Yu-Gi-Oh: A Past and Future Pharaoh

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

It was bright and sunny, the day that Yugi was finally, begrudgingly, allowed out of the hospital. Kaibas' pristine white limo was parked out at the pick up area which was eye catching in and of itself. The few other vehicles parked themselves behind it, intimidated by its length and sleek appearance.

Fugata walked out of the sliding entryway doors while carrying the meager bag that carried Yugis' personal effects and placed it in the trunk of the limo. Meanwhile, Yugi, for his part in this parade, was wearing that long midnight blue trench coat that Obelisk turned itself into. Manifested so Kaiba would relax at least a 'little'.

But Fugata was also trying to hurry it a bit, realizing that the limo really shouldn't have been parked there. If there was an emergency the limo was just going to cause more time delays for someone else. Mokuba had been sent to pick him up and bring him back to the mansion while Kaiba was stuck at the office.

'Though Mokuba is probably angry with me, too...' Yugi thought to himself as he was let into the limo. He winced a bit at the pain in his chest, a ghostly reminder that Kaiba broke the healing spell before it was done. The pain was remembered in Yugi's body, reminding him of his broken ribs, torn heart, sliced and shredded chest muscles. Sudden enough that he didn't have time to take the orb he had been carrying out of his mouth.

It would heal, the memory fade, Yugi could make it go faster or perfect it himself. But instead he let the pain carry on. He settled down in what was becoming 'his' spot in the limo with no fanfare. Needing to be in place and calm before Mokuba settled in and noticed. 'I don't want to upset you further than I already have.' Yugi mused to himself.

Mokuba planted himself in his seat, his own school uniform wasn't matching with Kaiba's own white and blue business suit.

"I hope you realize we're going to have that 'talk' once we get home," Mokuba warned. His arms across his chest, a pint sized angry Kaiba. Kuriboh faded into sight and settled itself comfortably onto Yugi's lap. It was growing unnerving how Yugi wasn't talking much at all. He wasn't ignoring Mokuba, but something was up. Something that Mokuba didn't understand and now that he was free to sit and observe Yugi...

"What's wrong?"

Yugi took the orb out of his mouth before giving his best, meekest, 'Little Yugi' voiced, "ahh its complicated?" he could muster.

"Big brother..." Mokuba grumbled looking up at his older brother.

Sighing lightly for the sake of his chest, Yugi stuffed the orb back into his mouth and settled in for what was going to be a quiet ride. Because it was going to be a noisy arrival once they were safe in Kaiba's office.

"Perhaps I should explain as it seems no one else has," Mahaado noted, feeling a twinge of 'yes please' from Yugi. "Mokuba, do you understand what happened to the Pharaoh while he was slumbering?"

"Um, big brother Mahaado?" Mokuba blinked as he looked about the limo, but there was no sign of the magician. "Well uh not much. Isis was nice to me, even when I..." Mokuba grew quiet as he thought back to the times when Isis would leave 'Set' and visit him. It was comforting sure, being reminded that someone he didn't really know remembered him. Even when all he wanted was his Big Brother back and things to go back to normal. "But all she told me was that Big brother Yugi was sleeping to regain his old memories. But that doesn't make sense, its not like you weren't sleeping the whole time before you got shot. And I remember you mentioning remembering your past life 'before' being shot. What gives?"

"Well, you are correct, the Pharaoh 'did' see a great deal of His past before that. However; He didn't know the exact age He died at. Thus He wasn't sure how many more summers He had lived through and..." Mahaado shrugged, despite no one currently able or willing to see him. "Pharaoh's words have become sacred, the price of such knowledge was the awakening of His Divine Powers. Come with a heavy cost, and while He 'can' and 'will' speak, He must choose His words with greater care."

Mokuba sat there confused and very quiet, painfully so as far as Yugi was concerned as he studied the child near him. Respecting Mokuba's feelings and thoughts meant not being invasive, so despite his curiosity, he struggled to let Mokuba's thoughts wander where they wanted.

"Divine Powers? So you can do anything?" Mokuba asked.

'I guess I expected either high excitement or terror... so this is... ok?' Yugi thought to himself until he noticed the watery effect on Mokuba's eyes.

"Mokuba?"

"Is that why those people summoned the demon?" Mokuba asked and watched as Yugi looked down and away.

"Pharaoh can not answer such a question any longer, for should He, it will become reality." Mahaado answer was gentle but firm.

He watched as Mokubas' expression turned slightly downward, clearly thinking about what was being said and what it meant.

After all Mokuba was about the same age as when the Pharaoh died, so perhaps it was different from Yugis' other friends. They had grown up with it being accepted that Mokuba was a 'child' and therefore be 'limited' on what he could and not understand. That wasn't the same for Mahaado, so he waited while Mokuba processed through what was being said.

"But Gods don't exist in this world, not like going to school or living 'normal jobs' right? People would just swarm them wanting their wishes and dreams answered... So what type of life is that? Doesn't that mean Big brother has to leave to stay safe?" Mokuba asked finally as the tears began to fall. "I hate this! I was enjoying having more people at the dinner table, I was happy not being alone while Big Brother works. But realistically Big brother can't stay with us anymore! Its not safe! As strong as Big Brothers' company is, we can't stop the world from coming after Big brother..."

Yugi unclicked the seat belt and moved so he was sitting next to Mokuba, and pulled into his arms. Mokuba turned towards him and began honestly crying into the teens' already tender chest.

"You can't even say that you won't... you won't lie about it... Meaning you just might leave!" Mokuba sobbed in response as Yugi frowned with this bitter bit of pride. Mokuba recognizing the very truth that only Seto and Ryou seemed to grasp was just a bitter sweet feeling.

"It 'is' within His Right. However; He is trying to stay here so please do not give in to despair Mokuba," Mahaado pointed out.

"So when's Big Brother leaving?" Mokuba asked, his voice filled with tears and bitterness, muffled by Yugi's chest.

"Do not confuse the two, Seto's place is here among the living, it is the Pharaoh who's place is above all." Mahaado began...

"Seto has a responsibility to uphold," Yugi began after pulling out the orb. "It was his punishment for failing me three thousand years ago. Its not as though my purpose is to drag him back to some divine duty beyond the mortal veil. What people choose to do with their lives is their choice, I only pass down any type of 'Divine Judgement' once someone dies."

"'Once someone dies'?! What about the bastard that shot you? What about the people who commit crimes! There's lots of bad people in the world who could be punished right now! Why not them!" Mokuba demanded as he straightened up, his eyes red and puffy as he glared up at Yugi. "What about our blood family that stole our inheritance and dumped my Big Brother and I into an orphanage? Just to be taken in by Gozoboro! Why not them!?"

"Redemption is always a path, Mokuba. Until a person dies, they can always seek redemption and as I recall. If you want to talk about 'people doing bad things deserving Divine Retribution immediately', I should remind you. You tried to poison me, and your brother built a theme park based on killing me..." Yugi pointed out, his tone slightly pragmatic but there was a hint of reproach in it.

Causing Mokuba to go pale as he recalled 'those' days.

"Jounouchi used to bully me, and sure my past self used a great many Mind Crushes and Shadow Games. But even then, if a person repents and seeks to change those negative qualities they can be free of those punishments."

Mokuba stared up at Yugi, his vision a bit distorted from the tears and the pressure of hugging Yugi as he cried. But in that moment something clicked in Mokuba, this dawning awareness that startled him with its frankness. "You can't be happy about the way the world is... it can't sit right with you. Sure, ok thanks for not... smiting me and Big Brother. But I know there's a lot of bad people, bad people who won't want redemption or anything... People getting hurt, that can't sit right with you..."

Yugis' smile was all the answer that Mokuba needed to see. The tense, naked bitterness that didn't rest easily on Yugi's face. Bitterness just wasn't an emotion that Mokuba associated with Yugi and that it was there... 'I bet he wants to do lots of smiting, but he's not... if I was in his position...'

And Mokuba 'did' make an effort, if he was a God and knew each person for their good and bad acts, know everything about them... He'd just smite away, only Yugi was right, 'Mokuba' did bad things too. So he could have been smited along with the ones he smited. And he couldn't just make it obvious that he knew if he didn't want people going crazy... 'Not everyone is good, having to put up a nice face while facing someone everyone thinks is good but is terrible... Or... or...'

"I'm sorry Big brother..." Mokuba looked down at the tops of his shoes. "I was selfish, I wasn't thinking about how any of this might affect you. Like you're mortal-ish right now, and acting mortal, only you're really 'not' us anymore... It must be hard and I'm acting like a baby..."

"Mokuba, you're acting more responsible and mature than a great many people. Your empathy and compassion has grown in leaps and bounds. Giving Pharaoh the very motivation to pursue the path He's on now when dealing with others." Mahaado's voice spoke from Seto's seat.

"Its always been us, just my Big Brother and me in the orphanage or in the mansion.. I just don't want to go back to that silence. I was so content with it, but when you and big brother showed up I... I really like that! I like having casual chats at dinner! I like being in the mansion and having the two of you to play with. I like..." Yugi pulled him into another hug as Kuriboh floated over and settled on the top of his head. "I like having a family, not an office. You're Big Brothers' cousin after all... That makes you family... and you got shot... they were all talking about it at school. They were a bit iffy if it was you because of how tall you are now. But then Big Brother brought you back from the dead, and the news outlets..."

"I know what I did was sneaky and underhanded," Yugi confessed. "But we both know I had been told of all the alternatives." He didn't say anything further, knowing how bad things could go if he went on. Mokuba would have been destroyed if it had been Kaiba, but anything else implied putting priority on the lives of others.

While Kuriboh realized how close it was to the Magician at that moment. Its fluffy child like mind suddenly thrilled at just 'borrowing' the magicians' spellbook... While the non Ka's were sitting on the seats of this long covered cart. Mahaado himself was emulating it sitting on a seat and if Kuriboh joined him on that seat... So the Kuri relocated himself onto Mahaado's lap and began kneading his paws as he tried to figure out how to extract the book from Mahaado.

"Can't you just..." Mokuba began only for his hands to flounder as he tried to think of 'what'.

"They're praying that I don't, begging me to let them carry on their plans..." Yugi explained with a sigh. "In a way it gets lost in the noise of everyone else's similar prayers, but they are rather single minded on 'that'. So I hear them better than others."

Mokuba winced through his tears before rubbing them away with the back of his arm. "You already have to deal with that? Is it annoying?"

"Depressing really. A lot of these prayers are people committing a crime and praying they get away with it, while at the same time the victim praying to know why them. Which then later can become vengeance on their assailant."

"You are not allowed to use the computer to find out how many various crimes take place through out the world." Mahaado suddenly spoke up, though his use of the word 'computer' was a bit clumsy and his 'you' started off incredibly rude then corrected itself. His hands were also firmly planted on Kuriboh to keep the small spirit to stop prodding at his side.

"Your Japanese is improving," Mokuba noted weakly with a half smile. One of gratitude and childlike affection. After all he had been mostly responsible for helping Mahaado learn to talk more like Kaiba. "Also I already have a pretty good idea, Big Brother 'has' worked with the Underworld from time to time..."

"That aside, I hope that clears up why the Pharaoh does not speak as much as He used to," Mahaado finally continued. Holding the Kuriboh more akin to an overly plush cat. He long since learned how to pet the spirit in such a way to get the child to grow sleepy... and out of trouble.

"I guess. I just wish you wouldn't have hidden that from me. I understand that I would have been in danger too... But... It hurt so much to find out we were going straight to the hospital. Everyone was so in awe of how you manipulated all of us into being at the hospital in time. It felt like no one cared that you had been shot or nearly died... Then when everyone figured out Big Brothers' state of mind... You were gone, so was Mahaado and Kuriboh... I haven't felt so alone in such a long time and I hate it..."

Yugi nodded as he sat there, unable to say anything that didn't feel of false, insincere comfort words. So instead he sat there, putting the orb back in his mouth and let the elegant cab of the limo settle into a quiet peaceful silence...

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

It was late evening when Kaiba returned to the mansion.

Mokuba was in bed, and it was just Yugi waiting for Kaiba to return, he was wearing a pair of leather pants and a button on shirt that kept the pressure off his chest. It was quiet by then, Yugi just puzzling his way through his homework. The dinning room was an ok place to work, the table was long and afforded an assortment of books. It was close enough to the entry way of the mansion that he could hear and call out from where he was.

He was obscenely close to the kitchen and snacks... Allowing Yugi to just sit back and 'enjoy' his homework, trying to just do it as a normal teenager instead of...

"Its about time you got back," saying 'hello' was just not a Kaiba thing.

"Well, I would have been back sooner if someone had opted to call me sooner," Yugi pointed out. It was here, that he felt the first stirrings of relief. Seto wasn't as moored to the world as the rest of the gang. Fight it all he wanted, Seto was a god now as well and Yugi didn't feel that flowing ease of control that he felt over Anzu and the others.

"You should have told me," Kaiba retorted as he walked over and pulled out a chair to sit down.

"We know how you would have handled it," Yugi pointed out as he put down the pencil. "And the world would benefit more from your presence than from mine."

"Do you have any idea what it felt like seeing you again..." Kaibas' jaw was set as he tried to talk. A intensity that came from ages ago spilling into now, as he recalled all that blood and guilt.

"Well, you forced me to reincarnate..." Yugi pointed out, his shoulders sagged a little as he leaned back into his seat. "That choice was always going to lead you down the harder path, and I told you that multiple times. But you insisted..."

"I don't remember that," Kaiba retorted, but even that felt a little weak. Yugi didn't look 'bad', a bit tired, relaxed. Older than he got to be in his first lifetime and Kaiba was left with that hideous pit of guilt, resentment and pain.

"Of course you don't. Life is about choices, and that was your choice."