Yu-Gi-Oh: A Past and Future Pharaoh

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: So my vision is getting better. Also I need to know if this site is up for sale. Cuz if I need to move this fic to another site... Welllll...

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Yugi leaned back with a exhausted slump into the plush couch even if it was, once upon a time, just the standard chair that the suite had. Seth had finally calmed down enough to allow Yugi to stop shielding the area. He didn't want to do a proper solid shield after all, it would look bizarre for the inside of the park to be normal and the outside to have a wall of melting hail.

But creating a type of net didn't ease the situation, as there were a large number of people who had been bruised, or worse. With neither Yugi or Set really in a position to do divine healings to fix this. Even if it was Set's duty and he wouldn't on principle that it would be too abnormal.

Not that the world stopped and he needed to figure out his own clothes. Something he hadn't done because HAIL... So he studied the outfits he had and wondered on the strapped vest he wore before. It had been vital in protecting him at the shooting and he did dress his Other Self in it. 'I could, it is what is expected of me.' But at this point Yugi was just to disinterested to figure out what people wanted him to wear. Since that had been a topic among many. 'Mai wants to pretend we're engaged so it might work to dress in concert with her outfit. Which would mean the leather outfit... Given she is dressing in her regular dueling gear. Of course buying a 'costume' isn't going to work with her paying a good sum to bring Valon with her.'

Black leather boots and pants would be fine, maybe the white t-shirt and a white button on? No one seemed to dislike it, a nice evolution to his old style... But then the thought of his 'coat' came back to mind.

'How should the King of Games appear at the duel...' he mused. 'Oh.. Oh no poor Maha,' he suddenly he realized another thing Mahaado was about to endure. This was about to prove to be Mahaado's own personal debut...

Yugi began chuckling as the possible responses played through out his mind, despite Mahaado being safely protected facing holograms. Divine knowledge began to show him things that made him curl up further into his chair. Mahaado was about to become popular for a reason 'other' than being the 'Signature Card of the King of Games'. Mahaado's card had been more of the fabric, hiding a great deal of his natural physical build. Yet when he was shifted to his proper Spirit form, it was more armor and less fabric. Thus the chest piece was more of chiseled abs and his arms and thighs did not hide their strength.

"Seto?" he called out, just to hear his own voice.

"Seriously Yugi?" Kaiba replied, his voice seeping in the self directed irritation.

"You lost control and its a result if I do too..." Yugi's retort was as tired as it was flat.

Yet as the pair had their conversation in as much a space outside of 'reality' the way only Gods really could... The world 'was' still spinning properly.

"Big Brother?! The storm is over! Was it you or big brother?"

The park far below looked white as snow. Which would have been incredible if it wasn't the absolute wrong season and that it was hail not snow. It would melt quickly given the outside normal temperature but for now everything was white. Though everything looked ok from this distance he wasn't sure if everyone got out of harms way in time.

"Well I've returned from where the Thief and the others hid themselves during that event. I see the two of you are safe." Mahaado's voice came from thin air before he manifested.

Said magician was currently in his former priest robes, the pale white fabric and gold bands gave Mahaado this otherworldly appearance. It stood out in the modern world only now it felt as normal anyone else was wearing to Mokuba.

"Big brother do you have any idea why Big Brother would start such a storm? No one was attacking us." Mokuba asked as he looked up at the magician.

"I... am unsure, but I know it extended out into the city and there is a good amount of damage.." Mahaado recounted.

"What about everyone in the park? People know about Big Brother and the storms that have started up in his presence. "I mean I know there's only so much we can do to help, but its our responsibility to check in."

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"I feel we should really..." Anzu began when one of the hosts at the spa turned her to join Mai.

"You both are our guests, while that storm was both fierce and violent, we can not in good faith let you spend time doing our job. Now please I know it was unsettling but try to relax and resume your spa treatment." The dirty blond countered as she guided them back down the hallway they had left.

Mai appeared blasé as she readily returned back to their spa room.

"Way I see it, the storm is passed, we're fine so lets finish what got started."

And somehow, some way. Anzu ended up back in her towl and on the table...

Anzu was Goo.

She was a puddle.

Soft, malleable, gooey, a puddle that had been made so by this incredible spa day treatment. From the foot massage with rose scented oils, the gentle lavender massage, the drinks and snacks, as well as the facial...

Anzu was a puddle.

She couldn't figure out how to get her body to move each time she finished a session. It felt like a crime to stand up on her feet at the foot massage. They should have had to carry her off the bed using the sheets for the full body massage.

So how in the world was Mai mobile like she hadn't just been molded into her best, most comfortable self?!

"How can you move?" Anzu asked as she tried to get up but at this point. Her body felt brand new and that was probably the biggest shock. "I mean the Swedish? It was nice. but some of those harder ones..."

"Yeah its hard and hurts when they start, but if the pressure was right you should notice the difference now. Well rather, if you have a particular sore spot on your body check that." Mai pointed out as she continued working with her hair.

Anzu blinked and looked down at herself, but a 'particular sore spot'? "I don't get it."

"Well, I had a masseuse once suggest I think of tension as a big knot of nerves. They're not supposed to be knotted up though so when a masseuse does their thing they basically break up the knot and relax the muscle back to normal. When done right it will hurt, but not be anything beyond your pain tolerance. Once the session is over though and the knot is gone you'll find you have more flexibility and the pain is often gone."

Anzu blinked, looked down at herself and gave another internal once over. Joints felt good and stable, so did her arms and legs... She wiggled her toes and thought about her after care routine from dancing. "I... I see your point I mean I do a lot of after care when I dance. But yeah my knees and ankles feel great, my feet feel awesome..."

It was strange though how Mai didn't seem the least bit phased by all this though, "I suppose you have more experience to this. That's why you're so relaxed about everything..." She mused aloud.

"Not really, going to a spa is a splurge for me that I can't really enjoy anymore cuz Valon travels with me. Then there was that one nightmare that kinda ruined the whole experience now. I can't enjoy it without someone else with me who isn't a masseuse and well..."

Mai shrugged with a bit of indifference while Anzu shook her head at that.

"Normally I'd bug you until you talked about your nightmare, since its not something people should carry around. Especially if its affecting your day to day. But you have a tournament to focus for, so you're off the hook for now!" She announced and watched Mai's face soften into a grateful smile.

"You're a good kid, and its not terrible dreams you'll probably find them stupid. But ok once the tournament is over before you poof back to Japan we can chat." The blond promised as she finally was able to put her brush back in her purse.

Yet it was her wording that made Anzu nearly lose all the bones in her body for a completely different reason. 'Poof' was just as good a descriptor for how Anzu arrived here in Florida from Japan as any other word. No one had filled Mai in yet about Mahaado or the reality of magic and while Anzu probably could stay as long as she liked, barring the guys needing to go back...

'But they're not just nightmares they're residuals of a curse. Sure if she talks more about it I might find a hook or something but what she needs is Yugi or Mahaado to help her. Even well... Now that I think on it Kaiba might be ideal given his duty to 'protect others'...' Anzu found her mind latching gleefully on that thought as they left the final room. There they received one last glass of cool water with a lemon slice floating amid the ice. It flowed with the little rippling waves created as Anzu walked along. Her brain constantly going 'lets think about what Egy... Kemet priests and priestesses did in their time and not Mai having no idea what's going on!'

"This place is nice, has just about everything," Mai commented as they trekked back to their respective building. In the distance the pair could see work crews pushing the hail to the sides, revealing the pathway, darken by the melting water. In fact the heat had melted enough of the hail the ground looked as though it was raining.

"Yeah," Anzu caught herself before she asked something stupid. Namely 'do you see yourself living or working here?' It struck her not in the intrusiveness yet in the ridiculous since there really wasn't anything here for her. There weren't people paid to duel the kids, was she supposed to flip burgers?! 'But she can't duel forever, Yugi said that anyone in any similar community eventually retire. So what will she do next?'

"Its funny how the guy has such a soft spot despite striving to look like such a cold bastard. But I suppose given he has to work with a lot of back stabby types in the corporate world."

Anzu nodded as she recognized this new need in Mai to have people talk around her. It wasn't enough to have music, it had to be the vocal sounds of the living around her. She had maintained an almost running conversation with each of their attendants the whole time.

'The curse left her in that hourglass cut off from all of us... I remember when I was in New York I felt alone and I'm not going to pretend I know all the ways a curse can manifest.'

So she gave in to idle chatter, talking about school, grades, what little she knew about the bombing of the game shop. Filling in how Yugi was living at Kaiba's now and had his own room and the gift the class had given him. She recognized the distressed nature Mai must have been in.

"MAI! 'EY!'"

The women looked over their shoulders at that Aussie cry and saw Valon with the other two teens with him. "You ladies look great," Valon noted with approval as he saw the glow in the women's skin. Even Mai seemed a bit more cheerful than he was used to, 'though she's been with another woman so they probably had more to talk about.'

While the other two gave polite smiles as the guilt of what they had done to Mai kept them standing a little behind Valon.

"You enjoy your time with two of the guys in the group?" Anzu asked as she recognized Mai's lack of closeness with Ryou and Malik. Especially Malik.

"Yeah, got to hang out, chat, nice to have guides who are just as clueless while walking about!" Valon answered with this almost boyish smile.

It struck Anzu how Valon had a smile similar to Yugi's... Yugi...

How would Mai react if she got to the finals to face Yugi? She was 'pretending' that they were engaged. It was 'one' thing to imagine this 10 year old teenager as her 'future husband', but Yugi didn't look like that anymore. If she was willing to pretend to be engaged, what was she willing to do once she saw Yugi?!

'What now?' was a thought bouncing around in Ryou's head as he watched Anzu from the corner of his eye. She had been fine, now she looked a little green around the gills and there really wasn't any reason he could see for it. 'I hope she's got a theory about the curse Mai's under that just sprang to mind at this moment. Because I can easily see it be some inane thought...'

'So this is the outfit Anzu thinks Mai would wear if she knew what I looked like tonight.' Yugi's thoughts kicked the door down into Ryou's mind holding this gods awful...

'That is sheer, its literally a sheer evening gown with pasties...' Ryou began in horror.

'Seto would have fits... The ratings were going to go higher than what they will be tonight but for completely different reasons.' Yugi agreed...

'I'm just glad Mai isn't like that.' Ryou mentally sighed waiting for the reassuring confirmation from Yugi..

'You have so much faith...'

'Wait... 'the ratings would go higher'... Yugi are you saying that has happened in some alternate universe?!' Ryou blustered as the outfit united BOTH his British AND Japanese sense of horror at the idea that 'this' could be worn in public.

"I mean I 'can' make people see whatever sooo..."

"Yugi... You're a God, you're supposed to be of a higher standard than us!" Ryou blurted out as the trio, with Valon reunited with Mai and thus gone, returned to their suites.

"Says who? I mean, I created everything, I don't have an opposing force... I can be naughty too... I'm wearing leather for pity sake!"

"Is he going to be ok?" Anzu leaned over and whispered to Malik as they approached the elevator. Their reflections distorting them as brushed metal was prone to but not so distorted as to hide the slump of Ryou's shoulders. Or his bemoaned expression the closer they got.

"Yeah, Yugi gave him permission to look at Yugi's divine nature like a D rulebook and he's been pretty ok until now." Malik answered, "but he's been acting like this when Vivian comes up so it probably has something to do with her past as a soft core porn star..."

Anzu froze as the words played back in her head, given Maliks' history underground she doubted he saw porn... It was also in how he recited the words. Because it sounded like he was repeating someone else's words not using his own. True he understood the context, but the wording itself was stilted. Wondering briefly if he even really knew and understood what he just said... "Malik... where did you hear such a thing?" she squeaked out causing the pair to look behind them.

Ryou pushed the down button on the elevator and was in luck as it began parted open for them. Button pushing was so easy and when the doors parted and the idiots with him paused he held the elevator doors open. So idiot two could invite idiot one in, while Malik motioned for Anzu to keep walking, which she did.

Like a puppet.

"Jounouchi."

Anzu's expression went from shock to a dull eye roll as she quickly picked up the pace. "Of course it would be Jounouchi."

Which in Ryou's case was a solemn agreement that came from having a very old, put upon, soul.

Malik took charge of the buttons for their floor while Anzu drifted to a spot in the small box. "I don't care about how she acts, says or does. You will be respectful Malik," she fairly ordered causing the blond to turn and look at her.

"What did you think I would do?" He asked in amusement at the sight of Anzu's growing 'righteous fury'.

Ryou looked between the two, saw his chance to not be bothered and ran with it. So he backed off and rested himself against the wall. Eventually when they got to the privacy of their suites they would be able to discuss the trip. Not that there was a 'lot' of stuff that happened, still Anzu could have questions.