Chapter Eleven

Seiji's sad eyes moved over the empty bed of his daughter's as he slid a hand on the smooth wood of the frame. Jou and Shizuka had come to him, ordering him to prepare for a two-week travel. Shizuka had promised they would find Anzu at the end of the trail that they would be taking. Seiji wasn't certain how she was so sure of that, but he trusted her. There had been an earnest expression on her face that had given him hope. I lost Sakura, he thought, carefully sitting on the made bed, his shoulders drooping. I can't lose Anzu, too. She's all I have...

"I won't be happy, papa!" She snapped at him. "I'm happy now. I have my friends, I have my time, and I thought I had a father that loved me, but I guess I was wrong! You just want me out of the house. I want to stay so that I can take care of you. Is that so bad?"

I wish that the last words we exchanged hadn't been so malicious, he mournfully thought to himself as he wrapped his arms around his fragile frame. I wish...I wish for so much, Anzu...

"Seiji!" Jounouchi's drawling voice called. Seiji remained in a hunched position on Anzu's bed, not replying. He heard two pairs of footsteps moving around in the house and soft murmuring, but he didn't call out to the siblings. He couldn't bear the pain if they never found Anzu. He would have nothing to live for if she was lost forever. He started to shiver, in fear at the thought of being unable to speak to her one more time, of never seeing her gentle smile again. "Seiji?" He raised his head to see Jounouchi standing uncertainly in the doorway of the room. His brown eyes darted around anxiously before he stepped into the room, the scent of lavender and rosemary finding his nose. "You ready?"

"Yes..." He unfurled from his protective stance, standing up and smiling at Jou, who had come to his side in concern. "I'm fine, Jounouchi, just...tired. I'm so tired of worrying like this."

"Ah!" Jou gave a reassuring smile, patting him on the back. "Don't worry about that, pops. Everything will be figured out." Jou watched Seiji leave the room without a last glance. His heart dropped a bit, having seen the saddened expression of the elderly man. Seiji was like a father to him and Shizuka and he didn't want him to hurt any more than he was. After Sakura's death, the happiness seemed to be drained right out of him. The only thing that had been encouraging him to continue living was Anzu, but now she was gone. If they couldn't find her, Jou was certain that Seiji would simply...die. Out of grief.

"Seiji," Shizuka greeted when he and Jou had come into the entryway. Her mouth curved in a tender, welcoming smile that was meant to reassure the older man. "Are we ready to go?" She held up the glowing bottle to indicate how they were leaving. Seiji nodded and put his large pack of food, clothes, and other necessities, on his back. Jou and Shizuka held similar packs.

After they made sure they had everything, they locked up his cottage and left towards the forest. Shizuka hummed a light tune, the bottle grasped in her hand. They climbed over the large roots on trees and moved through vague dirt paths, bushes brushing against them. Jou's hand would dart out every once in awhile and fill with berries in which he would eat after checking to make sure they weren't poisonous. Shizuka led the way and by sundown, they were deep in the forest, not having Anzu's expert skills at moving through it. Suddenly, Shizuka stopped. Jou coughed on a berry he was eating and swallowed it, peering around her to see why she had stopped. He shuddered at the path they were met with. There seemed to be no end, darkness swallowing it up.

"This is it," Shizuka breathed, staring wide-eyed at the path, her hands trembling a bit. She took a deep breath and looked to her companions.

"Forward, then," Seiji murmured, his gaze intense. Jou and Shizuka nodded in agreement and once again, Shizuka led the way down the cleared pathway.

X

Bakura flipped idly through a book, bored out of his mind. It had been a little over two weeks since Ryou had risen against Malik. The next morning, Malik had come down for breakfast and he had seemed as normal as usual. He hadn't changed his attitude towards them, though, so Ryou was a bit ticked off. He didn't say anything, though, something that Bakura was thankful for. The days since then had been quiet. He rarely saw Anzu since he had been helping Malik exterminate the castle of the dark creatures. The only times he saw her was during meals and when he went to the library. She seemed to spend all her time there and in the gardens.

Presently, Bakura was in the library with her. She was folded up on the divan across from his chair, reading a book. She hadn't moved much, nor had she spoken except to say, "Hello, Bakura," to him. He was having trouble finding something to read himself, since he had read nearly every single book in the library. A light tickle came on his brain and he twitched, rubbing his head, irritated. The tickle continued, persistent. He snapped the book closed and slid it on the bookshelf and got another out, opening his mind as he did.

Bakura, Ryou's voice soothed. I have something that I need you to give Anzu.

I'm busy, Bakura snapped back mentally, skimming the page of the book he had in his hands. In the past, all mages could mentally speak to each other, but now only Bakura and Ryou could because they were bonded by blood. It was too hard a feat for Yami or Malik to try and communicate that way since their power had been weakened. Have Yami or Malik do it.

Yami is making dinner and I don't know where Malik is. Besides, he's angry with me.

And you wonder why? Bakura sarcastically questioned, glancing below him at Anzu. If Ryou started going after Anzu romantically, Malik would be more than angry with him. Bakura had a feeling there was more going on between those two than they were letting on. Granted, he hadn't found Anzu leaving Malik's room or vice versa, but the way that they were somewhat-pleasant with each other caused a bit of irritation to rise in him. Malik had been a bastard to her up until now. He hadn't stopped being that way, but there was an underlying emotion that Bakura was picking up on. He wanted to say it was respect, but he would be lying to himself. It was something else, something that he didn't have any knowledge or experience of.

No, of course, I don't, Ryou responded to Bakura's snide comment. In any case, I made an amulet that she should wear. It will protect her from some of the creatures. It took all of my magic and I'd feel better if she had it now, just in case. With you and Malik attacking the bloody things, some of them have surely fled and are wandering around the castle. The library is a preferred place for them, with the books being old, musty, and covered with dust. She's spent the last few weeks in the library and it'd settle my nerves if she was wearing this amulet.

Fancy her, do you, Ryou? The elder of the two taunted.

She's like a sister, Bakura, he defensively said. Now, would you please come get it?

Fine, fine, I'll be there in a second. Bakura shut the book and slid it back before vanishing to Ryou's room. Ryou glanced up at him and Bakura shook his head, saying, "You shouldn't have used all your magic on one stupid thing." Ryou's face was gray and his eyes seemed sunken into his face. "She could have waited."

"Just take it to her, brother," Ryou wearily said, holding the amulet out to him. Bakura frowned and took it, raising it up and observing the silver bracelet. He could feel the defensive power of his younger brother's pulsing in the jewelry, even in the moon and star charms hanging from it. He could see tiny bits of an azure jewel in the stars and shook his head again. His brother had taken extra care with this piece of his. "It won't protect her from the strong creatures. That is, the ones that are entering the castle now. It will have to do for now, though."

"I'll give it to her," Bakura grunted. "Sleep now." He nodded to Ryou's bed. "You're going to need it." Ryou flashed a brief, wan smile before Bakura disappeared back to the library.

He went straight down to Anzu and hung the bracelet in front of her face. She blinked, lowering her book and looking from the bracelet to him. "Ryou made this for you," he told her blatantly. "It's to protect you from the creatures since they're flying around everywhere." She took the bracelet and fingered it curiously.

"It's beautiful," Anzu said, smiling up at him. "I'll have to thank him when I see him next." She clasped it around her wrist and turned her arm, watching as the setting sun hit the jewels in the stars. It must have taken a long time to make, she reflected, raising her eyes as Bakura returned to the second floor of the library. She marked her place in her book and set it aside, standing and stretching. It would be time for dinner soon. I'll be early for once, she decided, waving to Bakura's back and leaving the library. She paused, hearing the click of Malik's door opening. She had considered, every night, whether she should go to him, but something was holding her back. She knew she felt something for him, but it was his feelings that she was unsure of. Just as she didn't want to marry a man without love, she didn't want to go to bed one without love.

Which is ridiculous, Anzu scorned herself as Malik emerged. Malik doesn't love me. At least...It doesn't seem like he does.

"Ah." Malik gave a slow, silky smile to her in greeting as he shut his door behind him. "Going to dinner early for a change, Anzu?"

"I was getting sore from sitting for so long," she admitted. He nodded and then held a hand out to her. She smiled and took it.

"Hm?" He raised their hands so he could see her bracelet better. "What's this?" His thumb brushed a star on the bracelet and a familiar burst of power twisted around his thumb, testing his own power. It withdrew back into the bracelet after a moment, apparently satisfied. Malik would never be unimpressed with Ryou's defense capabilities. It was strange that he would suddenly make a bracelet for her all of a sudden, though. "Ryou gave you this?"

"Yes," Anzu answered honestly, wondering how he would take Ryou giving her a gift. "With all the creatures being stirred up, he wanted me to have something to keep me safe." Malik lowered their hands, cocking a smooth, elegant blonde eyebrow. His face didn't change, though a thoughtful expression entered his expressive eyes. At last, he tucked her arm in his and inclined his head.

"Ryou always thinks of things that the rest of us don't," he remarked, leading her away from the library and opening the door that led to the ballroom with a wave of his hand. "The library is a perfect place for creatures to lurk and with you being there often enough, it would be best if you had some kind of protection. You're alone most of the time, am I right?"

"Most of the time," she agreed, "but Yami or Bakura – sometimes both – come and keep me company." She paused and continued a bit shyly, "How come you never go to the library, Malik?"

"I don't care for books," he flippantly replied, crossing over the ballroom. "Sometime, you and I will have to dance, Anzu." She blinked and looked up at him in surprise. He met her gaze steadily with a teasing smirk on his lips. "Unless you can't dance, that is."

"Of course I can dance, but how can you dance without music?"

"Music is of no trouble for me and hardly uses any of my magic up. So, how about it, Anzu? Would you be willing to dance with me some day?"

"...Yes, of course I would." He smiled and brushed his fingers over her cheek.

"I'll keep you to that promise."

X

Seiji felt a weariness he had never known was possible. They had been traveling for almost ten days. He only knew because of the tiny hourglass that Shizuka wore around her neck. She flipped it as soon as the last grain of sand dropped. He hadn't noticed it until she had flipped it, but he vaguely recalled seeing it around her neck, draining, every day since he had known her as a child. Jou informed him that she diligently flipped it at the end of the hour of each day so it would always be accurate. The hourglass showed that it was almost the end of the tenth day.

"Look!" Shizuka suddenly gasped. "There's the end!" As Jou and Seiji looked, indeed, they could see the parting of trees and knew that they had finally come to their destination. Hastening their pace a bit, the three moved forward and broke through to be faced with tall, black gates and a looming castle behind them. Along the gates, the shadows were darker than any they had seen and seemed to move. Shizuka shuddered, fearful, but then remembered the helpful man's words.

"...At the end of the path, you will come to a castle. Go straight in through the gates. Nothing will harm you as long as you have the bottle. It's your safe haven."

We're safe for now, Shizuka thought, letting out a careful breath. She nodded to the other two and with her chin raised, she strode towards the gates. The shadows shied away from them, repelled by the bottle's glow. Jou and Seiji pulled open a gate as far as it could go. The three squeezed through, having to squish their packs in order to fit. After they were in, Jou closed the gate and wiped his forehead, nervously glancing around.

"This place gives me the creeps!" He muttered, shivering. Seiji raised his eyes to the castle and could see a few rooms were lit up. He prayed to whatever god that would listen to him that his daughter was in there.

X

Malik and Anzu were nearly barreled down by Yami as he went hurtling past them in an excited flurry. Malik cast an irritated look to him and went to sit down, but Yami came back, his expression bright. "We have company!" He cheerfully announced. Malik glared at him while Anzu gave him a blank look. "Don't look at me like that, you two. Malik, come, come. You must take care of them."

"You're out of your mind, Yami," Malik growled. "It was pure luck Anzu got here. I doubt that Seto has let anyone else enter in here. He'd be an idiot if he did." Yami's smile lessened and his brow furrowed, a clear sign of his impatience. Malik's own mind was frantically trying to figure out why anyone would be able to come in. Seto would have no reason to allow any others into the castle. Malik, however, was only connected to the castle. He wouldn't know if anyone was on his lands, but Yami and the others would.

As if Bakura had heard Malik's thoughts, he appeared beside Yami, a dark expression on his face. "Would you like me to get rid of them?" He questioned in a soft tone. Malik raised a hand and shook his head.

"No. You will stay here with Anzu. Yami and I will take care of them." Bakura shrugged his shoulders and looked to Anzu, who had a worried expression on her face. Malik gestured to Yami, who eagerly followed, always the socialite. When they were gone, Anzu turned to Bakura, biting her lip.

"Will they be alright, Bakura?" She asked.

"With Malik and Yami?" Bakura's said in an incredulous tone. "Those two can kick anyone's ass."

X

Shizuka frowned to herself as Seiji sat on the ground and Jounouchi exclaimed about how starving he was. They were only a running distance from the doors of the castle and here they were, halting as though they had nothing more important to do. She turned back to the doors and her eyes widened as one of the doors swung outward. Jou seemed to notice, too, because he was standing next to her, a hand on her shoulder. "Don't start anything, Jou," she whispered urgently to him. "We don't know what kind of people they are." He nodded once to show he understood.

Then the two men came out and Shizuka felt fear envelope her again. They were the most elegant men she had ever seen in her life and by the way they walked side-by-side, in step with each other, she suspected they weren't going to get Anzu by simply asking. The male on the right was taller than the other by maybe an inch and had a neutral expression on his face while the other seemed more welcoming.

"Greetings," Malik drawled to them as Seiji came to stand on Jou's other side. "I am Malik Ishtar, the prince of this castle, and this is one of my close courtiers, Yami. Explain to me why you have trespassed or you will lose your lives." He smiled as he said this, causing Shizuka to tremble and clutch onto Jou.

"We're looking for our friend, mister," Jou icily said to Malik, who turned his hard gaze to him. "And we know you have her."

"Jou – " Shizuka gasped out, stunned by his rude bluntness. Malik's eyes narrowed on her suddenly and he turned to Yami, leaning down and murmuring something in his ear. The other three watched as Yami's smile dropped off his face and a shocked expression crossed his attractive features.

"Is that right?" Yami mumbled back, glancing to them. "How fascinating." He beamed at them, while Malik glared at them with a cynical appearance about him.

"Jounouchi, am I correct?" Malik queried in a tense voice.

"Yeah, but how – " Malik interrupted Jou before he could finish.

"You three must be looking for Anzu, then. She's told me much about you." His lips thinned into a taut, white line. Cold fury glimmered in his eyes. "I'll take you to her. Follow me." He turned, his cloak swinging around, and stomped towards the castle with an angry stride. Yami gave a puzzled look and then turned to the three visitors and smiled.

"Come along, now! We were just about to have dinner." Yami ushered them up the stairs to the castle and Shizuka's eyes passed over his face as he held the door open for them. He shut it behind him and vanished his cloak. "Get rid of that." He indicated where they could put their packs and cloaks and then swiftly moved forward to the dining room, where Malik, Bakura, and Anzu were.

"Anzu!" Shizuka cried, running to her. Anzu gave a startled look and then gasped and went to her, hugging her. "Oh, Anzu!" Jou watched the reunion with a lopsided grin and glanced at the three males and felt it slide off his face. Yami was watching with a smile, but the other two had frowns on their faces and Malik's eyes were dark with either hatred or anger, Jou couldn't tell. "D-did they hurt you much?" Shizuka sputtered out to Anzu, who blinked in surprise.

"No, of course not!" Anzu responded, holding her friend at arm's length. She smiled and hugged Jou and then hugged her father, leaning into him. "Papa..."

"Not now, Anzu," Seiji murmured, drawing away and giving a small smile. "I'm just glad to see you're alright."

"I would like to know," Malik's frosty voice came, "how you came here."

"Yes, I'm curious, too," Yami confessed. Shizuka hesitated and then handed the bottle to Yami, seeing no harm in it. He carefully removed it from her shaking fingers, holding it up to peer at it. Bakura took it and turned it in his fingers, before shrugging and giving to Malik. Malik turned it upside down and watched as the substances flooded down to the stem of the bottle. He tipped it upright and passed his hand beneath it, as though testing something.

"Seto's work, no doubt," Malik said, handing it to Anzu to give to her friend. "Ryou will look at it tomorrow."

"We're leaving tonight, though," Shizuka told him as Anzu returned the bottle. "We're taking Anzu home." Shizuka knew that was the wrong thing to say by the way his eyes turned to slits and how Yami's smile disappeared in an instant. Bakura was the only one unaffected. Even Anzu looked shocked. "It's where she belongs," she insisted, her grip on the bottle tightening a bit.

"No one is leaving tonight," Bakura informed her with a bored expression. "Tonight you will eat with us and then tomorrow Ryou will look at that bottle. Things can be figured out between you four and Malik afterward."

"But – "

"Shizuka," Anzu spoke up gently, touching her friend's shoulder. "You all must be exhausted and dirty. Stay here for the night, let Ryou look over the bottle, and then we'll talk about it tomorrow."

"Talk about it?" Jou repeated, aghast. "What's there to talk about, Anzu? Don't you want to go home? Didn't these guys kidnap you?"

"Kidnap me?" Anzu repeated in clear horror. "No! I came here of my own accord, but I couldn't leave and Malik was kind enough to let me stay. Please, don't argue with me tonight, Jou. Let's just eat and...and you guys can rest and get clean, alright? Can't we do that until tomorrow?" Jou gave a reluctant look, but nodded nonetheless. She smiled, a clearly relieved look on her face. "Perfect." She turned to Malik and the other two. "Is that...alright with you, Malik?"

"They're your responsibility," was all he said to her, turning to go sit at the table. "Ryou takes a while to regain his strength. Whenever he is feeling better and up to looking at the bottle and whenever he is finished will be when we discuss things that will happen thereafter." He sat at the table, smiling stiffly at the others. "Is that agreed?"

"Well, I – " Jou began, but Shizuka elbowed him in the stomach. He wheezed, gasping out, "Agreed!" Anzu smiled slightly and settled in her seat. The others took their spots while Yami sat next to Anzu, bringing the food out. "What's up with that, anyway?" Jou casually asked, watching the silver platters, bowls, and china float above the table from the kitchen.

"It's magic," Seiji replied, leaning back in his seat wearily as the dishes settled on the table. "Four years ago, mages were everywhere in the world. Then a great cataclysm occurred because of the power of an Elder. He destroyed himself and all of the other mages." He paused, sending a faint, baffled look to the three mages at the table. "How come you men were not wiped out in the process?"

"The curse on this castle and its lands unintentionally protected us. Nothing from the outside can get to us and we can get nothing from the outside," Malik told him tonelessly as he served himself. Yami served the guests and Anzu, smiling as he did. "I wasn't aware that any non-magic people knew we existed."

"My grandfather was a mage," Seiji answered, "but he married a non-magic person. By the time I was born, there wasn't any magic in my blood because he and my ancestors were the only mages in my family."

"Papa, you never told me this," Anzu spoke up in surprise. She had never heard of magic being real until she had seen it performed by the mages at the castle. The prospect of her family having some magic in their blood made a note of pride sing in her. "How come?"

"It never seemed important." Malik watched Seiji avoid Anzu's gaze and felt there was something else that the old man wasn't telling them – or Anzu, for that matter. Having magic in one's blood was nothing to be ashamed of, but Seiji was treating it that way. Apparently there was something about the mages in the Mazaki family that had caused him to keep his ancestry a secret from his daughter. He wondered if Anzu's mother had ever known that there had been magic in her husband's family.

"Enough of that," Yami chirped, interrupting the tense silence that had fallen between Anzu and her father. "Let's eat!"

"I'll say prayer to that," Jou crowed with delight. "I'm starving."

Yami laughed.

X

After saying goodnight to her friends and father, Anzu had headed towards her room, but felt that she didn't want to go to an empty, cold bed. Malik had been in the worst of moods when he had returned from outside with Yami and during dinner, he had been broodingly silent. She was concerned he might be upset that she could be leaving. And, inside, she knew she did want to leave, but only so she could be with Shizuka, Jou, and her father. She also wanted to be with the mages in the castle. It wasn't possible, though, and she knew that.

And what can I choose? She thought as she moved down the corridor that led to the ballroom. How can I choose? I feel so deeply for Malik and the others are like family to me. But Shizuka and Jou are like family to me, too. Papa is family. How can I leave those that I have known my entire life for those I've known for only a little while?

"They all adore you, even Bakura."

But do you adore me, Malik? She wondered as she passed through the ballroom. I will leave, if you do not love me. I can't stay here with you, having the feelings I do, when you don't return them. She sighed and opened the door, closing it behind her on the ballroom. She moved towards Malik's door and went through it, up the stairs, to the door that led to his bedchamber. I'm afraid...I'm afraid that I'll look at him – today or tomorrow – and see something close to resentment...

"Malik?"

End Chapter Eleven