Sands of Time and Shadows of Old

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh is NOT mine but my name, the love of muffins, certain fads, the title of Queen of Randomness and ummm the Egyptian names for Seto and Yami ARE mine, you are welcome to use Sette and Nahkat just credit me ^.^ Ta. No suing me I own nothing of interest and on top of that if I get sued then I won't be able to type any more…. ^.^;;;;;;

@.@;;; The last chappie was heavy no? Man! It took a long while and I didn't finish it until I was on holiday but I thought it was a good chapter and that chapter and this one are dedicated to SM and the chats we have, they inspired a lot of the happenings etc ^.~ So this is for you SM, enjoy!

Who was that in the room with Seto? How is Yami after losing his past identity? Is he the same? Is he changed? What does he know? What will happen? Will Yugi ever be saved? Man all the questions and the chapters that will be coming! @.@ Oh boy… guess I better get typin' no?

Yugi: . WILL YOU SAVE ME ALREADY? I PROBABLY HAVE A WHOLE ROOM FULL OF TEDDY WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS!! .

Y. Bakura: Blah blah blaaaaah ~.~;;;

Yami: @.@;;;;;; Ohhhhhhhhhh boy! Do I really want my Aibou back?

Yugi: (Sniffle) WAAAAA YYAAAMMMIIIIII!!

Seto: ~.~ He is a whiner no?

Yami: (Nod)

YYC: . LET'S GO MOVE, MOVE, MMMOOOVVVEEEE!! (Pushes them about)

All: ~.~ You are all drive aren't you?

YYC: .

ON TO DAT FIC-AY!!

Seto slept peacefully his body was totally still and silent he looked very pale he was very ill looking, as he slept a pair of amber eyes looked over him the person moved forward their clothes shifting as they approached the sickly teen, Seto was totally unaware of anything around him. The person settle over him their shadow was cast over his face the person bent over and brushed a small hand down Seto's cheek "You are very lost. I will guide you" there was a small smile then the small figure stretched a pair of bleeding angel wings.

Hazy glacier blue eyes opened and stared at the figure, slowly his mind registered that a small girl stood before him, hands rose and rubbed his eyes he then narrowed his eyes at the girl that stood before him icy blue met fiery amber with confusion "Who…. Or… what are you?" Seto asked in a throaty, croaky voice.

"I am Lahgaz. I am a demon. I will take you in to a world of happiness" Lahgaz smiled a childish and happy smile, like an innocent sweet 8 year old but her eyes were anything but innocent, her smiled changed to a dark smirk she then placed a hand on Seto's feverish sweat soaked forehead.

Seto yelped softly at the feeling of Lahgaz's hands, they felt like ice, the feeling burned Seto shivered wildly as Lahgaz leaned over and faded with Seto in a flash of bright blue light and a few reddish tinted white feathers. Seto looked around himself wildly as they appeared in a room of crystal, pinkish rose coloured quartz crystal. It sparkled all around Seto, he was sitting in the middle on what appeared to be like a bridge, he looked in front of himself and found a massive pool of rose coloured water then his eyes narrowed as he saw Lahgaz sitting in the middle of the water pool she was looking at the pink-ish waterfall. Everything around them was like a hazy crystal dream but the feeling in the air gave Seto the impression that this was a nightmare and one that he would not escape alone. "Where have you taken me?" Seto demanded as he stood up and looked at the vast, rounded throne room.

"Tee hee. Silly mortal boy. We are in MY realm. The castle of Quartz. I preferred rose quartz to Smokey but Smokey is dark like me. Yet rose is just as pretty as me!" Lahgaz smiled a sweet smile, her long blonde hair spilling around her face making her look perfect and angelic with the two angel wings flexed behind her. "You won't escape this realm… not without some help. Tee hee."

Seto rose a single eyebrow then snorted at the girl "Forgive me if I do not find the cutesy princess to be appealing. In fact you're giving me a headache, if you intended to kill me do it now before all this pink starts to rot my mind." His blue eyes narrowed and glared at Lahgaz who was now draped over her throne looking bored she was twirling her long blonde hair around her finger and looking at her nails.

"Oh…. I'm sorry were you done with your tragic "Kill me" nonsense? You're too useful alive." There was a sinister sing-song tone to her voice and her amber eyes glowed with an amused sneer. She then hopped off her throne and walked over the water and on to the bridge, she then padded slowly over to him, Lahgaz bent down and gripped Seto's cheeks with one hand and pulled him forward "You are bait for the Pharaoh. I don't care if you feel for him. You will be his demise!" Lahgaz then lifted Seto in to the air and threw him up, suddenly a cage made of gold and encrusted with gems formed and trapped Seto within it, Lahgaz giggled "Well, well you look like a little pet now. Tee hee!"

Seto growled and glared down at Lahgaz with furious icy eyes he sat on the cold base of the cage and closed his eyes, his mind was spinning wildly he still hadn't managed to figure himself out yet, he leaned against the bars of the cage and sat motionless he just ignored his surroundings and his demonic host.

Back in the town there was nothing but the wind to greet Yami's senses as he awoke on the stone floor of the house he'd entered he had no idea why he was there or who had taken him, he couldn't remember anything since the shadows turned him in to Nahkat, he felt deep in his heart that he had lost something dear to him. He felt like a part of him had died and yet he didn't even know that side of him, the side that felt so familiar and yet was very alien, Yami sat up a groan escaped his lips as he rose to a kneel and looked around. Suddenly his thoughts were filled with Seto and the lack of his presence in the town, in fact Yami could not even sense him in the realm of earth, he looked to the stairs and climbed up them he entered the room Seto had been in. Yami sat on the bed, it smelt of Seto, he sighed deeply he missed Seto so badly he wanted the beautiful blue eyed teen back yet he had no idea where the one he loved was. Yami drew a pillow close to his chest and closed his eyes, searching for Seto, he looked for Seto's essence his sennen eye glowing and responding to his thoughts. Slowly images began to form firstly of bars golden bars. Then everything was glowing with a rose-y haze there was the sound of water trickling from a waterfall and the image of rose quartz Yami frowned as then the image of a girl with an innocent but dark face her eyes, eyes like a cat or some kind of feral predator, seemed to glow like burning embers. Then the vision of Seto trapped in a cage of gold and jewels like some pet, or prey, Yami felt such rage at seeing a demon toying with a mortal especially Seto he would make that demon pay with her life. The Millennium Puzzle glowed brightly as it began to open Yami a gate to the realm that Seto was trapped in before Yami a mirror formed it was ornately engraved with twisting demon images, made of pewter, it glowed with a vibrant baby blue light. Yami reached out and brushed the surface gently with his finger tips the surface rippled like liquid metal each ripple reflected a wavering Yami then the shockwave effect died down and the surface was still once more. Yami took a deep breath he knew within that this was yet another battle with a demon and this one had a very strong advantage, she had Seto, Yami entered the mirror he was ready but still very worried for Seto.

Yami appeared at the edge of a forest, a forest made of crystals, the trees were made of emerald leaves with tree trunks made of Tigers Eye. There were beautiful flowers made of Rubies and Amethysts with beautiful amber middles the grass beneath him was made of a brilliant jade and the silver moon above set all the gems in to a brilliant twinkling all around him. Yami walked through the small patch of beauty and out in to a massive field of sapphire fox gloves a breeze of perfumed wind blew over him, ruffling his hair and filling his senses with Seto once more, he wanted Seto with him to see this, there was a great castle not far from the field it was made of rose quartz and it shimmered with a brilliant rose-y silver sheen. Yami walked towards the mass of crystal his crimson eyes narrowed as he approached the next demon.

"Hee hee heee. That foolish Pharaoh, he thinks he can beat me!" Lahgaz was sitting holding a ball of light it showed Yami heading towards her castle with a furious determination in his eyes. Lahgaz giggled and shatter the orb with a single look "That fool. I am the most powerful magical wielder of the 7 demons. I will crush him like this crystal." She looked at the shattered fragments then she turned and looked at Seto with a dark sneer "But not before I turn you in to a demon. Won't that be lovely for him? To see… well it's not my place to continue that. Anyway won't it be fun? Turning you in to a wild demon? Tee hee!" Lahgaz turned to the waterfall after hopping off her throne she then waved her hand and parted the waters revealing a secret hallway. She passed down it leaving Seto alone.

Seto closed his eyes tightly and whispered "What…. Did that freak mean? …. Grrr. It doesn't matter!" Seto snorted and opened his eyes, he looked at his hands then sighed he didn't want Yami to help him, he wanted to help himself out of this predicament but the only thing he really knew was that this cage didn't even have a door because it was magic and had formed around him. [Wait…. That's it… this is all magic.] Seto took his deck from his pocket and flicked through the cards until he found what he was looking for, dispel the card which banished magic's. He looked down at the picture of the key unlocking the lock and the words that were printed on the card then he took from the pocket of his pants a pen. The only rune he knew was Is, the rune of primal ice, but this would be enough he drew the italic I symbol down over the back of the card then he rose it. The golden bars began to waver then suddenly in a burst of golden specks of light the cage disappeared and Seto fell on to the bridge below. He shook his head and looked around as he picked himself up the only way that he could go was to follow the demoness.

Yami, meanwhile, had managed to breach the castle and was silently walking through the dim but still glittering castle he snuck through the richly adorned hallways brushing past extravagant silken curtains of deep purple, midnight blue and black. He walked through elaborate dinning halls and rooms furnished in gold and gemstones, Yami walked silently he followed Seto's essence, the castle became more and more like a giant ice/crystal cove or cavern. He then stood before a vast door on the front there was a lions head with two eye sockets, they looked like holes which could hold gems Yami looked around for two stones of that shape and after fighting a few potent demons of myth, a cockatrice and a minotaur, he came across the two ruby eyes. They slotted in perfectly they glowed with a sickly blood-like glow then suddenly before Yami's eyes the head came to life and glared down on him "Pharaoh. Wish you to enter these chambers? Then you must answer my riddles. I am a sphinx head. If you lose my game then I shall trap you in a most horrid fate are you ready?"

Yami stared at the wise beast of legend, he could feel the sheer ancient knowledge, his crimson eyes held no fear and he nodded "Yes I accept your challenge. I shall answer your riddles." Yami was good at games it was time to find out if he was good at riddles too.

"Very well. I shall give you three. I am in a somewhat playful mood so the first one will be easy but will it be as simple as it sounds?" The Sphinx grinned toothily, marble canines glinting "The red one licks the black ones bottom. Have you any idea Pharaoh?" The Sphinx sneered, confident of his victory.

"…. The red one licks the black ones bottom…." Yami pondered it "Well…… they call flames tongues and they say that fire licks so… could it be a fire and a pot or kettle?" Yami looked at the Sphinx.

"….Grr. Lucky guess. Very well you are correct. The next one shall not be easy." The Sphinx cleared his throat "They are the innocent. Yet hold malice in their hearts. They are man-kinds future yet also their destruction. What are "they?". Can you solve this one Pharaoh?" The Sphinx smirked darkly; sure that Yami would never see through this one.

Yami frowned, this one was a lot tougher "…. Innocent? Yet hold Malice? The Future of Man-Kind but also their destruction? … Well they say that children are the innocent ones but with devils within and that it's the children that are the future but also they are capable of destruction. So is it Children?" Yami looked at the Sphinx and noticed the rage in the wise eyes.

"….Humpht….. Fine you may have done 2 correctly but this one will be nowhere near easy! Once you get his one wrong I will turn you in to a jackal but not just any old beast I'll turn you in to a conundrum beast, you'll be a puzzle and you'll fall to pieces and then you'll have to put yourself back together only to fall apart again." The Sphinx smirked a feral smirk "What looks like mountains when up close, opens the way that was once locked. What is the treasure that is made not of gold or of such finery but is a door to treasure?" the Sphinx smirked "Well? What is it that I speak of?"

Yami looked at the head then around himself "Mountains up close? Opens a way once locked? Treasure that is not valuable in appearance but is a door to treasure?.................. A key?" Yami blinked as he saw the dark scowl on the Sphinx's face "A key, yes?"

"….How dare you?! None have solved my riddles…… grrrr. Fine I am inclined to grant you passage to the throne room." The Sphinx then opened the huge double doors they opened with a loud squeaking creak. Yami passed through them in to the haze of pink-ish crystal, the calming sounds of water trickling filled his ears and the scent of some sweet musk was heavy on his nostrils.

Yami walked over the bridge of rose Quartz. He looked up and saw that there was a chain above that could have suspended a cage of some kind. The thick metal chain was swinging slightly –someone had just exited- and Yami didn't need to guess who "Seto?" he called out as he walked slowly. His eyes darted around and looked for someone –anyone- but the room was silent and there did not appear to be any other way to go. Yami sat in front of the rushing waterfall and looked at it he sighed softly […. I should have paid more attention to him…. At this rate I'll lose Yugi and Seto…..]

"……" Seto looked around the crystalline cove behind the water fall with a disgusted glare, the place smelt of rotten water, that damp earthy smell, the crystals were coated in slimy thick green moss-like goo and the darkness was starting to hurt his head. He trudged through the long corridor until finally he noticed light ahead of him, fire light, the brightness made him squint as he walked closer. Seto stepped out in to a room of pure gold, the only thing that was not gold was a stone table in the centre the table was made of onyx, Seto looked up then around himself the room was huge and it glittered so brilliantly. He felt like he stood before a great radiant presence but something seemed wrong his ears tingled then his eyes widened as the gold began to melt and turn to blood and bone before him blood oozed around his feet and the walls that had been engraved with wondrous golden images suddenly became statues of bone and flesh they looked real, their demonic grinning faces looked animated, so cold and cruel, Seto twirled around as the door suddenly became blocked up by bone and blood.

"Tee hee heeeee you fell for it. I wondered how you would escape the cage, but I knew you would. Tee hee" Lahgaz appeared beside Seto she was giggling and looking at him with bright smiling amber eyes, she flicked some long blonde bangs from her eyes.

Seto turned and glared at her "What the hell?" suddenly realisation struck him like a lightning bolt –that demon had know all along and had been planning his escape she obviously had plans for him– he backed up from her there was something about that cat like look that he didn't like and did not want to stay near.

Lahgaz followed like a prowling beast she was giggling still "Yep you will be the undoing of the Pharaoh! You will break him!" she skipped up to him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

Seto effortlessly flicked her off him and glared at her "I think not. I would never aid you filthy beasts!" Seto closed his eyes […. I… don't know what to do….] One of his hands was digging in his pocket –the powerful engine of destruction – that was what he needed now. He slowly slid his fingers over the deck he prayed that the card he was to pull from his deck was indeed the Blue Eyes White Dragon he needed that card it was the only thing that he was sure could repel her. Seto felt the smooth laminate surface of the card, he began to draw it from his pocket [….For once I am relying on faith….. On the…. "Heart" of the cards… if I fail here then... I'll loose Mokuba…. And…. Him… I cannot afford to lose everything rides on this card being the right one...] Seto silently prayed within he revealed no worry only an emotionless glare at Lahgaz –who smiled sweetly as though she knew what he was up to– Seto then pulled out the card and looked at it the figure of the Blue Eyes White Dragon glittered on the smooth, flawless card. He closed his eyes and hoped that even without any kind of rune or sacrifice the dragon would appear before him, as though it heard his prayer the huge dragon leapt from the card and curled around Seto, it's wings half flexed like sickle blades and it's eyes flashed wildly like blue gas flames, burning bright the dragon let out a piercing cry that shook the earth beneath Seto and Lahgaz.

"Humph….. You think that thing is enough? To save you from a fate that was placed upon that dying corpse way back then? Feh what a joke the Blue Eyes might be powerful but it is no match for Gods of Darkness and Chaos such as Seth. Your fate was long ago placed by him, he chose you to become demonic." Lahgaz smirked darkly "And that is what you shall be!"

Seto glared back with an equally dark and venomous glare his blue eyes were narrowed in rage, him become demonic? The idea would have made him laugh had he not already seen such great evils and queer magic's Seto was well aware that she could do her threat. Seto felt a slight twinge of fear run down his back like a sudden chill but he held his rage-filled glare "…I don't care what you beasts have done or prophesised from the past. You won't use me in your twisted schemes." Seto then looked at the snarling dragon, he felt the Blue Eyes wrap its tail around his waist and pull him back so that the dragon was curled securely around Seto, protecting him.

Lahgaz just rose a single eyebrow she was obviously amused by the fight and the defiance of the tall teen but also –like a child– she began to tire as the novelty wore off. She stepped forward, ignoring the warning snarls of the Blue Eyes, she was so close that she could feel the warm breath of the white dragon and hear it's every inhalation. "Now, now. You might have a lot of fight in you and it might be amusing to watch you try and deny the Gods and fate what they have long since planned but I'm afraid that you cannot." Lahgaz then rose her hand and effortlessly banished the dragon, killing it with three black swords of darkness. The dragon howled at the piercing burning agony and fell forward with a cry, its metallic platting cracked under the sheer force of the swords. It fell limply, wings drooping and tail sagging to the floor the proud dragon then burnt up with the swords in a mass of black fire.

Seto snarled "My Blue Eyes!" his glare turned instantly on Lahgaz who bowed and giggled "….You fiend… how dare you do that to my dragon!" Seto felt rage, like a rage he had felt long ago, his memory flashed briefly.

"How dare you!? That was my dragon!!" the image of a dead, bloody dragon cub laid before Seto as he saw his past-self starring at the small female baby, it's back looked like it had been dented badly by something stepping or hitting it. Its body was surrounded by blood and its wings had been slashed off and left by its side. Sette moved and picked it up, cradling it as he rose, his skit was covered in blood the white linen stained. He glared at someone and hissed "How dare you fiend!"

Seto blinked as his vision returned and he found himself glaring at Lahgaz once more. She smiled at him "Tee hee….. You shouldn't have become so attached to that thing." She then said in a matter-of-fact tone "That was always your downfall, even way back then, you just loved that creature too much…… Even more than your Gods….. Humph. You deserved to die. And now you deserve to be demonic!" Lahgaz then summoned a staff and raising it she struck Seto with a dark crimson light.

Seto shielded his eyes then looked around as he realised he was chained to the onyx table in the centre of the room "…Wha?" he growled and tried to get up but ornate cuffs of gold held him tightly to the table, Lahgaz stood her eyes shimmering with evil intent as she moved to a wall of blood and bone and touched it, watching it ripple and shift with a wet sucking noise. Behind the wall a collection of macabre and arcane items was revealed Seto tried to look at them but in his position he was unable to catch a proper look at any of them, he just knew they were evil, Lahgaz began to pick up things along with a book made of human skin and written in demonic blood she flicked through the pages, each making a strange "thwoop" sound as they slapped against one another.

Lahgaz began to chant softly, the room humming and pulsating like a heart around her, the walls began to ooze more blood as her soft near melodic voice hummed and spoke words of ancient lore that Seto had never heard before. She held her hands out in front of herself and summoned forth a phial it was about the size of a tennis ball and it was carved in to the shape of a Celtic dragon, twisted and entwined around itself. Lahgaz slit her own wrist and watched the phial fill up half way with her blood then she began to murmur the strange spell-song once more. Seto watched as slowly dark shadow like black chains began to wrap all the way around him, his body was slowly being chained up in the swirling mist like blackness he tried to call out but he was being choked by the swirling gloom […Yami…… where……are……..y….ou…] Seto could only think as he was dragged in to the total darkness.

Lahgaz grinned and clapped her hands "You fought hard… but as ever you cannot stop fate." She then began to prepare for the awakening of the dark one….

End of Chapter 22

Bwaaaahhahahahaahahahah can we say I'm an evil meanie? Mwaaahahaaahahahhhaha what have I done to Seto? What will Yami do? What the hell is going on? Wheeeee review! Review now to avoid me getting lazy and having a month away from typing o.O;;;;;;

Anyways R&R guys, them reviews help me get inspired! @.@;;;; Maybe this is not a good thing? Oh and one more thing check out my new story "Gothic Tales that one will be coming soon, and it's all dark and gothic… like the title tells ^-^;;;

Expect more soon, my muse came back with vengeance!

Seto: . GOD DAMN IT YOU ARE MEAN!!!!!!

YYC: :P

Seto: . I HATE YOUUUUU

YYC: :P

Seto: .

CIAO!!

--YYC-- "YES!! THE PLOT IS TTTWWWWIIISSSSSTTTTEEEEDDDDD Mwaahaahahahahhahahahh" O.o;;;;; "It's twisted like umm…. A spring?" ^-^;;;;;