Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Harbinger of Trouble ❯ The worst of Times ( Chapter 18 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Takahashi said that if I really wanted, I could use Malik as a cameo in my comics, but that's not good enough.

 

Sami drove fast. Of anything Ryou could say to describe the drive over to Domino, fast was it. Whatever shock she felt over the past day evaporated with Amarant's words, as well as his death. And, as quickly as she moved, Ryou could still see that a great storm was about to erupt inside of the city; clouds were already thickening as they drove closer. Sami had said that it was a sign of a terrible battle. And if Katt hadn't agreed, Ryou might've thought she had been superstitious. But Katt did agree, and so did Bakura, once he handed the ship to Sami's command. And, of everyone, Ryou trusted the old thief the most. He kept close to Bakura and Katt as Sami drove the ship. Katt especially took to explaining everything to him that Sami left out, especially about what they've been trying to do for the past five years concerning the Mystics.

 

“I can't remember what happened when Sami and I first came here, but I'm sure that what's happening now is connected,” she finally said, with a heavy sigh, “If I'd known… this battle was going to be this extreme, I'd have told Sami to forget about them. I'm not sure this is worth it.” Ryou frowned. Katt had seemed so bright, so confident before they left for Domino. Amarant must've affected her badly, as well. Ryou wanted to pat her shoulder, but she looked so guarded as she spoke. He wondered if she'd ever pulled a dagger on someone like her sister had.

 

“Will you and Sami be okay?” he asked quietly, and when Katt looked over, he added, “Sami… she… Katt, she's been out of it. I don't know how she usually is, but she's not her now.” Katt gave him a long stare. Her mouth tightened a little. Ryou was sure, beyond a doubt, that she knew what had happened and what had bothered Sami so much.

 

“You really humiliated her back there, Ryou,” she replied in a low voice, “I don't know what happened, but she's pissed. That man? She knew him once, a long time ago. When she said she might be older than she is, she wasn't lying. We're both older than we look, though she doesn't know that. Nor will I tell her. It won't help her right now.” Ryou hummed quietly. He had expected that much, but he wondered just how old Sami truly was. For that matter, she could be over one thousand. It seemed unlikely, but Katt was serious. For a time, neither said a word. Then, Ryou glanced over, remembering what the man had said to Sami before she left. `Live your new life.' What had he meant?

 

“Katt… was that man… was she in love with him?” he asked, wishing to anyone who'd listen that that wasn't the case. But, slowly, Katt nodded. Ryou felt the wind being knocked right out of him. Now he knew why that man said he hated him. He knew. He knew Ryou cared about her. And he didn't like that at all.

 

“Yes,” Katt replied quietly, “It… was a short relationship. But she did love him. In her own way, she did.” Ryou frowned, and wanted to turn away. But he didn't need Katt to know how he felt on the matter. The fact that he even asked was clue enough. He just wondered what could've happened to erase Sami's memory, while Katt's was still in tact. But that was another story for another time. Right now, Domino was looming close, and he had no idea how they'd be battling.

 

“…Katt?” he whispered, and Katt looked over at him again, this time sadly, “How will you and Sami be fighting? Do you fight the same way?” Katt blinked, wondering why he was going onto such a radical change of subject. Then, she shrugged. He had his own reasons.

 

“No. I use short knives and daggers,” she replied, “Sami uses large swords. Her favorite happens to be the Bastard Sword. I believe her own blade was forged upon a likeness of it. It's a relatively thinner blade than the Zweihander, and it's much longer than a broadsword. I always thought a falchion suited her more; she likes to fight with two weapons, and the Bastard sword is too big to allow that skillfully. But she loves the blade.” The sheer admiration with which Katt spoke of her sister pointed to the fact that Sami was indeed as skilled as Ryou feared. She had to be quite older than him. No child her age could wield such weapons with her level of skill. But with two able fighters like them, surely the Mystics were afraid… right?

 

“So we can stop those Mystics, right?” he asked her. Katt hesitated. That wasn't good. He hadn't been sure of Sami's chances, but with Katt, they seemed unbeatable. Clearly, that wasn't true.

 

“…I'm not sure, Ryou,” she replied slowly, “My sister is skilled… but she's not immortal. There are many Mystics after her. And there's only one of her. The odds are entirely against her now.” That sounded even worse than what Ryou expected to hear. He couldn't believe his ears! Was Katt saying Sami would lose?

 

“Then what's the point!?” he blurted out, and Katt reeled back, “I'm not letting her die!” Silence fell, all across the large room, as Ryou clamped his mouth shut. He'd said too much now. He risked a look at Sami. She was grave, her skin still quite pale. Her eyes seemed to judge his soul simply by his words. He didn't want to know what she was thinking of him right then. Finally, she spoke. Her voice held a power that Ryou never expected.

 

“The point? Don't be a fool, Ryou,” she said, “The point is to save Oblivion. The mere fact that it's collapsing as we speak should be reason enough for you.” She sounded so disappointed, so disapproving of him, her words actually hurt him. He looked away. Likewise, she returned to the helm of the ship, Bakura beside her as they navigated. Domino was very close, now. Thunder rumbled heavily, and they were so close that the ancient ship rocked from the blasts of lightning. Sami's mood didn't improve, but the ship wasn't fast enough for the evasion she was going for. One bolt smashed the ship, knocking it so hard that it fell right out of the sky, tumbling mercilessly to the ground. Sami's hands gripped the wheel until they turned white, and she pulled up on it hard, nearly breaking it right off its post. Slowly, too slowly, the ship stopped, thrusting everyone forward. And then, it landed.

 

“What the hell happened!?” Malik asked, as they rushed onto the deck. Smoke was billowing from one end of the ship, and it smelled like burning rubber and oil. The black smoke made Ryou's nose itch. Sami walked over to where the flames burned, and looked at them critically. Then she shook her head. Ryou knew what was wrong. Everyone knew.

 

“Ship's dead,” she called simply, walking back, “That last blast must've hit the engine dead on. It's been incinerated.” With Katt, she climbed off the deck and landed onto the ground with a thud. They walked to where they could see the burning engine a bit better. Like she had said, it was completely destroyed. Ryou didn't see how they managed to live; realistically, the entire ship should've ignited.

 

“Can we repair it?” Yami asked, as he jumped off the side to join her. Ryou didn't see just how the old spirit expected even Sami to do something like that, but he suggested it anyway. And, unsurprisingly, Sami shook her head again. There was no point in even trying, anyway. They were in Domino City.

 

“Unless you want to die, I don't think we should touch a damn thing,” she replied, as Malik and Yugi climbed down next. Malik's mouth dropped at the massive damage that had been done. Sparks were dancing off some of the metal siding, and he could see a few gears trying their damnedest to shift and move. There really was no point. Someone would be killed, fried to a crisp, if they even attempted it.

 

“Can one bolt actually do that!?” he asked, as Katt pulled him back before he touched just one part of the ship. Sami nodded, crossing her arms as she examined the remains, even as the fire devoured them.

 

“Lightning is a condensed form of energy, discharging electricity when and where it hits. As a metal substance, this ship is an amazing conduit for such a blast,” she told him calmly, “When you take into considering that this ship has been submerged for some time now, yes. One blast can do this much.” Malik stopped trying to struggle against Katt when he heard that. It really was a miracle no one was fried, then. Sami turned back to the flaming gears as a bark from above alerted her. Her dog yipped, and she laughed as she said, “What is it, Rush?”

 

“What's in his mouth?” Yugi asked. As if to answer, Rush jumped off the edge of the ship and landed with a thud next to Ryou. He couldn't tell what breed Rush was, but the dog was big, now that he stood on all fours. Ryou inched away slowly; the dog could easily topple him if it felt like it. Rush dropped something at Sami's feet, and the woman picked it up, unraveling it. It appeared to be a map. She studied it, and frowned.

 

“Well, the good news is, we're close to Domino,” she told them all, chuckling, “Bad news is, we're walking the rest of the way. Even if I could repair this scrap heap, I don't trust it won't just break down again.” Everyone else, except for Katt, moaned miserably. The thought of walking into battle was both suicidal and somewhat disappointing. Whoever they were fighting would enter with something that could easily crush them, if she saw them walking. But Ryou understood Sami's reasoning: if they walked in, they might not attract any attention from their enemies. Even that, though, didn't help anyone to cope with it.

 

“Are we seriously walking to our doom!?” Ishtar exclaimed in exasperation, putting his palm to his forehead, “Are we really that pathetic?” Sami just rolled her eyes as she put the map away and began leading them down the gray field they'd landed in. Already, she could see a faint outline of buildings in the far distance.

 

“If you don't want to walk, then stay here with your tail between your legs,” Sami said in frustration, and looked at the map again, “Damn it, I wish there was something I could use as a marker in case we're lost.” Ryou just snorted. He hadn't expected Sami to get them lost, but anything could happen at that point. Sami didn't know everything, after all. Malik must've felt the same thing as well, for he was already walking ahead by the time Sami decided on what to do. Katt arched an eyebrow, and cupped her hands to her mouth.

 

“Hey, idiot!” she called, “Domino's the other way!” Ishtar and Bakura burst into hysterical laughter. Malik stopped and blinked, wondering who she was addressing. Then it hit him; she was yelling at him. He turned quickly, giving her a glare as he did.

 

“I knew that!” he retorted just as loudly, “I was testing you!” Then, he began to storm the other way, this time toward the city, not away from it. Ryou just shook his head and walked along Rush, the big dog giving him some comfort; he suspected that, like Sami, Rush was skilled in combat. At least, canine combat. He also saw that Yugi was walking alongside the dog as well. Sami and Katt had taken the rear as the spirits glided ahead, Bakura and Ishtar snickering all the while.

 

“Malik's an idiot, isn't he?” Katt whispered, and Sami flat-out laughed. She nodded her head, remembering just how much he was willing to screw her over because he didn't trust her. Ryou glanced back for only a second.

 

“Yes, I'm afraid he is. I honestly don't know why we even let him come with us,” Sami sighed, shaking her head as if to clear it, “He's stubborn as a rock, but he's had his moments, too. We'll see if this changes him. For the better, preferably.” Katt nodded in agreement, and Ryou turned away from them before they noticed him. Except that Katt noticed him. Sami, thankfully, did not. Katt slowly grinned, and decided to see how Sami felt about some of her other allies.

 

“Did Ryou ask to bring him along?” Katt asked, and when Sami frowned, she pressed further, “Why'd you listen to him?” She saw, just a fraction, that Sami's eye had twitched. She'd hit the mark.

 

“…I felt like listening for once,” she growled as she slowed, “Katt, what are you getting at?” Sami already had her suspicions, but she was old enough to know never to assume a thing. Katt's grin told her that too many times to remember. But, Katt merely shrugged.

 

“Hey, no need to get defensive, sis,” she said coolly, as they kept in pace of each other, “I'm just saying, I think he likes you. He asked about you.” This time, Sami screeched to a stop. She didn't know why, but that made her angry. She thought she'd made it clear that he didn't interest her. Katt glanced at her, realizing that she didn't want to hear that.

 

“…So this is what that's about,” she mumbled, and then laughed, “It explains his childish behavior.” She stopped for a moment, looking contemplatively at the sky. Then, she looked down, shook her head, and added, “I won't be returning those feelings.” Katt blinked, her eyes widening. That was a pretty harsh thing to say.

 

“Why not?” she asked, her voice low with confusion. Sami's lips pursed.

 

“I've already fallen in love with a human before, and it ended with him storming away because of Ryou,” Sami said, “Beside that, he is seventeen. Right now, I look twenty-one. Do you honestly think his father would approve?”

 

“Poor Ryou…” Katt sighed, and looked back up at her sister, “I think you should give him a chance. Not everyone's as serious as you. He might actually be a good guy.” Sith's nose twitched in annoyance. She really didn't like that Katt was taking it upon herself to pair her up. But Katt had done this before, too. She finally just sighed.

 

“Perhaps,” she said slowly. Katt grinned again. That was better than an outright `no.' At least, she was half-way there. They began to walk again, following the others at an uncomfortable distance. It gave her time to think.

 

“So, if you're considering, how come you don't ask him?” she asked. Sami glared at her angrily, wishing she would just shut her mouth and clamp it shut. Katt snorted when she didn't reply, and said, “Maybe he's nervous because you're older.”

 

“You're acting like I care,” Sami growled, eyes narrowing, “Katt, drop it. I said perhaps, not yes. There's a fine line of difference.” Katt's grin faded. Now she was just annoying her sister. She sighed, and then shrugged again. There wasn't much she could do if Sami didn't want this to happen.

 

“I think… that you have one very dim memory, and you're dwelling on it because you can't remember it,” Katt said suddenly, and Sami froze. The image of the blonde man from before came back to her, and her skin paled. Katt nodded slowly, seeing that clearly, “I knew it. I knew there was some other reason you don't like Ryou.” Sami looked down. She could only guess as to how Katt knew who she cared for. It made her ashamed to admit it, too; she didn't even know the man. There was just a feeling of familiarity, of something much more than friendship in the past.

 

“You want me to forget him,” she said flatly, “The man in this memory of mine.” Katt blinked slowly now, and her frown reappeared.

 

“…well, if you don't remember him…” Katt began, “Maybe it's best. He did tell you to live your life, didn't he?” Just that mention made Sami's eyes water. That was true. He did say that, and he left. She swallowed hard. As easy as it sounded to do, she didn't want to forget him. He was always the one who took the brunt of the attacks in her nightmares. And he was real. It wasn't just a dream. He really appeared to them. Ryou saw him, and yelled at him. He wasn't just a memory. This was going to hurt her.

 

“…” Sami was speechless for a while. Then, slowly, she said, “I… will try.” Katt smiled again and patted her back. Obviously, this didn't hurt her nearly as much as it hurt Sami.

 

“Great! Don't worry, sis. I'll talk to Ryou about it!” she exclaimed, and Sami immediately grabbed her and clamped her mouth shut. Ryou was dead ahead of them. Not to mention Sami was only doing this for Katt. He'd be crushed if he actually found that out.

 

“Don't you dare,” Sami growled, and diverted the subject immediately, “Besides, I don't see you pairing yourself up with anyone.” Katt just snorted, and offhandedly pointed to where Malik was walking. Albeit, a bit clumsily as Ishtar pushed him over. Sami looked from him, to her sister. She looked absolutely horrified.

 

“Oh, I am. I'm just not sure I can actually ask him out,” Katt snickered, “…what's wrong?” Sami's eye twitched again as she made sense of what Katt was trying to say. Malik. Of everyone, she found Malik attractive. Sami, personally, found Malik a little repulsive. She didn't look or feel ready to accept her sister's choice.

 

“Tell me you joke,” she stated flatly, and Katt started laughing, “Why!? Why Malik Ishtar!?”

 

“Why're you going to ask Ryou out?” Katt countered, and was absolutely sure Sami might lose it now. The woman was normally in control of herself, but romance was a sore subject. And one she felt was amazingly private. Immediately, her wings tensed.

 

“I wasn't,” she growled in response, and dropped the subject after that. Katt watched as Sami stormed ahead, where everyone had come to a stop. She looked up, and soon saw why. She and Katt had been talking for some time; she didn't even notice how close they were to Domino. By this time, the sky above the city was black, casting everything into night. It felt completely unnatural. Rush growled, his fur stiffening as Sami passed him. She looked just as tense, her face just as grim. Next to her, Bakura stood.

 

“There's evil around us,” he stated, and silently, Sami nodded. She didn't move. She had no idea what to do now. The silence could've been a trap. It had been before. She and Bakura were ambushed because silence was their enemy, as well as Mystics. She felt Yugi come up behind her, his hand shaking as he laid it on her arm.

 

“Should we go in?” he asked. Sami breathed deeply, and nodded. Yugi didn't let go of her hand as she stepped forward, slowly. Then, she stopped again. Something definitely felt wrong. She sensed evil. She sensed malice. But she also sensed one thing she had never expected here; sadness. Someone in that city was upset. A Mystic was upset. But upset about what? Sami didn't let that slip by, even though she didn't say a thing about it.

 

“Yes. We have a battle to fight,” she replied, and drew her sword. Yugi finally let go of her, and that's when she noticed a movement to her left. Something rustled. Rush growled furiously, and with an arc, her sword went flying toward the movement as she screamed, “DIE!” Four more screams pierced the air before Joey, Tristan, Tea, and Miho fell out of the bushes, narrowly avoiding Sami's blade. Which was no matter. Sami merely draw a long dagger, until she felt Yugi's hands clamp her arm again.

 

“Sami, no!” he pleaded, “They're friends!” Sami immediately lowered her weapon and took a better look at them. Indeed, they were just children. She put her dagger away, and walked over to get her sword, which stuck out of the bush, having killed a rabbit. She threw the corpse to Rush, who devoured it whole. Then she turned sharply back to Yugi.

 

“Why are children here, then?” she asked him sternly, “Has the city been evacuated?” Yugi couldn't answer. He hadn't seen his friends in nearly a week. Joey scrambled up, wiping the dirt off his shirt as he glared at Sami. Obviously, nearly being killed by a crazy bitch of a woman wasn't Joey's idea of a welcoming.

 

“What the hell's the big idea, you freak!?” he exclaimed, throwing his arms up, “What, you thought we were Kaiba or something!?” Sami didn't know who Kaiba was, and she shook her head, crossing her arms stiffly over her chest as Rush trotted over and sat to her right. He snorted and proceeded to ignore everyone else.

 

“I thought you were Mystics,” she replied, as Kaiba walked out through the gates. He must've expected some form of assault, because he didn't look the least surprised to see Sami there, wielding a sword. But, to him, she looked absolutely ridiculous. Anyone who was civilized had no use for weapons. Likewise, she ignored him entirely, for Tea was speaking now.

 

“Mystics?” she repeated, and then shivered, “So the news was right. Is that where you guys went!? We were worried sick!” Ryou nodded, and in turn with Yugi and Malik, told their friends what had happened. They especially paid attention to the details concerning Sami's magic, Radical Retro Specter, the blonde man, and then Katt. Tea and Miho couldn't believe it was really happening! They looked entirely impressed. Joey and Tristan just grinned, high-fiving Yugi for making it through with flying colors. Kaiba was the only one who looked even remotely pissed off. No one, save for Rush, was surprised.

 

“Oh good god, you actually think we believe this crap!?” he demanded, and looked at Sami, “Look, lady, I don't know who you are, but I should arrest you for kidnapping and assault. I don't believe for a second that you're this mystical hero Ryou keeps whining about.” Sami raised an eyebrow. Normally, when Kaiba insulted a person, they yelled right back or even tried to strike him. But Sami did neither. She looked almost amused. She glanced at Ryou.

 

“Who the hell does this bastard think he is?” she asked, and Joey laughed hysterically as she turned back to Kaiba, “And I should mow you down for insulting me like that. Now move, asshole.” Kaiba twitched, but stepped aside nonetheless. He did know she had a sword, after all. And even if she wasn't competent with it, she could still kill him, quite easily, he had to admit. Damned crazy bitch, she was. He watched her walk down the road, Ryou and Yugi following shortly afterwards. And, for whatever reason he just couldn't see, everyone else was following them, too. It was madness, in Kaiba's mind. And because he found no reason not to do so, he brought up the rear. Sami walked on, with Katt alongside her, until they came to a large intersection. Ryou looked around, wondering why Sami would stop there. Then, she spoke.

 

“All right, I'll only say this once, and I expect you all to be smart enough to listen,” she stated, her eyes darting from each and every face she now had command over, “We're going into an onslaught here, and we're armed with next to nothing. So, I want you all to go and find anything to defend yourself with.”

 

“Yeah. Knives, swords, guns, hell, even a baseball bat will do,” Katt added with a grin, “Just make sure you come back with something. Even if it's a stick, it's better than your fists!” Sami gave her sister a long stare, and then dismissed the group. Katt led Tea and Miho to find suitable weapons, and Joey, Tristan, and Malik all ran toward a butcher's shop for their equipment. Kaiba just took out a shotgun from his suitcase and wandered off, leaving Sami and Ryou there. Both of them were already armed; Ryou had grabbed his sword from his room before departing the ship. And Sami never seemed to be without her sword. They looked at each other for a long moment, neither knowing what to say.

 

“Let's go,” Ryou finally said quietly. Sami followed silently. He led her down a street that was crammed full of shops and stores. All was silent as they walked. It felt all wrong. For the time of day, it should've been packed with people. And yet, it wasn't. Ryou glanced back to see Sami looking in a few of the windows, to see what was sold there. If the situation wasn't so grave, he'd have thought she looked adorably lost. She seemed genuinely intrigued. But it was short-lived. As they rounded a corner, going down another side street, they came to a small row of houses, looking out of place in a city like Domino; it looked more like the suburbs than a city. Ryou walked up one walkway, heading up a small set of stairs. He stopped at the door, and opened it up. It was unlocked. Biting his lip, he stepped inside. The place was destroyed, just as he had left it. He wasn't surprised his father hadn't come back yet, but that also worried him. The Mystics might've gotten to his father already. Sami walked inside after him, with Rush trotting in and snorting.

 

“So… how does it feel to be back?” she asked quietly, her voice cutting through the gloom of destruction like her sword. Ryou took a moment to sweep up the scene, remembering what the house looked like before this happened. His father would kill him when he got home, provided that neither of them were dead by then. His skin paled from the mere thought of it.

 

“I'm dead,” he mumbled, picking up what had once been a very nice vase. Sami perked an amused eyebrow as the remaining shards crumbled into dust in his hands. She could only imagine how beautiful the house was supposed to look.

 

“What happened here?” she asked, and added, “And what was that supposed to be?” Ryou just sighed, his cheeks turning blue in embarrassment.

 

“Either vampires of Mystics, I'm not sure which. They can and trashed my house looking for me,” he said tiredly, “If my father sees this, he's going to kill me! I'm the only son he has! He can't handle thinking I might not be the best there ever was!” Sami's amused gaze turned flat by that point. To her, Ryou was freaking out over a very small thing. Magic, or a broom, would fix this. Freaking out wouldn't. It was simple as that to her.

 

“Well, here's the good news,” she said flatly, and Ryou wondered how serious she was being, “If you die out there, there's no need to worry.”

 

“Gee, thanks,” he mumbled, tossing the dust aside. Sami just snorted, patting him on the back. Then, Rush growled. Sami turned, drawing her sword right as the door opened. But it was only Katt. Except that she looked absolutely terrified. Sami lowered her sword, but only minimally. Rush was still growling as he looked out the door. Something was very, very wrong.

 

“Katt, what's wrong?” Sami demanded, though she already knew the answer. And, as Katt spoke, she found that she was right. She hated being right.

 

“The Mystics!” she cried, “They're out there! I've sent everyone else running, because we couldn't find anything, but… sis, there's so many of them!” That certainly didn't surprise Sami at all. Ryou wondered why. She should've been shitting her pants over this, but she seemed calm as ever. Gripping the hilt of her sword, she threw open the door, nearly breaking it to pieces.

 

“Then it's time to see if we live another day, or die an early grave,” she stated grimly, and smiled, to Ryou's surprise, “Let's go and show them we have no respect for threats.” Then, she walked out, with Rush and Katt by her sides. Ryou blinked, looking at his own sword. He didn't want to go out there. He didn't want to die. But he owed it to Sami to see this through. She'd saved him once already. Now he had to repay her, in blood if need be. Damn it, he knew he was going to die.

 

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

 

Now that he's back in Domino, Ryou finally reached the final stage in Sami's quest. But not a thing is well as his friends, even Kaiba, decide to join in the fight. The Mystic army has already advanced onto the battlefield, and fearing for their safety, Katt sent the others running. With only three fighters left, does Domino City… nay, the entire world, stand a chance against this powerful, other-worldly army? Or will Ryou's world be laid to waste? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!