Chapter 12: - Finally
Shadi had had his doubts about necessity of the Shadow Game he was running. The King of Games had returned, after all. Shadi's duty was clear. The Tomb Keepers were supposed to provide that which would allow the Pharaoh to defeat the evil that would, with the King's rebirth, soon renew the destruction that it had started five thousand years ago.
But the King of Games had turned out to be a Queen. The legends had spoken of 'he who had sacrificed his life to save the world' and the fact that 'he' had rended his soul in two. Not she. There not a single mention of the Pharaoh being female in the scriptures. He knew, he had studied them while they were still only handful of years old.
And yet she was the King. There was no room for doubt about that, not when she had completed the Millennium Puzzle, the golden artefact of ancient power that had been sealed in her tomb. Not when he had seen what he had. And certainly not when she had already proved to control the Shadows even when she had no memory of who she was or why part of her was imprisoned in the ancient item.
His justification was that, while he was certain the Pharaoh's Light was trustworthy, having seen the true rooms of her soul he could not say the same for the Pharaoh's Darkness. Her mazelike mind had kept him away from her true room, and considering that she had spent three thousand trapped in the Shadows he had to make sure that she hadn't been warped by the experience and that the enemy hadn't managed to get its claws into her.
Still, as the third game progressed, he was convinced that the Pharaoh was still of her right mind, though it was a shame that the faith she had in others was about to get her killed. Shadi had conjured up an image of her friend, Jou. However it wasn't the Jou that she knew now. The one that would protect her from any danger. No, this was the Jou of the past, the one who had bullied the Pharaoh's Light and nearly prevented any chance of the Pharaoh ever bringing herself back together.
The game was simple. They took turns tossing the Puzzle and the opponent had to take two steps in the direction it pointed. The loser was the one who had to walk off the edge and into the pit that had opened up around them.
Unfortunately for the Pharaoh, she refused to play such a dangerous game with a friend. Her faith in him, that he wouldn't let her come to harm no matter what sort of illusion Shadi had cast, was going to cause her to fall next turn while Jou had yet to need to take a single step.
And there was nothing Shadi could do to stop it.
Maybe it was better this way. If she could not defeat his Shadow Game, then she did not stand a chance against the Thief King who Shadi knew was out there, just waiting for an opportunity to strike. If he found out that the Pharaoh was back, he would be here in a heartbeat and if he defeated the Pharaoh the world would end.
"Last turn, Yugi." Shadi informed the Pharaoh's Darkness, who shot a glare in his direction but didn't pick up the Puzzle.
"I won't play." She snarled, still not completely sure if the Jou before her was real or just another illusion but refusing to risk his safety either way.
"Then..." Shadi paused, confused as his copy, who had picked up the Puzzle, just gave the Pharaoh's Darkness, the one the Pharaoh's other self called Oneesan, a small, amused smile and disappeared, the Puzzle landing pointing away from the pit, which slowly faded away as the Pharaoh picked up the golden artefact.
"I told you." She turned to Shadi as she slipped the rope over her head, "Jou would never hurt me."
It didn't make sense. This was his game, his rules. His illusion should have completed the game properly, not just vanished. Shadi's shabti shattered, allowing the Millennium Key to slide down the rope to Anzu's hand, the contact undoing the spell that allowed Shadi to hold sway over her mind.
The sound of Anzu shrieking tore the Pharaoh's attention away from Shadi.
"Anzu!" Oneesan scrambled over the fence as fast as possible as the rope frayed, slowing for a moment when she realised that Jou was supporting the board as best he could but managing to get over in time to grab the fence with one hand and her friend's wrist with the other and, with a pained cry, preventing the girl from falling to her death.
"Yugi!" Shadi heard Jou shout as Anzu grabbed the fence for herself, getting a firm footing on the edge of the roof.
"I...I'm okay..." The Pharaoh replied, her face ashen and her body shaking heavily. Anzu grabbed her friend as the Pharaoh swayed slightly, arms wrapping around her torso, and pushed her towards the fence. The Pharaoh didn't need a second hint, she slowly climbed the fence surrounding the roof of the school. Her feet landed firmly on the solid surface only for the rest of her to fall forwards.
"Yugi!" The other boy, Honda, managed to catch the Pharaoh before she hit the floor. A pained whimper that sounded like it came not from 'Oneesan' but her Other Self, the part of her that had been reborn, emerged as the blonde male scrambled over the fence and placed himself between Shadi and the girls.
"I can help." Shadi informed them, watching as the Pharaoh's Light leaned heavily on her friend, the same one that had nearly killed her thrice over and realising that his actions today had hurt his Pharaoh far more than he could justify.
"You've helped enough." The blonde, Jou, he remembered, snarled at him, reminding Shadi of a vicious guard dog.
"I can heal the injuries I've inflicted." Shadi told them, calling to the Shadows as he did so. "Think of it as penance for the trouble I've caused."
"I don't..."
"Jou." The voice of the Pharaoh's Light interrupted what was sure to be an impressive rant, "He can't harm us anymore. Oneesan won." She watched him with a trusting, yet slightly wary expression that encouraged him to explain further.
"There's a basic healing spell, one of the first an item holder learns." Shadi gave the girl a curious look, "You should know it."
"Oneesan doesn't remember anything." The Pharaoh's Light shook her head.
"She wouldn't." Shadi stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Why?" The girl looked confused.
"If you allow me to treat you, I will explain." Shadi informed her, ignoring Jou's glowering.
"Jou." The blonde stepped aside at the tacit command, though if either of them were aware that it was a command, neither showed it.
"This is will hurt." Shadi warned as he moved to the side of the reincarnated and injured Pharaoh, "There's nothing I can do about that." He saw the girl tense up, "The human body isn't designed to have raw Shadow Magic coursing through it. However I can direct it to heal your injuries, if you allow me to."
"I..." She looked nervous, understandable really. "You'll teach me how to do it afterwards?"
"If you are capable, yes." Shadi nodded, unconvinced that she would be in any fit state to learn from him once he was done but willing to humour her.
"Alright then..." The Pharaoh's Light nodded, bracing herself.
"I'm sorry." He was honest about that at least as he placed his hand on the girl's shoulder and directed the magic he'd gathered into the Pharaoh's Light to heal her various wounds.
Jou fell through Shadi as he tried to pull him away from the Pharaoh the moment she screamed in agony as the Shadows flowed through her, healing all of her injuries, mending fractures, fixing damaged ligaments, easing bruises and closing scrapes. In hindsight, it would have been kinder to use a sleeping spell first – the healing couldn't have been pleasant – but the blonde boy caught her before she hit the ground.
"Yuge!" The blonde exclaimed as he checked the girl over, before laying her carefully on the ground. He wheeled around to glower at Shadi, but the long deceased guardian of the Millennium Items had already taken advantage of the distraction and disappeared.
LINE_RECOGNITION_HAS_GONE_AGAIN
It hurt more than anything she had ever been through before. The magic coursing through her tore at something she couldn't explain deep within her. Even as the swirling dark energy did as Shadi had promised and healed the various injuries that she had, her soul screamed in agony as her ribs snapped back into place, her damaged wrists regenerated and all the cuts and bruises slowly faded away.
She couldn't take it, she just couldn't.
Her body had already passed out, but her mind couldn't just fade out, the Shadows wouldn't let it.
Then everything smoothed out, the sensations from her body were less jarring. The pain filtered, as though she was watching someone else go through it on TV and suffering sympathy pangs.
'I've got you.' The voice sounded like hers, but older and more powerful, tinged with the same pain. 'Just hold tight...'
"Oneesan..." Yugi squeezed one of the hands that had grasped hers.
'I'm here Imoto-chan.' The words were accompanied by the feeling of someone carefully taking her into their arms and holding her close to their chest, supporting and protecting her, 'You're safe now. I promise.'
Too tired and hurt to argue, Yugi allowed herself to drift away.
When she awoke again it was to find herself in the room Shadi had invaded, curled up in the arms of the one she called Oneesan.
She looked up at her protector and found that she wasn't the only one who had been resting. Oneesan was fast asleep as well. The girl shifted slightly, trying to edge out from the arms of her Other Self only for the ancient spirit to tighten her grip with a slight grimace.
"I'm alright." Yugi promised, her voice soft as she touched Oneesan's arm gently, trying to offer support and reassurance without waking the other girl. The touch did its job. Oneesan relaxed just enough for Yugi to slip out of her guardian's arms. Surprisingly, Yugi did feel better. Much better in fact, then she had since she had completed the Puzzle a couple of months ago. There was no lingering pain, no awkward aches, no weaknesses in her limbs. Any harm she'd suffered seemed to have been undone.
She turned to consider her guardian carefully. Oneesan looked like her. She'd kind of expected it. After all, Oneesan used her body. There were differences though, if she looked hard enough. The blonde streaks in her hair. The fact Oneesan looked older, tougher...
Yugi couldn't help but wonder if Oneesan was the model for how she'd look in a few years time.
Leaving her protector and, hopefully friend to get some well deserved sleep, Yugi carefully stepped around the toys and games scattered all over the floor and moved into the hallway where a heavy, iron door marked with the Eye of Anubis she recognised from the Millennium Puzzle caught her eye.
If the room she'd left was hers, then the one the door led on to had to belong to Oneesan. Her hand brushed the cold surface momentarily, closing around the door handle, only to be pulled away by another hand that was wrapped around her wrist. She turned to its owner to find that Oneesan had woken up and didn't look amused.
"It's not safe in there." Oneesan informed her, glowering at the door, "Not even for me."
"Sorry..." Yugi replied, feeling guilty, "Did I wake you?"
"It's okay." Oneesan shrugged it off, "I'll sleep once you wake up."Oneesan examined her thoroughly, concern obvious on her features as Yugi tried to work out what Oneesan meant by her not being awake. "You're unharmed?" Oneesan asked, not able to see any injuries but worried none the less.
"I'm okay." Yugi nodded, biting her lower lip for a moment before asking, "Are you? You passed out and..."
"I'm fine." Oneesan let out a soft snort, "It just hurt."
"I noticed." Yugi admitted ruefully, then looked embarrassed as she gazed down at the floor. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Oneesan asked, confused by the sudden mood switch.
"You saved me. Again. You keep having to save me." Yugi replied quietly, still not looking up at her protector who was about a head taller than her.
"Imoto-chan..." Oneesan's tone caused Yugi to look up more effectively than any gesture could have done. "You have done more for me than I have for you."
"But..."
"Before you, I had nothing." Oneesan told her, "Nothing but pain and fear and darkness. Then you solved the Puzzle and freed me, and my world exploded in colour and light and instead of being alone, I had Jou and Ojiisan and you. And you were hurt, you were frightened and you were in danger. I couldn't let that stand, not when you had given me back everything I had lost."
Yugi surprised herself as much as she surprised Oneesan with her response, hugging her other self tightly. The spirit of the Puzzle froze for a moment, as if unsure how to respond, then returned the gesture.
"You're everything to me, Imoto-chan." Oneesan murmured into Yugi's hair, "Looking out for you is both my duty and my pleasure, because when you're happy, I am too." The sound of voices echoing down the corridor caused the two to pull apart, Yugi looking embarrassed and Oneesan resigned, "And now, I'm afraid, it sounds like it's time for you to wake up."
"But I am awake." Yugi protested, confusion catching hold again.
"Not really. This," Oneesan gestured to their surroundings, "Is all in your mind. Your body is that way." The spirit of the Puzzle pointed down the corridor towards a bright light.
"I'll be back later." Yugi promised.
"No you won't." Oneesan sounded sad about that, "The only reason you're here now is because I had to hold you tight to prevent the Shadows from sweeping you away."
"What?" Yugi yelped, a little frightened at the thought of Oneesan having to stand against the tide of Shadows that Shadi had sent to heal her.
"You're light, Imoto-chan, pure, untainted light." Oneesan tried to explain, "When Shadi cast that blasted spell, either he didn't know that or didn't care."
"Why is it important?" Yugi asked, confused.
"The Shadows would do anything to shred a soul as bright as yours. They feed on souls you see and a pure light..." Oneesan shuddered but Yugi got the picture. Light cast shadows after all, she could imagine that the magic would feed well from her. Then she got a horrible thought.
"Please tell me you don't..."
"Of course not." Oneesan shook her head violently, "I wouldn't feed souls to that accursed realm. I refuse to inflict on them what I had to suffer for so long." Yugi hugged her again. This time the return hug was brief and before too long Oneesan put her hands on Yugi's shoulders and pushed her away slightly. "Imoto-chan, listen to me." The older of the pair said, her hands gripping Yugi's shoulders, "I know you're frightened of what I can do, but you have to believe me on this one thing. I will NEVER hurt you or anyone you consider a friend. I swore to Jou that if I did I would break the Puzzle and send myself back to the darkness."
"But the other people..." Yugi started.
"I don't just Challenge random people, Imoto-chan, you know that." Oneesan interrupted, scolding her slightly, "That criminal would have killed you and Anzu. Those gang members kidnapped and tortured you for daring to help a friend. Inogashira's band of thugs broke three of your ribs and don't get me started on the rest of them..."
"I know but..." Yugi looked away again.
"You don't like what I do but I never do more than is needed. They're not getting hurt because of you. They're getting taught a lesson because of their own actions." Oneesan tried to explain, "There's a difference between Challenging someone to a Shadow Game for no reason and Challenging someone to make them understand how to be a better person." The spirit of the Puzzle let out a soft sigh, "But if you liked my Shadow Games, you wouldn't be you."
"I..." Yugi went silent, causing her other self to huff slightly.
"I promise I'll only Challenge those who cause harm first." Oneesan swore, then her tone took on an amused but slightly frustrated edge, "Jou won't let me do more than that."
Yugi smiled slightly. Jou was a good friend. To both of them. If he was watching Oneesan's actions she could trust that it wouldn't go too far again.
"Now." Oneesan said, scowling as the voices got louder, "I think it's time you went outside. We have no idea how long we've been out cold. The others are probably worried."
"Down there, right?" Imoto-chan asked, pointing towards the light. When Oneesan nodded, Yugi followed the corridor. As she stepped into the brightness, the last thing she heard was a heavy iron door slamming closed before she was blinking at her surroundings in the real world. Shadi had cast his spell while she had been on the school roof... That was, however, not where she had woken up. Instead she found herself tucked up in her bed, wearing pyjamas yet still with the Millennium Puzzle around her neck. The shouting, it sounded like, was coming from the corridor beyond the door of her attic conversion.
Slipping out of bed quickly, she marvelled for a moment at the fact she didn't ache anywhere, just as she hadn't in her mind. Then she slipped into the hallway just in time to find Jou and Honda bickering in the store room that had been converted into a spare bedroom before she'd come out of hospital after the gang incident. Or at least caught the tail end of it. As she waved to Honda, who had spotted her first, she realised she recognised the phase they were in now: 'glower-each-other-into-submission'. A phase she had just interrupted.
"Yuge!" Honda had spotted her first but Jou was the first to react, his bellow loud enough to set her ears ringing as he darted past his adversary in the debate and hugged Yugi so tightly she thought her ribs were going to crack again.
"Ack! Jou...need to breathe." Yugi gasped, ashamed she had worried him this much and yet pleased that he cared enough to be concerned. The blonde released her quickly at her complaint, looking her up and down.
"You're ok, right?" He asked, worry obvious as Honda nodded to her, concern in his features even if he wasn't as obvious about it as Jonouchi.
"Shadi's spell worked." Yugi nodded, noting the way Jou's expression darkened at her words.
"Shadi's spell had you screaming, hell it had Oneesan screaming." Jou glowered at her, "You were out for two days, Yugi!"
"Almost three." Honda interrupted Jou's ranting.
"Three..." Yugi squeaked. She'd figured maybe a few hours, maybe a day at worst, but she'd lost three days? "What about school?"
"Think you're sick." Jou pointed to a pile of books on the table just outside her door, "Wasn't far wrong. You still have to do your homework though." Some of the relief came back to Jou's features, along with amusement as Yugi sulked as she realised just how much schoolwork she had to do.
"Yugi." Yugi wheeled around at the softly spoken, but ever so concerned call. Her grandpa was stood in the living room doorway, watching her as if he wasn't sure if he was actually seeing her or whether she was just a figment of his imagination.
"Ojiisan..." Yugi started but didn't continue her apology. Not because she didn't want to, but because he had shot up the corridor with surprising speed for a man of his age and drawn his granddaughter into his arms. Yugi hugged him back just as tightly, ashamed when she realised that he was shaking heavily and tears were soaking her top.
They were there for a good while before Sugoroku pulled away and examined her carefully. "You gave me a fright, madam." He scolded Yugi, who didn't know what to say. "I've met Shadi before, he's not one to help people unless it helps him."
"He promised..." Yugi trailed off, feeling stupid now for trusting the man and worrying her friends and family.
Sugoroku sighed and led his granddaughter down to the living room. Once there he ushered her to the sofa before disappearing into the kitchen. Jou and Honda joined her as she waited for him to return, confusion obvious on her features. The elderly gentleman returned with tea and a slightly sad look.
"Ojiisan?" Yugi asked, worried.
"I have a lot to tell you, Yugi-chan." Her grandpa informed her, "And some of it you'll think you know and other parts are brand new, but all of it relates to what happened a few days ago. Before I tell you, however, I want to hear what you know about Shadi, your Puzzle and your other self."
"You know?" Jou yelped.
"He's been giving Oneesan pocket money." Yugi sighed, "She used it to buy me that leather vest I was wearing when I fell down the stairs."
"You didn't fall, that prick knocked you down them." Jou corrected her. Even if it had been Anzu's body, no-one counted that.
Yugi froze as she realised that Anzu wasn't there with the rest of them and she bit her lower lip as she asked, "Does she remember what happened?"
"No." The sound of a fourth voice joining the conversation made Yugi jump to her feet and wheel around to face the speaker. Before she completed the action Jou and Honda had moved between the newcomer and the two Mutous. "She remembers nothing and it would be kinder to leave it that way."
"Shadi." Sugoroku sounded about as amused as the two teenage boys, one of whom was vibrating with rage while the other gave the intruder the dirtiest look imaginable. "I believe we had an agreement."
Yugi blinked between her grandfather, a Master of Games in his own right, and Shadi, who had control over Shadow Games, just like Oneesan as Shadi let out a sound that was vaguely like amusement.
"Yes, I believe we did." Shadi agreed, "But I also have one with my Pharaoh, and my duties to her precede any agreement with you."
"Pharaoh?" Jou yelped, "Yuge? You have to be joking."
Yugi was just as shocked as Jou, partly because of what Shadi just said and partly because her grandfather hadn't seemed surprised at Shadi's announcement.
"Your duties don't include endangering my granddaughter's life, Tomb Keeper." Sugoroku glowered at the long dead Egyptian spirit. "Nor rendering her unconscious for three days."
"Ojiisan?" Yugi asked, completely confused, "What's going on?"
"He's not supposed to be here. I won his little trial." Sugoroku informed them.
"He Challenged you?" Sugoroku could hear the capital letter on the C and worked out swiftly what Yugi meant.
"A long time ago." The elderly gamer nodded, "When I recovered the Puzzle from its resting place." He looked at Yugi, noting the way her hand went to it instinctively, "He wasn't best pleased."
"But you told us..." Yugi blinked at him.
"I was trying to scare you into giving it up." Sugoroku admitted with a rueful smile. "But it belongs with you. For more than one reason."
"Those reasons are why I'm here now." Shadi interrupted, looking at Yugi. "My Pharaoh, I have a lot to tell you."
"I don't understand." Yugi looked confused. "Why are you calling me Pharaoh?"
"Some things are still hidden, even from us Tomb Keepers." Shadi told her, "But I have a lot to tell you none the less."
"Anything that helps Oneesan is better than nothing." Yugi spoke, her tone wavering in her nervousness. This was it, finally a chance to find out more about Oneesan, even if Shadi had thought she was a man. Maybe she'd even finally find out Oneesan's name. She had an odd feeling that Oneesan would almost be content without anything else if she could just have that.
Shadi considered the girl before him. He didn't think she was ready for the full story. He didn't think she would ever be ready but he could give her enough to get her started on the path. "Three thousand years ago the Pharaohs of Egypt wielded a great power. That power allowed them to protect Egypt from invasion and judge those who committed acts of evil."
"The Shadow Games." Yugi understood instantly, realising that while Oneesan didn't remember her past, the spirit had been acting on instinct by Challenging those that had, in her eyes, committed acts of evil by harming Yugi.
"Indeed." Shadi nodded, moving around the room so the Pharaoh could sit again and becoming amused when the two boys kept themselves between them at all times. "However a war erupted that threatened to destroy the known world. The forces of the Pharaoh battled with the Thief King and the demons at his disposal. Finally, when the Pharaoh's forces were almost defeated and the end of the world seemed imminent, the Pharaoh gave his," He paused and shook his head slightly as if he still couldn't believe it, "her life and sealed the Thief King, his demons and the Shadows away, ripping her soul in two in the process and trapping herself along with them."
"Oneesan did that?" Yugi asked, not entirely sure she believed him and awed if it was the truth.
Shadi didn't show the bemusement he was feeling at the girl's denseness. Did she honestly not understand? Perhaps she needed time to think it over properly. "When the Puzzle shattered the seal was completed and the Pharaoh's name and memories were taken from her. Her name became the key to the lock, and the Tomb Keepers were never allowed to know it."
"Then it's gone?" Yugi asked, worried and upset about that. "I mean... if she has no name..."
"Yuge?" Jou asked, not understanding, but concerned by how upset Yugi looked.
"No name, no afterlife." Sugoroku murmured. "Oneesan'll be trapped on this plane, forever."
"There has to be a way to get it back!" Yugi shot to her feet, hands balled into fists, shocking her friends, "There just has to be!"
"There is." Shadi allowed. "Just as the Thief King slipped his bonds, there is a way to find the Pharaoh's name without unleashing the Shadows on the world once again."
"How?" Yugi begged, though Shadi wasn't sure she meant to.
"In time you'll find out." Shadi told her, pleased that she was so easy to manipulate into following her destined path, "But for now you must focus on working with the one you call Oneesan. Right now neither of you are strong enough to survive if the Thief King manages to call his forces from the Shadows."
"But...?"
"That's all I can tell you for now." Shadi interrupted the Pharaoh's next question, "When the time is right, I'll be back." With that he disappeared without a trace.
"I hate when he does that." Sugoroku complained, rubbing the bridge of his nose and feeling the beginning of a headache coming on.
Yugi stared at the empty space where Shadi had been moments before for another few seconds then slumped back into the sofa, trying to process what she had just been told. Silence fell as none of them knew what to say.
Then Jou turned to Sugoroku, looking at the man with a whole new level of respect, "Wait, so you actually used to do the Lara Croft thing when you were younger?"
"Yes?" The elderly Game Master nodded, confused as to why, out of everything that was what Jou had picked up on.
"Awesome."