Help and Hindrance

By: Saturn

AN- Hello again, all. Sorry about the huge delay, but I am trying to get more chapters up before I get even more work to do. A huge thanks goes out to Star Struck, my only current fan. Thank you for reading. Damn, this story is getting close to being done. I would expect it to be between 10- 15 chapters. Review if you like cookies!!! ^.^

Help and Hindrance

Chapter 9:

Safe Havens, Ceremonies and Stars

After a run through a dizzying maze of alleys, roads and streets, Solara finally came to a stop at the end of an alleyway. Ryou bent over and tried to catch his breath.

"Up this way," Solara said, gesturing to a ladder leaning against the building, "It's not much farther from here." Ryou stared up to where the ladder ended. It stretched up all the way to the roof of the building. Ryou climbed up the ladder to the roof of the building with Solara just behind him. Ryou reached the top and stood atop the roof. Solara was quick to follow and stood beside him. On the roof was a large tent that had covered most of the rooftop.

Solara seemed to relax as she lazily walked towards the tent and went inside. Once inside, she put her hood down and said, "Ah, home sweet home." Ryou followed her inside and gently pulled his hood back. The inside of the tent was larger than it looked. In one corner of the room was a makeshift bed made out of blankets and pillows. Another corner had a large box filled with clothes and some personal items. The other two corners were filled with piles of books and papers. All the books appeared to be old and in need of some care. And in the center of the room was a strange table that looked a little like a sundial. The strange dial sat in the middle of the room and seemed to be fairly important.

Solara walked over to the bed and dropped her bag by it. "Make yourself at home," she said, turning to him.

Ryou walked over to the sundial looking pedestal in the center of the room, "What's this?" he asked. Ryou gently passed his hand over it, feeling the many ridges and indentations on it. On the dial were many carvings of some language that Ryou didn't recognize and seemed to be very intricate.

"It's a celestial dial. It tells various positions of the suns, moons and stars." Solara stood up and walked toward Ryou, running her hands through her hair.

"Um.didn't you say you could help me get home?" Ryou shifted nervously.

"Yep, of course. But first, some breakfast." Solara said, "Be right back," and left the tent. Ryou peeked out of the tent and saw Solara leaning over the edge of the building.

"Shh" she said putting a finger to her lips. She wrapped her tail around a pole and gently hung down off the edge. Ryou looked down the side of the building to see a merchant bazaar below. Solara hung just above a fruit vendor. While the fruit peddler had his back turned, Solara quickly grabbed a melon and curled back up to roof. After checking that the coast was clear, she split the melon in half and held out one half to Ryou. Ryou took it, taking a small bite and followed Solara back into the tent. Solara went over to one of the large bookcases and pulled out an old, tattered book. She sat on one of the cushion and flipped through the pages. Ryou sat next to her and peered over her shoulder. The book was handwritten and looked like it had been written a long time ago. It too, was written in a language Ryou had never seen before.

"Here," Solara said finding the correct page, " When one from the world of Earth is summoned, a portal is formed in the world in the form of a book."

"Well, that's already happened," Ryou observed, remembering the book Yugi had found in his library.

Solara continued to read, " The Earth being is usually summoned for a sacrifice ritual, but also has a subliminal purpose. The subliminal purpose can only be achieved with the help and friendship of a native. Most of the time, another from Earth can be summoned, as ling as the celestial position is correct."

"Sacrifice?" Ryou almost whispered.

Solara read on " The Earthian sacrifice ritual is a very underdeveloped art: An art where the very soul of the Earth creature is taken and added to the leader's life force. The half eaten melon dropped to the floor as Ryou paled and stared at the book. Solara put the book down and held Ryou tight. Ryou returned the embrace and shivered at the thought of what could happen to him.

Solara rubbed his back soothingly, " I would never let anything happen to you." She tilted Ryou's head to look into her eyes. "I promise to get you home safe," she cooed.

" How can we get someone else here?" Ryou asked sitting up a little.

Solara grabbed the book and flipped to the page, "The moons must be in the second and eighth positions of Vento, respectively and the star Cera must be in the night sky for the summoning to work." Solara got up and walked over to her celestial dial, "And that will be tonight!" A smile crept on to Ryou's face. Solara grinned, "Now that's what I like to see. You know, you're pretty cute when you smile." Ryou's face lit up in a blush. "Now all we have to do is wait." Ryou put his hands in his pocket and took out his deck. He flipped through it until he found the Change of Heart, his favorite. Just seeing the card made him feel closer to his yami and his friends. It had always been his favorite, but now it was an even more important reminder of his friends and home.

"What's that?" Solara asked, sitting back down next to him. She pointed to the Change of Heart card. She seemed genuinely intrigued by the cards in Ryou's hands.

"These are my duel monsters cards, it's a game we play back home. And this card's my favorite," Ryou said putting his deck back into his pocket. He felt around in his pocket for anything else and pulled out a small picture, "Hey," he said, "I didn't know I had this with me."

Solara stared at the picture, "What is that?" she asked with awe.

Ryou smiled warmly, "It's a picture of me and my friends. See?" he pointed to their respective pictures, "There's Bakura, Yugi, Jono and me."

Solara was amazed with the picture, "We have nothing like that in our world. I've never seen something so wonderful."

"Here," Ryou said, holding the picture out to her, "you can have it." Solara grinned and put the picture in her bag, "Thank you,"

"There you are!!" shouted a voice. Ryou and Solara quickly looked to see who it was. Three palace guards stood at the entrance to the tent. As they started to advance, Solara threw one of the melon halves at them. The melon smacked one guard in the face and the guard clawed at the melon attached to his face. She grabbed Ryou's wrist and ran the other way, "Run!" she shouted. The two dashed out of the tent at the edge of the roof they stopped.

"Do you trust me?" Solara asked. "Yes..." Ryou answered slowly. Solara squeezed his hand, "Then jump!" They jumped off the roof and fell down into the alleyway, a hanging tarp breaking their fall. Solara led him into the crowded streets, pushing their was through the people. Solara pulled Ryou close as they ran and yanked his hood over his head. As she looked behind her, she saw no guards behind them. She stopped and Ryou bumped into her back.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Solara kept looking around frantically checking for guards, "Something's not right," she said, "There's no way we could have outrun all three of those guards." Solara looked at Ryou. He seemed even paler than normal and was shaking slightly. She tipped his chin up of that she could stare into his warm chocolate eyes. She squeezed his hand and pulled Ryou into in a tight hug. For a while all she did was hold him close. The embrace was roughly torn apart when a guard tackled Solara and another grabbed Ryou by the arms. The third guard helped the one with Solara as she kicked and struggled. The guards pulled the two into a small alleyway. The guard holding Ryou tied his wrists and then the two guards with Solara held each arm tightly.

"So," Ryou's guard spoke, "I guess we found both little fugitives in the same little slum." He yanked Ryou's hood down roughly, "Our little human," the guard spat as he turned to Solara, " and the petty thief." The guard then grabbed Ryou's wrists and hung the rope on a hook overhead. Now Ryou dangled by his wrists a few inches from the ground.

"Good work my servants," another voice echoed from around the end of the alleyway. A tall, slender Pyrian appeared from the shadows. The new Pyrian wore royal looking robes and had a v-shaped golden necklace around his neck. As the Pyrian walked past Solara she gasped and exclaimed, "The High Priest!"

"Ha! At least it's good to know tat even the lowest of low knows my face." the high priest laughed and turned to Ryou. Solara continued to fight against the guards, "You won't get away with this. The council will find out and ...Ugh!" she was cut short as one of her guards struck her across the face with the hilt of his dagger. Solara's head drooped down and she fell silent. The High Priest turned again to Ryou. Ryou shivered under his gaze, making the chains rattle.

"Eww," the High Priest sneered, "the offering is an albino? Well I suppose beggars can't be choosers." The High Priest traced a long, blue-green finger down Ryou's cheek.

"Don't touch him!" Solara half screamed at the priest, face filled with anger. The High Priest simply made a low hissing sound. In a matter of seconds a large, red snake slithered to the High Priest. Solara paled, "T- That snake's supposed to be legendary!"

The High Priest scoffed as the snake coiled itself on his shoulders, "Well little miss know it all, it is legendary. This snake belongs of the great lord, but she has taken a liking to me. But now I think she wants to meet our little friend here." The High Priest knelt by Ryou, holding out his hand with the Atillado in it. "This is Amanda; one bite from her and your dead. Go on, Amanda, say hello," he said icily as the large snake slithered towards Ryou. Ryou gasped as the snake slowly encircled his ankles and began to creep up his body. "Ah," Ryou breathed as the Atillado wound up his torso and perched itself on his shoulder. The snake was so long that it was nearly coiled around Ryou's small body. Ryou whimpered as the snake squeezed his body tighter.

"Stop it..." Solara moaned as she lifted her head, a fresh bruise showing on her face. The High Priest smirked and crossed his arms, "Now give him a kiss; and put a little love in it," his voice felt like liquid ice. Ryou pulled away gently, "S-Solara," he pleaded shakily. The snake opened its mouth, showing long, white fangs.

"Leave him along!" Solara shouted. The Atillado got closer to Ryou's face and flicked its tongue out, gently licking his face. Ryou whimpered and shivered. "I said stop it!!" Solara looked frantically around for something to get away with. Thinking quickly, she wrenched one arm free and punched out one guard. She then grabbed that guard's dagger and hit the other with it. She dashed for Ryou and with one quick swipe, cut of the head off of the Atillado. The now headless body limply fell from Ryou.

"My baby!" the High Priest shrieked, "You'll pay for that!" And then he sent a gust of wind magic at Solara, blowing her back into the alley. "I still have what I need, street rat!" The High Priest held up a small vile.

"Ryou!" Solara stood and dashed for him again. The High Priest threw the vile down, making a cloud of smoke. Solara coughed and backed away. When the smoke cleared, Ryou and the High Priest were nowhere to be seen. "No, Ryou..." Solara dropped to her knees. Then, she slowly raised her head to the sky, a look a determination on her face. I can still help him she thought, and ran off towards her home. The stars won't wait forever...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

AN- Wow, that chappie was really long. ^^ hooray. I'll try to get more out asap, but i'm lazy so no promises ^^' Review if you wuv Ryou!!!!!