Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Game Master! ❯ Return of the Bards Three ( Chapter 12 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Final Fantasy 6. Takahashi owns Yu-Gi-Oh, and he's glad Ryou's still alive in my stories. SquareSoft owns Final Fantasy, and they don't care about Ryou.

 

To say that he wanted to leave the basement was a bit of an understatement for Ryou. Not only did he want to leave the basement, he would've been absolutely fine leaving the entire castle, including the insane clown who was currently still in it. Hell, he'd have left this world if he could. But things weren't that easy. They couldn't leave the castle. Sith needed to wake up, and if they had any chance of finding Mello, or Aeon, they'd need her to do it. The good news was that the tremors from the death of the tentacles destroyed most of the trench sides, creating crude, sturdy staircases for them to climb on. The bad news was that Sith was heavy; Ryou had an impossibly hard time just carrying her, let alone climbing up with her on his back. But he prevailed. And when he did, he wasted no time in rushing either himself or everyone else back up into the relative safety of the castle. And he nearly mowed down the old man guarding the machine's lever in the process, too.

 

“Whoa! Where be that there fire, kid?” the old man puffed on his cigarette, and then wheezed when he exhaled the smoke. Ryou slumped over as Malik helped to lay Sith on the ground. It had been just too long a day, and neither of them wanted to answer the old man. But Ryou forced himself to humor the man.

 

“We were nearly slaughtered by whatever was jamming that machine,” Ryou said, gasping for breath, “Trying not… to die…”

 

“Did you know that most of the former guards are dead down there?” Malik asked the old man, when Ryou didn't speak again for several minutes. The man showed no emotion. He simply took another inhalation of smoke, and puffed it out coolly.

 

“So that be why them followers o' the king ain't coming back! What a relief!” the old man finally exclaimed, and his reaction shocked both Ryou and Malik; Yugi was too concerned with Sith to pay much attention, “And here I be thinking they joined Kefka.” Malik look went from absolutely shocked, to simply flat. That was his reaction to his fellow men being killed!? That was just heartless.

 

“You're relieved!?” Malik asked in disbelief, “Okay, you might be the last damn person here who hasn't lost his mind! Why does that make you happy!?”

 

“Malik, stop,” Yugi said, standing up after making sure Sith would be okay, “For all we know, he might be on Kefka's side, or worse. Just be thankful we made it out okay.” Malik wanted to argue that there were innocent people down there, but he knew that ultimately Yugi was right. There was nothing to be done about it. Even with Sith's power back, she might not be able to revive any of them. Even that might've been going against the Espers, and they couldn't let her be penalized again. She wouldn't get her power back a second time.

 

“'Sides, whatever be gumming up the machine be gone now, and those bodies be cremated in the heat,” the old man added, as if that made everything better, “Best to be headin' out toward Kohlingen.” Malik nodded absently. And then he heard where they were going. Didn't Sith say they had to go to Tzen?

 

“W-wait, Kohlingen!?” Malik repeated, eyes widened, “What about…” He didn't finish as the man pulled the lever. This time, the castle shook violently, and Malik yelped as he was flung forcefully into a wall. Ryou and Yugi both ducked, and Sith slid from where she was sitting. Riz and the three spirits watched in silence; they could hardly believe just what they were seeing.

 

“What the hell was that?” Ishtar asked in disbelief, when the castle finally seemed to stop shaking. Yugi was the first to get up, and he looked around the small room. Nothing seemed to have changed at all. The old man, however, was grinning as he lit another cigarette. He seemed to be the only one who expected such a crash.

 

“That be the friction from this here castle, sonny,” he said with a puff, “We be literally diving as I speak!” Malik's mouth dropped. Did he just say the castle moved!? Oh, if only Sith had been up to see it! She might've been able to explain this to them. Hell, she might have invented it herself, considering her age. Bakura just seemed ecstatic about it as he pointed to the screen.

 

“Dove under the... You mean this castle actually does move!?” he asked, amazed, “Cool! So then, can it crash too?” Everyone stared up at him blankly. That should've been self-explanatory. But for some reason, in Bakura's twisted mind, it wasn't. Yami just shook his head and threw the guide at the old thief.

 

“Yes, it crashes, you moron!” Yami replied shortly, “It'd have to defy gravity not to!” Bakura glared at him.

 

“It's not my fault I don't study physics, pharaoh,” the thief replied, and crossed his arms, “And if any of you assholes tell me it is, I'll stab you.”

 

“Bakura, shut up. We have actual problems here,” Malik said grimly, and turned to the old man, “What the hell do you mean, we're going to Kohlingen? We said very clearly that we wanted to head to Tzen. What the hell?” The old man paled a bit, and then turned to a small map behind him. He read it for a moment, and then pressed a button. Then he coughed, and turned again. He looked white now.

 

“Er… well, we were going to Kohlingen, but it looks like we be taking a detour, young'un,” the old man said nervously, “Normally, we take the trench down toward the west coast, but it be looking like the trench was moved.” Malik's eyes narrowed. The trench was changed. And only one person could be responsible for that kind of alteration. He turned to Ryou.

 

“Falnika did this,” he stated plainly, and Ryou nodded. Then he glanced at Sith. This was just the perfect time for them to be attacked, with Sith out of commission. It was just too convenient. He frowned.

 

“We have to get Sith up,” he said. But what could they do? Mello was pretty clear that if Sith was hurt, he'd kill them. Ryou knew he would. Malik shrugged helplessly.

 

“We can't just head out without her. She's the only one who can kill Falnika,” Malik reasoned, and looked down, “This sucks. Mello should've stayed so we had some help. But… no, he decides that now you should take care of her. What an ass.” Ryou's frown worsened. As much as he hated Mello and all the man stood for, the fact was that Sith cared for him. Which meant Ryou couldn't harm him. And that wasn't fair.

 

“I'm really confused,” Riz finally said, and everyone looked over at her, “Okay, so does this mean Sith's dating Mello, but marrying Ryou? I don't get it. What kind of weird game is this?” Everyone's look went flat. To anyone who didn't personally understand Sith, this was exactly what it looked like. But this wasn't what it looked like. Ryou turned sharply.

 

“…let's go,” he said monotonously, and walked up the steps. Malik watched him, frowned, and then picked Sith up. That was the worst time for Riz to question Sith, and he hoped she knew it. Silently, he followed Ryou.

 

Ryou wasn't entirely sure what he should've been feeling right then, but nothing made particular sense to him. He should've been angrier with Sith, but he found he wasn't. He just really… really wasn't. He was sad, that was no doubt, and he would've been depressed if he had the time. But he wasn't as angry as he thought. Maybe that was because she was currently unconscious, though. He didn't know, and part of him had to admit he didn't want to know.

 

But as he stood in the entrance hall, he realized that this might actually impede them at some point. Mello had said to take care of Sith, but that meant he'd be back. And Ryou knew that if Sith did wake up, all his emotion regarding what had happened would come flooding back. Her being unconscious was a stopper for that flood. Angrily, his brows creased. This should have been simple. He should have just shot Mello right in the back. He should've ended their rivalry. He should've acted as Sith's fiancé, and not some terrified boy who was afraid of the school bully. He clenched his fists. The next time, he promised himself, he'd make sure Mello was dead.

 

“Ryou?” he heard Malik call, and saw him walking up, Sith in his arms, “You okay, buddy? You look pretty distracted there.” Ryou's stormy expression softened, and he sighed, looking away. He was distracted. And he couldn't bear to look at Sith.

 

“I don't want to do this,” he stated, and Malik stopped, “Malik, I've had enough. I say we go home.” Malik frowned now. Ryou didn't just sound distracted. He seemed absolutely defeated. Gently, Malik set Sith down and walked over, patting Ryou's back.

 

“We can't, Ryou. If we go back now, who's going to help Aeon?” Malik reminded him, “And what about Sith? We can't let her down…”

  

“I don't care if she's let down!” Ryou burst out, and Malik reeled as Yugi came up, “Don't you get it!? We're just humans, Malik. We're not… we're not supposed to protect Sith. We can't. We've tried, and every time we do… this happens. Well, I can't do this anymore. I'm going home.” Unfortunately, Malik wasn't going to let Ryou off that easily. Ryou had turned to walk away, but Malik grabbed his arm and stopped him. He turned the white-haired boy to face him. He looked gaunt.

 

“So that's it? You're going to go home and leave Sith like this?” Malik asked him harshly, and Ryou flinched, “Wow. Real fucking compassionate, isn't it? Look, you can give up, but I'm not going to, and neither is Yugi. We owe Sith six years of our lives. Whether you like it or not, we just do. And we have to pay her back. It's only right.” Only right? Ryou nearly laughed. Sith was practically leaving him, and that was fair. It wasn't! He shook his head violently.

 

“I'm not going to do this anymore! Don't you understand that we're going to die now?” Ryou cried, and took a deep breath, “Malik, Mello didn't give Sith to us because he wants us to win. He gave her to us so he could win. I can't fight him. I won't win.”

 

“So you're going to give up,” Malik concluded, and crossed his arms, “Goddamn it, Ryou. Don't you have a reason to fight!? What about Sith!?”

 

“I don't have a reason anymore,” Ryou said quietly. At that, Malik did something not even Ishtar would've expected. He slammed Ryou right in the face, and the boy went flying across the room. Riz gasped, and Bakura shouted something incoherent as Ryou fell to the ground. He barely saw Malik approaching him, and closed his eyes. But the second blow didn't come.

 

“Stand up, Ryou,” Malik said grimly, and Ryou looked up at him, “I don't have time for cowards. You have a reason. You just don't want that reason, not anymore. Not when you realize there's someone else who has that same reason. But guess what? Either you keep that reason, or you go home alone and I'll make sure Sith marries the one who actually fought for her. And it won't be you.” Ryou stared up at Malik. It was so rare for him to lose his temper; they had been best friends for years now. But he obviously was just as loyal to Sith as Yugi was. And inside, Ryou knew Malik was right. He was letting Sith down. He looked away.

 

“I can't…” he whispered, “Sith doesn't need me any longer.” Malik was close to punching him again, but then he shook his head. There was no time for a pity party. He frowned.

 

“I'll be sure to tell her that when Mello's dead,” Malik said grimly, and turned away, “Come on, Yugi. Get Sith and let's get going. Falnika's not going to stop, and neither can we.” Yugi looked back at Ryou sadly, but he knew the boy's mind wouldn't change. Carefully, the small boy picked Sith up and walked behind Malik, who was already halfway up the stairs. Ryou simply watched them, and then looked away again. He didn't want to continue on. He wanted to go home. But could he just leave Sith like that? He wanted to follow the right way. But the problem was…

 

“How… do I know which way… is right?” he asked no one, and then trudged up the stairs as well. Malik hadn't gotten too far, thankfully. He was right by the front gates, which Ryou noted was unguarded. Probably Mello's handiwork, considering his gun.

 

“Mello couldn't have gotten too far, but he's long gone,” Malik stated seriously, looking across the vast desert before them. Though not nearly as big as the Figaro plains, it was big enough, and this time, Sith wasn't with them to guide them through. Yugi blinked as he watched and shifted Sith onto his shoulder. The air was dry, the weather warm. Mello was bound to be close… wasn't he?

 

“You think he's crossing the continent alone?” Yugi asked, looking up at Malik. The blonde nodded grimly, and Ishtar coughed pointedly. Yugi looked up at him through the screen, and he shrugged.

 

“Considering his stubbornness, I'm not surprised,” the spirit commented, and crossed his arms, “He was clear he's going to Vector. What I don't understand is what he wants to accomplish. He can't destroy Falnika.” Ishtar had the good sense not to add that he couldn't without Sith. Ryou heard the unspoken statement anyway. He frowned as he looked toward the southern horizon. Tzen was a long walk from there.

 

“We have to find him before he kills himself,” Ryou said, and Malik turned to him sharply, his brows risen in surprise, “Not because of Sith. He and I have a score to settle.” Malik's mouth dropped at that statement. Was Ryou crazy!? He could never win against a man like Mello! Bakura just laughed hysterically. He must've shared the same opinion as Malik did.

 

“Ryou, I love you, but I really don't think you need to make a bigger enemy of him than he already is,” the old thief said wisely, laughing, “He'll kick your ass and then he'll take Sith. You're better off letting Falnika kill him.” Ryou growled. That was true, but this was more than just over Sith. This was his dignity. Mello was insulting him by leaving Sith in his care. Sith herself certainly didn't seem to want much to do with Ryou. And frankly, the white-haired boy wasn't sure if he blamed her or not. He glared at Bakura.

 

“Shut up,” he said flatly, but Bakura merely laughed harder, “SHUT UP! Bakura, this is about pride! That bastard is mocking me, even now!”

 

“Ryou, calm down a second,” Bakura replied, and Ryou did so at his grave tone. Now, he wasn't laughing, “You're already losing by acting this way. Don't you think that's why Sith is so unhappy?” Ryou stopped suddenly. Slowly, he looked back up at Bakura again, and this time sadness crossed his face, not fury. Pride was what was making Sith so miserable? Because he was proud and didn't want Mello to win?

 

“Because I have pride?” Ryou asked slowly, and Bakura shook his head.

 

“Because you're being an ass,” he said simply, and when Ryou tilted his head, he continued, “Ryou, you know damn well Sith didn't have much interest when she first met you. Did you ever ask yourself why she changed her mind and what made her do it?” Ryou had to admit that he never did. Nor did he ask her. He frowned.

 

“You think she didn't choose me of her own volition,” Ryou concluded, and when Bakura nodded, he asked, “Mello?” Bakura just shook his head, and his expression turned dark. There were only a few people who could influence Sith's choices so powerfully. If it wasn't Mello, and it certainly wasn't Ryou, that left one person. “…Katt.” At this, Bakura nodded.

 

“What do you mean, it was Katt!?” Malik suddenly demanded, and his anger snapped Ryou out of his momentary shock, “Why the hell would Katt care who Sith dated!?” In all honesty, Katt seemed to only care about her own love life when it came to romance. Bakura's expression didn't lighten. His lips thinned.

 

“She's been acting oddly ever since we've first spotted Mello, and when we spoke to her in the square earlier, she mumbled something and then ran off,” Bakura admitted slowly, and then firmly said, “I'm not so sure it isn't about Mello.” Ryou took a deep breath. For once, he wasn't as horribly surprised as he thought he'd be. But it was hard to fathom. Sith only chose him because of Katt. But… but that couldn't be true! He shook his head.

 

“No one could have done that to Sith,” he told them, “She's too strong.” But the look on Malik's face told him his opinion wasn't shared. Sith was strong, but she loved her sister. She'd do this to appease Katt.

 

“Ryou, even I know Sith had a pretty sudden change of heart about you,” the older boy stated, and Ryou's eyes hardened.

 

“So you automatically think it's because of someone else!?” he demanded. Malik's look softened.

 

“Don't you think your current problems prove that?” Malik pointed out. Ryou lost it, at least on the inside. In truth, they did. They had done so beforehand; Ryou was just too vain and too angry to realize it, or even see it at all. But now… even Yami had understood. That was why he played mediator when they actually went on their date. It hadn't even gone well then. Ryou's body shook. Sith hadn't chosen him after all… No! She had! Except, she hadn't… but she said she cared! But was care the same as love? Ryou's mind whirled. And finally, he said the only thing he could.

 

“…” It took Ryou a moment, and it all came out with a tumult of fear, sadness, regret, and self-hatred, “FUCK IT ALL TO HELL!” And with that, he rushed away, into the desert. Where he was going, he didn't care. He had to just get away and think for a second. Sort this all out. Oh god, just how could he have been so blind? Sith wasn't happy, and had said it so clearly, so many times. In her tone, in her eyes, in her words, even in the way she did care for him. And he hadn't listened because he was so focused on eliminating Mello and the Mystics. He failed to notice that Malik wasn't even stopping him.

 

“…poor kid,” Malik said after a moment of stunned silence, and looked down at Yugi, “Let's hope to hell that he gets his head straight.”

 

“Shouldn't we go after him?” Yugi asked him, and Malik shook his head. If they did that, Ryou wouldn't have the time he needed. Besides, they also had problems of their own. They were simply two. And neither had particularly good healing abilities, either. Malik just sighed. What a time to lose their friends.

 

“No. He has to learn this by himself,” Malik said finally, and took a deep breath, “Let's get to Tzen, get some answers, and then we'll look for him. Without Sith, we're as good as dead if we head to Vector. But we can make it to the town.” Yugi nodded, and he picked up Sith again.

 

The desert wasn't nearly as bad as Malik had once feared. Sure, it was hot, but Egypt had been hot, too. Years of living in it made his skin tough as nails, and nearly impenetrable to fire and heat. Years of living in the hot sand, burying in it, shoveling it, building with it, hell, even sometimes eating it, had made him a virtual fortress of vigor when it came to taking heat. Not even the gods of fire stood a chance against the self-proclaimed awesome might of Malik Ishtar.

 

But it was clear that after an hour, Yugi wasn't doing nearly as well. His skin was pale, but there were red splotches on his skin where he was getting burned. And he was tired, too. Carrying Sith, as light as she looked and as slender as she was, was more of a task than Malik thought. And when he decided to carry her… he found she was much heavier than he had thought, too. Just how much did she weigh, and where was that weight being kept!? Such a tiny woman shouldn't weigh so damn much. Then again, maybe an Esper's sense of gravity was different from a human. All of their other senses were, to be sure.

 

“Ra be damned, she's heavy!” Malik groaned miserably as they trudged through the sand, “I don't care if Mello wins! Just as long as I don't ever need to carry her again!” Yugi could only laugh.

 

“Make sure Ryou never hears that and we'll be fine,” he teased. Malik's face hardened, and he turned toward where Ryou had last gone, for just a second. His lips thinned as he turned back and began once again, shifting Sith so she didn't fall.

 

“If Ryou's going to be sensitive, let him be,” Malik just said simply, “Come on, Yugi.” Yugi just nodded, and without Sith to keep him held down, he ran alongside Malik.

 

Malik wasn't quite sure which way they should've been heading, but within another hour, they had crossed the desert. Sandy dunes gave way to verdant, green plains, and the sky above them was blue and bright. It was a nice day, and the weather began to mild by the time they reached the edge of the sand. But what worried Malik was the lack of path; who knew where they were supposed to go from there? The old man back at Figaro hadn't even given them a direction to go with. Then again, it wasn't like Ryou was in the best place to listen, either. And truth be told, Malik was sure he would've forgotten if he had known it, too. He looked up at Riz as he realized this. She was sitting in Ryou's living room, watching them both intently. This must've seemed like a movie to her.

 

“Is there a map in that guide of yours?” he asked her, and when Yugi came to a stop beside him, he said, “I have no idea where the hell we have to go.” Riz flipped through the book, trying to find what would be of any use. She did find a map; the problem was, where Tzen was located, there were actually two deserts on that continent. She didn't know which one Malik had just traversed. She frowned.

 

“Er… try going southwest,” she suggested, and when Malik rose a brow at her skeptical tone, she said, “There are two deserts, but one of them has a town almost immediately next to it.” Malik looked toward the southwest. All that greeted him were the plains and mountains in the far distance.

 

“I'm not seeing any towns there, Riz,” he told her flatly. Riz was about to tell him to go that way anyway, but Yugi beat her to it.

 

“Maybe we should. Who knows what we'll find,” the younger boy said, and frowned slightly, “Besides, we have to take care of Sith. She needs to rest.” Malik's lips thinned. That was right. Sith wasn't recovering out here. He nodded absently.

 

“Aye, then I guess we go southwest,” he said quietly.

 

Malik had trusted Riz's assumption that they were going the right way to get to Tzen. He had nothing else to go on, and without a direction to follow or a map to look at, he was pretty much willing to believe anything anyone said that sounded promising. But as they walked, and as he looked on and saw nothing but the rolling hills and the coastline, he began to wish he actually told them to show him the map. Something in him told him that Riz had just about as much idea where he was as he had.

 

But he knew if he even let one word of his suspicion slip out, it'd send Yugi into a flying panic. And with Sith and Ryou both gone, that was a bad thing to do: Yugi was the only one with actual magic now, and Malik knew Bum Rush could only do so much physical damage. But he also knew Yugi was growing suspiciously aware of the fact that they weren't getting any closer to civilization. And with Sith still unconscious, that would be a growing problem. And if she happened to wake up? Forget it; Malik was quite sure she'd have more than enough to say about that. Mainly, she'd use her sword to speak for her. He shivered. He didn't want to die.

 

“Riz, are you absolutely sure we're going the right way?” he asked for what felt like the fiftieth time, “I've been watching the hills for over three miles. Where the hell are we?” Riz's face blanched, and Malik became increasingly aware that she didn't have that answer either.

 

“Well… not absolutely, but either way, eventually you'll be hitting a city!” she said quickly, trying to remain as cheerful as possible. Malik didn't buy it. He stared at her flatly.

 

“Are you seriously telling me you have no idea where we are?” he asked her, and this time she had the decency to nod. He sighed. This was just typical. Next, they'd find Ryou's corpse in front of the Vector gates.

 

“Hey, think of it this way,” Bakura said, and Malik had a distinct feeling he'd regret listening to anything dribbling out of the thief's mouth, “At least Sith's not up to bitch at you.” Why he thought that was good, Malik didn't know. Sith might be the only reason they'd even get out alive, and she was nearly dead.

 

“Yeah, and she's not up to help us, either,” the blonde mumbled irritably. Yugi stopped and looked up at him with a frown. As much as he didn't like Bakura being right, he didn't like Malik being angry, either. He glanced further ahead. And that's when he saw something that might vindicate Riz; there were figures moving up ahead. Human figures, or so Yugi hoped.

 

“What if we go over and ask those people where we are?” he suggested. Malik looked ahead as well. To him, it didn't look promising. Everything seemed warped and distorted from the heat. But he did see something move. Walking ahead, the details slowly became clearer. There was a tent up ahead, at least one. He whistled.

 

“So there are people. Go figure,” Malik said with a shrug. Hoisting Sith up again, he led Yugi toward the tents. Indeed, what he saw was a camp sight. Despite the heat of the day, and the light of it, there was a campfire burning, and food was cooking. But something stopped Malik; something seemed oddly familiar with this, even though he had no idea what they were looking at. He saw three young men, all dressed in a similar fashion except for the feathers on their hats. Each one was a different color: purple, red, and then golden. Malik's brow rose. He didn't have a very clear view of European novels, but those couldn't have been the three Musketeers. He looked down at Yugi.

 

“Shouldn't we speak to them?” the smaller boy asked.

 

“I feel more like we should run the hell away,” Malik replied, and crouched down so he wouldn't be seen. Yugi followed suit, though he wasn't entirely sure why.

 

“Why?” Yugi whispered, “What's wrong?” In just a matter of seconds, he received his answer as one of the men began to sing. Albeit, very, very poorly.

 

“Tally-ho! We are the Bards Three!” he sang to no one in particular, “Eric, Derek, and Jimmy D.! With one more to add to our three!” Malik's eyes widened. He couldn't exactly remember too much of what had transpired last year, but he did remember those morons. They were the prime witnesses to when Sith had been shot in downtown Domino. And even though they didn't exactly help the case, it was hard to forget them. Mainly because they were dressed like medieval minstrels and acted as such.

 

“How the hell did they get here!?” Malik hissed, brows creased in agitation. But Yugi didn't answer. He was watching the scene intently. Another bard was speaking.

 

“Hail, brother!” the one named Eric said, distinguishable by his purple cap, “What ails you now? Surely you have the look of a mad cow!” Malik looked to see just who he was talking to. And he saw that Ryou was among them as well. His mouth nearly dropped; Ryou didn't look particularly happy to see the bards. Then again, he too had been part of the shooting as well. He crossed his arms.

 

“You promised to take me to Vector! Why aren't we there yet!?” the white-haired boy demanded hotly, “Do you or do you not know the way!?”

 

“I'm guessing they don't,” Malik said, and walked over as Ryou turned to him, “Long time, Ryou. Did you cool down yet?” Ryou nodded firmly, but he neither smiled nor turned away. He glanced only minimally at Sith, who was still unconscious as she hung on Malik's back.

 

“For the most part,” Ryou replied with a sigh, “These merry idiots are sure they know where Vector is, but they haven't even gotten me there.” Malik wasn't surprised. He turned to the bards, and Eric looked to the one with the golden feather.

 

“Shall we show them, brothers?” he asked to both of the other bards. One shrugged.

 

“May as well. The city you see is toward the east. But go there, I would not, for it holds a great many beasts,” the golden-feathered one named Derek said, “Hidden in the depths of machinery, they've nearly killed the three of us. Why should we take you there?”

 

“Because we're looking for someone who might've gone there,” Ryou replied, “He's a blonde man, and he's wearing a leather coat. He's got a scar across his face. Did he go there?” The three bards exchanged glances, and Eric shook his head.

 

“Aye, no one by that description crossed our path,” he said, and then darkly added, “Surely not, or he'll be slain by Rath.” Ryou's eyes hardened, and Malik's jaw dropped again. Rath! She was the leader of the Mystics! Did that mean she was here?

 

“Did you just say Rath!?” Malik asked them in exasperation, “As in, the bitch who's causing this hell!?” Jimmy D. nodded slowly, and looked toward the east. In the very distant horizon, Ryou saw that it was growing dark. He had a feeling he knew why: the evil of the imperial city, no doubt.

 

“Aye. She's not here, but her followers are,” the bard said grimly, and for once he was speaking without rhymes, “And they're out for blood. Seems as if the seal around Sith Winchester's powers was broken, and they're making their move before she awakens.” Malik nodded distantly. That made sense. They hadn't heard a damn from Falnika since Mt. Koltz. And Sith hadn't received her powers back then. He turned to Ryou.

 

“If they kill her, then they'll probably have what they need to destroy our world as well as this one,” he said, and Ryou nodded, “Vector's the best bet. Think we're ready?” Truthfully, Ryou was pretty sure they'd be killed quickly if Sith didn't wake up soon. But he didn't say that. Eric didn't give him that chance.

 

“Why would you go there!? Are you not deaf!? All that awaits you is a city of death!” Eric cried, “Those Mystics have taken it over and they're using the weapons inside!”

 

“To make matters worse, lady Sith is unconscious,” Derek added, “A sad day indeed, for her power is legendary. But so too is the story behind that power.” Ryou and Malik both turned to the bard. All three bards seemed particularly worried now; not one of them seemed concerned with trying to rhyme their words. Eric in particular seemed the most concerned with Sith. But it was Jimmy D. who spoke again.

 

“T'was a time ago, so long that not even she remembers. But we do,” he replied, “It's sung in the old songs in the world of Liedbar, where we come from. But that's another story for another time, good fellows. Before you can even begin to understand that, you'll have to face Rath's newest move.”

 

“But what is it!?” Ryou demanded, throwing his arms up, “Wasn't Falnika her next move!?”

 

“Oh no, good sir, not Falnika in the least,” Eric said firmly, “This new opponent is a fierce beast. His name is Atma, or the Atma Weapon. Surely a legend in and of itself.” Ryou didn't exactly get the significance of the name, but Bakura did. As did Yami. They both stared, and then at the same time, they exclaimed, “Atma!?”

 

“What is it?” Riz asked them both, “What's wrong?” Yami shivered, and turned away. Bakura, however, had the courage to answer. It wasn't that it was a scary answer; but it was an answer so ancient, that even he was surprised he remembered it. He had forgotten most of his life. But this had stuck. Probably because it was what nearly killed him, when he first saw it.

 

“Atma is an Esper, like Sith is,” the old thief explained, and Ryou felt something close in around him, “But unlike Sith, he isn't human. Atma is a horrifying beast, an Esper created by gene splicing and mutation of DNA. It's said… that he alone can destroy every world in Oblivion.”

 

“And you think it's here!?” Malik asked, gesturing toward where Vector lay, “In this dump of a world!?” Bakura nodded.

 

“Atma was hidden and sealed because of his immeasurable strength. Vector was built on the ruins of a corrupted portal into space. It was the perfect prison,” Bakura replied, and looked at Sith, “Damn it to hell. Sith wouldn't even know about it, not if she can't remember anything about herself.” Ryou looked down. Now seemed a pretty stupid time to be blaming all of this on Sith and Mello, and he found himself wishing he hadn't yelled at Sith like he'd done. Mello knew this was happening. And like an idiot, Ryou only helped the Mystics. Finally, he looked up at the bards again. If he was going to right this, it wouldn't be by running.

 

“Take us to Vector,” he said calmly, “Atma might be there to kill us, but he might help us, too. We have to take that risk. For Sith's sake.” He didn't need to look to know Malik was smiling with approval. The three bards all looked at each other, and then they nodded. As much as they were opposed to it, they had their own reasons for helping. Derek gave a sly grin.

 

“No problems, good sir. We do this for Sith,” he said, and in a sort of mock salute, he added, “We'll take you to Vector, but why we don't know. But as soon as you're in, we're going to go.” Ryou's eyes narrowed flatly. As much as he didn't appreciate the rhyming, he hated Derek's tone even more. This bard was up to something. Malik just swallowed hard, knowing the same thing as well. Why couldn't Sith wake up and just kill them!?

 

“That sounds promising,” Malik said quietly. Ryou snorted. At that moment, even he began to think Mello might've been right in leaving Sith in their reckless hands. She'd have known if the bards were even telling the truth. Mainly, she'd know by killing them first, and then finding out later. That did have some advantages. Sometimes.

 

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

 

After narrowly making it through the desert, Malik realizes that they aren't even close to Tzen. But in a good twist of fortune, they find the only people willing to take them to Vector. Unfortunately, it lies within the Bards Three, three thieves who serve only as comic relief to them. With three new allies in tow, will Ryou make it to Vector and find Mello? Will Sith wake up before Atma is unleashed? And will Atma be able to explain more about Sith's past? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!