Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Seth's Magical Adventure! ❯ Splitting for a New Cause ( Chapter 11 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Maybe if I made up the idea 3000 years ago, I would, but since I didn't, the credit goes to Takahashi. Lucky dog.

 

Akunadin ran down the stairs into the dungeons as quickly as he could. He was ashamed… no, outraged, that two priests would dare to act so childishly in the pharaoh's domain. He would have them punished, or fired, or dismissed, or whatever he felt was suitable for their disgusting behavior, but he would make sure something happened. He stomped when he reached the dungeon floor, and looked around the room. Nothing stirred.

 

“If anyone is down here, they die!” Akunadin roared, advancing forward. He passed the cell that Shaddah and Isis hid in, and didn't even notice them as they huddled in the shadow of the cell.

 

“What do we do!?” Isis hissed lowly when Akunadin passed them, “We're trapped unless you have a plan.” Shaddah bit his lip and looked out at where Akunadin had entered. There were no guards with him, so the stairs were unguarded. Maybe, just maybe, if they were fast enough, they could slip away with him being none the wiser.

 

“I have a plan,” Shaddah assured her, “Not a good one, but it might work. We run like hell up those stairs before he sees us.” Isis looked at him with annoyance.

 

“Do you have a plan B?” she asked sarcastically, and Shaddah shook his head as Akunadin stopped at the end of the hall. He must've heard them, for he looked back. The two priests shrank away as much as they could, and when Akunadin shrugged and looked in a cell farther back, Shaddah grabbed Isis's wrists and pulled her along. They went up the stairs as quietly as possible, and soon found the warmth of the upper hallway.

 

“Yes! We actually made it!” Isis sang happily, “Shaddah, I'm sorry I screamed.”

 

“It's okay, but we still have to figure out how to get rid of Akunadin,” Shaddah reminded her, and a voice from behind them froze them in place.

 

“And why would you want to do that?” Akunadin said, walking up the steps, “You two are in a lot of trouble. Now, I could dismiss you, but your acts have displayed…!?” As he spoke, Akunadin screamed as a young boy with blonde hair swung from a chandelier and slammed into the man, knocking him right back down the stairs and into the dungeon. Then the boy slammed the door, locking it tight.

 

“No one dismisses my sister!” he yelled proudly, and Isis's eyes widened as she recognized the voice.

 

“M-Malik?” she asked, “What are you doing here?” The boy turned around, grinning.

 

“I'm here to help you,” he replied, “You need to get out of the palace, right?” When both Shaddah and Isis nodded, Malik led them out of the kitchen and into the main hallway, saying, “Well, then you'll need to follow me. I'll get you two out.” And so, the three of them walked out of the hall, through the entrance, and into the courtyard. Everything was in chaos because of Akunadin's outbursts, but no one paid attention to Malik, or to the priests following him as they went to the stables.

 

---

 

As Sith's rallying cry ended, the group of Dark Espers stopped their approach, and hovered in the air. Some of them, Sceppiro noticed, were sad, others unwilling to fight, but not one of them seemed to be happy, save for Rath, who was in lead. Her eyes gleamed when she looked upon her foes, and Seth knew immediately that he didn't like her.

 

“So, this is the mighty group that Egypt is offering to the slaughterhouse?” she asked coldly, though her eyes stopped on Bakura, “My, how sad. Only one of you looks particularly worthy of my time tonight.” Bakura tensed up, not trusting Rath's gaze.

 

“Rath, why are you doing this!?” Sceppiro demanded angrily, “Have you forgotten your punishment, you cur?” Rath looked at her cousin angrily, but her anger returned to a cold mock as her smile broadened. He held his sword in case he needed to strike.

 

“I have not,” she replied, “And yet, I see fit that, as the eldest in the family now, I should be on the throne. Which means that, unfortunately, I must eliminate the three of you to get there. Just like I did your father, your chancellor, and your sorry excuse for a mother.” Sceppiro gasped, and Sith lost it as she let out a blood-curdling roar.

 

“TRAITOR! MONSTER! DESTROYER OF OUR GLORY!” Sith screamed, standing on the ship's rails, “I WILL KILL YOU FOR OUR MOTHER'S DEATH!” Atemu was afraid Sith would jump off, attempting to overtake her cousin in the air, but she didn't move from the railing. He placed a hand on her shoulder and realized that she was shaking in utter outrage. Rath's smile didn't fade.

 

“Ah, my young cousin,” she said in mock warmth, “I've waited for seven long years for you to get back from Egypt. So much like your mother, to wander off and find a lover of a different race, isn't it?” Sith's eyes widened as Atemu and Bakura looked at each other with confusion, and then she let out a loud, rumbling growl.

 

“It is none of your business!” Sith yelled, “My mother was a good woman! Our father prided himself on reminding us where we came from! She was thrice the Esper you will ever be!” A loud crackle of thunder shot from Rath's hand and slammed into Sith, sending her sprawling across the deck. Atemu ran to help her, and Bakura gave Rath a dangerous glare, wishing in his mind that he could kill her right there.

 

“You should talk, my lesser, weaker, young cousin,” Rath spat, “You are a disgrace to us! You, who sided with that rat of a pharaoh, who abandoned Nesce for the sniveling priests of Egypt! You, who would rather spend your days babysitting vermin instead of fulfilling your duty as a servant to the ruler of Nesce! And you call me a weakling?”

 

“At least she has a heart!” Mahaado shot, and Rath aimed a glare at him, “Sith is the finest warrior in our midst. You're just a reject and an outlaw.” Another flash of thunder sent Mahaado flying across the deck, to slam into the cabin door.

 

“Silence, all of you!” Rath yelled, and snapped her fingers. Darkness began to consume the rest of the daylight, and the winds became harsh and biting. Snow began to fall as Rath said, “This is the beginning of a new era.” With Atemu's help, Sith stood up, shaking violently, though whether it was from anger or weakness, Atemu wouldn't know.

 

“Rath, stop this madness this instant!” Sith exclaimed, “As the daughter of Claude, of Kiseena Monteque, and sister of Sceppiro, I command it at once!” Rath laughed, as though the command amused her and came from a child. She aimed a fireball at Sith, and it hit the girl straight in the chest, sending her flying and slamming into a wall. Atemu let out a harsh scream, and Sceppiro roared with pain.

 

“Sith!” Atemu cried, and with Bakura, ran to try and get her, but she was unconscious. Sceppiro looked from his sister's frail body to Rath, anger seething in him.

 

“Rath, you have murdered our entire family and now you dare to attack my sister?” Sceppiro asked, and his Dark Sword glowed a deep, dark blue, “You have sealed your fate! Meteor!” Seth felt the entire world, sky, cloud, and water included, shake from that one word. Four giant meteors appeared from space, and aimed themselves at Rath. She evaded one, which slammed into the ocean, only to be absorbed by the sand of Egypt, and two more missed entirely, nearly taking her ranks of soldiers out. The fourth hit her, however, and she fell quite a ways down.

 

“Nice shot!” Seth exclaimed happily, but soon his happiness was crushed as Rath reappeared, her hair wildly billowing around her silver face.

 

“Nice shot indeed,” she said, “But leave the game to the big Espers.” She closed her eyes, and an even more powerful force was being summoned. Karim, Atemu, and Bakura tried fiercely to open the cabin to put Mahaado and Sith to safety, but it did no good. The clouds rumbled, the ground below trembled, even the very sea seemed to quiver with fear as Rath's body began to glow with a darkness so intense, that not even the tiny rays of light from the now-darkened sun could pierce it.

 

“W-what's happening!?” Seth asked Sceppiro, as Cyd cursed, “It feels like the very life of the world is being sucked away!” The only answer Seth received was a terrified stare from the Esper king as Rath smiled angrily and unleashed the one spell that could only make the world tremble in fear: Ultima. Invisible forces slammed the ship, destroying the windows and splintering the wood as it felt like invisible hammers pounded at the metal, rendering the cannons completely useless. Seth tried to scream, but the sheer noise of the forces drowned out everything. He could barely hear Rath laughing, and he barely saw Atemu throw himself over Sith to protect her as shafts of destructive light rendered the rest of the ship, which began to fall to its doom, as the engine failed. He closed his eyes, waiting for death to come.

 

And yet, death never struck. Seth woke up hours later, but didn't open his eyes. His body was sore, and his head throbbed with pain, but he was aware that he was alive. Slowly, very slowly, he lifted himself up off of the ground and felt warm sand in his hands. His eyes shot open, and he realized he was back in the desert. Scrambling to his feet, he looked around. Everyone else was scattered around. They were alive, but they were unconscious. Or so most of them looked. Atemu stirred, and then sat up, spitting sand out.

 

“Are you all right, my pharaoh?” Seth asked, for once letting the worry edge through his voice. Atemu nodded weakly, and then looked at Sith, who had been right next to him. He smiled when he saw she was fine.

 

“Shaken, but unharmed,” Atemu replied, looking around, “And the others?”

 

“I haven't checked yet, but I'm going to guess that they're unconscious like Sith is,” Seth stated, and then walked over to Mahaado. He bent down and examined the man, and then moved onto Karim. When he reached Sceppiro and Cyd, he said, “Everyone appears to be fine, but I can't seem to find Bakura.” Atemu blinked. He hated Bakura, despised him for the way he acted with Sith, but his disappearance worried Atemu.

 

“Are you quite sure?” Atemu asked. Seth shrugged, and looked around again, even going so far as to check the surrounding rocks to see if the thief might've been hiding among them, and yet he wasn't there.

 

“Quite certain, my king,” Seth replied, and he too sounded concerned, “What do you think happened to him? Think he fled?” Atemu looked down. It was possible, but Bakura wouldn't leave if he thought Sith needed him. That thought caused Atemu to clench his teeth jealously.

 

“I doubt he would,” Atemu managed to say, “He wouldn't leave if Sith needed him. And unfortunately, she does. He's proven to be a trustworthy ally in this, no matter how much we hate each other.” Seth silently agreed. They sat, neither one knowing what to do next. They didn't feel strong enough to explore the area, but they were wasting time sitting down. Rath was still out there.

 

“Should we continue to the palace?” Seth asked, but Atemu shook his head.

 

“We're not strong enough to carry five other people with us,” Atemu replied seriously, “And we should look for Bakura. I have a feeling something is very wrong. He's our enemy, but he wouldn't let someone like Rath kill us. He'd rather do that himself. So, where is he?” Neither of them noticed as Sith sat up, rubbing her eyes and getting the sand out of her ears. Her wings flapped unhappily, accidentally shooting dust at Atemu.

 

“Where is whom?” Sith asked, crawling over and sitting next to Atemu. He glanced at her, and looked down.

 

“Bakura is gone,” he replied in a monotonous tone, “And we have no idea where he could've gotten to.” Sith gave Atemu an odd stare.

 

“You seem almost relieved that he's gone,” she accused, and when he didn't object, she frowned, “Atemu, we need his help.”

 

“No we don't,” Atemu said flatly, “We don't need his sarcasm, we don't need his wit, and we don't need him making advances on you. We don't need him at all.” Sith's eyes widened and she backed away. Atemu had become more enraged as he spoke, and it scared her a bit. She had never heard him so angry… or jealous.

 

“Atemu, are you… jealous?” she whispered. Atemu's anger vanished, replacing his expression with shame. She didn't press further. She had her answer immediately. Sceppiro and Cyd slowly woke up after that, and with a few moment of discussion with Seth, whereas Atemu and Sith continued to look at each other with a mix of sympathy and disapproval from one and shame and sadness from another, decided that it may have been best to leave. Cyd picked Karim up and slung the man over his shoulder.

 

“Get up, boy. Now's not a time to get mopey on us,” he said sternly to Atemu, and Sith smiled weakly. Atemu nodded, and slowly got up with Sith's help. Sceppiro picked Mahaado up, and gathering what little supplies survived, Seth brought up the rear.

 

“So, Bakura is missing?” Sceppiro asked, and when Sith nodded, he also asked, “When was the last time we saw him?”

 

“Probably back right before Ultima struck,” Seth replied, “But after that, all of us fell unconscious. Do you think it ripped him to shreds?” Sith glanced back, and shook her head.

 

“No. Ultima can't do that,” she explained quickly, “At least, not to humans. If he did indeed die, he would have fallen with us. He wouldn't have vanished.” Everyone became silent again. That didn't help to explain what had happened to Bakura, and as they ventured deeper through the desert, it became acutely aware that Bakura might not even be in Egypt anymore. Sceppiro finally decided to pipe one more suggestion.

 

“Do you think… Rath took him?” Sceppiro asked, and Sith stopped as the thought hit her. That was the only logical explanation, as she knew Bakura wouldn't run away from them. Tears filled her eyes.

 

“She better not have,” Sith growled, “Bakura… is in a lot of danger if she did.” Atemu raised an eyebrow.

 

“She won't torture him, will she?” he asked. Sith shook her head, but she was too upset to answer. Sceppiro provided an explanation instead.

 

“No, but she had a seductive look to her when her eyes fell on him,” Sceppiro explained, “She… there's no telling what she'd do to him, but if he's strong, he'll remain steadfast in helping my sister out. As much as I hate his guts for flirting with my little sister, he does genuinely appear to want to help her, and he does care.” Cyd nodded, and pounded his chest with one gloved hand.

 

“I say we find the little rodent!” Cyd boomed, “An' don't worry, Sithy. If he tries any more crap with you, I'll pound his face flat. I'll make him think twice about trying to win you over.” Sith blinked, and then laughed. Both Atemu and Sceppiro frowned, not understanding what was so funny. When she stopped, she hugged Cyd.

 

“Thank you, uncle, but I can protect myself,” Sith stated firmly, but kindly, “I have already made it clear to him that he has no chance. Not unless he learns better manners.” Atemu snorted, and felt a triumphant sensation inwardly as he grinned. Bakura would never learn manners. Sith seemed to ignore this as she said, “If he is with Rath, the best thing to do would be to hide, plan a counterattack, and then execute it.”

 

“But how do we know how far away the palace is?” Sceppiro asked as they began to walk through the sand, “We could be anywhere, Sith.” Sith sighed, realizing her brother had a point. They were lost, and with Mahaado unconscious, there was no actual way to figure out where they were, either. And without Cyd's ship, they had to travel by foot as well. The situation seemed so hopeless to her, and she hung her head.

 

“I… really wish Bakura were here right now,” she said sadly, and Atemu looked at her sharply, “He'd encourage us to keep going even if we were in an arctic wasteland. It feels so… empty without him here.” Atemu's lips tightened and he actually agreed. Bakura did have an optimistic, if slightly deranged, outlook on adventure.

 

“I admit, he had good spirit,” Sceppiro commented, “If anything, he was good at keeping us going.” After that statement, silence fell upon the group. Once Sith's wings got hold of a small wind, she knew where they had to go, and at the same time, she kept her eyes opened for any sign of the thief. But eventually, she had to focus on their course, and gave in to the knowledge that Bakura was truly not coming back. A pang of guilt and sadness hit Atemu when he saw how upset she was.

 

“I should apologize to her,” Atemu whispered to Seth when they passed a small sand pit. Seth raised an eyebrow and looked down at the pharaoh.

 

“Why?” he asked, “If it's a battle between you and him, shouldn't you be playing for keeps? Or do you enjoy confusing the hell out of everyone?” Atemu blinked, blushing. He had no idea his fondness for his knight was that obvious, and then he realized that he wasn't good at hiding much of anything, and his blush worsened. Seth snorted.

 

“She's so upset, though. And I'm not helping by getting jealous,” Atemu admitted, “I might be a king, but I can't… tell her what to do. I can't tell her to not care about Bakura, and even I'm worried about him. I have to say something.” Seth rolled his eyes as they continued on, Sith sniffing the air to determine the currents. She spoke to Sceppiro about something, and he grimly agreed as Seth peered at Atemu.

 

“Then say something to her and stop bothering us with it,” Seth snapped, and then changed his tone when Atemu glared, “Look, if you want to help her, then help her, but why bother me with it? I'm not the one in love with her, so I have no idea what you should do.” Atemu's frown deepened, thinking maybe it was a bad idea to talk to Seth. Gathering his courage, he walked up to Sith and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and smiled, but then noticed the pained look on Atemu's face.

 

“Are you all right, sir?” she asked, and Atemu nodded.

 

“Sith, I just want to apologize if I'm making this any harder on you,” Atemu said quickly, and before she could protest, he continued, “Bakura's your friend, and he's an ally now. It's no use telling you to leave him behind, and it's wrong to tell you to not care at all. And…”

 

“Enough,” Sith finally said, and Atemu fell silent, “You need not apologize. Jealousy cripples a man. I know this, and I know you're jealous. And it's all right. You have a right to be. He's making it known he intends to fight for me, and while it's flattering, I doubt he'll win. But…” Atemu glanced around, realizing that no one else could hear them, “…try not to do anything you would regret.” Atemu nodded, and then they continued on. Sith walked ahead to talk with Cyd, and Sceppiro was trying to wake Mahaado up, who was stirring lightly over his shoulder. Atemu hung back as Seth came up.

 

“How'd it go?” Seth asked. Atemu remained silent. He didn't want to answer Seth. He didn't even want Seth to know anymore, but he knew that was too late. He walked ahead, and Seth perked an eyebrow, wondering what had transpired between the pharaoh and his knight.

 

Hours later, the sun began to set, casting a hazy orange over the entire desert. There was still no sign of Bakura, and the city didn't appear to be coming anywhere soon. Sceppiro's wings drooped, and Cyd grumbled miserably. Sith no longer seemed able to pick up any scent from the air, and finally, Seth stopped and threw his pack off.

 

“This is getting ridiculous!” he exclaimed angrily, “Knight Sith, do you even know where we're heading!?” Sith stopped walking and looked back, a guilty expression on her as she shook her head.

 

“Yes. We should be at Kul Elna soon,” she replied, and everyone gasped. Seth glared angrily at her, and Atemu stared with terrified eyes. Mahaado looked slightly concerned for her sanity, and Karim frowned with disapproval. Neither Sceppiro nor Cyd knew what was wrong, though.

 

“Sith… why are we heading to Kul Elna?” Atemu asked gently, “Bakura's not there.” He wasn't angry, but he was worried for her. But she shook her head, and he knew Bakura wasn't a reason.

 

“We need Diabound in order to find him,” Sith replied calmly, “And in order to get Diabound, we need his tablet. I'm… almost certain that Bakura keeps it in the ruins. Please, sir, we need to do this. At the very least, Diabound can help fend Rath off.” Atemu bit his lip. He didn't want to head to the ruins of the thief village, but Sith sounded so desperate. He couldn't ignore her request. And she had a good point. Diabound itself wasn't unreasonable. It would help if Bakura was truly in danger.

 

“Yes. We'll head there,” Atemu finally agreed, “But Sith… how do you plan to get Diabound when it's bound to Bakura?” Sith smiled and showed Atemu a small bangle on her arm. It glowed faintly.

 

“Bakura made a point of letting me know that if I needed Diabound, I could use him,” Sith replied shyly, “All I need is a transfer sphere, and my bangle has one.” Atemu couldn't help but glower. Bakura once again made his blood boil, but he controlled it. Seth, however, wasn't keen on keeping his temper down. He pointed accusingly at Sith.

 

“You're going to dare to tell us to head to that rat's hiding hole?” Seth asked, “What the hell is wrong with your mind, knight!? Has Bakura tampered with you so badly that you no longer think!? Or are you truly blinded by his lies of helping you?” Sith turned to Seth, anger seething in her eyes. Atemu placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her, knowing full well that Seth went too far again. Sith's cheeks reddened.

 

“Just what do you accuse me of, Seth?” she asked, calmly, but dangerously so. Atemu felt her wings shake violently.

 

“I accuse you of letting your feelings ruin your judgment,” Seth said, smiling mockingly, “I understood your concern for our pharaoh, but for Bakura? Just how many people run your heart, knight? Are you truly that… disgusting?” Sith's eyes widened and she felt tears fall. Likewise, she felt Atemu leave her side, but what she saw next made her nearly scream in shock. Atemu flew up and slammed his fist into Seth's face, sending the priest flying backwards into the sand. Sith's cheeks burned with a mixture of self-hatred, anger, regret, and confusion.

 

“Do not… ever accuse Sith… like that again,” Atemu said sternly, his feelings going beyond anger, “It's obvious that you don't know what feelings truly are. Sith is torn three different ways right now. Nesce and Egypt both need her. I need her. Her family needs her. Bakura needs her. She doesn't know who to care for first.” Seth stood up, wiping blood away from his face. He saw Atemu breathing heavily.

 

“My king, she's suggesting we go into the same area Zork was summoned into,” Seth reminded him, but Atemu's expression didn't change, “What use is Diabound to us? We'll find Bakura when we kill Rath, anyway. What is her point?” Atemu opened his mouth to say something, but when Sith stepped forward, he stopped. She gripped her sword.

 

“Then I will go into Kul Elna alone,” Sith said firmly, looking down, “But I will go nonetheless. I… must know if Bakura can hold out. He is… a pest, but even he needs my protection. I can't fail my duty to protect people just because… because he has feelings for me. Or because of what he is. Or because of what you say.” She looked at Seth, and he was shocked at her words, but she pressed on, “It's true. I love him, too, but there's more than one way to love, Seth. Some loves make your heart stop, others make you want to kill yourself. Some even bring you the very best memory you have.” She glanced at Atemu as she spoke, and his face was streaked with crimson as she continued, “Regardless of the love he has for me, I love him like a close friend. For that reason alone, I need to know if I can get to him. If you feel differently, then I'll go alone, but I won't let your opinion of him… stop me.” Then she fell silent. Mahaado and Karim remained completely speechless, as did everyone else. Atemu walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder again.

 

“Good luck, Sith,” he said, “I'll pray that you make it safe.” Sith nodded, and smiled.

 

“Thank you, sir,” she replied, “I'll return to the palace once I have what I need. I'll pray to Bahamut that you arrive safely as well.” The two nodded, and then Atemu left her side, walking over to Cyd, who waved to Sith encouragingly.

 

“Good luck, sister,” Sceppiro said, clapping Sith on the back, “I'll see if I can get something in the palace to help us scry for him.” Sith nodded, and after everyone said their farewells, she was off alone again. Atemu watched her go until she vanished from view, and he couldn't help but worry for her. But for now, he had to get everyone back to the palace and plan a counterattack on Rath. She'd be arriving soon, he had no doubts of that, and without Sith with him, he had to plan properly and quickly.

 

“Let's go,” he said sternly, leading everyone again, “We can't waste any more time. Sith is counting on us all to prepare while she's gone.” With that, they continued down the path toward the palace, where the walls of the city were just barely coming into view.

 

“With any luck, Rath will not strike soon.”

 

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

 

And so, once again, the group splits off to find more resources for battle. But how is Bakura faring, and can Sith contact him? Has Rath already planned an attack on the hapless kingdom of Egypt? Can Atemu fully protect his kingdom from an Esper onslaught? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!