Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Meskhenet ❯ Shemu ( Chapter 2 )

Part 2

Shemu (Season Of Harvest)

"Give it up, Kaiba! We know you're in here somewhere!."

"Yeah, it's no use hiding!."

Seto snickered to himself. No use hiding?. It was no use trying to find him!. Didn't these goons know better then to think he'd just come out into the open and hand himself over to them?.

"Sir, he's gone. I can't find any trace of him."

"Impossible!," came that moron Kimo's voice. "There's no way he could have escaped!."

"But, sir, I've checked every corridor."

If he weren't in hiding, Kaiba would have laughed!. Those "Men In Black" rejects actually thought he was stupid enough to be cowering in a corridor like a frightened child?!.

"Then stand by his brother's cell. He'll show up. Now go!."

Mokuba's cell?. Perfect!. These idiotic turncoats would lead him right to his little brother!. "Thank you, Kimo," he thought with a smirk.

Once he was sure Kimo and the others were on their way, the young CEO jumped down from his hiding place… "Hmmm"…

Walking softly, and staying a safe distance behind them, he followed the remaining members of the Big Five through the labyrinth towards Mokuba's cell… A wave of relief washed over him when he saw his little brother... He wanted to call out to him, to rush over to him, but first thing's first…

In no time at all he had taken the two guards by surprise, rendering them unconscious, and was standing at his brother's cell…"Mokuba…"

The little boy raised his head… "Seto?… Seto, it's you!," he cried, his eyes lighting up when he saw his big brother.

"Yeah," Seto smiled slightly in return. "It's me."

"Aw, Seto!. I always knew you'd come and rescue me. Always!."

Kaiba frowned as he looked at Mokuba more closely... His voice was weak and hoarse. His eyes were red and sunken, his face grubby and tear-stained. He was thinner and paler then he remembered, and his clothes were rumpled and dirty from spending the last few days in Pegasus's captivity... "Little brother," he whispered. He'd have to make sure to get the medical staff at Kaiba Corp to look at him once they were home…

"Ah, so what now?," the child asked, walking towards him. "I bet you have some high tech plan to get me outta…" but his sentence was cut off as he stumbled against the chains around his ankles.

"Stay still, kiddo," the young CEO cautioned him gently.

"Okay, whatever you say, big brother!," Mokuba answered eagerly.

Seto knelt by the cell and took the rusty lock in his hand. "Just give me a second to pick this lock"… He was about to start to work on it when a disturbingly familiar voice came from the darkness of the corridor nearby…

"Well well, the brothers Kaiba reunited at last," Maxamillion Pegasus approached them, stepping into the dim light and clapping lazily. "Bravo, Kaiba. Bravo. I knew nothing would stop you from getting here."

"Pegasus!," Kaiba growled as he got to his feet. "You conniving snake!. I should take you down right now for what you've done to Mokuba!."

"Don't be ridiculous, Kaiba boy. In my dungeon, in my castle, in my realm, the only one who makes threats is me!." As he spoke, that strange golden eye of his grew brighter and brighter until it had lit up nearly the entire cell room…

With a grunt of surprise, the young CEO raised his arm to shield his eyes from the light… but he spun around when he heard his little brother's scream of fright and pain…

"Mokuba?!," he cried once the blinding light died down, and his heart nearly froze in shock and panic… Mokuba, his beloved little brother, his only family, lay face down on the cold stone floor… He wasn't breathing… Wasn't moving… Could he be…?

Furious, Seto turned on a chuckling Pegasus. "You monster!. What have you done?," he demanded. "What have you done to him?!."

"It's just a little magic trick," the owner of Industrial Illusions smiled.

"Tell me! What have you done?!."

"I've ensured your cooperation," Pegasus answered, still smiling. Then he brought out what looked like a glowing duel card… but the glow soon faded to reveal Mokuba's picture on it!. "For you see, Mokuba's soul is now imprisoned in a place where the locks can't be picked."

Kaiba stared at the card in horror… His little brother's hands were raised, as if trying to get out, his mouth opened in a terrified cry for help… "You're mad!," he snarled at Pegasus.

Unfazed, the white haired man continued. "And there he will remain, Kaiba boy, until you beat me in a duel."

"Duel? With you? Now?. Fine, I'll do anything," he answered quickly.

"Mmm mmm," Pegasus shook his head. "Not just yet, Kaiba. You must first earn the privilege to duel me, and you can only do that by defeating Yugi in a duel."

The young CEO's eyes and mouth widened…

Upon seeing this reaction, Pegasus laughed. "And if you can't win against him, Mokuba's soul will stay mine forever!. So, what will it be, Seto Kaiba," he continued once he'd finished laughing. "Do you care enough about your brother to try and save his soul?… Not that you have a choice. Mokuba's soul belongs to me." He held up the card once again. "So lifelike," he taunted. "But, you probably preferred him in the flesh, didn't you?."

"You're not human," Seto growled, clenching his teeth and hands in barely restrained rage.

"Quite human, actually," Pegasus slipped the card back into his pocket. "Just extraordinarily gifted." He then tossed a handful of gold colored chips to the floor. "Here, you'll need this for your duel with Yugi."

Kaiba stared down at the star chips, then back up at his brother's murderer. "Why are you doing this?."

"My reasons are none of your concern," the owner of Industrial Illusions answered smugly. He then untied the string around his suit collar and pulled it back and forth. "Maybe I just enjoy the struggle, watching the constant tug-of-war between you and Yugi boy… or maybe I want something you're incapable of comprehending, something you'll end up delivering to me all tied up in a bow." As he spoke he redid the string around his collar in a bow.

"Talk straight!," the young CEO snapped angrily. "What do you want?!."

"Want?. I want to see if you're capable of defeating little Yugi in a duel, and only if you successfully crush him in a humiliating defeat will you get the opportunity to duel me. Then, if you defeat me, I promise to restore your brother's soul."

Seto gritted his teeth. "For now, I have no choice but to play your game." He then gazed through the bars of the cell at Mokuba's lifeless body. "But soon, as soon as I defeat Yugi, I'll be back." The young man then turned angrily back to his former business associate. "And you'd better make good on your promise to restore my brother, because if you don't I'll take great pleasure in separating your soul from your body in my own way!."

Pegasus just laughed again. "Whatever you say, Kaiba boy." Knowing he held the upper hand, he turned and strutted his way out of labyrinth. "Just don't embarrass yourself and my future company, Kaiba Corp, any further by losing to little Yugi like you did last time. Oh, and I wouldn't recommend leaving the island to go for any sort of help… not if you want to see your brother alive again."

Kaiba clenched his hands and shut his eyes, trying to drive back the tears that now threatened to release themselves... As if already defeated, he sunk to his knees and slowly, laboriously, gathered the gold colored star chips one by one from the floor…

When he was finished, he turned to the cell where the lifeless form of his little brother lay… He stretched his arm through the bars, trying to touch him, but was barely able to reach…

"Mokuba," the young man whispered, no longer able to hold back his tears. "Can you hear me?… Just hang in there, kiddo. I'll get you back… I promise..."

It was just another promise he'd made to his little brother that he would never be able to keep…

"Anu, watch out!," came the sound of children's voices, shaking him out of his dark memory... Seto turned his head just in time to see a brightly colored ball flying straight towards him… Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough to avoid getting hit smack in the face with it!. The ball was not hard, but the sudden and unexpected impact was enough to send him stumbling backwards, landing with an "Oomph," onto the hard ground.

At once, little five year old Khu and three year old Kiya hurried up to him. "Pentaware, you shouldn't be daydreaming!," she scolded him teasingly, without so much as an apology for bonking him with her ball!.

"Yeah!," little Kiya echoed, giggling. "Anu shouldn't be daydweaming!."

Seto groaned, rubbing his aching forehead as he got back up to his feet. What was he going to do with these rug-rat granddaughters of Si-Amun and Mutnodjmet's?. You'd think their grandparents would at least try to discipline the two terrors!. "Give me a break, will you, you little monsters?," he muttered.

"Did you hear that?," Khu clapped her hands, laughing. "We're monsters!."

"Monsters! Monsters!," Kiya hooted, jumping up and down. "Grrr!!!," she made her best scary face at Kaiba.

Wonderful! He mentally rolled his eyes. He'd left one yapping Chihuahua back in modern day Japan only to be saddled with two more here!. Life just wasn't fair sometimes!. "No, you little ankle-biters," he answered, making his voice even deeper and gruffer. "I'm the monster!."

At this, the two little girls gasped in playful mock fear!.

The young CEO grinned evilly. "I'm the dreaded Blue Eyes White Dragon, and I eat bothersome little girls like you!." He then raised his hands, curling his fingers like claws. "Grrr!!!."

"Eeeek!!!," Khu and Kiya squealed. Then, giggling, they ran over to where Mariasha was sitting in the sunshine on the veranda, feeding her kittens their hourly meal.

"Asha! Asha!," Khu cried, taking her friend's bandaged hand in her's. "Help! The Blue Eyes White Dragon is going to eat us!."

"Dragon's gonna' eat us!," Kiya giggled.

The girl chuckled at her two rambunctious playmates. "Well, maybe he won't eat you if you go to the garden and play there instead of teasing him while he's working," she smiled.

"Will you come play with us there then?," they asked almost in unison.

Asha nodded. "When I'm just about finished with the kittens, so meet me there okay?."

"Okay!," they laughed delightedly, then turned and trotted around the house back to the gardens.

Seto shook his head. Kids!. "Thank's, kid," he gave the little girl a rueful smile.

Asha nodded again and smiled in the direction she heard his voice. "You're welcome, Anu. As much as I love to play with them, they can be a handful sometimes." She then reached down and gently picked up little Kuribo, who was quickly becoming her favorite of the kittens.

"Hmmph, try all the time," the young man muttered under his breath as he turned back to his task, laundry!. Imagine! Him, president and CEO of the most powerful and prestigious corporations in Japan doing laundry!. But Si-Amun and Mutnodjmet were taking care of the house and garden today, Nephthys had been called into town to take care of a patient, and the lady of the house had insisted that if he was going to stay in her home, then he would at least make himself useful.

Kaiba first took the linens and cloths of the clothesline and folded them neatly, then he turned his attention to his own clothes. His shirt, trousers, coat and other things had been washed and were nearly dry. Thank god! He didn't know how much more he could take of these ridiculous Egyptian skirts!.

It was then that Nephthys, back from her doctor's errands in town, entered the villa's courtyard. "I'm back," she announced as she opened the gate.

Recognizing her foster mother's voice, Asha greeted her. "Umayma!," she stood up, still cuddling little Kuribo. "How did the delivery go?."

"Just fine, kitten," the lady of the house gave her a gentle embrace. "I hadn't expected our patient to come into labor so suddenly, but, thank Tawaret(52), a healthy baby girl was born today.

The little girl beamed as she sat herself back down on the veranda steps and gently placed Kuribo back with his brothers and sisters. "That's wonderful!."

Nephthys too sat down on the steps for a short rest. "Yes, it certainly is. And I have some more news, Miw Sher," she added while setting down her bag of medical supplies.

"What is it?."

"Well, you remember my friend, Esetnefret?. She is coming for a visit tomorrow."

Mariasha raised her head with interest. "You mean the priestess you gave the Millenium Torque to?."

At this, Seto nearly gasped!. "The Millenium Torque?!." He spun around to face the two females. "That's the blasted thing Isis used to trap me here!."

"Trap you here?," Asha tilted her head in confusion…

"Errr… It's a long story, kiddo…"

Nephthys nodded thoughtfully. "It is indeed…" Isis must be the holder of the Millenium Torque of the future… Well, her future, but Seto's present… She then stood up with her medical bag and went to enter the house. "I'm going to help Mutnodjmet prepare lunch for all of us, so be in the kitchen in at least twenty minutes, alright you two?."

"Alright," Asha agreed, nodding happily. "I'll get Khu and Kiya too."

Kaiba said nothing in reply… Instead he continued with his task of folding his trousers and shirt so they wouldn't get creased… Hmmm… At first he hadn't wanted to believe in this occult nonsense… but, after seeing what the Millenium Puzzle, Eye and Torque could do, he had to admit, if only to himself, that they possessed strange powers he'd never seen or even heard of before… Was it possible they could have these same powers even in ancient times then?…

**********

"You've been very quiet since lunch," Mariasha commented that night as Seto helped her take off her bandages and get into her linen nightdress for the night. She would get fresh bandages in the morning.

He frowned to himself. Trust the kid to notice that!. "Yeah… Well… I've been thinking about things…"

"About your home?," she asked as the bandages over her arm were undone. "Don't worry, maybe that Isis lady you talked about can help you get back."

"Hmmm… Or maybe her Millenium Item can, at least… That is, if all the fairy tale nonsense I've been told about it is actually true…" Kaiba thought to himself… "Maybe, maybe not, kiddo," he answered Asha as he helped her remove the last of her bandages. "Anyway, I have a feeling we'll find out sooner or later."

**********

Nephthys smiled down fondly at the kittens as she fed them their meal for the night. How large and strong they were getting. It was almost difficult to believe they had only been here a few days. Bastet would grow as sleek and beautiful as a young panther, Sekhemet as golden and strong as a lioness, Kyo, Meowth and Artimis were as adorable as could be, and little Kuribo, the smallest, but amazingly the most rambunctious of the litter, was turning into quite the handful!.

Once mother and kittens were full and soundly asleep, the lady of the house gave Tahemet's smooth head a last gentle stroke, then went to make her way to Mariasha's room to put her child to bed…

As she approached Asha's room, to her surprise, she could hear both the child's and Seto's voices… The door was opened partly, so, out of curiosity, she stood to the side of the doorway and listened… Mariasha was sitting up in bed, propped up against her pillow, while Kaiba himself was sitting at the edge of the bed…

"I don't know…" the little girl said uncertainly. "I'm kind of scared to show the other kids what I look like without my bandages."

Nephthys frowned to herself... That was true. Even though Asha's burns had healed better then expected over time, they still formed horrid scars, and the child still insisted upon covering them with the bandages...

Amazingly, to her at least, their reluctant guest smiled and put his hands on the little girl's shoulders. "Kid, what is it that you're afraid of?. Last time I checked, it was legal for people to have scars," Seto answered matter of factly. "Or at least it is where I come from. I don't know what's taboo here in Egy… er… Khemet…" he corrected himself, wondering when exactly people had started calling this country 'Egypt'…

Mariasha smiled back. "Tell me about Japan, Seto, please?."

At this, Nephthys leaned closer to the doorway, hoping to hear something about this mysterious unknown island their anu had come from…

"Well, it's not very large, at least compared to other countries, but it's filled with people," Kaiba began thoughtfully. "There's big cities like Kyoto and Tokyo, which is the capital. I remember, I went there on a few business trips. Sometimes I even brought my little brother with me..."

The lady of the house remained by the doorway, listening as the young fugitive continued to describe Japan… The lights of the big metropolian cities, the lush forests and grassy fields in the country, and the famous holy mountain, Fuji, which was covered with pieces of cold, white clouds called 'snow'… Asha was especially interested in the concept of snow, as such a thing was unheard of here in hot, dry Khemet…

Nephthys had to smile to herself… Despite his callousness and rudeness, Seto Kaiba seemed to have already adopted Mariasha, or was it Mariasha who had adopted him?. The child always did have a soft spot for strays after all.

Soon, the little girl had fallen asleep… The lady of the house watched on in mild surprise as her reluctant guest tenderly brushed Asha's bangs from her eyes and tucked the light linen sheets around her small, scarred shoulders… "Sleep well, kiddo."

Before he could turn around and spot her, Nephthys swiftly turned away from the partly opened doorway and headed to her room for the night…

This boy was a living contradiction, she thought with a shake of her head. One minute he was cruel, sneering and mocking the very idea of rescuing a helpless litter of kittens, the next he acted as a father to Mariasha, telling her bedtime stories and tucking her in at night… It was as fascinating as it was confusing…

Nephthys was glad the child had no real way of knowing her new 'pet' was the reincarnation of the one responsible for her scars, and the loss of her home and family… Yet, even this ill mannered, presumptuous fugitive with the disposition of a crocodile was a glass of honey wine compared to Priest Set… At this, the lady of the house chuckled darkly. She could hardly wait to see the look on Lady Esetnefret's face when she met their new 'guest'. Of course, Nephthys would have to ask her old friend not to say a word about Seto once back in Waset(53)… lest her former lover and betrothed find out about his future incarnation and use him for his own purposes…

**********

The harsh Egyptian sun, even harsher in these months of summer, beat down on the group of workers in the fields… Now that it was nearly flood time, everyone had to do their fair share of gathering the crops before the Nile covered them with it's waters…

Seto scowled at Nephthys who worked just across from him. "I'm glad everyone back home can't see me now!." Bathing in the filthy Nile, doing laundry, and now slaving away like some field hand!. He would be the laughing stock of Domino City!.

"I told you before, Pentaware," the young woman wiped the sweat from her forehead with one hand while plunging her hoe into the earth with the other to dig up a patch of fresh vegetables. "If you want a place to stay until you can find a way to get back home, you will have to do your part, just like all of us."

Nephthys Si-Amun and Mutnodjmet were also working in the fields today, and even Asha and little Khu and Kiya were doing whatever they could to help. "Hmmph," Kaiba growled as he continued with his work, just as annoyed that there wasn't anyone he could accuse of being lazy and leaving him with all the work as he was about having to help out.

"Just think," Mariasha said cheerfully. "We won't have to do any more work like this for three whole months once the flood waters come."

"And once we dig those irrigation channels,(54) taking care of the fields will be that much easier," Mutnodjmet, elderly and gray haired, but still pleasant of face, added.

Si-Amun smiled back at his wife and nodded. "Yes, and we can do that once October comes." These fields were still fairly new after all.

The young CEO made a face and grumbled to himself while he brushed the sweat from his brow and wiped his hands on his dark green trousers, now washed and dried by his own hand. He certainly was looking forward to not having to water these fields by hand. Even with the sleeves of his white undershirt rolled up, it was murder working out here in the desert sun!.

It was then that Nephthys spotted something heading through the farthest part of the field… Soon, she was able to make it out… It was an impressive litter, covered in gold, silver and sheer linen… Carrying it were two large, strong, dark skinned Kushite or Nubian men(55) …

"Esetnefret!. Ankh, uza, seneb!," she called starting towards the approaching litter, and everyone else put down their farming tools.

Soon, a hand came out from the litter and opened the linen curtain… "Ankh, uza, seneb, Nephthys!." A lovely, elegant young woman wearing a golden hawk-shaped headdress stuck her head out of the litter and smiled warmly... For a moment, Seto thought it was Isis Ishtar(56)…

The litter was lowered to the ground and at once the young woman gracefully stepped out into the sunlight… In contrast to Nephthys's bare feet, plain white shift and single piece of jewelry, she wore golden sandals, an elegant white linen dress and sheer linen shawl over her shoulders. Golden ankhs dangled from her earlobes and numerous jeweled bracelets of gold and silver adorned her wrists and arms… but what Seto noticed more then anything else was the golden eye-shaped necklace that caught the sun as she descended from the litter… The Millenium Torque!.

"Lady Esy! Lady Esy!," Khu and Kiya cried rushing towards her. The eager five and three year old were the first to reach her, hugging her skirts.

"Hello, my darlings!," Esetnefret beamed, kneeling down to hug them and receive their kisses on her cheeks. "Have you been behaving yourselves?."

In response, the children giggled and nodded.

Nephthys chuckled. "Well, I believe Esetnefret's bearers could use some refreshments, so why don't you show them back to the house and have your grandparents serve them some wine, alright?."

Soon Esetnefret's Nubian bearers, Si-Amun, Mutnodjmet, Khu and Kiya were all laughing and chatting together as they made their way back to the villa…

The lady of the house embraced her old friend. "It's been so long between visits, my sister, but Waset must not have been to willing to spare it's best priestess."

"You flatter me," Esetnefret embraced her back. "But Waset's best priestess is standing before me right now."

"Not anymore though. Esy, you know life in the royal court, and the cults, no longer interest or suit me."

The well dressed young woman nodded. "Yes, and that is a shame," she answered with a hint of sadness in her voice... But she smiled again once she saw little Mariasha. "Why, Asha!. How you've grown since I saw you last!. I almost didn't recognize you, dearest!."

The girl smiled shyly at the compliment. "Thank you, Lady Esetnefret. I can find my way around the villa and town on my own now," she added with a touch of pride.

"I'm so pleased to hear that, darling!," Esetnefret gently embraced the girl. "Nephthys, you have done absolute wonders with this child!."

The lady of the house smiled proudly. "I thank you, Esy, but Si-Amun, Mutnodjmet and their granddaughters deserve most of the credit for that. She seems to have taken to our new guest too."

Grumbling, Seto crossed his arms. "Hmmph," he sneered. "How cute, a hen party."

It was then that Esetnefret noticed him… "Why, Priest Set!," she gasped, putting a hand to her mouth in surprise and concern. "What are you of all people doing here, and in those strange clothes?."

Kaiba swore that if one more person accused him of being this maniac priest he was going to throw something at them!.

Nephthys laughed. "No, no, Esy. This is not the high priest, he is just some harmless little wanderer I picked up."

"Did you have to put it that way?," he growled, making a face.

The lady of the house ignored him. "Esy, I would like you to meet Seto Kaiba from Japan. He will be staying with us until it is time for him to go back."

"I see," Esetnefret replied, slightly more at ease now. She nodded to Seto in greeting. "His resemblance to Set is remarkable though."

The young man nodded back in return, for politeness sake, but his eye was on the Millenium Torque around her neck…

**********

As Esetnefret's visit was considered a special occasion, everyone had dinner together that evening in the villa's dining room. Si-Amun, Mutnodjmet and their granddaughters, who usually ate at their own home, and even Esetnefret's Kushite bearers.

Seto noted how different meals were here in ancient Egypt, as compared to what he'd known at the Kaiba mansion… Nephthys and Esetnefret talked of how things were going, and what was happening in Waset and the villa, while Si-Amun and Mutnodjmet chatted pleasantly with their guest's bearers, and the children, Mariasha, Khu and Kiya, giggled, joked together and teased eachother…

Kaiba remembered the huge dining room with it's kashmir carpets, oriental rugs and crystal chandeliers back at the mansion… Since Mokuba's death, meals there were usually quiet and secluded... He would eat by himself at the head of the long mahogany dining table, the only companionship being from the servants who would wait on him, then leave… He had never really minded that though… If he couldn't have his little brother with him, then he didn't want anyone at all…

"Anu?," came a sweet, young voice…

He turned his head to see little Kiya tugging at his arm… "What is it, runt?."

"Would you tell us about Japan?," Khu asked with a smile.

"Uh huh, tell us about Jap Pan," Kiya piped up, tugging at his arm again.

The young CEO smirked and mentally shook his head at the three year old's pronunciation. "Hmm, so Asha told you I was from there, did she?."

The burned girl smiled in the direction of which she heard his voice. "That's right, I told them what you said to me about your country."

At this, the others, even Nephthys and Esetnefret, looked at him with interest…

"Hmmph, it figures." He then folded his arms across the table and began to tell his listeners all about what he remembered of Japan and Domino City…

**********

Ra was nearly finished completing his journey across the sky by the time dinner was finished…

After Si-Amun and Mutnodjmet had taken their granddaughters home, Esetnefret's bearers had been given their rooms, and Mariasha had gone to bed, Seto was on his way to his room for the night… He passed through the kitchen and dining area, and was surprised by the sound of women's voices from behind the partly opened door to the veranda…

"I swear, I never saw two men who looked more alike then Priest Set and that wanderer of yours."

"Indeed… but Seto Kaiba is different, Esy, no matter how he looks. And what is more, he speaks of a dead younger brother... Set never had any siblings, and he would never speak of them with such fondness if he did."

Nephthys and Esetnefret were talking about him?… He slowly edged his way to the door to hear them better… From his position he could see they were playing some sort of board game while each enjoying a glass of wine… Normally, he would dismiss this as typical catty women's chatter, but at this moment he wanted to hear what they were saying about him and this Priest Set…

"Mmmm… I suppose that is true."

At this, the lady of the house crossed her arms. "You suppose?. Don't you know it?. Have you looked at his eyes?. I've seen them, Esy… Like a lost child, or a hunted animal... Set's eyes never looked like that."

Seto bit his lip in indignance. How dare she describe him like that!. He was not some lost, defenseless whelp she had found on her doorstep and taken in out of pity!.

"You would know, dear sister," Esetnefret answered with a wink.

"Oh, please," Nephthys scoffed. "If I never see that bastard again it will be to soon. Plundering and destroying foreign villages my eye!."

"But Per-aa Living Forever himself pardoned his friend,(57) and they were only Hittite scum after all."

The lady of the house shot her a dark look. "Pfft, I'd like to forget you ever uttered those words, Esy. Look at Mariasha, is she 'Hittite scum' in your eyes as well?."

"Now, Nephthys, you know I do not mean Mariasha. Why, the child is practically one of us now," Esetnefret answered patiently.

"And yet, the one who burned her, took away her sight and killed nearly her entire village against orders was pardoned, receiving barely a slap on the wrist and sent back into the priesthood as if nothing had happened?. If I had known that was to happen, I would have annulled our betrothal the minute the contract was made!. I could care less weather he is Per-aa's closest friend or not."

The young man blinked. Betrothal?!. Friend?!. This just kept getting more and more insane by the minute!.

Esetnefret sighed. "But, Nephthys, dear. Shouldn't you say 'living forever'?."

"Why?," came the blunt answer. "In spite of what is traditionally believed, Per-aa is no god, he is just a man, like other men. I care not weather he lives forever, and I know he shan't live forever, even if I want him to."

At this, Kaiba couldn't help but snicker. Maybe there was hope for this woman after all!.

He listened in closer and heard Esetnefret's amused chuckle as she waved her ostrich feathered fan. "Dear dear Nephthys!. Annulling your betrothal to the second most powerful man in Khemet, taking in Hittite children and rootless wanderers, and now denouncing Per-aa Living Forever's godhood!. You are always shocking me!."

"Am I?, the lady of the house gave her friend a wry smile while taking a sip from her wine glass.

"Yes, but I think that is why I like you so much, my sister."

Deciding that he would learn nothing else of importance or interest tonight, the young CEO turned and made his way quietly back to his room...

**********

The duel was almost over… He stared ahead of him as Saagi The Dark Clown approached Pegasus's monster in attack mode… After the owner of Industrial Illusions had infected his deck with that virus, it and Reborn were the only cards he had left to play, but even so, he knew he would be the one to lose this duel…

"Mokuba," he whispered… A vision of his little brother being taken away from him by two members of Pegasus's goons flashed before his eyes… "I tried my very best…"

"Your best failed you," Pegasus mocked as he played his own card…

Seto lowered his head and shut his eyes. He couldn't bear to see this last chance he had at rescuing his only family being crushed like this… "Forgive me, Mokuba… I am so sorry…"

Once his monster, and all his hopes of getting Mokuba back, was destroyed, he looked back up again at a gloating Pegasus... He clenched his hands, pounding his fists halfheartedly against the end of the dueling ring and gritted his teeth, mouth set in a firm line... He blinked in order to restrain the tears that threatened to form in his eyes… He wasn't going to cry… Mokuba wouldn't have wanted him to cry…

"There are no more cards you can play," Pegasus sniggered as the dueling arena cleared. "Therefore, you lose, Kaiba boy." A cruel smile then spread across the white haired man's features. "And you've lost so much more then just this duel, haven't you, Kaiba?. You've lost the only chance you have at rescuing your baby brother. You let him down." As he spoke, he withdrew what looked like a glowing, blank duel card… "But don't worry, my dear friend, I will spare you the agony of carrying on in this world without him."

It was this same scenario as when he'd taken Mokuba's soul… "What is that?," Kaiba demanded. He already had a pretty good idea of what that thing could do, but it was obviously no ordinary duel card…

"It is the final fate of your soul, Seto Kaiba," came Pegasus's answer as that strange eye beneath his hair shone brighter and brighter until the whole room was cast in that eerie light…

The young man's eyes widened, glistening with unshed tears as his broken heart sank even further… Now he would face the same fate as Mokuba… He would never see his little brother again… He barely managed to open his mouth to let out a scream of pain and grief as he felt the life leave him, and his body torn from him…

There was a blinding flash… and the next moment there was nothing but darkness… He could see nothing around him, feel nothing… like falling down a bottomless black void…

"Welcome to your new home, a place of solitude and seclusion," Pegasus's jeering voice seemed to come from all around. "And, while your soul is away, your body will be employed as my obedient servant."

"No!," the young CEO cried in desperation.

"Ahhh, the brothers Kaiba. One in each hand," he continued. "But although your cards are so close, your souls have never been further apart!. At least when I had Mokuba locked up you were still in the same dimension."

"No, please!," the young man sobbed as he buried his face in his hands. "Keep me here if you have to, but let Mokuba go!. He's just a little boy, and he's been through so much already!." He shook his head in anger, grief and humiliation. He had never pleaded for anything before in his life!.

But his cries were unanswered… and Pegasus's taunting voice was soon joined by others…All around him he saw the angry accusing faces of those he had known back in Domino City… Yugi… Joey… Tea… even Mokuba…

"My Grandpa is a great man, and a better duelist than you'll ever be. He entrusted me with his cards and I feel his heart in this deck. I doubt you have that kind of faith in your cards, Kaiba."

"Go ahead and run!. Everyone knows your nothing but a washed up has-been!."

"Brother, please!. You promised!. You promised to help me!."

"You're rotten to the core, Kaiba, just like that dragon!. It's all your fault!. Why, Seto?. Why didn't you help him?."

"He spared you!. Kaiba, he showed you compassion, which is more then you deserve!."

"Your best failed you."

"Nooo!!!," he screamed!. "It's not true!. It's not!." As he shouted, the darkness around him slowly began to change… Now he was in what looked like some sort of temple…There were walls with ancient looking Egyptian hieroglyphics on them… Torches lit the way down various mazes and hallways…

A familiar, frightened voice came from behind him… "Seto!. Brother, please help me!."

Seto spun around to see his little brother, crying and terrified, being held down on a slab by four cloaked figures who resembled those bothersome Rare Hunters… "Mokuba!," he cried.

"Don't let me down again!," the little boy pleaded as he was tied to the slab. "Please help me, big brother!."

He wanted to run to him, to untie him from that slab and scoop him up into his arms, to tell him he was sorry for leaving him and for letting Pegasus take his soul… but he was frozen in place. He couldn't move, couldn't speak…

Another taller cloaked figure soon appeared from the shadows… In his hand he held what looked like a small golden rod with a handle shaped like a double blade and a long sharp, knifelike point for it's stem…

Frightened tears streamed down Mokuba's face. "Seto! Please! You promised you'd always be there for me! You promised you would never let anyone separate us!."

Kaiba tried to move, tried to scream… but it was of no use… "I'm sorry, little brother… I… I can't…"

The lead cult priest approached the child and raised the dagger-like rod above him… "Oh, mighty Gods of Khemet," they all chanted together. "Please accept this sacrifice and continue to bring unending power and might to the Two Lands!."(58)

The young man's eyes and mouth widened in horror!. Surely they weren't going to… They wouldn't…

The next moment, after reciting the incantations, the lead priest drove the dagger into Mokuba's heart…

"Nooo!!!," Seto's scream of pain and grief blended with his little brother's. "Mokubaaa!!!."

But the little boy could no longer hear him… He now lay still on the slab, blood staining the front of his shirt… His eyes were closed and blood trickled down from his partly opened lips…

The young CEO's heart shattered… He collapsed to his hands and knees onto the temple floor… "Why," he sobbed. "Why couldn't I save him?… Why did you have to make me watch as you murdered him?…"

"Oh, but I did not murder your brother, Seto Kaiba," came a cool, disturbingly familiar voice from beneath the hood of the head priest… "You did!."

Seto looked up… The cloaked figure with the rod, still wet with his little brother's blood, raised his hand and drew back his hood… It was his own image he saw looking back at him… The face was so like his own… Or at least it was like his used to be, before Yugi had come into his life and made him doubt everything he'd ever been taught… "Set…?" he whispered…

The high priest just smiled at him… The narrowed eyes, the tall hat that resembled a Pharaoh's crown, it gave him the look of a cobra that was about to strike… "Look at your hands, Seto."

Kaiba reluctantly glanced down at his hands… All he saw was red… They were wet and covered with blood… Mokuba's blood…

"No!." With a cry, he woke up in tears… He sat up in bed and brushed the tears and cold sweat from his face…

"Mokuba…" he whispered, voice and hands shaking. "I'm sorry… I'm so very sorry… If only… If only there were some way to fix this…"

But wait!. There may yet be a way!. The Millenium Torque of the past… Perhaps… if he could only… "No!," he growled stubbornly to himself. "It's just superstitious nonsense and Egyptian fairytales… More of Isis's hocus pocus mind tricks…" Still… if there was any possibility at all of rescuing his brother…

"I have to take this chance," he finally decided. "It may be the only way…" At once, his mind was made up. The power of the Millenium Items may be nothing more then occult nonsense, as he suspected, but he would never really know for certain unless he tried…

An expression of both hope and determination came across his sharply featured face… He got out of bed, slipped into his modern day shirt, trousers and shoes, and made his way out of the room to the quarters that he knew Esetnefret occupied…

**********

Slowly and silently, he opened the chamber door… At once his face relaxed when he saw the Torque placed on the vanity table across from where Esetnefret was sleeping… He hadn't wanted to resort to waking her and forcing the necklace from her. This way, he could just remove it with no fuss or struggle…

He should have felt guilty, stealing a valuable object that was obviously important to it's owner, even if it didn't have any magic in it, but, just like that time on Pegasus's castle tower, he had no second thoughts or regrets. He'd steal all five of those ridiculous trinkets and wipe out all of Yugi's friends and family if it would bring Mokuba back!. Besides, he was only borrowing it anyway. Once he was finished with the silly thing, Esetnefret could do whatever she liked with it.

He reached towards the vanity table and took the necklace without making a sound to wake the sleeping Esetnefret… Once it was in his hand he studied it with a mixture of curiosity and skepticism…Did it really have the power to send one back and forwards through time?… There was only one way to find out… If this worked out as he was hoping it would, he could transport himself back (or would it be forwards now, in this case?) in time to after his first duel with Yugi… only this time he would win!. He would win the duel and teach that spiky haired runt a lesson!. But, most importantly, he would make his little brother proud of him!. He would win Mokuba's love and admiration, and keep the Big Five and Pegasus from ever laying one hand on his family!.

"I'm coming, Mokuba," he thought as he left the room, closing the door silently behind him. "Don't worry, I'll defeat Yugi and I'll save you!. I'll finally prove I'm worthy of being your big brother!."

**********

The waters of the Nile lapped noisily against the banks and the night breeze made the palms sway in almost rhythmic movements… Even in this desert country, it was colder at nighttime… but Seto noticed none of that now. His thoughts were only of returning home…

He made his way down the riverbank until he was sure he couldn't be seen from the house…

Once he was absolutely certain he was far enough away, and that noone had followed him, Kaiba stopped and let out a silent breath of relief… Then he turned his attention to the necklace he clenched in his hand… If what Isis said was indeed true, he could use the Torque to send himself back to present day Domino, crush that runt, Yugi, in the most humiliating defeat in the history of Duel Monsters, and prevent Pegasus and the Big Five from ever turning on him and kidnapping his little brother, all before breakfast!.

A hopeful smile spread across the young CEO's face. Never before had he wanted his beliefs to be proved wrong as much as he did now!. "Soon, little brother," he whispered. "Soon we'll be together, and I won't let anyone separate us ever again!. I'll keep my promise to you, I swear I will!." Nothing less then a hero would do for Mokuba!.

It was then that the necklace began to give off a disturbingly familiar glow… It shone with that same eerie light as Yugi's puzzle and Pegasus's eye… He gasped as images began to play themselves out before him, as vivid and accurate as on a television screen…

An unknown person, whose face was hidden by the nighttime shadows, stood frozen in fear as a shining golden light headed towards them… Seto's eyes widened as he recognized the malignant looking goldon eye… the same one Pegasus had used to murder Mokuba… though he could not make out the face of the one who held it now… Then, to his shock, he saw himself coming between the weapon's blast and it's intended victim, shielding the mysterious figure with his own body… He collapsed to the ground with a gasp of pain as the eye's power pierced through him…

"No!," he cried. He blinked and shook his head vigorously. This wasn't a vision of the future! It just couldn't be!. Breathing heavily, he clenched the Torque even tighter in his hand. There was no way he was losing his soul to that eye again!. He'd show that Ishtar woman!. He'd show her that Seto Kaiba made his own future and was in charge of his own destiny!.

The last thing he'd expected at that moment, however, was for a heavily middle eastern accented voice to sound angrily from behind him… "Give it back."

Kaiba spun around to see a young man wearing a turban and traditional middle eastern robes standing but a few feet away from him… He looked familiar… Where had he seen him before?… Then he remembered!. The few times business interests had forced him to visit Pegasus's castle, he had seen a painting of this man, right next to the likeness of his late wife, Cecilia…

"Who are you?," the young CEO demanded.

The newcomer stepped forward, and he could see what resembled an odd shaped golden cross around his neck and a golden scale in his hand… "Who I am is no concern of yours, thief. Now, hand over the Millenium Torque, or, I warn you, you will be tried and severely punished."(59)

Seto quickly placed the necklace in his coat pocket, then crossed his arms with a smirk. There was no way anybody, especially not this buffoon with a towel on his head, was going to take away the only possible chance he had of rescuing Mokuba. "You want it?. Come and take it then," he challenged.

"I am warning you once more, unworthy thief, give back the Millenium Torque or suffer the consequences."

"You think you can stop me from getting my family back and making my life right again?," the young man snarled. "Forget it!."

Shadi's eyes narrowed slightly as he brought a hand to the Millenium Ankh around his neck, then raised it, pointing it towards Kaiba's head… Now he could not be blamed for what was going to happen… This boy would have to be tried and executed like so many others who had dared defile the sacred tombs and treasures of the great Pharaoh, but first, to make certain this was indeed the culprit who had stolen the Millenium Torque of the past, he would explore this young man's soul room…

In a single flash of light from the Ankh, he was inside the boy's soul… Shadi remembered his surprise at finding not one but two rooms in Yugi Moto's soul, not to mention the overwhelming shock of learning that Yugi was the Chosen One, the almighty Pharaoh who was destined to rescue the world from despair… What might he find in Seto Kaiba's soul?…

The room was cold and dimly lit… This person must be very hard hearted and dark natured indeed… Placed all round it were mirrors, indicating high self esteem and confidence, but they were all black and broken…

In the first half of the soul room, a large picture hung on the wall… Shadi saw a handsome, brown haired man with kind blue eyes smiling out from the picture. Next to him was his wife, a lovely dark haired woman whose gray eyes radiated intelligence and a touch of shrewdness. Sitting on her lap was a tiny brown haired child, a little boy, no more then four or five years old, with an engaging grin and bright blue eyes, who was his fathers absolute image... This must be the young man as a child and his parents... Judging by the candles and flowers surrounding the picture, his parents must have died some time ago… On the small table, by a bouquet of fragrant lilies roses and orchids, there was also an opened locket with a single picture of a little dark haired boy with bright gray eyes and the same captivating grin as the brown haired boy in it… Shadi knew at once that this was the young mans little brother, who had also died...

In the second half of the room, there was a large, expensive looking business desk and chair that was placed in front of a large office window… On the desk there was an expensive, high tech computer with a flashy logo reading Kaiba Corp across the screen… And on the wall near the window, Shadi saw a portrait of a large, wealthy looking man whose benign expression could not hide the hardness and cruelty in his eyes… Shadi sensed that this was the young man's late stepfather, although no flowers or candles surrounded his portrait…

Displayed throughout the two sections of the room were various other objects… A Japanese army cap that dated back to World War Two, and a small, rusty, dented tin for fruit candy… Once the tin was opened, ashes spilled out, mysteriously turning into little darting fireflies… Nearby, there was a bloodstained Japanese sword, a katana, that rested on a torn blue and white Shinsengumi uniform(60)…Shadi shook his head with a frown. These meant nothing to him.

However, there were other things of interest in this soul room… A rusty suit of what looked like fifteenth or sixteenth century armor, bearing the crest of a white rose(61) stood close by to an ancient looking stone tablet… Sensing he had found something of importance in this young man's soul room, Shadi stepped forward to the tablet and began to wipe away the grime and dust, which indicated a part of this person's past which had been forgotten… As the dust and grime was cleared away, his normally narrow, piercing eyes widened in astonishment… Carved onto the tablet was the figure of the treacherous high priest, Set, who had turned against the almighty Pharaoh!. To confirm it, above his head was carved the Blue Eyes White Dragon!. This could only mean one thing. This boy was the incarnation of the priest sorcerer, just as Yugi Moto was the incarnation of the great Pharaoh!.

"What do you think you're doing here?!," an angry young voice suddenly came from nearby, distracting Shadi from his thoughts. "Get out!."

The holder of the Millenium Ankh and Scales turned around to see a little boy, no more then nine or ten years old, with sharp features, short chestnut brown hair and piercing blue eyes glaring at him in rage... At once, Shadi recognized the younger version of the one who's soul he had unlocked... So, a part of this young man was still a child…

"I have come for the Millenium Torque, and to punish you, the thief who stole it," Shadi announced to the boy. "Give it back now, and I may be convinced to grant you a painless death."

The child's shoulders and hands were shaking, but he gritted his teeth and clenched his hands. "I won't give it back to you!. I need it to save my little brother!."

The guardian of the Millenium Items approached the little boy. "You are not meant to have the Torque for any reason, now hand it over, little thief."

"N… No… I… I have to save… Mokuba…" Frightened and angry all at the same time, the child backed away from the advancing Shadi…

"Give me the Torque, boy," the guardian of the items demanded, reaching out to seize him by the shoulders… but the child somehow managed to dodge his grasp and darted past him.

"No! Get away from me, you towel headed freak!."

"You are only delaying the inevitable," Shadi answered coolly.

The boy's blue eyes narrowed dangerously. "I don't care!," he snarled. "I'm going to get my little brother back, and if you try to stop me… I'll… I'll throw you out that window!." He gestured to the large office window behind the business desk.

"Do not be so foolish, unworthy one. Your family is gone, and those who defile the great Pharaoh's sacred treasures will be punished, as is the custom. Now, hand over the Torque."

Enraged, the little boy flung himself upon the invader of his soul room, and with a strength Shadi never would have thought a child could possess, shoved him towards the window and pushed him out, the glass shattering as he fell through…

Although the holder of the Ankh and Scales had intended to search this thief's soul until, Gods willing, he found more shreds of guilt to punish him for, he had no choice now but to exit this soul room before he was killed… Quickly, he raised the Ankh, and in a single flash of light, was back in the outer world once more, facing the now grown version of the unworthy one who had stolen the Millenium Torque…

"Damn!," Seto cursed, pounding his fists against his sides. I thought I'd gotten rid of you!."

"You cannot escape the justice of the Gods that easily, young man," Shadi answered without emotion.

A smirk played about the boy's mouth. "You're as bad as Isis, you know that?. But if you think you can scare me into giving back that necklace and loosing this chance to save my family, you've got another thing coming!."

Not bothering to dignify that with a reply, the guardian of the Millenium Items began to raise the golden scale in his hand… He had seen enough. Now it was time for this boy's trial…

Kaiba's eyes narrowed no confusion as the Millenium Scale began to glow with the same eerie brightness of the other items… Soon a small feather and another object he couldn't quite place appeared on opposite ends of the scale… "What's going on?… What are you doing?…"

"By Anubis's will, you are being placed on trial," Shadi answered as the scales began to tip first to one side then the other. "Your heart is being tested."

"But that's impossible!. I…"

"Silence, unworthy one!," Shadi interrupted. "Silence and observe!."

The scale continued to tip first one way, then the other, weighing the boy's heart against the feather… Finally, the end with the heart tipped downwards… and, to both Shadi's and the young CEO's surprise, it shattered into hundreds of small pieces, like that of a puzzle…

"A broken heart," the keeper of the Scales and Ankh observed… "But, never the less, it outweighs the feather. Therefore, this thief must be punished by death."

To his surprise, the young man crossed his arms and glared coldly back at him. "Is that supposed to frighten me?."

Ever since Mokuba's death Seto really was not afraid of dying himself… It only meant that they would finally be together again… In fact, right now, he found himself almost looking forward to it…

"You must be bluffing, surely," Shadi said. "No sinner has ever before faced my justice without showing their fear of death."

Kaiba shook his head slowly. "I'm not bluffing. Whoever you are, you can either let me use this necklace to go back in time and rescue Mokuba, or you can destroy me right now. It makes no difference to me. I'll be with my little brother one way or another."

For a moment, a confused frown played across the holder of the scales face… Then he raised the scales once again, preparing to summon the beast that would devour the young man's soul… "Very well then, as this infidel seems not to care weather he lives or dies, that only makes delivering his punishment easier."

The young CEO took a slow breath and clutched his locket in his hand… "Mokuba…I'm sorry, little brother… Now I'll never know if the Millenium Torque could have saved you or not… but… at least… at least we'll be together again…"

"Indeed," Shadi smirked slightly. "I am neither evil nor cruel, I am but the deliverer and pinnacle of justice. After all, what sort of shepherd would I be if I did not protect my sheep?."

"Is that before or after you've led them to the slaughter?!,"(62) a dismayingly familiar, feminine voice suddenly answered from nearby…

"Nephthys?!," both young men spun around in shock. The young Egyptian woman was standing only a few feet away from him. Arms crossed, and looking as irritatingly straight backed and self assured as always!.

"You should be more careful, Anu," she smirked as she approached Kaiba. "I have better things to do then play nursemaid to you."

"Well, I never asked you to follow me here!," Seto snapped back.

"Could have fooled me. The next time you plan to steal something, Seto Kaiba, I suggest you make yourself a little less obvious."

Before he could reply to that, Shadi came forward. "And I suggest you stand aside, woman. This unworthy sinner must be executed by the will of Anubis."

But Nephthys turned to face him. "And by the will of Eset, he will not be!."

"You dare defy the orders of the gods?."

"When given by you?. Absolutely!."

At this, the eyes of the holder of the Millenium Ankh and Scales narrowed in silent anger...

"I don't know who you are, or what in Horus's name you are doing with the Ankh and Scales that belong to the sem-priests," the lady of the house continued. "But you have no right to do this."

"I have every right," was the indignant reply. "This criminal has stolen the Millenium Torque of the future. He has defiled the gods and Ma'at itself!."(63)

Kaiba looked on in surprise as Nephthys angrily pointed a finger at his accuser. "It is you who has defiled Ma'at!," she snapped. "You have defiled it more then this boy ever could!. There is blood on your hands, Khaibit, just as there is blood staining your precious Millenium items!."(64)

Now, even Shadi's eyes were wide in near astonishment. "It is merely the blood of unworthy sinners, robbers, thieves. They must all be tried and punished for their crimes."

"And what exactly are their crimes?," the lady of the house shot back. "Stealing bits of costume jewelry and petty trinkets from you?." It was then she noticed that her reluctant guest had taken the Torque out of his pocket and was clutching it tightly in his hand… In a movement to swift for the items guardian or the young CEO to react to, she snatched the necklace from Seto's hand and tossed it over to Shadi. "There, take it and return it to Esetnefret if it's that important, but you have no right to take this boy's life!."

What was she thinking?!. Furious, Kaiba pounded his fists at his side. "Ugghh!!. What did you do that for?!," he demanded, glaring at her, but she ignored him.

The guardian of the Millenium items clenched the Ankh and Torque in restrained fury. "As the chosen protector of the holy items and the tombs, I have every right!. Now stand aside, so that this infidel may be brought to justice!."

But instead of obeying, Nephthys moved to stand in front of the condemned boy. "You cannot punish him without going through me first, Khaibit."

"I do not see why that should be a problem," the young man's prosecutor answered, his voice eerily calm...

Unintimidated, Nephthys answered "You should. If you knew half as much about those accursed things as you think you do, you would know that the scales cannot punish those who have committed no real sins."

At this, the keeper of the ankh and scales frown deepened… "It is true. Before I approached this boy, I entered your soul room and judged your heart. Much to my disappointment, it tipped even with the feather of Ma'at."

"To your disappointment?!," the lady of the house shook her head. "Have you forgotten? Ankh Uza Seneb! Life Health Prosperity! That is true Ma'at! Not punishment or retribution!."

"You are a hypocrite," Shadi gave her a wry smile. "I have been inside your soul, woman, and you do not wish life, health or prosperity for everyone. In fact, I am surprised you would protect this boy, knowing who he truly is."

Nephthys bit the inside of her cheek… He was talking about Set… "It is true," she admitted. " But Seto Kaiba cannot help who he was in his past life."

The two of them glared at eachother for a moment, neither a flinch or a blink between them… Finally, Shadi raised an eyebrow. "Very well, since you seem so intent on rescuing this sinner, and I cannot punish him without defiling the rules of the items, he is spared."

Not moving from her position in front of the young CEO, the lady of the house gave Shadi a dry smile in return. "Good," she nodded. "I would thank you, but I have a feeling you did not do this for my thanks."

In response, the guardian of the Millenium items gave her a brief nod… "Take care, woman. This criminal is not one to be trusted."

"Let me be the judge of that," Nephthys answered… but before she had finished her sentence, Shadi had completely disappeared…

The young woman blinked in surprise at seeing the holder of the ankh and scales leave so suddenly... What was he doing with them?. The wretched things were supposed to be in the hands of the priesthood… It was then that she remembered the woman who called herself Isis Ishtar. She had claimed to be the holder of the Millenium Torque of the future…

"I can't believe it!," Seto shouted, distracting her from her train of thought. "What do you think you were doing?!," he demanded.

She was shocked by the boy's ungratefulness!. "I think I just saved you from becoming another of that monster's victims!," she snapped back.

He clenched his hands in anger!. "I could have handled it!," he growled. "I've been through worse!."

"He would have killed you on the spot!," she argued. "You don't understand!."

"No, you don't understand!. I could have used that necklace to go back and save my brother!." He was practically shaking with frustration!.

Nephthys shook her head. "And if the power of the torque did not kill you, then that khaibit definitely would have!."

"I don't care!," Kaiba blurted out pounding his fists at his sides. "I still would have been with my little brother either way!."

"Then you are a fool!. Only those who are meant to possess one of those wretched things can take them. When one who has not been chosen takes an item and uses it, then they are driven into madness and an indescribable death!."

The young man clenched his teeth and drew in a deep breath, as if trying to hold back a sob. "That doesn't matter!. I don't care about that!," he argued. "Don't you understand?!. Mokuba was all I had in the world!. He was only ten years old! Just a little boy!. I have to be with him! He needs me!."

"He needs a dead brother?!," Nephthys snapped, seizing him firmly by the shoulders. "It seems to me that you need him allot more then he ever needed you!."

Shocked, he could only stare back at her… The look on the young CEO's face, and in his eyes, was such as if she couldn't describe… Anger… Fear… Grief… Helplessness… They were all there… The lady of the house released a breath… This was not the consolable sadness of an elder sibling over the loss of a younger. This was the heartbroken grief of a parent over the loss of their child!. Would she be in this same state if she had lost her Mariasha?…

Nephthys loosened her grip on the boy's shoulders and her face softened somewhat… "I cannot pretend to know what your little brother was like," she said quietly. "But I can assure you that he would not have wanted you to gamble with your life so recklessly, even to bring him back."

Seto said nothing in reply to his advocate… He wanted to yell at her again, to tell her that he wished she had left him to that freak with the towel on his head!, that nothing else mattered to him as long as Mokuba and him were together, regardless of the price!, but somehow he couldn't get the words out this time…

The lady of the house released his shoulders. "Of course, I have no control over what you do," she said as she turned to make her way back to the house. "If you wish to leave, and risk your own life to get the Millenium Torque back, then there is really nothing I can do to stop you."

He sank to his knees as he watched her leave… She was right… Even if he did manage to get his hands on the torque again, there was no guarantee it would help him get his brother back, and that lunatic with the ankh and scales would probably annihilate him the next time, in spite of Nephthys's intervention…

"It seems to me that you need him allot more then he ever needed you!."

"I cannot pretend to know what your little brother was like… but I can assure you that he would not have wanted you to gamble with your life so recklessly, even to bring him back."

Gritting his teeth, Kaiba halfheartedly pounded one fist into the ground, while the other tightly clenched the locket… He had tried to take his own life before, but never again. He was no good to his little brother dead…

"Mokuba," he whispered as he slowly raised a tear stained face to the Egyptian night sky, without even bothering to wipe the tears away… Then in helpless frustration he squeezed his eyes shut, reared back his head and screamed... "Mokubaaa!!!."

**********

The Millenium Torque was returned to Esetnefret even before she knew it had been stolen and Nephthys said not one word to anyone of what happened that night… still, that gave Seto little comfort…When he got back to the house, he went to his room without bothering to speak to anyone… He stayed there for the rest of the night, and did not even come out when morning arrived and Ra began his journey upwards into the sky and Esetnefret had returned back to Waset…

"He hasn't come out of there all morning," Mariasha said as she sadly put a hand on Kaiba's closed door. She knew something had to be wrong. "What could have happened to him?."

Mutnodjmet shook her head in confusion. "I'm not sure, dear, maybe it had something to do with Lady Esetnefrets visit… but I don't see why that should upset him so…" As well as being puzzled, she was also slightly annoyed. They could have really used his help with gathering the rest of the harvest today!.

"I don't either, but maybe this will cheer him up," Asha said hopefully, gripping the plate of sweet fruit and honey cakes in her bandaged hands.

The elderly lady nodded and gently rapped on the door. "Anu?…" she called softly. "Anu, you've been in there all morning… Don't you want some breakfast?…"

There came no answer… Asha and Mutnodjmet both frowned in concern…

The elderly housekeeper put a hand to the door and gently pushed it open… What she saw would have been considered pitiful, almost pathetic… Kaiba, having not even changed out of his night clothes, sat dejectedly on the floor, leaning against the wall. His face was pale and his eyes red and black, as though he had stayed up all night in tears. He hadn't washed, and his hair was greasy and matted, having not even been combed…

"Anu?…" Mutnodjmet said kindly. "What is wrong?… Are you alright?…" She took Asha's free hand and lead her over the where he was…

"I'm fine," came the quiet, emotionless reply… He barely even glanced at them…

Asha knelt down and held out the plate in the direction she heard his voice… "Are you hungry, Seto?… I made this for you…"

"No thanks, I'm not hungry. You can take it away."

"Come now, Anu, don't be like that. After all, Asha did her very best to make this for you."

He raised his head and glared at them… "I told you, I don't want it!."

The little girl held out the plate closer towards him… "Please, Seto. You must eat something. You didn't have much at dinner the other night."

"I already said I wasn't hungry! Didn't you hear me?!," he snapped. "Just… Just go away and leave me alone!." Frustration and grief igniting his temper, he raised a hand and with one swipe, knocked the plate out of Mariasha's hands…

The little girl and the old woman both gasped in shock at his actions!. The boy they were familiar with was cool and collected. Never before had they seen him so emotional or so upset!.

"Seto…?" Asha whispered, tears already beginning to soak the bandages around her eyes…

Unable to bear the look on the child's face, he looked away and clenched his hands in anger, more at himself then at anyone else. "Look, I… I'm sorry… Just… Just leave, alright?…"

Mutnodjmet shook her head sadly in defeat… She had no idea what could have happened to this poor boy, but whatever it was had obviously troubled him greatly… "Very well then, Anu, we will leave you now" she sighed, taking Asha's trembling hand. "Come along, little one."

Though there were still tears on her face, the little girl obeyed and let the elderly lady guide her out of the room…

Kaiba raised his eyes just a little to watch them leave… A part of him wanted to call them back and offer them a better apology and explanation, but never the less he remained where he was, as if paralyzed…

Mutnodjmet and Asha closed the door behind them and made their way unhappily down the hall… On the way they passed by Nephthys who was just coming upstairs…

"What is wrong, you two?," she asked upon seeing their saddened, worried expressions. "I thought I heard shouting up here."

Mariasha stepped forwards in the direction she heard her foster mother's voice. "Oh, Umayma!," she cried, throwing her arms around her. "It's Seto!. He's very sick, and we don't know what's wrong with him!."

"Shhh, shhh, it's alright, Miw-sher," the lady of the house soothed, kneeling down and gently brushing the little girl's bangs away from her bandaged eyes. "I'm sure everything will be alright, now tell me what happened."

Mutnodjmet stepped forward and put a reassuring hand on Asha's shoulder. "He hasn't been out of his room all day, and he's still in his nightclothes," she explained. "When we went to offer him some food, he refused it."

"He shouted at us and knocked the food away," Asha added sadly. "It was like he was in another world or something."

Nephthys frowned… She had known Seto Kaiba was suffering from the loss of his little brother, and the events of last nigh, but that was no excuse to take it out on Mariasha… "Don't worry, Miw-sher," she said, giving the little girl a kiss on the cheek. "I'll talk to him. Everything will be alright."

**********

The funeral ended almost as soon as the rain began to pour down, as if waiting for just this moment… There weren't many people here, mostly Kaiba Corp employees… Mokuba had had very few friends, even at school, though it was mostly his own fault for encouraging his little brother to be a loner like him… If it had been Seto that Pegasus had killed instead, would anyone shed tears of caring for him, or come to bid him farewell at his funeral?… He doubted it… but in the end, it didn't matter anyway…

He watched, unmoving, his face expressionless, as everyone took out their umbrellas and made their way back to their cars or limos… but he remained where he was… He stared at the three graves in front of him… The first two bore the names of his mother and father, while the newest one was Mokuba's…

He remembered his fathers funeral… It was very much the same… His little brother and him, dressed in black and each carrying a bouquet of white flowers, had watched in sadness and fear as their father's coffin was lowered into the ground next to their mother's… He had done his very best not to cry and appear strong for Mokuba's sake, but his then three year old brother had sobbed and clung to his arm, begging him to tell the graveyard caretakers not to put their daddy down there, where it was so cold and dark…

There had been a number of relatives at their fathers funeral, and they had all made a show of mourning and of being sympathetic, but from the moment it was over, they began fighting over Ichiro and Adina Nozomi's property and finances like hyenas over scraps. None of them wanted to take him or Mokuba in, so they were packed off to the orphanage almost the very next day after the funeral… Now, seven years later, here he was at Mokuba's funeral… He never imagined his little brother would die before him…

Kaiba shook his head and blinked, trying to shake off the memory of that horrible day, but it was no use… Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Pegasus's cruel smile… Every time he tried to cover his ears he heard Mokuba's scream… He clutched his locket tightly in his hand. It was the only real form of solace he had left now…

Just then, the door swung open and in came Nephthys. He groaned inwardly. She was the last person he wanted to talk to right now!.

"I do not believe this!," the lady of the house exclaimed as she surveyed the room. The curtains were still closed, hanging limply in the heat of the day. There was spilled food and a broken bowl on the unswept floor, and her reluctant houseguest sat on the floor by his unmade bed, leaning against the wall and staring into space as though in a catatonic state… She had never seen anyone look so dirty, unkempt and sickly before… "What are you still doing in here, Pentaware?. We had to finish our work for the end of harvest season by ourselves while you've been rotting away!."

The young CEO slowly raised his head. "What do you want?," he demanded halfheartedly.

"Oh, nothing," she smirked. "I just wanted to come and laugh at the pathetic little fugitive I rescued from the brink of death last night." Then her eyes narrowed angrily. "I understand your grief over the loss of your brother, Anu, but you may not take it out on Mariasha!."

At this, he turned his head away and clenched his fists… He hadn't meant to upset the kid… "Just leave me alone!. What are you bothering me for?," he asked sullenly. "If it had been Asha who… who… Well, you'd be in the same boat as me wouldn't you?."

"Don't you dare compare me to a weepy little boy who sits there and feels sorry for himself!," Nephthys snapped.

"Well, I guess that just goes to show how much you care about your own kid," Seto muttered sardonically, giving her a contemptuous look.

"What?!." Enraged she stalked across the room and raised her hand to strike his face, but he managed to catch her wrist before she could touch him.

He let go of her wrist and shoved her arm away. "I'm an expert in Aikido, you fool!," he growled. "So don't take me to lightly!."

In response, Nephthys raised her hand again… Kaiba, worn out from arguing, as well as the horrific events of last night, turned his face away and cringed, waiting for the sharp sting to his face… but it never came…

Instead, he felt her hand gently rest itself against his cheek… With a grunt of surprise, he opened his eyes to find himself looking Nephthys full in the face… She did not move her hand, and her blue-green eyes held him…

"I think it's you who shouldn't take me so lightly!," she answered, still angry, but in a cooler tone. "Listen to me, Seto Kaiba!. I am not only priestess of this town, but also it's physician!. I am doing everything I can to aid and heal others to atone for the sins of serving under those bloodstained Millenium items, and that's how much I truly love Asha!. I would not be walking this path if it hadn't been for her!. She is the one who inspired me!." As she spoke, her words became quicker and her tone of voice sharper. "So even if, Eset forbid, I should ever lose my child the way you lost your Mokuba, I still plan to live, and to help others to live!. How dare you mock my feelings when you're doing nothing but acting like a brat!. You just want everyone to feel sorry for you, don't you?!."

This was more then he could take!. "You harpy!," he screamed, tears flowing uncontrollably down his face. "You'll never understand!. You'll never understand what it felt like to lose the only one who cared about you! The only one who saw anything good or worthwhile in you!." He pounded a fist on the floor in grief and frustration while the other hand still clenched his locket. "Mokuba was my only family! My only friend!. Without him I'm alone!. I'll always be alone!."

He shut his eyes and waited for her to raise a hand to slap his face again… Instead, he felt her fingers under his chin, gently lifting his head up(65) …

He opened his eyes to meet her gaze again… She was looking at him with an expression that seemed a mixture of both compassion and determination…

"But you don't have to be alone, Anu," she said. "Nobody has to be alone."

**********

Ra had already begun his journey downwards into the distance when Seto emerged from his room… He had washed, combed his hair and dressed back into his green shirt, dark blue trousers and shoes…

As he was walking down the hall, he heard a familiar soft, sweet voice, behind him… "Seto?… Is that you?…"

He turned to see Mariasha standing in the opened doorway of her room…

"Uhhh… Yeah, kid… It's me…"

She bit her lip… "I'm… I'm sorry for bothering and upsetting you today," she said…

Kaiba frowned. He hadn't known she would blame herself for what happened earlier. God, she didn't need the burden of guilt on top of everything else she'd been through. "Hey," he stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder gently. "It's okay, kiddo. It wasn't your fault."

"No?…" She tilted her head questioningly.

He brushed her hair away from her bandaged eyes. "No, it wasn't," he answered. "And you'd better remember this, squirt, because I hate apologies, and I don't hand to many of them out."

Asha chuckled softly. "You sound just like Umayma."

He did, did he?. He grinned to himself. "Hmm, speaking of that, can you tell me where your mom is right now exactly?."

"I think she went up onto the roof."(66)

"The roof?." The young CEO raised an eyebrow.

"Mmm hmm," the little girl nodded, then made her way down the hall towards the stairway. "Si-Amun and Mutnodjmet are preparing everything for dinner. It should be ready in twenty minutes or so."

"I'll be there," he answered before turning to the stairway that lead up to the roof…

She was facing away from him, sitting on a gold painted chair, with that ostrich feathered fan in her hand…

In an uncharacteristically self conscious gesture, he paused before taking a step towards her and clearing his throat to alert her of his presence…

"Hello, Pentaware," Nephthys greeted him without so much as turning her head. "Decided to finally come out of hiding, have you?."

"That's right," he answered matter of factly, crossing his arms. "Why don't you sound pleased about that?."

The lady of the house turned to him with a look that bordered between surprise and concern. "I am. Don't misunderstand me," she replied. Then she gestured towards another chair nearby. "Please, have a seat. You are my guest after all."

"Thank's," he muttered, then pulled up the chair and seated himself beside her…

They were both silent for a few moments… Finally, Seto spoke… "I… I apologized to Asha for what happened earlier, just so you know..."

Nephthys nodded. "I'm glad to hear that. You had absolutely no right taking your family problems out on her."

He gave no answer… He knew she was right, but there was no way he was giving her the satisfaction of seeing that…

"Seto," his hostess asked after a few moments. "May I ask you a question?."

"I guess so." He supposed he owed her that at least.

"Forgive me for being blunt… You do not have to answer if you do not want to… but what happened to him… your little brother?…"

Kaiba closed his eyes for a moment… "Well… After all that's happened, I suppose that's a fair question…" He took a deep breath before continuing… "I don't know if you could understand this though…"

"Try me," was the calm answer…

"Well, I suppose it's Murphy's law that the richer you are the more enemies you have," the young man began. "And I was, am, one of the wealthiest businessmen in Japan. And as the world champion of Duel Monsters, I had never lost a game… that is, until my duel with Yugi Moto…"

The lady of the house mentally rolled her eyes. Men!. Why must they take games and sports so seriously?."

"I never thought that one loss on an otherwise spotless record would cause my business partners and associates to turn against me though," the young CEO sighed, lowering his eyes. "I was so distraught over the loss that I left the city to try and figure things out… I left Mokuba alone without so much as an explanation… I… I just ran off like a whipped dog with my tail between my legs and left my little brother to be kidnapped and murdered…"

At this, Nephthys's eyes widened and she brought her fingers to her mouth in horror!. In her near eighteen years of life and her time as a physician, she had seen little ones who had died of terrible sicknesses, and every now and then of a scorpion's sting, a snake's bite, or a crocodile attack, but this?… No wonder it was so unbearable for Seto!.

"They… They killed him to get to me…" he whispered… "I've never spoken of it to anyone before… I don't know why I agreed to tell you now, except… well, when I see you and Asha together…" His voice trailed off…

"I understand," the lady of the house answered sadly… Then she looked at him seriously. "The truth is, Anu, I believe you are both doing eachother a world of good."

"How so?," Seto asked, surprised.

She leaned forward slightly in her chair and rested her hands In her lap. "You always seem more open and relaxed around Mariasha, even around little Khu and Kiya, and Asha spoke to me just the other day of taking off her bandages, except the ones around her eyes." Here Nephthys gave him a small, knowing smile. "It seems that someone inspired her to not be ashamed of her burns or scars, no matter what others might say or think."

"Hey, a kid has to have a little self esteem," Kaiba answered. "She's been through to much to throw it all away because she's afraid of how everyone else sees her."

"For once I have to agree with you."

For the next few moments they remained silent, watching as Ra sank lower and lower into the distance and the evening cooled… The wind blew gently through the palm leaves and the night birds began their songs…

Finally, the young man cleared his throat and spoke up. "Listen… I just wanted to thank you… for… well… for saving my life the other night…"

"You're very welcome. You can deny it all you like, Anu, but your little brother would never have wanted you to throw your life away to that Khaibit, even for his sake."

"As much as I hate to admit it, you're probably right, Kitsune," Seto answered.

Nephthys grinned. For some reason, it was good to hear him call her 'Kitsune' again, even if she had no idea what the word meant. "So, you finally understand why you should appreciate what I do for you, hmm?."

In spite of himself, he had to grin back. "Yeah, well, don't let it go to your head or anything."

Next

(52) Goddess of childbirth, often depicted with the body of a hippo, head of a crocodile or lion, and the feet of a lion to frighten away harmful evil spirits from mothers and their newborns.

(53) Modern day Thebes

(54) In ancient Egypt, farmers had to water their crops all year round because of the hot, dry climate. They dug irrigation channels around their crops along which the Nile waters could run.

(55) In ancient times, much of what is now Sudan was known as Nubia, or the Kingdom of Kush (also spelled Cush.) Nubia extended along the Nile River from what is now Aswan in Egypt to present-day Khartoum in Sudan. The ancient Nubians and ancient Egyptians were rivals. Egyptians attacked and conquered Nubia many times, but Nubians actually conquered and controlled all of Egypt for a period of about 50 years, from 725 to 670 BCE. The Kingdom of Kush lasted nearly 1500 years, from 1100 BCE to 350 AD. The ancient Nubians (Kushites) had religious beliefs similar to those of the ancient Egyptians. For example, they buried their kings in pyramid tombs. There are actually more pyramids remaining in Sudan than there are in Egypt. The Kushites had their capital first at the city of Napata, then moved it to Meroe after they were conquered by the Assyrians.

(56) In the manga, the priestess who holds the Millenium Torque is said to be the past incarnation of Isis Ishtar.

(57) According to the latest issues of the manga, the kings father, Akunamukanon, owner of the Millenium Puzzle, and Priest Set's father, Akunadin, owner of the Millenium Eye, were brothers, making Yugi and Seto indivertant cousins!. Though neither of them are aware of this yet.

(58) This is by no means meant to imply that the ancient Egyptians were believers in human sacrifice like the ancient Mayans, Aztecs and Peruvians. In fact, they were probably the most hygienic, the happiest natured and the least bloodthirsty of ancient cultures. Though, as in every culture, darker cults may have existed.

(59) This is the main reason I dislike Shadi, especially in the manga. Murdering archeologists who were just doing their jobs, turning innocent people into mindless puppets, placing the lives of Yugi's friends in danger for the sake of his sadistic tests and games, actually believing he has the right to judge people and decide who is 'worthy' to live and who isn't. In fact, I think I dislike Shadi even more then Pegasus. At least Pegsy showed some signs of actually being human once upon a time!.

(60) If there were such a thing as reincarnation, I believe Seto could have been Seita from "Grave Of The Fireflies" and Saitoh Hajime from "Rurouni Kenshin" in his past lives, as both have certain characteristics similar to his. All three are stubborn as they come, and all three have younger siblings, or at least younger sibling figures, in their lives whom they are protective of, and who look up to them. Seto/Mokuba, Seita/Setsuko, and Saitoh/Okita.

(61) This is a reference to the "Yu-Gi-Oh" PS2 game, Duelists Of The Roses, in which we see another of Yugi and Seto's (non canon) past lives in the Wars Of The Roses as Henry Tudor (House of Lancaster=Red rose) and Christian "Seto" Rosenkreuz (House of York=White rose).

(62) *Giggles* I just couldn't resist this line from "The Queen Of Swords"!.

(62) Both a goddess and the ancient Egyptian spiritual ideal. It is similar to the Taoist concept of Tao, denoting cosmic balance and harmony between earth, heaven and humanity.

(63) According to the manga, the villagers of a town called Kuru Eruna were killed and sacrificed in order to create the Millenium items.

(64) As you can probably tell, most of this whole sequence was inspired by the scene in "Rurouni Kenshin", when Kaoru is heartbroken after Kenshins departure for Kyoto and Megumi has to exercise a little 'tough love' on her in order to bring her to her senses.

(65) Because of Egypt's heat, many families spent their time up on the roofs of their houses where it was generally cooler, often taking their meals there and even sleeping there when the nights became to hot.