Chapter IV: Story Begins

You were waiting and living for no one
With the way you tried
To completely refuse all your life
Feed on your nothing
You'll never live up to me

"WHAT!"

That shout echoed off the walls of the museum, causing the exhibits to rattle and shake in their glass cases, including the large stone tablets hung along the walls. Standing before these tablets was a group of young teenagers; among them was a hyperactive, yet no longer excited, but more frightened, blond boy with wide brown eyes. He stared at the older woman before him, her long, straight black hair reaching below her elbows, her deep, sapphire eyes held depressed and sorrowful emotions. She stared at him and his friends, the smallest drawing the most attention from separate crowds entering and exiting the museum, his multicolored spiky hair standing out quite a bit. Standing behind him was a taller girl, her shoulder length brown hair framing her face perfectly, her azure eyes were filled with solemn emotions, lost in thought of what was coming from this conversation she was sharing with them.

"I'm so sorry for endangering your lives once more, but I didn't have any other option. You saved Malik last time, and I'm hoping you can this time," the woman spoke. Her eyes lowered to the tiled floor below them, trying not to make eye contact with them.

"But, Isis, how did he come back? Yami no Malik?" Yugi asked.

"I'm not sure, but I suspect that Malik must have still held that hatred and grudge in his heart, even after Battle City. His evil side can never be banished, it is a part of my brother's heart, the darker, other side of his heart," Isis spoke, keeping her voice calm, yet it was about to break once more, like before. She worried for her brother's safety.

"But is he now gonna stalk Yugi, like before?" Jonouchi asked. Isis looked up at him, fear filling her eyes.

"No, but he's stalking someone else. He's no longer after the power of the Pharaoh, now he wants the powers of a God, the power of Horus," Isis explained. "Horus was one of the most powerful Gods of Egypt, his power reigned over light, the sun, and the sky. He ruled with such beauty and force that all bowed to him. However, with every great king, there is always an evil enemy. His father and mother's brother, Seth, king of darkness, fought for the crown against him. That battle of light against darkness still rages to this day.

"During each battle with Set, Horus wore a powerful amulet, one that resembled the eyes of his own. This amulet mysteriously disappeared after one battle against Set where his mother threw herself in the center between them, commanding her son to stop. My brother's evil side seeks the amulet and the one who is possessed by the soul of Horus. Yugi, Pharaoh, if he is to obtain the amulet, he will become far more powerful than he ever was. Moreover, if he finds Horus, so many people will die by his hands. He will obtain what he has always wanted. Complete dominance over the world. Not even you will be able to stop him."

Yugi looked at Isis, and then felt his mind drift back into darkness slightly, contacting his other self, the more mature and stronger one. The Pharaoh, who appeared to be listening intensely to the conversation, the subject increasing and peaking his interest. Yugi decided not to bother him, as he was so keen on this.

"So, that amulet of Horus' was powered by light? And if that freak Malik gets his hands on it, he'll be so strong that no one will beat him?" Jonouchi asked. Isis nodded solemnly. "Not even Yugi?" Again, she nodded.

"He's already striked. Two dead bodies, all his work. He must've been hunting for Horus all this time, because of the last victim, the young boy found in Miss Yukari's home. The poor girl, so young, she could be devastated," Isis spoke. Yugi thought of Rika, and then realized she wasn't distraught when her Uncle Hiro Shinto died, so why would she care if this boy died in her home? In fact, the way Yugi remembered it, she showed no emotion at all. No depression, no sorrow, nothing. Then he remembered a spark in her eyes. A spark that lit them up, lit up his own heart, a spark of…happiness? No, she couldn't be happy that her family member was dead! That wasn't sane!

As he thought this, he finally saw that Isis was hoping he could stop Yami no Malik before he reached Horus. He smiled reassuringly at her, the smile warming her heart slightly.

"Don't worry, Isis, we'll stop him and save your brother and this world," Yugi spoke.

"Thank you, Motou Yugi," Isis spoke.

That night, Yugi tossed and turned beneath his white blankets, trying hard to wonder back into the blackness of his mind, but his mind remained restless and wondering eternally. He turned onto his side, staring up into the glass roof above his room, staring at the clear black sky, the stars sparkling like glitter over a black paper. The moon hung high, the silver glow reminding Yugi of Rika's eyes. So dark, so distant, yet so deep and mystical, like you can fall into them. He didn't know why, but he found himself thinking about her a lot. It was as if something was telling him she might have something to do with this.

"Can't sleep, can you?" came a deep, drawling voice. It caught him and held him up to face his reflection staring down at him, though eyes were more serious and dark, a few inches taller and matured.

"Yeah. I don't know why, Yami, but something about Rika drives me to wondering what key she plays in this," Yugi spoke, staring at his other's faded appearance. Yami looked from his host and stared up the dark sky.

"Maybe it's because she reminds you of Yami no Malik. You have to admit, she has several of his qualities. She's dark and malevolent, and violent, also. Not to mention, she may also hold hatred and rage inside her. Maybe that's why you can't stop thinking about her," Yami suggested. Yugi sighed. That must be the reason. What other option was there? "You should get some sleep, aibou."

Yugi sighed and lied back, closing his eyes, and falling into the depth of darkness. He then began to feel his body tear from his mind, and he saw several bits and pieces of his dream….A golden, spiky haired stranger, a gold eye glowing on his dark face…amethyst eyes piercing the darkness…a gold eye with a black opal pupil…crimson puddles under a pair of black boots…a beautiful, gold phoenix…a golden light rising into the black sky….A dark, malevolent, cold laugh echoing in his ears….

Yugi shot up, his face drenched with sweat. He gasped for air, feeling everything had been knocked from him in the eight hours of sleep he had gained. All feeling, all sight, all air, all taste. Everything had just come back to him, as his whole body had been struck numb. He looked up, feeling wide-awake, but hardly remembered the dream of his at all. The only thing he could remember was the golden phoenix. It was remarkable, beautiful. That was all that he remembered, though. Why?

During that day, Yugi went to school acting like normal with his friends, not mentioning anything to anyone, knowing hardly anyone would believe them, let alone help them. Yet he couldn't help but look at Rika, who seemed in a far better move than any of them. That was weird. Throughout the day, she held on her face this dark and wicked smile, yet in her eyes, she didn't hold that much of darkness and violence. In fact, it was like she met someone whom she found an interest in. Yugi was happy to see this, and after school, he planned to introduce her to some of his friends, especially Ryou Bakura, who he knew she'd like.

He found her leaning against the wall against the school, eyes closed, arms folded over her chest, and a sneer on her face that definitely reminded him of someone, but not Yami no Malik. He didn't know who, though. He then spotted Ryou Bakura, a handsome young man with long, luscious white hair and large, dreaming brown eyes. He was probably the most popular boys in this school, mainly because he was so handsome and charming, most of the girls fell for him. Yugi was quite surprised that Rika had never even noticed him before.

"Hey, Ryou, could I ask you to meet a friend of mine?" Yugi asked him politely. Ryou looked at him, his confused frown turning into a pleasant and sophisticated smile.

"Of course, Yugi," he said, heaving his bad over his shoulder and following Yugi out of the building and into the grounds. Ryou eyed Rika against the wall, who had moved slightly in her position. She was now leaning against the wall, one foot raised and placed flatly along it, while her eyes stared out into the street, watching the traffic, her arms now resting on her waist. Yugi looked at Ryou and saw his face fall a slight pink at the sight of this punkish girl. They approached her, Ryou's modesty and shyness reaching over his head. He felt like how he did on his first day here.

"Hey, Rika?" Yugi called to her. She looked at him, and then noticed Ryou, but her eyes fell back onto him.

"Yugi," she spoke.

"I want you to meet my friend, Ryou Bakura. I've told you about him before, remember?" Yugi asked. He was really hoping he was getting on her good side, mainly because she only addressed him as his name, nothing else. Ryou stepped forward, letting out a hand to shake hers, but felt a bit lost when she didn't take it, but stared at him. He pulled away, lowering his head in a shy manner.

"So this is the boy that likes to play RPG's?" she asked, looking at Yugi. He nodded, feeling Ryou nudge him slightly in a shy manner, feeling a bit discouraged. But then a remarkable thing happened. Rika's black lips curved perfectly into a sophisticated, yet somewhat dark, smile. She smiled at Ryou, who immediately went red. Yugi couldn't help but see this. Was Ryou interested in this girl? Suddenly, he spoke up, and surprised Yugi, mainly because he had overcome his modesty.

"Mind if I walk you home?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow, surprised by the question, but then nodded.

"Yes, that'd be wonderful. These streets are wild," she spoke. Yugi felt a little irritated, mainly by the fact that she had warmed up quicker to Ryou than to him. That wasn't necessarily fair, but then he shrugged it off, watching the two of them walk off. Now that he thought about it, Ryou seemed to like her quite a bit, and, this was only his opinion, if they ever become a couple, they would certainly make a cute one.

As Ryou walked beside her, he felt really shy, not wanting to stay too close to her, feeling his face steam dramatically, and his body twitched slightly. He wanted to say things, do things, but he didn't want to embarrass himself. What if she didn't feel that way towards him? In fact, what if she didn't think anything of him at all? That really hurt to think about, but what if it was the truth? Most likely it was. She didn't smile at all again at him, her eyes held that dark depth within them that sent shivers down his body. As he looked at her, curious of what she was thinking, a deep voice spoke low to his ear.

"She's so mysterious and dark...she might know more than I thought...Come now, Ryou, make a move...show her...force her to tell us her little secret..."

Ryou turned, wondering where that voice came from, but then shrugged it off, continuing pace with Rika. She definitely seemed far and distant to him. Almost like she wasn't caring he was there with her. But soon, she broke the silence between them.

"How awkward, isn't it? Walking in complete silence?" Ryou looked up at this, realizing she was teasing their situation darkly. "Reminds me strongly of all the times I've had at home when Shinto was gone."

"Professor Shinto was related to you?" Ryou asked.

"Of course. You don't watch the news, do you? He was my uncle," she spoke. Ryou was very surprised by this girl's tone and depth. She showed no emotion, no depression at all when she spoke that. As a matter of fact, Ryou hinted a bit of…excitement. Why was she so happy when she said that was her uncle who was killed gruesomely in the museum? This girl wasn't normal at all. In fact, she was interestingly dark and….

Just as they walked in another lap of complete silence, Rika lost her footing and collided into another solid being. One smaller than her by a foot or so. This being resembled a child, his long, shining, yet wild black hair flowed to his back, while his wondering dark eyes scanned the girl from the concrete he landed on. At first his face was filled with rage and irritation as he yelled, "Why don't you watch where you're going!", but then his eyes filled with recognition once he looked into the girl's eyes. Ryou instantly recognized this boy as little Kaiba Mokuba.

"Rika Yukari? It's been so long!" the boy yelled, jumping back onto his feet. He dusted off his dirty yellow vest over a long sleeve blue and green striped shirt, and he smiled cheerfully at Rika.

"Hey, there, Mokuba. Where'd you come from?" she asked playfully. Ryou had never heard anyone speak so gently to Mokuba before. Not even Yugi or his older brother, Seto. And once more, it was even a bigger surprise to hear such a gentle tone escape this dark and violent girl's throat. But as she and Mokuba recognized each other, another voice yelled out, calling to the younger boy.

"Mokuba!"

Ryou and Rika looked up to see a tall young man run towards them, his maple brown hair flowing over his dark and serious dark sapphire eyes. Around his body flowed a large indigo colored trench coat with pronounced shoulders, and wide arms, the hem flowing around his knees. His out fit was peculiar beneath it, though. Black slacks and a long sleeved black shirt, with a bit of a turtleneck to it, a belt with the engraving of KC upon the buckle, a pair of steel cuffs about the forearms, and very high black boots with a slightly raised heel in the back. He was quite handsome, but that wasn't out of the ordinary, considering his younger brother was quite adorable. He stopped abruptly when he saw Rika. A light pink flowed around his cheekbones as he approached them.

"Mokuba, why'd you run off like that?" he asked his little brother.

"I was hoping to race you," Mokuba teased.

"Mokuba, you shouldn't run where there's traffic around. It is a bit dangerous," Rika spoke firmly to him. Ryou was surprised by her actions, especially when she ran her fingers through the younger boy's long, silky black bangs. He smiled at her touch, and she continued to stroke his hair. The older brother looked up at Rika, and Ryou definitely saw the blush deepen.

"Rika, it's good to see you again," he spoke.

"It's good to see you, too, Seto," she said. She was the only one Ryou knew now that called him "Seto" and not "Kaiba", like the rest of them, but this quickly shrugged off when he realized they knew each other.

"You guys know each other?" he asked her. She nodded, her mouth forming into a small, dark smile, but then it vanished.

"I used to work for him at his company, plus baby-sit Mokuba when he was out of town. Weird how that happens, huh?" she asked him. He nodded in agreement. This was weird, completely a surprise and astonishment. And what astounded him even more was what Mokuba said next.

"Can you baby-sit me again? We had so much fun last time!" he pleaded. Rika was taken aback by this offer, and looked up at Kaiba, who was just as surprised as she was. They exchanged looks, and the blush on his face turned even brighter and redder. Then she looked up the street, and then turned to Ryou.

"I have to go that way, Ryou. I'm sorry you can't accompany all the way, but then the news reporters or police might question and interview you, and I don't want to be embarrassed again, like last night. I'll see you later." She turned to Mokuba, stroking his hair once more, and ran ahead of them, looking at Kaiba Seto as she ran past him. Then Ryou felt his mind being shoved into the darkness, and everything went dark. His eyes remained open, contorting into a devilish, malevolent stare, his hair raising just a bit as he looked at Kaiba.

Awaken you
with a little evil inside
Feed on your nothing
you'll never live up to me

"You three seem to be well acquainted," he spoke sinisterly, his voice low and deep, a bit of malevolence rising up. Kaiba looked at him, Mokuba returning to his older brother's side. Bakura crossed his arms over his chest, smiling at them. "You mind telling me how you truly know her? And why are you blushing, Kaiba? You like her now?"

Kaiba's eyes starred with a grudging look at him, but he felt no intimidation thrown at him, no threat. Kaiba sneered, and then spoke. "She said the truth. She used to work for my company couple of years back. She was one of the best I had, and when I need to head out of town and can't take Mokuba with me, I have her baby-sit him for me."

"But there's more, isn't there?" Bakura lagged on.

"Do you really need to know?" Kaiba asked. A large depth of annoyance and anger hung in his voice.

"Yes, I do," Bakura mocked at him. Kaiba sighed, and then spoke.

"She also used to be my girlfriend. You happy now?" Kaiba asked.

"Quite. Well, I can honestly see feelings still linger for her. Were you stupid enough to break up with her?" Bakura mocked again, and Kaiba's face flew with rage and anger.

"No, she broke up with me. Now, why don't you mind your own business!" he shot at him. Bakura shrugged, turned and walked away from them, a satisfied smile on his face.

Obviously his other had feelings for the girl also. This would be an interesting war. Seto Kaiba still had feelings for this dark and dangerous girl, so did his other, and Motou Yugi was trying so hard to become her "friend", which the thief knew she didn't want nor need. She was pushing them all away, and what with the deaths of two people she knew, she'd soon fall under the painful pressure of stress and frustration, leaving her vulnerable to his investigation of what she's hiding. Soon, he'll know what power draws him to her. This would be one interesting conflict.

FD: That's all for now, and just as a spoilers hint, Yami no Bakura will have a major role in this, kind of similar to Yami no Malik, but not as gruesome. Hope you like. Peace!