Chapter Eight-Shadi's Secret Family
"They're here." Shadi told the little girls quietly. "You will be free of those women soon."
Alexandra nodded, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Then you'll leave me, right?"
"Only time will tell." Shadi told her, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "We've got to worry about the current situation at hand first." He went to the window, and looked down at the others. "It is time." He called to them. "I will go and stall the witches."
"Be careful, Shadi. Aunt Amelia's in a horrible mood!" Alex warned.
"I will be. Don't despair." Shadi soon disappeared.
Kassandra went to the window, to watch the others climb up. Ishizu Ishtar met her first. "Hi hi." She said softly.
"Hello there, Little One…." Ishizu said softly, as Marik and Duke appeared behind her. She looked ahead to the other two. "Are you children all right?"
"We're okay." Arianna replied.
"Good. Come on, we're getting you out of here." Duke told them.
"That's right. You're not going to be a part of their dastardly plot any longer." Marik agreed, as he looked at the helpless children.
"Okay." Arianna agreed, looking at her younger cousins. "We're ready."
Ishizu picked Kassandra up carefully. "We're going to take the window trellis." She told Arianna. "Are you going to need help?" As she waited for an answer, the rest of the large group continued to enter.
"I'm afraid of heights…" Arianna said softly.
"That is okay. My brother Rishid can help you down on his back." Marik told her, as the eldest Ishtar appeared beside them.
"It would be my pleasure." Rishid told her.
"I wanna help Shadi fight the aunts." Alexandra spoke up suddenly, heading for the barricaded door. Duke blocked her way.
"The best way you can help Shadi is to be safe. He wanted us to get you out of the house." Duke told her, taking her hand and leading her away from the door. "Besides, my friends Yami, Rakura,Yugi and Bakura are going to be giving him plenty of help."
Alex didn't seem too content with this, so Marik tried another approach. "You can help him by not making him worry more about your safety, Child. " He took her into his arms, and watched as the Pharaoh, Rakura and their two hikaris removed the barricade. "You four be careful."
"Yeah." Joey piped up. Then he looked at Duke and Tristan. "Come on. We should help."
"You guys go ahead." Marik agreed now. "Ishizu, Rishid ,Mai and I can help the little ones down." Duke nodded, and then followed Tristan out the door.
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"So! You have not yet perished." Amelia glared at Shadi. "No matter. We can take care of that right now." She raised her hand to recite a paralysis spell, but found herself moaning in pain against the wall. Shadi had blasted her with his ankh again! "Curse you and that damned Item!"
"Silence, Woman, or I shall do it again!" Shadi never took his eyes off of her. "I know what you are, and I know what you planned for those children. The time is at hand where you and your wicked ways will be stopped!"
"You think you can stop me with just that Ankh! You have no idea who you're messing with, Little Man!"
"Ah, but I have dealt with fouler creatures than yourself. Do not trifle with me witch. For the power of good will always prevail!" Shadi held the ankh firmly in front of him.
"There are two of us, you know. And one has gone upstairs to stop the mobilization you started. "
"That will not matter. I have brought more than enough people to aid the girls. They will be beyond your reach soon enough."
"That's right. You will be unable to harm them ever again!" The Pharaoh's voice spoke up from behind him.
Amelia backed up, taken by surprise by the newcomer. "Who the hell are you?!"
"I am Yugioh. Some call me Pharaoh,others call me Yami. Before I am through with you, you will call me other things, I am sure." The Pharaoh replied coldly. He regarded the woman angrily. "Why do you pick on these defenseless children?"
"They hold the key to my fortune, all of them." Amelia replied calmly.
"Not likely." The Item Guardian spoke up now. "Those children are descendants of my family. Alexandra was to inherit my position as Guardian of the Sacred Items, but now I understand why she never made it to Cairo."
Yami blinked at Shadi in surprise. These children were a part of his family? He wondered what he would be to them. Perhaps Uncle. "Your reign of terror is over!"
"We shall see about that, "Pharaoh"." Amelia disappeared, leaving Yami and Shadi astounded.
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Upstairs, a great calamity had erupted while Ishizu, Marik, Rishid and Mai were trying to get the girls out. Agatha had appeared. Rakura, who hadn't been downstairs yet, was trying to "reason" with the spiritual twin. "You won't touch those mortal children!" Rakura informed her. He'd taken over Bakura's body in order to prevent the rather uncoordinated British boy from being hurt.
"Out of my way, you nuisance!" Agatha exclaimed.
The old thief grunted. "Nusiance, am I?" He glared at her. "You're going to find this even more annoying!" The Millennium Ring glowed, and in the next instant, the hall was clear of Agatha's ghostly form.
A moment later, Bakura blinked, as he was back in control. "Oh! Rakura, what have you done?!"
"I just saved us all a lot of trouble, that's what. Now get downstairs so we can help the Pharaoh and Shadi." Rakura ordered.
Bakura blinked again in surprise, as he hurried downstairs. "We've only got to worry about one sister now."
"Oh?" Shadi guessed now what had happened. "Smart thinking, Thief."
There was only a grunt as a reply, as the tomb raider looked around. "Where's the other menace?"
"She has disappeared into another part of the house. We must find her. How is the process of moving the children?"
"Agatha slowed us down, but I don't think there will be anymore trouble." Bakura reported. However, just as he said that ,there was horrible shriek from upstairs. "Of course I could be wrong! That sounded like Mai!"
"It sure did!" Yugi exclaimed. He looked at Shadi. "Do you think we should see to her?"
"There are enough up there to help each other, I expect. " Shadi told him. "Come, we must find Amelia, and Claudia." Shadi led them out of the main hall, and through the dining room.
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"Mai! Hang on!" Marik called down. The trellis had been broken by a departing figure. Now Mai was just hanging. The Egyptian boy looked around Alex's room, and his eyes fell on her bed sheet. He yanked them off, and threw one end to Mai. "Grab a hold." He instructed.
"I can't. I have to hold on to Alex." The blonde-headed girl called up. She carefully adjusted herself, so that she had a better grip on the trellis edge she hung from. "Are you okay, Kiddo?"
Alex was terrified, but she answered bravely. "Yes, I'm okay, Mai."
"Just hang on." Mai told the young girl, trying to be brave for her. "Marik, I'm slipping!"
"Oh no!" Marik looked at Ishizu, in concern. "They'll never survive that fall!"
"She has too much weight to hold on to." Ishizu realized suddenly. She went to the window. "Rishid! Can you catch Alexandra?" Her brother had taken Arianna down a few minutes earlier.
"Yes! I was just about to suggest that." Rishid moved into position. "Listen to me very carefully, Alexandra. I want you to let go. I will catch you."
"I can't….." Alex clung tighter to Mai's waist.
"Trust Rishid, Kiddo. He's very strong. He won't drop you." Mai said softly. " I can't hold us much longer."
With a gulp, Alexandra released Mai, and soon found herself in Rishid's strong arms.
Mai dropped next, and Rishid had to put Alex down quickly to catch her. "Thanks."
"Think nothing of it." Rishid said kindly. He looked up at the window. "You're going to have to take Kassandra downstairs. Her room didn't have a trellis!"
"All right. Are you and Mai going to be okay alone?" Marik asked.
"We're not alone. Serenity's here with us. Just get Kassandra downstairs and out here." Mai told him, before leading the girls,Rishid and Serenity away from the house. "Rishid, you can go back in with your family if you want. I know you want to be there to protect them." Mai said, as she took Alexandra's hand.
"Thank you, Mai. You and Serenity be careful out here." He replied, before turning to go back into the house.