A/N: I just had to put the horse in this too. I love horses :) You'll see when you read on.
"Hey wake up kid." Bakura shook Malik awake early next morning. He had thought stuff through last night so now he actually had something he wanted to try out, just to see how things worked out. Malik woke up slowly and sat up, rubbing his eyes tiredly.
"What? Why?" He looked up at the other who yanked him up by the arm now that he was finally awake.
"Come with me." Was the only explanation the boy got as he was dragged through the other, larger space, out of the secret entrance and into the hot sun. Malik shielded his eyes from the sudden light and followed Bakura who led him near the conveniently placed oasis.
Malik's eyes got used to the light a moment after Bakura whistled sharply and he could see the black horse from the night before gallop towards them. It was a sight to behold in the sun light and the boy watched in awe as Bakura's companion and the most priced possession quickly advanced them. It seemed that the horse wasn't going to stop and just run them over but just before the impact the horse came to a sudden halt. Bakura didn't even flinch but Malik got sand flying at him from the hooves and he stumbled backwards a few steps.
"Hey boy..." The thief greeted, petting the horse who waved his head and threatened to eat his hair. "This is Pharaoh, my horse." Bakura told to Malik who looked at the big animal warily, not being used to horses and only seen them from afar before.
Pharaoh stopped playing with his master's hair and turned to Malik, nostrils widening as he bent his head down to better examine the boy who didn't know what he was expected to do.
"Pet him kid, he's not going to eat you... Most likely." Bakura told and Malik reached hesitantly to touch the large head. The horse felt warm under his fingers and he found himself smiling at the animal.
"Hello Pharaoh..." The horse 'neigh'ed and with a sudden movement of his head sent the much smaller boy falling on the sand. "Hey!" Malik threw a handful of sand at the horse, making him bounce back a few steps and shake his head. Bakura laughed at them.
"Served you right you little runt." Malik wasn't sure if he was talking to the horse or to him, possibly both. Pharaoh turned his head towards Bakura, while keeping the other ear directed towards Malik, just in case he would try something, like throw sand at him, and trotted to him.
"You're just going to have to learn how to get along. Get up Malik and I'll teach you how to deal with him." Bakura started to walk towards the oasis, with Pharaoh in tow, and Malik quickly scrambled up to follow. Pharaoh hit Malik's face with his tail when the boy passed him and Malik glared at him. The horse didn't even seem to notice this as he trotted slowly by Bakura.
"You two would better stop that right now!" Came the angry voice of one horse owner as the two "brats", Pharaoh was only four, warred each other. Malik had apparently pocket Pharaoh with a stick to revenge the continuous hitting on the face with horse hair and the horse had pushed him in the water and now the wet Malik was chasing him around, yelling and throwing the dreaded sand at him. Hearing his master's angry yell, the horse quickly halted, causing Malik to run straight to his hind leg. Pharaoh let out a sound that almost sounded like laughing when Malik hit the ground.
"You are impossible! Malik stop throwing sand at my horse and Pharaoh don't bully beings smaller than you!"
The horse's ears dropped a bit and Malik looked at the ground he was sitting on.
"Sorry..." The one of the two who could speak said quietly. Bakura rubbed his temples for a while before coming to get Malik so that they could head back to the cave. He patted the horse absently and pulled Malik up from the ground, once again dragging the boy with him. Pharaoh was left by the oasis as the two humans entered the cave and passed the larger space before Bakura's room. Malik noticed that one of the men was glaring at him and couldn't help but to wonder why.
"Bakura?" He whispered so that the man couldn't hear him. "Why is he looking at me like that?" The thief glanced at the man and smirked wickedly.
"He's only looking at you because he can no longer spout stupid shit without his tongue."
Malik wisely refrained from asking any more details. They entered the room and Malik remembered that he hadn't eaten all day and his stomach ached slightly. It was past midday now and they had been out since the early morning, tending Pharaoh.
"I'm hungry..." Malik said quietly.
"Again? You just ate yesterday."
Malik glared.
"I was just kidding, sheesh..." Bakura dug something out of the stash he had and handed it to Malik. It was a piece of dried meat and a cup for water. Malik helped himself with the water and ate his meat hungrily. He felt guilty for eating meat but if it was the only thing he could get then... Isis didn't eat meat so neither did the rest of the family, except Malik when he was very young and he suspected that Rishid ate it secretly some times. Bakura too ate something and sat on the edge of the bed while Malik sat on the floor, on "his place" where his blanket was.
"Tell me Malik, what was your life like before?" Bakura suddenly asked, feeling bored now.
"Why do you care?"
"I don't but entertain me."
Malik sighed and began to tell. "Well, I lived near the palace with my sister and adopted brother, they're both older than me and Rishid is mainly our guardian, he's my older brother by the way, since our parents died when the town burnt down." He paused to think where he should go with this "story". "My sister is a priestess in training and she's away a lot, Rishid is a guard in the palace. They're not home that much so I just spent my time with the other kids in the town. I know everyone!" Malik told excitedly. "They used to make fun of me when I was younger and played with my sister but not anymore, I think they're a bit scared of Rishid though..."
"Why were you in the palace that night?" Bakura asked and Malik was happy to answer, getting really into this story telling stuff.
"Isis, my sister, went to her training and Rishid had guard duty so he had to take me with him, they didn't want to leave me alone."
Bakura laughed. "You would have been better off alone."
"I guess... I was told to stay in my room but I wanted to look around and explore the palace when I had the change but then the guards saw me and chased me around. Then I went to that room where you were..." He let his voice trail off, knowing that the other knew the rest.
The night fell though you really couldn't tell inside the cave, except that tiredness began to creep and the cave turned cooler. Actually the air turned unnaturally cold and the occupants had to wrap their clothes more tightly around them to keep warm. Malik pulled the blanket more tightly around him as he felt a shiver run up his form. Bakura too could feel it but only lay on the bed with a thoughtful frown on his face.
The coldness wasn't natural... The spirits of Kul Elna had come to pay them a visit.
Malik glanced up on the ceiling, where Bakura's eyes were too. His eyes widened at the sight. It was almost as if mist hung from the ceiling except that from time to time a part of it separated and floated down to Bakura, only to flow back up again. The mist turned redder and it was almost... speaking to them. Malik sat up on the floor when he heard a pained scream from above, it chilled his very blood. The mist almost looked like flames now and Malik tugged under his blanket, not wanting to see the flaming mist, it reminded him of the night his parents died. Though Malik couldn't see it from under his blanket, Bakura turned to look at him when he saw movement from the corner of his eye. The boy was shaking and weeping silently.
"Hey kid, are you ok?"
No answer.
"Malik?"
"Tell them to go away." Came the boy's muffled voice from under the blanket. The spirits were whispering their deadly whispers, telling him that he didn't deserve to live when they had to die, whispering about fire in the pits of hell. Soon the boy sensed Bakura kneel next to him and felt him pull the blanket away from him. Malik let out a loud wail when the only thing separating him from the spirits was taken away.
"No, please give it back!"
"No. You can sense them too?" Bakura asked but the boy kept weeping. "Hey! Look at me!" Bakura grabbed the boy's face, forcing him to snap out of it and look at him.
"They're telling me to die..." Malik whispered.
"Don't listen to them." Bakura actually hugged the boy and held him until the Ra's rays chased the vengeful spirits away. When the morning came Malik didn't weep anymore but fell asleep silently, relieved that it was over for now.
Bakura lifted the boy up and placed him on the bed carefully before exiting the cave. It seemed that he had found Malik's special talent...
The flames were everywhere he looked, people were running, shouting and screaming. Some were trying to throw water at the flames but it was no use.
Malik was held by Rishid as they, the two boys and Isis, ran away from the burning town. Their parents were nowhere to be seen, the kids had been playing out and were pushed to run by their neighbor but the parents of the trio were missing. Rishid was old enough to realize that it was likely that they would never see them again but the two younger siblings kept calling for them desperately and crying. Isis was starting to get tired of the running so Rishid took her to his back while carrying Malik in his arms. They still weren't far enough to be safe.
When the oldest of the three saw that they were far enough, he let Isis off his back and sat tiredly on the ground. They saw the town burn to ashes in front of them but then the Gods seemed to be merciful and it started raining. It poured down from the skies and turned the flames off little by little. Some of the houses were still standing but most were just piles of ashes. The ones living should be grateful that they lived and some were but some were mourning over lost family, friends or property.
It felt so weird to watch when someone cried over his burnt down house when they could never see their parents again.
Malik woke up with a start, it had been so long since he had last seen that dream... It must have been because of the life's story he told to Bakura yesterday that he was reminded of that day again.
Then Malik also remembered what else had happened yesterday, or more like last night. The spirits had left them alone when the morning came but the night had been the worst in the young boys life. He could still hear the voices that told him that he should die like they had. He also remembered the flames in the ceiling. Malik wondered what had happened to their village to make them so angry. Bakura had told him nothing last night, but Malik just knew that the man knew. And he would find out.
Malik just hoped he wouldn't have to live that through ever again but somehow it seemed unlikely to happen. Those spirits had something to do with Bakura so as long as he was with him, the spirits wouldn't leave him alone.
A/N: Terribly sorry for the shortness once again .' What did you think of the chapter? Tell me, tell me!
Review please!!
