Memories of the Shadows
A Yu-gi-oh fanfic
Disclamer- I do not own Yu-gi-oh and most of the other things in this fic.
/Hikari to Yami/
//Yami to Hikari//
{Thoughts}
~~~
Chapter 3- Awakening
'The strange epidemic that has swept through Domino city shows no sign of relenting. Almost everyone in the city has contracted this mystery disease, and so far tests have shown no sign of any viral infection. Is this the latest in biological warfare? Or has the entire tow-'
Kaiba turned off the TV and scowled. Everyone was taking this too seriously... Although, it was an unusual disease. Nothing like it was recorded in history.
'Just a passing bug' Kaiba said to reassure himself. He got up and stretched, then walked over to his laptop. One positive thing about this disease, his suppliers and consumers were affected by it as well, giving him extra time to complete his paper work. He turned the laptop on, and waited for the screen to load up. Absent-mindedly, he drew the Millennium Rod form his coat pocket and twirled it around in his fingers. He paused, and for the first time in a while, he looked a it closely. It seemed to be glowing.
'Can't be....' He said slowly. He got up and flicked the light switch. The Millennium rod was, indeed, glowing. Kaiba puzzled over this for a while. {Perhaps this thing is more dangerous than I thought. I don't know why I picked it up in the first place...}
But I must keep it. It holds great importance
{Yes, great importance..... But, why does it hold importance to me?}
It's my destiny to own the Rod. My life has centered around this moment.
{The Rod is my destiny.......} Something was wrong. Kaiba shook his head, and one very important point sprung up. {Since when have I believed in destiny?!}
Since I was first shown the tablet, the "Nameless Pharaoh"
{Yes..... No! Even then I believed that there was no such thing as destiny! These thoughts are not my own!}
Aren't they? Am I not you? Or, shall I say, are you not me?
'Who are you?!' Kaiba spoke out aloud. He looked around for the source of the voice.
I am, essentially, you. We are the same. The only thing that makes us different is that I was around over 3000 years ago. Our reunion has been destined since I became trapped within this golden tomb. Now my... Our... Destiny can become complete. We can finally complete the task that was set before us.
'Shutup! I weave my own destiny! I control what happens in my life!' He yelled, clutching his head, willing the voice to disappear.
Yes, you do. But so do I, and the destiny I chose is the one that was laid out before me. The one that, in time, you will also choose.
'Whoever you are, you will not influence me! I am Seto Kaiba! No-one controls me! I am my own master!'
Pity that I am you, and therefore, I am your master.
'Do not twist my words! Go back to wherever you came from and never bother me again!'
INSOLENCE!
With this exclamation, the Millennium Rod sent out a "wave" of magic, the same magic that for the past day-and-a-half had been draining the energy of the residents of Domino city and turned it into power for the Rod. The wave stopped, then dragged as much energy as it could grasp with it. Kaiba, until recently unable to sense shadow magic, felt the wave explode past him, then come back into the Rod.
'I hoped that I could slowly take the energy I needed, but you have given me no choice but to take what I need now, so I may educate you in the ways of your hereditary line.'
Kaiba turned around, and faced himself. There were differences, this other version had a darker tan, slightly longer hair and was slightly taller.
'What the...?!' Kaiba exclaimed.
'I have waited for this moment, and I am not going to have it ruined by your own stubbornness!' The other Kaiba snarled. 'You shall learn respect for what I have to teach you, even if I must do it the hard way!'
Kaiba felt darkness overwhelm him, as if the very shadows themselves had grabbed him. He felt dizzy for a moment, then it was as if he was falling. It stopped suddenly, all he saw was blackness that somehow seemed to swirl. Kaiba shuddered, as he was reminded of the time when Pegasus trapped his soul; using his body as a puppet, a servant.
'Release me!' He yelled into the inky blackness.
//Later. I must reacquaint myself with the world of the living. You should get used to your Soul Room, you will be spending much time here.// Kaiba felt the presence disappear. He yelled into the blackness, demanding to be released. No answer came from the swirling black space. Eventually, he slumped down onto the "ground" and tried to understand his predicament.
~~~
Ryou sighed and sat down on his recliner. His Yami had used his body for most of the day, and he was feeling the consequence of it. His muscles ached from constant use, thanks to his Yami's futile search for the mysterious magic leak. Although, his exhaustion did make the recliner feel so much better. He opened the can of Coke he had in his hand and took a deep mouthful. At this point, the magic wave that the Millennium Rod had released reached him. He gasped in surprise, the coke falling from his hands and spilling on the ground, then he felt his Yami take over almost instantly.
Yami Bakura placed up a protective barrier, but the wave simply drained the energy from it. He snarled and prepared for the drain of his energy. However, the consumption was much larger then he had originally anticipated. He almost fell from lack of energy.
'Shadow Magic' He snarled. He tried to go to the shadow realm, where magic was easily detectable, but the Millennium Ring was too drained to transport him there. Time for plan two.
'Ring!' He growled at the item. 'Point me in the direction of the most active Millennium Item!' He watched the Millennium Ring's pointers resolutely, until he saw one weakly quiver in an easterly direction. Barely able to walk, Yami Bakura left the apartment and headed in the general direction that the Millennium Ring told him.
~~~
Yugi Motou sat on his bed, and half listened to his Yami.
'The magic is fluctuating. Something is happening.' Yami said.
'Yes, it's stopping.' Yugi sighed.
'Not necessarily, the person controlling it could be experiencing problems, or as the case may be, experiencing resistance.'
'Your determined to blame Yami Bakura for this.'
'Who else? Malik has gone back to Egypt for a time, and I know no other Millennium Item owners that would cause trouble for us.'
'Perhaps Pegasus has managed to get hold of the Millennium Eye again, or maybe it's not related to the Millennium Items, a freak occurrence.'
'Both are unlikely.' Yami glared at his other. 'Why are determined to argue with me?'
'It just.... Doesn't seem like the work of Yami Bakura. He's usually more direct in his efforts to get the Millennium Items.'
'That's true.... But, as I said before, who else could it be?'
'Yugi! Dinner's ready!' His Grandfather's voice came floating from down the hall.
'Coming!' Yugi replied. He turned to look at his Yami. 'We'll have to continue this later...' Yami nodded and returned to the Millennium Puzzle. With a sigh, he got off his bed and began to walk down the stairs towards the kitchen. The wave of magic hit Yugi at about this point.
//YUGI!!!// Yami called out, placing a barrier around them. However, like Yami Bakura, he discovered that the energy that was placed in the barrier was just being drained. Yet he still pumped his energy into it. Eventually, the wave retreated, taking away most of Yami's energy with it.
//Are... You... OK?// Yami asked Yugi weakly.
/I'm fine, but, what was that?/ Yugi, unscathed by the wave, asked back.
//I believe..... That was our mysterious..... Magical leak.//
/But I thought you said that it was small, almost undetectable!/
//I.... Also said that..... Not all spells have to be powerful.... to be devastating//
/If that wasn't powerful, then what is?!/
//As many spells do..... It started out small. It then grew to immense-// Yami stopped suddenly.
/Yami? What's wrong?/ Yugi asked worriedly.
//Your Grandfather!//
/What? What about Grand...../ Yugi began, but then realization hit him.
'Grandpa!' He yelled as he rushed down the stairs, into the kitchen. It was there that he saw his grandfather slumped over a chair, breathing heavily.
'Grandpa! Are you all right?!' Yugi rushed to his grandfather's side.
'I'm fine.' His Grandfather answered, a weak smile on his face. 'Just old bones failing on me.'
'That's not true...' Yugi managed to smile nervously. 'I, too felt a wave of..... Dizziness just then.' He wanted to say that it was magic, but he knew that it was unlikely that he would be believed. He helped his Grandfather to a chair
'It could have something to do with that virus that's going around' Yugi said, knowing very well that the "virus" was the best substitute for a true explanation.
'Well, you do have a point there....' His Grandfather sighed. 'Yugi, could you boil some water for Ramen? I sort of...... Dropped our dinner.....' He looked sheepishly at his grandson and indicated to the large mess now in the middle of the kitchen floor. Yugi smiled lightly and placed some water on the stove. Then, with a small sigh, he grabbed a mop and began to clean up the mess.
/I'm willing to admit you were right Yami/ Yugi confessed within the secrecy of his mind. /This is bigger than I thought./
//You haven't begun to comprehend how bad this is.// Yami said, his energy beginning to return. //This is big. I have not sensed Shadow Magic this powerful since Ancient Egypt. I am certain that a Millennium Item is involved, but I am less sure that it is the Ring. Whoever, or whatever, has done this can easily be assumed to be our greatest threat.//
~~~
The rhythmic intake of breath, the slow beating of a heart, the pulsing of blood through a network of veins. He was alive. He took a deep breath, and exhaled it out as a content sigh. He stretched muscles, felt them ache comfortably. Pain, another symptom of life.
'After an eternity of waiting...' He said, in barely a whisper. 'I can.... Live again..'
'Are you OK brother? I heard voices.' A voice came from behind him. He turned around, and faced the child sibling of his host body.
'I'm fine' He said with a slight smile on his face. 'I just had the.. Television, on for a while. There was nothing interesting on so I turned it off.' With that he walked towards the front door, grabbing a jacket as he passed.
'Where are you going?' The child asked with insatiable curiosity, and a little worry.
'Out. I need to get some fresh air. Mokuba, look after the house while I'm gone.' And with that, High Priest Seto, until recently trapped within the Millennium Rod, walked out of the door to enjoy what most take for granted.
~~~
R&R Please
A Yu-gi-oh fanfic
Disclamer- I do not own Yu-gi-oh and most of the other things in this fic.
/Hikari to Yami/
//Yami to Hikari//
{Thoughts}
~~~
Chapter 3- Awakening
'The strange epidemic that has swept through Domino city shows no sign of relenting. Almost everyone in the city has contracted this mystery disease, and so far tests have shown no sign of any viral infection. Is this the latest in biological warfare? Or has the entire tow-'
Kaiba turned off the TV and scowled. Everyone was taking this too seriously... Although, it was an unusual disease. Nothing like it was recorded in history.
'Just a passing bug' Kaiba said to reassure himself. He got up and stretched, then walked over to his laptop. One positive thing about this disease, his suppliers and consumers were affected by it as well, giving him extra time to complete his paper work. He turned the laptop on, and waited for the screen to load up. Absent-mindedly, he drew the Millennium Rod form his coat pocket and twirled it around in his fingers. He paused, and for the first time in a while, he looked a it closely. It seemed to be glowing.
'Can't be....' He said slowly. He got up and flicked the light switch. The Millennium rod was, indeed, glowing. Kaiba puzzled over this for a while. {Perhaps this thing is more dangerous than I thought. I don't know why I picked it up in the first place...}
But I must keep it. It holds great importance
{Yes, great importance..... But, why does it hold importance to me?}
It's my destiny to own the Rod. My life has centered around this moment.
{The Rod is my destiny.......} Something was wrong. Kaiba shook his head, and one very important point sprung up. {Since when have I believed in destiny?!}
Since I was first shown the tablet, the "Nameless Pharaoh"
{Yes..... No! Even then I believed that there was no such thing as destiny! These thoughts are not my own!}
Aren't they? Am I not you? Or, shall I say, are you not me?
'Who are you?!' Kaiba spoke out aloud. He looked around for the source of the voice.
I am, essentially, you. We are the same. The only thing that makes us different is that I was around over 3000 years ago. Our reunion has been destined since I became trapped within this golden tomb. Now my... Our... Destiny can become complete. We can finally complete the task that was set before us.
'Shutup! I weave my own destiny! I control what happens in my life!' He yelled, clutching his head, willing the voice to disappear.
Yes, you do. But so do I, and the destiny I chose is the one that was laid out before me. The one that, in time, you will also choose.
'Whoever you are, you will not influence me! I am Seto Kaiba! No-one controls me! I am my own master!'
Pity that I am you, and therefore, I am your master.
'Do not twist my words! Go back to wherever you came from and never bother me again!'
INSOLENCE!
With this exclamation, the Millennium Rod sent out a "wave" of magic, the same magic that for the past day-and-a-half had been draining the energy of the residents of Domino city and turned it into power for the Rod. The wave stopped, then dragged as much energy as it could grasp with it. Kaiba, until recently unable to sense shadow magic, felt the wave explode past him, then come back into the Rod.
'I hoped that I could slowly take the energy I needed, but you have given me no choice but to take what I need now, so I may educate you in the ways of your hereditary line.'
Kaiba turned around, and faced himself. There were differences, this other version had a darker tan, slightly longer hair and was slightly taller.
'What the...?!' Kaiba exclaimed.
'I have waited for this moment, and I am not going to have it ruined by your own stubbornness!' The other Kaiba snarled. 'You shall learn respect for what I have to teach you, even if I must do it the hard way!'
Kaiba felt darkness overwhelm him, as if the very shadows themselves had grabbed him. He felt dizzy for a moment, then it was as if he was falling. It stopped suddenly, all he saw was blackness that somehow seemed to swirl. Kaiba shuddered, as he was reminded of the time when Pegasus trapped his soul; using his body as a puppet, a servant.
'Release me!' He yelled into the inky blackness.
//Later. I must reacquaint myself with the world of the living. You should get used to your Soul Room, you will be spending much time here.// Kaiba felt the presence disappear. He yelled into the blackness, demanding to be released. No answer came from the swirling black space. Eventually, he slumped down onto the "ground" and tried to understand his predicament.
~~~
Ryou sighed and sat down on his recliner. His Yami had used his body for most of the day, and he was feeling the consequence of it. His muscles ached from constant use, thanks to his Yami's futile search for the mysterious magic leak. Although, his exhaustion did make the recliner feel so much better. He opened the can of Coke he had in his hand and took a deep mouthful. At this point, the magic wave that the Millennium Rod had released reached him. He gasped in surprise, the coke falling from his hands and spilling on the ground, then he felt his Yami take over almost instantly.
Yami Bakura placed up a protective barrier, but the wave simply drained the energy from it. He snarled and prepared for the drain of his energy. However, the consumption was much larger then he had originally anticipated. He almost fell from lack of energy.
'Shadow Magic' He snarled. He tried to go to the shadow realm, where magic was easily detectable, but the Millennium Ring was too drained to transport him there. Time for plan two.
'Ring!' He growled at the item. 'Point me in the direction of the most active Millennium Item!' He watched the Millennium Ring's pointers resolutely, until he saw one weakly quiver in an easterly direction. Barely able to walk, Yami Bakura left the apartment and headed in the general direction that the Millennium Ring told him.
~~~
Yugi Motou sat on his bed, and half listened to his Yami.
'The magic is fluctuating. Something is happening.' Yami said.
'Yes, it's stopping.' Yugi sighed.
'Not necessarily, the person controlling it could be experiencing problems, or as the case may be, experiencing resistance.'
'Your determined to blame Yami Bakura for this.'
'Who else? Malik has gone back to Egypt for a time, and I know no other Millennium Item owners that would cause trouble for us.'
'Perhaps Pegasus has managed to get hold of the Millennium Eye again, or maybe it's not related to the Millennium Items, a freak occurrence.'
'Both are unlikely.' Yami glared at his other. 'Why are determined to argue with me?'
'It just.... Doesn't seem like the work of Yami Bakura. He's usually more direct in his efforts to get the Millennium Items.'
'That's true.... But, as I said before, who else could it be?'
'Yugi! Dinner's ready!' His Grandfather's voice came floating from down the hall.
'Coming!' Yugi replied. He turned to look at his Yami. 'We'll have to continue this later...' Yami nodded and returned to the Millennium Puzzle. With a sigh, he got off his bed and began to walk down the stairs towards the kitchen. The wave of magic hit Yugi at about this point.
//YUGI!!!// Yami called out, placing a barrier around them. However, like Yami Bakura, he discovered that the energy that was placed in the barrier was just being drained. Yet he still pumped his energy into it. Eventually, the wave retreated, taking away most of Yami's energy with it.
//Are... You... OK?// Yami asked Yugi weakly.
/I'm fine, but, what was that?/ Yugi, unscathed by the wave, asked back.
//I believe..... That was our mysterious..... Magical leak.//
/But I thought you said that it was small, almost undetectable!/
//I.... Also said that..... Not all spells have to be powerful.... to be devastating//
/If that wasn't powerful, then what is?!/
//As many spells do..... It started out small. It then grew to immense-// Yami stopped suddenly.
/Yami? What's wrong?/ Yugi asked worriedly.
//Your Grandfather!//
/What? What about Grand...../ Yugi began, but then realization hit him.
'Grandpa!' He yelled as he rushed down the stairs, into the kitchen. It was there that he saw his grandfather slumped over a chair, breathing heavily.
'Grandpa! Are you all right?!' Yugi rushed to his grandfather's side.
'I'm fine.' His Grandfather answered, a weak smile on his face. 'Just old bones failing on me.'
'That's not true...' Yugi managed to smile nervously. 'I, too felt a wave of..... Dizziness just then.' He wanted to say that it was magic, but he knew that it was unlikely that he would be believed. He helped his Grandfather to a chair
'It could have something to do with that virus that's going around' Yugi said, knowing very well that the "virus" was the best substitute for a true explanation.
'Well, you do have a point there....' His Grandfather sighed. 'Yugi, could you boil some water for Ramen? I sort of...... Dropped our dinner.....' He looked sheepishly at his grandson and indicated to the large mess now in the middle of the kitchen floor. Yugi smiled lightly and placed some water on the stove. Then, with a small sigh, he grabbed a mop and began to clean up the mess.
/I'm willing to admit you were right Yami/ Yugi confessed within the secrecy of his mind. /This is bigger than I thought./
//You haven't begun to comprehend how bad this is.// Yami said, his energy beginning to return. //This is big. I have not sensed Shadow Magic this powerful since Ancient Egypt. I am certain that a Millennium Item is involved, but I am less sure that it is the Ring. Whoever, or whatever, has done this can easily be assumed to be our greatest threat.//
~~~
The rhythmic intake of breath, the slow beating of a heart, the pulsing of blood through a network of veins. He was alive. He took a deep breath, and exhaled it out as a content sigh. He stretched muscles, felt them ache comfortably. Pain, another symptom of life.
'After an eternity of waiting...' He said, in barely a whisper. 'I can.... Live again..'
'Are you OK brother? I heard voices.' A voice came from behind him. He turned around, and faced the child sibling of his host body.
'I'm fine' He said with a slight smile on his face. 'I just had the.. Television, on for a while. There was nothing interesting on so I turned it off.' With that he walked towards the front door, grabbing a jacket as he passed.
'Where are you going?' The child asked with insatiable curiosity, and a little worry.
'Out. I need to get some fresh air. Mokuba, look after the house while I'm gone.' And with that, High Priest Seto, until recently trapped within the Millennium Rod, walked out of the door to enjoy what most take for granted.
~~~
R&R Please