Heya! School started up so I won't be able to post as much as I'd like to. I'll try to do so at least once a month, once every two weeks if I can help it. Anyhow, here's the new chapter! It's longer than usual to make up for my absence ^^ Enjoy!
Thanks to all those who reviewed, and welcome to FALLEN-S *grins* Yeah, it's a good idea, and no, I won't take it as a flame. In fact, even if you hadn't specified, I wouldn't've minded. For I while I spelled it 'yoai' cus it essentially means slash, and 'ai' means love, 'yo' in chinese sort of means friends, so I thought it might be an ff.net type. then I read this book on anime where it explained yaoi, so I lapsed back into the correct one. I guess I could say I had the idea for this story a while I was thinking of my ff.net username, so...meh
I think Yami misinterpreted my request for you to guess...I meant guess why Bakura was acting weird, not what the next chapter is.... *shrug* sorry Chrys, although you almost have the chapter plot summed up, so I'll dedicate it to you *grin*
I worked hard on this chapter *sighs* battle scenes are hard for me
*** *** ***
Scrolls of the Past
By Phire Phoenix Chan
Chapter fifteen
How the mind works
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Zuzumea, bless her, was pleasantly unaware of the row that was going on between her two friends at the school, Yugi and Bakura. It seemed to be a mutual agreement that the girl should not be dragged into their fight, for while she was the reason behind it, it wasn't her fault that the two boys chose to fall in love with her. She had more to worry about than a feud between the boys. Actually, it's grown into an all out war now. Joey and Tea, being the loyal friends that they were, stuck by Yugi. While this may not have been the wisest move, it certainly cheered up the vertically challenged reincarnation of the pharaoh.
Bakura, driven by rage that no one was even bothering to hear out his side, his story and his accusations of Yugi casting a spell on Zuzumea, retaliated with twice the fury. It was almost as though Yami Bakura had taken over completely now, not even bothering to conceal his schemes behind the good-natured Ryou. But in reality, Yami Bakura was keeping well away from his Hikari when it came to Zuzumea. He would plan his schemes, and let his aibou deal with the pettier things. Petty things that will nevertheless lead to Yugi's defeat. Even if his Hikari hadn't managed to snatch the puzzle and shatter the brat's confidence, things were heating up a notch, and they were playing for keeps.
It was with relief that Yugi, Joey and Tea welcomed the end of the day - the day after the disastrous attempt made by Ryou. The latter, however, didn't seem to think that it was over just yet. He tried to challenge Yugi to a duel, in which the puzzle and Zuzumea would be the prize, but Yugi had downright refused to play Zuzumea like an item rather than a person, and closed his ears to comments that normally would have stung his heart. In the end, Joey had been forced to step in before Ryou threw them one last glare and left on his way. Even so, they distinctly heard his parting remark.
"It's not over yet, Pharaoh" This phrase was so reminiscent of Yami Bakura that the trio shuddered involuntarily. While Joey and Tea maintained that Ryou would come round in a few days, Yugi secretly wondered how he was going to get through this ordeal. For some reason, his intuition told him that Bakura would be a lot harder to fight than Pegasus. But perhaps, just perhaps he could count on Zuzumea and Asophyre's help in this one. Perhaps.
All this and more happened while Zuzumea fretted about the up-coming Mid-Term Math Examination. Maybe this was for the best, for had she known of the change of relationship between her friends, to put it mildly, she would've been unduly worried, as her character was sure to guarantee. And if she thought that she was apprehensive about the Exam, she had best not learn of the conflict. A concerned mind is a restless one, and with so many things whirling about in her head, she might've triggered the postponing of that night's dream. The dream what was, arguably, the most important of them all. If it had been even one day late, the result would have been disastrous. And so it was with cheerful ignorance that she climbed into bed and bade goodnight to her Yami.
~*
"We'll have a grand ceremony, with all of your close and extended family, not to mention all your friends, and most everyone who wishes to come. I shall order a dress to be made for you, and it shall be constructed out of the finest satin, with jewels adorning every convenient spot. Oh, and you definitely need jewellery. A tiara perhaps. Bracelets are necessary. Those bracelets that you're wearing now look like a good idea. Perhaps more delicate and more intricate...and we'll get you a gorgeous head piece. Not to mention a necklace, that's a must." Yami announced proudly and rather suddenly, about one and a half weeks after the proposal. They had been crouched over some scrolls when he looked up, right into her eyes, cheeks slightly flushed and his eyes sparkling.
"Yami, slow down!" Asophyre chided gently, laughing. She glanced at the cluttered desk, which she had abandoned the moment Yami snatched up her hands and started babbling. They were supposed to be devising counter-attacks, but somehow they had gotten distracted. "We're supposed to be working, remember?" She still felt a little bit uncertain, talking to the pharaoh in such a casual manner, but she couldn't help it. He was just so easy to talk, so easy to deal with. And from the way he behaves, you'd think that he was just another 20-year old, excited about the prospect of a fiancée, rather than the high and dignified ruler of a vast empire. Yami smiled sheepishly at her, reminding the Phoenix Mistress with a stab of pain of the way Bakura used to smile at her like that.
"I know, I know, sorry. I'm just so happy." Her hands, which he had dropped at her berating, were snatched up once again. "I love you, Asophyre." He quickly kissed her on the lips, to stifle whatever comment she had been about to make. The latter rolled her eyes good-naturedly. She glanced, or rather, glared at him and poked the pile of parchment pointedly. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips, and they seemed to be pressed together - as though she was resisting the urge to laugh. Yami sighed mockingly, turning to the desk with his eyes downcast. Asophyre patted him on the back.
"Cheer up Yami. Once this is over, we'll organize the wedding." Another wave of pain stabbed at her even as those words left her mouth. Once this is over. When this is over. When Bakura is captured...and most probably executed, she could have her happiness. Was that the creature she had become? Selfish, indulging, uncaring for anyone but herself and anything but her own happiness? How could she even bear to betray her childhood friend? How could she have ever agreed to help Yami fight against her friend? How?
How could her friend have betrayed her?
With a mighty tug, Asophyre pulled her thoughts away from the spiralling and seemingly unanswerably questions and unto the answer. She had not become selfish. She was doing this because it would help the good of Egypt in general. She would not be happy when Bakura is executed, so she should stop putting it that way. She was not betraying her friend, not really. And even if she was, the reason, and a very good one I might add, is because that her friend was threatening the lives of Egyptian, and of one in particular. For all her passion, Asophyre remained loyal to her country, and if she had to choose between the safety of Egypt and Yami, or Bakura, she would go for the former without a shadow of a doubt.
Turning her attention back to Yami, she smiled wistfully and pointed to map of the palace. "If he attacks from here, leading two troops which approach us from the north and west wing, we could counter by putting soldiers into formation A and B and brining formation B into..." As she and Yami continued to concoct plans, her flow of thought slipped back to where it belonged and where it was the least painful. But sometimes, road that appears to be bright and sunny, the road of Avoidance, is in fact hard and terrible.
A day passed. And another. And another. When it seemed like they had all of the possibly attack routes and counter attack schemes laid out, the lover birds began to relax. They could often be seen walking hand in hand in around the palace grounds, heads tilted slightly towards each other as though they were talking. Seto started handling more state affairs, trying to give Yami and Asophyre as much privacy as possible. He didn't inform Yami of his attempt, for he knew the pharaoh would never approve, but as much as the young boy denied it, he was in dire need of a break. Dark circles were beginning to show under his eyes from when he stayed up till the wee hours of the morning, pouring over complaint after complaint after complaint, straightening out this fight, settling that dispute. It was wearing, to be ruler, and the job should not have fallen unto the shoulders of a teenager. And it was with these reassuring reasons to calm his conscience that Seto took on some of the jobs that pharaoh would do, and only reported the important issues.
*** *** ***
Bakura sat at his usual spot on the rock in the centre of the cave they used for a meeting spot, watching with satisfaction as his men stumbled in one after another, all with news to report, news that often tended to be in favour of the plan. "...group three and four have been stationed at the market place" "Five and six are on their way to the town square" "Five more young men from the town nearby volunteered to join us. They're now waiting outside for your inspection" "One and Two are ready to report from Look-out" (doubt they had the word 'Recon' then) "The ingredients and books you requested, Bakura" "We brought in more gold again today. Our sum total should cover about 2/3 of the weapons for us, providing each of us only need a sword or a set of bow and arrows. Shields extra." "Two more to join the throng, Bakura" "I've enlisted the help of a forger" "Seven and eight have returned from raiding. By the looks of it, it was a good haul..."
Voices mingled with each other as his followers fought for the privilege to report their information first. Bakura had been known to be very generous when he was in a good mood, and they hoped to score some trifle or another off of him, especially now that everything seemed to flow the way he intended it. "Silence!" Their leader called out. While his voice was stern and commanding, they could detect a hint of triumph. Gradually, the babble died. Slowly, with a smug expression on his face, he lifted his arm and pointed to the person standing next to him. "Now, we will do this in an orderly fashion, and not like the barbarians that we are." A few snickers. "You, begin."
As Bakura relished in the sweet words that poured forth, his mind was quickly calculating. They had scheduled their attack for the following Sunday, after Market Day. That was three days from now, so that he would get a chance to streamline the final plan, and get a chance to contact Sorella. He didn't want her, or anyone from the Emika family getting hurt, not after what they've done for him. He obviously overlooked the fact that by usurping the throne, he would harm them, and Asophyre, more than he cared to do so. Or perhaps he did know of the consequences the family would suffer because of this attack, and simply chose not to acknowledge it. The thought would be too painful to peruse for a lengthy time.
But that statistic gave them one last day to round off the plans, before they laid siege to the town. With any luck, more people would be willing to join them in their campaign. There was almost nothing gold couldn't buy these days, a fact that was to his definite advantage. That would mean that they would be able to storm the castle within two or three days after that. The prospect cheered him up considerably, and the fact that his number of men had grown from 250 to 600 in three short weeks added to his pleasure. And then there were some extra recruits to the East, West, and South, all moving towards the palace. Their total number reached, by an estimation, about 1200. Of course, this had meant that he had to work twice as hard, inspecting new recruits, diverting more and more people towards towns to fund their expedition, as he liked to call it, not to mention late nights up, but he was convinced that it was worth it. Knowing those snobby people as well as he did, he was sure that the surprise alone would shock half of them into unconsciousness. And well, the other half wouldn't exactly be hard to fight off. Snobby people didn't tend to have a brain.
Another sentry's report brought him back to reality. Bakura rubbed his palms in glee and sent a meaningful look towards Malik, who grinned. The leader's right hand man stepped into the back and returned almost immediately, a wolfish smile on his face. The reporting sentry watched his advance hopefully, and sure enough, three gold coins, worth two nights of lodging at a fairly good inn and three days of quite luxurious food were flicked into his hands. Bakura dismissed him and moved on to the next, not really hearing what he was saying. His head was still on cloud nine. According to the sentry, the insolent boy who had challenged his authority had managed to round up quite a few more people within the town itself, and these were swiftly contacting their acquaintances in hopes of helping with their weapon situation. This day was turning out to be great indeed.
*** *** ***
"Sir! A suspicious looking youth of approximately twenty is currently at the palace gates, requesting your presence!" A guard stated calmly, interrupting the pair seated at a table, amusing themselves with a set of colourful stones. (sweatdrop, yeah it's pathetic) Phire was perched nearby, watching them from time to time, but really more interested in the attention that Mitsuro was paying her. At the sight of the guard, however, both of them perked up and they landed on the shoulders of Asophyre and Yami, respectively. These two stood up, assuring the guards that the phoenix were enough trouble for anyone to handle and headed towards the gates. Asophyre had just been about to tell Yami that it was cheering that Mitsuro trusted him so, for Phoenix were by nature suspicious, when they caught sight of the boy. He looked, well, very pathetic.
He had tattered pieces of clothing wrapped around himself, probably remains of what was once a simply white robe worn by the merchants. His hood was half torn off, and was dangling at his back. Dirt coated his arms and his face, and his eyes had a sunken, defeated look to them. Shaggy, blond hair surrounded his face, strangely limp, and he was panting like there was no tomorrow. He looked like as though he had either been involved in a fight, or starved for weeks. Most probably both of them. Asophyre glanced up at Phire, who nodded ever so slightly. The pair advanced cautiously, Asophyre letting go of Yam's hand. The boy's eyes widened, and he stepped back just a touch, staring in a horrified manner at Phire, then at Asophyre. The latter smiled reassuringly.
He bowed low before Asophyre, probably not knowing what else to do, and muttered an apology for his ragged appearance. From what she could discern from his mumblings, he had apparently run as fast as he could for 3 miles, fell down a minor hill, scraped himself numerous times on rocks, tumbling here and there before finally arriving at the town. And then he had dodged the jeering of the locals to reach the palace. Actually, the last part Asophyre figured out for herself, judging by what she knew of her neighbours. They weren't exactly compassionate. She was slightly worried by the he seemed to sway a bit, and suspected that the local urchins had taken it upon themselves to chase him with sticks and stones, as they tended to do. She sighed. It really wasn't the greatest town to live it, and if it weren't for the fact that her Father was an accomplished magician and somewhat respected, she doubted they would've stayed there as long as they did.
Yami took over at that time, having thoroughly examined the young boy. He stepped forward, and Mitsuro lifted off his shoulders, calling to Phire. Both of them settled on top of the palace gates with a 'clang' of claw against stone. Yami looked at the boy in that strange look that he reserved for strangers and said, quietly "what is it you wish?" Asophyre glanced at him sideways. This was the first time she'd seen him handle a complete stranger, and well, his manner was a bit more polite than what a pharaoh would expected to be. Perhaps it had something to do with his young age. She turned her attention back to the boy, intrigued, and noted that he had started to relax somewhat. Yami was a lot more than he looked.
"Please, sir, my name is Mekis, and I have some very important news regarding the Dangers of the Desert from a secure insider source." The boy whispered in awe, as though afraid to lift his voice up any higher. He didn't need to, for the next moment the palace gates had been opened and Yami was beckoning him in. Any information they had about the Dangers of the Desert was welcome. The attacks were getting more frequent, and they seemed to follow a pattern. No matter where the actual raiding was, if all of them were drawn chronologically onto a map of Egypt, any dense idiot would notice that they were headed for one central point: The Palace. It was very worrying, how these attacks proceeded, and yet how so little seemed to be being found out about Bakura. Asophyre followed the two men, closing the gates in the process. Then she held out her right arm, unto which Phire and Mitsuro landed. A bit of intimidation always helped people tell the truth. Fact: Don't ever tell Asophyre what scares you
"I used to run with them, sir, and I have information that he and around 1200 men will be laying siege to the town this upcoming Sunday." Yami frowned. This boy would have to be detained, although if what he said was true, then this would help him a lot. Although 1200 was a lot more than he would have expected there to be.
"Why are you telling me this?" Yami demanded suspiciously. "You know you could be executed for being part of the Dangers of the Desert. Why are you risking your life just to warn me?" His comforting manner dropped and in its stead was a suspicion that radiated caution. The boy smile wryly, a hint of bitterness in his eyes.
"Let's just say I had a falling out with Bakura." It was true. That knife incident hadn't been the only thing. Bakura hadn't fulfilled any of the promises he made to his men, and he had stopped any visits to his family, for fear of leaking. He had assured them that they would still have freedom, but that was being taken away from them little by litte, almost unnoticeably. And in Mekis' mind, that was Bakura's fault. Yami regarded him thoughtfully, then glanced at the Phoenix for support. They didn't show any signs of having even caught his eye, but when he looked back at the boy, his face was set in a determined grimace.
"All right. You will be detained until Sunday. If the information is true, you will be let out with a rich reward. If not, there will be a trial, and I assume you are aware fo the fact that execution is almost inevitable." The boy nodded, and at a signal from Yami, two guards appeared. Asophyre watched the group trekk off, before rounding on Yami, questions in her eyes and on the tip of her tongue. The pharaoh, however, held up a silencing hand steered her gently towards the palace. "Looks like we have some more planning to do." He whispered in her ear as he did so. Asophyre sighed inaudibly, and braced herself for another all-nighter.
*** *** ***
"Mom, Dad, there's a festival this weekend at Deskerlis. It's the biggest harvest festival of the year, can we go there, please?" Sorella pleaded, hoping to budge her parents. The real reason she wanted to be away from the village she wouldn't tell them, because she didn't want to break their hearts. That could wait for later. "We could all use a break, and we could go to the harvest festival! A bit of away-time from thsi town and your work..." she trailed off uncertainly, staring from her mom to her dad. She hadn't planned on how Asophyre would be included in this one, or whether she would be at all, for she was bound to stay at the castle and help Yami plan. Especially now when Bakura is getting ready to attack.
Sorella's father glanced at his wife and back at their daughter. "What does Asophyre think of this?" He asked slowly, but slightly absentmindedly. By that blank look in his eyes, Sorella knew that he was asking Asophyre's opinion to include her, and that he found the prospect of a break rather appealing. The girl smiled. While her father may wish to aid the pharaoh in such an ordeal, she had no wish to let her family anywhere near the battle, and in fact, she would drag away Asophyre, too, if she could. But Bakura seemed so lovesick about Asophyre, judging by the way he wrote Yam-head and Yapper several times instead of Yami in his note to her.
"She doesn't know yet. I thought I'd talk to you first, and if you agree, we can talk to Asophyre." Her mom frowned gently.
"You know it's not right to exclude her like this, Sorella, dear." She chided softly. She had a dreamy expression on her face even as she said this. Deskerlis is the town she grew up in, and she would return only too happily for the harvest festival, which she remembered quite well. Sorealla, seeing her mother's eager expression, hastened to assure her that they would contact Asophyre as soon as possible. Finally, her parents nodded hesitantly.
*** *** ***
"Are you sure you don't want to go with your family?" Yami asked anxiously. "It could get dangerous." He regretted speaking those words as soon as he saw the fire dancing in Asophyre's eyes. While she seemed serene on the outside, those who knew her well, like Yami, or Bakura for that matter, feared her temper. Always ready to surface, always ready to explode, its wrath was incurred on anyone who dared belittle her, her friends or her family. Oh, and it came out just for kicks, too. Many a times had Bakura returned to his pathetic room, clutching his head where Asophyre slapped it. But after two or three months, his skull hardened in an attempt to survive...
"Ok, ok, so you don't want to go. That's fine by me." Yami said hurriedly, before Asophyre opened her mouth and launched into momentum. "How about that plan, huh?" He pointed towards the parchment lying on the desk, hoping to divert Asophyre's attention. It was past midnight, and in a few hours the attack would be launched. Supposedly. He knew neither of them would sleep that night, their ears sharp for war cries, jangling of knives, clashing of swords and dull thuds of feet. They had stationed several sentries of guards around the town edges, all equipped with bugles in case they did arrive. Villagers had been warned that there might be danger, and many of the moved towards the centre of the town. Yet others fled to their nearby city. Yami couldn't blame them. While the Dangers of the Desert didn't seem to be harming women or children, they weren't exactly gentle with anyone. That was to be expected, however.
"A few hours..." Asophyre muttered distractedly. She was dreading the battle. It had been all fine on paper, but when it came down to actually doing it, her stomach gave a funny somersault. It wasn't actually the danger, it was the hurt her heart would suffer at seeing Bakura again. Phire, her constant companion for the past two days, sang quietly, seeking to soothe her friend and mistress. Yami stroked the fire-bird absentmindedly. The latter was getting quite well acquainted with the phoenix.
"Get your mind off it." Yami ordered suddenly, a hint of his regal pharaoh alter ego (hehe) in his voice. "We need a clear head if he does attack, and if you brood about it, you will panic at the actual scene." He didn't actually know whether this was true or not. It made sense to him. Besides, he really wanted to cheer his fiancee up. "Think happy thoughts." Asophyre sent him a look that could kill, and Phire trilled. Yami was sure she was laughing. Nevertheless, the phoenix summoner resigned herself to humouring Yami.
And so they sat, for three hours, just talking about nothing in general and yet everything in their lives until a few rays of the sun peeked over the horizon. Gently nudging Asophyre away from his embrace, Yami took her hand and led her towards the edge of the balcony. She sucked in her breath sharply, staring in wonder at the town before her. The sun rise illuminated it, casting a golden glow on every nook, every cranny, every rooftop and alley. It was as though the dear sun itself sought nothing but to bring light into their lives. Perhaps that was true. "It's beautiful." She whispered reveredly. Yami didn't respond. Instead, he started rigidly ahead. The sun had completely risen by now, and wasn't as blinding.
It was only now that Asophyre noticed a swirl of dust near the horizon, growing steadily larger. A shrill bugle call met their ears, followed by several others which echo it. What was frightening was that they all seemed to be coming from different directions. Abruptly, Yami let go of Asophyre's hand and without a word, turned his back on her. His navy blue cape flowed with movement as he hurried to reach his chariot. Asophyre quietly awakened Phire and together, they ran down with him. Soldiers, well-trained soldiers rose from their posts, slamming their armor into place. Many were already stepping into their ranks. So it was only a few minutes after the alarm that 1500 men were ready for counter-attack, and yet more were already in preparation stages. After a curt inspection, Yami nodded resolutely and stepped onto his chariot.
His face was set and his eyes steely. He raised his reins and urged the horses on at the same moment Asophyre jumped on the chariot, a light armor enveloping her body. She had a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. Yet the accesory which completed her outfit was the determination flickering in her eyes. Yami's eyes glazed over as he stared into hers, but he shook himself, quickly pulling the reins back again. "You're not coming." He told her calmly. She glared at him in response.
"What were those training sessions for then?" She snapped. "Why would I have bothered to do them if they weren't going to be put to use? This is my town and my country as much as it is yours. It is the country of all the Egyptians, and they have a right of joining the battle." Yami was about to reply that the rest of the country was not his fiancee, and that the training was for self defence, not attack when the words died in his throat at the sight of her eyes. As always, so eager to betray her mistress' emotions, those coal black eyes reflected a quiet sadness and anguish.
"This is my battle as much as it is yours." Asophyre told him softly, her voice losing some of its bite. She wasn't referring to patrionism anymore, and she knew that Yami was aware of it. "Let me go, or condemn me to a life of torture." It was true. She could never live out her life in peace, even if the counter attack was successful, if she didn't confront Bakura now. She needed to know desperately, and she suspected that he needed to tell.
Although, from what it looks like, he's found another confidant, Asophyre thought bitterly. Why else had he left her so abruptly? He knew that he didn't need to prove himself to her.
*** *** ***
A faint bugle call, issuing from the direction they were heading towards, sent a shout of alarm through Bakura. He shuddered involuntarily. Is it possible that the pharaoh was prepared for them? He knew, that even with 1200 men, he would stand no chance if the element of surprise wasn't on their side. If the soldiers were untrained and disorganized, they could manage to take down at least half of them during the confusion. But this changed everything.
He looked towards the edge of the town and cursed fervently. At least five hundred men were standing, ready to attack. He only had four hundred with him, the other 800 being busy attacking from different sides. Malik was with hm, standing at his right hand side as second in command. Both of them were one of the few that rode on horses. They couldn't pillage more than 100. Above the head of the foot soldiers facing them, he could see two heads. No doubt they were standing on a chariot, or something. One of them has got to be the pharaoh, the snivelling, idiotic brat. He scrunched up his eyes, trying to discern the face of the second person. He could see a gleam of sunlight bouncing off the stranger's body, announcing armor. The pharaoh's body guard, perhaps?
But no, his heart knew the answer. It was Asophyre. It could only be her, from the way his breathing increased and his heart pounded. He hadn't even realized who she was when his body reacted. It was love, and how could she not realize that? There she was, standing motionlessly by that stupid excuse for a pharaoh, determined to serve him. But he would change her mind yet.
He almost pounded the horse's neck in rage, but Malik stopped him in time. He had forgotten that he was no longer seated at a stone table. Nodding his thanks, he turned his attention back to his men. They had wolfish smirks on their faces, each of them dreaming of the future. He loathed to tell them that the future might not be at all. The only way to ensure that all this work was not wasted was to start working on /it/ right now. He signalled to Malik, whose face paled slightly. /It/ was very dangerous, but also very harmful. When done correctly, it would serve their purpose perfectly. With a sense of dreading in his mind, Malik untied a pouch from his saddle and opened it carefully. Into his hands spilled two black beads, a small scrap of paper, a tail feather of a phoenix, stunningly beautiful, and finally, a scrap of clothing. He handed these to Bakura.
Bakura accepted them speechlessly. He glanced at the scroll carelessly and handed one of the black beads back to Malik. Slowly, both of them began to chant. These did not worry their followers. That Bakura had been working on learning magic was nothing new to them, and if anything, it just made them more impressed.
Slowly, both of the beads began to warm up. As the chanting progressed monotonously, fire which did nor burn, which did not sting engulfed the two beads. With an apprehensive look at Bakura, Malik thrust it into his mouth. Bakura did likewise. He couldn't feel anything - it was as though he had swallowed air. But when he breathed, a small wisp of smoke appeared. Bakura laughed softly. The first stage was now successfully finished. He took the phoenix tail feather, while Malik reached over and grabbed the scrap of silk. Simultaneously, they breathed fire onto the objects. Their hands were spared of damage, as were their clothing. But when the fire subsided, both items had disapppeared. Not even ashes remained. Malik grinned, despite their newfound ordeal of 500 royal soldiers poised for battle.
*** *** ***
The sharp, grating sounds of sword against sword, spear against spear clashed around Asophyre as she stared defiantly into the eyes of Ryou Bakura for the first time in two years. He had changed so much. His eyes no longer held the sparkling mischievous gleam, or the kind, thoughtful glint. Instead they were cold and indifferent, weathered by life's storm. He was sporting a black robe, and his hair appeared ill-cared for. At any rate, it hung limply at shoulder length. Around his neck was a small leather strap, but it disappeared into his robe. A trickle of sadness creeped into her thoughts. Bakura looked worn out, tired, and yet here he was, standing before her, facing her and Yami with his right hand man. All the battles that were going on around the small group was his doing. In the middle of the field was a clearing where the four stood. As if by mutual consent, the four leaders were left alone by both side. Asophyre was well aware that at two other triangular points around the edge of the tow, the scene was the same.
It didn't have to be this way. If Bakura hadn't felt so ashamed of himself, he wouldn't have run away. If he hadn't been so desperate to prove himself, this would be only a far off prophecy at most. A prophecy she would have laughed at, along with Bakura.
But then, if he hadn't run away, she wouldn't've met Yami. But before she could delve deeper into her desires, Bakura's cold voice jerked her out of her thoughts. The lack of kindness made her cringe, and when she glanced at him, he seemed oddly satisfied. A flare burned within her.
"I said, join me now as my queen, and together we will rule Egypt." Bakura repeated, with exaggerated patience. Yami drew his sword, rage written in his eyes, in his stance, in his rigid movements. Asophyre moved closer to him in an attempt to soothe him - and to prove to Bakura where her loyalties lie.
"You're hurting me and Egypt more than you could know." Asophyre said to him calmly. "I came down here because I wanted to make sure you know that. If you recall your men now, perhaps I could find it in my heart to forgive you. Perhaps not." Her icy composure, arranged to match that of Bakura's, dropped for a nanosecond. "Please, Ryou." She was almost pleading with him. She /wanted/ to forgive him. Phire keened in distress, but Asophyre shushed her with a urgent cry.
Bakura faltered. He had been so sure she would be proud of him, but alas, the plans have blinded him to Asophyre's character. He had forgotten all of her traits and personality in his haste to scheme and to prove himself. But no matter now.
"What makes you think that you can change me and throw away all I've worked for all these years?" He wished he hadn't spoken so hastily. Of course she could change him, she had always been able to. But for a long time now, this wasn't only his operation. Over 1000 men looked up to him, and depended on him. So no matter how much he ached for Asophyre's forgiveness, he couldn't forsake his honour. If only there was a way to make her understand.
"I see." Asophyre snapped stiffly. "You've changed." It was an understatement, yet it pained Bakura. Yami looked at her with admiration as she drew her sword and swung her shield around so it blocked Bakura. "Well, I would say it's over. The fight must go on, for the sake of Egypt." Bakura glared at her in horror. She was just going to throw him away!!! Oh, why had he angered her...he should've known more about her anger than anyone else, and especially if something big was at stake.
Yet as Malik drew his sword and Yami faced him squarely, his panic was replaced by loathing. He had hated Yami before, for being ruler, for being a wuss, for stealing his girl, but then he had always had a small hope. He believed that when Asophyre had the choice, she would choose him, Bakura, without a doubt. But now she stands with Yami. He would allow no man to poison /his/ Asophyre by putting a spell over her. She should be able to choose whom she loved.
Yes, hatred blinds as much as love does, and those two should not be mingled.
With a roar, he hurled himself at Yami, Malik immediately on his heels. "How dare you curse Asophyre!!!" He cried angrily. Yami reacted fast enough and brought his shield forth in time. Neither him nor Asophyre were any fazed by this comment. There was a hint of insanity in Bakura's voice, the insanity that inevitably took hold when he lost someone very dear to him.
Bakura pulled back and prepared to launch another attack, but Asophyre intervened. With the shield in one hand, positioned so that she was sufficiently proteced, she blocked Bakura's sword with her own. While Bakura was superior to her strength wise, her action shocked him and he staggered a bit. Phire cried out in triumph, then in summon as Asophyre had taught her to do, before fluttering down at Bakura and battering him with her wings.
Yami took over at that moment. He advanced on Bakura confidently, and Phire moved out of the way so she wouldn't be hurt. Yami swung his sword and Bakura countered just in time. A jab to the left; a dodge to the right; sidestepping; twirling; avoiding... The swordfight was spectacular to see. While Yami certainly had more training, Bakura had been in more hands-on fights - in other words, more experience. This made them evenly matched. Malik and Asophyre watched this with fascination before they remembered the presence of each other. At first Malik seemed hesitant to hurt Asophyre: the fiancee of the pharaoh, his dear friend's love, the future queen of Egypt and the only girl on the whole battlefield. But his decision was made for him when Asophyre charged.
She wouldn't've been any match for Malik. I'm not going to pretend her sorrow, hurt and anger suddenly triggered some hidden memory and made her an expert swordsman, but Malik himself was reminded of his sister. After all, Asophyre had about the same length of hair and the same determination in her black eyes. So despite the fact that she had openly challenged him, he was reluctant. He parried almost absentmindedly, pushing her back but not giving it his all. And every time, Asophyre, sensing that he was holding back would feel a surge of anger flow through her body and attacked again - not with more skill, but more power. And every time, Malik would simply return his attention to the battle at hand instead of observing his leader and friend. So the battle went on...
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THE END!!! It's not a cliffie, come on!
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Psh, yeah right. I'm having waaaay too much fun writing this
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Shortly after the phoenix, upon Phire's requested, joined the battle, the battle began dying down, all around the town. Phoenix were just too much to handle. They may not look strong, but that is merely a misconception. Then there was the fact that phoenix were considered sacred, and were not to be harmed. Some rebels, of course, didn't pay any heed to the unspoken rule, but more often than not, fighters held back against the fire birds. So there was an advantage on the royal side, even though there were barely a dozen phoenix. Villagers were huddled at the town square, watching the fight with fascination. Some houses had been burned during the lulls, but not too much damage was done considering the rebels were too busy fighting to even gain access into the town. They're already being pushed back. Many had fallen, on both sides of the fight. For one such as Asophyre, who wasn't used to such cruelty, the sight was almsot too much to bear. but she didn't have a lot of time to dwell on that as she couldn't beat Malik even when she tried with all her might. And Malik, well, he was too honourable to attack right out, for he knew Asophyre wouldn't stand a chance.
The double duo had reached a temporary impasse. Both Yami and Bakura were out of breath, and they had ceased to continue fighting. For now. Some of the villagers had begun to cheer as the number of rebels visibly dwindled. Bakura glanced around him in desperation. It looked bleary, and he knew he had lost. And while he was too proud to surrender to Yami, he knew that his execution - and that of Malik, was inevitable.
"I'm sorry..." He said to Malik when his antics with Asophyre brought him closer. The blond started, and his heart sank. Bakura was giving up.
But this also meant something else. With a stronger push than what he had been dealing out before, he forced Asophyre to stagger, almost tripping over her own two feet. He walked swiftly to Bakura, standing at his right side. He would remain loyal till the end. He put one of his hands into Bakura's outstretched one. (think Castle in the Sky) Yami hung back to watch what they were doing. A mistake, as it turned out.
They didn't glow, like magic tended to do, nor did they shake the earth, nor did they show any display of magic. But Asophyre, being trained in it, felt a powerful pulse permeating the air. And so it was with the speed of a cheetah that she wove her own counter spell at the same moment that Bakura and Malik said one word together.
"Memoria"
Asophyre didn't recognize the spell, but the strands that were left over afterwards told of an immensely complicated incantation. Her counter spell couldn't block it, but it weakened it as the curse coursed through her and Yami's body.
"May your romance be always shortlived, may the both of you suffer the pain of separation, and may your future always be miserable." Bakura sneered. The battle was over, that much was obvious from the many prisoners being escorted to the palace. Several soldiers rushed around at Yami's command and seized the two head conspirators. Bakura and Malik went without a struggle, knowing death awaited them, yet laughing in its face.
Yami breathed a small sigh of relief and swept Asophyre in an affectionate embrace. His lips brushed hers, lightly at first, then stronger. She returned it only half-heartedly, for her thoughts still lingered on Bakura's parting words. With a pang, she realized what spell he must've performed, she'd read about something like that once......but to do that, he would've needed two very personal things from the accursed. A piece of clothing, maybe, or something incredily significant...how then...?
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I worked hard on this chapter *sighs* This sort of stuff is really hard for me. I know the battle was probably disappointing, but I didn't know how to describe them charging at each other *sighs* I may, when I have more time, revise the chapter. If I do, I'll notify you guys, k?
Ok, I know this is a major cliff, but it will be explained in the next chapter. This story really is drawing to a close. And I know what I'm doing : )
This is two thirds more than the length of a usual chapter, to make up for my absence.
Thanks to all those who reviewed, and welcome to FALLEN-S *grins* Yeah, it's a good idea, and no, I won't take it as a flame. In fact, even if you hadn't specified, I wouldn't've minded. For I while I spelled it 'yoai' cus it essentially means slash, and 'ai' means love, 'yo' in chinese sort of means friends, so I thought it might be an ff.net type. then I read this book on anime where it explained yaoi, so I lapsed back into the correct one. I guess I could say I had the idea for this story a while I was thinking of my ff.net username, so...meh
I think Yami misinterpreted my request for you to guess...I meant guess why Bakura was acting weird, not what the next chapter is.... *shrug* sorry Chrys, although you almost have the chapter plot summed up, so I'll dedicate it to you *grin*
I worked hard on this chapter *sighs* battle scenes are hard for me
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Scrolls of the Past
By Phire Phoenix Chan
Chapter fifteen
How the mind works
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Zuzumea, bless her, was pleasantly unaware of the row that was going on between her two friends at the school, Yugi and Bakura. It seemed to be a mutual agreement that the girl should not be dragged into their fight, for while she was the reason behind it, it wasn't her fault that the two boys chose to fall in love with her. She had more to worry about than a feud between the boys. Actually, it's grown into an all out war now. Joey and Tea, being the loyal friends that they were, stuck by Yugi. While this may not have been the wisest move, it certainly cheered up the vertically challenged reincarnation of the pharaoh.
Bakura, driven by rage that no one was even bothering to hear out his side, his story and his accusations of Yugi casting a spell on Zuzumea, retaliated with twice the fury. It was almost as though Yami Bakura had taken over completely now, not even bothering to conceal his schemes behind the good-natured Ryou. But in reality, Yami Bakura was keeping well away from his Hikari when it came to Zuzumea. He would plan his schemes, and let his aibou deal with the pettier things. Petty things that will nevertheless lead to Yugi's defeat. Even if his Hikari hadn't managed to snatch the puzzle and shatter the brat's confidence, things were heating up a notch, and they were playing for keeps.
It was with relief that Yugi, Joey and Tea welcomed the end of the day - the day after the disastrous attempt made by Ryou. The latter, however, didn't seem to think that it was over just yet. He tried to challenge Yugi to a duel, in which the puzzle and Zuzumea would be the prize, but Yugi had downright refused to play Zuzumea like an item rather than a person, and closed his ears to comments that normally would have stung his heart. In the end, Joey had been forced to step in before Ryou threw them one last glare and left on his way. Even so, they distinctly heard his parting remark.
"It's not over yet, Pharaoh" This phrase was so reminiscent of Yami Bakura that the trio shuddered involuntarily. While Joey and Tea maintained that Ryou would come round in a few days, Yugi secretly wondered how he was going to get through this ordeal. For some reason, his intuition told him that Bakura would be a lot harder to fight than Pegasus. But perhaps, just perhaps he could count on Zuzumea and Asophyre's help in this one. Perhaps.
All this and more happened while Zuzumea fretted about the up-coming Mid-Term Math Examination. Maybe this was for the best, for had she known of the change of relationship between her friends, to put it mildly, she would've been unduly worried, as her character was sure to guarantee. And if she thought that she was apprehensive about the Exam, she had best not learn of the conflict. A concerned mind is a restless one, and with so many things whirling about in her head, she might've triggered the postponing of that night's dream. The dream what was, arguably, the most important of them all. If it had been even one day late, the result would have been disastrous. And so it was with cheerful ignorance that she climbed into bed and bade goodnight to her Yami.
~*
"We'll have a grand ceremony, with all of your close and extended family, not to mention all your friends, and most everyone who wishes to come. I shall order a dress to be made for you, and it shall be constructed out of the finest satin, with jewels adorning every convenient spot. Oh, and you definitely need jewellery. A tiara perhaps. Bracelets are necessary. Those bracelets that you're wearing now look like a good idea. Perhaps more delicate and more intricate...and we'll get you a gorgeous head piece. Not to mention a necklace, that's a must." Yami announced proudly and rather suddenly, about one and a half weeks after the proposal. They had been crouched over some scrolls when he looked up, right into her eyes, cheeks slightly flushed and his eyes sparkling.
"Yami, slow down!" Asophyre chided gently, laughing. She glanced at the cluttered desk, which she had abandoned the moment Yami snatched up her hands and started babbling. They were supposed to be devising counter-attacks, but somehow they had gotten distracted. "We're supposed to be working, remember?" She still felt a little bit uncertain, talking to the pharaoh in such a casual manner, but she couldn't help it. He was just so easy to talk, so easy to deal with. And from the way he behaves, you'd think that he was just another 20-year old, excited about the prospect of a fiancée, rather than the high and dignified ruler of a vast empire. Yami smiled sheepishly at her, reminding the Phoenix Mistress with a stab of pain of the way Bakura used to smile at her like that.
"I know, I know, sorry. I'm just so happy." Her hands, which he had dropped at her berating, were snatched up once again. "I love you, Asophyre." He quickly kissed her on the lips, to stifle whatever comment she had been about to make. The latter rolled her eyes good-naturedly. She glanced, or rather, glared at him and poked the pile of parchment pointedly. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips, and they seemed to be pressed together - as though she was resisting the urge to laugh. Yami sighed mockingly, turning to the desk with his eyes downcast. Asophyre patted him on the back.
"Cheer up Yami. Once this is over, we'll organize the wedding." Another wave of pain stabbed at her even as those words left her mouth. Once this is over. When this is over. When Bakura is captured...and most probably executed, she could have her happiness. Was that the creature she had become? Selfish, indulging, uncaring for anyone but herself and anything but her own happiness? How could she even bear to betray her childhood friend? How could she have ever agreed to help Yami fight against her friend? How?
How could her friend have betrayed her?
With a mighty tug, Asophyre pulled her thoughts away from the spiralling and seemingly unanswerably questions and unto the answer. She had not become selfish. She was doing this because it would help the good of Egypt in general. She would not be happy when Bakura is executed, so she should stop putting it that way. She was not betraying her friend, not really. And even if she was, the reason, and a very good one I might add, is because that her friend was threatening the lives of Egyptian, and of one in particular. For all her passion, Asophyre remained loyal to her country, and if she had to choose between the safety of Egypt and Yami, or Bakura, she would go for the former without a shadow of a doubt.
Turning her attention back to Yami, she smiled wistfully and pointed to map of the palace. "If he attacks from here, leading two troops which approach us from the north and west wing, we could counter by putting soldiers into formation A and B and brining formation B into..." As she and Yami continued to concoct plans, her flow of thought slipped back to where it belonged and where it was the least painful. But sometimes, road that appears to be bright and sunny, the road of Avoidance, is in fact hard and terrible.
A day passed. And another. And another. When it seemed like they had all of the possibly attack routes and counter attack schemes laid out, the lover birds began to relax. They could often be seen walking hand in hand in around the palace grounds, heads tilted slightly towards each other as though they were talking. Seto started handling more state affairs, trying to give Yami and Asophyre as much privacy as possible. He didn't inform Yami of his attempt, for he knew the pharaoh would never approve, but as much as the young boy denied it, he was in dire need of a break. Dark circles were beginning to show under his eyes from when he stayed up till the wee hours of the morning, pouring over complaint after complaint after complaint, straightening out this fight, settling that dispute. It was wearing, to be ruler, and the job should not have fallen unto the shoulders of a teenager. And it was with these reassuring reasons to calm his conscience that Seto took on some of the jobs that pharaoh would do, and only reported the important issues.
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Bakura sat at his usual spot on the rock in the centre of the cave they used for a meeting spot, watching with satisfaction as his men stumbled in one after another, all with news to report, news that often tended to be in favour of the plan. "...group three and four have been stationed at the market place" "Five and six are on their way to the town square" "Five more young men from the town nearby volunteered to join us. They're now waiting outside for your inspection" "One and Two are ready to report from Look-out" (doubt they had the word 'Recon' then) "The ingredients and books you requested, Bakura" "We brought in more gold again today. Our sum total should cover about 2/3 of the weapons for us, providing each of us only need a sword or a set of bow and arrows. Shields extra." "Two more to join the throng, Bakura" "I've enlisted the help of a forger" "Seven and eight have returned from raiding. By the looks of it, it was a good haul..."
Voices mingled with each other as his followers fought for the privilege to report their information first. Bakura had been known to be very generous when he was in a good mood, and they hoped to score some trifle or another off of him, especially now that everything seemed to flow the way he intended it. "Silence!" Their leader called out. While his voice was stern and commanding, they could detect a hint of triumph. Gradually, the babble died. Slowly, with a smug expression on his face, he lifted his arm and pointed to the person standing next to him. "Now, we will do this in an orderly fashion, and not like the barbarians that we are." A few snickers. "You, begin."
As Bakura relished in the sweet words that poured forth, his mind was quickly calculating. They had scheduled their attack for the following Sunday, after Market Day. That was three days from now, so that he would get a chance to streamline the final plan, and get a chance to contact Sorella. He didn't want her, or anyone from the Emika family getting hurt, not after what they've done for him. He obviously overlooked the fact that by usurping the throne, he would harm them, and Asophyre, more than he cared to do so. Or perhaps he did know of the consequences the family would suffer because of this attack, and simply chose not to acknowledge it. The thought would be too painful to peruse for a lengthy time.
But that statistic gave them one last day to round off the plans, before they laid siege to the town. With any luck, more people would be willing to join them in their campaign. There was almost nothing gold couldn't buy these days, a fact that was to his definite advantage. That would mean that they would be able to storm the castle within two or three days after that. The prospect cheered him up considerably, and the fact that his number of men had grown from 250 to 600 in three short weeks added to his pleasure. And then there were some extra recruits to the East, West, and South, all moving towards the palace. Their total number reached, by an estimation, about 1200. Of course, this had meant that he had to work twice as hard, inspecting new recruits, diverting more and more people towards towns to fund their expedition, as he liked to call it, not to mention late nights up, but he was convinced that it was worth it. Knowing those snobby people as well as he did, he was sure that the surprise alone would shock half of them into unconsciousness. And well, the other half wouldn't exactly be hard to fight off. Snobby people didn't tend to have a brain.
Another sentry's report brought him back to reality. Bakura rubbed his palms in glee and sent a meaningful look towards Malik, who grinned. The leader's right hand man stepped into the back and returned almost immediately, a wolfish smile on his face. The reporting sentry watched his advance hopefully, and sure enough, three gold coins, worth two nights of lodging at a fairly good inn and three days of quite luxurious food were flicked into his hands. Bakura dismissed him and moved on to the next, not really hearing what he was saying. His head was still on cloud nine. According to the sentry, the insolent boy who had challenged his authority had managed to round up quite a few more people within the town itself, and these were swiftly contacting their acquaintances in hopes of helping with their weapon situation. This day was turning out to be great indeed.
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"Sir! A suspicious looking youth of approximately twenty is currently at the palace gates, requesting your presence!" A guard stated calmly, interrupting the pair seated at a table, amusing themselves with a set of colourful stones. (sweatdrop, yeah it's pathetic) Phire was perched nearby, watching them from time to time, but really more interested in the attention that Mitsuro was paying her. At the sight of the guard, however, both of them perked up and they landed on the shoulders of Asophyre and Yami, respectively. These two stood up, assuring the guards that the phoenix were enough trouble for anyone to handle and headed towards the gates. Asophyre had just been about to tell Yami that it was cheering that Mitsuro trusted him so, for Phoenix were by nature suspicious, when they caught sight of the boy. He looked, well, very pathetic.
He had tattered pieces of clothing wrapped around himself, probably remains of what was once a simply white robe worn by the merchants. His hood was half torn off, and was dangling at his back. Dirt coated his arms and his face, and his eyes had a sunken, defeated look to them. Shaggy, blond hair surrounded his face, strangely limp, and he was panting like there was no tomorrow. He looked like as though he had either been involved in a fight, or starved for weeks. Most probably both of them. Asophyre glanced up at Phire, who nodded ever so slightly. The pair advanced cautiously, Asophyre letting go of Yam's hand. The boy's eyes widened, and he stepped back just a touch, staring in a horrified manner at Phire, then at Asophyre. The latter smiled reassuringly.
He bowed low before Asophyre, probably not knowing what else to do, and muttered an apology for his ragged appearance. From what she could discern from his mumblings, he had apparently run as fast as he could for 3 miles, fell down a minor hill, scraped himself numerous times on rocks, tumbling here and there before finally arriving at the town. And then he had dodged the jeering of the locals to reach the palace. Actually, the last part Asophyre figured out for herself, judging by what she knew of her neighbours. They weren't exactly compassionate. She was slightly worried by the he seemed to sway a bit, and suspected that the local urchins had taken it upon themselves to chase him with sticks and stones, as they tended to do. She sighed. It really wasn't the greatest town to live it, and if it weren't for the fact that her Father was an accomplished magician and somewhat respected, she doubted they would've stayed there as long as they did.
Yami took over at that time, having thoroughly examined the young boy. He stepped forward, and Mitsuro lifted off his shoulders, calling to Phire. Both of them settled on top of the palace gates with a 'clang' of claw against stone. Yami looked at the boy in that strange look that he reserved for strangers and said, quietly "what is it you wish?" Asophyre glanced at him sideways. This was the first time she'd seen him handle a complete stranger, and well, his manner was a bit more polite than what a pharaoh would expected to be. Perhaps it had something to do with his young age. She turned her attention back to the boy, intrigued, and noted that he had started to relax somewhat. Yami was a lot more than he looked.
"Please, sir, my name is Mekis, and I have some very important news regarding the Dangers of the Desert from a secure insider source." The boy whispered in awe, as though afraid to lift his voice up any higher. He didn't need to, for the next moment the palace gates had been opened and Yami was beckoning him in. Any information they had about the Dangers of the Desert was welcome. The attacks were getting more frequent, and they seemed to follow a pattern. No matter where the actual raiding was, if all of them were drawn chronologically onto a map of Egypt, any dense idiot would notice that they were headed for one central point: The Palace. It was very worrying, how these attacks proceeded, and yet how so little seemed to be being found out about Bakura. Asophyre followed the two men, closing the gates in the process. Then she held out her right arm, unto which Phire and Mitsuro landed. A bit of intimidation always helped people tell the truth. Fact: Don't ever tell Asophyre what scares you
"I used to run with them, sir, and I have information that he and around 1200 men will be laying siege to the town this upcoming Sunday." Yami frowned. This boy would have to be detained, although if what he said was true, then this would help him a lot. Although 1200 was a lot more than he would have expected there to be.
"Why are you telling me this?" Yami demanded suspiciously. "You know you could be executed for being part of the Dangers of the Desert. Why are you risking your life just to warn me?" His comforting manner dropped and in its stead was a suspicion that radiated caution. The boy smile wryly, a hint of bitterness in his eyes.
"Let's just say I had a falling out with Bakura." It was true. That knife incident hadn't been the only thing. Bakura hadn't fulfilled any of the promises he made to his men, and he had stopped any visits to his family, for fear of leaking. He had assured them that they would still have freedom, but that was being taken away from them little by litte, almost unnoticeably. And in Mekis' mind, that was Bakura's fault. Yami regarded him thoughtfully, then glanced at the Phoenix for support. They didn't show any signs of having even caught his eye, but when he looked back at the boy, his face was set in a determined grimace.
"All right. You will be detained until Sunday. If the information is true, you will be let out with a rich reward. If not, there will be a trial, and I assume you are aware fo the fact that execution is almost inevitable." The boy nodded, and at a signal from Yami, two guards appeared. Asophyre watched the group trekk off, before rounding on Yami, questions in her eyes and on the tip of her tongue. The pharaoh, however, held up a silencing hand steered her gently towards the palace. "Looks like we have some more planning to do." He whispered in her ear as he did so. Asophyre sighed inaudibly, and braced herself for another all-nighter.
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"Mom, Dad, there's a festival this weekend at Deskerlis. It's the biggest harvest festival of the year, can we go there, please?" Sorella pleaded, hoping to budge her parents. The real reason she wanted to be away from the village she wouldn't tell them, because she didn't want to break their hearts. That could wait for later. "We could all use a break, and we could go to the harvest festival! A bit of away-time from thsi town and your work..." she trailed off uncertainly, staring from her mom to her dad. She hadn't planned on how Asophyre would be included in this one, or whether she would be at all, for she was bound to stay at the castle and help Yami plan. Especially now when Bakura is getting ready to attack.
Sorella's father glanced at his wife and back at their daughter. "What does Asophyre think of this?" He asked slowly, but slightly absentmindedly. By that blank look in his eyes, Sorella knew that he was asking Asophyre's opinion to include her, and that he found the prospect of a break rather appealing. The girl smiled. While her father may wish to aid the pharaoh in such an ordeal, she had no wish to let her family anywhere near the battle, and in fact, she would drag away Asophyre, too, if she could. But Bakura seemed so lovesick about Asophyre, judging by the way he wrote Yam-head and Yapper several times instead of Yami in his note to her.
"She doesn't know yet. I thought I'd talk to you first, and if you agree, we can talk to Asophyre." Her mom frowned gently.
"You know it's not right to exclude her like this, Sorella, dear." She chided softly. She had a dreamy expression on her face even as she said this. Deskerlis is the town she grew up in, and she would return only too happily for the harvest festival, which she remembered quite well. Sorealla, seeing her mother's eager expression, hastened to assure her that they would contact Asophyre as soon as possible. Finally, her parents nodded hesitantly.
*** *** ***
"Are you sure you don't want to go with your family?" Yami asked anxiously. "It could get dangerous." He regretted speaking those words as soon as he saw the fire dancing in Asophyre's eyes. While she seemed serene on the outside, those who knew her well, like Yami, or Bakura for that matter, feared her temper. Always ready to surface, always ready to explode, its wrath was incurred on anyone who dared belittle her, her friends or her family. Oh, and it came out just for kicks, too. Many a times had Bakura returned to his pathetic room, clutching his head where Asophyre slapped it. But after two or three months, his skull hardened in an attempt to survive...
"Ok, ok, so you don't want to go. That's fine by me." Yami said hurriedly, before Asophyre opened her mouth and launched into momentum. "How about that plan, huh?" He pointed towards the parchment lying on the desk, hoping to divert Asophyre's attention. It was past midnight, and in a few hours the attack would be launched. Supposedly. He knew neither of them would sleep that night, their ears sharp for war cries, jangling of knives, clashing of swords and dull thuds of feet. They had stationed several sentries of guards around the town edges, all equipped with bugles in case they did arrive. Villagers had been warned that there might be danger, and many of the moved towards the centre of the town. Yet others fled to their nearby city. Yami couldn't blame them. While the Dangers of the Desert didn't seem to be harming women or children, they weren't exactly gentle with anyone. That was to be expected, however.
"A few hours..." Asophyre muttered distractedly. She was dreading the battle. It had been all fine on paper, but when it came down to actually doing it, her stomach gave a funny somersault. It wasn't actually the danger, it was the hurt her heart would suffer at seeing Bakura again. Phire, her constant companion for the past two days, sang quietly, seeking to soothe her friend and mistress. Yami stroked the fire-bird absentmindedly. The latter was getting quite well acquainted with the phoenix.
"Get your mind off it." Yami ordered suddenly, a hint of his regal pharaoh alter ego (hehe) in his voice. "We need a clear head if he does attack, and if you brood about it, you will panic at the actual scene." He didn't actually know whether this was true or not. It made sense to him. Besides, he really wanted to cheer his fiancee up. "Think happy thoughts." Asophyre sent him a look that could kill, and Phire trilled. Yami was sure she was laughing. Nevertheless, the phoenix summoner resigned herself to humouring Yami.
And so they sat, for three hours, just talking about nothing in general and yet everything in their lives until a few rays of the sun peeked over the horizon. Gently nudging Asophyre away from his embrace, Yami took her hand and led her towards the edge of the balcony. She sucked in her breath sharply, staring in wonder at the town before her. The sun rise illuminated it, casting a golden glow on every nook, every cranny, every rooftop and alley. It was as though the dear sun itself sought nothing but to bring light into their lives. Perhaps that was true. "It's beautiful." She whispered reveredly. Yami didn't respond. Instead, he started rigidly ahead. The sun had completely risen by now, and wasn't as blinding.
It was only now that Asophyre noticed a swirl of dust near the horizon, growing steadily larger. A shrill bugle call met their ears, followed by several others which echo it. What was frightening was that they all seemed to be coming from different directions. Abruptly, Yami let go of Asophyre's hand and without a word, turned his back on her. His navy blue cape flowed with movement as he hurried to reach his chariot. Asophyre quietly awakened Phire and together, they ran down with him. Soldiers, well-trained soldiers rose from their posts, slamming their armor into place. Many were already stepping into their ranks. So it was only a few minutes after the alarm that 1500 men were ready for counter-attack, and yet more were already in preparation stages. After a curt inspection, Yami nodded resolutely and stepped onto his chariot.
His face was set and his eyes steely. He raised his reins and urged the horses on at the same moment Asophyre jumped on the chariot, a light armor enveloping her body. She had a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. Yet the accesory which completed her outfit was the determination flickering in her eyes. Yami's eyes glazed over as he stared into hers, but he shook himself, quickly pulling the reins back again. "You're not coming." He told her calmly. She glared at him in response.
"What were those training sessions for then?" She snapped. "Why would I have bothered to do them if they weren't going to be put to use? This is my town and my country as much as it is yours. It is the country of all the Egyptians, and they have a right of joining the battle." Yami was about to reply that the rest of the country was not his fiancee, and that the training was for self defence, not attack when the words died in his throat at the sight of her eyes. As always, so eager to betray her mistress' emotions, those coal black eyes reflected a quiet sadness and anguish.
"This is my battle as much as it is yours." Asophyre told him softly, her voice losing some of its bite. She wasn't referring to patrionism anymore, and she knew that Yami was aware of it. "Let me go, or condemn me to a life of torture." It was true. She could never live out her life in peace, even if the counter attack was successful, if she didn't confront Bakura now. She needed to know desperately, and she suspected that he needed to tell.
Although, from what it looks like, he's found another confidant, Asophyre thought bitterly. Why else had he left her so abruptly? He knew that he didn't need to prove himself to her.
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A faint bugle call, issuing from the direction they were heading towards, sent a shout of alarm through Bakura. He shuddered involuntarily. Is it possible that the pharaoh was prepared for them? He knew, that even with 1200 men, he would stand no chance if the element of surprise wasn't on their side. If the soldiers were untrained and disorganized, they could manage to take down at least half of them during the confusion. But this changed everything.
He looked towards the edge of the town and cursed fervently. At least five hundred men were standing, ready to attack. He only had four hundred with him, the other 800 being busy attacking from different sides. Malik was with hm, standing at his right hand side as second in command. Both of them were one of the few that rode on horses. They couldn't pillage more than 100. Above the head of the foot soldiers facing them, he could see two heads. No doubt they were standing on a chariot, or something. One of them has got to be the pharaoh, the snivelling, idiotic brat. He scrunched up his eyes, trying to discern the face of the second person. He could see a gleam of sunlight bouncing off the stranger's body, announcing armor. The pharaoh's body guard, perhaps?
But no, his heart knew the answer. It was Asophyre. It could only be her, from the way his breathing increased and his heart pounded. He hadn't even realized who she was when his body reacted. It was love, and how could she not realize that? There she was, standing motionlessly by that stupid excuse for a pharaoh, determined to serve him. But he would change her mind yet.
He almost pounded the horse's neck in rage, but Malik stopped him in time. He had forgotten that he was no longer seated at a stone table. Nodding his thanks, he turned his attention back to his men. They had wolfish smirks on their faces, each of them dreaming of the future. He loathed to tell them that the future might not be at all. The only way to ensure that all this work was not wasted was to start working on /it/ right now. He signalled to Malik, whose face paled slightly. /It/ was very dangerous, but also very harmful. When done correctly, it would serve their purpose perfectly. With a sense of dreading in his mind, Malik untied a pouch from his saddle and opened it carefully. Into his hands spilled two black beads, a small scrap of paper, a tail feather of a phoenix, stunningly beautiful, and finally, a scrap of clothing. He handed these to Bakura.
Bakura accepted them speechlessly. He glanced at the scroll carelessly and handed one of the black beads back to Malik. Slowly, both of them began to chant. These did not worry their followers. That Bakura had been working on learning magic was nothing new to them, and if anything, it just made them more impressed.
Slowly, both of the beads began to warm up. As the chanting progressed monotonously, fire which did nor burn, which did not sting engulfed the two beads. With an apprehensive look at Bakura, Malik thrust it into his mouth. Bakura did likewise. He couldn't feel anything - it was as though he had swallowed air. But when he breathed, a small wisp of smoke appeared. Bakura laughed softly. The first stage was now successfully finished. He took the phoenix tail feather, while Malik reached over and grabbed the scrap of silk. Simultaneously, they breathed fire onto the objects. Their hands were spared of damage, as were their clothing. But when the fire subsided, both items had disapppeared. Not even ashes remained. Malik grinned, despite their newfound ordeal of 500 royal soldiers poised for battle.
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The sharp, grating sounds of sword against sword, spear against spear clashed around Asophyre as she stared defiantly into the eyes of Ryou Bakura for the first time in two years. He had changed so much. His eyes no longer held the sparkling mischievous gleam, or the kind, thoughtful glint. Instead they were cold and indifferent, weathered by life's storm. He was sporting a black robe, and his hair appeared ill-cared for. At any rate, it hung limply at shoulder length. Around his neck was a small leather strap, but it disappeared into his robe. A trickle of sadness creeped into her thoughts. Bakura looked worn out, tired, and yet here he was, standing before her, facing her and Yami with his right hand man. All the battles that were going on around the small group was his doing. In the middle of the field was a clearing where the four stood. As if by mutual consent, the four leaders were left alone by both side. Asophyre was well aware that at two other triangular points around the edge of the tow, the scene was the same.
It didn't have to be this way. If Bakura hadn't felt so ashamed of himself, he wouldn't have run away. If he hadn't been so desperate to prove himself, this would be only a far off prophecy at most. A prophecy she would have laughed at, along with Bakura.
But then, if he hadn't run away, she wouldn't've met Yami. But before she could delve deeper into her desires, Bakura's cold voice jerked her out of her thoughts. The lack of kindness made her cringe, and when she glanced at him, he seemed oddly satisfied. A flare burned within her.
"I said, join me now as my queen, and together we will rule Egypt." Bakura repeated, with exaggerated patience. Yami drew his sword, rage written in his eyes, in his stance, in his rigid movements. Asophyre moved closer to him in an attempt to soothe him - and to prove to Bakura where her loyalties lie.
"You're hurting me and Egypt more than you could know." Asophyre said to him calmly. "I came down here because I wanted to make sure you know that. If you recall your men now, perhaps I could find it in my heart to forgive you. Perhaps not." Her icy composure, arranged to match that of Bakura's, dropped for a nanosecond. "Please, Ryou." She was almost pleading with him. She /wanted/ to forgive him. Phire keened in distress, but Asophyre shushed her with a urgent cry.
Bakura faltered. He had been so sure she would be proud of him, but alas, the plans have blinded him to Asophyre's character. He had forgotten all of her traits and personality in his haste to scheme and to prove himself. But no matter now.
"What makes you think that you can change me and throw away all I've worked for all these years?" He wished he hadn't spoken so hastily. Of course she could change him, she had always been able to. But for a long time now, this wasn't only his operation. Over 1000 men looked up to him, and depended on him. So no matter how much he ached for Asophyre's forgiveness, he couldn't forsake his honour. If only there was a way to make her understand.
"I see." Asophyre snapped stiffly. "You've changed." It was an understatement, yet it pained Bakura. Yami looked at her with admiration as she drew her sword and swung her shield around so it blocked Bakura. "Well, I would say it's over. The fight must go on, for the sake of Egypt." Bakura glared at her in horror. She was just going to throw him away!!! Oh, why had he angered her...he should've known more about her anger than anyone else, and especially if something big was at stake.
Yet as Malik drew his sword and Yami faced him squarely, his panic was replaced by loathing. He had hated Yami before, for being ruler, for being a wuss, for stealing his girl, but then he had always had a small hope. He believed that when Asophyre had the choice, she would choose him, Bakura, without a doubt. But now she stands with Yami. He would allow no man to poison /his/ Asophyre by putting a spell over her. She should be able to choose whom she loved.
Yes, hatred blinds as much as love does, and those two should not be mingled.
With a roar, he hurled himself at Yami, Malik immediately on his heels. "How dare you curse Asophyre!!!" He cried angrily. Yami reacted fast enough and brought his shield forth in time. Neither him nor Asophyre were any fazed by this comment. There was a hint of insanity in Bakura's voice, the insanity that inevitably took hold when he lost someone very dear to him.
Bakura pulled back and prepared to launch another attack, but Asophyre intervened. With the shield in one hand, positioned so that she was sufficiently proteced, she blocked Bakura's sword with her own. While Bakura was superior to her strength wise, her action shocked him and he staggered a bit. Phire cried out in triumph, then in summon as Asophyre had taught her to do, before fluttering down at Bakura and battering him with her wings.
Yami took over at that moment. He advanced on Bakura confidently, and Phire moved out of the way so she wouldn't be hurt. Yami swung his sword and Bakura countered just in time. A jab to the left; a dodge to the right; sidestepping; twirling; avoiding... The swordfight was spectacular to see. While Yami certainly had more training, Bakura had been in more hands-on fights - in other words, more experience. This made them evenly matched. Malik and Asophyre watched this with fascination before they remembered the presence of each other. At first Malik seemed hesitant to hurt Asophyre: the fiancee of the pharaoh, his dear friend's love, the future queen of Egypt and the only girl on the whole battlefield. But his decision was made for him when Asophyre charged.
She wouldn't've been any match for Malik. I'm not going to pretend her sorrow, hurt and anger suddenly triggered some hidden memory and made her an expert swordsman, but Malik himself was reminded of his sister. After all, Asophyre had about the same length of hair and the same determination in her black eyes. So despite the fact that she had openly challenged him, he was reluctant. He parried almost absentmindedly, pushing her back but not giving it his all. And every time, Asophyre, sensing that he was holding back would feel a surge of anger flow through her body and attacked again - not with more skill, but more power. And every time, Malik would simply return his attention to the battle at hand instead of observing his leader and friend. So the battle went on...
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THE END!!! It's not a cliffie, come on!
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Psh, yeah right. I'm having waaaay too much fun writing this
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Shortly after the phoenix, upon Phire's requested, joined the battle, the battle began dying down, all around the town. Phoenix were just too much to handle. They may not look strong, but that is merely a misconception. Then there was the fact that phoenix were considered sacred, and were not to be harmed. Some rebels, of course, didn't pay any heed to the unspoken rule, but more often than not, fighters held back against the fire birds. So there was an advantage on the royal side, even though there were barely a dozen phoenix. Villagers were huddled at the town square, watching the fight with fascination. Some houses had been burned during the lulls, but not too much damage was done considering the rebels were too busy fighting to even gain access into the town. They're already being pushed back. Many had fallen, on both sides of the fight. For one such as Asophyre, who wasn't used to such cruelty, the sight was almsot too much to bear. but she didn't have a lot of time to dwell on that as she couldn't beat Malik even when she tried with all her might. And Malik, well, he was too honourable to attack right out, for he knew Asophyre wouldn't stand a chance.
The double duo had reached a temporary impasse. Both Yami and Bakura were out of breath, and they had ceased to continue fighting. For now. Some of the villagers had begun to cheer as the number of rebels visibly dwindled. Bakura glanced around him in desperation. It looked bleary, and he knew he had lost. And while he was too proud to surrender to Yami, he knew that his execution - and that of Malik, was inevitable.
"I'm sorry..." He said to Malik when his antics with Asophyre brought him closer. The blond started, and his heart sank. Bakura was giving up.
But this also meant something else. With a stronger push than what he had been dealing out before, he forced Asophyre to stagger, almost tripping over her own two feet. He walked swiftly to Bakura, standing at his right side. He would remain loyal till the end. He put one of his hands into Bakura's outstretched one. (think Castle in the Sky) Yami hung back to watch what they were doing. A mistake, as it turned out.
They didn't glow, like magic tended to do, nor did they shake the earth, nor did they show any display of magic. But Asophyre, being trained in it, felt a powerful pulse permeating the air. And so it was with the speed of a cheetah that she wove her own counter spell at the same moment that Bakura and Malik said one word together.
"Memoria"
Asophyre didn't recognize the spell, but the strands that were left over afterwards told of an immensely complicated incantation. Her counter spell couldn't block it, but it weakened it as the curse coursed through her and Yami's body.
"May your romance be always shortlived, may the both of you suffer the pain of separation, and may your future always be miserable." Bakura sneered. The battle was over, that much was obvious from the many prisoners being escorted to the palace. Several soldiers rushed around at Yami's command and seized the two head conspirators. Bakura and Malik went without a struggle, knowing death awaited them, yet laughing in its face.
Yami breathed a small sigh of relief and swept Asophyre in an affectionate embrace. His lips brushed hers, lightly at first, then stronger. She returned it only half-heartedly, for her thoughts still lingered on Bakura's parting words. With a pang, she realized what spell he must've performed, she'd read about something like that once......but to do that, he would've needed two very personal things from the accursed. A piece of clothing, maybe, or something incredily significant...how then...?
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I worked hard on this chapter *sighs* This sort of stuff is really hard for me. I know the battle was probably disappointing, but I didn't know how to describe them charging at each other *sighs* I may, when I have more time, revise the chapter. If I do, I'll notify you guys, k?
Ok, I know this is a major cliff, but it will be explained in the next chapter. This story really is drawing to a close. And I know what I'm doing : )
This is two thirds more than the length of a usual chapter, to make up for my absence.