A/N: I updated faster than I thought I would, so this chapter may be a bit crappy. Please forgiv me, though. My finals are coming up soon, and I really need to study. Once again, thank you for your reviews.XD Really appreciate them. I also made the chapter longer.(pats self on back) Please R&R
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh, nor will I ever own it.
Chapter 6: Defiling Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen's Tomb
The pale moon shone on the barren sands in the starry night. In this abandoned, hollow desert, pillars of fire twisted and turned near a small house. A lone figure stood in the middle of the circling flames. A slight red aura surrounded Jonouchi as he focused his heka on the fire. Raising his hands, he fused the fire pillars together and aimed towards the empty land. He pushed all of his strength into the flames and blasted his magic into the night.
Beads of sweat dripped from his face as a triumphant smile was formed. A trail of blackened sand could be seen going on for miles. The moon emitted light onto the burnt sand that seemed to go on forever. Jonouchi's topless chest rose up and down as he got his breath back. His pendant droop to the sand as he crouched over, putting his hand on his knees.
"Not bad, Jonouchi. You've mastered your fire quicker than I thought." Jonouchi whipped his head around to see Bakura appear next to him from the darkness. He smiled as he answered, "Looks like you've been working hard, too. So I guess it's safe to say you can control the dark heka to make yourself disappear. A power that is wanted by all thieves, right?" The albino smirked at the truth to what his friend said. All his life, he had wanted the ability to become invisible, a feat that wouldn't be possible without the power of magic.
Jonouchi sat down on the cooling sand and stared out towards the city. It has been awhile since their last raid, and he knew Bakura desperately needed to go steal something. He was right, Bakura did have an irresistible urge to go thieving, but not just some petty mission. No, he wanted to get the revenge he wanted for the last 10 years. It was time for the ultimate infiltration.
As he was in deep thought, Jonouchi stretched his arms before going into the house. "I don't know about you, but I'm getting some rest. See you in the morning Bakura." A grunt was his reply as he plopped down onto his bed. Soon, the sleeping blonde was sent to his dream land. His albino friend walked in a few moments later, heading towards his room.
Bakura didn't want Jonouchi in danger, and he didn't want any screw-ups, so he quietly decided to leave before the sun rose. Bakura grabbed some random tools that were necessary for the trip, keeping as quiet as possible. He knew the blonde was a heavy sleeper, but he wasn't going to take any chances. When he was sure that he had everything that was needed, he laid down on his own bed. Closing his eyes, Bakura drifted off into a restless sleep, dreaming of his long gone family.
After a fitful rest, Bakura woke up, drenched in sweat again. Damn the pharaoh! I will get my revenge, and then I'll be freed from the burden of my loved one's deaths. He slowly got up out of his bed, stretching his muscles out. The albino suppressed a yawn as he walked towards the outside. Tiptoeing past the still sleeping blonde, Bakura looked onto his friend's face. Jonouchi had a peaceful air around him that always calmed the albino down. The innocent look on his face made Bakura make a rare smile. So calm and serene, wish I was as happy as that.
Walking out into the dark, cool desert, Bakura stopped for a while and let the slight wind blow on his face. The breeze helped the teen cool his burning body, as the memory of the destruction faded away from his mind for the time being. Bakura strolled around the house and dug up a hidden trap door, smirking as he remembered how long it took him and Jonouchi to build their house and basement.
Bakura climbed down the underground stairway and stopped when he got to the bottom. Using his magic, he adjusted his eyes to see in the dark as well as he could see during the day. Going over to a water basin, the albino dunked his head in the cold water, his hair becoming wet as he stayed submerged for about 5 minutes. After he ran out of breath, he pulled out with a gasp, shaking the freezing water from his head like a dog. Bakura sighed in relief before grabbing some supplies off the shelves of the cellar for his next raid.
Closing the trap door and spreading the sand over it, Bakura hurried back to the house, hoping to start towards his destination before morning. As he walked into Jonouchi's room, he noticed something out of place. The red-eyed blonde wasn't in his bed. In fact, he wasn't anywhere in his room. "…what you doing up so early, Bakura?" The albino flinched as he turned around to see the glint of the ruby pendant. Jonouchi stood in the doorway to the outside, leaning on the frame, not letting his friend out of his sight. "Well?"
Bakura growled, wondering how the idiot blonde could have woken up despite his tries to stay as quiet as possible. "Why do you care, Jonouchi?" he replied coldly towards his friend. He needed to keep the blonde out of danger, even if it meant being harsh. The albino could see the pain in Jonouchi's eyes, though the blonde kept a stone face as they continued to stare at each other.
"…I'm just worried, Bakura. You planning on running off without me?" Jonouchi's tone softened as the albino looked guiltily towards the ground. Shit, bet anything that the stupid puppy-dog look is on Jonouchi's face. Sure enough, as Bakura raised his eyes, Jonouchi's pitiful face got to him. His eyes somehow became chibified and his lower lip was slightly raised. Damnit! Bakura just sighed and raised his eyes to the blonde. "I was, and I am. I don't want you coming with me, Jonouchi. You don't belong in this mission." Bakura's voice grew cold again as the blonde lowered his eyes. Thinking he won, the albino walked towards his room to grab his stuff for the journey. When he came back, he was surprised to see Jonouchi was fully dressed and shouldering his own bag.
"Argue all you want, Bakura, but I am going to follow you, whether you like it or not. You can't get rid of me that easily, you dumbass. Besides, you won't be able to get past even the first trap without me." Jonouchi sneered as he saw Bakura blush visibly.
Wanting to regain his dignity, the albino retorted, "You're the dumbass, you idiot! Your dumb blonde self can't save you, let alone me." Bakura had no warning from his enraged partner. He fell towards the ground, holding his throbbing cheek as Jonouchi stood with his fist locked in the air, his arm outstretched. A fierce fire glowed in his eyes as he stared pitilessly at the albino.
Cursing under his breath, Bakura quickly stood up and returned the blow. However, he didn't have enough force to knock the blonde to the ground, though he had managed to make him turn his head. He smiled as he saw a red mark forming on Jonouchi's cheek. Jonouchi turned his head to face Bakura again. A smile was on his face, pride showing in his eyes. Blood trailed down the side of his lips as he stared at Bakura, who smiled back at him. Wiping the blood from his mouth, Jonouchi rubbed it around his fingers before saying, "Well, you're not as weak as I thought Bakura. But I'm still coming with you on this thieving trip." Bakura just smirked and walked towards the cellar again. "Come on, then. Wash up and grab supplies before you leave."
Light from the moon continued to shine on the dark sands when the thieves reached their destination. A great pyramid rose ominously in front of the boys as they stared on top of a hill. Bakura sneered at the tomb that held the key to his revenge, knowing that this was the chance he was waiting for. Jonouchi, on the other hand, gaped at the pyramid that had taken millions of slaves to build. Every inch was perfectly lined up, showing precise measurements of the design made by the pharaoh's brilliant mathematicians.
At the bottom of a hill was the entrance to the pyramid, which was guarded by about threescore soldiers. They just stood where they were, dozing off on their watch. Jonouchi sighed and shook his head at the sight. "…Looks like they've grown lazy while we were out for a while, Bakura. On our last raid in the sacred library, they were all on guard and prepared, making it difficult for us to stay in the shadows." "You mean the time where your stupidity almost got us caught?" Bakura glared at Jonouchi, remembering their last encounter with the pharaoh's guards. The blonde, however, ignored this comment by shrugging it off. "So, we gonna dispose of them or what?"
"Damn it, Jonouchi! Calm down, we are going to get rid of them, but make sure to cast a magic resistance just in case that tomb has a curse on it. Remember the last time we got cursed?" Jonouchi blushed before whispering, "Yeah, I got turned into a damn puppy for a week before it wore off." He glared at Bakura when he heard the albino stifling his laughter. "Well, it was your fault for falling for it, you idiot."
Jonouchi just cursed as he muttered the incantation for his shield. A warm fire formed in front of Jonouchi, circling its summoner. The flames licked the blonde as he kept up his chant, directing the flame around his body, creating a strong resistance that couldn't be broken. When he was finished, Jonouchi had a warm glow around him, a soft fire burning in his eyes.
Bakura followed suit and chanted his words quietly, drawing the darkness that surrounding around his body. After making sure the shield was stable and capable of deflecting even the strongest of magic, he started towards the entrance to the tomb. Jonouchi was already heading for the pyramid, getting his body into fighting mode. He became rigid and tense, keeping his guard up and pumping power into his muscles. When the closest guard opened his eyes after hearing the scuffle of feet, a punch in his jaw knocked him cold.
The sound of the guard falling was enough to awaken the rest of the soldiers. Thinking it was some petty thief, they all gasped in surprise to see the unstoppable pair of thieves smirking at them. After a moment of fear, they realized that they quickly outnumbered the two thieves. No matter how great they were, they couldn't possible wipe out the whole unit of soldiers by themselves. Getting cocky, they charged towards Bakura and Jonouchi, yelling battle cries.
Scorching flames and an indescribable dark force plowed through about half of the soldiers. Many were incinerated while others were swallowed up in the darkness, never to see the light of day again. Confused about what they were hit by, the rest of the guards paused for a moment, a huge mistake that would cost them dearly. Filled with the spirit of battle, Jonouchi charged with his inhuman speed, throwing blows at the unsuspecting soldiers. Jonouchi was careful to miss the vital parts of their bodies, though. He didn't want any senseless killing during any fight, for he knew how much pain it would bring to their loved ones.
Bakura, on the other hand, killed any guard that got in his way without any mercy. The darkness he controlled brought terror and pain to the inflicted before it completely engulfed their body and soul. To be in that situation was worse than death, for the empty spirits that are spit out were doomed to wander the earth forever. Bakura had no pity for the ones who caused him pain. He merely smirked in pleasure as he heard the shrieks of pain and fear inside the darkness.
After a few moments, the soldiers realized that what they were facing were not human, but monstrosities of the human race. Even though they tried to escape, none were able to get away from the wrath of the unstoppable thieves. The only ones who survived were the ones that Jonouchi spared from Bakura's magic.
Hardly losing breath, Jonouchi looked up and saw the bodies of soldiers scattered around the land. Seeing that all the guards were defeated, he looked around to look for his friend, wondering what happened to him in the fight. When he turned around, he saw a figure shrouded in black darkness, walking casually towards him.
As the magic dissipated, Jonouchi saw Bakura with twisted smile on his face coming to him. The blonde had never seen Bakura's face like this; the albino's eyes were glassy and unfocused, his eyebrows furrowed. A warped sneer made its way across his face, making a terrifying sight. His hair that was usually always flat was spiked down, looking like a porcupine's back. The very devil himself would have shuddered to see Bakura so full of sadism. His desire for revenge was almost visible to Jonouchi.
Seeing Jonouchi, Bakura just smirked and walked towards the entrance. The blonde was taken aback for a moment, surprised by the coldness in his friend's aura. Sure, he was distant during his fights with the blonde, but this aura was frozen over with indescribable evil. Regaining his senses, Jonouchi followed the albino who was already close to the entrance.
Walking through the cool sand, Bakura had a strange feeling flowing inside him. An immense feeling of satisfaction was in him, but that wasn't the only thing. Desire for more pain screamed from his body, making him shiver with enthusiasm. Yes, he wanted to inflict more sorrow and anguish to the ones he wanted to take out his revenge. Wanted them to go through the torture he went through, that's exactly what he wished for. And he would be getting his wish very soon, he could feel it in his blood.
A hand on his shoulder made him flinch slightly as he turned around to see who touched him. Jonouchi's concerned eyes stared into Bakura's cold ones, searching for they warmth in the frozen brown. "…what do you want, Jonouchi?"
"…what's wrong with you, Bakura? You seem a little…different…you're not yourself right now. Are you feeling ok?" Bakura's eyes softened and his hair fell flat as he heard the anxiety in his friend's voice. Having no idea what came over him, he replied, "I'm fine, Jonouchi. Don't worry so much, it gives you the impression of being too soft."
"…"
"Well, stop staring at me like that and let's keep going. The sun will be rising soon, we don't wanna be out in the burning desert." With that, Bakura ran into the tomb with Jonouchi at his heel.
Moving into the cool interior of the tomb, Jonouchi cast a fire that hovered around the two thieves, giving them light in the dark. But… "Damn it, Jonouchi! Why'd you make it a stupid dragon? The freakin' thing's making my head spin from it flying around our heads." Bakura snarled irritably. Jonouchi just grabbed the dragon and hugged it before saying, "But dragons are cute, Bakura. And I've been wanting to create a fire dragon for a while."
"Honestly, I swear. You're acting like a little girl right now. Cute? Hah! What man says that unless he's referring to a chick? You need to toughen up, Jonouchi."
Jonouchi blushed while his dragon growled menacingly at Bakura, angry that he insulted his master. The blonde just rapped him in the head before letting him go. "Whatever, Bakura."
As they approached the first trap, Bakura paused for a moment to read the hieroglyphics that were engraved on the wall. "…The idiots who made this pyramid wrote down what trap they set up. The pharaoh must be really stupid to let this happen." Without looking at the wall twice, the albino just headed into the room. Jonouchi just sighed after reading the symbols. "Really hope you know what you're doing. Don't really want to die in a place like this."
Jonouchi walked into the next room, only to stop again and stare at what was inside. A massive number of pendulums were well hidden in the room, though both thieves could see them because of the light emitted from the fire. From the point where they were hung, a sharp death awaited the ones who get caught when they are triggered to swing down. Bakura, however, just walked across the pathway casually, not even checking for the trigger. "…umm…Bakura? Shouldn't you be more careful with where you're walking? Those death pendulums will make you mincemeat if you don't be cautious." Jonouchi nervously followed after his white-haired partner, looking for anything that looked suspicious.
"Shut up and stop worrying. I already found the switch when I got in. It's hidden on the floor near the middle of the path. Just be careful not to press…" Click. Both Jonouchi and Bakura started to sweat when they heard the small sound of the trigger activation. In a second, the pendulums were launched, swinging back and forth, moving slowly inch by inch towards the two thieves. "YOU DUMBAAAASSSSSSSS! I TOLD YOU TO WATCH WHERE YOU WERE GOING!" Bakura bellowed as he dodged the pendulum that swung a little too close by him.
"AUUUUGGGHHH! NOT MY FAULT, BAKURA! YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME EARLIER, JACKASS!" Jonouchi roared back at the fuming albino. The pendulum that barely missed Jonouchi made contact with the fire dragon. The dragon was dissipated when the trap slashed through its makeshift body.
Knowing he didn't have much time, Bakura quickly looked for a way in avoiding a bloody death. As the pendulum got to the point of decimating him, he leaped into the air and landed on the swinging death. "JONOUCHI!" Bakura yelled over the roar of the pendulums "JUMP ON THE PENDULUMS IF YOU DON'T WANNA DIE YOUNG!" Not even taking in the information, Jonouchi's instincts helped him in doing what Bakura told him to do. Soon, both teens were on the pendulums, swinging back and forth in the room.
Sweat glistened on Jonouchi's and Bakura's chests as they calmed down from their near-death experience. After regaining their posture, they nimbly jumped from one pendulum to another and eventually got to the other side of the room. When Jonouchi landed next to Bakura, his head collided with a fist, making stars explode. "What was that for?" "Why are you so stupid! You nearly killed us back there! I knew you should have stayed home." "Shut up! You should have told me before I was near the trigger. At least we learned from our mistakes."
"You mean learned from your mistakes." Bakura dodged a blow that headed his way swiftly. It was a good thing that he did, too. Jonouchi's fist made contact with the wall, created a small hole in the thick blocks. A crack ran up from the hole towards the ceiling as Jonouchi nursed his throbbing knuckles. "You're lucky I missed or you wouldn't have a head on your shoulders right now." Bakura just chuckled at his friend's comment, but in his heart he knew that the blonde was telling the truth.
After passing through the next hallway, they arrived in an empty room. This wouldn't have been a problem, but it was also a dead end. "Shit! There's something wrong here. There was only one path in this stupid pyramid and there is no way the pharaoh would be stupid enough to leave a tomb empty," a distressed Bakura said as he stared with disbelief in his eyes. Even Jonouchi had to admit that Bakura's logic was right, though. The pharaoh wouldn't have wasted so much time and slaves just to build a useless tomb. There was something that was missing, but what was it?
Bakura began to check the room, looking into every space and corner in the room. But in the square room, there was nothing but dust and cobwebs. Bakura let out a frustrated cry, confused in how this was even possible. How am I supposed to get my revenge if there was nothing to steal? Jonouchi just cast another fire dragon so he could get a better view of the room. Seeing nothing unusual, he looked towards the ceiling before turning to Bakura. "Hey, Bakura, guardians are supposed to be protecting the way to the tomb, right?"
"Yeah, why?" Bakura looked up at the ceiling to see a carving of a warrior staring back at him. Suddenly, a monster came out of the stone and fell towards the middle of the room. Both thieves backed off as the shock of the impact on the floor shook the room. A huge warrior loomed in the middle of the room. It had large, muscular arms, clad in red pants. A bright red cape adorned his back as steel armor and helmet covered his body and face. Its hands had on gauntlets and held a blade that was sharper than the pendulums.
"Heh, let me take care of this one, Bakura. It's my turn to save our asses." With that, Jonouchi charged unwisely towards the monster. That fool, he's heading straight towards the swordsman's attack. Bakura leaned against the wall as he watched Jonouchi try to prove himself in front of his friend. The monster, seeing Jonouchi coming towards him, took his sword and rammed it towards the teen's stomach when he got close. But the blonde's sharp eyes caught on to what the warrior was trying to do, so he jumped up and stepped on the oncoming sword. Catching the monster by surprise, Jonouchi slammed his fists into the unprotected parts of the warrior's body. His knuckles acted like machine guns, relentlessly moving back and forth without even stopping. After a while, Jonouchi punched the monster under its chin, knocking him down to the floor.
Jonouchi landed lightly as he jumped off the sword as the monster fell. His bandana wavered in the air before coming back down onto his back. "That's that. Come on Bakura, let's go." However, Bakura stood right where he was, still looking at the fallen monster. A strange energy started to build up in the room, the albino could feel it. "It's not over yet, Jonouchi. Don't let your guard down." Jonouchi just stared confusedly at the albino as the warrior stood up again. It raised its sword into the air, drawing Jonouchi's attention. White lightning formed at the tip of the sword, gathering more energy by the minute. Before the blonde had time to react, the monster flung the lightning at him.
At the moment of contact, Jonouchi's world exploded into pain. He felt hot swearing knives cutting into his skin as jolts of magic entered into his body. It was pain beyond pain, he felt his conscious slipping. A scream of pain tore through his mouth, loud and agonizing. Before he knew it, it was over. He kneeled down on the floor, sweat dripping towards the floor. Never had he felt this much pain before, but then again, it was better than being attacked by an Egyptian god.
Bakura was stunned as he saw his friend be afflicted with so much magic. Blind rage started to take over when it didn't end. Just as he was about to jump in, Jonouchi got up and stared with hate at the monster who stood emotionlessly in front of him. "So, you use lightning, huh? You just made the ultimate mistake, buddy." Flames from hell burst out Jonouchi's body, heating up the room. A dragon surrounded by black fire appeared behind Jonouchi, roaring in the room. "Get a taste hell and go back where you came from!" The black dragon charged towards the monster, slamming into the middle of its body. An anguished scream was heard before it was all over. Bakura looked up to see a black form of the monster's body sizzling on the wall. He shuddered as he thought of how much power Jonouchi had gained in the past month.
The flames receded back into Jonouchi's body, leaving the ground around him burnt. His body had many marks and his eyes seemed unfocused. His face was pale as he collapsed onto the floor. Bakura rushed over to Jonouchi, concern about his friend was in his heart, but his body showed no emotion whatsoever. "You ok, Jonouchi?" he asked expressionlessly as he held out his hand. The blonde took it and raised himself up, using Bakura's arm to help him stay up. "I'm fine, Bakura. Just a little tired. Come on, let's go get the treasure." Bakura just smiled to himself as he thought of how greedy the blonde was.
As Bakura put his shoulders around Jonouchi's neck to help him walk, the ceiling started to crumble. Huge pieces of blocks plummeted onto the floor, breaking into smaller pieces around the two thieves. After dodging a few blocks, they looked up to see a hole where the carving was. Getting his grappling hook out, Bakura hurled it towards the hole. When the hook was secured and Bakura made sure it wouldn't give in, he climbed up before Jonouchi, helping him get into the hidden room.
The first things they saw were millions of gold coins. A seemingly endless supply of the money lay piled up in the tomb. There were also many golden ornaments and statues next to the golden tomb. Jonouchi's eyes became huge as he saw that he had hit the jackpot. Bakura smiled coldly as his eyes set on the tomb of the late pharaoh. His plan of revenge was going exactly as he planned. It was only a matter of time before the pharaoh and his subjects will be sent into a hellish nightmare that he would soon create.
TBC
Threescore is about sixty
I'll try to make the next chapter as long as this one. See ya in the next chapter.n.n