I'm really sorry. I've been trying so hard to work on the story and update it but this was a terrible month. I'd often return home exhausted and during the weekends, I'd either have to work on lesson plans or edit for MEPs or something. My writing progress is slow and I'm even distracted by some Tower of God stories I'm working on. But I'm not going to abandon this story. I promise.
So, here is Chapter 13. It's time you meet Seto Kaiba and his mansion. Also, it's time to get some answers.
I want to thank all of you for reading this and as always I want to thank my dear Bakura for telling me to write more and helping me with the Egypt related topics, Julia for her lovely comments, and Kathy for being amazing. Kathy…I know things are really rough for you right now and of course, reading stories is the last thing in your mind, but I'll keep thanking you for all those beautiful drawings.
Okay, now…enough from me. Enjoy!
Chapter 13
The car passed the gates revealing a series of well-kept gardens, a majestic fountain, and a huge mansion. Marik whistled in approval, but Yuugi only sighed, resigned. He hadn't thought he would pass those gates or see the inside of that mansion ever again. Now facing the impressive building, he felt like a man convicted to spend his youth in prison for a crime he hadn't committed. The mansion held answers to questions he asked himself for years but he was no longer sure he wanted to hear them. Running a hand through his hair, he once again wondered how his life had all of the sudden turned out so complicated. Somehow, he had a feeling that the three boys had only been the trigger and not the real reason he was involved in this mess.
"Are you alright?" Atem asked the boy, placing a hand on top of Yuugi's.
The crimson eyed boy had been strangely quiet most of the evening in compare to his two friends but he was far from unaware of the boy's presence. It was quite the opposite, actually. He had been so aware of Yuugi's presence that it was driving him crazy. Or was it Marik that was driving him crazy? The Egyptian boy was so close to Yuugi, so attentive to him, that Atem felt the need to pull his friend away from the young boy, preferably tearing some limbs in the process. Marik could be the new Venus de Milo for all he cared.
Atem wished he could control his magic better. Then, he could try to create a shadow wall between Marik and Yuugi but he wasn't sure it would work. Not to mention that bastard, Marik, would know it was him creating it. All in all, Atem was still baffled by the way his magic had reacted to Yuugi. Even though he wasn't aware of the extent of his power, he was almost sure it wasn't supposed to work that way. He had noticed the way Yuugi's body suddenly relaxed, the way his eyes started closing as if he was about to fall asleep. The connection had made Atem simultaneously feel so many things; energy, warmth, power, completion. Then, Marik had to interfere. The logical part of Atem's mind told him that was a good thing. He didn't want to take advantage of the young boy. But he had felt so good that another part of him was furious.
Touching Yuugi felt so right. Just having his hand on top of his felt right. He didn't remove it even when Yuugi answered he was fine. He wanted to feel more of the boy's warmth and believe that everything would be alright. He knew things couldn't be good if his apartment was bugged and Seto felt the need to be involved, but he wanted to believe he would still find a way to get his friends and himself out of town as soon as he had a chat with his cousin. For a brief moment he entertained the idea of taking the young boy with him but short of kidnapping him, he had no idea how that could happen.
The car stopped right in front of the mansion stairs and Hinata was the first to get out. He opened the door to Yuugi's side and helped the boy out. Yuugi shrugged at the offered hand but took it nevertheless. After a quick check, the bodyguard ushered the boy towards the door knowing that his men would do the same with the other boys. Smirking, Atem looked at the bodyguards. He knew that if any of them tried to help Bakura out of the car, the man would probably lose at least a finger. However, none of them made a move. As soon as the boys were out, the bodyguards took their places in front of and behind the boys and led them inside. That sealed it for Atem. No matter what had happened between Yuugi and Seto, Yuugi was an honored guest; his safety and comfort was top priority.
They had just passed the door when they were forced to stop. Annoyed, Atem took a step to his right avoiding the uniformed man in front of him. Briefly, he noticed his two friends doing the same thing. Three set of eyes took in a young boy with black long hair abruptly stopping in front of Yuugi after a quick run. After a moment of hesitation, the boy smiled widely at Yuugi and engulfed him in a hug before quickly pulling back. Brief as it was, Atem could see that the hug filled Yuugi with warmth.
"Mokuba." Yuugi smiled, taking in the boy. Then, he pouted. "I told you, you'd get taller. You're almost as tall as your brother now."
Mokuba Kaiba grinned. "I may even surpass him." He said with pride. Then, he turned towards Atem and the other two boys. "And I thought your hairstyle was unique, but here stand another three people with as crazy hair as yours." His grin widen. "I think I like yours better, though." Mokuba walked towards Atem and extended his hand. "I am Mokuba Kaiba and you must be Atem, my cousin."
Atem shook the boy's hand, not sure what to reply to that. After a moment, he decided honesty was the best option. "You were really young the last time I saw you. I think you had just celebrated your third birthday when your family stopped visiting."
"That must be correct. I don't remember you, I am sorry." Mokuba looked at him with a look of regret for a second before he turned towards the bodyguards dismissing everyone but Hinata. "My brother is in his office. Let's not keep him waiting."
Atem heard Bakura grumbling about how much he didn't care if Kaiba had to wait or not but if Mokuba heard, he chose to ignore it. He seemed content walking by Yuugi's side, telling him about how he had been getting taller for the last two years. Mentally Atem calculated Mokuba's age. The boy had to be fourteen; he was six years younger than Seto. Atem could hardly remember the boy since by the time Mokuba was born, his family's relationship with his uncle had been already strained. However, he remembered one thing for certain. His aunt had died some months after Mokuba's birth and the few times his uncle would visit, Mokuba was under Seto's care. During those last visits, Atem had seen a new side of Seto. The older boy was quite protective of his baby brother, always breathing down Atem's neck when the crimson eyed boy touched his younger cousin.
Mokuba led them upstairs and through a corridor before stopping in front of a wide door with an electronic lock. Knocking once, he waited until he heard the soft click of the door being unlocked and then he opened it walking inside first. Hinata and Yuugi followed him and soon after everyone walked in the spacious office. The room must have been a drawing room at some point, big enough to comfortable accommodate more than a dozen people. One of the walls held bookcases filled with books while the other had a fireplace, some paintings and a huge flat TV. A sofa and an armchair were close to the TV. Opposite the door was a series of windows that overlooked the back garden. In front of the windows was a massive black desk with a chair behind it and another in front of it.
A tall brown haired young man sat behind the desk, typing on his computer. Even though half a dozen people entered the room, the man didn't look up until he was done with his sentence. Only then did he raise his light blue eyes and took in the group of people, instantly dismissing everyone but the youngest of the newcomers. Carefully, he stood up and moved closer to Yuugi.
"Yuugi." The boy's name came out of the brunette's lips, hesitantly.
"Nice to see you too, cousin." Atem stepped forward, not oblivious to the way his cousin ignored all of them, focusing on the younger tricolor haired boy. "Your hospitality is warming my heart. To so kindly invite all of us here today was such a nice gesture." His words were full of sarcasm and still Seto refused to acknowledge him.
"Kaiba." Yuugi replied to the brunette's greeting, his voice devoid of feelings. "Hinata's already confirmed that Atem's apartment is bugged but I'd really appreciate it if you could explain to me a couple of things. For example, who did it and how you knew it was bugged would be a good start, I think. Maybe that will also tell me how you knew where I was."
Years of learning how to mask his feelings helped Seto hide his surprise at Yuugi's businesslike tone and way of addressing him. Understanding that pushing the boy would do no one any good and not wanting to expose himself in front of the others and especially Atem, the older boy changed his tactics.
"We have some unfinished business to discuss at a later time but maybe some of the answers you'll get today will make you understand why certain things happened." He hedged. Then, he turned towards the others. "Mokuba, could you, please, bring our two guests over? Then, you should stay with us. It's time you hear the full story." Whatever warmth he had extended to his brother and Yuugi was lost as he turned towards Atem. "I'll ask you, cousin, and your friends to be a bit patient. As soon as everyone is gathered all your questions will be answered."
For a couple of minutes silence filled the office. Then, the door opened once again and Solomon Mutou walked in, followed by Joey, Mokuba and some men carrying chairs for everyone. Yuugi barely had the time to grasp the idea his grandfather and brother were there when Joey grabbed him.
"You said you were out with a friend for a cup of coffee! Then, you called me saying you met a friend and hung up on me!" Each word seemed to choke him. "Why the hell would you go with them?!"
Guilt curled around the younger boy like a snake, clenching his heart. He had trusted his heart and instincts by following the two boys. He knew Joey wouldn't approve. He knew his brother would be worried. But did he really have a choice? He could have followed them of his own free will or try to make a run for it. Even if Marik's words were sincere, he doubted Bakura would let him walk away just like that. He had to deal with it on his own. Something inside had told him neither of the boys would really hurt him so he didn't feel that scared following them. He knew he couldn't have told Joey that during their phone call. His brother wouldn't have understood.
"I'm sorry." He whispered. Even though he was in no real danger, he felt ashamed knowing he had worried the other boy so much. "They wouldn't hurt me, Joey. I know they wouldn't."
His amethyst eyes took in the three strange boys he'd met under such odd circumstances. Nothing about the situation he found himself in was normal but he knew, deep inside, that they wouldn't hurt him, at least physically. Three pair of eyes looked right back at him, each one reflecting the surprise they felt hearing Yuugi's response.
Seto cleared his throat getting everyone's attention. Clearly, he wasn't pleased by Yuugi's response to danger but it wasn't his place to express that sentiment. After all, the blonde was doing a good job as a guard dog, most of the times. Instead, he motioned for everyone to get a seat so they could begin the explanations. Joey and Yuugi took a seat on the sofa, Seto chose to stand by his desk allowing Mokuba to take his seat while Solomon took the spare chair in front of Seto's desk. The others grabbed one of the chairs the bodyguards had brought, with Hinata standing by the door. It was then that Yuugi noticed his grandfather carried a bunch of papers with him.
"For years, I'd been hoping this day wouldn't come. Yuugi, you weren't supposed to be involved in this. I was hoping you'd never find out about my research or those three." Solomon's eyes weren't unkind as he took in Atem, Marik and Bakura. "I didn't want you involved."
"Maybe then you should have kept your nose out of business that doesn't concern you!" Bakura growled, feeling quite impatient. Sure, the boy shouldn't have been involved but they would be the ones paying the price. Their lives were the ones in danger. As soon as they were gone, Yuugi would forget all about them.
"Now, listen, you…!" Joey started but a look from his grandfather quickly silenced him.
"The boy has a right to be angry, Joey." The old man sighed and suddenly Yuugi was reminded that even though his grandfather was an adventurous man with a restless soul, he was actually old. "You're safe for now but your apartment isn't a safe place. You were discovered, you see. Your skills with computers," he directed his words towards Bakura, "are quite impressive, and kept everyone from knowing that not only you live and work in Domino but some of you even attend classes here." It had taken Kaiba's best men to break through Bakura's code. "But you were discovered, and, somehow, a bug was planted in your apartment this morning."
Solomon and Joey had been in the mansion that morning, discussing Atem's appearance in Yuugi's life, when Kaiba received a call from one of his men informing him of the bug. Since the bug seemed to be a way to keep track of the boys' activities, Kaiba had suggested they waited until they had more information before removing the boys from the apartment. Maybe by playing the right cards, they would get some information themselves. What they didn't know was that Marik had planned to meet Yuugi that morning or that Bakura and he would bring the boy home with them.
"I am not sure what you mentioned in that apartment but something urged them to act. Our spy let us know there was an emergency meeting. We didn't wait for the verdict." Seto briefly explained, his eyes trained on Yuugi.
"Who would bug their apartment? What do they want?" Yuugi exclaimed, hoping they would all stop giving him half answers.
"Yuugi, my boy, the things I am going to tell you may sound crazy to you so, please, bear with me until I am done." Solomon started, placing some papers on Seto's desk. "I was always a curious man and studying archaeology was my dream. I've always felt a strange yearning about anything that had to do with Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece. As a kid, I would read every single book I could get my hands on that concerned those two civilizations. The amphitheater discussions at the university were such an excitement, opening new paths for me. I must have spent more days in the university's library than at home during those four years I was a graduate student and as a post graduate student I practically lived there. It was during my post graduate studies that I decided to focus on Ancient Egypt rather than Ancient Greece and made it my life's goal to learn everything about all periods." He paused for a moment reminiscing those times before collecting himself.
Those years of his life were a blur of activity as he read book after book, spending hours flirting with the university librarian as she helped him with his research. Little did he know that years later she would be his wife. A soft smile spread on his face.
"I guess you can say this story started for me when I started studying Pharaoh Atemu's period. I was quite fascinated by his story and the fact there was little to no information about his reign and nothing at all about his disappearance and Seth's ascending to the throne. I was sure plenty of people would have studied him trying to find more information, trying to discover his tomb, but that wasn't the case." Solomon picked a small pack of papers from the office and handed it to Yuugi. "See if you can read the second paragraph of page two."
Yuugi took the papers and turned to page two. Noticing the comments at the sides of each paragraph, the boy understood that what he held was one of his grandpa's papers. Probably one for his post graduate studies. His eyes moved as he read information he already knew. The paragraph was about Atemu's birth. "I can read it." He slowly replied, trying to understand what his grandfather wanted to prove. It was written in Japanese after all. Why wouldn't he be able to read it?
"Anyone can read it. It's commonly known facts about prince Atemu's birth. Try to read the last paragraph of page three now." The old man was almost giddy now.
Yuugi tried not to sigh as he did so. After reading the second line, he felt his curiosity picking. The paragraph was about an event that happened right before Atemu's coronation.
"A half destroyed account of an incident happening moments after prince Atemu's last visit to his father, Pharaoh Aknamkanon, was discovered two decades ago in the tomb of a scholar. The man probably worked in the palace and recorded that the prince was seen coming out of his Father's room wearing a strange pendant that had frequented the Pharaoh's neck for the last years. The prince seemed quite distressed holding the pendant. Soon after, his uncle, Aknadin, found him and seeing the scholar being close, led Prince Atemu to his room." Yuugi took a breath and continued reading. "The pendant shaped like an upside down pyramid mentioned by the scholar was previously described in another account about Pharaoh Aknamkanon but there was never a mention it was passed to his son before his death. It was presumed the pharaoh was buried with it but it was never found in his tomb. Since there are accounts about his tomb being robbed during the dark years, archaeologists assumed the pendant was lost."
Puzzled Yuugi looked at his grandfather. This was surely an interesting tidbit about Atemu but what did it have to do with them? Had his grandfather discovered something about that pendant? If it graced the pharaohs' necks it had to be extremely valuable, probably made out of pure gold. And why did his grandfather make it seem like him being able to read the paragraph was a great deal?
"Quite interesting. This pendant seems quite important." He said, testing the waters. Then, an idea came to him. "Is it one of the Millennium Items?"
Absolute silence followed his question as each person in the room stood to attention. Yuugi bit his lower lip, understanding he shouldn't have asked that so suddenly. But like the pieces of a puzzle, Yuugi had the ability to put the information he was given and the ones he had collected himself together.
"How do you know about the Items?" Seto inquired, trying to keep his voice calm. "Did you mention them while you were in the apartment?" He took a step towards the boy as if he wanted to shake the answer out of him.
"What if he did?" Atem narrowed his eyes, standing up from his seat. "Why would you care?" Even though anyone would think Seto was angry at Yuugi, the crimson eyed boy could see his cousin was deeply concerned and unsettled by the fact Yuugi knew something about the Items.
Atem's patience was running low. These people kept saying they would give them some answers but the conversation was going way too slow. Having confirmed that Yuugi's family was involved in the mysteries of his past, Atem wanted only one thing; to collect some information about the enemy and leave the mansion. If Seto knew anything about the people who had bugged their apartment, he needed to know. There were certain things they couldn't leave behind. And there was Mana. He couldn't leave Mana behind.
"I've heard you and Joey talking about them one night. You thought I was asleep but I wasn't. Not completely at least. "Yuugi sheepishly explained. "The memory is fuzzy but I remember you said they were connected to Pharaoh Atemu and that you were trying to find them." The boy tried hard to remember. "That's why when Bakura went to such lengths to learn about your research, I thought it might have to do with the Items."
"So, you didn't know anything about them." Bakura stated, looking at the tri-color haired boy. "You were gagging our reactions when you mentioned them; maybe even hoped we would give you some answers."
Yuugi shrugged. "You didn't give me much to work with. Atem and Marik had been going around, pretending to be my friends, asking about my studies but never really mentioning anything about my grandfather's studies and then comes you; trying to kidnap me and finally giving me the reason why I was approached. However, you all spoke in riddles, hoping I would provide the answer to a half-asked question." Dismissively shaking his hand at Joey's attempt to interrupt- surely to say something about Bakura's ways, Yuugi continued. "I was in a disadvantage. I wanted to help you since this was clearly important but I didn't wish to give away my grandfather's secrets. But how could I persuade you that he is a good man when I had the advantage of knowing him and you didn't? Or when probably his research had to do with some aspect of your lives? So, I had to know more."
Marik marveled at the boy's logic and ability to plan under duress. Quite honestly, he was right. They had been so blinded by their fears and insecurities to properly plan their moves. He had wanted a friend more than he wanted the information Yuugi could provide. Atem was caught between whatever feelings he had for the boy and a need to flee. As for Bakura, he was probably affected more from their conflicted feelings than he had let show. The Bakura Marik knew wouldn't have tried to kidnap Yuugi or interrogate him knowing the boy could always go back and tell his family everything. No. He would have first of all broken onto his house and try to find evidence there, or even hack into their system and observe their every movement.
No. Bakura would have been smarter. Or maybe he knew something Atem and he didn't and that was all part of his plan. He would have to talk to him later. As he would have to talk to Yuugi and make sure the boy knew once and for all that he really treasured the friendship he had been offered.
"You weren't supposed to be able to read it." Marik decided to speak. They had been running in circles and if they wanted any answers, they had to get over some basic things. If he wanted Yuugi to stay his friend, he had to trust him. "All information about Atemu's reign is bound by strong magic. Centuries ago, a spell was cast. The information is there. You can find it on the walls of tombs. You can read it in a limited number of books, written by people who know the secret, but even though anyone can read it, only a few can retain the information. It's as if you try to hold water with your bare hands. Only a few people can do it. You don't have to be a magic wielder, though. We only know that somehow all people who can retain the information are somehow connected to the Millennium Items." He willed Yuugi with his eyes to believe him. "Your family and you weren't supposed to know anything about the Items or be able to remember the paragraph you've just read, but you can. Somehow, you are all part of the same mess we are."
I don't care what people say. Whenever Seto dismisses everyone to focus on Yuugi, I start smiling. Atem, darling, you need to stop hiding from your feelings. You're giving me a headache. Can Marik be any nicer? I love him! Also, Yuugi can be quite smart, right?