Chapter Twelve:
It was still extremely early when Bakura stood from his chair and stretched glancing to look over at Amunet and Ryo.
As soon as they had gotten back to the farmhouse, Bakura had carried Amunet up and gently placed her in bed. Ryo, still being in his human form crawled in behind her to rest further back on the bed and against the wall beside the window and to their surprise Amunet had flipped over lying her head in Ryo's lap. Since Ryo hadn't moved beyond tilting his head back against the headboard and placing a hand on Amunet's shoulder he'd fallen asleep as well.
Hearing Bakura's movement though Ryo's eyes snapped open instantly looking for any type of danger to them. Once he realized it was just Bakura he visibly relaxed and then raised an eyebrow in question at him.
"I am going to go get Annie." Bakura explained in a hushed voice. "That boy said he could get her out of here if I get her out early enough. Stay here with Amunet."
Ryo nodded in understanding closing his eyes again seeming to fall back asleep, but Bakura knew better when he noticed Ryo's hand on Amunet's shoulder tighten its grip a little. Bakura grinned at this realizing the little punk was starting to grow a backbone before heading out to sneak into the farmhouse.
It didn't take much effort, as it seemed the three women inside slept extremely sound. The only thing he worried about was that damn cat Lucifer, but he was nowhere to be seen. Bakura quickly made his way to Annie's room unlocking the door and slipping inside.
As soon as he had stepped in and closed the door behind himself, he was startled by a book hitting him in the back. He looked down at the book in slight shock before turning his gaze to Annie who was sitting up in bed hand over her heart.
"Seriously Bakura?" Annie hissed letting out a deep breath. "One of these days…"
"I learned how to use the door as you ask me to," Bakura said with a smirk and a shrug. "Does nothing satisfy you?"
"What are you doing here?" Annie questioned changing the topic. "How did you even get in here?"
Bakura held up the key. "Be thankful I am as good at my trade as I am. That other servant boy is waiting outside to take you to the palace and Yugi and Yami where you will be safe. Amunet, Ryo and I will follow shortly once you are in the clear."
"But isn't Yami supposed to come here to save Amunet?" Annie questioned an eyebrow raised.
"He is, but that does not include you." Bakura explained before stepping over to Annie. "You should not have been part of this in the first place, so the rules of your character as subject to change. I will not have her using you as leverage against Amunet any longer. Good enough explanation?"
"I can't walk." Annie then pointed out and Bakura shrugged.
"I'll bloody well carry you then." Bakura said and then Annie nodded in agreement. "Let's get a move on, if we do not those women will wake up."
"Alright." Annie agreed and then allowed Bakura to pick her up. "Let's just get this over with."
"I could not agree more." Bakura said before briskly walking back over to the door and cracking it open to look out.
As he did he noticed another door open. Dendera stepped out of said door and headed down the hallway and he heard the front door open and close.
"Shit." Bakura muttered having an idea where Dendera was headed.
"What?" Annie questioned confused.
"We have to go," Bakura said pulling the door open and quickly shutting it behind himself. "Dendera is awake."
"Oh no!" Annie exclaimed quietly. "She's going to go after Amunet!"
"Exactly." Bakura's gaze narrowed as he hurried quietly down the hallway and down the stairs. "That Prince better hurry up and get his royal ass out here."
Bakura quickly crossed the front yard and over to the stables. Waiting for them was the servant boy sitting on top of one of the mares. His face was pale and worry was clouding his features.
"She's awake," He said to Bakura as he arranged Annie in front of him so that she wouldn't fall off the mare as they rode.
"I know." Bakura said flatly. "Just get Annie out of here, I will handle the rest."
Bakura turned then indicating to the stables door, which he had left open for them. The boy nodded and instantly urged the mare into a gallop.
"Please be careful Bakura!" Annie called back as the two quickly fled his sight.
There was a momentary pause as Bakura watched Annie and the boy leave to make sure they made it down the drive and onto the main road. The boy turned the mare towards the palace and then they were gone.
"BAKURA!" this scream pierced through the morning prompting him into movement immediately.
Amunet groaned coming awake and buried her nose deeper into the softness below her. As she did there was an answering groan from above her which caused her to jerk up and look around at who it was. She was greeted with the sight of Ryo's smile as he blinked sleep from his eyes.
"Good morning." He said and Amunet let out a deep breath relaxing.
"Morning." Amunet said with a smile before turning to look out the window. "Another day right?"
"Not exactly." Ryo said and Amunet turned her gaze back to him. "We decided to prompt this story into ending a little quicker than anticipated."
"We?" Amunet questioned curiously.
"Bakura went to get Annie." Ryo explained and Amunet finally noticed the thief was gone. "He said the other servant boy would get her out of here and to the palace with Yami and Yugi. We are going to leave as well as soon as he returns."
As soon as Ryo had finished speaking both heard someone walking up the steps to the tower. Amunet glanced at him and Ryo looked at the door, knowing Bakura wouldn't make that much noise walking up the steps.
Ryo climbed out the bed standing in front of Amunet in a protective move unsure exactly who was coming and whether they be friend or foe. They waited tensely for a moment or two as whoever it was continued up the steps. Finally the doorknob rattled indicating someone was about to walk inside.
The door opened and as Ryo suspected it wasn't Bakura standing in the doorway with a wicked grin on her face. It was Dendera. Her eyes then narrowed when she spotted Ryo standing in front of Amunet protectively.
"Who are you?" Dendera hissed at him.
When Ryo didn't answer Dendera let out a nasty snarl and stepped forward. She grabbed Ryo roughly by the arm and when he went to fight back she tossed him roughly away from her causing him to land against Amunet's dresser with a nasty thud. He didn't move afterwards, and there was a small trickle of blood rolling down his face.
"Ryo!" Amunet called worried, and when she didn't receive an answer she turned back to Dendera giving her a glare. "You bitch!"
"This is the end of you, Amunet." Dendera snarled at Amunet before stalking forward and grabbing Amunet's hair. "I have had enough of you! This ends today!"
Dendera jerked on Amunet's hair forcing her to try and stand. She couldn't with her ankle and fell forward.
"Pathetic!" Dendera snarled at her jerking her hair again and pulling her across the room.
Amunet fought her as best she could struggling to pull out of her grip no matter how much it ended up hurting her. This only seemed to fuel Dendera's rage even further and soon they had reached the doorway that lead down the stairs. Dendera jerked the door open and when Amunet realized just what Dendera had planned to do she fought even harder against the grip.
Just as Dendera had hauled Amunet up to toss her down the stairs something slammed into Dendera's legs causing her to lose her balance slightly and let go of Amunet's hair. Amunet stumbled at this trying desperately to gain her balance before she fell, but failed. Ryo, who had been the thing that slammed into Dendera's legs, lunged reaching out for her barely missing her hand as she fell.
"BAKURA!" Amunet screamed as she fell.
Amunet tumbled all the way down the stairs and landed in a heap at the bottom slamming up against the closed door there. She groaned in pain before attempting to push herself up again before Dendera reached the bottom.
Behind her the door was jerked open and she tumbled out landing against Bakura's legs. She looked up at him as he looked down worry marring his features.
"You okay?" Bakura said reaching down and quickly picking her up.
"Not really no," Amunet groaned in protest of the sudden movement. "I think that may have bruised some of my ribs."
"Come on, we need to get you out of here." Bakura said turning to look around them. "Now."
"What about Annie?" Amunet questioned worried for her friend.
"Taken care of," Bakura said before turning and heading towards the stables at a brisk pace.
Suddenly something slammed into the back of Bakura tackling them to the ground. Bakura tossed Amunet from him so that he wouldn't land on top of her and then flipped over throwing the woman off of himself.
"Enough of this!" Bakura said anger starting to truly show on his face.
He got up and stalking over to Dendera and grabbed her by her dress collar hauling her up and onto her feet to face him. Just as Bakura opened his mouth to say something Amunet heard Ryo yell and then Bakura hunched over holding his stomach.
"Bakura!" Amunet cried out in horror seeing this, and the blood covering Bakura's hands.
Amunet went to push herself up trying to possibly make her way to him before she felt someone grab the back of her head and jerk backwards pulling her roughly up and on her feet.
"You little bitch!" Bennu's voice came across clearly. "See what you have done? You have probably caused Bakura his soul! All because of his misguided need to protect you!"
"You claim you love him! Are you just going to stand here and allow him to die at her hands?" Amunet said in disbelief. "What kind of love is this that you harbor?"
"This is not my doing. You are the one who is killing him." Bennu said with a wicked laugh causing Amunet to sneer.
"Let me go!" Amunet growled out slamming her elbow backward slamming it into Bennu's ribs.
Bennu let go of Amunet with a hiss of pain. As soon as Amunet hit the ground she flipped kicking up with her good foot and slamming her foot up underneath Bennu's chin.
Bennu let out a wild shriek and stepped back out of Amunet's range. A wild look over took her face as she held her now bleeding lip where she had bit it when Amunet had kicked her and then she turned that crazy gaze to Amunet.
"How dare you!" Bennu screeched before lunging at Amunet again.
Amunet quickly rolled causing Bennu to land face first in the mud and Amunet pushed herself up best she could and forced herself onto feet. She needed some type of stability, and an upper hand if she was going to win this fight.
Bennu angry from falling face first in the mud quickly recovered and lunged at Amunet from behind taking both women down. Amunet let out a snarl at this before using her good foot and arm that wasn't pinned to roll them over and get Bennu off of her back.
Amunet then turned to see exactly where Bennu was. Once she spotted her, the color completely faded from her face at the appearance of a knife in Bennu's hand. She had to get that knife from her at all cost.
Amunet tensed waiting for Bennu to attack, carefully watching the knife. Bennu, who was obviously blinded by her rage at this point wildly stabbed for Amunet.
Amunet was able to dodge her first attack by twisting her upper body away from the knife which slammed into the soft ground beside her. She then quickly reached over and grabbed Bennu's wrist trapping it where it was with a cast iron grip. Bennu hissed at the pressure around her wrist but refused to let go.
Amunet glared before flipping the two again where Amunet sat astride Bennu, hand still clenched on the wrist that held the knife. Bennu let out a roar of rage and started fighting to knock Amunet off of her but was unable to dislodge her.
"You have lost this game Bennu." Amunet growled fiercely.
Bennu let out a horrible sob at this. "I hate you Amunet! You took everything I ever wanted! You took him from me!"
"He never belonged to you in the first place!" Amunet exclaimed. "You refused to see the truth, and now you have paid the ultimate cost! If his soul is lost to the shadow realm I will not rest until your punishment is just."
Amunet hadn't been paying attention to anything but she and Bennu when someone grabbed Amunet from behind and jerked her head backwards. Amunet let out a cry of pain at this and then whoever it was tossed her across the space and face first into the mud.
Amunet groaned before turning back and flipping over to see who it was that had thrown her away from Bennu. Dendera stood there checking to make sure Bennu was alright before turning on Amunet.
"Now that your friends can no longer protect you, let's see you get out of this Amunet." Dendera said with a sickeningly wicked laugh advancing on Amunet knife raised.
Amunet turned to try and get to her feet and attempt to get away from this mad woman but Dendera was quicker. Dendera reached down and grabbed Amunet's hair again pulling her head back and placing the knife just against her throat.
"So much for your happy ending dearie." Dendera snarled in her ear as she pressed tighter against Amunet's throat.
"Stop!" someone shouted and Amunet and Dendera both looked up to see who it was.
It was Yami and Yugi, and surrounding them were about seven or eight guards. Out of the house came two more guards carrying a screaming and struggling daughter.
"Let my daughter go!" Dendera said with a snarl knowing she had some advantage with having Amunet trapped. "Or I will slit her throat."
Unnoticed by anyone Ryo slowly approached her from behind mindful of the knife Dendera had pressed against Amunet's throat. Yami raised a hand for the guards to release the other girl.
Dendera grinned seeming to have thought she had completed a great triumph and pulled harder on Amunet's hair causing her to cry out in pain. Dendera laughed at this before looking back at Yami.
"This pathetic thing is your true love?" Dendera said a wild gleam in her eyes. "Why not choose someone stronger? Maybe like one of my girls?" Dendera nodded towards Bennu who had pulled herself to her feet by this time. "Bennu perhaps?"
"I will not choose someone else," Yami said his voice cold and sharp.
"Well then," Dendera tilted her head to the side. "I would hate to make you watch the blood of your true love being spilled needlessly because you are too stubborn to change your mind."
"You are going to kill me anyway!" Amunet said and then let out another little cry of pain as Dendera jerked her head and the knife cut ever so slightly into her skin.
"Shut up!" Dendera snarled at her.
"Let her go Dendera." Yami said his voice demanding and leaving no room for argument.
"Or what Prince?" Dendera snarled at him. "You have no way of getting to me or her before this knife takes away her life."
Amunet looked up and locked gazes with Yami. His blood boiled seeing the shape she was in. She was covered in mud from falling, as well as a deep bruise around her left eye from her fight with Bennu. There was a cut on her forehead that was bleeding and her lip was busted staining her teeth red causing a small amount of blood to drip off her chin.
Just as Yami opened his mouth to say something else Ryo lunged grabbing Dendera around her waist and wrestling with her to get the knife out of her grasp. The woman let out a screech and went to lunge at Ryo to get the knife back from the boy. Bennu went to go for Ryo as well but Amunet moved quicker managing to make herself get up and on her feet lunging at her with a roar.
Bennu and Amunet landed hard in the mud, this time Amunet quickly gaining the upper hand as she was able to wrestle the knife out of Bennu's grasp. She flipped it over in her hand and then pressed it against Bennu's throat baring her teeth in a feral manner.
"You have lost!" Amunet growled for a second time. "Concede Bennu and I may just spare you!"
"Spare me from what?" Bennu snarled back just as fierce. "You?" Bennu laughed wickedly. "You do not have enough fire left in you from being the fierce warrior of the Sand Raiders to kill!" Amunet snarled pushing the knife harder against her neck. "You no longer deserve that mark of the warrior you carry on your face! Your father would be disgusted with what you have become!"
"You have no right to tell me what I deserve, who I was, is still who I am now, but there is more to being a warrior than just killing someone Bennu. I will not lower myself to act upon your belittling as you wish me to." Amunet said pulling back and pulling the knife away. "You will live through the end of this story that you put us in. You will live in the dungeons until the king decides to go through with your execution. May Ammut have mercy on your wretched soul once the shadow realm has released it."
Amunet leaned backwards and attempted to stand from Bennu. Ryo was instantly there helping Amunet to feet allowing the guards to take Bennu and Dendera.
"You little bitch!" Dendera screamed at Amunet as the guards pulled her away. "You'll pay for this!"
Yami completely ignored the screaming woman and dismounted walking over to where Amunet and Ryo were. Ryo was helping Amunet get steadied on her feet now, and when Yami approached he smiled and stepped back away from her.
"Perfect timing." Amunet said with a little smirk as she reached out to steady herself on his arm. He stepped forward and pulled her in for a hug.
"I am sorry we were not here sooner." Yami apologized hugging her tightly. "We did not think that she would act so suddenly."
"Amunet!"
Amunet jerked around when she heard Ryo call out to her and both she and Yami turned to look at him and see what he needed. Ryo was almost in tears as he looked at the two of them, as he held Bakura's head in his lap. Ryo's hand was pressed over Bakura's over the wound on his stomach.
All of the color drained out of Amunet's face before she moved to hurry over to Bakura, momentarily forgetting about her ankle. She would have fallen face first if Yami hadn't been standing next to her. He instantly picked her up and carried Amunet over to Bakura before setting her down beside him and taking a step backward.
"How bad?" Amunet questioned her voice shaking slightly. Ryo removed their hands to allow her to look at the wound.
"Bad enough." Bakura said with a little chuckle before he coughed, coughing up blood. "You are alright?"
"You are dying and you are worried about me?" Amunet chocked out with a disbelieving laugh and tears starting to fall.
"You are the one who needed to live to get everyone else out of this fairytale." Bakura said and then smirked. "Besides, you need someone to wait for you on the other side of the gates to the afterlife do you not?"
"You are not allowed to die Bakura." Amunet said and he laughed.
"Somehow Queen I do not know that I am going to be able to follow that order."
"You cannot die now!" Amunet shook her head. "Not now that this damn fairytale is almost ended! We can go home!"
"Stop crying." Bakura barked out. "I hate it when you cry."
"Then stop threatening to die on me!" Amunet retorted.
"I am not threatening shit." Bakura growled out then winced his hand flexing on his wound. "This is bloody real."
"I know this is bloody real Bakura!" Amunet barked out just as fierce. "But you are going to have to keep fighting and allow me some time to get you to a damn healer! I refuse to let you go!"
"You are a fucking stubborn woman." Bakura said before coughing again.
"Learned from the best." Amunet said and Ryo laughed weakly. Amunet then reached up and tapped Bakura's forehead lightly. "Now rest."
There was little flash and Bakura went limp in Ryo's arms. Ryo let out a little squeak sounding worried before he looked back at Amunet. Amunet's face was pale and she had placed a hand beside her to hold herself up her breath coming in little pants.
"You should not have done that, Amunet." Yami said before bending down beside Amunet. "You do not have the strength to be expounding Shadow Magic like that."
"I can gain back my energy and strength." Amunet said her voice soft. She then leaned back into Yami's support. "Bakura's wound on the other hand needed the attention."
"There are healers back at the palace that can tend to the wound." Yami said then turned his gaze to Ryo. "Would there happen to be a wagon that we can use to carry him back to the palace? We cannot carry him on horseback with that type wound; it will only harm him more."
"I-I think so." Ryo nodded.
Before long Ryo had found them a wagon and had Lightening hooked up and ready to go. Amunet chose to ride with Bakura, and Ryo drove them. As soon as Amunet and Bakura were both settled they left that wretched farm, Ryo following behind Yami and Yugi and the guards. Amunet sighed watching Bakura for a moment praying that they would get to the palace quick enough to save the thief from death's door.
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