Sunday afternoon Seto and Yami returned.
"Greetings King Kaiba, Master Atemu. How did it go?" Mai asked.
"Not well, we came up empty." Yami said.
"But the sheriff did tell us there was another town about 60 miles south of that one and that the names were similar to theirs."
"Yes, he told us that a lot of people get the two towns mixed up."
"So what are you planning to do then, if I may ask?" Mai asked.
"Well we're going to get cleaned up and changed then head back out again." Seto said.
"We would have gone on but the wagon we had they couldn't fix it up properly. The man told us it was only temporary. So we felt that coming home and changing wagons was best." Yami said.
"You said you thought you were being shot at. What happened?" Mai asked. "If you don't mind my asking?"
"Once we were in town it happened again but this time we saw the bullets hit like a barrier around Seto. It was very strange. We went out to investigate and it happened again several times to both of us. The sheriff tracked down and arrested the shooter." Yami said.
"Did you know him?" Mai asked.
"He looked just like a guard in the castle." Yami said.
"So, it was one of our own guards?" Mai asked, stunned.
"No, we saw that guard when we entered the castle." Seto said.
"Did he explain why he did it?" Mai asked.
"Only that he was hired to take us out. He refused to tell who hired him or why." Seto said.
"So what do you plan to do?" Mai asked.
"We're going back out to look for our brother, the sheriff is going to continue to interrogate the prisoner." Seto said.
"The sheriff has promised to let us know the minute anything happens." Yami said.
"Well if you're hungry I could get the cook to fix something real quick." Mai said.
"You do that." Yami said as he and Seto went upstairs.
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Mokuba had been watching from the doorway and was sad that they never once asked about him.
"Why not ask to go with them." A voice said behind him.
Mokuba jumped and gave a slight yelp.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you." Isis said.
"I-it's okay."
"Why not go over there and ask if you can go too. This way you could spend some time with them."
"T-thanks I w-will!" Mokuba said.
Seto and Yami changed clothes and returned. As they waited for their food they were talking when Mokuba walked over and tapped Seto's shoulder.
Seto turned and smiled. "Hey kiddo, sorry we had to leave your party so quickly. We should have said goodbye to you but we were in such a hurry we forgot."
"C-can I g-go with you w-when you leave?" Mokuba asked.
"I'm sorry kiddo but no, after everything that happened on our first trip it's much too dangerous for you to go with us. Now run along and play." Seto said. "We'll see you when you get back and hopefully we'll have our brother then."
"Okay." Mokuba sighed walking off. 'I hope you NEVER find that stupid brother of yours!' Mokuba wanted to scream at them as he ran upstairs.
"Seto, maybe we should let him go with us?"
"No, after what happened, I'm not taking the chance of him getting hurt!" Seto said.
Mokuba went to his room and decided to go to bed early. He'd talk to Ryo tomorrow and then see what he suggests.
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"Bakura." Seto called.
"Yes, my king?"
"I need you to round up about 5 volunteers to go with us as protection and searchers. We're searching every town we come across. I need you and your most loyal knights…" Seto started but Bakura interrupted him.
"We'll be right by your side the whole way, my king."
"Thank you Bakura. I appreciate that, but no. I'm getting the strong impression that my advisors are behind this. They may each have a specific topic they are assigned to advise on but those jobs can be replaced. I need you and your most loyal knights to stay and watch over things. I trust you and the members you pick for your team. I have a feeling those snakes aren't done yet! I need you to stay here and make sure they know their place!" Seto said.
"Yes, sir! You don't need to worry about me!" Bakura said.
"I know I can count on you Bakura."
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Ryo returned from his meeting with Shizuka to find Seto and Yami once again leaving. He put his horse up when suddenly Bakura showed up.
"I think it's time we talked."
Ryo couldn't believe it! Bakura really wanted to talk with him! His heart skipped a beat, maybe he was wrong, maybe there was hope for the two of them after all.
"So where do you wish to go?"
"My room will do?"
So, Ryo followed him there.
"So what did you want to discuss?" Ryo asked.
"I wanted to see if you were serious about becoming a knight."
"What do mean am I serious of course I am! What kind of question is that?"
"I don't know, I've heard you and Shizuka were hot and heavy for a while, then you two have a falling out when you found out she's all hot and heavy with Duke. You get all depressed and hid out in your room."
"Is there a point to this?"
"My point is you have to learn to channel that anger and make it work for you not against you! When you're full of anger and rage you need to channel that energy train, work at it, push it forward. By training hard and challenging that anger, when it comes time for battle you can call on that skill and use that rage to see you through! But do you ever think to ask how to do this? Ask to train with us and learn what it truly means to be a knight and learn our secrets. Your anger needs to be working for you, not against you. But do you ever bother to ask or seek anyone's help or ask to train to work through your anger? No, you sit in your room and sulk like a little girl!"
"So what I'm not allowed to date?" Ryo asked.
"I didn't say that. But all you've done is play games with that brat and fool around with Shizuka!"
"You know if I was any other knight with the same skills you would have accepted me with open arms!"
"I doubt that! But the point is you haven't once even tried to train, not that it'd matter. I don't care what Master Pegasus says! You will never cut it as a knight! If there was a war, all you'd end up doing is getting yourself, me or another knight killed!"
"I can fend for myself, Bakura!"
"Right, I don't believe a word of it! All you'd do is get yourself killed or into trouble! Then again, face to face with a real battle you'd probably turn tail and run! Why don't you just save us all the trouble and leave! You know the only real reason the king keeps you around is to watch that brat! But then when the king's real brother gets here you'll both be obsolete!"
"I don't believe that." Ryo said quietly.
"Yeah, then why was the king going to make you a knight?"
Ryo didn't have an answer.
"Not because you earned it or deserved it! No because you patched him up when he was hurt and nursed him back to health! Maybe you should become a nursemaid instead of a knight. No wait, you already are to that kid! That's the perfect job for you! Do you really think you're going to earn the respect of any of the guards? They all know that knighthood was handed to you on a silver platter! Even if you were simply made a guard, you could never get knighthood without everyone looking at you and wondering if you earned it."
Ryo was so stunned he just ran out of the room. He couldn't believe it! Sure Bakura always had contempt for him but he never imagined it was this bad!
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The next day Mai took a phone call.
"Mai what's wrong?" Isis asked as Mokuba was walking past the hall he stopped and listened.
"That was Master Atemu. They located the knight who was said to have written that letter about finding their brother."
"So, what happened did they find him?" Isis asked.
"Actually the guard said he did remember their mission but he never found a child and never sent the letter. It was all a scam. Plus their wagon wheel broke just as they were about to enter the town. The blacksmith told them it was a thousand wonders; it didn't break sooner or cause more damage."
"That's weird, two different wagons breaking down like that. So what about their brother?"
"I know. That was the reason they returned was to swap out wagons, only for the second one to break also. As for their brother, apparently it was all just a big lie, a scam to get rid of them."
Mokuba couldn't believe it! He'd wished they'd never find their brother and now it was coming true. He ran to his room to wait on Ryo. Ryo had been sitting in his room all day thinking over what Bakura said. When he finally made a decision he went to Mokuba's room to find him sitting quietly in the window seat. He walked in and sat down next to him.
"Mokuba we need to talk."
"About w-what big brother."
"I'm sorry, kiddo but I'm leaving."
"What do you m-mean leaving?"
"I mean I have no place here. Bakura hates me and he's right. No one is ever going to respect me as a knight with it just handed to me and not earned. I'm going to go to the next kingdom and start again and maybe there I can make a life and a name for myself and at least make Bakura proud if nothing else."
"I w-want to come w-with you."
"What? No kiddo, your place is here!"
Mokuba shook his head. "No, I want to come with you! They d-don't want me! They want their real brother! T-they won't s-stop till they f-find him! I'll never see them, they'll a-always b-be looking for him! I-if you d-don't take m-me I'll g-go alone!"
"Are you certain about this? I want you to be absolutely sure."
"I'm s-sure big brother I w-want to g-go with you."
Ryo sighed he couldn't deny the boy he understood all too well what he meant. First they ran out of his party, which actually shocked Ryo. He couldn't believe they just did a total turn around with Mokuba. He would have once fought and yelled at anyone who said that Seto and Yami didn't care for the boy. But sadly now, now he wasn't so sure. But he had heard that the Seto and Master Atemu would do this sometimes when it came to their real brother. He honestly thought that Seto would respect his word to give up on his brother and care for Mokuba. Though he understood their desire for their real brother. He couldn't help but wonder if what Bakura had said was right. If their real brother was found, would Seto and Master Atemu even look at poor Mokuba again. He hated to take the boy with him to an uncertain future. But then again he wouldn't feel right leaving him not knowing how he would be treated when their true brother arrived. So whether he liked it or not he'd rather take the boy and risk it. He had wanted to do this long ago.
"All right, gather your things we'll leave in an hour."
"Okay big brother!"