Marik: And we don’t own anything, so shut up, or face the same fate as this Feral Imp.

(pulls the curtains—shows a Feral Imp wearing a tutu dancing to the nut cracker)

Marik: (shudders violently at his own work)

Yami-Bakura: Now THAT is scary….

Yamiko:  I told you my muses were crazy, and be warned, they are only here to be crazier…  Oh yeah, and since the technology in this Yu-Gi-Oh series is so advanced and complex (especially since it is designed for something so simple as a card game), the series doesn’t take place until 2019, where we might have the technology and stuff for that (might).   Also, I am aware that Pegasus’s age is 24.  So in this, I boosted it up by five years.  So he is 29 (suits his USA dub voice a little better.).  That is all I really have to say…

chapter 2 (II/Two)

*~*~*

Elizabeth counted the star chips she had won today.  After battling the pathetic Bonz, and his master, she had managed to add four more star chips. Now she had a total of nine.  She just needed one more, and she had less then a day to get it.  The problem remained that there weren’t many duelist left to eliminate.  And Bonz went down so easily, that she didn’t even want to pick a fight with Bandit Keith anymore.  She pulled out her deck from her dueling pocket, and grinned.  Her cards were some of the rarest cards in the world.  It took her almost most of her life to track them down.  She touched one featuring a bluish dragon who had an attack power of 3000. 

Now, you would normally think that there would be four blue eyes in the world.  But everyone knows that Kaiba has three of them and it was his great ambition to get his hands on all of the cards that existed.  Elizabeth wasn’t a fool.  As long as you kept quiet, and never told anyone, your Blue Eyes was safe, and no one could get to it.  In fact, she wasn’t even sure exactly how many Blue Eyes White Dragon cards were in the world.  There could be well over a hundred, but there were probably more like ten—but that was an approximate estimate.

She continued to scan through her cards. Her deck was a powerful deck, consisting of dragons and spell-casters, as well as one or two warriors or fiends.   She also loaded it with kick-butt magic and trap cards, that no one could stand against.  The deck included, Tyrant Dragon, Red Eyes Black Dragon, Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, Black Magician, Time Wizard, Mystical Elf, Dark Elf, Curse of Dragon, Baby Dragon, Metal Morph, Ryou Ran, Mirror Force, Trap Hole, Raigeki, Magic Jammer and a bunch of other powerful or rare cards.  Elizabeth always thought that Dragon types and Spell Caster types were the most powerful.  Heck some of the most powerful types of cards in duel monsters are spell casters and dragons.  Next to her Blue Eyes White Dragon, there was one card she favored the most.

Only three were made—one of them never stayed through the process to be completed, but that didn’t matter.  What did, was the fact that she just happened to have one of the two that made it out of the factory pressing process.  She remembered how she got it, it was the day when she favored her intelligence and wit.  Some idiotic dolt said it was an un-official card and was probably just a fake, but Elizabeth managed to seduce him in to selling that and Monster Reborn 120 yen.

She thought, ‘It’s the idiotic things you treasure.’

She shifted her hand so the deck lay on its side, and smiled at her silver ring.  Within the ring, resided a mysterious spirit, who called herself, Mizu. She existed within the ring—or as Mizu had called it, the ‘Millennium Band.’ (A/N I would say ring, but Bakura’s millennium item name took that off my hands…), Mizu never told her anything about her past.  She even pretended she didn’t know who she was.  Elizabeth knew she was faking it, in fact, she knew very well, but she was taught to understand people’s business, and let things go.

Now, Elizabeth and Mizu never really joined together as Yugi would with his spirit or even Bakura’s with his own.  Elizabeth was never possessed, and Mizu wouldn’t even attempt.  Instead, she would whisper to Elizabeth, telling her what to do, and how to do it.  That was her key to her success.

Elizabeth remembered the exact day she received her millennium band.

*~*~*

Elizabeth just sat in her room of the Kyoto’s private children boarding facility.  She sat on the end of her bed, and stared out the window with tears streaming from her eyes and over her cheeks.

Her closest friends Mickey and Kathryn watched outside her room.  Since she had come, they were with her from the beginning, because both of them knew her pain.  Mickey’s parents were American politics, and they were assassinated right in front of her. When she had saw them dead,  she huddled over their body’s crying with tear stained eyes.  She was brought in with her parents will, because her only living relative, her uncle was on death row.  She had come to Kyoto boarding facility by Air force one, accompanied by the Secretary of defense.

As for Kathryn, she came home one day from kindergarten, and saw that her parents were packing up.  She asked them where they were going, and her father brushed past her as if she wasn’t there.  She asked her mother, and she said her father and her were going to the grocery store, and that they will be right back.  Kathryn couldn’t help but notice that they had packed almost everything from the house.  Kathryn waited at the doorstep for a long time.  A whole day went by, and she began to worry.  She would walk inside the house, fix herself a sandwich, and continue to wait.   After a week, someone came over to the house.  He told her that her parents were con artists and they had left for Cuba, and their current location was unknown.  He also told her that the city of Tucson Arizona had donated money for her to go to a place where people could take care of her.  Thus, she came to Kyoto boarding facility.

When they heard of Elizabeth’s story, they couldn’t help but feel her pain.  They tried to befriend her, as they did with each other, but all attempts to get her to talk for at least ten minutes failed.

Mickey turned to Kathryn and said, “You know, this has been going on for so long, it is almost scary…”

Kathryn agreed, “Yeah, and I thought I was in denial forever when my folks left me, but this is ridiculous.”

“How old was she when it happened?  Five?”

“Four, I think...”

Mickey said, “You know, it has been so long, maybe we should do something to cheer her up…”

Kathryn stared at her and muttered, “Or at least do something to make her move.  I mean look at her!  She is like a zombie!”

Mickey fished her duel monster deck out of her pocket, and stared at her duel monster cards, “All these trends have come and gone, and she just reacts as if nothing has ever happened…”  She giggled when she picked a card and squealed, “DANCING FAIRIES!”

Kathryn turned to her and asked, “You still have fairy type monsters in your deck?!”

“Fairy and Warrior types…”

Kathryn asked irritably, “When are you going to get some REAL cards?”

Mickey, very disgruntled, packed her deck away and put her nose up in the air, facing away from Kathryn.

Kathryn turned back to Elizabeth, who pretended as if they weren’t even there at the door (which was only like two feet away from her bed) and groaned, “That is it!  Mickey, watch me work my magic!”

Mickey asked, “What are you going to do?”

“Wake her up! What else?” 

Mickey rolled her eyes, “Oh dear.  Now, Kathryn, don’t get carried away!”

Kathryn grinned,  “No sweat M-Fever, this will at least make her move!”  With that, she walked over to the bed.  On the side of Elizabeth’s bed, up on her nightstand, sat a duel monster deck that Mickey gave her for her seventh birthday that year.  Kathryn helped her construct it a bit.  (“If it was up to you, it would be all fairies,” she had said earlier).  Elizabeth in her denial, hadn’t touched any of her presents.  Kathryn was mad that the chocolate that she had given to Elizabeth for her birthday melted because she didn’t bother to even un-wrap it.  It was a total waste, and was disposed the next month.  Her duel monster deck just sat on the table, ignored as well.  There was even a little bit of dust coveted it.  Kathryn walked right next to the table and stared at Elizabeth.

She growled, “Beth, it has been three years!  You don’t want to go insane do you?”

 Elizabeth didn’t even notice she was there.  Kathryn whistled, and than quickly grabbed her duel monsters deck. 

Mickey smacked her face, “Oh my lord…”

Kathryn grinned and chuckled, “Hey, Beth!  I got your duel monster’s deck!  I think I will steal your Red Eyes Black Dragon and your Change of Heart card!”

Elizabeth didn’t budge.  Kathryn looked both ways, trying to come up with something more aggravating and added, “And I am going to throw the rest of the cards out the window!”

Elizabeth moved her mouth and said, “That’s nice…”

Kathryn stared at the cards, roared, and threw them down on the floor.  Mickey cried, “I organized those for her!”  With that, she began to pick them up, dusting them and placing them in a pile on her desk.  Mickey growled, “You didn’t have to drop them like that…”

Kathryn didn’t listen to Mickey’s nagging and groaned, “I am fresh out of ideas…”

Mickey smiled, “Hey, Lizzy!  Wildly Coyote and Road Runner! (A/N I don’t own that either) Everyone likes them!”  She went over to her television and switched it on to Cartoon Network.  Elizabeth didn’t say anything, her eyes moved towards their motions, but they eventually returned to her feet and she stared down below them.

Mickey and Kathryn were laughing at the top of their lungs, but Elizabeth didn’t seem to take in any sign that they were trying to cheer her up.  After the double episodes of Funny Bunny.  Kathryn and Mickey were gasping, and Elizabeth just continued to stare out the window.

Mickey said, “Amazing!  I show her Road Runner and she doesn’t even move!  I mean, what normal kid of seven years could resist such entertainment.”

Kathryn closed her eyes, obviously deep in thought.  She opened them, and stated, “I got one more idea…” 

She moved towards Elizabeth and said, “Hey, there is a month field trip to Egypt—completely free!  Well of course, the facility will have to pay, but want to come? All you have to do is sign up.”

 Elizabeth finally gave a logical answer and said, “No…”

Mickey cried, “Elizabeth!  You have to leave this room!  It has been three years! 

“Really, it has been that long?”

“Yes it has!”

“Wow, I had not idea.  Thanks for enlightening me.”

This was probably the best you could get from Elizabeth.  The only way to engage her in at least five minute conversation, was to talk about some random thing that popped into her mind.

Mickey growled, “Elizabeth!  This has gone way too far!  Kathryn and I have been bringing you your food, keeping you company whenever we can, but this is just too much!  Your mother is gone, but it is time to move on!”

Elizabeth started to cry again.  Kathryn faced her and said, “Look kid!  Life is tough!  I am sorry about Cecilia, I bet she was a really nice woman, and she probably loved you as you loved her back, but life goes on!  Heck, I myself was in denial when my parents never came back!  I was stupid enough to think that they would, but that was two years ago!  I have moved on, and I am sure as hell that you can.”  She faced the door and said, “That is it, I am going to write your name down on the list!”

Elizabeth faced her and said, “I don’t want to go!”

Kathryn’s frown slowly curled into a malicious grin.  She had Elizabeth right where she wanted her.  She said, “Well too bad!  I am going to write your name down—IN PEN!”  With that, she split for the hallway of the dorm.

Elizabeth shot up off the bed like a cork out of a wine bottle, and to Mickey’s amazement she sprinted for the door and roared, “NOOO!!!!”

Kathryn took a left and ran down the stairs, with Elizabeth charging after her as a bull does with a bull fighter, hands outstretched ready to pulverize Kathryn.  When Kathryn reached the foot of the stairs, she stopped and faced her.   Elizabeth stared.  She then realized she had left her room.  That anger made her feel better.  

Kathryn said, “Feel better, now Bethy-Girl?”

Elizabeth grinned weakly and smiled, “A little… I guess.”

Kathryn smiled, “Then how ‘bout it!  Want to go?  Mickey and I have signed up!”

Elizabeth smiled, “Give me the pen…”

*~*~*

About two months later, Elizabeth, Mickey and Kathryn, were walking down the market place of Cairo.  They were staring at all sorts of cards.   Elizabeth said, “Wow, who would have thought that here in Egypt, they would even sell Duel Monster Cards.

Mickey said, “It’s a small world Lizzy!  Ooh!  They have St. Joan!”  She ran up to one of the stands, hosted by a young Egyptian woman with a golden necklace.  She smiled, “I have been expecting you.  St. Joan is .5 pounds and I have a feeling that you shall take it.

Mickey ignored her, obviously bent on holding the card.  She said quickly, “Yeah, yeah, yeah just give me the card!”  She handed the woman some pocket change and she took the card from behind the glass and handed it to Mickey. 

Kathryn grumbled, “You and your fairies.  You do realize you need Exalted Nun and Leopard Guardian along with the Polymerization card, don’t you?”

Mickey smiled, “I don’t use them to play the game, I buy them because they look pretty!”

Kathryn muttered, “No wonder I always kick your can when we play Duel Monsters…”

Elizabeth looked around at all the cards stands, and saw some cards behind one and began to drool.  The clerk had dark skin with markings engraved on his face.  Elizabeth thought maybe it was a scar, but what normal person would allow something like that to happen to him without putting up a fight?  This man looked as though he could fight a whole army.   He asked in a deep voice, “May I help you, my dear…”

She pointed to what appeared to be a Black Luster Ritual and Dark Magic Ritual. The clerk said, “ 1.5 pounds for each, and they both include the ritual monster.  She smiled, her eyes glittering with joy, “Sweet, what a deal!”  She slammed down the money and smiled, “I’ll take it!”  The man withdrew them from the glass and said, “Is here anything else you would like?”

(Fifteen minutes later)

 By the time they walked out of the shop, she was carrying those four cards, a Summoned Skull, a Monster Reborn, and a Polymerization.  She smiled, and that only cost me about 5 pounds!

Kathryn muttered, “You beat me to those cards.  What are you going to do with Summoned Skull?  I mean, you collect Dragons and Spell Casters, and that is just a Fiend.  He won’t match well in your deck.”

Elizabeth said, “Not until I fuse him with my Red Eyes Black Dragon…”

Kathryn’s eyes glittered, “I can’t wait to see what that will do…”

She turned to Mickey. “It’s great!  Beth is finally cheering up!”

Elizabeth looked one way and grinned, “Look at that!”  She was pointing towards a dark alley way.  There were shops in it, but not many of them looked friendly.  Kathryn said, “Ah, Elizabeth, that is off limits!  Were not suppose to go that way…”

Too late.  Elizabeth brushed past them, and was running off down the dark alley, and turned a left.  Mickey said, “We have to go after her!”

Kathryn said, “Are you insane, the people on this street are whackos!  They believe in magic spells, curses and potions!  Do you have any idea how weird that is?”

Mickey said nervously, “Let’s get the counselor!”

As Mickey and Kathryn ran off to find their superior, Elizabeth was walking down the street.  She chuckled, “Now this was more then I bargained for…”

She came up to a jeweler shop, and saw all sorts of weird pieces of jewelry.  Some of them weren’t even jewels, but they looked like simple bottle caps and other sorts of garbage.  The most appealing, and what just happened to look even close to jewelry appeared to be a golden ring with little charms that hung from a rope.  She asked the clerk, “Wow, how much does that cost?”

“The Millennium Ring?”

“Yeah, whatever, does it do anything?”

The man smiled.  He had no teeth.  He chuckled, “It waits for the chosen one to come, so the spirit of a tomb robber can give the holder invincibility.”  He pointed to her and said, “However, you are not the one.  I must wait till the one appears!”  He chuckled more insanely, revealing more of his decaying mouth.

Elizabeth tried not to stare, and replied, “Yeah, sure mister, I’ll tell the person when I see him that the Millennium Ring is waiting for him.”  With that, she walked off.  When she turned a corner, she started to laugh like a lunatic…

She then noticed another card shop, and stared through the glass.  There were all sorts of rare cards, but Elizabeth only smirked.  The salesman or salesmen, were very strange man both wearing a dark crimson robe. One was extremely fat, and the other was very tall and slim.  The fat one chuckled and said, “Would you like to buy some cards.  They are expensive, but at a fair price, I would say.”

Elizabeth chuckled and replied, “I would rather not.”

The tall man asked, “Why though.   Not enough money perhaps?”

“We will take whatever money you have for these cards.  Just quote us a price and we will sell them to you…”

Elizabeth said, “I have enough money to board myself at the Biltmore hotel for a month.  The fact remains that your cards are missing the Industrial Illusions seal, and therefore they are forged— in case you don’t know.  I would check before putting them on display.  You should report about the man who sol you your merchandise.”

The fat man chuckled, “What a clever little witch…”  The tall one stood up and growled, “We made them ourselves.”

“And now that you know our secret, and we can’t let you go.  We would never sell another card.”

Elizabeth began to panic and did a 90 degree turn and darted off.  The tall man growled and took a knife from his side, and ran off after her.  The fat man chuckled, “Run, run, run as fast as you can!”  With that, he took a left and started to run as fast as his brother. 

As Elizabeth ran, the tall man continued to chase her from behind.

‘Dear Kami, save me please…’ 

Just then, she bumped into a man wearing a green robe with a white cloak and turban.  A golden key that hung from his necklace fell off, and she stared up at the man.  She stared at him, and just then, the tall man caught up with her.  He smiled, “Sorry but you can’t go any farther, my dear.”

The fat one appeared on the other side of the ally way, blocking Elizabeth and the strange man.  She stared up at him and cried, “Please help me…”  She buried her face into his robes.  “Don’t leave me, please.”  The man looked away from her, and then closed his eyes. 

The fat man asked, “What are you doing?”

He started to chant something in Egyptian.  Elizabeth listened, and heard his words.  It was similar, but it couldn’t be Egyptian.  Could it be the ancient version.  However, not many people knew how to speak it. Only historians did, but this man looked as though he was a common peddler. Elizabeth then noticed the shadows around the alley grew larger and covered her and the strange man. 

The two men looked around and the fat one asked, “Wha, what happened to them?!”

The tall one growled, “You lost them you twit.  I bet she ran off down the alley again…”

“I lost them?!  What about you?!  You were on her tail, weren’t you?”

“Shut up!”

With that, the two men walked away, furiously causing conflict with one another.

 She dusted herself off and said, “Thank you.”  She reached down and grabbed the key, blew some sand off of it, and handed it back to the holder.  He took it, and she helped him back on his feet.  She smiled, “Thank you very much for saving me…”

“It was nothing, really…”

She smiled and reached her hand towards her wallet.  The man said, “I said it was nothing…”

Elizabeth thanked him again and replied, “I better be going now, I have caused enough of my youthful mayhem today…

“It is too dangerous for you to go alone, Elizabeth…”

Elizabeth turned around.  Elizabeth asked, “How did you know my name?”

The man bowed and said, “That doesn’t matter.  Now that I know your name, I shall state mine.  My name is Shadi, but this is no place for children!  It is quite remarkable how you would go off on your own, without supervision by a superior…”

That sick feeling Elizabeth had for the past couple of years came back and she said, “I don’t have one, really. My mother died when I was very young, she was also very young when she had me.  She never told my father of my existence.  I never knew him, and here I am, at a children’s private home, which just happens to be supporting our trip to Egypt right now.”

For some strange reason, Elizabeth somehow noticed that the key seemed to glow.  He asked, “It happened a few years ago, did it not?”

She kicked the dust, “My mother died when I was four, and—“

“And now you are seven, indeed?” 

Elizabeth stared at him.  “How did you know that?  And how do you know all those other things about me?!”

Shadi seemed to smile.  He said, “I can see it now, your father…” He turned away from her, and she could have sworn he said,  “Could this girl be the one?”   With that, he shook off the thought and said, “Come, I shall escort you back to the others…”  He held out his hand, and Elizabeth stared into his deep eyes.  They seemed very trustworthy to her.

She took his hand and Elizabeth could not help but trust him.  They moved through the darkness, and Elizabeth realized that the shadow seemed to be moving with them.  In not time, they reached the entrance of the alley.  There was the counselor, looking extremely pissed, with Mickey and Kathryn.   

Mickey cried and ran up to Elizabeth.  She jumped on her and hugged Elizabeth, “We were so worried about you…”  Kathryn muttered, “Down girl, she can’t breathe.”

The counselor gave Elizabeth an evil glare, and turned to Shadi, “Thank you for finding her…”

Shadi smiled, “Children will be children.  They learn more from their wacky and childish adventures more than at any school.  She was no trouble at all…” 

He let go of her hand, and smiled, “So long, Elizabeth Pegasus…”

Elizabeth waved, but a thought hit her from the heavens. ‘How did he know my last name was—‘

The counselor groaned, “Elizabeth!  Will you just stay with the group!  You have a lot of nerve to go into the forbidden boundaries…”

Elizabeth turned to Mickey and Kathryn and muttered, “Squealers…”

Mickey and Kathryn put on fake cheesy smiles.  The counselor grunted, “We leave for Cairo at 5:00.  You are all to meet back at the train station at ten.  No questions…”  With that he left…

Elizabeth put on a funny face and said with crossed eyes, “No questions…”

“Hey Lizzy?”

“Huh?”

“Where did you get that ring?”

Elizabeth asked, ‘What?”

“The ring on your finger…”

Elizabeth stared at her finger, and noticed a silver ring that had the symbol of an eye in place, and stared at it,

“Well?”

Elizabeth quickly said, “I got it at one of those shops.  Some bozo said it had the spirit of an ancient tomb robber.  Isn’t that completely bogus?”  ‘What a nice little lie…’  She then thought, ‘Did Shadi put it on my finger?  And how did he know all of those things about me?  Is he a messenger of some celestial force or something?’

Kathryn grunted, “Wow, that was exactly what I wanted to do with my last two minutes of our time here.”

Elizabeth got back on track and realized they only had eight minutes left to find cards.  Elizabeth cried, “NO!  I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND MY TYRANT DRAGON!”  With that she ran off, with Mickey and Kathryn running after her, and they continued to explore the city…

*~*~*

That was how Elizabeth met Mizu, for she was inside the ring that was given to her.  She had no idea how she got it, but Mizu was there to guide her.

She didn’t noticed three black shadows over her back.  She turned around, and before she could speak, Bandit Keith grabbed her, and held her up in the air by her throat.  She reached for his hands, but he shook her in the air, and she growled, “What the hell do you think you are doing?”

He laughed haughtily, and shook her.  Her star chips fell to the ground, and were picked up by Bandit Keith’s cronies.

Bandit-Keith smirked and said, “You think we would just let you defeat me, with no game at all?  Now, ‘we’ are the ones with the ball on our side of the field!”

With that, he walked up to a sort of hole, that seemed to lead into some under-ground cavern system.   Elizabeth began to struggle, and Bandit Keith received great pleasure by watching her squirm.   He held her over the edge, and Elizabeth was to busy to know she was being held over a dangerous drop.

Elizabeth cried, “Let go of me you creeps!!”

Bandit-Keith smiled, “All right then.”  With that, he threw Elizabeth down in the cave.  She screamed as she fell.  Her arms flailed so much, hat her ring flew off her finger, and fell with her.  Elizabeth’s head hit the side of the cave as she fell, and she fell to the ground of the cave.  She tried to stand up, but fainted because of the pain.  As for her ring, it fell down and was lost under layers and layers of stone. 

Bandit Keith chuckled as he heard her fall.  His two cronies said, “We did it Bandit Keith.”

Bandit Keith said, “People who get in the way of my victory disturb me.  I have no time for people like that, when there is time to succeed.” 

One of them said, “You couldn’t be more right about that, Keith.”

Keith smiled, “Oh really.”

With that, he flung a punch into one of that thug.  He fell to the ground.  The other one cried, “What are you—“  But Keith’s fist encountered his face before he could help his friend.  Bandit Keith smirked, “I told you I have no patience for people who get in my way.”  With that, he picked up their star chips and smiled, “Ten for me, and about two for each of you.  Only fourteen hours remain, and you guys won’t get into the castle by that time.  However, with the help from that girl, I will get in.”

With that, he laughed and walked away from the scene of the crime. 

TO BE CONTINUED…

Yamiko: All right, for a little spoiler, you kiddies may have one.   She gets amnesia and her ring is discovered by Bakura (not Yami), who puts it into his pocket.  That is all I can offer.  She eventually joins up with Yugi, Joey and rest of the group and they make a pat to help her remember her past.  That is pretty much it.