Author's Note: An apocalyptic tale might remind people of Covid, but it's already been written past this before it really started to gain momentum. None of this works the same way, but it is an apocalyptic tale. There is no social distance or anything or any kind of virus involved. Monsters, gods, cards, sands, magic, etc. It's pretty different, however if you want to take a break from reading, I understand. The next chapter is when this all finally comes to fruition. Fair warning.
Kaiba's Home
"Watch the door," Kaiba instructed Shizuka Kawai. If Mai was having dreams of the future, her subconscious was bound to not catch all of the details. If she dreamed the same thing over and over, it'll be well rooted. With the rod, he could get in her mind in ways she wished no one could. As long as she was asleep though, it shouldn't be a problem.
Unless Jounouchi came, which was why Shizuka Kawai was watching the door.
"This won't hurt her?" Shizuka asked one more time. "You are getting permission?"
"No and yes." He used the millennium rod. He would never hear the end of it if he just watched unannounced. Besides, he'd get a better view if she allowed him in willingly. However, there's no way she'd say yes on the outside. People were more likely to give permission when he was already on the inside.
Mai's Dream
Seto Kaiba was right beside the hospital door. She was right up ahead on the bed with Atem and Yuugi. The other side would have Anzu and the other spirit. Jounouchi hadn't appeared yet. "If you're getting tired of playing this dream game, Mai Kujaku, I can end this."
She turned to look at him. "Kaiba?"
"Yep. Unlike you stuck in your bed, or only allowed to remember certain things, I have a full scale view. If you allow me in." He hadn't moved from the door. "It's your choice."
She was furious, no doubt, but? "If you can end it, fine, but you better end it!"
"Great." He walked to the window first to get a view. He stuck his head out. There was actually no glass.
The air was hot and dry. No one was out there. There wasn't any rubble, which was strange. There should have been buildings, demolished or otherwise, out there. She got the apocalypse part right. It's as dry as the desert.
To the other side was a steady stream of water. That shouldn't be there. He tucked his head back in and looked in front of her. There was no baby yet. Probably the next part of the dream. He noticed Atem and Yuugi on one side, trying to look happy. He looked over toward Anzu and her spirit. "Nah. Yuugi would be next to Anzu. Oh." Hmm. He moved away from the front and it all started to make sense.
He watched Jounouchi come in front of the window, holding a baby. He called her Mana.
"So you can end this?" Mai asked, unmoved by the feeling of seeing a child she knew was only in her dreams. Night after night.
"Yep."
Outside of Mai's Dream Again
"You a-hole! If Jounouchi knew you used that-that thing-!"
"Last time you have the dream again," Kaiba interrupted her. "I walked in your nightmare, and I got rid of it. Even now." Kaiba sighed. The sights he had seen. What was part of the scare and what was not? "How did Anzu and her spirit look each time?"
"They all had happy faces," Mai said. "They all looked happy. Sometimes it's nice outside and sometimes it's terrible. It's a nightmare and a dream. I can never decide which."
"It's just a dream. Nothing big. Not worth my time." Kaiba got up and headed out.
Shizuka followed behind him as he went back to check on Mokuba. "What is it?"
"There are a lot of details in that dream she can't pick up," Kaiba revealed. "It's better if she doesn't."
"Does . . . does she die in childbirth?" Shizuka Kawai asked timidly.
"Pretty good guess. Who knows?" It was just better to keep the details under wraps. Some things just shouldn't be shared. He arrived back in Mokuba's room and found Satiah beside his bed again. She is way too familiar with my brother.
They weren't the only ones. The Pharaoh, Anzu, Yuugi, and-
"Put a big dent in the whole end of the world plan today," Jounouchi said toward Shizuka. "You don't have to worry about helping Kaiba. We need to get out Honda, and you guys."
Honda. Maybe I do have a way to make Jounouchi back off. "Breaking into Kaiba Corporation was a serious no-no. We all know he did it."
"What?" Jounouchi was not the only one upset about the statement. "What do you mean? Honda was just worried."
"He was still a thug who broke into my business. Mokuba won't do anything," Kaiba said. "I never said I'd drop everything. Go ahead and see if they release him if you want though. You never know. Power of friendship and all." Heh heh. He loved using that phrase against them.
"Kaiba." That yell was from Pharaoh.
"Or maybe we can make an agreement?" Kaiba glanced at Shizuka Kawai then back to Jounouchi. She wouldn't say she would like the deal, because she was a 'good sister' and a 'good girlfriend'. But deep down? He'd be doing her a favor. It would also get Jounouchi off his back. "I'm fairly sure having you around and constantly trying to change Shizuka Kawai's mind isn't helping her. Boyfriends either."
"You scum, you lying scum!" Jounouchi was ready to fight, but like always, Yuugi tried to hold him back. "You can't keep me or Honda from seeing Shizuka!"
"I didn't say that. Come visit if she wants you to, you or Honda. But? Continue to complain?" Kaiba smirked. "For the duration of this whole saving the world time, you're going to give me peace and quiet about the issue."
"This is the guy you are supporting, Shizuka!" Jounouchi yelled at her.
"Jounouchi." Pharaoh stayed calm. "Just agree."
"But?" Jounouchi looked back toward Shizuka again. "Don't you see?"
"I've told you, Big Brother. I won't change my mind." She didn't get loud, but she stayed firm. Good. She did have some backbone.
"Fine. Going to go see Mai first anyway." He looked toward Kaiba. "You better not have done anything to her," Jounouchi warned him.
"Yeah, add that to the deal too. I walked in her dreams. No more complaints." Once again, Jounouchi tried something, but this time Atem and Yuugi and Anzu held him back. "I stopped her nightmare. No need to say thanks." Kaiba watched them all start to leave except Satiah. She may have been quiet but she had a mind of her own. Didn't always follow the crowd.
"That hurt him, he's concerned about Mai," Shizuka Kawai said to Kaiba. "Don't hurt him more than you have to. He's my brother."
Giving him orders? If she didn't have the dragon. "He wouldn't have stopped. Endless annoyance. It would go on with Honda too. I cut it off before it could start. That's how you do business." He watched then as . . . "Mokuba?"
Mokuba started to get out of bed. "I have to go to the bathroom, Seto," he answered. "Sorry."
"You're moving?" He wasn't in any pain? No, his brother looked fine as he left to the bathroom. He glanced toward Satiah. She must have done something. Breathed on him. Kissed his forehead. Something. Mokuba's in no pain and he's moving like normal. Okay, fine. Forget what he thought previously. She could visit his little brother whenever she wanted to. In fact? "If you want to stay longer, Satiah, I can drop you off later."
She didn't seem as fond of the dialogue. Probably because of their little squabble about her being an egyptian ***** and not being a sacrifice.
Yuugi, Jounouchi, Anzu, and Atem came back.
"Satiah, you need to stay up with us," Anzu said to her. "We need to get going."
"Kaiba said he would drop me off later," Satiah told her.
Jounouchi was standing next to Mai now having collected her, peering into the room, but he didn't say anything. Yuugi waited by the door as well.
"We should go, Anzu." Pharaoh walked in. "Kaiba will bring her back when she is ready."
Anzu looked one more time toward her. "If you're sure. Don't stay too long."
"She can stay as long as she wants," Kaiba said. "My brother left to the bathroom. Not feeling ill, numb, dizzy or hurting. She can hang out as long as she desires."
"She isn't under your control." Jounouchi barely watched his mouth.
"Hi, everybody." Mokuba waved to all of them as he came around the corner. "Wow, everybody really came today."
"Yeah, that's right. You're feeling better?" Yuugi asked.
"Yeah. I wasn't at first," Mokuba answered Yuugi. "I'm doing much better now." He looked toward Seto Kaiba. "I'm doing great, Seto. Can we watch something together?"
Hanasake's House
Bakura looked at the millennium ring around his neck. It was practically bursting with power. When Ryou Bakura had opened his front door, someone just shoved the ring right in his hands before he knew what happened. Wanting to know who was behind it, Bakura used his ring and went to a strange house. A normal house in an upscale neighborhood. Nothing like Kaiba's and nothing like Yuugi's pathetic Game Store dwelling.
Yet, he could feel dark power within it. He was sitting on the couch, waiting for the host to tell him what was going on. As he was served chips with soda. "Why did you give me back the millennium ring?"
"My boss wants to make a proposition. This is sort of our temporary base. I'm sure that'll be changing soon." He sat down next to someone else on the couch. "You've got a lot of pent up rage for Atem. You were taken down more than once. How would you like a chance for some revenge?"
"That didn't answer my question at all."
Bakura, please, let's go! Please. Please let go of the ring. You don't need it. Please. You've been good so far. A little slip-up with your friend, but everyone has a slip-up. Don't do this!
"If you follow our leader's path, and do what he wants? You can not only have the ring, but the body you're in too. We have another sealed game of Dragon Cards. If you're good, at the end, Ryou Bakura's soul will be neatly separated from you. No quick blast that's dangerous, you become the host."
"The host?" Bakura scoffed. "Impossible, a spirit would perish."
"No, very possible. The gods allow it." He just smiled nicely at Bakura.
"Permanent host." Appealing, but he wasn't what they thought he was. Just hold on, we need to know who's in charge of this new order that has these millennium items.
I knew you couldn't get rid of me! I knew you just needed time to even out! Thank you!
Just shut up. "What do you need from me?" Bakura continued to talk.
"With the ring, you'll stay in control," his new 'team member' insisted. "Our Pharaoh wants to work with you, a means to make up for a past."
Our Pharaoh? "Another spirit has come into the world again? Isn't everything a free-for-all these days."
"Don't just call him another spirit. He's a god. I didn't just show up. The wimpy guy next to me isn't half as wimpy as he appears."
"Pharaoh has come back to help correct everything," the wimpy guy next to him said. "Mankind has gone astray, it needs tethered and controlled before it destroys everything."
I know that man, that's Tomoyo Hanasake! I wasn't friends with him, but Yuugi had been. Oh no. What happened?
"So I guess I see how Dragon Cards really work after all." Bakura tried to feel something from them. Something separate. A millennium item. A host. Anything.
"Guaranteed. The game's been working for years. Hanasake played it a little too deep though. Pharaoh had to reverse the damage."
"Pharaoh is making his move today. I didn't think it'd be a big deal," Hanasake answered. "Fetch us your sister."
Bakura laughed. "I don't have a sister."
"It was the wording back then. Surely you know where she is? Masika?"
Oh. Were they kidding? They are talking about Rider. "Far from sister, but I might have an idea who you speak of."
"Far from sister? Oh, don't you get it?" That spread on his face. That grin, it was controlled. "You know the great thing about life? It comes with more than just names, but lives with names . Did you really believe the only time you lived before was the Thief Bandit King?"
Oh, now, ooooh. I am so interested in this.
Don't go overboard, please Bakura.
"Was I of the royal persuasion, living fancy in the palace?" Bakura teased. No, of course they shook their heads. That would never be him. "Besides fetch my 'sister', what does he want?"
"Guards wear the gods' items," Hanasake said. "To deal with the controversial people who wish not to follow Pharaoh."
The bastard really thinks another ancient spirit is a god. "You seem fairly convinced."
"We are here again, because of him. Everything is because of him. Everything will be because of him," Hanasake said. "The living god who can summon the other gods yet live like a man."
Why do I get the feeling this is going to be some deep shit we are not prepared for? "He brought you here? He brought spirits, from the afterlife, here?"
"Yes and he recreated the Dragon Card games for convenient fun," Hanasake answered. "He can do more than anyone knows, but he's also merciful. He is both your enemy and your savior, as Pharaoh should be. He is even willing to give some rule to the light and dark of Atem, if he plays nice."
Just who is this man? Who are we dealing with? "He has that kind of power? Wow, well, isn't that a nifty leader. I don't suppose he was the one who gave Rider and Pharaoh-"
"That man is not Pharaoh," Hanasake warned him. "His name is Atem and he is no one important."
"Name your city," his 'other team member' said.
"So if I want Tokyo to survive, all I have to do is say 'I want to rule Tokyo'?" Bakura paused. "I don't have any names from you."
"Oh you know how names are," the 'other team member' said. "Just call me Haruto. We all take our host's names. It creates less of a stir."
"Haruto. How many other spirits have found a new body on Earth?" Bakura asked. "I'd just like a general number."
"Pharaoh has rescued his original kingdom."
"And that would be?" Bakura asked cautiously.
"Almost one million, so not taking the hosts life would cause potential problems," Haruto stated. "Hanasake, you take care of the rest with him. I have to go greet the mother and father for a dinner with the wife."
One million people. There were one million people taken over, just so his kingdom was resurrected?
That is might. Whoever this Pharaoh had been, he had power. "What is his name? The mighty Pharaoh's name? I'd love to know it. Humans have tally boards on these things. It would give me a better way of knowing his accomplishments."
"Pharaoh was not used when he was Pharaoh. However, it fits closest to the term of who he is," Hanasake added. "It's nice here, isn't it?" He smiled. "I like it here much better. Hanasake has friends, goes on great travels, but he always comes back to a nice cozy house and a family. He has two healthy daughters and a beautiful wife. Clearly he was blessed."
He's raising Hanasake's family? Deceiving his wife and children? It's sick!
"Funny," Bakura said. "I don't know if I really want to help. I rather like the technology of today. Wiping out everything will put a cramp in today's style."
"You're a commanding leader with the item you possess. Those who wish for continued technology may wield it with those."
"So the next media will be Mixi for millennium items?" Bakura teased.
"Yes, that's right. Your ring is a millennium item. One of the unique weapons, Pharaoh admires your skill. Yes, you can use your heka with your item and live as you once did. Others will be less fortunate, but that's the way the world has always worked. The top have always benefited from Pharaoh's power."
"That I believe greatly."
Not now, Bakura. Can we concentrate please on what to do to not let the end of the world come?
Bakura waited. If they aren't crazy and absolute full of crap. I don't think there is a way to stop it.
Please stop joking!
I'm not joking, Ryou Bakura. The best I can do is make sure we survive this. "I'll watch over Domino City."
"Oh? I took Domino City too," Hanasake said. "The Greatest Pharaoh Who Ever Lived doesn't care how many are protecting a city, it's just about the protection area overall. The Cities will probably be renamed and redrawn as time goes by and the world heals and begins again."
The world isn't going to heal, he wants utter destruction and complete reign by some Pharaoh! Bakura? Can't we do anything?
"I have an affinity for torture," Bakura answered him. "Just in case Atem doesn't want to play, then I want to play with him. I want the part with the Game Shop of the City."
At the very least. If this is it? Thank you for that.
"Egyptians have always had a great affinity for games," Bakura said, trying to get Kaiba Corp. "I'll stretch out to Kaiba Corp so we can all continue to play."
"I'll watch the Kaiba Headquarters area," Hanasake said. "It's near home and my scarab will do." Out from beneath his shirt, he showed off a gold scarab.
"Each person has an item that allowed them to take over a person? Almost a million?" Bakura asked.
"Yes." He tucked it back in. "Gifts from the gods. You're the last left." He left a moment to a table and picked something up. He brought it back over. A laptop. "Funny you just made the media joke." He turned it on, clicked a few buttons and then messed with the mouse. "This is a detailed map of Domino City. You can go up to around this street. There we go. In the red highlights is what you take care of." He turned it around for Bakura to see. "Mark about twenty percent that you want to survive."
Every name of every street. Every alley. Every business. It's for Rider. He clicked the Game Shop.
"It's fun, better than Sennet. You can save anything from entertainment to necessity. Just click the back and forth buttons to change sizes of the area for detailed or general. It's a good idea to save food places and medical and such too," Hanasake insisted.
"I know what I'm doing!" Bakura's crossed anger was coming out. He shook his head. "Let me do it." That ****in' Pharaoh or Yuugi or both better have some miracle up their sleeves.
Twenty percent. Bakura clicked on another area and it got smaller so he could move around the map. He enlarged it again. "Education?"
"To a degree. Basic. Do try and save an elementary or two. When it happens, they obviously won't be at home. We do need futures. Oh, hang on." Hanasake got up. "Terribly sorry, I almost forgot." He went back to the drawer. "We'll need plenty of blood for the new dynasty. These are the possible pregnant women, women who have high chances of being fertile because of a relationship, and their addresses. You still can't save them all, but try to do what you can."
I just . . . got a chill, Bakura.
"It's now, isn't it?" Bakura had to ask. "After I fill in the information." I don't want to care again. Caring is a pain. I rode a demon inside of me because I didn't care. I was powerful! Caring.
Makes you human.
I feel weird. My eyes are stinging.
The body wants to cry. I am inside too. We need a miracle right now.
Bakura kept the stinging sensation back. He took the list that he was given. "After I make my selection of choices, what's the next step?"
"Taking care of your little corner of the world. How they fair is up to you. It is encouraged to be merciful, it makes change easier. Pharaoh will have his own enforcement to keep people in line."
"Walking through piles of rubble," Bakura stalled. "That won't be easy."
"You'll have additional help show up afterwards to explain everything to you and help make the environment better again. Help sort out households and such. Don't worry, the millions of dead bodies won't stick around long." Hanasake just . . . smiled. "I do hope Haruto enjoyed his last supper with his wife's parents. She had really cared for them." He shrugged. "Everyone is different."
"Ah yes, wife and kids. That must be a tricky mess." Bakura tried to stall longer. If anyone had any trick it needed to be used, now.
"Are you stalling?" Hanasake asked. "If you don't want to join, just say so. Either way, it begins soon."
No. The other half of Domino City will be gone. Save what you can, Bakura, please!
"No. Just, savoring the moment." Bakura looked at the list. Curse Rider for putting me here. No? No, curse that Pharaoh! If he never came back I-I!
Wouldn't be able to save Yuugi.
But it makes no difference. Don't you see? Back or not, it makes no difference. As much as you hate it, this new Pharaoh will destroy most of the world, and then heal it. People will repopulate with a second chance to learn it right.
This isn't how anything starts. This is how things end. Someone like that, someone using all this force against innocent people, that's not someone I want to follow into a new world. Someone who killed my loved ones, my friends, and . . . it's like you controlling the world with Zorc inside of you! It's not right.
Bakura listened to the words. The panicked, frantic words of a simple human he used to easily throw away. Where is Rider? There was no guarantee anyone was at the Game Shop. Anywhere. Anything he chose not to save. She could be on the road. She could be shopping. She could be anywhere. There was no telling where she'd gone. There's no time. She either survives or not.
"Hey!" Hanasake was getting tired of the stalling. "Savor the destruction afterward or I will show you my power. You don't want to know it."
No choice. Bakura clicked on the hospital. The sick and injured would need a place to go. Grocery areas. No, grocery area. The biggest one. Priest Kaiba. If he's at home, it wouldn't be on my side. He couldn't handle Kaiba's area. Our place. A safe place to go to. What else? Elementaries were two with the high school.
Jounouchi's apartment. He moved places to be closer to Yuugi and Anzu during this time. I think it was in that lower area? Oh, Mai's pregnant! She must be on that list.
Bakura checked it. He didn't know if it was it. Population. Of course. Definitely the old thinker kind of Pharaoh. He looked at the paper. Five pregnant women including Mai Kujaku lived in various places. A click per one. One even lived near the mall, that would be useful. Clothing and such. On the bottom, was the percentage left, along with the total percentage. Nearly 20 percent on his, nearly 100 total percent on the world.
He zoomed all the way out to see the whole world map. One million dots. One million is a big number, but when it came to populations. Your stomach is unsettled, Ryou Bakura. Get it together or you'll vomit.
I can't affect that right now. It's you.
****ing useless former Pharoah, what could he do? Why did they give him a body, the Dark Magician, Kaiba, even the ****ing dragon! Why? Why if it was so useless? "Decisions, decisions. Who to kill and who to spare, ever so much fun." What left? "No need for a prison, it'll be fun to deal with troublemakers. Wasted area." Billions. Farming land. The total went over 20%. Barely.
"Oh, don't worry about farming," Hanasake said. "The Greatest Pharaoh of All Time's best duty is to provide his people with fertile soil and land. There will be plenty of area. Pick something else. You don't have much. Pick a random home. Those are fun. Someone that wouldn't have lived now will."
"Yes, that makes it just so much more . . . fun. Fun. Fun, fun, fun, fun." The Domino City museum. The survivors. Should have something of their time before it all changed. Almost twenty percent. "Fun. Fun, fun, fun."
"Do you say anything besides fun?" Hanasake asked. "You're not very original."
"Can't think very well at such a . . . a fun time." Something. Anything.
"I left a bank, a gas pump station, restaurants, entertainment, and a whole normal area for people to dwell in. I basically left my whole twenty percent in a given area so it was untouched," Hanasake reasoned. "They can be there to reminisce about how it used to look. In order to have any fun, people will have to walk a distance from your side. It'll be all split up like crazy. You do see that?"
"Fun on your side. In order to live, they'll have to come to my side." Wait? Restaurants? A bank? "Are you making money off of them?"
"Of course," Hanasake said. "Nothing changes overnight. Essentially, we are rulers of our small area. Besides protecting our population, we need to make sure only the worthy move on into the new dynasty. We are but a small step to the Pharaoh's plan."
Bakura? Can you get a bank? I have a feeling people might need it too.
Bakura looked at the properties. He selected the bank. Twenty percent. "Done."
Hanasake took back the laptop, clicked around some keys, wiggled the mouse and smiled back at Bakura. "Welcome to finally being a ruler."
