Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh
Yami was practically bouncing with excitement as he disembarked from his flight and walked into the airport terminal. The young tri-color haired man had just finished his freshman year at Domino University where he majored in history. He had applied on a whim to an exclusive and highly competitive program headed up by world renowned Egyptologist Dr. Isis Ishtar from Cairo University. Yami remembered when he had first seen the posting that he had had immediately called his grandfather to discuss it. Solomon had been an archaeologist several years ago and was more familiar with some of the finer details. Solomon had just advised Yami that archaeological research was not as glorious as Hollywood loved to portray it. The work was hard, backbreaking even and you could spend months upon months laboring away and still come out in the end with the only thing to show for it are blisters on your hands and sunburn on your back.
The program was going to focus on helping Isis Ishtar in her area of expertise which was cataloging and shedding light in what was most commonly known as the Dark Days of Egypt. The reasoning for this was that due to some unknown catastrophe most of the records from that period had been lost. Isis over the years had unearthed some of tablets which began to shed some light on this unknown area of Egyptian history. The program would focus on continuing to search for more tablets or artifacts from that period as well as analyze those artifacts and see how the story those artifacts told fit into the larger picture of world history in that time period. After a lot of encouragement from his grandfather the nineteen year old had decided to apply.
Once Yami had decided to apply he discovered that he had to submit 3 different papers on the ancient Egyptians. The first one Yami had written was a fifteen page paper discussing day to day life in an Egyptian household. The paper had been a real bear to write but Yami was satisfied after a couple of all-nighters that he had at least done the topic justice. The second paper Yami had written was absolutely fascinating and dealt entirely with Pharaohs, not on any particular ones deeds but rather on Pharaohs themselves and what their duties actually entailed as well how their courts and politics worked. Yami had loved that one and he had really learned a lot. The final topic was a bit strange to the modern would but apparently commonly accepted back in ancient times, which was magic in Egypt. Yami had done hours and hours of research and was able to find and discuss numerous examples of magic being mentioned. After those three papers had been submitted Yami figured he was going to get a polite rejection letter.
Much to his surprise he didn't. He was instead sent a line drawing of a hieroglyphic tablet and asked to translate it. That, Yami had to say was an utter and complete nightmare. He borrowed several of his grandfather's books on hieroglyphics and even purchased some more of his own. The problem, Yami discovered, was that when you are attempting to translate hieroglyphs you were not going to get something in a language you understood. Fortunately Dr. Ishtar took pity on the young history student and said that the Egyptian did not also have to be translated. So, Yami submitted his gibberish translation and figured he had probably maybe gotten 2 words out of 600 correct and that was if he was lucky.
Yami then turned his focus back onto his finals and put thoughts of the program behind him. He had been in the middle of cramming for his biology final when his email showed a new message had been received. Yami decided a quick break was in order so opened the email and saw is was from Dr. Ishtar. Yami sat there in complete shock when he read that he was being congratulated on being accepted to this program. Yami then immediately called his grandfather to give him the great news. Dr. Ishtar sent him a follow up email with literally 150 pages of documents he needed to sign and initial. Yami stopped reading them because there was no way he had time between finals and getting his passport to read every page with super tiny print. Luckily the computer just jumped to where his signature was needed. The final thing Isis requested was a photo of him which Yami gladly sent over.
This all led to the young man making his way through the terminal. He arrived at the main entrance to see a tall dark skinned man with hieroglyphics tattooed on the side of his face standing there holding the photo Yami had sent with his paper work to Dr. Ishtar. Yami grinned as he made his way over to what was clearly his ride, "Hello I'm Yami Motou." Yami said with a wide smile.
The man merely inclined his head before heading out of the airport. Yami followed him as he made his way over to a black car with tinted window. The engine was already idling as Yami climbed inside. Yami saw that Dr. Ishtar was seated inside as well as a young man with plantinum blonde hair.
"Pleasure to meet you Dr. Ishtar." Yami said once he'd sat down on the seat opposite Isis beside the blonde haired boy.
"Pleasure to meet you as well Yami. I hope you have a good stay with us." Isis said with a smile.
"Are we the only two interns?" Yami asked nodding towards the other boy seated in the back of the car.
"I'm not a student. My name is Malik Ishtar, Isis's brother. Our older brother Odion is the one who you met inside." Malik replied. Yami just nodded and the car descended into silence. Yami heard the sound of the trunk slamming before Odion climbed into the front seat and pulled away from the curb and into the bustling metropolis of downtown Cairo.
The car drove for what seemed like hours. Yami didn't mind since his face was glued to the window as he watched the sights of Egypt pass him by. This was his first time ever being out of the country and everything about this place screamed exotic to him. He couldn't wait until he got to the university so he could send his grandfather and brother a very long email telling them all about his trip and the stuff he had seen. Yami saw that they had left the city limits and were driving through the desert however it was his view of the pyramids that drew his immediate focus. The two Ishtar siblings had begun conversing in Arabic but Yami didn't know the language nearly well enough to follow what was being said. Also, Yami had a feeling that since both Ishtars clearly spoke English they probably were speaking in Arabic about something that really didn't concern Yami.
The car finally came to a stop in the middle of nowhere. Yami briefly had a bad feeling overcome him. Horror stories of bad things happening to tourists briefly flashed through his mind before he quashed them down. Everything was fine. Isis gave Yami a kind smile before she opened the door, "I hope you don't mind Yami but since you were the only applicant selected I thought it would be better for you to stay with my family." Isis said as she climbed out and Yami could see what looked like a door buried in the sand.
Yami's brow furrowed in confusion, "What do you mean I was the only applicant selected? I thought you were looking for ten students." Yami asked. The number of candidates being sought had been mentioned in the online posting. Yami would not have even bothered attempting to apply if the program had been seeking only one applicant.
Isis and Malik shared a quick look before Isis answered Yami, "Yes, well after reviewing all the other applicants submissions you were the only one who submitted work that was up to my, admittedly very high, standards." Isis answered.
That answer made no sense to Yami at all. There was no way that he a freshman history student had beat out junior and senior history majors from around the world. He may have worked very hard on his submissions but there was no way that no one else had done better than him. Something really was not right here.
"I am very picky about who I work with and you were the only freshman student to apply. I considered your age and inexperience when I read through your submission. The amount of work that you had to have put in to even have been competitive resonated with me. Were there other applicants whose papers might have been more detailed? Of course? Were there older students who submitted a flawless translation of the line drawing I sent them? Absolutely. But the fact that your work was able to be compared with senior history students who were working with their own Egyptology professors for assistance further endeared your own efforts to me. And in the end I decided to only accept the one applicant. And I wanted the person I chose to be very hard working and I knew without a doubt that the best applicant for this internship was you Yami Motou." Isis said.
Yami sighed, giving him leeway because he had been a freshman did not really seem particularly fair in a competitive process. To him it almost felt like the whole thing had been rigged in his favor. However at the same time the final selection was solely Dr. Ishtar's decision. If she truly believed he was the best for this internship than who was Yami to argue with her.
"Now, Yami I am sure you must be absolutely exhausted from your long trip. Let's head inside and perhaps you could get a quick nap before dinner is served." Dr. Ishtar said.
Yami nodded as he climbed out of the car and followed Isis as she opened the door and began to descend into the dark. Yami almost fell as he heard the door clang shut behind him leaving no light.
"Don't worry Yami, my brothers are just going to pick up some supplies from town. They will be back shortly." Isis said. Yami rose a questioning brow, not that Isis was able to see him in the pitch black stairwell. If the Ishtars had needed to pick up some supplies why didn't they pick up what was needed when they had driven into Cairo to pick him up from the airport? Or were the needed supplies what the two siblings had been discussing? Yami for some reason could not shake the feeling that something was really wrong here.
"I would rest my hand on the wall as you descend Yami. Your eyes will not yet be used to the darkness and I don't want you to trip while going down the stairs and injure yourself." Isis said.
Yami nodded, resting his hand on the smooth stone wall as he made his way deeper and deeper into the darkness. Yami didn't know how he was going to handle living underground but figured it would be a neat experience, besides it's not like he was going to be locked down here. Four hundred steps later the ground finally leveled out. The darkness was pushed back by small torches that were dotted throughout the underground chamber.
"Right this way Yami." Isis beconed as she led him through the large pillared hall which reminded him of the hypostyle halls he had seen in his art history textbooks and down a large stone corridor. This whole underground home Isis lived in reminded Yami of an ancient temple. Again Yami dismissed the thought as soon as it occurred to him. Egyptologist or not there is no way the government would allow someone to live in an ancient temple structure.
"This is your room Yami. I will advise you of a few things to help you adjust. Your clothing is much too heavy. You will be much more comfortable wearing the white tunic on your bed. Also our water has a mineral composition that will not agree with you. To help with that there are two local remedies that you can drink. I would drink the light blue one first then the black one. Neither one looks appetizing however both are preferable to vomiting constantly." Isis said.
Yami sighed as he headed into the room. He saw a simple white tunic laying out on the bed. Yami picked up the fabric and felt that it was very lightweight and he did agree at least while at Isis's home that would probably be the best thing to wear. It also had the added benefit of not insulting his host. So he quickly changed and neatly folded up his clothes.
Yami, once he had changed peeked his head back out the door to see that Isis was not too far away, "Do you have a computer down here? Or internet? I was really hoping I could send my grandfather and brother an email to let them know that I had arrived safely." Yami said.
Isis shook her head, "As I'm sure you can imagine living underground like my family does means we do not have access to internet and I have thus far resisted all temptations to bring a computer into my home. In my mind by bringing a computer to my home I would be bringing my work home with me. You will be able to send your family an email when we go to the University tomorrow morning." Isis said.
Yami sighed but nodded. Not like he really had a choice in the matter.
"Have you drank the two remedies yet?" Isis asked, drawing Yami's attention back onto her.
Yami shook his head, "No, not yet I haven't." Yami replied.
Isis gave him a smile, "I would really suggest drinking them before dinner. I really don't want you to get sick Yami." Isis said.
Yami nodded before he headed back into his room. It looked like Odion and Malik had not yet returned which meant his stuff was still in the trunk. Yami turned his attention onto the two clay cups containing the local remedies. Yami picked up the cup containing the light blue remedy, it didn't look good at all. The cup contained a beverage the color of Windex and the consistency of Caro Syrup and also gave off a very strange smell that Yami could not describe if his life depended on it. Yami sighed and just pinched his nose and chugged it down. Once Yami had swallowed all of it he did his best to keep the remedy down. After three near misses Yami was confident he wasn't going to vomit it back up.
"That was absolutely disgusting." Yami muttered once he set the cup back down on the desk.
Yami then turned his attention onto the second cup. This cup contained a black mixture that looked almost as thick as freshly mixed cement. Yami picked up the cup and immediately set it back down, gagging as he did so. It reeked something awful, he almost would say is smelled like death if death had a smell. It also looked like an insect wing was poking out the top of the mixture. Yami gave the cup a hard glare. Was vomiting constantly really that bad of a tradeoff to drinking something that had bugs in it? Yami sighed as he sank down onto the bed his head resting in his hands. This program lasted for six months, possibly longer if he did a good job. If he couldn't keep down water he would end up dying from dehydration. There was no getting around it, he was going to have to drink that sludge. With a sigh Yami got up and grabbed the cup quickly pinching his nose and closing his eyes. He brought the cup to his lips and chugged it down as quickly as he possibly could. When the sludge stopped sliding down his throat Yami quickly tossed the cup aside before doubling over and clamping his hand over his mouth as his body fought to expel the vile substance from his system. Yami may not have thought it was possible but it tasted worse than it looked or smelled. After about fifteen minutes Yami felt that his stomach had settled enough that he could stand up without vomiting.
"That stuff tasted like shit." Yami mumbled as he sat down on the bed. He felt very sluggish which was without a doubt due to jetlag. He'd been up at 330 am getting ready to head to the airport. A nap would be able to help him find the energy to get to know his hosts, plus Malik and Odion should be back by then with his stuff. Yami laid down on the mattress and allowed his eyes to slide shut. His last thought before he drifted off to sleep was to ask Isis if they at least had a phone he could use. He and his grandfather had decided against paying for an expensive international cellphone plan but at the very least he could make a quick call and say 'hey grandpa my plane landed safely.'
Isis peeked her head into Yami's room and saw that he was fast asleep. She turned and nodded to her brother and Odion, "Sleeping soundly." She confirmed. Odion silently walked into the room and scooped up the sleeping Yami.
"Is everything setup?" Malik inquired.
Isis nodded, "Yes everything is in place. What did you do with the boys belongings?" Isis asked.
Malik smirked, "Odion deposited them in several different dumpsters around Cairo. I also alerted our contact that he needs to start emailing the boy's family tomorrow." Malik said.
Isis nodded, "Very well then let's get started. The boy should sleep for at least the next eight hours. That should give us enough time to complete the ritual." Isis said.
Malik nodded as he led the way down the corridor, "Are you sure you gave the boy the correct potions?" Malik asked.
Isis nodded, "Yes brother I am positive. They were brewed to perfection." Isis said.
Malik nodded, "Then let's get this started." Odion silently followed the younger two Ishtars as they made their way through the underground complex and into a large burial chamber. The burial chamber had been painstakingly setup up to look exactly like Pharaoh's royal bedroom would have millennia ago, down to the tiled floor and intricate reed mats decorating the wall. The only part of the room that would not have been found in Pharaohs bedroom was the large golden sarcophagus resting on a stone slab along the back wall. Resting inside the large golden sarcophagus was the perfectly preserved body of the divine king that was due to awaken.
Odion carefully laid Yami down on the large Egyptian style feather bed that had been setup in the room. The bed had been constructed from cedar and had blood red silken sheets. The bed could comfortably sleep ten people. Isis headed to the back wall and waited a moment until Odion and Malik joined her and together they pushed the sarcophagus lid open, gently setting it down on the ground. Isis gently began to unwind the wrappings from the young king's face and body revealing his dry and rotting flesh. His body had deteriorated but that was only temporary and there was much to be done before the king could awake.
Isis gently dipped a cloth in purified water and lightly traced the rag along the king's face. Before her very eyes she saw the water was being absorbed into the skin. The skin with each stroke became a little bit less leathery and more skin like in texture.
Malik had sat down on the edge of the bed and was rereading the spell that would be needed to restore the king to them once his body had been prepared. He briefly glanced back over at the sleeping boy before returning his attention onto the text. The king they were awakening had needs which absolutely had to be met, one of which was one to warm his bed and bare him heirs. He and his siblings had tirelessly searched for a suitable candidate for 3 years. They had almost given up when they had come across Yami. He had been absolutely perfect.
A small part of Malik felt guilty that this boy would never see the light of day again or his family but Malik quickly quashed it down. Given Pharaohs preference if a candidate had not been found then he would have been in Yami's place. He and his siblings had lived their entire lives below the surface serving this king. Once he awoke they would be free. The Pharaoh would seal him and his companion in this complex until he chose to leave. Malik and his sister estimated it would be a number of years before the Pharaoh had recovered from his rebirth and was ready to rule mankind once again.
Perhaps the boy could convince Pharaoh to let him leave but Malik really doubted it. Pharaoh was well known for possessiveness and when he took a lover no one else was ever allowed to even glance up on that person. So, unless death had mellowed him Malik didn't really fancy Yami's chances.
"How goes preparing his body?" Malik called out.
Isis sighed, "It is being restored although it will not be fully regenerated before our king awakens." Isis said.
Malik nodded, "We knew that it probably wouldn't be perfect. It'll be returned to him over time" Malik said although he really hoped they revived something that looked remotely human. Malik didn't want to imagine what would become of the Ishtars if Yami turned the Pharaoh away due to his macabre appearance.
The siblings fell silent as Isis continued to work. Three hours later Isis stood, "He is ready brother." Isis said.
Malik quickly stood and took his position in the middle of the room. Malik allowed his eyes to slide shut as he began to recite the ancient words to awaken their king. Malik could not see it but the torches flickered in a supernatural breeze. He could feel the magic as it gathered in the air creating an oppressive atmosphere. The temperature then plunged and Malik's breath could be seen against the darks as the torches were snuffed out.
Malik felt an icy hang clench his heart in his chest as an unearthly growl could be heard echoing around the room. Malik vaguely thought it sounded like the growl of a jackal, which would make sense because they were awakening the dead. Of course Anubis would be near. As the final line of the spell slipped from Maliks lips a weight had settled upon his soul, almost as if it was trying to draw his spirit right from his body. The room fell silent as the occupants waited for something to happen. Malik blinked his eyes open and starred ahead of him at the sarcophagus. For a brief moment Malik thought the ritual had not worked before he dismissed the thought. This ritual had to work. The Pharaoh needed to awaken and the Ishtars were destined to aide him. After what seemed like an eternity a hand gripped the side of the sarcophagus. Malik quickly dropped into a low bow as did both his siblings. The Ishtar trio listened to the rustling of fabric as the king moving in the stone coffin.
Malik saw leather sandals enter his line of vision as the king stood on his own two feet after nearly three millennia. They had done it. Their king was alive.
"Rise my servants." A voice rasped due to disuse. Even though the volume was low the voice still managed to project power and authority.
Malik stood and was able to keep his features schooled into a neutral mask as he gazed upon the gaunt visage of the king. Blood red eyes glowing with power could be seen sunken into what was once the flawless face of a god. The kings cheekbones jutted out harshly making what was once an angular face appear unnaturally so. The skin on his face was no longer the dehydrated husk it had been but still adhered to the skull with no fat remaining to soften the harsh skeletal features. The king's mane of tricolor hair seemed to exude more life than the rest of his body. Whereas his flesh clearly showed signs of decay his hair adorned his withered body like a divine crown.
"I have returned." The King declared.
"We have long awaited your triumphant return Pharaoh. Everything you require has been gathered for you here while you ready yourself to reclaim your rightful place upon the throne." Isis declared although it sounded more like an anxious ramble as opposed to confident statement.
"This includes the one to help you to rebuild your line." Malik said with a nod towards the sleeping Yami, "The boy has taken the necessary potions to grant him the ability to give you many children." Malik added.
Isis then withdrew a document bearing Yami's signature, "The marriage contract simply needs your own signature my king. And may I be the first to bless your marriage." Isis said. The document in question had been buried in amongst the documents she had sent Yami to sign. Isis thought that had been a stroke of genius on Odions part when he had suggested it. And he did have a point, no one reads through documents they sign on the computer.
Pharaoh flicked his hand and his signature appeared on the bottom of the document. Pharaoh Atemu, son of Pharaoh Aknamkanon divine ruler of the two lands.
"Your King thanks you for your dutiful service. You will be greatly rewarded once I reclaim my throne. For now you may leave with my blessing." The Pharaoh said as he strode forward approaching the bed, his eyes scrutinizing the boy before nodding his satisfaction. Based on his precursory glance the boy appeared to be acceptable.
The Ishtars bowed deeply before they turned and left the royal chamber. They had completed their family's sacred duty which meant they were now free to live their lives as they chose. Most importantly they could live their lives above the surface.
"Good Luck Yami." Malik whispered before he and his siblings closed the heave metal door for the final time and climbed into their car ready to begin their new life.
Once the tombkeepers had left Pharaoh mumbled a few words and his magic gathered around the doorway blanketing them in a dense darkness. Pharaoh then sank down on the side of the bed and took a closer look at his spouse. The boy appeared to be in his peak, probably about twenty summers, his build appeared healthy which was a good sign. Pharaoh reached over to the side where the boy had fastened his tunic and easily unfastened the garment opening it, revealing Yami's body. Again there was no signs of injury, famine or sickness to be seen. The defined musculature again spoke of a fit body. Pharaoh moved his examination lower, his hand grasped the boys equipment, lifting slightly to inspect. His eyes did see the hole that had opened just behind. Good, the boy had been prepared. The potion would have rendered the boys own seed infertile, not that he would need it. It would also have created a womb for the boy to carry and a method to birth his heirs. The potion had been developed back in his own time due to his refusal to touch a woman. The potion created a compromise the gods allowed, appearance wise he was the male Pharaoh wanted. Internally he was the female Pharaoh needed.
Pharaoh smirked as he removed his hand. He did tug the tunic out from under the boys body and tossed it onto the floor. The boy would not be requiring cloths. Pharaoh removed his own tunic before gathering the boy close. He may have just awoken but Pharaoh recognized the benefit of resting to further gather his strength. He would sleep until the boy awoke. Then he and his spouse would get much better acquainted. "Sleep well my queen," Pharaoh whispered before he pressed a kiss to Yami's brow, "Sleep well for you shall need it."
