Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Egypt Gone Yu-Gi-Ou! ❯ A Not-So-Pharaohish Pharaoh ( Chapter 1 )

"Pharaoh!" A brown-haired man stormed into the throne room, his priest's robes flying about him angrily, mirroring his mood. "Pharaoh, I need to talk to you!"

The man on the throne rolled his shadowy eyes as the servants in the room paused what they were doing. "What is it, High Priest? Did Bakura steal from your favorite temple again?" His voice was cruelly sarcastic, as it often was when his people bothered him. His best friend since he was a prince was no exception.

The High Priest, Seto, sneered at the Pharaoh. "Stop fooling around!" He shouted, obviously not about to play games with his ruler. He rarely yelled, and had only shouted at the Pharaoh once before.

The Pharaoh sighed, knowing all this, and sent the others in the room away with a wave of his hand. Then he stood and met Seto's gaze calmly, something few could do. "Seriously, what's wrong, Seto?" He asked his old friend.

Seto sighed, calming down. The Pharaoh always fixed whatever needed to be fixed. Everything would turn out right now. "It's not Bakura, sire. It's Baba. He's..." Seto sighed. This would not please the Pharaoh. The ruler treated Baba, Seto's brother's son, as his own son, since he'd yet to have one.

The Pharaoh walked down and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. His eyes were concerned. Although compassion was forgeign to his family, his best friend and best friend's family always came first in his heart, before even that of his people. "Seto, what is it? What is the matter with little Baba?" He asked quietly.

"He's disappeared, sire..." Seto mumbled.

The eye that was engraved into the crown the Pharaoh wore flashed, warning Seto of the Pharaoh's invisible anger. "When?"

"This morning." Seto bit his lip. "We've been searching everywhere."

The Pharaoh let out a hiss, his face impassive. "You could have told me earlier, Seto." He turned and walked back up to his throne, turning back around to face Seto when he reached the seat, but not sitting. Instead, he waved his hand at a guard he knew could see him. The guard bowed to the Pharaoh from his hiding place, letting the Pharaoh know he was paying attention. "Get me Malik." He ordered the guard. The man disappeared before Seto could tell who the Pharaoh had spoken to. Not even the High Priest knew where all of the Pharaoh's guards were.

"Sire, I doubt Malik could do any better." Seto commented quietly.

"Let Malik try, Seto. It's better than nothing." The Pharaoh's gaze was pleading.

Seto nodded as Malik walked in. The Pharaoh's face was once again impassive as he turned to look at the young man. "Sire, you wish to speak with me?" Malik asked, shooting Seto a dark look. The two didn't get along very well.

The Pharaoh nodded. "Yes. High Priest Seto's nephew has gone missing. I need you to go out and look for him."

Malik fought a groan. "Sire, I have no clue what this boy looks like..." He tried.

The Pharaoh rose an eyebrow at his palace spy. "You're wearing my patiance, Malik." He warned.

Malik bowed. "I shall search, sire." He left. Everyone knew what Baba looked like. He was, after all, the nephew of the High Priest and a favorite of the Pharaoh. When Malik had said he'd never seen Baba before, he'd lied.

"Baba will be found, Seto." The Pharaoh assured his friend. "Don't worry about that. For now, go console your brother and his wife. I now that they are worried. Tell them I'm doing what I can."

Seto nodded and bowed before leaving. He knew the pharaoh well. Well enough to know that the pharaoh wasn't going to sit in the throne room, doing nothing. You see, there were two royal spies at the palace, both equally good, but one was only known of by few, and even fewer knew his identity. The second spy was the Pharaoh.

~~**~~

A cloaked figure walked easily through the streets of the commoner's end of the Egyptian capital. Red eyes glittered in glee as they witnessed a juggler toss some brightly-colored stones into the air in a pattern, catching them smoothy to throw them up again. The figure didn't stop before the juggler, though. He had a job to do, and he planned to do it.

He stepped into a small pubhouse and sat at the bar. "Yii, it's good to see you back!" A woman at the bar said, coming over as the traveler let down his hood. He had fine black hair that passed his shoulders, red and yellow standing out against the black, worn in the latest style. His red eyes were handsome and his skin was unscathed by all the fights he'd gotten into in the past. His eyes were friendly, although his voice was cold.

The man leaned forward. "Pakhet, do you know of anyone with a new charge? A child, pale brown hair and Nile-colored eyes." He asked the woman.

Pakhet sighed. The man, Yii, rarely came around for his own pleasure anymore. He only came by on business, lately. All that Pakhet knew about the man was that he was unmarried and worked for the Pharaoh. She was fine with that, since she didn't like it when people came to her to hide them, and always gave him any information she had. "Follow me, Yii." She mumbled, then stood and looked at one of the other women working at the bar. "Asru, I'll be right back. I just need to get something from the basement." She called, then wandered over in the general direction of the basement. Yii was nowhere in sight.

He appeared as Pakhet reached the bottom of the stairs to go up. She stopped calmly and met his impassive red eyes. "Yii, do promise me something?" She asked.

Yii cocked his head, obviously not expecting Pakhet to ask him something like this. "What is it, Pakhet?" He asked.

"Next time you come around, try and have it be for you, not for your employer. You're so gloomy when you're here on business." With that she turned to go upstairs.

Yii followed her with a small smile. Pakhet was always worrying about him, despite how much he kept from her. She'd liked confiding in him the gossip of the area when he was a prince, and that trust had allowed him to become the only other spy in the palace. As Pharaoh, he didn't have much time to come around anymore, but he still prefered it in the city, vs the palace. They stopped at the top of the stairs and Yii placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. Pakhet turned to look at him. "I shall try. I have less time to myself now, but I shall try to get out either tonight or tomorrow. I have friends that can help me, I'm sure." He confided in her.

Pakhet smiled. "Good. You're not as handsome when you're gloomy." She patted his cheek, then started off again, this time down a short hallway.

Yii smiled and followed her. Pakhet was alway telling him he was handsome. She was like a mother to him, which was nice. He'd never known his mother, since she'd died at his birth. For Pakhet's love, the young Pharaoh was eternally grateful. She had been the one to console him after his father's death, and had helped him back to the palace after he'd gotten drunk sick. Seto had been the one to help him back to his rooms, and was one of the only three that knew the identity of the mysterious traveler named Yii. Malik was the third, and only because he'd caught the Pharaoh out on one of his rampages one night about two years ago.

They stopped before a door and Pakhet knocked on the door as Yii faded back into the shadows. There were the sounds of someone moving something hurriedly, then the door opened to show a plain man with black hair and brown eyes. Nothing special, and a face one would forget immeadiatly after seeing it. But, as Pharaoh, Yii had the advantage. He'd never forgotten a face, and he knew this one as Khay. The man had been released from his dungeons only a week ago, and would be going back in quickly.

"What?" The man asked, obviously bothered by the woman's presence.

Yii stepped from the shadows. "Khay, you are going back to the royal dungeons." He said calmly.

Khay sneered at Yii. "You have no reason to send me back, little man."

Yii was smaller than many of his people, which often allowed him to be mistaken for a child, until you looked at his eyes, which were those of an adult. Yii shook his head at Khay sadly. "Then you'll have no objection to me searching your rooms for the nephew of the High Priest."

Khay narrowed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. "You are but one soul, little man. You have no authority."

Yii was stronger than he looked, much stronger. He could lift something twice his size without a problem. Pakhet knew this, since she'd seen him at work before, but his calmness never failed to unnerve her. She shivered now as she watched the smaller man cock an eyebrow at Khay. "Fool." Yii mumbled before suddenly springing into motion and sending a well-aimed punch into the taller man's gut.

Khay's eyes widened as he hit his knees, his breath knocked from him. Yii pushed past him, easily walking into the room. "How'd you do that?" Khay gasped, watching the man look around in his room. He had a feeling that the man would never find the boy he'd captured. The boy was shy, and rarely spoke, except to his favorite people.

"Baba." Yii called. "Baba, it's Yii. Where are you, little one?" He asked the silent room. He'd told Baba a few years ago that the boy could call him Yii.

"Yii!" A terrified voice called from behind the bed. "Yii, help!"

Yii hurried over to the bed and quickly pulled the boy out, having no problem with breaking the bonds on the boy's hands and feet. He picked the boy up and hugged him close. "You okay?" He whispered.

Yii nodded, tears running down his face. "I'm fine. He didn't hurt me, just scared me." He mumbled, burying his face into Yii's chest.

Yii turned angry red eyes on Khay. "Khay, in the name of our Pharaoh, I'm placing you under arrest." He looked up at Pakhet. "Pakhet, could you call the guard? I know I saw a few in the bar. If they're drunk, tell them they're in deep shit with their commander."

Pakhet smiled and hurried back downstairs as Yii returned to consoling Baba. "Hush, you'll be home soon. Seto was worried about you. He came to ask for my help. Malik was looking for you too." He smiled at the boy, who was looking at him. "I made a bet with Malik that I'd find you first." He added.

Baba smiled. "What did you bet him, Yii?" He asked.

Yii shrugged. "It wasn't decided. I'll come up with something, I'm sure." The sound of many feet on the stairs forced the Pharaoh to draw his cloak back over his head, once again hiding his identity.

Three guards looked in the doorway, surprised to see the boy in Yii's arms. "We were not aware young Baba was missing." One mumbled.

"No one was." Yii nodded to Khay. "This man is to be taken to the dungeons. I also want one of you to go to the upper city and find Malik. Tell him all is well." Then the man, with his burden, walked out the door and allowed Pakhet to lead him down the stairs.

Pakhet stopped him before they re-entered the common room and placed a cloak over Baba. "Stay safe, my friends. And, Yii, remember your promise."

Yii grinned. "Of course. I'll not forget."

Pakhet nodded. "Good." Then they went out to the front and Yii left the room with what looked like a covered, sleeping child in his arms. No one questioned him. Most knew him to be a good man, and those who didn't, didn't wish to cause a scene.

~~**~~

"Alright, you win." Malik sighed. He, the Pharaoh, Seto, and Baba were sitting in the Pharaoh's rooms. Baba had, finally, been entrusted with the Pharaoh's secret life and had sworn to never tell a living soul, unless told to by the Pharaoh. "Now, what do you want?"

The Pharaoh grinned and leaned back in his chair, a cup of juice in his hand. While Malik and Seto drank wine, the Pharaoh always prefered juice, especially after the only time he'd gotten drunk and had been helped home by a commoner friend, putting his secret at risk. Baba also had juice, since the Pharaoh and Seto were reluctant to let the boy have any wine. "Pakhet wants me to come to the city tonight or sometime tomorrow. She says she is tired of seeing me only when business will allow."

Malik sighed. "You want us to distract the guards while you slip out, right?"

The Pharaoh's grin turned into a smirk as both Malik and Seto groaned. "Of course." He answered.

"I'm not even going to try telling you how much of a security breach that is, if only because I know you don't give a damn." Seto grumbled. "But, please, let me or Malik go with you." He met the Pharaoh's eyes with worried ones of his own.

The Pharaoh sighed and nodded. "Alright, but, if you get drunk, I'm leaving you there." He threatened Seto.

"And he's not taking me because I have to distract the guards." Malik groaned.

The Pharaoh grinned again and nodded to his friend. "Tonight, then. Seto and I will leave when I've retired."

"Which will be earlier than usual." Seto grumbled under his breath.

The Pharaoh rolled his eyes. "I can leave you here, High Priest." He pointed out. "I don't get drunk."

Malik and Seto covered whatever they were about to say behind a double fit of coughs. Baba watched this calmly. "Why don't you get drunk, Yii?" He asked the Pharaoh.

The Pharaoh closed his eyes painfully as Seto and Malik immeadiatly composed themselves. "When the late Pharaoh died, sire went out and got drunk. Pakhet brought him home, and he almost blew his cover. If I hadn't stopped them outside the gates, sire would have been in trouble, and Pakhet could have been killed." Seto explained. "That was the last time sire got drunk. He has foresworn alcohol."

The Pharaoh stood suddenly. "I hate to run, but I'm supposed to be having a conference with the Commander of the Guard in ten minutes. Excuse me." And, with that, he left.

Malik sighed. "I wish he wouldn't do that." He mumbled.

"Do what?" Baba looked at the other two adults in the room.

Seto put his wine cup down, still full, and pushed it away from him. "Whenever sire's father is brought up, sire tends to find somewhere else to be." He looked out the window at the darkening sky, then stood. "Come along, Baba. I need to get you home."

Malik nodded to them as the two left, then sighed and watched the sky change it's colors as the bright sun went to sleep.

~~**~~

The two men walked into the pub with satisfied smiles. They used to be regulars, but, now that they had been appointed to fill their fathers' positions, they had little to do with the real world. "Yii!" A young woman with a shapely body hurried up. "And Sethe! What a surprise! Come in, come in!" She led them to a fairly quiet table in the back. "What would you two like?" She asked them, flashing a smile.

Sethe, or Seto, grinned. "Some of Pakhet's best wine for me, Ruia." He told the girl, rubbing a hand along her leg.

Ruia slapped his hand away playfully. "I'm working, Sethe!" She complained. "I don't get paid extra for screwing around with you!" She was Sethe's favorite girl at the pub, so she was only being playful, not serious, like she was with other customers.

Yii watched the two with a silent smile until Pakhet walked over and placed a hand on Ruia's shoulder. Pakhet smiled at Yii. "So, you did come." She nodded to Sethe. "Sethe, it's been even longer since we've seen you."

Ruia looked to Yii. "Yii, what'll you have?" She asked him, totally serious, now that her boss was watching her every move.

"Juice." Yii mumbled. His face was still hidden behind his hood. He had yet to take it off, although Sethe had. Ruia nodded to the man and hurried away.

Pakhet sat down at the table and gave Sethe a stern look. "And stop fondling my girls while they're working, Sethe. You'll get them in trouble that way." Sethe sighed sadly as Pakhet turned to Yii. She reached up to pull off his hood. Yii's hand came up to stop her's. Pakhet frowned. "Yii, what is it?"

Yii sighed, then pulled off his own hood. There were tear tracks on his face and his eyes were swollen from crying. Sethe's face became worried, as did Pakhet's. "Yii, what's wrong?" Sethe asked seriously.

Yii sighed and shook his head. "Nothing. I just..." He looked down at his hands. "I have a lot on my mind."

Pakhet stood, then held out a hand to her friend. "Up." When Yii looked at her questioningly, Pakhet pointed to where a few Egyptians were weaving around each other. "There's a new thing in the city. The young have started to call it dancing. It's kind of fun, and it'll lift your spirits. All you have to do is move to the music that someone is playing. Come on." Yii sighed and stood, placing his cloak on his chair. Like many commoners, he wore no shirt, showing his muscled chest nicely. It was obvious to any who cared to look that he did more than the normal commoner work. Of course, a Pharaoh was expected to be a weakling, unable to defend himself, so Yii was never thought to be the Pharaoh he resembled.

Sethe smiled as he watched his two friends walking off into the crowd. Yii would tell him what was up when they got back. It probably had something to do with his being Pharaoh, or he would have told them. Then he saw Ruia coming back over and smiled mischiviously at her. This was gonna be one hell of a good night!

~~**~~

Yii grinned as he helped Pakhet clean up. Almost everyone had gone, and Sethe had gotten drunk. "So, really, what was wrong?" Pakhet asked him after a couple moments of silence between them.

"It's business. I may not have as much time in the city now, due to some things that are going on at the palace." Yii sighed. "The Commander of the Guard wants less comings and goings from the palace."

"But, don't you need to be out in the city to do your work?" Pakhet asked.

"Well, technically, no. I'm not actually supposed to be out here catching these guys. I just do it for something to do when palace life gets boring." Yii looked down at his callused hands. "I have no millitary training, what-so-ever..."

Pakhet had no time to comment on Yii's surprising remark because there was a sudden shout outside the pub. Pakhet and Yii ran to the door to see what was wrong. Malik was running towards them, the palace behind them burning. "Yii, get back in the fucking pub, you idiot!" He shouted. Yii ducked back into the pub.

Malik ran in and Pakhet slammed and locked the doors behind them. Yii placed his hands on Malik's shoulders. "Malik, why is the palace burning? Why shouldn't I be out there?"

"They're angry with you. They're trying to kill you." Malik gasped. "They've burned the palace and killed everyone inside. I just barely got out in time."

Yii's eyes were cold and his face carried a new sneer. "Who is trying to kill me, Malik?" He asked very slowly.

"I don't know!" Malik started sobbing. "I'm so sorry, but there was nothing I could do..." He slipped to his knees in front of the impassive Pharaoh. He held out the man's crown. "I grabbed this for you."

The Pharaoh took it gently, then knelt before his friend. "Malik, it wasn't your fault. You did what you could, I know you did. What we need to do now is save those that they may go after next. Those close to us. Baba was at his home, right?"

Malik nodded. "Yes."

The Pharaoh stood. "Stay here, all three of you. I'm going to warn all the others." He grabbed his cloak and tossed it on his shoulders, placing his crown on his forehead before putting up the hood.

"Sire, it's you they're looking for!" Malik cried. "You must stay here!"

The Pharaoh shook his head. "Malik, I'll not stand around doing nothing. You're tired and Seto's drunk. I'm the only other one. I'll be fine." And, with that, he hurried from the pub.

Pakhet helped Malik to a table. She got him something to drink, then sat down across from him. "Malik, are you saying that the palace is burned and that Yii is the Pharaoh?" She whispered. She knew this man only slightly.

Malik sighed. "Pakhet, our Pharaoh is crafty. Yii's been the Pharaoh since that day you brought him home when he got drunk." He met her widening eyes. "The day our late Pharaoh died."

Pakhet sat back heavily. "I never could have guessed. He's nothing like the cold man that sits up on the throne."

"There are two of him, in a way." Seto mumbled. "Just as I do not act like the High Priest I am, our Pharaoh does not act like the ruler he is, unless duty calls to him. He loves his people, but Pharaohs are not supposed to have a deep caring for commoners, or anyone else lower than themselves. He is the perfect Pharaoh when he wears his crown, but, when he does not, he is the perfect citizen."

"I can't believe you are the High Priest, Sethe." Pakhet said calmly. "You get drunk almost everytime you get here, and you fondle my girls."

Seto made a face. "Ah, I give up..." He rolled his eyes. "Now what? We have no palace, and we must stay in hiding, or face certain death."

"Stay here." Pakhet suggested. "As Yii, Sethe, and Marik. Those are the names you three go by here in the city, right? You'll be safe, as long as no one slips."

The doors flew open and Baba and the Pharaoh ran in. The Pharaoh motioned for Seto to come to him as he latched the doors and Baba accepted juice from Pakhet. Seto walked over and the pharaoh mumbled something softly. Seto paled to almost white and allowed the pharaoh to support him until they reached a chair. There, Seto fainted. The Pharaoh sighed and walked over to sit at the table with the others. "Baba was the only survivor." He mumbled.

"Ra..." Malik groaned and laid his head on the table. "Do they, at least, think we're dead?" He mumbled into the wood.

The Pharaoh took his crown off and stared at it. "I don't know, Malik. They might, they might not. Whether they do or not, we are the only survivors. Four runaways. We are all that's left of all the nobles in the city."

"Yii." The Pharaoh looked up at Pakhet. "Until this has blown over, stay here. You can work in the kitchens if you want. You four will have work and lodging with me, if you wish it." She smiled suddenly. "And you are no longer bound to your station."

Yii nodded. "Yes. From now on, I am Yii. Malik is Marik. Seto is Sethe. Baba is Ay. We will start working here tomorrow. Could you show us to our rooms for now? I want to get Sethe in bed."

Pakhet nodded. "Then, follow me, Yii, Ay, Marik. I'll show you upstairs." Yii got Sethe and they all went upstairs.

A new chapter of Egypt had begun...

-

~~A/N: School ficcy, again... I get some of the weirdest ideas in some of my classes when I have nothing to do!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Ou! I do own my original characters and the original names. This plotline is mine, since I've not read any other like it to this date.

Ja!

Katmon =^.^= {AKA Okusama KK}