Yugi didn't want to wake up, but the hand shaking her shoulder was insistent and forced her out of a world of a warm, comfortable darkness, into a bright, loud world, where her body ached and she could hear voices outside her window, but she could smell freshly baked bread and the air carried the taste of salty, smoky, freshly cooked bacon.
Opening her eyes revealed a relieved-looking Anzu, who smiled ruefully as she offered Yugi a hand getting out of bed, "Good morning."
"Morning." Yugi yawned, "What time is it?"
"Nine. I would've let you sleep later, but it takes almost twenty minutes to walk to the stadium from here, and you gotta be there for ten." Anzu grimaced, "Come and grab breakfast before we leave."
Yugi wasn't hungry, but she knew she needed to eat before she dove into the chaos of the day. So, she gave Anzu a weak smile, "I'll be out in a minute."
"Just don't fall asleep again."
"I won't."
As Yugi got dressed, she reached down the soul bond and gently poked her sister. When the Pharaoh rolled over and mumbled something about 'five more minutes', Yugi allowed herself to relax a little. If Anesan could respond enough to grumble at her, then she would wake up fully if Yugi shook her properly.
Not that she was going to. Not yet. Yugi couldn't blame her for wanting a little extra sleep. If she'd had a choice, she'd still be asleep too.
In fact, if she could, if it would've saved those who had already fallen, if it would've kept everyone else safe, she'd have said screw it and slept through the rest of the tournament.
But she couldn't.
Ba-Khu-Ra needed them to win the Ring back, and they needed to take the Gods from Hanaq and Kaiba. Which meant getting through some of the hardest duels of their entire life.
With that in mind, letting her sister rest as long as possible felt fair. Especially when she considered the day the Pharaoh was about to have.
Taking a moment to check in on the dark fragments in the bowl, there was a relief to seeing that some of them had come together to form bigger gems, rather than being the fragmented ashes they had been when she had gone to sleep, suggesting that the Ba-Khu-Ra was fragmented, but alive.
And she was putting herself back together.
Slowly. But it was happening.
The feel of eyes on her back made her wheel around. When there was no one there except her still sleeping sister, Yugi's shoulders drooped. She was letting the stress and anxiety get to her and that wasn't good for her, or for their chances over the day.
She took a deep breath and retook control of her body, before stepping into the living area revealed that Mai and Honda had joined them and were tucking into their breakfast. Yugi nodded to them both, her stomach churning when she thought about the duel that Mai was about to step into, as she settled on the sofa and pulled out the deck from the holster on her hip.
And paused when she realised it was Katsuya's deck, rather than her own.
Glad she hadn't made that mistake while dueling against Kaiba, she went to put it back in its holster and pull her own, only for her to pause when she felt a pulse of energy from the cards. Drawing from the top of the deck revealed the Red Eyes Black Dragon, whose fire flooded her senses in a repeating pulse that matched with the heartbeat that echoed in her ears.
Just like the heartbeat that'd echoed through her senses when her grandfather had been rushed into hospital during Death-T.
Her lips parted as she let out a soft breath. Here was proof that Katsuya lived. That her boyfriend had survived the night. It was a relief that she'd desperately needed. As long as Katsuya's heart pulsed through his cards, she knew he was still with her.
Even if he couldn't be there in person.
"You're carrying Jonouchi's cards?"
Mai's voice made her jump and nearly drop the deck.
"His Okaasan threw his Duel Disk at me and someone had to protect it. It felt wrong to leave it lying around." Yugi murmured as she slipped the rest of the deck into its holster and pulled her deck and side deck from their holders, "So I'm keeping it with me until I can… can return it."
She had to force the last three words out past a closing throat as she forced back tears.
Kawai's words had hit her hard and matched the thoughts that'd been swirling around her own mind. Her friends had been possessed, hurt, and possibly killed because of her, and while Anzu didn't blame her, that didn't mean she didn't blame herself.
She'd anticipated losing Katsuya at the end of Battle City, but not like this.
Not like this.
The feel of spectral hands on her shoulders made her close her eyes and lean into them.
'Sorry Anesan, I didn't mean to wake you.'
'It's fine, I need to come around before we face Kaiba anyway.' The Pharaoh offered, filtering through Yugi's memories of the morning and letting out a sigh as she found her sister's continued consuming guilt, ''Have faith in me. I'll make this right.'
If they could. If Hanaq had torn Ishizu asunder, like she'd suggested Meisa do to Yugi, they didn't know if they could make it right and give Ishizu back to her brothers.
Or if they even should. With all the harm Ishizu and Hanaq had done, was it even fair to try? Was it safer for everyone if, when the battle came to them, they took Hanaq down?
Yugi didn't want to have to kill anyone, but after last night, neither she nor Meisa knew what should be done anymore.
It could well be that the best they could do was end this and stop her hurting anyone else.
"What are you sensing?" Anzu asked as she slid Yugi's breakfast, which had been purchased from the bakery around the corner, to her across the table.
"Remember how I could feel Jiisan's heartbeat during Death-T?" Yugi asked, before forcing down a bite of her bacon sandwich into a stomach that rebelled. She pushed the plate away a little, making Anzu grimace. "Same thing. Part of Katsu's heart rests within his cards, so I can feel his heartbeat. As long as the energy in Red Eyes is pulsing, he's alive."
"You know." Mai commented casually, trying not to be unnerved by Yugi leaning on empty air and talking about being able to tell if a Duelist was alive using their deck. "You did beat him, so you could put that Red Eyes in your deck."
Yugi paused to consider that.
She already had Blue Eyes in her deck. Adding Red Eyes would be adding another dragon to her deck, running the risk of unbalancing it. At the same time, running Red Eyes would give her a few extra tricks and a few extra fusion monsters to play within the finals.
"Why would you want me to boost my deck?" She couldn't help but ask Mai, tilting her head in her confusion.
"Because when we face off in the finals and I win, I want it to be because I'm better than you at your best." Mai's confident smirk drew a watery but amused smile from Yugi.
"And you're not going to sulk when I beat you?" Meisa took over to retort, giving her a grin that she didn't really feel.
She didn't have the drive for this tournament now. Not with the harm that'd been done to her friends. All she wanted was to kick Hanaq's ass. But she needed the Gods cards to unlock her true name, and the only way to get it was to win them from their holders. That was the only thing stopping her from dropping out of Battle City and she could feel Imoto felt the same way.
"You're staying out of this." Mai huffed at the Pharaoh, "I've been wanting to duel Yugi for over a year now. She promised me she'd duel me in the finals. Give her a chance to defend the title without you."
There was a moment where the Pharaoh was offended that Mai didn't want to duel her, then she felt the excitement and anticipation buzzing along her senses from her twin, helping dampen down the fear and emotional pain that'd been consuming her, and forced herself to relax.
She had, after all, promised Yugi that she could handle the non-magical duels and any duel against Mai wouldn't involve magic.
It would be a tough duel, but it wouldn't involve magic.
She stepped back.
'It's okay, Anesan, I know how much you were looking forward to dueling Kaiba. I won't steal that duel from you, too.' Yugi reassured her twin, before smiling at Mai, the fire of battle helping chase away the dark emotions that'd been suppressing the light blazing bright within her. "I can win without Anesan. Just you wait, this duel is going to be awesome."
Having achieved her desired goal of pushing Yugi out of her own head and thinking about the duels ahead with a clearer mind, Mai smirked. "I can't wait."
A knock on the door broke up the conversation. Honda darted over and opened it to reveal Isono waiting there with a trio of guards.
"Kujaku Mai, Mutou Yugi. We're here to take you to the stadium. It's time."
Mai nodded and strode out the door, having expected Kaiba to ensure the competitors were on time somehow.
Yugi, on the other hand, took a deep breath and rose to her feet slowly, slipping the Red Eyes Black Dragon into her deck to keep it to hand, even if she ended up not using it.
Anzu caught her arm as she moved towards the door. "Stay safe?"
"I'll try." Yugi swore, "You two stay safe too?"
"We'll try." Honda promised in return. "Good luck."
"Don't worry." Meisa took over, projecting an air of confidence she didn't entirely feel, "I've got this."
"We'll be in the stands, cheering you on." Anzu promised, trusting the Pharaoh to bring Yugi back to them safely. She released the Pharaoh's arm and Meisa headed out, heading for the last cart and noting that Hanaq had already left in hers.
As they headed for the stadium, she just hoped she wouldn't let them down.
Halfway across the park, in the private rooms built into Hekigan stadium, Seto sat at his computer, analysing the duels that'd happened so far, and the cards played, trying to work out a way through or around the Egyptian God cards.
Thanks to Marik's fake God monster, he had access to the text on the real card. Text that any reasonable person wouldn't be able to read. Not when it was all written in hieratic.
So, of course, much to Seto's relief and irritation, he could read it.
He hated that he could read it. The Tomb Keepers had made it quite clear that he'd been the Pharaoh's successor and guardian back in Egypt, but he'd always looked to the future. He'd kept moving forward and tried to prevent the past from defining him.
That his history was slamming so hard into his future was frustrating.
He hadn't taken Obelisk from the Tomb Keepers to be dragged back into a role that no longer fitted him.
He wasn't her guardian, he wasn't her protector or ally.
He was her rival. He was the one who would drag her down and take her place.
Ignoring the irony of him wanting to be her successor once again, he pulled up the results of the medical tests that'd been run on Yugi after her duel and felt himself relaxing when it appeared that drowning hadn't left devastating side effects.
Her pulse was a little fast, her muscles apparently ached, and there was supposedly a headache, but there was nothing on the scans that suggested that she would be unfit to compete.
Unlike his opponent.
Checking the security cameras in the hospital revealed that Marik still hadn't woken after their duel. Something that was bad for the reputation of his tournament and his Duel Disks, which were due to launch after the finals tomorrow.
He'd known that something had gone wrong the moment Marik's copy of Ra had gone out of control, but he'd never experienced anything like the inferno that'd sucked the oxygen from the air and melted parts of his theme park. His skin was still red and sore from the sheer heat of the blaze that'd nearly consumed him, his opponent and his brother.
Seto grimaced at the thought that unless his maintenance team could get repairs done by the time the finals were over, one of the big parts of the Yama section, the event stage, was going to be out of action.
Not that he was too worried. He'd hired only the best. If anyone could do it, it was his team.
A quiet snore from the corner of the room cut through his thoughts and made him turn to look. When Seto had wanted to get up and work, Mokuba had retreated to the corner to check on the competitors and finalise things, and apparently, midway through doing so, he had fallen asleep.
Seto smiled softly at the sight of it. His little brother had been working hard to ensure that this tournament went smoothly, and was as tired as he was. They'd both needed the food and rest the doctors had imposed upon them, but neither brother had been able to avoid nightmares.
Nightmares brought on by the events of earlier.
The smile faded as the memory of Ishtar's attack on his brother flashed through his mind.
Once he'd gotten some sleep, the memories of what'd happened had come much easier, allowing him to easily remember that Mokuba had nearly been badly hurt. Seto hadn't been able to allow that to happen and lunged to protect him.
And then that Blue Eyes…
That'd been the most disconcerting thing he'd ever experienced. Seeing the world through his own eyes and the eyes of the dragon that'd shielded his brother without hesitation was incredible. He'd been there, with the Blue Eyes, its wings had been his wings, its powerful claws and had been his claws.
He looked down at his hands and stretched out his fingers for just a moment, still able to feel the talons at his fingertips.
He needed to work out how he'd summoned that dragon and where it'd come from. It wasn't one of his Blue Eyes from his deck; he'd checked the footage. It'd been a Blue Eyes White Dragon, but at the same time it hadn't. The glowing scales, the storm blue eyes, they were different enough to confirm that the dragon hadn't come from his deck.
He didn't know where it'd come from. He had an idea, but he could neither confirm it, nor did he want to. He didn't have time to let himself get caught up in the magic bullshit right now. He would just need to be careful. He couldn't afford to unleash a dragon upon anyone who annoyed him.
Of course, he wouldn't hesitate if Mokuba was endangered again.
He paused and glanced back at the computer. He still hadn't finished compiling ways to defeat the real Winged Dragon of Ra and Yugi today, and he needed to have that done by 10AM. He couldn't leave the computer until he had.
But he also knew that he should get his brother back to bed and Mokuba would panic if he couldn't see him. Normally it wasn't an issue, but the duel earlier had frightened them both. Mokuba had refused to leave his side at all, even getting in the way of the medics that'd checked Seto over.
A soft mumble from his brother drew his attention back to the boy in question and he sighed. The slight shiver caused by the air conditioning needed to keep the super computer cool made up his mind for him. He grabbed his coat from the back of his chair and draped it over his brother, tucking him in gently before turning back to his work.
Just because he needed to be at the computer, didn't mean he wanted Mokuba to be cold, and once this was over, they could actually enjoy the penthouse suite that oversaw the whole island, rather than camping in here.
He just needed to work out how he was going to ruin his opponents.
"Kaiba-shacho."
Kaiba's eyes narrowed in the direction of the door, while Mokuba peered out from his coat cocoon like a ruffled owl.
"Kujaku, Mutou and Ishtar are on the way here." The suited man shifted awkwardly as he realized that he'd disturbed both Kaiba brothers. "The V. are on route from the airport, and the normal guests are piling into their seats. Things will be ready for eleven as per the schedule."
"How's Yugi?" Mokuba asked as he slipped the coat off and got to his feet.
"According to reports, a little sluggish and distracted. Not sure if it's because of her medical issues or what happened last night though."
"What happened?" Kaiba scowled, displeased that she either hadn't recovered in time for their duel, or had other things on her mind.
"Ishtar duelled against Hopkins and Jonouchi. The Hopkins girl disappeared, and Jonouchi ended up in hospital after protecting the girl. I believe he's on life support."
"Shit." Mokuba paled and dove for the computer to check for updates, while Kaiba just huffed and sat back in his chair, needing more coffee to deal with this.
"Get her checked by the medical team?"
"I already tried. She says she's banned from the infirmary."
"How would she…"
"Nurse Kawai." Mokuba broke into his brother's irritated demand, "Is Jonouchi's mother."
"She's also assigned to Yugi's upkeep." Seto shot back, pissed that his order was being disobeyed. "Rearrange the duels. Put Ishtar and Kujaku first."
"You sure, Niisama?" Mokuba paused, his hands pausing in their flight across the keyboard.
"I won't have Yugi dueling at less than her best and this will stop people leaving after our duel to sneak into the park before the official opening." Seto snorted, "This way there's only one duel after the main show, rather than two."
"Yes Niisama." Mokuba didn't hesitate to update the system and with it, the boards across Hekigan that were displaying the show times for the duels.
"And have Kawai fired."
"Niisama?"
"If she can't do her job, if she's going to ban people who need it from the infirmary, she's no use to Kaiba Corp." Seto dismissed his brother's shock with a wave of his hand, "At least we know now, rather than after the park opened."
Mokuba just nodded, knowing better than to argue with his brother when he was in this mood and honestly not disagreeing with him. While he would be willing to give a little leeway because the woman was probably panicking about her own son's condition, Yugi had drowned yesterday and still needed medical attention. That she couldn't seek out a doctor wasn't good for her, or for Kaiba Corp.
After all, Yugi was their sponsored duelist, and they had a responsibility to take care of her.
"I'll see to that, Kaiba-shacho." The suited man at the door nodded, "Do you want her escorted from the property?"
"No, she can stay with the mutt." Kaiba scowled at the thought of forcing a mother away from her dying child. Not that he cared one way or the other, if the Mutt lived or not. "But when he leaves, she does too."
"Yes Kaiba-shacho."
Once the suited goon had left to execute Kaiba's orders, Mokuba turned to his brother.
"We could disqualify Ishtar for attacking other competitors," he pointed out with a grimace.
"I want her God card." Seto shook his head as he rose to his feet. "And at least if she's competing, she's where my guards can keep an eye on her."
That it was true and the data in the system, informing him that yes, Jonouchi was unconscious in the hospital but he was breathing on his own, made Mokuba feel a little better.
"Niisama? You'll be careful if you end up against her, right?" Mokuba asked, nervously biting his lower lip. Normally he trusted his brother completely, but last night's duel and berserk God Monster had him more on edge than normal.
"If she gets past Kujaku, I'm going to crush her. I have her deck mapped out and ready to counter."
Seto was certain of himself and the plans he'd come up with via the simulations. He had no concerns about what would happen in the duels going forward.
"Now, I need coffee and you need breakfast."
"You can't last the day on coffee and spite, Niisama." Mokuba protested as he followed his big brother from the room.
"Watch me."
"So yeah… none of this was Yugi's fault." Rishid finished up as Kawai leaned back in her chair. "My tribe and my family? We're the ones who launched everything. The only thing Yugi is guilty of is not dealing with the Thief Queen, but…"
"Why would she want to kill a friend on the orders of a stranger?" Kawai breathed, glancing in the direction of the room where a stabilised but still comatose Bakura Amane lay.
"Exactly. And even if she was willing, there's things she requires first. Things she doesn't have and couldn't obtain until now." Rishid agreed, "But my sister heard the Pharaoh say she needed to be stronger before she could even think about dealing with that, and…"
"It wasn't what she wanted to hear." Kawai's gaze shifted to where Shizuka was now curled up in a chair next to Katsuya's bed, having been put there by Ishizu when the woman hadn't been able to hold control any longer. "She still had no right to hurt my children."
"My brother…"
"I saw the scarring." Kawai's hands balled into fists, "I can see why you and your sister would be furious. The muscle damage alone…"
"He's in pain constantly." Rishid's head bowed, "My sister tried to heal it but there's something magical about the wounds. They resisted it, forcing Marik to heal normally. Slowly, leaving that scarring behind."
"I'm sorry."
"That's what the Pharaoh said too, but sorry doesn't change anything." Rishid slumped in his own chair, "It doesn't change what we've been through. It just…"
"Sometimes sorry makes things worse." Kawai understood, having railed at doctors who had apologised for not being able to fix Shizuka's eyesight before.
No matter how well-meaning it was, a sorry that acknowledged how little could be done, was nothing but emotionally devastating.
"Where do my kids come into this?"
"Ishizu… she… Your son and daughter were the best way to get at Yugi. She cares about them deeply. Deeply enough to get herself killed trying to save their lives and souls." Rishid grimaced, hating that the seal was doomed because of his family's actions. "So my sister used them against her. Even though they were innocent of anything to do with this."
Kawai nodded, still watching her sleeping daughter and, thankfully, alive but unconscious son. Yugi had driven herself to destruction to protect Shizuka and Katsuya. Had been burning magic she didn't have spare to get Katsuya breathing again. And Kawai's reply had been to ban a tired, injured Yugi from being able to see them.
She knew better. She knew she did. She knew that banning Katsuya from seeing Yugi would make him escape the house to go see her. He had, after all, snuck over to Tokyo, god knew how many times, to spend time with Shizuka, even when he'd been banned from the house.
She knew that her son was deeply in love with the Mutou girl. That after everything they'd been through together, it was highly unlikely they would split up on her say so. That if it weren't for the magic, Yugi wouldn't be a bad match for her boy. A small business heiress with fame and possible fortune if she securely invested her winnings was a choice bride for any family, and Katsuya, who was only just able to start building his own life, would be lucky to have her.
And yet…
"Nurse Kawai Sakura?" A man in a black suit asked as he stepped into the infirmary.
Kawai rose to her feet, wondering what'd gone wrong this time. "That's me. How can I help?"
"These are for you." He handed her a package of paperwork, the first of which was on a pink slip of paper.
She stared at the first words on the page. Huge and bold at the top of the pink sheet.
Notice of Termination.
"What do you mean I'm fired?" Kawai protested, her gaze turning to the man who'd hand delivered her notice, "I've been here a little more than twelve hours! I couldn't have…"
"You have been derelict in your duty of care. The Kaiba brothers don't want you working for them because of that. You're being let go, effective immediately, with thirty days of pay and a safe trip back to the mainland."
"But…"
She didn't understand. She'd done everything necessary to look after her patients. It wasn't like she had…
She grimaced and glanced down at the notice of termination in her hands.
Yugi. She'd banned Yugi from the infirmary. And either Yugi had reported her, or she needed treatment, someone had tried to get her to come to the infirmary and Yugi had told them she was banned.
Either way, Kawai's words, thrown at Yugi in anger and fear and without the true knowledge of what the situation was, were now something she had to pay for.
She wanted to be angry at the girl, but she couldn't. Kawai knew that much like Ishizu, Marik and Rishid, she'd done this to herself. Refusing Yugi any access to medical treatment when she knew that the girl had drowned yesterday had been stupid and she regretted it dearly. It'd been the actions of a mother who was in over her head and terrified that she was going to lose a child, but still she knew Yugi had died in the water, and it was only thanks to magic that she was still with them.
Refusing her access had been cruel. Not that she wouldn't have treated Yugi if she had shown up at the hospital. Angry at the girl or not, she'd sworn an oath to provide all medical treatment required, but she guessed it was too late now to point that out.
"You're allowed to stay as long as your son is checked in, but when he leaves the island, you will be escorted off." The suit informed her as he turned to leave. "Now, please excuse me, I have other things to do."
With that, he stalked toward the hospital exit.
She turned her gaze toward the notice of termination, her shoulders sinking. She'd needed this job. She'd given up a good job in Tokyo to move to Domino and be with her son. The Hekigan job would've had her away from home a lot, but the money it would've provided would've given Jou the money for his schooling, and Shizuka the funds for university if she wanted it.
She was sure she could find another job. Domino Hospital was always hiring. It just wouldn't pay as well. She'd need to take extra hours.
Still… for her kids it would be worth it.
She'd apologise to Yugi too. She'd been wrong to scream at the girl when she'd tried to do something about Katsuya's condition. And she'd been wrong to ban her from the presence of her children when she'd literally died while trying to protect them, and those children had been instrumental in her return from the other side.
Especially when everything that'd happened had been the fault of someone else, not the Queen of Games herself.
"You're not allowed to… what the?!"
Kawai's head snapped towards the doors to the infirmary, at the yelp and the sounds of bodies hitting the floor. She was halfway to her feet when the woman calling herself Hanaq stalked into the main room, the guards following her like they were her personal armed forces.
Kawai took a step back as the woman's amber eyes narrowed in her direction, but she could not get far before the darkness wrapped around her, holding her in place.
"My brothers. Where are they?" The cold demand made Kawai grit her teeth.
She didn't want to help this woman, this spirit, this 'Hanaq'. This was the woman who'd tried to kill her son, who'd ripped out the soul of her daughter, who wanted to kill the girl Kawai was convinced would be her future daughter-in-law, with or without her permission.
But if she didn't, she would sweep the rooms and Kawai's son and daughter would be in danger again…
"Promise me you won't hurt any patients in this hospital." Kawai bit back, refusing to back down when it came to her patients. Even if she was no longer in charge of their care.
"I just want to check on my siblings before I tear Kujaku and Mutou to pieces." Hanaq raised an eyebrow, impressed at her audacity. "If no one attacks me, I have no need to harm anyone here."
"Swear it."
There was a pause, then a snort. "You're rather informed for an outsider."
"I have my sources. Swear it on the magic. You will not harm a patient of this clinic."
"I could just take control of you."
"Then your brother won't get the care he needs. I need to be in control of my faculties, or I could make a mistake."
Hanaq glowered at her response, then huffed, "I swear on the Shadows they will not harm a patient of this clinic if they do not attack me first. I will, however, defend myself if attacked."
As the magic settled between them as a chain that bound them to each other, Kawai relaxed a little. Her children were safe.
"Your brothers are in room three."
"Finally. You." Hanaq pointed to a guard. "Stay with the doctor. Keep her safe. Keep her from doing something… stupid."
He nodded and moved to Kawai's side, hand on his gun. Then Hanaq stalked past her, and the guards fanned out, covering the door. Kawai frowned as she watched them, noting the listless movement and the lack of responsiveness, almost like they were puppets on a string.
"Oh shit…" Fear rushed through her, making her tremble.
Hanaq was taking control of the island security, turning them into her servants. Meaning that even if she was knocked out of the competition, she could still do whatever she wanted because she would have her own personal army of armed goons. Not only that, but the more of them she could grab, the more control she would have over the theme park.
And with the brainwashed guard stalking her, she couldn't do anything about it.
In room three, Hanaq sighed as she approached Marik's bedside. That her brother was still breathing eased the knot that'd been growing in her chest. As angry as she'd been at Marik for making a fake God, when he knew how dangerous those cards could be, she still didn't want to lose him.
Everything she was doing, everything she'd become, was for him. Him and Rishid.
And losing them… that was more than she could bear.
Which was why her eyes narrowed when Rishid moved between her and Marik.
"I'm not going to hurt him. You know that." She stated coldly, confused as to what would've happened to cause the reaction, "I may be angry at you for not seeing his little stunt coming, but…"
"How are you alive?" His question cut her off and made her frown. "You're not a real person, just Ishizu's wrath. So, if she's dead, how are you alive?"
"Guess I'm more alive than you realised. Now, let me past so I can see what I can do about Marik." Hanaq tried to push past, only for Rishid, who was broader and stronger to plant himself.
"You don't want him to wake?"
"I don't want him to open his eyes to see his sister's murderer wearing her face, no."
She froze, then took a step back. "Then you need to prevent the Pharaoh from seeing him. Not me."
"Don't even bother." Rishid's low, dangerous hiss made her reach for her Millennium Item. "I know what you did. I know the state of Ishizu's soul is on your hands. You tore her apart. You stole parts of her soul. You tried to take her from us. And I won't let you lay a hand on Marik and do it to him too."
Hanaq's eyes widened. When Ishizu hadn't been able to be dragged back into her cell, Hanaq had thought the fires of the duel against the Thief Queen had consumed the treacherous witch whose soul she'd been born from, but Rishid couldn't know what she'd done, if that was the truth.
Instead, it looked like the woman had fled into another of her slaves, trying to escape judgement. Trying to escape justice.
And had turned Hanaq's brothers against her.
"Where is she?"
"Away from yo-ack!" Rishid grunted as he hit the wall and was pinned there by the darkness.
"I don't want to hurt you." Hanaq hissed out, the Shadows spiralling across the floor as she stalked towards him. "But I will not have her running around, risking your life. Risking Marik's life. Risking everything. Tell me where she is."
"How's what you're doing any different?" He forced out, the darkness pressing him into the plasterboard wall so firmly that he felt it bend behind him.
"I'm nothing like…"
"You're risking everything."
"Explain."
For a moment Rishid was tempted to demand that she let him go. Then he decided against it. While she was focused on him, she wasn't going anywhere near Marik. "The Pharaoh has three things she needs to do. First was kill the Thief Queen."
"Which I've done for her," Hanaq snorted. "The Ring is empty, and her host died on the field of battle."
"The third was that she needs to leave for the afterlife."
"Which I plan to help her with."
"But what was step two?" He pressed, trying to make her think.
"Deal with the demon." Hanaq frowned, her grip loosening in her confusion, allowing him to drop to the floor. "I don't see the issue."
"Hanaq… you've given yourself to the demon. You're one of its minions. If the Thief Queen really IS gone, you're it's most powerful minion." Rishid tried to make her understand as he straightened up. "In order to do her duty, the Pharaoh's going to have to kill you now."
Hanaq's eyes widened. She hadn't considered that.
'I wondered when it was going to hit you.' The demon snickered in the back of her mind, its Shadows twisting in her mind and soul, reminding her that she only lived because he allowed it. 'That if you let her do her duty, she'd have to kill you. You and everyone who helped you.'
The creature's pleasure grew when Hanaq's fury flared up violently at the thought her brothers dying.
'I promised to protect them, didn't I? I promised to let them walk free when I win. The only way to save them now is to finish the job. Finish the Pharaoh and let me walk the Earth.'
Hanaq's gut twisted at the thought of letting the world fall to ruins. How free would her brothers be in a dead world, where they were the only living souls?
'Freer than they would be in the underworld, which is where they'll be if the Pharaoh does her duty now. So, what's your choice? Your brothers, or the world?'
Hanaq's eyes closed for a moment. She knew what her choice should be. She knew what duty told her she should do. What her ancestors, what the Pharaoh who'd set up the Tomb Keeper tribe, would want her to do.
But she couldn't do it. She couldn't sacrifice herself and her brothers for a Pharaoh who'd brought this down on the world by betraying the Thief Queen and utilising magic brought about by human sacrifice.
When they opened again, they were narrowed, serpentine and they glared in Rishid's direction. "Where's Ishizu?"
"I'm not going to tell you." Rishid's heart sank at the sight, knowing Hanaq was lost.
"She must be on the island. She was too weak to flee far."
Hanaq scowled as she cast her gaze around, trying to see if she could sense traces of her sister, ignoring the older of her brothers, who tried to get in her way as she headed for the door and was shoved to the ground by one of her mind-controlled guards for the effort.
Allowing her to stalk into the main room and cast her magic around, searching for the ties that would bind her to the last of her sister's form.
Which directed her straight into room one, where Jonouchi Katsuya lay unconscious, and Kawai Shizuka was waking, fear making her breath tremble and her eyes widen. "Y… You… stay away from my brother."
"I'm not here for him, girl." Hanaq snapped, able to sense her lesser self within the girl at this distance. "I want the soul that's hiding within you."
"Leave my daughter alone! You can't touch her!" Kawai tried to push her way through the guards, terror in her tone.
"I can't touch a patient." Hanaq's smile, wide and toothy, with fangs sharp and ready to bite, made terror tremble through every heart. "But she's not a patient, is she?"
With that she grabbed Shizuka by the collar and dragged her to her feet. Kawai, restrained by the guards, let out a frightened yell as Hanaq drew the blade from her Millennium Item and held it to Shizuka's cheek.
"Give her to me, girl, and you can live."
"I… I don't know how." Fear made Shizuka's voice tremble and tears tumble down her cheeks. "P… Please…"
"It's okay, I'll just take her myself." Hanaq hated to do it, but she'd been lenient enough with this family and it had cost her everything.
She drew the blade back, ready to plunge it into Shizuka's heart and the girl screamed.
The blade never reached its target. Hanaq was grabbed from behind and pulled back, forcing her to let go of her captive.
"I won't let you hurt her." Jonouchi's voice was feral, draconic, as he pulled her into a bear hug and squeezed. She couldn't get a look at him but she could feel that his soul was frail, burned and barely standing.
He'd only woken because she'd threatened his sister.
A pained cry escaped her as she felt things crack, and in the distraction Shizuka darted forward to try and take the Millennium Rod from her.
"E… ENOUGH!"
The Millennium Rod glowed with a vicious, sickly light that enveloped the room. Immediately Kawai and Shizuka fell still, and Jonouchi released her, allowing her to drag in pained gasps for breath.
"Shit…" She panted, having to take a moment to gather herself and heal the ribs the brute had broken, before turning back to the girl, who now rested under her control alongside her brother.
"If you're in there, sister dearest, come out, before I make this girl drown herself in the pools." She hissed viciously, angry at having been jumped from behind.
Ishizu was nervous as she came to the surface, far too aware that in her current state she could not protect her host or anyone else from the wrath she'd created, but at the same time, not wanting to be hurt anymore.
That, and she'd created Hanaq. It was time to pay the piper.
"Leave her alone, sister. It's me you want."
"I can't rip the Pharaoh's doll apart without having you to rend too." Hanaq hissed out, seizing Ishizu by the throat. "The finals will start soon. It's time to go."
"Don't hurt them and I'll come willingly."
"The only one I need to hurt is the Pharaoh. Everyone else is just collateral. I don't need to hurt them. It's your choice. Come with me, and I'll just have them sleep, or stay and I'll kill them. One, by one."
Ishizu shuddered, but she allowed the shadows to drag her out of Shizuka and back into the vessel that was no longer hers. Back into the clutches of the demon and the wrath it'd twisted.
As she was locked away once more, to await the Shadow Game with the Pharaoh, she just hoped that the Pharaoh could survive and win the upcoming game, and that one day, her brothers would forgive her.
