Sorry for the delay. I was on vacation, white water paddling. I fully
know the feeling when dam networks don't show new episodes, so I'm gonna
try and get the next one up soon.
I am proud of the riddle in this chapter. Anyone who raises the point that it rhymes even though it was translated from ancient Egyptian will die a slow and painful death. C So there. I have always thought that Yugi was smarter than he is made out to be a lot of the time, hence this chapter. You don't get to be that good at a strategy game by being stupid, anyway... OK, I've rambled on for long enough, u can read for urselves.
Chapter 8
Yugi walked up the steps to the dark wall inside its arch, making sure not to get too close to the smooth stone.
'What are you doing?' asked Tea.
'The Professor said that this was in an old regional dialect, so he couldn't translate it,' he replied, pointing above him to the three lines of writing - the only markings on the dark stone. 'But I bet Yami can.'
'Well, it's worth a try.'
Yugi felt Yami's presence in his mind, using his eyes, and waited for a response.
// It... doesn't make a lot of sense, you know. //
/ What do you mean? What does it say? /
// It's a riddle of some sort. Which implies that either the magic in this wall could be dangerous in the wrong hands, or that only those with a need to know would be able to figure it out. //
/ Just tell me anyway. /
// It says: I see you though I have no eye, You who hide in dream and lie, Know - two in one will not pass by. //
/ Hmmm. /
'Well, Yuge, what's the story?'
Yugi snapped out of the trance-like state he had been in, and turned back to face his friends. He related what Yami had told him.
Joey shook his head.
'Well, that's about as clear as mud. If anyone wants me, I'll be dusting walls,' he said unhappily.
Slightly disappointed, the others also returned to their work, but Yugi couldn't tear his eyes away from the wall that only seemed even more mysterious. The lines kept playing over in his head, demanding attention. He muttered them to himself, a look of intense concentration on his face.
'Two in one will not pass by... two in one.. like me and Yami?' he realized.
He recited the rest of the poem again... it fitted. The riddle wasn't one with an answer; it was trying to explain the purpose of the wall. Apparently, its magic could sense if there were two separate entities in one physical body, and would not allow such a union to get past. So there must be a 'past' to get to. Which meant that here, in plain sight, was the doorway that Arthur had been talking about - the passageway to the Black Range. But if it would only refuse entrance to Yugi, why wouldn't it open for any of the others?
// You could be right. Spells like this were used as a defense against demons that could possess someone to gain access to valuable or powerful areas - but they weren't common. This is very strong, complex magic and it has survived time well. I imagine that only more magic will open the doors. //
/ Well, we can probably forget about it, then. You're the only one who can work magic like that, and it won't let us past. /
// Yes.. Yugi, don't touch it, but put out your hand so that it's near the wall and concentrate on the magic coming from the stone. //
Yugi shut his eyes and slowly extended a hand until it was centimeters away from the dark surface. Then he let it fall.
/ It got stronger.. it was like a surge, the closer I got. /
// The spell is probably touch-activated, then. It won't let people like us past, so there are probably defenses to keep them away. //
/ Can you tell what they are? /
// No. It could be anything from a mild shock, to... well, something worse. //
Yami didn't say it, but Yugi got the distinct impression that there were nasty superstitions about Egyptian curses for a reason. At least the others were safe.
'Yugi, are you _still_ trying to figure out this wall?'
Tea had walked up behind him and he hadn't even heard her.
'Yeah... I guess I can't help it. It's so fascinating - a mystery that no one else has even seen, apart from us.'
Tea laughed.
'You're starting to sound like Professor Hawkins, getting so passionate about what happened thousands of years ago.'
She ran a hand along the dark stone, and Yugi bit back a nervous gasp. Nothing happened. The magic hadn't responded to her touch like it had to his. At least he knew that he had been right in that respect.
'Are you all right?' she asked, seeing the scared expression that he hadn't been able to hide fast enough.
'I'm fine. Maybe you're right, maybe I am getting a bit obsessed about this.'
'Maybe we should all take a coffee break,' said Tristan who, seeing them, came up the steps.
'Yeah! Let's ditch and go... make sandcastles or something.' Joey threw down his brush to make the point. 'I could use a break.'
'A coffee break? We don't have any coffee and besides, you took one of those half an hour ago!'
'That was a _tea_ break, Tea. And if there's none of that either, it's not our problem,' smiled Tristan patronizingly.
Instead of taking offence, she just shrugged.
'Oh well, I won't argue. To tell the truth, a break sounds great. We're not machines... well, most of us,' she added, glancing over at Kaiba who was still tapping away. 'And Grandpa and the Professor should be back with lunch soon.'
Just then a warm breeze blew in from the stone doors, rustling papers and blowing dust and sand. It caught one sheet from the top of a pile and sent it sailing, drifting and turning in the sudden current of air, over to the far side of the room where Tea, Tristan and Yugi were standing.
'I got it!' yelled Joey, sprinting after the paper and taking the steps two at a time. He leapt to snatch at the hovering sheet.
'Yes!' he cried, successfully snagging a corner, then stumbled as he landed, backed into Tristan, tripped and fell backwards into Yugi, who lost his balance and...
..fell against the wall. (me: Yeah, u guessed it.)
'Whoa, sorry... ' Joey started to apologize from his position on the floor, but his sheepish grin faded when he saw the look of terror on Yugi's face.
'I can't move!'
Yugi's back was touching the stone, as were his arms and hands as he had instinctively tried to steady himself. He was straining against it, but couldn't break the contact - some invisible force was holding him fast. Before anyone could say anything or move to help him, a line of light snaked its way around the edge of the points of contact, and flared. The others fought to keep looking, but the light was impossibly bright against the black stone and was now streaming from the letters as well. The stone seemed to be rippling, like the dark surface of a pond, and a low rumbling shook the room.
Yugi felt the magic of the wall, direct and sharp like a tool, searing through his mind and body, setting every nerve afire and cutting through every defense. He threw back his head and screamed, but it was only a background noise against the roaring of the flames in his mind. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe... it was tearing him apart.
Joey shielded his eyes with his arm from the glare, and started to head towards Yugi. He could just see if he didn't look directly into the light... but there was something else in front of him, something transparent like a half-formed image or a ghost... he could have sworn that it became clearer even as he watched.
Suddenly, the light gave a final flare and guttered out. Yugi sank to the floor, free from whatever had held him, coughing and gasping for air. The sudden silence seemed to echo in the room.
The others stood, wide-eyed and speechless, unable to believe what stood before them. The spirit of the millennium puzzle opened his eyes and swept the room with his calm gaze. Then he turned and knelt by the smaller boy.
'Yugi, are you all right?'
Yugi nodded his head, unable to speak for the moment. Then, perhaps realizing that the question had been voiced rather than thought, he opened his eyes and looked up, disbelieving.
'Yami?' he asked weakly.
The spirit smiled, but before he could reply, a noise was heard behind them. They all turned to see... Seto Kaiba, a look of pure shock on his face and a finger pointed at Yami. The computer was far behind him, left forgotten.
'What.. on earth... is going on?' he asked slowly.
Behold, my way of separating them! ...no matter how much it traumatizes Kaiba! (notes Kaiba fans in audience) 6^__^ um, just kidding! Kaiba's cool, he'll get over it. Not quite sure what's gonna happen next, but I'm getting to Bakura so don't worry! Next time: Open the door, I guess... anyway, thankyou for reading! Please excuse my meaningless ramblings!
I am proud of the riddle in this chapter. Anyone who raises the point that it rhymes even though it was translated from ancient Egyptian will die a slow and painful death. C So there. I have always thought that Yugi was smarter than he is made out to be a lot of the time, hence this chapter. You don't get to be that good at a strategy game by being stupid, anyway... OK, I've rambled on for long enough, u can read for urselves.
Chapter 8
Yugi walked up the steps to the dark wall inside its arch, making sure not to get too close to the smooth stone.
'What are you doing?' asked Tea.
'The Professor said that this was in an old regional dialect, so he couldn't translate it,' he replied, pointing above him to the three lines of writing - the only markings on the dark stone. 'But I bet Yami can.'
'Well, it's worth a try.'
Yugi felt Yami's presence in his mind, using his eyes, and waited for a response.
// It... doesn't make a lot of sense, you know. //
/ What do you mean? What does it say? /
// It's a riddle of some sort. Which implies that either the magic in this wall could be dangerous in the wrong hands, or that only those with a need to know would be able to figure it out. //
/ Just tell me anyway. /
// It says: I see you though I have no eye, You who hide in dream and lie, Know - two in one will not pass by. //
/ Hmmm. /
'Well, Yuge, what's the story?'
Yugi snapped out of the trance-like state he had been in, and turned back to face his friends. He related what Yami had told him.
Joey shook his head.
'Well, that's about as clear as mud. If anyone wants me, I'll be dusting walls,' he said unhappily.
Slightly disappointed, the others also returned to their work, but Yugi couldn't tear his eyes away from the wall that only seemed even more mysterious. The lines kept playing over in his head, demanding attention. He muttered them to himself, a look of intense concentration on his face.
'Two in one will not pass by... two in one.. like me and Yami?' he realized.
He recited the rest of the poem again... it fitted. The riddle wasn't one with an answer; it was trying to explain the purpose of the wall. Apparently, its magic could sense if there were two separate entities in one physical body, and would not allow such a union to get past. So there must be a 'past' to get to. Which meant that here, in plain sight, was the doorway that Arthur had been talking about - the passageway to the Black Range. But if it would only refuse entrance to Yugi, why wouldn't it open for any of the others?
// You could be right. Spells like this were used as a defense against demons that could possess someone to gain access to valuable or powerful areas - but they weren't common. This is very strong, complex magic and it has survived time well. I imagine that only more magic will open the doors. //
/ Well, we can probably forget about it, then. You're the only one who can work magic like that, and it won't let us past. /
// Yes.. Yugi, don't touch it, but put out your hand so that it's near the wall and concentrate on the magic coming from the stone. //
Yugi shut his eyes and slowly extended a hand until it was centimeters away from the dark surface. Then he let it fall.
/ It got stronger.. it was like a surge, the closer I got. /
// The spell is probably touch-activated, then. It won't let people like us past, so there are probably defenses to keep them away. //
/ Can you tell what they are? /
// No. It could be anything from a mild shock, to... well, something worse. //
Yami didn't say it, but Yugi got the distinct impression that there were nasty superstitions about Egyptian curses for a reason. At least the others were safe.
'Yugi, are you _still_ trying to figure out this wall?'
Tea had walked up behind him and he hadn't even heard her.
'Yeah... I guess I can't help it. It's so fascinating - a mystery that no one else has even seen, apart from us.'
Tea laughed.
'You're starting to sound like Professor Hawkins, getting so passionate about what happened thousands of years ago.'
She ran a hand along the dark stone, and Yugi bit back a nervous gasp. Nothing happened. The magic hadn't responded to her touch like it had to his. At least he knew that he had been right in that respect.
'Are you all right?' she asked, seeing the scared expression that he hadn't been able to hide fast enough.
'I'm fine. Maybe you're right, maybe I am getting a bit obsessed about this.'
'Maybe we should all take a coffee break,' said Tristan who, seeing them, came up the steps.
'Yeah! Let's ditch and go... make sandcastles or something.' Joey threw down his brush to make the point. 'I could use a break.'
'A coffee break? We don't have any coffee and besides, you took one of those half an hour ago!'
'That was a _tea_ break, Tea. And if there's none of that either, it's not our problem,' smiled Tristan patronizingly.
Instead of taking offence, she just shrugged.
'Oh well, I won't argue. To tell the truth, a break sounds great. We're not machines... well, most of us,' she added, glancing over at Kaiba who was still tapping away. 'And Grandpa and the Professor should be back with lunch soon.'
Just then a warm breeze blew in from the stone doors, rustling papers and blowing dust and sand. It caught one sheet from the top of a pile and sent it sailing, drifting and turning in the sudden current of air, over to the far side of the room where Tea, Tristan and Yugi were standing.
'I got it!' yelled Joey, sprinting after the paper and taking the steps two at a time. He leapt to snatch at the hovering sheet.
'Yes!' he cried, successfully snagging a corner, then stumbled as he landed, backed into Tristan, tripped and fell backwards into Yugi, who lost his balance and...
..fell against the wall. (me: Yeah, u guessed it.)
'Whoa, sorry... ' Joey started to apologize from his position on the floor, but his sheepish grin faded when he saw the look of terror on Yugi's face.
'I can't move!'
Yugi's back was touching the stone, as were his arms and hands as he had instinctively tried to steady himself. He was straining against it, but couldn't break the contact - some invisible force was holding him fast. Before anyone could say anything or move to help him, a line of light snaked its way around the edge of the points of contact, and flared. The others fought to keep looking, but the light was impossibly bright against the black stone and was now streaming from the letters as well. The stone seemed to be rippling, like the dark surface of a pond, and a low rumbling shook the room.
Yugi felt the magic of the wall, direct and sharp like a tool, searing through his mind and body, setting every nerve afire and cutting through every defense. He threw back his head and screamed, but it was only a background noise against the roaring of the flames in his mind. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe... it was tearing him apart.
Joey shielded his eyes with his arm from the glare, and started to head towards Yugi. He could just see if he didn't look directly into the light... but there was something else in front of him, something transparent like a half-formed image or a ghost... he could have sworn that it became clearer even as he watched.
Suddenly, the light gave a final flare and guttered out. Yugi sank to the floor, free from whatever had held him, coughing and gasping for air. The sudden silence seemed to echo in the room.
The others stood, wide-eyed and speechless, unable to believe what stood before them. The spirit of the millennium puzzle opened his eyes and swept the room with his calm gaze. Then he turned and knelt by the smaller boy.
'Yugi, are you all right?'
Yugi nodded his head, unable to speak for the moment. Then, perhaps realizing that the question had been voiced rather than thought, he opened his eyes and looked up, disbelieving.
'Yami?' he asked weakly.
The spirit smiled, but before he could reply, a noise was heard behind them. They all turned to see... Seto Kaiba, a look of pure shock on his face and a finger pointed at Yami. The computer was far behind him, left forgotten.
'What.. on earth... is going on?' he asked slowly.
Behold, my way of separating them! ...no matter how much it traumatizes Kaiba! (notes Kaiba fans in audience) 6^__^ um, just kidding! Kaiba's cool, he'll get over it. Not quite sure what's gonna happen next, but I'm getting to Bakura so don't worry! Next time: Open the door, I guess... anyway, thankyou for reading! Please excuse my meaningless ramblings!