Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, and all people, places, and events from the original Yu-Gi-Oh! were written and are the rightful property of Kazuki Takahashi (as it should be; if any of us fanfiction writers get our little hands on it... well, then it wouldn't be Yu-Gi-Oh!).

Author's Note: Hey, this chappie's actually kinda small for once! Surprise, since the last few chapters have been like a run-on sentence.

Oh well, stop listening to me and start reading!

#2 Author's Note: All thoughts are in italics.

Revival of the Heart

By: Angel's Nocturne

Chapter 37: Before the Plunge….

The day wore on with hardly a bit of life to make it interesting; the sun gradually moved across the crystal blue sky, sweeping light over the morning scene that was the Egyptian dawn. Clouds, like puffy wisps of cotton, floated aimlessly in the same direction, herds of them traveling to some unknown destination that was too far away for any human eye to see, unaware of the apocalypse that was going to occur, sooner than anyone would ever think….

The cave was quiet for the majority of the morning as the group was just beginning to awaken to the pristine day. No one really spoke to each other, as they had their own thoughts and for the most part they were all quite tired from the latest events. Ishizu brought forth more food from the trunk of the jeep for the crew to devour, but everyone merely nibbled at the potato chips and spam as the few hours of dawn passed without incident.

Odion and Ishizu kept together as they mumbled to each other more possibilities for the meaning of the ancient riddle that Anzu had once spoke. They remained close to the Pharaoh's sleeping form, and as was expected he had not made any sort of movement throughout the night due to the fact that he was without a soul. Malik had also stayed frozen in his position, which did disturb both of the Egyptians severely. Had he been normal, he may have tossed or turned a couple of times, and perhaps even awaken by this time. But no, Malik was still out cold, his body inhaling and exhaling rhythmically to such a point that he was almost a robot, almost too perfect to be of his own thoughts by now….

Kaiba was simply Kaiba, as this was how he would act despite the strange occurrences that had involved him lately. He was his usual self: grouchy, irritable, and made it obvious that he was avoiding them at all cost. He lingered at the edges of the cave in the far back, where Ishizu and Odion were but he chose to stay away from them as far as he could possibly be. He was tempered and aggravated, like he had gotten hardly a wink of sleep that night, and he was also antsy and jumped as soon as anyone made mention of him; he quickly covered that up though, with his cool attitude and refusal to directly answer any of their questions or inquires.

Surprisingly enough, Ryou was the one in control that morning, as everyone took notice in his warm smile and kind motions while they dined on their plain breakfast. He was cheerful, though a bit absent-minded as he had a tendency to stare at nothing for long periods of time and would only snap out of it once someone grabbed his attention again. He said that he was simply tired, but some of the others had their suspicions that Bakura might have been talking to him or otherwise.

The most troubling person in the bunch turned out to be Anzu. All of them became aware of the fact that she was extremely out-of-it and not responding to any of them at all. She was quiet and fazed out on quiet a few occasions, to which Ishizu had to call her name a couple of times in order to bring her back to planet Earth. They could see the blankness in her cerulean gaze, and the worry that was held behind them; no one thought much of it, thinking that either the pressure had gotten to her or she was remembering the past too often. Little did they realize what was going through her mind, over and over again as though meant to torture her for all eternity.

After breakfast Ishizu and Odion called for all of them to gather near Atemu and Malik, which was a surprise in that it might have meant that they had actually come across something. However, the truth seemed a bit more dismal than that as the two tomb keepers sat down on some boulders that were in the cave near the sleeping bodies and looked down depressingly.

"Well, spit it out already. We haven't got all day" Kaiba hissed at them, as he refused to sit on the dirt floor, instead preferring to stand and cross his arms in annoyance. "What did you call us over here for? A tea party?"

"Kaiba, this is no time to make sarcastic jokes" Ishizu whispered.

"Yeah, that's it exactly."

"Moving on" Ishizu said to all of them, "this isn't really good news. Both Odion and I have been trying to make sense out of the passage that Anzu read back at the Pharaoh's tomb, and yet no matter what lead we try nothing appears to be working. There doesn't seem to be much hope in this endeavor."

"Now Ishizu, we can't say" Ryou responded. "There's hope for anything- I'm sure the two of you can think of something! I'm positive that you can!" Despite the teen's encouraging words the female Egyptologist shook her head, her raven-black hair falling around her face.

"No, that is all we have. There is nothing more we can think of. That is not to say that we won't continue to try, but the road has become more difficult than before. And we have to figure it out soon, otherwise…." Ishizu's voice drifted off into the distance as she stared out at nothing.

"Ishizu? What will happen?" Ryou asked.

"If we don't find the magic that will return our Pharaoh to his body, the vessel that has been manifested for this purpose will slowly deteriorate. A body cannot live very long without a soul to be harbored in it, and if this continues for another couple of days Pharaoh Atemu's body will die from lack of nutrition and from simply… not living." Anzu's eyes went wide with fear as she heard this, which was one of the first responses that she had had all morning. The tears started to form, and she started to shake, though it was so minuscule that no one else really noticed as the panic began to take hold in all of them.

He will… die? Ryou thought to himself, unaware of the dark spirit that was watching from his soul room, observing the situation and now feeling the horror strike him as well. He walked back into the dark lair that was his soul, now trying to think of a way to solve their predicament.

(He cannot die, that bastard!) Bakura thought menacingly. (They have to kill Samira! They have to save him, NOW!)

All had become silent amongst them, until Anzu slowly rose to her feet with her head down and her shoulders trembling slightly. She sniffled as she turned around to walk away, but her trudging became a sprint, and then a run, as she flew out of the cave entrance and headed for the dunes, headed for the loneliness that it provided, and a place for her to think, to wonder about what the future held, and what her heart would tell her once she was all alone. She could hear Ishizu call for her at first, but then their voices faded away from her as she climbed over the sand dune, and tumbled to the bottom of it, where she sat for a long time just shedding tears, and trying to think about why she had been chosen for this mission, for this dire task. She came up empty-handed.

"Should I follow her?" Odion asked as he rose to his feet, but Ishizu put a hand to his shoulder and shook her head.

"Give her time to think- that's all she needs right now." Odion nodded and sat back down again, so that the attention was drawn to Ishizu once more. "And we should do the same. If we are to bring the Pharaoh back before sundown, then I suggest that we get started, or else suffer the consequences of our actions."

---

"It is time."

Samira approached her loyal servant, who had been waiting outside the door to the secret room of his mistress for some time now. Nothing seemed to have changed in her appearance, but the slave took notice in the fact that she had a renewed air of power to her stance and grace, and there was also the ravenous grin on her face that told her that she hungered- for death.

"Time that you dealt with the enemy, my Queen?" he asked to her as he bowed his head in respect for her. Her smile grew larger and held more glee as she responded.

"Yes! Time for the former Pharaoh to remain in limbo for the rest of his existence. He will stay in-between this world and the afterlife for all of eternity." She cackled as she brought forth t the bow and arrows. "Or at least, he will be once I use this." The servant could feel the magic overflowing out of the objects that she held, their aura strong with mystic forces that he couldn't even start to comprehend. They didn't appear any different in their physical form, their gold leafing and decorated scripture unchanged or altered, but he knew that they were different somehow, as if they had become powerful in a way that he couldn't see….

"So, do you depart now, my Queen?" he questioned, but as he did so she was already vanishing into the darkness, cackling the whole time as her body washed out into the black.

"I do, servant! Man the troops while I am away! This should not take long, but it will be oh so sweet!" And then she was gone, the only remaining essence of her left being the echo of her laughter filling the room in endless succession.

---

Malik floated around in the unlimited span of dark shadows, his mind an empty space as he continued to attempt his escape from the shadows. He was stuck in them, unable to move or pull away; he was bound within his mind, waiting for the voice that would set him free, the voice that would command him forth from the darkness of faked slumber and allow him to follow through with the master plan from which he now obeyed without question: the will of his Queen.

"Malik…." The voice cooed, and at that instant Malik became alert, attentive to the words that spoke to him in his head. "Malik... it is time."

Yes, my Queen. And he flashed open his blank amethyst eyes….

---

Author's Note: Dum, dum, dum! The drum roll quickens now as we get closer and closer!

Get ready, guys! It's coming soon, so be prepared for the drama and tears that this will explode before you!

See ya next update!