Brood: *gets up, feeling perfectly fine now* What the hell just happened?
Zutsokaki: *looks at the floor* Oh god.....the poop will now hit the fan....
Brood: *looks at the floor also* DEAR LORD WHAT IS IT!?!?!?!?!
*you see on the ground curled up, what appears to be a chibi version of Brood herself. Instead of brown hair and blonde streaks, its blonde hair and brown streaks, but other than that, the resemblance to the odd chibi is uncanny....*
Zutsokaki: Well...oops.
Brood: Is it....dead?
Zutsokaki: No. I think I know what I did now.....
Brood: What?
Zutsokaki: Well, when I said that spell, I think I got it wrong and began a Familiar-Emergence spell...
Brood: And that does what?
Zutsokaki: Brings out that part of you that holds a part of you.....Ever read the trilogy, His Dark Materials? Well, their daemons are like familiars. Usually only mages get familiars, like hawks and snakes. Things like that. The spell was supposed to give you an animal familiar, but instead I screwed up the spell again and gave you a chibi instead....
Brood: Gawd....not a chibi......is there anyway to put her back in?
*suddenly, the small chibi opens her eyes*
CHAPTER 14
Malik grinned as he watched Keith squirm on the floor of the dueling station. He was watching the whole thing out of his Yami's eyes, but it was fun none the less.
"Nooo....the pain....make it stop! MAKE IT STOP! I'LL KILL YOU ALL! I WILL!"
Malik's Yami sweatdropped a little bit. "Pick up your cards and stand up. We will now play my game. No more stalling with this headache thing. Pick up your cards and we will play a nice Shadow Game. Only a few twists from a "normal" game."
"STOP IT! I....." Keith actually let out a choked sob. "I don't thin....think I can do this.....so scary.....and dark. Not the darkness again....I can't....."
"Do you concede? Because the penalties are worse for those who show their cowardace. I was going to make you mad when you lost, but I can see that you have that down just fine without MY help...." He grinned sinisterly and even threw in a cackle for the benefit of Keith.
"I....I know you. You did that weird thing to me before! Back in Domino! You were the OLD voice in my head!" He suddenly grabbed his head. "YOU HAVE A PIECE OF MY PRIDE!!!!"
The darkness stared at him. "What pride?"
"EXACTLY! I WILL GET MY PRIDE BACK FROM YOU! LET'S PLAY!" He picked up his cards, and winced at the pain in his head.
"I changed my mind. We won't play this. We will play a different game."
Keith's eyes widened and he grew more angry. "WE WILL PLAY DUEL MONSTERS!"
"No. We won't." Yami Malik moved his hands, and the dueling station disappeared. The cards on the station fell to the ground with a soft patter. The darkness around them seemed to creep in closer. Yami Malik grinned evilly. He suddenly recognized these symptoms of his madness. His grin disappeared and then he glared at Keith.
"We will play a questioning game. I will ask you a few questions, and if you tell me the truth, then I will let you go with what is left of your sanity. If not, then I will keep your soul forever. Now you wouldn't like that, would you?
"Le.....Leave me alone!"
"YOU WILL COOPERATE! First question. How did you aquire those....er....companions."
"D-d-duke....? Terrence? Them? They have been with me for about two days......." Keith shivered and his eyes darted again.
"Why did they come to you?"
"I......r-r-really don't know......they came after THAT happened....."
"What is that?" His patience with the madman was quickly growing thinner. He tapped his foot and slid a finger up and down the side of his Millennium Rod.
"I.....can't really remember.....but it happened when......"
"When! WHEN!!!"
"W-w-w-when I........."
Insector Haga was REALLY nervous. He didn't want that woman coming out of the water and finding him....he'd probably be kicked across the whole island........
Suddenly, he heard the water splash around like someone was surfacing, and he realized that the woman was getting out. Haga tensed his muscles and said a quick prayer to whatever God was listening.
He heard water softly splash and patter against the soft sands of the bank, and he tried scooting in the opposite direction, around the rock. Haga suddenly stopped and realized that if he scooted anymore he would fall into the water and make an obvious noise.
So he waited for the inevitable. He closed his eyes and prepared to hear the shriek, and then the large blunt object hitting him over the head before he met unconsciousness.
But for some reason, it didn't come. He waited for another second and still no yelling and pain. A moment later, though, he did hear something.
"Urrr.....ahhhhh....URRF!!" Oh my....it sounded like the girl was throwing up on the sides of the bank. No wonder he hadn't been spotted. She hadn't moved up enough to see him yet. She was too busy tossing cookies.
He decided not to chance a peek at her, to see if she was alright. But he thought that since she was so occupied that she wouldn't notice him sneaking off in the opposite direction.
So Haga stood up carefully and began to sneak off back into the cover of the trees.
"HEY! YOU ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!!!!"
His whole body went stiff and he peeked behind him. The voice sounded WAY too young to be the woman losing her lunch back there. He saw a little black haired girl jump out of the trees on another side of the clearing. He could see the woman's blonde head begin to turn in his direction. So, he did the only thing he could think of doing.
He got the hell out of there.
Lisa thought he wouldn't leave once he stopped. But after a second he ran away. So much for punishing the bad guys. She turned her attention to the woman bending by the bank.
The woman looked at her, and Lisa got her a towel from the line she had up. The woman smiled weakly at her and wrapped the towel around her, wiped her mouth in the water of the pond, taking some water in her mouth and swishing it around like mouthwash. After spitting it all out, she went weakly to sit down.
Lisa jogged over to her and looked at her.
"You don't look well. What happened?"
"I....I.....damn berries."
"You ate some bad berries, miss?"
"It's the only thing I can think of that I did. Hey, what's your name, kid?"
"I am Lisa O'Kelly, miss!"
"Please don't call me miss.....I'm Mai. I sure wish I had that guide book of Honda's right now...."
"Who, Miss Mai?"
Mai winced. Miss Mai..... "It's nothing kid. Are you here with anyone?"
Lisa looked back at Mai sadly. "I can't find my sister or Kebby-kun at all....."
Kebby-kun? Oh well. "Well, I'm sure that you can find them, Lisa. How long have you been by yourself?"
"I think about two days, Miss Mai. I stayed in a really old church all by myself. The rain got it all wet." Lisa sat down on the rock next to Mai.
"Rain does that, kid."
"Are you here with anyone, Miss Mai?" Lisa looked up at her with her big blue eyes.
Mai was standing up to go get her clothes, even though her stomach hurt like hell, but at that sentence she stopped.
"I.......no. I am alone." Mai then resumed getting her clothes.
"Then we can go together! I don't think anyone should be alone!" Lisa grinned.
"Out of curiousity, kid, who was that guy you were yelling at earlier?"
"I didn't get all that a good look at him. He had green hair, though."
Mai paused again. She only knew of two people with green hair, and one of them was a girl, so that took it down to Insector Haga. That hentai. She clenched her teeth and took down her dried undergarments.
"You look a little mad Miss Mai. Well, I would be also if I was being peeped on....."
Mai let a low growl escape her throat as she stepped behind a tall shrub to change into her clothes. Lisa sat on the rock, kicking her feet lightly and humming an Irish tune.
"Miss Mai? Do you have any food? My sister had most of the food we had....."
"Sorry kid," came the reply from behind the shrub, "all I have are those berries that made me yack. Unless you want to see just exactly what happens to food in your stomach, I wouldn't eat them...."
"Again!"
"Hey!" Mai emerged fully clothed from behind the bushes and strode over to the child. "Don't you....."
"Look over there, Miss Mai! The guy peeping on you dropped his ID when he ran!" Lisa hopped off from the rock and jogged over to the fallen ID. She picked it up and skipped back. "See?"
Mai reached out her hand, and Lisa placed the ID into it. Mai turned it on and looked at it. So far, he was undefeated in his duels. Must be picking on the little duelists, maybe like Lisa's age. Then, since she wanted to know where she was, she turned on the map. She almost dropped it.
"Miss Mai? You look funny....."
"Uh.....oh my. He has the FORTRESS marked on this! And we are so close! Oh my gosh! According to this, it's just beyond those trees there! Nobody would even think of going off of the path and into such thick trees! No wonder....."
During this mini speech, Lisa's eyes kept getting wider and happier. "The fortress! Wow! If we go there, we can mark it on our maps also, and then if we find Kebby-kun and my sister, then we can show THEM where it is also! Yay!" Lisa clapped and jumped happily.
Mai looked down at the happy child and smiled a bit. Telling her own friends where the fortress was sounded good to her also. Mai gathered her things while Lisa skipped around, and soon, they were off to the fortress.
She found Lisa to be an energetic little thing as they searched for ways through the closely packed trees. Every now and then Mai would have to stop moving for a moment so she could get her bearings and try not to lose anymore of what she had in her stomach. At one of those moments, about half an hour after they left the pond area, Lisa disappeared.
Mai looked around her for the spunky little thing, but saw nothing. She never was one for babysitting, so maybe she didn't mind it much if Lisa did leave. But the thought of the little girl off by herself......
"MISS MAI!!!" Oh, she wasn't gone.
"Where are you?"
"I found a way through the trees! Come quick!" Lisa's voice seemed to be coming from the left of her. Mai hoisted herself heavily up to her feet and walked in the direction of the girl's voice.
"I don't see anything!"
"You're getting closer! Here, let me come back out!"
Mai heard the rustling of the trees and branches, and soon saw a raven black head of hair pop out from a couple of close trees. Mai started, then calmed down.
"Hey....that looks pretty small....can I get through?" Mai studied the small gap closely.
"Sure you can! Give it a try!" Lisa's head darted back inside of the trees. "I can see the fortress! It's so big!"
That did it for Mai. She immediatly began with her head. She managed to get her head through easily enough, and from the side of another tree, could barely see one of the sides of the fortress.
She tried squeezing further, sticking one of her legs through the gap. Now she had her head and leg through. Then she tried the rest of her body, and almost instantly got stuck.
"Uh, Lisa. I don't think I can make it through this one....."
Lisa's voice came slowly. "Uhh...sure you can!"
"No, Lisa, you don't get it.....I am sort of stuck.....in a certain area....."
"Oh! I get it! Your chest is too big!"
Mai would have facefaulted if she wasn't in a tree gap. That girl sure had some guts in her. Either that or no shame. Or no brain.
She yanked herself from betweet the trees quickly, and Lisa asked if she was coming.
"As you so bluntly put it, I can't. I have to find another way in."
"Oh, okay Miss Mai! I will help look! Let's start going in the same direction and see if we can't find something!"
After an hour and many tries of squeezing through gaps, Mai finally found an opening large enough to "accomadate her specifications." Lisa jumped happily and then pointed at the HUGE building before them.
The ancient fortress stood at the least three massive stories high, and looked to be resigned to age gracefully in it's solitude. The walls were overgrown with vines on a couple of sides, and the windows looked to be floor to ceiling on the second floor. There were four speirs on the top at each corner of the fortress, with their own tower rooms. They could tell by the windows.
Mai sucked in a breath and stared at it. It wasn't as impressive as the castle on Duelist Kingdom, but it was just as impressive. They began walking towards it, Lisa skipping happily ahead.
Shadi stopped walking for a moment to rest his tired feet. He had found some berries to sustain him on his "extended vacation," and had seen hide nor hair of his Millennium Ankh. As irked as he was, he began weighing souls with his other Millennium item to see if any of them were heavy with sudden power or greed. None so far had been, and that just made him more agitated. After he was done weighing them, he erased their memory of the whole thing afterwards.
He let out a small sigh and then closed his eyes. He began trying to feel and energy signature from when the Item he felt earlier was activated. Since it happened the day before, the signature would be faint, but for one as experienced as he was, it would only take a moment or so.
His head turned in different directions, silently scouting the area mentally for that faint trace. The only sound he could hear was his own beating heart, and the warm wind rustling the trees. It really was getting warmer....more like summer.
Shadi's eyes shot open and looked to his left. He felt the tiniest twinge in that direction. He stood up on his still-sore feet and began walking towards it.
/I will find the one who holds my sacred Ankh.....the one who is obviously also deemed worthy for it's power......../
Pegasus strolled along his hallways in the Duelist Kingdom castle, and noted that they seemed cold and empty. Even though the windows were letting in massive amounts of warm sunshine, he couldn't help feeling that way. Once he brought his bride back here, the whole place would radiate.
He smiled at the thought and stopped in front of a door. A couple of his butlers were packing some clothes for his trip to his tournament island. He wouldn't be leaving for another week or so, but they insisted on getting it out of the way. Probably less work for them to do once the real preparations began.
Before they could notice their employer standing at the door, Pegasus strode off again. Soon, he found that his feet had taken him to his favorite portrait of him and his beautiful Cecilia. Pressing the secret button, he went down into his secret sanctuary. He had two of them in his castle. The tower one with his diary and portraits, and the basement one with his technology, sketches, and beautiful machine.
He looked over the carefully packed casings the pieces of that machine were in, and, satisfied, he sat down at his desk. He would have his wife back no matter what. But before that could happen, he really wouldn't mind having his Millennium Eye back. That Bakura.....the memory burned still fresh in his brain.
The horror as he lost the Shadow Game.....foolish of him, yes, to undertake a Shadow Game with one so ancient and powerful....and of course his own powers were a little drained after his own Shadow Game with Yugi Motou.
But after he lost that game, he was filled with only one feeling and thought. The horror of possibly losing his Cecilia forever....that only true fear of his becoming a reality as Bakura reached his hand out to his prone and paralyzed face....Bakura's grin all encompassing and evil.....the searing pain felt all over his body as the Eye was practically torn straight out from his head.
Pegasus shuddered lightly. He remembered that he did lose consciousness afterwards, and found himself in a bed in some other part of his castle when he finally awoken. He was told that Yugi and his friends had already left, and that meant that Bakura was gone as well. That spirit of the Ring must have had them fooled into thinking that he didn't take the Eye. He would have cried at that time, but with his servants and men around him, he wouldn't dare. The name Cecilia kept swirling through his mind....
He snapped back to the here and now. Pegasus ran his fingers over the handles of the chair he was in. It was a special chair.....when he and Cecilia were twelve, they had spent hours carving things into the chair.
She had carved "Pegasus and Cecilia" into a little heart. He smiled at the innocence of young girls. She had never lost that. He himself had carved things like "P+C" mainly because she was right there beside him at the time. But now he knew that he meant those carvings with all of his heart. He ran his finger over them idly, and remembered also that they had carved things every year afterwards. One of the latest ones was the one Cecilia had carved soon after she found out she was sick.
"Don't be sad" was all it said. A simple request. But those three words made up the hardest thing he ever had to do. He was only able to do it through the funeral and meeting with the families. After he got home and looked into his room, the one he had shared with his beloved, all of his stopped up emotions came flowing out. He must not have left that room for three days.
Pegasus shook his head clear of the sad memories. All he had to come were happy times. He would soon have his wife back, and there would no longer be a reason to be sad..........
"Phone call for Peggy-boy! Phone call for Peggy-boy!" It was his cell phone. He really did like the ringer tone....
"Hello?" He picked it up.
"Master Pegasus, there is a woman here to see you. She insists on speaking with you now."
"How could a woman get onto MY island?"
"We asked her the same thing, Master. She said she had help from some contacts."
"Is there anyone else with her? What does she look like?"
"Well, she is with who appears to be....Otogi Ryouji....."
"Otogi Ryouji? Didn't we send out his contract months ago?"
"Yes sir, we did...."
"And the woman?" Pegasus was getting more and more confused by the moment.
"She appears to be Egyptian or Arabic.....something Middle Eastern."
"Isis.......she's the only one possible.....Show her and her companion into the Recieving hall....I will be there shortly."
"Yes Master. As you wish."
Pegasus hung up his cell phone. He slid it into his pocket and walked up the narrow spiral steps. He somehow knew that someone would be coming. He didn't know how, since his Millennium Eye had been gone from him for quite some time now. Maybe it was as how he thought. Anyone who used to have a Millennium Item would maybe always feel some influence of it's power.
His brow furrowed as he made his way to his hall. Maybe she was here about her brother, Malik. Since he first appeared to Pegasus as his easily more maniacal other half, there was obviously no heed in him to make sure Isis knew where her little brother was going to be for the next month or more.
He strode down the steps to the first floor easily, and then paused at the door to the hall. One of his servants ran up to him.
"Sir, they are inside as you requested. Shall I......"
"No. I shall speak to them. Just keep your finger away from the button while I am in there. I don't want it to....slip."
"Y-y-yes sir....." The servant stammered and sunk away into a hallway. Pegasus, smiling a little bit, opened the door.
He took his head out of the water and shook out his shaggy white mane. Water splattered onto closeby rocks, and Ryou stood up again, refreshed. His face was sweaty and he was getting very warm, so when he found the stream, he was only too glad to dunk his whole head into it. He smiled a bit and sat down. His Yami was currently resting deeply, so he wouldn't notice if Ryou took a little nap himself.
Ryou unrolled his sleeping bag and lay down inside. He let his head rest on his small travel pillow and he closed his eyes. For some reason though, he didn't drift off to sleep as easily as he thought he would. Things were bothering him. Now that he was perfectly resting and completely alone with his thoughts.
Sure, his friends understood about the evil inside of his Ring....but could they REALLY forgive him for this murder attempt? He tossed uncomfortably and turned to his other side. Maybe if he changed positions he could sleep easier.
He soon fell into an uncomfortable sleep, his breathing uneven, and his mind's eye clouded with bad dreams.
A shadow fell over him, and the shadow's foot tapped a little bit in speculation. Then the owner of the shadow bounced happily on their heels and bent over the sleeping form of Ryou.
"Gargh! Why on earth won't it CUT!!!" Seto was hard at work skinning yet another innocent rabbit reduced to dinner. Currently, his hands were caked in the thing's blood, and his knife was having problems with a tendon.
Seto spun out a few choice words towards the non-hearing carcass, and then, out of simple agitation and impatience, slashed at it roughly. It cut away and snapped quickly, sending him reeling back a little bit.
He clutched his prize, hoping not to lose his hold on it. Luckily, it didn't plop into the dirt, but his shirt was rewarded with a large and lovely crimson stain. He swore once again, but stood up and carried the disfigured and dismembered rabbit with him to the fire after rinsing it off in the small stream before him.
He grabbed a long and straight stick he had found and impaled the dead animal on it. A few stray chunks of meat dangled over the fire, the flames licking at them hungrily. Seto sat for awhile, turning and roasting his rabbit, sometimes lowering it further over the fire, just to get it cooking faster. He didn't care if the meat was a little rough, as long as he could eat it.
The fire and the smells of cooking food did not go completely unnoticed by all inhabitants of the forest. The trees and shrubs around Seto rustled unnaturally and his head spun around. A tall man and three slightly smaller men came out, staring at the food. The leader grinned.
"Hey buddy, why don't ya be a good boy and hand over that meat you got cookin' there....."
Another english speaker. At least he was getting threatened by people he could understand. The last time this had happened, he had been met by a few Swedish people, and Swedish was one of the languages he did not know. He had actually started laughing at them. Seto looked at the newcomers, then closed his eyes and chuckled.
"You think I'm going to hand over my dinner so easily? I AM the one who did catch the little beast, after all."
The man glared at him, and his flunkies all mimicked their leader as best they could. As a whole, they did not look very imposing.
"I think you're askin' for it kid. I did say very nicely to hand it over, and it's downright rude to ignore a nice person like me....." The man sneered at him and laughed through his teeth. His goonies copied the laugh.
"You are not getting my rabbit meat. It is indeed mine, and if you have anything more to say on the matter, why don't you come up here and tell me face to face? But if you are a coward to face a "kid" as you put it......"
"I ain't scared of you, kid!" The flunkies looked at their boss and nodded, as if to agree with him. The man sauntered over closer to Seto, and Seto stood up, setting his half cooked rabbit in between two rocks, balancing the ends of the sticks. The man walked right up to Seto until they were face to face. Seto had to look up just a little bit at him, but he turned on his Super Ice Stare and glared at him.
"Give. Me. Your. Bunny. Stupid. Boy."
"I will not, you old gasbag."
The man's face contorted in anger. "Nobody calls ME a gasbag and gets away with it you punk!" His angry yell had spattered Seto with a little saliva, and he wiped it off calmly.
"I think I just did.....gasbag."
This snapped the short-fused man. He immediatly threw his hand back to punch Seto. He kept his eyes locked firmly on the man's, and when his punch came down, Seto dodged it easily, taking advantage of the open area of the man's torso in front of him, and sent a punch directly into his solarplexis.(1)
The man reeled back, gasping for air. He clutched his stomach and chest, trying to get some air into his lungs. Seto's hit had been very hard, and soon the man was on his knees, unable to support him and his heavy staggered breathing. Seto knew he would get better, but it would take around half an hour. Sucks to be him.
The goons ran forward with worry on their faces, picking up their boss and taking him away, shooting looks of hate at Seto.
Seto grinned and sat back down, dusting off his black trenchjacket. He picked up his meat stick and continued roasting the meat, chuckling to himself.
/YU-GI-OH!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!!/ The dream shouted at him again.
Yugi shot up in his sleeping bag, panting and clutching his Millennium Puzzle. He looked around the camp, dimly lit in the dying embers of their fire.
Mokuba and Amoura were sleeping close to Anzu, who currently had her hand in Honda's face. Honda was grunting now and then, and Joey was speaking of donuts with a well placed snore now and again. Everything was fairly normal.....except for the missing members of their group.
Since Bakura lashed out at the girls, his dreams got more frequent. Maybe two or three in a night. All he could ever remember was the yelling. The call for the Pharoah.
They were distrurbing his Yami's rest as well. They troubled him deeply as he could not place the voice calling for him. He had told Yugi that he should remember hearing an innocent calling for his help, because they sounded like they were in horrible trouble.
These dreams continued to plauge his sleep, but he didn't want it to affect his dueling. He only had a few more chips to go. Anzu had a duel earlier on, and was having a rough time. Yugi and Joey yelled up encouragement to her, and a few well placed tips, and she won. It took alot of her energy though, since she was pretty stressed out. Yugi smiled over at her sleeping form and lay back down, trying to relax.
//Yugi.//
/Spirit?/
//Are you worried at all?//
/About what? That we are on another island tournament hosted by the mysteriously returning Pegasus? Those dreams? Seto? Mai? Bakura? Malik? The fact that all seven of the Millennium Items are on this island and we have no idea how the Ankh got here without Shadi, and finding another owner worthy of it? The fact that Bandit Keith has a gun and a bloodlust? Naw....not worried at all. Nope not me!/
//Yugi! Calm yourself! Alright.....admittedly that was a pointless question. We are all worried for obvious reasons! But....I was talking about the dreams and Mai, mostly.//
/I'm sorry.....but all of this is getting to me....all of this is just seemingly getting worse around here!/
//Aibou....things are not looking up for us right now. So far only our duels are going well. Everyone's overall morale is low......//
/I think I noticed that well enough!/ Yugi was really out of it......
//AIBOU!?//
/I....I'm sorry......I really don't feel well. I just need to know how they got the Ankh!/
//No point in waking the others just to go and find out. Rest, aibou. You seem like you need it.//
/And this doesn't matter to you!?/
//!!!!!!!!!!// His aibou's behavior was startling him beyond comparison. //Of course I do, Yugi! But right now, we should just let it be! There is not point in worrying until it is time to face it!//
/But...../
//Fine.....have it your way. We will seek answers later.//
/Thank you Yami. The curiosity is murdering me...../
//To tell you the truth, it is doing the same to me as well.....// Yugi could practically hear his other half chuckling. //Now rest. I still say that you need it, even though you've gotten your way. Again.//
Yugi smiled and nestled back down into his sleeping bag. He slept for at least another six hours or so, because when he woke up, it was at the hands of Honda.
"Hey! Yuge! Get up man! It's past noon! We are going to be leaving soon! Get some of this food before Joey eats all of it!"
Yugi rolled over groggily, his Puzzle sliding over his chest, and looked over at the campfire. Someone had rekindled it, and Anzu was stirring a small pot on a flat rock that had been placed towards one of the sides of the fire.
Amoura came and knelt by him, handing him a small thermos lid of something. He looked into it, and back at Amoura, questioningly.
"It iz 'ot cereal....very quick to make and very cheap."
"Why didn't you tell us you had this sooner, Amoura?"
"Moi, Yugi? Non....it vas Mokuba 'oo ad zis on 'im! It zeems zat he 'ad forgotten about it until zis morning!" She smiled and walked over to Joey, who had just taken a bite of the hot ceral, and realized it was VERY hot.
She got him some water from her canteen and he stopped trying to chew his tongue off. Anzu looked over and laughed at him.
"Joey, I think it's better to blow on something hot before you eat it!" She giggled again. Honda just grinned.
"Hey! Lesse how you handle hot ceral this early!" Joey glared over at the grinning Honda.
"It's not early, Joey! It's already noon! You just slept in as long as Yuge here!" Honda grinned over at Yugi and Yugi smiled back.
Mokuba looked up from where he was sticking clothes into his bag. He looked over at Anzu. "I really don't see how they all can be so cheery right now....I mean, didn't Bakura try to kill Mai and Amoura? And we don't even know where she is...."
Anzu put a reassuring hand on Mokuba's shoulder. "Don't worry Mokuba....I am SURE that Mai is fine. She has never been one to keel over or give up. She'll find us, or we will find her. But she is just fine. As for Bakura, he has his ways of staying safe....." Anzu's eyes flitted to the past, remembering Bakura's evil side in all of it's entirety. She shuddered just a bit, and was glad that she hadn't been in Mai or Amoura's place that night.
Another half an hour went by, and they finished their slightly bland cereal, packing up their clothes.
Two hours later, Honda and Joey had finished a duel each, and Yugi was about to finish one up.
"Alright! I play the Celtic Guardian to finish off your weakened Garnecia Elephantis! And that ends the duel!" Yugi grinned over at his opponent, who looked up at him with a bit of surprise. Yugi got down from his side of the station after collecting his chips, ID, and deck.
"Good duel! I hope you can get all of your chips!" Yugi extended his hand after his opponent got down. He looked at Yugi's hand and smiled a bit, taking it and shaking. Then he gathered his things and walked away.
Yugi and his friends watched him go, and then they got their things and continued moving. Joey pressed "enter" on his ID, marking the place on his map.
After another half hour of walking, they heard voices amoung the trees. Mokuba ran ahead, with Amoura hot at his heels. Soon, both came back, and Amoura told them that there was another camp area in there. She and Mokuba led the way, and soon they emerged into another massive camp zone with makeshift showers.
Amoura beamed at these, as the cold water of the pond could not get all of the grime out of her. At least she could get a decent shower with slightly warmed water now.
After finding a spot to pitch camp temporarily, Amoura and Anzu snagged their things and practically dove into the first open showers they could find. Joey watched them run off, with a limp and snoozing Yunet in his arms.
"What is with those girls and keeping clean?" Joey scratched his head with his free arm and turned back to Honda and Yugi. Mokuba was sitting down and messing with a Gameboy.
"Don't worry about them, Joey. Girls will be girls, after all...." Honda looked over where the showers were. All they could see over the curtains were the showerheads, and he saw one turn on. "Personally, I think this is a great time to catch a snooze!" Honda lay down on his bag.
Joey was about to sit down and see if he could sleep feed Yunet again, since Amoura's bag was just beside Mokuba. But somebody tapped his shoulder. "And it is also a great time to catch a duelist." A person with a British accent stood behind him. Joey turned around and saw a girl with blonde hair and a big grin.
"Jounouchi Katsuya, I challenge you to a duel!"
"Oh, so you know me?"
"You took second place at Duelist Kingdom, and fourth place in Battle City. Of course I know about you! Now put down the cat and let's duel!" She cast a small glance at the kitten, and Joey deposited it on Honda's head, sending him into a fit of sneezing.
Honda sprang up and dumped Yunet on Mokuba's lap, who was surprised to say the least. Yunet's eyes opened momentarily and she quickly settled back down into sleep on the boy's lap. The british girl dragged Joey away to a dueling station, while Yugi looked on from the background.
After they had gone, Yugi went walking around the camp area. He was challenged a few fair times, but he told them all that he would be dueling later on. He kept walking around, clearing his head.
About fifteen minutes later, he sat on a rock and watched Joey and the girl's battle end. Joey won, but his life points were down to 2150. She must have been fairly good, since that was about as low as his life points had gotten so far.
Then, he spotted the one person he had needed to see since his conversation with his other side. About twenty feet away, and sitting on a log, looking over some cards. Yugi got up and sat down next to them, not believing his own luck. Right there, and at such good timing!
"Hello," Yugi said. "Tell me something please....." His own chest fluttered with excitement. His question was going to be answered. The one burning question in his mind since he searched for Millennium Items with his other side a few days ago. The location of the Ankh. How lucky he was, the person he needed to see being out there at that time.
The person he was addressing looked up at him with questioning eyes.
"Where is the Millennium Ankh?"
Brood: *looks up from the chibi-her to address you* WAHAHA!! CLIFFY!
Zutsokaki: Uhhh....Brood. We have larger things to worry about right now......
*The chibi stands up, and looks herself over. Then she spots Zutsokaki.*
Chibi: *leaps at his face, knocking him over and leaning over his face* Fuu! Fuu! Fuu! *wiggles her hands menacingly, only adding to the creepyness of the chibi's high pitched voice*
Brood: Familiars are made from a part of the person they are sprung from.....is this REALLY a part of me....
Zutsokaki: Errr!!! Get it off!!!
Chibi: *jumps off of his face and leaps at the Choco Taco sitting on a plate on the counter* Choco Taco! *eats the chocolate ice cream treat*
Brood: Uhhh.....what should I call the thing? It sort of goes around trying to freak Zutso-kun out with Manga ghost noises......and then bounces at the ice cream.....*stares at the blonde with brown streaks haired chibi*
Zutsokaki: She tried to freak me out, and succeeded.....that chibi I made is just scary......
Brood: I KNOW!! I'll call her Fuu Fuu Choco Taco!
Zutsokaki: Okay.....she is DEFINITLY from you.....
Brood: *sweatdrops* Is there any way to put her back?
Fuu Fuu Choco Taco: *walks up on her little chibi legs to Brood, with chocolate on her face* Mommy? *looks at Zutsokaki* Daddy?
Zutsokaki: !!!!!!!!!! I'll start looking for that spell right NOW!
Brood: *freaked out also* Uh, yeah! You do that!
=====================================
For all of you who waited on my next chapter of this story, sorry if it was disappointing in any way possible, and I really hope to be a little swifter on the next one, as more time is coming up for me, and will have more time to type.
(1) Solarplexis: The soft spot on your chest just below the breastbone
Please read and review! Feel free to complain about my super lateness! Not too harsh though....I have an insane chibi to take care of now.....lol
*looks at her word count on the story* I....I'M OVER 100,000 WORDS NOW!! WOO! LONG STORY WITH NO END IN SIGHT! YES! I FEEL SO HAPPY! I PUSHED OVER THE EDGE!! YAY!!! *Feels ecstatic* I just want to thank all of you who have stayed with me in my super long story! I LOVE YOU ALL! AISHITERU!!
Zutsokaki: *looks at the floor* Oh god.....the poop will now hit the fan....
Brood: *looks at the floor also* DEAR LORD WHAT IS IT!?!?!?!?!
*you see on the ground curled up, what appears to be a chibi version of Brood herself. Instead of brown hair and blonde streaks, its blonde hair and brown streaks, but other than that, the resemblance to the odd chibi is uncanny....*
Zutsokaki: Well...oops.
Brood: Is it....dead?
Zutsokaki: No. I think I know what I did now.....
Brood: What?
Zutsokaki: Well, when I said that spell, I think I got it wrong and began a Familiar-Emergence spell...
Brood: And that does what?
Zutsokaki: Brings out that part of you that holds a part of you.....Ever read the trilogy, His Dark Materials? Well, their daemons are like familiars. Usually only mages get familiars, like hawks and snakes. Things like that. The spell was supposed to give you an animal familiar, but instead I screwed up the spell again and gave you a chibi instead....
Brood: Gawd....not a chibi......is there anyway to put her back in?
*suddenly, the small chibi opens her eyes*
CHAPTER 14
Malik grinned as he watched Keith squirm on the floor of the dueling station. He was watching the whole thing out of his Yami's eyes, but it was fun none the less.
"Nooo....the pain....make it stop! MAKE IT STOP! I'LL KILL YOU ALL! I WILL!"
Malik's Yami sweatdropped a little bit. "Pick up your cards and stand up. We will now play my game. No more stalling with this headache thing. Pick up your cards and we will play a nice Shadow Game. Only a few twists from a "normal" game."
"STOP IT! I....." Keith actually let out a choked sob. "I don't thin....think I can do this.....so scary.....and dark. Not the darkness again....I can't....."
"Do you concede? Because the penalties are worse for those who show their cowardace. I was going to make you mad when you lost, but I can see that you have that down just fine without MY help...." He grinned sinisterly and even threw in a cackle for the benefit of Keith.
"I....I know you. You did that weird thing to me before! Back in Domino! You were the OLD voice in my head!" He suddenly grabbed his head. "YOU HAVE A PIECE OF MY PRIDE!!!!"
The darkness stared at him. "What pride?"
"EXACTLY! I WILL GET MY PRIDE BACK FROM YOU! LET'S PLAY!" He picked up his cards, and winced at the pain in his head.
"I changed my mind. We won't play this. We will play a different game."
Keith's eyes widened and he grew more angry. "WE WILL PLAY DUEL MONSTERS!"
"No. We won't." Yami Malik moved his hands, and the dueling station disappeared. The cards on the station fell to the ground with a soft patter. The darkness around them seemed to creep in closer. Yami Malik grinned evilly. He suddenly recognized these symptoms of his madness. His grin disappeared and then he glared at Keith.
"We will play a questioning game. I will ask you a few questions, and if you tell me the truth, then I will let you go with what is left of your sanity. If not, then I will keep your soul forever. Now you wouldn't like that, would you?
"Le.....Leave me alone!"
"YOU WILL COOPERATE! First question. How did you aquire those....er....companions."
"D-d-duke....? Terrence? Them? They have been with me for about two days......." Keith shivered and his eyes darted again.
"Why did they come to you?"
"I......r-r-really don't know......they came after THAT happened....."
"What is that?" His patience with the madman was quickly growing thinner. He tapped his foot and slid a finger up and down the side of his Millennium Rod.
"I.....can't really remember.....but it happened when......"
"When! WHEN!!!"
"W-w-w-when I........."
Insector Haga was REALLY nervous. He didn't want that woman coming out of the water and finding him....he'd probably be kicked across the whole island........
Suddenly, he heard the water splash around like someone was surfacing, and he realized that the woman was getting out. Haga tensed his muscles and said a quick prayer to whatever God was listening.
He heard water softly splash and patter against the soft sands of the bank, and he tried scooting in the opposite direction, around the rock. Haga suddenly stopped and realized that if he scooted anymore he would fall into the water and make an obvious noise.
So he waited for the inevitable. He closed his eyes and prepared to hear the shriek, and then the large blunt object hitting him over the head before he met unconsciousness.
But for some reason, it didn't come. He waited for another second and still no yelling and pain. A moment later, though, he did hear something.
"Urrr.....ahhhhh....URRF!!" Oh my....it sounded like the girl was throwing up on the sides of the bank. No wonder he hadn't been spotted. She hadn't moved up enough to see him yet. She was too busy tossing cookies.
He decided not to chance a peek at her, to see if she was alright. But he thought that since she was so occupied that she wouldn't notice him sneaking off in the opposite direction.
So Haga stood up carefully and began to sneak off back into the cover of the trees.
"HEY! YOU ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!!!!"
His whole body went stiff and he peeked behind him. The voice sounded WAY too young to be the woman losing her lunch back there. He saw a little black haired girl jump out of the trees on another side of the clearing. He could see the woman's blonde head begin to turn in his direction. So, he did the only thing he could think of doing.
He got the hell out of there.
Lisa thought he wouldn't leave once he stopped. But after a second he ran away. So much for punishing the bad guys. She turned her attention to the woman bending by the bank.
The woman looked at her, and Lisa got her a towel from the line she had up. The woman smiled weakly at her and wrapped the towel around her, wiped her mouth in the water of the pond, taking some water in her mouth and swishing it around like mouthwash. After spitting it all out, she went weakly to sit down.
Lisa jogged over to her and looked at her.
"You don't look well. What happened?"
"I....I.....damn berries."
"You ate some bad berries, miss?"
"It's the only thing I can think of that I did. Hey, what's your name, kid?"
"I am Lisa O'Kelly, miss!"
"Please don't call me miss.....I'm Mai. I sure wish I had that guide book of Honda's right now...."
"Who, Miss Mai?"
Mai winced. Miss Mai..... "It's nothing kid. Are you here with anyone?"
Lisa looked back at Mai sadly. "I can't find my sister or Kebby-kun at all....."
Kebby-kun? Oh well. "Well, I'm sure that you can find them, Lisa. How long have you been by yourself?"
"I think about two days, Miss Mai. I stayed in a really old church all by myself. The rain got it all wet." Lisa sat down on the rock next to Mai.
"Rain does that, kid."
"Are you here with anyone, Miss Mai?" Lisa looked up at her with her big blue eyes.
Mai was standing up to go get her clothes, even though her stomach hurt like hell, but at that sentence she stopped.
"I.......no. I am alone." Mai then resumed getting her clothes.
"Then we can go together! I don't think anyone should be alone!" Lisa grinned.
"Out of curiousity, kid, who was that guy you were yelling at earlier?"
"I didn't get all that a good look at him. He had green hair, though."
Mai paused again. She only knew of two people with green hair, and one of them was a girl, so that took it down to Insector Haga. That hentai. She clenched her teeth and took down her dried undergarments.
"You look a little mad Miss Mai. Well, I would be also if I was being peeped on....."
Mai let a low growl escape her throat as she stepped behind a tall shrub to change into her clothes. Lisa sat on the rock, kicking her feet lightly and humming an Irish tune.
"Miss Mai? Do you have any food? My sister had most of the food we had....."
"Sorry kid," came the reply from behind the shrub, "all I have are those berries that made me yack. Unless you want to see just exactly what happens to food in your stomach, I wouldn't eat them...."
"Again!"
"Hey!" Mai emerged fully clothed from behind the bushes and strode over to the child. "Don't you....."
"Look over there, Miss Mai! The guy peeping on you dropped his ID when he ran!" Lisa hopped off from the rock and jogged over to the fallen ID. She picked it up and skipped back. "See?"
Mai reached out her hand, and Lisa placed the ID into it. Mai turned it on and looked at it. So far, he was undefeated in his duels. Must be picking on the little duelists, maybe like Lisa's age. Then, since she wanted to know where she was, she turned on the map. She almost dropped it.
"Miss Mai? You look funny....."
"Uh.....oh my. He has the FORTRESS marked on this! And we are so close! Oh my gosh! According to this, it's just beyond those trees there! Nobody would even think of going off of the path and into such thick trees! No wonder....."
During this mini speech, Lisa's eyes kept getting wider and happier. "The fortress! Wow! If we go there, we can mark it on our maps also, and then if we find Kebby-kun and my sister, then we can show THEM where it is also! Yay!" Lisa clapped and jumped happily.
Mai looked down at the happy child and smiled a bit. Telling her own friends where the fortress was sounded good to her also. Mai gathered her things while Lisa skipped around, and soon, they were off to the fortress.
She found Lisa to be an energetic little thing as they searched for ways through the closely packed trees. Every now and then Mai would have to stop moving for a moment so she could get her bearings and try not to lose anymore of what she had in her stomach. At one of those moments, about half an hour after they left the pond area, Lisa disappeared.
Mai looked around her for the spunky little thing, but saw nothing. She never was one for babysitting, so maybe she didn't mind it much if Lisa did leave. But the thought of the little girl off by herself......
"MISS MAI!!!" Oh, she wasn't gone.
"Where are you?"
"I found a way through the trees! Come quick!" Lisa's voice seemed to be coming from the left of her. Mai hoisted herself heavily up to her feet and walked in the direction of the girl's voice.
"I don't see anything!"
"You're getting closer! Here, let me come back out!"
Mai heard the rustling of the trees and branches, and soon saw a raven black head of hair pop out from a couple of close trees. Mai started, then calmed down.
"Hey....that looks pretty small....can I get through?" Mai studied the small gap closely.
"Sure you can! Give it a try!" Lisa's head darted back inside of the trees. "I can see the fortress! It's so big!"
That did it for Mai. She immediatly began with her head. She managed to get her head through easily enough, and from the side of another tree, could barely see one of the sides of the fortress.
She tried squeezing further, sticking one of her legs through the gap. Now she had her head and leg through. Then she tried the rest of her body, and almost instantly got stuck.
"Uh, Lisa. I don't think I can make it through this one....."
Lisa's voice came slowly. "Uhh...sure you can!"
"No, Lisa, you don't get it.....I am sort of stuck.....in a certain area....."
"Oh! I get it! Your chest is too big!"
Mai would have facefaulted if she wasn't in a tree gap. That girl sure had some guts in her. Either that or no shame. Or no brain.
She yanked herself from betweet the trees quickly, and Lisa asked if she was coming.
"As you so bluntly put it, I can't. I have to find another way in."
"Oh, okay Miss Mai! I will help look! Let's start going in the same direction and see if we can't find something!"
After an hour and many tries of squeezing through gaps, Mai finally found an opening large enough to "accomadate her specifications." Lisa jumped happily and then pointed at the HUGE building before them.
The ancient fortress stood at the least three massive stories high, and looked to be resigned to age gracefully in it's solitude. The walls were overgrown with vines on a couple of sides, and the windows looked to be floor to ceiling on the second floor. There were four speirs on the top at each corner of the fortress, with their own tower rooms. They could tell by the windows.
Mai sucked in a breath and stared at it. It wasn't as impressive as the castle on Duelist Kingdom, but it was just as impressive. They began walking towards it, Lisa skipping happily ahead.
Shadi stopped walking for a moment to rest his tired feet. He had found some berries to sustain him on his "extended vacation," and had seen hide nor hair of his Millennium Ankh. As irked as he was, he began weighing souls with his other Millennium item to see if any of them were heavy with sudden power or greed. None so far had been, and that just made him more agitated. After he was done weighing them, he erased their memory of the whole thing afterwards.
He let out a small sigh and then closed his eyes. He began trying to feel and energy signature from when the Item he felt earlier was activated. Since it happened the day before, the signature would be faint, but for one as experienced as he was, it would only take a moment or so.
His head turned in different directions, silently scouting the area mentally for that faint trace. The only sound he could hear was his own beating heart, and the warm wind rustling the trees. It really was getting warmer....more like summer.
Shadi's eyes shot open and looked to his left. He felt the tiniest twinge in that direction. He stood up on his still-sore feet and began walking towards it.
/I will find the one who holds my sacred Ankh.....the one who is obviously also deemed worthy for it's power......../
Pegasus strolled along his hallways in the Duelist Kingdom castle, and noted that they seemed cold and empty. Even though the windows were letting in massive amounts of warm sunshine, he couldn't help feeling that way. Once he brought his bride back here, the whole place would radiate.
He smiled at the thought and stopped in front of a door. A couple of his butlers were packing some clothes for his trip to his tournament island. He wouldn't be leaving for another week or so, but they insisted on getting it out of the way. Probably less work for them to do once the real preparations began.
Before they could notice their employer standing at the door, Pegasus strode off again. Soon, he found that his feet had taken him to his favorite portrait of him and his beautiful Cecilia. Pressing the secret button, he went down into his secret sanctuary. He had two of them in his castle. The tower one with his diary and portraits, and the basement one with his technology, sketches, and beautiful machine.
He looked over the carefully packed casings the pieces of that machine were in, and, satisfied, he sat down at his desk. He would have his wife back no matter what. But before that could happen, he really wouldn't mind having his Millennium Eye back. That Bakura.....the memory burned still fresh in his brain.
The horror as he lost the Shadow Game.....foolish of him, yes, to undertake a Shadow Game with one so ancient and powerful....and of course his own powers were a little drained after his own Shadow Game with Yugi Motou.
But after he lost that game, he was filled with only one feeling and thought. The horror of possibly losing his Cecilia forever....that only true fear of his becoming a reality as Bakura reached his hand out to his prone and paralyzed face....Bakura's grin all encompassing and evil.....the searing pain felt all over his body as the Eye was practically torn straight out from his head.
Pegasus shuddered lightly. He remembered that he did lose consciousness afterwards, and found himself in a bed in some other part of his castle when he finally awoken. He was told that Yugi and his friends had already left, and that meant that Bakura was gone as well. That spirit of the Ring must have had them fooled into thinking that he didn't take the Eye. He would have cried at that time, but with his servants and men around him, he wouldn't dare. The name Cecilia kept swirling through his mind....
He snapped back to the here and now. Pegasus ran his fingers over the handles of the chair he was in. It was a special chair.....when he and Cecilia were twelve, they had spent hours carving things into the chair.
She had carved "Pegasus and Cecilia" into a little heart. He smiled at the innocence of young girls. She had never lost that. He himself had carved things like "P+C" mainly because she was right there beside him at the time. But now he knew that he meant those carvings with all of his heart. He ran his finger over them idly, and remembered also that they had carved things every year afterwards. One of the latest ones was the one Cecilia had carved soon after she found out she was sick.
"Don't be sad" was all it said. A simple request. But those three words made up the hardest thing he ever had to do. He was only able to do it through the funeral and meeting with the families. After he got home and looked into his room, the one he had shared with his beloved, all of his stopped up emotions came flowing out. He must not have left that room for three days.
Pegasus shook his head clear of the sad memories. All he had to come were happy times. He would soon have his wife back, and there would no longer be a reason to be sad..........
"Phone call for Peggy-boy! Phone call for Peggy-boy!" It was his cell phone. He really did like the ringer tone....
"Hello?" He picked it up.
"Master Pegasus, there is a woman here to see you. She insists on speaking with you now."
"How could a woman get onto MY island?"
"We asked her the same thing, Master. She said she had help from some contacts."
"Is there anyone else with her? What does she look like?"
"Well, she is with who appears to be....Otogi Ryouji....."
"Otogi Ryouji? Didn't we send out his contract months ago?"
"Yes sir, we did...."
"And the woman?" Pegasus was getting more and more confused by the moment.
"She appears to be Egyptian or Arabic.....something Middle Eastern."
"Isis.......she's the only one possible.....Show her and her companion into the Recieving hall....I will be there shortly."
"Yes Master. As you wish."
Pegasus hung up his cell phone. He slid it into his pocket and walked up the narrow spiral steps. He somehow knew that someone would be coming. He didn't know how, since his Millennium Eye had been gone from him for quite some time now. Maybe it was as how he thought. Anyone who used to have a Millennium Item would maybe always feel some influence of it's power.
His brow furrowed as he made his way to his hall. Maybe she was here about her brother, Malik. Since he first appeared to Pegasus as his easily more maniacal other half, there was obviously no heed in him to make sure Isis knew where her little brother was going to be for the next month or more.
He strode down the steps to the first floor easily, and then paused at the door to the hall. One of his servants ran up to him.
"Sir, they are inside as you requested. Shall I......"
"No. I shall speak to them. Just keep your finger away from the button while I am in there. I don't want it to....slip."
"Y-y-yes sir....." The servant stammered and sunk away into a hallway. Pegasus, smiling a little bit, opened the door.
He took his head out of the water and shook out his shaggy white mane. Water splattered onto closeby rocks, and Ryou stood up again, refreshed. His face was sweaty and he was getting very warm, so when he found the stream, he was only too glad to dunk his whole head into it. He smiled a bit and sat down. His Yami was currently resting deeply, so he wouldn't notice if Ryou took a little nap himself.
Ryou unrolled his sleeping bag and lay down inside. He let his head rest on his small travel pillow and he closed his eyes. For some reason though, he didn't drift off to sleep as easily as he thought he would. Things were bothering him. Now that he was perfectly resting and completely alone with his thoughts.
Sure, his friends understood about the evil inside of his Ring....but could they REALLY forgive him for this murder attempt? He tossed uncomfortably and turned to his other side. Maybe if he changed positions he could sleep easier.
He soon fell into an uncomfortable sleep, his breathing uneven, and his mind's eye clouded with bad dreams.
A shadow fell over him, and the shadow's foot tapped a little bit in speculation. Then the owner of the shadow bounced happily on their heels and bent over the sleeping form of Ryou.
"Gargh! Why on earth won't it CUT!!!" Seto was hard at work skinning yet another innocent rabbit reduced to dinner. Currently, his hands were caked in the thing's blood, and his knife was having problems with a tendon.
Seto spun out a few choice words towards the non-hearing carcass, and then, out of simple agitation and impatience, slashed at it roughly. It cut away and snapped quickly, sending him reeling back a little bit.
He clutched his prize, hoping not to lose his hold on it. Luckily, it didn't plop into the dirt, but his shirt was rewarded with a large and lovely crimson stain. He swore once again, but stood up and carried the disfigured and dismembered rabbit with him to the fire after rinsing it off in the small stream before him.
He grabbed a long and straight stick he had found and impaled the dead animal on it. A few stray chunks of meat dangled over the fire, the flames licking at them hungrily. Seto sat for awhile, turning and roasting his rabbit, sometimes lowering it further over the fire, just to get it cooking faster. He didn't care if the meat was a little rough, as long as he could eat it.
The fire and the smells of cooking food did not go completely unnoticed by all inhabitants of the forest. The trees and shrubs around Seto rustled unnaturally and his head spun around. A tall man and three slightly smaller men came out, staring at the food. The leader grinned.
"Hey buddy, why don't ya be a good boy and hand over that meat you got cookin' there....."
Another english speaker. At least he was getting threatened by people he could understand. The last time this had happened, he had been met by a few Swedish people, and Swedish was one of the languages he did not know. He had actually started laughing at them. Seto looked at the newcomers, then closed his eyes and chuckled.
"You think I'm going to hand over my dinner so easily? I AM the one who did catch the little beast, after all."
The man glared at him, and his flunkies all mimicked their leader as best they could. As a whole, they did not look very imposing.
"I think you're askin' for it kid. I did say very nicely to hand it over, and it's downright rude to ignore a nice person like me....." The man sneered at him and laughed through his teeth. His goonies copied the laugh.
"You are not getting my rabbit meat. It is indeed mine, and if you have anything more to say on the matter, why don't you come up here and tell me face to face? But if you are a coward to face a "kid" as you put it......"
"I ain't scared of you, kid!" The flunkies looked at their boss and nodded, as if to agree with him. The man sauntered over closer to Seto, and Seto stood up, setting his half cooked rabbit in between two rocks, balancing the ends of the sticks. The man walked right up to Seto until they were face to face. Seto had to look up just a little bit at him, but he turned on his Super Ice Stare and glared at him.
"Give. Me. Your. Bunny. Stupid. Boy."
"I will not, you old gasbag."
The man's face contorted in anger. "Nobody calls ME a gasbag and gets away with it you punk!" His angry yell had spattered Seto with a little saliva, and he wiped it off calmly.
"I think I just did.....gasbag."
This snapped the short-fused man. He immediatly threw his hand back to punch Seto. He kept his eyes locked firmly on the man's, and when his punch came down, Seto dodged it easily, taking advantage of the open area of the man's torso in front of him, and sent a punch directly into his solarplexis.(1)
The man reeled back, gasping for air. He clutched his stomach and chest, trying to get some air into his lungs. Seto's hit had been very hard, and soon the man was on his knees, unable to support him and his heavy staggered breathing. Seto knew he would get better, but it would take around half an hour. Sucks to be him.
The goons ran forward with worry on their faces, picking up their boss and taking him away, shooting looks of hate at Seto.
Seto grinned and sat back down, dusting off his black trenchjacket. He picked up his meat stick and continued roasting the meat, chuckling to himself.
/YU-GI-OH!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!!/ The dream shouted at him again.
Yugi shot up in his sleeping bag, panting and clutching his Millennium Puzzle. He looked around the camp, dimly lit in the dying embers of their fire.
Mokuba and Amoura were sleeping close to Anzu, who currently had her hand in Honda's face. Honda was grunting now and then, and Joey was speaking of donuts with a well placed snore now and again. Everything was fairly normal.....except for the missing members of their group.
Since Bakura lashed out at the girls, his dreams got more frequent. Maybe two or three in a night. All he could ever remember was the yelling. The call for the Pharoah.
They were distrurbing his Yami's rest as well. They troubled him deeply as he could not place the voice calling for him. He had told Yugi that he should remember hearing an innocent calling for his help, because they sounded like they were in horrible trouble.
These dreams continued to plauge his sleep, but he didn't want it to affect his dueling. He only had a few more chips to go. Anzu had a duel earlier on, and was having a rough time. Yugi and Joey yelled up encouragement to her, and a few well placed tips, and she won. It took alot of her energy though, since she was pretty stressed out. Yugi smiled over at her sleeping form and lay back down, trying to relax.
//Yugi.//
/Spirit?/
//Are you worried at all?//
/About what? That we are on another island tournament hosted by the mysteriously returning Pegasus? Those dreams? Seto? Mai? Bakura? Malik? The fact that all seven of the Millennium Items are on this island and we have no idea how the Ankh got here without Shadi, and finding another owner worthy of it? The fact that Bandit Keith has a gun and a bloodlust? Naw....not worried at all. Nope not me!/
//Yugi! Calm yourself! Alright.....admittedly that was a pointless question. We are all worried for obvious reasons! But....I was talking about the dreams and Mai, mostly.//
/I'm sorry.....but all of this is getting to me....all of this is just seemingly getting worse around here!/
//Aibou....things are not looking up for us right now. So far only our duels are going well. Everyone's overall morale is low......//
/I think I noticed that well enough!/ Yugi was really out of it......
//AIBOU!?//
/I....I'm sorry......I really don't feel well. I just need to know how they got the Ankh!/
//No point in waking the others just to go and find out. Rest, aibou. You seem like you need it.//
/And this doesn't matter to you!?/
//!!!!!!!!!!// His aibou's behavior was startling him beyond comparison. //Of course I do, Yugi! But right now, we should just let it be! There is not point in worrying until it is time to face it!//
/But...../
//Fine.....have it your way. We will seek answers later.//
/Thank you Yami. The curiosity is murdering me...../
//To tell you the truth, it is doing the same to me as well.....// Yugi could practically hear his other half chuckling. //Now rest. I still say that you need it, even though you've gotten your way. Again.//
Yugi smiled and nestled back down into his sleeping bag. He slept for at least another six hours or so, because when he woke up, it was at the hands of Honda.
"Hey! Yuge! Get up man! It's past noon! We are going to be leaving soon! Get some of this food before Joey eats all of it!"
Yugi rolled over groggily, his Puzzle sliding over his chest, and looked over at the campfire. Someone had rekindled it, and Anzu was stirring a small pot on a flat rock that had been placed towards one of the sides of the fire.
Amoura came and knelt by him, handing him a small thermos lid of something. He looked into it, and back at Amoura, questioningly.
"It iz 'ot cereal....very quick to make and very cheap."
"Why didn't you tell us you had this sooner, Amoura?"
"Moi, Yugi? Non....it vas Mokuba 'oo ad zis on 'im! It zeems zat he 'ad forgotten about it until zis morning!" She smiled and walked over to Joey, who had just taken a bite of the hot ceral, and realized it was VERY hot.
She got him some water from her canteen and he stopped trying to chew his tongue off. Anzu looked over and laughed at him.
"Joey, I think it's better to blow on something hot before you eat it!" She giggled again. Honda just grinned.
"Hey! Lesse how you handle hot ceral this early!" Joey glared over at the grinning Honda.
"It's not early, Joey! It's already noon! You just slept in as long as Yuge here!" Honda grinned over at Yugi and Yugi smiled back.
Mokuba looked up from where he was sticking clothes into his bag. He looked over at Anzu. "I really don't see how they all can be so cheery right now....I mean, didn't Bakura try to kill Mai and Amoura? And we don't even know where she is...."
Anzu put a reassuring hand on Mokuba's shoulder. "Don't worry Mokuba....I am SURE that Mai is fine. She has never been one to keel over or give up. She'll find us, or we will find her. But she is just fine. As for Bakura, he has his ways of staying safe....." Anzu's eyes flitted to the past, remembering Bakura's evil side in all of it's entirety. She shuddered just a bit, and was glad that she hadn't been in Mai or Amoura's place that night.
Another half an hour went by, and they finished their slightly bland cereal, packing up their clothes.
Two hours later, Honda and Joey had finished a duel each, and Yugi was about to finish one up.
"Alright! I play the Celtic Guardian to finish off your weakened Garnecia Elephantis! And that ends the duel!" Yugi grinned over at his opponent, who looked up at him with a bit of surprise. Yugi got down from his side of the station after collecting his chips, ID, and deck.
"Good duel! I hope you can get all of your chips!" Yugi extended his hand after his opponent got down. He looked at Yugi's hand and smiled a bit, taking it and shaking. Then he gathered his things and walked away.
Yugi and his friends watched him go, and then they got their things and continued moving. Joey pressed "enter" on his ID, marking the place on his map.
After another half hour of walking, they heard voices amoung the trees. Mokuba ran ahead, with Amoura hot at his heels. Soon, both came back, and Amoura told them that there was another camp area in there. She and Mokuba led the way, and soon they emerged into another massive camp zone with makeshift showers.
Amoura beamed at these, as the cold water of the pond could not get all of the grime out of her. At least she could get a decent shower with slightly warmed water now.
After finding a spot to pitch camp temporarily, Amoura and Anzu snagged their things and practically dove into the first open showers they could find. Joey watched them run off, with a limp and snoozing Yunet in his arms.
"What is with those girls and keeping clean?" Joey scratched his head with his free arm and turned back to Honda and Yugi. Mokuba was sitting down and messing with a Gameboy.
"Don't worry about them, Joey. Girls will be girls, after all...." Honda looked over where the showers were. All they could see over the curtains were the showerheads, and he saw one turn on. "Personally, I think this is a great time to catch a snooze!" Honda lay down on his bag.
Joey was about to sit down and see if he could sleep feed Yunet again, since Amoura's bag was just beside Mokuba. But somebody tapped his shoulder. "And it is also a great time to catch a duelist." A person with a British accent stood behind him. Joey turned around and saw a girl with blonde hair and a big grin.
"Jounouchi Katsuya, I challenge you to a duel!"
"Oh, so you know me?"
"You took second place at Duelist Kingdom, and fourth place in Battle City. Of course I know about you! Now put down the cat and let's duel!" She cast a small glance at the kitten, and Joey deposited it on Honda's head, sending him into a fit of sneezing.
Honda sprang up and dumped Yunet on Mokuba's lap, who was surprised to say the least. Yunet's eyes opened momentarily and she quickly settled back down into sleep on the boy's lap. The british girl dragged Joey away to a dueling station, while Yugi looked on from the background.
After they had gone, Yugi went walking around the camp area. He was challenged a few fair times, but he told them all that he would be dueling later on. He kept walking around, clearing his head.
About fifteen minutes later, he sat on a rock and watched Joey and the girl's battle end. Joey won, but his life points were down to 2150. She must have been fairly good, since that was about as low as his life points had gotten so far.
Then, he spotted the one person he had needed to see since his conversation with his other side. About twenty feet away, and sitting on a log, looking over some cards. Yugi got up and sat down next to them, not believing his own luck. Right there, and at such good timing!
"Hello," Yugi said. "Tell me something please....." His own chest fluttered with excitement. His question was going to be answered. The one burning question in his mind since he searched for Millennium Items with his other side a few days ago. The location of the Ankh. How lucky he was, the person he needed to see being out there at that time.
The person he was addressing looked up at him with questioning eyes.
"Where is the Millennium Ankh?"
Brood: *looks up from the chibi-her to address you* WAHAHA!! CLIFFY!
Zutsokaki: Uhhh....Brood. We have larger things to worry about right now......
*The chibi stands up, and looks herself over. Then she spots Zutsokaki.*
Chibi: *leaps at his face, knocking him over and leaning over his face* Fuu! Fuu! Fuu! *wiggles her hands menacingly, only adding to the creepyness of the chibi's high pitched voice*
Brood: Familiars are made from a part of the person they are sprung from.....is this REALLY a part of me....
Zutsokaki: Errr!!! Get it off!!!
Chibi: *jumps off of his face and leaps at the Choco Taco sitting on a plate on the counter* Choco Taco! *eats the chocolate ice cream treat*
Brood: Uhhh.....what should I call the thing? It sort of goes around trying to freak Zutso-kun out with Manga ghost noises......and then bounces at the ice cream.....*stares at the blonde with brown streaks haired chibi*
Zutsokaki: She tried to freak me out, and succeeded.....that chibi I made is just scary......
Brood: I KNOW!! I'll call her Fuu Fuu Choco Taco!
Zutsokaki: Okay.....she is DEFINITLY from you.....
Brood: *sweatdrops* Is there any way to put her back?
Fuu Fuu Choco Taco: *walks up on her little chibi legs to Brood, with chocolate on her face* Mommy? *looks at Zutsokaki* Daddy?
Zutsokaki: !!!!!!!!!! I'll start looking for that spell right NOW!
Brood: *freaked out also* Uh, yeah! You do that!
=====================================
For all of you who waited on my next chapter of this story, sorry if it was disappointing in any way possible, and I really hope to be a little swifter on the next one, as more time is coming up for me, and will have more time to type.
(1) Solarplexis: The soft spot on your chest just below the breastbone
Please read and review! Feel free to complain about my super lateness! Not too harsh though....I have an insane chibi to take care of now.....lol
*looks at her word count on the story* I....I'M OVER 100,000 WORDS NOW!! WOO! LONG STORY WITH NO END IN SIGHT! YES! I FEEL SO HAPPY! I PUSHED OVER THE EDGE!! YAY!!! *Feels ecstatic* I just want to thank all of you who have stayed with me in my super long story! I LOVE YOU ALL! AISHITERU!!
