A Past and Future Pharaoh
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
Beta'ed By: WhiteSwan
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
"You're asking the impossible! Domino is my home, I can't just leave…"
Mokuba stood with his ear plastered to the door, listening in on the conversation, Jounouchi standing over him doing the same.
"What do my grades have to do with anything? I'm not leaving Dom…"
They had already realized that Yugi was on the phone with his dad. The argument had started almost immediately after the greeting, leaving the pair of eavesdroppers with no idea of how to help the situation. Neither knew Yugi's father at all, which left them helpless as the conversation continued, giving them a one sided view of what was going on.
"I haven't even gone to their graves and you want me to pack up and leave? I'm not going! You can come here, you can go to Japan, but I'm not leaving. Even if you drag me, I'll go kicking and screaming every step of the way! The second you turn your back on me I'm coming right… No… No…" he went from being aggressive in a way neither had heard before to sobbing; they could almost hear him dropping to his knees, then he was clearly moving around in a highly agitated manner. "Kami no… I'll find someplace… Please… How can you even suggest shutting down the Game Shop? That shop was everything to Grandpa…"
Jounouchi froze at the thought of no game shop, where would Yugi live? But then it occurred to him that Yugi's dad wanted him out of Japan anyways. He looked down, not expecting to see Mokuba looking up at him. Their thoughts were clear in their eyes 'Yugi leave?' how could they let that happen. Suddenly a pair of sounds caught their ears, one being Yugi obviously hitting the table with his hand or fist, the other the sound of the other door in the room opening.
"You haven't even shown me any proof that the Game Shop was destroyed. How do I know that this isn't some joke to get me to leave Japan?" … … "No I don't know anyone who would do such a thing! I don't care," Yugi proclaimed hotly. "I'll live on the street if I have to!"
"Don't be ridiculous Yugi." Kaiba's voice broke over the seemingly one sided conversation, startling Mokuba and Jounouchi.
"Oh… Hi Kaiba…" Yugi said in a distracted tone before continuing. "It's just a friend of mine… Kami, will you please just listen to me?"
The sound of footsteps moving across the room could be heard before Kaiba's firm voice spoke again. "I will assume that you are Yugi's father correct?… If this is about where he will stay, he'll be staying with me until more appropriate accommodations have been made… I'll have you know I have more then enough room to accommodate your son then you would have in such short notice."
Mokuba nearly leapt into the air in joy at that statement. It was something so un-Kaiba like but so Seto-ish that he couldn't help feel anything except elation that his brother was showing some of his childhood spirit. There was a brief argument over the phone; then again Kaiba was so used to getting his way it wasn't a shock that someone would buckle before him.
"Yes, Mouto we'll be in touch." Kaiba said coldly before the heard the phone click. "Get off the floor Yugi. I expect the mutt to grovel, not you."
"Thank you, thank you so much, I'll stay out of your way, you won't even notice my presence," Yugi sounded so shaken, torn between grief, hysterics, and relief.
"Whatever. What I came to tell you is that because of how we got here it's going to take a week before we can go back to Japan."
"I'M NOT A MUTT!" Jounouchi finally out squirmed Mokuba and burst through the door. The whole room looked comical at that moment, with Mokuba falling over from having tried to keep Jounouchi's quiet... apparently yanking the guy down and holding his mouth shut. Yugi and Kaiba were standing next to the table with a fist full of Yugi's shirt in Kaiba's fist.
"Sit." Kaiba snapped the order out at Jounouchi who was in turn tripped by Mokuba, who'd been crawling after Jounouchi, not wanting any fighting while Yugi was going through so much at the moment. Smug as hell, Kaiba gave a firm "Good Boy," to the face flat on the ground Jounouchi. It didn't help that Jounouchi growled in answer, but it did accomplish one thing…
Yugi was laughing. Losing the strength in his legs, the teen slid down Kaiba's body to the ground as Kaiba let go of his shirt. With a 'Humph' the older Kaiba left the room and Yugi struggled to catch his breath. Mokuba followed his brother like a faithful shadow out the room and into the hallway.
"Thank you Big Brother," Mokuba threw his arms around his brother's stomach and hugged him tightly.
"For what?" Kaiba asked stiffly, letting his arms rest at his sides.
"You know. For letting Yugi stay with us, it's very generous of you." Mokuba replied with an adoring smile on his face.
"Humph I only did it because I owe him for trying to help us." Kaiba retorted, only it didn't faze his brother.
"Nah, if you wanted to just help you'd have given him money to stay at a hotel or something. Not let him in our home." Mokuba was near bouncing with each step.
"You don't mind him being there I see," Kaiba noted as he walked along towards where his new laptop waited. He had work backed up to deal with after all.
"Nope that's what friends are for after all. He's looked out for us and now it's our turn to look out for him," Mokuba rationalized cheerfully.
"Friends?" Kaiba sounded unsure, but that was a good thing in Mokuba's book. His brother was finally admitting to testing a new ground in his life.
"That's right. Friends," Mokuba replied with that smile still on his face.
While back in the room Yugi had given up on the idea of leaving the floor.
"Really, the carpet here is wonderful, I think I'll stay this way…" Yugi was sprawled out on the ground, having spent the last bit of strength he had on just laughing.
"Hey Yugi… What was your dad talking about? I can understand he wanting you to be close to him but…" Jounouchi asked feeling uncomfortable; asking personal questions just wasn't his thing.
Yugi was quiet for a time, which Jounouchi respected, yet finally he broke the silence. "Apparently this has been going on for some time, my dad isn't thrilled with my grades, so he wanted me to come over there. Figured that spending all day playing with toys and games was why I hadn't grown any. You can kind of say my dad has issues about height."
"But uh… Isn't your dad your grandpa's son? So wouldn't it make sense, considering your grandpa and you, well ah…" Jounouchi floundered over what to say only to earn a weak chuckle from Yugi.
"That he would be short too?" Yugi answered for him with the same calm tone of one experienced with the question. "Actually, no, he's normal height, a strong man, but he's different then say Kaiba. Even though Kaiba is intimidating and strong willed, he's not someone who can intimidate people by his physical abilities alone. It's his mind and force of will that make people try to please him, where as my dad has a physical air around him. He's not stupid of course, that's part of the problem, he expects me to be as smart but…" Yugi gave a weak shrug.
"Smart? You're the world champion of a game that involves strategy how can anyone say you're dumb?" Jounouchi argued.
"But that's the problem, it's a game. It doesn't matter how smart I am with games, I just can't make a living off of it. I'd have to stay in tournaments for the rest of my life to support myself." Yugi pointed out as he draped one arm across his tired, tear induced puffy eyes.
"What about Pegasus and Money Bags? They make money off of games!" Jounouchi pointed out firmly.
"I'm not them. I'm just a sweet innocent kid who anyone can take advantage of… But then again it wouldn't work to have a runt around when you're working. Dad wants me to go to a boarding school…"
'Man Yugi sounds so dead, this is really breaking his spirit.' Jounouchi sat there wondering what could possibly cheer up his friend. "Well you heard what Money Bags said. You're going to be living with him and Mokuba. And like you said, it's hard if not impossible to intimidate the guy."
"Yeah, but I feel bad that there's nothing I can give him in return for his generosity. I know he'd kill me if I intentionally lost a duel to him so he could have the World Champion title back," Yugi observed weakly.
"Heh, forget Money Bags, I'll kill you if you let him take that title from you without giving it your all." Jounouchi retorted, smacking Yugi in the shoulder for emphasis.
"It was just a thought though… I still don't know how to thank him," Yugi spoke softly.
"How bout that ghost guy… What's his name… Mahaado? Why not get him to check out your home and see if it's like what we've been told?" Jounouchi asked suddenly as the idea hit him.
The sound of a throat clearing itself could be heard first. "Ah I have already tried that, though not on my own, I will not leave the Pharaoh without his permission, especially when his life could be in danger. However, I was able to contact a few of the spirits to look in on them…"
Jounouchi could already tell by the way the, ugh, ghost spoke that the news wasn't good. He sounded like one of Kaiba's employees giving Kaiba bad news, reporting the facts while staying careful of offering any pointless hope. Jounouchi looked at the ghost, his eyes asking the one important question only to get the answer he knew Yugi didn't need.
"I don't need to look, I know what the answer is," Yugi didn't move from the floor.
"Pharaoh my…" Mahaado looked down his eyes showing that he was searching for the words he wished to say.
"What's wrong?" Jounouchi asked, looking up at Mahaado, curious about the guy's sudden halting talk.
"Forgive me, I only know this language that you speak by when the Pharaoh spoke to me through the cards… I do not know the words to express what I am feeling in this language. Only in my native language can I say it." Mahaado explained calmly.
"A card? You're a monster?" Jounouchi asked surprised.
Mahaado was about to answer when suddenly Yugi interrupted, "he's not a monster, he's Mahaado."
Mahaado lowered his head some, acknowledging his Pharaoh's statement before his own.
"Didn't you say that it took time for you to get where you were to where we were? If the last time you were at the game shop it was fine how could you find out it was destroyed so quickly?" Jounouchi asked curious.
"I didn't leave, however; there are other…" he paused to look at his Pharaoh before resuming his talk with Jounouchi. "Spirits who can pass the question and answer along."
"I'd like to be alone right now, if it's ok with the both of you?" Yugi asked quietly, the sound of him fighting back tears clear in his voice.
"Yeah buddy… I'll go and… find something to do you just rest…" Mahaado had already faded from sight as Jounouchi gripped Yugi's arm firmly before getting up and leaving.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\Domino Police Station\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
A young lady anxiously walked inside the police station, her eyes scanning quickly for the front desk. She wore a simple cream-colored suit, a white blouse, and cream-colored high heels, her blond hair neatly bobbed. Clutched tightly to her chest was a large book that looked worn and frayed at the edges. The station was as hectic as one would expect in a large city as Domino. A line was already ahead of the woman, but it was a flash of gold that caught her eye and brought her attention to a door to the side. A young dark haired, tanned lady was walking out of an office, and she wore clothes that reminded her of the young man she had seen. Clutching the book tighter to her chest, she left the line and took a chance to speak with the lady.
"Excuse me?"