Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Chaos Master ❯ Aeon's Greatest Contraption ( Chapter 18 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Aeon from Castlevania. Takahashi owns Yu-Gi-Oh, and Konami owns Aeon. And technically, so does Takeshi Obata.

 

The street seemed relatively safe when Sami walked out of the store front, Aeon directly behind her and Ryou walking alongside her. The shifting from inside the store was quickly resolved from the flickering streetlamps; when they finally went steady, the shifting stopped. That was enough for Ryou and Aeon. But Sami, who had far keener senses, wasn't likely to be so persuaded. Her eyes darted to the left and right quickly and often, and her ears kept twitching, as though hearing something close by. But all that Ryou could hear was the wind. He tried to calm her down by tapping her shoulder, but the older woman wouldn't be dissuaded. Sword in hand, she stopped abruptly to look around, only to sigh in frustration and continue onward. Even Aeon grew tentative and on edge from her movements as they walked down the road, eventually turning the corner that'd take them back toward the inn.

 

When Sami had found the street to the inn clear, she beckoned to the other two. They joined at a respectable distance, knowing fully that when she had her sword out, enemies weren't the only ones in danger. If they kept too close, she might hurt them, as well. Luckily, it didn't come to a battle. There were no monsters anywhere, and while Ryou still enjoyed the temporary peace, it only seemed to make Sami all the more anxious. She knew better than this.

 

“Once we get back to Domino, I'll go and put the ESB on alert. They'll want to know that our orbs are gone,” Aeon whispered, as they came closer and closer to the inn. Sami just nodded, but said nothing. She was still looking for what obviously wasn't there. Perhaps her nerves had finally snapped, Ryou wondered.

 

“Will you two be fired?” Ryou asked innocently. Aeon just snorted, but Sami didn't answer him. She needed to keep her focus on their safety, even as they came toward the steps to the inn. Aeon took Ryou up them, and Sami was the last to enter the building, making sure to close the door and lock it so nothing followed them. Then she lowered her sword, letting out a sigh as she slumped against the wall. And noticed that everyone else was watching her. She looked at them flatly, blinking just once. If they wanted to know, they'd ask Ryou what happened.

 

“You guys made it!” Yugi exclaimed, deciding not to let the silence build for once, “Did you find anything?” Ryou nodded, and Yugi turned to him. He noticed Aeon right behind, and tilted his head quizzically. He had never seen the man before, and pointing, he asked, “Who is that?”

 

“His name is Aeon,” Sami replied, as Aeon bowed low, “A friend of mine who came here to help us out.” Everyone looked at each other, wondering how someone could do that. It took Amber most of her power just to send them here. And she was still part Mystic. Aeon had to be even more powerful to be able to come here of his own free will.

 

“Is he an Esper?” Yami asked, figuring that was probably the case. But to his surprise, Aeon just smiled and shook his head, leaning against his sword. In the hush, they could hear the small clock on the sword's blade tick.

 

“No, but I work with them,” he said, glancing at Sami for a second, “Anyway, I gave Sami the device needed to send you back, and I'm the one who had one of my orbs stolen by that no-good wench of a woman. I want it back, as well. Therefore, I'm going to go with you for a while.” Sami nodded when Yami looked to her for confirmation. Then she took out the golden pocket watch, handing it to Belphegorus, who held it up with interest. He had never seen such a tiny trinket before. But unlike Aeon's clock, it wasn't ticking. His brows creased as he gently shook it. Still no ticking. Finally, he frowned.

 

“What's the problem?” Bakura asked, standing up as Belphegorus handed him the clock. It was easily worth millions. But Bakura knew better than to try and sell it when they got back.

 

“It no longer seems to be functioning,” the demon replied, bewildered about it himself, “It may be missing a piece.” Sami turned a flat glare to Aeon, who paled immediately. Judging by the look on his face, he hadn't known it was broken. But that didn't stop her from wanting to blame him for it. He backed away, knowing that fact too well as he raised his hands in surrender.

 

“I swear I didn't know it was broken!” he cried, as Sami advanced on him slowly, “Come on, Sith, you need to believe me!”

 

“I'll believe you once I'm done strangling you,” she stated furiously, “You gave me a broken watch!” Aeon's skin went white now. Unfortunately, there was nowhere left to run to unless he wanted to go back outside. Belphegorus stopped Sami before she managed to lunge at the white-clothed man, much to Aeon's relief. He sighed audibly.

 

“No need for slaughter yet, lady Sith,” the demon said calmly, holding her collar easily as she struggled, “It's simply out of power, and its old core has been exhausted.” Again, though, Sami's glare was upon Aeon. He'd been using it before he gave it to her, so technically, it was still his fault. Ryou just chuckled. He couldn't imagine Sami being overly difficult to work with, but Aeon seemed pretty afraid of her now. He turned to the demon.

 

“How do we renew it?” the boy asked. Belphegorus hummed, setting Sami down as Bakura gave him the watch. This time he opened it. Instead of a clock face, there was a gem. It was dull. Belphegorus took it out and showed it to Ryou. At one time, it must've been beautiful. There was no solid color to it, and he knew that meant it was a clear gem, possibly a diamond. Renewing it wouldn't be easy.

 

“We may need a new one altogether,” the demon explained after another look at the gem, “It's quite old. But finding one will be even more difficult now that our world's been battered so badly.” Ryou looked down, and Sami cursed angrily. Yet another reason as to why Amber attacked. She must've anticipated Sami's moves as well. Ryou looked at Sami gently.

 

“We should try,” he said. Neither needed him to finish his thought. They both knew he wanted to go home. Everyone probably knew he wanted to go home. Sami just sighed, shaking her head. Nothing would ever be as simple as Ryou wanted. She turned to Belphegorus, tapping her hand against the hilt of her sword. She was getting impatient.

 

“What do we do to get this core?” she asked him, her tone both serious and annoyed. Ryou felt bad for her. He was asking a lot from her, especially considering that she hadn't rested at all since her shooting. He wondered if inhuman mortality ran out as fast as a human's. But before he could ask, Belphegorus was already speaking again. He had taken a book and opened it up to a page with a giant cat-like creature. Except that it was around three times bigger than a lion, and had a black mane. Its eyes were a deep red, and its tail was spiked, like Sami's.

 

“Eruls have them inside of their bodies,” he replied, “Many are good, but we've have a giant one plaguing the outskirts of the city for centuries. That's the only way to get a new one, and one powerful enough to allow the type of traveling you intend to do.” Sami moaned miserably. She knew exactly what this meant: they'd be fighting this particular Erul. And by `they,' she knew it meant `herself.' Aeon wouldn't be much help, and no one else was battle-efficient. Her brows creased in a sharp V. There was no use arguing, but sometimes she wished the blonde man were with her. He'd probably kill the thing by himself if she just asked him to.

 

“Where's this overgrown animal?” she asked tiredly. Ryou frowned. Normally, she had a much more healthy respect for magical races. Clearly, what was happening was weighing heavily on her. He wanted her to rest. But he knew she was the only one capable of fighting off a giant Erul. Belphegorus likewise gave her a sympathetic look as he pointed out the window, toward the distant horizon. Ryou couldn't even see what he was trying to point to, but he guessed it was outside of the city limits, where the demon had mentioned just moments before.

 

“Prowling, at this late hour,” the demon said warily, almost timidly, “We heard a roar of agony a little while after you two left, so we assumed…” Belphegorus's words were lost as Sami's eyes widened and she looked away. Ryou understood, too. What Sami had blasted with that holy beam of light, which he assumed was a smaller monster, must've been the Erul in question. Now he saw why every part of him had wanted to run. That thing would've devoured them, most probably. But when Sami turned to Ryou, he saw that whatever trepidation she did have had faded as she realized she herself nearly fried it with her own spell. She was grinning. Just like the crazy bitch she was.

 

“Ready to hunt some monsters?” she asked darkly. Ryou's eyes widened in disbelief. They were going on a suicide mission, and she wasn't even afraid! In fact, she seemed almost excited to be going after this thing. Then again, she was non-human. There was very little in his world that could physically defeat her. This must've been the epic challenge she wanted. The only problem that was stopping her was Bakura, as he grabbed her arm and turned her to face him.

 

“Are you god-shit insane, woman!?” he demanded, “I've heard of Eruls! They will fucking murder you if you invade their territory! You're going to get yourself killed!” Sami just looked at Bakura flatly again, and removed his hands from her arms.

 

“You seem to think I'm as dumb as you are,” she replied bluntly, “Rest assured that we'll be back with this gem. And if we're not, then we weren't going to live anyway.” Everyone blanched as she turned toward the door. Without even waiting for their response, she opened it and went out. Ryou just gave them a brief look of sympathy, for he knew too well how dangerous this would be. Then he followed her. Yugi just watched them walk down the dark road, as Bakura just snorted and shook his head, resting it in his palm. Of all the crazy, stupid things Sami was apt to do, this took the cake. And she was involving Ryou, too. If Bakura thought he could've banished her, he would've done it right then.

 

“I give the crazy wench an hour,” he mumbled, and Yami laughed, patting his back. As much as he loved Sami, the old pharaoh had to admit that Bakura was being generous. The Erul might very well eat her on sight. And then they would be screwed.

 

With the brisk pace Sami set, matched only by her equally brisk mood, it had taken only twenty minutes for them to go from the inn toward the gate leading out of the city. For the most part, they had ignored the destruction used from Amber's spell, but when they reached the gate, Sami found she could persuade neither herself nor Ryou to just pass it by. The gate had crumbled and caved, with only one of the original four towers framing it still standing. Eight guards lay dead, their faces pressed into the dirt as their blood lay in pools below their corpses. Sami bent down to inspect the closest one; she saw giant cat prints on the ground, but they were leading away from the city. Her lips thinned.

 

“Damn thing's gone now,” she told Ryou, as she stood up, “Tracks are over an hour old. Who knows how fast that thing is, either?” Ryou frowned. Sami had a good point. The Erul probably was gone. But it couldn't have gone too far. This was its territory, after all, and with the gate broken, and most of the inhabitants dead, it had enough food for some time. He was sure they'd find it sooner or later.

 

“I don't think we need to wait long,” he warned cautiously. Sami just snorted, her hand going to the pommel of her sword.

 

“That's what you think,” she corrected, “Think realistically. My spell knocked it down. And it wasn't a weak spell. It's probably hiding. It may even know we're still out here.” Ryou didn't entirely see the logic to her statement. He saw the shadow of the Erul. It was easily five times Sami's height. Why would it even be remotely afraid of her? But there wasn't much use arguing. They had to keep focused on finding it before daylight, when it would definitely be asleep, disappearing to another plane.

 

“What do we do to lure it out?” he asked her, figuring that he might as well humor her. But she was actually serious about this. She glanced out the gate. The night sky seemed darker on the other side, the grass a deep gray; forbidding, almost, anyone who dared to step on it this late at night.

 

“I'm not sure,” she replied after a moment, “But it's through the gate. That much I'm certain on.” Without heeding Ryou's protests, she crept toward the gate, passing the dead guards as she did so. Ryou just cursed, and followed, wishing she'd only listen to him even fifty percent of the time. It felt eerily quiet, even as they passed the gate and entered the vast field outside the city. Not even the wind made a sound as it rustled the grass. It felt wrong.

 

“Think you actually scared it?” he asked her, keeping his voice as low as he could in case he'd been heard by the Erul. Sami blinked, trying to see into the thickening night. But her night vision was no good without her glasses. She was actually lucky she was able to lead them out of the city; everything looked black and gray to her.

 

“Probably, but there's a chance you scared it, too,” she said, and when he gave her a quizzical stare, she said, “Zerrkandr is a known legendary weapon, Ryou. Even among creatures that can't speak any language known to us, they know of the legendary weapons of old. And stopping the train taking us to Desbin was no easy feat. Such power can easily be sensed. There's a chance both of us combined scared it away. At least far away enough to know we won't find it, but within striking distance if we come too close.” Ryou frowned. So this wasn't entirely about Sami. That made him both happy and nervous at the same time. Once Sami was dead, Amber would probably turn to him next, if only to get the sword.

 

“But I don't have magic,” he stated firmly. Sami looked at him for a long moment, as though telling him that that was an obvious point. But he said nothing else. She frowned; she expected him to know a bit more about magic than that.

 

“You're missing the point,” she told him bluntly, “Magic isn't always active. The fact that you can even wield Zerrkandr points to a passive role magic has in you. I wasn't lying when I said I was sure the Mystics wanted you. I just don't know why they would. Even if they kill you, they won't get the Zerrkandr. None of them can wield it.” That point did confuse him, as well. Aside from the sword, there really wasn't anything else that would interest the non-human races. He supposed there was the Millennium Ring, but it was clear they didn't want that. Rath had said the items were useless to her, when she had taken possession of Sami. It had to be the sword.

 

“What are the requirements for using the sword?” he asked her, “And how many are there?”

 

“I don't even know. There are many legendary weapons, but only three of them are swords. I have one, as well,” she said, and took out her own blade, “Zealacht, the bastard sword. My guess is that there are qualities between the sword's maker and its wielder that allow a person to handle such a sword. My only guess for why they'd want you is to study your personality before killing you, to know how to raise a swordsman of their own.” Ryou's eyes widened. That was horrible! Many possibilities for that seemed to flood his mind, and he shook his head to clear them. They were too terrifying.

 

“Are you saying they might clone me!?” he demanded in exasperation, “Or manipulate one of their own during child-rearing?”

 

“I'm not sure, but that's a good possibility,” she replied grimly, “Cloning will be far easier. The only difference they'll need to make is to make sure your clone is firmly on their side, not ours.” Ryou shivered. That would be way too easy, and the clone would have a perfect match in terms of personality and attributes. That would allow Rath to have the Zerrkandr. And she'd have someone who could actually wield it. And now, that made him worry for Sami, too. His gaze dropped to her sword. Zealacht, a similar weapon.

 

“What of you?” he asked her suddenly, “Will they clone you? And did you know about Zerrkandr?” Sami looked down for a moment, her stern expression going toward guilt. She obviously knew.

 

“I knew someone would be able to wield it, and I knew Rath would come looking,” she replied gently, “But I didn't realize it was you personally. I knew the name, I knew the city, but I didn't know the vessel. And as for cloning me… only Amber would be stupid enough to try that. If Rath could've done so before, she would have. Her hold on me during the crystal could've easily destroyed my own mind. I was just collateral damage; a warning, so to speak.”

 

“I hate them,” Ryou said suddenly, his voice shaking in anger. Sami looked up at him, frowning as he said, “I hate them all. Amber, and Rath, and that stupid man, and all of them. I want them to leave our world alone.” Sami sighed deeply, and placed her hands on his shoulder. He felt a stern strength coming from her, and he closed his eyes. It was comforting to feel such strong power around him.

 

“Don't act childish,” she scolded gently, “Wishing the Mystics away won't help us, and you know the blonde man is our ally. You don't need to worry about me. I'm far stronger than most Chesiers should be. That's why Rath wants me dead. I am a very real threat to her right now.” Ryou already knew that. It was precisely that reason that made him hate them all. Sami deserved to live her own life; he didn't even know what she had done to be chased so mercilessly. Even if she had gone intentionally toward them, it was only because they were forcing her to. He had every right to hate them for it.

 

“Well, what did you ever do to her, anyway!?” Ryou demanded, knowing he must've sounded like he was seven, not seventeen. Sami just sighed. She couldn't remember that, herself. And even if she could, she wouldn't have told him right then. It might very well crush him.

 

“Does it matter right now?” she asked him, her tone firming up, “Ryou, what we see in front of us is all we can worry about. Even if they know, and we don't, they would never tell us. The only way to find out for certain is to find a way to restore the parts of me that I've forgotten. And that may just be impossible.” Ryou shook his head vigorously. That couldn't be so. He refused to believe such a thing! Sami would remember! He'd make damn sure of it, no matter what it cost him.

 

“We'll go to the Espers, then!” he declared, “We'll look in the ESB. We'll threaten the Mystics! There has to be something on you somewhere, right!? Hell, I'll scour the entirety of Oblivion if you only ask me to! I…” Ryou suddenly stopped, noting that tears were forming around Sami's eyes. And she had never cried before. She sniffled, and then turned away quickly, wiping her tears. As much as it touched her that Ryou would go to such lengths, it also hurt her. He would never succeed. Oblivion was way too large, with too many worlds.

 

“I'm sorry,” she said quietly, “But I can't ask you to do that for me.”

 

“Why not!?” he asked, and without even thinking, he said, “Damn it, Sami, I love you! I can't stand to see you like this! You don't know who you are and you're already being killed for it! I won't let it happen, so why can't you let me do this!?”

 

“Because it's not your place,” she replied sternly, so strongly that Ryou jerked back, eyes tearing up as well, “…Ryou, I love you too, but this isn't your mission. It's mine. I don't want you finding something that's so damaging, so incredibly terrible, that you go insane from knowing it. Who knows… what my life actually held before I came here?” Ryou looked down. That was a good point, and she had every right to search for herself. But he had to know, too. She was part of his life, just as much as he was part of hers. And they were friends. He had to help her.

 

“If I go insane because of you now, then I was destined to go insane at some point,” he pointed out firmly, almost angrily at her, “Look, I know some things are supposed to be personal, but can you tell me what you feel comfortable with? I think everyone needs to know a little bit about you. That would probably help us out, wouldn't it?” Sami had to chuckle. Ryou was right for once. She nodded, closing her eyes as she waved a hand. Ryou barely saw the movement in the dark.

 

“I concede the point,” she finally said, humored by his dedication, “But let's speak on this later. We have a job to do.” Ryou agreed, and they took off again. Sami led them around the wall, toward the eastern plain. Gray grass sprawled in all directions, but Ryou noticed a slight difference now; the grass was flattened in some areas. His lips pursed. They were inevitably getting closer. He glanced at the older woman. She was already holding her sword, her eyes set determinedly as she went forward. Ryou took a deep breath, and felt his own sword magically appear in his own hand. He blinked profusely, but when he glanced at Sami, she was just grinning, looking away. She knew that would happen. And Ryou himself wasn't too surprised. The blade was magical, after all.

 

The plain proved to be annoying to traverse through, Ryou quickly found. The grass had been flattened, but the blades were very long. They clung to his pants and tripped him if he wasn't cautious. Even Sami, who was much more agile, was having a level of difficulty that Ryou never expected to see. She used her sword to correct that, chopping the grass to ribbons around her. The sword was absolutely silent as it hissed through the air, and Sami made sure not to let the tip bang into the dirt. Then, she looked around her. Inadvertently, she had created a large clearing all around her, and Ryou couldn't help but laugh. For all of her strength, sometimes it worked against her when she was trying to be stealthy. His laugh deepened when she saw what she did, and blushed furiously. Normally, she wasn't so quick to destroy the natural environment.

 

“Nice,” Ryou commented, and Sami just glared for a second, not appreciating his patronage. Then she heard a definite rustle. Her pupils thinned and she quickly turned toward the north. Unfortunately, Ryou's hearing wasn't as sensitive. He crept to her side, unable to hear or see what she was looking for. “Sami, what's wrong?”

 

“We found our friend,” she whispered grimly. Ryou's skin went white. That was incredibly fast, considering what Belphegorus said to them. She patted the boy's arm, knowing he was probably scared shitless at that point. Then, she crept forward even further, her boots making no noise upon the dirt. Stopping a few feet ahead, she listened again. More rustling, but this time it was behind her. Her brow rose, and then she realized what was happening. They had been stalked, not the other way around. And she had been the one to blow their cover.

 

“SAMI!” Ryou screamed, and Sami immediately turned. And growled. The Erul had definitely found them. Standing at twenty-five feet at the shoulders, with forelegs the size of tree trunks, the hind legs even thicker, it towered over both of them. Its fur was entirely black, its mane thick and wavering in the night wind. Sami saw fury in its golden eyes. Drool was issuing from its sharp fangs, which it snapped at them. She gripped her sword until her knuckles went white.

 

“Damn it,” she said, not even afraid to see the thing. Ryou watched her in terror as she jumped upwards, her signature move, slashing the creature's chest. But for all of her strength, it didn't even dent the thick bristles of hair. She fell to the ground, the Erul roaring its anger at being stricken so suddenly. But Sami was up quickly, and sheathed her sword again, closing her eyes. If might wouldn't work, she prayed magic would.

 

“Seirfreug!” she yelled, and held out her hand. A searing line of fire erupted from her palm, leaping from the woman to the beast facing her. Embers fell to the ground, and Ryou was glad she had cut down the grass. They'd have been caught in the flames if she hadn't. The spell was connecting, and patches of fur went up in smoke, the acrid, burning smell making Ryou retch. But Sami endured the terrible odor, and the Erul began howling in agony. Sami just smiled; she had found quickly that fire was the bane of the monster's existence. She didn't relent, even as the spell ended. But she wasn't quick enough, either, for the Erul had smashed her with its heavy tail, sending her sprawling to the dirt. Then it turned on Ryou, who was frozen as he stared into those golden orbs of hatred. His arm refused to move, to wield the Zerrkandr, even as Sami yelled for him to attack. But he couldn't. He couldn't murder again, even as the Erul drew breath. He closed his eyes, wondering how painful magic was to die from.

 

“Schild-magie!” Sami screamed, suddenly up and pulling Ryou back just as the Erul breathed its petrifying spell. A wall of hardened air formed before the two, and the spell didn't reach them. But Ryou didn't have time to thank her, for she was already moving again, this time sending another line of flame toward the beast. But it was repelled. Sami's eyes narrowed, half expecting that to happen, and instead said, “Weislager!” Ice broke through the dirt around the Erul's mighty paws, clamping them to the dirt. The monster roared, shaking and struggling to break free. But Sami's willpower was far greater. It howled and twisted, shaking its massive head in all directions.

 

And then it heard the whistling of air. It stopped, looking straight ahead of it. Into the glow of purple that was coming toward it with lightning speed. Into the purple-silver blade of the Zealacht. And into the steel-jade eyes it had never known to fear. The last thing it saw was the tip of the sword cutting between its eyes, its blood gushing down its muzzle to the ground. Then it saw darkness. The mighty creature crashed into the ground, bones snapping as its paws finally freed themselves from the biting ice. Ryou watched in horror as Sami landed in the pool of crimson blood. Then she walked toward him, the blood running down her arms and legs. He was glad none of it was hers.

 

“Dead?” he asked, that being the only word to form in the nightmares of his mind. Sami nodded stiffly, sheathing her sword. She turned to the corpse of the mighty creature, her tail thumping in irritation.

 

“It killed itself,” she replied emptily, “Tired itself out trying to break free, and lost all of its willpower in its panic.” Then, she knelt down, and Ryou saw tears running down her face. But she didn't sob. She just stared at the corpse, unable to believe that, not only was she forced to kill it, but that she had. And not for the first time, she regretted her actions. Over a hundred men dead from her hand now.

 

She couldn't dwell on the death for long, though. Reaching into the deep gash her blade made into the creature's skull, Sami searched for the core they needed. Ryou saw her cringe at the feel of blood, of bone, but she persevered. When she pulled out the large gemstone, along with tendrils of sticky blood, Ryou nearly threw up. But Sami just wiped the blood off, looking at the gem. It was pure white, emitting a pale glow on her hands. And it felt warm, too. It had to be what they needed. Ryou looked at it, mesmerized. It was a beautiful piece; his father would want to put it in the museum.

 

“Is that it?” he breathed, as Sami pocketed the gem. She looked at him, and nodded.

 

“If it isn't, Aeon gets to die,” she remarked, and Ryou just sighed. It really wasn't the man's fault, but Sami was in a testy mood. Aeon might as well have shot himself when they first found him.

 

Without even looking back, Sami and Ryou walked from the plains back toward the city, the first hints of a fading sunrise over the horizon. Ryou smiled, but Sami was much less enthusiastic. He glanced at her, and then looked down. There really was no sense in being happy about what happened; they were still in trouble, Amber was still out there, and now Sami had murdered a mystical beast. Banner day, so far. Ryou just patted her shoulder, but neither said a word as they crossed the gates and went down the silent, desolate road. The inn came to view within minutes, as their pace was fast for the early morning. It all seemed so quiet. And the inside of the inn wasn't much better, either. No one else, save for Vaerd or Belphegorus, was even up. And the two eyed the warriors curiously as they walked in. Sami merely held out the gem, but said nothing. Belphegorus's eyes widened in shock.

 

“Amazing!” he roared, and Ryou was sure that, if his friends had been asleep, they wouldn't be for long, “Praise to Dunkel, this is the finest piece I've seen!” Sami just blinked tiredly, noticing that their friends were already coming down, indeed risen from the demon's loud shouts of impress. Ryou patted her back again. He could feel her exhaustion was getting the better of her. He knew she needed to rest soon. She just shook her head, either to clear it or to dispel his worry.

 

“Wonderful. Can you get us home?” she asked impatiently. Ryou heard Bakura snort. If it had been Zork, she wouldn't have been so insolent. She'd have been dead. Ryou tried to ignore the thoughts in Bakura's mind as he watched Belphegorus take the watch and open it again. He took out the old core, handing it to Vaerd, and put in the gem Sami had handed him. It was a nice fit, and they heard a whirring sound as Belphegorus shut the top. He smiled, exposing his large fangs.

 

“All you need to do is press the button on the top, and you'll be warped to your world,” he replied, and then held up an index finger, “I warn ye just once, though. You may not end up where you think you'll be. With a new core, it may have some trouble adjusting.” Sami just nodded, but Ryou could see her eyes glazing. He had to get her into bed so she could just sleep. Rex, unfortunately, wasn't nearly as accepting of the watch's power.

 

“You're kidding me!” he cried in alarm, “That piece of crap can't even warp us to the right city!?” He glared at Aeon, who had just come down the stairs sheepishly, “What the hell did you give it to us for!?” Aeon was obviously still afraid of Sami's very real death threat, for he nearly retreated right back up the stairs. It was only because Yami had been right behind him that he refrained. Luckily, Sami's anger seemed to have faded. She turned to Rex.

 

“That's going to help us,” she pointed out, her voice trickling with annoyance, “I suggest you shut up so we can go home, or we're leaving you here.” Rex blanched. He would've loved to argue, or put Sami in prison, but she was right. He just stuffed his hands into his coat pocket, sulking over to where she and Ryou stood. Joey, Mokuba, and Yugi slung bags over their shoulders, and ran over as well as Yaten and Suguroku packed the rest of the supplies Vaerd gave them. Sami just frowned sadly. The blonde man should've been with them. And yet, he wasn't. Ryou wasn't the only one to notice her dismay, either. Joey bit his lip, and turned to the large demon.

 

“Okay, Captain Crinkle. Send us home!” he declared, trying to remain optimistic. Belphegorus raised an amused brow, and handed Joey the watch. The boy immediately pressed the button on the top, and quickly, too quickly, the group vanished from Winbourne. They spiraled through a long, winding tunnel, but only Mokuba was terrified of it. Everyone else had learned to expect such a response when dealing with magic. Sami and Aeon weren't even afraid. They merely waited with grim silence for when the ride ended. Ryou reached for Sami's hand, to try and keep up with her. But as soon as he was about to touch her, blackness covered his vision. And then, he heard nothing as he landed on something. Something very, very hard.

 

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

 

After killing the Erul and getting the core needed to fix Aeon's watch, Ryou and his friends are warped from Winbourne to the unknown once again. Praying that they end up together in Domino, Ryou managed to pass out before landing. When he awakens, will he be with his friends? Will he even be in Domino? And will he find Domino to be nothing more than a barren wasteland? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!