Return to the Old Ways
Chapter 5: The End of the Beginning
Warnings: Sanity is not guaranteed. AND, swearing. Cursing. Cussing. Vulgar language. Whatever you would like to call it, this goes for everything. People swear in this, they use bad words. Namely 'kura, but others do, too. And some OOC-ness... but that might just be my perspective on Snape, hm? Oh, and don't kill me, but: CHARACTER DEATH. I hated writing it… and you people wonder why this chapter took so damn long, hm?
Disclaimer: I do not own, you do not sue. Or the whole thing starting with "Kay-fuzz not own" and ending with "Kay-fuzz not a company. Kay-fuzz sad." And any other little quotes that end up in here are also not my doing. If they are quotes, they will be in quotes, high-lighted, and some kind of disclaimer here or at the end. M'kay? M'kay.
Recap: Yami (hereby referred to as Atemu) and Bakura return to their hikaris with Dani's help. Yugi goes missing, ends up in the Hogwarts infirmary, Bakura, Malik and Ryou rescue him, and some leprechauns randomly appear (LEPRECHAUNS!). Yugi and Ryou end up living with Isis for a while, Atemu and Bakura tagging along and learning stuff. The Pharaohs get stuck in the Axis; after a few years the Kings join them for a while, then drag the Pharaohs back to Domino. From Domino it's Egypt, and Egypt to England, where a mini Euro-trip begins (that's a really good movie, btw. 'specially the un-rated version). Meet with Fleur, head back to England, talk to Dumbledore, blah blah blah. Oh, talk to the teachers, too. And the creatures in the forest. And each other. And the Shadow Creatures in the Dominion. And then it ended.
Notes: Alright, be grateful I'm getting this out. I was already planning on re-writing some of the earlier chapters, just to edit a few things, and then book six came out. Let's just say I was less than happy with the ending- as a number of other people seem to be, too. More on that later, though. Okay, we toyed a bit with the idea of completely re-working this thing, and getting rid of the Axis part altogether. BUT, thanks to one wonderful reviewer who made me feel very special, we are leaving it the way it is, and merely changing a few small things to fit the re-worked plot (though, I shouldn't be calling it that since I didn't have much of a plot past this point anyways).
In regards to the HP canon/timeline, the major change that I want EVERYONE to remember is that THE TIMELINE NOW IS PRE-SIXTH-YEAR. Yes, that makes the golden trio 16-ish (possibly 15 in some of the earlier scenes). This beginning part certainly hasn't followed HP canon, and it will not be edited to do so. The situation should be explained in here- if you're still lost by the end of it, stick it in the review and I'll do a section at the beginning of the next chapter explaining everything. But for the majority, the rest will follow HP canon- screw it, it definitely will follow HP canon.
Regarding YGO canon- if you've already forgotten, re-read the first chapter/prologue. If you don't want to: CANON ENDED BEFORE I BEGAN WRITING THIS THING. Obviously, 'canon' can only be extended up to where ever said series ends. As the Arcs concerning the Sennen Items and whatnot have officially ended, and GX has instead taken over the airwaves (though, I guess I'm kind of glad they have the little Sennen Item hints and talks here and there, and Atemu's chin, shoulders, upper chest, collar, one hand and one card make their wonderful five-second cameo), any and all canon will be referring to the relationships between people- which I will be mixing up for my own perverted pleasure.
...nawh, I'm not. I'm just going to make some people closer than others- specifically, closer than what they'd be in the canon if Takahashi continued it to this point. At least, I think they would...
Okay, that's enough notes. Other stuff shall be added at the end. We love you all, thanks for putting up with us! And yes, by 'us' I mean 'me'. Hush, it's a habit. At least we're not speaking... er, typing in third person, ne?
Song: Anything by Blackmore's Night. No, really. I'm saving the "Anything by Dead Can Dance, specifically their CD 'A Passage in Time'" for another chapter. Both are really good, and both are on repeat. My cousin went to the CD store (maybe HMV or Music World) and no one knew who Blackmore's Night was. She had to look herself, with the guy helping, and they only managed to find one CD. Unknown, but damn good!
Link: Right, putting this here now. I've had this link for a while, but I only decided now to put it here… I actually got it from another fanfic… I think. ANYWAYS, I finished reading an absolutely wonderful essay by Lediz on Livejournal (be warned, it's Puzzleshipping- but it describes the basic relationships between the characters really well, too), and it states the most-accepted theory regarding Yugi's relationship to the Sennen Items (the whole ba/ka thing of the Great Pharaoh Atemu). So the way that ties in with this- aw, you just have to read it.
ITS: http/ and seriously, one of the best things I've ever read. Got everyone in Resource laughing when I first found it, too. That, and the Greatest Hamster Ever (go see my deviantart favourites)
Two snowy owls circled lazy around each other in the air as they spiraled ever lower over the turrets and towers of the ancient castle. One carried a small envelope- the other seemed to be trying to get it away from the first. Nearly identical, a single red spot on the un-laddened owl's plumage was the only thing that truly marked them apart to anyone watching. To normal people, who were so kindly called 'muggles' by the 'informed' public, these owls might as well have been mating- it was far past time for that, but who knew? Some birds acted very strangely.
To the 'informed' public, however, said owls, especially with one carrying a letter, were always worrisome. Who knew what could be contained in that letter? Deadly information that could tip the skills in the currently-hidden-from-the-majority-of-the-public's-eye-war maybe? Deadly powder intended to kill whoever opened the letter next? Deadly curses that would forever plague whoever was stupid enough to go near said package?
The fact that two snow owls were fighting over it was surprising as well. One obviously wanted the package- the other had it, and seemed almost to be flaunting, teasing the other. In fact, the two weren't fighting at all- if one watched very carefully they were tossing the letter from claw to claw, from the red-marked owl to the un-marked owl and back again. Back and forth, back and forth. Playing keep-away from some invisible stranger, but playing a game none-the-less.
Oh yes- Yuugi-ou had certainly arrived in Hogwarts.
Said Pharaoh was arranged languidly on the grass by the lake, calm water lapping against the shore. Above him, an old oak stood towering, hiding pale skin from warm, caressing sun. Not that it bothered him too horribly- it was impossibly hot that day, and even without cloak, boots, usual and current accessories, and shirt, it was far too hot for the foreigner.
((Stop complaining, aibou. It's not very becoming.))
(-Hush, yami, I don't mean to complain. But it's hot.-)
A chuckled drifted down their link, and Yugi rolled his eyes- yes, Atemu was a pure-blooded Egyptian, he was used to this weather. Yugi, although being used to hot summers in Japan, was surprised by how hot it was in England- especially since Malik had been complaining about the rain again not four hours earlier.
((But there's barely a cloud in the sky now, aibou. I know you can feel it- even I can feel it, and I'm in my soul room: there's not going to be any more rain today. So stop moping about how hot it is and do something about it!))
Yugi moaned, knowing a command when he heard one. Pharaoh's hikari or not, he was still not Royal.
((Yes you are. You are my reincarnation, are you not?))
(-Re, I'm glad I'm not exactly like you. We'd never get anything finished- it would all be ordering everyone else around!-)
Atemu was silent, and Yugi nearly grinned- except that even that little bit of moving was not exactly welcome- not in this heat. Atemu, knowing this, growled.
((Hikari, if you don't jump in that lake soon and cool down, I swear I'll take over and swim until we're right at the bottom, then let you swim up!))
Yugi rolled his eyes, and took of mostly everything else he was wearing. When it came to his pants, however, he stopped. Admittedly, he did not want to take off this certain piece of clothing for privacy issues, but he also knew that leather and water most certainly did not mix. He paused, looking around, trying to figure out what to do, sweat rolling down his face all the while.
Atemu watched this from his nice, cool, dark soul room, and grinned. ((Really aibou, have you forgotten already? You know that you can easily dry them again afterwards, right?))
Yugi sent a glare to his other, who only chuckled at the light's antics. Yugi, finally deciding enough was enough, tapped the Sennen Puzzle that was still around his neck once with his pointer and middle fingers, stood up, and ran into the lake.
The water was cooler than he had first expected, but it was still more refreshing than freezing, though he was sure it wouldn't stay that way for very long. He ploughed through the waters, continuing until it became too hard to do so, and he let himself fall, arcing his body into a shallow dive as hands, arms, head, shoulders and finally entire body was submerged beneath the waters.
Having been training in the Axis for swimming missions, which he thankfully got few of, as Shadows and water didn't mix very well (well, not well for the Shadow-wielder), he had learned to hold his breath for long periods of time, and had become a strong enough swimmer to fight against the occasional strong current. But by now means was he fast, and he was taught to be effective, not necessarily graceful.
((Graceful is effective, aibou. How you're swimming right not proves that.))
(-Thank you for the little boost of confidence. I- ooh, look at that! Is that... or... wait... shiny!-)
Atemu nearly laughed at his light's enthusiasm and he swam into some reeds to look at a few shells and gem-like stones that lay in the red, waving tentacles. The reeds reached out, to wrap and hold and keep and never let go, as they had so many others- but their hold turned into more of a hug, and then they became no more than the usual reeds on the ocean, sea, lake, bay or river floor.
((Aibou, careful!))
Yugi chuckled. (-They're fine, yami. They won't hurt me.-)
Atemu grumbled for a moment, glaring at the reeds, but it was true- the occasional one did still strain out, but it was to caress, touch, weave between fingers before letting the barely-perceptible current drag it away from the hikari, not even trying to hold onto the precious one it had been allowed to touch.
Again Yugi went for the shinnies (1) that had caught his eye before, and this time met no resistance. He pulled one from its murky home, stirring sand and silt and revealing more of the stones while covering others.
(-Wow... beautiful...-) Yugi thought, as the purple stone danced and shone in the minimal light that was able to penetrate the depths to this depth of the lake. Another stone caught his eye- he reached down again to pull it out, stirring silt and sand for the second time and letting it settle again, this time nearly completely covering all the other stones.
Atemu nodded his head, a small smile gracing his face. ((Aibou, how did you manage to pull both an amethyst and a ruby-colored stone from that pile? I saw mostly blues and greens.))
Yugi giggled, wishing he had worn something else to put the stones in, as he fisted one hand around them and turned to go deeper into the lake.
A faint bubbling in his throat, however, told him to get some air, and so he waved one hand over the reeds below him and placing his feet in the sandy but firm ground, he pushed off, shooting straight towards the surface until he felt himself slowing down. Pulling both hands above his head, he brought them down on either side of his head, away from his body, legs whipping along with the arms to push him along further. Again the arms rose, again the legs kicked, but for some reason Yugi felt like he was going nowhere.
The need to breath was suddenly cut off, as was all sense of time; eyes widened as a shape began to emerge from the darkness- what looked like a large snake made it's way out of the depths, followed by another and another; within what could have been one second, and then spanned into eternity, thousands of the long, snake-like appendages appeared, swirling, swarming, wrapping around each other and letting go; and all the while moving closer and closer to the hikari who found that, quite suddenly, he couldn't bring himself to move, his arms becoming limp and falling to his sides, the two stones nearly sliding out of his fist.
"We the creatures of the Deep
Who the spirits call and praise
We who guard the darkest sleep
Ask of you your name of days?"
Yugi found himself immediately wanting to answer, but found he couldn't open his mouth. So instead he projected his thoughts towards them, much like he would were he talking to Atemu.
(-My name is- my name of days is Yugi Mouto.-)
Other shapes began to appear, seeing to whisper amongst themselves who was this that could talk to them without moving his mouth. Soon, however, they spoke again.
"Yugi,
Seeker of the darkest sin,
Child of the air and light,
We, who dwell with watery kin,
Ask of you your name of night?"
Yugi froze, before the reassuring presence of Atemu pressed against his mind, and Atemu whispered to him, ((Tell them my name is Atemu.))
There were murmurs again, but the creatures had asked him the question, and he would reply to it.
(-My name of night is Atemu.-)
The murmurs increased until they were a bubbling in Yugi's ears. Reminding himself of bubbles, he nearly gagged- the need to breath had suddenly returned. The creatures sprang forward, holding him in their grasp as some kind of reedy, sour substance was pressed into his mouth, his throat massaged to make him swallow it. Doing so, so that he wouldn't choke, Yugi made a very... interesting face to say the least, nearly gagging again on the taste in his mouth, before realizing he was still underwater and almost gagging on the water.
But the water no longer seemed so bad, and, taking an experimental breath, Yugi was both excited and alarmed to realize that he could breath.
((What...?))
Atemu was as surprised as he was apparently.
"Child of both day and night,
We the children of the Deep,
Ask you to join us here today,
For one hour, lest you sleep."
Yugi blinked, looking around. The ever-present snake-looking appendages had now completely surrounded him, leaving the only way to go 'up'- or down, but he really didn't want to do that. But where to go was not the problem in this little space. Oh, no. As Yugi looked around himself some more, he realized that not only did he not care about leaving right now, and actually found himself wanting to stay- but that, apparently, the wizarding world had been keeping some very exotic secrets from the eyes of the rest of the planet.
Creatures of all shapes and sizes surrounded him- small little fish that lit up like the stones far below, huge fish that might as well have been whales, some creatures that he was sure were nameless or undiscovered drifted up lazily to meet him, looking something like a chimera- a creatures that was originally half one species, half another, that had somehow been merged into a single creature.
But the most beautiful, strange, ugly, weird, gorgeous, different, and interesting creatures around him were the ones that so closely resembled his own species. The merpeople- for that was the only thing they could be- had the fabled half-human, half-fish bodies, but they were tinted blue-green-aqua, with the occasional hints of red-yellow-orange. There eyes seemed to widen and narrow at the same time, pupils like that of a cat staring out from dark eyes. Gills on the side of their necks waved in the currents created the sudden, large number of creatures in the same spot- and Yugi had the funny suspicion that he currently sport gills, as well.
Their question came back to him, the haunting tone sticking in his head. He frowned planning on consulting Atemu, but the spirit pressed himself against Yugi, assuring the other that no matter what decision would be made he was okay with it.
The frown disappeared, and Yugi tilted his head in thought, letting the sun from above bathe him in light and warmth. The water was no longer bitingly cold as it had been starting to become- it was just a slight, cool feeling around his body. He could picture the sun up above, the occasional cloud scuttling across it, but never truly hiding it, never truly blocking it- and, no matter what, Yugi had the feeling that the sun, in all it's glory would still be there when he returned, that it would still be shining down and burning everything beneath it, everything that it's golden fingers could reach out and touch.
Yugi eyed the creatures around him, before motioning to the giant mass of the snake-like appendages. (-Who is that?-)
There wasn't even a moment hesitation.
"Creatures of the deep are we,
Creature of the age is he,
Centuries old, watching lee,
Watcher swims among the reeds."
"Watcher..." Yugi whispered his voice out as more of a poof of bubbles of sound to be carried to the surface and pop.
Atemu eyed the creature, finally deciding what it was that faced them. ((Watcher is the Giant Squid that Professor Vector warned us about.))
(-He must not know Watcher then, never have met him.-) Yugi replied, moving his way even more gracefully towards the merperson who looked to be in charge, thanks to the transparent webs between his fingers and toes. She was, Yugi could already tell, beautiful by merpeople standards- he was sure he wouldn't go out on a date with her, though.
((You wouldn't go out on a date with anyone.))
(-Hush.-)
Yugi eyed her, before grinning, and nodding. (-I will stay here for an hour... that's how long this... plant lasts, doesn't it?-)
"Found in bogs and ocean floors,
But in this Lake there's so much more,
Gives breath to land, aids in life,
Gillyweed lasts an hour bright."
"Gillyweed, hm?" More bubbles escaped his mouth, but he quickly gestured to the merwoman, bowing at the waist as Atemu encouraged him. (-Let the games begin!-)
Hours later found Yugi on the edge of the lake, the two stones once again clenched in his fist as he pushed himself with his feet on his back towards the shore. He knew it was probably shallow enough to walk now- he also knew he didn't care. He was tired, exhausted, and completely worn out- but he had had the best time in his life with the merpeople and other citizens of the Lake (or the Deep, for those who lived in the deepest part of the Lake).
((Aibou, we should come back tomorrow.))
Yugi let a smile twitch on his lips, speaking aloud without thinking. "With this much Gillyweed?" He tugged on a cord around his wrist that led under the water, where by now the large sack of the special plant was dragging along the ground. "I think we're expected to come back every day for at least a year!"
Atemu chuckled. ((With your personality, I'm surprised they didn't try to force us to stay.))
Waves crashed against his feet, and Yugi laughed. "Watcher didn't like that comment, yami."
((No, I guess not. But... I wouldn't have minded staying, right aibou?))
Yugi nodded his head in the water, some of the liquid splashing into his eyes. "I wouldn't have minded at all."
"I do not know what you would have minded, young Mouto, but I don't suppose you would much mind putting some clothes on and joining me in my office for a late dinner, would you?"
Yugi gasped and flipped onto his stomach, changing his position to a standing one as his feet hit bottom. The bag of Gillyweed was pulled up with him- the two stone clenched in his hand sparkled through the gaps in his fist. His pants hung low off his hips, while still somehow managing to have a good enough hold on him to basically stick to his legs. Water trickled off his chest and puzzle in torrents, and, seeing everything he had taken off by the tree still sitting there, glowing red in the fading sunlight, he felt himself beginning to blush in embarrassment. His hair was matted down, golden and ebony intermingled while crimson-violet streaks and tips were nearly none-existent.
His blush intensified as he noticed exactly who was standing before him. Professor Dumbledore stood nearest the waters, the chief merwoman in the water beside him, obviously having just finished a conversation. Her eyes twinkled with pleasure and she nodded towards him as he bowed back, before she disappeared permanently into the icy blackness of the Lake- which, he noticed, had begun to reclaim some of its prior chill.
Behind Dumbledore were Ryou and Malik, both with their hoods and cowls thrown back, platinum blonde and purest white turning reds and oranges in the setting light. Professor McGonagall stood beside Ryou, gaping open-mouthed at Yugi in surprise.
"Sorry, Professors, I didn't realize what time it was." Yugi muttered, eyeing his clothes- so close, and yet so far away.
Dumbledore laughed good-naturedly. "I hear from the Chieftess that you've been down there, playing and... talking?... with the merpeople and even the Giant Squid, and all the other creatures down there. Oh, and devouring Gillyweed every hour like it's your life line."
Yugi's blush intensified as he realized that he indeed had eaten more than his share of the apparently valuable substance. "Well, er... it was hot?"
Professor McGonagall shook her head as she eyed his clothes. "Mouto, how do you manage to wear all that?"
Yugi blinked, before grinning, making his way out of the water. He noticed that the water in the sack of Gillyweed didn't leak out- that was good, Gillyweed was supposed to be kept in water. He hung said sack around a tree branch, bent down, and immediately felt the uncomfortable ness of his pants. "Er..."
Dumbledore laughed again, casting a quick spell, and Yugi's pants and general body were the way they were not too long ago- nice, warm and dry. His hair, however, was another matter. "Thank you, Professor Dumbledore."
Dumbledore sighed, his grin still on his face. "I've said this for at least a week- call me Albus."
Yugi grinned and nodded, slipping his shirt over his chest, careful to not jostle the Sennen Puzzle too much. He didn't have to worry about the artifact- it always made its way to the front of his clothing, anyways. Buckles, bands, collars, belts, rings, and golden insignia wrist guards were next, the wrist guards having either a crook or a flail on them. The boots on after that, and the under-cloak, almost like the wizard's robes, on after that, cowl up to properly adjust both parts of the cloak. The sky-blue belt (with gold woven into the strands) was on next, securing the under-cloak in place so that it would be impossible to see what was underneath it, the over-cloak with standard insignias and Marks on top of that, fastened this time by the golden pin-broach with the Eye on it.
He pushed back both hood and cowl, running his hands through his hair, which (half-dried already) had already regained most of its upward-thrust. Amethyst eyes took in the smiles on everyone's face, and knew he must look awkward at least with his hair in this condition.
"Where to?"
He gazed up at the wind-swept building, eyeing the stone that sand had worn away, until it was smooth. The old lines and edges of the blocks used to make the building were near-invisible, slightly darker lines on the yellow sand stone, making the building appear like a piece of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch (TM) Cereal, only instead of swirls they were straight lines.
Two guards near the entrance eyed him, but made no comment as they allowed him entry into the building, the doors opening briefly before quickly closing, sealing the inside away from the dusty, dry desert air outside. It was certainly a muggle building, he realized with distaste, the cool breeze in his face the product of one of those things muggles make to make up for their lack of magical skill.
But, even he, a pure-blooded wizard, had to admit that it felt pretty good.
He pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders, feeling nervous in these strange surroundings. The room he had entered was not grand at all, simply a long hallway with high windows, but statues and sculptures, life-size and model figures and diagrams of other famous Egyptian artifacts, objects and sights doting the hallways on either side. Green, fern-like plants grew in pots, situated back into small niches along the hallway, large chandeliers above his head providing the light lost with the setting of the sun.
A young woman at the other end of the atrium eyed him as he walked towards her. She was dressed in loose, light linen clothing, but the style was reminiscent of a business woman, the shirt styled like a blouse, the cream-colored skirt knee-length and straight.
Not that he cared about her style- she was muggle through and through, looking at him in annoyance. The hem of his cloak was dirty and torn, he probably looked worse for wear, and without a doubt the secretary was thinking of closing up for the night. "May I help you?" He supposed he was more obvious than he first thought, as she spoke, although her voice betraying her emotions as being bored and annoyed, in perfect, slightly accented English.
He coughed, looking at the list of names above her head. He had no idea why he had entered the building, only knew that upon arriving in Egypt, he had followed survival impulse- and it had led him here.
"Er..."
A group of people suddenly exited a back room, talking in hushed, excited tones and many different languages about something- from the occasional snippet of English he could guess it was some kind of archaeological dig or find. So, he had entered a building that dealt with Antiquities? That would certainly explain the museum-like feel it had, and the statutes that lined the hallway behind him.
The doors at the other end of the atrium banged open and closed, signifying that people had left. The young woman sighed. "Don't mind them, they're always here, trying to get Ms. Ishtar to allow them to excavate some old tunnels that were found not too long ago." He eyed her, and she assumed he was interested, as she ploughed on, "Ms. Ishtar really doesn't want anyone excavating the ruins. She says that she's been down there often enough to know what is there, and that there's nothing of any great interest- not to them, at least."
The way that she said 'them', he was sure she meant the group that had just left- and not in a good way, either. He coughed. "I... don't suppose that Ms. Ishtar is busy at the moment, hm?"
The woman glanced at him, checking something on a thin-screen machine sitting on the desk. "No, no appointments for the rest of tonight. She said to send up any visitors, though. Would you happen to be one of those visitors?"
He paused, but nodded. "Yes, indeed I am." He fiddled with his wand, feeling an urge to talk to this Ishtar woman. "I can just go right up then?"
The woman shook her head. "No, it's complicated getting there. Come on, the guards will watch the doors, I'll show you where her office is."
Behind the doors at the end of the atrium was a large room, open-concept and with a ceiling that was probably as high as the building itself was. A fountain gurgled happily in the middle of the room, sweeping stairs leading up to the three balconies that marked the different floors of the building. The large room itself was deceptively modern, considering he had the feeling that whoever worked here dealt not with the present nor the future, but the past.
"Right, now we go up here- no, not that way!" she exclaimed as he started for one of the side doors, which current had a red light on over it. "See the light? It means some kind of restoration to some kind of artifact is being done- that's just a temporary lab, since all the others are still filled with items from- oh, why am I telling you this?"
But her slip had caught his attention. "Items? From where?"
She seemed panicked as she continued to lead him down the corridor. Her eyes continuously traced the halls, until they reached a small room that he assumed was the office. But, instead of shooing him in and proceeding back to her desk, she opened the door, dragged him through, and shut it again.
His first impression was that they had landed in a broom cupboard- it felt close and cramped in the area, and with the secretary beside him it didn't help matters any. He was about to ask what a muggle thought she was doing, when her voice spoke calmly and clearly over the oppressing silence.
"Neamh Ai Athair, Secretary to Isis Ishtar, Head of the Egyptian Department of Antiquities, escorting... a guest to see Ms. Ishtar."
Another cool, female voice permeated the air seconds afterwards. "Enter."
There was a moment's pause, before the whooshing of air signaled that a door had opened. He blinked his eyes, adjusting to the sudden light, while the Secretary- Neamh, he guessed- pulled him quickly into the room, pushed him into a chair, bowed once and then left the room- from a different door than the one that they had entered through.
He gazed around in awe, as the room became fully visible. Deep red walls were lined with wooden bookshelves and cases, which were filled to brimming with books and objects. Statues and models were placed in corners, pot lights in the ceiling aiming down to give them an almost life-like appearance. The occasional tapestry hung from what looked like golden rods, rich colors mixing with the lighting effects and occasional potted plant to produce a very comfortable, very home-y feel.
He wasn't sure if he liked it.
The desk at the opposite end of the room was solid wood, squared edges, and almost no engraving except for a small eye-shape in the middle of the desk- one that he had seen not too long ago, and was not keen on seeing again. A few frames sat on the desk, and, as there was no one else in the room, he found his curiosity, once suppressed, getting the better of him and leading him over to the desk, by-passing the artifacts that were scattered around the room.
Surprisingly, of all the picture frames on the desk, only one was on people. A young woman, raven hair hidden underneath a piece of cream-colored cloth which matched the traditional dress she wore, sky blue eyes shinning with happiness while a small smile twisted ruby lips in a gentle curve upwards. In front of her, a young male, pale blonde hair around his shoulders in layers, startling lavender eyes again shinning- but his mouth was twisted in more of a smirk than a smile, eyes shinning in delight and good humor- proof of a deed done that would certainly make others scream, rant, rave, yell, and throw random objects.
Another male off to the side, taller than the female, but sporting the characteristic darker skin tones and kohl around his eye of the others in the photograph- undoubtedly family. A long tail of midnight hair fell down his back, barely noticeable in the picture, most of his head shaved clean of all hair. Although he was standing on an angle, left side away from the camera, there was most certainly something on the left side of his face- something slightly blue, probably black. A bruise? No, it looked too repetitive for something as random (and usually small) as a bruise. A dark blue-purple cloak hung around his shoulders, strong arms protruding through the material to cross themselves over his chest. He did not smile, his face nearly emotionless, but his eyes, like the other's, were the most expressive part of his face and shone in pride and delight.
He assumed it was some sort of ceremony, as the young male with the pale hair and lavender eyes was wearing a muggle-style robe, navy blue with white and gold trim. It most certainly didn't suit him- but, based on the mass of people in the background of the picture (a few looking worse for wear and seemingly wanting to hurt someone in the picture's general direction), everyone was required to wear the blue robes.
What disturbed him the most, though, was the young man in the foreground. Not because his smirk seemed to say that he was the one the background people were angry at, nor because he reminded him of another person, once long-gone into the folds of time, but the youth did remind him of someone... someone who he had met but a fortnight ago, who had managed to stop the crucio curse with just his hand... who had helped bring the fall of his partners, and his own disservice from the Dark Lord...
"I see you are interested in Malik's graduation, sir."
The cool, female voice he recognized as the one who answered the secretary in the first, small dark room. He whipped around to find a young woman standing in front of him, dressed in cream-colored cotton, the same colored material over her head, sky blue eyes shining in humor-
He whipped around again to the picture, then back to the woman. They were certainly the same- everything matched too well, though the woman in front of him was older than the one in the picture. "You... he... the-"
She smiled gently, gesturing to one of the chairs. "Please sit down." He took a seat in one of the chairs facing the desk, and she behind said desk in a large, plush armchair. Her eyes trailed over his cloak, his face, and finally down to his arm- where her eyes narrowed, and she met his own, cool and calming demeanor gone in an instant.
"I don't know who you are, but I am positive you come from Europe- England or the UK would be my guess. I Saw you coming here a week ago, and have since asked Neamh to keep an eye out for anyone who looked like they might be lost and wearing a cloak. I do not know why you are here, but I know that you have had some dealing with wizards- to be more specific, that you are one. And that you have met my-"
"Son? Yes... he and his friends were somehow able to kill Nott and incapacitate Bellatrix." His words were smooth for all that he looked like he had just come back from Hell.
She frowned. "No, my brother. I do not have a son. Malik is my only remaining family, apart from Rishid. I would suppose that you got on his bad side- by trying to kill and or hurt him, I suppose. Now, if we have that cleared up-" He shut his mouth, stopping the torrent of questions from escaping him with practiced ease, "-do you have any idea why you are here?"
He blinked and shrugged, not sure if he knew nor cared. "I decided to go to Egypt, and felt the impulse to come here. I don't suppose you care, though... muggle."
Isis bristled. "Watch what you say and to whom you speak, Mark Mage." She warned, eyes flashing dangerously. "I am no muggle, of that I will assure you."
He snorted. "Then why take up a place in a muggle government?"
She tilted her head to a tapestry behind her. "Do you know where that tapestry comes from?"
He hated to admit it, but: "No."
"From what age period?"
"No."
"What it depicts?"
He narrowed his eyes, temper close to the breaking point. "I know nothing about that tapestry, woman."
"That is Ms. Ishtar to you, sir. That 'tapestry' is actually one of the few carpets left that were so outlawed by your government. It is eight hundred years old, originated from Belize. However, the design speaks of earlier times, when people played games, and the winning team was sacrificed to the Gods to pay homage- it was considered an honor to die by the Mayan.
"However, there are also spells worked into every fiber on that tapestry- that carpet- that would allow it to function continuously, without ever needing any kind of work done to it, no repairing to tune-ups. It would withstand any kind of weather, any kind of attacks shot at it- and all these spells were done with only Mark Magic, when using the Charter or another such kind would have been so much easier.
"We have lost this knowledge, and mere Mark Mages like you cannot understand how to create something that is ever lasting. That is why I work here- absolute access to every antique that may ever come to be in Egypt's possession, most of them with magical history, most of those antiques created using means lost to us, or that seem so impossible that they have not been tried in years. I work here to discover things- some better found, some better left unfound. To discover them- and learn how to use these techniques practically, in this age."
He was silent, turning over the reasons in his mind. "So muggles have a ton of magical artifacts that could help improve society, but they don't realize it?"
Isis was silent, wondering how dense and or blunt this man was.
He looked back at the tapestry. "An honor to die... Nott died, defending our Lord. He was killed by the broom-rider: she ran him through with the dagger at the end, and then stole away all his blood, while the midget took the misty ball from him. He died defending our Lord against the accusations of your brother and his friends."
Isis clucked. "Voldemort is no longer your Lord. He is their Lord, the Death Eater's Lord. You are no longer a Death Eater- I can see the Shadows that continue to break the bond you let the Dark Lord forge with you. They cover your arm, from wrist to shoulder- and yet, you don't see them."
He looked down in surprise, staring at his arm. Indeed, he did not see these Shadows that she spoke of- all he saw was an arm, currently covered by a cloak. "What are you talking about?"
"Run your hand over your arm- but don't let your hand touch your arm itself. Then move your hand away." He did so, eyes growing as he repeated the process, eventually settling to waving his hand back and forth over his arm. Around his arm, the air was cooler, almost... darker feeling, than the air around it. It was a barely perceptible change at first, but once having caught it, the more he moved his hand, the more pronounced it became.
Isis watched him in amusement as he looked up, slight fear in his eyes. "What-"
"The Shadows have you now- you are a servant, as you will never be a Shadow Mage, wizard. The Pharaoh has marked you- you belong to him, as do we Priests. You have a new Lord, but you need only act whenever he would call upon you." Her eyes continued to shine- but this time, with pure knowledge, a hidden meaning behind her words, that nearly screamed out, "Na na na na na na, I know something you don't!"
"What do you mean, 'Pharaoh'? And 'Shadows' and 'Mages' and 'Priests' and-"
She frowned. "Hush, there will be time for that later. One more question, then I'm showing you the dormitories. You're a smart wizard, otherwise you wouldn't still be alive, nor would you have your soul. You'll figure out the muggle technology easy enough."
He doubted that, but remembered her words. 'At least I won't be sleeping outside tonight... Now, one more question-'
"What do you mean, I 'belong' to this Pharaoh? I don't belong to anyone. I did not 'belong' to my- the Dark Lord Voldemort, nor will I ever!" He nearly shouted. Isis remained calm the entire time, the casual air surrounding her infuriating him all the more.
"I do not mean that he owns you- my Pharaoh would not permit me to say nor mean any such things. Slavery has been long since abolished, and it shall remain that way. What I speak of is that you have the mark of the Shadows on you, know. While still a Mark Mage, you are no longer just a normal wizard. You are a servant of the Shadows, and should you chose to obey the Pharaoh's and Shadows' will and law, the sacrifice that is normally necessary to achieve full strength would be somewhat wavered, and you would have access to one of the biggest pools of knowledge in the world. You would be trained in other ways of sorcery, so that should you be summoned to aid the Pharaoh or any of the Shadow Masters, you would be able to at full, unrivaled strength."
"But I still must follow this... Pharaoh."
"Nut just Pharaoh, all Masters of Shadows. There are only three, and your main Master- or Lord, should you prefer that title more- would be Pharaoh, but he will never force you into anything."
He glared at her. "He forced me into this."
She glared right back. "He gave you a chance to write the wrongs you committed as a Death Eater, a chance to change yourself, to correct that about yourself you do not like, to enhance and strengthen that which you do like about yourself. He gave you a chance at Life, and if you would wish to throw that chance away, I will send you back to England this very moment- back to the Dark Lord- for you to explain to him why you no longer have the Dark Mark, to tell him about I tell you here. He might let you live, but service as a Death Eater is till the death, unless I'm mistaken. You certainly won't re-initiate you- you've failed badly once, and he'd only expect it of you again. Instead, he might-"
"Alright! I know what my- the Dark Lord- would do to me, I've seen it done to others, others who haven't lost the Dark Mark, others who are not traitors as much as failures. But what would you have me do? Tell you my name, sweat eternal allegiance to this Pharaoh or Shadows Masters or something in blood, and go to them at their beck and call..." He trailed off at the look on her face, as she stood and walked over to one of the bookshelves. He let his eyes fall again to the eye engraving, tracing it once with his fingers, when he heard the tell-tale click of the cabinet doors and found Isis again, this time sitting beside him in the second chair on his side of the desk.
"What is your name?" She asked smoothly, not caring that it seemed his fears were coming true.
"Why should you care?" He retorted, anger clouding his mind and words.
"What is your name?" Her voice did not change, her eyes going mysteriously blank. He thought for a moment he could escape while she was in her daze- he seemed glued to the seat, though, and could not move except for his head and right arm.
"A... Avery..." He ground out, staring at the book in her hands for the first time. He hadn't noticed it before, and was sure if he hadn't stated his name he wouldn't be able to see it now. It was old, bound in black leather with gold trim and bindings, the Eye symbol again staring up from the cover. It was now he noticed her head piece, now he noticed her necklace- the same symbol, proudly displayed for the world to see, that most people passed off as simply matching jewelry.
"Avery, do you know what this book is?"
"No." Another guessing game?
"It is a Shadow Power book, a newer copy than the originals."
He felt faint intrigue. Would sacrifices to Gods be honorable and accepted in this culture? "How old is it? And the originals?"
"The originals are five thousand years old. This book beats them by four fifths of the age of the originals."
Quick math: the book in front of him was around one thousand years old. And she was offering it to him. Did all Egyptians just give away random artifacts that could be worth hundreds of galleons?
"What do you want me to do with it?"
"Offer your services to the Pharaoh and the Shadow Masters for all of eternity. Say it however you want. Listen to your soul (He was glad she didn't say heart), and speak the words that flow into your mind." Her eyes were still glazed- did she even realize what she was doing?
He closed his eyes, playing along. 'Alright... words in my mind from my soul... the hell?' Nothing came to mind, and he opened his eyes again to tell her so, when his eyes found the necklace around her neck. The Eye sparked with a strange light, and he felt himself lifted off his feet, mind leaving his body, as his lips moved without him ever willing them so- and yet he found himself saying the same words that his body was currently saying, as he looked on from the outside in.
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, blood spilt to sate the demon's lust." A knife was summoned from somewhere, used to open his palm. Red liquid pooled in his open hand, before a single stream made its way over the edge, and a droplet hit the cover of the book- and was immediately absorbed. More blood followed, until all the blood in his hand had fallen onto the Shadow book, the wound itself healed.
"By this blood, by Pharaoh's will, by Priestess and Shadows as witness, I seal myself to the Shadows and the Great Pharaoh, the Dark of the Light, in who's hands rest all souls. I swear this by Pharaoh's name Atemu, and my own, Avery."
The Shadows swarmed, he felt himself sinking back into his body, and he felt suddenly warmer, happier and freer than he had in a long time- how long, he knew he would have to revisit his early, early, early childhood to find a time he felt better. But the Shadows continued to close in, he felt his eyelids droop, and moment later found him slumped sideways in his seat, Isis sitting across from him and looking on in slight pity.
'For the Shadows to have such an adverse effect on him... no matter. I said I would bring him to the dormitories, and I will. And then to send a letter to Malik- he will want to know of these occurrences.'
"Although I cannot wait myself for the beginning of the school year, with only two weeks in the summer to go, I have noticed one small problem amongst you three." Dumbledore's words did nothing to quell the apprehension that had been obvious since the aging Headmaster had sent his Headmistress out of the office, saying that the matter that would be discussed within were of utmost importance and could not be overheard by anyone else.
Dumbledore's smile, on the other hand, did wonders- in Bakura's opinion, watching from his soul room, that smile, so open and honest, worked far better than any Charter-made spell. The thief snorted. They were being played- but no one seemed to mind one bit, and, Bakura had to admit, if being played caused situations in which Life or Death was always in question, he didn't mind be played all that often. Well, not as long as he was able to play someone else along the way, too.
"Actually, it's not that important- just a little problem that could be somewhat embarrassing in front of another teacher." He continued, and that caused the hikaris to relax- slightly. "Yugi- or would you prefer to go by your middle name?"
Yugi blinked, before shrugging. "Most people usually call me 'Yugi' or 'Mouto', so I guess it doesn't matter..." 'Just another name for me to get used to...'
"Then I shall call you Levis, just to be different from the usual." Cue sweatdrops all around, Dumbledore continuing and not noticing. "I don't seem to have ever seen you with a wand..."
Yugi paled, Malik snickered (and was whapped by Ryou), and Ryou, apart from whapping Malik, patted Yugi on the back. "Don't worry, we know where to get you one. The excuse to Olivander can be that your wand was broken in some kind of near-Death accident, and that you didn't have any time to save it."
Dumbledore chuckled. "You lie far too easily, Ryou."
Ryou blushed, but shrugged. "Just a thought."
Yugi was about to answer when Dumbledore cut him off. "Sadly, though, Mr. Olivander was recently captured by the Death Eaters, and possibly killed in the process. His shop was raided, most wands destroyed or taken for use by the Death Eaters." The Headmaster's eyes were clouded, and his smile had long since disappeared into a thoughtful frown.
Ryou cocked his head, as though listening to something, before nodding. "Professor Dumbledore, I believe that I could solve the wand problem- the Olivander problem I'm not so sure of."
Dumbledore nodded, and Ryou was off, winking once as his eyes narrowed and snowy white locks became pointier, messier. He left with a swish of his cloak, hood and cowl pulled up over his head the moment his hand was on the door, and quickly disappeared from sight. Dumbledore's characteristic smile returned, and he pulled out a bowl filled with sweets.
"Lemon drop?"
The shadow moved quickly along the wall, dodging the occasional person who dared to wander the streets so close to full night, the last after-glows from the sun making the entire Alley crimson, yet creating enough dark areas to hide a person from sight. The shadow saw many humans, hidden within the darkness he so coveted and controlled, waiting for a person either too brave or too stupid to heed the warnings posted in every place visible- windows, tables, awnings, poles, walls, statues, wooden barriers that blocked some of the shops off from intruders...
He smirked, slamming his flattened hand into the neck of another dark-dweller, staring down at the limp body that now lay spread-eagled on the floor. The other had not wanted to come, knowing to what measures the shadow would take to get what he wanted, had not wanted to see the carnage that would undoubtedly be created, and had instead chosen to remain with his faithful creatures, waiting impatiently for the shadow to return, trying- in vain- to block out the sadistic pleasure he was sure emanated from his entire body, pulsing down the link and filling the other's mind with horrible visions of what might be done.
The distraction that was the other was no longer there physically, but was still there mentally- the distrust, the worry, and the fear- even with years strengthening their bond, even with all the shadow's attempts to reconcile with the other for all he had done, the other still feared him, feared what he was capable of. And in most instances that would be not only acceptable, but preferable- fear would mean obedience, loyalty, sacrifice if the shadow should require it. Indeed, fear was the best method to further his own ends, to make his way in the world.
But the other was his precious hikari, and fear from one who, in most cases, would be considered a part of him (and, in essence, was) was not acceptable, and certainly not preferable. As gentle and kind as hikaris were, his had grown a back bone, readily stood for whatever he believed in- except when it came to the shadow. Through all the trust gained, even with all the small actions and affirmations that there was nothing to fear from the shadow, when things came down to it, came down to the shadow's expertise, the other still feared the shadow, and would never question what he did. Out of fear, and ever only out of fear.
And to Bakura, that was far more than unacceptable.
Ryou had no reason to fear him, no reasons to not question him, no reason to not come along. When Ryou had first opted to stay behind in the Dominion, away from prying eyes, Bakura had decided to use that as an advantage, to do things exactly the best way. But the 'best way' was according to his days as the King of Thieves, and not as the dead spirit-yami to little alive hikari Ryou Bakura. And the inability to differentiate the two (King from yami) of Ryou's was no longer merely unacceptable to him.
In a strange, weird, foreign and extremely human way (which was also normally unacceptable), this inability physically hurt the yami, to the point of making him decide on a different course of action to achieve his ends- at least for tonight.
((I will show you, hikari, that there is no reason to fear me. I will show you I can be merciful, that I can get what I want without killing anyone, nor sealing anyone's souls away in the Dark Realm, or into any inanimate object that happens to be laying around.))
Those were Bakura's final words to Ryou as he disappeared back through the portal and off to his little mission. And although he left the promise at killing and soul stealing (as he refused to not hurt anyone), he had felt a slight bit of amazement through the link, amazement that he would actually try to limit himself to doing his illegal ways somewhat within the modern boundaries of 'legal'.
And that sparked his resolve even more, until it was just a spark, but a giant flame that refused to let its grip go, keeping him within the boundaries he had set out for himself.
'Thank the Gods I didn't say 'no bodily injury', otherwise I'd be going insane right about now. Well... more insane.' He smirked again as another of the dark-dwellers- the pathetic humans who would risk their very lives and souls for just a little extra cash or a little trinket of minimal worth- fell beneath him, the boarded shop in front of him carrying eight of the 'Be Inside by Sunset' posters that the Ministry had posted everywhere. He was not interested in the posters- his interest lay behind the posters, behind the wooden boards, within the probably blown-to-bits shop that had once been painted a forest green, with the gold-embossed letters and numbers as it's sign, proclaiming it as, "Olivander's- Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C."
He easily scaled the walls and slipped onto the roof, refusing to use the Shadows to get inside- who knew what was where, and he certainly didn't feel like leaving half his body behind because there was something blocking part of him from materializing. A few swift motions and he was inside, Olivander's now sporting a brand-new skylight. The light inside the store was pallid, but was bright enough that faint, misty forms could be discerned from the general shadows of the twilight that filtered through some of the cracks in the boards.
Surprisingly, everything seemed in order, but the over-turned chair (that Bakura was surprised hadn't been broken yet) and general destruction of the shop- more-so than how the shop usually bore- indicated that something had happened- and it was either cleaned up fairly well, or that there hadn't been much struggle at all.
He frowned- something was wrong with this scenario. But, he was here for one thing only, and everything else had no place in his mind or few worries. Let the ministry deal with whatever happened in this place- he had a more important reason to be there.
The shelves were still stocked with most of the wand boxes, much to the yami's surprise. Again, he felt the urge to find out who would go through all the trouble of kidnapping supposedly the best wand-maker ever, and not even take one of his wands.
But what he wanted wasn't in the front room, more than likely missing from the shelf that it was supposed to be on. Instead, he made his way around piles of rubble, boxes, wands, and wood and metal fragments, coming to a room behind what used to be the counter. The door was missing, and people had obviously been through- but protective wards that had been placed on the door frame by someone much more powerful than the old man who supposedly ran the place were still intact.
And, he was glad to see, still working- the room beyond was immaculate, without even a single missing box- with the exception of the new-organized wooden shelf, onto which many wands were placed, and two were conspicuously missing. But he had no qualms- he fingered one of the 'missing' wands in his pocket.
Another eight or so wands filled the shelf, elevated on specially-made wooden holders, beneath glass cases that were- again- spelled by someone far more practiced than Olivander. They were new, he realized- the pedestals for the wands were custom-made, recently built from fresh Oak- he knew that smell without a single doubt.
The wards on the door frame and mantle were new, too, elsewise he would have noticed them at the very least the first time he was here.
His eyes scanned the shelf again, looking for a single wand that would help answer their latest problem in dealing with the Mark Mages. Not finding it upon the shelf, he stalked closer, eyes roving over the eight wooden sticks before him, so carefully protected.
Something wasn't right.
He placed his hand palm down, flat against the top of the glass case, and focused on the Marks which swam over the crystalline surface, into the wood, the pedestals, the holders, and back up again. No one had touched the case for a while, and the last had been the old man, from what he could tell. There were no cloaking spells within the glass.
Out of the ten pedestals and holders, only two were missing- and those two belonged to himself and the Keeper. So where was the final Ancient wand?
((My Shadows, do you have any idea?))
The answer was a fuzzy buzzing in his mind, the Shadows wrapping up to his ear and hissing their words into it. :The mortal/man placed a stick in the case, on the raised thing. Then he walked back out, talked to someone/thing. There were many explosions- we had to aide the Charter around the door to keep it safe/strong. We cloaked the room- no one knew that it existed. The mortal/man was taken by a group of mortals/humans.:
((Did he take anything from this room? Anything that you might recognize from the Era?))
:He took something from that place.:
He received the image of a wooden front to a hidden drawer within his mind, and felt his hikari stir slightly at the scene. Before the other could do anything, though, Bakura cut him off, opening his eyes and taking in the room, finding the hidden compartment the Shadows had seen.
:Yes. The mortal/man took it from there.:
He gently touched the drawer, frowned seeing it open easily- and only a box inside it. A box, carved with not the usual single God with which his own and Malik's was carved with- but three Gods together, bigger than the others. A shape 'below' them was Osiris, with many smaller shapes surrounding them. A pyramid was carved at the bottom of the scene, the Sky Dragon's coils wrapping around both the pyramid, and elongated to wrap firmly around the entire box, creating a back-drop for the scene.
The wood should have been a pale yellow color- but it was instead red, like fresh blood, and shimmered the same way.
He fought back an urge to lick the box to see if it was real blood, as he usually did.
He lifted it easily out, and opened it.
The box was empty.
Yugi sighed openly, poking at some random device of Dumbledore's that happened to be nearby. As much as he hated the fact, Bakura was an excellent thief- and therefore should have been back by now.
Dumbledore had recently left the room due to some… occurrence that he needed to take care of before school started. Considering this was Dumbledore, that could be anything from a missing text book to a possible new threat to humanity.
Yugi was desperately hoping it was the second.
Malik was preoccupied with another device on the other side of the room, a large basin that seemed to have some kind of foggy substance inside of it. As such, Atemu was the first to pick up on Yugi's distress.
((Aibou, what's wrong?))
Yugi sighed again, quieter this time, as he let himself fall into his chair and close his eyes. (-I'm just- I don't know. For some reason, I feel nervous, on-edge. King of Thieves or not, this is still Bakura. And Ryou's not with him.-)
((You felt that too, hm? Don't worry- Bakura has placed some self-restrictions on himself, to make stealing and thievery more… challenging, I believe he called it. Of course, we know the truth- but let him believe he's gotten away with this little lie for the time being.))
(-Alright.-) Yugi couldn't help but smile a bit. (-But that still doesn't explain what's taking him so long.-)
((You want your wand that badly?))
(-Yami, I spent my training years using a wand that best suited me from the local shop- not my wand- and ended up breaking a week after we got back. Don't you think that I might be a little nervous?-)
Atemu chuckled. ((No aibou, I guess not. Tell me, though- is there any way I can calm you down? I don't mean to nag-))
(-But you're not!-) Yugi was surprised. (-Of course you're not a nag!-)
((Good. Because your nervousness and unease is filtering down the link and making me nervous.))
(-Thanks for the support.-)
((You only need to ask, hikari.))
Yugi let a pout appear on his face as he slowly opened his eyes, looking around the office to find that Dumbledore had not only returned, but he and Malik were watching him, as though expecting something.
Yugi blushed. "I'm sorry, did I zone out?"
Malik nodded his head, knowing full well that Yugi- or any hikari, for that matter, as he was one- didn't just 'zone out'.
Dumbledore, thankfully, looked amused. "It's quite alright, as long as I have some kind of assurance that you won't do so during classes?"
Yugi blinked. "You're okay with it? The zoning out?"
Dumbledore gave a full laugh. "All of the teachers here have a few quirks. I'd be surprised if none of you had some strange little habit."
Yugi nodded, Malik grinning. "So, Dumbledore… after Bakura comes back with Yugi's wand, is there anything else you want to talk to us about?"
Dumbledore's eyes grew serious, as he nodded. "Yes, in fact. You are Hogwarts teachers- but I would like to offer you something more."
Malik eyed him. "As much as I know others might appreciate, and actually hope for what you're offering, but I highly doubt we'll take you up on your offer."
Dumbledore shrugged. "And yet, you do not even know what my offer is."
Malik snorted. "And we do not need to, either."
Yugi watched the scene playing out before him with slight interest, while instead concentrating on something else. Sometime during the 'conversation', he had felt a twinge, somewhere in his heart. He concentrated on it, only for it to disappear. About to ignore the feeling, he had checked with Atemu, only to receive a quick, ((I felt it, too,)) before he disappeared back into the depths of the light's mind.
Another tingle, barely there- but noticeable, and right above his heart. A third, and a new realization dawned upon him- he suddenly had the unexplainable urge to be in Domino. He couldn't say why, nor could he pinpoint where he needed to be- the only thing in his mind was that he needed to be there immediately.
About to excuse himself from the office, a knocking came at the door.
"Enter." Dumbledore instructed, turning his attention away from the two new Professors.
McGonagall entered, nodding to everyone within the room, before turning to Malik. "You'll have to excuse me, and I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but we needed Pro- Malik to come with us. The History department is in a shambles, and Bins won't tell us where everything is."
Malik shrugged, standing. "You're not interrupting anything. Dumbledore, I'll talk to you later."
And with that, Malik was gone.
Yugi turned to Dumbledore, the elder's clear blue eyes meeting with suddenly startled amethyst. Dumbledore nodded. "You need to be somewhere?"
Yugi nodded, speechless. Dumbledore stood, and motioned to the door. "I will go with you. I can't risk one of my new Professors recklessly, can I?"
((I would think he wouldn't mind do it, considering Bakura.)) Yami muttered, but was internally grateful for the man's help.
Yugi nodded, standing, and quickly slipping his hoods over his head. Dumbledore grabbed his own cloak from somewhere, and both walked towards the door. Yugi noted that Dumbledore was letting him take the lead, and decided to do something drastic. He stopped just before they left the room, and turned towards the elder, studying him carefully before making his move.
Yugi clasped the puzzle cord with one hand, raising it up for Dumbledore to see. The aging Headmaster stared at it, before moving his eyes up to meet Yugi's, waiting. A deep breath was taken before the hikari began.
"Dumbledore-"
"Albus."
"Albus," Yugi corrected himself. "I'm travelling to Domino another way. If you wish to come, then prepare yourself for a shock."
Dumbledore nodded. "If you are willing to trust me, then I will prepare myself for war if I must."
Yugi nodded, before the Shadows swirled around them, Dumbledore looking around with thinly veiled interest. Suddenly, the Shadows were gone, and instead they were in the Dominion, Lasine running up to them, already in her muggle-style clothes. Ryou nodded from his position with the others, and Yugi gave him a grateful smile, barely masking a confused glance, and, taking Lasine's hand, the Shadows surrounded them again.
Lasine looked over at Dumbledore, before turning around and bowing. "My name's Lasine, Valkyria of the Mists."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, but smiled gently and bowed back. "My name is Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
Lasine grinned, turning to Yugi- and her expression immediately turned sombre. "Master, where are we going?" She hoisted her Long Sword further into its holster to balance it.
Yugi grinned down, slightly. "Yugi, not Master. And to Domino- something just… doesn't feel right."
Lasine nodded her head again. "Why are we taking him?"
"Because I feel we can trust him."
"Ooooohhhhhhh."
Dumbledore watched the conversation silently, before blinking as he found himself suddenly on top of an apartment building, overlooking a medium-sized muggle city. Yugi and Lasine were already heading to a door off to one side, and Dumbledore wasted no time in hurrying after them.
As it was around noon, most people were at work. A certain Tomb Keeper, however, was enjoying his time in Domino preparing for his foster sister's arrival for a week break before September began. Six knocks in a certain pattern broke through his concentration, and he hurried to the door, knowing exactly who it was.
And, not much to his surprise at all, entered Yugi. And that was where his guesswork ended, as after Yugi came a young girl and an older man. None bore any resemblance to one another, and Rishid was trying to figure out who was who.
Yugi moved quickly into the living room, throwing his over cloak on the couch and quickly removing the petticoat underneath- this also finding its way to the couch. "Ohayo, Rishid."
"Ohayo gozimasu, Yugi-sama. What brings you back to Domino?"
Yugi had moved into one of the rooms- the one he had shared with Ryou and Malik when he was staying there. They heard him shuffling about, as Dumbledore and Lasine remained by the door, looking up in slight awe at the man in front of them.
Tanned skin, black hair, and a deep violet cloak was their main impression, followed by slight awe at the hieroglyphs and other symbols carved into the left side of his face.
"I felt something. Anything happen lately?"
Rishid shrugged, knowing that the Pharaoh's Hikari probably couldn't see him. "Nothing of any importance, Yugi-sama. Though Kaiba-san has been calling more and more, apparently convinced that we've been hiding you away somewhere for these last few years."
Yugi laughed. "Yes, Kaiba would do that… but anything else?"
"No, I-"
As luck would have it, the phone decided it had to ring right then, deafening everyone with a very loud, RING, before quieting again, preparing for it's next ring within five seconds. Rishid glared at it, but grabbed the receiver as it looked about ready to go RING again.
"Moshi moshi, Ishtar residence."
Lasine decided that hearing a man that looked like that answer the phone by saying 'moshi moshi' could easily go under disturbing. As did the look on his face moments later.
"Thank you, Jou, for telling me this. I will pass it onto Isis and Malik-sama immediately."
Rishid hung up as Yugi walked out of the room, now wearing typical leathers and buckles, a black satchel over his shoulder. Shrinking his cloaks with barely a thought, he proceeded to stuff them into said satchel, nearly filling it to the brink.
As he worked, he asked over his shoulder, "You said Jou. What did he tell you?"
Rishid gulped, suddenly knowing the reason that Yugi felt he had to come to Domino. "He said… he said he was in the hospital."
Yugi stopped and turned to Rishid, cursing. "I told him to stop interfering with the gang fights. What happened? Broken leg, or-"
"He's at the hospital, not- he's not the patient." Rishid tried to explain, running through the facts in his mind.
Yugi eyed him carefully. "Rishid, there's something you're not telling me."
"Forgive me, Yugi-sama, but-" Rishid sighed, giving up. "Jou wished to inform me that- that Mouto ojii-san was in the hospital, and not doing well."
Time seemed to slow as Yugi's eyes widened. The satchel dropped from his fingers and he mouthed some words a few times, before time decided to start moving normally again, and within seconds, Shadows and appeared and disappeared, and Yugi Mouto was no longer in the apartment.
Dumbledore blinked, turning to Lasine who looked thoroughly depressed. She answered his unasked question, Rishid moving to grab the satchel and check to make sure whatever was in it wasn't broken.
"Sugoroku Mouto ojii-sama is Mas- is Yugi's grandfather- his only remaining relative. They're really, really close."
Dumbledore nodded, turning to Rishid as the Egyptian handed him the satchel. Dumbledore took it, surprised at the weight, and how easily both Rishid and Yugi carried it- perhaps he should give them credit for being stronger than they looked.
Lasine sighed. "I can tell where Master is anywhere in the world- but I can't sense him now. He'd go to the hospital, though, so we'll go there, too, and wait for him." She didn't bother to correct herself on the 'Master' this time.
Rishid nodded, turning around and acting as though they weren't there. Lasine nodded to him, before taking Dumbledore by the hand and leading him to the roof again. One portal later and they were on the hospital roof, sitting in the shade, and another portal later they were sharing some ice cream from the nearest street vendor.
Atemu looked sadly down on his light, as Yugi buried his face into the dark's chest and let crystalline tears fall to soak the black leather. The pharaoh whispered calming nonsense into Yugi's ear as he gently brushed back goldenrod from the hikari's face, and twirled his fingers into the other's hair.
They had been like this for at least an hour, in some random tree in some random forest. In his panic and grief, Yugi hadn't been thinking too clearly. Atemu could only hope that they didn't have a repeat of what happened when inadvertently found their way to the Axis- and, even worse, that Yugi might realize it.
Sugoroku wasn't dead- that much was for certain- but there was definitely something wrong. And that was the precise reason why Yugi was sobbing- when he had returned from the Axis, so much had happened, so many things had changed, that he had stopped by to see his grandfather once, and only for a few seconds- the sign on the Game Shop said it was closed, and there was no signs of life, so Yugi had assumed that Sugoroku was on another trip to Egypt. He wanted his grandfather to be the first to know of his return out of all his friends.
He hadn't gotten around to checking if Sugoroku was back from Egypt or wherever he had been- and now… who knew what had happened?
It seemed that Yugi realized this anew, or realized something else along these lines, as he began crying again in earnest. Atemu sighed, burying his face into Yugi's hair, remembering the promise he had made to Sugoroku, and everything else he had said that night. He felt tears prick at the edges of his own eyes, but for once didn't bother to hold them back. The only person who would see them would be Yugi, and there was no shame in that, no pride to be lost.
After all, if you could not even cry when a loved one was dying in front of half of your soul, then one would be either cold or emotionless.
Yugi eventually calmed down, after what Atemu guessed had to be at least another two hours. His own tears had stopped some time ago, as his own revelation came over him- Sugoroku wasn't dead, so what was to stop them from visiting him now?
He proposed that idea to Yugi, whose eyes immediately lit up- before he suddenly looked downcast.
"But everyone thinks that I'm dead… how would it look if I show up for by ojii-chan's sickbed, and then disappear again?"
"Does that really bother you, aibou?"
"It doesn't bother me- but it's too noticeable. If only for Dumbledore and the other Mark Mages, we have to be careful. They've spent all their lives going to extreme measures to keep themselves hidden, and we could blow it for them. We're used to just moving around, doing things our way, since no one in the Axis cares, and no one here in Domino or anywhere else is really suspicious of our actions, or strange things that happen around us."
Atemu begrudgingly nodded, before inspiration struck- again.
"What if we went after hours?"
"And scared everyone in there senseless?"
"Even people who are there for their loved ones are forced to leave the hospital at a certain time, right? So everyone leaves, we sneak in using the Shadows, visit with ojii-chan, and are out of there by morning."
Yugi was still doubtful, and even saying yes he wasn't completely reassured. Atemu played his last card, tilting the light's head towards his own.
"If anything should happen, I'll have us out of there and an illusion in our place before anyone realizes anything might have happened. And only the illusion if they get enough of a glance to know that someone was in there."
Even with that, Yugi looked apprehensive- but with a number of other reassurances, promises, and whatnot, he eventually relented, wiping his eyes and cheeks to remove any tear trails. Atemu pulled him to his feet, and wrapped his arms tightly around Yugi, giving him a reassuring hug, before opening a portal, pulling Yugi into it, and returning to the Puzzle- all in one smooth motion.
Across the road from Domino General Hospital was a five-story office building, home to one of the most prestigious law firms in Domino and the surrounding area. The building itself was beautiful to look at, designed to model a cliff face with many random edges and sharp angles, which were only enhanced by the mirrored windows and the sandstone walls.
As beautiful as it was, the gaze of a single person rested on the windows of the Hospital, amethyst studying each window carefully. Sugoroku's aura was coming from the windows on the fifth floor- where on the fifth floor, however, was what was confusing him.
A frown marred the porcelain face, as goldenrod was blown unceremoniously into his eyes. The aura was wavering, flickering, instead of the strong, steady pulse it usually was- humor, compassion, kindness, and continuous love and knowledge fighting with each other to assert their dominance of the human who showed each to all.
Now the fighting was worn down, replaced by a void- an emptiness that gnawed away at the spirits of those around him. The elder man wasn't just in bad condition- he was in serious condition, and probably in surgery, based on the sporadic pulse that occasionally emanated from the walls.
It was this random pulsing that continuously threw the location of the aura off. For one moment it was to the right, then the left, then right in front of him- everywhere and nowhere all at once.
Another presence pushed on his mind, and he allowed the other to see through his eyes, hear through his ears, and talk through his mouth. The approximate location was identified, and the presence retreated, leaving the amethyst-eyed man to ponder everything and nothing, face becoming relaxed again.
The pulsing continued, random and with no pattern, and, with nothing better to do, he concentrated on said pulses. To his dismay, they continuously became more spread out, as though it took more energy to keep them even a somewhat-normal distance apart. And they were weaker, too- quickly becoming barely noticeable, serving only to cause the man on the roof more pain.
Much more pain, as the meaning of what the new pattern meant suddenly became all too clear.
A pain, and meaning, that caused beautiful amethyst to cloud over, and a saline solution to spill gently from the twin pools, creating streams down his cheeks- and all in the silence that surrounded Death.
Lasine felt her heart break as she watched her Master, silently crying while the other probably comforted the young hikari's very soul. There was such a forlorn expression on his face, as though his world was crumbling- Lasine was about to run over to him, but an aged hand on her shoulder stopped her rising from her place crouched behind a small utility shed on the roof of the law firm across from the Hospital.
Looking back, she started- she had completely forgotten that the aging Headmaster was with her. He shook his head, and placed a finger to his lips- for being thrown head-first into the world of the Shadows, Lasine had to applaud his ability to take things in stride and not try the natural human thing to do- not once had he asked a question, tried to make sense of what he was seeing.
And, as he stopped her from interrupting her Master's silent contemplation, Lasine felt as though her respect for him had increased.
They both glanced back at the young man who stood, staring at the walls across the road from him- and yet not really seeing them, eyes focused inwards, concentrating on something, on anything other than the surroundings.
Lasine took this as a cue to touch Dumbledore's hand gently, turning around and dodging down to the street. She was back in five minutes, two ice cream cones in her hands. She handed one off to Dumbledore, and sat down on the floor, back against the shed's cement walls.
Dumbledore stared at her, but sat down beside her. Lasine licked the ice cream slowly, a saddened look on her. "Ice cream is my… my comfort food, Master calls it."
"Something you eat or drink when you're sad." Dumbledore added, whispering. Lasine nodded again. Dumbledore stretched out a bit more, taking a bite of the cone, and shuddering as he experienced a 'brain freeze'. "We have a few hours till sunset…."
Lasine nodded. "Master won't leave until he gets to see his jii-chan, but he can't go into the hospital now to see him. I can take you back to the school, if you wish."
Dumbledore shook his head. "It's not good for someone to be alone when a close family member is in pain or suffering. It allows them to dwell on unpleasant thoughts…."
"But Master is never alone. Master Atra won't allow it. Atra-sama is always with Master- they're never apart. And we won't let Master be unhappy for very long- it's not right. Master can never be unhappy for very long, as then there wouldn't be a balance."
Dumbledore noticed the stress on her words, and decided that by 'we' she meant the whole assortment of creatures that had been around when they picked Lasine up. He didn't ask about who Atra was, or how he was apparently 'always' with Yugi- it wouldn't be proper.
It didn't stop him from pondering the situation, though.
Bakura cursed himself for his stupidity as he limped through the halls of the Dominion, making his way slowly to the main Hall- where, apparently, his hikari was. The cursing was normal- the fact it was against himself, however, was not.
He finally reached one set of doors to the main Hall, and as they opened up automatically for him, the block he had set up between himself and Ryou collapsed, allowing the light to finally realize where his yami was- and in what condition.
Apparently, it was for the better, as moments later Ryou was charging towards him, sliding to a stop and eyeing the various wounds that Bakura had somehow obtained with worried, chocolate brown eyes.
"Yami, what happened?"
Bakura smirked, letting Ryou guide him over to a chair set around a long, oaken table. "I made an amateur's mistake."
Delta appeared within seconds, holding a tray filled to the brim with bottles and plates of herbs and potions- all specially brewed by the hikaris with the help with the Shadow Creatures for every different injury possible. Selecting two potions and one plate of herbs, and grabbing a roll of cloth bandages from nearby, he set to work cleaning and disinfecting all of his yami's lacerations and bruises.
Being a 'tough guy', Bakura only made one or two hissing noises as Ryou started, hating himself even more, now that he knew just how bad the injuries were.
Ryou felt tingling sensations across his body in seemingly the most random- but those places always happened to be exactly where on Bakura he was cleaning and bandaging. Even with most of the emotional part of the bond closed (as it always was, to protect one from the other), if these feelings were coming through, then they must be nearly killing Bakura- if the Thief King could die, of course.
As he finished, he grabbed another potion off the tray and turned to Bakura, who looked up, saw the potion, and immediately tried to swat it away. "No way! I don't care how crappy I feel, I am NOT taking that… that… gah, it's so bad, I don't even know what to call it! NO WAY IN HELL, RY-"
Thankfully, screaming equals mouth wide open, and Ryou was somehow able to get a spoonful of the liquid into his yami's mouth, the dark instinctively swallowing it, before nearly gagging.
He rose hate-filled eyed to the bottle, then to his hikari. "I swear you're trying to kill me."
Ryou grinned, replacing the stoppers on all three bottles, and giving everything back to Delta, who started walking away. "No, I wouldn't do that. You're just imagining things."
Taking his hand, Ryou led his dark out of the main Hall, quickly bidding goodbye to the creatures still assembled within. Ten minutes later found them in their rooms, Bakura nearly asleep on his feet.
Five seconds later and quite a bit of help from Ryou, Bakura was now nearly asleep off his feet and on his bed.
Ryou moved towards the door, not really caring if he knew the reason behind the injuries- Bakura was safe, alive, and back with him- what more was there to ask? A pulling sensation told him otherwise, as the albino hikari turned back to the bed, only to see Bakura half-up, eyes more than half closed, beckoning with a hand for Ryou to come back.
Ryou smiled slightly, and walked back over, sitting on the bed next to Bakura. The dark, however, was impatient and not willing to play his hikari's mind games with his barely functioning, so he pulled the light down beside him, and the two lay peacefully side by side, relaxing as the sounds that usually filled the castle were nearly none-existent, merely soft whispers that filtered through stone and corridors to fill their ears.
Bakura made no noise, relaxing and letting his exhaustion take over. Minutes later, he was asleep- and would be for another hour. Ryou made to get up, but found himself unable to, the yami's arms having made sure of that. Giving in, he lay back down and closed his eyes- might as well get some much-needed rest before anything else happened.
Exactly one hour later, Bakura awoke to a pressure against his chest. Knowing exactly what- or who- it was, he smiled… ish. Even with years of 'freedom' from the prison that he had ended up becoming a part of, he still couldn't completely give up his 'tough-guy' image- not even when the only ones to see him would be the Shadows.
Wrapping his arms around Ryou, he buried his head into the Light's hair, making sure that he was still there. Sleeping was a time when people were most vulnerable- and so Bakura had trained himself when he was alive to be able to wake up in an instant if even there was even the slightest change in the area around him. Upon being brought back from the Dead after being banished there when the Pharaoh and his hikari competed in the Ceremonial Duel, he had needed to re-train himself- and, consequently, Ryou.
But sleep do to drugs was different. You body was forced into unconsciousness, and there was no way to train yourself to wake up from that on command. He hated it, and couldn't understand why forced sleep would be needed. Ryou had to explain that you heal faster when you sleep, because your body isn't doing anything but storing energy, instead of both storing and using energy- like when you're awake. Therefore, the energy that might be used for tossing and turning due to restless dreams could also be put into healing one faster- and it was a proven fact that it did.
During those times when his body needed to be forced to relax, to sleep, and therefore to heal, Bakura felt impossibly vulnerable, as though he expected assassins to waltz into his room, stab him, and then waltz right back out. And even though there were no assassins- and it didn't exactly matter if he died, as he was already dead- there was still that insecurity.
So Ryou had become a guard for him, someone to- as much as Bakura would hate to admit it- protect him when he could not protect himself.
And that was the reason why Bakura suddenly felt the inexplicable urge to make sure that Ryou was there, was awake, and not harmed in any way.
And that was what Bakura kept repeating to himself as he chanted, again and again, in his head, counting Ryou's breaths, checking they were even, that his heart was beating….
Ryou had awoken moments before Bakura, feelings a slight weight around his waist. As Bakura went through his typical 'I-think-Ryou's-asleep-so-I-need-to-check-he's-not-dead' check, he fought to keep a grin off his face. What Bakura would think of him if he knew that Ryou was awake and semi-conscious for the whole thing- and had been for the last few years….
Eventually, Bakura calmed down, and Ryou started slightly moving, acting as though he was just waking up. He felt the dark remove his hands and arms from different parts of Ryou's body, but didn't move away- in both their minds, Bakura had ever right to sleep right beside his light.
Ryou slowly fluttered his eyes open, gazing around his room for a moment, as though in confusion, before his eyes landed on Bakura and he smiled. "Well? Any better?"
Bakura did a quick check on his Shadow-made body, and nodded- before growling. "Ryou, you know I hate taking that stuff."
Ryou shrugged, changing his position so that he was properly facing his dark. "I know- but you need it. And you know that I never go anywhere when you're like this."
Bakura glared at him. "Then where the hell were you going before!"
Ryou gestured to the door- which was open a crack. "I was going to shut it all the way, but since you didn't want me to move more than three feet away…."
Bakura shook his head, growling, as he turned away and hid his face in his bangs. "So? You could have used the Shadows."
Ryou sighed, touching Bakura's shoulder. "Whether they listen to me because they don't consider me a human or not, I still don't like using them. They're yours to control, yami."
Bakura remained silent, as Ryou watched him slowly. One of the cuts on his face- barely visible, as it was so close to healing- caught Ryou's eye, and he reached up a hand, trailing his fingers down it experimentally. Although he knew it was generally none of his business (and most of the time, preferred it stayed that way), he just had to ask-
"What happened?"
Bakura growled again, and Ryou couldn't help but grin. Of course his yami wouldn't like being reminded of a failed job- or whatever had happened…. Ryou gasped, turning slightly harder eyes on Bakura.
"Where's the wand?"
"It wasn't there." Bakura ground out, still not looking at the light.
"Wha- not there?"
"That's right, hikari. That damned wand wasn't in the fucking shop!" Bakura hissed, about ready to try and erase his own memories. He turned his head towards Ryou's, their faces barely inches apart, eyes aflame with anger, hate, and self-depreciation.
Ryou frowned. "So you got in, and found no wand. Then what happened?"
"I found the case- it's currently hidden in one of the corners of the Shadow Realm, and I'm not looking at that damned thing again for a long while."
"So you got beat up by a case?"
Bakura growled again, glaring at his light. "No, ahou, I did not get beat up by a wand case."
"….so….?"
Bakura remained silent, before slowly lowering his head so that their foreheads touched. ((Close your eyes, my hikari. I am not saying everything aloud.))
Ryou did so, letting Bakura project whatever images- memories- he so wished into his mind.
After doing a final check of the back room, Bakura was about to head back out again- when a surge of energies nearly surrounded him- a sign that large amounts of magic were being used… and based on their strength, they were near.
Feeling suddenly horrible, he summoned the Shadows around him to take the box (and the other eight wands on display) into one of the 'corners' of the Realm- an area where no one ever went, for it was considered 'sacred'- or 'it-doesn't-matter-if-you're-a-Shadow-Creature-you'll-still-get-slaughtered' corner.
Moments later, the wooden paneling on the front of shop burst open, and a few male (and one or two female) voices could be heard, discussing in barely audible whispers something or other.
Bakura wedged his way in between one of the un-organized stacks and the wall, careful to keep the Shadows around him no matter what. Footsteps approached the door- Bakura braced himself for an encounter- and the Charter Marks around the door flared into life, blinding anyone within the room.
The footsteps paused, muttered something- and the light flared brighter. Another few footsteps were heard approaching, then some arguing- and finally another three voices said something again.
And again the Charter Marks flared- but their light was loosing power, and therefore they were being slightly overwhelmed by whatever the people on the other side of the door were doing. Bakura sent some of his Shadows to help hold up against the door, and the Charter Marks flickered for a moment- before shining even brighter.
The footsteps began walking away, and then there was silence. Bakura stood up to leave after nearly ten minutes, and began making his way to the door himself…
The
explosion that followed could be seen by all- including muggles- for
50 blocks at the very least in any direction. (2)
The nurses rushed about, unsure of what they should be doing. The doctors were fighting over what would be the best procedure, and in what order, to give to their newest patient- and were they fighting. With a large amount of money being paid to the hospital courtesy of Seto Kaiba for this one elderly man, there was no way to do anything else other than fight.
The problem, however, was that no one knew what was wrong- he had collapsed in the middle of a grocery store while doing his usual shopping. There were no physical marks, and the only internal problems were a bad hip and an old shoulder wound that, although having healed perfectly, always seemed to mess up any instruments that they brought near it.
Even though visiting hours wouldn't be over for another hour, everyone had been told to leave the hospital unless they worked there, were there for an actual reason, or if they had special permission to stay with loved ones (and they agreed to not leave the rooms and help the nurses and doctors with anything should they need it).
One whole section of the hospital had been cordoned off, and only authorized people (doctors and the occasional nurse) were allowed into it, everyone within working to set up as many machines and procedures as possible.
And in the middle of it all, in one of the patient's rooms contained within the sectioned-off area, lay an aging man, spiky grey hair completely out of order- and a ripped Blue Eyes White Dragon card beside him on his bed table.
Yugi finally pulled himself from his reverie as the sun finally sunk below the horizon. He knew that visiting hours still wouldn't over for a while- but a swarm of healthy-looking people were being evacuated from the hospital.
This only filled him with a sense of dread- was there some kind of accident? Biochemical waste seeping through doors and onto unsuspecting patients, waiting (none to patiently) for their operations, possibly unconscious, on the verge of death-
((Either you've been reading too many horror manga, aibou, or all this Shadow Magic has gone to your head. I doubt that shiny, green goop would be attacking jii-chan.))
And in the very middle of it all, a sardonic, but sensible voice, pulling him away from his musings of what could be and back to what was. (-Really then, O Great Pharaoh, what would you have me do, milord?-) The sarcasm was tangible, even if the words were spoken in the mind.
The response was just as such. ((Now, my servant, go forth and spread my word to the foolish mortals below: Sugoroku Mouto is to be saved from the evil green goop above all costs! Oh, and those packets of sugary stuff they give to children when they finish an operation….))
(-Of course, Master.-)
((Of course? Then what are you standing around here for? Get that toushy in gear, aibou, or I will have to take over and save the sugary treats myself!))
Somehow, when a sarcastic 5,000 year old Pharaoh lives in your head, it makes everything seem a lot less serious.
"Lasine!" Yugi called out, not turning his head away from the hospital. Lasine obediently bounced over, the evidence of her ice cream treat obvious as she hastily tried to wipe some of the substance from the corners of her lips.
Yugi smiled down on her, glad to have some kind of family beside him. He glanced up to see Dumbledore standing slightly in the Shadow of the utility shed, and he smiled warmly over at the other as well. Dumbledore grinned back, moving to stand beside the hikari on the edge of the roof.
Yugi turned back, seeing just a small trickle of people now leaving the building. He grinned as Atemu pushed against his mind. "Alright, it seems there is a large, shiny, evil, radioactive green goopy thing attacking random people inside. It's our duty to get in, find jii-chan, and defend him from said goopy thing. (-Why does every time I say it the name gets longer?-)
((Hm… cause there's too many good ways to describe it?))
(-Ah. Makes sense.-)
Lasine giggled, glad to see her Master back to his usual self, before standing up straighter and saluting. "Aye aye, mon cap-ee-tan!" She called out, turning towards Dumbledore. "You heard the Captain's orders, sergeant! Move out!"
Dumbledore saluted both of them. "Of course, Corporal Lasine; if I might inquire, what is the plan of attack against the ugly, large, shiny, evil, radioactive green goopy thing?"
Yugi pondered it for a moment, before turning back. "It will focus mainly around being a rescue mission. Sergeant Dumbledore, you'll be going with Corporal Lasine. Corporal Lasine, you're job is to save the sugary treats that nurses give children and teens when they come out of surgery to help with the pain. Save the sugary treats at all cost.
"I will be handling rescuing one Sugoroku Mouto from the clutches of the stupid, ugly, large, shiny, evil, radioactive green goopy thing. Do not engage our enemy unless absolutely necessary. It will have its servants wandering the hallways, dressed in white lab coats or scrubs. They call themselves doctors and nurses- however, do not believe them. Stay out of sight at all times. Do everything with stealth- like ninja. Invisibility is our greatest asset, people- we are the night. We are the Shadows. We are everywhere- and nowhere. Remember that.
"We will meet back in one hour. If an alarm is raised, get out immediately. Do not stay for over the hour limit- anyone who falls behind, stays behind. Understood?"
Two nods greeted his command, and Yugi nodded, turning back to the hospital. "Alright, troops- off to fight the annoying, stupid, ugly, large, shiny, evil, radioactive green goopy thing!"
Two heartfelt cheers echoed into the night- and one 'cheer' (which sounded far more like laughing) echoed in Yugi's mind.
Five minutes later found Lasine and Dumbledore in the supply room in the children's section, void of all life except for three extremely sick (and therefore unconscious) children who ranged from 5 to 15.
As Lasine gazed down on them as she passed, she couldn't help but wonder if their parents had left in the throng that had evacuated earlier, or if they also wandering around the halls, trying to find something that they probably would never find- a cure.
The three were deathly ill, and were on their death beds- they would never be getting the sugary treats that she and Dumbledore now set out to 'rescue'. It caused a pang in her heart and she had to quickly stifle a sob lest someone hear here- children who were doomed to possibly never awaken, and certainly never to leave again- not alive….
Her heart went out to them, immediately feeling for them. Children who were doomed, never to truly see another birthday, never grow up with their friends and family, never be married, never have their own children…. Children who would never get to truly feel the sun on their skin again, and moons gentle embrace.
Children so like herself.
Through all her efforts, a tear still made its way down her cheek, and she wiped it hastily away, running silently ahead to catch up with Dumbledore. She would be back again, even if only for a few moments.
She would be back to lay their souls to peace- so that they would not suffer as she had.
Dumbledore glanced over his shoulder as Lasine finally caught up with him. He was standing just inside the store room door, already looking at the different treats that needed to be rescued. She flashed him a small smile before going back to her own work, shutting the door silently behind her and warding it so that no sounds escaped from the room.
"What do those children mean to you?" He asked quietly, taking one package of some 'Strawberry Pocky' off the shelf, opening it and trying one- before grabbing two more of each kind there was.
Lasine glanced down at the package of some sweet, jiggling substance that smelled like banana. "I… I used to be like them. On my Death bed. I remember seeing the First Precinct- hearing the First Gate- but they were ripped from my sight, and then there were only Shadows. I never got to walk through the River- never got to know what it was like to be released from Life…."
She trailed off, wiping her eyes quickly as Dumbledore starred at her, surprised. "But Master- all of them- they saved me, and Anriel, and Shimasu. They saved us, and gave us freedom, and a chance to live again, even if it wasn't truly in Life. And they asked for nothing in return- we could go back to our normal lives if we wanted.
"We could have, too- but our whole village knew. They knew we shouldn't be there- that we should be dead, and either passing through the Ninth Gate or suffering in the Shadows as our forbearers did.
"We could have gone elsewhere, started a new life- but who would want to adopted three girls who were too strange for their own good?
"And we could have gone with Mana and Mahaado- they were nice and offered to help with the transition. And we did end up going with Mana, eventually. But we owe the Masters so much- we owe them everything. They saved us, and stopped the Shadows from taking sacrifices from our village."
Lasine wiped more tears away- but they were of happiness. "Yugi-sama is papa, and Yami-sama is Otou-san." She giggled. "They wouldn't like me calling them that, especially when…" She trailed off, realizing who she was talking to. She looked back at the shelf and started busying herself grabbing other sugary treats. "No- maybe they're both my brothers. Yes- they're my brothers. As Anriel and Shimasu are my sisters, and Ryou and Bakura and Malik are my brothers as well."
They worked in silence, before Dumbledore nearly tripped from a small, mini-fridge on the floor, a few of the now-famous sugary snacks falling from his grip. Lasine hurried over to help him pick them up again, her arms not quite as full as his own.
Dumbledore glanced around again at the sugary treats on the shelves, finally asking something that had been bugging him. "Why are we taking these?"
Lasine turned back to him, shrugging. "Everything that I take… everything I take from here is going to those three, even if I have to use magic to wake them up and hand-feed them the food. Levis said that the ones we have to stay away from are the so-called doctors and nurses- not the patients. So I plan to take full advantage of that."
She favored him with a large smile, almost too big for her face- but it purely out of love and joy, and not an ounce faked. Dumbledore smiled in return. "I don't suppose they'd miss some too much if they went to patients, right?"
Lasine nodded vigorously. "Of course not. And who says we can't eat some at the same time?"
The Shadows were more than willing to help him move through the hallways, searching for the fluctuating aura that was his grandfather. They practically led the hikari to him, creating darker spots to hide in should someone walk by, and in a pattern that was very much like a series of stepping stones used to cross a river.
Thus saying, Yugi arrived pretty quickly by Sugoroku's side, all the doctors not paying attention to their patient as they struggled to find a way to heal said patient. If anything was wrong, the electronic monitors would alert the nurses, and they the doctors- there was no reason for some to stay by his side.
Yugi felt the tears attempt to run down face as he brushed a stray lock of the gray-silver hair from his grandfather's face, before he sat down on the side of the bed, and gently took Sugoroku's hand, holding it gently. His thumb brushed against the top of the elder's hand in a calming pattern, working to soothe and relax.
((Aibou….))
(-I… I know. But- it's just so hard to see him like this….-)
A wave of calming washed down the link, sweeping Yugi away- if only for the moment. ((I know, aibou. I know.))
Again, silence, the distant sounds of nurses and doctors preparing for any and all operations the only noise. Whether he stayed there for a minute or a year, Yugi wasn't sure of (though he had an idea it wasn't much more than 45 minutes), but he remained by his grandfather's side, keeping the aging body company.
"Jii-chan…" His voice broke, the tears finally escaping their dam and cascading down his face, to drip onto Sugoroku's hand and bed sheets.
"Ur.. Yu… Yugi?"
The voice was hoarse, raspy, but definitely identifiable. Yugi felt a smile breaking through, and he flung himself upon the elder. "Jii-chan!"
A chuckle- again, in that not-characteristic harsh voice. "Yugi… why are you here? And what are you wearing? Some kind of ornaments worn by people in cults?"
"Jii-chan…." Yugi couldn't help but whine. If Sugoroku was well enough to joke around with him, then he must be okay! Then everything would be fine, and Yugi could spend more time with his grandfather-
But a harsh coughing cut off that train of thought, and all at once Yugi realized that his grandfather was barely hanging onto life, struggling valiantly to maintain even this slight bit of consciousness.
"What's wrong? Jii-chan…."
"Always the optimist, Yugi. Ah, this time it's not a Shadow Game, and I don't think you can save me this time."
The tears (which had never quite stopped falling) threatened to spill down recklessly. "But… surely-"
"Yugi." Spoken with surety and authority. "An… an old friend dropped by- asked me to give you something. I heard he was killed not too long afterwards- said it was especially important…."
Again, another tie from Yugi to some kind of murder, killing, soul-stealing…. He hated how everything always came back to him somehow, and no one ever seemed to make the connection other than himself.
"Here… it… it should be in the dresser… somewhere…."
Yugi walked over to the small cabinet by his grandfather's head, and pulled open the doors. Inside were a number of games, puzzles, Egyptian scripts still needing to be translated…. And among it all, a plastic bag was wrapped around something- undoubtedly what Sugoroku wanted Yugi to take.
Pulling it out, Yugi was surprised by how light it felt. Sugoroku chuckled as he saw the amazed look on his grandson's face. "Yugi- don't open it. Not now. He promised me not to look, and I'll honor that promise- and one other."
Yugi was confused, Atemu was confused, and Sugoroku sounded like he wasn't just on his deathbed, but also insane. "I promised that I would have those texts translated for Professor Yoshimori. I don't suppose you could translate them and get them to him whenever you're done?"
Yugi nodded, pulling the texts out as well, placing them gently into the shopping bag without looking inside it. Yugi bent down to close the doors, when something on top of the dresser caught his attention.
Pulling it towards him, he saw a Duel Monsters card- one that had taped around the middle, as though it had been fixed. Already knowing what it was, Yugi gulped, turning it over-
"Jii-chan… do you want your Blue Eyes?"
Sugoroku chuckled again. "Yes- I would like to see it… one last time…."
The card rested easily in the elder's hand, and Sugoroku seemed to regain some of his vigor. "Yugi…. I want you to promise me something."
Yugi nodded, not knowing what else to do.
"I want you to take care of yourself. Travel the world- let the winds take you where they will. The Pharaoh will take care of you- you just take care of him and yourself. If you can help it, leave the 'saving the world' thing to someone else- surely there has to be others as reckless as you."
They both shared a laugh, before Sugoroku reached out his hand again, taking Yugi's in his own. "Yugi, I love you so much- you realize that, right? Of course you do." Sugoroku, for all his calm demeanor, sounded rushed, one hand holding the Blue Eyes, the other Yugi's hand.
Seeing the Blue Eyes Card almost being squished within his grandfather's fist, Yugi gasped out, "What about the Blue Eyes?"
Sugoroku blinked, looking down at the card in his hand- and smiling. "I don't think that Kaiba would appreciate it much- but can this Blue Eyes be buried with me?"
Yugi couldn't hold back the tears now. Even if it was in one thousand years, he simply couldn't picture his grandfather being anywhere other than alive.
"Yugi- promise me one more thing."
"Yes, Ojii-chan?"
"No, jii-chan. 'Ojii' makes me sound so… old." They laughed again at that, but it was subdued. "Yugi- promise me that you'll live. Not that wishy-washy 'existing' that everyone else does- live. Experience everything- love, hate, anger, sadness, fear, worry, passion, lust- do everything, be everything. But live. Promise me, Yugi- promise me."
Yugi nodded. "I… I promise. I love you, jii-chan. Yami does, too."
Sugoroku smiled, one last, true smile, plum eyes closing for the last time as Yugi reached down and hugged him, kissing him on the cheek. "And I love you too, Yugi. I'll always watch over you."
More Notes
I wasn't sure where to leave it off, since afterwards I have an interlude coming up, as well as a side/pre-story regarding the Sennen Items. So I decided to end it here. I was going to put the whole conflict into one chapter, but I gave up that idea… it would require work and energy. Slow, more of a filler chapter than anything… almost an interlude in itself.
But I quite like the interlude I have planned (chapter 3, version 4), so I'm not going to get rid of it. Basically, it deals with when the three hikaris (and their subsequent yamis) started actually learning magic, taking place just after the end of chapter 2 (actually chapter 1). It was fun to write- I hope you enjoy.
The side-story was actually started at the beginning of July, and as such the first few author's notes are from that time. I just kinda lost my way and point-blank refused to start working on it again until my plot bunnies settled down some. Why is it that I get the psychotic, weapon-wielding bunnies that try to kill each and myself, when other people- like Shadow Over Egypt- get nice plot bunnies who occasionally glare at her, but otherwise dance around, doing a waltz when they're happy?
Oh, and I recently had a Redwall plot bunny running around in my head. It's started to infect my dreams, so I live through the story there instead of trying to write it down. Of course, the name "Mattheo" seems to stick… but the only "Mat"s I know of in Redwall are "Martin", "Matthias" and "Mattimeo". Then there's Mordalfus, Methusalah, and Mortimer… and Mariel, too, actually, and Martha…. Why am I talking about Redwall here? I dunno!
…but that would make for a VERY interesting crossover, ne?
Oh, yes, Nenagh, you asked about the Charter, Sabriel, and Winding Circle? (Grins widely) Here's some chocolate, candies, er… sugar, cakes, how about some pop or Fuzzy Peaches? Or if you're healthier, I have some rice cakes and… stuff… that you might like! Yes, the Charter is from The Old Kingdom trilogy by Garth Nix. I recently found an anthology with a sort-of-sequel to the trilogy called "Across the Wall". The last story, "Endings", and another adventure-type story called "Down to the Scum Quarter" are absolutely my favorites of what he wrote in there, as well as "Nicholas and the Creature in the Case", the sequel-thingy.
You'll be seeing more of Old Kingdom-related information and instances pop up as I work my way through.
And in relation to Winding Circle… I'm actually surprised you realized it. My friend decided to read this (or at least that chapter to see why everyone was telling me they were confused), and didn't catch it, and she almost has every Quartet written by Tamora Pierce memorized! But, yes, it is in relation to the Circle of Magic and the Circle Opens. Can't wait until November for "The Will of the Empress"- go look it up on the Chapters website.
For all to know, I was in Coles the other day, finding ways to spend an $80 gift card all my friends pitched in to get me, and I saw a sign: "Have you read the Fantastic Trio of "P"s: Pierce, Paolini and Pullman?" I was all, "YES! …well, except for Paolini… but I WILL read his books!" And people stared at me like I was insane.
So… GO READ STUFF BY TAMORA PIERCE, PHILIP PULLMAN, AND THIS PAOLINI GUY! AND BY GARTH NIX!
…I'll be quiet now….
Even Notes
(I was reading through this again, trying to find a place to insert more words to make it an even 20, 000, and I found this. Oops.)
(1) Yeah, the whole 'shinnies' thing? I am easily distracted by shinnies, sparklies, or 'ewwies'- all of which fascinate me (just not touching the 'ewwies'. I can't dissect anything, even if my life depended on it). So… I had to add in the word shinnies. They're too pretty not to. :)
(2) Sounds like my chemistry and physics classes...
And thank you to: Nenagh, stah-r, chibikuro rose-sama, Yume Li, Kimpatsu no Hoseki, Seither Kairy, and Tuttie for reviewing Chapter 5. And thank you for helping me inflate my ego and make me feel like continuing to write, even when my Chemistry, Physics and Computer/Information Science teachers get together and decide to give us endless amounts of homework.
Thank you to Shadow Over Egypt for your inspiration and humor, and allowing me to rant, even though I'm technically supposed to be helping you understand the AE and/or Doma Arcs. Oh, and your review- lazy bum. :)
Thank you to Lizeth for you wonderful website, wonderful artwork, and the stories that were posted on the old Pharaoh's Hikari ML, those on your website, those on and those on your deviantart. Inspiration comes in many forms.
Thank you to everyone who has ever read this, whether you have reviewed or not.
Thank you to Cell-chan and Po-ta-go, for letting me bounce countless ideas off you and letting me rant about anything and everything to you. Specifically to Cell-chan, for putting up with an endless stupidity during English class these past two years and this year to come, and for providing a wonderfully sarcastic and depressing outlook on life. Specifically to Po-ta-go, for, quite literally at times, bashing my head in when I need it, whether regarding work, writing, reading, drawing, an ego or my normal insanity.
Thank you to my grade 6 teacher, Mr. Graham, for saying once, "I must be insane. You know what the definition of insanity is? No, because you're talking, and insulting each other, and fighting and cursing and ignoring the world to know anything more than what's on the paper in front of you! Insanity is doing something, again and again, and expecting a different reaction- like you shutting up and listening to me- even though that it's physically impossible to get a different reaction!" That has stuck with me since that second day of school way back when, and I appreciate it all the more when asking people to review, AND THEY DON'T, but I always hope they will, though they never will.
Thank you to everyone who has actually read this far.
Thank you to anyone who has decided to look at other things I have written, including my website.
Thank you to the wonderful people who first started drawing anime/manga.
And thank you to all my friends, including my wonderful "Sister", Kris-chan, and other adopted siblings who suffer day after day with me in the hell-hole the world calls Notre Dame CSS.
Why did I do that? Having three life-threatening situations in a row, all within two or three weeks, makes a person really grateful for what they have, and makes you want to let everyone know how you feel. It's an amazing stimulus to pull your marks up, too.