The Lost Pharaoh
Chapter 17: Fulfilling Destiny
The trip was long and tiresome, being since it was well past mid-morning, nearing dawn and Yuugi had gotten barely an hour of sleep. He had hoped that the trip to Egypt wouldn't prove to be too dangerous or tragic, but so far the fun couple of days had turned quickly into a nightmare. Yami was in danger, fighting a man who he most likely couldn't defeat in his state, and there was nothing Yuugi could do about it.
Sighing heavily, he blinked as they approached the front gates of the castle. There before them were guards upon guards. Bakura scowled darkly, glaring at them as they were stopped.
"No one is allowed entry into the palace," one of the guards spoke gruffly.
"Please, we need to get inside!" Yuugi pleaded.
Unfortunately, most of the guards before them hadn't been at the palace when Yuugi had been there, so there was no way they could've known he had been there before.
"We are amidst a shadow of a battle! Go to your homes where it is safe!"
Bakura, hidden by the cloak he had stolen from one of the men inside the fortress where they had jumped the gate, only rolled his eyes in annoyance. Yuugi could tell he was impatient, and probably wanted to leave and go off where Yami couldn't find him.
Yuugi sighed, his shoulders drooping, as he turned to Bakura, "I guess we have to go."
"Let them in."
Yuugi's head immediately turned to the sound of the familiar voice. The priestess, Isis, came forth between the men as they parted. She gestured toward Yuugi and Bakura.
"They have been expected," Isis told the guards.
"Yes, priestess."
Yuugi's expression brightened and opened his mouth to comment when he felt someone strong lift him up. He yelped and turned his head side-ways to stare at Bakura who stared back at him from beneath his hood.
"This is your stop," Bakura whispered, setting Yuugi down on the ground.
He turned the horse around just before Isis spoke.
"We will need you too Bakura."
Yuugi heard a low growl and had to jump back as the horse turned around quickly, neighing loudly. Bakura took off his hood and several of the guards posed for attack, recognizing the tomb robber.
"I told you I'm not stepping foot back inside! I want to have nothing to do with the pharaoh!" Bakura snapped heatedly.
Isis stared back at him calmly, "Not even for your duel, Bakura? You know that item will find its way back to its proper master if you don't seal the ancient pact. However, the pharaoh has all ready got a great deal on his shoulders. After this dark battle that is coming, he may not be able to fight you."
Bakura sneered, "So why would I stay, priestess?"
"I'll make you a deal. If you help me with the ritual to protect Egypt, I will personally ask the pharaoh to do you the favor of having to skip the duel."
Yuugi could tell Bakura's interest had peaked. He stared down at her with a curious yet suspicious expression.
"And how can you go against the nature of the Millennium Items?"
"Trust me. There is a way for you to earn that item you desire and by helping protect Egypt the pharaoh would surely grant you access to the item. Although it usually requires an ancient duel, pharaoh Yami is the only one who can bind the item to you. For there is always another way besides what is in front of you," she finished, glancing at Yuugi. "Now, will you come?"
Bakura hesitated, but jumped off the horse in a silent agreement. He followed behind Yuugi who followed Isis inside the palace. They walked through the long luxurious hallway that seemed so empty now, before coming to a large polished wooden door. Isis opened the door and stepped back. "Bakura, I need you to go to the ritual room where I will join you soon. Shadi and the others are all ready there," Isis said.
Bakura snorted and turned around, glaring at the guards who were approaching.
"I can find my way by myself!" He snapped, before marching off toward the room.
Isis just nodded toward the guards to tell them he was trustworthy and then stepped into the room after Yuugi. As they entered the room, Yuugi's eyes caught sight of figures seated upon the couch and chairs.
"Grandpa!" Yuugi exclaimed running toward him.
"Yuugi, thank goodness you're all right!" Sugoroku sighed heavily as he embraced him.
"Yeah Yug, you sure gave us a fright," Jou smiled.
Yuugi's eyes turned toward his friends, sparkling with unshed tears.
"Jou! Anzu! Ryou! Honda! You all are here!"
"Of course, did you think we'd miss all the excitement?" Honda smirked, giving him the thumbs-up.
"How did you get here?" he asked, turning to stare at each of his friends and then his grandpa.
"It was I, Yuugi," Isis spoke before anyone could open their mouths. "I brought them here."
Yuugi unlatched his hands from around his grandpa and stared at her with wide eyes.
"But…why?"
"They needed to know the truth about where you have been. The temporary memory-loss wore off, but it was at the right time," Isis explained. "They know everything now."
Yuugi felt his heart rate quicken and he turned slowly toward his grandpa, "You know…about Yami?"
"Yes Yuugi, I do," Sugoroku said, nodding. "I couldn't believe my ears when she said the lost pharaoh of Egypt was alive. What was more was that you had awakened him. You can imagine my surprise. I've been searching for ages for his tomb!"
Swallowing to try and dampen his dry throat, Yuugi lowered his eyes to the floor. Surogoku looked at him with apprehension before sighing and walking over to him.
"Yuugi, I'm not going to raid the tomb or let anyone know about Yami," Sugoroku said with a small smile.
Yuugi glanced up, "You're not?"
Sugoroku smiled more firmly and shook his head, "Of course not. I know that would upset you. And it's enough for an old man like myself to finally see it without having to disrupt anything."
Yuugi smiled brightly, "Thanks grandpa!"
"Eh…is it really true that this pharaoh is five thousand years old, Yug?" Jou asked in disbelief.
Yuugi smiled and nodded, "Yes, he is. And he's the kindest person I've ever met."
Jou's eyebrows rose slightly, "Even kinder than you, Yug? That's hard to believe."
Laughing lightly, Yuugi shook his head, his bangs fluttering against his face in the process. Sugoroku smiled fondly at his grandson before clearing his throat.
"I believe it's time to go."
Yuugi turned around, his gaze locking with his grandpa's as reality sunk in.
"Go?" Yuugi inquired, his eyes widening in surprise. "You mean go home?"
Sugoroku blinked a bit bewildered and nodded, "Of course, back home."
"No grandpa, we can't!" Yuugi exclaimed suddenly, causing Jou to jump in surprise and land in Ryou's lap.
Ryou just blinked down at the very flustered and embarrassed Jou, with a startled expression on his face. With a shrug, he went back to drinking the tea that the woman, Isis, had brought out for them. He calmly watched the exchange going on between Yuugi and his grandfather. Strangely, he could feel something tugging at his heart, as if trying to tell him something. His eyes darted to the door as if seeing that someone important had been there moments ago. It was an usual and different feeling, but it wasn't bad. In fact, it felt as though he were missing something and straining to keep the sensation, although it felt far away, was almost nice.
"Grandpa please, not yet!" Yuugi pleaded, his bright amethyst eyes watering with tears.
Ryou blinked out of his daze to watch the semi-argument grow.
"Yuugi, it's time to go home! You could've gotten hurt! I won't risk your life again."
"But Yami needs me grandpa! He saved my life and he's taught me so much! I can't just leave him to die!" Yuugi shouted.
"It's too dangerous," Sugoroku said sternly.
"If I may," Isis interrupted before Yuugi could either reply or break down in tears. "Either way it is dangerous. If the pharaoh is defeated his enemy will take over Egypt and soon he will spread into other regions, including the one you are in. Although it will take a little while, eventually it will become much worse than the battle that might commence here."
Sugoroku's eyes dimmed and Yuugi looked up at him expectantly, "Please grandpa. Yami was there for his people in the past. He's a legend, and we can't just let him die. He helped me and now I have to help him. And I need your help."
Sugoroku sighed heavily, "All right, as long as we take extra precautions."
"Hey!" Jou exclaimed. "We're in dis too ya know!"
Yuugi's eyes brightened, "Really?"
"Of course!" Honda smiled widely. "We can't just let some creep take over the world, now can we?"
"Yeah, besides, it's good to do heroic things!" Jou grinned. "It'll prepare us in case something worse happens."
Honda rose his eyebrows, "He's actually got a good point."
"They're right, Yuugi," Anzu piped up, standing up with a determined expression on her face, "we can't just let some creep destroy a famous pharaoh, especially if he's friends with you. You'd save us any day, which means that the pharaoh would save us too."
"That's right, friends stick together. Even in life or death situations," Jou commented firmly.
"I agree," Ryou said.
"But what can we do?" Sugoroku asked, a bit startled that Yuugi's friends agreed to help despite the risks.
"There has to be a way," Yuugi said, his eyebrows furrowing in thought. "Wait! What about you grandpa? You know the scriptures about the lost pharaoh, right?"
Sugoroku stared at him surprised, "Well I…I do know it Yuugi, but how would that help us? It's only the legend about what he did in the past."
Yuugi's eyes dimmed and he slowly turned toward Isis, "Isn't there anything we can do?"
Isis sighed, "Unfortunately, I don't know what you could do. The prophecy never says what happens. There are pieces of it missing. We think it might be because of the Egyptian gods. The last time they were summoned was when the prophecy was revealed to us all those many years ago. However," she hesitated as Yuugi and his friends looked at her expectantly, "there might be a way. It says that the pharaoh harbors powers that are shared with the Egyptian gods, particularly the one that he can summon. If this is true, which I'm certain it is, that means that he is also connected to the Egyptian gods."
"Eh…does anyone have any clue what she's talkin' about?" Jou asked.
Honda and Anzu shook their heads and Ryou just stared at her with large, puzzled brown eyes.
Yuugi thought for a moment before staring up at her with wide eyes, "I don't understand…," he trailed off. "Yami told me about the Egyptian gods, how they were supposedly born from a sphere."
Surogoku blinked and turned to him. Isis nodded and approached closer to Yuugi, staring down at him with an unreadable expression.
"It is said the Egyptian gods were the first to walk the earth. We'll never know for sure, but they have powers beyond our imaginations. It was said that there was a sphere that was found after they had been sent back to wherever they came from. It had ancient Egyptian writings on it that told of the prophecy of the coming Dark Age and that there would be a pharaoh who was destined to stop it. It never said how nor when or even who the pharaoh would be. As you know, we've had lots of pharaohs in the past, but none as strong, powerful and kind-hearted as Yami. If there is such a thing as this sphere then perhaps it is the key to the prophecy."
"It might be the only thing to help save Yami!" Yuugi interjected. "That would make sense. When I was captured by Kontar he asked me if I knew where the mystical sphere was! That must mean he wanted it so it could be destroyed!"
"Kontar?" Isis asked, clearly surprised. "He survived then? Of course…I knew I felt something different from him the day that he had approached the palace in order to destroy Yami. I knew something wasn't right. He must know more about the sphere than even myself or Shadi."
"I bet he knew it would help Yami destroy him!" Yuugi said angrily, clenching his fists. "We've got to find it, but how? We barely have enough time as it is."
"Is there anything in the scriptures that tells you where it could be?" Anzu asked, concern in her eyes.
Isis shook her head, "No. In fact, it hadn't even been fully deciphered, not even by us. It was found by Shadi's ancestors who had begun to decipher it. But one day it had just disappeared. For years they searched, generation after generation. When Shadi came into the world and was taught everything about his family and heritage, he began a quest for it as well. Unfortunately, it turned out unsuccessful. He did manage to find several more Millennium Items that hadn't been recovered, including the one he wears now. But the sphere remains a mystery."
The room fell into a somber silence as each one of them focused on their own thoughts and concerns. Yuugi especially was chewing his lip nervously and fearfully. He needed to help Yami, but he also couldn't run head-long into the fight without a plan or some way of helping. Being there would only make things worse since Yami would feel the need to protect him. If only Yuugi could find the sphere that might help give him some answers.
"I might know where it is," a soft voice spoke up.
Yuugi turned abruptly to stare at his grandpa, as well as the others. Isis blinked a bit uncertainly but gazed at him thoughtfully.
"Grandpa?" Yuugi questioned with abnormally wide, hoping eyes. "You really think you know where it is?"
The hope and happiness that laced his words tugged at Sugoroku's heart. Yuugi was so pure and kind that helping someone out made him smile so large it lit up his entire features. Although he wasn't smiling, his eyes were a brilliant shade of amethyst that sparkled with the light in the room. Sugoroku sighed heavily and rubbed his temples gently.
"It's not guarenteed but there is a spherical object in my possession. It's the project Arthur gave to me to decipher. It has ancient Egptian scriptures all around it, but truthfully I'm not sure what the meaning is at this point. I'm not sure if it's just another Egyptian artifact to sit and look pretty, or if it is connected to this prophecy," Sugoroku said, glancing at Isis.
"There is hope then," Isis spoke up. "Even if you're not sure, it is the only hope right now."
"But don't we have to make sure it's the right sphere before we use up time on it?" Honda asked.
Isis shook her head, "We don't have enough time. We will have to begin the ritual with as many Millennium Items as we can to protect all of Egypt. Once we complete it the barricade will be up, preventing anyone from getting into Egypt, including yourselves. There isn't enough time to search for the right sphere. It has been searched for since the first reign of the Egyptians and hasn't been found. It is the only lead we have right now," she said, staring at them all grimly. "If it is the right one then I believe it has the power to help Yami conquer this evil once and for all."
"But how? How will we know if it's the right one?" Yuugi questioned desperately.
Isis smiled lightly, "You will know, Yuugi. I have a strong feeling that this may help save us, and our pharaoh. And it would make sense since you awakened him that the sphere found its way to you. Now," she said, letting her veil fall to show the Millennium Necklace around her neck, "you must return to your home, but remember that time is running out. You will only have an hour there, not any more, before you have to return. If you miss your chance the gateway will be sealed and you won't be able to return to us."
Yuugi exchanged fearful glances with his friends, "How will we get there and back?"
"The same way I brought your friends and grandfather here," Isis replied.
"Oh boy," Jou muttered.
Yuugi glanced at him curiously but found that Jou didn't explain what he meant by that. He had a feeling he was going to find out soon enough.
"You must go now, time is running out," Isis said. "Group together so that I may send you home. And when you are ready to return get in the same place that you were left at and stay closely together. You should automatically return here if you get there in time."
"All right, let's go!" Jou exclaimed, approaching beside Yuugi, followed by Anzu.
"Wait," Yuugi said as Jou stared down at him. "I don't need everyone to come. It'll take up too much time for everyone to have to go there and back. Since you're all helping me, some of you should stay here."
"I'll stay," Ryou said automatically, receiving quizzical looks from Jou.
"Me too," Honda grinned, putting an arm around Ryou.
Anzu looked back and forth between Yuugi, Honda and Ryou and finally sighed, "I guess I'll stay too. I wouldn't be much help with you anyway," she smiled weakly at Yuugi, who nodded in return.
"Well I'm comin' Yug," Jou grinned.
Yuugi nodded and smiled in return, "I guess it's just us three then," he said, as Sugoroku approached on his other side.
Isis nodded and rose her hands up to her necklace. Yuugi heard Jou gulp but managed not to be afraid as the necklace began to glow brightly. He felt his grandfather lay a comforting hand on his shoulder as the light traveled toward them, wrapping around them in a thin, shimmering mist. Isis' eyes snapped open and she echoed something in ancient Egyptian before the light became too bright to look at. Yuugi closed his eyes, feeling his body swirling like the mist that surrounded them. It felt like they were moving fast, trying to reach a destination.
And suddenly it stopped. He peeked one eye opened before the other and blinked twice. They were in front of the game shop.
"Remember you only have one hour or the gateway will close," Isis' voice echoed around them.
Jou jumped and grabbed onto Yuugi before smiling sheepishly. Yuugi just patted his arm and moved quickly toward the game shop with Sugoroku and Jou behind him.
"Where is it grandpa?" Yuugi asked.
"It's in my office where I left it," Surogoku said, walking up the stairs.
Jou and Yuugi followed quickly toward the locked room. Upon entering it, they found it cluttered with papers and newspaper clippings on the floor and in boxes. Rolled up maps of several different areas were lying on the floor in a heap. Sugoroku walked over to a cardboard box and opened it lifting out an object. Jou gasped out loud at the sight of the precious item, glittering with gold and other metals carved into it.
"Wow, it's incredible," Yuugi said, his eyes reflecting the light bouncing off the object.
"Is it the right one, Yug?" Jou asked, looking down at him.
Yuugi walked over to it as Sugoroku gently set it down on the desk. Carefully he traced his fingers over the familiar patterns and pictures he had seen before. Many of them were new to him, but the one he did recognize was the symbol of the Eye of Horus.
"I think this might be it, or something about the lost pharaoh. It has the symbol of the pharaoh, but…it could be about any number of pharaohs," Yuugi said disheartened. "Grandpa, have you deciphered any of it yet?"
Sugoroku nodded, "Yes, I have. It's been hard since there are symbols no archaeologist has seen before. There are bits and pieces missing since I can't figure out those symbols. I only managed to decipher the symbols I know, which isn't that much more than what Arthur and his group could do."
"That's gotta mean something then," Jou said thoughtfully, staring at the sphere. "If dere are symbols no one else has seen before, it must mean dat someone was trying to keep this thing a secret. Or else why wouldn't dey just use the same symbols dey have been for thousands of years?"
Yuugi glanced up at his friend in astonishment then back down at the item, "I think Jou's right, grandpa. There has to be a reason for it. Maybe it really is the sphere! And if it is then we've got to find a way to decode it to see if it tells us how to help Yami!"
Sugoroku sighed heavily and pulled out several pieces of parchment, "Here is what I've deciphered so far. But it's less than half of it. I really don't think I'll be able to finish this in an hour, Yuugi."
Yuugi kept his determined expression, "We've got to try. Jou and I will help you as much as possible. There has to be something about these symbols that are familiar. There has to be a way to decode them. Maybe there is a particular way to decode them…some kind of pattern or something."
"Well, we better start looking now," Jou commented. "We have exactly five minutes less than an hour now."
Yuugi felt his fear and doubt begin to grow but he pushed it down, "Please grandpa, we've got to try."
Sugoroku nodded solemnly, "I'll try my best. Yuugi, get the rest of my papers out of that drawer," he pointed toward the bureau nearby the door. "Jou, there's a magnifying glass and a sheet of decryptions on the floor by the maps. We've got to work quickly."
The two boys got the supplies and made room on the floor, spreading out the papers, decryption sheets and laying the sphere in the center. Sugoroku bent down and got to work, with Yuugi and Jou beside him to help as much as they could.
XXXXXX
{Forty-five minutes later}
"Ugh! Are we there yet?" Jou groaned, flopping onto his back on the hard wooden floor. "Ow…not a smart thing to do."
Yuugi sighed heavily, sipping the juice he had gotten to distract them from the painful work of deciphering. It was hard and they were working as fast as possible and still didn't have all of it completed.
"Yug, this is hopeless," Jou said, turning to look at him.
"We can't give up!" Yuugi suddenly exclaimed. "We've never backed down from a challenge before, so why should we start now?"
Jou sighed and lifted himself up, "All right, but what do we do now?"
"Well, we've almost deciphered everything, up to the last small area of hieroglyphics," Yuugi said hopefully.
"Yeah, and it talked about those beasts that walked da earth and everythin' but it didn't say anything about a pharaoh or prophecy."
"Maybe that's the last part that we're missing," Yuugi said, trying to keep his determination up.
"Yeah, but your gramps can't figure out the last several hieroglyphics so what do we do?" Jou questioned.
Yuugi sighed, "There has to be something about them…," Yuugi trailed off as the office door opened.
Surogoku stepped inside with a cup of coffee for himself and sighed heavily as he sat back down on the floor. The papers had scattered everywhere since they had been looked at too many times to count. Their time was running out and they still had the last little area on the sphere to decipher. And if it wasn't the right sphere, that was it. Sugoroku was truthfully more afraid of it being the right sphere, since that would mean his grandson would go back and put himself in danger to save this pharaoh. He trusted Yuugi's judgment on friends, and knew from experience that Yami was trustworthy, but at the same time he felt that this burden didn't have to be placed on Yuugi.
Yes, but it doesn't have to be placed on Yami either. He's a young boy just like Yuugi, maybe slightly older, well, in a sense, but just as kind and intelligent. He doesn't deserve this fate either.
Sugoroku sighed, "Yuugi, these last hieroglyphics are a mystery to me."
"There has to be something special about them! A reason why no one else can decipher them! And if we figure out what they mean that'll solve the puzzle!" Yuugi exclaimed. "Maybe there's something about them, like they're opposite, or maybe their symbols for other symbols."
"Yuugi…," Sugoroku's eyes dimmed.
"Grandpa, please!" he pleaded. "We can't just give up!"
"Yuugi, I don't think we can figure this out in time. We only have fifteen minutes."
"We've got to try! See if there's a pattern, or if they represent symbols that are readable," Yuugi suggested desperately.
"Yeah, or maybe they're backwards," Jou said.
"Jou, Yuugi, please I…," Sugoroku stopped suddenly.
"Grandpa?" Yuugi inquired shakily.
Sugoroku seemed in a daze as he approached the sphere. He turned it to stare at the last part of it that he had stared at for hours before and forty minutes straight recently without comprehension. Suddenly, his eyes widened.
"That's it! Jou, you've solved the puzzle!"
"I…what?" Jou blinked. "I did?"
"Of course! That's why it was so unreadable! I've been reading it from left to right like the rest of the text. But in order to protect it they must've written it right to left!"
Yuugi's eyes brightened immensely, "You mean…We can decipher the last part!?"
"We must hurry!" Sugoroku exclaimed, picking up a magnifying glass and staring at the last piece of the puzzle. "Backwards this symbol here," he pointed to the first hieroglyphic of the last area, "stands for scripture."
"Scripture?" Yuugi wondered aloud. "Would that be the same as prophecy?"
"I don't know, perhaps," Sugoroku said, letting his fingers trail across the symbol after.
"This one is…something about a bottle."
"A bottle? You sure, gramps?" Jou asked, leaning his head close to observe the symbol.
Sugoroku glared at him with a side glance, "I thought I told you not to call me that."
Jou blinked, "Eh…I don't remember."
"Grandpa!" Yuugi exclaimed, catching their attention. "What is this symbol right here?" he traced the symbol of what appeared to be a sunflower.
Sugoroku bent down close to it, his eyes widening, "That symbol is a lotus flower, Yuugi. It was the emblem of the Egyptians during their festival during ancient times. It means rebirth."
"Rebirth? Could that symbolize the pharaoh?" Jou questioned, earning raised eyebrows from Sugoroku.
"I think it might be, Jou! It has to be!" Yuugi's eyes brightened. "That means that this might actually help Yami!"
"All right! Hi-five Yug!" Jou grinned as their hands collided in the air.
"Hold on," Sugoroku said grimly, cutting their celebration short. "This symbol here is a scarab," he said, tracing the beetle-like symbol next to the lotus flower.
"What does that mean?" Yuugi asked, blinking curiously.
Sugoroku turned to them, "It means resurrection, and not in a good way. It means that someone has used the powers of darkness to be resurrected from the dead, or in a sense, cheat death."
"Who could've cheated death?" Jou asked.
Yuugi's eyes narrowed, "I think I know."
Jou glanced at him, but didn't comment. Instead he pointed to the sphere, "Looks like we only have one symbol ta go, what's it mean?"
"It looks like a key, if you look at it upside down," Jou said, turning his head.
Sugoroku turned his head and shot a questioning glance at Jou, "I don't see a key."
"Maybe it's a symbol of secrecy or something," Jou said, ignoring the look on Sugoroku's face.
"That doesn't make any sense. They didn't have keys back then," Yuugi commented, his eyebrows furrowing in thought.
"You're right, Yuugi. It must stand for something else," Sugoroku said thoughtfully.
"Well, we better figure it out fast. We've only got five minutes left!" Yuugi exclaimed, his eyes alight with fear.
"What are keys symbols for?" Sugoroku asked hurriedly.
"Um, doors, locks, protection…," Yuugi trailed off.
"You can unlock things with it too," Jou said.
"Thank you, Jou," Sugoroku stated with a bit annoyance.
Suddenly, Yuugi stood still, staring into space, "Wait…," he whispered, approaching the sphere and bending down till his nose was almost touching it. "Look at it. Doesn't it look like a familiar symbol when turned around?"
"What do ya mean?" Jou asked, bending down as well.
Sugoroku turned is head in thought, "You know, Yuugi. You might be onto something. If it's turned around, it looks like one of the wavy symbols that might mean a river, or some form of afterlife."
Jou's eyebrows furrowed, "Are you sure? I think it looks like a snake when it's turned upside down?"
"Jou," Sugoroku said in annoyance, "I've been doing this longer than you have."
"Grandpa, wait, I think Jou's onto something…," Yuugi trailed off, his amethyst eyes reflecting the light of the soft lamp on the desk as he rose his fingers.
"What?" Sugoroku and Jou asked at the same time, before sending a glare at each other.
Gently, he touched the last symbol as if hypnotized by it. After several seconds of caressing the symbol, his fingers froze. Yuugi began turning his wrist in a clockwise direction. A sharp click was heard and slowly the symbol began to move. Sugoroku and Jou watched bewildered as Yuugi rotated the symbol until it was completely turned around.
Yuugi was breathing roughly with anticipation, and he turned his head toward Jou and his grandpa.
"If Jou was right about seeing the snake, it means Totality," Yuugi whispered softly, "which is the crossroad between life and death; good and evil, and even immortality," he said, before turning back to the symbol and pressing on it.
The symbol snapped and sunk into the sphere. Yuugi jumped back as the sphere trembled before other symbols began moving, making snapping sounds like it was being unlocked. The sphere began to move as it parted down the center, opening up. Yuugi, Jou and Sugoroku stood in awe and watched as it completely opened on one side.
"It's…hollow," Jou said, blinking.
"I think there's something in it," Yuugi said, approaching slowly and sticking his hand in it. He grasped something and pulled it out.
"What is dat?"
"It looks like a…a vial of some sort," Yuugi said, turning the small glass object in his hand.
The vial wasn't much bigger than Yuugi's finger and fit in the palm of his hand. Inside the crystallized glass, crimson-colored liquid shone, filling it almost to the top. Yuugi stared at it deeply, just like he had stared at the golden pyramid before he had awakened Yami from his deep slumber. The color reminded him of Yami's eyes, but what was he supposed to do with it?
"Come on, Yug! We only have like a minute to get to da place!" Jou exclaimed, grabbing Yuugi's hand.
"Yuugi! Jou! Wait!" Sugoroku exclaimed, running after them.
Jou ran down the steps, pulling Yuugi with him toward the door. He raced outside to the strange beam of light now filling up the streets. Sugoroku ran breathless to the door and stopped to catch his breath. He looked up to see Jou and Yuugi surrounded by the mist.
"Yuugi!"
"I'm sorry grandpa! It'll be all right! I have to do this, please understand!" Yuugi pleaded. "Yami will take care of everything, I promise!"
His words echoed as he and Jou disappeared in a bright blazing light. Sugoroku covered his eyes until it had disappeared completely. He opened them to find the streets bare without a trace of his grandson or his friend. Sugoroku stared at the place where they had been seconds before.
"Be careful, Yuugi."
XXXXX
Part 2: The Battle Begins
The palace had hallways upon hallways that confused him. He was sure he had turned left before, but maybe he had turned right. Ryou slumped against the wall exhausted. It had only been a little while since Jou, Yuugi and his grandpa had left, but already he was feeling worn out. Isis had offered to go get more snacks until they returned, and Anzu and Honda became engrossed in a deep conversation about what was going on, so Ryou had slipped quietly from the room to follow his senses. There was something he was drawn to; a feeling of some sort.
He had followed the sensation up until he got lost. It had dwindled away so he couldn't tell where he was or where he should go. Ryou sighed heavily, straining to sense anything like he had before. The feeling was strong right before Isis and Yuugi had walked in, then it had slowly began to lessen. He wanted to know why he felt such a strong attraction to it. Feeling like there was a weight on his shoulder, Ryou began his endless search to find the right direction back to the room. With any luck he'd bump into Isis so she'd point him in the right direction.
He suddenly stopped, clutching his shirt right where his heart lie. The feeling was back, and it was getting stronger. Following it quickly, Ryou headed in the opposite direction and through a dimly lit hallway. The feeling soon became so strong he had stopped in front of a large door with a golden handle. He touched the handle, feeling a spark of electricity run through his veins. Slowly and with caution he turned the handle and opened the door, slipping inside.
The room had a long table in the center of it where there were seats for about thirteen people. It was polished but looked untouched. The room itself was plain, although alight with torches and candles that were spread around the room. Looking up at the ceiling, Ryou gasped as he saw beautiful objects that looked golden painted there. Each one seemed to point to a spot around the table. He recognized one of them, that seemed to be at the head of the table, as the object that Yuugi wore around his neck. He wasn't sure what kind of room it was, but it was fascinating.
A noise caused Ryou to inhale sharply and step back amongst the shadows. Someone was walking around in the room, which meant he wasn't alone. Out of the other doorway in the back a figure appeared. A young man, not much older than Ryou, appeared, looking around. He had a soft white-colored hair, nearly the same color as Ryou's (although his hair was so blonde it appeared white in the sunlight). He had dark brown eyes that they appeared almost black, and they were slanted rather than round and large like Ryou's. It was to say a little unnerving. He looked like he could almost be related to Ryou, like brothers. It was the same with Yuugi and the exchange student Yami. They both had the same hairstyle, though slightly different colored hair, and different eyes, different heights, face frames and different personalities, but they looked like they could be related.
Ryou could tell this boy had a sharper face-frame than he did and was definitely taller, but their hairstyles were similar. Ryou's was a bit neater, but what got his attention even more was the golden object he wore around his neck. It was another one of the objects in the painting on the ceiling, only it looked more like a ring than a pyramid, like Yuugi's. Ryou noticed the boy didn't look too happy. In fact, he had a scowl on his face.
"Where is she?" he hissed. "I'm not just going to sit in there all day watching Shadi and his followers sit there doing nothing! I have better things to do!"
Ryou backed up even more until his back hit the wall. He was sure that his senses had led him to the room, but why? Was it the room, or something in the room? Or was it someone? Ryou began inching against the wall to leave the young man in peace, but didn't see the table nearby. His foot bumped up against it and he held his breath. The boy wheeled around sharply, his dark eyes searching around.
"Who's there?!"
The dark brown gaze swept over the room as Ryou backed into a corner, still hidden by shadows. He watched the boy walk forward several steps before looking down at the object that hung loosely around his neck. Ryou's eyes widened as he saw the object begin to jiggle before glowing brightly, the strange diamond-shaped objects at the end lifting up and pointing straight in the direction of where he was hiding. The boy's eyes followed the path of where the object was pointing.
"Come out here," he ordered.
Feeling like a mouse surrendering to a cat, Ryou reluctantly stepped out of the shadows. The boy stared at him as he approached, revealing himself.
"What were you doing hiding there?" he asked, his voice stern.
Ryou nervously placed his hands in front of him, lowering his eyes, "I…I was lost and I came in here because I heard someone, but you looked angry so I was going to sneak back out when…," he trailed off, not daring to look up at the boy.
He could feel the watchful gaze of the older boy on him, and heard him grunt softly.
"You must be one of Yuugi's friends."
Ryou looked up surprised, "How did you know that?"
"Because I've never seen you around before," he answered, staring at him while approaching. "And because that's exactly what he said. That he was lost."
Ryou swallowed and nodded, "Yes, I'm Yuugi's friend."
"So we've established," the boy replied, smirking slightly. "Why of all rooms did you choose this one?"
"I…," Ryou felt a loss for words. He bowed his head lower, "I f-felt something strange and I followed it here."
It sounded completely ridiculous, almost as if he was talking about some alien force. He knew the boy would laugh at him.
"So you felt my Millennium Ring, did you?"
Ryou's head snapped up and his large, brown eyes widened, "Your what?"
"My Millennium Ring," he said, gesturing to the trinket around his neck. "It was pulling on me trying to get me to leave this room. But I guess instead it brought you to me."
"But…why?" Ryou asked softly.
The boy frowned, gently fondling the item, "I'm not sure. This isn't my item…yet. But when that pharaoh gets back from saving Egypt, or the world or something, I'm going to get some answers from him. It might be the same thing that led Yuugi to him."
Ryou nodded, "Good idea. Um, would you mind terribly if…could you show me the way back to the room Isis took Yuugi to?"
The boy seemed to hesitate, staring at him before shrugging, "I helped Yuugi I suppose I could help you. Especially if you're affecting my Millennium Ring," he said, walking out the door Ryou entered.
Ryou followed swiftly behind him until he caught up and they were walking side by side. He glanced at the older boy, too afraid to start any conversation and decided to just look ahead.
"What's your name?"
He turned, startled to meet the hard gaze of the older boy, "Oh, um, Ryou. And yours?"
"Bakura," he answered, a smile forming on his lips. "How strange…Yuugi and I had the same encounter only a few days ago. Where is your little friend?"
"He went back to try and find a sphere, or something," Ryou answered, getting a side-glance from Bakura. "There's a possibility his grandpa might have it."
Bakura's smile widened, "Really…now that's interesting."
Ryou blinked and turned to lock eyes with him, "What is?"
"That your friend has the ability to change such a strong prophecy. He is only one small boy after all," Bakura said, turning back to look ahead of them. "But if he can alter such a strong force and might be the only one to help Yami defeat whatever it is he's fighting, then I wonder what part you play for me?"
Ryou stared at him taken aback, catching his gaze once more. He hadn't thought about what role he played in anything, or that he would even have a role in an ancient Egyptian prophecy, or anything from Egypt for that matter. He wasn't sure what all the items represented, but he was curious to know why he was attracted to one of them. The sensation he had felt was gone now, as if it had never been there. He wondered if it was because he was so close to the item now. But why would the item be attracted to him? What exactly did it mean? Inwardly sighing at how complex the situation was getting, he stared straight ahead, allowing Bakura to lead them to the right room.
XXXXX
"UGH!" Yami groaned as he was thrown backward, skidding against the rough surface of the ground.
They had long since moved to the ground since he had been thrown there after the first few hits. Kontar hovered above him, an evil grin plastered on his face.
"Well, well, pharaoh, going down so easily? I never expected that from you."
Yami winced but got back on his feet, preparing for the next attack. It had felt like hours they had been dodging each other's attacks with no one winning. Kontar didn't seem as exhausted though, which meant that perhaps Yami's limits weren't as high as they were in the past. If Yami didn't win that meant certain death for not only all of Egypt, and possibly expanding to the world, but also for Yuugi. Kontar apparently had lied about freeing him and Yami wasn't sure if he was all right, but the last thing he wanted to do was let an innocent boy, who had saved him, be killed.
Kontar summoned powers from his Millennium item, the Scale glowing brightly as he fired another attack. Yami summoned powers from deep within him, the crown across his forehead radiating a bright golden light as a shield protected him from the attack.
I've got to find a way to weaken him, but how? I have never faced this Millennium item before. Not much is known about it.
Yami clenched his fists in frustration as Kontar sneered at him, sensing his distress.
"Giving up, Yami?"
"Never!" Yami exclaimed angrily.
"What a pity…and to think that little Yuugi might watch his hero die. Such a sad sight for a boy, isn't it?" Kontar antagonized with a small smirk on his face.
Yami glared at him, "What do you really think you're going to gain?"
Kontar laughed coldly in amusement, "What will I gain? Everything, Yami! Everything that was yours. Your father wasn't stronger than my father, that's not why he was victorious. I'm positive your father used cheap means to win!"
"My father fought fairly, that was one of things he did right as a ruler!" Yami glared harshly.
Kontar's lips curled into a smirk as his eyes settled unnaturally into Yami's.
"Please spare me the painful horrible childhood stories, Yami. I had a horrible childhood too! My father always told me how our family would be great once we had the throne, but you ruined everything! You were a snot-nosed, spoilt kid when you took over!"
Yami's eyes hardened, turning an even darker crimson, "I was nothing like that, Kontar. You could never accept it was you who was the spoiled brat! How could you think you deserved the throne when your father was planning to murder my father for it!? All your father wanted was the power; he was greedy, power-hungry and wanted it for himself. The only reason he told you about it was so you'd help him get it, but destiny had something else in store for him…"
"Silence!" Kontar hissed darkly, the aura around him growing.
Yami was pushed off his feet, his robe dragging on the ground as he was thrown meters away, landing harshly in the sand. Kontar's eyes were alight with rage as he approached slowly.
"You speak so well of destiny and fate, Yami. But what do you think your fate is? You've reigned for too long, and you had your chance. You wasted the last of your moments as pharaoh on sacrificing yourself. The people may worship you for doing that, but it won't get you far! In fact, if you sacrifice yourself again I can guarantee you that it's only going to help me get to the throne faster," Kontar said coldly, his eyes piercing into Yami's.
His footsteps stopped only feet from Yami's form as he struggled to maintain stability on his feet. Kontar's eyes flashed angrily again and Yami winced as a strong force ripped at him, tearing his robes as he was pushed backward off his feet.
"One day, Yami, you realize that we make our own fate. And I will prove that to you this moment! You will see that I have chosen to live and you choose to believe in some fairy tale called destiny! There is no destiny, you foolish pharaoh! There are only the strong and powerful, and those too weak to seek it. It's survival of the fittest, just like with the Egyptian gods," Kontar said, raising his item in the air.
"You're wrong!" Yami said, stumbling back on his feet with a determined expression. "You're the one who's going to be sorry when fate catches up with you. You think you can cheat death, but in the end you'll find that no one can escape what they are destined for."
"Please, spare me," Kontar drawled darkly. "Once I take over your throne the first thing I'm going to do is give everyone a lecture on destiny and tell them that if they even think of it I will personally see to it that their foolish fantasies end."
Yami grinded his teeth together and suddenly leaped to his feet, "Never!"
Kontar's eyes widened as the wind picked up and an invisible force knocked him hard off his feet, sending him flying many meters back. He slid along the ground, only stopping when he collided into the base of the tallest Giza pyramid. Yami was panting for breath, glaring daggers at the mist of sand now clouding around the place that Kontar had collided into. From out of the depths of the sand flaring around that area, Kontar emerged with a frown on his face, but unharmed.
"That is why you are not fit for the throne!" Yami glared. "You will never be fit for that throne because you don't care about Egypt or the people that the pharaoh is supposed to protect and care for. You know nothing about being pharaoh!"
"I know plenty!" Kontar hissed darkly. "Enough to know that my men are all ready on their way to attack your precious palace, along with the rest of Egypt," he said, raising his arm in the air to fire an attack.
Yami prepared for it, glaring at him while standing his ground. Surprisingly, it never came. Kontar hesitated and suddenly withdrew, lowering his arm. He stared at Yami calmly before a sinister smirk appeared along his features.
"I think there's a better way to settle this, don't you think pharaoh? How about a duel in the shadow realm? Winner gets all, loser gets sent to an eternal darkness."
Yami's crimson eyes flashed dangerously as the ground beneath them began to quiver. Sand flared up around them as a dark hue encircled the area, turning the sky black. It spread around them, covering them in a dark shield as lightning was heard striking across the sky that they could no longer see. Yami could feel the weight of the shadows pulling on him and knew that he was a lot weaker than the last time he had dueled in the shadows. Summoning faithful monsters and powers would take up more of his energy and life, but he couldn't back out now. He had no choice. He only hoped that he survived this…if not for Egypt again, then for Yuugi, whom he hoped was safe and sound somewhere.
Yami turned his attention toward Kontar who sneered darkly, having somehow increased in aura.
"Let the shadow game begin."
TO BE CONTINUED…