A/N - Well... It's been nearly a year since my last update. I'm so sorry to make everyone wait so long!
I've just finished my degree, and only now have to wait until my results. The lack of revision and research I now have has done wonders for my motivation and inspiration!
Speaking of; Thanks to all my faithful reviewers, followers and favourit-ers!
Shout outs to:
kitty tokyo uzumaki (Thanks for your ideas, I've had a massive plot hole ever since I started writing this fic and I've only just figured out how to solve it), Balrog Roike (Indeed :D), Miri (Thank you for your ideas as well! I fear we have been in school far too long. To be honest...so have I! TGI Over!), Guest (If this is your profile name, it's brilliant, but as just a guest Thanks for you comments anyway!), and finally: Harvest Dragon (I've gone for a more general perspective this chapter, but watch out for those following! I also think there should have been more myth in YGO).
Well, I hope it's been worth the wait, it's nearly all over now. R&R!
CHAPTER 18.
"Yami, Bakura...how did you guys get out anyway?"
The two glanced at each other in confusion, with Yami being the first to break the silence.
"My friend, I do not see how this is relevant,"
"Neither do I, but kindly explain anyway so as we can be done with this business!" Kaiba snarled out.
Yami continued rather quickly after that, though not without a small amount of annoyance.
"As you wish Cousin. I was merely within the realm of Paradise, relaxing amidst the Pools of Bliss; happy, but missing my Aibou and my friends; whereupon I was visited by the glorious Goddess Isis, who had been charged with my rebirth. I was quite honoured as I believed myself to be following to footsteps of the great Osiris,"
"Keh, she came to me too," Bakura looked smug.
"That's great though, isn't it?" Honda looked nervous, "That the Gods favoured you enough to bring you back?"
"You would think so," Jou replied, "Except that the Goddess Isis does not exist. You've been duped. And in doing so you were led from the Underworld, and thus created the precedent,"
Grave faces were on all those present.
"So our presence is the cause of this destruction?" Yami ventured, and Jou hurriedly set to reassure his friend that he was not to blame, and that they were all glad that they had had the opportunity to meet once more – when from under the cover of the thunder, the sound of an engine roared in.
"Dad!"
The engine stopped and the man in question strode into the group's vicinity.
"Yo!" He tugged round the bag upon his shoulder and pulled out wrapped scroll, "This is for you," He said as he threw the paper to Jou, "Dad, wants to know whether this is official enough for you,"
"So, you're related to Jou too?" Anzu asked.
"In a manner of speaking," Hermes grinned.
As his other friends began to then enquire Hermes about his relationship to Honda, Jou carefully pulled open the scroll. Dread filling his stomach, as he pre-emptively knew what would be written upon it.
Apollo,
You are summoned to fulfil your duty, and to once more defend against the Titans.
This is not a request. Prepare you bow for battle.
Zeus.
Jou wasn't surprised at the lack of sympathy in the letter, it was not his father's way.
But this did mean that Jou was now expected to help defend his godly home – which meant that his friends would be left defenceless. Then again, he wasn't exactly in a position to defend even himself at the moment.
"So," Hermes interrupted, "What are you going to do now then? With the bet and all,"
"There it is again!" Cried Otogi, who up until then had remained silent and still, "What the heck is this 'bet' everyone's talking about! Not to mention the fact that you keep avoiding answering any questions we ask about it!"
"I remember you mentioning something about that when I was round your place as well!" Honda pitched in.
Hermes smirked at his brother clearly loving the situation and ready to see just how Jou could extract himself from this situation.
Jou blushed, and his hand made its way to rub the back of his neck.
"Well, you see guys, myself and my brother...we sorta got a bit carried away one night...and things were said...and well-"
"He bet that he could act human for the duration of a natural lifetime," Dionysus' voice travelled to the gang from a nearby bench, his back still to them, as he held a wine glass in his right hand, "If he wins, I must give up alcohol," His head tilted to the side so Jou could see his profile smirking, "When he loses he must give up his Lyre to me,"
Jou scowled at his brother, whereas Hermes roared with laughter. Yugi, Ryou, Yami, Bakura, Otogi, Honda and Anzu all expressed sudden realisation.
"You mean-"
"Shit!"
"So much for the emissary crap!"
And other variations were some of the only words to gain clarity in the resulting amass of questions hurled at Jou from his friends. Bakura was the first to elbow himself to the front and directly address Jou.
"Ya mean to tell us that, you're actually going to be completely useless in helping?!"
"Is this why we were only ever gonna be gathering information on what was going on?" Honda enquired, "Because you're weak at the moment?"
'Alright, that's taking it too far,'
"I ain't weak!" Jou strode forward, and bopped Hermes on the head to cease his giggles, which had at that point led to him crouching on the floor, "I ain't gonna lose this bet," A comment aimed especially for Dionysus, who saluted him with his wine glass, "I ain't gonna let those sons of bitches win, and most importantly" Jou took a deep breath and faced the mortals head on. They annoyed him and drove him crazy, but he would do anything to keep them away from harm. He may not have had the best record of keeping his loved ones safe, but that didn't mean he was just going to give up.
"Most importantly, I am not going to leave your sides," Jou crumpled the summons still clutched in his grasp, his Dad could suck it. He then turned to include his brothers in his speech, "We will fix this. Of that there is no doubt,"
All who were watching at that moment realised that they had been present for something rarely seen on Earth; and their souls felt lightened in his presence.
"Well! What a family reunion!" Artemis cried.
Otogi jumped several feet in the air as her voice had come from directly behind him. Only this time, she no longer wore even mortal garb, and her flowing dress of pale green was accompanied by guards on her arms, a bow slug across her back with a quiver full of arrows, and greaves upon her shins.
"Holy shit!" He spun round, "Do all you Gods have to just suddenly appear and speak out of nowhere?"
"Of course," Grinned Dionysus, "We get taught that trick in our 'How to Put the Fear of Heaven into Mortals' class in God school. It was almost as fun as the 'How to Instigate Sexual Relations with your Siblings' class,"
"Really?" Enquired Honda, completely grossed out. He shuffled a little further away from his father.
"Of course not," Hermes replied, his eyes rolling in exasperation, "He's just trying-"
"And failing!" Muttered Jou.
"-To be funny,"
"Oh,"
Kaiba at this point had had enough. They'd been arguing in circles for felt like months, with nothing to show for it.
"If you'll excuse my interruption of your insipid comments," He began, "But everyone here is failing to realise that regardless of petty promises, we," he gestured to the mortals of the group, "Have only the little information you have given to us about what is going on – though I seem to be the only one grasping the situation – and you," He pointed at Jou, "Are in fact actually more useless than usual. And in the event that you do provide this group with some sort of godly intervention – you lose this idiotic bet and therefore a good proportion of your powers,"
He sneered towards Jou, who had been progressively tightening his fists with every caustic word. And to think, Kaiba had at least pretended to be on his side not more than a few minutes ago.
Artemis had noticed his growing ire, and so as to prevent the start of another of the infamous Kaiba-Jounouchi fights, she quickly cut in.
"You may all be wondering as to what my return means?"
Shifty eyes abounded.
"No, not really," Ryou muttered.
"Did you not go back to tell Olympus of the state of things like you said?" Queried Anzu.
Artemis shook her regal head.
"That is so, but I told them little they did not already know,"
"So, what's going on?" Honda asked, voicing what was on everyone's mind.
Artemis looked everyone square in the eye. And her following words were solemn in nature.
"Our Father, Lord Zeus on high, has been attending to every word that has been spoken since we all moved outside."
"Have I mentioned what a fool I was in my youth to believe in the Egyptian Dieties?" Bakura hastily put in, "Consider me a complete convert,"
"Kiss ass," Murmered Ryou.
"As...pleasing as that is," Artemis continued, to a background of snickers from her brothers, "What I have come to say is the Father agrees."
It suddenly dawned upon everyone, that since Artemis had been back, the sky had cleared, and by the way the sun was setting in the distance it became obvious exactly how long they'd been outside talking. The sudden change in weather didn't mean that the impending sense of doom had left, in fact, it steadily grew as Artemis laid out the rest of her message.
"However," She said, "We only have three days,"
A/N - What do you think? Hope I haven't lost my touch after a near-year long hiatus!