Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Time Master! ❯ Aeroglyph: NOT a Tourist Attraction ( Chapter 20 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Kazuki Takahashi does, and he can't believe Ryou married a zombie Esper. I can. Ryou seems to like zombies.

 

It had taken only a few moments before Ryou felt a tremendous surge of power threatening to dismantle the entire world, and everything that preceded it. Only moments ago, they were worrying for their safety from the Mystics, but now, they were worrying for their safety from Sith herself. Gilden and Katt had chanted a spell, and wisps of blue had wrapped around Sith like a planet revolving around the sun. Sith herself simply waited, until the spell was done. Then, she too felt the power around her skyrocket to unbelievable heights as light exploded around her. A familiar roar pierced the air, and then, when it all cleared, there sat the dragon Ryou had seen just moments before in the projection. The earth still quaked, but it subsided considerably when the transformation was done.

 

“Holy hell, what was that!?” Honda asked, as Mystics around them peeked to see what was going on. Some fled in terror at the sight of the dragon, but Ryou ignored them.

 

“That was the strongest surge of power I've ever felt,” Bakura said, eyes widened, “Stronger than Zork, even! We have to hand it to these Espers, they know how to make us pee ourselves.” Ishtar snorted, but Yami simply shook his head. Ryou hummed. Yes, Espers were quite powerful, but he didn't want to thank them for it. Instead, he turned to the dragon, who looked down at him calmly.

 

“Are you all right, Sith?” he asked, holding up one hand for the dragon. She nodded, and opened her mouth, but rather than words, a soft growl emitted. Jou, Anzu, and Kaiba backed away, having been the closest to her other than Ryou himself. The dragon simply snorted.

 

“I'm fine, Ryou,” she replied, “I will never like transforming into something else, though. It feels… wrong.”

 

“Well, at least we turned you into the right creature,” Gilden commented, crossing his arms, “So, should we go in and kick some ass?” Ryou looked at Gilden, and then to Sith, not sure how to answer that for her. With her as a dragon, it'd be easy, but he could tell she was hesitating again. She lowered her head, and Ryou gave her a pat on her muzzle.

 

“I don't know,” Sith replied grimly, lowering her head until it was on the ground, “I feel something very dangerous, and with my new senses, I can smell it as well. I do not think… rushing in would be wise.”

 

“Can we really wait, though?” Miho asked, and Sith looked over at her, “I mean, these Mystics are going to kill us, right? Shouldn't we take them out?” Sith snorted, and then simply laughed. That was a logical point, but Miho didn't understand the delicacy of the situation. Their world depended on their victory, and if they lost, their world was done for. It couldn't take a second cataclysm. And, Sith knew that. And ultimately, so did Ryou.

 

“Sith, what do you think is best?” Ryou asked her, looking up into her golden eyes, silently laughing at how her glasses barely covered half of them, “You know your kingdom more than anyone else now. Can we actually get in without enemy fire?” Sith rose up just a bit and gazed into the distance. She could see the crushed stairway of what used to be Nesce's western gate, back when it was still in Egypt. She sighed.

 

“…if all of her forces are out here, there's a chance we might be able to,” Sith told him, “We did, after all, turn me into a dragon to bypass what she has here. My only objection is taking you all inside, unarmed. I accepted that you came here by choice, but as a queen, and a leader, I can't let you go in unprotected. What queen would allow that?” Ryou laughed, and nodded, smiling warmly. The more Sith was used to who she truly was, the better Ryou felt about what he knew. He also agreed that going in unarmed was illogical. Kaiba, however, presented one very real problem.

 

“And where do we get weapons?” he asked critically, glaring up at Sith, “Scapples is ruined, Sith. Anything they did have, those Mystics stole.”

 

“…that did occur to me,” she replied slowly, “But, it appears that they fear me. Look.” She pointed a claw toward the street, and everyone turned. Mystics had come onto the street to see what the commotion was about, and they all looked on in complete terror at the dragon that sat before them. Many of them had even dropped their weapons in fear. Ryou would've laughed, except that he'd been in their shoes too many times with other monsters to find it funny. He looked up at Sith, and seemed to sense what she was planning: to scare them away entirely and steal their weapons back.

 

“Go get them, dear,” he said gently, and when Sith reared up, he added, “Don't kill them, though.” Sith snorted, but dashed forward nonetheless, snorting again to release a burst of angry steam. The Mystics she faced screamed and turned to flee, all of them dropping whatever they could to run faster from the dragon. Sith simply charged on, and only when they left the city, did she stop and turn back. She carried as much as she could in her claws, and set them down before Ryou. He looked at them, feeling that he was standing in a dragon's treasury with the way they glinted in the faint sun.

 

“Dude, that was beyond awesome!” Jou exclaimed, as he and Honda each took a large axe, “Ryou, I know I've said this before, but you have the coolest wife ever! Being an Esper was cool, but being a dragon is even better!” Ryou simply nodded, but didn't add that Sith was also undead. He remembered Gilden's words harshly, and vowed to never tell anyone about it. Only Sith would judge when the time was right for that. Sith sighed, and watched as everyone else took their weapons as well. Yami, Bakura, Malik, and Anzu all took swords, as Miho and Katt took two staffs. Kaiba retrieved a gun, and Yugi armed himself with a very long spear. Ishtar was happy to take a ball-and-chain that someone dropped, and Shimbou made do with a whip. Ryou, however, didn't take a weapon. Nothing there suited him, and when Sith saw this, she reached into her wing and produced her purple sword. She dropped it at Ryou's foot. He looked at it, and frowned.

 

“Sith, that's your only weapon,” he said, “I'm not taking it.”

 

“I have magic and my claws,” she replied gently, “I need no sword for this form. Take it, Ryou Bakura. Take my sword and use it. Do not throw my weapon away out of fear.” Ryou looked down. He knew Sith was right; there was no way a dragon could wield her sword, but what of after that? When he asked, she said, “Then you will return it to me, but use it now.” Ryou reluctantly agreed, and once everyone was equipped, Gilden nodded approvingly.

 

“Looks like we're ready to head out,” he said, and flew up into the air, “You ready, Sith?” Sith glared up at him, since technically this was pretty much his fault, but she nodded.

 

“As ready as ever,” she replied, and turned to the others, “Climb on and hang on.” They did so, and within minutes, Sith rushed into the air, her large wings carrying her and her passengers effortlessly. Everyone looked over her sides at the city far below as she ascended into the air. Scapples was quickly spiraling to very small portions, and it made Ryou feel ill to see. He was higher in the air than he'd ever been before.

 

“This is so exciting!” Anzu exclaimed, “I've never been this high up!”

 

“How far is your home?” Ishtar asked Sith, as she began to move forward. Sith snorted as Gilden flew just a bit before her, and glanced back.

 

“Not far. But we won't be passing the gates as normal,” she replied, “Our plan is to fly overhead and land directly in the city of Aeroglyph. Aeroglyph is the capital of Nesce, and that's where I was born and had lived before I was sent here. I know how to get into the palace from there.”

 

“Is Rath really waiting for us there?” Yami asked her, as they flew over another smaller desert until the gates Sith had seen were coming into view. They were completely wrecked from an attack some time long ago, and Ryou wondered just how long Nesce had crumbled and how it had gotten so far from Egypt.

 

“That, I can't answer,” Sith replied grimly, “I smell the blood of a battle nearing 3,000 years as we fly closer, but it's blocking out Rath's scent. We can only pray that she is there.” Yugi patted her shoulder blade as they continued on.

 

“What if she isn't?” he asked. Sith looked down silently, and feeling her silence, Gilden answered for her.

 

“Then I think we ought to take the throne and look for survivors,” he said, and Sith looked up at him, “Anyone we can get on our side will save time later, Lady Sith. After all, once this is over, you rightfully will have Nesce in your possession once again.” Ryou looked down, nearly forgetting that Sith was the queen of Nesce. It was still a new discovery on his part, one he didn't know he could get used to. Sith merely snorted.

 

“I may leave it for Bahamut to rule,” she replied, and when Ryou looked at her, she said, “I have my own life, Ryou, and it's with you. If we win, I would like to continue that life. As would you.” Ryou blushed. That was very true. He didn't want Sith to have to leave, not after knowing her for as long as he had. But, rather than take notice of that, Sith turned her head back down to the ruins below, as Aeroglyph, and Nesce itself, became closer. Humming gently, she said, “Though, I realize the power I could have might be enough to fix the damage I did. It's a hard decision to make.”

 

“If you did leave, we'd still see you, right?” Yugi asked, as Sith started to descend just slightly, her wings slowly beating to stay airborne. She remained silent for a moment.

 

“…I would do my best to try,” she replied, “I have no idea what Bahamut plans for me, but I will make sure I get a say in it. I promise, I'll try to remain here. If it were my choice entirely, this never would have happened. And, if I had any control, I'd have stopped myself from killing Seth and from striking Rath. I would… have stopped myself from meeting Ryou as well.” Ryou looked at her critically, and silence fell all around the group. Sith looked back at them. This had come up before, but she knew she'd have to explain her answer again.

 

“That would have ruined our lives, Sith,” Ryou told her sternly, and his lack of question surprised her, “You'd sever my fate?” Sith merely snorted.

 

“No, that's not what I meant, Ryou,” Sith replied, amused, “Ultimately, our meeting is what caused them to pursue you so valiantly. If I could change it, I'd have met up with you at a different time, in a different place, so that this didn't extend so far into your life. Perhaps this was fate, but this feels like punishment, and I think I've had my fill on that, as have you all.” Ryou nodded, and clapped her neck as she went just a bit further down.

 

“It's odd, how all this random shit fits together like it does,” Honda commented, and Sith glanced back at him, “I mean, you didn't even know what to connect until you met that Goddess thing, right? It all seemed so… jumbled up, but now, it's like watching Monk! Everything feels so connected now.” Sith blinked, and Ryou was sure Sith wouldn't understand the comparison, but she snorted again.

 

“In a way, it is. This was just one big mystery, and now that we've solved it, we're reaching the end,” Sith stated, and grinned, “Just like a video game, you'd suppose. It's a pity this is ending, though. Part of me will miss the adventure… to a certain extent.” Ryou snickered. He would never miss the danger. He simply hugged Sith's neck as the city of Aeroglyph, or what was left of it, came into view. Smoke billowed out from it, and Sith stopped flying. Gilden stopped alongside her.

 

“…looks like the city took a bigger hit than we thought,” he commented, frowning, “Sith, it wasn't like this when I left.” Sith sighed, and flew downward a bit more, stopping just outside of the city. She landed, admitting everyone to climb down, and then transformed back to her human form… or as human as she was. She looked upon the scene of destruction, and for a moment, Ryou saw the distaste in her face.

 

“It's… destroyed,” she said bitterly, “Everything she could lay waste to, she did.” Ryou put his hands on her shoulders.

 

“We'll stop her,” he promised, “We'll do whatever we can, Sith.”

 

“It's hard to believe the Espers actually lived here at one time,” Malik commented, as he and Katt looked over a broken fountain, “Looks like the ruins have been here for some time now, eh?”

 

“Aeroglyph fell shortly after Sceppiro and I left this world to seek a new place,” Sith explained quietly, almost emptily, “But it was still in tact. It was still livable. I… didn't want this for my own kingdom, and now… I understand why Bahamut brought me back here. Rath has done some terrible damage, more than I could ever imagine, and it's from my doing.” Katt nodded as she joined her sister, both of them looking at what used to be Aeroglyph proper. It was simply a smoldering pile now. Nothing had stood up to the damage caused.

 

“If I hadn't tried to give you a better life, we'd have stopped her before now,” Katt admitted, as Sith glanced at her, “It's both our faults, sis.”

 

“You did what was right,” Sith replied, “We have good lives now. Let's… fight to keep them. We'll worry about this ruin later. For now, let's see what's actually been done. Perhaps something still lives?” She walked forward, with Ryou following her, Katt right behind him. Something felt wrong, despite her being home. It no longer felt like the home she knew. There was evil in this place now, an evil so powerful, it was beginning to burn her senses. She twitched.

 

“My sensors aren't picking up any form of life,” Forte told her, as Basch drew his own weapon, “Mom, I don't think you're going to find anything here.” Sith's eyes narrowed. That didn't mean much to her. Even if Forte didn't see it, she did. She glanced back at Ryou.

 

“There is powerful evil here, Ryou,” she warned him, “Be careful, all of you.” Ryou nodded, and slowly, Sith led them through the streets. Every so often, she stopped to smell something, and every time, she shook her head. It was a slow process, and finally, Bakura snapped and demanded to know what was going on.

 

“You've been acting oddly since we got here,” he stated, brows furrowed, “What the hell is going on?” Sith looked at him flatly, and frowned.

 

“I'm trying to figure out where the source of such evil is coming from,” she replied calmly, “Bakura, this isn't safe even for me anymore. This amount of evil… I've dealt with it before, but where? It wasn't in this world. It was a different one, from a different person, but it feels very much the same.” Bakura frowned gently. Sith sounded calm, but he knew she wasn't playing around. He couldn't sense what she was trying to find, but she kept her search. Miho looked over at a pile of broken bricks, and then saw something sticking out of it. Carefully, as though afraid to leave Sith's side, she walked over, and looked closer. Then, she screamed. Sith turned sharply and asked, “Miho, what's wrong!?”

 

“There's a person buried there!” she screamed, running behind Anzu in terror. Sith narrowed her eyes, and walked over, keeping a distance between everyone else and the pile Miho ran from. Then, she slashed it in two, revealing the body. Bare-chested, with a stained denim coat and camouflage pants, Sith recognized the body. She didn't even need to see the locks of spiky, blonde hair for her to know who it was. She nearly dropped her sword.

 

“Sith, who is it?” Yami asked, frowning, “Do you know him?”

 

“…my uncle,” she whispered, “My uncle… My uncle! That… that bitch… killed him. Her scent is all around him.” Gilden flew over, and sighed, patting Sith on the back.

 

“He must've died while we were flying,” he commented, “Damn it… not Cydandilus. We really could've used his weapons.” Katt sniffled as she ran over, unable to believe what Sith had seen. But, the figure she stared at was indeed their uncle. Her shoulders drooped.

 

“Not Uncle Cyd,” she whispered, as Sith hugged her gently, “Sith, this is terrible. What if she killed everyone?” Sith looked away. That was a terrible possibility. She had no idea how many allies she had, but she knew Gilden had a small army ready to help her. She also knew he dispatched them before finding her. She sighed, letting go of Katt.

 

“Everyone, change of plans,” she said grimly, picking her sword up, “We are to look for survivors and retreat.” Everyone looked over at her in shock. Retreat? She had said there was no running now. What had changed her mind?

 

“Sith, what about…” Ryou began, but Sith shook her head.

 

“No. Do not argue with me now, Ryou,” she said sternly, “We must save as many Espers and Mystics as we can. Rath is our target; the others should be sent to safety. Then, we are to retreat and make sure our comrades are safe. Move out.” Ryou blinked, and watched as everyone began to follow Sith's orders. He had never seen her so stern and upset about a backfire, but he knew the death of her uncle caused something drastic in her. He ran to keep up with her, and saw that everyone was sorting through the rubble to find survivors. There were none in the open. Sith herself seemed to be heading further toward the palace gates, and stopped when she reached the city square. Bodies littered it, and the sight made her cringe unhappily. Ryou stopped just beside her.

 

“Oh my lord,” he whispered, “What the hell happened?”

 

“…all of them… depended on me,” Sith whispered, and Ryou looked over, “All of them… believed in me. They fought for me, when I gave them no reason to risk their lives.” She picked up a young werewolf, her eyes dropping tears on his chest, “Vanargand, you of all people knew I was a traitor, and yet here you are. I will send her screaming into the bowels of hell for dispatching you, my old friend. I promise.” Ryou watched as she laid the werewolf gently on the ground, and cast a spell to make his corpse disappear.

 

“You knew him?” Ryou asked, and Sith nodded, drying her tears.

 

“A childhood friend, from even before I met Atemu,” she replied sadly, taking off her glasses, “A good, loyal friend. Damned to hell because of his loyalty to me.” Putting her glasses away, she strode forward toward the locked gate, and looked down as she said, “More allies dead… she wasted no time showing me how little my royal status means.”

 

“Sith, you can't change the fact that so many people still feel you're their queen,” Ryou said gently, as Sith snorted and turned away, “You can't…”

 

“I know this, Ryou!” Sith snapped angrily, and then sighed, “I… I know.”

 

“I'm sorry,” Ryou said, and Sith slumped just a little, “I know… this is hard for you. Will you be all right?” Sith glanced at him, and shook her head.

 

“No. I won't be all right,” she said gently, and Ryou went to hug her, “Everything just felt like a game to try and weaken me for when I was needed most, Ryou. Even Bahamut's help felt like a trick. Everything… and until now, no one from my past wanted to help me. Why? Did they think it was funny to see me struggle? Why now? Why not before, when I ran like a coward?” Ryou held no answers for her, and she knew that, but she didn't let go of him. Talking to him had always comforted her to some extent, but now she just needed him to go with her if she had any hope of retaining her sanity through this. And, he knew this as well.

 

“I don't know,” he whispered, “Sith, I'm sorry. This isn't what I wanted you to be feeling, and I've never given you enough support when you did need it. I'm so sorry. I'll do whatever I can to help you.” Sith stopped shivering and looked up at him, smiling calmly. She nodded, but right as she let go, a burst of evil caught her attention as she snapped her head up angrily. Ryou looked up as well, and gasped. Rath was watching them, and her expression quickly turned from scorn to disgust.

 

“Well, this is the most disgusting bout of dribble I've yet to watch with you two,” she said mockingly, “So, my little cousin and her human husband really think they can stop me, hmm? Come here to settle our score, Sith?”

 

“I came to send you screaming so far into Oblivion that not even Doom himself could hear you plead for mercy,” Sith replied bitterly, “You're the one who turned Ryou's life into a freak-side circus show, and you get a special form of death for that one.” Rath snorted, but didn't come down from her airy perch.

 

“Sith… did these humans really make you that loyal to them?” she asked, shaking her head, “Do you not understand why this was? Ryou can help us rebuild Nesce. Your mistake will be erased with his life force. Don't you want that?” Ryou glanced at Sith, and knew instinctively what her answer was. She didn't even need to spit on the ground for him to know her distaste for the idea.

 

“Do anything to Ryou or his friends and I swear I'll slash you apart with my dragon claws,” Sith growled furiously, “You stay away from us before I send you back to Oblivion where you belong.” Rath frowned, looking at Ryou, and then at his group of scattered friends. She didn't understand why Sith would protect them. That really wasn't like the Sith she knew at all… or was it?

 

“You really are a pathetic Esper,” Rath stated, “Ryou's not a person, Sith. He's a commodity for us. You should be happy. At least now he's actually worth anything. Before you came along, he was just another little boy who really wasn't import…”

 

“Do NOT ever… EVER SAY THAT TO ME AGAIN!” Sith screamed, jumping into the air quicker than Rath could react, her sword pointed directly at Rath's forehead, “Make a choice now. Leave or be dispatched to hell.” Rath looked at Sith, and smiled. Her smile was cruel, but Sith was unafraid. Ryou simply watched far below, worried about what would happen between the two. He knew they'd all die if an attack did follow. And, apparently, Rath knew that as well.

 

“Are you really going to slash me apart?” she asked, and laughed, “Brings back fond memories, doesn't it?”

 

“You destroyed my life once and turned me into… into an undead. I'm not letting you do that to anyone else,” Sith growled, holding her sword steady, “I waited 3,000 long years to kick your ass back to the hellhole you crawled out from, and I'm not letting you touch Ryou. Leave or on my father's afterlife, I swear I will take you down and end this world for good.” Rath's slender eyebrows rose in mild interest at that threat. She knew Sith could, and would, back it up.

 

“You'd destroy this world just to save Ryou?” she asked, “Sith, that'd kill him nonetheless! Are you insane?”

 

“You should know insanity, Rath,” Sith growled again, “I love Ryou very much, but that love isn't enough to stop you, and I'm not stupid enough to think it is. If you hurt Ryou in any way, he'll be dead no matter what, so why not blow this world apart when it happens and save it from anything else you'd do to it?” Ryou's eyes watered, wondering if Sith finally did snap. Threats were nothing unusual, but threats against an entire world was. And backing them up? Sith could do that, but normally she never acted on it. He knew if Rath moved toward him, Sith would unleash everything to stop her.

 

“I see… you've grown very bitter since I exiled you out of your kingdom,” Rath commented, but Sith didn't move, “So bitter, that you'd blow up the world to stop me. That's… good. Most Espers would be terrified of Bahamut and his consequences. I have to hand it to you, Sith, you always did have courage.”

 

“Bahamut himself can go to hell for forcing me into this purgatory,” Sith spat, “I love him, I worship him, but he hasn't once come to my aid. Why should I worry about what he'll do if I destroy one link to Oblivion? He knew, the moment I woke up, that I'd possibly cause another cataclysm either here or somewhere else. It's my nature, and you all knew it.” Rath looked down for a moment, and Ryou wondered if she might've been hesitating to attack. She seemed awfully nervous now that Sith faced her up there. What did Sith say that was so nerve-racking?

 

“Yes… we did, didn't we?” Rath replied sadly, and for a moment, Ryou wondered if she was reconsidering her attack, “We all knew you'd probably do the same thing you did three thousand years ago if you came back here and finally settled our score.”

 

“Why bring me back, then?” Sith demanded, her sword quivering only slightly, “Why do it when you all knew I would attack you? Why not fix it? Why not learn, Rath?” She could barely see Katt, Malik, Yugi, and a few others running to where Ryou was, watching them. Damn it! They were all too close; she could never pull off an attack without hurting them now.

 

“Because, no matter how you put it, Sith, these humans are tools and this world is just waiting for someone to dominate it,” Rath told her, “You almost did, but at the last second, you decided to leave. You killed me, and then you ran away when you realized how little this world mattered to you. You really think I'd have let a thing like death stop me?”

 

“Rath's a zombie!?” Yugi asked, and both Sith and Rath looked down at him. Sith's eyes watered; inevitably, that meant they would find out she was undead, too. That was something she wanted to avoid. But, she simply descended, though her sword remained aimed at Rath.

 

“Yes,” she replied grimly, “Anyone who survived that war… is undead.” At that point, everyone was coming back, no one having found any survivors. Sith landed silently, and Gilden looked at her regretfully, knowing she told them about her `condition' on purpose. Yugi blinked, unable to figure out why she sounded so grim about it, but Malik put two and two together, and looked at Sith in shock.

 

“You… you too?” he asked, and everyone looked over at Sith, “You're… you're dead?”

 

“No, but I'm not technically supposed to be alive, either,” she explained calmly, “It's a condition, technically, but there's no cure as of yet. I can still age… somewhat, but I can't be killed by normal means. Literally speaking, I'm stuck in a stasis-like condition. I doubt I'll age for a few millennia, and my `condition' would explain my inability to die even when I really should have.” Rath sneered as Sith glared back up at her and ended with, “Who would have thought my own cousin would be responsible for this? Who knew, that when my father sealed her away, it'd set the path of destruction for our family, and laid the tracks to my downfall?”

 

“Do you all understand now? Sith was never going to actually help this world, and it's clear in her actions and responses to you,” Rath told them, just as calmly as Sith, and Katt growled furiously at her, “She even lied to you when she did find out what she was. And even then, you all still want to help her?” Yugi looked over at Sith, and saw that, although she looked damned pissed with Rath, she also looked regretful at hiding half of herself again. But, he understood why, and when he saw everyone else looking at up Rath with the same anger, he knew they understood, too. Malik stepped forward, which surprised Sith greatly. She didn't expect him to stick up for her, especially since they never got along.

 

“She didn't lie to us, she just didn't tell us,” he stated truthfully, “There's a difference. And, hell yeah, we're helping her. She's been with us all for over six years now, if you count that little stunt your crony pulled with messing up time. Sure, she's a bitch sometimes and she never actually helps us when we do need it, but we all have really bitchy moments. Even me, and that's hard to admit, too.” Sith smiled warmly, feeling that Malik may have been able to redeem his bad impression of her with what he said. Then, he had to open his mouth and finish with, “Besides, she's really old. What did you expect?” Ryou snickered, especially as he saw Sith's eye twitch angrily. Even Gilden was laughing at her, and she slammed him with her tail.

 

“Excuse me!? I'm old!?” she exclaimed, “I'm not that old! I'm still young enough to kick you all so hard in your asses, you won't be able to breath without it hurting! I sure don't see any of you trying to take me down.” Ryou snorted with amusement, and Malik simply blushed in embarrassment. Getting Sith angry wasn't a smart idea right then, and as Ryou watched Gilden crash into the sand, he knew she was getting livid with how this was turning out.

 

“Well, dear, we all know you're a warrior at heart,” he replied gently, putting on hand on her shoulder even though he was looking up at Rath, “We'd be stupid to even attempt to outwit or outrun you.” Sith snorted, but said nothing. She knew that was true, but whether everyone else did was something she didn't know. Rath, however, laughed.

 

“So you follow this little traitor in fear?” she asked, and when Ryou's eyes narrowed, she said, “How utterly delightful. It shows me whatever relationships she does have are flimsy at best. How delicious.” Then, she began to float over toward the palace gates. Sith blinked, and drew her sword, its purple aura dancing around the blade.

 

“Where the hell are you going!?” she demanded, “We're not finished with you, Rath! Don't ever threaten my friends like that, you hear me!?” Rath continued on, and faintly, Ryou thought he was hearing some form of music. Then, he felt Sith's wings ruffle, and he turned to her. She crouched, and he knew she was going to jump. He grabbed her arms. If she left them, she was falling into a trap, and Rath knew how to lure her from them. He had to stop it.

 

“Sith, no!” he said quickly, “You can't! She wants you to go after her!” But, he came too late. Sith leapt in the air, following her cousin, who laughed and ran through the castle gates, Sith in hot pursuit as Rath blew apart a mound of dead bodies. Ryou's eyes widened, realizing that either Sith really had no idea what she was actually doing, or she planned to go after Rath even if it meant falling into a trap. He screamed, “SITH!” and ran after her, but as soon as he reached the gates, they slammed shut, blocking him out.

 

“What the hell!?” Yami asked, as Ryou pounded on the gate, “She… she locked us out!”

 

“And Sith's in there alone!” Anzu exclaimed, frowning, “What do we do? We have to help her!” Ryou's eyes narrowed. He couldn't reach any form of magic; Rath was blocking Sith from them all with the gate. Angrily, he pounded it again, so loudly that the chains rattled, so angrily that Yami actually backed away, worried he might actually break them apart.

 

“Damn it, why didn't she listen to me and stay!?” Ryou demanded, “She promised me there were no more secrets! Did she plan to go in without us!? Did she!?”

 

“Ryou, calm down,” Bakura said, surprisingly gentle as he walked up, Ryou leaning his head on the cool steel of the gates, “You were threatened, and Sith has history with Rath. You honestly expected her to not go after Rath for what was said?” Ryou looked away. That was a bit much to expect, considering everything Sith had been saying to him. He sighed. Things were so much simpler last year. Bakura patted him on the back and said, “She still needs you. You have to make a decision on what we do. Do we retreat?” Ryou hummed. That was no option for him. There was no reason to run; there were no survivors and he knew it. He shook his head.

 

“We get to Sith another way,” he said grimly, turning to Gilden and Katt, “Tell me there's another way into the castle. One that doesn't involve the use of a sewer system.” Gilden and Katt looked at each other. Katt had no idea what sort of state Aeroglyph was in, but Gilden did. He flew up and pointed behind the castle, where Ryou couldn't see from that angle.

 

“We'll need to get in from the roof,” he replied, “The back wall of the fence is crumbling into a slope, so we can use that to climb onto one of the balconies on the fourth level. Knowing Rath, she sealed the windows, but if we can get onto the roof, we can probably get in through the Observatory. It should have a trapdoor.” Ryou grunted, looking up at Gilden distrustfully. Sith didn't seem to like Gilden at all, and Ryou knew that if she hated someone, there was a reason for it. He pointed a threatening finger to Gilden, both at the fact that he had annoyed Sith, and because Ryou refused to deal with any antics from him.

 

“If I find out you're lying, I'm going to burn those wings off and eat them,” he said, “Now, bring me to this wall.” Bakura blinked, unable to believe Ryou actually threatened someone else, and meant it. Gilden shivered, and nodded. He didn't know whether Ryou could do that, but he knew better than to underestimate a human. The last time he did, said human shot his wings off as his friend tried ramming him with a vehicle. He didn't wish to repeat the memory. He landed and led Ryou to the back of the castle, and like he said, it was crumbling into a usable slope to head upwards to the upper floors. The castle itself was tall, and Ryou shivered as he realized that maybe Gilden's suggestion wasn't the best to follow. But, he had no other ideas. He walked to the lowest part of the wall, and climbed up. Looking down, he saw his friends watching.

 

“Let me go first. If I manage to fall and break in half, then either run or find Sith without me.”

 

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

 

And so, with Sith leaving him to pursue Rath one-on-one, Ryou now stands on the walls of the castle's fence, trying valiantly to figure out how to get to Sith before she gets herself killed… not that it can actually happen to her. Will he be able to make it to the roof before he falls and breaks himself? Will Sith cause another cataclysm and end Ryou's world for good? Will Rath goad her into it? And, will Rosco, Sith's dog, somehow help his masters when they need him most? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!