Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Point of Origin ❯ Foreign Magics ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Yu-Gi-Oh! are the intellectual property of J.K. Rowling, Kazuki Takahashi, Konami, Warner Brothers, etc. and is being used in this fanfiction for fan purposes only. All situations, opinions and characters not belonging to J.K. Rowling and Kazuki Takahashi are the intellectual property of Alecto Perdita.

Tuesday, 2001 July 10
4:23 AM, GMT +9:00
Yugi's House
Domino City, Japan

The seemingly innocent envelope lied on the table. Atemu sat at Yugi's desk, staring at it and half-expecting it to move on its own. He glanced back at Yugi's sleeping form barely hidden under the scant layer of sheets. Yugi had absolutely no memory of his encounter with the brown-haired foreigner earlier that day. Atemu knew it was magic but it was not the likes of which he had ever encountered before.

He looked back at the envelope. He opened it and set the stack of papers on the desk. It appeared to be nothing more than photocopies of a story about some literary witch named Morgan Le Fey. He would have believed it so had it not been the obvious feel of magic around it.

He tried to force it to reveal its secrets but the magic would not give allowance under his force of will. For a second, it felt as if the spell might give away but it only flickered and remained resolutely in place.

Atemu sighed and pushed the papers away. He reached for Yugi's keys and jumped out of the chair. He was overdue for his nightly venture into the world.

"Good night." Atemu muttered and Yugi tossed in his slumber.

When Atemu locked the door to the shop, he couldn't help but muse about how far he had come along in this strange world. Ever since the duel he and Yugi had fought each other in, he had gained a strange new freedom never imagined in all his millenniums of imprisonment. Atemu shook his head and walked away from the Turtle Game Shop.

He headed straight for the shrine district of Domino, which was Atemu's favorite part of the city. It was comforting to be near buildings and beings of spirituality and religion. There was still at least an hour or two left before dawn so no one was up- not even at the shrines.

Atemu stopped at the foot of the stairs leading up to the archway entrance of the Hirata Tenjin Shrine. There were strange tales told about this one shrine, but these stories only started about two or three years ago. By-passers have again and again caught a glimpse of what appeared to be the strange apparition of a man. He was described as a foreigner with long black hair and a body physique that was so thin that it was almost skeletal. Yet in all his nights of "haunting" this district, he had never encountered such an illusion. It wasn't that Atemu did not believe in the possibility of ghosts since he was almost one himself.

After a moment's consideration, he began to climb the stairs. The sounds of the modern world became more and more distant as he ascended. The stairs and the trees that lined them gave way to the wide stone path that led up to the shrine's main building. Standing under the shrine's torii, he studied the moonlit scene before him [1].

This wasn't the first time Atemu had visited to a shrine. He had visited many shrines since he first came into existence in Domino but especially this one. Yugi and his family were quite adamant about partaking in the proper New Year rituals at this shrine.

Taking a second look around, he saw that everything was closed and stored away. The wooden shutters were drawn and locked around the various buildings. There were still a few hours before anyone would be up and about. He smiled when he reached out with his senses to feel the delicate tendrils of what he had come to think of as Japanese magic. It was far more subtle than his native type.

Atemu sighed and turned back. He should be getting back to Yugi now. However, he froze when he saw the haggard form of a tall man standing where no one had been before. He could only saw at the thin and ragged form, taking in the details of the long but ill-kept hair and pallid skin.

The stranger stepped forward and Atemu fell back, his hand reaching up for his Puzzle. He said something that Atemu couldn't understand. It didn't sound Japanese at all. The man continued to advance on Atemu, becoming progressively louder and more frantic. A sudden gust of wind swept back the hair from the face and Atemu could see the wild expression in gray-blue eyes. Atemu immediately drew a wall of power to separate him from the man. He hoped that would be enough of a deterrent. He had no intention of hurting the man even if he did appear a bit deranged.

Just as the man's shoulders slumped, Atemu saw his chance. He tore past the man and down the stairs. He could still hear the man screaming gibberish after him. It was only until he was halfway home that he realized he had encountered the so-called ghost of the Hirata Tenjin Shrine. No, that hadn't been a ghost but a spirit like Atemu…

Tuesday, 2001 July 10
12:10 PM, GMT +9:00
The Acqua Rossa restaurant
Domino City, Japan

Jounouchi tapped his fingers impatiently against the tabletop. He glanced around at the elaborate environment of the restaurant. He didn't understand why Kaiba insisted on meeting here and why the bastard was late as well.

"Sir, are you ready to order?"

Jounouchi rearranged his grip on the menu and propped it up more. "No, sorry, still looking."

He trained his eyes on the menu until he was sure the waiter was far away. He sighed and dropped the menu flat on the table. He wasn't going to order anything unless Kaiba was paying. A meal here was enough to pay for a month's rent. He leaned back in his chair, tipping it precariously onto its back legs, and crossed his arms over his chest. He checked his watch again. Kaiba was over ten minutes late.

"I'm going to kill that bastard." Jounouchi declared aloud.

"You're all bark and no bite."

Jounouchi hung his head back to look up into the face of Kaiba who was standing over him. He lurched forward and his legs of his chair slammed against the hardwood floor with a harsh sound. "About time, Kaiba-yaro, I'm not exactly dressed for this kind of place." He gestured toward his casual attire consisting mostly of denim.

Kaiba walked around the table and sat down across from Jounouchi. The waiter was back again and Kaiba ordered without even looking at the menu. The waiter looked questioningly toward Jounouchi but Jounouchi just shook his head and contented himself to his glass of water.

"Well?" Jounouchi snapped as Kaiba unfurled his napkin and spread it over his lap.

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "You're the one that called me."

"I want to know about yesterday," Jounouchi growled. "Guys just don't drop dead when sticks are pointed at them and sticks don't usually shoot out green light either."

"What makes you think I would know why then? You know how I feel about this magic," Kaiba spat out the word like it was something foul. "I don't see why you haven't call Yugi about this. He's the one who as been possessed by the spirit of a three thousand year old pharaoh."

"Look," Jounouchi slammed his hands down on the table and the vase of flowers to the side tipped dangerously before resettling into its place. "It started with your assignment. You had me track Kazeno to gather evidence that he was selling your technology or laundering funds. Some blond-haired gaijin stormed the party and killed them all before coming after me. I lost him, went to the Ashes to Ashes concert, where some robed freak wearing a mask killed the lead singer in the exact same way. You tell me these events aren't related in any way!"

Kaiba gave him a disgusted look. "Stop rambling, inu. We're in a respectable establishment right now."

"I just want answers, Kaiba. I know that was magic. I felt it clearly at the concert and so did Mai. It felt almost like the Orichalcos." Jounouchi stared down at the table.

They were both quiet as the waiter brought Kaiba's order to the table. Jounouchi could tell that even the waiter noticed the tense atmosphere around them. He waited as Kaiba picked up his fork and took a bite off of his dish.

"It was more than just the Red Dragon."

Jounouchi looked up at Kaiba in surprise.

"The fact that you uncovered some of Kazeno's shady dealings with the yakuza was just a bonus. Kazeno has been in touch with a gentleman from England who has shown a suspicious interest in Kaiba Corporation's funding into Egypt."

"You mean the money that's been going to Isis and her 'research'." Jounouchi muttered.

"Just say it as it is," Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Isis is looking for a way to permanently disable the Millennium Items' powers."

"I can't believe Yugi and Atemu agreed to that."

"Jounouchi, you saw first-hand the kind of power and destruction those Items are capable of," Kaiba's voice was surprisingly soft as he spoke of those strange events from years ago. "They've outgrown their usefulness now that Atemu has recovered his memories so it's best we find a safe way to dispose of them, lest they fall into someone else's hands. That would be the last thing any of us needs at this point."

"Do you think some gaijins found out about the Items or what Isis was trying to do? Is that why she was taken but no ransom note was issued or anything?"

"It's possible," Kaiba set his fork down. "Before she was taken, she told me she was on the verge of a breakthrough."

Jounouchi stared at Kaiba in horror. "What in the world is going on here?"

Kaiba dumped his napkin on the table and stood, "I don't know but we have to stop it at its roots before it's too late. We need to talk to Atemu and Yugi now."

Tuesday, 2001 July 10
12:40 PM, GMT +9:00
Used Bookstore
Domino City, Japan

Yugi browsed through the shelves and shelves of old used books. Even though he was going to be in France, he would still be seeing Bakura and Malik and it was only right to get them both presents. He wasn't sure what to get for Malik but he was sure that Bakura would enjoy any number of these books.

It was a small shop nestled between two larger buildings. Yugi had almost missed it at first as his eyes slid straight from one building to the next. He made note to bring Bakura here the next time Bakura and Malik came back to Domino for a visit.

He trailed his fingers over the various leather-bound spines. One book, in particular, caught his eye. The English title must have been misprinted but it looked interesting. He plucked it off the shelf and flipped through the pages, occasionally mulling over the strange and somewhat grotesque illustrations included. He began to think that Malik would enjoy this one more.

His cellphone rang suddenly and Yugi received a few glares from a few other patrons of the shop. He gave them all an apologetic look before looking at the caller I.D. It was Jounouchi calling.

"Jounouchi-kun?"

"Where are you?" Jounouchi asked over the line.

Yugi frowned. He didn't know what was going on but it sounded serious if Jounouchi's current tone of voice was any indication. "I'm buying gifts for Bakura-kun and Malik-kun."

"Just get over to Kaiba-yaro's office right now. Me and Kaiba need to talk to both you and Atemu." And Jounouchi hung up.

Yugi pulled the phone away from his ears and frowned at it. Something was definitely wrong. He pocketed the device and placed the strange copy of Moste Potente Potions back on the shelf.

Tuesday, 2001 July 10
1:36 PM, GMT +9:00
Kaiba Corporation Main Office
Domino City, Japan

Kaiba watched as Jounouchi paced furiously back and forth across the carpeted floor of his office. It was almost as if the blonde was trying to wear a hole in his floor. Jounouchi was acting like a caged dog, unable to sit still for just one second.

Magic, Kaiba thought in disgust. He was never going to be able to free himself from that rubbish. He knew magic to be something true but he despised the way it sought to control his life now. He was the head of the world's leading innovator in technology. The Priest Set had been someone from lifetimes ago and whatever wisps left lingering about were better off buried in the sands. He would deal with it as it arose because otherwise, he would never be free of the past's taint.

Just as Jounouchi looked down to check his watch yet again, the telecom buzzed, "Seto-sama, Mutou-san is here to see you."

"Send him in," Kaiba barked. The sooner all of this was straightened out, the sooner he could get back to his regular work.

Yugi appeared out of breath when he came through the double doors of his office. He leaned against one of the couches to catch his breath before greeting, "Konnichi wa, Jounouchi-kun, Kaiba-kun."

Kaiba scowled. "I don't have all day."

Yugi nodded and sat down at one of the couches facing his desk in a u-shape. It had been strange to watch Yugi grow over the years. In fact, on the few occasions Kaiba did see Yugi's other self nowadays, he was always surprised to see how the Pharaoh was shorter than Yugi. Jounouchi followed Yugi's example reluctantly and sat down next to the strange haired man.

Yugi's gaze moved back and forth between Kaiba and Jounouchi, "Is something wrong?"

"Yugi, have you felt anything strange lately?" Jounouchi began.

Yugi furrowed his brow, "Strange? As in?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes. He didn't have time for this. "What he means is have you or that spirit of yours felt any magic in the last day or two?"

Jounouchi shot a glare at Kaiba.

"Not really," Yugi paused as he glanced to the side and his eyes glazed over.

Kaiba leaned forward in his seat. That expression usually meant Yugi was communicating with the dead Pharaoh.

Yugi looked back over at Kaiba before closing his eyes. As the image of Atemu standing by Yugi's side came into existent, Yugi faded just a bit. When Yugi opened his eyes again, both he and Atemu were translucent. Kaiba had to look away, even if it was only for a brief second. It looked far too much like two ghosts were in his office. As moved his gaze away, he noticed the image of the Puzzle around Atemu's neck. Even though Yugi had ceased to wear the Puzzle for years now, it still appeared on Atemu without fail.

"Someone is using magic at the university." Atemu declared.

Yugi sighed. "I was hoping that Atemu-kun was just being paranoid but…" he looked toward Jounouchi.

Atemu folded his arms across his chest. "When I finally broke through Yugi's restraint, there was nothing I could do to block the magic and Yugi's memory of the last five minutes before then vanished."

"Why did they erase your memories?" Jounouchi jumped to his feet.

Yugi frowned and looked down at the carpet. "I was just trying to return the envelope that Black-kyouju dropped."

"Black-kyouju?" Kaiba straightened in his seat.

Yugi nodded. "Silka Black the advisor for Domino University's first English Sector, the one that sponsors study aboard for students from England. I've never taken any of her classes but I think she's with the History and Anthropology department."

"Someone stopped Yugi from following Black into the auditorium," Atemu continued. "There was supposed to be some sort of silence spell around the auditorium but we could still hear bits and pieces of what was said inside."

Kaiba tapped his fingers against the surface of his desk. Was it all just a coincidence? "What did you hear?"

Yugi was crestfallen. "I can't remember."

"I remember," Atemu declared and Kaiba locked eyes with the Pharaoh. "They were talking about some man's death, some British ministry, war, and training."

"So the common link here is England." Kaiba mused.

"Common link?" Yugi asked. "What's going on?"

Jounouchi looked toward Kaiba, silently asking for permission. Kaiba nodded in assent.

"I was on an assignment for Kaiba yesterday," Jounouchi began.

Atemu shot at glare at Kaiba but Kaiba just ignored it. He was well aware of how the spirit felt about him using Jounouchi for such risky ventures. Kaiba didn't understand why Atemu insisted on worrying. Kaiba usually ensured that Jounouchi returned in one piece.

"I came across some blond-haired gaijin that killed a few bastards with a stick and green light."

"You mean a wand?" Yugi interrupted.

"Uh...sure. I tripped up a trash can so he found me but I was able to escape. He kept on screaming after me in English and I'm sure he was throwing more magic after me. I was just lucky I wasn't hit by any of them. I don't know if I would be here talking to you if I did. I managed to get away. I went to the Ashes to Ashes concert with Honda, Mai, and Miho afterwards. The lead singer of the band was also killed in the same way as the people I saw earlier, with a wand."

"But I saw the papers this morning! They said the lead singer had a heart attack right in the middle of the concert," Yugi protested. "They never mentioned anything about magic or strange green light."

Jounouchi glared at the carpeted floor. "That's because a group of robed guys showed up with wands too. The crowd was too large for them to control so a number of us, including me and Mai managed to get away."

"But what about Honda-kun and Miho-chan? Weren't they with you?" Yugi gnawed nervously on his lower lip.

"I managed to catch both of them earlier this morning. They were perfectly fine though, but they didn't remember what happened last night, even though they were right there with me!" Jounouchi turned suddenly and punched the wall.

"Jounouchi!" Kaiba barked.

"That's very possible," Atemu interjected. "They've already proven to have to ability to change memories."

"Can we return to the matter at hand," Kaiba growled. He really didn't want to hear anymore speculation about magic or conspiracies. "You can whine about your absent-minded friends afterwards. Ashes to Ashes is a popular rock band from England."

Yugi's eyes light up, "And Isis-san disappeared along with an English bank employee."

"This Black-kyouju, is she British as well?" Atemu asked. "Somehow all of this originates from and relates to England."

Yugi nodded. Kaiba simply rolled his eyes. Did Atemu really need to state the obvious? They had all figured that out for themselves.

Atemu turned fully to face Kaiba and Kaiba met the crimson eyes without hesitation. "Did you feel anything strange last Saturday, around three in the morning?"

Kaiba stared down at the table. He knew he must have been up at that time but he couldn't remember what he was doing. Looking up at Atemu again, his eyes caught sight of the stain in the carpet not far from where Atemu was currently standing. "Yes, I was still working and I had gone to get a cup of coffee. I stumbled for no reason and spilled my coffee. It felt as if my heart had dropped into my stomach and then into the sole of my feet. I didn't understand why that happened."

"So you felt it too but only a bit." Atemu muttered.

"Felt what?" Jounouchi asked.

"Dark Magic," Atemu met Jounouchi's eyes solemnly. "It was the backlash and even though I pinpointed its origin halfway across the world, it was still very strong. I didn't know if I had been the only one who felt it."

"But Kaiba-kun felt it too. Who else would have?"

"Bakura and maybe even Malik. I wrote them both a letter and they should have received it by now."

"A letter?" Kaiba smirked. "There are faster ways to contact people nowadays, Pharaoh-sama."

Atemu just glared at Kaiba.

"Should we call Bakura-kun and Malik-kun then?" Yugi exclaimed. "To warn them?"

"I doubt we'll have to worry about that now." Kaiba declared. "Our first order of business is to establish what is going on here in Japan and its connections to England. I think our best bet is to investigate this Silka Black. I have the feeling that she may have some answers for us. I will look into her background."

Kaiba didn't like the sound of where all this was heading but it was inevitable. He clenched his fists tightly. Whatever was happening, Kaiba sure as hell wasn't going to allow his company to be dragged down with it.

Wednesday, 2001 July 11
1:24 AM, GMT +9:00
Yugi's House
Domino City, Japan

Atemu glared at the envelope. He was even more determined to break the spell after the discussion in Kaiba's office.

He hadn't told Kaiba, Jounouchi, and Yugi the complete truth. What he and Kaiba had felt wasn't just Dark Magic but magic that was far too similar to that of the Millennium Items. Isis had been taken for a reason. Just like there was a reason for Rishid, the only eye witness to Isis' kidnapping, not waking up even though there was nothing physically wrong with him.

Gathering his resolve and magic, Atemu attacked the spell around the envelope and its content with renew fervor.

Wednesday, 2001 July 11
10:15 AM, GMT +9:00
Domino University
Domino City, Japan

Yugi sighed as he stepped out of his French class and looked down at the pile of work in his arms. By the time he resettled in Marseilles before September, it would be the new school year in France. However, that also meant he would be leaving in the middle of Japan's school year. It was just a no-win situation.

"Oi, Yugi!"

Yugi looked up and was surprised to see Jounouchi coming toward him. "Jounouchi-kun? Why are you here?"

"Kaiba sent me with the information he found on Silka Black."

Yugi couldn't help but raise any eyebrow. He never thought he would live to see the day that Jounouchi was willing to run Kaiba's errands.

Jounouchi scrunched his face. "I know what you're thinking but I'd be out of the loop otherwise. I rather know what's going on."

Yugi just nodded. "Let's find an empty classroom to talk."

They found an empty room just down the hall. Yugi followed Jounouchi into the room and closed the door. He looked down at the knob and found no lock- he had known there wouldn't be a lock. Yet he had the paranoid urge to prevent others from entering and overhearing their conversation.

He set his papers and books on the table and sat down across Jounouchi. Jounouchi tossed a vanilla folder across the length of the table. Yugi opened it to find a copy of Silka Black's birth certificate on top. Underneath were various other legal documents, including her teaching credentials. Kaiba was thorough, if nothing else.

"Silka Black, age 26, currently a licensed teacher and an administrator at Domino University. According to her papers, Black was born in England and came to Japan as a student in 1993. She's been with Domino University since it first renovated itself into an American-style research university five years ago. She got her teaching license here in Japan and became a professor three years ago and has been charge of English Sector One since. She's also a licensed third-grade priestess at the Hirata Tenjin Shrine [2]."

Yugi looked up from the papers as he felt Atemu stir in interest. Yugi was surprised by the last piece of information. His family and he frequented the Hirata Tenjin Shrine but he had never seen a foreigner as a member of the clergy there, much less Black-kyouju. "I wasn't aware they were willing to take foreigners as priestesses."

Jounouchi was just continued to frown as he considered the documents before Yugi. "She's the first foreigner to become certified in the Japan mainland. There was a lot of opposition against it but her governmental support in both the English government and some parts of the Japanese government were strong."

"Oh…"

"That's about it though," Jounouchi continued. "When Kaiba dug further into her past, like where she lived in England and where she went to school, he couldn't find anything. The British government didn't even have her birth certificate. It was as if she didn't exist before coming to Japan."

"That's impossible though…" Yugi muttered.

"The only explanation Kaiba could come up with was that Silka Black isn't her real name. I can't think of any other reason for this. She must have made up her identity."

Yugi's eyes widened in horror, "But how? She couldn't possibly get away with something this big."

"That's not all. She's going back to England this Saturday, indefinitely."

"She resigned?"

"No, it's even weirder. She's been granted a leave of absence by the president of the University himself. Friendly diplomatic relations is the reason put in the paperwork. She has her job waiting for her whenever she comes back to Japan."

"What is going on here?" Yugi muttered.

Wednesday, 2001 July 11
5:06 PM, GMT +9:00
Yugi's House
Domino City, Japan

"Call me back when you're available." Yugi sighed and placed the phone back on its cradle.

He had called Bakura's cellphone, Malik's cellphone, and the number of their apartment but no one picked up. He couldn't reach them online either. Yugi couldn't help but worry even if he knew his fears were unfounded. He had resorted to just leaving a message on their answer machine.

Before Yugi could walk away, the phone rang. Had Bakura and Malik received his message that quickly? Yugi picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Pharaoh?"

Yugi pulled the phone away from his eyes and looked down at it in disbelief.

Atemu materialized at his side, "What's wrong?"

Yugi shook his head before speaking into the phone again. "Rishid-san, is that you?"

"Yugi-san, is that you?"

"Rishid-san, you're awake!" Yugi exclaimed.

"You have to talk with the Pharaoh immediately," Rishid said urgently. "I told Malik-sama yesterday but I didn't remember until now."

"Remember what? Is this about Isis?"

Atemu tugged more urgently at Yugi's control. Yugi looked at the former Pharaoh and sighed before acquiescing.

"Isis' friend, Bill Weasley, was visiting with her when she was taken. It was three Englishmen holding them both captive when I got there. I believe the blonde one with the wand was in charge. I tackled him down and his wand started glowing green. I think he was going to perform a spell but stopped when Isis threatened to kill herself. He threw some other spell at me and I lost consciousness."

"Do you know what they wanted?" Atemu asked.

"Pharaoh… Isis said something about a book. I didn't understand what she was saying at the time but I understand now. She was talking about the Book of Millennium Magic. Whoever kidnapped Isis has the Book."

Atemu heart seized and his hands went numb. The phone fell to the ground. No… The Book of Millennium Magic should have been lost eons ago…

Yugi grasped Atemu's arm, "Atemu-kun, what's wrong?"

"No…"

Thursday, 2001 July 12
1:03 AM, GMT +9:00
Yugi's House
Domino City, Japan

Atemu glared furiously at the envelope lying on Yugi's desk. He was going to break this spell if it was the last thing he did. The Book of Millennium Magic had fallen into the hands of heinous Englishmen- the same people who had denied the sanctity of his people's tombs and pilfered them. Who knows what these people would do with the Book? They didn't understand the powers contained in that Book and the power would be even more dangerous in their ignorant hands.

This Silka Black was going to be the ones to give him an answer. He knew full well he had to approach her in such a way that she couldn't deny his words. To do that, he would have to break this spell and prove his own abilities.

He had been attacking the spell for more than two nights now so it should have weakened somewhat. He held his hand over the envelope and searched for any flaws or kinks in the spell's weave, but he couldn't find any though.

Atemu placed all his force of will behind his voice and hissed in his mother tongue, "Open."

A hole in the spell's weave appeared and appeared to take in his words. The spell flickered for a second before re-stabilizing itself.

He clenched his fists tightly and growled, "Reveal your secrets, I, the Living Horus and the Dead Osiris command you."

The hole appeared again and his command was absorbed into the spell's fabric again. The spell collapsed suddenly but before Atemu had the chance to rejoice, it came back twice as strong. He bent over the desk until his nose was almost touching the desk. If he squinted, he could see the golden traces of his magical commands now interwoven into the spell.

Atemu stopped and began to wonder. "Release."

His commands glowed and struggled to break free of the spell but couldn't. The hole in the weave appeared again, absorbed his command, and incorporated it into the fabric.

He noticed something about the hole in the spell weave. It was a very distinct shape and all his commands had taken a shape as well but his commands all fell through the opening. It reminded Atemu of a keyhole but what was the key?

He took another deep breath, "Release." He seized his command and molded it into a shape that he thought would fit the opening. He felt something click when it was inserted into the hole and watched as the threads of the spell unraveled before his eyes. He waited for a second but it didn't return.

Atemu opened the envelope and pulled out the papers inside. It wasn't the photocopies he had seen before. It was in a completely different language- English, if he remembered correctly.

It took him a few minutes to process the bolded title on top of the first page. He didn't really understand what it meant but he had all the evidence he needed to confront Silka Black tomorrow.

Thursday, 2001 July 12
1:36 PM, GMT +9:00
Domino University
Domino City, Japan

Atemu made sure Yugi wore the Millennium Puzzle before he left that morning. He had no real idea of whom or what he was dealing with but he was going to use everything to his advantage. In retrospect, it was a pity the Millennium Rod was with Malik. It would have proven to be useful in this situation.

Atemu waited in the small waiting room adjacent to Silka Black's office for the secretary to give him the go ahead. Since Yugi wasn't and had never been in any of her classes, he had to make an appointment with the secretary the day before. Atemu noted the rather bland interior of the waiting room as Yugi fidgeted next to him. He wanted to reassure his aibou but he was sure he would just appear crazy talking to thin air.

The door to Silka Black's office swung open and a haggard foreigner scurried out of the office. He was clutching a piece of yellowed paper close to his heart as he thanked the professor profusely. Silka Black smiled gently and gave the younger man a pat on the back. For a second, the foreigner looked as if he wanted to hug the professor but thought better of it in the last second and shook her hand furiously instead.

The previous appointment quickly left the office, leaving the professor to stare at Atemu instead. "Mutou-san? Please come in and have a seat."

Atemu marched into the office and felt a slight bit of apprehension as the door closed behind him. The first thing to catch Atemu's attention was the subtle undercurrent of foreign magic. Grasping at the faint strands of spells, he was able to confirm they were the same sort that had protected her envelope. He took a quick glance around her office and noted it was slightly larger than some of the offices of Yugi's other professors. It also looked empty and then Atemu spotted the boxes filled with documents and folders against the wall to his right. Her desk was mostly cleared except for a opened parcel and what Atemu assumed was Yugi's academic records.

He sank into the surprisingly comfortable chairs facing Silka Black's desk and waited for the older woman to engage him in a conversation.

She flipped through a few pages of Yugi's records and made a few notes. "You're considering changing your area of concentration to anthropology, Mutou-san?"

Atemu smirked, "I'm particularly interested in the legend of King Arthur, especially the figures of Merlin and Morgan Le Fey. What do you say, Black-kyouju?"

She reached up and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her petite nose. Atemu noticed her eyes were a chalky shade of gray, like moonlight filtered through a dusty screen. She was tapping her pen against her tabletop before an unpleasant grimace crept over her lips when she raised her gaze to meet Atemu's eyes. "It's rather late to be considering this now. Your records show you've been previously interested in anthropology but you switched to French. While it's possible…" her words trailed off as her gaze slid down Atemu's chest to focus on his torso.

Black drew her thin lips into a taunt line and Atemu watched as several emotions warred visibly in her eyes. Atemu wasn't sure what held her attention so readily. He looked down and realized that hole-burning gaze was on his Millennium Puzzle. He toyed with the Puzzle idly and watched her pupils follow its movement.

"Is something wrong?" Atemu asked.

Her teeth briefly caught her bottom lip, "May I inquire about the origins of that pyramid pendant around your neck?"

"Oh," he raised an eyebrow. "This old thing? Why?"

"It's Egyptian, isn't it? Do you know how old it is?" Black leaned forward over the desk as she prodded. "May I see it?"

Atemu peeked at her from under hooded eyes. "Your sudden but avid interest in my Puzzle is slightly alarming."

Her lips thinned again in disapproval. "I assure you it's purely professional in nature, Mutou-san. It is some sort of puzzle?"

He tossed the envelope she had dropped a few days ago on her desk. "I have no interest in these types of games, Silka Black. I think it's time we both showed our hand."

Yugi gave an alarmed cry and tried to grab Atemu's arm. "What are you doing, Atemu-kun?!"

Black narrowed her eyes and reached under her desk to retrieve a long wooden stick. Atemu felt the level of power in the room rise considerably. She waved her wand over the envelope and whispered a word in a foreign language. She gave Atemu one last suspicious glare before pulling out the contents of the envelope. "This is the copy of my latest research paper I misplaced a few days ago. My privacy spell is broken. How?"

Yugi glanced nervously at him before he started pacing back and forth across the office. Black couldn't see Yugi but Atemu couldn't keep his eyes from following his aibou's movement. When he returned his attention to the woman across him, he saw her eyes become momentarily glazed over. It was only for a few seconds and she appeared as lucid as ever afterwards.

She raised her wand again and performed a few complicated hand gestures as she said more foreign words. Reaching out with his senses, Atemu could tell her magic meant no harm but was actually protective in nature. In fact, it felt a bit like the spell he had broken on the envelope.

"Another protection charm?"

"Tell me, Mutou-san. You are obviously not who you appear to be and you know I am not who I appear to be. But what exactly are you?" Black made a show of twirling her wand in her fingers, making her threat obvious.

"I was hoping to ask you the same question, Black-kyouju." Atemu's hands reached for his Puzzle in preparation against any attack she might choose to throw at him.

Black's eyes narrowed and her hands stilled. With one hand still holding onto her wand, she reached into her open parcel. She slid several photos across the table. "Maybe you can tell mw what this is? It has the same symbol as your pendant."

As Atemu suspected, they were photos of the Book of Millennium Magic. "Yes, I know exactly what this is. I want to know what really happened at the Ashes to Ashes concert on Monday."

"I can't say." Black barely suppressed the sneer.

Atemu threw the photos back onto her desk and stood. "Neither can I."

She didn't try to stop him when he marched out of that office.

Friday, 2001 July 13
11:52 PM, GMT +9:00
Yugi's House
Domino City, Japan

Yugi rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he stumbled into the living room. Frustrated by Atemu's actions in Black-kyouju's office (Atemu had refused to discuss the situation at all with Yugi and locked himself away in his soul room instead), Yugi had taken a long nap after a packing for hours afterwards. The summer holidays were going to start next week and he was leaving for Marseilles next Saturday so he needed to get everything together as soon as possible [3].

He wondered where his grandfather and his mother were at this hour. Atemu said the phone had already been ringing for a few minutes when the spirit woke him up to answer it. He grumbled. He didn't see why Atemu didn't just answer the phone. He climbed onto the couch and glanced at the caller ID. He straightened up when he was it was Anzu that was calling. Yugi couldn't help but smile then. This was why Atemu had insisted he pick up the phone.

"Anzu?"

"Yugi! Is that you?!"

Yugi frowned. Anzu sounded almost shaken. "Is something wrong?"

"It's Bakura-kun and Malik-kun! They've gone missing too!"

[1] Torii is the traditional gateway that all Shinto shrines have. It is an architectural symbol that separates the outside secular world from the spiritual world on shrine grounds. For photo, please see http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/shrine-guide-2.shtml#gate.

[2] The Shinto priesthood of Jinga Shinto (Shrine Shinto, a sub-division of Shinto, for more information, see http://www.jinja.or.jp/english/s-4.html) has six grades: the Superior, the First, the Second, the Semi-Second, the Third, and the Fourth. Ranks above the Semi-Second are only given to those who have served in shrines for over twenty years (though there are exceptions). Women have been allowed into the priesthood since after World War II but the majority of the priesthood is still male to this day. Please note there is a difference between a female priest (priestess) and a miko (shrine maiden). Priests and priestesses usually study at institutions like Kokugakuin University (http://www.kokugakuin.ac.jp/) in order to be licensed as a member of the priesthood. On the other hand, a miko is an unmarried young woman, who helps out at shrines but is not licensed. A miko is usually a daughter of the family that runs the temple or she volunteers her time to help at a shrine.

[3] The academic school year for institutions of higher education in Japan runs from early April of one year to late March of the next year. The first semester runs from April to September (exams are at the end of September and the summer holidays are interjected right into the middle of the semester from the middle of July to the middle of September). The second semester than starts in October and ends in late March (exams are usually in late February and the winter holidays are from late December to the middle of January.) Then there is a small spring holiday from late March to early April before the whole cycle begins again. Although Domino University styles itself as an international school taking after American research universities, it still follows the Japanese academic year.

Thanks for all reviews!

Chapter 5 Harry, Ron, and Ginny begin their Auror training while Hermione tries to dig up the answers they all need. Bakura and Malik are less helpful than originally hoped. By the end, there are only more questions begging to be asked.