See chapter one for disclaimer.
Many thanks for the comments! :)
Chapter Three
(In which Yami and Yuugi stand around in the rain and things get a bit weird.)
The weather seemed to agree with their mood – or to side with their opponents –, as the sky had become dark and cloudy; it wasn't raining yet, but it could start any moment. Street-lights were rare, and it was so dark that you could hardly see your hand in front of your own eyes.
However, both Yami and Rishid were secure enough in walking in darkness; Yuugi had unhappily given up control when Yami had pleaded with him to, certain that they were in serious danger.
They stopped in front of what looked like an abandoned warehouse. Yami was oddly reminded of Domino; pre Duellist Kingdom Domino, from before Yuugi had become aware of him. He winced inwardly. Looking back at it now, it hadn't really been a good time.
"It's here," Rishid said with absolute confidence. Yami nodded.
"Let's go inside," he said, walking towards the building before he even knew where there was an entrance. Rishid laid a hand on his shoulder to hold him back.
"Pharaoh..." Yami was a bit surprised to make out both embarrassment and fear in the man's tone. "They asked for me to come alone."
He said nothing more, and Yami realised that even thought he believed it would be safer for Malik if they followed instructions, he was leaving the final decision to him.
But I was supposed to challenge them...
Rishid is a strong duellist, his partner answered silently. We can't put Malik in danger.
"I know," Yami murmured. "But..."
There will be another way, Yuugi assured him.
Yami pressed his lips together. He should have expected this.
"Fine. Go inside. I'll wait here."
Rishid nodded.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
He walked to the closest door to the warehouse, and gave it a light push: it screeched and flew opened; Yami peered after the man as he walked inside, but he couldn't make out anything. Then a dark voice said: "close the door", and he was outside alone.
Not fully alone, of course. He resisted the urge to meet his aibou inside the maze of his soulroom. He could not, at a time like this, leave their body so vulnerable.
"How long should we wait?" he asked silently. It was beginning to rain.
"I don't know," Yuugi replied; Yami could hear him count in the back of his mind. They should have taken a watch – not that it would really have helped.
Yuugi had reached six hundred and twelve, it was pouring with rain, and Yami was getting decidedly impatient, when the door finally opened; Yami braced himself: they hadn't heard a single sound from inside. The walls might be tick, and the sound of the water on the metal roof might drown some of the sounds, but he still believed that if there had been a fight, they would have heard.
Rishid stepped outside, and closed the door behind himself. The rod wasn't in his hand anymore. He looked at him, a strange, sad look in his eyes; Yami quickly walked up to him.
"Where's Malik?" he asked, feeling his aibou's worry.
Rishid didn't answer.
"What happened?"
"I can't tell you," Rishid finally said, voice low, oddly blank; then: "I need to talk to Isis."
And, in one sift motion, he turned away; Yami followed, and stood in his way.
"Wait. Are they still inside? Did you see Malik?"
"...Yes."
"Is he alright?"
"I don't know," Rishid murmured. "I'm sorry..."
We have to do something, Yami argued, while Rishid walked around them again, hesitantly this time. I'll go inside first.
But he said not to. He wouldn't endanger Malik...
What if they used the rod on him?
"Rishid, wait!" Yuugi said; the man obeyed. "Look at me."
Rishid blinked once, then lowered his head to look straight into Yuugi's eyes.
Yami... I don't think...
We can't know if he isn't under the rod's influence, the spirit said warily. Not total control, but...
"I'm sorry," Rishid said again. "I have to talk to Isis. I..."
"But what about Malik! What happened?"
Rishid didn't answer right away.
"I don't think that Malik is in immediate danger," he said slowly; then, seeming to make an effort, he added: "I can't choose for you, but I beseech you to come with me."
Then briskly, he walked round them again.
Yuugi didn't move.
He sounded worried, Yami commented.
But he didn't look changed. Not like he wasn't himself.
No, Yami thought. He didn't.
There was definitely something wrong here; they hadn't come so far to just leave without another look back; but Yami believed, wanted to believe, that for Malik, Rishid would, if not overcome, at least fight the rod's influence. And there was no sign of that either.
We should come with him, Yuugi eventually said, quietly, not really sure: it pained him to leave someone behind, as it seemed they were doing to Malik; but Rishid had asked them to... He's our friend now. I trust him.
To that, Yami was silent. With one last look back, Yuugi followed the other man.
Jounouchi visibly didn't agree with their course of action; he'd only just stopped yelling at Yuugi for leaving without them without even telling them -what had he been thinking?-, when that bit set him off again:
"You gave away the rod and you didn't even see Malik?"
"Rishid did," Yuugi protested unhappily, his voice muffled by the heavy towel with which he was, without any visible success, trying to dry his hair. "But he won't tell us..."
They were all back in the Ishtars' living room now; Honda had immediately offered to look after them anyway: he'd take Malik's motorbike. Maybe it wasn't too late yet.
But Yuugi had asked him not to: they hadn't abandoned a much surer chance to confront them to let Honda drive after them blindly on his own. Since then, Honda hadn't said anything, just looking ready to hold back Jounouchi, which didn't look necessary. Something much more drastic would have to happen before he actually attacked Yuugi. Especially if it wasn't the spirit in control.
"Well, he should," Jounouchi argued, actually calming down a little, and he simply looked at Rishid, instead of glaring at him. "You're the one who can do something."
Rishid just stood where he had been since they'd come back; he'd moved only to bring Yuugi a towel and he hadn't said a word to Isis, unless there was some very subtle and secret signs the others weren't able to catch passing. Isis herself was staring at him, and nothing aside from her intense gaze was any indication that she was agitated.
"I can't tell you," Rishid said again, the usually stoic voice very close to shaking. "I promised..." He looked up at Yuugi. "I'm sorry."
"You don't have to be –" Yuugi began, confused by the man's apparent guilt.
"What are we supposed to do now?" Anzu asked. "Just wait?"
Rishid didn't answer, nodded vaguely.
"You said –" Isis voice, tense and controlled. "– that he isn't in danger...?"
"I would have stayed with him," Rishid said quietly, looking at her this time.
She pressed her lips together and nodded.
"Stayed with him?" Honda repeated suddenly, walking forward. "They would have let you?"
No answer.
"Rishid," Anzu chimed in, worried. "Do you know where Malik is?"
The man nodded slowly.
"Then – "
"I promised to say nothing until..." He looked at his watch. "Nineteen more hours."
"Why?" asked Honda. "If anyone can stop them, it's Yuugi."
"Honda..." Jounouchi began, confused and a little worried by his usually calm friend's insistence; while he agreed that they should do something, he also believed that in the end Isis and Rishid had to decide.
"Do you want them to be stopped?" Honda added.
Rishid looked back at him, then at Yuugi, who looked not shocked or betrayed at all.
"I'm sorry," he said again, and looked down at his watch.
Air was blowing into his face, harshly, and the first thing he did when he was free was to close his eyes and bow his head, before the first coherent thought formed in his mind.
He was in a car; a red cabriolet, in a city; driven by someone who seemed barely older than he was, at the most, and whom he should know, he was certain; long blond hair falling down to his shoulders, tan skin, taller than him, a face with sharp regular traits, fingers tipping against the wheel now and then... but how did he know that person again?
"Namu?" he murmured, as the memory came back to him, like through a tick veil; the city was looking strangely familiar as well...
He was still feeling a little dizzy.
The blond beside him briefly averted his eyes from the road to look at him, the beginning of a smirk playing on his lips.
"Close, but not quite..."
(end of chapter three.)
Uhm. Some things will probably start to make sense in the next chapter?