Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Harbinger of Trouble ❯ Divisions and the Mountain path ( Chapter 11 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Takahashi does, and he said that I still can't have the rights even if he does die. Also, the song sung in Algon is a remake of Duloc from Shrek.

 

Over an hour passed before Yami and Ishtar decided that staying in the hotel wasn't conducive to helping Sami out. By that time, the sun had risen, casting the city in an odd, orange haze. It must've been some time since sunlight hit the city. In just one night, the smell of urine nearly evaporated. But, unfortunately, it did nothing more. The scene was still bleak. Garbage still remained, and many buildings continued to sag and rot, even with the stale air diminished. Time would be no help here. Malik sighed as they walked down the steps of the inn, looking down one side of the street. Many old manors stood, some crippled, some still standing, and all of them abandoned. At one time, it looked beautiful. But that time had passed.

 

“Sam was right about those Mystics,” he said, “The amount of damage done in just a little while is amazing. Can one person really do this!?”

 

“I doubt Katsaiga was working alone when this happened,” Yami replied, as they began down the desolate street, the wind moaning behind them, “Sami doesn't know much, but she said she highly doubts Katsaiga was capable of this. She thinks someone else, someone far sinister was behind this attack.” Malik hummed, thinking on that. It made a little sense. Katsaiga had seemed almost sad when they first escaped. She hadn't wanted to fight them. But that might've been a facade. He had learned enough from the past month to know that no one was clearly trustworthy. They continued as the road bent to the right. The street, which was once clear, slowly filled with animal droppings and garbage, sending off rancid fumes that made all of them want to retch. It truly was hard to believe that Sami had lived here at one time.

 

“Well, this is disgusting,” Yami mumbled, covering his nose to shield himself from the smell. But it didn't help. Ishtar took a deep breath, and regretted it as he coughed and choked. Malik patted his back, and they entered into a small alley. Like the street, it was littered with feces and debris. But the enclosed space made the smell all the more potent.

 

“I actually envy the thief on this,” Ishtar finally said, retching just slightly as he breathed in the fumes, “He gets to go to the mountain top and we have to breathe in this shit. And for what!?”

 

“Stop complaining,” Yami sighed, carefully picking his way through a pile that took up the center of the alley, “It's not helping anyone right now.” Ishtar grumbled, but obeyed. Yami was right. Besides, he had to save his rage for Bakura later, when he did come back. It was no use wasting his emotions on peons like Malik, Yugi, and Yami. And, though he was tempted, as they stopped at a far wall blocking the end of the alley, to break down the single door, ultimately all that would do was hurt his fists. And he liked his fists. Yugi, who was farthest behind, glanced over his shoulder. He expected Malik to be walking alongside him, but as Yami and Ishtar spoke, Malik had disappeared.

 

“…guys, where is Malik?” he asked nervously. Ishtar, who was trying to twist the doorknob, stopped and looked to where Yugi was pointing. Malik was nowhere to be seen. The spirit sighed; what a time for Malik to go wandering off.

 

“Don't tell me the moron went missing,” Ishtar groaned, shaking his head. But, from the looks of it, that was exactly what had happened. If Sami didn't kill him for losing a friend, Ishtar was sure he'd be killing Malik for making him worry. Yami looked from the door to the alleyway, and then to Ishtar again. The spirit looked really freaked out. Personally, Yami didn't blame him. Anytime Yugi went anywhere, he made himself sick with worry.

 

“He'll be back soon,” Yami assured, but in the back of his mind, he knew there was a chance Malik was gone for good. Ishtar sighed again, and turned back to the door. Rather than worry too much for Malik, he decided that breaking the door was more important at the moment. Mainly because, at the very least, he knew Malik was alive. If the boy wasn't, he was dead, too. As Ishtar began to consider pounding the door, there was a soft rumble from behind them, popping him out of his thoughts. He turned, but saw nothing. The way they'd come was shrouded in black, obscuring what could've been there. Shrugging, he turned back and began pounding on the knob to break it off. The noise returned.

 

“Okay, who the hell is making that!?” Ishtar demanded, looking over his shoulder again. His eyes widened like a deer's when it's in the headlights. Which was pretty similar to what was unfolding. There, piercing the black gloom around the alley, was a set of two headlights. In the gray, Ishtar could barely make out a shining handlebar. Whatever that thing was, it was making the rumbling noise. And, erratically, it charged forward, toward them. And, because Ishtar was too confused, he was frozen on the spot. And right in the path to his death.

 

“GET OUT OF THE DAMN WAY!” Yami screamed, but his voice sounded distanced and muffled from the machine speeding toward him. Only when the old spirit knocked Ishtar down did reality come crashing onto them. The motorcycle crashed right into the wall behind them, and a figure flew off, landing in a pile of garbage. Yugi ran right over, terrified to see who had been hurt. It was Malik. How he managed to get onto a motorcycle so quickly wasn't known, but right then, no one cared. They were just happy to be alive.

 

“Okay, that was a stupid idea,” Malik mumbled, getting up and shoving garbage off of his pants. He stalked out, unable to shake the feeling that he was incredibly dirty and needed a shower. Ishtar just snorted, shaking his head. He wasn't too surprised this happened; Malik had a knack for bad luck. It was like a small dog. It followed him no matter what obstacle was in the way.

 

“I just want to know where you found that bike, anyway,” Ishtar said. Malik just shrugged. He simply found it in the middle of the street. And, he used it to break down the door Ishtar had previously entered. Having done that, they simply walked into the doorway, Yugi barely noticing a figure on the roof watching them for just a split second before disappearing. Because of the short time, he was sure it had been made up. So, he said nothing about it.

 

The inside of the store had been abandoned long before, and Ishtar was surprised it was still standing. Mold had grown along the walls, sometimes becoming so severe that it was black. Dust caked the walls in thick blankets, letting just tiny dots of sunlight into the room. Likewise, dust covered the floor, too. It smelled old, dilapidated, sickening. Whatever Ishtar felt they would find there, he was pretty sure they wouldn't now. From the rusted sign they had passed, it said this place was a bakery. Perhaps a bakery from hell, but not a bakery for human products. Even the over had grime on its top. Yami looked around for barely a moment before he knew they'd walked into a death trap.

 

“Whatever the hell you thought we were going to find, we're not finding it here,” he commented pointedly, crossing his arms, “We're leaving.” Ishtar ignored him. Normally, his instincts were right about places, and Ishtar was certain they'd learn something here. Walking over to the stove, he opened up the door. Inside was a loaf of bread that had been so stale, it was a mixture of green and black. Ishtar had touched it, and screamed as he dropped it. Immediately, little crawling things scattered onto the floor.

 

“MAGGOTS!” he roared, and kicked the bread against the wall, “My Ra, we are leaving!” Malik just snorted as the spirit ran to the door, pulling and pushing on them to open up and blow some air into this stagnant establishment. But it had long been molded over.

 

“I don't even think Sami knew the town was this bad,” Malik commented, walking over to help Ishtar, “She seemed pretty disturbed by it. I wonder just what the hell happened here.” No one answered. No one knew the answer. Malik and Ishtar worked on wriggling the door loose, and eventually, it gave way and burst open. The sunlight was refreshing to see; only if you ignored the ruins of the city, however. The store front's view spanned along a row of piles of what used to be inns and department stores, their bricks and cement pieces scorched and crumbled to ash. It was like living in a giant junkyard. And it smelled terrible. Fresh air was doing no good for the place.

 

“Can those Mystics really do this?” Yugi asked, as they walked down the road, heading right back to the square, “Man, I hope Domino's not next.” Yami just patted the boy's back as they entered the cobbled courtyard. In the daylight, they could see sprouts of grass trying to grow. That was a good sign for the time being. Malik grinned, walking to where the grass grew thickest. It was around a signboard with an electronic monitor. Below the monitor was a single button. Very suspicious.

 

“Let's see what this piece of shit does,” Malik grumbled.

 

“Uh… Malik, maybe you should wait,” Yugi suggested, but Malik ignored him. He pressed the button in. Everyone waited as the moment passed. Nothing had visibly happened, but slowly, so slowly, the screen seemed to open up to a diagram of what looked like a children's puppet theater. Little figures began to pop up, creepy smiles painted onto their plastic faces. Now Malik regretted pushing that button.

 

“Welcome to Algon, such a nice, little place. It's so neat and clean, it's our saving grace! Don't pollute, have some fun, and then go shop until you're done, because Algon is the perfect place. Please don't break any glass, or we'll kick your ass, because Algon is… Algon is… Algon is the perfect… PLACE!” the sign screamed as loudly as it could. Yugi and Malik were hugging each other, the voice scaring them with its volume alone. Then, as the screen closed up, a brilliant flash blinded everyone there. Distantly, Malik heard Ishtar scream in displeasure.

 

“Oh Ra!” he yelled angrily, “What sort of demon seed is that!?” He rubbed his eyes, and saw a blur of what he hoped was Malik reaching out to grab whatever flew out of the little slot underneath the button. It was a picture of all four of them, looking terrified as they stared at the screen. Underneath it read Welcome to Algon!

 

“That's cute,” Malik mumbled, “So, this is a tourist booth. Too bad there's nothing to see.” He tore up the picture and threw the little pieces on the ground, where they were quickly swept away by the wind. Yugi just laughed, and bounded toward the sign again.

 

“Let's do that again!” he exclaimed. If Ishtar hadn't been so fast, he'd have ended up pushing that blasted button again. But, Ishtar was just that fast. He grabbed Yugi, who struggled against the spirit's strong grasp. But he couldn't escape. Which was good, because Ishtar would've banished him if he pressed the button again.

 

“Do it and not even Sami will save you,” he growled, putting the small boy down. Yugi heeded his words as Malik and Yami walked down another road. He found no need to piss everyone off. At least, not just yet.

 

---

 

The trip out of the city had been taxing, but any complaints that had been made had dissolved when they looked up at the looming mountain before them. Sami had warned them of the possibility of hiking, but the mountain seemed starkly unrealistic amidst Algon. And the crags of the mountain were sharp, the paths around it steep and unyielding. This would be a nightmare to climb. Sami had already started up, and not wanting to be left behind, Ryou followed, using the rope she left to aid them for when they decided to follow, if they did. Even with the rope, the task was too daunting for normal human standards. Then again, Sami wasn't human. This was probably nothing for her.

 

“How the hell can she climb this!?” Bakura asked, his voice echoing harshly off of the crystalline rocks and bouncing around the air, “What is she, half cat!?” Ryou wanted to give him a flat look. Technically, Sami looked the part. But, he was afraid of falling, so Ryou didn't dare to look down. He didn't need to be disoriented.

 

“Most probably,” he mumbled, climbing farther up again. It was getting cold, and the frigid clouds were producing tufts of snow that gracefully floated to the ground far below. He had to get up before he froze to death. And that was too big a possibility up there. Bakura just huffed.

 

“Why can't she find this stupid ship herself!?” the old thief demanded. He yelped when a sharp hand dragged the rope up quickly. Sami had pulled them the rest of the way. Ryou would've been thankful, but she looked pissed again.

 

“I could drop you both, you know,” she stated, “Now stop complaining.” Ryou chuckled. She didn't sound mad, but she had been firm. There was no gentleness to her tone whatsoever. And it was driving Bakura insane.

 

“Excuse us for never having scaled a damn cliff before!” Bakura snapped, and Sami turned back to him. Her glare was cold. Obviously, babysitting them wasn't something she liked to do on her own time.

 

“Them perhaps I should have used you for the rope,” she stated flatly, “Or perhaps a fire would suit you more.” Bakura didn't know what to say to that. If she was threatening to transform him into something, she must have had that power. And he didn't want to test them. She turned away again and walked down a short path that led to a cavern entrance against the wall of a cliff. Ryou took that moment to smack Bakura over the head.

 

“Ow! What the fuck!?” Bakura demanded, rubbing his now-bruised head. Ryou stuffed his hands in his pockets.

 

“You're an idiot,” Ryou simply replied, and stalked in after Sami. The cavern was narrow at first, permitting just one person at a time, but eventually it narrowed until it opened up to a large chamber, the glow from the nearby crystals illuminating the walls in magnificent glows of red, purple, green, and blue. If there was any magic to be salvaged in his world, here would be it.

 

Sami sat at the edge of the cliff path that spiraled down into the bottom of the cave, where a large lake sat, its water a deep blue. The emerald crystal beside her gave her skin a sickly green tint, and she sat with her back toward the entrance, looking deep into the lake. Ryou walked toward her quietly, and sat down, wondering what she was staring at. She looked like she was focusing on both nothing and everything at the same time.

 

“…a long time ago, I'd highly doubt I've have ever thought to look here,” she murmured, and when she noticed Ryou was with her, she said, “Ryou, tell me. What do you think of when you look in this cavern?” Ryou blinked for a moment, remaining silent. The first word he could think was `beautiful,' but he didn't think that was the answer she was looking for. He looked back into the water. It rippled as a large fish surfaced, its scales shimmering as the crystal light reflected off of it.

 

“That's a beautiful fish,” he commented quietly. Sami nodded, her sly smile appearing across her face.

 

“They're called Amphoras,” she explained, “A magical race of fish, I believe. At the very least, their scales contain a number of poisons that, when neutralized, can be ground and used in many antidotal mixtures sold around the world.” Ryou wasn't sure how magical that was; many poisons were used when synthesized. But he didn't question her on their magical ability. She'd know more than he would about magic, anyway.

 

“Do they attack?” he asked. She snorted, and shook her head.

 

“No. They're gentle,” she replied, her wings ruffling as a breeze wafted through the cave, “They're known to share wisdom, and they're the best story-tellers.” Ryou's eyes widened, and he looked at her quizzically. Fish normally didn't talk, and by the way she spoke, she must've felt that was normal.

 

“They talked?” he whispered. Sami glanced at him, and chuckled at his expression. He was awe-inspired by what she said. But even magic had its limitations.

 

“No. Not with words, anyway,” Sami explained, “Creatures many times do not physically talk. Rather, they rely on telepathy and the abilities of another person to relay their messages. Which explains why many people don't assume animals talk.” Ryou snorted. She was implying humans knew nothing about magic. But, considering how little it was spoken about anywhere, she might've been warranted in that.

 

“What are the stories about?” he asked her, as the fish down below gave a small howl that reverberated off of the walls, sounding lower and more somber than he thought was possible.

 

“Past events that have happened, that people no longer remember,” she replied calmly, almost sadly, “And sometimes, they make predictions. I made the mistake of asking, years ago, if there was a reason the Mystics had come.” Ryou glanced sideways at her. He didn't often believe in predictions, but Sami sounded unusually grim about this one. And, judging by the fact that a Mystic was currently chasing them, it might very well have been right..

 

“And what did they answer?”

 

“…that the past is the key to the present,” she replied, and something about the way she said it made Ryou wonder if she believed it, “But I'm unsure of what that means. There are no records in this world about Mystics. At least, none here.”

 

“You think there are some in another country?” Ryou asked, moving back just a bit in amazement. He wanted to know just how much of this Sami actually looked into, and how much she understood. Maybe she really was the key to saving his world, however subtle the threat had been before. Sami nodded, frowning slowly.

 

“My sister… suggested I look in Egypt for the answer,” she replied slowly, “She says that if any one place would have a record of a war so far back, it would be Egypt. All I know is that, long ago, there was a war that had spilled from one world into this one. It affected Egypt badly, but no one knows how it ended or what had happened.” A war… Ryou frowned. A war is what he dreamt about the previous night, a war that had spilled from another world. Then, the image of the blonde man came into his head. Blonde hair spilling over a pale face, a huge scar closing off one eye, his good eye glaring hatred at Ryou. A hatred Ryou didn't know the reason for existing.

 

“…Sami?” he asked suddenly, deciding that she might actually know who the man was. She turned to him, and her frown softened when she saw how nervous he had become. Something was scaring him, something she couldn't see or sense.

 

“Ryou?”

 

“…I had a dream about you. I mean, you were in it, anyway,” he began, and Sami merely tilted her head, “There were all these people there, people I don't know. And we were running from something. Mystics, I think… and there was this man.” Sami's eyes hardened, her face becoming grim again, dark in the pulsing light. Ryou realized that, indeed, she had been having the same nightmares.

 

“Was he blonde?” she asked pensively, and when Ryou nodded, she continued, “Pale-skinned? Scar on his face?” Ryou nodded again. This time, Sami's skin went white. She must know who this man had been.

 

“Who is he!?” Ryou asked, exasperation coloring his voice, “He said he hated me! I don't know why! Sami, please, tell me!”

 

“I have no idea,” she replied, and this began to frustrate Ryou, “I should know him, but I don't. Ryou, I believe he may be someone from my past, a distant past I know nothing of.” Ryou was sure she knew who that man had been. Now, he wasn't sure. Sami let the subject drop at that, and looked once more into the water. Now, she found whatever she had been looking for. She tugged Ryou's arm, and at first, he didn't respond. He was confused, and most of all, disappointed. He wanted some answers about his nightmare. But if Sami didn't know, she just didn't know. It wasn't her fault, either. He finally turned. And he saw it as well. A large, somewhat oval shape, with pointed ends, sat in the water.

 

“What is it?” he asked, gesturing for Bakura, who'd been hiding in the shadows near the back. The old thief ran over, and all three of them peered down. It was deep under the glassy surface. Sami was sure it had to be on the floor of the lake itself.

 

“The ship!” she exclaimed, breathless, “It… it exists.” At first, she sounded excited, but now, she sounded troubled. Ryou wondered what could've been wrong. He thought she wanted to find the ship. Then, he realized that if she did, it proved that what was going on, was very real. And she had to stop it now. Ryou let out a deep breath. But, without warning, Sami jumped and dove right into the inky water. Ryou heard a mighty crash as she shattered the surface of the lake, and cried out in horror at what she did. He had no time to react. Bakura grabbed his wrist and jumped after her. They plunged into the frigid water, Ryou knowing his skin was turning blue from it. It was too cold, and he was a terrible swimmer. They swam deeper and deeper, Sami still quite far ahead, unlatching a circular door on the ship's bottom. Bakura swam to her, not noticing how limp Ryou was becoming. Only when she opened the door, and they swam into the warm, dry interior, did Bakura realize the damage done. Ryou didn't stir as he placed the boy on the floor of the ship. And his skin was white with cold. Bakura felt terrible. He, of the three of them, should've been more careful.

 

“Ryou!” Bakura exclaimed, and turned to Sami, “Please, dear, tell me he's not dead!” Sami looked at him with grave concern, doing her best to pump the water out of Ryou's stomach, hoping air was reaching into his lungs. Only when he took a full breath, returning color to his pale skin, did she breathe in relief and lie back, her head leaning against the wall.

 

“His condition is severe,” she said calmly, “But he is recovering. I can use magic, but it won't mend the internal damage. Bakura… we need to wait. Only time will tell if he'll be okay.” Bakura winced at the worried tone to her voice. It sounded so unnatural. Ryou really was close to entering death's door. The old thief sighed. They had no choice now. Ryou had to rest. And he had to recover. Bakura wouldn't allow any other outcome.

 

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

 

After climbing up Mohraag Point, Ryou and Sami have uncovered the ancient ship, proving that the danger in his world is real, and was bound to happen. But, they still have no answers, and now Ryou is in danger of dying. Will he recover? Can he recover? And what of Yugi and Malik, who are waiting in Algon? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!