Yu-Gi-Oh: A Past and Future Pharaoh
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
Beta By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
A/N: Man over a year but I finally am catching up to current chapters! YAY!
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On the other side of the valley, amid the colorful fall foliage, one of the quartet of observers frowned as he watched through his binoculars. His straw colored hair was mussed up from the trucker hat he had been wearing, the light camouflage colored jacket he wore did little to stifle strange breezes that slipped through the trees. For all of the day since they started their surveillance the weather did not affect him. What he wore had kept him comfortable as they spent time observing the former escape artist. But ever since those kids showed up... "Don't those kids know that Halloween is over?"
"Kids?" Eric, the guy who was next to take up the watch echoed as he walked over. Similarly dressed he pulled up his own binoculars and began scanning the area ahead.
"Yeah, they showed up and have been talking to the target for a bit. Since the target put the rope down I figure they talked him down from hanging around. I can only guess they know the other targets as well, because the stage magicians just showed up. And get this with yet another Halloween looking kid," he reported as goosebumps ran up his arms.
Eric frowned as he lowered his binoculars long enough so he could walk over and get into position. "And you didn't think to report this when it happened?" he asked abruptly as he searched, his voice holding that slight hint of command. What little there was in the group in terms of rank and position.
"Eh, it was Halloween, probably going to take time to wash off whatever it was still on them." One of the two remaining guys, his hair a soft sparrow brown and only just past his ears in length commented easily enough. While the remaining member stood silently, observing the frown on Eric's face before going to check on their gear.
"Eh, one black kid went as far as dying his hair blond or he's wearing a wig. Either way, that one with the 80's rock mop has to be a wig. Nothing can be that fluffy," the blond noted as he casually waved his binoculars.
"Get the boss on the phone," Eric ordered as he finally found their target and through them the 'kids'. They weren't clearly visible, the brush in the way was the biggest obstacle, so if there 'was' a white haired mop of a kid. He couldn't see it, yet he 'could' see a faint patch of white through the brush.
"What? Why? The kids?" the brown haired guy asked, surprised as he patted down his own jacket before pulling out the cell.
"What's so special about them?" Norman asked in surprise at the reaction. "They're just kids."
"I can't see them, but there is 'one' of several people we were meant to keep a watch for." Eric pointed out as he strained to see if there was a white haired person. Wishing and cursing the plants to just move out of his way.
"Yeah, but those guys are in Japan remember? And we don't speak Japanese, that's why we're here..." Norman pointed out, albeit a touch uneasy as he realized something. That one blond kid had slanted eyes, Asian slanted eyes. "Shit... One of them is Asian to boot."
"And here we guys thought it was just code for something else..."
"Yeah and we're in deep shit if it 'is' that one out of the three. Kaiba runs the company and the main target is to be handled differently. 'This' one can host the demon." Eric pointed out as the phone was passed to him. "Boss? I think one of the three is here. No, the target didn't hang, but Norman thinks he saw a guy with white hair... That's one of 'them' right?"
The other three waited with near baited breath as the conversation carried on. There was a stillness about them that was ignored as their world narrowed down onto just Eric and that small phone he held to his ear. The intense focus and worry that crossed his face lighting a fire of concern under each of them.
"Right boss, ok, I'll let them know." Eric snapped the phone shut, causing all three other men to shiver from the dread of failing the boss, before turning his attention once more on the three. "We get visual confirmation first, if it 'is' that kid, we catch him and bring him in."
"Won't be hard he's just a kid. Though I always expected someone a little older, he always sounded like a grown man." Norman commented, as he went back to his position while the other three sought out possibly useful positions. "Think he's really a reincarnation? That family of magician's are just descendants so maybe he's just descended from the original." Norman asked, as the brown haired guy found a spot to his right.
"Original host reincarnated or just someone distant relative either way he sounds outright terrifying. A kid would be easy to catch, but if he's without an adult I suspect you mean 'teenager'."
"Come on Bill, he hosted a demon in his body. There's no way it could be him, his soul would have shriveled up and died. No, the original was a thief by all accounts, he probably had kids and that line somehow survived to produce this guy." Norman replied as his eyes darted to every bright flicker that he could see. Hoping to see and target in on that one guy again.
"Less chatting more spotting," Eric ordered as he studied the opposing landscape as well. 'The boss wants this guy. 'A superior and reliable host' he called him.'
Minutes crawled by, with all four pairs of eyes scanning the area. Straining to pick out a bit of white amid the sea of forest colors.
"This would be so much easier in the spring or summer," Bill grumbled before shivering. "Anybody else feel a chill?"
"Yeah, on both counts..." Norman voiced as he finally centered on the spot he had been staring at for the longest time since his watch came up.
"It 'is' fall guys," Eric testily replied, a passive aggressive reminder for them to focus. Though...
"Yeah, its not a constant chill. It comes and goes but its not coming from the wind," Bill explained with Norman giving a wordless agreement.
"I see them," their silent fourth member's voice rolled through their developing argument, grabbing everyone's attention by his sudden insertion into the conversation. He stood, almost at attention, facing off in the same direction as the others. Imposing with his thick red beard and mustache, he was more bear than man with his towering, muscular build and silent demeanor. "The one with white hair has his back facing left."
The other three rushed to their feet, Norman and Bill rushed over to look, curious about this descendant of the thief. Eric, on the other hand, turned to check on their few bags that they had towed down from the truck ready. Only it was already closed up, sealed and ready to grab, courtesy of Jack.
"We have our orders you want to see him, focus on catching him 'now'," Eric ordered as he shouldered up one of the bags. The distraction of duty pushing back the wary feeling when the cold raced up his arms and spine. Unnatural feeling if anything. The awareness that there was a white haired person around and suddenly he was getting goosebumps.
The others dropped their binoculars, letting them swing and bang against their chests as they gathered up the remaining bags. Only aware of the spirits through the chill they felt, from the curious Natives of the land to the less curious Egyptians. They made their way down to the truck at a quick march. Before throwing the bags into the back, and piling in and pulling out...
Yet what could be used as a marker for Ancient Egyptians? Or a symbol that distinguished these men from others? The means of travel they used was nothing special, others had been seen on the roads of this land. Colors as numerous as a rainbow were, in fact, regularly seen. Nothing appeared all that special of their clothes or the gear they carried. The most the Egyptians could do was split four off from their own group to follow them and if they split off from each other one to each. But what had, once upon a time, felt crowded and stifling was starting to feel lonely. Ninety-nine people didn't feel enough and though they were getting help from local spirits...
It was humiliating really. Victims of the Pharaoh, victims of the demon powerless to stop either. But what else was there left that they could do? Maybe if the book was destroyed, as the last remaining piece of that cursed set. They could finally find the Field of Reeds?
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Malik began slinking back, hiding from the group by keeping the trees between himself and Monte. "Should we leave? There's nothing else we can do, and I know that I'm just going to be a distraction once the others are ready to leave."
'I can just wait for the spirits to report back in my own apartment,' Bakura mentally agreed. Though he could see the spirits already rushing about, just glints of light that caught the eye enough to distract a person. Some hovered over the trees moving quickly through the air while others still came rushing back.
"Hey... Ryou?" Fred called out, pushing past the sparse brush between them to join the trio. There were trails of salt from drying tears that framed both his face and the stark vulnerability that he now displayed.
The other two fell in step behind Bakura as the white haired teen turned to give Fred his attention.
"I... I just want to say 'thank you'. I mean, I haven't exactly been the most trusting or believing in what you guys have had to say. Hell the moment we met you its been a roller coaster of emotions for us." The elder twin began, his movements were uncomfortable, shifting as though he was in a straight jacket. So while Malik had no idea of what was being said he could read the struggle to express strong emotions. While Jounouchi followed faintly and opted to stay quiet and discreet behind Bakura.
"I'm not one to believe in magic, ironically, I guess because we don't live in a world that believes. Talking about what our family did as stage magicians was one thing, but... It felt impossible to be real, the stuff about the book, ghosts, 'family curses'. I've always been the pragmatic one between my brother and I... And I didn't give you guys a fair chance and I want you to know I'm sorry."
"There's hardly a reason to apologize," Bakura pointed out gently. "We do not live in a world where these types of magic are common. Indeed you live in a country where anything you've seen would be decried as 'demonic'. We should be thanking you for not having us run out of town in fact."
Fred gave a half hearted laugh, "yeah, that's a mental image...But having said that. You guys saved Monte. If you hadn't found him and kept him here until we arrived... He would be..." Fred grew silent, his voice choked as the words refused to leave his throat. But the struggle was enough of a lead for Bakura to understand.
Monte had been about to go through with it.
Ten minutes? Maybe more or less and they would have arrived to see Monte hanging from the tree.
"We had gotten used to the loss, accepted that they were as they were and we tried to be resolute. Going forward and not looking back. But I'll admit it feels selfish too, because now we live day to day knowing somewhere. Out there, is our uncles' body, and one day he's going to come home and our mom will wake up. But we had to tell Travis and Monte's parents that Travis was dead, and heaven help me. We nearly had to tell them that they lost Monte too. Thank you, for letting us take one of their sons home alive."
Fred finally broke down, fresh tears falling down the premade track of tears. As hard as it was, and it was damn impossible to shut the memories out. The silence, the shock, and then the crying, as they had to tell their second parents that their eldest son was murdered. Without Monte there to comfort them, and all the while knowing there probably would never be justice for Travis. Following it up by having to report that Monte killed himself?
'I'm not that strong, neither of us are. I can't handle facing that kind of grief again the day 'after'...' Fred thought as he took in these three strangers. Remembering that night in the graveyard felt like ages ago. Yet from out of a graveyard these three, admittedly odd looking, teenagers had managed to turn his world upside down. Giving him back hope for his Mom and even their Uncle, while letting them know what and why their lives had turned out the way it had. Who else would ever get that type of luck?
"It'll take work to keep him that way, he's been toyed with a great deal," Bakura explained quietly. His words partly lost over sobs, and the chattering of the spirits who had rejoined them.
But the conversations were snuffed out as candles, the wind carrying the echos of those words as the spirits saw the crying magician. Respectfully they backed off as well, eyeing Fred with concern ranging from professional to emphatic. One slipped up behind Bakura, hovering by his right shoulder before speaking.
"Four have stayed and we will relay with them so we can keep them constant in our sights," the man reported. His voice soft and respectful, despite the fact that he was long dead and no one save Bakura could hear him. Once Bakura acknowledged him with the slightest of head tilts he backed up allowing Bakura to keep his attention on Fred.
'This is awkward and I don't know how to or what to do...' was a shared thought between Jounouchi and Malik. It was painfully awkward, and both wanted to dip out and chase after these observers. Taking action or making plans was one thing, watching a full grown man break down was decidedly another.
"I can't stay here Jounouchi, if they start leading Pandora out and he sees me," Malik finally spoke, a soft, embarrassed whisper to Jounouchi.
"So why are you still here?" Jounouchi asked with a faint smirk on his lips and a shrug. It wouldn't be too hard to miss Malik if he backed off into the woods. He wasn't big and there wasn't anything stopping the trio from just teleporting home. As much as Malik gave Bakura grief over it, a nap sounded pretty good by now.
Especially if they were going to be hopping over to meet Josie later in the day. 'Actually, forget what Malik said, a nap sounds great!' he thought as tried to calculate the time difference home, here, AND Europe where Josie lived. 'Either nap now, or nap during Finals,' he thought ruefully as the weight of all that time began adding bags of sand on his shoulders. Weighing him down with the implications.
Whereas Malik merely backed up further and further only to stop.
Ice ran up the tomb keepers' spine as memories played back in his mind as he observed the group and more importantly Bakura's posture. Goosebumps formed on his arms and he didn't know if it was the spirits trying to tell him to not leave. Or just some spare fragment of his sisters' own ability. But something felt off, and Bakura knew.
"Thief?" Malik spoke in the ancient tongue, watching as Bakura turned to glance at him quickly and just as well to use that moniker. Because it was the Thief King that glanced back at the Egyptian. Pandora forgotten, Malik quickly returned to Bakura's side waiting for whatever news seemed to have become relayed.
Unable to see the growing number of spirits around Bakura, "Fred, get your brother and Monte, you need to leave. And you need to leave 'now'."
Confused, Fred wiped the tears from his eyes as he tried to understand what Ryou was saying, the force and almost growl sounded... "What?"
"Men entered into a vehicle and are taking the road that leads them here, which ok they were spying they could be returning to base in town. Only they're driving 'way' to fast for these mountain passes. You have to leave."
"Come with us," Fred stammered, stunned by the sudden change from Ryou's kind, Brit like demeanor to this low and commanding tone.
"No, we can get out on our own, we have our way. But you three need to go, they probably wanted to see Monte finish the job and they won't be thrilled that he didn't. We need to deal with them, and we can't have civilians near by. Go." No Visa's and all it would take would be for one guy to claim 'illegal' and the trio would be in jail. Not ideal especially if these men got their hands on the rings or just cut the three of them off from Yugi.
