Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Chaos Master ❯ Just a Bad Storm ( Chapter 9 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Takahashi does, and he doesn't think Ryou should be allowed to own a gun.

 

The three of them waited in silence until Yami had come, and in that time, Ryou hadn't gotten Sami to say much of anything about before the attack. He tried, but she just didn't answer. Something was really bothering her, but she didn't speak on it. Ryou's lips thinned, and he wished he knew what she was thinking. Was she worried the stalker would come back? Was she worried they'd go for Ryou next time? Or… was she worried about the blonde man? Ryou saw a lot of red human blood. There was enough for whatever wound the man got to be fatal. He wasn't sure if he liked that or not. Finally, Yami spoke to Sami. If anyone could make her speak, it was him.

 

“Sami?” he called calmly, “Are you all right?” Sami blinked slowly, and shook her head as she turned to him.

 

“No,” she replied at length, “…something feels very wrong here.” Then she looked away again. Ryou looked at Yugi, and then at Yami. They seemed just as stumped at her reply as he was. He turned back to Sami, who took off her glasses to absently clean them.

 

“…how so?” he asked gently, “Sami, what feels wrong?”

 

“This attack. It doesn't feel right,” she told him, and when he gave her a skeptical look, she said, “The gunner wasn't a bad shot. She had a lot of time to aim, and her mark was perfect. She purposely made sure not to get my heart. She wanted me to suffer. And she wanted that man to follow. There's something… deeper to this. Ryou, this isn't about you or your high school days at all.” Ryou blinked quickly. He hadn't thought it was, but seeing as how the woman had used his high school fans to find him, he couldn't be too sure. But the way Sami spoke… she must've sensed something during the frenzy. But what was it? He held one of her hands; it felt so cold.

 

“Sami, what's it about?” he asked her, “The Mystic? You still think it's a Mystic?”

 

“I don't know,” she replied quietly, looking at the table, “She should've used magic if she was. But she nearly killed me regardless. And her blood… it was black. Black blood only comes from evil. Ryou, I fear we're in danger again, my friend.” Ryou sighed. That part, he already guessed. He hadn't wanted to, but he did. After all, Sami did say at one time that there were six Mystic lords. He'd only dealt with one. Another one must've come for them again.

 

“Danger?” Yugi repeated nervously, “Like… like last time? Where we all got killed in one shot?” Sami's eyes softened, and she nodded slowly. There was something to her movement that Ryou didn't feel was right. She seemed scared.

 

“Not quite so, but similar, yes,” she replied, and shivered, “Right after I lose my job, this surfaces. I don't think it's mere coincidence.” Ryou bit his lip as he held her hand, and Yami just looked away, not wanting to agree. Yugi looked at her suddenly, and frowned. She had, after all, told him she'd call with the details. Not getting her job back was one of them.

 

“You didn't get it back?” he asked curiously. Sami just snorted. To her, that was the least of her worries now. But she could see why Yugi was concerned. This morning, it was. How quickly things change, she silently mused.

 

“No, and I don't want it back,” she said shortly, “If I had to choose between torching the place and going to jail, or working there for even a second, for over a million dollars, I still might just risk prison to see the damned place burn.” Ryou just snorted. He had seen the place for himself, and he was in agreement. Watching Sami burn things was amusing, anyway. Yugi didn't know that, though, for he tilted his head in wonderment.

 

“It's that bad?” he asked her. She nodded, her eyes going flat.

 

“If I was a prostitute, I might think of going there,” she replied airily, “But I'd have to be heavily tanked before I stumbled there. And I'd probably have to be dead, too. Damn place is as bad as a Grand Theft Auto game: dirty, dingy, and no morals.” Yami's eyes widened now as he looked at Sami in complete and utter disbelief. Ryou would've laughed at the expression, except that it wasn't entirely funny.

 

“And you thought to go back?” the spirit asked quietly, incredulously. Yugi didn't even get that far before he burst out in terror.

 

“YOU WERE GOING TO WORK IN A WHORE-HOUSE?!” he exclaimed frantically, his eyes widened with tears, “Sami, NO! Work in Burger World if you're that desperate, but don't go there! We love you! We won't lose you to THEM!” He practically leapt over the table and hugged Sami possessively, and she chuckled, patting his head. She shook her head and sighed, as though dealing with an overly needy child. And in some ways, Yugi was like that.

 

“No, Yugi, you won't lose me to some harlot,” she replied calmly, almost amused, “If you do, it's because I'll be killing her. And trust me, I know one I'd like to murder right now.” Ryou just snickered again. He knew exactly who she was talking about, and he had almost considered taking a knife from the kitchen in the café and planting it in Amber's back. Out of mutual respect for Pierre, he didn't; Flamenco's didn't need to be known for becoming a crime scene. Yami looked over at Sami carefully. He was considering something, Ryou saw, but he just didn't know what. Then, the spirit spoke.

 

“I think you should work here, with us,” he told her seriously. There was no argument to be made, and no question in his voice. He expected her to do as he said. Maybe that was why they were such good friends. Sami respected that. She smiled slyly, and he replied likewise. Yugi just beamed. Obviously, the thought of working with Sami, despite how grumpy she was, was a boon to him.

 

“Yeah! You can even live here if you wanted! It'd sure make getting to work a lot easier,” he said, and Sami just laughed, “It'll suck for Ryou, but it'll be fun! Besides, I can pay you! Er… well, I'm pretty sure I can pay you! What do you say?” Sami just ruffled his hair. Under those conditions, there really was only one thing she could say. She said yes.

 

“Consider the job taken,” she said, and then added, “Though the living here part won't happen. I like Ryou a little too much to just abandon him.” Ryou nodded, and she heartily gave him a firm pat on the back. He shrugged. Even if she was tiring of him romantically, she would at least be a very close friend, and that seemed good enough for him. At least right then. But he made a mental note to try and figure out where things were beginning to go wrong. And he'd have to do it soon, for his hand accidentally banged against the ring in his pocket. Silently, he cursed. He wished he'd stop bringing it everywhere he went. Just as he shook his hand, something banged on the door. Sami jumped from the noise, and Yami looked at the door curiously. They weren't expecting visitors, and Yugi had closed the shop when Sami had been brought in. He walked over to the door silently, but didn't open it. After what just happened, he had to be careful. For Sami's sake, at least.

 

“Pharaoh, it is I, Shadi. We must speak,” came a calm voice. Yami frowned. Something was wrong for Shadi to show up, especially unannounced. He opened the door, and was further disturbed to see that Ishizu joined him. Whatever this was, it was going to be serious. He stepped aside to let them in, and they walked right into the living room. Sami seemed equally as perturbed as Yami was. She stood.

 

“What is it?” she asked quickly, almost sharply. Ryou began to wonder if she knew why they were even here.

 

“We have terrible news. Our items have reacted to a strong magical force within the city, and it's moving quickly,” Shadi told them all, and Sami's ears lowered, “We cannot trace what it is, but it feels similar to your magic, miss Winchester. Do you have the crystal on you?” Sami nodded, and took it out of her pocket. She handed it to him with such ease, Ryou was certain she had expected this. What did she know that he couldn't see? Was that why she was shot? Had she actually discovered something last night?

 

“Yes. I haven't used it, and I never plan to,” she replied, and then said grimly, “The magic you feel is from a Mystic. I'm not entirely surprised, either. It looks like I was right about this, Ryou.” She glanced at the pale boy as she spoke, and Ryou shivered. He hadn't wanted to believe she was right, but now he had no choice. The two incidents really were connected. But just how did they find him? Or Sami, for that matter? She had made sure she was off any and all inter-world records. Shadi seemed concerned, though, as he took the crystal. Obviously, he didn't know everything there was to know, either. He gave Sami a questioning stare.

 

“What were you right about?” he asked her sternly, his tone unyielding. Sami turned from Ryou, to him, and put her glasses on. Then she urged the two visitors to sit.

 

“Last night, Ryou, Yami, and I went out to eat, and we discussed the events of the previous two days, concerning that crystal,” she told them both, “I concluded, and the crystal confirmed, that what we're dealing with is indeed a Mystic. Who, we don't know, but we know what. That's a start, at the very least. Later last night, we discovered that someone is stalking Ryou. I headed out this morning to meet them, and after leaving the designated space, to which they didn't arrive on time, I was shot and nearly killed. I've no reason to believe this was coincidence.” Ryou just frowned. Put that way, it was no wonder Sami had seemed so sure of her answer. It all happened way too quickly, in too much of a consecutive order. The crystal had been a warning; the shot was the threat. If Sami was struck again, the third step was death. Ryou was sure of it. That sort of logic made him wonder if she was that willing to die. She hadn't even flinched when she explained what happened to him. Shadi and Ishizu glanced at each other in terror, and then looked back at Sami. Something else was wrong.

 

“She was shot,” Ishizu whispered to Shadi, “Was there even a reason to come here? Do you think she may already know?” Shadi turned to look at Sami. She was staring at them critically, almost boring into their backs with how intense she was. Ryou knew it was scaring them.

 

“…we will soon see,” he replied quietly, and said, “We've said we felt powerful magic, and quite obviously you have confirmed it. But just how much do you know? How much of a lead do you think you have?” Ryou didn't like the tone Shadi was using, and it was apparent that Sami didn't, either. It was almost as though he didn't even believe them. Never mind the bandages on Sami's shoulder and back. Sami hesitated for a moment. Not because she didn't have anything to show, but because Shadi's skepticism unnerved her. Unlike Ishizu, he didn't seem prepared to cooperate with her.

 

“Enough of one for me to say with certainty that someone wanted me dead,” she replied grimly after a moment, “As for leads, we don't have them. But we don't need them for right now. Someone wants me dead, and even if it isn't a Mystic, the crystal was in control of one, and that person may have controlled my attacker as well. I will go looking for them as soon as I recover.” Ryou looked at her as though she'd lost her damn mind. And Shadi looked ready to just get up and leave. Obviously, a hunch really wasn't good enough for him. It didn't help that he didn't trust Sami in the least, either. He tapped the arm of his chair with uncertainty.

 

“You'll need to do better than that to convince me that you have this under control,” he said sternly, his blue eyes glinting in the light from the lamp behind him, “From the sound of it, you do not even have your own facts straight. I recommend some rest, and to let me deal with this threat.” Sami's eyes widened. She definitely wouldn't be doing that if she could avoid it. But something in the man's voice told her she'd also be hard-pressed to disagree. And if there was one thing she hated, it was following orders.

 

“Absolutely not!” she exclaimed, as Ryou asked, “Why would you take charge of her investigation?”

 

“Whatever that crystal housed before you fought it, it literally ripped open a tear from our world into the void of space we live in,” Ishizu explained gently, almost quietly, “If we do not stop it, our world will fall into the darkest depths of chaos and madness we've ever experienced within our history. Magic from this void will seep in and life as we imagine will cease to exist.” Ryou blinked, and looked down at Sami. She seemed tense from the description, and Ryou saw she mouthed the word `Oblivion' to him. He frowned as Shadi continued.

 

“Chesiers and the few Espers we have living in this world are scared. When this void becomes involved, it becomes their job to fix the void. But this time, they're concerned it's too big for the ESB to begin to handle,” Shadi added seriously, “And if that's the case, we're worried that such a flow of unfettered power will begin to corrupt the magicians and shamans we have here. Miss Winchester, we don't want to involve you now, especially if you've been assaulted already. You may very well be the prime target, considering that you've already slain one Mystic.” Ryou risked another glance at Sami. She didn't seem the least bit daunted by that fact. He knew she expected as much. She merely crossed her arms, putting one leg on Yugi's coffee table.

 

“So now the ESB is running scared, eh?” she commented, and snorted, “Bastards. If they've known about this, and I actually died, there's going to be hell to pay, especially concerning my sister. As to my not being involved, I'm afraid that one's inevitable, so why don't you just tell me what you know and I'll find the lead you want later. How's that?” Ryou could've laughed. Her frankness toward this was amusing, considering that she nearly died for it. Ishizu smiled oddly, clearly both intrigued and a little worried about how calmly Sami was taking this turn of events. She looked to Shadi, and a quick nod from the man told her it was safe to proceed. She swallowed.

 

“What we know is that there's a huge distortion of power on the peak of Mt. Domino. We're not entirely sure, but a look in the ESB records shows that there's an Esper that lives there,” the woman explained, and Sami nodded, “It may know what's going on, but if the distortion's caused damage… it may be in danger.” Sami finally frowned. That was enough to dissipate any confidence she had for this. Her arms uncrossed.

 

“Tell me it isn't dead,” she said flatly. Ryou's lips thinned, wishing sometimes that Sami took things a little more seriously. Shadi shook his head.

 

“No, but it may be in mortal danger if this disturbance is not stopped,” he told her calmly, his voice softening, “From what we gather, this type of distortion and energy waves might lead to premature dementia. In a human, that's bad. In an Esper or any similar creature, it's much, much worse.” Sami's frown worsened. Her eyes dimmed just slightly, and at first, she shook her head. Then, she sighed.

 

“…what form of distortion are we talking about?” she asked slowly, grimly, “Do you mean the world will visibly shift? Or is it merely on an energetic level?”

 

“This, we do not know,” Ishizu said sadly, “For now, it appears to be energetic. But it may become physical. Magic morphs and jumps when its power increases, so it may simply be in a dormant state, like a storm that builds momentum.” Sami nodded absently, considering Ishizu's words extremely carefully. That was exactly what might've been happening, and it'd explain why there had been no attacks for two years. What, if anything, were those Mystics planning to do? She stood up, the table shaking from how fast she had moved.

 

“I'm going to this mountain and looking into it,” she said firmly, her tone definite, “No way in hell that I'm letting these Mystics screw us over again.” Ryou's eyes widened and he reached for her arm, gasping when she pulled away. She didn't want him stopping her.

 

“Y-your memory's at risk, Sami!” he cried, “You've already lost it once, right? You can't lose it again!” Sami just smiled warmly at Ryou. That part was true enough; she knew nothing about herself, and even her childhood in this world was getting foggy. But that wouldn't stop her. She gave Ryou a firm pat on the head.

 

“That's just a risk I'll have to take, kiddo,” she said easily, a bit too much so for his comfort, “Besides, do you really think losing my mind's going to stop me?” Ryou just hummed in annoyance. He wanted to say that losing her mind could lead to death, and death would probably stop her, but he didn't. There was always a chance not even death itself would keep Sami down. At least, not for too long. He just sighed and threw his arms up in surrender. Ishizu chuckled, and then she became much more serious again.

 

“Miss Winchester, I urge you to take extreme caution in this position,” she warned gently, “This power surge has been building for some time. Even with your strength, you will be hard-pressed to stop it.” Sami's eyes narrowed as she heeded Ishizu's warning. She didn't need it to know the danger, but she heeded it nonetheless. So, the storm started a while ago. She just smirked. That was just too damn convenient to her.

 

“Storm, eh? Probably means someone's behind it, then,” she growled grimly, her ears lowering, “Magical storms can't brew unless there's some source of power behind it. Looks like someone's definitely looking for something. I just don't know what yet…” She looked down. No matter what way they came after her or Ryou, she just couldn't figure out what their attacks meant. Surely, it couldn't have been about either of them. And yet, they had been targeted specifically. She sighed and said, “The only way to know is to get up there.” Ryou looked at her solemnly, neither happy nor disapproving of her choice.

 

“You're not going alone,” he said firmly, “I'm heading out, too.” Sami just laughed. He tried to sound tough, but if she really fought with him, he'd back down. He was lucky. She didn't feel like arguing right then. She patted his back and gave an encouraging smile.

 

“I wouldn't have it any other way, my friend,” she said heartily, and looked over at Yami, “You coming, Yami?” He nodded, grinning slyly as Yugi stood up.

 

“Definitely!” Yugi exclaimed, as Yami said, “If magic's threatening our world, it's best if we band together. We don't know what they could be looking for this time.” Sami nodded. That was true. It was uncomfortably true. She had absolutely no idea why they'd go after Espers, let alone her. She shifted in her seat a little, and bit her lip. Explaining the next part to them might shake their confidence in traveling with her. And while she wouldn't blame them, some company on the trip sounded nice. She didn't want to travel into danger alone again.

 

“I guess it's a bad time to tell you that if they're looking for me to die, I won't want to use my magic nearly as much as normal,” she said slowly, and Yugi's confidence did fall, “No doubt that someone found me because of the magic I used yesterday. Until we have some clue as to what's going on, magic might kill me. Now then…” She looked once more at Ishizu, who seemed much more willing to help her than Shadi was, “Is there anything else you'd like to tell me before we throw ourselves to an early grave?” Ryou snorted. Sami sounded confident, but she must've doubted their chances as much as he did. She normally never joked about death. Ishizu's face paled just a little. She knew this about Sami, as well. Slowly, the woman nodded. There was a tone of nervousness to her.

 

“I've alerted Seto Kaiba and Rex Raptor of this situation as well,” she stated, and Sami stared at her, “Rex has recently gone into the paranormal investigation unit, and he works with the ESB as well. He may be able to give you some information regarding the movements of the storm, as well as news on the Esper on Mt. Domino.” Despite that, however, it was clear Sami didn't like that idea at all. She didn't say anything, but she didn't have to with her expression. Ryou felt that might've been a good thing. If Sami did say anything, it was definitely going to be negative. He breathed a sigh of relief when Yugi spoke next.

 

“But why bring Kaiba?” Yugi asked, stealing the words right out of Sami's disapproving mouth, “What would he do? He doesn't believe in magic.” Sami gave Ishizu a smug grin, but Ishizu just waved it away confidently. Obviously, she knew this already.

 

“He will believe this when he sees firsthand the damage that will be done,” the woman replied calmly, “And if he does, he may very well be the one to prevent casualties that will occur. It pains me to admit that he's only humoring us, but I do believe that he will turn once he sees how dangerous this will become. If not for us, then for his brother.” Sami just snorted. Using Mokuba to sway Kaiba seemed like a very cheap shot to take. The problem must've been serious for Ishizu to resort to that. Sami looked to Yami, to see his reaction to this. But he remained passive. He must've felt neutral about Kaiba's presence. Personally, she wished he showed a little bit more emotion than that. It'd have helped her refuse Ishizu's help even more.

 

“I don't like this,” Sami stated grimly, almost stubbornly, “Kaiba's been more of a hindrance than a help before. Why should we trust him?” Ryou winced. Put that way, Sami was being rather harsh toward Kaiba, even if what she said was truthful. Ishizu smiled weakly, and stood up. Shadi stood as well; they were going to leave. Clearly, they came just to warn them of this.

 

“Because if you do not, fate itself will take a turn for the worst,” Ishizu warned gravely, and then she and Shadi left immediately. Sami frowned. If there was one thing she didn't entirely trust, it was fate. Nor did she like it being brought up in a conversation. But Ishizu had left already, and no amount of argument would've changed her mind. But damn it! Sami didn't want Kaiba with them! She looked over at Ryou.

 

“What do you think of this?” she asked to all three of her friends. Ryou looked up at her with worry.

 

“I think we'd better see what we can do,” he told her gently, “Using Mokuba like that… Sami, this is serious. What could be happening?” Sami shrugged, looking out the window. The sky had darkened since Ishizu had come. Not a good sign.

 

“Knowing how magic works, it could be anything,” she mumbled, crossing her arms, “One thing's for certain, though. That Esper had better not be dead, or we're screwed. If Espers are wiped out, Chesiers are finished as well. We're just branch-offs of them, we don't even have a tenth of their strength.” Ryou shivered. That wasn't a good odd to have. Especially if what Ishizu said was true. Yugi looked over at Yami, but the spirit had his eyes closed, leaning back in his seat. He looked as though he might've been asleep. Yugi frowned. He wanted Yami's advice on this; he wanted to go, but he had a feeling tagging along would just get in Sami's way. And right then, he thought it was best to avoid that. But Yami didn't stir. He looked over at Sami again.

 

“You're saying Espers are even stronger than you?” he asked her, his eyes widening, “But… but you nearly sent us to another ice age! How's that possible!?” Sami raised an amused brow at that. Yugi seemed absolutely awestruck with her amount of power. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she noticed that Ryou had grown grim and stiff. She made a mental note to remember that. Then she grinned.

 

“Well, it's not like I know who I am, so when I say I'm a Chesier, take it with a grain of salt,” she said easily, “I'm going off what my bastard of a human father said, and what Katt says, too.” Ryou shivered. For that matter, she was an Esper. Or a Mystic herself. She caught him staring at her, and he averted his eyes. He wished he knew more about her now. It might've prevented this from happening.

 

“So then, if Chesiers and Espers are pretty much the same, and Mystics are killing the Espers here, they really are after you?” Yugi asked her, and she nodded slowly, almost questioningly as well. To her, the answer was obvious: someone killed them all already, and that same someone nearly killed her. Twice, she had to add.

 

“Yugi, they've been after me for quite some time now,” she reminded him, “It's not a new thing. The only part that'll be new is actually getting a damn clue as to why. That'd be the best part of this godforsaken trip. But I have a feeling that won't happen.” Yami finally cracked open one of his eyes. Sami looked directly at him, and he gave her a smug grin as he sat up. He truly had been awake.

 

“You're really negative about this,” he commented, stretching out a little, “What's wrong? Afraid of getting shot again?” Sami's eyes narrowed flatly.

 

“Considering how much blood I lost, that's a warranted fear to have, isn't it?” she retorted, and sighed as she turned toward the front entrance, “Well, it's not like we'd be much safer in here. Let's get this over with. The less I need to deal with Kaiba, the better off I'll be later.” Ryou laughed as Yami joined her and put an arm around her shoulder. They all walked through the doorway and into the storefront. Yugi rushed ahead and opened the door. And instantly, they regretted it.

 

The outside had always been a peaceful place for Ryou to go and relax when life became too tough. But when Yugi opened the door to that same outside, it was like some higher force decided to take a whiffle bat and just beat Ryou's peace up until it shattered into tiny shards. The outside was no longer peaceful, and Sami knew she should've expected this when she had seen it growing dark from the window. Now, darkness had fallen. It was way too early for that, but there was no sign of the sun. There was wind, and there was a soft drizzle. But there was no sun. Her ears lowered.

 

“Why's it so dark out?” Yugi asked, as they tramped across the yard and down the street toward Ryou's. Sami didn't answer, even though everyone knew she knew what was wrong. Yami waited patiently, and both Yugi and Ryou snickered a little. This was really annoying her. But, when thunder crashed in the sky, her tail thumped the ground in irritation.

 

“…dark magic,” she replied lowly, “Someone's creating this. Look over at the clock tower. It's only two in the afternoon.” Ryou looked, and saw she was right. It was way too early to be nighttime. He simply shrugged and led them toward the car. Technically, there wasn't much they could do now. Without even thinking about it, he handed Sami the keys, climbing into the back as she and Yami took the front seats. Just for a moment, though, Sami hesitated. Yami strapped Yugi into the back, and then looked at her when he realized she hadn't started the engine. She seemed to be thinking of something else.

 

“Sami?” he called calmly, “Are you all right?”

 

“I'm worried,” she replied slowly, and Ryou saw her hand was shaking a little, “This is really, really dark magic. It's even stronger than the last Mystic we fought, and Katsaiga was powerful. If we go… we'll be driving right into it.” Yami's lips thinned. That was a risk that had been implied beforehand. To him, if Sami had any hesitancy, she should've shown it then. He glanced back at Ryou. The boy seemed just as grave as he did. They nodded to each other. They'd have to do this eventually, and possibly in even worse conditions. Right now, a slight storm was the best they should've expected.

 

“Drive, Sami,” Ryou said firmly. Yami glanced at her, and heard her snort. Then she grinned and started the engine. Somehow, hearing Ryou's approval dissipated any fear she did have. Or maybe she was afraid just to see Ryou's reaction. Either way, now she was more than happy to get moving. She backed out of the driveway, and in her familiarly sly tone, she said the one thing Ryou felt sealed the rest of their fate.

 

“We're going to take one hell of a drive, so hang onto your pants and don't shit in them.” Sometimes, Ryou wished Sami just didn't say anything at all.

 

-----------------------------(End Chapter)

 

After finding Sami alive and well, Ryou and Yami try to divulge some information out of her. Just then, Ishizu and Shadi come to inform them that magic's been let loose in Domino again, and now, they need to go and find out why. With Kaiba and Rex joining the fray, can they find out who and what's attacking Domino again? Can they find Sami's attacker? And can they save the Esper, and save the world? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!