Shibby-One - "A lot of research" is an understatement. I spent days in my library (meaning in college), at the section dedicated to [Ancient/Modern] Egypt. 8.92, ne? Cool! I remember when I was struggleing to get THREE a chapter at the start of YLP. If I had the time, I'd r&r your long-ish fic. I skimmed through some, until Jou died. T_T SO SAD!!
Amidamaru: She's about to read your chapter, and your complaining?
Una: *nervous laugh* Good point...
Cat-Star - You're gonna hate him more by the end of this chapter, I promise! And I'm glad you liked my other story.
SilverWolfe - -_-' Yugi is still my fav character, and it was FW who added about him smoking in the first place. He's not like that in the show. He never even really complains!! He's, like, a major push-over turning hero! ^_^ That's why I love him!!
Yugi: *blushes*
KYamiYugi - ^_^ Thank you so very much!!
Ente - *bows from characters* I cannot tell you how much I appreciated BOTH of your reviews! Detailed, to the point, and so helpful! *hug* Seriously, they helped a lot! I often feel like I'm the only one who cares about character depth and development. But then I get reviews and read stories like yours, Shibby's, or Serafina's, and I realize I'm not alone!
Jessejames - I'm feeling a bit better. I went to Japanese class, but I figured Karate was out of the question. And as far as the mummy and the monkey go... ^_^ Do what you want with them!
Yami/Bardock: (O)___(O) AAAHHH!!!
Strawberrylover - You mean you haven't guessed what happens?
digigirl-izumi - Oh man... You're gonna hate me....
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Bardock: Why do I have a bad feeling about this chapter?
Yugi: Maybe because Yami hasn't said a word to anyone, including me, for over a week?
Yami: *sitting, hugging his knees* ......
FW: *pokes Yami*
Una: ^_^' Uh, yeah, I know I'm gonna be flamed for this chapter.
Amidamaru: Isn't that what you want?
Una: To some extent. I want constructive-
Amidamaru: -flames? Is there such a thing?
Yugi: I guess we'll find out.
FW: *pokes Yami more*
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Chapter 12
A True Purpose; The Ship-to-Ship Battle
Isis' flying kaa arrived back to the large doors of the palace, where Shukura, Shadi, Shimon, and Mahado stood formulating a strategy to rescue Pharaoh Atem, Naeem, Keiko, and Seto. Isis turned back to her companions, her face downcast. [1] "My queen," she said at last. "I witnessed Pharaoh and his captors disappear into nothingness atop the Nile! No ship at all!"
"Its obvious Minkabh would place a concealment spell on the ship," the Mil. Ring barer said. "The question is were there any more soldiers nearby to indicate a more numerous opposition?"
"I saw no one at all," she said. "Even with my keen perception, the evil wizard's spell was too powerful! I returned as quickly as I could."
"Meaning they've set sail for quite a while," said Shukura sadly. "How many volunteers do we have, Shadi?"
"The number of people willing to sacrifice their lives for our pharaoh is hardly a problem. Almost every man in Thebes is at our beck and call. However, the fewer who know about his capture the better. He would be considered a weaker pharaoh."
"Meaning…"
"My suggestion is that a small group of magicians and priests try to track them down, and keep this mishap as quiet as possible."
"Mishap," asked Mahado angrily. "More like a cowardly ambush to me! How dare they use the young prince in such a disgusting, disgraceful-"
"Shush," snapped Shadi. "Have you lost your mind? Raise your voice, and all of Kemet will find out about this!"
"Maybe Kemet didn't hear, but I did."
They turned around to see Jabari ascending the stairway. "What can I do to help out?"
Shimon said, "We appreciate the offer, Jabari, but you cannot control your kaa like a trained magician. You would become a hindrance."
"All I need is this," Jabari said, pulling a long, curved dagger from his belt and holding it in ready position against his forearm.
"You'll need a great deal more than that," said Shadi cynically.
"Look, I'm going, plain and simple! I swore an oath to stay by Naeem's side always to repay my debt to him, and I'm not backing out now! If anything, my courage will make up for my lack of magic!"
Shukura gave a nod. "He's going. I trust him."
The other priests did not question the queen's order. "I'll alert Karim and Akunadean," said Shadi, bowing himself away.
"I'll prepare our ship," said Mahado.
"I'll order the provisions," said Isis.
"I'll get the Millennium Rod," said Shimon. "Seto must have it back for battle."
"Thank you," said Shukura. She walked gracefully to the window and stared out into the moonlight. 'Atem, please be alive when we get there! I couldn't bare it if… if…' A sob escaped her lips.
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When they first arrived, Minkabh thundered at the sailors for not bringing the Millennium Items with them. Acamus explained that, with all of the priests there, the task of getting the Items would have to wait until Pharaoh Atem was too far away to be any source of aide. He also said that he wanted the number of sailors he lost on this trip to remain at a bare minimum. He also ordered that neither his men nor the wizard were to kill any of the prisoners, since his original instructions from his emperor were to bring them back alive.
This did not stop Lord Minkabh from tormenting his captives. He knew the pharaoh deplored seclusion, so he ordered the soldiers most loyal to him to chain Atem up in the bowels of the ship. There, he proceeded to continuously torture him, demanding for information of where the Items were. Naturally, Atem said nothing.
Meanwhile, the other three were left tied to the mast of the ship, fed only by a slave girl once a day. At the end of the first day, Naeem was allowed to see his brother, then led back to the mast in hysterics! After a time, Naeem spoke to complain about hunger, the itchy ropes, concern over his brother, etc., only to pass by the monotony of silence.
Seto passed the time by tapping the back of his head against the mast over and over again, trying to think of a logical plan of escape, and also out of frustration from Naeem's rambles. At the end of the second day, he'd only succeeded in creating a smooth groove in the mast behind his head.
Kei continued to cut at the ropes with her fingernails. Her fingertips got bloody part way through the second day.
None of the above helped matters much.
"Knock it off, Seto," whined Naeem the morning of day three. "At least I'm trying to keep our minds off of things."
Seto only banged his head harder. 'Must - keep - the brat - shut up - in - my own - mind.'
Kei made an impatient noise. "Ulrg! Please stop doing that, Seto," Kei asked. "Its driving us crazy!"
"Anything to get that brat's voice at bay," grumbled the angry priest.
All remained silent. "Maybe I can gnaw through the ropes," suggested Naeem after several minutes.
"How about making like a jackal and gnawing off a limb," suggested Seto.
"Seto," said Kei in a warning tone.
"Well, if he hadn't gotten himself captured, the pharaoh wouldn't have come onto this Ra-forsaken-"
"SETO!! Stop it!!"
Naeem stared at the floor. That statement was something he tried to avoid also. He thought what Seto said was true; it WAS all his fault. 'I'll do something to make it up to them!'
All of their thoughts were interrupted when the hull doors burst open, and Atem was thrown to the deck. The once proud pharaoh lay in a bloody, broken heap, bound needlessly with heavy chains.
"HONORED BROTHER!!!" screamed Naeem.
Seto's eyes widened. "Ra's blood! Could he… Did they actually…"
Kei struggled against her bounds. "Wake up!! Please, wake up!!"
"Don't be dead," Naeem yelled. "We need you!!"
Atem's facial muscles tightened as he tried to open his eyes. Naeem breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew! I saw him move! He's alive!"
Kei nearly fainted. "Looks like Minkabh doesn't intend to kill us."
"Thank the gods," said Seto in earnest.
"Honored Brother," called out Naeem, trying to get Atem to respond. "Honored Brother, what do they want? Did they get the whereabouts of the Puzzle?"
Seto rolled his eyes. "Fool! If they had such information, he'd be dead! No… The pharaoh is far too strong to cave in like that."
Kei looked out to the south of the river, through the mist. "I sense our forces are nearby," she said. "They are so close, but Minkabh's magic makes us invisible to them, and them to us."
"If only we could get to that cannon," muttered Seto. "We may catch their attention with the noise."
"I know," said Naeem, wiggling downward. "Push up against the ropes. I might be small enough to squeeze through. Then, I'll signal the ships."
"That's suicide," exclaimed Seto.
"You'll get caught," added Kei.
Atem stirred and forced words through his parched lips. "Don- ... don't do ... anything .... foolish ...."
Naeem held back a sob. He'd never seen his brother look so weak and frail. 'This isn't right! Its my fault we're in this fix, so I have to save him!' To Atem, he said, "You're not going to last much longer at this rate." To Kei and Seto, he said, "Hurry, before the guards come."
They gave each other foreboding looks, but Naeem was the prince, so they pushed against the ropes with all of their might. It took some time and struggle, but after days with little food, Naeem managed to escape. "Keep low, and stay light on your feet," whispered Seto. For all his harshness, he did not want to see the prince hurt. "Good luck, kid."
"Thanks." Naeem crept softly and slowly down the port side of the ship. Twice a guard made to turn around, but Naeem paused long enough to trick him. Once within sight of the cannons, he ran to it.
"Hold it!" A guard spotted him. Naeem ran faster, and ducked behind one. A few arrows bounced off the metallic shell. 'Damn! I can't set it off! There's gotta be something I can do!' Then he spotted it: A collection of flares sitting just inches away. [3] Carefully, he grabbed for one of them, set it up, and used one of the arrowheads to spark a fire on the end.
Minkabh ran out to the deck. "Shoot him down! He can't signal the others!"
Kei made her way free of the bonds. "Naeem! Watch out!!"
//Don't do this, Little Brother! Stop! Stay hidden!//
Seto helped loosen the ropes more while keeping himself as a shield for Kei. "Little Prince! Wait for us! We'll help you!"
But Naeem couldn't hear them over the shouts of the guards. He finally sparked the tip, and the firecracker shot up into the air. [2]
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Jabari spotted the flare from the deck of the royal barge. "Look! A signal!"
"Mahado," yelled Akunadean, "mark the position of that flare and figure out where they are!"
"Way ahead of you," the young priest said, writing notes down.
What happened next is difficult to explain. It was as if a spark ran through all of their bodies, hitting the queen, Jabari, and Shimon hardest. Shukura collapsed and held her chest. "Queen Shukura," exclaimed Karim. He rushed to her side. "What is the matter?"
She shut her eyes tightly. "Something… terrible!"
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It took only a moment's hesitation lighting the flare to be fatal. Naeem suddenly felt extreme pain in his chest. Next, he realized how hard all of the sudden it was to breathe. Things slowed down. Not a sound was made. He glanced down and saw three arrows in his chest. A second later, two more joined them, and six hit his right arm and side. The deepest struck above his stomach. Fear replaced pain. His eyes moved to his family, all with equal expressions of horror. They began to get out of focus. Naeem took a step toward them, but lost his balance. He teetered for a moment before falling behind the cannons, and landing with a soft *thunk* on his left side.
"NNOOO!!!!" Atem, bloody and broken, pulled at the chains like a madman. Several guards moved to stop him, but the pharaoh pulled the chains off their hinges. He landed on his nose on the deck.
"NAEEM!!" screeched Kei, her legs giving out with grief. She slid right out of the bonds, and Seto slipped out easily after her. But he paused to stare in horror as the prince landed. Seto also saw Atem fall, splashing in his own blood. "By the gods…"
Atem lifted his head and, very slowly and painfully, crawled to his brother's side.
Captain Acamus shifted the sword in his hand. Of all the prisoners, the boy was the last he'd expected to retaliate. And now the pharaoh had broken free. He looked to Minkabh. "Sir, this was unnecessary!"
A smile crept across Minkabh's tattooed face. "Let them say good-bye. I'd like to enjoy this kind of pain as well."
Acamus' teeth clenched. 'He enjoys this suffering? Is he a devil?'
Atem left a trail of scarlet as he made his scuttle to his brother. Every inch took more strength than he knew he possessed. But somehow he needed to speak with Naeem. He needed to be by his brother's side. At long last, after what felt like days, he heard his brother's short, rapid breaths just out of reach. "Little Brother…"
The younger brother's head twitched at the sound of the elder's voice. "Br…broth-" He started coughing up much of the blood in his lungs.
//Don't talk out loud. Talk through your thoughts. Remember? We used to do this all the time so Shimon never caught us playing after the sun went down. You couldn't sleep because you used to be afraid of the dark.// Atem gently rolled his brother onto his back, and winced at the appalling state he was in. //Oh-siris!! What have they done to you?// He turned away. //Damn them! Damn them for harming you!!//
/That was pretty heroic, wasn't it, Honored Brother?/
Atem jerked his head up. The corners of Naeem's mouth turned up in a strange smile, and his amethyst eyes misted over. /I finally get it! I now know why you and the gods saved me the day I was born! Its what I've been searching for… The purpose of my existence, Atem!/
Atem gasped. Naeem had not once in thirteen years of life called him by his proper name.
/I was saved to be here for you! To be by your side when you needed me most! Everyone keeps telling us how we're opposites, but so much alike, right? That's 'cuz we compliment each other! Like pieces of a puzzle…/ His eyes connected with his brother's. /We're still partners, right Atem?/
//Partners,// said Atem, grasping Naeem's hand. //Forever and a day!//
The younger teen's smile widened, and he suddenly had another coughing fit. /Sorry, but I gotta go to sleep now./
//Please don't go...//
/Its getting dark, Atem… What's gonna happen to me?/
//Don't be afraid, Naeem.// Atem rested his head on Naeem's chest and closed his eyes. //I'm still here to talk to you when it gets dark.//
Naeem closed his eyes for the last time. /Love you, Honored Brother./
//Love you too, Little Brother.//
They both lost consciousness at the same time.
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~~Like a shooting star, I will go the distance
~~I will search the world, I will face its' harms
~~I don't care how far, I can go the distance
~~Till I find my hero's welcome, waiting in your arms
~~I will search the world, I will face its harms
~~Till I find my hero's welcome, waiting in your arms [5]
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As soon as the ship got close enough, Jabari grabbed the nearest rope attached to a mast and swung over onto the deck armed with Seto's Mil. Rod and his dagger. The bright colors of Atem and Naeem's hair caught his attention, as did the smell of blood and Kei's sobs. The blonde woman knelt down in front of the brothers. Jabari slowly walked to her side. He stared at the arrows sticking out of his best friend, the deep cuts on the pharaoh, and the blood covering them both. "Are they...?"
Kei looked up at Jabari, dirt and tears lining her face. "Atem is alive. But..." She couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence.
Jabari sunk to his knees, eyes glistening. "No way... He can't be..." He shoved Atem off of Naeem, took the smaller boy's body by the shoulders, and violently shook him. "HE CAN'T BE!! NAEEM!! WAKE UP!! DAMMIT, WAKE UP!!!"
The soldiers' hands tightened on their bows and arrows. They waited for orders from Captain Acamus, but none came. The hairy man was trying to get over an odd reaction. He'd killed many before, it came with the job. But this... seemed dirty!
The other Egyptians boarded to fight, but Jabari's mind now set only on his fallen friend. Remorse over-took denial, and Jabari broke down into sobs. He shook Naeem dimly. "Wake up, Naeem! Come back! Please..."
Seto, eyes in shadow, walked over to Jabari and took back his Millennium Rod. "Off your knees, you desert dog!"
Jabari glared up at the arrogant priest. "How the fuck can you feel nothing!? I thought you cared about him!! You cold, heartless-"
"This is a battle. Women weep for the dead. Men avenge them!"
Jabari saw his bone-chilling blue eyes were filled with sadness and hatred, and his prophetic words bored into the nomad's head. The latter stood up, took out his dagger, and nodded. "Let's show these bastards what happens to guys who bump off one of our own!" He and Seto turned simultaneously and sprinted out, roaring like lions, their weapons poised to strike.
Minkabh watched the battle from the highest deck of the ship. He grinned. This massacre was going to be a glorious sight! No one would survive, he'd make sure. These sailors meant nothing to him; patriotism meant nothing. All he wanted were those responsible for his disgrace killed. Two down, three to go.
Captain Acamus clambered down to join the fighting. He still believed the Egyptians to be the oppressors. "For our country, boys," he cried out to his people.
But his mind and body seemed to freeze on the spot. He realized at once he'd grown cold, and his muscles turned themselves to face his opponent. A few soldiers moved to stop the on-coming force, but a graceful hand bat them away like flies.
A blonde, blue-eyed, and seriously pissed-off shaman now stared him down. Her cheeks still held the salt of her tears, but they themselves had evaporated in her fury. Kei's powers had now developed so strongly, she could match or better any single Mil. Item on her own. Her curly hair rose off her shoulders. Kei had seen far too much blood spilt in her lifetime, and she planned to make damn sure those responsible for her 'brother's' death would pay dearly for it!
Back at the side of the ship, the three oldest figures stayed behind to look over the fallen. "The pharaoh is still alive," said Shimon.
"I'll take him," said Shadi, and he lifted Atem carefully. "He must be attended to immediately!"
"And the boy," asked Akunadean.
Shimon only shook his head. It took the rest of his concentration to keep from sobbing. Akunadean, on the other hand, tried not to smile at his luck. He never hated Naeem, but he was next in line to take over the kingdom if Atem had no heirs. Now, only the pharaoh and his queen remained in Seto's path. Not a problem at this rate. But he held in his glee, and put on a mask of grief. "Shimon, old friend, I am so sorry! I know how attached to the boy you were."
Shimon nodded and sniffed. "Yes, we were very close. As if he were my own..." He stroked Naeem's cold hand. "My boy..."
"I'll carry him to the ship and lay him on a bed," offered Akunadean.
"Thank you, Lord Akunadean. I appreciate it."
The priest gingerly lifted the lifeless body, and began to do as he'd suggested. But Minkabh watched from his perch with a mischievous grin. "Oh, I'm not letting that one go so easily!" He sent out a green magic ball and sent it out at Akunadean. He tripped and sailed over the railing, sending himself and Naeem into the Nile!
Shimon yelled out and rushed to the edge. Jabari heard his mentor's call, and ran over. "What's up?"
"Akunadean and Naeem fell overboard!"
Jabari hopped over and dove in.
Minkabh whooped, waved his hands, and cast a spell to make Naeem invisible. He cackled again. "This is too easy! Without a body to mummify, the boy's soul will never make it to the afterlife!" He rested his cheek on his palm. "I think I'll disguise Master Seto as the good captain, and have the cross-dresser attack her lover!"
"Over my dead body!"
Minkabh's guards fell dead around him, killed by daggers thrown into their hearts. Shukura, wearing her battle tunic, landed softly a few feet in front of Minkabh, her fist high above her head clenched onto three more, ready to strike. The evil man grinned in recognition. "By the gods, if it isn't the Divine Shukura herself! To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"
"Minkabh," she growled. "You have defiled what is most precious to me. And for that you will pay." Anger boiled inside of her, she clutched her weapons harder, hot tears ran down her cheeks, and she screamed out, "YOU WILL PAY!!" She threw them at Minkabh, who stopped them with a wave of his hand. He called forth a large ball of green magic, and sent it to her. A flash of blue flared up, and the giant vulture of Queen's Loyalty appeared, blocking the attack.
"That-that creature!"
Shukura smirked. "You recognize the creature from the palace that stopped your assault a year ago, don't you?"
"You can't… Queen Kei created-"
"Lady Kei created it after I, the queen, passed on instructions directly from your mind to hers." The wind whipped around them, blowing her bangs across her determined face. "My piece of the Puzzle allows me to read memories, and even you cannot run away from those."
Minkabh howled and sent out another stream of magic. The vulture blocked it with a wing, and Shukura sent out a piece of her own violet magic. It hit Minkabh, sending him flying backwards. He recovered himself just before he fell overboard. "Weak little bitch!"
Jabari's head broke the surface of the water again, tugging Akunadean to the side of the ship. "Y' alright," Jabari asked. Akunadean sputtered a reply, but Jabari didn't wait. "Stay here." He dove back into the choppy waters for Naeem.
Shukura and Minkabh fought in this fashion for a while. As a last resort, Shukura screamed a spell she figured would weaken him. "Time Magic!!"
Centuries rolled by as seconds, and Minkabh's body shriveled grotesquely. His spine bent, his muscles shrank, his skin wrinkled and dried out. He panted in agony as the transformation ended. His body, now too weak to stand, crumpled to the floor in a mass of black robes.
Shukura walked away from the vulture's protection, holding her dagger close to her chest. "Finally, it ends here!" She raised it to deal the final blow-
-when a dart of green energy stabbed her shoulder from behind. Shukura gasped in pain and turned around. The ancient wizard stood at the edge of the opposite side of the ship atop the railing. "Stupid girl," he cackled in his shrill voice. "Age makes magicians smarter! You've given me the advantage for the rest of my life! Which, I can assure you, I plan to lengthen to destroy you! Good-bye, Divine Queen Shukura!" He took a step off the railing, and disappeared. [4]
Kei's hand touched Acamus with mock gentility before pulling back and punching. The captain remained frozen as a brick wall, although he now sported a broken nose. Kei started using the man as a punching bag, venting her fury with all of her might. Her spell kept the man alive to feel the pain, her pain. She thought about her family and friends, burned and torn in their own home. She thought about Pharaoh Aknamukanon, driven insane by grief, dead and buried in some cold tomb. She thought about Naeem, turned into a pin-cushion, because of this man!
Her knuckles got bloodied from the punching. Captain Acamus could hardly be recognizable anymore. Each time a man came up to save him, Kei turned around and killed him with one punch. A dark, wet spot formed between the legs of the captain's tunic, but Kei paid not attention.
Finally, a strong hand touched her shoulder. She whirled around to attack anyone near her, but Seto's other hand caught hers. "Kei, the men have surrendered. Calm down!"
"No," Kei wailed, "I'm going to make him suffer! He killed him! He killed him!"
"He didn't. Minkabh ordered the attack. We need the captain alive to call off any foreign retaliation."
"They lie! It was him! It was him! It was-"
Seto pulled her closer, and let her cry on his chest. The spell broke, and Acamus fell to the floor, panting and moaning. Seto rubbed the small of Kei's back to calm her.
"What's going on," demanded Mahado to Shimon, who was leaning over the side of the ship.
"Akunadean, Naeem, and Jabari are overboard! Jabari saved Akunadean, but he and Naeem are no where!"
Mahado leaned over. Akunadean held onto the ship's hull for dear life, but besides that he could see nothing but the Nile's waters. Mahado took off his Mil. Ring and dove in.
Jabari, exhausted from lack of oxygen and frantic search, still swam about half-conscious several feet below the surface. Mahado grabbed his arm and pulled him up. Jabari took a breath of fresh air, and weakly tried to pull away. "No! Naeem's still down there!"
"If you haven't found him by now, we'll send fishing nets down later to recover the body. You need your rest."
"No!" Jabari's eyes drooped heavily. "I gotta find him... Can't let down… Debt to…" He finally gave into darkness.
Mahado swam with the nomad to the rope ladder Isis and Shadi had thrown down. He knew deep down that if he hadn't seen Naeem's body by now, there was no hope of finding it later. He was lost. Someone, Shadi perhaps, had set up a plank between the ships. The priests now escorted the remaining soldiers aboard to the other vessel, while Seto took command to the conquered ship. It was time for the long journey back to Thebes.
But everyone stopped when they heard a pitiful, high-pitched cry. It sounded like Shukura's vulture had screamed out, but really it was Shukura herself. Minkabh had escaped retribution once again.
[1] Isis' Baa - In the manga, Isis is able to separate her Baa (flying half spirit) from her body top search for Atem.
[2] That whole scene had better sound familiar!! If not, re-read YLP, Chapter 4.
[3] Flares/Firecrackers - Forgive the historical inacruacy. Hey, I'm only off by about 100 years or so! The Chinese invented firecrackers around 1000 BC.
[4] Time Magic's affect of magicians - I forget the ep that's from, but Yami once used that to his advantage.
[5] I said I'd finish it, remember?
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Una: Anyone want to do the preview?
Everyone else: ......
Una: Fine! The next chapter features everyone coping with Naeem's death, and Shukura and Kei set sail for Minkabh's home country.
Everyone else: ......
Una: What?
Yugi: *pale* You killed me!!
Una: *claps hands happily* You finally figured it out!
Yugi: You killed me!!
*FW starts bawling. Yami is still out of it. Everyone else glares at Una.*
Una: o_o' Oy! He's still alive in the other fic, that takes place in modern-day Egypt!
Bardock: You are CRUEL!!!
Amidamaru: The big question is "WHY?!"
Una: Simple, Naeem is not in the manga or anime! I'm still going to go by the timeline.
Bardock: Minus Yami crossing over.
Una: Exactly. Shit, if you guys are so upset, I can only imagine how the readers will react! *hides behind flame-retardent shield* BE GENTLE!!!
Amidamaru: She's about to read your chapter, and your complaining?
Una: *nervous laugh* Good point...
Cat-Star - You're gonna hate him more by the end of this chapter, I promise! And I'm glad you liked my other story.
SilverWolfe - -_-' Yugi is still my fav character, and it was FW who added about him smoking in the first place. He's not like that in the show. He never even really complains!! He's, like, a major push-over turning hero! ^_^ That's why I love him!!
Yugi: *blushes*
KYamiYugi - ^_^ Thank you so very much!!
Ente - *bows from characters* I cannot tell you how much I appreciated BOTH of your reviews! Detailed, to the point, and so helpful! *hug* Seriously, they helped a lot! I often feel like I'm the only one who cares about character depth and development. But then I get reviews and read stories like yours, Shibby's, or Serafina's, and I realize I'm not alone!
Jessejames - I'm feeling a bit better. I went to Japanese class, but I figured Karate was out of the question. And as far as the mummy and the monkey go... ^_^ Do what you want with them!
Yami/Bardock: (O)___(O) AAAHHH!!!
Strawberrylover - You mean you haven't guessed what happens?
digigirl-izumi - Oh man... You're gonna hate me....
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Bardock: Why do I have a bad feeling about this chapter?
Yugi: Maybe because Yami hasn't said a word to anyone, including me, for over a week?
Yami: *sitting, hugging his knees* ......
FW: *pokes Yami*
Una: ^_^' Uh, yeah, I know I'm gonna be flamed for this chapter.
Amidamaru: Isn't that what you want?
Una: To some extent. I want constructive-
Amidamaru: -flames? Is there such a thing?
Yugi: I guess we'll find out.
FW: *pokes Yami more*
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Chapter 12
A True Purpose; The Ship-to-Ship Battle
Isis' flying kaa arrived back to the large doors of the palace, where Shukura, Shadi, Shimon, and Mahado stood formulating a strategy to rescue Pharaoh Atem, Naeem, Keiko, and Seto. Isis turned back to her companions, her face downcast. [1] "My queen," she said at last. "I witnessed Pharaoh and his captors disappear into nothingness atop the Nile! No ship at all!"
"Its obvious Minkabh would place a concealment spell on the ship," the Mil. Ring barer said. "The question is were there any more soldiers nearby to indicate a more numerous opposition?"
"I saw no one at all," she said. "Even with my keen perception, the evil wizard's spell was too powerful! I returned as quickly as I could."
"Meaning they've set sail for quite a while," said Shukura sadly. "How many volunteers do we have, Shadi?"
"The number of people willing to sacrifice their lives for our pharaoh is hardly a problem. Almost every man in Thebes is at our beck and call. However, the fewer who know about his capture the better. He would be considered a weaker pharaoh."
"Meaning…"
"My suggestion is that a small group of magicians and priests try to track them down, and keep this mishap as quiet as possible."
"Mishap," asked Mahado angrily. "More like a cowardly ambush to me! How dare they use the young prince in such a disgusting, disgraceful-"
"Shush," snapped Shadi. "Have you lost your mind? Raise your voice, and all of Kemet will find out about this!"
"Maybe Kemet didn't hear, but I did."
They turned around to see Jabari ascending the stairway. "What can I do to help out?"
Shimon said, "We appreciate the offer, Jabari, but you cannot control your kaa like a trained magician. You would become a hindrance."
"All I need is this," Jabari said, pulling a long, curved dagger from his belt and holding it in ready position against his forearm.
"You'll need a great deal more than that," said Shadi cynically.
"Look, I'm going, plain and simple! I swore an oath to stay by Naeem's side always to repay my debt to him, and I'm not backing out now! If anything, my courage will make up for my lack of magic!"
Shukura gave a nod. "He's going. I trust him."
The other priests did not question the queen's order. "I'll alert Karim and Akunadean," said Shadi, bowing himself away.
"I'll prepare our ship," said Mahado.
"I'll order the provisions," said Isis.
"I'll get the Millennium Rod," said Shimon. "Seto must have it back for battle."
"Thank you," said Shukura. She walked gracefully to the window and stared out into the moonlight. 'Atem, please be alive when we get there! I couldn't bare it if… if…' A sob escaped her lips.
.
.
When they first arrived, Minkabh thundered at the sailors for not bringing the Millennium Items with them. Acamus explained that, with all of the priests there, the task of getting the Items would have to wait until Pharaoh Atem was too far away to be any source of aide. He also said that he wanted the number of sailors he lost on this trip to remain at a bare minimum. He also ordered that neither his men nor the wizard were to kill any of the prisoners, since his original instructions from his emperor were to bring them back alive.
This did not stop Lord Minkabh from tormenting his captives. He knew the pharaoh deplored seclusion, so he ordered the soldiers most loyal to him to chain Atem up in the bowels of the ship. There, he proceeded to continuously torture him, demanding for information of where the Items were. Naturally, Atem said nothing.
Meanwhile, the other three were left tied to the mast of the ship, fed only by a slave girl once a day. At the end of the first day, Naeem was allowed to see his brother, then led back to the mast in hysterics! After a time, Naeem spoke to complain about hunger, the itchy ropes, concern over his brother, etc., only to pass by the monotony of silence.
Seto passed the time by tapping the back of his head against the mast over and over again, trying to think of a logical plan of escape, and also out of frustration from Naeem's rambles. At the end of the second day, he'd only succeeded in creating a smooth groove in the mast behind his head.
Kei continued to cut at the ropes with her fingernails. Her fingertips got bloody part way through the second day.
None of the above helped matters much.
"Knock it off, Seto," whined Naeem the morning of day three. "At least I'm trying to keep our minds off of things."
Seto only banged his head harder. 'Must - keep - the brat - shut up - in - my own - mind.'
Kei made an impatient noise. "Ulrg! Please stop doing that, Seto," Kei asked. "Its driving us crazy!"
"Anything to get that brat's voice at bay," grumbled the angry priest.
All remained silent. "Maybe I can gnaw through the ropes," suggested Naeem after several minutes.
"How about making like a jackal and gnawing off a limb," suggested Seto.
"Seto," said Kei in a warning tone.
"Well, if he hadn't gotten himself captured, the pharaoh wouldn't have come onto this Ra-forsaken-"
"SETO!! Stop it!!"
Naeem stared at the floor. That statement was something he tried to avoid also. He thought what Seto said was true; it WAS all his fault. 'I'll do something to make it up to them!'
All of their thoughts were interrupted when the hull doors burst open, and Atem was thrown to the deck. The once proud pharaoh lay in a bloody, broken heap, bound needlessly with heavy chains.
"HONORED BROTHER!!!" screamed Naeem.
Seto's eyes widened. "Ra's blood! Could he… Did they actually…"
Kei struggled against her bounds. "Wake up!! Please, wake up!!"
"Don't be dead," Naeem yelled. "We need you!!"
Atem's facial muscles tightened as he tried to open his eyes. Naeem breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew! I saw him move! He's alive!"
Kei nearly fainted. "Looks like Minkabh doesn't intend to kill us."
"Thank the gods," said Seto in earnest.
"Honored Brother," called out Naeem, trying to get Atem to respond. "Honored Brother, what do they want? Did they get the whereabouts of the Puzzle?"
Seto rolled his eyes. "Fool! If they had such information, he'd be dead! No… The pharaoh is far too strong to cave in like that."
Kei looked out to the south of the river, through the mist. "I sense our forces are nearby," she said. "They are so close, but Minkabh's magic makes us invisible to them, and them to us."
"If only we could get to that cannon," muttered Seto. "We may catch their attention with the noise."
"I know," said Naeem, wiggling downward. "Push up against the ropes. I might be small enough to squeeze through. Then, I'll signal the ships."
"That's suicide," exclaimed Seto.
"You'll get caught," added Kei.
Atem stirred and forced words through his parched lips. "Don- ... don't do ... anything .... foolish ...."
Naeem held back a sob. He'd never seen his brother look so weak and frail. 'This isn't right! Its my fault we're in this fix, so I have to save him!' To Atem, he said, "You're not going to last much longer at this rate." To Kei and Seto, he said, "Hurry, before the guards come."
They gave each other foreboding looks, but Naeem was the prince, so they pushed against the ropes with all of their might. It took some time and struggle, but after days with little food, Naeem managed to escape. "Keep low, and stay light on your feet," whispered Seto. For all his harshness, he did not want to see the prince hurt. "Good luck, kid."
"Thanks." Naeem crept softly and slowly down the port side of the ship. Twice a guard made to turn around, but Naeem paused long enough to trick him. Once within sight of the cannons, he ran to it.
"Hold it!" A guard spotted him. Naeem ran faster, and ducked behind one. A few arrows bounced off the metallic shell. 'Damn! I can't set it off! There's gotta be something I can do!' Then he spotted it: A collection of flares sitting just inches away. [3] Carefully, he grabbed for one of them, set it up, and used one of the arrowheads to spark a fire on the end.
Minkabh ran out to the deck. "Shoot him down! He can't signal the others!"
Kei made her way free of the bonds. "Naeem! Watch out!!"
//Don't do this, Little Brother! Stop! Stay hidden!//
Seto helped loosen the ropes more while keeping himself as a shield for Kei. "Little Prince! Wait for us! We'll help you!"
But Naeem couldn't hear them over the shouts of the guards. He finally sparked the tip, and the firecracker shot up into the air. [2]
.
.
Jabari spotted the flare from the deck of the royal barge. "Look! A signal!"
"Mahado," yelled Akunadean, "mark the position of that flare and figure out where they are!"
"Way ahead of you," the young priest said, writing notes down.
What happened next is difficult to explain. It was as if a spark ran through all of their bodies, hitting the queen, Jabari, and Shimon hardest. Shukura collapsed and held her chest. "Queen Shukura," exclaimed Karim. He rushed to her side. "What is the matter?"
She shut her eyes tightly. "Something… terrible!"
.
It took only a moment's hesitation lighting the flare to be fatal. Naeem suddenly felt extreme pain in his chest. Next, he realized how hard all of the sudden it was to breathe. Things slowed down. Not a sound was made. He glanced down and saw three arrows in his chest. A second later, two more joined them, and six hit his right arm and side. The deepest struck above his stomach. Fear replaced pain. His eyes moved to his family, all with equal expressions of horror. They began to get out of focus. Naeem took a step toward them, but lost his balance. He teetered for a moment before falling behind the cannons, and landing with a soft *thunk* on his left side.
"NNOOO!!!!" Atem, bloody and broken, pulled at the chains like a madman. Several guards moved to stop him, but the pharaoh pulled the chains off their hinges. He landed on his nose on the deck.
"NAEEM!!" screeched Kei, her legs giving out with grief. She slid right out of the bonds, and Seto slipped out easily after her. But he paused to stare in horror as the prince landed. Seto also saw Atem fall, splashing in his own blood. "By the gods…"
Atem lifted his head and, very slowly and painfully, crawled to his brother's side.
Captain Acamus shifted the sword in his hand. Of all the prisoners, the boy was the last he'd expected to retaliate. And now the pharaoh had broken free. He looked to Minkabh. "Sir, this was unnecessary!"
A smile crept across Minkabh's tattooed face. "Let them say good-bye. I'd like to enjoy this kind of pain as well."
Acamus' teeth clenched. 'He enjoys this suffering? Is he a devil?'
Atem left a trail of scarlet as he made his scuttle to his brother. Every inch took more strength than he knew he possessed. But somehow he needed to speak with Naeem. He needed to be by his brother's side. At long last, after what felt like days, he heard his brother's short, rapid breaths just out of reach. "Little Brother…"
The younger brother's head twitched at the sound of the elder's voice. "Br…broth-" He started coughing up much of the blood in his lungs.
//Don't talk out loud. Talk through your thoughts. Remember? We used to do this all the time so Shimon never caught us playing after the sun went down. You couldn't sleep because you used to be afraid of the dark.// Atem gently rolled his brother onto his back, and winced at the appalling state he was in. //Oh-siris!! What have they done to you?// He turned away. //Damn them! Damn them for harming you!!//
/That was pretty heroic, wasn't it, Honored Brother?/
Atem jerked his head up. The corners of Naeem's mouth turned up in a strange smile, and his amethyst eyes misted over. /I finally get it! I now know why you and the gods saved me the day I was born! Its what I've been searching for… The purpose of my existence, Atem!/
Atem gasped. Naeem had not once in thirteen years of life called him by his proper name.
/I was saved to be here for you! To be by your side when you needed me most! Everyone keeps telling us how we're opposites, but so much alike, right? That's 'cuz we compliment each other! Like pieces of a puzzle…/ His eyes connected with his brother's. /We're still partners, right Atem?/
//Partners,// said Atem, grasping Naeem's hand. //Forever and a day!//
The younger teen's smile widened, and he suddenly had another coughing fit. /Sorry, but I gotta go to sleep now./
//Please don't go...//
/Its getting dark, Atem… What's gonna happen to me?/
//Don't be afraid, Naeem.// Atem rested his head on Naeem's chest and closed his eyes. //I'm still here to talk to you when it gets dark.//
Naeem closed his eyes for the last time. /Love you, Honored Brother./
//Love you too, Little Brother.//
They both lost consciousness at the same time.
.
~~Like a shooting star, I will go the distance
~~I will search the world, I will face its' harms
~~I don't care how far, I can go the distance
~~Till I find my hero's welcome, waiting in your arms
~~I will search the world, I will face its harms
~~Till I find my hero's welcome, waiting in your arms [5]
.
As soon as the ship got close enough, Jabari grabbed the nearest rope attached to a mast and swung over onto the deck armed with Seto's Mil. Rod and his dagger. The bright colors of Atem and Naeem's hair caught his attention, as did the smell of blood and Kei's sobs. The blonde woman knelt down in front of the brothers. Jabari slowly walked to her side. He stared at the arrows sticking out of his best friend, the deep cuts on the pharaoh, and the blood covering them both. "Are they...?"
Kei looked up at Jabari, dirt and tears lining her face. "Atem is alive. But..." She couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence.
Jabari sunk to his knees, eyes glistening. "No way... He can't be..." He shoved Atem off of Naeem, took the smaller boy's body by the shoulders, and violently shook him. "HE CAN'T BE!! NAEEM!! WAKE UP!! DAMMIT, WAKE UP!!!"
The soldiers' hands tightened on their bows and arrows. They waited for orders from Captain Acamus, but none came. The hairy man was trying to get over an odd reaction. He'd killed many before, it came with the job. But this... seemed dirty!
The other Egyptians boarded to fight, but Jabari's mind now set only on his fallen friend. Remorse over-took denial, and Jabari broke down into sobs. He shook Naeem dimly. "Wake up, Naeem! Come back! Please..."
Seto, eyes in shadow, walked over to Jabari and took back his Millennium Rod. "Off your knees, you desert dog!"
Jabari glared up at the arrogant priest. "How the fuck can you feel nothing!? I thought you cared about him!! You cold, heartless-"
"This is a battle. Women weep for the dead. Men avenge them!"
Jabari saw his bone-chilling blue eyes were filled with sadness and hatred, and his prophetic words bored into the nomad's head. The latter stood up, took out his dagger, and nodded. "Let's show these bastards what happens to guys who bump off one of our own!" He and Seto turned simultaneously and sprinted out, roaring like lions, their weapons poised to strike.
Minkabh watched the battle from the highest deck of the ship. He grinned. This massacre was going to be a glorious sight! No one would survive, he'd make sure. These sailors meant nothing to him; patriotism meant nothing. All he wanted were those responsible for his disgrace killed. Two down, three to go.
Captain Acamus clambered down to join the fighting. He still believed the Egyptians to be the oppressors. "For our country, boys," he cried out to his people.
But his mind and body seemed to freeze on the spot. He realized at once he'd grown cold, and his muscles turned themselves to face his opponent. A few soldiers moved to stop the on-coming force, but a graceful hand bat them away like flies.
A blonde, blue-eyed, and seriously pissed-off shaman now stared him down. Her cheeks still held the salt of her tears, but they themselves had evaporated in her fury. Kei's powers had now developed so strongly, she could match or better any single Mil. Item on her own. Her curly hair rose off her shoulders. Kei had seen far too much blood spilt in her lifetime, and she planned to make damn sure those responsible for her 'brother's' death would pay dearly for it!
Back at the side of the ship, the three oldest figures stayed behind to look over the fallen. "The pharaoh is still alive," said Shimon.
"I'll take him," said Shadi, and he lifted Atem carefully. "He must be attended to immediately!"
"And the boy," asked Akunadean.
Shimon only shook his head. It took the rest of his concentration to keep from sobbing. Akunadean, on the other hand, tried not to smile at his luck. He never hated Naeem, but he was next in line to take over the kingdom if Atem had no heirs. Now, only the pharaoh and his queen remained in Seto's path. Not a problem at this rate. But he held in his glee, and put on a mask of grief. "Shimon, old friend, I am so sorry! I know how attached to the boy you were."
Shimon nodded and sniffed. "Yes, we were very close. As if he were my own..." He stroked Naeem's cold hand. "My boy..."
"I'll carry him to the ship and lay him on a bed," offered Akunadean.
"Thank you, Lord Akunadean. I appreciate it."
The priest gingerly lifted the lifeless body, and began to do as he'd suggested. But Minkabh watched from his perch with a mischievous grin. "Oh, I'm not letting that one go so easily!" He sent out a green magic ball and sent it out at Akunadean. He tripped and sailed over the railing, sending himself and Naeem into the Nile!
Shimon yelled out and rushed to the edge. Jabari heard his mentor's call, and ran over. "What's up?"
"Akunadean and Naeem fell overboard!"
Jabari hopped over and dove in.
Minkabh whooped, waved his hands, and cast a spell to make Naeem invisible. He cackled again. "This is too easy! Without a body to mummify, the boy's soul will never make it to the afterlife!" He rested his cheek on his palm. "I think I'll disguise Master Seto as the good captain, and have the cross-dresser attack her lover!"
"Over my dead body!"
Minkabh's guards fell dead around him, killed by daggers thrown into their hearts. Shukura, wearing her battle tunic, landed softly a few feet in front of Minkabh, her fist high above her head clenched onto three more, ready to strike. The evil man grinned in recognition. "By the gods, if it isn't the Divine Shukura herself! To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"
"Minkabh," she growled. "You have defiled what is most precious to me. And for that you will pay." Anger boiled inside of her, she clutched her weapons harder, hot tears ran down her cheeks, and she screamed out, "YOU WILL PAY!!" She threw them at Minkabh, who stopped them with a wave of his hand. He called forth a large ball of green magic, and sent it to her. A flash of blue flared up, and the giant vulture of Queen's Loyalty appeared, blocking the attack.
"That-that creature!"
Shukura smirked. "You recognize the creature from the palace that stopped your assault a year ago, don't you?"
"You can't… Queen Kei created-"
"Lady Kei created it after I, the queen, passed on instructions directly from your mind to hers." The wind whipped around them, blowing her bangs across her determined face. "My piece of the Puzzle allows me to read memories, and even you cannot run away from those."
Minkabh howled and sent out another stream of magic. The vulture blocked it with a wing, and Shukura sent out a piece of her own violet magic. It hit Minkabh, sending him flying backwards. He recovered himself just before he fell overboard. "Weak little bitch!"
Jabari's head broke the surface of the water again, tugging Akunadean to the side of the ship. "Y' alright," Jabari asked. Akunadean sputtered a reply, but Jabari didn't wait. "Stay here." He dove back into the choppy waters for Naeem.
Shukura and Minkabh fought in this fashion for a while. As a last resort, Shukura screamed a spell she figured would weaken him. "Time Magic!!"
Centuries rolled by as seconds, and Minkabh's body shriveled grotesquely. His spine bent, his muscles shrank, his skin wrinkled and dried out. He panted in agony as the transformation ended. His body, now too weak to stand, crumpled to the floor in a mass of black robes.
Shukura walked away from the vulture's protection, holding her dagger close to her chest. "Finally, it ends here!" She raised it to deal the final blow-
-when a dart of green energy stabbed her shoulder from behind. Shukura gasped in pain and turned around. The ancient wizard stood at the edge of the opposite side of the ship atop the railing. "Stupid girl," he cackled in his shrill voice. "Age makes magicians smarter! You've given me the advantage for the rest of my life! Which, I can assure you, I plan to lengthen to destroy you! Good-bye, Divine Queen Shukura!" He took a step off the railing, and disappeared. [4]
Kei's hand touched Acamus with mock gentility before pulling back and punching. The captain remained frozen as a brick wall, although he now sported a broken nose. Kei started using the man as a punching bag, venting her fury with all of her might. Her spell kept the man alive to feel the pain, her pain. She thought about her family and friends, burned and torn in their own home. She thought about Pharaoh Aknamukanon, driven insane by grief, dead and buried in some cold tomb. She thought about Naeem, turned into a pin-cushion, because of this man!
Her knuckles got bloodied from the punching. Captain Acamus could hardly be recognizable anymore. Each time a man came up to save him, Kei turned around and killed him with one punch. A dark, wet spot formed between the legs of the captain's tunic, but Kei paid not attention.
Finally, a strong hand touched her shoulder. She whirled around to attack anyone near her, but Seto's other hand caught hers. "Kei, the men have surrendered. Calm down!"
"No," Kei wailed, "I'm going to make him suffer! He killed him! He killed him!"
"He didn't. Minkabh ordered the attack. We need the captain alive to call off any foreign retaliation."
"They lie! It was him! It was him! It was-"
Seto pulled her closer, and let her cry on his chest. The spell broke, and Acamus fell to the floor, panting and moaning. Seto rubbed the small of Kei's back to calm her.
"What's going on," demanded Mahado to Shimon, who was leaning over the side of the ship.
"Akunadean, Naeem, and Jabari are overboard! Jabari saved Akunadean, but he and Naeem are no where!"
Mahado leaned over. Akunadean held onto the ship's hull for dear life, but besides that he could see nothing but the Nile's waters. Mahado took off his Mil. Ring and dove in.
Jabari, exhausted from lack of oxygen and frantic search, still swam about half-conscious several feet below the surface. Mahado grabbed his arm and pulled him up. Jabari took a breath of fresh air, and weakly tried to pull away. "No! Naeem's still down there!"
"If you haven't found him by now, we'll send fishing nets down later to recover the body. You need your rest."
"No!" Jabari's eyes drooped heavily. "I gotta find him... Can't let down… Debt to…" He finally gave into darkness.
Mahado swam with the nomad to the rope ladder Isis and Shadi had thrown down. He knew deep down that if he hadn't seen Naeem's body by now, there was no hope of finding it later. He was lost. Someone, Shadi perhaps, had set up a plank between the ships. The priests now escorted the remaining soldiers aboard to the other vessel, while Seto took command to the conquered ship. It was time for the long journey back to Thebes.
But everyone stopped when they heard a pitiful, high-pitched cry. It sounded like Shukura's vulture had screamed out, but really it was Shukura herself. Minkabh had escaped retribution once again.
[1] Isis' Baa - In the manga, Isis is able to separate her Baa (flying half spirit) from her body top search for Atem.
[2] That whole scene had better sound familiar!! If not, re-read YLP, Chapter 4.
[3] Flares/Firecrackers - Forgive the historical inacruacy. Hey, I'm only off by about 100 years or so! The Chinese invented firecrackers around 1000 BC.
[4] Time Magic's affect of magicians - I forget the ep that's from, but Yami once used that to his advantage.
[5] I said I'd finish it, remember?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.
Una: Anyone want to do the preview?
Everyone else: ......
Una: Fine! The next chapter features everyone coping with Naeem's death, and Shukura and Kei set sail for Minkabh's home country.
Everyone else: ......
Una: What?
Yugi: *pale* You killed me!!
Una: *claps hands happily* You finally figured it out!
Yugi: You killed me!!
*FW starts bawling. Yami is still out of it. Everyone else glares at Una.*
Una: o_o' Oy! He's still alive in the other fic, that takes place in modern-day Egypt!
Bardock: You are CRUEL!!!
Amidamaru: The big question is "WHY?!"
Una: Simple, Naeem is not in the manga or anime! I'm still going to go by the timeline.
Bardock: Minus Yami crossing over.
Una: Exactly. Shit, if you guys are so upset, I can only imagine how the readers will react! *hides behind flame-retardent shield* BE GENTLE!!!