Chapter Ten – Millennium Power
Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry for the long wait for this chapter – A levels and all that. I also apologise beforehand on the quality of this one, it is more of a filler to help the story along. I'll be back to updating regularly once Friday is over with (My last A level, hooray!) and we can get back to the interesting stuff.
Enjoy!
Lotte x
Mina's mind went numb. Her hands shook with a slight tremble, and her eyes glazed over with a lost and absent look. That was it. That was the final straw – Mina had had enough. She didn't scream – or cry out in fury. Instead, she remained as rigid as stone. Her lips pursed together, and her hands fell in front of her stomach, chained, but not for long. Kemo had already arrived on the terrace, smirking at be fact that he had the pleasure of carting her away. She had to adhere to the terms that she had agreed to. "This way, Miss De Noir", he grinned evilly. Mina simply nodded and began to walk forward with her head held high.
"Wait Mina, where are you doing, what's happening?" Sarah asked in a panic.
Kemo answered for her, "Miss De Noir here had her own bargain riding on Kaiba's duel", he smirked, "Mina requested that if Kaiba won the duel, not only would he have to free Mokuba's soul, but the soul of Solomon Muto as well".
"Mina, you didn't have to..." Yugi looked very heartfelt towards her.
"But for that add on condition Miss De Noir had to bring something to the table that Pegasus would gain if he emerged the victor".
"Mina, what did you bet?" Sarah asked, almost choking.
Kemo grinned, "Her freedom".
She was pulled away from her friends, she could hear Sarah crying, but Mina still kept quiet, she heard Yugi call out, in a much more confident tone, "Don't worry Mina, I will defeat Pegasus and see that you and all the others are set free!"
Mina looked over and smiled, before declaring in a gentle voice " الروح، تفعل ما تستطيع، ولكن سأكون حرا قريبا. الحفاظ على أصدقائي آمنة" Spirit, do what you can, but I'll be free soon. (A/N I know this is Egyptian Arabic when it should be ancient Coptic, sadly there is no great translator online so this was the best I could do) Yami Yugi's eyes went wide, how on earth did she know about him? He remained phased as he watched her be taken away, and he turned back to his friends, "Yug, what did she say?" Joey asked, as puzzled as he was. "I don't know", Yami lied nervously, who was this girl?
Mina was waltzed through corridors that were unfamiliar to her, they must have been at the opposite side of the castle. Kemo stopped her at a large door, and unhooked a key that had been securely fastened around his neck. "Your accommodation has been downgraded a tad", he said with a Cheshire grin as he unlocked the door, "Until you learn how to behave better". Mina could not believe the extent of Pegasus' theatrics – an oversized bird cage? What was this man's obsession with toons? It was a dark room, and the cage hung from a thick chain in the centre. She tried to be graceful as she was thrusted inside, refusing to show weakness. Kemo locked the door loudly behind her, "Here pretty bird, here pretty bird", he laughed to himself as he walked away, leaving Mina in her isolation. Mina tried to stand up properly, but the cage swung on its chain. She fell to the floor, and pulled her knees into her chest. Her determination was alive as ever, but her mind felt frozen, unable to piece together a plan. Mina however, understood Pegasus' tactic, it was one of the oldest in the book. Imprison her in harsh conditions, have his guards torment her, until she breaks. Once enough miserable time has gone past he will almost look like a saviour to her, and she will happily comply with his agenda – and will have forgotten all about the Kaiba brothers. A tactic of warfare used against captives in Ancient Egypt no less. Pegasus wasn't as unpredictable as he liked to think. Of course, Mina couldn't wait that long, time was not on her side, Yugi and her friends needed her, because Pegasus wasn't going to stop with Seto – he wanted Yugi's millennium item too. Mina closed her eyes and lay down on the cold metallic floor. For a moment, just one moment, she had to forget, her sanity depended on it. She needed to forget her bleak situation and her plight. Mina decided to escape into her memories. She is back home, her real home in England. She imagined sitting in the family living room, curled up on the sofa next to her mother, they would be reading together, comparing their heroes, villains and great loves. Mina's favourite had been Pride and Prejudice, and her mother would laugh at her infatuation for Mr Darcy. Her father would be playing chess with her brother, and a fire would be blazing in the hearth. A simple life was theirs in between their adventures, one that Mina would give anything to have back. She took it for granted, they weren't rich, they didn't live in a big house, but she had all the love and affection that you would only find in old books. But she still would throw a tantrum when she couldn't get the newest phone, and when she'd gone months without a new outfit. She didn't stop to cherish the small moments. But she still held on to the memories that she did have; her mother and father had a weakness for Gothic novels, and they would giggle and smile to themselves as they watched Mina fall in love with the characters that they had in their own time grown to adore.
Mina opened her eyes, there were no tears. She smiled weakly at the memory. Pegasus was right, she didn't have her parent's brains, but she had their heart. She had to escape. Mina shuffled next to the door of the cage – it was bolted under lock and chain. There was no way she could break the lock from her position – and she had nothing to pick it with. Mina shifted herself, and the cage swung a little. "That might work", Mina stood up shakily, and held firmly onto the bars. She rocked herself forwards and back – until the cage picked up momentum and was swinging violently, she thought perhaps she could make the cage fall – and maybe the impact with the ground would break the door. But after twenty minutes – Mina had no such luck. She lay back down as the cage settled, well that was such a bright idea. She cast her sights on the lock again – her daggers wouldn't be able to pick it – she needed something small and thin – like a bobby pin, which she did not have. Small, thin and malleable … Mina shot up suddenly. An idea igniting into her mind – an epiphany of sorts – she could get herself out!
"Well Croquet, whilst out little finalists are gorging themselves to their hearts delights, how about we see how our little jail bird is doing?" Pegasus and Croquet left the private dining hall – where they had been observing the interactions between the qualifying duelists. Pegasus felt almost invincible, his plan was near completion, with both Mokuba and Kaiba out of the way, all he needed to do was defeat Yugi in a duel – hardly tasking. He practically swaggered to the room in which he was holding Mina. In honesty, in his twisted and distorted mind – he thought that he was helping her. He saw Mina's very essence in jeopardy, having been exposed to the likes of Seto Kaiba. He needed to expunge the influence that he has had on her. For the sake of maintaining the esteemed reputation of her parentage – he had to be cruel to be kind. Upon reaching the door, Pegasus thought to himself, if only Mina knew what we could accomplish together. His fingers grazed the doorknob when his millennium eye flashed spontaneously, and it showed him an empty cage. His lips drew into a thin line as he opened the door slowly, of course it was, the empty cage swinging gently. Croquet gasped, "but that's impossible, that lock was double reinforced, she had nothing to pick it with!"
"Hmm", Pegasus bent forward, retrieving the opened lock from the ground. In silence, he peered into the cage, "Nothing, eh?" Pegasus dropped the lock and retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket, and used it to pick something up left behind by Mina. "Clearly, we underestimated her resourcefulness", he mused darkly, holding up Mina's discarded bra with the handkerchief.
"But how on earth…", Croquet trailed off.
Pegasus rolled his eyes sarcastically "Clearly you are unfamiliar with female undergarments", and he exposed the tear in the fabric … where the underwire was missing.
Mina sprinted down the halls, she had to be fast. If she slowed, she ran the risk of being recaptured. No more games, no more rules and bargains. It was time for good and honest action. Mina knew that she was surviving on borrowed time, she didn't have long before someone noticed an empty cage. Did she have a plan? No. Mina's only idea was to be a force of opposition, to somehow help Yugi. He was the only person who could truly stop Pegasus and his tyranny. She slipped into the wings in which the contestants were staying, the duels wouldn't start until the next day, she had time. She tried the doors, hoping to find her friends, she had to rest soon … she had been doing her ankle far more harm than good. One door clicked, and she clambered inside. The room was very plain with no way to tell who's it was. Mina allowed herself to drop to the floor. She pulled up her trouser leg, her ankle was swollen badly and had turned a nasty shade of purple. She groaned, if I keep this up I will end up breaking it. Mina raised herself up and hobbled to the bathroom. In the mirror, she saw a lie. Her face looked clear and normal, but one rub with a cloth unmasked the deceit. Mina washed off Ruth's concealing make-up that hid her injuries. Her right cheek was horribly bruised as well as the area around her left eye. On her neck were the marks left behind by the goons who had held her down. "How did I end up here?" she questioned her reflection.
She stared hard at her reflection, almost pleading for a reply. She laughed at herself and turned away, "Guess you don't know either".
"Do not be so sure Wilhelmina". Mina leaped back, for it was her own voice that had spoken. "What the hell?" She watched as her own form became distorted in the mirror as it darkened, and instead was replaced with the image of her Yami self – the white-haired version of Mina that bore the symbol of the ankh on her forehead.
"Spirits?" Mina asked wearily, "I didn't summon you …"
"You did not have to", her Yami-self answered, "You have succeeded in escaping the human who bears the millennium eye once again, but we sense a grave danger that shrouds you and your friends".
"Pegasus, I know", Mina told them, half irritated, some new information would have been much more useful.
"No, there is another. Another human who bears a millennium item, the millennium ring is close", the spirits told her.
Another millennium item? "How can this be?" Mina asked, almost fearfully, "How can so many be so close together?"
"Fate has brought the items together Wilhelmina, you must act quickly, so much darkness shrouds these games. There is so much that you do not know", the Yami voice continued.
"Then tell me!" Mina cried out, "What can I do?"
Her Yami-self reached out her hand through the mirror, "You must follow". Mina stared at the ghostly hand, outstretched into her reality. She had been taught to be cautious when dealing with the shadow realm, but what else could she do? She had to trust them. She took the hand in hers, and was pulled into the mirror, into the darkness.
Mina woke with a gasp. She was lying on a cold, hard floor. For a moment, she thought that it had all been a dream, that she hadn't ever left the cage. But as her eyes adjusted to the gloomy dark, it was clear that it had all happened. She looked around to see Egyptian hieroglyphs carved into the walls around her. "What on earth…." She groaned as she rose to her feet. She went to the wall, and attempted to decipher the hieroglyphs, hoping they might give her a clue as to where she was. "Do not waste time Wilhelmina", she heard the calming of voice of the spirit speak to her, "you must keep going". The spirit had vanished from her sight, but she could still hear it as it spoke.
"Where am I spirit?" Mina asked.
"In the lowest layer of Pegasus' castle. Here, the physical world and the shadow realm have been intertwined together. It is only through powerful shadow magic can you enter this place", Mina was informed, she in turn shook her head, "I don't understand, how can one millennium item do so much?" she questioned further.
"In incompetent hands, it cannot. Over the years, Pegasus has learned to wield its power, and has spent that time building it up, making it stronger. He has trapped many hundreds of the soul in the shadow realm, each one he takes only makes his power grow. He is now able to manipulate reality, control the hearts of others, and suspend space and time according to his will". The spirit only frightened Mina as it revealed more and more about the extent of Pegasus' powers, how could anyone hope to stop him? "However, there is one thing that still eludes Pegasus, the one aspect of this world that he is so desperate to control".
"What's that?" Mina asked.
"The power over life and death", The spirit answered her gravely, "From the very beginning of his path, those many, many years ago, that had been his goal, to bring back what was lost".
"Cecilia", Mina breathed, it all made sense! Collecting souls, wanting Yugi's millennium item, he wanted to gather enough power to bring his wife back from the dead!
"But I still don't understand, what does Kaiba have do with any of this?" Mina pried, the thought coming to her mind. Yugi made sense, but Seto, he was totally ignorant to anything to do with the Shadow realm.
"Seto Kaiba", the Spirit began, "as you know him now, has advanced greatly in the world of human technology. He has created machines and devices superior to all the rest on earth. Pegasus hopes that by combining his power and Kaiba's technology, that he will finally be able to bring his mate back from the dead".
Everything was clicking together, just like the pieces of a puzzle. Before her, it was as though Mina could see an exact blue print of Pegasus' diabolical plan, but truth be told, was it diabolical? He was trying to bring a loved one back from the dead, and going to all lengths to do it. Mina had to ask her self honestly, would she not do the exact same, go to the same lengths, to bring her family back to life? And then an even more terrible realisation struck her, her lip quivered, as she dared to ask. "Spirit, do you know, what Pegasus' plans were for me?"
"With your cooperation, Pegasus planned to attempt to bring back your family, had he been first successful with his mate. After all, Rose and Walter De Noir were like family to him also", The Spirit told her. Mina paused in her tracks, she had been terrified of, but expecting that answer. That's what he had meant, all that time, trying to win her over, disillusion her from Kaiba and abandon her friends. Why he wanted her to remain on the island … he was going to give her exactly what she wanted. Mina wavered, and leaned against the wall, her lips parted in total astonishment. "All this time", she whispered, as if afraid to say the very words out loud, "All this time, he really was, trying to help me". Mina sunk down, sliding against the wall until she was seated on the ground, her knees pulled into her chest.
"No Wilhelmina", The Spirit challenged her, and Mina could feel a cold gust of wind brush against her face. "Pegasus seeks only to soothe his despair by attempting to defy the natural order of the universe. He refuses to part with his grief, and so it has consumed him. Wilhelmina, the dead must stay dead. Let them be at peace". Mina's lips continued to `tremble as she fought back hot tears, she knew, that the Spirit was right, that the balance of the universe had to stay maintained. But still, who could honestly shy away with ease, from the chance to bring back those that you missed the most, the people who had been robbed so cruelly from you? "You must keep going, your friends are in danger"
"What?" Mina asked, broken from her daze, as she looked into the darkness.
"The ones known as Téa, Tristan and Bakura stumbled upon Pegasus' tower. And now, he is going to banish their souls to the shadow realm".
Mina sprang up to her feet, "Take me to them now!" she cried, and a white orb ignited into life. It flew forward, and Mina followed in pursuit, it was minutes before she reached the end of the corridor, were the light seeped through and illuminated the walls. The three teenagers stood before her with their backs turned, facing into a large room. Mina stopped less than a foot behind them, listening in on the conversation, which of course, spiralled between her friends, and Pegasus.
"For that magic, I must continue to capture more souls like yours", She heard Pegasus cackle.
"Whoa, he's gonna send us all to the shadow realm!" Tristan exclaimed in alarm
"No way!" Téa cried. Mina felt rooted to the spot, she had to do something!
"It's not my fault", Pegasus replied sarcastically, "I can't simply allow you to escape after you've snooped around my castle and learned my secrets. I hope the accommodations in the shadow realm are to your liking. And my dear Bakura, your capture will do more than strengthen my shadow powers. For I shall also gain control of your millennium ring!"
"What?" Mina cried out, another millennium item? How on earth could that be possible! Her outburst gave her away, and the teenagers and Pegasus focused on her. "Who in the devil are you?" he growled.
Mina gave a puzzled look, before catching her reflection in a gong near him, her hair was white and reached her waist once more, and her eyes were of the palest blue – she looked like the Yami Spirit! "No, matter, you are all history!" he laughed manically, but cut himself off in fear, "What's this?"
Bakura glowed in a radiant light, before a voice, much more sinister than his own answered from his lips, "Change of plans".
"Can this be?" Pegasus cried, and his own millennium eye glowed more brightly. "I sense a dark soul within your ring!"
The light around Bakura strengthened to the point of which it was blinding, "You may indeed sense me now, but you won't remember any of this later. Erase their minds!"
Mina woke once more, totally clueless to the events that had transpired. She was still in the bathroom from before. All she could remember, was speaking to the spirit of her Ankh necklace, and then her mind was a blank. She steadied herself, and gazed into the mirror. Her hair and eyes had returned to the original state, but Mina could tell that something was not quite right, her mind was totally void of memory and could not account for the hours that had gone by. She placed a hand over her necklace, with was cold and unfeeling to the touch, what had happened?
"She has to be somewhere, find her!"
Mina could hear the muffled voices outside, Pegasus had unleashed his hounds on her. No time to think about anything now, she had one goal in mind: She would save Seto, Mokuba, and her friends. She would stop Pegasus. But for now, she had to keep moving, she was being hunted, hunted by men and magic. After all, how could she stand a chance of evading millennium power?