Yu-Gi-Oh: A Past and Future Pharaoh
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
Beta By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
A/N: Wow finally up to chapter 100.
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"So this book is pretty old. Passed down for ages on mom's side of the family, and apparently traces its way back to Egypt," George began. "There's a pair of tablets, small ones, that go with it and back when Uncle John was a kid he broke one of them. It had a dragon on it and ever since then the family has collected Dragons to try to make up for the damaged tablet."
"So what does it do?" Monte asked, his question punctuated by the sound of a door shutting.
"Who knows? Supposedly the book is a type of item of penance, grandpa once said that someone in the family committed a terrible crime. A crime so severe that it ousted the rightful heir to a kingdom. As punishment our family is tasked keep this book protected at all times," Fred explained as he rejoined the group.
"Ousted nobility?" Catty repeated for clarification, her voice carrying both her curiosity and mild disbelief. "A book?"
"As punishment? Given how you guys talk about it, seems kinda over the top. Aren't we past the age believing in spooks and curses and such?" Josie asked as George went and pulled open the trunk area of his SUV.
"Yeah, why hold on to a musty old book?" Catty asked.
The Christmas lights illuminated the area enough to see George moving about while their white light gave Fred a ghostly look. Yet colored lights would have given this more a circus feel, dispelling the mysticism feel that the twins were working on.
"Supposedly once the book is passed on to the next generation, they get visitations if they try to get rid of the book. But that's a formal passing on, and at this point can be done as easily as deciding on executor of a Will really." Fred explained while George's SUV door slammed shut, though Josie could have sworn she heard a sneeze upon impact.
George lugged a portable display lighting unit over towards the battery, shaking his head slightly as he did so. "Would have been better if we didn't have to snuff out the camp fire."
"Yeah, but those are the risks," Monte pointed out. "Though why do this 'now'? Is it seriously 'that' hard to get the book in at least another room for a little while?"
"The problem is that George and I aren't exactly 'with it' you know? We don't really believe this whole cursed book thing they talk about. So its looking like the book is going to be transferred to someone else." Fred explained as George finished plugging in the light and began setting it up.
"Honestly I feel bad for mom and Uncle John. I don't mind taking in the book if it keeps it in the 'direct bloodline' as they put in," George added. "Not to mention I don't mind not doing stunts like this because its so childish."
"Hush George," Fred scolded as the light beamed up from the unit.
Josie paused causing Bakura to blink in surprise as she suddenly stopped seemingly at the most important part. She was glancing between Anzu and Malik with a concerned gaze, so Bakura said nothing, but turned his gaze to study the pair as well.
The pair were almost ridged in their postures, Anzu sat with her posture attentive, yet frozen. Her pupils had seemed slightly dilated yet her expression didn't seem to have a real life to it. Almost like a static image, so seemingly unresponsive to the world around her that only her breaths assured him she lived. Even with the knowledge that what she was hearing was incorrect.
Malik was no better off, in fact he almost looked fascinating, seemingly trapped in a frozen state of lounging. Which was a look to be sure. But his eyes also bore the vacant gaze that Anzu held, though unlike her, he couldn't understand what was being said because of the language barrier.
Which left the spirits that had been hanging out in the store.
The Village Leader had made herself a seat next to Josie, there were others who took up the remaining spare seats as well. Now that he actually was paying attention to his surroundings he found that a good many were around. Mostly hovering in the air in semi reclined states as though emulating sitting down. Which was worrying given that he had been partly observing their surroundings to keep people from spying on them.
Bakura turned his attention towards Josie again and as their eyes met it was as though a message was set to him by look alone.
'This is normal.' They seemed to say.
'Normal', this was what happened whenever she attempted to tell someone what happened that night?
"Its always like this, they end up frozen and I feel like I'm talking to an audience of statues," she explained tight lipped.
"Like what?" Anzu asked suddenly springing back to life, her voice carrying her confusion as she looked between Josie and Ryou. Her voice enough to startle Ryou into turning to look at her before turning away from her to look at Malik. The expression on Josie's face was apologetic leaving Anzu feeling puzzled as she sat there. 'I don't think I zoned out. What's with wrong Ryou and Josie?'
Malik's expression was no better than Anzu's now that Josie had spoken it seemed someone had pressed 'play' on the blond. While the spirits looked no different than before, they were looking at each other and at him, unfrozen like how Anzu and Malik had become.
'I didn't notice that the Spirits had been congregating in such numbers while she spoke. Yet Anzu and Malik were clearly mesmerized so I guess I was too. But...' "I'm still hearing that Catherine, Monte and the others were at the camp and you're hearing differently, correct Anzu?"
"Yeah, uh.." Anzu's tone began with the semi sharp 'duh' tone only to seemingly remember what was going on. Turning that 'uh' from a 'yeah' to a 'maybe' shift as she glanced at Josie while a glance at Malik showed the guy merely shrugging.
"I have nothing..." Malik replied before pushing himself up and leaning forward so that his elbows rested on his knees.
"You both were frozen though, as though in a trance of sorts..." Bakura explained while Josie nodded quietly.
"Its always been like this, I'll say Ryou is the only one to still be aware of what I'm saying and moving on his own." Josie elaborated with a sigh. "It was scary at first..." She smiled sadly as she looked back at the memories in her own mind. "We had a fight... all of us the week after. It started as a normal conversation and um... then we started comparing notes. Needless to say I was the odd girl out, but it was the same. I started talking and the closer I got to the issue about the book the more they seemed entranced..."
"I hate to say this, but I wish one of the Pharaoh's priests were here. What she's talking about and how the others react makes me want for a holy person's presence." One woman in the back noted to her friend.
"Yes, I suppose we should just accept the current Pharaoh and his Circle is fine to seek protection from." Her friend agreed with a small sigh.
"Not from the General, we don't need the Generals' 'help'." Another villager inserted himself into the conversation, only to get the Village Leader to cast a look behind her.
"Shhhhh," she hissed out with a stern stare.
"Can't write it out because its pretty freaky to see the ink move in ways you don't set it to," Josie continued with a sigh.
"We're back though... I..." Anzu looked over at Ryou feeling a terrible sense of helplessness. "I guess you can tell us what we missed?" She suggested before shifting her attention onto Josie, "This must have been horrifying for you what if you told the story while someone else was driving a car or something?" She shivered at the thought of some zoned out person driving off a road into a ditch or, Kami forbid, a bridge.
Josie gave a tight lipped shrug with a slight tilt of the head, silently acknowledging that she had become aware of the possibility.
"Well so far the important part is that there seems to be some lore, but its a little off. It talks about the person who had it committing the crime. But Set never 'had' the book to start with, and its his father that used it. Instead they were taught that it brought about the fall of the royal family and given to them to serve as penance."
"A book that can call forth a demon as 'penance'..." Malik repeated, flabbergasted as he glanced between Bakura and Josie. Even if she couldn't understand what he said. He and his tribes had been sent below ground to protect the tablets and Items. "That the Book would not be sent as well with my Tribe is troubling. I mean sure letting the Book near the Items would probably be the worlds' biggest folly. But I would think another tribe would be sent underground for that purpose, not given to another family to deal with above ground."
"Yes, even the twins note that they were running into a problem because of their inability to believe the stories behind the Book. Apparently if someone tries to get rid of the Book the result is a 'visitation'. But the family was starting to look to other members to inherit the Book rather than give it to either twin, though George was willing to bear the burden if you will..." Bakura explained.
"But is George the elder twin?" Anzu asked, tilting her head in thought a bit. "Maybe that's the problem?"
Bakura leaned back a bit so Malik could see Anzu better as she gave a small shrug. "Well Yugi's father in Egypt was the older identical twin, right? Then there's the twin effect with Fred and George's mother and uncle, only they're fraternal twins instead of identical."
"Josie, do you know if John or his sister is the elder twin?" Bakura asked over the pair, watching her slightly start at his comment before growing thoughtful.
"She's the younger twin..."
"I apologize for the discussion going on here. I'll wait until your story is done to explain just 'why' there's so much chatter going on. I fear telling you before hand might be upsetting enough that you might forget something." He explained, causing Anzu to blink in surprise before she turned her attention back to Josie.
"Take all the time you want, I'm still floored that I finally found someone who can hear me!" Josie replied with a faint smile on her face. She took a small breath before saying, "Now where was I?"
"From the royal courts of Kemet!" Fred's voice dipped into his theatrical voice, going low enough to encourage the audience to lean in. "Carried across all corners of the world, hidden from the masses as a sacred duty entrusted by the Gods!" Fred ran his hand over the cover of the book slowly, letting the sound of skin over aged leather hiss softly as a subtle soundtrack. He swayed slightly giving the faintest impression of a cobra. Another method to lull the mind into a trance of sorts before he lightly dragged the back of his nails across the book cover.
The light from the pedestal caught the small drift of smoke rising from the drowned camp fire. There was a distant hint of the forest around them moving with the sounds they had long acclimated themselves to from other camping trips. While above the sky tried to peek through the branches of the trees to look.
"For this book, was written by entities far beyond the mortal contemplation, and bestowed upon our family as a sign of their favor!"
"That line doesn't work Fred," Catty interrupted, snapping them out of whatever trance he might have gotten them.
"It doesn't?" Fred righted himself with a small frown as he looked at the book. "I think it works."
"She's right, if its a 'sign of their favor' than why would the book never be opened?" Monte pointed out quietly as he began pulling his long black hair into a loose ponytail.
"Yeah... Its just, saying 'bestowed upon our family as a sign of penance' would leave a bad taste in others' mouths. People would be less interested in knowing whats inside if its a penance angle," George pointed out. Granted his tone hinted at his agreement with Monte and his own discontent that this was happening. "Though I'm glad you're only doing this since its us and not taking it out on the road."
"Oh that's good, I was afraid you'd do that and given how strict your family is about that book," Catty sighed before throwing back the last of her beer.
"I'd hate to think of how upset John would be," Josie noted given how John reacted whenever they brought up the book.
"Could be," Monte corrected. "There's no guarantee that he doesn't know that the book is gone."
Josie shut her eyes and shuddering at the thought of what the guys would be faced with when they got home. It was meant in jest, yet a chill raced up her spine at the same time so sudden and fast that she actually felt goosebumps run up her legs and arms.
"That's the defeatist attitude we expect out of you, Monte!" Fred tried to mock with a light hearted tone, yet Monte shrugged.
"Its just I heard a sneeze, when the door shut... And you guys have made it clear how important that book is..." Monte countered surprisingly stubborn for the almost meekish magician Josie had ever met.
"Wait... You heard a sneeze too?" Josie asked in surprise earning a look from everyone else.
"What sneeze? There's no one else out here," Fred asked looking about, just to be sure.
In fact it was rather quiet, Josie began to seriously miss the sounds from the campfire as she began to realize how noticeably empty the forest sounded. No bugs, a blessing sure, but the silence was starting to eat away at her. She glanced around as the vastness of the forest started to look more imposing than she was used to.
"Brr... ok how bout we skip the dramatics... Just show us what's in the book, pack it up and grab another beer.." Catty finally suggested as she shivered, though Monte responded by pulling her closer so she could warm up. If it was cold that made her shiver at all in retrospect.
"I guess you have a point though, so here."
That was when the world seemed to tilt, as Josie sat there her sight of Fred was obscured by something shimmering materializing between herself and Fred. Light dancing off a diamond in all those bright vivid colors was all she could say she saw. While her ears heard Johns' voice cut through the otherwise silent forest with a strange distortion. Bouncing off trees and brush, echoing over the terrain that it startled everyone, shattering the light that had manifested before Josie. A light that did not reflect off anything else around her, upon the ground or people she only noticed in passing.
But when it disappeared the book was now open resting in Freds' hands as he stood at attention, ridged back and startled expression plastered to his face. Though melting into confusion as he stood there with his eyes fixed upon the oh so special book.
"What have I told you boys about that? I can't believe you brought it out here!"
They could hear Johns' foot steps and the rustle of brush coming ever closer, while a ruddy red hue started to blossom across the campsite. Josie turned her gaze from Fred to seek out where John was zeroing in on them from, unsure if she should dive further to the ground or stand up. Her eyes dancing over the relit campfire only for her mind to grab on to that fact. The fire had been dead for a while, only now it was burning again? With no dry fuel or spark?
"Sorry..." Travis called out, his voice sounded terrible thick with mucus and congested to the point where his one lone word was sounded disgustingly moist. "E mahe me..."
The six of them stood in the campsite waiting for... Josie paused as the back of her mind suddenly began a recount. The twins, her and Catty with Monte being the only other guy, John and Travis were on their way 'to' the campsite by foot by the sounds of it. So who was the sixth...?
There was this person shaped shadow that stood behind Fred that she couldn't make out despite all the light in the camp. Smoky and dark yet despite having no face that she could see, the disapproval was enough to straighten out her hair no chemicals needed.
"Guys the book is empty. Uncle this book has nothing in it!"