Me: I'm baaaaacccckkk...
Lunix95: There he is!
GSO-Techu6: Restrain him!
Death Thou shalt feel our wrath!
Me: Eeep... RUN AWAY!! (jumps in car and drives away)
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh, but I do own the Yamis and Items I made up.
Key:
"Normal speak"
:a hikari to his/her Yami:
#a Yami to his/her hikari#
Everyone Gets A Yami: Part 2
Brothers and Partners
"Ishizu better have a good reason for calling us out in the middle of the night." Seto Kaiba grumbled as he a Mokuba climbed out of there limo and headed into the Domino City Museum.
"Aww, come on Seto." Mokuba reasoned, as he walked around his brother's legs. "It must have been important if she called us both here. Ishizu understands that you have a busy schedule and can't be disturbed for something trivial."
Kaiba made a grumbling sound in the back of his throat. "I still don't like it."
Mokuba was no more happy than his brother, having to be called out so late at night, but kept it to himself. He was really disappointed that he couldn't hang out with Joey's sister, Serenity, some more. She was much more fun being around than that tight-collared Crunk and the other members of the 'former' Big Five.
As they walked thru the museum exhibits, the Kaiba brothers eventually came across two security guards near a staircase. "Mr. Kaiba, Ms. Ishizu asked me to escort you to her office." Seto began following the guard, but stopped when the other one bard Mokuba's path.
"Hay, what about me! Ishizu asked me to come too, so shouldn't I get to hear what she has to say?" Mokuba yelled while trying to walk around the guard.
"Sorry, sir, but only your brother is to see Ms. Ishizu."
"Nonsense," Seto grumbled, "Ishizu must want to talk to both of us. Beside, where I go, my brother should be able to go too."
The first guard spoke up, "Our orders were to guide you, Mr. Kaiba, to Ms. Ishizu. Your brother can tour the museum of his own free will, but he is not to go upstairs."
"It's ok Seto," Mokuba said, calming his irritant brother. "I'll look around down here, and you can tell me what you two talked about later."
Seto Kaiba nodded and followed the guard back up the stairs, still mumbling about how 'Ishizu better have a good explanation'.
As soon as his brother was out of sights, Mokuba glanced over at the other guard. "So are you going to be following me around, or what?"
"No, you're free to go wherever you want. Ms. Ishizu even granted you permission to take anything you might find to your liking from the displays."
"Why would she do that?"
"I don't ask questions kid. I just follow orders." The guard said while resuming his position next to the stairs.
Mokuba shrugged the guards poor explanation and started looking around. At first he tried to stick the main hallway, so that Seto could find him the moment the meeting was over, but soon got bored and began wandering deeper into the exhibits.
After what seemed like forever to a young mind, the younger Kaiba brother arrived deep within Ishizu's private collection. The same collection that held the tablet that foretold Kaiba and Yugi's duel at Battle City.
"Seto wasn't kidding, staring at it 'is' disturbing." Mokuba muttered to himself while tearing his eyes away from the carved stone.
As soon as his vision was clear of the tablet, Mokuba noticed a small door behind a nearby display stand. As soon as he opened it, a bright light shown from within, temporarily blinding him.
"What the...!" Mokuba exclaimed while grabbing what was inside.
-------------------
Ishizu's office
-------------------
"This had better be important, Ishizu," barked the elder Kaiba brother as he walked into the office, seeing the young tomb keeper sitting behind the desk.
He then noticed that she once again was wearing the Millennium Necklace. "Ahh... I understand now, you had another 'vision'." He said before she spoke a word. "Why don't you cut right to the chase and tell me what hocus-pocus prediction that ancient piece of jewelry showed you." He then added with sarcasm, "After all, we both know the 'wonders' your last bit of advice did for my company's stock, as well as my reputation as a duelist."
"Actually Kaiba," Ishizu began to calmly say as she reached under her desk. "I wish to compensate you for assisting Yugi in defeating my brother's evil side."
As Seto began to move closer as Ishizu lifted up a small black case and placed it on the desk. "You hosted Battle City, as I requested. In exchange, I allowed you to use Obelisk. However, you satisfied my request again by assisting the Pharaoh, and without any offered compensation." She unlocked the latches and opened it, facing herself. As soon as she did, her Millennium Necklace began to glow.
"I wish to reward you for your decision by giving you this..." At her last word, she spun the case around to reveal... the Millennium Rod.
For several minutes, neither one moved. Seto Kaiba's normal neutral face was marred with a twitch of confusion in his right cheek, occasionally turning his normal grimace into a snarl.
"What are you trying to pull here Ishizu?" Kaiba said while pulling away from the case and it's contents. "Marik gave that to Yugi, so why should I deal with it? Also, I thought I made it perfectly clear during Battle City that I don't believe in all of your fairytales and ancient stories. And while I don't think that hunk of scrap metal can do half the things you claim," he said while pointing down at the Millennium Rod, "I do know that it was the cause of most of the problems during my tournament. So, why should I want it?"
"First of all, the Pharaoh entrusted me with the safekeeping of this Item as well as returning my own. Second, it is not my place to say why you should keep the Millennium Rod." Ishizu calmly said while pushing the small briefcase forward. "However, this Item IS now yours. Destiny has decided that the fate of the Millennium Rod shall rest in your hands, Seto Kaiba."
"Feh... more stories..." Kaiba slowly crossed his arm and looked directly at the tomb keeper. "Tell me Ishizu, if I do take this troublesome hunk of metal off your hands, name one good reason why I shouldn't just melt it down and sell it for the gold it's made of?"
"True, Kaiba, I cannot give you a reason why you should not destroy the Rod. However," Ishizu glanced up through her bangs, sending a bone-chilling glance directly at the owner of Kaiba Corp. "If you do, You'll never fully understand why Yugi can, and will defeat you again. This I can guarantee."
Moments after she said this, Kaiba's cheek stopped twitching, his snarl returned to the neutral line it normally is, and his eyes returned his glare back to the Item in the case. "I knew I wasn't going to like this."
----------------------
Back Downstairs
----------------------
Still mumbling multiple obscene words, Seto Kaiba made his way back down the stairs, followed by the guard.
As soon as he reached the bottom of the stairwell, Kaiba paused to look around, looking for his brother.
"You!" Kaiba barked to the first guard, the one that had remained on the bottom floor. "Where is my brother?!"
"Right here Seto." From the nearest darkened archway, Mokuba stepped forward.
Kaiba noted that his brother's voice was monotone, not his usual energetic tones. If it wasn't for his newest acquisition and the boy's lively smile, Seto would have sworn that Mokuba was acting like those Rare Hunters that became delusional after loosing.
"Feh... Come along Mokuba, we're leaving."
"Sure thing... heh ...'Big Brother'"
With that, the Kaiba brothers left the Domino Museum, both carrying small black cases that they didn't have when they first arrived.
---------------------
Kaiba Mansion
---------------------
After the brief ride home, Seto Kaiba spent several minutes sitting at the desk in his office, staring at the open case that still held the Millennium Rod. He wasn't sure, but something seemed off tonight. True, his meetings with Ishizu have never been anything close to normal, but something seemed different. Something he should have noticed.
#Come to me...#
Kaiba's head shot up, and he cautiously looked around the room for any signs of an intruder. "Wha... what was that?"
#Come...#
Furious, Kaiba stood up and began to turn to either side, not wanting to be caught off guard. "Show yourself, I know you are here!"
#Over... here... Come to me...#
Finally locking onto the source of the voice, Kaiba turned to face... the Millennium Rod still on the desk.
A look of horror crossed Seto's face... "No..." ...that reformed into his disbelieving scowl. :This cannot be happening. I do not believe in Ishizu's fairytales... they are nothing more than myths. They cannot be true... They mustn't...:
#Truth is in the EYE...# The Eye of Horus symbol on the Millennium Item glowed as the Rod spun out of it's case and began flying toward Kaiba, who reflexively caught it in midair. #...of the beholder!#
In a flash of light from the Millennium Rod, Seto Kaiba's skin took on a more tanned appearance, his hair became windswept and dusty-gold in color, and, finally, a predatory grin settled on his otherwise neutral face.
This new person within Kaiba's body began looking over his appearance. "Heh... nice..." He looked over into a nearby mirror. "Good to see that my destined host keeps himself in shape. Now nothing will stand in my way as I take command of this country, as well as finally defeating the Pharaoh and his host!" This obsessive yami then raised the Rod high above his head as it glowed. "VICTORY SHALL BE MINE! RESIDENCE OF THIS DWELLING, COME TO ME! YOU SHALL BE MY PERSONAL GUARD AS I MAKE MY WAY TO THE PHARAOH! AHH, HAHAHAHAHA!"
After a few seconds, the door to Kaiba's office opened and in walked the younger Kaiba brother.
Not noticing the young boy's annoyed look, the yami's triumphant appearance became even more ecstatic as he said, "Ah, young Mokuba, he must have been coming to see his 'dear' brother, and now he will be the first of my loyal mind slaves." The yami turned to look directly at his host's sibling. "Come here boy, we shall await the arrival of my other servants, then we shall head out on my victorious march through the city! HAHAHAHAHAH..."
"Feh, nice to see you to... SETH."
"...AHaha... huh..." The newly named yami's laughter suddenly cut off as he did a double-take of the person standing in front of him.
"You shouldn't await for anyone else either, I have made sure that your commands were not heard." Said the one-with-Mokuba's-appearance as he brought five cylinders from behind his back.
Seth looked down at this strange child before him and then pointed the Millennium Rod at him. "Tell me child, how do you know my name? Not even the Pharaoh knew my true name. For, as by the old ways, if he did he would have had power over me."
"Heh," the long haired boy before Seth simply held the cylinders before his face. "Of all those you knew from back then..." He flicked his wrist, causing the five cylinders to link together, forming a staff twice the boy's height with a small sphere at the bottom and an open design of the Eye of Horus at the top. "...I do believe that I should know your name. After all, you know my name as well."
With those words, the symbol at the tip of the staff glowed. Mokuba's bush of hair smoothed out and slicked back, with his bangs tapering off into three points in front of his right eye. While his change in appearance didn't affect his height, this new person carried an aura of self-assurance that seemed capable of dominating any weak-minded person in his presence.
A look of realization crossed Seth's face, then his grin returned. "Ah, this truly is a joyous day. Not only have I regained a body so that I may function in the living world once again, but so has my Chief of Ceremonies. Welcome back Deni!"
Deni smiled at the high priest, "It is pleasing to see you in good health as well, teacher."
"Enough with the pleasantries, my lieutenant. With you at my side, I won't need an army to defeat the Pharaoh!" Putting on the coat that Seto wore during the Battle City Tournament, Seth made his way toward the hallway. "ONWARD TO VICTORY!"
WACK!!!
The impact on the back of his head caused Seth to turn around and see the Millennium Staff in the back swing from the blow.
"You know, you're beginning to repeat yourself, my priest. That is almost, word for word, the exact lines you fed me before going of to challenge the Pharaoh. And like before, I will tell you it is a mistake that you shall regret. However, this time I will not allow you to even go."
Seth stared off with his Chief of Ceremonies, holding the Millennium Rod in front of himself in preparation for a confrontation. "I understand if you do not wish to join me in battle, Deni, but would you dare challenge me in order to prevent my rise to power? Has your loyalty to me waned so much!?!" A snarl appeared on Seth's face as he barely controlled the outrage boiling within.
WACK!!!
"Put your Item away! I shall not challenge you, but I will stop you, Seth!"
Seth lowered the Rod, and gained a perplexed, if still enraged, look.
"I have been and always will be your loyal partner, my priest. I shall always have your best interest in mind." Deni moved to get in the path between Seth and the door to the outside. "All those centuries ago, I did not interfere with you challenge to the Pharaoh. I knew that the prophesy had begun and that you needed to fulfill your roll in it."
"Yes," Seth responded, "And now we have another chance at success. I shall crush the Pharaoh and take his power..."
CRACK!!!
"Listen to my words carefully Seth... or do I need to break you legs."
Shaking off the latest blow, Seth glared at Deni, accusation in his eyes, but awaited his friends words.
"I knew, my priest, that you were going to loose in your challenge to the Pharaoh, and each time you challenge him to take something of his you shall loose. It is the curse that was placed on your head, the same curse that has caused Seto Kaiba's loosing streak against the young Moto boy, for you and Kaiba have been connected long before this day. This time however, I will stop you... to save both of you."
"What?" asked Seth in sheer confusion.
"I will save you my priest." Deni said with a sigh. "I wish to save you from your rage. I wish to save you from you narrow-minded stubbornness. I wish to save you from this path of destruction that you will continue to take without help."
Deni stared down at Seth, despite the differences in height, and smirked. "You have a host that you must now work with, and young Mokuba has expressed his desire to help Seto regain his life as well, and I'll be cursed before I disappoint the boy."
Seth fell down on his knees and began to shake his head, occasionally groaning in stress. After a few moments he looked up, and while his appearance remained the same, his voice was that of the mentally shaken Seto Kaiba. "You... you must understand Mokuba. I... I need to defeat Yugi, I have too... else... or else... or else how can I prove to myself... that I am strong enough to protect you." Kaiba/Seth fell down on his hands and knees, coming closer to tears that either Duelist or Priest had ever been before.
Deni relinquished control to the younger Kaiba brother as he fell to his knees as well, placing his hands on the elder Kaiba's shoulders. "Seto... you have protected me... you were strong enough to get us out of that orphanage... strong enough to take Kaiba Corp. from Gozaboro. You made a good life for both of us." Tears began to flow freely from Mokuba's eyes. "...but you keep... you keep looking for a reason to fight... you keep trying to find a reason to protect me..."
"Mo...ku...ba......"
"Please Seto... I don't want to always be protected... if it means I have to loose my brother..."
Seto sat back onto his heels, "Mokuba..." and gathered the young boy into a strong hug.
But then the Millennium Rod glowed once again, and Seth took control. He released the hug and pulled Mokuba away at arms length, with his head hanging down. He began speak, not only to his host, but also to the two souls within the boy in his arms. "But we have to defeat Yami. If for no other reason than to prove that I can defeat him. To show that we can be victorious against him."
Mokuba once again gave Deni control, and he reached forward, guiding Seth's face from the to look into his. "A wise instructor in the ways of ceremonies once asked me 'What good is victory if you loose what you were fighting for?'"
Recognition once again crossed Seth's face.
Deni stood up and spoke to the High Priest, "I ask you Seth... to take your own advice. Stop your grudge... and in doing so, you will regain your partner..." The wielder of the Staff extended his hand to the man on the floor "...as well as gain a brother..."
Author's Notes:
(A car pulls up and screeches to a halt)
Me: Like it... Hate it... Let me know...
Lunix95: Get back here!
Me: Yipes... (Puts 'pedal to metal') Must go faster, must go faster, go gogogogogogogogogo......
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