A/N: I've got a quick request (below) to make, then a special info thing about this fic's sequel, all that's before this chapter starts. I know some of you aren't very fond of the whole script style form of writing but I'm just using it for the insight to the sequel part. Then the story will go back to its original form. I promise, and the script style isn't so bad once ya get used to it (not saying I'll ever use it for a fic though, so don't freak out). ^_~ Oh yeah, I know that Malik is generally the name of the mortal brother of Isis (or Ishsyzu, whichever name you prefer) and that Marik is the spirit (not from the Rod) created from Malik's anguish and rage, so to explain why I've only had the characters call both guys Malik it's because they've all been appealing to his 'human/good natured' side. But that's all gonna change…
**REQUEST**: Hi, it's the author, again. I know you're all thrilled. I have another fic planned as a sequel to this one "Ultramarine Fire". But, before I write it, I'd like to know more about the Ishtars. Mainly about Malik and Ishsyzu's lives/pasts before coming to Domino. And I know virtually nothing about Rashid other than the fact that he lived with them and now works with the Rare Hunters. I'm asking that anyone with information (preferably from reliable sources) about Rashid, Malik/Marik, Ishsyzu (Isis), or the Ishtar family please email me at amanda_aka_artiste@yahoo.com because I don't wanna take up a lot of space in the review area. Any information would be greatly appreciated. I've visited some sites and looked up the characters but the information often clashes or isn't extensive enough for me to base my fic on. Thank you all very much. I hope to get feedback soon.
~Special Info on Yu-Gi-Oh fic Sequel!~
For your amusement (and as an outlet for my built-up Mt. Dew caused insanity) this inside info on the sequel (the third fic in my Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic series) to "For the Love of Past and Present" will be presented to you via the characters (both mine and the series' originals). Thank you, enjoy the chaos...
YAMI BAKURA: *Wearing his trademark evil smirk* So you thought you were safe from Agent Di's drawn out sequels did you? Well, GUESS AGAIN!
BAKURA: She's baaaack!
DINA: *Not amused* Boys. Agent Di's just trying to keep the readers on their toes. Anyways, back to business.
YAMI BAKURA: *Thinking aloud* I love it when she talks like that.
DINA: 'Note to self, HURT him later.'
YUGI: Um, I think what Dina and the others here are trying to say is that the sequel to "For the Love of Past and Present" is only a few more chapters away.
SETO: Define "a few".
SERENITY: Um 'sweetie', I think that Yugi's just letting everyone know that in the next fic the spotlight's gonna fall on a new couple.
SETO: I doubt it's us. What's the good of being a cooperate giant if you're constantly being overlooked?
MOKUBA: But Seto, you and Serenity were a couple right from the start of Di's fanfics. Remember?
JOEY: Right. And "The Quirks of Love" focused on Yugi/Rebecca and Yami/Rebecca. So now "For the Love of Past and Present" is shinning a light on the whole Bakura/Dina and Yami Bakura/Dina relationship.
YAMI BAKURA: *Threateningly* And why shouldn't it?! Readers love my character *glances towards Bakura* and I suppose that puts 'you' up higher on the polls too.
JOEY: The point is---in the next story a whole new romance is gonna bloom. No, it's not Tristan/Tea or even me and Mai. This one's centering on someone ya might not have expected. Any guesses?
MAI: Pegasus and Ishsyzu? *Joey shakes his head 'no'.*
SETO: My little brother and his 'mysterious crush'? *Mokuba blushes*
JOEY: Nope.
YAMI YUGI: Well...who then?!
REBECCA: Don't be dense. *Folds arms with a cocky 'know-it-all' air* It's all about Malik and his strange new love...Taylie Opel.
MALIK: ME?!?
MARIK: *snickers* Way to go 'lover boy'. Insanity must be what women of this era desire.
DINA: Not so fast spirit (that just so happens to have been forged of that angry insanity), this Taylie's an old friend of mine and I just happen to know that she's gonna have a 'thing' for you too.
MALIK: A g-girlfriend? ME?!
YUGI: *shrugs* It's just Di's style.
JOEY: Yep, everyone's gotta have someone.
BAKURA: *slings arms around Dina* Even when she has to create that 'someone' herself.
MARIK: *sulking* Well count me out! Marik needs no one! My only desire is for the pharaoh's power!!
YAMI YUGI: *crosses arms and glares* Like THAT'S ever going to happen.
MAI: So, is this new girl gonna have a dark past like Malik? Di did make Dina have a history in larceny just like the tomb robber ya know?
SERENITY: I hope the poor dear hasn't endured too much.
JOEY: Yeah, and what about Rashid? Shouldn't he get a girl?
REBECCA: *slaps forehead* Don't rush things Joey! We're here to give a few tidbits about what's coming up, not to spill the whole plot!
MOKUBA: Before the whole plotline leaks out…let's just say that the Ishtars have a VERY important role in the upcoming fic.
YUGI: Yep, it'll have everything. From action and adventure-
TRISTAN: -to mystery and suspense-
TEA: -and most importantly LOVE!
MARIK: *growls* I can tell I'm going to loathe this new story. At least in this present fiction I still have a backbone!
YAMI BAKURA: Di'll take care of that soon enough.
DINA: Someone's looking to get his character killed off…
MALIK: Love?! ME?!? WHAT THE H#LL?!?!
YUGI: It's not so bad Malik.
ISHSYZU: *mutters* A look into the future shows that you'll feel otherwise later brother. *regards readers* But first thing's first, on with the remainder of this Millennium tale.
For the Love of Past and Present
Part Nine: To the Ends of the Earth
Rebecca covered her eyes with a shadow from one uplifted arm, the sun's rays were finally shining from over the horizon, "Mokuba Kaiba? What are you doing here?"
Mokuba was too dumbstruck to speak (sheesh, who wouldn't be?) so he jerked a thumb over towards the new Kaiba Land construction site.
The Queen of Games followed his thumb's path, "Oh."
Finally regaining his voice he inquired, "What are you doing here?"
Speaking loudly enough to be heard over the roar of the helicopter's spinning blades Rebecca replied, "Well look at me! Where else would I go?! Certainly not down there!" she pointed to the awakening city below, "Someone might SEE ME!"
"Well---I saw you! And I'm all the way up here!" Mokuba retorted, "C'mon down um---whatever your name was---you can't hide up here forever!"
Rebecca regarded Mokuba's outstretched hand with a mixture of reluctance and contemplation. He's right, there's no place for a Duel Monster to hide in a human's world. Eventually, someone else will find me. Yami and Yugi are probably looking for me right now. But…I don't want to hurt anybody!
Noting the frustration evident on the young woman's features Mokuba spoke in a gentler, yet still none too quiet, tone. "Look miss, if you don't come with me now so that I can get ya out of here then someone else might come along and---well---who knows? They might try to SHOOT you down!"
The blonde's eyes widened in fear, she definitely didn't want that! "Alright," she reached out a clawed, furry hand and grasped the young Kaiba's, "but please, I don't want anyone to find me this way…especially not Yugi!"
Mokuba nodded his head understandingly. He'd heard that Yugi had fallen for some past opponent. Figures it would be her. They were so alike in some ways, yet completely different in others. Kind of like Yugi and that spirit of the Puzzle.
Mokuba harbored his own love for a 'special girl' secretly from his big brother. Charlotte was different from most of the other girls he'd known. She was sweet and pretty but she wasn't interested in material things or in how wealthy a guy was. Mokuba knew from experience that being a rich kid wasn't exactly the best way to attract modest, magnanimous girls. As for why he didn't tell Seto about her, well, Mokuba knew his big brother would scrutinize any girl he came home with. And he didn't want Seto frightening Charlotte away.
Maybe this duelist's is afraid that her new form will frighten Yugi away? he thought.
Then a thought struck him, "Hey! I remember you now!" he spoke to Rebecca as she took a seat next to him in the chopper. "You're Rebecca Hawkins! That dueling prodigy from America right? Man, you were really something until you stopped dueling. And to think that your last duel was fought right at Kaiba Land!"
"Yeah," Rebecca grinned, "but actually, I have dueled again."
"That's no surprise," Mokuba chuckled while maneuvering the helicopter away, "anyone dating Yugi is bound to take up dueling---again."
This brought a smile to Rebecca's face and inside she felt her nerves grow calm and her mind relax. Thinking about Yugi seemed to have that effect on her. She decided to keep the conversation going that way, "Yugi and I didn't exactly duel on our own terms ya know? Pegasus had The Proclaimer pit us against each other in the Shadow Realm."
"I heard," Mokuba was nearly to the landing pad, "Seto told me that he and the others had to help you two out so that you could win your freedom back."
"Hm…" Rebecca was in better spirits now as she recalled everything that her friends (and two spiky haired lovers) had gone through for her sake, "…Yugi and his pals are really great. And I appreciate your brother's help too. He's practically one of the gang now, from what I understand."
"Ever since he's been dating Joey's sister." Mokuba beamed. Serenity brought out the softer side to Seto. The side that Mokuba wished his older brother would show the world more often. Seto wasn't just some shrewd overconfident businessman. He had a heart, and when he showed it, it was unbeatable.
A soft golden glow caught the young Kaiba's attention. Turning his head towards the passenger he gasped. "Rebecca! You've changed…again."
Looking down Rebecca noted that the golden light that had consumed her served to return her to her human form. "Guess when I calm down I gain control over my shape shifting."
"That's always good to know." Mokuba chuckled.
Rebecca smirked, "Wish I'd known earlier, poor Yami got scared out of his wits."
"Really?" it was hard for the young Kaiba to picture the pharaoh scared.
"Yeah…" Rebecca sighed, "…I kinda blew up in his face. Went on some weird power trip. I can't really explain. My blood practically boiled and I just sort of lost it for a while."
Mokuba was about to offer some words of comfort but noticed a figure standing before the landing pad out of the corner of his eye. "Hey, who's that? No personnel should be up here this early!"
Glancing out as they landed Rebecca recognized the strangely attired individual. "Dina?!"
"Well it's about time." came the curt reply.
Mokuba and Rebecca raced over to the blue cloaked female. "Who are you?" Mokuba questioned.
Ignoring him entirely Dina addressed Rebecca, "C'mon Queen, we've got a missing person to find."
"Who's that?" Rebecca asked, "And stop calling me that!"
"Bakura's missing, and I think Felaine might've had a claw in it." the guardian answered.
"Wait a minute," Mokuba cut in, "you mean that Bakura's been kidnapped by that Proclaimer that forced Yugi and Rebecca into a duel?"
"He catches on quick doesn't he?" Dina was losing her tolerance for explaining everything while Bakura was trapped somewhere in the Shadow Realm.
Mokuba huffed but Rebecca explicated, "This is Dina Finesse, Felaine's been 'training' her to become my guardian, only I DON'T need one," Rebecca glared at the redhead.
"Who's side is that cat lady on anyway?" Mokuba exclaimed, this was all WAY too confusing.
"Psh," Dina scoffed, "Felaine doesn't side with anyone, she just tries to convince people that they're pawns of destiny or some garbage like that. And by the way, it's Mystic. Dina's my non bodyguard mode identity."
"Right." Mokuba really wished he hadn't asked.
"Now about Bakura," Rebecca returned to the urgent matter at hand, "what makes you think Felaine's responsible for his disappearance?"
"I sensed the remains of powerful magic when I went to check on him after he didn't answer my calls. The guy'd obviously been abducted and taken to the Shadow Realm, believe me, I've been there enough times to know what it feels like." Dina explained in a matter-of-fact way, "Now tell me Queen, just who do you know who would drag a mortal into the Shadow Realm?"
Rebecca groaned, Felaine was the first person to jump to mind. "But WHY would she do a thing like that?"
Dina (now 'Mystic') blushed and turned away, "B-because she warned me not to get too close to anybody with a Millennium Item and I didn't listen."
Mokuba and Rebecca stood aghast, "You and Bakura?!"
Embarrassed fury washed over the red faced female, "LOOK! Just because I'm stuck playing guardian to some dueling queen doesn't mean I'm forbidden to have a life!"
"Then why'd Felaine feel the need to capture Bakura?" Mokuba countered.
"Because HE'S the holder of the Millennium Ring!" Dina snapped, "That evil spirit inside could put the Queen at jeopardy if he ever got too close. And with Bakura and I dating his chances of attacking the queen practically double!"
"Still, Bakura shouldn't be punished for the ill actions of the tomb robber," Rebecca concluded. "And I'm getting just a little sick with this whole overprotective thing."
"One problem though," Mokuba pointed out, "just how do we enter the Shadow Realm?"
"We?" Dina echoed.
"Yeah, there's no way I'm letting you two race off after Bakura without me." Mokuba answered, "I mean, what if Rebecca shape shifts or something? Or if one of you gets hurt? Yugi'd never forgive me, and I owe him a lot. Besides, we could be allies. The more of us that go after Felaine the greater our chances of rescuing Bakura."
"We're not gonna win this argument are we?" Dina sighed to Rebecca.
"Not a chance." Rebecca smiled, "Okay, I'm guessing that you want ME to try and open a portal to the Shadow Realm huh?"
Dina nodded.
"You can do that?!" Mokuba seemed amazed.
"Dina's not the only one that went through training." Rebecca smirked, "If my hunch is right, Felaine trained us both separately---mostly in that human form of hers. Didn't you wonder why my mind wasn't overtaxed inside the Shadow Realm during my duel with Yugi?"
Admittedly, it had never crossed anyone's mind before. The gang had just figured that Rebecca's gift helped her to order her thoughts and survive the Shadow Realm's mentally exhausting environment.
Turning towards a random direction on the rooftop of Kaiba Corp.'s main building, Rebecca held up a hand and concentrated on a seemingly empty space of air. Her brow furrowed and tiny beads of sweat formed as she drew energy from within to open a portal.
Mokuba's eyes widened while a cloud of swirling dark colors formed a few feet away. It started expanding as sounds of mental strain escaped the blonde's throat. "I can't…hold this…thing open…forever. As soon as it's…large enough…JUMP THROUGH!"
Immediately following the Queen's statement the two other mortals leapt through the gaping void.
Seto Kaiba was inside his office when a tiny red light started flashing above one of his monitors. "What? The roof cam?"
Clicking the appropriate button on his remote he brought the strange scene into view. "What the heck is going on up there? Mokuba?? Where is he?!"
Seto noticed the chopper had landed but there was no sign of his little brother. Zooming in on the only figure visible he recognized her from the earlier Summoner incident. To his outright astonishment she rushed straight into the swirling vortex near the roof's edge.
Forcing himself to watch he was partially relieved when she didn't come soaring through the other side and off the side of the building. "That's gotta be a gateway to the Shadow Realm."
Picking up his phone as the vortex disappeared he dialed the number of someone he knew would wanna know about this.
"Hello?" a female's voice answered at the game shop.
"Tea?" Seto responded, "Is Yugi there?"
"Well yeah," the brunette replied, "but this really isn't the best time to be calling Kaiba, you see Rebecca's-"
"JUST PUT HIM ON THE LINE!" Seto snapped, time was wasting and chances were that his little brother was inside the Shadow Realm right now.
With a low growl of outrage Tea reluctantly handed her distressed friend the phone, everyone had come over to help Yugi (and Yami) search for Rebecca. "Hello? Kaiba?"
"Yugi," It's about time! "I suppose you're wondering where Rebecca is."
The man with multi-colored hair gasped on the other end of the line, "You know where she is?! Oh thank goodness! I was so worried about her!"
"Don't relax just yet Yugi," Seto cautioned, "I just saw your little girlfriend jump through a vortex that I'm certain led straight to the Shadow Realm."
There was a brief pause as Yugi gathered his thoughts, "B-but why would she do that?!"
"Beats me, I'm no mind reader." Seto scoffed, "But I do know that Mokuba landed one of the company's helicopters there just before the incident and he's never reported back in."
"You think that Rebecca took Mokuba with her to the Shadow Realm?!" Yugi was panicking now. Rebecca might be able to last a considerable amount of time in that surrealistic place but not an average mortal like Mokuba!
"Would I be calling if I didn't?" Seto asked.
"We'll have to go there and get them." Yugi concluded firmly, "I'll meet you there in ten minutes Kaiba, be ready."
Before another comment could be made the phone was hung up and Yugi informed his friends that they'd be making a trip to Kaiba Corp.
"Don't worry Yugi, I'm sure she's alright." Tea gave a weak smile as everyone filed out to their vehicles.
"That's right," Mai added, "you told us that she'd taken on her new duel monster form, that should help sustain her twice as long as before in that place."
"True," Yugi said doubtfully, "but Kaiba didn't say anything about her appearance looking odd. What if she found a way to change back?"
"Oh I get it now, you're stalling for time. Hoping that I'll go back to the same ol' weak little girl that you love so much. Well pharaoh, I suggest you get used to someone else in this town having more power than you. Cause I'm not giving mine up!"
Rebecca's angry words haunted Yugi's mind as he climbed in the backseat of Joey's car. She just seemed so different, so full of rage.
It was the overwhelming power of the transformation talking, not her. Yami's voice assured him.
Looking out the window at the buildings and people zooming by Yugi heaved a heavy sigh at his transparent reflection, I hope you're right Yami. Rebecca's been through so much in such a short period of time. It's just--well I,--I don't wanna lose her.
You won't lose her Yugi, Yami stated this as if it were the most indisputable fact in the world, neither of us will.
******
A cruel smirk played upon the face of a certain figure lurking in the shadows beside the game shop. "So little Rebecca is having difficulties keeping her powers under control is she?" a dark chuckled followed, "Well perhaps I should relieve her of those powers and ensure that neither she or her beloved pharaoh and his protégé emerge from the Shadow Realm ever again!"
Clutching the Millennium Rod tightly Malik (or in this case Marik) made his way over to his motorcycle, mounted it, and sped off in the direction of Kaiba Corp. While Yugi may have gotten a head start towards the portal's previous location…I know a shortcut.
The tomb robber sneered at the young man speeding away, "This task shall be simpler than I first thought. Marik's preoccupied with defeating the pharaoh and obtaining the powers of that mortal girl. He won't even suspect my presence until it's too late."
Stealthily maneuvering down to the street he hitched a ride in the bed of a truck heading the same direction as Malik's malicious darker half. It didn't bother him that the three mortals entering the Shadow Realm would know that he was in control of Bakura's vessel again. By the time they learned of the spell and his bargain with Felaine--it would be too late!
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*Okay, sheesh what a long chapter, lol. Rebecca, Mokuba, and Dina encounter Felaine in the next chapter while Yugi and Seto enter the Shadow Realm to find them. Marik (Malik) tries to enslave Rebecca's mind, can Ishsyzu and Pegasus stop his evil plan? What happened to Dina? Well, she finds herself cornered by Yami Bakura! Read and review!*