AN: Hehe, our plans for the weekend were messed up, so I ended up not going camping (which kind of sucked, may I point out). Oh well, that just means I got to work on PT a little more.

Thanks to…

dragonlady222: Ryou has grown into a very fine prince. (Better than that slop of a Crown Prince). He's matured enough to see what the enemies would bring to Egypt, but he's still concerned with killing. Hehe, not fully grown yet! Thanks for the review!

FlyingShadow666: I'm glad you liked it so! Thanks for the review!

casaragi: Er, no, that was Bakura. Eheh, sorry if it wasn't clear. Thanks for the review!

Roae: (I'm quite sure this review was left by you, but if it was someone else, please let me know!) Thanks so much for all the feedback! I went and re-edited the chapter since I never got to go camping anyhow. It makes me happy to know that you read my other stories as well (and even favorited one!). And yes, Ari is a Kul Elna villager (though I manipulated the event to my needs ;;). Ryou doesn't recall taking the lives of Roman soldiers during his rampage, and it's good to know that you're concerned for Marik. Lol. Thanks for the review, and leave some feedback again if you've got time! Thank you!

Chapter Twenty Six: Change by Riptide

Ari felt panic rise in the back of his mind as uncertainty pounded him like a hammer. He couldn't decide whether to kill the child or not. Unlike any royalty he had met before, this little prince was trying to understand the feelings of people like him. Out of hesitation, he swallowed hard and took a step, relaxing slightly.

But his kind…killed father…

Bakura saw the man's grip on his sword tighten. "Lies…" Ari murmured, shaking his head. "Lies!" he loudly repeated, as if trying to remove any lingering doubts. "You're lying!"

Ari took a step forward, ready to exert his revenge at all costs when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He would've swung at the man, not caring if it was an enemy or an ally, but the sturdy hold told him it was the Roman Captain. The fingers digging into his skin made him grit his teeth and remember why he was here.

The Roman Captain knew he had gotten Ari under control. He smirked before taking a few steps forward, his eyes never leaving Ryou's.

"I do not care," he began, striding slowly toward the prince, "if you can 'change' Egypt. You may be too young to understand, but this country is beyond saving. The people will never place their trust in your government again."

Ryou didn't know who this man in the red fur cape was, but he didn't like him. However, he kept a composed front and simply said, "I'll never know unless I try."

The man came closer, and was about to crouch in front of the child when a dagger flew past his face.

Not graceful in any sense, the man stumbled back to have Ari catch him. He sprang back to his feet, absolutely livid as he shouted, "Are you out of your mind?"

Bakura held a second dagger in his hand, Ryou held behind him again. "Who ever said we were allies to begin with?" Bakura said casually.

When the Roman tried to speak, the strange white-haired teen glared at him. Sweat slightly broke on the Roman's forehead as he tried to conceal the small knife dripping with poison in his cape. He knows. He had been so close to eliminating the only remaining figure of hope for the Egyptian soldiers. He hadn't thought that anyone would catch his small slight of hand.

There was a deafening roar as grunting and yelling filled the hall again. Soldiers, having difficulties of telling apart friend and foe, hacked and slashed as if they were possessed.

No one dared to come near the middle grounds, where the leaders of both forces were standing.

The Roman Captain watched the youngest Prince of Egypt protest a bit as the white-haired teen tried to pull him out of the fighting. Who is that man? The teen donned no clothes with a sign of a slave or a soldier of any kind. Why was he even here?

Bakura swept Ryou off his feet out of annoyance, and was proceeding toward safety to literally drop him off.

"I can fight!" Ryou shouted. "Bakura-"

Air rushed past him as Ryou swiftly met the ground. Pain exploded in his vision in splotches of white as he blinked tears away.

What? Why'd he drop me?

Heatedly, Ryou glanced back up at Bakura to find his back staring at him. Beyond him, all the child could see was the Roman captain pressing against Bakura.

Bakura hissed as the Roman angrily yelling at him in another tongue, pushing him into Ryou. The thief tried to stay his ground, planting his feet firmly as he scowled at the enemy.

Despite this, Bakura slowly started sliding backwards. He was panting now, endeavoring to keep himself from crushing Ryou against the wall behind them. Ryou could hear the incoherent noises Bakura was making.

"Bakura, are you-"

"Move Ryou!" Bakura shouted over his shoulder.

"But-"

"MOVE!"

Ryou did as he was told, slightly stunned at the ferocity of Bakura's words. He leapt out of the way, and turned around to yell something at the thief as Bakura slammed into the wall.

Whatever he was going to say, he didn't remember.

The sight of the smeared dark stains on the ground where Bakura was forced to back up… of the Roman captain's sword shoved right under the metal plate Bakura's shoulder bore… of blood flowing freely from Bakura's hands that were wrapped around the blade to stop it from going any deeper… it was all enough to render Ryou useless of more than just words.

Bakura winced in pain. Sweat was getting into his eyes as his hands trembled to keep the steel sword at bay. The tip hadn't gone in deep, really just past skin. But if it went any further, it would definitely mark his end.

Bakura fought back flinching as the sword wielder shoved his weapon forward. He saw Ryou staring at him.

Ryou…Bakura clenched his jaw. You cry too much.

With a choked grunt, Bakura pressed his hands against the flat of the blade. "It's time to stop playing," he murmured. Now he didn't have to worry about Ryou's wellbeing since all the attention was on him. Smirking at the Roman soldier, he kicked the man in the most vulnerable spot in males.

The pressure on the weapon let up immediately. Bakura didn't hesitate as he yanked the sword out, a strangled cry escaping his lips. Wheezing as he fought to catch his breath, Bakura glanced at Ryou and couldn't help grinning.

Adrenaline pumped through him as if it were oxygen. Already his mental barriers against pain were in place, the wounds he carried not registering correctly in his mind. All he craved was a fight, forgetting for the moment that he was human, made of flesh and blood, forgetting that Ryou's safety came before his pleasure in life-and-death situations, forgetting that he had given up fighting to separate himself from his sister's killers and the good people of Egypt. This brilliant feeling, this sensation…this had been his life before he had made a promise to Kaiya to give up tomb robbing, the life he had thrown away when he decided to stay with Ryou.

Ryou thought Bakura was crazy, to be smiling when he had nearly been impaled! However, he didn't get to express anything because at that moment the Roman was back on his feet and swinging.

It was a downward cut, and Bakura was getting sick of the same attack. He sidestepped as the blade missed by a hair. In the same step, he unsheathed a silver knife with enough speed to meet the sword at the middle of its swing, knocking out of the opponent's hands.

He let the man regain his balance as he tried to breathe normally and get his hectic nerves under control.

"I would have died in shame if you had killed me," Bakura panted, grinning. He spun the dagger in his hand, as if to amuse himself. The Roman snarled and upon realizing his sword was out of reach, pulled out his own knife.

"Who says I can't kill you now?" he retorted.

Bakura barked in laughter. Then he loosely assumed a fighting stance. "Because you can't cheat anymore."

The Roman voiced his rage, but didn't attack as Bakura thought he would. "You're not as dumb as you look."

Scoffing, the captain self-assuredly said, "You won't last long…not with a wound like that on your chest."

All smugness in the man's voice evaporated when Bakura laughed, grinning again.

"Wanna try me?"

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AN: Wow, that was…interesting. Lol. I erased the entire middle and did it over again, but it took a while since I had a bit of a writer's block. I apologize if it is a little rough around the edges. The next update will be on either Friday or Saturday! (Probably Friday, since school's going to be out by then). Thanks for reading, and please review!