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.”

Deleted Shadow Treaty Scene

Yugi frowned as he realised he didn’t have very much to pack. Bar the Millennium Items, his wand, his deck and his Duel Disk, everything he owned had been destroyed in the fires. Everything he had outside of those ten things had been requisitioned from the Ministry or bequeathed to him by Pegasus’s will.

“When this is over, I’m letting Tea drag me shopping.” Yugi commented, earning himself a chuckle from his other self who had been pacing the bedroom and had only stopped because he was getting in Yugi’s way.

‘Perhaps I’ll stick around long enough to watch.’Atem sent over the link in return, wincing as he felt Yugi’s mood turn from nervous worry to misery. ‘I can’t stay Yugi, not now.’

“I know.” Yugi admitted, sitting on the bed and staring at the destroyed deck on his bedside. “I don’t... It’s not fair.”

‘No.’ Atem admitted, sitting next to his lighter self, ‘It’s not but I’ve been around long enough. You don’t need me anymore. It’s not fair to you to have to host me anymore and I can’t go back to living like this, not again. If it wasn’t for Voldemort and the war, we’d have gone already.’

The truth hurt, but Atem was right. Yugi had already considered taking Atem and the Millennium Items to Egypt, getting it over with and removing the seven golden treasures of his ancient life from evil’s hands forever. But they had promised. Sworn that they wouldn’t go until the war was over and Sirius returned from England.

“Once Voldemort’s done. I promise Yami.” Yugi smiled sadly, “Once he’s done, we’ll go and you’ll finally be free.”

‘Yugi...’ The sounds of someone knocking on the door interrupted the Pharaoh before he could finish what he was saying.

“Come in.” Yugi spoke, his voice trembling slightly with the tears he refused to let fall. Others had lost so much more than him, he was only going to have to give up what he shouldn’t have had for this long anyway, he had no right to complain.

Harry entered, a full backpack on his back, sympathy on his features. “Hey. Hearing half a conversation is weird.”

“Sorry.” Yugi murmured, looking at the floor.

“You don’t have to come with me.” Harry tried offering again, “I’m sure if you stuck here and asked the Japanese Ministry they could help you get a body for Atem and then he wouldn’t have to go.”

“Harry.” Yugi’s head shot up, tears forced back by the anger now gracing his face. “No. We went over this.”

‘You’re not going. Not alone. And not without us.’Atem agreed, ‘Besides we don’t know how the magicks merged back in first year. We don’t know what Bakura was trying to do and Joey’s forgotten what he was trying to cast. Trying to recreate the effect could hurt more people than it helps.’

“But there has to be other ways.” Harry protested, “Voldemort...”

‘I am not using that ritual.’ Atem snapped, more furious at Voldemort for his actions than at Harry’s suggestion he try the same thing, ‘I don’t know where my father is buried for one and I wouldn’t disturb his rest again.’ He looked at Yugi, ‘And I won’t ask Yugi to disinter his family for me.’

“Everything else we’ve had recommended runs the risk of the body being disenchanted during a fight.” Yugi replied, knowing that even if Yami had been willing to ask, he wasn’t sure he could bring himself to do it.

“You’re set on this, aren’t you?” Harry asked, confused considering he knew Atem wanted to leave about as much as Yugi wanted him to go.

“Unless a miracle happens, we’ve no choice.” Yugi’s tone turned miserable again, “I can’t ask Yami to stay, not now. If he still had his own body...”

‘If I still had my body, I wouldn’t even be thinking about leaving.’ Atem let out what would have been a heavy sigh, if he could have taken in the breath to release for it, ‘But we have more important things to think about first.’

“The prophecy.” Harry nodded, knowing his friends considered helping him more important than anything else. No matter what he said and did. It both reassured him and made him feel guilty, knowing Yami was pushing his own existence aside to aid him. “You realise it’s probably a trap, right?”

“We went over this last night, Harry.” Atem took control of the body and moved over to the window, watching the kids from the refugee group playing on the plain below, “We know what this is. We have a backup plan, remember?”

Plan B. Harry smiled slightly as he remembered it. There was nothing that could match Yugi and Yami in strength when it came to the Shadows. Nothing that could stop them when they were at full strength as they were now, not with Zorc gone. The Pharaoh planned on using that power, not to destroy but to help them escape. And possibly take a few Death Eaters out on the way.

“They’re not going to know what hit them.” Harry chuckled slightly, already imagining the sort of power he had felt in the theme park used against Voldemort. There was no way, no matter what any prophecy said, that Yugi and Yami could lose to the Dark Lord.

Fate could be changed after all. Kaiba had proven that.

With that in mind, it was ridiculous, the risk that they were taking to get a hold of the prophecy sphere. It was only to prevent their adversary getting another tool to use against them that they were even thinking of walking into the enemy’s territory. Otherwise Harry would have considered leaving it rather than risk the safety of his friends. It wasn’t like anyone he cared about was on the line if he didn’t go and get it after all. Not unless it held some secret to defeating the Dark Lord for good.

“Trap or not, we’ll win.” Yugi’s confidence was shaky, but it was there, bolstering Harry’s nerves a little, “We have to.”

“We had a bad turn, that’s all.” Atem agreed, determined to win, if only to protect those he cared about and those who now looked to his light for their safety, “The game’s not over yet.”

“Then let’s go.”

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