Invincible

Disclaimer, Author's Notes, and Warnings: First of all, I would like to say that I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, or anything to do with Yu-Gi-Oh. Never have, never will. Warning wise I would like to say that this fic will contain eventual Yaoi. But most people like that stuff anyway. Furthermore, this is an AU, set in Medieval times. That's about all I'm going to say plot wise. The rest you're just going to have to read and find out. I would also like to add that most pairings have not been decided yet. I'm not sure of the spelling of Jounouchi's sister's name but I figure as long as I'm consistently wrong there's not much of a problem.

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The wind blew lightly, swirling up small clouds of dust around her bare feet as she walked slowly down the winding road. Her robes were plain and brown and she gave the appearance of having nothing of real value on her. Workers in the fields stopped what they were doing and watched her go by. She was obviously another Summoner seeking refuge in their country. Her slightly tanned skin gave her away as coming from a southern country and the way she carried herself with a certain dignity revealed the fact that she was indeed a Summoner. Her hair was covered by a plain wool cloak and her sea-green eyes shifted restlessly over the workers. They hastily returned to their tasks, averting their eyes. No one would be caught gawking at a Summoner, whether or not she was in power.

One girl couldn't help but pity the foreigner who was quite obviously all alone and without a place to stay. She had chestnut hair that was currently pulled back to stay out of the way of her work and green eyes. She knew what it was like to be alone. When she was little her older brother and the only family she had ever known had been taken away from her and placed into the service of the king. She didn't know whether or not he was still alive. She hoped so; she wanted to see him again.

She approached the woman in the center of the road, careful not to startle her. If the woman was truly as powerful of a Summoner as she appeared to be she didn't want to be facing down any dragons. "Excuse me, my lady," the girl said, curtseying before the woman. No telling what kind of status the woman had held previously. "My name is Shisuka and I was wondering if perhaps I could offer you some assistance."

The woman passed a critical eye over her and Shisuka felt that somehow she was being judged. Apparently, she passed for the woman smiled at her. "I am Isis, Summoner First-Class. I was actually looking for some company on my way to the palace. You'll do just fine."

Shisuka felt like she was going to faint. A First-Class Summoner was asking her to come to the palace with her. If she could possibly get inside, she might have the chance of seeing her brother. Not going was out of the question. First of all, it would be rude to the Summoner and secondly, it was too good of a chance to pass up. It wasn't like she would be leaving anything behind her. A crude change of clothes was about all she would be leaving behind if they left right now. Not much to miss and what was ahead of her could be far better. "I would be honored to come with you." They started walking down the road, Shisuka lagging a step or two behind. Suddenly, her curiosity got the better of her. "May I ask why you're going to the palace?"

"Business," the woman responded coolly without a glance backward.

"Oh, I've heard that King Kaiba is also on his way for business," she said, trying to make light conversation as she struggled to keep up with the woman.

"I know." Her eyes changed color briefly, from a beautiful sea-green to the color of the night sky. Shisuka gulped, wondering what exactly what she had gotten herself into. Even she could tell that this woman was no ordinary Summoner.

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The sun shone through a series of high windows, bathing the room in warm sunlight. The King sat in his throne, surveying those in the room before him, the familiar weight of his puzzle resting around his neck. The presence inside of it was alert, but thankfully not active. His advisors were currently in the middle of a heated discussion. On one side were his two Summoners, Mai and Rianna. Mai had long golden hair and sparkling violet eyes. Her usual choice of robes were a light purple with numerous silver accessories. Rianna, on the other hand, had dark eyes and long jet-black hair. Her usual choice of robes were black with the only accessory being a black cord belted the robe at her waist. Light and dark. Perfect antithesis of each other. It was amazing that they would take the same side on any issue.

On the other side of the argument was General Honda and the Lord Seneschal, Otogi. Honda was an intimidating sight, even though it was wasted on the two woman. Her had made sure his Summoners were as skilled with weapons as they were with their magic and their monsters. Less chance they would die that way. The General's eyes intensely studied the woman's movements, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword which rarely left his side. Otogi was a master strategist but when it came to actual fighting, he wasn't very threatening. However, his strategies newer failed which was why the King kept him employed in the army department.

While the four of them were busy bickering amongst themselves, Yuugi stole a glance down at his feet. His personal slave sat obediently at his feet, a thick chain wrapped around his neck that was attached to the leg of Yuugi's throne. The boy stiffened under the King's gaze, then honey-colored eyes lifted to meet his. "What do you think, Jounouchi?"

Jounouchi fingered the heavy metal collar around his neck. "I'm thinking this is a little tight," he murmured. Yuugi sighed; it seemed like he had to get that stupid thing readjusted once a week. Someone else had to be tampering with it; one of those slave fanatics, most likely. But Jounouchi was his personal slave and no one else was supposed to be going anywhere's near him without the King's permission. Not even the slave masters which couldn't seem to stay away from him.

Yuugi shook his head and gave the chain a slight tug to bring him back to attention. Jounouchi grunted and turned his eyes respectively to his King. "I meant about their discussion," he said, gesturing to the advisors. Riana pounded on the table.

Jounouchi turned to face them with a thoughtful expression on his face. "I agree with Honda and Otogi on how many lives this will save, but like the Summoners, I feel I have to question his motives in creating this peace agreement."

Yuugi couldn't help but notice the way Jounouchi continually fidgeted with his collar as he talked. That was a bit disturbing. Well, as soon as this meeting was over and he had retired to his chambers, the collar could come off Jounouchi for a while. /I agree/ the spirit residing in the puzzle said. /I don't trust Kaiba. He must have other motives./ Yuugi decided he had enough of listening to their bickering. It wasn't getting them anywhere. "Enough!" he ordered, standing up. "This isn't getting us anywhere. Kaiba is coming to make a peace agreement and there's nothing you can do to change that."

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Damn this god forsaken country! Why the hell did he have to take this stupid trip in the first place? He knew why. He couldn't afford a war at this time, no matter how much his wounded pride called for it. The gray warsteed he was riding tossed her head, nickering at people who wandered too close. Dirty pheasants, acting like filthy beggars. Well, if Hellsbane took their heads off it wasn't his fault. They shouldn't have gotten too close to the damn horse.

He only had three companions with him, two of his best warriors ad the fastest scout in the country. Speaking of which, where was he? He should have been back by now. He didn't have to wait long to discover the answer to his question. The scout came alongside Hellsbane, the smaller bay mount fidgeting beside the much larger warsteed. The scout clumsily saluted before giving a hasty report. "Sir, I don't recommend passing through the next town. They have heard you are coming and are out there waiting for your blood."

"Damn!" The closer they got to the capital the more problems that arised. "Turn your horses around. We're taking the long way," he ordered the two guards. Taking the long way seemed to be happening a lot recently. Somebody was obviously alerting people to their coming presence. He had wanted this. That had been the whole purpose of only four of them going. But who could be giving them away? He quickly glanced at his scout. No, it couldn't be him. The poor kid was scared out of his mind and besides, why would he put his own life in danger? So who was it? Could someone be spying on them?

His eyes passed over his escorts' mounts. Quality beasts, but not a single one of them could even begin to compare with Hellsbane. If he kept moving and avoided any major roads he could get to the capital without anyone noticing his passing. Tonight, when the rest of them stopped for the night, he was going to continue on. No sense in taking any chances. After all, he knew how despised he was in this country. Hellsbane snorted as if agreeing with him.

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Mai watched Rianna carefully as they traveled down the corridors back to their chambers. The younger girl was dangerous; of course, it was nothing she couldn't handle. Still, better to be prepared for the unexpected them to be taken completely by surprise. They had survived through training together, despite the difference in their ages, and it was surprising that they couldn't agree on more together. They had helped each other during the training years, making sure the other stayed alive long enough to pass their tests. Mai shook her head sadly. After all these years they had finally found something to agree on and no one else could see their point.

"Grrr.... Those men make me so angry!" she said, storming down the hall. "I can't believe they can't see that Kaiba wants something and it's not peace!"

Mai sighed as she opened the door to their chambers. Their personal slave stood up as they entered the room. "Welcome, my ladies. Is there anything I can get for you?"

"No, Anzu. You can go back to sleep." "Lazy bitch." Mai watched as Rianna flopped down on her bed before she sat elegantly down on hers. "I know. But I think instead of trying to make those pig-headed idiots see the light we should focus our energies on finding out what it is he wants."

Rianna looked at her before rolling over to stare at the ceiling. "Good idea." She let out a heavy sigh. "The only thing he cares about is his damn younger brother. Nothing will ever change Seto Kaiba." Mai was inclined to agree with her.

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Shisuka panted as she hurried to catch up with the Summoner. She thought she had been in shape from working in the fields all day. She could not have been more wrong. They had been traveling all day and she was getting extremely tired. She hoped they would be stopping soon for the night though she highly doubted that would be happening. "Shisuka, why did you agree to come with me?" the woman asked, keeping her eyes on the road in front of them. The woman was so mysterious at times; she couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking at times. She had always been taught to be respectful of the Summoners, though she had never met one before now and she thought perhaps answering all their questions counted as being respectful.

Still, she hesitated before answering her even though she knew not answering her would probably end up with her getting eaten. There was a full moon shining down from the heavens, just like the night they had made the promise to each other. At least the woman didn't force her into answering; perhaps she could be trusted after all. "When we were very little my older brother and I made a promise to each other. We decided that if either one of us was ever taken into the service of the King, we would return as soon as our term was over. That is, if we actually lived that long. But Jounouchi is strong; I know he would have lived through it. His term ended three years ago and he still hasn't returned."

Isis noticed the tears forming in the girl's eyes as she spoke. Poor girl; she knew what it was like to lose a brother to only the gods knew what. Her hand rose to touch the golden necklace. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on the energies residing inside the necklace. There was a bright flash of light before a blurry image of a young boy sleeping at the foot of the King's bed. She turned her gaze upon the young girl walking next to her, watching her wipe a few tears from her eyes. "Perhaps he found something better." Harsh, but true.

Shisuka inhaled quickly, staring at Isis in silent protest. Well, she was going to find out the truth eventually anyway. At least this way she was prepared for what was to come. "What could possibly be more important?"

Isis recognized the look in the girl's eyes; that begging look which pleaded of her to give them all the answers. Unfortunately, she didn't have all the answers though she did have more than most Summoners. However, the commoner always looked to the Summoners to solve all of life's little problems. It didn't work that way. Summoners had the same problems they did plus extra ones that came from controlling the monsters and the magic. Still, she would have to say something to the girl or else she might end up with a problem that would result in slowing them down. "There may be some things." At least the girl didn't say anything more about the topic. Perhaps she was left to ponder over the possibilities. It was time for a change of subject, mainly to one that would be more beneficial to her though she wasn't sure if the girl would be able to answer her. "Shisuka, how long until we reach the capital?"

The girl appeared thoughtful for a moment, calculating the answer in her head. "Three to four days walking." Isis groaned. That was too long. "If we had quality horses we could be there by tomorrow night." Now that was more like it. But where were they going to find horses at this time?

Once again she tapped into the power of her necklace. The damn thing was being useful for a change and was actually showing her things that she needed to see. Things she could actually use. Two warsteeds approaching a hill, somewhere to their right. Both were rider less. Well, nobody would be missing those two anytime soon. "This way," she told Shisuka, veering off the roadway. The girl followed her with a puzzled look on her face. However, she did obey without question. That said a lot to Isis about the girl's upbringing, at least the part of her life concerning Summoners.

Right now, finding those horses was far more important than figuring out how the country treated its Summoners. Those horses were key to her getting to the capital city before Kaiba, especially since he had decided to change his course of action. She figured it would only take a few more minutes for them to find the horses. Surprisingly, it was Shisuka who spotted them first. "Look!" she exclaimed, pointing to her right. Sure enough, bathed in the moonlight were the two horses she had seen in her visions. One was a brown stallion with dark blue eyes. The other one was black and slightly smaller, most likely a mare. Shisuka approached them slowly, chucking softly with her hand outstretched. The stallion reared and went running the other way, snorting at the two humans. Shisuka reached the mare and began to rub her gently on the nose.

Since Shisuka had the mare pretty much under control, that left Isis to deal with the stallion. He stared her down, ready to either fight or run. From his build, he was far more likely to fight her than to run away. If he wanted a stare-down contest, she would give it to him. His sweaty flanks rose and fell with his labored breathing. They had obviously been abandoned quite recently; the marks of the fight were still evident on the stallion's skin. His icy blue eyes stared into hers and somewhere inside herself she found the courage to stare back at him bravely. After a few moments that felt like an eternity, the stallion lowered his head and nickered softly at her. She allowed herself a small smile. She had won his approval and now all she had to do was make him hers. The only way to accomplish that would be through time. She approached him and began stroking his nose, glancing at the name plate around his neck.

"Her name is Scythe," Shisuka called, smiling over at her. "Does that devil of a King have a name?"

She smiled, running a finger down a scar on the stallion's nose. Devil of a King. How appropriate. "Seto," she said softly, scratching the stallion behind the ear. She swung herself lightly on his back. He fidgeted slightly but didn't try to toss her. That was a good sign.

Shisuka was looking at her with a horrified expression on her face. "What are you doing? We can't just take them!" she protested. "They obviously belong to somebody."

Isis sighed; how was she going to explain this one to her? Warsteeds were unusual creatures; even those who had created them did not fully understand them. "Not anymore. A warsteed won't leave its master until he or she is dead. Whenever that happens they're free until they form a new bond. They belong to us now."

The girl looked more scared than anything now. She fitfully looked from Isis to the horse beside her. "I couldn't. Warsteeds are for soldiers and Summoners, not for commoners like me."

Isis let out another exasperated sigh. The girl had a lot to learn and unfortunately, Isis did not have the time to teach her. Perhaps someday, someone would. "Do you think Scythe cares about your status?"

Shisuka looked at the mare beside her. Those warm brown eyes certainly seemed accepting and welcoming enough. They were welcoming her to a whole new world. "No." She hesitantly mounted the beautiful black warsteed, feeling uncomfortable so high off the ground. "But I've never ridden before," she admitted, clumsily grabbing at the reins.

The Summoner sent her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. She'll teach you how." Funny how a statement like that would have once made her laugh for being so absurd. A horse teaching her how to ride. But as she looked into Scythe's intelligent eyes she knew that it was no joke.

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Yuugi let out a soft sigh as he sat down on the edge of his bed, running his fingers through spiky tri-colored hair. He set the puzzle on the floor though it didn't weaken his bond with the spirit inside. He felt like they were always together, no matter how far away the puzzle was. /How is he doing?/

Yuugi giggled, turning to look at the "he" in question. Jounouchi stood at the foot of the bed, watching his King with a passive expression on his face. Sometimes it was really hard to figure out what he was thinking. A few years in the slave barracks had taught him to show no emotion. Unless he was willing to receive a beating in response. \You worry about him too much\ Yuugi scolded the spirit inside the puzzle. "I think it's time to sleep. What do you think, Jounouchi?"

"Whatever you say, your majesty," he stated in his "neutral" voice.

Yuugi heard the spirit inside the puzzle sigh. He felt inclined to agree at the moment. Yuugi laid down on his bed, watching the slave curl up at the foot of his bed. "Goodnight, Jounouchi," he whispered as the blonde boys eyes slowly closed. It was a long time before the young king could join him in slumber. /Make sure you're taking good care of him/ the spirit inside the puzzle chided in a sleepy voice.

\What kind of insensitive jerk do you take me for?\ he responded. Honestly, he was doing the best he could do for Jounouchi under the circumstances and the ever watchful eyes of the court and spies. \I know how much he means to us.\

~Please review if you want me to continue.