Bakura: Well you're here now, aren't you?
WSJ: That I am! ^^ Hope this chapter is up to all you guy's expectations! I'm sorry for all of you who thought last chapter was too long, but I was afraid that if I split it up it wouldn't seem as powerful when you finally got to the end. There should only be one more chapter even close to that length, and it's scheduled to be chapter 15 or 16 or so. Oh yes, and Neo-chan? You can't kidnap Unmei. X_X HCG's already got him.
Bakura: *pouts*
WSJ: 0o; Hey minna, I've just noticed something. Whenever Joey lists off his friends, he always includes Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Ryou. However, Yugi never does. What is UP with that? Is Joey really better friends with Ryou than Yugi is?
Bakura: Well no, but I'm always trying to steal Yugi's Puzzle. That may have some effect on what he thinks of Ryou.
WSJ: *curiously* Really? You think so?
Bakura: *facepalm*
WSJ: On another note, someone asked if my deck is the same as Gwen's. My answer is: mostly. I do use the same stratagy she does, but I have a few different cards. My deck focuses less on strong 4-stars and more on knights and dragons (what with me being a fantasy-obsessed renaissance girl, and all). The trap card Needle Wall has become something of a trademark for me. I put it out nearly every duel. :p It's probably my favorite non-monster card. And, for those of you who are now curious, my favorite monster card is Robotic Knight. He's strong, looks super-spiffy, and on the anime he kicked Tristan's butt! ^_~ I also like the Witty Phantom a lot, just cuz he's so spiffy-looking.
Bakura: -_-;;
WSJ: ^^ And yes, minna, I am still working on all my multi-chapter fics. HSWA is semi-stuck. ^^ I know what's going to happen, but it's going to be boring to write. *sigh* If I Could Kill Jounochi isn't started yet, but will be soon, if I get stuck on something and need stress relief. ^^;; A nice, dark angsty mood hasn't struck me in awhile, which probably means I'm about due. XP Therefore, VBME will be updated whenever the mood strikes. And, finally, Like a Thief is on hold while I wait for the library to cough up its copy of the YYH movie. :p Can't very well write Kurama's death if I don't know how he died, now can I? =p I've also got a vague idea going for a Rurouni Kenshin/YGO X-over, but I think I have enough stories, don't you? ^_~ It all comes from getting the entire Kyoto arc on DVD from the library and watching it straight through with only breaks for bathroom and snacks...
Bakura: ¬¬ You actually believe people read these notes?
WSJ: v_v; No. *sigh* On to the fic!
Disclaimer: Y'all know the drill... If you don't know who owns what by now, you need to re-read the rest of this series.
Important Note: Okay, I want to set one thing straight here. The people I've cameoed so far are people who have won contests for me. Lately I've had people e-mailing me asking for cameos. Do I have time to write in a million cameos for anyone who asks? No, I don't. Period. Please do not ask to get cameoed, because from here on I'll just say no. The two people I've already said yes to will get their spots, but anyone else don't even bother asking, okay? Arigato.
()()()()()
Home Sweet Home
Chapter 13 - Seperation Anxiety
*Yami just stares, shocked and distressed at the mere notion of washing a soulroom.*
~(DarkGatomon, As If!)
"And how is Frodo feeling this morning?"
"Yami, I'm warning you..."
Yugi chuckled and shook his head. Yami had been teasing Bakura all morning, and Bakura had been half-way tolerating it. Or at least, he'd only tried to strangle Yami with his I.V. cords twice.
It was almost noon, and Madame and Valeraine should be back any time with lunch for everyone from a nearby fast food resturant. Earlier that morning Amoura and Bakura had been moved upstairs to a regular room and out of the ICU. There was a spare bed that no one was using at the moment, and so Ryou was stretched out on it and asleep. Bakura had to admit he was a little worried that his hikari was sleeping so much. Serenity had refused to tell them exactly what had happened in Egypt, claiming that Ryou would have to tell them himself. At the moment she was sitting on a chair next to Ryou's bed, holding her sweetheart's hand with a small smile on her face. Tea and Julien were perched on the edge of Amoura's bed, and Yami and Yugi were sharing the small couch that sat against the opposite wall.
The door opened, then, to admit Madame and Valeraine. Both of them looked slightly frazzled, and were carrying several bags apiece. Yugi and Tea jumped up to help them lay the food out on one of the tables as Serenity gently shook Ryou awake so he could eat.
"Reporters still out there, huh?" Yugi asked cheerfully as he nibbled on a French fry.
Madame gave him a flat look as she tried to smooth out her hair. "You need to ask?"
Yugi chuckled. The "Arc Scandel" had been on TV so much in France and Japan lately, that as soon as two of the major players showed up in a Swiss hospital reporters had flocked to it like bears to honey. So far they'd been kept out of the hospital itself, but the police were having to help with crowd control and it was becoming a major nuisance.
"Someone'll have to go down and make a statement sooner or later," Bakura grumbled as Tea handed him a burger. "Have you guys seen the latest news coverage?"
Both the women shook their heads, so Bakura grabbed the remote control off the bedside table and clicked on the TV that hung from the ceiling. Everyone rearranged themselves so they could see, except for the obvious exception of Ryou. The newscast was in French, though Madame supplied a running translation.
"-French government declares that they are fully willing to forgive and forget the desecration of their national monument. Said the Prime Minister this morning, 'If that young Japanese man can put aside his differences and save the life of a French maid, then we, as adults, should be able to do the same'. It was also discovered that the writing on the Arc was not blood as previously thought, but is instead a water-soluable spray paint. This was discovered when it rained in Paris earlier today, causing the paint to smear and run. And so ladies and gentlemen, there was no harm done, and we have all been taught a very valuable lesson in heroism and love by Yami Bakura, who is even now in a hospital recovering from the injuries he attained while bravely saving the life of Amoura Letazaut just two nights ago."
A picture appeared on the screen then, one that had been taken last winter. It was at Tokyo U's winter banquet. In the foreground was the table that Yugi-tachi had all sat at, and in the background, the dance floor. At that particular moment Bakura, Amoura, and Gwen had been the only ones at the table, everyone else had been off dancing. If Bakura remembered right, Gwen had badgered them for over ten minutes until the two agreed to let her take a picture of them together. The result was this, Bakura in his tux and Amoura in a beautiful light pink dress, leaning into each other and grinning at the camera.
As they saw the picture, nearly everyone in the hospital room let out a simoltanious "Awwww..." Amoura blushed, and Bakura, who'd just taken a sip of his drink, nearly sprayed soda across the room. "What the hell! Where'd they get that picture?!"
Yami tried his best to look innocent.
Tea shook her head at the immaturity of the two ancient spirits. "Well anyway, Bakura's right. Someone's going to have to go down and talk to those reporters."
"I will," Madame volenteered with a sigh. "The French, at least, know who I am, so they may listen to me."
Yugi stood up from his seat, a determined look on his face. "And the Japanese know who I am. I'll go with you."
"Yugi, no," Yami looked concerned. "They think you're the one who valdelized the Arc."
Yugi smiled at him. "Don't worry Yami, they said they were willing to forgive and forget. Especially since you used water-based spray paint. I'll just go and make a formal apology, and everything should be all right."
Yami didn't look convinced, but he nodded.
"Shall we go now?" Madame asked, glancing at Yugi questioningly. The duelist shrugged and nodded, and the two stood to leave as the others wished them luck.
Once they'd left, Bakura muted the TV and gave Yami a funny look. "Why did you use water-based paint?"
Yami had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. "I didn't know I had. I was drunk, okay? How was I supposed to tell the difference between water-based and oil-based paint?" The others smothered laughter as Yami pouted.
"Hey, turn zee TV up!" Amoura said suddenly, waving for the others to be quiet. "Grandmama and Yugi are on!"
Quickly Bakura turned up the volume and everyone gathered around the two beds to watch the live report, with Amoura translating from the French. "It appears zat Amanda Letazaut, grandmother of the injured Amoura, and Yugi Moto, the supposed villain," Amoura had to pause as Tea and Serenity held Yami down to keep him from charging out and ripping the reporter to shreds "Have come to make an official ztatement. Let'z listen 'as 'istory is made."
Bakura rolled his eyes and turned up the volume. "History, he says!"
Amid the flashes of cameras from two countries, Madame and Yugi were standing patiently on the hospital's front steps as reporters scrambled to shove microphones within range of their voices. Once things had settled down slightly, Madame spoke in French to the assembled masses. Amoura was just about to translate for the Japanese-speakers when Yugi piped up.
"All statements will be repeated in French by Madame-san and Japanese by myself," he said. "For the benefit of newscrews from both Japan and France."
More flashbulbs went off, and Madame and Yugi exchanged nods of readiness. This time it was Yugi who spoke up first.
"I want to express my sincerest apologies to the French government, as well as to the ambassador and his daughter. I was not myself at the time of the acts last week, and the Japanese government was not involved in any way whatsoever. I give you my humblest apologies, and I promise you it'll never happen again." For a moment he seemed to glare directly into the camera of whatever news station the group in the room were watching, and Yami shivered slightly. Then Yugi gave a huge genki smile and bowed to the reporters as Madame repeated his message in French.
"Aw, Yugi's such a cutie," Tea said, giggling. "No way they can hold anything criminal against a face like that."
"A face like this, however..." Bakura said suggestively, poking Yami in the side.
The ancient pharaoh glared at him. "Watch it Frodo..."
Ryou chuckled. "Yugi should be a politician, if he managed to pull a speech like that just out of the air."
"Are people under five feet allowed to run for office?" Bakura wondered good-naturedly, earning him a light whack from both Tea and Yami.
Amoura shushed them again. "Bakura, grandmama is talking about us!"
Bakura choked as Yami and Ryou snorted laughter. "Whaaat?!"
After Madame finished, Yugi took up the Japanese translation. "Two nights ago Yami Bakura and Amoura Letazaut went skiing in the Alps, unaware that a snowstorm was on its way. They took shelter in a cave, and Bakura was able to start a small fire, which probably saved their lives."
Bakura snorted, a smile curving his lips and he patted Ryou's arm. "Fire saved us my foot..."
"They were found nearly eighteen hours later and flown to the hospital you see behind me." Yugi continued. "Amoura's right leg is broken in two places, and Bakura has lost a finger and three toes to frostbite. However, both will make full recoveries, and return to Japan to attend Tokyo University in the fall. It's nothing short of amazing how quick a recovery these two brave souls have made. It can only be called a miracle."
"Or a telepath," muttered several of Ryou's friends in unison, as said boy sweatdropped slightly.
On screen, Yugi grinned mischieviously. "So much good has come from this near tragedy. France and Japan have reconciled their differences. I've learned to avoid alcohal. My friends and I can now ski without falling down. Mostly. And perhaps most important of all, two people have found love."
Madame turned to look at Yugi in surprise as the shorter man began ad-libbing onto the end of her speech. In the room, Amoura paled and Bakura's eyes widened. Ryou, Tea, and Yami broke into hysterical (if slightly smothered) giggling. Yugi opened his mouth to say more, his eyes sparkling in mirth as the reporters leaned forward to catch his every word. Bakura's face turned the same color as his hair, and then went beet red. Ignoring Valeraine and Amoura's startled protests he struggled to get out of bed, wincing and cursing as his bandaged feet hit the floor.
A moment later he felt himself lifted gently, and turned his head to see Ryou glowing slightly, grinning. Yami ducked under Bakura's arm and helped the ex-tomb robber to hobble to the window, trying to keep Bakura's injured feet off the floor as much as he could with Ryou's help. "Believe me," the pharaoh said in answer to Bakura's questioning look. "I wouldn't want aibou to announce my blossoming love affair on intercontinental TV either. If I had one, that is..." he added sheepishly.
Half-sitting and half-leaning on the windowsil, Bakura fumbled with the catch and flung the window open just as Yugi was about to speak. "YUGI MOTO!!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, watching as over a hundred cameras swiveled in his direction. Ignoring them for now, he shook a fist at the tiny figure on the steps three stories below him. "DON'T YOU DARE!!"
Behind him, everyone was rolling on the floor in hysterical laughter as on the TV the baffled newscaster tried to figure out just who or what was hanging out one of the hospital windows and screaming in Japanese at Yugi Moto. Several of the Japanese reporters recognised the white hair from pictures of Ryou and Bakura that had been in newspapers following Battle City, and a whisper went through the reporters like a wave. "It's Yami Bakura!"
Bakura sweatdropped slightly and blinked as fifty flashbulbs went off nearly at once, almost causing him to lose his balance and fall out the window. Chuckling, Yami and Ryou pulled him back inside as Madame and Yugi finished up their statements, wisely not mentioning any more about Amoura and Bakura admiting love for one another.
After helping Bakura get settled into bed once again, Valeraine stood up and told Amoura that she was going to go downstairs and call some of Amoura's reletives, taking Julien with her. "Oui maman," Amoura answered, smiling as her mother and little brother headed for the door. "I zink she's just tired of not knowing vhat ve're zaying." she confided to the others, causing chuckles to run around the room. On her way out Valeraine met Yugi and Madame coming back upstairs, and Madame decided to join her daughter-in-law to give Yugi-tachi some time alone.
As soon as Yugi stepped into the room he was assalted by a glare from a certain white-haired tomb robber. He sweatdropped sheepishly. "Err..."
"And just what do you think you were talking about down there?" Bakura would have sounded a lot more menacing if he hadn't been wrapped in bandages and lying on a hospital bed. Ryou had to stifle a giggle at his ex-yami's voice, earning him an evil-eyed glare of his own, to which he only smiled in reply.
"Couldn't help it," Yugi said, his face breaking into a grin. "Too good of an opportunity to pass up."
"You've been hanging around your yami too long if you're actually looking for opportunities to embarrass me..." Bakura grumbled.
Yami and Yugi snickered, and Ryou grinned. The telepath went to pat Bakura on the shoulder, then grimaced as his shirt stretched across his back. "Ouch..."
Bakura's jaw shut with a snap and his stared hard at Ryou. "Ouch?"
Ryou chuckled a little at Bakura's obvious concern, gingerly rubbing one of his shoulders. "I don't tan, oniisan, I burn. And Egyptian sun is one of the worst for pale people like me."
"He's red as a lobster from the neck down." Serenity said, smiling slightly. "His cheeks and nose too, if you look."
"I was wondering why he looked so flushed." Tea admitted. "I figured it was because he was tired."
"Nope. Sunburn." Ryou assured her.
"Why can't you just heal it?" Bakura asked, frowning. Something was wrong here. Even after using so much energy to heal his hands and feet the day before, Ryou shouldn't be too exhausted to heal just a few sunburns. "What happened in Egypt that we should know about?"
"I-" Ryou's voice faultered as he thought about Mahaado, and he shivered slightly as fear started to build up inside of him again. Trapped in the dark, true dark, with Mahaado's hands closing around his neck...
Yami and Bakura both saw the sudden panic on his face, and exchanged worried glances. They already knew that Mahaado was involved in this somehow, and if Ryou's reaction was any indication, it wasn't in a good way. Bakura propped himself up on his elbows, reaching out his bandaged left hand to lightly touch Ryou's shoulder. "Otouto, we're right here for you. You have to tell us what happened."
Ryou took a deep breath, trying to shake off his fear of the magician who was a continent away. "I-I arrived in Egypt in the morning..."
Duke paused by the door to the house, watching the news through the open doorway. He was dressed once again in his blue and white priest's robes, and was in the middle of sweeping the courtyard. At the moment, he was the only one at the shrine. Grampa was gone somewhere, and Rei was out with her friends. There weren't even any customers at the shrine. An eerie silence had decended over Tokyo. Not even the air was stirred by wind today. Rei's pet crows, Phoebos and Deimos, were sitting on top of the torii, occationally cawing at him.
(A/N: A torii is the red Shinto gate you see in front of shrines and temples. Two good examples are Rei's temple from Sailor Moon (obviously) as well as the Masaki shrine on Tenchi Muyo)
Duke cocked an eyebrow as the news channel cut in live to a certain Swiss hospital, and the cheerful face of Yugi Moto popped onto the television. Even though he had the TV set to the American CNN station (which provided English subtitles along the bottom for both the French and Japanese), they were still broadcasting coverage of the 'Arc Scandel' (after all, if France and Japan decided to go to war, the Americans had to know where to stick their noses).
If a note may be inserted here, Duke was a businessman. He spoke English fluantly, along with the obvious Japanese. He liked watching CNN because he dabbled a little in the American stock market, and CNN always had it running across the bottom of the screen along with the news. Besides, Americans were so funny in the way they slanted foreign affairs.
Duke ran a critical eye over the figures as his major stock broker ran across the bottom of the screen and he listened with half an ear to Yugi. It wasn't like he was saying anything that Duke didn't already knew from Tea's second e-mail earlier, anyway. Hmm... II... There it was. Up six points. Not bad for a company owned by a dead guy.[1]
"...And perhaps most important of all, two people have found love."
Duke's eyebrows shot up and he turned his attention fully to Yugi, who seemed to be grinning a little more mischieviously than usual. Someone was in love? This was news to Duke. Could he mean Serenity and Ryou? No, they'd been officially "in love" since last Christmas. Did Yugi mean himself and Tea? Hmm...
Duke's eyebrows rose further (if, indeed, that was possible) as he noticed one of the windows on the third story of the hospital opening. When the camera zoomed in on a certain white haired ex-yami leaning out the window and shouting and shaking his fists at Yugi, Duke couldn't help the little snort of laughter that escaped him. Amoura and Bakura must've finally admitted to each other what everyone else had known since last winter. About time, too!
Duke's smile slowly faded as he absently turned to look up at the sky. It was dark, too dark for a late July afternoon. It looked like it was going to storm again, yet there was no wind. The air was hot, and pressed down on top of Duke like a blanket. The clouds, which were so dark in some places that they looked almost purple, seemed to swirl and thicken around downtown Juuban. Lightning flashed across the sky, and Duke bit his lip. This morning the skies had been clear, and a brisk wind had carried the promise of a cool day. Then it had all suddenly changed. Something wasn't right...
Carrying his broom with him, as if he expected to fend off some attacker, Duke climbed the steps to the shrine and went inside to turn off the TV with a snap, cutting off the babble of English news in mid-ramble. Irratibly he brushed his hair away from his face, not surprised to find it damp with sweat.
"Duke!"
Duke stepped back outside to see Naru and Umino, two of Usagi's friends, running up the steps to the shrine. Neither of them were Sailor Senshi, but they'd been friends of Usagi and Ami and Makoto for a long time. Duke had gotten to know them both over the past month he'd been staying at the shrine. The two younger teens skidded to a halt in front of Duke, and Naru tucked an errant strand of flaming red hair behind one ear as she leaned over, hands on her knees. "We were so afraid you were with Usagi-tachi!" she panted. "They're in trouble, I know it!"
"You feel it too?" Duke asked, and suddenly realized that he had his broom in a white-knuckled grip as he stared at the forbidding clouds.
Umino nodded, his eyes worried behind his coke-bottle glasses. "They're fighting again. It's really big this time..."
The other two were silent as together they stood and watched as lighting crackled and thunder roared, but no rain fell. Somewhere out there, the Sailor Senshi were fighting for their lives again. But what was the cost? All three of them had heard the Senshi talking about Sailor Saturn, and what would happen if she awoke. Was that what was happening now? And what about this Pharaoh 90, who Ryou called the True Pharaoh? Apparently he was trying to find a way to enter the world in his real body, instead of the human vessel he used now (although no one had been able to discover who this "vessel" was). Not to mention the fact that he had all of the Shadow Realm (or Dark Kingdom, as the Senshi called it) at his beck and call. And as for those three "Outer Senshi", who fought against Sailor Moon instead of with her...
Naru, Umino, and Duke sat down on the shrine's porch and settled themselves for the long wait, none of them ever taking their eyes from the roiling clouds.
"Oh kami-sama, protect them..." Naru whispered, one tear slipping down her cheek. Neither of the boys failed to notice it, and Umino squeezed her hand.
They didn't say anything.
There was nothing more to be said.
"I wonder if we can make a break for it?" Keith whispered to Tristan as the two of them were woman-handled through the center of the village. Once again, people, mostly women, were crowding around and whispering to each other. A few of them were snickering, and a couple more seemed to be drooling.
Tristan shook his head. "Won't work, I've tried. These chicks are strong. They don't call themselves Amazons for nothing."
The two males sighed in tandem as they were pushed into a dimmly lit building that seemed to be a council hall of some kind. At the other end of the long, low room was a throne, where a tall woman with long dark purple hair sat. She was dressed just as scantily as the rest of the Amazons, but her dress seemed to be woven from pure gold thread. The throne sat on a raised dais, and a girl about Tristan's age was sitting on the step calmly. She was dressed in the same type of clothing as the rest, except that hers was pure black. Her long lavendar hair was left loose to cascade around her shoulders, and it took Tristan a moment to realize it was Miho sitting there.
"R-ribbon-chan!" he stuttered, a deep blush coming to his cheeks. "You've come to rescue me! I knew you would!"
Miho looked slightly disgusted. It was the woman on the throne, however, who spoke. "My daughter has informed me that she knows of you two. Usually, when a male is captured by the Amazons, he is kept for breeding and heavy labor purposes. However, Miho says that were you two to reproduce with our warriors, the resulting children would be too stupid to walk upright. So it seems we must let you be on your ways."
"Hey!" Keith yelled indignantly. "I ain't stupid, okay?"
"Yeah right," Miho said, scowling at him from her place at her mother's feet. "Like we'd really believe that! Now get out!"
The Amazon guards unlocked the chains from Keith and Tristan, and stepped back to let them go. Tristan, instead of making for the door, ran toward Miho. "I knew you'd save me, my darling Ribbon-chan!"
"Oh God!" Miho made a face as Tristan glomped her. Trying to fend him off with one hand, she turned to face her mother. "What am I supposed to do?!"
Her mother seemed to be struggling to hold in laughter. "You are dismissed, daughter. Take that baboon back to Japan with you. You'd need to leave soon for school anyway."
Keith had already left, so Miho stood up, grumbling about having to travel with Tristan. Tristan, of course, couldn't have been happier if Duke had died.
(^^; Tristan-bashing is fun, eh? Sorry, I can't help it. *wanders off muttering about idiots with pointed hair*)
It was Ishtar's turn, so he drew a card. He tried not to smile and darted a quick glance at Gwen's monsters. If he played Gwen's pride right... "I place a monster in face down defencive possition, and end my turn."
Gwen grinned and drew another card, but then she frowned. One of her magic cards. With no monsters in her hand, she'd have to settle for attacking with the ones already on the field. And she could, too, since Syne's Swords had worn off after Ishtar's turn ended. (Some magic cards had had their effects altered for double duels, and Swords of Revealing Light was only in play for one turn now, instead of the usual three) "Maha Vailo, attack and destroy Ishtar's face down card!" Ishtar started laughing hystericly, and right away she knew she'd made a mistake. It was too late to call her monster back, though. She'd have to suffer through whatever Ishtar had hidden.
She winced when the card flipped to reveal a Man Eater Bug, and her Maha Vailo attacked, sending them both to the graveyard. The crowd roared in appreciation of the move, and Malik winced too. For a moment Gwen debated using her beefed-up Witty Phantom to attack Syne's monster, but decided she'd better not. She'd already had enough nasty face down surprises for this turn. Let Malik deal with whatever Syne had hidden.
Syne drew a card and smiled. Well finally! "~I play Dark Hole!~"
Gwen cussed at her in Japanese, and Syne couldn't help but giggle a little. It meant sacrificing her face down card, but it was well worth it if it meant getting rid of Gwen's super-powered Phantom. It was only a moment later that she realized her partner Ishtar had activated a trap.
"I activate White Hole, protecting my own and Syne's monsters from the effects of Dark Hole."
Gwen cursed again, and Malik groaned. Still smiling serenely, Syne flipped her face down card, which was a Hibikime, and had it attack Gwen directly, causing the American to kick herself for not destroying it when she'd had the chance, and to rant and curse more than she already was. Syne cheerfully ended her turn, passing the baton off to Malik.
The Egyptian drew a card, and seemed pleased with whatever the result was. "I place a monster in face down defence and end my turn."
It was Ishtar's turn again, and he grinned at Malik as he drew. "My, doing a lot of defending, are we?" he teased. Malik snapped at him in Arabic, only making Ishtar laugh again. His eyes dancing with mirth, the ex-psychopath played a monster. "I summon Big Shield Gardna, in defence mode, and end my turn."
Gwen bit her lip as she drew. She didn't know why Ishtar was defending, but it couldn't be good. Curse it all! She hadn't drawn a monster card, which meant she could do nothing to help Malik defend their life points. Well, not nothing... She smiled down at the two face down cards she still had on the field and ended her turn.
Syne drew, and made a small pleased sound in her throat. "~I summon Fire Princess (1300/1500) in attack mode! Now, attack Malik's face-down card!~"
"~Hold on there Syne!~" Gwen shouted in English. "~Activate trap, Skull Dice!~"
Syne frowned as the dice was rolled, and winced as it brought Fire Princess's attack down to 500. She winced again when Malik flipped his card in responce to the attack, and she saw it was a Mystical Elf. Ouch. She sighed slightly as her LP went down by 1500. It could be worse. She was still ahead of Malik and Gwen.
Malik drew, but apparently didn't find anything he liked. Exchanging a wary glance with Gwen, he ended his turn without playing anything.
Ishtar's face split into a manic grin as his turn came again, a grin which made Malik shiver in rememberance of the "old days". Ishtar drew his card, and started cackling in delight. "I play Change of Heart, to bring Malik's Mystical Elf under my control!" As he played the card onto his Duel Disc, Malik's Elf obeidiantly went to his side of the field. Malik's face took on a look of utter panic as he realized what Ishtar was about to do. Gwen didn't fail to notice the look on his face. "What's wrong?" she asked him, forced to yell over the sudden roar of the crowds.
"I sacrifice Mystical Elf, my Big Shield Gardna, and Syne's Hibikime and Fire Princess to summon forth one of the most awesome creatures the world has ever known! Come to me, Golden Dragon of the Sun's Full Face, beloved of Aten and Amun-Ra! I summon you from your eternal slumber to do my bidding, and I offer you these four creatures to appease your appetite! Come to me, Winged Dragon of Ra!!!!"
Over the roaring of the crowds and the sudden wind, Gwen could just barely make out Malik's stunned words around the pounding of her heart in her ears.
"It's all over..."
Gwen: 2250
Syne: 4500
Malik: 3900
Ishtar: 5150
"A GODDESS?!?"
Ryou smiled for the first time since he'd started his story, and next to him Serenity laughed. Yami made a strangled sound that was actually quite amusing, if any of the others had noticed. Amoura and Tea looked like fish their eyes were so wide, and Yugi was apparently trying to decide whether or not he was supposed to bow to Ryou. Bakura made a muffled little yelp sound that was just as amusing as Yami's, and leveled a finger at Ryou. "You lie!" he stammered, his eyes wide. "I would have known!"
Ryou laughed a little and shook his head. "Not necissarily. Okaasama was mortal the entire time you and I knew her as 'mother', so you wouldn't have sensed anything unusual."
"Oh my god..." Yugi mumbled, "My best friend is a god..."
Ryou blushed a little. "Only half-god, Yugi-kun..."
Yami seemed to shake himself out of his shock. "Still," he said thoughtfully "That explains a lot... Would you continue, Ryou?"
The tail end of Ryou's story was cut off as Yami's cell phone rang loudly. He sweatdropped slightly as the others gave him hard looks.
"Isn't that thing supposed to be off while you're in here?" Bakura asked skepticly as Yami pulled it out.
Yami had the grace to look sheepish. "Sort of..." Ignoring the rolling eyes of the others, he hit the talk button and put the phone to his ear, half-turning away from the others as he listened to the person on the other end. "Hello?"
Of all the people he expected to be calling him, Mai Valentine was not one of them. This was the reason he nearly dropped the phone when she spoke. "Yami? It's Mai."
"M-Mai-san?" he asked, aware that the others were all staring at him intently. "How'd you get my number?"
Mai seemed distracted, and didn't crack a joke like she usually would. "Tea gave it to me," she said. "Yami, something's happened."
Yami sobered immediately, glancing back at Ryou and Serenity. The girl looked surprised at hearing that it was Mai on the other end, and then she immediately began to get worried. Ryou put an arm around her, and Yami turned his concentration back to his conversation. "Are you okay? What is it?"
Now Mai sounded on the verge of tears, and Yami's concern for her and the others back in Japan grew. "It's J-joey. He, he tried," she stopped and hiccuped, and Yami cut in.
"Mai, it's okay, calm down. Take a deep breath and tell me what happened." Yami glanced back at Serenity again.
There was a slight buzzing sound on the other end of the phone, and for a moment Yami thought he'd been cut off. Then a masculine voice came on. "Yami? That you?"
"It's me, Scott," Yami answered, his brows drawing together in a frown. "What's happened?"
"Mai's a little hysterical right now," Scott said, and Yami thought he sounded tired and worried and more than a little stressed out. "Joey fought a Kyoto gang leader and won, but just barely. He's hurt pretty bad, although the doctors say he'll recover just fine as long as there's no infection. He got slashed lightly across the chest, but the docs say that's nothing compared to where he got stabbed in the side. Mai wanted to call and make sure you guys knew."
"Thanks Scott," Yami said, slightly numb. So many of his friends were suffering right now... Old friends and new ones... "Some of us may be coming home early then. You said you're still in Kyoto?"
Scott confirmed and relayed the name and address of the hospital where Joey was, as well as the number for both his and Mai's cell phones, all of which Yami dutifully wrote down. Then they said their goodbyes and Yami hung up. He turned to face the expectant and worried faces of his friends and sighed deeply. "We have a problem."
"Several, I'd say," Ryou said softly from where he was sitting with Serenity, gently rubbing her back. Yami realized that Ryou must have been listening in on his conversation with Scott, and nodded at the telepath to show he didn't mind.
"Yes, several," the pharaoh confirmed with another sigh. "I'm not exactly sure of the details, because Scott was in a hurry, but Joey's been badly hurt."
Serenity gasped and Tea and Amoura cried out in shock at the same time Bakura asked sharply "How bad?" and Yugi squealed "What happened?"
Yami held up his hands for silence. "As far as I can tell, Joey got in a fight with a gang leader and barely won. He was slashed across the chest and stabbed in the side, Scott said. The doctors are sure he'll make a full recovery as long as infection doesn't set in."
Serenity was trembling and trying not to cry, while at the same time clinging to Ryou fiercely as if she were afraid he would slip out of her grasp. "I have to go to him!" she said, her voice shaky but determined.
Ryou soothed her gently, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to him. "Shh, shh, koibito, it's okay, he'll be okay..." Serneity whimpered, but lay her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. A moment later she was asleep.
Bakura looked at Ryou sharply. "Otouto..."
Ryou smiled slightly and shook his head. "She's much better off asleep than hysterical. Rest will calm her down, and then she can make her decisions," he said softly. Then he sighed and shook his head again, his ponytail shivering across his back. "But she's right. She needs to be back in Japan with Joey."
"Me too." Yugi said, a determined look on his face. "Joey's my best friend besides you, Ryou. I've got to go be there with him!"
The room went quiet as the implications of what Yugi had just said began to sink in. Tea bit her lip and looked at Amoura, and Bakura and Yami locked eyes before Yami broke away to look down at Yugi. "Aibou..."
"I know," Yugi whispered, dropping his eyes to his lap. "I know you have to go to Egypt. But you've been spending so much time away from the Puzzle lately, I thought..."
Yami smiled at him and took Yugi's chin in his hands, turning his hikari to look at him. "Aibou, I am needed in Egypt, but you are needed in Japan. I am becoming more mortal every day, and perhaps this is why. If we're to be so far apart, let's consider it a test of how far I can go from the magic of the Puzzle. You're forgetting Yugi, I have magic of my own. I'll be all right."
Yugi looked at him with slightly watery eyes. "I don't like the idea of us being seperated," he whispered.
Yami drew him into a hug, and Yugi lay his head on his yami's shoulder. "There may not be a choice. Bakura and I are obviously needed in Egypt. I doubt Amoura wants to travel until she has to, and you and Serenity should be with Joey."
"I'm staying with Amoura," Tea spoke up as the Motos gently pulled away from each other and sat up straight on the couch. "We talked to Madame about it last night. We'll stay in Paris for the rest of the summer, then fly back to Tokyo just before school starts."
"And I'm going back to Egypt."
The room went quiet again, but this time the silence was heavier. Bakura frowned at Ryou. "You don't have to, Ryou. You could go back to Japan with Yugi and Serenity."
Ryou's eyes narrowed slightly. "No. As soon as you get released from the hospital, you and Yami and I are flying to Egypt. I have to see this through to its end."
There was such conviction in Ryou's voice, Bakura hesitated. But there was fear there, too, fear of Mahaado, lurking where only Bakura could see it, deep in Ryou's eyes, in the way he held his hands, the way he sat. "Ryou, no one can fault you for being frightened, after what Mahaado put you through. Just go back to Japan and save yourself the heartache. Yami and I can handle it."
Unexpectantly, Ryou rounded on his brother. "Don't treat me like a child, Bakura! I am not scared!" he snapped, blind eyes narrowed to almost slits. "I'm not allowed to be scared!"
Bakura growled, giving in to a sudden burst of anger as he snapped back, "Maybe I'd stop treating you like a child if you stopped acting like one!"
Ryou hissed, and the next words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. "At least I'm not merely mortal!"
Bakura stiffened as if he'd been slapped, and Ryou instantly regretted his words, his anger fading as quickly as it had come. "Oh Bakura, I didn't mean..."
"Yes you did," Bakura said quietly. "But you're right."
Ryou broke off mid-apology. "Hunh?"
"You're right," Bakura repeated. "I'm merely mortal. And you aren't," he sighed deeply. "And that's why, I suppose, you're needed in Egypt."
Ryou smiled and leaned against Bakura, both their anger vaporated like mist in sunshine. "I'm sorry Bakura, I guess I was being a little childish..."
Bakura leaned over to lay a gentle kiss against his hair. "Nonsense."
"So it's agreed?" Yami asked, uncomfortably breaking up the mushy moment. "We're all going our seperate ways?"
Silence came over the room again as they all looked at each other. "Yeah," Yugi said quietly, "I guess... we are."
It was long after midnight, and Umino and Naru were both asleep, leaning up against each other and sagging back against the wall of the shrine. Duke had covered them with a light blanket, but he couldn't settle down enough to sleep himself. So instead he paced restlessly across the courtyard and back again like some kind of caged tiger. Grampa had returned around ten, and gone to bed soon after, though he left a lantern lit on the porch for Duke.
Duke sighed and threw a frustrated glare at the sky, wringing his ponytail in agitation. What could possibly be taking them so long?! He grimaced and made himself sit down, resting his head back against one of the collumns that held up the porch roof. Not having realized how tired he was, he was asleep within a few moments despite his worry.
He stood in front of a throne, and though he could see a figure reclining in the chair, he couldn't make out any features besides that it was a male. The man in the throne seemed not to notice him, and was howling in rage and pain and cursing the Sailor Senshi. Suddenly he stilled, sensing Duke for the first time, and he leaned forward. Duke backed up a step, finding himself suddenly swamped by an irrational fear of this being, whoever he was. Despite that Duke couldn't see his face or eyes, he had the distinct impression that this man was staring into his very soul.
'Yes...' the man mused, and Duke's heart pounded in his throat at the cruel coldness in his tone. 'Yes, I thought so. You are one of them.'
"One of them?" Duke asked, somehow finding the strength to keep his voice steady. He tried to back up another step, anything to get away from this cold-hearted man, but he found he could go no further, his back was against a wall.
The man seemed surprised, and then vaguely annoyed, as if he hadn't thought Duke would be able to answer back. 'One of the chosen,' he sneered. 'One who follows that Heretic, Atemu, and that worthless brat, the supposed Child of Fate. One who can feel the heart beating inside the sealed monsters, and can summon them in times of dire need. One that I shall eliminate.'
Duke shivered again at the sound of his voice, his throat momentarily closed in fear. But then a fierce loyalty rose up inside him, to Yami and to Ryou, his friends. "Ryou's the strongest person I know, and he's going to kick your ass back to the Shadow Realm! And as for Yami, or as you call him, Atemu, he was no heretic! It's YOU who's the false pharaoh!" For he'd finally figured out who this man was. It could only be the True Pharaoh, Pharaoh 90, the arch-nemesis of both Ryou Bakura and the Sailor Senshi. Oh gods, and he was standing up to him...
The True Pharaoh hissed in rage, rising from the throne although his face was still heavily in shadow. 'I am no false pharaoh! No mere mortal! Your friends the Sailor Senshi may have beaten me back this time, murdered my precious Lady 9, but I will triumph in the end! I will kill Ryou Bakura, and drain him of his power for my own purposes. And none of you can stop me!'
Although he felt sick to his stomach at the thought of trying to bully down the man whose servants Ryou had trouble defeating with help, Duke couldn't let himself back down now. "You know what? You sound like a bad fantasy RPG villain. Ryou's going to have no trouble kicking your tail in the next time you meet!"
Apparently driven to the point of rage, the Pharaoh roared something unintelligible and threw out a hand toward Duke. As the dice-master saw the dark energy start to form in the false lord's palm, he remembered what the villain had said about being able to summon monsters in times of dire need, and fleetingly wished he'd brought his dueling deck with him. Yugi and Ryou had done it enough times...
Things seemed to move in slow motion as Duke jammed his hands into his pockets, franticly searching for anything that might help. His seeking hands grasped one of the dice he always carried around, and he pulled it out with some idea to flick it at the True Pharaoh like he had with the Daimon that attacked Rei. But this wasn't a normal dice, it was one of his Dungeon Dice. One of the black Item dice, and it seemed to be pulsing slightly against his palm. Almost like a... a heartbeat. Duke knew that Yugi (along with Yami, Joey, the Bakuras, and a couple others) believed there was something called the "Heart of the Cards", that every monster in Duel Monsters had its own heart and soul, its own self. Dungeon Dice Monsters used the same monsters as Duel Monsters... So was there such a thing as "Heart of the Dice" too?
Duke, with only a vague idea of what would happen next, threw it down in front of him. As the little die hit the ground, it seemed to explode in a burst of light and a shower of rainbow sparks. "Dimention the Dice!" The light expanded, and became a glittering Mirror Wall in front of Duke, blocking the True Pharaoh's attack. Not a moment too soon, either. Duke couldn't see through the clouded and distorted surface of the Mirror Wall very well, but the Pharaoh's scream of rage and pain was all the indication he needed.
Slightly proud of himself, though thouroughly exhausted from his brief stint to the Shadow Realm (for all he thought it was a dream), Duke slipped into deeper sleep.
[1] I don't play the stock market, so excuse my ignorance on the terms. II was supposed to be the little abbreviation thingy that they use for businesses. ^_~ Based on that, anyone care to guess where Duke holds stocks? :p Keep this fact in mind, it'll be showing up again.
()()()()()
WSJ: Yeah yeah, so Duke didn't actually summon a monster... And hey! I actually gave a dream/vision to someone besides Ryou! ^_^ Aren't you proud of me?
Bakura: *flatly* No.
WSJ: *sweatdrops* Ah, well, be that as it may... Hey, is anyone watching that new show on Cartoon Network, Code Lyoko? ^^ I think it's cute! I may have to start writing fanfics for it...
Chapter 14: WSJ: (V/O) Well, some things seem to be winding down.
Ishtar: This duel is over!
WSJ: (V/O) While others are just beginning...
Bakura: *stretches his arms over his head as he finally steps outside* Well now... I guess it's time to go home, eh Yami?
WSJ: (V/O) Some people are hurting,
Joey: Gaaah! Sis, don't glomp me! OWW!!!!!!
WSJ: (V/O) While others are healing...
Duke: Mina! *grabs her in a fierce hug* I was so scared I'd lost you...
Minako: *slightly muffled, as she has her face buried in Duke's neck* I'll never leave you, never...
WSJ: (V/O) Some are having the times of their lives,
Mokuba: WOOOO HOOO!!!!!!
WSJ: (V/O) While others are fighting back the fear...
Ryou: ....Mahaado....
WSJ: (V/O) Some are - okay okay, I'll stop now. ^_~ All this and more, next time!
God bless minna-san!
