Author's Notes
Peacenikky: Well, after dealing with our evil floppy disk and its rebellious ways...
Judi: We've finally rewritten this chapter and fixed everything up!
Leanna: Yeah, over nine pages worth, plus the stuff that came after it!
Peacenikky: As you can bet, this did take A LOT of typing, so we're sorry about the wait!
Rebecca: But we're back! WHEE! (Jumps around, squealing)
Peacenikky: Okay, how did Beck get so darn hyper?
Leanna: Judi, you spiked her soda with a dose of Surge, didn't you?
Judi: So?
Peacenikky: *Groan* Anyway, at last count, the vote on yami/hikari pairings was four to two in favor of the pairings! It'll only be some mild cuddling, though!
Judi: And now, on with the fic!
azn_blue_dragon Thanks for the complement! Sorry, but the pairings go. It'll be extremely mild, though!
SC- Your wish has been granted!
Fang Lirui- Sorry about the confusion there. And I am SOOOOOOOOO sorry about taking forever to update once again!
Nix Entente- Thanks for the constructive criticism. I'm trying to tweak Rebecca's character a little, so let me know if this works better. And I hope this changes your opinion!
A Watcher- lol, yep, and here's the next chapter!
Silver Angel7- Thanks for reviewing! I'm sorry for taking so bleeping long with this chapter.
Jase Shadowstar- Not to worry, there's no way I'm writing anything near a lemon or lime, so read easy!
Alaena Flame Dragonstar- Thanks for the review!
Mira-hime- I'm sorry for making you wait! Blame my computer!
Seiryuu_Blue*Dragon- Yep, I'll continue. However, please don't let the yami/hikari pairings scare you off! And thank you for the complement!
DISCLAIMER: Come on, do you guys seriously expect me to own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Dragonball Z? All I own are Rebecca and Cye.
Legend
/Hikari to yami/
//Yami to hikari//
"Spoken"
'Thoughts'
*** Scene Change/Time Passage
The portal that had swept the teens away reappeared a few feet above a sand dune. A hole in the center opened and dumped the group out before vanishing into thin air.
"Ugh. I think I lost my lunch back in the 1700's." Joey muttered.
"Ow! Tristan, get off my arm!" Videl complained.
"Sorry." he said as he shifted a little.
"Now you're on my leg!" Yugi cried. There was a lot more complaining and yelling at certain people to get off of certain body parts as the teens struggled to disentangle themselves. After a few minutes, the task was accomplished, and except for a few minor bumps and bruises, no one had any injuries that weren't there before.
"Okay, so where are we, anyway?" Yugi asked. Yami got up and quietly gasped as he looked at the view, which included a large city nearby.
"I don't believe this. We're in Egypt, Ancient Egypt, based on what Shaddi said."
"Gee, you're a bright one, aren't ya?" Baba commented as she, Shaddi, Cye, and Shin appeared out of a second vortex.
"Okay, what's the big idea?" Joey asked.
"Yeah, why'd you pull us out here?" Gohan added.
"I already told you. You're here to find out why Bakura's the way he is." Shaddi said.
"What's there to learn?" Rebecca asked, crossing her arms.
"Plenty, as long as Ryou's willing to go through with it."
"Say what?" Tristan asked.
"Ryou is Bakura's hikari. Therefore, it's his decision as to whether or not you learn about Bakura's past."
"And you couldn't have asked him this BEFORE you yanked us out of our time?" Joey asked, exasperated. Shaddi chose to ignore him.
"So, what will it be?" Ryou sighed a little as he looked at the shifting dunes.
"Well, this was not how I intended on spending my Spring Break." He turned back to face the adults. "However, I would like to know what happened to Bakura in this time."
"So be it, then." Shaddi said with a small hint of a smile.
"You're joking." Rebecca said dully before Cye walked up behind her, slipped her helmet off, and smacked her upside the head in one moment. "Ow!"
"Like it or not, this is Ryou's decision, not yours. You're staying."
"All right, all right! I get it already!"
"Good."
"Here. You'll need these while you're here." Baba said producing a stack of small boxes from out of nowhere and handing them to the group. Tea opened hers and pulled out a small capsule.
"What are these?" she asked, holding it up to the light.
"Capsule Boxes." Trunks explained. "They're quite handy for storage and transport."
"You're joking! This tiny thing could barely hold a paper clip, much less anything useful!" Joey said, looking at one of his.
"Oh ye of little brain." Baba muttered. "Trunks, I believe a demonstration is at hand." The teen nodded and pressed a small button on top of the Capsule before throwing it a few feet into the distance. A moment later, there was a small explosion, revealing a large tent with room for three or four people. Yami whistled appreciatively.
"Too bad we didn't have those in times of combat." he said.
"These Capsules will have everything you'll need while you're here." Shin said. "Shelter, money, food and water, clothes."
"Wait, what's wrong with what we're wearing right now?" Joey asked. The others gave him a dry look.
"Look, if you're going to be investigating Bakura's past, then you'll need to blend in, genius." Baba said. "Trust me, high school clothes aren't going to work."
"You'll take on the guise of wandering nomads making their way through the city until you find out the truth." Shaddi said. Joey checked a card pasted to the inner lid of his box before pulling out a capsule and activating it. In a second, a billowing light brown garment landed in his arms. He held it up and made a face.
"Um, I think you gave me one of the boxes meant for the girls, cause this is a dress."
"No, that's your box. And that isn't a dress; it's a robe." Shaddi said.
"Dude, it's a dress."
"Robe."
"Dress."
"Robe."
"Dre-ess." Joey said in a singsong voice.
"ROBE!" Shaddi yelled. The others looked at him in a mix of shock and fright.
"Okay, okay, it's a robe." Joey said meekly. Tristan activated one of his capsules and looked at a part of its contents critically.
"Okay, I guess I can deal with the robes, but do we really have to wear these doofy turbans too?" Shaddi looked about ready to kill when Cye intervened.
"Okay, so now that everyone's familiar with their gear, it's time to set some ground rules."
'Saw that one coming.' Rebecca thought.
"First off, you are here to study the past, not to party. That means no trying to get a girlfriend or boyfriend while you're here. Second, you will go to sleep at a reasonable hour. Last but not least, if I catch anyone going into a tent used by the opposite sex, heads will roll." Yugi glanced at Yami and blushed a little, squeezing his hand slightly.
"And you'll know about this. how?" Joey asked.
"We'll be keeping an eye on you, don't worry." Baba said, holding up a small crystal ball similar to the one she was sitting on.
"What is this, Reality TV?" Gohan asked.
"You'll live. And by the way," Baba reached into the sleeve of her witch's robe and pulled out a small green bean. "Ryou, this is for you. It took me a long time to get one of these, so don't drop it."
"Um, thank you, but what is it?"
"It's called a Senzu Bean. Eat it and see what it does." Ryou nervously popped the bean in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. Within moments, the injuries he received vanished like magic.
"What? How the?" he asked, as he looked at his now bruise-free arms.
"Senzu Beans have the ability to restore energy to a person, thereby erasing the damage Bakura caused earlier."
"Speaking of which, where is he, anyway? I'd like to give him some serious payback." Videl said, clenching her fist. Joey and Tristan nodded and cracked their knuckles.
"Oh, don't worry. We've got him right here." Baba chanted something under her breath as another portal opened. A thick cord snaked out of it, which the fortuneteller wrapped securely around her wrist before giving it a quick tug. The other end of the rope was pulled out, with Bakura tied to it by the neck in a fashion similar to a dog collar and leash. The spirit crossed his arms and glared at the rest of the group with an unreadable expression. A few moments passed before Rebecca began to snicker. Tea covered her mouth in an attempt to stay quiet, but it didn't seem to help. Then Joey started to plain laugh out loud. Soon the rest of the group was laughing at Bakura's plight save for Ryou.
"Bakura." he whispered, a look of concern marking his face.
"We'll be keeping him with us while you do your investigation." Shin said. "And we'll make sure he doesn't return to the Millennium Ring unexpectedly."
"Okay, so now what?" Trunks asked.
"There is one last thing we have to clear up." Shaddi said, holding up his hand. He closed his eyes and began to chant something that lasted about twenty seconds or so. Once this was completed, a moment passed before the teens were all afflicted by a burning sensation in their throats.
"Ow, ow, ow! What's going on here?" Joey cried, clutching his neck.
"Be patient. The feeling will wear off shortly." Baba said. "Honestly, kids these days are so soft."
"Yeah, well I feel like I just ate a jar full of hot peppers! What's this for, anyway?" Gohan asked.
"You'll see." Shin said, smiling knowingly.
"The side effects should wear off right about. now." Shaddi snapped his fingers. The teens slowly felt their throats return to normal.
"Okay, what the heck was that?" Tea asked, gently massaging her throat. She blinked in surprise when she realized that despite the fact that she understood perfectly what she had just said, it wasn't Japanese.
"What just happened?" Yugi asked, shocked at the alien yet familiar language coming from his throat as well.
"You're speaking Arabic, you dolt." Bakura said, uttering his first words since he'd arrived. The others looked at him in surprise.
"It's true. You'll need to speak the language if you want to find out what turned him," Baba tugged on Bakura's rope, "into such a bad egg." Yami glared at the other spirit, who simply looked away.
"You'll use this skill when you're in the city and talking to any of the people there. Back at camp, you'll revert to Japanese again. It's a little complicated, but you'll get used to it." Shaddi explained.
"Okay, after this, nothing is gonna surprise me any more." Gohan said, shaking his head. Videl patted him on the back sympathetically.
"Well, now that you're all situated, we'll be off." Shin said.
"Remember, we will be watching you." Cye warned. Rebecca rolled her eyes and earned a glare from the other angel.
"Good luck." Shin said before Shaddi opened one last portal and the adults stepped inside, Bakura still in tow.
"Okay, this is weird." Joey said.
"Understatement of the year, Joey." Tristan added.
"I'm sorry if you guys didn't want to deal with this, but I really want to know what happened here." Ryou said apologetically.
"Hey, don't sweat it. So we're stuck on a field trip to Ancient Egypt, it doesn't mean we can't have some fun." Joey said right before a loud gurgling sound was heard. Gohan blushed.
"Yeah um, anyone up for dinner?" Yugi laughed and checked his Capsule Box.
"Uh oh. This doesn't look good."
"What do you mean?" Tristan peered over Yugi's shoulder, a feat that wasn't too difficult. "Hey, there's no real food here! Only a few boxes of granola bars according to this card!"
"What?"
"You're kidding!"
"I don't believe this."
"Hold on." Yugi bit his lower lip as he eased the card up and pulled out a folded-up piece of paper. "Figures." he said, handing it to Yami, who started to read it out loud.
" 'Surprise! Since we doubt you'll want to eat granola bars for your entire stay here, this means you'll have an extra reason to go into the city! Don't worry, plenty of money's been provided, assuming you don't do anything too boneheaded. Take care, and keep your eyes open for clues concerning Bakura's past. Have fun!' " He folded the paper back up. "It's from Shaddi and the others."
"Leave it to them to pull something like this." Rebecca muttered.
"Well, guess we've got no choice. Let's get ready." Trunks opened another tent next to the first one, providing a set of dressing rooms. After everyone switched out of their street clothes and into their robes and hid their faces and hair with cloaks or turbans and Rebecca changed into human form, they gathered their wits and composure and started the hike toward the city.
Ryou stayed behind for a moment, running a hand along the cord keeping the Millennium Ring around his neck before he tucked the artifact under his robe, as Yugi and Yami had done. Thankfully, the garments were loose enough to hide the small bulges the Items caused. 'Bakura. What caused you to turn so cold? What were you like here?' he thought.
"Ryou! Come on, we're waiting for you!" Joey yelled.
"Oh right, sorry! I'm coming!" Ryou waved and raced to catch up to the others.
***
After a few hours passed and the only thing the group found was a cart selling bread and fish for dinner, everyone decided to head back to camp and call it a day. Dusk was quickly turning to night as they settled around the oasis.
"Well, this has definitely been an interesting day. I'm gonna go hit the sack. G'night, everybody!" Joey said as he yawned and walked toward one of the tents. Trunks rolled his eyes as he reached over and grabbed the blonde by the back of his collar.
"Hold it. You're not going anywhere until one last detail's been smoothed out." he said, yanking him back toward the others.
"Last detail?" Tea asked, blinking.
"The first rule of survival in an unknown location. Always have someone on watch at all times. If we let our guard down here, we'll be sitting ducks for roving bandits." Trunks explained.
"Bandits. Right." Rebecca said skeptically. "Somebody's been watching too many old movies..........................."
"He has a point, Rebecca. If we all go to sleep now, we might not wake up tomorrow morning." Yami said calmly.
The angel's eyes widened as she gulped. "You mean..........................."
"Ghhxrck!" Tristan finished for her, drawing a finger across his throat. Rebecca gripped her throat, shutting up.
"All right then. How do we set up who's on watch?" Videl asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"We'll all take shifts." Yugi said. "If we get roughly eight hours of sleep each night, we'll rotate every two hours and forty minutes or so in groups of three."
"There's a slight problem. There's ten of us here, so who's the odd one out?" Ryou pointed out.
"Whatever shift Yugi's in, I'll take as well, bringing that group's total up to four." Yami said. Tea grinned.
"Oh, that's so cute!" she squealed, earning a strange look from Gohan.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"You mean you haven't figured it out yet that they're--"
"Okay, moving on." Trunks said quickly, a faint blush coloring his cheeks. "Time to pick who's with who in what shift." Rebecca found her notepad and a pen in one of her Capsules. Yami took a sheet from it and tore it into nine squares, writing a number on each square and putting them all in Tristan's turban.
"Everybody take a piece of paper. If you get a '1,' you're in the first shift, '2' is in the second shift, and '3' will get you in the third shift. No arguing, complaining, or trading, so choose carefully." Yami explained, holding the turban out. After everyone drew their slips, they opened them and read their assignments.
"I've got the first shift........." Ryou said, looking at his paper. Trunks tapped him on the shoulder and showed him his paper, this one also bearing the number one.
"Looks like we'll have plenty of time to discuss what happened now." he said, smirking in a way he definitely inherited from Vegeta.
"Okay, new rule. No killing, maiming, or otherwise injuring anyone you're sharing the shift with." Tristan said, holding up his paper giving him the third and final shift.
"Men........." Videl muttered, finding herself in the second shift. Gohan read over her shoulder and shrugged.
"I'm in the third shift. Hopefully us being apart'll help keep the adults from meddling........."
"Don't bet on it........." Rebecca rolled her eyes as she opened her paper, assigning her to the first shift.
"I've got the second shift." Yugi said, looking up from his slip. Yami nodded to indicate he'd heard his small light.
"I'm in the third one." Tea said, yawning quietly.
"And that leaves me for the second shift." Joey added, wadding his paper up and throwing it over his shoulder, where it hit Trunks in the head. "Oops........."
"All right, everyone knows what shift they have. Ryou, Trunks, Rebecca, have fun. Wake us when it's time for our shift." Yami said as he and the others went into their respective tents. Ryou gulped as he glanced at Trunks who was starting a campfire.
"Don't worry, I don't want to kill you anymore." The lavender-haired boy said as he used a small blast of energy to set the branches he'd collected on fire. Rebecca sat by the fire's heat while Ryou splashed some of the oasis water on his face to keep him awake. Trunks stared up at the stars silently.
Rebecca shivered. "Okay, we're in the middle of the desert. How can it be so frigging cold out?" she complained. Trunks reached over, picked up her Capsule Box, and threw it at her head. "Hey!"
"Quit griping. In case you haven't noticed, there are extra blankets in one of your Capsules." He said, irritated.
"Anyway, it always gets this cold out in the desert at night." Ryou pointed out. "My father learned that lesson the hard way."
The brunette huffed and activated the Capsule, wrapping a thick woolen blanket around herself. Ryou did the same and laughed as he looked at the guide in his box. "Hey, look what I found!" he exclaimed as he opened another Capsule. Inside were two bags of marshmallows and a set of sticks. "Who's up for a pre-midnight snack?" For the first time since they got there, Trunks genuinely smiled and took one of the sticks, opening a bag and skewering a marshmallow on it. Ryou and Rebecca also began roasting their own marshmallows. After a few moments, Trunks pulled his from the fire and blew out the small flames that had formed on it, plucking the marshmallow off and popping it in his mouth. Ryou shifted uncomfortably before clearing his throat.
"Um, Trunks? Can I ask you something?"
Trunks swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, what is it?"
"Well, stop me if I'm being too nosy, but........." He took a deep breath. "What exactly did Bakura do to your mother in your time?" Trunks set his stick down and sighed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked........." Ryou apologized.
"No, you have the right to know after what I tried to do to you. It's kind of a long story, but what happened is this........."
Author's Notes
Peacenikky: Please don't kill me! I know it's been forever since I updated, but I've had a lot going on! Anyway, I know I've left y'all on a major cliffhanger, but hey, I'm the authoress! I'm allowed to be evil!
Judi: Oh no, being with me's finally made her crack.........
Rebeccca: No, she's just thrilled to get the chapter finished.
Peacenikky: Anyway, we'll be working on juggling the upcoming new school year with fic writing, so bear with us. I can't believe I've been here for a year now.........
Judi: Yep, uncork the champagne and let's celebrate......... I'm going to sleep.
Peacenikky: *Groan* Peace, love, and marshmallow bunnies, everyone! Bye!
Peacenikky: Well, after dealing with our evil floppy disk and its rebellious ways...
Judi: We've finally rewritten this chapter and fixed everything up!
Leanna: Yeah, over nine pages worth, plus the stuff that came after it!
Peacenikky: As you can bet, this did take A LOT of typing, so we're sorry about the wait!
Rebecca: But we're back! WHEE! (Jumps around, squealing)
Peacenikky: Okay, how did Beck get so darn hyper?
Leanna: Judi, you spiked her soda with a dose of Surge, didn't you?
Judi: So?
Peacenikky: *Groan* Anyway, at last count, the vote on yami/hikari pairings was four to two in favor of the pairings! It'll only be some mild cuddling, though!
Judi: And now, on with the fic!
azn_blue_dragon Thanks for the complement! Sorry, but the pairings go. It'll be extremely mild, though!
SC- Your wish has been granted!
Fang Lirui- Sorry about the confusion there. And I am SOOOOOOOOO sorry about taking forever to update once again!
Nix Entente- Thanks for the constructive criticism. I'm trying to tweak Rebecca's character a little, so let me know if this works better. And I hope this changes your opinion!
A Watcher- lol, yep, and here's the next chapter!
Silver Angel7- Thanks for reviewing! I'm sorry for taking so bleeping long with this chapter.
Jase Shadowstar- Not to worry, there's no way I'm writing anything near a lemon or lime, so read easy!
Alaena Flame Dragonstar- Thanks for the review!
Mira-hime- I'm sorry for making you wait! Blame my computer!
Seiryuu_Blue*Dragon- Yep, I'll continue. However, please don't let the yami/hikari pairings scare you off! And thank you for the complement!
DISCLAIMER: Come on, do you guys seriously expect me to own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Dragonball Z? All I own are Rebecca and Cye.
Legend
/Hikari to yami/
//Yami to hikari//
"Spoken"
'Thoughts'
*** Scene Change/Time Passage
The portal that had swept the teens away reappeared a few feet above a sand dune. A hole in the center opened and dumped the group out before vanishing into thin air.
"Ugh. I think I lost my lunch back in the 1700's." Joey muttered.
"Ow! Tristan, get off my arm!" Videl complained.
"Sorry." he said as he shifted a little.
"Now you're on my leg!" Yugi cried. There was a lot more complaining and yelling at certain people to get off of certain body parts as the teens struggled to disentangle themselves. After a few minutes, the task was accomplished, and except for a few minor bumps and bruises, no one had any injuries that weren't there before.
"Okay, so where are we, anyway?" Yugi asked. Yami got up and quietly gasped as he looked at the view, which included a large city nearby.
"I don't believe this. We're in Egypt, Ancient Egypt, based on what Shaddi said."
"Gee, you're a bright one, aren't ya?" Baba commented as she, Shaddi, Cye, and Shin appeared out of a second vortex.
"Okay, what's the big idea?" Joey asked.
"Yeah, why'd you pull us out here?" Gohan added.
"I already told you. You're here to find out why Bakura's the way he is." Shaddi said.
"What's there to learn?" Rebecca asked, crossing her arms.
"Plenty, as long as Ryou's willing to go through with it."
"Say what?" Tristan asked.
"Ryou is Bakura's hikari. Therefore, it's his decision as to whether or not you learn about Bakura's past."
"And you couldn't have asked him this BEFORE you yanked us out of our time?" Joey asked, exasperated. Shaddi chose to ignore him.
"So, what will it be?" Ryou sighed a little as he looked at the shifting dunes.
"Well, this was not how I intended on spending my Spring Break." He turned back to face the adults. "However, I would like to know what happened to Bakura in this time."
"So be it, then." Shaddi said with a small hint of a smile.
"You're joking." Rebecca said dully before Cye walked up behind her, slipped her helmet off, and smacked her upside the head in one moment. "Ow!"
"Like it or not, this is Ryou's decision, not yours. You're staying."
"All right, all right! I get it already!"
"Good."
"Here. You'll need these while you're here." Baba said producing a stack of small boxes from out of nowhere and handing them to the group. Tea opened hers and pulled out a small capsule.
"What are these?" she asked, holding it up to the light.
"Capsule Boxes." Trunks explained. "They're quite handy for storage and transport."
"You're joking! This tiny thing could barely hold a paper clip, much less anything useful!" Joey said, looking at one of his.
"Oh ye of little brain." Baba muttered. "Trunks, I believe a demonstration is at hand." The teen nodded and pressed a small button on top of the Capsule before throwing it a few feet into the distance. A moment later, there was a small explosion, revealing a large tent with room for three or four people. Yami whistled appreciatively.
"Too bad we didn't have those in times of combat." he said.
"These Capsules will have everything you'll need while you're here." Shin said. "Shelter, money, food and water, clothes."
"Wait, what's wrong with what we're wearing right now?" Joey asked. The others gave him a dry look.
"Look, if you're going to be investigating Bakura's past, then you'll need to blend in, genius." Baba said. "Trust me, high school clothes aren't going to work."
"You'll take on the guise of wandering nomads making their way through the city until you find out the truth." Shaddi said. Joey checked a card pasted to the inner lid of his box before pulling out a capsule and activating it. In a second, a billowing light brown garment landed in his arms. He held it up and made a face.
"Um, I think you gave me one of the boxes meant for the girls, cause this is a dress."
"No, that's your box. And that isn't a dress; it's a robe." Shaddi said.
"Dude, it's a dress."
"Robe."
"Dress."
"Robe."
"Dre-ess." Joey said in a singsong voice.
"ROBE!" Shaddi yelled. The others looked at him in a mix of shock and fright.
"Okay, okay, it's a robe." Joey said meekly. Tristan activated one of his capsules and looked at a part of its contents critically.
"Okay, I guess I can deal with the robes, but do we really have to wear these doofy turbans too?" Shaddi looked about ready to kill when Cye intervened.
"Okay, so now that everyone's familiar with their gear, it's time to set some ground rules."
'Saw that one coming.' Rebecca thought.
"First off, you are here to study the past, not to party. That means no trying to get a girlfriend or boyfriend while you're here. Second, you will go to sleep at a reasonable hour. Last but not least, if I catch anyone going into a tent used by the opposite sex, heads will roll." Yugi glanced at Yami and blushed a little, squeezing his hand slightly.
"And you'll know about this. how?" Joey asked.
"We'll be keeping an eye on you, don't worry." Baba said, holding up a small crystal ball similar to the one she was sitting on.
"What is this, Reality TV?" Gohan asked.
"You'll live. And by the way," Baba reached into the sleeve of her witch's robe and pulled out a small green bean. "Ryou, this is for you. It took me a long time to get one of these, so don't drop it."
"Um, thank you, but what is it?"
"It's called a Senzu Bean. Eat it and see what it does." Ryou nervously popped the bean in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. Within moments, the injuries he received vanished like magic.
"What? How the?" he asked, as he looked at his now bruise-free arms.
"Senzu Beans have the ability to restore energy to a person, thereby erasing the damage Bakura caused earlier."
"Speaking of which, where is he, anyway? I'd like to give him some serious payback." Videl said, clenching her fist. Joey and Tristan nodded and cracked their knuckles.
"Oh, don't worry. We've got him right here." Baba chanted something under her breath as another portal opened. A thick cord snaked out of it, which the fortuneteller wrapped securely around her wrist before giving it a quick tug. The other end of the rope was pulled out, with Bakura tied to it by the neck in a fashion similar to a dog collar and leash. The spirit crossed his arms and glared at the rest of the group with an unreadable expression. A few moments passed before Rebecca began to snicker. Tea covered her mouth in an attempt to stay quiet, but it didn't seem to help. Then Joey started to plain laugh out loud. Soon the rest of the group was laughing at Bakura's plight save for Ryou.
"Bakura." he whispered, a look of concern marking his face.
"We'll be keeping him with us while you do your investigation." Shin said. "And we'll make sure he doesn't return to the Millennium Ring unexpectedly."
"Okay, so now what?" Trunks asked.
"There is one last thing we have to clear up." Shaddi said, holding up his hand. He closed his eyes and began to chant something that lasted about twenty seconds or so. Once this was completed, a moment passed before the teens were all afflicted by a burning sensation in their throats.
"Ow, ow, ow! What's going on here?" Joey cried, clutching his neck.
"Be patient. The feeling will wear off shortly." Baba said. "Honestly, kids these days are so soft."
"Yeah, well I feel like I just ate a jar full of hot peppers! What's this for, anyway?" Gohan asked.
"You'll see." Shin said, smiling knowingly.
"The side effects should wear off right about. now." Shaddi snapped his fingers. The teens slowly felt their throats return to normal.
"Okay, what the heck was that?" Tea asked, gently massaging her throat. She blinked in surprise when she realized that despite the fact that she understood perfectly what she had just said, it wasn't Japanese.
"What just happened?" Yugi asked, shocked at the alien yet familiar language coming from his throat as well.
"You're speaking Arabic, you dolt." Bakura said, uttering his first words since he'd arrived. The others looked at him in surprise.
"It's true. You'll need to speak the language if you want to find out what turned him," Baba tugged on Bakura's rope, "into such a bad egg." Yami glared at the other spirit, who simply looked away.
"You'll use this skill when you're in the city and talking to any of the people there. Back at camp, you'll revert to Japanese again. It's a little complicated, but you'll get used to it." Shaddi explained.
"Okay, after this, nothing is gonna surprise me any more." Gohan said, shaking his head. Videl patted him on the back sympathetically.
"Well, now that you're all situated, we'll be off." Shin said.
"Remember, we will be watching you." Cye warned. Rebecca rolled her eyes and earned a glare from the other angel.
"Good luck." Shin said before Shaddi opened one last portal and the adults stepped inside, Bakura still in tow.
"Okay, this is weird." Joey said.
"Understatement of the year, Joey." Tristan added.
"I'm sorry if you guys didn't want to deal with this, but I really want to know what happened here." Ryou said apologetically.
"Hey, don't sweat it. So we're stuck on a field trip to Ancient Egypt, it doesn't mean we can't have some fun." Joey said right before a loud gurgling sound was heard. Gohan blushed.
"Yeah um, anyone up for dinner?" Yugi laughed and checked his Capsule Box.
"Uh oh. This doesn't look good."
"What do you mean?" Tristan peered over Yugi's shoulder, a feat that wasn't too difficult. "Hey, there's no real food here! Only a few boxes of granola bars according to this card!"
"What?"
"You're kidding!"
"I don't believe this."
"Hold on." Yugi bit his lower lip as he eased the card up and pulled out a folded-up piece of paper. "Figures." he said, handing it to Yami, who started to read it out loud.
" 'Surprise! Since we doubt you'll want to eat granola bars for your entire stay here, this means you'll have an extra reason to go into the city! Don't worry, plenty of money's been provided, assuming you don't do anything too boneheaded. Take care, and keep your eyes open for clues concerning Bakura's past. Have fun!' " He folded the paper back up. "It's from Shaddi and the others."
"Leave it to them to pull something like this." Rebecca muttered.
"Well, guess we've got no choice. Let's get ready." Trunks opened another tent next to the first one, providing a set of dressing rooms. After everyone switched out of their street clothes and into their robes and hid their faces and hair with cloaks or turbans and Rebecca changed into human form, they gathered their wits and composure and started the hike toward the city.
Ryou stayed behind for a moment, running a hand along the cord keeping the Millennium Ring around his neck before he tucked the artifact under his robe, as Yugi and Yami had done. Thankfully, the garments were loose enough to hide the small bulges the Items caused. 'Bakura. What caused you to turn so cold? What were you like here?' he thought.
"Ryou! Come on, we're waiting for you!" Joey yelled.
"Oh right, sorry! I'm coming!" Ryou waved and raced to catch up to the others.
***
After a few hours passed and the only thing the group found was a cart selling bread and fish for dinner, everyone decided to head back to camp and call it a day. Dusk was quickly turning to night as they settled around the oasis.
"Well, this has definitely been an interesting day. I'm gonna go hit the sack. G'night, everybody!" Joey said as he yawned and walked toward one of the tents. Trunks rolled his eyes as he reached over and grabbed the blonde by the back of his collar.
"Hold it. You're not going anywhere until one last detail's been smoothed out." he said, yanking him back toward the others.
"Last detail?" Tea asked, blinking.
"The first rule of survival in an unknown location. Always have someone on watch at all times. If we let our guard down here, we'll be sitting ducks for roving bandits." Trunks explained.
"Bandits. Right." Rebecca said skeptically. "Somebody's been watching too many old movies..........................."
"He has a point, Rebecca. If we all go to sleep now, we might not wake up tomorrow morning." Yami said calmly.
The angel's eyes widened as she gulped. "You mean..........................."
"Ghhxrck!" Tristan finished for her, drawing a finger across his throat. Rebecca gripped her throat, shutting up.
"All right then. How do we set up who's on watch?" Videl asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"We'll all take shifts." Yugi said. "If we get roughly eight hours of sleep each night, we'll rotate every two hours and forty minutes or so in groups of three."
"There's a slight problem. There's ten of us here, so who's the odd one out?" Ryou pointed out.
"Whatever shift Yugi's in, I'll take as well, bringing that group's total up to four." Yami said. Tea grinned.
"Oh, that's so cute!" she squealed, earning a strange look from Gohan.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"You mean you haven't figured it out yet that they're--"
"Okay, moving on." Trunks said quickly, a faint blush coloring his cheeks. "Time to pick who's with who in what shift." Rebecca found her notepad and a pen in one of her Capsules. Yami took a sheet from it and tore it into nine squares, writing a number on each square and putting them all in Tristan's turban.
"Everybody take a piece of paper. If you get a '1,' you're in the first shift, '2' is in the second shift, and '3' will get you in the third shift. No arguing, complaining, or trading, so choose carefully." Yami explained, holding the turban out. After everyone drew their slips, they opened them and read their assignments.
"I've got the first shift........." Ryou said, looking at his paper. Trunks tapped him on the shoulder and showed him his paper, this one also bearing the number one.
"Looks like we'll have plenty of time to discuss what happened now." he said, smirking in a way he definitely inherited from Vegeta.
"Okay, new rule. No killing, maiming, or otherwise injuring anyone you're sharing the shift with." Tristan said, holding up his paper giving him the third and final shift.
"Men........." Videl muttered, finding herself in the second shift. Gohan read over her shoulder and shrugged.
"I'm in the third shift. Hopefully us being apart'll help keep the adults from meddling........."
"Don't bet on it........." Rebecca rolled her eyes as she opened her paper, assigning her to the first shift.
"I've got the second shift." Yugi said, looking up from his slip. Yami nodded to indicate he'd heard his small light.
"I'm in the third one." Tea said, yawning quietly.
"And that leaves me for the second shift." Joey added, wadding his paper up and throwing it over his shoulder, where it hit Trunks in the head. "Oops........."
"All right, everyone knows what shift they have. Ryou, Trunks, Rebecca, have fun. Wake us when it's time for our shift." Yami said as he and the others went into their respective tents. Ryou gulped as he glanced at Trunks who was starting a campfire.
"Don't worry, I don't want to kill you anymore." The lavender-haired boy said as he used a small blast of energy to set the branches he'd collected on fire. Rebecca sat by the fire's heat while Ryou splashed some of the oasis water on his face to keep him awake. Trunks stared up at the stars silently.
Rebecca shivered. "Okay, we're in the middle of the desert. How can it be so frigging cold out?" she complained. Trunks reached over, picked up her Capsule Box, and threw it at her head. "Hey!"
"Quit griping. In case you haven't noticed, there are extra blankets in one of your Capsules." He said, irritated.
"Anyway, it always gets this cold out in the desert at night." Ryou pointed out. "My father learned that lesson the hard way."
The brunette huffed and activated the Capsule, wrapping a thick woolen blanket around herself. Ryou did the same and laughed as he looked at the guide in his box. "Hey, look what I found!" he exclaimed as he opened another Capsule. Inside were two bags of marshmallows and a set of sticks. "Who's up for a pre-midnight snack?" For the first time since they got there, Trunks genuinely smiled and took one of the sticks, opening a bag and skewering a marshmallow on it. Ryou and Rebecca also began roasting their own marshmallows. After a few moments, Trunks pulled his from the fire and blew out the small flames that had formed on it, plucking the marshmallow off and popping it in his mouth. Ryou shifted uncomfortably before clearing his throat.
"Um, Trunks? Can I ask you something?"
Trunks swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, what is it?"
"Well, stop me if I'm being too nosy, but........." He took a deep breath. "What exactly did Bakura do to your mother in your time?" Trunks set his stick down and sighed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked........." Ryou apologized.
"No, you have the right to know after what I tried to do to you. It's kind of a long story, but what happened is this........."
Author's Notes
Peacenikky: Please don't kill me! I know it's been forever since I updated, but I've had a lot going on! Anyway, I know I've left y'all on a major cliffhanger, but hey, I'm the authoress! I'm allowed to be evil!
Judi: Oh no, being with me's finally made her crack.........
Rebeccca: No, she's just thrilled to get the chapter finished.
Peacenikky: Anyway, we'll be working on juggling the upcoming new school year with fic writing, so bear with us. I can't believe I've been here for a year now.........
Judi: Yep, uncork the champagne and let's celebrate......... I'm going to sleep.
Peacenikky: *Groan* Peace, love, and marshmallow bunnies, everyone! Bye!