Yu-Gi-Oh: A Past and Future Pharaoh

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: So if you keep up with any of my other works you'll know that I tend to beta them every other week. That's because I'm caught up with them so I need an extra week to get a fresh take on the chapter in question. I am now dangerously close to the 100's in writing new chapters for 'this' series though. So I only edit the old stuff instead of editing both ends, so yeah, you've been seeing for a bit and will continue seeing basic, barely edited stuff first, then eventually the betaed work. So if you've made it this far and are going to go on ahead, thank you for your patience, be aware that it is almost a raw version you're about to read and I'm going to go back over it and clean it up at a later time.

Also! I introduced Yusei's dad in this chapter! One shot only really just thought I would share!

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

The afternoon sun was bright, sending the shadows into retreat towards whatever they could find to protect them. The streets weren't as full of people as normal at this time of day, but that was fine for Honda. The more empty the street the less awkward resentment he felt towards his inability to hear the world around him. Fewer people justified the silence, even better, fewer people meant he could go slower and work on stretching out his leg.

It was boring doing the same repetitive exercises in his room day after day, and with the streets partly empty he could afford to go out for a walk. The stabbing needles that consumed his knee whenever he started an session had slowly eased into a numbness with only the most intense of pricks registering in his mind. But the bonus was that the numbness served as a sign from his kneecap that it could handle stretching out just a little more.

His right foot could now touch the ground with each step, but it couldn't support much if any weight. Still he needed his foot to actually 'touch' the ground so this was merely step on on his road and it was actual progress. The sensation of his sneaker served like a training weight, pulling his leg down further and every little bit helped.

Honda passed by shops while trying to do what he could for his hearing, forcing himself to pay attention to people who were near by. Only able to process one person's voice clearly at a time was fine for class, it helped keeping him from getting distracted. But at this rate he was just dead weight in group settings, always needing to have someone writing what he was missing. But for now this was where he was, his level of progress was slow, yet 'still' progress. He just had to remind himself of that every so often, so that he wouldn't rage against his friends or the world at the injustice of it.

Up further on the sidewalk he could see a bench that stood against a wall to a building on a corner and decided that it would be as good as any spot for a break. It stood on the edge of an invisible line in the city, between the prosperous business sector of Domino and the less friendly part of town. Honda needed a routine breaks. He would only make things worse if he tried to overwork himself, no matter how well intention his reasoning was. So he limped along and slowly lowered himself into the iron meshed bench and rested his back. Allowing his posture to lose the rigidity from having to deal with the cane and his knee.

While at the same time allowing him to admire the irony of what this place used to represent and how it had changed in these few short years. He had come often enough over a year ago when it was just Jounouchi and himself. Back in those days when Jounouchi was shades darker in his morality than he was now.

The city was color coordinated in a way that was subtle, Honda supposed. Businesses that had no retail involved were stark whites and stone grays in color like the towering KaibaCorp building that stood over everything. Retail businesses often had soft inviting colors to help encourage people to enter and shop around. With the random places, like the old Game Shop, being stark strong colors that made them stick out like multicolored stickpins on a city wide map.

Then there was this particular part of town that held the car repair garages, the dirtier jobs that would besmear the cleanliness of Domino. It wasn't the 'bad' part of town and Honda was sure there 'were' bad parts of towns in every town the size of Domino or bigger. But it was on the edge and it was that edge where Jounouchi found most of his temptations when it came up in those days.

Ways to escape his dad's incessant gambling, the abuse...

And Honda had been there for a great deal of all of it, after all his dad worked a blue collar job that allowed for Honda to come into the area and by chance one day meet Jounouchi. Now he was looking at that world he once skated so close to from the outside. The nature of this sector serving a new purpose as it brought back those old memories and how easy it was for a person to fall. Some people had the strength to walk to the edge of the Abyss and walk away. Some could only see the despair and would succumb and fall deep into it. Which was where Honda found his life, striving to get out of this dirty sector once more, to not allow his injuries bring down his spirit.

But what else 'could' he do when he was trapped in this state of near perpetual silence? He heard, ever so faintly, the rumble of a bus and a glance to the side showed that the large vehicle was rolling past him. Something of that size and force and it sounded a block away now because of his injuries. At least he 'heard' it at all though, after the bomb he wouldn't have heard anything even now.

He watched the bus travel straight ahead, slowing down and coming to a stop at the predesignated spot. Normally he wasn't one to watch, but today he just felt more inclined to let his head rest against the wall behind him. There were a few people who got off the bus, yet it was the natural blond that got his attention instantly. In a country where the norm was gradients between brown to black, save Yugi the Starfish, blond was instantly eye catching in any situation.

When it came to actual blonds that he knew off the top of his head, it was Mai, Misty, and Malik... An interesting realization that created a soft chuckle out of him as he realized all the Blonds he knew had their names start with the letter 'M'. Misty was wearing her uniform so she must have just gotten off of work.

When it occurred to him if she was getting off work why was she 'here'? This wasn't the residential part of town, she told him she didn't drive, and there was no grocery stores or anything. Nothing he could think she would go to without being in some form of danger. But what his ears failed his eyes picked up, and that was the redness around her eyes and nose and he was filled with this sense of concern.

One that grew when he saw a few guys approach her, and once upon a time he and Jounouchi could have become one of 'those' guys. Just the laid back, group approach that registered in the primal male instinct that all men had when it came to other men. That recognition of predatory behavior with how they approached in a 'v' shape just spread part far enough to easily cut off her escape routes.

Misty didn't seem very aware of her surroundings making it easier to 'bump' into the pack leader in this group. Which she did, confused she looked up at them as her purse dropped to the ground spilling items as the guy closest to where Honda was sitting scooped up the purse. The thug held the purse up and away as she reached for it, her hands going out automatically as she expected the proper response of it being handed to her. After all, nice, polite people would hand back the purse right?

Instead Honda watched as they began to play keep away with the purse from Misty, making Honda's stomach twist as he thought back to what he and Jounouchi had done to Yugi regarding his Puzzle. Which became the motivating reason why he pushed himself to his feet, regardless of his injured knee. Misty didn't speak Japanese well enough either, so it was possible that these thugs would take advantage of her.

As he tried to 'hear' what was going on, he could see her gesturing. Her voice must have carried a broken tone as she spoke between growing sobs, so much so that the thug opposite of where Honda showed signs of apprehension or concern. But whether it was for Misty or the fact that it attracted Honda's attention, the teen couldn't be sure.

There was a decided danger getting involved when he had a bad knee and poor hearing, but well it was the right thing to do. "Hey Misty! What's going on?" he called out, hoping that just by his presence the trio would take the hint and leave the poor nurse alone. His voice 'did' get the guys attention, turning to give him a look. But they also took in his cane while Misty took the opening and yanked her purse back.

She held the purse to her chest like some bullied child in school trying to make herself as small as possible. Misty tried to push her way past them and walk towards Honda when the leader grabbed her elbow.

Not being able to hear exactly what was being said left Honda in a vulnerable position by default, while the leaders' grip on Misty's elbow visibly tightened.

"Hey we're just chatting with the sister, nothing to see here!" The guy who stood between Honda and Misty was the first voice he could properly register. The guy himself was a little thin, not enough meals really, his bones showed just enough to give a sharpness to his face. His clothes were simple jeans and a t-shirt that held no images on it. In fact as Honda took in everyone's dress style better he realized that not a single one wore anything really identifiable. If you didn't see their features clearly enough it meant you would have a harder time describing them to a cop. Much more so if you were say, a foreign visitor in a land where everyone had a sameness to the features.

It might even be difficult to just get someone who spoke English well enough for her to communicate with. Yet there was an undercurrent of danger as well, the dress style implied they 'knew' they were going after a foreign woman. Instead of just taking advantage of someone in emotional distress. Retreat looked like the better part of valor at this point soo..

"Come on Misty," Honda's English wasn't great, but between school and Misty's clumsy attempts at conversation during his hospital stay it was enough.

She looked up at him with those puffy, red eyes and her red nose, expressing grief and that she would come 'here'? But she shook her head in alarm as she recognized him and the danger he was putting himself in. "No, no its ok, just let them have their fun, they can't do anything anyways..." She rambled in English only passively realizing his current situation. Not only was his English not great, he was mostly deaf. Short of yelling at him or writing it down there was no way to get him to fully understand her.

"No, please, he can't hear very well, just let me talk to him and send him on his way," she pleaded to the leader.

"He's not just crippled he's deaf?" The guy with his back to Honda asked with a bark of a laugh.

"Hey, I remember him though, he was with that other punk..." A brief pause as the third punk searched his memories, "yeah he was caught in that blast at that toy store right? Seems right he's banged up like that, guy should be dead." The one behind Misty noted and shrugged. "Guy survives that, I ain't going to argue with him."

Honda probably needed to learn body language better given his hearing, he saw the guy behind Misty settle back, dropping the aggressive posture. His mouth was moving and apparently whatever he said was informative towards the other two. But they weren't backing down and he was pretty unsure of what to do next given his injury.

The leader pulled on Misty's elbow towards Honda with a sharp, "you tell your little wanna be hero that everythings fine and send him on his way."

Misty stumbled forward a step as she tried to understand what he meant, she had a rough outline of what he meant. But she couldn't say with confidence that she knew it off the cuff. As she walked forward she saw a couple with their teenage son walking across behind Honda. Her first instinct was a cry for help, the word was too long for her to say without possibly messing it up. It left her just praying that Honda would take a hint and go away.

But she made her way over to Honda, her hands shaking so much that she was pretty sure there was no way to just get him to leave.

"Hey Dad! Look! A gang!" the son called out, distracting everyone as he pointed down the street at the group.

"You can't call everyone a 'gang', Domino doesn't even 'have' a gang," the guys' mother chided.

It was the way the gang looked beyond Honda towards something behind the young man. Something that said to Honda that he should turn around and take a look. 'This city is turning into seafood, starfish in Kaiba Mansion and crabs on the street,' he thought as he chuckled. Just the sight of the clearly crab like hairstyle that guy was rocking. A small family of three stood there, they didn't look local, their apparel rather casual. So for whatever reason for the guy to not be in school, their presence added more witnesses to help Honda and Misty out.

"Well, is there a problem here?" The dad asked, his voice didn't carry power or force, almost like he was just asking to put on a front of strength for his family.

But it was enough as the guy who had brought up Honda's association to the Game Shop shook his head. "Nah pops, lady dropped her purse is all." He gestured at Misty's back to signify the purse she held clutched to her chest.

The other two gave a disgruntled sigh, the fun of the moment utterly ruined now.

The small family nodded, none the wiser about the possible danger of the area and with a brief wave they resumed their own walk. The crab haired guy glanced back at them one last time before he followed his parents as young as he looked he probably would be starting high school if not 'in' high school.

Honda and Misty turned and watched as the thugs slunk off deeper into the darker part of town and Honda would have been lying if he didn't take a sigh of relief. Yet at the same time he didn't feel afraid, there was a thrill of adrenaline surging through him that he hadn't experienced in a while. Whether from the blast burning out a few years worth, or because there just wasn't anything in his life that registered that feeling of danger since.

But that was something to think of for later, now he refocused his attention back on Misty and found her anxiously pulling out a handkerchief from her purse. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that Honda." She babbled almost none stop, using and dropping the use of suffixes as she stumbled through words. "I just didn't have the time to deal with them today..."

"Wait..." Honda blinked and grabbing her elbow he began tugging her towards the bench he sat at earlier. "Come on I need to sit down," he instructed for which she followed obediently, yet her words...

Honda settled to listen to her soft choked sounds and the more distance sound of shuffling steps while they left the shadows of the buildings and back into the sunlight of the better part of town. He was in luck that the bench was still empty, so with her in tow they walked over and sat down. The weight off his feet was appreciated as he settled down and watched her all but collapse onto the bench.

"Misty? Why did you say 'deal with them today'? Was... was that normal?" He asked gesturing back towards where the gang had been.

"Well..." she gave a half smile that didn't reach her eyes and now that he had time to actually 'look' at her? She seemed like she lost weight and his concern was growing all the more. "Normally I just stand there and take it, I don't really understand everything they say... And so long as I don't do anything, they eventually get bored and leave."

Honda sat there blinking in disbelief as he heard that, his mind unable to process the mere idea that she just stood there and took that treatment. Part of him, a large part in fact, hoped that it was due to their inability to converse in the same language. She glanced up and seeing his expression she looked back down at the ground again. There was a degree where a language barrier would eventually 'not' be a barrier and what they couldn't get her to understand. They would use physical force to 'encourage' her instead.

"But... why come here? What happened?" He asked groping to understand gesturing at her face and her eyes teared up again.

"I got a call at work... My husband was killed today..." And with that the tears she had barely held back before came pouring out again. "I take this way to get home faster... I just... I couldn't..."

Honda blinked and suddenly wished that he couldn't hear as well as he could before reaching out and giving her a hug. She broke down into heaving sobs as she buried her face into his chest and he sat there with his bad knee pressed against hers while she cried. Sitting there while she sobbed her eyes out, the rare random person who walked by giving concerned glances and then looked away quickly not wanting to be caught staring.

Death.

Even after barely avoiding it himself, it left Honda with a cold shudder as it was brought back to his attention. Violent death no less, and it brought his mind back to Yugi's Grandpa and mom, all the shock of the injury, the gratitude that he survived. Then the consuming shame at his elation at being alive while good people died at the same time. More over when Jounouchi told him there was some speculation that Yugi's Grandpa somehow saved him. Somehow that old man with his past life ties to Egypt had pulled off the save that spared Honda, but couldn't save himself or his daughter in law.

Somehow, even the dead could reach back into the land of the living and that sent chills down his spine as he thought about the amount of power required for 'that' to happen.