An indicator of my mood...set in Enneadverse

Spoiler for the Pharaoh's name in the Ennead series

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Yugi couldn’t do it.

The deck she had used to send Oneesan, no, Sakhmet away was tainted. She could not bring herself to disassemble it, but at the same time she could not bring herself to use it either. The cards held too painful a memory to touch. However building a new deck, or rather, rebuilding her deck from the cards that her older twin had not taken through the gates to the Afterlife was proving too painful to do as well.

Her deck, the deck she had built with her other soul, had sung in her senses. The cards’ hearts reaching out to theirs and responding to them. These cards felt blank. Lifeless. Like the pieces of cardboard people who just did not understand the connection had always told her they were.

Even the Dark Magician card that her Grandfather had gotten her to replace the purple one, Mahad, who had gone on with Oneesan was little more than ink on card. That hurt the most. Her Dark Magician, the purple Dark Magician, had always felt alive and special to her. Even before she had borrowed her grandfather’s deck and used him for the first time, whenever she had been allowed to touch him, she had been able to feel his heart.

But he had not been hers. He had been Sakhmet’s and he had joined her in the afterlife. Yugi did not begrudge him that. He deserved his rest just as much as the former Pharaoh did but…

She just couldn’t do it. She could not build herself a deck out of any card that she couldn’t sense and trust.

And right now, that meant she could not build any deck at all.

She was beginning to wonder if it was her. That now she had completed her duties as the Vessel of the Pharaoh, that she would never be able to sense the cards like she had before. Or if, with Sakhmet’s departure, everything special about her was gone. Including her ability to feel the hearts of her cards.

Just pulling out the box of spares hurt. Where once she had rejoiced every time they had built their deck together, now seeing the rows of cards, worth thousands of Yen in money and so much more in time spent with her older twin, made her want to weep.

And she just could not do it. She could not handle the rejection of the cards on top of the loss of her duelling partner.

The box was put away for another attempt another day.

SneakPeek: Ennead: For Those We Love: Chapter 4

THIS CHAPTER IS WITH THE BETA READER, I FINISHED THE CHAPTER LAST NIGHT, HENCE WHY THERE WAS NO UPDATE YESTERDAY.  

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“Yuge?” Jou asked, worried, as Oneesan stalked into the room, pieces of cardboard in one hand, dueling glove in the other, golden box poking out of her jacket pocket. He didn’t think he had ever seen the spirit of the Puzzle stay this angry after a Challenge. There were times that had come close, but Oneesan’s rage normally burned out pretty quickly, taking the magic with it. At the moment, however, he could just glimpse the darkness still swirling around her frame and from the looks on the faces of the others, they could too, “You alright?”

“Yes, but he won’t be.” Oneesan snapped, slumping onto the mat and shoving the duelling glove at him. “Here. That insect won’t be needing it anymore.”

“Insect?” Jou examined the glove, noting that there was already a star chip inserted in it as Anzu quietly asked, “You don’t mean Haga?”

“Someone’s going to notice if you’ve driven Haga nuts.” Honda hissed at Oneesan, glancing around and glad that almost everyone had gone back to sleep even as he wished Bakura’s Challenge had not opened his eyes to the magic loose in the world around him. Seeing the Shadows cling to ‘Yugi’s’ frame was creepy, “Can you fix him?”

“He cheated.” Oneesan shrugged, causing the Anzu and Honda to wince, while Bakura let out a resigned sigh. They knew the dangers of cheating during a Challenge. Haga wouldn’t be getting up any time soon. “Besides,” Yugi’s other self continued, “He deserved everything he got.”

“What did he do?” Anzu asked, frowning.

Oneesan’s response was to reveal the pieces of cardboard. Jou swore loudly enough to wake some of the other duelists as he realised what they were.

“He ripped up Exodia?!” Anzu yelped.

“Now you see why I’m quite so ticked?” The ancient ex-Pharaoh asked as she put the pieces away in the box her spares.

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 hisgame 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.

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 stillcouldn’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 stillcouldn’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

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.”