Young Blood by Mooguri Klaine
Author's Notes: AAUUGHHH! What's happening to me?! I should've finished this chapter a long time ago, but a bad case of writer's block managed to make its existence known to me. And those days of blankly staring at the computer monitor were the darkest of my times. Tsk. But nevertheless, I AM BACK! And to all people who waited for it, my deepest gratitude extends to you and your patience! Hopefully I won't be getting crazy memory lapses…hopefully sweatdrops
And just so you know, I update once every week (theoretically), regardless if I get a review or not. But if there are a lot of you clamoring for faster updates, then review, review and REVIEW! XD Still no plot. I'm running out of ideas… SOMEBODY HELP! I hope you managed to receive that Yami drawing I was talking about from the previous chapter. I'm working on another one. Care to suggest which character I should draw this time? grabs a list of Yu-Gi-Oh characters and looks at it Vampire YGO, anyone? :D
Whatever happened to these days?! Why won't the asterisks appear on this fic?! My apologies about the previous chapter; it was a mess, and silver dragongurl did have a hard time uploading that. So I had to substitute the asterisks for "" T-T
YAY! I got your reviews! beams at everyone Arigatou gozaimashita!
To silver dragongurl: Yeah, those were lovely channels ,
To Elusia: A, ¡Es que bien! ¿Hablas espanol, verdad? Hehe, Spanish is such a fun language! And 'gracias' for finding my fic 'Muy Bien'!
To swtdream07's: Hey, a new reviewer! You're one keen reader thumbs up sign and all your guesses are not for nothing, because they certainly mean a lot! Eherm…you're almost a hundred percent correct and I'm proud you got the drift of the story! I read your story too and I say…do continue! XP Thanks again!
To Picaro: Another new reviewer! Hihi…vampires are indeed interesting, and getting hooked on them is just normal smiles Thanks for the review! And update your story!
To Minor Arcana: Waaa! I can't seem to find your email address! Do tell me so I can send you what I promised to reviewers like yourself! By the way, good job on the Kaiba's Delivery Service! It surely woke me up when I was surfing the net on a particularly boring night :D And let me not extend my praises to your other fic, The Reeds, The Lotus, and The High Priest!
Disclaimer and Warning: I'm running out of creative disclaimers. Why oh WHY do I have to write a different set of disclaimers and warnings EVERY chapter when I could just copy and paste it instead? Very few people read this introductory ramblings… sweatdrops
Yami Yugi walks in, and is closely followed by Seto
Yami: Klaine sucks. shrugs head as he clasps the belt on his neckS
eto: Yes, and just when we're getting to the good part… grumbles incorrigibly
Yami: Yu-Gi-Oh is a licensed trademark owned by Kazuki Takahashi, along with other major tie-ups, from TV Tokyo, Konami Corporation, Warner Brothers…
Seto: grabs Yami and glares at readers You get the idea. We don't need to repeat ourselves.
Yami: nods head All other names, places, and events included are purely coincidental.
Seto: Like I said, Yami, THEY get the idea. leans forward to kiss Yami
Yami: Yaoi material included. What we are about to do –
Seto: covers Yami's mouth -- is none of your business. So butt out – OW!
Yami: bites Seto's hand So if you don't like that, or if you don't like us at all, continue no more.
Seto: THAT'S IT! WE'RE OUT OF HERE! grabs Yami and runs for the door
Summary: An untimely awakening sends the Prince of the Night to a disheveled era unbeknownst to him, and his pursuit of a past hurls him in a conflict woven out of love, hate, passion, and death… Review and you automatically receive a prize
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Chapter Four: Lies
(A/N: Again, if you're a new reviewer, might I ask you to drop your email address at the Reviews Section so I can send you a token of my love for reading and reviewing this fic grins I guess that's settled. Happy reading! ,)
"Dodge this."
Bakura hid his alarm at the priest's sudden and abrupt maneuver. The grip was too firm and strong to move away from it. The blue-black orb materialized from Mahado's free hand.
Too late. There was no room to block or evade the incoming assault. And with only seconds to spare, there couldn't be any way to pull off a counterattack. Thus, Bakura waited for the blow to fall on him, willing his body to take desperate defense as his most possible course of action.
But none came.
Mahado held the orb tightly with his palm and calmly directed it elsewhere, away from Bakura.
"NOOOO!!"
Karimu and the others lifted their arms to their eyes to block off the new stream of smoke, dust, and rubble that went past them. A resounding boom bounced off of what was left of the walls of the once-splendid mansion.
Ishizu tore away from Shada's grip and ran to the swirling mist.
"Mahado!" called the tear-stricken priestess, her voice quivered with mounting anxiety. She groped around the dusty clouds, gingerly waving the fog away, but to no avail. Suddenly, she felt a reassuring arm wrap around her, pulling her close.
"I am safe," murmured the priest. Ishizu tightened her embrace as she sighed and let tears of relief streak down her cheeks.
Mahado scanned the room warily for any sign of the white-haired vampire. The still room continued its unnaturally stagnant pace until the smoke slowly dissipated and was finally gone. He heard Ishizu drew breath as she gasped sharply.
Bakura had his arms thrown and crossed in front of his face in defense, his muscled form breathing heavily in quick gaps. Smoke rose up from the once-pale arms, which now had the color of stinging red.
"What the hell is your problem?!" cried Karimu tersely at Mahado. "That was my painting!"
Mahado smirked. Indeed, Bakura deflected the attack that was meant for the painting. Just as he expected to happen.
Bakura had to admit, the force was very powerful indeed; he hissed slightly at the stinging pain that lingered around his arms.
"Strange," Mahado started. "I was so certain the blast was for the painting…"
"I've always known that you don't appreciate good art," quipped Bakura as he gingerly placed his hands on his waist. He took a quick glance at the Pharaoh's painting, and saw it still intact, much to his relief. "Not my fault if you suck at art appreciation."
"After all this time, Bakura, he's still on your mind…" Mahado ignored Bakura's remark, the knowing smirk all too obvious for comfort. He silently approached the visitor, stopping briefly at a close distance, to a point where their shoulders almost touched. Mahado leaned forward, and uttered something only albino-haired Bakura can hear.
"And after all these years, you still feel bitter of his rejection, perhaps?" he whispered.
Blood gushed angrily to Bakura's veins, as his hazel eyes narrowed dangerously. He clenched his fists and landed a crushing blow on Mahado's face. The priest landed some several feet away, toppling some pieces of antique furniture as he flew against them. Yet he still appeared to be the least bit hurt, standing up simply while brushing away the dust from his garments. The peculiar smile never left the priest's handsome face, growing increasingly smug and triumphant.
"Watch it, priest," Bakura growled in a dangerous voice.
Yet Mahado's smirk widened, and turned into a taunting sneer, amusement in his blue-green eyes. "I think I hit a sore spot, didn't I, eh, thief?"
"WHY YOU FUCKING –"
"STOP!"
This time, Ishizu could not bear to watch anymore. She bolted right in the middle of both men, her thin arms thrown wide. "Enough of this!"
The other priests along with Marik advanced the tense crowd, all brandishing their weapons. Marik held out the sharp point of the Shadow Rod right at Bakura's throat, its tip gently prodding the thief's flesh.
"No more hostile acts," Shada stared sharply at Bakura.
"One more strike and I swear this mansion will fall apart in no time," Karimu looked at the cumulative property damage apprehensively, as if expecting the ceiling to fall down on them.
Bakura looked at them one by one, and with a dismissive shrug, he raised his hands up in a universal sign of surrender. "Okay, enough fucking around. Or do I have to wave a white flag too just to make you happy?" He did not wait for further answers. He went straight to the point.
"Where's Atem?"
"Bigbrotherbigbrotherbigbrotherbigbrotherbigbrother!!!"
Seto was just about to close the main door when he was greeted by a blur of bushy black hair that was bobbing up and down like some hyperactive spring.
"Isis'sgoingtohaveanautograpgsigningsessionthisSaturdayandI'llkillanyonejusttobethere!" Mokuba tugged on his brother's trench coat, not even pausing to breathe from too-much excitement. "CanIcanIcanIcanIcanI?"
Seto raised one eyebrow. "Oh. Really?"
"Yeahyeahyeah!" Mokuba eagerly replied. "Oh please please please please PLEASE let me go there, big brother!"
Seto slowly removed his overcoat and hung it on a coat hanger near him. He walked a few paces forward, with Mokuba hot on his heels.
"OH COME ON SETO!" whined the young adolescent. "You can deny me my books all you want but there's NO WAY IN HELL you can't let me come and attend the convention!"
Silence from the older brother.
"At least let me show up for just one night! Heck, I'll even pay for the ticket…JUST LET ME ATTEND!" Mokuba was starting to feel like an idiot, like he was talking to a solid wall but he decided to ignore it and continued on.
"…" Now, Seto was walking up the stairs. Mokuba mentally screamed in exasperation. His brother was not taking any notice! Do I have to dance just to get his attention? But Mokuba was not to be deterred that easily. He was flat-out desperate. And desperate causes call for desperate measures.
"If you're thinking about the security of the venue, there's not a thing to worry about!" Mokuba started, trying as much as to guess what his brother was thinking at the moment. "The Domino Police Force will be guarding the whole place!"
"Going to this event," his brother started. "Is this absolutely necessary?"
"Yes, yes, and yes! It's a matter of life and death!"
"Then what about your homework?"
"I'll work extra hard! I'll study for my classes! I'll even do a formal thesis report about pancreatic juices!"
"You would?"
"Okay, not the thesis part 'cuz I can't do that yet, but I'll study like hell!" Mokuba cried.
"You promise?"
"I promise." The younger Kaiba raised his right hand firmly, as if swearing an oath. "Cross my heart and hope to die!"
Seto considered for a moment. "…No."
"WHAT?!"
"You can't go there."
"WHY?"
"It's too dangerous."
"HUH?!" Mokuba thumped his foot on the carpeted floor in sheer frustration. "SETO, YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!" Countless of times, Mokuba thought his brother was losing his marbles. This time, it was certain; his brother was indeed insane. That or Seto wanted to make his life as miserable as possible. Who in their right minds wouldn't allow an Isis fan to her first-ever book signing? It was like denying a Muslim his or her right to venture forth to a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Yet Mokuba wasn't about to give up. He will attend that event, come hell or high water and by all possible means, be it legal or illegal.
"BIG BROTHER! I BEG YOUUUU—" Now he threw himself on Seto's shiny signature shoes in a strange position, hovering somewhere around kneeling, lying, and sitting. (A/N: Whoa, is that position even possible? O-o) "LET ME COME! LET MEEEE!"
"No," came the monotonous tone of reply. "And get off of my shoes, Mokuba."
Okay Mokuba, breathe, thought the young sibling, still clutching Seto's leg as if holding on to dear life. He was dangerously on the verge of grabbing a knife from the kitchen and hurling it to the insensitive elder. He was so serious about attending that he was actually considering his mind's wild suggestion. Breathe…breathe… he rasped in his thoughts. 1…2…3… The grass is green, the sky is blue, and my brother's not a jerk… Breathe…breathe…
"Give me one good reason why I can't go," he hissed through his gritted teeth. "Because I FIRMLY and STRONGLY believe I have every right to go there!"
"Yes, you have every right to go there," Seto started, as he fished out an important-looking envelope out of his breast pocket.
"But you're not going alone."
Bakura raised an eyebrow. "Ishizu, I don't have time for hide-and-seek," he said. "I've already spent a lot of my Ka in that fight a while ago, and frankly, I don't want to drain what's left of it."
Ishizu blinked at him. "And you understand, Bakura, that I harbor the same feelings. I am not in any position to lie about His Majesty's whereabouts."
"So where is he?" Bakura demanded.
"When was the last time you had your ears checked, or your brains for that matter?" cried Karimu in exasperation. "Atem. Is. Not. Here. Or do I have to spell it out for you in case your brain can't process it just yet?"
"Oh haha, Karimu, really witty," Bakura rolled his brown eyes. "So it's time for jokes now?" Karimu scowled at him, looking as if he wanted to stick his tongue at the visitor had the circumstances would be slightly cheery than this.
"No jokes, Bakura. We are serious," Shada murmured in reply.
"His awakening…was this planned?" Bakura asked, casting his slanting amber eyes on Ishizu. Mahado shifted uncomfortably a little in his place, flinging a protective arm around the priestess, making the thief snort derisively. "No worries, Mahado; I won't touch your woman."
Ishizu ignored the glaring contest among the two rivals and quietly shook her head. "We do not know what caused his awakening, but he walks among the mortals now."
"You should know this already, Bakura," Mahado spoke fiercely in a tone of accusation. "Only the First Brood have the sufficient power to awaken the Prince."
"Well, I am not a part of your so-called 'First Brood', so rule me out." Bakura guffawed. "Don't even think of putting me on the same level as you half-bloods. If it weren't for Atem turning you to –"
"All the more reason we should suspect you for waking him up," Mahado interrupted. "You are, after all, are considered one of the Roots, just like our Pharaoh…"
"Why Mahado, so nice of you to call me such a name," the white-haired man tried his best to act flattered and flushed. "And to think it came from a half-breed vampire like you…"
"Mahado, Bakura, I think we are all fully aware of our hierarchies." Ishizu gave each of the two a piercing look. Thankfully, both fell silent at once. "There is no need to repeat yourselves."
Bakura looked away from them and moved a few steps back. He closed his eyes slowly while murmuring a string of ancient words, bringing in a silent aura lingering around on his body for a couple of minutes.
"Dammit," he cursed, moments later, as he kicked a plank of wood irritably. "Too many vampires clogging the airwaves; I can't locate him."
Karimu let out a hollow chuckle. "And don't say we didn't try that, and we're not just as lucky."
"You half-bloods are just as dim-witted as I thought you would be," snapped Bakura at them. "You just bit off practically anyone that stumbled on your path, no wonder the numbers of half-wits like you increased drastically! What the hell are you playing at?!"
"It's us who should be asking you that!" cried Karimu indignantly. "The First Brood never turned any human into a vampire ever since!"
"Then, Karimu, I ask you this: do I look like I love half-bloods?" Abandoning sarcasm, Bakura's voice was dripping with sheer and utter dislike that no one would ever miss. "Having five of you was bad enough, let alone a thousand more? Do you think I liked the idea of turning miserable humans into vampires? Geez, no wonder this place is going to the dogs…"
"Then it is clear that both of our sides have no involvement in these strange circumstances whatsoever," Ishizu said with a hint of finality in her usually-gentle voice. A fleeting wave of uneasiness passed her momentarily. Yet she didn't linger on it any further. Bakura "visiting" them was a matter to be dealt upon at once, before it could go any worse. Apparently the thief's name was worth Chaos itself, making the mess around them looked like nothing but a child's mild tantrum.
"So then, why did Atem flee from your over-protective gaze?" For Bakura, there were still a lot of questions to be sorted out and answered.
All too sudden, glares directed at him easily vanished from the priests' eyes. Even Mahado, who was holding an unwavering scowl some moments before, looked hastily away in discomfort. Now that was something.
An uncomfortable silence swept over them. No one dared to speak, nor even move.
It took a moment for things to sink in. Then it hit Bakura. Hard.
And whatever hit him, it didn't please him. Not one bit.
"Nut is still weeping [1]," Atem observed as his eyes flew upward to the heavens, as it continued to rain over the city. For many days the moon and the stars lay hidden from the Pharaoh's eyes, allowing the charcoal clouds reside the celestial stage. Whereas everyone was keen to get out of the storm and into his or her respective homes, the prince paid no mind to the soft splatter of water unto his pallid skin. The drops clinging onto his body felt like a new sensation to his recently-awakened form, a feeling that three thousand years of sleep almost took away. His once-spiky and vivid hair now hung limply on his shoulders; the long, sleek and wet locks carelessly sticking on his neck and back, yet to Atem, he felt no apparent discomfort. He closed his eyes as he allowed the shower to sooth him.
Beside him was the equally-soaked Bastet, curled up in a ball, taking her habitual nap, and was just as unmindful of the soaking weather on her skin. Atem lifted his hand and placed it gently on the feline, and absently stroked the wet fur. The cat purred silkily and peered with clear emerald eyes at the prince.
"Have you no place to go?" Atem asked.
"Meow!"
"You want to stay with me?"
"Meow!"
"I'll take that as a yes, I suppose," he muttered gratefully. He had been in the company of humans for a couple of nights now, studied and spoke their language, and even wore their clothes and apparel, yet it seemed not enough.
He still could not belong. And his very self seemed to be defying what these mortals consider as normal: his spiky hair, his stark-red eyes, his sallow skin, his small stature, his thin and lithe form…
Acceptance. Never - even in his reign as the ruler of Egypt scores of years back - has he experienced such. He was always seen as a strange monstrosity seated on the regal throne of the Nile, a prominent figure built to kill and destroy. Yet he was never ousted from his place. No one had the courage to do so. Because it was the fear of his citizens that drove them to obey the ruler's decrees and laws, appearing civil and cordial before him, but vehement and disliking him when his back is turned on them.
Yet he was good. And he was just. He ruled wisely, and wanted nothing more but the happiness of his people. But no matter how hard he tried to please them, he was still seen as the nameless creature of the Night, the slave of the tyrannical Seth, or the harbinger of Darkness. Nothing more.
"To expect acceptance would be wishful thinking," he said as he shrugged, his sad eyes gazing at Bastet. The cat merely looked at him with those glowing orbs. Then it stood up and crept to his lap, slightly nudging the gold ornament that hung around his neck, the last of the jewelry the young sovereign decided to keep. He held the glinting metal on his palms.
It was wrought in the shape of the legacy of his age, an inverted pyramid embedded with an ominous symbol in bas relief, the eye of the supreme deity, the sun-god Ra. The said eye sat in the middle of the item, looking just as stunning as it was first made. And after all the time that passed, its luster never seemed to have dulled. On the contrary, it shone as bright as ever. Ironic, really, that the symbol of the sun was to be bestowed upon him, a servant of the Night. And what was even more ironic was that the lavish ornament did not, in any way, represent the shining power of Ra, but rather, the might of the Shadow.
It was this Puzzle, along with six others, that forged and paved the history of his mighty empire. Those weapons, which were fearfully known to bring mayhem and destruction, brought peace and stability throughout the land, brought food to every household, warded famines and epidemics, and drove away conquerors and imperialists from their gates. All of these carried out according to his will. And yet the weapons were still seen as abominable, wretched… He was still seen as abominable, wretched…
Oh, the irony of it all!
"What makes a human, human?" he spoke aloud, even though no one was near him to hear what he uttered. Bastet's ears twitched; it raised its head and looked up at Atem again.
"Do you have an answer for me, Bastet?"
"Meow," it replied.
Humans. How Atem loved these mortals and their frailty! How he'd love their wistful hopes and endless dreams! How he'd marvel at their innocence and simplicity! How he envied their carefree state as they danced jovially and laughed gleefully at humble festivals! How he yearned to experience the simple joy of eating a fruit, or savoring a goblet of rich wine!
But he can't. He could not. He was so different! He was not frail, for he cannot age and die. He did not share the same innocence the humans had, for he grew up in the life of the hunt and murder. No, he cannot dance and laugh, for there was no one to celebrate anything with. He could not even eat anything, for Ra's sake! Only blood kept him alive, the same blood that came from the people he had vowed to love and protect!
Oh, the irony of it all!
Yet he loved the humans! Every single bit about them!
And everything that he had learned to love, he had found it all in one person.
His lean frame, those strong and broad shoulders, his soft, oaken locks…
His clear, blue eyes…
"Sekheth, neb ma'atra, where could you be?" [2]
Bakura's eyes shifted from one priest to another. No one was looking at him in the eye. The absence of the venom in their glares was starting to unnerve him.
"Well?" he asked in a demanding voice. Silence still.
Then the answer came. It was sudden, as if he was instantly plunged in a tub of icy water. So sudden, in fact, that he wasn't able to grasp it all. And when he did…
…He didn't like it at all.
His brown eyes flashed with fury at this sudden realization. He turned to the silent priests.
"Don't tell me…" Bakura now fixed his eyes on Ishizu, who nodded silently in reply.
Bakura cursed most colorfully. "I cannot believe he's looking for his human!"
"The Pharaoh –"
" – is a hopeless idiot!" the white-haired vampire finished, rudely interrupting Mahado. "Or didn't you morons tell him what happened to his so-called beloved?"
"We told him about it," Ishizu replied. But Bakura was not convinced. He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Everything, Ishizu?" he asked slowly, emphasizing his words so that the priestess will not miss a single letter.
Ishizu bit her lip. She looked down and stared at her feet, willing her eyes to cast everywhere except to where the thief stood.
"I told him what he needed to know," she said, her head still bowed low, shifty azure eyes flickering uncomfortably.
With a frown, Bakura approached the Priest of the Necklace and seized her chin up with a forceful hand, forcing her to gaze at his eyes.
"You only told him what he wanted to hear, Ishizu," he growled at her, their faces so dangerously close that the tip of their noses almost touched. "That's a big difference." Bakura gave her a piercing gaze, a look that probed for the lies that hide behind those cerulean pools.
Her small lips quivered, as if trying to stifle a sob that threatened to escape. Her gentle eyes shone with small beads of tears. Until she couldn't control it anymore. Bringing a hand to her cheek, Ishizu let loose the tears that eventually stung her calm eyes, and allowed her sobs to echo throughout the destroyed hall.
"Get off her," Mahado stepped up and intervened, as his hand pushed Bakura away from Ishizu. He held her tightly in his strong arms, bringing a free hand to the small back, as he gently made soothing circles to calm her.
"Why do you cry, priestess?" Bakura asked. "Do you admit your false judgement?"
Ishizu looked up at him, her cheeks moist with free flowing tears. "The Prince would be devastated, Bakura. I –"
"You think your lies will do him any good?" he spoke up again. He felt his eyes darting back to the painting at the center of the ruins, where it still stood, magnificent and underdamaged as ever. "Have you realized, Miss Ishtar, that you're giving him false hopes?"
"And all this time I thought you were the wisest of the half-breeds," quipped the vampire. "I guess I was mistaken." Silent sobs and more murderous stares only met his harsh statements. Indeed, Atem was not to be found here. Then there was no need for him to stay in this morose place.
He drew up his long black cloak, fastening it close at some select buttons.
"Where are you going?" Mahado immediately asked.
"Away from this place, isn't it obvious?"
"Very nice, Bakura," scowled Karimu as he waved his hand to the broken glass chandelier, the cracked walls, and the crushed pillars. "And what about property damages, eh?"
"Then I'll pay for it, if it pleases you," Bakura snapped in reply as he rolled his eyes. He brushed off the dirt from his slightly-tattered clothes and calmly approached the main door, which remotely looked like a door now, given that it had suffered a lot of physical and Shadow damage from the previous proceedings. He gave one last look at Ishizu.
"If you don't have the guts to tell him to his face, then I'll do it," he simply stated. He gave one final look at the painting.
Then he was gone.
So many…
Atem opened his eyes. He can sense so many of his kind.
How could that be?
Questions. That was just one of the myriad things that started popping out in the corner of his mind. How much have I missed whilst I was asleep? So many questions to ask, and yet there was not even a mere trickle of answer to find anywhere. And Atem couldn't fathom where he would begin. He felt like an overwhelming pile of scrolls came crashing down on him at once, that he hasn't got as much as a second to recover. But the prince was certain that he couldn't seek his answers here. At least not among the mortals. He would have to look somewhere else.
With a quick foot, he gracefully left the wet concrete ground below and went atop a tall building. Once up, he looked down on the city below him. The ensuing rain seemed to have added an aura around the metropolis; as the shimmering lights from the buildings and households, street lamps, cars and automobiles sparkled like scattered jewels on a bed of steel and stone, the colors matching the rainbow's spectrum. The dull weather appeared to have softened the very surrounding of the urban area; the once-hard hues now looked pale and subtle. To see such panoramic view from that height was fascinating.
But what was more fascinating, perhaps, was the way of the young prince drifted easily from one place to another, gliding with no apparent effort as if he was born with such nimble feet. Three thousand years of sheer idleness did not dull his instincts as he still ran silently like a fleeting whisper, yet ever fierce and forbidding like a nocturnal hunter that he is. Vampires are indeed built for such stealthy moves.
And for a while, Atem flew past skyscrapers, towers, and satellite dishes, his eyes slack and emotionless, appearing to be in a trance-like state, as he channeled his energy to locate a place where a large congregation of vampires dwells for the night. There he could start looking for his answers.
He stopped abruptly from his search, as he stumbled awkwardly, his knees suddenly feeling fatigue and stress. He knelt on the ground weakly, as his breathing hastened at an alarming rate. And for the first time after a long period of stillness induced by the age-long sleep, Atem could easily tell the inevitable feeling clawing at his systems. He shuddered.
He was thirsty again.
She couldn't find him still. Ishizu heaved a tired sigh.
"I have to try again," she muttered resolutely. She raised up her hand again, preparing another round of incantations. Sweat trickled down from her brow but she chose to ignore her already-weakened state and continued on. She'd just barely started when her body suddenly collapsed to the floor.
"Prince Atem, where are you?" she croaked, as she valiantly tried to stand, but failed miserably. There wasn't enough power left in her to even lift a finger. Then a pair of arms hoisted her up in a comfortable sitting position. Ishizu opened her droopy eyelids and peered at a pair of worried lavender eyes.
"Marik…"
"Sister, you must not strain yourself any further," came Marik's equally-anxious voice. "You have gone a lot of ordeal tonight. You should rest."
"I cannot," Ishizu sighed yet again. "Not when Bakura now knows of His Highness' recent awakening."
"Be it so, you must rest," another voice said. It was Mahado, who knelt down beside the two siblings. He gently pried the priestess from Marik, placing her head carefully on his chest.
"Yeah, you've been working your ass off more than the rest of us," remarked Karimu, who stood near them, trying to put some levity in the grave crisis. "You ought to leave the dirty work to us!"
"Bakura now poses as a threat to the Prince," spoke Shada, who was beside the oaken door of the chamber. "He must be found at once."
"Shada, I don't think that's a problem," Karimu said. "You saw how he deflected the attack that was for the painting - good thing too 'cause that's my finest work - and it sure tells us a lot that he still had something going on for the Prince."
"Even if he was rejected a long time ago," he hastily added, letting out a hearty guffaw. Though none found it funny nor amusing.
"Karimu, Bakura did not take this so-called rejection slightly," Mahado replied. "Thus he has all the reason to be a potential threat to Atem. Especially now that he knew the Prince is looking for Sekheth."
Karimu frowned a bit. "Okay, point taken," he said. "So I guess it's time for some real action, lest the thief will get to Atem first."
"And we cannot use our psychic radar anymore, as there's too much vampire interference," he continued.
"We must send someone out to search for him," Shada said.
Marik silently watched the priests' discussion, and finally, he decided that he should act along with them as well. He stood up instantly, and looked at every priest with a firm gaze. "Then allow me to go and look for him."
"Are you sure about this, Marik?" asked Ishizu softly in a weary tone. "It will be hard to weave the metropolis for the Prince."
"I will find him, sister, no matter what," Marik answered with resolution.
"Way to go, kid," Karimu clamped a reassuring hand on Marik's shoulder. He turned to Ishizu. "So you might as well get your rest, as your brother will handle it."
"I shall be back soon, and the Prince with me as well," Marik held the Scepter tightly.
Ishizu gave his younger brother a weak smile and a slow nod. Her eyelids finally closed, allowing herself to be soothed by Mahado's gentle hands.
Yet she could not help but agree with what Karimu had said. For Ishizu, Bakura was not the immediate threat in this crisis. She did not dwell upon this rousing suspicion a while ago, but now she could not help but think of all those vampires who suddenly turned up over the course of time, and how their numbers dramatically increased until now.
And all those time, she thought it was all the thief's doings. Yet it was not, and she had to take Bakura's word for it. For the said vampire had held a deep dislike and overt disdain towards mortals and humans-turned-vampires, or half-bloods, like Ishizu ever since their own age centuries ago…
And what of the Prince's awakening? Who did it?
Ishizu left an unanswered question as her consciousness finally drifted away.
Then if it wasn't Bakura, who could it be?
To Be Continued
Footnotes: [1] Nut…that's the Egyptian goddess of the skies
[2] Neb ma'atra…this would be the Egyptian word for 'beloved'. Now, if this is Ancient Egyptian or the modern one, I can't tell… That's because I don't know sweatdrops Uuurgh, sorry for being such an intellectually-challenged moron
Author's Notes: This chapter took me a long time to finish because of two lovely reasons: [1] I was a lazy, self-centered prick, and [2] I had a bad case of writer's block, which rendered me completely useless for days. I guess I was just out of inspiration, but I don't know…I guess it happens to us once in a while… Perhaps it was our brain's ingenious idea to rest by putting us out of our usual creative self, so that the next time our minds log in, we'll feel just as invigorated. Ahihi What the heck am I spouting about? sweatdrops yet again
THANKS FOR YOUR REVIEWS! throws a lot of confetti and cookies Keep 'em coming, as well as other suggestions and comments! I am still plot-deprived, so all the chapters I'm writing now are more or less spur-of-the-moment kind of chapters. T-T
AND LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDIES! Even if you don't feel like reviewing, you can just write your email at the Reviews section! A Yami Yugi illustration made by yours truly shall be yours for FREE! YES, IT IS FREE for every purchase of two crates of rotten eggs and… rambles a lot
Fanfics galore! Other titles under my name are: Merry-Go-Round and The Unfaithful! Read them and tell me what you think! flashes a toothy grin And I might as well plug other fanfics from other writers I have learned to love for their stories and concepts! There are just so many people who kick asses out there! Beings like such include:
silver dragongurl – Honda/Jounouchi writer, a hopeless romantic with too many pairings in her actual life
Elusia – an author of one nice fic about Ancient Egypt. Cruel High Priest, by the way.
Minor Arcana – truckloads of stories under this authoress, ranging from the megalomaniacal chronicles of a particular delivery service to an epic of powerful High Priests of the mighty Kingdom of the Nile
swtdream07's – A lady in Seto Kaiba's ball stuns the living daylights out of the Spirit in the Millenium Puzzle. And it seems the woman was strangely familiar…
Picaro – More vampiric fanfics! How would you sympathize with a vampire who's got a broken fang? laughs uncontrollably
Ayasaka – Tales of Phantasia, anyone? No one can't seem to get enough of the pink-haired witch and her flurry feelings towards a particular someone!
And so much more! I'm not even halfway through the long list…smiles and sweatdrops
Okay, now that everything's said and done, I hope I get to see you all on the next chapters! Stick with me! XD