Kaze: *sips coffee* SJ, it's too early in the morning for you to be up... What are you doing?
WSJ: ^^ Baking. Com'ere CM!
Chibi-Malik: *bounces over* Mosshead!
WSJ: *looks thoughtful* Ya know kid, I think we're going to have to teach you a new word... All that banging is starting to give Zutso-kun a concussion... But anyway! *quickly wraps up two plates of cookies and hands them to Chibi-Malik* These need to be delivered to Reyvana Draconis and Griffinfire. They were the only two that got the pun in the chapter title. ^^
Chibi-Malik: *saluts and runs off to deliver the cookies*
Yami Bakura: *blinks* So what was the pun?
WSJ: When Howard Carter first breached the door to Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922, Lord Carnarvon asked "What do you see?" and Carter eagerly replied "Many, many wonderful things..."
Yami Bakura: *rolls his eyes* Only you would care SJ...
WSJ: ^^; So what? Anyway, this chapter may be a little shorter then normals, but we get some yami action! Whoo! Hey Kaze-san, do disclaimer!
Kaze: -_-; At least it's "Kaze-san" now and not "Kaze-koi"... SJ doesn't own YGO. Ankhkare and Senui (the spirits of the Ankh and Scales) belong to Indigo Tantarian.
WSJ: *oogles at LoneWolf16's review* Whoo... Well, you're pretty right on most accounts, save for Ankhkare. ^~ Not even close. Okay everyone! On to the fic!! Oh yeah, one more note. The chapter title and the fact that Angeline gets called "Mother of Phantoms" has nothing to do with Phantom of the Opera. This won't be a crossover in any way. Really though, how can you give birth to a mostly-albino baby in dark-headed Egypt and not raise comment?
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Hot Sands, Warm Arms
Chapter 9 - The Mother of Phantoms
"To sum it all up, if you want to write, if you want to create, you must be the most sublime fool that God ever turned out and sent rambling."
~(Ray Bradbury; "How to Be Madder than Captain Ahab"; Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul)
The scream echoed all over the camp, causing everyone in the pavilion to jump up and stare at each other in horror. Shen was the first to break the silence as he yelled for his wife, at the same time sprinting in the direction the scream had come from. Everyone else followed as fast as they could, though Kaela stayed behind with Malik despite the little one's protests.
"Tenshi!"
Shen reached her side first and dropped to his knees in the sand beside her, pulling her head and shoulders into his lap. "Oh Angel, can you hear me?"
"Shen," Angeline groped for his hand and clasped it, her eyes slitted. "Oh Shen, it hurts...."
"I know darling, I know," Shen murmered, smoothing her hair away from her face. "It's all right, I'm right here..."
"Angeline!"
Isis took charge of the situation almost immediately as Rashiid gathered the shuddering blond up into his arms and they began to run as fast as they could back toward camp. "Rashiid, take her to Malik and mine's tent, and then do crowd control. What we don't need right now is 200 infatuated Arabian workmen crowding around to try and see what's going on. Shaadi, I'll need hot water, hot enough to sterilize. Pegasus, I need clean towels and blankets, and dig out the baby clothes Angel has packed in her bags." She glanced over at Shen, who'd begun to shake and looked almost like he was in shock. "Sugoroku-san, Arthur-san," she barked more orders. "Take Shen somewhere and get him drunk. We don't need the father to have a nervous breakdown." she paused. "Not too drunk though. We want him coherant after the baby's born. Cynthia, I'm going to need your help with the delivery."
Everyone nodded at their assigned tasks, and as they reached the outskirts of the camp everyone hurried off to do as bid. Shen tried to follow Angeline, but the two older men tugged him away toward their own tent. Rashiid all but plowed through the crowd of nervous and excited workmen to get to his sister and brother's tent. He laid Angeline carefully down on Isis's cot, and then stepped outside the door, where he took up the possition of stern guard by the door, his arms crossed. A moment later Kaela hurried up, a sniffling Malik in her arms. The little boy had no idea what was going on, and was very scared. Rashiid nodded, and they entered the tent to find Isis and Cynthia running around to get everything arranged for the birth.
"Isis, what can I do?" Kaela asked as Malik wiggled out of her arms and ran over to Angeline.
Isis shook her head, pushing a loose strand of hair out of her face. "Please Kaela, I need you to watch Malik. Take him over to Shen and Angeline's tent. I don't think you'll be able to get him to sleep, but at least try and keep him busy, if you could."
Kaela nodded in understanding and went to gather Malik up, but he clung to Angeline. "Mommy, mommy, what's wrong?!"
Angeline smiled weakly and reached up to run her fingers through Malik's hair. "Nothing's wrong sweety, I promise. It's just time for the baby to come, that's all."
Malik's face transformed from a look of fear to one of sheer delight. "The baby's coming?! Can I watch?"
Isis and Kaela face faulted massively, and Angeline sweatdropped. "NO!!" all three women yelled in unison, and Malik grinned as if he'd been expecting that very reaction. He gave his 'mommy' a kiss, hugged Isis and Cynthia, and then allowed Keala to lead him outside, all the while chattering about his new little brother.
Isis rolled up her sleeves, and Cynthia did the same. "This is not going to be pretty..." Isis muttered as she began examining Angeline. "Dangit Angel! You're over a month early! Couldn't you have waited?!"
"Well excuse me!" Angeline huffed, half-rising onto her elbows in indignation. "I wasn't aware that this was my fault!"
"Lay," Isis commanded, pushing her back down onto the cot. "It isn't. I'm just frustrated with myself. Cynthia, get the big wash tub from outside. Scrub it and fill it with hot water, then bring it in here." She finished examining Angeline's body and pulled a stethoscope out of her bag to listen for the baby's heart beat. After a minute she nodded. "Well Angel, looks like we've got a long labor ahead of us. This baby definately won't be coming out before midnight."
"Oh..." Angeline said faintly. "Wonderful..." She groaned as another contraction came on, and Isis just smiled grimmly and continued preparations.
Unknown to the both of them, the two spectral beings from the cave had followed them back to the camp, and were now standing in the corner of the tent. The shorter of them was panting slightly, while the white-haired one just scowled with his arms crossed. "Look Pharaoh," he hissed finally, unheard by both women. "Why don't you just go back to the catacombs? I'm sure Ankhkare is probably worried about the poor little woman, and you can assure him that she's all right."
"I'm fine." the shorter, spike-haired one insisted, trying to stand up straighter despite the fact that he was already a head shorter then the white-haired spirit. "I'm just not used to being so far from the Puzzle. How is it you can get so far away and not even be winded?"
The white-haired man smirked. "I may not be near the Ring, but I'm very near to my future landlord." he motioned toward Angeline. "So I'm fine, for a time."
The pharaoh sniffed aristocraticly. "I don't know why you insist you be here. The baby will be born, either way."
"Yes," his companion agreed. "But I feel better just being near to him. It's a security thing, I suppose. Besides, I feel like at least one of us should be here to witness his birth. If he's going to hold my Ring someday, I want to be sure this is legimate."
The shorter rolled his eyes. "Only you would care, Bekhura."
The white-haired man identified as Bekhura grinned ferally, absently rubbing the scars down his cheek. "Nah, you'd have been fighting to witness your partner's birth too, if it hadn't been on another continent."
The pharaoh scowled. "Of course." he said dryly, then started for the tent flap. "I'll be back in a few minutes, I just need to get closer to the Puzzle and rest. I'm nearly at the end of the its magical boundaries."
"Keeps you on a leash, does it?" Bekhura asked, and laughed at the expression on the pharoah's face. But before the shorter man could make a retort, Bekhura's face rapidly changed into a look of concentrated horror as his head snapped around to stare at Angeline. "Something's wrong, the babe's not getting any air! Run and get Ankhkare! Hurry!"
The pharaoh didn't argue, he simply nodded and left the tent, sprinting for the caves as fast as he could go. Bekhura ran his hands through his tangled hair and began to pace, occationally stopping to rest a hand lightly on Angeline's belly, though of course she didn't feel it. Isis had gone nearly into a frenzy, trying to find out what was wrong.
It was only a few minutes later that Pharaoh returned with two other spirits in tow, though to all involved it seemed like hours. Isis had hurried the labor up as much as she could, and was just directing Angeline to push when Pharoah and his two companions ducked into the tent. Cynthia was standing by with a clean, warm towel for the baby and string and scissors to tie off and cut the cord that bound him to his mother. At the sight of the birthing bed the tallest of the spirits, clad in black with a red turban winding around his hair, turned a peculiar shade of green and ducked back outside.
Bekhura was nearly frantic, or at least as frantic as a self-controlled tomb robber could get. He jumped up from where he'd been sitting on a crate and grabbed the green-clothed Ankhkare by the arm as he slipped inside. "Something's wrong! You have to help the baby!"
Ankhkare nodded and moved toward Isis, not even needing to question why. For the past months Bekhura had been able to talk of little else save the child that would someday host his spirit. As Bekhura hovered nervously over his shoulder, Ankhkare reached out a hand and spread it over Angeline's belly. The Ankh necklace around his neck began to glow as he chanted something softly under his breath.
A minute later both the Pharaoh and the black-clad spirit, both of whom were now waiting outside, looked up as the loud, piercing wail of a child split the air. Pharaoh nodded in relief while the black-clad spirit scowled. "Wonderful, another child. As if the blond one wasn't enough..."
Pharaoh chuckled and shook his head, causing his blond bangs to bounce slightly. "Senui, I shall never understand you..."
Senui, the Scales spirit, scowled slightly (woah, try saying that three times fast!). "Well, I guess that's one good thing then..."
Inside the tent, things weren't quite so relaxed. "The child's very weak..." Ankhkare mumbled, half to himself. He rested his hands on the child as Cynthia swiftly cut the cord and then began to bathe him in cool, clear water. "There, I've done all I can Bekhura, the rest is up to Fate."
Bekhura muttered something under his breath in regards to Fate's "good" intentions, but smiled slightly and nodded at the other spirit. "Thank you Ankhkare."
Ankhkare wasn't listening. He was watching Cynthia bathe the little boy with a peculiar expression on his face. A moment later he shook himself and returned Bekhura's smile. "You're very welcome. I wouldn't want to see the child die. I'll take leave of you now." He swept past the tomb robber and exited the tent. Bekhura resumed his place in the corner, and chuckled when he finally got a good look at the pale baby boy with white fuzz on his head. "You even look like me, you little brat..." he muttered affectionately.
"What's his name?" Isis asked, her pen poised over the birth records sitting on the desk. Bekhura smiled softly and said the name together with Angeline, although Isis heard only one voice.
"Ryou Emerson Bakura."
Isis had just taken the child from Cynthia and wrapped him in a long, white cloth when Rashid stuck his head in. "Isis, the men want to see the child. Something about blessing him."
Isis looked to Angeline, and although the blond looked very tired and eager to hold her child, she nodded. Isis stepped out of the tent with the babe in her arms, facing a crowd of 200 men and three invisible spirits. Making sure he wouldn't fall (and trying not to roll her eyes at the similarities to a certain Disney blockbuster movie) Isis took the baby in her hands and held him up over her head, electing a cheer from the men. The baby was bathed in starlight and light from the full moon, reflecting full off his white hair and pale skin. One man took up the cheer, and soon others did as well, until it reverberated across the valley.
"Long live Ryou, the Little Phantom! Long live Sitt Angel, Mother of Phantoms!" After a startled moment little Ryou began to bawl, and so Isis took him back inside to his mother. Angeline bared a breast for the baby, who immediately began to suckle.
Isis sat down next to Angeline and stretched her arms over her head. "Angel, it was a miracle! I was sure the baby was going to die, but... here he is. Angel, what just happened?"
Angeline, half asleep already, just yawned and ran her hand over Ryou's downey soft white curls. "Maybe he has a guardian angel."
In the corner where he was indeed watching over the baby, Bekhura could only snicker.
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WSJ: Whoo! I get to go see Return of the King tonight!!! *dances around happily* Waaaaii!!!
On the matter of Bekhura and Yami getting along: Think about it for a minute. This is an AU story, so who's to say the past in ancient Egypt wasn't AU too? It'll get revealed eventually just what did happen in Egypt, but it might be awhile. For now, let's just suffice to say that things aren't quite the same...
WSJ: On a side note, don't expect anything out of me for awhile. I know this chapter was short and crappy, but that's because I wanted to get it up before my life really got busy. The holidays are gonna be really stressful for me, and it's a miracle I got this up! ~_~;; Reviews please! *goes off to bake six dozen cookies to take in to school*
God bless minna-san!