[Initiating KaibaCorp Solid Vision System]

[Username and Password Accepted]

[Iris Scan Accepted]

[Accessing File: Dark Magician]

[Begin Hologram Sequence]

Seto Kaiba was annoyed.

It had been months—five months, to be exact—since the end of the so-called Ceremonial Duel between Yuugi and—he couldn't even believe that he was thinking the word to himself—the Pharaoh.

Five months since Yuugi had taken the title King of Games, five months since he'd dueled using it—at least until yesterday against Katsuya, and his systems had come online with his Duel Disc. And Kaiba, who had gotten only a glimpse of it as he'd passed to head home from where they dueled in the front of Domino High, saw a little error in his Dark Magician's projection.

He'd thought he'd fixed that months ago.

For what must have been the millionth time since the Pharaoh's departure, Seto Kaiba frowned while he ran a manual scan of the Dark Magician's hologram. Purple hair, green eyes, grey-pale skin. That was the way that his card was painted, that was the way that he'd show up in the hologram system. Seto Kaiba had programmed each and every single individual Duel Monster to be that way, there was no reason whatsoever that this one would elude him.

As he walked down the halls of his building, into the arena, he plugged is laptop into the main computer while he took stage. "Computer, summon Dark Magician!"

[Summon: Dark Magician, in Attack Mode]

And Seto made a little noise in his throat when he saw the error again, even though his laptop showed Dark Magician to be working just fine.

Em Hotep, Seto. You seem to be doing well this morning.

Seto Kaiba crossed his arms while he stared down the Dark Magician, eyes narrowed in annoyance. Where he was supposed to have the face of a generic-looking man to match his robes, there was instead the face of Mahaad staring back at him—Mahaad with a distinctly-looking amused expression, as they must have done this a million times by now, every single time that Seto tried to fix this little projection issue.

"You're supposed to be gone."

As I have said to you, I exist to protect the Pharaoh, so I come whenever he calls me. Though his lips didn't move, Mahaad's voice echoed in Kaiba's head. Taking a deep breath, Kaiba pressed his hand into his face, trying to ignore the headache he knew was incoming.

"And as I've said back, he's already gone, Mahaad. So you can go, too." At first, he wouldn't even call the Dark Magician by his supposed name—he would have always called him by the name of the card he'd been called from—but they'd been through this so many times that Mahaad came out as naturally as the name of his monster.

Though he tried not to notice how much it pleased the monster to be called by it. And as I have said to you in turn, he hasn't gone, so I come back.

Seto Kaiba felt as if he were explaining this to a child. "I saw him walk through the door—and I saw you in there, too, you know. And that girl."

Kisara? Yes, she is with me. You may call her, if you'd like.

"Don't talk about that. But why do you keep coming back if you're supposed to be in that door?"

Because the Pharaoh calls me.

And they were back at square one. Mahaad, seeming to realize this, moved in how his hologram shouldn't, sitting-down in front of Seto Kaiba, his staff resting in his lap while he smiled back at him. Pre-incarnations are interesting, aren't they? I studied them under my master, and I tried to teach them to my student as well.

"Mahaad, I really don't care."

The Dark Magician didn't seem to be bothered by his statement, only laughing in Seto's head. The soul can be split into its two most extremes. You saw the Ka and the Ba, but it doesn't have to be so formal, you know. The halves of a person's soul that are innocence and power, they can be torn in two as well.

"And your point is?"

Mahaad smiled at him, resting his cheek on his tanned hand. The Pharaoh—Atem—he did it to his soul before, splitting it into two parts without knowing. The half that were his memories and his power sealed away, the other half being judges by Ma'at and sent into reincarnation by Orisis. And I'm sure you know the rest.

Seto frowned, crossing his arms, though he sat down in front of Mahaad anyway. "So, what you're trying to tell me is that Yuugi is also him, huh?"

Indeed, the second life of the Pharaoh. Or third, I suppose. I'm not quite sure how those Ancient Atlantean Knights work. The Dark Magician's non-existent tone was light and conversational, and it brought a snort from Kaiba.

"We don't talk about that little incident." And it brought another laugh from Mahaad, while Kaiba took another glance at the computer, and continued to scowl. "That still doesn't make any sense, though. Yuugi didn't play you here, I did."

Mahaad's dark brown eyes sparkled with mischief. I didn't say Atem was the only Pharaoh that I can be called-to, Seto. Or do you prefer Morning and Evening Star? I always thought you'd be the kind to appreciate that.

Seto stared down the Dark Magician. "So, you're saying if I ever play you, I'm stuck with you for life."

Again, the monster burst into laughter. I understand that I'm not as pretty as Kisara, Seto, but you don't have to sound so put-out about it!

"I told you to not talk about that."

Mahaad gave a slight bow of his head as an apology.

"Can Yuugi see you?" Seto asked, frowning. "When he plays you."

Of course.

"But nobody is talking about KaibaCorp's enormous holographic issue with a talking Dark Magician, so it must just be us."

Mahaad's lips quirked, his dark eyes burning with intent. They're not worthy of my soul. They only get a hologram.

Kaiba was silent in return, thoughtful for a while as Mahaad waited patiently, shutting his eyes and seeming to meditate after the sun's rays started creeping across the floor.

"Mahaad." He finally said, prompting the sorcerer to look at him with one eye lazily.

Yes, Seto?

"When I was—" Gods, he didn't even like thinking about that nonsense, but he was talking to a hologram, so he may as well run with it. "—when I was him, we didn't exactly talk much."

Mahaad shrugged. You were about the same as you were now to me.

"So, a jackass." Seto knew what he was, he just didn't care to change that to anyone but Mokuba.

If you wanted to be blunt, yes.

"Then why do you keep coming when I call you?"

Mahaad looked him square in the eyes. Atem was kind to me when I was his servant. He would risk his own life for a student. He entrusted you to protect Egypt in his death, and I carry out his will. Therefore, I will protect you until you pass on again, because he trusted me to.

So, all of this was loyalty to him again, huh? Seto almost wanted to point out the fact that he was dead again, but he decided against it.

"This isn't Egypt, you don't have to keep coming."

Mahaad smiled. The greatest Empire on Earth belongs to you, that seems to be Egypt in a new age of the Egyptian Gods.

"Now you're just brown-nosing me." But Seto couldn't help the wide smirk on his lips. He had to give it to the sorcerer, he knew just how to rub Seto's ego the right way.

Mahaad's mischief left his eyes. Your soul is threatened by dark forces often, Seto. Just because Atem's soul has found peace doesn't mean the world has. You and his incarnation are always going to be threatened. I will always come to aid you when you are.

"Business as usual, then." Seto stood-up. "Can you only come when I summon you, then?"

Mahaad shook his head. My soul comes to you when you need me. Though, having a modern stone tablet would make it much easier, so I don't have to come from Egypt to do it.

"A card. They're called cards." Seto walked back to the computer. "Then you want me to buy a Dark Magician card for you?"

Mahaad's smile widened—this time, instead of being mischievous, it was quite sincere. That would be perfect, Seto.

Kaiba turned off his laptop, unplugging it from the system, sending Mahaad's soul back as he was disconnected from the holographic system. Kaiba's phone out, he was already searching for the best prints of Dark Magician, when—

The very, very familiar roar entered his mind.

He chuckled. "Don't worry, Blue Eyes. He'll never replace you."

And the dragon—or the woman he didn't have to look to know was standing behind him—was pleased.

A/N:

Kisara is possessive. She's a dragon, after all.

Also, Mahaad is a little playful after being trapped for 3,000 years.