Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Game Master! ❯ Two little pigs and an Ugly Duck ( Chapter 19 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Death Note, Castlevania, or Final Fantasy 6. Takahashi owns Yu-Gi-Oh, and he disapproves of Ryou killing Phunbaba. SquareSoft owns Final Fantasy, and they disapprove, too. Ohba owns Death Note, and he's pretty sure Kira could kill both Ryou and Phunbaba. Konami just thinks Phunbaba's a wimp.

 

Domino City wasn't faring too well. The barriers between that world and the ones Sith had previously been mixed up in were growing too thin; things were shifting and warping all over the place, and monsters were appearing sporadically and rapidly. As Bakura, Yami, and Ishtar ran outside, Riz kept herself indoors to watch. Whatever was going on, they had a feeling something had to end it soon. There was a certain stiffness to the air, a distinct feel, that made them fear that even Zork himself might have been returning. If Falnika was powerful enough to kill Sith, what could stop her from resurrecting the God of shadows?

 

“What the fuck is happening!?” Ishtar demanded loudly, pointing up at the purple clouds that were forming over the square. Yami knew those clouds too well; the Mystics were on the move again. And this time, Sith wasn't there to halt them.

 

“We're about to get our asses kicked,” the pharaoh mumbled, and shivered visibly. Their pitiful Millennium Items were entirely worthless against this evil, and summoning monsters would only delay the massive army. What they needed were more enchanted weapons like Sith's sword. Having Sith herself, or any Esper, around would've been even better. But the only other Esper was Katt, and she had long since fled for parts unknown.

 

“Damn it, why couldn't Katt just stay here and tell us what's going on!?” Bakura yelled, and his brows creased as he watched the sky darken, “She knows. But what the hell is so terrifying that she has to hide it? Why from Sith!?” Yami turned to Bakura curiously.

 

“You think Katt's…”

 

“There's no denying it! Yami, that's Sith. She's the one I've been trying to find!” Bakura exclaimed in exasperation, “Katt's reaction proves it. What the other Mystics say prove it! Her age is about right. But what I don't understand is why. Katt's trying to keep Sith's past away from her. Were we that bad?” Yami bit his lip, but he didn't know what to say. He knew he was a good friend to her, and Bakura was just Bakura. But they wouldn't harm her. So then… why was Katt so upset?

 

“Perhaps it has nothing to do with us,” Yami reasoned, “There were others who came here for Sith. That time-keeper, and that young man… Katt seemed particularly vexed when he showed up.” Bakura nodded, remembering her reaction quite well, and remembering Ryou's. Neither wanted the man anywhere near Sith. Unfortunately, Ishtar wasn't as concern for their fallen friend.

 

“Who the hell cares!?” the young spirit demanded, “Look, we're under attack and you're worrying about an old woman like Sith!? She's old enough to take care of herself, and she's old enough to technically be dead! Now stop jabbering and help me!” Bakura and Yami exchanged glances. As much as they wanted Sith there, they knew the city needed them now. No… their world needed them. The danger wouldn't stop at Domino's back door.

 

“Ishtar's right,” Bakura reluctantly said, “Sith might need help, but we're under siege right now. As soon as we kill the monsters here, let's try and repair our connection to her.” Yami nodded. That seemed like the best possible idea. Which was sad, because that idea was crap.

 

---

 

“This is it?” Matt asked, when Sith finally stopped outside of a small cave just south of the city of Mobliz. The trek was less than a mile off city, and frankly, Ryou was amazed they had passed it without realizing it. Then again, Sith hadn't been looking for a quick and easy escape. As Sith stood and overlooked the small mountain encompassing the mouth of the cave, she became brutally aware that this wasn't Baron Falls. Passage might not be accessible, after all. But could she tell them that? She frowned.

 

“Aye, as close as we'll get,” she replied seriously, and tapped her foot, “Baron Falls is far north, if you'd prefer it.” Ryou didn't like that tone. He had a feeling something wasn't going right. He turned to her before making his way inside.

 

“Why would we?” he asked her suspiciously. Obviously, he knew her tone well. Which wasn't a surprise; she'd lived with him for years now.

 

“No point in keeping it from you, but I'm not entirely sure if we'll be able to enter the trench this way,” she admitted, and Ryou's eyes narrowed, “Don't give me that look. I said I was trying earlier, not that I'd succeed. Just bear with me, Ryou.” That felt like something that was becoming harder and harder to do, but Ryou humored her anyway.

 

“So what do we do?” he asked, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. Sith tapped her chin, shrugged, and passed him, heading into the cave. Matt obediently followed suit.

 

Thankfully, the cave was small and straightforward. There was no way to get lost, and ample light to see, thanks to the crystal formations that grew right out of the wall. Like the ones in Ryou's world, these too glowed with a soft, blue light. He almost touched one, but then thought better of it. He didn't want magic in him any more than it already was.

 

“Since we're on the shoreline, the summit should be facing the ocean,” Sith explained simply, walking them through the rocky passage, “I can't fly, but I can jump a bit, even with you two holding on. My plan is to jump far enough to land right in the trench.” Matt and Ryou just stared at her, wide-eyed. She was strong, but she wasn't invincible. She had her limits. And judging by their looks, she guessed they thought she'd reached those limits.

 

“And you think that's going to work?” Matt asked sarcastically. Then he laughed. But Sith didn't find it funny, because she was dead serious about it. Besides, Matt hadn't even come up with a plan yet. Who was he to laugh?

 

“If you can do better, then get up here and try,” she growled, and turned back on the path, storming down. Ryou's skin paled. Technically, Matt had a right to question her. The plan seemed bad, even in Ryou's ears. But he didn't want Sith leaving them there. He looked over at Matt.

 

“We should give it a shot,” he suggested. Matt blinked, and looked up at Ryou through his lenses. He rose a brow.

 

“You think?” he asked, and when Ryou nodded, he grinned and said, “Why not? Mel and I've done stupider shit before.”

 

“And I've pulled you out of that shit, too,” Sith remarked, and smirked, “This time, I'm throwing you right in.” But that didn't discourage Matt. If anything, that made him even more psyched to be committing suicide. He gave her the thumbs up. Until, of course, he remembered one problem with going underwater: They'd need to be able to breathe at some point. And Sith hadn't discussed that.

 

“Uh… Sith? How're we going to breathe down there?” he asked her. She blinked, and then she stopped. Looks like there was a problem she overlooked. Her lips thinned and she blushed in embarrassment. Aeon could've made it possible to breathe underwater.

  

“…how good is a typical human's lung capacity?” she asked, and Matt nearly tripped on himself. That was her answer. To try holding their breath the entire way there. He turned to Ryou, gesturing to say something that might dissuade Sith from inadvertently slaughtering them, but Ryou had no idea what to say. That question was so stupid, he couldn't even believe Sith asked it.

 

“You think all of us can hold our breath that long!?” Ryou blurted out, and Matt actually snorted. So much for subtlety. Sith's smirk became a cocky grin.

 

“I don't need to hold my breath. You do,” she replied, and Ryou's mouth dropped, “It's an Esper trait. We can breathe underwater.” Ryou looked at Matt again, but the man wasn't surprised. He must've known this fact. Ryou looked from him, back to Sith. What, was she immortal now?

 

“How is that possible!?” Ryou demanded, “Sith, I've seen your x-ray! You have lungs, not gills!”

 

“I'm made of magic, Ryou. Human laws of physics and terrestrial attributes don't exactly apply to me,” she pointed out flatly, “I might not like water, but it won't kill me. Not with drowning, anyway.” That was nice to know, Ryou guessed. He'd have liked to ask a bit more about what Espers could do, but he decided he didn't want to know. Besides, Sith was already far ahead.

 

The passage led to an outside cliff near the summit, as Sith had thought it would. Below, Ryou could hear waves crashing against the crags and rocks, and he felt the spray of seawater as it went upward from the impact. The air was much colder up here, now, and he found himself shivering, even more so from the mist below. Sith stopped here, and looked in the horizon again. They were facing east, but the trench ran south. If they jumped in, it should carry them to the shores to the south. Assuming anything was down that way. She turned to Ryou.

 

“Ready?” she asked him. Ryou wanted to say that he wasn't, but by that time, Matt was already grabbing Sith's hand. Ryou twitched. He didn't appreciate that, and so he caved and took her arm. Sith just snorted. And then, she jumped.

 

The water was freezing. As they plunged through the glassy surface of the ocean, Ryou felt his blood run cold. But the shock of it kept him from screaming in surprise. He shut his eyes now. He couldn't bare to see what might be waiting for them, but as he did, he was shocked by how loud his own thoughts were now. Even more surprising was that he heard Matt's thoughts, too.

 

`God, damn it! Sith's gone fucking mental!' Matt shouted in his head, and Ryou felt a wave of cold come over him. Obviously, Matt disliked water even more than Sith, and hated to be in anything cold. Ryou almost felt for him. Except that he wasn't faring too much better, either.

 

`This isn't the worst she's done,' Ryou admitted, and for a moment, Matt's thoughts went silent. Then Ryou felt confusion, and a bit of worry, too.

 

`Dude, you can hear me?' came the timid, curious question. Ryou nodded, and Matt continued, `Awesome! That means I can hear you, too!' Ryou just grumbled. That didn't sound so promising. Matt wasn't the only one listening, anyway. Ryou felt a strong, familiar presence in his mind, too. Sith's thoughts, nonetheless. Or was it words? Ryou couldn't tell. She did say she could breathe underwater.

 

“You two had better knock it off,” she growled, and both of them looked at her quizzically, “We have company ahead.” Ryou heard Matt groan in irritation, and looked up to see that a large, razor-edged fish was coming toward them, its rows of spiky fangs bared as it saw its next meal. So there were monsters still in the trench. Wonderful.

 

`This sucks,' Matt thought, shaking his head. Ryou felt Sith shift her arm, and saw her reach for her sword. He had no idea how she planned to fight underwater, but she seemed pretty confident. She must've done this at some point in her life.

 

Sith swung her sword in a forward arc, and the fish dove right into the slice. It was slashed, in a single second, into two pieces, both of which collapsed onto the ocean floor with a spray of crimson blood. Ryou almost let go of his nose; the sight of so much blood made him feel ill enough as it was. He looked over at her and Matt. Matt seemed pleased enough, but Sith wasn't calmed yet. She was still holding her sword out, as if ready to strike again.

 

`Are there more?' Ryou asked her through his thoughts. She nodded grimly, and sure enough, she saw more of those same fish swimming toward them with abandon. They must've smelled the blood of their fallen kin. Or perhaps were attracted because of it.

 

“Kill one, and I guarantee three will replace it,” Sith replied, temporarily letting them go to perform a circular slash that, while it didn't directly connect, the resounding shockwave split all of the fish in similar fashion. More blood littered the water, and Ryou was getting worried that Sith might turn the sea red.

 

`How many more?' Matt asked her, realizing that still another horde was on its way. Ryou had the distinct impression that it wasn't their friends that brought them there; if these fish were deadly, they would've delighted on tasting blood. And there was a lot of blood around them right now.

 

`Sith, they're after the blood!' Ryou cried in warning. But he realized that was pointless; Sith already figured that out. She side-glanced at him for a moment, and then looked ahead. Ten fish wanting to eat them. And if she killed them, she'd only bring about more.

 

“Right now, there's not much else I can do without using one of the five spells again,” she told them, and Ryou couldn't help but shiver, “You know what could happen, right?” Ryou knew too well, and knew Sith had taken her chances with the last spell she used. If Bahamut caught on, Sith might be imprisoned for the rest of her long life.

 

`Well, whatever you can do, do it!' Matt said loudly, and Sith turned, `They're coming in fast, Sith!' Sith took a breath. Maybe the answer was to kill them using something that wouldn't tear their bodies apart. But what? If she used magic, it would hurt Matt and Ryou. Water was the most powerful conductor in the magical realm.

 

Finally, though, an idea did come to her. While she couldn't use a spell that drew power from the elements, she could use one that threw them outward, and it wouldn't harm anything but her targets. Or so, she could only hope. She had only been in this situation once; it resulted in a giant rabbit trying to kill her. She closed her eyes, focusing with all her power. She nearly jumped when she felt Matt's hand on hers; he was lending her his own strength for her spell.

 

“Whibdhuwinder!” Sith yelled, and hurled her spell directly at the line of foes before her. The result, Ryou understood, was much more powerful than Sith had expected. No doubt because of Matt and his aid.

 

The whirlwind Sith had made was catastrophic. It swirled viciously, sucking in everything around it: the fish, the water, the scallops and rocks, and Sith, Matt, and Ryou themselves. Ryou found himself screaming, clutching Sith's arm as if letting go might kill him. And in that sort of circumstance, it might just. Around and around they all spun, none of them knowing where they were going now or what would end up happening. Death flashed through Ryou several times as he considered the impact of their landing. Match that with Sith's power… what was meant to be a distraction was quickly turning into a deadly maelstrom, and not even Sith could begin to stop it now.

 

Ryou couldn't bring himself to open his eyes, if only to see them swirl through the water. But Sith was far braver. She looked down and saw the ground spiral dizzily underneath them, saw fish trying to fight, but ultimately failing, to escape the vortex of deadly water. And she knew what was going to happen next. They were flying upwards too quickly; any second, they'd break the surface and be shot straight into the air. If she could get her wings unstuck and ready them, she could glide to safety. But Matt's weight on her right, as well as the vacuum of the furious whirlwind, kept them from extending the least little bit. Sith shivered. Matt and Ryou were both dragging her, both beginning to fall unconscious from lack of oxygen. She had inadvertently forced the rest of their breath out of them with her magic.

 

And just like that, it was done with. Sith crashed through the surface and was blown hundreds of feet upwards, toward a direction she prayed was the right way. It was like an angry spout on a particularly hateful whale. Praying to any god who'd listen to her, she hugged Matt and Ryou as close as possible. And she knew it might do no good. Even if she managed to get her wings working, surely they must have drowned. She should've known better. Humans had such tiny lung capacity.

 

Then, reality crashed around her, quite literally. As she cursed herself for her carelessness in Ryou and Matt's health, she slammed right into the ground faster than even her wings would've been. The only decent thing was that the pain was so severe that it reminded her she still lived.

 

“God… damn… it…” she groaned, knowing death would've been too peaceful to happen to her. She slowly got to her knees, her ears drooping from the water and her wings shivering. She became only vaguely aware that her friends might not have survived the fall. Then she heard a groan beside her.

 

“Why… couldn't… this happen… to Mello!?” Matt asked miserably, sitting up. He had to hold his head to keep it from spinning, and Sith saw his goggles were practically destroyed from her spell. And that was a pity. The only time she'd ever remembered him with his goggles off was when he was asleep.

 

“Did we actually survive that?” Sith asked him, as he recognized her despite his blurry vision. He nodded, and then flopped backwards onto the ground. Part of him wished he had died. Living hurt like hell right then.

 

“How're you feeling?” Ryou asked, seeming to have been affected the least, “Still have your powers?”

 

“If I don't, someone gets to die later,” she replied simply, and stood up, looking around. They had managed to land on a shoreline, but without a visible landmark, or at least a compass, she had no idea where. There were mountains toward the north, but there always seemed to be mountains in this world. It wouldn't have made a difference to her even if they were stuck on top of one. She frowned and asked, “Matt, do you happen to have a GPS on you?” Matt looked at her for a minute. Then he just laughed.

 

“If I did, babe, it's broken now,” he answered bluntly, and stood as he dusted his vest off, “Relax, though. Mail Jeevas has an innate sense of direction. I'm sure I can lead us right to Mel with no problem!” Sith and Ryou just glanced at each other as Matt proudly began his march due north, where those mountain lay. Something told them that trusting Matt entirely was just a bad idea.

  

“Uh oh,” Ryou concluded, as Sith turned and called, “Matt, you don't even know where we need to go!” Normally, such a silly thing like basic logic wasn't enough to stop Matt, but he realized that he wasn't even armed now. He stopped and turned back toward her. And gave her his confident grin that made him look so damn idiotic.

 

Ryou never thought Sith hung out with the smartest of people, but Matt was obviously not a good person to rely on when it came to directions. In no time at all, he managed to get them lost, and Sith was forced to take the lead. And she didn't want to, either. She would have rather shoved Matt over the cliffs for his inability to handle outdoor life, but she reminded herself that she cared about Matt and that it'd make her life hell if he died. So, enlisting Ryou's aid, she managed to get some bearing on where they were. And by bearing, she learned they had landed on an island. Which was more or less a good thing; Thamasa was on an island, so they were already halfway there.

 

Unfortunately, Ryou's knowledge of the outdoors, despite Yaten's many attempts to get him to hike, was limited. Sith didn't get too far with him after learning that they were on the island, and so instead she simply decided to follow the coast. It curved upwards, toward the plains, and then continued for some time. And while she didn't like not knowing where they were, there was only one place to go. So she took it. And both Matt and Ryou followed her.

 

“So… does this Light of Judgment really have this much power?” Ryou asked, as Sith led them up the crest and into the fields, “I mean… well, you mentioned it, but what's it made of?”

 

“I'm not entirely sure,” Sith answered honestly, and grimaced, “But if Espers were abducted in that factory… then it's possible that it's made of condensed magic. Crystals, most probably.” Ryou shivered. No wonder the blast had been so intense. But if that were true… then perhaps Rath didn't actually want to kill Sith. Except that she nearly had, multiple times. He frowned. She was killing every Esper in her path, and it didn't matter where she stopped. Not if that light continued to grow in power, and as long as there were Espers in this world, it would.

 

“Sith… how do we stop it?” he asked her seriously, so much so that she stopped and stared, “I know in the game, you have to kill Kefka, but this isn't a game anymore. What do we do? What can stop Rath?” Sith seemed to fade for a moment, her eyes becoming steadily unfocused. Then she shook her head.

 

“If I knew this, Ryou, I'd have stopped her long before now,” was Sith's answer. Ryou winced. She sounded defeated as she spoke. She must have remembered something crucial, or perhaps her dealings with Rath were innate, like her own magic.

 

From then on, the walk was long and silent. Matt had tried to break it with a joke or a snide observation about the scenery, but both Ryou and Sith were preoccupied. Sith grew more and more concerned over the Light of Judgment; any second, Falnika could fire another deadly shot and wipe the world out entirely. The world was becoming that unstable. And Ryou was growing more and more concerned for Sith. Whatever was going on with her, he knew it'd come to a head soon. Whether she remembered it all or whether Aeon or Mello chose to tell her was irrelevant now. Ryou just knew something terrible would happen soon.

 

What it was, Ryou couldn't begin to guess. Espers were complicated, Sith being one of the most complex. He had learned that a few years ago, when she barely remembered a damn about who she was or what she had to do. But to see it all unfold… Ryou wasn't sure whether to regret his friendship with her or not. On the one hand, they were like family. And maybe that was the problem. Maybe that was why… was why…

 

Ryou hated admitting that part to himself now. That was why Sith was so hurt with him. Because he was like family. And not like a husband; Ryou came to the cruel realization that he was more a brother to Sith than anything. He looked over at her. She seemed particularly distracted. Was she worried about Mello as well? Ryou found he wasn't angry if she was. Maybe being part of her family was why…

 

The town came into view two miles later, near the northern coast of the island. Ryou was glad the island was so small. Navigation had been pretty easy, save for Matt nearly getting them lost. Sith stopped at a small ledge overlooking the town. Matt stopped beside her. To him, it was a quiet city, no more than a half mile long at the most, no more than twenty residents living there. Most of the land was cultivated, too: just gardens and vegetable patches. There were only two shops, an inn, and only five residential houses. He highly doubted Mello would stop here.

 

“This is Thamasa?” Ryou asked, coming up behind them as Sith slid down the ledge, and walked toward the city. Matt just shrugged and followed, and Ryou felt little need to stay by himself. No one even passed them a glance as they walked by.

 

“Let me talk,” Sith said, without actually moving her mouth, and turned to a woman watering a rose bush, “Excuse me, ma'am. We're looking for the mayor.” The woman put down her watering can… and then paled when she saw Sith. Obviously, she had never seen an Esper before, for she choked when she tried to speak.

 

“…” The woman turned away and ignored Sith entirely. Sith just rose a brow, and Matt's eyes widened a bit. He snorted, shaking his head in disbelief.

 

“Wow, this place is real friendly,” he commented to Ryou, as Sith just shrugged and returned to them. But now she looked vexed. Being shunned didn't blow over well with her. Ryou couldn't blame her. He patted her back.

 

“Let a human try, Sith,” he suggested gently, and waved toward an old man, “Excuse me, sir!” The old man glanced his way, and then immediately turned and walked down the road. Ryou felt his spine shiver. Sith was one thing - she looked intimidating with her wings and ears - but Ryou was perfectly human! What was their problem?

 

“This is fucking creepy,” Matt said to Sith as they passed the square, “What the hell's their problem?” Ryou just chuckled. Those were his sentiments exactly.

 

“They're afraid of me,” Sith pointed out grimly, “Thamasa is an old town. If I worked for the empire…” She let the sentence hang. Ryou understood now. If Sith worked for the Imperials and ransacked this city, they'd remember her.

 

Silently, she moved past the square and went toward one of the two houses in the very back of the town. Ryou watched as Matt crept alongside her, looking around in case anyone decided to get hostile. Sith ignored her friend's movement; she walked right up to one house and knocked on the door. There was no answer. But Sith was persistent, and the third time was rewarded with a grunt as the door slowly opened.

 

“Who's there!?” came the voice of a particularly grumpy, old man as he came out, eyes squinting as he looked up at Sith. He was short; no taller than up to Sith's chest, and his cape was a very vivid red, hiding most of his plump figure. His white beard went down to his shoes, and his eyes looked small and beady. Again, he demanded, “Who's there!?”

 

“Calm down, good sir,” Sith began, but her tone was grim, not gentle, “We've come for information.” The elder's eyes narrowed. He recognized that voice, but… it had been close to fifty years. It couldn't have been! Sith Winchester, the dreaded Sith Winchester, should have been dead. He shook his head.

 

“So you're alive,” he growled, and threw the door open, “Well, come and get me, snarling dog of the Empire! Prepare to face Strago Magus!” He took out a simple wooden wand, but Sith was not fooled by its simple design. She ducked as a blast of white energy sizzled past her shoulder, destroying the tree far behind her. In an instant, her sword was up, blocking the next blast.

 

“I no longer associate with the Empire!” Sith said furiously, blocking blow for blow, “I've come merely with a question!” Obviously, her past was quickly catching up to her now. Ryou wondered if Falnika, when she had fled here, planned it that way. Strago wasn't convinced of Sith's changed ways. He threw spell after spell. But it was no match for an Esper like Sith. Strago stopped; he was out of breath and was getting nowhere.

 

“You've killed so many of my friends, you lying demon!” the old man spat, putting the wand away, “Ask your damned question and then leave before I kill you.” Ryou didn't think that was possible, but Sith's expression broke his heart. She must have thought Strago could kill her. She sheathed her sword and turned.

 

“No need for talk. I was just leaving,” she said grimly, and didn't even look at them as she said, “Ryou, Matt, let's go.” Matt wasn't intent on letting her leave like that. He turned to Strago angrily.

 

“No way. This guy's gotta problem with you? He gets to deal with me,” Matt said through clenched teeth. But Sith put her hand on his forearm, blocking his movement. He stared at her through wide eyes and exclaimed, “Sith!”

 

“Now isn't the time for a fight, Matt,” she warned him, “We won't find Mello or Falnika this way.”

 

“…Falnika?” Strago repeated, “Why are you looking for her?”

 

“Why would you fucking care!?” Matt countered hotly, glaring at him, “I thought you wanted Sith to drop dead, you old fool.” Ryou waited for Sith to just slap Matt across the face, but she didn't. She considered Strago's inquiry, not quite sure what she should even say. Why should she talk? He had made it clear there'd be no help for her.

 

“Falnika is destroying this world as we speak,” Sith told him, and Strago listened as she continued, “I understand I have made mistakes, but trust me when I say I haven't come to slaughter this town again. I've come with only questions, and I will leave, should you refuse to answer. On my sword…”

 

“I don't need an Esper's word,” Strago said to her, and she stopped. He hesitated for a moment, and then said, “Falnika is atop Kefka's old tower, southwest, far southwest of here.” Ryou and Matt exchanged nervous glances. Ryou remembered Mello's words, and silently wondered if he was crazy enough to head there alone. He looked at Sith. She must've wondered the same thing; her skin was paler.

 

“Could he have gone there?” Ryou asked her. Before she even registered the question, Strago laughed and shook his head.

 

“No fool can get up there without an airship,” the old man told them sternly, “Aside from that, there ain't no airships being made. The only way is to scale the walls.” Ryou highly doubted Mello would take that kind of time. Sith frowned. If she didn't have Ryou and Matt with her, she could have simply flown up herself and answered her own questions. Matt wasn't as convinced of Strago's answer, however. He rose a brow.

 

“So, what, we can't get in now?” he asked. Strago hesitated. There was a way… but he wasn't going to give it to the murderess Esper before him. He shook his head.

 

“Basically,” Strago replied bluntly, “Now, if you don't have another bothersome question, get out of this town and don't return.” Matt was on the verge of an explosion, but Sith was ever calmer. She frowned fractionally.

 

“I have only one,” she said quietly, “I am looking for a young man. Blonde hair, with a scar over his left eye, in a leather coat. Has he come by this way?” Strago had nearly slammed the door, but Sith's question stopped him. He hadn't liked that boy too much, either. He nodded. If Sith wanted him, it must've been to kill him.

 

“As a matter of fact, some psychotic brat did come here fitting that description,” Strago told her, stroking his beard, “Kept screaming about you, kept arguing with some white-haired freak with a broken monocle.” Sith's eyes widened. Aeon was with him! She grabbed the old man, causing a yelp of anger from him, as she hoisted him off the ground by his collar.

 

“Where!?” she asked. Strago smacked her with the wand again, and she released him. He coughed angrily and pointed due north. Sith squinted her eyes. She could barely see the ocean from there, and beyond that, the tiny island. But if they had gone there…

 

Sith's face went grim. Could she actually trust the word of a man who would rather see her dead? Her heart told her Mello was heading toward Kefka's tower, but he couldn't get up there. He had to have known this. She looked long and hard at Strago, trying to decide whether she took his advice. He returned her harsh gaze. Even if he was lying, she had to take his word. She promised she would leave if he supplied her with an answer. And he had done so.

 

She nodded, and without a word, she took Ryou and Matt, and headed down the road, between two small hills that encompassed two residences. She could see already that it led to the northern coast, which wasn't far away. If needed, they could probably swim to the small island. Strago watched her go until she was no longer within sight. Then he shook his head.

 

“Good luck out there, demon of the abyss,” he said sincerely, a frown on his face, “May you rot in hell with Hidon for eternity.” Then, he went inside and slammed the door. There was no need to wait for someone who would not be returning.

 

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

 

After reaching Thamasa, Ryou discovers that Sith has made her campaign here, some time ago. With the town forcefully ignoring them, and with only one man willing to explain Sith's dark deeds on this world, Ryou now understands that Sith isn't just a hero. She may have very well been a villain, too. But has the man sent them in the right direction, or did he purposely send them to their graves? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!