Daily
by Lethe Seraph
Entry Nine: Rapport
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5.9.04
This one is Hush Puppie's fault. We were talking online and she gave me the word. Then she dared to say that I couldn't shock her with any pairing! Grr.
After that, she thought of the Ultimate Challenge…
(Just so you know, this is not entirely canon. ; But then, what is?)
So, I'll repeat: Not my fault. Flaming is bad. Go over and read Hush Puppie's stuff. ::sweatdrops:: This one turned out really long and really weird. You have been warned.
(Excepting this comment, Word says that it's 2,222 words long. )
--
rapport (noun) : a relationship of mutual trust or understanding
-
No words were needed.
They just … understood each other.
Ordinarily, even the fact that they were three would have been wrong to them at some level …
…but this was different.
It was destiny.
--
Ever since that day in the tower when she had glimpsed the forbidden journal, Anzu had felt a pull towards the man who owned it. The words had sounded so heartbreakingly sincere, so filled with remorse and broken hopes, that she couldn't help but yearn to comfort the one who had written them.
She had seen a flowing script which described such pain that she felt her heart wrench at the memory.
She had seen paintings so vivid and tender that she felt a rush of sweet joy at the fading images within her mind.
Her friends reveled in his creations; played with the cards every passing day.
How could anyone who imagined such beautiful things be … evil?
-
"Sherlock Holmes, Indiana Jones and Edward Scissorhands? 'Together'? I must say, Croquet, you have a very interesting mind." He laughed. "Although I commend you for your creativity."
"Thank you, sir," said the aging man stiffly.
"Yes, I can see it in my head," chuckled Pegasus. His amber eye sparkled merrily, and Croquet had to hold back a grin himself. It would be unprofessional to laugh with him – and it was Pegasus's dearest dream to say something so witty that Croquet couldn't help but laugh.
"Are you feeling all right, though, sir? …Without your…"
Pegasus noticed Croquet's involuntary glance toward the patch over his eye, and nodded. "It doesn't hurt. I'm considering buying a glass one; what do you think?"
His shudder was all the answer needed. Pegasus laughed again.
"I'm glad that you woke up, sir," said Croquet, seemingly without emotion. He had gotten good at that, over the years.
"So am I."
"…Your show will be on in a minute, sir."
Pegasus grinned. "Well, thank you very much for telling me."
"Only because of what you said you would do if I didn't," grumbled the harassed man quietly.
-
He didn't know why, but he had felt a strange attraction to the young woman ever since he had laid eyes on her.
It hadn't been all that long ago. He had opened his eyes slowly, as though heavy weights pressed upon their lids – after so long in the Shadow Realm, he was surprised that he had been able to at all –
-and there she had been.
He had known at once, of course, who resided within her body, and had felt relief flood him.
"Master – you're all right!" he had gasped, trying to will his body to enfold the host in a hug and finding himself unable to move more quickly than molasses.
"Calm down, Rishid," said the girl soothingly. "It's okay. You're okay."
"Why are you…?"
She frowned. "I lost a duel," she admitted grudgingly. "Technically, the spirit of the Sennen Ring did, but…" A shrug. Rishid managed a smile; though the body was different, the expressions were still recognizably his master's.
"Then your body is…?"
She nodded. "Under the control of that thing."
How strange, to see his master within the body of a woman.
A sudden image flitted through his head, but he wiped it clean the moment he noticed it; it was amazing that he had been able to suppress them for this long.
He had to think of something that could help his master.
"Master Malik-"
"Yes? What is it, Rishid?" The girl glanced around hastily. The sun was beginning to rise.
"You need help. I wish I could …"
She blinked at him.
"Perhaps, though…"
"What is it?" she repeated. "Hurry – I must not be seen with you, if Yugi or his friends wake up."
"Perhaps," said Rishid, the idea dawning as he spoke, "we could find someone who has knowledge of this sort of thing … someone who could help."
"But where are we going to find such a person?" said Malik through the girl thoughtfully. "The only idea that comes to mind is Yugi, and I assure you, he will be unwilling to help."
"Where is Bakura?"
"Gone," said Malik. Had it been Rishid's imagination, or had Malik's voice cracked…?
"Would your sister help?"
"Perhaps. But … I wouldn't count on it."
Rishid smiled. "I have an idea, Master."
-
"Sir!"
"What is it?" snapped Pegasus, turning to face the intrusion. "The show isn't over for a good twenty minutes yet!"
"My apologies, sir," said Croquet briskly. He closed the door behind him. "However, I think you would like to hear this."
Pegasus sighed. It was as though he were a young mother bathing, and his child had come in to interrupt his well-deserved respite. "Go on," he said unhappily. It looked like he would never get to see whether Funny Bunny would escape the tough Ruff McGruff for the two thousand five hundred thirty fifth time in a row.
"There is a helicopter hovering above us, radioing for permission to land."
"What?!"
-
"I apologize for our rude intrusion into your home," apologized the sunbrowned man in a quiet voice. "I am Rishid."
Pegasus took the moment of silence that followed to examine the young man head to foot. Delicate tattoos sprawled across one side of his face, reminding Pegasus of his days in Egypt. They were interesting, though – it seemed as though the man had applied them himself. He wondered why Rishid had been willing to go through such pain.
Pegasus didn't have his Millennium Eye any more, which was unnerving – what if the two wished him dead? He would never know – but he had learned enough from his years in its presence to know generally what people were like.
Rishid's demeanor was silent, unobtrusive – he seemed like Croquet in that respect, a ready and willing servant. His body was pointed ever-so-slightly in the young woman's direction – so she was his master?
His attention turned to the girl, and his eyes widened.
He had seen her before.
When?
Pegasus performed a quick search through his memory, and a faded image came back to him- Yugi, arriving before their duel. His friends had greeted him enthusiastically, wished him luck – and the girl had been there.
What was she doing with this man?
"I am pleased to meet you, Rishid," said Pegasus formally. "And may I ask who is accompanying you?"
"This is my lord, Mali-"
"I am Malik Ishtar," rasped the girl.
That was not her voice, nor her name.
"Are you the rightful owner of that body?" queried Pegasus.
The one who called himself Rishid shot a small smile at the woman, as though Pegasus had satisfied him in some way. She – he? – nodded slightly.
"As a matter of fact, I am not," said Malik. "That is why we are here."
"I see."
"I believe you are familiar with the Sennen Items?"
"Intimately," said Pegasus, his voice now guarded. Rishid noticed this, and his muscles seemed to tense slightly. He appeared ready to spring at Pegasus at any sign of danger.
Behind him, Croquet was ready to do the same.
"I was the keeper of the Millennium Rod," said the girl in her strange voice. "A dark spirit within me took control of my body and forced my own spirit out. I was forced to seek refuge in this vessel."
"Why, may I ask?"
"Because I had taken possession of her at one time," said the girl. "She was easily subdued."
"Why are you here? I no longer possess the means to fight another Item holder…"
"That is not why we are here," intervened Rishid politely. "We know that you once owned the Sennen Eye."
"Indeed I did."
"You are experienced in magical matters, and so we decided to come to you for help. We thought that, perhaps, together we could…"
"Think of something," supplied Pegasus, leaning back in his chair.
Rishid relaxed and nodded.
"Can you help us?" said the girl – Malik.
"…Perhaps."
-
Where was she?
It was dark, flooded with mist…
…she lay on her side, curled into herself.
Should she get up?
Why?
There was no point. No point to anything … that was what the darkness told her.
She heard voices, felt distantly her feet moving and her own voice speaking, but ignored these strange occurrences. What did they matter?
She was nothing.
She was nowhere.
Then she heard a different voice.
…Familiar.
And it called to her…
-
Evening had fallen upon the castle. They were now within Pegasus's private chambers; so much better for avoiding nosy guards. Croquet, of course, was still by his side - but aside from that, the three were alone.
"The girl's soul is still intact, correct?"
"You are correct," said Malik after a moment of inward plumbing. "She is merely… sleeping."
The white-haired man's expression hardened slightly. "Before I help you, I must insist that you prove that statement."
Rishid stood, eyes aflame. "You do not trust my master?!"
Croquet was in front of the tanned man within an eyeblink. Pegasus motioned the two to sit back down; they did so reluctantly.
"Of course I trust him," said Pegasus with all of his inborn eloquence. Rishid was mollified. "However, I have trusted those before that were not worth my trust. If he tells the truth, then surely he won't mind releasing his hold on the girl for a moment."
Rishid looked over at the girl nervously. "Master?"
"I won't die, Rishid," said the girl. She rose slowly, closing her eyes. "I'll just sleep…"
A sudden shift in the temperature of the room. The lights flickered softly, and Pegasus smiled.
-
When his master's presence left the body, it had been obvious: her entire bearing changed. The girl no longer stood so stiffly, instead shifting her weight to one leg, and the strange mix of emotions that had been his liege had faded away.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she let out a small moan.
"Where … am I?"
"You are safe, my dear," said Pegasus in a tone he normally reserved for young children and pets. "How are you feeling?"
"You're…!" She tried to back away, but stumbled, unused to having control over her own body.
Rishid caught her easily.
She looked up at him, and clapped her hands over her mouth to stifle a scream. For some reason…
…this hurt Rishid.
"It's all right!" said Pegasus. "It has been a while since you've been conscious."
Rishid guided her to the chair that Malik had occupied, and she sat gratefully. "What happened?" she said nervously. And for good reason; she had just awoken to find herself in a room with three men, two of whom she knew to be somewhat … immoral, with no recollection of what had transpired.
"You were my master's host, for a time," said Rishid. Her expression wavered. What was she to think? "He has no body now."
"They have come to me for help," said Pegasus in his gentle voice.
"Oh…" she mumbled. Then she thought of a question. "Where are Yugi and the others?"
"They are still on the airship," said Rishid. "We were able to … borrow … one of Kaiba's emergency aircraft."
Anzu nodded. She was coping to the situation remarkably well, Pegasus had to admit.
"What is your name?" said Pegasus.
"I'm Anzu. …Anzu Mazaki," she said, eyeing him warily. "So you're still alive?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"When we were leaving, we saw you … um …"
Croquet let out a hiss of breath, knowing what she had seen.
"Ah," Pegasus said, brushing it aside and moving on. "Thank you, Anzu, for being concerned with my well-being. After all I did…" he added.
"It's okay," she replied awkwardly. "But … um …"
"Yes?"
"We kind of read a bit of your journal," admitted Anzu. She shifted nervously. "Um, sorry."
"It's all right," said Pegasus, his voice kind.
"…Okay." She smiled. "You write well."
"Thank you."
Rishid coughed quietly.
"Ah, but we have business to attend to," said Pegasus. "I don't suppose you would mind relinquishing your body for a few hours more…?"
Anzu blinked. She then giggled.
"Hm?"
"That sounded really wrong," she said.
The solemn mood was broken. They all began laughing.
Even Croquet.
-
Night.
Rustling, and hushed, secretive laughter.
No words were needed.
How had it happened?
Perhaps Pegasus's 'fruit juice' had had something to do with it, but more likely not.
They were three of a kind, really.
They just … understood each other.
Ordinarily, even the fact that they were three would have been wrong to them at some level …
…but this was different.
It was destiny.
And destiny was hardly broken.
/rapport