Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Love of a Priestess ❯ New Arrivals and Returns ( Chapter 38 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yay! I just finished this chapter before lunch today…

Warnings for some major OOC-ness, because apparently I was on crack when I was writing the Dark Magician Girl. Also warnings for AU-ish-ness, because this is where I stopped watching the English dubs and now I'm all screwed up and I don't know anything about anything. So basically I'm making everything up as I go. =)

Thank you Jenny Galaxie, witchhunterR, AMK, and Erin-chan for your reviews! -loves all- I still want to know if there are any guys that read this… I highly doubt it, but it'd be really cool if there were. And, of course, I'd like to know all the other girls that read this… because I know I must have more than 4 or 5 readers… right?

Chapter 38: New Arrivals and Returns

“There was a great duel… one of the Shadow Games. The Pharaoh and High Priest were so angry at each other, so incensed and so ready to kill each other, that they launched themselves into the Duel without thinking. They had always wanted to know which of the two was better, stronger… and now they had something to fight over.”

“What?” I asked quickly.

A pained look crossed his face, and I wondered then how the Crown prevented them from saying certain things. “I can't tell you that…” he said sadly.

“All right. Go on, then, with whatever you can tell me.”

He nodded and continued. “The Duel lasted many minutes. They were both exceptional duelists, as their reincarnations have demonstrated. But in the end, the Dark Magician, with the help of—“ his words suddenly stopped, and his brow creased. Something he couldn't tell me. “The Dark Magician was able to defeat the Blue Eyes White Dragon,” he finished, restating the sentence.

“That's impossible…” I said slowly. Dark Magician only had 2500 attack points; Blue Eyes had 3000. And Kaiba, even 5000 years ago, could not have been so foolish as to summon his Blue Eyes thinking it would automatically destroy Dark Magician. That would have been stupid, and no matter which century or country Kaiba existed in, he was never stupid.

“It is possible, my dear.” He sighed then, as if the story weighed him down and made his heart heavy. “You know what happens when someone loses a Shadow Game,” he said softly, dark eyes locking with mine. I cringed and lowered my eyes, casting them away from his piercing gaze. Yes… of course I do.

“So… that was it? There was nothing anyone could do? Not even the Pharaoh?”

He shook his head sadly. “When the anger faded from all parties… they realized what a mistake it had been. The Pharaoh would have given anything to have his cousin back. He tried, several times, joining forces with the other wielders of the Millennium Items—to no avail. All of his power, combined with the others, could not bring the High Priest back from the Shadow Realm.

“The Pharaoh… that is a story that I can tell you even less about. He was killed at the end of his reign by a strange power… The one who wielded this power waged a war against the Pharaoh, and eventually defeated him. But without the Pharaoh's protection, Egypt succumbed to the darkness of the Shadow Realm for a long time. It was years before they emerged again, but the secrets of the past remain buried beneath sand and shadow.”

Silence between as I considered his words. “I'm sorry I can't tell you more that you want to know,” he said finally. I stood and moved over to a bench in the middle of the room, where I sat and stared at the ground. He came and sat beside me.

“I wish I hadn't asked you,” I said ruefully, without a hint of amusement. “It just gave me more questions you can't answer.”

“I know. I'm sorry for that. But you must understand…” he took my hands gently in his, and held them up before his face. He looked at me pleadingly. “If we could, we would tell you everything. Everything. It pains us to know but to not be able to help you. You are like a sister to us—sometimes maybe even like a daughter—and we hate the position we are in.”

“I know,” I said wearily. “I think I understand more, now… I was so angry earlier, that you made me marry Kaiba, and everything else that ever went wrong. I shouldn't have been. I wish I'd just accepted things as they came to me, without worrying about the how or why. It would've made my life so much simpler.”

A strange look crossed his face, hanging in his eyes for the briefest of visible moments. “No, you don't. And if you do, you shouldn't. Maybe by letting things simply come to you, you avoid the problems and pain of fighting. And sometimes fighting doesn't do you any good anyway—what was going to come comes regardless. But how will you ever know, if you never fight?”

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I wandered back home sad and lonely. Ever since the others left I'd been staying back at the old house instead of the mansion. Even though we lived in the same house, he didn't follow me home from the museum. Instead, he gave me a good hour alone in the empty house to contemplate what I'd seen and heard.

I wanted to be able to piece things together. I was desperate for some cogency, some understanding of what I knew and yet didn't know. Everything was meshed together in my mind, a giant mosaic of colored tiles that didn't match and didn't fit together into a beautiful picture. There were so many questions I had but couldn't answer, so many faces and events that I had some vague understanding of but could not describe. The girl in my visions, the priestess… who was she? She was the link the puzzle, the physical bond between the Pharaoh and the High Priest and the gulf that most separated them, the union of Temple magic and Royal sorcery, an utter paradox that was so important yet so unimportant that her image did not even grace the stone tablets.

And the new High Priest, who'd ordered the attack on the priestesses—who was he? And why had the priestess been so afraid of him? How had he become High Priest after the old High Priest—Seth, Seto's ancient incarnation—died? The men who'd sucked away her soul and her magic—where had they come from? Were they priests? Sorcerers? Were they after her because she was the Priest's Priestess or because she was Queen? The man who'd raped her—where did he come from? How had he found her? Why did he touch her, even when every law forbade it and both the High Priest and Pharaoh would have slain him for it? Had they done so? And what about the man she'd been dueling, the one she'd defeated with the Dark Magician Girl?

My head was beginning to ache and tears were threatening to come to my eyes. How can there possibly be enough time? I thought, frustrated, to myself. The memories were so slow, so broken and erratic. How could I ever piece together the story from them?

As I lay exhausted on my bed I heard the front door open softly, then click shut. So he was back. I remained unmoving where I was, listening to his soft footsteps as they moved the length of the entryway, then through what I thought might be the kitchen. He didn't make any attempt to come upstairs and see me. I wondered why. It irked me slightly that there was no one around to comfort me when I was so lost and anxious. What I really needed was someone to tell me everything would be okay—I didn't need to be told anything else. I needed to be reassured that I was strong enough this time, and that I wouldn't fail again.

But of course there wouldn't be anyone to tell me that. There never had been. Why would there be now?

As I lay miserably I realized that he was pacing downstairs. That was odd. He never paced—he was never anxious or insecure enough to pace. But he was definitely pacing, tracing the same footsteps back and forth across the pale linoleum floor. I heard him stop, the clink of coffee mugs and the soft gurgle of the coffee machine starting to brew. Then his relentless walk resumed, and I was left to ponder this interesting situation.

I didn't have long to think. Just minutes later, as the delectable smell of coffee was beginning to waft up to my room, I heard the front door open again, and he was instantly in the foyer. Not sure what to expect, I tiptoed out onto the stair landing and waited, like an elementary school child, at the top of the stairs, listening to the conversation below.

“I made coffee,” he said. So he knew someone was coming. That was why he was pacing—they must have been late.

“Thank you,” her voice floated up, and I started. I'd gotten used to the absence of her presence, although he was just like she was.

“I see you found him.”

“Yes. He'll come to in a day or so. The whole ordeal… exhausted him.”

“Hmph.”

“Don't be so harsh. You know… what it is like. They catch you at your weakest… and you must simply prove to be stronger. It took him longer than it took us, that's all.”

“He caused enough trouble in the meantime.”

“But it was necessary. Trust me. Everyone is better for it.”

“I'm sorry. It's just been frustrating without you two… Here, lay him on the couch. I'll get him some blankets and a pillow later.”

“Thank you. He can stay with me.”

“We'll figure that out later.” A long pause. “She's upstairs.”

“I know. I can sense her too.” I flushed, embarrassed. They both probably knew that I was crouched on the landing listening to them, but weren't saying anything. It was like getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar.

“She needs to go back,” she continued smoothly.

“I know. She wasn't counting on staying here, I don't think. Only until the tournament was over.”

“It is. Kaiba and the others should be on their way back now.”

“All right. You can tell her.” So maybe they didn't know where I was… knowing them, that was pure wishful thinking.

A comfortable silence followed as she moved into the kitchen. “The coffee's not done yet,” she commented, as I heard the scraping of a stool against the cool floor.

I decided that I might as well go downstairs now. They knew I was here—of that I had no doubt—and I needed to be getting back to Kaiba's mansion anyway. It was late, later than I was usually out, so I hoped that one of them would be willing to accompany me back. I tripped down the stairs lightly, then stepped into the kitchen and sat down beside her. He poured the now finished coffee and handed me a cup.

“I didn't know you drank,” she commented, stirring sugar into her own.

“I acquired a taste for it while you were gone,” I replied, taking mine black.

“It helped during her lessons,” he said quietly, and she said no more on the subject.

“Your brother…” I asked curiously. “You found him, right? Is he all right?”

She nodded as she took her first sip. “He's fine. Tired, and magically spent, but other than that he'll be fine. It'll be a little while before he's completely caught up and can help you, but in the meantime you have the two of us.”

I nodded, and then silence fell. He coughed gently to break it, then looked pointedly at me. “She went to the museum today,” he told her, though his eyes were still gazing at me.

“Oh?” she asked curiously. Her eyes then turned on me too.

Tired, with my nerves already irritated, I put down my mug and stood. “Yes, I did. I'm very tired, and I really want to be getting back to Kaiba's mansion.” That was one of the things I'd liked about being alone with him. He never asked questions like she did; he didn't need to have everything I saw recreated for him, or know everything that I knew.

She looked over at him quickly but he said nothing and nodded at me. “All right, I'll walk you back.”

“Come back whenever you're ready,” she said, throwing caution to the wind. Apparently she sensed that I could not be forced into anything now, and that whatever I did, whatever further steps I took in this process, would be dictated by me.

I gathered my sweater and stepped out into the warm summer night, and he shut the door soundlessly behind us.

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The door to Kaiba's mansion opened soundlessly before me, and I slipped inside. It didn't seem anyone was home just yet—surely Kaiba and Mokuba were on their way back. I just had to wait a few minutes. I bid him goodnight and watched him disappear into the darkness. Watching his back recede, I wondered if he was part of the darkness, he blended in so well. As soon as I could no longer see him, I shut the door and stood in the brightly lit entryway.

For some reason or another, I found myself wandering into the kitchen. It was bright there, and the air was cool. I seated myself at a counter and simply sat, trying to figure out what to do next. I assumed that I would find out soon, since that was the way things usually worked. Indeed, in just a few minutes, there was a great commotion in the hall. I poked my head out and saw several of Kaiba's suited men headed for the door, all of their radios turned on and blaring static.

“What's going on?” I asked the first one I was able to accost.

“Mrs. Kaiba,” he addressed me with a little nod of his head. Surprised, my eyes widened—I wasn't used to being addressed so. Shaking my head, I let him continue. “Mr. Kaiba has radioed us and informed us that he will be landing at Kaiba Corp. in about half an hour.”

“Oh,” I said simply, and nodded. “You'd best be going then. Wouldn't want to have him mad at you,” I said, smiling slightly.

The man looked surprised, and gazed at me curiously. “No indeed,” he said, turning and walking away.

After the house had emptied and was lacking any other activity, I settled down to wait. For Mokuba I made sure there was ice cream in the freezer; for Kaiba (and probably for myself too) I started a pot of coffee. I really need to stop drinking the stuff so casually, I thought as the rich scent filled the kitchen. As I sat at the counter, waiting patiently, I began to feel a slightly ominous niggling at the back of my mind. Sighing, I closed my eyes and began to search my mind for the source.

At first I thought it was Kaiba, perhaps, who had stumbled into a connection with my mind. We'd never managed it before, although I had on accident, and we'd been apart for so long I soon realized it was close to impossible for it to be him. Then I thought it was perhaps Yami; Yugi and the others must have gotten back by now, and maybe he wanted to talk to me. We hadn't Channeled since he'd left for the Finals. I soon discovered that it wasn't Yami either. The presence in my mind was decidedly female.

Bemused, I prodded a little and produced a startled response.

Oh! the presence said. I'm not quite sure how to define it—I couldn't yet see the other person in my mind, but I could definitely comprehend what she was trying to tell me.

Hello, I said cautiously, still prodding in the dark of my mind to try to make sense of who she was.

Oh, I'm sorry, I've called the darkness. I wasn't sure if this was the right mind, so I thought… well, never mind what I thought. Here, I'll lift my spell now. Light flooded my mind, nearly blinding me, and I blinked to clear my vision. If I'd been any shorter, my jaw would've hit the floor as it dropped when I saw who it was.

You're… I stammered, blinking to make sure I wasn't going completely insane.

Yes… It's a long story, the Dark Magician Girl said.

You can start by telling me how you're in my head…

I'm real, if that's what you're wondering.

That's a relief—I was beginning to think I was losing it.

There's something like a parallel dimension… where all Duel Monsters exist.

Forgive me for being both shocked and disbelieving.

Not at all. I'm surprised you haven't dismissed me from your mind completely. It's possible, you know. All you'd have to do is convince yourself that I'm not real. Most people would do it.

I'm not in the habit of chasing people out of my mind. Most people can't break through the barriers unless they needto be in my mind.

Ah, I see.

I also… I thought you might be important. You've been appearing in my mind, recently. My memories and such.

And I thought you might be important. You've been appearing with the Pharaoh and the Priest quite a bit.

I'm… good friends with the Pharaoh, and I'm married to the Priest. I'm expecting both of them home soon.

Oh, that's excellent. I'm going to need to speak with both of them. And that's what I need you for.

You do realize that Kaiba darling is not going to believe either of us, right? Yami and Yugi most certainly will, but Kaiba's an entirely different story.

Don't worry. Kaiba, as you call him, will come around in time.

I snorted mentally. If you insist. So what do you need me for? Can't you just enter their minds like you've entered mine?

I could. But that wouldn't be much fun, now would it?

I imagine there's more to it than that. One can live without a bit of fun, if it's necessary.

It's vitally necessary that I speak with the Pharaoh. But trust me when I say I need you as a third party.

All right, I trust you. You're not going to get me killed, are you?

Of course not.

Good. So tell me… why do you need to speak to the Pharaoh so badly? And the Priest too?

And the Pharaoh's friend… the blond one.

Joey?

Yes, he's rather amusing. I like him—reckless, daring, a bit on the stupid side sometimes…

I fought the urge to burst out laughing—both mentally and physically. Sorry dear, he's already taken. Or half-taken, at least.

The Dark Magician Girl laughed, a light, tinkling laugh in my mind. So I've seen. That's quite all right. In any case, they're the only ones who can save my kingdom.

Your kingdom? Save? And you're laughing to me about how cute Joey is?

She shrugged. Things are more palatable when they are accompanied by humor.

Don't try that strategy with any of the three. They take things very seriously.

She nodded knowingly. Thank you. Yes… they are the three warriors who will awaken the great dragons.

You mean… like Duel Monsters dragons?

Yes, but not the ones you're thinking of. Kaiba may be fond of his Blue Eyes, and Joey of his Red Eyes, but these dragons that they are to awaken are far more powerful than any dragon in human decks.

I see. And what are they supposed to do once they wake the dragons?

They must join with the dragons to fight my land's greatest enemy—an enemy more powerful than even the darkness that threatened your world just a few days ago. This enemy has the power to destroy my world completely, and throw yours into chaos.

Please explain… I don't know very much, you see.

A great force threatens both of our worlds… The great beast called Leviathan. It was sealed away, many years ago, by the Dragons. The beast lay dormant in its prison for centuries, but now there is one who is trying to awaken it again. It has begun to fuel the beast by stealing the souls of monsters and humans—

How does it steal one's soul?

In my world, it opens a great vortex into which monsters are drawn, never to be seen again. If this continues much longer, my kingdom will be utterly destroyed. In your world, men imbued with the power of the Orichalcos stone raise the Seal during a duel. If you lose the duel, the Seal takes away your soul.

I felt the blood drain away from my face and hands, and I shivered involuntarily. I remembered the cold, frightening touch of the Seal's magic against my mind… So that was the true power of the Seal. That was why I needed to learn to break it—to stop souls from being sucked away by its ancient master and used to revive a power capable of destroying more than one world.

I see…

You've had contact with the Seal. I can sense your fear—a fear that comes only from having known what the Seal is capable of.

Yes. I was told that I must learn how to break the Seal with my power.

Then you are the one I have been seeking. There was a pause as she seemed to think. Then I must ask a favor of you. When the next journey begins… will you be there? Will you journey with them, and protect them? I know your power is not yet complete, but I would ask that you would do what you can to ensure that their souls are not taken. I trust their skill, but there are things yet unforeseen which can yet alter their course…

Yes. I will. I needed… to go with them anyway. For my own purposes. I am somehow connected to the Great Beast and the Dragons and the Seal, though I am not sure yet how…

Neither am I. I wish I could provide you with some answers, for that is what your mind says you seek. However, I know only that Leviathan threatens my land, and that you are necessary to protecting it. I will be back to speak with you soon… And with that she disappeared from my mind, leaving only her lingering magical presence behind.

With a sigh I opened my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. Why did things just seem to get more and more complicated? First the memories, now Duel Monsters popping into my consciousness and talking to me…

I was distracted from my self-pity by the sound of footsteps in the hallway. With my eyes still closed, I guessed that there were two people, and I even guessed who they were. I wondered what Kaiba had done with his black-suited entourage. They must have seen the lights in the kitchen, because within moments I heard Mokuba's energetic tread cross the doorway.

“There's ice cream in the freezer,” I said quickly, pointing with one hand to the bowl I had already brought out. “And there's coffee in the pot,” I gestured to the coffee pot. My eyes were still closed and my face still buried in one hand.

“Thanks!” Mokuba's excited voice called out, and despite my confusion and weariness I smiled. He began chattering about the tournament as he spooned out ice cream into the little glass dish.

“Mokuba,” Kaiba gently chided. “That's enough.”

“But Seto!” he protested. “I haven't had ice cream at home for weeks!” I'd thought Kaiba had been asking Mokuba to stop talking, not to stop gorging himself on ice cream. The slight pause before Kaiba's response told me he'd thought the same.

“You had ice cream three nights ago at dinner.”

“I said at home!”

A heavy sigh followed Mokuba's flawless logic, and I knew Kaiba was going to relent. “All right, but eat your ice cream in relative silence, please. And then go upstairs and get some rest. You haven't been sleeping properly since this whole thing started.”

“Neither have you,” Mokuba retorted beneath his breath, but he sat quietly across from me and ate his ice cream. Kaiba had poured himself a cup of coffee and settled himself beside me. I lowered my hands and raised my head to look at the brothers.

“So what did you do while we were gone?” Mokuba asked, turning the spoon around and licking it clean.

“Nothing much,” I lied. “I sat around, mostly. Walked in the park. Nothing major. It's not like I emptied your brother's study of valuables or remodeled our bathroom.”

Mokuba nodded. “Sounds boring,” he said bluntly.

“It was,” I replied, taking a sip of my coffee.

“You developed a taste for coffee,” Kaiba added appreciatively as he stood to pour himself another cup.

“Yes. You had enough of it in the house. I figured I might as well appreciate some of it.” I thought I saw a smile twitching at the edge of his mouth.

“All right,” Mokuba announced as he finished off his ice cream. “I'm going to bed, Seto. Good-night!”

“Good night,” Kaiba replied, ruffling Mokuba's already unruly hair as he skipped out of the kitchen. I smiled at the back of his head as he turned back towards me.

“So…” he murmured, staring down into his coffee.

“How are the others?” I asked, wondering what kind of answer I'd receive.

“Just fine,” he snorted. “Did you expect them to keel over or something? I didn't do anything to them, if you were wondering.”

“No, I wasn't. I'd heard that things were… not going according to plan, necessarily. You and Mokuba are clearly all right, and I wanted to make sure nothing happened to the others.”

He sighed. “No, things didn't go according to plan. But everyone seems fine.” He looked tired; there were dark circles under his eyes that hadn't been there before, and a defeated slump in his shoulders that belied all of his cockiness and self-assurance.

I reached my arm around and gently massaged his shoulders—I found the knots that had been growing there for weeks. I think I may have been the only person to notice that Kaiba was human in those weeks of the tournament. In that moment, as I began to massage away a particularly hard and large knot in his right shoulder, I saw the tired, overworked, and utterly defeated man no one else was allowed to see. I probably wasn't even supposed to know, but he let his defenses slip and was too tired to raise them again.

“You should get some rest,” I murmured, genuine concern in my voice. “Mokuba was right.”

He shook his head stubbornly. “I'd better make sure Kaiba Corp. is in order. Some of my… less beloved colleagues and relatives tried to take Kaiba Corp. from me while we were gone, and I want to make sure nothing happened.” He stood to go, and I grabbed his wrist.

“No,” I ordered firmly, turning him and placing my palms against his shoulder blades. “You are going to get some well-needed rest,” I continued, pushing him up the stairs towards the bedroom. “You are going to take a nice, warm, long bath to relax your muscles—look at this!” I demanded, prodding his tense shoulders. “Then you're going to let me figure out how to get rid of these knots. Then you're going to go to sleep like a good little boy, and sleep in late tomorrow morning. You are not to get out of bed before ten in the morning—you should be glad I'm not making it eleven, judging by the circles under your eyes,” I snapped as he turned to glare at me. “You are going to let me bring you breakfast in the morning, and you are going to spend the day relaxing. If I catch you even thinking about Kaiba Corp., I swear you'll regret it for at least a month. Got it?” I asked as we reached the bedroom door.

I knew there was something wrong when he didn't argue with me. He argued with everyone when they tried to order him around. “Yes, mother,” he said dryly, but his voice lacked the usual force and venom normally associated with his sarcasm. He pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Without any words on my part he went to his closet while I went to the bathroom to fill the bathtub. Without protest he stripped off his clothes and lowered himself into the hot water, then took a half-hour bath while I read in bed. When he came out, dressed in (oddly enough) comfortable looking flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt, he obediently lay facedown on the bed and rested his head on top of his arms. I am only slightly ashamed to admit that he looked so irresistible that if he hadn't looked so weary and almost sad, I would've pounced on him right then and there. Instead, I leaned over and began to massage the knotted muscles in his shoulders and back. When I was both exhausted and satisfied that I had gotten rid of the worst of the knots, I pulled down the covers and crawled into bed, waiting for him to join me. Moments later, he'd followed me and was wrapping his arms around my waist.

“I missed you,” he whispered, barely audible. I wondered why he seemed to have such trouble saying it.

After a moment's hesitation, I answered simply. “I missed you too.”

He pulled me against him and began to kiss my neck gently. “Would it be against your relaxation plan if I kept going?” he murmured, voice more confident, as he shifted his hips suggestively.

I smiled and turned into his embrace. “What do you think?” I purred, running my hands along his chest.

“I don't think it'd be a problem at all,” he smirked, pulling himself on top of me.

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I was woken by the other presence in my mind, the gentle prodding that ordered me to become conscious again. Groaning softly, I rolled away from Kaiba and looked over at the digital clock. 3:12, it blinked in bright green.

3:12! In the morning! My mind exploded into wakefulness and indignation. Huffing, I grabbed my satin robe off the bedpost and stomped towards the balcony, where my mind guest was ordering me. Kaiba whimpered something incoherent as his hands sought my body. Sighing, I went back to the bed, smoothed his dark hair away from his forehead and kissed it gently. “Don't worry, I'll be right back,” I soothed, drawing the sheets up to his shoulders. He snuggled down into the bed and was silent.

What do you want? I demanded as soon as I was out on the balcony, gazing over the beautiful city lights. It was a beautiful sight, the thousands of flickering colors painted over the city, shining in a coordinated show just for fools like me who were up at this ungodly hour.

Grouchy, aren't we? she asked slyly. I would be too, actually, if I had to leave a man as beautiful as yours.

I scowled and ignored the bait. Just tell me what you need.

Her tone and posture became immediately more serious. I need to speak to the Pharaoh and his other half.

Now?

Now.

Sighing, I closed my eyes and sought the long-unused Channel with Yami.