I only proofed about half of this, so I am sorry for any mistakes...I own nothing...

Revenge

Chapter 14

Ishizu arrived hours later than Bakura or Atem had anticipated. With her, guards and Odion stood alert. The guard held advanced military weapons that Atem thought were pointless at this stage of the game. What good could human weapons have against a being of the After Life? He kept his objections to himself as Ishizu approached.

"Anzu has gone into labor prematurely. She is only thirty-eight weeks. While it is outside of dangerous terms, there is some risk if the child is not treated properly. Which bring me to my next point." Ishizu glanced at Atem for a moment to gauge his reaction. The Pharaoh had a severe poker face and even in the face of dire news about his wife and child, the mask neutralized any emotion that would contort his face. He nodded his head once for her to continue, but she glanced at Bakura. There was a glittering in his eyes that Ishizu could not interpret.

"Anzu is gone. Lapis was found dead in Anzu's chamber. Outside communication was severed after I was informed of her labor. When we heard nothing more, I sent back a party that returned soon after to inform me of the status." The exotic woman seemed to age as she retold the news. Her eyes dimmed and hardened and her face creased in deep wrinkles of worry. "I am not sure at this point if the labor was caused by Anubis or if the labor has caused Anubis to strike. At the moment, our main objective is to secure the princess and the heir." It pained her to have to spell out something as such, but with Atem's behavior as of late, it seemed best to remind him of what really mattered at the moment. The people of Egypt needed the Royal Family to return. It was the only way to fix the corruption of the government.

Atem nodded once more and said, "I agree. We need a strategy for retrieving Anzu before we go to battle with Anubis."

Bakura blanched. "Just Anzu? What of your child?"

Atem did not even honor him with a glance. "It would be natural to assume the baby is with Anzu. The infant cannot eat or survive without its mother. I doubt Anubis would deal with the child himself. But, he would have them nearby to act as bait."

"Then how do we secure them if they are in danger's way?" Ishizu asked to no one in particular. "If your theory is correct, Anubis would kill them both the moment we entered his trap."

"He wouldn't dare," Bakura spoke. "That baby is the heir of Atem. He would no doubt want it for its Shadow Magic."

"Any power the child would possess is watered down, Bakura. Anzu is human and my power has weakened significantly since the Ceremonial Battle. The child may have prolonged life, but that is all. I personally would not wish to curse my child with those dark powers. It is best for that darkness to remain in the past." A faraway look entered his eye for a moment before he sighed and motioned to the mural behind him. "Ishizu, can you make sense of these hieroglyphics?"

Ishizu peered at him skeptically before advancing to the wall. She mouthed the ancient words to herself twice before motioning for Odion to join her. Her foster brother met her worried gaze after he too had read and interpreted them.

Bakura tapped his foot impatiently. "Well?" He barked.

Atem ignored the thief's outburst and asked, "Do you see the problem I do?"

Ishizu nodded before turning to face her king. "These events had been predicted by someone from the past."

"That means someone in Egypt knew how the present situation would come to pass. It is either a warning or a clue left by a key player." Atem crossed his arms, his head bowed down in thought. "That clue could have been left by Anubis, Isis, Tèana, Bakura, or me. I have no memory of such. Téana died before the war. That leaves Anubis, Isis, or Bakura."

Those gathered glanced at Bakura. The pale man pressed his lips in a thin line and glared at them evenly. "Oi, lay off! I was occupied by Zorc. I had no time to go about leaving cryptic little riddles just to mess with his highness' head in a few thousand years' time."

Ishizu nodded in agreement. "I do not have my full memories of that time. I don't know if Isis did this or not."

Atem glanced away and thought for a moment. "But why would Anubis plan on this and then attack Yugi and me?"

"There must be another player on the field," Odion supplied. "Someone must be hiding in the shadows just waiting for the correct time to show himself."

Ishizu glanced at the mural once more. "In any event, we haven't much time to loose. Anzu and the baby could be in grave danger. We must break through to Anubis' realm and engage him."

Bakura coughed loudly to direct attention to himself. With a proud smirk, he presented a scroll from his duffle. "And that is why I am here. Who better to knock on some dark walls than a devilishly dark man himself?"

Ishizu and Atem glared at him. "You mean you still hold ties to Zorc?" Ishizu's tone demanded an answer as she waved for her guards to aim at the thief.

His smirk grew to reveal his sharp fanglike teeth. "You could say that."

Atem advanced dangerously on Bakura, his hands fisted tightly. "Then what should we say, thief?"

Bakura chuckled as he peered at Ishizu with childish innocence. "Do you really think those mortal weapons could kill me?" With a wave of his free hand, a blast of dark magic sent the guards flying towards the other wall. They smacked against it before falling in a tangled heap on the floor. The guns shattered into chunks on contact with the hard floor with assistance from Bakura's attack. Dust was upset and spiraled into the air.

Atem and the Ishtars covered their eyes and when the smoke cleared, they found Bakura to be gone.

XXX

Bakura's distraction gave him enough time to chant the spell that would send him to hell, literally. The only reason he had waited on Ishizu was for her to witness his fall from grace. He and Atem had been on rocky ground since the beginning and though his word was law, Ishizu may not find it true and would secretly investigate. Originally, he had needed her because her connections to Isis would allow her to bring Anubis to their side. But Bakura could not keep to that plan anymore.

When he had left Anzu months ago, he had not been going directly to the temple or Atem. He had been setting his Earthly affairs in order. Since he was connected to the Underground in such an important way, he had been given funds to support him in his efforts of protecting the princess. He knew he was not going to leave this duel alive. So, he had put the gears in motion to set aside a trust fund for Téa and Ryo. He had made it clear that the money was to go to Téa when she turned eighteen. It was compensation for his part in her conception. As for Ryo, he had set aside a small fortune so that he could get the psychological help he needed. Ryo had never been mentally stable after the events of the last Shadow Game and it was his fault. He had to set his record straight once and for all.

Once his bank accounts had been rightened, he went about giving up his immortality and connections to Zorc. He had been left with just enough magic to get him to this final duel. Whether his magic would last through the length of the duel was something he dreaded to think about at the moment.

But the price had been worth it. By giving up his hellish connections, he had been granted the power to go to Anubis and finish this destiny once and for all. He would never see Anzu again and no doubt she already knew how wicked he was at the beginning, but as long as he could save her and the child, that was all that mattered to him.

The spirit had lived far too long…and he would greet death like an old friend.

XXX

Odion sent for a medic the instant he gathered his bearings. His radio buzzed with static, the white noise filling the chamber and numbing Atem's worry. Ishizu wasted no time in chanting the spells that would open the portal for her king. A blackish void opened in the wall and a deathly chill entered the room from it. Ishizu glanced at her king. "You must go alone, my Pharaoh. I must remain on this side to open the portal and bring you back. Go swiftly and cautiously."

Atem locked his jaw and marched forward. "How long do I have before it's too late to bring us back?" He had been close to the After Life and knew it was tricky to return. Anzu had been in there for nearly a day or more. There was no telling if he could save her at this point.

"A mortal can only last a few hours. It…" She paused and glanced at Atem. "It may already be too late for her. But the child…"

He frowned. Yugi had not lasted long in the Shadow Realm. If that was any reflection of Hell, then Anzu was dead. Did Bakura know this? Was that why he had run to her? No. That could not be his reason for running. He was on Anubis' side.

Silently, he moved forward and entered the vortex. The darkness swallowed him completely.

XXX

Bakura had managed to go directly to Anubis' lair. He had not needed to travel through the darkness and traps to reach the temple. Though, it was proving difficult to find the exact room he was holding Anzu.

The further he ventured through the passages he heard a noise. It sounded like a whimper at first, but the closer he moved, the louder and shriller it became. Crying, he decided. It had to be Téa. But why was Anzu not calming her baby's tears?

Fear gripped his heart like the claws of a demon and threatened to shred the last of his humanity in one stroke. He had wanted her dead a year ago, but now he would kill Anubis with his bare hands if he even harmed her.

He ran forward, following the screams of the young princess. After he had traveled nearly half a mile through the dusty corridors, he finally came to the peak of the cries. A silk curtain hung from a doorway. The edges draped across the ground and were torn and dirty. He reached out and pulled the silk aside and gasped at the site before him.

Anzu lay on a stone table, her arms anchored down at the wrists with rusted chains. Her hair was fanned around her head and looked matted and sweaty. A white dress covered her small form and the flatness of her belly confirmed that Téa had been born. Her skin was pale and almost matched the pureness of the dress she wore. He swallowed thickly, afraid she was already dead.

A wooden crib was the source of the cries and he stepped closer. He stared down at the tiny baby inside and gasped. When the child saw him, she silenced her screams and peered up at him. He knees went weak as those Nile blue eyes searched his face. Téa was dark skinned and already had a dusting of chestnut hair on her head. Her slanted eyes held wisdom that an infant should not hold.

It seemed that his potion had worked incorrectly. Because this child was not the Ba…it was the Ka. She was Téana.

A gasp torn from his throat as he backed up; his bum bumping into the table Anzu laid upon. He turned and cupped her cold face; his body weak and his will shattered. "Anzu, I'm so, so sorry. Please…"

"She can't hear you."

Bakura narrowed his eyes, but did not turn. "Hello, Kesi." He was surprised that Anubis had kept the pawn this long. Then again, since Anzu was in this condition, Kesi was the only one who could care for the infant. Anubis had said he was in this for the downfall of Atem, but why keep the child? The potion had worked against Bakura's wishes. Now that the Ba had been removed from Anzu, was Anubis waiting to see the monster she would become? Again, why keep the child? Unless…

"Téa has Shadow Magic."

Kesi clapped her hands. "Good job. Who would have thought devils spawn would be so powerful?"

He wheeled; jamming a finger at her, he shouted, "This has gone on long enough! It's time to end this!"

Kesi shook her head. "Can't happen, I'm afraid. You see, Anubis has already been defeated by the Pharaoh once. But, this plan is fool proof. Even if Anzu doesn't possess enough Ka to defeat him, he made certain she would be a weakness to him even if she managed to live."

"What?" His stomach felt heavy and his face hot.

She grinned, her fangs gleaming. "Rehema severed the muscles and nerves in her legs. She'll never walk or dance again. She'll never seduce anyone again. Nor have child." She touched a finger to her lips. "Oops, I've said too much. Might as well finish!" She giggled. "Her womb's gone too!"

Bakura's knees buckled. "You snake!" He hissed.

Kesi shook her head. "Is that anyway to speak to a lady? Besides, you've overstayed your welcome. Anubis asked me to greet Akefia properly." She snapped her fingers and dark magic crackled around her finger tips.

TBC