Episode 5

Yugi's leg impatiently bounced as he watched Castor examine Ruler, who had passed out from the mana rush and was laid out across the living room couch. His hands were folded and pale lilac eyes locked on the unconscious servant. The Toon Magician could feel the burning gaze of his master even if they weren't facing one another but he remained focused upon the task at hand. Rising to his feet, the young mage paced about the small room as his mind raced. Anzu's appearance and tone were completely off, telling him that it was possible that she was under someone's influence, but that didn't help to lessen the sting of the words that she had spoken. The truth in them was bitter but it could not be ignored. He had been so blinded by his own feelings that he hadn't once stopped to question what she wanted.

Amethyst eyes cracked open as Pegasus smiled. "Finally, my brother-in-arms has awoken, as the beauty had when kissed by the prince!" The strange comparison earned mirror grimaced from the two, each bestowing the servant with a glare. The Castor Class Servant bowed his head lowly, withdrawing when the pharaoh attempted to sit-up. "Best not move quite yet, your being is still adjusting to the new contract you have formed with my master."

The Nameless Pharaoh waved away the words of warning and raked a hand through his wild hair as his eyes fell upon the young mage. "Enough of that, you'll drive all to madness with that senseless stomping around." The hand in his hair fell to his neck, fingers rubbing at a sore spot that made itself known as he stretched his limbs. It was true, he could feel the affects of the newly formed contract between himself and the young Mutuo mage, the mana flow between them strong and seemingly boundless. It wasn't the same though. His shoulders rose and fell in a sigh when Yugi continued about his pacing. "If you do not sit yourself down I will do it for you."

Yugi bristled, eyes flashing for a moment as he debated upon stopping but continued. "I'd like to see you try."

Castor's eyebrows rose. "My, this is going to be immensely entertaining if we are together forever more!"

"Don't hold your breath." Yugi and Ruler chorused.

"Oh, fiddle sticks, and here I thought we were going to be the bestest best friends! Like the three musketeers; perhaps even as Aragorn, Legolaz, and Gimli!" Yugi's eyebrow twitched, a tick mark appearing above it, and earned an exasperated sigh. "Woe is I to have such an uncultured mage of a master, one who does not understand-" His words were cutoff by a flick of Yugi's wrist, a piece of duct tape slapping itself across the Toon Magician's mouth, not that it did much but at least it quieted him down a bit.

Ruler's eyes never wavered from Yugi's as he finally ceased his pacing and took the seat opposite of his own. There was no delaying the inevitable and the sooner that he came to terms with this new contract the better. "I sense unease and many questions from you, Yugi. Where do you want me to start?"

"How about you start with why you are in my house?" A cold voice called, earning a startle from each of them and a loss of color within the mage who had found himself contracted to not one but two servants. Seto Kaiba's sapphire eyes were locked upon the young Mutuo. "I was merciful then because of your grandfather's words but now I find you invading my house, my private property, so unless you wish to meet the fury of my own Servant I suggest you see yourselves out right now."

Yugi's eyebrows rose. "You're house?" A picture was painted within his mind that he didn't like and caused his face to lose even more color. The tall lean man in his memory from childhood, the last time he had encountered Anzu's father, gained more features as the cold sapphire eyes within the memory lined up perfectly with the pair that were currently staring down at him. "Oh, no…"

Seto marched across the carpet to tower over the trio, casting a warning glare towards each Servant as they were compelled to intervene as his magic flared dangerously. His eyes widened slightly when he scanned the room, eyes rising to the ceiling, then falling to the carpet before locking on the young mage. "You have five seconds to tell me where my daughter is."

. . . .

Kirei's eyes widened briefly as the young woman's glazed eyes met his own briefly before she was led away down to the cellar. He knew what was coming, looked forward to it even, but instincts were telling him that things could go sour in the blink of an eye. That girl, he could have sworn he'd seen or met her somewhere before, yet he couldn't place where. He straightened his back as a presence drew closer to the church. The Hassan quickly hid themselves as the doors creaked then opened slowly, revealing a young man who appeared frazzled and was paler than the snow of winter. His guard was immediately up as the young mage stumbled down the aisle, his wide pale violet eyes wide with panic as he approached. "Young mage, why have you come to this place?"

"S-sanctuary! I was told that I could find sanctuary with the Overseer if my servant met his end!"

The irony was almost too much, even for him as he regarded the former master. An explosion came from outside as the protective spells and barricades ripples from the force, the hidden Hassan quickly moving to investigate as their First stirred from his induced slumber. Kirei walked forward, resting a hand against the young mage's head while muttering a prayer as he passed, then moved to stand within the open doorway as a ferocious roar shook the earth beneath their feet and the very church itself.

For a moment he had thought the sun itself was attempting to burn him, thoroughly blinded by the sheer brilliance that threatened to engulf him. He reeled slightly as spots flooded his vision when it subsided and nearly called out to his servant but was quick enough to withhold the command for the Avenger to manifest when the giant beast before him fixed him with a sideways glare. It's scales were a hybrid between pearl and opal, shifting rainbows within each scale promising to hypnotize if stared at for too long, talons that were longer than he himself was, teeth that shone brightly in the nearby streetlight that was flickering, wings that looked as though they could blanket the entire sky. Atop of its head stood a figure that was dressed within similar style clothing that several of the younger generations wearing; dark gray long sleeve, a charcoal vest with several pockets, black leather pants, rounded pointed shoes. What was striking though were his amethyst eyes that were sharply shaped and stared down at him from the shadows of the hood drawn so far down that his other facial features were hidden. "Overseer, I presume?"

"Speaking."

"I must insist that you hand over the mage who has approached this sacred place." Amethyst narrowed as the dragon growled lowly. "I will not leave until they are brought to me."

Kirei calmly asked for what reason that he should hand the young mage over, not caring in the least of the answer to come. His demeanor changed with a flip of switch as from within the church came the Old Man of the Mountain as if he had been sent flying by a hit. Not a split second later did Bakura appear, expression borderline maniacal yet thoroughly entertained as he took a stance to his left. There were wounds covering his being, magical residue lingering upon each, meaning that there was a mage nearby, but his concern was upon the now missing left hand. "Servant," he muttered, keeping his gaze upon the dragon as it hissed. "Do not fight back. Allow the mage to come forth." The Avenger's eyes widened then glittered as they grinned wickedly. He reentered the church and returned a short moment later with the young mage struggling to break his grasp. "This is the one you are seeking, yes?"

The hooded figure nodded. "Rest assured, blessed father, I mean you no harm and wish to address unfinished business with that one."

"As you wish." The dragon lashed out, its talons enclosing around the now shrieking mage, and took to the air with a mighty flap of its wings. Bakura reeled upon Kirei, eyes flashing with anger as the First Hassan disappeared along with the rest of them. "Do not worry, we shall retaliate soon enough," the cold eyes sparked with anger, catching the eye of the servant and earned a grin. "For now we shall retreat and heal your wounds."

. . . .

They landed with a heavy impact, the dragon growling lowly not in warning but in greeting as the Nameless Pharaoh slipped from its back. A bright white light engulfed the beast and from it stepped a man who earned a hearty grasp of his forearm. "Pharaoh," the high priest knelt and bowed his head lowly, returning the gesture. "Words cannot begin to describe what I am feeling."

"Rise, my faithful comrade. I am pleased to see you, though I wish it were under different circumstances." Amethyst subtly smiled as the priest stood, their attentions shifting to the trembling unconscious mage who was slumped on the ground. "He should have known that you would not have consumed him. The people of this time are surely odd."

That woke him. "Excuse me?!" Yugi stood and marched to stand before the pair, noting once again that he was much shorter than either. "As if anyone else could take what is happening as well as I am! No normal person would be able to experience what I am without admitting themselves in to a home for the insane! Only a cray person would go along with all of this without question!"

"Watch it, Mutuo, I destroyed your Castor with a flex of my finger. Don't make me regret not finishing you off." All eyes turned to Seto Kaiba as he approached, a sleeping Anzu within his arms. His sapphire gaze narrowed when Ruler made to approach and nearly snarled when his own servant sided with the once pharaoh of Egypt. "You are my servant, Rider, you dare to test the contract?"

The priest bowed his head. "Of coarse not, however my allegiance was first promised to the pharaoh so long ago," his own eyes narrowed. "No matter the situation or consequences, my king comes first."

"That's enough, you two, now is not the time." The Nameless Pharaoh's gaze locked with the modern version of his most trusted advisor, amethyst meeting sapphire in an almost visible line of sparks. Both were alphas, neither used to taking direction or orders from another male, yet they had somehow managed to work together towards a common goal without tearing each other apart. So far. Their temporary truce seemed to be on its last thread as he glanced at Yugi. "Sever our contract so that I may return to my original master."

The Mutuo mage held up his hand containing the command spells and closed his eyes in concentration. He was relieved to feel the mana that had been passing between them return, sighing softly as his energy returned to the level he was now familiar with. One of his brows quirked slightly when he felt a small tug upon him, the smallest trails of mana still connected to something he couldn't quite pinpoint the location of, not to mention that the command spells were still upon his skin. Did that mean that Castor was still alive? A shiver shot down his spine as he recalled how Seto Kaiba had lashed out with several spells without warning and that there had been nothing left but a pile of ash.

Seto's jaw clenched, his hold tightening on the sleeping form of his daughter as Ruler approached. "Fat chance I'm going to let you. You couldn't protect her once and now you expect me to hand her back over to you? What a joke." His breath hitched when a soft whimper reached his ears. Sapphire drifted downwards and softened slightly when he spotted the smallest droplets of tears gather in the corners of her eyes while one of her hands weakly clung to his black undershirt. He thought he was keeping her safe by limiting their time together under the same roof, concerned that an enemy mage may possibly target her or his business. Her wellbeing was the most important thing to him in the world but ever since his beloved wife had become the vessel of the Holy Grail itself several years ago when Anzu was still small, he had grown distant from the only living reminder of the love of his life. Nothing could change the damage that had been done but he certainly was not about to allow her to participate in the present war. Absolutely not. He had wrapped her within his long trench coat, finding your daughter bare naked and at the complete mercy of anyone would rub anyone the wrong way, but the tainted mana coming from her was causing his skin to prickle. "I see, her mana circuits were forced open then flooded by this poison." The anger he had swallowed threatened to burst as he rested his palm against her forehead. "I'll have to extract the invasive mana before I can close them."

The pharaoh's eyes widened. So it hadn't been her own doing, the lack of development of her magical circuits weren't simply due to malpractice or genetics: they had been forced closed. He had to word this carefully if he wanted to be spared the wrath of his former master's father. "Yet she was able to summon me with them sealed. Her potential as a mage is astounding, and here you are attempting to cutoff her power."

"Stay out of this, you theatre-reject!"

Yugi stepped forward, lips parted, and all who were present blinked in utter astonishment as a tiny toon wearing an oddly familiar outfit bounced upon the air until they nestled atop of the young mage's head. "Master of Rider, that was quite the surprise attack!" The Toon Magician turned…well, toon…smiled gleefully as party poppers appeared above their heads, each exploding with confetti that rained down and clung to their beings as tiny little trumpet practically blasted within their ears. "I have not been had in such a manner in all fo my life! Truly a work of art!" He glanced down at Yugi as he asked how he was still alive and tapped his nose with a wink. "A magician never exposes the secrets of his tricks!"

"Why should I listen to a minuscule gnat dressed in an outdated Halloween costume?"

"Because fate, destiny, cannot be ignored." A heavy cloud of seriousness fell upon them as his tone grew low. "That girl, your daughter, will play a vital role in this war over the Holy Grail. We must not forget that each Master is specifically chosen by the Grail itself. Who are we to fight against a destiny that is not yet through with this young woman?"

She suddenly writhed, the dark mana briefly showing itself in the form of black goo that seeped from under her fingernails and from between her lips as she coughed. The agony written across her features caused the Nameless Pharaoh to take action by resting his palm atop of her head. "You can't hope to extract it completely on your own, I will assist." Cold sapphire wavered when faced with his resolve and solely focused on the girl in his arms, giving a huff. The Nameless Pharaoh's amethyst eyes slid closed as he inhaled through his nose and reached out with his mana towards her.

He felt his breath catch in horror at the scene, stiffening when he felt Rider's Master appear next to him. The seemingly unshakable man recoiled as he too took in the sight before them. Both were familiar with the bright dance studio-style room that was her soul, the very core of her mind and body, but neither had recognized it right away. The mirrored walls were completely shattered, revealing crimson colored brick that had veins of violet that pulsed every very seconds as if it were alive, the floor was replaced by a rippling pool of dark maroon liquid and each of the photos that had once been carefully placed or drawn were floating in fragments too small to recognize. A chill passed over them as a ripple across the water's surface came from the farthest corners and both were thrown against the brick by an invisible force as a figure stepped forward. "Intruders…" Anzu wobbled slightly, her ghostly eyes locking on each in turn, her cold voice causing the veins to wrap themselves around the pair. She came closer and peered into their faces. Anger suddenly flared from her, manifesting in the form of dark flames that licked her bare body and cast them in their black light glow. "Get…out…"

"This is for your own good." Seto managed to free his left arm, pulling a red gem from within his clothing and flicked it in her direction. It exploded in a flurry of sparks that rained down upon her and elicited shrill screams from between her lips. He wrenched himself free in time to cast a protective spell as the flames that combined with the water attempted to drown them in one large wave. "I stopped whatever ceremony he was performing, but that's not what's causing this. Her newly opened circuits are going haywire with all of this magical energy. Were is it all coming from? No mage in history has been recorded to have even half of this power."

The pharaoh quickly escaped the veins, his traditional Egyptian clothing taking the place of the modern ones he had been lent, and deflected a barrage of arrows that were covered with the black flames with a wave of his cape. "Then what is?" His answer was realized as the water rushed to engulf them in another wave and from its murky depths he could spot a glint of gold. The object that they were all fighting over, for centuries this war was fought in secret, the golden omnipotent cup that could grant the winner's most heartfelt wish: The Holy Grail. A compulsion to seize it filled his being but he forcibly swallowed it down as he spotted a small figure curled around the ornament. "This one is a counterfeit!"

Anger flared within Seto's chest. "I am her father, Servant, I will be the one to distinguish real from fake!" His voice caused the young woman to lock onto him then physically launched herself at him, her fingernails growing to several inches beyond what they were and each sunk into his being. Crimson spilled from the wounds as she pulled away, her lips lifted into a sickening sneer as he nearly buckled and hurried to close the holes in his chest. "I probably deserved that with how I've been treating you," he huffed, wiping a trail of blood from his chin as he straightened. "But even so I will not stand here." He nimbly dodged her next attack and managed to twist her body so that she could be pinned against the brick. Her skin was ice cold despite the black flames licking it and the cerulean eyes he had been haunted by flashed to vermillion for a split second as her hair shone brilliantly with platinum then returned to its dark chocolate. That damn Ruler was right…this wasn't his daughter. "Even so, I refuse to acknowledge that I was wrong." With a hiss, he gathered a handful of hair and slammed its face against the wall.

Seeing that the mage had a handle on the fight, the Nameless Pharaoh prepared himself and allowed the mana to suck him beneath its surface. It was surprisingly cold and it would surely be difficult for humans to breathe, meaning that if the mage chose to follow he would find himself fighting a losing battle. The Holy Grail by nature is a mass of magical energy and was once polluted in a previous war, causing it to gain the ability to summon evil-aligned Heroic Spirits but the hidden Avenger Class was brought to light before that event. There would be time to address all of that later but for now he had to focus upon the matter at hand. Her eyes fluttered open as he approached, curling into a tighter ball around the golden chalice. He withdrew his outstretched hand, waiting for her to make the first move, just as he had done when they had first met.

Bottom lip quivering, she sniffled softly and made to turn away from him if it weren't for their gazes meeting. His amethyst that shone brightly with concern and sincere regret, causing the heart within her tiny chest to give a thump. "The monster," she whimpered as a commotion came from above. "It ate me in one swallow. I was in the bath and next thing I knew I was here with this cup. It told me to keep drinking this awful stuff or else it would kill me." Her head bent, the cup's lip tucking under her chin as the dark liquid trickled down her chin.

His eyes grew wide with shock. There was no telling what the Holy Grail's raw magical power was capable of but for someone to actually consume the mana itself was cause for alarm. "Master, please do not drink anymore" he called, voice softening when she flinched. The Nameless Pharaoh wanted nothing more than to simply snatch it away and toss it into the deepest abyss on the planet if it meant that she could be saved but he had to be very careful. If the cup were to feel threatened there's no telling what it would do to her. He felt his chest tighten as her pained cerulean eyes met his own.

"I saw mommy with someone…a tanned person with long hair like mine…" The child Anzu shook her head as tears formed in her eyes. "She said it was your fault that she died. Teanna followed you across the desert and into that strange place. That horrible man, the one with platinum hair, he attacked her when she left to fetch the king." It felt as though the world had stopped turning as her words pierced his being. "He snatched her up, did horrible things to her, but no matter how much she screamed you never helped her."

Her countenance wavered, becoming the familiar face of the one he thought of dearly, and felt the phantom heart within his chest give a squeeze so violent that if he had been alive there was no doubt it would have killed him then. "You were alive when I found you, why did you not save me? I screamed for you, begged to the mighty gods for help, yet you never came…" A large tear the color of blood fell from her left eye. "I managed to find my way back to the kingdom, that monster hot on my heels, the pharaoh himself slayed him as I brokenly told him of where to find you. I was the first to enter that dwelling, where I found your body, yet I could not bring myself to hate you for now answering my cries. I loved you with my whole being…you gave no indication that you felt the same so perhaps I was mistaken that you would return my feelings…"

Anzu's countenance returned, another tear of blood trickling down her cheek but this time on the right as her body morphed into the young adult form he had come to know. "If we had only known that meeting you would result in our broken hearts. Things wouldn't have ended up the way they had, it's all of your fault. We wish we had never met you."

Dread settled over him as he trembled. He had no idea that someone had been within that chamber until the wretched King of Thieves had told him but that wasn't what pained him the most. Teanna, the most important person to him then, had needed his aid yet he hadn't saved her from the monster. They had been close ever since they were young and no matter how busy he had been with his royal duties he ensured to always make time to visit her. It was true though…he had never verbally confessed his internal feelings. "Forgive me though I do not deserve it," he whispered, hands clenching into fists at his sides. "As prince of Egypt it was my duty to ensure that the people were heard and taken care of; often forgetting myself when I was devoting everything I had until I was reminded that even the pharaoh, my father, needed a rest. I lost my way though when I found out that Bakura had poisoned my father, I no longer cared about my wellbeing and hadn't told anyone where I was going. I felt that it was my sole responsibility to go there. Not once did I think of what could possibly happen, nor did I think that anyone had followed me that night I departed from the kingdom." Tears filled his eyes, falling down his cheeks in twin waterfalls. "The one person that I wish I hadn't failed was you, Teanna, I had hoped that my sacrifice would ensure that your future would be a happy one even if I wasn't in it I didn't hear a thing, I didn't even know you were there, just knowing that you were smiling."

Every tear that slid down his tanned cheek caused a ripple affect upon the young woman as she regarded him with a curious expression. The one called Teanna had fallen silent, drifting along the borders of her consciousness like the ghost she was, but there was the faint scent of her own salty tears. Kings were regarded as higher beings similar to gods and yet here he was shedding tears. The dark shadow that had been distant since the monster's appearance came forward, engulfing the drifting shade of Teanna, then turned its attention to Anzu as her finger twitched against the golden cup's cold lip.

"I have failed, as a pharaoh and as your servant," his head bowed, the tears within his eyes growing as his voice cracked. "I couldn't protect my beloved then and I have failed in protecting you in this lifetime. Twice I have failed the same person. You need not worry, though, you will never see me again after what comes next. I am afraid I must harm you one last time, my master, if I am to rid the world of the monster responsible."

A spark appeared within her glazed eyes at his words. The twitch traveled up her arm as she tilted her head. Where was she again? She couldn't quite remember… Did it really matter though? His words echoed within her ears as her vision steadily grew clearer. The fog that had been preventing her from thinking clearly was starting to thin and she didn't like what she was hearing. He felt that he had failed her? Pharaoh had been the greatest Servant she could hope for and here he was saying he wished he could have done more for her. The shadow within her peripheral vision came closer as she loosened her hold upon the cup. The monster above had told her to keep drinking or she would be eaten; that's what happened to Teanna just a while ago. She didn't want that to happen but there was no way she was going to continue drinking the nasty stuff that swirled within the cup.

His watering eyes shone with determination as he steeled himself. "I will not allow you or anyone else suffer at the hands of that monster known as the King of Thieves!" His voice took on a hard tone, the droplets of water upon his cheeks drying as a golden light surrounded his being. "Saint Dragon, the God of Osiris"

The young woman's eyes widened as a golden sphere manifested behind the man who had appeared from above. She knew who he was, the pain within her broken heart was caused by him, but she could not bring herself to be happy to see him; his voice and eyes that had first entranced her now only caused her pain that made her wish that everything would fade to darkness. The ghost of terror brushed against her spine as the lingering shadow morphed into a white haired man attempted to pull her away from the growing ball of light. "It'll take you too long to fully power up your pathetic dragon, pharaoh," he hissed, arms wrapping around her from behind while raising the cup to her lips. "Just admit that you've lost!"

"Who said I was summoning one?" Amethyst had darkened the second Bakura had appeared but they blazed brightly with crimson when she was forced to drink more of the cursed cup's inner liquid.

"You bluff! There's no possible way that you can handle summoning all three!"

Ruler's lips lifted into a smirk. "Come to me, Giant God-Soldier of Obelisk!"

The scarred man grew pale as a towering giant began to form. He turned his attention to Anzu as she weakly turned away from the cup. "Drink all of it this instant, wench, my wish cannot be fulfilled without it." His calloused hands wrapped around her own and forced the cup back to her lips when she shook her head. Was she regaining her senses? That was impossible, though the ceremony was interrupted his master had still received every emotion that had been siphoned from the girl so why was she fighting him now? "I said drink it!"

The Nameless Pharaoh blinked as her cerulean eyes flashed, his breath catching as her expression became one of fierce determination as she attempted to break Bakura's hold upon her. There no longer was a haze covering her eyes and her skin was returning to its original coloring the longer the pair struggled. He still had one left to summon and Ra still needed time to emerge from the containment sphere if it was going to fulfill the reason he had called upon it. Gritting his teeth, he raised his hand upwards as far as it would reach. "Hear me now, Sun Dragon of Ra! Descend now in your strongest form and join your siblings upon this battlefield!"

"Damn it all to hell!" Bakura's hand forced her jaws to open and tipped the entire cup's contents between her lips before fixing his other hand over her mouth. "Swallow it, wench! Do it now!" He howled as instead of her succumbing to his rough handling she ferociously bit into the hand that was attempting to cover her mouth, the mana spilling from between her lips as she hurried to spit it out. "Damn you!"

Her wide eyes locked on amethyst, her hand outstretched as if begging him to help her. Lightning sparks surrounded him as he hurried to answer and quickly collected her within his grasp before the enemy could recover. Anzu's arms wrapped around his neck as she sobbed. "She clung to him, gasping as she felt his figure tremble beneath her fingers and causing her tear filled gaze to rise and meet his own. Her hands rose to his cheeks as his amethyst eyes that still held the faint lingering traces of his earlier tears among his lashes. "Listen to me, Atem, because I'm only going to say this once. It wasn't your fault that Teanna died or that any of this happened." Her finger pressed against his parted lips. "None of it. You were king of Egypt, you had your kingdom's best interests at heart and acted without worrying about what it would cost you. You sacrificed everything you had for the future of every single person you knew and it was her choice to follow you. Following your heart is not a sin," she offered a small smile. "If that was true than I would be in big trouble. I was never angry with you, neither was she, we were simply letting our love-sick hearts take the lead when we should have been smarter about it."

His wide amethyst eyes never wavered from her own, despite the impending threat in front of them. The tone she was using and the way that her oceanic eyes shone brightly like twin stars practically demanded his undivided attention. That was proofing difficult though as the two Egyptian titans he had summoned looked down upon them as if in mild entertainment. A telltale bolt of pain down his spine further pressed the issue of the situation at hand but he still had not interrupted her. It wasn't until she had fallen silent that her words seeped into his being, bringing forth the tears that he had thought were done. Neither of them despised or held his failures against him, nor did they blame them for what had happened to either of them? Forgiveness and mercy were things he valued, bestowed upon all who had entered his court, though his reputation was more followed or based upon how just he was as well as the equally earned punishments that were issued. To think that she was offering her forgiveness to him caused unfamiliar joy. He had never experienced this, and it meant so much more that it was coming from her. The memory that had buried itself so far within his consciousness surfaced, bringing with it such a heart-wrenching flood of emotion that nearly took his breath away. What he had felt when with Teanna was like a beautiful dream, but the feelings that had taken root since meeting his master were several times stronger; his lips had formed more smiles with her, she brought out things about him that he never knew he had such as his mischievous tendencies that would have surely earned his father's disapproval, she didn't shame him when he had shown weakness but instead offered words that made him embrace those flaws, it was easier to be human when he was with her…something he had never had the leisure of when he was alive.

Anzu's eyes widened as his tears returned. "O-oh no, please don't cry, I didn't mean to upset you or anything!" Her brows furrowed in confusion as his upraised arm rose and wrapped around her slim waist, bringing her closer as he hugged her tightly. They were suspended within some weird murky water-like stuff that made it hard to breathe but that wasn't the weirdest part. A chill danced across her skin as she looked up and caught sight of the two titans who were keeping the platinum haired man at bay with their cold glares. Then there was the giant golden orb-thingy that looked on the verge of hatching like an egg that was behind them. Like feathers, her fingers brushed away his tears and pulled back so that their gazes could meet, bringing to her attention how his skin shone brightly with sweat. "I'm sure explanations can wait, though I'm super utterly confused right now, and I feel like I'm stopping you from doing something incredibly important."

A deep chuckle rumbled within his chest, relief flooding him. "Yes, this discussion will have to wait." He winched as another jolt of pain shot through his body. "But I cannot lie to you, Master, I am not sure I have the strength needed."

Understanding filled her cerulean eyes, a light pink dusting her cheeks. "Guess it's my turn to return the favor."

Bakura's eyes widened. "No, don't!" Both looked to him, one in confusion while the other in warning. "You have no idea what that kind of power will do to him. He's a Ruler but still a Servant. That raw mana will tear him apart from the inside." A sneer lifted his lips. What he wasn't telling was that if she even tried to pass it to anyone the cursed mana would wreck havoc upon her own body. The moment before it would though was when he was going to swoop in and claim his ultimate prize. He held up the now lackluster and tarnished cup. "See for yourself, the former vessel of the coveted Holy Grail shines no more." The Nameless Pharaoh felt ice within his veins. If the cup was no longer the contained for the unlimited power that was legendary, then did that mean…

Anzu's eyes widened as the cup transformed, tears filling her eyes as a woman with long silver hair took its place. "No! Mom, no!" He quickly tightened his hold upon the young woman as she began to wail, his own eyes wide when the former vessel of the Holy Grail was dropped. "Mom!" Her cries grew louder as the deceased woman fell apart then disappeared into the murk around them.

"Who would have guessed that Kisara, in the past and present, had offered herself to be the Holy Grail's vessel in place of her daughter?" Bakura howled with laughter. "Even I could not have predicted such a turn!"

Ruler's gaze met his master's as the command spells upon her skin transformed back into the Eye of Horus, not surprised one bit when he found her oceanic eyes alit with anger swirling with sorrow. "I understand. Do not worry, I shall not perish here," he whispered, nodding as she brought her face close enough that he could feel her breath and her eyes slid closed. "Leave everything to me, my precious Anzu."

"Finally, you called me by name," her being warmed as his lips brushed the sensitive area between her eyes. "It sounds different coming from you…I like it…" She allowed the darkness that had been attempting to consume her to finally close in as their lips met, golden sparks following as she fell into bliss.

. . . .

Yugi rose to his feet as the ground rumbled, his wide eyes darting between the now stirring trio as three ancient titans appeared from nowhere, their roars and bellows shattering the once silent night as they towered overhead. He had to narrow his eyes against the sudden bright golden light that threatened to fill the sky in time to see a writhing figure perish under the power of the ancient Egyptian Gods that he had heard tales about from his grandfather. They locked upon him the second the camera shutter upon his cellphone sounded, earning a slight "eep" as he hurried to hide the device when they made to approach him.

"Quell your anger, mighty ones, this young man is not the one you seek!" Rider quickly intervened, his head bending in respect when they regarded him. "I too was once pharaoh of Egypt, head my words when I say that the one responsible for my liege's demise will be presented before you not much longer from now." They retreated slightly then dissipated into the darkening sky as the golden light faded, threatening to plunge the small gathering of people into darkness if it weren't for a quick mutter of the Egyptian High Priest, a small orb of white appearing within his palm. "Take them inside. We are much too exposed here." He blinked when Yugi's wide eyes remained locked on something from over his shoulder. "What could possibly have you gaping like a half-drowned gazelle?" His own eyes widened as his king regained consciousness, threatening to fall as his knees buckled, and hurried to catch Ruler. "My pharaoh!"

"I-I'm alright," he wheezed, one hand clutching his chest while the other held tightly to Anzu's hand that once again bore their shared command spells. "I am relieved to see them once more, Master, I swear that I shall serve you better this time."

Another pair of sapphire opened with a gasp, his breaths coming in short quick spurts. "That was insane! You could have destroyed us all with that cursed Noble Phantasm of yours!" They narrowed when his servant barked a laugh, saying that he was mistaken. "If that wasn't your Noble Phantasm, then what kind of spell was it?!"

"One that saved you." The Nameless Pharaoh chuckled, eyes slipping closed as exhaustion claimed him.

No sooner had his closed than a pair of cerulean fluttered open, her fingers entwining with his tanned ones. A coldness entered her eyes as her name was called and directed her gaze upwards towards the man who was her father as he demanded that she release her hold upon the servant. Though she struggled a little she managed to leave his hold and cross the threshold with the unconscious pharaoh on her own all the while ensuring that the trench coat around her was secured. "You've got some explaining to do." Rider and Yugi took a slight step back at her icy tone, both thankful that they weren't on the receiving end of her wrath as she refused to stop until he was upon her bed then internally flinched when she turned to address her fuming father as he demanded that she cease her teenage rebellion. Her gaze flashed briefly upon the remaining males, suggesting that they procure some food, to which they both hurried to fulfill if it meant that they could be spared. Icy oceanic eyes met hard sapphire finally when the bedroom door closed. "Start from the beginning. I want to know everything. Now."

See you next time!