(A/N) What happens when two sisters have nothing to do over winter break? A whirl wind, drag-out dueling, Millennium magic, cursed spirits, romantic, dramatic, angsty, action-adventure, shadow games Duel Monsters tournament. All of our favorite characters return to compete in a new tournament. And as everyone knows, a new tournament means a new threat to the very existence of human kind. Now where have I heard that before? Oh, right. It's the summary. But anyway, this story takes place about a year after Battle City, but before the Orichalcos saga. We're not exactly sure about the time frame between the two.
Disclaimer: We don't own anything having to do with Yu-Gi-Oh and no profit is being made off of this fic. Now that that's out of the way…lets get on with the show!
Past the Point of No Return
Chapter 1: A New Player
A cold wind swept through the silent streets of Domino City, Japan. The few people who were still awake at this midnight hour all felt it. And though no one would admit it, anyone who heard that unearthly wind would have sworn they had heard a voice on it. A voice whispering across the city streets and creeping into homes, stealing the very warmth from the blood. It was the herald of terrible things to come.
However, this chilling breeze went unfelt by a young woman who was still out on the streets. It was her first time on the streets of Domino. All who saw her gave her a wide birth. Perhaps it had something to do with the black cloak that hid her face from sight. Or maybe it was the determined way in which her black boots slapped against the pavement. She was obviously not to be distracted from her goal. This girl had an air about her. Almost like she was wearing a huge neon sign that said "DANGER! DO NOT APPROACH!"
There was no moon on this night but the young girl knew where she was heading. A small game shop. According to her associates in New York City the shop had dropped in popularity ever since the Devlin gaming bazaar had opened up a few blocks away. The game shop was owned by an old retired archeologist, Solomon Mutou. The man was a true game master, but he was getting on in years and his fame had passed to his grandson, Yugi Mutou. Yugi had risen to stardom in three short years after his defeat of the Duel Monsters world champion, Seto Kaiba. He also wielded the three legendary Egyptian God cards. But there was something about Yugi that the public didn't know.
When Yugi was seven his grandpa had given him an ancient Egyptian artifact that he'd unearthed in a pharaoh's tomb. The Millennium Puzzle. According to legend many had tried to solve the puzzle, but no one ever could. The puzzle always found its way back into the tomb somehow. Knowing that Yugi loved riddles and puzzles, Solomon gave the Millennium Puzzle to him. After eight long years, Yugi managed to solve the puzzle. When he did, he was infused with the spirit of a long-dead pharaoh. That was why he had become such a great duelist. And that was why this girl sought him out now.
When she finally reached the Kame Game Shop she noticed that there was one light on up on the second floor. She easily scaled the building and came to a stop just outside the window. She hung on with one hand and reached the other inside her cloak, down towards the holster in her belt. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found that the climb up hadn't shaken the short golden staff from her belt. She peeked up over the sill to see what was in the room.
She saw a boy with black hair and fuchsia highlights sitting at a computer. From where she hung just outside the window, the girl thought he seemed a bit on the short side and she could have sworn that he had blonde bangs. Around his neck hung a golden pyramid pendant. This had to be Yugi. And across the room was a bed. This wouldn't have been unusual except for the fact that two solid gold items rested on the bed. A necklace and a staff. A boy that looked quite a lot like Yugi stood watching over them. The only real difference between the two teens was that the one standing by the bed was transparent.
"The Pharaoh." the girl whispered to herself.
Thankfully the window was open so she could hear the conversation going on inside.
"Yami, can't you just put those things away? I don't see what you're so worried about." Yugi said without turning his eyes away from the computer screen.
"It's been too quiet lately." the spirit answered.
"What's wrong with that? Don't you like having some peace and quiet for once?"
"Peace and quiet can be deceiving."
"Oi," Yugi said to the computer screen, finally turning to face the spirit. "You're so tense these days. You're acting like Marik's going to jump out from behind the next bush and steal the puzzle. You banished him to the Shadow Realm, remember?"
"Yugi, there aren't any bushes in this neighborhood. Secondly…" the spirit trailed off and walked over to the window. The girl ducked down and grabbed onto the niche in the wall just beneath the window sill, clinging to the side of the building. Her cloak blended into the darkness.
"I feel…the shadows." Yami whispered, partly to himself and partly to Yugi. "They are restless. Something has happened."
Yami's eye's flitted down just below the window. He could have sworn he saw movement. But all he could see were shadows. Why was he so on edge?
"What kind of something, Yami? It's been almost a year since Battle City and nothing's happened."
"I know. But I cannot seem to shake the feeling that something is about to happen. Something bad. I sense chaos."
"Well, whatever it is, I know we can handle it. We have the God cards. And as long as we stick together we can handle anything that comes our way." Yugi said confidently.
Yami sighed and turned away from the window.
"You're right, Yugi. I'm just being paranoid."
The spirit walked away from the window and over to Yugi. He sat down on the computer desk and glanced sideways at the monitor. Almost as if he didn't trust the computer.
"What are you doing?"
Yugi typed a few more words and signed off before answering.
"I was just talking to Tea online. But I think now would be a good time to call it a night." Yugi said, switching off the computer and walking over to his closet. He pulled off the jacket he'd been wearing and his pants. He rooted through the closet and came up with a crumpled pair of boxer shorts.
"You know, you should get some rest too. You haven't been sounding so good lately." Yugi told Yami as he picked up the Millennium Rod and Necklace from his bed. The girl lifted her head up just in time to see him stash the objects in his closet.
"Are you certain that it's a good idea to leave the window open, Yugi?" Yami asked as he sat down on the bed.
"Are you kidding?! It's like an oven in here. This is the first good breeze that we've had all summer."
Yami looked troubled at these words. He shivered once before vanishing back into the puzzle around Yugi's neck.
Yugi stared at the puzzle curiously. He glanced up at the open window for a moment before switching off the lights and crawling into bed.
The girl hung from the window sill for a few more minutes, listening for the heavy, rhythmic breathing that signified that Yugi was asleep.
When she finally heard her cue, the girl heaved herself up through the open window. She sat on the sill for a few moments, allowing her burning hands a second to heal. She had been hanging from the window for a good twenty minutes after all.
Then she slipped into the darkened bedroom. When no alarms went off and no one jumped out at her she started to cross the room. Before opening the closet she glanced quickly at Yugi. The teen was definitely sound asleep. She opened the closet door and silently pulled out the golden rod. Then she pulled its replica from the holster in her belt. She stood for a moment, comparing the two. It would take a very skilled eye to tell the difference between the two. The winged orb and the carved Eye of Horus were exactly the same. Only the one in Yugi's closet was pure gold. The one she carried was just gold-plated. A copy stolen from the museum in Cairo. It wouldn't be long before the switch was discovered but it would be time enough.
The girl laid the fake rod inside Yugi's closet next to the necklace. Then she tucked the real Millennium Rod into the holster on her belt. She shut the door gently and walked over to Yugi's bedside. She pulled his blanket aside and stared down at the Millennium Puzzle. It would be so easy to take it here and now. She slowly reached for the chain.
No! You foolish girl! We only need the rod. Everything is going according to plan. Don't ruin it all now!
The girl yanked her hand back as if she had been burned. Yes. He was right. All they needed was the rod. She placed her hand on the artifact tucked into her belt and smirked, wishing she could be there to see the look on Yugi's face when he realized that the rod had been stolen.
"Poor fool," she whispered to the sleeping Yugi before turning and walking to the window. "You should have listened to the Pharaoh. Soon you will pay for it. Pay with both of your lives."
The girl swung her thin frame out the window and climbed down the side of the building. Before leaving she turned back and gazed up at the open window one last time. The wind whipped past and lifted her hood a mere fraction, revealing ice-blue eyes, pale skin, and a flash of light blue hair. She quickly pulled the hood back over her face and sprinted down the darkened street. A chopper was waiting for her.
Everything was working out perfectly so far.
Yugi shifted slightly in his sleep, still dreaming sweetly. He had no idea of the events that were about to unfold.
Yami lay awake in his own soul room. He couldn't sleep at all so he projected his spirit into the physical world again. He walked over to the open window. His gaze kept shifting from his sleeping Aibou to the street below the game shop. It was so dark. Yami just couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible had happened. He shivered again as the frigid winds continued to sweep through the city.
XxX
"Sister, can Odeon and I go down to the docks today?" Malik Ishtar asked his older sister, Ishizu.
Ishizu smiled to herself as she walked past his eager face. She knew that he would go, even if she said he couldn't. But at least he was making an attempt to stay in line.
"If Odeon's going with you then why do you need my permission?" Ishizu asked playfully as she walked into the kitchen with Malik hot on her heels.
"Because you are the only responsible one in this household." Odeon answered matter-of-factly from his place at the kitchen table. He was leaning back in his chair and calmly sipping a cup of coffee.
Ishizu smiled at her older brother. He smiled back over the rim of his cup.
"Don't you have school today, Malik?"
"Um……maybe." Malik answered sheepishly.
"All right, go on and go. I've got no business sending you to school when I know that you are not going to stay there."
"Yes! Come on, Odeon. If we leave now we can get there before the others." Malik said excitedly as he pulled Odeon to his feet and proceeded to drag him to the door.
"Make sure you both behave, Odeon." Ishizu warned them, taking Odeon's coffee mug from him as he was dragged out the door.
"But Ishizu, I didn't get to finish that." Odeon complained with a mock whine.
"There's no time for that now, Odeon. You can drink coffee when we get back." Malik said as he towed his older brother down the dusty street.
Ishizu laughed out loud, listening to her brothers bantering as she turned back into the house. She returned to the kitchen and placed the half empty mug in the sink before turning and walking out the door herself. She locked it behind her and continued to chuckle silently to herself as she walked in the opposite direction of her two brothers. It felt good to laugh after a lifetime of silence.
It had been almost a year since Kaiba's Battle City Tournament and things were definitely looking up. The Egyptian God cards and the Millennium Rod and Necklace were all safe in the hands of the Pharaoh and the world was safe from evil for the moment. Ishizu still had her job at the museum and she'd bought a small house on the outskirts of Cairo with her earnings. The three Ishtars had moved out of the tomb keeper's quarters below ground and into their new home. Ishizu had enrolled Malik in the local high school but she couldn't for the life of her get him to stay there. He was constantly cutting class and going down to the docks with Odeon to duel with some of his new friends. Malik was a sweet kid but he just couldn't stand being stuck in school. He and Odeon had both spent their whole lives running free. They weren't used to the responsibilities of everyday life. The two were simply not equipped to deal with normal living. So it was left to Ishizu to "bring home the bacon" as it were. But that was fine by her. She enjoyed it.
But now and then, even Ishizu got a little restless. She'd spent her whole life fighting to protect the world from evil, and now the job had passed to the Pharaoh. Even Ishizu couldn't help but miss the thrill of the old days once in awhile.
Ishizu sighed, realizing that her musings had carried her all the way to the museum. But something was different today. The entrance was cordoned off and the Cairo Police Department was out in force. A police squad was guarding the entrances, discouraging any curious onlookers. Ishizu quickly approached the officer in charge.
"Excuse me, sir. My name is Ishizu Ishtar." she explained. Before he had a chance to chase her away she flashed him her I.D. and pass. "I work here. What has happened?"
"Ah, yes. Miss Ishtar. I was told to expect you. Please follow me."
With that, the officer turned and led Ishizu past the blockade. As they walked through the main lobby Ishizu tried to question the officer more closely.
"May I ask what's going on?"
"You might. I am Officer Kemal. There has been a break in."
"Which exhibit? What's been taken?" Ishizu asked, suddenly fearful.
"The Millennium Mysteries exhibit. The one you maintain I believe. Two things have been stolen." Officer Kemal explained to her as they entered the room where Ishizu's exhibit was kept. "The replica Millennium Rod and the Mage's Stone."
"Mage's Stone?" Ishizu asked, going weak at the knees. The replica of the Millennium Rod, though quite pricey, was nothing compared to losing the Mage's Stone.
"Yes." Officer Kemal clarified, stopping before the display case. "The strange thing is that there's no sign whatsoever of forced entry. The glass isn't broken. The door wasn't forced. According to night security, no alarms went off. If it weren't for the fact that the items in question are missing I would say that nothing had happened."
Ishizu came to stand beside the officer and looked over the display. This case displayed replicas of all seven Millennium Items. Now it only displayed six. The rod really was gone. Ishizu's Millennium Mysteries exhibit was the largest collection of supposedly magic items. But what the public didn't know was that most of the items in the exhibit really held magic powers. Most of them were weak but a few things, like the Mage's Stone, were very powerful and could prove dangerous if they fell into the wrong hands.
"This is terrible." Ishizu whispered.
"Yes, miss, very unfortunate. But you shouldn't worry. We've got a team working on it. It won't be long before we've caught the thief."
Ishizu gave an exasperated sigh. This officer obviously didn't understand all that was at stake here. This wasn't any normal theft. Even without her Millennium Necklace, Ishizu could sense the hand of magic in this break in. Evil was at work here. Only one thing was going through Ishizu's mind as she headed out of the building.
I must contact the Pharaoh!
XxX