A Past and Future Pharaoh

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta By: Me!

A/N: Not a lot of adjusting here...

/

He stood there with his back against a door that was supposedly the one that led outside. His body was shaking, his eyes closed and nerves shot from the experience. He fought to get his heart rate back under control, unwilling to just lose his mind in this wrenched place. There was a bar in the building he knew about, maybe a stiff drink would ease him down some. He had to accept reality, whatever that was going on, he couldn't just escape this place.

He took a single step forward seemingly testing the ground, to ensure its own stability, before forcing himself to move forward another step. Every journey started with a single step, even if his steps were intended to lead him to a good stiff drink. Around him he could hear the snips of conversations between food sellers to customers as well as recent developments in the latest research in advancing the Duel systems.

Where was he? A CEO walking the open air markets of the royal city, or a priest walking down the hall of a company's' R&D department? The walls of the rooms almost seemed to rotate on their y axis showing a different design each time. And yet somehow he got himself behind the bar in the dance hall, looking over a rack of liquor like he actually knew what he was doing. Wines, he was spot on with what would help him sleep, but sleeping wasn't the target, steadying his nerves and brain was. Whiskey? He pulled out a malt type of whiskey, a small shot glass and poured himself a shot. While some Egyptian children dashed across the floor as he tossed back said shot.

And promptly learned why he was probably never going to be a regular drinker.

He began coughing something fierce, as he stood there hunched over with the bar as support. His eyes burned and he felt rather affronted by the liquid, but not stupid enough to try to best it. All he wanted was to force his body to relax, something that wasn't going to happen on it's own with this carrying on. The whiskey burned it's way down his throat so badly it brought tears to his eyes as another bout of coughing hit him.

Before him, on the main floor of the room the High Priests and Priestess in training were playing together. The prince must not have been around, because Mahaado was there, clean and unharmed, among them. They were playing with a ball, eternally chasing the one with it, except Shada, who was trying to be a score keeper... just as soon as he could figure out how this game was played. But again they weren't playing for score, just for fun, and just seeing them all together again brought a heart squeezing pain to his chest. Tears started to slide down that had nothing to do with the whiskey.

Mahaado caught the ball and ran off with it, a quiet smile on his lips as the gang now chased after him. Kalim took him down sending the boys into the dirt, yet still laughing. The laughter filled the room, reminding Kaiba of those times when they had been happy, when he had truly been happy. Even as he watched Isis came upon them, neatly snatching up the ball herself and off she went, with the boys now chasing after her.

A faceless nobody walked up to his side, talking about mergers and company stocks, all the while Kaiba watched the kids. But while Kaiba was facing the kids, he no longer looked 'at' the kids, at the memories of what could no longer be. Those happy days were dead now, so why bother resurrecting them? Why torture him with the ghost memories of feelings, akin to the remembered pain of a long severed limb? Pulling away from the bar, the shot glass left to rest on it forgotten, as Kaiba walked towards the sound of pages turning.

He could see paper falling from above like the golden leaves of fall. Or snowflakes in the winter, swirling to the ground as he approached. He stalked towards them, unwilling to let whatever was haunting the place to get at him. This wasn't magic, it was something spiritual. He refused to recall the sensation of spell casting and focused on the other side of this situation. If he could find the one pulling the strings, the spells, Mahaado would fall away.

The ground was littered with hand written words on stark white computer paper, computer typed words on papyrus. Gibberish found in the words even from a glance for there 'were' no words. Random letters that formed nothing Japanese sounding words written in Hieroglyphics, while Ancient Egyptian words were mutilated in traditional Japanese. The faint sound of the final door sliding shut before a pyramid was sealed for the final time against the world rumbled behind him. He grabbed the handrail as he walked up the steps, searching for the... for lack of better word 'priest' who was doing this to him. But where to start? He didn't know if every door was locked, though the one he had walked through before had not been registered under his name. Realistically it was a foolish thing to leave the whole of the hotel unlocked just because Kaiba was staying there.

He approached the first series of doors testing each one to see if they would let him in. He wasn't surprised when they didn't budge to his touch. However; he 'was' surprised at the touch of one knob, which should have been at room temperature. Instead it was cold like ice; the cold bit into his hand as he fought it in an effort to make it turn enough to at least see if it was locked.

Despite the sharp biting cold of the metal in his hand, it turned readily...

"What in the name of all the Holy Gods possessed you to do that?!" He demanded as he sloshed his way back to the edge of the bath.

"What possessed you to stalk me in the darkness like a thief in the night!" Mahaado hissed back at him, displeased as greatly as Set himself. He called forth a pair of glowing orbs of light while Set wrestled with his belt.

Dropping the soaked material before stripping off the rest of the, now wet, articles of clothes. Set turned around only to face a blood red spiders web in the bath itself, with Mahaado trapped in the center. But any expression of shock or alarm from Set was lost on the mage, as Mahaado had turned around to check the doorway. Revealing a back more scarred then most slaves, a sight that still stunned Set to his spot. Despite all his effort to tend to the wounds, it felt like Set had not even seen half the injuries.

Even beyond that, Mahaado was a priest in training, why whip him to that extreme in the first place? While it was true he 'had' been punished for the act of bringing the Prince outside the palace. The fact remained that Mahaado bore far more scars then from a one time beating. If that had been from a single beating that would have killed Mahaado! No matter how good or skilled a healer was, magical healing was exclusive to aid the royal family themselves. Mahaado bore the scars down his shoulder blades and beyond the touch of the water on his uncovered hips.

The Prince would have a fit that would bring down the... the scars, the Prince would have a fit if he saw Mahaado's scars. It fit into place then, the reason as to why Mahaado wore winter robes in summer. If the Prince saw them, he could only imagine the tantrums that kid would toss. It also meant he also couldn't bathe with the Prince during the Princes' baths because it meant showing his back to people. At the moment however; Mahaado was cleaning his blood out of the water using his magic. The small tussle between the two teens had reopened the nearly healed wounds from the previous beatings. Spilling precious blood into the water.

Set stepped back into the blood tinted liquid and moved up behind Mahaado, taking the boy's long hair into his hand and lightly pulling on it. "Come on." He ordered almost lightly in tone. Mahaado initially resisted, but finally consented letting Set guide him to his knees.

Mahaado started a bit when Set began lightly washing his hair, but doing it himself meant forcing his back into positions that would keep the already reopened wounds open. The longer they could stay closed, the faster they would heal and would heal better. But even as Mahaado washed his front and Set took care of his backside, the scars were what haunted Set. They were simply everywhere, overlapping one another in ways that whispered the torment the mage in training went through.

Set couldn't understand why the mage was being beaten so, but that was a thought for another time. At the moment he needed to be able to get Mahaado washed, and those reopened wounds cleaned up first. The mage himself took his hair out of the way for Set, resting it over his un-scarred shoulder leaving his back for Set to deal with. Which he did, first by quickly wiping away the blood, cleaning the back and washing it by splashing water on it. The less exposure to water the less likely the blood would feel motivated to spill out again. He hoped, then again he wasn't trained in dealing with such intense injuries.

The door slammed shut as Kaiba finally managed to escape that memory. His body dripping wet from water that wasn't supposed to exist. He didn't need to go back to that memory, thus he stalked his way down the hallway checking other doors. But room after room, even his own were locked against his touch. A frown turned into a scowl as he reached the next flight of stairs that would lead up to the next floor. There had to be another open door for him to use, the idiot was clearly trying to convey a message. Being locked out of his room left him sloshing about while his clothes slowly dried, which made his already dour mood even worse.

The third floor hallway looked like the second floor hallway, lined with rooms for guests. There was one last floor above the one he stood upon. But that floor was for servants, or had been in the past; more then likely now they were for the employees should weather turn sour. Not that Kaiba knew or cared, as he stalked down the hallway, testing door after door. He nearly fell forward as a door fell open, revealing the entry way to Kaiba mansion. A maid stood near the door, in a neat curtsy her eyes properly cast down to the floor.

For a single mad moment Kaiba thought maybe he had stumbled back into the mansion after a particularly rough day. That maybe everything had been a terrible nightmare. Except Kaiba no longer had the maids greet him at the door everyday. That and he knew that particular maid, had been fired after that bastard's wife died. He'd seen her in a photograph of the employees of the mansion... former, employees that is.

But he never got a chance to say anything to her, because above her stopping for a moment to look down to the first floor was a green haired boy he had never... Wait no, he 'had' seen that person before.

Noa, the boy had to be at least five years old, came barreling down stairs crying out greetings as he ran towards Kaiba. He was floored as 'he' bent down and laughingly lifted up the small boy. The child was recounting tales of his time with his tutor as a growing horror filled him. This wasn't 'his' past, this was Gozoboro's! The child was put down as that bastard gave a booming laugh of approval to whatever Noa had told him.

He never laughed for Kaiba or Mokuba, or greeted them warmly with open arms. From the moment they stepped into the mansion their lives were meant for one thing only; a perfect tool for Gozoboro to tout about. Kaiba was beside himself with rage, as Gozoboro walked along with his son, the boy towing his father's briefcase like Mokuba carried Kaiba's. He could almost think it was what it would be like, if he had a child of his own.

He fumed as dinner, having been missed, the two dined over desert, an ice cream sundae with all the sides piled high. They laughed and joked, things that father and son did, the 'wife' coming along scolding the pair for such an over elaborate dessert. Kaiba wanted to burn it all, the mansion the people inside it, just tear it down and never look back. Mokuba deserved this treatment, Kaiba understood that their real mother had died, she couldn't go through the pregnancy and it was either mother or Mokuba. That his mother chose to save Mokuba instead of terminating him, just made Mokuba that much more important.

But he couldn't move against the 'script', no matter how hard he willed it. He couldn't shut his eyes from Noa's look of love and worship, from the soft pecks, the ruffled hair, any of it! Kaiba suffered the lessons, the isolation, the speeches, he suffered everything for the soul purpose of protecting Mokuba. So why couldn't Mokuba have a fun upbringing? Why couldn't they have had this life? He gave up his love of toys, his love of reading for the pleasure of it, of studying for the pleasure of it as well... Gave up everything to that cold hearted bastard in the hope that his brother would have a better life.

Now that those wrenches who stole their inheritance could only look at the wealth that Kaiba had amassed. It no longer mattered, because now Kaiba knew he had been used. He had always thought he had been using Gozoboro to ensure Mokuba's safety. Now that he knew about Noa, the pain was all the worse. He had been nothing more then a host body for a dead boy, everything he had gone through had been for nothing. Everything he sacrificed because he believed Gozoboro had been thrown back into his face via Yugi.

This person, this man with a family, this was Gozoboro? This was the man who worked him to his knees, scarred his eyes for life, whose cruel treatment left Kaiba so emotionally disconnected? Desperate to protect his brother that he was now trapped running a company? While the fact that he 'could' successfully run a company was a crowning achievement as most would see it, it meant that Kaiba had no life of his own. Younger than all other CEO's, he had no room to be a teenager. Forever living life in its most strictest way to retain the integrity of a company that he rebuilt.

He didn't want to tuck Noa into bed, or read bedtime stories. He didn't want to play pretend with the kid of someone he despised. Even the bathes of Ancient Egypt was more merciful than these wrenched memories of someone else that he knew nothing of. He tried everything he could think of to remove himself from this hate. Yet nothing happened to free him, every step, from the dining room to the living room, everything was forced upon him. Even looking in the mirror and seeing Gozoboro's face!

The most brutal form of irony came when Gozoboro actually read a bedtime story to Noa, of all things, Goldielocks and the Three Bears. A story about a careless girl who meddled in the affairs of the three bears thoughtlessly. It was as though someone was openly mocking him by showing this hateful memory. But how could that be a memory? How could Kaiba have this memory when he wasn't even around back then?! He had still been an only child with his birth parents back then! His anger knew no bounds building up inside him.

It was like another blow to the body from Exodia when he lost the duel against Yugi. This wasn't real! How could that man who had been so cruel to them be so kind to his own children? Why!? Even if Kaiba had cheated to get Mokuba and himself both adopted, it... was it because of that? Was the cruelty a punishment for being bested by a kid?

He could only rage silently where he had been bound inside this hateful body when he finally realized he was in an office. How had he traveled from Kaiba mansion to Gozoboro's office that fast? Had he been that consumed... consumed by...

The files on the desk all had 'confidential' and Noa's name on them. Kaiba knew enough, as Gozoboro looked over the files to know it was about Noa.. But though he hated doing so he found himself reading the files. He read about the accident, the boy's body could be saved, but it would take time and effort. Gozoboro, clearly having money, opted to find that way putting Noa's body into the hands of doctors and inserting the boy's mind into a VR world.

But the system had been taken down, given what the papers read, someone broke in and destroyed the body within the pod. How could... Something caught the insides of Kaiba and held him like a prisoner in this body. He couldn't even think to move or speak, had he the capacity instead of just being a bound prisoner through this journey. Just the memory of his conversations with Noa...

A knock at the door and he looked up to see himself standing there in a clean white suit. A few years younger, he recognized the look in his eyes. Before Yugi managed to make him question everything, but the day itself. Many a time he wore white, so which meeting was this? He tried desperately to tell, as a nagging missing memory tried to resurface.

"What is it now Father, I'm busy."

"Impudent boy, I've far more pressing matters then some simple game you won't be around to continue playing for much longer." Gozoboro was looking down at his 'more important work' papers that in black and white spoke of the declining state of the programs being used on Noa. It took incredible amounts of computer power to process and maintain a human brain, extending well beyond the limits of Kaiba Corps original level. Original meaning before Seto had been brought into the company's presence. But computers got outdated quickly; newer, faster, more powerful models were constantly in development. The systems helping Noa's mind keep running were going to be outdated, and even now there was difficulty in transferring Noa to the newer systems.

"Is that a threat?"

Gozoboro looked back up at Kaiba, while Kaiba saw the contempt, loathing and worst off, respect in his own eyes. Gozoboro turned his eyes back down towards the paperwork before him, of the preping to install Noa's mind into Kaiba's body. The words beat down louder then any physical blow leaving him floored and helpless. Just a shell for another child who should have been freed to go to the afterlife.

"You are to go down stairs and be prepared, I'm arranging for you to make use of a new virtual pod," Gozoboro informed him, as though he was just a dog to do as told.

"In case you forgot in your old age, I own the most shares of this company. You don't have the power to make me go anywhere I don't want to go." He stood there with full confidence about what he said, his eyes full of contempt, which Gozoboro did teach.

"You actually believed that? Foolish child, you think I would entrust my company to a child like you? When the only reason you were brought here was to provide me with a body?"

The Kaiba of that time froze to his spot in silent disbelief, his eyes clearly reflecting his mental attempt at absorbing this information. Yet Kaiba himself couldn't recall this conversation, he remembered being told to go downstairs, but what after that? He clawed at the memories in his own mind, silently begging himself for an answer while the events continued to play before him.

"What?" That Kaiba sputtered in shock his whole demeanor shifting to growing outrage. "You think you can just dump me in a whorehouse or sell me for sex?" He demanded.

"I wouldn't think to defile your body that way. No, I am simply putting it to better use as a host for my son, Noa."

The words visibly struck that Kaiba like a physical blow, staggering back a step as he stood there trying to swallow that information. His voice dropped to a weakened whisper, "what about Mokuba?"

"He'll adapt or be locked away, no one will believe the claims of a foolish child."

"No one will believe the claims of a foolish corpse," That Kaiba echoed the words back, yet eerily changed the last word. It was then that Kaiba understood that he was going to be forced to watch how Kaiba Gozoboro died that day. "You have played your role, now be gone from the field. My cousin 'will' rise again."

"What are you babbling about, or has the realization of your fate caused you to lose your wits?" Gozoboro demanded. But Kaiba saw more then Gozoboro blindly ignored, that Kaiba wasn't listening to him. In fact the teen wasn't even looking 'at' him anymore, rather he seemed to be analyzing something internally. He watched as markings burned their way onto that Kaiba's face, around his eyes. Behind him something began to manifest from the shadows themselves, a humanoid shape that slowly developed into a more substantial armored 'human' form. Then again Mahaado wasn't the only one to manifest a human like Ka. "What is that?"

"What is a pitiful human compared to a God?" That Kaiba asked rhetorically as what had been Deus once upon a time, revealed it's new evolved form; the Black Luster Soldier. It was the last thing Kaiba saw as the Knight rushed forward, even as Gozoboro thought to get up and try to escape.

The feeling of impact overwhelmed him, his hands struggling to gain purchase as he fell back. Suddenly he wasn't looking at blue sky and cold stone, between one blink and the next it went from that horrible day to just an ordinary room in a hotel. Despite that, he still hit the door on the other side of the hall as though he had just fallen from a great height. His head cracked against the wooden door, which caused stars to burst before his eyes.

"All that has been, has been for my Pharaoh. Long shall he reign."