The Past of the Present Future

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Timeline III, known universe: Domino City, Japan 

Cold. Wet. His hair started to turn damp from the continuous drizzle of rain, and the wind tugged at his shenti, the fabric too thin for this type of weather. His cloak was all that was keeping him warm and he tried to wrap it around himself as much as possible. The slippers on his feet were already soiled by mud from the garden he was trespassing in, twigs snapping and leaves crumbling as he walked, searching for that weak light he saw earlier. 

The hunger pains were worsening by the second; he was using the last of his strength to even move, to put his one foot in front of the other, forcing himself with pure willpower to stand upright and walk. He was approaching the light, his thoughts wrapped in prayers to the Gods for food, dry clothing, people…if there were any people, he could ask them where he was, what was going on. Even if they didn’t know all the answers, they would be able to give him at least some kind of information, wouldn’t they? Pushing some low-hanging branches out of the way, he made his way through what he thought was a garden, finally ending up on some kind of path…a path filled with pebbles. Too distracted by the hunger pains to feel his hurting feet, he stumbled towards the light, which was shining from some kind of dwelling. 

It was made out of wood, the planks dripping from the steadily increasing rain. He searched for a door, finding it on the north side, and he banged his hand on the door, barely realizing he was crying out in his native language, to please open up. There was no answer. Desperately, he tried the door handle himself, and to his relief, it opened immediately. His luck would be more complete if he would find something to eat, and he smiled in deep gratitude when he saw the Gods hadn’t left him, after all. The shed - there were all kinds of tools here, and nothing indicated any inhabitation - was also room to a rickety table and a chair, and on the table was some kind of box and a strange looking goblet in screaming red and yellow colors.  

Quickly he went to the table, opening the box. There was bread inside, and forgetting all his manners, he hastily took a few large bites, so hasty that he almost choked. The funny goblet had a large cap onto it and when he took it off, its content revealed to be milk. Gratefully drinking, he sat down, relief evident on his face. He was so occupied by his food that he failed to notice two pairs of curious eyes, carefully watching him.  


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Yami wasn’t so sure what he was supposed to be thinking. For millennia, he’d been trapped in a golden object, and for the first time since millennia, he had possession of a body again, able to walk and move around as much as he wanted to, to pick up things himself, to turn on the TV if he wanted to…he felt strangely naked despite being clothed, and strangely out of balance.  

After Mana had left and Yuugi rushing after her, apparently having forgotten something to ask, he had wandered around the apartment while Anzu had gone to the kitchen to fix them some tea, simply finding ways to pass the time and grow more used to his new body. 

Yami stood in front of the large bookcase, the large volumes on history immediately catching his attention. Was all this talk about timelines true? Did he believe them, those two who bore such uncanny resemblance to two monsters from a popular card game? He should believe them, after all he’d seen involving the Sennen Items - the memory of Pegasus and his Eye was still fresh. Curiously, he reached for a book and plucked it from the shelf, opening it. It felt so…heavy in his arms. 

“Mou hitori no…I mean, Yami,” Anzu said as she entered the study, carrying two cups of tea. It didn’t surprise her that he was standing in front of a bookcase, with a large book on Ancient Pharaohs in his hands. 

“Anzu,” he said, closing the book and returning it to its place on the shelf. “Ah, tea.” 

“I thought we both could use something warm,” she said. Her stomach was a little unsettled from the warm and spicy food she had for lunch, but it was nothing worrisome. She glanced out the window - it was raining. She moved to sit on the windowsill, patting next to her for him to sit down. 

“How do you feel?” 

“I feel…awkward,” he said as his fingers fumbled for the tea cup. “When I was still sharing aibou’s body, everything came so naturally to me. It is like I have to learn everything all over again.” 

“Still, it’s a great opportunity,” Anzu said, smiling over the rim of her cup to him.  

“That is true,” he agreed, blowing at the hot liquid. “I am curious as to how long this spell will remain, though.” 

“Let’s just…not think about that already.” She placed a hand on his knee, keeping her gaze focused on him. 

“You are right,” he said. “Let just think about the matters at hand for now.” 

“Are you going to run off to save the world again?” 

He looked a little quizzically at her, then down at her hand lying on his knee, but he didn’t comment on it.  

“If that is what is expected of me, I will do so, Anzu. I am here to find my name and my memories, and to save the world from destruction.” 

“You already went through so much,” she said, her fingers tracing idle patterns on the fabric of his pants. “And according to Mana, there’s even more awaiting you.” 

“If I am truly a Pharaoh…then I will face what is awaiting me with pride and dignity,” he said, sipping his tea. “I cannot sit down and watch idly while others do the fighting.” 

“You’ve already fought so much. Duelist Kingdom…” 

He looked at her, crimson red eyes unreadable. “I would not have gotten this far without you,” he said. 

“You’re a Pharaoh,” she said, smiling as she put her teacup down, barely emptied. “You’ll face whatever challenge that’s on your path and you’ll conquer them all.” 

“I…”  

He was about to answer, but Anzu had closed the distance between them and softly kissed him, her lips barely brushing his, tasting the tea he’d just been drinking. 

“Anzu…Anzu?” 

She immediately pulled back, cheeks flushed, and shook her head, sending her dark bangs flying.  
“It’s nothing, I just wanted to do that,” she said, immediately grabbing her cup of tea again to have something to hold onto. Yami brought his fingers to his lips, tracing the outline as if he wanted to seal her kiss into them. She lowered her eyes, waiting for the rejection to come.  

They’d never spoken about this with each other before…the few times they had interacted had been during Duelist Kingdom. He was occupied by the tournament, and she hadn’t found the opportunity to talk to him about this - the situation never adequate to pull him aside and talk to him in private.  

Had she just ruined any chance she had? Had she thrown away the rest of her own dignity by just kissing him out of the blue?  

As he remained silent, her hopes started to wither away. She took another sip of her tea, almost burning her tongue. It was too stupid to even think of.  

“Anzu,” he finally spoke. 

“No, Yami, it’s fine,” she hurriedly said, not looking him directly in the eyes. Shivering lightly, as if the temperature had considerably dropped, she remained sitting on the windowsill, enjoying the other’s company. As no other answer came, Anzu knew enough and she stared at her cup of tea, a silence settling over them, though not uncomfortable.  


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Yuugi was on his way back to the living room when a door on his right opened and Mahaado came out, tugging at his robes as if huddling close to them. He looked troubled, but he schooled his face in a carefully neutral expression when he saw Yuugi. 

“Prince,” he simply said. 

“Mahaado,” Yuugi greeted him, “I hope you rested well?” 

He nodded affirmatively, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Yes, I was able to get a little rest. Has my Apprentice left you all by yourself?” 

“Mana-chan had work to do,” Yuugi said. “I was on my way back to the living room.” 

“Let us go there, it will be much more comfortable and warm in the living room than standing in the hallway.” 

Yuugi walked quietly with him, curiosity on his mind. “Mana-chan told us about two timelines that still needed to be restored,” he struck up a conversation. “She said one was an Ancient Egypt…” 

“She told you too much already,” Mahaado interrupted him, growling. He quickly bowed to him. “Forgive me, Prince. I thought that my Apprentice was aware enough of the situation to not divulge that kind of information with you, out of fear of…” 

“Not disturbing the timelines anymore,” Yuugi finished his sentence. “Don’t worry, she told me barely enough to even try to imagine what the timeline could be.” Our Pharaoh there is hard and evil. It was hard on him to believe it - but he blindly trusted Mana’s honesty, as he had felt safe and comfortable in both Mana’s and Mahaado’s presence. He believed them on their word, no matter how fantastic their stories might be. 

The tall magician clicked with his tongue, not amused at all, but he didn’t comment on it. Yuugi looked up at him, his eyes wide and questioning. Mahaado noticed, and a little reluctantly, he asked what Yuugi’s question might be. 

“I just…I just wanted to know what the other timeline was,” he said, suddenly halted as Mahaado made no further movement as to open the door to the living room. Yuugi blinked a few times as the other lowered his head, sighing gravely.  

“Prince, in that timeline, your Puzzle was never completed. That world is doomed.” 

“Oh…” Yuugi knew Mahaado was telling him too much already, just like Mana had said. His hand went to his chest to touch the familiar chain where the Item would be dangling from -  a shot of panic surged through him when he realized it wasn’t there until it dawned him that Yami was the one wearing it. Smiling sheepishly, he waited for Mahaado to open the door, but the words came softly as if he didn’t have any control over it. 

“How could that be? Jii-chan took the Puzzle with him from Egypt, and brought it to Domino, where I solved it…was it…was it because of me that it was never solved?” 

“I am sorry, Prince,” Mahaado said. “It was because of Jounouchi Katsuya, who took a piece of the Puzzle away and threw it into a swimming pool. As such, the Puzzle was never completed, denying the Pharaoh from coming into that world, and the events were twisted and torn beyond repair.” 

“Jounouchi-kun…” Yuugi was baffled. He could recall it all to well, the time when he still went to school with lead in his stomach and feeling awkward and outcast, way before he would be friends with the others. Jounouchi had been nothing short of a bully, together with Honda, and they’d picked on Yuugi a lot. One day, Jounouchi had mocked him and teased Yuugi about the golden box he brought with him to school, to solve the puzzle in it during recess. He suddenly made the link between him missing the center piece just before he was about to finish it - and how his grandfather had given it to him, telling him that a ‘friend’ had stopped by, soaking wet, to deliver the piece. Jounouchi had thrown it in the swimming pool? 

“If it is any consolation, Prince, he isn’t the same Jounouchi there as you know him here. Unlike in this timeline, he never left that gang of bullies, and never joined you in friendship.” 

“I can’t believe it…” 

“I am upsetting you,” Mahaado said. “Enough has been told. For everybody’s sake, I will not talk about the other timelines any longer. We…” His voice suddenly hitched. Yuugi quickly looked up as he’d been crestfallen about this other Jounouchi, aware of the magician blacking out for a moment. Just like before, he thought, before Mahaado had cast the spell to separate him and his Other…Yami. 

“Are you all right?” he asked. He could bring Mahaado back to his bedroom for some more rest, and he was about to suggest it when he forcefully shook his head. 

“I am fine, Prince. It is just…something about this timeline that sets me off every now and then. I do not know why…when we arrived here, I thought this was the untainted, perfect timeline we were searching for, so we could work from here to restore the others. Something is still…outside of this world and I cannot figure out why or what.” 

“Let’s sit down for a moment,” Yuugi urged him, afraid the tall man would fall over again. He hadn’t been resting for that long, and it was obvious how much everything was taxing him. Mahaado opened the door and they entered the living room. 

Yuugi beamed at Yami and Anzu who were sitting in the windowsill, enjoying a cup of tea. It wasn’t only for his own curiosity that he’d gone after Mana, but also to leave Anzu and Yami alone. He wasn’t blind; he knew what his best friend was feeling for his Other. His Other. 

“Mmm, tea!” he said. 

“There’s enough left,” Anzu said, returning a brilliant smile though it didn’t reach her eyes, and she jumped off the windowsill. 

“Oh, I’ll get it!” Yuugi reached the white porcelain tea-set simultaneously with her, but Anzu was a little faster, already holding the large teapot up. Lowering her head, she proceeded to pour two cups, one for him and one for Mahaado. Yuugi looked at her quizzically as she held her head angled away from him…was she on the verge of crying? 

When she handed him the cup, he noticed that Yami had come to stand close to him, whereas Mahaado sat down in his seat again. Anzu smiled rather faintly and went to bring him a cup, turning her back to Yuugi. 

Confused, he glanced at Yami. His Other’s expression hadn’t changed, not knowing what was going on, Yuugi went with him to the large table, taking a seat themselves. 

“I thank you,” Mahaado said as soon as Anzu handed him the cup. 

“You’re welcome,” she replied and refilled her own as well, pointedly skipping over Yami. She sat down as well, and the only sound for a moment was the stirring of the teaspoons. 

“Have you called home?” 

“Yes, we told them that we were staying at a friend’s for the night,” Anzu answered. “My parents don’t mind much, and Yuugi’s grandfather was fine with it as well. I texted Jounouchi that he didn’t need to worry, and that we’d tell him all about it later.” 

“He’ll be pretty mad if he knew what kind of adventure he’s missing,” Yuugi said, sipping his tea. 

“This is not really an adventure,” Mahaado objected. “My Apprentice and I will do the work of restoring the timelines, and make sure that nothing happens to you in the meantime.” 

“Mana left to attend to…some business,” Anzu spoke up, not knowing that Yuugi already had informed him. “I hope she will return soon.” 

“She will,” Mahaado said with confidence in his voice. “She is strong and she knows what she has to do to restore the timeline in question.” 

“And what is that?” Yami asked, as he saw an opening to learn more about these timelines and the situation at hand. Mahaado gave him a pained look, berating himself mentally for his slip of the tongue. 

“She needs to restore an Ancient Egypt timeline,” he chose his words carefully. “The jump to there is easier for her to make as we both have ties to Ancient Egypt, of course. It was not necessary for the both of us to go. She has to do this...alone.” 

“How sad,” Anzu said, not liking how Mahaado had spoken his last sentence. “Intervening so drastically, all alone.” 

“How can an Ancient Egypt timeline be disturbed? That is such a long time ago,” Yami said, exchanging a look with Yuugi. He didn’t pay that much attention to classes when they were at school, but by visiting the museum and listening to the history teacher as an exception, he knew that the era of Ancient Egypt had been at least three millennia ago. 

“Believe me, it is still happening,” Mahaado answered. “New worlds are born, old world are dying when they are completed according to the Great Timeline…and every world needs their pivotal moments when they start to take shape.” 

“And solving the Puzzle…or rather, me getting sealed in the Puzzle was such an event,” Yami said. Yuugi patted him on the knee reassuringly. 

“Exactly,” Mahaado said, sipping his tea, relaxing back into the large chair. 

“What went wrong so an Ancient Egypt timeline was disturbed?” 

The magician closed his eyes, placing the cup on the low table next to his chair. This was the question he’d been dreading, and really didn’t want to answer. He could tell them again that he couldn’t divulge this information, but this was his Pharaoh. He couldn’t deny him, and he had a right to know the truth; a right to know how his loyal servant had failed him utterly. I can live with his contempt. I cannot live with this heavy heart.  

Mahaado looked away from the others and abruptly rose to his feet, crossing the distance between his chair and the window, turning his back to them. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, his guilt too much to even try to look them, his Pharaoh foremost, right in the eyes. 

“In that time…” he whispered, voice wavering. “The Mahaado of that time fled for the consequences when he accepted his vocation for Priest. He fled the Royal Palace, forsook his duties and obligations and…” 

As he fell silent, the others remained silent as well. Yami had placed his hand over Yuugi’s on his knee, and they were both squeezing. Yuugi had taken Anzu’s hand to her surprise, rubbing gently over her fingers. She was thankful for the soothing gesture and would’ve shown him a grateful smile if she wasn’t so focused on Mahaado’s story, literally sitting on the edge of her seat. 

“I was a coward!” Mahaado barked, shaking his head furiously. “I fled from the Palace, abandoning my duties and my responsibilities, leaving the others to deal with the consequences. The Mahaado of that time...I despise him!” 

“But you are not him,” Yuugi said. “You are another Mahaado, the one and only Mahaado, who is restoring timelines and making up for another one’s mistake…” 

“I hate him,” Mahaado gritted through clenched teeth, ignoring Yuugi’s words. He stared out the window, watching the last colors in the sky as the sun settled, preparing for the night. “He should never have fled. It was his cowardly behavior that disturbed the timeline and caused such grief and horror.” 

“What happened?” Anzu’s voice could barely be heard. 

“When he fled, that Mahaado took the Sennen Ring with him and disappeared, out of reach, out of sight. The King of Thieves, Bakura, was supposed to get the Ring by battling him.” 

“Bakura,” Yuugi repeated, memories of Duelist Kingdom springing to his mind. I am a thief and a stealer of souls… 

“As Bakura didn’t get the Ring, he went back to the Palace to battle the Pharaoh,” Mahaado continued. 

“And...?” 

“The thief was killed, and the Pharaoh survived.” 

“That’s a good thing, right?” Anzu heaved a sigh of relief, this time gently squeezing Yuugi’s fingers. He immediately returned the gesture. 

“No, unfortunately not.” Mahaado stubbornly stared out the window. “It pains me very much to tell this, but the Pharaoh needs to die to save the world. In his death, he will seal the darkness with him that threatened the world. As the Pharaoh continued to live, the Sennen Puzzle started to corrupt him. Slowly, very slowly, the darkness consumed him, attacking him starting with his heart. He was strong, my Pharaoh…he really was…but even those with the strongest of minds cannot hold the darkness at bay for so many years. As he…as he continues to live, he will become an instrument of darkness like Bakura was supposed to be, thus setting the timeline off.” 

“But now that the thief is dead, Mahaado can return to the Palace, right?” Anzu asked. “And stay with the Pharaoh?” 

“No, Anzu,” Yuugi said. “The Sennen Ring was supposed to be with Bakura, but he never got it, and thus he could never initiate the other string of events leading up to the Pharaoh sacrificing himself and sealing his soul and that darkness in the Puzzle.” He glared at the Puzzle around Yami’s neck as if he could burn the darkness out of it. Never in a million years would he have thought that the Item served evil as well as good; the notion horrified him. 

“That…that means that…you have to die,” Anzu said, widening her eyes when realization settled in. “You were supposed to die for Bakura to get the Ring, and the Pharaoh…” 

“We are already dead, my Apprentice and me,” Mahaado said. “What we are is a reflection of our strong willpower and our heka keeping us alive to make up for the mistakes we made and to correct the timelines. As soon as every timeline is restored, we will cease to exist.” 

“Oh no,” Yuugi gasped, and Yami looked shocked. 

“Even if I have to die to seal any kind of darkness, I would gladly do so to save the world,” he said fiercely. “As long as I am the one to die, not anyone else…” 

“No, Yami,” Yuugi said, voice hitching. Anzu blinked furiously a few times to keep her eyes from tearing.  

“It can’t be so! There must be something we can do!” 

“The Pharaoh was never meant to live long,” Mahaado spoke up, pointedly staring at the darkening sky. “Neither was I.” 

Both Anzu and Yuugi looked at Yami, who stiffened and straightened, sitting upright. 

“The Gods have decided,” the magician said. “Fate and destiny…and we helped them along the way.” 

Yuugi pressed closer to Yami, feeling absolutely miserable. He didn’t dare to ask what had happened to the Mahaado of that time, and looking at the man standing by the window, he understood what he meant by ‘helped them along the way’. The other Mahaado, how cowardly or faulty he had been, had paid for his mistake very dearly. Anzu was crying now, and he wanted nothing but to follow her example. This all had been too much to take, and why Mahaado had told him all this after all perplexed him, unable to see or understand the man’s guilt. 

No one really cared for how much time was passing at that very moment. Arms wrapped around their shoulders, trying to offer each other comfort, the three remained seated, whispering softly words of solace, hugging every now and then. As Yami sat in the middle and he was leaning on both of them, the Puzzle dangled in between, the Item gently rocking back and forth. Yuugi didn’t know whether to hate the Item or still be proud of it. He settled on gratitude after all, because if it weren’t for the very same Puzzle, he wouldn’t have met Jounouchi, Honda, and most of all, his Other, who was sitting next to him. 

Anzu was the first to break up their circle, if only for the cramped position she was in, her back aching from leaning forward for so long. She squeezed Yuugi’s hand for the last time before standing up and searching in her purse for a handkerchief, fiercely rubbing at her face.

“I’m…I’m going to freshen up,” she said to no one in particular, almost tiptoeing around Mahaado who still stood in front of the window, unmoving. 

Yuugi stood up as well, patting Yami on the shoulder. He kept an eye on Yuugi as he went through the living room to switch on the lights. Yuugi went to Mahaado, but when he saw that the magician was completely in a trance, eyes closed and hands folded, he decided to not to disturb him. 

“Mana-chan isn’t back yet,” Yuugi spoke softly. “Maybe I can find something to eat, or we can call for take-out?” 

“Very well, aibou,” Yami agreed and stood up as well, not about to let Yuugi do all the work.  

“Let’s go to the kitchen.” 

As they left the living room, Yuugi suddenly heard someone cry. Bewildered, he searched for the source - it was Mana, smothering her sobs against Anzu’s shoulder, a wet handkerchief in her hand. 

“I…I found her like this,” Anzu said, her other arm firmly around the girl to support her. “I was in the bathroom when I heard her, and when I went into the hallway she was standing there, crying…” 

“Mana-chan…” Yuugi walked to the girl, placing his hand on her back. She flinched from the touch, but didn’t pull away. Instead, she started to bawl harder, pressing the soaked handkerchief to her face. 

“Maybe Mahaado can help her,” Yami suggested. It was obvious that the girl was extremely upset, unable to even speak up, the tears flowing like a dam that had been broken. Anzu nodded. “Yes, we better go back to the living room…what were you doing out here, anyway?” 

“We were looking for the kitchen,” Yuugi said sheepishly. “To find something to eat…” It sounded childish and spoiled compared to Mana’s apparent grief. However, Anzu nodded again.  

“As soon as she’s calmed down, I’ll call for some take-out,” she offered. “We need our strength, and we don’t help ourselves if we starve.” 

They walked back to the warm living room, holding the crying Mana in between them, trying to console her. She had stopped wailing, but there was no end to the river of tears streaming over her cheeks; Yuugi quickly gave the girl his own clean handkerchief and took the damp one away.  
“Mana-chan…will you tell us what happened?” 

“I can’t,” she managed to say between sobs. Frustrated, Yuugi gritted his teeth. Whatever had happened, it had shaken her bad, and she didn’t deserve it at all.  

“You’d better sit down and take it easy,” he told her. “We bring you something to eat, all right? You’re not going anywhere tonight…you’re staying with us.”  

Mana moved her head a little, but he couldn’t figure out if she was nodding as she turned away from him to sit down. If she already had noticed Mahaado standing in front of the window, not looking up or around him, she wasn’t commenting about it. Instead, she gratefully accepted another clean handkerchief, pressing it to her swollen, puffy eyes. Yuugi stacked a few cushions behind her back in an attempt to make the girl as comfortable as possible. Whatever happened in Ancient Egypt, it was bad enough to make her upset like this. She leaned back, shivering. 

“I’ll go get a blanket,” Anzu said, despite the temperature being rather high in the room. Yami sat down next to Mana, and didn’t comment when she grabbed his sleeve. 

“Pharaoh…” 

“Mana,” he spoke, keeping his voice low. “Will you tell me what happened?” 

“I’m not allowed to…” 

“I am sorry,” he said and that caused another flood of tears. Helplessly, he looked at Yuugi who also was at his wit’s end. Mana tightened her grip on his sleeve, fingers clutching at the fabric. Yami couldn’t do anything but to allow it; she apparently needed that reassurance, and he wasn’t about to pull away and upset her even more. 

Both Yuugi and Yami looked up as Anzu leaned between them, draping the warm woolen blanket all over Mana.  

“Poor girl,” she said. “Your loyalty…both yours and your Master’s…will kill you.” She looked incredibly sad as she spoke, and Yuugi’s heart almost broke. He reproached himself for not thinking about that sooner, for not seeing sooner what was troubling both of them. Master and Apprentice, Black Magician and Black Magician Girl. Loyal to their Master, the Pharaoh. Yami. 

“I found the anomaly,” Mahaado suddenly said, breaking the silence. Everyone but Mana startled, having forgotten about the magician who had been quiet in his trance for so long.

Mana looked up, knees drawn to her chest, wrapped in the blanket. 

“Master?” 

“Apprentice,” he said. “He is here, and he is in danger. We have to go, now!” 

“Wait a minute!” Yuugi exclaimed, a hint of anger to his voice. Was Mahaado really blind to his Apprentice’s grief? The girl was tear-stricken and looked pale - she needed rest, not to run off to…wherever again! Yami backed him up, not moving from Mana’s side. 

“Wait, Mahaado! Who is here, and where do you have to go to?” 

“Our Pharaoh,” Mahaado said, and his smile was genuine, warm and happy. “I finally found him. He is really, really here!” 

“Another Pharaoh?” Yuugi looked dumbfounded.  

“Really?” Mana cried out, revived. She even tried to push the blanket off, wrestling with the the slips of the large, heavy piece of fabric. 

Anzu put her hands on Mana’s shoulders. “You better sit down and rest…” 

“No! If our Pharaoh is here…he’s really here!” 

“How…how can you be so sure?” Yuugi asked. 

Mana was tired, but her smile was worth a thousand watts as she spoke up. “Master can find our Pharaoh and his every incarnation wherever he is, no matter what timeline or world. We’re connected to each other, and even though it sometimes can take a little time, Master always finds him. Always.” 

“But how can that be?” 

“That has to wait,” Mahaado interrupted. “We have to go, right now! He is in danger, and if we do not save him, all is lost!” 

“We’ll go with you,” Anzu said, taking her hands away from Mana because she was unable to stop the girl. She immediately threw off the blanket, kicking at it. She rubbed her eyes, irritating them even more. 

“We will return soon enough,” Mahaado refused sternly. “We do not know how much we endanger this timeline as we speak by having you meet the Pharaoh. We already told too much…” 

“We are going with you, end of discussion,” Yami interrupted. “Whatever version of me or another Pharaoh is out there, if he is in danger, we must help him.” 

“You’re right,” Yuugi supported him, “we can help you! You’re both exhausted, and all this is taking such a great toll on you - we’ll help!” 

“We really do not have time for this…” Mahaado hesitated, his mind running about the possibilities if he brought the two Pharaohs and Yuugi together, in a public place…but it was late in the evening, and every second he discussed and deliberated this, was one second adding more to the danger closing in on his Pharaoh. 

“We go,” he finally gave in, but not enthusiastically. “Apprentice?” 

“I’m ready, Master,” she replied, clutching her wand to her chest. Both their determination was more than apparent and despite the earlier signs of exhaustion they both moved with considerable speed, and Yuugi, Yami and Anzu had to hurry to keep up with them. 
 


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Timeline I, Khemet 

“…which concludes the General’s report.”  

Set’s voice was neutral, as always. It would take many years of knowing the High Priest personally to discern the small hint of disdain in his voice, the aversion only audible to those who knew him very, very well. Mana picked up on it, despite not being intimate friends with Set - she had spend more than enough hours in his presence at the Court to at least tell the difference in some of his tones of voice, the way he spoke his words, to know that the High Priest was a very unhappy man.  

Aishizu was standing next to her, breathing steady and easy as usual. Mana’s previous admiration for the woman had turned into irritation. The Priestess was just standing there, her eyes staring into nothing, her Tauk resting between her collarbones, accepting everything calmly as it came. Mana felt restless, wanting to do something, to scream something…but there was nothing that she could do. She was still a Priestess at Pharaoh Atemu’s Court, and she wasn’t allowed to leave unless she was discharged by the Pharaoh himself.  

Maybe that was the only reason why Set was still here, she thought bitterly. If he were to leave the Palace, Atemu would send out troops to bring him back, forcefully if need be, just as he had done when Mahaado disappeared - but where the magician Priest could shield himself with his heka, the High Priest wouldn’t stand a chance of hiding from the efficient army.  

“Thank you,” Atemu said, his voice lower than usual, calm and composed as if absolutely nothing had happened, as if he hadn’t killed the woman his High Priest had obviously cared for.  

 

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Chapter 9 | Chapter 11