Present Challenge
There was a long silence as everyone stared at the place where Yuugi had been, then several sighs. "It's over..." Akhenaten said quietly, feeling somehow bereft of something he couldn't place.
"Well, it had to end sometime..." Atem sighed sadly. "But we'll meet again, he and I, so at least I have that security..."
Set gripped Atem's shoulder and said, "But the Gods obviously don't intend for us to forget the little Prince, so you still have all of us, Atem. Forever."
The Pharaoh looked skyward and said, "He had such a profound impact on us in such a short time...As though he was always meant to be here with us..."
A snort from Atem made the others look at him in surprise. The Prince said, "He's like that everywhere he goes...He's just part of that place, it becomes home, even if it's a dangerous, isolated island, a deadly tower trap, or a welcoming, friendly city. That's why he's the light to my darkness."
"...Yes," Akhenaten agreed. "And the High Priest is correct in saying you have us all. We all understand your feelings of loss in this moment."
Clenching a fist, the Prince nodded. "And the rest, other than routing random lizard-people we come across, is in Yuugi's hands. That means we're safe now. Things will continue from here as they were meant to."
"Did anything change?" Set asked suddenly, feeling curious.
"Beside him getting us to actively be friends, no," Atem replied in a dry tone.
Everyone was surprised by Set's laugh, and even more surprised when he faced the Pharaoh and said, "I'm claiming the favor Yuugi asked for. You know what I mean by that."
Blinking, the man nodded slowly. "I do. Just be discreet."
"Agreed," the High Priest answered with a bow to the Pharaoh.
After a moment, Atem's eyes widened and he gasped, "That's what the favor was?"
"That's right," Set agreed quite happily. "Now, we need a debriefing all around, then some rest. Shall we head inside to get the meals—or finish the meals—we weren't able to before?"
The rest of the people gathered there heartily agreed, still confused by the 'favor' the three of them were talking about, so everyone trooped inside.
Mana, left behind and unnoticed by the rest of them, took her own turn to look skyward and say, "Prince Yuugi may be the light, but Prince Atem...he's the warrior. Today, he's the one we need most." She smiled to herself. "As much as I'll miss Yuugi, I'll be fine as long as I have my first Prince. So will everyone else."
PA-HPS-YM-SK
For the second time in his life, Yuugi found himself hovering in darkness, surrounded by faint whispers—only to be suddenly dropped, and, like the last time, he landed on someone who fell to the ground with a yelp, Yuugi on top of them.
"Oh, great, not again..." the small boy groaned, then heard a 'humph' and looked up at who he'd landed on—only to see, "Kaiba-kun!" He then blushed and quickly jumped off the older, taller teen, quickly saying, "Sorry, I didn't mean to do that, I don't pick where I land, you see, and—"
"Shut up and tell me where the bloody Hell you came from," Seto Kaiba answered as he rose gracefully and motioned his bodyguards to stand down—they'd been about to attack Yuugi. "And where have you been for the last few months? Wait, knowing how stupid you can be sometimes, ignore the 'shut up' part of the first order."
Now that he had a moment to look around, Yuugi could see they were in the lobby at Kaiba Corp., though it looked like only employees were there. It was bright, and modern, and Yuugi hadn't realized how much he missed it until he saw it again right then. But then he remembered his clothes and looked down at his Egyptian Prince's clothing, and looked up at the older teen in embarrassment. At the same time, he had to laugh about Kaiba relinquishing his own order for silence.
"Actually, can we go to your office, and can I get a change of clothes, please? I'll explain there, but I don't think you actually want me to talk about it here," Yuugi answered, scratching the back of his head with one hand.
After a moment of silence, the young businessman gave a small sigh and said, "Fine, come on. Also, I would really rather not have you walk out of here dressed like that. This way." He turned to head for the elevator, and Yuugi followed him closely.
It didn't take long for them to reach the huge, penthouse office suite, which included a bedroom through one door, and only a few minutes later, Kaiba had called for some refreshments and a change of clothes for 'a slender boy of about five foot one.' In the meantime, the taller had motioned the smaller at one couch, so Yuugi readily curled up on one corner of it and waited patiently for Kaiba to finish what he was doing. The refreshments arrived quickly, so Yuugi began munching on the various foods on the platter, drinking his sparkling juice sparingly due to the bitter taste. Once the older and taller of the two was done, he sat on the couch across the coffee table from Yuugi.
"So?" Kaiba asked, leaning forward intently.
"I don't think you want all the details of what happened, so I'll keep it as short as I can, and tell you the most important parts," the smaller boy began, and got a nod and an intense gaze from the older teen. "So, I landed in Ancient Egypt, before Atem had become Pharaoh, because the Gods hadn't been able to see Egypt's path to our future anymore. There was just a gap, a fog, so they gave Atem his memories of his own future, and sent me there to help them. I sort of got adopted, though, and by the time I left, everyone had taken to calling me 'Little Prince'. Actually, I even...well, the Pharaoh was actually a better father to me than my own."
Yuugi paused there, then looked away. "But they were under attack. The people...I'm not sure they were people, actually...They could look human, but they were actually some kind of humanoid lizard." As Seto scoffed, Yuugi told him, "I had one of their swords in my shoulder, Kaiba-kun. I know who tried to turn me into a slave."
"...A slave?" the young businessman asked with a frown.
"Have you ever heard of the thirteen most powerful and wealthy families in the world?" Yuugi asked in return, and saw Kaiba's lips purse. "The one thing I don't have absolute proof of is that they are the ones who attacked the past, but they had all the other traits, and the wealth to have done what I saw. Armies of thousands, rocket launchers, an active portal into the past—and Kaiba-kun, we have to stop them. Now, before they can make another portal to travel back to Atem's time again."
Kaiba rose and stalked to his panoramic windows, standing in front of them with his hands resting on the ledge as he looked out over Domino City.
Silence hung heavy in the air, until Yuugi said, "Kaiba-kun, I know you don't like to believe in strange or magical things, but this is important...Our future will never exist if we don't stop them. They're strong, and we don't know how many troops they have here, only what we fought in the past. If they enslave the world in Atem's time, ours will never exist."
Rather than reply right away, Kaiba punched the window, putting a crack in it, he'd hit it with so much force. He then laid his hand over the crack and said, "So now, just like DOMA, you're forcing me to do the very things my adoptive father told me not to...That if I saw or heard of certain information, I was to look the other way or I'd be dead in short order."
"Do you know what Priestess Isis found out back then?" Yuugi answered quietly. When the taller's shoulders shifted, the smaller teen went on, "They have no hearts, they can't love. Their only answer to everything is violence, and they view us as cattle to enslave. Their weapons tear the souls of humans so they can devour the energy produced by said soul—that's what they did to me, ate half my soul, Kaiba-kun. They're both forsaken by all higher powers, but favored by at least one, preventing us from being able to actually See anything about them, like with Isis' and Ishizu's powers. On the other hand, they have no choice but to reap what they sow. If they sow death and discord, that's what they'll reap. The Gods won't help them if they go to others in war. Can you really leave people like that to their own devices, Kaiba-kun?"
"I don't think you understand, Yuugi," the taller teen said softly. "They're the thirteen most powerful families for a reason. We can't just walk into their homes and erase their data on portals, and we'd be lucky to survive an action like that in one's home before we'd be murdered in a convenient accident. I also don't know who and where they all are to be able to target them."
"Then find out, and get your people in place to kill them all at once," Yuugi answered, and the shocking words made Seto spin to face him with a truly concerned look in his eyes.
Right then, the office door opened and a man said, "Kaiba-san, I have the change of clothes you requested."
"Give it to Yuugi and leave," Kaiba answered harshly, spinning back to face the window.
"Yes, Sir," the man agreed, stepping into the room and offering the clothing to Yuugi.
The boy took it with a smile as he said, "Thank you!" The man in the black business suit was gone a moment later.
"Go change in the back room," the young businessman sighed. As soon as he heard the door close quietly behind the smaller teen, he turned back to his desk to pick up his phone and dial Ishizu's number.
She picked up with a sleepy, "Hello, who's calling?"
"Ishizu, Yuugi just told me to arrange to kill every living member of thirteen very wealthy families all at the same time," he told her without preamble.
She was silent for a moment, then said, "Then I suggest you do so."
A frown creased his face as he asked, "Why? Give me one good reason!"
On the other end of the call, Ishizu sighed and quietly said, "You know Yuugi better than anyone but Pharaoh Atem. Do you really believe he would tell you something so serious without a reason—a good one? However, if you wish something more concrete than that, I've been told the ones you were told to kill have had five thousand years or more to correct their errors—but they aren't. Too many souls are damaged, broken, torn, by those people, and they are doing everything in their power to torment and kill people who have done nothing to deserve it. Those who are cut off from love are cut off from salvation, and they have now become a danger which cannot be ignored. And Seto, that word comes from a being more powerful than the Egyptian Gods."
Yuugi came back into the room and tipped his head to the side curiously as he saw the phone in the older's hand. He was now dressed in blue jeans, a normal, black tank top, and a light-weight jacket in navy blue.
At the expression on Yuugi's face, Kaiba sighed deeply and said, "Very well. Do you have any other advice for me?"
"Tell as few people as you possibly can, because they have spies everywhere. I know of three of your employees who serve them—by virtue of my not being able to See them when I make the attempt. Their names are Mamoru Koga, Hiroto Togusa, and Akira Akiba. Make certain they do not discover your plans, and you should be well enough," Ishizu informed him.
"I see. I'll do that. Thank you, Ishizu," the businessman agreed, then hung up and looked back at a hopeful Yuugi. "First, I won't guarantee we'll get every single one of them, but I'll agree to help you kill the ones I can find and erase the data and technology they have concerning portals and hidden labs and such. The only benefit I have is that Ishizu could tell me who in my own company was working for them. What role are you going to play?"
"Wherever the portal is—I'll destroy it. Their one weakness is Ancient Egyptian magic—always has been, and probably always will be," Yuugi answered. "Otherwise, unless you want me to do something to help you, I'll stay out of your way. I know not to bother you when you're working, Kaiba-kun." He then paused and gave a sweet smile as he said, "Thank you for agreeing to help me."
"You owe me a public rematch in exchange," Kaiba bit out, expressing irritation.
"Of course!" the smaller boy agreed happily—after all, a rematch, public or otherwise, was a small price to pay for having Seto Kaiba's help with such a huge operation. "Thank you for the clothes as well. Do you want them back after I get home?"
Sitting in his desk chair, the President of Kaiba Corp. answered, "Until this is done, you're not going home. I can't guarantee our survival—would you really want to go home and get all sappy, just to wind up dead a few days later?"
"...Oh. Okay," Yuugi agreed quietly. He gave a small nod and said, "I guess you're right on that. Where do you want me to stay, then?"
"With me. I'm going to do everything I can to find the one who made the portal so we can go there personally, and my guys can take care of the rest. That way, we kill two birds with one stone—you get the portal, I erase their data, and we do the least amount of legwork in the shortest time. I suggest you go rest in the bedroom while I get things moving, since our only advantage is going to be the surprise and suddenness of it." Kaiba paused there for a moment, then added, "And don't hog the bed!"
Yuugi actually giggled at the taller's glare, and turned towards the room as he said, "I won't!" Before Kaiba could reply, Yuugi had closed the door behind himself.
Privately in the room, the boy wiped away tears as he wondered if there was any chance he could be more than a not-quite-friend to Kaiba, never mind have a relationship like Atem had with Set. The thought of Atem combined with the path his thoughts were already on caused him to break down in sobs. Not only was he missing his yami, his darkness, again, but he had no one but himself to lean on, even just for a few minutes—he knew Seto Kaiba wouldn't let him lean on his shoulder to cry. Oddly enough, things like 'crying' had been treated a great deal less harshly in the past than they were in the present, and Yuugi now had nowhere to turn.
Between the two, he wept himself to sleep.
PA-HPS-YM-SK
Several hours later, a tired and somewhat frustrated Seto Kaiba walked into the bedroom with the intent to sleep—only to stop and stare as he caught sight of Yuugi still fully dressed, on top of the covers and slumped over as though he'd fallen asleep sitting up. A closer look at the boy's face showed he'd been crying, causing Kaiba to hold a hand tiredly to his eyes for a minute. Going over to Yuugi, he pulled off the jacket and shoes, then lifted his legs to lay them on the bed, shifting the teen to lay flat on his back in the process.
Done with that, the young businessman shed his own jacket and shoes, then climbed into the other side of the bed. Finding the double layer of blankets too hot, he sighed and pulled the top one off his side of the bed, throwing it over Yuugi, instead, then settling down again. The temperature that time was right, so he fell asleep quickly.
PA-HPS-YM-SK
In the morning, Yuugi woke first, having gotten used to the rather strict, and early, schedule of a Prince. Though, he thought the schedule was so early in Egypt because of the heat. Either way, it gave him time to realize Kaiba had taken his jacket and shoes off, put him fully on the bed, and thrown a blanket over him. It made him smile, since someone who didn't care at all wouldn't have bothered—it was his one hope that Seto Kaiba could at least be his friend, truly. The older teen may have hidden it behind a lot of bluster, but small things like what he'd done last night showed there was a chance, because he could care.
Sitting up made the other teen groan and roll over partway to say, "Don't you dare move any further, or I won't be able to sleep any longer."
With a little chuckle, Yuugi asked, "Is that an invitation to stay in bed with you, Kaiba-kun?"
The young businessman groaned again and turned back to face away from Yuugi, saying tiredly, "Just shut it and stay still. I'm too light of a sleeper."
So Yuugi laid back down and just stared at the ceiling above him. Soon after, Seto had dropped back into sleep, and Yuugi was fully left to his own thoughts again. Was there anything he could do to help out, also to keep as few people as possible from knowing what they were doing?
It suddenly occurred to him that servants and maids were never actually acknowledged by their bosses, so the boss might say something in front of them which could get passed on unintentionally. There were a lot of things Yuugi could do himself, like making tea and snacks, so the people Kaiba paid to bring him those things wouldn't have to for the next little while. It would be safer than just letting them walk in and overhear things. Not that Yuugi thought they would willfully try to get their boss killed, but they may accidentally say the wrong thing to the wrong person.
Tapping his chin a bit, the boy contemplated why he'd go that far for Kaiba, even under the circumstances. Was it all just safety? He wasn't entirely sure, but he also wanted to be able to do something to help. And why? Probably because he was still wholly infatuated with one nasty piece of work, Seto Kaiba.
When he heaved a sigh, he heard the object of his thoughts say sleepily, "I'm surprised I fell back asleep. Now quit sighing—your boredom ends now."
Yuugi laughed and said, "That wasn't the reason for the sigh, Kaiba-kun. I was just pondering how much of an idiot I am when it comes to romance. I always seem to pick the people who wouldn't touch me with a ten-foot-pole."
The taller teen was silent as he sat up and grabbed his shoes, but then said, "Your luck can't be worse than mine, since I don't even know what counts as romance and what doesn't."
"Well, that's not exactly your fault, either," Yuugi answered a bit sadly.
With that, Kaiba rose and said, "Well, either way, I called my tailor, who will come and make us a few changes of clothes each, and I've locked Mokuba and all your annoying friends out of Kaiba Corp. Actually, I pretty much locked it all down, other than the group working on a secret project due in two weeks and the security guards I'm going to send on that mission of yours. Everything else is at a stand-still here for the next few weeks, the excuse being the special project. Other than the tailor, only designated people can leave or enter, and she's a one-off, not someone coming in repeatedly. So, we have our cover and the ability to work without a ton of people being in and out all the time. My only complaint is no longer having someone else bring me things when I need or want them."
"I could do that. You need to work on finding what we need to find, so unless you really, really want a break, just ask me to get whatever you need," Yuugi offered.
Seto Kaiba, already at the door, stopped with his hand on the knob, then turned back to Yuugi and said, "You're offering to be my servant."
"Short-term because we can't have outsiders overhear things. It's for the convenience of the situation—like you like to say all the time," the smaller teen shrugged, sitting up. "Just don't go overboard, or I'll bite you back."
"So you'll bring me graph paper, but not tea?" Kaiba asked with a raised brow.
"No, I'll bring you tea, too, but not if you ask me every five minutes to fetch you something else, or something inconsequential. Yes, we both need drinks and food, but we don't need it twenty-four-seven."
"Point taken. I accept. You might want to look around when the tailor leaves to see where things are kept—the kitchen and storage and supply rooms. That way, you have a better idea where to go when I need something. For this morning, we'll go to the cafeteria to eat breakfast, though."
Yuugi quickly pulled on his jacket and shoes, then followed Kaiba from the room, out of the office, and down to where the cafeteria was. They sat down and ate, along with some other employees, who paid them no mind, and went back up to the office, arriving at just about the same time as the tailor the taller teen had called for. He told her quickly what he wanted from her and she set to work, finishing only an hour later, then leaving.
While Kaiba sat down at his desk to get back to work, Yuugi left again to wander around and see what he could find. It didn't take him long to find most of the storage and supply rooms, and he also found the kitchen the servants prepared food especially for Kaiba in. After searching the cupboards, drawers, and fridge, Yuugi gave a wry grin and made a tea he was pretty sure Kaiba had never tried before.
Returning to the office with it, he let the other teen try it—and grinned as Kaiba asked him what kind of tea it was. Yuugi said it was his secret, and the young businessman pouted, but willingly kept drinking it while he worked. In the meantime, Yuugi sprawled on the couch so he was out of the way unless needed.