A/N: This is my first Yu-Gi-Oh fic (yay)! I'm open to constructive criticism. Flames will be used for marshmallows. My OC may have some original cards (her deck isn't finished yet) and if there are original cards, they will be in BOLD and what they are will be at the end of the chapter. So...let's get this show on the road, shall we?
One more thing! There will be some abridged series references in here, so keep your eyes out for those. I also plan on including Bonds Beyond Time with this (but that's subject to change).
kanna-chan does not own Yu-Gi-Oh.
"Everyone," the principal said as he turned to face the students, "we have a new student joining us at Domino High. Please welcome..." the principal turned his head and quickly noticed that the new student wasn't there. "Come on in, don't be shy. No one bites." The new student walked into the classroom and stood next to the principal. Her long light brown hair went down to her waist, and a part of it was in a braid. She had white skin and blue eyes and sported the Domino High School uniform. In her hand was a black rolling backpack. "Please welcome Mayu Yamaguchi. She is in tenth grade. Mr. Carson, I leave her in your hands," the principal said. Mr. Carson, the teacher, nodded.
"Let's see...where to put you," Mr. Carson mused. He gazed around the room and noticed the empty seat next to a boy with spiky tri-colored hair. He had a strange pyramid around his neck. "Mayu, why don't you go sit next to Yugi? He's over there." Mr. Carson pointed at the kid and Mayu nodded. She walked over to the desk next to him and sat down. "I trust you have all your textbooks?"
"Yes, sir," Mayu replied.
"Excellent. Unfortunately, however, the students have a history test today."
"I'm aware. The principal sent an email to my other teachers before I transferred."
"Given that it's your first day-"
"I'll take it."
"Sorry?"
"I said I'd take the test. History was my best subject at my old school; I don't think it will be too much of a problem."
"Did I hear right?" Joey asked Tristan. "She actually WANTS to take a test?"
Mr. Carson sighed. "Well...we do have enough copies. Are you sure you're prepared enough?"
"Positive, sir," Mayu replied.
"Very well, then."
Mr. Carson passed out the test, and Mayu's first day of school began. But there was something about the new girl that seemed very odd to Yugi. Something...strange. He shook his head and focused on the test.
"That was a really hard test," Yugi sighed as he, Tea, Joey and Tristan got their lunch and sat down at a table in the cafeteria.
"Tell me about it," Tristan sighed. "Something tells me I didn't do so well. I—hey, who's that?" Tristan looked over about two tables down and saw Mayu sitting on her own. She was eating a sandwich and had a book in her hand.
"Did you fall asleep again," Tea sighed. "That's the new girl, Mayu. Why don't we ask her to sit with us?"
"I don't know, guys," Yugi said. "She doesn't seem that social."
"Come on, it can't hurt to ask!"
Yugi sighed. "Fine, but you do it, Tea."
Tea walked over to Mayu. "Hi," Tea greeted. Mayu jumped in surprise and looked up from her book. "You're the new girl, right?" Mayu nodded. "I'm Tea Gardner. Nice to meet you!"
"I'm Mayu." Mayu turned back to her book and turned the page.
"So..."
"I'm sorry. It was nice meeting you, but I really have to go," Mayu said. She picked up the remaining half of her sandwich and threw it away before she went back to the classroom. Tea sighed. She walked back to her friends and shook her head.
"It's her first day here," Yugi said. "Maybe she just needs time to adjust."
"Maybe..." Tea sighed. She turned back to the table Mayu was sitting at and noticed her book. "Hey, isn't that Mayu's? She was reading it when I tried to talk to her."
"She must have left it down here by accident. I'll give it to her," Yugi said. "Lunch is almost over anyway, and I want to ask how I did on the test." With that, Yugi walked over to Mayu's table, picked up the book, and went back to the classroom.
Surprisingly, it was quiet on the walk up to the classroom for Yugi. Too quiet. Even Yami wasn't saying anything, and no one was hanging around the halls. "Something's fishy here," Yugi mused as he stopped a few feet away from the door to the classroom.
"So you sense it, too," Yami sighed. "There's something strange about that girl. Mayu, yes?"
Yugi nodded. "I feel it, but I'm not sure what it is. What do you think we should do?"
"Observe, I suppose." Yami shrugged his shoulders. "There's not much else we can do. We don't have—do you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Those voices. They're coming from the classroom." Yugi's eyes widened as he walked closer to the classroom and stood next to the door. He turned his head just enough to see Mayu in the classroom. Only...it didn't look like her. She wore a light green kimono with pink flowers on it that was just above her knees. She had a pink flower on each side of her hair, and she wasn't alone. "Dark Paladin," Yugi gasped as he recognized the fusion monster with the teal and gold robes. The other figure in the room was Drill Bug, another duel monster. "What the heck-"
"My mistress," Dark Paladin said, "what is it you require of us?" Drill Bug squeaked and clicked its drill in excitement.
Mayu laughed, "I ask that you observe the one with the spiky hair. The boy named Yugi," she mused as she tickled Drill Bug under its chin.
"Then you feel it, too, yes?" Mayu nodded. "He has something powerful. The—"
"I know, the Puzzle. I'm not stupid." Drill Bug clicked its drill in excitement and Mayu laughed. "Very funny, Drill Bug. Do you honestly think that I plan on-what's wrong?" Drill Bug jolted before he drilled under the ground. "What the heck? Where'd he go? He must've—" Yugi screamed as he was knocked off of his feet by Drill Bug. "That's Yugi's voice." Mayu sighed. "Mortals. So annoying. Not to mention nosy."
"What will you do, Mistress," Dark Paladin asked as he watched Drill Bug tie Yugi's legs up with his body.
"He knows too much. I'd say erase his memories, but the spirit of the Puzzle will probably get in the way. If I knew of a way to keep the spirit out of it, I would easily erase his memories, but—" Mayu was cut off as a hole appeared in the ground. Drill Bug came out of it, and Yugi was dragged along. "Well done, Drill Bug. You've found us a spy."
"What the hell—" Yugi shouted.
"Shut up," Mayu growled. She glanced at Drill Bug and said, "Let him up. I'll take it from here." Drill Bug whined. "Do it!" Reluctantly, Drill Bug unraveled itself from around Yugi's legs and went to stand (sit?) by his mistress. Yugi looked up at Mayu in fear as she sighed. "You mortals are all the same," she sighed. "Annoying, nosy...I knew there was a reason I didn't like mortals."
"What are you—" Yugi was cut off by the sound of gasps from his friends, who had just made it to the classroom.
"M-Mayu," Tea gasped. "What the heck—"
"Now what, Mistress?" Dark Paladin asked. "They know too much."
"No we don't!" Joey shouted.
"They've seen too much," Dark Paladin continued.
"We have no choice. We have to wipe their memories. The spirit will probably get in the way, but we have no other option but to try." Mayu sighed to herself. She tickled Drill Bug under his chin before she got up to her feet. Mayu took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She thrust her arms out to either side and a harsh gust of wind came into the room. Pink flower petals flew everywhere. Yugi and his friends did the best that they could to shield themselves from the wind. When the wind died down, the petals vanished, and so did Mayu.
And Yugi and his friends remembered every second of what just happened.
"What do you mean 'it didn't work?'" Dark Paladin yelled at Mayu as she got out a bowl from the cabinet and filled it with dirt from a nearby flowerpot. Mayu, the paladin, and Drill Bug made a small shed not too far away from the Kame Game Shop their home. While there weren't some of the basic necessities, it was good enough for the three of them to call home.
"I mean," Mayu replied, "it didn't work." She put the bowl of dirt in front of Drill Bug, who happily started to devour his dinner. "Nothing left their heads. NOTHING. That pesky pharaoh is really starting to get on my nerves." Mayu sighed. "And here I thought that the only one the Pharaoh would be able to shield from my spell would be Yugi. I haven't heard of a spirit shielding multiple people at once. Not only that...none of them should have been able to see me in my true form."
"Why do you think they could?"
"Probably the influence of the pharaoh. It wouldn't surprise me. I've heard of spirits influencing mortals before, and this doesn't seem to be any different."
"What will you do now?"
"No idea. This shed is too cramped, though."
"We just got here. Are you having...what is it the humans call it...mood see-saws?"
"They're mood swings, and no. Something feels...wrong. Dark, almost. Like there are vaguely evil forces screwing around. We should leave."
"But we have to stay—"
"I mean relocate our shelter. It's too cramped in the—" Mayu was cut off by a scream. "What was that?" Mayu ran out of the shed and saw a little girl in a white hospital gown being chased by a dark shape that she couldn't quite see. She could easily see that the girl was dead, though. Rather, the girl had been dead for a while, and her spirit couldn't go on to the afterlife. The girl's spirit was being chased by a demon in crystal-green armor. The demon had purple skin, red eyes, and a green pentagram that looked all too familiar to Mayu on its forehead.
It was the Seal of Orichalcos.
"Dammit," Mayu cursed. "Up to your old tricks again, old friend? Looks like I'll just have to stop you."
"'Friend?'" Dark Paladin asked.
"It's a long story that we really don't have time for right now. Drill Bug, I want you and Dark Paladin to buy me time. I'm going to get the girl to safety. I—" Mayu hissed in pain as she grabbed her shoulder. It felt like she was being branded with a hot poker. Dark Paladin looked on with concern. "Forget about me, just go," she hissed.
"But-"
"Go!"
Drill Bug went under the ground and went straight for the soldier, while Dark Paladin took to the sky and sent spells straight at the Orichalcos soldier. Mayu sighed. The pain was starting to weaken. She ran to the girl and managed to coax her into a good hiding spot. The soldier attacked again, and Mayu cursed. She leaped into the air and attacked the soldier with her powers. Unfortunately, it had no effect. In fact, Mayu's powers, Dark Paladin, and Drill Bug barely made a crack in the soldier's armor. Drill Bug did its best to keep attacking while Mayu and Dark Paladin were knocked to the ground. They struggled to get up and hide somewhere. They quickly hid behind a large bush.
"What is that armor made of," Dark Paladin groaned after being knocked to the ground.
"Orichalcos stone," Mayu replied. "It's virtually indestructible."
"That explains a lot. Now what?"
"Keep attacking, I suppose." Drill Bug squealed as it got thrown upwards from underground. He fell into Mayu's arms and whined in pain. "I know, I know," she whispered as she rubbed Drill Bug's back. That's when she noticed something. Drill Bug's coloring was off. His usual white-tan color was starting to get quite pale. Mayu looked at Dark Paladin and saw that he was turning pale as well. "Not good," Mayu muttered. "Those soldiers have gotten upgrades from last time."
"What do you mean?"
"They're draining our energy. I feel so weak already, and I've barely used any power. You feel that, too, right?"
"I do feel weaker, if that is what you mean."
"We can't afford to retreat, and all we're doing to that thing is attacking it like mosquitoes. I think it would take a few hundred more attacks before it needed a painkiller. I-oh shit." Mayu looked up and saw that the soldier had found their hiding place. It jeered at them before it swung what looked like a cross between a blade and a Duel Disk at them. Mayu held up her hands and created a barrier. She struggled under the strain. "Go..." she struggled to say to Dark Paladin and Drill Bug. "Save...the...girl. Forget...about...me."
"But—"
"That...was...not...a...request." The barrier was already starting to break. "Go!"
Dark Paladin muttered something that Mayu couldn't quite make out before he and Drill Bug went over to the girl. It was a matter of seconds before the barrier broke. The Orichalcos soldier reared its bladed arm back, and was about to swing. Mayu felt so weak; she couldn't even teleport away. Like regular humans, Mayu could be injured and "die," but it would take considerably great power to kill her. Clearly, this Orichalcos soldier had considerably great power. Mayu ducked down on the ground and shut her eyes before she heard a voice shout, "Now I summon...Timaeus!"
"Yugi," Mayu breathed in realization. She hoped that he didn't see her. Timaeus, the great legendary dragon, appeared in the sky and attacked the Orichalcos soldier with a blast of light fired from its mouth. "So...he really is one of the Chosen Warriors." Mayu shakily got back to her feet and watched the soldier disintegrate. Mayu looked at her arm and saw a deep cut that ran down from her shoulder to her elbow. She ignored it and noticed Dark Paladin and Drill Bug coming her way.
"Mistress," Dark Paladin shouted as he ran over to Mayu. He was followed by Drill Bug and the little girl who died.
"I told you to take her to the afterlife," Mayu sighed. The girl's spirit was happily playing with Drill Bug.
"She wouldn't listen to us. Besides, you're the only one who can get someone to the afterlife."
"No! I don't wanna leave!" the girl cried. She couldn't have been more than six years old. "I wanna stay here! I want my mommy and daddy!"
Mayu sighed and smiled a sad smile. She knelt down to the girl's eye level and pulled her in for a hug. "If you stay here," Mayu whispered, "more of those big and scary monsters can come after you. You'll never be able to rest."
"But I don't wanna rest! I want my mom and dad!"
"I know you do." Mayu sighed. "I'll tell you what. Give me just a minute here, and then we can go say goodbye to your mom and dad. How does that sound?"
The girl sniffled. "Really?"
Mayu nodded. She got up and asked Dark Paladin to keep an eye on the girl for a couple minutes. There was some business that Mayu had to take care of. She walked across the street into a clearing and looked up. A big, giant, yellow eye that looked like a snake's shone in the night sky. She shook her head and called, "I know you're there. No point in hiding."
Yugi sighed and came out from behind the lamp post. "How did you know it was me," Yugi asked.
"I think you mean 'How did you know it was us,'" Mayu replied. Yugi's eyes widened. "I may be dead, but I'm not stupid. I know all about the Puzzle and the other Millennium Items. Nameless Pharaoh, show yourself. Or I shall draw you out of there by force."
"Wait," Yugi said. "Before anything...what was that thing? What are you? What's going on?"
"I shall explain later when we can get to a less...open space."
"Just one thing. Just tell me one thing. I have to know!"
"You know too much already. This is my problem, not yours. I'd stay out of it if I were you."
"Just one thing. Please just tell me—us—one thing."
Mayu sighed. She ran a hand through her long hair and said, "My name is Mayu. I am a Death Princess."
"Death—"
"I've told you too much already. Leave before I get the Pharaoh involved and have to erase both your memories." Mayu, Dark Paladin and Drill Bug vanished in a flurry of flower petals.
"You're kidding, right," Tea asked. She, Tristan, and Joey were at Yugi's house. Apparently, they all went to Yugi's house after seeing that giant eye in the sky. Yugi had just explained the events of the previous night to them. "Mayu's..."
"Dead," Joey finished.
"How is this possible?" Tristan asked. "And what was that thing in the sky? And the dragon? And the—"
"You mortals just don't know when to shut up, do you?" Mayu asked as she appeared from a twister of flower petals. She was flanked by Dark Paladin and Drill Bug. Drill Bug quickly jumped on her shoulder and draped itself around Mayu like a shawl.
"Mayu," Yugi breathed.
"You're a real idiot, Yugi," Mayu growled. "It's bad enough that you're involved, but getting them involved?" Mayu glared at the others before she turned to Yugi and sighed. "I hope you're happy. You've gotten yourselves into some pretty deep trouble."
"Who are you?" Joey asked. "What are you? And what were those things?"
"That demon from a little while ago...that was an Orichalcos soldier."
"Orichalcos soldier?" Yugi asked. The pharaoh appeared beside him in his spirit form.
"Orichalcos soldiers are the creations of a dragon known as the Great Leviathan, a dragon with great power, and also known as the Orichalcos god," Mayu explained. "Ten thousand years ago in Atlantis, it was resurrected by a man named Dartz through the use of human souls. It was sealed away by three legendary dragons, and Atlantis sank to the bottom of the sea in the process. Those dragons were Timaeus," Mayu picked the Timaeus card up from the ground, "Hermos, and Critias. However, the dragons were turned into crystal statues. Yugi has managed to free one of the dragons, Timaeus. As for the other two..." Mayu trailed off.
"You don't know what happened to them?" Tristan supplied.
Mayu shook her head. "I've traveled the world for almost six thousand years like this. This is nothing like I've ever seen before. However...the Orichalcos soldiers are stronger and more intelligent. Remember?"
Mayu looked up at Dark Paladin who nodded and said, "This is not normal. None of this is."
"Like that's new," Joey sighed. Tristan scoffed, but Tea, Yami (although only Yugi, Mayu, and Mayu's companions could see him) and Yugi were listening with intent. "After all the weird stuff we've been through, I'll believe anything."
"I have done as much work as I can on trying to figure out who the other two chosen duelists are. Unfortunately, I haven't found anything yet. However, this hasn't just been happening here in Domino," Mayu explained. "Have you heard anything about real monster sightings on the TV?"
"Yeah," Tea replied. "They had this huge thing about how it was happening all over the world and stuff."
"The media managed to make it so that the 'cause' was a duel disk gone haywire. The truth is, however, is that real monsters have been appearing in this world. I'm not sure why. Neither is Dark Paladin or Drill Bug," Mayu said. "However-" There was a knock at the door.
"Excuse me," Solomon Muto said as he walked into the room. He couldn't see Mayu, thankfully. "Yugi, this is for you. It came in the mail."
"Who's it from," Yugi asked.
"I'm not sure. My eyesight's not what it used to be." He handed the package over to Yugi before he walked out of the room. Yugi gasped when he saw the return address.
Tea, Tristan and Joey jumped up and ran to Yugi. "Hey, what's the matter, Yug," Joey asked.
"Let's see," Tea said. "From the office of Maximillion Pegasus."
There was a moment of silence, before Joey jumped up and shouted, "Pegasus?!"
"Open it up," Mayu said. Yugi took off the paper wrapping and inside of it was a box that had a videotape and a card with a key on it. "Weird. I haven't seen this card before. Have either of you," she asked Dark Paladin and Drill Bug. Both shook their heads.
"Toss it," Tristan suggested. "This is Duelist Kingdom all over again."
"Pegasus wouldn't be contacting anyone if it wasn't important," Mayu sighed. "We should hear what he has to say."
"But this is exactly how Pegasus took Grandpa's soul," Joey countered.
"Look, if no one will put in the tape, I will," Mayu said. And with much protest from Joey, Mayu put the tape in the VCR. And she waited. And waited. And still, nothing happened. "I hate technology," Mayu sighed. "How come it's not playing?"
"You're kidding, right?" Tristan asked. "You're, what, six thousand years old, and you don't know how to work a VCR or TV?"
"It's not like I've had access to digital media of any kind during my travels, Tristan. Now, instead of insulting me, you could be nice and help me out."
Tristan muttered something unintelligible before he hit some buttons on the TV and the tape played. A slightly static-y image of Maximillion Pegasus in his office appeared on the screen. "Greetings, Yugi-boy," Pegasus drawled. Mayu looked at Joey who gave her a look that said 'Don't ask.' "It's been so long," Pegasus continued. "You never call, you never write...after all we've been through together, you could at least send an email. Now, unless you've been living under a rock, I'm sure that you've heard about the Duel Monsters running amok in this world of ours. Lucky for me, Kaiba-boy has been taking the blame for this recent state of affairs. Of course, I know who's really behind this."
"Told you we should play it," Joey said.
Mayu glared at Joey before Pegasus continued, "I must stop them! They're ruining the reputation of my game, and I'm afraid that's just not good for business. There is a catch however."
"Of course there is," Mayu sighed. "What was it the Greeks said? 'No such thing as a free lunch?'"
"It's too risky to leave you any information on this tape," Pegasus went on. "so that means you'll have to come see me in person."
"Say what?" Joey gasped.
"It's the only way to ensure complete secrecy. And last, but not least, I've enclosed a one-of-a-kind card."
"The key card," Mayu realized. "That's probably why none of us recognized it. If it's one-of-a-kind, it must be pretty important."
"Just make sure you don't lose it," Pegasus shouted. "It's the only way to enter my compound! You must not let them take it! Guard it with your life!" The tape went blank after that last sentence.
"I trust you'll be going, then," Mayu said to Yugi.
Yugi nodded. "I am," he replied.
"Good. I'm going, too."
"Do you have a deck? A duel disk?"
"Of course," Mayu replied.
"Do you know how to work your duel disk?" Tristan asked.
"Of course I know how to work a duel disk," Mayu answered angrily. "I may not know how to work some modern technology, but I know how to work a duel disk. I'm dead, not stupid."
"Sheesh, it was just a question."
"Count us in," Joey said pridefully for himself, Tristan and Tea. "But wait...why are you going, Mayu?"
"I know more about this than all of you combined," Mayu replied. "Go home, get some rest, pack up, you know the drill." Drill Bug gave Mayu a pointed look. "Don't look at me like that, Drill Bug! You know that's not what I meant!" Drill Bug continued to glare. "All right, fine. I'm sorry for using the wrong word. Happy?" Drill Bug clicked its drill in happiness. Mayu sighed. "Whatever. Pack up. We leave tomorrow, bright and early."
Joey, Tea, and Tristan walked out. Mayu sighed. "You really had to get them involved in this, didn't you, Yugi," she asked with her back facing him. She looked out the window at the night sky. "Mortals...I hope you realize how much danger you're putting them in."
"They can handle it," Yugi said.
"Right. You know, that's what the last mortal I met told me. 'I can handle it, Mayu,' he said. And look where we are today."
"I—"
"Look, I'm not going to make you tell them that they can't go. I'm just saying they shouldn't." Mayu opened the window in Yugi's room and started to leave.
"Wait," Yugi called. Mayu stopped. "Don't you have anywhere to stay?"
"Why should you care," Mayu asked. "I'm dead. You barely know me."
"Anything's better than staying out in the cold."
"I've been in a shed, thank you very much."
"A shed?"
"I've lived in worse, believe me."
"You could stay here."
"Yugi," Yami said. He was surprised at this sudden outburst.
"I know it's asking a lot of her, Pharaoh, but she seems to know a lot. Maybe she can give us answers about your past."
"I can hear you, you know," Mayu sighed. She turned around. "I can hear everything he's saying. Mainly because he's a spirit. That, and you're saying everything out loud, Yugi. If you want to have conversations to yourself, try not talking out loud."
"So will you stay or not," Yugi asked.
Mayu sighed. She exchanged a look with Dark Paladin who shrugged. She then turned to Drill Bug who jumped up on her shoulders. "I guess we'll stay. But just for tonight," Mayu decided. "After this whole thing is over, I'll decide my own living arrangements."
"Fair enough," Yugi said. "And-"
"I do have answers," Mayu replied, "but now is not the time for answers. The Pharaoh's spirit is not ready to leave this world yet, and I'm not about to force it to be ready."
"But-"
"These things take time, Yugi. When the time is right, I'll tell you. But that time is not-AGH," Mayu hissed. She grabbed her shoulder in pain.
"Mistress," Dark Paladin said. He jumped over to Mayu's side. "Is it..."
"It is," Mayu growled through the pain. "He got another one."
"What's going on," Yugi asked. "Who got another what?"
Mayu turned to Dark Paladin. The question didn't even need to be asked before Dark Paladin answered, "My mistress does know about this evil. What she did not tell you or your friends was that she knows the man responsible for it personally. While she traveled in Atlantis, the man responsible became her tutor in the ways of magic and science. However, it was a year later when the Orichalcos arrived. He became tainted by it, and branded my mistress with this." Dark Paladin took great care in pulling down a small portion of the back of Mayu's kimono. On her left shoulder was a brand in the exact shape of the Seal of Orichalcos. "When my mistress is within the vicinity of a soul being taken, this mark causes her pain. The only good thing about it is that it allows her to see whose soul is being taken."
"It's nobody we know," Mayu reassured Yugi when the pain ceased. "Go to bed. I'll sneak into another room and sleep there."
A/N: I was debating on whether this should take place during Season 2 or Season 4, but I think I made a pretty good decision with Season 4. Rather, I hope I did. I had another YuGiOh story planned, but I'm just going to put that one into this one and take it from there. I know this has a lot of elements from Bleach, but as the story goes further, that will change.
Anyway, I love rewrites! I realize this is almost the same as the first chapter of the original, and that's how some of the chapters are going to be until we get past chapter 9. I'll do my best to include some new content.
What I will do is give you a small preview of Mayu's deck. It's a spellcaster deck. That's all I'm saying. Some cards will be original, others won't. I'm open to criticism, but flames will be used for marshmallows.
Bye for now! Reviews are love! ~kanna