Disclaimer: Contrary to popular belief, I do not own Yu-gi-oh!, Yu-gi-oh! GX, Yu-gi-oh! 5D's, or Yu-gi-oh! Zexal. If I did, I'd win a lot more tournaments.

Kindred Spirits

Chapter Five: The Master Magician

To Mahado almost everything was a riddle of some kind. He often would help the common people with their problems, viewing such work as series of puzzles for him to solve. Whether it was helping space out crops, collecting water safely from the Nile river, or calculating how much gold or silver would be needed to build an obelisk, Mahado was who the people turned to before he became a priest.

When he had been accepted by the Pharaoh to the court, his challenges steadily increased. The knowledge he possessed as a youth did not help with these tasks, and Mahado secretly relished such activities. From summoning his first shadow-creature to conjuring his own Ka (1.), Mahado was as skilled as a master of shadow magic; so strong that he eventually had to seal some of his own power away. Even when he had become a master magician, even when he took on an apprentice, he still looked for riddles. The feeling he experienced when he knew that he had found the answer to a riddle of any size was wonderful.

People, on the other hand, were entirely different. One couldn't know a person from a single encounter or talk, and the focus one needed to evaluate a person completely was much more difficult for him to conjure than even a shadow creature of the seventh level. Despite all of Mahado's accomplishments in the field of magic, he was at a loss for words when someone just wanted to speak to him.

When Mahado was a child he had few friends. The boy spent three years by himself until the Pharaoh himself tasked Mahado with watching over his newborn son. The boy's mother had died upon the child's birth, and the Pharaoh felt that Mahado- an orphan- would be better off if he grew up with someone close to his age.

Although growing up with someone as unpredictable as Atem helped Mahado cope with other people to a degree, it also had a negative effect. Mahado had become a bit of a part-time parent while the Pharaoh was busy, and as a result he was unable to experience the joys of childhood himself. Atem noticed this as they grew up together, and would often have Mahado accompany him whenever he went to see the most exciting festivities, or the priests' monthly daiha (2).

Fortunately for Mahado, this also made him see several things in Egypt that he wouldn't see had he been assigned another child to oversee. Atem and Mahado were lifelong friends, and Mahado didn't regret his decision to serve his Pharaoh one bit.

Atem was kind, strong and humble, but Mahado hadn't seen his master as energized or emotional as he was now since their childhood days. He had waited patiently over three millennia for his king to return, and he found it ironic that the other man was in such a hurry to help this mysterious Yusei person get back to his homeland.

=(o)=

"So what do you think Mahado?"

"Forgive me, my lord, I was lost in thought. Could you repeat that?"

"Well, I had asked you if you knew of a way to travel through time and space."

"My lord, I can transport myself and others for small distances with magical power, but I don't dare try to go through time. The laws of life and death are different there. Even with the Millennium Necklace, Isis says her visions of the future can be taxing on the mind. It would be too risky."

"Then how do you think Yusei arrived here?"

"… You said that he had magic?"

"Yes, but it was very raw. Unfocused." Atem frowned as he said the words.

"Hmm… perhaps it was an anomaly? There's no way of knowing for sure. I will have to talk to him myself before I can answer that."

"He's in a cell under Seto's orders."

Mahado frowned. "The Pharaoh distrusts companions of his own cousin?"

Atem grimaced as he spoke. "If I was faced with someone from another time appearing out of, the blue, I might react in a similar manner. I admit that I'm disappointed Seto didn't budge when I vouched for Yusei."

Mahado gave a slow nod before regarding his liege. "Master, you have my full support in whatever action you take. I would advise you to speak to the other priests. If you sway their opinions in your favor, Seto might relent."

=(o)=

It was always there; its seven spikes glinting sharply in the sunlight. Although the ring itself was supposedly empty, her consciousness was not. Mana would have dreams about it, nightmares even. She would fall asleep with it on her door and it would embed its lower most point into her skull. Then she would wake up and try not to fall asleep again.

Mana couldn't shake the feeling of dread it instilled in her. She didn't know how Mahado dealt with it. No matter how hard she trained, Mana never felt adequate. She couldn't ever replace him. Sure, she was always there to cheer up the younger members of the people when one of the citizens faded away, and she could always make peace when a fight broke out, but not like him. Mahado could do so much more, even when he wasn't at his peak.

Mana hung her head as she mulled in her thoughts. It glinted again. Stupid ring. She stood up and felt tired; she hadn't been out all morning. It was loud outside and something had happened. She slipped the ring on over her neck, grabbed her staff, and left her quarters.

That's when she ran into her old master.

He was with Atem.

She was happy.

"Master!"

She jumped at him and grabbed onto him. He protested as usual, but she didn't care. She turned to Atem and was about to do the same, but he looked tired.

"What's wrong Atem?"

"Mana! The insolence! You will address our master with the proper title!"

Atem placed a hand on Mahado's arm. "I don't see why it should be an issue among old friends."

Mahado closed his eyes. "Forgive me my lord. I had hoped that a reunion with my pupil would be more-"

"Master Mahaadooo! Stop it! You're embarrassing me!"

"Mana does have a point Mahado. I find the formalities irrelevant myself."

Mahado closed his eyes. Once again, he didn't understand why some people didn't follow court customs. His old friends meant the world to him, true, but it was frustrating that they brought up customary formalities as if they were a nuisance.

He sighed. I may be a powerful magician, but I still have a lot to learn it seems.

Mahado decided to be silent as he watched Atem explain the current events to Mana. He was puzzled by her ever changing expression. She had always been difficult to predict as a pupil but this was ridiculous. While Mana oohed and aahed, Atem gestured in a needlessly dramatic fashion in a manner akin to a performer. His baritone voice fluctuated as he made even a simple dialogue seem interesting. It was strange. Mana's reactions seemed to make Atem act even more ridiculous and his antics kept Mana interested. It was a cycle; almost like they were bouncing energy off of one another.

"So what's the plan the save this You-said guy?" Mana asked.

"It's Yusei." Atem corrected her

"Well we were going to talk to the priests."

"I…" Mana sighed before her eyes opened wide. "That's it! Master!"

"…Yes Mana?"

"We'll talk, but not to the priests. We'll talk to Kisara."

"Why her? She holds no influence in royal matters."

Atem chuckled. "Mahado, she doesn't have to. Not if she influences Seto's heart."

=(o)=

It was dark when Yusei awoke. He was still in the cell and had a splitting headache. He slowly sat into an upright position and noticed that his mouth was completely dry. He was very hot and shed his jacket. His skin felt clammy and he discovered that he had been sweating. He glanced in front of him and saw that Shada was in a similar condition. Yusei propped the priest against the wall and removed Shada's outer robe before he leaned against the wall himself. He was tired. His vision blurred and Yusei felt almost immobile as he drifted in and out of sleep. There was someone shouting and Yusei tried to ignore them.

"-an't wake him-"

"…Yusi…."

"YUSEI!"

He opened his eyes to a worried Atem shaking him awake. There was a purple armored man and a young woman in a simple brown tunic who both attended to Shada.

"What happened? Are you two all right?" Atem was frantic with concern.

Yusei could only gesture at the golden key that was still in Shada's hand.

"The Millennium Key?" Mahado traced his fingers over Shada's hand before he muttered a spell. Shada's fingers slowly opened, and Mahado handed the key to Mana.

"He used it on that man. Is this Yusei?" Mahado stared at Yusei and was surprised that Atem apparently trusted him so much. The man looked completely out of place. Mahado didn't recognize any of the clothes he wore. That weren't even made out of any fabrics he knew of.

"Yes, that's him all right. How's Shada?"

"He's in bad condition. We'll need to get them both to the palace infirmary as soon as possible."

"All right. Mana, help me carry Yusei."

Atem grabbed Yusei's upper body while Mana grabbed his ankles. They picked him up and exited the prison. Mahado grabbed Shada with one hand and grabbed Shada's main robe and Yusei's blue jacket with the other.

The three were in a hurry as they found the way to the palace. Atem was frustrated that no one would offer any help. When he asked Mahado why, the magician pointed at Yusei.

"They are afraid of him."

Yusei tried to get Atem and Mana to stop carrying him but he found he could barely make a sound. He stared at the clear blue sky as the other two people lifted him above the ground. He was fast asleep in seconds.

++=(0)=++

Seto had barely told some of his men to recover the prisoner and Shada when Atem arrived with the two people in question. Seto found it hilarious that as soon as Atem got to the afterlife, he managed to become the center of attention. The other priests were all in a ruckus over Shada and Millennium Key, and Seto himself had to go see Shada's condition. Shada was constantly sweating and he appeared to be unconscious. His body didn't seem to exhibit any symptoms of known illness. When Seto looked at Yusei, he saw that the man was in a similar condition, although Yusei awoke when he felt people examining him.

Seto left the room when he realized that the only thing they could do for Shada was to wait. Atem shot him a nasty glance as he exited the room.

Atem stood up.

"Mana, you are in full responsibility of Yusei. Although he may still be a prisoner under Seto's orders, make sure that he is fed well and treated with respect."

Atem then glanced to Mahado.

"Find out what's wrong with Shada and report to me as soon as you can."

Atem then turned and left. Mana tried to protest to Mahado, but the other magician wasn't listening. He was too occupied with Shada's state. She frowned before turning to Yusei.

"Hello. I'm Mana."

"Yusei."

He grinned slightly and regarded Mana. She had large eyes and lots of brown hair despite her dark skin. She was dressed in brown and tan robes.

Yusei grabbed her hand in a weak handshake before he lay back down on the floor. None of the other people in the palace were paying attention to either of them, and Mana took the time to ask Yusei lots of yes or no questions. She didn't learn much about the strange man, but it was a start.

"Come on. Let's find a nice, comfy room for you. She pulled him up, and had to support him as they walked to one of the many palace rooms. It felt strange to give other people in the palace orders to guard the room and get Yusei some water. Being a priest was different than she expected. The authority that came with the title didn't make her feel calm or commanding. She got Yusei to lie down on a mattress, and left the room only when he got his water.

Mahado had figured out what the main problem was with Shada. He had used the key for too long, and his soul had tried to return to his body before Shada had wanted to leave. His soul had been torn between two bodies, and forcefully went back to Shada's body when the priest had run out of power to subconsciously operate the Millennium Key. The problem was common among novice wielders of the key, but it was strange that Shada succumbed to such a simple problem.

Mahado remembered Atem telling him that Yusei had magical powers of his own and he wondered if they could have interfered with the Key's operation.

"How is he?"

Mahado turned at the sound of Isis's voice. She was clad in her standard tunic, and her crown that was a golden hawk. Mahado tried very hard not to stare at her as he answered her question.

"He should be fine."

"Mahado. It's been so long since I've seen you."

He glanced at the ground. He was thinking of answers to questions she might ask him, and he glanced at Shada's unconscious form to avoid looking at her.

"Indeed. I was waiting for my lord to return. I must assist him whenever I am needed."

Isis nodded and was silent for several seconds.

"How long do you think Shada will stay unconscious?"

"A few hours. I was going to speak to Yusei before Shada woke up. Maybe he knows something we don't about Shada's condition."

"Mahado."

"Yes?"

"Can I come with you?"

Mahado stopped thinking about questions Atem and Seto would want Yusei to answer, and started thinking about Isis. She was beautiful and well known and loved by the people. He didn't understand why she wanted to go with him.

"Of course."

++=(o)=++

The mattress was comfortable. At least it was preferable to the prison. Yusei glanced around his new cell and felt a bit better. It was warm, and he had plenty of water. Before Mana left the room, she said that his meal would be brought to him soon. He hadn't talked to Mana for very long, but she seemed cheerful. She didn't question his story either. In that respect she was like Atem.

It's good to make friends, especially in a place like this.

"Yusei."

He turned and saw the man in purple enter along with Isis. The man held out his arm and gave Yusei his jacket. There was a silence before Isis spoke up.

"Yusei, this is Mahado."

"Glad to meet you."

Mahado frowned at the greeting. He needed to ask questions.

"Do you know what Shada did to you?"

Yusei turned to Mahado.

"No. I was out the moment he pointed that gold key at me."

"Were your dreams unusual?"

"I didn't dream. I just woke up when you, Atem, and Mana came into the cell and woke me up."

Isis frowned and turned to Mahado.

"Isn't that unusual? Generally someone affected by one of the Items knows that something has happened."

"True. Yusei, you have your own magic do you not?"

"Well… yes." Yusei showed Mahado and Isis the dragon tail mark on his right arm.

"What is that?"

"It's a mark of the Crimson Dragon."

"What kind of magic does it give you?"

Yusei paused. They wanted to know how strong he was.

"It's not mine to control. Normally it only responds to great danger, or other magic."

"The magic acts on its own accord?"

"Yes."

Isis turned to Mahado.

"It could have been what kept Shada trapped when he used the key."

"Indeed. We got what we came for. We should tell Master Atem as soon as-"

"Please wait."

Yusei turned to the pair with a grim expression.

"What did Shada do to me exactly?"

Mahado didn't waste any time answering the question.

"He used the key to look into your soul. It is his duty to view the thoughts of intruders."

"So he knows everything about me?"

"No, just what you are at your core. If he wanted to see your memories, he would have to stay in your mind considerably longer then he did."

"Why did he faint?"

"We assume that that mark of yours reacted somehow to his presence."

"Can you take me to see him? I might be able to help him."

Mahado shook his head.

"I would have to ask Seto himself. Intruders aren't common. He doesn't know how to deal with you."

"Even if I went just to help Shada get better?"

"Forgive us Yusei." Isis spoke. "We priests can only obey the Pharaoh's orders."

"Mahado didn't seem to have a problem with obeying Atem." Yusei stared at the spellcaster.

Mahado was caught off guard. He didn't think Yusei would observe something like that in such a small amount of time.

"Even though Seto is the current Pharaoh, I pledged my life to serve Atem when Master Atem was Pharaoh. I'll do whatever he asks."

"But you just said that the priests have to obey Seto."

"Who said I'm a priest?" Mahado turned and exited the room. Isis nodded to Yusei before she followed Mahado.

"What are you planning?"

"Isis. I just want to make sure Shada isn't disturbed. Could you have everyone in the main hall to move to the courtyard?"

"Why would you need that?"

"No one else can disturb Shada while I help him."

Isis smiled. "As always, Mahado, you do what is best for your people."

She turned and went to carry out Mahado's favor.

"Why did Isis smile at me? I don't see what she would see in me."

++=(o)=++

Ka- another word for spirit

Daiha- the word for duel in ancient Egyptian.

I'm already working on the next chapter. It will be up faster if you guys all comment on this. Thanks for all the awesome feedback.

I hope everyone was in character