Chapter 10

As it turned out, Yami was unable to return to work at the shopping center the next day. While his migraine was, thankfully, better, his sister insisted that he remain at their hotel in order to 'continue his recovery' - and to speak with his advisors via teleconference. (Which he suspected took priority over his putative recovery, no matter how much Isis side-eyed him when he offered his opinion.)

Although, he thought, with a glance at the elaborate set-up that would allow him to speak - not only his court back in Egypt, but also to the representatives of the Dark Realm - this meeting was taking place through means more magical than technological. So perhaps "teleconference" was not the most appropriate term. A strange-looking device called a Vox, gifted to him by the Dark Realm's ruling Spellcaster Clan, would transmit their images and voices between similar devices at each location. However, as Pharaoh, it was his presence that would allow them to pierce the barriers between realms and hold them open for the length of the meeting.

His sister bustled into the sitting room they would be using for the conference, a harried expression on her face and her dark hair unbraided. Spotting him, she hurried over and shook her hairbrush in his face.

"What did I tell you about summoning that animated hairball again?" There were two spots of high color on her cheeks, and her nostrils kept flaring like an enraged bull's. She shook the hairbrush again. "How do you expect me to prepare properly when there is a Kuriboh lurking in my dressing room?!"

Yami knew he was too old to properly manage the 'wide innocent eyes' look, but he was tempted to try. Especially since it was taking most of his willpower to refrain from cackling like a hyena at her disheveled and irritated state. The worst part was, he truly was innocent of any pranks that might have befallen her. (This time.)

"Bakura still has my summoning tokens," Yami assured her, stamping down hard on the urge to laugh as she upped the wattage on her glower. "Therefore, if there is a Kuriboh in your dressing room, it is not my doing."

When she started to shake the hairbrush at him again, he hastily added, "Nor have I asked anyone else to play tricks on you, Sister. I promise!"

"That does not explain the Kuriboh in my dressing room," she said, but relented and let the hand with the hairbrush drop back to her side. "Nor why it chose to spring out at me when I went to retrieve my hair ornaments."

"I... could go ask?" he offered, unsure if that would make her happy or just increase her irritation with him.

"Ha!" The hairbrush was back, inches from his nose. He nearly went cross-eyed looking at it. "I know better than to allow you to escape this room before our conference is concluded. You will run off to that game shop-" She made the words sound like a curse. "-and leave me to deal with your court and the Dark Realm representatives."

Yami couldn't deny that the idea had appeal. However, he never truly shirked his duties, no matter how tiresome he found them. He hadn't run away from an actual, official obligation since he was a small boy, as Isis very well knew. He wondered sometimes if she forgot that he was a man now, and not the child she had been forced to practically raise.

Before he could decide whether to say anything more, a floating ball of brown fluff caromed through the doorway, (ricocheting off the ceiling, the corner of one wall, and Isis's head) before flinging itself at Yami's feet. It blinked up at him with large purple eyes and waved frantic green paws to the accompanyment of loud kuree-ing.

Isis pinched the bridge of her nose and looked as if she regretted having gotten out of bed that morning. "What is it saying?"

From where he had crouched down to speak to the Kuriboh, Yami shot her a glare. "He is upset about something. Give me a moment to calm him down, and then I'll ask him what's wrong."

"Very well." She sighed. "Do not take too long. You cannot use this as an excuse to avoid your responsibilities any longer, Atem." She spun on her heel and stalked out of the room, probably intending to finish preparing for the meeting.

Yami turned his attention back to the agitated Kuriboh. He placed a hand gently on the furball's head; Miu fairly vibrated under his palm. "What is it, Miu? Are you all right?"

Miu bounced back into the air, trusting Yami to catch him, and leaned into the human's shoulder. One plump green paw waved anxiously, emphasizing a stream of high-pitched, rapid-fire fiend language.

Brow furrowing in concentration, Yami did his best to translate the words into coherent sentences. What he thought he was hearing did nothing to make his frown any lighter. He stroked his hand gently down Miu's back in a soothing gesture meant to help settle the upset Kuriboh.

Finally, Miu wound down. He half-collapsed back against Yami's shoulder, large eyes gazing up at his human friend with so much trust that Yami had to swallow hard before he could speak.

"Are you sure?"

Miu gave an exhausted nod. "Kur-eeeee."

Yami closed his eyes, taking a moment to gather his resolve, then strode to the door, still carrying the little fiend in his arms. He needed to speak to Bakura.

o0o

Having listened to Yami's explanation of what he needed, Bakura stared at him for a long moment, and then dropped his head into his hands. In a voice muffled by his palms, he moaned, "Why do you hate me, O Netjeru?"

"The Gods don't hate you, Bakura," Yami countered in his blandest voice. "Why are you so melodramatic?"

Bakura's head popped up so he could glare at his king.

"You dare ask me that? You?!" Bakura shoved both hands into his hair, further disarraying the white-blond strands. "When I die, the inscription on my tomb will proclaim that it was Your Majesty who drove me to an early grave from the sheer stress of dealing with your BS."

Yami scoffed. "You love me."

The bluster falling away, Bakura said solemnly, "I do, you know. You are my friend as well as my Pharaoh, and I would serve no other as I serve you."

Humbled by this rare expression of sincere feeling, Yami clasped Bakura's shoulder briefly in acknowledgement. "I do appreciate that."

"Good. Then you'll do me the favor of not trying to get yourself killed while I deal with this new threat."

Indignation rose in Yami again. "Why is everyone accusing me of things I am not actually doing, today?" he asked the ceiling. "If I were trying to get myself killed, Bakura, I wouldn't have brought the problem to your attention. In fact, one could almost say that I am trying to avoid placing myself in danger. Shocking, I know."

"You think you're funny." Bakura scrubbed at his face with one hand. "All right, perhaps I was being unfair. By bringing this to the person whose job it actually is to deal with it, you have, for once, shown a remarkable amount of self-preservation. I should be rewarding this behavior, not discouraging it." This last was muttered mostly to himself. Snapping out of his momentary funk, he pointed a finger at Yami's chest. "You are not to leave these rooms until I, personally, tell you that it is safe to do so. Have I made myself clear?"

Yami gave him a Look.

Bakura deflated a bit. "Yes, okay, even I acknowledge that was a bit much. Sorry." His expression went stern again. "But I am asking you not to leave the rooms without my all-clear, Your Majesty. Even if your fuzzy little friend turns out to be mistaken, we must take any threat to your safety seriously."

"I do understand that, Bakura." Yami glanced toward his bedroom, where he had left the exhausted Kuriboh asleep on his bed. "Miu took a great risk, coming through the barrier without my magic to support him. He would not do so on a whim."

"Yeah, I know. That's what's got me so worried." Bakura sighed. "The little puffball's got guts, I'll give him that."

And, as Yami knew from experience, Miu would dare much if Yami's well-being was at stake. "So long as you take his warning seriously-"

"I assure you, I do."

Yami nodded, then frowned. "My sister will not."

Bakura scoffed. "Good thing I'm the one in charge of your security and not her, then."

"Wonderful." Yami flashed him an expression that was full of teeth. "You can be the one to explain to her why the conference isn't going to take place as planned."

"What?"

"I have every confidence in you." Yami started retreating before the full meaning had sunk in.

"...Wait a minute. You-"

"And, of course, I'll simply be following your orders not to leave my rooms!" Yami shut the door on Bakura's extremely inventive cursing before it could wake up Miu.