Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Game Master! ❯ Saving People is a Bad Idea ( Chapter 23 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Final Fantasy VI, or Death Note. Takahashi owns YGO, and he says Ryou makes a terrible leader. SquareSoft owns Final Fantasy, and they agree. Ohba owns Death Note, and he doesn't care, because Mello is enough to make him forget.

 

Domino City was faring no better since the monsters began to just appear out of nowhere. In fact, if Bakura could have judged it, he'd have said it was far worse. Nearly two days had passed since Ryou had been taken into that strange world, and at first, Bakura could not be too sure of the consequence of such a portal opening. He should have known as soon as Sith had been dragged in. Esper magic could only aid the progression into darkness, and though Bakura loathed admitting it, Sith's absolute power only helped the Mystics this time. They had used her trace, as well as her absence, to bring forth an army that no one could hope to stop. The horde was becoming so massive, Bakura doubted that even with Sith, it would slow.

 

As of then, however, the street was relatively silent. Rex Raptor had done well to warn everyone of the danger, and most had kept themselves locked in their houses. Those that didn't were either fighting for their survival, or dead. As Bakura turned the corner, out of a narrow alley connecting to the residential district, he saw that the latter possibility far outweighed the former. Bodies of men, women, and helpless children littered the streets. But so did the bodies of those horrifying creatures, smoldering as the fragments of darkness within them dissipated. Bakura halted, and Yami caught up quickly, with Ishtar banishing the last monster that had pursued them. The damage was far worse than they had wanted.

 

“My god, this is terrible,” Bakura growled unhappily, his hand taking out a knife instinctively, “They're all dead. What good are we doing?”

 

“For now, we're safe,” Yami reminded him, though that did nothing to ease Bakura's discomfort. He had seen death before, he had even caused it, but he had vowed never to kill another human again. This was too much; even Zork could not measure to the bloodshed that spilled into the streets. He shook his head.

 

“And to think that this was what I could have done!” he exclaimed angrily, and slammed his knife into the dirt, “Confound it, I will destroy the darkness of those Mystics myself for this! How dare they kill our own people!” Yami patted his back, knowing Bakura's anger was true. Though there was still some evil left in him, Bakura had made this world, their world, his home. And he aimed to protect it, knowing how much he'd come to care for it.

 

Neither of them had seen that Kaiba had stepped out from the shadows of a building. He advanced, not knowing whether to be relieved or upset. Like them, he'd been fighting the darkness for some time as well, but he had no magic to battle with. All he had was a shotgun. A shotgun, and too many damned injuries to count.

  

“Darkness of the Mystics, eh?” he repeated, startling the spirits, “Sounds like a fantasy novel to me. Anyone want to explain what's going on here?” Yami turned to regard him. There was hatred in Kaiba's cold eyes, but for once, it wasn't aimed at them. No, he aimed it correctly at the monsters that had assembled here, and his shotgun, the end covered with black blood, told them that.

 

“We're not sure, but whatever sent Sith to that other world is what's causing these forces to appear,” the old spirit explained, and Kaiba seemed to believe him, “The Mystics are using Sith's departure to crush us. Without her, we have no defense.” Kaiba snorted, knowing that was too true. Preparations were difficult without an Esper to guide the way, and though Katt was being as effective as she could right then, it truly had been Sith they mostly relied upon. Now, that felt like a mistake. He frowned.

 

“Wonderful. So we're sitting ducks while Sith and Ryou get crushed in a world they're not used to,” the man concluded, and Yami nodded grimly, “Can these Mystics do any more damage? How much time do we even have? It's been days, what if Sith's already dead?” Yami didn't want to consider that, and neither did Bakura.

 

“She isn't,” Ishtar told them all, and they looked back at him, “If she was, we'd know. But she's not well; I can feel from here that her power's exhausted. And something else is suffocating the little power she does have.” Kaiba growled. As much as he disbelieved magic, and as little as he liked Sith Winchester, he still understood she was an invaluable ally and friend. There were only a few options left for them.

 

“As far as we know, this portal was opened from a video game based roughly upon an actual world, some distance away,” Kaiba began, though Yami could not guess where he was heading, “The problem is, this game is no longer a game now. Their magic's turned it into a portal, one that's allowing creatures from both sides in or out. What concerns me is that the portal is in Ryou's house, yet that isn't where the monsters are coming from.

 

“I think I may have a solution, though it could take some work,” Kaiba ended, and Yami stared in surprise, “I just want to know why they want to control this world. There's hardly any magic at all, save for your items and the scant few Espers still here.” Yami smiled weakly, fingering the Millennium Puzzle. That was true, but Kaiba didn't understand the whole story. And there was no time to explain it.

 

“It's much more complicated than that,” the old king said after a long moment, “This is connected to Sith. To what she was before we met her, something we've all known since then.”

 

“Of course,” Kaiba replied shortly, and then softened a bit, “Anyway, regardless, it seems like you might need my help. For once, I'm offering it.” Again, such an offer caught the three off guard. Kaiba had never wanted to help them before; why make the attempt now? Ishtar was that suspicious of him. But when he was asked, Kaiba merely said, “Take the damn offer or die.”

 

“I don't trust him,” Ishtar whispered to Yami, who could hardly disagree. But they needed every ounce of help they could get. Bakura knew this above them all, and it was he who stepped in before Ishtar made a foolish mistake.

 

“You say you have a plan, correct? Tell it to us,” Bakura said to him, and Kaiba smiled ruefully. It wasn't exactly a plan, not yet, but it was the start of one. Kaiba was the most powerful individual in the province, even rivaling the senators or the government themselves. As such, he had access to equipment and funding that could never be beaten. Now was the time to see just how reliable such a thing was.

 

“I own a company based upon gamers and machinery,” he reminded them, “All I need is a copy of this game. If we could get the portal itself, that might be even better. But my plan is to try and get Winchester and Ryou out, and then seal the portal off and trap the Mystic inside. At the very least, I want to get in touch with Winchester. Even if I can't seal it, she might be able to.” That plan seemed unstable, and now Bakura wondered if his acceptance had been wise. But if anyone could breach the portal, it might possibly be Kaiba. And he was willing to try it. Bakura had to consider this.

 

“Can it truly work?” Bakura asked him. Kaiba could not answer, and Bakura guessed why: not even he could say for certain. Almost and possibly weren't good enough, not with the level of chaos that was quickly engulfing Domino. Kaiba knew this as well.

 

`I say to try it,' came a voice, and Ishtar's eyes widened. That voice was not known to him, but he understood the tone of it. It was not Sith, could never be Sith, and was certainly not Malik's, either. Yet, it had reached him so easily.

 

“Who are you?” he demanded aloud, and this time, everyone heard the voice. It was smooth, almost seductive, but there was an edge that told them all not to trust her words. Indeed, the voice was female.

 

`I am the one who is throwing your world into chaos,' she replied, and both Yami and Bakura knew who it was, `Oh, but don't try to get Sith Winchester out. She has already come, is already on her way to death. And Ryou, I'm afraid, is next. But do feel free to try and close the portal.' Then, like that, the voice was gone. And with it was the hope that Kaiba could do anything at all. But desperation quickly turned to determination, and it was Ishtar again who spoke up, looking around at the others.

 

“They're still alive, and Sith's on her way there right now,” he said, though it felt redundant after the voice, “Kaiba, if you've got the skill, let's breach this portal and pull our friends out.” Kaiba blinked, his skin white from the chills that had run up his spine. He had never heard such a terrifying voice before; even his own father had never been so threatening. And though it lasted but a moment, it clearly did its job.

 

“Do… do you think I actually could?” he whispered, and his voice was so uncharacteristically afraid that it shocked the three spirits again. This was not the time for fear.

 

“We won't know until you try it, but we can't let them go without help,” Bakura said to him firmly, and looked the man in the eye, “Listen to me. I can tell you're like me; you've grown attached to your home. If you want to keep it, we need to do this. Don't become afraid because Sith might not survive. She's known this since she came here, and she knows we'll take her place when she leaves. If you can trust anything from her, trust that she trusts you.” Kaiba nodded, and cleared his throat. There was work to be done, and he knew Bakura was right. Taking a deep breath, he turned toward where Kaiba Corp was. Now they had a base of operation, and now he felt like they could do something to control this chaos. But how much was questionable.

 

---

 

Vector, or what had once been, was connected to two smaller continents by tiny strips of land that had not yet been washed away by the sea. Ryou had learned that they had been in the middle of one such strip, that the fanatic's tower had been constructed millennia ago, but the Light had uncovered it when it shifted the face of this world. And Ryou had also learned that the old continent of Vector was not too far away. The ship had crashed quickly, but it had also gotten a fair deal of distance before it actually landed. Though the immediate south held ocean, and too much of it, he could already see the northern banks of the corrupted continent. Southeast, he could see the strip that connected the continent to where they currently were.

 

The journey was truly too easy. Ryou had become aware of danger when nothing had threatened them from the tower, but now that they were outside, in the wilderness, they should have seen something. But there were no monsters even here. That caused concern, and not only for Ryou. Even Yugi and Malik were noticing that this wasn't right. Yugi looked around, trying to find any signs that something had passed. But the tracks were too old, and there was no scent or trace of energy to them. He frowned as he knelt down, looking at a patch of flattened grass.

 

“Nothing,” he said to Ryou, looking up, “Nothing here but us.”

 

“What do you think it means?” Malik asked them both, crossing his arms as he watched Yugi rustling through the grass, trying to find something he could not see, “Bad omen?” Ryou's lips thinned. He wanted to say it meant they were okay, but he knew that a world without life was far from safe. A world without life would perish quickly, and they were still trapped within it.

 

“No idea, but if Sith noticed, it was no wonder she wanted to go alone,” Ryou replied quietly, and let out a sigh, “She told me once why the Esper's world is uninhabitable. Without life, magic can't take a firm hold. My guess is, Falnika is going to kill everything until this world crumbles.”

 

“And she's going to trap Sith inside to do it,” Malik concluded, and when Ryou nodded, he added, “And when that's said and done, the Mystics are coming after us.”

 

“Right. Without Sith, there won't be much resistance when it comes to killing us next,” Ryou agreed. Silence fell with those words, for they all understood the truth associated with them. Without Sith, the few surviving Espers would have little reason to fight back, and the Chesiers, who were far weaker, would never live to tell the tale. Even Katt could not hope to fight Rath and win. It was a hard thing to grasp, and what made it worse was that the humans, who had little magical capacity, would have no choice but to let it all happen. Without Sith, Rath would win.

 

They continued in strained silence, all of them thinking and worrying over the fate of their respective worlds. It was only a matter of time until this world fell apart, and that time grew shorter with every second. Yet none of them gave up. As they took each step, they had to keep reminding themselves of what they were fighting for, and why they chose to help Sith out. For Matt, that was easy; he promised a long time ago he'd fight by Sith's side. And for Ryou, he knew in his heart he couldn't betray Sith by leaving her there. But for Yugi and Malik, they were no longer so sure. Yugi wanted to fight, but he knew realistically, there wasn't much to be done. And Malik held little loyalty other than to Sith's sister.

 

“You worried?” he whispered to Yugi, when Ryou and Matt were far enough ahead. Yugi looked up at him, confused for a moment, and then he realized what Malik was talking about. Fighting against Falnika. He looked away quickly. He didn't want to admit that he was.

 

“I know Sith's going to win,” Yugi replied quietly, but Malik heard the tremble in him. He obviously didn't believe she would, not in her condition. Malik frowned.

 

“No you don't,” he said flatly, and Yugi visibly flinched, “You're as worried as I am, and probably as much as Ryou, too.” Yugi found Malik was right. He nodded slowly, and glanced ahead. But Ryou was facing toward the road, and his back was turned. There was no way to even see if he shared the same worry, but Yugi guessed he probably did. He whispered so Ryou could not hear; there was no point in worrying the boy further.

 

“Being scared won't help us, though,” Yugi said softly, and his eyes narrowed as he considered his words, “I mean, Sith said there's nothing we can do, but she has to be wrong, right? Aren't we friends?”

 

“I thought so,” Malik replied, and Yugi understood that he sounded distant as he spoke. It had taken a long time for him to warm up to Sith. And she was harsh on him as often as she was kind. Maybe that was why he couldn't believe in her so easily.

 

“I want us to be,” Yugi finally said, and stopped. Malik looked back at him, and his expression softened. Yugi truly believed they were there for Sith, and that she was there for them. It was clear in the young boy's eyes that he didn't think she was as evil as the Mystics tried to convey. Yugi repeated himself, “I want us to be.”

 

“I know you do, buddy. Hell, we all do,” Malik said, and didn't realize that Ryou had been alerted of their halt, or that he had come up behind them, “But Sith doesn't, not right now. We're more a liability than friends for her.” He yelped when Ryou put a hand on his shoulder and turned him to face the pale boy. But Ryou was not angry. He looked as saddened by this as Yugi. Or perhaps more so. For a moment, he said nothing, he simply stared at Malik intently. Then, he smiled weakly.

 

“She's not so cold-hearted,” Ryou reminded them both. But the way they looked away told him they didn't agree. Yugi was the only one to speak, however.

 

“Then why won't she let us help her?” he asked sadly, and Ryou sighed. To him, Sith's logic was actually pretty sound, and it was just one of those ways she told them she did care. By keeping them from danger. But there was no telling that to someone like Yugi, who looked up to Sith like his own sister. All he could see was that Sith didn't want him there.

 

“Because we aren't strong enough anymore, Yugi,” Ryou told him, and Yugi stared, “We never really were. Sith knew this; that's why she hated when we'd have to fight alongside her. We're only human, and we're dealing with creatures of the abyss.”

 

“But Mello's human, too,” Malik put in, and Ryou stopped for a moment. That was true. Mello was human, like they were. And yet something wasn't quite right with that. Matt had said it'd been years since they'd seen Sith, yet Mello looked only to be in his twenties at the most. And then there was the fact that both he and Matt wielded magic. Either they were more than human, or Sith had somehow given them magic. Perhaps it developed just by being around her, like Ryou's power had.

 

“Mello is different,” Ryou started, but the next part caused pain as he tried to speak, “Mello… and Sith… Mello and Sith share a bond that we don't have just yet. And he's proven he won't give up. I doubt Sith could stop him if she wanted to.” Even Malik had to admit that Sith couldn't stop everyone, and Mello was that rare exception to her normally strict rule. He also saw how much it hurt for Ryou to admit to it, too, and he gave his friend a pat on the back. Ryou chuckled, but there was no escaping the tear that fell down his cheek. Malik understood it too well.

 

“You have one, too, you know,” Malik told him, and Ryou looked over, “A bond with Sith. You do have one. That's why she's living with you, and why she trusts you. Katt told me of it.” Ryou just shook his head. To him, Sith was living with him because there was nowhere else for her to go. The marriage, as much as he wanted it, was unlikely to happen as of now.

 

“I have a bond with Sith,” Ryou repeated, flatly. Malik smirked for a minute.

 

“Yeah, you do,” the blonde said seriously, “Might not be the one you want, but you have it. Ryou, there are lots of ways to bond with people. Romance isn't one of them. And I hate to say it, but romance isn't the bond you share with Sith. It's a friendship, or a kinship, that runs much deeper than that. You're actually… luckier than Mello.” Ryou thought about that for a long moment. Put in that perspective, Malik may have been right. Sith was constantly worried for Mello's well-being, and likewise, he could never rest until he knew she was alive. And both were throwing themselves into danger, just to get to the other. And they were obviously more than just friends. Ryou wasn't sure he could deal with anything like that, and he admitted that if he married Sith, he'd have to. She had no choice but to fight Rath; Ryou could never handle it, not truly.

 

“Sith…” Ryou said slowly, “My god, I've been an idiot.”

 

“Finally, you're getting it!” Matt declared unhelpfully, and all three turned to see the red-head grinning, his eyes glinting again, “Told you that you weren't right for her.” Right then, all Ryou wanted to do was punch Matt for his words, but he knew in his heart Matt was right. He laughed. It wasn't a laugh of mirth, but rather because of the revelation of what he'd actually been feeling. He knew now why Sith was always so tense, even just by someone mentioning her relationship with Ryou. She was far older; she understood his age was clouding his actual knowledge.

 

“It's no wonder Mello hates me so much,” Ryou said, and Matt snorted, “He knows, doesn't he?”

 

“Mel and I are amazingly intelligent, so we're blessed with understanding how our hearts work,” Matt said to him, “Don't take it too badly, Ryou. Besides, there are others who've tried taking Sith away from him.” Ryou arched a brow. He didn't need to know what happened to them, but for humor's sake, he asked.

 

“Where are they now?” he asked incredulously. Matt's grin became smug. And he held up a pistol.

  

“Dead,” was all the answer Ryou received.

 

By the time evening settled in, they had reached the continent of Vector. Already, Ryou could feel the traces of Oblivion in the air, and he looked directly southwest. That was where the energy felt strongest, and no doubt where their destination was located. The clouds had grown thicker now; they were heavy and made it difficult to breathe, and the air was moist and uncomfortable. Instinctively, Ryou drew Zerrkandr. Monsters had been absent for some time now, but so close to the tower, he had no idea what to expect. It was better to be prepared, and he understood his blade could tear anything from the void apart. Likewise, he heard Yugi and Malik draw their weapons as well. It would take the better half of the night to make it, but they were ready to fight anything in their way. At least, they hoped.

 

Yet they did not head toward the tower. Matt had taken a sharp turn directly west, and after dispatching a Chocobo poacher camping near the northern coast, he liberated three very large bird-like creatures and brought them over to Ryou. He explained that they were what people called `chocobos,' and that they were the equivalent of a horse. He also explained that they weren't ready to tackle the tower just yet, and Ryou found that, when he realized how worn his leather armor was, he couldn't exactly disagree. They hadn't bought so much as an ounce of armor since coming to this world. And with Falnika so close, that wouldn't do.

 

Fate found them heading west toward the town of Tzen, some two hours later. By that time, it was nearly pitch black, and the only light came from the dim torches carried by the few guards near the outposts a mile from the city proper. But from what Ryou could see, it was truly the Vector continent that suffered the most damage. Tzen had been close to Vector in the past; as a result, it took the full-on assault from the Light of Judgment. Once-beautiful manors had been reduced to crumbling piles, and occasionally had been eradicated from existence altogether. The lesser houses, from what Ryou could see, were no more than a roof supported by less than five feet of vertical brickwork. And even the roads, once cobbled and paved, had been torn apart. Hell had literally broken loose.

 

The worst sight, however, were the people. They looked hopeless, their clothing stained from the dirt and soot of surviving that horrible blast. Children looked up at Ryou as he passed, some shining with hope that he might be their new hero, others with only fleeting interest, knowing he was no more than they, a lost soul in a battered world. Men and women paid only a glance to them, and the elders muttered a few words of harsh welcoming. Only three people brought some level of hope to the city. And Ryou could scarcely believe they were even alive.

 

“Tally ho!” they cried, when Ryou saw them, “'tis us, the Bards Three!”

 

“Oh my god,” Malik sighed, shaking his head when they came over, “You three are alive!?” Ryou nudged him harshly, knowing that at least they had friends of sorts to let them know not all was lost. Though, even he admitted fully that the bards were less than ideal company at this time. They did not appear to notice Malik's unhappiness, however. Derek, the eldest, smiled warmly as they halted just a few feet ahead.

 

“Of course! `tis not the end of the world, though it appears otherwise,” he replied. Ryou was just glad the Bards Three stopped rhyming all of the time, “But what, dare we ask, brings you three here? Brothers of the road, mayhap?”

 

“More like we're going to try saving the world again,” Matt told them, and Ryou was surprised he knew them, “Derek, Sith left us again. Did she come by this way?” Derek seemed particularly disturbed to hear this, and he looked to his brothers. Neither of them had an answer for him, and Erik shook his head to show this. Derek shrugged, turning back to Matt.

 

“Nay, friend, she hasn't come here,” he replied, and then asked, “Is the queen in danger?”

 

“A world of it, as always,” Matt told him grimly. Derek nodded knowingly, and Ryou saw his fists clench. Whatever the two were talking about, it must have happened similarly before then. Obviously, the Bards Three had been involved. Perhaps that was why Sith had let them be…

 

Ryou didn't have time to ask the obvious. There was an explosion behind the Bards, and they turned as a crash erupted, followed by screams as people began to run down the road, towards them. Except that the people were not running toward the bards, rather, they ran by them, terror etched on each and every face. Ryou was already heading down toward where the commotion was by the time Derek turned back, and he was surprised to find that Malik and Yugi were following the boy, with Matt taking the rear. And all of them had their weapons drawn, though the actual reason for that was unknown. It wasn't likely that a monster had caused the explosion.

 

“What the hell!?” Malik asked, when they stopped in front of one house that was currently igniting into flames. Men had gathered around to try and control the flames, but they weren't anything close to being considered `effective.' Ryou could only guess as to what happened. As he ran up, he saw one man trying to hold the building up. But it wasn't the man's insane determination that struck Ryou. While it was odd that one man felt he could accomplish this, it was actually the man's attire that alerted Ryou; he wore a dark robe and black boots, and on his face, above his nose, was a large, x-shaped scar. And his eyes were blazing golden. He looked down at Ryou for a moment, and then grunted.

 

“Are you blind? This building is going to collapse soon,” the man told him, with a shockingly calm tone, “There are a few people still inside. Please help them.”

 

“Is this nutjob serious?” Malik asked, watching the man warily. Matt snorted, shaking his head, but before he could speak, the man growled.

 

“If you're not heartless, then do something, you idiots!” he snarled, which seemed to be the exact opposite of how he was just a moment before; perhaps he had a split personality. Not wanting to upset this man further, Ryou ran inside, with Malik by his side. Yugi opted to stay out, which seemed wise considering.

 

Inside the house was a wreck, and the thick smoke made it nearly impossible to breathe. Before Ryou even reached the foyer, Malik was already storming up the steps, coughing as he went. Ryou immediately went toward the kitchen, but the fire had made the door way too hot; it took waiting for Malik, some ten minutes later, to bum rush it open. And when he did, the curtain of soot that greeted them told them that they may have been too late to save whoever was inside. Or still inside, if Malik had help any others out.

 

“My god, is anyone down here, you think?” Ryou asked through a fit of coughs. They pushed through the thick smoke, toward a window that Malik was quick to kick open. As the air rushed in to sweep the smoke away, Ryou saw Malik nod.

 

“Yeah. I found another creepy, hooded guy upstairs. He said there's someone else in the basement,” came the strained reply. Ryou just growled. Of course they'd be forced to head down there. Without a word, they pushed past the smoke, heading toward a dark opening that they prayed was the basement stairs.

 

The basement consisted of a long, narrow channel that seemed to go on forever, with no light after the first ten feet. Ryou was quick to grab the lone torch, and Malik lit it by striking it like a match against the stone. It revealed the walls to be made of black stone, slick to the touch without actually being wet. Such a consistency made Ryou shiver; only Sith's world could produce such material, according to Sith herself. For a few moments, they walked the corridor in silence, each listening for the sound of heavy breathing or strained crying. According to Malik, the man he had rescued had given only a short description of the person trapped down there, and Ryou had begun to think they were rescuing a child. From the description, he was no bigger than Ryou, and a tad thinner, too. But like the first two men, he was also robed.

 

Eventually, the corridor widened, and the stone gave way to soft sand. Here, noise was muffled, and Ryou slowed his pace. Though the corridor had been solidly connected to the house, he had a feeling he was no longer within the residential vicinity, or even in Tzen itself. He couldn't go on, not without understanding where he was. Yet neither he nor Malik knew much about Tzen. Perhaps this was just a part of a system where the houses were all connected.

 

Unfortunately, the fact that he could hear water rushing, and could feel the sand beneath him, told him his worry was warranted. This was no sewer system; they were underground by now, and sewers could not possibly carry sand. When the corridor widened into a large circular chamber, with water covering more than half of it, Ryou had to stop. From here, there was no place to go. He looked around gravely. It was like a private, underground beach. Yet something told him it wasn't a peaceful place to be.

 

“Where are we?” Malik asked him, raising a brow, “Some sort of beach?”

 

“…Malik,” Ryou hissed, and ran over to a black heap on the ground. Malik followed, and as Ryou knelt, he realized that whatever they had found was breathing. Frantically, Ryou brushed the sand away. They had just come across the last survivor of the fire, and indeed, he was smaller than even Ryou. But in no way was he a child. As Ryou uncovered his face, removing his hood in the process, he found the man was older, though how much, Ryou couldn't be sure. But he was alive, and he stirred, coughing as he tried to open his eyes.

 

“Uuuuuhhhhaaa….” He moaned a bit, his head dizzy from being unconscious, but eventually the man was able to see that he wasn't alone. He looked over, and saw Ryou there. “…who are you?”

 

“I'm Ryou Bakura,” Ryou told him calmly, “We're here to help you.” The man blinked for a long moment. For someone whose life was just saved, he didn't look particularly happy about it.

 

“Did Saix send you?” he asked flatly, but when neither Ryou nor Malik understood who that was, he added, “Blue hair, black robe, scar on his face. Psychotic, crazy, anything?”

 

“Sounds like the dude who's holding the damn house up,” Malik replied, “But the guy I spoke to was blonde, and old, and ugly.” Ryou shook his head, wishing to anyone that Malik would just shut up. The man snorted, and a smirk grew on his face. He looked so smug; it annoyed Ryou a bit too much.

 

“Vexen, no doubt,” the man stated in amusement, “Well, I suppose I should return now.” He was about to sit up, but his body was slower to respond. He grimaced. Being unconscious did a number to him, when he knew it really shouldn't have. Malik just stared for a moment. To him, this man was even crazier if he thought he was going back toward the fire.

 

“Return where!?” Malik asked him, and laughed, “Dude, the town is probably on fire. There's nothing to return to!” This wasn't enough to deter the man, however. He looked up at Malik in annoyance. Obviously, he hated being told what to do.

 

“Ah, but our search is not done. I must tell them what I've found,” he told them, as if that was enough of a reason to let him leave, “Then, we can finally confront the Mystic and…”

 

“How the hell do you know about Falnika!?” Malik asked him suddenly, and the man stopped, staring as if Malik had just slapped him in the face. Then, he cleared his throat. And by the look on his face, Ryou had the distinct impression that he felt Malik was an idiot.

 

“You truly are a brute, just as we thought,” he commented, and then smirked again, “As for the Mystic, we've known of her for some time now. We just needed to find a way to get to her. We now know how. It appears that when one section of Oblivion is warped, anyone with access to magic… in this case, myself, can access the portal and warp from place to place. Quite a handy skill, if I say so myself.” Malik, unfortunately, had no idea what the hell this man was even saying. He blinked, and looked down at Ryou.

 

“What'd this moron just say?” he asked, and Ryou nearly burst out laughing. The man was about to answer, but four more people made it down the corridor. Ryou turned; it was Matt and Yugi. And behind them… were the two robed men from before. Which meant they were probably in a lot of trouble.

 

“Zexion, did you find it?” one of the two robed ones asked, and Ryou winced at his voice. Something about it seemed so shrill. The younger man, the one they had rescued, nodded. Then he finally stood.

 

“This channel connects into the trench, which will take us to the tower,” he told them all, “From there, we can infiltrate it and obtain the dark power inside of it.” Now Ryou was terrified. What he assumed to be a rescue mission, was quickly turning into a dangerous plot. One that probably wouldn't go well if they ran into Sith. But he said absolutely nothing; right then, Zexion and the others were speaking, and Ryou was intent on listening.

 

“Wonderful. The power inside is growing rapidly, no doubt from the fact that the Esper just arrived, as planned!” The man removed his hood now, and was revealed to be the blonde one Malik had rescued up above. He was smiling nervously as he continued, “Though I do fear how we'll fare once inside. This Esper is not so weak, and quite enraged.” Zexion seemed inclined to agree, but the last man just snorted, shaking his head. With his hood still up, it was impossible to see his reaction.

 

“Enraged? Ha. I'll show her the true power of a berserker,” he snarled, and his tone sent chills up the others' spines, “Now to just find her…” At this, he turned directly to Ryou and the others. Ryou heard the click of a gun behind him, and prayed that Matt wouldn't do anything so stupid. But Sith might be in danger again, and he knew nothing would stop the fiery red-head if that was the case. He'd just have to step in before that happened.

 

“What do you want with Sith?” Ryou asked the three, his tone more aggressive than he meant it to be, “She's not a Mystic, and she certainly isn't causing this!”

 

“Oh, no, we know this. But we also know of Sith Winchester,” Vexen informed them, and Ryou blinked, “She is not so unknown to us, Ryou Bakura. In fact, some of us believe she'd make a good heartless, should we get our hands on her. Then, the Mystics would fall, and we'd obtain their power.” Ryou already decided that that wasn't going to happen. Malik and Matt were quick to join him, as all three drew their weapons. Yugi simply stood in back. He knew that, while neither Vexen nor Zexion were a threat, the third man certainly would be. He had no fear of Sith, and Sith could have easily ended them all.

 

“That ain't happening, pal,” Matt growled, and his eyes gleamed again, despite the lack of light, “Get a load of this!” As Ryou feared, Matt shot his gun, and a searing ballistic rocketed across the air, toward the blonde across. Vexen's eyes widened, and he made a move to draw his shield. But a book appeared in front of him, and the ballistic was gone. Zexion was not happy, when the book returned to him. He glared at them, first at Vexen, and then at Matt.

 

“Now is not the time for a fight,” Zexion informed them all calmly, and sighed, “It seems we are all headed for the same destination. Why not form a truce?” Malik's mouth dropped. Technically, these three freaks were the ones threatening them. Why they should even consider this was a mystery not easily solved.

 

“Are you out of your damn mind!? You're talking about turning our friend into a… a heartless!” Malik yelled, neither knowing nor caring what a heartless actually was, “And now you're going to plead truce when we're about to kick your ass? What a joke!” If he meant to insult Zexion, however, he failed. The man didn't so much as blink. He simply stared, and Malik had a feeling he was the one being mocked.

 

“A… joke? I'm above jokes. I'm being quite serious,” Zexion replied, and though his anger was quiet, it was clear in his tone, “Why should we not go together? We cannot enter the tower, but you may be able to.”

 

“And why would that be?” Ryou asked curiously, warily. He had the distinct feeling now that they had been watched, and for some time. He yelped when he felt Matt step forward, glaring at the men from underneath his goggles. The same power he felt before appeared again.

 

“If you think I'm going to lead you to Sith, you're wrong,” Matt growled at them, “Get in the tower yourself and leave us alone.” For once, Zexion actually snickered. It was quiet at first, shy almost. Then, it grew, and soon he was laughing. He was laughing at Matt. Vexen and the third man watched him, but both seemed unusually uncomfortable now, as if something terrible had happened, but one they couldn't control. Ryou looked from Zexion, to the two of them. Then back again. The book he was holding was open; Zexion's eyes were glowing as he read from it. He spoke the language Sith used to cast magic, and then he looked up at the four of them.

 

“I am afraid, gentlemen, not one of you has a choice,” he informed them. And then, quite suddenly, Ryou saw absolutely nothing, and heard only a loud thud as Matt fell to the floor. Then… silence.

 

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

 

Arriving in Tzen brought no good news to Ryou, and after inadvertently helping Organization XIII, survivors from Rath's continuing bloodshed, he finds himself in the middle of a plot that might just overthrow the insane Mystic herself! But their plans involve Sith, and mysterious beings called Heartless, and Matt isn't ready to let that happen. But what do these strange men have in store for Ryou? Why have they abducted him and his friends? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!