And the Sun Shall Set Once More
By: Hyacinthus
Rating: R
A/N: This is really sad... so long without updating ;; But we are officially back from HIATUS! W00t! Lacuna Dum Dum
Dedication: To all our reviewers! N our NEW LOVELY BETA- Pork Steak the Grande! W/out her help ya guys wouldn't have this chapter
Chapter Couplings: RyouxBakura, MaixJou, ShizukaxOtogi, YamixSeto, YamixYugi, (onesided) RyuuzakixMalik, slight SetoxEspa, slight MalikxRyou, slight MarikxMalik,
Brief Coupling Clarification:
This will FOR sure be a MarikxMalik, RyouxBakura fic. That's the entire points of this fic . There will be brief interludes of MalikxRyou though pretty much what you saw a few chapters ago was the extent of it. From here on out it's all dreams and flashbacks of RyouxBakura and MarikxMalik.
On Yami. We're not quite sure what to do with him. It might end up YxYY or if Seto ends up living, YYxS. Kaede n Kar are still arguing bout dat. Kaede wants Seto together with Espa. Kar wants Espa apart to create more Seto angst. –shrugs- We'll see.
Much thanks to our reviewers:
MariksMyra: WOOHOO! Thanks for reviewing! Hahaha. We're glad that someone likes it! We're a bit slow on the updating cuz there's so many details that we wanna shove in
Episode Four: Setting the Stage
The cold clanging of Insector Haga's boots were an unfamiliar sound in the nearly empty Kaiba mansion. Every step brought a resonance of ice emanating from the deformed duelist. He stopped, paused and laughed; the cold guttural sound reverberated off the glossy walls. "I will win, at all costs," he spat between clenched teeth.
> > >
The light was fading. Malik plunged his hands desperately forward, long tanned fingers stretching to their fullest extent. "Isis 'neechan?" he called out. The darkness wavered, giggling at Malik's confusion. "Isis-'neechan? Where are you?" he cried desperately. His voice broke as his terror intensified, "I don't like the dark 'neechan! Come back," he broke down, slim fingers clutching at platinum locks, "Come back, please 'neechan. Don't leave me..." He beat at the nothingness beneath, "I don't want to be alone."
A bright flash of light jolted him from his crouching position. "'neechan?" he whispered, not daring to hope.
"Malik? Are you okay?"
Lavender met with chocolate as Malik lifted his head up, "R-Ry?" he stuttered.
Malik's albino lover bent down and giggled. "Look Malik! Look at whose back!" Ryou's eyes were bright with excitement and tears of joy threatened to pour.
Malik blinked when the shadows began to manifest. Ryou laughed when the slim form of his tomb robber yami began to materialize. "Kura came back. He really came back!" Ryou cried, clutching at Malik's cold hands.
"He- he came back? Oh.. Oh no. Please no. Ra no. Please." Malik felt teardrops sting the corner of his eyes.
Bakura gave Malik a devious grin, baring his sharp canine incisors, "Thanks for taking care of Ryou, Malik." The blonde's breath hitched slightly, dreading what was to come. "But I'll be taking back what belongs to me." Bakura laughed, devoid of feeling, before leaning over Ryou and viciously attacking the younger boy's lips.
Malik's violet orbs dilated in shock as he saw a trickle of blood slip down the side of Ryou's pretty mouth. Bakura laughed again, suckling on Ryou's lower lip. Malik bit back a sob when Ryou glanced over to him with forlorn eyes; "I'm sorry Malik..." Ryou began.
"Oh please. Ryou. No please don't. Ryou please, not you too. Please no. Don't leave me!"
Ryou gave Malik a sad awkward glance as Bakura wrapped a comforting arm around his hikari's shoulders. "I-I," he began before hesitating. "Bakura needs me more." He gave Malik an apologetic smile. "I hope you understand."
The platinum blonde let out a heart wrenching wail, "But Ryou.. I need.. I need you too. I don't-I don't understand!" His fists pounded futilely into space.
Ryou sobbed quietly, tears streaming down in steady torrents as Bakura led him into the shadows. Bakura's echoing voice reverberated in Malik's mind as the pair left. "You knew... you knew this day was going to come."
"NO!!" screamed Malik, "Ryou! Ryou! Come back! I need you! Ryou! Where are you going?" Silence answered his call. "Why'd you leave me?" he cried.
Amidst his cries he felt an arm slowly materialize around his shoulders. It began as a light feathery touch that slowly solidified. "Hiki...Shh.. Pretty Hiki.. Don't cry."
"Yami?" Malik let out a wet gasp of surprise.
"I'm here Hiki." The tomb guardian began to slowly massage the blonde's tense back.
Malik collapsed within his yami's warm embrace letting down the walls that he had erected so carefully to protect himself from the psychotic spirit. "Don't leave me yami, don't leave me," He murmured.
Yami no Malik sniffed. "Why Malik, why this sudden change of heart?" Malik stiffened. "I thought you hated me. I thought that you felt disgraced to have me for a yami. I thought you said you'd never forgive me..." the tan yami trailed off.
The hikari began to cry softly. Memories of his soul wandering around the world while inhabited by his insane yami returned. Memories of the pain, the anguish of not having a body. "I- I can't. I don't know."
Yami no Malik let out a hollow laugh. "I think it's time for me to leave Hiki."
"NO!!!"
Yami no Malik kissed Malik's forehead. "I loved you- still do. But," the yami paused, "Wishful thinking. Well, Ja ne!" The psychopath giggled, holding up a peace sign.
"NO!!!!!!!! COME BACK!!! Yami...Yami, I don't want to be alone again! Please yami," Malik clutched at his purple vest, his entire body sinking into the darkness, "I love you."
> > >
The elder Kaiba strode hastily passed locked doors, ran to the open ones, only for them to slam in his face. Behind each stood something of value, a millennium rod, the puzzle's answer, the stranger that had gotten him into this mess. Then he saw it, at the end of the hall, a gold embellished pair of French doors stood widely open.
"M-," tears blurred his eyes, for he'd regained sight of his lost goal.
"Mokuba?"
Behind the open entryway stood his missing brother, now here again. Seto dashed for the doors, sprinting with all his remaining strength. Suddenly, though, he saw his body was breaking. Behind him was a trail of the tattered remains of his white coat, and his own clothes hung on him in rags. Upon his now exposed limbs, cuts had twisted over his flesh, slicking his arms and legs with a spatters of blood. Abruptly, a swift pain and disconnected sensation shot throughout his left thigh. Looking down, he witnessed a laceration cleave through it, as an invisible turkey-cutter shearing through meat, tearing, ripping, grinding against his bone. The entirety of flesh upon that leg seemed to begin to slide down off the bone, when he witnessed the splitting of his bone, a toothpick snapping, accompanied by a wet, sickening crunch. Intermingled splinters of bone and chunks of living marrow fell in a brief rain upon the white cement floor. The blood loss and lack of limb hit him with a fierce wave of nausea as he careened forward. Before losing sight of his brother, he saw the doors had turned to prison bars, gold with glass between them. Now blood-stained cement rushed up to meet him, scraping jagged cuts along his face, bloodying more than his cheek and lip. Skidding to a stop, he managed to open his right eye, showing as a sliver of the moon. It squeezes shut, as the head turns slightly away from the sight of his own appearance. His blood and concrete slip-n-slide trip has left him a broken man. All of his riches could not save him his leg, among the other damages he had seen. Ripped from him, as though scraped and pulled off, scraps of his torn tan flesh are stuck to the concrete, his own arms freed of any skin, leaving raw muscle exposed. Veins and arteries burst from the skidding friction bleed freely, forming growing pools of blood about them.
"Seto?" His head lifts up a second time, eyes widening in shock. The prison bars have turned to twisted gold rose vines, with pure, clear glass roses, and tiny glass thorns. From behind the twisted rose vines pale green hair and once mischievous eyes familiar from his past implore that he answer.
"Esp?" His voice cracks, tears blurring his own eyes. The green haired boy looks down at him sorrowfully.
"Seto," he moans in a terribly anguished whisper. "Why? Was it me?"
"No, no no," he cries, "no Esp, don't say that... It's my fault. I did, I di-" his voice chokes off with tears. "I don't want you hurt...." With one gruesome, pain ridden arm, he lifts his hand, reaching for his lost love, bleeding fingers grasping air.
Seto Kaiba awoke from his slumber, clothes drenched in sweat.
"Master Kaiba, we will be arriving shortly." The pilot's voice comes in through the overhead speakers, cutting off Tartini's Devil's Trill, then the song resumes, still playing through its slow, melodramatic beginning. Sitting up, he stretches his neck and shoulders before glancing at his watch. All those idiots better show, Kaiba thought, hoping Mokuba had not been harmed. Standing up, he walks stiffly to the back of his private jet, pours himself a glass of chardonnay, and heads back toward his seat. The plane hits some turbulence, sending the groggy Kaiba stumbling. Wincing he opens his eyes and sees the chardonnay has spilt across his sleeves and some drips onto his shirt from his cheek. Flashes of his dream return to him, haunting his conscious.
"God, I destroyed everything I could ask for," the whisper escapes with a slight sob. He lets it go, the only other staff on the plane are in the cockpit, behind locked doors.
> > >
Mai sat in her chair and rifled her deck from hand to hand. The television was set on the local news channel, one of the few free local channels she received. She leaned back and flipped through her deck, smiling as she passed cards she had favored in the past. The thought of dueling again made her feel as though things were getting brighter by the moment. Shuffling through her deck again, she mixed the cards together and bridged them. Still, a slight sense of foreboding, and weariness came to her at the thought of going to the tournament. Something felt as though things weren't quite right. Then the news caught her attention.
"Today I'm standing here with the movie star Magnum in our very own city hall!" The ecstatic female newscaster practically screamed with joy. Mai's cards, in mid-rifle shot off in an odd direction, spraying all over her kitchen and dining room floor.
"What the-" Bending over to pick them up, she swore beneath her breath, snatching her Cyber Harpy Dragon out of a glass of water on the table. "It better not be ruined," she grumbled anxiously, shaking it dry and patting the water off of it with a napkin.
"So, Magnum, how do you like our humble city," the reporter giggled excitedly. 'Stupid fangirl,' Mai thought. Then she heard a voice which caused her to drop all her cards once more, and practically gag.
"Well Maria-"
"Theresa," the giggly brunette corrected.
"Sorry, Lisa," continued Magnum. 'Ugh, what a block-headed idiot,' Mai mentally commented. She continued picking up the previously dropped cards. The movie star and reporter continued their idle, third-grade level conversation, and Mai continued to retrieve her cards when a sudden, terrible realization hit her. No, it couldn't be, she thought, but still, the fact that Magnum was an hour's drive away at the city hall of her city was no comforting thought. Stop being silly, she told herself, there's no way he'd come all the way out here and waste all that money just to see me, especially after all of these years. Yeah, seriously, what kind of idiot would pursue someone who rejected them after this many years, she reassured herself, he'd have to be more stupid than that damned Bandit Keith. That's when Mai realized he was more idiotic than Keith, by leaps and bounds, to no comfort. Well, I guess he might be that dumb, but he's probably got a terrible memory, right? Her frantic thoughts slowly began to disappear around the time she was finishing putting away all of her cards, when a suddenly horrible thought struck her.
"Shit!" The word left her lips in a frustrated exclamation similar to that of one who has just realized they've left their wallet, purse, keys, and jacket in one of those crowded night clubs on the New York strip, and is currently standing outside, in a blizzard, wearing nothing but a skimpy, small halter top and miniskirt. How she had missed such an obvious clue, she could not comprehend, but nonetheless, it was there. Sitting in her kitchen drawer was the letter from that same self-centered movie star. "Okay, calm down," she told herself. "The interview is live, so he's still an hour away, with me being able to keep tabs on him." She let out a tense breath, attempting to release the sudden waves of irritating stress with the carbon dioxide.
"Mai, it's Jounochi," a tense voice beckons from her answering machine. 'I must have missed the rings when I was thinking', she mused, as she hurried over to the phone to pick it up before Jou hung up.
"Hey Jou, what's wrong?" There was a momentary pause of silence over the line.
"Can you meet me over at Yamashiro Park?" His voice was slightly more controlled, but still filled with a tense, shaky tone.
"Sure, but what's wrong?" Mai was worried, but she didn't make it audible. She waited for a reply, but after a while, the dial tone convinced her he was gone. Hanging up the phone, Mai grabbed her denim jacket, with the switchblade in its inner zippered pocket, then on an impulse snagged her deck of cards and slid them into one of her pockets. Flicking off the TV as she walked to the door, she was just in time to hear the ditzy reporter squeal "back to you Vicky."
> > >
Ryuuzaki's corvette shimmered in the bright glare of the sun overhead. His dark chocolate eyes remained fixated on the road as he sped towards the Kaiba mansion. "He has to be there. He just has to be. One of the world's top duelists," mused Ryuuzaki. Letting his brown hair drape over the back of his leather seats Ryuuzaki adjusted his rear view mirror. Espa would be there. At least he would have someone to talk to.
His car halted to a grinding stop right in front of the Kaiba mansion. A valet leaned over and curtly asked, "Would you like me to park your car?"
Ryuuzaki glared. Not his Corvette. Never in a million years. "I'll be fine." He replied with a forced smile.
"Yes sir."
As Ryuuzaki drove around the parking area for a suitable parking spot, his hand instinctively shot to his glove compartment where his beloved deck lay.
Insector would most definitely be there. He growled, low in his throat. Since the disappearance of Malik and his albino friend, Insector quickly rose to the top of the duelist world. Ryuuzaki had decided, along with Espa to take a small pilgrimage of his own in some sense. There is no doubt that in the absence of the top duelists, many new and arrogant youngsters must have made their way to the top. Ryuuzaki smirked, wondering how many of them would be there. Snorting, he turned into a parking space. All the newbies are just asking for it. They had no idea. No idea of the raw strength. No idea of the unbridled power. Oh they'll learn soon. Yugioh is much more than just a game. Much, much more.
This will prove to be very interesting.
Ryuuzaki's dark eyes glittered as he slowly walked up the gentle slope leading up to the gigantic mansion. It felt good to be truly alive. His cards bounced slightly in his vest as he walked away from his beloved Corvette.
> > >
"Oh Ho Ho! Look Keith! How lucky! We have two seats right next to each other." Pegasus gave Keith a sadistic grin, holding up his deck of cards, "Care to duel?"
Keith growled low in his throat and rudely shoved Pegasus out of the way before sitting in his own seat. "Shut up, freak, and leave me alone you fucker."
Pegasus laughed "Oh, but if I do that the airplane trip wouldn't be very fun now would it?"
Keith growled and sunk low in his seat. This was going to be one hell of a long plane ride.
> > >
"We're sorry, the number you have dialed is currently out of service. If you feel you have reached this recording through an error, please hang up and try you call again." Ryuji Otogi hung up the phone. Having called Shizuka's home thrice, with no response but that stated above, he was beginning to feel a bit worried, but jumping to conclusions would not be an intelligent choice at the moment. It was obvious that he didn't want to look like an idiot in the way that hotheaded Jounouchi often did. Grabbing his coat, he reasoned he had nothing else to do, and quickly headed out to stop by and check in on her, or at least look for someone who might know what had happened to Shizuka.
Otogi ran swiftly along the sidewalk, easily avoiding other pedestrians, since they were moving at a snail's pace in comparison to him. It's probably nothing, he assured himself calmly. No worries. Caught in his thoughts, he was only partially aware of the blonde that dashed from her front door and out onto the sidewalk, before he collided with her.
"Excuse me, I'm really sorry," he quickly blurted to the other. Standing up, he felt a hand around his forearm give him a quick tug. "Ryuji?" Otogi turned around and found himself staring down at Mai. Seeing he had stopped, she let go of his arm and pushed herself up onto her feet, though he had offered her a hand. 'Should've known,' he thought, Mai's not the kind of person to accept help that isn't needed.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" He inquired politely, as she brushed herself off, making sure she still had her deck and blade.
"To meet Jounouchi at Yamashiro Park, he said he needed to talk. What about you?"
Otogi smiled. No point in being too guarded around the one person who was trying to help him win Shizuka. "Just to check up on Shizuka. I called a few times, but it kept saying the number was unavailable. Maybe their getting some work on their phone lines done, but I just want to make sure everything's alright."
Mai's brow furrowed at his words. "Maybe you should come with me," her voice trailed off clouded in thought, then added as an afterthought, "Jounouchi sounded rather... distressed." Otogi grew serious, then nodded, the implication hitting him. The two began running to Yamashiro Park, both athletic, and easily maintaining a speedy pace. "You said you couldn't contact Shizuka," Mai reiterated between breathes.
"Yeah, I called three times, but the thing kept giving me that annoying 'we're sorry, the number you have dialed is currently out of service' recording." He shouted over the noise of a passing bus in response. "Man, this could be some serious trouble, though I hate to admit it."
"I know what you mean," Mai said, giving him a glance through the corner of her eye. "I know all too well exactly what you mean."
Entering Yamashiro park, the two hardly paused to catch their breathes, as they scanned the empty recreational area. Jounouchi sat slumped, head down, not even trembling. Mai rushed over, and upon hearing footsteps, Jounouchi quickly looked up, removing his hands from his face. "Mai," he began, voice
strangled and choked. Then his voice caught in his throat, struggling to shove down the rage upon seeing Otogi with his girlfriend.
"Relax, I ran into him on the way," Mai quickly stated, deliberately omitting the fact that they had done so quite literally. "He said he called Shizuka three times, but the calls wouldn't go through. What's going on?" Mai's eyes searched Jounouchi's for any last hope that it were just a bad joke or misunderstanding.
Glaring at Otogi, Jounouchi sighed resignedly and slumped back onto the bench. "They took Shizuka." He said, emotions momentarily unreadable. "Shizuka's been kidnapped, and they're using her as a way to get to me." From his new tone of voice it was easy to read him once more, the emotions showing as a jumble of anger, shame, sadness, loss, and pleading.
"Jounouchi," Otogi spoke, attention directed to him, for he was not expected to act in this manner. "I understand how you feel, how you may have felt in the past," he glanced at Mai. "And I know you may not like me, but I will help find and rescue her." His green eyes shone with determination, and
newfound rage.
"This is all well and good," Mai butted in before Jounouchi could start an argument, "but do we have any clues as to where they are holding her?"
"They left a note. I'm going to a duelist's tournament in Domino City. They should be keeping her there."
"A duelist's tournament?" Mai pulled out her letter. "Let me see that note." Upon comparison the two had the same address written as the location of the duel. "Well, I guess that raises our odds of getting her back." The attempt at optimism sounded more than cynical.
"Can I see that note?" Ryuji cut in. Mai handed him her letter. Scanning it for details he disappointedly read 'Duelists can enter by invitation only.'"
"Looks like you'll have to sit this one out."
"No, I'm going to go. Just because I can't duel in the tournament doesn't mean I can't help." His face set obstinately, it became clear that he was not going to be convinced otherwise, though it was apparent he was disappointed that he could not duel.
> > >
Insector Haga sat in his personal suite within the Kaiba Mansioin. "Note to self," he muttered, "Buy Kaiba's mansion when I squash him in this tournament."
The Greco Roman architecture of this suite made it Haga's favorite, not to mention the draped velvet on the wall, in stark contrast with the golden ornaments glittering on the side of the wall. Haga chuckled, pushing his horn rimmed glasses back to the bridge of his nose. "There is no doubt about it. Soon, this mansion will belong to me!"
A gentle rapping on the door shook Haga from his gloating. "Master Haga, Master Ryuuzaki and Master Roba have arrived."
Insector Haga grinned, "Those two are still here? I thought they disappeared awhile ago?" Insector laughed and left the room, slamming the door behind him.
> > >
Kajiki Ryouta looked into his closet, and checked all of the compartments of his small room. Making sure he had packed everything, he pulled open a small chest, and placed in it one of his shark teeth necklaces. It was a gift he had intended to give Ed for letting him buy the place, but now it would be his only way of proving he owned it when he returned. Locking the chest, he slipped the key on a chain that fit tightly around his neck, then covered it. "Everything's packed up and ready to go," he muttered, staring at the large canvas bags near the doorway. He had begun taking things out a few days prior, so Ed wouldn't suspect anything major. The three bags sitting by his door were the last ones, and he would take them down all at once. With only three bags, if Ed asked he could merely smile and whisper it was a corpse. Fortunately, being day, the bar was empty, save for two or three seeking shelter from the balmy weather outside. Ed was nowhere to be seen, and the drinks were locked up tight, so Kajiki headed out to his truck. He had made arrangements to sell it, the new owner coming to buy it this afternoon. He figured he didn't know exactly when he'd be back, and in a seaside community a car that remains uncared for would be eaten up by the salt and weather in no time, so he might as well make a few bucks off the piece of junk. The new owner would have it in his driveway by twenty past three, if all went well.
Loading the bags into the back of his closed bed truck, he shut the top and locked it into place, heading around to the driver's seat. Twisting the keys around, the engine coughed to life, and he left the lot, driving through alleyways to the place where he had stashed all of his belongings. Checking off all of the items, he looked over at a nearby pile of garbage.
"Pete." The pile shifted, and a weathered stew bum poked his head out of the junk. "You've done a good job, just keep up the watch." The stew bum nodded, and hid himself in the garbage again. Meters away from his target's ship, he dumped the remainder of his stuff in the piles Pete was watching, dusted off his hands, and left to tie up the remaining odds and ends of his departure.
> > >
"Yami?" The startled yami stirred, answering in a slightly surprised tone. It was the first word his hikari had spoken in hours since they had left from the small municipal airport on the plane tickets Seto had sent them.
"Yeah?" He shifted slightly, facing Yugi at a quarter-turn angle. "What's up?" His not so notably smaller counterpart looked at his own lap, then smiled back at him, eyes closed.
"How are you feeling?" Yami stared blankly at him. What kind of question was that? Yami had thought that he had been hiding his disappointment and irritation over the lack of contact with Seto for the past day pretty well. So what if he got a little cranky when he didn't get his daily dosage of screwing behind his hikari's back? It's not like he was going to tell Yugi. "Oh, well I didn't get to screw with the guy we're about to go visit behind your back yesterday, that's all." Well, at least they were on their way to see him.
Holding onto the thought of the night to come, Yami replied, almost merrily, "Fine, but aren't you a bit nervous? I mean this is Seto we're talking about, so shouldn't you be keeping your guard up?"
Glancing back down at his own lap, Yugi considered his past relationship with the corporate mogul, the times they had been at odds, and the letter he had so recently received from him, to which he was currently responding. "I don't know." Inhaling a hesitant breath, he looked back up at his yami, earnest eyes telling the entire story. "I just want to trust in him. I want to be his friend, not thinking about the reasons for me to hate him. I do think he is being honest, and I want to honor that honesty."
Eyes wide, but not at all surprised, Yami inwardly laughed at his naïve little counterpart. Before he had thought the thief and psycho had gotten the best of the hikaris, but now he knew he had been wrong. Unlike Ryou and Malik, Yugi Motou never suspected anything, never worried that his yami was unfaithful. Yugi Motou trusted his yami with all of his heart. Knowing of unspoken wrongs he and Seto had committed, completely unbeknownst to poor little Yugi Mouto, Yami could hardly help himself but to smile. "I'm sure he will, hikari, I'm sure he will. The poor sap could never know, smugly thought Yami no Yugi.
> > >
The slosh of the body breaking water caused a brief break in the relative calm of the waters around his ship. Floating for a moment as the corpse soaked in water, the glistening gun clutched in its left hand sparkled, pleading not to sink into the ocean's murky depths, stuck to the rotting organic mass, before the water swallowed both. Giving the water a fleeting stare, remembering a lost time when his optimism for finding his father had overpowered any discouraging thoughts, Ryouta couldn't help but release a cynical laugh. Boots thudding on the wooden deck, Ryouta slinked back into the cabin, glancing at the massive control station. The ship had turned out to be much more technologically enhanced than he could have ever dreamed.
Setting the ship on its auto-pilot mode, he laid himself on a small bunk in the back, then drifted off to sleep.
> > >
"Master Kaiba, we've received word from Ryouta. He's requesting that his docking be provided and paid for."
I've just arrived and the first things out of their mouths are questions of business, Seto twitched irritably. "Just let him use the private harbor."
Upon noting the incredulous look on his attendant's face, he gave him a glare, silencing him into submission. Where had all the good, competent help around this place gone. Man that slut of yami had been a petulant brat. What was the stupid pharaoh's problem anyway, it was only one day! Seto mentally grumbled.
"S-sir? The other guests..." What the hell is that wannabe intern still doing here?! Seto clenched his teeth, practically growling with annoyance.
"Just attend to their god damned needs ok?! Unless their asking for vast sums of money or the deed to my company, I don't want to see your face again!"
Squeaking in fear, the employee disappeared, practically scuttling behind the nearest column to avoid further incurring the wrath of the young corporate god before him. Sighing in exasperation, Seto uncharacteristically twisted a lock of his hair, muttering, "Cool down Kaiba, you're letting things slip." Moving into the manor, he headed for his library.
> > >
Espa followed Riff from the limo through the side doors of the Kaiba Mansion, his breath coming in quick short gasps.
"Master Roba?" questioned Riff, "Are you okay?"
"I'll be okay."
Riff paused for a moment before he continued to walk. "Master Kaiba awaits you in the study. It's down-"
"I remember Riff," Espa cut him off. "Thank you."
Riff nodded before bowing, "By your leave then Master Roba."
Espa gave Riff a trembling hug before starting down the long hallway to the study.
It was quiet when Espa first entered the large room. Rows of bookshelves lined the walls, his gaze swiveled to a desk centered above a velvet carpet. His eyes flinched visibly- something was wrong. "Seto?" he called out. "Are you there?" Silence.
The chair rocked slowly back and forth looking out of the large rectangular window framing the background. "Set? Is that you?" he choked, trying to stop the tears that threatened to pout. "It's me.. Esp."
"E-Esp?"
> > >
Approaching the Kaiba manor indicated in their letters, Mai and Jou glanced at each other before an outraged yell came from the entrance. Running to the entrance, they met an attendant of the grounds, apparently the doorman, who quickly stopped them halfway.
"WHAT in the world are you impoverished fools doing here!? Do you know what'll happen to me if Master Kaiba sees you here? SHOO! I don't want to lose my job!" The shrieking, hysterical uniformed doorman practically screamed.
"Look, we're Kaiba's guests, so if you want to keep your job you'd better drop that tone," Mai stated flatly, flashing her letter. She had to admit that watching the insolent brat's face turn pasty white was somewhat gratifying, before continuing. "So could you show us to wherever we're to meet?"
After stuttering and mumbling a moment, the attendant managed a humbled "Meeting tomorrow... You can get your rooms in the front hall..."
> > >
"Right this way please." Motioning toward a mahogany finished door, the servant gave a brief nod before disappearing around the corner. Reaching for the door, Yugi hesitated, then twisted the handle open. Inside an ancient Egypt motif room caused Yugi's eyes to widen. Dusty colored tile floors, false columns on the walls, and a bed with the crest of Ra as a headboard sent Yugi running through the room examining every detail of it, after taking off his shoes of course.
"Very fucking funny," muttered Yami. Unlike his lighter half, he had noticed the subtle details of the room suggested a royal tomb, specifically the pharaoh's crypt chamber. 'What the hell is this supposed to mean!' he angrily pondered.
"What Yami?"
"Oh, err, nothing." He turned to face Yugi, who had paused momentarily, full attention on his love. "I mean, this room is pretty amazing." He finished, accompanied with a forced half-smile.
Yugi cocked his head in confusion, then smiled. 'Maybe the setting brought back good memories for Yami,' he thought to himself, before he heard a knock on the doorframe.
"Your luggage, sirs?" The servant peeked his head into the room.
"Oh, thanks!" Yugi practically skipped over, taking half of the bags from the man, before Yami moved to grab the rest. Setting the bags at the foot of the bed, Yami sat on the bed, letting his thoughts travel back to Seto, wondering where he was, hoping he could lose Yugi long enough to find him and have a little fun.
> > >
"Why do I have to share a room with him?!" Jounouchi whined as Mai handed them the keys.
"Well, if you'd prefer that he share a room with me-"
"AAAAGH!" Jou screamed in frustration. "Fine! Fine! Whatever... but this doesn't mean I have to like it. Come on, lets get this over with." Jou practically spat as he stormed off behind the nearest servant.
"Well, it can't be all that bad," Otogi said, faltering smile twitching nervously.
"Sorry about that... just ignore it. I'll try to talk some sense into him later." Mai gave him a sympathetic shrug.
"Well, thanks anyway... see you later." Ryuji turned, sprinting after the fuming Jou.
> > >
"Flight 996 arriving in Tokyo!!" sung Pegasus, much to Keith's annoyance.
"Would you please shut up already!"
"Awww, Keithy boy. You should have a better attitude! Come, sing with me, Funny bunny loves you. Funny bunny loves me. Come with me and be the honey of funny bunny!" Pegasus laughed, his glass eye rolling backwards into his head. "Oh look! Looks like we're about to land!"
"Thank God."
"Hey! Do you think we could hitch a taxi ride together Keithy boy? It'll save on the fare."
"No thank you."
"Oh but Keithy Boy, I don't have enough money get to Domino City from here."
"Then walk." Keith ground his teeth in annoyance, Pegasus was going to get a knuckle sandwich if he didn't shut up soon.
"Oh but Keithy boy, I'm sure the driver of the taxi wouldn't mind."
Bandit Keith let out cool collected breaths before jamming into his pocket for some spare cash. Shoving it at the insane albino he muttered, "Take it. Just stay off of MY taxi."
"Oh why thank you Keithy boy!"
"SHUT UP!"
tbc
Another chapter here we go. Wow. Whew. That one took awhile, everything is slowly falling into place. Who can guess what will happen? O.O
Will Yugi find out about Yami? Will Seto go back with Espa? What will happen to Yami? Will Bakura return? Where is Bakura? Where Is Marik? What's wrong with Malik? Who kidnapped Serenity? Who kidnapped Mokuba? Hrm.. review to find out! Hahaha
We're very pleased with the way that this has turned out. Even though it hasn't been accepted much by da reviewers. WE LOVE IT! WOOHOO! Thanks to everyone who reviewed. You guys truly ROCK!
Oh yeah, and if your planning on reviewing, if you'd answer these slight questions in your review it would be very helpful!
Do you like Espa as he's presented? Ryou? Malik? Yami no Yugi? Seto? Ryuuzaki? THANKIE! WE LOVE YOU!!!!
Man.. we took a really big step presenting Espa and Ryuuzaki. -.-;; Let's see how well it goes over.