"Mahaad! What's happened? Why is Yugi like this?!"
"You let too much of him slip away!" Mana cried out.
Mahaad looked about Yugi's mind-room again, concerned himself, then shook his head.
"No, it was only some of the worry and nightmares I allowed to go. He shouldn't be like this."
As one, Mana, Mahaad and Akai turned their heads, as if each suddenly heard his or her name called.
"Did you..."
"...feel that?"
Mahaad began to laugh with a nearly hysterical fervor. There was humor in his laughter, but also a tone of surprised relief. Truly, it had been a rough ordeal on everyone, himself included! The concern in Yami's eyes finally caught his attention, and he calmed down.
"Yugi's fine." Mahaad told him. "We," he indicated Mana and Akai, "can tell. And we," this time Mahaad's gesture included Yami, "should have known. Right now, Yugi's heart is divided most strongly between his concern for you and..." Mahaad allowed his sentence to trail off leadingly.
"...and the Heart of his Cards!" Yami realized. Mahaad grinned and nodded.
"Part of Yugi's soul is here, but the most interesting part has gone to the Magic Box."
Yami sighed and looked up as if for patience.
"Mahaad, you and I need to somehow or another stop all this chaos," he stated firmly.
"I agree. Cards should be cards, and duelists should be duelists, but, as long as he is in the Magic Box, shall we not take advantage of this unique opportunity?"
Yami's face was stubborn for a moment.
"It won't hurt him?"
"Nothing in my Magic Box will ever hurt Yugi. Or you," Mahaad promised with the utmost sincerity.
Yami sighed.
"And he would like it, wouldn't he?"
"Mana, what are they talking about?" Akai asked.
"I'm not sure, but it seems as if Yugi's soul is in two pieces. Mahaad's not concerned about that, so I'm sure he can bring Yugi back together again."
"Bringing both parts together would do that," Akai nodded. "But what's the discussion about now?"
"Hmm, if I'm guessing right, the part of Yugi in the Magic Box right now is the active part."
Mahaad overheard and nodded.
"And what is the Magic Box a refuge for?" he asked.
Akai grinned.
--------
As soon as they appeared within the Magic Box, purple light swirled around Mahaad. He slumped to his knees, catching himself on his hands as his strength gave out.
"Mahaad!" Akai, Mana and Yami cried out, as with one voice. Yami knelt to offer whatever support and assistance he could. The strange purple light seemed to gather itself and dart upward, losing itself in the brightness of the sky of the Magic Box.
"Are you all right?" Yami asked, grasping Mahaad's arm.
"Yes," Mahaad nodded. "I felt a bit weak, but I'm fine now." He reached down as if to leverage himself up from the ground, but stopped, as Yami was still holding his arm.
"My Pharaoh?"
Yami's eyes widened.
"Mahaad..." he squeezed his friend's bicep slightly, to draw Mahaad's attention down.
"What is going on?" Mahaad demanded, noticing, as Yami intended, the gold armlet he wore.
"Master?!" Mana asked incredulously. "You, you...how did you...?"
"What's wrong?" Akai asked with more coherence.
"Mahaa...my master now looks as he used to before...well, before he became the Dark Magician!" Mana explained.
Mahaad stood, arrayed in the white and gold raiment and headdress of the priest he had been in Yami's court in the days of ancient Egypt. He cupped his chin thoughtfully.
"I have been able to resume this appearance, with the pharaoh's permission..."
"More like insistence," Yami interjected.
"...when I've been allowed to meet with him in the labyrinth of his mind. There, as it is his mind, such a thing is possible. I am at a loss to explain my appearance now. It is not something I willed," Mahaad finished.
"No matter. I will..." Mahaad closed his eyes, concentrating.
After a long moment, he opened them again. Worry added a slight hint of strain around his eyes.
"Something is wrong. I cannot become the Dark Magician. Further, I cannot even feel the force of Dark Magic, even as I used to in Egypt before I first became the Dark Magician."
"Oh, no!" Mana cried out fearfully. "Master, what does that mean?! What will happen to you now?"
Mahaad opened his arms. Mana accepted the tacit invitation, stepping into his embrace so he could comfort her. Akai's eyes widened, as he'd never seen Mahaad behave in so approachable a manner before, though Yami seemed to think nothing of it.
"I don't know, Mana. But we have a more important concern to hurdle first. What has happened to me can wait. We need to find Yugi," he reminded them as he released Mana from his brief hug.
Mana blinked back her tears of worry, nodded and stepped back to stand next to Akai.
"Right. Can you tell where he is?" Yami asked, looking toward the stand of trees obscuring the atelier from view. He noticed movement and narrowed his gaze until he recognized the Celtic Guardian approaching.
The elven Guardian neared, his eyes widening only slightly before he recognized Mahaad through his friend's changed appearance.
"Where is he, Celedor?" Mahaad asked.
"Yugi's here. But tell me; why is he the Dark Magician?"
Mahaad and Yami traded glances. Yami smiled. "We should have known."
Mahaad nodded. "That explains why I changed too. I can't be the Dark Magician at the same time he is."
"So...what happened that he has become the Dark Magician instead of you?" Celedor wondered. But, don't worry, he will be our duelist again. Until then, we should let him enjoy being the Dark Magician again."
Celedor nodded. "He would like that."
"To that end, we should have a duel."
"A duel? Here? How?"
"Trust me. Could you three," Mahaad's glance singled out Akai, Mana and Celedor, "gather all the monsters to the field outside the atelier? And make certain you bring Yug...ah, the Purple Dark Magician!"
--------
"Well then," Mahaad pulled himself up to his full height. Yugi looked around at all the duel monsters standing in the ring with him around Mahaad and Yami. He glanced down where his purple gauntlet-clad hand grasped a green staff and couldn't help but shudder at the awesomeness of it all.
A second green staff crossed playfully over his, forcing him to look up. Akai smiled down at him.
"It seems we are to partner as Dark Magicians again, Yugi." Akai nodded his approval. "It is a good look for you."
"R-really?" Yugi looked over again at Mahaad, who even now seemed to pull energy to himself from the very air of the Magic Box.
Akai followed Yugi's gaze. "Yes, even as how that is a good look for Mahaad."
"I was so jealous of him once. Even in the duel where I fought for Arcana, I could tell that he, your Dark Magician, had your respect. I envied that. And once I was brought here, into your deck and into the Magic Box, I could tell how the duel monsters of your deck respected him too. All I wanted to do was one thing; perform one action not expected - not commanded by you, to earn your respect, and the respect of your cards."
"But, I've always respected you!"
"I know that now, but when I first came here..." Akai shrugged, then shook his head, evidently pitying who he had been.
"Mahaad tried so hard, the cards united their power too, even you and Yami came here, all to bring me back. It was then that I realized I had your respect, and the respect of Mahaad and all your cards."
Akai's smile was uncomplicatedly joyful. After a moment, it faded.
"And in saving me, you lost Mahaad. I thought that for certain that you and the cards would hate me; since I was a poor trade for Mahaad."
Yugi shook his head. "That's not..."
"I know. It was Yami who named me, but I know that I was never just 'a' Dark Magician to you. I was...myself... Akai, the 'Red Dark Magician' and never just a 'back up' Dark Magician. I am glad to be a card in your deck, Yugi. I am honored to have fought alongside you before, and evidently again today. I know that I have your respect and further..."
"You are my friend, Akai," Yugi said softly.
Akai nodded. "Somehow I knew you would say that. I am honored to be your friend too."
"Are you two finished?" a dry voice demanded from directly in front of them. Both jumped and looked up guiltily as if they'd been caught passing notes in class. Mahaad's expression was stern, but his eyes twinkled.
"Your right hand, if you please, Akai," Mahaad gestured. Akai gave him his right hand without question. Mahaad turned Akai's hand palm up then passed his hand over it. A subtle flash of magic left something in its wake. Akai brought it up to look at it, and realized it was his card, the card of the Red Dark Magician.
"Yugi? Your right hand, please," Mahaad turned slightly to face Yugi.
Having just watched what happened, Yugi presented his hand palm up. Mahaad grasped Yugi's hand between both of his, invoking the same flash of magic. Curious, Yugi lifted the card to see the Purple Dark Magician's image depicted there. He gasped, and brought the card closer to inspect it.
On the card, it was Yugi's face in the Dark Magician's helm.
"Th-that's...!"
"Of course it's you, Yugi. You are the Purple Dark Magician now," Mahaad told him coolly before turning to the monster next to him. Akai plucked the card from Yugi's hand, to examine the image more closely himself.
"I told you it was a good look for you!" Akai teased before handing the card back.
"Now each of you is holding his, or her, card. Once you are selected, please give that card to the duelist who chose you. After all the Duel Monsters have been separated, we will be able to begin this duel."
"Duel?"
"Who's going to...?"
"What's going on?"
"Why is there a duel?"
"There can't be a duel here!"
The gathered monsters of Yugi's deck commenced a low murmuring hubbub as each monster turned to his or her neighbor and expressed amazement in hushed or whispered tones.
"Everyone, please! Calm down. There's nothing to be concerned about," Yami reassured.
"Since Yugi is currently the Purple Dark Magician, we thought to hold a duel here, where there's no danger, before everything is finally restored to the way it's supposed to be. That is, if it is okay with you, Yugi?"
Yugi beamed. To be able to duel with, that is, alongside, his duel monsters?! Yami knew his heart well enough to know it would be a dream come true for him. He nodded enthusiastically. Yami and Mahaad smiled at his eagerness.
"Well, okay, since you are here, Yami, and Yugi is the Dark Magician, but, who will the other duelist be?" Rowan wondered.
"Since there is only one Purple Dark Magician in Yugi's deck, and right now that is not me, I thought I could serve as Yami's opponent," Mahaad bowed.
"Mahaad?!" Yugi gasped.
Mahaad smiled and nodded.
"Oh!"
Yami noticed the stars dancing in his partner's eyes. Mahaad had assured him that nothing would ever hurt Yugi here in the Magic Box. He knew that they'd finally followed the last twist of the coil, threaded the last path of the labyrinth, as it were, to find the end of the ordeal that had been plaguing them. Why not let Yugi enjoy the joy of this moment? Why not let someone else, someone he trusted in the past, and trusted still now, decide the shape of this duel?
"Mahaad, why don't you pick the first card? The first choice is yours."
Yugi's expression washed away at that. Too often, far too often, he'd been in this very situation. Painful reality mocked his happiness of only the moment before. Anytime he was in a group from which teams were to be selected, he'd been chosen last; or in those cases where there was an odd number, not at all. All too often he'd been forced to sit on the sidelines and watch while others had fun in some sport or activity, and not be a part of it.
"It's time to choose sides. I'll go first! I take...Hiro!"
"I'll take Joey!"
"Pierre!"
"Tristan!"
Yugi waited, his heart pounding harder and harder each time the captains made their choice. Surely his name would be called soon! There were so few of them left, now only three, now two...
"Oh, we counted wrong. All the teams are filled. You can watch us play if you want, Motou!"
The boys had laughed at him then...and again, and again whenever this cruel scene played out. Yugi had learned to not even try, instead, doing something on his own, such as reading a book. Over time, this isolation evolved into bringing his deck of cards to school to devise new combinations and strategies for Duel Monsters. Sometimes he had wondered why he did, as he knew no one would ever play with him, but there was still something soothing about the cards, reading and memorizing their descriptions and pictures, and learning how best to use them.
The Dark Magician. He'd never feel like crying if the boys pulled their cruel pranks on him! He'd blast them into next week with Dark Magic if they tried! Yugi stared down at the card in his hand, the one showing a Dark Magician bearing his face and promised he would not let his hopes rise as they always did during the choosing of sides. That way, it wouldn't hurt as much when he was selected last. Wait! Just how many monster cards were in his deck? Was it an even number? He might not be chosen at all...
"Yugi!"
Yugi's head snapped up as his train of thought derailed. What did Mahaad want?!
Mahaad smiled at him. "I want you for my side. I thought it best to choose you first, so that Yami wouldn't have a chance. He always selects the best players right away, if memory serves."
Yami's eyes narrowed at his friend. "I had hoped you would pick Mana first!" he growled in mock-displeasure, though there was a note of true irritation in his tone.
Yugi looked blankly into Mahaad's eyes. He was never selected first! He had no idea what to do!
Mahaad gestured for him to come over, smiled and gently took the Dark Magician card from Yugi's hand.
"I'm going to need this," Mahaad told Yugi. "Hmm...this will be different from the duels you are used to. Since the entire game will be played here, there's no graveyard to send defeated cards to. So, I guess all of you 'monsters'," Mahaad grinned into Yugi's eyes, "will need to stand around the dueling field until called into play, once we start. Until then, why not just stand here on my side?"
Yugi suddenly grinned up at Mahaad. How had he known? How had Mahaad known that this duel could ease the pain and erase the bitterness of always being chosen last, or not at all?
"Well, then," Yami decided. "I'll take Akai."
Oh. That meant Yugi would be fighting against Akai and not with him. Could Yugi fight against his friend? Mahaad told him there was no graveyard, but still...
"Now I will select Mana," Mahaad decided gravely.
Mana bounced over, handed her card to Mahaad and threw her arms around Yugi.
"This is going to be so much fun!" she exclaimed. "I get to be on your side, and fight on my master's team!"
"Curse of Dragon," Yami selected. "Please fight for my side."
"Hmm, you got Garunon. I'd better select...Shelleene!" Mahaad called out.
"Then I should take Everon, the Summoned Skull and see how these two friends fare when faced off against each other."
"Grrr!" Shelleene glared at Everon fiercely. To Yugi's delight and Yami's amusement, Everon held up his hands and ducked as if shying from Shelleene's gaze.
-----
Yami smiled as he looked up. The cards in his hands disappeared as the duel ended. He had a chance to glance over and meet Mahaad's eyes, his slight, rueful nod his acknowledgment of Mahaad's win in their duel, before Mahaad was mobbed by all the monsters of Yugi's deck.
"So, did you have fun?" Yami asked, striding up to where Yugi stood on the impromptu dueling field as the monster who had taken the last of his life points.
"Yami!" There was an undercurrent of anguish in Yugi's tone. Yami smiled, then grinned. He placed an arm around Yugi's purpled-armored shoulders, and turned him around.
"Look. The monsters are all happy. Mahaad is well, you are well and soon everything will be restored to the proper way of things. My pride is not so high that losing a single duel, to two of my closest friends, is more than I can bear. I didn't try to lose, but I'm not distressed that I did."
Yugi smiled up at him. "It was fun, being the Dark Magician again. And getting to see Mahaad duel! He's really good!"
Reassured that Yugi would know he was just teasing, Yami glared in Mahaad's general direction.
"Trust him to understand the Heart of the Cards as much as we do!"
"More like the heart of the duelist," Akai noted cryptically as he approached.
"I know Mahaad managed to bring you back into play with Reborn the Monster, Yugi, but are you okay from my Magic Box attack?" Akai asked.
Yugi nodded. "Perfectly all right. It's reassuring to know that the attacks look far worse than they feel. It just -- pinched a little. You are okay too, right?"
Akai nodded. "Just pinched a little."
He mocked-glared in Mahaad's direction, even as Yami had. "Trust him, and you," Akai glanced over to Yami, "to manage to pull off something as challenging as having your Dark Magicians cast Magic Box of Death on each other at the same time. Tell me, was it as impressive to watch as I'm imagining it was?"
Yami recalled the pivotal moment in the duel, as it is where he lost his advantage, slim as it was, over Mahaad. The tempo of the battle sequences kept increasing, as attack after attack was countered, or triggered a trap card. It was the type of battle that Yami enjoyed the most, as the duel itself seemed to take on a vibrance and life of its own, separate from the duelists and decks. Since Mahaad wasn't an enemy, and the duel was for fun, it was as if he and Mahaad were spinning a grand story together from the conflict of their cards.
Yami had called it first, slightly reluctant to use the attack on Mahaad's Dark Magician as it was Yugi, but resolved to honor both of his friends by fighting all out, and using the utmost of his skill. So, he set his slight reluctance aside and called for Akai to use the Magic Box magic attack on Yugi.
Mahaad evidently had resolved to fight with the same honor, as an inspired use of magic and trap cards enabled him to have Yugi counter at the same time with the same attack.
So it was that two Magic Boxes materialized on the field and two Dark Magicians floated back to trigger the effect. Each box shimmered, each box was pierced through by the magic swords, the door of each box opened, and the interior of each box revealed a gruesomely impaled Dark Magician. After a moment, the boxes dematerialized, as Akai appeared again in Yami's waiting area while Yugi appeared in Mahaad's "graveyard".
"Very." Yami grinned. "That is your favorite attack, isn't it?"
"To perform, yes. Be taken out of the game with? No -- not at all!" Akai gifted the unaware Mahaad with a sour glare again, before finally sighing.
"Before you have to leave, may I speak with Yugi privately for a moment?" Akai asked.
Yami nodded. He wanted to speak with Mahaad before they left anyway, so he strolled off to where the throng of excited monsters appeared to have no interest in dissipating.
Yugi looked up at Akai, wondering what the Red Dark Magician wanted to talk about.
Akai smiled down at Yugi. Funny how smiles to this one didn't seem forced at all. There was just something about Yugi that made him want to smile. Perhaps it was the brightness of his eyes and the fact he could tell that Yugi would always be candid with him. There would be no tricks or mind-games such as the ones Arcana used to torture him with.
"I bet you are wondering what happened to bring you here," Akai began.
"Do you know, I think Mahaad's Magic Box is probably nearly as powerful as a Millennium Item?" Yugi suddenly asked. He grinned up at Akai.
"We've been tossing about so many powerful forces it's no wonder something like this," Yugi spread his arms to indicate his Dark Magician garb, "happened. Between the magic of the Millennium Puzzle and Mahaad's Box, the Heart of the Cards and the bond Yami and I have, I should count myself lucky this is all that happened to me!" Yugi laughed.
Akai continued to smile down on Yugi. The kid was sharp. He couldn't forget that. He won the duel with Arcana, and Arcana, though Akai despised him, had been an excellent duelist. He nodded.
"There is a power buried in Yami as well. I don't know if it's the full power of the Puzzle, or something else, but we nearly lost you to that power, trying to rescue Mahaad."
Akai wandered over to seat himself on a rock. It was a way for him to stop looming over Yugi and bring them eye to eye. He still wasn't comfortable being that open with others, as of yet, but what he had to tell Yugi was important enough for him to set aside his discomfort.
"When Mahaad and Yami came to your room there was some discussion..." Akai began. Yugi suddenly blushed.
"It's...I could..." Yugi murmured.
"You must have been -- amused to see my room. It's so -- childish."
Akai shook his head, denying Yugi's words. How best to reassure Yugi that he didn't think anything bad about him from seeing his mental room? Maybe just tell him.
"Mana and I were so worried about you, for you seemed to be dead, that we didn't really see much at all. And of what I did notice, I didn't see anything to cause you embarrassment."
Yugi still seemed unhappy. Akai sighed, fearing that he hadn't reassured him at all. Ah well. Back to the more important matter at hand, telling him what Mahaad had done, so it wouldn't be too much of a shock to Yugi when he did finally get to go back there.
"Yami and Mahaad both were worried by the shadows in your mind. It seems as if you were forced to deal with many things that were making you worry too much. Mahaad let as much of the shadows as he dared slip into oblivion before reviving you."
"Really!?" Yugi exclaimed.
Akai nodded. "Of course, then when he did revive you, you pulled whatever trick you did to wind up here," Akai glanced wryly at him, "but I don't blame you. Mahaad's Magic Box is a pretty neat place, isn't it?"
Yugi shook his head. "I didn't do anything to come here, but, thanks for telling me what Mahaad did for me. And thank you for all you've done for me too, Akai."
"I have to take good care of my duelist, don't I? Now that I've found one I want to keep!" he smiled, stood up, nodded and walked off.
Yugi smiled fondly after him. When he had dueled Arcana he never in a million years would have suspected that Arcana's Red Dark Magician was such a nice guy under all his growly resentment. He looked around again. Mahaad had made a wonderful place for the Cards here in his Magic Box. Yugi knew that it had been the strangest of circumstances that allowed him to come here, twice, and that is was unlikely that he'd ever come here again. Still, it was good to know that his cards were in good hands when they weren't in his hands during duels. Now that he'd met them, he was aware that for whatever reason there was, his cards were more than just paint and ink on cardboard, and varying degrees of attack, defense and abilities within the confines of a game. They were...
They were people too. He was glad he'd had a chance to meet them, and realize that.
Yami wandered up at that and placed his arm around Yugi's shoulders again.
"You are going to miss this place, aren't you?" Yami asked softly.
Yugi nodded. "A little. But it's a place Mahaad made for the cards, not for me. Once we finally get everything sorted out, I do have a life, apart from the game, and even apart from the Millennium destiny, to get back to. So, it balances out."
Yugi would never fail to amaze Yami with his seemingly cheerful acceptance of the strange turns of fate.
"I think you've strengthened your bond with the Heart of your Cards," he observed.
"Kinda hard not to, when I'm playing as one of them!" Yugi noted with a laugh.
"True. So, partner, is it time to go home?"
---------------------
Author's Notes-
Finally! Chapter 15 is finished! ::phew!::
Akai has learned his lesson all too well from Mahaad and Yami. He insisted I write his discussion with Yugi about respect. I wonder if any of the characters respect me?! ::grin::
Next chapter teaser - Chapter Sixteen - Mutual Respect
Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get!
stargarde (at) stargarde (dot) com