Hey there, me again. You'd better darn well appreciate this chappie - it took SO long to write. It's over 2000 words, I'm warning you. Well, discouragement over. (heh, not doing myself any favours here!) Well, what else can I say except - enjoy!

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Banned again. -rolls eyes- Can't they make up their minds? Anyways, feel free to push that pretty lil' button on my profile that says "contact". That's new, and it let's you send me an email, cool, huh?

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO. That should be obvious.

Dusk Angels

"I wonder what music they'll use for the elenyara…" Meera mused as they walked towards the palace.

"Mmmm…" murmured Allara noncommittally.

"A waltz? A tango? What? Gosh, I hope it's something really funky, don't you?" When Allara did not respond, evidently lost in thought, Meera carried on, undeterred. "Anyways, I hope the dances go smoothly tonight. I can't wait. I love dancing with Martten. I've never danced with Joharr, what's it like?" Suddenly, Meera felt very alone amongst the trees in the Royal Forest. "Al? Allara? Where are you?" Meera looked around, but her friend was nowhere to be seen.

"Al? AL!"" Meera started to panic. "I'm going to call Master Gasket!"

"No need." Master Gasket came up the path behind her. "What seems to be the matter?"

"Allara's gone!"

"Where?"

"Just… gone! One minute she was here, next thing – poof!"

"Poof?" Master Gasket arched an eyebrow.

"Vanished!"

"Go back to the tents, there's a girl. Tell Sal and Darelgi to warm up with the maligna."

"Yes, I'll go. You'll find her?"

"Trust me, if she can be found I'll find her." A strange, almost self-mocking expression crossed Master Gasket's face. "Oh, yes. I'll find her."

"Good." Meera searched his face, but the expression was gone. She shook her head and ran back down the path.

Master Gasket stood alone for a few moments. He was staring off into the distance. Then, quite suddenly he strode off the path to the left. He walked quickly, pausing every few moments to close his eyes. Each time he nodded and carried on. Soon he reached a stream. Without hesitation he placed a foot on the water and closed his eyes. His face creased into a frown. "No, no…" He walked along the bank, his eyes still closed. He shook his head slowly, his beast-mane waving around. "This can only mean one thing… trouble."

Sighing, he turned back the way he had came, and disappeared into the forest.

"Hey birdie? Do you sing?"

Yami ignored the taunting voice of one of the young noblemen and sat down. His younger brother, Yugi – who was dressed as a yurra – smiled sympathetically. "Ignore them," he advised.

Yami nodded. "I know." He looked across the table at the small brown ball of fuzz that was his brother and wished he could be somewhere else – anywhere else.

The sounding of trumpets startled him from his disgruntled thoughts. "Preeee-senting: His Royal Highness, Our Beloved King!"

Yami marvelled at the number of capitals in that one sentence. As his father walked through the door, the entire room burst into spontaneous applause. Yami sighed. If only he could inspire that much adoration and respect just by walking into a room. But then, nobody respects someone in a bird costume. Especially not this bird costume.

"Loyal subjects, I would like to pronounce a toast to my eldest son and heir, Prince Yami!" The King raised a glass of white mara wine and smiled at his son.

"To Prince Yami," muttered the hall, getting to its' feet.

Yami nodded, and raised his own glass of mara. "To my father, the great and wise King of Eleniara."

"To our great and wise King," intoned the voices. Then there was a great shuffling of chairs as everyone sat down, the formalities over. The king walked over to his son.

"How is everything?"

"Spiffy. Just spiffy." Yami rolled his eyes.

His father shook his head. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Love me, teach me, never leave me," recited Yami.

His father laughed. "So you recognised it! Most people think I'm just your average Earthian, but no! I am the great Count Stafarli, from 'Tales of Europe.' Glad you noticed."

"I could never forget my favourite childhood book."

"True enough. You always were an above average child." The king looked at his timekeeper. "Enough chit-chat! Your Betrothing is about to begin!"

Yami watched his father walk to the podium, seeing the silence spread out from him in waves. 'They respect him,' he noted silently. 'And they will respect me too, once I am Betrothed.'

"Ladies, Lords, honoured guests, it is my joyful duty to welcome you, one and all, to Prince Yami's Betrothing ceremony. As his father I have watched him grow, from a tiny baby to this fine young man we see before us today. I know that, when it is time, he will rule wisely and fairly.

"I have chosen this girl to be his bride because I know she will make a fine queen, and will keep him on the straight and narrow. Dim the lanterns on your tables, ladies and gentlemen. The Prince's Betrothed is coming." The king smiled as he watched servants skimming from table to table, dimming the lanterns. Once they were finished, the hall glowed and flickered. "Open the doors!" called the king.

The great double doors opened, and the bright light from the passageway flooded in. Yami leaned forward, waiting to get the first glimpse of his future bride.

There was dead silence in the hall, every head turned to the doors. The anticipation was building. There was electricity in the air. Still no Betrothed. The king leaned quietly to the servant on his left and whispered something in his ear. The servant nodded and sank into the shadows.

Waiting. Waiting. His heart pounding, Yami looked at his father. Why all this build up? His father's face was hidden in shadow, but there was something in the way he stood that made Yami feel that not everything was going to plan.

Yugi was looking around, tugging nervously on one of the antennae of his costume. What was taking so long? He looked at his elder brother's grim expression over his bird-beak and bit his lip.

Suddenly, the chandelier was lowered from the ceiling, all three hundred of its' candles lit. As one, the guests blinked, their eyes having grown used to the half-light. Then they turned to the king, seeking an explanation. The king was pale, and beside him stood an extremely worried-looking servant.

"Guests," began the king slowly. "My son has requested that the dancers dance the cara now, as in the fine tradition of days gone by. I had not realised that it must be done, as that tradition has fallen by the wayside, but my son insisted. Remember the tenacity and determination to do things the way they are meant to be done, when you look upon my son. I am prouder than ever of him."

Yami stared at his father. He had requested no such thing! Why did his father say that – what was he hiding? Yami frowned and got to his feet, ignoring the eyes of the crowd.

"Father! What is going on?" Yami spoke softly, but there was iron in his voice. "I have to know – you just attributed something to me that I did not do, and interrupted the ceremony! I demand an explanation!"

The king smiled sadly at his son's words. "You remind me of me, a bit." He shook his head. "But, your explanation. I must ask you not to make a scene when you hear this. It would jeopardise the entire evening."

"Yes, yes, what is it?" Yami leaned forward, so that he would not miss a word. This sounded serious.

"The Betrothed is missing."

"What?" Yami controlled his voice with huge effort. "Missing?"

"Yes," sighed his father. "Gone from her room. Her maidservant said she had wanted a moment alone, and when she went to call her for the ceremony, she was gone. Of her own free will or not, we don't know. The servants are searching. After the cara, if she is still not found I will have to… have to tell them. Uproar will ensue. When I tell them, you and Yugi go behind the stage. There is a picture of fruit there. Behind that picture is a door, go in there, and go down the passage. We can't have either of you endangered in any way."

"I… yes, father." Yami made his way to his seat, mind reeling. Gone? How could she be gone? And of her own free will? Why didn't she want to be queen? Was it him? And if she was kidnapped, by whom? And why? What did his father mean by 'endangered'? Yami couldn't see the answers to any of these or any of the other questions whirling around his head. He tried to concentrate on the cara, but the swirling music only made his feel dizzy, and his stomach was in a tight knot.

Yugi was worried; there was no doubt about that. What was happening, and why was everyone pretending this were normal? And why did his father and brother look so tense? He watched a servant skim up to his father and whisper something in his ear. His father's face tightened, and he said something back. The servant seemed about to protest but finally nodded and skimmed away again. The music of the cara slowed and stopped. The audience clapped; the dancers bowed.

"Ladies and gentlemen." The king's face was deadly serious. The cheerful, light-hearted atmosphere the cara had created was gone in an instant. "There has been a terrible development. It pains me to say this, but you all deserve to know."

"Yugi, come, quickly." All eyes on his father, Yami pulled his brother behind the stage.

"What's going on? I have a right to know! Just because I'm younger doesn't mean I'm stupid."

"I'm saving your behind right now, I'll tell you when we're safe. Shh!"

"Saving… what? Why? Yami please don't ignore me."

"Shush!" Yami yanked his brother over to a peeling painting of fruit. "Help me push."

"But Yami…" Yugi paused. His father's voice carried in the silence.

"Thus we are, of course, making every effort to find her."

"Find who?" had barely left Yugi's mouth, when Yami pulled him into a passageway in the wall. "Yami!"

Yami swung the door closed behind them and heard the painting swing back into place. "Yugi, the Betrothed."

"What?"

"That's who's missing. Come on, it'll be chaos out there, we have to get away."

Yugi stared at his brother, and then followed him through the dark passageway. It twisted and turned, and it was all he could do to keep up in his bulky costume.

"Push," Yami whispered, pointing to the door in front of them and leaning on the handle, which was rusty from lack of use. Yugi grunted as he shoved the door with his shoulder. It squeaked indignantly, and then swung slowly open. Yami and Yugi fell forward onto a cold stone floor.

"Ouch," mumbled Yugi. "Yami. Gerroff."

"Sorry," muttered Yami, getting up and helping Yugi to his feet. He looked around.

They were in the throne room, a cavernous room of stone with his father's magnificent throne at on end and a pair of double doors at the other. The windows were covered with dark red velvet curtains and there was no light but for one small, flickering torch.

Yami sighed and threw himself down on the cold stone floor. What was happening in the ballroom? He got up and started to pace.

Yugi watched him walking and drew him knees up to his chin. After a while he heard a noise in the passageway. Then more noises. People shouting. "Uh, Yami…?"

"Hmm?" Yami stopped pacing.

"Here they come."

"What?"

"Don't you hear them?"

"Hear whom?"

Yugi frowned. "People. Shouting. Coming here."

"I don't hear anything, Yugi. Don't worry, Father'll come soon."

"But Yami – "

"Shush!"

"Yami! Can't you hear them?"

"Look, Yugi, I don't hear anything."

Yugi sighed in frustration. The voices were getting louder and louder, closer and closer.

Yami resumed pacing. Suddenly, he heard voices, loud voices. Shouting. He stared at his brother. Yugi was watching the door expectantly. But the shouting had only started now, how could his brother have –?

"Get off me, you idiots!"

Two guards manhandled a girl into the throne room. Her hands were cuffed together, but she still fought violently. Her bright red hair was half out of its' ponytail and her face was angry. She wore a black dress that clung to her body, and silver slip-on ballet flats. She kneed one guard in the stomach and whirled around to smash her chained hands into his face. He sank to the ground, blood spurting from his nose. The other guard was gasping, the wind knocked out of him. The girl turned and noticed Yami and Yugi.

Yami could only stare. This… waif… had just reduced two of his royal guards to gasping weaklings. With her hands cuffed, too. She glared at him defiantly.

"Who – who are you?" he managed, feeling like an idiot. That was not high on the list of things a prince should say in this situation, he was sure.

Before the girl could answer, the throne-room doors swung open. The two fallen guard scrambled to their feet and pulled the girl to face the doors. Yami watched his father sweep in, his mouth set in a harsh line. He tried to say something, but his father did not look at him and he closed his mouth.

The king sat down on his throne and glared down at the waif befoe him. His eyes took in the blood on the guard's face and the defiant look on the girl's face. They swept over the people who had walked in with him, and they fell silent. They landed on Yami and Yugi, and a shiver passed through both of them. They'd never seen their father like this…

"What," the king began in an icy voice. "is the meaning of this?"

"We found her, Your Majesty. She was tied up in the stables. You did say to bring anyone suspicious to you, so, we untied her and brought her here." The guard saluted.

"Thank you. You are dismissed. Go wash your face." The king turned his attention to the girl, who his guards now surrounded. "What were you doing in my stables?"

"What do you think I was doing?"

"I don't appreciate your tone."

"I don't appreciate you. We're even."

"Captain."

"Yes, sir." The man saluted and casually backhanded the girl across the face. She did not fall, but only glared at the king.

"Thank you. Now, respectfully this time, answer my question." The king's voice had not changed.

Yami was frozen to the ground. What did his father think he was doing?

"I was tied up. Do you think I was going to steal one of your stupid nags?"

The captain backhanded the girl again. She raised her chained hands and brought them crashing down onto his helmeted head. Then she elbowed him in the stomach and was about to do more when the other guards pulled her back. The captain pulled his helmet off and stared at the dent, then at the girl.

"That's your idea of 'respectfully'? Guards, throw in the dungeon for insolence. She doesn't know anything."

"Father, no!" Yami stepped swiftly in front of the girl. "You can't do that!"

"I can't, can I?" The king looked at Yami disapprovingly. "Out of the way, Yami."

"No! She was tied up, and you're jailing her? Shouldn't you find out who tied her up? She might have seen the person who kidnapped the Betrothed!" Yami had no idea where he was finding these arguments, but he realised he did have a point.

"Might she have?" The king thought for a moment. "Release the waif. Take her to the prince's chambers and chain her there. Guard her until I give further instructions."

"The princes' – why?"

"That's you, isn't it?" The king turned to watch the guard leave. "I wish to speak to my son. Empty the throne room."

"Yes, sir." Within moments the king's servants had lead all the other people out of the chambers.

"Leave." The servants trickled out. When the door was closed, the king turned to Yami. "Never. Do. That. Ever." He frowned.

"Do what, father?"

"Do not contradict me in public!"

"But father!"

"No buts! I just risked my honour for you, and this is what I get in return?"

"Your honour? What are you talking about?"

"My HONOUR, boy. I had to explain exactly why your Betrothed was gone to three hundred angry guests. Without jeopardising your position. Do you know what honour means?"

"Honour. Keeping your word. Being fair."

"No. Honour is the pride of your family. I have worked extremely hard to build this kingdom, and I will not have you messing that up. Never contradict me in public."

"Father, I think you're over reacting!"

"Really. Well, I think you're confined to the palace!"

"Father, Yami was just trying to help – "

"Quiet, Yugi." The king's jaw was set. "Go and get changed, both of you. This party is over." He got up and swept out of the room without so much as a backward glance.

"Father – " Yami had never seen his father lose control like he just had.

"It's okay, Yami." Yugi, too, was staring at the doorway. "He's just upset. Let it blow over before you approach him. It's just in the heat of the moment. He doesn't want to lose face or… lose you. Don't let that happen. You're his only heir."

"What about you?" Yami looked at his brother in surprise. He'd never heard his brother talk like this.

"Me? I haven't a leader's soul. You have. We are destined for different paths, my brother. You for kingship, me for…" Yugi suddenly looked very tired. "I don't know. But the gods have got something planned for me."

"Amen," was the only thing Yami could say. His brother. His younger brother, who he'd grown up with. His delicate, sensitive brother. Yami didn't want it to be true, but he couldn't ignore his instincts. His little brother, destined to be High Priest?

Well, hope you liked it. One review reply will come your way, if you review. Another new function. Cool, eh?

Ciao!

:meow:
straykitty