Carved in Stone

Holding Back

            As soon as Seto switched on the HDT, the words “Please state number of duelists”
appeared against a black background.

“One” Seto thought to himself.

Next the words “Please choose an opponent, or open saved duel” appeared. Seto was simply
amazed. All he had to do was think to control the functions of the HDT!

“Choose opponent” Seto thought.

Suddenly a background with the words “Think of a duelist you would like to compete against”
popped up.

The first person that came to Seto’s mind was no other than the younn sln sleeping soundly
next to him, Joey Wheeler.

“Loading duelist settings” appeared next.

Seto relaxed back onto the bed and rested his head on his pillow as the HDT loaded the duel.
The next image that appeared in front of Seto was Joey himself. He was dressed in a blue denim
jacket, white t-shirt and light colored jeans.

“Oh! So you think you’re good enough of a duelist to beat Joey Wheeler? We’ll just have to see
about that now, won’t we, tough guy!” Joey’s hologram taunted the CEO. Seto rolled his eyes.

“Oh please, I can beat you blindfolded with my hands tied behind my back, Wheeler. Draw your
cards and give me your best shot.””

Holo-Joey drew his cards smirsmirked.

“You’re goin’ down, rich boy. After I’m done with you they’ll be wiping chunks of Blue Eyes
White Dragon off the field, HA!”

Seto drew his cards and glared back at the hologram.

“Highly unlikely, pup. I know preschooler’s who could take you out...... in less than five turns
none the less!”

“You wish! You’re the one who’s goin’ down in less than five turns! Take this! I’m gonna lay
one card face down and than I’ll summon a monster that looks a lot like you, the Berserk
Gorilla! Ha Ha!” The hologram laughed.

Seto looked at what he’d drawn and glared back at holo-Joey.

“That’s real mature, mutt. I’ll lay a card face down, summon Vorse Raider in attack mode, and
end my turn.”

Holo-Joey rolled his eyes.

“That’s the oldest trick in the book, money bags. You want me to attack you, don’tcha? Well I’m
not fallin’ for it! I’ll just lay this baby in defense position and lay another card face down. I might be blond,
but I ain’t stupid!”

“Oh really, Wheeler? You think that big monkey is going to protect you from my all-powerful
deck? Think again. You just made a big mistake, flea bag.”

Seto held up a card and started to laugh.

“Say hello to my Dream Clown.”

Holo-Joey waved his hand in front of himself.

“Oooh, I’m shaking in my shoes!”

Seto flipped up the face down monster he’d laid on his first turn.

“Crass Clown.......hmmm.....what do you think I’m going t nex next, Monkey-mutt?”

Holo-Joey shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know, fall to your knees and beg me not to wipe the floor with your hair once I beat
your ass?”

Seto shook his head.

“ mor moron, this card sends your brother Berserk Gorilla back to your hand.”

Holo-Joey made a sour face as his monster returned to his hand.

“That was rude.” he grumbled.

“One more thing,” Seto smirked as he flipped over a magic card, “I’ll use Perizerization to fuse
my Crass Clown and my Dream Clown together to create Bickuribox. Of course I’ll be attacking
your life points directly now too. I hope you’re enjoying your defeat........Lassie.”

“Oh shit.” Holo-Joey gulped as his life points dropped from 4000 down to 1700.

“I’ll end my turn now. I hope you packed a lunch, Wheeler.”

Holo-Joey drew a card and growled.

“And I hope you brought a life jacket, because you’re going up shit-creek without a paddle! I’ll
lay this baby in defense and end my turn.”

Seto chuckled lightly as he dreward.ard.

“Oooh......I’m so scared.” Seto retorted smuggly. “Just for kicks and grins, I’ll summon my
Vorse Raider and send him over to you’re side of the field to attack that useless facedowrd
rd
you’re hiding.”

In a blaze oory,ory, Seto’s monster stuck it to holo-Joey’s face down card....Cyber Jar.

Seto’s eyes got huge.

“When did you get one of those!” he gasp as his Bickuribox and Vorse Raider were sent to the
graveyard.

“I got it from you, ya big schmuck! HA HA221;221; the hologram laughed.

Seto crossed his arms and grunted as picked up the top five cards from his deck.

“Temporary setback, that’s all that move was.”

Out of the five cards he’d drawn, only two were four stars or less. He laid them face down and
looked back at his opponent.

“Looks like I’ve got you outnumbered by a few,R” holo-Joey chuckls fos four new monsters
appeared on his side of the field.

“Hmph!” Seto grunted sarcastically as Gearfield the Iron Knight, Jirai Gumo, Darkfire Soldier
#1 and Girochin Kuwagata stared him down.

“Gearfield, take out Rich boy’s first face down cards, Jirai Gumo, you take the second!” holo-Joey shouted.

“I don’t think so, Benji. I activate Swords of Revealing Light!” Seto yelled before the opposing
monsters obliterated his own.

Holo-Joey frowned.

“You’re no fun”

Seto smirked as he drew his next card.

“It looks like this duel is over.....Rin Tin Tin. First, I’ll sacrifice my two face down cards to call
out my Blue Eyes White Dragon. Than, I’ll summon the Lord of Dragons to the field. And
what’s this face down card? Oh yes, the Flute of Summoning Dragon. I think you know what’s
next, Underdog.”

“No way!” holo-Joey shrieked as two more Blue eyes appeared on the holo-field.

“Yes way, mutt. Attack my three Blue Eyes! Take out Gearfield the Iron Knight, Jirai Gumo,
Darkfire Soldier #1! Wipe out the mutt's remaining life points!”

All three Blue Eyes White Dragons threw their heads back and screamed before going on their
attack.

“No so fast!” Joey laughed as he flipped his last face down card. “You’re done, Kaiba.”

“No!” Seto shouted as Joey held up his Magic Cylinders card.

“Oh yes, I win, you lose, Ha-Ha!” The hologram laughed as Seto’s life points fell to zero.

“This game is rigged!” Seto protested.

Holo-Joey gathered up his cards and chuckled.

“You think I’d let myself loose in my own game? Gimmie a break! You lost, tough noogies!”

“Just you wait......next time I’ll be ready for you......Arfie.” Seto snarled in response.

******************************************************************

            Serenity leaned over tar aar and propped her chin up with her hands. Duke walked
behind her and pis his hand on her shoulder.

“Great job tonight.” he smiled.

Serenity let out a long sigh.

“Thanks Duke, I was so nervous. I hope I didn’t mess up too many orders.”

Duke chuckled as he picked up a shot glass.

“You did fine, believe me. You could have poured everything drink wrong and the guys here
would have still loved you.”

Serenity smiled as she brushed her hair with her fingers.

“You’re just being nice now, Duke. You can tell me the truth.”

Duke chuckled as he poured himself a shot of tequila.

“The truth? Alight than. You did F.I.N.E, sweetheart! Really, you did. The fact that you’re cute
helps though.”

Serenity covered her mouth and giggled.

“I am not.....stop it Duke. You’re making me blus82218221;

Duke tipped the shot of tequila down his throat and slammed the shot glass down on the bar.

“Hmm, I wonder where the hell Tristan is. The races are usually over by 11, and it’s going on 3
now.”

Serenity wiped off a section of the bar with a wet dish cloth and shrugged her shoulders.

“I don’t know, I hope he’s okay.”

Duke walked over to the kitchen door and peeped inside.

“Hey Jer? You mind ing ing up tonight? Tris hasn’t come back from the races yet, so I’m gonna
go look around for him.”

“No problem, Duke.” Jeree yelled back.

Duke turned to Serenity.

“Need a ride home?”

Serenity nodded her head and grabbed her jacket.

“I would appreciate it, if it’s not too much trouble.”

Duke grabbed his car keys and put his arms around Serenity.

“No trouble at all, little honey."

            Duke pulled over to the sidewalk and stopped his car in front of the vast Kaiba estate.
He looked over at Serenity and smiled.

“I hope you’re first day on the job wasn’t too scary.”

Serenity shook her head. She leaned over and gave Duke a big hug.

“No, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. You being with there the whole time really helped
though, thank you Duke.”

Duke embraced Serenity and patted her back. She didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry to break
away.

“You’d better get going now, it’s getting pretty late. I’d walk you to the door, but I don’t think
I’d make out alive.”

Serenity sighed as she pulled away from Duke. Her eyes seemed to fill with fear, but she didn’t
let on that anything was bothering her otherwise.

“You’re right. Noa’s probably waiting up for me. See you tomorrow night.”

Duke opened his car door and raced around to Serenity’s side. He opened her door and grinned.

“I almost forgot my manners, sorry.”

Serenity stepped out of the car and hugged Duke again.

“You’re the best.” she said in a weak voice. She took one last look into Duke’s piercing emerald
eyes before she went on a dead run towards the estate.

Duke found her behavior rather odd, but dismissed it, accrediting her actions to being tired. He
got back into his car and drove off in search of Tristan.

 

**********************************************

“Kaiba, hey Kaiba, wake up! Quit kicking me, man!” Joey growled as he shook his restless
lover.

Seto went to rub his eyes and discovered he&7;d 7;d fallen asleep wearing the HDT.

“Hmmm?” he mused as he cleared his throat.

Joey threw off the blanket that was covering them and hopped out of bed.

“You must have been having one helluva dream there, money bags, cuz you were flippin’ out
like Bakura bit you on the ass or sumthin’.”

Seto sat up and leaned back against the headboard of the bed. He removed the HDT from his
head and carefully placed it on the nightstand next to the bed.

“That was very strange.” he mused as he rested his arms behind his head. 

Joey looked at Seto quizzically as he pulled on his jeans.

“What was strange?” he ask.

Seto closed his eyes.

“The dream I had, it was so real.”

Joey walked toward the bedroom door laughing.

“That happens. Now hurry up and get dressed! We’re leaving for Acapulco in less than two
hours!”

Seto pulled the covers over his head and groaned.

“Just 10 more minutes, than I’ll get up.”

“Whateva” Joey chuckled as he walked out the door.

The phone started to ring, so Joey rushed to answer it.

***********************************************

“And just where you all night?” Noa hissed as Serenity tried to slip into bed unnoticed.

Serenity froze as her eyes locked with Noa’s.

“I-I....I was at work.”

Noa raised his hand and slapped her across the face, sending her falling to the floor. Tears
welled up in her eyes and she tried to get up.

“Work? WORK! Like I believe that!” Noa shouted in her face.

Serenity was on her hands and knees.

“I’m not lying, Noa! Please believe me!”

Noa stood over Serenity and kicked in tin the stomach, taking the breath right out of her petite
frame.

“Fucking little whore” he seethed as he yanked herby hby her hair.

Serenity choked for air, her entire body shook with fear and Noa glared into her eyes.

“Please don’t hurt me, please Noa....I love you.”

Noa yanked his sobbing girlfriend by her hair up onto the bed and pinned her down to the
mattress. His eyes burned with rage as he squeezed her wrists.

“Hmph, you love me. Isn’t that sweet.” he grunted sarcastically.

Serenity clenched her eyelids shut tightly.

“Noa....please.....I said I’m sorry. I didn’t do anything wrong, I promise!” she cried as fear
paralyzed her entire body.

“Quit your crying, I think I’ve heard just about enough from you. You’re actions are totally
unacceptable. You can sleep on the floor tonight.” Noa growled as he shoved Serenity back onto the
floor.

Serenity swallowed back her tears and curled up into a ball on the cold laminate floor. She
knew what Noa was doing wasn’t right, but she couldn’t imagine leaving him either.

*********************************************************

            Yami blinked a couple times as his eyes adjusted to the bright morning sun streaming in
through the window and across the bed.

“Aibou?” he called out when he realized he was alone.

Yami sat up and looked around. There were 3 suitcases sitting in front of the bed, but no sign of
Yugi.

Yami slowly slipped out of bed and pulled on a pair of Yugi’s sweatpants that were laying on the
floor. They were slightly too short, but they served their purpose. He walked into the hallway
and looked around.

“Pharaoh? Is everything alright?” Isis ask as she emerged from the guest room wearing a short,
lacy blue nightgown that matched her eyes.

Yami took one look at the way her outfit accentuated her perfect body and swallowed hard.

//Gods she’s beautiful// he thought to himself as erotic memories of their passionate nights
together in the past played over in his mind.

“Pharaoh?”

Yami shook his head and looked away.

“Everything is fine. Have you seen Yugi?” he ask.

Isis nodded her head.

“Yes, your highness, I have. Solon was fussing earlier and Yugi offered to take him for a walk.”

Yami pressed his lips togr anr and took a deep breath through his nose. Isis took a few steps
closer to Yami and reached for his hand.

“Are you sure you’re alright? You seen rather tense this morning.”

Yami exhaled through his mouth and sighed. He tried to block out the unwanted thoughts of
making love to Isis out of his mind.

“Yes, I’m fine, just tired still.”

Isis squeezed the pharaoh’s hand and smiled.

“Shall we go track them down?”

Yami nodded his head.

            The two of them headed down the hall in search of Yugi and Solon. A little yellow duck
came flying out through the bathroom door as they passed by.

“Solon, stop it! You’re getting me all wet!” Yugi’s voiced giggled from the bathroom.

Isis covered her mouth and chuckled.

“I think we’ve found them.”

Yami couldn’t help but laugh along with her as they entered into the bathroom.

They found Yugi kneeling next to the tub trying to hold the squirming child. He was sopping wet
and had foamy clear soap bubbles sticking in his hair.

“Need some assistance, aibou?” Yami chuckled as he walked behind Yugi and kneeled down.

“Putch, Putch!” Solon giggled as he slapped the surface of the water, sending water and bubbles

splashing onto his father’s face.

Yugi and Isis started to laugh. Yami seemed a little surprised his son had purposely splashed
water at him. He glanced over his shoulder at the laughing duo and rolled his eyes. He looked
back at Solon and reached out to him.

“Come here you little stinker” he smiled as he picked the child up out of the mountain of
bubbles.

Yugi handed Yami a towel and got to his feet.

“He’s all yours” he grinned as he walked out of the bathroom.

Isis kneeled down next to Yami and helped him dry their son off. The child stuck out his bottom
lip and looked in the direction Yugi had went in. Tears filled his big crimson eyes and he burst
out crying.

“Ma-ma-ma-ma!” Solon wailed with his arms outstretched.

Isis took the crying baby into her arms and wrapped him in the towel.

“What’s wrong sweety?” She ask as she rocked him in her arms.

Yami got to his feet and crossed his arms. He looked down at Solon curiously.

“Am I mistaken, or did our son just call Yugi ‘ma ma’?”

Isis stood up and chuckled. Solon continued to throw a fit over Yugi leaving.

“I think he did, pharaoh. How precious!”

Yami scratched his head and sighed.

“Does he say anything else yet?” he ask curiously.

Isis shook her head and tried comforting her unhappy child.

“Nothing I’ve been able to understand.”

Solon continued to cry at the top of his lungs. His little eyes sparkled with tears.

“Ma-ma!” He babbled over and over.

Yami made a face at Isis and took a few steps toward the door.

“He’s definitely got the Ishtar temper.” he noted as he walked out of the bathroom.

“Hey now!” Isis snapped back defensively as she followed Yami into the hall with their child in
her arms.

Yami found Yugi in the kitchen, standing in the refrigerator with the door wide open, shoveling
heaping spoonfuls of leftover mashed potatoes into his mouth.

“You know those would taste better if you warmed them up, aibou.” Yami laughed as seated
himself at the table.

Yugi shoved one last bite into his mouth, grabbed a can of soda, and closed the refrigerator. He
swallowed down his food as he sat at the table across from Yami.

“I called Joey this morning.” he said out of the blue.

Yami bit his lip. He found himself feeling slightly apprehensive about asking why Yugi would
call his ex. Did it have something to do with Yami’s performance between the sheets, or rather
lack there of?

Before either of them could say another word, Isis walked in the room with Solon, who was
dressed in a cute little blue jumpsuit.

“Ma-ma-ma-ma!” The child squealed when he saw Yugi.

Yugi got up and reached for the baby.

“Hey sweetie! Guess what! Daddy and I are going back to Egypt with you and mommy
tomorrow! Isn’t that cool?”

Solon grabbed Yugi’s nose and giggled. “Ma-ma!”

“I think he likes you, Yugi” Isis smiled.

Yugi carefully pried the child’s hand off his nose and chuckled.

“I hope so, because I really like this little guy.”

Yugi turned to Yami.

“Want to hold him too?” he ask his other half.

Yami nodded his head and reached for his son.

Solon grabbed hold of Yugi’s hair and stuck out his bottom lip.

“Ma-ma-maaaaa!” He screamed as he clung to Yugi’s shirt.

Yami sighed with disappointment and turned his head.

“Maybe not” he said sadly as he got up. “I’m going to go take a shower.”

“Oh, okay” Yugi nodded as he cuddled Solon.

**********************************************

            After having his way with Malik, Bakura relinquished control of their body back to Ryou.
The two hikari’s sat together watching the Egyptian sun setting in the sky. Shades of pink, mixed
with hues of purple and red painted the clouds. Streaks of gold lined the horizon as the crescent
moon began to rise behind them.

Malik sighed as he rested his head on Ryou’s shoulder. Ryou wrapped his arm around Malik and
held him close.

“You were right Malik, the setting sun is much more resplendent here than it is back home.”

Malik hugged Ryou’s waist and smiled.

“M’hm......it’s breathtaking.”

Ryou rested his cheek on Malik’s head. They wished this moment would never end.

BUT, of course, an interruption was inevitable.

They both heard Ryou’s father calling their names.

“OVER HERE, FATHER!” Ryou shouted back.

David rushed toward the sound of Ryou’s voice.

“Boys! Boys! You’re never going to believe this! Ramose and I have deciphered the first few
lines of text on the stone tablet!” he shouted back.

Ryou look and Malik; Malik looked at Ryou. They both had the same excited expression on their
faces.

“What does it say father?” Ryou ask as David approached.

David pulled out his handy-dandy little notebook from his pocket and began to read.

“Light reveals darkness, morning ends the night. Two shall be as one in the never ending cycle
of life.”

David stopped reading and looked at Ryou and Malik, who were listening intently.&#p>“After that epigraph the story begins.”

“Go on” Ryou nodded eagerly.

David looked back at his notebook and began to read again.

“The gods battled for power in the great city of Ur. The war was bloody and relentless. All died
except the king, his promiscuous wife, his brother the ass, and the twin sister of his wife. Calling
upon the powers of the Annunaki, the king and the sister fled to Egypt in search of the enigmatic
boy pharaoh.”

David closed his notebook and crouched down next to Ryou and Malik.

“Ramose thinks the ensi, or king as we would say, was the author of the tablet.”

Ryou looked at his father and started to laugh.

“Are you saying the king referred his brother an ass?”

David rolled his eyes.

“Not this again......that’s what Ramose suggested.” he groaned

Malik sat up and stared blankly up at the sky. Somng ang about the look on his face didn’t seem
quite right

“Demuzi was sleeping with Inanna, of course the king thought he was an ass!”

David and Ryou both were taken by surprise by Malik’s comment. David stood up and
chuckled.

“I can’t argue with that, but I still think the ass is a symbolic reference to one of the gods.”

Ryou got to his feet and laughed.

“Thank you for sharing, father. It’s very kind of you to take the time away from excavating this
site to do this for us.”

David waved his hand in front of himself and smiled.

“I enjoy my work, son.”

David gave Ryou a quick hug and quickly headed back to his tent.

Ryou looked down at Malik and reached for his hand.

“It’s getting late, we’d best turn in for the night.”

Malik continued to stare up at the darkening skies. He didn’t budge an inch.

“Inanna.......how could you?” he mused to himself.

Ryou cocked his head and looked at Malik quizzically. Malik seemed to be in his own little
word, and totally oblivious to Ryou’s presence.

Ryou leaned over and shook Malik’s shoulder.

“Hey, snap out of it.”

Malik shook his head and looked up into Ryou’s bewildered chestnut eyes.

“Oh....uh....sorry. What did you say?”

Ryou extended his hand to Malik. “I said let’s turn in for the night. Are you feeling alright?”

Malik took hold of Ryou’s hand and go his his feet.

“Um.....yes, I’m fine. Good idea, let’s go to bed. I think I got too muun tun today and it’s
screwing with my head.”

Ryou chuckled as they headed back to camp hand-and-hand.

“I know that feeling all to well.”

********************************************************************* 

A/n I feel REALLY bad about this, but for the remainder of the month, my updates may be few and far between. Why, you ask? Here’s the 411: Yami Bakura and I are sneaking away to Jericoacoara and eloping.
WHAT?!? You don’t believe me? Damn! *snicker*
Okay, okay, to be honest, I’m going to be very busy doing some happy crap with the family. Aside from the family crap, I have a few side projects that need my attention. Basically what this all boils down to is my chapters will be longer, but I’ll only be posting like once a week. **authoress hands out autographed 8x10's of Bakura standing in a seductive pose as a peace offering**