Thank you for these characters and their stories, Kazuki Takahashi. Requiescat in pace.
Chapter Fifty
The entire room froze as Princess Pyhia staggered backward, clutching the dagger now in her neck. As she crumbled to the ground, the other women erupted into ear-piercing screams. Soldiers burst through the curtains covering the bathing room, with the Pharaoh, the Prince, and Priests Seto and Mahad close behind.
The intruders were easily apprehended. Many of them surrendered the moment they saw the Pharaoh enter the room. The only man who didn't drop his weapon was the leader, but he made no move to attack as he stared at the princess.
I rushed from my position between Pyhia and the leader, caught between rage that she got in the way and fear because she was dying. Cradling her head in my lap, I desperately tried to stifle the flow of blood from her neck with my own clothing. Mahad joined me on the ground, frantically muttering various spells in an attempt to stop the blood. Glaring dangerously, I turned my gaze onto the group's leader. I heard some gasps of fear as others looked upon my red eyes, but I made no attempts to control my fury.
"She had nothing to do with this!"
His expression was blank for a few moments, before his mouth curled into a smirk, "She is not only a member of the royal family, but also a relative of my village head, a man I intend to remove from power. That is, after I remove one other tyrant."
As quickly as a cobra, he flicked the small sword in his hand towards the Pharaoh. In the same moment, he leapt towards the Prince with hands outstretched. Feeling my anger surge more intensely, I extended my free right hand towards him. Red, smoke-like ropes shot out from beyond my fingertips and raced towards the man, grabbing his arms and pulling them behind his back. He shouted in anger and pulled hard against the ropes, but his movement only caused the ropes to tighten. When he reached over to grab at one of the ropes individually, it changed into a wriggling snake, snapping at his fingers with sharp fangs.
"Continue to struggle, and you will die a slow, painful death from snake venom."
Thankfully, Seto managed to knock away the small dagger that had flown towards the Pharaoh, so the man's plan failed yet again. I quickly refocused my attention on the dying princess, desperately trying to staunch the flow of blood with my soaked dress. She weakly coughed and opened her eyes, which had been closed from the moment the dagger had hit her throat.
"Is it over?" She tried to sit up to see whether the intruders had been caught or killed, but had lost too much blood to even lift her head.
"Yes princess, it's over. The men have been caught and arrested. You saved the Pharaoh and the Prince."
I smoothed back her dark hair out of her face as I gave her the news. Mahad was working silently on preparing a spell to heal the wound, but it would only work if she could survive long enough for him to cast it.
"Keep your eyes open, Princess. Master Mahad is going to use his magic to save you. You just need to hold on a little longer," I pleaded with her.
She smiled briefly and took my blood-covered hand into hers, "I must thank you. You have been nothing but kind and respectful towards me, even though we are both Princesses of Egypt."
"But you are the tru-"
"Throw that thought from your mind. You are as much a Princess as I am…and I am lucky to have had a…sister like you, Dria. Please forgive me for the way I have treated you. You are my sister…truly you are…my only regret is that I did not realize this sooner. Take care…of…my brother."
Her voice faded and her eyes drooped closed. The hand that had gripped mine with all the strength she had remaining fell limp. The women in the corner began to wail and cry as they realized the fatal blow the Princess had been dealt.
I could barely think, even breathe. Pyhia couldn't be gone. No, I wouldn't allow it. I felt my energy begin to rise as my body began to shake and my hair nearly stood on end. It wasn't going to end this way. My rage and sorrow continued to grow, the magic causing the very chamber to shake from the waves of energy.
"Dria, stop! She is gone! There is nothing anyone can do!"
That wasn't good enough. I had to do something. I had to try, increasing the flow of magical energy rushing through my body. If I could channel enough of the current, I might be able to reverse the clock of time itself.
"Lady Dria, please! You will kill yourself if you continue this!"
A thought that had not even entered my mind. Pyhia did not deserve to die this way. While she was not the brave warrior the Pharaoh had wanted her to be, she was a gentle and understanding soul, one who made others feel at ease despite the obvious difference in rank. She deserved to find a place that valued her strengths as much as her weaknesses, even if it weren't here in Egypt. The world slowly began to dissolve around me, and a blinding white light filled my eyes. My anger and despair were causing the spell was spinning out of control, and I was struggling to maintain control. If I lost control, Pyhia would die, along with everyone else in the room.
A pair of arms wrapped around my shoulders, and I felt a sudden increase in my power and control. The white light dimmed, and the path before me was straight. Using those arms as an anchor, I stretched my control of the spell even further. I wouldn't allow Pyhia to die like this. The light faded and my vision returned. I spat blood out of my mouth and slumped against my support, feeling blood drip from my nose as well. Even I could expend too much magic and feel negative physical effects, though my body wouldn't be permanently affected like a normal mortal. A gentle white light covered my body, and I understood that Mahad had provided support for my spell when he realized I wasn't going to stop and might instead lose control.
Pyhia remained still. I couldn't tell if she was even breathing. The other ladies, who had been holding their breath as I attempted to save the Princess, broke out into louder wails when the girl did not awaken, assuming the worst. I watched anxiously, hoping and praying that I hadn't been too late. The moments continued to pass with no obvious changes. All but the leader of the attackers had been led away to the dungeons, and he was still bound in my red chains. I turned my glare onto Sekhmakh, the true cause of this madness.
"Sekhmakh, what exactly were you hoping to achieve by helping these intruders? That the Pharaoh would never be made aware of your involvement and would make you Queen? How foolish can you be? To turn against your own King. Leave this palace and never return. If I ever see you again, I will kill you myself."
The woman who had once been the favorite of the Pharaoh now trembled like a young calf before the gods' altar. I felt Mahad's grip on my shoulders increase for a moment before he understood that I wasn't about to strike like an asp. Instead, I lifted the young princess into my arms to remove her from this tainted space. Giving Sekhmakh one final glare, I swept out of the room with Mereret following closely behind. The guards parted and opened a path for me, placing their left foot forward and lowering their swords as I passed. Servants stopped and gasped as I passed through the private hallways to my personal chambers.
Allowing Mereret to take charge, she commanded the other servants to cease their current tasks and prepare the room. I placed Pyhia on my bed and pulled the stool from my vanity up beside her. I clasped my hands around one of hers and bowed my head. If my magic was unable to save her, I could only hope that my prayers would. After much time had passed, I felt a warm hand on my shoulder, gently pulling to get my attention. I refused to move, remaining immobile beside the princess.
The person behind me sighed, "Kadesh, it is time to let her go. You have done all you can."
I turned my eyes towards my companion, gazing into his purple sunset eyes, slightly red and swollen from unshed tears. The Prince's eyes pleaded with me to let his sister's spirit rest and to release my own from this torment.
"Yes, I have done all I can do. Now, I can only hope the gods show mercy, and if vigilant prayers and attention can sway their opinion, then I will not rest before then."
He sighed and raised his hand to my cheek, gently stroking it. When he realized I would not back down, he lowered his hand and walked to the other side of the bed.
"Surely the chances of a miracle would double if there were two sets of vigilant prayers."
I smiled widely as he picked up his sister's hand and we prayed together.
A pounding headache echoed through my ears as I regained consciousness. Noah's electrical shock had been quite a surprise, and my limbs tingled with the remnants of the sensation. Glancing around to reorient myself, I noticed Seto and Mokuba were still trapped as statues, but the duel was no longer taking place on the ground. Instead, Yugi and Noah were battling in the air.
I gingerly sat up and looked behind me to find the rest of the group. Horror crept up my spine when I saw that everyone else had been turned to stone. What had happened while I was unconscious? I quickly turned my gaze up towards the duel, hoping to see a more comforting sight, but was disappointed yet again.
"If you could speak, Yugi, I'm sure you'd admit now that I'm a better duelist! You have no monsters in play, no cards in your hand, and no friends to cheer you on. You're all alone now."
Noah's words could not have been further from the truth. Each and every one of us was always with Yugi, whether we were physically present or not.
"I will save my friends. Just watch me."
"You can do it, Yugi!"
I cheered loudly from my current seated position. He looked towards me with surprise and concern blazing in his eyes, and I gave him thumbs up in response. Noah glared angrily at me, clearly upset that his power was still being thwarted. I was sure he would turn me into a statue as well, if and when he got the opportunity.
After drawing 6 fresh cards, Yugi revived Blue Eyes and summoned Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. He quickly destroyed the only monster Noah had on the field and left the boy defenseless. My heart jumped for joy when he then defused the Ultimate Dragon into the original three dragons to attack Noah directly. This madness was finally over.
I breathed a sigh of relief when everyone was returned to normal, even Seto and Mokuba. The latter quickly ran over to me, throwing out his arms and jumping on top of me for a hug.
"Dria, are you ok? You're not hurt, are you?"
I affectionately patted his head as he quickly pulled back, worried he had aggravated some injury I had gained during the duel. He smiled brightly at me before turning his attention back to Seto and the others.
"Yugi took over when you and Mokuba were turned to stone. Then he combined his deck with your deck."
I giggled as Seto's face changed from surprise to disgust to anger within a few moments of one another as Tea explained. I was already planning on reminding him about this in the future, and I could see the wheels in his head spinning with how he would head me off. Would he claim it never happened? Or, more likely, would he simply ignore me? Either way, I was relieved he was safe.
The stone platforms holding the Pharaoh and Noah sank back to the earth where they belonged. Noah continued the journey down to his knees, finally knowing defeat against a fair opponent. The Pharaoh began walking towards him to console his wounded ego; he was still just a child after all.
"Seto robbed me of my life, and I want it back! From now on, I'm you."
Noah leapt to his feet, seizing the Pharaoh by his shoulders, and attempted to enter his mind. I held my head as images flashed through once more: the Millennium Items, the stone, the Pharaoh himself in his regal attire. I felt my Pendant quiver at my throat as if it were being invaded as well.
"Who are you?"
My own mind felt like it was being split apart: the anger I felt at Noah for not only attacking Seto, but now attacking Yugi and the Pharaoh, but also the sympathy I couldn't help but feel towards him. He and I were comrades in a sense. Both of us had spent far too long a time without real human contact. Was my personality warped like his had become?
Thankfully, the Pharaoh's mental strength had not faltered over his long absence. He forced Noah back and defeated him once more. As Joey and the others ran towards Yugi, Seto walked towards me and held out his hand to help me to my feet. He glanced over me once, turning my chin to the left and right with tenderness, checking for injuries like his brother did earlier. Only when he was satisfied did he release my chin, but in its place, he took my hand and placed it on his arm, walking us towards the rest of the group.
"Your real body is exactly where it has been since you arrived."
"What does that mean?"
"Don't you get it? Everything here is virtual. That means all of you too."
I finally understood the circumstances we were in and the reasons why I'd felt wrong ever since I stepped into the hole the Big Five produced. It was why I couldn't perform magic or even feel a magical pulse. This place was entirely fake and couldn't hope to recreate the underlying currents of reality. There was still one problem: why had the Millennium Items continued to function as normal? I touched the cool metal on my neck, hoping it would answer for itself.
"You have failed me for the last time, Noah."
Menacing purple clouds gathered above us as Gozaburo's voice echoed across the otherwise empty field. I narrowed my eyes towards the center, where that horrible man's face began to appear. Now I knew why he has disappeared from my magic. He had digitized himself into this world after Seto had rightfully taken over Kaiba Corp. Since he had journeyed to a place where magic did not reach, it made sense why even I could not locate him. As far as I could tell, his body had not moved from a single location. In the days before modern technology, there was only one reason why a person's body never moved.
"You had your chance, Noah. You failed, son."
"Look, Pops, you had your chance also. You failed when you lost Kaiba Corp to someone more fit for the job."
I held my tongue for once. Gozaburo, though he was an incredibly difficult man to please, had brought Kaiba Corp. to the main stage of the business world alongside Pegasus' company, Industrial Illusions. While the two companies had very different goals and operated in two completely different realms, I couldn't deny that even Pegasus admired what Gozaburo had accomplished.
That didn't change the fact that he was cruel and almost a monster. He degraded his own son before the group, claiming him to be unworthy of the Kaiba name and a disgrace to his family. My heart went out to Noah again. I also had felt the sting of rejection from family, even so far as to be cast aside and forgotten.
Years spent without human contact, with only my thoughts and memories for company, threatened to overwhelm me once more and I found myself fighting back tears. I couldn't bear to hear much more of this conversation. Memories of Gozaburo himself attempted to crawl back from the depths of my mind: the conversation he'd had with Father about marrying me, the rumors of Pegasus' madness centered around his golden eye, Father's guards escorting Gozaburo out the back as to avoid the press. I tightly shut my eyes to force those memories back into the darkness where they belonged.
"When I'm finished, everyone on Earth will become virtual!"
As Gozaburo's laugh faded away, everyone began speaking at once, wondering what should be done and how Gozaburo could be stopped. I had an idea, but it was dangerous and might not even succeed. If it was only my mind trapped here, could it still cause my body to manipulate the magical current around me in the physical world? An interesting theory, but I had neither the time nor the patience to test it now.
Noah began leading us away from the city into the nearby mountains. Seto gently pushed on the small of my back towards the group as they followed our former adversary. He stayed silent and didn't even glance toward me, but we both knew the other was planning something. Once we arrived in the deepest part of a cave, Noah ran towards a control panel, claiming it to be an exit point from this world developed by Gozaburo. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this escape had already been blocked off.
"He promised to help me, but he was just using me."
Noah looked so small to me in that moment. He had just been a young child when his accident occurred, and he was locked in this lonely world with a heavy burden weighing down on him. Again, memories of my own banishment in Egypt returned, the small shack that had been arranged for me outside the city walls. The wind would whistle around and stir up the sand, making it difficult to see even those walls some days. Only the occasional visitor would find himself in that area, more from losing his way into the city than choosing the path to my tiny estate. When any citizen realized whose territory they had stumbled into, all they left behind were footprints in the sand.
"Don't you want to stay a little while? We won't be alone in this virtual world for very much longer. My father said he's bringing the whole world in here, and that means I'll never have to be alone again."
Noah's mind was beginning to show the cracks this isolation had caused. He longed for companions and family, aspects of life the accident and his subsequent imprisonment had taken away. While I could understand and sympathize with his pain, even I'd had my creatures for comfort when I had no other soul.
Mokuba must have felt the same way I did; we both made our way towards Noah. Perhaps Mokuba saw what Seto could have become; some in this group would already argue the only difference between Seto and Noah was their age, but Mokuba knew better. As children, Gozaburo had placed the weight of Kaiba Corp and his own reputation on their shoulders, forcing them to carry a burden never meant for them. The difference was simple: Seto had Mokuba and me.
As Mokuba stepped away from Noah after attempting to refocus him, I reached out for Noah next. He froze as I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him toward me. He was Mokuba's size, so he barely reached my neck, but even so, I wanted him to feel the warmth of another human. Some semblance of affection and kindness that he had been lacking these past 6 years. Even if it was only his mind that experienced this, a reminder that he was cherished by someone would keep him grounded. During my years of isolation from the Royal Court, this was what both the Pharaoh and the Prince had done for me.
He didn't move in those quick moments, almost as if he had forgotten how to react to this feeling I attempted to share with him. Before releasing him entirely, I cupped his cheeks and placed a kiss on his forehead. Without further conversation, I returned to my position beside Seto.
It was likely that he would continue to keep us trapped here since this was his first true contact with people in many years. The Pharaoh and Seto both agreed with me, but Yugi thought differently. He was correct that a person could only handle betrayal so many times, but Noah had more to lose if he went against Gozaburo's plans. He would lose the chance of having actual companions within this virtual nightmare.
The wooden doors loomed before us, the doors Noah claimed would send us back to reality. As the large hinges rattled, I took a step forward with Yugi only to have Noah grab my wrist at the last moment. I turned towards him in confusion and was quickly blinded by a bright light.