A/N: Aww, everyone was so upset for Yuugi. I know, I was too! A couple of people asked whether the story would go into true rape territory… the answer is no. I don't believe it's necessary, and honestly, I'm not sure Hafiz has that much of a death wish. Now, make sure you read my author's note at the bottom of the page because I'm holding a little contest of sorts. In the meantime, enjoy!
It was just after seven in the morning when Mokuba slipped out of his brother's bed and walked over to the window to watch the others leave the house. Admittedly, he felt a little foolish for his earlier display; he'd flat out refused to get up and see them off even after Jou had asked him to, instead preferring to say his good-byes while huddled in the bed. The feeling of Seto's lips tenderly brushing his forehead in a loving kiss still lingered, and he rubbed the spot and sighed as he watched the gates open. His brother hated it when Mokuba was upset with him, and he regretted letting Seto leave when things between them weren't completely settled. But... it was better this way. Easier to let Seto think he was sulking so that the brunette wouldn't look too closely at his actions.
The door cracked open behind him and Shizuka, fully dressed for the day in a pair of jean shorts, a white tank top underneath a blue men's shirt that had once belonged to Seto and blue sneakers, walked in. She crossed the room and peeked over his shoulder, but by that time, the car was out of sight. "Are you ready?" she asked impatiently, plucking at one of the sleeves on his shirt. Her lips parted in a teasing smile. "I'll leave without you."
Mokuba smirked as he turned away from the window. "No, you won't," he said confidently, grabbing the hem of his shirt and lifting it over his head. Shizuka blushed and looked away, and, oddly pleased by her reaction, he dropped his pants and quickly dressed in the jeans and t-shirt he'd deliberately left in the room the night before. Then he knelt and pulled two backpacks out from underneath the bed. He handed the bright pink one to Shizuka and kept the green one for himself, slinging it onto his back with ease. "Are you ready?"
"Yep." Shizuka nodded, pulling on the pack. She carefully eased her long auburn hair out from underneath the straps and flipped it over her shoulder. Mokuba swallowed hard and glanced away.
"We should go," he said, "before we get caught."
He and Shizuka had come up with their plan about two seconds after the tickets had been revealed to the room. They hadn't even needed to talk to each other to know what exactly their plan would be. Mokuba had known that there was no way that Seto would agree to let him come; his brother was way too protective for that, and Shizuka had the exact same problem with Jou, though it hadn't stopped them from arguing the point. Their solution? Sneak on board of the ship and stay out of anyone's sight until the boat was far enough away from the dock that Seto couldn't toss them overboard with orders to swim back.
The house felt overly quiet without the presence of the others. Mokuba slipped down the stairs, Shizuka on his heels, and walked into the kitchen. It was early enough that the full-time chef wasn't around yet, leaving them with plenty of time to grab food. She went to the refrigerator to get water and boxes of juice while he began grabbing boxes of crackers. He was concentrating so hard on making sure that everything fit into his backpack that he didn't even hear the footsteps approaching until someone's hand landed on his shoulder. With a yelp, he jumped and dropped the package of cookies he'd been trying to shove in.
"Careful." Anzu scooped up the package and cradled it in the crook of her arm. She looked amused. Mokuba glanced past her and saw Otogi standing beside Shizuka, who was making an unsuccessful attempt to hide the water bottle in her hands.
"Going somewhere?" Otogi asked, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Yes. We're going to Pegasus's island," Mokuba said defiantly, realizing that there was no point in trying to lie. He knew that Otogi and Anzu knew exactly what they were up to. "Nii-sama and Nii-chan think that we're too young to help, but I know they're wrong. Pegasus will have all kinds of traps laid out for them and they're going to need us."
"It's true," Shizuka spoke up. "You know Pegasus can't be trusted. Mokuba and I were there - we know what he's really like." She winced and her fingers tightened around the straps of her backpack. Mokuba tried not to look at her. When they were willingly going back to that place, he didn't want to be reminded of what had happened there.
"Regardless, we're in charge of keeping you guys here," said Anzu, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She handed the box of cookies back to Mokuba and turned so that she could look at Shizuka. "I don't think your brothers would be very happy if we just let you guys run off. It's going to be dangerous."
"Then why don't you come with us?" Mokuba suggested. "You're a guardian, too. It must feel wrong for you to stay behind when the people you were charged with protecting have gone into battle. You know there's no need for you to stay here with us."
Anzu frowned and squirmed, and he knew he'd hit the nail on its head. "It's too dangerous," she repeated weakly.
"Danger doesn't scare me," Shizuka said quietly, looking out the window. "What does scare me is knowing that Maiden of the Moonlight took half of us out with no problem. She beat the Pharaoh and was able to wound Bakura and Nii-chan to the point where they couldn't fight anymore. Even Seto-onii-chan had trouble. Now they're going up against her and Pegasus when only Mariku-san, Seto-onii-san and Honda-san are capable of fighting. Isis-san doesn't really have the power to summon monsters, Bakura and Nii-chan are still wounded, and Ryou-san and Malik-san don't know how to fight. What do those odds suggest to you?" She faced Anzu with a challenging expression on her face.
Otogi glanced at Anzu and said carefully, "The kids have a point, Anzu-chan. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have my lover and the rest of them come back in one piece. We're all guardians here, and Mokuba-kun does have a point."
The older girl looked between the three pleading expressions that she was being hit with all at once and rolled her eyes. "Oh alright," she allowed, knowing that there was no way she could say no. Seto was probably going to kill her, but she suspected that he'd known this was coming. Mokuba and Shizuka had learned well from their older siblings; they weren't willing to give up when the lives of those they cared about the most were in jeopardy, no matter what the personal cost. She smiled sadly to herself and said, "Otogi-kun and I will pack our bags and meet you at the front door. We'll have to hurry, but do not leave without us, understood?"
Mokuba nodded, grinning. He didn't mind making the promise now that Anzu had given in. She and Otogi went upstairs while he and Shizuka continued to gather provisions together. In just a couple of minutes, Anzu and Otogi were back, leading him to wonder if the two of them had had their bags packed already. It wouldn't have surprised him, but he didn't say anything about it as he slung his considerably heavier backpack over his shoulders ago and followed them outside. Shizuka closed and locked the door of the mansion behind them before she turned around, a determined look in her eyes.
"Ready?" she asked. "How will we get there?" She and Mokuba had been planning to ride their bikes, and at full speed they would have just made it, but she didn't think Anzu or Otogi would be open to that idea.
"I called a car," said Otogi, proving her right. "It should be here soon."
Anzu set her bag down on the sidewalk and leaned against the gate as Shizuka and Mokuba sat down on the curb. Her heart was pounding so hard that she felt sick. Part of her felt like she was doing the right thing in going to the island, but the other part of her felt like she was making a mistake, and she had no clue which part she was supposed to be listening to. The thought of separating from the group for a little while had sounded so appealing when Shizuka mentioned it, but how could she just walk away when the events that they'd been preparing for were finally happening? What if she left and someone got hurt or worse? She'd never be able to live with herself if there was something she could have done to prevent it.
Someone moved to stand next to her, distracting her from her thoughts. She opened one eye to see a bright green pair staring back at her. Anzu swallowed her groan and muttered, "Please go away, Otogi-kun. I'm not in the mood."
"I know, but I'm going to make you listen, anyway." Otogi smirked and looked up at the sky. It was a cloudless, clear day, but there was an early morning chill that had caused all of them to don sweaters in anticipation of the cold boat ride ahead. "If you don't want to be here, then don't. We're going to need all of the help we can get, but if your head isn't in the game, then you're a liability to us."
"And you'd love it if I left, right?" The bitterness in her own voice truly surprised her.
Otogi looked astonished. "I never said that."
She licked her lips. "You implied it. I know you don't like me."
"For someone who can be smart, you sure are stupid sometimes," Otogi said flatly. When she sputtered, he added, "I might enjoy teasing you, Anzu-chan, but that doesn't mean I don't like you. I think you get in over your head sometimes, and you're way more stubborn than you should be, but you're also a good friend and very loyal to Yami, and because of that I think you make an excellent guardian. All I'm saying is, if you want to leave, then that's your choice to make and no one will look down on you for making it. Don't come because you think you have to, but don't leave just because you think that's what I or someone else wants."
For some reason, his firm words made her feel like crying. Anzu had to swallow several times before she managed to speak. "Isis-san told me that it was important for me to come along to the island," she whispered finally. "She said she had a vision, but she wouldn't tell me anything else about it."
"Magic." Otogi scoffed and folded his arms. "Honestly, sometimes it's more trouble than it's worth."
Her mouth twitched. Wasn't that the truth? Two years ago, when she'd been approached for the first time, she'd been positive that it was some sort of joke. Only when she'd been shown how to summon her partner monster had she realized how very serious things actually were. Anzu would never forget the rush that came from summoning Fairy's Gift for the very first time. After years of being told that because she was a girl, she wouldn't really amount to that much, that strong, powerful feeling had made her want to be a guardian. She had wanted to protect the Pharaoh and the people he cared about simply because she could. But somewhere along the line, it had become more about payment, and she'd started thinking that because she had protected him, Yami would be hers as a reward.
"It's certainly ruined my life," she said out loud with a sigh, swiping her hands across her eyes. For although being a guardian was the reason she had stuck so close to him, she had no one to blame but herself for having lost sight of what was really important. If she'd been more willing to remember that she was a guardian for the sake of protecting, and not for a reward, things might not have turned out so poorly. She might have been able to fight against Maiden of the Moonlight's powerful spell instead of succumbing to it so easily. Anzu closed her eyes, knowing that she had a lot of making up to do.
Beside her, Otogi moved, and she glanced up to see that the car had arrived. The slender young man opened up the door and waved a hand at Shizuka and Mokuba, ushering them inside. He waited until the two pre-teens had climbed in before he turned and looked at Anzu. Silently, he raised an eyebrow, clearly asking what her choice was. Anzu hesitated, wavering, wondering what the right decision was. It occurred to her that maybe if she helped them, Yami would be more willing to forgive her, and they could start over again as just friends. With that thought in mind, Anzu stepped forward and got into the car.
GMA
Ryou had never actually been on a boat that was out on the water before. Their brief visit to the Cynthia when it was docked had been his first time on a boat period, and he couldn't help feeling a little nervous as they walked up the gangplank. He did his best to hide it, though he had the feeling that Bakura wasn't fooled. His yami kept giving him amused looks when no one else was watching. That was alright, though. All he had to do in response was smile slowly and wink and Bakura would spin around so fast that he nearly fell over. Fortunately, Mariku had yet to notice, or the endless ribbing that would have resulted would have put Bakura into an even worse mood than Ryou's small amount of teasing.
There was no one around on the Cynthia when they arrived. It was only once they were all onboard that the workers came out of hiding. People dressed in crisp white and black sailing uniforms began to bustle around them like their group didn't exist. Even when Seto made an attempt to approach someone, he was carefully ignored, which cause the brunette's eyes to turn an interesting shade of icy blue. Seto Kaiba did not do well with being ignored, especially in a situation like the one they were facing. Before he could do anything, though, someone cleared their throat, and Ryou turned to see a tall man looking at them.
"Good evening," he greeted the group in general. His eyes were hidden by a pair of dark sunglasses, but Ryou could still feel the strength of that stare, and he shifted uneasily. "I have been sent to escort you to Illusion Island under the orders of Pegasus-sama. The crew has been instructed not to speak with you under any circumstances, and pressing the matter will not do you any good. It will only result in you being ignored and their getting into trouble."
Seto scowled, clearly not liking the idea that they would be so cut off. "How are we supposed to function on this boat if we are being ignored?" he demanded.
"Your every need has been taken care of, and if you will follow me, I'll show you to your rooms. My name is Croquet and I will be at your service until you arrive at the island." He inclined his head slightly and beckoned to them with his hand.
When the others began to follow, Ryou hung back, not quite ready to go under the deck yet. He waved Bakura on when his yami glanced back at him, then wandered over to the railing and leaned against the side, watching the water below. It looked dark and unwelcoming, and he found himself suppressing a shudder at the thought of falling overboard. On the ride down, it had occurred to him that it would be awfully easy for Pegasus to set up a little accident when they were out in the middle of the ocean. There would be no proof that something hadn't just gone wrong with the boat.
"Don't think like that, Ryou."
He jumped and jerked backwards when he felt himself starting to slip. "Malik! Gods, don't scare me like that," he scolded his friend quietly. Even though it seemed like the sailors weren't listening to their conversation, he didn't want his words to carry. "I could have fallen over the rail."
"I might've jumped in after you," Malik said with a crooked, teasing smile. "Of course, I can't swim that great, so I guess it wouldn't have done much good." He was attempting to sound light hearted, but it wasn't working very well. His own doubts about getting on the boat had swelled the instant he caught sight of the worried look on Ryou's face. Having been raised in the desert, swimming was not Malik's strongest point, and it likely never would be. It was one thing to wade into a stream, but if something happened to the ship... he shivered and grabbed the rail. "I feel the strangest urge to get back to land at the moment."
A weak smile crossed Ryou's face and he instinctively stepped closer to Malik. "I felt the same way," he confided softly. "I was just thinking that if something were to happen..."
"Don't talk about it, okay?" Malik's face had gone white behind his tan. He put his free hand on Ryou's shoulder and squeezed warmly, intending to say something comforting, but what came out instead was, "Shit. Look over there."
Ryou followed his gaze to the far end of the pier, where he saw a very familiar young boy ducking down behind a box. The dim light and shadows were working against Ryou, but he was pretty sure he could just barely make out four people total crouched behind some of the boxes waiting to be placed on the ship. His mouth twitched with amusement. "Oh dear. I should have known that they wouldn't give up. Do you think we should tell Seto and Jou?"
"Tell me what?" a familiar voice asked. Ryou and Malik jumped.
"Would you people stop doing that?" Ryou complained as he turned around, one hand pressed to his chest. "You're going to give me heart failure."
Jou smirked. "Sorry."
"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" said Malik, chancing a quick look over his shoulder. He couldn't see any sign of the stowaways.
"I snuck out when Seto was occupied," Jou replied, shoving his hands into his pockets. He stayed well away from the railing. Like Ryou and Malik, he had no love for the ocean, and he was not looking forward to the two days that it would take to reach Illusion Island. "It feels strange to have willingly come on board. I can't help thinking that we're walking into a trap."
"We probably are," Ryou muttered, wrapping his arms loosely around his waist. "But we didn't have a choice. We have to help Yuugi."
"I know." The blond nodded. He looked at the sailors milling around them and made sure that no one was listening or paying them any attention before he took a step forward, using his height to conceal what he was doing. Ryou gasped and Malik stiffened when he unclenched his fists, revealing two golden puzzle pieces that he had been hiding in his pockets.
"What are you doing with those?" Malik hissed.
"You know that Seto brought the Millennium Puzzle along, just like that snake wanted," Jou told them softly, knowing how easily words could carry over water. "He wants us to keep the pieces with us for safety and that's fine, but I think it's a bad idea to have all of the puzzle pieces together in one place, just in case Pegasus does decide to pull something." He looked between the two of them. "I mean, come on, you know Yuugi. He'd solve the puzzle in a heartbeat if he thought that one of us was in danger, no matter what the cost. And that goes double for him if he hears that Yami is trapped inside. I'm just tryin' to prevent a disaster."
Put like that, it suddenly sounded reasonable. Ryou stared at the piece of the puzzle, still feeling apprehensive. "But why us?" he asked, sounding bewildered. "Surely Bakura and Mariku would be the better choice. I mean, we already have our own items to look after."
"Who does Yuugi trust more?" Jou replied, raising an eyebrow. "I could give the pieces to Bakura and Mariku, but…" He paused briefly, not sure how to put his uncertainty into words that wouldn't offend the hikaris. He would trust Bakura and Mariku with his life, but Yami was so much more than that, and darkness could get out of control so easily… Malik's eyes narrowed at his hesitation, but Jou pretended not to notice. Desperation filled his eyes as he said, "Please take them."
Ryou chewed his lip for a moment longer, unsure of whether he really wanted to take possession of one of the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle. He already had the Millennium Ring to watch over, and adding a puzzle piece would be that much extra danger. But how could he say no? In just a few short weeks, Yami had become everything to Yuugi, and their friend would be crushed if anything happened to his darkness. It was their responsibility to look after Yami in Yuugi's absence, and that meant... he sighed, realizing he'd effectively talked himself into it, and reached out to take the piece. The gold felt cold and heavy between his fingers as he cradled it gingerly. A moment later, after making a face, Malik took the other one.
"Thank you," Jou said, relief shining in his amber eyes. "Put them somewhere safe, alright? Don't tell anyone you have them. I mean, I know you have your mind links, so it's pretty hard to keep things from your yamis, but do the best you can."
"Mind link?" Malik's head snapped up and he nearly dropped the Puzzle piece. "What do you mean, mind link? Mariku can't read my mind." He sounded panicked at the idea.
Jou almost choked. "Did I say mind link?" he asked, sounding horrified. "I meant your bond. Yeah. Sorry, my mind gets the terms mixed up sometimes. Oh, look at that, I think we're setting off. I'm just going to…" The second his friends turned to watch the gangplank being drawn, Jou took off, deciding that he'd rather face an angry lover than two inquisitive hikaris. At least he knew how to shut Seto up.
"That little…" Malik turned back to watch him go with exasperation.
"He was right, you know," Ryou observed, sliding the piece into his pocket and grabbing Malik's hand. His heart was pounding and he felt worse than ever at the thought of going out onto the ocean, but there was no turning back. The deck of the boat shuddered gently as the engines were switched on. Ropes were untied and the anchor hoisted, and then they were drifting away from the dock. He noticed that Malik's face was very pale and that the blond was gripping Ryou tightly in return.
"Guess it's too late to turn back now," Malik muttered, looking very much as though he wished he could swim so that he could jump over the railing and swim back to shore. Once the boat was a fair distance from the pier, the propellers kicked in and they began moving at a steady pace across the waves. "Do you think that they got on in time?"
"Who?" It took Ryou a minute to remember who Malik was talking about. Instinctively, he glanced back in the direction where they'd seen the others, but they were too far away for him to be able to tell if anyone was there. "Oh. I'm sure they did." Frankly, he hoped so. He was beginning to get to the point where he trusted Bakura to protect him and not just the Millennium Ring, but Pegasus had already proven himself to have powerful and skilled monsters at his disposal. Any extra help that they had on their side was fine by him, as he had the unfortunate feeling that they were going to need it.
GMA
Getting onto the Cynthia proved to be both easier and more difficult than Shizuka had anticipated, and as it turned out, she and Mokuba were fortunate that Otogi was there. He apparently had some experience with this sort of thing, as he'd had the foresight to bring a strong length of rope with him. Shizuka summoned Red Archery Girl and tied the end of the rope to an arrow, which her duel monster then shot over the deck of the boat. Shadow magic wound the rope securely around the railing, and then it was up to them to shimmy up the rope to the deck of the boat without being seen. Easier said than done, but although she had a scraped set of hands and knees to show for it, they all managed to get onboard safely.
"Where will we hide?" Shizuka asked, licking her palms. The scratches stung, but she could tell that they hadn't done too much damage. It was her own fault for wearing shorts instead of jeans and neglecting to grab a pair of gloves.
"We only have to hide until we're away from the pier. Pegasus may have sent only eight tickets, but I suspect he knows we're coming, and he'll probably have given the guards instructions to not bother any extra passengers," Otogi told them in a hushed voice. "Come on." He led them inside the Cynthia and below the deck, seemingly knowing exactly where he was going. Shizuka and Mokuba stuck close to him with Anzu bringing up the rear as they climbed down to the second level and entered a long corridor of doors. Otogi turned right and started walking towards the end of the hall. Neither of the boys noticed a door down the hall to the left opening. Isis, apparently unsurprised at their presence, stepped out and beckoned to Anzu, who looked at Shizuka.
"Is this your choice?" Shizuka whispered, genuinely curious.
"I don't know." Anzu shook her head and squeezed Shizuka's hand gently before she hefted her bag and walked back towards Isis. The two of them disappeared into Isis's room, and Shizuka turned and hurried to catch up to Mokuba and Otogi before her presence was missed.
Otogi had stopped in front of a door that had the number "21" stencilled deeply into the front. He pushed the door open, revealing a fairly large cabin with a queen-sized bed in the middle of the room. The room itself was decorated in shades of orange and red that seemed at odds with the view of the water through the porthole. Shizuka hung back near the door as Mokuba walked around, but Otogi didn't; he strode across the room and sprawled across the bed with a deeply contented sigh.
"Not bad," he remarked, wiggling to get more comfortable. "As expected, Pegasus knows how to treat his guests."
"Is that what you call it?" a familiar voice asked wryly. Shizuka glanced over her shoulder to see that Honda was standing right behind her, shaking his head at his boyfriend. He closed the door and added, "Because I could have sworn that we weren't exactly going on a vacation."
Otogi smirked and sat up, fiddling with his dice earring. Shizuka rolled her eyes as Honda's eyes darkened and he stalked across the room towards his lover. "If you two are going to spend the trip doing that, I'm out of here," she said, covering her eyes. After being around the two of them for so long, she knew that Otogi knew exactly how to drive Honda wild, and he took every opportunity to do just that.
"Then you'd better leave," Otogi told her, not taking his gaze off of Honda.
"You can't," said Honda, pausing just before he would have kissed his lover. Otogi pouted. "If Jou or Seto catch you guys around here, Pegasus will be the least of your worries."
"They can't do anything now," Mokuba said with a confidence he didn't really feel. "We're already on the boat, and there's no way to get off."
"I bet Seto would find a way," Honda warned, shortly before Otogi reached up, grabbed his collar, and physically yanked him down. Shizuka snorted as Honda flailed for a moment, his arms waving in the air before he caught his balance against the bed. She exchanged a grin with an equally amused Mokuba and slipped out of the room with her friend in tow. Neither of them wanted to be treated to another free show, and there were no doubts in her mind that if Otogi had his way, that's exactly what would be happening.
"I'm going to go find Nii-sama and Nii-chan," Mokuba announced as she closed the door behind them.
Shizuka raised an eyebrow, trying her best to ignore the sound of moaning that was now coming from the room. "Feeling dangerous, hmm?"
He just grinned and strolled off down the hall. Shizuka shook her head and headed back up to the deck, and, more specifically, the water. Unlike her brother, she loved the ocean. Jou had always just barely tolerated it when they were younger for her sake, but she had never been able to get enough of it. As a child, she would happily spend hours at the beach until someone dragged her away. Something about the gentle rise and fall of the waves drew her like nothing else. She stepped outside and closed her eyes as the full tang of the salt and brine struck her in the face. It was like coming home.
"Shizuka-san? Has Jou seen you?"
"Not yet," Shizuka said, opening her eyes to see Ryou and Malik standing a few feet away looking at her. A single glance told her that they weren't enjoying the ride, and she felt for them, but the call of the sea was becoming too hard to ignore. "Would you do something for me, Ryou-san?" At his nod, she pulled off her backpack and held it out to him. "Could you watch this?"
Ryou frowned and looked confused, but took the pack. His eyes widened when he realized how heavy it was. "Why - " he began, but he never got the chance to finish his sentence. Shizuka ran past him to the railing, put her sneaker on the first rung, and hoisted herself up. Her hair whipped wildly through the wind as she swung her legs over and leapt off the side of the ship, barely conscious of the worried yells behind her. She sliced through the water like an arrow and revelled in the rush as the ocean closed over her head. Magic flexed in her hands and Red Archery Girl appeared beside her; the red shell opened and her partner monster popped out with an excited grin and a squeal only Shizuka could understand.
Up on the deck, the sound of laughter stopped the two hikaris from completely panicking. Anzu walked over to them and leaned against the rail, her eyes scanning the waves below for any sign of Shizuka. "I wondered how long it would take."
"Is this normal?" Malik asked, face pale.
"Oh yes. Shizuka has an affinity for water. You noticed her partner is a water monster," Anzu said, smiling. "Did she scare you? I'm sorry. I should have thought to warn you."
"No problem." Malik exchanged a doubtful look with Ryou. He had thought that having the extra guardians around would be beneficial, but if they were all as crazy as Shizuka, he was beginning to think that they might be more hindrance than help. Just what had they gotten themselves into?
Please review!
Note: In honour of the fact that this story is nearly at 400 reviews, which will make it my most popular story to date, I'm going to do a little contest. The 400th reviewer will have the chance to have a one-shot written for them by me featuring one of the following couples: Yuugi/Yami, Ryou/Bakura, Malik/Mariku or Seto/Jou. They can send me up to three ideas and I'll pick one to create a one-shot from. If the 400th reviewer doesn't answer my PM (or is not interested in a one-shot), I'll go to the 401st, 402nd, 403rd reviewer, etc… So make sure that you are signed in when you review, or else I'll have to skip you.