Yu-Gi-Oh: A Past and Future Pharaoh
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
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Ryou took a deep breath as he sat there.
Burning his lips as he sipped his tea thoughtless of the pain as he was struck by how Yugi reached over and turned off the video. No further comments, no reassignment of tasks or apologizes, 'Kaiba was meant to be with us. He would be expected to lead given that he is Yugi's General.' Pain finally registered enough that he was able to pull the cup back as he sat there.
Hearing 'Goodbye' was an emotion. Leaving Ryou both elated that Yugi had lived, and annoyed that it meant that he was in charge.
"Bakura?" The Elder spoke softly, "are you well?" She stood there with her hands folded before her, with a patient gaze.
Ryou sat there with his gaze frozen on the screen and his thoughts lost as he sat there. "So I was thinking about Kaiba's 'healing' ability." He began quietly, "Yugi doesn't make it sound reliable, he said that the method of teaching Kaiba the spell was rather traumatic. But back then he could heal, and now he can bring back the dead. So is it a natural evolution of his own abilities or something he got when he became a God? Because that is a great deal of power in and of itself..."
He sighed before he placed the cup down, "I still have that phone as well. I haven't had the chance to bring that up with the others. I can't turn it on either without running a risk of it getting tracked here... Once Mahaado can be summoned and I have access to the rings..."
"So now the world has two Gods and a demon," the Elder recited for which Ryou nodded.
"Yes, and we still don't know about how these people see the demon. What's the narrative that he's built regarding his existence?" Ryou inquired into the air uselessly as he sat there with his eyes closed. "We need to start finding the heads of this monster before it can grow. We don't know how Yugi's power will manifest, and we depending on Kaiba's healing ability can be just as bad... I can only imagine how these people will react. Yugi's powers are nebulous we're not sure what he can't and can do. But we know what Kaiba can do, and they may find out if they don't know already. Which means Kaiba might be in danger as well now."
"Perhaps, but he is allowed to decide the prayers he answers as much as the Pharaoh can choose. So its not as though they can just issue forth a series of prayers or offerings and expect that the General will answer..." The Elder noted as she began to recline herself as though she was sitting down as well. "More over he is incredible hostile towards those that serve the demon or threaten the Pharaoh." She continued before she frowned...
"You see the problem then?" Ryou asked with a faint tired smile. "He might not want to help them, but if they use innocent victims... Yugi may want to or may well react and how will Kaiba react?" Ryou pointed out. "Cleanses an area of demonic influence, heals the ill, and wounded, I mean look at Maliks' back or Rashids' face. Kaiba healed the already scarred over injuries on Honda and a good number of people like it was nothing. But those marks are tied to Kaiba and he left them, so even in his most 'out of his mind' state he still retains some sense of duties. What if he can reverse that?" Ryou asked quietly as his skin crawled. "A god with the power to call back the newly dead... Gods above if news came out of that the religious fervor that would sweep the world would make our lives a complete mess."
'Maybe that's why Yugi didn't mind dying all that much. The Penalty Games that the Other Yugi used were potent and he could use them as well from the Other Side. So its not as though he couldn't just make people forget if it was necessary.'
"Well, he lived, and now we have to deal with the information he had presented on that thing," The Elder finally noted, her voice soften with understanding. "You have only just been assigned as the Pharaoh's proxy, you shouldn't focus on it so much all at once."
"'The Pharaoh's Proxy', that is such a terrifying term. I'm still responsible for the village," Ryou noted as the earlier conversation started to roll back and play in his head. "Though I suppose you are right, there's not much else I can do for the time being..."
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"Sounds kinda weird doesn't it?" Valon asked as he sat looking at the television. "You'd think there would be more..."
"Yeah well, with Chibi-Chan, things can be a bit weird," Mai admitted as she looked over the dinner table. Her gaze kept going back to the television, and wishing that Anzu would call and tell her what happened. But that wasn't going to happen, what with what happened to Yugi.
News was sparse, the attempt on Kaiba's life was global knowledge, with the stock markets of the world already reacting. Word about 'somebody' taking the bullet was about all there was, only that the person was alive. Anzu confirmed for Mai that it 'was' Yugi, but it was strange that no one was saying out right that it 'was' Yugi who took the bullet. A strange thing that had her pondering about what was 'actually' going on. Beyond that, there was nothing else, as though there was this wall between him and the world at large. A cut off that left her feeling a little cold, a little suspicious about what was going on.
"The world wants to know, but the hospital isn't giving details... And it won't be long before the Prix happens. Its not like I can make enough to bolster the account to get us to take a trip to Domino 'then' to Florida." Valon noted with a hint of regret in his voice.
Dinner was a fish dinner for them, not bad, but Valon wasn't used to high end fare of a hotel. Rich in flavor with small packets of various seasonings to try to punch up the meal but Mai wouldn't let him use that. Because Valon was going to try Sushi even if it killed her! Valon wasn't looking forward to this, so Mai was opting to build up his tolerance of fish with meals like this. Steamed vegetables, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower splashed with some lemon juice served as the sides along with a pleasant scoop of mashed potatoes. Wine was the drink of choice this evening, but Valon couldn't be sure.
It wasn't bad, Valon was actually enjoying the salmon with lemon. Only if Mai knew, he was probably going to get fast tracked to sushi and he was trying to avoid it as best as he could. But Valon wasn't a fool and when he finally wore her down into letting him come with her, he saw the subtle relief in her eyes. So he said nothing, just played off the days as though they were perfectly normal.
She clung to him in her sleep though. He would wake up with her as close to wrapped fully around him as she could get. Muttering sometimes to be let out of something and he couldn't tell if this was a family trauma. She didn't seem to 'have' family given how she never communicated with anyone 'back home' to celebrate wins.
Thanks to this Anzu girl, he knew there 'was' a type of family that Mai depended on. And it was Yugi who took the bullet. But the kid was the world champion of this Duel Monsters, and no one was saying anything. It was 'speculated' that it was Yugi...
But this Yugi guy got shot, and the hospital was mum on his condition, and there were leaks about the hospital. Everyone was 'better', people were being discharged in throes with clean bills of health. Something was up, something that Mai had some inkling about but wouldn't tell him.
'Ah but be realistic Valon. She's not going to want to tell you something that might up and make her sound insane right? She'll want to keep it private and how do you ask her about that? Going to sound crazy yourself.' He thought as he scraped another piece of fish from the whole to eat. "But shouldn't there be some word that Yugi took that shot? Whats with this 'speculation'? Why protect Yugi and not Kaiba? Course I'm not sure how a person could given it was on camera."
"Yeah, it was strange, something is up but Anzu hasn't called me to give me more details." Mai acknowledged as she looked down at the bland fish laying flat and dead on her plate.
"Think he'll make it to the Prix? He's like the star attraction right?" Valon asked, he 'was' learning more about the game thanks to Mai, but still...
"I... I'm not sure, like its not like he knew..." Mai acknowledged, 'Well he might have known given how Anzu made it sound. If not about the shooting than at least that the people who kidnapped Kaiba months ago were still around. But how did he set up getting himself healed? That is straight up, certified, crazy talk. He took a bullet and 'survived it', Anzu needs to give me more details.'
Her gaze drifted from the food on her plate before turning to the television in the room. 'Anzu said Yugi might be able to help... Just hold out until the Grand Prix and hopefully I can be free of this sickening void. Before it latches onto Valon as well...'
"Missing persons?" She tilted her head to the side before reaching for the remote control. "Valon, you hear about this?"
There was a blond on the news, with a small wall of pictures featuring people by her side. Above them was the heading 'missing persons' and the dates were so close together.
"I caught the tail end of a report on the radio while working on a bike, wasn't sure. Group of people gone missing right? Weren't they on a boat... a ferry?" he recited but his voice lacked the confidence to say he remembered clearly.
"Yeah," she stabbed at a baby carrot with a frown on her face. "You know, as much as I travel, I've not been to a place where a mass disappearance happened. Sure kidnappings happen in areas with civil unrest. But that's not a disappearance, that's an outright kidnapping and or mass murder this..." she waved her fork to the television with a frown on her face.
"Weird things always like to travel around you?" Valon teased, 'its close to what I want to ask, maybe she won't get upset?'
Mai didn't though, she blinked at him for a second a bit surprised, only for her expression to warm up in amusement before she shook her head. "Me? My life is pretty normal, travel, duel, pay my way. But well, my friends..." She sighed and looked down at her dinner. "You got to promise not to laugh or I'm leaving your ass here..."
Valon answered by holding up his hands, his fork carrying a bit of salmon, "I'm in Italy and can't speak the language. I'm at your mercy beautiful."
Answering with a roll of the eyes she sat back and sighed. "They're the only friends I have, they'll be graduating high school real soon, but it doesn't look right. A woman my age and the only friends I have are high schoolers. But they gave me a chance, they mean well and they've been more invested in my life than my own family. So I get a little more concerned for them when stuff happens."
"Ohh, and Yugi is their leader from how you talked about them." Valon noted as his focus went back to the tv so she didn't feel stared at. The ferry the people disappeared from wasn't 'big' per say but how did you just 'lose' ticket paying people en mass?
"Yeah, he's got a big heart and... He took a bullet..." Mai felt tears begin to well up in the corners of her eyes as she sat there. So she kept them shut to in a vain effort to keep them from growing. "He's a kid... Anzu said that it was Yugi who took the bullet. But we both saw that announcement and that guy who saved Kaiba was too tall. Yugi is eye level with my breasts, how... how could that guy be Yugi?" She pondered even as she absently raised her free hand to her breasts to indicate Yugi's height.
'Don't stare at Mai's breasts. Don't stare at Mai's breasts. Oh God please don't let me screw this up... wait the kid was on 'eye' level with women... If only I were that short...' he sat there staring fixed at the television. It wasn't helping that she was wearing another white, tight top that made said breasts even more on display. While a soft maroon mid thigh skirt was hidden under the table. 'I'd have to be in a kilt forever, that would hide a tent better right? Get a loose one...' he glanced over hoping that she didn't notice his strained expression only to see her tears. "Mai? He's ok, Anzu said so right? Don't cry love, you'll see them soon!" He pointed out, starting to feel like an ass that he was thinking of her cleavage while she was worrying over her friends.
"I know... I just don't want to go back to being alone... God I hate that feeling, like I don't even exist." Mai began, only to realize she was starting to talk about her very cursed upon her problem.
Reaching over the table, Valon grabbed her hand and gave the back of it a rub with his calloused thumb. "You're never alone so long as you have people you care about who care about you. They got your back, even if you're by yourself physically you know you have someone pulling for you somewhere else."
He was taken aback by the gratitude in her eyes, even as the tears began to slide down her cheeks. "You say that, and I know you mean it. But it doesn't feel like it... When you're a woman and the only thing people acknowledge is your physical looks. How long until they fade? I can't keep doing this until the day I die. Its not a life, I love the travel, the chance to see different places and have all these experiences. But I realize that this isn't the type of life a person can live forever. Men can move on, write about their experiences but women..."
Mai's expression twisted, into one of frustration as she began to ruthlessly stab her fish. "The guys who can't handle the fact that they lost to a woman... can be a lot darker than what guys have to deal with..."
"Well have you thought about what you want to do after this? How you want to move after dueling loses its fun?" Valon asked as while picking up his glass with his free hand and taking a sip.
Mai was quiet for a moment before she gave a faint smile, "kind of thought a travel reviewer. I heard about them when I was still working the cruise lines in the casinos. They travel place to place staying at hotels and basically give reviews, paid for it as well." She gave a half grin as she tilted her head slightly towards the hotel. "This also was part of that as well, its one thing when they know you're a reviewer. They bend over backwards to make a location look better than it is. But when you're just a duelist..."
"Ahh," Valon raised his fork in a mock salute before finishing off his fish. "But you're not out of ideas, and have another card to play. So not all hope is lost," he noted confidently as he sat there in this kinda ok seat with rough textured fabric. Which he had yet to figure out who in their right mind wanted chair fabric that was course to the touch.
"So how was your day?" Mai asked, as she tried to scoop up her newly stabbed to repeated death fish.
"Interesting I suppose, never thought I would be a bodyguard of sorts," Valon admitted with a faint shrug. "Never thought I would be a bodyguard for a beautiful lady such as yourself... Would like to think you don't need one when playing what amounts to a kids card game." He confessed with a sigh before shaking his head. "Seriously, why do people exist that make me feel bad for being a guy?"
'This is nice...' Mai thought to herself as she neared the end of her meal. 'No void, the color hasn't faded from the world. I just need to reach Yugi and have him undo whatever is left attached to me. I mean Valons' a nice guy, but I shouldn't be hanging out with people just because it keeps that void at bay...'
Course there was the very real fact that she didn't really know how to go into detail 'about' those high schoolers. How was she supposed to explain the shadow game that she got trapped in? Even once she was free of it, no one really told her any great amount of details. With that awkward smile of 'it gets weirder and its for your own good that you don't know'...
'Bout to play Alice and fall down a rabbit hole I think,' she thought to herself as she wiped her mouth. She leaned back and let her eyes drift to the window of the hotel room. It was growing dark outside, and sure they could have gone to a fancy Italian restaurant. Given that had been her go to thing in avoiding the void. Now though it was as close to a home cooked meal she could have, just stay in the room and laze about.
A crack of thunder in the distance made her straighten in surprise. When Valon started and looked behind himself, "I guess the storm arrived..."
Light illuminated through the curtain as the sound of heavy rain began to slam against the window. The storm wasn't overhead, allowing the pair the pleasant sound of distant thunder and solid rain without the intimidating force of it slamming full tilt against a window. In fact it was the only thing that Mai could count on to push the void back when she had traveled before meeting Valon.