~~~~~~~~~~The Name Of God~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~AUTHOR'S NOTE~~~~~
1. THANK U ALL FOR YOUR REVIEWS!! Wow, I wasn't aware people actually READ my long babbles in my author's note. Cool. ^_^ *sniffle* I could NOT believe how many reviews I had in my email inbox on the days after uploading Ch.2. WOW! O_o So much support, so much love!! *bawls happily* Thanks for throwing food and supporting me and giving me lots of good Seto/Yami fics and giving me so many long, funny reviews to read. THANK U!! *massive hug* I LUV U GUYS!! Wow, and you guys LIKE my descriptions? O_o I thought I didn't have enough, and that I had too many grammar mistakes and run on sentences. Cool, thanks for the comments! By the way, for those of you that are worried about my confidence level, don't worry, its quite high. I'm just a crazy optimist (yes, I am HAPPY) that likes to pick on herself; it's a common habit in authors, I've noticed. ^_^ Its fun, really. Heh heh...
2. The whole HTML deal confused me even more, though I thank those that attempted to teach it. Unfortunately, FF.net wasn't up when I checked my email, so the reviews in the email came up with lots of 'rn' stuff (no clue what that is O_o though I DO know it makes spaces between lines) and completely blank spaces where I'm *assuming* some of you typed HTML font. *sigh* I will, however, try to use the website idea (thanks to whoever mentioned it) or just waste lots of space and put another space between double spaces for lyrics. ^_^* Thank u all trying though!
3. MALIK STEALS!!! BWAHAHAHA! Its proven! U know the Pharaoh costume that Yami wears and we all know and love? Well, I've actually ALWAYS noticed that Malik's earrings/arm bands/neck bands (and his fashion in general) were practically IDENTICAL to Pharaoh Yami's, but I never had PROOF that they were Yami's (or copying Yami's) until that one episode where Malik shows the tattoos on his back. He's babbling on and on about taking the 'Pharaoh's' powers (like he always does -_-*) AND he's wearing Yami's Eye of Ra tiara!! His yami (Marik) has it sometimes in a pictures too, and occasionally with a red cape that looks identical to Yami's. ^_^ Yes, its DEFINITELY Yami's stuff; after all, Malik and Ishizu have unlimited access to Yami's tomb, probably, anyway. SEE?!? It makes perfect sense! Malik wants to be Pharaoh so bad that he dressed himself UP as Pharaoh to imitate Yami! I'm pissed actually; NO ONE WEARS YAMI'S STUFF BUT YAMI HIMSELF!! *runs off raging and fuming at the ears*
This is random but I was rereading Ch.2 and found that I used 'Kaiba' too many times and not at very good intervals. Damnit, there are too many 'he's' in YGO! Why is the boy-girl ratio like 100000; 2? Not that I'm complaining, mind you... :-p *drool* Still, I hope that didn't bother any of you. I wasn't really paying attention so I had 'Kaiba Kaiba Kaiba' or 'Yami Yami Yami' four times in a row and then a lot of vague 'he's' after it. Also, I need better timing for using 'then' and 'and' and 'afterwards' and stuff... *sigh* Oh well, glad you guys like it so far!
WARNING I: By the way, this story is PG-13 until Ch.5, where it goes to R, borderline NC-17 (nothing TOO graphic). Therefore, if you're a kid, be careful around Ch.5-8, but you can read Ch. 1-4 fine, I think. AND, if you're awaiting some huge lemon or something, you're going to be disappointed, cuz I skip lots of stuff and use really vague terms. ^_^ Just be aware; there will definitely be mature themes, mature thoughts, and references to...uh... stuff you might learn in Health class. :-p
WARNING II: This is a REALLY long chapter, and it could be very confusing/boring/weird/corny all at the same time (because its based off manga and manga's not usually meant to be put into written form)! Sadly, not too much fluff in this one. Note, Kaiba goes evil in the manga lets just pretend that NEVER HAPPENS! The whole plot's a little screwed and I had to add/twist some parts for everything to make sense. BUT, I tried HARD to stick to the main plot of the manga. ^_^*
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Boredom can do the oddest things to you. That was how Kaiba, against his will, found himself mentally listing everyone who knew of his 'obsession'. His stomach sank to the pits of his feet as the list went on. 'Shadi; Ra KNOWS how... Father; obviously, with that Millennium Eye of his. I'm not too sure if he knowing is a good thing.... Shimon, who doesn't seem to approve... And worse of all, possibly Yami himself. Damn.'
Oh, his life was crashing into dark abyss.
Funny thing was, not a thing was wrong or out of place with it, save his internal battle with himself. Life went along smoothly; so smoothly and normally, in fact, that it was close to driving the poor priest mad. He half WANTED someone to notice his situation, and yet he refused to admit that he wanted some help. However, he found himself often considering doing something very irrational --hopefully involving Yami, a whip, and plenty of oil-- just to get some attention.
Today, however, the LAST thing Kaiba wanted was attention. This might be due to the fact that everyone who knew about his love interest --and practically everyone that didn't-- was within a twenty-feet radius, including Yami himself. Alas, it was a perfectly normal day, but as mentioned before, normal days were starting to make Kaiba develop a nervous twitch. And, of course, it happened to be a meeting. A long, boring meeting that was no different from hundreds of others.
Kaiba hated meetings. Especially meetings reserved for the 'highest of the high', or, in normal terms, the six High Priests, Shimon, and the Pharaoh.
The huge Throne Room, an enormous marble room supported by a chain of huge pillars, was thankfully empty, save the ever-present guards. Two thick walls sat beside the throne, with serpents, hawks and Eye of Horus's etched deeply upon their sides. The throne itself, and one end of the Chamber, was a oddly shaped chair, with lion heads at the ends of the arm rests and a huge back piece topped with the sun-disk of Ra and a pair of bull horns. [1] It was in this throne chair that Yami elegantly seated himself upon, draped in his long red cloak --Kaiba noted that it brought out his eyes-- and unconsciously showing off every fascinating part of himself to the point of driving Kaiba mad.
Kaiba refrained --barely-- from looking in the Pharaoh's general direction, for he feared that if he did he might never be able to look away. Instead, the priest found himself fighting an oncoming headache as his father went on and on about some kind of location problem for building a new temple for Anubis WHOM, in Kaiba's opinion, had too many temples in the first place. HOW Akunadin, Shimon and Yami managed to look so FOCUSED was a secret worth of Ra himself. Kaiba and Ishizu were usually the only High Priests, beside Akunadin, that took active parts in politics and what not, but now ALL of the younger High Priests were fighting boredom and losing badly. Mahado was nearly nodding off standing up. Shadi seemed to be fascinated by the number of tiles on the ceiling. Karimu looked as if he was reading the hieroglyphics engraved on the walls, though his eyes weren't moving and held a rather glazed-over look. Ishizu was trying valiantly to look attentive, glancing ever so often at the scrolls in Yami and Akunadin's arms, but failing to look interested. Kaiba himself managed to keep his gaze on the scrolls, though he caught almost none of the conversation referring to it.
Just when Kaiba thought he would follow Mahado's example and drift off to sleep, Yami seemed to wrap up the conversation and nod, as if pleased.
Akunadin bowed deeply and rushed off with some guards to deliver the scrolls to who knows where.
Kaiba, who was beginning to size Yami up like a piece of edible meat, jumped nearly a foot when there was a huge, unearthly BOOM. There were sudden flashes of light and a blast of heat that sent choking smoke everywhere. The very Chamber itself rocked dangerously on its foundation and chunks of the ground went flying past Kaiba's head. The said priest twitched ot the side just in time to avoid a rather large boulder that slammed into the wall behind him. Yami's fingers suddenly gripped into the throne armrests until his knuckles turned white. Ishizu let out a half shriek, half gasp; Karimu nearly fell on his rear; Mahado was blasted awake, stunned and confused; and Shadi... well... Shadi just stared.
A deep shudder ran through Kaiba, and a son's faithfulness suddenly made itself painfully clear in his heart. "Father? FATHER?!"
In the mist of the smoke and the rumbling, came the coughing, stumbling form of Akunadin, who had been frightfully close to the blast. The scrolls that he once held were gone, possibly destroyed. Akunadin's long robes, once a beautiful white, were now singed and covered in soot.
Kaiba rushed forward, catching his elderly father by his shoulders as the elderly man heaved a few coughs.
For a second, all Kaiba knew was the racing pounding of his heartbeat in his ears and the mass of confusion around him. Akunadin went into a hacking spell, frail old body shaking in his son's arms. There was stampeding and a mad shuffling of feet; gaurds uttered curses as they ran madly about with brandished spears, while servants shrieked and dropped what they carried with the sound of shattering pottery.
"Order! ORDER!" Kaiba heard a few of his fellow High Priest bellow in the mist of the chaos.
Kaiba held tightly on to his coughing father and joined the chorus of raised voices with his own, raising his M.Rod blindly to the sky. "Order! SILENCE!!" he roared, coughing as he did so. "PEACE!"
Suddenly, above it all, Kaiba heard Yami's raised, but calm voice. For a moment, the Pharaoh sounded like Ra himself. "I COMMAND YOU TO STOP WHERE YOU ARE!!"
The pandemonium stopped immediately. Pale and shaky Egyptians --priests, guards and servants alike-- froze in mid-strides. The smoke cleared quickly --due to the lack of movement-- to the immense relief of suffering individuals like Akunadin. (AN: this did not happen; I'm only making stuff more exciting. :-p I'm making up all this stuff cuz all you see in the manga is one frame where this monster bursts out of the ground. ^_^)
Kaiba felt a bit of envy toward Yami. The priest was hoping that *his* voice could raise such a command. Patting his father absent-mindedly on the back, Kaiba glanced up at Pharaoh.
Yami was deathly pale, with breath ragged, eyes wide and jaw clenched. He looked as if he saw a ghost.
Frowning, Kaiba followed his gaze and found himself inhaling sharply.
Seemingly having dug straight through the Throne Chamber floor, a huge, deformed monster now loomed many feet over them. The horned humanoid-demon, with skin a pale, ghostly shade, twisted its huge body around its lower half, which was a huge overgrown snake. Out of the monster's back came two angelic wings, seemingly out of place and unporportionally small, that flapped uselessly around. The double-headed creature roared fiercely, a horrible, unearthly sound making Kaiba's knees tremble despite his efforts to stop them from doing so.
'This monster is strong...' observed Kaiba, eyes wide. 'As strong as my Blue-Eyes!' [2] Now, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon was Kaiba's soul and pride, but never before has he met a monster more powerful then it face to face.
Only then did the stunned priest notice the single man that dared to stand in the mist of such a creature. A young man, not as lean as Yami but not as large as Kaiba, stood tall and proud, dressed in a white headdress, a faded kilt, and two layers of long robes. Kaiba caught a flash of fiery amber eyes, a huge scar, and a wisp of icy-white bangs. [3]
There was deafening silence.
Dozens of wide eyes met the newcomer and his monster.
A servant girl let out a gasp and fainted in the mist of her companions. Another vase met its doom as a fellow servant reached out to catch her. The surrounding guards stepped forward bravely, spears extended, but they all looked like tiny ants compared to the monster they stood up to.
Akunadin, breath ragged, straightened himself, his gray eyes flickering with stunned disbelief.
'Father's surprised,' mused Kaiba in the mist of his own astonishment. 'That's a first.'
Mahado and Yami were first to break the silence, their identical whispers barely audible but their voices filled with all the hatred and distaste one could muster. "Bakura...."
Kaiba fought shock. 'THIS is that tomb robber that slipped past Mahado's guards so many times...? THIS is *him*?'
The lips of the tomb robber twisted upward in a sadistic grin. He bowed a little, mockingly. "The one and only!" he chirped in a raspy, battle-hardened tone.
(AN: beyond this, almost everything but romance/personal thoughts/ some actions are based off the manga. I changed some grammar and stuff in the dialogue, but the general words are still there.)
"He has such a strong monster...!" observed Shimon, horrified.
'Gee thanks. We haven't noticed...' thought Kaiba bitterly to himself.
"Bakura -- the legendary thief that threatened to steal a Millennium Item." murmured Yami quietly, his voice tight. "We should have expected him sooner or later..."
Bakura's demon roared at the Pharaoh, whose fair face betrayed neither fear nor anger.
And suddenly, one thought took command of Kaiba's soul, mind and body.
PROTECT PHARAOH.
That was the number one rule in Kaiba's long training, drilled into his mind again and again. In his younger years, he had cursed and hated this one duty with all his heart. Still, it was suddenly all he could think about. But it was more then just habit now... For the first time in his life, Kaiba WANTED to protect Yami.
With a touch of rare fondness, he realized that all the High Priests seemed to have taken their training to heart as deeply as he. Unconsciously, the six of them had drifted to place themselves in front of the steps leading up to the throne, blocking off any direct path to Yami; Kaiba in front, flanked by Akunadin and Mahado, and then the other three.
'Not as if Yami can't take care of himself or anything...' thought Kaiba with a mental smirk.
He recalled a similar situation where a very young Prince Yami had been attacked directly by a rouge monster let loose in the Palace. The Crown Prince simply stood there and waited at the last moment to save himself. There was a gold flash, and suddenly the attack was stopped dead in its tracks --only inches from Yami's face-- by a pair of narrowed crimson eyes and a glowing Millennium Eye of Ra that rested between them.
But this time was different. Though Yami's power was practically infinite, the hint of worry in the Pharaoh's voice made Kaiba furious.
The priest could stand it no longer.
Bravely, he took a step forward, bringing everyone's attention upon himself. The M.Rod stuck out from his hand like the dagger that it was. "You!" called Kaiba, infuriated. "You anger the gods by daring to trespass into the Royal Palace! We Priests will show you the true power of the Millennium Items!"
The other High Priests followed his example, eyes narrowed dangerously as they stepped forward.
The demon's snake-head towered over them and hissed, revealing a pair of soulless black eyes and rows of poisoned fangs.
Bakura gazed at them with narrowed eyes, his smirk never disappearing. His amber eyes summed them up as if he hadn't noticed them before. "Most interesting..." The thief opened his arms in the most mocking way possible. "Then come all at once, Priests..."
But already the tomb robber was losing interest in them, his eyes trailing upward to Yami with a challenging glare.
'So he wants Pharaoh...' concluded Kaiba, who then smiled to himself, 'Yami is no one's but *mine*. Lets see if the thief can get through *me* first...'
Akunadin recognized the signs of his son's temper and pride. "Seto!" he barked in warning, "The enemy is strong! We should combine our forces and--"
Kaiba ignored him. Scowling, he held the Rod to his heart and began to chant an impressive list of spells in a sacred, ancient form of Egyptian that very few commoners knew. A large slab of floor behind him suddenly clicked and vanished from sight, and from that vortex shot up a huge blank stone tablet that towered over the one that called it.
"Ho ho, High Priest Kaiba wants to use his own Ka monster against that spirit-formed beast..." murmured Shimon.
Yami sent a worried glance toward his cousin. "The monster he chooses to use..." he trailed off, eyes pondering. 'The legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon... but it might not be enough...'
(AN: here Shimon goes on and on to explain the Temple of Tablets and how it holds the tablets of thousands of monsters for the Millennium Item Holders to use... And Yami looks like he has absolutely no idea about any kind of temple... Blah blah blah... However, Shimon doesn't explain how normal people, WITHOUT Millennium Items, can call monsters... O_o)
Just beyond the Palace was a huge temple, shaped like a pyramid topped with a fat obelisk. Surrounded by four tall obelisks and a pathway of sphinxes, the temple loomed over the congregations of guards and priests below it. Inside, walls covered from bottom to tip in countless plates, the temple rose high above an inner pyramid, whose summit pointed upward at the tip of the building's tower. In that revered, high spot laid the shape of the Millennium Puzzle, surrounded and protected by the three legendary Egyptian Gods.
But it was not these sacred plates that might have caught one's attention. Just below it, where the Ka monsters of High Priests lay, was the etched form of a terrible, powerful dragon. It was this tablet that began to glow, and from it shot a beam of pure spiritual white that rushed out of the gold entrance of the Temple and arced high in to the air, easily breaching the high Palace Walls.
Guards looked up in amazement and excitement, tanned faces lit up by the sudden light.
"Someone from the Palace just called a monster from the Temple of Tablets!" one exclaimed.
"What's going on?!" roared another, running toward the Palace.
Meanwhile...
Bakura raised an eyebrow. "Is the monster coming?" he murmured, breaking Kaiba's chanting.
Kaiba glared at him as he finished his incantations. Then, just as a beam of light rushed into the room and slammed violently into the tablet behind him, he smiled a dangerous, feline-like smile. "SUMMON!! MY BLUE-EYES WHITE DRAGON!!"
The tablet behind Kaiba burst into pieces, sending chunks of rocks flying everywhere. In the mist of the rubble rose a huge dragon with silver scales and sapphire eyes as blue as its master's. (AN:BLUE-EYES!! HA!! Kaiba's got a new nickname!! *evil idea*) Long neck craning and huge tail whipping, the Blue-Eyes let out a mighty roar that matched that of Diaboundou's.
Only one soul in the Chamber was not reassured by that terrifying sound. Yami, with brow furrowed and lips tight, said nothing.
Bakura seemed to voice the Pharaoh's thoughts, though in slightly less respectable words. "Fool! There is no monster in the Temple of Tablets that can defeat my spirit monster!" (AN: I'm changing lots of stuff cuz Yami, in the manga, seemed too surprised about everything, and having the Blue-Eyes here DEFININTELY changes dialogue around.)
"I'll show you the strength of a *true* Ka-monster..." snarled Kaiba.
"Big mouth," snorted Bakura. "Diaubandou! ATTACK!!"
"Blue-Eyes! GIVE IT ALL YOU'VE GOT!" ordered Kaiba. "BITE IT!" [4]
The Blue-Eyes charged, teeth bared and claws forward, at the white demon. Diaubandou's snake body struck faster then the eye could follow, and embedded its fangs deep in the Blue Eye's fore arm. The dragon, in turn, sank its own fangs into the demon's shoulder.
It was as if Seth and Horus had unleashed their might in this very room.
It was horrible.
For a split second, the two froze, biting as hard as they could and roaring in pain. Then all open war began. With punches from its arms and the lightening-fast strikes from its snake head, Diaubandou threw off its opponent with formidable strength. But the Blue-Eyes always came back, roaring and slashing with everything it had, from fangs to spikes to claws to talons, even using its tail to slam violently into Diaboundou's side. The two huge monsters tore up the ground and the walls so much that even Bakura had to take cover from the flying debris. (AN: yes, in case you're wondering, the throne room is VERY big ^_^)
With a particularly strong punch, Diaubandou sent the Blue-Eyes flying, whose painful landing sent up rubble and dust.
Everyone held their breaths.
Kaiba clenched his jaw, heartbeat racing and brow covered in worried sweat. But when the dust cleared, the priest grinned a victorious smile.
His Blue-Eyes, though clearly wounded, triumphantly clutched the squirming form of Diaubandou's snake head in its claws, blocking its attack and twisting Diaubandou's main body off balance.
Bakura flinched as if physically struck. "No...!"
Kaiba laughed, "Diaubandou has been stopped! Blue-Eyes! Finish it off with White Lightening!"
With victorious disgust, the Blue-Eyes dragon stepped on the snake with its huge talons, a ball of blinding white energy forming between its mighty jaws.
"CRUSH IT!" roared Kaiba gleefully, just as his dragon's energy was building to a maximum.
With a roar, the Blue-Eyes launched its supreme attack.
There was a huge boom and a blinding flash of light, followed by a shock wave that rocked the already-weakened foundation of the Throne Chamber. A cloud of dust and smoke flew into the eyes of observers, but that didn't stop most from cheering.
Kaiba caught sight of Bakura's robed form. He chuckled victoriously, crossing his arm and twirling his M.Rod casually. "Diaubandou is dead."
But when the smoke cleared, it was suddenly apparent that Bakura --who seemed every inch fit-- was sneering. "Look again, Priest..." laughed the thief, pointing to the battle. (AN: by the way, in the manga, the throne room doesn't get beat up like this... Dunno HOW it stays in perfect shape, but it just does. *shrug*)
In the mist of rubble and smoke was a triumphant --but very confused-- Blue-Eyes White Dragon, whose mighty talons now stood on nothing.
"Diaubandou has disappeared," corrected Bakura simply.
Kaiba's eye twitched. "Impossible! Did it... retreat...?!"
"Fool! Diaubandou's special ability has been activated!" crowed Bakura.
"Special... ability...?" echoed Kaiba, eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Do you not see? Spirit monsters mirror the spirits of their masters..." Bakura chuckled, as if ashamed that Kaiba did not know, "I am a thief. And to steal from the Pharaohs themselves, you need one major ability. TO PASS THROUGH BARRIERS!"
As if on cue, the wall next to the throne --directly behind Kaiba-- exploded as Diaubandou reappeared in the mist of flying rubble. Kaiba, caught off gaurd, was slammed to the ground, to the alarmed cries of his companions. Kaiba swore he heard Yami crying out his name...
Diaubandou then tacked an equally-surprised Blue-Eyes, forcing it to the ground with its snake-body wrapped around the dragon's limbs and its humanoid arms around the dragon's throat. The Blue-Eyes squirmed and roared pitifully, to no avail. Finally, slowly, it fell still.
Everyone in the room gasped. Nothing and no one has ever defeated a *Blue-Eyes White Dragon*.
Silence.
"...No....!!" whispered Kaiba, painfully picking himself up. His limbs shuddered with exhaustion; Ra, he never felt so tired in a Shadow Duel before...
The Blue-Eyes glowed and disappeared, its defeated spirit returning to the Temple Of Tablets.
"Seto's monster is dead...!" croaked Akunadin.
"Heh. You lose, Priest," sneered Bakura. He stood and glared up at Yami, who's eyes flashed the color of angry flames. "C'mon, lets fight, Pharaoh..."
Kaiba eyed where his fallen Blue-Eyes had been, breath short, eyes wide with disbelief. He let out an enraged cry, pointing his M.Rod at Bakura with pure venom in his cerulean eyes. (AN: I'm finding all these cool terms to describe eyes, man! ^_^) "Thief! You will PAY!"
"Kaiba..." uttered Yami in a low, warning tone.
His name, even uttered in that single, beautiful voice, seemed hardly enough to hold back the fuming High Priest, but that it did. Kaiba shut himself up, trembling violently and knuckles white around his M.Rod. Akunadin, who sent his son a stern, disapproving look, seemed to be surprised at the sudden obedience to Yami's order. Kaiba seemed surprised himself.
"So, what do you think, your majesty?" called Bakura, arms wide. "You want to fight with me? If I lose, I'll be beheaded. But if YOU lose..." He rubbed his hands together gleefully, a wild look in his chestnut eyes. "Oh, but if YOU lose, your life, your treasures and all of your Millennium Items will belong to *me*."
Yami said nothing, just eyed Bakura with wary and angry crimson eyes.
"Such disrespect!" exclaimed Akunadin. "You do not say such things toward Pharaoh! You will be executed, no doubt about it!"
"Bakura!"
The room fell silent as Yami's voice rose.
The Pharaoh sat up a little straighter, his unwavering expression unreadable. Kaiba marveled at his self-control.
Yami spoke slowly. "Why do you want the Millennium Items?"
Bakura was quiet for a moment, almost thoughtfully so, before he began to cackle. "You wanna hear it from him?" Out of nowhere, he pulled out a fully-wrapped mummy, who's neck was strangled by the rope now in Bakura's hand. The thief's deft fingers casually played with the rope as he set a foot on the mummy's back.
There were gasps about, before a heavy blanket of stunned silence fell upon all.
It was a high sin to disturb the Egyptian dead, and an unforgivable one when --judging by the jewelry surrounding the mummy-- that said dead was royalty.
Yami's eyes opened wide and he leaned so far forward that he was in danger of falling off the throne. Mahado, whose job was to protect the royal tombs, flinched as if punched in the stomach. The other High Priests let out angry hisses and gasps of disbelief.
Akunadin was the only one that seemed to recognize that mummy on sight. He let out a choked exclamation. "B-Brother...!"
'Brother?' Kaiba felt his blood run cold. 'Uncle!' "The late Pharaoh!" he blurted out.
Yami looked so pale that Shimon thought the young Pharaoh might faint dead on the spot.
Kaiba's quick eyes drew a grim conclusion. "His body has been dragged about! This can't be forgiven!!" he exclaimed in fury and horror.
There were angry shouts and agreeing whispers from his fellow High Priests and all witnesses.
Yami, if possible, looked paler, eyes unbelievably large. "Previous... Pharaoh...?" he stammered, mind drawing a blank, "That would mean that body is..."
Shimon nodded in gloomy agreement. "Yes, your majesty. That body is that of your father's."
"...M-my father?!"
"Ha, ha, ha, look at your faces!" laughed Bakura, tugging at the string in a way that made Yami twitch violently. "Yes, Pharaoh Akunamunkano! The man that brought about the seven Millennium Items!"
Ishizu, Mahado, Shadi, Karimu, and Kaiba exchanged wary, but confused, glances. Shimon and Akunadin held their breaths. Yami just looked as petrified and as pale as white limestone.
"Created the Millennium Items... My father, you say?" cried the young king in disbelief. (AN: I know this is weird, but Yami has no clue about the M.Items' past)
Bakura only smiled eerily.
Akunadin took it upon himself to explain and spoke up, shakily. "Akunamunkano, just fifteen years ago, spared Egypt from a civil war by creating the seven Millennium Items to keep peace... They stopped the wars, stopped the chaos, and brought prosperity and peace to Egypt."
"Some peace..." sneered Bakura.
Akunadin went on, sadly. "Akunamunkano wanted to stop the fighting and to have a thousand years of peace for his kingdom. So, he left the Millennium Items to this world... To seal evil and bring justice about, the Millennium Items chose us six Priests as their bearers while the responsibility of their well-being was passed down to the shoulders of the next Pharaoh, Akunamunkano's son."
Yami stopped breathing for the shortest of moments.
"Justice, you say? Laughable!" snorted Bakura, "The Millennium Items hold evil within themselves, and thus slowly begin to erode away the sanity of its holders!" The dangerous glint in his eyes returned, and a sadistic smile made its way upon the thief's face. "However, it is said that the one that collects them all and uses their powers to his advantage... will get the unlimited power of the Shadow Realm!"
"The full power of the Shadow Realm, you say...?" murmured Ishizu skeptically.
"Impossible!" piped up Mahado, handsome eyes narrowed dangerously.
A dark shadow fell upon Bakura's face. "Kuru-Eruna village... Do you know that name?"
Again, the younger Priests were confused.
But Akunadin inhaled sharply. "Kuru-Eruna..." he whispered as if he had spoken to Seth himself.
Bakura turned on Akunadin, eyes accusing. "So, old man, that name seems familiar to you... Do you remember, then, the prophecy that needed to be fulfilled to bring about the seven Items?"
Akunadin gulped. "Don't you dare suggest that I forgot such a thing...!" he whispered angrily.
"If I recall correctly, didn't the High Priests need to 'sacrifice 99 thieves'...?" drawled Bakura, eyes raised upward with mocking thoughtfulness.
"Yes, but we--" protested Akunadin.
"It happened one muddy, rainy day fifteen years ago, old man..." snarled Bakura, eyes suddenly tearful and full of deep, dark hate. "You came into my village," he stated quietly, eyes distant as if remembering an old memory, "You came on horseback, with the Egyptian cavalry behind you and all armed with daggers and torches. You and your fellow Priests shouted for all those who sinned to stand forward... Then you torched the shops and all the homes. Oh, I remember it so well...." There was a distant look upon the thief's face.
Akunadin was pale.
Bakura chuckled grimly. "I was only a child then..." He let out an enraged cry. "BUT YOU MURDERED MY FAMILY IN FRONT OF MY EYES!!"
Diaubandou roared, suddenly gaining both width and height. Ka-monsters fed off their master's life force and will; Bakura's anger seemed to be fueling his to great extents.
Akunadin took a step back, the truth dawning upon him. 'If Bakura is a survivor of that village...'
'I remember!' thought Kaiba suddenly. 'I was young then, but I remember standing with Mother and waving goodbye... Father told me he was only on a scouting mission with the cavalry!'
Bakura continued, voice suddenly quiet again. "So do you remember, old Priest, that in the mist of my village you built a temple, with the ground engraved with the slots for all seven Millennium Items?"
Akunadin was silent. He found six pairs of curious young eyes upon him.
Bakura went on. "So, you also know then, that the temple walls state flatly that who,ever fits all seven Items into their respective places will gain the true dark power of the Shadow Realm?!"
Again, no one spoke.
Bakura gave the mummy under his foot a violent jerk, sending a shudder through both Akunadin and Yami. "How do you know that this precious Pharaoh of yours wasn't trying to gain that power? How do you know he wasn't like me?!" He let out a bitter laugh.
Yami could stand it no longer. Fists clenched so tightly that they trembled, he stood in a whirl of silver and red. He pointed an accusing finger at Bakura, breath ragged and eyes burning the color of flaming blood. "BAKURA! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH THAT BODY!!"
Kaiba shuddered. He had never heard Yami so furious.
Bakura sneered and tugged at the mummy for good measure. "Such a heavy request, your highness..."
That seemed to be the breaking point. In a flash, all the High Priests were shouting along with the Pharaoh, echoed by the angry cries of the gaurds and servants --or at least those that haven't already fled the vicinity.
"We won't forgive you for disrespecting the late Pharaoh!" cried Shadi, with anger no one has ever seen from him.
"Such big words, Priests..." Bakura bowed a little, smirking. "Just come if you dare..."
The High Priests took the words to heart.
Five different voices cried out to the gods in prayer, and five huge tablets suddenly rose behind their respective callers. Kaiba, who decided that he has definitely had better days, summoned up enough energy to join them.
"My son, you are not well! You have already sacrificed too much energy!" scolded Akunadin in between incantations.
"I can do this!" mumbled Kaiba absent-mindedly. He just prayed that Yami was watching, because as horrible as the situation was, this might be what Kaiba needed to prove that he cared. As in DEEPLY cared. 'Blue-Eyes better be up for another shot...' he prayed to himself.
Six harmonious voices then cried out at the same time, "The Ka within the sacred tablets! The Ka within us! SUMMON!"
Needless to say, the guards outside began to panic as SIX different beams of light shot up from a glowing Temple of Tablets.
Inside the Palace, the tablets shattered and the air was suddenly filled with the cries of monsters as graceful as Ishizu's liquid fairy and as deadly as Kaiba's --though still weakened-- Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
In the mist of cheering from the other people and the roars of summoned monsters, Yami just stood. Just quietly, calmly stood. His head was bowed, a deep shadow cast over his fair face. (AN: this one frame is sad and GORGEOUS; it's a close up of Yami's face, and even though its all blackened in, he has a GREAT profile. ^_^ Okay, just gotta tell you that...)
Shimon, however, panicked. "Pharaoh... Sit down! There is a Shadow Ga--!"
"Tell me of my father's reign..." whispered Yami, his chilling voice leaving no room for arguments.
Shimon did as he was ordered. "H-he was a mighty Pharaoh, who spent his long life yearning for peace and prosperity for his people..."
A single crystalline tear trailed down Yami's cheek. "I can see it. Oh...childhood memories..." (AN: okay, right here, YAMI IS ADORABLE! He's a little kid! Wearing Egyptian stuff! A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!!! *squeal* I've never seen anything --maybe Pikachu-- so cute in my life! And he's still got his eyes, only bigger, so he still doesn't look like Yugi or anything... AND KAIBA? Kaiba's so cute as a kid too! He's got huge eyes too!!! *glomps them both with sparkly eyes*)
Before the young Pharaoh's eyes flashed brief moments of distant times when his father used to hold him close as they gazed fondly over the city at sunset. Sometimes, the Pharaoh settled a hand upon his petit son's shoulders and point out a particularly distant statue, laughing a deep, reassuring laugh from the depth of his white beard.
"Father's face... I remember it so well..." whispered Yami.
The king's youthful face snapped up, eyes narrowed and lips pursed. His fiery eyes were teary, but determined and MAD.
Shimon let out an alarmed cry as Yami began to stride forward, fists clenched. (AN: Have I mentioned that Yami has GORGEOUS legs, especially in this frame? Long legs man... *_* *drool*) "Your majesty! Its too dangerous! This is a Shadow Game involving Ka-monsters! Please, it is not safe! Return to the throne!" The short old man tried to rush after the Pharaoh, but was flushed back by the flashing of magic attacks and the shock waves that shook the Priests' bodies as they bravely stood in the mist of it all.
Yami did not seem to hear the cheers, nor the screams, nor the roars. He did not seem to see his followers, nor Bakura, nor the monsters. Unwavering, he glided aloofly down the steps leading up to the throne, first past Ishizu, then Shadi, then Karimu, then Akunadin, then Mahado and finally Kaiba himself.
The High Priests did a rather amusing show of double-takes, their concentrating expressions switching to one of stunned surprise.
"P-Pharaoh...?" squeaked Karimu in disbelief.
"Your majesty!" Mahado leapt blindly, but was simply side-stepped by Yami as if the Pharaoh could care less.
Kaiba, who barely had enough strength to stand, reached out to finish what Mahado couldn't. "YAMI!" he cried desperately, snagging the end of Yami's cape and pull so hard that it nearly strangled Yami on the spot. "You can't go out there!"
Yami sent him a glance that read 'Since when did you care?' and shrugged him off, absent-mindedly fixing his cape as he continued his walk toward certain doom.
Kaiba felt his heart being torn to pieces. "No....!!"
Yami remained oblivious, walking calmly through the battle as if a god guarded him and he knew it.
Leaping dangerously close to the Egyptian king, a sleek black panther suddenly found itself caught in the jaws of Diaubandou's snake head. One of the High Priests let out a pained cry as the large cat-creature was snapped in two. The severed head of a Blue-Eyes (AN: yes, this all did happen, only w/ a different dragon for this little part) flew by, to the horror and the agonizing pain of Kaiba. Ishizu's fairy went slamming into a wall, landing in a sickening heap of blood and torn clothing.
"My Diaubandou is undefeatable!" cried Bakura insanely, as if they all hadn't figured that out already.
"What power...!" murmured Mahado, seemingly the only one of the Priests not collapsing to the ground.
Even experienced old Akunadin was panting, the strength draining out of him more by the minute.
And suddenly, in the mist of it all, Diaubandou hesitated.
Yami walked up to Bakura, face expressionless. Bakura stared at him for a moment in surprise and shock; they were so close Yami could have easily hugged Bakura if he wanted to, WHICH OF COURSE HE DIDN'T! However, Yami simply reached out, calmly planted his hands on Bakura's shoulders, and shoved the stunned tomb robber out of his way. (AN: this scene is hilarious... You should see Bakura's expression. LOL)
It went suddenly very quiet, half because of shock, the other half because there were no Ka-Monsters, save Diaubandou, left in the Game.
Yami gazed down at his father's mummy for a moment, eyes innocently curious and yet so horribly saddened. There was a shimmering of tears at the edge of those exquisite red depths. Then, slowly, the young ruler kneeled and gently cradled the wrapped corpse within his arms. "Father..."
"Heh heh heh..." sneered Bakura over his shoulder. "How touching..."
Kaiba, panting, soaked in the sight with a heavy heart. If it had been *Akunadin* as the mummy, and Kaiba as Yami... Well, lets just say the priest wouldn't be nearly as sane as Yami was now. He would probably either throttle Bakura right then and there --he wanted to do it now anyway-- or tear out his own hair, at best.
Yami quietly and calmly gathered the mummy in his arms. He easily stood, being the corpse weighed next to nothing. "Just wait..." the Pharaoh murmured, dangerous blood-colored eyes peering at Bakura over his shoulder as if the thief was not worthy of a whole head turn, "Just wait... I'll be defeating you soon."
And with that, Yami silently began the long walk back to his throne, his father's body in his arms.
Kaiba secretly admired Yami's courage. Funny, he always thought Yami was just stupid to do things like that, but now that the priest thought about it, the Pharaoh was quite brave. VERY brave, actually. But that admiration turned to horror as Diaboundou towered over the slender form of the Pharaoh, both heads grinning and preparing to strike. Yami seemed oblivious; either he knew and he didn't care, or he was perfectly well aware that he could take care of himself.
"I'll splatter the Palace walls with your royal blood, Pharaoh!" cried Bakura.
"NO!" screamed Kaiba.
"Protect Pharaoh!" cried Akunadin.
"I'll do it!" answered Mahado, leaping forward.
"The Magician of Illusions doesn't have enough power!" snapped Kaiba reflexively, earning a challenging glare from Mahado. With the last of his energy, Kaiba stood and held the M.Rod up in the air. "SUMMON! BLUE-EYES WHITE DRAGON!! Attack Diaubandou!!"
"Noisy Kaiba..." murmured Bakura as the Blue-Eyes rose from a beam of light and a crashing of stone. "Back again?"
"Kaiba, you don't have enough power either!" cried Mahado to Kaiba. [5]
Kaiba scowled, though he was grateful for Mahado's reminder. Blue-Eyes, tiredly rising up above Kaiba for the third time, could do very little in its weakened state...
"Then go, Mahado!" Kaiba cried finally, desperately, "We must work together! Blue-Eyes, hold Diaubandou off!"
Mahado, and anyone else within hearing distance, was surprised at this sudden, very un-Kaiba-like agreement.
The Blue-Eyes White Dragon bravely charged, limping, and latched almost comically to Diaboundou's side with its claws and tail. Diaboundou blinked at the sudden 'hug', and began to struggle violently. It, in turn, wrapped its snake body around the Blue-Eyes. In a very odd show of affection, the two monsters seemed to be hugging each other to death.
"Heh, you can't move," chuckled Bakura.
Kaiba grinned. "Oh, you must be referring to yourself." He glanced over his shoulder. "Now, Mahado!"
The said priest nodded. "Magician of Illusions! GO! Activate special ability; SPELL OF ILLUSION!"
The tiny, boy-shaped Magician flew up toward the two large monsters, little green staff outward and glowing eyes wide. There was an odd twinkling sound --much like bells-- and suddenly a ring of glowing negative magic appeared around a surprised Diaubandou.
Both Mahado and Kaiba let out breaths of relief, before they both glared at each to prove that this truce was just temporary.
"Diaubandou can't attack!" crowed Kaiba finally. "Now you can't escape, Bakura!"
Bakura scowled darkly.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the chaotic last ditch efforts of his priests, was Yami, heart heavy, mind reeling.
The M.Items had given them so much trouble over the years. The Items were desired as much as they were feared; those that wanted to get their hold on one were driven to madness. Pegasus, Malik, now soon Bakura... All of them... (AN: yeah, Pegasus and Malik/Marik --the yami, it seems-- existed in manga ancient Egypt, though I have no clue HOW or WHY...)
"I recall having to fight those madmen as I am doing with Bakura now..." murmured Yami sadly, gazing down at his father's body, which was hidden in layers of faded white linen. "Surely the M.Items have evil inside them. It is the unmistakable truth..." He sighed, closing his eyes just in case the infrequent tears threatened to fall upon his father's mummy. "Oh Father, I wish you could tell me what is right. Tell me the truth! Did you really... the M.Items... Did you--? I-I barely have any memories of you, Father... But..." (AN: awww, these frames were so beautiful and sooo sweet...! Sorry, I KNOW I'm getting annoying, but you guys should really go find a copy of the manga pics to drool over!)
Suddenly, something bugged Yami. Bugged him so much that he stopped dead in his tracks, to the horror of the High Priests and gaurds.
The Pharaoh's tearful eyes grew wider. 'The corpse... Its warm...!' (AN: this whole chapter and this whole deal, you must remember, is NOT my idea; dunno if the manga people realize just how odd it is to have your father's dead body start to turn all warm and stuff. O_o)
Then came the wind. Though they were inside, Yami definitely felt some sort of breeze. It was almost ethereally light, sending shivers up the young man's spine. And with that wind came the whispered voice of an Egyptian king long dead...
"Justice is the name of God..."
Yami's eyes fluttered closed as the voice echoed faintly past his ear. 'That voice! So familiar...!' He wracked his brain, brow furrowing. "Father...?"
Just then, Shimon dashed down from the throne as a few brave guards made a safe perimeter around their Pharaoh, nervously brandishing their spears. The old man grabbed Yami's cape, pulling him urgently toward the throne. "Pharaoh! Come, quickly! 'Tis not safe!"
Numbly, Yami followed him, finally stopping at his throne and gazing upon it with surprise, not really recalling how he got back here. Then, solemnly, he settled his father before the throne, tenderly lest the fragile body shatter. "Pharaoh Akunamunkano..." The Pharaoh shakily took in a breath with that name, "To put him back in his rightful tomb..."
"Of course we will," assured Shimon quickly, nerves a bit jumpy from Yami's earlier 'walk'. "The High Priests will perform the punishment for such betrayal!"
Yami went on, voice barely audible as one hand drifted over the mummy's covered face. "This corpse--" he murmured quietly, "This poor man that has been so horribly dishonored..." he suddenly glanced over his shoulder with narrowed eyes of deadly scarlet venom, "...IS MY FATHER!" (AN: majorly cool frame here, people!) He was trembling so violently that he looked ill, but alas, he stood tall and proud, eyes filled with hate, determination and tears.
"Pharaoh Akunamunkano..." echoed Akunadin, limping forward, "He was not only Yami's father, but my brother as well! SUMMON! My Gaduisu spirit! (AN: a gold eagle) ATTACK DIABAUNDOU!"
"An old spirit...Ha!" snorted Bakura. "My Ka-monster's attacks have already made you suffer damage... Your life force is less then half, old man, and you STILL wish to challenge me?"
"How dare you insult my fath--" started Kaiba angrily.
"His Ka cannot defeat Diaboundou!" roared Bakura, as if it was obvious, which it was. "Simply touching it will weaken your monster, no matter how well fit mine is!!"
Akunadin seemed to be trying to ignore him and pointed angrily at Bakura. "For my brother! GADUISU!"
"Have you not made a fatal mistake?" interrupted Bakura gleefully. "Look; the spell that bounds my monster is already starting to fade..."
Indeed, when Kaiba glanced over his shoulder, he saw that Mahado was trembling --arms forward, trying to keep the Magician of Illusions steady-- and looked ready to collapse any moment.
"What strong power..." Mahado observed grimly. "I can't hold it much longer...!"
"Mahado's power is nearing his limit!" cried Kaiba desperately. "Quickly, concentrate!" That was more toward himself then anyone else; his Blue Eyes, who's talons and claws were still wrapped around Diaboundou's struggling form, was so close to collapsing that it was pitiful.
"ATTACK!" roared Akunadin. "Gaduisu; SPIRIT SUPIRINA ATTACK!!"
"Don't you understand, old man?" laughed Bakura evilly. "Diaboudou's second special ability; dissolving magic! Especially fading ones like your precious Spell of Illusions!"
"That's it!" cried Mahado as if on cue, collapsing to his knees and arms falling limply to his sides. "My spell's gone!"
Newly freed, Diaboundou roared and charged at the gold mental eagle that dared to challenge it.
"A *second* special ability...?" cried Akunadin in horror. (AN: I sense a huge, confusing plot hole here, people O_o)
Gaduisu didn't stand a chance. In a flash of bloody gold feathers, it was torn from limb to limb.
Akunadin let out a hoarse cry of pain, one that made Kaiba's throat tighten painfully.
Mahado fell forward to his hands, head hung as he panted. "W-what... strength he possesses..." he moaned weakly. Someone's strong arms briefly helped him up; only later did Mahado realize who that someone was.
'Ra, we're losing...' realized Kaiba, his heart stopping in the mist of its alarmed race. 'How could we priests *lose*...?' As if hope had been all that had been holding him up, he felt his drained body collapse forward...
...only to be caught by a pair of strong, slender arms, supporting him against a warm, silver and gold adorned body.
Kaiba glanced numbly up, his blurred vision focusing briefly on colorful hair, a pair of worried ruby eyes, and a gold, winged tiara. 'Sons of the Pharaohs! I must be dreaming...!' he thought happily.
Yami stood with Kaiba's torso in his arms, allowing the weakened and half-unconscious priest to lean against his body. Sudden softness flashed before those hardened crimson eyes, and the young Pharaoh suddenly touched Kaiba's heart with one hand, a move reserved only for those worthy of the highest honors in the kings' eyes. "Thank you for trying, dear cousin." he said quietly, his voice warm and not holding any hint of sarcasm.
Kaiba could have died happy right there.
Instead, Yami's touch was gone as soon as the Pharaoh could see that Kaiba could stand. Kaiba fought a groan as he ached for that warm body next to his.
The High Priests and Bakura stared as Yami proudly stepped forward between them, cape and all.
"P-Pharaoh..." gasped Kaiba.
Yami threw his hands out to the side, half as if pushing them back and half as if he was trying to protect them. The disgust in his eyes burned with hate. "I'M FIGHTING!! All of you, stand back!" (AN: one of my last comments; now why didn't Yami fight in the first place? O_o He's stronger then all of them combined!)
"Finally, the king's turn!" crowed Bakura gleefully. "Soon, you'll be a mummy too...!"
"No...!" whispered Kaiba, but his body wouldn't budge.
Ishizu let out a horrified gasp.
"No matter what Ka-creature you call, my Diaboundou will defeat it!" exclaimed Bakura. "Now, my faithful monster! ATTACK THE PHARAOH!!"
Diaboundou's snake head hissed excitedly and hovered dangerously over Yami, who glared up at it without fear. The snake opened his jaws, revealing fangs dripping with venom, and reared back, preparing to strike.
Kaiba's cry was not small this time.
"PHARAOH!!" screamed Mahado with him.
"Justice is the name of God..." murmured Yami thoughtfully, eyes trailing upward as if he daydreaming. "God's name... That is..." He smiled faintly, eyes suddenly holding a supernal and unnaturally wise glint within them.
Before Kaiba's eyes, Yami seemed to *change*. As if there was a gentle updraft from under him, the Pharaoh's cape, clothing and bangs began to hover. The air itself crackled with invisible lightening, and seemed to grow ominously darker, blacker then midnight. Yami's eyes began to glow a vivid, unearthly crimson glitter, and upon his neck, rays of light poured from between the pieces of the Puzzle.
Kaiba tried desperately to keep his eyes upon Yami in case his loved one got hurt, but in the end, he had to throw up his arms to protect his eyes from the blinding light.
And in the middle of the rising churning of power came Yami's voice, loud and booming and sounding as if Ra himself had dropped out of the sky. "SUMMON!! I CALL UPON OBELISK!!"
'Obelisk... Obelisk... Obelisk... I know no such monster!' thought Kaiba desperately, wracking his mind.
Akunadin, from somewhere on the right, let out a cry. "The Temple of Tablets... I-I...I can feel it glowing! It's never done this before!" (AN: Akunadin protects the Temple, remember?)
A huge beam of light flew into the throne room, larger then any before, and slammed into the ground behind Yami. The Pharaoh was suddenly visible against the blinding flash... but he seemed no longer on the mortal plane. Clothing flapping wildly, all Kaiba could see of Yami's ebony silhouette was a glowing Eye of Ra upon his forehead and a pair of glowing eyes.
'Ra, his magnificent...' thought Kaiba in awe.
Suddenly, behind the young ruler, a monster of huge proportions began to rise from the ground. The floor itself trembled, and the energized air seemed to light up in sparks. Many of the High Priest collapsed as their weakened legs refused to stand in the sudden earthquake.
Bakura's eyes flew open and flinched violently. "WHAT?! This earth-shaking power... So great!!"
"W-what is it?" cried Akunadin.
"Bakura..." came Yami's calm voice, impossibly beautiful in its power and beauty, "Look carefully... This is a *god*."
Bakura took a frightful step back. "G-god, you say...?" He looked up at the huge, black-blue form of Obelisk, who's bulging muscles and glowing aura seemed to pull down the heavens themselves. Demon-like midnight eyes glared down at the tomb robber with aloofness that only Yami himself could echo.
"Hmph," chuckled the said Pharaoh. "If you do not bow down before Pharaoh, Bakura... then you should bow down before a God!" He raised one hand to the sky, and Obelisk seemed to bow before him. "Dormant no longer, this is Obelisk the Tormentor, one of the three sacred Egyptian God monsters!" (AN: I'm getting annoying, I know, but right here in the next few pages of the manga are some GORGEOUS shots of Yami's nice, llooonnnggg legs. *drool*)
"Obelisk..." whispered Bakura, eyes wide at this new foe. "C-Can it be...?" he glanced fearfully at Yami, who gazed serenely back with his eerie, gleaming eyes. "Can *he* be that Chosen Pharaoh?! The young Pharaoh of the prophecies...?!"
"Justice is the name of God..." Yami repeated quietly to himself, closing his glowing eyes briefly and drawing off the raging energy within him. "I believe in Father's words..." His eyes opened sleepily, as if he was not at all bothered by all the commotion and force around him. "Then Obelisk will be my chosen god..." (AN: Eh? Wut about the other two? Manga gets confusing, peeps; I'm making up explanations for you that don't really exist. ^_^*)
"Obelisk..." whispered Kaiba, looking up in awe and fear at the huge monster looming before him. "He called on Obelisk The Tormentor. Impossible!"
Shimon took in a shuddering breath. "Then it is so!" He gazed down at the mummy at his feet with teary eyes. "Old friend, so your last wish has finally passed to your son..."
His eyes closed. "It is said that three tablets, surrounding a M.Puzzle, rest in the highest region of the Temple of Tablets. The monsters' names have been forgotten in all these years; they are simply known as Servant- God of the Palace, the winged sun bird, and the king of the sky. But legend tells that only the Chosen Pharaoh, who knows their sacred names, will be able to wield their powers. And that person is..."
Shimon's eyes snapped open, focusing on the handsome, determined face of young Pharaoh Yami, protectively surrounded by Obelisk's arms. 'Ra, Akunamunkano, you must have known! Your own son...!'
"My plan was to kill you and take the M.Items!" cried Bakura in frightful outrage. 'But... But now...?' He paled. 'Diaboundou will shatter against a God!'
Anger flashed through Yami's eyes, and in such a divine state, he looked like mighty Horus himself. An elegant, ringed finger pointed accusingly at the tomb robber before him. "Bakura! My father has put his plead for peace and freedom upon the Millennium Items; I will not forgive anyone that dares to try and take them!"
(AN: right about here, Bakura goes into the whole babble about hearts and M.Items, and evil and justice that makes absolutely no sense, so I'm going to skip it all. ^_^)
"Justice?!" cried Bakura, "Your father died wishing an impossible wish!"
"Don't you DARE talk about my father that way!" cried Yami angrily.
"But it is true! His 'justice'-bound Items carry the very essence of evil inside. Tell me, you-who-are-the-present-Pharaoh... Look at the six High Priests behind you!"
Yami did not turn, but his flashing eyes flickered briefly in the general direction of his panting, tired priests.
"Ask them! Ask them how many innocents have been punished to death by their lips? How bloodstained are those hands that carry your precious Millennium Items? Tell me, *Pharaoh*, if any of your precious Priests had ever had thoughts about overthrowing you and taking the throne for themselves? TELL ME!" roared Bakura, pointing an condemning finger at the said six priests, "HOW MANY OF THEM HAVE THOUGHTS OF BETRAYAL!?"
There was stunned silence.
Kaiba swore Yami glanced at him. He shuddered. His heart felt like it was being torn for the third time that day. 'No! Its not true, Yami! I don't hate you... anymore... PLEASE don't look at me like that...' he pleaded inwardly.
Yami's visage was unreadable, but his radiant eyes were troubled and held the slightest flicker of uncertainly.
"What are you implying??" demanded Akunadin angrily.
"We are loyal to His Majesty!" cried Mahado.
"I am not a fool like you, Pharaoh!" laughed Bakura. "When I will take the seven Millennium Items, I will have all the power and justice and control to myself, not spread upon puny priests! I will vanquish you all!"
"Justice, Bakura... Justice, you say, that is laughable?" murmured Yami with visible rage. "How dare you! I WILL NOT FORGIVE YOU!!"
"Then do something about it!" roared Bakura. "DIABOUNDOU, SURPASS HIS GOD WITH ALL YOUR HATE AND ALL YOUR STRENGTH!! GO!" (AN: I know this whole chapter is sounding kinda corny, but remember, its based off a comic. This is the type of stuff people say in mangas :-p)
Diaboundou seemed to grow in size once more, and with a mighty roar he unleashed a huge beam of lightening force from his hands at Obelisk. It hit straight on, landing with a huge explosion and a crashing of energy fields. Yami was forced back a step, throwing his cape in front of his face to protect himself.
"YAMI!!" It took Kaiba a second to realize that he had screamed that name.
There was an ear-splitting roar and an equally horrific shock wave.
"What?" cried Bakura in sudden disbelief.
The smoke and the energy quickly cleared, revealing a perfectly untouched Obelisk and a quite-intact Pharaoh under him.
Kaiba nearly collapsed in relief.
Yami flung his cape behind his back, calmly brushing himself off. His lips twisted upward victoriously as his fiery gaze fixed mockingly on Bakura. "Your attack had no affect, Bakura..." he stated flatly.
The tomb robber visibly trembled.
"Your form of 'justice' is brittle, Bakura..." continued Yami, voice rising. "It is time I show you what TRUE justice is!" He threw out a hand. "OBELISK!! Attack with GOD'S HAND CRUSHER!"
There was a blinding flash of light, and a huge clawed fist, glowing and smoking, flew at Diaboundou. It hit its mark perfectly. With an ear-splitting boom and a horrified shriek, Diaboundou flew backwards, singed and wounded.
Bakura let out an unearthly scream of pain and collapsed to the ground, forced back a few steps.
"How powerful the God is..." observed Shadi with admiration.
"One hit...That was all." murmured Karimu in awe, somewhat dryly, "One simple hit took care of what *we* could not."
Kaiba, however, was grinning like a fool.
But then everyone, save Yami, gasped as Bakura struggled up from the rubble, clutching his chest with his amber eyes glazed over with pain. The tomb robber's knees shook weakly, but somehow he made it to a standing position.
"H-He... still has strength left?!" cried Mahado.
"Why, t-thank you..." Bakura managed dryly, his life force suddenly down to a quarter of its full strength, "...for that wonderful demonstration of a God's ability." He suddenly smiled, a treacherous glint in his eyes. "But next time I *will* defeat your God..."
Yami crossed his arms with the same stubborn and skeptical look that he had given Kaiba just days earlier. "I highly doubt that, Bakura..."
'I should have enough energy left to activate the special ability...' Bakura took a deep, painful breath. Then... "Diaboundou! SPECIAL ABILITY!"
Diaboundou suddenly sneaked up upon his master, grabbed him in its huge hands and zoomed straight through a wall in a blink of an eye. Before anyone knew it, the Throne Chamber was suddenly missing a thief and a monster.
There were surprised exclamations everywhere.
"The passing through walls ability!" cried Akunadin.
Yami, however, didn't seem too surprised. He, alone, heard Bakura's final comments. "The song for this kingdom is drawing to an end. This tomb robber's war is about to begin... Heh, look forward to it, Pharaoh."
For a long moment, Yami stood deep in thought, a shadow drawn over his face as he pondered the dangerous reality behind this threat. Then, quite suddenly, he turned on Obelisk, his Eye of Ra and the glow of his Puzzle suddenly gone. The young king's expression was weary as he rubbed Obelisk's stone-hard flank. "Thank you. Your work is done."
Obelisk seemed to nod and disappeared in a blinding beam of light that returned quickly to the Temple of Tablets.
There was stunned silence as everyone collected themselves and took in their surroundings.
The Throne Room was a mess, with a massive hole in the middle of the ground and singed marks on the walls. Noticeably, there was a fair share of dents here and there. A large amount of fainted girls seemed to be sprawled in the mist of broken pottery and overturned food. There were a few hysterical criers on the ground. Half the guards were missing, running off to get help. Shimon, kneeling beside the mummy at the throne, looked like a nervous wreck. Akunadin and Mahado were on the ground, Ishizu against the wall and the other three priests trembling like newborns.
No one moved.
Finally, two guards and Shimon, soon followed by a limping Mahado, ran past the High Priests with the late Pharaoh's mummy in their arms. Yami briskly followed them, brows furrowed and body tense as he marched toward the doorway. A few shaken guards quickly trailed after their Pharaoh.
With renewed energy he wasn't aware he had, Kaiba rushed after them. "Yami!"
The boy-king stopped in mid-stride, but did not turn his head. He stood stiffly and sighed, "What is it, Kaiba?" He sounded more then a little irritated.
Kaiba, who was normally as straightforward as anyone could get, found himself suddenly stammering. "I...I'm sorry about your father..." he managed finally, flushing.
Yami stiffened a little more, no doubt surprised, before his proud shoulders slumped in grief. Saying nothing, he began walking away again.
"Wait! Yami!" cried Kaiba again, stomach churning anxiously.
Again, the Pharaoh stopped, and again, he did not turn. This time Yami was silent, impatiently waiting for Kaiba to say what he wanted to say and get it over with.
"I..." Kaiba stammered, then forced himself to say calm. "About... About what the tomb robber said... about us Priests and betrayal?"
There was no visible or audible reaction, save a slight flinch.
" Yami... Please know that *I* will never betray you," said Kaiba finally, voice soft and tired.
Yami was unmoving and silent for a long time. Then, softly, he replied, "That means a lot to me, Kaiba." Then he turned his head over his shoulder and sent Kaiba a pitiful attempt to smile.
Then, in a blur of a red cape, the Pharaoh was gone.
~*~*~*~*~*~
[1] - this is based off what the real manga Chamber Room and throne. Very odd looking throne, if you ask me, but the room looks really cool ^_^
[2] - I know, I know. Kaiba doesn't get the Blue-Eyes until MUCH later in the manga, but I'm too tired and too lazy to explain THAT whole deal (Blue-Eyes was originally NOT Kaiba's Ka but this really pretty, but poor, girl's ^_^* Where I left off on the manga was the split second that Kaiba rescued the girl from the villagers and realized that she held 'the white dragon' within her; I think he's gunna kill her to get her soul, from what he's implying... -_-*). Also, almost all the monsters used in the manga (except Kuribo and Exodia, and eventually the three Egyptian Gods) are COMPLETELY foreign to me. Diaboundou, the monster I've described, (I'm not sure if its white-colored cuz the manga's in black and white) is the real monster in the manga, just lacking some details cuz I'm too lazy to type any more. Just a note; Yami's (late) father had Exodia as his Ka-monster. I'm working on trying to figure out what Yami's is.... Maybe all three of the Gods are his Ka's. Hmmm... By the way, there's an implication that Kaiba (who wants a monster stronger then Obelisk) thinks that Blue-Eyes (when he gets it FOR REAL) is stronger, which is probably untrue anyway. I have no idea, just a random guess...
[3] - this is Bakura's actual costume in the manga. Odd looking, again with the damn slippers thing, but I suppose it fits. The odd thing is that his hair is a tad shorter (barely goes past his neck) but I think its the 'evolution' of the manga drawing; volume one of the manga has HORRIBLE drawings in my opinion (Joey, Tristan and Yami look absolutely HORRID; Yugi's still cute though, despite weird looking hair ^_^) but once they got to the ancient Egypt part --about 290 chapters in...-- everyone (especially Yami and Kaiba) was GORGEOUS. ^_^ Bakura simply hasn't evolved completely into what we see in the anime; face is there though. :-p That huge scar over his right eye/cheek looked like it hurt...
[4] - manga ancient Egypt dueling is very different from the "Shadow Games" we saw with Pegasus in the show. It's a lot like having two people fight, physical punch against punch, with the occasional magic attack. In this kind of thing, your monster (or your Ka monster, which is basically an extension of your own soul in the first place) is linked to your life force, and it's a lot like physical martial arts, or, for those of you that are fans of Pokemon, dueling in any Pokemon game or card duel. Basically, when your monster gets hit by a magic attack (physical ones don't seem to hurt as bad), then their controller's life force goes down, until it gets so low that the person faints or something (I haven't actually seen it happen yet...)
[5] - Magician of Illusions was originally a cute little Magician --like a baby Dark Magician-- with glowing eyes and no face. Then, when Mahado unleashed his real power, it grew to be almost exactly like the Dark Magician, only without his face...yet...
~~~~~AUTHORS NOTE~~~~~
Aw, didn't that ending make u feel all warm and fuzzy inside? I was feeling bad for lack of romance, so I decided to toss that little bit in there at the end.
Okay, well, this chapter didn't stick to the manga very much after all. ^_^ Yeah, and it was hard as hell to write, and maybe just a tad too long, too. Sorry if I bored you and disappointed you for suddenly twisting away from a big Yami/Kaiba chapter you were all probably waiting for (ITS COMING! I SWEAR!). Hey, YOU try describing a comic! I kept writing exactly what was on the manga, and then kept going back and replacing/adding stuff to make sense for MY plot. ARG wut a waste of time. I hoped I didn't bore you guys to death; this chapter is more then twice as long as the other two. *whew!* And this chap. was purely for plot, not love, by the way.
I skipped/simplified a LOT of the stuff in the manga cuz its really confusing and complicated and *I* don't even get it. -_-* Basically, all the stuff that Bakura is babbling about (evil, justice, what not) is true, according to Akunadin later in the story when he and Kaiba are having a little 'evil' chat inside the Temple of Tablets. There's this one evil god (something having to do with how they made the M.Items) or something that made a deal with the Shadow Realm (?) so the Millennium Items, which were originally MADE to do good, are now the keys to opening the Shadow Realm and all the evil inside it. Dunno how this happens, but its all wut Akunadin said! *points to the said priest accusingly* ANYWAY, YES Kaiba does go evil, though I can't figure out exactly HOW cuz he's STILL protecting Yami and the kingdom, only using all these bloody ways to do it. And correction on my earlier comment; he doesn't WANT Obelisk, he wants to SURPASS it. He also says something roughly on the lines of "too long have we priests lived in the shadow of the king, who has become a living god." Yikes, major evil/jealous attack, man. -_-*
This is totally random but you know how I've been babbling about Yami being feminine and about how his legs are really long and (oddly) pretty? Yeah, well I just noticed that one, all the young male High Priests (Kaiba, Shadi, Mahado and Karimu) are all really buff (for an anime YGO person) while Yami's shoulders and arms aren't nearly as wide nor as thick. O_o Also, when Yami was protecting his father's mummy and 'talking' to it, he had his eyes closed; if you had just his face, you would see a really pretty girl with really long eyelashes. O_o HA!! See, its NOT just me! But the physical differences definitely make Kaiba and Yami made for each other, eh? :-p
+++Preview for next chapter+++: Birth of the Dark Magician, and FIRST KISS! WHOO HOO!! (Just to keep u guys on the edge of your seats ^_^)
To those that haven't tried already; AND HELP ME WITH THE SPACE/LYRIC THING!!!