AN: Dear god finally! It took me forever to type this up, and would have taken longer if I hadn't actually decided to cut about three scenes out. So I'm going to go ahead and warn you to start expecting chapters around this length from hear on out. Also the story is starting to get a bit more mature, things like violent combat, mature language in the case of some characters and darker themes are going to happen. If it gets too bad I'll up the rating, but for now it's nothing that you'd wouldn't see in most shonen manga. Also there's now (*)'s to explain background info of references in the fic at the bottom of the page.
Contest: The next Senshi will be revealed in the next chapter this time, and they'll be our stories equivalent of Sailor Mars. So guess which Yugioh character you think fits and win a free one shot!
Disclaimer: I don't even own the computer I'm typing this on.
Kindly Ryou, Friend or Foe?
A single boy with long white hair sat in the otherwise empty school library typing away at one of the several computers circled around a wooden beam in the center of the room. The various sections of books were stacked on shelves against the back wall and rows upon rows to the right half of the room while the left acted as the computer lab, study area, and check out. The boy sat with his back to the right soft brown eyes trained on whatever work he had before him.
A pale finger reached for the enter key and a download bar appeared on the screen. With a sigh of relief he leaned back in the chair and relaxed.
"Now I just have to wait for it to finish," He echoed his thoughts out loud. He kept his eyes on the slowly filling download bar until a bright complete flashed on screen. He smiled as he hovered over the power button before pausing in consideration. He brought his fingers to the keyboard again and started the program with a few strokes. "I should make sure it actually works before I leave."
With one final click the screen went completely black. "Huh?!" He exclaimed and began to randomly press keys to try and undo whatever had just happened. A strange symbol flashed on the screen, a glowing red eye. The temperature in the room dropped a good ten degrees and the boy brought his arms up to wrap around himself. He never turned away from the eye on screen and after a few moments it actually blinked. He let out a startled gasp when the eye completely vanished symbols flashing on the screen in bright rapid flashes.
"Hieroglyphs?" He muttered to himself in recognition. He moved an alabaster hand for the keys.
"Bakura Ryou!" Somebody yelled from behind. A man who looked like he'd stepped straight out of ancient Egypt with a golden crown and everything walked through the library straight towards the teenager known as Ryou. He noticed the symbols on the computer and flashed Ryou a righteous glare. "So we were right." He approached him in sure strides, and Ryou began to feel nervous at the clear aggression in his stance.
"Show you're true self, whatever you are."
Ryou's frowned at the strange man. He seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. He backed into his chair more, not really sure what to do when the man was only a few feet away from him. He leaned too far back and it ended with him tipping the chair over and falling out. Still he drew closer and Ryou started the crawl backwards to get some distance between them. "My what? I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Ya-I mean Sailor Ra!" shouted a voice he recognized instantly. Ryou's friend Yuugi was running towards them, a strange cat sprinting at his side. "It's not him!" He called out urgently to the man in the strange uniform.
"It's the teacher!" A third male Ryou couldn't see shouted.
The man approaching him was distracted by the outbursts clearly and had turned his attention away from Ryou long enough for him to get up and start running. He didn't manage to get three steps when a sharp pain tore through his arm like a swift lightning strike. Something warm and trickled down his arm and there was a sickening metallic smell permeating the air. He screamed after he saw what looked like a spike sticking out of his bicep and the blood running down it. He stood frozen and face even paler than normal, the first person he suspected was the man who'd been threatening him, until he saw him looking just as confused as he was. A series of twisted cackles at the library entrance revealed the identity of the attacker.
A woman he recognized as a teacher with thick rimmed rectangular glasses, in an almost stereotypical get up of a button up blouse and a grey pencil skin with her hair pulled back into a bun. She looked normal, aside from the pure red skin of her right hand and her nails shaped like sharp spikes. The malicious expression on her face turned towards Ryou.
"Sorry you had to get involved in this dear," she sighed shaking her head in a mockery of regret. "But I'm afraid I just can't let you live now, you...OR ANY OF YOU!" Her voice contorted to a more deep monstrous one and Ryou could only watch as another spike fired from the monster's hand right towards him.
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The Day before Yesterday...
Yami and Yuugi slammed the door to the game shop open in their rush to get back to Mahado. Both boys were panting from the long sprint they'd just done and barely had stepped foot inside the store before they had to catch their breath. Yami was the first to look up at the cat sitting casually on the front counter staring down at an open book. Yami vaguely suspected Sugoroku who was currently nowhere to be seen had provided it. The cat raised his eyes to the two boys standing there.
"I take it you needed the pin after all?" Mahado questioned. Sounding quite pleased with himself as he did. The teenagers didn't appreciate his humor and responded with a growl from Yami and a glare from Yuugi. Mahado rolled his eyes. "I tried to warn you, did I not?"
They ceased with their attitude and walked up closer to the cat. Yami's wrist came into view and the small blood leaking through a piece of blue cloth wrapped around it. A quick observation revealed it to be a piece of sleeve torn from Yuugi's jacket. It wasn't a good long term solution to whatever injury the teen had sustained, but a clever enough temporary one. From what Mahado could tell it was the only notable wound on either of them.
Mahado tsk'd at the two. "Before we discuss anything, let's wrap that wrist properly. It won't do for the champion of the sun to die of infection will it?"
There did seem to be any objections. Yuugi lead Yami upstairs by placing a hand gently on the back of his shoulder. The touch helped the other relax and lose the tension in his upper body, which had gradually started to increase as the adrenaline from his fight wore off. Mahado trotted behind them upstairs to the living are of the building. They made their way to the guest room being occupied by Yami once they'd firmly wrapped his wrist in proper bandage doused with disinfecting balm. They took up council in the plain bedroom and sat together on the crisp white sheets of the twin bed across from the wooden dresser. Yuugi and Yami sat against the back wall on the mattress side by side, shoulder's nearly touching, and Mahado took his place in front of them.
"So, since you finally seem ready to listen ask away," Mahado stated. The guardian still was a bit tense. He might have expected something to happen and provide Yami with the wakeup call he needed, but he'd hoped it would be before any injuries could occur. He wasn't going to risk letting him go in blindly from this point on. Now that he was ready to listen and accept his fate the young man and his life were Mahado's responsibility.
"We know our grandfather's story," said Yami. "But we can't be sure how much is true unless we hear your version." They'd been identical so far, but time and translation could easily wear away at the truth. It was the best course of action to decide what they actually knew already before seeking new information.
Mahado didn't hesitate to speak. "The story is a vague version, but on the whole accurate. I can provide more specific details, especially in terms of what you will be capable of as a Senshi."
The mattress dipped as Yuugi shifted in place. "So the creature that attacked us really was from the Shadow Realm?"
"Most Likely." Hearing the obvious confirmed didn't make the uneasy feeling shared by the two fade. They'd been attacked by an otherworldly monster that had injured Yami and people had almost died, including Yuugi.
'If anything had happened...' Yami thought darkly to himself.
"She said they wanted people's life energy," Yuugi explained recalling Morga's terrifying words. "Why?"
Mahado thought, and brought a paw up to his chin. "If I had to guess I would say either to simply increase their power, or worse to try and revive Zorc." The last part was spoken more ominously and worry bloomed in his teal eyes. "No doubt the damn thief is behind this in some way."
Zorc and the Thief King, the dark monarchs of the Shadow Realm who destroyed the previous Senshi. Now they wanted to destroy Yami, and possibly everyone he cared about. Their goal wanted to completely enslave humanity if he remembered that part of the story correctly. If all of the creatures who dwelled there were like Morga, and even stronger as was most likely, then they had the power to accomplish it if they weren't stopped. Yami knew he couldn't sit back if it meant people would be hurt. Especially if it was his duty to help.
"Then I guess it's up to me to stop them," Yami said. Along with the other Senshi and this missing prince Mahado were looking for.
Yuugi visibly brightened and Mahado let his face fall into a soft smile. The feline chuckled. "So you really have come around, are you ready to face your destiny?"
"I don't know," Yami admitted. "But I can't let the Shadow Realm and its monsters go around hurting people, no matter what."
Yuugi's bright voice broke the heaviness of the moment. "You'll have us to help along the way." He pat Mahado's head for emphasis. "I know you can do it."
"Indeed," the cat agreed bemusedly. The boy certainly was optimistic. He hoped it stayed that way. They'd need a light in the plethora of darkness quickly approaching them. "With time we will discover the secrets to your gifts as a Senshi, and once we find the Prince and the others the tides will shift in our favor without question."
Yami crossed his arms. "Thank you, both of you." His voice dropped to a more foreboding tone. There was an instinctual feeling this wasn't going to go down well. "But Yuugi can't be involved."
There wasn't a long wait for a reaction from the other boy. Yuugi snapped his head in the other's direction and looked on in surprise.
"What do you mean I can't be involved?" The teen huffed his chest and balled his fists, leaning closer to Yami who refused to face him directly. His eyes narrowed at him. "I won't sit back the entire summer while you put yourself in danger! I can help, maybe not as much as a Senshi could, but I could still-"
"No!" Shouted Yami. Both boys went quiet. Yami knew it had likely hurt the other to yell at him and dismiss him like that, but it was necessary. "You're not getting involved in this and that's final. Just trust me on this Aibou."
Yuugi's body shook and he took in a breath. "You can't call me that when you're sitting here ordering me around like a child! Partners are supposed to be equal, and have respect, but you're just shutting me down for no good reason!" Yami yelling at Yuugi had been surprising, but Yuugi shouting at Yami in anger like this was so much worse. Yami was completely thrown off his guard from the normally cheerful boy's anger. He could practically feel Amethyst eyes boring into the side of his head.
Yuugi waited for the other to say something, or apologize. Yami stayed firmly in place not uttering a sound. Yuugi felt his anger growing the longer they went on in silence. This wasn't fair to him, but Yami just didn't seem to care at all. He couldn't take it anymore.
Yuugi stood up, maneuvering off the bed around Mahado and Yami. The springs shot up when his weight left the bed and Yami immediately missed the weight next to him. There was a moment where he almost faltered and asked his friend to come back, but he knew he couldn't. It was better for Yuugi to be mad at him than the alternative. Yuugi stormed to the doorway and gripped the doorknob tightly in his slender hand.
"Just because I'm not some magical warrior doesn't mean I'm weak," he growled keeping his back to them. "I'm not that small kid you had to scare bullies away from anymore!" He slammed it behind him, heavy footsteps echoing back into the room.
Yami watched his best friend storm off and leave without so much as saying a word, and it hurt. His shoulders hunched and his faces fell. It wasn't about being weak, it was about Yami promising to protect Yuugi and keeping that promise.
Meanwhile the violet feline had remained quiet during the whole ordeal watching on. It was baffling to him. Mahado stared at the door for a moment before moving across the bed and next to Yami. His tail swayed occasionally brushing against the other.
"Is there a reason you were so adamant about him not helping?" Mahado asked. Yami didn't answer. His arms were still crossed, but less in the defiant gesture it had started out as and more like a protective one now. Like his arms were shielding him from some invisible threat. Mahado dared to lean closer and tilt his head up at the teenager.
"Clearly the two of you are important to each other. Doesn't that make him an ideal ally?" He tried to be logical about it. Thinking that would be more likely to convince Yami than trying to get him to consider Yuugi's feelings about the subject.
"It's because he's important to me," Yami answered in barely a whisper. "At the jewelry store, the monster, she could control the people under her spell. They attacked Yuugi. If I hadn't transformed when I did he could have been hurt." Yami swallowed and forced himself to say the next part. "Or even killed."
Mahado nodded in understanding. That didn't mean he necessarily agreed with Yami, but chastising the boy when he was this let down would help no one. Despite his grief being his own product Yami obviously needed comfort more than scolding. That could come later. Plus, it was at least a noble sentiment to desire to keep the ones you loved safe. From what he was seeing so far, Ra had chosen well.
He considered how to comfort the boy from what he remembered about his own humanity. He put his head against the other, rubbing his furry face against his side and making a deep rumbling noise. The gesture startled the teen out of his depression, just barely.
"Mahado," he started question, "are you purring?"
"Were you not trying to get me to do this earlier?"
"Well yes," Yami admitted. He distinctly remembered the other saying he found his actions degrading however.
"Then do not question it," Mahado warned. "Nor should you expect this to occur often, this is a charity and nothing else. Now scratch my ears and we can discuss what lies in store for you."
The teen's smile returned as he reached out and placed his fingers across the cat's scalp. He rubbed them back and forth scratching lightly. The small animal purred louder and Yami had to admit it was adorable. The fact that he usually talked in a deep, serious voice made it kind of strange. He was happy for the consideration though. They sat there close to each other talking of ancient warriors and magic up until late that night when neither could keep their eyes open any longer. They fell asleep with Yami flat on his back wrapped tightly under the covers and Mahado curled on top of his chest, rising and falling with his charges breaths.
That mourning, Yami awoke feeling no better than he had the night before. His fight with Yuugi had been really bad, and he'd only been here for a day. Then again, quite a lot had happened in that day. Not wanting to think about this before he'd even had any tea or breakfast he pulled the covers off and stepped out in the same clothes he'd worn yesterday.
'Must have forgot to change before bed.'
He scooped Mahado up into his arms. The cat stretched his mouth in a large yawn, but didn't protest further. He laid content in the teenager's arms his eyelids drooped half closed. Yami carried the cat out of the room and into the kitchen to get them both some breakfast. Noticing the light in the windows, or lack of, he determined it was still pretty early. If he was lucky, Yuugi wouldn't be up yet and they could avoid an awkward encounter. He couldn't imagine Yuugi was already over the fight last night.
The gods obviously didn't favor him nearly as much as Mahado claimed.
The smell of grease filled the tiny kitchen -slash- dining area in the upper part of the Mutou residence. A pan and a mixing bowl sat in the left side of the sink, with an extra plate of toast with a fried egg on it out on the linoleum counter top. A small part of Yami hoped it was meant for him.
Yuugi sat at the table talking to another boy his age with bright white hair, both already dressed and ready to go out despite it being so early in the morning. The other boy was dressed more conservatively than Yuugi in a wool sweater and thick jeans that looked too large on the slender frame hidden beneath them. He smiled brightly at the other, with a hand up to his mouth in giddy laughter.
"You're serious?" Yuugi gave the boy a smirk, which seemed to be enough for the other to get his answer and continue to express humor at a joke Yami and Mahado hadn't heard. "That's brilliant!"
Yuugi shrugged modestly. It was heartwarming to see him acting more like the Yuugi he usually saw, and not nearly as angry as he'd been last night. He stayed silent in the entryway not wanting to interrupt the moment for as long as he could.
"It's not that impressive," he said casting his eyes down, and a blush crept up on his pale cheeks. Yuugi was blushing? Yami's fond observation became less so, and more heated at the whitette causing such a reaction.
Yuugi was probably just being shy, but he seemed so much more confident the other day. There was also a plate in front of the unknown boy littered with crumbs. He was someone Yuugi was considerate enough to make breakfast for. Or had he just been being polite? The boy and Yuugi standing up and getting ready to leave from the looks of it were enough for Yami to make his presence known. He walked out in their line of sight and picked up the plate on the counter. He'd make grandpa one after he ate if it was for him.
They looked at the newcomer and the white haired bastard actually spoke. "Oh hello there! Yuugi who's this, a relative?"
The tension in the air seemed to be felt by everyone except the boy who'd asked the question. He smiled innocently at his friend, ignorant of the growing irritation being directed at him from Yami. Mahado sensed the mood and squirmed in the single arm now supporting him as Yami briskly sat down.
"Umm no," Yuugi said. "Yami lives with my uncle, we're not related though. He's…staying for the summer." Yami had no reason to expect Yuugi not to finish that statement with 'my friend.' It's how he always introduced him to people.
'Is he really that mad at me?' Yami wondered. He unconsciously loosened his grip on the cat and Mahado jumped from his grasp and onto the table before he could fall.
"Aw what an adorable kitten," the boy said leaning down to pet Mahado. Yami was pleased that his reaction was to back away and rear back his ears with a warning hiss. His hand retreated and he gave a nervous laugh. "I guess he doesn't like me very much.
Yuugi directed a very displeased look to their companion. "He's just being prissy." There would be words about that one later.
"So who is this anyways?" Yami asked motioning to the boy. He made no move to directly address him. "I don't remember you mentioning him in any of our emails. Or grandpa either."
"We don't have to tell you everything," He snapped.
"I'm Ryou," the boy spoke up awkwardly. He finally seemed to grasp the mood in the room. "I only transferred to Domino at the start of this year, so I suppose he hasn't known me very long. That's probably why you haven't heard much of me. It's very nice to meet you." He stuck his hand out for Yami to shake.
There was credit to be given in staying polite when someone in the room was making it obvious they didn't want you there. Yami gave a simple grunt and continued to ignore him. To add insult he took a bite of his toast and went on eating as if he weren't there. That didn't earn him any favors with Yuugi.
"Don't mind him, let's go Ryou," Yuugi said grabbing Ryou's wrist. Yami stopped mid bite. It wasn't anything too intimate, but it was enough to bring out an ugly feeling in the back of his mind.
"Actually, I should probably head home," Ryou said. "I told my brother I'd be back before ten. I wouldn't want to make you and Jou leave early. You two have fun."
"Alright if you're sure," said Yuugi.
Ryou nodded and gave a friendly wave good bye to Yami before walking ahead of the shorter boy towards the stairs. Something jostled at the movement and fell out of a small pocket above the larger ones on his pants. It clicked against the floor. A USB drive by the looks of it. Mahado leaped from the table and padded over to the item before its owner could reach down to pick it up.
"No kitty please don't mess with that!" Ryou said quickly snatching it up. The cat bared its fangs and swiped at his hand. He missed by just a fraction. Yami wasn't fond of Ryou by this point, but still found Mahado's actions strange. The cat was usually so serene. Ryou yelped and held his hand close to himself. "Your kitten really hates me."
"Mahado!" Yuugi chastised. "Bad Kitty!" Mahado flinched back and if Yami weren't still a little down over his current feud with Yuugi he might have laughed at the cat's indignation. All amusement fled when Yuugi spoke to Yami with no hint of affection. "I'll be out with my friend Jounouchi all day. Grandpa already knows, he'll be up to open the shop by himself later." Ryou and Yuugi disappeared from sight and a few moments later they heard the front door open and close.
Yami pushed his plate away, not feeling so hungry anymore. "Here Mahado, you can have this." He muttered despondent. He leaned his cheek on his fist and placed his elbow on the table. The cat in question walked over and gracefully leaped up to take his previous spot standing on the table. There was something deathly serious about him now.
"As fond as I am of your moping this isn't the time."
Yami flicked the cat on the nose and smirked when it drew back with a hiss. "What are you mad at me to now?"
The cat growled and swiped his finger hard enough to leave tiny scratches. Yami took his hand back and hissed in pain at the marks. They didn't really hurt, just stung annoyingly.
"This is serious!" Mahado shouted. "Yuugi's friend might be working with the Shadow Realm.
That got Yami to straighten up. "What?"
"The USB, I sensed something dark surrounding it the moment it fell onto the floor," Mahado explained. "Once I got a closer check there was no mistaking it, the device is practically bathed in the magic of the Shadow Realm."
The news was alarming. Someone close to Yuugi, who he considered a friend was possibly an agent of the Shadow Realm. That couldn't be allowed to go on for long. Who knew how much time they had before he could make a move to hurt Yuugi once he found out who Sailor Ra was.
"We need to be sure before we act," said Yami. "We can't risk hurting him if he's innocent."
"Hurting him, or Yuugi?" said Mahado. It was a clear challenge on his judgment. Judgment the advisor was certain was clouded by his feelings for Yuugi. Yami didn't like Ryou much, he'd gathered, but he was still hesitant to hurt him because he was Yuugi's friend. That kind of sentiment was dangerous.
"Look there has to be a way we can check," Yami reasoned.
"You're avoiding my question." He pointed it out bluntly.
"That doesn't matter," Yami said more forcefully. "You said that the magic was coming from the USB? We'll get a closer look at that, download whatever's on it. I'm sure if he's one of Yuugi's friends grandpa knows where he lives."
"In the time this plan takes who knows what Ryou could accomplish!" Mahado yelled. "You're letting your emotions get in the way!"
"Damn it I said we'll look into it!" Yami shot back. He stood up and headed to leave the kitchen. "Just eat your egg and I'll get ready and ask grandpa. We can go as soon as possible. Happy?"
"I'd be happier if you would be more proactive," he said under his breath. The other left the kitchen and Mahado turned to the sunny side up egg on toast. He leaned down a puncture the yolk skin with his fangs licked the bright yellow goo that flowed out.
'By the gods I hope that boy knows what he's doing,' Mahado mused to himself.
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Yuugi arrived at the fast food restaurant after about a twenty minute walk from the game shop. It wasn't too busy being this early in the morning and that it was only the second day of summer vacation. He walked into Burger World and was met with the strong aroma of grease and french fries. He spotted Jounouchi at one of the bright colored booths and went straight for his friend.
"Hey Yuugi!" shouted Jou waving at his friend. Yuugi put on a smile for the blond in return and scooted into the booth across from him.
He was still a bit upset about his fight with Yami from the other night, and how he'd acted this morning. The jerk. That was the anger clouding his thoughts and he knew it, but he couldn't help it. It was just so hard for him to get over how he'd acted. Yuugi wanted to let it go for a little while, after all it wouldn't be fair to Jou to be upset during their time hanging out today.
"Hey are you alright?" Jounouchi asked breaking the boy out of his thoughts.
"I'm fine," he said.
"Like hell man," Jounouchi countered. The taller boy leaned back in the booth and scrutinized the other. "You're smile ain't right. Completely fake."
Yuugi cringed at how easily he'd been caught. He hadn't intended to be that obvious. He might be even more upset than he though. "Really it's no big deal." He tried his luck again. He figured the lack of eye contact was none too convincing.
"Best friend since junior high," Jounouchi stated. The unspoken 'you can't bullshit me' was heard loud and clear. "Now tell me what's wrong. I was expecting you to come in here sprouting daisies when Anzu emailed us about Yami being here for the summer."
Yuugi tried to stop the scowl that came from hearing Yami's name, and failed horribly. Of course Jou noticed. He was pretty sure anyone would have that time. Best friend or no.
"Wait, is he the reason you're down?" Jou sounded genuinely shocked by the revelation. "Really? I thought you two were thick as thieves. I mean the guy was practically your living body guard growing up."
If unintentional quips were straws, that one broke the camel's back.
"That's the problem," Yuugi said finally dropping the act completely. Alright, he was mad and he had a right to be. Why not act like it and vent a little? That's what friends were for after all. The question was how to do that without telling Jou everything. He trusted his friends, but this might be too much. Especially when you considered he and Yami had only learned about any of this less than twenty-four hours ago.
"He just, is being super over protective and it's getting on my nerves," Yuugi confessed. Jou waited for his friend to finish. "I mean I get it I used to have some problems with bullies and everything, but I'm not fragile, you know? I can take care of myself."
That was the main issue, it didn't feel like the most important one though. It was like Yami didn't trust him to be able to handle the dangers that were coming. He'd always hated being counted out, and often was because of things like his size or his good nature. Yami was pretty much the same in those areas, so what was his excuse?
"Of course you can," Jou shrugged. "Maybe that's not what it's about though." Yuugi raised a brow at his friend's response. Jou sighed. "Look Yuugi, think of it this way. With Shizuka, I know she can handle herself, she's a tough kid. She had to be the way we grew up, but I still worry about her."
"Shizuka's your little sister though," Yuugi pointed out. "Yami's not my brother, and he's literally one week older." If that came out like a whine he'd never own up to it.
Jou snickered at his friend's tone, but kept making his point. "True, but he loves you, just like I love Shizuka."
'Okay, definitely not the same kind of love, but that scary bastard would ring my neck if I said that.' Jounouchi thought.
"Anyways," said Jou. "Whatever he's doing may not be right, but I think he's doing it because he cares. Y'know? Has nothing to do with whether your weak or not."
Yuugi thought on that. Jounouchi might have a point about reasons; thankfully could always count on Jou for honesty. That didn't mean he agreed with the response, but his motivations could have been more pure than he assumed. He'd make sure he talked to Yami about it more when he got home later. He wasn't going to back down and agree to stay out of dodge, but he could work with that motivation and use it to try for a compromise at least. If Yami really did just want to protect him because he cared so much.
"I want to protect him to though, "Yuugi said out loud. Hearing himself say it was different than having it float around in the back burner of his thoughts. Heat filled his cheeks and Amethyst orbs went rounder than usual.
"Man you're blushing!" Jou said throwing his head back in laughter. "Someone still harboring a bit of a crush~?" he sing songed in a gentle tease.
"Shut up!" the short teenager squeaked. "Anyways, he was still a jerk to Ryou this morning." Yuugi quickly changed the subject not quite comfortable with where it was heading. Truthfully he wasn't too worried about his interaction with Ryou. Yami had probably just been in a poor mood from the fight, and Ryou was far too nice to hold any grudges for something that stupid.
Jou picked up on the hint, it didn't stop him from looking like a smug prick though. He wondered how long the other was going to hold this over his head. Yuugi was fully preparing himself for a whole summer of teasing from him now.
"Ryou came over to your place this morning?" Apparently his friend was in a merciful mood. Thank goodness for that.
"Yeah," Yuugi said going with the new flow of conversation. "I was going to invite him over to hang out today, but he told his brother he'd be home early."
"Geeze that douche bag?" Scoffed Jou rolling his eyes. "Between him and all the extra school stuff he pulls does he ever have time to do anything?"
"Jounouchi!" Yuugi scolded. "Ryou's just trying to help, and that extra school stuff is why his class rank is light-years above ours." It was more than a bit humbling to someone whose grades were average at best to compare with the whitette on exam days.
"Yeah, yeah," Jou waved him off. "Didn't he agree to do some summer school program though? I mean seriously."
"No," said Yuugi. "He only agreed to help the teacher in charge of it download something for it to the school computer systems I think. He's going in tomorrow morning to do it and then he's done."
"Teacher's pet," Jou mocked.
"Maybe you'd actually make above average marks if you tried it for once," Yuugi taunted playfully.
"Hey my marks are great!" Said Jou.
"Uh-huh."
The blond feigned insult and reached over the table to grab for his friend. "C'mere you snarky brat." He pulled him forward making his best attempt to put him in a headlock in their limited reach.
"Ah, Jou no!" Yuugi laughed trying to push away Jou, joining in.
"You two punks quiet down and order something or get the hell out of my store!" The morning manager shouted from behind the counter.
"Sorry!"
"Tch. Whatever."
Needless to say Jounouchi was banned from the Burger World morning shift for being a smart ass, and Yuugi for being his associate. Jou had shrugged as they were escorted out of the restaurant with a huge grin.
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"Anzu and Honda only work evening, and afternoons anyways. Also, the breakfast menu here sucks."
Dressed, and in Mahado's case bathed on account Yami refused to be trapped in the car with him while he still smelled like alley cat, they were ready to act out their plan. Yami pulled up in the red mini cooper with Mahado in the passenger to a quaint two story house with smooth white walls. Not like the shop, but an actual two stories of living space located in an upper middle class neighborhood that would have bordered on a suburb if it wasn't in the city. They noticed a large tree growing next to the side of the house and two windows on the side of the house at an easily jumpable distance.
A small Toyota was parked in the driveway signaling someone was home at least. The window closest to the front side was lifted open by a pair of pale hands and Yami spotted the edge of the sleeves from Ryou's sweater.
"See that?" He asked the cat sitting next to him.
Mahado nodded. "I think that's my best bet in. It looks like it might be Ryou's room to."
"He's also in it though," Yami pointed out. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. He turned to his partner in crime. "I'll knock on the door and ask for him. Wait off to the side and see if we can get him to leave his room first."
Mahado pushed the flash drive they'd brought forward with his tail. "And when he does, I'll be ready to climb in his room with this."
"Just be careful, if you hear someone coming or you can't find it then run," Yami opened his door and stepped out of the car. Mahado followed behind, the flash drive secure between his teeth. They gave each other a confirming look and Mahado scampered off around the corner of the house where he could still peek for a good view of the front porch.
Yami walked up to the concrete front steps of the house glancing once at the cat to make sure he was in position. After confirmation he gently pressed the doorbell and waited. He heard the footsteps coming not a few moments later. Someone was obviously already down stairs. Ryou had been in his room just moments ago, meaning someone else was obviously home with him. That complicated things indefinitely. Mahado needed to be smart about this.
The sound of the locks being undone alerted Yami and the door was pulled open none too gently. For a moment he thought it was actually Ryou who answered the door, but it quickly became obvious he was a completely different person. Where Ryou had soft and slightly poofy hair this man had wild untamed hair of the same color. His eyes seemed sterner and his face wasn't as round with more defined angles to it. A short t-shirt with blue stripes showed off more defined muscles than what Yami guessed existed on slender Ryou.
"Who the hell are you?" The man said in a gravelly voice. Definitely not the boy he'd met this morning.
"I'm a friend of Yuugi Mutou, Ryou's friend?" Yami said. The man didn't seem too impressed by that claim.
"The little pipsqueak?" The man asked rhetorically. "Figures. He and those friends of his are the only ones lame enough to actually hang out with Ryou."
Ten seconds after meeting him and Yami instinctively hated this man. If not for the unnecessarily rude comments, then for the fact he carried himself like a complete arrogant miscreant. The man looked back into the house and yelled.
"Yadonushi!" He shouted. "Someone's actually here to see you!"
"Thanks Bakura, be right there!" Ryou's voice called back from upstairs.
The man, who he now knew as Bakura, looked over Yami one last time with a distasteful look before walking away to do whatever he'd been doing before. Good riddance. Yami wasn't sure he could handle another moment with the man who'd answered the door. Luckily Ryou was quick about coming to greet his company and appeared in the doorway not a moment later.
A puzzled look crossed the teen's features. "You're Yuugi's friend aren't you? Well hello, good to meet you again." The greeting was genuinely friendly, and unexpected considering who rude he'd been to Ryou this morning.
"Yeah," Yami replied awkwardly.
"Is there something I can do for you?" He asked politely.
He hadn't actually considered what he'd say to Ryou once he answered. For one, he knew nothing about him other than he was Yuugi's friend. Well, not completely true. He knew that the guy lived with a total jack ass apparently. Hmmm.
"Who was the man who answered the door?"
The boy's face fell instantly to something akin to guilt. "He's my twin brother. Did he say something to you? I'm so sorry, Bakura isn't really a people person." Identical twins most likely, Bakura was probably more physically active from what he saw.
"I guessed that much," Yami did his best to pass it off more like a joke and less of a passive aggressive insult. The boy at least tried to humor him with a weak smile. "Didn't he call you his landlord?"
"That's, complicated," Ryou sounded uncomfortable again. Not good, he didn't need Ryou trying to rush out of conversation with him. "I hate to be frank, but I got the feeling you don't really care for me this morning. So why are you here?" Okay, so he was more aware than Yami gave him credit for. Apparently he just didn't care that Yami had been blatantly rude to him.
"I uh –"he glanced to the corner of the house where Mahado was no longer peaking from. He must already have been in Ryou's room by that point. No turning back, he said the first thing that popped into his mind. –"need advice."
"Advice?" Ryou said. "I'm not sure exactly what I could help with. I mean no offense, but I barely know you, and it's only because of Yuugi."
Mahado better be right about this. "That's what I need advice on."
"On Yuugi?" The boy parroted confused. Some realization crossed him, and Yami was actually curious to what he'd come up with concerning his fake problem. "Is it about how icy you two were this morning?"
Oh right, he actually did have a real problem with Yuugi. Of course the boy had noticed it to. Yami was starting to understand that either Ryou was quite good at reading people, or he and Yuugi were painfully obvious. Either way he was stuck in a corner with no way out. So he continued to lie with the truth.
He nodded and tapped into his actual frustration at the situation. "I couldn't go ask his other friends, so I figured you might be able to help. I made him really angry with me and I don't know how to fix it."
Ryou brought a hand to his chest and his eyes hooded in sympathy. The pale boy bit his lip between his teeth. "I'm sorry, you must care an awful lot to go to someone you don't even like for advice like this, but I don't know if I should talk about him with you behind his back like this. Yuugi's my friend after all, I can't betray his confidence."
If Ryou didn't turn out to be evil, Yami was going to feel really guilty later. He was tricking what so far seemed like a completely nice and courteous boy who was also a loyal friend to Yuugi. That was without adding how rude he'd been and that he now knew the kid had to deal with someone like that Bakura guy probably on a daily basis.
"It's Ryou right?" He pleaded. "Sorry I don't know your family name."(*)
"Oh it's Bakura," he said off handedly. "My brother hates his given name so he only goes by it. Just Ryou is fine for me, it's less confusing that way."
"Right, Ryou," Yami said. "I really care about Yuugi. We grew up together, but I moved to Tokyo about two years ago. I haven't seen him much since then except for a few small trips back to Domino and sending emails. It's really hard knowing I finally get to see him again for a while, and he's so mad at me." Yami could practically see the metaphorical walls crumbling around Ryou. Just a final push.
'I'm so sorry Aibou. I'm using this as a distraction, I know it's wrong.' He thought. Luckily if his conflict was showing in any way it probably just made him more convincing to Ryou.
"Especially with how I feel about him," Yami felt like scum the moment the words left his mouth.
"Feel about him?" Ryou questioned.
"I've, had feelings for him for years," it wasn't a total lie, and that made it worse. True, to win against a particularly steady opponent underhanded tactics could be useful. This felt like cheating though. Yami hated cheating. "I was going to tell him over the summer, I'm staying for the entire vacation, but then we had a fight and…well now I'm here."
Ryou gasped and covered his mouth. When the surprise wore off he lowered his palm and broke out into an almost dreamy look. "That's so sweet! If you really need it, I'd be happy to help you as long as it isn't too personal. What's the problem?"
So guilty.
Upstairs Mahado sat on the desk urging the stupid device to work faster. The USB had been easy to spot once he'd climbed through the window. In plain sight on the desk next to the boy's no portable computer. Luckily it was a newer one with multiple jacks to plug the USB and his own flash drive and transfer the files. Mahado wasn't the most tech savvy, but he could press a few keys with his tail and download things at least. The program hadn't actually been applied to anything yet, and was downloading rather quickly to the drive. Already at ninety percent.
Mahado waited bored and took a moment to actually take in the boy's room. It wouldn't be a surprise in the least if he actually was from the Shadow Realm. The actual room was normal. Compact with a desk, a dresser, a few shelves along the walls, and a small twin bed. It was the décor that unnerved him. Posters with occult symbols and hieroglyphs in eerie fonts decorated the walls. A DVD titled 'Cannibal Holocaust' sat about a foot away on the desk next to a few wooden figurines shaped like strangely dressed people. If the picture on the cover was anything to go by it was a disturbing film.(*) All the books on the one shelf close enough for him to make out the titles were related to either to the dark side of mysticism, or ancient Egypt.
The computer pinged with the download completed and Mahado let out a breath of relief. "Thank the gods, that mask was starting to unnerve me." He referred to the red faced mask with sharp tusks and horns protruding from it right above his bed. "I would rue having to go against an actual foe who looked anything liked that."
He pushed down the power button with his tail and removed the flash drive between his teeth. After the computer screen went black, he wrapped his tail around Ryou's USB and placed the cursed thing back on the desk where he found it. He leaped off the desk and to the bed just below his ticket out. Just as he stepped into the window he heard the door handle turn. He quickly jumped out onto the tree.
His footing was off and he landed on a much thinner branch end than intended and felt it snap beneath his feet. The cat yowled as it plummeted straight into the bushes below out of sight.
Bakura peaked his head out the window looking around outside. "Could have sword I heard something. Stupid boy needs to keep the window closed before vermin crawl their way in." He retreated followed by the window slamming shut.
"See it's as simple as that!" Ryou said cheerfully at Yami. His guest nodded along, catching the sight of Mahado peaking around the corner of the house in his periphery.
"Thanks Ryou," Yami said taken aback. The advice had actually, been good. "I should, probably go. You must be busy."
"Nonsense, never too busy to help a friend," Said Ryou. "But, if you need to be off I understand." They waved as Yami lightly jogged back to the car. "Make sure you get my email from Yuugi and tell me how it goes later!" After that Ryou retreated back into his home and Yami got into the car, leaving the door open for Mahado. The feline ran to the car once the coast was clear and crawled in through Yami's door. He hopped into the back seat, spitting out the USB.
"What happened to you?" Yami referred to the mess of the leaves clumped in the cat's fur.
"Just drive," Mahado ordered briskly.
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Yuugi arrived back home later that evening. He'd said a quick hello to grandpa before the older man had told him Yami and Mahado were working together on something upstairs. He'd headed right up, mentally preparing himself to confront his friend about their argument. Yuugi wasn't going to be the only one to say sorry, but he still needed to say it. He made his way up and checked the kitchen before determining they were probably in Yami's room.
He cracked the door open to see them sitting together staring at a laptop. Yami leaning on his hands against the mattress with his knees drawn to his chest.
"How much longer?"
"It's taking longer than it did onto the drive," Mahado said.
The hurt he'd felt earlier returned seeing them doing likely Senshi related business without him. He needed to push through if he wanted to settle things with Yami. Yuugi opened the door all the way and stepped into the room.
"Yami?"
The boy in question's head shot up at his name being called by the familiar voice.
"Yuugi."
"Can I talk to you?" he asked shaking his head in the direction of the hallway. Yami carefully left the bed so as not to disturb the laptop or Mahado.
The two shuffled into the hallway outside the bed room. Yami took up refuge next to the door, leaning on the wall, while Yuugi on the wall across from it. For a time neither knew what to say. Both had their own looks of hurt and regret in equal on their faces. Yuugi remembered Jou's interpretation of the situation and Yami could hear Ryou's words echoing through his head.
"Maybe you should try to see it from his side whatever it is. I mean how would you feel if he put you in his position? Not very good I assume. If you want to ever get anywhere you have to understand relationships are equal."
Yuugi had been right, Yami hadn't treated him like his partner. He'd gone over his head and tried to make Yuugi stay out of danger.
"Don't be afraid to say you're sorry and come up with a compromise. You don't have to bow to his side completely of course, but you both need to come out happy in the end."
The last piece was the only one he wasn't willing to try yet.
"Tell him how you feel."
"I'm sorry," both voices spoke at once. They blinked at one another before breaking out into two reluctant smiles.
"Can I go first?" Asked Yami.
"Sure."
"Aibou," Yami sighed. "Please try to understand that I wasn't saying you couldn't help as any insult to you. You're my closest friend, if anything happened to you I don't know what I'd do. I know you aren't weak, but you were almost hurt at the jewelry store. It frightened me. I didn't want that to ever happen again."
He'd said his piece and gotten out how he felt. It was a relief actually to have it out in the open. He just hoped Yuugi understood. Yami really did just want to prevent him from being at the mercy of one of the monsters again.
"I do understand," Yuugi said, "but you need to understand to." He stepped away from the wall and close to Yami. Enough so that he could reach forward and grab his wrist and hold it up. Yami had almost forgot about his bandages. "I almost got hurt, you did get hurt. It scared me to mou hitori no boku." Yami's heart soared at the nick name. It was sounding like Yuugi actually did forgive him. "I want to protect you to. You're going to be fighting monsters and who knows what else. I know I can't jump into action like a Senshi or anything, but please just let me help in my own way." He released Yami's wrist. "Don't ask me to sit back and watch you get hurt when you won't do the same."
Yami considered what he was saying. Ryou's word were there again. "Partnerships are equal."
All of the anger and pain seemed to drain from the space and the two boys reached out for each other. Arms wrapped around their bodies holding them together in a shared embrace. Both buried their faces into the other's neck. Their thick hair brushing against each other's faces. It felt nice to be able to do this again. To be close to each other with no anger or frustrations. They pulled back enough to look each other in the eyes, but kept their arms in place around them.
Yami looked into those beautiful kind eyes that belonged to the one person who had always been there for him in life, and Yuugi did the same. A heat formed between them that Yuugi was unfamiliar with and Yami was all too familiar with. Slowly they began to drift closer again into another embrace or maybe something else.
"Get in here now!" Mahado shouted from the bedroom. They pulled apart quickly and rushed back into Yami's room the moment gone in an instant. Bursting in they saw Mahado looking at the screen in a discomposed fear they didn't think their new guardian capable of.
"What is it?" Yuugi said walking forward.
"Yuugi stay back!" Mahado ordered his tail quickly pressing the power button down. "You can't look at this." Yami was getting nervous. Mahado's strange behavior couldn't mean anything positive. Whatever was on the USB was bad.
And if you followed basic logic, so was Ryou.
That night, after explaining some things to Yuugi who was adamant at first his friend couldn't possibly be anything but good, they'd gotten an explanation from Mahado. The program generated ancient symbols from Egyptian sorcery meant to weaken the minds of any normal human who saw them. It was essentially a brainwashing program to lull whoever watched it into a vegetative state while the Shadow Realm harvested their life force. If what Yuugi told them was right, the target was dozens of Japanese students signed up for summer school who would think this was an online tutoring program.
Yuugi eventually had to admit the evidence against Ryou looked bad. Yami was disappointed himself deep down, not just for Yuugi's sake either. He had actually started to sympathize with and like Ryou during their talk earlier. It might have all been a charade. So many questions rose at their discovery. Questions they intended to get answered the next morning when they confronted Ryou at school when he tried to download the program.
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The next morning they arrived at the school Mahado, Yuugi, and Yami all there to confront the boy who'd deceived two of them. Yuugi seemed forlorn at the idea of his two friends fighting, but if Ryou really was a monster trying to hurt people he couldn't stop it. He'd already made it clear he was actually happy to stay out of this fight and let Yami handle it. Mahado was trying not to dwell on it around them too much. It needed to be done or dozens of children would lose their lives.
They entered the vast school building from the main office entry, the door already unlocked for Ryou most likely. It was too early for any of the teachers to be here yet. Yami rubbed the pin on his jacket more firmly the closer they further down the starch white halls they went. The library was a straight walk through the right hallway past the front lobby to two large push doors.
"You're sure this is where he'll be?" asked Mahado.
"The library is where the program's being held," Yuugi said sadly. He looked at the doors like they lead to a funeral. In a way they did.
Yami looked down at Mahado. "What if he escapes? The main priority is to stop the program after all."
Mahado looked aghast. "I hope you are not suggesting that you are actually going to let him get away?"
"No!" Yami said quickly. If anything to prevent Yuugi from getting his hopes up. He still hadn't fully accepted his friend wasn't who he thought he was. "I mean, I never got the chance to ask this before. I any enemy gets away they'll know my face. They could come after us later right?" He thought if Yuugi heard it like this it might make it easier to accept Ryou's fate in that moment. They couldn't let Ryou escape.
Mahado wasn't going to give Yami false information to play into his trick. "Your Senshi form holds a glamour over it, people will only recognize you as Yami Sennen if you so desire it."
"Oh." So much for that. He placed a hand on Yuugi's shoulder. "Stay here with Mahado, I'll come back out when it's done. He stepped away and stood right before the doors. "Millennium prism power!" In flashes of golden light Yami vanished and Sailor Ra took his place. He crept in through the doors unnoticed by the boy they could only vaguely see from the halls.
After his friend vanished to the library Yuugi couldn't bring himself to stick around. He walked back down the halls. Mahado followed after him, looking concerned. He didn't know this one well, and while he wasn't his charge the way Yami was, he didn't like seeing him so depressed. They reached the end of the hall when a noise from behind the last classroom door caught their attention.
"Oh it's going brilliant master Pegasus!" A female voice exclaimed. Yuugi and Mahado paused. There shouldn't be any teachers this early yet. They came to an agreement without any need for words and leaned in on the door.
"The program is downloading as we speak, soon these brats shall provide their wastrel lives to the cause of the Shadow Realm."
Ryou had an accomplice? They had to warn Yami!
"The best part, I spied that little bastard Mahado. One of the boys I spotted with him must be Sailor Ra, and they think that pathetic boy I got to download it for me is responsible!" She broke out into amused laughter.
Oh gods.
They had to save Ryou!
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Back to the Present
Ryou screamed in terror as the spike came towards him. It was like one of his horror movies. He liked to watch them sure, he didn't want to be in one though. This was all a bad dream, it had to be. Any moment now he'd wake up and open his eyes. His eyes actually did open. Unsure when he'd closed them he looked to see Yuugi laying on top of him, the boy in the crown stared at them and looked worried. Ryou's gaze fell up at Yuugi who rolled off facing back at the monster who had once been a teacher.
'He must have pushed me down,' Ryou thought. 'Yuugi saved my life.'
"Ryou run!" Yuugi ordered.
Ryou wobbled when he tried standing up and the monster grinned contorting even further. Her skin turned red all over and her limbs stretch to thin, stringy muscles. Her hair became spike and deep blue and her face twisted to have tusks protrude from her lips and horn poke out of her forehead like the oni mask he kept in his room.
"You must be joking," said that one unknown voice.
The creature roared and fired more of its claws at them, the group scattering the dodge them. Ryou ran to dive under a desk, but his feet seemed to fall out from under him. He curled in on himself expecting to be pierced by one of the shrapnel like claws any second. Yuugi and the other had dived in different directions this time, there'd be no one to save him. He heard Yuugi and the mystery pharaoh man scream his name. It was nice they were worried about him he guessed.
'Maybe this time when I open my eyes Amane and mother will be there,' he thought grimly.
None of it ever came. The bright light at the end of the tunnel and dead relatives were absent when his eyes opened. What he did see were glowing bright blue hieroglyphs surrounding him in a dome of sorts, the claw floating between them like they were some sort of barrier. Ryou sat there in shock.
"It can't be! Another one!" shouted the monster in rage.
Mahado stared at the boy from his place a few meters away to his left. A spike he'd barely dodge between them. He'd seen the barrier of words rise around the boy to protect him, and now watched as the flickered out. A better look at Ryou let him take notice of a glowing symbol on his forehead. The head of an ibis.
"Sailor Ra!" Shouted Mahado. "Keep her busy!"
Yami set Yuugi down from where he'd grabbed the boy to dodge the spikes headed towards them. "Stay here." He ordered before running forward at her.
She screamed at him in rage raising her non-spiked arm as it molded into a scythe. She swung down at him, and Yami side stepped out of the way. His reflexes increased ever since his powers discover he managed to deliver a strong kick to the side knocking her off balance. She tried to use her own falling momentum to swing low at his legs. Yami jumped over the attack, landing on top of the bladed arm and pushing back off of it to flip a few meters away. She fell to the ground with a thud.
"You insolent little brat! The shadows will feast on your soul upon your death!" she yelled rushing up to run at him again.
"You'll have to actually hit me first," he challenged and readied for her next attack.
'My aim with the crown isn't good enough to hit her moving yet, and I can't keep this up forever,' he thought. 'Mahado whatever you're doing please hurry.'
Mahado scampered over to Ryou while she was distracted by Yami and nuzzled against the boy's leg to draw his attention away from the fight. He eeped at the sudden touch during the tense moment. He finally noticed Mahado tilting his head in confusion.
"Yuugi's cat?"
"Ryou I know this may be a shock to you," Mahado spoke. "But you have the power to help Yami fight that monster attacking us."
"Yami?" He questioned. He did a double take at him fighting the monster, the illusion shattered the second he was told the truth. "That really is him!"
Mahado might question how he found that more surprising than the talking cat, but then again he'd seen the things this boy kept in his room. There were also more dire matters at hand. Creating the same motions with his hand as when he'd made Yami's pin appear, in a flash of blue a pen of the same color appeared with a golden cap. A ring protruded from the cap, and in the ring a golden ibis head. He wrapped his tail around the pen and lobbed it at Ryou. The boy caught it on reflex.
"Ryou hold it up and shout Thoth power!" Mahado ordered urgently.
Yami was struggling in the battle, her scythe hand being blocked by the golden bracelet on his injured wrist. She quickly raised it back up and brought it back down in quick secession. The force knocked Yami onto the ground despite his wrist band blocking it again. Yuugi meanwhile scrambled to one of the computer desks and ripped a keyboard from the jack. Just as she raised her blade to slash into Yami the keyboard came flying at her and hit her square in the face.
She growled at the boy and raised her other hand. The spikes regrew that had already been fired and she fired a new round straight at Yuugi who barely had time to jump out of the way and dodge. One of the spikes just barely scrape against his shoulder creating a small cut.
"Yuugi!" cried Yami in fear. He pushed himself up to run at her again. "Leave his alone!" She delivered a swift kick to his abdomen and the boy howled in pain.
Ryou's eyes widened. His friends were in danger, and he had the power to save them. He gripped the pen in his hand tightly and held it high above his head. "I won't let you hurt them! Thoth power!"
A bright light filled the room, pale blue instead of the gold during Yami's transformation. On instinct Ryou flung the pen in a swirling and then circular pattern and the light wrapped around his body. It flung away from him in a quick flash and his old clothes had vanished leaving behind his own Senshi uniform. It was longer than Yami's robes, but more loos and flowing hanging off his shoulders with longer sleeves, but the same slippers adorned his feet silver anklets a few inches above them. A silver bands wrapped around his neck and waist, but not his wrists unlike Yami. The hems of the sleeves and bottom of the robes were a pale icy blue like the crystal in the center of the diadem that formed around his head.
Ryou stood before them as a Senshi and glared at the monster. "Leave them alone!"
The red beast looked at him with disdain. "I was right, there are two of them! Damn it, as if one wasn't annoying enough." A sadistic grin took her features as she stared down at Yami doubled over in pain still. She stomped her foot down on his back bringing him to the floor. She pressed down on his spine reveling in his pained grunts.
Yuugi stepped forward ready to run forward to help. "Yuugi no!" Mahado said. "Let Ryou handle this."
Ryou raised his hands, determined to save the other Senshi he uttered the words without knowing where they even came from. "Thoth sphere mist!" Glowing orbs of light appeared all around Ryou each with Hieroglyphs shining in the center. He pushed his hands towards the monster and fired. It didn't seem to damage her much, but the impact flung her back and forced off of Yami. She hit the wall, but braced herself on it to stay upright. Where the spheres had hit mist began to fill the room affecting everyone's line of sight.
"What is this?!" she shouted looking around frantically. There was no sign of either of the Senshi much to her annoyance. The brat was playing hide and seek in the fog with her. She didn't have time for any stupid games. "Show yourself you little cowards!"
"Alright," said a whisper behind her.
She turned quickly to see the white haired boy standing there in plain sight palms splayed over his chest. "Ha! So much for the god of wisdom, so long Sailor Thoth!" She brought down her scythe through the boy slicing him in half. The blood and feel of flesh tearing never came though, instead she phased through him and he faded away. A floating symbol of an ibis head stood in his place and shattered. "A-an illusion?"
"Millennium crown magic!" The voice was unmistakable as Sailor Ra, and the whirl of energy being flung her way not long after.
She never had the chance to turn and see the golden disk of light coming her way, but had just enough time to shout in despair at her imminent death. "NOOOOO!" It hit slicing through her body and burning it up in a flare of the sun's purest light all at one. Her body crumbling to ash after it was split in two.
After the monster crumbled the mist in the library began to fade. The two Senshi stood side by side, victorious. Mahado and Yuugi rushed over from their place at the sidelines to reach the two. Ryou was amazed, he'd just helped defeat a powerful monster and fought alongside a mystical warrior. Which apparently he also was. Yami turned to him and shot him a smile.
"You did well Ryou," the whitette felt bashful at the compliment.
"You saved Yami!" Yuugi said pulling his friend into a quick hug. "Thank you."
Ryou would have returned it, if not for the searing pain it caused. He flinched and gave a yelp. The wound in his arm had been irritated by his friend's embrace. He'd nearly forgotten about it in the heat of the moment. Yuugi flung himself back when he realized it.
"I'm sorry," he apologized.
Ryou gripped the wound trying to gain some relief in putting pressure on it. "Don't apologize. It just hurts, I should probably get to a hospital."
"That might not bode well," Mahado said. The cat had a point, they already would have to erase to program from the school system and clean up the ashes of the monster before anyone came in. A hospital trip with an unexplained stab wound would complicate things.
'We can't just not do anything though,' Yami thought.
It was partially their fault Ryou was in pain. If they hadn't been busy blaming him they could have protected him more efficiently. Plus, Ryou had saved them in the end despite that. Yami placed a hand on the wound to help Ryou put pressure on it. The bleeding had all but stopped, but dried blood still covered he boys arm from before.
"It's not your fault," Ryou tried to assure him.
Somehow Yami had a hard time believing that. They all were given a surprise when Yami's hand started to glow on the wound. The eye of Horus appearing on the back of his hand. The light covered Ryou's wound and then vanished leaving only clear pale skin and the dried remnants of the blood he'd shed.
"You healed me?" Ryou said astounded. "Thank you."
Yami lowered his hand from the other's arm and clapped Ryou on the shoulder. "Welcome to the Senshi, Sailor Thoth."
Mahado watched the scene unfold as Yuugi joined in the conversation expressing excitement over Yami's new power. The three boys started conversing and explaining all they could to Ryou without his help while the newest Senshi absorbed the information delightfully. He seemed excited by his twist in fate at least. Much less skeptical than Yami. Thank the gods for small favors. His list of charges were growing quickly, and so would the list of dangers soon he was sure.
The group looked so relieved and were enjoying each other's company from where he sat just a few meters off. So, at least it wouldn't be all darkness in the days ahead. Yes, would be plenty of light to guide them through the abyss they were quickly approaching.
There was one thing troubling Mahado however. 'I sensed a great darkness in that home. Was it all really from the program?' He shook off his worries for now. Ryou was an ally that much was obvious, so it must have. The two attacks so soon after the other had clearly put him on edge. He hoped.
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Bakura sat at his computer desk, his room incredibly plain compared to the freak fest his brother enjoyed. It had its own share of ancient historical books on the shelves, but he was smart enough to hide the occult stuff out of sight. Aside from that and a strange golden item that resembled a dream catcher hanging above his room, there weren't many astounding traits about it.
Instead of on his computer, he led a floating orb mad of black and violet energy swirling between his hands. The image of a man with long pale hair reflected in the orb and Bakura shot the man a twisted smirk. The other was clearly unamused.
"So you failed again did you?" Bakura mocked. "Careful Pegasus, or our dear king will have you replaced."
Pegasus shot the other a glare. "Humph, I don't see how you have any right to talk, you're just a simple little spy after all."
Bakura shrugged. "Not for much longer. I seem to have impressed someone, apparently I should expect to be your equal very soon."
Pegasus didn't seem much happier at the news. He sipped the wine in his hand and waved the boy off. "Not sound decision if you ask me, but who am I to question his highness? Regardless, my next plan won't fail for sure. This time, I'm over seeing it personally instead of letting some incompetent lackey ruin everything."
"Be careful Pegasus not to underestimate the Senshi," Bakura warned playfully. "You play with fire and you might get burned." He clapped his hands together, bursting the orb between them, the shadows flying out around him in wisps before fading away. That fool would be out of the way soon enough most likely.
A grin covered his pale features and his eyes fell to a picture on the desk of two small boys with snow white hair, hands interwoven. "You may be of some use to me yet, dear brother."
(*)In Japan it's considered rude to call someone you don't know by their first name unless they personally prefer it that way. Even among friends some people still prefer their family name over their given name. An example of this is Jounouchi, who's first name is actually Katsuya. It's also rude to not use honorifics, but I know a lot of English readers find them tedious so I opted out of using them.
(*)This is a reference to the abridged series Yami Bakura who claims Cannibal Holocaust is his favorite movie. It's an extremely violent cult classic banned in several countries. Since I cut out the scene where Mahado goes into Bakura's room I put it in Ryou's room to keep the reference. In the manga Ryou is very interested in things related to the dark arts, the occult, and horror genre along with role playing games so I reflected this in his room.
Episode 3 Preview: Yami goes to mall with Yuugi and his friends and Ryou takes Mahado to an exhibit on ancient Egypt at a local museum where they meet the department's head, a woman with unusual psychic powers. Rumors of a cursed bus surface, and both Senshi will end up on a far more deadly trip than they planned that day. Meanwhile midst the chaos a new Senshi reveals themselves.