Things Unseen; Sequel of Millennium Ritual
a/n: MetalArmor (sorry, I shortened your named) asked if Mokuba's birthday passed. It did, it was on July 7. Poor Mokey. For some reason, Mokey is just forgetting it. Sry that this was late, my bad. Writer's block, amazingly.
Disclaimer: ........... Fudge stick.
Chapter 7: Suspicious Acts
Apis Enari stood before the duelists with a big smile, his arms outstretched. But no one responded to his announcement. They all stood gaping at the young man, surprised at how young the man was. As you can see, people were expecting someone, let's say, older. But life has many surprises.
'So that's Apis Enari.' Thought Yugi, staring at the man, 'How strange. Not how I pictured him.' At that moment, he thought about the dream he had, and how the man seemed familiar.
Quite a few feet away, Sadiki and A were standing in the crowd, staring at the man. Sadiki gritted his teeth, his hands curling into knuckles. A noticed this and stared at him with suspicion and worry. As A turned to look at Apis Enari once more, she felt a chill trickle down her spine. She didn't know why, but somehow she had a bad feeling.
Kaiba stood in front of the crowd with arms crossed, Mokuba staring at Apis Enari with much surprise. As Mokuba turned to glance at his brother, he saw that Kaiba was not impressed with the man. Kaiba turned his eyes at Mokuba, not moving his head. Jumping a little, Mokuba looked down to the ground, clutching the suitcase.
"Ah, well I hope all of you had a very good trip here. Sorry for the little schedule change; we were a bit behind. It's wonderful that all of you were able to come," Enari said, smiling widely, "But now on to business. You all have received my invitation a few days before, correct? Good, then you will know that the prize of this tournament will be the golden statue of Osiris, worth millions and millions of dollars. And, like any other tournament, you shall receive the title of the greatest duelist in the world, which, I believe, is more valuable than a statue." The crowd chattered in response.
"But those are only for if you beat everyone here, the people you see before you. After a victor is chosen, that winner shall duel against me. Beat me, and I'll send you to a place where all your dreams would come true, a place that would remain a mystery." Enari continued, chuckling to himself.
Sadiki looked at him once more, his eyebrows slanted down. 'The liar,' he thought.
'Remain a mystery?' Yugi thought, stroking his chin, 'I wonder what it is.'
"Anyway, that's enough for the prizes, now time for the tournament itself," Enari grinned, as he held up a duel disk attached to his wrist, "Now as you see, we shall play with the duel disks that were created from Seto Kaiba himself, standing in the crowd in front of me. But, we've made a slight improvement." Pressing a button on the duel disk, a puzzle piece ejected itself from an indent in the disk. "To enter the finals, which is held at an estate somewhere in the outskirts of Luxor, you must collect 15 puzzle pieces. You earn one puzzle piece by each duel you win. Once you do, you must piece it together and there you will find an answer to a riddle that will be told to all who approach the estate, which is written in Egyptian. As for proof, you must show the puzzle to the guards."
"But there is a catch; Some puzzle pieces fit in the place of others, and you won't be able to tell if it's in the right place. How do you tell if it's right then, you ask? You don't. You'll just have to trust your intuition. The loser of a duel must hand over their rarest magic/trap card to the winner. Understand? Oh, and another thing. If you lose a single duel, you will be disqualified, no matter how many puzzle pieces you've collected." The crowd gasped in surprise.
"If you lose just ONE duel you'll be disqualified? That's not fair!" Joey yelled out angrily, as Yugi showed no emotion toward the rule.
"Interesting rule. This will be fun," Kaiba said, grinning.
"Wait, wait," he continued, "After that, the loser does not have to leave. My men shall escort the losers to the place of the finals, where they can watch from the stands. See? It's not so bad. . ." Enari shrugged, his blue suit making a wrinkle.
'My god, he just can't stop,' Sadiki thought, as A stared at him uncomfortably.
"Oh, and the tournament will be held in the Cairo Opera House. So with that said, please file into the buses in front of you, for the buses will take you to your rooms in the hotel. Due to some technical difficulties, the tournament will begin tomorrow. When you reach the Opera House tomorrow, which is about, an hour drive, show your invitations to the gentlemen at the entrance so you can actually come in. Once you step into the building, the tournament shall begin. Dueling time begins from noon to 7 o' clock." Without saying good-bye, Enari stepped inside the limo once more, as the chauffer closed the door behind him. She smiled to the crowd and waved her hand. Going back to the limo, she started the car and drove away.
Shrugging, Yugi and his friends followed the crowds into the buses, as Kaiba and Mokuba were the first to arrive inside. Snorting, Sadiki stepped inside. Raising her eyebrows, A quickly took out her cell phone and dialed a number.
"Zuka? Yeah, it's me. Listen, there's a change of plans. Tournament is gonna be held in Cairo Opera House. . . Yeah, I know I was wrong; big deal. . . Chike and Chuma want to see their cousin? Whatever," A continued with exasperation, "Just don't let them get into trouble like last time. Tell Adio to pack our clothes and bring them here; something tells me that we'll have to stay in the hotel. Have Badru pack a few pocket knives in too. Oh, and Zuka? Can you look something up for me? I. . . I want to see something. . ."
As A continued talking while walking in the bus, the limo was stopped in front of it, the window rolled down. Apis Enari watched A closely, until she finally was in the bus and it started driving away. Signaling to the driver, she followed the bus to the hotels.
:: Hotel ::
"Man! Look at the size of this bed!" Joey exclaimed, flopping down onto the plush king sized mattress. With a big smile, he hugged the pillow and murmured, "Hmm, swan feathers. . ."
The five friends were in Joey's hotel room, enjoying the accommodations that they had. Tea made herself comfortable in her bed as Joey and Tristan were to share a bed for the entire trip there. Ryou looked inside the refrigerator, hungry for food not on from an airplane. Yugi, however, sat down in the corner of the room, his figure bent.
"I think you have more food than us," Ryou complained, opening a pop can and drinking its cold liquid.
"Well duh, there are three people sharing a room. And why did I have to share a room with you guys? Why couldn't I share one with Yugi?" Tea pouted, lying down on her bed, "How dull. I'm never gonna get to sleep."
"Aw, come on Tea, we're not so bad," Tristan said, munching on a bag of chips as the crumbs fell to the ground.
"Yeah, I'm sure you'll have fun. Besides, we didn't think it would be a very good idea for two duelists to be in the same room, you know, for competition." Ryou said, as Joey jumped up in surprise.
"Hey! Me and Yug' ain't competitive! We always cooperate with each other and this time there's no strings attached, which will make it easier, right Yugi?" Joey reassured, turning toward him. "Yugi?"
He didn't answer as continued to stare hard at the velvet drawstring bag containing the pieces of the Orb and handkerchief found at Aura's grave. His brows were furrowed; his lips were curled in a frown. Everyone was quiet as they slowly walked up to his side.
"Yugi? Yugi, hello? Just asked you a question here. . . Are ya listening? Yugi! Hey, what's in that bag of yours?" asked Joey as he reached for the velvet bag. A spark flashed through Yugi's eyes as he quickly snatched the bag away from his grasp. They all jumped in surprise.
"Don't touch it!" Yugi yelled, rising from his chair and backing away from them. His eyes darting back and forth, he quickly grabbed the handkerchief from the table and backed away once more. His friends stood across from him, shocked. He felt jittery; afraid. "Uh. . . It's just that this is really, really important to me. I don't really want you to see it because. . . because. . . uh. . ."
"Because what?" Tea asked, as they stared at him with a disguised sadness. Yugi's eyes widened in surprise at the thought. Immediately he felt guilty. He felt like he needed time to think, alone.
"I. . . I need to go," Yugi answered after a moment. Without saying another word, he grabbed his jacket and walked away, closing the door shut behind him. Sighing, he put his hands in his pockets and walked toward the entrance of the hotel and onto the streets, the drawstring bag swinging at his belt.
:: Later ::
"Man, what was up with Yugi today?" Tristan asked as he and Ryou walked down the hall toward the ice machine. It was after the incident with Yugi when Ryou and Tristan decided to go out the hall and talk a little, and their excuse for walking out was to get more ice. Tea and Joey stayed behind, pondering on what happened.
Ryou held the bucket tight as he replied, "I dunno. Could he possibly have stress from the tournament?" Tristan shook his head as they turned the corner to the left. As they walked, two maids passed them, pushing along a cart filled with cleaning materials. They walked through a glass hallway, seeing a lush courtyard with people on benches, reading.
"You know, it seems like that Yugi was bothered ever since we got here," Tristan thought aloud as Ryou nodded in approval.
"What do you think is bothering him then?" Ryou asked, walking into another hall.
"Do you think it's because of. . . you know. . . last year?" Tristan answered.
Ryou was silent before replying, "Do you really think so? I mean, I thought he'd forget it by now."
"Well, if we haven't, he definitely didn't forget," Tristan said.
"I hope he's not blaming himself for everything," Ryou sighed, wiping his brow.
"Nah, he wouldn't. . . Would he?" Tristan then stopped in the middle of the hall, scratching his head in frustration. For a moment they stood like that, just thinking silent thoughts to themselves. When Ryou looked down, he realized that the bucket he was carrying had no ice.
"Oh gosh, we've been talking for so long that we skipped the ice machine by. . . three halls," calculated Ryou, looking at the signs written in Arabic and in English. Tristan slapped his head in realization.
"Dang it, that was the whole reason we went out in the first place! Ugh, come on, lets go to the nearest ice machine and run down to the room." Tristan said, running down the hall with Ryou following. They went left and right, following the signs on the wall. After a minute or so, they found the room with the machine and quickly pushed the button to pour the ice in. Tristan urged Ryou to go faster for his stomach was growling, a sure sign of hunger.
"Done," Ryou said, heaving the bucket out of the machine, "Now, let's go before Joey eats everything in the refrigerator." Tristan laughed as they turned around, but the moment they had set eyes on the room behind them, Tristan backed into machine with wide eyes. Ryou, who wondered what was wrong, was soon pushed back to the machine himself by Tristan.
Three women were standing by a door across the hall, just a few feet from the very room they were in. Sweat started forming at Tristan's forehead as he remembered who the women were.
'It's them,' Tristan thought, 'the ones who killed the Healer a year ago.' When he, Joey, Tea, and others were in the tombkeeper's tomb, the Healer was found dead, laying before three women, the same women he was seeing now. 'I. . . I thought we've seen the last of them. . .' The women in the middle knocked the door.
"Tristan, what is going on?" Ryou whispered. Tristan didn't answer; all he did was point in front of him. As Ryou turned, he gasped as he saw the Egyptian man they met before named Kaphiri opened the door.
He glared at them angrily as he said, "Fates. What do you want this time?"
The voice that answered him seemed to come out of nowhere as one answered,
[Sadiki, we wish to see the Little One.]
[Is Little One harmed?] Another asked.
Sadiki continued to glare at them, no one noticing the two boys behind them.
"Why are you here?" Sadiki asked once more. He did not answer their question.
[We felt a disturbance in the balance.] A woman said.
[Little One is distressed.] Said the other, their ghost-like eyes staring at him. Tristan and Ryou stood as still as the night, listening to every word.
[Have you caused Little One's distress?] Sadiki raised his eyebrow in surprise, but his face remained closed. He shook his head swiftly, his small brown ponytail swinging.
"Listen, I got it, alright? Nothing is wrong; everything is according to plan. Little One isn't distressed at all, okay? Just leave me alone." Sadiki ordered, closing the door. But as he tried to close the door, it would not budge from its spot. The women pushed their hands against the door, obviously stronger than him.
[We have seen that Pharaoh had come again.]
[The Priest had arrived also.]
[Little One knows of their beings.]
[We must eliminate them permanently.] Sadiki widened his eyes at the thought.
"What? Eliminate? You can't! Not again! I'm not gonna stand by and watch it happen! And this time, if you do it, you'll be caught, because Yugi Moto and Seto Kaiba are well known to the world! You can't just kill someone and think that will make the problem go away!" Sadiki protested, his golden eyes filled with anger. Ryou and Tristan jumped as Yugi's name was mentioned.
[As you wish.] They answered.
[But they shall be a problem.]
[Continue to protect Little One.]
[The time has almost come.]
[Little One shall be needed soon.]
[Or the Necromancer shall succeed.]
Sadiki flinched a little as the word necromancer was spoken. Sighing, he then asked wearily, "But what happens if the Necromancer does succeed?" The women didn't answer. Tristan and Ryou stood still as their hearts were beating fast.
[Do not fail us.]
As they said the last sentence, in the blink of an eye they disappeared, with only Sadiki standing in the hall. Quickly Sadiki looked this way and that, looking for anyone who happened to listen. Ryou and Tristan were huddled in the corner by the entrance, unseen by him. It was quiet for a moment, until Sadiki cursed in his breath in Egyptian.
"Oi, Sadiki, what's wrong? It's seems like you've just talked to Death himself," A voice said, coming from the other side of the hall. Sadiki looked to his right, which made Tristan and Ryou unable to see who it was. Sadiki muttered a hello as the voice turned toward him fully, blocking their view. Ryou saw that it was a woman dressed in a tan dress and cloak, her long black hair resting on her shoulders. They realized that it was the same woman they met before, who was Eshe, which probably isn't her name, Tristan realized.
"Cat caught your tounge? Well fine, be that way. I'm gonna walk around, alright? Just don't do anything out of the ordinary. Oh, and Adio is gonna come in an hour or so with our clothes and stuff. Make sure and meet him at the front. . . Are you okay?" He didn't answer as she bent down to look at his lowered face.
"Well, if you really don't want to talk about it. . . I guess I'll leave you to your thoughts. Bye, see you soon." Giving him a wave, she walked away, humming a song and skipping a little. There was something familiar in the voice, but Tristan couldn't put his finger on it. It was quiet, yet demanding, like a voice he heard a long time ago.
After she left, Sadiki nearly collapsed against the door, banging his head on it. "God help me," he said, walking into his room and slamming the door shut.
The moment he closed the door Ryou and Tristan jumped to their feet and ran to their hall, leaving the bucket of melting ice in the room.
To Be Continued. . .
I know, I know, where's the action and adventure!? I'm trying to get to that. For now, I'm just making sure everything is all set, that's all. Hopefully it won't take me as long as seven chapters.