~~~~~~~~~~Pharaoh's Servant~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~AUTHOR'S NOTE~~~~~
1. As always, thanks for all the reviews. *grins like a fool, or better, like Kaiba in love* Thanks for suggesting authors/stories of Yami/Kaiba. I DESPERATELY need them, and I am SOOO getting hooked. Yes, HOOKED. :-p *drool* By the way, does anyone have good Seto-dominant stories? I'm getting lots of Yami-dominant (not that I mind!) and I just want both sides to be even here. ^_^ (see below about dominance)
2. Thanks for all the little bits of knowledge for the manga and all the other stuff. I DO HAVE THE REAL MANGA. Gee, I WISH. And I'm only reading the ancient Egypt part, so I don't know anything about the present (which I usually use the show for). Obviousily, I'm not done reading it yet (the website under construction so, obviously, I'm having a nervous break down without it) but I read scanned pages, not the actual book. NO, I CANNOT READ JAPANESE (Chinese, yes, but not Japanese). The manga I read is translated by the webmaster (Ra bless her for her time and effort; SHE can, not doubt, read Japanese AND obviously has practically all of the real manga. O_o I WORSHIP YOU, WHOEVER U ARE!) The only reason why my story dialogue might seem different (yes, I totally agree; manga words are not well organized, so its near impossible to see who's talking. I usually think it's the guy with his mouth screaming. ^_^) is cuz I added explanations of my own and twisted around words so they sound better and not as corny or anything. ^_^* Hm...Kuribo, being Yami's Ka monster? That's kinda degrading isn't it? :-p Hey, but anything's possible.... O_o Still, Kuribo beat Kaiba's really strong monster cuz Yami wanted to teach his High Priest a lesson about strategy and monster strength. :-p
3. GO YAMI!! Didn't he SO kick butt in the last chapter? Of course, I can't take credit for it all; I WORSHIP YOU, MANGA PEOPLE! Isn't manga cool?!? I'm glad you guys agree. ^_^ Cuz of copyright issues, I dun suppose I'm suppose to tell u were I got my manga... ^_^*Good luck on finding at least a few pages of it to drool over!
4. Again, about the dominance thing (yes, I'm still worried over that!), I've officially decided that Yami's on the bottom. *dodges tomatoes* Well, one, lots of the reviewers suggested it (though there were lots that wanted Yami on top... O_o Sorry!) and when I was reading the Seto/Yami stuff, there's was just a tad more Yami-bottom ones. Of course, the records were so damn close that its hard to tell, and there were lots of (smart) stories that made Yami and Kaiba take turns. :-p However, *I'M* going with body size (poor Yami and Yugi!) and not personality (they're too similar anyway ^_^). And I hope you guys read my note on the last chapter; the manga peeps drew Yami as the shortest/slimmest of all his High Priests (save Ishizu, of course) cuz everyone else (*cough* Kaiba *cough*) is insanely buff and insanely tall.
5. Someone (1. I have NO memory wutsoever, and 2. I don't want other people to feel left out when I use specific names) mentioned something about the upcoming kiss and Mahado's death and sympathy. Hm... I dun know how to break this to you (read the chapter!! :-p) but I'd have to say that you're pretty close, but not QUITE. You see, yes, Yami DOES feel absolutely horrible about Mahado's death (I'm not a good angst writer so I'm really dodgy about this) and yes, Kaiba DOES try to comfort him, but the kiss (as described in exact words) was "a muscle spasm" when Yami's guilt got to him and Kaiba was trying to stop him from freaking out. Is that an okay situation for a kiss? O_o It happens in movies, right?
Okie-dokie, this is another long chapter (romance is at the end ^_^)!! AND its another manga-based chapter, but only for the beginning part (until the part right after where Yami saw the Dark Magician on the plate in the Palace). The short latter half (lol, like the end) of the chapter will be pretty much made up, with A KISS. So, sit through the boring part until the end, peeps!
Just in case you REALLY get confused with this chapter; Mahado = Dark Magician. There, flat out and simple. Enjoy!
~~~~~~
The Palace was beautiful on clear, starry nights such as this one. With its large, maze-like plazas surrounded by elegantly carved buildings, it was a sight to behold. Scattered about were huge sitting statues and proud obelisks, towering over the small ants that were the night patrol gaurds. Sacred hieroglyphics and carved pictures were in every pillar and corner, distorted by the silvery light of the moon and the stars. The city beyond the Palace border was darkened, hidden in the shadow of the royal shelter. And beyond the dark black and green of the Nile was the vast wasteland of red-gold sand dunes, save the sudden appearance of the three proud pyramids in the far distance.
It was peaceful tonight; no freak fire in one of the wings, no statue tobbling over, no omen from the Temples... However, most of the people were not asleep like they normally were, for the tension and rumors of the afternoon's Shadow Game still rested in the air. However, the soft chirping of crickets and the murmuring of guards was all that could be heard.
Needless to say, Kaiba was not paying attention to any part of the night's beauty. He was tired, angry, embarrassed and desperate to get to bed. Losing so much energy was not fun, and Kaiba NEVER wanted to do it again. Not to mention seeing the head of his Blue-Eyes detached from its neck was bound to scar the priest for life.
He glanced wearily at his companions. Shadi seemed as exhausted as he, but was much better at hiding it. Shimon was pacing nervously, tripping occasionally on his long robes. Akunadin was stiff against the walls of the hall, face passive. Karimu seemed to be studying two of Yami's statues with intensity that fooled no one. Ishizu glided around almost nervously, her head buried so deeply in her thoughts that twice she knocked over incense torches and walked straight into one of the vast pillars that surrounded them. (AN: Arg, this is so damn hard to describe but this hallway/pillar hall is basically built on TOP of a building and is surrounded by the rooftop and stuff. Its GORGEOUS, cuz you get to see Yami's Palace from above and Yami's Pharaoh attire from all these cool angles and stuff. :-p)
Mahado was the quietest of them all. Kaiba could see that he was very troubled, for he had practically gnawed right through his lower lip. The man's darkened eyes flashed alternately between self-hate and embarrassment, and occasionally glanced at Yami with the expectance of a child who had done something wrong and was desperately wondering if its parent had noticed. Mahado's body, too, was nervously twitching in place, as if he couldn't make up his mind to move from his position or not. Occasionally, he crossed his arms, only to uncross them to fiddle with his hands. After that, he would take a deep breath and take a step forward, only to pale and step back.
Kaiba's eyes trailed over to Yami, who seemed to be wholly ignorant of Mahado's fears, if not driving them all up the wall with his silence.
The Pharaoh was unimaginably beautiful; though sunny daylight showed him in all his powerful glory, night seemed to be the very essence of his being, his *element*, as water was to a mermaid. The silver moonlight brought out the articulate features of the young ruler's flawless face, covering one half with a mysterious shadow while illuminating the other half with pale shimmers. His smooth skin was like the sand dunes, softly shaping his slim body in never ending arcs of Egyptian bronze. His silver tunic, that so well hugged Yami's lean form, seemed to sparkle somewhat in the moon's rays, its white hue brought out to almost a blinding level. The gold and gems that adorned the king's slender limbs glowed with stunning brilliancy, tiara and earrings flashing with every breath of wind. His silk cape danced happily with the night breeze and cascaded around his shoulders with the grace of a dancer, reflecting intertwining snakes of silvery red and the blackest ebony. Yami seemed to take no notice of it, ignoring both the night and his loyal companions as he leaned slightly over the edge of the rooftop, sharp scarlet eyes drinking in the sight of his whole Palace before him. But, like Karimu, his focus was well-presented but wholly fake, his murky thoughts betrayed by a troubled, dazed glint within his sparkling ruby eyes eyes. Only Kaiba seemed to see the uncertain trembling of the Pharaoh's right hand, which was odd since, if Yami was EVER worried in the first place, he very rarely showed it in any physical way.
But he was so quiet that no one dared to disturb him.
Kaiba, once again, felt a longing to go and whisper sweet nothings in Yami's ear, just to make the distressed young ruler feel better. But, of course, he had a feeling none of his companions, nor Yami himself, would react well that that.
Finally, Shimon brought up one of the topics that loomed in all their minds. "Your highness, after the correct ceremonies, we'll bury Pharaoh Akunamunkano in the Valley of the Kings [1] once again."
Yami did not acknowledge that comment, nor did he reply.
There was an awkward pause.
Finally, Mahado let out a long, tormented sigh. He stepped forward and fell deeply to his knees, one fist upon his heart. "My Pharaoh, about the thief incident today... I-I will take full responsibility for the devastation of Pharaoh Akunamunkano's body and tomb. Please put all punishment upon me!"
'Brave kid,' mused Kaiba. 'Stupid, but brave...'
It was obvious that Yami was not happy with any of them; being both the top master of strategy and that of dark powers, the Pharaoh was not pleased by what he saw this day. For Mahado to take all responsibility, even if he HAD been the last priest standing during the Game... Kaiba suddenly felt somewhat guilty, if not selfishly thankful.
Yami stirred, as if awakening from deep sleep. For a moment, he was quiet. Then he turned and, with a tired look in his eyes, replied quietly, "Please be courteous when you rebury my father, Mahado."
Mahado looked abashed that Yami dared suggest that he would do anything different. "Yes, of course!"
"Mahado, please try to remember that it was Akunamunkano who gave us the Millennium Items to protect. He trusted us to pass honorable judgments and fulfill our duties. It is our obligation to honor his wishes..." said Shimon sadly.
Mahado nodded, eyes shamed as he lowered his head toward the ground.
"Then go, Mahado. Fulfill your duty..." sighed Yami tiredly, sadly. But before Mahado could stand, the Pharaoh glided over to him and placed a gold-adorned hand on the priest's clothed head, eyes warm. "Be careful, my old friend," he murmured.
Kaiba's guilt was instantly replaced by a hot flash of envy.
Mahado let out shaky nod as Yami turned away. "I will, Yami." It was one of the few times that Mahado allowed his personal closeness to the Pharaoh to peek through all the formalities they usually used.
Snarling under his breath, Kaiba suddenly caught a glimpse of a tear in Ishizu's eyes, but it was gone as soon as the priestess realized that there was a witness. Kaiba sent her a curious glare out of the corner of his eyes, but the woman turned away.
Mahado stood, bowed again, and turned to leave. But when he brushed by Kaiba, he stopped with the hesitant air of someone with something very important to say... and had no idea how to say it.
Kaiba blinked and brought his attention from Ishizu to the young man before him. He and Mahado had never been friends... More like worst enemies, actually. What did the younger man want with *him*?
Mahado looked up at him with wide, soulful midnight eyes. He touched the slightly taller man's shoulder for the briefest of moments, glancing over to the back of Yami's brooding form. "I see it in your eyes, Kaiba," the man murmured, somewhat sadly, "...You care for him."
Kaiba gulped and his blood ran cold.
Mahado managed a heartbreakingly anguished smile. "Then take care of him for me, Kaiba."
Then he was gone.
~*~*~*~*~*~
(AN: Okay, I skipped a huge section where Yami forces all the priests, before Mahado leaves, to 'practice' dueling cuz apparently the Pharaoh isn't pleased by their performance or their strengths. I also skipped this huge evil conversation between Kaiba and Akunadin in the Temple of Tablets cuz I don't get it. ^_^* By the way, though I'm not including her in this story, there's a sweet girl called Mana that's Mahado's apprentice. Guess who she is! Dark Magician Girl!)
"Secure the area!" called Mahado to the numerous men that surrounded him.
Their whole group stood out like a white flower against the desert; they were the only humans around for miles, surrounded by deformed cliffs of dark red stone. Most of the men were guards, wearing white kilts, white headdresses and gold bands on their limbs. A few were captains, wearing striped headdresses and colorful layers of fabric over their own kilts. Mahado himself stood out even more, for he alone wore long robes and stood upon a large mound of stone, which lifted him a good foot or two above the heads of his companions.
"Remember the plan!" continued Mahado, dark eyes meeting every single other pair.
The guards and captains all bowed at his voice.
One of the captains stood up next to Mahado and raised a muscular arm --with his spear-- to the cloudy sky. "Listen up! High Priest Mahado will guard the interior of the tomb of Pharaoh Akunamunkano! Not one wild animal is even allowed to come close to the tomb, do you understand?" He lowered his voice to a commanding hiss. "And stay out of sight!"
"Yes, sir!" As one, every gaurd thrust his own spear up into the air.
Then, in a flash, they were all scrambling over rocks and the rough terrain. Only five gaurds solemnly remained.
Mahado remained silent as most of his loyal guards rushed away. The Ring upon his neck began to vibrate, drawing his attention as one of its pointy indicators rose and pointed upward toward the cliffs. The priest glanced up toward the hills off in the distance, sharp eyes narrowing. "Bakura..."
~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, oblivious that he had been spotted, Bakura finished the fruit (AN: actually, I'm pretty sure it was an onion; ancient Egyptians like onions ^_^*) he had been eating and peeked over a large boulder. He spotted the clashing forms of a few dark-skinned humans dressed in white. "So... they are back at the tomb..."
Years of hardened experience helped Bakura analyze the party below in ways that only the most brilliant --and ultimately, bored-- might. "Oh ho ho..." he murmured gleefully as he spotted the unique white robes of one tall individual. "There is a priest..." His amber eyes trailed over the flash of gold upon the priest's neck. "Ah, a Millennium Item. A *High* Priest, it is...!"
The High Priest came up to the tomb entrance, greeted briefly by two guards. He then ducked and disappeared into the depth of the doorway. Three more gaurds joined the first two, and the five stood faithfully by the small tomb entrance, awaiting the return of their High Priest.
"So the Priest wishes to observe the tomb..." observed Bakura, mind racing. He grinned. "And just five guards... Such a pity..."
Quickly, with grace the city-born Egyptians lacked, Bakura slinked over rocks and shrubbery toward the tomb, silent as a cat in its element. In just moments, suffering only a cut on a toe from a stubborn rock, the thief popped into existence behind the remaining gaurds. There were five surprised curses, and suddenly five bodies dropped painfully to the ground.
"Too easy..." murmured Bakura as he ducked into the tomb entrance.
A dark pathway, just big enough for one man and covered by hieroglyphics and praying gods, loomed ominously in front of him. The tomb robber, having been here before, simply walked past the warnings and curses without a single glance.
He emerged into a huge cavernous chamber. The path upon which he had been
walking on became a slim catwalk flanked at the end by huge statues of the late
Pharaoh, dressed in gold and glittering jewels. On either SIDE of the path,
however, was dark abyss, deep, painful drops designed to last a lifetime.
Bakura warily glanced around as his eyes adjusted to a sudden assault of brilliant light; something wasn't right.
It was then that he noticed that torches had been fully lit, illuminating the whole cavern in a warm, golden glow. And in the middle of the pathway, blocking his path to the heaps of jewels within the tomb itself, was the High Priest of the Millennium Ring, arms crossed and cape flapping to a nonexistent breeze.
Bakura scowled. "What the-- You...?"
"I've been waiting for you, Bakura," murmured the priest, casually brushing some long bangs out of his eyes.
Bakura's eyes darted backwards.
The light at the end of the corridor that led outside went suddenly pitch dark.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Quickly, seal the tomb!" cried voices on the other side. "The thief mustn't escape; 'tis the High Priest's orders!"
A wave of guards pushed a huge boulder over the tiny entrance, muscles straining and covered in sweat. The rock fell into place with a sickening crunch, followed by a few relieved groans from the gaurds.
"Stand the stone tablet!" a captain called.
A few guards pulled up into a place a huge tablet, three times as big as they, using a wheel and a few ropes. Slowly, the stone plate groaned and raised upward, as more and more gaurds joined in on the effort and the first few stumbling away with rope-burned hands.
The captain continued, grimly. "If the sun rises three times and High Priest Mahado's Ka appears on the tablet, then we are to keep the tomb sealed forever!"
There were a few gasps. More then a few guards looked pale.
"Sir, for one's Ka to appear on the tablet... he must first die!" cried one guard.
"They will destroy each other...!" realized another with panic.
The captain pursed his lips and was silent.
~*~*~*~*~*~
'No way out...' realized Bakura grimly as he glared at the High Priest. "Let me guess. The Pharaoh's body... It's not here, is it?" His voice betrayed only a slight amount of worry.
The white-adorned priest facing him let out a frighteningly calm chuckle. "Do you take us all for fools? No, it was *my* will to have the late Pharaoh be buried elsewhere. As for this tomb..." He looked around almost proudly. "This is *your* tomb, Bakura!"
"Ha! A bluff!" laughed Bakura. "I am the king of bandits! I will find a way out, but before I do, I'm going to take that pretty little ring of yours and leave you to die!"
"That would be useless! Even if you did take the M.Ring, you will not escape!" stated Mahado, face dead-panned. A shadow fell over his face. "Either *I* leave here alone, or we shall both die... I will make sure of it..."
"You must be joking! You and your little Magician with a growth problem? I'll destroy you in seconds!" snorted Bakura.
"Hmph. You assume too much, tomb robber," said Mahado quietly. A smile tainted his lips and he opened his arms to motion to the empty space around him. "Here, I can release my full power without injuring anyone."
"Full power...?" echoed Bakura, skeptically but cautiously.
Mahado picked up the M.Ring, which glowed faintly in his touch. (AN: this part of the dialogue is confusing, so u don't have to get it... I think this explains how Bakura gets stuck in the ring in the first place...) "You were right, Bakura," he said conversationally, as if they were talking about boring Greek spoons, "The M.Ring does indeed hold evil, but that evil was neutralized by the power of the Pharaoh and by my own powers, which I sealed inside. But if one without such abilities was to wear the M.Ring, their soul will be consumed in hellish fire, or be cursed to eternal darkness." Mahado eyed Bakura with his piercing gaze. "So, if you do indeed take my Item, or perhaps even escape here, which road will your soul take?"
Bakura flinched. "Enough talking! DIABOUNDOU!!"
The monster exploded out of a nearby wall, showering the two men with a rain of pebbles. Diaboundou was now HUGE, its wings tiny and shadowed compared to their master. The snake half of the demon, now a cobra with hood extended, had new, dark ebony scales, while the humanoid half now had dark stripes over its sickly-pale skin. The spikes sticking out of the creature's main head were now enormous and dangerously sharp, like a devil's horns. Gleefully, the monster reared up over its master, muscles rippling with barely-contained excitement.
Mahado narrowed his eyes. "What?! The creature's appearance has...changed!"
Bakura laughed a laugh that made the priest shiver. "Of course! My hatred has increased ten folds since I battled Pharaoh, so thus, Diaboundou evolved even more!"
To the tomb robber's surprise, Mahado seemed to smile. "Ah, seems I'm not the only one capable of that trick."
Bakura's eye twitched. "What?"
Mahado's eyes drifted closed. "Watch me unleash my power!" He crossed one arm over his chest and thrust the other upward. "COME OUT, MY KA!!" The air around him suddenly seemed to shimmer, and wisps of smoke wrapped themselves around their master and flew about in great waves.
Bakura was now feeling just the tiniest bit worried.
"MAGICIAN OF ILLUSIONS!!"
Mahado's Ring flashed a brilliant gold color.
In a cloud of black smoke that enveloped both Mahado and Bakura came the Magician of Illusions... only this time it has evolved as well. Its body was now that of a full-grown man's, elegant, muscular limbs robed proudly in sharp, purple-black armor. The Magician's robes flapped to invisible wind as its hazy, shimmering aura made the air crackle around it. The metallic green rod that it held in its hand was now a full sized staff, glowing dangerously with untamed power. From under the tall headdress were two glowing, slit-like eyes that glared at Bakura with as much hate and detest as a Shadow Monster could manage.
Bakura grinned. "Most impressive..." he muttered as his eyes trailed up and down the new Magician, who floated serenely just feet away. "Your Ka seemed to have gained great power..."
"This is my true power, locked away with the evil within the Millennium Ring..." explained Mahado quietly, eyes glowing faintly and robes hovering to an invisible updraft.
"Ha! True power or not, my Diaboundou will make you AND your new Ka sleep in this grave forever!" cackled Bakura.
"This tomb is completely sealed off! Kill me and you will still be doomed to eternal darkness, whether you take the Ring or not!" scowled Mahado.
"Ha! WATCH ME take that Ring of yours and escape! Watch me, I say!" Bakura pointed to the Magician. "DIABOUNDOU! ATTACK!!"
The cobra-head of Diaboundou, long fangs bared, shot at the Magician of Illusion faster then the eye could follow.
But the Magician was faster. Before the snake even blinked, it disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"What? Its *gone*?!" shrieked Bakura.
Muttering an incantation that Bakura could not understand, Mahado's eyes flashed an eerie green. "My Ka is called a magician for a reason, fool..."
The Magician reappeared behind a surprised Diaboundou and Bakura, both of whom turned too late. Rod out, the smaller monster sent a bomb of an energy attack into Diaboundou's arm, getting a pained roar in response. Before the wounded monster could react, the Magician disappeared once more.
"Second strike..." murmured Mahado, arms crossed against his chest as he continued to chant.
This time, the Magician appeared right in front of Diaboundou, and let forth a series of huge, smoking explosions upon the stunned monster, making it scream even louder.
"Gagh!" Bakura threw up his arms and his robes to protect himself.
"Final strike," whispered Mahado.
The Magician flew majestically upward and bombarded Diaboundou with a whole new wave of beams from above, each hitting dead on the spot. With a horrible roar, Diaboundou fell into the mist of smoke and dust.
Mahado's face was grim, but pleased. The Magician flew faithfully back to his side, floating just a foot away. Together they eyed the cloud of dust with silence.
Still, something unnerved Mahado. His glowing eyes scanned the ground before him as the smoke dissipated. "NO! Diaboundou! He's... disappeared!" The priest let out a string of curses that could have put Kaiba to shame. "That damned special ability of his!"
Suddenly, Bakura stepped out of the dust, completely untouched and grinning wildly. "Yes, it's a wonderful ability, isn't it? A trick your puny Magician can't manage, I'm sure..."
Mahado looked angry enough to burn with his gaze. "So..." he managed through gritted teeth, "You still live."
"Yes, but of course. I am a thief," stated Bakura calmly, as if that explained everything. He smiled, an evil glint in his eyes. "Therefore, I fight like a thief. TRAP OF BUTCHERING BLADES!" (AN: er, there was a different 'name' for this thing, but the words weren't found in any English dictionary, despite the fact it sounded like English... -_-*)
Only fast reflexes saved Mahado and his Ka. The two threw themselves a leap forward as four huge blades came swinging down around there. Mahado let out a surprised gasp. Moving at a rhythmic, heart-stopping beat, four huge triangle-shaped blades --each twice as big as Mahado himself-- were now lined up down the catwalk, three between themselves and Bakura, one behind them and the statues.
The young Priest found himself utterly helpless. A drop of sweat appeared on his brow as the trap swung dangerously close to him. He glanced around desperately and found that his long cape was already missing a few chunks off its end. (AN: Actually, I changed this a little. The blades were already THERE, designed for catching tomb robbers, but I'm not exactly sure how Bakura activated them, so I called them like a trap card ^_^ Yeah, to you guys that make da manga, why doesn't Mahado just call "Destroy Trap" or something?)
Mahado fought down panic. 'I'm trapped! My Magician is useless!' (AN: actually, why doesn't the Magician carry Mahado just fly? O_o I'm not making fun of my own work here, peeps, just commenting on the manga. ^_^)
"DIABOUNDOU!" cackled Bakura. "ATTACK FROM ABOVE!! PULVERIZE THEM!"
'From above? No!'
The demon roared gleefully and rose high above Mahado, who watched it with horrified, wide eyes. A ball of swirling energy gathered in the monster's claws, and shot forth with deadly accuracy at the helpless High Priest and his Magician.
Mahado could only watch as it came.
When it finally hit him, it was far worse then what he had imagined it to be. A human body was not meant to be in Shadow Games, and for good reason. Agonizing pain tore through the strands of his very body, ripping out of him agonizing scream after scream. It felt as if a thousand blades of the sharpest, thickest metal was being stabbed into his very flesh, only to be twisted and torn violently out, leaving liquid lava in its place.
Ra, it was beyond agony.
"AAAUUUUGGHHHHH!!!" Stars exploded behind Mahado's eyes, filling his vision with painful white.
The pain was only there for a second, but it felt like hours.
When the beam finally retracted, the Magician slumped limply from its flight, stagger upon its boots. Mahado was left moaning on his hands and knees, coughing weakly and watching with horror as smoke and blood came from within him. It was a long time before he regained any sense of feeling in his trembling limbs, and even longer before his ringing ears heard the swinging of the metal blades and the cackling of the tomb robber.
"Still alive? HA! Regret a thousand years in hell, priest! You cannot defeat me! AGAIN, DIABOUNDOU!!"
Again, a burst of crackling energy. The pain was worse this time. MUCH wore. Mahado collapsed to the ground, helplessly surrounded by energy that seemed to tear at his very soul with relentless flames and piercing lightening. He screamed and screamed until his voice gave, but still he cried out silently, body shuddering violently with tortured spasms. Overwhelming, stabbing pain invaded his senses, filling his mind with white hell.
But all the priest could think about was Yami, the young king he knew of as a trusted ruler and an old friend. Before his blinded eyes, the priest saw warm crimson eyes gazing fondly at him from above, as they must have done many times in their childhood. Through the storm of agonizing pain, there came the sensation of a warm, slender hand upon his head, silently offering friendship and reassurance in times of need. It seemed as if Horus himself, blinding in his beauty and majesty, seemed to have descended from the heavens, embracing the tortured priest with his angelic wings, coaxing peace into the man with soft, gentle hands. And for a beautiful, holy moment, the pain distanced itself until it was almost... bearable. Distant, as if Mahado was an observer to his own pain.
"Fulfill your duty, Mahado..." came the god's supernal voice... Only it was Yami's. And suddenly, when Mahado gazed dazedly upon the exquisite falcon-man before him, he saw the beaming face of the young Pharaoh of Egypt, his lips moving to the god's every word, his silky voice mingled --no, they were ONE-- with the deity's. Suddenly, it was Yami saying those words to his ears. It was Yami embracing him with soft, protective wings. It was Yami saving him, shielding him... "Do it, old friend..." And suddenly, the Pharaoh seemed to smile, wistfully, and began to fade from Mahado's mind. (AN: this did not happen in the manga. Would have been cool if it did, though... ^_^)
'N-No! Don't leave! Yami!! Horus?!... Please...!' Tears came to Mahado's eyes. Pain returned like a pile of hurtling brinks. "P-Pharaoh...!" the priest cried out before another scream ripped through him.
Diaboundo retracted his attack, eyes sparkling happily at the sight of the singed Magician and his fallen master on the ground.
"HA!" laughed Bakura, victoriously pumping a fist into the air. "Everything is going according to plan! I have killed one Priest, and will soon take his Item!"
"I-I won't let that happen..." came a weak voice.
Bakura froze, amber eyes opening wide as Mahado stirred and painfully began to climb to his feet. "W-What?! Still alive? You survived Diaboundou's attack?!"
Mahado let out a grim and painful laugh as he pressed a hand to his bloodied chest. "What, are you surprised?"
Bakura mumbled an inaudible answer.
"There are greater things in life then justice, Bakura," murmured Mahado, teeth clenched and face grimacing in pain. "Like friendship and loyalty, like that I have for Pharaoh Yami. He gave me a duty, and I will fulfill it," he murmured. "So this is why I am going to reveal to you--" he paused, tears in his eyes, voice suddenly faltering, "--a High Priest's last secret."
"What's that?!"
Mahado smiled through his tears. "Sacrificing my life; mending my soul with my Ka."
This took a second.
"WHAT??!" screamed Bakura.
Mahado painfully stood up tall, eyes and Ring flashing even brighter then before. He bowed with his fist to his heart, as if Bakura was Pharaoh. Then he looked up to the heavens with tearful eyes, murmuring incantations so ancient and sacred that they made Bakura shiver, though the tomb robber did not understand them.
Then, Mahado's voice trailed off as the spell's words drew to an end, ending with a strangled, though quiet, sob. A sad, peaceful look flashed across his face. "Pharaoh..." he whispered, a tear falling to the ground from his handsome cheek, "...My soul will be your eternal servant." 'I will do my duty.'
Then he threw himself into the trap blades.
Bakura let out an alarmed cry. (AN: U betcha I was sobbing my head off. This was only one scene, but it was SO graphic! THERE WAS SO MUCH BLOOD!! *shriek*)
Dark blood flew everywhere, drenching the gold and white of the former priest's attire with bright crimson. There was a terrible ripping sound, and jewelry went flying everywhere, along with the shreds of the priest's clothing. In the mist of it all, the Millennium Ring flew over the blades and to safety, untouched save a cut string and a few drops of blood upon its gold surface.
"Heh," chuckled the tomb robber after a stunned moment, wiping away some blood by his feet and picking up the Ring. (AN: u dun actually see this happening, but u assume he obviously does get the Ring somehow) "Fool. Impressively so, but still a fool. He sacrificed himself to the trap! Ha!"
Then the tomb robber froze.
Because at that moment, a beam of beautiful white energy shot up from bloody mass that was once Mahado and arced up toward the ceiling. For a moment it hovered there, shining in its magnificent glory. The fallen Magician of Illusions limply began to float upward, as if held in the arms of an invisible carrier. Then, gently, the beam of light descended toward it, wrapping around it like an embracing silk snake and disappearing within the openings of the monster's armor.
Bakura threw up his hands to protect his eyes from the blast of light that followed.
When the light faded, he dared to peek through his fingers. His blood froze cold in his body.
The Magician, which had fallen gently to the ground, was suddenly climbing surely to its feet. Its aura shimmered iridescently like that of an angel's, blinding Bakura's eyes and illuminating the gloomy cavern around them, making the torches pale in comparison. As the last of the mythical light was sucked into its armor, the smoking Magician floated proudly between the trap blades and the bloodied heap of human remains, slim body taunt, as if readying for revenge over its fallen master.
"No...No no no! Its not possible!" Bakura moaned. "His Ka... It's... s-still ALIVE??!" Only then did Bakura notice the hair that hung out from under the monster's helmet. 'Hair?! The Magician never had hair!!'
But indeed, there was hair. It was an unnatural shade of lavender, but nevertheless, it was definitely hair. Also, where there used to be empty black gloves, there was now a pair of large, Egyptian-bronzed hands gripping the Magician's staff. Bakura got the worst surprise when the Magician lifted its head; there was now a flawless, humanoid face complete with a pair of metallic-green eyes that glared at Bakura from under a triangle of purple bangs and long kohl lines.
Bakura squeaked. Though it took the thief a second to recognize him, there was suddenly no doubt about it; that was definitely the High Priest of the Millennium Ring. True, the hair and eyes were different colors, but the face now gazing impassively at him from under the Magician's armor was unmistakably Mahado's.
Fury and shock washed through Bakura in waves, and he growled. "So, the priest thought he could escape death by performing one last magic trick. Hmph. Lets seem him take this! DIABOUNDOU! ATTACK THAT RA-BLASTED MAGICIAN OF ILLUSIONS!!!"
Diaboundou roared and charged, as furious as its master.
'Mahado' raised his rod to the heavens for a second, calmly watching as the attack came. Then, quickly, he countered, bringing his staff down to Diaboundou's face. "DARK MAGIC ATTACK!!!" (AN: this is random, but in the manga it seems that Mahado/Dark Magician was one of the strongest monsters around; also, he could talk, which sucks cuz its more dramatic when he can't. :-p But who am I to argue against the YGO peeps? *falls to the ground in a bow* I AM NOT WORTHY!!)
Diaboundou was met with a blinding flash of negative energy, and with a mighty roar it flew backwards, slamming into Bakura and sending them both careening off the side of the catwalk.
"NNNOOOOooooo....!!" came the fading scream.
(AN: this little part is made up)
The new Magician's face was expressionless, save a smug glint in his emerald eyes, as he watched the tomb robber fall. Then, quietly and solemnly, the fallen spirit of High Priest Mahado held his rod to his chest and sank down to his knees. 'Pharaoh...' The spirit smiled, its green eyes satisfied and calm, 'I have fulfilled my duty; I am forever your servant...!'
And slowly, he began to fade from existence.
~*~*~*~*~*~
(AN: this happened, only I added the light beams of Ra)
Outside, the guards were nervous and jumpy. It was the third day, and they weren't too eager to see the results of the battle within the locked chamber.
But they found themselves drawn like moths to the large erect stone tablet that rested in their mist. At predawn, every single one of the faithful guards surrounded the tablet, faces grim in the dim light of a red desert sun.
Finally, nerve-wrackingly slow, Ra peeked over the top of the Theban Peak, resting a warm, beautiful gold blanket over them all.
Suddenly, the tablet itself seemed to shudder. Long rays of pure gold light, seemingly coming from Ra himself, struck it in all different places over its face. And slowly, right before the guards' stunned eyes, the light began to carve, burning away pieces of stone with loud hisses of smoke.
No one spoke or dared to move, their eyes glued to this divine miracle.
The light was so bright that it hid its drawing until the last moment, when it suddenly faded and left flashing stars before the guards' eyes.
"Look!" cried one guard.
The tablet had been truly touched by the hand of Ra. Upon it, engraved, was the graceful form of a humanoid monster, dressed in plates of armor and carrying a long rod. The anxious gaurds scrambled over themselves to peer closer. The face was definitely that of High Priest Mahado... or whomever he was.
Quickly, there was a sad, silent moment of shock.
Many gaurds looked away quickly, blinking to hide tears. Some, stunned, stared at the tablet in disbelief. Others hung their heads respectively, heaving sighs.
And still, no one said a word.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaiba was worried, as were all the High Priests. They were all sick of worrying, but they couldn't help it.
Yami hadn't spoken more then a dozen words since Mahado left, neither had he eaten very much. There were bags under his eyes that betrayed sleepless nights of tossing and turning. Every time one of the High Priest told him to relax, the Pharaoh simply replied that he would relax when Mahado was safely home and at no other time.
Quite frankly, Kaiba was sick of it. He was so sick of seeing Yami's affectionate ways toward Mahado that, had the other priest been home, he might have strangled the poor boy alive. Kaiba was also sick of fighting with his body every time he dreamed of a nice way to put Yami at ease. And he was VERY sick of twitching. Yes, twitching was getting on his nerves.
But he also noticed something odd.
Ishizu had said absolutely nothing in the three days of Mahado's absence. She had distanced herself from the others, only appearing when her presence was absolutely necessary. Kaiba caught her crying in a hallway once, but she had quickly composed herself, told him it was nothing, and had left very quickly. What was more bizarre was that she winced every time she saw Yami, as if he had some incurable disease that only she seemed to know about.
Kaiba cornered her one day, demanding to know what was wrong. It wasn't like Yami was unattractive or anything; Kaiba would beg to differ, with his handy --and SHARP-- M.Rod as an aide lest the offender needed more persuasion.
But when Ishizu's tearful blue eyes met his own, Kaiba suddenly knew. It hit him like a stone from the sky. Mahado's odd words at his parting suddenly echoed in his ears, and they made sense, horrible sense, for the first time.
Mahado wasn't coming back.
He himself knew it.
Ishizu knew it also. It was the curse of the bearer of the Millennium Necklace to see things far in the past or future and not be able to speak about them until the time was right. The Necklace had been merciless these few days, showing Ishizu memories of little Prince Yami and High Priest Apprentice Mahado running around the halls, laughing and shrieking and holding hands and tormenting old Akunadin.
Ishizue bravely wiped away tears and made Kaiba promise right there and then to keep the secret from Yami and to stay away from Akunadin, who's Eye would read their minds in a split second.
Though skeptical he could do either, Kaiba had agreed.
Ishizu then fled, sobbing. It was a depressing, if not shocking, sight; Ishizu was one of the calmest and strongest women alive in Egypt. To see her weep like so made even Kaiba worry.
He, at first, felt nothing, just shock. Then came a deep self-hate and a large cascade of guilt. Kaiba used to hate Mahado because he always stood up for Yami, and always took delight in bothering the older boy. Recently, Kaiba hated him for being so devoted to Yami, and seemingly leaving no space in the young king's heart for Kaiba.
But how could you hate someone that made such an honorable sacrifice? How could you hate such a selfless person? How could you hate such a good, such a loyal, such a courageous man?
And how the bloody hell was Yami going to take this?
Those were the questions that ran through Kaiba's head as he stood by Yami on the restored Throne Room. (AN; fast rebuilding, eh?)
It was the third day. The day Mahado was to return... or was suppose to. (AN: I just noticed something... Wouldn't it take the guards/Mahado WEEKS to get down to Thebes/Valley of the Kings and back? O_o)
Yami was evidently anxious, long fingers gripping the armrests of his throne so tightly that they turned pale from lack of circulation. The five remaining High Priests flanked him on the throne steps, two grim, three ignorantly hopeful.
'This will be a bad day,' decided Kaiba, heart heavy. He had to admit that he never cared for Mahado much, but then again, losing a High Priest comrade was not something that brought joy to his heart. In fact, he had NEVER lost a fellow High Priest... Mahado, however annoying he was to Kaiba, would be the first. 'Damn that Mahado. Its his bloody fault that he got killed! Not my problem! I *can't* cry!' scolded Kaiba to himself, blinking madly every time the courageous and handsome face of Mahado popped back into memory. (AN: aw, Seto has a soft side!)
He glanced at Yami's childishly-hopeful expression and felt his heart wrench painfully. 'Ra, this will be a *very* bad day!'
Then came the guards.
Every single one of the men flanked a large stone tablet of which they slowly and silently dragged into the room. Most looked as if they had gone through the Afterlife and back dragging themselves on their stomach. The captains refused to look up, faces hidden behind the flaps of their striped headdress. Many of the men were shuffling, as if they were staggering from lack of sleep.
They bowed deeply, as one, and stepped aside to reveal the whole tablet. Engraved upon it was, at first glance, the Magician of Illusion, standing majestically profile with rod tightly held in one hand.
Kaiba felt Yami inhale sharply. The priest himself, despite what he knew, found himself lapsing into shock.
For long moments, there was no visible or audible reaction from anyone, not even Kaiba or Yami.
Finally, Kaiba squinted, heart heavy. 'Was that a... face?' And suddenly the world seemed to crash down upon his shoulders. Any doubt that Ishizu's Necklace had been wrong --highly doubtful-- or that Ishizu had been lying --even more doubtful-- fled the vicinity, leaving a painful throb of panic and anguish in its place.
It was even more quiet, quite suddenly. No one dared to move, nor dared to speak. The guards bowed their heads, unwilling to meet the questioning gazes of their superiors. Ishizu looked away, very abruptly and very quickly. Shimon looked like he was having a soundless heart attack. The other High Priests looked at each other with hopeless confusion --Kaiba grimly faked it-- while those that realized immediately what this meant --Akunadin, for example-- instinctively bowed their heads in respect.
After another moment of silence, in which Kaiba felt he was either going to scream out the truth to those too dense to realize it or simply choke on all the muffled emotion in the vicinity, Yami stiffly stood. His eyes were wide with disbelief, his breath ragged and fast as if he was having trouble breathing. Slowly, the Pharaoh made his way down the steps and toward the tablet, usually graceful legs moving awkwardly as if dragged by pounds of metal.
There was the quick shuffling of feet as the guards parted respectively for him, falling to knee bows on the sides of their makeshift path.
And still, no words were uttered.
When Yami reached the tablet, he just stood there and stared at it for a few stunned moments, pure incredulity scrawled across his face. Trembling, he reached out to touch the cold marble surface
Again, a celestial voice from the grave was brought to his ears by an invisible wind. "Pharaoh, my soul is your eternal servant..."
"Mahado..." whispered Yami, voice as shaky as a newborn lamb's. "Your death will not be in vain..." (AN: Everything in this chapter past here is made up, partly cuz they don't react with emotion at all in the manga. ^_^) Then, slowly, the young Pharaoh leaned his forehead against the tablet, slumped his body and quietly began to weep.
In the silent Chamber, his sobs were amplified and heard by everyone.
The sound tore at the very frabic of Kaiba's soul.
"So it is true then..." sighed Akunadin, shuddering as he said the words. "Mahado is dead." The elderly man suddenly looked defeated, older then his age. His slim shoulders slumped and he heaved another trembling sigh. Ra, he had raised and loved that boy as if he was his son...
At this, Ishizu burst into heartfelt tears. "Mahado... Poor boy!" she moaned over and over.
Shadi was quiet and stiff as a board, his expression betraying absolutely nothing. Karimu, on the other hand, began to laugh one of those giddy, frightened laughs that one might give when being held at blade point. That laugh soon died in his throat when he realized no one else was laughing with him. The poor priest then began to cough before starting to hyperventilate with long raspy breaths.
Kaiba felt as if he couldn't breath either; the grief in the room was growing to unbearable limits. He found his voice and forced it to be steady, though it was harder then he thought to do so. "Is Bakura dead?" he demanded, his commanding tone breaking the soft sobs that were now catching on throughout the Chamber.
A few guards looked up uneasily.
"Sir... we aren't sure..." one started uneasily, "We were suppose to leave the tomb closed forever."
Kaiba fought down impatience. "What about the Millennium Ring? Was that salvaged?"
Again, the guards looked troubled.
"Sir... We didn't look in the tomb. We weren't allowed to!"
Kaiba opened his mouth to continue, but felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to meet the distressed gray eyes of his father.
"Give it a rest, my son. Now is a time for mourning, not for our duties." said Akunadin softly.
Kaiba reopened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out but a sigh. He bowed his head. "Yes, Father," he mumbled quietly.
Akunadin then glided over to Yami, who was now upon his knees and had his torso slumped against the tablet, slender chest rocked by genuine sobs. The elderly man settled a comforting hand on his nephew's head, affectionally rubbing the thick hair there in a soothing, fatherly way. "He will be greatly missed..." sighed the High Priest.
Yami said nothing. Diamond tears continued to trail liquid tracks down his proud cheeks from the deep shadows that covered his eyes.
Kaiba left his three mourning companions and found himself beside his father and cousin, neither of which gave him more then a glance. Here Kaiba found himself in a rather awkward dilemma; to comfort Yami in front of his father, or to merely stand there and look like an idiot? He coughed uncomfortably, fingers begging to touch Yami but mind deciding that probably wasn't the best option. "He... was brave," managed the young priest finally, fighting the urge to gather Yami in his arms and kiss away those rare tears. "He took his training to heart." '...Erm, maybe that wasn't the most thoughtful thing to say...'
Yami's shoulder shook with bitter chuckling, a low, demonic sound. "Hmph. You never did care about him much, Kaiba," he stated quietly, accusation felt by all but not heard.
Kaiba flinched as if physically hit. "Well... He's not that bad, I suppose," he said quietly. "It was an honorable death. He died for his kingdom, for his king... It would be how he wanted to go." These words brought a pang of envy from Kaiba even as he felt guilty for saying them; he never really considered the option, but he was sure that *he* would also willingly sacrifice his life if it meant saving Yami's. 'Mahado just beat me to it, that's all...'
"He gave up his life... for me," murmured Yami, patting the tablet with trembling fingers in a fashion he might have done to Mahado's shoulder. "Ra, I could not ask for anything more from him..." he whispered, more tears streaming down his darkened cheeks.
"Let us hope that his sacrifice stopped Bakura, at least," mused Kaiba, before he quickly shut himself up with the disapproving glare his father shot him.
Yami suddenly stood, spinning on Kaiba with the fiery eyes and the taunt hunch of an angered tiger. "Fool!" he hissed; if he caught Kaiba's visible cringe, he gave it no thought, "Bakura is not so easily defeated! He is still alive, wandering the Red Lands of the Desert with Mahado's Ring! I can feel it. I *know* it so."
Kaiba gulped, courage bidding him farewell to commit suicide in the Nile. Yami was scary when he was calm; he was BEYOND scary when he was angry. "B-but how did he esc--" stammered the High Priest meekly.
Yami threw up his hands angrily. "The passing-through-walls ability! Isn't that obvious?" Ah, again, Yami's brilliant mind found the answer before anyone else. Impressive, though not exactly the best time to be admired for it.
All the High Priests watched, stunned, as Yami turned and stormed away in a blur of silvery color. Shimon and a few guards scrambled after their young ruler, who's normally light, feathery glide was audibly replaced by heavy, rapid stomps.
Silence.
Kaiba and Akunadin eyed each other awkwardly.
Finally, the elder priest sighed and rubbed his temples. He absent-mindedly waved his free hand at the guards. "Take the tablet away."
Silently, mournfully, the men did as they were told.
Akunadin slowly made his way back toward the now-empty throne, gathering a sobbing Ishizu in his arms and trying in vain to stop her tears. Karimu was now silent, stunned into shock. Shadi, however, watched Kaiba with a scrutinizing, almost condemning glare.
Kaiba looked away, irritated. 'Why is the whole world against me today?' He glanced at the shrinking form of the tablet. 'So, Mahado's dead. Just dandy. And Bakura's alive. Great. And he has the Ring. Even greater. Ra, someone up there must hate us...' Kaiba suddenly felt a strong urge to prang his forehead against the wall, tear out a nice chunk of his hair, and throw his Millennium Rod into the wall. 'Maybe this whole thing is just a bad dream...'
However, the poor Millennium Rod --and ultimately, the wall-- was spared when Shimon ran back into the Chamber, panting and eyes wide with panic. "Pharaoh's gone!"
"What?!" Akunadin stood, along with a stunned Ishizu.
"He's gone! The guards saw him exiting the Palace!"
Kaiba was shocked. "He must be going after Bakura himself!!" he exclaimed before he even considered his own words. 'Ra, he's not THAT foolish...' reasoned the priest uselessly to himself, before he threw up his hands. 'Aw, who am I kidding?'
"Its too dangerous out there!" croaked Karimu, voice choked a few octaves too high.
"And its raining!" added an alarmed Shimon.
Shadi was the only calm --and relatively sane-- one in a time like this. He rushed past Kaiba. "Hurry!" the young priest yelled over his shoulder to his startled companions. "If we get our horses, we can still catch up to him!"
"No!" Kaiba even startled himself with how calm and how loud his own voice was.
Silence.
Every eye turned warily on him. Shadi screeched to a stop at the doorway, confused gray eyes glancing backwards at Kaiba as if the said priest had grown feathers from his eyebrows.
Kaiba gulped and made sure his voice was steady before he spoke. "If anyone can ride a horse anywhere as fast as Yami can, it's going to be me. None of you stand a chance of catching him." He winced. 'Okay, well, that's not stretching the truth TOO much...' He WAS the closest person to Yami's skill, but in their childhood Yami had beaten him racing more times then Kaiba would like to admit.
Akunadin nodded grimly. "Then you go, Seto. We'll follow, just in case."
~*~*~*~*~*~
'The gods hate us,' realized Kaiba suddenly as he charged out one of the royal stable. 'Or at least they hate *me*.'
Everything seemed to be against him. Yami had taken the fastest stallion there was, so the chance of catching him was slimmer then Kaiba would have liked, knowing that the Pharaoh was so good at riding and all. That same chance was even SMALLER now that Nut decided to cry a waterfall. Visibility was down to a few feet at best, making the priest take on the unpleasant journey using only his memory and fast reflexes. The winds were absolutely merciless, bringing stinging horizontal rain, a horrible chill and the chance of staying ON the damn horse too far down for Kaiba's liking. The priest was now soaked, freezing, and NOT HAPPY. Not to mention the robes that he wore were now a thousand pounds in weight and feeling very uncomfortable on top of a galloping horse.
'Damn, I should have at least changed into my hunting attire,' sighed Kaiba. He had taken off his headdress, who's height would have made it IMPOSSIBLE for it to stay on his head, but now he was starting to regret it, for his brown hair was now rather like a soaked black mop. Irritably, he tucked the wet Millennium Rod into his belt, praying that it wouldn't gut him alive. This left both hands free to hang on to the rein, which brought a small amount of comfort to balance back the huge amount of discomfort.
"Damn him!" muttered Kaiba. He reached the outer Gates of the Palace and looked up through the pouring rain and the cloudy pre-night sky. Though freezing raindrops seemed to take pleasure aiming for his pupils, Kaiba could make out a few guards near the top of the Gates. "You there!" he half-barked, half-roared, "Did you see His Majesty come through here?"
The gate was opening for him as he spoke, and one guard yelled down, "Yes sir! He went straight down the road! We tried to stop him, but he ordered us to open the gate!"
Kaiba grumbled a reply and charged out of the Palace at a neck-breaking speed. Rain drops felt like pebbles as they slammed on to his face, turning it dumb with its impact and the chill they brought. "Damn him!" hissed Kaiba again as his spooked horse charged through the main city road.
Thankfully, the road was deserted by now, or otherwise a few stray citizens might have gotten run over by an angry High Priest and his horse. Palm trees, carts, and box-shaped building were a blur as Kaiba charged past, head and shoulders bowed against the relentless rain. It was dark in the city, without the Palace torches. In the distance, the growing storm revealed a dancing array of lightening bolts, none of which comforted Kaiba any more then he wanted to be struck by them.
How long he rode was unknown. It could have been minutes; it could have been hours. The only thing Kaiba knew was that he had long left the city behind and ended up navigating by childhood memories, light from distant lightening and the occasional hoofprint in the mud. Buildings disappeared behind him to reveal long stretches of damp desert in the distance and clumps of vivid flora against the sudden green of Kemet, the Black Lands of the Nile Valley. The scene would have been nice, if the world was just a little drier and it wasn't so damn dark.
A flash of close-by lightening startled Kaiba's horse for a moment, though the priest soon urged it to continue its break-necking speed. 'Okay, so its not that dark. Joy,' thought Kaiba sarcastically, grimly. 'Thank you, Ra, for that wonderful show of mercy!'
But he didn't stop to admire anything; he was cold, wet, annoyed, and now desperately worried.
If anything happened to Yami, Kaiba would never forgive himself, not matter HOW stupid that damn Pharaoh acted. Though, he had to admit, *he* had done much more brash things.
Then Kaiba heard a very frightening and yet very familiar sound.
The Nile. Through the rain and the occasional flash of light from above, Kaiba could see that it was overflowing with the extra rain. The dark waves crashed over poor clumps of papyrus and sent sprays of water everywhere.
'A flash flood. Great, just what I need...' Teeth chattering despite his attempt to clench them in anger, Kaiba steered his horse down the muddy Nile banks, absent-mindedly stopping the poor creature from nibbling on papyrus reeds with a sharp tug of his wrist.
The priest was feeling frantic. He could see next to nothing without the lightening, and he knew that he would soon become ill if he stayed out here any longer. He heard no signs the others were anywhere near where he was, and being so close to the Nile during a flood was never a good thing.
Steering his horse high up to better ground, Kaiba let out a desperate shout over the roaring of the Nile waters. "YAMI!!"
His voice didn't make it past three feet before the storm and the river consumed it.
Kaiba was now feeling VERY worried. Picking a direction, he kicked his horse in the flank and sent it galloping down the side of the river. Sapphire eyes blinking madly in the rain, Kaiba scanned his surroundings and found nothing. 'Ra, where the hell is he?'
He cursed again. Being Pharaoh, Yami had a connection to ALL the Items, not just the Puzzle, so it was very probable that he could sense where the Ring was moving. Which, of course, could be anywhere, since Egypt was some one thousand miles long, give or take a few hundred cities.
'But to get away from the city, you would first have to pass the Nile before you go anywhere...' remembered Kaiba.
As if on cue, there was a bright flash of lightening and he spotted a moving form in the distance, on the banks of the Nile. Heart rising up to his throat in both joy and panic, he charged toward it and was able to make out a rider and his horse, who skittishedly trotted back and forth along the Nile banks as if meaning to cross it and yet not able to figure out HOW to do so.
Warm relief flooded Kaiba's senses, but along with it came annoyance. DEEP annoyance. "YAMI!" he barked, as he got near.
The rider looked up, startled, and Kaiba caught a flash of crimson eyes and tri-colored hair in the gloomy rain.
"Let me be, Kaiba!" roared Yami, furious.
"What, so I can let you commit suicide? Ra, come back to the Palace! We can sort things out!" called Kaiba, feeling rather awkward. He sounded like he was trying to convince a little child about something impossible in the first place. Arg, he never was a fan of reasoning in the first place anyway. He would much like to resort to punches before ANY kind of parenting skills got to HIM.
"Sort things out?!" cried Yami, twinkling scarlet eyes tearful even in the rain. "Mahado's dead! Bakura killed him! And I'm going to kill that blasted tomb robber even if it's the last thing I do!"
"Killing Bakura isn't going to bring Mahado back!" roared Kaiba.
Yami froze, and for a moment, heartbreaking agony flashed before his ruby eyes. The Pharaoh looked away, angrily. "Its time I finish what Mahado started," he managed finally, voice shaking.
"Are you mad? You can't cross the river! The gods themselves seem to forbid it!"
"Watch me!" To prove his courage, Yami dug his heels into his horses haunches, who hesitantly began to trot toward the flooding waters.
Desperately, Kaiba charged at Yami and flung himself off his horse. It was pure chance that his aim was on target. With a painful 'oof', the two slammed into each other and landed quite a distance away from the horses, directly --and thankfully, saving their spines from a hard impact-- in a thick mound of mud.
"Get off of me!" shouted Yami with the strength of a child throwing a temper tantrum. (AN: that's strong, by the way) "I command you; get your hands off me!"
"Sorry, I'm overriding that command for now!" Kaiba struggled with the slippery form of his cousin and tried to wrestle him to the ground. 'Ra, if you have any more mercy to give, hold Horus back so he doesn't strike me down with lightening...! That is, if his reincarnation doesn't kill me first...'
It was disgusting, really. Both of them were and covered in water and slimy mud, their beautiful robes now utterly the color of soaked brown. White bolts of lightening revealed that both of their faces were an odd mix of red and white, face stung by the impact of raindrops and yet pale from the chill.
"I have to do this for Mahado!! You don't understand my guilt, nor my pain! I *need* to do this, Kaiba!" Another flash of lightening lit up Yami's flawless face, which was torn between expressions of heartfelt anguish and utter fury.
"Mahado wouldn't want you to do this!"
"You never cared for him, Kaiba!" accused Yami, angry tears mending with the rain and fists practically punching his taller cousin. "Mahado was my best friend! But you never cared! You hated him!"
Kaiba decided to avoid that comment and let it slide. "Stop this madness!" he cried, using his superior strength to hold a wildly-struggling Yami back to the ground. "STOP IT!" (AN: they really are immature. -_-* Yes, it has occurred to me that Kaiba would just use his Rod to brain control Yami, but I'm pretty sure that the Puzzle can easily override that...)
"Let go!"
"No! I have to take you back to the Palace!"
"Try to!"
"I am! Ow, that was my ear!"
"GET OFF!"
It was an attempt to shut the Pharaoh up, really. Or it could have been a muscle spasm.
Whatever it was, it made Kaiba lose what little control he had. The next thing he knew, he was pressing his lips to the king's. Hard.
Yami went very still, very fast. Any effort to get away suddenly seemed abruptly forgotten, if not abandoned completely.
Kaiba was very well aware that this wasn't right, especially not HERE of all places. But his body betrayed him and abandoned all logical thoughts.
Desperately, he crushed his lips to Yami's, feeling the soft lips --already wet and slippery from the rain-- go slack under his ministrations. He sucked fiercely on the lower lip, feeling it open more --willingly, or in shock-- to allow Kaiba's hot tongue to dart in and meet the Pharaoh's. Hesitantly at first, their tongues began to duel in a mad, passionate dance.
The sensation was immediate.
The kiss was wet, hot, and urgent. Oh, dreadfully urgent. One of them moaned, though it was impossible to tell which.
Time suddenly did not seem to matter. How long they held each other like long lost lovers and how long they kissed seemed like forever. The rain continued to pour, only to excite the two with their wet contact.
Kaiba could have swore he died and went to heaven. He didn't care who saw them in their awkward position, nor if they were recognized, nor if those same witnesses cared. He was kissing Yami, of all wonderful beings, and that was all that mattered. The pyramids could have collapsed right then and there --they were only a few miles away, actually-- and he wouldn't give a damn.
But just then, a particularly large boom and a flash of lightening from above made them both jump. Yami pulled away instantly, jolting them both into reality.
For a long, awkward moment they stared at each other through the roaring of the storm, sapphire eyes upon ruby ones, noses just inches away and hair dripping with mud and rainwater. One of the Pharaoh's hands had sank into Kaiba's hair while the other gripped the gold collar around Kaiba's neck as if the taller man was a life saver that needed to be held close. Someone couldn't have separated them with a machete if they wanted to.
Kaiba found it very hard to think coherent thoughts as he gazed at the treasure --very WET treasure-- he had in his arms. Yami's eyes were glazed over with a dazed, stunned look, his cheeks flushed with blood and his breath came in short pants. The rain wasn't helping matters; it only made the Pharaoh look more delicious.
Yami hesitantly licked his bruised lips, unknowingly sending Kaiba's internal temperature spiking with that movement. The Pharaoh suddenly seemed very aware of their odd situation. Panic replaced lust in his eyes, and his panting suddenly became even faster. "I..." His crimson eyes flickered between disbelief and confusion. "I-I think... we should go back now..." he mumbled finally, looking away.
Kaiba blushed madly even as his heart tore with those words. He opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out.
Finally, dazed, the two awkwardly separated from each other and stumbled to their horses, somehow managing to get on them despite their soaked outfits and shivering hands.
Kaiba fought an internal war with himself whether to apologize, bring up the kiss, or *something*. But his mouth seemed overwhelmed by the changing commands of his mind and decided to stay firmly shut. Still... 'Ra, I kissed him. I. Kissed. Him!' Okay, *that* wasn't a bad thing.
THE BAD THING was that Yami was just as quiet as he. During the whole awkward ride back, the king acted as if nothing happened. Despite the mud and the rain soaking him through, he remained passively silent and stolid, not so much glancing back at Kaiba or even acknowledging the presence of the heart-broken priest behind him. There was a few times that Kaiba thought Yami had charged ahead without him, only to be --somewhat-- relieved when lightening lit up the stiff form of the young king upon his horse, riding only slightly ahead at an unwavering pace.
Kaiba closed his eyes and licked his own bruised lips, wondering for a crazed moment if that whole thing had been just a day dream. But the passion, the heat, the sensuality... He still tasted the sweet, husky flavor of Yami's mouth and lips... Surely he couldn't have imagined the whole thing? No, it seemed too real. 'I should have told him I loved him...' thought Kaiba desperately, but again, his lips seemed weary of his mind's pondering and said nothing.
But what if Yami didn't return his feelings, and now angrily thought Kaiba merely took advantage of him in his deranged state?
'But then why did he kiss me back?'
~*~*~*~*~*~
[1] - okay, another one of my ancient Egypt rants. The Valley of the Kings is an actual valley across the Nile from Thebes/Waset and is where most of the New Kingdom Pharaohs (like Tut) were buried. Now, if we go by the manga timing of 1000-ish B.C (3000 years ago) this would be fine. In the manga, Yami (in another chapter where Grandpa finds the M.Puzzle) was definitely buried here, as stated by the characters and frames themselves. However, if we go by the YGO SHOW'S timing, of 3000-ish B.C near the very beginning of Egypt, there was no way that Thebes would have been a major city, nor would there be any way of the Pharaohs of that time knowing about the Valley of the Kings. ANYWAY, the manga screwed up all that, so Akunamunkano was most definitely buried in the Valley of the Kings (I can tell by the background when Mahado was talking to the guards outside the tomb). Yami, too, was buried here (it was clearly stated in one frame, like one of those maps of Egypt with a star saying 'You Are Here!' kind of thing) though his tomb was never fully opened because everyone that tried (save Grandpa/Shimon) died in all the booby traps and curses put on it.
~~~~~AUTHORS NOTE~~~~~
Wow, okay, that was... abrupt! I know the kiss was really random, but that kind of thing happens in movies all the time and I thought it might be a welcomed twist for you guys. ^_^ HA! I bored the hell out of u guys for the first half of the chapter (any Mahado fans now? *raises hand desperately*) and (hopefully) made it up to u guys at the end. :-p By the way, *I* did not write/draw the manga (I worship those people that did) so therefore its not my fault if there's lots of plot holes and stuff that could be easily solved but wasn't. Ex of plot 'bumps'; why on earth didn't Yami fight Bakura FIRST, and (I used logic to assume with the whole special ability thing) HOW on earth did Bakura get out? And he never picked up the M.Ring! But he ends up with it? O_o Don't blame me man!!
By the way, you probably noticed that I'm steering away from a Mahado(D.M)/Yami relationship mainly because its so dreadfully easy to make a love triangle and one, this is my first yaoi pic and I am SO not ready (nor willing) to have a love triangle tossed in here, and two, the Dark Magician seems too good of a friend/protector for Yami and I don't want to crush any kid's dreams here or anything (a coupling might scar them for life). But STILL, I mean, judging by that whole Arkana thing and how loyal Mahado is in the manga, its almost TOO obvious to see some kind of Yami/D.M(Mahado) thing going on... Heh, I'm getting ideas, man! ^_^*
+++Next Ch. Preview+++: Everybody (that includes Yami) gets DRUNK!! And they (meaning Y/K) get laid!! As in sleeping! With! Each! Other! HAHAHA!! (about time, eh? :-p however, I'm still working on it so it might be more then the usual week between updates... *sniffle* SORRY! I swear, I'll try my hardest to get it up as soon as I can!)
REVIEW PEOPLE!! You like?! "PRESS DA GODDAMN BUTTON!!" (from Rush Hour ^_^)