Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Time Master! ❯ Snowstorms and a Wee bit of Magic ( Chapter 13 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Takahashi does, and though he loves old-school games, he doesn't think Ryou would look good in ebony armor.

 

“W-what the hell is that?” Malik asked, as he climbed off his horse and joined Sami and Ryou. He knew what they were staring at, but what he didn't understand was how it was suspended over the ocean. Still, the sight was breathtaking. The snow falling off of the sides of the cliffs looked almost crystalline, and so the flakes resembled a wall of cascading crystals before they crashed into the ocean below. He could only imagine what the interior of the continent would look like, and now understood just why Sami seemed to like the cold so much; her home was literally carved from a snowy glacier.

 

“That would be home,” Sami replied quietly, her grip on Ryou's hand tightening slightly, “…according to the timeline, I haven't been here in nearly 3,000 years.” Ryou glanced at her, noticing how her eyes glimmered as every snowflake left the continent.

 

“How do you figure?” Ryou asked.

 

“Didn't you say that Basch told you the legend of this sword?” Sami asked, and when Ryou nodded, she continued, “Well, he said that Sith fell after losing her sword, and he said she lost it in the land of her kingdom's alliance. That has to be Egypt. And it had to be when Atemu was ruling.” Ryou bit his lip. That was quite an assumption, and even if it was accurate, quite a few things didn't make sense. Sith's sword was called Stormbreaker, not Deathbringer like Sami's.

 

“Sami, we don't know this,” Ryou said calmly, “He also said you… Sith… razed the entire land because she was at war with them. Why would she attack Atemu? And how would she betray him? She's so loyal.” Sami sighed, not having the answers herself. She looked over at Malik, and her expression made him very confused; he had no idea why she would even be enlisting his help on this.

 

“Malik… was there anything at all that told anyone about Sith?” she asked, and Malik's eyes widened. He realized why she'd ask him. He was the best possibility, but he had never heard of Sith K. Winchester. But maybe he could still help… somehow.

 

“No. Nothing about Sith,” he replied slowly, “But you might have the timeline right, anyway. Seth was ruler just after Atemu… well, Yami died. He might be who Sith fought.” Sami snorted, remembering who Priest Seth was. He had been very obnoxious to everyone, and she couldn't forget him, if only because he resembled Kaiba.

 

“Well, that wouldn't surprise me,” Sami replied, smirking, “I hate Seth, so chances are, she does, too.” Ryou snickered, hugging Sami. He loved how blunt she was with her like… or dislike… of a person. Malik sighed, returning his gaze to the snowy landscape. A harsh wind was already howling, and though they were too far for it to actually reach them, the noise it created was unnaturally loud.

 

“But the legend… Sami, it says Sith slaughtered anyone who opposed her,” Malik stated nervously, and Sami glanced over at him skeptically, “It called her sword… the Deathbringer. What happened that made her become so ruthless?” Sami's eyes narrowed gently, and she looked down into the dark, icy water. None of those questions were ones she could answer. Sighing, she looked to their right, far right, to where the Gate was visible, extending from Egypt all the way to the base of the continent, and then grafted into the continent as a cavern. There was no outpost that she could see from here.

 

“We won't know until we head into Nesce, or until we fix the machine and head toward the future,” Sami replied quietly, heading back to her horse, “I'm… sorry that this is taking so long. I didn't want to get tangled in such a mess, and yet we've ended up in another one again.” Malik hopped back onto his horse, and patted Sami's shoulder in a sort of comforting gesture. She smiled weakly.

 

“Ah, we're kind of used to it at this point,” Malik replied, and Ryou nodded, smiling at Sami, “Besides, we're the ones that did this, not you. You actually opposed this adventure, ironic as it is. But any rate, don't worry about us.” Sami looked away, as the others rode up, finally breaking their gazes from the mesmerizing crystals.

 

“Well, I am worried. This is probably the most dangerous adventure we will have,” Sami said, with her all-too-familiar mixture of annoyance and grim acceptance, “Without access to our time, and with so much magical energy flowing through us, we don't know what could happen to any of us. Katt and I are fine, since we're Che… Espers… but none of you have any resistance. And Ryou… Ryou absorbs it.” Everyone looked down, remembering just how that topic had gone beforehand. Sami bit her lip, and then looked toward the Gate. It stood silent and foreboding, and as she turned toward it, she said, “Come now. Staying here won't do us any good.” Without any objection, the others followed her. It was a silent trip, save for the crunching of snow under the horses' hooves and the occasional splash of ice hitting the water. The gate slowly came closer, and the snow began to fall a little more quickly. Anzu shivered as she noticed the temperature drop a bit more.

 

“Sami, how did Espers manage to live here?” she asked, rubbing her arms to keep warm. Sami, who was looking distantly at the gateway, turned her gaze to the girl, and for once, Ryou realized that she did look older than she seemed. Lines appeared on her face, if only for a moment.

 

“…I believe… that we simply adapted to climate changes,” Sami answered hesitantly, as she didn't exactly know herself, “I don't know, though. Katt and I were raised near Domino, like you all were, so we're more used to moderate temperatures.”

 

“Well, whatever the answer, we certainly don't like this,” Bakura mumbled, as Yami and Ishtar flew up, shivering. Yami was even beginning to lose his form from the energy expended just to keep himself warm. Sami gave them a sympathetic look as Katt tried to cast a fire spell. But the sheer cold negated it, and she hung her head.

 

“Looks like fire's no option here,” Katt stated glumly, and Miho, who was also shivering quite fiercely, looked at Sami quickly, her expression being one of worry.

 

“W-why can't you u-use magic?” Miho asked, stuttering from the cold. Sami's expression softened from the tone in Miho's voice, and not wanting the girl to suffer any more than she was, Sami took off her coat and handed it to Miho, who wrapped it around her shoulders. Sami didn't appear to be harmed from the cold, despite her sleeveless turtleneck, and Ryou began to wonder why she'd even wear such contradicting clothing.

 

“We can, but because of the surrounding elements, some of our magic is cancelled,” Sami replied calmly, slowly leading their horses toward the gate, “You know how some of your elements in Duel Monsters are strong against others? Well, that graph also applies to nature and to magic. Fire can't be started in freezing-point temperature. Likewise, neither water nor ice can be created in hot temperatures.” Miho and Anzu looked at each other. Neither of them understood magic very well, but they wanted to learn, and when they turned back to her, Sami was surprised to find that she actually wanted to teach them.

 

“So nature plays a huge part in magic?” Anzu asked, “But, can't you manipulate magic? I've seen you make ice in warm areas.” Sami nodded slowly.

 

“True. Very true. Powerful mages can distort and manipulate the mundane in order to create what shouldn't be, but it takes a tremendous amount of energy,” Sami replied, “That's why I don't want Ryou using his magic. Literally, you could burn out your life if you're not careful. The closer your magic relates to your surroundings, the easier it is to cast certain spells.” Miho's eyes brightened, and she grinned as she rode beside Sami.

 

“Does this mean that you can use nature to take the energy for you?” Miho asked, excited, “Doesn't this mean you don't need to worry?” Sami chuckled, but her laugh sounded sad and without depth. She gave a sad smile.

 

“Don't be a fool. Nature can help you, but it can't fully take the hit for you,” Sami replied calmly, “Using magic takes mental energy. Literally, the image that you want to see has to be created inside of your mind. You can use nature to lessen the blow, but you need to put the energy into the spell before you can use nature to help you. That's why there aren't many magicians today who can use magic like Katt and I. Most of the ones you see today use cheaper methods to produce results, but none of them require any mental work.”

 

“Many magicians?” Malik asked, his horse trotting up to them as he overheard them talking, “You mean… there are actually humans that can use Esper magic?” Sami glanced at him, and then nodded. She looked up into the cloudy sky, focusing on a small snowflake before answering. It drifted onto her nose, and then melted.

 

“…yes. Very, very few, and I doubt they live any longer, but yes,” Sami replied quietly, “They were blessed by Bahamut for their service in the alliance between humans and Espers. Their descendants received a small glimpse of our magic, but… magical traces only bleed so deep into family lines. Especially with humans, magic can die out in just centuries of a bloodline. That's why I'm surprised that Ryou is able to absorb magic.” Malik nodded, and glanced back at Ryou, who happened to have also heard what Sami said. Ryou looked down, wondering how he had gotten the ability himself. At first, he thought Sami somehow gave it to him, but she had never cast a spell on him before, save for when they had been trapped in her video game. But now, he didn't think she could have.

 

“Do you think… that my descendant was one of the blessed?” Ryou asked. Sami stopped, thinking carefully. She began to recall a very, very brief moment, in which she was standing on a giant pedestal next to the Esper god, Bahamut. In front of them stood twelve humans, all of whom were from Egypt. But that was it. She shook her head.

 

“I… doubt it,” Sami replied slowly, as if to reassure herself, “I didn't see anyone there that resembled you. Nor did I see Bakura there, either, so you didn't get your power from him.” Ryou glanced back at Bakura, who raised a confused eyebrow. He hadn't heard what Sami had said. Ryou shrugged and turned back to Sami, wondering just who she might've seen in that glimpse. He asked, but she shook her head as she said, “I don't know, Ryou. This was probably nearly 3,000 years ago. Maybe even longer than that.” Ryou looked down, wondering about how he had gotten the ability to absorb magic. Sami had no idea, and he doubted Katt knew. He could ask his father, if they ever got back into their own time, but who knew if Yaten could give answers?

 

“Did you see anyone who looked like any of us?” Miho asked, as they began to trot under the large shadow of the side of the gate, making it even colder than it already was. Sami glanced at Miho and chuckled, then shook her head.

 

“No one I recognize,” Sami replied, and then stopped, looking up. Though it had only been a few minutes, they were standing quite close to the Lion's Gate, and the amount of magic flowing out of it made Sami's bones shiver. The size of the wall was more than anything Ryou had ever seen, stretching into the sky.

 

“That's the gate? It's huge,” Ishtar commented, as everyone stopped and stared again. Sami nodded, tearing her eyes away. She felt very nervous being so close to home, and began to wonder if it was worth going inside. Could she figure out Ryou's condition without going in? Possibly, but she also thought it would be cruel to make Ryou wait. Sighing, she steered her horse toward the entrance, where snow swirled through a long, upwards tunnel. It was dark inside, and around the outside, there were stalls set up for what could have been shops many years ago, but they were abandoned now. Katt joined her, and they both looked into the large tunnel.

 

“Are we ready, sis?” Katt whispered, as Sami looked to see just a small glimmer of light far ahead. She turned to Katt, whose short red hair was billowing around her face as the wind howled, and nodded.

 

“As ready as I'll ever be,” Sami replied, and looked back as the rest of their group gathered behind them, “How about you all?”

 

“We're ready!” Anzu and Miho both exclaimed, determined to learn more about magic. The subject obviously interested them, and Sami once again was surprised to find that she was glad of that. She gave them a weak smile, and looked at Yugi. He glanced at Malik, and nodded.

 

“We're ready when you are, Sam,” he replied gently, and Sami looked at Yami this time. He nodded.

 

“Let's go,” he said, as Bakura and Ishtar both nodded. Ryou put a hand on Sami's shoulder as he rode up, and she looked down, smiling very faintly. She turned her horse back to the gate, looking once again into the darkness, and rode forward, the others following her. She stopped again just outside of the tunnel's entrance, and got off the horse, taking off the reigns and giving it a pat on the nose. Her eyes dimmed for a second, and then the horse ran off. Ryou blinked, not quite understanding what had just happened.

 

“Sami? Why did you do that?” he asked suspiciously, raising a confused eyebrow. He couldn't understand what would make her set her horse free, especially since it wasn't her horse to begin with. The other horses whinnied and reared as they watched her horse dash off in the direction they had come from.

 

“Because we won't need horses in Nesce,” she replied, urging them to dismount, “It's too cold for them up there. Now hurry it up. We can't waste time.” Slowly, one by one, they dismounted. Sami took the reigns off of the horses, patted each one on the nose, and then the horses ran off after hers. She dropped the reigns in a pile behind one of the stands, explaining that they'd come back and get the reigns later, after they had gotten the information in Nesce. When she was done, she returned to the front of the group.

 

“Will they get back safely?” Anzu asked. Sami nodded, and then turned toward the tunnel again.

 

“Hopefully. I told them where to go and how to get there. That's why my eyes dimmed a bit,” Sami replied, “We'd better go now, while the snow isn't as strong.” Bracing herself, she stepped into the tunnel, and almost immediately was shadowed from the darkness. Not wanting to lose sight of her, or whatever was left that he could see, Ryou walked in next, followed by Malik and Katt, and then the others came in. The darkness made the temperature drop even more, and Ryou heard Sami shivering just in front of him. Even with her wings, they weren't enough to keep the cold from hurting her.

 

“A-and p-people lived up h-here!?” Malik asked sarcastically, as he hugged Katt to keep them both warm. Sami nodded, and continued on a few steps before she stopped and shivered again. Yugi and Anzu exchanged nervous glances, wondering if Sami was strong enough to continue on. They knew she also had her limits of damage. Quickly, Sami held out her hand.

 

“F-fire,” she whispered, but nothing appeared. The wind shuffled slightly, ruffling her purple wings and causing her tail to whip around. She shut her eyes, drowning out the distraction and again said, “Fire.” This time, a small fireball appeared in her hand. She opened her eyes and smiled, and judging by the loud gasps, everyone else was in awe. Feeling a bit better, she said, “Ignite.” Ryou hadn't noticed the torches along the walls until fire appeared on each one of them, lighting the tunnel up and providing much-needed warmth. Though the snow still swirled a little in the tunnel, it didn't extinguish the flaming torches. Sami smiled, and nearly everyone gave a thankful cheer.

 

“Way to go, Sam!” Malik roared happily, and actually pulled her into a hug. Sami's eyes widened and she blinked, not used to Malik being so grateful. He pulled away, and Sami gave him the oddest stare he had ever seen. Blushing from embarrassment, he went back to Katt, who was snorting with amusement.

 

“T-that was magic!?” Miho asked, stuttering only from shock at seeing Sami use magic for the first time since they had met, “Actual magic!?” Sami gave a shy grin and nodded. Miho and Anzu exchanged impressed glances, and gave Sami two very grateful looks. Sami nodded, and Ryou hugged her, both to show his own gratitude and to warm her up as well.

 

“I honestly wasn't sure you'd have the strength to cast the spell,” he admitted, nuzzling her hair. She snorted as he accidentally knocked her glasses crooked, and fixed them.

 

“I didn't think I'd be able to cast, either,” Sami replied, “But I suppose sheer willpower can override natural elements. But it's a blessing, and it won't last forever.” Ryou nodded, understanding what Sami was telling him. He let go and walked forward as Miho, Anzu, Malik, and Yugi gathered in front of the closest torch, either warming their hands or wondering just how much magic flowed through the fire as they gazed at it. Sami didn't say anything as she passed, and it was Ryou that tapped them on their shoulders and said, “Come on. We need to go.” Reluctantly, they tore themselves away, though whether it was because of their interest in magic, or whether they didn't want to leave the warmth of the flame, Ryou didn't know. Sami and Katt were a good thirty feet ahead at that point, with the three spirits following them, so the other five had to run to catch up. Ryou grabbed Sami's hand as he reached her.

 

“So, how long will the flames last?” he asked as they began to ascend a large stairwell, which he knew meant they were going up toward the continent, over the expansive sea. Sami looked at the closest torch, narrowing her eyes in thought.

 

“Probably not longer than two hours at the most,” Sami replied carefully, “We should be out by then, but if not, I'm not sure I can relight them. I only have so much power, and the sheer cold drained most of my energy.” Ryou looked down. He wanted to help Sami. But he knew she wouldn't let him offer to let her draw from his energy. Feeling useless, he let go of her hand and sighed. Sami seemed to know what he was thinking, for she added, “Ryou, I would burn your energy up in a mere minute if you offered. Espers go through incredibly bouts of energy.”

 

“But doesn't Ryou have Esper energy in him?” Malik asked, confident that Ryou was more powerful than Sami thought. But Sami shook her head.

 

“Magic and energy aren't the same thing,” Sami replied, annoyed that she had to remind them of that again, “Energy is what's used to create magic. You can't change one type of energy to another. It's physically impossible, and doing so with magic has terrible consequence. Ryou may have Esper magic, but his energy is still human in nature. He only has so much, and human energy is much less potent than mine. I could kill him if I drew from him, even to use a simple fire spell.” Malik looked down, her words silencing him. It was no wonder Katt never let him help her with her own magic, either. Everyone else seemed just as unable to argue that point. They continued on in silence, until Bakura finally spoke, shocking Ryou out of a silent thought.

 

“Maybe we can help you, then?” Bakura asked, “Our energy isn't human.” He expected a reaction, but he certainly wasn't happy when Sami merely snorted with faint amusement. Ishtar glared back, offended that she'd laugh at their offer to help her, and she stopped.

 

“Thank you, Bakura,” she said kindly, smiling just enough to get a grin from the old thief, “But none of you would even have a form if it weren't for my magic in the first place. I can't draw what doesn't technically exist.” Bakura's grin faded, and he looked down. That left them with few options if Sami ran out of power. Katt had moderate abilities, but even she admitted that she was weaker than Sami.

 

“It must be hard to be an Esper sometimes,” Bakura grumbled, and then his expression softened to one of compassion, “Aside from having very little contact with your own race, you're screwed if you run out of power. How did Sith live with it?”

 

“I doubt it was hard,” Sami commented, glancing at Yami, “She had a lot of friends, and Egypt didn't drain her body like Nesce can. Even if we're from Nesce, being in such a different temperature for an extended time wears down the immunity we should naturally have from the cold. My guess is, she rarely visits Nesce now.” Personally, Ryou didn't blame Sith on that one, but he kept that to himself. Part of him wondered if that led to Nesce's downfall in the future, but he also remembered Sami's feelings on that thought. She didn't want to head there, and Ryou didn't want to force her unless they absolutely had to.

 

“But then wouldn't she be on bad terms with her brother?” Malik asked, and Sami glanced at him, “I mean, her not being there for years. Wouldn't that make him mad?”

 

“I… I don't know,” Sami replied, looking down. She nearly slipped, and ended up crashing into both Bakura and Yami as a result. Though they didn't fall backwards, all three landed hard on one stair, Bakura howling in pain from the weight of the other two.

 

“OWWW! Why the hell am I always on the bottom!?” Bakura screamed, making Ishtar laugh hysterically, “Get off!” Without even giving the other two a chance, he threw Yami away, not realizing Sami was with them. She slipped again as Yami whizzed past her, and fell on Bakura again, who screamed once more. Ryou glared angrily, and Ishtar continued his insane laughter at the entire scene. Malik simply shook his head as Sami scrambled up, backing away and dusting herself off as though she had been infected by some sort of viral dust.

 

“That was definitely symbolic!” Ishtar exclaimed, and Sami stomped on his foot, causing him to yelp with unexpected pain. Ryou glanced at Sami, who gave him a mortified look, and he returned it with a weak smile. Bakura dizzily sat up, and glared at Yami, who was leaning miserably on a stair several feet above them.

 

“It's symbolic that the pharaoh is a complete spaz,” Bakura spat angrily. Yami turned around, infuriated. His body shook, and Yugi ran over to Katt in case Yami's puzzle went berserk.

 

“WHAT!?” Yami yelled, “It's not MY fault! Sami's the one who fell!”

 

“Oh please. You expect me to believe you!? There are days I forget you're even the pharaoh!” Bakura retorted, “The pharaoh of morons! Maybe!” Yami let out a bloodcurdling cry and lunged back down the stairs straight for Bakura, and the two tumbled all the way down, screaming, yelling, punching, and insulting each other all the while. Everyone else watched with either a look of confusion, fear, or complete and utter disbelief in the two spirits. It was only when the two were muffled by sheer distance that Katt turned to her sister.

 

“Should we think about stopping them?” she asked. Sami, who looked both annoyed and mortified at what she saw, simply nodded with such stiffness that Ryou was sure her neck might snap.

 

“I'll go get Dumb and Dumber down there. You take everyone else to the top,” Sami replied, and jumped down the stairs. Her wings extended, and she began to glide down carefully. Ryou watched in pure wonderment, never having ever seen Sami fly before, save for the brief moment when they first arrived here. But when Katt tapped his shoulder, he forced himself to look away, and followed her up the stairs again. He could hear nothing of what Sami might've been saying to the two spirits, but he could feel her anger rising and he knew she was probably scolding them, or even just yelling at them. Sighing, he forced himself to ignore the threats Bakura made on Sami's life through their mind link, responding with only a mild `Stop being a moron, then.'

 

`But she's telling us we're being childish!' Bakura angrily protested, and opened another link so Ryou could hear just what Sami was screaming. He gave a sly smile as she yelled at them for wasting their time, and how dangerous it is for them to be in such a cold place, and that if they keep wasting time, she'll melt their items and turn them into a replacement for her own confiscated one. Ryou snorted with satisfaction. That was a threat he never brought himself to use against Bakura, despite its effectiveness whenever Sami used it.

 

`And you were. Now stop arguing with my wife and get back here,' Ryou simply responded, and heard Sami stomp up the stairs. Yami was running after her, obviously wanting to keep up, possibly to apologize. Bakura groaned angrily, and with one last futile attempt, kept their link opened.

 

`Ryou, please help me. I don't want to walk up the stairs again,' Bakura mumbled, and Ryou had to control himself so he didn't just burst into laughter. He shook his head.

 

`No. It's your own fault,' Ryou replied, as Sami ran back up and grabbed his arm, with much more force than he was used to. He winced slightly, but the dim light hid whatever shock he did have as he smiled from Sami's touch. Some of that must've leaked through the link, as he felt Bakura scoff and roll his eyes.

 

`You always side with her!' Bakura whined pathetically, crossing his arms, `What about me!? Don't I matter to you? Don't you want to help me?' Ryou twitched angrily. He never thought Bakura would get jealous, and honestly couldn't tell if this was a ploy or not, but he wouldn't let it slow him down. He turned around, looking down the stairs.

 

“NO!” Ryou yelled at the top of his lungs. His voice reverberated off of the walls, but it did the job. Soon enough, he heard mumbling and stomping as he saw a mass of fluffy, white hair storming up the stairs. Bakura soon joined them again, and he gave Ryou a nasty glare as he passed, ignoring Sami entirely. She simply accepted the ignorance, and they continued on in silence again. As they went higher and higher up the staircase, Ryou noticed that it continued to get colder, and even Sami was shivering steadily now. He hugged her tightly to keep them both warm, as Malik did the same with Katt, and both Miho and Anzu hugged Yugi, making the boy blush.

 

“Please t-tell me we're almost there!” Malik exclaimed in exasperation, shivering from lack of a coat. Sami looked back, narrowing her eyes as the torches began to blow out, and cursed. Her magic lasted even less than she had thought.

 

“Not quite, but we need to hurry. The lights are already blowing out,” Sami replied, and ran up the stairs. Everyone tried to follow, but no one was going at the same speed. Yugi was weighed down from both Miho and Anzu, and Malik refused to let go of Katt, despite her protest that they needed to catch up. Only Ryou, along with the spirits, managed to keep up with Sami, who had to stop and warm herself up with but the weakest of spells. It barely helped her, and Ryou realized that she was nearly depleted of energy. He clenched his fists, watching her continue up, only to stop after a minute. When she nearly staggered backwards, he caught her, and though she complained and protested, he hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her the rest of the way up. He ignored the cold and the light drifts of snow that blew down from the exit of the tunnel to the best of his ability, but he knew it wouldn't be any easier once they reached the top. If anything, it'd be much worse. Up, and up they went, the boys doing their best to either support or help the girls, and the spirits trying their best to not lose their forms, which was becoming increasingly harder and obvious as to so.

 

“Damn it! Does this stairway ever end!?” Malik exclaimed, as he squinted to be able to just barely see Ryou's figure above, with Sami on his shoulder. The two were far up ahead, and light began to pour along the walls. They had to be close to the exit. As Ryou moved farther and farther ahead toward the source of the light, it became harder to follow where he was going, but finally, Ryou burst out of the tunnel into daylight. Except that, as he stopped walking and stood overlooking a huge valley far below, atop the snowy cliffs, he realized that clouds completely obscured the sky, casting the continent into a gloomy dark, though it wasn't dark enough to be considered nighttime. Gently, he put Sami down as Malik, Katt, Yugi, Anzu, and Miho walked out of the tunnel, and they all looked over the cliff. In the wintry plains below, they saw a gigantic city shimmering amidst all of the snow, and in the center of that city stood a crystal palace, like glass spires in the overcast sky. The sight took Ryou's breath away, and Sami seemed equally as enthralled with it.

 

“Is that the castle?” Ryou asked, as he took Sami's hand, “It's amazing! Absolutely amazing!” Sami nodded, but didn't respond. Her eyes, as well as her mind, was focused entirely on the city. She wasn't smiling, and Yami tilted his head as both she and Katt emitted an eerie glow. Ryou felt a warm sensation, and cast a quick glance at Sami, but Malik backed away from Katt, unable to understand what he was feeling.

 

“What's going on?” Anzu asked, noticing Sami's glow, “Are they all right?”

 

“They might be remembering something about their hometown,” Bakura observed, watching Sami carefully as the glow began to fade, “Yami and I awakened our memories by being near our birthplaces. Sami, do you remember anything?” Ryou looked over at Sami, and she continued to stare down into the snowy city. Her shoulders slumped, and she miserably shook her head.

 

“Nothing except a room,” Sami replied sadly, “A room filled with dolls and books… a bedroom, perhaps.” Ryou blinked as Sami described the room to him, and then Katt did the same, except that her room held maps and atlases rather than dolls.

 

“Think they were your rooms?” Yugi asked, as Sami looked at the ground. She narrowed her eyes, unable to answer. Everything was jumbled in her memory. She shivered, and Ryou hugged her, trying to keep her from losing any more energy.

 

“We should rest,” he said firmly, but Sami shook her head, pushing him away.

 

“No… we need to keep going,” Sami retorted, looking down over the chasm again, “If we stay here, we might freeze to death. We need to keep moving…” Ryou watched her with worry and sympathy as she began to descend a narrow path down the mountain that would lead to the city, with everyone else following. He hated seeing her try to push herself past her limits, which he knew were drawing close, but he couldn't stop her. This was too important for both of them, so, with a heavy sigh, he began to walk down the path as well, finding it very difficult to keep any sort of balance. He was already feeling disoriented from how high up in the sky they truly were. Yugi, Malik, and the three spirits all stopped at a small platform and looked down at the city again. From their new angle, the city seemed to light up with glowing energy, like an old nativity set. Ryou joined them, amazed again at how resilient Aeroglyph looked against the gloomy weather. He sighed, inhaling the fresh, crisp air. Then he looked at Sami, who was trying to pick a safe route downwards. He looked back at the city, wondering just how much she would remember, if anything at all.

 

“It's beautiful… and at the same time, it's frightening… did Sami really live there?” he asked himself, as he continued to look at the inspiring scene far below.

 

“I guess we'll see soon…”

 

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

 

And so, Ryou and his group are now in the continent of Nesce! But does this mean everything will go well from there? Not when you consider that a gate to hell could open at any minute, in any place. How are the two Esper sisters faring, seeing their home for what could be the first time in nearly 3000 years? Is it any coincidence that the time is almost perfectly matched with Atemu? What awaits Ryou in the cold, desolate city of the Espers, and is Sami a princess as Sith said? How is Kaiba doing with repairing the time machine, anyway? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!