AN: Here it is - the final installment! Though it might not be the end,
however, since I'm toying with the idea of starting another fic with this
series serving as a kind of prelude to it. Which is why this ends the way
it does on a cliffhanger. I seem to be notorious for those, but I just
can't seem to stop. =p
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
A hot wind blew, shifting the grains of the sandy Egyptian landscape that stretched on as far as the eye could see while the sun's rays beat down with a burning fury in the sweltering heat, as if trying to release as much of its blistering touch upon the inhabitants of the land below before it sank and set completely beneath the distant horizon. It was punishing weather that had most living beings dwelling in shadier shelters from the heat until the cooler night fell upon the land, but one figure was unmindful of it as he laid low on a barren incline overlooking the encampment below.
As he spied upon the sluggish activities of the archeological crew below him, waiting for night to fall, the lengthy wait gave his mind free time to wander. And as it did, his thoughts inevitably turned to a place best left untouched and that he heartily wished they would stop going to.
That girl.
That blasted annoying girl.
Such a useless person she was; an insignificant speck that merely tagged along the fringes of the other followers trailing behind that cursed pharaoh - that bastard who had ruined his plans! - and wasn't worth even a second of his time. And if there was a tiny voice whispering in his mind that he was wrong, he was quick to squash it, tucking and locking it away where he was certain it would never bother him again.
So then, why was he still thinking about her?
He didn't understand it at all.
It was ridiculous.
He was ancient - what use had he in mortal girl who, compared to him, was but a mere child? She was his complete opposite - an innocent, brimming with optimism and a firm belief in friendship where he had little regard for either of those qualities.
She represented all that he was disgusted with, sided with those he detested, and he despised the very thought of her.
Why was it then that he had this desire to see her?
He gritted his teeth against an irritated snarl at the turn of his thoughts, cursing his damned hikari for getting him into this predicament. It just had to be his fault; that damnably spineless weakling who wasn't good for anything other than providing a solid vessel for him to walk around in. That good-for-nothing hikari of his was a damned nuisance he wished he could eradicate once and for all so that he'd stop being plagued with the cursed thoughts that kept coming back to haunt him, thoughts that he could only have because of that idiot weakling.
And if he had the briefest inkling that his line of reasoning was contrary - for how could a spineless weakling that he held in such contempt harness the strength to bother him so? - he swiped it away brutally, determined not to pay heed to it. He was a being with an existence that spanned thousands of years - of course he knew what was going on and, with his infinite wisdom, the course of his reasoning was naturally right.
His hikari was deliberately planting thoughts in him as revenge for taking over his body!
That worthless hikari - how dare he interfere in his mind like this?!
That weak little bastard!
Outrage poured through him in a seething river, washing away his reason as he forgot that he'd already sealed his hikari away. Anger flooded through him, making him clench his fists in fury, and he had half a mind to release the seal and give that cursed hikari of his a lashing that would stop short of death - because death would be too easy and he wanted that weakling to suffer much, much longer than that for plaguing him so!
CLANG!
He jerked, startled out of his raging and vengeful thoughts. Lifting the binoculars to his eyes, he scanned the encampment below, seeking the source of the metallic riot of noise. He found it, along with a string of curses, as a man knelt on the dry earth, turning the air blue with his vitriolic words as he retrieved the load of pots and pans he'd apparently dropped.
Watching from his observation point, he smiled, knowing that the time he was waiting for had come as the light blue of the sky faded with the setting sun, signaling the falling of night.
Darkness was the best time for a thief, after all.
Though heat still scorched the land, he rose easily, gold glinting dimly in the falling darkness as he slid the Millennium ring deeper into his clothes, concealing the unique artifact. He arranged his hat until it rested better upon his head, tucking the distinctive white strands of his hair away, leaving him looking like all the others he had observed down below in the encampment.
He was ready.
It was time to begin.
He cleared his mind of all the things plaguing him: the girl, his worthless hikari. He was, if nothing else, a good thief and a good thief knew better than to let distracting thoughts cloud the mind when he was on a mission. And so he descended the incline he was situated on as he headed towards the encampment, focused on the task looming ahead of him.
To steal.
```````````````````````````````````````````
Attracted to a brighter than usual spot, he crept closer along the back, smirking as he noticed that the brightness was caused by light flooding out from the main tent through a rip in the fabric.
Perfect.
It had been easy to slip in undetected, but there were too many people around to safely enter unnoticed into any of the tents set up; each seemed to have at least several people in occupation and, considering some were visibly armed, he judged it best to not press his luck. However, the presence of armed guards was reassuring because it meant that the rumors he'd heard that had brought him here investigating were true.
A valuable find had been discovered.
Now, if he could only find out what that find was.
Rumors had been too vague to tell him much of anything; there was only enough to prick his interest. And the fact the rumors had been lacking in detail only seemed to prove in his mind just how valuable the find was that someone was going through such pains to keep any information about it under wraps.
Hearing the sounds of approaching footsteps, he froze, trying to blend into his surroundings as much as possible without attracting attention. His eyes narrowed as they saw a fat man walk by, never sparing him a second glance, as he mopped his sweaty forehead with a tattered bandana that bore a familiar blue color to his gaze.
Clear, blue eyes sparkling with spirit.
Silky chestnut brown hair.
A warm, welcoming smile.
He shook his head, trying to dispel the image that had suddenly popped into his mind. This was no time or place for such thoughts and he damned the unsettling interference. It stoked his temper as he silently cursed her, the guy with the bandana, his hikari, himself and - just for the hell of it - that damned pharaoh who was probably with her even now.
He scowled at that thought as a dark rage swept over him out of nowhere and was made even worse when he realized how he was reacting and became even angrier at his own foolishness.
Why, why, why did he keep thinking about her?!
And why should he care if she was with the pharaoh?
Filled with furious roiling and gritting his teeth against the rage, he had half a mind to return to Domino City, the place where everything had started and taken a downward turn for him, and get rid of what he thought was the source of his problem.
Killing came easy to him.
And if he felt a small tug deep within him, asking him if that was really what he wanted to do, he ignored it. Of course he wanted to get rid of his unwanted thoughts by any means possible. He was ruthless; what did he care about anyone else?
Absolutely nothing.
"Be careful with that!"
The angry shout startled him out of his thoughts and he pressed his eye closer to the hole in the tent, trying to get a better look. He could make out a crate and the activities of several people placing something within it. However, his view of the objects was blocked by the large form that was standing in-between it and his direct line of vision.
It was the fat man with the blue bandana.
He glared at the man, watching as overweight obstruction lifted an arm to wipe his sweating brow again while he directed the proceedings. The man's voice was loud and agitated, filtering easily to his ears from his hidden position.
"These items are priceless ancient artifacts," the fat man was saying anxiously. "You have to treat them with more care and respect. Gently, now. Gently!"
The man reached up to swipe at his forehead again, this time shifting aside as he did and leaving the contents of the crate in full view to his eyes. The glinting of gold immediately caught his attention as he peered intently through the hole, trying to distinguish the objects within from the cushioning packaging materials surrounding them, protecting them for travel. But he managed and what he saw had his eyes widening in shock.
By Ra, what was going on?!
"Did you hear something?" The fat man looked around suspiciously.
It made him stiffen when he realized he'd accidentally expressed his shock aloud, softly spoken but still not completely silent. His muscles tensed, ready to flee for it was obvious that the fat man was already nervous and paranoid - and he had no desire to stay for an ensuing hunt with him as the prey.
But then one of the other men in the tent suggested it was probably just one of the animals coming out for a nighttime hunt and the fat man seemed to relax. He mopped his brow again with one hand while the other gestured to a few of the men who, carrying visible weapons, obviously seemed to be guards.
"I'm counting on you," the fat man told them, "to guard these items with your lives. I want at least several men watching them at all hours of the day until they reach their destination safely."
Silently, he cursed. To have a constant armed guard watching the items would make it difficult to get close. With enough time, he was sure he could find a way. But he had little knowledge of guns of the like that these men carried, all he had with him were knives. He hadn't expected so many people to be involved with this archeological activity but, then again, he hadn't expected such object to be at its heart either.
And he had to get closer to see them.
It was too dangerous in the encampment where there were so many people, especially when he noticed as he was scouting around that most of them had guns that he hadn't seen during the brief period he'd been observing from higher ground. He preferred better odds when it came to attempting a steal or even a closer look at the objects in question. It seemed his best chance would be to wait until they left and then intercept the cargo en route to its destination.
Of course, that might be easier to do if he knew where that destination was.
"Remember," the fat man was saying, "several men at all times until you get them to the museum in Domino City."
Domino City?
A minor shockwave trembled through him as the words reverberated in his head and for one breathless moment, his mind went absolutely blank. But the ability to recover quickly had always been one of his strong points and it wasn't long before his lips curled in a hard smirk.
It looked like a trip to Domino City was in order.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
A hot wind blew, shifting the grains of the sandy Egyptian landscape that stretched on as far as the eye could see while the sun's rays beat down with a burning fury in the sweltering heat, as if trying to release as much of its blistering touch upon the inhabitants of the land below before it sank and set completely beneath the distant horizon. It was punishing weather that had most living beings dwelling in shadier shelters from the heat until the cooler night fell upon the land, but one figure was unmindful of it as he laid low on a barren incline overlooking the encampment below.
As he spied upon the sluggish activities of the archeological crew below him, waiting for night to fall, the lengthy wait gave his mind free time to wander. And as it did, his thoughts inevitably turned to a place best left untouched and that he heartily wished they would stop going to.
That girl.
That blasted annoying girl.
Such a useless person she was; an insignificant speck that merely tagged along the fringes of the other followers trailing behind that cursed pharaoh - that bastard who had ruined his plans! - and wasn't worth even a second of his time. And if there was a tiny voice whispering in his mind that he was wrong, he was quick to squash it, tucking and locking it away where he was certain it would never bother him again.
So then, why was he still thinking about her?
He didn't understand it at all.
It was ridiculous.
He was ancient - what use had he in mortal girl who, compared to him, was but a mere child? She was his complete opposite - an innocent, brimming with optimism and a firm belief in friendship where he had little regard for either of those qualities.
She represented all that he was disgusted with, sided with those he detested, and he despised the very thought of her.
Why was it then that he had this desire to see her?
He gritted his teeth against an irritated snarl at the turn of his thoughts, cursing his damned hikari for getting him into this predicament. It just had to be his fault; that damnably spineless weakling who wasn't good for anything other than providing a solid vessel for him to walk around in. That good-for-nothing hikari of his was a damned nuisance he wished he could eradicate once and for all so that he'd stop being plagued with the cursed thoughts that kept coming back to haunt him, thoughts that he could only have because of that idiot weakling.
And if he had the briefest inkling that his line of reasoning was contrary - for how could a spineless weakling that he held in such contempt harness the strength to bother him so? - he swiped it away brutally, determined not to pay heed to it. He was a being with an existence that spanned thousands of years - of course he knew what was going on and, with his infinite wisdom, the course of his reasoning was naturally right.
His hikari was deliberately planting thoughts in him as revenge for taking over his body!
That worthless hikari - how dare he interfere in his mind like this?!
That weak little bastard!
Outrage poured through him in a seething river, washing away his reason as he forgot that he'd already sealed his hikari away. Anger flooded through him, making him clench his fists in fury, and he had half a mind to release the seal and give that cursed hikari of his a lashing that would stop short of death - because death would be too easy and he wanted that weakling to suffer much, much longer than that for plaguing him so!
CLANG!
He jerked, startled out of his raging and vengeful thoughts. Lifting the binoculars to his eyes, he scanned the encampment below, seeking the source of the metallic riot of noise. He found it, along with a string of curses, as a man knelt on the dry earth, turning the air blue with his vitriolic words as he retrieved the load of pots and pans he'd apparently dropped.
Watching from his observation point, he smiled, knowing that the time he was waiting for had come as the light blue of the sky faded with the setting sun, signaling the falling of night.
Darkness was the best time for a thief, after all.
Though heat still scorched the land, he rose easily, gold glinting dimly in the falling darkness as he slid the Millennium ring deeper into his clothes, concealing the unique artifact. He arranged his hat until it rested better upon his head, tucking the distinctive white strands of his hair away, leaving him looking like all the others he had observed down below in the encampment.
He was ready.
It was time to begin.
He cleared his mind of all the things plaguing him: the girl, his worthless hikari. He was, if nothing else, a good thief and a good thief knew better than to let distracting thoughts cloud the mind when he was on a mission. And so he descended the incline he was situated on as he headed towards the encampment, focused on the task looming ahead of him.
To steal.
```````````````````````````````````````````
Attracted to a brighter than usual spot, he crept closer along the back, smirking as he noticed that the brightness was caused by light flooding out from the main tent through a rip in the fabric.
Perfect.
It had been easy to slip in undetected, but there were too many people around to safely enter unnoticed into any of the tents set up; each seemed to have at least several people in occupation and, considering some were visibly armed, he judged it best to not press his luck. However, the presence of armed guards was reassuring because it meant that the rumors he'd heard that had brought him here investigating were true.
A valuable find had been discovered.
Now, if he could only find out what that find was.
Rumors had been too vague to tell him much of anything; there was only enough to prick his interest. And the fact the rumors had been lacking in detail only seemed to prove in his mind just how valuable the find was that someone was going through such pains to keep any information about it under wraps.
Hearing the sounds of approaching footsteps, he froze, trying to blend into his surroundings as much as possible without attracting attention. His eyes narrowed as they saw a fat man walk by, never sparing him a second glance, as he mopped his sweaty forehead with a tattered bandana that bore a familiar blue color to his gaze.
Clear, blue eyes sparkling with spirit.
Silky chestnut brown hair.
A warm, welcoming smile.
He shook his head, trying to dispel the image that had suddenly popped into his mind. This was no time or place for such thoughts and he damned the unsettling interference. It stoked his temper as he silently cursed her, the guy with the bandana, his hikari, himself and - just for the hell of it - that damned pharaoh who was probably with her even now.
He scowled at that thought as a dark rage swept over him out of nowhere and was made even worse when he realized how he was reacting and became even angrier at his own foolishness.
Why, why, why did he keep thinking about her?!
And why should he care if she was with the pharaoh?
Filled with furious roiling and gritting his teeth against the rage, he had half a mind to return to Domino City, the place where everything had started and taken a downward turn for him, and get rid of what he thought was the source of his problem.
Killing came easy to him.
And if he felt a small tug deep within him, asking him if that was really what he wanted to do, he ignored it. Of course he wanted to get rid of his unwanted thoughts by any means possible. He was ruthless; what did he care about anyone else?
Absolutely nothing.
"Be careful with that!"
The angry shout startled him out of his thoughts and he pressed his eye closer to the hole in the tent, trying to get a better look. He could make out a crate and the activities of several people placing something within it. However, his view of the objects was blocked by the large form that was standing in-between it and his direct line of vision.
It was the fat man with the blue bandana.
He glared at the man, watching as overweight obstruction lifted an arm to wipe his sweating brow again while he directed the proceedings. The man's voice was loud and agitated, filtering easily to his ears from his hidden position.
"These items are priceless ancient artifacts," the fat man was saying anxiously. "You have to treat them with more care and respect. Gently, now. Gently!"
The man reached up to swipe at his forehead again, this time shifting aside as he did and leaving the contents of the crate in full view to his eyes. The glinting of gold immediately caught his attention as he peered intently through the hole, trying to distinguish the objects within from the cushioning packaging materials surrounding them, protecting them for travel. But he managed and what he saw had his eyes widening in shock.
By Ra, what was going on?!
"Did you hear something?" The fat man looked around suspiciously.
It made him stiffen when he realized he'd accidentally expressed his shock aloud, softly spoken but still not completely silent. His muscles tensed, ready to flee for it was obvious that the fat man was already nervous and paranoid - and he had no desire to stay for an ensuing hunt with him as the prey.
But then one of the other men in the tent suggested it was probably just one of the animals coming out for a nighttime hunt and the fat man seemed to relax. He mopped his brow again with one hand while the other gestured to a few of the men who, carrying visible weapons, obviously seemed to be guards.
"I'm counting on you," the fat man told them, "to guard these items with your lives. I want at least several men watching them at all hours of the day until they reach their destination safely."
Silently, he cursed. To have a constant armed guard watching the items would make it difficult to get close. With enough time, he was sure he could find a way. But he had little knowledge of guns of the like that these men carried, all he had with him were knives. He hadn't expected so many people to be involved with this archeological activity but, then again, he hadn't expected such object to be at its heart either.
And he had to get closer to see them.
It was too dangerous in the encampment where there were so many people, especially when he noticed as he was scouting around that most of them had guns that he hadn't seen during the brief period he'd been observing from higher ground. He preferred better odds when it came to attempting a steal or even a closer look at the objects in question. It seemed his best chance would be to wait until they left and then intercept the cargo en route to its destination.
Of course, that might be easier to do if he knew where that destination was.
"Remember," the fat man was saying, "several men at all times until you get them to the museum in Domino City."
Domino City?
A minor shockwave trembled through him as the words reverberated in his head and for one breathless moment, his mind went absolutely blank. But the ability to recover quickly had always been one of his strong points and it wasn't long before his lips curled in a hard smirk.
It looked like a trip to Domino City was in order.
