Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Master of the Magicians ❯ Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own YGO and make no profit from this fanfic.

Chapter 12

 

“Black Paladin! Attack with Diffusion Wave Motion!”

“No! My Blue-Eyes!”

Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon was… gone. Kaiba mournfully handed over Obelisk the Tormentor. No use breaking his own rules after all…

Yami was slightly more concerned with the dead expression in his Dark Magician's eyes. This time, there had been no amusement, no confident smile or sly smirk. Nothing. In fact, the hologram was almost puppet-like…

But why was that? Mahaado had been able to manifest himself in holograms before…

Yami added Obelisk to his deck and then decided to make a trip to the Shadow Realm to check on his Dark Magician. He entered the Castle of Dark Illusions and found Mana reading what looked like a cookbook.

“Mana?”

“Hi Prince-sama! I mean, Pharaoh!”

“Where is Mahaado?”

“Teacher-sama is in his study, I think.” Mana said. Yami nodded his thanks and headed down the hall to Mahaado's study.

To his surprise, he found it empty, although there were several vials filled with sparkling liquid on the worktable. With a frown, Yami looked around. Thousand Knives were neatly lined up along one wall, next to Dark Magic Curtain and some other weapons… he found Book of Secret Arts on the desk, flipped open to the scrying section, but other than that…

It seemed as if Mahaado had only stepped out for a moment. Yami settled himself down on the bed and waited.

And waited…

By the time almost five hours had passed, Yami was getting impatient. What was Mahaado off doing that was more important than he was? He had come here to apologize, but now his Magician was nowhere to be seen!

This was no good. With a sigh, he went outside and found Curse of Dragon, who was more than willing to give him a ride so they could search for the mage. However, after several hours of flying, still nothing…

 

Mahaado watched silently. Such a useful new spell… Black Illusion… you'll never find me now, Pharaoh…

I understand completely. It would make sense that you would choose to pursue a relationship with someone who is young, female, pretty in her own way I suppose, and alive… which unfortunately, I am not.

I hope you enjoyed our little sessions together, Pharaoh…

The magic of Black Illusion was strong. It would take quite a lot to break it. And right now, Mahaado was not feeling particularly charitable.

If you need her, you don't need me, correct? I'm glad you found someone to love, truly I am.

Soon, you'll have Ra. You've already won Obelisk. You won't need me much longer, Pharaoh, once the gods are yours….

 

Yami finally left the Shadow Realm in an unhappy frame of mind. Returning `home', he found that Yuugi had locked him out and was fuming angrily inside, as he had a right to. And since Grandpa didn't know he existed, he wasn't just going to let anyone in the shop. Thus, it was only by this that Yami wound up at Anzu's house that night. After all, It was not as if he could crash with Joey, and Kaiba would have laughed in his face, and he honestly did not know Tristan well enough, while Ryou, well, Bakura had the Ring and he was liable to be murdered in his sleep if he slept there…

Anzu was more than happy to welcome Yami in. he was going to ask about her parents, when he noticed the postcards on the fridge. So they were off in Madrid…

So he was alone in a house with Anzu? Perhaps this wasn't the best situation to be in! But Yami still did believe in Anzu's goodness.

She was just a bit overprotective…

 

It was the duel with Marik, at long last. Yami was feeling antsy. He had still been unable to contact Mahaado, although Mana insisted that he was there - just not when Yami was around. He had stayed in the Shadow Realm for several days, talking with his monsters, but none of them knew where the mage had vanished.

It was disturbing.

Well, he was about to find out.

Heavy Storm whisked across the field, destroying all magic and trap cards... and as it was a Shadow Game, there were of course, expected results.

Mana gave a sheepish grin as Mahaado appeared next to her on the field. The Black Magician looked… well, sick, for lack of a better word. He was pale and drawn and his eyes were blurred.

Yami looked worried. Had Mahaado been ill?
Marik blinked. This was… the power that had been thwarting him? Impossible!

“Ra! Attack! Destroy Black Magician Girl!”
“Hades Time-Space Portal!”

His voice sounded off, too, almost… disused… almost… no. He didn't have time to think about it now.

His friends were cheering him on, surprised at this odd turn of events but glad that he seemed to be winning, and…

Hades Time-Space Portal sucked in the power of the phoenix attack. Mahaado was no fool. He knew that unlike Thunder Force, this power could not be contained for long, but he had one more trick up his sleeve.

“Thousand Knives!”

While in Phoenix form, Ra could not flee, and so the knives all impacted their target, destroying the monster.

Malik had one Life point left. He took over, and surrendered… banishing his dark side to the Shadow Realm forever.

 

The Duel over, the monsters began to vanish, but Yami had been prepared for this. Black Magician looked startled as Kunai with Chain wrapped around his waist. Well, Yami had never used this card in battle before, so…

“Wait! Mahaado!”
The monster lifted his head and stared his Pharaoh in the eyes, a total violation of protocol, but Yami wasn't interested in that. The look…

His Black Magician was nothing but a soulless doll… how, how had that happened? It didn't make any sense!

“Mahaado… please, what happened to you? If you're sick, I'm sure we can find some way to cure you!”

There was no reply.

“Mahaado! Talk to me!”
Nothing. Yuugi, Joey, and Tristan, plus Anzu, watched as Yami grabbed the monster's hands in his own. “Mahaado! Please, tell me what's wrong…”

The monster finally gave a choked sob and Yami hurriedly gathered the shaking mage into his arms, not noticing when armor dissolved into dust, leaving his former priest in his robes, but these were stained with crimson…

“Mahaado…”

 

End Chapter

Completed 10/16/05