Hello again, everybody! I'm back with yet another story! It follows my universe started with 'Flower of Life', so it's another AE fic.
My Author's comments will be in [brackets] and underlined
Thoughts will be italicized
Flashbacks will be flanked by -Flashback- inserts
Something new: 'Spirit voices' will be"quoted"and italicized. You'll see what I mean after this chapter!
Again, Read, Enjoy, and Review!
Disclaimer: Do I look like Kazuki Takahashi? I didn't think so! It should be pretty obvious that I don't own YuGiOh!-
Empire of Shadows, a LONG YuGiOh! story by Tsunami Storm
Chapter 1: Emergency!
-Months after the events of 'Christmas of Memories'-
"Hurry up, Mokuba! We gotta go!" Seto stage-whispered in a panic. "Pack only the essentials. We have to get outta here, now!"
"Mmnh?" Mokuba groaned, waking up from a good dream. "Nii-sama? What are you doing? It's the middle of the night!" The raven-haired teen rubbed his eyes and yawned hugely, watching his brother in confusion as the latter raced about the room- gathering and throwing random items into a huge suitcase. Somehow, all the objects were landing neatly in the baggage tool, but then Mokuba remembered that Seto had magic of his own now.
"No time to explain, kiddo. Just get up and pack the first essentials you find." Seto hissed in a kind but strained tone. Mokuba realized with a jolt that his brother was afraid. Why is Seto scared? He's never been afraid of anything! As he thought to himself, the boy grabbed all of his jeans from the closet and yanked them off their hangers. If Seto was in this much of a panic, they had to hurry, and- from the sound of things- they were going to be on the run. As such, they would need durable clothes. Next he packed all of his t-shirts and underwear, not knowing how long they'd be gone. As he stuffed all of this into his smaller suitcase, he was shocked that it all seemed to fit neatly. Then he realized. Seto must be helping me fit it all in. For someone who's never believed in magic before, he's really good at it! Next, he crammed in his long-sleeved shirts, not knowing what the weather would be like. He raced to the bathroom, then snatched his toothbrush, toothpaste, brush and bathroom kit from the drawer and shoved it in the front pocket of the bag.
Doubting that his brother would think this last item to be 'essential', Mokuba secretly stuffed their dueling decks into his shirt pockets. Who knew if they might need them? When he was ready, he nodded to Seto, then the two brothers raced out of the house. Looking at his brother, Mokuba wondered why Seto had donned his armor, but then he shook his head. He's just taking extra precautions to protect us both. As they raced around the corner of the block, Seto sensed that they had walked right into a trap.
"Leaving so soon, boys?" A familiar voice drawled. Seto wordlessly took his brother's hand and transformed his cape into wings to escape, but- before he could- both he and Mokuba were grabbed from behind. Two rather large thugs had snuck up behind them- surprising, considering Seto's enhanced senses. Their supposed leader stayed in the shadows of the dark alley, so that not even Seto could see his captor's face. The only thing that he could tell about the assailants was that they were all robed in black and had gruesome masks on their faces. Seto struggled against his captor's hold, but even with his strength- the strength of a dragon- his attempts were futile. Beside him, Mokuba was struggling as well. Seto was rather impressed with his skill. Had they been restrained by normal humans, Mokuba's captor would be out cold by now. However, this was clearly not the case. It's no use, kiddo. Seto thought at his brother gently. If I can't get free by myself, you certainly can't. Save your strength.
Mokuba nodded silently, glaring at his unseen captor and wary of what he might do next. "I suppose you're wondering how my subordinates got so strong. Strong enough to restrain a 'Blue-Eyes'." Seto snarled at the man's clearly mocking tone. "Ooh, scary." The man laughed sarcastically, not frightened in the least. "I wonder: can the 'dragon knight' still be hurt by weapons made by mere mortals?" The leader asked, pulling a gun out of his robes. Mokuba gasped in horror, but Seto didn't even blink. No need to give this idiot any ideas about the one thing that could hurt him now. Mokuba. The kid had always been his weakness, but also his greatest strength. That would never change, no matter how powerful he himself became.
His captor seemed not to notice Mokuba's gasp, so focused was he on the elder Kaiba. "What's this? Not even a twitch? You're just the same overconfident egomaniac that you were when I first met you, in that duel that changed my life." The man spat through his mask onto the ground at Seto's feet, and Seto had to try hard to resist rolling his eyes. If only he knew- how wrong he is, how much I've changed.
The mysterious masked man walked right up to the CEO and put the nozzle of the gun to Seto's left temple. Although he knew that the bullet wouldn't kill him, Seto was still cautious about what would happen should the man pull the trigger. It won't even break the skin. Seto thought resolutely. But it'll probably still hurt. Will it knock me out? Or will I just get a concussion and a really bad headache when I wake up?
The man must have come to a decision of his own, because the hammer suddenly clicked back and Seto heard the trigger hit the handle of the gun. A millisecond later, he heard the shot and felt the bullet hit his temple. Another half-second passed, and the dragon warrior collapsed to the ground. Just before losing consciousness, he heard Mokuba scream, "Seto! No!" Those monsters better not hurt him, or I'll make them wish they were never born! was Seto's last thought before the darkness claimed him.
Mokuba struggled all the harder in his captor's hold when Seto collapsed. "You monsters! What've you done to him?!" He cried, shouting at the mysterious masked leader. Wordlessly, the man walked up to the captive teen and struck him across the face with the back of his hand, snarling, "Shut up, you stupid brat! Your precious brother is fine. Unfortunately. That shot just knocked him out. You, on the other hand-" The man chuckled evilly. "Let's just say I have a special fate in mind for you. With Kaiba out of the picture, there will be no one left who can stop me!"
Mokuba stopped his struggling when he heard this, knowing that it was pointless anyway. What's this maniac planning? It better not be another 'take-over-the-world' scheme. We've had enough of those to last five lifetimes. Then he started. "What d'you mean, 'with Seto out of the picture'? What're you gonna do to him?" The boy cried, fearing for his brother's life.
The villain laughed maliciously, and Mokuba could see excitement gleaming in his eyes behind the mask. "That's for me to know and for you to guess at." He chuckled, continuing, "And before you ask- no, this isn't a 'take-over-the-world' scheme." Not this world, anyway- He thought to himself. "This is mostly about revenge, but it doesn't concern you. All I need from you is information." He poked Mokuba's nose when he said 'you', almost in an endearing fashion. "Now, where is Marik's Millennium Rod?"
Mokuba gasped silently to himself. Why would he need- How'd he know about the Rod? Another silent gasp. Could this man be one of Malik's 'mind-slaves' from Battle City? That rules out Strings, he was a mime. So is it that one guy, 'Seeker'? Or Bandit Keith? Probably the latter- Out loud he said, "Why do you need it?" an expressionless mask on his face, just like Seto had taught him.
"None of your business, brat!" Keith hissed, striking Mokuba across the face again. "Just answer the question!" The card shark started pacing back and forth in the narrow alleyway, seeming agitated and distracted for some reason. "Look, kid, I don't have a lot a' time. The police are bound to come here after that gunshot. Now tell me where that stupid ancient stick is, or I'll send you to a place not even the great Seto Kaiba can save you from!" He pulled out the handgun again and pointed it at Mokuba, who flinched a little at the sight of the weapon. Even though he knew his life was in danger, Mokuba decided to play dumb. "You mean that gold ax-thing with the eye? I think it fell into a bottomless pit with the other Items. Sorry."
Keith laughed humorlessly. "Nice try, kid." He opened his robe, and the Millennium Ring gleamed in front of his chest. Ryou! Mokuba thought in horror. No! "I've got the other five Items too. All I need- is your brother's Rod." Keith whispered menacingly. "What've you done to my friends, you fiend?!" cried Mokuba, fearing the worst. "Those idiots? Well that information's classified, so no comment. But don't worry. If you don't cooperate, you'll see them very soon." Keith chuckled. "Oh, and I 'took care' of the other 'Bearers' too, so no hoping for a miraculous last-minute rescue, twerp." He added with a grin.
"No-" whispered the boy, not wanting to believe what he was hearing. "No! You- you monster! They never did anything to you!" He cried, tears breaking through his emotionless mask.
"Wrong! Remember Wheeler? He humiliated me not once, but twice in Duelist Kingdom! And Yugi- he nearly burned me alive in a warehouse just before Battle City! I'll never forgive him for that!"
I seem to remember it being the other way around- Mokuba disagreed, but he kept that observation to himself. He didn't want to push the duelist's sanity any farther over the edge than it already was.
There's no hope- Mokuba realized sadly. No way out. Seto's unconscious, and the others- all my friends, my family- gone. Maybe dead. With a sigh of defeat, Mokuba admitted, "It's at the mansion. We left it behind."
"Heh. There's a good boy. Now was that so hard?" Keith snickered, patting Mokuba's head patronizingly. "Y'know, that was a pretty stupid move, leaving it there. Anyone could get it then." He mused, enjoying the teen's obvious hatred for him. Then without warning, he hit his captive hard over the head with the handle of the gun. He smirked as he fastened a single manacle-like device to the motionless teen's ankle, locked it in place with a small key and pressed a light green stone on the outer edge. Immediately the stone began to glow and a strange seal appeared on the boy's forehead- his blank, gray-blue eyes dilating until almost none of the iris could be seen. "Throw him through to my new kingdom with his brother." He instructed his two henchmen, walking deeper into the alley. "There's a new 'Thief King' in town-" He laughed as he and his cohorts disappeared into the night, "-and his name is 'Bandit' Keith Howard!"
-Hours later-
Unnh. My head hurts- Seto groaned mentally when he regained consciousness. Understandable, given what happened. Wait a minute! Where's Mokuba? The young man looked around frantically, but could not find his little brother anywhere. What he did find was that he was imprisoned in some type of dungeon, and that he was sitting on a cold metal slab chained to the wall- obviously meant to be his bed. His left ankle was chained to the wall under his bed, and his armor had been removed and confiscated by his captors. At least, that's what he'd assumed.
Oh great. I'm back at Duelist Kingdom, locked in the dungeons again- He guessed, surveying what he could of his surroundings. Which wasn't much, considering what little light there was. Suddenly, he heard footsteps and looked up to see a vaguely familiar face leering at him from between the bars. "So, you've decided to join us. How are you feeling?" The man asked his captive with a sneer. Seto had to admit that the man was rather handsome- in a Hollywood kind of way- but he couldn't remember where he'd seen him before. Maybe in a movie? Seto shook his head to clear his thoughts. It wasn't important right now. Unbidden, a memory from his childhood came to mind- a memory of one of the painful lessons Gozaburo had literally pounded into him.
-Flashback-
"If you're ever taken captive by an adversary, not likely-" His stepfather snarled at him after a particularly brutal punishment for trying to see Mokuba. "Don't give them an inch, no matter what. You are a Kaiba now, boy, and we bow to no one."
-End Flashback-
Seto glared at the man, whose false concern quickly melted into anger. "A lowly prisoner should show respect to his Masters. It seems I'm going to have to teach you some manners!" The man spat, his voice gradually rising to a shout at the end. He gripped something around his neck with his left hand, and upon studying it closer, Seto realized with a jolt that he was holding the Millennium Key. Wheeler! Seto thought in horror. The man didn't give him time to think more about this, snapping his fingers on his right hand. Suddenly Seto felt an unbearable pain in his heart and unbelievable pressure on his shoulders. The pain and weight forced him down on one knee, and he unwillingly bowed his head as if showing respect to this man.
"There. Was that so hard?" The man teased in a patronizing tone. When Seto didn't answer, the pain returned and the jailer snarled, "Prisoners and slaves will address their Captain of the Guard immediately when asked a question. Now repeat after me, 'As you wish, Captain Magnum'," He smiled, obviously enjoying the torment and humiliation of the young hero.
Though Seto resisted with every fiber of his being, a strange, abnormal force made him say the words given to him. "As you wish, Captain Magnum." Seto growled through his teeth. So that's where I saw him before. Jean-Claude Magnum, the hack star of all those bad ninja movies- Seto realized with a grimace. As soon as the words left his mouth, the pain vanished as quickly as it had come. The Captain of the Guard laughed heartily- clapping his hands in mock praise- as if Seto were a two-year-old who'd just learned to walk. "Very good, Seto! See what happens when you obey the rules? Ha! This is more fun than I ever would've imagined! I'm glad the boss decided to give me this position! Thank- you- Thief- King!" He crowed, putting emphasis on every word. Still chuckling gleefully, the actor called back as he walked off, "I'll send someone down with your rations later, if you're a good boy!" Then the dungeon door slammed shut, and Seto was plunged into total darkness.
When Seto was sure that the footsteps were long gone, he tried to free his leg from its chain and fetter. "Don't bother." A ghostly voice echoed from somewhere next to him. Seto looked around wildly, but fruitlessly. The room was black as pitch. Yet he definitely recognized that voice! "Yugi?!" Seto breathed incredulously. "Yup. I'm here too." The voice muttered again. "Imprisoned, just like you. Well, maybe not exactly like you-" He allowed, and a furry ball landed in Seto's surprised lap. "Kweee!" It cried, and Seto jumped in alarm. After he recovered from the shock, Seto snorted. "Kuriboh? You were turned into a Kuriboh?" He asked incredulously, roaring with laughter. The Kuriboh scowled, and Yugi's rather annoyed and indignant voice mumbled, "Glad I amuse you." Then his tone brightened. "Actually, I'm surprised you can hear me. Not many can."
"What do you mean?" Seto asked, confused.
"Only 'Black Magician Girl' and 'Hono no Kenshi' have been able to hear me so far. No one else here at the Castle can. I dunno why. Maybe it's some magic that we possess?" Seto felt Kuriboh shrug. "Or maybe it's something else entirely. I'm not sure." Yugi's ghostly voice faded, and Seto guessed that his friend was deep in thought. After a few minutes, Yugi advised, "Oh, whatever you do, don't go into the Castle courtyard if you can help it. It's too painful, even for someone as strong as you."
"Why not?" Seto asked, now even more confused. "And another thing. Why does your voice sound so- distant? It's like I'm talking to a ghost."
At this, Kuriboh shifted uncomfortably and averted its large purple eyes. Yugi sighed sadly. "Everyone's soul has been forced into the body of their Ka, as the Bearers call it. So- technically- I am a ghost. If you're wondering why, I'm only down here because I 'refused' to show respect. I really did do it, but they couldn't understand me!" At this, Kuriboh let out an annoyed "Kyu!" and Seto couldn't help but smile. "As to your first question- just trust me. Don't go out there." Kuriboh made a sad sound, almost as if the creature was in mourning.
"Oh." Seto answered, feeling slightly awkward. How should he respond to that? He sat quietly on the edge of his 'bed' for a few moments, then Kuriboh suddenly hopped off his lap and down to the floor. "I just got an idea! Brace yourself, this might hurt a little-" Yugi warned, and Seto tensed. When Kuriboh started to glow next to his left ankle, though, Seto shouted, "Wait! What're you-"
KABOOM! The Ka self-destructed, breaking the manacle around Kaiba's leg and leaving a shiny burn above and below the previously shackled area. Seto winced, but he was more concerned with what his friend had just done. "Yugi! YUGI!"
"What?" The duelist asked, a huge grin evident in his voice. "I always have a backup plan ready." "Kwee!" Kuriboh added happily, bouncing onto Seto's lap again. Seto smiled and sighed. "Never scare me like that again!" He mock chided, ruffling the Ka's fur affectionately. Kuriboh purred gently at the gesture, enjoying the attention.
"What I don't get-" Yugi continued as Seto absentmindedly petted the fuzzball, "-is why you didn't change when you came here. Everyone else became a Ka, so why didn't you?" He asked in a confused and bewildered tone.
"Maybe it's because I'm part Shadow Creature already. My body and spirit are permanently fused with Blue-Eyes." Seto explained. "For everybody else, this must be temporary. But I've got a lifelong bond to my most trusted and favorite dragon." Yugi opened his mouth. "It's not a curse, it's a blessing." He added, sensing and countering what Yugi was about to say. "I can protect the ones I love. Family and friends."
"Hm. That could be. Oh well. We'll figure out more of this mystery tomorrow. For now, you should sleep." Yugi suggested, and Kuriboh hopped off his lap and bounced away into the darkness. Seto nodded, and- as he laid down on his side to sleep- his final thought was of his kid brother. Mokuba. Please be all right.
End of chapter 1
Next chapter teaser: Unexpected
So- what do you think? Too weird? To quote a favorite author of mine, "I'm definitely writing without a net on this one!" (Kitt Chaos, 'Respect')
I bet you can guess who 'Hono no Kenshi' is. But how about the other 'heroes'? And which Ka will Mokuba be? Yugi did say that everyone changed- Ooh, mystery!
Magnum has the Key because he defeated Joey and sent him to this realm. Something about wanting revenge for 'stealing' Mai. That reminds me, what Ka will she be? And everyone else for that matter!
I'll give you a hint: Everyone that has been 'fused' are characters in my previous stories. Yes, all of them. (the good guys, anyway.) Except for the ones who are dead. Not Kemo either. He's still in prison.
Later, 'taters!
God Bless!
Tsunami Storm