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Disclaimer: Yu-gi-Oh! Belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. I make no profit off this fanfiction, and it belongs to me under international copyright laws. Don’t steal and don’t sue. Thank you, *Phantomness bows*

Chapter 4

“The Eye?”

Yuugi glanced over at Yami and Mahaado. The others had already gone to bed, but he and Anzu were waiting. They were staying up late. The third eliminator had been taken care of this night.

Yami had enough star chips, and Yuugi had too, that if he wanted to go up to the castle and free his grandfather now, he could have.

But he needed to keep an eye on Yami.

It wasn’t fair! If Yami really was his brother, he should spend more time with Yuugi… right? But now, he was always with his mother. Not their mother! Never theirs!

Mahaado was frowning. “The Eye tends to…corrupt its bearer.” She said carefully. “It is part of how the Items were made. The Ring also...”

“But you’re not corrupted.” Yami’s voice was quiet.

“Would you hate me if I told you I was?”

“No.”

Mahaado sighed. “My first magic was light, Yami. My Ka was once the Silent Magician, not the Magician of Illusions. When I got the Ring, I learned Shadow, and now I am Dark, because I have no Light left. The shadows took it all away.”

Yami just nodded. He understood. Dark Mother of witchcraft, the moon, she had power enough to challenge Ra and protect Horus. Him.

He loved his mother.

He didn’t care if she had forsaken light. He knew it was for him – for his sake. She was always protecting him. Always. Even in death, and even through eternity, even reduced to card stock…

Always.

Yuugi took it the entirely opposite way.

Mahaado had been light once and now she was dark?

He shivered. The Ring had corrupted her, just like it had hurt poor, innocent Ryou. He had to get it away from her.

Maybe then she would come back to the light. The light was safe. He liked light.

He hugged Anzu and she made no move to push him away.

She was trembling inside.

What were they? Had they traded away their humanity for power? Had they?

Could she still bring Yami back? Could she? She wanted to, but what if the Puzzle was evil, like the Ring and the Eye?

What was she going to do?

“We have to leave.” Yuugi whispered, when they set up their tent. “We have to take Jounichi and Honda with us. They’re dangerous, Anzu. We have to defeat Pegasus and get Grandfather back. We have to.”

She nodded. Of course they did. They had more than enough star chips they had to get out of here.

They had to run before they got corrupted as well.

They had to!

“They are foolish.” Mahaado said, as she watched them run like scared mice. Only Jounichi had hesitated. Brave one. He was misguided, but she would spare him.

“They are his friends, not mine.” Yami hissed. “I only need you with me, Mother. And we will find the others. We will find Aishizu, and Karim, and Shadah. And they will help us. We will give the Eye and the Rod to others who trust us and walk the paths we do, not those bloody stupid lights.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t hate Pegasus.” Yami said unexpectedly. “Yuugi does, but I can’t hate him. I keep feeling as though...”

“There is a reason for his madness?”

“Yes.”

“And that is where you are different. You remember.” Mahaado sighed. “He mourns his wife. He wishes the Items to bring her back. He knows you had the Sennen Puzzle. That is why.”

Yami frowned. “And he wanted to win the puzzle in a Shadow Game.”

“Yes, but he cannot defeat you.” Pride rang in her voice. Yami smiled.

“Of course not, mother. I was trained by the best. You.”

Mahaado smiled back. The emerald of her magic and the ruby of his danced around them both as they laughed with the wildness of the children of the night.

Yuugi flinched as he and his friends entered the castle. He touched the Puzzle around his neck protectively. Yami didn’t have it, of course – but he was quite sure now that Yami knew magic besides the Puzzle.

Still…

He would defeat Pegasus and get his grandfather back.

He didn’t need Yami. He had his friends!

“You do know that my brother took the Puzzle.”

Mahaado laughed. “Did he?” She asked quietly. Yami frowned. Surely…

He watched in shock as she held out her hand and the familiar shadowy feel of the Puzzle registered, coming into view.

Of course!

His mother’s magic was powerful, and her best spells were her illusions…

He slid the chain over his neck with a smile. Perfect.

“Have I ever told you how wonderful you are?”

“Oh, certainly.” Mahaado grinned.

“How did you fool him? As one of royal blood, he should be able to feel…”

“But he can’t feel.” Mahaado smiled. “He is not a shadow-child, or a dark-child. He is a light-child. He could not use the power of the Puzzle even if he wished it to be so… why do you think he needed you?”

Yami smirked.

“All he knows is that it’s warm, and that it’s golden, and it’s a puzzle, really.” Mahaado shrugged. “And now, my dear Game King, we shall wait and see if Pegasus figures anything out.”

“Even if he is a fool, I don’t wish him to die.” Yami ventured. Mahaado laughed as she poured water into a golden bowl and began the scrying spell.

“Of course, I understand, Yami.”

It was pointless to just kill people. Yami was still a child, in spite of being Pharaoh. Her child.

Yami nodded, and they both bent over the pool to watch the duel. At the very least, it should be entertaining….

End Chapter

Completed 4/28/06

Mahaado’s a scary mother, isn’t she? ^^

And I am having so much fun watching the Raw Egypt Arc! ^^. I do wish my Japanese skills were a bit better. Ah well… didn’t know that they changed so many things from manga to anime, which is intensely irritating, but ah well, I use both anyways….