Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, some rich person does, and are rolling in money from tacky merchandise.
MidnightBallad's Notes: Good grief, I haven't updates in ages. SORRY for the wait, but the delay is a result of viruses, writing offline novels and catching up with friends from ages ago. So, here's the new chapter, and I say sorry for everything.
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Chapter X:
Conflict
Egypt was where they had to go to settle this. Tory, Yugi/Yami and Marik. Not a very likely trio, but then again, they had been working together for the past day or two now.
Seeing as it had been late when they had arrived at Kontan's place, the three of them moved a little away from Domino and found a place to have some food before night set in, so that they could get to Egypt when they were done, and hopefully beat Seto there.
Yugi and Tory ate together at a pizza bar, but Marik went off on his own, saying that he had things to do, things that Yugi figured out over his pizza.
'I bet you he's gone to contact his sister.' Yugi said, taking a whopping great big bite out of his food. 'She does know Egypt better than he does, I suppose.'
Yugi shrugged. 'I guess.'
Tory sighed and turned to gaze out the window. The sun was setting below the horizon, its bright light slowly draining away, so that the sky was orange and ascended into a strange purple haze. And with it, the entire city glowed with light.
'Pretty...' Tory muttered, watching a jet plane fly across the sky.
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On board that same jet, Jemu handed Seto a few pieces of paper, which seemed to be a list of something, hand written. Jemu hated writing things out: she was a computer girl all the way. It was how she had landed her job with Seto so easily.
'These are the diggers we hired,' Jemu said as Seto flicked through the list. 'They said they'll meet us in Cairo when we land.'
Seto nodded thoughtfully, placing the list in a pouch on the back of the seat in front of him. 'Great. I'm surprised they got workers for us at such short notice.'
Jemu shrugged. 'Meh, what're you going to do? You offered a lot of money, and people crave money.'
Seto frowned in his assistant's direction. 'What was that? "Meh"? Whatever happened to you speaking in Japanese?'
'Sumimasen.' Jemu apologized shortly, before turning to gaze out the window. She could see everything from where they were, even clouds wafted past the jet's wings. 'I can't wait till we get to Egypt. I've always wanted to go there...'
Seto could feel the happiness in Jemu and smiled to himself, before busying himself with filling in some paperwork.
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'So, you've joined up with Yugi?' Ishizu was asking her brother. 'To get the Essence Items?'
Marik said firmly, 'Yes, I've been trying to forget the conflict I've had with the Pharaoh.'
'Indeed?'
'So far, so good.'
Ishizu raised her eyebrows, as if impressed. 'Well, what do you need to speak to me about, brother?'
'I need your help to locate the Essence Items, and to dig them up.'
Ishizu slowly began to pace the room she was in, humming softly to herself in thought. Eventually, she stopped and faced her brother. 'I can help you, I know Egypt perhaps more than you do. But Marik, do remember the Essence Item's power.'
Marik's brow was furrowed. 'Of course not.' He turned to leave, saying, 'I'm taking Yugi and Tory to Egypt tonight. Meet us outside of the pizza bar in...' he thought. 'An hour. That okay?'
Ishizu bowed her head. 'Of course, brother.'
Her brother had almost left the room, when Ishizu called:
'Marik. Do not forget about the Essence Tauk and Tory. Remember, you must not be too close to her. To do so would be painful for the two of you.'
'What?' Marik gaped, spinning on his toes to look his older sister in the eye. 'Get to close to her? Are you serious, Ishizu?'
It was the nod from his sister that made Marik worried all the more.
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Several hours later, Seto Kaiba's plane landed in Egypt, and he quickly went to work, his guides and diggers meeting him there and then, before both he and Jemu jumped into a chunky brown (roofless) four-wheeled-drive and were driven away from the city.
The golden sand dunes stretched out before them like an endless sea, the sky a spotless blue overhead; the sun a bright white orb. Ripples of heat (A/N: I think they're called 'thermals') rose from the sand as the 4WD passed over the sand, making everything close to the ground look as though it were wavering violently.
With no air conditioner, Seto and Jemu had to rely on the wind to keep them cool – but the wind was hot from blowing across the sand, so they both sank into their seats and waited.
And then the large stone structure rose above them: almost as yellow as the sand, marked with Egyptian hieroglyphs, almost glowing in the sun. A strange presence lurked around the pinnacle, as if there were magic lying in the sand.
'How'd you know where to look, Kaiba?' Jemu asked as she and her boss jumped from the 4WD, gazing at the pinnacle.
'Well, it was –'
'Akogi?!'
Seto turned to Jemu. 'What? No.'
Jemu shook her head and pointed at the pinnacle. 'I'm serious – it's Akogi.'
Seto's eyes whipped to where his assistant was pointing. Standing there, in the shade made by the pinnacle, was Akogi Kuga, surrounded by diggers and – typically for Akogi – riflemen. Still dressed in his business suit, the redhead stepped forward, greeting Seto and Jemu with a sly grin.
'You...' Seto hissed. 'What do you want?'
'You see, Kaiba,' Akogi began, picking some sand from beneath his nails. 'I realise now that those Essence Items are worth a truckload 'o money. So I've been digging. Digging for quite a while, actually. And I've beaten you to one.'
Akogi turned to one of his riflemen, who held out a long box. Akogi took it, popped the clasp and opened the box. Sitting inside of it was a dark silver ankh. The Essence Ankh – Akogi had gotten to it first.
'There are only two more items to find now, excluding the Puzzle: the Ring and the Rod. And believe me, Kaiba; I am well on my way to finding them.' Akogi said, snapping the box shut. 'Now...if you linger here any more, I am afraid my men will have to shoot you – and your lady friend there. Sayonara, tough guy.'
With that, Akogi was gone, his diggers and riflemen following him. Their team loaded themselves into their cars and were off.
'Sayonara, you stupid fu –'
Seto poked Jemu in the back. 'That's enough. We're not done yet.' He made his way back to the 4WD, hopped into it, waited for Jemu to slide in too.
'What are we going to do?' Jemu asked her boss, who gave instructions to the driver, and slowly the car began to move off. Jemu's eyes widened. 'No, Kaiba! We can't follow them, they'll shoot us.'
'Jemu...' Seto said gravely. 'I have two Essence Items in my possession. I think it's time I made use of them, don't you?'
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Yugi and Tory, who had been waiting outside of the pizza bar for half an hour, were suddenly greeted by Marik and Ishizu Ishtar. Yugi greeted Ishizu with a huge grin, but Tory just nodded her head. Why the heck was Marik bringing more people into this race?
'This is my sister, Ishizu,' Marik said for Tory. 'She's going to help us find our way to the other Essence Items.'
'Oh...' Tory said, before asking, 'Well...are we going?'
Ishizu turned to her brother. 'Marik, if you will.'
Marik raised his Millennium Rod, there was a flash of light, and the four outside of the pizza bar were gone.
-End chapter X-
MidnightBallad: Yes, it's short, I know, I'm sorry. I have another fic I want to update, though, but I haven't even started the chapter. Anyway, I won't blame you if you review slow – because I update slow :P