Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Countdown to Armageddon ❯ Ali Baba ( Chapter 8 )

Yeah! I did a whole lot of rereading and revising, so this chapter took a while. Thanks to kimi no vanilla for the info on 'Ouji.' Someone told me that before and I thought I had fixed it, but I guess somewhere in the process of reviewing and reloading that happened. I know everyone's expecting Yami and Seto, but first you get a bonus character. Read ahead!

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"words" - speech

'words' - thought

//words// - I'll explain later

/words/ - ditto

\lots of words\ - flashback

Large gaps mean a scene or time change.

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh is the intellectual property of Kazuki Takahashi, and is being used in this fan fiction for fan purposes only. All situations, opinions and characters not belonging to Kazuki Takahashi are the intellectual property of Blue September.

Warnings: This fic contains Yaoi and some amounts of graphic violence. You may also notice some OOCness in some of the characters.

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Chapter 8: Ali Baba

He was hot, tired and thirstier than he had ever been. His entire body ached with each step he took, but he could not stop. Stopping meant death. So he continued, trudging on hour after endless hour, until finally…

"A city." His voice was low and ragged after days without water, the last remnants of his body's moisture pasting long, silky, white hair to his forehead. With renewed hope he made his way to the town gates, weary legs doing their best to remain steady on the ever-shifting sand.

The city's gatekeeper eyed him strangely, but said nothing, for he was merely a child. He hardly noticed the hustle and bustle of the people around him, selling and buying, chatting and playing. Only one thought was on his mind. 'Water.' Everything else could be dealt with later. Right now he needed water.

He stumbled around frantically searching for a water source, but it took a while to find. He had never before left his quiet home, so this was very much a new experience. Finally, when he just about felt ready to give in he spied the well. With whatever strength he had left, he found his way over and very laboriously brought up some water. He cupped his hands together, dipping them into the cool, clear liquid and downed it hardly taking breadths between handfuls. It spilled down his chin and onto his worn clothing, but it didn't matter. He was much too thirsty to be caring about petty things like manners.

After drinking his fill, he walked over to a nearby alleyway, darkened by the mid-afternoon shadows and collapsed.

He regained consciousness some hours later. The sun-disk had already begun it's descent into the Underworld. His head throbbed, every joint in his body stiff as he slumped tiredly against the alley wall. He worked desperately to rise, pushing against the wall for support and finally made it to his feet. He stood still, momentarily catching his breath and trying with all his might to keep his eyes in focus.

True his need for water had been temporarily satisfied, but now the need for nourishment had finally caught up. He needed food - anything - he'd settle for a rotten fig. His stomach loudly voiced its agreement making him groan.

How would he get food? He had no money and he would not lower himself to begging. He'd die, starve - hell he'd steal first-

Eyes widening, the boy gulped as the thought crossed his mind. Steal? Could he really bring himself to do that? Well, what were his options? Beg - never. Sit in the alley and wither away - not exactly the intelligent thing to do. The only logical action was to steal something. He crept to the end of the alleyway and carefully peeked around the corner. The day was coming to a close and everyone was packing up. It would be stupid to try and steal from the merchants now. There were no customers to help distract them and he would most likely only end up handless or worse… dead.

Sighing, he quietly shrunk back into the shadows. What could he do? Perhaps when they're all asleep? Of course! His face brightened a bit as the thought occurred to him. He'd just have to wait until everyone was asleep and sneak in. Simple, no? He settled back for the wait.

The boy moved down the street as quickly as possible while trying to remain in the shadows. He'd drifted to sleep again and it was dark out by the time he awoke. He passed by the smaller houses barely sparing them a glance. The people there were likely poor enough; he would not steal from them. He did, after all have some morals. As he neared the centre the flats grew in size. He also found, to his dismay, that these people were well aware of the likelihood of them being robbed and shut their homes quite securely. Front doors, back doors, windows; all shut tight, until he realised he could go no further. The homes ahead of him belonged to the very wealth and it was very likely that guards would be patrolling the area. 'Yup,' he confirmed slipping into another alley as two burly men strolled past, curved swords hanging at their waists. He turned back, deciding to try the other end of the town.

"Damn-it!" he cursed softly an hour later. How could he be so positively cursed that not one god-damned door would open? Even hungrier now and on the verge of giving up, he tried one more door.

It opened.

'Yes!' he cheered inwardly, not wanting to make a sound and screw this up. He stepped inside, closing the door quietly, behind him. It was pitch black inside. 'Alright, bad idea.' He reopened it slightly, just enough to let some light in.

The home appeared to be multi-roomed, which was good for him, because it meant he could look around without having to worry too much about waking someone. All his thoughts abruptly ceased. Even in the dark he could make the small form on the table. Any missing information was quickly filled in by his sense of smell. Chicken.

In an instant he was at the table. It was cold, it was in scraps, but it was there and it was food. He stuffed piece after piece into his mouth, nearly choking as he did so. 'Gods! Today must be my lucky-'

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

'Shite.'

He heard the door slam shut and held back a cry when his back collided with the floor. Somewhat disoriented from the impact he could barely fight back as he was rolled onto his stomach, his arms pinned behind him by what felt like a knee and his head restrained at the neck. Light flooded the room, so he assumed someone had lit a lamp. From the grumbles and many pairs of feet he could see at his eyelevel he assumed there were a lot of people in the room.

"Don't you know stealing is against the law, kid?" said the closest pair of feet, apparently the leader's. A few snickers could be heard in the back.

"Sorry, I'm afraid I haven't brushed up on my law recently," he retorted evenly. Ah yes, if there was one thing he's always been proud of, it was his smart mouth.

"That's a sharp tongue you've got there."

"Why thank you," he murmured into the packed dirt, but was quickly shut up by the very shiny, very pointy object he glimpsed now sticking up out of the floor beside him.

"They can be very dangerous when used stupidly." He could feel the words against his ear. "Perhaps we should remove it before it becomes too troublesome."

Swallowing with great difficulty, he managed to find his voice. "I'm very sure it's just fine where it is, thanks."

The leader was silent for a moment then let out a billowing laugh and it really got on his nerves. One minute he was being threatened, the next laughed at. Couldn't the guy decide on a mood? It was really rather irritating.

"What's your name kid?"

"What is it to you?" he bit out.

"Hey, watch it," the person holding him down warned, applying a bit more pressure to further relay his point.

"My name is Kuenre and I'm not a kid. I'm almost eleven." The entire room filled with laughter, making him flush slightly from the embarrassment.

"'Almost eleven.' Ha!" the leader laughed. "I like you kid. Let him up." He was suddenly hoisted to his feet. "Oi, what say you men? We could always use an extra hand about, young blood and all that. 'Sides, you've got to be pretty smart and pretty gutsy to have broken into our place. You feel like joining us, kid?"

Kuenre looked around the room. Nothing, but the lowest filth, surrounded him; the scum of the earth. Just his luck that he would try to steal a meal from a bunch of thieves. At least they liked him - he decided it best not to mention that he'd only gotten in because the door was unlocked - but could he really join them? Once again, options? Beggar on the street or a well-off cutthroat? Besides, would they really let him leave alive if he didn't. Plus in a group like this he could definitely gain the opportunity to back at a certain bastard sovereign.

"Well," he was asked again, "What do you say?"

He looked him straight in the eye. "Hell yeah."

Ouji aimlessly wandered the grand halls of the city-like palace, having lost his guide somewhere along the way. He didn't really mind though. He'd much rather play with that Caligo person anyway and he figured he must be somewhere around. It wasn't as if he was an easy person to miss. Blue eyes and long purple hair weren't exactly common traits among Egyptian people. Then again, he had been looking for a considerable amount of time now with no luck at all. Perhaps he should ask someone.

Unfortunately, he had no idea where he was and the hallway he was in was completely empty… well, almost. A royal pet tabby happily purred, rubbing itself against his feet.

Ouji chuckled as he bent down to pet the little kitten. "Do you know where the person I'm looking for is?" he asked not expecting a reply. The little black and grey feline tipped its head in a curious manner peering back at the boy with large grey eyes.

"Miuw!" it answered before turning quickly and scampering down the hall.

"Hey wait!" called Ouji, hurrying after the cat. He laughed playfully as he chased it. "I'm catching up!" To is surprise the kitten seemed to understand him and moved even faster. "No fair!" he called again running out of breath, but enjoying himself all the same. This was an interesting game of cat and mouse.

"Miuw!" the kitten cried as it rounded the corner, Ouji only seconds behind.

"Huh?" He stopped short. Where was the cat? He'd been right on its tail before they turned the corner and now it had just vanished. 'Does everything here do that?' he wondered, recalling how Caligo too had simply disappeared.

He looked down the passage. It wasn't very long and there was only one door at the very end. Maybe the kitten had gotten in there somehow. That was the only possible explanation. He ran towards the door and found it closed. 'It had to have gone in there,' he reasoned. 'Maybe it blew shut?' Shrugging, he quietly slipped into the room.

Immediately, he was struck with a sense of awe. It was big, to say the least. A cavernous ceiling stretched high into the sky a small opening in the top. Massive pillars carved into the shapes of various gods of his homeland held it steady. The walls and roof were delicately carved and painted; depicting scenes and pictures of alien creatures, the likes of which Ouji had never seen. To one end was a tall, but low seated throne. One of the longer sides of the rectangular room was completely open, allowing the sun's rays to shine through and visitors a splendid view of the town below. "Wow," he whispered reverently, admiring the sight, from his spot by the door. He was just about to explore the room further when something caught his ear, a soft mumbling.

He couldn't decipher words from his position, so with a helpful shove from childish curiosity he snuck 'round the side of a column, still hidden, but closer to the source of the sound. He poked his head around the side and was a bit relieved by the sight. A boy, looking somewhere around his age, maybe a bit older, lay sprawled out on the ground. Nothing to really worry about.

He debated for a second on whether or not he should approach him, never having been one much for interaction with people his own age. Though he didn't know why, the image of his father came to him at the thought; the crop of red hair, smiling eyes and an odd feeling of déjà vu. Lips moved, mouthing the words of a long forgotten conversation and though he couldn't hear him, Ouji knew he wanted him to go forward. Pushing the more depressing thoughts aside he strode forward, silently wishing he still had the puzzle with him. He always felt better with it close by.

The brown-haired boy on the floor seemed deep in thought, speaking to himself. "Bastard," he said. Ouji approached him treading lightly - a personal trait of his. He crouched down beside the boy not really wanting to disturb him. "I can never do anything right to him," the boy complained. "I bet if he told me to jump off the roof and die, he'd complain I didn't jump far enough, or that I fell too quickly."

His curiosity got the better of him, again. "Why would anyone do a stupid thing like that?" Ouji asked, resting his jaws in his palms. The other boy stiffened suddenly and his eyes shot open. He stood abruptly and Ouji rose too. "Um… Hi," he greeted lamely. On the up side he hadn't stuttered like that embarrassing bit last night. Then again, it had only been a few seconds. "Um… uh…I-uh…" See? Just give it a moment or two and that good old foot will always find its way right back to its old friend mouth.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Seth demanded, glad that it hadn't been Genubath who had found him, but still a little miffed about being disturbed and startled by some short kid with funny-looking hair.

'I got lost and I was chasing after my cat,' thought Ouji. 'That's all you have to say. Now say it.' He took a deep breath. "I… c-cat… lost… um…" he sputtered, speaking much louder than was probably necessary. The other boy looked at him as if he was speaking gibberish - oh wait - he was. 'Why can't my head and my mouth ever work together?' he wondered internally.

"Come again."

"… uh… I-"

"Price Ouji!" someone yelled from the doorway. "Thank goodness I found you. I was afraid you were lost - oh and good-day Seth."

"Asru[1]!" both boys chimed, Ouji seeming relieved, Seth feeling a headache coming on. Another child around their aged skipped into the room, but this time a girl. She had shoulder-length, russet-coloured hair and eyes, a puffy fringe across her forehead and a bright, cheerful smile, though her face quickly became stern as she approached them.

"Price Ouji, you really shouldn't go wondering off like that in a place this big," she scolded hands on small hips. "And you know, we really aren't allowed in here."

"Sorry," he apologized, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "I saw a really interesting statue and went to get a closer look. When I turned back around you were gone. I really didn't mean to ditch you." He hadn't even stumbled over his words a bit he noticed. Something about the young girl seemed to have that effect. She had such a motherly/sisterly air about her, it was just naturally calming.

Warm and friendly all the way through Asru had become almost an instant friend. It probably would have been sooner had he been focused on 'friendship' when he'd first arrived. If he recalled correctly, she was the daughter of one of the pharaoh's six main priests and the one who had given him his first brief tour.

The charming smile returned to her face. "It's fine. I was just worried that you'd end up roaming the halls for hours and miss the banquet."

The banquet! He'd forgotten. Tonight was the night he was supposed to be formally 'presented' as the heir to the throne. 'They make it sound like such a big honour,' he thought, embittered. He was interrupted again by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

"Oh, have you two been properly introduced?" Asru questioned.

"Um… no," Ouji replied, taking a quick glance back at Seth. He stood, arms crossed, with a deep scowl etched across his face, his deep blue eyes hard and cold. Blue eyes… and Ouji was suddenly reminded that he had been looking for Caligo. 'Oh well, later. Hmm… funny, he sort of looks like him. I wonder if they're related.'

"Well then let me," Asru continued. "Highness allow me to introduce Setkhu[2]-"

"Seth." Seth barked. "My name is Seth and don't forget it." Genubath had tried to change his name to something more appropriate after taking him in, but he refused to answer to it. He could do anything else he wanted, but his name had been the only thing Seth had ever truly owned and he refused to give it up. Despite the fact that it was meant to degrade him, he wore it proudly.

Asru rolled her eyes. She honestly didn't understand the boy's insistence upon using that name. "Fine. This is 'Seth' - High Priest in training. And Seth this is-"

"Thank you Asru, but I can add," Seth drawled, referring to the fact that he'd already determined who Ouji was. "Highness." He tipped his head respectfully.

Ouji, feeling very awkward with all the formality, copied the motion. "Seth." The young priest-to-be fixed him under his harsh stare. 'Why is he looking at me like that?'

Sensing the tension Asru chose to defuse the situation. "Prince Ouji, would you like me to help you get ready for tonight?"

"Oh, yes thank you."

"Alright. Let's go. We'll see you tonight then Seth," she called back as she and Ouji headed out the door. Her response was an affirming grunt.

Once they stepped out of the room Ouji immediately released a loud sigh, his shoulders slumping from where they had unknowingly been held rigid.

"Don't mind him," Asru offered, with a gentle pat on the back. "He's just like that." He brightened somewhat. "Come on. I'll explain everything." The two friends continued down the hall side by side and from the open doorway a little kitten watched liking its paws contentedly.

To Be Continued…

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Authoress' Notes:

[1] Is an actual Egyptian name and so are the others except for Ouji and ones that will be later identified.

[2] Means 'protected by Set' I think. I know khu means protected so I tried to make the name. If anyone knows how to do it right please correct me.

Well, I hope you guys didn't mind the first part, but I mean what kind of story would this have been without Bakura? And as requested/threatened (Chibi-chan ¬_¬), Yami and Seto finally meet. (Haha! I threw in Anzu!) Sorry about Yami, but I'm trying to slowly develop his character and I didn't think it would make sense to just make him super-confident all of a sudden. He's starting out more Yugi-like and growing from there. And how was my Bakura? I worked really hard to capture his personality.

I'm not sure how long the next chapter will take, but I believe it should focus around the Black Magician ('cause you like him so much Hikari).

Random Comment: I was thinking about it, and for some reason I imagine the BM's voice sounding like Yue from CCS (English version).

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