Fate of the Angels
Part Three
Of Rings and Pain
I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, or anything related to it.
Actually, I don't own much of anything, besides my precious computer here.
And 'The One Ring', I have four of those! :)
Anyway, if you're reading this, you should probably have read Hidden Truths, High Twilight, and Falling Stars.
Parts One, Two, and Three of the Tingilya Arc.
Well, I've rambled on long enough, thank you for putting up with this little note!
Now, on with the Angst!
~~~~~Domino~~~~~
"Seto, are you okay?" Mokuba asked, looking over at his older brother, staring at the IV drip hooked into his arm. Seto growled angrily, his teeth gritted, glaring at the tape holding the needle in.
Mokuba sighed, taking a seat in the chair.
"It's not your fault, Seto." Mokuba said, looking out the window.
It was a beautiful, sunny day.
Except for the fact that Estel had been kidnapped, Yami was now considered dangerously unstable, and Seto had landed himself in the hospital, after struggling with Yami when Malik had disappeared.
"Yes.... it.... is!" Seto hissed painfully, red ribbons searing up and down his chest. Mokuba rolled his eyes.
"Even if it is, there's nothing we can do about it now. Except hope, and wait. Well," Mokuba looked at his watch, "I'd love to stay and talk away, but I promised Becky that I'd be back in Kyoto by tomorrow night, and I'm going to miss the train!" Seto smiled weakly, and nodded, watching his little brother close the door softly behind him.
'Malik, I swear, if you touch even one hair on her head, I'll gut you myself!' Seto swore silently, his eyes drooping as the IV's sedating contents took effect....
~~~~~Seattle~~~~~
Bakura glared at the guard as he was escorted to the telephone. He had neither seen nor heard from Estel since the accident, and he knew nothing more than Seto had kidnapped her, and she was in Japan by now. The guard shoved him at the phone, and Bakura growled under his breath.
He may have been a docile father for Estel, but he would rather hang himself than be polite to those who's company he now kept.
"You have half an hour." the officer smirked, and Bakura rolled his eyes, hoping it was Estel who had called.
"Bakura?" a voice cackled cheerily in the ancient spirits ear.
Bakura frowned as he recognized Malik, easily.
"What do you want!?" the albino demanded. He had no want to play around with the pycho at that particular moment.
"What, me? Nothing, actually. But a little birdie over here kept insisting that she wanted to talk to you, isn't that right, Estel?" Bakura's blood went cold as he heard his daughter's name, shivering despite the warm room.
"Malik, I swear, if you harm a hair on her head, I'll have you gutted...." Malik laughed, shaking his head.
"Now, is that any way to talk to an old friend? Besides, I never planned on hurting your precious daughter. She's much to valuable for that. I saved her from that mad Pharaoh that seems to be loose at the moment! Estel, why don't you say hello to you dear Papa!" Malik cackled, and tossed the cordless to the glaring girl.
"Estel? Are you all right? He hasn't hurt you, has he?" Bakura's questions escaped his mouth in a confused garble, Estel smiling, and holding back a chuckle. Her father was the same, over protective Papa she had always known, even from half a world away.
"I'm fine Papa. And Malik is right, he did save me from Yami. Papa, I miss you." Estel whispered, a tear running down her face.
Malik, watching, almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
"Don't worry, Anna," Bakura whispered, using the name he had given her some many years before, "Bars have never held me before, they won't now. I'll be there before you even know it!" tears stained his sight, and Bakura was forced to snuffle.
"Sorry to cut this little Father-Daughter chat short, but I'm afraid that's enough phone bill for now. Besides, me and Estel have more important work to do!" Malik grinned, hanging up the phone, Estel glaring.
"Malik! MALIK!!!" Bakura screamed, the phone line already dead, tears streaming down his face.......
~~~~~Egypt~~~~~
"Now now, we wouldn't want your lovely little face to stick like that, now would we?" Malik smiled as Estel glared daggers.
She was definitely her fathers daughter, even if her temper was of a more calm aspect.
"Why am I here!?" Estel demanded for the umpteenth time, folding her arms. Malik rolled his eyes.
"Would you rather I left you with Yami, in the hospital, to die?" Malik asked, his voice trailing off as he turned into the kitchen.
Estel followed with a sigh, shaking her head.
"No. But I still want to know why you brought me all the way out here." Estel asked, peering into the kitchen, her jaw dropping.
Obviously there was more to Malik than met the eye. The kitchen, or what had used to be the kitchen, was covered in hieroglyphics, trailing around a doorway that had obviously been carved into the floor with great care and precision. Estel doubted that there was anything more uniquely beautiful in the world, her heart and mind drawn to the flickering light that lay down the stairs.
"Uh uh, no you don't, my little wandering princess. There's time enough for you to find your way down there, but, for now, it's safer for you up here. Here," Malik tossed her a coke from the fridge, "You're still thirsty, I bet."
Estel nodded her thanks, a hurriedly chugged the cold beverage.
Egypt was not to her taste.
~~~~~Oxford, England~~~~~
Ryou looked over at the phone nervously. For some reason, he was quite sure that he would regret ever answering. Actually, he was quite certain that he would regret it, but something that he also would regret not answering it even worse.
He sighed, and answered the phone, wondering how it truly could be so horrid. He had neither seen nor heard hide or hair of Bakura in years, and very much doubted the Spirit of the Ring would try contacting him now. Not without good, or dire, reason that is.
"Hello? Bakura residence, Ryou speaking." Ryou asked, his voice wavering near cracking. He wondered briefly what his English class would think if they heard their teacher, Dr. Bakura, ever the stony pillar, sounding like a tiny child afraid of the boogey man.
He also wondered if he would ever see that English class again, too.
"Ryou? You sound like shit." a voice that Ryou could distantly place as Seto Kaiba's, rasped over the phone.
Ryou did not grin.
"What's wrong, Seto?" the albino asked. He already knew that it must be something involving Bakura and his children, or else the billionaire would never have bothered tracking him down, again. He could almost hear Seto grumble, but it was hard to tell, his breathing was pretty raspy as well.
".... It's Malik. He's kidnapped Estel..... I was wondering if, maybe you could use the Ring, and track her down?" Seto wondered what was wrong with the English boy, he seemed more frightened than anything else.
"Can't Bakura? He's better at this kind of thing than I am." Ryou whispered, looking at the Millennium Ring that was hanging on the wall, above the fireplace. He had refused to wear it ever again the day Bakura had disappeared out the door, and out of Japan, with Estel.
"He's in jail, for kidnapping. Ryou, Malik's a psycho, who knows what he's doing to her!" Seto snapped, his voice shredding in anger. Ryou sighed, and looked at his calendar. He hadn't taken a vacation or sick day in years. He had no choice, it was either help Estel, or forever be tortured by pleading screams that might not ever have been.
"I'll come by the next plane." Ryou whispered, hanging up. He knew he could rely upon Seto to allow him free range of the Kaiba Mansion.
Besides, he wouldn't be there very long. Ryou only needed to be in Japan long enough to gain a sense of where Malik and Estel had been, and left towards. A practice run for the Ring, as it were.
"I hate you more than anything in the universe, but now it is you I need to save a child I never cared for." Ryou whispered, removing the artifact from the wall, and slipping it around his neck, a searing, painfully burning feeling tearing through his chest, a connection reestablished with his other half once more......
~~~~~Seattle~~~~~
Bakura clutched at his chest as he felt the Ring connect him and Ryou once more. He was more than surprised, as he doubled over in pain, he was afraid.
What could be so urgent that his aibou was forced to wear the Ring once more.......
~TSUZUKU~
Well, how was it?
I know, I know, kinda corny, but hey, this is the fourth part!
Expect story dilution!
Well, R&R, and I have a class to get to!
Ja! ^_^
Part Four
