Shadows of the Blue Moon

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By Darkness-Fire

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Chapter Eight: Sparks Fly

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There's a new transfer student in Domino High and she turns out to be Malik Ishtar's foster sister. She hates Yami to the core and vice versa. But what happens when she is assigned to sit next to him in Class 1-B?? Will Bakura and Malik try to stop her from driving the former Pharaoh crazy?? Or will they just sit back and watch Yami meet his match – in a girl who has the gift of Fire and Shadow Majic?? But meanwhile, a long-gone enemy has resurfaced from the Shadow Realm, and he altering the course of history in Ancient Egypt, 3000 years ago. Will the rivals team up to destroy him, or will they fail and let him take over both Upper and Lower Egypt??

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Darkness-Fire:

… *is silent*

Shadow:

Darkness-Fire?? Oi, you mute??

Darkness-Fire:

*glares at Keaira Ishtar expectantly*

Keaira Ishtar:

She lost her voice. *shrugs* Now she can only make little squeaky noises.

Shadow:

She lost her voice?? What… How??

Darkness-Fire:

*scribbles on spare piece of paper* *thrusts it at Keaira to read*

Keaira Ishtar:

*scrolls through it thoroughly* Apparently, she attended a three-day camp at her school, shouted herself into oblivion with 5 or so class cheers with her class continually and repeatedly, lost her voice halfway through the final day.

Darkness-Fire:

*scribbles some more*

Keaira Ishtar:

And they didn't win the class competition. She wants to murder somebody by the way, so Shadow, you better not infuriate her.

Trueyamigirlfriend – *scribbles* Thanks for your encouragement!! Well… since you don't really like any character in particular… *gives voodoo doll*

Akiko-Saulii - *scribbles* Thanks!! Since your latest story is about Ryou, then… *gives Ryou Bakura plushie*

Yugia - *scribbles* Sorry, don't have much time on my hands to write back… loads of projects and presentations to finish, so… sorry. *Gives Yami no Yugi plushie*

Illenois – *scribbles* Aah! You finally reviewed! Get working on a story, will you? *Gives Bakura plushie* 

Rach – *scribbles* You love the way I describe things? Glad you have time to read this!! Thanks a lot Rach!! *Gives Blue Eyes White Dragon plushie*

Darkness-Fire:

*gets a bit of her voice back* *hoarsely* I failed my history test by the way. It was a total killer. Around 52% of my whole level failed. I got 9/20.

Keaira Ishtar:

Doesn't help that her school is one of the most reputed top secondary schools in the whole of her country, either, you know. I heard her History teacher complain about how bad the class was. Oh, and the method of schooling ages are different between the countries, so in her secondary school, students from 13-16 years attend. So… ehheh. Guess her age. Her school is also a girls' school, so she and her classmates are pretty united. (Ignore her first bio if you saw it. She's not 14. That was a typing error. =.=U

Darkness-Fire:

1/10 rocks. Insult my class and you'll never hear the end of it. I'm not kidding. To all our school mates from 1/7 and 1/9, thanks for cheering for us during the games.

Eighth chappie for SotBM, uploaded. Enjoy. *grins*

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Disclaimer: Do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. Nobody does, except for that Japanese dude… *sighs*

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"Mana… do you think you could help us…?" Kira said seriously, regarding the blonde girl, who handed out their food through the bars of the prison cell.

The girl looked crestfallen. "I'm sorry… I can't."

Kira's heart began to beat more erratically now. It was just a few hours before Bakura's execution. If the silver-haired tomb robber was to die now, the future would be as good as gone.

Malik looked away from them. "Kira… she has her own troubles. There's no need to force her."

Kira was not able to control her temper. She snapped. "Why Mana? Are you on such close terms with the Pharaoh that his judgment is starting to affect you?"

"Kira…" Malik said warningly, his lavender eyes flashing.

The girl ignored him completely, as her head snapped back to face Mana.

"Kira… I…"

"Why, Dark Magician Girl? Is it because of the sins we have done? Is it because we have destroyed the deeds of heaven, the deeds of Ra? Is robbing the late Pharaoh's tomb really tantamount to banishing oneself to eternal hell?"

Why had she called me the Dark Magician Girl…?

"Or is it because you are afraid that the Pharaoh and your master will get hurt in the process?"

At this, Mana completely lost her holding on the bowl of grain that she was holding. Porcelain shattered and scattered itself on the ground. Shock reigned throughout her tanned face. "I…"

"—or is it the mere fact that we are tomb robbers?"

"No! It isn't…"

"Kira! Stop it!" shouted Malik.

Kira flung herself against the bars of the cell. "Tell me Mana! Why is it that you are not willing to help us? Bakura is not sentenced to death because of his tomb robbing!! There is another reason as to why Bel um Fal will kill him so coolly!"

Mana took a few steps back and asked warily. "Then why? What is it?"

"Bel um Fal hates him. He's scared of the future that must come true; will come true. And he's scared of what will happen to you."

Disbelief. Disbelief was etched all over Mana's face.

"What… what do you mean…?"

~~~

"Tomb robber, wake up," a cold voice stirred the silver-haired one from his slumber.

Violet eyes snapped up to meet ice blue one.

"What do you want?" Bakura snarled at the High Priest.

Seto curled his fingers protectively over the Millennium Rod, staring straight back at the thief. "I'd advise you to be more respectful of those of higher rank, filth."

The remark hit a nerve. The tomb robber was definitely not filth. Anger rose up in him like a devouring shadow. Shadow Magic was starting to feed more power into his weakened Diabound.

"What. Do. You. Want?" Bakura bit out slowly, gradually bringing his temper under control.

"I have come with a proposition, to make, tomb robber."

Bakura arched his eyebrow.

A white dragon formed, wrapped around the high priest.

"Ah. The pale girl with blue eyes. She sacrificed herself for you, did she not? She gave you the ka of the dragon that is said to be as powerful as the three gods."

Seto's eyes narrowed. Bakura took that as a sign to keep on infuriating the brown-haired priest. "That had nothing to do with you, filth."

"It hurt when she gave her life to you, no? It struck into your heart like a knife, when she said that she was willing to sacrifice herself in order to help you? Did you cry, when she splashed her blood on the holy altar to give her ka to you?"

"Liar," Seto spat out. The white dragon reared its great head and growled.

"You know as well as I am that I am not lying, High Priest," snarled Bakura darkly, his hands balling into fists. "It hurt dearly, deeply when the one you loved joined Hades in the Underworld."

"Do not steer away from the subject here," Seto snapped, as the white dragon uncurled and stretched its white wings. Warm blue eyes, so unlike its master, took in the defiant tomb robber and roared.

"Yes, I recalled you said that you had a little proposition to make."

"Funny that your demented mind managed to remember," Seto smirked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Cut the insults, priest," Bakura snapped.

"Any Ra-damned way, I have a little proposition to make," Seto snapped again. His patience was really starting to wear thin with the tomb robber. "Here's the deal. I get you out of prison and you do me a favour the next time if I need any help."

Bakura contemplated it for a moment. "Yeah, right. And how am I supposed to know if you'll give me the slip and let me be killed by the guards?"

"Look, I will only help you during the execution. Ra knows that your dear friends will definitely escape and try to get you out. When you are escaping, I will use the Millennium Rod to control the guards' minds and let you escape amidst the chaos."

Bakura rolled his violet eyes. "Fat load of help that is."

"You take it, or leave it. One tomb robber less in Egypt does me no harm."

"Fine," Bakura sighed.

"Good. And remember our deal."

~~~

"We can't tell you that Mana," Malik cut in hurriedly, lest Kira tell the entire story to her. The results would be devastating. Mana might refuse to set them free if she knew that her teacher was going to die if she let them rescue Bakura. The saddest fact was that Mana didn't know. She couldn't know. Until it was too late.

"So how about it?" pressed Malik urgently. There were only a few more hours to spare before their friend lost his head. "Will you help us?"

~~~

"Yugi… tell me what happened!"

Yugi rubbed his aching temples. The mental blow had taken a lot out of him.

Why Yami? Why…

"Yami… he… knocked me out."

"He— what?" Ryou was filled with shocked. Never in his life did he ever think that the spirit would dare harm his own hikari. Even Bakura, rough and ruthless as he was, did not do it. "Do… do you blame him?"

"I… I don't know. He feels sorry for it though… I remember him saying sorry to me before everything went black."

~~~

"There are only a few hours left before your execution, tomb robber. I suggest that you cherish the last remaining moments of your life," Seto said coldly.

"I'll live far longer than you ever will, Priest," clipped Bakura sarcastically.

"We'll see. If your friends arrive in time…" scoffed Seto. He himself was a loner, he did not believe in friends. He trusted that he could live without them. Thus, he had led a very isolated life from young. Seto allowed the white dragon to return to his body and, giving a swift inclining of the head to Bakura, swept away from the dungeons.

"Real nice guy he is… I could feel the temperature dropping a few dozen degrees," said Bakura scathingly, as he glared at the steadily retreating back of the Millennium Item holder.

~~~

"Thank you Mana, for your help," Malik thanked the blonde.

"I'm still not sure if I've done the right thing… by helping you…" mused the young protégée of Mahaado, shifting her weight from foot to foot uncomfortably.

Both of them had masks, well, black veils actually, covering half of their faces to prevent identification by others, as they crept down the hallway leading out to freedom.

"I honestly hope nobody's gonna notice us…" said Malik, his eyebrows starting to knit together.

They rounded the corner and bumped into Seto. Malik and Kira shied away immediately, hiding their faces. Mana apologized profusely to the cold young man. Being her elder, he had every right to deserve respect from her.

If Bakura found out that I was disguised as a palace maid I'm never going to live this down… Well, providing he survives the execution, of course, Malik cursed mentally, as he and Kira immediately curtseyed and paid their respects to him. A sly glance to his left told him that Kira certainly didn't enjoy bowing down to the arrogant Priest either.

"Watch where you're going, Miss Mana," Seto intoned coldly, and Kira suddenly felt the urge to knock the stuffing out of the guy. "Who are they?" Seto asked, his blue eyes taking in the two maids before him.

"They-they are the new maids, sir. I've been… instructed to show them about the palace grounds," Mana said hurriedly, struggling to hide the truth from the Priest.

A gentle soft croon sounded in Seto's mind, alerting him that the maids were not what they seemed. Seto's eyebrows lifted fractionally when he recognized the palace maids for who they really were.

"Hnn. Carry on then," Seto said, trying to keep the mirth out of his voice at seeing Malik dressed as a palace maid. He stalked off.

"Thank you, sir," the three chorused dully, before continuing on their way to the exit.

~~~

"All is ready for the tomb robber's execution, My Highness," Mahaado reported, bowing respectfully to the young Pharaoh who sat in the High Throne.

"Good," the Pharaoh's eyes lit up, and his voice was so low that it was menacing, a low growl of a regal sphinx ready to strike. "Lead him out onto the execution grounds now."

~~~

Mana led the two out by the back of the Palace. "Good luck," she bid them, and turned away to head back to the palace. A shout stopped her in her tracks.

"Mana!!"

Kira ran up to her, even as Malik called up his chestnut horse and a black mare. (A/N: Don't ask me how he did that. Do not ask me how he did that. I do not know.)

"Thanks so much for helping us… I'm so sorry that I lost my temper at you just now…"

"It's okay, Kira, I understand," smiled Mana encouragingly.

Malik had already hoisted himself up on his horse and was waiting impatiently for Kira. Kira quickly diverted her attention to her friend and back again to the blonde.

"Look, Mana, there's not much time. Remember… do not grieve. There's nothing worth to grieve for…"

A shrill whistle reminded her to hurry up with her conversation.

"Huh? What…"

"Just remember Mana… do not grieve…"

"What…"

But Kira had already jumped onto her black mare and clucked her tongue in her ear. Twin daggers hung by her side, clinking together slightly whenever she shifted. The veil still covering her face, she nodded to Mana, bidding a farewell. The black mare started when Kira kicked her flanks and set off at a fast run.

It might be the last time they were seeing each other. The next time, they would meet as enemies.

***

To be continued:

Shadows of the Blue Moon

Chapter Nine: The Price to Pay

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Would Malik and Kira arrive in time to save Bakura? And what will happen from then on? Mahaado sets a trap for the silver-haired tomb robber, and Bel um Fal is at a loss. Seto meanwhile plots to usurp the throne from his cousin with the ka of Kisara, Blue Eyes White Dragon, the monster that is said to surpass the Gods…How will Yami handle the crumbling from inside the palace, and face up against the tomb robber? What will happen to Mana?

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Darkness-Fire:

*scribbles* Finally the eighth chappie is done… I can rest again… *cheers* of course there is still the small problem of unfinished homework… but well… I can procrastinate once in a while right?

Shadow:

*shakes head* little kids, do not learn from her. She sets a bad example for you.

Darkness-Fire:

*holds up a sign* Read and review please! ^^