Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Golden Dance ❯ 3: The Fractured Past ( Chapter 3 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: tsutsuji 
Thief and Priest meet Yugi - and they're not impressed!
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Hentai / Drama / Adventure / Romance | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 01.08.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.6K | Visits: 652 | Status: Completed
Thief and Priest meet Yugi - and they're not impressed!
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Hentai / Drama / Adventure / Romance | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 01.08.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.6K | Visits: 652 | Status: Completed
Title: The Golden Dance chapter 3: The Fractured Past
Author: Tsutsuji
Fandom: Yu-gi-oh!
Type: Slash/yaoi romance, adventure.
Pairings: Seto/Jou, Thief Bakura/Ryou, Priest Seth/Jou, Priest Seth/Thief King Bakura. Implied Yami Bakura/Ryou.
Rating: NC17 in later chapters. (Soon, I promise)
Warnings: WIP. AU version of Ancient Egypt story.
Spoilers: Spoilers for Ancient Egypt Arc, even though this will contain an AU version of it.
Chapter 3: The Fractured Past
The man who looked like Bakura was still laughing quietly as Jonouchi hauled him to his feet by yanking on the arm twisted up behind his back. He certainly wasn't a spirit, but once he was standing Jou could see that he definitely wasn't Ryou Bakura, either. He was a couple inches taller and broader in the shoulders than Ryou, and an odor of sweat and grime clung to him that Jou couldn't imagine coming from his fastidious classmate. And yet, Jou felt certain, he *was* Bakura, and therefore dangerous.
"Now, get rid of those monsters..." Jou began, but then stopped short. Bakura's creature had already disappeared. With a sigh, Seth made a gesture toward his fallen dragon, and it also vanished, drawn like smoke into the elaborate bracelet on his arm. Seth stood up straighter, taking another deep breath. Jou watched him curiously. It looked almost as if he'd actually absorbed the dragon into himself.
He realized that Bakura was giving him the once-over, but shifted his eyes away as soon as Jou caught him at it. Jou got a better look at his face, noticing the intersecting scar lines on his cheek for the first time. Definitely not Ryou Bakura. But the eyes, though a different color, still reminded him of the Spirit of the Ring.
And the other guy, the Priest, still reminded him disturbingly of Seto Kaiba. The differences were more subtle, but he could tell now that it wasn't Kaiba at all. But they were damn similar. Did he look as much like this Jumoke as Seth looked like Seto? That would be freaky. And those piercing blue eyes kept raking over him, as if seeking someone that he longed to see in Jou's place. He felt a sudden unexpected flush of heat as he imagined Kaiba looking at him that way, with longing and hunger...
He shook his head. "Whoa! Don't be thinking like that, Katsuya," he chided himself. "It'll never happen." But the idea was a lot more appealing than he wanted to admit, even to himself.
"What is this place?" Bakura asked. He sounded merely curious, although Jou was certain he was barely hiding his own confusion.
"Domino City, Japan. If you're really from ancient Egypt like you're decked out to be, that won't mean much to you. I'll just tell you that the only Priest Seth I ever heard of existed in another part of the world, about 3000 years ago. This isn't the realm of the dead or anything like that. It's not even hell (although some people think it is). As far as I can guess, you two are either spirits come back to life, or you've popped from the past, what we call Ancient Egypt, into the future."
He watched them as he said all this. The Priest's frown deepened, and Jou wouldn't have been surprised to hear him snort in disgust about fairy tales, just like Kaiba would have. But instead, he glanced questioningly at the tombrobber.
Bakura's laughter stopped as he heard the words, but then he smirked.
"We are not spirits," he said, with a significant look at Seth, reminding Jou that he'd been about to send the priest to the afterworld with his monster's attack. "Beyond that, I know nothing of how we came to be in this place. I can see as plainly that this," he jerked his head toward Jou, "is not a spirit either."
Seth's frown deepened as he looked again at Jou with his searching glance. He didn't exactly seem pleased to notice that Jou wasn't a ghost, which irritated Jou just a bit. Seth's old lover might be dead, but he sure wasn't. The funny feelings he was starting to get from Seth's intense interest were proof of that.
"Never mind," he said, yanking on Bakura's arm. "Let's go find my friends. Yugi knows all about this kind of thing. He'll take care of the both of you. I hope."
Bakura offered no resistance, and Seth was too intent on studying Jou (and making sure he kept control of Bakura) to worry about where they were going, so they had no further problems getting to the game shop. Fortunately, the few people who were out in the heat of the morning were too preoccupied to give them a glance. In a couple of minutes, they were standing at the back door of the shop. To Jou's relief, Yugi himself who opened the door.
"Jonouchi! What...?"
"Hi Yugi! Meet Priest Seth and Tombrobber Bakura. I found them in an alley a few blocks away, trying to kill each other with real monsters. Mind if we come in?"
Yugi's mouth fell open as he took in the sight that greeted him. Jou was glad to see that the two Egyptians seemed nearly as startled to see him as he was to see them. Evidently they recognized the Pharaoh in his modern form. It gave Jou an odd feeling; he hadn't really been sure he believed that the other Yugi was really an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh until now. But maybe here was proof that he was.
At least, he thought that's what it was. Then, to his surprise, Seth and Bakura exchanged a skeptical glance. Seth laughed.
"This is your wise friend who will explain all? Now I know you are joking with me," he said. He turned to Yugi. "Nkuku, you know you are not allowed outside the palace on your own! What mischief has Jumoke led you into?"
To Jou's distress, even Bakura seemed amused, although he looked at Yugi as intently as he'd studied Jou. With a sinking feeling he realized that Yugi looked like someone they knew -- but it wasn't the Pharaoh!
"Jonouchi, what's going on?" Yugi asked anxiously. "I thought this was Kaiba, even though Mokuba just called to say he was sick. But it's not Kaiba, is it?"
"Nope. And this guy's not our Bakura, even though he has the same name and the same bad attitude as that other Bakura."
"Wow," Yugi said, looking up in wonder at the scarred Egyptian.
"Wait a sec," Jou said, registering what Yugi had just said. "Did you say the real Kaiba is sick? What's wrong with him?"
"I guess he collapsed from the heat. Mokuba sounded pretty worried, but then Kaiba started to recover, so he said everything was fine and hung up."
Seth looked more puzzled as Yugi spoke. Whoever he thought Yugi was, the priest didn't seem too pleased with the fact that he spoke directly to Jou while ignoring him.
"Look," Jou said, "We're all a little confused, so how about we all go inside and figure it out? Speaking of collapsing from the heat, it's pretty hot standing out here."
"Of course!" Yugi threw open the door and stood aside as they all trooped in. Jou let go of Bakura's arm once he was inside the room, but stayed within reach.
Seth strolled in as if he owned the place, and immediately claimed the best chair in Yugi's sitting room. He sat there like a king holding court, impatiently looking to Jou for answers. After a glance of disgust at the thief, he pointedly ignored both him and Yugi.
Bakura stalked in more cautiously, his eyes darting around to take in every object. "Casing the joint," Jou muttered under his breath. The tombrobber chose a chair within sight of all, and not far from the door.
Jou longed to sit, but instead he draped himself against a bookcase. It wasn't the best spot to be part of the conversation, but it left him within a leg's reach of the doorway, should he need to trip anyone who tried to make a hasty exit.
When he turned back to Yugi, he realized at once that the other Yugi had taken over.
"What's this all about, Jonouchi?" he asked seriously.
Seth looked clearly startled this time, apparently even more confused by the Pharaoh's serious tone of voice. Bakura cocked his head, watching the other Yugi curiously, although his eyes darted frequently between Seth and Jonouchi as well. He still had a small smile on his lips, but Jou got the impression he was like a cat who had tumbled, then stalked away as if it had meant to do it. Underneath his cool attitude, the thief was just as confused as the priest.
It took several minutes of very confused conversation to explain what had happened so far. Dark Yugi seemed most startled to discover that Jou now understood ancient Egyptian. Jou hadn't realized that he'd been speaking it as well, until Dark Yugi pointed it out.
"So, what does this mean, I've got some ancient spirit in me, too?" Jou said nervously.
"No, I don't think so," Dark Yugi answered thoughtfully. "But clearly your spirit has lived before, just as Seto Kaiba's has. Strange, I wasn't aware of this," he said, and fell into a troubled silence.
"But how come they don't know you're the Pharaoh?" Jou asked. Without realizing it, he'd spoken in the ancient tongue.
"Nkuku, Pharaoh of Egypt!" Seth exploded. "Utter nonsense! Blasphemy!"
"His name is Akiiki, is it not?" Bakura asked, looking sidelong at Seth.
"Yes," Seth answered irritably. "But all refer to him as Nkuku. And he has spoken less than ten words in his life. He lives in a dream, and plays with any shiny object he happens upon. He is an idiot. He has no family. King Akunadin has taken him in, in his mercy, and lets him roam the palace, but he is of no use to anyone."
Jou suddenly recognized the name Nkuku as a word; it meant "rooster." It didn't take Seth's derisive tone for Jou to guess that the nickname was not entirely affectionate.
At the same time, he could see Seth's confusion as Dark Yugi watched him shrewdly. Even the stubborn priest must be able to see that this "Nkuku" was no idiot. Jou saw him eyeing Yugi's clothing, taking in the black shirt and jeans adorned with leather straps and silver buckles. Seth's eyes narrowed, studying the markings on the golden inverted pyramid that hung on a chain around Yugi's neck.
"Yeah, that's right," Jou said suddenly. "The Millennium Puzzle! You must recognize that, it goes with the Pharaoh - right, Yugi?" he said.
Seth, and Bakura as well, leaned forward to get a closer look, as Dark Yugi lifted the puzzle in his hands.
To his dismay, they both looked mildly surprised and curious, but nothing more.
"It bears the Sacred Eye of the Royal Items of Power, which should only be held by the Pharaoh himself and his priests," Seth said with a scowl of disapproval. "But I have never seen its like. The Pharaoh himself bears the Golden Eye. And as his Chief Priest and Prince of the Kingdom, I am entrusted to carry this!"
He held up the Millennium Rod. Jou had forgotten he was carrying that thing and watched him warily as he brandished it before him. But there was hardly a flicker from its golden surface. After a moment, Seth placed it back in his belt.
"Your trinket is some copy of the Royal Items, no more than a toy," Seth said haughtily to Dark Yugi. "It means nothing to me. Be cautious though," he added with a glance aside at Bakura. "The tomb robber's fingers will itch to claim such a pretty toy."
Jou thought for sure Bakura would be interested in the Puzzle, if he was the same Bakura as the Spirit of the Ring who had tried to steal Yugi's Millennium Item the first time he saw it. But even the thief appeared only mildly curious about the object. He shrugged, barely reacting to Seth's words, although he still watched Dark Yugi with great interest.
Dark Yugi and Jou exchanged a look of concern. How could they know nothing of the Millennium Puzzle if they were from the Pharaoh's time and knew of the other Items?
"What does this mean, Yug?" Jou asked uncomfortably.
"I don't know," Dark Yugi muttered. He seemed to withdraw for a moment, his gaze unfocused. Then he returned. "Aibou has the answer, I think," he said. "They are from an ancient past that is different - another reality, similar to my own past but not the same. In that reality, your likeness lived, and another Pharaoh ruled. Without my memories of the time, it is difficult to say what else is different, but this much is clear: in that time, I myself did not exist as Pharaoh!"
Jou and Dark Yugi stared thoughtfully at their Egyptian guests, who sat silently, regarding them in turn. Jou felt at a total loss. If Yugi couldn't make sense of all this, who could? What were they supposed to do with these two?
An awkward silence fell. Seth sat with arms crossed, scowling, clearly expecting someone - Jou, in fact - to do something. Bakura gave a little shake of his head as if dismissing them all, and relaxed in his chair. He closed his eyes, although Jou was certain he remained ready to move if he saw a reason.
Dark Yugi appeared to be very deep in thought. Jou's mind was so full of thoughts that it might as well be blank. Through it all, the sudden thought of Seto Kaiba surfaced, as if there was something he should remember.
Before he could figure it out, they all jumped at a sudden pounding on the door. After a startled moment, Yugi jumped up to answer it.
There on the doorstep stood Ryou Bakura, soaked with sweat and disheveled as Jou had never seen him, with a look of desperation on his face.
"Yugi!" he gasped. "I've come to warn you! We're all in great danger!"
***
tbc
Author: Tsutsuji
Fandom: Yu-gi-oh!
Type: Slash/yaoi romance, adventure.
Pairings: Seto/Jou, Thief Bakura/Ryou, Priest Seth/Jou, Priest Seth/Thief King Bakura. Implied Yami Bakura/Ryou.
Rating: NC17 in later chapters. (Soon, I promise)
Warnings: WIP. AU version of Ancient Egypt story.
Spoilers: Spoilers for Ancient Egypt Arc, even though this will contain an AU version of it.
Chapter 3: The Fractured Past
The man who looked like Bakura was still laughing quietly as Jonouchi hauled him to his feet by yanking on the arm twisted up behind his back. He certainly wasn't a spirit, but once he was standing Jou could see that he definitely wasn't Ryou Bakura, either. He was a couple inches taller and broader in the shoulders than Ryou, and an odor of sweat and grime clung to him that Jou couldn't imagine coming from his fastidious classmate. And yet, Jou felt certain, he *was* Bakura, and therefore dangerous.
"Now, get rid of those monsters..." Jou began, but then stopped short. Bakura's creature had already disappeared. With a sigh, Seth made a gesture toward his fallen dragon, and it also vanished, drawn like smoke into the elaborate bracelet on his arm. Seth stood up straighter, taking another deep breath. Jou watched him curiously. It looked almost as if he'd actually absorbed the dragon into himself.
He realized that Bakura was giving him the once-over, but shifted his eyes away as soon as Jou caught him at it. Jou got a better look at his face, noticing the intersecting scar lines on his cheek for the first time. Definitely not Ryou Bakura. But the eyes, though a different color, still reminded him of the Spirit of the Ring.
And the other guy, the Priest, still reminded him disturbingly of Seto Kaiba. The differences were more subtle, but he could tell now that it wasn't Kaiba at all. But they were damn similar. Did he look as much like this Jumoke as Seth looked like Seto? That would be freaky. And those piercing blue eyes kept raking over him, as if seeking someone that he longed to see in Jou's place. He felt a sudden unexpected flush of heat as he imagined Kaiba looking at him that way, with longing and hunger...
He shook his head. "Whoa! Don't be thinking like that, Katsuya," he chided himself. "It'll never happen." But the idea was a lot more appealing than he wanted to admit, even to himself.
"What is this place?" Bakura asked. He sounded merely curious, although Jou was certain he was barely hiding his own confusion.
"Domino City, Japan. If you're really from ancient Egypt like you're decked out to be, that won't mean much to you. I'll just tell you that the only Priest Seth I ever heard of existed in another part of the world, about 3000 years ago. This isn't the realm of the dead or anything like that. It's not even hell (although some people think it is). As far as I can guess, you two are either spirits come back to life, or you've popped from the past, what we call Ancient Egypt, into the future."
He watched them as he said all this. The Priest's frown deepened, and Jou wouldn't have been surprised to hear him snort in disgust about fairy tales, just like Kaiba would have. But instead, he glanced questioningly at the tombrobber.
Bakura's laughter stopped as he heard the words, but then he smirked.
"We are not spirits," he said, with a significant look at Seth, reminding Jou that he'd been about to send the priest to the afterworld with his monster's attack. "Beyond that, I know nothing of how we came to be in this place. I can see as plainly that this," he jerked his head toward Jou, "is not a spirit either."
Seth's frown deepened as he looked again at Jou with his searching glance. He didn't exactly seem pleased to notice that Jou wasn't a ghost, which irritated Jou just a bit. Seth's old lover might be dead, but he sure wasn't. The funny feelings he was starting to get from Seth's intense interest were proof of that.
"Never mind," he said, yanking on Bakura's arm. "Let's go find my friends. Yugi knows all about this kind of thing. He'll take care of the both of you. I hope."
Bakura offered no resistance, and Seth was too intent on studying Jou (and making sure he kept control of Bakura) to worry about where they were going, so they had no further problems getting to the game shop. Fortunately, the few people who were out in the heat of the morning were too preoccupied to give them a glance. In a couple of minutes, they were standing at the back door of the shop. To Jou's relief, Yugi himself who opened the door.
"Jonouchi! What...?"
"Hi Yugi! Meet Priest Seth and Tombrobber Bakura. I found them in an alley a few blocks away, trying to kill each other with real monsters. Mind if we come in?"
Yugi's mouth fell open as he took in the sight that greeted him. Jou was glad to see that the two Egyptians seemed nearly as startled to see him as he was to see them. Evidently they recognized the Pharaoh in his modern form. It gave Jou an odd feeling; he hadn't really been sure he believed that the other Yugi was really an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh until now. But maybe here was proof that he was.
At least, he thought that's what it was. Then, to his surprise, Seth and Bakura exchanged a skeptical glance. Seth laughed.
"This is your wise friend who will explain all? Now I know you are joking with me," he said. He turned to Yugi. "Nkuku, you know you are not allowed outside the palace on your own! What mischief has Jumoke led you into?"
To Jou's distress, even Bakura seemed amused, although he looked at Yugi as intently as he'd studied Jou. With a sinking feeling he realized that Yugi looked like someone they knew -- but it wasn't the Pharaoh!
"Jonouchi, what's going on?" Yugi asked anxiously. "I thought this was Kaiba, even though Mokuba just called to say he was sick. But it's not Kaiba, is it?"
"Nope. And this guy's not our Bakura, even though he has the same name and the same bad attitude as that other Bakura."
"Wow," Yugi said, looking up in wonder at the scarred Egyptian.
"Wait a sec," Jou said, registering what Yugi had just said. "Did you say the real Kaiba is sick? What's wrong with him?"
"I guess he collapsed from the heat. Mokuba sounded pretty worried, but then Kaiba started to recover, so he said everything was fine and hung up."
Seth looked more puzzled as Yugi spoke. Whoever he thought Yugi was, the priest didn't seem too pleased with the fact that he spoke directly to Jou while ignoring him.
"Look," Jou said, "We're all a little confused, so how about we all go inside and figure it out? Speaking of collapsing from the heat, it's pretty hot standing out here."
"Of course!" Yugi threw open the door and stood aside as they all trooped in. Jou let go of Bakura's arm once he was inside the room, but stayed within reach.
Seth strolled in as if he owned the place, and immediately claimed the best chair in Yugi's sitting room. He sat there like a king holding court, impatiently looking to Jou for answers. After a glance of disgust at the thief, he pointedly ignored both him and Yugi.
Bakura stalked in more cautiously, his eyes darting around to take in every object. "Casing the joint," Jou muttered under his breath. The tombrobber chose a chair within sight of all, and not far from the door.
Jou longed to sit, but instead he draped himself against a bookcase. It wasn't the best spot to be part of the conversation, but it left him within a leg's reach of the doorway, should he need to trip anyone who tried to make a hasty exit.
When he turned back to Yugi, he realized at once that the other Yugi had taken over.
"What's this all about, Jonouchi?" he asked seriously.
Seth looked clearly startled this time, apparently even more confused by the Pharaoh's serious tone of voice. Bakura cocked his head, watching the other Yugi curiously, although his eyes darted frequently between Seth and Jonouchi as well. He still had a small smile on his lips, but Jou got the impression he was like a cat who had tumbled, then stalked away as if it had meant to do it. Underneath his cool attitude, the thief was just as confused as the priest.
It took several minutes of very confused conversation to explain what had happened so far. Dark Yugi seemed most startled to discover that Jou now understood ancient Egyptian. Jou hadn't realized that he'd been speaking it as well, until Dark Yugi pointed it out.
"So, what does this mean, I've got some ancient spirit in me, too?" Jou said nervously.
"No, I don't think so," Dark Yugi answered thoughtfully. "But clearly your spirit has lived before, just as Seto Kaiba's has. Strange, I wasn't aware of this," he said, and fell into a troubled silence.
"But how come they don't know you're the Pharaoh?" Jou asked. Without realizing it, he'd spoken in the ancient tongue.
"Nkuku, Pharaoh of Egypt!" Seth exploded. "Utter nonsense! Blasphemy!"
"His name is Akiiki, is it not?" Bakura asked, looking sidelong at Seth.
"Yes," Seth answered irritably. "But all refer to him as Nkuku. And he has spoken less than ten words in his life. He lives in a dream, and plays with any shiny object he happens upon. He is an idiot. He has no family. King Akunadin has taken him in, in his mercy, and lets him roam the palace, but he is of no use to anyone."
Jou suddenly recognized the name Nkuku as a word; it meant "rooster." It didn't take Seth's derisive tone for Jou to guess that the nickname was not entirely affectionate.
At the same time, he could see Seth's confusion as Dark Yugi watched him shrewdly. Even the stubborn priest must be able to see that this "Nkuku" was no idiot. Jou saw him eyeing Yugi's clothing, taking in the black shirt and jeans adorned with leather straps and silver buckles. Seth's eyes narrowed, studying the markings on the golden inverted pyramid that hung on a chain around Yugi's neck.
"Yeah, that's right," Jou said suddenly. "The Millennium Puzzle! You must recognize that, it goes with the Pharaoh - right, Yugi?" he said.
Seth, and Bakura as well, leaned forward to get a closer look, as Dark Yugi lifted the puzzle in his hands.
To his dismay, they both looked mildly surprised and curious, but nothing more.
"It bears the Sacred Eye of the Royal Items of Power, which should only be held by the Pharaoh himself and his priests," Seth said with a scowl of disapproval. "But I have never seen its like. The Pharaoh himself bears the Golden Eye. And as his Chief Priest and Prince of the Kingdom, I am entrusted to carry this!"
He held up the Millennium Rod. Jou had forgotten he was carrying that thing and watched him warily as he brandished it before him. But there was hardly a flicker from its golden surface. After a moment, Seth placed it back in his belt.
"Your trinket is some copy of the Royal Items, no more than a toy," Seth said haughtily to Dark Yugi. "It means nothing to me. Be cautious though," he added with a glance aside at Bakura. "The tomb robber's fingers will itch to claim such a pretty toy."
Jou thought for sure Bakura would be interested in the Puzzle, if he was the same Bakura as the Spirit of the Ring who had tried to steal Yugi's Millennium Item the first time he saw it. But even the thief appeared only mildly curious about the object. He shrugged, barely reacting to Seth's words, although he still watched Dark Yugi with great interest.
Dark Yugi and Jou exchanged a look of concern. How could they know nothing of the Millennium Puzzle if they were from the Pharaoh's time and knew of the other Items?
"What does this mean, Yug?" Jou asked uncomfortably.
"I don't know," Dark Yugi muttered. He seemed to withdraw for a moment, his gaze unfocused. Then he returned. "Aibou has the answer, I think," he said. "They are from an ancient past that is different - another reality, similar to my own past but not the same. In that reality, your likeness lived, and another Pharaoh ruled. Without my memories of the time, it is difficult to say what else is different, but this much is clear: in that time, I myself did not exist as Pharaoh!"
Jou and Dark Yugi stared thoughtfully at their Egyptian guests, who sat silently, regarding them in turn. Jou felt at a total loss. If Yugi couldn't make sense of all this, who could? What were they supposed to do with these two?
An awkward silence fell. Seth sat with arms crossed, scowling, clearly expecting someone - Jou, in fact - to do something. Bakura gave a little shake of his head as if dismissing them all, and relaxed in his chair. He closed his eyes, although Jou was certain he remained ready to move if he saw a reason.
Dark Yugi appeared to be very deep in thought. Jou's mind was so full of thoughts that it might as well be blank. Through it all, the sudden thought of Seto Kaiba surfaced, as if there was something he should remember.
Before he could figure it out, they all jumped at a sudden pounding on the door. After a startled moment, Yugi jumped up to answer it.
There on the doorstep stood Ryou Bakura, soaked with sweat and disheveled as Jou had never seen him, with a look of desperation on his face.
"Yugi!" he gasped. "I've come to warn you! We're all in great danger!"
***
tbc