Note: As I get the manga depicting the pharaoh's past life I begin to see how off I am on a lot of things. Sorry bout that.
Golden Temptress
"So what did you think of your first trip to the Digital World? Not that you got to see a lot of it since we weren't allowed to leave that area." Rika wanted to know as they drove into the darkness, heading for her house for the dinner. She'd tried to talk her grandmother and mother out of it but that had been as productive as banging her head against bricks to get rid of a headache.
"I think that Calumon is enough to scare most people off from having children, Terriermon loves the sound of his own voice a great deal and that your fox doesn't overly disapprove of me though she's still reserving judgment." Seto said with a smirk as he leaned back in the passenger seat, letting her drive since she knew the way. Apparently all the digimon of Rika's acquaintance had heard he was coming and had decided to meet him. He'd spent more time surrounded by them then he had looking around.
"I knew you were a smart man." Rika said with a grin as she looked over at him before turning her eyes back to the familiar streets. "And I should warn you, my mother is going to go into matchmaking mode to the extreme without any attempts to hide it. My grandmother will just try to bribe you with her cooking though if that helps."
"Or you could just tell them that there's no need for any matchmaking." Seto said quietly as he looked over at her, meeting her eyes as hundreds of different messages passed between them. Messages that had Rika taking her free hand off the wheel to slide over to take his.
"I would but then she'd start making wedding plans and parading you in font of the neighbors and the zillions of friends she'd invite over to meet you."
"Okay...keeping quiet is good."
"I thought you'd agree."
)
Pulling into her driveway Rika and Seto had barely gotten their seat belts off before the front door opened and Rika's mom walked out to wave at them from the porch looking as beautiful as ever as she tried not to bounce up and down with excitement. Her daughter was involved with one of the top richest, most best looking bachelors in all of Japan. And here she'd thought her daughter's kick ass attitude was going to cause her baby to end up as a mean old spinster with too many cats.
"Hey, Mom." Rika called out wearily as she got out of the car and locking it walked around it to meet Seto as the two walked towards the porch. "I apologize for anything she does ahead of time." Rika muttered under her breath, just loud enough for him to hear. She had a feeling this was definitely not going to be a fun evening for either of them, especially her.
"There's my baby girl." Rumiko said with a wide grin as she leapt forward to draw Rika into a bone crushing hug before letting her daughter go to do the same to a very startled Seto. "And aren't you even more handsome then in your pictures." She gushed as she let him go, a beaming smile on her face as she surveyed the gorgeous hunk her girl had landed. "I'm Rika's mom, please call me Rumiko though, I insist. You know my niece Mai too, don't you?"
"Ah...yes ma'am...I mean Rumiko." Seto said as he blinked before shoving his hands in his pockets, suddenly feeling like he'd been thrown into a soap opera and had no idea what his lines were. Give him a duel to the death or a mutinous board room any day. It would appear that mothers were strange and very unsettling creatures.
"Well both of you come in, I can't wait to hear all about what you two have been up to." Rumiko said with another beaming smile before she expertly herded them both into the house and set about beginning her inquisition to see whether or not this young man was good enough for her only child.
)
"I still can't believe that there was some ancient Egyptian guy living in my sister's soul and I didn't even know about it." Joey groused as he stared towards the hallway where his sister was sleeping, this Joshua punk in there too on her floor. Joey had already checked on them both five times just to make sure that mountain of muscle stayed on said floor. Not that Serenity's bed was big enough for the guy, much less both of them.
"You don't really need to be worried about Joshua so much, Joey. From what I remember of him he was a loyal and trustworthy servant." Yami said with a small smile, well used to Joey being more then a little overprotective of Serenity. Joey gave a whole new meaning to the term over protective.
"No offense, Yami but I didn't like the way he was lookin at Serenity. I know he's up to something." Joey continued, well on his way to turning this into a full blown rant. "And don't start reminding me that he saved her life either." Joey continued having seen Mai open her mouth to do just that. "People, even bad ones occasionally do something good once or twice in their lifetime."
"If you weren't so busy seeing red and green you'd have noticed that he looks at her like she's the greatest thing since the wheel." Mai said with a roll of her eyes, a little jealous of Serenity. She'd kill for a guy to look at her with such love and devotion, especially one who looked as great as Joshua, Mai mentally added with a smile. "Besides, Serenity has a good head on her shoulders. I don't think you have to worry about some guy talking his way into her pants any time soon unless she wants them there."
)
"You just like him because he's good looking." Joey argued, just another in a long list of all the reasons why he wanted to throw this Joshua out a window. Plus he didn't want to think of anyone getting into his sister's pants. EVER.
"Quit being so jealous, Joey. You're just mad because now Serenity has someone else to take care of her, something you've always done yourself. Just because she's got a new guy in her life doesn't mean she's going to throw you out like you're last season clothing." Mai said as she sat beside him, putting an arm over his shoulder since he seemed to need it. "She's only got one big brother and that's you, you knothead. No one can take your place in her heart and she wouldn't even let anyone try." Leaning over Mai placed a kiss on his cheek, smiling against his skin when she saw his cheeks pink up. "And you're just as cute as he is in my eyes."
"But what are we going to do about him not really existing in this world?" Tea pointed out reasonably, smiling over the fact that Joey and Mai were apparently at least attempting to mend things between them. "I mean he doesn't have an identity, the police are going to want to see his papers soon after all this and we don't have any to show them."
"We could ask Pegasus or Kaiba to get them from someone or make them." Yugi suggested as he came into the room with the glass of water he'd gone to get in the kitchen. "They would both have the money and the contacts to get what Joshua is going to need. I bet Pegasus has already got some for Latoya just in case she needs them in the future."
"Yeah but would either of them do it when there's nothing in it for them?" Tristan pointed out cynically. "I mean this sort of thing can't be cheap and it is illegal. I can't see either of them putting out their neck for any of us, even if it meant we owed them big time. Personally I would rather not owe either of them anything."
"I don't know, maybe if I got Rika to talk to Kaiba about it he'd agree to it. I'd be willing to pay for it since it's my fault that Joshua's in this mess anyway." Mai said with a thoughtful look on her face, trying not to think about what might have happened if Joshua hadn't made an appearance when he had. "I mean from the looks of it Mr. Millionaire is pretty into her."
"Well then you see about that angle and I'll give Latoya a ring, see if she thinks Pegasus would do it for free." Yami said as he took a sip from his drink. "It wouldn't surprise me if she could talk him into it."
"The icy cold millionaires of the world being taken down by mere women. Who'd have ever thought it." Joey joked then yelped when Mai whacked him upside the head. "HEY! I was just joking, jeez. Anyway has anyone heard from Bakura recently?"
)
In the darkness he moved like a shadow, like snake soundless slithering along the marble floors as he made his way through the museum's halls. He was surrounded by priceless artifacts, worth millions even on the black market but they held none of his interest. There was only one thing that mattered to him in the least and that was what was stored in the Egyptian exhibit having just arrived that morning. It wasn't even in the papers yet since the museum's curator hadn't exactly acquired it on the up and up. Stolen from a tomb apparently, pocketed during an excavation by one of the laborers if his information was correct. A solid gold rectangle, resembling a large playing card with symbols he couldn't read but drew him none the less. As soon as he'd seen the picture of it that one of his contacts had acquired he'd had a thirst to possess that rivaled his hatred of the pharaoh. This card called to him like the mythical sirens to the doomed Greek sailors who heard their enchanting song. And soon it would be his, all his, he thought as he absently fingered his greatest prize, the Millennium Ring. His key to control this body and allow him to once again take human form and go after his goals and ambitions. Arriving at his destination he made his way over to the correct display case, his eyes eating up the sight as he stared at the golden artifact, gleaming bright and new under the lights put into place to show case it.
)
"Hello, my beauty." Bakura whispered softly as he fought the urge to reach out and press his hand against the card's glass cage. There were alarms and such to deal with first before he could hold his prize in his hands. Not that there was anything to worry about of course. He was after all, the king of thieves. He couldn't ever remembering being this pumped up for a heist though, especially when there was only this card for a prize. His heart was beating wildly in his chest and his breath coming out in short pants to his amazement. He was as nervous and strung out as if this were his first time, Bakura thought with a mixture of annoyance and excitement. There was just something about this piece. Something special about it. Something that held him memorized so that nothing else, including the threat of discovery or mistake mattered.
"You should be very careful, King of Thieves." A voice, blantly female purred out and Bakura stared, the voice having come from the direction of the display. "Even though you call yourself king there have been many men who've tried to possess me and failed. I am far from an easy prize to acquire."
"Who...who said that?" Bakura demanded, his eyes narrowing suspiciously, his fingers itching to go to the gun he had strapped to his side.
"The prize you seek of course." Came the voice again, along with a husky chuckle that stirred Bakura's memories making him think that he'd heard this voice before. But from where? "Though there's little stopping you from removing me from this case are you sure you want to risk it? That you're man enough for the task, oh self proclaimed king? Once you remove me from this case you'll have to deal with me and all that I am. You weren't ready before, are you so very sure you are now?"
It wasn't the voice of any of his victims and it wasn't the voice of any of his other half's friends, Bakura thought, analyzing both the voice and the words it spoke. This was a voice that stirred his own, personal memories. A voice from his past however impossible that sounded. "Ready before, card? I have never seen you before. But I know that voice, I know your voice from somewhere in the past but how can that be? You're not a Millennium item."
"No, that I am not. Only those of great power, the priests and my pharaoh were deserving and both cursed and gifted with those items. Of course now they've been falling into the wrong hands on a regular basis, haven't they? You wear the Ring, you're using it to possess that boy even as we speak, King of Thieves. And we did meet once, before your dark soul was cast into that cursed ring. We spoke a few words to each other, just before you went forth to your doom. The day you came to challenge my Master, the pharaoh."
)
"Your master? You belong to the that bastard pharaoh?" Bakura demanded to know, his eyes firing up at the mentioning of his greatest enemy, the pharaoh and bearer of the Millennium Puzzle.
"I see your opinions of him have not changed with time." Was the woman's amused response, her voice still coming through the glass of the display, the golden artifact seeming to gleam brighter in front of his eyes. "And yes I belonged to him, was given to him when I had reached womanhood as a gift to him from my father. My mother was one of his harem, he had no other use for me and the pharaoh rewarded him greatly for me."
"I remember... you." Bakura said slowly, imagines passing before his eyes. When he'd been making his way through the palace to get to the pharaoh he'd encountered a large number of guards in his path to stop him. He'd dispatched with them easily enough and was kicking the last dead body out of his way when he'd seen her. The most stunningly beautiful creature he'd ever seen in his life. She had just walked into the room, her perfect body only barely covered in black netting, her wrists, neck and ankles decorated in jewels, her long, black hair entwined with gold threads. She had face him with no fear or worry, her dark brown eyes watching him, a slightly amused smile on her face, as though she knew something he hadn't. She had asked him what he thought he was doing in the voice he heard now, coming from the case, coming from the golden card. And she belonged to the pharaoh.
"I've been told I'm a very hard person to forget." The voice purred, filled with seductive amusement. "As I recall you said then to stay put, that I would be one of the prizes you would steal away that day."
"I guess I'm a bit late then. Then again, I don't think I want you for the same reasons anymore." Bakura replied silkily, his dark eyes flashing as the thought that she'd belonged to Yami consumed him. When he'd seen her that first time it had been like he'd been struck down, he'd forgetting everything in that moment but her. Oh how he'd wanted her in that moment, to possess that utter perfection and make it his own. But now he knew that that perfection had been an illusion, marred by the hands of the pharaoh.
)
"I told you then that the only way you'd add me to your spoils of war was if you defeated the pharaoh, you should consider yourself lucky that I no longer hold you to that seeing as you have yet to accomplish that task. So you no longer want me, Thief? Why, because I once belonged to the pharaoh? Shared his bed and allowed his hands upon me? That is of course your choice. Others will come after you, men without judgment long clouded by their own mistakes and shortcomings." The voice said, her voice still smooth and controlled though there was a hint of bite to it. A sense that she was hiding anger very well even as she purred out her barb. "Besides, I doubt very much a BOY such as yourself would have anything to offer me."
About to say something crude, cruel and certainly colorful about her, her character and morals Bakura bit his tongue as another thought, from his other self entered his thoughts. She hadn't had a choice. She'd been sold to the pharaoh, traded for a favor without a thought to her wants and needs. She hadn't asked to be the bastard's plaything, hadn't asked to be reduced to a toy for the pharaoh's pleasure. She was as much a victim of the pharaoh's cruelty as he was. More so because unlike him she'd been powerless to do anything about it. She hadn't chosen her fate.
"Guards are coming by the way." The voice said with a chuckle, well aware of the inner struggle he was facing from the emotions playing upon his face. "You should run away, thief, before you're caught and imprisoned. Again."
"Not ever again." Bakura hissed, as he looked over his shoulder then back at the display. Making a quick decision Bakura quickly worked through the security and with sure hands reached out and lifted the card from it's resting spot. As soon as his fingers wrapped around the strangle warm base there was a blinding light and he could feel the artifact dissolving in his hands till there was nothing but air. Then the light was gone and standing before him was his vision of perfection, dressed in a way that reminded Bakura of the slave costume the princess had worn in his childish other half's Star Wars collection. The same, small but perfectly shaped body, the stunning beautiful face with mischief and untamed look in those almond shaped eyes. The perfect female fantasy in what appeared to be flesh and blood.
)
"Well it's about time." Freya said as she put her hands on her hips, the picture of a girl who'd been kept waiting and wasn't at all appreciative. "I thought you were supposed to be the King of Thieves. I could have got me out of there quicker. But oh well, you are just a boy yet. You can be taught." She added with a purr as she swayed over to him, lifting a hand to stroke his cheek. "Now it's time for you, thief, to go back into that ring and let me talk to my true master." Her eyes were almost hypnotic and the dark Bakura found himself mindlessly doing as she said, her eyes seeming to control him as he blinked, his other self in control when his eyes opened wide to stare down at her. "Ah, there you are. Hello again, Master Bakura." Freya said with a beguiling smile as she wrapped her arms around his startled neck, leaning against him with her head on his unsteady heart. "Don't worry, I won't let him control you anymore, Master. You're our master now."