Sakakku

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Notes: In most parts, when someone has to give an alias, I'll just use their Japanese names. This works for everyone who has to lie, I think. Pluuus, it amused me.

Happy reading!

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Chapter 15

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"I wish Joey were here," Mokuba said, for no particular reason. Other than the fact that, if Joey were here, he would at least know the blonde boy who annoyed his brother so very much was still alive.

"I'm sure the gods have been watching over him," Ishizu mused. "Oh, Shadi, just stay still."

"Sorry," Shadi said, shaking his head to compose himself again. She was carefully removing the turban on his head, which he only attempted to do every few months. It felt strange.

"Ishizu, who is going to do your hair?" Kimo asked, glancing doubtfully at his own hands. "I don't know if any of us here know how to fix hair."

She paused a minute. "I suppose I could work it up myself," she said slowly.

"Actually, I can do some simple braids," Pegasus interrupted. "I helped Cecelia on several occasions." As he said that, the five companions felt a strange, light breeze pass over them; Cecelia was laughing in fond memory.

The five of them were sitting around the rock leading into Shadi's home. Ishizu was taking Shadi's turban off, after which she would trim his hair. Someone, at this point probably Pegasus, would fix her hair up and off her shoulders, to disguise her. Pegasus had already tied his hair back; that combined with his suntan from the desert walking made him barely recognizable from the man who had dueled Yugi all those months ago.

"This is weird," Mokuba commented, perched at the very top of the rock. "We look like a bunch of girls having a slumber party." The four adults looked up and gave him indulgent grins.

"You know that the disguises are important," Kimo reminded him, holding up a pair of rather rusty scissors. "Speaking of which, Mokuba, that hair of yours is rather noticeable. I'm going to have to give you a trim."

Mokuba squeaked and clutched the ends of his long black hair. "No way!" he said defiantly.

"Mokuba," Kimo sighed. "You don't want to be recognized, do you?"

"You are not coming near my hair with those," the boy responded firmly. "That is, not until you get permission from my big brother."

"Mokuba!" Kimo said a second time. "You know we don't have any idea where Seto is. I need to cut your hair- so you have a chance of staying alive long enough to find him," he finished, eyes glittering.

Mokuba sucked in a breath and his eyes grew huge. "Kimo," Pegasus chided, turning to look at the small boy. "You shouldn't have said that."

Kimo bowed his head: "Sorry, sir," he mumbled.

"Mokuba, let me see your hair while Ishizu is busy with Shadi," Pegasus said, approaching the boy.

"No cutting?" he asked suspiciously. Pegasus smiled.

"No cutting," he promised. He took a handful of Mokuba's hair and tried piling it on top of his head. He pulled and twisted quite a bit, and Mokuba got dizzy with all the head-yanking.

"We have two options," Pegasus announced. "I don't think you're going to like either of them much though."

"What are they?" Mokuba asked suspiciously.

"We could cut your hair- only a few inches," he said hastily. "And, well, try to pass you off as a girl."

Mokuba's eyes nearly popped out of his skull, suddenly recalling a lovely run-in with 'Princess Edina'. "And the other option?" he asked immediately.

Pegasus shrugged. "If you're so adamant at not cutting your hair, perhaps one of us with moderate talent could sew you a hood?" he suggested. "We could pull your hair back under the hood and hopefully no one could be able to see you. It's riskier, though."

Mokuba scowled. "How much riskier?" he asked.

"I think he'll be okay," Kimo spoke up. "Besides, people; Rare Hunters included; tend to overlook the children."

"All right," Ishizu said, removing the last length of cloth on Shadi's head. His hair was deep, deep black and looked almost waxy; a byproduct of not being exposed to the sun. "Kimo, if you wouldn't mind cutting his hair, I'll go search inside for some cloth," she said. "I'll bring Bob in for some water. He's spoiled now, I don't know what he's going to do when we're gone." She leaned over the rock, expecting to see 'her' lizard lounging there, but couldn't find him. Her eyes narrowed, and she moved all the way around.

"Bob is gone!" she cried, sounding exactly as she had when she'd discovered that Joey was missing a few days ago. "Where did he go?"

"Bob is gone?" Mokuba asked doubtfully. "Are you sure he's not just under the rock?"

"He's not," she insisted. "He's gone!"

"Ishizu," Shadi said, trying to pacify her. "He-" he stopped talking, realizing that he had nothing to say that would pacify her. "Perhaps he left," he offered lamely.

"Left?" Ishizu snorted. "Left and went where? Crossed the desert looking for Yami?"

Their group abruptly fell silent. Mokuba, the only one who didn't get it, whipped his head back and forth. "What? What is it?"

"Perhaps he did cross the desert, looking for Yami," Pegasus mused aloud. "As a hitchhiker…"

Ishizu didn't say anything. Brows narrowed, troubled; hand unconsciously reaching up to touch her Necklace; she disappeared inside the dark tunnel.

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"Let's go in this house," Ishizu said suddenly.

"Hm?" Shadi asked, glancing at her. She was pointing to a low, grey home.

It had only taken them a few hours to reach a town; they were barely tired. They'd debated not stopping, just continuing through the desert, but Ishizu had a 'funny feeling' that they should go in. Just like she'd had that 'funny feeling' which direction they should set out, despite having no clear destination in mind. And now she had a 'funny feeling' that they should go into a certain house. Well, okay.

He trailed behind her to the front door; Pegasus, Kimo, and Mokuba, all disguised, continued on to the village well for a drink of water.

Ishizu knocked on the door, mind racing to prepare a cover story even as she heard footsteps approaching. "Hello," she said calmly as the inhabitant, an elderly man, swung open the door. "My name is Isis. My companion and I are traveling to visit my younger brother in the city Akuma; if you can spare a second, do you know how the conditions are?"

"I believe it's fine traveling weather," the man said in a wheezy voice. "Akuma is… well, it's the same as ever. It's Bakura and Marik's home city; you can make up your own mind what that means. I don't want no trouble."

Ishizu nodded. It was true that she didn't know how many people would deliberately travel to Akuma, the most dismal place in the world; although it was also true that it was the richest. The people who lived there tended to be traitorous deserters, ready to abandon the old ideals of the world in favor of more desirable living conditions while the rest of the people in the world suffered.

"You know how to get there?" he asked.

"Yes," she responded; she'd studied many maps while in Shadi's home. "Thank you for your help." As she inclined her head and began to retreat, something caught her eye. "Oh- wait! I'm sorry- can I come in?"

It was difficult to say who was more surprised, the old man or Shadi, but the man moved aside and let her hurry into the room. Shadi trailed, raising his slender eyebrows. "Ish- Isis?" he asked, catching himself.

"Oh, that," the elderly man said, seeing what Ishizu was examining. "It's a painting; the girl down the street made that and gave it to me just yesterday. She and her friend are quite the artistic types."

"Look!" Ishizu exclaimed to Shadi, moving aside so he could see the painting: A grey lizard in a potted fern.

"Ah- yes, Ishi- Isis," Shadi said cautiously.

"It's Bob," she told him in elation.

"Oh dear," Shadi murmured. "Ishiz- Isis, Bob isn't the only grey lizard around, you know."

"I know," she said, narrowing her eyes at him. "But that- is- Bob!" With each word, she jabbed the painting to convey her emotion.

The elderly man was looking at her in mild confusion. "Young lady," he began, but Ishizu interrupted him.

"Who painted this?" she asked, whirling around.

"My neighbor," the man repeated, "A young girl named Nikkō."

"Okay," Ishizu repeated, trying to commit the name to memory. "Nikkō. Where does Nikkō live?"

"With a young man named Peter and his sister Sara," the man said, "three houses down the street. Same side."

"Thank you," she said, making her way to the door. Shadi paused just long enough to repeat his thanks to the elderly man, then dashed after her.

"Ishizu," he said, trying to force her to see, "The odds that that painted lizard is Bob are-"

"I know what the odds are," she insisted, counting off the houses. She turned right up a path. "That doesn't change the fact that that is Bob." She knocked on the door, ignoring Shadi's spluttered protests.

A girl with clouded blue eyes and a paintbrush stuck behind her ear answered. "Yes?" she asked, smiling politely and dusting her hands. They were covered in dried clay.

"I'm sorry for interrupting you," Ishizu said, and Shadi breathed in relief that she hadn't just stormed into the house. "Were you in the middle of something?" She motioned to the girl's hands.

"Oh, that's okay," the girl responded, smiling brightly. "I just finished for the day."

"Sculpture?" Ishizu asked innocently.

"Yes," the blonde said, bobbing her head. "I finished the basic outline of my newest project, a lizard."

"Oh?" Ishizu asked, raising her eyebrows. "That sounds fascinating. Are you doing it freehand, or did you have a basis?"

"Well, I had the mental image," the girl explained. "A lizard named Bob that a friend brought to our house. Bob left but I have a pretty good memory for images like that…"

"I see." Ishizu deliberately avoided looking at Shadi, who had suddenly widened his eyes. "How long ago did Joey leave?"

She got no answer for a long time. The girl folded her arms and squinted at Ishizu. "Who are you?" she asked after a while.

"I am Ishizu," she explained under her breath. "This is my companion Shadi. And this is a conversation best kept secret."

"I understand." The girl still hesitated to let them in, but soon stepped aside and let them into front room. What Ishizu supposed was the resident's handicraft was scattered around; sculptures and statues and paintings and several abstract works that she couldn't identify but found interesting to squint at. "Are you really Ishizu and Shadi?" the girl asked in a rush. "Joey told me about you-"

"Yes," Shadi clarified, still looking at Ishizu oddly.

"You're Nikkō?" Ishizu asked, although she was already sure.

"Yes," Nikkō responded.

"Joey Wheeler passed through this way?" Ishizu pressed. "How long ago?"

Nikkō shrugged. "Not five days," she confessed.

"Did he say where he was going?"

Nikkō hesitated. "He did… have a destination in mind," she said reluctantly. "Can I trust you?" She studied Shadi's and Ishizu's faces a long time, then took a deep breath. "He said he was going to Akuma," she let out.

"Akuma?" Ishizu raised her brow slightly. "Did he mention why he chose to go there?"

"Well… It was at my suggestion," Nikkō admitted.

Ishizu nodded. Since she didn't offer anything else to say, Shadi picked up the conversation. "Ishizu and I and our companions were debating whether to go to Akuma," he said, nodding. "Perhaps this makes up our decision for us."

"Hmm…" Ishizu said distantly. "Not quite." She abruptly spun around: "I thank you for your help, Nikkō." The girl nodded. "Shadi, we should hurry. Lingering anywhere is not wise."

Shadi bowed his head to Nikkō and followed Ishizu to the door. Nikkō waved at them as they hurried away. Two blondes, a boy and what appeared to be his younger sister, were walking up to the house and looked curiously at them. Nikkō lifted a hand in farewell, and Ishizu and Shadi moved quickly down the street.

"What did you find out?" Pegasus asked as they approached the well.

"Much," Ishizu stated bluntly, not stopping. "Come on."

Pegasus looked in bewilderment after her, then shrugged at Shadi. Kimo put the cap on the last canteen he'd been refilling and touched Mokuba on the shoulder. The five of them moved swiftly out of the village and back into the open desert.

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Notes: In case you can't tell, I adore random coincidences. Look for that as a big theme here. ;-)