto showed himself to be truly loyal after Yami disappeared and he insisted upon finding him no matter what, even seeming slightly afraid. So, I answered myself, *if* that would be the case (unlikely), then Seto can’t see them, as was proven when he had no idea how Yami got his strength back, even though he’s a familiar face. Man, I remarked to myself, this would be a nice time for present-day-Kaiba to show up somehow (you know he will sooner or later). I bet his past self would be able to see *him.* You don’t know that, I retorted, and besides he might replace his past self instead like Yami did. There’s no way to know, I fired back, he might manifest in the past like Yami did, or like Yugi did instead, replacing his past self or as a ghost. Well, what was the difference between their situations, I then asked myself. I eventually came to the conclusion that it’s no coincidence that Yugi looks exactly the same as Yami, it’s fate, and it was fate that re-manifested the Pharaoh’s allies and rivals in the present also, not a re-incarnation. Therefore, good Bakura and Seto Kaiba are different people, who were fated to mirror the past, not the people from the past who have been sent forward, as both Yami and Bakura have been. Therefore, when Yami and Bakura went to the past, they had already been there so there was a place for each of them which they filled, whereas Yugi and his friends had never existed in the past (remember, Yugi’s someone from the future who was fated to mimic the past as he was fated to find the Puzzle), so therefore existed as ghosts. Therefore, if Kaiba were to appear in the past, then he would appear as a ghost. Unless there’s something we don’t know, which there definitely could be. Now as for the question of whether he could communicate with Seto. I would have to say no, though I would hope that I’m wrong (or on second thought perhaps not, imagining either one meeting his exact twin that believes in and refutes polarly opposite possibilities- start a conversation between them about the reality of magic…). Then again, if Kaiba appears in the past at all, he could be helpful because he can be cool that way especially when things get tough, assuming that he’ll believe any of it and he’s not too stubborn to help them, both of which have a fair share of unlikelihood. And we really don’t understand too terribly much about how they got there in the first place or anything at all and it’s really up to the writers and fates, rendering this entire discussion pointless and there’s really nothing we can do but wait. Isn’t this fun?

“Well, we got *this* far, didn’t we? The rest should be a piece of cake!” Can you say ‘famous last words?’ I believe it was Joey who said the same thing about the Battle City Finals in Shadow of a Duel…

What did Bakura change in the rewind? To me it seems that he softened Diabound’s blow ever so slightly, so that it didn’t cause Yami to faint, only weakened him.

So if this is only Yami’s memory, then that means they didn’t actually go back in time, rendering my discussion on the theory of ‘slide-show’ temporal distortion null and void. Therefore, if they’re not back in time then the world’s not in danger from the events of this world. But if Yugi can figure out that Yami’s not gone, surely he will have thought of that so why is the world still in danger? Besides it just wouldn’t be Yu-Gi-Oh!’s final season that four years have been leading up to if something big weren’t in danger! So since this is all in our minds, we have to therefore wonder what’s going on while they’re occupied in the past? Is the world getting in danger again? Is Bakura attempting to distract them from it, or is he just out for personal revenge? Did Yugi and the others ever actually leave that chamber, or will the next person who comes in there find these four people holding hands in seeming comas except they’re standing up?

What does Isis’ prophecy mean? Besides ‘we’re toast,’ I mean. The ripple on a sea of shadows must represent Bakura’s influence. I believe it’s that there’s plenty of darkness out there, Bakura just added to it a bit perhaps and got it moving on its own. Worse, when I imagine how it is you get rid of a ripple, it’s usually by making a bigger splash and other ripples. There’s no other way but to simply let it go away on its own. The ‘bigger splash’ certainly seems to be this monster scheme. It might get rid of Bakura, but it would probably be much worse than Bakura…

It may be moot, but I have to wonder who won last time around, Bakura or Yami? To me it seems that it would have to be Yami, because otherwise Bakura wouldn’t be interested in replaying the past and the entire world would probably be a shadow-magicky crater. However, to me it seems that Yami couldn’t have made it this far without the Egyptian Gods, and Bakura stated in, um, Birth of the Blue-Eyes that Yami only knew how to summon them because he’s been to the future, bringing up the temporal distortion matter all over again. So therefore, I would have to conclude that Yami must have won because the world was still around five thousand years later and not a smoking crater, but this time around they’ve both got a few new tricks up their sleeves from being in the future, so therefore it’s a whole new game. Come to think of it, Yami came seeking to know about the past, but we find that it’s actually knowing about the future that’s making a difference.

Next week’s episode is In Search of a King. This could mean searching for Yami and also Akhnadon’s determination to bring Seto to the throne. From the sounds of it, the search parties haven’t had any luck at all so the other Court may begin to lose faith and look for a new Pharaoh. Anarchy, power vacuum, eek. Not good. Very bad.

That’s all for now, I really should get some homework done this weekend. Next week’s, as I said, In Search of a King, but I will next be posting on GX’s School Duel I! That’s all, folks! –Clio