Dream Prince

Chapter 5

Beyond Illusions

"Yugi?" a feminine voice called tentatively through the door and the boy in question smiled brightly when he recognized his mother's voice. He quickly pulled out a key and hurried over to the door to open the lock.

"The door is open now, mother", Yugi spoke in a bright tone that sounded odd in comparison to how low the voice was. But then again, even Yugi's current appearance was something that was not exactly the boy's own. In a way to ensure that Yugi would not escape, his appearance had been magically altered and the spell had been deemed too strong to break.

Yugi's wild mane of multi-colored hair was now short and completely black. His skin had gained a soft tan that had not been able to be obtained even during the months he had spent in Egypt during the time of his and Atemu's courtship. His large, amethyst eyes had become slim and turquoise. All in all he actually looked more his age now than he would have if he had had been his own self, even though the actual height difference was only some inches.

The door clicked open and a kind-faced woman walked inside. She had round amethyst eyes, ones that Yugi had inherited, and straight, golden blond hair than landed on her shoulders. The woman was dressed in clothes of fine silk, yet the crown that usually adorned her forehead was gone. In its place was a golden diadem with a deep red stone attached to its front. Mia had been wearing that for a year now, ever since Yugi's father had been murdered. The woman had not been the same since; she had been forced to marry the man responsible for the death of Lord Arat and Yugi suspected that the new piece of jewellery was the tool for the man in question to hold an upper hand over Mia while he was away. Yugi had not seen the wizard in question much, he had been gone since immediately after the wedding and everyone in the kingdom still thought that the ruling position belonged to Lady Mia, when in reality the mysterious man sent his instructions straight to the queen. The woman had not dared to go against any of the commands she had received.

"What are you doing behind these locked doors, Yugi?" Mia questioned with some nervousness edging her tone. Yugi immediately knew the reason for it; that horrible man had ordered the woman to check up on her son.

"Not much", Yugi replied, faking an oblivious smile for his mother's sake. "I'm simply studying some of grandfather's books. They're really fascinating." Yugi's tone held sincere excitement when he said this. But his mother did not look like she shared his enthusiasm.

"Are you sure you should be reading those?" Mia questioned timidly. "Those are magic books, Yugi, and you know what he thinks of you learning how to do magic."

"It's not like he knows what I'm doing", Yugi said with a dismissive smile. "You're the only one besides me who knows that I'm studying these books. Not even grandfather knows and he was the one who gave them to me. Sure it was about three years ago when I wasn't in the least bit interested but I can change my mind, can't I?"

"But Yugi", Mia argued with a begging tone to her voice. "He has ears everywhere. The guards…they don't even wear your father's colours anymore. He has replaced them all."

"Why are you so scared of him?" Yugi asked pitifully. "He's across the continent, raging this insane war of his." Suddenly a cool hand was pressed against Yugi's mouth as Mia hissed frantically: "Shh! I told you he had replaced all the guards with his own henchmen! You shouldn't talk that way about him so openly."

Yugi yanked himself out from his mother's reach before exclaiming: "I don't care about him or his henchmen! And would you stop referring to him like that? He has a name, he's just a man!" Yugi then stormed past the shocked woman. "I hate that man and I will say it if I want to. I hate Dartz. There, you heard that?" Two pairs of amethyst met, one frightened and the other full of strength. "I hate that man who appeared out of nowhere and lured his way into father's court, only to betray him and murder him in cold blood." With that Yugi turned around and bounded to the door.

"Yugi, wait!" Mia called after him, her tone truly horrified now. "Where are you going?"

Not answering the question Yugi continued on, opening the door and allowing it to fall shut behind him. He rushed down the corridor, his goal clear in his mind as he thought to himself: 'I'm going to stop him… I'm going to stop Dartz…'

1.

Sugoroku Mutou had been the court magician ever since his wife had passed away, giving the throne to their daughter, Mia. The position of the court magician was a very respected one, because of which the support of the magician was very important for the ruler of the kingdom. But ever since Lady Mia had remarried to Dartz, Sugoroku had found that his duties started to entail more and more research on history as the amount of time used on actually practising magic grew less. It was more than apparent that Dartz had ordered this to take place in order to weaken Sugoroku's position and power.

At the moment the aged magician was buried in a yet another thick volume full of his ancestors' writing. He was brought out of his (in his expert opinion) unimportant work by the door to his chamber bursting open. The man turned around and smiled when he saw his grandson walk into the room.

"Ah, Yugi", Sugoroku greeted the young boy in front of him. "What can I do for you, my boy?"

"I've had it with Dartz", Yugi spoke out instantly. "Grandpa, I need your help. I'm going to escape this place and go to Egypt. With their summoning magic they're the only ones who can stop that cursed man."

Even though he should have seen it coming, Sugoroku was still surprised to hear his sweet spirited grandson planning on going through with this. But, the situation was quite bad and Yugi was probably the only one with enough courage to rise against Dartz. Sugoroku would have gladly done it himself, especially now that Yugi was placing himself in harm's way, but he was too old to be of any use in anything but providing information. The man could only hope that Yugi could find the self-confidence needed to keep his courage burning strong so that the magician's knowledge would come to good use.

"What can I do for you, then?" Sugoroku asked, turning completely to face Yugi. The boy smiled, clearly glad that there was no opposition from the elderly man. Yugi immediately started to explain: "I need something to help me escape the palace and pass through the Pass of Illusions." The last bit was spoken with furrowed brows, as Yugi seemed to only realize that now that he was speaking it out loud.

There was a curt nod from Sugoroku before the man turned to his shelves, filled with spell books. He frowned in thought for a moment before speaking out: "You will also need some greater help in order to reach your goal. I remember having a spell somewhere that will allow you to use the ability to access the realm of dreams. We don't really have time to wait until you gain the ability naturally after reaching full age." The man ran a hand through his short, grey beard as he contemplated the request Yugi had given him. "I don't think there's any single spell that will help you pass through the Illusions. You will need a guide… I have someone in mind but I will warn you that he does not care much for your royal status. He will treat you like you were anyone else."

"I don't think that will be a problem, grandpa", Yugi replied kindly. "I'm sure I will be able to handle that."

"But there is something you don't yet know, Yugi", Sugoroku pressed on, turning to look at his grandson in time to see him blink curiously. "This person is extremely rude, to put it mildly. He's crude and tough, even though most of it is just for show. It is very difficult to tell when he is serious and when joking. He might…frighten you, so to speak."

The look on Yugi's face was one of complete confusion, before the star-haired boy shrugged his shoulders and sat down in a nearby chair. He did not look so certain anymore but still spoke out: "It's not like I have much of a choice in travelling partners. I'll just have to grin and bear it. I have to do this in order to get to the other side." Yugi looked up at his grandfather. "And besides, he can't be any worse than Dartz, can he?"

Sugoroku turned away from Yugi in order to start going through his bookcases. He ignored Yugi's squeak of: "Can he?" and merely picked out a book and scrolled through the main areas. It was not the one he was looking for so he put it back and picked out another one. There was a heavy sigh from Yugi before the boy fell completely silent and Sugoroku continued to work in peace.

2.

Yugi did not know how long he simply sat in that uncomfortable wooden chair but after what seemed like a small eternity Sugoroku finally spoke out: "I think I have it now."

The suddenly spoken words snapped Yugi out of the bored haze he had sunk into and the boy actually visibly jumped before turning his wide eyes to stare at his grandfather.

"You found the spell, grandpa?" Yugi asked, now eager as he got up from the chair.

"Of course", the elderly man replied. "That's what I have been looking for all this time." A heavy, thick book landed on the table, letting out a loud thump when it was dropped on the wooden surface. Yugi watched with keen interest as Sugoroku's wrinkled hands turned the pages quickly, before stopping on a page and running a forefinger down the lines while the man's mouth spoke out the words.

"Alright then", Sugoroku said and straightened himself. "I'm ready to recite the spell."

After watching his grandfather perform magic time and time again Yugi had learned some very important lessons about safe spell casting. One of them was that spells were not always easy to aim at the right target and could have very unpredictable side effects if there were any other magical substances nearby. And Sugoroku's desk was filled with various vials that contained the court magician's potions. Yugi took a few steps back and stood still.

"Now this spell is very potent", Sugoroku spoke as he flexed his fingers, the joints snapping silently a few times. "Also, I have found some more information on the curse Dartz has placed on you. While you're in the land of Egypt I suggest you seek out the Fountain of Truth. The water of that fountain is able to wipe away all masks and reveal your true form. I'm not sure of its exact location but I do know that it is located in the Northern areas."

"Okay, I understand", Yugi spoke with a nod of his head. "I won't forget."

"Good", the elderly man said before leaning over the book and spreading out his hands towards Yugi. "Lets get this over with then." What Sugoroku said next was lost to Yugi as his grandfather began reciting the spell from the book. The words were ancient, spoken in a language unknown to the prince, so he stopped listening to the speech and merely allowed the low voice of his grandfather lull him into a sense of calm even as he started to feel the magic taking effect.

It started as a tingling sensation in Yugi's toes, before his feet suddenly turned numb. Yugi's sides began to prickle, like someone was poking the boy with little needles, as he lost feel of his hands and arms. He felt his neck and throat burn while his face grew hot and flustered. It was very uncomfortable but not really painful so Yugi stayed silent as he continued to listen to the voice speak words he could not understand.

Suddenly Yugi felt like a bucked of cold water had been poured over his head, wetting his clothes and whole body. Yugi's eyes snapped open as he exclaimed in surprise and a shiver passed through his body. Yugi's eyes fell on his grandfather, who was studying him with the curiosity of a scientist. That look told Yugi that the spell had been successful.

"I felt something change", Yugi said eagerly. "I will be able to dream walk now then?"

Sugoroku nodded his head in response and then spoke: "Still, you will need more than that ability in order to get past the Pass of Illusions. I will pack you a bag with some essentials and then we can sit and wait for that guide I promised you."

"How do you know he will be coming here?" Yugi questioned curiously. "Did you call for him with some kind of a spell while I wasn't looking?"

"Oh no, nothing of the sort", Sugoroku replied with a deep laugh. "He runs errands for me. There are many products that can only be obtained from the outside world but that are irreplaceable in my spell casting. I have him get these products for me since he is very adept in crossing the Illusions. He is supposed to come by today, after the sun has set, to bring me my latest order."

"So he's some kind of a merchant?" Yugi questioned as he followed after his grandfather, who was now rummaging through a closet for various items, putting some clothes and food into a bag he had gotten from the bottom shelf. He also handed a small pile of clothes to Yugi, meant to be worn when he left. It would be rather odd for some stranger to be going around dressed in the prince's clothes, since none of the people outside of the palace had seen Yugi after his transformation.

"No, I don't think anyone would call him a merchant", Sugoroku answered in an offhanded manner. "He would probably feel offended if he heard you call him that."

"Then what in the world is he?" Yugi asked impatiently. His grandfather did not answer the question, though. The reply came from behind Yugi when a deep masculine voice spoke: "A thief, that's what he is."

Startled, Yugi quickly whirled around and his eyes met a pair of deep brown ones that had a tinge of red to them. The eyes belonged to a boy who could not be many years older than Yugi. He had well-tanned skin and he was built muscular, but not overly so. He had pure white hair that reached his shoulders and looked soft but Yugi would not dare to touch it after seeing the sharp-toothed grin that was one the other teen's face.

"Hello there", the white-haired boy spoke with a polite tone of voice, even though it had a strange, almost dangerous, undertone to it. "The name is Bakura. What can I do for you this evening?"

3.

A pair of deep red eyes blinked open in an impassable darkness. Instantly a light was lit and a round room was illuminated. The room was completely made of green jade tiles and four jade pillars rose on the edges of the room. Each of the pillars held a symbol; the first one had two swords crossing each other, second one had a flower, the third one had an image of the sun and the last one had a carving of a crescent moon. The tall pillars circled the room in that order clockwise.

The new light revealed the person who owned the red eyes, showing a female form dressed in a long, deep blue cloak, which was wrapped around her form like a toga. She had tan skin and dark blue hair that reached her shoulders.

"Yugi is going to need help if he is going to find Atemu", the woman spoke in a girlish voice to the seemingly empty room. There was an immediate answer from a deep, male voice: "That is rather apparent, but we mustn't interfere."

Suddenly the woman's red eyes met a pair of blue ones that had appeared right opposite to her, between the pillars of the flower and the sun. The blue eyes belonged to man who was about two heads taller than the woman, with curly blond hair that fell just below his ears. The man wore the same outfit as the woman, only it was the same gold colour as his hair.

"How can you act so indifferent, Saika?" the woman questioned from the man, now named Saika. Saika leaned his shoulder against the pillar of the sun before answering: "The doings of mortals are none of our business, Lady Oichi."

The blue-haired woman huffed in a disappointed manner before turning to her left, to the area between the pillars of the swords and the flower. Her voice held a childish whine to it as she spoke: "You're on my side, aren't you, Akane?"

Right when Oichi was finished with her question, another woman appeared, standing in the space that had been open moments ago. She had long, red hair that reached her waist and her clothes were the same colour; it was the exact same garment the other two people wore. Her eyes were blue, the same colour that Saika had.

"The prince does have that Bakura character to keep him safe", the woman, Akane, spoke in a sultry alto. "Surely his skills will be enough?"

"I wouldn't count on that", Oichi argued. "That man is a thief and a liar. He could abandon the prince at any point. He's only accompanying Yugi in order to reach his own goals."

"So you're saying that the little princeling will be dumped the moment the thief has obtained his mission objective?" a new voice joined the conversation. It was a young male voice even though the man that had appeared between the pillars of the moon and the sun did not look as young as his voice implied. The man had short, raven-black hair and deep red eyes. His outfit was black and hung more loosely around his form than with the other occupants of the room.

"Were you sleeping again, Kurogane?" Saika questioned, with a disapproving frown aimed at the other man. "You look completely out of order."

"There's no need to insult my looks", Kurogane replied with a cheeky grin. "It's not my fault that the world is simply too boring to stay awake for."

"Such irresponsible behaviour is not fitting for a god", Saika scolded in a superior tone of voice. "A yet another thing that proves that you're not fit for the responsibility bestowed upon you."

Oichi looked on with dawning dread as she realized that her companions were headed for another one of their arguments, which was exactly why the four gods preferred to not gather together all that often.

"I mean, your attribute is mischief. What kind of an attribute is mischief? Not one fit for a god, that's for sure", Saika continued, all the while glaring at the other male god. Kurogane's face heated up in anger before the raven-haired man snapped back: "What about serenity or peace then? They're nothing but fancy ways to say 'boredom'."

A heavy sigh was released as Oichi watched the two males bicker and bark insults at each other. This happened every time they met, since the two considered each other the opposite forces in the universal order. Kurogane was the playful god of mischief and chaos while Saika was the always-controlled god of serenity and peace. Oichi considered her own attribute, war, a more suitable attribute to be parallel to peace but she and Saika got along pretty well. Akane, the goddess of fertility, who most certainly looked suitable for her attribute, was not paying any attention to the vocal gods, but was merely inspecting her long, perfect nails.

"Can't you do something, Akane?" Oichi spoke to the other female god and got a long, silent look from the impassive blue eyes. Finally the eyes slid shut as the woman took a deep breath. She straightened her stature and Oichi blushed when she got a clear impression on how well equipped her companion really was. The blue-haired woman snapped back into attention when Akane shouted out in a voice that could have shattered mountains: "Shut up already!"

In an instant Saika and Kurogane were silenced, staring at Akane with wide eyes. The redhead smiled in satisfaction, her full, painted lips opening a crack to reveal perfect pearly teeth. Then she brushed her cloak off and winked at Oichi, who immediately started to speak: "We need to decide whether we will provide Yugi with godly guidance or not. He does hold the fate of this land in his hands so I vote for 'yes'."

"I agree with lady Oichi", Akane spoke next, surprising Oichi with her changed opinion. Kurogane and Saika both glanced at each other briefly before replying as one: "I second that vote." It was more than apparent that the two men did not want to get another mouthful from Akane. Oichi was not complaining, though, and she smiled brightly before speaking out: "Now which of our darling harbingers are we going to give the assignment to?"

"I say we use mine", Kurogane spoke out as a wide grin appeared on his face, revealing his sharp canine teeth. "We're going to need a little chaos to disrupt the evil magic at work." There were no objections and the grin on the black-clothed god's face grew even wider. "Then I say we call forth the Chaos Dragon."

To be continued…

Ending Notes: I know that Dartz is a bit overused as a villain but I didn't want to have the villain the same as in my other stories. "From Dusk 'Till Dawn" has Pegasus and The Big Five, and "The Little Sprite" has Mai. So, the one to fit the part of the bad guy in this story ended up being Dartz.