Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Soul Of The Night ❯ Siege Of The Tombkeepers ( Chapter 5 )

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

YamiAlex: I thought I was done with this series, but I’ve had so many people want me back, I hope this story is as good as my others.
BB: I thought I was done completely, so I tried to think of something I haven’t done.
xNozomix: Oh, Seto will find out...and when he does, prepare for explosion. I already know that how that is going to play out. One thief-father will be considerably more than pissed off.

Siege of the Tombkeepers

The child shivered in the night as Bakura and Aten looked at him.  “I thought you were dead,” the little boy whimpered nervously.
Bakura shook his head. “No, we’re not dead. How did we get here?”
“I-I was looking for food and you landed on my dinner.”
Aten looked down at the dead rat where Bakura had laid.  “You were going to eat a rat?”
“I don’t have anything else,” the boy said. “Do you have any food for me?”
Aten looked at the boy. “What is your name?”
“Bakura Osiris,” the four-year-old said.
Aten saw the boy cringe more as he stood on his feet. Bakura held his hand out to Aten. “No, stay down. You’ll scare me....umm....scare him away.”
The boy looked up at Bakura. “You have white hair like me.”
Aten smiled and nodded. “Why are you alone in the night? Your parents might be worried about you.”
The child’s bottom lip began to tremble. “No, my daddy said I can never return home.” The boy cried into his hands. “I’m cold and hungry and I want my mommy!”
Aten watched with pity at the crying, shaking child. “Father Bakura, I didn’t know you were young when your parents kicked you out of the home.”
Bakura nodded slowly as he looked with pity at his crying younger self. “I was only a baby when I was left on my own. I was so confused and angry. I didn’t understand why my family didn’t want me.”
“Daddy had said he had another boy and he didn’t need me.”
Bakura sighed and lowered his head. “I was forced to eat rats, lice, whatever I could find.”
The child rubbed his eyes and looked at Bakura. “Can you help me?”
Bakura nodded to Aten and stood.  “We should do something before less reputable people find him.”
“Are we really back in Egypt five thousand years ago?”
“Where else would I encounter myself as a young child?” Bakura asked.
Aten watched Bakura slowly approach his younger self. The child lifted his arms and wrapped his arms around Bakura’s neck. The thief brought his child self into his arms and looked at the boy in his arms.
“Dakarai must have just kicked him out of the home a few days ago,” Bakura said using his thumb to remove a trail of dirt from the thin boy‘s cheek.
“Why do you think that, Father Bakura?”
The child placed his head on Bakura’s shoulder and cuddled into his body.
“Because I would not have done this later, Aten. I was desperate for someone to help me. I tried returning home, but my father never accepted me. He would chase me away with his hammer.”
Aten stepped towards his stepfather. “I never knew your father treated you so terribly."
“I didn’t want you and your sister to know because it was a difficult part of my past that I have tried to forget." Bakura shook his head. “Unfortunately, it followed me from my childhood and beyond the grave." Bakura gently caressed the child’s back. “Let’s find some shelter.”
“Do you think we are the only ones who are here? Do you think my father is here and Malik?”
The child tensed as the lighting and thunder rolled across the sky angrily.
“I hope for their safety that Ryou and Aria aren’t here.”
“Hungry...”
Bakura sighed. “This boy needs food. I think it’s time for me to get my food the old fashioned way. Bakura, I have to give you to my stepson, Ankhenaten. He won’t hurt you. He’s a good kid.”
The child gripped onto Bakura tightly and desperately. “No!”
“I can’t get you food if I have to hold you. I need my hands free.” Bakura carefully held onto the boy and looked up and down the streets.  “Aten will not harm you. I promise.”
Bakura carefully handed the young child to his stepson. “Keep an eye on him.”
Aten cradled the quivering boy against him. He stood under a canopy to shield them from rain which started to fall.  “Father Bakura, I hope you know what you are doing.”
Bakura looked around at the buildings and people strolling the streets. I know where I am...I’m home. Bakura grinned wickedly and crept along the shadows. It’s always fun to get down to your roots. Bakura approached a singular house and growled with anger. It’s time for payback, daddy.
Bakura watched the pharaoh’s soldiers turned the corner. He stood at the door of the home and burst inside. A woman gasped and screamed, cuddling a newborn to her chest. The man turned and jumped on his feet. “Who are you?”
“You don’t even recognize your own son? Well, father, I don’t expect you to care.”
“My son is in his mother’s arms!”
Bakura growled and slapped his father across his face. His father fell onto the ground. “You dare call yourself a father! How dare you kick your firstborn son out of your home!”
“We can’t afford to feed another mouth!”
Bakura glared at his mother. “You allowed him to do that unspeakable deed!”
“I love my son!”
“I am not speaking of the infant in your arms! I am speaking of Bakura!”
Dakarai narrowed his eyes. “That boy was a bad omen born to my family! His birth was a curse!  Cursed be the day that I placed that boy in his mother’s womb!  Snefru will be a blessing onto our name unlike that demon of a boy!”
Bakura looked at his mother sitting on the ground, shaking with her infant. “I now understand why I beat Ryou all those years.  He said he loved me and I was afraid of that love. I never understood what true love was until I have met him. I thought....I thought I was unloveable because of what you have done to me.” Bakura sighed. “I pray that he is safe in his bed.”
“I didn’t want my baby to leave,” Bakura’s mother cried.
“Quiet, woman! Your baby is there against your breast!  Feed him!” Dakarai bellowed.
Bakura turned to his father and punched him in the face, making him fall onto the floor again. “Don’t you speak to my mother like that!  I hope you suffer a painful death for what you have done to that boy and for all the pain which he will suffer on the street.” Bakura reached into a basket and grabbed two loaves of bread.  Bakura glared down at his fallen father. “You have no idea what I had to endure and the hell to which you condemned me."
Bakura left the home and walked down the street with the loaves tucked under his arm.  He turned the corner and found Aten standing with the child under a shelter. The thief held a loaf of bread towards the child. “I have found some food for you, little one.”
The boy coughed in Aten’s arms and shivered.
I got many colds living on the damp, dark streets. “We have to get him someplace warm. Follow me, Chibi Ishtar.”
“Father Bakura, we have to find Mom and Aria and...my father.”
Bakura removed his shirt and covered the boy with his shirt.  “You’re going to get sick.”
The boy slightly smiled at Bakura. “Thank you.”
Bakura caressed the boy’s cheek. “This is what good people do. Come with me, Aten. Stay in the shadows. We have to get to the center of the city and avoid the guards.”
Aten adjusted the child in his arms to prevent the shirt falling off of the child’s back. He followed Bakura through the streets. Bakura was sticking his head around the corners and looking around him nervously.
The yami held his breath as he quickly hid in the alley and put his arm across Aten, blocking his way from the alley.
“Father Bakura-.”
“Quiet!” Bakura whispered sternly.
The little boy whimpered and trembled in Aten’s hands. “Osiris, please make the bad men go away,” the boy whispered.
The battalion leader stopped and looked around holding a torch in his hand.  “We are looking for a man with white hair. Keep your eyes peeled, men. The High Priest has commanded that we find him and bring him to the palace."
Bakura swallowed nervously. Is he talking about Ry or myself? I remember what happened when I got dragged to the palace a year from now. I won’t let myself be caught by Yami’s men. I wasn‘t very adept at stealing and I had been caught by Yami‘s guards. Yami whipped me savagely when I was only five years old.
“Father Bakura-.”
Bakura turned his head sternly again to Aten. “Quiet!”
“High Priest Seth has demanded we find him, men. You men search the east! The rest of you come with me to search the west!”
Aten watched a battalion of soldiers march disperse. Bakura relaxed when the men marched by them. “When you see the soldiers, don’t move, don’t breathe. Yami will throw you to his dogs for supper.”
The little boy gasped and his eyes widened. “I don’t want to be eated by the pharaoh’s dogs! I won’t taste good!”
“Don’t worry, Bakura. That is not a fate you need to fear,” the thief said. A much more terrible fate awaits you, child. Torture. Starvation. Rape, then murder. That is how you will meet your end. As soon as Yami’s general and his soldiers finish raping you when you are 19 years old, he will strangle you with his hands and you will suffocate.
“Father Bakura, are you alright?”
Bakura sighed. “I was thinking, Ankhenaten.  This child doesn’t know the fate he faces when he gets to be nineteen.”
Aten cuddled the boy close. “He’s shivering.  We need to get him out of the rain.”
Bakura nodded as he turned to the boy with a very forced smile. “You’re just a little guy, aren’t you?” Bakura caressed the boy’s hair. “You’re right, Aten.”
Bakura lead Aten to a mud-brick building with lavish decor on the outside. He stepped inside and saw scantily clad women with exposed breasts. A large man stood behind a bar. “Hello, strangers! Oh, did you bring a little girl or boy to sell me? I pay more for girls than boys.”
Bakura narrowed his eyes and curled his lip in a snarl. “Khalfani, you are the scum of the earth.  You’ve never looked fatter and more repulsive.”
Aten looked at Bakura. “Who is he, Father Bakura?"
“A genuine asshole."
The middle-aged fat man growled. “How dare you disrespect me in my establishment!”
“Respect? You don’t know the meaning of respect.  I know how you treat these women and the children you prostitute for your own gain!”
“Help me! Bakura! Help! Please!”
Bakura turned his head as a familiar cry for help reached his ears.  He ran for the door when two soldiers stepped through the door and threw Ryou to the floor. “Ryou!”
Bakura kneeled beside Ryou and helped his husband to his knees. Ryou was crying and shaking. Ryou wrapped his arms around Bakura and clutched onto him tightly. Bakura kissed Ryou’s forehead and cheek. “Baby, it’s okay, I’m here. Shh...”
“We thought she escaped from your establishment,” the soldier said.
“Bakura, I was so scared,” Ryou sobbed and whimpered. His body trembled in Bakura‘s arms.
“I know, angel. Shh....it’s okay. It’s all better,” Bakura whispered calmly, his husband’s quivering not abating.
Khalfani walked around the bar and stepped toward the couple. He grabbed Ryou’s hair and pulled harshly, tipping his head back. Ryou screamed in pain.  Bakura growled and smashed his fist between Khalfani’s legs. The large man fell over, gripping his crotch in pain. The two soldiers grabbed Ryou and pulled him away from Bakura.  
Aten watched with fear as Bakura was restrained by the guards. “Please don’t hurt him! They are my family!”
“You assaulted a member of the Nobility!” one soldier said as Bakura struggled in his grasp.
Bakura stepped on the soldier’s foot and punched him in the face. The thief’s fist connected with the other soldier’s face, sending him to the ground. Bakura grabbed the soldier’s sword and pointed it towards the soldier holding Ryou.
“Let him go or-.” Bakura sliced through the soldier holding Ryou’s shoulder roughly.
Ryou watched the man tumble sideways onto the ground. “Yami...”
Bakura hugged Ryou tightly as the hikari threw himself into Bakura’s open arms. “It’s alright.”
The women muttered in fear amongst themselves. Bakura looked at the women. “I will not harm you. This snake-,” Bakura smashed his foot into Khalfani’s face. “This snake deserves much worse for what he makes you endure.” Bakura looked at Ryou. “Are you alright, baby?” Bakura tucked a lock of white hair behind Ryou’s ear.
Ryou nodded slowly. “I was sleeping in bed and suddenly I felt something crawl on my leg. I saw a beetle on my leg and my bed was a dune of sand.”
“Where is our daughter, Ryou?"
Ryou sniffled and rubbed his eyes. “I don’t know where she is, yami."
Aten stepped towards Ryou with the child trembling in his arms. The little boy’s eyes fixed on the fallen bodies in horror. “Mother, I was really worried about you. I’m glad you are alright.”
“Aten? So you were taken here, too.”
Aten nodded. “Father Bakura and I were checking on my father when a light encompassed us and we were in an alley. Then, we found this little guy.”
“Rhett? Is that you?”
“That’s not my name," The frightened child looked at Ryou and cuddled against Aten closely. “My name is Bakura Osiris Itemri.”
Ryou’s eyes widened as he looked at the boy. “Good god, Yami, what is going on?”
“I don’t know. All I know for sure is that we are in Egypt five thousand years ago.  My parents have just kicked me out on the streets and I was starting to learn how to find rats and other vermin to eat on the streets.”
Ryou smiled at the boy. “How old are you, Bakura?”
The boy held out his open hand. “I’m four years old.”
Ryou brushed a lock of hair behind the child’s ears. “Yami, you were so adorable as a little boy.”
Bakura sighed. “I was still only an infant. I couldn’t take care of myself at four years old.”
“My name is Ryou Thomas Bakura.”
The child smiled. “Your name is in my name!”“Bakura, you are going to be a very special person to somebody someday,” Ryou whispered to the little boy. “You won’t believe it now, and it may take you five thousand years, but just remember that there will be somebody who will love you like no other soul in the universe.”
Bakura looked up at Aten. Five thousand years have stolen that memory from me. I hated Ryou when I first met him because I was an angry soul who had lost the woman he loved.  Ryou repaid my daily beatings with nothing but devotion and dedication. He’s always said that he loved me.
The child looked down sadly at the floor. “My daddy said I was a bad boy and he didn’t want me to be born.”
“Don’t you pay any attention to him, Bakura,” Ryou said. “Somebody will love you and always remember that no matter how many times you may be angry with him, never forget that he loves you.”
“You’ll pay for that assault, stranger,” Kalfani groaned as he stood on his feet.
“Touch Ryou again and I will cut off the hand that touches him." Bakura pointed the sword at the brothel owner. “If you give me away, I promise that I will take you apart piece by piece.”
The brothel owner backed away from the sword with his hands up. “Very well.”
“I thought you would see it my way. Aten, get upstairs.”
“Father Bakura, I have to find Robbie!”
“Get upstairs, Little Ishtar.”
Khalfani gasped. “Ishtar? Is he a member of the Ishtar family?”
Aten nodded. “Yes, why?”
“Stay in my room as long as you want! I will bring up all the women and wine your heart desires!”
“Wow, thank you!”
Aten, Ryou, and Bakura climbed the steps and went into a vacant room. “What was that all about?”
“The Ishtar family is wealthy and very influential here, Aten.  They are a very powerful family.”
Aten put the little boy on the ground and watched the child huddle close to Bakura’s legs. “I should go looking for Robbie.”
“It has been a long day, Aten.  We can’t split up. We don’t have any leads as to where the others are.” Bakura picked up the boy. “We have to get him to sleep and we need rest.”
Ryou cringed as he looked around the room. Phallic sex toys, whips, and rope were placed on a dresser nearby. “Yami, we can’t stay in a place like this.”
“Ry, we have no money,” Bakura said. “We only have the Oasis. It’s late, I have to steal horses, then we have to get there. Besides, it’s raining out there and I don’t want to get sick.”
“What about Bakura?”
“I’m talking about Bakura,” the yami said.
Aten shook his head and groaned. “This is going to get confusing.”
Ryou watched the little boy begin to cry as he clutched onto Bakura’s leg. “Yami, the boy is tired. Let’s get him into bed.”
Bakura picked up the child and placed him in the bed.  He covered his younger self with a blanket and kissed him on the forehead. “You have a good sleep.”
“Can you sleep with me?”
Bakura swallowed nervously. “You know what? Aten can sleep with you. I’m going to sleep with my friend on the floor.”
Aten laid beside the child and brought the boy into his arms. The child trembled as he laid beside the stranger. Ryou and Bakura laid on a blanket on the floor beside Aten’s side of the bed. Ryou shifted close to Bakura and heard Aten sing an Egyptian lullaby, one that Marik had taught him to sing to Heaven.
Bakura caressed Ryou’s cheek. //I was so worried about you, angel.//
/They saw my long hair and thought I was a woman. I tried to tell them that I wasn’t and they brought me here./
//Did they hurt you?//
/They tied my wrists and put me on a horse.  I didn’t know who they were or what was going on./
Bakura closed his eyes and kissed Ryou’s lips tenderly. //I’m glad you’re alright. I was worried about you.//
/Yami, do you believe that little boy is really you?/
Bakura gathered Ryou against his body. //I can’t think of another explanation. Something happened when Aten and I opened the Ishtar bedroom door. A bright light surrounded us and he held onto me.//
Ryou cuddled into Bakura, slowly caressing Bakura’s chest. /I wonder if Aria,Yugi, and Seto came here./
//A battalion of soldiers said High Priest Seth was looking for a man with white hair.// Bakura closed his eyes and rubbed his cheek slowly against Ryou’s white hair. //I’m here for you, my love. Just relax.//
Ryou sniffled. “I want to go home, baby.”
“Mom, don’t cry. We’ll get home,” Aten whispered.
“I’m sorry, Aten. I can’t help it.”
Bakura caressed Ryou’s hair. “It’s alright, baby. Just close your eyes and go to sleep.”
Bakura held Ryou against him as his lover fell asleep. Ryou had fallen asleep pressed against Bakura. Bakura reached to Ryou’s hip and rubbed it lightly. His hand drifted to Ryou’s stomach, making him whimper in his sleep. Go to sleep, my son.  You and your mother have had a long day.
*****************
Seto and Yugi walked toward the harem with Joey and Glenn in tow. Yugi looked up at Seto sadly. Yugi put his hand on Seto’s arm.
“Are you sure you didn’t find them?” Yugi asked.
Seto shook his head. “Joey and I looked everywhere we could.  I sent the soldiers to find Bakura. Who knows? Maybe they'll bring Ryou into the palace."
“What makes you think the soldiers won't bring Bakura before Yami? You know that could be bad," Joey suggested.
Seto and Yugi entered the harem and saw twenty women raise their heads simultaneously.  Seto swallowed nervously as he watched the women with exposed breasts run towards him.  Oh god....The women kneeled before him. “Welcome back, our lord.”
Yugi watched the children run beside their mothers and bow.  Joey and Glenn gasped when they saw Rhett and Kai running towards them with their arms opened wide. Glenn picked up Rhett when the boy ran to him.
“What are you doing here?”
The three year old boy hugged Glenn when he reached him. Kai jumped into Joey’s arms.
“Uncle Puppy!” Two year old Rhett squealed happily.
“Kai, where is your mommy and daddy?"
Kai shrugged. “Rhett and I were playing outside and the sun got really bright. Daddy was gone."
Joey held Kai against him. “At least we know these two are safe."
“What of Aria, Umi, and Kailani?"
“Mommy?" Rhett asked.
Glenn sighed. “I don't know where your mommy, daddy, and sister are."
Rhett placed his head on Glenn's shoulder and began to cry.
Seto rubbed the back of his neck. “Joey and I are going to bed."
“My lord, we have anxiously awaited your arrival," the women said.
“I am...umm....very tired, ladies," Seto said. “I am retreating to my quarters. Please take care of Yami's son."
“We’ll be back for you both in the morning,” Joey said.
Yugi shifted close to Glenn. Two women stood and lead Yugi and Glenn to a large bedroom.
Joey released Kai. “Follow Glenn, Kai. Uncle Seto and I will be back for you in the morning."
Kai hesitantly followed Glenn and Yugi, turning back to Seto and Joey sadly.
The blond brushed his fingers through his hair. “I don't think Kai is very happy with us at the moment."
“He's in good hands with Yugi and Glenn. They'll take good care of them. We'll do something special with the kids tomorrow before we try to find the others again."
Seto and Joey returned to the hallway and ordered a soldier to lead them towards Seto's bedroom nearby.  The soldier stood guard outside the room as Seto closed the door behind him and Joey.
Joey's eyes widened as he looked at the large marble walls and golden bed.  “Wow!"
Seto walked towards the bed tiredly and rubbed his fingers through his brown hair. “I'm tired as hell." Seto fell backwards on the bed and closed his eyes with a sigh. “I wish we found Aria, Ryou, or Aten."
“What about Bakura and Robbie?"
“Bakura is resourceful. I wouldn't be surprised if he tears the city apart to find Ryou and Aria. As far as Robbie is concerned, I hope the boy is alright."
Joey sat beside Seto. “Robbie and Aten can't die again, so I guess they'll be alright."
Seto closed his eyes. “If Aria or Ryou are hurt because we did not find them, I will feel responsible."
Joey leaned over and kissed Seto's forehead. “Let's just get some sleep, Seto. It's been a long day for everyone."
Seto sighed and removed his sandals. Seto and Joey removed their clothes and slipped into bed. Joey shifted towards his husband and placed his head on Seto's chest. The blond sighed and yawned. “Goodnight, Seto."
Seto kissed Joey's forehead. “Goodnight, Puppy."
**********************
Marik stood before the man with his arms bound behind his back. Malik stood beside his yami closely, afraid to move from him.  The figures who had kidnapped them stood behind patiently awaiting further orders.
/Yami, who is this guy and why is he just looking at us?/
//It’s been five thousand years since I have seen him and I had hoped never to see him again.//
/Who is he?/
“Father?”
Malik turned around and saw a little boy with wild blond standing behind them. The boy was dressed in finery with gold jewelry.  The boy’s purple eyes looked up at him with concern.
“What is going on, Yami?”
“Marik Jibade, go to bed. This does not concern you. Do as your father commands.”
Yami Marik bowed his head and closed his eyes. Malik gasped and watched the boy step back slowly. /Yami, what is going on? Is that little boy......you as a child?/
Marik slowly nodded as the child walked away timidly.
“So you are what my son has grown to become? Are you truly my son?”
Yami Marik opened his eyes and looked at his father. “You are no father to me and you never were. You taint the name of the word ‘father.’”
Kaemwaset chuckled and stood from his chair. “Why have you not joined the Tombkeepers and fulfilled your duties towards your family name?”
“BECAUSE YOU KILLED AMUNET!!!!” Yami Marik screamed at the top of his lungs. “YOU KILLED MY WIFE! And for that....I will never....never....forgive you!”
Kaemwaset grinned as he calmly walked around the desk to stand in front of Marik. “You used to be such an obedient boy who would do anything to please his father.” Kaemwaset raised his hand to Marik’s cheek.
“Leave him alone!” Malik exclaimed.
Kaemwaset gripped Marik‘s hair and twisted some of it in his fist. Marik winced with pain. “How could you turn out to be such a disappointment?”
Malik curled his lip and kicked the man’s leg, making him release his husband. “I said leave him alone!”
The man glared at Malik. “You also ignored your birthright by escaping from your duty to watch the pharaoh’s tomb!”
Malik’s eyes widened. “How do you know about that? That happens five thousand years in the future. Who are you really?”
“I am a father who is and shall be forevermore disappointed in his son. Looking at you, I see what my little boy will become and maybe I have been too lenient on him.”
“You only cared about yourself.”
“Much can be said about yourself,” a voice said from behind them.
Marik and Malik turned to see a man and woman stand behind them. The woman looked about five years younger than the man in his early thirties.  The couple had black and white hair and appeared slender in their black robes.
“What do you mean by that?”
The woman walked up to Marik. “I believe you tortured your friend here and treated him quite horribly. You cared only about your power over him because your power had been taken from you. Your life had been taken away from you and it made you furious.”
Marik growled in the back of his throat. “You do not know me, woman!”
“How do you know about my yami?” Malik asked.
The man chuckled and stood beside Marik’s father. “We know who you are, Marik Jibade Ishtar. You body is nothing more than bones sitting on a cozy shelf in Cairo. We also know that your....lover’s bones lie beside you in a nice little box.  You could have become pharaoh, Marik. Why did you not pursue that power?”
“Because I was killed, resurrected, and my soul trapped in the Shadow Realm. I did not want to be king. I wanted something else.”
The woman smiled. “You didn‘t want something else. You wanted someone else.”
“Why did you not wish to become a Tombkeeper like your father?”
Marik narrowed his eyes. “Because I did not want to live the life my father wanted me to live. I chose my own destiny.”
“You could have joined the Tombkeepers and become pharaoh. You could have had anything your heart desired. Money. Wealth. Women to serve your every need...or men as the case may be.”
“Take us back to our time. I need not explain my decisions to a stranger.”
The man grinned. “I am Snefru and this is my sister, Ausaira.” Snefru took the Millennium Rod from the desk. “This is your Millennium Item.” Snefru examined it and touched the top of it lightly. “The famous Millennium Items, forged from the darkness of people’s hearts. Its gold festers with hatred, fury, disdain, and loathing. People died so these may have power and you fail to acknowledge their sacrifice.”
Marik narrowed his eyes. “Ridiculous! I care for my Millennium Item because it is my home and it belongs to me!”
“This can be your scepter of royalty,” Ausaira said. “This can be a scepter to rule your people.” Ausaira stood behind Marik and held his arms.
Snefru placed his hand on Marik’s chest. Malik watched a dark cloud emanating from Snefru’s hand. Yami Marik closed his eyes as he screamed into the air.  He tried to step back from Snefru’s hand, but the woman held him still.
Malik watched in fear as Marik’s hair spiked and his canines sharpened. The yami’s eyes turned black as he screamed in pain.  “Marik! Leave him alone!”
Kaemwaset grabbed Malik and held him away from Marik.  “Let the darkness take over your mind!”
Malik gasped as Marik fell onto the ground. “Marik! Are you alright?”
“Your pain summoned him while your father was initiating you into our illustrious brotherhood,” Snefru said.  “It is time to complete your initiation and reclaim your birthright as pharaoh.”Marik turned his head. “Stop....”
Malik struggled in Kaemwaset’s hands. “I don’t want to be a Tombkeeper! No!”
“Don’t...hurt...him,” Marik whimpered from the floor.
Ausaira stood over Marik. “It will take more to convince him.”
Snefru grinned. “Take him to the tomb. It’s time to formally complete the Tombkeeper’s Initiation.” Snefru grabbed the Millennium Rod in his hands. “The darkness of the Millennium Rod will consume them.”
*************************
Ryou opened his eyes and found Bakura missing beside him.  He sat up and saw the little Bakura standing at his feet. “Where did he go?”
“He said he went to find clothes for you and your friend.”
“He’s my son, Bakura.”
Aten looked out the window. “Good morning, mother.”
Little Bakura looked at Ryou. “You are a mommy? You are a boy like me, aren’t you?”
Ryou looked at the ground uncomfortably. “I have taken care of Aten since he was young and he has always called me that.”
The little boy grabbed the bed and pulled himself onto the bed.  Ryou watched the boy slip under the linen and giggle as he played under the sheet. Ryou touched the sheet near the boy and his giggle sounded from under the sheets. Little Bakura tried to catch Ryou’s hand as it pat the sheet. Ryou smiled as he played with the young child.  “You are a squirrely little thing, aren’t you?” Ryou asked.
The young thief squealed happily as Ryou’s hand came down onto his back. “You got-ed me!”
Ryou tickled the child, who laughed wildly under the cover. “It‘s hard to imagine Bakura this playful.”
“Father Bakura has a playful side. It just hardly comes out.”
Bakura opened the bedroom door and placed some linens on the bed. The thief wore a black skirt and carried his shirt in his arms. “We need to blend into the crowd. Aten, I got this white robe for you. If you are an Ishtar, we have to dress you like a Noble. Ryou, I got you this tan skirt and tunic.  I also got you this black material to wrap around your body to cover your belly.” Bakura saw the squirming child under the sheets and chuckled. “I knew this place had rats, but didn’t realize they were this big. Is it ticklish?” Bakura reached down and tickled the boy’s ribs through the material. The child squealed and giggled again.
“Father Bakura, I have to find Robbie.”
“Aten, it could be dangerous for you to wander on your own.”
Aten stood before Bakura. “Father Bakura, I need to find Robbie. Robbie may need my help. He can’t speak Egyptian and he may have Heaven with him.”
Bakura looked at Ryou. “What do you think?”
“Robbie may need his help, ‘Kura.”
“Alright. Be careful and keep your eyes open for anyone else who may have been dragged here. Get dressed before you go.”
The child’s head emerged from under the sheets. “Are you going to send me away?”
Bakura looked at the boy. “You are free to leave any time. Do you want to come with us?”
The little boy crawled out from under the sheet and stood before his adult self. He looked down and fiddled with his fingers nervously.  The child’s toes wiggled. “Can I?”
Bakura nodded and pat the child’s head. “You can.”
Aten finished dressing and hugged his mother. “I’ll try to meet up with you later.”
Ryou and the boy watched Aten leave. Ryou removed his shirt and pants. He dressed into his clothes and Bakura helped him with his sash. “Very convincing.”
Ryou looked down and looked at his attire. “It’s different.”
“If we walk around with our jeans and clothing, people can get suspicious.”
“How did you get the clothes?”
Bakura grinned. “How else does a thief get what he needs? I was the best thief in Cairo.”
“Bakura Osiris Itemri, you know how I feel about you stealing,” Ryou scolded.
“I can take them back to the merchant and we can be dragged before Yami, then try to explain to him why we are dressed strange, and then....rot in the dungeon until Aten rescues us or finds Marik and Malik to bust us out. Believe me, Ry, you do not want to be in the dungeon...especially now.” Bakura caressed Ryou’s cheek. “I don’t want you to starve. I don’t want you to endure what I had to.”
Ryou smiled and touched Bakura’s hand. “I am already dead, like you.”
“While immortal, your life force can fade, Ry. You can still suffer.  I don’t want you to suffer, then.  We don’t want to lose the baby,” Bakura whispered.
“No, we don’t,” Ryou said, looking down at his baby bump. “I already lost one child to Yami."
Bakura kissed Ryou’s forehead. “Trust me. Let’s find Marik and Malik. Hopefully, they know what is going on.”
Bakura picked up his younger self and set him on the ground. “Let’s go, peanut.”
The child giggled and took Bakura’s hand.
********************
Malik’s heart beat wildly as he watched Marik struggle with his assailants. Marik kicked and bit the men as they dragged him towards the stone altar beside his own.  Malik struggled with the chains holding his ankles and wrists to the altar.  The piece of wood strapped into his mouth muffled his screams. /Marik, keep fighting!/
//I’m trying to, but there’s too many of them! We have to get home to the others!// Ryou....Bakura...I have to get home to them.
Marik doubled over as two Tombkeepers punched him in the ribs.  Marik coughed as they threw him onto his stomach. The men dragged him across the stone and chained him to the altar. Marik coughed blood onto the altar.  A tear dropped from Malik’s eye as the men grabbed Marik’s hair and pulled his head back violently. The Tombkeepers shoved a piece of wood between Marik’s teeth and tied the leather straps behind the yami’s head.
/Marik! Say something!/
Marik’s head fell onto the stone. He opened his eyes to look at his hikari. //I fought as hard as I could to escape, hikari.//
/Marik, what are we going to do?/
//Malik, I wish I could spare you this. It’s my fault that I couldn’t free you.//
/No, yami. You fought hard./
Marik closed his eyes and bit his lip. He touched his forehead against the stone. //I wanted to be there for Ryou and Bakura. I wanted to be there for their baby.  Hikari, I’m afraid that I’ll never kiss Ryou’s soft, sweet lips again. I’ll never feel the warmth of Itemri’s flesh against mine.// Marik shook his head slowly. //I’ll never see my son again...my boy.//
/We’ll see them again, Marik. We have to just figure out how to get out of this mess./
Snefru stood before Marik and held the Millennium Rod above his head. The warmth of the flames beside the altar made the Ishtars sweat as they were chained to the stone.  Tombkeepers circled around the altar, bowing their heads before their captives.
“Today we witness the new birth of our leaders from the Ishtar clan!” Snefru called.
/Marik! We have to stop them!/ Malik panicked as he struggled against the chains. /What are we going to do?/
Marik moved his hand from the altar and tried to reach for his husband. “Malik....my hand.”
Malik struggled to reach for his yami, but managed only to hook two fingers with his husband. /Marik, I’m here for you./
“Today we will witness the birth of our new pharaoh! He will overthrow the pharaoh and we will rule Egypt through him! We will complete the Initiation of Marik Jibade Ishtar which is five thousand years overdue!”
Marik felt his husband’s hand trembling. //Malik, no matter what happens to me, find a way home.//
/Marik, I cannot leave you!/
“Powers of darkness, you have created this undead yami through pain and anguish.  Let his heart be opened to the darkness and corruption within.  Allow his love to turn to piercing hatred. Allow his heart to become as stone.  Let his hands take the life that he has given to others. Let the fire of deep-seated hatred and anger flood through his veins!”
Malik gasped as Marik grit his teeth against the wood. The yami hit his head on the stone against his will. //I cannot give in! I love my son! I love my husband! I love Ryou and Bakura! I allowed darkness and anger to burn in my heart, but I learned that was not the way. I had promised never to let it guide my actions again.//
/Yami, you can’t let it control you! You are stronger as you are! Don’t give into the anger!/
//Must....not....give ....into....// Marik’s eyes closed as he felt his father’s stinging strike, the pain of watching his wife lay dead on the desert sands. He had met Amunet in the underworld after his death. He held her in his arms. Pain spread through his body as he reached for her. His soul drifted away from Amunet. ‘Don’t leave me, Amunet!' Pain. Anger. Loneliness.
Marik’s eyes opened wide. //RAGE!//
Malik watched as Marik released his fingers and broke the chains from the stone. He gripped his hair and screamed with fury into the ceiling of the tomb.
Snefru and Ausaira grinned. The Tombkeepers raised their hands.
“Our pharaoh is great. May he lead us into battle and defeat our enemies. He shall slay them with sword. He shall drink and bathe their blood. He shall be victorious.”
Snefru stood in front of Malik. “I know you hated living underground with your psychotic father and your lonely sister.”
“How do you know about my childhood?”
Snefru grinned. “Yami condemned your family to his tomb as punishment, not because your family was special.  My sister and I paid for our brother’s transgressions when the pharaoh slaughtered us and our families.”
“Who is your brother?”
Snefru glared at Malik. “A thief who perished in the pharaoh’s dungeon. You are quite familiar with him.”
Malik’s eyes widnened in shock. /He is Bakura’s brother?/
“I was a member of the Tombkeepers who would visit your tomb as a child.  I was ordered to keep an eye on the Ishtar family.  I know Yami is not the man who should be sitting on the throne. Your family is powerful.  You and your family should be the rightful rulers of Egypt.” Snefru grinned. “Your family suffered so much under the pharaoh’s fist.  I was disappointed to find you had murdered your father.”
“Marik killed my father! He was trying to protect me from my father’s cruelty!”
“He has tapped into his anger, Malik. It is time to open your heart to the powers of the Night!”
Snefru held the Millennium Rod over Malik’s head. “Malik Rameses Ishtar will continue the legacy into the future.  He will be great!”
Malik closed his eyes tightly as visions of the tomb and his childhood flashed through his mind.  His mother had died in childbirth giving him life. His father beat Odion, whipped him, forced him to study Sacred Scriptures for hours, and forcing him to experience the Tombkeepers’ Initiation.  He was alone, lonely, angry that he had to remain in the tomb without ever experiencing the world above ground. He lived in darkness, slept in darkness, and longed for a sun which would never rise in world of the tomb.  
/Marik!/
Malik turned  his head to Marik and found the yami grinning malevolently towards him. Malik winced in pain and screamed as dark energy surrounded him.
******************
Bakura lead Ryou towards the Ishtar plantation.  Little Bakura looked up at the mansion and gaped at the large home. Ryou looked at the large home along the Nile.
“This was Marik’s home five thousand years ago?”
Bakura nodded. “The Ishtar family is a very prosperous family.  They are very rich and his father was the second biggest pompous ass I had ever met.”
“This house is so big, I bet we can touch the Eye of Thoth if we stand on the roof!” the child exclaimed.
Bakura nodded as he looked down at the boy. “Stay nearby.”
Bakura lead Ryou and the child to the Ishtar doorstep. He knocked on the door and turned to Ryou. “At the first sign of danger, take Bakura and run to the city.”
“Could there be danger?”
“I don’t know. This is the Ishtar home. I never knew what to expect while visiting here.”
Bakura picked up the boy and placed him in Ryou’s arms. “He’s a squirrel-ly kid, Ry. Keep a good eye on him.” The child giggled when Bakura ruffled his white hair.
Bakura knocked on the door as he held his breath. I was only here once and it was obvious that I wasn’t welcome. I hope Ishtar is alright.
A large man opened the door and looked at Bakura and Ryou holding the child. “I don’t give money to beggars. Go away.” The man slammed the door in Bakura’s face.
“Well, that was awfully rude,” Ryou said.
“That’s a typical response from the Ishtar family. They are about as welcoming as a cobra.”
Bakura knocked on the door again. The large man opened the door again.
“Look, you take care of your brat and wife yourself! You’re not getting one dime out of me!”
“I’m not here for your money, you overstuffed windbag!” Bakura growled. “I’m here to see Marik Jibade and Malik Rameses!”
The man glared at Bakura. “I don’t know who you mean, stranger.”
“Your son! Where is your son?”
“He is seeking out his destiny and has no need for a family of beggars.”
Bakura grabbed the rich man’s clothes and pulled him in close. “Tell me where your son is or your flesh will be a canvas for my dagger. Not even your son will recognize you by the time I get through with your pathetic ass!”
The child gripped onto Ryou and gasped in fear.  Ryou never seen Bakura truly terrified. When he was young, he never thought Bakura would be capable of fear or terror. The child in his arms whimpered and started to cry quietly. Ryou felt him trembling in his arms.
/Yami, you are frightening the boy./
//This is the only way to get through to this asshole, Ry.//
The little boy began to shift in Ryou’s arms and struggle.
“Bakura, sweetheart, it’s alright. Bakura won’t hurt you.”
The yami released Marik’s father, pushing him onto the ground. “Where is Marik and Malik?”
“They are not here. They are fulfilling their destiny to become pharaoh.”
The boy cried as he struggled in Ryou’s arms. “Put me down!”
“Bakura, it’s going to be okay,” Ryou said, trying to soothe the boy.
Bakura kicked Ryou in the stomach, making Ryou drop him. Bakura turned to see the child running away in fear.  //Fuck me! We can’t lose him!//
/You scared him away./
//We’ll talk about this later.//
Bakura placed his foot on the large man’s stomach. “Where are they?”
“They are gathering their forces for a coup.  The city will be destroyed so that an Ishtar will sit on the throne of Egypt.”
Bakura gasped as he turned to Ryou. “We have to get the boy back and get somewhere safe, hikari.”
“We have to find the others, 'Kura!”
“I want you to look for the boy. Meet me at Khalfani’s. I must bring you to my Oasis. You and the others will be safe there.”
Ryou put his hand on Bakura’s shoulder. “Would Marik destroy a city to dethrone the pharaoh?”
“What did you do to my father?”
Bakura and Ryou looked down to see a little boy slightly older than Little Bakura with blond hair standing beside his father.
Ryou covered his mouth. “Sweet Isis, yami! It’s Baby Marik!”
Bakura leaned over towards the child. “Are you planning to take over as pharaoh?”
Marik shook his head. “No, I’m studying my lessons. I heard someone be angry.”
/Marik was so adorable as a child!/ Ryou thought.
“Excuse me, Marik, but have you seen a tall man in his early twenties who looks just like you with spiky blond hair?” Bakura asked.
“He may have his friend with him. He has tattoos on his back. Have you seen them?”
Marik nodded sheepishly. “Yes, sir.”
Bakura and Ryou exchanged excited looks. “Where are they?”
“Don’t you answer their questions!” the man exclaimed, rising to his feet. “Get back to your studies!”   
“We’re concerned about our friends,” Ryou said defensively.
Bakura kneeled before the child. “Were they hurt?”
“They had rope on their hands like when we sacrifice animals to Amun-Re.”
Bakura narrowed his eyes. “Do you know where they are?”
“They left on horses,” Marik said.
The large man grabbed the boy’s shoulders and threw him to the ground angrily. “Get back to your room, you disobedient child!” Marik pulled himself on his feet and whimpered, softly crying into his room.
Ryou narrowed his eyes. “You are a horrible man! How dare you treat your boy like a dog? You should be ashamed of yourself!” Ryou slapped the father across the face.
Bakura’s arm quickly blocked Kaemwaset’s strike and punched the man in the face, making him stagger back. Bakura grabbed Ryou’s wrist and pulled him away. The yami pulled Ryou away from the Ishtar land and towards the city.
Bakura and Ryou looked around for the frightened child.
“We have to find Bakura, yami.”
Bakura sighed. “Let’s meet at Khalfani’s when you find him. If anything should happen, Ry, take care of yourself and the boy. Don’t worry about me, just get somewhere safe.”
“He couldn’t have gone far.”
“I was still unfamiliar with the good hiding places. Perhaps he went to the same alley. Try there first.”
Ryou nodded. “Alright. Be safe, baby.”
Bakura kissed his husband. “Love you, beautiful.”
***********************
Aten walked among the crowd hoping to find his husband.  His eyes darted to some peasants sitting on the ground.  Aten found Robbie sitting on the ground, rubbing his sore ankle with Heaven in his arms.
“Robbie!” Aten exclaimed when he saw his husband.
Robbie looked up with a smile. “Oh my god! Aten! You’re alright!”
Aten and Robbie hugged each other tightly. Aten took Heaven into his arms and kissed her. “I don’t know how we got here, but I’m glad you’re safe.”
Robbie winced with pain. “Aten, can you get me a walking stick or cane or something, please?”
Aten looked around. “I have no money.”
“Maybe if you ask someone nicely, they’ll strike a deal with you.”
Aten sighed. “I don’t know, but I can try.”
“Can you take Heaven with you? I need a little time to myself.”
Aten carried the baby girl and searched around for a merchant. Heaven smiled at Aten and touched his face. “I missed you, too, baby girl.” Aten kissed the baby girl’s cheek. “Let’s find daddy a cane.”
Aten found a merchant with walking sticks beside him.  He looked at the sitting merchant and examined a basic stick carved with protective prayers in heiroglyphics. “Excuse me, sir, how much is this?”
The man looked at Aten. “15 deben.”
“I don’t have very much money, sir.”
“Then no stick.”
Aten sighed. “I have to get Robbie something to help him walk with that clubbed foot of his.”
The Egyptian looked down at his hand. He slowly removed his wedding ring. “I will give you this in exchange for the walking stick.”
The man took Aten’s ring and examined it closely. He bit into the gold and nodded. “Very well. You may have this.”
Aten took the stick. “Thank you.”
Aten took the walking stick back to Robbie. He helped Robbie to his feet and watched his husband steady himself.
“I was walking all night. I couldn’t find you anywhere.”
“I was with Father Bakura and mother.”
“Your mom and Bakura are here? Have you found your father or Malik?”Aten sighed and rocked Heaven in his arms. “No, I haven’t.”
Robbie leaned on the walking stick and limped beside Aten. “How did you buy the stick?”
“Don’t worry about it, Robbie.  I have my ways. Besides, you need something to walk.”
Aten lead Robbie down the street. The teen limping beside him couldn’t move quickly. “I just couldn’t walk with Heaven anymore. I had to sit down. How do you think we got here?”
Aten shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Aten heard a child scream in an alley nearby.  Aten ran to the alley and saw five boys running from a white-haired boy crying on the ground.  “Bakura? What happened?”
Aten put Heaven on the ground and helped the crying boy get to his feet. Bakura’s lip was bleeding and his cheeks were red.  Bakura sobbed and wrapped his arms around Aten’s neck.
The child’s loud wails echoed through the alley.  “They beat me up!”
Robbie limped to Heaven and looked down at the white-haired boy crying on Aten’s shoulder.
“Aten, who-?”
“It’s alright, Bakura,” Aten said softly.
Robbie’s eyes widened. “Bakura?”
Aten picked up the baby and turned to Robbie. “Robbie, this is Bakura.”
Robbie’s eyes widened in shock. “Bakura went from an adult to baby?”
“No, Bakura is an adult, but somehow we returned to five thousand years ago when Bakura was a child.”
Robbie looked at the hyperventilating child hugging his husband.
“The big man with white hair got angry and hit the big man. He was screaming and I had to run away.”
Aten sighed. “Bakura, he can get angry sometimes, but he wasn’t angry at you, was he?”
“No.”
“He wasn’t angry at you.  Bakura screams to protects people he cares about,” Aten smiled at the boy. “And I know he cares alot about you.”
The boy wiped his eyes. “Really?”
Aten nodded. “I bet when you tell him those boys beat you up that he will be angry with them and chase them all around Cairo.”
Bakura chuckled. “I hope so. They beat me up because I’m new on the streets and they don’t want to share their food with me.”
Robbie raised a quizzical eyebrow. “This is Bakura?”
The child nodded at Robbie. “I’m Bakura Osiris Itemri.”
“Are we talking the insane, blood-lusted, murderer thief Bakura?”
The boy shook his head. “I never kill anyone.”
“I’d give my clubbed foot for an explanation right about now.”
“Bakura! Bakura, where are you?”
Aten turned his head when he heard his mother call. “Here, mother!”
Ryou stepped around the corner and saw Aten holding the child Bakura with Robbie and Heaven nearby. “Goodness, I was worried about you, little guy,” Ryou said, running towards Aten.
Bakura tensed and Ryou slowed his pace. “He said Father Bakura was angry.”
Ryou slowly approached Bakura. “Bakura wasn’t angry at you-. Good heavens, what happened to your face?”
“Some kids beat him up,” Robbie interjected. “Ryou, I’m glad you’re okay, but can you fill me in on what in the world happened and why we are here?”
Ryou looked at Robbie.  “I don’t know. Somehow we made it to Ancient Egypt and your father can be riding through here at any moment to attack the city.”
Aten and Robbie exchanged glances. “Mother, my father wouldn’t attack the city. Why would he do that?”
“He wants to become pharaoh.”
“Well, he would be a better king than Yami.”
Ryou shook his head. “Baby boy, we have to get out of the city. Robbie, have you found anyone else?”
“No, I haven’t seen anyone. Otherwise I would be with them.”
Ryou looked at Bakura and caressed the boy’s hair. “We want to protect you, sweetheart. I apologize for Bakura’s behavior. I have already spoken to him about it, alright?”
“He won’t be scary?”
Robbie raised an eyebrow. “This is really Bakura? He looks afraid of his own shadow.”
“According to Bakura, his father kicked him out of his house not long before.  Besides, he’s only four years old, Robbie.”
Aten slowly reached out for Ryou. Ryou carefully brought the boy into his arms and hugged him tightly. “I was worried about you,” Ryou said, kissing the boy’s cheek. “I love you, Bakura.”
Aten picked up Heaven and shook his head. “That sounds so odd saying it to his child self.”
“I never want anything bad to happen to you,” said Ryou. “However, you cannot kick me in my stomach again, alright? It’s very...sore.”
“He kicked you?” Aten asked. “Bakura, don’t kick my mother.”
Bakura clutched onto Ryou.
“I have a very sensitive belly and you can’t kick it, alright?” Ryou asked. “We have to get to Khalfani’s. Bakura said he would meet us there.”
Ryou and Aten’s heads snapped up when they heard people panic in the streets.  Heaven clutched onto Aten and began to cry.  Bakura gasped and wrapped his thin arms around Ryou’s neck.
Robbie felt the ground begin to tremble under his feet.  The whipping wind tossed Ryou’s and Aten’s hair wildly.  
“What is going on, Ryou?” Robbie asked as the ground began to thunder.
“Marik’s father said Marik was going to attack the city in a coup to obtain the crown.”
Robbie struggled to keep his balance. “We have to get somewhere safe.”
Aten saw mounted men with purple robes hack through the crowd.  He cuddled Heaven against him. “Mom, run!”
Aten lead Ryou and Robbie down the alley.  The wind kicked sand into the air as clouds covered the sky.
“This isn’t good,” Ryou whispered.
Aten, Ryou, and Robbie emerged from the alley and saw a hooded figure decapitate a peasant standing beside his horse. The figure raised his head and glared at Ryou and Aten.
“Malik!” Ryou gasped.
Malik removed his hood and sneered at Ryou with contempt.  Robbie watched the blond tighten his grip on the scimitar.  Ryou felt himself freeze at the sight of Malik covered in the blood of his victims.
Bakura turned his head and trembled in Ryou’s arms. “Uh-oh.”
Robbie and Ryou saw the ground begin to split underneath their feet.  Ryou and Aten jumped over the crack. Robbie struggled to jump over the crevice with his cane.
Malik charged towards the three. Ryou bent over as he tried to avoid the blade striking towards him. Aten and Robbie avoided the blade with the help of Robbie’s cane.  Malik followed the three as they escaped.
“Kill them!” Malik exclaimed.  
Ryou held Bakura against him tightly as he ran. “Hold onto me, sweetheart!”
“Malik! Stop! Why are you doing this?”
“Die!” Malik screeched as he gained on the fleeing men.
Robbie winced at his foot pain. A fleeing peasant kicked Robbie’s walking stick, making the teen fall onto the ground. Malik reared his horse and tried to trample Robbie.
Robbie rolled over to avoid the horse’s hooves. “Malik, what has gotten into you?”
“I don’t owe an explanation to you!” Malik growled as he spit on Robbie.
Aten grabbed Robbie’s cane and smacked Malik on the back, trying to defend his husband.  Malik kicked Aten in the face, making the Egyptian stagger back. Ryou helped Robbie to his feet as Malik continue to strike at Aten.
Robbie, Ryou, and Aten fled from Malik.  Ryou heard Marik’s voice down the road. He turned his head and saw Yami Marik, his blond hair spiky and the Millennium Rod glowing.
“Let the streets flow with rivers of blood!”
Ryou screamed as he felt a person grab his arm as they fled the city. Bakura saw Robbie and Aten with him. “Yami, Marik and Malik are in the city!”
“What?” Bakura looked around the entrance.
Yami Marik rode a black horse and held the Millennium Rod in the air. “Slay everything that moves! Destroy them all and let us bathe in their blood!”
Malik held high his scimitar covered in blood. “All shall suffer!”
Bakura swallowed nervously. “We can’t stay here, Ry! Follow me!”
Bakura looked around hastily for a sanctuary when he remembered his old home. Was that truly Marik and Malik Ishtar that I had seen? I can’t imagine Malik would slay people in cold blood. Something happened to them. So many questions remain. How did we get here? How do we get home? Where is Seto, Joey, Glenn and Yugi?  There’s one thing that is certain. We have to get Marik and Malik back to their former selves....or our past will be altered for the worst.