Hey, look at this, next chapter they'll be back in Japan. Took me long enough. Anyways, I hope this chapter is enjoyable.
Oh, and to Yami Trekkie- Thank you for pointing out that I was spelling O'Neill's name wrong. I honestly didn't realize I was, I spelt it how it looked right to me. So, yeah, I fixed it in this chapter and it should be correct from now on. Also I will fix the earlier chapters as soon as I can. Thanks again for telling me.
And as always. Enjoy (*)____(*)
"Why are we listening to you again? You have already admitted to being unable to leave."
"Colonel, I may be unable to leave but that does not mean I don't know how others can. Besides, I should be able to leave now that you are all here."
"Impeccable logic. Just one more thing, where exactly are you leading us?"
"Out Colonel. I'm leading you out. Now be quiet and walk, we will get there a lot quicker that way." They traveled along the path that only Siris knew in relative silence. Occasionally a conversation would get started, but it never really included Siris. She simply led the way, talking only when spoken to or to give the rare comment on what the others were speaking about. Celt watched her closely. Back in the days Siris had spent a fair amount of time with Celt, and even though she looked the same, she was not acting as she normally had around him.
/What am I thinking? She just spent five millennia alone; of course she is going to act differently./ Shaking his head Celt continued to walk along, frequently glancing over in Siris' direction. Siris had been true to her word and they had left early the next day. The only item she now carried was a small brown leather pouch, roughly eight by eight inches. The route was quite straight, no real turns in the tunnels. After some hours they arrived at a small opening in the tunnel and she called a halt.
O'Neill sat with his team, even after all this time they still separated into separate groups. At the moment there were three groups, SG1, Yugi and his monsters, and Siris. She sat apart from everyone, staring at the nearest wall. Celt found himself staring at her. She was the same person he remembered, and yet, and yet she wasn't. Maybe later he could ask her what had happened. O'Neill was also staring; only he wasn't concerned so much as annoyed. He knew nothing about her and everyone was automatically trusting her. Was he the only one that found that a reason for concern.
The break was over soon and Siris was leading the way again. At some point the group noticed that they were walking on a slight incline. Not long after that they came to what appeared to be a dead end.
"Siris, don't tell me you took a wrong turn, or didn't take a turn." Celt questioned as he walked up to the wall. Siris didn't answer; she was busy looking around in her small bag. After a moments search she pulled out a triangular rock with a square hole in the middle. Moving over to Yugi she handed it to him. Looking confused he examined the item before speaking.
"What is this for?"
"It is the key. I can't use it, since I'm not supposed to be able to leave. So someone else has to do it for me." Yugi looked at Siris and then the rock. Hesitantly he walked up to the wall, only to stop when he couldn't find a spot to match the item in his hands.
"There is no place for it to go. How does it work?"
"I can't tell you. You have to see it for yourself. Think of it as a puzzle, and I'll give you a clue. The way to open any door, is to open it from within."
"Don't you think we have solved enough riddles for this trip?" O'Neill muttered, watching the scene unfold.
"I don't make the rules Colonel, but I do have to follow them. Most of the time." Siris nodded to Yugi and smiled, he smiled back and turned back to the wall. He didn't move for a second, until something caught his eye. In the middle of the wall there was a small symbol. It matched the triangle he held only there was no depression in which to place it.
/Open it from within. Perhaps, the rock is merely a symbol. If that is true then I should be able to open it without it. Well, it's worth a try./
"Okay, I think I figured it out." Yugi spoke as he gave the triangle back to Siris, confusing everyone else. Without another word he moved back to the symbol, placed both hands on the wall and pushed.
He almost stopped when he felt the wall move, but he kept pushing until he couldn't move forward anymore. Looking up, he noticed a long staircase. The air felt different here, it wasn't as stale. Turning back to the group he finally noticed Siris standing next to him and the rest right behind.
"After you Yugi. This should lead right to the outside." Nodding he started off, the others lining up behind him. The staircase turned out to be much shorter than it looked and soon they were back to the Egyptian desert and the swirling sky of the shadow realm.
"If all you had to do was push, why didn't you leave before?" Jonas asked as the readjusted to the atmosphere.
"Simple, I couldn't have touched the wall, and not everyone would have seen the symbol. The door was meant to be opened by certain individuals, of which only Yugi is one in your group."
"So I couldn't have opened it either?"
"Correct. Yugi was the only one who could open it, at least, from the group you are traveling with."
"Okay, here is another question. Who was that guy we first saw, and what happened to him?"
"Good question. What's the answer?" O'Neill spoke up as soon as he heard what was asked. Siris shrugged and sat down before answering.
"He was connected with the shadow realm. I don't know how, but the shadow realm seems to know a little about me. He was there for two purposes; one was to keep an eye one me. As for what I did, it wasn't much. He'll probably be stuck in that place for some time until the shadow realm can find him again and get him out. Until then he'll simply be bored."
"You said he was there for two reasons. What was the second?"
"Can't really say Colonel. Hey Dark, when is Red going to show up to bring you guys to Japan?"
"He should arrive shortly."
"Okay, we'll just rest until then. Oh, I am going to have to meet you guys there."
"Huh, meet us where?"
"Meet you in Japan Doctor. I have something that I must do first"
"How will you find us?"
"Don't worry about that Yugi, I'll just close in on Celt. It will be easy enough."
"Close in?"
"Think of it this way. You are connected to Yami through the puzzle, right?" Yugi nodded his head slowly; unsure of where this was going. "Well, I spent a lot of time with those two," Siris points to Celt and Dark, "back in Egypt and before, and I've learned how to find them. In a way we are connected in the simple fact that we always are able to find the other. It made hide and seek really pointless to play."
"Dark and Celt played hide and seek." Yugi asked incredulously as he glanced at his two monsters, who at the moment where attempting to look innocent and hide the sudden tinge of red that was on their faces. Giggling Yugi turned back to Siris and asked if she could tell him any other facts before Red arrived and they went their separate ways until Japan.
Nodding with a mischievous grin, she started in on some of the stories she was sure Dark would never want told. O'Neill was worried, what could she have to do on her own, she's been isolated for 5,000 years. Something did not add up.
"Okay, I'll tell you one story for now. Hey Celt, you can help me out if you want. It was back before the monsters were sealed into the stone tablets and hence the shadow realm for good. At that time the owners might keep them out outside of dueling. Pretty much only the Pharaoh did, but it was possible for others. It was one of these times and Dark was patrolling the palace, as he was wont to do when outside the shadow realm and not in a duel, when he heard a commotion in one of the kitchens."
"Siris, I'm sure there are plenty of other stories you could tell him, you don't need to tell him this one." Dark muttered as he carefully avoided looking at Yugi. Celt found himself smiling, now this was the Siris he remembered.
"Of course I do. Now where was I, oh yeah, the kitchen. Letting curiosity get the better of him he entered the room and was immediately covered in some sort of liquid."
"It was the broth from one of the soups." Celt informed the group, after moving a safe distance from Dark.
"Yep, chicken broth. Dark was very upset at this and he immediately noticed the green haired figure laughing hysterically in the middle of the floor. No one else was around, since Celt pulled this trick on his own. Dark took a step forward only to find he tripped a wire and was instantly turned white as the sack full of flour dumped on his head and clothes." Siris stopped, as Yugi was unable to stop laughing at the image of a soaked, floured Dark Magician. Once he had calmed down, she continued with the story.
"The best part is, that Dark was preparing a spell to humiliate Celt when he felt the pull that indicated that his master was dueling. Now, normally he can recite a very short spell that insures he is in the proper attire and everything, only he was too distracted at the moment to do that."
"You are not saying what I think you're saying?" Yugi spoke as he forcefully prevented himself from bursting out in laughter. SG1 listened while not understanding what was being said. Celt was leaning against O'Neill from laughing too hard, and Mag was wisely hiding behind Teal'c.
"Exactly, he showed up in the duel dripping wet and shedding flour with every movement. And since you couldn't end a duel early back then, he had to go through the whole duel like that." Yugi was laughing again and only Siris heard Dark's next comment.
"Oh good, Red's here. I think we can stop with the stories now."
"Of course." Once everyone had calmed down they watched Red approach. As he landed he shifted between his forms and ended gracefully walking to them, his red cape swinging.
"Show off." Celt muttered, but he changed to a forced smile when Dark accidentally rammed him with his elbow and stepped on his foot.
"I see my presence is required yet again." Looking at the group his eyes widened slightly when he noticed Siris.
"Greetings Red. It has been a while. I regret to inform you that I will not have the pleasure of your company during the trip. I must take care of something first, but I will meet up with you in Japan."
"I am truly sorry to hear that Siris. I hope that when you do arrive you will give me the honor of your company for a while."
"It would be my honor. I had best get going. I will meet up with you later. Until then, good luck." Siris replied, giving the smallest indication of a bow to Red. Red smiled broadly at this and turned his attention to the rest of the group.
"Am I right in assuming that you would like to leave right away as well?"
"Yes, we would." Dark said as he and everyone else watched Siris walking in the opposite direction. Red turned back into a dragon and everyone took the same positions as before. As Red prepared to take off O'Neill looked back to where Siris had headed in. The area was blank, no sign of anyone ever being there remained. Just as they took to the air, right before he switched his attention on Red and everyone else, he thought he saw something flying quickly along the ground, only it was gone as soon as he saw it.
/I am seeing things now, what a lovely trip this is turning out to be. Next time I'm choosing the travel agent./