AN: Hello again! And welcome back to Hikari no Yami no Game! I had an idea for a picture and I actually (using my sucky drawing abilities) drew it! Look for the link to the original and the finished product in my profile (it's near the bottom).
Anyway, moving on through episode 203. Lots of characters thinking about stuff and what not. No Ryou in this chapter. But next time he's in here it'll be cute! I swear!
Oh, and I just read somewhere that Karim (the guy with the Millennium Scales) is apparently Rishid. I know, I didn't recognize him with all that hair either. (that is if it is him. Can anyone confirm?)
Hope you enjoy this chapter!
"Everyone will be arriving shortly," Isis whispered, gently petting his younger brother's hair. "I only hope we will be of some help..."
"I hope so too," Anzu replied, sitting beside Yugi/Yami. "Isis, do you know what they might be going through in the Pharaoh's memories?"
The tomb keeper shook her head. "Sadly, I do not." She looked at the teen and saw the desperation in her eyes. "We must believe that everything will be alright, Anzu. Yugi is the vessel of the Pharaoh, after all. He is the chosen one. Bakura has lived through the events of the past once before. And my brother is knowledgeable in the ways of the ancient past. They will find Ryou and find a way to return safely."
"...I can try and believe all I want, but..." Anzu closed her eyes, gripping Yugi/Yami's hand tightly. "...I just have a bad feeling is all..." 'I just hope this time I'm just being paranoid...'
Malik smiled as he finally discovered the library, quietly slipping into the darkened room, the only light coming from a pair of torches on a far wall safely away from the valuable documents.
'Now if I were the Pharaoh's name, where would I be recorded...' he wondered, lilac eyes scanning over the scrolls and loose pages neatly arranged on the bookshelves. He had just spotted a suitable place to start his search when something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He turned toward the lithe woman standing in the entrance, blue eyes fixed on him curiously.
"Isis?"
The woman smiled softly. "Priestess, if you would. It is my official title, after all."
Malik flushed realizing that she had been in the throne room the night before as well, he just hadn't had time to focus on her appearance. 'She looks just like my sister...Could she be...No, maybe it's a coincidence...' "Ah, I'm sorry, Priestess. You startled me," he laughed softly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"It is fine." The priestess approached him, still seeming curious. "I just wondered where you and your friends came from. You were all dressed in such strange garments. Your friends are also very pale."
"Ah, well, it's hard to explain really. I'm from Egypt but my friends are from a land from to the north and east where the sun is not as harsh. I visited their homeland before which is where I...um..." Malik trailed off, seeing the glint of disbelief in her eyes. He opened his mouth to speak again, but she smiled and shook her head.
"I can sense you are not being fully truthful to me, Malik...or is it Marik?" The Millennium Necklace glowed softly against her throat. "To be honest, I have been trying to learn more of you and your plight, but I cannot see much at all about your friends. I see in you, however, that there is a bond between us...but not what it could be. I saw anger and pain, which you do not seem to bare now. And something more..." she closed her eyes and raised her hands to her Millennium Item. "A man with wild hair cloaked in shadows who watches over you." Opening her eyes again, the glow from her necklace faded and she peered into Malik's eyes. "Who are you? Why are you here? I need to know these things."
Malik let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and refilled his lungs deeply. 'Just like Isis. I can't hide anything from her, with or without the Millennium Necklace.' "It really is hard to explain. And anything I told you would have to remain between us."
The priestess studied Malik for a long moment before nodding. "Follow me. I know where we will not be disturbed."
'Gods I hope I'm doing the right thing. But maybe she can help us learn the Pharaoh's name. Or better yet, find Ryou.'
Yugi leaned on the partial wall of the balcony, watching as ten guards followed behind one of the priests, two dragging a large, flat stone behind them.
'So the shadow monsters they summon are sealed in stones like that one. And the things on their wrists...dia dianks, those are used to summon the creatures. And you summon creatures using your life force, which deletes every time a summoned monster is defeated in combat, but can be restored with rest.' Yugi nodded, mentally trying to keep all these facts in mind. 'Jii-chan will love hearing about this. Proof of the origin of Duel Monsters, for what it's worth. Speaking of jii-chan,' amethyst eyes turned to observe the scene to his left.
Mana was calling after her master, begging to travel with him to protect Pharaoh Akunumkanon's tomb from the thief king. The Pharaoh watched on sadly, seeming almost as if he longed to go as well. 'Well, it is his father's tomb...'
Yugi tilted his head slightly. 'Siamun looks exactly like jii-chan. Mana looks familiar too...I swear I've seen her and her master, Mahado, somewhere before. Then there's Priest Set, who has to be Kaiba, but that was expected after seeing the tablet. So I guess the real question is, if this is Yami's memories, did all of these people really live here in the past or is the memory world affected by his present day memories...Wait, Siamun? Didn't jii-chan mention that name before...'
"That was when I saw the spirit of the Pharaoh. He reached a hand down to me and helped me up. I thought I must have been hallucinating back then." Sugoroku smiled. "I'll never forget what he said, though. "I've been waiting for you, Siamun." I don't know what he called me that, but I feel it must have been my fate to find the Millennium Puzzle. Just as it was your fate to put it together, Yugi."
'So maybe it's not that far off...'
"Yugi?"
Yugi blinked suddenly and realized he had been staring in the Pharaoh's direction, lost in thought. "Ah, sorry...just thinking," he smiled shyly.
"It is alright, little one," the Pharaoh smiled in return. "Come, let us go inside and eat. We still have much to discuss."
Yugi felt his heart flutter in his chest as he followed behind the young Pharaoh and Mana. 'Every time he smiles...god I need to stop thinking like this. The Pharaoh is just being nice and Yami isn't like that. It's all in my head...I just need to focus on finding out his name. That's it...'
Priest Akunadin hesitantly approached the guest sleeping quarters in search of Bakura. Since the confrontation with the thief Tozokuo the night before, many questions had weighed heavily on the man's conscious. Chief among them how not one, but two men knew of the incident at Kul Elna. Two when he had gone to great efforts to see to it that none would live to speak of the atrocity that had been a necessity to protect the kingdom. Two men...one who was clearly wicked, which the priest could understand. After all, if he were truly a survivor of the massacre- 'the unavoidable, necessary ritual', he added -then surely he would harbor a strong hatred that has had fifteen years to grow and fester.
But Bakura, who couldn't possibly be native to Egypt, had also known. Had been able to summon the exact same creature of equal strength. And what had he said? "How sad that, had things progressed as planned, I would be on your side in this battle."
Akunadin stopped near the entrance to Bakura's room, feeling him heart pounding in his chest. 'But he is on our side now. Is it only because of that Ryou person he was yelling about?' His eyes widened as a hand suddenly clamped down over his mouth from behind and he was pulled back against someone.
"You're standing outside of my room. Why?" Bakura suddenly released the startled priest, patiently waiting for him to regain his composure. He recognized the man, of course. He could never forget the one who destroyed his village. Not in three-thousand years, not in a hundred million.
"I...I had questions..." Akunadin stammered, torn between lashing out at the man for disrespect and fighting to keep the fear out of his voice.
"Then ask them. I'm here now." Bakura crossed his arms over his chest, deliberately looking down on the priest. Akunadin glared at the thief, Millennium Eye glowing brightly as he peered into his mind and soul. The glare almost immediately fell away however and priest took a step back.
"To answer your first question, yes. We are the same person and we share the same hatred." Bakura grinned wickedly. "Oh, but I won't tell you anything else about it. Don't worry, I don't intend on attacking the Pharaoh. Any other questions or should I just be on my way?"
Akunadin collected himself and tried his best to intimidate the thief with his presence. "How dare you speak to a High Priest as such? You would do well to show respect."
Bakura shrugged, clearly unimpressed. "After what you did for the Pharaoh at Kul Elna, consider my not killing you where you stand respect." Turning away, the thief headed off down the hall.
"What if that Tozokuo learned that the Pharaoh had not known-" Akunadin cut himself off, cursing himself for saying the words a loud. Bakura paused mid step and looked back at the priest.
"What was that?"
"Nothing. Away with you," Akunadin snapped, turning to head in the opposite direction. Before he could even react, Bakura grabbed his shoulder, spun him around, and hoisted him by the front of his robes so that he was forced to stand on his toes.
"Tell me."
Akunadin swallowed hard, looking into the thief's dark eyes. "I...I know for a fact," he breathed, keeping his voice low. "The Pharaoh Akunumkanon didn't know what the ritual pertained. He only permitted us to use it. It was for the good of all of Egy-" the air of suddenly knocked out of him as Bakura slammed his forcefully against the wall, bring his face mere inches from the priest.
"You!" he snarled, eyes burning like coals for a moment before a measure of anger left his face. A smirk slowly formed on his lips and he released the man and turned away just as two guards came rushing toward them. "Heh, over three thousand years to find out I already had my revenge. Quaint. I'll decide how I feel about that later. For now, you helped me make an important decision."
"Master Akunadin!" one of the guards shouted, reaching to grab Bakura.
"Leave him be," Akunadin commanded, dazed. "Just...leave him be..."
"Wise choice. Don't cross my path again, priest. Next time, I might not hold back."
Akunadin watched Bakura's departure, reassuring the guards he was fine. 'If he reveals the truth to the Pharaoh...But what can I do?'
Yami's eyes blinked open, taking a moment to adjust to the dark room they were in. He sifted uncomfortably to find himself pinned to a wall by this wrists and ankles with shadow energy. Beside him Marik hung forward limply, eyes closed and mouth open slightly. Violet eyes scanned the room before him. A large table sat in the middle of the room, shaped like the Millennium Puzzle and raised on a dais. There was a chair at either end of the table and the puzzle itself hung from the ceiling. The walls, floor, and ceiling were covered by black and purple shadows that swirled and surged slowly.
Seated at one end of the table was the Bakura that had attacked them, crimson eyes focused on the playing field and a frown on his face.
"Ah foolish Bakura, you're about the break the rules again," he tsked.
"What's going on?" Yami growled, tugging at his restraints. Bakura glanced up at him.
"If you had been on time for our game, you would know now wouldn't you?" he smirked slyly. "Don't worry, you'll get your turn soon enough." The dark figure chuckled. "Since you asked, I'll tell you this much. Bakura is being a bad little meta-gamer. You know what that means, don't you? He's using knowledge that he, as a character in the game, shouldn't know in order to try and win. Really, he should know better, especially since this is a shadow game. I, as the game master, have the difficult task of punishing naughty players." He laughed again, gesturing to the table. "Watch what happens to those who can't follow the rules."
Bakura stormed into the throne room, a curious Malik following at his heels. The thief grinned seeing that the Pharaoh, Yugi, and three of the priests, Set, Isis, and Karim. 'This will do,' he thought, coming to stand before the throne.
"Where is Priest Mahado?" he asked casually. Isis looked away, one hand coming to touch her Millennium Necklace.
"He has gone to safeguard Pharaoh Akunumkanon's tomb," the Pharaoh said, a hint of caution in his voice.
"Hmn, if that's the case then I might be too late. We need to find him before he reaches his true destination." Bakura smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.
The Pharaoh leaned forward in his seat. "What do you mean?"
"He's not going to the former Pharaoh's tomb. He's gone to lay a trap. One that's not going to work out in his favor."
Isis' eyes widened. "How do you know?"
"You're one to ask," Bakura scoffed. "Granted, at the end of the fight, he's-" he stopped suddenly, body jolting slightly as though he'd been bitten.
"Bakura?" Malik asked, grabbing the thief's arm.
"He's what? Tell us!" the Pharaoh got to his feet quickly. Bakura only took a step back, hands moving to his head and bending forward slightly.
"What the hell," the thief snarled, slowly sinking to his knees, his entire body trembling. "Son..of..a.."
"Bakura!" Yugi ran from the Pharaoh's side to kneel in front of the thief, Malik still clutching his arm.
Bakura shook his head, trying desperately to dispel whatever was suddenly plaguing him. 'It's like last night...but different...what's...son of a bitch...' just as realization was dawning on him, his vision suddenly painted everything in shades of red for just a moment before he lost consciousness.
Bakura laughed, throwing his head back and truly enjoying the act before crimson eyes rested on his prisoners again. "It's a shame your friend couldn't see that," he gestured to Marik. "Seems I must have hit him too hard. Oh well, he's just a spectator anyway. And given Bakura's behavior, this won't be the last time I have to punish him."
Yami snarled, leaning against his restraints. "Bastard..."
"At least I'm giving you some warning before you get to play. Oh, but the fun isn't over yet! Keep watching and you'll get a chance to see what becomes of the Priest Mahado. I think you'll find it very interesting indeed."
AN: Another day, another chapter. Your homework (should you choose to accept it) is to watch episode 204 of Yu-Gi-Oh (subbed of course). Unless you've already seen it and know what happens in that fight. I'll mention it in the next chapter, but once again, giving you a blow-by-blow retelling would only take up like...seven chapters, or something. XD
I tease, of course. You don't have to do anything you don't want to.
More Ryou in the next chapter! (at least that's the plan!) For now, I have to be at work in...seven hours. I should probably sleep.
Oh and if you didn't catch it, there was a Ryou b-day story in Hooray for One Shots!