Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Heart of the Cards, Guide Me ❯ In The Shadow Realm ( Chapter 3 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

The usual. I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. I do own Sakura and Meritaten.
I also was in need for a name for Maximillion Pegasus, so I named him Horemheb. If you know your Egyptian history, General Horemheb was Pharaoh after the Amarna thing and erased the records so they said he was the sucessor after Amenhotep III.
If you don't know your history, that's okay. In this he isn't Amenhotep III's successor, he's...no, I won't give it away!

Chapter three: In The Shadow Realm

The only thing Sakura said at school the next day was 'present' at the roll call. She didn't smile, she didn't talk, and she did her work at an alarming speed. She still hung around Yugi and his friends, but nobody noticed she didn't call Tristan cousin anymore. Sakura felt safe with her friends, though. Safe like she was in a book. It was an odd feeling for her, being safe outside a book.
Sakura was being watched, though, and by more than one person. Bakura was watching her all day, and a man named Maximillion Pegasus was watching her from somewhere else. He knew who she was and whose spirit she had in her. He knew he must kill the mortal. He knew he must trap Meritaten's soul and kill her...again.
Yugi, Téa, Tristan, and Joey still walked to the game shop after school. Sakura said she didn't want to go, but asked for directions to the library. In the end, though, her friends got her to come to the game shop with them. Sakura watched Joey play against Yugi, although Joey didn't stand a chance.
Then Sakura was sat down with Yugi across from her. "Alright," Joey said. "After what you did yesterday, we're going to see how you fare against Yugi here."
Sakura let her mind talk to her again. She followed all Meritaten said. That trap card, on the end there, put it face-down, Meritaten said. Sakura did and it helped her wipe out 200 of Yugi's life points.
And then Sakura thought it was the end. Yugi was at 600 life points and Sakura was at 100. Sakura played to the last though. And it paid off, too. Just when she was going to lose, Sakura drew a card. She knew it couldn't help her. Sakura didn't even look at what it was. She heard a gasp inside her head. Sakura, look at your cards, Meritaten said. And Sakura did. Again, she had all five pieces of Exodia.
Meritaten, why does that keep on happening? Sakura asked.
Because of your luck, Meritaten answered.
Sakura laughed in her head. My luck? My luck? I'll tell you something about my luck. Once one thing good happens to me three bad things counter it. How's that for luck?
What about yesterday? Meritaten asked.
Yesterday was a fluke. Beginner's luck. Sakura was still skeptical.
You can't have bad luck all the time, Meritaten said.
So, regardless of luck, Sakura placed all five cards down on the table. Everyone stared at her again. But Yugi didn't seem amazed at all. "Looks like you win," he said.
Joey and Téa left. But Tristan wanted to ask Yugi something. "How come she can do that?" he asked.
"I'm not completely sure, but it is kind of weird," Yugi said.
Sakura was about to leave with Tristan when Yugi caught her arm. She looked at him. "I think...you wanted to talk to me about something," he said.
Sakura sat back down. How should I tell him without falling into deeper misery? Sakura asked herself.
Just tell him, Meritaten said.
Okay. "Last night when I got to Tristan's my uncle told me I was adopted," Sakura said. "They don't know who my parents are."
Yugi looked at her. He was sad for Sakura. Everything happens to her, he thought. "I'm sorry," Yugi said. "Maybe I can help you figure out who your parents are," he said. "Do you have anything that was theirs?"
Sakura pulled the chain out from under her shirt. "This ring," Sakura said. The serpent ring shone in the light with an odd illumination.
Yugi looked at it. "Hmm. I guess...I guess I told you never to take it off, am I right?" Sakura nodded. Yugi thought for a moment. Why would my Yami not want her to take it off? Is it really like a millennium item? Or is it just that bad things would happen? "I'm very sure this is Egyptian. Do you know anything about where your parents came from?"
"I didn't even know I was adopted until yesterday," Sakura said. "I know absolutely nothing about my parents." Sakura looked at Yugi. She had her usual expressionless face on. Yugi was looking at her too.
"I wish I could help. I'll do my best," he said.
"No, don't. Everything happens to me. I'm used to it, not knowing things. I wasn't even sure to what to say when you first said hi...I've never had a...a real friend before," Sakura said, embarrassed that she was telling Yugi so much. The words were just falling out of her; they had been wanting to be let out for so long, it almost felt good to tell them. Sakura felt bad telling these things, though, because she thought it would just make Yugi sad so he wouldn't like her.
But what he said was not what Sakura had expected. "No friends? Really?" Yugi said in surprise. "Well, everybody has at least one friend," he said.
Sakura shook her head. How could she make him understand, she had had no friends; her adopted parents had liked her and had fun, but they were still parents, and usually they had been on business trips, leaving her home alone for months at a time.
But Yugi must have seen it in her eyes. He must have understood, because there was absolutely no trace of his smile on his face.
Meritaten must have realized it also, because she said, no friends? None at all? Are you sure?
Hey, I thought you could read my thoughts, Sakura said.
I can, but that doesn't mean I have to believe you, Meritaten said.
"Arguing with yourself?" Yugi asked.
How did he know that? Sakura asked.
Hey, don't underestimate the power of the Pharaoh. He knows all, sees all, all the time, Meritaten said.
Wow, Sakura thought. Really? But he's not a Pharaoh now, he's Yugi, right?
It can rub off, Meritaten said.
Sakura was amazed. Little Yugi, still part Pharaoh? Hmm.
Then suddenly everything went black. It got very cold, and Sakura got very scared. She felt Meritaten tense up, and Yugi's Yami took over. There was a man there, a man with white hair covering one eye and wearing a red tuxedo.
"Pegasus! How is it you are you back? I defeated you!" Yugi said.
"Horemheb," Meritaten growled, taking control of Sakura's mouth. "I vowed to kill you the first chance I got. Looks like now's my chance."
Who is that?!? Sakura cried to Meritaten.
General Horemheb, Meritaten said. The man who killed me.
How do you know that?!
You know these things when you're dead. He knew where I was going, waited for me and then he stabbed me, Meritaten said with hatred. Her eyes narrowed.
"What do you want, Pegasus?" the Pharaoh asked.
"Ah, Meritaten, is that you? Hmm, I'm glad to see you again," the man said. "When you met your unfortunate end I thought you were gone for good. I see you still have a few tricks up your sleeve, Pharaoh."
"Oh. Many more for you. I plan to lock you away forever!" Yugi said.
"What do you want anyway, hmm? Are you going to kill me again?" Meritaten asked.
"Oh, it's not what I want. It's what your friend wants. I can give information that you desperately want, Sakura. Information about your parents," Horemheb said.
Sakura gasped in her head. How does he know that? Sakura asked Meritaten.
Don't ask, she answered to Sakura.
"Why would she want to know that?" Pharaoh asked.
"Oh, I know," Horemheb said. Something flashed under his hair for a second.
What is that? Sakura asked.
His millennium eye, Meritaten said.
Well, what does he want for the information? Ask him, Meri!
Meri? Excuse me? Meritaten asked.
Look, Meritaten is a bit a mouthful. Now ask him!!
Meritaten sighed. "What do you want in exchange for the information?" she asked.
"Ah, this should be easy for you. Sakura must beat me in a duel." Horemheb smiled.
"Ha. Sakura, beat you in a duel? She's only dueled twice, and she had Meritaten's help!" Pharaoh said.
"Ah, your lovely wife cannot help a bit. But, I wouldn't try a child with no chance. Do you think I would be so cruel?" Horemheb said.
Yes, you could and you would, Meritaten said to Sakura so Horemheb wouldn't hear.
That doesn't sound so bad, Sakura said.
Oh, then you don't know him very well, Meritaten said.
Well, why not try? What've we got to lose?
Only your soul, Meritaten said.
Can't I try?! Sakura asked.
No!
Sakura started fighting Meritaten. She just had to get control of her mouth for one second, just long enough to say yes...
Sakura! What are you doing? Meritaten screamed.
Enough has happened to me. Why would this freak stealing my soul change anything? Sakura said. "Yes!" Sakura said, and lost control of her mouth again.
"No!" Meritaten said.
Yes! I said it already, didn't I? If it's possible, Sakura grinned recklessly in her head.
"Ah, yes. She has agreed to the duel already, Meritaten. Now she has to duel," Horemheb said in his ruthless way. He snickered.
I'm doomed, Meritaten said.
Oh, what have I done now? Are you going to hate me? Sakura asked.
I'll only hate you if you lose your soul.
Sakura sighed. I'm doomed.
Oh, yes you are, Horemheb said.
How come he can do that? Doesn't that give him an advantage? Sakura asked.
Yes, Meritaten said. It gives him an advantage beyond belief.