Welcome back! Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers! To my non-American readers, if you're celebrating, or celebrated, any holidays soon, Happy Holidays to you too!
I hardly ever do this, but I figured, why not? To my wonderful guest reviewer who asked for my advice: write the story that you want to read. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it never will be. Why not make something that you enjoy? You might be surprised at who else has been waiting for a story like yours.
It's time to start seeing what kind of plan Yami has up his sleeve. Enjoy :)
Yami left the palace early the next morning, wearing the same cloak he used the day before, even going a step further than yesterday and dirtying his face to help disguise it better. He hoped to be back before anyone really got concerned over his disappearance. If he got back relatively quickly, he should be able to pass off any concerns as him just wanting to spend some time alone.
The streets were already busy as people left for their jobs or began on their chores for the day. It made it easier for Yami to blend in and escape the line of sight of any guards that may be out and about patrolling.
Up ahead, Yami spotted a familiar dark coat. As nonchalantly as he could, he made his way towards it, wondering who was waiting for him and how they knew he'd come this way.
"Hey, Yami!" Malik greeted brightly. Yami watched in amazement as people passed right through the Mage who was unaffected by it. "I know, it's really weird, but we've kinda gotten used to it," Malik explained, "In the meantime, I'll take you to our safe house."
Yami gave the barest hint of a nod for Malik to lead the way. People might not be able to hear or see Malik, but they would definitely notice if Yami started talking to thin air. Fortunately, Malik understood the unspoken command and started walking away, chatting as he did so.
"Ishizu had us all wake up early and take up posts around the neighborhood so we would catch you no matter which way you went. Well, everyone except Yugi. He wanted to stay in the house so he could be there as soon as you arrived, and who are we to deny a hikari anything? Especially one who's been without his yami for so long. We'll light a fire once we get back. The smoke will send a signal to the others that you're here. I assume you can't stay too long?"
Yami gave a silent nod, trying not to think about how much trouble he would be in if he got caught. He might be twenty years old, but he still wasn't the ruler of Egypt yet.
Malik saw the nod and continued prattling on while Yami tried to memorize all the twists and turns he was leading him down. The houses were starting to be spaced apart further and further as the city slowly gave way to open desert. Finally, Malik stopped in front of a run down house. The stone on the outside was crumbling, the door was eroded and barely fit in the frame, and moth-eaten, makeshift curtains hung in front of the windows.
Honestly it looked like an old ruin that they might have found in the future. Certainly no one had lived here for quite some time; until now anyway.
"It's not the fanciest thing, but it at least provides us with a place to eat and sleep," Malik carefully opened the door, trying not to knock it off its hinges.
Yami barely stepped through the threshold when he was tackled by a Yugi-shaped projectile. He staggered a bit from the force Yugi hit him with, but was certainly not complaining as he returned the hug just as enthusiastically. Seven years without his hikari had apparently been more torture than he realized. Honestly, he was surprised he didn't get this kind of greeting yesterday.
"Don't forget to let him breathe," Malik snickered at Yugi as he started towards the ladder that would take him to the second floor, "I'll go light the signal."
Yami frowed as Malik disappeared. "Where is Malik going?"
"The roof so the smoke will be more visible," Yugi explained, releasing Yami from his hold, "Don't worry, he won't burn down the house."
"I assumed Malik had more brains than that," Yami smirked. The house was built from clay bricks like everything else around it. If Malik somehow managed to burn it down, he'd be impressed. "How have you held up during all this time?"
"I've been fine," Yugi answered, "It really hasn't seemed that long, no more than a week or so. I was more worried about you and what you'd be facing to notice time passing. How have you held up for seven years?"
"I've survived. Once we get our link back, I'll share those memories with you. I will say though, seven years without my hikari was horrible and I never want to go through it again."
"Am I even your hikari here?" Yugi frowned, "Aren't these your memories? That would mean that this is before you split your soul."
"You yourself said that this was a Yami no Game. It might be a copy of my memories, but events started shifting and changing from day one. My father's court have sensed that I only hold half a soul, not that they understand that that's what they sense. You are definitely still my hikari here."
"Won't they sense the same thing about me then? Or Bakura and Ryou for that matter?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Yami answered, the smell of smoke reaching his nostrils. The rest of his Court should be here soon.
Yugi showed Yami around the small house while they waited. A fire pit for cooking and a low table surrounded by worn out pillows was all that was in the downstairs area. Upstairs was a single room that had five straw mattresses and moth eaten blankets laid out. One sheet hung across part of the room.
"We put Ishizu's bed behind that," Yugi explained, "It also helps if we ever need to change clothes."
"Bakura couldn't find better things for you guys to live with?" He carefully picked up the corner of a mattress only to drop it in surprise when a small lizard scurried out from underneath. A cloud of dust erupted when the mattress hit the floor.
"Not without drawing too much attention to missing items," Yugi explained, carefully picking up the lizard and taking it to the window, "If he took expensive things, people would definitely realize they were missing, even if they couldn't see us. Food we can get away with, but house items are more noticeable."
Yami frowned, waving dust away from his face. While he was sure his Court could survive in an environment like this, they did not deserve to. He would have to remedy this as soon as he could come up with a reasonable excuse.
"Speaking of Bakura, want to fill me in on why you're so angry with him?"
"He knew about this Game and didn't bother to tell you!" Yugi snapped, taking Yami by surprise. He actually took a step back at the intensity of it. "He knew what you would face and let you suffer in silence for all those years! His plan was to get sent back with you, ever since that day the Puzzle got smashed in the warehouse…"
"The one that caught on fire?" Yami asked. The memory was fuzzy since the Puzzle had been destroyed and he'd lost his link with Yugi, but he vaguely remembered heat and Joey and Tristen carrying Yugi out of the building. "Bakura wasn't on our side then."
"Originally he wanted to come and beat you here, but when he joined the Court, he changed his motive to wanting to help you beat Zorc. Apparently the part of him that would have been pulled back with you was destroyed in that duel during Battle City."
That didn't sound right. In fact, Bakura's mysterious appearance four years ago almost made sense now, but Yugi's last statement negated all of that.
"He knows more about this world and the things that will happen than anybody else," Yugi continued anxiously, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes, "You need to get him to tell you what he knows. You can't afford to take risks with this Game."
Yami sat down on the dusty mattress and pulled Yugi down next to him. He missed their bond; he would be able to send reassurances to Yugi even if they were apart.
"What are you really afraid of?"
"That'll you'll die!"
"Games cannot be won without taking risks," Yami reminded his hikari, "I don't think anything major will happen until I'm actually Pharaoh. We have time to come up with a plan, so lay off Bakura a bit, okay?"
"He's the only one of us with any knowledge of how this game works and how you can win!" Yugi argued.
Yami leaned back thoughtfully. "I assume my main purpose here is to learn my name. I think whoever finds it first will win. Bakura can give me whatever information he has from the first time around, but things might have changed and whatever he tells me could actually put me in more danger than before."
"I guess…"
"That's why I have a plan to let you guys help me find my name," Yami nudged Yugi with his shoulder, "You trust me, right?"
"Of course!"
"Then stop worrying. Everything will be fine, I promise."
A voice from downstairs interrupted their conversation. "Hey! Pharaoh!"
"And now Bakura's here," Yami rolled his eyes and stood up. He tried brushing himself off, only to create more dust. He really needed to find a way to improve the living conditions here if his Court was going to stay here for any length of time.
"I know you don't have all day! Hurry your ass up!"
"Just let all of Egypt know you're here, why don't ya?" Yami muttered, pulling Yugi to his feet before heading back down the ladder. He didn't notice it going up, but going down, the ladder seemed incredibly unstable. Another thing he would have to fix as soon as he could.
"So what do you think?" Bakura gestured around, "A lot different than palace life, huh?"
"It seems like it works," Yami answered neutrally. He noticed with relief that Yugi wasn't glaring at the thief anymore. He didn't go out of his way to greet him, but it was a start. "Are the others almost here?"
"They should be here any minute now. We were supposed to be pretty evenly spaced out."
True to his word, just a few moments later and the rest of his Court converged on the house. The hoods came off almost immediately after they crossed through the door as they greeted Yami enthusiastically.
Yami returned the greetings, wondering where this enthusiasm was last night, but didn't push it. Last night was rather stressful for them considering they infiltrated the palace. Yugi didn't leave his side the entire time, which nobody said anything about. In fact, it almost seemed that they were glad Yugi was staying so close to Yami; it seemed to keep his temper in check.
"Join us for breakfast?" Ishizu held up a large loaf of bread.
As much as Yami wished he could stay, he knew he really had to get back soon. The palace was certainly wide awake now and surely there were more than a few servants looking for him.
"Another time," he said, trying to ignore the crestfallen expressions, "Nobody knows I'm gone right now and if I don't get back soon, my father will put the palace on lockdown and I'll certainly never be able to get him to hear out my idea. If things go well, then I'll be able to join you for meals much more often."
"When should we expect you back?" Ryou asked.
"Hopefully within a day or so. If you don't hear anything from me within 3 days, something has gone very wrong and you will need to escape into the desert until I can find you again."
He stared at them until they nodded their understanding and he was confident they would follow his directions. Yami threw his hood back up, wondering even as he said his goodbyes, how on earth was he going to get back into the palace without drawing attention to himself?
It turned out that sneaking back into the palace was easier than he thought...almost insultingly so. He'd have to have a talk with Mahaddo about palace security one of these days. For now though, it suited his purpose, so he'd leave it alone.
He was able to get all the way back to his room unnoticed and quickly washed his face and changed his clothes. No one would know he spent part of the morning wandering the town.
"*****! There you are!" Mahaddo greeted him just as he was leaving his room to go find his father. "Where have you been?"
"I woke up early so I decided to take a walk around the palace," Yami put on his best puzzled expression, "I didn't know anyone was looking for me."
Mahaddo let out a sigh. "Of course you didn't. You've only had the same routine for your entire life. Why shouldn't people be looking for you when you're suddenly not in your room when you should be? And how are you dressed? The servants came running to me in a panic when they couldn't find you."
"You should know better than anyone that I don't need help getting dressed," Yami replied dryly and started to walk away, "I'll apologize to the servants later for making them worry. For now, I need to join my father for breakfast."
"And that's another thing," Mahaddo quickly caught up to Yami, "You should know better by now that you shouldn't apologize to the servants. You'll send them into an early grave with shock."
"And you should know by now that I will treat them like the human beings they are."
"You can get away with it because you are still the prince. Once you become Pharaoh, you won't be able to show that level of –"
"Of what?" Yami whipped around at him, "Kindness? Compassion? Humanity? Weakness? What happened to you Mahaddo? I know you've always stuck to proper protocol, but it's gotten worse over the past few years; ever since you got the Millennium Ring and joined my father's Court. I am who I am and I will not change that. It will make me a strong pharaoh, not a weak one."
Mahaddo flinched at Yami's anger. "I know you will be a strong pharaoh," he said, "But other nations will not see it that way. I don't want us risking war because of your good heart."
"Syria tried that once and failed," Yami reminded him, "Egypt has only grown in strength since then. Any enemy that rises up against us will meet the same fate as Syria. Egypt will not fall just because I apologize for worrying a couple of my servants."
"Maybe not, but I'd still rather us not get attacked by countries thinking we're weak."
"When I sit on the throne as Pharaoh, the Millennium Puzzle will be around my neck. I have already survived two attacks from the Shadows, and wielded them in one case if you listen to the story my father and Isis tell, all without a Millennium Item. How strong do you think I'll be when I actually wield one? Do you think I will let Egypt fall to harm?"
"Of course not –"
"But that is what you're suggesting will happen if I do something as simple as apologize to my servants for worrying them!"
"That's not –"
"It is! Do you have faith in me or not, Mahaddo?"
"I - Of course I do," Mahaddo knelt respectfully and bowed his head in shame, "Forgive me for doubting you, my Prince. I overstepped my bounds and I did not mean to offend you."
Yami stared at his friend. Of all the disagreements in their past, Mahaddo had never given such a stiff, formal apology. He decided he didn't like it. Mahaddo was acting like they didn't have years of friendship behind them; like they were almost strangers. True, he'd seen less of Mahaddo over the past couple years as their duties and responsibilities grew and kept them busy, but Yami thought their friendship was stronger than that!
"Oh get up," he grumbled, offering a hand to pull him to his feet, "A simple apology would have been enough. You don't need to grovel at my feet. Seriously, what's gotten into you?"
"Nothing," Mahaddo said quickly, but amended himself at the look Yami was giving him, "It's just... ever since I've received the Millennium Ring, it's been like a constant reminder that one day you will sit on the throne and I will serve you as I do your father. The dangers and the problems facing Egypt that I deal with day-to-day, it's not something to be taken lightly and I worry that I haven't prepared you enough for it."
Yami could hardly tell him that he'd been reigning actively as Pharaoh for over fifty years. He was probably more qualified to face the "dangers and problems" facing Egypt than any of them. At least he would be once he reclaimed the Puzzle.
"Mahaddo, when I become Pharaoh, I am going to need my friend by my side, not an overly dignified priest. You've prepared me well enough that I can face any challenge that comes my way. If I start going off the deep end, then I give you full permission to drag me back by whatever means necessary. So please, just go back to being my friend first and magical priest second."
Mahaddo studied Yami carefully. "Any means necessary, huh?" he asked, a sly grin creeping its way onto his face.
"Only if I really start being a horrible pharaoh," Yami returned the grin, "Give it time. It may happen."
"I'll stop it before it does," Mahaddo promised, throwing his arm around Yami's shoulders, fully forgiven and friendship restored. "Now, I believe your father is waiting for you?"
Aknamkanon was waiting for Yami at breakfast, but did not comment on his tardiness. Yami figured he couldn't be that late if his father didn't say anything about it. The two made polite conversation as they ate; Yami was still trying to figure what he was going to say to his father.
As the meal was winding down, Yami mentally took a deep breath and began what might have been one of the riskiest gambles he ever took.
"Father, I would like to begin building my own court."
Aknamkanon paused and looked at his son strangely. "What brought this on?"
"I have been thinking about it a lot for quite a while now," Yami explained, "You will not be around forever and I will need to take your place when that day comes. I feel it is better to be prepared than to be caught off guard."
"You seem to have put some thought into this. But surely you know that my court will become yours when you take the throne?"
"Yes, I trust them with my life, and while I will need their experience when I ascend the throne, they are careful with their words. They are hesitant to tell me things that they think I do not want to hear, as they have been taught. I would like a court that will unapologetically tell me the things I need to hear. A court of those who see me as a friend as well as their king."
"Like Mahaddo and Mana?" Aknamkanon asked with a grin.
Yami nodded, a small smile gracing his face as well. "Yes, but Mahaddo is already a part of your court and Mana is in training to become the next Court Magician. Their faces and reputations are well known. Too well known. If we are to learn about the things troubling our people… the real things troubling our people, we will need people who are not seen as a direct link to the pharaoh to uncover true problems in the kingdom. I would like people I find to be undoubtedly loyal to be in this court."
Aknamkanon was silent as he considered his son's words. Yami waited patiently, hoping that his father would agree.
"You raise some valid points. Can I assume that you have also put thought into who you will put in this court?"
Yami nodded again, feeling tension start to drain away; this was going better than he thought. "I have, and I would like to keep their identities secret and their faces hidden, even from you. This will preserve their anonymity when they are among our people. If ever they are seen to be familiar with the royals and priests of the palace, their effectiveness will decrease."
"Even from me? People in the palace might start to think you are trying to usurp me."
"You can vouch for me if anything should come up."
"I can, but I'd still like to meet them. They don't have to tell me their names or show me their faces if you don't feel comfortable with that," Aknamkanon said quickly as Yami opened his mouth to argue against it, "But I would like to meet them and talk to them so I can get a feel for their intentions."
Yami frowned at that. He understood where his father was coming from, but he wasn't even sure if his father would be able to see his Court. Then again, Aknamkanon currently held the Millennium Puzzle, the odds of him being able to see Yugi and the others were quite high. In fact, it might not be a bad idea just to get the rest of the Item Bearers familiar with the idea that strange people in hoods would be around talking to him.
"I'll figure out a way to make that happen," Yami promised, "Would you like the rest of the Court to witness this as well?"
"I thought you would want as few people to know as possible," Aknamkanon answered surprised.
"Yes, but if you're worried about my safety, then why not be completely sure?" Yami countered, a plan forming in his head, one that was sure to get him in a lot of trouble, "Just don't make the same mistake you made with me when I was thirteen."
Aknamkanon flinched at the memory, but conceded. "I promise we will not try to extract any monster from their soul unless they first attack. When will you present them to us?"
"Give me a couple of days to prepare them for this," Yami answered, already cringing internally from the tongue lashings that would be waiting for him, "I will need to spend some time outside the palace walls to communicate with them, I promise I will be safe. Also to prepare a few rooms for them to stay, off limits to even the servants. They are more than capable of cleaning up after themselves. They won't be staying in the palace everyday, but for the days they do, I would like for them to feel at home."
"I don't like the idea of you walking the streets without a guard," Aknamkanon frowned.
"If I wear ratty clothes, keep my hood up, and don't wear my jewelry, I should be fine. Having an escort will only draw attention to my destination which is not something I want."
"Am I correct in assuming you've made this trip before without my knowledge?"
"Yes," Yami answered honestly, hoping his father didn't ask for specifics like how many times or when. Telling his father he'd only made the one trip this morning would not instill any confidence in Aknamkanon.
Aknamkanon sighed and leaned back, his face thoughtful. "It would certainly make me feel better if you took a guard with you, but I understand your reasoning… I will allow it on two conditions."
Yami leaned forward intently. This had certainly gone better than he could have ever hoped for.
"Firstly, you will always tell either myself or Mahaddo anytime you go out. Secondly, you will promise to return within three hours if you are not accompanied by a guard or one of the Priests."
Definitely better than he could have hoped for. Yami quickly agreed to the terms, grinning widely at his father.
"You will present your candidates in front of the Court in two days' time at midday."
"Thank you. I will make sure they're ready."
Honestly, this is a terrible plan that could very easily backfire. Seriously, what is Yami thinking? What will both Courts think? Only Yami could pull something like this off. Stick around to see how.
I'm going to have to start referring to Aknamkanon's inner circles as "Priests" and Yami's inner circle as "Mages", just to keep them straight and less confusing to you and me. Especially if they're in the same room. Honestly, it'll help Yami keep his head straight too.
Hopefully the next chapter should be out around the Christmas holidays, so stay tuned!
Please review :)
