Yu-Gi-Oh: A Past and Future Pharaoh
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
Beta By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
A/N: Sooo close to catching up...
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"More over its the nature of the Items that worry me, seemingly eternally," Bakura continued with a resigned sigh. "When it comes to the previous circle of High Priests, there are no tales of corruption or abuse on the public scale. Yet for whatever reason Mahaado was aware of the innate evil of the Sennen Items and seemingly sealed away his own item in an effort to stop its effects."
"And this has 'what' to do with his clothes exactly?" Malik asked as he settled back, unable to go into a sprawl since Anzu was still sharing the couch with him.
"Well in comparison, you're pretty defensive about your back, and your upbringing pretty much allowed for a split personality to manifest through the Sennen Rod." Bakura replied in a false cheer, just enough of a 'pay attention Malik' tone to remind Malik of his own transgressions against others, like the teenager sitting in the room with them.
Malik winced while Anzu paled, her eyes lowered as she was forced to remember that fact, before clasping her hands before she spoke. "And out of all the priests that served Yugi, he's the most decidedly submissive. Everyone else acts normal around Yugi, yet maybe because he's a Duel Spirit as well, or not, Mahaado is far and away more overtly passive."
"'Overtly'?" Bakura echoed, curiosity carrying his voice as Malik blinked at her assessment as though he got what Anzu meant.
"Just some of Mahaado's more recent actions while posing as Kaiba at your school," Malik clarified though his expression was clearly set on 'pondering' mode. "Because I can see where you're going with this 'Kura' and it 'is' concerning. How 'did' it affect him before Yugi could assert complete authority over Mahaado to start with."
"Apparently badly if Kaiba is letting Mahaado do what he wants without reserve, he's not going to exactly stop a victim from lashing out. Hell he does it himself," Bakura noted aloud when he suddenly got the 'you swore, bad bunny' stare from Anzu.
"Thing is, his card claims him the 'most powerful', what happens if he snaps like Malik while being that powerful? Its not like he's got an item to restrain anymore," Anzu pointed out.
"Save whoever is summoning him and Yugi won't let him get out of..." Bakura grew quiet and crossed his arms as he sank back against his seat as he thought. 'Yet if someone manages to summon him, that creates a threat. But also, the very nature of summoning requires a common thread between summoner and summons. So Mahaado naturally has such a connection with Yugi and Kaiba given their history. So for them to each reach him and that would influence Yugi and Kaiba... Obviously it wouldn't be overt, but... it would explain why Yugi has such a fondness for leather predating the Pharaoh sooo...?'
"Get out of hand?" Anzu offered, so naively innocent of all the hell scenario's that were playing through Bakura's head at the moment.
For which he was grateful because he didn't know how to reassure her or anyone of anything. Out of the three of them, he was the most experienced due to his past life, but he wasn't a priest. All he honestly knew was that the Priests were ignorant of the method to the creation of the Items. No different than a person who knew how to turn on the television and watch it, while having no clue about how it worked.
In reality they had no idea how a self aware Ka like Mahaado functioned when partnered and summoned. There simply was 'no' other Ka that was a whole soul bound to the servitude of being a Ka Beast like him. Given the normal rules given about comparability the closest they had was Kaiba's attachment to Blue Eyes and that was an out right 'dragon'. It was possible that his more grandiose displays during duels was in thanks to the dragon. Giving him the freedom to express himself in ways he was probably denied due to work.
"I mean, Mahaado often used magic to distract Yugi when he was getting out of hand, and apparently as a means to settle Yugi down. If magic can be channeled I can see Yugi try to cast spells or get his hands on the 'Dark Magicians' Spell book' that Mahaado has," Anzu explained.
'Corrupted Yugi and Mahaado casting 'A thousand knives'... no thank you, I'd like to leave this universe now...' Bakura thought though he kept his expression smooth and considerate, his metaphorical bunny ears were tapping out of those mental images.
"... Could that happen?" Malik asked, fascinated by the thought of people learning genuine magic in this age once more.
"Apparently, because he tried sweet talking Mahaado into handing over a spellbook, and amazingly enough Mahaado refused. Its about the only thing that Mahaado will put his foot down on, and Yugi won't push. Because then he's going into the whole 'I am your ruler do as I say' route and he's avoiding that like the plague." Anzu recalled warmly, especially given that long suffering teacher expression Mahaado wore so naturally. Especially since Yugi's tone fairly screamed that this was a repeated request and Mahaado, a repeated denying of wishes.
"You are already a 'God' how much more power could you possibly 'want'?" Mahaado had argued, bearing a baffled expression that was going to get him fans if he was ever seen by the living.
"But your spells are so much fun!" Yugi argued, both with Mahaado and with his inability to decide if he should try adorably cute or just stick with teenage whine.
Anzu had sat there trying to be as quiet and unobtrusive as humanly possible since it was rare to see Mahaado open up like that. Reminding her that this was a teenager their own age and that Yugi had been the small child between Mahaado and Kaiba previously. She was actually curious about how it must have felt to go to sleep one day in service to a 10 year old Pharaoh, then wake up and he was 17.
"But I'm getting us off topic aren't I?" Anzu asked, as her gaze slipped from Malik towards the table where the black and white card showing Scotlands' flag rested.
"Perhaps, but your perceptions are varied and greatly appreciated," Bakura answered with a faint smile finally able to cross his face. "You've provided fresh observations that I had not thought about."
"Thoughts that 'are' very important upon going forward, because this group isn't made up of reincarnations of previous people. They're people like us," Malik agreed nodding slightly, sending his hair and earrings into a gentle light motion. "They don't know the traditions or customs, the questions you guys have come up with are helping us out in thinking more in line with what our enemies might be doing."
Warmed by the pairs' support Anzu cheered up as Bakura dropped his guarded sitting posture to focus more on her redirection. "So you two were talking about other things besides Scotland before I returned? We 'do' need to plan for something when we go, I honestly doubt that the twins would not warn her."
"Warn?" Anzu asked, tilting her head to the side out of confusion, when her brows furrowed and she started giving the pair 'that' look again. "What did you three do?"
"Nothing!" Malik replied, as defensive as Bakura looked, leaning back from Anzu. "We were at the graveyard investigating when they showed up that's all!"
"'Graveyard'? That's not enough of a reason to..." Anzu began when she looked between Bakura and Malik again and sighed. "Jounouchi didn't tell me how you guys got this started... so you might as well... 'How did you find the twins'..."
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Where was Mai? Why couldn't Yugi have more female friends so she could have someone to rant to? It was just too far to go see Isis at this hour and that left Anzu face planted on her bed as she tried to absorb what she had heard. Out of reach, Anzu's hand couldn't reach her phone, tapping at the bed with her fingers just giving the lightest graze across the bottom of her link to the outside world.
Those poor twins were probably paranoid or worried now, it would be insane 'not' to believe that they warned Josie about any potential random visits. Putting the pressure on Ryou regarding translating for Jounouchi and Malik, and couldn't they just go to the library and research first? Instead of coming off like investigators... teenage, still in school, investigators...
She laid face down on her bed, her face planted in her pillow as she tried to imagine if Josie would be scared by their presence. Ryou was sweet and all, but it was also possible that the twins would see the guys as a threat. Even without Jounouchi, it was still going to be two guys going to meet with Josie. Given what Ryou had described, she had only recently moved there, meaning she didn't have any type of circle of friends. There wouldn't be anyone who would run to her aid if Ryou and Malik turned out to be dangerous.
Well they 'were' dangerous, but currently in a good way.
'Currently.'
'It reminds me of my trip to New York really,' she thought as she finally rolled herself over and stared up at the ceiling. 'Being at class was great, but at night? It was too expensive to call anyone and it got super lonely. Foreign lands are fun with someone to talk and share things with. But everyone in that group felt a compulsion to get away from each other?' That disturbed her given how it sounded as though the instinct happened after the uncle's death. When friends should come together in solidarity, they instead, ran to the four corners.
Her fingers ran against the blankets' well familiar texture as she looked over at the phone now in grabbing distance. 'They're being forced to run away from home, one dead, two missing, one in Scotland, and the twins will be parting soon as well. Then there's the mother whose reaction seems rather over the top to me.' Anzu's lips dipped down into a frown.
'I wonder if the guys will let me take a spot and be there when they bring Mahaado to the hospital? He used to be in charge of graves, so there's bound to be 'some' type of priestly procedure that he would know about. But if the priest left anything there, it probably got removed by the gravekeepers so its not like we could ask anyway...'
She grabbed the phone and began looking up information about the weather in Scotland, 'I figure the priest is one of Kaiba's. Would make sense, but if Kaiba had sealed away the Ka by then, how could this priest have that kind of power and where did he come from? Drat trust the guys to not think about that and probably didn't get a physical description of the priest! For all we know it was Kaibas' crazy side that came at him in Colorado.'
The temperature for Scotland seemed perfectly reasonable to her, so she pushed herself out of her bed and walked to her closet. 'Think 'harmless', 'friendly', and maybe grab something to use as a casual conversation starter just in case... And make sure I keep Ryou with me the whole time so if someone comes after us, he can protect us. Literal 'Crouching Bunny, Hidden Dragon' that one,' Anzu thought as she found a nice pair of pants to wear.
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It was peaceful, blessedly so as she sat on the deck of Maliks' private boat. The waves were lapping gently against the boat and the dock, the steady rhythm of sound and rocking as gentle as a mother holding her newborn. The winds were also gentle, well as gentle as any wind on the ocean 'could' be. The smell of the ocean, the soft strokes of the wind against her skin and tugging on her loose hair. She wished it was enough to lull her to sleep, yet the visions behind her eyelids refused to grant her that much peace.
Memories of the past were a messy pile of feelings, warm and happy thoughts melted into terrible realizations. Thoughts of her classes and studies only to know that in the end they amounted to nothing. Thanks to the Tauk she couldn't see the possibilities that the future held and gave poor advice. In those days it was merely classes on meditation, religion, science, math, classes that would make her an asset to her future Pharaoh.
In her earliest visions she had seen such possibilities for him!
If she had never used the Tauk, if they had only 'known' what those horrible items could do...
Looking back over their history, she understood that without the Sennen Items she probably would never have become a priestess. The Items were created in an effort to protect the kingdom from invaders, telling her that the armies lacked the strength to protect them. Only if her Mistress and the others took the Items with them to the grave when they joined the Yugis' Father in death... Maybe Isis and the others would have been spared the blunt of it? Even if it was only the Pyramid stayed with Yugi out of its relevance. She would have seen the options, the possibility of Bakura coming to the palace would have been dealt with properly.
"There is no use in blaming yourself..."
Rashid's voice was a boulder, it rumbled with strength and dedication while simultaneously disrupting all the gentle natural sounds. Just dropped into the center of a proverbial lake and startling Isis so badly she nearly rocketed herself out of her seat.
"Noise would be greatly appreciated," Isis gasped as her heart jumped through her throat and smacked into the back of her teeth before they escaped.
"Oh... my apologies, I thought you heard me..." Rashid replied, since he was wearing his usual thick, work boots and he was sure that she could hear him if she wasn't being so introspective.
For which, when one lived with a Seeress as a sister such expressions were easily recognized. More over, when not 'seeing' it made those expressions worrisome since it usually meant that Isis was thinking things over.
"If you're so good at 'seeing the future' why do you always look at bad things? Can't you see something good once in a while?"
Set's voice couldn't decide if it wanted to be angry or pout, as Rashid recalled. Another complaint that Set had about 'seeing the future'. Not that Isis' argument wasn't valid, after all one could easily get lost in the daydreams of happier moments than ones she might be having at the time. Coupled with the fact that she was intended to see threats to the kingdom so that the General, later to be Set, would be able to marshal the army faster.
"Though what makes you think I'm blaming myself for something? I am merely thinking," Isis pointed out once her heart stopped acting as though it was a rabbit. Ryou please go back to your own rabbit hole.
"We've known each other long enough that I can tell when you've been using your Sight and when its affecting you." He pointed out patiently, and when she started shaking her head added, "I also take out the trash and noticed the used candles and meditation tools you usually use."
That hit.
"I just... I've been doing some vision work for our Pharaoh, and it got me thinking is all," Isis confessed as she settled back down into her seat. It was dark now, the city had all its artificial lights give the sky this gray/black color while only the strongest of stars were granted visibility. The buildings were looming shadows as the lights from the more active parts of Domino blossomed outwards, as the the working sectors were closing down while the entertainment sectors started waking up.
Yet while it was an allure for Malik, setting his eyes wide with curiosity and enthusiasm, Isis wasn't so enamored. Closing her eyes and she could see the near limitless field of stars that actually existed, it was rather symbolic to her really. Comparing her ancient past to her modern existence, and noticing how the further mankind advanced, the more isolated they became. While more of the sky was revealed, it was a deceptive reveal, showing only the space above the world while shutting away the small and weaker lights of further stars.
Much like how they had thought their Pharaoh the sun, and he would have been if he had been allowed to finish growing up. Instead he was just a little star, lost to the sands of time, his name struck from the records, forgotten and yet he was here. Still trying to be the sun of this world and save it from the darkness coming for it. Trying to save everyone even at the cost to himself, and she had to wonder. When would he finally see peace?
