Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Chaos Master ❯ Enter Aeon: Sami's new BFFL ( Chapter 17 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Takahashi thinks it's about time I get Ryou out of hell. He's too innocent for it, Takahashi says.

 

The road was long, and the night was clearly just starting, as Ryou and Sami trudged down it, in the hopes of finding some clue as to their escape. But, as Sami warned, neither had any idea what they should've been looking for. The search wasn't easy, not that they had been out for long. But as they were walking, Sami realized a true problem that would come up: her stomach was growling hungrily, and she knew it'd been some time since either of them had eaten. And she had no intention of heading back to the inn empty. In truth, she had no intention of returning at all, but she knew they'd need to pick up their friends. Sometimes she damned friendship into the abyss.

 

They turned onto another street, a quieter, smaller one, when her stomach roared again. This time, Ryou stopped. That was a good cause for concern. Not because she was hurt, but because he knew her effectiveness dropped when she was hungry. Neither would be able to think straight. But as he looked around, he also saw that there was no place to even get food. Everything had been destroyed; food included. Solemnly, he led her to a bench. Even if she couldn't eat, rest might do her some good. At the very least, it'd take the edge off her anger. Or so, he hoped.

 

“Not a damn store in sight,” Sami grumbled, as he sat her down, “We need to eat, Ryou. Call me a gnome, we shouldn't have left the inn without food!” He just chuckled. That was a good point, one he almost argued with. But he had understood her haste. He just gave her shoulder a pat, smiling assuredly.

 

“We'll eat when we get back,” he reasoned, much to her dismay, “Besides, I'm not hungry.” Just to prove his words wrong, his stomach let out a growl that easily rivaled hers. He blushed with embarrassment. He didn't want her to think he was in any more danger than he was. And technically, being hungry might put him in danger. She just shook her head, smiling slyly.

 

“Your stomach says otherwise, my friend,” she reminded him, almost amused. His blush just worsened. That was true enough. But even with that truth, there wasn't much either could do to alleviate that. There was no food for them to eat. Sighing, he leaned his head back and looked upwards, toward the night sky. The wind whistled just slightly, the only noise aside from themselves that rattled the desolate city.

 

“Let's just rest,” he suggested. Sami just snorted. Rest was no alternative to food, and no matter how much of it she got, she'd need to eat sometime soon. Likewise, so would Ryou. Besides, there were other implications to resting.

 

“In this cold?” she inquired, “Ryou, we'll freeze. Not to mention we need to be keeping a lookout for monsters. Even if Amber destroyed the city… there could be other things that might harm us.” Ryou nodded in silent agreement. For a few moments, neither said a thing. The air was heavy with the nighttime, and the weight of death was thick around them. Finally, though, Sami took out her phone and handed it to Ryou as she said, “Call Malik. Let him know what's going on. Chances are, we may have been gone much longer than a day or two.” Ryou nodded again, and did just that. It rang a few times, and then finally picked up. And the voice on the other end didn't sound too good.

 

“WHAT!?” Malik yelled angrily, and then forced himself to calm when he heard Ryou, “…sorry, buddy. Kaiba's been arguing with Katt ever since Sam left. It's escalating, and Ishizu's still angry, too. Nothing's going too well. Is this important?” Ryou's face paled a little. Now he actually felt bad for interrupting what sounded like a battlefield.

 

“Sami thought you should be brought up to speed on what's going on,” Ryou replied. He couldn't see Malik smile. But he heard his friend's interest rise dramatically.

 

“Really? You sound pretty grim about it, buddy,” Malik commented, “Something happen?” Ryou's lips thinned, and he knew Sami was watching him for any sign as to how Malik was doing. He looked at her for an answer, and when she heard Malik's question, she nodded an approval. He took a deep breath.

 

“Well… it's a bit unbelievable,” Ryou began, and then explained to Malik what had happened with the train, and then in the city. Malik listened intently, eyes widened as Ryou gave the details. It seemed too unrealistic, but there was a tone to Ryou's story that clearly said the boy wasn't making any of it up. Besides, Malik doubted Sami would allow him to fabricate such an intricate lie, even if it was to cover anything up. When Ryou finished, he whistled loudly.

 

“Sounds like you got yourself into a lot of trouble again,” he commented, laughing, “She's got a way to get out, right?” Ryou blinked quickly, unable to figure out just how to calmly tell Malik that they were currently working on that. Sami just raised a brow, wondering what Malik could've asked to make the boy pale so much.

 

“Yeah,” Ryou said offhandedly, quickly changing the subject, “Listen, we've got another problem. There's someone who might come back to Domino, who's really, really dangerous and will kill you if she thinks you're connected to Sami.” He winced when Sami gave him a warning glare, but he ignored it. He had to warn Malik on what was happening. Besides, she was the one who wanted to inform him, anyway. If she had a problem, she could yell about it later.

 

“What!?” Malik exclaimed, barely processing what Ryou just said, “Okay, back up. You just said some psychopath is coming here? Because of Sami!?” Ryou just bit his lip. Malik was on the verge of either laughter, or a complete panic. Just as exasperated, he asked, “What the hell did she do to warrant an assassination attempt!?” At this point, Sami was getting sourly annoyed. She took the phone from Ryou before he could even realize what she did.

 

“Does it matter what I did!? Just stay in the damn house,” Sami growled shortly, and both Ryou and Malik stepped back, taken by her sudden words, “Malik, you're smart. You understand this danger, right? Well, we're putting you on alert. Make of it what you want.” Ryou personally thought she was being a bit on the harsh side, but he understood the necessity. She couldn't afford to be gentle right then, and they both knew Malik could choose not to heed her. But Malik just couldn't be that stupid… could he?

 

“A-all right,” Malik stammered nervously, “Don't throw a tantrum, Sam. I'll keep everyone here safe. Especially Katt.” Sami paused. Katt… Katt was probably in serious danger if Amber was playing to kill. The blonde man had the protection of the orb… temporarily. But Katt had no such help. Amber would kill Katt if it meant hurting Sami in any way. And Sami couldn't let that happen. Her fists clenched as she held the phone.

 

“Malik…” she began darkly, her voice firm despite the painful revelation, “…protect my sister at all costs.”

 

“No problem, Sam,” he replied assuredly, “I'll do what I can. She's safe with me.” Sami had to believe in that, and after a quick farewell, the two hang up. She pocketed her phone, and then leaned back to look up into the sky. Another problem was added to her plate, which was already close to breaking. Ryou gave her a pat on the back, knowing she was getting exhausted. But it did little to help her.

 

“SON OF A SUBMARINER!” Sami finally screamed, pounding her fists on the bench, “She knew exactly how to hurt me! That rotten, little whore knew what to look for! She's been watching me for two years!” Ryou's eyes widened as he saw the wood beneath them creak under the force of her anger. He edged away nervously. In outrage, she could easily reach over and slug his face, and he wanted to put some level of distance so he could duck if she tried.

 

“Sami, calm down. You didn't know!” Ryou tried to remind her. But any comfort he wanted to give was lost. Sami was too upset by this. She seemed to not even hear him.

 

“Calm down!? Ryou, you could be next!” she exclaimed to him, “You, or Yami, or even your father! Any of you could be her next target, and I can't protect any of you! Damn it… Kaiba was right.”

 

“Don't you dare believe that for a second,” Ryou warned her, looking her dead in the eyes, “Sami, if you let him win, that's like giving Amber the gun and telling her to shoot. You can't give up! So what if we're in danger again? It's not like it hasn't happened already. Yami and I fully accepted the risk when we heard your plans beforehand. We're not backing away, and I know Yugi would follow you to the ends of the earth.” Sami looked away. That was all too true, and that was the precise reason she was so worried. She could be leading them all to their graves, and they wouldn't question until it was too late.

 

“Then… let's end this before that happens,” she replied, and closed her eyes as she aimed her sword. Ryou blinked, wondering what she was aiming at until a powerful beam of light cut through out of her blade, toward the blackness as she said, “Heilgruikt.” The beam speared through the darkness, and Ryou saw it hit something tangible and true. A monster of shadow, he realized, which stumbled backwards, crashing onto the street. Sami stood up suddenly, but Ryou was much less brave. He knew that if one monster was there, several others surrounded them as well. He took her arm, dragging her away from the bench. And then he ran.

 

Ryou didn't know where he was running to, as they rounded a bend and went down another busy-looking street. Shops lined this street, as well as a few apartments, but Ryou ignored them. He could see in his peripheral vision that things were moving toward them still. But what he didn't understand was that, by running away, he inadvertently forbid Sami from taking any of their pursuers down. And it was Sami who posed that problem plainly and strongly.

 

“Where in hell are we running to!?” she demanded, trying to yank her arm away as they were running, “I can't kill them, damn it!”

 

“Don't care!” Ryou panted, glancing back for just a second, “Need to run! Need to escape!” He saw her brows crease in annoyance, but she posed no problem after that. Finding a small alley, Ryou dragged her in there as several monsters stormed past, taking absolutely no notice of them. Ryou just sighed in relief. Sami, unfortunately, wasn't nearly as happy. She looked around flatly; all she could see were brick walls, and one door leading into one building.

 

“Where the hell did you take us?” she asked him, “They're going to kill us if your plan ends as far as this.” Ryou just growled, wishing she had a little more faith in him. He might've been panicked, but he did have a decent idea. He walked to the door, testing the knob. It was locked, just as he expected.

 

`I'm guessing you want my assistance now,' came Bakura's voice. Ryou almost chuckled physically at the annoyance. But he caught himself. It'd only confuse Sami if he laughed. His lips thinned accordingly, both because Bakura was right, and because Sami was close by.

 

`I was hoping you'd tag along, actually,' Ryou replied calmly, trying to jerk the lock off the door, `But… just why are you here, anyway?' He felt Bakura grumble something incoherent for a second, in a different language. Then the old thief just shrugged.

 

`Because you felt complete and utter panic,' the spirit replied easily, `As to tagging along, you ran out the damn door before I even knew what was wrong!' Ryou actually did chuckle at that. Bakura had been right, but in their defense, Sami was the one who left. Ryou just happened to follow. But ignoring that, he brought Bakura's attention to their current problem: getting inside the building and away from danger.

 

`Sorry. Anyway, we found some monsters, and they're chasing us. I managed to find a building, but it's locked,' Ryou summarized, `Could you get here and break the lock?' For a moment, Bakura didn't answer. Then, Ryou heard laughter in the back of his mind. He blinked. Bakura found this funny! He found their problems amusing! But why? Ryou asked what he was laughing at, and he immediately regretted the answer the spirit gave.

 

`Well, when you left, the city was fine,' Bakura pointed out, grinning, `How do I know you're not finding an excuse to take Sami to an empty place and battle your own inner demons? Preferably the ones keeping you from a relationship with her?' Ryou's eye twitched. How dare that asshole bring up such a problem! His fists clenched as he tugged angrily on the ring.

 

`DO NOT EVER IMPLY SUCH A THING TO ME!' he screamed in his mind so loudly, it momentarily shattered the connection between the two. Bakura reeled away, Ryou feeling the old thief slip away. Then, he came back carefully, trepidation coloring his every step.

 

`I'm sorry. It was a joke,' Bakura said apologetically, `Look, sooner or later those problems are going to come up anyway, so you might as well face them, right?' Ryou's scowl merely worsened, and fueled with the knowledge that Bakura was actually right, he finally physically screamed.

 

“GET OUT OF MY MIND!” he yelled, and Sami's eyes widened in horror. She wasn't afraid of him, but she knew monsters must've heard them. There was shuffling behind them, and without wasting a second, she blew the door open with a gust of wind, bringing Ryou inside and then locking the door back up. She turned him to face her, her worry telling him he'd gone overboard.

 

“What happened?” she demanded calmly. Ryou gulped, realizing his anxiety must've been showing. And indeed, it was. His skin paled, but his cheeks were burning with red. Sweat was rolling down his forehead, and he was trembling with rage. And not a little; Sami was worried he'd collapse on the spot. Clearly, he was furious. But she had no idea what could've ignited such a vicious response.

 

“Nothing,” he growled, looking away. Sami tilted her head. Clearly, it wasn't nothing. But she respected him. So, she left it at that, deciding instead to scope their surroundings.

 

The store itself was quiet, peaceful. But Sami had learned long ago that such peace was a deceit in and of itself. The store was dark, everything silhouetted in black, save for the tiniest sliver in the front where the wane streetlamp outside flickered on and off. No sound came from anywhere, save for the ragged breathing of the two companions off to the side. And nothing moved. In such stillness, there was never any peace. Sami took a step. Despite her agile movements, her footfall echoed around the large store, as though she had stepped next to a microphone. She froze on the spot, and silently said, `There is a person in here.' Ryou looked around, wondering where and how she even knew that. Then he saw a door in the back of the room. Somehow, it stood out as being even darker than the shadows that cloaked it. He tugged her, and pointed to it.

 

“From there?” he whispered. Without a word, she led him quietly toward the door. They passed shelves of unknown novelties, but Ryou didn't dare to look. In a world of demons, it could've been anything. When they reached the door, she motioned for him to stand still as she bent and pressed her long ear to the door. Ryou didn't know what she heard, but she had heard a definite noise. She leaned back and nodded grimly.

 

“Stand back,” she commanded. Ryou had no need to argue, so he moved back as she kicked the door with such force, that it flew open despite it being locked. The resulting sound was shocking amidst the silence from before. But she paid no heed. She merely walked in, with Ryou running behind her. The back room was long, but narrow. But what surprised Ryou was that it was lit. Blue light radiated off the walls, but not from any visible lamp. As they walked in, Ryou saw that the light was coming from a person. And that person was watching them. Dressed purely in white, with shocking white hair, the person was exuding the light. Sami froze again, her eyes widened as she said, “Aeon.”

 

“Who is he?” Ryou asked, blinking as he took in the man. His clothing was styled like that of aristocracy; a white tailcoat with a black scarf, white dress pants, and white boots adorned his slender frame. Black gloves covered his hands. And in his hands were a pocket watch… and then a sword with a clock on it. In his right eye sat a monocle. He was simply sitting on a bench, waiting… watching them. Sami's eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms.

 

“A time keeper,” she replied, “And the one who held the X-Zone orb.” Ryou stared at the man. That was a time keeper!? She had mentioned them just once, and his hopes for them had been drastically different. But this man… he looked nothing as Ryou expected. The man just clapped, standing up stiffly. Sami's hand went to her sword, but he was unafraid.

 

“Now, now, lady Sith, if you do that, you know that Bahamut will find you,” he replied calmly, “Are you going to kill me because the orb was stolen?” Sami's eyes just narrowed further. Whoever Aeon was, it was clear Sami was not on good terms with him.

 

“Amber informed me you dropped your orb,” she replied bitterly, “Are you saying she lied?”

 

“Yes. Most probably to turn you against me, when you found me,” he replied, a smile gracing his face, “It was stolen as I watched you from the Time Chamber, watching as your ages rewound, to the detriment of nothing. Ah, how fragile yet mysterious time is.” His content with what happened did nothing for Sami.

 

“Are you telling me you knew of this!?” she demanded, and grabbed his collar, “Damn it to hell, Aeon, why did you do nothing!? It was your job to help me!” Ryou stepped forward, fearing Sami might actually kill Aeon. But Aeon seemed completely in control of himself. His smile didn't fade at all as he touched her hand gently.

 

“With all respect, Sith, there was nothing I could do,” he replied warmly, “This was beyond the natural flow, beyond magic itself. Neither myself nor the Lord of Time could fix it.” Sami let out a heavy sigh, and dropped Aeon abruptly. She turned away, either thinking or fuming about something. Ryou looked at her carefully, knowing she was angry at what she was told. Then he looked to Aeon. Perhaps the man knew something they didn't. He had seen time, or so he said.

 

“Can you tell us how to stop Amber and fix what happened?” he asked innocently. But Aeon waved the question away, tapping his sword against the floor. The tip made a clink as it hit.

 

“Against the rules of Time,” Aeon stated simply, “I would be interfering if I were to tell you how and if you defeat Amber. And, as part of Sith's squadron on the ESB, that would get me killed.” Sami finally turned, a low growl issuing from her as Aeon spoke. Just because he was on her side, never meant he had to help her. She knew that all too well, and understood the difficulty in dealing with his kind. Even then, though, she wouldn't let him leave without answers.

 

“Then what can you tell us?” she asked through gritted teeth. Aeon looked at her, and smiled warmly again. Ryou knew that look; the blonde man gave it to her as well, but to a much more intense degree.

 

“That there is a way to escape here. The Lord of Time permitted me to come to you to aid you out,” he replied, stepping closer to Sami, “As my dear, old friend, you have those privileges.” Ryou saw Sami blush, and the same hatred he felt for the blonde man crept into him, this time for Aeon. Why was every man from her past like this?

 

“How do we get out!?” Ryou demanded, perhaps a bit too angrily for anyone's liking. Aeon looked at him, his smile vanishing. Ryou noted the change with a certain level of disapproval aimed his way as well.

 

“Ah, yes, Ryou Bakura. I've been warned of you,” Aeon said warily, “Take heart in knowing that I have no wish to cross you in any way.” Sami blinked profusely, wondering just what was actually going on now. She had dismissed it with the blonde man, but she actually knew Aeon. He had been in her life since her childhood in Ryou's world. Why did he harbor ill will toward Ryou?

 

“What is the problem?” she asked, as Ryou and Aeon stared at each other, both remaining completely silent. Yet, in their minds, they were speaking clearly to each other. Finally, they glanced at her, both wearing nearly the exact same expression. It was almost creepy for her to see.

 

“Nothing,” Ryou replied as Aeon said, “Worry not, Sith.” Unfortunately, that never cut it for Sami. She knew hatred when she saw it. But she let it pass. Aeon wouldn't hide it if it was important. Besides, they had other problems besides rivalries.

 

“…what was this way you mentioned?” she asked Aeon, deciding to get to their initial problem first, “What did the Lord of Time send you for?” Aeon's smile returned as she spoke, and he took out something from his pocket. It appeared to be a pocket watch as well… but it didn't have a clock face, and it had three buttons on it. His eyes lit up as he saw it, handing it out to her.

 

“This,” he replied almost lovingly, “A device to travel from one world to another in the blink of an eye. Untested, but stable enough.” Sami took the golden watch, holding it in her hands. It was warm, as though it'd been used many times already. That would explain how Aeon was able to get to Winbourne at all. But to Ryou, it simply looked like a watch. His brow rose expectantly.

 

“It looks like a regular watch to me,” he stated, unimpressed, “What does it do?” He took it from her, but Aeon quickly snatched it, his brows creased in sudden anger again. He didn't even want Ryou to touch the thing.

 

“Don't be a fool!” Aeon hissed defensively, “The Clockwork Portal is a rare artifact given to only those in league with the most powerful of Espers! You could never grasp its true ability!” His eyes softened when he spoke again, “As to its powers… it teleports you from one position in one world, to that same position in another world. Say for instance that you are standing in your house, which is seventy-two point eight longitude. Warp to another world, and you will be in the exact same position, seventy-two point eight longitude, in that other world.”

 

“Powerful,” Sami said in awe, “Beautiful, Aeon. Do many have this?”

 

“No. Only the few people who work with you do,” he replied, and laughed, “Be warned that sometimes that could warp you right to your grave. Many of us have warped only to land in lava, or underwater, or in space itself, and died for it.” In any normal situation, Ryou would've chuckled at the folly. But this wasn't the time for that. Aeon was serious, and Ryou had known magic was all too real. That threat was possible. Sami pocketed the watch, and then looked up at Aeon again. She seemed worried about something, and tapped her chin as she looked out toward the far end of the store front, toward the window. Even from there, she could make out wisps of shapes gliding softly, so subtly that it was almost unnoticeable. That was the source of her grim undertone now.

 

“You're aware there are monsters out there, right?” she asked Aeon grimly, “How do you plan to escape if you give us this watch?” But the problem was already a non-even to the man. He waved airily again, twirling his sword. Then he aimed the point at Sami, but not in the threatening way Ryou anticipated.

 

“Actually… I was hoping you would take me along,” he replied. Sami blinked just once, and Ryou saw, just a second, that if Sami hadn't pocketed her watch, she'd have dropped and broken it with that remark. Obviously, taking a time keeper along for the ride wasn't on her to-do list. Ryou just raised a brow, wondering what Aeon could've done to help them further, anyway. Technically, even interacting with them was interfering with the flow of time.

 

“Tell me you joke,” Sami stated, almost flatly, “Aeon, is that even allowed?” Aeon hummed gently, looking around the narrow room as though he were searching for something. His smile widened, and he glanced sidelong at the older woman. He looked so damn smug about his answer. Ryou was sure it might make Sami take his sword and shove it up the man's spine.

 

“Seeing as how my two jobs regularly conflict each other, and how you take top priority over the Lord of Time, I'd say it's allowed,” he replied easily. But that still wasn't enough to even remotely convince Sami of his merit. The Lord of Time was tricky, and if Aeon pushed his patience too far, there was a chance the young man would be erased from space itself. And as much as she'd be amused with the outcome, it'd cause too many problems later. She sighed heavily, took Ryou, and took him out of the room, signaling Aeon to wait. He did so.

 

“What do we do?” Ryou asked, when they were far enough away for the man to not hear them. Sami looked especially taxed now. Her brows creased in frustration and she shrugged.

 

“We've got no choice, we have to let him come with us,” she replied simply, shaking her head, “Damn it, he must've pulled a fast one to be able to pull a crazy stunt like this.” Ryou watched Sami's expression nervously. She was mad, but he couldn't tell if she'd actually act on it or not. There were times Sami's outrage was too bad for her to do anything, and on those rare occasions, Ryou feared for the fate of his world if she settled down. But right now, she seemed more annoyed than actually angry. He tried his luck.

 

“Won't that mess with time, though?” he asked. She shook her head.

 

“He says it won't, and I'm inclined to believe him,” she answered seriously, “Aeon's a crafty one, but he doesn't lie. Besides, there's too much at risk for all of us for him to want to lie. He could lose his job, and his power, and both myself and the blonde man could lose our lives. None of us wants that.” Ryou bit his lip. Apparently, this no longer concerned him or his world, and he just didn't like that. This was, after all, happening in his world. Sami noticed his unease, and tilted her head expectantly. He didn't disappoint her.

 

“Sami… how on earth do you know them now?” he asked her, “You said you didn't remember the blonde man. What happened? If Aeon's a time keeper, how did you meet?” Sami just smirked. That was a valid question; she never did explain why she took a job as crappy as Flamenco's if she clearly had better talents. Ryou had a feeling he'd find out the truth.

 

“I never did explain the ESB, but I guess you deserve to know,” she replied, “Two years ago, after we stopped the Mystics, there was a small conference debating the protection capabilities of this world between some of the Espers and myself. We agreed that your world needed a team of specialists to help deal with the problems until they're… corrected. So, they hired me, placing me in a group alongside three others.

 

“Aeon was one, and he's the one in charge of making sure that the natural flow of time and space isn't interrupted. Normally, it shouldn't be, but you know what Amber just did,” she continued, “Katt is the second, and she and I work independently sometimes, even though we're sisters.” That didn't surprise Ryou. Katt was never usually home, and he supposed their `jobs' explained it. But that left the last member, and when he asked, she nodded and held up one finger.

 

“Who is the last member?” Ryou asked, even though he knew his answer. And Sami confirmed it.

 

“The blonde man,” she replied, “The sharpshooter, so to speak. Each of us has separate jobs as members of the ESB, and as teammates. Aeon's job is both the easiest and most important: contain any magical catastrophe until we come. Katt's is the second easiest. She's the scout of the team. Mine is arguably the hardest, because I'm the one who goes in the direct line of fire. And the blonde man…”

 

“…is there to protect you,” Ryou concluded. Sami just nodded, and an awkward silence developed between the two. Ryou couldn't help but feel jealous of their teamwork, but the man was the reason Sami was alive. Likewise, Sami was just watching Ryou. He knew she felt his jealousy, and he knew that just as before, she disapproved of it. He decided to change the subject with, “So you don't even know his name?” Her expression changed drastically, and she looked down. He realized his change actually made things worse, not better. And he regretted it.

 

“He refused to give a name,” she replied quietly, “There's a reason Katt and I work separately.” Ryou frowned gently as well. He remembered Katt's reaction to the man, however long ago it was. It had been powerful, almost as hateful as Ryou's. Sami didn't harbor such ill feelings. He guessed the only way to make the team work was to be separate. Which was ironic, as it seemed to defeat the purpose of the word altogether. He silently chuckled.

 

“Well, now we know why you were targeted and why the man's following you so much,” Ryou reasoned, stubbornly trying to bring his spirits up, “And we know Amber's going after him. And we know now that'll break up the team you have. But how come you didn't tell me this before? Did you think I'd be mad?” Sami shook her head. He didn't think that was a possibility, anyway. Sami was adept at diffusing his anger.

 

“We were asked to keep it secret,” she told him, “Every world knows about the ESB, as a way to travel and communicate legally through all worlds, but not many know how we actually operate. The Espers are dedicated to preserving magic, and it makes it easier if we don't have humans trying to interfere. We don't like lying, but I couldn't risk our jobs.” Ryou nodded slowly. That actually made a bit of sense. It made a lot of what happened a bit clearer now. If Amber was a half-breed, she'd know instantly of Sami's incredible power. That's why she shot her; the bullet wasn't magical and couldn't be traced by anyone without a witness. And the sole witness she had was in severe danger by her anyway. And she knew Sami would figure out her puzzle, too, and wouldn't report the attack and further endanger Ryou's world. What had been assumed to be the work of a complete idiot quickly turned to be a move of pure genius to Ryou.

 

“So she's playing with you,” he said, referring to Amber. Sami nodded, her sly smile forming slowly.

 

“She wants to make absolutely sure that all four of us are in the same place so she can destroy each of us,” she replied, “She knew I'd come after her if she went after Katt, which it's clear she's probably going to do soon. And she knew the blonde man would follow me no matter where I went. And if she created trouble in front of me, she knew Aeon would show up to stop it, too. She nearly succeeded.” Ryou knew where the flaw was. Katt hadn't been involved at all. And he knew Sami did that purposely.

 

“Think Katt will know to get away?” he asked. Sami's grin just widened. She had no doubts about that. Katt was, after all, her sister.

 

“She'll know we've been tricked once she sees Amber,” the woman replied, “And if Malik happens to die, then she'll know to run fast. Trust me, Ryou, this was planned more carefully than you think. The only reason it's bombing is because Amber involved Tiamat and other worlds entirely.” Ryou couldn't disbelieve that. Throughout most of it, Sami had remained in control, almost scarily so. Was that why the blonde man had been so calm despite her possession of the crystal? Had they anticipated that? But Sami herself had been shocked by it. Then he realized she had also been calm while she volunteered to wear it. It was only when they found it that she seemed perturbed. And when was the key: Amber was obviously moving faster than they'd thought, but she was doing just as they expected of her, which was abusing her own power.

 

“Then let's get Aeon and get back,” Ryou said after a moment, “You guys are close. I don't know any of the details, but I know you guys are close to this. Katt's going to need to be filled in, assuming Malik hasn't done so, and the blonde man needs to be found.” Sami nodded.

 

“I'm glad you agree on this,” she commented. Ryou didn't want to say that he still had his own opinions about it. They had too many problems to deal with already. The two simply went back to the room, and Sami told Aeon they'd take him. He seemed overjoyed at the news, and clasped his sword onto his back. Without another word, the three of them left for the front of the store, with Sami taking the lead. She looked out the window as the other two kept a safe distance back. The shifting shapes had more form now; she could detect multiple movements instead of it all seeming like one grand motion. She took out her sword, and beckoned Aeon close. Aeon did so.

 

“More of them,” she told him, “Our goal is to protect Ryou right now. I didn't tell him what my theory on Amber's decisions are, but he's an important part of our mission. Protect him at all costs.” Aeon just nodded, and when their briefing was done, Sami turned to Ryou and beckoned him to follow as well. He joined them, and then without warning, Sami threw the doors open. And then, she simply stepped through, toward the shifting shapes outside.

 

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

 

With the arrival of Sami's own teammate, Aeon, it looks like now Ryou can finally get out of Winbourne and go to his own world again. But what other information will Aeon have once they get back to their friends? And will Katt be safe until Sami reaches her? What of the blonde man? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!