Jounouchi didn't recall how they made it back to the mansion. He vaguely remembered that he drove Ishizu's car and that Yuugi rode shotgun, with the Pharaoh and Mahaado in the backseat. How they got inside the mansion however... he drew a blank on that. It didn't matter. After everything that had happened, the mansion offered a safe and warm welcome. The lights were dimmed but emitted a comfortable, pleasant glow; it felt like reveling in a heavenly, hot bath, especially after all that darkness. Mahaado immediately disappeared to the room upstairs, carrying the barely conscious Pharaoh in his arms. After exchanging a worried look, Ishizu followed him. Jounouchi and Yuugi went into the kitchen, only to find Mokuba there, eating a large slice of honey cake. He dropped the food as soon as he saw Yuugi and almost tripped over his own feet in his haste to fling himself into his arms. Yuugi was happy to return the hug, glad to see the younger Kaiba brother alive and well. He grimaced in pain as Mokuba's grip became too tight and he muttered 'ow ow ow' under his breath.
"What's the matter?" Jounouchi asked worriedly. "Are you injured?"
"I'm fine, just a little sore," Yuugi said, rubbing his lower back. "I hit the floor rather hard when that robot-thing, or whatever it was, dropped me. What happened, Jounouchi-kun?"
"I'll ask Mahaado to heal you," Jounouchi said, avoiding the question. He didn't know what to answer anyway. Nothing made sense to him anymore.
"Maybe Ishizu-san can give you some of her tea," Mokuba suggested. "After I drank it, I slept for hours and when I woke up, I felt more energized than ever! I helped her to make food for when you guys would return. We figured you'd all be out of energy and hungry!"
"Well, to be truthful..." Yuugi looked sheepish. "I haven't eaten at all since I was... kidnapped. No one offered me any food or drink."
"I'll get you stuff to eat!" Mokuba broke up the hug and ran around the kitchen, pulling out dishes and bowls from everywhere. "Have you seen my brother? How is he?"
"I haven't seen Kaiba-kun after we got separated," Yuugi said. "I'm so sorry, Mokuba-kun."
"It's not your fault, Yuugi." Mokuba piled pomegranates, grapes and plums on a plate.
"The Pharaoh believes that Kaiba is safe," Jounouchi said. "He's apparently quite valuable to Bakura and his... helpers."
"I don't care what the Pharaoh believes!" Mokuba looked around nervously before he voiced his thoughts out loud. "I want my brother."
"We didn't find any clues as to where Kaiba might be." Jounouchi was exhausted, but how could he rest now that he knew so much was at stake? "Except for that Hirutani has been a double-crosser the whole time."
"Hirutani? He was the one who told us you were dead!" Yuugi exclaimed.
Jounouchi nodded. "Yeah, that son of a bitch..! Mokuba told me the same. I can't believe what he did... and the irony of it all! He was the leader of the taskforce that specialized in gangs, but he apparently was never able to leave that world behind him." He didn't like the resurfacing memories every time Hirutani was mentioned. In his younger years, Jounouchi had been part of the same gang, using violence as a survival mechanism to duel with his bad youth. He left the gang after meeting Yuugi, and a couple months later, Hirutani followed, shaking off the bad influence of underground violence and extortion. It seemed that Hirutani hadn't cut ties as thoroughly as Jounouchi. He had used his contacts both as an officer of the law and as a gang member to profit from both worlds, a double-crossing double-crosser. Jounouchi still didn't feel much empathy now that Hirutani had been killed, but he had to notify captain Ushio.
"That's bad." Mokuba added a jug of milk to the rapidly increasing amount of food and drink items on the table. "But..." he hesitated, "that could mean... more people in the police force could be corrupt as well?"
"Yeah, you're right." Jounouchi hadn't contemplated that thought yet. He helped himself to the contents of a reddish pan, a hearty dish containing fava beans. "Either Hirutani or Bakura and his infernal Ring could have corrupted the entire police force..." Just like Varon, Amelda and Rafael. What had happened to them? "Fuck, now I'm starting to doubt everyone at the station, except for Honda. I trust him a 1000 %."
Yuugi stuck a spoon into a bowl of yogurt. "Nothing could corrupt Honda-kun," he said, offended at the mere thought. "He'd never forsake his duty. We have to tell him that you're alive, Jounouchi-kun."
"No." Jounouchi hurried to explain himself when he saw the non-understanding look on Yuugi's face. "It's for the better that he doesn't know yet. If Hirutani's and/or Bakura's influence reaches deep into the police force, Honda could get into serious trouble with these dark powers at work." He frowned. He spoke of strange, dark powers so easily. If he hadn't witnessed it himself, he probably would've laughed at the thought; more than probably to hide his fear, as Jounouchi wasn't keen on anything supernatural. But he had witnessed it: he had seen Mahaado summon a Kaa monster that could do real damage, and he had seen the Pharaoh manipulating the shadows to save his friend. "I feel terrible about it, but it's for the best that he doesn't know. I'll explain it to him later."
"Later, yes." Mokuba sat down. "Have something to eat, guys."
They ate in comfortable silence, not dragging up the events again. Jounouchi had a million questions for Yuugi and he wondered how his friend was so calm. He'd been kidnapped and held prisoner against his will, and yet he was eating dinner like he hadn't been tensed or stressed at all. Even Mokuba, while still worrying about his brother, was eating with gusto, every now and then commenting on the ingredients in a dish. It had to be the mansion which, strangely enough, had such a calming effect on all of them. Not a dark power for once, but a light power, a good kind of power that strengthened and soothed them. Half-way through dinner, Ishizu joined the table. Jounouchi noticed that he wasn't the only one to be exhausted; she looked like she hadn't seen any sleep in ages.
"How's the Pharaoh?" he asked.
"Mahaado is with him," Ishizu answered. "He is not happy at the moment." A small smile. "Trying to summon a God was quite reckless of our Pharaoh. He is strong, but not strong enough to sustain an entire God. He chose to manipulate the shadows instead, but that was even more reckless."
Jounouchi remembered how one of those strange shadows had knocked that control device out of Bakura's hand.
"He is safe now, and so are we. No darkness will ever reach this mansion." Ishizu picked up a grape and rolled the fruit between her fingers. Her voice was significantly softer when she spoke again. "Have you seen my brother?"
It was Yuugi who answered her question. "Malik-kun was with me, Ishizu-san. When I woke up, he was in the same room and he stayed with me until Bakura-san... eh, needed me." Yuugi looked at the woman, compassion and kindness in his eyes. "He was very upset about everything, and kept apologizing to me for some strange reason."
"At least he is still alive." Ishizu heaved a deep sigh. "I was not sure if he would survive without his dark half. Malik is not as strong as the Pharaoh, unfortunately."
Jounouchi suppressed a yawn. "How soon can we go after Malik and Kaiba?" he asked.
"There is still time. They both are not in any danger." Ishizu put her fingers on her necklace, the Sennen Tauk. The Pharaoh had returned the Item to her, as he deemed her the original owner. It matched perfectly with her traditional garb, the soft beige colors of the fabric contrasting with the deep, rich golden jewelry. "I have not foreseen any ill forebodings."
"But Bakura-san wanted to kill everyone," Yuugi said, "even the Pharaoh!"
Ishizu widened her eyes, as if in shock. "He did? That does not sound like the thief at all," she said, pensively. "Bakura is a very patient man who plans years, decades, centuries in advance. It sounds nothing like him to rush or to simply kill someone, especially the Pharaoh. I am afraid that this is Zorc's work."
"Who's this Zorc guy anyway?" Mokuba piped up.
"I doubt he exists," Jounouchi said. "It's a fake personality Bakura uses. He set it all up."
Ishizu shook her head. "No, Jounouchi. Zorc is a God of Darkness who was defeated and sealed away by the Pharaoh. It cost him his life, and his name."
"His name?"
"Yes. In the process of sealing Zorc, the Pharaoh used a very powerful magic spell, including his own name as to make the spell work. He erased his name from every record and the nation's collective memory to make sure that no one would be able to use the spell again to resurrect Zorc... in case someone would be insane enough to do that."
"Bakura. With the Items."
"Yes. But even if Bakura should have all the Sennen Items, he cannot resurrect Zorc as he does not know the Pharaoh's name. No one knows, not even the Pharaoh remembers it... Bakura is an element of the shadows. Zorc reaches from beyond any and all darkness out to him, and Bakura does his bidding."
"I don't see Bakura as the kind of guy to take orders from anyone," Jounouchi protested.
"I do not think he does," Ishizu agreed. "Do not forget that his plans are long-term. Zorc might think that he has a handy pawn in Bakura, but the thief might use Zorc for his own goals. Bakura wants nothing but revenge on the Pharaoh. He blames for him killing his entire family when the Sennen Items were created. It does not matter to Bakura that the Pharaoh never had, or has, any involvement in that at all. It was the Pharaoh's father, who atoned gravely for his sins. All that Bakura sees is the Pharaoh and his light half, and he wants them destroyed beyond death itself."
Yuugi shivered violently.
"It was a drastic sacrifice," Ishizu continued, "but without it, the entire world would have been plunged into eternal darkness. Without his proper name though, the Pharaoh cannot pass to the afterlife. His rest has been denied for three millennia by now, and he has been fighting the darkness ever since."
"That's... terrible," Yuugi said, downtrodden.
"Zorc manipulates Bakura, Bakura uses Zorc. It is hard to determine who does what, or which one is which. Maybe Bakura thinks he is Zorc, or perhaps he is a part of Zorc. It is the question of who has the darkest personality or the darkest powers. In this case, I believe this was a test- the whole showdown at Zorc Security. Zorc wanted to see how strong the Pharaoh was, what kind of powers his friends possessed." Ishizu's voice trailed off and silence fell. After a while, she asked if anyone wanted more tea, but everyone declined.
Jounouchi hid a large yawn behind his hand. "We should find ourselves a bed," he said.
"There is plenty of room in the mansion." Ishizu got up from her chair. "Mokuba, you can use the room you were already in. Jounouchi, you know your way around. Yuugi, there is a bedroom available..."
"Close to Jounouchi-kun?" Yuugi asked.
She smiled at him. "Close to Jounouchi. Follow me."
As the group went upstairs, they ran into Mahaado who exited the Pharaoh's room. He looked pretty exhausted himself and bowed to Ishizu when she passed him. She returned the polite gesture. Without a word, he continued his way, as if lost in thoughts.
"Is the Pharaoh asleep?" Yuugi asked, intrigued.
"He needs his rest as to sustain both himself and Mahaado in this plane of existence," Ishizu said. "And to carry the Puzzle. The Sennen Items..."
"Yuugi, what the hell are you doing?" Jounouchi's voice shot up a few notches when Yuugi opened the door to the bedroom. He wanted to grab his friend at the elbow and pull him back, but Yuugi had already slipped through the small opening. Jounouchi held his breath. What on earth was Yuugi thinking? He followed Yuugi into the darkened bedroom, curtains firmly closed. A small orb hovering over an elaborate nightstand emitted a very gentle light, just enough to see the contours of the furniture and the outlines of the Pharaoh in his bed, his back turned towards the intruders. Jounouchi hissed at Yuugi who approached the bed, sneaking like a burglar.
"Yuugi!" He waved at him to get his attention, but Yuugi ignored him. Instead, he lifted up one of the blankets on the bed and tucked it around the Pharaoh's feet. Jounouchi didn't know whether to cry hysterically or laugh his ass off.
"Come on Yuugi," he whispered urgently, "you shouldn't be here."
He turned around and bumped into Mahaado, carrying an extra blanket. The face of the magician-priest showed a furious, angry expression and for a moment Jounouchi feared that he was going to cast a spell that would destroy everyone in the room. Yuugi looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"I'm sorry," he stammered. "I... I went too far. I'm sorry..."
"We were just leaving," Jounouchi said. He wasn't sure what the priest was so furious about. Yuugi hadn't touched the Pharaoh, but he and Jounouchi had entered his bedroom without permission. "We didn't mean to do anything." The look in Mahaado's eyes unnerved him; he had seen him angry, shocked, in awe, concentrated or offended before, but he didn't recognize this look, filled with... pain. His mouth took off with him. "You keep telling us that he's so strong, but all I hear is "Take a rest, Pharaoh", "Take it easy Pharaoh", "you should sleep now, Pharaoh"." Jounouchi pointed at the bed. "We made sure that he's still warm and asleep, like a baby."
Mahaado crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You have no idea what you are talking about, have you not?" His voice boomed. "My Pharaoh is strong. How do you think I am able to be here? He maintains and sustains both our presence in this world, and my ability to perform magic! Carrying the entire Earth on your shoulders is a breeze in the park compared to keeping two adult people, one with complete magic, grounded and solid in a totally different plane of existence! Now you tell me if he is not allowed to sleep as he has carried this heavy burden all alone for so long!"
It was nothing short of a miracle that said Pharaoh didn't wake up from his loud voice, and Mahaado made a dramatic exit, his robes billowing behind him.
"Mahaado-san, wait!" Yuugi called out after him.
"Mahaado, please," Ishizu said, but not even her plea could stop him. Yuugi wanted to go after him, but she blocked his way. "It is better to leave him alone for now," she said. There was no scolding in her voice, but her face mirrored some of Mahaado's pain. Jounouchi didn't understand. What was going on? "Let us all retreat and regain our strength."
A bit downtrodden, everyone searched out their assigned accommodation. Jounouchi tried to stay awake in case Yuugi would come over to his room to talk, but his eyes slid close and he fell asleep within minutes.
The next morning, everyone sans the Pharaoh, gathered at the large table in the kitchen, as if they were a family getting ready for the new day. Mahaado healed Jounouchi's bruised jaw and Yuugi's sore back. His face was shut tight as a graveyard gate and not a word left his lips. Mokuba helped Ishizu to set the table and soon everyone sat down, sharing breakfast. Jounouchi kept an eye on Mahaado, not pleased with the sudden distance in the man's attitude. Sure, he and Mahaado had started off on the wrong foot, but they had grown to become some kind of friends, at least that was how Jounouchi regarded him: a friend. It was hard to read the magician-priest's face, but the way he tore his bread apart into a thousand crumbs, made it obvious that he was upset, very upset. A minute later, Mahaado and Ishizu rose from their chairs, bowing to each other. Jounouchi thought that breakfast was over, but then he realized they weren't bowing to each other, but to the Pharaoh who had soundlessly entered the kitchen. He looked as pristine as ever; Mahaado had healed him first of course, and there wasn't a dent visible anymore in his golden, broad necklace.
"Good morning Pharaoh," Jounouchi said. Mokuba and Yuugi said the same, whereas Mahaado and Ishizu greeted him in Ancient Egyptian. He nodded solemnly at everyone before sitting down. Yuugi stared at him for a brief moment and blushed furiously, then buried his face into another bowl of yogurt. Mahaado put a modest amount of food on a plate and silently, all but shoved it towards the Pharaoh. Jounouchi could see from his raised eyebrows that the Pharaoh wasn't amused with the brusque gesture - and if the Pharaoh was taken aback by Mahaado's behavior, then something really, really strange had to be going on.
"I hope that everyone has rested well," he spoke, "for today is an important day."
"We're going to rescue my brother," Mokuba said fiercely. "And Malik," he added.
"We have gained ourselves a victory, but the battle is not over, indeed. Set is safe for now, so we still have time to prepare." The Pharaoh reached with his slender fingers for a piece of bread.
Mokuba leaned into Yuugi, but his voice was loud enough for Jounouchi to overhear: "Ishizu-san told me why they refer to my brother as 'Set'. Apparently, he's the incarnation of the Pharaoh's High Priest and the original wielder of the Sennen Rod."
Jounouchi almost spit out his tea. Kaiba, the reincarnation of a priest? He would call bullshit on everything! Kaiba wouldn't like to be in the service of anyone, he had always been his own boss. It was interesting to know though, that the Item Marik coveted so much, originally belonged to Kaiba. It was getting weirder by the minute.
"But where is Kaiba-kun?" Yuugi asked the logical, next question. "He wasn't at Zorc Security."
"He has to be somewhere easily accessible to Bakura," Jounouchi thought out loud. "Those mechanical arms that restrained Yuugi, the robots... when I drew my gun, lasers destroyed it. Bakura had some kind of controlling device. It reminded me of the security system in the KaibaCorp. building."
"Bakura stole my brother's technology?" Mokuba was aghast at Jounouchi's words.
"Worse, I think Bakura is forcing Kaiba to work on that system, as an ultimate defense," Jounouchi said. "That's why your brother's so important to him. Not only because of his past, but also because of who he is in this present day, and what he can do."
Mokuba slammed his fist on the table, insulted that Bakura had even dared to touch Kaiba's technology. "Give me a computer, and I'll get to the bottom of this! I can log into the KaibaCorp.'s network and see what's going on! Whenever my brother worked on his technology, he used resources from HQ. I can check the activity logs!"
"I'm thinking of something else too," Yuugi said, his face ghostly pale. "Mokuba-kun... remember what you told me before? The basement under KaibaCorp... You told me what was there."
Mokuba paled as well. "Gozaburo's war material," he said. "What's left from his... empire. All our systems have been connected to Zorc Security for 'optimal security benefits'. Oh no, no..."
"Bakura of Darkness has infiltrated like the ghost from the shadows that he is," the Pharaoh said. "He is a thief and a stealer of souls, Mokuba. It is not your fault, nor your brother's. Bakura has had ages to set this all up, and he has worked towards his goal patiently and diligently. His ultimate goal is the resurrection of Zorc and he already has three Items: the Ring, the Rod and the Eye. He knows we have the other Items. The question is, are we going to wait for him, or are we going after him?"
"After him, of course, do you even need to ask?" Mokuba yelled. "My brother is in danger!
How can you sit on your asses and do nothing?"
"You will not speak to the Pharaoh that way!" Mahaado's voice was as sharp as a whiplash, and Mokuba flinched as if he had been physically hit.
"You do not understand the mechanics of this war," the Pharaoh elaborated, lacing his fingers together. "It is like a strategy game. We reveal our trump cards to each other, one by one, and await the other's move. The steps are taking centuries, as darkness will always be in constant war with light, and the turn of the ages does not change anything about that. Bakura has lost one of his assets - my apologies, aibou, for referring to you this way - but he still holds a great deal of advantage."
"It's all right, mou hitori no boku," Yuugi said, ignoring the strange look Jounouchi gave him. "I know you're doing the best you can."
"It is better for the Pharaoh that you stay here," Mahaado said, his voice devoid of any intonation. "Your presence will help generate his strength and powers faster."
"Bakura knows we have gained a big advantage," the Pharaoh went on, "but he will not rush his plans. It would not come as a surprise to me if Bakura had actually planned for us to gain this advantage. He wants to show us that he is in command. We are only his puppets as he orchestrates his next move."
"Enough with all the talking! What do we do now?" Mokuba wasn't so patient. "Whatever you do, I'm coming along. You need me to get into KaibaCorp.!"
"It's the most logical place where Kaiba could be," Jounouchi agreed. "Bakura is hiding him in plain sight, and forces him to work on that system in the meantime."
"Aishizu, can you provide Mokuba with everything he needs?" the Pharaoh asked. She nodded. "You can support us, but at a safe distance," he continued, addressing Mokuba. "I know how you feel, but I rather have you not there on the battlefield. In this stage, Monsters and Gods will be summoned. Bakura has an especially powerful Monster called Diabound, filled and grown from his hatred. Its attacks are devastating."
"You have no idea how I feel!" Mokuba blurted out. "I'm coming along to save my brother, whether you like it or not!"
Mahaado opened his mouth, but the Pharaoh put up his hand. His fiery red eyes narrowed and his voice took on a much lower, darker tone.
"I have seen everyone I loved die because they believed in me. I had to die myself and leave everything and everyone I loved behind. I had to sacrifice my name to make sure the most evil darkness in the world would be sealed. My priests died willingly, offering their energy and love to me to defeat this horrible menace. Zorc is a God, and I will summon a God to destroy him. This will not be safe for anyone involved, so you. are. not. coming. along."
Mokuba stared at his plate, his cheeks red, his food completely forgotten.
"Pharaoh, even with Yuugi here," Ishizu said, voice soft, "you are not strong enough to summon Ra with all of his abilities."
"My light half will not be coming along either," the Pharaoh said, coldly. "I will not take that risk."
Yuugi shook his head. "I'm coming along, no matter what," he said. He waited a split second before he asked: "What would it take to be strong enough?"
Ishizu averted his eyes. "To be grounded in this plane of existence for real." A heavy silence fell. Malik's darker half, Marik, had killed their adoptive brother Rishid to gain a solid, physical body. A human sacrifice. Jounouchi didn't feel like eating anymore. Yadonushi-sama. How much time was there left for Bakura Ryou? And what if Bakura obtained a solid body... or Zorc... would that mean the end of the world?