Yu-Gi-Oh: A Past and Future Pharaoh
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
Beta By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
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Kaiba straightened his tie while looking at himself in the mirror, almost everything was white, from the suit to the shirt, with the only splash of color being his azure tie. He wanted to be in his dueling coat, but this wasn't going to be 'his' duel. Instead this would be the announcement for the KaibaLand amusement park, thus it was all business today. Let Yugi dress whatever style he felt was best to convey his 'ideal' of the 'King of Games', which probably meant leather. Lots and lots of leather like the guy wouldn't be caught dead in anything that wasn't once a living animal.
But it was all for show and presentation anyway, Yugi would be seeded for the title of King or Queen of Games. Since Kaiba had found that there 'were' two women who came up with the required points to be invited. The Wong woman he didn't have much expectation for, her profile pretty much painted her as a type of gold digger. The other woman was Mai, which meant he expected more competence from her than the other one. There were very few professional women in the game and at least with her, there would be a 'serious' woman who made it. More inspiring to have at least 'one' woman who took the game seriously than to have idiots looking for a rich man. If what he read up on Wong was any indication.
He glanced at the clock next to his bed and found it was 5:37am, which meant he needed to get a move on if he wanted to make it to the conference at 9am. Kaiba took in the sight of his clothes making sure that it fitted him perfectly, nothing sticking out of place. Clean and as precise as a laser, while his hair was checked to make sure the same perfection. It suddenly occurred to him that perhaps Yugi would try to make himself look like he did when the Other Yugi won the title. Which would have meant he would wear his school uniform and put a new hole in the ozone layer through the amount of hair spray he was going to need to pull off that hair.
'Yowling kitten can ride on the 'roof' of the limo if he did. Because I am 'not' riding to the event breathing in those fumes.' He thought to himself as turned towards the door, hoping that Mokuba was still asleep. He doubted most people realized how hard his little brother had worked while Kaiba had been recovering, forced to pose with an illusion. Trying to help Mahaado in tweaking the illusions' personality enough so as to not raise suspicions.
In fact once Kaiba had recovered enough to interact with the world, Mokuba had pretty much crashed on the couch down below. The evident stress of the past days finally convincing him that he shouldn't bring the child along. Granted after the whole Colorado debacle Mokuba was extra clingy, he needed his rest as much as Kaiba had. Leaving Kaiba to carry the sleeping child up to his room, and tucking him in. So it was agreed with Yugi and Mahaado that he would leave Mokuba home. Once the child woke up, the limo would be waiting to bring him to the arena.
With those thoughts, Kaiba made his way out of his room and down the hallway towards Yugi's room. His steps were silent on the carpet as he walked the well remembered hallway of the mansion, when he stopped at the door. Knocking softly, as though Mokuba was sleeping at the foot of the door, he was answered after a moment with Yugi.
Yugi 'had' gone for the 'I wear only what had once been a living animal after its been skinned and painted black' look. Which for show was fine, not that Kaiba wanted him dressed as say, an Egyptian Pharaoh. His hair was brushed to an inch of its existence, it also looked as though Yugi had polished all the silver metal on his collar and his vest. Because of 'course' Yugi was wearing that black bondage themed buckles on the front top and really Yugi. Really? No point in looking at the pants or boots because Kaiba already had an idea.
Yugi, for his part, didn't look the bit unfazed by Kaiba's scrutiny as he wore this quiet, thoughtful expression on his face. A small smirk appeared on his lips as though he was taunting Kaiba to ask, and Kaiba wasn't buying that smirk. Instead he turned back to the hallway and towards the stairs to the first floor. If Yugi wasn't stupid he would understand to follow. Which was apparently the case, since Kaiba could just barely pick up the sounds of the leather Yugi was wearing. Since the carpet wasn't going to help him in this case.
Thankfully Yugi followed in silence. It felt nice to be walking through the mansion again in his own body. Mahaado had done his part to allow Kaiba to do more than just sleep, however ghosting through the mansion was very subpar in Kaiba's own opinion. Even the act of putting on clothes was a welcome return to Kaiba. The mansion didn't look any different, despite Yugi having free run of the place while Kaiba had been recovering from his trip to America. Though he was beginning to think that leaving Japan was a bad idea. Every time he left it, he seemed to have to deal with some magical mayhem that just caused him more fuss than he wanted.
The maids stood by the door and bowed as he left, with Yugi ghosting behind him, thankfully without the Kuriboh or the magician with him. Which was a bit odd. Yugi, now in control of Mahaado again wasn't actively bringing the mage out. Though not being in the same situation as Mahaado, perhaps Yugi figured it was a method of giving Mahaado a day off. He 'had' been essentially on call for quite some time. Or perhaps it was a sign of the stress that Yugi was feeling. That he couldn't focus enough to summon Mahaado at all.
Given that this was, essentially, Yugis' coming out announcement. As far as the world was concerned, Yugi was the shrimp they saw in Battle City. Now he had grown up, looking his own age and there were those who doubted the guy behind him 'was' the real Yugi. Even the pictures from his run through the mall those months ago, had people questioning. There were those who believed that it was a potentially unknown older sibling.
So perhaps what Yugi was wearing 'made' sense, since he wore all that black back in Battle City. Trying to maintain some semblance of the image that the Other Yugi held that people saw on the broadcasts. In a way Yugi was going to have to some how 'be' the Other Yugi in presentation and ease his way into being his normal self now.
Isono opened the door to the limo for the two of them, allowing Kaiba to step into his white limo while Yugi fell in and settled for a spot on the side. The door shut and Kaiba relaxed against the back of the seat while making mental observations on Yugi. Could the teenager do it? Could he present himself as having the confidence and charisma of his Other Self? Once Yugi got settled into his seat, his gaze went straight out the window and he seemed off in some distance place.
Isono walked his way to the front of the vehicle while Kaiba sat there studying Yugi. Perhaps his stare was too intense though because by the time Isono hit the gas Yugi had turned to look at Kaiba. His expression was quizzical before he looked down at himself and shrugged.
"How do I look?"
"Yugi you look like a bondage slave."
"Great! Girls love bondage slaves!" Yugi replied in a false cheerful tone.
Causing Kaiba to instantly think 'no there he is', yet there was something in the teens eyes that made Kaiba narrow his in answer. The moment Yugi had blurted out that reply his gaze had gone back outside the limo. And while Kaiba was loathed to do it, he resigned himself to trying to remember something about the rules that governed summoning from the Tablets.
Though perhaps he would, as much as he loathed 'that' as well, summon Maha and talk to the guy about those lessons. Since Kaiba wasn't much of a spell caster himself, especially after Mahaado's 'tender' and oh so gentle method to teach him. At least Mahaado had been more merciful on Mana when he taught her magic. Though she was never as good as her teacher, the little caster had done her best to not let Kaiba down.
"Maybe the restraints are to protect others from me," Yugi commented out of nowhere, his gaze still lost to the outside world. He had leaned back into his seat, with his legs crossed at the ankles and his arms crossing his chest. Without thought he had sat himself in a posture akin to the Other Yugi, yet what was going on in his mind...
With that thought, Kaiba raised the partition between them and Isono with a push of a button on the door before addressing Yugi directly. "The furball or the mage, which if either, are you currently summoning into this world?" As loathed as he was to recall or talk of it, he felt it was important to know what Yugi recalled about summoning.
"Neither, at the moment. When Mokuba wakes up is usually when I summon Kuriboh, since well, I have to sleep." Yugi answered, a bit surprised by Kaibas' question. His head was cocked to the side quizzically as the pair sat amid long empty seats and there was this strange feeling of distance between them.
"Yugi, I don't want to talk about Ancient Egypt so I'm going to say this once and only once," Kaiba warned and watched as Yugi gave him a startled look. "Who you summon affects you. Its not just sharing your life force with them, the personalities are going to start adjusting. So the longer you keep that hairball around, the more you're going to stay childish. If you want to some how convince the world that you are the Other Yugi. At least keeping up the appearance until everyone is used to how you look now? Then you need to hold off on the hairball."
Yugi blinked as he processed the instruction, his lips quirking into an innocent smile before he shrugged slightly, "I see. I'm still a baby in my memories, I'm crawling around and giving the servants trouble keeping up with me!" He wistfully laughed in thoughtful amusement before he found himself curious about the one person who he hadn't seen at all in the modern world. "So should I teach Mokuba how to summon Kuriboh for himself?"
"Like hell I want that furball running around! Its bad enough when its you, I don't need more!" Kaiba snapped which got Yugi to chuckle.
"How about Mana? She doesn't seem to have incarnated in this life time at all, so why not her?" Yugi asked with a smile as he thought about where his Dark Magician Girl came from.
Kaiba gave Yugi a flat, unamused glare at the question, not that it affected Yugi at all before turning his attention back outside the limo. "She didn't reincarnate..." Yugi sounded almost disappointed, and couldn't see the glare deepen on Kaiba's face.
"No, she lived a full life serving me, married and had a child. But her line's magic doesn't seem to have lasted far past her." Kaiba answered before adding, "but whenever I couldn't find her I knew I could find her at Mahaado's Tablet. She'd talk to his Tablet daily, despite never getting strong enough to summon him herself. She'd talk to the both of you actually."
Yugi closed his eyes as though he had been punched, when his eyes reopened they were already gazing down at the carpeted floor of the limo. "If I didn't have to leave I wouldn't have."
Kaiba wanted to snarl several things, but Yugi's memories weren't complete, and once they were... Instead he turned his own glare out the window of the limo and Yugi followed the action.
"Seto, where were you? I know the Other Me only played a game 'based' on those days, but it doesn't mean it was an accurate recreation. So where were you that day? I figure the others had already died since they weren't there by the final battle, and you lived to take on the crown so..." Yugi asked, his tone both distant and curious. His gaze to the outside world meant he managed to miss the wince that Kaiba gave Yugi's reflection before turning his gaze away and back to the front of the limo.
"Seto?" Yugi turned to look at him and his expression was curious and a bit shrewd even. He didn't say anything further instead he looked out the window and smiled faintly, "it still feels weird to be riding a limo."
"Well when you finally get a drivers' license and a job to pay for a car you can drive yourself." Kaiba retorted as he welcomed the frivolous conversation. So much so that he didn't object to this private use of his given name.
"I really need to think of what I'm going to do after high school huh?" Yugi chuckled faintly before sighing. "I'm not really interested in the type of competitive lifestyle that Mai lives for. And that's going to look weird what with me being the King," Yugi asked thoughtfully looking at Kaiba for some semblance of guidance.
"Not really, no. You weren't part of it when you gained the title and you've only entered events that were marked as high tier levels. You really do have the option to pick and choose the tournaments you attend. Its a right for the King." Kaiba explained before realizing that Yugi hadn't planned for his future. "And you've seriously not even thought of what you're going to do after school?" Kaiba demanded glaring at Yugi, not liking the whole drifting plan.
"Well I 'have', I..." And Yugi's eyes drifted to the floor, glassy and he seemed to struggle internally, with the way his body tensed. "I was going to take over Grandpa's shop, make games on the side and sell them. Yet while I still want to make games, I.." Yugi's mouth opened and shut a few times as he tried to formulate words.
While Kaiba settled down at the answer, since financially Yugi would have to win much more than a few top tier tournaments to even afford repairing the game store. Not to mention rebuilding the stock to maintain it which could, upon his brief estimation, take about two years to get completed after obtaining the funding which would take longer. However; Yugi was such a sentimental sap, that working where his family died didn't look feasible. Though... getting Yugi into his R&D department... well... bossing Yugi around was an idea.
After all, at work he 'could' boss Yugi around, while at the mansion or at school he was forced to tolerate Yugi's occasional rebellious streaks. Plus given that Yugi's dad was checking in regularly with Kaiba, being able to say the guy had a job would work in Kaiba's favor. Though there was a part of him that pondered why he was, in essence, fighting to keep Yugi in Japan.
"Once you graduate, why not go to your dad's? He'd probably stop harassing me if he knew there was a set date when you would go."
Yugi started and looked at Kaiba, his eyes wide with surprise and a disheartened frown crossed his lips. "My dad's been bothering you? I'm sorry! I didn't realize he was still calling, when I get the chance I'll call him back!" Yugi blurted out in a fit of apologies as his arms dropped to brace him from the sides. His shoulders huddled a bit inward and his head tucked itself down a bit as though he was cowering again.
"You never spoke to him the whole time I was recovering?" Kaiba asked stunned that Yugi had somehow ditched talking to his dad. What had he been doing?!
"He... never... no? I don't know, I never realized he called so I don't know how you've been in contact. I mean you've been sleeping like the dead," Yugi stumbled over the fact that somehow his dad was still trying to contact him and he.. didn't even know?
Kaiba sighed in frustration and was about to summon the only person he could think of who 'would' know. When he suddenly recalled his interactions with the Priest and the answer became clear to him. "Because he called 'me' and that meant Mahaado contacted 'me' instead of 'you'," Kaiba finally, disgruntle annoyance clear in his voice, answered. "Mahaado probably faked being me, to the best of his ability, but because I was, and he probably was as well, unaware of who it was..."
"All he understood was that someone wanted to take me away from the mansion and he refused?" Yugi asked, a faint smile on his lips at the thought, partly because Mahaado had few proud, arrogant words in his Japanese. So it would have been the most polite ANYONE would have heard 'Kaiba, Seto' in since forever.
"Great now after this I'm going to have to drag out the phone list of who that stupid magician talked to. Just to figure out how badly he damaged my reputation by being so infuriatingly nice." Kaiba growled in annoyance, as he brought the full weight of his glare on the world outside. Noting that they were pulling into the arena where his announcement was planned. "Looks like we're finally here."
He watched as Yugi blinked before settling back in his seat, hands shoved into his pockets oddly enough. Yugi closed his eyes and seemed to be going over some mental check list in his head, as he took in deep breaths and let them out slowly. Now having to 'be' the Other Yugi, for a global audience and he seemed to be steeling himself for the long haul. With a bit of a malicious smirk at the misfortune of the little Yugi, Kaiba found himself, without thinking, asking. "Scared?"
"A Pharaoh is never scared, or ever walks without confidence." Yugi answered automatically, his voice surprisingly clear. When he opened his eyes, Kaiba was taken aback at how much Yugi 'looked' like the Other Yugi. Granted they always shared the same face, but Yugi now had an expression similar to the long dead Pharaoh.