Yu-Gi-Oh: A Past and Future Pharaoh
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
Beta By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
A/N: Things adjusted, changing Bakura's name 'back' to Ryou, and the usual cleaning up.
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The roof of Domino High was an odd place for lunch many would say. The door was 'always' locked thus lacking any appeal to the vast majority of the student body. Save Ryou, who sat down peacefully on the long slab of concrete where he would often have lunch. Just to avoid the chance of the Spirit causing trouble for his fellow classmates for 'fun'. He hadn't used this spot after the Ring was gone for a time out of habit, though eventually he 'had' shifted to eating his meals with the other students. Once he was sure that the Spirit was well and truly gone, but this was probably 'the' best place to have lunch and talk about things without eavesdropping.
Though there were Spirits with him, they were far less dangerous than the one he was burdened with for so long. In fact a small group apparently decided that they were going to start examining lunches and critiquing them when there was nothing going on. Thus Ryou sat between Honda and Jounouchi with Anzu on Jounouchis' right and a sizeable empty space.
Anzu cheerfully handed out the bento lunches now that Honda was seated, as Jounouchi and Ryou had been preoccupied with helping Honda up the stairs. Thus leaving Anzu to carry the lunches for which she didn't complain, they all had their roles to maintain after all. No one was being left behind.
Though Ryou was still apprehensive of dragging Anzu into these trips to America, or even having to discuss it. "There's something I want to talk to you about, Anzu, though I'm going to wait until Yugi and Kaiba show up. I would like his input after all."
Anzu blinked mid opening her bento before nodding in mild concern as Jounouchi winced with a down cast gaze. But ironically it was Kaiba who saved Jounouchi from having to say anything as Yugi appeared on the roof. Though they couldn't distract the spirits who seemed to have been squealing over the cute factor of Anzu's lunch.
Yugi showed up with his bento in his hands and Kaiba's laptop tucked under an arm, with Kaiba following Yugi giving the teen death glares with every step he took. Yugi strolled along with an almost ambivalent air as he reached the gang and sat down. Kaiba not reacting to any of them, just glared at Yugi, folding his arms across his chest and almost seething.
"Sorry, it took so long," Yugi apologized as he put his bento box on his lap and held out the laptop to Kaiba. Only to have it snatched out of his hands and Kaiba reassigned his glare onto Jounouchi. "Sit down will you..."
Jounouchi slowly looked up and noted the glare he got from Kaiba and actually shrank a bit away. "Uhhh swap with you 'Kura?"
Ryou looked at Kaiba then Jounouchi and shook his head, though he stood up and allowed his seat to be swapped with Jounouchi. "The High Priest wants me closer to the Pharaoh, someone is laughing at this comedy," he remarked as he settled down.
But all the same, Kaiba 'did', disgruntle as any dragon, sit down, flipping open his laptop and began to work during lunch.
"This is so odd... Are you sure Mahaado is ok?" Anzu asked Yugi quietly, trying to 'not' look at what was another of Mahaado's illusions posing as Kaiba. The moment 'Kaiba' had stalked into the classroom behind Yugi, Anzu had nearly panicked. Given the rueful expression on Yugi's face, it seemed that he was also taken aback at how easily Mahaado was doing this.
"I'm getting jealous actually, Seto being able to have 'this' much control on Mahaado is otherworldly," Yugi began when Jounouchi suddenly choked on his first bite of food. "Jounouchi?!"
Ryou was already beating on Jounouchi's back with a sympathetic expression on his face while the blond settled himself down. "I wouldn't be surprised if its not Kaiba at all, we've seen bits of proof that Kaiba 'has' been possessed at times. Not for very long mind you, but since there's no way to summon while out cold and he's actively controlling Mahaado. I'd say its less Seto and more," Ryou explained when Jounouchi forced himself to sit up and block Ryou's view of Yugi.
"Not that again. Not him, not that." Jounouchi forced through gasps of air, confusing Yugi and Anzu who looked at each other as though the other had a clue.
"Not 'what' again?" Honda asked, showing a painstaking amount of focus on their conversation, but 'hey' he could hear. Some. If he focused on one person he could hear them, not perfectly but well enough that he could fill the blanks for the most part. But it was 'so' much better than the soul crushing ringing that drowned out everything and having to have people transcribe 'every' word for him.
He watched Jounouchi begin to cram food into his mouth as though he was trying to silence himself from saying something. Ryou looked resigned, Yugi and Anzu both wore confused expressions, the illusion was staring at Ryou. Despite being an illusion it appeared to be 'thinking' and self aware enough to know what Ryou was trying to say.
"Sooo how did you find out this was even going to happen?" Honda asked, with a quick glance at 'Kaiba' before focusing his gaze back on Yugi.
"Heh, I opened my door about to leave my room and found the illusion standing there," Yugi confessed with a small grin on his lips. "Startled Mokuba, but I just had to tweak a bit of the Japanese Maha is using and so far so good." He turned to lean back and study what 'Kaiba' was working on and found that he was apparently building a game world on the laptop. "So far as I know it 'is' Seto, looking through the eyes of the illusion and prodding Maha to do certain things."
Ryou looked ahead at the skyline, Kaiba or not Kaibas' actions didn't really involve him, at least at the moment. As the conversations began to fade into just eating he finally resigned himself to doing what he and Malik discussed the night before. "Anzu, if it would be ok, over the weekend Malik and I would really appreciate your help with something."
Anzu sat there, her chopsticks half way to her mouth and curiosity in her eyes as she turned her focus from Yugi to Ryou. Putting the chopsticks back down she tilted her head a bit to the side, "with what Ryou?" Noting as she asked that Jounouchi looked pale and disheartened.
"Jounouchi, Malik and I need to take trips to America, turns out that Pandora has a brother who may have something to do with the Book. But Jounouchi and Malik don't speak English well enough and I need someone to help me with the investigating." Bakura explained calmly, trying to ignore Jounouchis' shame faced expression and Yugi's confusion.
"Jounouchi you take English same as me. How bad are you doing?" Yugi asked, looking at his friend who looked more despirited by the question.
Meanwhile Anzu found herself curious, not just by the invitation to go to America to do some investigating. But how it seemed that Jounouchis' current reactions seemed to have some root in what Ryou was talking about. "What brought that about?" She asked Ryou, while Yugi tried to pry Jounouchi's English grade out of the blond.
"Pandora called Catherine, and we've found that there's a soul that has been sealed inside a graveyard in the area. It seems to be protecting something and gets unleashed once a year, however; the one who did the sealing? From what we've gathered was a 'foreign' priest and we're pretty sure it was an Egyptian." Ryou began, before a slight glance towards Jounouchi made him decide to skip a few things. "As it is though, there is a magicians' family involved and we want to go to the shop to talk to them about what happened. Only because its in California, the time difference between here and there is too big. We'd have to either skip class all together or wait until we have a day off."
"I see, well if you think I would be of some use," Anzu offered cheerfully, and was answered with a grateful smile from Ryou. "I suppose Yugi is out of the question since he's looking after Kaiba huh?"
"Sorry," Yugi apologized before taking a bite of his lunch. Glancing away from the group he looked at what Kaiba was doing and found... a lion cub version of himself on the screen. "Maha what is Seto making.." He asked in his softest voice.
"Hopefully it will only be just to get information, I'd prefer not to get you too deeply involved because it could get dangerous. The Book is the one that was used to create the Sennen Items, and this group that gave the book to Pandora 'is' dangerous. I can only hope it will be for one day," Ryou added, trying to make this sound not as bad as it could end up. But 'Kaiba' was right there and the real one was lying on his bed sound asleep outside of town.
Yugi didn't realize it yet, but it would be impossible to believe that Yugi would never realize it. Each time he slept he recalled Egypt, he had already stated as much, so it was a matter of time before he would realize that what Kaiba was doing was impossible.
For a mortal.
"I do not know, he's been making this for a short time, the most he would confide in me is well. His disdain at my lack of Japanese, so he said he was making this as a way to help me learn," 'Kaiba' answered. It was him in voice and pitch but it was soft, a kind voice people wouldn't automatically think of when thinking of Kaiba.
"So why exactly do I look like I did last year and have lion features? Why am I a lion cub?" Yugi asked, watching Kaiba's continued stoic expression as the illusion 'worked'.
Suddenly 'Kaiba' snapped the laptop shut and turned to give Yugi a 'back off glare', reminding Yugi that Kaiba 'was' somewhere actively looking about. Yugi couldn't stop himself from staring back at this unique illusion. Knowing that, even as he did so, it helped with the belief that this really 'was' Kaiba.
"Why are you making a lion cub version of me, I'm not a kitty or a cub!"
Despite the illusions' ability to move or talk, since it was Kaiba, in a way, reacting to his environment the illusion stayed silent. Whether it was because Kaiba didn't wish to speak, or because Mahaado didn't want those exact words expressed was up in the air. But Mahaado had casually explained at one point how Kaiba 'spoke' Ancient Egyptian easily. Meaning that he couldn't be fooled into saying something rude out of ignorance. How they were communicating in this dream state left Kaiba very honest with his words to the magician.
Yugi watched as Kaiba gave a disgruntled 'humph' and return to his work, though somehow the screen now only showed a long list of meaningless words strung together. Probably just to make sure if someone 'did' somehow look over his shoulder, despite that being impossible, it 'would' look like work. Yugi gave a soft resigned sigh before turning to look at the group once more, gauging reactions from Ryou. Though Yugi 'had' been listening to the conversation, if distractedly and the only thing that stuck out to him was how a Card Reaper was now sealed inside a graveyard.
"Ugh, just the thought of the Sennen Items being brought back worries me," Anzu commented with a shiver. "Sure it housed the Other Yugis' soul in the Puzzle, but given what we saw in the Shadow game. I don't want to even imagine what really happened in those final days. Just the idea of the Other Yugi dying and being trapped in the puzzle, or Mahaado."
She didn't have to elaborate, Anzu remembered when they saw the Other Yugi in his true form as the Pharaoh. There was this unique horror she found had settled in the back of her mind as of late, with the kidnapping and bombing. A thought that made her feel more clingy towards Yugi when they were together, but not in a romantic way. Despite the fact he was being referred to as the 'King of Sex Games' by members of the school.
There were nights when she found herself being forced to reconcile the fact that Yugi didn't just live a past life. Despite being a Pharaoh, without knowing the details, she knew he died a violent death all those ages ago. Everyone did that after all, if they believed in past lives, everyone wanted to be a queen or king of some land.
But something clearly happened, his soul somehow severed into two, one staying in the Puzzle the other incarnating as Yugi. That a 'human' soul could be treated in such a manner was horrifying even 'now'. Even while there were others who would look blankly at Yugi's strangely intense devotion to Mahaado, Anzu understood. It didn't matter that Mahaado was eternally loyal to Yugi, if someone summoned him he had to obey. Once Yugi died, Mahaado would 'still' be here on earth, either spending eternity sleeping in a tablet or at the heel of someone who might 'not' be as good to him.
Yugi wasn't stupid, Anzu knew that this loyalty came with a cost that both touched Yugi at its pure devotion while tearing him apart. This wasn't servitude, a servant could leave if the master lost his way, this was eternal 'slavery' and Mahaado was too kind to deserve such a fate. Given what that book had done, as Ryou explained about Pandora and the little group of magicians, Anzu made her decision. She wouldn't be gone long so it would be ok if she went about and helped the group find this book.
It would be interesting, for the first time being actively involved in something the group was doing, outside of sitting on the sidelines. Yet there was something about how, as Ryou spoke, Jounouchi's expression grew darker. She pushed the thought to the side of her mind, deciding that she would ask both guys privately later.
"Well guys, I better leave, don't want to be late for class and well..." Honda began as he climbed to his feet via the walking cane he now had to use.
"Need a hand?" Jounouchi asked, getting up instinctively.
Honda merely waved him off with his free hand and a rueful smile on his lips, "Nah, getting down is a lot easier, just time consuming."
But Jounouchi didn't seem interested in being dissuaded and followed Honda off, with Anzu walking after them. "Hey guys, don't forget to clean your feet before you go down!" she called out reminding them that. Oh yeah, students shouldn't be on the roof. Thieves with lock picking skills still included.
"Ryou?" Yugi quietly spoke, working to avoid getting Jounouchis' attention.
"Hmm?" Bakura looked over at him as he continued having his lunch when he noted the serious and thoughtful expression on Yugi's face.
"Why did Jounouchi get so worked up over the 'otherworldly' comment I made? He knows that Seto can summon Maha after all," Yugi asked quietly.
"Because you can't summon a Ka when you're sleeping or unconscious," Ryou explained, his voice soft and unwilling to elaborate beyond that.
"But Seto is maintaining Maha even now," Yugi replied, perplexed by how Ryou could say something couldn't be done while it was. Or how Jounouchi would react with such a surprisingly displeased manner.
"Its not something that I or anyone else can do." Ryou corrected while he picked up the last piece of his lunch.
"I summon Kuriboh and he stays all night with Mokuba," Yugi countered, growing shrewd of why Ryou wasn't explaining things like he normally would. There was this feeling that he was holding something back and Yugi couldn't put his finger on it.
"Well, what do you and Kaiba have in common that no one else has?" Ryou answered enigmatically, not wanting to give voice to Jounouchi's own frustration. If they were right about Yugi and Kaiba, then Ryou really didn't want to say anything that would encourage Yugi into backing off from them.
Yugi stayed quiet in answer, his expression turning thoughtful as he examined his empty lunch as though the answers would be spelled out for him. He turned towards the illusion on his right and found that the hands had stilled on the fake laptop. Given that Maha wasn't making the illusion breath it made Kaiba look static, like a picture and not a person. His gaze was zeroed in on Ryou, as though he was acknowledging something that Ryou was implying.
"Lunch will be over soon," Kaiba stated as he stood up and waited for the others to be ready to leave. Treating that as a conversation ending statement and thus allowing Ryou to escape what was quickly becoming a prickly topic.