Chapter VI: Past Memories

There isn't a thing that I can do
watching the whole thing just wash away
making me long
making you strong

Yugi couldn't believe what he had just seen. He had followed Rika and Bakura to a rather dark and Gothic café where he snuck in and hid himself amongst the crowds within, unnoticed by the two of them. However, what he witnessed sent fear into his mind. He had witnessed Bakura sneak a kiss from Rika, which confused him a bit, and then he saw Rika leave towards the alley. He followed her, hiding in the shadows, and was scared to see Yami no Malik there. He killed another innocent soul off the street, and looked like he was about to kill Rika. That scared him, but he couldn't do anything for some reason. He was frozen in his spot on the corner of the alley, a few yards away from them. Luckily, Yami no Bakura showed up and saved Rika. He didn't understand why, but both Yami no Malik and Yami no Bakura were severely interested in this girl.

The next day he went straight to Isis and explained to her what happened. The look on the woman's face after he finished was surprising. Her sapphire eyes had grown wide and filled with tears, her body shook with despair, and she had fallen into a bench in the museum where he met her. Her black hair was so straight, but it fell over her face elegantly, but depressingly.

"My brother…" her elegant voice trailed off, choked by her own tears. "Why didn't he tell me? This could've been prevented."

"Isis, there is a way to save your brother. I saw it yesterday when Yami no Malik approached Rika. He didn't attack her. In fact, it was like…" Yugi couldn't explain it. What he saw would've been mistaken for an attack, but Yami no Malik didn't. He had the perfect motive and opportunity. She witnessed him murdering an innocent kid. They were alone in an alley. He could've even taken advantage of that moment. But he didn't. Why? What does he see in her? And more…what does Bakura see in her? He was after something. They both were. But what was Yami no Bakura after?

"Yugi, you told me you saw the thief there with her?" Isis asked. Yugi nodded.

"He's using her, though. There's something she has that he wants. He never believes in relationships unless there's something in it for him," he explained. Isis sighed sadly.

"This is horrible. These two powerful spirits causing enough chaos already. Yugi, please stop all of this," Isis spoke. Yugi nodded, giving his word that he will, and then turned and left the museum. The sunlight was bright and blinded Yugi, causing him to shield his eyes. In the distance, a haunting, deep voice called out to him, whispering in his ear.

"Mendu haiko hindi hindu necrose gintai!"

Yugi closed his eyes, and felt his mind being pushed into the darkness beneath him. Then he felt Yami take over. He opened his eyes and saw a large city before him, built from stone and sand, crowds gathered around below. He stood, covered in glorious garments and clothes, gold crowns atop his head. He felt like he had been here before. He knew this was his stance as Pharaoh. He knew that on this day, something important and devastating happened. Something he should have never forgotten.

Then, a voice spoke. A voice that he didn't recognize. Now he knew where he was. He wasn't living through one of his memories, he was living through another's. Someone else was here, in his place, experiencing this.

"My Lord, Osiris, you're son has returned," spoke the voice. Yami looked up to see two beautiful woman stand beside him, one was more beautiful than the other. That one had long black hair that reached to her knees, so straight and elegant, absolutely perfect. Her eyes were a dark brown, but held a smile and light within them. Her skin was so dark and smooth, it glowed with the light of the sun. Her figure perfect and fit perfectly in her white and gold garments. Above her head was a gold band that formed through her hair and onto her forehead, gold beads strung onto it, to form a gold eye. Her hair was clasped in several gold bands, flickering in the light.

The other woman was beautiful, also, but not as quite. Her straight and elegant black hair flowed to her shoulders, a few inches more. Her eyes were brown, but held a seriousness to them, her body figure perfect in her glowing white and gold warrior clothes. Her hair held no gold bands or beads, but her skin and face held absolute perfect glow of the sun, like her sister. A voice inside Yami's mind, that same, deep, haunting voice told him that these women were Isis, the Goddess of Life and Death, and Nepthys, Isis' twin sister and warrior of the throne. She protected Osiris with her life. Yami felt embarrassed and flattered to be in the presence of such powerful and beautiful goddesses.

Suddenly, though, loud music played from below him, echoing through the crowds and skies. He looked around, seeing gold hawks and eagles fly above his head in large groups, some were even beautiful, red and orange phoenixes, singing a beautiful melody from their throats. A loud, announcing voice rang through the crowds.

"Announcing the arrival of Prince Horus!"

Immediately, every being in the crowd fell to their knees and hands, bowing down as a stranger dressed in complete gold approached the steps toward Yami. The sunlight streamed elegantly on the figure, blinding Yami somewhat, but he saw the stranger clearly. The stranger wore an armor of Egypt made entirely out of gold, a beautiful silver cape billowing behind him. His face was hidden behind a gold mask that resembled a hawk's face, four ruby eyes staring at Yami from the mask. In the stranger's arms was a gold battle helmet. All this gold shimmered on the stranger's dark skin, his black hair billowing softly around his face. As soon as he approached Yami, he dropped to one knee, bowing elegantly and beautifully to him.

"My father, King Osiris, ruler of the Underworld, I have returned from battle against the evil Seth, your brother, the kind of darkness," the stranger spoke in a calm, light manner. His voice resembled the song of the phoenixes. Yami didn't know what to say, but his mouth moved instinctively, a dark, cold voice rushing through his throat, words flowing from his lips.

"Stand, son, and show us the triumphs of your battle," he spoke. The boy stood before him, his face still bowed in an elegant way. He did not look at Yami, nor did he speak. Again, Yami was forced to speak. "Was my brother finally defeated?"

Horus did not speak again. Instead, he looked up, not at Yami, but at the more beautiful woman beside him, Isis. Horus' face held anger and rage within it, and Isis looked away, knowing what she had done. Yami noticed that something was missing from Horus' armor. He was expecting to see a gold eye with a black opal amulet around his throat, but he didn't.

"Where is the amulet, Horus? Where is the Eye?" he asked. Horus finally looked at him, the red rubies glimmering in the sunlight.

"I had to…father, please, do not think less of me. Do not think of me as shameful, but I gave it away. I couldn't bare to use it any more," Horus fell to his knees once more, both of them, his head bowed, while he held the helmet to his chest, preparing for a strike. "Strike now, father. Show me the punishment for my deed."

Yami said nothing, but looked at the young warrior. He then approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It was yours to use as you wished. I don't think any less of you now than I did a moment ago. You are my son, and have done me proud by speaking the truth. But how was the battle?"

Horus looked up, Yami pulling away as he stood up. He was forced to speak the truth.

"All was well, we were close to victory. Seth took upon a young female mortal and used her as a shield. She was saved by my hands, and sheltered once more. Seth's men were destroyed and I was about to defeat him. Then…Mother came running. She ordered my men to lay down their weapons. She couldn't bear to see her brother die," Horus explained. Yami looked from him to Isis, seeing the regret and sadness in her dark eyes.

"Is this true, Isis?" he asked. She looked at him, and he knew the answer. It was true. Yami then knew what this was. This memory was one of Osiris'. It was a memory of the battle that ended up with the disappearance of the Eye of Horus. This was a memory of the battle that lasted for thousands of years. Seth and Horus were mortal enemies, rivals in light and darkness. This was the battle that started the war. The one that caused all of the madness and chaos in the present day. But, why was Yami chosen to see this?

Soon, everything went dark, and then a light appeared. He opened his eyes completely, finding himself back to the present day, staring up at the clear blue sky. He was back at the present day, at Domino Museum. A familiar voice spoke to him, just then.

"Yugi, you okay?"

He looked to see Rika staring at him, her head tilted slightly to the side, her black hair billowing softly in the wind. She looked at him in a confused manner, yet something was making her smile darkly in her eyes. He noticed this, but didn't say anything.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he spoke. But just then, he imagined her wearing a gold mask like a hawk's face, four ruby eyes staring at him. That was impossible. He was imagining things. But one thing stayed in his mind. Rika did hold a resemblance to Horus, a resemblance he could not ignore. But how could that be?

The night's silence was quickly replenished as a blood-curdling scream pierced the darkness within. A stranger stood over a dismantled body, scarlet caking along the collarbone of the once pretty and blonde young woman. He had killed her, torn her mind apart, and then her body. She may not have deserved to die, but then again, no one in this world deserves to die. However, he had lusted for blood for so long since yesterday when he took away another soul. His lust for blood grew with each soul he shattered. He hungered for one type. The blood the runs through the host of Horus. That god would soon know what pain was all about.

The stranger tilted his dark and malevolent amethyst eyes towards the sky, staring up at the bright, pale white moon. Something about the moon reminded him strongly of that one girl he kept colliding into. Something about her eyes strongly reminded him of the moon. They were so dark and silver, perfectly shaped and stared beautifully at him, no emotion showing, and no soul. That girl was just a hollow shell. He imagined her figure, her dark, scarlet streaked hair, her fair face. She was so dark and was so much like himself. He also remembered that last look she gave him. So lost and distant, a dreaming gaze towards him. He thought hard of that look, knowing he had seen it before.

Then it hit him. That pathetic blond woman who he dueled against on Kaiba Seto's battle ship. Before he attacked, that fool, little Jonouchi Katsuya, jumped onto the platform and stepped between them. That woman gave him the exact same stare that the girl gave Yami no Malik. But what did that mean? What type of stare was that? The stare that last long enough it pierced into his mind.

At that moment, though, voices aroused from the alleyway. He quickly dodged into the shadows to see two figures enter the alley. He hid behind a large pile of boxes and crates, containing mysterious objects and herbs that filtered to his nose, causing a stench to arouse, but he remained to that spot, watching the two figures walk into the alley. One of them was a thin woman with a perfect body, her long maple colored hair was held up into a high tail. Her green eyes sparkled in the moonlight. Walking with her, holding her hand was a tall boy with muscular arms and wavy black hair hovering over her dark brown eyes.

"Tomoko, what'd you say?" he asked the woman.

"I don't know, Sonusuke, what if this changes us?" she asked him. "I mean, this is a big step."

"But earlier you said yes. I'm worried you're not ready," Sonusuke spoke. He backed her up into the wall, staring into her eyes. Yami no Malik knew what was coming, but what surprised him was the look the girl was giving the young boy. It was so distant, so deep, so dark, yet it held a beautiful sparkle to the green pools. So dreaming and hypnotizing. The same look the girl gave him yesterday.

"Yes, I'm ready, Sonusuke. Please, I want to show I love you," the girl said. She grabbed the boy's face and smothered his face with kisses. Yami no Malik felt like he was about to gag. He had never seen such pathetic emotions at once. He silently dodged into the shadows, running quickly into another alley and hid once more, the sounds of moaning and screaming fading from his ears. But as he ran, he began to wonder if there were similar emotions in that one girl's gaze to him.

The dark night sky was clear once again, the pale white orb hanging high in the sky. The stars glittered magnificently in the blackness, causing Bakura to smile at their honest and true beauty. Something as beautiful and magnificent as this caused him to think of what his hikari would normally think of. But this time, instead of fabulous and famous works of art by famous people, Bakura found himself thinking of another. Another being that held much more beauty and darkness than the night itself. This other held eyes the same color and resemblance to the moon, their hair resembling the night sky at sunrise, pitch-black, all but the crimson streaks that fell randomly in place. Her appearance was startling and mesmerizing, but what he remembered more was the fact how dark and empty she appeared to him and his hikari.

He looked up at the sky, thinking about yesterday when he had encountered that demon once again. That demon that was said to be Ishtar Malik's other, his yami. A demon claimed to be created from the hatred and grudge hidden in Malik's heart. A demon that many have called to this day as Yami no Malik. Yesterday, he had saved Rika from her own downfall by his hands. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that they knew each other. How was that to be? He questioned this, and he questioned something else. Yami no Malik was searching for something. Something entirely misdirected and concealed from his sight. Could he be sensing what Bakura had sensed? If he did, why didn't he attack Rika from the start?

There were so many unanswered questions now billowing in the air around. Many concerning Rika, others containing Yami no Malik. A few were even considering of the Pharaoh. What future laid before him that would concern such an innocent girl? What fate lay before her and the rest of them? Nothing good, but then again, there was nothing good in this world. No one was pure and simple; no one was innocent and naïve. Not even the little brat Kaiba. He was the only one amongst them closest to innocence, and even then, it was questionable. Wherever there was darkness, there was always light.

As he was lost in thought, he felt a painful pierce in his head and was surged through his entire body. He allowed his hand to fly to his head, rubbing his temple slightly, and then realized the pain wasn't internal or external. It was coming from somewhere else inside his soul. He then heard a calm, delicate voice chant in his ear, a language he recognized, but he could not translate it.

"Sinkai sipu muku daito kissae matu atemu!"

Bakura closed his eyes and felt the wind rush around his body like a hurricane. He felt a pull on his spirit and body, a pull like he was being pushed back in his mind. Suddenly, he felt something hot under him, and the wind relaxed. He was blinded, feeling a hot burning on his body, something trying to blind him even with his eyes closed. Suddenly, he felt like he had been in this exact place before. He opened his eyes, and saw nothing but bright sand shimmering in the warm sunlight. He looked around, noticing a few miles away were trees and green that have been sprouted from the ground, a cool breeze escaping and then fading from the oasis. Just then, though, a demanding, but calm and delicate voice spoke to Bakura.

"Arise, thief!"

He looked up to see a figure riding on a black stallion approach him. The figure's body was hidden under several layers of beige and white clothing, the only flesh revealed was around their eyes, which were cold and dark silver. The figure's body resembled that of a woman's, though. Bakura stood up at the woman's words, knowing that if he disobeyed, he would be struck down. Around the woman's neck was a gold amulet in the shape of an eye, a black gem placed in the center as the pupil. He had seen that amulet before. Yami no Malik had worn it yesterday when he encountered him.

As if he had no control over any part of his body, it arched forward and bent towards the figure, in a perfect and elegant bow. Then his mouth moved, his voice, a bit darker and younger, escaping his lips, words flowing from them.

"Who is it that dares command me?" he spoke to her. She didn't say anything, but dismounted her stallion. She looked at Bakura with eyes held with no emotion, but beauty and grace.

"Thief Bakura, I need your assistance. I was instructed by the mighty God Horus to discard a powerful artifact of his nobility. I ask of your assistance, for in order to do a spell, I require the blood of a mortal," the woman spoke coldly to him.

"And I am to assume this mortal is me?" Bakura asked her. She spoke nothing, but looked directly into his eyes. He saw no answer or soul in her eyes, just an emptiness into an endless depth.

"Will you assist me or not?" she asked again. He decided to toy with her.

"What worth is it for me if I do?" he asked. Her eyes smiled slightly and she returned to the stallion. He noticed a large bag hanging from the steed's side, and she pulled out a large parcel into her arms. She then turned back to him and handed it to him. He removed the beige cotton wrappings around it and saw himself staring directly at a large box with ancient Egyptian carvings, the whole box made entirely out of gold. He ran his fingers along the carved lining of it, seeing the faint images of Horus, Isis, and Osiris. Then he opened the box and stared at brilliantly shining jewels of rubies, diamonds, silver, silk, sapphires, and much of gold plates of coins. There was so much here, it quenched his thirst of thievery.

"Is this worth enough to you?" the woman asked. He looked up at her, his eyes glowing with greed and much satisfaction.

"It is well enough. I will assist you to the ends of the world," he spoke. Her eyes smiled slightly, then she stepped back to allow him to mount her stallion. After that, she got on behind him and they rode off towards the oasis. Bakura snapped the reigns, ordering the creature to run, and it obeyed. Soon, shade fell over them, cooling his face, as they entered the trees. A large pool of water, like a swamp, stood in the center, the trees spread out before it in an unusual manner.

The woman stepped down from the horse, and he followed, noticing her not taking any equipment or devices. She approached the shoreline of the water, staring out into it. Then she turned to Bakura, her eyes holding the emotionless gaze, but it also held excitement and anxiousness.

"Thief Bakura, do you know where we are?" she asked him. He looked at her, not knowing at all. "We are in the scent of the Nile, the place where Sobek and his minions hid themselves during a horrible war, the war between light and dark. He did not want to be found and used for the darkness by Seth, nor guilty into by Horus. It is abandoned now, distant from the rest of the world. I was not surprised to find you out here, mainly because you are the only one to help me with this ritual."

"And what type of ritual is it?" Bakura asked her.

"A ritual of concealment. This amulet I where now once belonged to the powerful Horus, however he battled against Seth, but Isis threw herself in between, saving her brother. Horus could not bare to face his father with defeat with the shield of light surrounding him. Never again does he want to be protected by his own soul. I was taken and instructed to seal away this object, being sure that my master will never find it."

"Your master?" Bakura asked.

"Yes, you may know him as Set. He is my master. He used me in that same battle against Horus, but the honorable god saved me and told me to hide away. He came to me again with these instructions, telling me only one as pure as the sun, but dark as night can seal away such a powerful object. He ordered me to find the thief of Egypt, tell him to assist me in such ritual, knowing the blood of light and darkness will hide this," the woman spoke. Bakura didn't understand what she was talking about.

"Am I the sacrifice, or are you?" he asked. She looked up at him, and removed the hood of her clothing, her long black hair flowing to her arms, bloody streaks caked within it. Bakura gasped, this stranger's resemblance similar to Rika's.

"I hold the blood of the war on my body, I have a heart as gold and pure as the sun, but a soul as dark and empty as night. I am a combination of both light and darkness, the shielder of chaos. Only I must be sacrificed, not you. You are here to make sure I am to drown within this water," she demanded.

"But why? Why must you drown?" Bakura spoke.

"Do not question my orders, Thief Bakura. Just do as I command. After my blood falls, I will wonder into the center of the water. You are to follow me there, and then you will hold me beneath the surface until I am dead," she commanded. "Do I have your word that you will not let me go? That you will do as I say without hesitation? That no matter what, if I scream, if I beg, if I cry, you will not turn away?"

Bakura didn't know how to answer. But as he looked into her eyes, he knew that he had to promise her his word. "Yes."

"Good," she murmured. She approached the water, her ankles disappearing beneath the surface. She looked at the sparkling water in the sunlight, then pulled a golden blade from her sleeve. The sunlight reflected off it, and nearly blinded Bakura, but he remained, watching her. She snapped the rope holding the amulet away from her throat and gripped it in her hand. She then brought the blade close to her wrist where a blue vein had shown along her pale wrist. She drew the edge of the blade across the vein, and it immediately opened, scarlet colors rushing out and down her hand onto the gold clutched in her fist. The scarlet mixed with the black and gold, shining brilliantly. She then reached out her blood-covered arm, and the gold amulet slipped through her fingers and landed into the water with a rather echoing plop!

The woman turned to Bakura then, and instinctively he removed the band around his waist, which released the maroon, silver, and gold coat wrapped around his body. He then began to follow her into the center of the water, like how she commanded him, and felt the warm sun upon his bare upper torso. He saw the faint tears in her eyes as she approached the water's center, the water crawling up her waist. She then turned to him, bowing slightly to him. He felt the depression in her black soul crawl up into the water around them, her arm flowing more blood than ever from the pierced vein.

"You must kill me now, Thief Bakura," she demanded. She looked up at him, and raised her clear and unwounded hand up to his face, her nails stroking his cheek tenderly. Then her hand moved up into his white hair, brushing back the sweat and heat from his face. He had never been touched like this, but as he looked at her, he realized she had never touched anyone that way before. A small, sparkling tear ran down her cheek, and his hands came up to her shoulders.

She let out a sharp, brief gasp as he pulled her into him, embracing her tightly into his body, crushing his lips firmly against hers. Her eyes shot wide, but then closed as he released her. He then pulled her down by her shoulders, pushing her head below surface. He held her down for a few moments before she started to twitch and scream. Her arms fought above the surface, clawing at his wrists and hands, which held her down below, almost hitting her head on the seafloor. She clawed viciously, trying to break her legs from under his hold, but his knees pinned her. Her words echoed in his head like a siren.

"Do I have your word that you will not let me go? That you will do as I say without hesitation? That no matter what, if I scream, if I beg, if I cry, you will not turn away?"

He gave her his word. He was to drown her, suffocate her under water, no matter how much she fought, no matter how hard she screamed, he would not let her go. She fought hard, water flooding into her lungs until there was little space. Then, as her nails gave one last dig into his flesh, her arms went limp and cold, her body still, and the screaming stopped. He waited a few moments, feeling her body fall limp beneath him. Then he released the corpse. It floated up to the surface, eyes closed, mouth slightly open in an elegant position. Her left arm bled viciously into the water, her face pale and cold. He lifted her head up from the water, the caked blood flowing through her black hair and penetrating the sparkling blue. He held her, staring down at her body. She no longer had a soul, had a dream, and had a breath. She didn't have a life anymore. She was gone. And he had killed her.

Then he closed his eyes as he held her body close to his, and felt it disappear. He was being pushed back into darkness, into his mind, until all fell calm. He didn't feel water around him, nor the hot sun. Instead, he felt a cool breeze surround him. He opened his eyes and gasped. He was back into the present day, no longer in ancient Egypt. He looked up at the pitch-black night sky, wondering what he had just experienced. That was a memory, his own memory, but it was hidden and lost. Why? Why could he not remember it until then?

He knew well it had something to do with Rika, but now, the more he thought of her, the more worried he became that he might kill her….again.

FD: I'm sorry it's so long this time. I wanted to keep the plot in the same order, kind of leave a bit of questions and confusing around. If you liked this chapter, please let me know. I'm done with that song lyrics for Disturbed, and now will be working on another song lyric by Disturbed. The next one is more in common with the story than the previous one. Anyway, major thanks to Shadowed Darkside, who has been reviewing this story since it was put up. Thanks a lot! Peace!