APOLOGIES
Review responses are at the bottom.
Yugi, Joey, Kaiba, Pegasus and Mai were all aboard Pegasus' private jet at 60,000 feet above the ground. It was a modified Gulfstream G650, equipped with Concorde engines that enabled it to approach almost twice the speed of normal business jets for its cruise speed. The flight would take only six hours as a consequence, and as a consequence they'd be landing in Cairo only an hour after they took off from Pegasus' island.
The jet had a private bedroom in the back, which Pegasus had retired to. The rest of them were sprawled on comfortable reclining chairs up and down the cabin. Kaiba was asleep, the psychological gauntlet he had run earlier leaving him utterly exhausted. Mai was alone, near the front, her seat facing forward, so the others couldn't tell if she was awake or not.
Yugi and Joey were seated on opposite sides of a small round table in between them, both set to recline halfway. They had talked for a bit in low voices, but then there was an unspoken agreement to just take the time to rest. Both had gone multiple days with no time for shut-eye during Battle City and the mess with the Orichalcos, and knew that in situations like these it was best to recuperate whenever one could.
Joey, however, couldn't seem to turn his brain off. It wasn't surprising, after the day they'd had so far. Obviously everything that happened with Kaiba was chaotic, and he especially felt terrible about Mokuba, but the number one thing on his mind right now was Mai.
She had just popped back into his life, without warning, just as suddenly as she had disappeared from it. He still hadn't fully registered the fact that she was here, on the same plane as him, a few meters away, for the first time since…
His face dropped into a frown at the thought of their last encounter. He had lost a duel to her while the Seal of Orichalcos had been active. The key thing to note, however, was that she hadn't been able to go through with the final attack to reduce his life-points to zero. He had lost because he was exhausted from his previous duel with Valon and lost consciousness.
She had run up to him and held him in a tearful embrace while the Seal took his soul, and in those moments he knew that he'd been able to bring her back from whatever darkness had been consuming her… but then, after he had been brought back and defeated Dartz alongside the Pharaoh and Kaiba, she was nowhere to be found.
When he had gotten his soul back from the Orichalcos, the first thing he remembered thinking was that that meant Yugi had probably returned too, and that he couldn't wait to see him. The second thing had been that he wanted to see Mai. That left his mind subsequently as they fought the Great Leviathan, but after that was done, he searched the Paradias facility to the best of his ability, yet found no sign of her.
He figured she'd reach out when she felt ready. He waited a month, two months… After six, he decided to see what he could find out about her whereabouts. He saw her name pop up in the pro dueling leagues in China. He had felt some brief frustration, but then resigned himself to the fact that she was permanently gone from his life.
That, however, didn't stop him from idly wishing otherwise when the thought entered his mind. He had always wanted to tell her that he never blamed her for turning to the Orichalcos to find meaning. Having faced Yami Marik in a duel himself, he knew how traumatizing the experience was: and Joey himself hadn't even been subject to the kind of vicious Shadow Game she had been. Every time she lost a monster she had lost the memory of one of her friends, until she was completely alone in the Shadow Realm and at the mercy of the Winged Dragon of Ra.
They parted on good terms after Battle City, but Joey knew deep down he should have found a way to support her more. She had constant nightmares about her duel with Marik, and in hindsight had no doubt been suffering from some form of PTSD.
How could he blame her for losing her way after that? Even if she hadn't turned her back on the Orichalcos and tried to save him by the end, he wouldn't have blamed her. She had needed support and comfort after Battle City, and with him and the others not being around to provide it, she had found it in Valon and the rest of the gang at Paradias.
The only thing he had ever felt some bitterness towards her for was leaving after Dartz was defeated without saying a word to her. With the way their duel had gone, she should have known that he held no malice toward her. Why did she feel the need to leave that way? After everything, didn't she…
His thoughts trailed off, and he curled his hand into a fist out of frustration. All this time he had imagined what he'd say to her if they met again, and here they were, but he was wasting time thinking instead of just going on to talk to her.
He felt something lightly hit his leg, and he opened his eyes to look down and see Yugi was looking at him meaningfully.
"What?" he grunted.
"You know you want to talk to her," replied his best friend, softly enough for no one else to hear.
"Well, yeah, I do, but…"
"No buts, Joey, go do it."
"Yuge-…"
"Joey, you need to do this. For the both of you."
Joey pursed his lips. He knew Yugi was right. Before he could find any more reasons not to, he pressed the button on the side of his seat to return it to the upright position, and then got to his feet. As he passed Yugi, he bent low and muttered, "Don't think I'm not gonna be bugging you this same way next time we see Tea," and walked on before his friend could protest.
He stopped a couple feet from Mai, breathed in and then out, and then made his way over to the seat opposite hers.
She had also been reclining in her chair, her eyes half open while gazing at the ceiling, but once she became aware of his presence, she cleared her throat and pressed a button to bring the seat back into an upright position.
"Mai, we really need to talk."
She half-smiled sadly, refusing to look him in the eye. "I don't really know what there is to say, Joey."
"How about: hey Joey, it's been over a year, let me tell you why I disappeared and never spoke to you after the guy who made me do all the bad things was beaten-…"
Mai shook her head and now met his gaze. "Let me stop you right there, Joey. I wasn't being controlled. I made a choice to join Dartz and his gang. Everything I did while I was with them was of my own volition. I left because of that. I left because the choice I made was unforgiveable, and there was nothing I could say or do to make up for it."
Joey clenched his fist. "Forgiveness is my decision, Mai. Are you trying to tell me that I don't get a choice here about who I can or can't forgive?"
Mai looked down again now. "How could you forgive me? You didn't forgive the Pharaoh… and what I did was far worse."
"What?!" Joey couldn't believe what he had just heard.
"Yugi's Puzzle is gone. I saw a picture of you, him and your friends a few months after I left. The Pharaoh played the Seal of Orichalcos out of desperation to win against Raphael, who worked for Paradias. He was wrong to do it, and stupid… but he didn't do it out of malice. He did it out of desperation, because he would've lost to the bad guys otherwise. I, on the other hand… I fully embraced the Seal. I was the bad guy, Joey… and because of my choices you lost your soul. How could you forgive me after what I did, which was exponentially worse than what him? Hell, I haven't even forgiven myself."
Joey barely registered most of her rant. His brain was still stuck on her initial statement.
"You think… You think Yugi ditched the Puzzle because the Pharaoh played the Seal of Orichalcos?"
Mai looked up, now slightly incredulous. "He… He didn't?"
"NO!" Joey almost exploded, but then becoming cognizant of the extreme close quarters they were in with two other sleeping people.
He then went into a very brief narrative about what Yugi, Tea, Tristan and him went through after defeating Dartz and participating in the Kaiba Corp. Grand Championship. Their trip to Egypt, the Millennium World, the battle against Bakura and Zorc, and finally the Ceremonial Battle.
"Wait… You mean…"
"YES!" grunted Joey impatiently. "We never held the fact that he played the Seal against the Pharaoh. He left… He left because it was finally just time! His purpose was done! He was never meant to hang around forever… He was supposed to have died five thousand years ago; this was just long overdue!"
Mai was quiet at that, before finally murmuring, "All this time… I thought we could never be friends again because-…"
"Well, you were wrong," insisted Joey. "Like I said, I get a choice on whom I'm supposed to forgive and whom I'm not... and I forgive you Mai. Hell, I never even blamed you for the choices you made in the first place, because you made those choices after going down a path you wouldn't have if I had been there for you after Battle City."
"Okay, that's ridiculous," scoffed Mai. "Don't patronize me, I was and am capable of making my own decisions. You never had a say in what I did."
Joey frowned at that.
"Mai, it's okay to admit what happened to you in that duel with Marik was horrible. What he did to you was worse than what he did to me, and I only didn't have it affect me much because I was awake and there when Yugi sent that son of a bitch to the Shadow Realm for good. I should have-…" he trailed off at the end.
"You should have what?"
He sighed, composed himself and tried to finish. "I should have been there for you more after Battle City, Mai. We were friends. I should have known that you always felt the need to act like you were tough enough to go it alone, and that you didn't need any of our help, but that underneath it all you really did. Unfortunately… I was too damn stupid to realize that, and I figured that the tough exterior you put up after Battle City meant you had just shrugged off what happened to you. In reality… it just hadn't hit you yet."
Mai went a bit pale at that. "It was horrible," she whispered.
Joey nodded grimly. He remembered what she had told him while she was working for Paradias of her experiences after Battle City. He got out of his seat, and walked over to hers, kneeling down next to it, and placing his hand on hers. She flinched a little, but didn't jerk her hand away.
"I'd keep having these nightmares that I was dueling Marik, alone in the Shadow Realm. He was coming for me, and I'd be screaming for help to you and the others, but none of you could hear me… It was like I'd gone mute."
Neither of them spoke momentarily. It went unsaid but was obviously true that her dreams were almost a reflection of her waking life at the time: desperate for comfort and support, but unable to reach out to her only friends out of a obstinate unwillingness to display weakness.
Mai finally spoke. "I did resent you at the time. I wished you'd been able to realize that I didn't want to be alone, even if I was too pigheaded and stubborn."
Joey tightened his grip on her hand. "I wish I did too, Mai."
Mai glared at him. "Wait a minute, how exactly did we start talking about what you did wrong? I'm the one who took your soul!"
Joey chuckled at this despite himself. "Ok, can we just put everything from both our parts aside and forgive each other for good now?"
Mai didn't say anything for a minute, but then nodded nervously.
Without another word, the two stood and exchanged a brief but warm hug. To Joey, Mai's body felt stiff as a board, filled with nervous energy. He pulled back, and they both smiled awkwardly.
Joey opened his mouth, about to say something, but the seatbelt sign blinked and the pilot announced there was going to be some turbulence.
Mai chuckled and sat back down, securing herself.
Joey trundled back to his seat opposite Yugi and did the same.
Yugi had been half asleep, but looked at Joey and raised a questioning eyebrow, who simply nodded, put his seatbelt on, reclined the seat and tried to fall asleep.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ishizu Ishtar was waiting in the front passenger seat of a large SUV with three rows of seats. Her brother Odion was in the driver's seat. They had the windows rolled up and the air conditioning on full blast, but even that did little to dull the peak afternoon heat.
They were on the outskirts of Cairo, waiting at a private airfield, where the temperature could easily get over a hundred and ten degrees Fahrenheit in the summer.
"Sister," muttered Odion hesitantly.
"Yes, Odion?" Ishizu turned to look at him inquiringly.
"Do you believe it wise to get involved in this new affair that could potentially concern Shadow magic? We have aided Yugi Muto and his friends in the past, because our family's duty was to the Pharaoh Atem. They are undoubtedly good people, but with the Pharaoh now gone: should we be allowing them to look at tablets that we are supposed to protect from outsiders?"
"Our duty is to the Pharaohship, not just one particular Pharaoh," corrected Ishizu. "The Pharaoh Atem may be gone, but from what Yugi told me, they are dealing with someone who has a grudge, a significant one, against the Pharaoh Seto. This person wishes to satisfy that grudge against his reincarnation: Seto Kaiba. We cannot stand idly by…"
"Sister, the artifacts-…"
"Odion, I understand you are concerned about how sacred these tablets are, but things changed permanently after Battle City. Prior to that all we ever needed to do was protect physical artifacts. When Marik's alter ego escaped into the world, there was no going back to our sheltered existence here after that. The wellbeing of the living reincarnation of a Pharaoh has to take precedence over the sacrosanctity of the artifacts buried with him. Our parents never taught us this, I agree, but they never imagined that we'd ever come into contact with a reincarnated Pharaoh, let alone two.
"Yes, sister," replied her brother, defeated. He knew her authority was final, both her brothers did. Despite Marik officially being the heir to their clan, he had more or less renounced any real powers associated with the title. He had insisted he didn't deserve it, and that Ishizu's judgment was far sounder.
She hoped he was right.
Ishizu turned her head ninety degrees to look back at the runway. A jet was coming in to land and low drum echoed in their ears.
"It will be all right, Odion."
"I hope you are right, sister… It's just that, since Battle City, things have been-…"
"Peaceful, I know," she smiled wistfully. "The last year and a half have been a welcome change to the rest of our lives, indeed… I trust that this will be simple enough not to interrupt that. We simply need to allow them to look over some hieroglyphics and find out more about the reign of the Pharaoh Seto."
"But if it is not…"
"If it's not, we will deal with that. That is our duty as Tomb Keepers."
Nothing further was said as the plane finally came to a halt close to them, and a flight of stairs flipped outward.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The last time Yugi had been in Egypt had been for the Ceremonial Battle. When they left, he hadn't been sure if he'd ever return, let alone barely six months later. He stood at the bottom of the staircase to Pegasus' aircraft, staring wistfully at the vast sea of sand that lay all around the airstrip.
Atem's brief return in the duel against Diva had given him the closure he needed, but being there, probably within miles of the spot where his other half had departed for this world for good, still felt bittersweet.
He was shaken out of his thoughts by Joey.
"Damn, it's hot this time," he complained, running a hand through his thick blonde hair.
Before Yugi could reply, the sound of a powerful automobile engine drew all their attention. A large SUV had pulled up near them, and Ishizu had gotten out of the passenger seat.
Yugi decided to take a step forward and greet her on behalf of their group.
"Ishizu… Thank you for this."
She bowed her head. "Not at all, Yugi. As the Pharaoh reincarnates, it is our duty as Tomb Keepers to always be at the service of the two of you."
Kaiba simply nodded stiffly, surprising Yugi. Any mention of his link to ancient Egypt usually got a snarky retort out of Kaiba, but it seemed like the current situation he found himself in had restrained those impulses from the ex-CEO.
"The Egyptian government has excavated most of the hieroglyphics from the dig site of the Shrine of the Millennium Stone. The good news is that they're being stored at a warehouse not far from here; the bad news is that my authority even as the Antiquities Minister is limited to the point that I will only be able to get you into the warehouse after closing."
Kaiba growled at this.
Before he could speak up, Yugi decided to jump in preventatively. "We're kind of on the clock here, Ishizu… We were really hoping to look at whatever you have for us and be able to leave before nightfall."
Ishizu bowed her head again. "I apologize deeply, but this is out of my hands. I have some influence over the warehouse night guard, but if I broke the rules to bring you all in while the warehouse is still open and full of witnesses, I could risk the ire of those in the Egyptian government who aren't quite happy to see a woman in the position of authority I am in."
"How long do we have to wait for?"
Ishizu checked her watch. "Three hours. The warehouse closes at five, and I'd rather wait an additional hour until after sunset. We can wait at our house until then."
Pegasus decided to speak up. "That sounds delightful Ms. Ishtar! You needn't worry, Kaiba-boy, we will get what we need and be back in Domino well before the deadline. Perks of the Concorde after all."
He finished with his typical musical chuckle. No one else seemed to disagree, and the gang piled into the SUV.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
At another private airfield, on the other side of Cairo, another Japanese business jet had touched down a few hours later. It had a giant KC emblazoned on the side.
This one, instead of dropping a stairway down, connected to a rather deserted terminal by way of a sky bridge. Out walked a pale, thin man dressed in a crisp suit, and had a habit of adjusting his cuff while glaring severely at nothing in particular.
Following behind him were a quartet of underlings, huffing rather heavily under the weight of a giant metal crate they were carrying by way of handles that extended out the four corners on the bottom.
They were met by their local man, a middling government official who had already been paid off by wire from Japan to ensure they were able to skip through immigration and customs. He had been told they just had to drop a box off somewhere, and they'd be out of the country by nightfall. There was nothing to worry about, at least nothing that the two years' worth of salary he received as a bribe did not take care of.
The suited Kaiba Corp. employee nodded at the Egyptian, and they were hustled through some back corridors to a waiting crate outside. After the crate was loaded into the back, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number back in Japan.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Mokuba Kaiba answered the call almost six thousand miles away.
"Mr Kaiba, we have arrived."
"Good," replied the acting CEO. "You have the coordinates as well as the time at which I want the crate opened. Do your job."
He disconnected, and smiled in a rather disconcerting manner.
Of course he knew that Kaiba and his quartet's next stop would be Cairo. After the video call had come from Pegasus' private line, he had arranged to redirect a satellite to keep an eye on the island. Once he saw the jet leave, it was simplicity itself to use Kaiba Corp's vast resources to find the flight plan Pegasus had filed.
He had to admit, going to Egypt made sense. It was likely that the group had decided to dig more into the history of the Pharaoh Seto before coming back to Domino to confront him.
Mokuba did not begrudge them that. In fact, he had decided to help them a little in their journey of discovery.
He glanced at the Quantum Cube that sat on the desk in front of him. The Eye of Anubis inscribed on its corner glowed red.
Yes, if his conversation with Kaiba did not show that he meant business, what was about to happen definitely would.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The Ishtar domicile was a palatial one. Kaiba supposed that Tomb Keeping was fairly rewarding in a monetary sense, and the Ishtars had been doing it for generations.
They parked in a three car garage and then entered the main household. It seemed to have three floors and half a dozen bedrooms, but the group assembled themselves in a den with a variety of ornate chairs and couches.
Yugi and Pegasus sat facing Ishizu and Odion on either side of a glass table, while Mai and Joey were on a couch, conversing in low voices. Kaiba found a chair on its own well away from the others, and sat with his arms crossed, staring at the opposite wall as if he wanted to bore a hole in it with just his eyes.
They were soon joined by Marik, who greeted everyone as a group, and then approached Kaiba in the corner he had isolated himself in.
"Kaiba, it's good to see you again, though I'm sorry that it's under these circumstances."
The CEO looked up blankly and growled. "What do you want?"
"My sister told me about what's going on with Mokuba-…"
Kaiba's eyes flashed at him dangerously. "Look, if you're here to preach some bullshit about forgiveness like Pegasus did-…"
"What?" muttered Marik. "No."
He waved his hands in front of his face as if to dispel some confusion, and took a seat next to Kaiba.
"Look, Kaiba, it seems like he's being possessed by some kind of dark spirit. Guess what? The same thing happened to me, as I'm sure you remember from your tournament."
"What's your point?" came the snappish reply.
"My point is, again, as I'm sure you remember, his consciousness is still likely in there somewhere, just like mine was. Odion helped me retake control of my body, if even for a moment, and then by surrendering the duel I was able to banish my darker half by using the conditions of the Shadow Game. Odion is for all intents and purposes a brother to me. Kaiba: you are Mokuba's family. If anyone can bring him back, it's you."
Kaiba looked up again with a sullen expression. "I don't remember asking your opinion.
Marik shook his head. "This attitude isn't helping, Kaiba. It seems like you intend to meet him again, as I understand you have a deadline you need to meet. Do you have a plan of what you're going to do then?"
"I'm going to get revenge on the filth that has taken my brother from me and-…"
"Kaiba, I understand that you're angry," interrupted Marik, "but this kind of attitude isn't going to help you. Calm down, and think. Obviously, we don't have all the information yet and don't know exactly what it is we're dealing with here, but your main goal no matter what needs to be to bring your brother back to the surface. Odion brought me back and helped me regain control of my body by helping me come to terms with my heritage as a Tomb Keeper… Only you know what it would take to reach Mokuba, however deep his mind is buried."
He stood back up before Kaiba could respond. "Remember, Kaiba. Think."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
For a period following his conversation with Marik that ended with him being told to think, Kaiba did exactly the opposite of that. He simply continued staring at the wall opposite him with an intensity that made it seem like he was almost willing time to pass faster so that the dratted hour of six p.m. would arrive.
This was not, however, for lack of trying.
Kaiba did attempt to think about what he could say to Mokuba that would induce a similar effect that Odion's words had on Marik at the Battle City finals, years ago. Yet, his mind kept directing itself back to the very same quandary he found himself in as soon as he finished his conversation with the thing that had been controlling his brother; the same quandary that Pegasus correctly guessed he was in, even if Kaiba would never admit it out loud.
How could he even begin to think about what it would take to bring Mokuba back when it was his own ambition that had put them in this position in the first place? And even if he did manage to do so, would his brother ever forgive him?
These were the thoughts that lurked on the edge of Kaiba's mind, and as they circled, waiting for an opening, he felt his breath quickening and his senses begin to blur. It was the same sensation of drowning he experienced before.
This was not the time or the place, he knew. It was one thing to show weakness like that in a private setting when Pegasus intruded. He would never do that in front of so many others.
They could think what they wanted, but he would keep control of himself and do what he had been known for since he was a young boy in an orphanage: overcome. Hence, he focused on emptying his mind and staying as far away from thoughts of his relationship with his brother as he could. Marik be damned, this wasn't helpful to his situation right now. Before he even crossed that bridge he needed the information that Ishizu was convinced they would find in her godforsaken warehouse.
Thankfully, time was less of a cruel mistress today, and the sixth hour was upon them soon.
They were a group of eight, with everyone but Marik piling into the same SUV that Odion had ferried them from the airport to the Ishtar household in. Marik himself rode alongside them on motorbike, reminiscent of his preferred mode of transport in Battle City.
Driving through the desert at that moment was in sharp contrast to only a few hours previously. The temperature dropped precipitously and it got dark enough that Odion could likely scarcely see a few feet past the headlights. Thankfully, there were practically zero other cars on the road to the warehouse and they were there within twenty minutes.
Once there, Ishizu called someone and spoke a few words in Arabic. She clicked off and told Odion to go to a back gate. They circled around to find the night guard waiting there for them.
Odion parked where he was told to, and they all slowly disembarked. Kaiba looked up at the desert night sky briefly. With the lack of pollution, the moon shone brightly and far more stars were visible than likely anywhere in East Asia. He idly thought that this was something he was sure Mokuba would appreciate, before shaking himself out of his reverie and focusing on the matter at hand.
Ishizu conversed with the guard briefly, and handed over an envelope which Kaiba had no doubt was a bribe. Doubtless something he couldn't afford himself right now, what with being practically broke after losing access to all his assets.
Ishizu walked over to a door at the back of the building, and punched in an access code by the side. She then nodded over to the others and beckoned them to follow her.
Kaiba was the first to get there. He took a breath, and stepped over the doorframe into the darkness.
"Whoever the hell has you, Mokuba… Just know I'm coming, and I'm not going to stop until you're safe."
Things are moving, slowly but surely. I am almost done with the setup and the action will be starting fairly soon.
My goal is to finish this by the end of 2022 no matter what, and I will get it done.
Freedom41: Glad to have you here! As for your question, you are simply going to have to read on and find out.
Reaver72: The antagonist is still mysterious on purpose, but worry not, we are slowly approaching the big reveal! And yes, I figured that with Pegasus having engaged in the most morally questionable activities of the lot, he'd be the one best suited to empathize with Kaiba's situation.
Batmanuchicha: Right?! It's hard to write when you don't know if anyone will even read it, haha
7th Librarian: I really think Pegasus was underutilized in the original show. With a show generally driven by such young protagonists, it makes sense for the older Pegasus to take more of a mentor role given his large array of life experiences.
ChroniclerDL: 100%, as I said above, with Pegasus having a somewhat morally questionable past, he is perfectly suited to empathize with Kaiba's predicament here. Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, the Orichalcos arc and even Yami Bakura's villainy are all related to old grudges that characters cannot move on from. You're right, it's definitely a theme.
GearfriedTheSynchro: Glad to have you back and along for the rest of the ride my friend! I appreciate your praise on the Kaiba/Pegasus scene. I think I'm definitely a better character writer now that I'm older, and since this is a more character driven story than my previous works, I hope I'm putting that to good use (don't worry, there will be enough action though!).
The identity of the villain will be revealed soon enough, don't you worry, but I'm keeping it under wraps for now. And yes, Mai has dealt with a LOT and I promise you by the end of the story I hope to have had her story done appropriate justice. Characters like Pegasus and her weren't given their due in the original show and part of my reason for writing this story, like I've said before, is to have it be the conclusion that DM deserved.
Thank you everyone for your reviews, as well as the lurkers for reading! I hope to have the next chapter up within a couple of weeks at most!
