Ennead: My original plan for Imori...

“Hey Mutou-kun?” Yugi blinked and wheeled around to look at the speaker to find that Imori had followed her. She watched him warily, taking note of Oneesan’s sudden intense focus. Her older sister seemed to have taken a dislike to the boy for some reason and that was enough to have her on edge, “Look I wanted to apologise for today.”

Yugi let out a sigh. She had been unnecessarily harsh when she had turned him down but Ojiisan had been insistent that she never play a game of Dragon Cards. “I should apologise too.” She replied, smiling at his despite her unease. “I didn’t mean to snap earlier. It was uncalled for.”

“No, no,” Imori shook his head, looking embarrassed, “You were busy and your Ojiisan did say that no one should play it. I just thought it might have been, you know, superstition or something.” He pulled a small box out of his jacket pocket, “I meant to give you this earlier.”

Yugi blinked at him, able to feel Oneesan’s surprise also, and took the box. Inside was an anklet, a beautifully designed one. It had vines and lotus blossoms engraved into the thick, brass, hinged squares that made it up. Some kind of lacquer giving hints of colour to the flora. Yugi was shocked as she looked to Imori, “Not that I’m not grateful, but why?”

“For  returning my game yesterday.” Imori explained, looking sheepish, “I had a little pocket money left over after I bought that Monster Fighter game so I thought...”

“Thank you.” No one except her grandfather had ever bought her jewellery before, so Yugi wasn’t quite sure how to react. She hadn’t been doing anything special. It had just been the right thing to do. She hadn’t expected someone to reward her for it. “You didn’t have to...”

“I wanted to.” Imori smiled at her. “May I?” He asked, gesturing to the anklet.

Yugi nodded. It would be rude not to try it on after all and she could take it straight back off again. It wasn’t like wearing it for a few minutes would break the school dress code any more than wearing the Puzzle did.

Imori removed the anklet from the box and Yugi sat on a nearby desk. She felt her older sister bristle when he rolled up her right trouser leg and was then too busy smoothing Anesan’s emotions to see how he did up the clasp.

“Thank you.” Yugi smiled at him as he backed off, examining it from a distance. She had to admit it looked good on her. She couldn’t wear it for too long though, she had swimming later and she didn’t want to ruin it. When she reached for the clasp however, she found that she couldn’t get it undone.

“Umm, Imori, how do I undo it?” She asked, confused when the little lever that should have unlocked the clasp refused to move.

“Huh?” The boy looked just as baffled as he tried to undo it. After about a minute he pulled back, a worried expression on his face, “Uh oh.”

“Uh oh?” Yugi worried, ‘uh oh’ was never good.

“It’s stuck.” Imori’s expression moved towards embarrassment as he gave her a sheepish smile, “I can’t get it loose.”

“It’s alright.” Yugi mentally winced against the irritation that spiked over the link from Anesan even as she tried to reassure the boy. “I’ll work out how to get it off when I get home. It’ll be okay in the water right?”

“Should be.” Imori looked relieved that she wasn’t too mad at him, “Sorry Mutou-kun.”

“It’s an accident.” Yugi shrugged, “Don’t worry about it.” The bell rang for the end of the lunch break and Yugi hastily rolled down her trouser leg and grabbed her bag, “See you later.”

“See you.” Imori nodded and darted off.

Yugi let out an amused huff and headed for her own form room, intending to tell the others about the gift. Anzu looked a little worried, while Honda had expected Jou to start teasing her about potential boyfriend, only for the blonde to turn sulky.

None of them could undo the catch either, boding badly for getting the anklet off without breaking it later on day.

Anzu badgered her for information the entire way to the changing rooms. The other girl liked Imori about as much as the spirit of the Puzzle did and she worried for her friend. Yugi didn’t get much attention from guys and Anzu had heard rumours about Imori and his temper. She just didn’t want Yugi to get hurt.

Anzu’s fussing both amused and frustrated Yugi. She had no interest in dating in general right now. She couldn’t just date anyone. Whoever she went out with would have to cope with the fact she was possessed and it wouldn’t be fair to drag Anesan out on a date.

Even if she had been interested in dating, she wouldn’t date Imori. She got a weird vibe from him. Like there was something lurking below the surface. She wanted to think that it was just paranoia, she had been through quite a lot recently after all. However considering Anesan had taken an instant dislike to him too, she was going to listen to her instincts on that front.

She half wondered if he was possessed too but she didn’t really want to ask. There was no real easy way to bring it up after all and she didn’t really want to regain her reputation as a weirdo when she was finally making friends with her other classmates.

She got changed with Anzu, blushing slightly as she changed into the swimming costume she had had to buy from the school. Not having to buy her own was a blessing and a curse. A blessing because she would have been really embarrassed to show up in her old swimming costume  but a curse because it meant she could now fit in the girl’s uniform. 

She had been informed that she could finish the term in the boy’s getup, but when the next term started, she would have to wear the girl’s uniform. She was dreading it. The jacket was a horrible colour and the skirt was so short she could wear it as a belt. She was tempted to take after Anzu, who wore shorts underneath it to prevent boys getting a flash of her underwear.

It was good though. It meant she’d grown some over the course of the term. Though she was still the smallest in her year, she at least had filled out a bit and, as Anzu had insisted, she did look much more feminine with longer hair now it no longer looked like a starfish.

She practically leapt from the changing room to the pool, not wanting to stand around with this little on and amusing Anzu no end as she splashed into the pool.

“Mutou!” The teacher scolded, “No cannonballs!”

The lesson progressed smoothly after that. As they assessed the swimming skills of the class as a whole, Yugi was pleased to find that for once she was placed in the upper most group. She’d always enjoyed swimming, it was the only sport she was even vaguely good at, mostly because her grandfather had insisted on swimming lessons from a young age. To find she was actually better than some of her more athletic classmates made her grin.

As the lesson came to a close, Yugi stayed in the pool to do a few more lengths. She had no intention of getting out until most of her classmates had left the area. She was normally one of the last back to the changing rooms anyway. Sometimes she even took so long that there was no one around to see her. In hindsight it probably hadn’t helped the gender misconception.

A loud ruckus from the girls’ changing rooms caused the female teacher to dart in to see what was going on and caught the attention of the group of teenagers hanging around the edge of the pool. Yugi headed for the side herself, concerned that something serious had happened.

Halfway there, Yugi felt something ‘shift,’ like the world had suddenly moved sideways, and she didn’t have time to do more than let out a startled yelp before it felt like her right ankle had a concrete block attached to it and she sank like a stone.

She hit the bottom of the pool, the water closing up over her head. With the surface more than a meter above her, Yugi didn’t waste time trying to reach for it. Instead she reached her for ankle, trying to work out what had happened and how to free herself from the weight still pinning her to the floor.

The anklet she had been given pressed into her foot painfully as she tried to lift it, only to find that it was the present itself that was weighing her down.

Surprise and fear seeped in as she fiddled with the clasp, trying to undo the anklet and free herself. Had Imori known what his gift would do? He had to have done, surely, or whoever he had gotten it from but she didn’t know what she’d done to him to deserve this.

The catch remained as jammed as it had earlier.

Yugi had to cover her nose and mouth with one hand as her body started screaming for air, resorting to tugging on the anklet with her other hand, trying to pull it off. It didn’t help, she wasn’t strong enough to break the suddenly far too heavy hinges between brass squares.

Desperation sank in as she realised she was stuck, trapped far below the surface and it was likely that no one had seen her go under. She tugged and tugged, panic making her heart race and only aiding in making the need for air that much more pronounced.

Then there was a pair of splashes from above her and suddenly there were two others in the pool with her. Yugi’s eyes widened as she recognised the blonde mop and the brunette spike as her friends, relief causing her to settle down slightly.

The pair tried to pull her to the surface, only for the weight at her ankle to keep her down. When the pulling didn’t work, Yugi gestured to her ankle. Honda swam down to it. When she managed to get across that it was the anklet causing the problem, she felt him fiddling with the clasp for a moment before he winced and shot for the surface.

Yugi’s mind was swimming, her lungs constricting painfully as Jou swam down to see what he could do. It was only the hand covering her lower face that prevented the reflexive breath that her body was trying to take.

Suddenly the pressure at her ankle was gone as Jou managed to break the catch by yanking on it. A dull thud sounded as the jewellery hit the pool’s floor, but Jou was already dragging her up. Yugi didn’t have the strength to swim herself, but it didn’t matter as Honda rejoined them and within seconds the trio had broken the surface.

Yugi gasped for breath the moment she was clear of the water, coughing and spluttering as she took in the air she’d so desperately desired. Jou shifted her in his arms so she was on her back and he was supporting her with his body. One arm wrapped around her chest tightly enough that she wouldn’t slip loose and sink again, but not tight enough to prevent her regaining her breath while the other helped him strike out for the side.

The two boys got her to the side, where the teacher, who looked pale, helped them pull her out. “What happened?” The teacher demanded, confusion and concern obvious as she took control of the situation.

“C...Cramp.” Yugi gasped out, the world around her still spinning. She felt sick and trying to think wasn’t helping.

The teacher looked at the two boys who nodded in agreement, glad Yugi had managed to come out with an excuse as neither of them had managed to think of a sane version of ‘Yugi’s jewellery was cursed.’

Once the teacher was satisfied that Yugi could walk on her own, she entrusted her to her friends’ safety and insisted that they take her down to the nurse’s office to get checked over before they went home. She wasn’t convinced about Yugi’s story that she had caught her foot on something while swimming along the bottom to shore. However she had reports to file and a pool to get checked, just in case, so she left them too it.

The moment the teacher was gone, Jou let out a savage snarl. “I’m going to kill Imori.”

“What else did he do?” Anzu asked, hovering in the door to the pool as Yugi got herself changed in the girls’ changing room.

“What do you mean ‘else’?” Jou demanded only to shove past Anzu when Yugi let out a despairing moan. “Yuge?”

“My Puzzle!” Panic was etched on her features as she pulled apart the contents of her backpack and tossed her clothes everywhere. “It’s gone!”

Sneakpeak: - Ennead: For Those We Love: Chapter 4

“Stupid bimbo.” Haga grumbled as he rolled the dice and failed, yet again, to get the right number. His last seven rolls had been the same.

Glancing over at Yugi only irritated him further. She seemed to be having all the luck. Once again she was fitting a piece of her statue into place, the second bulbous eye slipping into place easily, leaving just two legs left to insert into the antlike carapace.

He was sure she had to be cheating. That her calm facade was a mask, hiding a smug smirk as she fiddled her rolls in order to cheat him out of victory. No one’s luck was as good as she was trying to make out hers was.

She glanced over at him, waiting for him to take his turn so she could cheat and put one of the last legs in. He just knew it. Anger bubbled away in side him as he picked his die up. She had no right to test him, to judge him.

Yes, she was technically World Champion at his game but that was only down to sheer dumb luck. She would never have defeated Kaiba if it had not been for the fact she had drawn Exodia out of her deck. Now the cards were his. If he couldn’t have them, no one could. Especially not some jumped up rookie duelist. They were wasted on her.

“Finally.” He grouched as he rolled a one, allowing him to add a leg to his almost limbless statue, anger roiling away under the surface as Yugi turned away to take her own turn.

He considered his options. He was not going to win. That much was becoming obvious. She would have to have an insanely bad run of luck to lose now. She was just too far ahead.

But there was something he could do to stop her winning. Their statues and the parts that went with them were colour coded. His green and hers purple. If he stole one of her leg pieces, she couldn’t finish her statue.

He picked up one of the purple legs, grimacing as he tried to work out how such a wimpy looking girl could lift such heavy parts with such ease. He didn’t think to wonder why the purple leg felt like it weighed a ton as he staggered over to his statue and slid the leg into place.

Out of nowhere a wind started up, pushing him away from the now mismatched statue, making him stumble backwards and trip over one of the eye pieces belonging to his statue, hitting the floor with a yelp.

“Well, that was predictable.” Yugi scowled at him as he rubbed his rear, moving away from her statue and stalking towards him, darkness flaring up around her like flames. “Though I did expect it would happen earlier.”

Haga’s smart-alec comment died in his throat as he stared up at her. This wasn’t the Yugi he had talked to earlier. The innocent looking girl with wide, purple eyes, from earlier was gone. Instead this was a vengeful teenager with sharp red eyes and a scowl, who seemed to control the darkness around them like it was an extension of her.

“You cheated Haga.” She informed him, “And for that you will pay.”

“I...I...” Haga stammered, his hand slipping into the pocket where he had stowed the Exodia cards, “He...Here!” He offered them, “You can have them...”

“It’s a little late for that, Haga.” She snapped at him, glowering, “If you had played by the rules, that would have been enough. Now, however...”

Haga started trembling, fear and anger mingling, as he pulled his hand back and stared up at her. The flames that surrounded her were as cold as ice and as they licked around his feet he could feel his toes going numb.

She was a sorceress, there was no other explanation for it. That was how she had been cheating. She had been using her magic to rig the game!

Anger overtook him as the chill continued up his legs and he realised that he had never stood a chance. That she was stood there, looking down on him, judging him.

How dare she? How dare she?!

Well he could get one last shot in before she cast whatever horrible spell she was planning to cast.

“You think you’re so great.” Haga snarled, getting to his feet, “You’re just like everyone else, a lying, cheating cow.” He glowered at her, “You think you’re above everyone else? Just because you can make people see things and create things from nothing?” His expression shifted, to one of a vicious smirk, “Well say goodbye to Exodia.”

He had just enough time to tear the stack of cards in half before the Shadows swarmed him.

When I planned for Bakura to deal with Hirutani in Ennead: Season Zero

The screams from the thief before her as the Shadows consumed him, mind, body and soul, did not faze her in the slightest. He was nowhere near her calibre. More concerned with finding the fastest way to his prize and causing as much damage as possible rather than doing the job with speed, dignity and style.

 Not that dealing with a lousy thief had been in her plans for the evening when she had left the house. She had only been seeking to work out what the local area was like around her ‘landlord’s’ new home. When she had run into a local who had been touched by the Shadows, she had thought she might find something interesting. Possibly even useful.

It had not been hard to talk the ticked off teenager out of his bad mood and when she had mentioned she had an interest in games, he had been more than enthusiastic in his wanting to introduce her to a ‘Gamer friend’ of his. Of course he had not expected to come home to a break in.

She had not recognised the victim to start with, not properly. Her anger had been more for the sheer incompetence shown by the thief and the fact that while she did not recognise the victim fully, something in her was screaming at her that she needed to save her.

When she had pulled the girl away from her captor, she realised she recognised her and there was a reason she had needed to save her. The girl she was untying was the one she had been waiting for. The one who had trapped her in the Ring all those years ago.

Part of her wanted to end the threat before it could get off of the ground, especially when the girl, whose name was Yugi if she had heard the boy correctly, had begged her to go and get her Puzzle. However sanity had won out. She had waited three thousand years for ‘Yugi’ to reincarnate. She needed her alive in order to finally be able to get her hands on all of the Millennium Items after they all gravitated to the Pharaoh.

She had not dared hope that the Puzzle itself had been completed though. Not when the Pharaoh seemed so weak and helpless. She had expected to go into the girl’s bedroom and pick up the golden box it lived in. When she had seen that it was finally finished though, her temper had snapped.

She had waited three thousand years for the Pharaoh to reincarnate and complete the Puzzle, three thousand years of watching, waiting and hunting and some idiot had nearly ruined everything! Her own roommate, the demon she had made a deal with back in Egypt had been just a furious.

He had waited three thousand years to destroy the one member of Akhenamkhanen’s family who had escaped his wrath all those years ago. The Pharaoh was his to ruin, torture and feed to the Shadows piece by agonizing piece. No one was allowed to kill her. No one except him and he would take great pleasure out of teaching the moron who had dared to attempt to steal his kill, a lesson.

The brat had not lasted more than a turn and a half before cheating and she was more than happy to allow the Shadows to consume the brute she had been dealing with. He deserved everything he got in her opinion and she had much bigger fish to fry.

Sneakpeak: Ennead: For Those We Love Chapter 2

They weren’t the only ones who were early, there were plenty of Duellists waiting for the boat alongside them. Yugi recognised some of them. Near the front of the queue she could see Insector Haga and Dinosaur Ryuzaki bickering about something. Further back was Kaijiki Ryota, the ocean based Duellist who only really seemed to be interested in big tournaments where there were large amounts of prize money at stake.

The only other female Duellist there spotted her and left her place in the queue to come and talk to her. Jou, who had been babbling in his nervousness about getting caught out and sent away, went silent as the tall, well built and beautiful blonde young woman joined them.

“Mutou Yugi?” Kujaku asked, looking Yugi over.

“T...that’s right.” Yugi nodded, bowing quickly to the woman who had inspired her, currently short, professional Duelling career.

“My name’s Kujaku Mai.” Mai returned the bow briefly, blanking Jou as he tried to introduce himself, “I was hoping you would be here.”

“Oh?” Yugi asked, unable to help but be surprised as she hadn’t thought Kujaku would even know who she was.

“When someone beats the World Champion, I make it my business to find out more about them.” Mai chuckled at her, “Especially when it’s a girl. Of course we’re still in the minority, as you can see.” Mai gestured around to the crowd, “But I’ve noticed there are more girls interested thanks to you. I’m almost jealous.”

“You are?” Yugi asked, confused.

“I’ve been trying to get other women interested in the game for years.” Mai nodded, “We’re smarter than guys after all.”

“Hey!” One of the male Duellists nearby who weren’t entranced by Mai’s appearance protested.

“I...”

“I look forward to seeing you in the finals, Yugi.” Mai cut off what Yugi was going to say as the queue started moving, shooting towards the front of the line where a couple of guys moved to let her back into the place she had abandoned much more willingly than they would have done for anyone else.

Yugi started moving with the line, shaking her head in amusement when she realised Jou hadn’t moved from where he’d been stood when Mai had left.

“Hey Jou, Earth to Jou.” She chuckled, waving a hand in his face, “Line’s moving. Come on.”

“Wha?” Jou did a double take and looked around, before sheepishly following her.

Sneakpeek: Ennead: For Those We Love Chapter 3

“Well...” Yugi sighed as she zipped up her backpack and looked around her room for any last items she might have missed, “I think that’s everything.”

Her voice echoed around the room and no audible reply answered her, but reassurance bounced down the link and she felt ghostly hands on her shoulders, steadying her and easing the nervousness coursing through her.

“Anesan...” Yugi breathed, wishing that they could talk. She knew her older sister could hear her and she could hear the spirit of the Puzzle’s words whenever she wasn’t in control of the body but they still couldn’t exchange words between them. Emotions and gestures, yes, but no words and with less than twelve hours until they reached Duelist Kingdom they needed to come up with some way of beating Pegasus.

There was still time to come up with a plan, but there wouldn’t be for much longer and Yugi was worried. She couldn’t and wouldn’t retract her offer to Jou. He needed to go and needed the money, but she couldn’t help but worry that if they failed, if they couldn’t beat Pegasus, he would continue his rampage against those she cared about.

It didn’t help that they just didn’t know enough to be able to plan properly. Pegasus knew how to use the Millennium Eye’s full powers and had already proved that he could use it’s abilities to read their mind turns in advance. He would know their plans the moment they did, making the upcoming Duel unwinnable. Unless, of course, they could find a way to block his mind reading.

She felt the ghostly hands leave her shoulders and her elder sister’s emotions retreat from her mind, guilt following her back into the Puzzle. Yugi winced, wishing she had been more careful about what she had been thinking. The spirit of the Puzzle felt horrible about letting her pride cost them the Duel against Pegasus in the first place.

“I’m sorry.” Yugi apologised aloud as she snatched up her bag, hoping that the spirit of the Puzzle could hear her, “I didn’t mean to... I know you didn’t mean to... We’ll do this. I know we will.” Silence echoed in her heart, causing her to let out a sigh as she joined Jou in the living room just in time to hear a car horn outside.

“You ready, Yuge?” Jou asked, already heading for the back door where the taxi was be waiting for them.

“As I’ll ever be.” Yugi nodded, following him out the door, turning off the lights and locking up as she did so. “Have you got everything ? Deck? Wallet? Keys?” She asked as she slipped into the taxi to the docks.

“Everything bar the kitchen sink.” Jou confirmed, “And I would have packed that too if it would have fitted in the bag.”

For Those We Love: Chapter 3 Intro

“Well...” Yugi sighed as she zipped up her backpack and looked around her room for any last items she might have missed, “I think that’s everything.”

Her voice echoed around the room and no audible reply answered her, but reassurance bounced down the link and she felt ghostly hands on her shoulders, steadying her and easing the nervousness coursing through her.

“Anesan...” Yugi breathed, wishing that they could talk. She knew her older sister could hear her and she could hear the spirit of the Puzzle’s words whenever she wasn’t in control of the body but they still couldn’t exchange words between them. Emotions and gestures, yes, but no words and with less than twelve hours until they reached Duelist Kingdom they needed to come up with some way of beating Pegasus.

There was still time to come up with a plan, but there wouldn’t be for much longer and Yugi was worried. She couldn’t and wouldn’t retract her offer to Jou. He needed to go and needed the money, but she couldn’t help but worry that if they failed, if they couldn’t beat Pegasus, he would continue his rampage against those she cared about.

It didn’t help that they just didn’t know enough to be able to plan properly. Pegasus knew how to use the Millennium Eye’s full powers and had already proved that he could use it’s abilities to read their mind turns in advance. He would know their plans the moment they did, making the upcoming Duel unwinnable. Unless, of course, they could find a way to block his mind reading.

She felt the ghostly hands leave her shoulders and her elder sister’s emotions retreat from her mind, guilt following her back into the Puzzle. Yugi winced, wishing she had been more careful about what she had been thinking. The spirit of the Puzzle felt horrible about letting her pride cost them the Duel against Pegasus in the first place.

Awesome 'Ennead: For Those We Love' Fanart

This was done by Jack3Dragon for Ennead: For Those We Love

It's awesome and I love it

Ennead: Ancient Bit: Part 16

“You will return to the palace to stand trial, Bakura!” Mahad was snarling, his Magus of Illusion locked in battle with the thief mage’s Diabound.

“Return to the palace?” Bakura demanded, with a bitter laugh which made the messenger that the Pharaoh had sent flinch, “For a trial? What trial? The Pharaoh has already decided I should die, has she not?”

‘She?’ The messenger couldn’t help but wonder as Diabound loosed an attack that tore up the ground and nearly blew Mahad and his mage away. As it was the pair had to pick themselves out of the sand.

“If I had my way, you would die for your crime, right here and now!” Mahad snapped at her, his Magus covering for him as he got up.

“My crime?!” Bakura stared, in furious disbelief, “My only crime was to trust the Pharaoh! That treacherous, backstabbing witch! I should have outted her secret to the rabble years ago and watched them tear her apart! Diabound!”

Another blast flew through the air. This time Mahad and his Ka beast managed to dodge it and it struck one of the nearby buildings.

“You betrayed her!” Mahad seemed to be considering something as he stepped back, moving away from the battle slightly, “She trusted you and your men nearly killed her!”

“I have done nothing to her! Not yet!” Bakura retorted, her eyes narrowing, “And she’s the one who ordered my execution! She wasn’t even noble enough to see the sentence through herself!”

Mahad paused, confusion obvious on his features and Bakura took the opportunity it presented. Her Ka beast vanished for a moment before appearing behind Mahad. The High Priest had just enough time to half turn to see what was happening before he was blasted at point blank range.

The messenger watched in horror as Mahad screamed in agony as the beam of light struck, consuming the High Priest, whose cry died as he did. Then he had to shield his eyes from the sand and dust that had been kicked up by the attack.

When he could look again, when everything had died down, he saw the Magus of Illusion warp and shift, taking on a new form, one that looked a lot like the newly deceased Priest, before fading away entirely.

Bakura moved towards the crater where the High Priest had once stood, a look on her face that spoke of an odd mix or shame, victory, delight and disgust. She picked up all the remained of the High Priest, the golden treasure that had been entrusted to him when he had joined the upper echelon of the court and stared at it for a moment before looking around at the few remaining men who had come with Mahad.

As one they turned and ran. She didn’t let them get far before she destroyed them and turned to the messenger’s hiding place.

Having seen what had happened to the High Priest, he didn’t even bother trying to run. Instead he bowed at her feet, hoping that begging would make her spare him.

“Please.” He tried, “Please, I have a wife and child. I’m not a warrior, or a mage, I’m just a messenger.”

“Oh?” Bakura growled at him, “Look at me.” The messenger did just that, willing to follow her orders if she would spare him. “I think your message is for the dead. Should I send you to give it to them?”

“No!” The messenger backed up, “No, it’s for you. Only for you. From the Pharaoh.” And he didn’t care that the Pharaoh was a woman, or that Bakura had been helping her lie to the people, he just wanted to live.

“I don’t want to hear anything from her.” Bakura snarled, pointing the blade she had been wielding against Mahad at him.

“Please…” The messenger begged, terrified now, “Please don’t kill me.”

“Leave.” Bakura growled at him, lowering her weapon, “Now. And you can pass a message onto her majesty for me.”

“S…sure, whatever you want.” He nodded.

“Tell her that for breaking her word and attempting to bury the truth, I pass judgement on her. When next we meet, she dies.”

An Ennead Christmas Poem

Twas the night before Christmas, and through all Domino
There was a great battle of Shadows and snow,
Bakura on one side, and Yugi on the other,
They chased through the streets, pelting each other.

With Jou, Honda and Anzu joining the fun,
They fought and they played till the battle was won.
Then back to the shop they travelled together,
To escape from the worsening weather.

When all were inside and the snacks all given out,
From downstairs there came a great shout.
Down to the shop, Yugi shot like a dart,
Hoping against hope that there were no dark arts.

Down on the ground floor, Ojiisan was pale,
As morons bagged up things that were not for sale.
The Pharaoh took over and drove them away,
But they swore to come back yet another day.

Unwilling to let them ruin the holiday season,
Oneesan gave chase despite rhyme or reason.
She cornered the group while hunting her prey,
Insistent that for their crimes they would pay.

The gang turned on her, each much bigger by far,
One picking up a huge metal bar!
The Pharaoh didn’t flinch, she knew what to do,
And warned the gang that from now they were through.

They laughed and they laughed, doubting she was a threat,
Until she called forth the Shadows and challenged the set.
It took little time to beat them, they were just that thick,
And none of them had expected that trick.

Switching back with her light side, the Pharaoh retreated
Ready to relax now her task was completed.
They headed for home, through the dark and the snow,
Though now with the weather their journey was slow.

Her friends met her halfway home, having been worried,
And out of the storm they hurried and scurried.
Once back at the shop, the festivities did start,
Easing the worry in the Mutous’ hearts.

Gifts were exchanged and snacks were demolished,
The worry from earlier was completely abolished!
And by the time her friends left, Yugi was quite ready,
For tomorrow’s holiday. She wished it was here already!

Once friends were all gone and mess tidied away,
Yugi went to bed to await Christmas Day.
So completely exhausted from the earlier fight,

That before too long she was out like a light.

She wasn’t awake when there were sounds from the roof,
With a thud and a jingle, she missed foot and hoof.
Oneesan however woke in a flash,
And headed to find out what would make such a big crash.

In the living room near the tree, she found a strange man,
He obviously had some evil plan.

Dressed all in red with a white beard and a sack.
She watched as quite quickly he started to unpack.

Confusion flowed through her as he left behind toys,
And vanished away with a great deal of joy.
And as she headed back to check on her light,
She heard him call "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Ennead: Ancient Bit: Part 15

Mana was nervous as she entered the Pharaoh’s bedchambers. Not because of where she was, or who she was talking to. The Pharaoh had been her friend since childhood and though she had to show the ‘proper’ respect in front of everyone else, when it was them alone, they could be more themselves.

No, the nervousness came from the Pharaoh, who was still recovering from the poison, which had taken three more doses of the antidote to leave her system entirely, asking for her to come alone to discuss recent events.

If the Pharaoh wanted to discuss what had happened with her and only her, Mana couldn’t help but worry that the Pharaoh had somehow learned about the lessons Ba-Khu-Ra had been giving her before she had left for Kul Elna and wanted to confront her before bringing the guards down on her head.

She knew she was being paranoid, but Mahad’s constant ranting about the ‘traitor,’ and how anyone who had associated with her and aided in the attempted assassination would lose their heads if he had his way was making her nervous.

She stepped into the bedchambers to find the Pharaoh was on her balcony, the one that overlooked the courtyard where the fight had taken place. As Mana stepped up cautiously, shutting the door most of the way behind her, the Pharaoh spoke up, her voice a little unsteady.

“Do you believe Ba-Khu-Ra is a traitor too?”

Mana paused to consider the question, wondering if she was expected to actually speak her mind, or just agree with the crowd.

“A simple yes or no would suffice.” The Pharaoh continued as she leaned against the railing, using it to support her weight instead of her still unsteady legs.

“May I speak my mind?” Mana asked her ruler, hoping for a positive answer.

“I would welcome it.” The Pharaoh snorted in reply, half turning to look at her.

“I think,” Mana started as she moved to her Pharaoh’s side, “That if Ba-Khu-Ra wanted you dead, she wouldn’t waste her time hiring mercenaries to kill you.”

“Finally.” The Pharaoh breathed, relief obvious, “Someone that agrees with me.”

“My Pharaoh?” Mana asked, confused.

“Everyone’s so focused on what the mercenary said, despite him admitting he never saw the face of the woman who hired him, that they’re blocking out any other options.” The Pharaoh pointed out, “I don’t believe she hired them for one simple reason.”

“Oh?” Mana asked, wondering if it was the same reason she could think of.

“If Ba-Khu-Ra wanted me dead, she wouldn’t hire someone to take me out with a quick acting poison.” The Pharaoh shrugged, “She’d do the deed herself, make it slow and painful and she would ensure that I knew every excruciating detail of why.”

“You are far too calm about that.” Mana wondered at the older teen.

“Sometimes it’s nice to know where the danger lies.” The Pharaoh explained, “At least with Ba-Khu-Ra I never had to worry about getting a dagger in the back. At least not after the first couple of months.” The Pharaoh sighed, “And if she wanted my demise, she had plenty of opportunities before she and Akhenaden went to Kul Elna. I was even alone with her the morning she left. Why not kill me then?”

“You believe someone’s making Ba-Khu-Ra the scapegoat.” Mana realized.

“Indeed.” The Pharaoh turned to look at her properly, “I’m no fool, Mana. I know what you and Ba-Khu-Ra were up to in your spare time and don’t bother lying about it.”

Mana, who had been about to try and cover her tracks closed her mouth.

“I want you to use those skills to find out who really hired those men and help me bring them to justice.” And clear Ba-Khu-Ra’s name was left unsaid but clear enough.

“My Pharaoh, what if it’s someone within the palace?” Mana asked, “Or one of your High Priests?”

“I highly suspect it is.” The Pharaoh grimaced, “Though once again I have no proof.”

“Akhenaden?” Mana yelped, before glancing around, double checking they couldn’t be overheard before continuing, “He wouldn’t be so foolish, surely? He’s already in disgrace.”

“My uncle stands to gain everything if I die.” The Pharaoh pointed out, “And by getting Ba-Khu-Ra blamed for the attempt, he removed a thorn from his side.”

“How do you want me to proceed?” Mana asked cautiously, well aware that Akhenaden could read minds, which made sneaking around him difficult at best.

“Carefully.” The Pharaoh’s reply made her smile slightly, “In the mean time I’m going to send a runner with a message for Ba-Khu-Ra. She needs to be made aware of the current situation. Preferably before Mahad arrives to arrest her.”

Ennead: Ancient Bits: Part 13

Ba-Khu-Ra glowered at the pile of bodies that she had left behind. The guards that had attacked her hadn't stood a chance of actually killing her after she had called forth Diabound and now there was just one guard still breathing.

"Who ordered you to attack me?" Ba-Khu-Ra demanded with a scowl, Diabound squeezing the man in his grip, causing a pained cry to escape the royal guard.

He didn't answer, instead he focused on trying to struggle free of the naga like, stone skinned creature's grip. Ba-Khu-Ra let out a frustrated growl and gestured to Diabound who tightened his crushing grip enough for Ba-Khu-Ra to hear a crack and the guard to screech.

"Now, as I was saying, who's orders were you acting on?"

"The Pharaoh's!" The guard yelped, "It was Pharaoh's orders."

"What?" That Ba-Khu-Ra hadn't expected. Akhenaden's probably, Shada's maybe, hell even Mahad was a possibility, but the Pharaoh herself? Why would the Pharaoh, who had been her friend for years, order her death now? It didn't make any sense, especially after the Pharaoh had supported her in court and promised to ensure that she got her revenge on the man who had murdered her people.

"The Pharaoh ordered us to kill you." The guard gasped, his breath short and pained before he paused to cough up blood, causing Ba-Khu-Ra to grimace as she realized she had punctured one of his lungs and he probably wouldn't be able to talk too much longer. "And bury the evidence Kul Elna ever existed."

Ba-Khu-Ra froze. She wouldn't. The Pharaoh couldn't. She had promised! Promised! That the people of Kul Elna would get justice and the afterlife they deserved. There was no way...

‘Except the Pharaoh had lived a lie her entire life. What was this in comparison to pulling the wool over the eyes of all of Egypt?’

No, the Pharaoh wasn't like that. They were friends. The Pharaoh had tried to help her get justice for years. There was no way that she would suddenly turn on her like this. There had to be a good reason for it.

"When did he give you those orders?" Ba-Khu-Ra demanded, glowering at the man, even now keeping her friend's secret from the dying Guard, hoping to get something out of the man that would give lie to his belief.

"Our commander met with the Pharaoh and he ordered your death." The Guard replied, "Along with the destruction of what was left of the village. He didn't want the truth of the Millennium Items getting out."

‘Of course the Pharaoh wouldn't. She lived her entire life under the creed 'what's best for the people.' She was pretending to be her brother in order to prevent chaos and rioting amongst the rabble. Imagine the nightmare that admitting how the Millennium Items were created would cause amongst the commoners.’

Except the Pharaoh had shown no signs of wanting to kill her when they had left the palace to come here.

‘Had she not? She sent you out into the desert with a man who hated her and a group of guards who had been sent to aid him. If it hadn't been for us,’ The voices reminded her, ‘You would have been killed.’

"You lie." The Pharaoh had supported her, upheld her side, argued with her High Priests about what should be done about the problem Akhenaden had caused and now needed to fix.

"No, I don't." The guard replied, "After all, why would a low life piece of scum ever think the Pharaoh would truly turn against his family and High Priests? He was never on your side. He just played you."

Ba-Khu-Ra's anger flared at that and she made a gesture to Diabound that had the creature crush the guard, killing him slowly and painfully as she stalked away, looking for any other targets she could annihilate.

‘The Pharaoh supported you.’ The voices agreed, ‘But that support was in a closed court where the only people who had heard what had happened to Kul Elna were the High Priests, you and Pharaoh herself. She had practically ordered you to keep what had happened to yourself and hasn’t told Seth or Mana, despite the fact that both were High Priests in training.

There was no way someone who lived a lie in order to prevent the country descending into chaos would want this secret free amongst the rabble. It made sense that she would try to get rid of the evidence and the only person who knew the truth outside of her court.’

Ba-Khu-Ra didn’t want to agree, but she could see the truth behind the voices.

’The Pharaoh is just as bad as her uncle. She would take away our only chance of moving on. Would keep the truth a secret and allow us to wander Duat for eternity in order to keep her power.’ The voices continued, weaving around Ba-Khu-Ra as they did so, ‘She betrayed you. Wants you dead. Broke her promise. She will send more men to finish the job when she hears you survived. We could destroy her. We SHOULD destroy her. Alongside everyone else who dares to use the items that we paid with our blood and souls to create. We can give you that power. All you have to do in exchange is gather the Millennium Items so we can be free. Free from our slavery and imprisonment. Free to move on.’

She knew she shouldn’t listen. Mahad had tried to teach her to block them out so she didn’t have to, but they made too much sense and they wanted to help her. Wanted to give her the power to take down the entire rotten court.

And she would do it. She had only stayed her hand this long because she thought that by working within the palace she could help the Pharaoh make things better and get her revenge on the men who had ruined her home and her life.

But the Pharaoh was a liar and a backstabber. She was as bad as the rest of her family and she should pay, just like the others. In fact Ba-Khu-Ra would make her suffer first…

‘Well?’ The voices asked, ‘Will you accept our power?’

“Yes.” Ba-Khu-Ra nodded, “Yes, I will.”