Author's note: Turning point ahoy! You guys, this is, like, one of the big moments of the story coming up right here! Like, one of the main events the past chapters have been leading up to. Like, oh my gosh I'm so happy I finally got here. I've had bits and pieces of this chapter written for at least a year! Maybe Two. Possibly more. Yes, I mean it! Let's do it!
PS- Don't worry, the only way this is going under another re-write is if I shoot myself in the head first. Haha. -shot-
… Er, that one doesn't count.
Seto was standing in the desert. The sand was cool beneath his bare feet, but the air was uncomfortably warm.
He turned his head to the left, but could see nothing. The same applied to his right. It was pitch black. But it was not the kind of black darkness that the night beckoned. It was thick and uncomfortably warm. He took a step. It moved around him. Smoke. He was surrounded by heavy black smoke.
In the distance he could hear voices. They were shouting in a panic, but were too far or too quiet to understand. He tried to move closer so he could hear, but he suddenly felt very lightheaded. He took a breath to clear it and choked. His hands shot to his throat immediately as if it would help. He could not breathe.
He tried to take another breath but the air was too thick. The most he could manage was a feeble cough, as he fell to his knees. The shouts were getting closer, but they would not get to him in time. His sight was going fuzzy. He needed help…
And in the next instant a stream of water tricked beneath his fingers and for some reason the feeling registered and so familiar before it erupted into a large wall of water around him. The smoke cleared and he could breathe again. Immediately he looked up at the swirling barrier between himself and the smoke. It was protecting him. It felt… alive. He reached a hand out to it. If he could just touch it again, he was sure he could figure out why it felt so familiar…
Seto's eyes shot open. He could make out the shouting.
"Damnit, Seto! Open this door this instant or I will blow it up! Do you hear me? You will never see it again! SETO!"
The High Priest shot up in bed and tumbled out to get to the door before the angry Pharaoh pounding on the other side really did break it down. He grabbed the handle and pulled it open, causing the young man on the other side to stumble ungracefully into the room. Clearly he had not expected the door to actually open. Seto could not help but smirk.
But the Pharaoh took no notice of his undignified moment and was on his feet and gripping his friend's arms in a second. The panic in his voice shone in his eyes with ten times the intensity.
"Yami, what…"
"He is gone, Seto!" he shouted at him, causing the older boy's ears to ring. "I woke up and he was not there. I have looked everywhere and there is no sign of him! Not in the kitchens, not in the gardens, nobody has seen him…"
"Hold on," Seto said, trying to get Yami to relax and speak at a pace the human ears could follow. "Who is gone? Yugi?"
"No, my father. OF COURSE YUGI!"
Seto winced. "Alright! Stop shouting, or you will wake the entire palace." He glanced over his shoulder to the bed, half hoping that Yami's shouts had at least woken Jounouchi, who could probably give them an idea of where the little one might be.
His eyes widened when he realized that his own slave was nowhere to be found.
"Jou…"
"You see?" Yami said tightening his grip in Seto's arms, though Seto continued to stare at the bed, wide eyed. "He is gone too! They would not leave each other behind. If they are both gone it means they left together. They ran away from us, Seto!" He dropped his head to his friend's chest in angry frustration. "They ran away."
"I'm afraid I can't let you out Ishtar."
"Why the hell not?" Ishtar shouted at the guard. "The city is as good as it ever was. There can't possibly be anything else left for us to do."
"Well, that's true but…"
"Then let us pass!"
"I can't."
Malik glared at the guard, a small growl forming in the back of his throat as Ishtar continued to argue with him. He was supposed to be let out today. He was supposed to go and find Ryou. Instead he was standing in front of a large wooden gate watching his new friend yell at the world's most stubborn guard.
Friend… Now there was a word that both did and did not quite define his relationship with Ishtar. It had only been a few days, but Malik already felt a strong connection with him. He cared about him, he was pleasant to be around, and he could get into a very passionate debate, Malik noticed as the guard's resolve began to falter under Ishtar's flailing arms.
But there was more there. The way Ishtar would sometimes look at him, his touch when he was changing his bandages, the kiss… They had not even spoken about that since it happened, but Malik could not help but wonder.
Their relationship wasn't intimate, that was for sure, but he definitely felt something different than when he was with, say, Ryou…
"What is all this commotion so early in the morning?"
The three figures turned around to see a man in simple but elegant robes approaching them. Malik could not help but notice the way Ishtar's face lit up when he saw him.
"Meialim!"
Malik took a closer look at the man. So this was Meialim. He seemed to be ordinary enough. A good head taller than Malik, he had a heavy tan, slick back hair that tell just above his shoulders, and brown eyes that did not quite reflect the smile of his face. Malik could tell immediately that beneath that kind front was a man who could probably convince just about anyone to do his bidding with a few smooth words.
"Ishtar," Meialim sad, addressing the boy with a tone that strict parents often used. "I hadn't expected you to be involved in an argument like this. What's going on here?"
"Er… well, you see, we were told that we would be allowed to leave today but…" Ishtar eyed the guard returned the look.
"Ah, yes. About that. Well you see Ishtar, while I have no concerns about you leaving for a little while, I'm afraid the same can't be said for your partner her. Malik was it?"
Malik glared up at the man. "Just what is that supposed to mean?" he asked in a tone that was just rude enough to make Ishtar wince. Malik brushed it off and kept his attention focused on the man before him.
"To be perfectly honest with you, my boy, I am not entirely sure if I can trust you. I know you know the story of this village and its inhabitants, and I would like to think you can understand my concerns. A slave in the palace. Rather close to the Pharaoh for comfort, don't you think?"
"I think," Malik said, "that this is absolutely ridiculous."
Somewhere behind him Ishtar squeaked. In front of him, Meialim raised an eyebrow. "is that right?"
"Yeah, it is!" he all but shouted. "So I was a slave in the palace. Big deal. That isn't exactly very high up on the influence scale, is it? I clean the floors, and carry things from one room to another. I'm not going to run away and confide in the Pharaoh where a village of refugees is so that he can send an army to finish what his father started. All I want to do is find my friend, and if that means having to fight my way through you and your guard, then I will. But I'm going to find him!"
"Malik..." Ishtar started, trying to calm him down before they got into trouble, but Meialim cut him off. He was looking at Malik with great intensity, studying him. Judging him. Malik continued to glare at him, not backing down. What he had said was not bluff. It had been a while, but Malik was trained in basic combat, and if he had to put those skills to use to get out, he would. He was still a little hurt, but in much better shape than when he had first arrived. He was sure he would be able to hold his own against his man, at least for a while. But if others became involved, he was not sure…
Meialim approached Malik, raising his hand, and Malik was sure he was going to strike him. Instead he brought his hand down to ruffle Malik's hair good naturedly. Malik blinked up at him.
"You've got spirit, young one," he said with a smile. "Be sure to hold on to that." He turned around and nodded to the gate keeper who opened the gate.
"Good luck finding your friend." And with that he walked away.
Malik frowned, not convinced that his spirit was all the other man had on his mind. However, he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to leave just to find out what it was. Ishtar had already mounted one of the horses they were borrowing and with one more glance at Meialim's retreating form, Malik mounted the second one.
"Next time let's see if we can do this without the large confrontations."
"Shut up."
"So do you want to tell me where we're headed?" Ishtar asked over his shoulder as the gates were pulled open.
"That place we talked about a few nights ago," Malik replied. "Kuru Eruna. Do you know how to get there?" Malik saw Ishtar visibly stiffen and was not sure what to make of his expression. "Is something wrong?"
Ishtar shook his head. "No, it's nothing. Yeah, I should be able to get us there, no problem."
Malik nodded, and with the gate fully opened, he and Ishtar kicked their horses and rode off.
Bakura sat casually in the shade of his house, fiddling with the Millennium Ring hanging from his neck. Somewhere in the background he could hear the boy splashing around in the oasis he threw him into earlier, insisting that he needed to do something about his smell. While he wasn't lying about the smell, the real reason was that he wanted some time alone to think.
For a long time he knew that he wanted to gain all seven Items. He knew that they held a very strong magic, and had heard some whispers that when combined, they had the power to bring back the dead. If he could get all of them he was sure he could bring back his parents. His sister…
But now that he had managed to get one, he had a bit of a problem, namely, getting the other six. One of them was still locked away in the chamber where he had gotten the Ring, but snatching it would not be as easy now that they were aware that someone was after them. Search parties were probably running all over Egypt looking for the one he now held. His original plan was to take the two in the chamber and use the combined power to get the rest one by one, but now he was going to have to rethink his strategy.
He sighed and held it up, letting the light catch on the rim. Not to mention he had no idea how to use it. It hadn't occurred to him that he might have to be magically trained or talented or something to make the little buggers work.
He let the Ring drop back to his chest and leaned back. He could worry about it later. For now, he was content to just lounge in the shade.
Of course, for he was sure he was in some way cursed, when Bakura got a peaceful moment to himself, something came along to ruin it for him. For the past few days it had been the boy, but today as he squinted out into the desert, he saw a figure approaching. They were still far off, but must have been on horseback because they were approaching sight range quickly.
Biting on his lower lip Bakura quickly dashed into his house and fished out his bow and a quiver of arrows. He was not a big fan of killing, but people headed in his direction from time to time, usually because they spotted the trees of the small oasis, and he learned that a few arrows "missing their mark" could always scare any lost travelers away.
Settling down behind a pile of stone that used to be a wall, he nocked an arrow and waited for the travelers to get closer. They needed to be within range, plus he needed to make sure the shot missed convincingly. As they got closer he could start to make out the figures. Two boys on horseback, it seemed. They were close enough that he could make out some details in their features.
He pulled back on the bow string, taking aim. Come on… Just a little closer…
"MALIK!"
The shout came loudly and practically next to his ear just as a small pale figure rushed passed him, startling Bakura so much that he let go of the bow string, sending the arrow flying off in some obscure backwards direction.
"What the hell are you—hey! Get back here!" Bakura called out to Ryou who was running out towards the riders. "What are you… you're going to give away… Argh!"
He grabbed his bow and quiver and ran out after him, deciding that he could probably scare them away at point blank range.
That was the plan at least. However, just as Ryou got close to the riders, the smaller one jumped off and caught Ryou in an embrace. Bakura slowed at this, but continued to walk towards the new arrivals. He recognized the boy immediately, despite the fact that during their last encounter it had been very dark and for a brief period at the time.
Bakura smirked. So the boy made it back for Ryou after all. He watched the reunion a little ways off, just close enough to make out some of the fast mutterings that passed between them. Ryou was clinging to the other boy's tunic desperately and had fallen to his knees, dragging the other boy down with him. Bakura, not at all concerned that this was a private moment, looked on with awe. He had never seen the boy look so… desperate. Perhaps in a few of his acts in the past few days, but this was a genuine, vulnerable moment he was having.
The thief frowned. He never would have guessed that the cheerful, annoying, bouncing kid that he had been with for those few days had been so worried that he was now not a few feet away, completely breaking up.
"Bakura…"
The thief whipped around upon hearing his name and came face to face with someone he never expected to see. His eyes widened.
"Ishtar?"
A little taller, hair a little bit spikier, but the person dismounting the horse was definitely Ishtar. Bakura grinned. "Figures he would have ended up in your care."
Ishtar's face remained emotionless. "I'll have you know that in the time that he was, Malik suffered a lot of heartache thanks to you." He walked around the horse and folded his arms across his chest. "Just another thing that figures."
Bakura's grin adjusted into a well practiced smirk and he walked closer, closing the gap between them. "Why so sour, Ishtar? Is this anyway to great an old friend?" He reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair from Ishtar's face, causing the other boy to swat his hand way with a growl.
"You are not my friend."
"Two years ago you wouldn't have been able to say that with a strait face."
"Shut up!" Ishtar said, red in the face. "Two years ago was different. I was young and foolish."
"Oh, you were foolish alright! Joining up with—"
"At least I've moved on with my life! Unlike you who's still—"
"Numbing the pain isn't moving on!"
"And pushing your own on others is?"
"Oh I'll push something on you!"
"I'd like to see you try!"
"Ahhgh!"
The two stopped their quarreling and looked back to the younger boys where the new boy, Malik was it, was crouched worried over Ryou who was cured up on the ground breathing heavily, his hands pressed against the sides of his head. He had been the one to scream.
Bakura rushed over immediately, Ishtar close behind, and caught bit of what they were saying to each other.
"From so far?"
"I-it's so strong…"
"Couldn't have been just pent up energy that—"
"No, no. It's serious. I can hear it—Ahh!" He curled further and pressed his forehead to the sand just and Bakura dropped down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"What the hell's going on?"
Ryou mumbled something that sounded like, "So loud" but that meant nothing to Bakura who instead turned to the boy's companion. Malik was already up and helping Ryou to his feet.
"Which way is the palace city?"
"The… wha—"
"Which way?"
"It's North-East of here, but what does that have to do with…"
But he did not get the chance to finish as Malik rushed off and mounted his horse, pulling Ryou on behind him before riding in the direction Bakura just indicated.
"What's going on?" Ishtar asked, coming up behind him. "Where are they going?"
"If I told you, you wouldn't come with me." Bakura grabbed Ishtar's hand and dragged him onto the remaining horse. Before the other got a chance to protest, they were riding after the boys.
The ride was fast. Bakura was not sure exactly how long they had been riding, but it felt like almost no time at all before he saw the city boundaries in the distance. That was the first thing that he noticed. The second was the fire being spewed into the air from a very familiar feeling source.
Being in possession of a deck himself, he could easily feel that these dragons were not wild, but under someone's control. But who was their target?
He looked at the two boys just ahead of him. By their reactions to the dragons, it was clear that the boys were here because of them. What he wanted to know was how had they known?
They stopped just at the city limits where Ryou almost immediately fell to the ground, Malik quickly at his side. Bakura slowed his horse to a stop next to them, and climbed off. They were just behind a small rundown cluster of buildings, and he could see flashes of fire burning on the other side.
"I can't hear him…"
"You don't think… he's not d-"
"I don't know."
Before Malik could respond, Bakura seized him by the back of his shirt and pulled him onto his feet.
"Okay, talk. What's going on?"
Malik struggled to get out of his grip. "Let go! I don't have time for this. I have to-"
"Make time!"
"Hey!" Ishtar reached over and wrenched Malik away from Bakura. "Don't touch him."
"Ishtar," Malik pleaded. "Please, there's no time! My friends are-"
"NO!"
All three turned quickly to Ryou who was still on his knees looking strait ahead, a horror struck look on his face. Almost immediately Malik tried to wrench himself away from Ishtar's grip and get behind the building to where the dragons could be heard. It didn't look like Ishtar was going to give anytime soon.
"You're crazy!" He shouted, wrapping both arms around his struggling form.
"Nooo!" Malik moaned, tears beginning to form in his eyes. "Please! You can't… I have to… Please! They need help."
The decision clicked into Bakura's mind before he got the chance to reason himself out of it. One quick exchange of looks with Ishtar confirmed that he had made the same decision.
Bakura dashed around the building and, as soon as he disposed of Malik and told him to stay put, Ishtar was at his side. For that one moment, it was as if the past few years had never happened. They skidded around the building and paused for half a second to see that was going on. Three dragons preparing another strike of fire. Two boys injured and unconscious on the ground. And for some reason, a decent amount of water.
But there was no time to wonder about that because the attacks were all but fired out of the dragons' mouths. Bakura and Ishtar leaped forward at the same time, each grabbing one of the boys, and rolling to one side. If the sudden wave of heat that brushed against Bakura's back was any indication, they were just in time.
Bakura rolled out and slid back to stop him momentum and get back on balance, but accidentally dropped the boy who slid a few feet behind him, but out of harms way. But stopping himself from continuing the roll back was a bad move, he realized, when he saw that one of the dragons had held back its previous attack and was now shooting a stream of fire right at him, and there was no time to dodge out of the way.
And then something strange happened. He felt something warm against his chest, but it wasn't from the fire. He looked down and saw the Millennium Item glowing brightly, and in the next instant, a golden stream of light flecked with indigo shot out of the center and met with the fire, resulting in a blinding flash. Bakura shielded his eyes with his arm, and when the light died out and he blinked up, the dragons were gone and the Ring was back to normal.
"What's going on?" Came a shout from the other side of the cluster of buildings. Bakura heard Malik and Ryou running towards them.
Ishtar, still carrying the other boy, walked towards him. Laying him down on the ground, he said quietly, "What the hell was that?"
Bakura didn't answer, not entirely sure of the answer. What -did- just happen?
"Ishtar, what was that? Is everyone alright?"
Bakura finally looked away from the spot where the dragons had been moments ago to where Malik was coming around the building. Ryou was behind him, pale, but no longer in pain as he had been. Bakura wasn't sure what to make of the warm feeling in his chest that accompanied that realization.
Before any explanations could be given, a new voice shouted "Energy Bind!"
The next thing Bakura knew, his arms, as well as those of his companions, had snapped to his sides, held there by glowing bands or power. "Wh- what the hell?" He struggled to free himself from them, only managing to ungracefully fall over. "Damnit!" He looked up to see who had done this and cursed. He couldn't think of a worse person to show up at this moment.
Gold lined silk garments, a crimson cloak, a crown atop his wildly colored hair and a golden pyramid hanging from his neck, glowing a dangerous golden-red color. The Pharaoh was standing in front of him. And he was pissed.
The Pharaoh marched forward until he towered over Bakura before surveying the scene. Bakura watched his eyes trace over the scorch marks and water on the ground to the blonde boy laying next to Ishtar, lingering for a long moment over the boy that Bakura had rescued before finally stopping on the Millennium Ring. He reached down and snapped the cord that held it around his neck and held out to his side. "Kaiba," he said quietly, and another man in blue robes came forward and took the item from him.
The Pharaoh's attention returned to him. "You have broken into the palace, stolen a sacred item, kidnapped two of the palace slaves, and injured two others."
"Whoa, hey! I didn't hurt-"
"Silence," he said, not raising his voice, but the anger in it was enough to shut him up. "These are serious offences against the palace, the priests, myself, and the gods. And I will have you executed."
He raised a hand and the Millennium Puzzle began to glow stronger. Bakura could only stare wide eyed and dumbstruck, unable to speak up, or move, or do anything to save himself.
"No, don't!"
Ryou was suddenly in front of Bakura, putting himself between him and the Pharaoh's attack. His arms were still locked at his sides, but that didn't stop him from looking… formidable. Bakura could see it in his stance, hear it in his voice. While his words were pleading, the rest of him was issuing a challenge.
The Pharaoh must have seen this as well, because he paused for an instant.
"Stand aside."
"Please, you have to listen," Ryou said, not moving. "You can't do this."
The Millennium Puzzle flashed just a little bit brighter. "Just who do you think you are speaking to, boy?"
"But he didn't hurt them! He saved Yugi and Jounouchi."
How strange that the knowledge that Bakura had saved one of the slaves was enough to make the Pharaoh withdraw his power. Not that Bakura was complaining or anything.
"Explain yourself," The Pharaoh said.
Ryou spoke quickly. "There were these dragons, and they were attacking Yugi and Jounouchi. Bakura and Ishtar ran back here and saved them, and then there was this big flash of light and then… then they were just, gone."
When did Ryou learn Ishtar's name?
Anything that might have next been said by anybody was cut off by a soft moaning off to the side. It was the boy Bakura had grabbed coming to.
"Yugi." The Pharaoh abandoned any thought of Bakura and rushed to the boy, carefully lifting him into a sitting position.
Yugi shifted slightly in the Pharaoh's arms as his eyes fluttered open. "Yami…" he croaked out.
"Yugi…" the Pharaoh breathed.
Yugi struggled to sit further up, but even that stained his injuries too much. He let out a small cry and fell limp against the Pharaoh once more. After a few strained breaths he said, "Is Jounouchi…"
The Pharaoh turned to the blonde boy who was now held up in the arms of the man in blue robes.
"He has several bad burns," the man said, "but it does not seem to be f-fatal. Although he will not come to."
The Pharaoh nodded and turned back to the boy in his arms to say something, but he had fallen unconscious again. The expression on his face unreadable, he scooped the boy fully into his arms and stood up, the other man doing the same.
Bakura was sure there was something interesting going on, but he was not going to pursue nor question it if it meant it was getting him out of an execution. Not yet anyway.
Several guards with very pointy spears that Bakura did not notice earlier approached and proceeded to herd himself, Ryou, Ishtar, and Malik, still bound, in the direction the Pharaoh and his Priest were now heading. Bakura sighed and followed obediently. He wasn't out of the fire yet.
Yami sat in his dimly lit room, hunched over in a large stuffed chair with his forehead pressed against his folded hands. With every breath his body seemed to get a little more shaky. He did not like this. He did not like this one bit.
When he and Seto had set out to search for Yugi and Jounouchi on the legal pretense that finding them would get them to the other two slaves and the stolen Millennium Item, he had a vague picture in his mind of finding Yugi wandering through the inner city mildly spiteful at him for some reason or another. But he certainly had not expected to find him bloody and burned, unmoving on the ground…
Yami stood up very quickly with a growl of frustration. He wrapped his arms around himself and paced the room. He had not been trained in more than basic healing, but he did not need any training to be able to tell immediately that Yugi needed much more than that. Isis was taking care of him and Jounouchi but hours had passed since he had heard from her.
A knock on the door stopped him in his tracks for a moment before he strode quickly over to it and opened it. It was not Isis standing before him as he expected, but Rishid.
"Yami."
So he was here as a friend, not his council member. But was that a prelude to good or bad news?
"Yugi and Jounouchi are both going to be fine," Rishid said. "They were both hurt badly and will not be moving very much for some time, but there has been no permanent damage."
Yami took a few steps back and sunk into the chair, face in his hands once more. He was not sure what was overpowering him more at the moment: the relief or the heartache. Rishid walked closer and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Isis is bringing Yugi over right now."
Yami nodded, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. His blood was pumping fast and ice cold. His mind was reeling and going numb at the same time. He was more than ready to just go to sleep and never wake up, but there were still loose ends that needed tying.
"What about the thief and everyone else?"
"Malik and Ryou have been deemed unharmed and were returned to their quarters. The thief and the other boy are in a guarded holding cell but we have not questioned them yet. To get the full story from their perspectives we would need Seto but…" he trailed off.
But Seto is probably in no better condition that me, Yami finished to himself. He nodded again in understanding. Neither spoke again until Isis came into the room carrying Yugi.
Some time later, well into the night, Yami sat awake on his bed, Yugi's head cradled in his lap. As tired, no, as exhausted as he was, he could not bring himself to sleep, so instead he had taken to stroking Yugi's hair, gently running his fingers through it. It was the only part of Yugi he could touch without running across bandage after bandage. Reminder after painful reminder of what had happened to him.
Yami groaned and lightly knocked his head back against the headboard. This entire thing was just a big confusing mess, and he no longer wanted anything to do with it.
There was the sound of a passage opening and the tapestry in the far corner fluttered. Yami did not have to look to it in order to see who it was. They had often used the passages to sneak into each other's rooms, even when they were children. Not that they had to now, but it was a bit of a habit. In fact, Yami was a little surprised that Seto had taken so long to join him.
"Did you get lost?" He said dryly as Seto approached the bed.
"Well I am not used to the extra baggage," Seto replied, laying Jounouchi down next to Yugi before sitting against the head board as Yami was. Clearly, he was not very optimistic about being able to go to sleep either. "Besides, he is heavier than he looks."
"Maybe you are just not as strong as you thought you were."
If there had not been two boys putting distance between them, Yami was fairly sure that Seto would have hit them. But because that was not the case, Seto gave no verbal nor physical response, and they fell back into silence.
Not too long after, Yami heard Seto's breathing even out into sleep. Whether it was because of the comforting presence of his best friend being with him, or because of his body's need for rest finally taking over he did not know, but Yami soon fell into slumber as well.
-gasp-gasp- That took forever! -dies- Sorry about that you guys, but hey, it's up now, isn't it? The next chapter is going to need extensive tweaking, so I don't know when it'll be out, but I hope this nice longer one will hold you at least for a little while.
Reviews make me work faster, so it's up to you if you want to write me one. -hint-hint-
