Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Chaos Master ❯ The Reluctant Guardian ( Chapter 5 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Takahashi said an eighth item would make for an awesome plot twist, but he doesn't want to screw up his plot for it. How stuffy.

 

Ishtar had managed to get hold of Shadi, but the problems of getting him to Ryou's house outweighed his usefulness. He had to be picked up from the airport, and that alone was enough of a problem to warrant forgetting him. As Ishtar looked out the window, juggling the phone on the side, he saw that clouds were already starting to gather, and he swore he heard the distant crash of a lightning bolt. Likewise, Ishizu had said they were having problems as well. This whole day was getting screwed up in Ishtar's mind, and he had to make a decision. It was tough. If they went to get Shadi, Sami could die before they reached her again. But if they ignored it, Sami would die. And Ishtar wasn't sure he could make that crucial a decision for her. He hung up, and trudged up the stairs. Right then, his problem was telling Ryou the bad news. He wasn't quite sure Ryou would kill, but the boy's fury ran deep. Especially if Sami was involved. And she was. The spirit sighed. Nothing could ever be easy for them.

 

“Should we go and pick him up?” He asked, when he presented the problem to Ryou. He could see the boy was getting frustrated, and personally, the spirit didn't blame him. Ryou looked down at Sami. She was sleeping again. But how long would she sleep there? Ryou found he was shaking with terror at the situation. Right then, Sami wasn't in mortal danger. She had a few hours left. But those few hours were running like water: too clear and too thin.

 

“I don't know,” Ryou sighed, shaking his head. He needed some advice. Sami's life really was at stake. Even if she was a Chesier, no one could survive a curse for very long. Silently, Ryou closed his eyes and asked Bakura for help. He felt the spirit trying to think. Obviously, this wasn't any easier on the old thief.

 

`…I would get him,' Bakura finally said, as he tossed a book about his soul room, `Sami will be all right. Katt or Shimbou can take care of her, can't they?' Ryou knew they could, but he also knew that they wouldn't be comfortable by themselves. But he had to ask them anyway. In the end, Shimbou was the one who offered to stay. Katt, Ishtar, and Ryou ran down the stairs, and put the Millennium Ring and Puzzle on the ground, and Yami and Bakura reappeared. Neither looked very happy, either. Ryou guessed why, but Katt wasn't nearly as perceptive. Worry had overridden her senses.

 

“Well?” she asked, as they walked out of the door and toward the car. Ryou opened the door and climbed into the driver's seat as Bakura slipped into the back with Ishtar. Yami sighed and shook his head, telling her they had found nothing.

 

“Nothing we know of has ever physically drained a person of their life force,” Yami informed her, his voice tense, “This is evil. Your sister's in danger. We have to find a cure quickly or she will die.” That was enough for Ryou. When he climbed in next to Bakura, Yami shut the door and Ryou drove off as quickly as he could for the airport. His mind raced. Yami was sure Sami wouldn't be making it. And, as they got closer to the airport, Ryou began to get a terribly ill feeling, one that pervaded all of his senses. As if he were any expert with magic, he began to get the feeling that they were indeed dealing with something very evil. But what for?

 

“Damn it, who the hell would want her dead?” Katt asked, as Ryou pulled into a parking lot, “We killed Katsaiga! Do you think it's a new Mystic?” Yami looked down. He didn't have an answer, nor did he want to make an assumption. Sami had said a long time ago that they might be attacked again. If there was a Mystic, she would definitely be one of the first targets.

 

Ryou burst through the front doors of the airport, rushing through the throng of people. He had to find Shadi and Ishizu. He hadn't heard what Yami had answered, if he had at all, but he didn't need to. Sami was dying, and what was killing her had been carefully planted. Either for her or for Ryou, the boy just didn't know, but it had been left for one of them, if not both. And if anyone knew about this, it was Shadi. And thankfully, he was in the middle of the building, trying to read a map. Ryou had to skid to a stop to avoid slamming into the man, and as soon as Ishizu saw him, she walked over briskly. She looked just as worried as Ryou felt.

 

“What is going on? My brother calls me and tells me you may have found a new item!” Ishizu exclaimed worriedly, “Tell me of it, and tell me why I cannot see such a circumstance! Tell me immediately!” Ryou didn't like to hear how terrified Ishizu was becoming, but she had every right to worry. Unfortunately, he lost his tongue when he heard Yami said `Sami will die.' So, instead, Bakura answered when he finally caught up to Ryou.

 

“Probably because it isn't a Millennium item,” Bakura said grimly, joining Ryou, “We're pretty sure it's a trap. In fact, we're about seventy-five percent sure.” Ishizu looked taken aback by the statement, and looked over at Shadi. He seemed equally as perplexed by it. A trap that looked like a Millennium item. If it truly was meant for Ryou, it was a clever ruse indeed. Unfortunately, Ryou wasn't stupid enough to put it on. Sami, unfortunately, was.

 

“How bad is it?” Shadi asked, “Ishtar said that it should've stopped absorbing power when your friend passed out.”

 

“We can't determine when it'll lose its ability, or if ever,” Yami answered sternly, “All we know is that it's hurting her and we can't take it off without killing her.” Shadi nodded, but a rumbling noise disrupted their discussion. Shadi wanted to just wave it off, but Yami looked over, and Ryou soon joined him. Before enforcements could stop him, Malik came crashing through the front doors on his motorcycle, spraying glass all over the floor. He screeched to a loud, long halt, and took off his helmet, shaking his hair out. Sweat fell onto the floor.

 

“Malik, what's wrong?” Katt asked, taking his helmet when she reached him. He looked absolutely terrified, and his skin was pale. He jumped off his bike and pointed to the window, his hand shaking as he did so. Ryou didn't want to know what could've scared him so shitless.

 

“I think we have a bigger problem than just a measly trap,” Malik replied slowly, pointing toward the entrance, “Look outside.” Curious, Katt went over to one of the windows, and shrieked. Ryou joined her, and nearly screamed himself. Everything outside was covered in a thin layer of snow. And despite the fact that it was currently September, it was still snowing out, and getting thicker by the second. Planes were frosted over, and cars were beginning to slow even as they were driven down the road. Ryou thought that Malik even being able to get there was a bit of a miracle. But the snow wasn't the only problem. The sky was darkening, too. Thick clouds were hanging over the entire city, and as Ryou looked, the feeling of dread reappeared. He shivered, wanting to ignore it.

 

“What the hell did this!?” Bakura snapped, as he watched in disbelief. Ryou slowly looked up, and rubbed his eyes to make sure he saw correctly. There, in the sky, was the Aurora Borealis, shimmering in the darkness. Ryou traced it as far as he could, but couldn't make out where the light was shining from. But he could guess. And he hated his guess. It involved magic, and Ryou was now seeing why Kaiba chose to discount it every chance he could. Magic was looking like the worst thing ever.

 

“We must find where these lights are coming from,” Shadi said calmly, “I sense the presence of evil in that light.”

 

“Me too,” Yami stated, “And I can guess where it's coming from.” No one needed an answer. Katt continued to stare out the window into the snowy tundra below. It all seemed too unnatural. It was too unnatural. But it was happening, and she knew what was doing it: Sami had finally gone ballistic. She was the only one besides Katt who could muster something this terrible. And Katt hadn't done a damn thing.

 

“How do we get back to our house?” Katt asked Ryou, who shut his eyes upon Katt's question, which had managed to answer his own. He could only imagine what might've been happening with Sami. Or how Shimbou might've been handling it, if he wasn't dead already.

 

“Well, the car's out of the question. In this storm, the engine might fail completely,” Ishtar commented. Yami looked in his pocket and pulled out his deck. It was no time for games, but suddenly, an idea came to him. If anyone had a duel disk around, they might be able to fly using their monster cards. He suggested that to everyone.

 

“Fly using our game cards?” Malik asked, and Yami nodded, sending Malik bursting into laughter. Yami said nothing, having expected that reaction. However, Ishizu seemed to like the idea as she pulled something out of her bag and handed it to the pharaoh. It was her own duel disk.

 

“That might be the best idea we have right now,” she said firmly, “We must give it a shot. Where is this trap you found?”

 

“At my house. Sami's wearing it right now,” Ryou said shakily. Ishizu turned to the three spirits, and they each summoned a monster that could fly. Yami was lucky enough to draw his Chimera, which would easily carry four of them at once. Bakura had drawn the Dragon Zombie, which could only take two people. Ishtar, however, drew the Winged Dragon of Ra, which was so terribly mighty that it sent the other monsters back into their cards, shivering. Both Yami and Bakura glared at Ishtar, not liking being trumped by a god card. Ryou would've laughed, except that they had to get move. Ishtar's eyes narrowed as he beheld his fellow spirits.

 

“What!? At least it can carry all of us,” Ishtar said defensively, as the Winged Dragon put a claw down to allow passage onto its back. Everyone climbed up, and with a mighty push off of the ground, the dragon took flight. It didn't care for the people below, who watched with a mixture of awe and terror as it flew toward the source of the lights. All it cared about was helping the people on its back. Even if it was just a holograph, just a monster, it knew something was wrong. It was the Winged Dragon of Ra, after all.

 

---

 

Shimbou replaced the cold cloth on Sami's head, making sure to soak it in warm water as per Katt's instructions to him. An hour had passed since Ryou left him with her, but no one had called, and with the snowstorm that was forming outside, Shimbou was getting rightfully worried. He couldn't be sure Ryou's driving skills could get him home through this. He looked from the snowy window, to Sami. She hadn't improved much since Ryou left, either. Her skin had become sallower, her complexion utterly ghastly to look at. He placed a hand on her forehead, hoping to wake her up just a little.

 

“Sami, try to hang on. Ryou's doing the best he can,” Shimbou whispered. He had the feeling Sami heard, because her shoulders relaxed just slightly when he stopped talking. Shimbou sighed. Nothing could cure this, nothing that he knew of. His eyes fell on the crystal on her wrist. It was still glowing, and somehow, that glow angered him. His eyes narrowed, but when he heard footsteps outside, he blinked and looked up. Another man entered the room, but he only went in a few feet before stopping and looking at Shimbou. His blonde hair looked unusually bright over his black coat, and it framed his pale face. His one good eye fell on Sami's unconscious form.

 

“It's that thing's fault, you know,” the man said with a smirk, and took a step forward, “You should think about destroying it.” Shimbou blinked, wondering how such a man even got inside. He had seen Ryou lock the house so no one could get in. Clearly, Ryou needed new locks. The man walked over to Sami, and bent down to pick up her wrist. Shimbou noticed with terrified eyes the almost insane look the man had in his eyes as he held her hand.

 

“W-what the hell are you doing?” Shimbou asked, as the man took out a knife from his pocket, tapping it against the crystal, “Hey, stop! You're going to kill her if you do that!” The man ignored Shimbou, looking at Sami's slender wrist for another moment. He looked absolutely mystified now. Then, he raised the knife and plunged it into the crystal. Shimbou screamed, but it was nil next to the horrible roar that erupted, not from Sami, but from the crystal. It was so mighty, so powerful, it crushed the glass and shattered everything that could be broken. The cold wind rushed into the room, and Shimbou knew that what had happened was beyond his control. He was thrown out of the room, so bad was the wind, but he couldn't see the blonde man anywhere. The blonde man… he had attacked the crystal! Damn it, Sami could be dead right then. Shimbou scrambled up.

 

“Damn it, what the fuck did you do!?” Shimbou yelled above the wind, but it seemed to only drown out his words. Terrified, he ran down the stairs, intent on finding a knife to stab the man with, and then stopped. He couldn't leave Sami behind; that man may have wanted to kill her. Turning on his heel, he ran back up the stairs, but ice was already forming on the stairway, making it dangerous to traverse. But he persevered, and eventually he made it onto the second floor, and toward the doorway to Ryou's room. If the man was still there, he'd strangle him. Either way, Shimbou knew someone was going to die soon. He hoped it wasn't himself, or Sami.

 

“Sami!” he called, running in, but the sight he saw stopped him dead in his tracks. Sami was up, the man in a heap beside her. She appeared to be looking at nothing, but at everything at the same time. Shimbou's blood froze. She looked so strange, half-floating in the air as she was. Even the ends of her sleeves pointed upwards. He slowly walked over to her. But she didn't appear to see him. Gently, too gently, he reached out to touch her.

 

“Sami, snap out of it!” he exclaimed, and touched her hand. She felt as cold as the ice she was surrounded by. Her eyes snapped open, and she glared down at Shimbou. Her eyes were no longer the steel-jade they usually were. They were dark, red, vacuous. Shimbou shivered as he backed away from her, and then simply turned to flee. Whoever she was, she wasn't herself any longer. He had to get away. But he wasn't nearly fast enough. Sami opened her mouth to speak; out came a language so terrifying, Shimbou didn't care where it came from.

 

“Duegnir Weisholt!” Sami screamed, and Shimbou was tossed mercilessly out the window into the snowy grass below as wind blew fiercely, firing shards of ice everywhere as they cascaded from the window. He struggled to get up, rolling away just in time. Skin white, he ran from the yard and into the street, where his motorcycle sat. He had no idea what was happening, but he knew there was no saving his best friend's girlfriend anymore. He just had to get the hell away before she murdered him.

 

“I have to tell Ryou,” he said tiredly as he kicked his bike on, “I don't know what the hell that asshole was trying to do to her, but Sami's gone ballistic!” He pumped the gas as much as he could, but it took less than a minute for Sami's powerful magic to freeze him in place. He fell right off his bike, the sudden stop throwing him hard into the ground. He sat up dizzily, and looked around to see where he was. If he hadn't known Ryou's house, he wouldn't have recognized Domino. Everything was blanketed in snow, and it'd be buried by midnight, if Shimbou could guess. He had to stop Sami before that happened. The only problem was, Sami wasn't human and he knew that. She'd crush him. But he had to try. He rushed back up the stairs, throwing himself against the door and pounding on it as hard as he could.

 

“Sami!” he yelled, pounding harder, “Sami, open up!” There was no answer. Shimbou kept trying until the cold penetrated his knuckles and he was forced to stop. He couldn't risk bleeding to death out here. But she had to be stopped! He wished he'd been born a mountain climber; he could've climbed up to the window he'd been thrown out of. But then what? Unless that bastard of a man had gotten up and was distracting her, she'd kill Shimbou. The boy sighed. This had to be difficult.

 

“How am I going to tell Ryou about this?” he sighed, and looked up into the sky. He'd felt just a ripple of something, and now saw that there was a dark speck among the clouds. It grew, and kept growing fast, and Shimbou noticed it was coming right for the house. Golden in color, with great scales and a large beak, it looked amazingly bright against the black of the clouds. It looked almost like a dragon, and as Shimbou realized this, he screamed. A dragon was speeding toward him, and if he didn't move, he'd be flattened. So, he forced himself to dive right into the snow as the dragon reared and landed onto the ground with a mighty crash, sending waves of snow flying off into the night. Shimbou barely saw the people slipping from the creature's large back.

 

“Shimbou, what happened?” Ryou asked, running over to help Shimbou up. He hadn't been able to fathom just what had happened, but he'd seen the broken glass, and he could hear Sami up there. He couldn't hear what she was saying, but he heard her. Shimbou shook his head, shivering from diving headfirst into the cold blanket.

 

“Honestly, I don't know,” he replied quickly, “This blonde dude showed up and started talking nonsense. Ryou, he smashed the crystal! She went completely ballistic up there!” Ryou's eyes narrowed angrily. He knew exactly who had come. The blonde man who hated him so, and barely helped him during his fight against Katsaiga. The very thought ran shivers of hatred up Ryou's spine. He vowed to shoot the man if he ever saw him again, and he had a feeling he'd be granting himself that wish soon. He turned to Katt.

 

“Can you melt the ice?” he asked sharply. Katt blinked, and looked at the ice that had begun to cover the door. It was thick; she doubted even a battering ram could dent it. Whatever Sami was doing, it was amazingly effective. Katt shook her head.

 

“No. Sami's even more powerful than I am,” she replied, “Whatever she's doing up there, I don't think I can counter it.” Ryou looked down, silently cursing. If that man, that stupid bastard, hadn't come and done this, Sami would be safe. He looked to Bakura. The old thief seemed deathly worried, and quite frankly, he had a right to be. If this wasn't stopped, they'd all be thrown into an ice age.

 

“There has to be a way in!” Bakura cried out, and rushed up to the porch. He banged on the door, but it did no good. Ryou just shut his eyes, trying to think. Magic wouldn't work; Sami was so powerful that anything less than herself would be voided. And Ryou wasn't sure if there even was anyone stronger than her. Machines were useless as well. Sami had probably frozen most of them by then. Which meant they'd have to resort to physical force. A task that would prove impossible for them. There was nothing there for them to use. Ryou opened his eyes, and realized that, at least for the moment, the chanting had stopped. Sami was resting! The ice started to lose its form, which meant they could enter. Ryou couldn't let the seconds roll by. He jumped onto the stairs, gesturing to the others.

 

“Everyone! Inside!” he called. No one argued as they rushed up after him. Bakura, Ishtar, and Shimbou threw themselves at the door to break it open, and they poured inside. The house was frozen solid, and Ryou could see that frost had formed on the great mirror in his entryway. Frost formed everywhere, now that Ryou took a look. On the chests, on the tables, even on the radiator. It was so cold that a fine mist had formed, chilling them all to the bone. No amount of turning down the heater would've done this. Ryou shivered as he looked up the icy stairs.

 

“How the fuck did she do this!?” Ishtar asked, getting off of the ground and looking around the hallway. Ryou just sighed. There were many ways for her to pull this off. He just didn't know why she would right then. Could she truly have been crazy? Ryou guessed she must've been. Sami on her own would never do this. He instinctively reached for the railing; it was slick with ice. Which meant the stairs were even worse. There'd be no going up there unless he wanted to die. The only other way was through the chimney, and somehow, he doubted anyone else would go for that. He presented the choice nonetheless.

 

“The chimney? Wouldn't that be even worse?” Malik asked him. Ryou just growled. So far, no one else was coming up with an idea, and they were running out of time. If Sami started again, all hell would break loose. Bakura looked at Ryou, seeing the tension in the young man's face. He had to act. And, for Bakura, there was only one thing that he felt could help them.

 

“I'll find a knife. Maybe we can chisel our way up,” he suggested, disappearing into the kitchen. Ryou thought that it was a rather stupid idea, but that was one alternative he hadn't thought of. Unfortunately, one scream from Bakura told Ryou the plan had been… well, frozen as he said, “ALL OF THE KNIVES ARE STUCK IN THEIR HOLDERS!” Ryou would've laughed, except that it didn't surprise him and it wasn't funny.

 

“So much for that dumb idea,” Yami stated, rolling his eyes as Bakura ran out, cursing. Everyone started murmuring, unable to decide what else they could do. Ryou just growled, rushing into the living room as Rush growled, looking at him from under the couch. He ignored the dog, and ran to the chimney, ripping the screen away. Then, he climbed up into the chute. He ignored the soot as it fell over him, and pushed himself up. He could hear Sami just slightly, and found she was talking to someone. He narrowed his eyes; he didn't even want to guess who it could've been as he made his way toward where her fireplace connected to the chute.

 

“Please… tell me…” he heard her say, her voice low with distress, “Before… before she comes back. Please!”

 

“Sith, I can't. You have to trust me,” Ryou's eye twitched as he recognized that voice to be none other than the blonde man he hated so dearly, “Look, I can't explain in this world, but if you come with me, I'll tell you everything. Please.” Ryou snarled. If the blonde man were any closer, he'd have shoved him out the window. For a second, he was worried Sami would actually take the deal.

 

“…no,” she said. Ryou grinned, until he heard the click of a gun. The man was going to shoot her. Ryou rushed up the rest of the chute, burst into Sami's room, and screamed wildly, hoping to distract the man. Sami and the man looked over, both of them shocked. Ryou blinked, wondering what was going on when he saw the man aim his Winchester at him. Ryou's eyes widened in terror, and before he could stop himself, he kicked the man, sending him flying out of the window, the man unable to keep steady from the ice. Sami watched silently as he fell, landing in the snow with a soft thud. Ryou turned to her.

 

“What did he want!?” Ryou demanded, putting his hands on her shoulders, “Are you okay!?” Sami let out a soft sigh, and nodded as she turned. Her skin was pale, but she didn't look like she was about to die.

 

“I'm fine,” she whispered, “He helped me. He… Ryou, he wants me to go with him to another world.” Ryou felt his blood boiling. How dare that arrogant bastard ask her that! Ryou was glad he kicked the man out the window. If he hadn't, he'd have done far, far worse. He shook his head angrily, trying partly to clear it, partly to tell Sami not to consider the offer.

 

“Don't do it!” he exclaimed, “Sami, why the hell would he want that!? What's going on!?”

 

“Something inside of that crystal is trying to possess me,” she explained calmly, as she set her glasses down, “He's sure his friends can help me, but they can't come here… and… oh shit…” Ryou backed away as Sami dropped to one knee, her breathing becoming rapid. She was trembling, but Ryou didn't dare touch her. Her eyes were changing color, to a deep red that Ryou knew meant either fury or evil. Slowly, too slowly, she stood up, looking straight at him.

 

“And it matters not what she does now, eh, Ryou Bakura?” she asked, but her voice sounded so different now; so unlike her, “So, you are the one we're looking for. How interesting. The last human Sith involved herself with was…” Sami didn't finish. Ryou didn't let her. He knew what she meant now. He tackled her over, both of them sliding out of the door and crashing down through the banister. Wood rained down upon the floor below, with the two of them crashing on top of it. Sami screamed in pain, and everyone turned to see what was going on.

 

“RUN!” Ryou screamed, scrambling up as Sami struggled, “She's possessed! Get out of here!” Bakura looked on in horror as Sami stood up, wiping the blood off of her chest. She grabbed Ryou by the hair, dragging him to his knees. Her eyes looked terrifyingly red, and her pupils had become so small. She grinned as Katt gasped, backing away. Bakura noted that Katt seemed uniquely afraid of her now. But before he could ask, Sami spoke.

 

“There is no use running from me,” she replied calmly, her voice deeper than it should've been, “Do not interfere, or Sith and this whelp both die. You don't want that, do you? No… none of you do. Therefore, you will listen to me.” Bakura found they had no choice unless they wanted two dead bodies on their hands. He looked at Yami. The poor pharaoh seemed just as defeated. He clenched his fists.

 

“What is it you want!?” he demanded, “Why're you possessing her?” Sami just smiled, her eyes narrowing gently as she examined him. A small gasp escaped her lips, making Bakura wince. He was beginning to recognize that voice, but from where, he couldn't remember. He simply watched her as she looked down at them all.

 

“Possessing? My, that's quite an interesting word,” Sami said, tapping her chin as she looked up at the ceiling, “No, I was using that crystal as a conduit to speak with you, of course. No possession was intended, though I will say it's nice to see what this woman's thinking right now. Did you know that she actually believed, for a tiny second, that I'd waste my energy making an eighth Millennium item? How pathetic!” She laughed hysterically, her voice sounding shrill as it bounced across the hall. Katt's body shook. She couldn't bear to see her own sister like this. She pointed up to Sami furiously.

 

“What are you!?” she yelled. Sami stopped laughing and looked at her calmly. A thin, wicked, little grin began to cross her face. It scared Katt, who backed away as Sami advanced.

 

“What am I? My dear Katt, you know who I am,” she said, and let out a laugh, “I am Rath, the leader of the Espers. And I will be the one to destroy this world, as it should have been all those years ago.” Yami's eyes widened. Rath! That was who Katsaiga had warned them of two years ago! She hadn't been joking. This was even worse than Yami had feared. Sami might very well be lost to them now.

 

“Rath!? Holy shit, we're screwed now,” Ishtar stated unhelpfully, “Ah, well, no use crying over it. Prepare to face the darkness!” He brandished the Millennium Rod, but Sami didn't look the least bit afraid. She held out her hand, and the two slammed each other with magic. Ishtar was thrown back, and Sami slammed right into the mirror, shattering it on impact. Glass cascaded down around her, shattering into tiny shards as they landed. Katt winced as she saw blood spill onto the floor.

 

“What the hell was that?” Malik asked, as Yami ran over to where Sami was lying, unconscious. He took her wrist, and saw that the crystal had been cracked, but it wasn't yet broken. He took it and ripped it away. Ryou screamed, but then he saw Sami was still breathing. She was fine. Yami threw the crystal onto the floor, kicking it away from her.

 

“No idea, but we need to destroy this thing,” the pharaoh said, beckoning Bakura and Ishtar over to help him, “If she wakes up, there's a chance she'll inadvertently whip our attacks back at us.” Ryou nodded, crawling over to help Sami sit up. She felt limp in his arms, but she was still warm. She had some time left to her.

 

“What do we do?” Ishtar asked, as he glanced over at Ryou. Yami hummed for a second, and then pointed to two spots across from him.

 

“You two stand over there, opposite each other,” Yami said, and quickly, the other two obeyed. They formed a triangle around the crystal, each one muttering a different spell as they brought out their items. It took only a minute before the crystal reacted with a loud chime, and then proceeded to hover. It took Ryou a minute to understand that the chime was actually a scream, and soon, a writhing figure came out of the crystal, shattering like glass. Ryou winced. He couldn't see what it was, but it was gone before he could ask. He took Sami's hand, wishing her pulse would quicken just a little. Katt bit her lip, looking from her sister, to Yami.

 

“Well?” she asked after a moment. Yami opened his eyes, his skin nearly gray from the effort he had to exert. He smiled weakly, giving her the thumbs-up.

 

“Whatever Rath used to get to her, it's gone now,” he told Katt somberly, “She won't bother your sister any longer.” Katt nodded, and Shadi, who'd been in the back, watching, walked over and took the crystal. It was dull now; inactive.

 

“It would be best that she keep this in case Rath comes back for her. She will be able to break it if need be now,” he said quietly, “I will return it when she awakens.” Ryou nodded, and Shadi proceeded outside with Ishizu and Malik. Katt took Shimbou, Bakura, and Ishtar, and led them to the kitchen for some first aid. All three had been pretty badly injured from the events of the past day. Ryou just looked down at Sami. She looked sick again. Sighing, he picked her up.

 

“What will happen to her?” he asked Yami, as he brought her into the living room to rest. He laid her on the couch gently, and then remembered that the blonde man was still upstairs. He'd have to be dealt with eventually. But for now, Ryou couldn't do anything. Sami needed him close by in case she woke up. Yami sat down, and felt her wrist. Her pulse had quickened a bit. She'd make it.

 

“She just needs to rest,” the spirit assured him, “She lost a lot from Rath. I'm surprised she wasn't killed.” Ryou gritted his teeth. That had to be credited to the blonde man, as much as he hated to admit it. Technically, that freed Sami enough to gain some power over Rath. But it hadn't been enough. He wondered if they actually succeeded in destroying the crystal's power. If it absorbed Sami, it shouldn't have been that easy for them.

 

“…me too,” Ryou said simply, deciding it best not to tell Yami about the blonde man. He looked down at Sami again and patted her arm. She was in pain, but she'd be perfectly fine in the morning. Meanwhile, he'd have to deal with another problem. Now seemed like a good time, if Yami was going to stay. He looked at the old pharaoh, and asked, “Yami, would you do me a favor?” Yami looked over, slightly perplexed.

 

“What is it, Ryou?” he asked. Ryou took a deep breath and looked away. He knew he was getting angry just thinking of what he'd do next. He didn't want Yami guessing. The man was unusually good at that.

 

“Watch Sami for me,” Ryou replied, “I have to do something really quick.” Yami nodded, and watched as Ryou walked up the stairs. Whatever he was doing, Yami was sure he didn't want to be involved. He just took Sami's hand and watched her carefully. She'd wake up soon, that much, he knew. That was the only thing he knew about in this situation. And somehow, he was fine with that.

 

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

 

After finding out the `item' really was a trap, now Ryou needs to go and dispose of another unwanted guest in his house as Yami keeps watch over Sami. Will Ryou actually forcefully throw someone out of his house? Who is that MYSTERIOUS BLONDE MAN? Is it a show reference? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button.