Saraha: Oh dear Ra, two months without an update! *cowers*
Marik: They'd be right if they killed you now you know. *looks hopeful*
Saraha: Hey don't you start! I have enough problems!
Marik: Yeah, like your lazy-ness!
Saraha: *Vainpoping* I AM NOT- most the time.
Marik: *raises eyebrow* Uh huh. Right.
Saraha: Ok, ok! I'm very, very, very sorry for not updating
here is a rather strange list of excuses I have made up:

- We're homeless, to the most sense. My mom, dad, little brother,
and I are now living with my grandparents cause we're broke and
are just starting to find work again. That also means the Florida
thing was out cause the job didn't come through. I'm stuck using
one of those cheap Juno connections again and we're practically
in the middle of nowhere. I hate being in the country might I
add.

- I'm lazy... you all know the feeling I'm sure. (Marik:I knew it!)

- I wasn't sure what to write next. How many times have I said that???
Too many I'd say.

- I'm trying to get a website running cause it's been a while since
I've put my ok coding skills to work. I'll put my ficcies up on it and
any fanart I get! ^^

- Pocky is good. You all should know this as well.

- Shonen Jump. Not really an excuse but very cool *huggles her collection
while glaring at 4kids* The stupid post office never sent #4 so I had to
go buy a copy! *sniffles* I finally found the change of address form though
so I should get the next one. I'd better if they know what's good for them...

- Ok so this isn't an excuse ether but I feel all stupid. I don't have a job
and I'm currently not in school. I've had my GED for over six months now but
I'm still stright scared of college and can't find one I'd wanna go to. I'm
starting to think though for the first time in my life that I need to get
away from my parents there starting to bug me and that's never really happen before!

Saraha: And that's about it.
Marik: That was pathetic.
Saraha: Meanie! *sticks out tougue* Just say the disclaimer will you?
Marik: Saraha does not own Yugioh. 4kids doesn't own Yugioh ether.
You should know that. There evil plot wreaking psychos who are ruining
my hikari's voice and additude! *sobs*
Saraha: *pats Marik on the back* There, there it's ok.

Saraha: Here ya go though, the long awaited chapter 28!
-------------------------------

Crouched slightly Aku leaned his slim body over the rock formation
watching with faint amusement the sight below.
The village was small but well put together and reminded him
of his village to the south. Like a lazy cat the fair stretched
teen stretched a slow coming smirk playing on pale pink lips.
In his right hand he fondled a gold ring strung on a leather cord
around his neck, a spike from the ring digging slightly into his hand.
He paid no heed to the mortal pain it caused.
A cloak the color of sand covered his head and hid eyes and hair
like always; a single silver dagger hung at his belt.

"What are we doing here anyway Aku?"

The voice that spoke was soft at the moment yet held the
faintest sound of annoyance. The figure next to Aku tugged
at the white hood of her cloak hiding her own startling
honey eyes and most of her golden brown hair.

"That Rune, I will tell you when the time is right.
Where is Yui?"

Behind them a soft rustling told them that the blue eyed female
was somewhere behind them.

"I do not approve of whatever you have in mind master Aku."

Aku grinned looking back at the figure still dressed in her
mages robes. The large turbine style hat she wore fell back
slightly allowing her blue hair to hide matching eyes before
she fixed it.

"I didn't ask if you approved or not Yui. Honestly you act like
I'm not to be trusted or something. What am I a thief?"

Yui scowled at this while Rune had collapsed in a fit of
laughter finding Aku's statement too much at the moment.
Yui glared at her lover as she spoke.

"It's not that funny Rune, and all your doing is encouraging
him!"

"Encouraging him? Hardly. He'd do whatever he wants even
if it meant death. He's that stubborn you know."

Aku growled slightly.

"Stop talking like I'm not here! Besides, we should be heading
back for the night. I'd like to make it about five miles
south of here by tomorrow afternoon. We'll be coming back
in a few days though, a week at the most."

Rune frowned slightly.

"How come? There's nothing really here that seems worth it."

Aku ignored her.

"Let's get moving."

~*~

Just as Aku had predicted they made it five miles from there
by the afternoon. Puzzled the two female companions followed Aku's
lead slipping into the village there with little or no notice.
When they were nearly half way through Aku stopped staring ahead
and spoke to both in there minds, something they had taught him
a year before.

'You two stay here alright? I'll be back in a little while.
Just stay near the market place.'

Rune's eyes widened. Never before had there master asked
for them to leave him like so. Aku, although he was good at
hiding it, was obviously troubled about something. Aku
noticed Runes energies shift her emotions.

'You will do as I say. Both of you.'

He left them still stunned by his strange behavior and
continued through eventually coming to the slums of the
village where few still stayed. The burnt remains of many
buildings were still visible. Seeing these his face became
bleakly grim. He continued till he saw a large sun bleach
rock and stepped to it's side were a clean path of nothingness
was.
Only sand was there.
This was were Aku now fell to his knees. He flipped his
hood off now and stared at the ground before him.

"It's been a while, Sunqui."

He paused, as if waiting for a response. The man whom
had been his teacher and brother had always been quiet.
In his death though he would remain silent. Aku spoke
again.

"It's been what three years? It feels like longer.
You remember when you taught me to fight? It was
right here everyday, right after breakfast and
till Ra was high in the sky. I never got to
thank you for that. Or taking me in all together.
I still say that was a pretty stupid thing to do,
taking me in."

He laughed slightly a bitter undertone to it.

"Why didn't you tell me though? About the prince or
the scrolls? I would have help you. You know I would have.
But you didn't did you? Damn stubborn fool."

He watched as his teardrops fell into the sand melting
into nothingness the second they hit.

"You were such an idiot! I always told you that you were!
But you never seemed to hear, just smiled that stupid smile like
everything was always fine! But it wasn't fine though was it!?
You kept something from me when I thought I knew you.
Bastard.
How could you? How could you knock me out like that?
How could you die?"

He leaned forward supporting himself with his arms.

"You lead me like a fool Sunqui. Your probably laughing
at me in the underworld right now. You let me think
you were the stupid one the whole time when really it
was me. If anything I let you down not the other way.

You did your best but it wasn't enough. You told me to
grow up to be strong and brave, to be loyal to myself
most of all and to respect the Gods. How upsetting
it must be to find that the child you near raised
turned out this way. That he's a thief and murderer.

He curses the names of the Gods and is shunned by the
masses. How ashamed you must be of me. Hopefully Anubis
granted you paradise despite what I've become."

Aku leaned back up sitting on his heels.

"It doesn't matter that much anymore though. The
person that it seems you tried to protect me from
knows all about it. He's very strange isn't he?
Powerful though, and he knows it."

Aku fingered the spiked ring that hung around
his neck.

"I have companions now. You'd be surprised I'd expect.
I was surprised enough when I... met them."

Aku smiled for a moment.

"They are the greatest friends I could ever have
and yet they have no reason to be, they just are.
Though, even with all there support... I miss
you. Everyday you old fool. I guess that's all I really
wanted to say. I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry
for all the trouble I caused you and if I could ever
find a way to pay you back I will. I guess that's
kind of hard to do now, though I don't think it's
impossible."

The youth sighed wishing he could hear a response
from the man. He pulled his cloak back up and
wiped away the few stray signs of his weakness
from cold brown eyes.

"I can't afford to fail anymore, ever again."

Standing Aku turned back towards were the village.
He had work to do now.

~*~

"Now will you please explain to me why were here?
I still see no reason."

"You see no reason because are reason isn't here yet.
It will be though if we are patient."

"Stop speaking in riddles would you? It's very annoying."

"So I'm annoying am I? That's nice of you."

"I swear your such a child! What am I supposed to do with you?"

"Obey me, what else? I thought I was in charge around here."

Rune raised an eyebrow at the younger being.

"Like I said such a child."

~*~

They came unannounced to the village that stood in the desert
many many miles out from most. The village was so isolated
in fact that the news had yet to come to there ears.

The Pharaoh, the morning and evening star was dead.

It had come suddenly, the king had been only in his thirties
and had few children and only one son who had lived over a year.
There had been whispers of course about the one prince the strange
child with demon red eyes and a perchance for magic. There had
been rumors about him since he was three when his mother was
brutally murdered and he alone knew and told his father and
the high priest a week before only to be scoffed.
Many still whispered about it saying that the prince caused
his mother's death so that he would be believed and could do
as he pleased and that the three other sons born of other wives
of his father were killed by he so that he alone had the right
to become Pharaoh. Truly know one knew accept the prince himself.

Aku watched the nobles that accompanied the prince as they prepared
for there stay that would last until the Pharaoh's body was laid
to rest at last in the hidden tomb nearby. The council would
watch over from the palace while the prince and the high priest
preformed the rites of death and the passing of the Pharaoh into
the demon prince. No one, not even the cousins that could have
tried to claim the right of the throne did and none knew why.

Aku had his own theory of course.

It was this that the young thief spotted them. Little seemed
to have changed over the short course of time it had been since
he had seen them. Aku fingered his dagger stroking the blade
softly as he stared at the greasy man that had nearly broken him not
two years before. He was dressed in the elegant robes of a noble
in deep green silk that was his chosen color of office and held
in one hand an old wooden staff with a knot at the top of it.

Aku clenched his fist in the anger that swam through him bubbling
like oil out of a pot. He suddenly gasped though feeling the
dagger now dig deep into the flesh of his palm and released seeing
his blade fall down to the sand he knelt on. He was glad that Rune
and Yui had returned to the Shadow Realm for the night. They would
be upset at his behavior. Especially he thought as he picked up
the blade and brought it to his lips, at this. Carefully mimicking
perhaps the cleaning of a cat he licked the flat of the blade
clean before turning to his cut and cleaning it as well. Drops
of crimson liquid ran down a finger and Aku watched with fascination.

He enjoyed the coppery taste of his own blood. It was potent and
full of life. He had never however felt the same about those
he killed, there's tended to be as bitter and rancid as they
themselves had been in life. Blood was the essence of life and
it seemed that it's taste reflexes however they lived. For
a moment Aku wondered what the prince's blood would taste like,
bitter or sweet, death or life, cold or hot? It didn't matter.
He would find out ether way. One last flick of the pink tongue
cleaned the wound completely and wrapped in with a scrap of cloth
from his pocket. He began his walk towards the village.
He looked forward to finding out someday. However he at the
moment had a task to complete that his pride and rage would
not allow him to delay another day.

~*~

Of all times the Pharaoh had passed away now! Now in the middle
of the harvest, at a time when everything was busy and bustling when
it had been hard enough to hide his death for a time but now it was
said that the prince was cursed and that the Gods were turning there
backs to Egypt. The High Priest rubbed his scalp closing murky
eyes as he thought. Then there was his 'apprentice'. The little
fool thought he was a God by the way he behaved, some great lord
that held more power than one would think imaginable. He thought
he was stronger than he, the idiot. The priest sighed and reopened
his eyes to the darkness Ra's departure caused. He was greeted by
the sight of a single person standing across the stone temples
outer platform from him. He was shorter than the priest and
was hidden well by a trainees roughly woven robes and hood;
his was obviously too long for him as well for no skin showed at all.
Probably a messenger coming to give more bad news for all his luck.
He however had no idea how correct he was.

"What is it?", he snapped wanting to be quick with whatever it was.

The figure now chuckled softly crossing arms for a moment. This
only served to irritate the older man who watched as the figure
removed his hood. The youth was still in the shadows so it
was hard to see who it could be, the rustling of the robes was
heard and a soft voice came from the darkness.

"I wonder high priest, do the people of Egypt know your evil
ways? Do they know of the wrongs you have committed against
the Gods and the very people who serve them? Do they know
that you are a cowered and a fool? I have wonder that for quite
a while."

The man listened to the voice knowing somewhere in the back of
his mind he'd heard the soft yet coarse words before.

"Who are you? I order you to come into the light!"

The being chuckled and the sound of his footfall came closer
until he stood in the soft glowing light of the fires that
lit the area. He stood in a relaxed pose wearing soft looking
white pants that were held by a white sash low on his hips;
the pants were a bit too long as well, falling just over small
bare feet. He was pale, almost glistening so like the moon and
the beginnings of well built muscles showed on his upper arms,
chest, and stomach. His eyes of brown seemed to burn into the
priest's very soul from under the unearthly white-silver hair
that fell gracefully down a little past his shoulders. On
his bare chest hung on a leather cord twist with thin gold
a large ring with spikes hanging around it's edges and a pyramid
with some carving in the middle. For a moment the priest simply
stared before somewhere in the back of his mind a thought clicked
in and the image of a frightened white haired child filled his
mind.

"I see you must recognize me. It wouldn't matter to me even if
you hadn't, your fate will be the same."

The man's eyes narrowed for a moment before his cold laughter
filled the night's still air and his lips pulled into a sneer.

"So the little whore still lives... interesting, I would have
thought someone else would have you locked to there bed by now."

The priest licked his lips at the thought and Aku
fought not to kill him at that moment. He would take his time
and enjoy it.

"I find it strange that even though you somehow got away you
return to me now, slave. Perhaps you are some kind of gift from
the Gods for my life of hard work, or perhaps you missed your
master.."

Aku growled softly, caught himself, and laughed.

"I will carry the scars you've given me my whole life,
that is very true. But you will not live to see it
out high priest of Egypt. I will see your body mangled
and unfit even for the animals to devour."

The teen grinned now and flicked a silver dagger into his hand
licking the blade lovingly as he watched the priest pale
at his statement.

"Fool! You think you could kill me? I am a great mage and favored
of the Gods while you are but lowly scum fit only for a life
of servitude."

"You think you are the only powerful mage in the land? Hn.
You are the fool if any and I am done speaking with you.
May Anubis devour your soul, high priest."

The ring around Aku's neck glowed a strange shade of purple
and on the temple's outer platform appeared a huge black
creature shrouded in the same purple mist. The Man Eater
Bug made a strange and rather frightening sound before
rushing towards the priest who in his horror was unable
to move or cast a spell against it, not that it would do any
good. However the huge creature just before in would get
to him disappeared leaving the same purple mist in it's wake.
Now from behind him Aku's sadistic chuckle was heard and
the small dagger found it's way right into the man's chest
hitting a lung and pushing him to the ground were he stared
with mute horror as Aku sat down and watched the man.

"I said I would make your body unfit even for the animals,
my Man Eater Bug shall not have such rancid flesh as yours.
You will die slowly here as I watch and will know who killed
you."

The man was desperately trying to draw air into his lungs but
couldn't it was impossible. Aku dragged his dagger across
the man's bare arm doodling lines and patterns in and watching
with amusement the blood making them glow a crimson before the
flesh it self was coated with blood. Aku breathed in deeply
savoring it all. The man had stopped breathing and
was staring fearfully ahead knowing in his barely there
mind that his death would come at any moment. Aku smirked
and leaned so that the priest could see his face.

"Know in your afterlife that I caused this and may you never
find peace."

He was dead near the moment Aku finished and the thief child
stood stretching like a cat as he looked at the corpse.

From the seemingly deserted low roof of the temple came
slow rather humored applause. Aku turned not looking at
all surprised and a taller human leapt down quickly
standing and watching him with the jewel like blue eyes.

"Hello Seh."

Seh smiled.

"I must say that was rather nice work with the old man,
I don't think I could do much better myself."

Aku cleaned the filthy blood off his dagger on his sash.

"I suppose I'm pleased you liked the presentation. You were
planning however to do him in before me though were you not?"

"Of course. When I sensed you were here though I thought
you probably wanted revenge more than I so I thought I'd
just watch."

"Very gracious of you high priest."

"Ah! So I am."

"Did his highness sense me as well?"

"Probably. I haven't gotten to talk to him since we got
here though now that he's to become Pharaoh."

"Rather funny isn't it?"

"What is?"

"That Egypt is about to be run by those who are barely
out of childhood by the standards of this world."

Soft shared laughter came from both for they knew they had
not been children for so very long.

"Very true. But to those in the shadow realm we are like kings."

The smaller boy nodded tucking the blade into his sash. He looked
back at the body for a moment.

"Do you regret it, Aku?"

Aku shook his head.

"No."

"Not at all?"

"I will never regret it Seh. I am not so weak that I'd mourn
my enemy."

"That's what his highness said."

Aku's eyes snapped back to Seh.

"What?"

"That's what he said after his father died and only I was with him."

Aku closed his eyes again and smirked.

"He would."

Seh shifted and called attention to the gold staff he held
in his hand, Aku eyed it before looking at his ring which
now glowed gold and pointed spikes at it. The thief smiled.

"So you have one as well. I'd thought as much."

Seh smirked and tucked the rod into his robes. He turned
quickly back towards the temple.

"I must go Aku. However, I would request that you come back
tomorrow night around this time. There's a small building
near the temple of Isis, it has a large window that faces
the east and a balcony to the south. Only he and I will
be there. It would be in good interest to be there and I
doubt that you wouldn't find it appealing."

Aku stared as the teen high priest glanced back soft brown
hair brushing against the blue jewels on his ears.

"We have a lot in common you and I. May haps we will speak as
well."

Then he was gone.

~*~

In my own mind I felt a struggle, tugging and pushing without sound
or light. It was a feeling on being trapped. Not the kind of being
locked in a room or within someone's gaze but, something deeper and
much more frightening. It was a barrier that kept me from seeing
the next dream - or were the memories? Someone or something was
stopping my unconscious mind from seeing what perhaps I shouldn't
have seen. I felt myself push again and all that pushed back
was empty blackness. There was nothing there for me, there
was nothing that had not crumbled to dust in three thousand
years of time. Only memories seemed to still live, and even
they slowly broke and fell.

-------------------------------------------

Saraha: *squeals happily* I finished the Aku chapters! *happy dance*
I know your all probally think that it doesn't seem complete and
everything with the strange ending but it is... for this story!
You'll have to use your imagination until later because I have
*dramatic music* planned a sequel! Yes a sequel because you can
never have enough Bakura/Ryou ever! The sequel is entitled at
this moment in my mind 'Demon Friction' and will take place
during the whole VR and Dungeon Dice arcs meaning Ryou is
not scene with the normal gang giving me free creative rights
to the area *evil laughter*! I'm thinking I'll write this one
in Yami Bakura's point of view to give a wider area of understanding
and we may (or may not...) find out what happened after this Aku flash
back. Also thinking about it I'd also have to someday write a sequel
to the sequel taking place during battle city. Damn that's a lot!
But I think it's all worth the effort!

Ok, next chapter Ryou finally wakes up, but to what will he wake to
and where? Poor guy seems to have problems with that don't he? ~_^
We'll find out in the next chapter though peoples which I plan to
be the second to the last one!

Also I plan on (I'll try really, really hard!) having
'In the Guise of an Angel' done by 03/25, my 17th birthday! ^^
So hopefully I'll get it done and stuff! Wish me luck!

P.S. Review please! They keep me going and are the greatest gifts
to me! If you get a chance some of you might like to check out my
rather odd and very strange fic M&Ms which tells the begining of
a Malik/Mokuba romance! Weird couple ne?