Author's Note: Okay, this is a very long chapter, so please bear with me! I'm introducing three (yes three) OC's, but don't fret, they do play a vital role in this story. And they aren't in every chapter from now on, so don't panic. This is still about Yami and Yugi. Also, I want to say thanks for reviewing. Thanks for reviewing!
Kaiba whirled around at the sound his front door being flung open, the hard wood slamming into the wall with a loud bang. Bakura stood in the entryway to his mansion, his gaunt face looking even more ghostly in the pale light.
"Expecting someone else?" Bakura sneered at Kaiba's dumbfounded expression. "Sorry to disappoint you, Seto."
After a moment Kaiba recovered both his wits and his foul mood. "Who do you think you are?" He demanded. "Barging into my home unannounced, you're lucky I don't bring the entire weight of Kaiba Corp. down on your pathetic head! Now get out of my house before I really lose my temper!" He growled threateningly, to which Bakura only smiled darkly.
"Ah, but Kaiba I would have thought you'd be glad to see me. After all, we two are more alike than you may realize."
Kaiba's rapidly thinning patience was nearing its end. "That's a lie, we are nothing alike! Now get out!"
He started toward Bakura, intending to force the smaller man out of his home. But Bakura snapped his fingers quickly, his smile vanishing in the blink of an eye. Everything suddenly froze; Kaiba could not move a muscle, while Bakura walked over and gripped his chin, forcing his stationary blue eyes to look straight into his.
"Listen you arrogant fool." Bakura growled, all traces of teasing gone. "Tonight you and I have the same goals. I have been betrayed, by someone who should be serving me in the first place. Now he has all the power he needs to claim the prize that I have worked so hard to gain, and I cannot allow that now can I?"
Bakura reached into his coat and pulled forth the Millennium Ring, gazing at it fondly. "He underestimated me, a mistake he'll live to regret in time. I have much more power than he could ever understand, and I will take the prize that should have been mine all along! But for that dear Kaiba... I need you."
Though he still could not move, Kaiba's eyes narrowed dangerously at the intruder, and Bakura understood his thoughts as clearly as if he had spoken them aloud. He chuckled, low and humorless.
"Oh, you'll help me. Because you see Seto, I'm not leaving you any choice in the matter."
Kaiba's soundless snarl spoke volumes. Oh yeah? And just what are you going to do?
Just then, the sound of light little footsteps echoing down the hall reached both of their listening ears. Bakura's wicked grin stole the blood from Kaiba's face, and the confidence from his frame. He tried to yell out, but his lips would not move. Bakura slipped into the shadows of the stairway, waiting.
Mokuba came round the corner a moment later, shivering at the chill breeze that gusted in from the open doorway. "Seto?" He asked, looking at his brother's still form staring out into the night. "What are you doing?"
When there was no response, Mokuba put his hands on his hips and sighed, walking over to get to Kaiba's front side.
"Big brother?" He asked again, raising his hand to wave it in front of Seto's face. "Set-"
He bit off the rest of his sentence when he saw Kaiba's horrified expression. A flash of movement out of the corner of his eye alerted him just in time, and when he looked he found himself staring into Bakura's dark eyes. He gasped and started to back up, his automatic response being to run out the front door. But he hesitated, unable to leave his brother behind.
Bakura lunged and Mokuba dodged out of the way without thinking, bolting out the door and sprinting up the street as fast as he could.
I've gotta get help. He thought quickly. Yugi! Yugi will know what to do...
He glanced back over his shoulder as he ran; he could just see inside the front door from here. But Bakura was not behind him, or in the house as far as he could see. When he looked ahead again he skidded on the wet pavement in desperation. Bakura was right in front of him. He reached out and grabbed a fistful of Mokuba's shirt, hoisting him off of the ground easily.
"Let me go!" Mokuba shouted, kicking and squirming. "When my big brother gets a hold of you..." He threatened, but Bakura only held him tighter.
"Your big brother might want to be very careful about how he decides to answer me." Bakura snarled, his cold brown gaze drilling into Mokuba intently.
That was the last thing Mokuba saw.
Kaiba's enraged expression showed clearly that Bakura would have been dead by now if he could have moved. Bakura walked in the front door casually, holding Mokuba under one arm like a rag doll. He closed the door calmly and dropped him roughly at Kaiba's feet.
"I would tell you what happened to him," Bakura said sarcastically. "But you don't believe in the Shadow Realm, do you?" He laughed harshly and drew out a single card, its back to Kaiba, holding it teasingly in front of his face.
"Do you know what this is?" He asked, waving it back and forth. "You should, I believe Pegasus pulled this very same trick on you in Duelist Kingdom, did he not?"
Kaiba's eyes widened and then narrowed again, glaring at the card as though he would drill holes in it with the sheer intensity of his gaze. That must be one of those Soul Cards,he thought venomously.
Of course this was not true, Bakura could not control the powers of the Millennium Eye any more than Kaiba himself, but he did not have to know that. Let him think that Mokuba was more than just unconscious, it would serve him right for not paying more attention to his ancient history lessons.
"Now, let's try this again. I'm going to let you out of my spell Kaiba, but just in case you try anything cute..." He put his other hand on the top of the common monster card. "I have only to flick my wrist and I can send your brother spiraling down to the lowest reaches of darkness."
Kaiba suddenly straightened, released from the magic that bound him. He was shaking hard, a loathing expression on his hard face. "What do you want?" He asked quietly, making no effort to conceal his hatred.
Bakura smirked. "Let me start from the beginning..."
XxxxxxxxxX
Row upon row of neatly organized bookshelves filled every square inch of free space that could be found within the vast library, a testament to the prowess of the three men that lived here.
One of them, blond and very handsome, lay on the plush carpet just inside the foyer, absently flicking a small marble up into the air every few seconds. Up and down, up and down. He would catch it between two fingers and then send it spinning away again. Then finally he let out a huge sigh and rolled over onto his side, facing another white robed man that sat scribbling with a slender quill. He watched the tip of the feather wave back and forth with the most exquisite expression of boredom on his fair face. He let out another exaggerated sigh, and the other man caught on to the subtle clue and looked up, wearing a small smile.
"Hey James, when are we going on another mission? I'm bored out of my mind here!"
"We should be thankful that there are no conflicts in the world serious enough to require our aid in resolving, Brother Jacob. There is much peace in the world."
"Yeah, well, peace is boring." Jacob mumbled, to which James laughed, the sound echoing melodically like the tinkle of a bell.
"What are you writing anyway?" Jacob asked, standing up and adjusting his own robes as he walked over to the desk. He peered over James' shoulder, trying to decipher the elegant script.
"Just filling in the details of our last battle. The one where those fragments of Time unraveled and spun out of control."
"Oh yeah! Where we were running around for days trying to babysit our younger versions before we finally found the breach."
"Yes, that one." James smiled again. He wrote in silence for a few more minutes, then put his quill in the holder and the stopper on the ink bottle. He reached back and gave a great stretch, unclasping the clip in his long white hair as he did so, letting it fall back down over his young face. Then he rolled his sleeves down, letting them hang loose now that there was no ink to stain them.
"It will take a while for that to dry, so what say you I make supper in the meantime?" James asked, casting a sideways glance at Jacob.
"Good idea. I can help, if you want?" Jacob offered.
James did well to hide his grimace. "Thank you Jacob, but after the noodle incident I think it would be better if I handled the cooking for a while." He said gently. Jacob, never easily offended, just smiled and nodded.
Just then a crash sounded from the room off to the side of the main entryway, followed by a loud oath. Josh staggered from the room coughing and waving heavily-perfumed smoke away from his face. Jacob was at his blood brother's side in an instant.
"Josh! What happened?" He asked, thumping him on the back. Josh coughed a few times before taking a deep breath. His face was pale.
"Jacob, James." He rasped, trying to speak. James disappeared around the corner and came back a second later carrying a glass of water, which Josh accepted gratefully.
"Thanks." He said softly, brushing his black hair out of his emerald eyes.
"What happened?" James repeated, but Josh shook his head. "You had better see for yourself."
He led them into the small room cautiously, warning them to hold their robes over their noses. "I was meditating." Josh explained, pointing to the small circle on the floor in which many runes had been inscribed, with a few overturned candles melting into puddles on the floor. "Searching the world for signs of disturbance."
"And did you find any?" Jacob asked.
"Oh, I found one alright." Josh replied sarcastically. "It startled me so badly I knocked over the candles, and I think the smoke comes from what remains of that bundle of dried plants the herbalist sent us, in thanks for rescuing her from that mutant venus fly trap."
"No wonder it is so heavily scented." James coughed under his robe. "Small matter though. What did you find?"
"I'm not sure. All I could see was black. It was not what I saw so much as what I felt. It's hard to explain."
"Maybe if you tried again?" Jacob suggested. Josh's pale face paled further a second time. James, catching the look, said quickly, "Only if you think you can, Brother Josh. We won't tax you too far."
"No, I'll be fine. Jacob, would you mind fetching more ceremonial candles from the stock room? My supply is running low." Jacob nodded and vanished out the door.
James walked over and placed a steadying hand on Josh's shoulder in silent comfort.
"I don't know how to explain it." Josh tried to describe what had happened. "One moment I was just floating there, keeping watch over the fabrics of time and space as I normally do. Nothing changed physically, but I sensed a great sort of... ripple rush through everything. As if the fate of all of these interconnecting threads were suddenly being placed on one point, one decision alone."
"Who could possibly have the power to choose the fate of the world?" James breathed, awed. Josh shook his head.
"I don't know. Let's just hope I find some answers soon."
Jacob came back into the room then, carrying a small armload of bright red candles. When they were securely placed on the floor and lit, Josh sat cross-legged in the circle again and closed his eyes.
He began to hum in a low monotone, Jacob and James adding their voices to his in support. Soon enough Josh was able to concentrate enough to slip into the trance that allowed him to see the world in detail. Ribbons of color flowed across his vision, each one representing a different element. Gold for Time, grey for space, blue for reality and so on. Everything seemed normal, all of the wisps were twining in and out of each other in harmony. But still, something was out of place. He sifted through the strands gently, trying to peer farther into the web.
Suddenly, a tentacle of deep red shot out of the mass and bound him tightly. Back in the room, Jacob and James watched in alarm as Josh's form stiffened and his voice cracked and faded.
"Josh?" Jacob asked tentatively. "Josh?"
Josh's eyes suddenly flew open, but his gaze was far distant; he spoke in a voice that was not his own.
"A great light approaches." he droned. "But it is shrouded by an even greater darkness. Beware Sages, Earth's greatest trial is nigh." Then he gave a great shudder and seemed to regain himself, blinking in confusion at his companions' startled expressions.
"What happened?" Josh whispered.
XxxxxxxxX
A few minutes later they were standing in the entrance to the library, debating whether or not to go and search for this strange event, or wait for it to come to them.
"If this 'light' is coming through the forest, I very much doubt it will get here on its own." James said, concern ringing in his voice.
"Yes, but if we are out while it comes here, then it might be too late by the time we get back anyway." Jacob pointed out.
"Then let's not all go at once." Josh suggested. "Have someone remain here just in case."
"Good idea. Be off at once then, I shall remain here." James instructed. The other two nodded, and were just turning to the door when it was suddenly flung open from the outside.
A young man stood in the doorway, leaning on it heavily for support. A burst of light illuminated the darkness behind his form for a moment, shadowing his face dramatically. His trembling lips moved soundlessly, he was either trying to speak or to scream, they could not tell. He was breathing hard, and his violet eyes were wide and terrified. A slight breeze chased after him, and when he heard it his face lost all colour; he seemed to lose strength. His stance wobbled and his whole frame shook violently.
"Watch out!"
"He's going to fall!"
Josh sprang forward, catching the man before he hit the ground and lowered him gently to the floor. Jacob and James rushed over quickly, looking out into the night to discern what had scared him so. There was nothing, save the quiet wind and soft darkness. James shut the door quickly, locking it just to be safe. Then he turned to the fallen man.
Josh looked up at them. "He's out cold."
James knelt and gave him a quick once over. He seemed to be alright, just unconscious. Just before they tried to wake him though, Jacob started and pointed to his hip.
"Is that what I think it is?" He murmured, his gaze locked onto the ruby and onyx pommel. James and Josh looked at it in awe and fear, and James reached out a tentative hand to take it out of its sheath. As soon as he touched the hilt, however, he gasped and drew his hand back, clutching at it as though he'd been burned.
"It is." He breathed. "No other dagger could hold such an evil aura. It is the blade of Set, that very same devil we tried to defeat so very long ago."
"No." Josh whispered. "It cannot be. No one could have survived with such wounds! True we never got to strike the final blow, but there is no way he could have..."
Jacob was pale. "He must have. There is no other explanation. Such a blade does not come by the dozens, so this must be the very same one." He paused for a moment, looking to his young companions. "What are we going to do?"
"We cannot ignore the significance of the blade. He must be tested to ensure that his designs are not evil ones. We must be sure that the blade is not in the wrong hands." James thought to himself for a moment. "Josh's vision is vital as well. If it is true, then the world is soon to be faced with a great danger, and this man may be the key to it's salvation... or it's destruction."
They let the words settle for a moment before they drew their attention back to the matter at hand. Josh unfastened the whole belt so that he could take the knife without actually touching it. There was another rectangular pouch that he looked at curiously before slipping it into the man's pocket instead. Once he was sure that the man could be moved safely, James began to give instructions.
"Jacob, go and prepare the spare room for him. Make sure he has plenty of blankets and the soft mattress." Jacob nodded and rushed off. James bent low and scooped the man's limp form off of Josh's lap, holding him with one arm under his legs and the other around his shoulders.
"Josh, will you please get the medicine for our fallen friend? He looks like he took quite a tumble."
Josh inclined his head and quickly and sped off in another direction.
James began walking toward the set of stairs that spiraled up to the library's private quarters, making sure not to jostle the man too roughly. His face was covered in all manner of cuts and bruises, and his breathing was ragged and shallow. James' forehead creased in worry. He sensed a great turmoil in this man, and he felt certain that before they parted ways he was going to discover that the outcome of that inner war would have a great impact on the rest of the world.
A/N: I just want to say that James is not an old man. Well... he doesn't look like one. He's twenty years old as of October 9th. All of them look like they're 17-21 years old. You'll find out why in the sequel. If you have any questions regarding this chapter, please include them in the reviews. Thanks for reading this!
