Summary: In which we have father-son bonding, discussions of criminal motivation, and Bakura somehow wormed his way into this as a TEN YEAR OLD BOY! A sadistic ten year old, but a ten year old all the same.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Yugioh. I'm rather proud of the plot though. (hides)

Author's notes: Wah, Bakura scared me.

Red and Blue

Chapter 5

"Sir, we've arrived…" The guard at the front of the caravan trailed off when the Pharaoh caught his eye, shook his head and smiled slightly. Yami, though energetic and hyperactive like all ten-year olds seemed to be, had gotten tired of the rather slow, uneventful pace and the distance – the village was almost an entire morning's ride away, through several large patches of desert. He'd struggled valiantly for a time to stay awake but eventually gave up. His son's friend Jou (the Guard Captain's son, he remembered) had caught him before he'd fallen off his mount, and then, with the imperious manner all ten year olds seemed gifted with, called the Pharaoh over (The Pharaoh had had to hide his smile at the disapproving looks in the eyes of some of the courtiers who had come with him). He had then, overriding all protests (even from his own father), practically ordered the Pharaoh to allow Yami to ride with him, which he did. Yami was still rather small and light, so it had truly been no trouble, and the boy slept quite soundly. He had even enjoyed it; he had never had much of a chance to do such a thing with the boy when he'd been younger.

He gently shook Yami awake. "Yami."

"Mmm?" The boy murmured endearingly, rubbing at his eyes. As he blinked them open, he shifted position and almost fell off.

"You should be more careful, Yami." The Pharaoh said calmly, still smiling, as he caught the boy and then set him down on the ground. "Did you have a good rest?" He asked, dismounting himself, and allowing one of the guards to lead it away.

"Oh…I'm sorry for falling asleep, Father, I…"

"I suppose I shouldn't have expected you to stay awake all the way through such a long boring ride. But you'll help me now, won't you, Yami?"

"Yes!" The boy said, all traces of sleepiness vanished. "I don't know how much I can actually do, but I'll help in any way I can." The Pharaoh chuckled silently at the determination in his eyes.

"Yami!" Jou called loudly, and then, seeming not to have noticed the conversation, raced in to catch Yami in an enthusiastic bear hug. "I hope you got a good nap, because you're coming with me to…"

"Jou…" Yami answered back more moderately, slightly embarrassed at being treated like such a child in front of the Pharaoh. "Umm…"

"Oh, sorry, your Majesty," Jou said, smiling, not at all embarrassed by being seen so in front of the ruler of the entire Kingdom. "I didn't realize you were right there."

"Quite all right, Katsuya" the Pharaoh shot back urbanely, still much more amused than angry at the boy's informality and hyperactive personality, though he was sure some of the protocol advisors at home would go into conniptions. "It's so nice to meet my son's friends…"

Jou's smile widened into a grin. "You wouldn't mind if I happened to kidnap your son for a while, would you, your Majesty?"

"I trust you to get him back in one piece, of course." Was all the Pharaoh said, though the expression on his face now mirrored Jounouchi's.

"I'm reasonably sure I can promise that, at the very least."

By now, Yami's face had turned quite red. "I can take care of myself…" He muttered as the two of them tried to keep from laughing.

"I won't let anything happen, your Majesty." The other boy said, still repressing mirth. "I can probably handle just about any danger out there but the ghosts."

That night, as the guards were setting up a fire, Yami was quiet, seemingly thinking deeply about something. Honda was doing a reconnaissance with his father, and Jounouchi was right there, with the rest of the Guard, helping (mostly) to start the fire.

The tour of the tombs that day had been interesting, to say the least, especially considering Jounouchi's antics. Luckily, members of the Guard tended to be pretty healthy – that was something of a requirement, after all – for if they hadn't been, one or two might have expired then and there from untimely heart attacks. As it was, while Yami listened in unobtrusively, there was a bit of good-humored teasing from the guards towards Jounouchi (and vice versa, of course) for his pranks that day, one of which had ended up nearly fatally dropping him down one of the trap pits within a tomb, had it not been for Yami's quick thinking and Honda's running. At least, it was good-humored until his father decided to join in.

" – Perhaps you could tell us exactly why you thought it'd be funny to activate the traps in the tombs, Katsuya." The Captain of the Guard eyed his son speculatively. The commotion around the fire quieted down quickly.

Jou grimaced. "That's not what I meant to do…"

His father continued as if he hadn't spoken, his voice sounding implacable. "And you are, of course, extremely lucky the Prince managed to keep you from falling into that one pit – "

"Well…"

" – especially since you could have pulled him in as well," was the conclusion, in a quiet, worried, matter-of-fact tone that made it even more of a punishment than yelling would have.

Now the boy looked contrite. At the age of ten-going-on-eleven, the thought that he had possibly put others in danger as well had never really occurred to him.

"Never again, Katsuya. Understood? Please don't make me afraid for you again."

He nodded, eyes now wide in consternation.

"Good." His father nodded then, satisfied. The conversation then went on into less serious topics and Yami's attention wandered again. He was peripherally aware of Jou coming near him and dropping down to sit next to him, but gave it little notice. Thus, he was confused when Jou began to speak.

"I am, you know."

"What?" Normally, Yami didn't need explanations when Jou started speaking in the middle of a thought; they were close enough that clarifications were seldom needed, but Yami himself was feeling rather distracted.

"Sorry, I mean." Jou continued, and now Yami understood.

"It's really all right, Jou," the shorter boy said earnestly. "We're both okay, aren't we?"

"But what if –"

"Once you say 'what if'," Yami interrupted, "it doesn't matter, because it didn't happen."

"That's true; but !"

"'But' it didn't happen," repeated Yami.

Jou sighed. "Right." And then they just sat in companionable silence.

"I've been thinking…" Yami paused and waited for Jou's trademark reply: 'Well, it's about time.'

And then Jou surprised him. "What about?"

"The Tombs, mostly. About how sad it is, that, in the end, all we are can be shut in a place like this, protected against invasion. Away from people, from sunshine, from everything outside. And then to be disturbed by people coming in, caring nothing for you – probably not even knowing about you – and your life, just to steal…"

"That is sad, isn't it?"

Yami nodded, still staring pensively into the fire. "That's all I thought it was at first. So I was angry with the tomb robbers. How dare they come in to disturb them? Why do they constantly go where they are not wanted?"

"Because of what's there; we saw some of it, even: the gold and jewelry. And we have to keep the tomb robbers from it, that's why there are all those traps…" Jou trailed off at that; Yami was shaking his head.

"All we're worried about is keeping them out. Shouldn't the real question be: 'why are there tomb robbers in the first place'? Why do they steal? Maybe if we can fix that, there won't be any more tomb robbers and all of these pharaohs can rest in peace… We won't have to worry about traps…"

Jou smiled then. "And I wouldn't have fallen in? Is that what set you off?"

Yami's face lost its serious expression then to be replaced by a look of pure mischief. "Now that was one thing I didn't think about…"

"He'd probably find some way to get hurt anyway." Honda said from behind them, shamelessly eavesdropping.

"Honda!" The two exclaimed simultaneously, jumping up and turning to face him.

"You're back already?"

"What did you see?"

"You better not have gotten into a fight with some tomb robbers without me!"

"Was there anything out there?"

"And did you… hey! What do you mean, 'I'd find some way to get hurt anyway'?"

The other boy shrugged. "You would. It's a fact of life. Katsuya Jounouchi, clumsy enough to fall into a pit that isn't there…"

"Why you !" Jou said angrily.

"Calm down, you two." Yami sighed as he dropped to sit down again, gesturing for the other two to sit as well. "How was the reconnaissance?"

"I never realized how interesting deserts were before." Honda made a face at him. "Sand just about everywhere you look…"

"We've got that back home too, dimwit."

"Shut it, you. Anyway, I was serious; there are all these animals and such that only come out at night. It's not even as quiet as you'd expect; I think I'll have a crick in my neck from twisting around so many times. It's also pretty cold…"

"Really?" Yami asked with interest.

"In the desert?" Jounouchi muttered almost right after, with scorn.

Honda raised an eyebrow at him. "Tell you what, we'll trade next time. I'll stay here by the warm fire, and you can go out into the cold nighttime desert to jump at every strange sound you hear." As Jou sputtered indignantly, Honda turned back to Yami. "About what you were talking about earlier – you know, the tomb robbers? – they might have to steal to support their families or eat themselves. There are people like that even back home, though much fewer than out here."

"They might have been hired too," Jou contributed, having gotten over the previous insult.

"Or…"

Engaged in their conversation, the three didn't notice the shadows in the distance, though quite a few of the Guard did. Most of them ran off to inform the rest of the retinue, while the two of the Guards who remained behind approached the boys.

"I still don't think that's why the tomb robbers…" Yami's voice trailed off as he looked up at one of the worried-looking guards.

"Your Highness," one of them said respectfully, "the three of you need to come with us."

Jou frowned for a moment as he tried to recall the Guard's name. "Is something wrong, Tamsin?"

"Please."

Yami looked thoughtful, and then nodded. "Right. We should go, Jou, Honda."

The three boys followed the now-relieved Guards to the rest of the retinue. And when Yami looked at the Pharaoh, already himself surrounded by a large contingent of the Guard, he saw him smile at the sight of the three of them safe.

"I promise you, it will only be for a little while longer…" The boy looked pleadingly at the monster facing him on the sand. All around him was the boisterous commotion of a camp of thieves preparing for a successful raid. The boy barely winced as some old crockery shattered close to him, his soft brown eyes still locked on the monster facing him.

Monster was perhaps the wrong word to use. It stood only slightly taller than the boy and could probably have passed for a human – albeit a strange one – were it not for the fact that it seemed to glow slightly in the waning desert sun. It was clothed all in black – a hat that sat slightly askew on its head, and a black dress – though the decision seemed to stem less from a tendency to melodrama than an innate trait; it was impossible to imagine it in anything other than black. It had long, straw-colored hair, framing a feminine-looking face. Its face was blankly ordinary, save for the eyes – one blue, one red. The Fire Sorcerer.

Finally, it seemed to agree. It made an affirmative motion, and the boy sighed, reassured. "Would you tell the others for me too?"

Another affirmative, and the boy closed his eyes. "Thank you." When he opened them again, it had gone.

"Boy!" A hand gripped his shoulder and turned him roughly around.

The boy blinked, and somehow, in that space of time, seemed to turn into a completely different person. "Get your hands off me." He said softly, almost menacingly, glaring at the man with eyes like ice.

The thief scowled but still let go. "The boss says to get you ready; there's a big group down by the tombs. Rich, too, by the look of them."

"And how much assistance will you need today?" The boy inquired not quite courteously; the polite, business-words were relayed in a frosty, and to the thief, supercilious tone.

"Listen, boy…" The thief raised a hand angrily and brought it down towards the boy's face.

The next moment, he was lying on his back, gripping his arm in pain.

"I wouldn't try that again, Verun." The boy turned, wiping his hands fastidiously on his loose clothing. "At least not…"

"What happened here? Bakura, are you…" The leader of thieves, a dark-skinned and dark-haired man, had noticed the commotion. He stopped at the sight of the older man lying on the sand in pain. "Well, Verun, you've finally gotten what you deserved, after all this time. Come, Bakura. We need to plan out the attack. Half an hour until nightfall…"

"Yes, sir." Bakura turned obediently to follow.

"Stupid little boy." Verun muttered as the two passed his prone body. The leader did not hear him, though Bakura did. He stopped and turned to look at him.

"Ah, yes. The sentence I had meant to finish. 'At least not while I'm still so useful.' Because I am useful, you fool, unlike certain others I could mention. Though," and here he bent slightly and lowered his voice, with the air of one imparting a secret, "I don't plan on remaining so forever."

"You'd turn traitor on us? We took you in…"

"The lot of you turned on me long before. Did you think I didn't know that you were only using me?"

Lying in the sand, Verun said nothing, though his eyes were murderous.

Bakura simply laughed. "I'm not afraid of whatever consequence you think I'll get from this. I'm more than capable of defending myself. My best wishes in the healing of your arm. It was a clean break, as I'm sure any healer will testify. What you may have trouble explaining is exactly how a ten-year-old boy managed to break your arm."

"Bakura?"

"I'm coming, sir," the boy called in answer, and then turned back to the injured man. "I hope it aches whenever it gets cold – this is the desert though, so that'd be about every night. Just a little memento of me, Verun. I don't plan on staying long enough to be anything more than a memory."

He straightened and strolled easily towards the main tent, where the leader of the tomb robbers was waiting.

Owari

Endnotes: I hope I didn't freak anyone out too much. And I'm making up stupid names left and right. Yay.

Review, please?