Child at Heart
Chapter 7
That was a downright dare, and I didn't know whether the monsters were willing to face up to it. In fact, I think for the most part they were trying to protect us, Seto for the most part. Neither side was willing to relent, but I probably expected that we would lose. How are we mortals supposed to stand up to those guys?
The monsters weren't very willing to attack. They weren't willing to relent either. For a moment they pleaded and tried to reason with Seto.
" From henceforth," They warned. " You will not find what you seek so easily. Many perils lead between the chamber of the banned and this gate. Many more will come within the chamber."
Seto was never one to back down from hardships.
" I have enough of this talk." Seto answered defiantly. " Think you that I care what happens to me?"
" Do you not care what happens to the rest?" The Guardians inquired.
This question actually made Seto pause. For a moment he was still as stone. When he shifted a little, Pegasus laid a hand on Seto's shoulder. It was surprising, because it was a purely paternal act of affection. It also said what he wanted.
But Seto probably didn't listen. He turned to us.
" Perhaps you should go." He said quietly. Pegasus looked exasperated.
" We won't." Yami answered.
" This is my fight."
" This isn't just yours any longer."
Seto looked mildly surprised.
" Listen Seto." I began. " A long time ago you wanted our help. We never heard. It's true, what you said. We don't hear. But then afterwards you stopped calling and only then we heard, and it didn't seem to late. We had always questioned ourselves, why are we doing this? Why are we helping you?"
" Yeah, and the answer was always, for Mokuba. For the memory of Mokuba. Now don't cringe like that, Kaiba." Joey snapped. " Because you have to face it. If you don't speak his name, he ain't gonna be remembered. Don't act like a coward, since you ain't one. We always told ourselves, for Mokuba. And then pretty recently, we found out for ourselves it wasn't just Mokuba, not from the beginning, not now."
Seto stared at Joey, not comprehending. Behind him, Pegasus smiled a little.
" You're part of our group now." I told Seto. Perhaps that was what he had wanted to hear all along, for Seto's eyes suddenly melted. I went on, knowing I pulled the right strings. " You're part of our group now. Your fight is our fight. We're not abandoning you."
The monsters didn't fight us. We pasted through, and found ourselves surrounded by golden doors. Taking a chance Seto opened one and went in. We followed.
The door slammed shut right behind us. I yelled. Seto looked up and was silent. Pegasus rubbed his arm reassuringly.
" Um, can we have some light here?" Joey asked.
Seto responded mutely, obviously shakened. The dim light reflected off the walls of the chamber, casting eerie shadows.
" Where are we?" Bakura asked.
" Some Pharoah's tomb." Pegasus ran his fingers over an armrest of a golden throne. " Not Tut's, because Tutankhamon was found already. And his...coffin didn't look like that."
" Screw King Tut. I want out." Tristan turned. " Darn! The door's locked."
" Thanks for pointing that out." Seto snapped. He struck the door experimentally. The door didn't give under his rod.
" Hm." Bakura said thoughtfully. " Do you suppose this is a tomb in the real world? After all, Egyptians do practice this kind of magic. Perhaps they built a door to the Shadow Realm so the Pharaoh can pass through."
" This one's different. Pharoah's aren't supposed to go to the Shadow Realm. They've never been there, so they think that world is evil. The Pharaoh is supposed to go to the Field of Reeds." Pegasus answered. " This is the real world. I can feel it. But this isn't an ordinary pharaoh."
He looked over the cover of the coffin. For a moment he went pale, then he looked at the rest of us.
" You won't believe who's in there." He said.
" WHAT?!!"
I winced. Joey could be loud at times.
" Hm. This is a bundle of news no doubt. Not only are we locked in a chamber of an Egyptian King, we're locked in the tomb of Yami. Isn't life absolutely joyful." Pegasus rubbed his chin. " On the bright side, his tomb was never raided."
" Your jokes use to be funny." Seto snapped. " Lame but funny. This time it's truly lame."
Pegasus smirked. " In any case, no doubt our friend Yugioh is capable of getting us out, since this is his tomb."
Yami was silent. There was a defeated expression on his face.
" Guys, have a little compassion, would you?" Tea scolded. " Would you like to see your own body in a coffin, while you still have a conscious?"
" Would freak me out, swell." Joey shrugged. " Sorry Yami."
Pegasus nodded.
" You should be the one who's sorry." Tea glared.
" Why?" Seto asked. " He's a crazy man."
Pegasus choked and began chuckling.
" True, we're all truly insane. But that's not the point here." Pegasus shrugged.
" Geez, you two, what happened?" Tristan grumbled. " Now how do we get out?"
Seto blinked. " Max, do you suppose there's any card that can make us go through walls?"
" Don't you? You're the Duelist Champion."
" I know." Seto muttered. " But I'm not the one that started the game, and quite frankly I can't remember a single card except for that Toon World."
It seemed to be an ugly memory for Pegasus, because he noticeably grimaced.
" Sorry." Seto muttered.
" No, it's alright. Actually, there's none that I can think of at this moment."
" Well, if we can't think of any, how the heck are we suppose to get out?" Joey asked.
" Simple. We ravage the room." Seto said pleasantly. " After all, Yami's got to be buried with something sharp."
" Ugh! You are so unsympathetic!" Tea suddenly scolded. We all turned to realize Yami seemed despondent and pale.
A moment of silence.
" Sure," Joey began, " Sorry Yami. I think all of us lost our heads back there."
" Well, if we don't search through these things, then how are we going to get out?" Pegasus asked logically. " I don't intend on staying here with musty spores growing all over the place, quite frankly."
" But Pharaoh's are supposed to have their stuff untouched." Bakura pointed out.
" Wake up, Bakura." Seto snapped. " Do you see Yami in the field of reeds? But I suppose you're right. Since all the treasures are untouched, we'll do our best to leave it that way."
" Then what?" Tristan asked. " It's not like we can just hang around here and enjoy this place."
" I'm getting to that." Seto snapped, exasperated. " I'll try some kind of explosion spell on that door. Hopefully we'll be out."
" Then what happens to us? Will we get exploded as well?"
" Depends. If you make me angry, yes."
" Good grief!" Tristan through up his hands, and then backed away.
Whatever it was, it didn't really work. It didn't seem like an explosion-didn't seem like nothing either. The door bulged like a balloon, then snapped back with a thwap.
" What the heck was that?" Pegasus asked.
" I don't know." Seto seemed confused. " That never happened before. Not that I tried it much really."
" Of course." Pegasus nodded, understanding. He seems to understand so much now. " Why don't you use your dark magic instead?"
" Black magic." Seto corrected. " But you know how that is. It always goes wrong, somehow, unless I'm really that evil."
I blinked. What was that supposed to mean?
" No, you're not." Pegasus said slowly. " But apparently your other magic isn't going to work." Pegasus thought for a while.
Seto slammed his rod against the door and sighed.
" Knew it. Shouldn't have agreed in the first place." He muttered.
" We wouldn't have left even if you pointed that bloody sword at us, Seto." Pegasus answered. We decided Seto was thinking about arguing.
" Really." Seto muttered. A silence.
" Perhaps the millennium items would help." Malik suggested. " I don't know how, but perhaps."
" That's it." Seto looked up. " The Millennium items. Why don't you focus all your energy upon the door? That way we'll blast our way out for all I care, as long as we just get out of here. I never did like...corpses."
I shrugged. We all closed our eyes, the five of us, with Pegasus watching.
I can't really remember what happened. Somehow we got out. Maybe because it worked, or maybe because of some other reason. The memory seemed to be erased, gone forever, without a trace. All I know is that we were back in that dark alley, with the golden doors all about us.
Seto perked up, blinking. He listened closely. We fell silent.
There were drippings. Drip drip drip, sounds of water falling on puddles. A mystical hiss, that echoed off the walls. The Shadow Realm is a realm of terror.
I shivered and caught Yami's hand. Briefly I wondered how Mokuba could survive in this place. Then I remembered; Mokuba couldn't, but what choice does he have?
There was a question that Seto had asked from then on. What do you live for? Perhaps it was the question he kept on asking himself. Because before that fateful day Seto thought he knew of his destiny and of the reason he was alive. It was simple, really, simple to understand, but very hard to see. He thought he lived for Mokuba. It was so easy. Mokuba, for the sake of Mokuba's happiness, for the sake of his success. Seto never really wondered what Mokuba lived for. Perhaps something he will never see.
I will never forget that fateful day. Because it wasn't a coincidence that we found Yami's tomb. It wasn't a coincidence that his mummy was left unraided until we entered through that horrid door. It wasn't a coincidence. I remember the battle. Seto had rushed, with the speed of the wind, up to a door different from all the rest, and thrusted it open. Inside were the spirits of the banned, grinning maliciously.
" We thought you would come." Said Yami Bakura. " It's about time."
Afterwards all I can describe was blood. Blood, with Pegasus trying to save him as Seto lashed wildly with his rod at the sneering spirits that fought against him, all powerful, all mighty, laughing at the weak boy that Seto was. Mokuba, being consumed with whiteness, mummified, all the while calling quietly for his brother to save him. Seto, weeping, pushing past all the spirits, shooting lights. Gaea, on his fierce horse, trying to stop him. Bakura, shrinking back. We ran. The door closed behind, never to open again. The seven millennium items fell out of the jots in the golden metal. Seto, springing out of Pegasus's embrace, and hitting the door, sobbing, wailing. But everything was muted. Everything was silent. I did not hear his voice. Only my heart, racing. I looked through the slots and saw Mokuba, slowly disintegrating into nothingness. He had his arms folded, he was wrapped in white gauzes, like a dead pharaoh. The Shadow Realm flashed and roared with fury. Gaea picked up Seto and set him on his horse and we all rushed out as the chamber of the banned exploded into many pieces. It was what the evil spirits had planned all along-that Seto would come by and force his own brother into the black void of spiritual sacrifices. The spirits would then be set free. But the spirits were destroyed as well, destroyed, destroyed. Seto had leaped from Gaea's arms and rushed back, in a vain hope to join his brother. He had rushed through the door, grabbed Mokuba's retreating form, and unwrapped him. Mokuba gasped.
" Big Brother?"
Seto didn't answer, instead, grabbing the little hand as the Shadow Realm decreased into nothingness, ran as fast as he could with Mokuba trailing behind him...
There was a call. We all heard it. It was calling, pleading. Seto blinked, rushed to the voice. He had grabbed hand of a pleading spirit, a spirit, someone. He didn't look to see who it was. Running, Pegasus caught Mokuba and Yami muttered a spell. There was an explosion. A cry from Mokuba, and briefly we saw his pale and transparent form falling into the void. The world flashed. We were...
Home?
But when Seto looked at whoever he had rescued, it wasn't Mokuba. Mokuba was gone. Mokuba's soul had died. Instead that spirit was...
Cecilia Pegasus.
Chapter 7
That was a downright dare, and I didn't know whether the monsters were willing to face up to it. In fact, I think for the most part they were trying to protect us, Seto for the most part. Neither side was willing to relent, but I probably expected that we would lose. How are we mortals supposed to stand up to those guys?
The monsters weren't very willing to attack. They weren't willing to relent either. For a moment they pleaded and tried to reason with Seto.
" From henceforth," They warned. " You will not find what you seek so easily. Many perils lead between the chamber of the banned and this gate. Many more will come within the chamber."
Seto was never one to back down from hardships.
" I have enough of this talk." Seto answered defiantly. " Think you that I care what happens to me?"
" Do you not care what happens to the rest?" The Guardians inquired.
This question actually made Seto pause. For a moment he was still as stone. When he shifted a little, Pegasus laid a hand on Seto's shoulder. It was surprising, because it was a purely paternal act of affection. It also said what he wanted.
But Seto probably didn't listen. He turned to us.
" Perhaps you should go." He said quietly. Pegasus looked exasperated.
" We won't." Yami answered.
" This is my fight."
" This isn't just yours any longer."
Seto looked mildly surprised.
" Listen Seto." I began. " A long time ago you wanted our help. We never heard. It's true, what you said. We don't hear. But then afterwards you stopped calling and only then we heard, and it didn't seem to late. We had always questioned ourselves, why are we doing this? Why are we helping you?"
" Yeah, and the answer was always, for Mokuba. For the memory of Mokuba. Now don't cringe like that, Kaiba." Joey snapped. " Because you have to face it. If you don't speak his name, he ain't gonna be remembered. Don't act like a coward, since you ain't one. We always told ourselves, for Mokuba. And then pretty recently, we found out for ourselves it wasn't just Mokuba, not from the beginning, not now."
Seto stared at Joey, not comprehending. Behind him, Pegasus smiled a little.
" You're part of our group now." I told Seto. Perhaps that was what he had wanted to hear all along, for Seto's eyes suddenly melted. I went on, knowing I pulled the right strings. " You're part of our group now. Your fight is our fight. We're not abandoning you."
The monsters didn't fight us. We pasted through, and found ourselves surrounded by golden doors. Taking a chance Seto opened one and went in. We followed.
The door slammed shut right behind us. I yelled. Seto looked up and was silent. Pegasus rubbed his arm reassuringly.
" Um, can we have some light here?" Joey asked.
Seto responded mutely, obviously shakened. The dim light reflected off the walls of the chamber, casting eerie shadows.
" Where are we?" Bakura asked.
" Some Pharoah's tomb." Pegasus ran his fingers over an armrest of a golden throne. " Not Tut's, because Tutankhamon was found already. And his...coffin didn't look like that."
" Screw King Tut. I want out." Tristan turned. " Darn! The door's locked."
" Thanks for pointing that out." Seto snapped. He struck the door experimentally. The door didn't give under his rod.
" Hm." Bakura said thoughtfully. " Do you suppose this is a tomb in the real world? After all, Egyptians do practice this kind of magic. Perhaps they built a door to the Shadow Realm so the Pharaoh can pass through."
" This one's different. Pharoah's aren't supposed to go to the Shadow Realm. They've never been there, so they think that world is evil. The Pharaoh is supposed to go to the Field of Reeds." Pegasus answered. " This is the real world. I can feel it. But this isn't an ordinary pharaoh."
He looked over the cover of the coffin. For a moment he went pale, then he looked at the rest of us.
" You won't believe who's in there." He said.
" WHAT?!!"
I winced. Joey could be loud at times.
" Hm. This is a bundle of news no doubt. Not only are we locked in a chamber of an Egyptian King, we're locked in the tomb of Yami. Isn't life absolutely joyful." Pegasus rubbed his chin. " On the bright side, his tomb was never raided."
" Your jokes use to be funny." Seto snapped. " Lame but funny. This time it's truly lame."
Pegasus smirked. " In any case, no doubt our friend Yugioh is capable of getting us out, since this is his tomb."
Yami was silent. There was a defeated expression on his face.
" Guys, have a little compassion, would you?" Tea scolded. " Would you like to see your own body in a coffin, while you still have a conscious?"
" Would freak me out, swell." Joey shrugged. " Sorry Yami."
Pegasus nodded.
" You should be the one who's sorry." Tea glared.
" Why?" Seto asked. " He's a crazy man."
Pegasus choked and began chuckling.
" True, we're all truly insane. But that's not the point here." Pegasus shrugged.
" Geez, you two, what happened?" Tristan grumbled. " Now how do we get out?"
Seto blinked. " Max, do you suppose there's any card that can make us go through walls?"
" Don't you? You're the Duelist Champion."
" I know." Seto muttered. " But I'm not the one that started the game, and quite frankly I can't remember a single card except for that Toon World."
It seemed to be an ugly memory for Pegasus, because he noticeably grimaced.
" Sorry." Seto muttered.
" No, it's alright. Actually, there's none that I can think of at this moment."
" Well, if we can't think of any, how the heck are we suppose to get out?" Joey asked.
" Simple. We ravage the room." Seto said pleasantly. " After all, Yami's got to be buried with something sharp."
" Ugh! You are so unsympathetic!" Tea suddenly scolded. We all turned to realize Yami seemed despondent and pale.
A moment of silence.
" Sure," Joey began, " Sorry Yami. I think all of us lost our heads back there."
" Well, if we don't search through these things, then how are we going to get out?" Pegasus asked logically. " I don't intend on staying here with musty spores growing all over the place, quite frankly."
" But Pharaoh's are supposed to have their stuff untouched." Bakura pointed out.
" Wake up, Bakura." Seto snapped. " Do you see Yami in the field of reeds? But I suppose you're right. Since all the treasures are untouched, we'll do our best to leave it that way."
" Then what?" Tristan asked. " It's not like we can just hang around here and enjoy this place."
" I'm getting to that." Seto snapped, exasperated. " I'll try some kind of explosion spell on that door. Hopefully we'll be out."
" Then what happens to us? Will we get exploded as well?"
" Depends. If you make me angry, yes."
" Good grief!" Tristan through up his hands, and then backed away.
Whatever it was, it didn't really work. It didn't seem like an explosion-didn't seem like nothing either. The door bulged like a balloon, then snapped back with a thwap.
" What the heck was that?" Pegasus asked.
" I don't know." Seto seemed confused. " That never happened before. Not that I tried it much really."
" Of course." Pegasus nodded, understanding. He seems to understand so much now. " Why don't you use your dark magic instead?"
" Black magic." Seto corrected. " But you know how that is. It always goes wrong, somehow, unless I'm really that evil."
I blinked. What was that supposed to mean?
" No, you're not." Pegasus said slowly. " But apparently your other magic isn't going to work." Pegasus thought for a while.
Seto slammed his rod against the door and sighed.
" Knew it. Shouldn't have agreed in the first place." He muttered.
" We wouldn't have left even if you pointed that bloody sword at us, Seto." Pegasus answered. We decided Seto was thinking about arguing.
" Really." Seto muttered. A silence.
" Perhaps the millennium items would help." Malik suggested. " I don't know how, but perhaps."
" That's it." Seto looked up. " The Millennium items. Why don't you focus all your energy upon the door? That way we'll blast our way out for all I care, as long as we just get out of here. I never did like...corpses."
I shrugged. We all closed our eyes, the five of us, with Pegasus watching.
I can't really remember what happened. Somehow we got out. Maybe because it worked, or maybe because of some other reason. The memory seemed to be erased, gone forever, without a trace. All I know is that we were back in that dark alley, with the golden doors all about us.
Seto perked up, blinking. He listened closely. We fell silent.
There were drippings. Drip drip drip, sounds of water falling on puddles. A mystical hiss, that echoed off the walls. The Shadow Realm is a realm of terror.
I shivered and caught Yami's hand. Briefly I wondered how Mokuba could survive in this place. Then I remembered; Mokuba couldn't, but what choice does he have?
There was a question that Seto had asked from then on. What do you live for? Perhaps it was the question he kept on asking himself. Because before that fateful day Seto thought he knew of his destiny and of the reason he was alive. It was simple, really, simple to understand, but very hard to see. He thought he lived for Mokuba. It was so easy. Mokuba, for the sake of Mokuba's happiness, for the sake of his success. Seto never really wondered what Mokuba lived for. Perhaps something he will never see.
I will never forget that fateful day. Because it wasn't a coincidence that we found Yami's tomb. It wasn't a coincidence that his mummy was left unraided until we entered through that horrid door. It wasn't a coincidence. I remember the battle. Seto had rushed, with the speed of the wind, up to a door different from all the rest, and thrusted it open. Inside were the spirits of the banned, grinning maliciously.
" We thought you would come." Said Yami Bakura. " It's about time."
Afterwards all I can describe was blood. Blood, with Pegasus trying to save him as Seto lashed wildly with his rod at the sneering spirits that fought against him, all powerful, all mighty, laughing at the weak boy that Seto was. Mokuba, being consumed with whiteness, mummified, all the while calling quietly for his brother to save him. Seto, weeping, pushing past all the spirits, shooting lights. Gaea, on his fierce horse, trying to stop him. Bakura, shrinking back. We ran. The door closed behind, never to open again. The seven millennium items fell out of the jots in the golden metal. Seto, springing out of Pegasus's embrace, and hitting the door, sobbing, wailing. But everything was muted. Everything was silent. I did not hear his voice. Only my heart, racing. I looked through the slots and saw Mokuba, slowly disintegrating into nothingness. He had his arms folded, he was wrapped in white gauzes, like a dead pharaoh. The Shadow Realm flashed and roared with fury. Gaea picked up Seto and set him on his horse and we all rushed out as the chamber of the banned exploded into many pieces. It was what the evil spirits had planned all along-that Seto would come by and force his own brother into the black void of spiritual sacrifices. The spirits would then be set free. But the spirits were destroyed as well, destroyed, destroyed. Seto had leaped from Gaea's arms and rushed back, in a vain hope to join his brother. He had rushed through the door, grabbed Mokuba's retreating form, and unwrapped him. Mokuba gasped.
" Big Brother?"
Seto didn't answer, instead, grabbing the little hand as the Shadow Realm decreased into nothingness, ran as fast as he could with Mokuba trailing behind him...
There was a call. We all heard it. It was calling, pleading. Seto blinked, rushed to the voice. He had grabbed hand of a pleading spirit, a spirit, someone. He didn't look to see who it was. Running, Pegasus caught Mokuba and Yami muttered a spell. There was an explosion. A cry from Mokuba, and briefly we saw his pale and transparent form falling into the void. The world flashed. We were...
Home?
But when Seto looked at whoever he had rescued, it wasn't Mokuba. Mokuba was gone. Mokuba's soul had died. Instead that spirit was...
Cecilia Pegasus.