Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Yugioh The College Years: The Different Story ❯ Chapter 11
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Yuugi Motoh 
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.28.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.4K | Visits: 243 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.28.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.4K | Visits: 243 | Status: Work In Progress
CHAPTER 11
Sundown saw a group of people trudging wearily back to the Silver Dollar. Last of all came Yugi, color high from the cool air outside and (no doubt) from running. "Hi everyone, sorry I'm late," he panted. "I got a challange right as the sun was going down, we had to finish. So what's up?"
"Looks like most of us are already in the second bracket," Bakura replied. "Except for Tris, but there are still four slots open."
"Yeah, well..." Tristan grimaced. "I got my buns toasted and handed over to me by that Japanese lady--"
"Isona Shizuka," Yugi interjected. "She's the Asian champion. We had a chat after our Duel this morning."
"Ooog, YOU Dueled her?" Tris laughed ruefully. "No wonder she was out for blood. How many fire engines responded to her crash and burn?"
"Tri-is!" But Yugi laughed, nevertheless.
"Anyway, first her, then Diaz. Man, gotta tell you, that guy's not kidding around." Tris rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't see any weird cards--couple of cards I haven't seen outside someone private collection, sure, but it's all legit. He strung me up and smoked me, though. I can't remember the last time I felt that.. I dunno... off balance. Nothing he did, nothing he said, but I just couldn't get it together."
"You don't think he DID something.. do you?" Bakura wondered.
"Search me. It's not as if I've got a mojo detector in my back pocket. I didn't feel anything weird, if that's what your asking, Then again, WOULD I feel anything weird."
"Good question, that. --Pegasus?"
"Mm?" Pegasus looked up from his perusal of a painting on one wall.
"If Diaz cast some type of spell over Tristan to, say... distract him, disorient him... well, let's back up a second. IS there such a type of spell?"
"For distracting people? Not per se, that I know of, but there are spells that could be used to make one uneasy. That might prove distracting." Pegasus looked across at Tristan. "I don't see any residuals, but if the spell was cast on an AREA of the ground rather than on Tristan himself, there very well might not be. I suppose we'd better add Diaz-watching to our calendar for tomorrow."
"How about you, Joey? How'd you do?"
Joey grinned. "Took out Rebecca Hawkins AND Bandit Keith. Man, I thought he was gonna have a stroke when I blew him away with Red-Eyes. Oh! Yeah, dat reminds me. Rebecca's granddad, you remember, Professor Hawkins? He's in town, turns out. Came t'see her Duel. Ain't he th' guy that discovered a lotta that Millenium stuff?"
"He sure is. What's your point?"
"Maybe we oughta have, I dunno, a pow-wow with him? Maybe he knows somethin' about dat ancient stuff. Somethin' he ain't necessarily spread around cause he doesn't wanna sound like a looney."
"It certainly bears looking into." Bakura looked thoughtful. "He WAS the one who postulated the ancient Egyptians played Duel Monsters. I think Joey might be on to something."
"He's not staying here," Tèa said, "but I dueled behind a boardinghouse today, do you suppose he might have a room there?"
"It's worth a shot." Tristan stood up. "Let's go check it out."
*******
The boardinghouse owner, a plump gentleman by the name of Billingsworth (so he said) was only too happy to show the group to his best front parlor while he took word up to 'his distinguished guest from Britain, Professor Hawkins'. Presently the man himself appeared. "Why, if it isn't Yugi," he said. "My boy, how are you?"
"Hi! Professor Hawkins!" Yugi jumped up and ran over, taking both of the Professor's hands in both of his.
"Good heavens, have you grown a bit? I'd swear the last time I saw you, you and Soloman were of a height."
"Maybe a little. I don't think I'm EVER going to be very tall though."
"Oh, never mind about that; some of history's most famous men weren't particularly large of stature." Letting go, the Professor clasped his hands behind him. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting some of your friends here..."
"Well, you know Joey, Tristan, and Tèa, right? This is Bakura, and this is Mr. Pegasus. Everyone, this is Professor Arthur Hawkins. He's a friend of my grandpa."
"Good grief, just make me sound old, why don't you. 'Mister', indeed." Pegasus put out a hand. "Maximilian Pegasus, sir, Pegasus to my friends, or perhaps Max."
"Or 'Peggy'," and Joey snickered.
"A pleasure to meet the creator of Duel Monsters. Oh, By the way, Rebecca sends her regrets, it seems 'Duelist International' magazine has sent some representatives here and they're doing mid-tournament interviews."
"Ugh, reporters," and Yugi made a face. "Sure hope they don't catch up to me."
"Oh, I'm certain Rebecca can keep them busy. Now..." Professor Hawkins swung the parlor door shut. "Why don't you tell me what it is you needed to see me about."
Yugi was quiet a moment, marshalling his thoughts; then he asked, "Professor, what can you tell us about the time of the Pharoah?" He held up the Millenium Puzzle. "The Pharoah who held this. It's the same Puzzle as the one shown in that stone panel you found isn't it?"
"Pharoah Atem, you mean. Ahtemahu, 'gentle protection of heaven'. Usually shortened to Atem, or Atemu. At least, that's what my research leads me to believe may have been his name."
"Atem..." Yugi repeated. So that was his name...
"To answer your other question, yes, I believe that IS the Puzzle that belonged to Atem, otherwise known as the Lost Pharoah." The Professor chuckled. "Although most people would say that's not unusual. Large portions of Egyptian history had a way of vanishing, mostly because of a certain custom they had.
"In times of great disasters or some event that was either too grand or too terrible to remember, very often the Egyptians would 'erase' any records of the person or persons in that event after they died. They'd simply pull down the monuments, chisel the names off the stones.. as if they wished to deny the person who brought about such change ever existed. Witness for example the Pharoah Amun, who tried to re-organize the entire Egyptian mythos and religious structure from polytheism -- that's the worship of multiple gods-- to monotheism, the worship and existance of a SINGLE deity. He met terrible resistance from the priesthood of that time and was eventually murdered. We know his successor a little better: Tutahkamun, or 'King Tut'. But of Amun almost NO records exist, because the priests decreed his heresy was so great he should be wiped from the face of the earth." He caught himself, laughed. "There, you see, I'm already starting a lecture."
"So what you're saying," Tristan said, "is that this Pharoah Atem--" he glanced briefly out of the corner of his eyes at Yugi. "Got 'erased'?"
"Yes. And to a tremendous extent. Although there are large gaps in ancient Egyptian history, generally we're able to piece things together from the history of the surrounding areas. Please understand, Egypt was NOT a unified country. It was divided into Upper and Lower Egypt, and each region had its own dynasties. But in the case of Atem, almost all mention of him was destroyed. The pieces I unearthed and put on display in the Museum of Cairo-- the same ones you all saw on loan to Domino Museum-- are among the few pieces that tell anything of him at all, let alone his times.
"But I HAVE managed to piece together a few things. Of course you all know my theory that in the ancient times Egyptians played a version of Duel Monsters, but not as a game. I believe now that the knowledge of these 'Dark Games' or 'Shadow Games' was almost exclusively reserved to Atem's kingdom, most likely to the Pharoah and his advisors in particular. Naturally, if any arcane force wished to CONQUER Egypt, they would have to attack Atem's kingdom first."
"So there were other mages in those days," Yugi said.
"Most definitely. The bit on the stone, you remember, the cartouche showing the Pharoah in combat-- the story there is that a band of dark mages - now, 'dark' probably being synonimous with 'evil' - approached the Pharoah Atem. We don't know what they had in mind, but it was something the Pharoah objected to, because the kingdom immediately prepared for war. Let me see now, how did it go... 'And the Great House rose up over all; and they held back the magic of the darkness by the magic of the shadows.'. Great House, you understand, is the literal translation of 'Pharoah'."
"It would be two different kinds of magic, then," mused Yugi.
"Yes." Arthur looked at Yugi for a moment; then he put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Tell me," he said. "Tell me everything. I think perhaps it's time I knew. Solomon didn't find that Puzzle of yours by mistake; he always said he was guided to it. Whose hand guided him, Yugi? And why is it so important now?"
As quickly as he could, Yugi sketched out the details of his assembly of the Puzzle and everything that'd happened form that point on. Professor Hawkins listened intently, and when the youngster was done he sighed, stroking his mustache once more. "Dear me," he said mildly. "Rather an interesting turn of events... Very well." He looked solemn. "I'll tell you what I know, including something that I've never told anyone else. Even today I find it hard to believe, you see, but considering the person who told me about it... well, I'll let you decide for yourself.
"Solomon found that Puzzle many, many years ago in a remote section of Egypt some three or four hundred miles southeast of present-day Cairo." Professor Hawkins smiled. "I wasn't with him at the time, but I understand it was a horrible experience. He'd hired a couple of guides that he didn't quite trust, you see, but he needed the help, and I wasn't available. He wasn't sure we could afford to wait till I was free to go with him, either, because the tomb-robbing trade is still very much thriving over there despite the government's best efforts.
"During the exploration of the crypt, the guides tried to kill Solomon, but were themselves caught in some of the tomb's ancient traps. Solomon made his way on alone, and found that the central chamber contained nothing but a pillar over a vast gulf in the earth-- so deep his lamp couldn't penetrate to the bottom. The only path was a tiny bridge so slender he felt more secure crawling over it on hands and knees.
"As he approached the pillar, Solomon told me, the air seemed to change, and looking up he saw the pillar ablaze with light. In the center of the light was the translucent figure of a young man, clad in the robes of an Egyptian king. This figure leaned towards him and said, in perfect Hieratic-- which was the ancient language of Egypt-- 'Shimon, I have been awaiting you.' Then it vanished, and in its place was a small golden casket. The moment Soloman laid his hand to the casket, the entire chamber began to tremble, and he escaped just before it caved in and was lost forever."
"Shimon?" Tristan asked, puzzled.
"That's an ancient variation on the name 'Soloman', or 'Suleman', if you will," explained Arthur. "In any event, he was very excited about his find, and you may imagine so was I. I'm afraid we, ah, pulled a few strings and twisted a few arms to secure the rights to get the box out of the country. That's not something I normally indulge in, but this particular time it seemed somehow frightfully important. You must understand, the Egyptian government requires that archaeologists turn over everything that can be considered 'treasure' to the authorities.
"You can imagine our surprise when we found the box contained what appeared to be an intricate puzzle crafted of solid gold, with the unmistakable symbol of the Lost Pharoah on one piece. We immediately set about assembling it-- or TRIED to in any event. Neither one of us could ever quite make heads or tails of how to fit it all together. It was almost as if the item defied our ability to reason it out. Oh, we sweated over it for months let me tell you." He chuckled. "I thought poor Solomon was going to pick the whole thing up and chuck it out the window more than once."
"I'm glad he didn't!" Yugi exclaimed.
"It was about Christmas time, I believe, that the telegram found us." Professor Hawkins looked down a bit. "I remember Solomon reading it and simply collapsing into a chair. I don't recall the exact words, but the gist of it was 'Come home at once. Terrible accident, your son and daughter in law killed, only survivor your grandson.'" He shook his head sadly. "Of course I packed Solomon off at once, and he wasn't hesitant to go; no. SORRY to go, certainly; and I was sorry to lose him. Your grandfather is a bit of a scalawag, Yugi, but one could never hope for a stouter or truer friend, and I knew that my expeditions would be the less for his input and advice.
"He took the Puzzle with him, at my request, both to keep it safe and to continue working on it, in the hopes of assembling it in my absence. Of course, you know already he never did put it together, and I think I know why. Simply put, it was never meant for our hands, but for yours and yours alone. Though WHY only you, Yugi, is anyone's guess."
"So where is the connection between what's happening now and all that?" Bakura asked.
"Well, stick with me a bit on this one," answered the Professor. "You'll recall the legend spoke of 'dark mages' that opposed the young Pharoah. Suppose that somehow these mages, some of them, ANY of them, or some of their followers perhaps, escaped the fall of the Pharoah's kingdom? If, as you say, there was a tradition that a particular family should safeguard the Pharoah's tomb (and I should like to have a look at that), why couldn't the OTHER side have had their own traditional duty, passed through generation upon generation? They might well have assumed that someday the Millenium Items would re-surface and be reclaimed by their masters. They did believe in in a form of reincarnation, you know, the Egyptians. That's what the whole issue of mummification was born of, a way to preserve the earthly body so that the wandering soul could return to it someday." Arthur looked round the circle of young faces solemnly. "What you may well be dealing with here are descendants of those ancient magi, trained in a form of magery that everyone else has long since forgotten, and dedicated to the conquest of the one person who stopped them last time: the Pharoah. And they too would have believed in his return. If that's so... then the words of the legend may be heard once again. 'And the Great House rose up over all; and they held back the magic of the darkness by the magic of the shadows'."
"So where does Yugi fit into this?" Tèa asked. "This Diaz seems to be targeting HIM."
"Well, if I had to make a guess, I'd say it's because he assembled the Puzzle. For whatever reason, by whatever decision of fate, that means Yugi is the Pharoah's direct link to this world. Remove that, and the Pharoah is powerless."
"It didn't seem like that, though. It seemed more personal." Tèa frowned.
"I just wish... I wish I knew more." Yugi looked shamefaced. "Yami knows more than I do, but he'd be the first to tell you there's lots of things he knows he SHOULD know and doesn't any more. Maybe it's all the time that went by before we found each other. Maybe it's something that happened back then. We were divided... but how? When? Why? Those are answers we're still searching for. Sometimes it seems like every answer we find just leads us to a whole new set of doors hiding the truth behind them."
"Mm. It does seem rather an impenatrable mystery, doesn't it?" Arthur smiled again. "However, Yugi, let me give you a piece of advice. In archaeology, many times it takes just the right piece of information, fitted into the right sequence, to make sense of something. It's no use in worrying about that you don't know at this point. Concentrate on what you DO know. That is, simply, that this Diaz fellow wants you out of the way, but apparently doesn't mean you any real harm. He wants you alive and unharmed. That puts a certain limit on what he can and cannot do to you. I'm afraid right now you have to play a waiting game, let Diaz make the next moves, and try to understand what it is he really wants. Eventually he'll reveal himself, say something that makes everything fall into place. Meanwhile, if there's anything else I can do for you..."
"Thanks, Professor. I think you've done a lot already."
******
"Psst."
"Huhwa?" Joey looked around as the group exited the boardinghouse.
"Psst!"
"Who's there?" Tristan dropped into a crouch, hands up in fists.
"Jus' me." Amos stepped out of the alley. "Listen, could I have a little palaver with you folks? It shore would mean a lot t'me. Junon too."
"And why should we trust you?" Tèa folded her arms. "You're one of Diaz's friends aren't you?"
"Well, I wouldn't exactly call us 'friends'..." Amos scratched the back of his neck. "You got a point, though, ma'am, there ain't a whole lot of trust I can inspire in y'all... sorry I bothered you."
"No, wait!" Yugi put out a hand as Amos turned away. "Come on back to our rooms in the hotel... unless.. you don't want anyone to see you talking to us."
"That's kinda th' idea. How's about we all take a walk down to the town stables? Don't reckon anyone here's too fond of horses."
"So what's on ya mind, Southern Boy?" Joey asked as they walked.
"Give it a second. There's somethin' I need to show y'all to go along with this little story." Amos swung open the stable door and whistled. A soft rustle and Junon emerged from a stack of hay, brushing off a few bits of straw. Amos nodded to him, then turned to the others. "I shore am sorry to let y'all see this, but.. might could be it's the only way t'convince you we need your help." To the larger man he said, "Show 'em."
Junon looked around doubtfully.
"Go on, it's all right."
Standing, Junon moved to one side and politely said, "Pardon," before he reached up and unbuckled his jeans, letting them slide down, and took off his boots. When he did, he revealed one leg that was a bit scarred but otherwise normal... and one leg that was decidedly NOT normal. From about the midpoint of the thigh down it was a twisted, ruined mass of tissue that resembled several pieces of modeling clay squished together into the rough outline of a limb. The foot was less a foot than a club of flesh, and the entire knee structure was twisted at a 20-degree angle out from the body. It never should've been able to bear his standing weight, much less allow Junon to move about freely.
And still it did.
"OH-" Tèa turned away, pressing the back of one hand to her mouth.
"It ain't pretty," Amos said softly into the silence, "but if it weren't th' way it is, ol' Junon here wouldn't be alive. See..." Amos sighed. "Ain't neither one of us exactly what we seem. Me myself, I'm just a mite older than a man ought to be." He smiled, but it was a bittersweet expression at best. "You wouldn't know it t'hear me most times--I try t'hide my accent when I can-- but I come from the sovereign state of West Virginia." This said with some pride. "Course, when I was born, wasn't any such a thing as 'West Virginia'. West Virginia was created an' joined the Union in 1863, just in time f'r me to join up with the Federal troops."
"The CIVIL War? The AMERICAN Civil War?!" Yugi gasped.
"Yessir, that's what they called it."
"That would make you..." Yugi fell silent, eyes wide.
"Right at 158." Amos nodded. "I served under Mr. Diaz in the war-- he was my platoon's captain. Junon here, he's a mite more recent than I am. He comes from World War One."
"GUH," Joey said, gaping. "You gotta be kiddin' us."
Pegasus, meanwhile, was staring at Junon's leg. From behind the fall of his hair a golden light glimmered. "Oh my God," he said, and sat down, not caring what he landed on (a bale of hay, fortunately). "It's magicked. It's being held together by magic."
"Diaz deadened some of the nerves some which of a way," Amos explained. "Junon has enough feelin' to know how to walk nigh onto normal, nothin' else. Otherwise he couldn't walk at all from the pain.
"Way I heard tell, Diaz come up on Junon right as he tripped the wire on a mine. Took his leg clean off. Got him and the pieces-parts of his leg up into a car car, got the blood loss slowed down long enough for Diaz to weave what they had back t'gether."
Junon nodded. "Oui," he agreed, pulling his jeans back on.
"Oh jeez dis is... I dunno..." Joey paced around, distracted. "Dis is just screwed up, yanno?"
"Okay. Okay. What about this Serra guy? Is he like you two?" Tristan asked.
"Can't say f'r sure. I do know Serra is least as old as I am, but if he's really Diaz's son or if'n he's just a storm-crow like th' rest of us, I never asked and wa'ant never told. Always got the idea he really is Diaz's son though. Diaz is pretty protective of him." He looked disgusted. "Somethin's pure out not right about that boy. I'd be afraid to leave a litter of kittens around him, you know what I mean? He can be downright poison-mean, f'r nothing else than the sheer cussedness of it.
"Works for us, though; he don't think much of Junon, here, so more often than not he'll let his tongue flap at both ends where Junon can hear it. And this ol' boy over here's got a darn good memory when he sets his mind to it." Amos reached over and gave Junon an affectionate little tap on the shoulder with one fist. "Anyways.. I was wonderin' if maybe you folks could help get Junon here outta this mess. I ain't got any regrets, myself, does anything happen t'me. I always figgered Diaz was keepin' me around somehows cause I was useful to him. Junon tends to listen to me a mite more'n he listens to others." Amos looked around. "I surely would take it as a kindness if you'd look after Junon for me, though, if things turn off bad. That's... that's all I wanted t'ask you."
"I'm afraid my esoteric knowledge isn't of much help here." Pegasus sighed. "Most of what I learned, I learned trying to understand what it is I can do with my art. You won't BELIEVE the sheer mounds of misconception, wishful thinking and outright exaggeration I had to wade through to get any idea of what REAL magic is like. It's too bad, really; Diaz apparently has a huge advantage on us there. THESE days try finding someone who really believes in and regularly practices magery (present company and their relatives excepted) and you'll be looking for a while." He thought a moment. "Amos... Junon. Have either of you ever heard Diaz mention something about 'dark mages'?"
"Dark mages..." Amos paused as Junon held out a hand. "What, you recognize that?"
"Oui, j'ai entendu parler des magiciens, il les appelle des mages de chaos." Junon waved his arms, then plucked at Bakura's arm. "Sil vous plait, dites-leur ce qu'ai voulu dire je?"
"He said Diaz calls them 'Chaos Mages'," Bakura translated.
"Chaos..." Pegasus mused, then held up a hand. "Maybe... I think I have an idea."
"So let it out, the rest of us are dying here," Tristan said, exasperated.
"Well.. 'Chaos' is sometimes defined as 'the confused unorganized state of primordial matter before the creation of distinct forms'. Random. Changing. And an integral part of change is entropy, the degree of disorder or uncertainty in a system. Everything runs down, wears out, breaks, falls apart, returns in the end to the random. Now suppose that Diaz has some amount of influence over chaos and therefore over entropy. That would explain both the leg and the unaging. The forces that wind everything down are being nullified in a small part of Amos and Junon. They change not; therefore, they age not. They're in a kind of stasis." Pegasus looked grim. "And that unfortunately makes things much, MUCH worse than I thought."
"What do you mean?" Yugi said.
"What IS the Shadow Realm but a formless, ever-changing void? It's as near as possible to a true state of chaos as we can withstand: a place where 'as you will, so shall it be.' I really don't think I want Diaz in control of the Realm. No, not at all." One by one he looked around the group, meeting everyone's eyes. "Whatever Diaz has in mind, whatever he needs Yugi for, we cannot afford to let him succeed. Not just for Yugi's sake, but for the whole world. Diaz must be stopped, and let me say it plainly, so there is no misunderstanding. I'm not speaking from malice, or ill-intent, but he MUST BE STOPPED.
"Even if we have to kill him to do it."
"No!" Yugi's fists clenched. "I can't agree with that. I know I couldn't take anyone's life. I've already had that choice put in front of me, and I just couldn't do it. If it comes down to it... I'm not sure what I'll do." He put his head in his hands. "I'm sorry, everyone... my HEAD tells me Pegasus is making perfect sense. My HEART won't listen."
"Don't sweat it, bro." Tris nodded at Joey. "Think I speak for us all in saying nobody else wants it either. So we put Diaz out of action without hurting him. Next issue."
"Junon." Yugi gripped the Puzzle in both hands and let his fingers wander over it, feeling the almost hairline edges where the pieces fit together. Just the touch of the cool metal seemed to clear his head. "There has to be a way to safely restore his leg. We'll just have to find it. That's the only way we can get him AND Amos away." He looked over at the pair. "I can't leave either of you with him."
"So our next move is...?" Bakura said.
"Finish the tournament. That'll keep Diaz busy while we do our research. As soon as we feel we can get Amos and Junon safely away, I think I know how to stop Diaz for good without hurting him. He can't use his magic, or do anything to me, if he doesn't remember why he's doing it, or HOW to do it." Yugi looked up. "I hate it, but... I'll have to try to use the Millenium Rod to make him forget. I hope I can do it; the Rod isn't my item, I may not be able to convince it to work for me. But it's the best shot we have." Yugi looked over at Junon and Amos. "Do you think you guys will be all right...?"
Amos nodded. "Diaz isn't worried about us turnin' coat, remember? Might even like it if we made friends with you-- he'd probably see it as another card t'play on the little Prince here." He looked away. "I don't like th' thought of that, tell you true."
"It's all right." Yugi put out a hand, touched Amos's arm. "We know. You just worry about staying safe, and let us worry about how to set you two free."
"Before ya go..." Joey held up a hand. "I gotta question. Either'a you guys know what's up with dis 'Prince' thing?"
"But he IS," Amos said, puzzled. "I thought y'all knew that."
"Play along wid'me here." Joey leaned in. "Act like we don't know nothin'. What Prince? Prince of what?"
Junon plucked at Amos's sleeve. "Ce qui sont elles demandant environ, Amos?"
"Yugi. They wanna know-- shoot-- um, ils veulent, uh, savoir pourquoi il est le prince."
"Ah, ah!" Junon's face lit up with a huge smile. "Puisqu'il Yugi est le prince de la lumière, naturellement. Le petit prince du monde."
Bakura stared. "He did NOT say that."
"What? What'd he say? WHAT?! Spill it!!" Joey made a grab for Bakura, pulled the other boy almost nose to nose.
"He, ah, he said that Yugi's the Prince of Light. The little Prince..." Bakura swallowed. "Of the entire world."
"...I'm.... what...?" Yugi stammered.
"That's what Diaz keeps tellin' us," Amos said, shamefaced. "Says th' little guy's here's a heap more important than he knows, but he's bein kept from realizin' it by that Pharoah feller. Says the Pharoah's usin' your friend here."
"That's not true!" Yugi burst out. "Yami would never-!"
"Whoa, now, hold on there," Amos held up his hands placatingly, "all we're sayin' is that's what Diaz thinks."
"I think that's a moot point right now." Pegasus jerked his head towards the door. "We're in the middle of a tournament; the longer we stay out of sight, the more likely it is someone will come looking. We have that answer Professor Hawkins told us we might find. Diaz believes Yugi has a hidden power that the Pharoah is preventing him from discovering; therefore, the logical answer is to remove Yugi from Yami's presence."
"Makes a LOT of sense," Tristan agreed. "And so's what Pegasus says. We need to get back out into the real world."
Sundown saw a group of people trudging wearily back to the Silver Dollar. Last of all came Yugi, color high from the cool air outside and (no doubt) from running. "Hi everyone, sorry I'm late," he panted. "I got a challange right as the sun was going down, we had to finish. So what's up?"
"Looks like most of us are already in the second bracket," Bakura replied. "Except for Tris, but there are still four slots open."
"Yeah, well..." Tristan grimaced. "I got my buns toasted and handed over to me by that Japanese lady--"
"Isona Shizuka," Yugi interjected. "She's the Asian champion. We had a chat after our Duel this morning."
"Ooog, YOU Dueled her?" Tris laughed ruefully. "No wonder she was out for blood. How many fire engines responded to her crash and burn?"
"Tri-is!" But Yugi laughed, nevertheless.
"Anyway, first her, then Diaz. Man, gotta tell you, that guy's not kidding around." Tris rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't see any weird cards--couple of cards I haven't seen outside someone private collection, sure, but it's all legit. He strung me up and smoked me, though. I can't remember the last time I felt that.. I dunno... off balance. Nothing he did, nothing he said, but I just couldn't get it together."
"You don't think he DID something.. do you?" Bakura wondered.
"Search me. It's not as if I've got a mojo detector in my back pocket. I didn't feel anything weird, if that's what your asking, Then again, WOULD I feel anything weird."
"Good question, that. --Pegasus?"
"Mm?" Pegasus looked up from his perusal of a painting on one wall.
"If Diaz cast some type of spell over Tristan to, say... distract him, disorient him... well, let's back up a second. IS there such a type of spell?"
"For distracting people? Not per se, that I know of, but there are spells that could be used to make one uneasy. That might prove distracting." Pegasus looked across at Tristan. "I don't see any residuals, but if the spell was cast on an AREA of the ground rather than on Tristan himself, there very well might not be. I suppose we'd better add Diaz-watching to our calendar for tomorrow."
"How about you, Joey? How'd you do?"
Joey grinned. "Took out Rebecca Hawkins AND Bandit Keith. Man, I thought he was gonna have a stroke when I blew him away with Red-Eyes. Oh! Yeah, dat reminds me. Rebecca's granddad, you remember, Professor Hawkins? He's in town, turns out. Came t'see her Duel. Ain't he th' guy that discovered a lotta that Millenium stuff?"
"He sure is. What's your point?"
"Maybe we oughta have, I dunno, a pow-wow with him? Maybe he knows somethin' about dat ancient stuff. Somethin' he ain't necessarily spread around cause he doesn't wanna sound like a looney."
"It certainly bears looking into." Bakura looked thoughtful. "He WAS the one who postulated the ancient Egyptians played Duel Monsters. I think Joey might be on to something."
"He's not staying here," Tèa said, "but I dueled behind a boardinghouse today, do you suppose he might have a room there?"
"It's worth a shot." Tristan stood up. "Let's go check it out."
*******
The boardinghouse owner, a plump gentleman by the name of Billingsworth (so he said) was only too happy to show the group to his best front parlor while he took word up to 'his distinguished guest from Britain, Professor Hawkins'. Presently the man himself appeared. "Why, if it isn't Yugi," he said. "My boy, how are you?"
"Hi! Professor Hawkins!" Yugi jumped up and ran over, taking both of the Professor's hands in both of his.
"Good heavens, have you grown a bit? I'd swear the last time I saw you, you and Soloman were of a height."
"Maybe a little. I don't think I'm EVER going to be very tall though."
"Oh, never mind about that; some of history's most famous men weren't particularly large of stature." Letting go, the Professor clasped his hands behind him. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting some of your friends here..."
"Well, you know Joey, Tristan, and Tèa, right? This is Bakura, and this is Mr. Pegasus. Everyone, this is Professor Arthur Hawkins. He's a friend of my grandpa."
"Good grief, just make me sound old, why don't you. 'Mister', indeed." Pegasus put out a hand. "Maximilian Pegasus, sir, Pegasus to my friends, or perhaps Max."
"Or 'Peggy'," and Joey snickered.
"A pleasure to meet the creator of Duel Monsters. Oh, By the way, Rebecca sends her regrets, it seems 'Duelist International' magazine has sent some representatives here and they're doing mid-tournament interviews."
"Ugh, reporters," and Yugi made a face. "Sure hope they don't catch up to me."
"Oh, I'm certain Rebecca can keep them busy. Now..." Professor Hawkins swung the parlor door shut. "Why don't you tell me what it is you needed to see me about."
Yugi was quiet a moment, marshalling his thoughts; then he asked, "Professor, what can you tell us about the time of the Pharoah?" He held up the Millenium Puzzle. "The Pharoah who held this. It's the same Puzzle as the one shown in that stone panel you found isn't it?"
"Pharoah Atem, you mean. Ahtemahu, 'gentle protection of heaven'. Usually shortened to Atem, or Atemu. At least, that's what my research leads me to believe may have been his name."
"Atem..." Yugi repeated. So that was his name...
"To answer your other question, yes, I believe that IS the Puzzle that belonged to Atem, otherwise known as the Lost Pharoah." The Professor chuckled. "Although most people would say that's not unusual. Large portions of Egyptian history had a way of vanishing, mostly because of a certain custom they had.
"In times of great disasters or some event that was either too grand or too terrible to remember, very often the Egyptians would 'erase' any records of the person or persons in that event after they died. They'd simply pull down the monuments, chisel the names off the stones.. as if they wished to deny the person who brought about such change ever existed. Witness for example the Pharoah Amun, who tried to re-organize the entire Egyptian mythos and religious structure from polytheism -- that's the worship of multiple gods-- to monotheism, the worship and existance of a SINGLE deity. He met terrible resistance from the priesthood of that time and was eventually murdered. We know his successor a little better: Tutahkamun, or 'King Tut'. But of Amun almost NO records exist, because the priests decreed his heresy was so great he should be wiped from the face of the earth." He caught himself, laughed. "There, you see, I'm already starting a lecture."
"So what you're saying," Tristan said, "is that this Pharoah Atem--" he glanced briefly out of the corner of his eyes at Yugi. "Got 'erased'?"
"Yes. And to a tremendous extent. Although there are large gaps in ancient Egyptian history, generally we're able to piece things together from the history of the surrounding areas. Please understand, Egypt was NOT a unified country. It was divided into Upper and Lower Egypt, and each region had its own dynasties. But in the case of Atem, almost all mention of him was destroyed. The pieces I unearthed and put on display in the Museum of Cairo-- the same ones you all saw on loan to Domino Museum-- are among the few pieces that tell anything of him at all, let alone his times.
"But I HAVE managed to piece together a few things. Of course you all know my theory that in the ancient times Egyptians played a version of Duel Monsters, but not as a game. I believe now that the knowledge of these 'Dark Games' or 'Shadow Games' was almost exclusively reserved to Atem's kingdom, most likely to the Pharoah and his advisors in particular. Naturally, if any arcane force wished to CONQUER Egypt, they would have to attack Atem's kingdom first."
"So there were other mages in those days," Yugi said.
"Most definitely. The bit on the stone, you remember, the cartouche showing the Pharoah in combat-- the story there is that a band of dark mages - now, 'dark' probably being synonimous with 'evil' - approached the Pharoah Atem. We don't know what they had in mind, but it was something the Pharoah objected to, because the kingdom immediately prepared for war. Let me see now, how did it go... 'And the Great House rose up over all; and they held back the magic of the darkness by the magic of the shadows.'. Great House, you understand, is the literal translation of 'Pharoah'."
"It would be two different kinds of magic, then," mused Yugi.
"Yes." Arthur looked at Yugi for a moment; then he put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Tell me," he said. "Tell me everything. I think perhaps it's time I knew. Solomon didn't find that Puzzle of yours by mistake; he always said he was guided to it. Whose hand guided him, Yugi? And why is it so important now?"
As quickly as he could, Yugi sketched out the details of his assembly of the Puzzle and everything that'd happened form that point on. Professor Hawkins listened intently, and when the youngster was done he sighed, stroking his mustache once more. "Dear me," he said mildly. "Rather an interesting turn of events... Very well." He looked solemn. "I'll tell you what I know, including something that I've never told anyone else. Even today I find it hard to believe, you see, but considering the person who told me about it... well, I'll let you decide for yourself.
"Solomon found that Puzzle many, many years ago in a remote section of Egypt some three or four hundred miles southeast of present-day Cairo." Professor Hawkins smiled. "I wasn't with him at the time, but I understand it was a horrible experience. He'd hired a couple of guides that he didn't quite trust, you see, but he needed the help, and I wasn't available. He wasn't sure we could afford to wait till I was free to go with him, either, because the tomb-robbing trade is still very much thriving over there despite the government's best efforts.
"During the exploration of the crypt, the guides tried to kill Solomon, but were themselves caught in some of the tomb's ancient traps. Solomon made his way on alone, and found that the central chamber contained nothing but a pillar over a vast gulf in the earth-- so deep his lamp couldn't penetrate to the bottom. The only path was a tiny bridge so slender he felt more secure crawling over it on hands and knees.
"As he approached the pillar, Solomon told me, the air seemed to change, and looking up he saw the pillar ablaze with light. In the center of the light was the translucent figure of a young man, clad in the robes of an Egyptian king. This figure leaned towards him and said, in perfect Hieratic-- which was the ancient language of Egypt-- 'Shimon, I have been awaiting you.' Then it vanished, and in its place was a small golden casket. The moment Soloman laid his hand to the casket, the entire chamber began to tremble, and he escaped just before it caved in and was lost forever."
"Shimon?" Tristan asked, puzzled.
"That's an ancient variation on the name 'Soloman', or 'Suleman', if you will," explained Arthur. "In any event, he was very excited about his find, and you may imagine so was I. I'm afraid we, ah, pulled a few strings and twisted a few arms to secure the rights to get the box out of the country. That's not something I normally indulge in, but this particular time it seemed somehow frightfully important. You must understand, the Egyptian government requires that archaeologists turn over everything that can be considered 'treasure' to the authorities.
"You can imagine our surprise when we found the box contained what appeared to be an intricate puzzle crafted of solid gold, with the unmistakable symbol of the Lost Pharoah on one piece. We immediately set about assembling it-- or TRIED to in any event. Neither one of us could ever quite make heads or tails of how to fit it all together. It was almost as if the item defied our ability to reason it out. Oh, we sweated over it for months let me tell you." He chuckled. "I thought poor Solomon was going to pick the whole thing up and chuck it out the window more than once."
"I'm glad he didn't!" Yugi exclaimed.
"It was about Christmas time, I believe, that the telegram found us." Professor Hawkins looked down a bit. "I remember Solomon reading it and simply collapsing into a chair. I don't recall the exact words, but the gist of it was 'Come home at once. Terrible accident, your son and daughter in law killed, only survivor your grandson.'" He shook his head sadly. "Of course I packed Solomon off at once, and he wasn't hesitant to go; no. SORRY to go, certainly; and I was sorry to lose him. Your grandfather is a bit of a scalawag, Yugi, but one could never hope for a stouter or truer friend, and I knew that my expeditions would be the less for his input and advice.
"He took the Puzzle with him, at my request, both to keep it safe and to continue working on it, in the hopes of assembling it in my absence. Of course, you know already he never did put it together, and I think I know why. Simply put, it was never meant for our hands, but for yours and yours alone. Though WHY only you, Yugi, is anyone's guess."
"So where is the connection between what's happening now and all that?" Bakura asked.
"Well, stick with me a bit on this one," answered the Professor. "You'll recall the legend spoke of 'dark mages' that opposed the young Pharoah. Suppose that somehow these mages, some of them, ANY of them, or some of their followers perhaps, escaped the fall of the Pharoah's kingdom? If, as you say, there was a tradition that a particular family should safeguard the Pharoah's tomb (and I should like to have a look at that), why couldn't the OTHER side have had their own traditional duty, passed through generation upon generation? They might well have assumed that someday the Millenium Items would re-surface and be reclaimed by their masters. They did believe in in a form of reincarnation, you know, the Egyptians. That's what the whole issue of mummification was born of, a way to preserve the earthly body so that the wandering soul could return to it someday." Arthur looked round the circle of young faces solemnly. "What you may well be dealing with here are descendants of those ancient magi, trained in a form of magery that everyone else has long since forgotten, and dedicated to the conquest of the one person who stopped them last time: the Pharoah. And they too would have believed in his return. If that's so... then the words of the legend may be heard once again. 'And the Great House rose up over all; and they held back the magic of the darkness by the magic of the shadows'."
"So where does Yugi fit into this?" Tèa asked. "This Diaz seems to be targeting HIM."
"Well, if I had to make a guess, I'd say it's because he assembled the Puzzle. For whatever reason, by whatever decision of fate, that means Yugi is the Pharoah's direct link to this world. Remove that, and the Pharoah is powerless."
"It didn't seem like that, though. It seemed more personal." Tèa frowned.
"I just wish... I wish I knew more." Yugi looked shamefaced. "Yami knows more than I do, but he'd be the first to tell you there's lots of things he knows he SHOULD know and doesn't any more. Maybe it's all the time that went by before we found each other. Maybe it's something that happened back then. We were divided... but how? When? Why? Those are answers we're still searching for. Sometimes it seems like every answer we find just leads us to a whole new set of doors hiding the truth behind them."
"Mm. It does seem rather an impenatrable mystery, doesn't it?" Arthur smiled again. "However, Yugi, let me give you a piece of advice. In archaeology, many times it takes just the right piece of information, fitted into the right sequence, to make sense of something. It's no use in worrying about that you don't know at this point. Concentrate on what you DO know. That is, simply, that this Diaz fellow wants you out of the way, but apparently doesn't mean you any real harm. He wants you alive and unharmed. That puts a certain limit on what he can and cannot do to you. I'm afraid right now you have to play a waiting game, let Diaz make the next moves, and try to understand what it is he really wants. Eventually he'll reveal himself, say something that makes everything fall into place. Meanwhile, if there's anything else I can do for you..."
"Thanks, Professor. I think you've done a lot already."
******
"Psst."
"Huhwa?" Joey looked around as the group exited the boardinghouse.
"Psst!"
"Who's there?" Tristan dropped into a crouch, hands up in fists.
"Jus' me." Amos stepped out of the alley. "Listen, could I have a little palaver with you folks? It shore would mean a lot t'me. Junon too."
"And why should we trust you?" Tèa folded her arms. "You're one of Diaz's friends aren't you?"
"Well, I wouldn't exactly call us 'friends'..." Amos scratched the back of his neck. "You got a point, though, ma'am, there ain't a whole lot of trust I can inspire in y'all... sorry I bothered you."
"No, wait!" Yugi put out a hand as Amos turned away. "Come on back to our rooms in the hotel... unless.. you don't want anyone to see you talking to us."
"That's kinda th' idea. How's about we all take a walk down to the town stables? Don't reckon anyone here's too fond of horses."
"So what's on ya mind, Southern Boy?" Joey asked as they walked.
"Give it a second. There's somethin' I need to show y'all to go along with this little story." Amos swung open the stable door and whistled. A soft rustle and Junon emerged from a stack of hay, brushing off a few bits of straw. Amos nodded to him, then turned to the others. "I shore am sorry to let y'all see this, but.. might could be it's the only way t'convince you we need your help." To the larger man he said, "Show 'em."
Junon looked around doubtfully.
"Go on, it's all right."
Standing, Junon moved to one side and politely said, "Pardon," before he reached up and unbuckled his jeans, letting them slide down, and took off his boots. When he did, he revealed one leg that was a bit scarred but otherwise normal... and one leg that was decidedly NOT normal. From about the midpoint of the thigh down it was a twisted, ruined mass of tissue that resembled several pieces of modeling clay squished together into the rough outline of a limb. The foot was less a foot than a club of flesh, and the entire knee structure was twisted at a 20-degree angle out from the body. It never should've been able to bear his standing weight, much less allow Junon to move about freely.
And still it did.
"OH-" Tèa turned away, pressing the back of one hand to her mouth.
"It ain't pretty," Amos said softly into the silence, "but if it weren't th' way it is, ol' Junon here wouldn't be alive. See..." Amos sighed. "Ain't neither one of us exactly what we seem. Me myself, I'm just a mite older than a man ought to be." He smiled, but it was a bittersweet expression at best. "You wouldn't know it t'hear me most times--I try t'hide my accent when I can-- but I come from the sovereign state of West Virginia." This said with some pride. "Course, when I was born, wasn't any such a thing as 'West Virginia'. West Virginia was created an' joined the Union in 1863, just in time f'r me to join up with the Federal troops."
"The CIVIL War? The AMERICAN Civil War?!" Yugi gasped.
"Yessir, that's what they called it."
"That would make you..." Yugi fell silent, eyes wide.
"Right at 158." Amos nodded. "I served under Mr. Diaz in the war-- he was my platoon's captain. Junon here, he's a mite more recent than I am. He comes from World War One."
"GUH," Joey said, gaping. "You gotta be kiddin' us."
Pegasus, meanwhile, was staring at Junon's leg. From behind the fall of his hair a golden light glimmered. "Oh my God," he said, and sat down, not caring what he landed on (a bale of hay, fortunately). "It's magicked. It's being held together by magic."
"Diaz deadened some of the nerves some which of a way," Amos explained. "Junon has enough feelin' to know how to walk nigh onto normal, nothin' else. Otherwise he couldn't walk at all from the pain.
"Way I heard tell, Diaz come up on Junon right as he tripped the wire on a mine. Took his leg clean off. Got him and the pieces-parts of his leg up into a car car, got the blood loss slowed down long enough for Diaz to weave what they had back t'gether."
Junon nodded. "Oui," he agreed, pulling his jeans back on.
"Oh jeez dis is... I dunno..." Joey paced around, distracted. "Dis is just screwed up, yanno?"
"Okay. Okay. What about this Serra guy? Is he like you two?" Tristan asked.
"Can't say f'r sure. I do know Serra is least as old as I am, but if he's really Diaz's son or if'n he's just a storm-crow like th' rest of us, I never asked and wa'ant never told. Always got the idea he really is Diaz's son though. Diaz is pretty protective of him." He looked disgusted. "Somethin's pure out not right about that boy. I'd be afraid to leave a litter of kittens around him, you know what I mean? He can be downright poison-mean, f'r nothing else than the sheer cussedness of it.
"Works for us, though; he don't think much of Junon, here, so more often than not he'll let his tongue flap at both ends where Junon can hear it. And this ol' boy over here's got a darn good memory when he sets his mind to it." Amos reached over and gave Junon an affectionate little tap on the shoulder with one fist. "Anyways.. I was wonderin' if maybe you folks could help get Junon here outta this mess. I ain't got any regrets, myself, does anything happen t'me. I always figgered Diaz was keepin' me around somehows cause I was useful to him. Junon tends to listen to me a mite more'n he listens to others." Amos looked around. "I surely would take it as a kindness if you'd look after Junon for me, though, if things turn off bad. That's... that's all I wanted t'ask you."
"I'm afraid my esoteric knowledge isn't of much help here." Pegasus sighed. "Most of what I learned, I learned trying to understand what it is I can do with my art. You won't BELIEVE the sheer mounds of misconception, wishful thinking and outright exaggeration I had to wade through to get any idea of what REAL magic is like. It's too bad, really; Diaz apparently has a huge advantage on us there. THESE days try finding someone who really believes in and regularly practices magery (present company and their relatives excepted) and you'll be looking for a while." He thought a moment. "Amos... Junon. Have either of you ever heard Diaz mention something about 'dark mages'?"
"Dark mages..." Amos paused as Junon held out a hand. "What, you recognize that?"
"Oui, j'ai entendu parler des magiciens, il les appelle des mages de chaos." Junon waved his arms, then plucked at Bakura's arm. "Sil vous plait, dites-leur ce qu'ai voulu dire je?"
"He said Diaz calls them 'Chaos Mages'," Bakura translated.
"Chaos..." Pegasus mused, then held up a hand. "Maybe... I think I have an idea."
"So let it out, the rest of us are dying here," Tristan said, exasperated.
"Well.. 'Chaos' is sometimes defined as 'the confused unorganized state of primordial matter before the creation of distinct forms'. Random. Changing. And an integral part of change is entropy, the degree of disorder or uncertainty in a system. Everything runs down, wears out, breaks, falls apart, returns in the end to the random. Now suppose that Diaz has some amount of influence over chaos and therefore over entropy. That would explain both the leg and the unaging. The forces that wind everything down are being nullified in a small part of Amos and Junon. They change not; therefore, they age not. They're in a kind of stasis." Pegasus looked grim. "And that unfortunately makes things much, MUCH worse than I thought."
"What do you mean?" Yugi said.
"What IS the Shadow Realm but a formless, ever-changing void? It's as near as possible to a true state of chaos as we can withstand: a place where 'as you will, so shall it be.' I really don't think I want Diaz in control of the Realm. No, not at all." One by one he looked around the group, meeting everyone's eyes. "Whatever Diaz has in mind, whatever he needs Yugi for, we cannot afford to let him succeed. Not just for Yugi's sake, but for the whole world. Diaz must be stopped, and let me say it plainly, so there is no misunderstanding. I'm not speaking from malice, or ill-intent, but he MUST BE STOPPED.
"Even if we have to kill him to do it."
"No!" Yugi's fists clenched. "I can't agree with that. I know I couldn't take anyone's life. I've already had that choice put in front of me, and I just couldn't do it. If it comes down to it... I'm not sure what I'll do." He put his head in his hands. "I'm sorry, everyone... my HEAD tells me Pegasus is making perfect sense. My HEART won't listen."
"Don't sweat it, bro." Tris nodded at Joey. "Think I speak for us all in saying nobody else wants it either. So we put Diaz out of action without hurting him. Next issue."
"Junon." Yugi gripped the Puzzle in both hands and let his fingers wander over it, feeling the almost hairline edges where the pieces fit together. Just the touch of the cool metal seemed to clear his head. "There has to be a way to safely restore his leg. We'll just have to find it. That's the only way we can get him AND Amos away." He looked over at the pair. "I can't leave either of you with him."
"So our next move is...?" Bakura said.
"Finish the tournament. That'll keep Diaz busy while we do our research. As soon as we feel we can get Amos and Junon safely away, I think I know how to stop Diaz for good without hurting him. He can't use his magic, or do anything to me, if he doesn't remember why he's doing it, or HOW to do it." Yugi looked up. "I hate it, but... I'll have to try to use the Millenium Rod to make him forget. I hope I can do it; the Rod isn't my item, I may not be able to convince it to work for me. But it's the best shot we have." Yugi looked over at Junon and Amos. "Do you think you guys will be all right...?"
Amos nodded. "Diaz isn't worried about us turnin' coat, remember? Might even like it if we made friends with you-- he'd probably see it as another card t'play on the little Prince here." He looked away. "I don't like th' thought of that, tell you true."
"It's all right." Yugi put out a hand, touched Amos's arm. "We know. You just worry about staying safe, and let us worry about how to set you two free."
"Before ya go..." Joey held up a hand. "I gotta question. Either'a you guys know what's up with dis 'Prince' thing?"
"But he IS," Amos said, puzzled. "I thought y'all knew that."
"Play along wid'me here." Joey leaned in. "Act like we don't know nothin'. What Prince? Prince of what?"
Junon plucked at Amos's sleeve. "Ce qui sont elles demandant environ, Amos?"
"Yugi. They wanna know-- shoot-- um, ils veulent, uh, savoir pourquoi il est le prince."
"Ah, ah!" Junon's face lit up with a huge smile. "Puisqu'il Yugi est le prince de la lumière, naturellement. Le petit prince du monde."
Bakura stared. "He did NOT say that."
"What? What'd he say? WHAT?! Spill it!!" Joey made a grab for Bakura, pulled the other boy almost nose to nose.
"He, ah, he said that Yugi's the Prince of Light. The little Prince..." Bakura swallowed. "Of the entire world."
"...I'm.... what...?" Yugi stammered.
"That's what Diaz keeps tellin' us," Amos said, shamefaced. "Says th' little guy's here's a heap more important than he knows, but he's bein kept from realizin' it by that Pharoah feller. Says the Pharoah's usin' your friend here."
"That's not true!" Yugi burst out. "Yami would never-!"
"Whoa, now, hold on there," Amos held up his hands placatingly, "all we're sayin' is that's what Diaz thinks."
"I think that's a moot point right now." Pegasus jerked his head towards the door. "We're in the middle of a tournament; the longer we stay out of sight, the more likely it is someone will come looking. We have that answer Professor Hawkins told us we might find. Diaz believes Yugi has a hidden power that the Pharoah is preventing him from discovering; therefore, the logical answer is to remove Yugi from Yami's presence."
"Makes a LOT of sense," Tristan agreed. "And so's what Pegasus says. We need to get back out into the real world."