DIS: Thank you to everyone for your feedback. It helped immensely. Thanks especially to Sakura Takanouchi and MagykTales for your in depth critique and suggestions, as always. Now, enjoy chapter seven, which is probably the longest chapter I've ever written for a story.
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The Fairest Lady: Chapter Seven
Mai sat in front of the silver goblet, trembling. Setting up the ritual had been tiring and she knew that she should not have sacrificed that blood, no matter how little it had been. Everything had gone wrong. Before the summoning spell for her djinn, she had done a spell to make certain that her brother's fiancée was dead. As it was, the woman was quite alive. She had been able to feel her life force in the Forest of Dim. It had been a bit weak, as if she were ill, but that did not change the fact that she was alive. Not only was Anzu alive, but Mai had still not recovered from the complex spell to send the djinn out of its quarters. This both frightened and worried her.
I did it perfectly, she assured herself, shivering from a nonexistent cold. She pulled her fluffy robe around her more securely, staring down at the goblet and her reflection. She was not her usual, beautiful self. She had been unable to keep food down since performing the spell so that she was now unhealthily thin and her skin was a sickly gray. She had violet shadows beneath her eyes from the lack of sleep; she had only been able to toss and turn restlessly in bed, barely getting an hour of sleep each night. In the day, she would remain awake, vomiting nothing and having more and more blankets piled up on her even though her skin was feverish. I should not be affected this way.
The djinn rose up, his usual blank expression twisted into an expression that she did not recognize. Hesitantly, he said, "I am at your service, princess..." She waved at him dismissively. "You are ill."
"Which is only one of the reasons I have summoned you. My fever only recently broke today. Today, djinn! I have not been able to get out of bed since performing that spell and I still cannot keep anything down. I am still cold, yet my skin is hot. What went wrong? I followed each step, used the precise ingredients, and I gave the right amount of blood. What happened? I should have been weak, yes, but it was not expected that I fall ill." The djinn said nothing, staring at her with a perplexed expression. "And, along with that, you did not dispose of the girl as I commanded! It was a useless attempt! I am suffering for no reason!"
"Princess...I deposited her in the Forest of Dim as you requested, deep enough so that no one would find her. There were no human inhabitants that I could sense. She should have been attacked by the animals."
"Well, she is alive, djinn. Nothing went as I intended. I cannot stand this...That bastard Bakura must have found her. That does not explain why he would keep her alive, though. Surely he knows that she is Yami's fiancée? Why would she remain alive, then? He should hate her, want to kill her, just as he did with the others so near my brother." She huddled against herself as she crouched near the goblet, her eyes darting around a bit wildly. "I hate this...No one even cares that I am sick. They're all so focused on Anzu because of Yami. Not even the servants care. All they talk about is, 'Oh, poor Yami, losing his fiancée.'" Angry tears spilled from her eyes, leaking down her cheeks. "I shouldn't be surprised. No one's ever cared for me since Yami was born anyway..."
"...Princess..." The djinn was clearly at a lost of what to do. He hovered uncertainly above the goblet, watching as she shoved her face in her hands, sobbing quietly. Mai rarely, if ever, cried, let alone at the treatment of others towards her. She was accustomed to being ignored by people. She felt so weak and defeated at that moment, though. Even though she was still the most beautiful woman in Kraion, Anzu was alive and could reclaim that title and what did beauty get her in the end? Nothing. Not even her magic got her anything. People feared her magic and the fear fostered resentment.
"It's not fair," she moaned, pushing her hands up into her tangled hair, clutching at it. "I've worked for this. I gave my own blood to get to this point and it didn't even fall into place like it was supposed to. Now I'm even more miserable because I will have worked for nothing if they go into the forest and find her." She continued to cry for a moment, frustrated and, admittedly, wounded by how lost and lonely she was. When she fell silent, the djinn knelt, peering down to see her face. She abruptly swung her face up, an exhausted expression on her face. "When I get better, I need to devise a plan to make it so that Anzu cannot ever get into Kraion, to make it so that she cannot leave the Forest of Dim even if she manages to escape the animals and Bakura."
"Both?" the djinn asked, alarmed. "Princess, I would reconsider. If that spell took this much out of you – "
"Shut up!" She snapped, getting to her feet weakly. "I don't care what illnesses I have to go through to get what I want. Yami will only feel a quarter of the suffering that I have experienced in my life. I want him to feel it, even if it is only that much. He will not get his fiancée back, not if I cannot have my father back, not if I cannot have my rightful place on the throne of Kraion, not if some heathen girl is considered more beautiful than me. You will help me, djinn."
"I live to serve, princess," he murmured after a slight pause, bowing his head. Her hard expression softened and she reached out, running a hand over the angular face of the djinn. To her, it did not matter if he was ugly. He remained faithful to her, the closest thing she had to a friend. And the worry he had expressed on her behalf warmed her heart.
"I know that you will never betray me, my djinn," she murmured, leaning down and resting her cheek on the top of his smooth, bald head. "I trust you far more than anyone else." She pressed her dry, chapped lips to his head briefly. Mai withdrew and saw that there was a sad, reluctant look in his eyes. He did not approve of what she was going to do when she became well again, but would obey her if it made her happy. And, even though she did not look at all lovely, his eyes did not look at her outward appearance, but her soul. As battered and trashed as it was from neglect and her own misdeeds, it was a beautiful soul. It was a pity nobody else could see that. "I shall give you my plans soon."
"Very well." He drifted back into the goblet and she blew out the candles.
X
Seto stared down at the bed, with an utterly detached expression. Behind him, Malik was in the doorway, his shoulder resting against the doorframe as he surveyed him. Bakura was on the other side of the bed, watching Seto's face. Unfortunately, the other sorcerer's face revealed nothing of what he was thinking. Contrary to what he had believed, Seto had not returned to the cottage immediately after finding Anzu's location for Bakura. Bakura had waited for Seto's return in Malik's bedroom, irritated. They had done what they could for the infection of Anzu's foot, but their arts focused on making such things worse, not better. Whatever bits and pieces they had needed to know had been forgotten in the time they had been in the Forest of Dim.
As soon as Seto arrived, he came to the bedroom as if suspecting something of being wrong. He had strange plants in his hands, which he later explained were for her cuts that he had expected Anzu to have. After taking care of her wounds from the mountain lion's attack, he had stood and looked at Anzu lying prone on the bed. That had been a bit over five minutes ago and he was still in the same position.
Bakura did not really care if the girl died or not; her life meant very little to him. However, she was rather integral to his current plan to torture Yami and if she died, he could hardly use her and he simply did not agree with that. He disliked surprises. He could always use her body as a puppet after she died. His knowledge of the Dark Arts allowed that. He was not sure it would be as convincing and he wanted to see her cry for her idiot fiancée. Dead people could not cry.
"I weary of watching you just stare at her," Malik broke the quiet in a bored tone. "Are you going to just watch her die or are you actually going to do something, Seto? She's sounding and looking worse than when Bakura brought her in."
That, in fact, was quite true. Anzu had been a bit restless and her hands had been twitching when Bakura brought her in, but she was now in a much worse state. There was a clear sheen of sweat on her face and her skin, a healthy peach colour, had turned a ghastly shade of gray. While she had been breathing regularly earlier, she was now breathing in wheezing breaths. Even Bakura could see that the infection was spreading fast.
"I would suggest, then, that you both leave the room," Seto told them.
"What for?" Bakura demanded.
"Have you seen her foot?" Seto questioned, pointing to Anzu's foot. "Her skin on and around the infection has turned black. I will have to cut that off, extract the pus that's forming beneath the layer and suck out the poison of the infection." Seto's face indicated that he was not looking forward to that part of the operation. "In fact, Bakura, if I didn't think you would mess it up somehow, I would have you do it. I'm sure you could stomach it, after all." Bakura snorted in response.
"Whatever, just get to it before she dies." Bakura walked around the bed and then paused, a thoughtful expression on his face. "You can cut off her foot instead, if you like. I wouldn't mind that. She would be less likely to go run off again." Seto stared at him coldly.
"No. Regardless of what you may think, Bakura, I am not as sadistic as you or Malik. I would rather try to cure her than amputate her." Bakura shrugged at this and then left the room, passing Malik. Seto frowned as Malik stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. "I told you to leave."
"I'm interested to see how this works. I won't be in the way, I just want to watch." Seto eyed him and then turned away, shrugging off his robes and then pushing his sleeves up to begin his work. Malik moved to the place Bakura had been a moment ago, crossing his arms over his chest and sitting back to watch.
Anzu sat up as sunlight danced across her eyes, blinking against the bright light. When she was regaining her eyesight, a hand touched her face and she jerked away from it, startled. A low, amused chuckle sounded from her side and she turned to see Yami bending over, one hand braced on the bed. For a moment, she was disoriented, confused as to what was going on. "Yami...? What's happened?" She darted a quick look around her, seeing that she was in her own chambers, that everything was as it should be. Had she dreamed of Bakura, of Malik and Seto? Had it all been a terrible nightmare? "I was...fighting a mountain lion."
"Were you?" Yami asked interestedly, settling on the bed beside her. "Where did you get such a bizarre and violent dream, Anzu?" She hesitated.
"I think this is a dream, Yami. Dreams can't be as real as that one was. I dreamt that Bakura was in the Forest of Dim and he wanted to use me against you and – " His frown made her stop. Still unsure of whether she was dreaming or not, she knew that expression of his meant that the topic they were discussing was too personal for his liking. After a pause, she said softly, "I couldn't get to you, Yami, and I missed you so much." His face softened and this time when he touched her face, she did not move back, but raised a hand to hold onto his, feeling tears pour down her cheeks. "I was so frightened that I would never get back to you. I don't even know if I really am here or if it's all in my head."
"Don't cry," he murmured, shifting so that he could pull her up to him. She circled her arms around his waist and cried, hiding her face against his neck. She could not remember ever taking comfort in Yami's arms, let alone crying in front of him. His hands moved over her back, stroking it comfortingly. "It was all a dream, Anzu. Just a dream. You're here with me now." He pulled her from him, holding her afar so that she met his gaze. "Alright? Nothing can keep you from me, you know that. I promise you." Anzu managed a watery smile, sniffling. He wiped her tears and cupped her face.
"Alright," she whispered brokenly. "But...Yami? How come Shizuka didn't wake me up?"
He sighed, releasing her, and said, "I had a dream about you. It was very odd. I wanted to make sure you were here, that you were okay. And you are...Just as I thought. It's so strange, because I dreamt of Bakura, too. He broke into your room and stole you from me. He wasn't in the Forest of Dim, though, but he lived in Hoshäi. Is that not remarkable?" Yami smiled at her, seeing her worried expression. "Don't look so troubled, Anzu. We both had dreams. It's mere coincidence."
"But what if it isn't? What if it's not just a dream? What if this is the dream, Yami?"
"Nonsense. This is real. I know."
Hysteria was building in Anzu's chest and she lurched forward, grabbing his shoulders. She could see that she had startled him by the slight widening of his eyes. "But what if it isn't?! I feel like I'm losing my mind, Yami! If I can't tell a dream from reality, if that line is blurred, how am I to know when I'm living my own life or a dream life? I'll...I'll be living two lives and – "
"Anzu," he murmured, gently removing her hands from his shoulders, interrupting her before she became hysterical. "I assure you that we are living in the real world." He took her hands and kissed them. She could feel the softness of his lips, the brush of a kiss on her cool hands. "I am proof enough. You can feel me, can't you, just as I can feel you?" She nodded and he leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers briefly. She closed her eyes, sighing in relief. "You had a nightmare, albeit a terrible one."
"And if the nightmare was real?"
"I would hope nothing like that would happen to you," he said seriously, drawing back a bit. She felt a sudden need to connect with him, to know that this was her fiancé that she was gazing at and he was made of flesh and not mist that her mind had created. She blinked blearily, feeling tears in her eyes again. "Anzu, hush...There is no need to cry." She felt his breath pass over her lips and shivered, leaning into him, feeling his lips touch hers. She collapsed against him, thankful for his arms that gathered her, pulling her against his chest. But as he did, she felt a terrible pain in her foot and pulled away, screaming. And when she opened her eyes, it was dark, full of black nothingness. She knew then that the nightmare was real, that the nightmare was what her life had become in the matter of only a few days.
Anzu was sobbing, moaning in agony. She did not dare open her eyes. If she saw Yami sitting beside her she truly would know that she was going mad. There was a hand on her leg, an unfamiliar hand. She only then realized that her leg had been thrashing, trying to throw off the pain in her foot. Only then did she open her eyes, blinking back the tears. It was not Yami whose hand was on her leg, nor Bakura's. There were no kind eyes, no mocking eyes, but a calm, azure gaze that settled on her face as she stared back at the sorcerer; it was Seto who was kneeling next to the bed. "Your foot is not completely bandaged," he told her. She stilled, trembling a bit, as he wrapped bandages over her foot. She noticed they were coated with some kind of plant, no doubt to help the infection.
She flinched as a cool, smooth hand settled on her forehead. "Her fever is almost completely gone," she heard Malik's dulcet tones above her. "Commendable, Seto. Nice to see that you fixed Bakura's tool." Seto snorted in response. Anzu raised her eyes to Malik's face as he withdrew his hand. He bent over her, his blonde hair hanging over his shoulders. His face looked so handsome and trustworthy. She wished he had never told her that he was even eviler than Bakura. She would have preferred to be oblivious and continue liking him; however, she could not say that she hated him. He was impossible to hate, it seemed. "How are you feeling?" He murmured, bracing a hand against the wall. "You seemed like you were having a nightmare when you were unconscious. Gave Seto a lot of trouble."
No, this is the nightmare! She howled in her mind. "My foot hurts," she whimpered feebly.
"Blame yourself," Seto grunted from the end of the bed. "You were the one who decided to run off in filthy moccasins. Not to mention you had already ruined your bandages by running around outside without any shoes on and then decided to trek in the forest and sweat some more dirt into the wound. Consider how much dirt you caked onto your wound. It's no wonder it was as infected as it was." She stared at him, wounded by his blunt words. If he noticed her stare, he gave no indication of it.
"He isn't wrong," Malik told her. "You should have known better, even if you did want to get away from three murdering sorcerers." Seto shot him a mutinous stare. "Two murdering sorcerers, sorry," he corrected with a roll of his eyes. "I have no reason to kill you, Anzu. Maybe steal your virginity, but not kill. Bakura wants you alive, but that's it. All you need is a heartbeat for him. He'll maim you if he feels like it. Seto doesn't give a shit either way. Compared to those animals out there, who take one look at you and think, 'Food,' you're much safer here. Remember that the next time you feel like running off to Kraion." Anzu wanted to cry but her entire body was so sore that she could not summon the energy to rouse any tears. Why did he have to be so brutally honest? She didn't want to know any of that.
"Stop scaring her, Malik. I'm not in the mood to deal with a sniveling princess."
Malik shrugged, smiling pleasantly and then leaned down, pressing his lips to Anzu's forehead. She blinked at the affectionate gesture. "Try not to piss Seto off, eh?" He withdrew from the bed and rounded it to approach the door. "And try not to be too much of a dick, Seto," he added as an afterthought before leaving the room, the door shutting quietly behind him.
The room had become silent after Malik's departure. Anzu did not dare look to the end of the bed to see the sorcerer's careful ministrations, staring up at the ceiling fixedly. With such an intimidating expression, Anzu did not like to think of him capable of being kind. Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, she slowly drew her eyes down to stare at Seto's bowed head. If he felt her gaze, he did not say so. Biting her lip, she watched as he continued to wrap her foot, keeping her foot in position with a hand on her ankle, his long fingers curling around.
"H-how bad was it?" She asked timidly.
"The entire bottom of your foot was black and the infection had been spreading throughout your body. You're lucky Bakura got to you when he did or else you would have died," he replied steadily. He raised his head, his dark eyes meeting hers through the fringe of brown hair that flopped onto his forehead. "Be grateful that I was here or else you would be dead. Bakura and Malik have near to no magical abilities outside the Dark Arts. The magic that Bakura does know outside his Dark Arts is hardly helpful in a situation such as this. He wanted to amputate your foot. Malik knows of more powerful healing magic than I do, but does not know how to perform it. He has tried using it on himself, but his magic is far too corrupted for the spells to get right. The only healing he can use is basic healing potions, which goes for the same as Bakura. However, I only experimented in the Dark Arts and was not given the chance to get as involved as Bakura, let alone Malik. I know more when it comes to magic outside the Dark Arts."
"...Thank you," she said in a low voice after the initial shock of having almost lost her foot subsided. He ignored her thanks, turning back to her foot to tie the bandage just tight enough to keep it from coming undone. "I am grateful." Her tongue darted out to wet her dry lips and she continued, "I had not known it could get that bad." Seto rose to his feet and collected the extra bandages, tucking them in the pockets of his robes. He stared out the window for a moment, a thoughtful look crossing his face.
"I have a proposition for you, princess," he said musingly, turning to face her. Anzu cast him a startled look. "I assure you that it is nothing heinous or of an intimate matter." She wondered how he could keep a straight face when saying that last part. She blushed at the mere idea of doing anything intimate with him of all people. "I may be willing to help you return to Kraion if you are, in fact, Yami's fiancée."
Surprised, Anzu asked him, "Are you a friend of his?"
His face twisted into a sour expression, one that clearly indicated he was never and would never be such a thing. She regretted asking. "No. I detest Yami only a bit less than Bakura. This has nothing to do whether I am friends with the prince or not, but my own safety. Yami has certain...ways with people that I cannot claim any of us except for Malik have. While Malik charms people and works his way into their head, playing on what he believes they want or need, Yami uses his so-called noble, courageous character to get him what he wants. He's an overprotective idiot that, if something – or someone – was stolen from him, he would do anything to get it back, especially if he knew where that thing was. If Yami were to know that you were in the Forest of Dim, he could do any number of things to get you back, all of which involve disturbing my peaceful living."
"Such as...?"
"If I know Yami – and I do, from stories and personal experience – the first action he is sure to take after he realizes where you are is to gather sorcerers. Kraion has near to none, let alone the kingdoms around it, so he will turn to the kingdom that breeds sorcerers and sorceresses – Hoshäi. He could get a few from there, as reluctant as they may be, and if they find our stronghold here, it could complicate things for me. Bakura could not win against them and as much as I loathe to admit it, I most certainly would not. Malik would be able to, but he can't fight them and protect us at the same time. It's not possible."
"So this is all just a selfish reason for you to save yourself!" Anzu said, sickened.
"Not entirely selfish," he answered carelessly. "I told you that Bakura would die, too. Mind you, as soon as Bakura falls, Malik will run. I have no illusions of friendship with either of those two. Their ties to each other are stronger than I have to either of them. I am allies with them, not friends. Do not mistake that, princess." He paused for a moment and then continued, "Both Malik and Bakura know of my selfish manner. Malik doesn't care what I do, but Bakura does, which is why I expect he has not been eager to leave me alone with you for very long. I am willing to return you wherever you wish in order to keep things quiet here."
"And you want nothing of me?" She questioned, simply to clarify things.
"Nothing," he agreed. "But I am curious of two things."
"Alright...Ask, then."
"Since you have not disagreed with me, am I to assume that Yami is your fiancé?"
"Yes," she answered softly.
"Then...Does he love you and you, him?" Her head shot up in surprise. His expression and demeanor remained unchanged, as if he had asked nothing more than what kingdom she was from. "It is a reasonable question," he said to her expression. "If Yami loves you, he may have already taken that step I mentioned to contact Hoshäi. It is one thing when you are a childhood friend or an ex-fiancée and an entirely different thing when he is in love with you and wants to marry you. It is even more complicating if you love him and he knows it." Seto's voice never changed, confident in his logic. She admired him for that. He never lost his calm, no matter what the topic of conversation, no matter what the circumstances.
Averting her gaze, feeling her cheeks warm, she murmured, "He doesn't know that I love him, but I do." Remembering her dream, she wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes against the stinging of tears behind her eyes. "I miss him."
"I can imagine that," was his mild answer. She opened her eyes to look at him. "Everyone does bad things for a reason, princess, and I am no different, nor are Malik or Bakura." There was something on Seto's face that made him seem human. She identified it as grief, but the reasons were hidden from her as he turned his head so that she could only see his profile. She did not remove her gaze, though, suddenly realizing that the stoic nature Seto held was all to dull his painful emotions. She wished she could help him, but a part of Seto's sentence came to her, causing her to blink in disbelief.
"But Bakura is...horrid."
"He has his reasons – or so I am told by Malik." Seto moved towards the door and tilted his head back to look at her. "Once your foot has time to heal, I'll take you to Kraion. This is to be between you and me only." She nodded, assuring him that she understood. Satisfied, he turned back to the door and left her in the room by herself, alone, save for her thoughts.
Seto could hear Bakura and Malik talking quietly downstairs as soon as he stepped out of the bedroom. He was not surprised that it was Malik's voice that seemed to hold a soothing quality to it, as if he was trying to calm a temper. He did not immediately attend to the two dark sorcerers, standing in the corridor with a pensive expression on his face. He could tell that Anzu was convinced that she was in love with Yami, but it was more of a longing for familiarity. He knew love well enough to know that she would be far more distressed than she was over the prince of Kraion than she seemed to be.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he took a few steps and leaned against the wall, tapping his fingers on his arms, dismissing Anzu's romance issues and his own failed romance from mind. If there was one thing he prided himself on, it was his private saying of, "Leave the past behind and keep moving forward." He had yet to ignore it. The real problem at hand was the proposal he had presented to her and her agreement. He knew accurate ways of blocking Malik and Bakura's Dark Magic, of misleading it, but he hoped that he did not need to use any such spells. He was more inclined to sneak Anzu out of the place without Malik or Bakura knowing. More so the latter than the former.
Hmm, he mused to himself, hearing Bakura's voice raise to a dangerous tone, I ought to go down there and see what the hell he's having a tantrum about before it gets out of control. He frowned, loathing to abandon his current thoughts. He needed to figure something out before the day was done and most especially before Anzu's foot had healed. One problem at a time, he thought with a small sigh, and currently, Bakura is the most pressing problem at the moment. Pushing away from the wall, he unfolded his arms and descended the steps, hearing the end of Malik's sentence.
"...which will just aggravate her and you know it."
"Aggravate her," Bakura muttered viciously. "As if I give a damn if I aggravate her. She's aggravated me enough! If she didn't bring me one step closer to claiming Kraion for myself, I wouldn't even keep the bothersome woman alive!" Malik heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes towards Seto, who was standing near the stairs, a crease of irritation between his brows. "Ugh, of all the princesses to wander in the Forest of Dim, it had to be that one. I wouldn't care if she was more compliant and broken like Yami's sister."
"You consider her compliant?" Seto asked with a tilt of an eyebrow. Malik appeared similarly skeptical. "You must be mad. That woman is probably more stubborn than the one we have on our hands right now and far more dangerous. While she does not know physical combat like Anzu does, she does have magical abilities, even if you are under the misconception that she does not." Bakura had an unhappy frown on his lips, taking notice, as Seto did, that Malik seemed to disagree with Bakura on the matter of the princess of Kraion, as well.
"She knows how to perform the Dark Arts after you allowed her to watch you," Malik told Bakura, pointing a finger at him meaningfully. "Mai is blonde, Bakura, but not without intelligence. I'm inclined to believe that she is quite clever in things that she puts her mind to. Ruining people's lives seems to be on the top of her agenda lately, especially ruining our lives."
"I would bet that it's more Bakura's life that she's trying to make miserable," Seto commented. Malik shrugged and turned his gaze to Bakura, who was tensed, knowing that he had been cornered in his own home.
Grumbling, Bakura turned from them, pacing towards the counter, hating that they may be right. He had never told Malik – and especially not Seto – that he had snubbed Mai when she had so eagerly offered to help him in his magic. He had taught her all the magic outside of the Dark Arts that he knew and she did well at it. The taste of the dark magic had startled her, yet also encouraged her to explore them. He had seen the greedy look in her eyes, the way she eyed him, knowing that he could help her gain the dark power he possessed. It was that reason he had rejected her. He had never thought she would pursue the Arts on her own, though...
Bakura turned back to his two companions, leaning against the counter and surveying them. Malik was trustworthy, but would not go out of the way to help Bakura gain what he wanted. Seto had no loyalty to either of them as they did to each other. If he was loyal to anyone in this damn forest, it would be Anzu simply because she was a woman. While Seto thought he kept himself so easily locked away inside himself, Bakura had been able to gleam that Seto had abandoned the Dark Arts because of a woman – although he was not entirely sure why yet – and his weakness was young children. This was from a piece of information Seto let slip when they first met, mentioning that he had once had a little brother. Bakura had seen the anguish in Seto's eyes before it vanished and would bet anything that if he saw a child being hurt, he would risk his own neck for them.
It's a pity I have yet to find Malik's weakness, Bakura thought.
"I suppose it is possible Anzu's being here is all a part of some scheme that Mai devised," he grudgingly confessed after a beat. Malik blinked, a bit surprised by the honesty. "That is only, of course, if she pursued the Dark Arts without my instruction. I'm not confident that she has the skill for that – she was hardly able to perform rudimentary magic when she first came to me – but I suppose I cannot rule it out in the light of things."
"Did you sleep with her?" Seto asked in his usual blunt manner.
"Apparently I wasn't her type," Bakura said in mock hurt.
"That's hardly relevant, Seto," Malik grumbled in an exasperated tone.
"I disagree. Bakura seems the type to break women's hearts," Seto informed him.
Shaking his head, Malik turned back to Bakura and said with an unusually sober expression, "What I am more interested in is why Anzu would have been targeted by Mai. I hardly doubt that Anzu would make an enemy out of a sorceress. She does not seem stupid enough."
"Mai hates Yami more than I do," Bakura remarked with a shrug of his shoulders. "It's personal for her. Once Yami was born, Mai was ignored by both of her parents. Her mother was supposed to teach her magic and did a bit, but that was while Yami was still unborn. A few years later the queen died, so not only was Mai the only sorceress in the family, but one that didn't know magic and had virtually no friends and her family appeared to not care about her. She has every right to hate Yami, if you ask me. No doubt her hostility made him hate her."
"Huh. He must have hated her before he became a noble ass or he would have tried to make peace with her."
"Agreed. The point here is that Yami stripped her of everything that made her happy: the possibility of being queen in the future, and her parents and kingdom's affection. If Mai is the reason Anzu ended up in the Forest of Dim, then we can accurately suppose that she is doing it to hurt Yami and it has virtually nothing to do with Anzu herself. Once Yami is married, Anzu would have taken the place that Mai considered hers: queen of Kraion."
There was a pause in which each of them absorbed this information. Seto looked fairly revolted with Mai's actions and Malik seemed to find them just as unattractive. Bakura, however, would not be the least bit surprised if his theory was true. Anything that gained her power was something that Mai wanted. She had nothing but her beauty and her magic to make her happy. He had seen that, beyond power, she thought that the power magic gave her would make her happy. He wondered if she ever figured out the lie in that assumption of hers.
"A very plausible conclusion," Seto finally said. "So the question we really need to ask is how she got Anzu here."
"That is an excellent question," Bakura agreed. "I think – "
"But first I am interested to know what you wanted to do that Malik said would aggravate Anzu," Seto interrupted. Malik glanced at Seto, saying nothing as Bakura had half-expected. "You want to use her so much – that's fine. I'm not going to let my time and energy be wasted, though. If you want to aggravate her, do it after her foot heals or else she's bound to do something stupid. The girl is positively headstrong."
"Threatening her a bit will frighten her, not aggravate her," Bakura said with a sarcastic scowl.
"And we saw how well that went earlier, didn't we? Anything we have to say to her has a negative effect, if you haven't noticed. She doesn't hold sorcerers in high esteem."
"Likely because all of the people in Kraion are superstitious idiots when it comes to magic. You say a foreign word and they'll put you on trial faster than you can translate it. I'm sure it doesn't help with Yami whispering all kinds of darks things about how I escaped here and blah, blah, blah... Of course she doesn't hold sorcerers in high esteem, you prat." Bakura shot Seto an irritated look, as if he were talking to the biggest dolt in history. "Do try and say something intelligent if you are going to engage in a conversation. It's no wonder you rarely ever talk. I wouldn't want to if I were you, either."
"I could say the same for you," was Seto's cool response, undaunted by the insults. Bakura's lip curled derisively as Seto whirled around and left the cottage, shutting the door behind him quite firmly.
"I'm surprised you didn't start throwing accusations at him, Bakura," Malik mildly told his friend. Bakura turned to him, raising an eyebrow in question. "A clueless expression does not suit you." He smirked as Bakura glowered warningly.
"I wouldn't even have to consider accusing him of things if you had stayed in the room with them. It's as if you are encouraging him to conspire with her and I know that if he hasn't done it yet he will soon." Bakura smiled to himself, a slow lift of his mouth. "He can conspire all he wants, anyway. I don't care. His methods of getting trust are rather boring compared to mine. I can have an unlimited amount of patience so long as the twit doesn't think to run off again." Malik chuckled.
"Yes, maidens running off do tend to be rather troublesome." He paused, his smile fading. "But honestly. I can't read him as well you. Do you think he was up to anything unusual?"
"Not today," Bakura murmured, "but you can never be sure with him. If he'd show some emotion more than once in a blue moon, it might be easier." He sighed, reaching back to rub his neck. The little princess fiancée of Yami's was proving to be more trouble than she was worth. All she had done so far was make snide comments to him, run off and get her wound infected and cause general upheaval in his relatively calm household. He was not all that inclined to seducing her, seeing as how it had been some time since Bakura had made so much as an ounce of an effort at getting between a woman's legs. He never found the experience satisfying in the end. "I don't suppose you would seduce her for me?" He grumbled.
"Oh, she already likes me quite a bit," Malik stated with a smirk, "but you keep putting her off balance and making her suspicious. Come on and have some fun, Bakura, or else you'll turn into a killjoy like Seto." Bakura snorted, dropping his hand from his neck.
"Not even I could become that bad." He looked thoughtful, withdrawing from the counter and placing a hand on his waist. A wicked grin lit his features and had Malik's eyebrows rising. "Do you know how much it would piss Yami off to know that I have his sweet, virginal fiancée wrapped around my finger? Oh, the joy I will take in brainwashing her!"
"I thought you didn't want to seduce her?" Malik asked, amused.
"I have ways of making a woman get under my power without it having to be sexual. I'm not interested in sex at the moment." He waved his hand, as though dismissing him. "Besides, how else am I to get her to trust me enough to ruin Yami? I could simply torture her in front of him. This seems more effective. Yami would hate to see his woman fall under my charm."
"You're terrible," he laughed.
"I just need to keep Seto out of the way. He's almost as bad as Yami when it comes to using innocent women for misdeeds."
"It's not as though she's leaving the experience empty-handed," Malik said. "And if she is disappointed, I could always show her what fun truly is when with the right guy seeing as how you are 'not interested in sex at the moment.'" Bakura chortled, not at all offended at the implications that he might disappoint the princess. He could care less whether Anzu came out of the experience pleased or not, so long as when they met Yami again, she was under his spell – figuratively speaking – and Yami could suffer. It would make the prince's downfall all the more delicious.
X
Yami sighed, stifling the desire to rub his face, instead rubbing his hands together as he stood outside the entrance doors to his father's chambers. Yami's father, Naten, was still king and Yami was still prince, even if the latter did most of the work in the kingdom. Although Yami did not know himself, as he had still been quite young, it was rumored that the king lost a good part of his soul when his wife died. Yami did notice that as soon as he had voluntarily assumed extra responsibilities, his father had become lax in his own as king. King Naten had, in fact, become rather like a sloth, as if nothing but his own happiness matter. It was this fact that made Yami nervous to speak with his father.
The doors opened a moment later and he nodded to the servant that opened the doors. As he entered, he noticed that his father did not seem to be lounging about as usual, but standing at his desk in his study that adjoined his bedchambers, his face seeming slack with wrinkles and making him appear older than he truly was. He did not raise his eyes to meet Yami's gaze, gesturing wearily to a plush chair across from the desk. "I am troubled, my son," he murmured. Yami blinked. "I feel as though I'm living in the fog half the time. Do you feel that way?"
"No...But I do feel that you have been unlike yourself of late," Yami carefully responded, his brow furrowing. This was a very unexpected turn of events, one that he was not entirely pleased with. His first assumption was that Mai had been possessing their father with a spell. He knew, however, how much she adored their father, even if Naten had never showed such amiability for his daughter. And he did not think Mai could keep the spell operating for such a long time. She might be a good sorceress, but he doubted she was that good. "And now, father? Do you feel in a fog?"
"Not at the moment," Naten sighed. "It is worrisome. Far too many strange things have been happening in Kraion. I cannot be a king if I do not act like one. And I cannot act like one if I cannot remember my days because I'm walking in a fog in my mind. I would like to blame a sorcerer, but there are none near. I would not like to think that my own daughter is doing this to me..."
"I don't think she is, father," he assured, confident of that at least. Mai did not look to be in the shape to do much of any magic as of late. "Mai loves you too much to cause such harm. She loves Kraion too much to cause it harm." Sadly, Yami knew this to be true. There was flashes of genuine personality when he saw her alone, when she thought no one was watching, and he could tell by the fond way she gazed at their father that she loved him like no one else, that the way she listened to people speak of Kraion and how she watched the people interact from afar, that she would sacrifice a great deal for her kingdom. If she didn't hide behind her cruel mask all the time, Yami might be able to say that he would like her. As it was, she hated him and since he could remember, he had hated her for all the tortures she inflicted upon him.
"Enough of my troubles for now, Yami. While I have a moment of clarity, please tell me why you've come so I might be able to help." His eyes were sad when he said this, as if he were mentally unstable and would drift off into a fantasy world at any moment.
"I need permission to contact Hoshäi. I believe I may know where Anzu is and one sorcerer has already offered his help. I know that, with Bakura in the Forest of Dim, he will need more help than just his own magic." Naten's mouth turned down into a frown, a good indication that he would need more persuading to allow what he no doubt thought was a ludicrous suggestion. "I understand that those in Hoshäi hate us," Yami continued a bit more quickly than a moment ago, "but I have to try and get help. If I have to, I will go in with the sorcerer if no others will assist me. With my warrior skills and his magic, we should be able to get through the Forest of Dim without any trouble."
"Yami..." Naten's voice was quiet and full of doubt. "Please, do not cause more harm to yourself. There is no possible way that Anzu could have survived if she is in the Forest of Dim."
"I won't abandon her unless I know for certain that she is dead," Yami said sternly, his eyes flashing determinedly. His chest was swelling, filling with desperation. He would go against his father's wishes if Naten rejected his proposal. Otogi would throw himself into the forest if he knew that there was a snag in their plans and Yami could not afford to lose his fiancée's brother, too. That would hardly reflect well on Kraion if both heirs to the Siruean throne died shortly after being in his territory. "Father, I have to do this. For her."
Naten sighed, settling in his chair behind his desk and shaking his head. Yami had never seen his father look so fatigued and so aged. It was as though he was were looking at his grandfather instead. "You love her this much, Yami? She is the only woman you've ever known, you do realize that, I hope? There are other women...Is she worth it?"
"She is more than worth it. Please just let me do this."
Naten gazed up at Yami and then nodded, a small smile on his lips. "I can see that your heart will not be swayed, so I shall allow it. Whatever resources of Kraion's that you need to find her, you may use. I would have done it for your mother..." He trailed off, his face tensing painfully and then he gestured towards a cabinet on the other side of the room. "Inside there is a black, marble ball covered in a velvet cloth. Take it out and behind it there will be a dais. It is...made up of dark magic, but it is the only way that Hoshäi will communicate with anyone." Yami eyed him, suddenly concerned with the object that his father had described. He certainly did not want to use some dark artifact that had come from Hoshäi. "I have used it before, Yami, you needn't worry," his father said as he hesitated a bit longer.
Yami approached the cabinet and opened it, finding the velvet covered ball immediately. He withdrew it, surprised at the light weight of it, and then reached behind in the darkness of the cabinet to find the dais. Once he had grasped it, he shut the cabinet with his wrist and then returned to the desk. Naten settled the dais and held out his hand for the ball. Yami unwrapped it and eyed the seemingly harmless object before giving it to his father to place on the dais. "They call it the Orb of the Heavens," Naten explained, tracing a pattern on the marble ball with his fingertips, "and is so light because the middle has been hollowed out. That is where the dark magic lies, allowing it to operate. I do not consider it any part of the Heavens, not if it the Dark Arts are involved." The orb began to glow, colours swirling from the middle and moving outward in a spiral motion. Naten gestured for Yami to take his spot, rising out of his seat.
Yami felt his hands shaky nervously, but hastily calmed himself. I have to remain steady, to convince these people that they would do good to send sorcerers to help us. If I act like a bumbling school boy just out of his governess's hands, then they will only laugh at me over dinner later.
"Speak the name of your location," a purring, female voice commanded from the orb, though he could see no face.
"Kraion," Yami responded after a brief pause to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat.
The orb cleared to show a tan, female face. He blinked, meeting the dark, azure eyes that stared calmly out at him. He had been expecting to be transferred to a man instead of seeing the owner of the voice. Her face was slender, as most people's faces in Hoshäi were, and her hair was straight and ebony, swept behind her shoulders. There was no emotion on her face, making it ever more unnerving for him to face her through a marble ball. "Why have you called on Hoshäi and what is your position in royalty?"
"I am Prince Yami," he said, hesitating, "and I have called to ask for assistance." She did not say anything in the silence that followed his declaration, patiently waiting for him to further explain himself. "My fiancée has been...taken to the Forest of Dim. The animals there have gone wild and there are three sorcerers in the forest, including the exiled sorcerer, Bakura." He could feel Naten's puzzled gaze on the back of his head, likely wondering why Yami had not told him this a few minutes ago. Yami felt guilty, for he was about to tell the woman another thing he had omitted from his father. "She is in danger and her brother is a sorcerer and insists on doing in the Forest of Dim. He believes he can protect himself. I am sure he can, but if she is with the sorcerers, he may not be able to protect them both and drive them off at the same time."
"Indeed, that sounds to be a dilemma," the woman told him agreeably. "Do you know the other two sorcerers that are in the Forest of Dim?" There was a slight lilt to her voice, as if she was expecting a particular name.
"No...I do not. The sorcerer I spoke of – Otogi – implied that there is a fourth magic, as well, that being held by nature. Is such a thing...possible?"
"It is more than possible, my prince," she told him in her liquid voice. "We sorcerers and sorceresses received our magic from the earth before we received it from the blood of our ancestors. It is why we must use the earth for our potions. There are many creatures and things in this world that have magic other than humans. The raw magic they harness is as violent as the dark magic we in Hoshäi use. You were right to call us for help. If this magic is active in the Forest of Dim, your sorcerer could be in danger if he does not know how to defend himself against it. I assume he does not if he has not experimented in the Dark Arts."
"There are defenses in the Dark Arts, too?"
"Naturally," was her calm reply. "It is not all bad. It is how you use it that matters." She paused, considering over something in her mind. "I cannot assure you that many will come. I can promise, however, that you will see me at your castle gates by sundown tomorrow. I need time to prepare and to observe this forest and the magic within it. I shall be able to do a better job at it than your sorcerer."
Relieved, Yami murmured, "Thank you..."
"Do not thank me until it is warranted, prince," she told him cryptically.
Taken aback, Yami's brows knitted together in slight offense, but he said, "If you insist."
"I must now leave. You shall see me tomorrow."
"Ah – might I have a name? My people will not take lightly to someone unknown showing up in Kraion."
"Yes, of course," she agreed faintly. "My name is Isis Ishtar." With her name delivered, her face disappeared, the colours turning inward. Even after the ball had turned black again, looking as nondescript as it had before, Yami sat staring at it. He had succeeded in getting one of the hostile Hoshäi people on his side. He almost leapt up in joy. Surely these people would be able to help them. He knew that more planning would be required when they woman arrived tomorrow. He could not simply chuck them into the Forest of Dim and expect them to come out the next day with Anzu in hand.
"I apologize for not giving you all the information," Yami said to his father at last, moving out of his seat and returning to the front of the desk. Naten collected the ball into the velvet cover.
"I'm not offended," Naten assured him, handing him the dais and the ball. Yami returned them to the cabinet while his father poured them each a glass of brandy. "I am, however, impressed that you managed to get one of such a culture to agree to help us. It did not seem that it was so much our circumstances that interested her as the combination of magical forces in the Forest of Dim, though, would you not agree?" Yami nodded as he sat down in a seat across from the desk, taking the glass of brandy and drinking generously from it. "Well, it does not matter, so long as she is coming to help you. I pray for you, Yami, that you do not get your hopes up. You must keep in mind that Anzu may not be in there anymore, that she may be..." He chose not to finish his sentence, dropping his gaze to his hands, unable to say the word 'dead,' fearing that it would be too much for his son.
"I know, father," Yami softly said. "I do know..."
X
Anzu had slept most of the day to allow her foot to heal, but at night her stomach was growling and she was restless. She carefully sat up and spots appeared before her eyes. She put a hand to her head, feeling a horrible pain shoot through the back of her head. After the pain and dizziness passed, she stood and made certain to put very little pressure on her wounded foot as she went to the wash basin. She poured water from the jug and scrubbed her face with a cloth and then washed her hair. That was all she would be able to do for the time being. After shoving her wet hair in a messy bundle atop her head, she clumsily changed into one of the outfits in the closet. The white shirt hung over her hangs, but rolling them up to her elbows fixed that problem and pants were tight around the hips and long, but otherwise fit fine.
Opening the door, she moved to the stairs and sat down on them so that she could slide down the stairs rather than limp down them and hurt her foot. There were voices in the kitchen that she recognized as Seto and Malik's. She continued her way down the stairs, trying to ignore the voices; however, she heard their conversation without really wanting to know what they were discussing.
"...could be dangerous," Malik was saying.
"Of course it's dangerous, you idiot," Seto snapped irritably. Anzu frowned, wondering if he was talking about their plan to him. But surely not, since he had said it was just between them? She came to the last few steps and got to her feet, limping into the kitchen. Bakura was sitting at the table and Malik and Seto were on opposite sides of the counter with food between them. Anzu looked curiously at the dead rabbit on the other counter and then back at them.
"What's dangerous?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"His cooking," Malik said, nodding to Seto. "Bakura wants him to cook, but I've tasted his food. Let's just say that it leaves a lot to be desired." His eyes flicked up her small frame and his eyes narrowed. "Are...Are you wearing my clothing?" Bakura turned and smirked at her appearance. Feeling a bit self-conscious, she crossed her arms over her breasts and shifted as Seto also looked to her.
"There wasn't anything else to wear and I wasn't going to stay in my filthy clothing," Anzu defensively told him. Seto sighed as all Malik did was stare at her, as if he had never seen a girl in men's clothing before. He opened his mouth once and then closed it, clearly unsure of what to say when a woman was wearing one of his outfits.
"Sit down," Seto ordered, pointing to the table where Bakura currently was sitting.
"I can cook," Anzu instantly said, throwing an anxious look to the sorcerer that was staring at her from the table, encouraging her to challenge his authority. A flash of temper erupted in her when she realized he honestly was looking to fight her. Her face reddened with anger and might have stomped over there if Seto had intercepted, taking her arm and guiding her to the table much more gently than she would have found herself. He sent her a warning look before joining Malik at the counter, where the Hoshäi native ordered Seto to peel the potatoes while he skinned the animal.
"You certainly don't look like a princess," Bakura remarked, a mocking smile on his lips. "How does it feel to be taken down a few steps?"
"I've looked worse," she retorted.
Oh, this is going to be fun, Bakura thought, amused. Like the little hothead she was, she instantly took the bait he had set out for her and involved herself in an argument that she was not going to win. He could manipulate a conversation better than the average person. He doubted she would be able to keep up with him. "You truly are one of the more idiotic women I've met. It would have been better if we cut off your hands and feet." He raised his own hands, palm facing outward. "Imagine it. You couldn't hurt any of us and couldn't run away. All you could do is maybe spit on me and babble on about nonsense. It would be a pity if you didn't have your hands. I'm sure that's Yami's favorite part of your body. Or one of his favorites, anyway."
For a moment, she could not understand why her hands and Yami had anything to do with what he had been talking about. She opened her mouth to angrily say something about what he could do with his hands when it suddenly clicked. She paled and then blushed furiously. "You disgust me!" She snapped. He snickered and from the counter Malik could be heard making odd coughing noises.
"Such a little virgin. I'm not surprised that Yami hasn't taught you anything. He probably doesn't know shit himself. You're going to be a disappointed woman on your wedding night."
Anzu had nothing she could say. No rational thoughts came to mind and she couldn't immediately come up with a comeback until she remembered the long discussion that Mai had with her about her wedding night. Although embarrassing, it had also been insightful. Anzu had a feeling that the princess had been sincere when she spoke of her experiences and what she gained from them. So, raising her chin haughtily, she told him, "I'll have you know that some people don't always follow the traditional vows that you're supposed to have. I won't be a disappointed woman and I haven't ever been." His eyes rose interestedly.
"Is that a fact?"
Anzu pretended to pluck something from the white shirt she was wearing, hoping that her cheeks were not too red. She truly did detest this man. "The feathers...on quills...are rather effective." She crossed her arms and looked up at Bakura, who was gazing at her, a corner of his mouth curled upward. "So are garters, depending on the, ah...partner."
Seto cleared his throat once uncomfortably, loud enough to be heard over Malik's choking. Bakura propped his elbows on the table, interlacing his fingers and smiling at her over the top of his hands. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she felt her hands burning hot from shame at discussing such things openly and with a perverted man such as him, too.
"You're fun," Bakura said at last. "Perhaps I was wrong. I'll let you keep your hands. You don't need your feet. You won't be able to run when I ask you to perform your extensive experience with me."
Horrified, she snapped, "I will never do anything like that with you! I'd rather die!"
"I can arrange that." He raised a hand and she moved to jerk back, but found that she was immobilized. In his hand was a sphere of dark magic. He closed his fingers over it and it spilled through his fingers, swirling around his fist menacingly. Her heartbeat hastened as she recalled just how dangerous he was, how more unstable he was compared to Malik or Kaiba. Bakura leaned across the table and pressed his lips to her ear, "Run away from here again and I'll follow you and have you begging for death." He smiled lazily as he withdrew. The darkness evaporated as he opened his fist and she slumped against the chair, shaking fearfully from his threat.
"...I hate you," she whispered.
"Everybody does," he calmly answered.
X
Isis sat alone in her chambers that night. She could hear people talking in the rest of the building, loud and raucous, but that did not bother her as she did not expect to find sleep very soon. As expected, no one else was willing to go with her to Kraion to help the Prince Yami. That, too, did not bother her. It was predictable. She had been hoping they would be kinder, though. Her people were infuriated with the mere suggestion and threw spells at her. Thankfully, she had put up her defensive barrier before approaching them. She knew the people of Hoshäi better than anyone else. It was because of her excellent skills that she was the bearer of the orb that was used to communicate.
Sighing, she brushed her fingers over her forehead wearily. Her thick, ebony hair cascaded over her shoulders and down her back to her waist. She collected it and pushed it to one side just as a knock sounded on her door. Pausing, she turned her head to stare at the door, hesitating. A second later, she called, "Enter." She flicked a hand and the door unlocked, allowing her guest to enter. She slid off her bed, pushing her silk robe over her nightgown and making another gesture with her hand, filling her chambers with soft, low light. She met her visitor halfway, exiting her bedchambers. "Shadii. I am surprised. You are usually asleep by now."
"I heard you intend on going to Kraion tomorrow," he commented, "that the prince there has asked our help and you are the only one willing."
"Are you here to offer your assistance, Shadii? If not, I must beg your forgiveness. I am tired from the long day."
"Isis, be as so kind as to stop treating me like an incompetent fool," Shadii serenely said, no sign of the bad mood that his words implied on his face. It was as blank as ever, his azure eyes missing any emotion or expression. "I know that it is not your desire to help Kraion that you are going there. You heard the rumors of him being in that region, I suppose, and think that if you have a reason to leave Hoshäi you can search for him. Let him be, Isis. He left for a reason."
"Malik was run out of here!" She raised her hand to her face, angrily saying, "I could have done something, I could have appealed on his behalf and got him to stay, but he didn't allow me to even try! He's my little brother! I've lost the rest of my family already and Malik has suffered so much because of it. He loved Hoshäi. For him to have to leave it – "
"He loved the Dark Arts, Isis, and abused them to a point that it was frightening even those of us who lived in Hoshäi. He did not love our kingdom. He was turning into his older brother."
"And he was ambushed by his own people – "
"Because he killed his own people," Shadii quietly intercepted.
"There is no law against murder! You know that as well as I do!"
"Regardless. I did not come here to discuss the past with you, Isis, for the past is the past and there is nothing we can do to change it. It is best not to dwell on it." She stared at him brokenly and then whipped around, her mouth tautening in frustration. Shadii had never connected with anyone before to her knowledge. The only person he admitted to truly caring for was her and she cared for him a great deal. However, his views differed compared to her own. "Isis, I suggest you not go to Kraion simply to look for Malik. If you want to help these people, then do so. Personal feelings should not be involved. They will complicate things."
"I am going to help them," she flatly stated, "but if I can sense Malik near, I will look for him."
"I do not recommend that."
"I never protected Marik or helped him and held Malik back when he tried to go to him. I won't let something happen to Malik, too, not when Bakura is in the vicinity. I have more faith in Malik's skills, but just in case...I want..." She trailed off, briefly closing her eyes. For a moment, she remembered when her oldest brother had died, screaming horrifically, deafening her, fighting against the swarm of people around him. She remembered trembling, throwing shield after shield up so that Malik could not get to his brother. Her little brother had howled and beaten against her defenses, had cursed, made promises to kill everyone if Marik died. She recalled all too vividly how he had slumped on the ground, curling up and sobbing. That was the only time she had ever seen him cry. His smiles after that were never real again. "I want to see him smile," she quietly said, opening her eyes at last.
"...I cannot go with you."
"I know," Isis sighed, turning to look at him, "but I appreciate your concern, Shadii. I need to see Malik, to know he is well, to know that he can smile again or I will never forgive myself."
X
DIS: Well, I'm done with the stupid, boring (but unfortunately necessary) parts and hope to move into the more interesting ones. I already have a vague outline of what the ending is going to be. I have one part to get over sometime soon that hopefully will bring in the yummy vexshipping sections that we all love to read.
Oh, and I believe someone mentioned that Yami's kingdom – Kraion – sounded like Crayon? Well, honestly, I was stumped at what the kingdoms should be named and was staring at a box of crayons when I wrote the first chapter. Hoshäi, thankfully, was not inspired by anything and just popped out of my imagination. I'll give out a vexshipping one-shot to the first person who can guess what inspired Anzu's kingdom! As in, object, place, word, person, etc, etc. I think it's pretty obvious, but I could be wrong...
ANYWAY! Please leave a review, telling me how you liked this chapter, as long as it may be. Constructive criticism is embraced. Ciao!
