A Past and Future Pharaoh

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Original Beta: White Swan

A/N: Did some serious touch ups on Kaiba's thinking so its less ranty and more realistic of what he would say or think. Man these chapters are OLD.

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The term 'friend' was a muddied word over used and abused as it was bestowed upon anyone. It was an expected term for any living person, even if one wasn't close to that person. 'This is my friend' was the expected defined term people wanted when being described. Even if they were only an acquaintance, the expectation was that the closer term of friendship existed.

Yugi was a bully magnet before the Sennen Puzzle was dropped into his lap. Without that he probably would have been a runty target for the rest of his life, but with it people started being pulled into his life. Here in Japan with the lack of control teachers had in the lives of their students, coupled with the national pride it was harder to develop an identity of their own. Broken people stayed broken, victims stayed victims with little to no way out of it.

Yugi's so called 'friendship' with the mutt was proof of that. In the duelist world, a person had to go through hundreds if not thousands of packs to create their first decks. They had to spend time figuring out which cards went together, how linking worked, everything was done alone or by dueling their friends and others. Some of the top duelists of the world didn't have the strongest of monsters and yet got their rank through thought and experience.

The mutt? Yugi gave him Time Wizard and the unlimited knowledge and experience of his grandfather. He attracted all the bigger duelists who could take out the mutt and left weaker duelists for practice purposes. Literally giving an incredibly unfair advantage to the mutt over every other person in the world. The inadequacy of the mutt shown itself through in the Semi Finals, when the mutt couldn't even take out Malik because he was so insufferably co-dependent on Yugi. He had never dealt with a proper or real pressure cooker situation in a duel.

The rest of the group were just cheerleaders, they had their own strengths and weaknesses but they didn't brag about what they didn't earn. They were supportive of Yugi without trying to make names for themselves by riding on his coat tails. Yet it was 'Kaiba' who didn't understand friendship. Not like any of them ever buried their friends, or really had to face boardrooms full of men waiting for failure.

As much as they whined about wanting Kaiba to be more 'friendly' did they ever bother thinking? That Kaiba worked in a world where everyone else was decades his senior? That they looked upon him with contempt for being a 'child in an adult world'? That he could never enjoy the things they took for granted if he didn't want Kaiba Corp to lose profits? No, of course that would just be silly.

At that moment in the limo he could have personally killed the Mutt.

That's what friends are for?

What for? What was a friend for? It was so easy for him after all; it wasn't the Mutt's own family member who had died after all. Oh Ra he hated Isis for these memories and feelings. All the Mutt had to do was sit there and listen to Yugi wallow in misery for a few hours then he went home. He never lost anyone to death, so what did it matter to him if someone else's family member died?

Willing to die for Yugi?

He could have died, himself, laughing at that one. Sure it was easy to die for someone, when they asked you how you died you can hold your head up and tell them you gave your life for someone else. Then it doesn't matter how many mistakes you made in your life, at least you have 'that' going for you. So nice to know that when you die, someone else lived so you know that somewhere in the living world a person owed you tons. So easy to slip into endless darkness knowing that someone in the world was alive thanks to what you gave up. Oh and don't forget the friends who would rally around you going on about how noble that person was to die for you.

So what if everyone died? Where was the glory in being saved then? Where was the feeling of rediscovering the wonders of being alive when you're left holding the corpse of someone you loved like a little brother in your arms? When you look around and saw nothing, just complete devastation all around you, with the only hope for rebirth dead in your arms? What good was friendship when you had brought, with your own two hands, the end to everything that ever made you happy?

Small fingers pulled and tugged on his hand, pulling Kaiba from dangerous mental territory back into the present… Where he had just squeezed a large crack into the glass of wine he had been holding. Putting it back where it belonged, he looked about instead at those in his limo. His brother was curled up at his side, any joy at returning back to their hometown destroyed by where their first stop would be.

Yugi was staring at the ground, his arms wrapped around him as he sat there going into finally preparations to deny what he was going to see. Anzu was sitting beside him, had been near glued to his hip in fact, since they got off the plane, and with her being a female, Kaiba had no idea what was going on in her mind. Although from what he had seen from glance to glance, her hormones were officially going crazy. She would look at Yugi and her cheeks would start to turn bright red, only to hear him sigh or shift. With that as a reminder of what had happened, that blush turned into a shame induced blush before she would look back down. The Mutt was sitting on the other side of Yugi just dead silent; for once nothing could come to the empty headed blondes' mouth to bring comfort or amusement.

The limo came to another halt so smooth that no one noticed in the limo save for Kaiba and Mokuba who were both looking out of the window. Nor did anyone save them notice that the limo had turned to park on the side of the road when it paused. Isono opened the door for his boss, letting Kaiba step out under a Japanese sun with his brother by his side, clinging like the child he was. The others seemed to understand what it meant as the Mutt came out first. He took one look at the game shop then turned away sharply, eyes closed as though he had been hit, a fist resting against the limo's side. Yugi was next, his eyes closed as he tried to gain the strength to look up. Yet what he had mentally prepared himself for left him unable to hold up his own weight. Stumbling forward, he fell to his knees before his ruined home while Anzu came out last, already going to her knees holding Yugi as she gazed up at the wreaked Game Shop.

The glass had been blown out, but been swept away for the safety of the people who may have passed the storefront. The sign that had rested over the door had been removed; the hangings against the wall looked unstable even to Anzu's eyes. The bright yellow and black caution tape that was doubtlessly put in front of the store to protect people was now lying broken on the ground. Fluttering in the wind but clearly ignored when thieves came to plunder the inside of the store. The inside looked dark and cold in the daylight, with bricks looking as though they had bulged out from the sheer force of the explosion. The outside looked almost tense, like a victim before a firing squad; at attention, giving the impression that something was making it stand up straighter than it should have been standing.

Yugi finally stirred in Anzu's arms, lifting up his head to see his home for the first time since he had been kidnapped. She could almost see the memories as they ran past his eyes of all his experiences here at this shop. This corner shop had been his life, it was where he'd grown up and so many memories tied him to this place. Yet someone decided to up and throw a bomb inside it? Blow it up and kill the people inside? Why not when the building was empty? Why at all? Questions that he had been asking himself since he learned of the attacks boiled even more strongly now than ever. Churning like a poisonous sea until it turned into a pained scream of 'why'.

People on various sides of the building and the other side of the street came out at the scream. Recognizing Jounouchi and Anzu as friends of the boy who lived next door. With Kaiba standing there the people realized the scream was most probably from the boy. Their hearts bled as they turned away in respect, going back to what they were doing. Mokuba rubbed his eyes and fought down his own reactionary sobs into Kaiba's coat, wishing that this didn't have to happen to someone like Yugi. The world renowned 'King of Games' knelt there with his head thrown back and tears running down his face like twin streams. Suddenly Yugi staggered to his feet, breaking away from Anzu's hold as his tears blinded him.

He rushed to the building, not caring if the wooden floorboards broke under his weight and sent him crashing to the basement. He had to get back inside, like a horse trying to get back into the burning barn that had been its home. But something, no someone, grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, someone who obviously didn't know who they were dealing with. Rapidly blinking his amethyst colored eyes wild with so many emotions Yugi focused on who had grabbed him…

Only to be caught in the gaze of a deeply sympathetic pair of brown eyes with white bangs dangling before them. Lonely, little Bakura had been sentenced to a lone apartment, without hope of ever having a friend, because of that Ring. The lone boy who had lost both his mother and sister, then was chased out of his hometown as his friends fell into comas from being around him. Until the day that not just Yugi but all of them braved his apartment to play with him. Bakura had wanted so badly to be their friend and to also protect them, but more often than not he was just the weight holding them down with that Ring in his life.

Then, as Yugi recoiled at Bakura's sudden presence, Isis made hers known as well. She was older than the boys, having lost her mother when Malik was born, serving as mother and older sister to Malik. Isis understood the grief as well, that loss was never filled. Yugi would always feel this pain, but she understood that the pain didn't have to be 'all' that there was in his life. Yes, these two understood in ways that Jounouchi and Anzu couldn't about the loss of loved ones. Kaiba did as well, but thanks to Gozoboro he would never know how to bring comfort to Yugi, not easily anyway.

Anzu turned her gaze from the arrival of Bakura and Isis to where Malik, Rashid and Honda followed up more slowly. Honda was leaning against a walking cane, but other than that they looked fine, albeit sad. Yugi gripped Bakuras' shoulders briefly before collapsing in his grief, both Bakura and Isis following him down to the ground. Malik approached Anzu, holding out a hand to help her stand up, yet oddly enough he herded her to where the rest of the guys were pretty much clustered.

"If you guys try to talk to Honda you better write it down. I know now isn't really a good time, but…" Malik rubbed the back of his neck looking a bit flustered. Jounouchi just looked shocked, "Honda was too close to the blast, and though he's healing fine he's only regained about twenty percent of his hearing. The doctors weren't sure if he would ever get one hundred percent back. He can talk just not hear and don't make him run, his knee is can't hold his weight."

Jounouchi looked over at Honda his eyes beseeching his long time friend to somehow understand what Malik said. To understand and prove that the Egyptian was a liar, that Honda was fine. Yet Honda limped over, placing little weight on his injured right leg while Mokuba clung to Kaiba so tightly that the older Kaiba's fingers felt numb.

"I'll assume that Malik told you, so yeah I know you hate to hear this Jounouchi but you're going to have to learn how to write."

Jounouchi sank down to the ground and began to cry, his face in his hands. He wanted to hurt these people so badly, for what they did to both Yugi and Honda. He wanted to get revenge for the pain that they had inflicted on his friends, yet they were out of reach. He felt so useless as he sat there useless for his friends when a hand fell on his shoulder. Looking up he saw Honda looking down at him with an understanding expression on his face. Malik stood awkwardly among them undecided of where he should go finally walking over to Rashid. The older man placed a large, warm hand on his shoulder to reassure the younger teen that he wasn't alone.

"I want to go to my room…" Yugi finally spoke, his face still firmly pressed into Bakura's shoulder.

"It may not be safe Yugi," Isis replied gently stroking his back. "The ground is not stable in all locations."

"I don't care, I want to go to my room. If I'm staying with Kaiba than I want some of my own things at least…" Yugi replied slowly, pushing back from between Bakura and Isis so he could stand up. He walked to the door with Bakura holding his wrist and trailing behind him.

"I'll guide you," Bakura suddenly pulled Yugi back so he could lead. "I'm going to take Yugi to his room, either guide me or don't I'm not forcing you."

Yugi was too numb to the world to care why Bakura was talking to thin air but Anzu looked at Isis in concern.

"There are a large number of spirits that have been following Bakura around for some time now. They are benign to him, serving as guides and what not, it is how we knew to come here rather than the airport when you returned," Rashid explained his voice some how both stern yet gentle.

Bakura led Yugi into the shadows of his grandpa's shop, not paying attention to anything around him, save the lady who was leading him. It was so silent in the shop, the only sound seemed to come from outside or the worrisome creak of a board. She didn't seem thrilled to be helping Yugi, but if Bakura was going to go into a dangerous location she wasn't just going to let him go alone. So she guided, showing him around the weaken floorboards and steps, so that they could walk to the next floor without harm.

They reached Yugi's room without incident, finding that for the most part it was intact, with only the stuff on the wall having fallen down. So Bakura stood in the door frame and watched as Yugi drifted to his closet and pulled out a knapsack and went about packing up his things. It brought to mind when his dad told him he'd have to move from his hometown after that series of incidents. Item after item was gathered up and slipped into a large bag too big for Yugi to have been able to carry on his own a year ago.

"Yugi is no longer in the form of a small child," Isis had explained while raising her hand to above her head as though to given an idea about height. "He stands about thus…"

"What do you mean? How can a kid grow that much that fast?" Malik had asked in bewilderment from his seat as they sat around the table before dinner.

"Mahaado, the magician Catherine spoke of, said that the corrupted power of the Items have finally bled away from the world. So that now Yugi can resume growing naturally."

"But why would it keep Yugi looking like a child all those years? He was 17 looking 10," Bakura noted as he speared some lettuce on his fork.

"Because the Pharaoh died at age 10, and apparently some force treated that death as a draw. So Yugi had to stay at least the physical age the Pharaoh was when he died."

'I see what she meant,' Bakura noted from the doorway, studying Yugi as the teen moved about. He had to look up at Yugi the same way he had to look up to see Kaiba now. The lady was standing near the bed looking at it, yet there was something about the way she looked… That lady didn't seem to like Yugi; she was indifferent towards Malik, distant towards Isis and Rashid, yet towards Yugi… Suddenly alarmed he began to look around and feel the place out for lack of better term. Yes, he could sense Exodia, but around the room itself he felt something off, just below… "Yugi! Don't!" he rushed to the teen Yugi had finally tossed his bag on it and flopped down on it.

The boards shattered under the bed as Bakura ran forward. With a scream Yugi fell down the hole, instincts making him reach out to Bakura as the teen rushed forward. The white haired teen barely managed to grab one of Yugi's hands even as it cost him any firm ground to stand on, and only a quick grab at a pipe stopping their fall. The bed crashed though the first floor and into the basement level of the building. But Bakura couldn't just risk dropping Yugi in any direction, the whole building had suddenly felt off. "You did this didn't you?" He demanded looking up at the lady who looked horror struck at the situation.

Meanwhile the gang ran into the shop, frantic and scared cries as they saw Yugi and Bakura dangling from the second floor. "Don't come any closer! The floors are being damaged some how and I can't tell you which boards are safe to walk on!" Bakura called out in warning.

Yugi looked up as Bakura spoke, the haze of grief slipping away, bringing Yugi back to the present. "It's only a floor or two Bakura it's ok…" He let go of Bakura's hand, waiting for Bakura to release him. Yet Bakura began to shake his head in terror, eyes wide with fright with what laid beneath them. Unable to give words to the sight below them, he watched as Yugi reached up and squeezed his wrist hard. Finally forced to let Yugi go and fall, never seeing the trap of sharp pointed boards below him, meant to pierce him like so many spears… placed there by the angry dead that followed Bakura.

Anzu screamed and turned away, everyone was frozen in shock, frightened to disobey Bakura's warning yet it weighed against the horror of watching Yugi fall. When suddenly the walls seemed to rumble and an earth brown hand with a shackled wrist shot out of the darkness, catching Yugi mid fall. A hand that Kaiba recalled all to vividly as it had come towards him as a fist taking from him his title as World Champion of Duel Monsters. They stood there with baited breath as more of the arm was revealed as Yugi was deposited right before the group.

"Thank you Exodia," was a thankful prayer on more than one pair of lips as Bakura scrambled back up to safety and rushed back towards the gang. "Yugi! Are you ok?!" He asked, his eyes showing his core shaking panic. "I'm so sorry, I never should have trusted them."

"What are you talking about? You didn't do anything wrong. Besides I'm more worried that I hurt your wrist than a little fall," Yugi replied as Kaiba suddenly grabbed his elbow.

"I'm not staying another second in a building that could fall apart in a matter of seconds."

Yugi obeyed, leaving the Game Shop empty-handed following Kaiba out the door with the rest of the gang following suit, bringing them out into the safety of the daylight, lost on what to do next. Yet trust Kaiba to have a plan for everything as he suddenly took lead.

"The Mutt is probably close enough to walk home, so I suggest you do. Anzu, your parents have your things so unless there's more you wish to accomplish here, have the mutt take you home. Anything else can wait till tomorrow, but I'm going home now. It'll take the rest of the day to get Yugi acclimated to how the mansion is set up." Kaiba ordered and watched as the group slowly nodded. Slowly everyone dispersed, and walking away while Yugi promised to call Anzu so she could find out where Kaiba lived in the first place. The gang couldn't meet if the gang didn't know the location after all. "Mokuba, did I just invite the geek squad into our mansion?" He suddenly asked, feeling horror creep up on him.

"Sure did, Big Brother!" Mokuba hugged his waist so tightly he figured he had gone down another size. Mokuba was used to seeing his brother bark out orders to the servants or employees, that was old hat. But it was that very straightforward thinking that , when used in emergencies like this, impressed him all over again.

Kaiba sighed as Isono reopened the door to the limo while Yugi stood still.

"I… I feel… a small…" Yugi looked up at Kaiba, his eyes a question before tentatively looking behind him. A rumble like purr seemed to emanate from the darkness, while a pair of yellow eyes suddenly appeared! Stunned, Yugi watched as Kuriboh suddenly floated out of the shop, Yugi's bag hanging from its tiny green paws. "My things, you brought them to me," Yugi looked flattered as he hefted up the bag over his shoulder. The Kuriboh looked rather proud of itself, puffing up some as it hovered there just long enough for a scratch before disappearing.

"That was cool… All of it," Mokuba pointed out with a foot in the limo.

"Yeah it was…" Yugi was going to continue till he saw that look on Kaiba's face and shuffled quickly after Mokuba.