Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Time Master! ❯ Behemoths, Magic, and the Gate of the Espers ( Chapter 12 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. I tried getting a contract for Ryou, but Takahashi says he even owns the lesser-aired characters.

 

Faster and faster their horses raced as Ryou's group went deeper into the northern wastes of the desert. Despite the time of day, which was getting close to around afternoon if Ryou judged the sun's position right, it was comfortably cool. The dust they had kicked up subsided by the time they left the palace's wide territory, and aside from their horses' hooves and grunts, there was little sound. He glanced at Sami, who looked very determined to reach the gateway into Nesce by nightfall, and then toward everyone else. Yugi and Malik were in a good mood, having taken to racing each other every few yards. Miho and Anzu stayed close to Sami, having no idea what to do if they were attacked. Ryou himself was riding next to Sami, and he thought that just as well.

 

“How long until we reach the Central Spire?” he asked, as they crossed a puddle of mud. Sami looked around, but shrugged, indicating she had no idea. There weren't any landmarks she could use, not that she recognized anything in particular.

 

“I don't know. Could be a while,” she replied calmly, “I've never been here, so I'm going by what Sith told me. She said we can't miss it, but I don't see it, and we've been riding for nearly two hours now. Surely, if it were that big, we could see it.” Ryou agreed, and they kept going without another word. He silently looked around, wondering if maybe they'd accidentally taken a turn they didn't need to, but there was no path to determine this. Judging by how Sami's eyes darted across the desert floor, she must've wondered the same thing.

 

“I just hope we find it soon,” Miho said, and both Sami and Ryou glanced back at her, “I'm getting a little tired. I've never ridden a horse before today.” Ryou blinked, and Sami winced a little. She knew firsthand how painful that was, and she sympathized with Miho about it. Because of such sympathy, she made a negotiation regarding their health.

 

“If we don't find it in half an hour, we'll rest anyway, landmark or not,” Sami assured her, “None of you should be used to a horse, unless you're taking lessons I'm not aware of, and riding for too long with too little experience is actually dangerous for your legs.” Miho nodded, and they kept on going, eventually passing Malik, whose horse had stopped to munch on a strip of grass. He angrily tried to stir it on, but it refused to move.

 

“Awww, come ON!” Malik yelled in frustration, “We're going to lose them, you old fleabag! Move!” The horse grunted in dismay, and Sami finally forced herself to turn back, as the others waited. She trotted over reluctantly, and Ryou saw a spark of her old annoyance return. When Malik was finally thrown off his saddle, Sami gripped the horse's reigns and whistled an unpleasant sound. The horse snapped to her attention.

 

“Steady,” Sami said sternly, and then turned to Malik when the horse settled down, “Are you done making a fool of yourself?” Malik straightened up off of the floor, but the glare he gave Sami for her sarcasm was one Ryou was sure would make the situation worse.

 

“But it threw me off!” he cried defensively, crossing his arms. Sami's lips tightened, and Ryou saw that whatever calm she was trying to muster could falter very quickly. But to his surprise, Sami managed a tight control of herself.

 

“Get back on the horse and let's go,” she said firmly, and when Malik climbed back up, she handed him the reigns, “If a horse stops, you never try to force it to move. That's the first mistake riders tend to make. Animals are always much stronger than us, and to try and force one could get you hurt very badly. Now come on, and if she lags behind, just whistle and she'll pick it up.” Malik nodded, surprised that she hadn't scolded him as he thought, and followed her back to the rest of the group. She signaled for them to keep going, and once again, they were racing across the desert. Ryou noticed that as they went, the sand's color seemed to fade from a deep orange to a dusty, pale rose, and only when he pointed it out, did Sami stop. She looked at the ground.

 

“What's causing the ground to fade?” Anzu asked, when Sami dismounted to get a closer look. She stared hard at the ground, and then picked up a handful of sand. It was almost cold to the touch.

 

“We're probably pretty close to the gate,” Sami said, climbing back up, “The sand's cold. Come on.” She went to move ahead, but Malik moaned angrily, and she looked back at him, asking, “Yes?”

 

“What about resting?” he asked. Sami pointed toward the northwest slightly, and Malik followed her line, eyes laying on a huge spire that poked out of the ground, green energy swirling around it. His eyes widened.

 

“That's probably the Central Spire,” Sami explained, “Once we get there, we'll rest. Can you all hold out for that long?” When everyone nodded, Sami urged her horse forward, and everyone followed. The path toward the spire was short, and in nearly no time, everyone was dismounting and sitting on the ground, save for Ryou, who was leaning against the spire. He could feel the magical energy pulsing inside of it, and it felt amazingly calm as it coursed through his body.

 

“Does this mean we're halfway there?” Yugi said, through slurps of soup that Sami had cooked and served. He was happy to be eating; he didn't eat much breakfast by the time he had gone after Ryou that morning. Sami, who had just put her spoon down, nodded, looking over the dusty horizon toward what appeared to be a misty, white wall.

 

“Either that, or we're a little closer than that,” she replied, “We're making good time. We should be at the gate before evening. We can rest for the night there, assuming there's a guard's outpost. There should be, if it's any sort of sentry gate, but I can't guarantee it.” She stood up, served another bowl, and handed it to Ryou. He took it gratefully, and ate it. It warmed him up.

 

“So, have you been able to remember anything else about where you come from?” Malik asked, and Sami shook her head, as did Katt.

 

“No. This place feels familiar, but that's about it,” Sami said distantly. She glanced at Katt, but like her, the red-head remembered nothing.

 

“Not a thing. The magic coming out of the spire feels familiar, but nothing else,” Katt answered. Ryou tilted his head. That was why he felt so drawn to the spire. It must've been made of Esper energy. But whatever spell it was drawing didn't reveal itself to him.

 

“Does this mean Espers created the spire?” Malik asked, and Sami nodded, finishing her soup.

 

“Yes. It's a check point. Sith said that, before her… our father died, Egypt and Nesce had a solid trading route, and this was built to guide people through the desert,” Sami explained, “It was also where stands would be set up to replenish the traders and wanderers' supplies for the rest of the journey. But it looks like it's not used for that anymore. It gives off a very… eerie atmosphere.” Malik had to agree there, as the sheer height of the pillar sent shivers down his spine when he looked up at it. Sami stood up, and walked over next to Ryou, touching the pillar with one hand. Ryou felt the magic jump from the spire into her body instantly, and wondered if magic could recognize different people.

 

“Does the green mist mean that it's protected?” Anzu asked, and this time, Katt answered, as Sami seemed to be focusing on something within the spire itself.

 

“No. A white mist is usually the symbol for protective magic,” Katt said, as Sami closed her eyes, “Green usually means an illness. Sam, is the spire corrupted?” Sami opened one eye, and Ryou saw her skin had paled. He pulled her away quickly, leading her back to the small camp. He knew instantly that something wasn't right, and when Sami replied to Katt, he found he was right.

 

“I don't know, but something's not right,” Sami said grimly, shivering, “Sith said nothing about a green mist. That's not a good thing.” The tone of her voice sent an edge through everyone, as they knew that she'd sense any danger before they could. Yugi scrambled up, packing the food back up quickly. Ryou looked back at the spire, wondering what was going on to cause such disarray. The green swirl did indeed look sickly, and he hoped it didn't infect Sami when she inspected it.

 

“Maybe she didn't know about it,” Miho suggested, and though that was a dangerous thing to decide, Sami knew she was right, which meant that something had taken it recently. The magic didn't feel old.

 

“Katt, Ryou, go make sure everyone else gets on the horses,” Sami said finally, standing up, “Something feels very ominous, and if we don't take the proper precautions… there will be very severe penalties.” Ryou flinched. He had never heard Sami in such a grim, stiff tone, and he knew that something was very, very wrong with the spire. Katt took his arm and they followed Sami's orders as she went back to the spire. Anzu and Miho climbed up onto their horses as soon as they saw Ryou's grim expression, and Katt talked to Malik very quickly as Ryou helped Yugi up.

 

“But shouldn't we go and help her if it's so dangerous?” Malik had asked, when Katt told him what Sami had said. Katt bit her lip. She wanted to go and help her sister, but Sami wouldn't allow that. She shook her head.

 

“She told Ryou and I to get you all on the horses, but that was it,” Katt said, and then in an attempt for reassurance, added, “She might just be over-reacting. Maybe it's nothing.” Malik nodded, though he knew that Katt was trying to convince herself of that more than she was convincing him. Unfortunately, Ryou had come toward them, and his expression made Katt's hope collapse.

 

“She isn't over-reacting. Something's wrong with the spire,” Ryou confirmed grimly, “Malik, Katt, I'm leaving you both in charge of protecting the others. I'm going to help Sami. If another monster comes out, I'm not letting her face it alone.” Katt tried to protest, but Malik nodded and agreed to his plan. Katt looked at him, shocked and upset with his decision.

 

“Malik, we can't!” she cried, but Malik gave her a stern look, one that told her he had already made up his mind and was unlikely to change it.

 

“Katt, we need to. Sami and Ryou need to make sure nothing will hurt us, and right now, we need to make sure they don't have to worry about us getting hurt while they clear the area,” Malik said calmly, “If you have a shred of trust in your sister, you'll help me.” Katt's eyes widened with disbelief. Malik himself never really trusted Sami, but here he was urging her to do so. Reluctantly, she agreed, and Ryou was off. She turned to Malik sharply after Ryou was near the spire and well enough away from the two of them.

 

“You had better know what you've agreed to,” she scolded. Malik snorted softly, and gave her a confident grin as they began to turn toward the other three.

 

Ryou ran as fast as he could back to Sami, but it seemed almost as if the desert were expanding itself to keep him from helping her. He cursed angrily, and at that moment, he saw Bakura and Yami running with him, and he nearly fell. He didn't see them before, and to see them in such a frantic state now only confirmed that something was definitely wrong. As he scrambled back up, continuing on as fast as he could, he glanced over at the spirits. Both of them looked absolutely spooked with something.

 

“What's wrong?” Ryou asked, noticing the worry coming off of Bakura in particular, “I didn't expect either of you two to come out. Is something up with the spire?” Bakura nodded, though he gave a usual cocky grin as Ryou caught up. It felt almost comforting to have him back.

 

“Of course there is! Do you have cataracts or something?” Bakura snapped, and Ryou glared angrily, “Look, I'm here because you're in a tizzy over this and Sami's probably not doing too well herself. As for this idiot, I don't know why he's shown up.” Ryou heard Yami growl, and looked over at the spirit. He looked away from Bakura before replying.

 

“Yugi asked me to help you and Sami out,” he replied simply, “And I myself have this feeling that I need to help her. After all, she and I used to be very close friends.” Bakura glared at him, but a slim smile was on the old thief's face. He spoke so low that Ryou barely heard him, but he did.

 

“You were more than friends, you liar,” Bakura whispered, and Yami laughed just as quietly. Ryou felt himself twitch a bit on the inside. He wanted to slug them both in the face. Bakura, he could handle the thought of Sami with him, but Yami… Ryou made a mental note to ask both Sami and Sith just how many of his friends' pasts they had been with. At the very least, Sami would be just as willing to hurt Yami when she found out. For now, he ignored it as the spire finally seemed to be coming toward them. And Sami was there, her variation of Sith's sword in her hand.

 

“Sami, we're here to help you!” Ryou called, and Sami looked at him. It was clear she was absolutely shocked, and most probably upset, that he didn't follow her orders. But, at that moment, he didn't care. He stopped by her side, and she huffed in frustration.

 

“I made it clear that I was to fight alone, or do you have ear-mites blocking your hearing?” Sami asked furiously, clutching her sword, “I do not want to risk you again, Ryou. Leave immediately!” Ryou sighed. Sami was once again being her usual stubborn self, and likewise, he'd have to either ignore it or fight her. And, he opted to fight her on it.

 

“Sami, I'm your husband now. I'm not letting you face anything on your own, either,” Ryou stated firmly. Sami's expression didn't soften, however. She simply appeared even more grim than before.

 

“Ryou, I'm not the one who dies in the future. Please, just go back,” she told him, almost exasperated with him. Ryou sighed, wanting to tell her no, but Bakura interjected. And what he said was enough to at least make her reconsider.

 

“Fine. If you want to be stubborn, we'll leave,” Bakura said plainly, trying his best not to be unkind, “But Sami, not one of us want you to die. Remember that.” He turned to leave, and a horrible rumbling sound stopped him in his tracks. It drowned out all other sounds. The wind stopped, the distant swell of the Nile ceased, and the horses' whinnies and screams were just barely audible compared to this terrible tremor. Ryou shivered, and Sami's grip on her sword tightened. Whatever was happening, it would call for some form of battle, Ryou knew.

 

“Damn it!” Sami yelled, when a portal opened inside the spire, and it grew until it was a huge dark hole suspended in air, “Get back!” The four of them jumped back, and Ryou gasped as something huge tried to burst out of the hole. It looked similar to the creature they had faced before, but it was a lighter purple, and it was even bigger. It had giant red scars on its face, but a mane of shaggy, yellow fur on its face, and the silver horns gave it away. Sami's eyes widened in horror, and Ryou couldn't believe what they were facing. He didn't know exactly what it was, but he could guess it was an even stronger form of behemoth. He wanted to scream, but seeing the other three look so determined to kill it quelled that urge.

 

“What is that thing!?” Bakura yelled, drawing out two daggers as Yami took out his own sword, and Sami recognized it as one of the swords in Sith's office. Ryou had no sword, since his own had broken quite a while ago, but Sami tossed him a whip she had hidden in her coat, and now he was glad she always carried a small arsenal on her.

 

“That would be a Grande behemoth,” Sami explained, “How on earth could it get here, though? Normally, they're spotted within the Decretes-Lerenberg lines in Nesce. Someone must have sent it here… but why!?” She swore again, and the behemoth roared angrily, snapping and biting at them. Bakura stabbed its snout when it came too close, and it withdrew, only to give a thundering scream that made their bones feel as if they'd shatter. Sami focused as hard as she could, and Ryou could feel her trying to use her magic. He had no idea what could possibly take such a beast down, but he trusted Sami's judgment.

 

“SILENCE!” the Esper roared, and it went above even the behemoth's mighty scream. For a moment, its scream died instantly, as Sami's spell worked. Bakura cheered, but Sami remained grim as she said, “Do not cheer. The spell won't last very long at all.” Yami already seemed to know that, as he focused on his own power. Bakura did the same, and Ryou decided to help Sami with her next spell. He could feel the behemoth trying to rip apart the magical, invisible bond that was keeping its jaws clamped. With a mighty snap, the spell ended and the behemoth howled furiously, breaking Bakura's concentration. He let loose his spell before it was ready.

 

“Damn it, no!” Bakura yelled angrily as his spell slithered toward the behemoth, attempting to bind it, but it simply was absorbed into the hole, back into hell. Ryou recognized the spell. It was one of Ishtar's spells, one that Bakura learned through experience. The piercing cry also broke Yami, as he let loose a blast of his magic. At least he had more luck with his spell than Bakura had; it made a direct hit with the beast's eyes. It reeled in pain, but its cry became worse. Ryou closed his eyes as tight as he could, but it was no use. That scream was blood-curdling, and he knew not even Sami could take it anymore.

 

“INFERNO!” Sami screamed, slamming her fist into the ground. Cracks appeared along the ground, all of them leading up to the angry, struggling behemoth, and sparks emitted from them. Then, explosion upon explosion of fiery wrath erupted in each crack, inducing a merciless cascade of fire on the entire area of the Spire. It came dangerously close to Sami, but she barely noticed as Ryou tried to drag her away. The beast's roars became worse, but the fire died, and it still remained. And, no one save for Sami herself could even believe it.

 

“It's still alive!?” Yami exclaimed, exasperated and exhausted, “Surely we must've hurt it somewhat.” Sami narrowed her eyes and shook her head.

 

“No. We weakened it, but it's still much stronger than us,” she said angrily, “We need more power! But neither Katt nor Malik have that kind of strength, even if they come together.” Her eyes narrowed as she watched the beast snap and roar, and Bakura cursed angrily. Of everything that they could've faced, this was probably one of the worst, as the creature began to rend the hole to be even bigger. Sami turned from being irritated to becoming terrified. She backed away, and Ryou felt her skin grow cold. Either she didn't know the danger they were facing, or she realized that not even she could take it down.

 

“S-Sami?” Ryou asked, and she pulled him back with her, “Sami, what's wrong?”

 

“Run,” she said, and when she saw Malik and Katt rushing over, she screamed, “RUN, DAMN IT!” Malik immediately turned back, taking Katt with him, and Bakura grabbed Yami to run away as well. But they weren't fast enough, as the giant beast lunged and blocked their way, causing Katt to scream. They came to a rushing stop, and now Ryou was sure they were doomed to an early… or somewhat delayed… grave depending on who was being targeted first. Malik glared at the beast.

 

“Out of our way!” he roared angrily, going to grab the Millennium Rod. When he didn't find it, he swore, remembering he had left it with Ishtar. He felt Katt grip his arm, but he had no way to protect or reassure her.

 

“Sam, please tell us we can kill that thing!” Bakura yelled. Sami glanced at him, but something behind her made her scream, and she pulled Ryou to the ground as a ray of light shot above them and slammed into the behemoth. It hit the creature right in the eyes, earning another earsplitting roar. Malik looked toward where the shot had come from, and his eyes widened. Right there stood Ishtar, his cloak billowing, and he was holding the rod.

 

“Ishtar!?” Malik cried in disbelief, “How did you get here!?” Ishtar simply grinned, walking over to the group despite the fact that there was a large monster currently trying to kill them all.

 

“I made my own time machine,” he replied, and Sami slumped over Ryou's shoulder, “Who knew what you could do with an old telephone booth, an energy core crystal, and a few hair clips and cables?” Ryou felt Sami's annoyance rise again, and he was sure she'd lose her temper. Gently, he patted her shoulders and gave her a kiss on her head. She seemed to have ignored the contact.

 

“You made your own machine?” Sami asked, her voice grim and annoyed, “How on earth… where did you get the booth… or the crystal… and how do the clips… Have you been watching Doctor Who?” Ryou glanced at her when she asked that, and Ishtar's grin widened.

 

“Yeah. Great show, too,” he said, “Anyway, what did I miss?” Malik obviously didn't hear most of the conversation though, as he took Katt's arm away and looked at Ishtar with wide eyes. Sami had a smug look, thinking that Malik would just kill Ishtar, but he severely disappointed her with his next move.

 

“You didn't steal my blueprints, did you!?” Malik asked, “The Ishtar Time Traveler is MY idea!” Everyone's attention turned to Malik this time, and Ishtar laughed nervously. Malik twitched, knowing his answer right then and there.

 

“I… might have used a few ideas,” Ishtar said, and when Malik nearly slugged him, he said, “I thought you were in trouble! I could hear one of you screaming at the top of your lungs!” Bakura snickered as Yami struggled to break free of the old thief's grasp, and gave the pharaoh a firm pat on the head.

 

“It was probably Yami,” Bakura joked, “He's a crybaby.” Yami stopped struggling for a minute and glared ice at Bakura, then flailed about so badly that he nearly busted the old spirit in the face.

 

“SCREW YOU!” Yami shouted angrily, kicking angrily as Bakura laughed again, “Get off of me, cretin!” Bakura scowled and practically threw Yami off. Sami looked at them both, and then sighed, deciding that she had better stop their fight, since technically she might very well be older than either of them; at the very least, she acted like it.

 

“Children, enough!” she said angrily, and they ceased their insults at once, “We're not done with the behemoth yet, and we don't have the time to waste while you both kill each other.” Ryou smiled, as Sami was right. The more time they wasted, the worse their problem could get. Yami looked at Sami pleadingly, however, and it was clear neither spirit wanted to cease their useless bickering.

 

“But he started it!” Yami whined childishly. Sami looked at him seriously.

 

“I don't care,” she stated firmly, “Stop this…” Sami was interrupted by a loud, thunderous roar emitting from behind her, and the ground rumbled as the behemoth got up off of the ground. It opened its huge mouth to reveal thousands of razor-sharp fangs, its putrid breath penetrating the air. Sami could hear Yugi, Anzu, and Miho coughing from the smell, and she felt her own eyes water. Ishtar aimed his rod, however, and seemed completely unafraid of such a threatening creature.

 

“Shut your damn mouth,” he ordered, and shot another destructive ray, which skewered the behemoth's left eye. Blood gushed from it, and with one last agonizing scream, the behemoth fell, dead with just one shot. Everyone looked at Ishtar, completely shocked. Even Sami couldn't seem to believe what she just saw. Ishtar just killed a Grande Behemoth in one blow.

 

“You… you actually killed it!” Malik exclaimed, and gave Ishtar a high-five, “You did something no one else could! That was awesome!”

 

“How on earth did you do that?” Sami asked, in pure wonderment, “No one… no one in history has ever been able to bring those beasts down without serious injury to themselves. Not even… myself.” Ishtar blinked, never having heard Sami speak to him with such wonder, and… admiration! She admired what he did. He smiled.

 

“Well, it pissed me off,” he said simply, “And it was going to kill Malik. It should know that that's my job.” Ryou, Katt, and nearly everyone else laughed at that statement, the only ones remaining silent were Sami and Malik. Sami still couldn't believe what she saw, and Malik twitched again, having just been made a fool in front of Katt. There was no way he aimed to take that silently, for he screamed just a second later.

 

“Go fall in the Nile and die!” Malik said childishly, crossing his arms. Sami snickered, rolling her eyes, and then cleared her throat. Everyone looked at her, knowing that she was growing impatient at the delay again.

 

“Ishtar, while I'm grateful that you happened to come and kill that… demon, we need to keep moving,” she said seriously, and when everyone looked down, she continued, “We're losing valuable time here, everyone. So, I'll ask you quickly, will you come? If not, then we must be on our way.” Ryou blinked, surprised again. He hadn't heard Sami ask that since… well, a very long time. He didn't think she would give Ishtar a choice. Ishtar nodded, grinning again.

 

“Of course. I came here to make sure everything was okay,” he said, and as everyone, save for Bakura and Yami, was on the horses, he added, “Just fill me in, okay? I have no idea what's actually happening.” Sami agreed, and as they decided it best to leave the spire, their horses rushed forward again, into the white wall that Sami thought she had imagined. In turns, she, Ryou, Katt, and Malik filled Ishtar in on everything that had happened since the beginning of the adventure. What became of the future, what was in the past, and what was happening now, despite Sami having gotten most of what she needed. He listened very intently, and when they were done, it took him a while to process everything.

 

“So you're saying the pits of hell itself are after you?” he asked, to everyone at once. Sami nodded grimly, and he gave her a bemused look.

 

“Someone… or something, is trying to manipulate it. I'm going to guess it's the same group that Falnika was associated with a while ago,” Sami explained, “But we can't get a trace on it, and the very beasts it's sending is creating a huge problem.” Ishtar nodded, as he floated alongside Sami. He looked at Yami, who was talking to Bakura about something else, though Ishtar had a feeling it probably related to the incident that just occurred.

 

“Did your past self have anything to add?” he asked, and Yami looked confused for a minute, until he realized who Ishtar was talking about. He shook his head.

 

“No. He thinks that it's something to do with magic, though. A magic he's never seen before,” Yami replied, “Sith confirmed that it wasn't Zork, too. Sith is… was one of my knights. His knights.” Ishtar laughed, looking at Sami. She didn't seem much like a knight to him. But then he returned his thoughts to their problem, which as of now, consisted of figuring out who would be controlling portals into Oblivion, or `hell,' as they all kept calling it.

 

“So if it's not human, nor is it Zork, is it a Chesier?” he asked, and that earned him two sharp glares, from both Sami and Katt.

 

“No Esper would hurt another one,” Katt growled defensively, “That would be not only a defiance of oath and pact, but certifiable insanity as well. Why would Espers pit another Esper against Oblivion?”

 

“Not to mention that there are no Espers in league with the Mystics,” Sami reminded him, “No, this could be something that we've never encountered. Our past encounters with these… things have never been human. Why would this be different?” Ishtar frowned. Both had proven their point, but there was nothing else to suggest. Silence ensued the group for quite a while until a brisk wind kicked up, and snow began to swirl. Anzu caught a snowflake in her hand, and it glistened.

 

“It's actually snowing in a desert?” Miho asked, amazed, “Is it magic?” Sami laughed with amusement at the accusation, and shook her head.

 

“No, it isn't magic. We're near the border into the Lion's Gate,” she replied, smiling, “The snow from the mountains inside must be drifting out here. Though the snow isn't magical, the desert border is swimming with traces because of how close we are to the Espers. That is what's keeping the temperature low enough for the snow to survive.” Miho nodded, but neither she nor Anzu could keep their eyes off of the glistening flake on their hands. Many more followed it as they rode closer. But despite Sami saying they were close, Ryou couldn't see the gate, or any wall surrounding the continent. When he mentioned this, she chuckled.

 

“I may say that we're near it, but that only implies that it's closer to us than Atemu's palace is,” she reminded him playfully, “Who knows how far away we truly are?” Ryou looked at her, wide eyed for just a second. Of all the things he had expected in a response, playful amusement wasn't one of them. But he decided to let it go as just a better mood than normal. As they continued, the snowflakes turned into an actual gust of snowy wind, swirling around every few minutes. It soon became too cold to warrant not wearing a jacket, and Ryou began regretting not packing one. Only Yami had been smart enough, and though Sami herself was wearing a jacket, it was sleeveless, and deemed `eternally useless' in this `blasted cold.'

 

“Okay, this is now becoming a justifiably ridiculous adventure,” Malik stated through chattering teeth. Sami, who appeared unharmed by the cold, looked back at him with a look of dull annoyance on her face.

 

“You're just starting to understand that now?” she asked sarcastically, adding, “You're the one who brought that curse you call a time machine to our doorstep anyway. I'd have thought your encounter with Forte was enough to tell you this would be turning us upside-down.” Malik clamped his mouth shut, and his eyes twitched angrily. Sami had yet again slammed his perfect machine into the ground.

 

“Let's see you build a time traveler!” he blurted out anyway, and Sami actually stopped, giving him a look of both amusement and stern challenge. He realized she actually took his challenge seriously. “S-Sami, wait! I was kidding! I didn't…”

 

“If you don't mean something, then learn to keep that mouth of yours shut,” Sami scolded, and he hung his head, “I've had just about enough of your outburst, and my patience is already running thin again. Do not ever challenge me to magic if you don't mean it.” Then she started away again, leaving the others dead in silence. Bakura blinked, and Anzu shivered from Sami's harsh reproach. Ryou could feel that Sami's patience was running out again. She hadn't been joking, and he felt it was foolish of Malik to think she might've been.

 

“But how did I challenge her to magic?” Malik whispered, as the rest began to slowly follow Sami, “My machine has no magic in it.” Katt bit her lip, and leaned over carefully. Ryou blinked, and then realized that something was going on that Malik wasn't aware of. No wonder Katt had been so concerned when she burst into his living room the previous day.

 

“Malik, dear, I'm going to tell you something, and try not to be too mad,” Katt said, “The day you made it… I saw how upset you were, so when you went to the other room, I snuck in and used some of my magic on it.” Malik's eyes widened and he blinked at her. He thought he misheard, but he hadn't.

 

“You… you used magic on my machine?” he whispered again, and when Katt nodded, asked, “Can you do that?”

 

“It's not a big effort to do, since you already had most of what you needed. But I just wanted you to be successful,” Katt admitted, “Sami… found out when we first came here, though. That's why she's upset with me. She thinks it was a foolish choice.” Malik's eyes teared up and he hugged Katt, dragging them both off of their horses as they crashed unhappily into the sand. Malik spat out sand as Katt got up.

 

“Wow, that was romantic,” Ishtar commented as he drifted past them. Scrambling, the two got on their horses again, but Sami was waiting only a little farther ahead, looking up at something in sheer disbelief. Ryou soon joined her, happy until he saw how shocked she was. He followed her gaze, and then became equally as absorbed as well. Right in front of them was not a wall as they had expected, but a side view of a large tunnel that went upwards a great deal onto a huge, vast continent that was floating over the sea. Drifts of snow wafted off of one side, showering the shores of Egypt and half of the sea. The sight was breathtaking.

 

“Is that…?” Ryou asked, and Sami nodded, as they walked over to the gate, everyone else behind them, also watching the huge tunnel with amazement.

 

“Yes, it is,” she replied gently, “We are… officially in Nesce.” When they stopped and dismounted their horses, Ryou and Sami continued to stare into the view of the unnervingly large continent above the sea, wondering just how it managed to stay aloft. Absently, Sami took Ryou's hand as the others joined them, all of them dazzled by what they saw.

 

“I… I might finally have found… my home.”

 

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

 

So, it looks like the journey to Nesce was smoother than Ryou thought. Well, except for the behemoth, but even through that, Ishtar decided to join our heroes in their journey to the origin of the Espers. But what danger will arise from the mysterious continent? Was the behemoth simply a precursor to even worse monsters? What will Ryou discover, both about himself and about Sami? And will Malik also learn something about Katt? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!