Dance of the Fates

Chapter 4

Rating: PG-PG-13

Author: Moonchild DJ

Disclaimer: Yugioh, Sailor Moon, or any of its characters or anything of either anime or manga do not belong to me! They belong to the many various companies that own them. I only own this story, and its plot, and I make no money off of this, just entertainment!

Author's Notes: Hello there, all! Moonchild DJ with a very-new, very-neglected and long-awaited chapter to DotF! Gods, it's been forever since I've updated this thing, and it's about time I did, ne? =p Talk about your writer's blocks…I hope all of you out there haven't forgotten about this story, as it's one of my favorite crossovers dealing with my favorite pasts! I have a lot of fun playing with this storyline, and I hope you enjoy it, too! Don't forget to tell me what you think of it, comments are always welcome! With that said, enjoy!

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Yami nodded in agreement to Seth's silent question, and Seth made his way towards the front of the platform and tossed a medium-sized bag of coins at Bakura's feet.

"Here. More than enough for the boy." he murmured, blue eyes falling to the blond, the shadows giving way just slightly under the hood as he glanced at him.

Jou blinked at the stranger, surprised that someone would be interested in him, since he'd been stuck with Bakura for months, now. Unless he wanted him for…he shuddered at the thought, then glanced at him, or what he could see of him. Blue eyes blazed at him out of the shadows, a strong, stubborn chin, full lips, regal nose…he blinked out of his stunned stupor and shook his head at him.

"Not without my sister and my friend…!" he growled, then blinked again when the man stepped closer and whispered,

"Don't worry, they'll be looked after. For now, let's get you out of here."

He nodded slowly, smirking as he glimpsed Bakura counting the coins greedily.

"Hmp. Mister, you just bought yourself a slave. You may have to beat him into submission, though…" Bakura smirked at Jou, then moved away from the blond. Jou glared back, then turned to the stranger as he pulled him to his feet.

"How are you going to protect Shizuka and Serenity?"

Seth smiled at the blond and helped him off of the platform. "Don't worry. I've other friends to help anyone and take down Bakura." He studied his 'slave' quietly as he led him out of the crowd. Golden hair that fell past his shoulders, deep, rich honey-brown eyes, a stubborn, yet attractive countenance, slim and strong…he shook off his intense scrutiny and glanced back at the others. "They'll be fine."

"I hope so…" the blond murmured, glancing back to his sister and Serenity.

Bakura smirked and was about to auction off the young Lunar maiden to the highest bidder, when four bags were thrown at his feet. "What…?"

"Twice the amount you asked for the girl, and also enough for the girl beside her." Yami replied, determined to get the girl safe before she had the misfortune of being bought by someone less honorable.

Bakura's eyebrows shot into his hairline at this as he picked up the bags and counted. Sure enough, it was just what the cloaked figure promised, and he grumbled, shoving Serenity and Shizuka towards the figure.

Serenity squeaked, tripping until Shizuka helped her, moving towards the figure nervously with her. She blinked when the man raised a finger to his lips, then helped them down before buying more slaves.

Shizuka blinked. "What's he doing?" she whispered to Serenity.

"Looks like he's buying as many of us as possible." the blond whispered back. "But surely he doesn't need that many?"

"Look…" Shizuka pointed to another cloaked figure buying still more from Bakura, frowning in thought. "I think we're getting help from these people. They seem to want to wipe out Bakura." she grinned.

Serenity giggled. "Good. I wonder who our mysterious saviors are."

"So do I. They saved Jou, you and I, all of us. No one save the…" Shizuka squeaked, her eyes widening as her hands flew up to her mouth.

"Shizuka?"

"…No one save the Pharaoh himself could afford so many, not even the most richest person could afford this much." she whispered, then glanced at the cloaked figures. "Do you think we've been saved by him, or his helpers?"

"It could be possible…" Serenity murmured. She supposed a pharaoh was this land's ruler, but there was so much to understand…what was the point for a Pharaoh to help 'slaves', after all? There had to be more to this.

Bakura, meanwhile, while richer far more than where he'd started, was also suspicious. He kept a careful eye on the three cloaked figures, eyes narrowing when he noticed a wrist flash with a bracelet with the sign of the Ankh.

'Ah…the Pharaoh. Out to spoil my fun, hm? Well…we'll just see about that.' he thought, his lip curling in derision as he watched the three gather with their group.

Once the three had gathered their groups, Yami smiled at everyone's startled expressions, then led them to a safer area before pushing off his hood. Startled gasps and cries of "the Pharaoh!" and "the High Priest!" were heard, as Seth pushed off his own hood, followed by their accomplice, a former slave and Yami's lover, Yugi. It amused him to see the others looking between he and Yugi in astonishment, knowing they were similarly featured. It was also amusing to see the three young slaves, the ones he and Seth had taken first, stare at them.

"Ra…I'm the slave to the High Priest?" Jou squeaked, flushing. Now, with this knowledge, it made the earlier thoughts about the mysterious man seem sacrilegious.

Seth smirked and crossed his arms over his chest, intense blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "Hm. And I received a mutt for a slave." he drawled, remembering Bakura's word for the blond.

"Hey! I'm not a mutt!" Jou protested, glaring at the brunette who couldn't have been more than two years older than him…and more beautiful than anything imagined. Was it a sin to ogle a High Priest?

Shizuka and Serenity giggled as they watched the two argue, fairly seeing sparks snapping between the two of them. It didn't bother the girls, Shizuka liked seeing her brother more alive than he'd been since being captured by Bakura, and Serenity knew that love came in all forms, having heard of the tale of the Guardian Senshi of the Outer Planets, Uranus and Neptune.

"I think they like each other…Jou's never gone so red in the face before…" Shizuka whispered to a grinning Serenity.

"They are cute…maybe it's fated?"

"Maybe…if my brother doesn't mess it up."

Seth smirked and tapped a fingertip against Jou's nose. "Well, if you don't like mutt, we can change it to puppy…"

Jou squeaked, flushed and growled, one right after the other as he glared at him. "Hm, if that's true, then maybe I should bite you."

"Who knows, puppy. I might like it."

The blond squeaked again and closed his mouth, much to Seth's delight and in amidst the girls' giggling, Yami smirked in amusement, crossing his arms.

"If you're done tormenting, Seth, I think we have a lot of people who would like to rest, ourselves included." he murmured, wrapping an arm around his little lover's shoulders.

"Spoil all my fun." Seth replied, grinning. He inclined his head to Jou and the others, leading them home as he pulled his hood back up once again.

Jou followed after the others, still stunned that they were aided by the Pharaoh and his High Priest, themselves. Little did his realize that a not-too-happy Bakura followed after them, determined to find a way to make the royals pay.

Jou gaped in awe at the doors opening to the Pharaoh's palace, gazing up at the wide doors and the lavish interior. Problem was, he did so while walking, and bumped into a very strong back, only cushioned by blue silk, and he grunted, stumbling back as the tall High Priest turned to gaze back at him, smirking in amusement at the wide-eyed blond.

"Better close your mouth, little puppy. You don't want to gather flies." he drawled.

Jou narrowed his eyes and glared at him. "Don't call me that!" he bristled.

"You do realize, of course, that you can't tell me what to do? And that I could have you thrown in the dungeon for doing so?" Seth purred sweetly, enjoying the way those topaz-hued eyes widened. When Jou's mouth dropped open again, he closed it with a nudge of one long finger under the blond's chin. "You'd better behave yourself, little puppy."

"You…you…"

"Stop teasing him, Seth. Ra, you're like a little child."

Seth glanced at his king with an amused twist of his lips. "Yes, well, we're all spoiled in our own fashion, Yami."

"Yami?" Shizuka whispered to Yugi. "I thought our Pharaoh's name was Atemu."

"It is." Yugi smiled at her, nodding. "But Seth and Yami have known each other for so long, and are cousins, so Seth has a nickname for him. They're more like brothers than cousins."

Shizuka giggled softly as she watched the two royals, seeing the way they teased each other, kind of like she and her brother. "So they're very close?"

"Very." Yugi nodded. "Most think they're lovers, with how close they are…if it wasn't for me." he replied with a wink of one violet eye.

Serenity gazed around in awe at the palace, blue eyes wide and curious. It was nothing like the Moon kingdom, or even the home of the Terran prince. The decorations were elaborate and exquisite, the finest silks, the finest colors, the finest materials. Her fingers itched to touch the carvings on the wall, but she didn't want to be rude…

Her eyes were caught by a passage in the carvings, of a man playing some sort of game with a bird-headed man, his head surrounded by soft circles of light. Compared to the carvings of a man or a falcon surrounded by rays of light to mean the sun, this one was something like moonlight. Serenity tilted her head curiously as she followed the pictures, seeing the man now in only half-light.

"That is Khons, the god of the moon." came Yami's soft, low voice at her side, smiling in apology when she started in surprise. "He played a game with Thoth, god of wisdom, and lost, losing half of his light. Now, he can only show half of his face in the sky on dark nights."

Serenity blinked in surprise. "You mean there is no Selene?"

"Selene?" Yami echoed blankly. "Who would that be?"

Serenity nearly gaped at him, if she didn't remember to be a lady and keep her mouth shut. This land was very strange. Different rulers, different customs, different gods. She thought everyone knew and worshipped Selene…

"N-never mind. Forget I asked." she replied weakly under that intense crimson gaze. She never missed home more so than she did now. Her mother, her friends, her way of life…she gave a faint smile to the Pharaoh, allowing him to take her hand and place it gallantly on his arm, guiding her.

"So who are you, milady?" Yami asked casually. "You are certainly no mere slave. Even for your garments, your attitude is above and beyond a normal slave, or even a normal person."

Serenity stiffened, glancing at Jou and Shizuka, but she saw they were in discussion with the High Priest and the one that looked like the one beside her. She would have to figure something out herself, as she wasn't entirely certain she could trust Yami. True, they had saved them from being sold, but she'd learned the hard way that not everyone was as they appeared to be.

"I…well…" she stumbled out, licking her lips nervously as she wondered what to say.

The Pharaoh tilted his head to consider her, then chuckled softly. "Keep your secrets, then. I shall earn your trust. Your name, then?"

"Seren--Serena." Serenity replied haltingly. Her name was well-known, it was best to go with a variation for the time being.

"Serena. Lovely name. Well, Serena…you and your friends are safe here. How did you come under the possession of the known thief Bakura?"

"He…stole me away from my home when no one was looking and brought me here." Yami nodded his understanding and sighed.

"He does that to many people. He's an elusive man to catch, and I try to help where I can. I am thankful I caught you and your friends in time. You look too gentle to be a slave, and far too lovely."

She blushed at the compliment and murmured her thanks, before she took a chance and asked, "My King…if I may ask, what are your relations with the Lunar Kingdom…? Ah, perfectly hypothetical, of course."

"Lunar Kingdom?" Yami echoed with a curious blink as he studied Serenity with those intense crimson eyes. "The Lunar royalty are well-known, and although I've never met the Queen, I've heard of her goodness, for all the rumors that she wishes to rule over all. It is hard to run a kingdom, I know."

Serenity breathed a tiny sigh of relief that her mother was looked upon kindly, then tilted her head curiously. "You look so young to be ruling. How did you inherit the throne so quickly?"

"My father died, and as his only heir and child, I was to take his place. Young I may be, but I've been groomed for this since I was a child."

The blond nodded her understanding. She, too, was groomed for her role as Queen, she just hoped it didn't come soon. She then eyed the young Pharaoh beside her and giggled softly. "Many a maiden or young man must've jumped at the chance to be your consort. You're very handsome and strong."

Yami blushed lightly, the copper hue of his skin turning the rosy flush to a dark streak of red. "Yes, it was true that many vied for the position. But my heart belongs only to Yugi. Now it is Seth's turn to be chased after."

Serenity smiled as she glanced at the High Priest talking--or better put, arguing--with Jou and lifted her hand to her mouth to seal off her laughter. "I don't know…I think perhaps he has already found a consort. What about you?"

"Mmm, it is true that Seth seems more lively with his presence. We'll just have to wait and see." Yami smiled. "In the meantime, the rest of you are to be seen to, with a scented bath, better clothing, food and rest. The auction must've been quite draining."

"Thank you." Serenity murmured with a graceful nod of her head as the Pharaoh led those that had been taken from the auction into the bathing rooms.

"In you go, pup." Seth was heard to say as he lightly pushed Jou in. "You could stand with a bath."

"I don't care if you're the High Priest or not, I'm not a dog!"

Watchful dark eyes gleamed from the shadows of the hallway, and Bakura smirked. "Jonouchi's loud voice could lead me right where I need to go." he muttered under his breath, before he grinned and rubbed his hands together. "Let's see what damage I can cause." Right in the middle of the Pharaoh's palace, there was sure to be some devastation he could start. He slipped through the shadows, grinning ferally.

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"Any sign of her?" Queen Serenity asked as she halted her pacing, her gown and silver hair swaying to a stop behind her as the four warriors knelt before her, gloved hands clasped to their chest.

"It took a bit of time, my Queen, but with Mars' foresight and a teleport to the kingdom of Neptune to consort with Michiru and her mirror, we have a positive lead." Minako replied as she gazed up at the woman.

"Well, what is it? Tell me!" she demanded, fisting one hand hard enough that her nails gouged half moons into her palm. She watched the four look at each other hesitantly. "Speak!"

Rei bit her lip and replied, "Between my visions and the mirror that confirmed them, we know where she is. In the burning deserts on earth, in another kingdom. Her moon sigil is covered, stripped of her finery and naught more than a slave."

"A slave?!" Queen Serenity gasped sharply, her eyes widening in horror, before they narrowed, and she ordered, "Lock onto her signature and go after her, and deal vengeance on the one who would dare insult high royalty. Selene help those that would harm her."

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End Chapter 4