A Past and Future Pharaoh

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Original Beta: White Swan

Current Beta: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: A little bit of cleaning and such here... Trust me, all this work is worth it.

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His eyes snapped open, focusing on the ceiling of his room in the hotel, the sight disorientating him at first. He had been walking around with his vision clear this whole time, when the stray thought struck him that he had put on his glasses.. But when did he take them off? The contacts weren't in his eyes either, so the blurred vision before him made sense. Only now his eyes burned with tears, the blankets shifted as he rolled onto his side as he strained to see the clock... Maybe it was all a dream. Tiredly he reached for the case where he carried his glasses, flipping it open blindly his fingers came across the frame. He pulled the pair to his face and slipped them on, while facing the clock and waiting for that mangled flare of color to right itself.

3:00am

The clock would tick to a new number and he could forget about the pain of loss he hadn't endured. He could forget how it felt to laugh with an equal, the pleasure of watching a sunrise with a squirming prince on his lap. A small voice chatting happily his infinitely wise words into the air because the old couldn't understand their truth. His mind struggling to replace tri-color spikes with soft black and failing.

I can't.

He hated warmth, the warmth of laughter, it always left him so cold now. Better to be alone, detached from everyone. He had to complete the tournament plans, sort out where each duel would take place. Plan it for a day when Mokuba didn't have school so he could attend, and the day for the announcement to take place.

He stared at the clock as he wondered if Yugi was even bothering to look after Mokuba, but that was ridiculous, of course he would. Yugi could be counted on to do that, even after everything Kaiba had done to the teen. No matter how much Yugi enjoyed looking like some type of punk teenager he was reliable in his word. Proof of that had been on full display all the previous year when he protected the Nerd Patrol at risk of his own well being. Even now, with the threat from his father hanging over his head, Yugi 'actually' started studying.

Unlike himself, when he tore Yugi apart with his own hands...

Kaiba pushed himself into a sitting position abruptly, with the decision that he couldn't stay in this hotel a moment longer. His skin felt like it was a roasted shell that was flaking apart with every gesture. Even leaving the hotel didn't feel like it would elicit the type of escape his mind was screaming for. Memories were eating away at his mind, dragging rusted shovels into his brain digging up things he didn't want to recall.

He threw off the blanket as he stood up as he started to nearly rip what he was wearing off so he could change clothes. The memories of Ancient Egypt were still sealed, only those that Mahaado had displayed before him were back in Seto's memories. Huge swaths of memory were gratefully lost, yet he could feel them, digging at his inability to recall. Like sadistic whispers on the other side of a wall trying to get to him.

He changed into his regular clothes quickly, all but throwing things into his bags. He turned to grab his cellphone from beside the clock a glance showing him the glow of the numbers on the clock that matched the phone.

3:00am

He paled as he grabbed his suitcase giving up on his bags. A scream began clawing at his throat as he fought it down. Couldn't still be that time, he had to have been dreaming before! It was impossible to think he was still asleep! How else could he have gotten into the bed again?! The control he was so used to having was slipping away like desert sands between his fingers. He had to get out of there, get in his office, someplace any place that didn't bring to mind those things that did not happen!

He marched to the door of his room, throwing them open before recoiling in horror.

A bladed pendulum hung before him, the blade smeared in blood below it was that same eight year old version of Mahaado.

He stumbled back as Mahaado's eyes fluttered open and focused on him. The mage laid on his back, but started to pull himself up and forward. The movements looked difficult, the way the robes sank implied there was missing parts to Mahaado's body. Once cut in half the organs would be out of place. Showing in how Mahaado just flomped over like some blood stained toy into a bowing posture. He was covered in more blood than before, as though he never stopped bleeding from the first time.

A whimper clawed it's way out of Kaiba's voice as he stood there watching in horror. Frozen to the spot Kaiba could only watch as a form materialized in the doorway of his room. The figure was shorter than himself, but he knew it from behind as he would know it from the front.

"Why are you bleeding Maha?" Set instantly fell to his knees before taking Mahaado up into his arms. Without further words he brought his free hand before his lips, whispering a spell. "Why can't I heal you?" Set was kneeling on the floor, Mahaado robes soaked in blood. Set held him close, while little Prince Atem cried wanting the scary stuff to stop.

Mahaado was resting in Set's arms in the same manner he did the day he taught that spell to Set. Stupid mage thought it would be good practice to gut himself, forcing Set to cast that spell. A spell that could heal injuries, or repair damaged things, since Mahaado was only to learn battle magics, letting Set learn the healing one seemed the most logical. But now it apparently wasn't working, the blood was pooling onto the ground, into the carpet below them.

So much blood, that night...

Somehow Seto finally managed to get his body to move, tearing out of the room while bypassing Mahaado's bloody form. Just his movement acted like a gust of wind blowing away the illusions that were acting out in the doorway. He had to escape, get down stairs and even if it meant walking back to the city on foot he'd do it. Maybe he'd find Maha's modern reincarnation on the road as well?

No, Maha was dead and a slave until the end of time.

They were all dead.

Dead...

He had a plan.

Dead...

So why couldn't he succeed.

Dead...

Why couldn't he have saved them?

DEAD!

Each step down the hall screamed the word louder into his head. Lights that had been left on before were snuffed out the second he got close. Not blinked out as though the power was cut, with the after glow of the bulb retaining some light as it faded into darkness. Just gone, with only the slightest hint of smoke from nonexistent flames following.

So his mind lit the darkness with the vibrant reds of newly shed blood. A wine path that spilled along the floor and radiated the faded life force of those he loved. He charged blindly down the hallway towards stairs, he needed to get out before he screamed. The sound of the heels on his shoes cracked like a whip driving him faster. Maybe if he ran fast enough he'd reach them, and could once more be reunited with his family?

His feet finally touched the ground floor, sinking into it which sent him sprawling into deep desert sand. His mind whimpered that there wasn't supposed to be sand, he was in a hotel that had hard wood floor in the mountains of America. A comment that was smoke on the wind, yet he grabbed it, held it close as the sand became floorboards again. There were white lights shinning through the windows that lined the front of the building.

Was it Isono? Maybe someone realized that the constant silence meant something was wrong and moved to check on him? His throat was dry, his tongue felt twice it's normal size as he stumbled towards the door he could see in the near distance.

Pretty, tomboyish Isis...

He could feel the flesh melt off her body as she died in a demons' flaming blast.

Boastful, brave Kalim...

He could hear his weaken breathy final words haunting his corpse hours after he had died while Set wasn't there.

Quiet, studious Shada...

The weight of three long millennium waiting for the miracle.

Seto grabbed the handle of the door, pulling himself up to his full height, his pride refused to let him be seen stumbling. He twisted the knob, as he fought down a sob that wanted to escape... He never did cry at their...

"Please Cousin, rule our home in my stead. It's what our fathers would have wanted. It's what 'I' want."

Atem stood in the desert sands amid the ruined city, flames dancing around him waiting to devour his corpse. Somewhere in the back that monster roared his victory, Atem was too weak to carry on the battle. Around them the pure light of the Swords of Revealing Light illuminated the surrounding area beyond the garish yellow/reds of the flames. The ten year old stood there with bloodstained clothes, clutching where his shattered ribs had pierced his lung. He was drowning to death on land, blood leaking out of the corners of his mouth from where he had been repeatedly struck. One eye couldn't open anymore, sealed with bruises and damaged by brutality.

Even as Atem spoke, from beyond him a hurtling beam of energy barreled towards him ready to shred what was left of the boy king until life was gone.

The door slammed shut, Kaiba brought his back against the door to brace it closed. He couldn't bring himself to look. He couldn't watch another death, even as the image was burned into his mind's eye once more. There was a painfully large lump in his throat, the weight sending him to his knees, at least in his mind. He slid down to the ground, his feet unable to stay stead as he fought a sea of tears that had never been shed, not for anyone, ever.

"Mas...ter?"

Mahaado was back, soaked in so much blood it was as though he bathed in it before appearing. The mini-mage was staring up at him with a confused look on his face that baffled Kaiba. He reached out, his fingers ghosting over Mahaado's bloodstained form, the blood smearing his fingertips. So strange that this was all illusions and yet so detailed that Kaiba could stain himself in it. Though what he couldn't fathom was why Mahaado was looking at him though, with those eyes wide with amazement.

"What is it Mahaado?" he snapped his voice choked and raspish.

"You... are not happy? The Pharaoh's Death, my pain... why... why is Master not happy?"

Kaiba couldn't believe what he had just heard, the very idea that Yugi's death or Mahaado's signs of suffering were supposed to be entertaining? He expected his employees to think that, he didn't project an image of cuddly warmth after all. "Why should I be happy? What type of sick bastard do you think I am that I even would? You have no clue what it was like retrieving your 'corpses' do you?"

Mahaado started at the statement, his eyes reflecting his confusion as he knelt there, an expression that stunned Kaiba. "But you wanted the throne?" The magician's words were soft, confused and uncertain, but most certainly hurtful.

It reminded Kaiba more of what happened in those days of the coronation for Atem's ascent as Pharaoh. If only Mahaado hadn't stabbed him in the back, he would have told the magician. "There was so much going on... Maybe if you didn't decide that you didn't want me in your life anymore I would have told you. Instead of just shutting me out like you did before Yugi was crowned." The words felt almost lifeless, Seto just didn't have any will left to be angry over that day.

Mahaado wilted a bit at the accusation before lowering his eyes, "one, such as myself, is forbidden to have anything as lofty as a friendship with one of royal blood."

And just like that, Kaiba felt a scream start tearing through his throat again, the feeling of abandonment and rejection all those ages ago coming back to him.

"You couldn't possibly have know about that years before..." Kaiba stopped as he stared at Mahaado. It wasn't possible was it? That Mahaado had known about it since that point. Could it? "Couldn't possibly... couldn't... you... you knew?"

"Yes, I needed to know if there was a way to salvage the Ring after my Master had finished with it. The Pharaoh decreed that I learn the history of the Items, and it was in my studies that I found how it was created, and discovered your true birth status by accident." Mahaado had lowered his head as he spoke, missing the look in Kaiba's eyes.

Seto could still see Mahaado when they had been children. Watching over the mage and Prince on those days when they got tired. Normally Mahaado would force himself to stay awake until bedtime, but by then he had trusted Set to look after them both and fell asleep himself. They used to laugh together, spend time together reading or playing. He felt like a child wanting to scream 'why'. Why did the blood in his veins have to cost him the closest, dearest friend he had in two lifetimes?

"My pain... Does it not amuse you? You wanted me stripped of my title... consider me inferior to just about anything." Mahaado pointed out while a drop of blood slipped down the curve of his chin.

"You had no right to your position! What did you ever do to deserve to serve by His side? You and your petty parlor tricks!" He snarled in rage, a human Blue Eyes White Dragon looking to demolish what knelt before him. In the back of Seto's mind he could hear the Prince with a little Mana trying to scold him. He knew, he knew he was taking his anger out on Mahaado when he now knew for a fact it wasn't the Magician's fault for what happened.

Mahaado recoiled and bowed in submission in the pool of his blood, admitting that Kaiba's words rang true. But they didn't, he 'had' earned his place, yet because Kaiba was of royal blood Mahaado would not defend himself. That knowledge was like ice thrown onto any flame of anger that Kaiba could manifest for his own safety. Hissing accusations of their own of his own actions, shaming him for lashing out at Mahaado and not taking responsibility for his own actions.

"I never looked at you as a friend because of the blood in your veins. How could you betray me like this?" He asked, his focus unsteady.

"I..." Mahaado grew silent when the unspoken order to speak finally dragged the words out of him. "Is that why you abandoned Pharaoh?"

"Like I would tell you," he snapped without thought, until he watched as Mahaado went from hands and knees to fully prostrated at his side. "What did you expect? You left me to Akunadin's control!" He pulled himself back to his feet, throwing open the door to the front, only to be faced with a long black corridor lit by distant torches. "What the hell is going on here Mahaado?" He turned his glare down onto the smaller mage.

Only Mahaado was gone, all that was left was a large pool of blood and organs that had been sliced to pieces.