Atakku
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Notes: As per the summary, this is the sequel to a very involved and complex story. Reading Sakakku, and probably Umi, first is highly recommended. To my favorite reviewers from Sakakku- welcome! I have big plans for this story and it should be just as fun, if not more, to write. And I can only hope the same is true for reading. :P
Disclaimer: I do not and will never own YuGiOh.
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Chapter 1
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Mokuba and Ezra had been attempting to play various games, but since they'd been walking at a fairly steady pace, the best they could come up with was Rock, Paper, Scissors. And that didn't always work out.
"You should try picking something other than Rock," Ezra suggested after beating him for the fifth time.
"But Rock is my favorite," Mokuba said, sighing.
"I know, but since I know you'll pick Rock I always choose Paper. It takes all the fun out of the game."
"Okay, once more. I'll do something else," Mokuba said, sighing. "Rock… Paper… Scissors… shoot!"
Ezra stuck out Scissors.
Mokuba put out Rock.
"Sucker," he said, grinning.
"You tricked me," she shot back, making a face.
Ahead of them trudged Ryou, Bakura, Malik, and Marik. Ryou hadn't said a word since breakfast a few hours back. Marik, on the other hand, hadn't stopped talking. Half the time he was complaining about Yami, half the time he was complaining about Ra, and half the time he was complaining about Egypt and its stupid deserts. Marik was the only person Ryou knew who was capable of talking one-hundred and fifty percent of the time.
Bakura occasionally threw in a few sarcastic remarks. Malik would chirp in at random intervals, defending Yami half the time and slandering Yami the other half.
" "Tear up the God Card, Marik,' " Marik mocked in a high voice. "Tear the God Card, he says. So for once I listen to the Pharaoh. And what happens? Tearing the card in half releases the spirit of Ra onto the planet in corporeal form, and we all have to flee Egypt, and so we've been walking through this broiling desert for the last week!"
"Actually, he just told you to get rid of the God Card," Malik said conversationally. "You were the one dumb enough to rip it in half."
"And with lousy company, too," Marik continued, ignoring him. "We've got Taylor and Devlin, who run up to us sweaty and filthy and launch themselves at Wheeler junior on the second day. We've got the stupid Pharaoh, who hasn't spoken since we left the city because he's in mourning for Gardner. We've got the Pharaoh's other half, who's so short we lose him most of the time. We've got Shadi and Ishizu, who seem to make a career out of bickering part of the time and yelling at me the rest. We've got Wheeler and the other blonde, who when they aren't brooding are sucking face. We've got I've-got-a-permanent-scowl-stuck-to-my-sneering-face-Kaiba and his bratty little brother. We've got Geoff and that other kid whose name I never found out and her annoying dog. And we've got that eyeless freak and his pointy-haired henchman-"
His knee suddenly buckled and he went down. Malik just snickered and continued on. Ryou and Bakura trudged through the sand, not bothering to look back.
Marik whirled around and snarled, searching for the person who had kicked him. Mokuba was craning his neck to look through the small crowd up ahead, but Ezra was shooting him a very alarmed look. Anuba growled at him from her mistress' side. Marik drew back his upper lip and shot Ezra his most evil sneer, fingers curving as if itching to strangle her.
"Seto!" she shrieked, closing her eyes.
Miraculously, he appeared over her shoulder, scowling at Marik. "Give me a break," he grumbled, grabbing both her neck and his little brother's and steering them less-than-gently toward what he deemed the saner part of their group. Namely, Yugi and Serenity and Geoff.
"Thanks," Ezra squeaked when they were far enough away from Marik. "And- sarcasm- thanks a lot, Mokuba."
"I didn't know he'd blame you when I kicked him," Mokuba mumbled, blushing. Behind him, Anuba trotted up with a mouthful of fabric, looking pleased with herself. Ezra rolled her eyes and removed the purple cloth that had once been Marik's robe from Anuba's jaws, avoiding the glare of the blonde, pointy-haired psycho and hiding a smile.
"This is awful," Yugi said worriedly, shooting a glance over his shoulder at the rest of the sullen group. "None of us are getting along."
"You mean we did in the first place?" Seto deadpanned, folding his arms and scowling.
"We're all fighting," Serenity said, twisting her fingers. "This has been such a stressful week. Rotten feelings are stewing everywhere."
"And none more so than in 'Smiling Seto', as I like to call him," Joey said cheerfully, coming up next to them hand-in-hand with Mai.
"Shut it, Wheeler," Seto growled tiredly.
"So what's going on here, anyway?" Tristan asked, coming up. Duke trailed after him, winking at Serenity and earning two elbows in the stomach (one from Joey and another from Tristan). Serenity blushed and edged closer to Yugi.
"The same thing that's been going on for the last week," Mokuba mumbled, dragging his feet in the sand as they trudged onward. "Do we even know where we're going?"
"Of course we know where we're going," Yugi said, sounding surprised. "You mean you didn't know?"
"We have a destination in mind?" Seto demanded, looking very put-out. "Why wasn't I informed?"
"Geez, I'm sorry, guys," Yugi apologized. "I only know 'cause I overheard Yami talking with Pegasus. We haven't been very good with group communication, have we?"
"No," Mai said bluntly. "We haven't. We seriously need to take some time to regroup."
"I know," Yugi said, nodding. "I guess they thought we could do our talking when we settle down. For now, we're just concentrating on getting there."
"Where's 'there'?" Seto asked grouchily.
"We're headed somewhere far away from Ra, somewhere where we'll be safe for a while," Serenity answered. "I heard them talking too."
"Yup," Yugi affirmed. "We're gonna make camp at Pegasus' castle."
xXx
Two days later, Seto reached the top of the sand dune and looked down. "Yugi," he sighed, rubbing his temples. "How exactly are we planning to get out there?"
Yugi hurried up beside him. "Wow, I didn't know it was that nice," he said, impressed.
The castle Pegasus brought them to was the place he'd resided in after Marik and Bakura's hostile take-over. It was on the fringes of the desert, where the Nile ran through. The river grew extremely broad at this point, and actually split into two slices before joining again; or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that there was an island in the center of the river. On that island was a monstrous castle; it was made of huge stone slabs and intimidating towers. Seto couldn't see a single entrance in or out save the main gate, although logic told him there would be at least one back door.
"It's well fortified," Pegasus said, coming up to the rest of the group. Everyone was just now catching sight of the palace. "And well stocked in addition. It's far enough away from the mainland that we shouldn't have any problems."
"Except, of course, Ra, who has earned the name Winged Dragon by its amazing capability to fly over even the Nile River in order to smash the pretty dollhouse to pieces," Marik grumbled.
"How are we supposed to get out there?" Seto asked again, loudly. "I don't see any boats or bridges."
"Here's one," Pegasus shot back, waving a card in front of his nose. "Skull Mariner."
Mokuba cringed as he eyed the ghost ship Pegasus planned to Summon. Seto glared back at Pegasus. "That doesn't seem your usual kind of card," he said coolly.
"Seto Kaiba, inside that fortress are all the Duel Monster Cards," Pegasus responded tightly. "As the creator of Duel Monsters- at least the way we know it- I have nearly one of every kind of card. When preparing to make my original journey, I gathered quite a selection in addition to my deck."
Seto snorted, but inside he was wondering. What rare and powerful cards did Pegasus have that he'd never heard of? Maybe he could get his hands on some once they were inside.
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"All aboard!" Pegasus called cheerfully. Serenity sighed, partly because she was nervous. That ship looked creepy. But Joey had swung himself up onto the Skull Mariner with ease and extended a hand down to Mai. She looked at it a second, gave Joey an annoyed shove, and climbed up herself.
She started toward the ship, then looked over her shoulder to see Yugi blushing. "Is something the matter?"
Yugi looked away. "I'm going to need a boost," he muttered quietly. Serenity bit her lip to stifle a giggle. It would be rude to laugh at him. Besides, she might need a step up herself.
Ezra was trying to lift Mokuba on board, but he kept getting nervous and squirming and she nearly dropped him. This caused Seto to stride over, growling, and practically fling both of them onto the ship. Then he climbed on himself and stomped over to the bow, looking out over the water and stubbornly ignoring everyone around him. Anuba leapt up after them, licking Seto's dangling hand enthusiastically and trotting over to Ezra's side.
Marik was trying to get on, but he wasn't as graceful as the others; he had managed to throw his upper body on deck and was waving his legs comically. Bakura and Malik stood by, laughing, and not showing the slightest inclination of helping. Ryou gave both of them the dirtiest look he could muster (which was rather pitiful) and walked over kindly to help, forgetting that Marik didn't take help well: all Ryou earned was a kick in the side of the head.
Shadi and Ishizu were already on board, though no one had seen them trying to get up. "Magicians," Marik grumbled once he was finally completely on.
"Come on," Kimo spoke up, kneeling down and lacing his fingers together. "I'll give everyone a boost."
One by one, the remaining passengers stepped into his hands and onto the deck, pressing into the corners of the ship nervously (and, in Kaiba's opinion, severely pressing upon his personal space. When Yugi stumbled into him, it was only by a sharp glare on Yami's part that the short boy with the tri-colored hair didn't find himself suddenly bobbing up and down in the slowly-drifting waters.).
Skull Mariner was moving through the waters, guided by Pegasus, sitting carefully atop the bowsprit and concentrating on the card he held in his hands. His face was scrunched up in concentration, and when the ship ground to a halt upon the low rocks he nearly fell overboard. Ryou and Geoff both lost their balance and went crashing into Marik and Seto- the two people on board the ship you'd least want to knock over.
"Who's that?" Serenity asked, pushing between Joey and Shadi to stare at the castle. It looked even huger than before because it was so close, and there was a narrow cobbled path leading down from the main gate. A single figure walked down that path towards them.
"Croquet!" Duke yelled, leaning over the edge and waving enthusiastically. Tristan eyed him, and decided it wasn't worth cleaning up the mess to 'accidentally' shove him overboard. Besides, there was something about racing through a broiling desert for several days together that really bonded people. "Nice to see you again!" Duke called.
"Ah, Croquet," Pegasus sighed in relief, sliding carefully from the bowsprit and landing with a splash in the ankle-deep water. "Thank goodness I'm home safely. Please, oh please tell me there's hot water ready for my bath. I haven't been properly clean in weeks."
"Of course, Mister Pegasus," Croquet answered stoically, wearing what must have been the last pair of sunglasses left on the planet. ("How'd we miss those when we converted Ancient Egypt-style?" Marik wondered.)
"Yes, let's get ourselves rested and cleaned and well-fed," Yami spoke up. Everyone immediately fell silent. There was something about him that had changed since Ra had been reborn- a special quality that had always been present but had been enhanced by his long trials. "And then we will meet, to discuss how to defeat Ra."
"This is not going to be a pleasant vacation," Tristan immediately decided.
xXx
Servants magically appeared to deliver everyone soap, lead people to hot baths, bring them clean clothes, seat them in front of a long table piled with food, and clean up when everyone was done stuffing themselves.
"Does Pegasus live like this all the time?" Serenity whispered.
"It's amazing luxury," Duke chimed in, gazing at his idol with worshipping eyes.
"I can't believe how many servants he has," Yugi said, eyes darting around. He felt strange, having people wait on him. He'd spent the last year living in the desert, after all. Marik and Bakura simply rolled their eyes; their palace had been far better.
"Ten," Tristan said proudly.
"Twelve," Joey said smugly, patting his stomach. "Man, those rolls were good…"
"Oh yeah?" Tristan demanded. "Well, how many of those chicken wings did you eat?"
"Five."
"Six," Tristan said, leaning back and stretching. "Aaah…"
Joey frowned. "Well, I had three apples, a peach, and that other yellow thing."
"I had two of the yellow things."
Seated at the head of the table, Yami rose solemnly. Once again, silence descended abruptly. "We must discuss the future," he said quietly, but no one missed his words. "Children should leave now."
Everyone looked around at each other. Children? Invariably, everyone's eyes descended on Mokuba. The small boy bristled, preparing for an argument. "I'm staying," he said stubbornly. "I want to hear this."
"Ezra, take Mokuba to another room," Seto ordered from his place at Yami's right.
She merely arched an eyebrow at him. "Yeah, right. Like I'm going to miss this."
He sighed in irritation. "Mokuba…"
"No!"
"I'll take him," Geoff volunteered, half-rising in his seat.
"You don't have to…" Mai said, furrowing her brow.
"I don't really feel like it's my place to be here," Geoff confessed, flushing slightly.
"Of course you belong here!" Ryou said anxiously, reaching over and tugging on his shirt sleeve. "You rescued me and Malik! You deserve to have a say in our discussion!"
"Me too!" Mokuba chimed in. Geoff reluctantly retook his place.
"Mokuba, get out!" Seto said, his voice exasperated. "So we can get on with this!"
"No!"
"Out!"
"Jerk!" Mokuba stuck his tongue out at Seto and stormed out. They could hear his feet pounding on the stone floor all the way up a flight of stairs and into the large common room on the second floor.
Most of them laughed; the comic act of the brothers came as a relief after the stressful previous days. Seto slumped back in his seat, glowering. "You'll have to apologize to him later," Ezra remarked offhandedly.
Serenity, for her part, remained perfectly still and tried to be invisible- she was the next youngest, and she didn't want anyone trying to throw her out. Mai, sitting next to her, shot her a lopsided smile and Serenity breathed a sigh of relief: at least she didn't have to worry about Mai ratting her out.
"What did you have in mind, Yami?" Yugi asked anxiously, bringing the important topic 'round again as a hush descended over the room.
Yami shifted his weight from foot to foot. "Bring out the Millennium Items."
There was a pause, then Shadi seemingly pulled the Key and the Scales from midair and placed them on the table in front of him. After a nudge from Ryou, Bakura slid the Ring over his head and let it clatter onto the wooden surface. Ishizu carefully removed the Necklace and put it down reverently, letting the golden chain clink into place. Yami didn't remove his Puzzle; instead, he eyed the four Items on the table and waited.
After a long pause, inaudible grumbling emitted from Bakura and the Millennium Eye went rolling across the table. It stopped right in front of Pegasus, who looked from the engraved eyeball to Bakura and finally back up at Yami.
"And the Rod, I can only assume, is still back at Akuma," he said gravely.
Malik poked Marik in the side. "You didn't steal it back, right?" he whispered.
"Shut it," Marik ground out, grabbing his finger and bending it backwards.
"Ow!"
"Ow!"
The second cry of pain was from Marik. Ishizu fixed him with a steely glare. "Behave yourself or I'll do it again," she whispered frostily.
"Why does everyone have it out for me?" Marik moaned, but fell silent again.
Yami sighed, a drawn-out and painful sound. Seto rolled his eyes.
"Five thousand years ago," Yami said in a low voice, catching everyone's attention, "I had a council of advisors. These six priests each bore one of the Millennium Items. To defeat Ra, I will recreate this council."
When he stopped talking, everyone fell silent. After a long pause, Marik naturally spoke up. "Aren't they all dead by now? And just how do you think you can defeat Ra, anyway?"
Yami turned a cool gaze toward him, showing no sign of irritation at the interruption.
"I have a plan."