A/N: First, I have to say that my random notes are important this time, so make sure to read them, okay? ^_^
Secondly, I'd like to say, Geez! I got a ton of reviews! *Hugs all and hands out cookies*
Ara: Yay, a new person! ^_^ Glad you like Mafdet. It always makes me happy when people say that they like her. Thanks a ton for the review!
C.A.: Yami B is just standing there with this odd look on his face, repeating 'Cute?' I have no idea whether he's happy or po'ed. XD Anyway, thanks for the review. And I tried to make this chappie longer. ^_^
Wingleader Sora Jade: *Eyes wide, and falls over* Another person's who's fics I love reviewed! Must... Not... Faint...
I'm glad you like the humor in there, and thanks for the compliment. ^_^ Oh, and about Malik... *Whistles* Read on. ^_^ And thanks so much for the review!
Ryuujin Dragon King: *Smirk* Longer chapter, you have.
"...": Thanks for the review! I'm flattered you read it all at once. ^_^
BlackScarab: *Waves 'Free the sharks' sign* ^_^ Thanks for the review. You should get answers about Yami in another few chapters, I think.
Borath: *Very happy* Thanks a ton for the compliment! *Ego has expanded* I'm glad you liked the part with Yami B's vase dream, and the scenes between Joey and Yami. ^_^
It's soooo much fun to torture Yami. *Evil smirk* Oh, and like I said to BlackScarab, the problem with Yami should be revealed in another few chapters. I think. I'm glad you like. ^_^
All language speaking is explained here, too. They're so in trouble.
Ashita: Chocolate! XD The group's all so disorganized. ^_^ I have so much fun being evil to them. I'm glad you like the vase dream, too.
Other Notes: Okay, these notes are a little more important, and I want to know what you all think.
First off, I had originally intended for there to be an original character in a minor role coming up in about 3 or 4 chapters, but I've been nervous about introducing one into the fic, since they're so unpopular and I like that this fic is going well. ^_^ I can do this without her, but it would tie the timelines of Eien and Itsumo a little better if she was in it. Though, if everyone is opposed, I'll find some way around her showing up in Eien. (Another note, she wouldn't be in Fumetsu even if she was in Eien.) She will NOT be romantically involved with anyone, and isn't a teen or young adult either, she's a little girl. And the focus of the story will NOT be on her. She'll show up to play her part, then leave. She'll only be in for about 2 chapters at most, and that's only if you all say you don't mind. If you do, I have no problem with figuring something else out. ^_^
Okay, secondly and much more minor, while I'm revising this fic I wanted to know if people minded the differences in the speech patterns from what's in the show. You know, like how in the show Yami and Yami B have such formal speech, while it's more casual in this fic. I wondered if anyone would like me to work with that, or specifically not mess with it.
Third, another simple thing like the speech, I was thinking about Bakura and Yami B. While I'm not going to switch from calling Yami B... Well... Yami B, at least not until later, *cough*, I was thinking about going and changing Bakura to Ryou when referred to by the narration, like I do with Seto. The people who call him Bakura will still do so, however. Does this sound good, or bad?
Yet another thing, I was considering honorifics. They can add a little bit of feeling and give a look at how the group talks and interacts, but again, if people don't want to, I won't. ^_^
Last thing isn't really a question, just a comment. XD In this chapter, they get to Egypt. However, I didn't have many resources I could use to figure out exactly what modern day Egypt is like, and everything kept confusion my about, say, where Memphis was/is in relation to Cairo, or Luxor in comparison to Thebes. So I did my best, but if I got something wrong, don't hesitate to tell me and I'll fix it. ^_^
About the upcoming rewrite, just so everyone knows, I'm saving the original version of this fic too, and not just writing over it. I'll put up the unedited version on my website along with the edited one once the whole story is finished.
Oh, and no Rod jokes, alright? XD
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.
Warnings: Er... Maybe cursing? I'm not sure, actually...
Summary of Last Chapter: Yami kicked Joey's arse in games, Yami B showed off his horrid Morse Code skills, and the group arrived (finally!) in Egypt.
Preview of this chapter: They go out into Egypt, argue a lot, and meet up with some old friends/enemies. And it's over 10 pages. Better? XD
Japanese:
Baka - Idiot
Jii-chan - Grandpa (Informal)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Eien; part 18
by: Amiasha
"So, where are we anyway?" Tristan asked, leaning to look over Sugoroku's shoulder at the map he was unfolding.
"Cairo." Sugoroku answered, turning away so he could look at the map without a boy hovering over his shoulder. But it didn't really work, since almost immediately Yami B had taken Tristan's place.
"Cairo?" He asked, looking at the map in confusion. "This looks like where Memphis is... Or was?"
"Yes, the city of Memphis used to be here." Sugoroku answered, looking somewhat annoyed but then seeing the elated look on Yami B's face. "Here. Have the map." He offered, handing it to the white haired teen.
Yami B sat back, seeming very pleased and opening up the map.
"So, what are we going to do? We need to figure out how to go about getting rid of this guy, whatever his name was." Tea asked. "And it might not be a bad idea to get Yami looked at by a doctor, either." She added, casting a glance at Yami who was leaning back with his eyes closed. Yami opened one eye and gave her a rather annoyed look.
"I don't really know where we're going." Yami B answered honestly. He continued to inspect the map. "Pharaoh? How about you?"
Yami opened his other eye, sighing. "No, I don't." He replied, earning some looks from the others.
"You don't know where we're goin'?" Joey asked, somewhat confused but not accusatory. "'Den what're we supposed to do?"
Yami shuddered suddenly, making Yuugi clutch on to his arm in and give him a very worried look. "I really don't know, Joey..." Yami answered, shrugging off the coats around his shoulders. He was feeling extremely hot, which was a huge turnaround from earlier when he'd been freezing.
"Well, I'm certain that we'll figure it out when we need to." Bakura said reassuringly. "We always do. Everything falls into place whether or not we do anything. Don't worry about it, Yami."
Yami gave him a grateful smile, before leaning his head back and closing his eyes again.
"So, are we going to stay here in Cairo, or travel somewhere?" Mai asked, leaning forward to place her elbows on her knees so she could set her chin in her hands. "Because if we're gonna' be out in the sun for awhile, I'm going to change into something more desert suited before we head out."
"I think we should get somewhere to stay for the night, and then decide if we want to head out tomorrow. It's six in the evening." Yami B stated his opinion.
"Sounds good to me." Sugoroku agreed, and the rest of the group, Seto included, followed suit. "We'll need to rent cars or something though, won't we?"
"It depends how far away the next hotel is." Bakura said, as his dark nodded vigorously to the implied idea of walking. "Though having Yami out in the sun for awhile might not be very smart."
Yami frowned and opened his eyes again, brushing back his now slightly damp bangs. "There's no need to spend extra money; don't worry about me so much. It's not as if I'm just going to collapse."
The rest of them looked at the spirit strangely, and Yami realized his mistake. "... Or at least I won't again."
Sugoroku was not convinced in the slightest. "Right. And you said you were fine this morning, too." He replied, seemingly satisfied when Yami gave a somewhat guilty look before leaning back again and staring off into space.
Tea was about to add something when a monster roared. In actuality it was Joey's stomach, but to everyone, even the two spirits, it had sounded alive.
Joey laughed nervously with a goofy grin on his face. "I'm hungry." The blond said, stating the obvious. "Can we get somethin' ta' eat?" He asked, and most of the others murmured their agreement.
Sugoroku was getting slightly annoyed, seeing as how there was yet another distraction. He cast a worried glance at his oldest grandson who was seemingly wilting, the spirit's hair drooping slightly and his eyes hazy. "There will be time to eat once we get to the hotel." He said in a tone that left no room for arguing.
"Aw, but-" Joey began anyway, but stopped himself. He seemed to read Sugoroku's mind, looking over at Yami worriedly.
Said spirit suddenly pitched forward, scaring everyone senseless. Yuugi gave a yelp of alarm and was able to keep his dark from falling off the bench, putting one arm around Yami's waist and the other around his back in almost a sideways hug. "Yami!?" Yuugi asked frantically. "Yami, what's wrong!?"
"I-I just lost my balance." Yami answered, somewhat shocked at himself.
Yuugi chewed on his lower lip for a second. "Why don't you lay down again...?" He suggested carefully.
Sugoroku nodded his agreement and shooed a few members of the group of the bench so the spirit could stretch out on his back.
Yami sighed heavily, getting very tired of this whole ordeal. He wanted to get the mess over with and go back home to Japan. "We're not intending to stay here in the airport, are we?" Yami asked, sounding a little depressed.
"No, we aren't." Seto answered before anyone else could open their mouths, picking up his briefcase and bag before also scooping up his discarded coat. "We're going to go get a hotel like we'd agreed on."
Joey turned and scowled at him. "Oh yeah? Well in case you weren't aware, KAIBA, you're not in charge of this organization."
Seto simply smirked as Joey started to get worked up. "No, you're right. I'm not in charge of this. Yami and Yami Bakura are. Yami Bakura's simply being polite, and Yami's already expressed the desire to leave. So I don't see what your problem is here, Wheeler."
Joey opened his mouth to respond, then closed it. He just stared for a few seconds.
But Seto wasn't done yet. "That and I had no idea you knew what the word 'organization' meant."
Joey growled loudly and lunged for Seto, but Tristan, Ryuuji, and Bakura grabbed him.
Tea was getting annoyed now. "Stop squabbling!" She shouted angrily. "This is not the time! Frankly, Kaiba, I'd think you would be more mature than this, and Joey, I would think you could control your temper. If Kaiba's going to act like a seven year old, then be the bigger man and shut up."
Joey and Seto stared dumbly at her. Very slowly Seto raised his hand and pointed at Joey. "He snapped at me first."
Tea brandished her purse dangerously, and the two boys, surprisingly, made themselves scarce. Tea, satisfied, turned back toward the Motou's and almost immediately tripped over something soft and furry that made a loud yowling noise of offense. "Mafdet!"
Mafdet, who had gotten out yet again, was in the process of making her way over to lay on Yami when Tea had tripped over her. The cat was perfectly fine, but her pride was somewhat bruised and she made it known, stalking haughtily over to jump onto the bench and curl up on Yami's chest.
"How...?" Sugoroku wondered, looking at the open catcarrier which was unharmed, just open.
Mafdet mewed happily, beginning to purr loudly and kneed the base of Yami's throat.
"She's a cat." Yami B answered as if it was obvious. "And not just any cat. She's named after a goddess, and bonded to Yami. Of course she can do strange things."
"She's trying to murder me." Yami muttered, shoving his kitten's claws away from his throat and sitting back up with Mafdet held gently against his chest.
"Yami..." Yuugi protested, but helped steady his dark anyway.
"Can we go?" Yami asked, petting Mafdet absently. He gave Sugoroku the puppy eyes that he was so surprisingly good at. "Please, jii-chan?"
Sugoroku started to say no, but changed his mind. "Fine. We should get you somewhere quiet anyway. We just need to find out if there's a hotel nearby before we set out."
"I can go ask someone, they may know." Serenity offered.
"If they're speaking Arabic, you're going to have a hard time." Yami B pointed out calmly.
Serenity frowned, thinking. "Don't you speak Arabic?" She asked Yami B.
Yami B shook his head. "Egyptian." He answered.
Serenity sighed, feeling stupid. "Of course." She said. "Well, maybe they speak English?" And with that, she headed for to find someone who looked like they'd know where a hotel was with Ryuuji in tow. While she could speak English well, the green eyes boy was flawless at the language.
Mafdet wiggled out of Yami's arms, batting at his bangs once before bouncing over to rub on Mokuba's legs. She looked up at the black haired boy and stretched, putting her paws on his knees. "Mreow?"
"She wants you to pick her up and tell her that she's the queen of the world and the very best cat ever." Yami said, with a small smile.
Mokuba grinned and picked Mafdet up. The kitten climbed up and sat on his head then looked off behind him to were Serenity and Ryuuji were returning, with triumphant looks on their faces.
"There's a hotel a block down the street." Serenity said.
Sugoroku looked at Yami with concern. "Do you think you'll be alright?" He asked.
Yami gave an exasperated look. "Yes, jii-chan, I'll be fine. It's only a block. I'm not going to die." He assured.
Joey, who had come back from hiding, nodded. "I'll carry ya' again, too." He declared. "After all, you've still got a fever an' walking around'll make it worse."
"Joey, it's not that bad." Yami protested. "Really. I can walk." He insisted.
Bakura stepped in, placing a hand against Yami's forehead before he could protest. The white haired teen considered for a second, before taking his hand away. "Yami," He said, "I'm not a doctor, but I'm guessing you have a fever of at least 101. And we're in Egypt. It wouldn't hurt to let Joey carry you, and, the risks that would arise from you being stubborn aren't worth it." He paused for a second, and smiled. "That, and you may as well go along with it because I have the feeling you have no choice in the matter."
Yami blinked, then laughed. "I think you're right." He admitted.
"'Den it's settled." Joey grinned, carefully lifting Yami up into his arms again. "Now can we go? 'Da soona' we get to 'da hotel, 'da sooner we can eat."
Yami looked at Joey. "Don't make me hit you again." He warned.
Joey continued to grin stupidly, while the others gathered their bags and Mafdet. Tristan got stuck with Joey's bags.
"How about we trade?" Tristan proposed, shifting his and Joey's bags on his shoulders. "I'll take Yami, and you take the bags."
"Heh, no way." Joey said, turning away quickly in an almost 'you can't have it' gesture.
"But you got to carry him earlier, and I had to carry your bags then." Tristan protested. "It's your turn to get stuck with the heavy stuff."
The group, including Yami, just sort of stared. The spirit sighed and laid his head against Joey's shoulder. "This is quite possibly the dumbest discussion you two have ever had." He muttered.
Joey and Tristan laughed nervously.
Yami B was getting impatient. "Can we get going? I want to see Egypt, and I'm sure the Pharaoh does too." He said, looking longingly toward the door
"I don't see why not. It's getting late, and we should go to the hotel before night falls." Sugoroku said, turning to head out of the airport with the rest of the group right behind him.
As they exited the airport, the yamis got their first look at Egypt in thousands of years. The city of Cairo was bustling with activity, people going everywhere and doing everything, from tourists to merchants. The city seemed to be almost painted entirely gold from afternoon sun.
The wind picked up for a moment, blowing a little sand into the group's faces. Yami B looked elated, his eyes closed and head tilted back; Yami had a small smile and eyes that were somwhat glazed, this time from the flickers of images that were resurfacing in his memory.
The rest of the group stood quietly for a few moments while the two Egyptians reveled in being back in their homeland. About two minutes later, Yami B turned his head to look at them and Yami blinked a few times.
"Alright, let's get to this hotel." Yami B said, back to business, casting his gaze out over the streets. "The sooner we get there, the sooner I can come back out here and have a look around."
No one protested, knowing the spirit wasn't in any danger from traveling Cairo's streets at night. In fact, Bakura was much more worried for the citizens and their valuables than the white haired thief.
Yami looked up weakly, frowning. "I want to see more of this city as well." He said, then just sighed as a chorus of 'No, you're going to get some rest' came from the rest of the group, even the Kaiba brothers. The smaller of the two spirits pouted darkly and refused to look at any of them.
Yuugi sighed as well and shook his head despairingly at his dark. /I know you want to see more of Egypt, but you can always go sight seeing after you get well again. I'm sure that, if all else fails, Grandpa will take us back to Egypt during fall break./
Yami wasn't especially happy with that idea. //But...// He protested, before giving up and laying his head against Joey's shoulder in exhaustion. "I give up..."
Yuugi smiled through their link. /That's a good idea./ He said.
Serenity and Ryuuji began leading the rest of the group toward the hotel, all of them pushing their ways through the crowds of people.
"They're like jelly." Ryuuji suddenly stated, looking around at all the people everywhere. "They're a big mass of wiggling jelly, all stuck together and when you try to get through, they suck you into the mass. Like that bad American movie."
Everyone just stared at Ryuuji like he was crazy.
Ryuuji looked over his shoulder back at them. "What?" He asked, confused.
"Nothing, Ryuuji." Tristan answered, shaking his head. "Nothing. So, how much farther to the hotel? I'm getting bored." He said, jogging a few steps to catch up with his friend.
"It should be right around here." Ryuuji said, looking around. He glanced over at Serenity. "Right?"
"Yeah, that's what that guy said..." Serenity said, worry starting to show on her face. "Maybe it's just a little farther..."
Ryuuji nodded, and the pair kept on going with the group in tow. Another block later, and there was still no hotel.
"We're screwed." Ryuuji said flatly, slumping his shoulders in defeat.
Everyone sighed heavily.
Seto looked somewhat annoyed. His eyes had narrowed and his fists had clenched, and Ryuuji and Serenity suddenly had the urge to back away. Especially when they saw Mokuba inching farther toward Yuugi.
"Who exactly did you two ask?" Seto asked, his voice calm.
"He was... Some guy?" Serenity said, more of a question than a statement.
Seto just stared at her.
Yami B coughed a few times pointedly and then cleared his throat. "Look, if there's no place to stay here, then let's look for one somewhere else." He said darkly.
Sugoroku nodded his agreement, not really surprised by the whole turn of events. For some reason, bad luck seemed to follow them everywhere. Like Duelist Kingdom. And Battle City. And a bunch of other places. He just rolled his eyes and looked over to check on his grandsons.
Yuugi was just looking anxious and somewhat hot, fanning himself with his hand and watching Serenity hide behind Ryuuji while Seto glared menacingly at them.
Yami had apparently fallen asleep in Joey's arms, his long gold bangs having fallen into his closed eyes. His cheeks were flushed brightly, indicating that his fever had risen again.
Sugoroku looked back over at Seto who was now in a shouting match with Ryuuji, and at Tristan who was trying to keep the two from getting at each other. "Boys!" He shouted, gaining the attention of the three along with the rest of the group. They all looked at him, and he continued. "Like Yami Bakura pointed out, we need to find somewhere to stay since this was obviously false information. At the very least, we need to get into the shade."
Yami B nodded, frowning with his arms crossed. "There's no point in standing here and doing nothing. In case you've forgotten, this is Egypt. You're not supposed to just stand out in the sun for no reason at all, especially not dressed like we are and with someone who's very ill." He said.
His words seemed to bring the other's back to their senses, and they immediately looked guilty. Or at least everyone but Seto did. Seto didn't look much like he cared, but he obviously did.
The group moved into the shade of a nearby building, sitting down to try to figure out what to do.
"Well, we need somewhere to stay. It can't be that hard. Though if there's no hotel within walking distance, someone will have to go get a car." Yami B said, showing his displeasure with the situation by scowling.
Seto looked at Ryuuji and Serenity, who glared daggers back at him. Joey added his own glare into the mix, then his attention was drawn away as Yami stirred.
The spirit blinked a few times, looking up. "How long was I asleep?" He asked drowsily, casting a glance at his surroundings and looking confused to see them all sitting against a building.
"Only about ten minutes, at most." Yuugi answered, leaning against his dark and Joey.
Yami looked confused. "Where in Ra's name are we? And what happened to the hotel?" He asked, becoming slightly more alert and sitting up straight in Joey's lap, ignoring the pain that shot through his head again.
"Uh, well..." Joey started, trailing off. "Ya'see, Yami, turns out 'dere wasn't any hotel. Serenity and Ryuuji got duped." He said, earning glares from his little sister and the black haired teen.
Yami gave them all a look that just screamed, 'Are you seriously doing this to me?' He sighed and slumped back against Joey's chest as the feeling of dizziness returned, worse than usual. The dark shivered despite the desert sun and moved closer to Joey.
"How are you, Yami?" Sugoroku asked worriedly, coming over to kneel next to his grandsons and Joey.
"Like I just stopped spinning around in circles very quickly in the middle of Antarctica." Yami answered flatly, hiding his face in the fabric of Joey's shirt and shivering again.
Sugoroku was not reassured in the slightest. "Can somebody actually find a place for us to stay, and not just talk about it?" He asked, addressing the rest of the group. "Kaiba, can't you just call your business for directions?" He asked.
"Well..." Seto said, surprisingly looking somewhat sheepish. "I would, but the cell phone is dead. And it won't come back. I've changed the battery and everything. I have no idea what's wrong with it."
The group, even Yami, let out a collective sigh of exasperation, and Ryuuji had to restrain himself from standing up and shouting, 'Ha!'
Suddenly, everyone was startled as a familiar voice rang out from behind them. "Yuugi? Seto Kaiba?"
Everyone looked to see the last person they had been expecting. Isis Ishtar was standing a few feet from them, looking at all of them in confusion. She was wearing a short sleeved gathered shirt and a long flowing skirt, along with her trademark circlet.
"Isis!" Tea exclaimed in surprise.
The black haired woman stared at them. "What are you all doing here?" She asked, moving over to join them.
"It's a very, very long story." Bakura told her, sighing and brushing his hair back over his shoulder.
Isis frowned, looking up toward the setting sun. "It's nearly nightfall. Why are you all just sitting out here on the street and not staying somewhere?" She asked, scanning the group.
"Ryuuji and Serenity got false information from some random person in the airport, and we've yet to find a hotel." Yami B said sullenly, sounding less than pleased.
Isis nodded in understanding. She was about to open her mouth to say something, when she noticed Yami. The Egyptian woman rushed over and knelt next to him. "Oh my Pharaoh, what's happened to you?" She asked worriedly.
Yami blearily opened his eyes to acknowledge her, before laying back against Joey and closing them again.
Isis furrowed her eyebrows and looked to Yuugi. "What's wrong?" She asked the teen, gently brushing back Yami's damp bangs while she spoke.
"He just suddenly got really sick." Yuugi said, looking up into Isis's blue eyes. "I noticed he looked a little pale last night, but then he passed out this morning and's just been getting worse." He explained sadly.
Isis nodded. "Well, seeing as you have no place to stay and our Pharaoh needs rest, I'm going to take you all back to my and my brothers' house." She declared, not leaving room for disagreement even if someone had been opposed. Which no one was.
"Thank you, Mrs. Ishtar." Sugoroku said graciously. "How far away is your house?"
"Not too far." She replied, standing and motioning for the others to do the same. "About a 30 minute walk, less if we don't dawdle." Isis said, turning to begin to lead the others through the streets.
Joey got up carefully, so as not to jostle Yami who had drifted back into an uneasy sleep. The blond was starting to get more and more worried for the teen in his arms. The spirit was getting a lot worse as the day went on, not better, and he had a challenge ahead of him. Joey hoped that Isis would have some miracle cure for the dark.
The sun had sunk behind the buildings by the time Isis had led them to her house, and night had fallen. The air had chilled remarkably in the short amount of time, and, surprisingly, the sky had clouded.
Isis opened the door to her house, and led the others inside. The house was small and cozy, with gold walls and white carpet. The furniture was a dark forest green, and there were tall floor lamps placed around the visible rooms to add extra light. To the group's left was a small kitchen with white tile, directly in front of them were the combined living and dining rooms, while to their rights was a closet. From the family room a very short hallway led to a staircase going up to the second story.
"Malik! Rishid!" Isis called, flipping on the lights as she went through the house. "Are either of you home?"
There were some footsteps from the stairwell, then the hallway, before Rishid came into view. His golden eyes widened slightly as he saw the others but he didn't comment, instead turning his attention back to Isis. "Malik has gone out shopping. He should be back soon."
Isis nodded. "Rishid, could you go out and get some more food? We don't have enough here for this large of a group." She asked.
Rishid nodded respectfully. "Consider it done." He said, grabbing his cloak and heading out the door.
Isis looked back at the others. "Yuugi and Joey, bring Yami and come with me. Everyone else, make yourselves at home and please alert me if either of my brothers return." She requested, and the group gave a collective nod.
Isis motioned to Yuugi and Joey, and led them upstairs. The carpet and walls of the second story were the same colors as the first, and there were three rooms and a bathroom. Isis turned around the banister, going to the right and then parallel to the stairway to enter her room.
Isis's room had the same white carpet as the others, but the walls and bedspread were deep, royal purple. A cherry wood chest and wardrobe were against opposite walls, with the headboard of the bed against the another wall under a window and the footboard in the center of the room. A large floor length mirror was hung up on the wall next to the bed, and on the bed's other side was a nightstand with a small lamp.
"Is he asleep?" Isis asked Joey, looking over at the spirit in his arms in concern.
"Yeah, I think so." Joey said, nodding.
Isis nodded, considering for a moment. "Well, first it'd be best to get him into some warmer clothes. If he doesn't have any, I'm sure Malik does." She said. "Meanwhile, set him on my bed, Joey."
The blond nodded, moving over and placing Yami carefully on the bed, somewhat freaked out when he didn't move at all.
Yuugi set down the bag he and Yami shared, and began searching through it. "No, when we packed for Egypt, we didn't really consider warm clothes..." Yuugi laughed nervously. "We were kinda' distracted. Yami was hyper about going to Egypt, and I had been beaten over the head with a pillow."
Isis smiled but decided not to ask. "I'll go grab some of Malik's clothes, then. I'll be right back." She said, exiting the room.
Joey sat down on the foot of the bed and looked at Yuugi. "Odd twist a' luck, huh? Isis findin' us, I mean." He remarked, running a hand through his messy hair.
Yuugi nodded and walked over to climb onto the bed too. The boy gently touched his dark's shoulder, shaking him lightly. /Hey, Yami, wake up.../ He said softly.
Yami barely reacted, murmuring something inaudibly and shivering again.
Yuugi sniffed in worry and was about to try again when Isis returned, with some lavender and blue clothing draped over her arm. She handed it to the tri-color haired boy. "Here." She said. "This'll be a little big on him, but maybe he'll be a little warmer. Call me back after you get him to change." She said with a sympathetic smile, before heading out of the room again to find out what in the world was making the crashes downstairs.
Yuugi looked at the clothes, then at his still dark, and back at the clothes. "It'd be easier if we didn't worry about waking him up." He stated. "I'm... Not sure he will, anyway..." Yuugi said, his voice breaking and tears starting to come up into his eyes.
"Aw, don't say that Yuge." Joey said, pulling Yuugi into a hug. "He's just sleepin'. 'Dat's good for him and it'll let 'im get better." He reassured the smaller boy.
Yuugi sniffled for a few seconds before nodding and wiping his eyes on his jacket sleeve. "You're right..." He said, pulling back. He glanced over at Yami, who was shivering again despite the comfortable temperature Isis kept the house at. "I'm being silly, anyway. Just worrying too much." He said, nodding again as if to try to convince himself. He looked up at Joey. "Come on, let's get him changed so he'll get a little warmer."
A few minutes later, in which Yami had only become partially awake before falling back asleep, they had gotten the spirit into some of Malik's clothes which consisted of a long sleeved lavender turtleneck and light blue jeans.
Joey went to go get Isis, while Yuugi pulled the purple covers up around his dark's shoulders and sat next to him. /Yami?/ He tried again, but was unsurprised to get no response. Yuugi sighed softly.
Isis and Joey both came back into the room, Isis with a bowl of water and a cloth. She set the bowl on the night stand and carefully turned Yami onto his back, readjusting the blankets when they slipped off his shoulders.
"Was he this ill this morning?" She asked, sitting down on the bed and looking up at Yuugi and Joey as she wet the cloth and laid it across Yami's forehead.
"Not... This bad." Yuugi said. "He passed out early this morning, but then he woke up and besides dizziness and a headache was alright... Then he fell back asleep again, but Joey said that he woke up again on the plane and was alright for awhile. Right?" Yuugi asked, looking at Joey.
"Yeah." Joey said. "He was fine for about half an hour, 'den he passed out again. But he woke up pretty quickly and was just dizzy, so he stayed up for awhile before fallin' back asleep. 'Den, before we landed in Egypt, he seemed much better until we got out into Cairo for while, when he suddenly got way, way worse, like 'dis."
Isis frowned in consideration, repositioning the cloth when she decided she didn't like where it was. "That's very strange..." She said finally. "It's not really like any other illness I know of. What were his symptoms?" She asked, trying her hardest to figure out what was wrong so she could fix it.
"Um... Dizziness, headache, and a fever, mostly." Yuugi told her. "And he's been really exhausted and kind of pale. And he's not eating, either. I haven't managed to get him to eat since lunch yesterday." He realized, this information making him feel less than reassured.
Isis frowned again. "Well, I would say a flu or something, but this seems to be very severe and quick, too. I'm not really sure... Can he take medicine, Yuugi?" She asked.
Yuugi shook his head sadly. "No. He's really allergic." He said, not really wanting to think about exactly how they had found out that the spirit was deathly allergic to any sort of medication.
"Well, then we'll have to settle for home remedies, then." Isis decided. "When my brothers get home, I'll set them to cooking and we'll see if we can get him to eat anything. Sleeping may do a lot for him, though." She said.
Yuugi nodded nervously, brushing back Yami's bangs.
"You're welcome to stay here with him, Yuugi." Isis said gently. She looked over her shoulder at the blond standing behind her. "And you too, Joey. I'll let you know when food is done."
Yuugi and Joey both smiled, obviously pleased. "Thank you, Isis." Yuugi said gratefully.
The black haired woman smiled. "No problem, Yuugi." She said, smiling at him. "Don't hesitate to come get me if you need me for anything." She offered, standing up.
Yuugi smiled again, and nodded before curling up next to his dark. Joey sat down on the bed next to the two of them, and Isis left the room.
************
Yami B was very bored. And bored yami was not a happy yami. He was sick of listening to the idiots he was surrounded with, the only interesting person to talk to or harass besides his other was bedridden, and his other seemed to have gotten very, very good at ignoring him.
The white haired thief tossed his hair and scowled darkly, casting a glance around the room. He was immediately bored by the decor and was about to get up to go check on Yami, when the door opened again and two people entered.
The first was Rishid, carrying a bunch of grocery bags and looking somewhat exasperated as the figure behind him talked nonstop in a very familiar voice. And suddenly Yami B was no longer bored.
"Malik!" He said, sounding much happier than he had wanted to as he stood up.
The platinum blond looked up, smiling as he saw his friend. "Yami Bakura!" He exclaimed, running over. "And everyone else too." He said, his tone completely unreadable as to whether he thought this was good or bad. "Well, except Wheeler, Yuugi, and the Pharaoh." He observed, shrugging and turning back to Yami B. He gave a devilish smirk. "And you haven't changed in the slightest.
"Thank you for the observation, baka." Yami B said, rolling his eyes but obviously happy. "You tend not to grow or anything when you're dead."
"Oh, of course. How silly of me." Malik said, still smirking. "Poor, dead Yami Bakura, who'll never reach my height."
Yami B glared at him. "Very amusing." He said. "But I still have on up on you. You don't come back unexplainably if someone kills you."
Malik sweatdropped slightly. "Fine. You win." He conceded.
Yami B grinned, showing his pointy white teeth. "No surprise there."
Malik rolled his eyes and sighed. "How and why did all of you get here?" He asked, looking around at the group and putting a hand on his hip.
"Well, you see, it's a long story and all the Pharaoh's fault." Yami B said, more jokingly than serious. "But we'll explain later, probably at dinner when everyone's gathered up. Rishid seems... Busy." He commented, looking at Rishid who had been joined by Isis and was trying to cook all the food he'd had to buy. "And your sister, too."
Malik nodded, petting the Millennium Rod that he had been carrying. "Where are Yuugi, Wheeler, and the Pharaoh, anyway?" He asked curiously.
Yami B turned to look back at him, putting his hands in the pockets of his green jacket. "Pharaoh's sick, and the two are upstairs with him." He answered, feeling a hint of worry.
Malik, for how much he still proclaimed he thought Yami was somewhat of a brat, didn't hate the spirit anymore now that he had learned that his father's death had been due to his own yami. He seemed a little worried at Yami B's words. "Nothing serious?"
"I'm not sure." Yami B answered, looking away from Malik and pulling his hands out of his pockets.
Malik noticed that the two spirits seemed to be much more friendly than the last time he had seen them. In fact, last time he had seen them, the two darks had hated each other with a passion. "Well, I'm sure Isis'll get him well again and it'll be over with." He said, smiling at Yami B when the white haired spirit looked back at him. "But I'm very anxious to hear exactly what you're all doing in Egypt, let alone at my house."
"Well, we wouldn't have been at your house if not for those two." Yami B answered, motioning toward Serenity and Ryuuji with his thumb. They seemed to notice why he was and scowled at him.
"Oh really?" Malik asked in amusement. "I can't wait to hear this story..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: There. All sortsa' stuff in this chappie. ^_^ I even got Malik into the picture in here, too! *Proud*
Anyway, please review and if you have anything to add about the things I mentioned in my note, don't forget them either. ^_^
Ara: Yay, a new person! ^_^ Glad you like Mafdet. It always makes me happy when people say that they like her. Thanks a ton for the review!
C.A.: Yami B is just standing there with this odd look on his face, repeating 'Cute?' I have no idea whether he's happy or po'ed. XD Anyway, thanks for the review. And I tried to make this chappie longer. ^_^
Wingleader Sora Jade: *Eyes wide, and falls over* Another person's who's fics I love reviewed! Must... Not... Faint...
I'm glad you like the humor in there, and thanks for the compliment. ^_^ Oh, and about Malik... *Whistles* Read on. ^_^ And thanks so much for the review!
Ryuujin Dragon King: *Smirk* Longer chapter, you have.
"...": Thanks for the review! I'm flattered you read it all at once. ^_^
BlackScarab: *Waves 'Free the sharks' sign* ^_^ Thanks for the review. You should get answers about Yami in another few chapters, I think.
Borath: *Very happy* Thanks a ton for the compliment! *Ego has expanded* I'm glad you liked the part with Yami B's vase dream, and the scenes between Joey and Yami. ^_^
It's soooo much fun to torture Yami. *Evil smirk* Oh, and like I said to BlackScarab, the problem with Yami should be revealed in another few chapters. I think. I'm glad you like. ^_^
All language speaking is explained here, too. They're so in trouble.
Ashita: Chocolate! XD The group's all so disorganized. ^_^ I have so much fun being evil to them. I'm glad you like the vase dream, too.
Other Notes: Okay, these notes are a little more important, and I want to know what you all think.
First off, I had originally intended for there to be an original character in a minor role coming up in about 3 or 4 chapters, but I've been nervous about introducing one into the fic, since they're so unpopular and I like that this fic is going well. ^_^ I can do this without her, but it would tie the timelines of Eien and Itsumo a little better if she was in it. Though, if everyone is opposed, I'll find some way around her showing up in Eien. (Another note, she wouldn't be in Fumetsu even if she was in Eien.) She will NOT be romantically involved with anyone, and isn't a teen or young adult either, she's a little girl. And the focus of the story will NOT be on her. She'll show up to play her part, then leave. She'll only be in for about 2 chapters at most, and that's only if you all say you don't mind. If you do, I have no problem with figuring something else out. ^_^
Okay, secondly and much more minor, while I'm revising this fic I wanted to know if people minded the differences in the speech patterns from what's in the show. You know, like how in the show Yami and Yami B have such formal speech, while it's more casual in this fic. I wondered if anyone would like me to work with that, or specifically not mess with it.
Third, another simple thing like the speech, I was thinking about Bakura and Yami B. While I'm not going to switch from calling Yami B... Well... Yami B, at least not until later, *cough*, I was thinking about going and changing Bakura to Ryou when referred to by the narration, like I do with Seto. The people who call him Bakura will still do so, however. Does this sound good, or bad?
Yet another thing, I was considering honorifics. They can add a little bit of feeling and give a look at how the group talks and interacts, but again, if people don't want to, I won't. ^_^
Last thing isn't really a question, just a comment. XD In this chapter, they get to Egypt. However, I didn't have many resources I could use to figure out exactly what modern day Egypt is like, and everything kept confusion my about, say, where Memphis was/is in relation to Cairo, or Luxor in comparison to Thebes. So I did my best, but if I got something wrong, don't hesitate to tell me and I'll fix it. ^_^
About the upcoming rewrite, just so everyone knows, I'm saving the original version of this fic too, and not just writing over it. I'll put up the unedited version on my website along with the edited one once the whole story is finished.
Oh, and no Rod jokes, alright? XD
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.
Warnings: Er... Maybe cursing? I'm not sure, actually...
Summary of Last Chapter: Yami kicked Joey's arse in games, Yami B showed off his horrid Morse Code skills, and the group arrived (finally!) in Egypt.
Preview of this chapter: They go out into Egypt, argue a lot, and meet up with some old friends/enemies. And it's over 10 pages. Better? XD
Japanese:
Baka - Idiot
Jii-chan - Grandpa (Informal)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Eien; part 18
by: Amiasha
"So, where are we anyway?" Tristan asked, leaning to look over Sugoroku's shoulder at the map he was unfolding.
"Cairo." Sugoroku answered, turning away so he could look at the map without a boy hovering over his shoulder. But it didn't really work, since almost immediately Yami B had taken Tristan's place.
"Cairo?" He asked, looking at the map in confusion. "This looks like where Memphis is... Or was?"
"Yes, the city of Memphis used to be here." Sugoroku answered, looking somewhat annoyed but then seeing the elated look on Yami B's face. "Here. Have the map." He offered, handing it to the white haired teen.
Yami B sat back, seeming very pleased and opening up the map.
"So, what are we going to do? We need to figure out how to go about getting rid of this guy, whatever his name was." Tea asked. "And it might not be a bad idea to get Yami looked at by a doctor, either." She added, casting a glance at Yami who was leaning back with his eyes closed. Yami opened one eye and gave her a rather annoyed look.
"I don't really know where we're going." Yami B answered honestly. He continued to inspect the map. "Pharaoh? How about you?"
Yami opened his other eye, sighing. "No, I don't." He replied, earning some looks from the others.
"You don't know where we're goin'?" Joey asked, somewhat confused but not accusatory. "'Den what're we supposed to do?"
Yami shuddered suddenly, making Yuugi clutch on to his arm in and give him a very worried look. "I really don't know, Joey..." Yami answered, shrugging off the coats around his shoulders. He was feeling extremely hot, which was a huge turnaround from earlier when he'd been freezing.
"Well, I'm certain that we'll figure it out when we need to." Bakura said reassuringly. "We always do. Everything falls into place whether or not we do anything. Don't worry about it, Yami."
Yami gave him a grateful smile, before leaning his head back and closing his eyes again.
"So, are we going to stay here in Cairo, or travel somewhere?" Mai asked, leaning forward to place her elbows on her knees so she could set her chin in her hands. "Because if we're gonna' be out in the sun for awhile, I'm going to change into something more desert suited before we head out."
"I think we should get somewhere to stay for the night, and then decide if we want to head out tomorrow. It's six in the evening." Yami B stated his opinion.
"Sounds good to me." Sugoroku agreed, and the rest of the group, Seto included, followed suit. "We'll need to rent cars or something though, won't we?"
"It depends how far away the next hotel is." Bakura said, as his dark nodded vigorously to the implied idea of walking. "Though having Yami out in the sun for awhile might not be very smart."
Yami frowned and opened his eyes again, brushing back his now slightly damp bangs. "There's no need to spend extra money; don't worry about me so much. It's not as if I'm just going to collapse."
The rest of them looked at the spirit strangely, and Yami realized his mistake. "... Or at least I won't again."
Sugoroku was not convinced in the slightest. "Right. And you said you were fine this morning, too." He replied, seemingly satisfied when Yami gave a somewhat guilty look before leaning back again and staring off into space.
Tea was about to add something when a monster roared. In actuality it was Joey's stomach, but to everyone, even the two spirits, it had sounded alive.
Joey laughed nervously with a goofy grin on his face. "I'm hungry." The blond said, stating the obvious. "Can we get somethin' ta' eat?" He asked, and most of the others murmured their agreement.
Sugoroku was getting slightly annoyed, seeing as how there was yet another distraction. He cast a worried glance at his oldest grandson who was seemingly wilting, the spirit's hair drooping slightly and his eyes hazy. "There will be time to eat once we get to the hotel." He said in a tone that left no room for arguing.
"Aw, but-" Joey began anyway, but stopped himself. He seemed to read Sugoroku's mind, looking over at Yami worriedly.
Said spirit suddenly pitched forward, scaring everyone senseless. Yuugi gave a yelp of alarm and was able to keep his dark from falling off the bench, putting one arm around Yami's waist and the other around his back in almost a sideways hug. "Yami!?" Yuugi asked frantically. "Yami, what's wrong!?"
"I-I just lost my balance." Yami answered, somewhat shocked at himself.
Yuugi chewed on his lower lip for a second. "Why don't you lay down again...?" He suggested carefully.
Sugoroku nodded his agreement and shooed a few members of the group of the bench so the spirit could stretch out on his back.
Yami sighed heavily, getting very tired of this whole ordeal. He wanted to get the mess over with and go back home to Japan. "We're not intending to stay here in the airport, are we?" Yami asked, sounding a little depressed.
"No, we aren't." Seto answered before anyone else could open their mouths, picking up his briefcase and bag before also scooping up his discarded coat. "We're going to go get a hotel like we'd agreed on."
Joey turned and scowled at him. "Oh yeah? Well in case you weren't aware, KAIBA, you're not in charge of this organization."
Seto simply smirked as Joey started to get worked up. "No, you're right. I'm not in charge of this. Yami and Yami Bakura are. Yami Bakura's simply being polite, and Yami's already expressed the desire to leave. So I don't see what your problem is here, Wheeler."
Joey opened his mouth to respond, then closed it. He just stared for a few seconds.
But Seto wasn't done yet. "That and I had no idea you knew what the word 'organization' meant."
Joey growled loudly and lunged for Seto, but Tristan, Ryuuji, and Bakura grabbed him.
Tea was getting annoyed now. "Stop squabbling!" She shouted angrily. "This is not the time! Frankly, Kaiba, I'd think you would be more mature than this, and Joey, I would think you could control your temper. If Kaiba's going to act like a seven year old, then be the bigger man and shut up."
Joey and Seto stared dumbly at her. Very slowly Seto raised his hand and pointed at Joey. "He snapped at me first."
Tea brandished her purse dangerously, and the two boys, surprisingly, made themselves scarce. Tea, satisfied, turned back toward the Motou's and almost immediately tripped over something soft and furry that made a loud yowling noise of offense. "Mafdet!"
Mafdet, who had gotten out yet again, was in the process of making her way over to lay on Yami when Tea had tripped over her. The cat was perfectly fine, but her pride was somewhat bruised and she made it known, stalking haughtily over to jump onto the bench and curl up on Yami's chest.
"How...?" Sugoroku wondered, looking at the open catcarrier which was unharmed, just open.
Mafdet mewed happily, beginning to purr loudly and kneed the base of Yami's throat.
"She's a cat." Yami B answered as if it was obvious. "And not just any cat. She's named after a goddess, and bonded to Yami. Of course she can do strange things."
"She's trying to murder me." Yami muttered, shoving his kitten's claws away from his throat and sitting back up with Mafdet held gently against his chest.
"Yami..." Yuugi protested, but helped steady his dark anyway.
"Can we go?" Yami asked, petting Mafdet absently. He gave Sugoroku the puppy eyes that he was so surprisingly good at. "Please, jii-chan?"
Sugoroku started to say no, but changed his mind. "Fine. We should get you somewhere quiet anyway. We just need to find out if there's a hotel nearby before we set out."
"I can go ask someone, they may know." Serenity offered.
"If they're speaking Arabic, you're going to have a hard time." Yami B pointed out calmly.
Serenity frowned, thinking. "Don't you speak Arabic?" She asked Yami B.
Yami B shook his head. "Egyptian." He answered.
Serenity sighed, feeling stupid. "Of course." She said. "Well, maybe they speak English?" And with that, she headed for to find someone who looked like they'd know where a hotel was with Ryuuji in tow. While she could speak English well, the green eyes boy was flawless at the language.
Mafdet wiggled out of Yami's arms, batting at his bangs once before bouncing over to rub on Mokuba's legs. She looked up at the black haired boy and stretched, putting her paws on his knees. "Mreow?"
"She wants you to pick her up and tell her that she's the queen of the world and the very best cat ever." Yami said, with a small smile.
Mokuba grinned and picked Mafdet up. The kitten climbed up and sat on his head then looked off behind him to were Serenity and Ryuuji were returning, with triumphant looks on their faces.
"There's a hotel a block down the street." Serenity said.
Sugoroku looked at Yami with concern. "Do you think you'll be alright?" He asked.
Yami gave an exasperated look. "Yes, jii-chan, I'll be fine. It's only a block. I'm not going to die." He assured.
Joey, who had come back from hiding, nodded. "I'll carry ya' again, too." He declared. "After all, you've still got a fever an' walking around'll make it worse."
"Joey, it's not that bad." Yami protested. "Really. I can walk." He insisted.
Bakura stepped in, placing a hand against Yami's forehead before he could protest. The white haired teen considered for a second, before taking his hand away. "Yami," He said, "I'm not a doctor, but I'm guessing you have a fever of at least 101. And we're in Egypt. It wouldn't hurt to let Joey carry you, and, the risks that would arise from you being stubborn aren't worth it." He paused for a second, and smiled. "That, and you may as well go along with it because I have the feeling you have no choice in the matter."
Yami blinked, then laughed. "I think you're right." He admitted.
"'Den it's settled." Joey grinned, carefully lifting Yami up into his arms again. "Now can we go? 'Da soona' we get to 'da hotel, 'da sooner we can eat."
Yami looked at Joey. "Don't make me hit you again." He warned.
Joey continued to grin stupidly, while the others gathered their bags and Mafdet. Tristan got stuck with Joey's bags.
"How about we trade?" Tristan proposed, shifting his and Joey's bags on his shoulders. "I'll take Yami, and you take the bags."
"Heh, no way." Joey said, turning away quickly in an almost 'you can't have it' gesture.
"But you got to carry him earlier, and I had to carry your bags then." Tristan protested. "It's your turn to get stuck with the heavy stuff."
The group, including Yami, just sort of stared. The spirit sighed and laid his head against Joey's shoulder. "This is quite possibly the dumbest discussion you two have ever had." He muttered.
Joey and Tristan laughed nervously.
Yami B was getting impatient. "Can we get going? I want to see Egypt, and I'm sure the Pharaoh does too." He said, looking longingly toward the door
"I don't see why not. It's getting late, and we should go to the hotel before night falls." Sugoroku said, turning to head out of the airport with the rest of the group right behind him.
As they exited the airport, the yamis got their first look at Egypt in thousands of years. The city of Cairo was bustling with activity, people going everywhere and doing everything, from tourists to merchants. The city seemed to be almost painted entirely gold from afternoon sun.
The wind picked up for a moment, blowing a little sand into the group's faces. Yami B looked elated, his eyes closed and head tilted back; Yami had a small smile and eyes that were somwhat glazed, this time from the flickers of images that were resurfacing in his memory.
The rest of the group stood quietly for a few moments while the two Egyptians reveled in being back in their homeland. About two minutes later, Yami B turned his head to look at them and Yami blinked a few times.
"Alright, let's get to this hotel." Yami B said, back to business, casting his gaze out over the streets. "The sooner we get there, the sooner I can come back out here and have a look around."
No one protested, knowing the spirit wasn't in any danger from traveling Cairo's streets at night. In fact, Bakura was much more worried for the citizens and their valuables than the white haired thief.
Yami looked up weakly, frowning. "I want to see more of this city as well." He said, then just sighed as a chorus of 'No, you're going to get some rest' came from the rest of the group, even the Kaiba brothers. The smaller of the two spirits pouted darkly and refused to look at any of them.
Yuugi sighed as well and shook his head despairingly at his dark. /I know you want to see more of Egypt, but you can always go sight seeing after you get well again. I'm sure that, if all else fails, Grandpa will take us back to Egypt during fall break./
Yami wasn't especially happy with that idea. //But...// He protested, before giving up and laying his head against Joey's shoulder in exhaustion. "I give up..."
Yuugi smiled through their link. /That's a good idea./ He said.
Serenity and Ryuuji began leading the rest of the group toward the hotel, all of them pushing their ways through the crowds of people.
"They're like jelly." Ryuuji suddenly stated, looking around at all the people everywhere. "They're a big mass of wiggling jelly, all stuck together and when you try to get through, they suck you into the mass. Like that bad American movie."
Everyone just stared at Ryuuji like he was crazy.
Ryuuji looked over his shoulder back at them. "What?" He asked, confused.
"Nothing, Ryuuji." Tristan answered, shaking his head. "Nothing. So, how much farther to the hotel? I'm getting bored." He said, jogging a few steps to catch up with his friend.
"It should be right around here." Ryuuji said, looking around. He glanced over at Serenity. "Right?"
"Yeah, that's what that guy said..." Serenity said, worry starting to show on her face. "Maybe it's just a little farther..."
Ryuuji nodded, and the pair kept on going with the group in tow. Another block later, and there was still no hotel.
"We're screwed." Ryuuji said flatly, slumping his shoulders in defeat.
Everyone sighed heavily.
Seto looked somewhat annoyed. His eyes had narrowed and his fists had clenched, and Ryuuji and Serenity suddenly had the urge to back away. Especially when they saw Mokuba inching farther toward Yuugi.
"Who exactly did you two ask?" Seto asked, his voice calm.
"He was... Some guy?" Serenity said, more of a question than a statement.
Seto just stared at her.
Yami B coughed a few times pointedly and then cleared his throat. "Look, if there's no place to stay here, then let's look for one somewhere else." He said darkly.
Sugoroku nodded his agreement, not really surprised by the whole turn of events. For some reason, bad luck seemed to follow them everywhere. Like Duelist Kingdom. And Battle City. And a bunch of other places. He just rolled his eyes and looked over to check on his grandsons.
Yuugi was just looking anxious and somewhat hot, fanning himself with his hand and watching Serenity hide behind Ryuuji while Seto glared menacingly at them.
Yami had apparently fallen asleep in Joey's arms, his long gold bangs having fallen into his closed eyes. His cheeks were flushed brightly, indicating that his fever had risen again.
Sugoroku looked back over at Seto who was now in a shouting match with Ryuuji, and at Tristan who was trying to keep the two from getting at each other. "Boys!" He shouted, gaining the attention of the three along with the rest of the group. They all looked at him, and he continued. "Like Yami Bakura pointed out, we need to find somewhere to stay since this was obviously false information. At the very least, we need to get into the shade."
Yami B nodded, frowning with his arms crossed. "There's no point in standing here and doing nothing. In case you've forgotten, this is Egypt. You're not supposed to just stand out in the sun for no reason at all, especially not dressed like we are and with someone who's very ill." He said.
His words seemed to bring the other's back to their senses, and they immediately looked guilty. Or at least everyone but Seto did. Seto didn't look much like he cared, but he obviously did.
The group moved into the shade of a nearby building, sitting down to try to figure out what to do.
"Well, we need somewhere to stay. It can't be that hard. Though if there's no hotel within walking distance, someone will have to go get a car." Yami B said, showing his displeasure with the situation by scowling.
Seto looked at Ryuuji and Serenity, who glared daggers back at him. Joey added his own glare into the mix, then his attention was drawn away as Yami stirred.
The spirit blinked a few times, looking up. "How long was I asleep?" He asked drowsily, casting a glance at his surroundings and looking confused to see them all sitting against a building.
"Only about ten minutes, at most." Yuugi answered, leaning against his dark and Joey.
Yami looked confused. "Where in Ra's name are we? And what happened to the hotel?" He asked, becoming slightly more alert and sitting up straight in Joey's lap, ignoring the pain that shot through his head again.
"Uh, well..." Joey started, trailing off. "Ya'see, Yami, turns out 'dere wasn't any hotel. Serenity and Ryuuji got duped." He said, earning glares from his little sister and the black haired teen.
Yami gave them all a look that just screamed, 'Are you seriously doing this to me?' He sighed and slumped back against Joey's chest as the feeling of dizziness returned, worse than usual. The dark shivered despite the desert sun and moved closer to Joey.
"How are you, Yami?" Sugoroku asked worriedly, coming over to kneel next to his grandsons and Joey.
"Like I just stopped spinning around in circles very quickly in the middle of Antarctica." Yami answered flatly, hiding his face in the fabric of Joey's shirt and shivering again.
Sugoroku was not reassured in the slightest. "Can somebody actually find a place for us to stay, and not just talk about it?" He asked, addressing the rest of the group. "Kaiba, can't you just call your business for directions?" He asked.
"Well..." Seto said, surprisingly looking somewhat sheepish. "I would, but the cell phone is dead. And it won't come back. I've changed the battery and everything. I have no idea what's wrong with it."
The group, even Yami, let out a collective sigh of exasperation, and Ryuuji had to restrain himself from standing up and shouting, 'Ha!'
Suddenly, everyone was startled as a familiar voice rang out from behind them. "Yuugi? Seto Kaiba?"
Everyone looked to see the last person they had been expecting. Isis Ishtar was standing a few feet from them, looking at all of them in confusion. She was wearing a short sleeved gathered shirt and a long flowing skirt, along with her trademark circlet.
"Isis!" Tea exclaimed in surprise.
The black haired woman stared at them. "What are you all doing here?" She asked, moving over to join them.
"It's a very, very long story." Bakura told her, sighing and brushing his hair back over his shoulder.
Isis frowned, looking up toward the setting sun. "It's nearly nightfall. Why are you all just sitting out here on the street and not staying somewhere?" She asked, scanning the group.
"Ryuuji and Serenity got false information from some random person in the airport, and we've yet to find a hotel." Yami B said sullenly, sounding less than pleased.
Isis nodded in understanding. She was about to open her mouth to say something, when she noticed Yami. The Egyptian woman rushed over and knelt next to him. "Oh my Pharaoh, what's happened to you?" She asked worriedly.
Yami blearily opened his eyes to acknowledge her, before laying back against Joey and closing them again.
Isis furrowed her eyebrows and looked to Yuugi. "What's wrong?" She asked the teen, gently brushing back Yami's damp bangs while she spoke.
"He just suddenly got really sick." Yuugi said, looking up into Isis's blue eyes. "I noticed he looked a little pale last night, but then he passed out this morning and's just been getting worse." He explained sadly.
Isis nodded. "Well, seeing as you have no place to stay and our Pharaoh needs rest, I'm going to take you all back to my and my brothers' house." She declared, not leaving room for disagreement even if someone had been opposed. Which no one was.
"Thank you, Mrs. Ishtar." Sugoroku said graciously. "How far away is your house?"
"Not too far." She replied, standing and motioning for the others to do the same. "About a 30 minute walk, less if we don't dawdle." Isis said, turning to begin to lead the others through the streets.
Joey got up carefully, so as not to jostle Yami who had drifted back into an uneasy sleep. The blond was starting to get more and more worried for the teen in his arms. The spirit was getting a lot worse as the day went on, not better, and he had a challenge ahead of him. Joey hoped that Isis would have some miracle cure for the dark.
The sun had sunk behind the buildings by the time Isis had led them to her house, and night had fallen. The air had chilled remarkably in the short amount of time, and, surprisingly, the sky had clouded.
Isis opened the door to her house, and led the others inside. The house was small and cozy, with gold walls and white carpet. The furniture was a dark forest green, and there were tall floor lamps placed around the visible rooms to add extra light. To the group's left was a small kitchen with white tile, directly in front of them were the combined living and dining rooms, while to their rights was a closet. From the family room a very short hallway led to a staircase going up to the second story.
"Malik! Rishid!" Isis called, flipping on the lights as she went through the house. "Are either of you home?"
There were some footsteps from the stairwell, then the hallway, before Rishid came into view. His golden eyes widened slightly as he saw the others but he didn't comment, instead turning his attention back to Isis. "Malik has gone out shopping. He should be back soon."
Isis nodded. "Rishid, could you go out and get some more food? We don't have enough here for this large of a group." She asked.
Rishid nodded respectfully. "Consider it done." He said, grabbing his cloak and heading out the door.
Isis looked back at the others. "Yuugi and Joey, bring Yami and come with me. Everyone else, make yourselves at home and please alert me if either of my brothers return." She requested, and the group gave a collective nod.
Isis motioned to Yuugi and Joey, and led them upstairs. The carpet and walls of the second story were the same colors as the first, and there were three rooms and a bathroom. Isis turned around the banister, going to the right and then parallel to the stairway to enter her room.
Isis's room had the same white carpet as the others, but the walls and bedspread were deep, royal purple. A cherry wood chest and wardrobe were against opposite walls, with the headboard of the bed against the another wall under a window and the footboard in the center of the room. A large floor length mirror was hung up on the wall next to the bed, and on the bed's other side was a nightstand with a small lamp.
"Is he asleep?" Isis asked Joey, looking over at the spirit in his arms in concern.
"Yeah, I think so." Joey said, nodding.
Isis nodded, considering for a moment. "Well, first it'd be best to get him into some warmer clothes. If he doesn't have any, I'm sure Malik does." She said. "Meanwhile, set him on my bed, Joey."
The blond nodded, moving over and placing Yami carefully on the bed, somewhat freaked out when he didn't move at all.
Yuugi set down the bag he and Yami shared, and began searching through it. "No, when we packed for Egypt, we didn't really consider warm clothes..." Yuugi laughed nervously. "We were kinda' distracted. Yami was hyper about going to Egypt, and I had been beaten over the head with a pillow."
Isis smiled but decided not to ask. "I'll go grab some of Malik's clothes, then. I'll be right back." She said, exiting the room.
Joey sat down on the foot of the bed and looked at Yuugi. "Odd twist a' luck, huh? Isis findin' us, I mean." He remarked, running a hand through his messy hair.
Yuugi nodded and walked over to climb onto the bed too. The boy gently touched his dark's shoulder, shaking him lightly. /Hey, Yami, wake up.../ He said softly.
Yami barely reacted, murmuring something inaudibly and shivering again.
Yuugi sniffed in worry and was about to try again when Isis returned, with some lavender and blue clothing draped over her arm. She handed it to the tri-color haired boy. "Here." She said. "This'll be a little big on him, but maybe he'll be a little warmer. Call me back after you get him to change." She said with a sympathetic smile, before heading out of the room again to find out what in the world was making the crashes downstairs.
Yuugi looked at the clothes, then at his still dark, and back at the clothes. "It'd be easier if we didn't worry about waking him up." He stated. "I'm... Not sure he will, anyway..." Yuugi said, his voice breaking and tears starting to come up into his eyes.
"Aw, don't say that Yuge." Joey said, pulling Yuugi into a hug. "He's just sleepin'. 'Dat's good for him and it'll let 'im get better." He reassured the smaller boy.
Yuugi sniffled for a few seconds before nodding and wiping his eyes on his jacket sleeve. "You're right..." He said, pulling back. He glanced over at Yami, who was shivering again despite the comfortable temperature Isis kept the house at. "I'm being silly, anyway. Just worrying too much." He said, nodding again as if to try to convince himself. He looked up at Joey. "Come on, let's get him changed so he'll get a little warmer."
A few minutes later, in which Yami had only become partially awake before falling back asleep, they had gotten the spirit into some of Malik's clothes which consisted of a long sleeved lavender turtleneck and light blue jeans.
Joey went to go get Isis, while Yuugi pulled the purple covers up around his dark's shoulders and sat next to him. /Yami?/ He tried again, but was unsurprised to get no response. Yuugi sighed softly.
Isis and Joey both came back into the room, Isis with a bowl of water and a cloth. She set the bowl on the night stand and carefully turned Yami onto his back, readjusting the blankets when they slipped off his shoulders.
"Was he this ill this morning?" She asked, sitting down on the bed and looking up at Yuugi and Joey as she wet the cloth and laid it across Yami's forehead.
"Not... This bad." Yuugi said. "He passed out early this morning, but then he woke up and besides dizziness and a headache was alright... Then he fell back asleep again, but Joey said that he woke up again on the plane and was alright for awhile. Right?" Yuugi asked, looking at Joey.
"Yeah." Joey said. "He was fine for about half an hour, 'den he passed out again. But he woke up pretty quickly and was just dizzy, so he stayed up for awhile before fallin' back asleep. 'Den, before we landed in Egypt, he seemed much better until we got out into Cairo for while, when he suddenly got way, way worse, like 'dis."
Isis frowned in consideration, repositioning the cloth when she decided she didn't like where it was. "That's very strange..." She said finally. "It's not really like any other illness I know of. What were his symptoms?" She asked, trying her hardest to figure out what was wrong so she could fix it.
"Um... Dizziness, headache, and a fever, mostly." Yuugi told her. "And he's been really exhausted and kind of pale. And he's not eating, either. I haven't managed to get him to eat since lunch yesterday." He realized, this information making him feel less than reassured.
Isis frowned again. "Well, I would say a flu or something, but this seems to be very severe and quick, too. I'm not really sure... Can he take medicine, Yuugi?" She asked.
Yuugi shook his head sadly. "No. He's really allergic." He said, not really wanting to think about exactly how they had found out that the spirit was deathly allergic to any sort of medication.
"Well, then we'll have to settle for home remedies, then." Isis decided. "When my brothers get home, I'll set them to cooking and we'll see if we can get him to eat anything. Sleeping may do a lot for him, though." She said.
Yuugi nodded nervously, brushing back Yami's bangs.
"You're welcome to stay here with him, Yuugi." Isis said gently. She looked over her shoulder at the blond standing behind her. "And you too, Joey. I'll let you know when food is done."
Yuugi and Joey both smiled, obviously pleased. "Thank you, Isis." Yuugi said gratefully.
The black haired woman smiled. "No problem, Yuugi." She said, smiling at him. "Don't hesitate to come get me if you need me for anything." She offered, standing up.
Yuugi smiled again, and nodded before curling up next to his dark. Joey sat down on the bed next to the two of them, and Isis left the room.
************
Yami B was very bored. And bored yami was not a happy yami. He was sick of listening to the idiots he was surrounded with, the only interesting person to talk to or harass besides his other was bedridden, and his other seemed to have gotten very, very good at ignoring him.
The white haired thief tossed his hair and scowled darkly, casting a glance around the room. He was immediately bored by the decor and was about to get up to go check on Yami, when the door opened again and two people entered.
The first was Rishid, carrying a bunch of grocery bags and looking somewhat exasperated as the figure behind him talked nonstop in a very familiar voice. And suddenly Yami B was no longer bored.
"Malik!" He said, sounding much happier than he had wanted to as he stood up.
The platinum blond looked up, smiling as he saw his friend. "Yami Bakura!" He exclaimed, running over. "And everyone else too." He said, his tone completely unreadable as to whether he thought this was good or bad. "Well, except Wheeler, Yuugi, and the Pharaoh." He observed, shrugging and turning back to Yami B. He gave a devilish smirk. "And you haven't changed in the slightest.
"Thank you for the observation, baka." Yami B said, rolling his eyes but obviously happy. "You tend not to grow or anything when you're dead."
"Oh, of course. How silly of me." Malik said, still smirking. "Poor, dead Yami Bakura, who'll never reach my height."
Yami B glared at him. "Very amusing." He said. "But I still have on up on you. You don't come back unexplainably if someone kills you."
Malik sweatdropped slightly. "Fine. You win." He conceded.
Yami B grinned, showing his pointy white teeth. "No surprise there."
Malik rolled his eyes and sighed. "How and why did all of you get here?" He asked, looking around at the group and putting a hand on his hip.
"Well, you see, it's a long story and all the Pharaoh's fault." Yami B said, more jokingly than serious. "But we'll explain later, probably at dinner when everyone's gathered up. Rishid seems... Busy." He commented, looking at Rishid who had been joined by Isis and was trying to cook all the food he'd had to buy. "And your sister, too."
Malik nodded, petting the Millennium Rod that he had been carrying. "Where are Yuugi, Wheeler, and the Pharaoh, anyway?" He asked curiously.
Yami B turned to look back at him, putting his hands in the pockets of his green jacket. "Pharaoh's sick, and the two are upstairs with him." He answered, feeling a hint of worry.
Malik, for how much he still proclaimed he thought Yami was somewhat of a brat, didn't hate the spirit anymore now that he had learned that his father's death had been due to his own yami. He seemed a little worried at Yami B's words. "Nothing serious?"
"I'm not sure." Yami B answered, looking away from Malik and pulling his hands out of his pockets.
Malik noticed that the two spirits seemed to be much more friendly than the last time he had seen them. In fact, last time he had seen them, the two darks had hated each other with a passion. "Well, I'm sure Isis'll get him well again and it'll be over with." He said, smiling at Yami B when the white haired spirit looked back at him. "But I'm very anxious to hear exactly what you're all doing in Egypt, let alone at my house."
"Well, we wouldn't have been at your house if not for those two." Yami B answered, motioning toward Serenity and Ryuuji with his thumb. They seemed to notice why he was and scowled at him.
"Oh really?" Malik asked in amusement. "I can't wait to hear this story..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: There. All sortsa' stuff in this chappie. ^_^ I even got Malik into the picture in here, too! *Proud*
Anyway, please review and if you have anything to add about the things I mentioned in my note, don't forget them either. ^_^