The next day, court was in session and Dartz was standing before the throne. Pharaoh Aknamkanon and Crown Prince Atem were staring at him with emotionless masks, while the rest of the court looked confused as the why the Royal Vizier had been summoned.
"Dartz, I have been told something disturbing by my son." Aknamkanon said to the man. "Is it true that you beheaded a young man yesterday evening without proper judgment being given to him?"
"It is true." Dartz admitted, emitting gasps from the court.
"This is truly an outrage." Aknamkanon sighed. "If it weren't for all your years of loyal service… From now on, you are to discuss the sentencing of prisoners with me and the rest of the court, before they are beheaded."
"I assure you, your highness," Dartz replied with a low bow, "it won't happen again."
"Atem, Dartz," Aknamkanon stood, forcing the two to hold hands, "let's put this whole business behind us."
"My most abject and humblest apologies to you as well, Prince Atem." Dartz said, noticing the disgusted look in Atem's eyes as he yanked his had away.
"At least some good will come of my being forced to marry." Atem growled as he stared Dartz directly in the face, letting the man see his anger. "When I am pharaoh, I will have the power to get rid of you."
That's all settled, then." Aknamkanon breathed in relief, not noticing Atem stalk out of the room in anger. "Now Atem, getting back to this suitor business. Atem?"
"He left, my pharaoh." High Priestess Isis said with a bow.
"Atem!" Aknamkanon shouted as he ran after his son.
"That must have been embarrassing." High Priest Seto snickered at Dartz as the court left the room. "Maybe you should think next time."
Once everyone was gone, Dartz dropped his loyal servant façade.
"If only I had gotten that lamp!" Dartz growled as he walked to the edge of a balcony.
"I will have the power to get rid of you!" Weevil imitated Atem perfectly before growling and speaking in his normal voice again. "To think we gotta keep kissing up to that chump, and his chump son, for the rest of our lives."
"No, Weevil." Dartz growled softly as he watched the pharaoh and prince arguing with each other. "Only until he finds a chump husband, or wife, and gets married. Then he'll have us banished. Or beheaded!"
"Eeewww!" Dartz and Weevil moaned as they grasped their throats at the thought.
"Oh! Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" Weevil gasped, getting an idea. "Dartz? What if you were the chump husband?"
"What?" Dartz snarled as he glared at Weevil, insulted.
"Okay, you marry the prince, all right?" Weevil explained his idea to his master. "Then, uh, you become pharaoh!"
"Oh! Marry the brat?" Dartz mused as he caught on, walking back into the throne room and sitting on the pharaoh's throne since the room was empty. "And I become the pharaoh. This idea has merit!"
"Yes, merit! Yes!" Weevil cheered as he acted out what would happen next in the plan. "And then we drop papa-in-law and the little princey off a cliff! Ker-splat!"
"Weevil," Dartz cackled. "I love the way your foul little mind works!"
Evil laughter rang threw the room, but no one was there to stop the two psychotic people
"Thank you for choosing Magic Carpet Ryou for all your travel needs." Bakura was saying, still in the role as an airplane steward, as Ryou flew down to an oasis in the desert. "Don't stand until the rug has come to a complete stop."
"Whoa." Joey muttered as Ryou used half of himself to form stairs, allowing the two young men to step off.
"Thank you. Good bye, good bye! Thank you! Good bye!" Bakura then dropped the act with an eye roll and smirk. "Well, now. How about that, Mr. Doubting Mustafa?"
"Oh, you sure showed me." Yugi smiled, still playing along with the genie. "Now about my three wishes..?"
"Do mine ears deceive me?" Bakura snickered at the short person and held up a finger. "Three? You are down by ONE, boy!"
"Ah, no." Yugi chuckled, ignoring Joey trying to drain the oasis' watering hole dry, while pushing Bakura's hand out of his face. "I never actually wished to get out of the cave. You did that on your own."
Bakura thought about what Yugi said for a second, and then his jaw dropped as he realized the shrimp was right.
"Well, don't I feel just sheepish?" Bakura groaned as his magic turned him into a sheep. "All right, you baaaaad boy, but no more freebies."
"Fair deal." Yugi nodded and went into thought about what he had. "So, three wishes. I want them to be good. What would you wish for?"
Bakura fell out of the make-shift hammock he had made at Yugi's question.
"Me?" Bakura asked, and Yugi nodded. "Well, in my case, ah, forget it."
"What?" Yugi asked, but Bakura shook his head stubbornly. "No, tell me."
"Freedom." Bakura admitted with a sigh, holding up his bronze banded wrists.
"You're a prisoner?" Yugi asked in shock as Joey looked up from the water hole, hands holding some water to splash on his face.
"Yes, all because I made a foolish mistake." Bakura shrugged. "I was robbing a tomb, and Ryou was with me."
"You had a magic carpet all these years?" Joey interrupted.
"No!" Bakura growled. "Ryou is human, just enchanted like me. He's also my lover."
"Okay." Yugi nodded, giving Joey a stern look.
"Anyway, I was offered 'phenomenal cosmic powers' by a talking mural in the tomb." Bakura continued, growing gigantic with an echoing voice before shrinking down and getting cramped in the lamp. "It failed to mention you also get itty bitty living space. And a lover made of fibers and tassels"
"Bakura that's terrible." Yugi sighed.
"But to be free?" Bakura sighed as he came out of the lamp. "Not have to go 'Poof!' What do you need? 'Poof'! What do you need? 'Poof!' What do you need?"
"That does sound annoying." Joey admitted, getting a somewhat look of approval from the enchanted man.
"To be my own master, and free with Ryou," Bakura sighed as he shook his head, "such a thing would be greater than all the magic and all the treasures in the entire world! But let's get real here. It's not going to happen."
"Why not?" Yugi asked in shock as he stared at the genie perched on a rock.
"The only way I get out of this is if my master wishes me out." Bakura replied with a pointed look. "So you can guess how often that's going to happen. No one in their right mind is going to free the enchanted Thief King."
"Well I'm not in my right mind then." Yugi smirked. "I'll do it. I'll set you free."
"Uh huh, right." Bakura rolled his eyes and turned away.
"No really, I promise." Yugi put his hand on Bakura's shoulder and turned him to face him directly, holding out his hand. "After make my first two wishes, I'll use my third wish to set you free."
"Well, here to hoping." Bakura sighed with a glance at Ryou as he shook Yugi's hand before turning into a magician. "O.K. Let's make some magic! So how about it. What is it you want most?"
"Well, there's this guy…" Yugi blushed and trailed off.
"Nope!" Bakura shouted as a heart with a no sign flashed about his head. "I can't make anybody fall in love, remember?"
"I think we're already there." Yugi replied. "I am at least. And he's smart and fun and..."
"Handsome?" Bakura prompted.
"Drop dead sex god." Yugi drooled as he leaned against a tree, making Bakura smirk as he watched the lovesick teen. "He's got these eyes that just… his hair and his smile. Wow…"
Yugi glanced at Bakura who nodded.
"Ryou was the same way when confessing." Bakura snickered, ducking Ryou's tassels.
"Huh?" Yugi blinked.
"He was going on about what he liked about me." Bakura clarified as he ducked again.
"Okay." Yugi nodded and went back to original topic. "But he's the prince. To even have a chance, I'd have to be a…" -light bulb moment- "Hey, can you make me a prince?"
"Let's see here." Bakura muttered as he opened a book titled 'Royal Cookbook'. "Uh, chicken a'la king?" Pulls out a chicken with a crown on its head "Nope. Alaskan king crab?" Yanks his finger out of the book, a crab clamped on, and shook it off. "Ow, hate it when they do that. Caesar's salad?" A dagger comes out and tries to stab him. "Et tu, Brute?"
"What other recipes do you think are in there?" Joey whispered in Yugi's ear as they watched Bakura force the arm back into the book.
"I have no idea." Yugi responded with a shrug.
"Ah, to make a prince." Bakura grinned as he found what he was looking for before glancing at Yugi slyly. "Now is that an official wish? Say the magic words!"
"Bakura, I wish for you to make me a prince!" Yugi proclaimed. "Complete with royalty knowledge and etiquette."
"All right!" Bakura cheered, and then became a tailor/fashion designer. "First, the old top and shorts combo is much too last century. These tears and patches, what are we trying to say here, beggar? No! Let's work with me here."
Bakura's hands flew as he took Yugi's measurements, snapped his fingers, and Yugi became outfitted in an Egyptian style prince outfit.
A white tunic with crimson and gold trimming covered is upper body, but left his stomach and lower back uncovered, his back covered by a crimson knee length cape. An amethyst shendyt wrapped around his waist, and was held in place by a crimson belt that was trimmed with gold fabric.
Gold arm bands clung to his upper arms and wrist, while a golden chocker necklace and earrings adorned his face. Elaborately decorated sandals decked his feet, golden anklets on both ankles. A crown with the symbol of an ocean wave with a koi fish swimming rested on his forehead, while his hair had become rows of braids, but left his bangs free.
"I like it!" Bakura proclaimed. "Now, still needs something."
"Royalty knowledge and etiquette?" Yugi offered hopefully.
"Thanks for the reminder shrimp." Bakura smirked, shooting some magic at Yugi, filling him with the knowledge he needed, and how to use it. "But we're still missing something. What does it say to me? It says mode of transportation. Excuse me, monkey boy!"
"Oi!" Joey glared at Bakura, picking up a handful of mud. "I'd prefer Jo-Jo if you're going there with nick-names."
"Okay Jo-Jo, just get over here." Bakura smirked as Joey tripped over Ryou, prompting the genie to zap the carpet with some magic to fly over. "And Prince Yugi, what better way to make your grand entrance on the streets of Domino, than riding your very own brand new camel! Watch out, it spits!"
Joey shrieked in fright as he was transformed into a camel. Glaring, he spit at Bakura.
"Mmm, not enough." Bakura muttered as he snapped his fingers, changing Joey into a fancy white horse. "Still not enough. Let's see. What do you need?"
Bakura snapped his fingers repeatedly, turning poor Joey into: a duck, an ostrich, a turtle, and a Cadillac, with license plate 'JOEY 1.' Finally, the poor shifter was returned to normal.
"Yes! Esalalumbo, shimin dumbo!" Bakura grinned as he shoots bursts of magic at Joey changing him into an elephant. "Whoa! Talk about your trunk space, check this action out!"
Ryou squirmed around and managed to get out from under Joey's new size 46 feet.
Joey blinked and looked at his reflection the pool of water, and then jumped into a tree in terror. He wanted to be a monkey again. The tree naturally bent right back down to the ground, where Yugi looked at his friend's new form.
"Joey, you look good." Yugi grinned as he touched Joey's trunk.
"Don't worry Jo-Jo." Bakura grinned. "You can still change to your human form, but your animal form is now an elephant."
"Oh good." Joey sighed as he changed back to a human and flopped down. "And could you also make me a body guard for Yugi, or something?"
"I see no reason why not." Bakura grinned as he shot another energy bolt at Joey, nipping him in the rear, but outfitting him with guard clothes and knowledge. "And Yugi's got the outfit, the elephant, but we're not through yet. Hang on to your crown shrimp; because we're gonna make you a star!"
"He honestly has never had a heart, and he never will," Selene said, as she handed Atem a small glass of a sweet grape smoothie that she had whipped up.
"I wish that my father wouldn't force me to marry so soon," the prince laughed gently as he took a sip of the cool drink.
"You're starting to sound like yourself," Selene smiled. "If I was your father then I wouldn't force it on you, I would let you find love on your own."
"I want too, but it's just I only have a couple days left." Atem smiled gently and ran his fingers through his tri-colored hair. "Where would I find someone to marry me that quick?"
Selene grinned, "I'm glad you asked," Selene grinned before pulling out a large golden box with a bunch of Egyptian symbols on it. It was made of pure solid gold; a strange eye was carved into the front center. "Because I have something that just might help you."
"What exactly is that?" Atem asked as his eyes widened.
"I've had it for the longest time." Selene sighed. "Being Dartz's former assistant he gave it to me, he taught me a lot about dark magic and the arts.
"I was in love once like you and he was the most amazing person I'd ever set eyes on. Trust me and we loved each so much. Dartz wasn't too happy that I had fallen in love so he decided to try and get rid of him, so that he wouldn't get in his way of plans. He used a deadly Dark Shadow Magic to kill him and he was gone.
"But I managed to cast a spell to save him." Selene spoke as spoke opening the box and pulling out a beautiful silver mirror. "I want you to meet him say hello Marcus."
All of a sudden a white mist began form in the glass, before a man with shoulder length dark brown hair and hazel eyes appeared.
"I was trying to get my sleep until you disturbed me," he yawned in a snappy tone before he noticed Atem. "AHHHHHHH! What in the name of Ra is that? GET IT AWAY!"
"It's a human being stupid, and he's not going to hurt you," Selene said, rolling her eyes at the man before continuing, "Marcus this is Atem, Atem this is Marcus my boyfriend."
"Sorry your highness," Marcus's expression softened. "It's nice to meet you anyone for that matter, thanks to that spell I'm trapped in here."
"Nice to meet you, too," Atem said as he smiled politely.
"I would have left her ages ago," Marcus huffed, "but I love her so darn much plus I have no legs. Now what would you like to know?"
The prince raised an eyebrow in questioning,
"He can see the future, well sort of, and can show you the outside world," Selene said.
"Wow really?" Atem said as his expression brightened. "That's amazing,"
"I'll read your future now." Marcus said and got a spaced out look. "Oh. I see your father is forcing you to get married in less than three days. It seems that you have found your Aibou all ready-"
"My what?" Atem interrupted.
"Partner in Japanese." Marcus explained. "It a foreign country far from here. Anyways, he's not dead, you know. Dartz didn't kill him; he's alive and is looking for you too."
"WHAT!" Atem shouted as he leapt to his feet.
At that moment, a fanfare of music floated through the prince's window.
Aknamkanon sat back and sighed. Atem had refused to even consider a suitor since he had given his heart away to the boy that had been executed the night before. Aknamkanon groaned in frustration as a knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts.
"Enter." Aknamkanon said firmly, disguising his weariness.
"Sire," Dartz said as he entered. "I believe I have found a solution to the problem with your son."
"Awk!" Weevil squawked as he landed on the arm rest next to the pharaoh. "The problem with your son!"
"Oh, really?" Aknamkanon asked with absolute attention.
"Right here." Dartz said as he unrolled a long scroll. "If the prince or princess has not chosen a husband by the appointed time, then the pharaoh shall choose for him or her."
"But Atem hated all those suitors!" Aknamkanon protested as he absentmindedly stuffed a cracker into Weevil's mouth. How could I choose someone he hates?"
"Not to worry, my liege, there is more." Dartz said as he continued. "If, in the event a suitable prince cannot be found, a princess must then be wed to... hmm... interesting."
"Who?" Aknamkanon demanded.
"The royal vizier!" Dartz read, hiding his sinister smirk behind the scroll "Why, that would be... me!"
"I thought the law says that only a person of noble or royal blood can marry a prince or princess, I'm quite sure." Aknamkanon replied with a frown.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures, my lord." Dartz replied as he pulled out his snake staff and began to hypnotize the pharaoh.
"Yes..." Aknamkanon said in a monotone voice. "Desperate measures..."
"You will order the prince to marry me." Dartz ordered.
"I... will order... the prince... too..." Aknamkanon mumbled as he momentarily broke the spell. "...but you're so old! You've been part of my staff for 10 years!"
"The prince will marry me!" Dartz hissed as he held his staff closer.
"The prince will marry..." Aknamkanon repeated, but the spell was broken by a fanfare of music from outside, encouraging him to see what it was. "What? What is that? That music! Dartz, you must come and see this!"