In which there are bandits.
Chronos: I'd like to start by thanking all those who commented, favorited or added this story to their watchlist (BB, Vuti-Chan, misssun1, Kiri-chan220, Ina Legal, LittleDragonOfTruth and lukija) I was getting worried for a bit there. ^_^
Bakura: *looks at the comments* Oh no someone suggested yaoi! O_o
Ryou: = O_O =
Bakura: But it can't be in this chapter, right? I mean the rating hasn't even changed yet!
Chornos: Fufufufufufu. You'll need to wait and see.
I don't own any of the Yugioh or Zelda characters.
---
Ryou sat beneath a small awning that had been erected on one of the inner edges of the racetrack, a brown terrier resting happily on his lap. The dog's tail wagged tiredly as Ryou scratched the short fur between its ears. "You did a very good job," he told the dog, who responded by trying to lick his fingers. "Hey, easy now. I know you're happy; you managed to win two races in a row. I'm pretty happy too, and Bakura is…" Ryou glanced up to confirm that his dark half was still gloating about their great gains to the racetrack lady. "…Well, he seems to be right over the moon, which is a truly extraordinary event all in itself." Ryou noticed that the racetrack owner's hands were resting on her hips, her straight-backed posture reminding him of an angry cat. "Through I'm not sure he's bragging to the right person…" The dog barked, wriggled free of Ryou's arms and then trotted off towards the water trough. He watched it go before rising to his feet. He brushed some loose grass off the back of his jeans and then made his way over to Bakura. Taking the thief gently by the arm he gave the racetrack owner his best smile. "I'm sorry if our presence was inconvenient to you." The woman glared for a moment, but then grunted dismissively and waved them off, turning away to go check on the dogs.
"What was that for?" Bakura demanded, shrugging off Ryou's hand.
"You really don't know when to stop, do you?" Ryou's voice was laden with irritation. "It's really no wonder why we don't have any friends."
"What do I have to do with your friends? If you don't have any you have no one to blame for that but yourself."
"Ah, then I suppose I should just ignore all those times when you were in control of my body and-"
"Hey, they knew that I was the one out to get the Pharaoh. I don't see why that would have made them dislike you and… are you crying?" Bakura asked in disbelief, noticing that Ryou was trembling slightly and had bowed his head so that his bangs covered his eyes.
A single tear slid out from beneath the bangs and Ryou wiped it away quickly. "How were they supposed to know who was in control? Half the time you were acting like you were me; it's no wonder they never really wanted to hang out."
Bakura rubbed the back of his head, suddenly feeling very awkward. He knew that he hadn't been the kindest to his hikari since they'd moved to Domino, but Ryou must still know that he cared about him, right? It wasn't his fault that his hikari had decided to try and befriend the very person he was out to get… "Does it really bother you that much?"
"Of course it does!" Ryou looked up and Bakura could clearly see that despite the teary eyes his expression was shocked, and Bakura wondered not for the first or last time whether his light half considered him irrevocably heartless. "It's nice to have friends…" Ryou finished weakly, his voice choked.
Bakura sighed and looked around the racetrack. Other than the matron, who was pointedly ignoring them, there wasn't anyone else enjoying a walk in the golden late afternoon light or lazing about on the grass to watch the races. Bakura took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," the words felt strange in his mouth and he had to resist chewing them over as he said them. He glanced over at Ryou and saw that the teen had frozen. "What?" he queried brusquely and turned away from Ryou's blank stare.
"You… apologized to me for something," Ryou's voice was quiet and full of awe.
Bakura made his way over to where he'd left his trench earlier and scooped it up, the black fabric warm against his hands. "What's your point?"
"Oh, I don't know," Ryou chuckled and walked to Bakura's side, wiping the last tears from his eyes. Moving closer than he normally dared, Ryou leaned in and rested his head on the thief's shoulder, his hands coming up to grasp the loose fabric of Bakura's shirt. "It just makes me feel like the end of the world is approaching, or something," he murmured, silently blaming his boldness on a sudden and overwhelming feeling of affection that had swept through him when his dark half had apologized.
"I don't understand you at all," Bakura groaned. "First you're sad, then you aren't, and now you're, well…"
Ryou nuzzled his head into the thief's shoulder. "Mmmm, I suppose so," he mumbled.
What to do? Bakura pondered. Acting as some sort of walking pillar of comfort for someone went completely against his nature, however he couldn't deny that it felt kind of good. He patted Ryou on the head, noticing for the first time how soft and silky his light half's hair was in comparison to his own. It must be all the conditioner he uses. Bakura thought as his hand began to stroke Ryou's hair gently. The teen responded by looping his arms around the thief's neck, letting Bakura bear more of his weight as he relaxed his muscles.
Bakura wasn't sure how long they stood like this. The golden light of afternoon began to darken into a red that tinted the sky and ground, tiny stars already becoming visible at the highest peak of the sky. The grass rippled as a cool breeze snaked through the gaps in the stone cliffs that surrounded the racetrack. As the breeze reached them both Ryou and Bakura shivered, their coats lying forgotten on the ground.
"It will be night soon," Bakura remarked, his hand pausing on top of Ryou's head. "I wonder if Cremia will allow us to spend another night in her barn?"
"Ahh, I'd forgotten!" Ryou exclaimed, jumping backwards so fast that it was only the thief's quick reflexes that saved him from being head-butted in the jaw. Ryou quickly scooped up his jacket. "Cremia said that she was going in to the town tonight and that we should meet her in front of the barn at seven o'clock if we wanted a ride. Hopefully she hasn't left yet!"
"There's a town nearby?"
"I guess so. I figured that it would be worth checking it out, and since you've just won us a bunch of –what was it that they called them again? Rupees?– we'll be able to stay at a hotel or inn and not impose on Cremia's hospitality any longer."
"I suppose that makes sense," Bakura said as he pulled on his coat. "And come to think of it, this morning that Link kid and his annoying ball of light mentioned something about coming back to the ranch this evening. Though I don't know why they'd be coming back for a ride to the town, I mean they already have a horse…"
Ryou, unable to come up with a reasonable explanation, shrugged. "We can only ask him when we get there," he said as he began to jog towards the exit, Bakura close on his heels.
Five long minutes later they came up alongside the barn. In the falling twilight the glow of lanterns was clearly visible streaming through the half open doors. Shadows danced along the ground, and soon Cremia emerged leading a sturdy gray mare. She made her way to the road where a covered wagon sat in the gloom and began to harness the horse, the cinching of leather and jingle of tack every so often interrupted by a low whinny. In front of the barn Link was sitting on the crate, his feet swinging back and forth, the sound of his boots taping the wood coming as rhythmically as the tick of a clock. Out of breath from the jog, Ryou was forced to lean on the red planking of the barn, one hand clutching at a stitch in his side. Bakura, who didn't seem at all phased by the physical exertion, walked over to Link and leaned back against the crate, his arms crossed over his chest.
"What brings you back to share a ride with the rest of us poor mortals?" Bakura asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Link looked over at the white haired thief, his face a mask of innocence. "I was about to ask you the same thing. I would have thought that you'd have already gone home by now."
Having recovered enough wind to stand properly Ryou made his way over to the group. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.
"Well," the green clad youth began, leaning forward slightly and lowering his voice. "Have you ever noticed sometimes when you've just finished talking to someone and they leave the room that they vanish?"
"No," replied Ryou.
"Yes," replied Bakura, then added. "But it was part of the job description."
Link didn't seem too worried about their opposite answers. "It happens a lot to me," he confided. "Sometimes I'm even the one doing it! Then again that mostly happens when I do something stupid like fall into a bottomless pit or a lava pool. For some odd reason I just end up waking up at the beginning of the room or area I was exploring."
Ryou and Bakura's eyes were wide with disbelief, and while the thief kept quiet Ryou couldn't help but ask: "B-but! Doesn't doing those things mean that you're dead?"
"If I did it often enough I might, but I'll be alright the first couple of times." Link said lightheartedly, his carefree attitude making Ryou and Bakura all the more confused. "That's why I thought you might have just reset to wherever your home is."
Bakura tapped his chin pensively. "No, somehow I think it's a little different for us."
"Oh," Link's face fell. "I'm sorry to hear that, but if you're looking for advice you could always try talking to the Great Fairies. They know a lot about magic and have helped me out many times in the past. Or if you're really desperate you could try finding Gebola."
There was a burst of light from Link's tunic and Tatl appeared. "Oh, not that owl again!" she moaned, flitting irately back and forth. "All he does is talk too much and give vague instructions: that thing with the invisible ice blocks? Not amusing."
"If you think he's long-winded you should meet the owl I knew back in Hyrule."
"Gebola is an owl?" Ryou asked, puzzled.
"Yes," Bakura replied before Link or Tatl could get a word in. "And the other people we're supposed to go to are fairies!" Ryou sighed in defeat, he didn't think he'd ever be able to get used to the strange things in this world.
The crunch of boots on gravel announced Cremia's arrival to where they were waiting. "Well I'm all set to go, why don't you go get settled in the back of the wagon? Just be careful not to bump the jars of milk, I'd hate for them to be spilled."
"Alright, we're on our way," Link said cheerfully before hopping down from the crate.
"I just need to go tell Romani we're going, I'll be with you in a second."
As Cremia rushed into the barn the trio made their way to the wagon. The inside bed was completely flat, the wood pounded smooth by countless cargos. A small lip was the only preventative in place to keep the three giant jars currently sitting beneath the domed canvas roof from sliding out the second the wagon began going uphill. As they were climbing past the jars Ryou noticed that each had a skin lid tied in place with twine. He tapped his finger against the nearest and concluded that it was nearly full to the brim. Once he was past the milk he curled his legs into his chest, making room for Link and Bakura. As the two others took their places in the crowded wagon Link whispered: "About the Great Fairies: I wouldn't recommend you look directly at them… ever!"
"What's so bad about them?" Bakura asked, looking skeptical.
Link gave an anguished smile. "It's hard to describe… it leaves you with a burning sensation behind your eyes though."
"How… reassuring."
It was then that Cremia swung onto the front of the wagon. She picked up the reins from where they were tied to a peg on the bench and flicked them. The horse threw its weight forward into the harness and the wagon slowly began to move. Once the wagon was on the track leading out of the ranch Cremia leaned back and, draping one arm casually over the padded wooden bench, turned to face her passengers. "Will this be your first time to Clock Town?" she asked them.
Ryou and Bakura nodded while Link shook his head. "I've been there before on several occasions," he replied.
"Well I'm just glad for the company," Cremia shifted her gaze back to the road. "To tell you the truth I've recently been having a lot of trouble with bandits stealing my milk shipments."
Link perked up at this and drew out his bow from somewhere underneath the shield on his back. "Don't worry," he told her. "I'll hold them off until we get to the town."
Cremia looked over her shoulder and smiled gratefully. "Thank you, I really appreciate your help."
They were passing under the arch that marked the ranch's entrance. Ryou watched as the grasslands disappeared behind the sheer rock walls that lined the track. He twisted around to see what was in front of them. The gray horse was plodding along, showing little sign of its heavy burden. Before it the track ran straight down a gentle incline, only a small strip of darkening sky visible above them. As they rattled along Ryou noticed that there seemed to be something crossing the track before them.
"Oh no," Cremia had also noticed the obstacle and pulled back on the reins, bringing the wagon to a jouncing halt. Bakura and Link turned about to see what the matter was.
"A roadblock," Bakura remarked upon seeing the spiked wooden fence that had, by the look of its jutting nails and lopsided crossbeams, been hastily constructed.
"We'll need to take a detour through the Gorman Bros. racetrack," Cremia stated shakily, steering the horse to the right where there was a small gap in the cliffs.
"That's exactly what they want you to do!" Bakura exclaimed, looking like he very much wanted to smack his forehead.
Cremia sat up straight, her head set resolutely. "I know, but we don't have a choice. The milk need to be delivered by tonight and besides, this time I have all of you with me." Link saluted cheerfully and then moved nearer the back of the wagon, stationing himself directly behind the middle jar of milk.
Tatl popped out of his shirt and began to flit around. "You ready?" she asked her partner.
"As ready as ever," Link replied, notching an arrow and holding it loosely, his eyes scanning the dark road behind them.
Ryou felt an arm snake around his torso, he looked at Bakura feeling confused and slightly excited as the thief pulled him close. "Hold on, this is probably going to be a rough ride," Bakura advised.
Nothing happened at first. The path widened out into a racing circuit, the grassy patch in the middle fenced off from any sort of access. Cremia kept the horse at a fast walk, not wanting to tire it out needlessly. The clouds were sent hurrying away by a far up wind, starlight illuminating the track. In the distant area that had been until recently cloaked in shadow were two figures on horseback. The horses were tossing their heads as though eager for the chase to begin. In contrast, the riders remained still, the moonlight glinting off the metal points of the pitchforks they carried. Without warning the riders as one gave a great yell and spurred their mounts, the horses going from standing to a gallop in instants.
"Yah!" Cremia yelled, flicking the reins hard. The gray mare didn't need to be told twice, her ears were flat against her head in fear and she threw herself forward, her hooves striking the ground faster and faster as she accelerated.
The wagon began to rock dangerously as each pebble sent the wooden wheels airborne. Ryou's body was stiff, shot with more adrenaline then he'd ever experienced all at once. He understood what Bakura had meant about the rough ride as he was sent crashing into the back of the bench. His head reeled from the impact and he suddenly became aware of the taste of blood. Bakura was cursing in Egyptian beside him and then Ryou found himself cradled in the thief's lap, strong arms protecting him from being tossed out of wagon.
"Kura…" he mumbled before slipping into unconsciousness.
"Damnit Ryou of all times to knock yourself out!" Bakura yelled as he struggled to keep a hold on Ryou's limp form.
"Enemies closing!" Link stated, his voice loud and unusually calm. Bakura looked up and saw that the bandits had closed the distance between themselves and the wagon. Though large hoods covered their faces their whoops of glee were loud in the air. The pitchforks came down like lances and the bandits gave their horses another kick, sending them into attack range. Tatl zoomed out and hovered next to the nearest bandit's head, guiding Link's shot. The boy drew back the bow and then fired off three shots in rapid succession. Each hit its mark: two in the bandit's chest and one into the shadows of his hood. The hit bandit's horse began to drop back and Bakura snarled in approval, his raiding instincts from long ago kicking in. His glee was cut short however when the first bandit's horse began to recover its speed, its rider still shouting battle cries into the night.
"Why isn't he dead?" Bakura yelled, hoping to be heard over the clatter of hooves, rattle of wood on stone and raucous cries.
"Why would he be?" Link answered back. He sent a volley of arrows at the second bandit, forcing him to fall back as well.
Why? Well it might be because you just shot him full of arrows! Bakura didn't bother pointing this out aloud; somehow he didn't think he'd make any headway with his argument what with the counterevidence boring down upon them.
The game of tag seemed to continue on for an eternity, the bandits always coming too close for comfort only to be then driven back by Link's excellent marksmanship.
"We're nearly out!" Cremia called, snapping the reins one last time. The gray mare put on a final burst of speed and shot out of the racetrack and back onto the main road. The wagon swung hard and tilted up onto two wheels as they made the tight corner. When it had settled Link and Bakura looked back. The bandits were still in the divide between the racetrack and the road, as though there was an invisible wall that they couldn't cross. They screamed unintelligibly in anger, their horses rearing and adding their own screams into the night air. Eventually they turned away and disappeared back into the shadows.
Something shifted in Bakura's lap and Ryou slowly opened his eyes. "Huh?" he moaned. "What's going on?"
"You missed all the action," Bakura informed him. "Now be quiet, I'm tired."
Ryou didn't understand, but he closed him mouth and let his dark half hold him, noticing how the thief's muscles had gone unusually limp. Link sat down beside them and leaned against the bench. He closed his eyes and sighed, looking perfectly content to enjoy the quiet while it lasted.
They passed out from the narrow road into a field even larger then that of the ranch. The giant remains of trees studded the new landscape like watchtowers sprung from the earth, the turret-like jagged spines of broken wood silhouetted against the star filled sky. Soon the soft thud of the mare's hooves on the grass was replaced by a hard clatter. A mighty gate enveloped them and then they were surrounded by houses.
Cremia pulled up in front of a low-slung establishment. 'Milk Bar Latte' the sign above the door proclaimed, Ryou noticed once had climbed out of the wagon followed closely by Bakura and Link.
"Welcome to Clock Town!" she said cheerfully, and then turning to Link she curtsied. "As a show of my gratitude for your help I want you to have these," Cremia reached under the driver's seat and pulled out a mask in the shape of a cow and a large red crystal heart. Link accepted them, the heart vanishing once it touched his hand.
"Thanks," he said while he tucked the mask away somewhere on his back. Once Cremia had gone into the bar Link turned to Ryou and Bakura. "Well, here we are. What are you planning to do now?"
"Go to sleep," Bakura moaned. "It feels like I'm covered in bruises. I don't suppose you know of any inns around here?"
"There is one," Link said, sounding a bit down. "But it's full at the moment. You would have needed to go there on the first day in order to get a room."
"The first day of what?" Ryou asked, the pounding in his head not dampening his curiosity.
Link blinked and then looked away. "Oh, it's nothing… just how I count."
Bakura looked grumpily at the young boy. "Well where are we supposed to sleep then?"
Link thought for a moment, his bent index finger pressing against his lips. "I'd try North Clock Town," he eventually said. "It's more of a park really; lots of grass and no people wandering about to disturb you. You just need to head up the stairs here and then head left through the first arch."
"What about you?" Ryou asked.
"I still have some stuff I need to get done. I'll come looking for you guys in the morning and we'll see if we can get anything out of the Clock Town Great Fairy that might help you go home."
"Much obliged," Bakura yawned widely and turned away, limping slightly as he made his way up the stairs. Ryou, after having bided Link good night followed after.
---
Bakura: We were spared!
Ryou: Just barely though…
Chronos: That aside, how is it possible that this chapter ended up being longer than the last (which was longer than the last, which was longer than the last…)
Link: I hinted at the story's plot in this chapter *feels proud*
Chronos: *pats Link* R&R and stay tuned for the next chapter in which Ryou has a very scary dream!