Chapter 16: Deductions
The first emotion he felt was shock at Yugi's solid-if small-form slamming into him, his fingers wrapping around her shoulders as he cradled her trembling and sobbing personage. He'd been knocked backwards, due, in large part, to the speed at which the portal (or whatever it was) forcibly expelled the poor girl into his waiting arms.
He felt shock at the events, the images, the horror of the blood dripping from Yugi's fingers as he'd finally reached her, finally brought her back to him, back to the safety of her soul room. .
He felt shock at how warm Yugi's flesh felt, how bits of sand spattered onto his shirt and pants, how he could smell the singed fabric of her pajamas.
He also felt the shock at the power surge that he could still sense tingling through his fingers, tickling his consciousness. It filled him with dread and excitement all at once. He wanted to revel in it even as he wanted to thrust it far from himself, afraid of how much the darkness might consume him should he embrace the power.
Mostly, though, the spirit was horrified and startled at the state the girl was in. Beyond his initial assessment of her appearance, the spirit's eyes widened as he took in Yugi's unkempt hair, her sunburned face and the blood that dripped down her fingertips. His gaze then narrowed further when he spied the growing purple bruise beneath the sunburn, blossoming on her cheek, a cut on her lip caked in dried blood.
Worse still, though, were the tears that cut tracks through the dust and angry red burn on her face as she sat clinging to the spirit of the puzzle, silent sobs rattling her frame, violet eyes darting around unseeing and confused. Her lips trembled, half words falling from her mouth as he held her, trying to quell Yugi's quivering form.
She looked like a wounded animal, a frightened rabbit caught in a cage.
He didn't know what to do, didn't know how to make things better. But he knew what he wanted to do, how he wanted to tear apart whomever had hurt his charge. It'd been the same reaction he'd had the first time they'd met, when she'd first finished the puzzle. He'd been able to exact retribution against Ushio, against her tormentors.
But this time?
Anger coiled in his stomach at his own helplessness and he felt a surge of power, dark and all encompassing, fill his veins heightening his senses, refilling his reserves and enticing him to fall into darker paths, whispering that this would be the only way to...
However, he also didn't know how to process what had just happened and how he...how he had…and that made him even angrier. He couldn't defend her even if he'd wanted to, especially since he couldn't even figure out what had happened and what power was causing this problem, nor how he'd managed to get her back. He'd felt the growth in his powers when he'd fought for her, felt the burning light and energy that nearly singed his fingers. But, now it was gone and he hadn't a clue how he'd first conjured it anyway. He was left with nothing but a hollowness that the darkness, that he'd reveled in for so long, tried desperately to fill.
The anxiety of feeling useless made him sick.
What had happened? How had he managed to make that connection and pull her back from...wherever she'd been?
How had she gotten there in the first place? And who or what was taking her there?
"I-I-I'm, I'm, I'm sorry. So sorry. I couldn't…"
The spirit peered down at the girl, watching as she muttered, her voice muffled by the sleeve of his shirt, as she sobbed and babbled, her muttering a jumbled, emotional mess. She was trying to apologize for something, but seemed unable to articulate anything.
He'd never seen her this undone, this emotionally confused and exhausted. Even when she'd been threatened by Ushio, or had those robbers attempt to attack her friends, he'd never seen her become so small, shrinking in on herself, unable to process what had happened.
"You did nothing wrong, little one," the spirit murmured quietly, resting a hand atop this girl's head, noting how gritty each tendril felt-sand mixed in with locks of unruly hues of purple and black and gold.
It felt strangely familiar, almost like a dream that he couldn't quite remember.
"I don't understand what had happened to you or what was going on there...wherever you were, but you couldn't have done anything-"
"I couldn't stop it from happening."
Yugi cut the spirit off, her head whipping upwards, eyes wide as she peered at him. Tears rimmed her perse orbs. The spirit was momentarily shocked into silence at the girls' rapid movements and fierosity of her gaze.
"You don't understand. I-I didn't want to...I couldn't stop him from trying to break the seal. I couldn't help them and they'd asked me to. I-I let them down."
'Let them down?' He thought quizzically, his brows furrowing at the girl. Her half explanations weren't helping him much.
"What happened? Who did you 'let down'?"
He didn't understand what she was getting at and who she was talking about. Hell, he didn't even know what she'd experienced or whether or not it was real. But something had happened and it had shaken the girl to the core, which rankled his senses and set the fury blazing through his veins more forcefully than before.
He'd tried to protect her from the outside world, from the outside forces that had tried so desperately to harm her.
And yet, even in the confines of her soul room, harm had befallen her. And he hadn't been able to stop it.
The spirit bit back a growl.
He needed answers.
"How did you get there? Where were you? Who were you trying to help?" The Spirit huffed a little and gently nudged the girl back so he could face her properly, trying to school his emotions long enough to address her, to think clearly.
Not betray showing his anguished fury at the situation.
He could sense Yugi's heartbeat thumping rapidly against her chest-rhythmic but erratic-as she watched the spirit silently..
Such silence and her unabashed stare made the spirit a little uncomfortable as he could sense her studying him, the way she studied him, trying to decipher something. He could also see the way her resolve held firm in that gaze, even as flickers of panic and concern peeked through.
She wasn't going to answer him. Not that he was surprised. He didn't know if she could answer, really.
But he had to get her to try.
"I can't help you if I don't understand" He remarked after a moment. "I can't assist you if you don't explain."
The questions spilled from his lips, tingles of familiarity eating at him as he watched the girl's stoicism falter and face flitter with emotions and he recalled the images he had seen as he'd struggled to free her.
Something felt familiar about those events. And yet, they were foreign at the same time and he wanted to know why.
The spirit reached down and grabbed Yugi's hand, the one that still dripped crimson, splashing onto his own pale fingers. She winced at the contact and tried to recoil, but the spirit held firm.
It was no dream, no hallucination.
A dream could not have conjured up this type of injury.
The spirit met Yugi's gaze, his own unblinking as he took the time study her (in the same way she'd been doing to him), watching as her own gaze wavered, flickers of confusion shifting through her amethyst orbs. Yugi tried to smile briefly, concern welling in her gaze as she matched his own, assessing, look. .
"I'm not crazy," She murmured softly, brows furrowing as she sucked on her bottom lip, wincing after a moment. "I know I'm not. I just...I don't…"
Unbidden, they both turned towards the puzzle's connection to her soul room, his domain...his prison. He marveled at how the puzzle's connection wove through the floor, tendrils of golden thread interlacing with what had already been there, what had already been Yugi's soul.
It was now connected, inextricably so, with the puzzle.
And by extension with him. And he wondered...
The spirit sighed, eagerness and concern warring within him. He could feel the answers lingering there, just beyond his reach and he wanted to push forward and grasp them, to find out what they really were.
He knew they were important.
But, the spirit also knew Yugi didn't understand anything either, that she was also reaching in the dark, hoping to grab a tendril of truth. And he knew she was struggling. He wanted to to help her, and himself. But he couldn't force her to speak, couldn't demand answers to the questions that burned on his tongue, begging to be spoken, mysteries begging to be solved.
No, he had to be more careful, more thoughtful in his approach. He was slowly learning that Yugi wasn't like him. For all her bravery and resilience, she was a rather soft soul, a tender creature who despised force and aggression, when she could help it. And he'd already made that mistake too many times.
And hadn't he promised her that he'd protect her in her way?
The Spirit sighed, tamping down the fury that still raged in his heart and patiently gazed down at his savior and charge.
'So many unanswered questions. So many concerns about her welfare in this whole mess.' He thought to himself as their eyes met again.
There was a buzzing in his ears, a pressure and presence of power that hung in the air between them as they peered at one another.
Another spatters of blood dripped from Yugi's hand and the spirit blinked, the anger in him burned brighter at the sorrow he found in the girl's eyes.
"Just start from the beginning" he remarked in a tone far softer than he thought himself capable as he angled towards Yugi, carefully reaching for the girl's injured palm, determined to help where he could. "Tell me everything."
Yugi clenched her fist lightly, hiding her blood soaked hand from the spirit's advance and frowned at the spirit, her lip trembling as she struggled to form her words.
She was warring with herself about something. He could sense the girl's hesitancy.
"I…" Yugi murmured softly, refusing to avert her gaze, "I think...I think I let you down."
"I'm sorry."
The spirit couldn't formulate a response to the girl. He was stunned by her comment, even more confused by the switch in her emotions, her calmed exterior petering, once more, into sorrow as she addressed him.
Why would she be so concerned about him? He hadn't been there. How could she know if she'd let him down or not?
"I'm not stupid," she continued, her head tilted downward, though her voice seemed stronger than the tears that dripped into her lap. "I suspected what was happening from the beginning, though I didn't really want to believe it. But, I couldn't be completely certain. I only thought…"
She trailed off, tilting her head to peer at the spirit before her, eyes sparkling from the tears, her sunburned cheeks darkened by the emotions that bubbled at the surface.
"I only thought the puzzle had something to do with it. But I think it's more than that. Much more but I can't put my finger on just what."
Jou sat there baffled as he watched Kaiba reach forward and assist in pushing Yugi into a more comfortable position, throwing the armrest up and reaching for his jacket to cradle Yugi's head more efficiently, before helping Pegasus to set the young man's legs onto the other seat as well, so that Jou's friend lay prone on the two seats, rather than slumped in the way he had been a few moments ago.
These actions surprised Jou immensely.
Kaiba never acted so considerate. At least, he'd never acted that way before. So, what had changed?
And more importantly, what had just happened to Yugi?
"Oi, is he alright?" the blonde queried, trying to lean forward, past Kaiba and Pegasus, who were blocking his view, muttering quietly between one another.
"Does this have to do with...?" Kaiba's voice was soft, an angry edge in his timbre.
"Of course it does." Pegasus' response was clipped as he reached forward and placed a hand on Yugi's forehead, instantly recoiling when his fingers touched the young mans' flesh.
"Of course it does," He muttered again, almost bitterly.
Jou was properly confused at this point. Everyone was speaking in half sentences and not making a lick of sense, at least not to him, and he wanted answers.
"What's going on," He remarked, his voice pitching towards anger and agitation. "What happened to him then, eh?"
"He has gone to his soul room," The woman-Isis-had remarked in a calm, clipped tone, her gaze never straying from Yugi's face.
Jou narrowed his eyes at the display, watching how the woman reached forward, resting a hand on his best friend's arm. A fierce protectiveness coursed down his spine, tingling
"I wonder what he's found there," She muttered more softly the second time, eyes never straying from "For it is not like him to simply retreat. A great reason must have compelled him to relinquish control of this form, to abandon consciousness."
"Are we talking about the same Yugi here?" Kaiba retorted, voice low, brilliant sapphire eyes boring into Isis as he leaned away from Yugi's prone form. "Yugi Mutou does not abandon anyone and if that entity you claim was in the puzzle really was as strong as you claim, then he wouldn't either."
What?
Jou's eyes widened and he maneuvered past Isis, gently pushing the woman away from his friend as he faced Kaiba head on, his scowl deepening at Kaiba quirked a brow at him expectantly.
"Just what are you gettin' at here, then Kaiba? What do ya mean 'entity'? Can'tcha see this is the same Yugi as always?"
Kaiba snorted derisively at the comment and folded his arms, leaning away from the blonde haired man before him.
"I really did think you were that stupid," he remarked lowly, his stare hard as he peered down his nose at Jou. "I guess I gave you too much credit. That's not your friend, Yugi Mutou. Can't you see the difference?"
What?
"You're blind," Jou snapped angrily, "Of course that's my friend! Looks just like him doesn't it! There's no one who looks like that 'cept Yugi."
And yet…
Jou couldn't quite but his finger on why that comment rang true. There was a whisper in the back of his mind, tickling his ears, and trying to persuade him to that what Kaiba said was truth.
And why it was important revelation. There was a pressure growing behind his eyes and the soft 'whoosh' of wind in his ears as he stared intently at his unconscious friend, scanning his features, trying to decipher why this was important, why it mattered, and why he should care.
"What a dunce"
Jou shook his head, coming back to himself and glowered at Kaiba's smug face.
"Shut yer trap!" He snipped, clenching his fists, "Or I'll shut it for you."
"You really don't know?" Pegasus' voice was light, but the surprise was evident in his timbre, "I mean you really couldn't tell? My my, Jou my boy, you really are an oblivious dunce."
He laughed lightly, his visible eye sparkling with mirth, dimples appearing on his normally reserved face, white blonde hair sweeping over his shoulder as he rested his elbows on the armrest of his chair.
"I honestly find this most amusing, though I can't say that I'm surprised," He remarked to Jou who sat fuming silently at the older man, "You're more the type to act rather than think when protecting others, isn't that right, Jou my boy? Didn't stop to think just who or what you were protecting. By all accounts you thought you saw your friend and that was enough motivation for you."
The mirth was gone from the man's voice and Jou furrowed his brows at the implication of Pegasus' words and the intensity at which the older man was suddenly addressing him.
"Admirable for many things," he continued, frowning at the blonde young man, "But also a point of weakness. One that could be exploited."
The intensity of the stare made him swallow back the retort he had and avert his gaze back towards Yugi, a prickle of dread coursing down his spine, a sharp pain lancing through his skull, making him wince.
Warning bells were sounding in his ears...
Something was wrong. And they knew it. But, they weren't telling him just what it was.
"What's going on?" he queried quietly, his earlier objections and indignation evaporating as quickly as they'd flared. "What aren't you tellin' me?"
"We cannot tell you," Isis cut in, raising a hand to silence Pegasus, who'd opened his mouth to respond, "We cannot trust you Jounouichi."
Her glare was fierce, rich ochre eyes blazing with a fury that he'd never seen before. Jou shrank back out of instinct, even as his confusion flared.
"What do ya mean ya can't trust me!" He snapped in surprise, still angling away from Isis's piercing glare, "He's my best friend!"
"And you, Jounouchi, are tainted, as I said before," Isis retorted softly, "You have the mark of one possessed and I cannot trust you. Not yet."
She reached for the blond boy, Her slender fingers, brushing his tensed shoulder as he scrambled to move away from her, trapped in their confined quarters, no way to escape, the warning bells ringing louder in his ears, an intense pain shooting through his head as he found himself unable to tear his gaze away from hers.
There was a fire in her eyes that both terrified and intrigued him.
"You are not yourself, Jounouchi," She remarked again, a warmth cascading from her fingers and tingling against Jou's shoulder, "We cannot assist your friend until we assist you."
Her grip suddenly tightened as the world went black and Jou's consciousness dimmed.
"Shada."
Isis' voice was hard, low, and angry as she addressed the cabin of occupants, "It's time. I shall tend to this boy. You ascertain the whereabouts of the Pharaoh."
Kaiba was confused only for a moment, unable to inquire as to Isis' command until a man materialized from the shadows, kneeling at Isis' side, his dress mimicking the woman's traditional garb, swathed in a long cream robe with a white turban that wound tightly about his head, the tail, thereof, encircling the man's neck and shoulders. Large, golden hoops dangled from his ears and a brilliant golden band encircled his upper arm.
However, it was the large key about the man's neck that caught Kaiba's attention, a pulsation of familiarity rocketing through his veins as he peered at the object.
Why did it seem so familiar to him?
The man, Shada, frowned at Isis, eyes drawn to the unconscious Yugi and Kaiba tensed as the man also cast a brief glance towards him and then Pegasus.
"It would seem you have an audience," he remarked lowly, almost dispassionately, "I had not expected so many to know of our secret so soon."
Isis only shrugged her gaze never straying from Jou's, "Things are moving far faster than we anticipated, but it changes nothing. Now, hurry while I tend to this victim. Go and look for him in Yugi's mind. Bring him back if you can."
Shada nodded, briefly peering at Kaiba once more before silently reaching for the large key about his neck.
With deft movements, the man reached forward and thrust the key towards Yugi's unconscious form, the metal de-materializing and sliding into the young man's head.
Kaiba's mouth fell open in surprise as he watched the proceedings. He wasn't aware that he'd gotten up from his seat until Pegasus of all people had laid a hand on his arm to halt his movements.
"Yugi will be fine, Kaiba boy. The spirit will make sure of that" the older man remarked quietly, "As I'm sure our blonde, lost little puppy Jounouchi will as well. But, you and I have much to talk about while the others are...distracted. So let us convene with our conversation while we still have time to have it."
Pegasus' timbre had taken on a harder edge as he straightened his posture and turned fully to face Kaiba, who slowly sank back into his seat, eyes drawn to the man clad in crimson, pale hair cascading over his face.
"Let me tell you what I know, while I can," Pegasus remarked guardedly, interlacing his fingers and glowering at the younger man before him.
The tears that had been pooling in Yugi's eyes began to fall. Her lip trembled as she let her head fall forward, shielding her face from his gaze.
She didn't want him to see her like this, falling apart, unsure of what to do next, or how to remedy the situations.
She wasn't sad, per se. Moreso, she was confused, and the anxiety it induced left her feeling anxious and unsure of herself.
She always hated feeling that way: useless, stupid, and uncomfortable.
Yugi felt a distinct loss at being pulled back from the Pharaoh and the mess with the Thief King. Something kept calling to her, tugging at her senses, willing her to keep seeking to help them, to remedy their situation in some way.
It had her stomach twisting in knots.
The Pharaoh had asked for her help, asked her to stay, and she'd been willing to do it.
And then there was that power. The earth-shaking tendrils of light and warmth that filled her were both horrifying and exhilarating. She'd never felt so powerful and vulnerable all at the same time. Even now her muscles and veins could feel the last dregs of that power, as it had coursed through her.
It scared her as much as it intrigued her. Much like her ability to call forth duel monsters, real life duel monsters.
"I can't follow your thoughts, Yugi, even though I can sense them. You're scattered and incoherent." The spirit's voice was soft, but commanding, "And I've no idea what's going on but I can't help you if you don't try to explain."
Yugi bit back a sigh and blinked, unsure of how to proceed, though she was careful to keep her thoughts blocked from the spirit before her. She'd forgotten that he shared…
But it made sense, so she supposed she should have been smart enough to make that connection.
'I don't follow your thinking, little one,' the voice rang in her head making Yugi wince and she peered towards the spirit, noting how his eyes looked apologetic.
"I didn't mean to hurt you," He remarked, using his voice, "But you were distracted, your thoughts all over the place. It's difficult to keep up with you. And that doesn't benefit anyone."
He smiled lightly at her, burgundy orbs carefully hooded, concealing his true emotions from her, though she could sense them bubbling beneath the surface, much in the same way he'd been able to infiltrate her senses, and thoughts.
But, Yugi didn't press her advantage nor try to invade his mind. Instead, she steeled herself and squared her shoulders, ignoring the way her muscles ached, and hand throbbed.
"Isis and Mana," she began, noting the way the Spirit's form perked at the names that he'd heard her utter before. Before she'd been transported back to the desert the last time.
But she couldn't dwell on that too long. She needed to get this out before she lost her nerve, and lost her train of thought. Everything was still too confusing and raw. It felt like she were trapped between a dreamscape and her waking world and sometimes she wasn't sure which was which.
"They told me not to inform you of what I knew" She continued peering at the enthralled spirit before, watching the way he sat ramrod straight, fingers tense and pressed firmly against his knees as he listened.
"But, I don't think I can hide it from you any longer, and I feel…" she hesitated, searching for the words, "I feel like I-that I need to tell you what I know. That you deserve to hear it. That...that it's important for you to hear it."
The girl shook her head.
"I'm not making any sense. I'm sorry."
The spirit stared at her, a puzzled expression coloring his features as he remained fixated on her, eyes unblinking, expectant.
Yugi swallowed.
'Right. Best start from the beginning.' She muttered silently.
"I think I'm travelling, somewhere, or sometime in...your memories," she remarked softly, her words spilling forth slowly and uncertainly. "Or, at least I think that's what's happening anyway."
"Why do you…?" The spirit trailed off, his words as uncertain as hers as he narrowed his gaze. "Why would you think…I know we'd talked of that before, but are you certain?"
Yugi swallowed back her trepidation and peered at the spirit before her concern got the better of her and she refused to tell the spirit what she knew.
"Yes. And, I think...I think we met in those memories. I think you're a...pharaoh and there's a conflict. Or at least that's what Mana and Isis and Mahad had said, effectively.."
She watched the spirit's brows raise in surprise, mouth falling open slightly, a spark alighting his eyes.
"Mana?" He queried, his voice low, "And Mahad...those sound..."
The spirit suddenly winced and blinked a few times before frowning.
"I can't recall those names, though they sound familiar," He conceded quietly, though his voice rang with an eagerness. "You've mentioned Mana before. And Isis-who, consequently, is a woman in my company right now…" the spirit trailed off, "Perhaps they are connected? And perhaps they are memories, certainly ones I am unable to access." But then the Spirit's eyes narrowed and he peered down his nose at her. "But that doesn't explain how you fit into all of this and why that woman showed up with Kaiba and Pegasus in tow."
"Pegasus?" Yugi straightened, a wave of anxiety pummeling her senses and thoughts of her grandfather washed over her.
'What would he possibly have to do-did he hurt anyone? Where was Jou? Anzu? Honda?'
And then the Spirit reached for her hand, the injured, bloodstained palm that still trickled blood onto her clothes and down her wrist.
"They are okay," He remarked simply, "Pegasus means you no harm, as far as I can see. But should he attempt such a feat, you know I would protect you."
The Spirit was fierce, eyes alight with a determination that assured the girl that he was serious.
Her twin turned his attention to her hand, hissing angrily at the mangled flesh and the crimson puddle that oozed there.
"I do not think he means you harm" He muttered again, "Nor do I think memories cause a viewer harm," He surmised, tracing the jagged wound that ran along her hand. "Simple memories could not be this realistic, or tangible. No magic that I'm aware of could cause this."
"Unless I was actually going there" Yugi retorted, meeting the Spirit's gaze. "Unless it wasn't quite a memory?"
"But something more." The Spirit nodded thoughtfully before tracing the girl's injury again, a soft light moving from his fingertips to encircle the oozing wound.
There was a slow tendril of warmth that wound its way around her fingers, before washing over her entire hand. Yugi noted how her fingers and palm took on a golden hue as power enveloped her injury. She could feel the way her flesh tenderly stitched together, carefully, piece by piece, returning to its original state.
And when the light retreated, and the Spirit sighed in satisfaction, Yugi noted that her hand was whole once more, though a long, pale scar ran along her palm now, where once was torn and ragged flesh dripping in blood.
"I couldn't remove the injury," Her doppelganger remarked a bit dourly, frowning at Yugi, claret eyes scanning her face carefully, "But I could speed up the healing process. You've lost a lot of blood."
"I'm alright." the girl remarked, flexing her fingers gently, testing out her hand's movements for any sign of pain.
She peeked through her lashes up to the spirit's face and noted the frown had not abated. In fact, it had grown more pronounced as he watched her, arms now folding over one another, brow quirked questioningly.
"You're a terrible liar."
The retort was swift but not unkind as he smirked at her lightly, his eyes softening.
He let out a long suffering sigh before plopping down near the girl, smacking his hands against the cold floor.
The pair of them stared forward for a long while, peering at the long, dark hallway of Yugi's mind (an odd notion in and of itself). The girl let her breathing even out, willing the anxiety she'd felt not too long ago to abate and ease. She took to studying the room, noting the soft hues of light cascading from Yugi's soul room, which stood in contrast to the dark and foreboding door to the Spirit's puzzle prison. For that's what Yugi was coming to understand it to be.
It filled her with another pang of guilt for she had initially doomed him back in that prison after having set him free.
She'd cast him back into darkness.
And now, as she peered towards the floor, marveling at the way threads of molten gold seemed to edge their way ever closer to her soul room, she knew that they were inexplicably connected and unable to separate again.
She could not abandon him once more. No matter their differences or how much she might fear his methods.
She couldn't cast him back into that darkness.
And know what she knew now, knowing that he did have some goodness and cared for her and her friends, to some degree, it made it a little easier to trust him.
He had saved her life. More than once. And hadn't her grandfather always said that she should be willing to forge friendships despite differences?
'Thank you.'
The voice was quiet, softly tickling her ears, though she knew the Spirit's mouth never moved.
Yugi nodded in reply, her own thoughts straying back to the topic at hand.
"I trust you" She murmured "And that is why I had to tell you. Why I think that whatever's happening is important for you to know about even should others, past or present advise against it."
"Why would this Mana person advise me not to know?" The Spirit queried in reply, his voice a little incredulous. "I cannot remember these events, so why can I not know about them now? Especially when they're having such an...adverse effect on you? There's an obvious connection between what you're experiencing in those...memories...and what's happened in Domino and with your family and friends. Why try to continue to blind our understanding?"
There was a bit of an edge to his voice as he turned towards the girl, who-despite her intimate relationship with these memories or past figures (or what have you)-had no answers to give.
"Because she was not meant to tell you. Because it would ruin the passage of time if she did."
They'd left the city in shambles, the floodwaters ceasing moments after Yugi had disappeared.
In the confusion, the Thief King has managed to slip away, having been bested by a phantom of a girl who'd left no trace of her existence behind.
The Pharaoh paced back and forth in front of his horse, a furios scowl on his face as he watched his uncle being loaded onto another steed hands bound behind his back, a magic circle binding his powers, preventing him from using them.
The elder man let out a series of curses, directing a fearsome glare towards his nephew and ruler.
But it hadn't been the Pharaoh who had disarmed the priest and chiefest of his advisers.
No, it had be Mahad. Mahad, who had witnessed the man's actions towards the young ruler had acted swiftly, in confusion, to level a blast towards Akhenadin. As the floor crumbled, the man had been thrown backwards, off balance, thus freeing the Pharaoh who'd swiftly bound his uncle in a magic circle before resuming his pursuit of Yugi.
But he'd found her to be gone. Wholly and utterly gone.
And he wasn't certain what upset him more.
The fact that she'd disappeared again, after he'd sworn to protect her and help her find answers.
Or the fact that his Uncle had tried to prevent him from succeeding in that mission, a mission that could save his people.
For, being entrusted with a millenium item was a privilege that brought with it great power. But, that item's usefulness was only so strong as the person who understood how to use that power.
And so far,the Pharaoh had come to find that he knew very little about his puzzle, its creation, nor its intended purpose.
And Akhenaden did and tried to prevent him from discovering the truth.
And he'd dared to allow harm to come to someone who'd…
The Pharaoh clenched his fists together, his jaw tightening at the thought that Yugi held so much more power than he did, could command her puzzle so much more easily than he could.
And Akhenaden had nearly gotten her killed.
His own uncle was a traitor to the kingdom.
"Your lordship, we must return."
Mahad's voice was low, only available for the Pharaoh's ears to hear.
"We cannot linger here. There's a great evil coming. I can sense it. And it won't be long before it reaches our palace. We have to be ready."
The Pharaoh looked towards his friend and adviser, nodding only once in agreement.
Yes, he could feel the stirrings of darkness too. They could not remain for long here. Not with the sun set to rise in a few hours.
And with limited resources and horses to carry them back, they'd have to make good headway before the sun reached its peak.
And before the darkness showed itself again.
But still…
He cast another look towards the crumbling ceremonial chamber, watching as small pools of water still lingered about, running off the stone, washing away the last dregs of fire and destruction the diabound has wrought.
He felt a distinct shift in the air and a pang filled him.
Something was amiss and despite their short acquaintance he was starting to trust the girl's assertions more than his own kin.
Which was a disappointing revelation in and of itself. But was why he was so keen to find the girl again, to ensure her safety and to decipher her purpose here and how it might help him save his people.
"She will return," Mahad said, guessing his thoughts "and with more answers for you, my king."
The Pharaoh turned his attention back to his adviser, one of the few who could see into the future. One of the few who he'd known since he was a child and trusted implicitly.
He was, after all, linked to his spirit protector. That mere fact sent a wave of calm through the young ruler and he nodded briefly towards his friend.
"Then let us return, and hope she is with us soon," he remarked lowly, a tremor of unease worming its way into his chest.
Something still felt off. Dark. Foreboding.
He didn't like it.
Before she could blink, the Spirit had whirled around, angling his body as a shield in front of the surprised girl who peered up at the inquisitive and angry stare of a man that looked decided familiar.
And unfamiliar at the same time.
"Who the hell are you," The Spirit snarled and Yugi detected a distinct spike her twin's agitation and power. A darkness swept over them, smothering the warm air that had previously filled the hall. "Get out. Now."
The intruder, dressed as the ancients had been, Yugi noted, only tilted his head questioningly, pursing his lips as he watched Yugi and the Spirit.
"I cannot." was his simple reply. "For you cannot know of the past, and cannot have this creature break her oath. She must not disrupt the balance. Her actions must be wicked, heart unpure. Isis must be wrong."
Isis…?
Yugi blinked at the man before her, peering at the offender through the gap between the Spirits arm and side. She noted the way her protector clenched a fist angrily, a low growl escaping his form as he moved more decidedly in front of the girl.
"You know nothing of her," The Spirit bit out. "And I will not tell you again to retreat. I will not stay my hand. I will not allow you to harm her."
The man, with his tanned skin, and pale robes, merely sighed in resignation, producing a large golden key from about his neck, thrusting it forward.
"She cannot be allowed to speak of what she knows." The man intoned again, voice firm, "I will not allow it."
There was a second wave of power that encased the long hall of Yugi's soul, this one a foreign power that felt oppressive and invading. She felt as though a thousand eyes were upon here, ready to judge her.
But equally as powerful was the Spirit's call for power, his raw fury that fed into the darkness that oozed from the puzzle.
"You will not touch her!" The Spirit snarled, standing straighter, Yugi watching as thick ribbons of darkness encircled the man's arm, winding around his shoulder and torso.
"You must step aside, my Pharaoh. I cannot allow her to continue."
"I will not. You will not harm my charge. I will not allow anyone to harm her."
He meant to defend her.
But the power was too dark, too fierce, and too terrifying. And, Yugi feared what would come from this interaction and what would happen to the Spirit if he fell too far into that darkness.
She couldn't let that happen.
"Wait!"
Her cry came at the same time that the intruder surged forward, determined to prevent Yugi from speaking any more about the desert, the Pharaoh, Mana, Isis, and Mahad. Or about the Thief King.
'Don't hurt him!' She shouted in her mind, pushing the command towards The Spirit as sha scrambled around the man who stood as a sentinel of protection.
For just as she didn't want the Spirit to fall into that darkness and harm the invader, she also couldn't stand and allow this man to attempt to harm The Spirit.
Her hand-the one with the new scar-rose, palm thrust towards the invader, trying to quell the advancement.
She didn't anticipate the surge of power that rippled through her own arm, scorching her fingers as it shot from her hand and rammed into the invader's chest, knocking the man backwards, and completely from the recesses of her mind, his startled cry cut short.
Leaving Yugi and the Spirit standing together in utter shock at what had just happened.
Yugi peered down at her fingers, the familiar tingle of the puzzle's power coursing through her.
She cast a brief glance towards the Spirit who turned a sharp gaze towards her, mouth slightly agape.
"What was that?" He demanded.
