Yu-Gi-Oh: A Past and Future Pharaoh
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
A/N: Discovered 'Trustfall' by P!nk and that fits this song a bit better so I'll be using it instead!
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"Ok, so Yugi won't be seeded into the tournament, makes sense," Mai noted as she leaned back in her seat. "But he 'is' cleared to duel?" Mai asked as she looked over the trio in front of her. Her skin crawled when her eyes rested on the blond Egyptian in the room though she tried to keep her reaction low key. They sat around her suite, draped over various chairs with a small but stupidly rich selection of dessert offerings on the table. "I saw the news and while there wasn't a great deal about it..."
"Oh he's able to duel," Bakura answered with a nod, toying with a custard before scooping up a spoonful. "Kaiba does good work, but well, can't let that leak, can you imagine what would become of the world if he was touted as a healer?"
"Not to mention we already have that group after Yugi, can't make a two for one out of it," Anzu pointed out darkly. "They blew up the game shop Mai, only to follow it up with using human sacrifices to summon a new entity..." Anzu paused, her lips curling into a frown at the dark implications she had seen.
"I've been seeing some news reports in various parts of the world I've been in. Sometimes just a random person, sometimes a much larger group of people that just up and vanish. I guess with that in mind its just good sense to not let Yugi out and about readily..." Mai confessed aloud as she sat in a comfy chair. "So what have I missed about the rest of what happened? I haven't been able to nail Anzu down for updates beyond the shooting."
The trio exchanged glances, though they were mostly focused onto Anzu as she gave this semi embarrassed smile. "Sorry about that its been kinda rough with school and all. Well, Kaiba healed Honda of his deafness and bum knee as well as everyone in the hospital..."
Mai stopped with a spoon full of parfait perfection halfway to her mouth as she stared at Anzu. Her mind tried to wrap around that idea, and both guys looked suitably embarrassed at her growing silence.
"Yes well, my siblings said that he used to be able to just heal a target, but given the distress he was in at the time. It was more a healing bomb than merely healing a target, and he healed everyone in the hospital." Malik explained while trying to figure out if it was safe to cut the slice of cake he had. It was so layered in soft cream instead of that thin sheet of crusty rock that Bakura called 'icing'...
"Those in the know bow when Kaiba walks by, people call him 'Lord Kaiba' but with a more elevated manner... And while he has an ego, this is amazingly 'not' feeding it," Bakura admitted before taking a bite into that custard and decided. Yes American's COULD make good custard.
"And you met Yugi's dad..." Anzu added with a wincing twist of the lips. "He was never happy when we talked and barely kept his cool those few days. Yugi lied about the nature of the shooting, and he wanted to know why Kaiba didn't do better." She sighed as her head hung down for a moment, "I'm so glad he was calm today even though Wong's stunt was really unappreciated."
"What about that 'personal assistant'? You spoke before about talking to him too," Bakura asked , looking at Anzu through his bangs as he lowered his head for another spoonful.
"Nice man really, generally good with his Japanese, but he talks like an American using Japanese, doesn't have a lot of the etiquette down. But he gave some good insight as to why Mr. Mouto was so upset. Seems in their circles some of the elite are murmuring about this group and strangely enough Yugi's father seemed to figure Yugi was involved somehow." Anzu explained while everyone turned to look at her in surprise.
"I guess it shouldn't be surprising since he looks like a Japanese version of my father," Malik mused finally into the growing silence of the quartet. "Just because he wasn't around, maybe he wasn't even told, but he could have a type of sixth sense about this. I mean how could he be 'that' clueless about all the tournaments going on? He has to know something, I mean his son won the world title!"
"You'd be surprised," Mai explained with a slight shrug, "Its true that 'money talks' but if social circles don't overlap some people just don't hear anything. Its possible that the personal assistant keeps him in the loop as part of his duties."
Bakura nodded while his free fingers drummed along the bowl of his custard. When he turned to look at the door, seemingly out of nowhere until it opened and a tall brown haired 'stranger' entered.
"When you reach the room, my friend Bakura will be looking at the door when you enter, Mai saved you a plate of food, she grabbed you a large cut of steak, potatoes, green beans, a pair of bread rolls. Honestly its like she thinks you don't eat even though its just her way of showing she cares. She's eating a parfait and saved you a large slice of strawberry cake. Bakura is eating his way through a custard, Malik, the blond Egyptian, is also eating a slice. Anzu isn't eating anything, she's still a little upset about what happened earlier. Tell her that I told her she should try the parfait the blueberry one." Yugi instructed as Valon reached for the doorknob to the suite. He turned once more to see Yugi smiling slightly, a melancholy smile as he looked at the floor.
"God can be depressed?" Valon asked taken a bit back by the expression. 'I get the whole thing about being limited in what he said but...'
"I used to be able to travel with my friends," Yugi explained with a slight sigh of regret. "But given the shooting its more realistic if I stay isolated... it gets boring I confess."
"Even though you already know everything?" Valon found himself asking before shaking his head. "Meaning it doesn't make any difference if you're there or not, you're going to know it anyway... Man this game you play is harsh." Valon answered before wincing in apology, "Sorry, Mai explained your name means 'game' and uh..."
Yugi chuckled softly before shaking his head, "its fine and yes, my modern name means 'game'."
"Well, you know what they say about games... Gotta 'play it to win'," Valon offered and watched as Yugi's eyes filled with amusement, the melancholy faded in that growing mischief.
"You're right, the food will still be warm when you arrive at the suite, and let Mai know that 'Chibi-chan is fine with this stunt of hers'."
There was a guy staring at him as Valon entered the suite, he was already sliding the room card back into his wallet. That's when he noted the white haired teenager studying him from his chair, and noted that the room was a picture of what Yugi had told him. Everyone in various states of indulging desserts except a brown haired girl who looked oddly embarrassed by his presence.
"So uh, Yugi said you should try the blueberry parfait... Anzu?" He began unsure of really what else to do. But his words had impact as the group paled and turned to look at Anzu in disbelief.
"I uh... ok..." She got up and gathered up the parfait in question though it was with no small amount of alarm. Her eyes darting to and staying on the dessert that she then brought back to her seat.
"So uh," Mai began before shrugging. "That's Anzu, and he's Valon you both spoke on the phone once. The white haired teen is 'Ryou' and the blond is 'Malik'," Mai explained though just how Valon walked in and 'knew' that much made her a little curious. "You went to see Yugi?"
"Yeah, think I was going to let you pull that stunt against Wong and 'not' warn the poor kid?" Valon asked as he walked over to join her at the table. "He also said he's fine with this little stunt of yours." He pointed out before he started unwrapping the plate that had been resting by Mai the whole time.
"Oooh that can mean a lot," Malik groaned, but he couldn't hide the moderate amusement that filled his thoughts. Not looking like a kid, and given how Mai looked, 'I wonder if Yugi's going to get a little naughty with this...?'
"I'll say, nice kid really, even after taking bullets... though I'm curious what that thing is he kept messing with..." Valon replied even as the strong delicious scent of steak filled his nostrils, the low key sizzle that implied it was just taken off the grill tickled his ears. The plate was just as Yugi described, and Mai looked a touch alarmed at the plate... "Something wrong?"
"Yeah, its been a bit since that plate was put there, how is it still sizzling?" Mai asked as she went as far as to poke the steak with her index. It was hot enough to make her stick her finger in her mouth and stare at him in surprise before looking at the others...
"Yeah he told me it would be..." Valon admitted with an almost careless shrug.
"The orb?" Malik asked as he thought back on it before shrugging, "No idea, he's just had it on him all the time since he woke up from his coma. In his mouth or in his hands, no idea what it is though."
"He's a nice guy though, a little..." Valon floundered over the rest of the statement before he blinked and looked about. "Wait, you all speak English?"
The room froze as everyone looked about, Malik almost panicked as he looked between the people he knew, the woman he barely knew, and the complete stranger... "I...heard Egyptian...?"
Mai looked towards Anzu's own gaze wondering if the boys were pulling her leg, especially not knowing Malik in a good way. Yet Anzu looked almost unsurprised...?
"Damn it Yugi," Bakura groaned as he buried his face in his hands. "Did someone try to put him to the test about something?"
"He merely wished to assist given that Malik and my own grasp of English is..." Mahaado explained as he materialized in the room... A startled shriek from Mai turned him about as his staff materialized in his hands. Anzu jumped to her feet and rushed to Mai's side calling out to reassure the woman that Mahaado meant no harm. While Valon, now fully settled into his seat, a fork and knife in hands was left just a deer in headlights.
"Oh... oh that kid is 'Mahaado'..." Mai stammered out. The teen did look like the Dark Magician, save the darker skin and hair color. But he looked as young as the other kids in the room, despite his expression being one of skittish nerves. Which was fine because he looked like how Mai's nerves felt!
"Yes, and uh he's really a nice person," Anzu began while Mai turned finally to look at Anzu.
"So magic... huh?"
"All the magic," Malik admitted with a sigh, "So Yugi's ok? Think he wants company?"
Mahaado shook his head as he finally settled down, "the Pharaoh is currently eating, he bade me find something to occupy my time with... am I interrupting anything?"
"No, you're fine, welcome in fact," Bakura replied before giving Anzu a meaningful look.
"Oh, Mahaado, this is Mai, you might remember her faintly, she uses a Cyber Harpy deck and an Amazon deck," Anzu introduced.
Mahaado didn't look confused instead rather thoughtful, clearly going through his memories before slowly shaking his head. "I do know of her, only from when checking on those he cares for."
The sentence was a touch confusing leaving the group a little silent before Anzu spoke up. "So you spy on us?"
"Well, yes." Without shame and fully relaxed to say that Mahaado saw the expressions he was receiving and slowly realized something. "Well the Pharaoh's Divine Awareness hadn't been awaken at the time. He would have been upset if something befell any of you."
"Wait, did you say 'Divine Awareness'? I mean he's adorable but don't you think that's a little much for even Yugi?" Mai asked as she sat there before she leaned back in her chair, in a little more of a seductive posture. "Like what you saw when you were spying?"
Mahaado blinked, before nodding politely, "yes, you're quite the beauty, we didn't have women who measured up to you back when I was alive."
He was so honest, so polite about it, and amazingly respectful that Mai was not only taken aback, flattered and amused. But it was enough to make her drop out of the posture as Anzu wobbled back to her seat. Guys his age would normally leer, blush or be apathetic so having someone be appreciative and polite was... new?
'Honest to a fault', was a thought Yugi was having up in his suite, while the rest of Mais' suite sat there not sure how to really proceed.
While Valon just shrugged, "I suppose I should be grateful I'm not included in this?"
Mahaado's gaze shifted over to the Aussie before giving a slight shrug, "your appearance is appreciable if that is what you're asking. Lady Mai seems to enjoy it and I see no reason to discredit you."
'Don't say that around Seto... or Isis...' Yugi thought as he buried his face in his hands, fairly giggling like an idiot.
'He... that doesn't count as being hit on, I mean he answered my question... he's also a guy and...' Valons thoughts began sliding down hill in confusion as he caught sight of Ryou shaking his head looking understandably conflicted.
"Something bothering you?" Mai asked, she had experience dealing with a multitude of people, so seeing Mahaado tense was getting her curious. Standing was one thing, a person could do that and still carry a sense of ease. But Mahaado was too ridged to her duelist eye, more over to the fact that he was at this strange 'attention' at all, when everyone else was lounging and relaxing.
He blinked before looking at the others in the room in a quick glance, almost curling on himself before shaking his head. "Forgive me, no I am fine, though admittedly, despite how I appear I am no longer alive. As such there is little reason for me to pretend I have," his voice drifted to silence and he gestured slightly to the room around him. The foods he could not eat, and the seating he could only pretend to 'sit upon'. "But I suppose I am making things awkward, forgive me," he finally added before he created the illusion of a recliner and 'settled down' into it.
"Well I hope there's no complaints about this little stunt I'm doing," Mai finally said shifting the conversation back into motion. "I would have had Anzu do it but..."
"And he was duly warned about your stunt," Valon noted as he cut into his steak. "Can't believe you would do that straight out of nowhere. And go looking for his dad no less..."
"Wong found him first," she pointed out smartly before looking at Anzu's lightly blushing expression. "You just had to put on the ring..."
"Mai, I think you should know..." Anzu began as her inner eye could only see Yugi as he was now and how much of a distraction he 'was' now...
"He 'has' taken a bullet and you need to at least show some restraint," Valon finished for her, 'I wanna see what these two concoct.'
"True, how did he look to you? The kids are prone to making things sound better or worse than they are," Mai asked as the guys protested over their food.
"Looks great all things considered, working a bit on acting I think. Trying to not make what that kid, Kaiba, pull off seem so clean. Working on fussing over the injury sight, not moving very quickly..." Valon shrugged.
'While that is not entirely true it could very well be as well,' Bakura mused to himself. Valon had a point, Kaiba would benefit a bit if it wasn't like a 'clean' healing stunt. But everyone else was given a clear bill of health and left the hospital.'
"So traveling around the park and duel people, and the last person standing gets to duel Yugi..." Malik mused, he stopped himself from speaking further. Glancing at both Mai and Valon and deciding against it. 'No one is going to be able to defeat Yugi, so what's the point of trying? I get the marketing idea, but how long can Yugi hold the title before people give up?' Malik was quiet thinking the matter over when an idea began to grow... 'What if that's what this is? Yugi's looking to hand over the title or begin the process to do so? If he can't lose he 'can' choose a successor instead..'
And if it was Mai versus Wong that would be very interesting. A literal 'Queen of Duel Monsters'. 'You wouldn't... well maybe you would...' Malik thought in appreciation of the idea, and since the cult wasn't going to be coming after them... "I almost feel bad for Kaiba, I admit my knowledge of tournaments is limited... But if Mai and Wong end up at the finals before Yugi..."
"Please remember kids will be watching this," Anzu groaned as she sank her head into her hands in shock and dismay. 'I don't need this, I don't need this at all...' she thought to herself. Yugi may not have been any type of playboy, but just... His father was here, there would be so many people watching... and they were going to see officially what Yugi looked like 'now'...