"This is it." Bakura stopped all of a sudden in the middle of the thick
forest. He pointed to the majestic castle standing before them. "That's
where we are headed." Arielle stared up at it steadily.
"It looked like that one that the princess lived in, Bakura, the princess
in that story you told me about." She said, wiggling with suppose
excitement.
"Yes, but that was in ancient Egypt." He explained, walking toward the
castle holding Arielle's hands. You're getting soft, Bakura, he scolded
himself. But he couldn't help it. The tomb robber had never been around a
kid this long before and like Kaiba, he found himself fascinated by every
action and every statement that the kid made. Looking down at the little
figure bouncing beside him, Bakura was actually proud to present her to
Pegasus.
On the way to the castle, he had stopped and had gotten Arielle a
more.'suitable' outfit, which the lady in charge had to help him with.
Dressed in a cute peach colored dress that made her cheek rosy and brought
out her eyes, Arielle's hair was brushed until it shined and fell in soft
waves. She looked not only presentable in Bakura's eyes, but also adorable
and sweet.
~*~ "Tell Maximillion Pegasus we've arrived." Bakura told Kemo, smirking,
as they stopped in front of the castle entrance.
"And why should I listen to you, punk?!" Kemo also snarled into a mockery
smile.
"Because, weakling, if you don't, Mr. Pegasus would be very unpleased with
you.not to mention I would have to dismiss you in my own way so I can
pass."
"Well, if you put it that way," Kemo got out of the way. "I'll inform Mr.
Pegasus that you have arrived."
"Thank you." Bakura gave the buff security guard a lopsided evil mocking
smile. He and Arielle stood in the middle of the elegant corridor. The
stone ground was richly carpeted with thick red carpet, lined with gold
silken thread. Crystal chandeliers dangled from the ceiling, their glow
like thousands of tiny candles. Eloquent paintings and portraits decorated
the lavishly wallpapered wall. Bakura felt tickled as he felt Arielle
saddled up closer by his side.
"Mr. Bakura, Miss Arielle." They turned. A blue-haired man walked up to
them. "My name is Croquet, Chief Tournament Liaison. May I escort you to
your rooms so that you might freshen up before joining Mr. Pegasus for some
refreshments."
"So that fool is still into this stuff, huh?" Bakura said scornfully.
"Couldn't he be normal for once and just face us himself instead of sending
one of his loons to 'escort us to our room to freshen up'?" He pitched his
voice higher and mocked.
If Croquet heard what the robber had said, he ignored them and began
to lead them through the maze of the huge castle.
"This will be your room, Mr. Bakura." Croquet opened the door to a
large, beautifully furnished room.
"Thank you, Mr. Croquet." Bakura mimicked, giving a sarcastic mock
bow. He looked up just in time to see the door slam him into the face.
"Well, how very rude." He sniffed. He looked around. His bag had been
tossed on the floor.but something was missing. His brown eyes popped wide.
"Arielle!" He looked around him frantically. Nope. No hyper six-year-
old in sight. He shrugged. "No big deal, after all, this is what I do for
living." He smirked. His Millennium item lit up, and with a smirk, he
disappeared.
"Now, sweetheart." Croquet was opening another door to another room. "This is where you'll be staying. I'll be picking you up in ten-minutes." "Okay." Arielle nodded dutifully, but as Croquet got ready to walk out of the room, she couldn't help asking. "Where's Bakura?" Croquet turned, a slight frown on his face. It was evident he did not think much of the Albino teen. "Mr. Bakura is in his personal stateroom, refreshing himself." He said curtly. "He will be joining us shortly." "Oh." Arielle looked unsure of herself. Croquet turned to leave. "Thank you." She called, remember the manners that Kaiba had so painfully taught her. "You're very welcome, Miss Pegasus." He caught himself and said quickly. "I mean, Miss Arielle." He hastily exited. Arielle stared at his retreating back, puzzled. "Pegasus?" She murmured to herself, while she dangled her legs off the bed. "Isn't that the flying horse that Yami and Yugi told me about a long time ago?" At that moment Bakura appeared in the room out of nowhere. He dusted himself off cheerfully and looked around. "Nice room." He commented. Arielle hopped off bed and ran over to the ex-tomb-robber. "Bakura," she said in a cute voice as she hugged his waist and rocked him back and forth. "Isn't Pegasus a flying horse?" It was all Bakura could do to stop himself from laughing out loud and roll on the carpet. He made a little wheezing sound from his throat as he tried to stop the laughter that halted in the middle of his throat. "Pe-Pegasus?" He choked. "You mean, Maximillion Pegasus? You just asked me if the owner of Industrial Illusion is a flying horse?" "No." Arielle stared up at the taller figure. "I was asking about the flying horse that Yami told me about." "Oh, you mean Pegasus. The mystical flying horse in the Greek Mythology?" Somehow, this doesn't sound as amusing as Maximillion Pegasus-- the white flying horse. Bakura snickering at the thought. Arielle nodded eagerly. "Is that it?" She cocked her head. Bakura looked at her questionably. "Is what it?" He spotted a pitcher of water on the counter and moved toward it as Arielle trailed after him. "It Pegasus only a mystical flying pony?" "Yeessss." Bakura wasn't sure what the child was getting at. He poured himself a glass and took a sip. Hmm.cool, refreshing water. Not as good as the sweet waters of Egypt, but it would have to do. "Then why did Croquet call me Miss Pegasus?" Bakura choked and the water he had in his mouth sprayed out. He wiped his mouth and gasped, "WHAT?" "I said," Arielle said patiently, as if they have just switched rolls so that she was the 5,000-year-old tomb robber and he was the six-year-old orphan. "That Croquet called me Miss Pegasus and I was wondering why." "Croquet called you Miss Pegasus?" Bakura repeated incredulously. Arielle nodded. But before Bakura could say anything else, a smart knock came on the door. "Enter!" Bakura barked at the door, holding his head at the same time, trying to slacken the splitting headache that was establishing. Croquet walked in and stopped still when he saw Bakura. "What do you want, Mortal!?" The teen snapped, irritated, fists clutching at his side. "Well, I was instructed to pick up Arielle for Mr. Pegasus." Croquet said simply. "It is quite disturbing seeing you here." Bakura cracked a derisive smile. "It's not your place to feel disturbed.as you call it." He whirled around and ordered Arielle. "Come on, we're headed for the dining hall. We don't need this human to guide us. Nor to 'pick us up'." He added sarcastically. "Exactly how are you expected to 'pick her up,' Croquet? Have a carriage pulled by a mystical flying horse to stop at her door?" Croquet opened his mouth to protest, but the thief didn't give him a chance to talk. He took Arielle by the hand and they walked out the door. "Never fear when you're with me, Arielle." He smirked and tapped his temples. "Photographic memories." Bakura was delighted as Arielle gave a small giggle. He turned partway and could see a panting Croquet trying to keep up with them. "Want to see another trick?" He leaned down and whispered playfully. She nodded eagerly. He winked and picked her up. At the snap of his finger, they disappeared. Croquet gasped and blinked, while swearing to himself that keeping manage of this castle was too much for him. "Can we do that again, please, please, please?" Arielle pleaded as they appeared in front of elegant double-doors. "Later, child." He gently chided as he set her down. "Have to give me a break. Even a old soul like me need refreshments." After dramatically straightening his collar, Bakura held his head up high, and pulled the door open with authority. "Why, hello, Bakura." The figure sitting in a chair back facing them greeted without turning around. "So we meet again." "Quit these games, Pegasus." Bakura's voice all of a sudden got low. The playful and mocking Bakura from moments ago vanished. "Oh, my dear Bakura," the man said disapprovingly. "So full of fun just minutes ago. What's wrong?" He stood up, but didn't turn around. "You're what's wrong, Pegasus." Bakura's low tone didn't change, but became more aggressive than ever. "Isn't it time you spit everything out?" "Like what?" Pegasus said tauntingly. "Why do you want her?" The voice said dangerously. Arielle peeked with frightened eyes around Bakura. He pushed her back behind him protectively. "You want her for something, don't you? Something deeper than any one of us knew." "You were paid to get her for me, not to ask questions." The castle owner replied sharply. Then his voice became smooth. "Where's the little angel?" "Here." A scared little voice answered before Bakura could shush her. Pegasus couldn't help the smile curving on his lips. A sweet and innocent voice, he noted. Just like before. He pushed his chair back and turned around, smiling evilly. "Remember me, Arielle?" A gasp was heard and Bakura turned around to find Arielle ashen pale. Her usually pink lips were so pale you could barely tell them apart from her bloodless complexion. "Yes, that's right." Pegasus nodded approvingly. His pleasure at her fright was visibly shown. "I'm your godfather."
"Now, sweetheart." Croquet was opening another door to another room. "This is where you'll be staying. I'll be picking you up in ten-minutes." "Okay." Arielle nodded dutifully, but as Croquet got ready to walk out of the room, she couldn't help asking. "Where's Bakura?" Croquet turned, a slight frown on his face. It was evident he did not think much of the Albino teen. "Mr. Bakura is in his personal stateroom, refreshing himself." He said curtly. "He will be joining us shortly." "Oh." Arielle looked unsure of herself. Croquet turned to leave. "Thank you." She called, remember the manners that Kaiba had so painfully taught her. "You're very welcome, Miss Pegasus." He caught himself and said quickly. "I mean, Miss Arielle." He hastily exited. Arielle stared at his retreating back, puzzled. "Pegasus?" She murmured to herself, while she dangled her legs off the bed. "Isn't that the flying horse that Yami and Yugi told me about a long time ago?" At that moment Bakura appeared in the room out of nowhere. He dusted himself off cheerfully and looked around. "Nice room." He commented. Arielle hopped off bed and ran over to the ex-tomb-robber. "Bakura," she said in a cute voice as she hugged his waist and rocked him back and forth. "Isn't Pegasus a flying horse?" It was all Bakura could do to stop himself from laughing out loud and roll on the carpet. He made a little wheezing sound from his throat as he tried to stop the laughter that halted in the middle of his throat. "Pe-Pegasus?" He choked. "You mean, Maximillion Pegasus? You just asked me if the owner of Industrial Illusion is a flying horse?" "No." Arielle stared up at the taller figure. "I was asking about the flying horse that Yami told me about." "Oh, you mean Pegasus. The mystical flying horse in the Greek Mythology?" Somehow, this doesn't sound as amusing as Maximillion Pegasus-- the white flying horse. Bakura snickering at the thought. Arielle nodded eagerly. "Is that it?" She cocked her head. Bakura looked at her questionably. "Is what it?" He spotted a pitcher of water on the counter and moved toward it as Arielle trailed after him. "It Pegasus only a mystical flying pony?" "Yeessss." Bakura wasn't sure what the child was getting at. He poured himself a glass and took a sip. Hmm.cool, refreshing water. Not as good as the sweet waters of Egypt, but it would have to do. "Then why did Croquet call me Miss Pegasus?" Bakura choked and the water he had in his mouth sprayed out. He wiped his mouth and gasped, "WHAT?" "I said," Arielle said patiently, as if they have just switched rolls so that she was the 5,000-year-old tomb robber and he was the six-year-old orphan. "That Croquet called me Miss Pegasus and I was wondering why." "Croquet called you Miss Pegasus?" Bakura repeated incredulously. Arielle nodded. But before Bakura could say anything else, a smart knock came on the door. "Enter!" Bakura barked at the door, holding his head at the same time, trying to slacken the splitting headache that was establishing. Croquet walked in and stopped still when he saw Bakura. "What do you want, Mortal!?" The teen snapped, irritated, fists clutching at his side. "Well, I was instructed to pick up Arielle for Mr. Pegasus." Croquet said simply. "It is quite disturbing seeing you here." Bakura cracked a derisive smile. "It's not your place to feel disturbed.as you call it." He whirled around and ordered Arielle. "Come on, we're headed for the dining hall. We don't need this human to guide us. Nor to 'pick us up'." He added sarcastically. "Exactly how are you expected to 'pick her up,' Croquet? Have a carriage pulled by a mystical flying horse to stop at her door?" Croquet opened his mouth to protest, but the thief didn't give him a chance to talk. He took Arielle by the hand and they walked out the door. "Never fear when you're with me, Arielle." He smirked and tapped his temples. "Photographic memories." Bakura was delighted as Arielle gave a small giggle. He turned partway and could see a panting Croquet trying to keep up with them. "Want to see another trick?" He leaned down and whispered playfully. She nodded eagerly. He winked and picked her up. At the snap of his finger, they disappeared. Croquet gasped and blinked, while swearing to himself that keeping manage of this castle was too much for him. "Can we do that again, please, please, please?" Arielle pleaded as they appeared in front of elegant double-doors. "Later, child." He gently chided as he set her down. "Have to give me a break. Even a old soul like me need refreshments." After dramatically straightening his collar, Bakura held his head up high, and pulled the door open with authority. "Why, hello, Bakura." The figure sitting in a chair back facing them greeted without turning around. "So we meet again." "Quit these games, Pegasus." Bakura's voice all of a sudden got low. The playful and mocking Bakura from moments ago vanished. "Oh, my dear Bakura," the man said disapprovingly. "So full of fun just minutes ago. What's wrong?" He stood up, but didn't turn around. "You're what's wrong, Pegasus." Bakura's low tone didn't change, but became more aggressive than ever. "Isn't it time you spit everything out?" "Like what?" Pegasus said tauntingly. "Why do you want her?" The voice said dangerously. Arielle peeked with frightened eyes around Bakura. He pushed her back behind him protectively. "You want her for something, don't you? Something deeper than any one of us knew." "You were paid to get her for me, not to ask questions." The castle owner replied sharply. Then his voice became smooth. "Where's the little angel?" "Here." A scared little voice answered before Bakura could shush her. Pegasus couldn't help the smile curving on his lips. A sweet and innocent voice, he noted. Just like before. He pushed his chair back and turned around, smiling evilly. "Remember me, Arielle?" A gasp was heard and Bakura turned around to find Arielle ashen pale. Her usually pink lips were so pale you could barely tell them apart from her bloodless complexion. "Yes, that's right." Pegasus nodded approvingly. His pleasure at her fright was visibly shown. "I'm your godfather."