A Past and Future Pharaoh

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: Wow, had to adjust a lot in this chapter...

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Yugi sat there staring at the faded blue eyes that hovered before him. The ghosts' clothes were of white cloth with gold on the head, forearms and wrists that stood out despite the faded state. But because of the Egyptian tanned skin, the white of the eyes and blue were the only things that were easily to see of the person. All save his eyes; those steel blue eyes gazed at Yugi with a surprising amount of patient devotion. He was on bent knee before Yugi, never making an effort to rise despite being a ghost, yet he did keep his head up to see Yugi. But… but he had the wrong guy! Yugi was not the Pharaoh!

"I… I am terribly sorry, but you have the wrong person… The other me, Pharaoh Atem, has gone to the Afterlife," Yugi explained in his polite way. He shyly lowered his head as though to imply that Mahaado would have to continue his search there. Yet Mahaado's eyes seemed to crinkle in a way that said he was smiling.

"No, Pharaoh is here right before me. Only Pharaoh could put the Puzzle back together. Though Pharaoh seems to continue thinking that he and his spirit are two different beings, the truth is the opposite. Pharaoh is Pharaoh. Now and forever," his use of Japanese was rough, thickly accented in the way Maliks' was. Yet he stopped numerous times, clearly looking for words to express his thoughts.

He seemed to understand that he had just sent Yugi's head into a tizzy. "Pharaoh was not only that which you found in the Puzzle. After the final battle Pharaoh's body died and his soul lived on in the Puzzle. Because it was decreed, Pharaoh was reborn in the form that he is in now, but part of his soul was still sealed away in the Puzzle, the past memories and fighting spirit of Pharaoh's past life. That is not to say Pharaoh must forever be tied to those ancient responsibilities, hence a new body for Pharaoh. Instead of merely possessing some random stranger to fulfill Pharaoh's role in ending that war."

"No, you are mistaken… The other me was very cool, he was strong and aggressive. I'm well, my strength lies elsewhere, but…" Yugi lowered his head and shook it. When Atem first was released from the Puzzle he was almost mad from the solitude of his time alone. Understandable when one considered he was sharing a space, unknowingly, with a mighty demon. Ages of having to take extreme measures against Zorks' influence had pushed Atem close to becoming a puppet of the demon.

But between Yugi and the friends they had made over time Atem had softened some of those extreme edges. Though he would have been fooling no one if he had said that all that aggressiveness was gone from Atem. Until the end Atem still loved to push people to the edge, that he found life in the adrenaline rush of battle.

But Yugi didn't defeat Atem to prove himself as a powerful duelist, he just wanted to help Atem go home. No matter how much he didn't want to see Atem leave, he understood that Atem had to move on, be with the souls of those who he knew once more. Though Yugi could argue forever that it was ok with the time share aspect of his body when Atem was around. He knew in his heart it wasn't fair to the both of them, Atem would never be able to grow or move the way he wanted. Bound as he was to protect Yugi from those dangers.

"I know that I kneel before my Pharaoh for I feel that strength that only Pharaoh has, that strength that comes when he wishes to protect those he cares for."

"I am sorry, but I still think you are mistaken…" Yugi drifted off; Mahaado made him sound as if he could be cool like the other him, to be able to pull off the same miracles that the other him could. But it was just a card game, without the Sennen Items there wasn't any real magic to the card game anymore. Right?

"Did… did Pharaoh not… sense it? Before I arrived, did not Pharaoh sense… anything?" Now Mahaado sounded disappointed. "Have I bothered Pharaoh needlessly?"

"I don't know… I felt… something inside me. I would be lying if I said that wasn't the truth, yet…" Even as he spoke he could see Mahaado's eyes light up with renewed hope. "Why are you here? What would bring you to me?" he asked instead.

"Pharaoh is slowly waking up; that is good. As to why I am here, I am allowed to resume my duties and serve Pharaoh," Mahaado said firmly. "Pharaoh's power now is weak, so this is as much as I can offer of myself. But as Pharaoh's power grows I shall be able to help more, and appear more fully before Pharaoh."

"Say, I hate to break up a moment like this… But uh… could you possibly help us get out?" Jounouchi asked, his usual rough tone warring with that little thing known as fear of ghosts.

"I do not know how to help you. I have discovered that when I manifest myself this far I have been causing undesired results in the machines. But I understand so little of them that I fear just randomly floating through them. Should I do so I have no promise that I will not trigger the machine that will light the bars with lightning. I do not wish to harm the young one," Mahaado explained, turning around to face Jounouchi, not realizing that his clothes and eyes only visible appearance would disturb the teen. \

He recalled Jounouchi as dueling alongside his Pharaoh, and though hot headed like Kalim in his youth, he figured that Jounouchi just liked being pressed against the wall. Even as it explained further why he was so faded, if all the bars, or he assumed all the bars were dangerous. Mahaado refering to Mokuba as 'young one' implied he wouldn't willingly risk a child if he could avoid it. So he probably appeared more fully if they could get out of the danger.

"Are we the only ones that can see you? Can you get us help?" Yugi asked, while Mahaado's head seemed to turn back towards him slowly before the rest of him. It was almost comical how he seemed to try to move slowly enough not to scare the ghost fearing prisoner.

"Don't be ridiculous Yugi. Even if this is world wide news how would you convince a group to believe a ghost?" Kaiba snapped from his cell.

"Well, can't he just take over someone like he did me…" Jounouchi asked gruffly from the wall with his eyes locked on the ghost.

"I chose to possess you because I felt it was an easier way to introduce myself to all of you, than appearing straight in the room, but possession is not something I am actually skilled at. I was able to nudged your mind to go in a certain direction, rather then try to forcibly take over save for the few words. I am rather unfamiliar with the world around me at this time as well. Though I traveled through many places to reach here, finding someone would not be easy," Mahaado explained patiently.

The group looked down, going back into planning. The idea that Mahaado could help them get out it offered some hope, but it was a useless hope if they couldn't find a way to use it.

"I… I could free the young one right now, but only so far as to get him off the chains. It would take some time before I could remove all of you from this place, since I would have to spend time studying the layout of this location to find adequate places for you to hide and travel through," he offered, hoping to appease his disappointed Pharaoh.

"Why not do it all at once? If they come and see me loose they're going to get suspicious," Mokuba pointed out, then adding, "Name's Mokuba, Kaiba Mokuba nice to meet'cha!"

An unseen smile touched Mahaado's lips as he bowed his head in greeting. "Were it that I could Mokuba; however, I draw my power directly from Pharaoh, with his power just waking up it leaves me weak. When I free you I won't be able to re-manifest before you for a while, though I can search this place while recovering."

"Ain't there anyone else you can tap into?" Jounouchi asked looking around the room for where they could even start their escape.

"Set is strong, but he renounces it so ardently that I can not work along side him to empower myself," Mahaado said, sounding apologetic. "If he made me his monster then this would be easy..."

"So why not tell this Set person that we need him to get the stick out of his ass so we can escape?" Jounouchi asked, waving a hand in the air.

"Ah… Set is right over there…" Mahaado paled a bit at such language being used about Set, he knew how the Dragon was after all. He nodded his head towards Kaiba, who merely glared at him.

Unlike the mutt, Kaiba fully recognized the High Priest garments that this person wore. The past he lived seemed to want to make itself known again. Much to his disgust, though that sentiment was born from more than just a single emotion. "As much as it pains me to say this, go and find a way to get us out first. You can just relay the information to me, then free my brother. That way they don't get a chance to find out what we're up to until we're already gone."

Trust Set to already have a plan ready in mind for even the improbably chance that a Monster would appear to lend aid. Still, because Set would not take on Mahaado, the mage turned his attention back on their Pharaoh.

"Why are you looking at me?" Yugi asked innocently then it hit him. "Oh! But Kaiba is right; it's ok; you can go and do that."

Mahaado bowed to Yugi before fading out of sight.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Domino Harbor\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

\Beep\ Please come back to Domino City. I know there are bitter memories here for you, but I need someone who would understand. I'm not crazy, this is important. Something is happening that I cannot understand on my own. You once had the power to see the future. Even without an Item to aid you I can only hope that you can glean some information out of this mess. \Beep\

\Beep\ Please! I hope this message is even reaching you! I'm at the Domino Hospital; Yugi's been kidnapped along with Jounouchi and the Kaibas! Not only that but someone bombed the Game Shop. Yugi's grandfather and mother didn't make it \Click\

"Bakura?" Isis snatched up the phone with a speed to leave vipers gaping as she pressed the receiver to her ear.

"Ms. Ishtar?" Bakura's voice suddenly sounded relieved. "Can you come?"

"I'm on my brother's boat; we'll be docking tomorrow at Domino Harbor. Tell me what happened? Yugi is missing? His grandfather's game shop destroyed?" Isis kept a hand on the nailed down table to keep herself steady. While Rishid piloted the boat Malik stood before his sister, his violet eyes anxious of what the conversation would uncover. The last message had been a bit disturbing, but this new one was horrifying.

"I don't understand it all myself. I…" Bakura seemed suddenly to hit a mental roadblock. He tried to start, only to stop and start again.

"Bakura… Calm down, take a few deep breaths," Isis ordered first. "Now tell me; we've both seen things that would label us mad in any other circumstance, so do not feel you have anything to fear from me. Speak the truth, let me help you in what way I can."

Bakura did as told before he finally calmed down. "Yugi was kidnapped along with Jounouchi and the Kaiba brothers. But I don't feel that has anything to do with what is going on right now. I don't know how I can tell; I just know. But the bomb… a few days after they disappeared a bomb was set off in the Game Shop. Yugi's grandfather and mother were killed instantly; Honda is here in the hospital, he was thrown back from the blast, but he's not dead. There's something in the Game Shop… Not just in the Game Shop, I can feel it in my apartment as well… Different, but the same, I just don't know. I don't understand this…"

Bakura sounded lost and alone. Which was probably correct, with Yugi and company gone Bakura was probably alone in that hospital. Isis could only pity his present state, alone in the hospital, everyone he would normally turn to gone. She didn't know Bakura enough to judge how he would normally act in these types of situations, but he was in a bad enough situation by the sounds of it to earn sympathy.

"Do you think you can handle everything until we get there? We'll be there at about 2:30pm." Isis asked in concern.

"I can hold on that long…" he answered, the hesitancy in his voice.

The ship was finishing its docking process, Isis, standing on the deck, saw Bakura's white haired head standing out among all the concrete. Which was good; she wouldn't have to search hard. Malik was helping Rishid while she made her way to the plank. She began her walk down to the dock as Bakura reached the bottom step. Even the wind seemed to obey her, toning down so that it wouldn't ruffle her appearance, while each step she took was even and calm. One had to be calm, when others depended on you; one had to be calm so they would be. They would take their strength and cues by you. Half way down the plank she stopped as he suddenly rushed up it, throwing his arms around her. If not for the fact that he was shaking like a fragile leaf at the height of a sand storm, she would have been more alarmed than concerned.

"Hey, that's my sister you're getting all close to!" Malik shouted, standing up from his work.

"Malik…" Rishid gently chided, amused.

Isis looked over at her younger brother and gave a smile as she reached out to steady herself with the rope railing. She placed her free hand on Bakura's back as the young adult clung to her.

"I am here now, we will work through this." She soothed the ends of Bakura's hair as she spoke; like her steps, she kept her voice calm and even. He was probably close to finishing his growing, his face pressed into her shoulder. "What have you seen?"

"Exodia."