Chapter 7

Khi might have been seventeen now, but the thought of horse riding still phased him as much as it had when he was younger. He didn't know if it was the size or the power of the beasts themselves which caused him trepidation; all he knew was he didn't like riding them. Watching his brothers on the other hand he found almost hypnotic. The way the two young men could control even the wildest of stallions filled Khi with a strange sense of pride. It was enough to let him know the kingdom of Egypt would be safe in the hands of either of his elder brothers.

'Khi, come play with me,' Lilly's hand tugged on the sleeve of his tunic.

'I keep telling you I'm a man now Lilly,' Khi sighed, 'I'm too old to play.'

'But Talma and Annu still aren't here and I'm lonely.'

Two days earlier their father had moved them to Memphis ahead of the rest of their household. For the first time since Lilly had been born she'd been forced to spend time away from her cousins. It had taken its toll on her and it was clear the little princess couldn't stand being alone.

'They'll be here tonight,' he attempted to placate her, 'then you can play with them all you want.'

'But tonight is ages away,' Lilly's pretty little face pulled into a pout, 'I'm lonely now, please play with me Khi.'

'Can't you just watch them ride with me?' Khi turned his attention back towards their brothers.

'That's boring Khi, please can't we play instead?'

'I told you, I'm too old to play games and so are you.'

'No I'm not.'

'Yes you are,' he glanced towards her, 'or did you forget you're turning ten tomorrow.'

'You still played when you were ten.'

'Only because you were little. You're not little anymore Lilly; you're practically a woman now.'

'Don't be such a spoil sport Khi,' she tugged on his sleeve again, 'play with me, please,' she stretched the last word out as long as she could as she battered her eyelashes at him.

'That look won't work on me anymore Lilly,' he rolled his eyes, 'I'm a man now.'

'Since when?'

'Since I turned seventeen.'

'Oh you're no more fun than they are,' Lilly pouted and folded her arms. 'All they ever do is practice this and train for that. They don't have any fun ever. Why would anyone want to be like them?'

'Because they're the kind of men with the strength to rule Egypt,' an almost sad smile formed on Khi's lips, 'and I want to be the kind of man they can turn to for advice. They need to see I'm an adult too now; that I have a level head and skills they can utilise. They need to respect me as a man and they won't do that if I'm still playing games with my kid sister.'

'They don't have to know Khi, please,' she tugged at his arm this time, 'please play with me. Just this one last time, I promise. Please play with me Khi, please.'


Kaiba had spent the better part of the morning getting his driver to systematically drive up and down the streets of Domino City. By early afternoon they'd started exploring the outskirts, before winding their way out along the coastal pass. Somewhere in the back of Kaiba's mind he wasn't totally sure why he was wasting his day doing this when he couldn't even be certain it had anything to do with Mokuba. In fact the longer he spent searching the more certain he became his brother wasn't the one in danger. So why did he feel like he had to keep going?

They were just approaching an isolated lookout spot, popular with tourists during the summer but usually abandoned with the first September rain, when Kaiba spotted the familiar looking bike parked just off the road. His eyes moved past it up towards the lookout point and his heart lurched sickly in his chest.

'Stop the car,' he placed a hand on the back of the driver's seat, 'now.'

As soon as they were parked, Kaiba got out of the car and stared towards the figure standing on the opposite side of the safety railings which prevented tourists from falling off the cliff to the jagged rocks below. A part of him wasn't sure if he was really seeing what he was seeing and another part of him wasn't sure if he should care. For a long couple of minutes he stood just outside of the car door, staring at the figure, debating what he should do.

'She said you need to help them, that it's important.' The little girl's words played inside his head.

'Damnit,' Kaiba gritted his teeth and pushed himself forward.

He crossed the lookout towards the figure who had leant himself dangerously far forward to the point where his arms were locked and only the grip of his hands was stopping him from falling. Instinct made Kaiba place his own hand on the guy's arm. The same fizzling he'd experienced the last few times they'd had contact started up again. Only this time it grew stronger and more defined with every passing second they remained touching.

Neither of them said a word as Tristan's eyes turned towards him. Even though the fizzling sensation inside of Kaiba was becoming almost too much to bear he refused to let go until Tristan pulled himself back and ducked his way through the bars to the safety of the lookout ledge. Their eyes remained locked as they stood side by side; the silence continuing between them as though words had lost all relevance.

An eternity passed before Tristan walked away. Kaiba watched him leave as the fizzling, which had continued even after he'd let go of Tristan's arm, finally died away. It was replaced by a deep and complex feeling of confusion. Confusion over a million things he didn't understand or didn't want to understand.

'He's special,' the girl's voice made him jump, 'but he's in a lot of pain. It's so sad.'

It was the same girl he'd seen that morning and her eyes were focused on Tristan as he mounted his bike and left. Kaiba found himself studying her more closely, trying to find something to prove she was a trick or hallucination of some kind. The problem was he wasn't sure he wanted to prove she wasn't real anymore. He wasn't ready to admit defeat and come out as some kind of believer, but he was finding it harder and harder to convince himself of his scepticism. The things which were happening were hard to explain, but that didn't mean he couldn't find a way to.

'Mother wants me to thank you,' the girl flicked her gaze up towards him, breaking the silence which had formed between them.

'For the doll?' Kaiba eyed up the creepy object she was still holding as he remembered her earlier words.

'That was an echo of the past,' she shook her head, 'these are the words of the present. Mother wants me to thank you; just because she's not in the story doesn't mean she's not a part of it.'

'You do realise that doesn't make any sense, right?' Kaiba folded his arms. 'Who are you anyway?'

'You're not ready to know yet,' she placed a hand on his arm, 'almost, but not quite.'

'What's that supposed to mean?'

'You'll find out,' her body slowly began to disappear, 'when the stories ready to be told, you'll find out.'


Joey knew it was ridicules, but he couldn't bear the thought of watching Catilin move into the Northern Palace. It was why he'd done whatever it took to keep himself out of the Southern Palace until it was all over. He'd felt bad for not telling Mai what his plans were and where he was going, but since he'd spent most of the day in his wolf form running wild he knew she couldn't exactly have come with him. And besides, he felt as though he needed to be alone.

He still did, it was why he was out in the garden trying not to face the emptiness of his home. He knew Catilin had to move on eventually, but this felt far too soon. And the way she was so eager to leave... Joey forced himself to concentrate on the flowerbed in front of him. If Catilin felt she was ready to move on then he had to accept that. He couldn't keep her locked up forever that just wasn't fair.

'The lilies look nice today,' the unfamiliar voice made Joey jump.

Joey's eyes turned towards the ageless looking man knelt beside him.

'Who... who are you?'

'The great gardener has finally returned to paradise,' the man's fingers gently caressed one of the flowers in front of them, 'it's been a long time but I knew you would return eventually. What other reason could there be for me becoming the Light but remaining so separate?'

'I... I don't understand...' Joey shook his head.

'You're different to before and not just because of her,' his eyes flicked towards Joey. 'But then so is everybody. You're all different and that's kind of the point. This isn't the same story, it was never meant to be, but you have to learn from ours because this is all about the ending.'

'The ending?'

'You'll understand soon enough,' his gaze turned back towards the flowers, 'and I know she understands.'

'She told me the spirits were restless,' Joey lowered his head. 'She said they needed the truth to come out so they could be at peace finally. It was why she told me not to interfere no matter what.'

'Well she's not wrong, this is about us finding peace, but it's not as simple as that. We're not telling this story so the truth can come out, although it will. We're telling this story because of the ending. This is all about the ending.'

'Why, what's so important about the ending?'

'You're all different people now, so the ending can be different now. The ending has to be different. It's important.'

'Why?'

'We don't know,' the man shook his head, 'we just know it has to be.' He paused for a moment. 'Her son was something special, you know. For all the reasons he shouldn't have even been, he was still special. The First needs to know that. This isn't just about your ending, it's about ours.'

'What...?'

Before Joey could get any further with his question the man disappeared. Stunned he stared around the garden hoping to catch some glimpse of him, but there was nothing. He gave a heavy sigh and turned his gaze towards the lilies again. Within seconds of him doing so he heard footsteps walking towards him. Looking up he spotted a pale faced Mai. Everything in him instantly fell; there was something different about her. Something...

'Joey,' Mai's eyes brimmed with tears, 'I've been looking for you all day, where have you been?'

'I... I'm sorry Mai, I needed to be on my own,' he frowned at her. 'You're different.'

'I... I know... I... something... something's happening Joey. Something's happening to me.'

'You smell the same, you look the same, but you don't sense the same,' Joey felt his emotions shifting, but he didn't know how or why.

'I... I know, I... I don't feel the same,' she dropped to her knees. 'It... she... she said it wasn't permanent, but I don't know if I believe her.'

'Who said?'

'I... I don't know... some woman. She said they needed to tell the story right, but I... Joey I don't like this.'

'What... what else did she say about the story,' Joey placed his hands on her shoulders.

'That it's all about the ending.' She sighed. 'That the ending has to change.'


There is was again, the flickering in his vision. It occurred every time he thought about how the First and her host were treating him. It fuelled an anger like no other he'd ever known; but then he'd never been an angry person before now. His conspirator sat across from him, her grievance was different to his, but her anger was just as strong. It was what had brought them together. Or rather, it was what had drawn him to her.

They were both being punished for things they had no control over and it wasn't fair. To begin with they'd simply found solace in each other, but their consoling talk quickly turned to something else. Something which caused the anger in each of them to grow and the flickering in his vision to spike with a strange kind of insanity. Revenge. The restless spirits provided them with the perfect cover; a way to manipulate the one who had wronged them. Soon it would be time for them to act on that plan and once it was initiated they would both get the revenge they so badly desired.

His vision flickered again. He'd never been a vengeful person; it just wasn't in him. So why did he feel the need to do this now? Why didn't it feel wrong? Because it didn't, that much he could be sure of. In fact he felt as though there was more he could be doing whilst they waited for the time their plan could be put into action. He wanted to have fun. He wanted to taunt and to tease and to... play. He wanted to play with someone.

An almost involuntary laugh came out of his mouth and he grinned at his conspirator. He was starting to feel something new, something different. He wasn't sure if she could feel it too, but he didn't really care. He was bored of waiting; he wanted to have some fun now. And it wasn't as though he didn't have time for some fun; after all, the spirits hadn't even started telling their story yet.


Catilin hummed to herself as she skipped down one of the corridors of the Northern Palace. It felt good to be home. She'd just been nervous this morning. Jay's presence and kiss had unsettled her, but that was all it was. This was where she wanted to be and she was ready for it. She was ready to run her own household now.

She made her way in and out of all the bedrooms, re-familiarising herself with her old home. In the fifth bedroom she entered, she stopped for a few moments to study her reflection in the full length mirror. The yellow and white dress she had on was one Mai had helped her pick out when she'd taken her shopping last month. Catilin liked Mai a lot. For a start she made Joey happy, for a second she treated Catilin like a normal girl and for a third she was everything a strong, independent woman should be; the perfect role model for the naive young queen.

'If she's such a perfect role model why does she have you dressed like a little girl?' Her reflection folded its arms and cocked an eyebrow at her.

For a few long moments Catilin found herself staring into the mirror, not totally sure what it was she was experiencing. Her reflections arms remained folded and, looking down at herself, she realised hers were too.

'You know I'm right,' her reflection spoke again, 'you're a young woman and you're dressed like a girl of twelve. No, make that ten. You look like a ten year old who's developed way too much way too early.'

'What... what do you mean?' Catilin blinked in confusion.

'You curve in and out in all the right places,' her reflection smirked. 'You probably have a better body than she could ever hope to have, yet instead of dressing you in a way which would enhance your figure, she chooses to smoother your adultness in girlish frills.'

'But... I chose this dress,' Catilin pulled at the skirt. 'I chose it because I like it. And... and I like the way I look in it.'

'Like a little girl?' Her reflection laughed. 'How do you expect anyone to respect you as a queen if you dress like a little girl?'

Catilin didn't know how to answer that question. This made her reflection laugh again. Every note of its laughter riveted off of the block of ice which was reforming in her stomach. Cold vibrations made their way up through her body, tingling down into her feet and fingers.

'You... you shouldn't be here,' Catilin set her jaw as firm as possible. 'Your kind are supposed to leave me alone, the First said...'

'The First is an idiot.'

'But... the First...'

'Let me tell you a little something about the First,' her reflection disappeared completely as its voice breathed into her ear, 'she thinks because she was the original being... the first piece of life to exist... that she has the right to tell others what to do. But she doesn't. She thinks because she is the First she is the most powerful, but she isn't. She thinks she knows everything. She thinks she created me, but she's wrong. Nobody created me little girl, I came into existence in the same way she did.' The voice laughed. 'Do you know who I am yet?'

'I... I...' Catilin pressed her fingers against her temples and shook her head. 'Go away, go away, get out of my head.'

'I told you before, this is my head too. So I ask you again, do you know who I am yet?'

'I...'

She lifted her gaze back towards the mirror. Her reflection had returned with a cruel look of amusement on its face. Slowly Catilin shook her head as her body became gripped with a cold, dark feeling.

'Who... who are you?' Her voice trembled with every word.

'I am the First Darkness,' her reflection smiled, 'I am cruelty itself; the original sadist. The First thinks she knows what I am, but she has no idea.'

'She... she's overpowered you before,' Catilin met her reflections gaze, 'she... she's trapped you... twice now... she... she can do it again.'

Her reflection laughed yet again and every note of it jarred through the ice still filling Catilin's whole being.

'Oh little girl, if only you knew what was coming.' Her reflection reached a hand towards her and Catilin could feel its fingers on her face. 'Three against one isn't a fair fight, but the numbers are about to become a little more even. Can't you feel it?'

'I...'

'I can. I can feel them stirring. They're waking up and soon... soon the balance of power will shift. The Mistresses think they know what we are, but they have no idea. It's a mistake they will pay for and when they do, everything you think you know will change.'


'Tic tock SK,' Jay smirked as he appeared in front of him, 'have you figured it out yet?'

'There are restless spirits telling a story,' SK held up the doll he'd retrieved from the Kaiba mansion, 'you think someone wants to take advantage of this situation somehow.'

'Did the dolly tell you all that?' Jay gave a rendition of his hyena style laughter which riveted uncomfortably through SK's body. 'Or are you just repeating the words I told you earlier?'

'The Mistresses don't think there's any need to worry, but you and I both know different, don't we?' SK licked his lips as he threw the doll at Jay's feet. 'So tell me Jay, what did Seto ever do to you?'

'Seto?' Jay laughed again. 'You think this is about him?'

'So it's Mokuba then,' SK played it as cool as possible, 'and you have something to do with whatever's about to happen.'

'What makes you so sure of that?'

'For a start you're not denying it,' his tongue skated across his lips, 'for a second you've been acting really strangely recently. In my book that makes you my number one suspect.'

'I'm not sure if I should be flattered or not,' Jay folded his arms. 'But answer me this, why would I want to hurt your cousin?'

'I haven't figured that out yet,' SK licked his lips again, 'but when I do... when I figure out what it is you're up to... I will stop you. Understand? I don't care whether or not the Mistresses want me to interfere on this one; I will not let you hurt my cousin.'

'You've no proof I'm up to anything SK,' Jay kicked the doll back towards him, 'but if I were you I'd think carefully about what you're getting yourself into before you start playing the game.'

'This isn't a game Jay. People's lives aren't games.'

'No, you're wrong,' he shook his head as a strange look of dark excitement filled his face, 'everything's a game and everyone can be played with. Like pretty little dolls all lined up for me.'

'Jay...?'

Jay winced and pressed his hands against the sides of his head. For a few moments a strange look of pain filled his face, then his features relaxed again.

'Tic tock SK, time's running out,' Jay's gaze flicked up towards him, 'and if you don't figure it out soon, you don't get to play.'