/mind to mind/

*Egyptian*

^Japanese^

&a change of perspective&

The hot desert sand skidded around Ryou's sandals. He wore a pale white robe that rustled around his ankles lightly; making him look even more ethereal and ghostly against the rich Egyptian background.

They would be here soon. Ishizu had said so, and Ishizu was not a vague person.

Ryou felt his lips curl into an unfamiliar smirk. Bakura smirked, but Ryou did not. These archeologists would not enter the room with the tablet. It was odd that Ishizu was taking it all so calmly. They had to be trouble if they inquired specifically into this matter. But no matter. They were very much mistaken if they thought that he would make it easy for them.

And then the jeeps drove up. Ryou's robe swirled with the desert sand as he watched; his face a mask of integrity.

His father...his father might be on one of those jeeps...

No. It was a rumor; likely untrue. There was no point in getting his hopes up.

And one of the men jumped out of the jeep. He was young. Must have been in his twenties.

Ryou's eyes narrowed. He did not look like an archaeologist.

He had flaming red hair in a ponytail and wore what looked like black leather. Although it made him look rather fashionable...

He must be sweating out of his skin, thought Ryou dryly. He felt the cold, polite indifference that one feels for a potential enemy.

It was not like him.

The man looked around, before widening his eyes at the sight of him and approaching.

*Hullo?* the man asked, jogging over. *Can you tell me where the Ishtar residence is?*

Ryou blinked coolly. The man spoke decent Egyptian, but it was obviously not his first language.

He did not reply. He merely observed the man with cool detachment.

The man looked uneasy. *I...uh...* He looked back to the jeep where others had climbed out, as if for some help.

Ryou's eyes scanned the newcomers. No. He did not see his father among them. Of course he wasn't there. He had known it all along.

Why, then, did it hurt so much?

Another man approached him. He was also wearing western clothes and a camera swung from where it hung around his neck. He spoke in excellent Egyptian. *Ishtar residence?*

Ryou declined to speak. His eyes swept over the group one more time before he locked eyes with the redhead.

"You are Bill, I am sorry, Mr. William Weasely?"
The other man spluttered a little to hear the perfect English, complete with an Oxford accent, coming from Ryou.

"Yes," he said tentatively. "Bill," he added automatically.

"Ishizu Ishtar requested me to escort you to the tomb as a guide," he inclined his head in the respective direction. "If you will follow me...?"
The other men came over then. They did not look like professors or archaeologists in the slightest. They wore western clothing, in what he assumed to be the height of fashion, and were the oddest assortment of people he had met, besides those at Battle City. Only the man with a camera looked normal in the slightest.

Ryou tilted his head to the side and let a scrap of his goodness surface. "Are you sure about dressing in that manner? You will overheat for certain."

"Who are you!" demanded one of the men in obvious surprise. English. Yes, the lot of them.

"He's our guide," said for-mentioned Bill Weasley, seeming to be rather astonished by the fact.

"But..." the man spluttered, "You're a child."

Ryou blinked non-commitally. He had the desperate urge to roll his eyes and say: "I've noticed that" but he held himself together and said: "I know the tombs well. Do you think the Ishtar family would let me guide if I didn't have the experience?"

He turned on his heel. "If you'll follow me please," and set off without a reply. By the scuffling behind him, they were following.

Some of them were muttering about his rudeness.

At any other time, Ryou Bakura would have felt incredibly guilty about being a little short with them, but not now. They were possible enemies...and...and...

Ryou felt a strange ache. His father wasn't here...his father wasn't coming...why did he care so much? What did it matter?

He squeezed his hands into tight fists.

Father...

&Bill Weasley&

Bill Weasley had not expected to be sent to Egypt again. He and Fleur had been getting along quite nicely, but then, Dumbledore had said that he did not have to be here long. It was a mission of the utmost importance, Dumbledore had said.

Something about this tomb was important. Bill just had to find out what.

With his experience in Egypt, and being already known - albeit vaguely - to the Ishtar clan, it was understandable why he had been the candidate. Most of the men with him were friends of Dumbledore who were not quite willing to come out into the open about it now that Dumbledore and the ministry weren't the best of friends.

Bill had had an uneasy feeling about all of this, and when he leapt off the jeep (awesome things, muggle cars) he had half-expected no one to be there.

And then - he had caught sight of a ghost. A ghost! It took a moment before he realized that it was a young boy, perhaps fifteen years old, with skin of unusual pallor, white hair, and dark eyes. Albino, he guessed.

Anyway, he was the only one here, and it was worth a try to ask him directions to the Ishtars.

Although they had said that they would meet him here, he thought a little crossly.

When the attempts at Egyptian failed, Bill was sweating (and it wasn't because of what he was wearing, he had put a cooling spell upon his clothes). His Egyptian was up to par. Why did the boy just stare at him? Was he mute?

And then, when Alfred Wiltershire came over with his ready-translation-spell and perfect pronunciation, the boy spoke ENGLISH. With an Oxford accent. The boy's unemotional tone set him on edge, and it didn't help that the boy was eyeing him with something that was closer to suspicion than curiosity.

It was nothing less than astonishing that the Ishtars had sent a child to guide them through the tomb. Or maybe the boy was just to lead them there. Yes, he had not said anything about entering the tomb.

The boy was odd, to say the least. He was quite cold, and suddenly a little concerned, before rude again. But maybe he was just having a bad day. Bill decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

After all, even mild-mannered Mr. Weasley could glare on a bad day.

The boy was probably uncomfortable with strangers. He seemed rather introverted.

Bill lengthened his stride to catch up to the strangely quick-moving teenager. They had been walking for a while in silence. Silence didn't suit him.

"What is your name?" Bill was beside him now. He tried for a polite tone.

"Ryou," said the boy lightly, omitting his last name. He paused, and then smiled at Bill suddenly. "I am sorry, I have not been very polite. I am a little anxious as my friend injured himself and could not join me in escorting you."

Bill immediately felt warmth towards the youth as he apologized. Not a ghost, Bill realized. Ryou had an incredibly innocent smile and looked like a front-page angel.

"No problem," Bill said lightly, before saying: "Ryou? That doesn't sound Egyptian."

Ryou laughed lightly, startling the wizards behind him. "It's not. I am not Egyptian by blood. I am half-Japanese."

Bill lifted his eyebrows. "The other half?"
"English," he replied, confirming Bill's suspicions. "I lived there when I was younger. First language, I believe."

"You speak many languages?" asked Alfred Wiltershire from behind them.

Ryou stiffened slightly. Alfred had probably startled him. "English, Egyptian, Japanese, and German."

Bill felt his jaw unhinge. "And you are how old?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Fifteen," said Ryou calmly. And then they were at the entrance, and Ryou paused, and hesitated before he asked: "There was supposed to be a Professor Bakura on this expedition, was there not?"

Bill paused. Dumbledore had mentioned something about a Professor Bakura, but it was very vague. Some muggle archeologist that wanted to study the tomb, but had been charmed to go at a different time.

"I...I believe he postponed the trip," said Bill.

Ryou blinked, and nodded.

"Do you know him?"

Ryou did not answer, but instead said: "Would you like to enter?" He motioned toward the entrance to the tomb.

"Isn't there supposed to be a guide?"

Ryou looked at him reproachfully, "I am your guide. I must warn you, though, this tomb is very dangerous. There are many who enter and never come out. I have had no trouble, but you mustn't lose me and get lost down there," there was a gravity to his tone that reminded Bill, oddly enough, of Lupin.

"Of course," the wizards chorused.

"Do you wish to go down now or set up camp?"

"Now is good," said Bill, stretching onto the balls of his feet. He looked with interest at this 'important tomb'. It did not look like the other tombs he had seen. A little more fancy maybe, but that didn't necesarily mean anything.

He wondered why no tourists were hovering eagerly around.

Ryou seemed to read his mind. "This site is normally closed off. The Ishtars, however have generously allowed you to proceed."

"Are you related to the Ishtars, however vaguely," asked Bill with some unknown amusement.

Ryou shuddered. "Related to the Ishtars," the white-haired boy took a great gulp of air, "now that would be a fate worse then death."