Trifecta
Recap: The three of them in a bar again. But this time, things seemed to have settled and an understanding seems to have come between the strange Trifecta.
Chapter 19 The Light of Destruction
And so they did. In fact Yugi made time once every year for three things. Ryo dubbed one of them the week of sanity, and the other the week of insanity, though often times Yugi would have trouble telling which was which week.
Yugi would spend one week, seeing Joey and Mai, who were misteriously not together, up until the wedding invitations, Tristan and Serenity, who were engaged and living in Tokyo, and Duke, who was living up the single life and working on a second game store. Tea, of course, would be with him the whole way, taking time off from her busy dance schedule to see everyone again.
Then Yugi would visit Ryo, Marik and the rests of the Ishtars, in the other week. The three of them would sit at Marik and now Azi's dining room table where they had sat the first time. Odion and Netha had moved elsewhere and Yugi would spend an evening with them, playing with their now 3 children, all girls. He would ride on Ankhenatem, which Netha never mentioned buying back from him ever again, even though she had managed to buy back every other horse her father owned from Mr. Samut. However, Yugi was certain she wouldn't try to buy back Ankhenatem, now that she knew about Yugi and Atem.
The last thing that Yugi made time for, was a trip to Kaibaland. Here he would catch up with Mokuba who having graduated from high school, devoted most of his time to running the park, and Rebecca who had lost her childhood crush on Yugi, and was now seriously dating Mokuba, much to his brother's dismay. The two of them made a strange, but comfortable pair, Yugi often thought. Rebecca always seemed more relaxed around Mokuba, content to stand close to him quietly, his arm around her shoulder. Rebecca was working at a community college nearby the park and working on her third research paper on the similarities between different ancient culture's view of the afterlife.
Of course seeing them was great, but both of them knew Yugi's real reason for his dedicated visit schedule. Yugi had agreed to duel Seto Kaiba every year, to see if Kaiba would beat him, as long as Kaiba didn't make a spectical out of their duels. So after his park would close Monday through Friday, once school started, Kaiba would open the gates once more, just for the two of them. In the presence of Mokuba, Rebecca, or Tea, but more often then not, all alone, the two of them would enter the blue eyes white dragon arena. Despite Seto Kaiba's fustration after every loss, Yugi would smile broadly and offer his hand. "Maybe next time," became Yugi's mantra and Kaiba would accept the challenge.
After Seto Kaiba's latest near win, Mokuba invited Yugi to see Seto's latest project next time he had free time.
"My brother has built a duel academy high school. Where dueling is part of the school curriculum as well as the normal subjects of course. You have get high marks to get in and beat one of the proctors in a duel."
"Sounds...elite." Yugi remarked, thinking that such an academy definitely sounded like the brain child of Seto Kaiba.
Mokuba smiled. "There are scholarships for the those with talent and low funds."
Yugi nodded. "The two of you guys haven't always been so wealthy and privilaged. Your brother may talk about leaving the past behind, but he never forgets his...roots."
Mokuba gave a knowning grin. "He probably threaten to murder me if I told you, but his roots go a little further back then the orphanage. A lot further back."
Yugi gave a soft hmm noise. "Seto... has always gotten places, based on his own merit and hardwork."
Mokuba nodded. He bid Yugi farewell and Yugi promised that he would see the academy sometime.
And as Yugi stood and gazed at the amusement park that continued to amaze and impress him, he felt a sense of comfort.
However, Yugi knew that this comfortable routine couldn't last forever though. Mokuba's mention of a dueling academy had brought back a memory. Yugi recalled a young boy who had duelled him one morning on his way to school, saying that Yugi had given him the card that he treasured most. Yugi had never seen the kid before and hadn't seen the kid since, but something about him worried him.
And when Pegasus came out with a whole collection of new Kuriboh cards, made just for Yugi as a surprise after his latest major tournament win using his trusty Kuriboh card, Yugi became confused. Yugi looked at the very first Winged Kuriboh card, Pegasus had just sent him, and thought of the boy. With all the dark magic stuff he had been through, Yugi couldn't help wondering if more storms were coming. After all, how could a boy with a duel disk that he had never seen before, duel him as a highschooler, and tell him that he gave him a card that Pegasus had just created. There had to be some sort of time travel going on and Yugi was certain that meant trouble.
He stared at the Winged Kuriboh card for awhile, feeling a sort of deja vu. When he had seen the boy play the card years ago, he had felt a sense of power looking at it, a feeling he felt once again. But it was a power that he would apparently entrust to someone else. Yugi placed the Winged Kuriboh in his deck.
When he arrived back home in Domino city, his grandpa and mother welcomed him back with open arms and his mother started preparing dinner. Yugi felt good to be back, he hadn't stepped foot in the game shop in 4 months, most of his time spent on the road dueling, or with Tea. Yugi and his grandpa stayed up talking about Yugi's latest win and the new cards that Pegasus had given him.
The next day, however things began to crash down around Yugi. Yugi couldn't help feeling when he awoke that something was going to go wrong. Yugi was antsy at breakfast, and stated that he wanted to walk around town for a bit. His mother smiled and asked if he would bring back some olives from the store when he came back. Yugi agreed and grabbed his wallet, cellphone and his deck and left the shop.
As Yugi walked around he kept eyeing his deck clipped to his belt, like he was waiting for a duel, that he was unprepared for. Yugi pulled out his cellphone, looking to call anyone to distract him from his unknown anxiety. Hmm, what time was it in California? Yugi did some quick mental math. Just before dinner time. He could call Joey and Mai. Or even Mokuba. He could call Tea in New York, but she might be at an evening show. Ryo and the Ishtars were probably sleeping. Yugi settled on Joey. It had been a few months since they had talked.
"Hey, Yugi!" Joey answered the phone cheerfully. "Long time, no phone. What's going on with you? I saw your last win on tv, totally amazing how you won with another Kuriboh trick. I thought I had seen them all...yes Mai...I'm talking to Yugi. Hey, guess what, Mai is actually cooking dinner."
At Yugi's silence, Joey wisened up that this was not a purely social call. His tone became serious. "What's wrong, Yug?"
Yugi hesistated. "I don't know. Something just feels wrong. I guess I was just wondering if anyone felt the sense of foreboding in the air, that I do right now."
Joey was silent. When he responded it was solemn. "Not really, but then you were always the more observant one. What is your gut telling you to do?"
Yugi closed his eyes. "Egypt."
Joey's reply was cut off by a beeping noise.
"Joey hang on, it looks like...Ryo... is apparently trying to call me, I am going to put him through into this conversation if you don't mind." Yugi asked.
"Haven't heard from him in too long, go right ahead." Joey replied with a smile.
"Hello Ryo, Joey's on the phone too." Yugi stated, not wanted to shock Ryo if Joey replied to something he said.
"Oh, okay. Hi Joey, I don't really have time for formalities right now. Yugi...would you please try Marik's cell phone for me? Last night, I talked with him on the phone, and well, we had an argument. He was having problems with gangs using Azi and his new playground as a drug trading area, and he was wanting to do something completely stupid to stop them. Of course, I told him this, and now he won't answer my phone calls. But I am worried, and I was hoping he would pick up for you." Ryo asked, and Yugi could hear veiled fear in Ryo's voice.
"Of course, I'll hang up and call him." Yugi replied kindly, the anxiety he was feeling growing.
Yugi dialed Marik's number. It rang and rang, and rang before going to voicemail. Yugi tried one more time. It rang and rang and rang, and then someone picked it up.
"Hello?" Yugi spoke.
It was not Marik, but sounded like a frightened little kid who made some sort of response in Arabic.
"Hello? Who is this?" Yugi asked trying not to let fear into his voice.
There was only trembling and no response.
"Did you find this phone?" Yugi asked again, trying to get something out of the little kid. Then he repeated the same question in messy French.
The child made some reply rapidly in French, but Yugi was unable to understand him. Mai knew French, right and if Yugi remembered Ryo's mother was French. Yugi quickly dialed Ryo into the phone conversation. The kid was still going on and on in rapid French, panic setting in.
Ryo answered the phone to a barrige of French. "You know French, right?" Yugi asked quickly.
There was silence from Ryo. The kid kept going on and on. Suddenly, the line dropped off. Ryo and Yugi were left alone in a three way phone conversation.
Ryo mumbled something about hanging up and Yugi was left alone. Yugi just stood in shock in the streets of Domino City. Something really wrong was going on. How would a random Egyptian child, that knew only Arabic and French have gotten Marik's phone. Yugi ran for the small airport, where Joey's plane that had just brought him back to Domino the night before, still sat on the track.
Once he boarded the plane, Yugi called back Ryo. Ryo answered. "What was that all about?" Yugi asked trying not to sound too worried. There was silence for a second before Ryo swallowed and spoke, "The Light of Destruction... the boy kept repeating something about the Light of Destruction... so I called the police and sent them to the playground."
"The Light of Destruction...?" Yugi asked confused. Ryo gave a positive vocal sound. "It was what the fight was about. One of the gang members that was hanging around the playground, turned out to be one of Marik's original Rare Hunters. Marik told me that last time he confronted the man about the playground, the man said that the Light of Destruction had let Marik be for a long time now, but now it was through holding back. Marik was looking to find out more about this...Light of Destruction, and we had a fight about how he should stay out of it." Ryo gave a deep sigh. "I am heading down to Luxor right now."
"And I am on a plane." Yugi responded back quickly.
"Good, because I think we are going to need you." Ryo replied and hung up the phone.
It wasn't until Yugi got closer to Egypt that he had the presence of mind, to call his grandfather and tell him that an emergency with Marik had occurred, and that perhaps his grandfather should stop at the store for those olives, because Yugi hadn't the slightest clue when he would be back again.
And this is part of my omage to Yugioh GX, which was never as good as the original, but gives me more canon to work with to explain what happened to our favorite characters. If you didn't know, the Light of Destruction is one of the spirits of evil that Jaden must defeat in GX. I didn't read or watch all of GX so if I make a canon error, feel free to tell me in a review and I will seek to correct it. Thanks!
Next Chapter: Things aren't looking good for Marik Ishtar, but maybe he will finally get his redemption. What will he say to the group?