AN: This chapter is a little short, sorry. I promise the next one will be long to compensate.

Thanks to…

dragonlady222: Yup yup, I hope Ryou becomes a great leader from all the lessons he's learning. Nyq stands no chance; he's too ignorant and full of it. Thanks for the review!

ONIX-21: Aw, I'm sorry this is going to be a short chapter. I'm glad you liked the previous one, though. Thanks for the review!

FlyingShadow666: Why thanks! I hope you like this one, too. Thanks for the review!

Shamise: Yup, and thanks for the review!

Chapter Twenty Two: Break Through

"Fall back!" Marik shouted, his arms shaking as he crossed swords with a Roman. "Fall back!"

His men, all scattered around the hall, slowly and strategically started to make their way toward the one door that they had been trying to defend the entire time. By a quick glance, Marik could tell that most of the men left alive were the veterans and experienced; the others hadn't stood a chance against the skilled intruders.

As soon as the entrance to the dining hall had fallen, Marik had sent the Pharaoh to the one room only accessible through the dining hall; the private treasury. It was well hidden behind the throne, but it held no escape route like the actual treasury the Palace shared with Egypt.

We're so dead, Marik thought, kicking his enemy down as he took as many steps back as he could. The little room was barely big enough to accommodate ten people, let alone the twenty or so soldiers he had left.

They had to guard that door no matter what. Before the enemy had broken into the hall, Marik had explained to his men that the treasury's entrance and presence had to be kept secret at all costs. Guard the throne, but never reveal what real treasure it held.

Marik hacked down another attacker, and held his sword at the ready for the next one. However, he didn't expect an archer.

An arrow thudded soundly into his leg. Marik let out a strangled cry, falling onto one knee. He gritted his teeth and tried to rise.

His entire body grew heavy.

Shit, it's poison.

---
Back in Cairo
---

Bakura was keeping out of the dark passages, but trying not to stray too deeply into the crowds. He kept a firm hold on Ryou's hand as he fought against the surge of drunk and sober people.

Again, he saw the guards lining either side of the streets, and he grew more and more nervous. He didn't know why, but seeing so many of the soldiers in Cairo rather than at the Palace wasn't very comforting.

Ryou constantly squeezed Bakura's hand to make sure he was doing okay. He didn't want to get separated from the thief again; all he wanted was to be home.

The little prince kept his gaze glued to the ground. Making eye contact with strangers was scary enough already, after his incident with Sera. Scraps of rags, discarded and trampled foods, and even some lost sandals were the only things he saw until they finally reached the main road leading to the Palace.

Slowly, the number of people started to thin out. Bakura was probably walking a little faster than necessary, but Ryou didn't mind. He was getting tired and sick of the festival air in the city, especially since it was quite shocking how he had nearly lost his life while people laughed and danced the night away.

Bakura frowned, his eyes narrowing as they drew closer and closer to the gates of the Palace. No one was around anymore but oddly enough, there were no guards standing watch, either.

What the hell? Bakura knew that Marik would never let slackers on the night watch unless…

Ryou didn't notice that Bakura had stopped walking as soon as they had entered the Palace threshold. He kept moving forward, yawning, until he was jerked back roughly by the thief.

A hand muffled his alarm. Ryou glanced up and saw Bakura sweating. Baffled as to why Bakura was so hesitant, Ryou took a good look around the open courtyard.

There were corpses littering the entire front of the Palace.

Ryou's eyes widened. The only thing that resounded in his ears was his slow, strained breathing. W-what? His senses were stifled with bewilderment at first, but then it quickly morphed into pure hatred and anger. The bodies…there were so many…

Why? The familiar faces of the guards and soldiers were frozen forever in a vivid mask of death. They were all dead, all gone, all departed. Ryou choked back a sob, shaking uncontrollably as he grated his teeth. Most of them had family, most of them had children, most of them were friends. Who…

He stopped breathing. Who could…so many…in cold blood? There was a soft ripple as a low growl filled the prince's mental realm. Who indeed? Long threads of something black gripped Ryou's mind. Are you going to let them live? What can I do? I'm just…a little…He swallowed hard, shakily taking a breath to clear his mind. It didn't work. You were their prince…now they are dead because of you!

It's not my fault! Ryou wanted to gasp for breath as something black seemed to clog his throat. He struggled against the shade in his mind, but when it wrapped itself around his pained mind, the coolness it brought was too alluring. His resistance fell immediately. They who did this must be punished…kill them. Kill them for the soldiers who died here.

The child's shoulders went lax. His chocolate eyes, filled with grief just moments before, turned an awkward blank.

Then a slow shade darkness rippled through his eyes.

A high-pitched cry, screaming of resentment and fury, resounded throughout the courtyard.

Who did this?

Bakura, who had been examining the bodies while trying to restrain his own anger, was too stunned to move. Did that inhuman scream emanate from Ryou? He stared at the young prince's back stiffened. "Ryou?"

Despite his incredible speed, Bakura hadn't been fast enough to grab the prince's tunic as Ryou, who had been in a daze, charged straight into the Palace.

However, just by glimpsing at the way Ryou ran, Bakura could tell there was something different about the prince.

His eyes no longer held the innocence of a child.

---
AN: Again, sorry for the shortness! Please review, and expect an update by, at the latest, Friday. Thanks!