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Yu-Gi-Oh!: Aurora	By : NeonTiger Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 12172 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh!, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
Aurora

By Neon Tiger and
Yuki Ryu

Chapter Fifteen

----

�� "Ladies and gentlemen, step right up!
The greatest game in the Dark World is about to begin!"
�� Standing alone in the middle of a dark,
featureless space was a rather odd looking carnival booth.� It had a red and white canvas covering a
rather rickety looking wooden frame.� It
was oddly angled, with sharp metal pieces like large nails jutting out in
random places.� Many different colored
lights were strung along the awning, casting light and odd shadows in various
directions.
�� "I wanna
play! I wanna play!" a child-like voice squealed
happily. All too quickly, Malik found that it was his own voice. He hurried
along through the darkness towards the booth, looking to be a child no older
than ten wearing a long tan tunic that flapped and slapped against his ankles.
�� In front of the booth there was a small
step ladder that allowed children to climb up and see over the counter more
easily.� Because of that Malik was able
to see that the counter was surprisingly smooth and was made of a substance
that could have been mistaken for gold, save for the fact that it was made of
stone rather than metal.� The walls of
the booth on either side of the counter was lined with plush dolls of all
types, covering nearly every inch.
�� Malik panted for breath once he had
arrived, staring at the booth with wide eyes before hurrying to climb up the
step ladder. "Mister, Mister, what game are we playing?"
�� Standing in the middle of the booth was a
man wearing a black trench coat that became twisted at the edges and was so
dark that it made him seem almost two-dimensional.� He appeared to be in his late teens and had
the most unusual features to him.� He had
long hair reaching down to the base of his spine that was of three distinct
colors, mostly black bleeding to a blood red color at the tips, with streaks of
gold all through out, and messy golden bangs.�
His eyes were somewhat narrow, with blood red irises surrounded by a
light gold color rather than white, were framed by thick, dark eyelashes, and
they peered at Malik with an almost vicious amusement.
�� The man's lip curled in a twisted smile,
exposing a rather pronounced fang. "Why, we're playing a Game of Darkness,
what else?" he said in a dark and rumbling yet oddly pleasing voice,
sounding as if such a thing were obvious.
�� "How do I play?" Malik asked
curiously, blinking at the man with wide eyes.
�� The man stepped aside to reveal the back
wall, which was lined with various wooden puppets that had been carved into
oddly familiar people. Each one was well crafted, though they seemed battered
and stained from overuse, and their expressions were lifeless and dull.
"It's simple," the man practically purred as he gestured to the
somewhat unnerving puppets. "You simply control as many puppets as you are
able without losing your soul in the process."
�� "What happens to the puppets?"
Malik wanted to know, furrowing his eyebrows.
�� "They are simply puppets who will
dance for you and say whatever you command," the man said rather smoothly.
"If you like, you may even make them kill each other or themselves for
your amusement. In fact you get a much better prize for each one that
dies."
�� "Really?" Malik looked dubious.
"Do they die a lot?"
�� "On the inside, yes," the man
said with a strangely cheerful grin. "Would you like to play?"
�� "Yes!" Malik smiled brightly.
"What do I have to pay in order to play?"
�� "Why, you don't have to pay me a
thing right now," the man replied as he reached into his trench coat and
pulled out the Millennium Rod. "You pay <b>after</b> you
play." He smiled in a rather predatory manner due to having many sharp
teeth as he held the golden staff out to the young boy, shadows obscuring
everything of his features but his red eyes and wicked smile.
�� Malik hesitated for a moment before taking
the Millennium Rod, using both hands to grasp it tightly. "...It feels
cold..."
�� It was then that Malik suddenly recognized
the people the worn down puppets were made to resemble. The magician with a
mask half dangling off its scarred face, a pale bald boy with strange make up
and piercing all over his body, a complementary pair of men with toothy scowls
wearing half of a different mask each, a blond bum wearing a bandana with a
red, white, and blue pattern with stars and stripes, and many more unnervingly
familiar people.
�� They weren't the only familiar faces.� Each plushie that
lined the walls were an adorably deformed version of a familiar face, such as Isis.
�� However there was one person missing.
�� "Hmm?" The man tilted his head
and idly rubbed his chin as he surveyed the puppets. "One of them is
missing..." he said, as if he had read the blond's thoughts
�� "Missing?" Malik turned to stare
at the man, his eyes rather strangely empty. He was no longer a child, but
instead a teenager, wearing his favorite outfit: the purple hoodie
and black pants with an array of golden jewelry.
�� "Not again," the man growled as
he glared at the end of the counter. Sitting there up against the wall was a
plush doll in the shape of Bakura with an unnervingly large jagged smile
painted on his face. His stubby arms were placed so that they seemed to be
wrapped around a puppet that looked almost exactly like him. The only real
differences between the plushie of Bakura and the
puppet that looked like him, aside from being two different types of dolls,
were the fact that the puppet had brown eyes instead of silver, not quite as
spiky hair, and it had a hole in its chest with a broken glass heart inside.
�� "Bakura?" Malik murmured
quietly, staring at the bizarre doll.
�� "That doll keeps trying to steal that
puppet away," the man growled as he reached out and snatched the doll and
puppet in each hand. He tossed the puppet towards the others as he looked back
at Malik and smoothed out his features. "Please, pardon the interruption.
Go right ahead and begin the game."
�� "Ah, yes," Malik muttered
absently, his eyes still focused on the doll. He held the Millenniumon Rod
tightly in his hands, his heart thundering in his ears.
�� Surprising the plushie
suddenly opened its mouth, revealing that the painted smile was actually rows
of very real and very sharp teeth, and bit the man's hand. The man cried out in
pain and was forced to release the doll, which leapt towards a wall and landed
on one of the other plushies.
�� Malik jumped at that as he stared at the
doll a bit more intently.
�� "You damn puppet," the man
growled as he glared at the doll, holding his bleeding hand, which oozed
something black rather than red. "Know your place!"
�� In reply the plush doll of Bakura grabbed
one of the other hanging plushies, a doll that looked
similar to the dark man, save for the hair was much shorter, in an almost star
shape, as well as possessed darker skin, and purple eyes. Without preamble he
was somehow able to tear the other plushie's head off
easily, sending blood red stuffing flying around everywhere.
�� "The doll... he killed the
puppet..." Malik said, as if he was completely unaware of how he was
stating the obvious.
�� Still grinning dementedly, the Bakura doll
ripped more of the other plushie apart and then
placed the remains of the head on top of his own, much like a hat. He then
turned to look at Malik, as if showing off what he had done.
�� "A hat...?" Malik murmured,
still staring at the doll. "Why did it do that?"
�� "It is an insolent thing that forgets
that it's nothing but a puppet!" the man snarled, growing rather
enraged.� He lashed out a hand to try and
snatch the plushie of Bakura, but the doll was too
quick for him and hopped over him. The Bakura plushie
disappeared when he fell to the floor and oddly enough everything beneath the
level of the counter was too dark to see, so there was no way for Malik to tell
where it had gone.
�� Malik jumped backwards, startled by the plushie. He yelped as he fell off the ladder and landed
roughly on his rump.
�� All of a sudden the booth started to shake
violently and then collapsed onto itself, as well as the man, the puppets, and
the dolls.
�� "Ah-?!" Malik gawked as the
booth collapsed.
�� All was still for a long number of moments
as the booth lay in ruins. However after a minute or two the plush doll of
Bakura emerged from beneath some of the canvas, dragging the puppet with the
broken heart with him.� He walked over to
Malik and sat down before the blond with that vicious painted grin still on his
face as he held the puppet close once more.�
He seemed to be rather pleased with what he had done, even if his
expression never changed.
�� "You... seem happy..." Malik was
at a loss as to what to say.
�� The plushie
wasn't given the chance to react even if it was going to, for suddenly a large
clawed hand that appeared to be made up of darkness lashed out from beneath the
wreckage of the booth to snatch it up.�
Without hesitation the claw squeezed with enough force to cause the
Bakura doll to practically explode with blood red stuffing, which flew in every
direction.
�� Malik stared in horror as the red stuffing
flew through the air in all directions. A quiver ran up his spine before let
out a loud shriek, covering his face as if to hide from the sight.
�� Something laughed wickedly in a voice that
rumbled like distant thunder. Even without seeing somehow Malik could tell that
it was enjoying his misery.
�� Just then he felt a small tug on his pant
leg.
�� Malik trembled, at first wanting to ignore
the tugging. However, he found himself compelled to look, moving his fingers
slightly so that he could peek through them.
�� The puppet with a broken heart who looked
so similar to Bakura peered up at Malik, standing up by itself. One small hand
clutched the blond's pant leg, using its hold on the cloth to support some of
its weight. The other hand held the small broken glass heart it had removed
from its chest and then lifted the fragile thing up for Malik to see.
�� "I know it's broken, and not worth
much, but can you use this to bring him back?" the puppet asked in a soft
voice that was barely heard over the dark laughter.
�� "I... I'm trying, but I don't know
how!" Malik protested as he stared at the plushie.
"I don't... I don't know what do to!"
�� Suddenly the puppet became limp once more,
as if those words caused it to lose what little strength it had. It let go of
the blond's pants and fell to the dark space that made up the ground.
�� Its broken heart slipped from its hand and
shattered against the darkness.

----

�� "Ha-!"
Malik jerked up with a gasp, his eyes wide and sweat trickling down his skin.
He trembled, clinging tightly to the blanket as he panted. After a few moments
of gasping, then boy slowly reached a hand up to brush back his bangs.
"...A nightmare... again..."
�� Nightmares had
become a common occurrence in Malik's life. Ever since his father died and he
learned the truth about Bakura's past, he had been plagued with nightmares.
Because of how he was now haunted by images of death, angry ghosts, and other
types of carnage, he never seemed to get any comfort in sleep unless Bakura was
singing that lullaby to chase away the horrors.
�� As if summoned
by those thoughts Bakura entered the room carrying a tray of hot food. He had
recently made it a habit to try and bring Malik breakfast in bed before the
blond woke up. Unfortunately he wasn't always quick enough to accomplish that
goal.
�� At the sight
of Malik awake, breathing heavily, covered in sweat, and staring at the wall
with a haunted look in his eyes, Bakura let out a quiet sigh.
�� "Good
morning, Malik," the silver eyed boy said as he moved to sit down on the
bed beside his friend. "Hungry?" He knew that it was pointless to ask
if Malik had another nightmare, as he could see the answer in his love's
haunted lavender eyes. It was best instead to get Malik's mind off of it and on
to something more pleasant.
�� Malik turned
to stare at Bakura for a moment, before finally lowering his gaze to the plate.
"...Breakfast...?"
�� "Right,"
Bakura replied with a faint smile as he presented the food. There was a plate
of sliced fruit, a bowl of stew, and a cup filled with water. "We don't
have anymore milk. We should probably go back to the city soon."
�� Malik accepted
the tray, resting it on his lap carefully. He instantly looked up at the
mention of the city; his mind immediately wondering if that meant Bakura
intended to kill another sacrifice as
well.
�� Bakura looked
back at Malik and could guess what his friend was thinking because of the
expression on Malik's face. "Don't worry," he said soothingly and
gave the other boy a crooked smile. "I will make sure you won't be left
alone there again."
�� "Really?"
Malik felt a flood of relief at the thief's words. A smile made its way on his
face as he seemed content to accept that Bakura would not leave him, especially
not to take the lives of other people.
�� Bakura's smile
widened slightly and he felt some relief of his own at seeing his companion
relax. "You better start eating before the food gets cold," he
pointed out. He also wanted Malik to eat something before he brought up
something he had been mulling over for a while.
�� Malik blinked
as he was reminded of the food and proceeded to do as he was told, eating the
delicious meal that the thief had prepared for him.
�� "Good?"
Bakura asked with a rueful grin as he watched his friend eat, his head cocked
slightly to the side.
�� Malik nodded
his head, making a happy noise through a mouth full of food. He took the cup of
water and drank it thirstily before glancing at Bakura again. "Yeah!"
�� After waiting
for about a minute Bakura decided to bring up the subject he had been hesitant
to mention. "Malik... do you ever think about visiting your sister?"
�� Malik stared
at Bakura for a moment, his expression blank as if he hadn't heard correctly.
However, after that moment, he realized that he must have and made a face. "Sometimes...?"
�� "Would
you like to?" Bakura asked as he looked at the blond intently, his
expression carefully neutral. This decision had to be completely made by Malik,
and if he gave away how conflicted the idea of delivering his friend into the
arms of the enemy made him feel it would make Malik uncertain and concerned;
not to mention suspicious.
�� "...Is
something wrong?" Malik asked, feeling rather nervous. His bad feelings
increased as a thought came to him. "A-are you going to leave me
there?"
�� Such a
question caused Bakura to jerk slightly with surprise and blink a few times.
"What?" He shook his head quickly and held up his hands. "No,
no, nothing like that. I just meant would you like to visit her for a little while?"
�� "...But
you won't leave me there,
right?" Malik eyed the thief suspiciously. Bakura wasn't considering him a
liability now that he knew of all of the terrible things the thief did and
intended to get rid of him, did he? "You will come back for me?"
�� Bakura
regarded Malik for a moment then leaned over to kiss his love soundly instead
of answering with words.
�� Malik blushed
at the kiss, staring at Bakura before his expression softened. He supposed he
should feel foolish for thinking such things. "...Oh... okay..."
�� Lightly Bakura
pressed his forehead against the blond's and smiled ruefully at Malik.
"Trust me, I would never abandon
you in the Pharaoh's palace, no matter what happens," he said in as an
assuring manner as he could manage, though he couldn't help but practically
spit the word 'Pharaoh'.
�� "...Then
why would you want me to go there at all?" Malik found himself asking.
�� Even though
Bakura had been expecting that Malik might ask him that question he still found
himself going silent for a brief period of time to consider how exactly to
phrase his answer. "...Because the last living relative you have is
there," he finally said, his voice somewhat subdued.
�� Malik went
quiet at that before lowering his head. "...Oh."
�� "As long
as you don't mention me or anything about Kuru Eruna you should be safe there," Bakura explained as
he crawled around on the soft sheets to sit beside his companion. His eyes
narrowed, as a suspicious thought came to him. "Unless you think your
sister is anything like your father was." He couldn't help but recall how
highly Malik had praised the cruel old man who was unfit to be such a wonderful
boy's father. The thief also couldn't afford to underestimate the terrible true
nature of the Pharaoh and priests, particularly when it was Malik's safety that
was on the line.
�� "N-no,"
Malik shook his head before making a face. "...My sister was always kind
to me."
�� "Do you
think she would let anyone hurt you if you visited her at the palace?"
Bakura pressed as he watched the other boy's expression carefully. If Isis was ignorant enough to not notice how much Malik
suffered at the hand of their father then she might ignore any abuse her
brother could be exposed to while visiting her.
�� "No, I
don't believe so," Malik replied, honestly. "She was always so kind
and worried about me. She'd get into arguments with my father a lot."
�� That fact
surprised Bakura a little. "What about?" he asked curiously as he
tilted his head slightly.
�� "...Me,"
Malik murmured. "Isis and my father would argue a lot about me. I'm not
exactly sure what, but father started... trying to make it so she'd have less
to argue with him about by having me sleep in a room when she visited. And I
couldn't wear the veil when she was around."
�� Bakura was
genuinely surprised about that. It was hard for him to picture a priest of the
Pharaoh as anything but cruel, even if he knew logically that Isis
likely had to have been at least an exception to the rule when it came to
Malik. The blond was so gentle and kind it was hard not to love him, and anyone
who had even the slightest bit of intelligence would see that Malik was a
blessing to have around.
�� "...So
she tried to make your life better," the silver haired boy said after a
number of moments. In a way he felt a small pang of jealousy, but he shook it
off as being irrational. He was
Malik's protector now, not Isis or anyone else.
�� "It...
upset father," Malik paused before looking away. "...A lot."
�� Bakura
couldn't help but smirk at that. "Good."
�� Malik blinked
at Bakura, his expression confused.
�� "Your
father was a bastard, Malik," Bakura replied simply, as if that explained
it all. He then slipped his arm around the blond's waist and pulled Malik close
to him.
�� Malik squeaked
as he was pulled close and blinked a few times before making a face. He
hesitated before resting his head against the thief's chest.
"...Maybe..."
�� Gently Bakura
began to run his fingers through his friend's golden tresses. "He was, so
don't give him another thought."
�� "...What
should I do if my sister asks?" Malik murmured quietly.
�� Bakura paused
to give that question some consideration. He knew that some sort of explanation
was necessary to give Isis for Malik's
disappearance. "...Tell her a thief kidnapped you, but you were saved by a
mysterious handsome stranger who nursed you back to health." He gave a
rather rueful grin.
�� Malik blushed
at that, as it was fairly truthful. It just failed to mention that the stranger
and the thief were the same person. "A-alright."
�� "You
could also say that this mysterious benefactor was passing by the city on
business and encouraged you to see your sister," Bakura continued,
grinning a little bit wider.
�� Malik was
tempted to ask what sort of 'business', but held his tongue. He wasn't sure how
the thief would react to it, and he didn't want to start any trouble.
�� "So hurry
up and eat." Bakura reached out to suddenly poke the blond's nose.
"The sooner you finish the sooner we can leave and you can see your
sister."
�� "Ah-!"
Malik blushed before nodding. "Y-yes, yes of course." The young blond
quickly resumed eating his food. While he was very much excited about seeing
his sister again, he had to question the thief's motives. It made him feel
guilty, as he knew he should trust Bakura. However, he also knew that Bakura
hadn't said he would stop what he was
doing. But what could Malik do? He had no say over what Bakura did.
�� Unfortunately
Malik was right to suspect Bakura. Though the silver haired boy did well to
hide his feelings behind a smile, inside he was enraged at the very idea of
depositing his beloved Malik right into the Pharaoh's grasp. The problem was
that they were in a very poor situation.�
There was no way Malik would allow Bakura to leave on his own,
especially not after the death of that horrible old man who denounced Malik as
a son to the bitter end.
�� After
everything that had happened, particularly because of how much Malik suffered
under the emotional weight of that incident, coupled the knowledge of the fate
of Kuru Eruna, the spirits,
and Bakura, the thief fleetingly wondered if Malik would be better off with Isis at the palace.
�� That thought
was immediately crushed after it was conceived.�
There was nothing on Heaven or Earth that was going to make Bakura give
Malik up.� He would rather die than see
that happen.� Malik meant so much to him
that the thought of living without his friend was too difficult to even
consider.� The fact that Bakura had
briefly considered simply giving his
most precious treasure to one of the High Priests, even if it was Malik's
beloved sister, was enough to enrage him.�
There was no way the thief could trust any of the Pharaoh's priests, for they all were corrupt murderers.�
Abandoning Malik to that den of jackals would have been the worst sin
Bakura could ever commit.
�� Yet the
unfortunate truth was that Malik missed his sister, and after the loss of his
father, he likely would think of her more often and would eventually ask to
visit her.� At least with Bakura being
the one to bring it up first it wouldn't give Malik a reason to feel guilty for
some silly reason like he believed it to be something akin to betrayal towards
his former master.
�� There were
also the spirits of Kuru Eruna
to consider.� Bakura had tried to put off
another sacrifice after what horrible things had happened as a result of last
time, but he knew that he could only delay so long before their cries became
maddening.� No matter what he couldn't
allow Malik to be exposed to them a second time, and his friend was undoubtedly
far too emotionally unstable right now to be left alone.
�� As much as the
idea filled Bakura with unrivaled bitterness, he knew that the only thing he
could do right now that would be best for Malik would be to take the
traumatized blond to the palace.� If Isis was as good a sister as Malik believed her to be,
then she would protect him from the black hearted Pharaoh, even if for a short
time.� No matter how kind and loving
Malik believed his sister to be, Bakura had no doubts that eventually succumb
to the inherent evil that the Millennium Items and the Pharaoh possessed,
becoming just as horrible as the rest of the Pharaoh's people.� All he could do was hope that she would
remain as Malik remembered her to be long enough for him take the necessary
sacrifice and appease the spirits before coming back for his friend.
�� If it came
down to it Bakura knew he wouldn't hesitate risking exposing himself to the
wrath of the Pharaoh and priests to rescue Malik.� He knew that he wasn't yet powerful enough to
face them on his own, let alone the powerful Ka that the priests could summon,
as all he had to face them with were his body and mind.� He may have known some magic, but with no one
to teach him, he had little more ability than lighting small fires and coloring
his skin.� He was no match for the dark
powers of the Millennium Items as he was now, in spite of spending years
plotting vengeance against them.
�� Despite of all
the reasons to not allow Malik to go and all the danger that doing so would
expose the both of them to Bakura knew that it was inevitable.� Malik was going to need to see his sister
eventually.� She was his only family
left, and Bakura knew the pain one suffered losing family all too well.� All the thief could do was hope that things
would somehow turn out alright somehow.
�� Bakura hated
having to rely on hope, because he always found it too easily crushed.

----

�� "...Do I
really need to wear all this?"
�� Malik grimaced
as he tugged at his shirt, feeling particularly overdressed. He wore finely
stitched clothes more suited for royalty rather than a boy who used to be a
slave.� The fabric of his shirt, sarong,
and robes were of different yet vibrant shades of purple that complemented with
the other pieces and intricate designs stitched into the edges in gold.� He also wore golden jewelry to match; golden
bands adorned his arms, ankles, and neck, as well as a few rings, and even his
slippers had some gold on them. He imagined that Bakura would have made him
wear earrings as well if his ears were pierced.
�� "Trust
me, unless you look like you have money or status the guards won't let you get
within five steps of the gate," Bakura said as he looked Malik over before
casting a poisonous glare towards the palace. They were just far enough away
that he could watch his friend go inside without being singled out from the
crowd of townspeople by the guards, yet close enough that he could reach Malik
should the blond have trouble getting into the palace.
�� "Oh..."
Malik glanced nervously towards the palace. "What if they don't let me
in?"
�� "Then we
can either try sneaking in or think of something else," Bakura replied
before turning to look back at his friend. His expression softened and he
smiled a little, wanting to reassure Malik. "If we can't get you in then
we will just go home after I finish buying our supplies, alright?"
�� Malik made a
face at that before nodding, allowing himself to be at least somewhat soothed
by what the thief was saying. While it would have been upsetting if his sister
turned him away, Bakura would protect him no matter what happened.
�� "Don't
worry, I'm going to be watching you the entire time from here," Bakura
said with a confident grin. He reached out to gently pat Malik on the back
before nudging the blond forward to get him going, knowing that Malik would
likely hesitate the entire day if given half the chance. "So go on."
�� Malik stumbled
slightly before he started to walk, trying to gather his courage as he headed
towards the gate. He was rather afraid of the guards, after learning what they were
capable of from Bakura. What if they decided to use their spears on him? But
surely Bakura would rescue him in time.
�� The
silver-eyed boy watched Malik head towards the gate with a critical gaze.
Despite how much he assured the blond that everything would be fine he couldn't
feel assured that Malik would get past the guards unmolested. Logically he knew
the guards likely wouldn't do anything to Malik out in broad daylight where
anyone could see, as that would possibly get them in trouble due to the illusion
of money and status the golden haired boy projected, but Bakura couldn't
underestimate the level of corruption that existed within the kingdom.
�� Malik tried
his best not to show how terrified he was as he stepped towards the guards,
looking at them with wide eyes for a moment. The guards stopped to stare at
him, as he stared right back. After an awkward moment, he straightened up.
"...I wish to see my sister, High Priestess Isis," he said, keeping
his voice loud and commanding like he had rehearsed when Bakura instructed him
on that to say. "Tell her that her brother Malik has come."
�� The guards
stared at Malik before giving each other a somewhat dubious look. "I will
go inform the High Priestess Isis of your arrival," one of the guards
replied. The gates were then opened just enough for him to enter but closed
immediately once he was behind them.
�� Malik was
glued to his position, his heart racing. He had noticed the dubious expression
and couldn't help but feel afraid. What if she turned him away? Would the
guards think he was a liar and attack him?
�� Time seemed to
slow to a crawl as the blond anxiously waited to find out what was to become of
him. Likewise Bakura was waiting just as anxiously, growing more on edge the
longer it took to receive word from Isis. The
urge he had to abort the plan and take Malik as far away from the palace as
quickly possible was becoming more and more tempting to the thief with each
passing minute. It took a great deal of will power for Bakura to keep his
distance and simply watch until he saw some sign that it was necessary for him
to intervene.
�� Finally the
gates opened up once more, revealing not only the guard, but none other than
the High Priestess Isis herself in all her finery. She wore a rather lovely
off-white dress adorned with golden jewelry, and a most peculiar golden charm
around her neck with the symbol of an eye in the middle.
�� Malik felt a
flood of relief at the sight of his sister, relief that became quite visible in
his expression. "Isis!"
�� Isis stared at Malik, her eyes widening in shock at the
sight of her younger brother. She was slightly pale and her expression was as
if she had seen a ghost. "...Malik..." she breathed as she took shaky
steps towards the golden haired boy. "Is it... is it really you?"
�� "Ah?"
Malik was rather startled by the question, blinking repeatedly before furrowing
his eyebrows and tilting his head to the side. "Yes... why wouldn't it
be?"
�� "Because...
I thought you were dead," Isis whispered,
her voice wavering, as tears started to come to her eyes. She quickly became so
overcome with emotion that she practically lunged at her little brother in
order to hug him tightly.
�� Malik jumped
as he was suddenly hugged, his eyes widening. He certainly hadn't expected such
a reaction to seeing him, or such a statement on top of it. He hesitated for a
moment before tentatively wrapping his arms around Isis.
"Dead...?" he asked softly.
�� Isis struggled to get her emotions under control, though
she couldn't help the tears that trickled down her face. "F-father said
that you... that you had been murdered
by a thief."
�� Malik tried
hard not to flinch at those words. His father really had written him off that
easily? But this was no time to reflect on that, as his mind quickly shoved
aside such things in favor of remembering the story Bakura told him to say.
"Well... more like kidnapped by a thief."
�� "Kidnapped?"
Isis repeated before straightening up and
drying her eyes with the back of her hand so she could look at her younger
brother's face.
�� Malik nodded
at that. "A thief broke in to the house and took the valuables. He also
kidnapped me because I had seen his face."
�� Isis looked aghast. "That's awful! How in the world
did you escape?"
�� "I was
rescued," Malik replied. He felt guilty as it was deceiving his sister,
but how could he explain the thief and his rescuer were the same person?
"A traveler... he killed the thief and rescued me."
�� "Thank
the gods," Isis sighed in relief.
"Who is this man? I would like to meet him and personally give my thanks
to him for saving you."
�� "He
dropped me off on the way to get supplies," Malik replied, thankful for at
least something truthful. "I'd like to spend some time with you... ah,
that is, if you don't mind?"
�� "Of
course not, Malik," Isis answered with a bright
and cheerful smile on her face. "You don't know how much I've missed you.
You can feel free to spend as much time here with me as you like."
�� "That'd
be wonderful!" Malik smiled a bit more brightly.
�� Bakura watched
the touching reunion between siblings with the bitter taste in his mouth. He
crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the pair to
enter the palace. He felt anxious still about allowing Malik to go into such a
hated place so easily, but he would at least trust Isis
enough to protect her little brother from harm for a short time. If she didn't
he would make her pay dearly.
�� Bakura tried
to deny that a good portion of his anxious and agitated feelings were due to
jealousy, but he had to acknowledge that he disliked the idea of sharing Malik
with anyone, even if that person was his friend's beloved sister. Malik spoke
so highly of Isis, even more so than the hated
man who was their father. She certainly seemed affectionate towards her little
brother, unlike the bastard who denied Malik as a son.
�� Perhaps Isis hadn't been completely corrupted yet by the
Millennium Item Bakura noticed that she was wearing, or by the company she
kept. It was fortunate for Malik to have at least some time with his sister
before she became tainted like all the others. Perhaps if Bakura destroyed the
Millennium Items quickly enough or at least planned a way to avoid targeting Isis, Malik would be able to keep his sister. It would be
rather hard on him if Bakura had to kill her as well.
�� For a fleeting
moment Bakura remembered the last time he saw his own sister. As he thought of
her, he was surprised to find himself a little jealous of Malik. He would never see his sister again, but Isis
was still alive, so Malik could be with her, at least until the thief came back
for him.
�� Though it
would have been nice for Bakura to be able to say that he allowed Malik this
visit for purely selfless reasons, but unfortunately that was far from the
truth. The spirits had grown restless once again, but this time the thief was
going to make sure that Malik would not get involved again, even if it meant
taking such steps.
�� The moment the
gates closed behind Isis and Malik, Bakura immediately left for the market. For
now he would buy the supplies they needed, but tonight the Thief King would
take another sacrifice.

----

�� "Isis... this place is so huge... I can't believe you
actually live and work here!"
�� Isis let out a soft giggle that she hid behind her hand.
She felt giddy from having her younger brother back and being able to spend
time with him. "It is
impressive, isn't it?" she replied as they walked past the garden. "I
was overwhelmed too the first time I came here."
�� "It
really is a palace!" Malik replied breathlessly, his eyes as wide as
saucers as he stared around the grounds with child-like amazement. He could see
why his father had been so proud of Isis, if
she was able to work and live in such a place!
�� Isis smiled, as Malik's excitement and enthusiasm was
quite infectious. "It's a wonderful place to live," she said
cheerfully. "However, that means that we who live in the palace must work
that much harder to be worthy of all of this."
�� "Wow, so
you live here with other people?" Malik asked, then immediately realized
how stupid the question was. His face turned red as he silently chided himself,
as naturally The Pharaoh would be at
his own palace!
�� Such a
question caused another giggle to escape Isis
in spite herself. "Yes, many other people in fact," she replied.
"I've lived here since I was in training to be a priestess,
remember?"
�� "Y-yes, I
remember," Malik replied, his face still a bright crimson. After all it
had been the reason why she had only been able to briefly visit him and their
father for many years.
�� "The
palace is so large because many people live here," Isis
explained as she gave her brother a gentle smile. "The Pharaoh, his
family, many priests, including the six High Priests, noblemen, guards,
servants, and many more along with their families all live and work here with
the single goal to help maintain the entire kingdom and make it a beautiful and
peaceful place."
�� "Really?"
Malik was genuinely surprised. It was nothing like Bakura had told him about
the palace, which brought out some real concerns. Isis
would not lie to him, but neither would Bakura. How could they both be telling
the truth?
�� "Of
course," Isis replied with a nod.
"Only those who are willing to commit their lives to ensure the peace and
well being of the kingdom and its people live here. Nearly everyone who lives
within the palace would give their lives if necessary in order to make sure of
that."
�� "So only
good people can live at the palace?" Malik asked, staring at his sister. Isis' words were confusing him even more than he already
had been. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that either Isis was simply unaware that the other people at the
palace were capable of true evil or
someone had lied to Bakura. And since Bakura had seen the evil with his own
eyes, that pointed to Isis being wrong.
�� Isis nodded once again. "Of course. We make certain
not to allow anyone with an evil heart enter the palace unless they are to be
tried by the Millennium Items and the Pharaoh himself." She idly ran her
fingers along the Millennium Torq that rested around
her neck. "I've participated in such judgments myself.� My Millennium Torq
has the ability to see the future, so I can see when something terrible is
about to happen and warn others of the danger before it's too late."
�� "...Does
it show you things that have already
happened?" Malik wanted to know. Perhaps that was how Isis
didn't know of Bakura's family?
�� Isis shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. None of the
Millennium Items have that ability." She looked a little bit sadly at her
younger brother. "If it did I would have used it to find out what happened
to you the night father said that you died."
�� "I...
see..." Malik murmured quietly. So that was why she had no knowledge of Bakura's family's fate. It also
meant that the priests couldn't know about the evil in the palace, because it
was there before they had entered it.
�� "I'm sure
father will be happy to know that you are alive and well, Malik," Isis said with a small smile.
�� "...Really?
I'd think that he would be glad to have gotten rid of me." Malik found
himself saying without thinking. He immediately paused and quickly looked away.
�� Isis stopped in her tracks and turned to look at her
younger brother with obvious surprise. She had never heard him speak ill of
their father before and it came as quite a shock.
�� "...I'm
sorry," came Malik's rather quiet apology.
�� "No, no,
it's alright, Malik, you don't have to be sorry," Isis
said once she recovered from her shock. "I was just... very surprised to
hear you say that about father. Normally you
are the one defending him whenever I get angry with him."
�� "...Well,
I just..." Malik hesitated a moment before glancing at Isis.
"...I'm just starting to consider the possibility that maybe I didn't...
deserve it."
�� Again Isis found herself quite surprised at how much her
brother had changed. "...Good," she said after a moment with a slight
nod of her head. "Because you didn't
deserve it. Not any of it. If I had
been in a position to bring you with me to the palace sooner I would have. I
love father, but the way he treats you is inexcusable."
�� Malik went
quiet a moment, shifting uncomfortably due to the topic, both because they were
talking about a very sensitive subject, and because they were speaking of their
father in the present tense, as if he were still alive. He couldn't very well
tell her what had happened to him, unfortunately. "...I guess so."
�� Isis sighed and shook her head before smiling gently at
the blond. "But we shouldn't dwell on this. Tell me more about this man
you live with, Malik, and what you've been doing all this time."
�� "Well,
I've... been living with the one who rescued me," Malik began, scratching
the back of his head as he mulled over exactly how to phrase things without
outright lying to his sister. "He's been taking care of me. He had decided
not to take me back to father's place... I guess he didn't like how I had been
dressed and raised to speak."
�� "He
sounds like a kind man." Isis smiled a
little more. "I would like to meet him sometime and thank him properly for
everything he's done for you."
�� Malik stared
at Isis as his mind locked up. There was no
way to answer the question properly - Bakura would never want to meet Isis, and
saying such a thing to Isis would cause an
unbelievable amount of awkwardness.
�� Thankfully,
Malik was spared from having to answer the question.
�� "Prince? PRINCE!"
�� Malik turned
to stare as a young boy who looked to be around his age, maybe slightly
younger, charged past with scowl on his face. His bright blue eyes glared about
angrily as he hurried, his shoulder length brown hair bouncing about. He was
rather muscular, which was easily noticed thanks to the simple white tunic he
wore, along with matching white sandals.
�� Isis' attention was immediately drawn to the blue-eyed
youth. "Has Prince Atemu gone missing again, Seto?" she asked, as if
such an occurrence was common, though she seemed somewhat concerned.
�� The young boy
grunted, turning to look at Isis. "He's
hiding from me again, High Priestess!"
�� "Prince
Atemu must be trying to avoid his lessons again," Isis
guessed and couldn't help but let out a somewhat exasperated sigh. "Do you
need help finding him, Seto?"
�� Seto nodded at
that, his expression still furious. "I've been looking everywhere and I
still can't find him!"
�� Malik blinked
repeatedly at that, staring at Seto and Isis. At that moment, he heard a slight
rustling. Instinctively, he whipped around to stare behind him only to be
confused when he found nothing - nothing except a large round clay vase. The
young boy blinked and rubbed the back of his head as he stared at the vase.
�� Isis returned the nod before she turned to Malik.
"Malik, do you mind waiting here while I help Seto find the prince?"
she asked, obviously hesitant to leave her brother after being apart for so
long. She was about to say more when she noticed that his attention was focused
elsewhere. "Brother?"
�� Malik didn't
reply as he moved towards the vase, unable to help it. He just couldn't shake
the feeling that something was there. Vases couldn't move on their own! With
that in mind, the young boy leaned over to peer down into the vase.
�� ...Only to
find a large pair of violet eyes staring right back at him.
�� Malik's eyes
bugged out as he stared before jerking back with a scream, stumbling backwards.
"P-PERSON-!"
�� "PRINCE!" Seto snarled as he lunged
forward at the vase, grasping the edges and glaring down inside.
�� A childish
giggle emerged from the vase before a young boy with the most striking hair
Malik had ever seen popped his head out of the vase. His hair was incredibly
spiky and nearly all black with tips that varied from red to purple, with
golden streaks all through out the front. There were even golden bangs that
could have been initially mistaken as being part of the rather ornate gold
crown the boy wore, save for the fact that he brushed them away from his face.
"It took you a while to find me this time, Seto!" the young prince
said rather cheerfully, acting as if he had been simply playing a game rather
than avoiding lessons and upsetting the blue-eyed boy.
�� "Well, I
found you!" Seto growled, clearly irritated.
�� "Yes, but
he found me first," Atemu
retorted smugly, as if such a difference somehow made him the victor in the
game he had been playing, and pointed at Malik for emphasis.
�� "Ah?"
Malik blinked at that, staring at the young boy that the others were calling
'prince'.
�� "I don't
care!" Seto retorted. "You have lessons!"
�� "I
know," Atemu replied as he climbed out of the vase, revealing that he was
dressed in rather ornate clothes and jewelry befitting a prince, yet it was
somewhat battered due to obvious wear and tear that came from playing often.
�� "Prince
Atemu, you know that you shouldn't make Seto have to hunt for you every
day," Isis chided gently as she gave the
young prince a reproachful look. "You make him and everyone else worry when
you disappear like this."
�� "But
what's the point of playing hide and seek if I don't hide and Seto doesn't seek
me?" Atemu asked as he brushed off some of the dust from his arms that
came from inside the pot.
�� "And how
many times do I have to tell you that I don't want to play!?" Seto demanded.
�� "But you
do anyway!" Atemu cheekily retorted before he started to laugh.
�� Seto stared at
Atemu before his cheeks tinted slightly red, as it was undoubtedly true.
�� "Come on,
Seto, let's get going!" Atemu said cheerfully before suddenly darting off.
�� "Ah-!"
Seto started, before scowling and chasing after the prince. "OI!"
�� "Um,"
Malik muttered, as he couldn't think of what to say after he saw the two boys
run off.
�� Isis couldn't help but let out a small laugh in spite of
herself as she shook her head slightly. "Those two are always like
that," she explained as she looked to her brother. "That was Prince
Atemu and Seto, who is a priest in training like I used to be. Out of all those
who serve here, Prince Atemu chose Seto to be his personal servant and he
constantly wishes to play games with Seto, as well as the other children who
live here. He even plays games with the adults at times."
�� "HE was the pharaoh!?" Malik stared at his sister, absolutely stunned.
�� Isis was momentarily startled by her brother's outburst
before letting out a soft laugh. "Oh, no, not yet," she explained, a
bit amused by Malik's expression. "Atemu is only eight years old. He won't
be ready to become pharaoh for many years yet. The pharaoh is his father,
Pharaoh Akunamukanon."
�� "O-oh..."
Malik murmured as he stared after Atemu before turning to Isis.
"...He's... he's a kid like me!"
�� "Is it
that surprising?" Isis asked, barely
holding back a giggle, as she found herself amused by her brother's somewhat
comedic reaction to meeting the young prince.
�� "Well,
I... I kind of expected..." Malik hesitated before blushing darkly.
"I kind of expected... a Pharaoh!"
�� "Even
pharaohs start out as little boys too, little brother," Isis
replied with a gentle smile on her face.
�� "I guess
so...!" Malik still looked rather bewildered.
�� Isis continued to smile gently at her younger brother.
"When Prince Atemu has grown up and fully learned how to properly rule
over this country, he will inherit the Millennium Pendant and take his rightful
place as Pharaoh Atemu. Until then he is allowed to enjoy his childhood and
grow up happily playing games like all the other children in this
kingdom."
�� Malik didn't
reply to that, as he really wasn't sure what to say given his own childhood.
�� A somewhat
awkward silence hung between them for a number of moments. Isis'
smile waned slightly before brightening once more. "Would you like to see
more of the palace, Malik?" she asked, deciding to change the subject.
�� Malik looked
up at that before smiling at his sister. "Yes, please!"
�� There was no
further talk of childhood or things that happened in the past after that as the
two formerly separated siblings decided to simply enjoy the fact that they had
now been reunited.
- 14
- 15
- 16
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Yu-Gi-Oh!: Aurora