Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Soul Of The Night ❯ Jailbreak ( Chapter 22 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Jailbreak

Bakura held onto the bottom part of the chariot tightly. He grit his teeth as he kept his body from touching the ground. The thief held onto the golden metal as his face covered in a thin veil of sweat. It would be dangerous for the entire family to be under the Ishtar’s custody. Moneybags found something in the tomes at the palace. Wall of Illusion?  An alternate plane of existence which can be accessed via a wall of illusion? Could it be the Shadow Realm? Purgatory? Any yami can access the Shadow Realm to travel to another part of the world almost instantly. We can travel in our own time, but not through time. The Shadow Realm is endless and time stands still there. We can summon a portal to the real world through there. Did Ausaira and Snefru travel through time through the Shadow Realm? That has never been done.
Bakura tensed as the chariot bounced. The Wall of Illusion is a monster. Do we need to find the tablet? Snefru and Ausaira would not want that particular tablet destroyed if it meant that they can’t travel through it.  Every tablet we saw in the tomb was destroyed except Marik and Malik’s monsters. Maybe the Wall of Illusion wasn’t there.Where else would it be?
Bakura felt his muscles burn as he held onto the chariot. Hold on for Ry. If I don’t get him out soon, these doctors and their ignorance will do more harm than good.  Marik and Malik had better keep their hands to themselves. If anybody touches one hair on my little girl in that dungeon, they will face the wrath of hell and Zorc, I promise. I doubt that Marik would try to harm his son. Then again.....this is a new game with new rules. Marik isn’t the kindly lover or devoted father. Malik isn’t the cook and housekeeper.  Marik is officially a legitimate threat and Malik is officially dangerous.
Bakura sighed in relief as the chariot came to a halt at the palace. He slowly lowered himself onto the ground and rolled over on his stomach. He saw the city’s nobility and priests file past the rows of chariots and guards. The thief crawled out from under the chariot cautiously and crept along the side of the palace, keeping to the shadows. Bakura saw a noble walk by him alone.
Bakura quickly covered the man’s mouth and twisted the man’s head, breaking his neck efficiently. He watched the man crumble to the ground dead. I’m sorry. Bakura dragged the man’s body into the bushes. The thief quickly donned the man’s expensive linens, gold, cloak, and veil. He slipped the man’s sandals on his feet and blended in with the crowd.
Bakura slipped past the guards with a relieved sigh. He walked down the hallway and turned to the right where two guards were posted in the hallway. He put his hand on his dagger’s hilt when he attempted to walk down the hallway.
“What are you doing here? The pharaohs’ celebration is back the way you came and straight ahead.”
Bakura bowed his head. “A thousand apologies, my lord.” Bakura began to slowly walk towards the party. //Ry, where are you?//
/I’m in my room./
//Where is it located?//
/You’ll see two guards posted in front of my door upstairs./
Bakura saw two guards posted at the bottom of the stairs. The guards grabbed his arms as he stepped between them.
“The party is straight ahead, my lord. This is off-limits.”
//Ry, is anyone on the first floor?//
/I don’t know. All I do know is that Joey may be with Seto’s harem./
Bakura snickered through the mindlink. //No surprise there, right? Alright. I’ll see what I can find.//
The thief entered the room where dancing women were waving their veils and nobles were eating lavishly and drinking expensive wine. Bakura found Little Marik sitting by his father. The boy appeared bored as his father lifted his glass and encouraged the women to remove the veils covering their body.
Yami Marik and Malik were sitting on twin thrones, appearing pleased with themselves. Snefru and Ausaira  stood beside them. Around Ausaira’s neck hung an onyx necklace. //Shit. I have to get that necklace somehow.//
Bakura grabbed a tray of food and blended with the servants distributing food. He leaned over to Little Marik. “I need you to crawl under the table and grab me a couple veils, kiddo.”
“Why?”
“Because I can’t have your older self know I’m here.”
Little Marik looked over at his father, too drunk with beer and wine to care that his son had disappeared. The boy grabbed three veils which had dropped from the dancers and handed them to Bakura.
“Good boy. Thank you.”
Bakura retreated from the room and wrapped the veils around his face and his body. He approached the staircase leading to the second floor. The soldiers looked at him curiously. “Did High Priest Seth permit you to be running about during his celebration?”
“Yes,” Bakura tried to fake a female voice. “He asked me to grab a tray of food for the others.”
The soldiers stepped aside. “Be quick to return to the harem lest High Priest Seth lose his temper.”
//Ry, I’m past the guards on the first floor.//
/Turn left and you will see the guarded door./
Bakura turned left and saw the two guards posted at a door down the hall.  He carried the food towards the room, feeling Ryou’s heart beating wildly. //Act naturally, Ry, or they’ll be onto me.//Bakura crept down the hall, struggling to hold himself back. “I’m here to give him his dinner.”
One of the guards turned his back to unlock the door. The door opened and Bakura walked in with the tray of food.
Bakura waited until the door closed before he put the tray on the table beside the bed. Bakura brought Ryou into his arms tightly as the hikari trembled in his arms. The thief kissed Ryou’s forehead and caressed his lover’s hair. “It’s alright, baby.” Bakura felt Ryou‘s heart beat wildly against him. A wave of fear and relief flooded their mindlink.
“Bakura, it’s been awful!” Ryou whimpered. “I was so worried about Marik and Malik catching you!”
“Shh, it’s alright, Ry. Calm down, baby.”
The thief raised a curious eyebrow when he felt Ryou’s back. His fingertips dipped into crevices. “What the hell?” Bakura turned Ryou around and saw whipmarks on his lover’s back.
“Which one of those bastards did that to you?”
Ryou buried his face in his hands and cried. “Marik.”
“He’ll pay for that, I promise. We have to get out of here, Ry. If I remember the palace right, the harem is down the hall to the right.”
“Glenn and Yugi are there. Joey may be there, too.”
Bakura kissed Ryou’s lips. “I need you to stay strong and stay quiet. Alright?”
Ryou nodded. “Alright.”
Bakura grabbed his dagger and opened the door. He stabbed one of the guards in the back as he left and punched the other guard in the face. Both men collapsed on the ground. “Hurry up, Ry, and get their uniforms on.”
“Bakura, I can’t fit into their uniforms! I can barely keep this waist-skirt on me.”
Bakura nodded. “Put on my veils. You can pass for one of Seto’s harem-ladies.”
The thief worked to don the soldier’s uniform as he felt Ryou grab onto him harshly. Ryou bent over with a  gasp. “Bakura?”“Ry?”
Ryou looked up at Bakura with worry. “We have to get home.”
Bakura took Ryou’s hand. “You’re early. You can’t do this now. You have another two months.”
“I know it’s early! Remember when I went to the hospital for a false alarm with Aria and Aten? This must be what is happening.”
“These people won’t know what to do with a premature baby in this era, Ry. They’ll probably pray over it and rub all kinds of nonsense on him. And..well...I’m sure they won’t know how to...get him out?”
Ryou looked at Bakura. “These doctors thought I would have to expel the baby through my arse! Can you imagine?”
“I would think the same thing. I mean, what other entrance is there? You can’t vomit the baby out. What other option would there be according to these people’s reasoning?”
Ryou sighed with resignation. “I would think anything else would be reasonable.”
“You don’t have anywhere for him to come out. You pose something new to them. Don’t hold it against them, Ry. There’s not alot of pregnant men running about.”
“Well, I don’t hold it against them, but it was completely embarrassing the way they were poking and prodding me down there.” Ryou wrapped Bakura’s veils around him and took Bakura’s hand.  “Do you think this will work?”
Bakura narrowed his eyes. “I don’t know, but we have to try something.”
“We have to get Ausaira’s onyx necklace.”
The thief walked briskly down the hallway with his husband, holding Heaven against him. “She’s wearing it. I have to get it before....”
“Halt!”
Bakura and Ryou froze. “Act casual,” the thief whispered.
“Why did you take him from the room without Pharaoh Marik’s orders?”
Bakura saluted the guard. “I was told to move him to a more secure location, sir!”
“The pharaohs wish for him to join them at the ceremony. We will escort him there.”
Ryou swallowed nervously and bit his lip. If the guard saw the dead men down the hallway, their cover would be blown. Ryou leaned over as he faked a groan of discomfort. Bakura quickly punched the distracted guard in the head, knocking him to the ground. Bakura ran Ryou toward the harem where Yugi, Glenn, and Umi were sitting among the women.
Yugi jumped to his feet with a smile of relief. “Bakura! I never thought I’d be so happy to see you!”
Rhett and Kai ran to Bakura, hugging his legs. “Papa Bakura!”
“Grab the baby, Glenn, we’re getting out of here.”
Umi approached Bakura, bringing Rhett into his arms. “My wife has been locked in the dungeon with Aten and Robbie. We can’t leave them behind.”
“We’ll get them back,” Bakura said assuredly. The thief looked down at the children. “Rhett, Kai, listen to me. We’re going to play a little game. Would you like that?”
Kai jumped up and down excitedly. “What game? Tag?”
Rhett waved his hands with anticipation. “Hide and seek?”
Bakura shook his head. “No, we’re going to play a little game called ‘Who can be really quiet and not make a sound?’”
“How do you play that?” Kai asked.
“You cover your mouths with your hands and you don’t say anything until we leave the castle. Alright? Kai, do you think you can win?”
Kai nodded quietly. Rhett also nodded quickly and quietly.
“Good. This is a really important game, alright? Whoever can stay really quiet and not make a peep until we leave will get a really good present when we get back to our time. So let’s begin the game so we can go home, alright?”
Ryou took Kai’s hand.  /Bakura, how are we going to sneak past the guards with everyone?/
//I haven’t decided. At least we have the kids thinking we’re playing a game. Now we just to ensure we don’t have a Game Over.//
Bakura lead the group out of the room. He had Umi wear the unconscious guard’s uniform. “If anyone asks, we’re escorting them,” Bakura whispered into Umi’s ear. Umi placed the helmet on his head to hide his face.
Bakura and Umi dressed in guard wardrobe lead Glenn, Ryou, Yugi, and the kids down the steps. “Where are you going with the prisoners so late, men?” one of the guards asked.
“You know that particular one is not meant to be out of his room without explicit authorization from the pharaohs.”
Yugi held onto Aria’s baby and felt her figit anxiously and begin to cry. “Shh, baby girl, don’t cry.”
Heaven began to cry in Ryou’s arms. Ryou swallowed nervously as he tried to soothe the crying infant.
//Ry, the babies are going to tip off Marik!//
“Shh, Heaven. It’s alright.”
“Silence those little monsters!” the guards demanded.
The guard grabbed Yugi’s collar. “We’ll see what Pharaoh Malik has to say about you being out of your room without his permission.”
“The pharaoh will not take interruption of his coronation ceremony lightly!” Bakura demanded. “You are interrupting one of the most solemn ceremonies for your god-king. If you wish to incur his wrath, by all means, interrupt the most sacred of rituals.”
/Bakura, baby, that was brilliant!/ Ryou said through his mindlink.
//Thanks, Ry.//
“The pharaoh will throw you in the dungeon if you interrupt him.”
The guard released Yugi’s collar. Seto and Joey emerged from the ceremony.
“Ryou, what are you--?”
Ryou shot Seto a quick glance. “Seto, certainly you remember allowing the guard to take me for a walk tonight?”
Seto looked at the thief in the soldier garments. “Yes, I allowed the future mother of the pharaoh’s son to take a walk tonight. I fear that he has been locked up for too long with no time for adequate exercise.”
“Yes, High Priest. Pharaoh Marik and Pharaoh Malik ordered us not to allow them to leave their quarters, especially this one.”
“What is going on here?” Snefru asked as he stepped beside Seto.
Ausaira emerged with a plate of fruit. “What’s all this raucous?”
//Bakura, the necklace!//
Bakura lunged for his sister as Snefru grabbed Bakura’s cape. Ausaira dropped her plate of fruit as Bakura grabbed the onyx pendant and ripped it from her neck. Snefru pulled back harshly on Bakura’s clothing, making the thief stagger backward. Yugi saw the necklace in Bakura’s hand as he lost his balance.
Yugi grabbed the necklace from Bakura’s hand and took off running down the hallway with Glenn following close behind. Umi jumped in front of Yugi to protect him.  Snefru and Umi’s swords clashed with sparks and anger.
Ryou called to Yugi. “Don‘t let her get the necklace, Yugi!”
“You’ve interfered for the last time!" Ausaira screamed raising it above Ryou’s head.
Joey and Seto grabbed Ausaira before she could stab Ryou in the head. They pulled her back before her blade could land.
Yugi’s eyes widened as the necklace began to glow with a bright light which filled the hallway, blinding everyone. Ryou closed his eyes and turned Heaven away from the bright light.  Bakura screamed as the light seared his retinas. Snefru and Ausaira dropped their weapons.
The party guests’ cries of alarm scattered as they fled.
When the light subsided, Yugi saw the guards rubbing their eyes. Snefru and Ausaira were screaming into their hands which covered their faces. “Ryou! Bakura! Seto! Joey! Let’s go!”
Ryou grabbed Seto’s hand. Joey squinted as Umi grabbed his arm and ran.
Bakura turned his head and saw Marik and Malik on the ground unconscious. Little Marik was standing over his older self, rubbing his sensitive eyes. “Marik! Malik!”
“Bakura!” Ryou called.
“Go! I have to get the Ishtars! Get to the Wall!” Bakura called.
The thief ran to Yami Marik and Malik on the ground. He kneeled beside Yami Marik and caressed the blond’s spiky hair. “Marik, sweet Isis....wake up.”
The blond yami groaned with pain.  “Item---ri?”
“Hurry up, Ishtar, we don’t have much time! Malik, wake up!”
Malik’s eyes fluttered open weakly. “Bakura? What happened?”
“We have to get home. Let’s hurry!”
Little Marik watched his older self open his eyes. “You have to get home. Get up.”
Yami Marik struggled to get to his hands and knees. “What the hell?”
Malik groaned as he kneeled beside his yami. “I feel like crap.”
Bakura turned to see Snefru and Ausaira starting to regain their footing. “We’re going to be in something deeper than crap if you two don’t get to your feet.”
Yami Marik rose to his feet and held the Millennium Rod in his hand. He looked down at the little child standing before him. After a moment of cognitive processing, his eyes widened. “Oh my god, it’s me!”
Little Marik looked up sadly at him. “Why were you mean to me and your friends?”
Yami Marik opened his mouth to speak, but no words could be found. Malik looked down at the younger boy standing before his yami. “It looks like you!”
Bakura kneeled before the little boy and held onto his shoulders. “Thank you very much for all your help, Marik. I have my friends back.”
Little Marik nodded. “Where’s my friend? Bakura?”
“He’s in a bad place right now and I have to get him out.”
Snefru and Ausaira surrounded the four men and child with guards. Snefru held a sword towards the child. “You meddlesome little infant!”
Yami Marik narrowed his eyes as he clutched the Millennium Rod close to him. “You want to pick on an innocent child, pick on someone your own size.” The yami removed the dagger from the Millennium Rod. Malik picked up the child and held him in his arms. It’s baby Marik....
Bakura grinned as he removed his dagger. “So, partner, it looks as if we’re going to be fighting off the guards together again. Do you know what that means?”
“Unbelievable sex afterwards at the oasis? The way things used to be between us?”
Bakura chuckled with a lick of his lips. “Possibly.”
Bakura and Yami Marik engaged the guards in a swordfight. Bakura clashed blades with two guards and kicked them away. “Ryou and the others are ahead, Malik! We’ve got your back!”
Malik ran ahead with Little Marik.
Yami Marik slashed the Rod’s dagger ahead of him, slicing through several guards with a grin. “You will regret interfering with my family!”
Snefru turned to Ausaira. “Dispatch.”
Ausaira grabbed an object from the pouch on her belt. A thick smoke appeared before them, obscuring their vision. Bakura reached out for Snefru through the smoke, but the pair had disappeared.
“Itemri, what just happened?”
“I don’t know how they did it, but you were being controlled.”
Yami Marik looked at his hands. “I remember being so......angry. Full of rage. Resentment.”
“That is the essence of being a yami, Marik. It’s that dark side that we can never resolve. The memories which haunt us along our journey through eternity.”
Yami Marik sighed. “I couldn’t control it.”
“We have to save your son, Robbie, and Little Bakura in the dungeon.”
“What is my son doing in the dungeon?”
“You sent him there, genius! Now, let’s go!”
Yami Marik and Bakura heard battles ahead.  Umi’s sword felled the last guard as Seto stole the guard’s jail key. Seto opened the dungeon door and raced down the steps with Yami Bakura and Yami Marik.
Little Bakura was standing at the jail cell door smiling and bouncing excitedly. “Older me! You’ve found me!”
Yami Marik looked down with pity at the smaller Bakura. He’s just how I remember him from so long ago. He was so tiny, fragile. He was.....happy.
Seto opened the door as Robbie and Aten rose to their feet. Aten supported Robbie as they emerged from the jail.
“Father? Are you alright?” Aten asked timidly.
“My son, I’m sorry,” Yami Marik whispered crestfallen.
“You can apologize later,” Bakura said, grabbing the keys from Seto.
Yami Marik watched Yami Bakura glare at Yami in the prison cell. The pharaoh rose to his feet and glared at Bakura. “Bakura, you can’t honestly want to let him go! Think of all he put our family through! Think of what he did to Aten and Ryou! Remember what he did to Malik after we died of the Yami Virus! Think of what he is going to do to us!”
Yami Bakura narrowed his eyes at his nemesis with deep loathing. “I hate you for everything you did. For everything you will do. You put me through fucking hell. I would love nothing more than to leave you here to starve as you starved me. I want to see you suffer as I have suffered. I want the rats to chew your skin at night and the only prayer hanging from your lips is your last breath as you bleed and suffocate, murdered in cold blood, unable to defend yourself, helpless. I wish I could be here to witness that.”
“I don’t know who you are, stranger, but you will let me out of this cell this instant! I am the pharaoh!”
“You are not a pharaoh. You are a butcher....and that will never change.”
Yami Bakura slowly inserted the key into the lock.
“Bakura, don’t do it!” Yami Marik pleaded. “Let him die in here! Another pharaoh will take his place!”
“Allowing him to suffer my fate will not remove the memories from my mind nor the nightmares from my dreams. Everything must be left as it once was.” Bakura grabbed the key, his hand shaking as he was preparing to unlock the prison cell. He opened the jail cell and saw Yami sitting in the corner.
Yami Marik stood in the doorway with Yami Bakura. The pharaoh slowly rose to his feet and narrowed his eyes at the thief. “What is the meaning of this?”
Yami Bakura’s lip curled in disgust and tossed the key at Yami’s feet. “You’re welcome, jackass.”
“Yami!”
The two yamis turned to see where Ryou stood with Little Bakura and Little Marik. A large black distortion hovered in front of him and the children. Little Bakura wrapped his arms around Ryou’s neck.
“What is it?” Little Bakura asked with a quiver in his voice.
Malik grabbed Little Marik and held him in his arms. He backed away cautiously with Ryou. “Marik? Any ideas?”
Yami Marik stood behind Malik as he held the Millennium Rod closely. “Black magic?”
Aten and Robbie raced out of the jail cell and gasped as they gazed upon the formless vortex before them. “It looks like the Shadow Realm...just....darker.”
Yami Bakura stood in front of Ryou protectively. “Aten, get over here, boy.”
“Robert, stand back,” Yami Marik whispered.
Aten and Robbie stepped back toward Malik and Ryou when a gust of wind threatened to send them tumbling backward.
Yami stepped out of the prison cell and grabbed Yami Marik’s shoulder. “What have you done to my palace?”
“You’re welcome for saving your ass, pharaoh,” Yami Marik growled.
“I want my daddy,” Little Marik whimpered in Malik’s arms.
Seto held onto Aria. “We have to get away from that thing! This way!”
Seto ran the opposite way down the hall. Yami Marik enticed Malik to follow him with Little Marik in his arms.  Yami Bakura grabbed Ryou’s wrist and pulled him down the hallway. Yami Marik followed close behind as he watched the black cloud spread through the dungeon.
Seto lead the group up the stairs into the hallway where Umi was waiting with Yugi, Rhett, Kai, and Heaven.
“What do we do now? Yami is free, but all of our monsters were shattered,” Robbie said quickly. “If only we can go back in time and stop them from shattering the monsters,” Aten sighed.
Seto gasped. “Maybe that’s what we have to do. Go back in time!”
“You can’t be serious,” Robbie responded flatly. “We can’t manipulate time!”
“No, but Snefru and Ausaira can apparently,” Bakura interjected. “Somehow they have found a way to use time as a means of travel. After all, how else would they kidnap Marik and Malik from the future and bring them here. They must have a way!”
Yami scoffed. “Only the gods can manipulate time and you don’t look like gods to me. I want answers! Why did Slyfer not come to my aid when I called for him?”
“All of your monsters lay in nothing more than rubble in the sanctuary, pharaoh,” Bakura answered.
“If I found out that you were responsible for destroying my monsters, whoever you are, you will pay for your treachery!”
Bakura glared at Yami. “I’m in no mood for your crap now, pharaoh. We are all in very real danger.”
“If we can use whatever Snefru and Ausaira use for time travel, we should be able to go back in time and rebuild the statues.”
“They disappeared,” Bakura said. “They can be anywhere right now, perhaps in our time.”
Robbie sighed. “I hope they didn’t just leave us here. Mom and dad are going to be worried sick about us, Aten.”
“Well, they won’t need to worry because they haven’t even been born yet,” Aten said.
Yami Marik grabbed Yami Bakura’s shoulder. “We should check their room for anything that might help.”
Yami Bakura nodded. “Everyone stay together.”
Aten and Robbie walked at the back of the group, keeping a close eye behind them. “What do you think that black void was?”
“Could it be the underworld?”
“I don’t remember it being that dark,” Aten replied.
Robbie’s eyes widened. “Maybe they were invoking Hell.”
“Who was?”
“Snefru and Ausaira. Maybe they’re summoning Hell!”
Yami Bakura burst open the door to his siblings’ room. Snefru and Ausaira stood before the bed with their weapons drawn. Yami Bakura removed his dagger from its sheath. Yami Marik removed the dagger from the Millennium Rod.
“So, little brother has come with his little friends to try and stop us,” Snefru grinned as the black void behind them rippled hovering in the air.
Ausaira grinned as she held her swords toward Yami Marik. “You may leave now with your lives intact.”
“We’re not leaving until we repair the damage you and your brother have done,” Yami Marik replied defiantly.
Snefru approached Bakura. “Father always told me that he wished you were dead. It is now time to make his wish a reality.”
“I am already dead like you, Snefru,” Yami Bakura growled.  
Snefru grinned. ”If I cut off your head, big brother, there‘s not enough magic in the world to save you.”
“So I have heard. However, there are other ways of eliminating you as a threat. How would you like to learn what it is to be locked in a tomb for thousands of years? I can make that a reality.”
Yami Bakura quickly slashed Snefru’s chest, spraying blood onto him and his brother. Snefru staggered back with a grin and charged at Bakura with two swords.
Seto held back Ryou in the doorway. “You can’t go in there!”
“Bakura needs my help!” the hikari pleaded.
Aria and Aten watched Snefru’s swords slice in front of him, cutting Bakura’s arm and above his right eyebrow. The teens slipped past their mother and Seto. Yami Marik flipped backwards to avoid Ausaira’s flurry of blade strikes. Aten raced to his father’s aid.
“Isn’t that sweet, Marik? Your boy has come to help you. Hi, cutie,” Ausaira grinned.
“Aten, what are you doing? Get back, son!”
Aten took a deep breath and lunged for Ausaira. He tackled her to the ground, but not before getting a cut on his upper arm from the swords. The Egyptian screamed in pain as he and Ausaira tumbled to the carpet. Her elbow connected with his face, making the room spin around him. Yami Marik took the opportunity to grab her wrist holding one of the swords. He plunged the blade of the Millennium Rod into her arm, making her drop the weapon.
“How are you able to travel through time?” Yami Marik demanded.
Ausaira narrowed her eyes and spat into Yami Marik’s face. “You couldn’t handle it!”
Aria ran around behind Snefru and grabbed his hair. She pulled back hard, causing him to lose his balance. When Snefru turned his head, Bakura grabbed Snefru’s wrist and stabbed through his arm, causing him to drop the sword. Aria brought Snefru’s face upon her knee and he fell to the ground.
“That’s my girl,” Yami Bakura panted.
Aria grinned at her father. “I had a good teacher.”
Yami Marik held the Millennium Rod’s blade to Ausaira’s chest. “How do we get back to our own time?”
“What is that black void?” Aten asked.
Ausaira grinned. “Perhaps that is your way home.”
Aten shook his head. “It doesn’t look like it.”
“That is a portal to a different dimension caused by a rip in time.”
“How do we stop it?” Aria asked as she looked down at Ausaira.
Ausaira grinned.  “Perhaps you can go back to the time before you....made your dirty little secret with Seto Kaiba.’”
“What are you talking about?” Yami Marik asked.
Ausaira chuckled. “Oh, you don’t know? I think it’s time you come clean, Aria.  After all, the skeleton in your closet is just dying to be set free.”
Aria narrowed her eyes and punched Ausaira in the face harshly. The other girl’s eyes closed as blood crept from her nostrils. “Bitch.”
Aten held his upper arm as blood crept down his skin.  Ryou raced to him and tried to stop his bleeding.
Malik approached Snefru and kneeled beside him. “He was the one who emitted the bright light.” Little Marik huddled close to Malik shivering like a lost puppy. His eyes gazed horrified at the black void ahead of them.
Yami Marik and Yami Bakura looked at the black void as the wind whipped their hair. “What are we going to do about this bullshit?”
“We have to stop it if it is a rip in time, Ishtar. If we don’t, think of the implications. Ancient Egypt could be fighting World War One. What the hell are people going to think in these times if they saw a tank? What about a nuclear bomb?”
Umi held Lani in his arms as he approached Aria. “How can we stop the damage which has already been done?”
Malik reached into Snefru’s robes and removed a necklace with a dark blue jewel surrounded by lapus lazuli. The center stone was decorated with gold and a glowed brightly. “What in the world is this?”
Robbie limped behind Malik. “Perhaps it can stop the void. Try it.”
Malik shook his head. “No. You try it.”
“What? Me? Why?”
“Because I don’t want to make this situation worse.”
Aten took the  necklace and looked at the void. Aten held the necklace as he heard a commotion down the hallway. Angry voices echoed through the hall, making Little Marik and Little Bakura cringe.
“Hurry, boy,” Yami Marik pleaded.
Aten looked at the black void and held the necklace towards the darkness. Aten felt his energy return as the stone glowed brightly. Ryou gripped onto Bakura tightly as the wind increased in speed. The screaming in the hallway stopped.
Robbie felt the pain in his foot diminish. His muscles relaxed.  “What’s going on?”
Ryou looked down at his stomach as he began to feel tingling. His bump was slowly receeding. “Bakura, the baby!”
Bakura looked down at Ryou’s stomach. “Aten, stop!”
Umi saw Ausaira and Snefru stand up and walk backwards out of the room. “What in the world?”
Ryou gripped onto Bakura as he started to feel cramping in his stomach. “Bakura, I think something is wrong! I want to push!”
Bakura’s eyes widened as Ryou was slowly sinking to his knees. “Ryou, hold on!”
Little Bakura looked at Ryou. “You look like mommy before she had my brother!”
Seto and Joey watched the black void slowly reduce in size. “It’s working, Aten!”
Little Marik and Little Bakura startled as they heard screaming and the roar of a dragon outside the palace walls. The two little boys held onto each other, frightened.
Bakura helped coach Ryou with his breathing. “Deep breaths, Ry.”
The dark void disappeared and the violent wind gust stopped. The two children looked around, confused. Robbie flexed his toes and moved his foot. “My foot hasn’t felt this good since I was a kid!”
Aten watched Yami walk backwards and return to his bed. “It’s turning back time.”
Malik watched Little Marik release his friend and walk out of the room. “Hey! Little You is leaving, Yami!”
Little Bakura shortly followed his friend. Ryou watched the little spiky haired boy walk out of the room with a heavy heart. “Bakura, stop him!”
Yami Bakura shook his head and caressed Ryou’s cheek lightly. “He never left you. He’s right here.”
A tear crept down Ryou’s face. “He’s going to die, ‘Kura.  We have to bring him with us to the future.”
“I’m sorry, angel. You have to let him go.”
Ryou lowered his head as tears crept down his face. He buried his face in his hands and began to sob with sorrowful wailing. Bakura took Ryou into his arms and held his sobbing husband. “I’m sorry, Ryou. He will be alright. I promise.”
Malik stood and walked over to Ryou. “It will be alright, Ry. Don’t cry.”
“I wanted to bring him home with us. I could have been the mother to that boy that he never had.”
Bakura watched Ryou whimper and hold his stomach which had stopped its recession. “We have another boy waiting for us at home, Ry. This boy has never had a chance at life.....until now. Let’s not deprive him of that.”
Yami Marik looked at the necklace. “This is our ticket home. If we activate the necklace where we entered this world, then we can go home.”
“Could I say goodbye to the boys before I leave?”
Seto cautiously opened the bedroom door which had shut behind the boys.  He looked up and down the hallway. “I don’t see any Tombkeepers. We need to keep our guard up.”
Joey sighed. “I was almost done that mural.”
“Don’t worry, puppy. Perhaps its still intact in our day. We can take a trip when we get home and find out.”
Umi and Aria followed the CEO out of the room with Joey, Aten, and Robbie. Bakura held onto Ryou as they walked down the hallway slowly. Yami Marik and Malik followed behind quietly.
“I’m sorry for everything that we put you through, Itemri,” Yami Marik whispered solemnly.
“Sometimes the darkness takes over, Marik.  We faced that threat together and will continue to face each threat head-on as a family.”
Malik smiled. “Bakura’s right.”
Yami Marik’s head rose when he heard the Winged Dragon of Ra roar outside. “Did you hear that?” The yami broke away from the crowd and raced outside of the palace in the courtyard. He smiled happily as he saw the Winged Dragon of Ra fly over the palace.
“Winged Dragon of Ra, hear my cry! Come to your master!”
The dragon roared and landed on the ground, making it rumble. Yami Marik pet its head as it leaned down to its master.
Robbie watched in amazement as Slyfer curled around the palace. “What the heck is going on?”
“Time must have reversed before the duel monster tablets were destroyed,” Aten suggested. “That means all of our monsters have returned to normal.”
Joey pointed towards the city. “Look! None of the buildings have been destroyed!”
Bakura breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s all over then. We can go home.”
“Not quite,” Yami Marik said.
****************************
Yami Marik held his husband’s hand as they stood in front of the Ishtar family home. Marik took a deep breath before entering the home. He entered the lavishly decorated home and walked to the familiar room on the second floor where a little boy was toiling over his studies. His reed was moving as he learned how to write on ostraca. Malik smiled at the child. /He’s so cute, Marik!/
//He’s trying so hard to please his father. It is a shame that his efforts are in vain.//
Little Marik turned his head. “Hello? My father is in town. Do you need something?”
“He doesn’t remember us,” Malik said with shock in his voice.
“He wouldn’t if time were turned backward,” Yami Marik explained. “Marik, I am....a friend.”
“You have purple eyes just like me! Are you a big brother?”
Marik shook his head. “No, Marik, I’m here only for a short time. I want you to encourage you to study hard in your lessons. However, I want you to be happy. No matter what your father tells you. No matter how your father behaves. I want you to live your life by your choices.”
The little child nodded slowly. “Father becomes angry and makes me feel bad if I don’t do what he tells me.”
“Oh, Marik,” Malik sighed sadly.
“I don’t want you to allow him to control you. One day, you’re going to meet someone who will help you realize this. Control is never the means to true power, Marik. Control through violence solves and proves nothing. Compassion, sacrifice, these are what characterize the truly strong person with an iron Will.” Yami Marik approached the boy slowly and put his hand on the child’s shoulder. “I pray to Ra that you will be strong to resist the corruption of the world and your father’s cruelty.”
The child nodded sheepishly. “Are you certain that I do not know you, my Lord?”
“No, Marik. But I know you. Very, very well.”
The boy swallowed nervously. “I must continue my lessons before father returns or he will be very cross.”
“Of course,” Yami Marik said, backing away. “May Ra bless you, child.”
Marik took Malik’s hand and started to walk away. Malik turned to watch the child. /Marik, maybe Ryou is right. Maybe we should bring him with us./
//We can’t. We have to leave him here where he belongs./
Malik looked down sadly. /But he is going to die.He will be murdered, his body desecrated./
Yami Marik nodded. “Yes, he will. But he needs to live his life and experience it to its fullest.”
/Even if he gets shot in the back and murdered?/
//Death doesn’t stop that boy, remember.// Yami Marik looked down at Malik and tilted his chin upwards. //That boy is who stands before you. The one who liberated you from your father’s tyranny. The one who brought you out of darkness and into the light.// Yami Marik leaned down and kissed Malik’s forehead. //The one who loves you.//
Malik smiled. “If you think this is for the best, I will understand.”
“We must meet the others by the mural. It’s time we return to our own timeline.”
******************
Bakura and Ryou watched the child crouch at the end of the alley with a mischievous grin. His prey was nearby: a rat sniffing at bait. Little Bakura licked his lips with anticipation. The boy pounced at the rat, who scurried down the alley. “Get back here!” Little Bakura exclaimed as he ran down the alley. The boy jumped at the frightened animal and grabbed its body.
The rat turned its head and bit the child on the finger. The boy squealed in pain and sat on the alley floor, crying quietly.
Ryou cautiously walked towards the boy. “Did you get hurt?”   
The child looked up at him and sniffled with a quiet nod.
Ryou kneeled down and inspected the finger. “You’re not bleeding, Bakura. You’ll be alright, sweetie boy.”
“Who are you?”
“A....friend,” Ryou responded with a smile. “Are you hungry?”
The boy nodded. “My mommy and daddy said they didn’t want me anymore. Now I’m all alone.”
Bakura could feel Ryou’s heart crumbling in his chest. “You won’t be alone forever, Bakura.”
The boy looked up at Bakura. “How do you know my name?”
“I know you very well, my boy. You are not alone. What about Isilda?”
Little Bakura smiled. “She’s nice.”
“If I’m not mistaken, she should be here soon.”
The boy nodded. “She is warm and she keeps the big boys away so I can sleep.”
“My child, I want you to know that some day you are going to be rich. Not with money, gold, or jewels. You’re going to have a family....little children of your own someday. That will make you richer than the pharaoh’s coffers.”
The child felt his stomach growl. “I’m hungry.”
Ryou handed the child a handful of coin. “I want you to take care of yourself, sweetheart.”
“Bakura?” Isilda turned the corner.
The little boy smiled and ran to her. Ryou stood up and watched the woman walk down the alley. “Who is she, yami?”
Bakura watched the woman sit in the alley and pull his younger self onto her lap.  Ryou’s eyes widened when she saw the woman cradling the little boy in her arms. “Does she look familiar, Ry?”
The woman looked sadly down and began singing a lullabye to the drowsy boy.
“She looks like....Dark Necrofear holding her baby!”
Bakura nodded. “Yes. Yami eventually captured her and turned her into Dark Necrofear. The baby she holds....was me.” Bakura’s bottom lip trembled. “She held me on cold nights. She brought me food and would give me a blanket to cuddle when she was able. For hours she would sit there and rock me. She worked for Khalfani. That is why Dark Necrofear is a loyal servant of mine. She kept me warm and saved my life.”
Ryou watched as the woman held the four-year-old boy’s hand as he drifted into sleep in the dark alley. “She showed you love and kindness and she paid for that with her life.” Ryou looked into Bakura’s eyes. “I understand why you hated to see those traits in me. Why you would call me weak. When I showed you affection, you struck me, beat me, raped me.”
Bakura lowered his head. “You’re right, Ry. She showed me kindness and was killed for it. I grew attached to her and feared if you showed me the same affection that I would lose you, too.”
Ryou hugged Bakura and rested his head on his chest. “I understand.”
“I’m sorry,” Bakura whispered, embracing his husband.
Ryou gasped a sharp breath. He felt the muscles in his stomach contracting. Sharp pains were stabbing through his abdomen. “Sweetheart?”“Ry?”
Ryou’s fingernails dug into Bakura’s back. “It’s time.”