Disclaimer: NOT OWNING YU-GI-OH!!
Secrets of Yesterday
(P.S: I want to thank one of my friends for helping me get an idea for this chapter. Thanks Gohan!! You know I love you!)
Yami felt a cool liquid splash his lips and he opened his eyes with a start, seeing a young boy before him. Yami sat up and the boy backed away, dressed in the clothes of an Egyptian servant. The boy was trembling as he had his head bowed, and Yami saw a long scar along his arm.
"Boy," Yami said, "Where is this place?" He looked at the boy, who had long, silver-white, hair, in interest. Why would there be a ten year old youth here?
"Sire," the boy whispered, "You are being taken care of. I am not permitted to speak of where we are currently stationed. My master would beat me."
"Look at me child," Yami said kindly. The boy raised his head, revealing a handsome face and beautiful blue eyes, but they were sad eyes.
"Can you tell me your name?" The boy blinked in surprise and muttered something. "What did you say?"
"My name is Annubus," he replied shyly, "My master took me in when I was very young, and he treats me kindly."
"Yet this master of yours carved a scar into your skin? I do not think that that is kindness that is cruelty. Annubus, are my friends here as well?"
"Yes sire. I recently attended to the other man and your sister. May I ask you something? Why does the youth resemble you so much? Is he your vassal?"
Yami nodded his head and stood up, looking around the cell he was in. There was a small window that faced west, and through it the sunset was pouring through. He turned when he heard Annubus gasp in fear and the boy quickly rose to his feet.
"Where are you going?" asked Yami.
"My master calls me sire. I must go," Annubus replied with a bow, but Yami saw his eyes dart to the sunset outside. Odd, Yami thought as he watched the boy leave, Why does he fear the sunset, and why do his actions seem so familiar to me? I hope Yugi and Jade are alright. Yami sat down against the wall with a sigh, praying for the well being of the ones he cared for.
***
"Master Malik," said a man, "We have the Pharaoh and his sister, but why are we waiting? Shouldn't we begin the ceremony?" The man eyed his master, who was sitting calmly on his throne, and turned when a young boy walked in and sat at his master's feet. Malik reached down and picked the boy up, placing him in his lap. The boy paled, and whimpered in fear.
"Now, now Annubus," Malik said easily, "Why do you whimper? The moon will be out soon, so I will not beat you. You need your strength to be at its highest so that we may perform the ceremony tonight." He grabbed Annubus' arm and pulled him to his face. "What were you discussing with the Pharaoh in his chambers?"
"N-nothing! Please master let go!" Annubus cried as Malik tightened his grip on the boy, "We spoke of nothing!" Malik looked into Annubus' eyes and then pushed him to the ground, standing up as he did so.
"You were raised to be honest, so I do not doubt your words," Malik replied coldly, "Come with me Darius." The two older men departed and Annubus curled into a ball on the floor, crying as the first rays of the moon began to fill the room.
***
Yugi and Jade stood in the room that they were being held in, wondering how they were going to get out. Yugi was staring at the moon when, suddenly, there was a sound coming from the door. It swung open and admitted two figures dressed in black. They came forward, grabbing them by the arms, and Yugi started to struggle against them, but Jade gave him a quick look and he stopped. The guards pulled them out of the room and led them down the hall, past other chambers were moans of pain could be heard. Yugi looked at Jade, who looked back at him. He didn't like this. He wanted to find Yami and get the hell out of here, but there were too many guards. There was no way that he could take them all. Suddenly the guards holding Jade veered off down another hall and Yugi's guards continued down there path.
"Jade!" Yugi called, and struggled to get free, "Let me go damnit!"
"Yugi!" cried Jade, but the guards roughly hurried her down the corridor.
The guards cuffed Yugi to the side of the head, dazing him slightly, and ending his struggles of escape. After a few more minutes of walking, they came into a large hall where the world of Egypt came into the world. Yugi gaped at all the portraits of those before and the one of Yami and his sister. There was also a painting of himself and Yami, just sitting together and looking at the stars.
"I am glad that you enjoy the pictures," said a voice from the other side of the room, "Almost takes you back, doesn't it?"
"Who the hell are you?" demanded Yugi, and the person who spoke came forward, followed by a man and a child.
"I," said the man, "Am Malik, and I will rule the world fool." Malik strode forwards and gave Yugi a back hand to the face, breaking his lip as he did so. Yugi glared defiantly at Malik, his crimson eyes burning with the fire of hatred and revenge. Malik grinned and laughed aloud as he struck him again.
"Yes, I can see why the Pharaoh chose you," Malik said, an insane look in his eyes, "You have a fire in you. My little Annubus had that same fire, but it had easily dissipated after a few months under my care. Isn't that right my Annubus, my imp?" The young boy nodded his head and rubbed the scar on his arm, and he shuddered. Malik's smile widened to a toothy grin and he turned to the other man.
"Darius," Malik said, "Prepare Yugi for the ritual. I, myself will go get the Pharaoh. You might want to tie Annubus up; you know how he gets around the time of the full moon's three nights."
"Of course Master Malik," Darius bowed and watched Malik leave, and then he turned to Annubus, "Come Annubus." Annubus followed Darius to the other end of the hall and Darius placed shackles on his ankles and wrists. He gave the boy a reassuring pat on the head and turned to Yugi, who was looking at the boy as he began to shiver violently.
"What is the matter with him?" Yugi asked, "Why is the kid shaking like that?"
"Annubus," Darius said as he looked down at Yugi, "Is a special boy. He will change into the Jackal soon, and he will judge you all."
"What do you mean, 'he will change?'"
"My master struck Annubus with the Scythe of Annubus when he was still young. By doing this, Annubus transforms into Annubus, the Jackal God who guides the dead to Osiris, the God of the Dead, three times out of the month when the moon is full. He is dangerous at this time, so he is tied up."
Yugi looked back at the boy and fell back in shock. Jackal ears began to grow where his human ears were, and the boy fell over, his clothes ripping as his body transformed into a huge, muscular animal. Yugi shuddered as he heard the bones reform and the internal organs shift to suit his new form. Annubus' hands formed claws, and his jaw elongated to form the muzzle of a canine. His skin turned black, and his blue eyes faded into an angry red, and he howled when he shuddered into his final form. Annubus stood up on his legs, which where slightly bent, giving him the look of an animal on the hunt. He pulled at his chains, but they would not break.
"Come Yugi," Darius said, and pulled him up by his hair, "We must prepare you for the ceremony."
Annubus snarled in anger and howled at the moon.
***
Yami opened his eyes as he heard the vicious howl echo through the halls. The other prisoners had stopped their wailing when the sound resonated and they now remained silent, fearing for their lives. Yami sighed, and closed his eyes, thinking of a way to get out of here and find the others. Moonlight filtered into his room, signaling that it was late in the evening, and Yami was frustrated. He could sense that Yugi was fine, but he knew that he was in fear of something due to the unease in his gut. Yugi, Jade, he thought, I know that you two are alright. They want us alive, probably trying to open this Gate that we read about earlier. Yet, what does this Gate open to? And what do they intend to do, once it is opened? I do not like this feeling in my heart that bodes doom. Will I loose the ones I love?
The door opened and Yami opened his eyes. He looked coolly at the man standing before him, wearing a black robe with the symbol of the Millennium Eye upon the brow. Yami took in the man's appearance. Light blonde hair that spikes out and eyes of amethyst with a hint of blue. Two black marks were under his eyes, and the grin upon his face seemed a little psychotic. He was tall, a little taller than Yami, with a lean build that was muscular. Yami could tell that this man was no weakling, and in the man's hand was a rod, with the Millennium Eye upon it. Yami stood up and narrowed his eyes slightly at the man before him, remaining on his guard.
"Hello Yami," he said and strode into the room, "I hope you enjoyed your accommodations."
"I suppose," Yami replied coolly, "Honestly though, why have you taken me and my friends hostage?" The other man laughed and looked at the Pharaoh with his amethyst eyes.
"I might as well tell you, since you are to die when this is all over," he replied and leaned against the wall, "My name is Malik. All my life, my family had guarded you and your possession for more than five thousand years. I hated it, waiting for your arrival back to the living world. Why should you be Pharaoh when I was capable of the position myself? I know your secrets better than you know the back of your hand. I rebelled against my family, and came here when I found that a boy named Yugi Moto was in possession of the Millennium Puzzle."
"I asked why you captured us, not your life story," Yami replied coldly as he sat down.
"I am getting to that," Malik replied and continued on, "However, I found a way that will ensure my ascension to the throne. I discovered a way to open the Gates to the Gods. I will bring back the old Gods of Egypt to this realm, the Gods as they were before they were tamed by mankind!" Yami's head shot up and he looked at Malik, whose eyes glittered with malice.
"What do you mean?"
"Long before mankind caught hold of the Gods' reins and tamed them, they were wild, without mercy and love. They destroyed the people of the world if they were angered, or sometimes for just plain fun. However, the priests and priestesses of the world banded together, and encased the Gods in a different realm than ours. There was a great battle, and the king of the gods Ra, vowed that he whom releases them from their imprisonment, then he would be made Pharaoh of the world. Years passed, and the holy ones were able to control the gods, ease their anger and mistrust."
"So what does this have anything to do with the others and myself Malik?"
"It has everything to do with you Yami and your loved ones. In order for me to open the Gate, I must use the blood of the Royal family and of a peasant that made his way into the King's heart. That is what the scroll meant, the one that you saw this afternoon."
"But that scroll was torn! How could you…?"
"You think I was foolish enough to allow the reincarnation of your sister discover the true meaning of that scroll? Ha! You fool, who do you, think tore the scroll in the first place?" Yami glared angrily at Malik who laughed in his face, and then a howl shook the walls of the chamber.
"Ah," said Malik, pushing off from the wall, "I see my little imp Annubus has completely changed. He will spill your blood and open the Gate, but he will also protect me from the Gods. Then I will be made Pharaoh of the world, and all shall bow before me!"
Yami lunged at Malik, but he easily sidestepped him, bring his rod down upon Yami's head, rendering him unconscious.
"You fool," Malik laughed, and dragged Yami from the chamber.