.:. The Pharaoh walks in to the room of his wife's suite. Though she had always slept with him at night after they'd been married, he'd told her she still retained the suite he'd given to her when he'd invited her to live at the palace the day she lost her home. There he finds her, lying on the bed, her back to him as he approaches.
"Why are you here?" he asks her, placing his hands on her shoulder as she turns to look at him. "My nightmares keep waking you up. I thought you might like to actually get some sleep tonight." She tells him, looking away again. "Don't be silly." He tells her. "You're not-" "Yes I am, Yami." She tells him. "Every night, for the past five days. You have circles under your eyes. When I'm not thrashing around you're worrying about me. And when you're not worrying about me I'm keeping you up with my nightmare."
"I still don't know what's causing them." She mumbles as she plants her face in her pillow. "That doesn't matter." The Pharaoh says, turning her towards him again. "I don't mind that. We'll figure it out. Come on." He says, his hand tilting her chin up at him.
"No." she says, burrowing deeper under the covers. "You need your sleep." She tells him. "Arg…" he groans as he hops onto her bed and lays next to her. "I'm serious." She tells him. "Come on." He repeats, pulling the covers down. "No." she says shortly and wriggles away.
"I don't care if I have to pick you up and carry you out of here, you're not going to stay here." He tells her. "And you know I'll do it too." "But Yami…" she groans. "But nothing." He tells her. "I have other ways of making you come too, you know." He says as he sees her take hold of the edge of the bed to thwart any attempts at removing her.
"Such as?" she asks, not even turning to look at him. He wiggles a finger in her side and smiles as he sees her scrunch up. "That's not fair." She tells him, still grasping the side of the bed. "Oh? What's not fair?" he says as he repeats the deed behind her knee. "Yami stop." She says, pushing her face into the bed to keep from laughing and losing her grip.
"I know all the spots." He says, flitting a finger along the back of her neck. "I know every inch of you, all your weaknesses." He tells her. "Stop tickling me." She says as he does so on her tummy. "That's not fair. Stop it!" she tells him trying to swat away one of his hands and quickly returning it to the edge of the bed.
He rolls her onto her back and begins to tickle her everywhere "Stop it!" she says laughing as he continues to do so. "You're …ticklish too, I remind you." She says making a stab for his own side but is stopped as he takes hold of her arm and begins tickling the underside of it.
"No!" she says giggling as he does so. "Yami stop!" she tells him as he places an arm under her to lift her up. "Too late." He says, raising her into the air and spinning around in a circle as she clings to him. "You're so bad." She tells him, still laughing a bit and swatting his arm playfully as he walks her to his room.
Later that night it happens again, just as she said it would. Finally after some time of trying to wake her she does, still trembling and quaking as the horrors of her night visions follow her in the shadows, out of the reach of her mind to grasp and identify them. Eventually her shallow and quick breathing slows and deepens as she settles into him, falling asleep. Again he slides a hand down her fine golden hair as he breathes into it.
"What's going on with you?" he asks as he looks at her face, still pale in her sleep.
.:. A dark hand breaks free of the ground, following it a mass of rotting hair and corpse. In its hands is a large scythe, and it lets out a sound like that of the ill-fated and suffering. The noise resounds throughout the rooftop square, as it stands. "Meet Guardian Dread Scythe." Raphael says as the Seal burns brightly on his forehead. "It is my worst monster, one that even I can not command." He says.
"It's so ugly." Tea says, wrinkling her nose at it. "Things would drop dead just by seeing it." She says. "It still is no match for my swordsman." The Pharaoh says, attacking the monster. "Well, that was…ea…sy…" Tristan begins but pauses as he sees the monster reemerge from the ground, stronger. "It's like those other things!" Tea says, referring to the monster from the desert circle again. "What is going on with your deck, Raphael?" the Pharaoh asks him as he sees a card fizzle out of Raphael's hand.
"I told you I have no control over it." He says. "It takes a card from my hand in return for its coming back to the playing field every time it is destroyed. It is automatically summoned, so long as there are cards in my hand it will always be here." He says.
"I see." The Pharaoh says, thinking to himself. "I'll lace this face down and end my turn." He announces to his opponent as the cards appear upside down on the field and remain still.
"Very well." Raphael says. "This is the beginning of your end, Pharaoh." He tells him. "Guardian Dread Scythe, off with the elf's head!" The monster bumbles forward, lifting its deadly weapon and striking the monster on the other side of the field. It breaks apart and departs from the field, the Pharaoh's life points safe as it was in defense mode.
"I need to think of a way to get rid of his cards." The Pharaoh tells himself, racking his brain for the answer. "But how?" "You're turn again, Pharaoh." Raphael says arrogantly. "You needn't remind me every turn, Raphael." The Pharaoh says to him.
"I'll place this facedown." The pharaoh says again. "And this I play now, which requires you to discard two of the cards in your hand." Rafael growls as he does so. "Anything else?" he asks the Pharaoh. "No." the Pharaoh says. "That's it, for this turn."
"That's it for every turn." He says. "I sacrifice my Guardian on the field." He says, and his monster disappears. The Pharaoh gasps as he sees this. "Why did you do that, Rafael?" he asks him plainly. "Because now with the more monsters I have in my graveyard, the more power my Dreadscythe gains."
The Pharaoh watched the attack points on the opposing monster rise and braces himself as he loses more life points to its attack. His monster was no longer on the field; it had been destroyed.
Each turn the pharaoh began to lose more life points as Raphael went out of control. He started sacrificing his guardians to the graveyard, all for the power of his dread scythe. Yami saw him go from wielding the power of the Orycalcos at its best to becoming another of the dark seal's tools.
It was his turn again now and he knew the card he needed to draw. "Heart of the cards….don't let me down." He told himself. "There's one card in my deck that is capable of bringing down that beast." The Pharaoh took a deep breath and placed his hand on the top of his deck. He pulled it out and looked at it.
"Why are you so pleased, Pharaoh?" Rafael says. "I wouldn't be smiling if I were about to lose my soul." "Well I wouldn't be either." The Pharaoh says. "So that must mean I'm not, am I?" Raphael just crossed his arms, waiting for the Pharaoh's move.
"Let's start things off with a little bit of magic." The pharaoh says. "And I'll use the card, Monster Reborn, to remove your Iatos from your graveyard, Raphael." Raphael started as he saw the majestic guardian monster return to the field. He looked as the light about it flew in front of the Pharaoh and awaited its orders.
"…Iatos." Raphael said quietly. "What's…what is he doing in my graveyard?" he asked, looking down at his hands. "At first you were in control, but than the power of the Orycalcos took you over." The Pharaoh tells him. "See what has become of your monsters! Raphael, you used to stop at nothing to make sure that they were never left for dead. Now look, sacrificing them for the power of the seal."
"That's not true!" Raphael shouts. "I did not sacrifice them for power!" "Oh?" the pharaoh says. "Look at your monster."
And Raphael did look at his decaying guardian, staring in horror as he comes to realize what he has done. "It's too late." He says to the Pharaoh. "I can't remove it from play." "That's why I will remove it for you." The Pharaoh says. "But…you can't. Even Iatos doesn't have enough power to stop it. It returns on its own will. It was meant so that it could never be destroyed."
"But not when I play this!" the Pharaoh says. "Allowing me access to one of your cards, and I choose the magical sword that donates the attack power from all those in the graveyeard!" Raphael's eyes widen as he sees allt he monsters from the graveyard go into the sword, their attack points even more than when he had used it against the Pharaoh.
"Now, Iatos, attack! Destroy the foul monster which feeds upon your master's heart!" Iatos glides into the sky and releases a beam from the sword, aimed at the Guardian dread scythe. IT is hit, and is reborn. The beam however does not stop. Raphael's jaw drops as the cards in his hand vanish. Finally, the dark monster is gone.
"It can not come back anymore." The Pharaoh tells him. "Iatos is on the field, and you have no more cards to sacrifice to its cause." He pauses a moment. "You are free."
"And…also…out of life points." Raphael says as the circle on his forehead glows. The larger one upon the ground glows brightly as it shrinks down to the man who has fallen upon your knees. "But Raphael, don't you see, you're free." "This is my punishment for the darkness within my own heart." Raphael says. "No, Raphael, fight it!" the Pharaoh tells him. "You have cleansed your heart of its wrong doing. The seal was merely clouding your mind, as it did mind. Look at your monsters. Do they not seem happy to see you well?"
Raphael takes a look around at his duel monsters, the ones that had stayed through with him all his years of isolation. His eyes alight on Iatos. "Iatos…" he says, and the creature smiles at him. "Your family needs you, Raphael." The Pharaoh tells him. "Don't give up on yourself just yet." The Seal burns brighter as it attempts to take his soul. Raphael remains rooted to the ground, his eyes closed as he tries to fight the strong power.
Iatos gives a small sound and the Seal vanishes, the green gem around Raphael's neck breaking, as it had when Mai refused it. Raphael stood up and looked blinking at the Pharaoh. "I…don't understand." He says. "I should be gone. Where's the Seal?"
"The seal is no longer here, Raphael." The Pharaoh tells him, smiling. "It was engraved into your heart but now you have washed it away. It has no power over you anymore." He paused. "You're free."
"And angry." Raphael said, clenching a fist. "That man…all my life he's been tricking me…making believe things...and in the end he was exactly what I was trying to fight against." "Raphael, remember not to give into your anger. That's exactly what fuels the Orycalcos." The Pharaoh reminds him. "That's right." Raphael says. "But I can't just sit here and let him get away with this. I'm going to crush him like a bug."
"Than we'll go with you." They hear behind them. Tristan, Tea, Alyssa, and Mokuba have finally reached them. Seto walks behind them, not nearly as eager. "I'm so happy you're alright." Alyssa says, giving the Pharaoh a hug as she runs up, Shocked he stands there, looking at her. Realizing so she quickly releases him and takes a step backward, brushing her hair behind her ear as she blushes, embarrassed.
"I mean, I'm so happy to see that you weren't harmed, my Lord. We were very worried when the smoke covered the field and we couldn't see what was going on." She says, not meeting his eyes. "Or rather you were very worried and the rest of us only moderately worried." The Pharaoh raises his eyes as he overhears Tristan's comment, seeing her crimson blush deepen as she tries to hide her face and mumbles something.
"We need to get Joey and find the office he's in." Tristan reminds him. "Yes, I know." Yami says. "Let's pick him up and we'll check the offices. He's here somewhere." "And then I'll get back my company." Kaiba says, speaking for the first time since they'd come to the pair.
"You won't have much luck here." Raphael tell them. "What do you mean?" Tea asks. "Dartz has already left for his main base." Raphael tells them. "It's in the middle of the ocean, far from the reach of common man." He tells them. "But you know where it is?" Kaiba says, narrowing his eyes. "Of course I know where it is." Raphael says.
"Good. You're taking us there." "And how do you expect to-" "My copters could be here in a few minutes." Kaiba says. "My big brother plans in case of anything!" Mokuba says proudly. "Well he's gonna have to plan for a lot more if he's going against Dartz." Raphael says. "Even I know that won't be easy."
"You don't know my brother." Mokuba says. They feel the ground begin to shake beneath them as parts of the floor start caving in.
"Does he know how to stop building from falling?" Tristan asks nonchalantly. "No, I don't think he can do that." Mokuba says just the same, before what he's said sinks in, and they begin to scream.
.:. The Queen of Egypt walks down the halls as she heads for the courtyard. Yami was busy today, so she was going to spend the morning by her favorite fountain. It was near the entrance to the jungle (At least, for her purposes it was a jungle. She couldn't see how anyone could call something that big a mere garden). It was gold inlaid with a small waterfall trickling into a tiny pool. There were different kinds of fish there and she loved to feed them small bits of dried bread that remained leftover.
She was walking down the passageway when she without warning became alarmingly dizzy. Automatically she thrust out a hand to support herself against the wall. Stabilized she paused to let her head clear for a moment before continuing onward, still oblivious as to why she had such a spell. She figured that if she was not feeling well in half an hours time she would return indoors and lie down.
She was walking down the better half of it when her head began to ache severely, an image flashing before her eyes. The impact on her was so great that her arm against the wall did nothing. She felt herself fall to her knees, her hands holding her head in its agony. It felt as if her skull was being cleaved in two. She heard herself whimper slightly as it began to affect her vision, more pain coming with the loss of her sight. More and more parts of a scene played faster, closer together, until it was as if she was in another world.
But wait…this was the palace. She was running down the halls, gaping in horror at a wide window with a sweeping view of the city. It lay stretched out before her in ruin. All over the place monsters crawled, flew, appeared and vanished. People hid in fear as some tried to protect their families from these horrible beasts that were plaguing them. She could see a few in the street, harmed by the animals and others that lay dead. In the distance an ominous dark shadow hung over the horizon, dark clouds accumulating over a certain point.
She went towards the palace entrance looking for her husband. She found him battling a great many of these beings. There were three near him currently; two in front and one behind. She saw the puzzle glow and the two in front swung down their fists and claws at him, only to hit a solid shield. The glow became brighter and the monsters were defeated, their bodies laying against the ground.
The monster behind him lashed out with its mighty talons and caught him in the side. The claws dripped red on the other side with his blood as they had penetrated through to the other side. She stood still, shocked, before running towards him.
He looked up and saw her, his eyes wide with fear. A monster cornered her against a portion of the wall, blocking her attempts to get to him. She saw it raise its fist and braced herself for the blow she knew had to come.
But it didn't.
After the delay she looked up and saw a barrier around her, Yami laying on the floor, the puzzle glowing faintly around his neck. Realizing what was going on she motioned for him to stop but he shook his head. Looking around wildly she tried to find a way to get out of her current predicament.
Another monster fell on top of the one that was beating upon her shield, causing it to veer to the side. The Pharaoh 's shield broke and she ran over to him, holding him in his lap as he took his final breath. She could hear the distant cries of people who had faced the same fate. She looked up and saw the earlier brutes standing around her. Once more they raised their bludgeons of hands…
And she woke up.
She found herself resting against the wall, shaking with the aftermath of the vision. She stood up, trembling, and redirected herself back towards her room. She lay down on the bed and closed her eyes for a few moments, wishing away the horrible terror. She felt her head begin to ache again, and sat up. "I've got to tell Yami."
Returning to her feet she made her way not towards the courtyard as she had intended that morning but towards the throne room where she knew he was discussing important business. Peering around the doorway and into the room she saw him pacing back and forth, massaging his temples. His friends were sitting nearby and calling to him but he was, for the most part, ignoring them. He was consulting with Siamun when she lightly knocked on the doorframe.
He looked up and saw her. "May I come in?" she asked him and he nodded, returning to his pacing and conversation with Siamun. She went across the way towards his friends. "How's it been going?" she asked them, trying to figure out how exactly she was going to talk to Yami. She knew what she had to ask him but didn't know how to yet. "The same." The man said, not even looking at her and returning to play with his buddies.
She waited for a small break in the ordeal to tell him the news of what she was convinced was a vision. One of the other towns had been horribly ruined by building accidents. Many of the people lay hurt and the structure they had been working on had completely fallen to the ground. Thieves ran wild about the town, those who were merely looking for treasures as well as those who were taking needed items for their families.
He sighed and issued a few attendants some tasks before he walked over to her. It had been a few phases since she had entered and she was glad to see him walk towards her. "I didn't expect to see you here" he says, kissing her hand lightly. "I didn't expect me to be here either." She began to tell him. "But I have some-"
"Hey, Yami, want to have a little game?" one of his friends called interrupting her. Looking up he replied "That depends on what kind of game." "A shadow game, of course!" one of his other friends replied. "Yeah, all of us against one of you." Another one said and the group chuckled. "I look forward to it." The Pharaoh said. "It will be good to be away from such tedious tasks and instead relax for a small while."
The nervous feeling that she had in her stomach when she had just begun talking to him deepened and she knew she must have went slightly pale. How was she to tell him now? "I'll meet you at the entrance." He tells them, returning her to the present. "Go on."
"Nah, we can wait." They said, and stood by the door. The Pharaoh smiled at them before returning to her. "What is it you were saying earlier?" he asked her smiling, and she felt her heart sink. "Yami," she began, piecing things together as they went. "I'm afraid I have something very important to ask you." She tells him. "Oh?" he says. "And what would that be? Is there something wrong?"
"Well yes…and no." she tells him. "At least, not yet." She rushes to say. "What do you mean?" he asks her and she sighs. "Yami, you know I wouldn't ask you. Not unless it was something really important." She continues on. "I know you won't want to, that it won't be easy, but-" "Just spit it out already." He says and she is reminded of how she said the same thing to him one day. Taking a deep breath she merely says what she came to say.
"I need you to stop the Shadow Games."
The Pharaoh is quiet for a moment. "You're joking, right?" he asks her. "No, Yami, I'm not." She tells him. "I mean it. They're dangerous. You can't let them continue." She sighed again before continuing. "I know they're your favorite, but I'm sure you can find other things." She tells him. "If only-"
"You can't be serious!" one of the Pharaoh's friends calls, the same one who always seems to make the most trouble for her. "I'm very serious." she tells him. "They're dangerous. If they were to-" "You only don't want the Shadow Games to continue because it means he's with us instead of you!" One of them calls out.
"What?" she asks him astonished. "That's not true!" "It is so." He continues on. "The Shadow Games are one of the few things he ever does with us any more. You just don't want to let anyone near him; you want to control his money and power." "That's not true!" she says indignantly. "I never try and pull him away from his friends. I've gone many a boring day because he was with you and I did not want to interrupt him." She tells them.
"Yami, please, you have to stop them." She says. "You don't understand what will happen if they aren't. They're unsafe and will cause a tragedy." "They're only dangerous if you don't know how to play." One of the others says. He looks at her. "I'm afraid I have to agree with them on this one." He tells her. "So long as the person playing is skilled there is no cause to worry. People can not just conjure up these beasts on their own; it takes great power to do so. We are careful about these creatures. You needn't worry."
"Yami, please." She tells him again. "I told you it wouldn't be something easy. You know I wouldn't ask you for this if I did not think it was absolutely necessary. I know how much you like these games. Please?" she adds hopefully.
"I can't see why." He tells her. "Yami, I'm not joking." She tells him. "My nightmares…I think I know why I've been having them." "Because of the attack?" he asks her. "Yes. No. I mean," she begins, frustrated. "I know that must have frightened you but I assure you that it won't happen to you again." He says, gently picking her chin up in his hands. "Yami, I was awake this time. They weren't nightmares but visions. I saw these monsters attacking-" "Such events that a monster is released without being summoned are extraordinarily rare." He tells her. "That's not what I'm saying." She tells him.
"Just give it up already." One of his friends says. "The Pharaoh isn't a fool and he isn't yours to control." He says. "If he says no, it's a no. Give it up." "I wasn't talking to you." She says, "Alyssa, this isn't a good time." The Pharaoh says. "I'm rather stressed at the moment and we've both not been sleeping well." he says. "But this is the entire reason why!" she tells him, becoming frustrated. "Yami," "Come on, let's go." His friends say. "This is taking too long."
"We can talk about this later." He tells her, turning to go with his friends. "You'll see how silly you are being later. Go back to the room and try to get some rest." "Please." She repeats, wounded by his words
"Why?" the Pharaoh asks, his voice growing with irritation. "Have you a real reason why I shouldn't?" he asks. "Yes, I do." She says. "Oh? And what could that be?" he asks her. "From my…from my vision." She tries to explain. "People will be hurt and dying. Yami, will you do that to them for the sake of a game?" "Oh? And have you any proof of this? Any evidence that will help to prove your cause?" he asks her. "Yes! My vision! My nightmares that I suspect are the same thing! I've been up every night with them. Doesn't that prove anything?" "Anything that I can see myself?" he asks her impatiently. "No, I don't." she admits quietly. "Just my visions." She looks away before returning her entreating eyes to his. "Please, trust me on this?" she asks him. "I'm afraid not this time." He tells her. "You're having nightmares because of what happened. That is all. You're scared and it's okay, but I'm not going to stop because you can't get over your fear. There is no reason to do such an action." The Pharaoh says. "Please, Believe me!" she says, her voice growing louder as she pleads. "Don't raise your voice to me." He says, narrowing his eyes. "When do I tell you not to do something?" she attempts. "Please, believe me when I say, don't do this! Stop this now, before it is too late! No good can come of this. Stop this now, before it is too late." She repeats, softer.
"I've had enough of this." He says. "I'm leaving." He tells her. "No", she says defiantly, holding on to him. "Let go." Yami says as she tries to hold onto his arm. "Do I have to get on my knees and beg you?" she asks him. "You need to rest and clear your mind of these foolish thoughts." He tells her. "Yami don't be a fool!" she says loudly.
"Don't you speak to me like that!" he barks at her. Shocked and frightened she takes a step backwards, away from him. "You may be my queen, but you are still one of my subjects, and you will not argue with me!" "Yami, I-" she begins but is cut off by his next statement. "I'll remind you that if it weren't for me you wouldn't even be here now. You'd be in the streets or some poor, broken down old house while you take care of those who could hardly be considered parents as you work yourself away trying to form some pathetic excuse for a life."
She attempts to blink back tears as she hears his words, each one a painful jab in her heart. She looks at her feet as he speaks, trying to conceal her eyes as they fill with tears at the painful truth. Finally he finishes.
Yami could not believe what he had said after he had said it. Indeed it had felt as if someone else had been saying it and he had just been unable to stop. He saw glistening drops of water from her tears on her face which was no longer looking into his. "Alyssa, I-" he begins in apology.
"No, my Lord." She says, reverting to his title and kneeling before him. "You are right. I am and have always been very grateful for the grace you have shown me, my king, and that of my parents. I apologize for my behavior and will try to remember to show my gratitude for all you have given me."
"Please," he begins, seeing her act in such a way painful. "I should never have spoken to my Pharaoh so disrespectfully." She continues on, her voice wavering with her tears. "I beg of your forgiveness. It was mere thoughtless acting in the moment, I assure you. I will not do so again, I promise."
"May I please have the honor of your leave to go, my Lord?" she asks him. "Don't be-" "Please, do I have it?" she asks, interrupting him. "…Yes." He mumbles. "Thank you my King." She tells him. "I hope that you can excuse such horrid acts in front of you. I am not deserving of all that I have received. I can not tell you how much I appreciate your gestures, and hope that I may somehow learn to express such a thing." He sighs as she stands, bowing slightly to him again and walks out of the room.
His friends look at him as he exhales and walks over to them. "Still up for that game?" One of them asks him. "I'm not sure." He says, watching her walk quickly away down the hall. "Oh come on, she's just being whiny. Nothing is going to happen." "I suppose not." He says after a moment. "Let's go."
Later that night the Pharaoh enters his bedchambers, expecting to see Alyssa hurt and awaiting his return. However, she is no where to be found as he begins to search the suite for her. He sighs and exits the room, walking over to her old one.
He entered it and there she lay, again, by herself. He saw her lying much the same way she had the night he'd carried her back to her room as she slept. She was tightly curled up and in her arms rested the pillow as she squeezed it to her. He could see her eyes were swollen from crying, and that the pillow had wet marks near where her eyes were.
She'd always come here when she was hurt and he knew she must have spent the entire day crying in the suite. She never allowed him to see her tears save when her parents had passed on a few months ago. She had hidden in the room and it was not until she was stressed and depressed to the breaking point that she finally allowed herself to shed her tears in his presence. He had held her for hours as she had sobbed in his arms, wanting to wipe away her hurts and tears.
These ones he had caused and still couldn't believe that he had said what he did. He climbed into the bed next to her and wrapped his arms around the waist of her sleeping body, pulling her to him and kissing the top of her head. "I'm sorry." He whispers. "I didn't mean it. I'm sorry." She breathes deeply and rolls over entirely, her body tucking into his as she slept. He was astonished-even in the midst of what he had done she still wanted to be near him, her habit of nestling into him unchanged. He kissed the top of her head and fell asleep, a stray tear trailing down her cheek.