A Fate Like No Other
A Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic
Alright! Hey, everyone! This is my story that I started back in Grade Seven. I have since revised it and now I'm posting it for real this time, no more changes now that this is done. I tried to use what I had posted way back then, but, after rereading it - really rereading it - I realized my plots and excuses were patched together with duct tape and bubble gum SO... rewritten and reposted! TA DA! XD
First off, I want to give a HUGE thank you to the brilliant mind of Hakurei Ryuu who patiently revised each chapter! She's a really good friend, a very helpful critique, and an awesome writer! Go check out her account! Especially her story "Full Circle" which is completely wicked in my own opinion. XD Thank you so much, Hakurei Ryuu! I couldn't have done this without you! *hug*
I'm going to tell you right now: THIS IS RATED TEEN for harsh language and violence! It's an angst so - yes - I describe the more bloody scenes. It's not senseless violence, but people will die... horribly. You have been warned so don't bug me with messages saying I didn't.
I'm not going to say all the pairings in this, but this story is NOT BASED AROUND COUPLES! This is based on the DESTRUCTION OF THE WORLD! ...Or something close to it. I do have slight "romance" if you could even call it that... but this is a darker story than what the original anime/manga is. If you considered the dub intense with its 'implied punches' and 'invisible guns' (damn, I love LittleKuriboh), then this story isn't for you.
Oh, just so you know ahead of time... EACH MILLENNIUM ITEM DOES CONTAIN ITS OWN SPIRIT, not just the Puzzle and Ring, and SHADI IS HUMAN, not a ghost. Those are pretty much the only real differences between this story and the dub. Each Item has a spirit because I like the idea of the past-versions mingling with the modern-versions of themselves and Shadi is mortal because I love him and he deserves better than the cheap roll he played in the dub.
BETTER SUMMERY (you might wanna read this): History has always been written by the survivors, to lay trust in such a thing is foolishness, but surely we can trust our own memories... can't we? Just how easily manipulated is such a thing? The past once lived in Ancient Egypt is far darker than what the Spirits remember and, finally, a hidden secret is finally being forced to the surface by the very one that they were forced to forget. Now, thousands upon thousands of years worth of lies are brought into the light and past mistakes must be faced once and for all. This is no longer a mere race between life and death, host and spirit, mortal and immortal... now this has become a race between Mankind and the Gods themselves... a race over ten-thousand years in the making.
Before we start, here's a little help for what means what in this story.
(( ... )) - Thoughts of the first spirit in the body, can be for conversation in a mind-link or merely thinking to self.
)) ... (( - Thoughts of a second spirit in the body, can be for conversation in a mind-link or merely thinking to self. Usually a yami.
( ) ... ( ) - Thoughts from a third spirit in the body, can be for conversation in a mind-link or merely thinking to self. Usually from a being that doesn't belong with the host.
ITALIC WRITING - Flashbacks.
ALL CAPS SPEECH - Strained or shouted words.
HIKARI - I use it as a pronoun to describe the modern reincarnations.
YAMI - When used in all lower case, I use it as a pronoun to describe the Bearers from the past.
BEARER - The modern term for those who wield Items.
PRIEST/PRIESTESS - The ancient terms for those who wield(ed) Items.
SORCERER/SORCERESS - The ancient term for those who had mastered Shadow Magic without an Item.
MAGE - The ancient term for those who knew weak Shadow Magic.
HIGH COUNCIL - The Pharaoh's old court who's members were held in the highest of standing in all Egypt.
Quote of the Chapter: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. (George Santayana)
Song of the Chapter: Once in Every Lifetime (Jem)
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. I only own my characters and my storyline. *Hugs them tightly* MINE! GET YOUR OWN!
Prologue: Something Left Unfinished
It had all started with a gift - a unique, yet simple, gift - from a Grandpa to his only Grandson.
The connection had been instant. The shy boy became completely immersed with the glistening artifact, so consumed by the silent promise he heard as the pieces slid against each other, that, at times, he wouldn't even notice the hours of the night slide away into morning. He didn't know how many times he had gone to school with no sleep, but, even then, he knew it would be worth it in the end. After all, his Grandpa had given him such a special puzzle, such a special challenge... such a special chance to do what no one else had been able to do: solve it.
After he did, everything had changed and, the stupid thing was, he had been completely clueless about it for the longest time. His confidence began to steady increase and he was given friends the likes of which he had only been able to dream of before, the closest of which he hadn't even been aware of at the beginning. His obsession over a puzzle – over the Millennium Puzzle – had carved a path for him of great adventures, great suffering, and great joy... and, now, it was all coming to an end.
Every battle, every rivalry, every challenge... had lead up to a single duel. Seto Kaiba, Maximilian Pegasus, Marik Ishtar, Dartz, Bakura, and all the others that had fallen by the wayside one by one... they had merely been trivial practice in comparison to this.
Violet eyes lifting from the cards he held in his hand, Yugi Muto stared across to his waiting opponent... only to catch the stare that was a darker reflection of his own. Usually, Atemu's gaze held a fierceness to it, a keen sense of authority, but not today... today it was warm and accompanied by a rare, small smile.
The Pharaoh had his memories back, those that he had lost all those years ago to keep Zork the Dark One at bay, and, now, he desired to claim what had been out of his reach for over three-thousand years - an eternal rest. Of course, it would not just be a rest for him, but for all the spirits of the Millennium Items that would follow Atemu should Yugi manage to win against his alter-ego. Six of the seven spirits had waited long enough for their journey to the afterlife and that last one was doomed to never know it at all. After all, once the Millennium Ring dissolved into the darkness, Bakura would have no way of returning from the Shadow Realm, no way of coming to possess Ryou, ever again. He would be sealed for eternity amongst the creatures as if he was one himself and, many argued, that Bakura was a monster like them... merely one in human form.
In any case, the evil Tomb Robber was of barely any concern now. His part in the game was through, his presence only somewhat felt through his old host who stood as though he was one of the gang with everyone else. All their friends - including Yugi's Grandpa, the Ishtars, Duke Devlin, and the Kaiba brothers - watched with interest as the duel between near-duplicates began to play out.
The Millennium Items were already set in the statue, their powers and their spirits waiting for the conclusion of the duel, and Yugi was determined to win. Of course, his alter-ego wasn't making this any easier for him, but the hikari had expected as much. Over the years, they had shared the title as King of Games between them... but, by all rights, that title belonged to Atemu and every one of his moves so far had shown that. However, there was one thing that Yugi wanted almost as badly as helping his friend move on to the afterlife... and that was to prove to everyone - and himself - that, he, too, deserved such a title. He wanted to prove himself once and for all... and, for the first time since he had put together the Millennium Puzzle, he had been given the chance to do just that.
Atemu had flawlessly summoned two of the Egyptian Gods, Obelisk the Tormentor and Slifer the Sky Dragon, to the field already... and he was ready to summon the third. With three Knights already set up, the Pharaoh carefully pulled the final card from his opposite hand.
His crimson eyes flickered to the card for a brief second before falling back to his hikari, ((It is time.)) Atemu gave a faltering smile, "I sacrifice my Queen's Knight, my Jack's Knight, and my King's Knight...!"
Yugi forced himself not to shrink back, but he couldn't hold in the startled gasp from his throat as it dawned on the hikari just what he would now have to face now. Even through all the battles that they had used the Gods... no one had ever had to face all three at once. No one.
Kaiba and Marik, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, stared on with wide eyes, each of them barely grasping the fact of having TWO Egyptian Gods on the field at once... but now...
"Is he...?!" Caught with his guard-down, Kaiba almost staggered.
Marik's voice showed his amazement, "He is!"
A golden aura surrounding the Pharaoh, Atemu let his eyes slide shut as he reached out to the creature depicted on the card in his hand... and his words almost seemed to hold an echo of a world beyond this mortal one as he spoke. "Oh, might protector of the sun, the sky... I beg of thee, please, heed my cry..."
"The Ancient Chant..." Ishizu's gasped in wonder, "...He knows it!"
"...Transform thyself from orb of light... and bring me victory in this fight... I beseech thee, grace our humble game... but first I shall call out thy name!" His eyes flew wide in determination, "WINGED DRAGON OF RA!" Then a blinding light enveloped the field as Atemu held the card above his head before setting it on his duel disk, "Behold! The third Egyptian God!"
Joey spoke what everyone was thinking, "...Now what's Yugi going to do?"
From the light above, a golden orb descended upon the field... and then it slowly began to unlock itself piece by piece. A simultaneous gasp escaped everyone's lips as they watched... and then the floor began to shake beneath them. At first it was only a slight tremble, but, soon, as the Dragon was completely unlocked and it let loose a magnificent cry, it had become a full-out earthquake.
Those around stumbled to catch their balance, some grabbing hold of each other to double their chances of staying on their feet. Pieces of stone began to fall from the ceiling as the entire room groaned in strain, forcing some to cover their heads to protect themselves from the falling debris.
"YUGI!" The Pharaoh cried as he attempted to stay standing, holding up an arm to shield himself from the falling pebbles and dirt. With the clouds of dust that had become unsettled, he could barely see his friend across from him, "Yugi?! A-Are you alright?!"
"P-Pharaoh?" The boy, fallen down to one knee from lost balance, returned above the thunderous noise around them, "Behind you! Look!"
Atemu spun to lay eyes on his God monsters... only for his eyes to widen in disbelief. Clouds of swirling Shadow Magic shifted around the three beasts, expanding out into the room to create...
"No!" The Pharaoh commanded, "This is NOT a Shadow Game! Egyptian Gods, hear me!"
But they did not. Instead, Ra's head slowly turned to lay gaze upon Slifer to its right and, when the red Dragon gave a dark snarl, Ra returned with a monstrous cry that threatened to burst the eardrums of all of those in the room. Atemu had to clamp his hands over his ears, but he was unable to tear his stare away from the three Gods... that had sudden began to act far too alive.
At the outburst of Ra, Slifer shrunk back slightly with its head curved around to let loose a cry of its own at the sun God. Obelisk took a heavy step forward, a movement that made the floor shake worse than it already was, before the blue beast froze as Ra whipped around and screamed at it as well - to which Obelisk returned with a rumbling roar.
That is when it happened. At first it was a mere crack of light that spread across each of the blue orbs held on each of the great beasts' foreheads, one which quickly sealed up again a second after its creation. However, another crack opened up immediately after the first had been sealed and, as the Gods shook their heads and roared in defiance, more light and shadow blasted out through those cracks. Each of the beasts twisted and shivered against that which bound them as one, that which bound them to the Pharaoh... that which held them as mere servants destined to obey their master's call. Then, as all three beasts let loose cries that seemed to shake even the pillars in the room as everyone scrambled to cover their ears, the light and shadow captured beneath each blue orb exploded outward, coating the room in its swirling mixture of corruption and purity, and the blue coating on each orb shattered like glass. When dark and light finally faded, the orbs had become what they had emitted: a creamy-white stone with interlaced black swirls.
Joey stumbled back after the shaking floor made him lose his balance, knocking into Duke as he went, "W-What's happening...?!"
"Watch it!" The black-haired teen snapped as he stumbled backwards himself in attempt to regain his balance... only to land up using Marik to do so as he knocked into the Egyptian.
Though slightly annoyed, the Ishtar let his attention on the Gods waver for a moment to make sure that Duke wouldn't fall over completely. "Alright?" He asked shortly, not expecting or really wanting a response from the black-haired other, before glancing to the one that was holding his own shoulders from behind. "Odion, get Ishizu, we have to get everyone out of here."
"No way!" Tristan shouted from where he and Joey were now making a combined effort to keep their balance, making Odion freeze where he was. "The duel…!"
"No duel is worth the lives of my family!" He snapped right back, "If you want to stay, then, by all means, go right ahead!"
"You know what, Marik?" Joey growled with a single, clenched fist, "You haven't changed at all!"
"Because I won't stand around waiting for my brother and sister to be buried alive?! Fine, I can live with that if I must!"
"So, you're just going to abandon Atemu and Yugi?!"
Duke glared at the blonde that had knocked into him a minute prior, "No one is abandoning anyone, but Marik IS right! It's getting too dangerous down here!"
"I can't believe you're siding with Marik over Yugi and the Pharaoh!"
"I'm not siding with anyone!"
"Guys, you're not helping anything by snapping at each other!" Tea reminded, her and the rather-silent Ryou helping to keep each other standing.
"You all leave." Yugi's Grandpa, Solomon Muto, spoke determinedly with eyes fixed on the alter at the head of the room. Out of everyone, he seemed to be the steadiest on his feet, "I'll stay here with them."
Tea cringed as a rock fell with a loud CRASH behind her, "We're not leaving you down here alone, Grandpa! We're in this together!"
"Marik," Ishizu called back to her brother in uncertainty, managing to keep steady on her feet not too badly, "What happened when Pharaoh Atemu summoned Ra? Why did...?"
"How should I know?!" Marik snapped back, letting his temper getting the better of him at the present time. "It's not like I've seen the Gods act like this before! Come on, we're getting out before-!"
Suddenly, all the anger of the blonde Egyptian died when his keen stare noticed a chunk of stone fall ajar from the ceiling above his sister's head. Fear gripped his throat as he cried out and sprinted forward... just in time to tackle the female Ishtar to the floor a second before the large rock shattered to pieces where she had been standing.
Glaring back at the rock as though he could kill it by doing that gesture, Marik didn't have the time to say anything before Odion rushed over and crouched down before the two.
"Are you both alright?" His face creased with worry, the eldest Ishtar scanned each over as he spoke in a hurried tongue. "Are you injured?"
Though scrapped somewhat and, not to mention, rattled, Ishizu shook her head as she let her elder brother help her back onto shaky legs. "N-No, I think I'm fine." She murmured.
"Just peachy." Was Marik's retort as he returned to his feet as well.
Kaiba held one arm curled around Mokuba's shoulders as he pulled his younger sibling closer to him, "This is ridiculous! We'll be buried alive!" He threw a glare to the others, "We have to get out of here, NOW!"
"NO!" Joey yelled straight back, pointing at the CEO directly, "Not until Yugi and the Pharaoh can come too!"
"Be sensible for once in your life, Wheeler!"
"HAVE A CONSCIENCE FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, KAIBA!"
The room almost-completely engulfed in Shadows, the bickering between the three Gods only seemed to worsen with the change of their orbs as their cries became the snapping of jaws and the threatening gestures of mighty fists. It was surreal... and oddly familiar to the mind of the Pharaoh. He couldn't remember ever witnessing the Gods acting like this, but he could feel something gnawing at him from the back of his mind, hidden deep within memories almost-faded... but Atemu was snapped back to reality as a pain ignited at his temples.
Frantically pushing that aside, the Pharaoh attempted to reassert himself. "PLEASE, GODS OF EGYPT, LISTEN TO ME! Return to the Shadows this instant! I, Pharaoh Atemu, command you back!" Removing the three cards from his duel disk, he practically threw them into his card graveyard... but nothing happened. "Slifer, Obelisk, Ra! LISTEN TO ME, PLEASE! Leave this world at once and return to the Shadow Realm!"
Desperately, the Pharaoh reached out for the power of the Millennium Puzzle that still rested within the Stone with the rest of the Items... only to suddenly find the heads of all three Gods snapping around towards him. Atemu froze as growls rose from Ra and Obelisk... but not Slifer. Curling its massive body around, the red beast placed itself between the Pharaoh and the two others before letting loose a fierce cry that only seem to make the other two angrier.
"UGH!"
The Pharaoh threw his gaze over his shoulder to his hikari... just in time to watch him collapse to the floor after being struck over the head by a rock. Atemu cried out with eyes wide in horror as he flew to his hikari's side. As he did, the holograms of the unfinished duel finally faded... but the Gods remained in their snapping and snarling states by their own wills alone.
"Yugi? Yugi, please, can you hear me? Yugi!" Crouched down by the boy's side, the Pharaoh cursed before throwing a dark glare to the three Gods. That glare soon rotated to the large doors that were his only chance at an afterlife, then back to the Gods... but then his eyes softened again when his gaze fell back to his hikari, a sense of regret tied into each orb. "...I'm so sorry, aibou."
"Pharaoh, you must leave this place at once!"
Atemu's head snapped up... to find non-other than Shadi himself working over the Millennium Stone. Each Item was removed as quick as lightning and then, and only then, did the Keeper fly to the side of the hikari and his yami. The Pharaoh matched stares with the other for a mere second before he nodded... and willed his body to fade back into the spirit-state it had been in for so long. A mere second later, Atemu disappeared completely, his soul returning to the Puzzle.
Hurriedly, Shadi placed the center-Item against the body of the fallen boy... and the Pharaoh took control from there. Taking the Puzzle himself, Atemu pushed himself to his feet and sprinted down the steps in front of the alter to where the group was still faithfully waiting even through the savageness of the earthquake.
Kaiba was the first to turn and run for the stairs, dragging his brother along beside him, and Marik had his siblings in a close second place, but no one else needed an invitation to follow anymore. The last to leave the room was, indeed, the Pharaoh himself as he cast a mournful gaze back to where the Gods had began to actually bite at and wrestle with each other, crashing into stone supports as they did. As Atemu watched the supports give way, followed by the ceiling, he knew that his one chance was gone... for good. He would be a spirit trapped between life and death...
))...For all eternity.(( He thought in self-pity... then he turned and ran after the others.
The stairs took much longed to climb than they did to descend, but, eventually, the entire group came rushing out of the underground shrine and into the light of day. They hadn't even been able to stop before a mocking rumble echoed from the depths of the stairwell and a blast of dust burst from the mouth of the shrine to envelope everyone near... then there was silence.
Well, silence except for the raging coughing-fits everyone was having.
"W-Wha... w-what h-ha-ppened... m-man?" Joey choked out eventually, "W-Why...?"
Atemu just shook his head as he coughed into a clenched fist, his other hand tightly clutching his Millennium Puzzle against his body. He had no answer for any of them, so, instead of speaking, he threw a spiteful glare to the Item in his clutches.
))It should have been called the Millennium Prison! This... this THING has done nothing but torment me ever since I received it. I was supposed to be able to control this Item, but, instead, it controlled ME! It hid all the answers to my questions and mockingly made me wander around in circles within its maze, allowing me to torture myself as I set off trap after trap. All I had wanted was answers... and it took BAKURA, of all people, to help me get them. My own Item wouldn't give me that, but my greatest enemy would and did.(( He scowled, ))...How ironic is that?((
As the dust settled, Shadi was the first one to step up to the doors of the shrine where the open doors now only revealed a few stairs leading down before the passageway was sealed by rocks. His dark orbs narrowing, he allowed his gaze to fall to the Items he cradled in his arms. He could practically feel the confusion that emitted off of each Item, for the spirits were bound to be completely lost as per these recent events. A moment ago they had been anticipating their final rest... and Shadi wasn't exactly sure how some of them would handle this disappointment.
Deciding to handle that later, Shadi's gaze returned to the shrine, "The Gods... have returned to the Shadow Realm." The Keeper began slowly, his voice holding its usual dominant tone that brought the attention of most onto him, "They have broken their bond with the Pharaoh..." Stiffly, Shadi turned to the one he had named to find him looking rather lost in his own thoughts, his eyes staring at the Puzzle in his hands and nothing more. For the knowledge of the other's present, the Keeper turned fully to the rest of the group before continuing. "It is a mystery as to why. I have never read of such events as this before."
"Could that have been the ritual rejecting the Pharaoh?" Marik asked as he slapped the dust off his clothes, only for his frown to then deepen as he remembered that the Keeper had appeared out of nowhere. "Where the Hell did you come from, anyway?"
Shadi's head lowered as a small smile came to his lips, "I felt the imbalance, of course. I came to serve and protect the Items... and my Pharaoh."
"...Ah."
"As per your first inquiry, I find such a thing unlikely, but I suppose that it is possible that this was not the proper time for the Pharaoh to move on and thus this paradox occurred to seize his attempts."
"Hey, that isn't fair!" Duke shot straight back without hesitation.
"Since when is anything in life or death 'fair'?" Marik inquired back with a light glare set against that of emerald, "Fate is what it is."
"Fate is the word for something that someone's too afraid to change!" He responded right away, "We each have control over our own lives. Point blank."
The Ishtar's gaze fell slightly, "…I hope you're right, but the record of history has been proving otherwise. For one example of the hundreds we've confronted, think of the rivalry between Atemu and Seth… then Yugi and Kaiba. That is not chance."
"So, what are you saying?" Tristan growled, "That the Pharaoh's stuck here?!"
A glare relit in lavender orbs, "Well, it would certainly seem so. There has always been a wall preventing the Pharaoh from finding what he sought. By Ra, his own Item fought to hold his memories, thus his name, from his knowledge! Atemu had purposely lost his name to seal Zork, maybe that's a sign in itself that he's not meant to move on at all... ever!"
"Screw the name!" Joey shouted back, "Before he was 'Atemu', he was 'Yami'! He's the same guy, so what does it matter what people call him?" He turned to Tea, "What's that line there about the rose?"
Marik chuckled slightly, a smirk placed on his lips as his eyes narrowed in keen challenge, "A name is more than a name, Wheeler: A name is the first gift we receive in life. A man without a name bears a horrible curse in his wake and will not be permitted to enter the afterlife. One must know who you are in order to properly introduce yourself to the Gods, not being able to do so would be a grave display of disrespect onto them."
Tristan growled, "Damn, you'd think saving the world time and time again would count for something! Or do these rules of yours not have exceptions?!"
"They aren't my rules, you fool! They are the customs of our people and the ways of our Gods! Do not make the mistake of challenging their will or I'll assure you that you will live to regret it!"
"Please, everyone, this is not the time to argue like this." Ryou attempted to reason, speaking for once instead of hiding in the background like he usually preferred to do. "It won't help anyone."
"Well, it doesn't seem like anything we've done today will help anyone." Marik shot back to the timid boy, making Ryou flinch quite visibly, "In fact, I think today could be what one calls a step BACKWARDS."
Eyes narrowed, Grandpa pointed a stubby finger at the blonde, "Watch your tone. Ryou didn't do anything to deserve a retort like that."
Marik sighed but did mutter some form of apology to the white-haired other, to which Ryou quickly accepted with a blush of embarrassment rising over his features. In all honesty, the blonde really hadn't meant to snap at the old Ring-Bearer, it was Joey that had pissed Marik off. It was something Wheeler could do quite easily, actually.
Shadi's eyes narrowed slightly in thought, "Marik is correct: A name is the most important possession one can hold. It is said that, during the death of the body, the spirit forgets his or her first gift. It is only by looking upon their own face that they are able to remember their name and to properly move on to the afterlife. It may take days for a spirit to find their body once they are divided by mortality... or it may take years, it all depends on the being. That is why a sarcophagus is made to mirror the face of the deceased and to preserve the body within: So they may recognize themselves and remember who they were."
"Of course, but the spirits of the Items are different." Ishizu responded, "They did not die. Instead, they were captured between life and death by their Items, forced to bear an existence on neither side of the divide. The Pharaoh sealed his own name away to prevent Zork from returning, but the others never had to make such a sacrifice... which would be why they remembered most of their lives."
"Indeed."
Joey suddenly stepped forward with one fist clenched at Shadi, "Come on, Shadi, Atemu WANTS to move on! This was his chance! You're not gonna stand there and say he can't, are you?!"
"Ya!" Taylor agreed with the same amount of enthusiasm as Wheeler, "Hasn't the Pharaoh done enough already to be able to move on when he feels he's ready?! It's been over three thousand years for crying out loud!"
Shadi merely shook his head, "I am sorry, my friends, but we cannot deny what has just occurred. After that cave in, it may take years of careful excavation to once again uncover the Millennium Stone... if it can be uncovered at all."
Tea, having kept to herself up 'til now, rose her voice just loud enough to be heard, "...What do you mean?" She asked timidly.
Shadi turned his stare to the brunette, "I fear that the Pharaoh and the others may be left in their solitude... indefinitely."
Yami's eyes fell shut as his free hand balled into a fist and his other hand clutched the Puzzle so tightly his knuckles turned white, trying his best to force the words of the Keeper out his mind... they were simply too painful accept. This had been his chance, his ONLY chance, to finally rest after so many years of inner-torment. Of course, this did mean that he could now stay with his friends... but not even Yugi could comprehend what it was like to have lived in complete solitude for so long.
No one in this world could possibly understand the scars such a thing left on a soul, cut off from the living like he was... it was Hell. However, Yugi, unlike him, was still a mortal and would eventually pass-away, so, eventually, Atemu would be forced to return to the darkness of his Item... and remain there for Ra only knows how long. He wouldn't go through that again, he just couldn't... his sanity wouldn't survive another three-thousand years of solitude.
))...What do I do now?((
Suddenly, a light groan came from the depths of his mind before Yugi's weary voice came forward, ((Oh... A-Atemu? Wha... what happened?))
The Pharaoh took a moment to respond, choosing his words carefully, ))We are one again, Yugi... the Puzzle is still yours. Are... are you alright?((
((I... I think so.))
))Good... do you think you can take over?((
As the Pharaoh was preoccupied, he didn't come to notice the stares that were slowly falling upon him. Some held pity in their orbs, some looked intrigued or concerned, but only one was trying to hide her heart's joy.
'I shouldn't be feeling this way.' Tea scolded herself firmly, 'The Pharaoh is probably devastated... and I feel...' She shook her head as though to clear her thoughts before focusing her stare upon the downcast face of Atemu. 'How can I be so selfish? I shouldn't be happy that he's stuck here, I should be sad for him... I should be...' Her eyes fell, '...But all I feel is relief.'
As everyone else stayed back, Joey took an unsure step toward the tri-haired other, "Hey, Pharaoh, talk to us, man. You okay?"
"Don't you worry about this, Atemu," Duke assured from where he stood, "We'll figure this out."
"I'm sure there's a way." Ishizu offered, her stare turning to Shadi pleadingly, "Right?" But her heart dropped when the Keeper merely averted his gaze from hers without a single word uttered.
Marik sighed, "There's always a way... and we'll find it, Pharaoh. We just need some more time."
Ryou's gaze fell, "...I think he's waited long enough."
The blonde-haired Egyptian glared at the white-haired other, but then flipped his stare to Odion on his other side, "How long 'til we can get diggers here?"
The eldest Ishtar frowned slightly, "A few days, at most... after that, all we can do is hope for the best that the shrine is stable enough to reopen."
Joey's frown deepened as he stared unwaveringly at the silent Pharaoh, "Seriously, man, you're starting to worry us... say something!"
However, the soft glow of the Puzzle indicated for all a swap in control... and, soon enough, Yugi turned his tired stare to the group. The young boy scanned everyone present, blinking slightly when he saw Shadi, but really not all that surprised about it. He knew everyone was waiting for him to say something, but, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think of anything. What does someone say after their friend has been refused peace of soul?
"Yug, you okay, man?" The blonde put a hand on his friend's shoulder, "How's your head?"
"I'll be fine." Yugi responded quietly, "I... I guess... we should head back to the hotel." He offered, wanting SO badly to get the spotlight off of him.
Kaiba scowled, arms crossed firmly over his chest, "What a waste of time."
"Poor guy." Mokuba spoke to his brother, ignoring the other's actual comment, "The Pharaoh must be really broken-up about this. With that cave-in, the chances of getting back down into that Shrine are slim to none."
The CEO shrugged, "He'll get over it. At least, now, I'll get my rematch against the real-deal and not some carbon-copy."
Although many lashed at the cold other with drop-dead glares, Yugi didn't even flinch. Instead, he tossed a genuine smile to the CEO, "You're not fooling anyone with your tough-guy act, Kaiba. You're just as much a part of the gang now as I am." Then, not letting anyone respond, he turned to Ishizu, "Let's head back. There isn't anything we can do here anyway."
City of Cairo, Hotel
It had been a rather uncomfortable ride back to the hotel and that tension didn't fade once everyone had returned to their rooms. Day turned to evening, evening turned to night, and, soon enough, most of the group had retired to their beds... but that didn't necessarily mean they were sleeping. Some resided to tossing and turning amongst their sheets, but others could bear it no longer and had risen to go for a walk.
Tea Gardner was one of these people.
Eyes downcast, Tea walked quietly down the hallways in her pink pajamas, pink slippers, and a pale blue nightgown. Arms curled around herself in comfort, she struggled against the ache in her heart. She wanted so badly to go to Yugi's room to speak with Atemu... and tell him how happy she was that he was still here with them... with her. She wanted to tell him how she didn't want him to leave... that... that she might be in love with him... but she knew it was a foolish idea. After all, he was a three-thousand year old Pharaoh who possessed the body of her friend... and she was... a teenager in the middle-years of high school. The fairy-tale ending she wanted would only happen in some romance novel... never in real life.
Then there was Yugi... who she wasn't exactly sure how she felt about him. Sometimes, she did feel as though she felt for him as more than just a best-friend, then, sometimes, she felt that way towards Atemu. They both had aspects about them that she admired... and, surprisingly, it wasn't the same characteristics in each.
She had always loved the vigor in Yugi. He was always so sweet and compassionate, even to those who didn't deserve it. She couldn't think of one time where he had been unable to find the light in the darkness, even if he had to (unknowingly) make it himself. He had always been the compass of the group, keeping the rest of them on track, making them better people... all without even realizing it. He was completely selfless, willing to do anything and everything to keep those he loved safe.
Atemu was different to her, she loved his maturity and confidence. He was such a breath of fresh air, especially after dealing with Joey and Tristan for a few hours. His level of insight always amazed her, as did his cunning ability to set himself as the backbone of the group. He was the support that kept them standing tall in difficult times, giving them strength even if he didn't have any left for himself.
Giving a wistful sigh, Tea pulled her nightgown around her further as she walked along, buried deep into her own thoughts. She was stuck in a wannabe-love-triangle. She did like Atemu and she knew that Yugi liked her... and Yugi and Atemu were as close to one another as brothers. At that thought, she couldn't help but give a bitter smirk. She was the girl who hung around the cute, little brother to just catch a glimpse of the hot, older brother... and it made her sick to be that kind of girl. However, all she had to do was think of the look Yugi had given her back at the shrine... and she knew without a doubt that that is exactly what she had become.
"We all know how you feel, Tea..."
"Tea?"
Said girl stumbled to a stop with a decent lack of grace. Her eyes snapping up, she was suddenly forced to notice non-other than her tri-haired friend himself standing just outside his door in his pale-blue pajamas. He had obviously just come out of his room as his hand was still lingering on the doorknob of the partly-closed door, but now it seemed as though he was thinking of heading back inside.
She forced a smile forward, "Hi, Yugi... couldn't sleep?"
He looked at her, each of his orbs holding a deep sadness that he couldn't hope to hide, "...You came to see him, didn't you?"
Tea hesitated before shaking her head, "I, um, I was just going for a walk..."
"I-It's okay," The boy gave a faltering smile, one which she had seen on him more than once over the past few months, "It's okay, Tea, r-really. You... I..." He paused over his stumbling tongue, only to then shrug in frustration over it. "I'll let him take over..."
Before the girl could say a word to stop him, a soft glow emitted from the Millennium Puzzle around his neck (now back on its chain) and the boy's hair shifted slightly. In a matter of seconds, dark eyes snapped open as the glow of the Item faded and the keen stare of an ancient Pharaoh focused on the brunette standing in the hall with him. Atemu suppressed a sigh as he finished Yugi's task of closing the door behind him, then he turned to the girl completely, obviously waiting for her to start things off.
The only problem was that Tea didn't know what the Hell she was supposed to say. After all, she had stumbled (literally) into this and she hadn't really sorted out her words... now she would just have to sink or swim.
"W-Would... would you like to... go for a walk?" The girl suggested while trying to hide the blush on her cheeks.
Atemu hesitated before nodding, "Alright."
The two walked in silence for the longest time, merely trailing through the halls of the hotel with no really decision put into their destination. As the Pharaoh appeared lost in his own thoughts, Tea used this time to organize her own thoughts and feelings... but she knew she couldn't stall forever. Slowly, she turned her gaze to him and noticed how Yugi's pajamas didn't suit him at all... which was sort of weird considering they looked so much alike. However, she could also reason, that their similarities were only skin-deep and that their souls were as opposite as light to darkness.
"...I'm sorry that the ritual didn't work, Atemu." She began, mentally patting herself on the back. After all, that was a very good place to start.
His gaze didn't lift from where he stared at the floorboards as they passed under him, "...Please, just call me 'Yami.' I know my old name now, a fact that I'm overjoyed to finally grasp, but... it doesn't feel right in this time. I've been 'Yami' for so long now... it feels wrong to throw that name away to be replaced by one I abandoned thousands of years ago."
"Sure, Yami." She quickly nodded, only to then find herself at a dead end, "Um... don't worry though, I'm sure we'll find a way so that you can move on. Now that Shadi is here too, I'm sure he and the Ishtars can think of something, right?"
He closed his eyes lightly, "I highly doubt such a way exists, Tea. The Millennium Stone was my only chance to cross the divide to the next life... and now it is buried."
The brunette frowned, "...What do you plan to do?"
"What can I do?" He responded without hesitation, but there was no anger in his tone... actually, it held very little emotion at all. "I will continue to exist in the Puzzle until it is destroyed, which is a high improbability, and I will continue to protect Yugi and all of you the best I can from any danger that arises. I'll just keep going like I always have... but I know it'll be... different... now that you're all growing up."
She tried to smile, "Yami, we're not going to let you fade out of our day-to-day lives just because we're growing older... you'll always be part of the gang."
"No, Tea, I won't be." The Pharaoh returned immediately, his eyes opening to focus on the girl he walked with, "As you will each age with every passing year, I will not. I will remain as I am for eternity - it's simply how it is. I'm immortal... you and the others are not." He stopped by a window, letting the moonlight catch both their forms to give them each a ghostly-glow. "You each have lives to live, Tea. You'll eventually come to outgrow Duel Monsters, you'll journey out into the world to achieve your dreams..." His eyes grew softer, letting warmth spread in each orb for her to see and take comfort in. "You'll gain a family of your own - husbands and wives, children and grandchildren - until you must make the crossing that I can't to the afterlife."
The ache in Tea's heart grew, "Yami..."
"My ability to partake in the world relies solely on Yugi... who is also steadily growing older." The Pharaoh gave a small smile, "He's changed since I first joined him, relying on my confidence and my strength less and less until, now, he has his own. It won't be long until he won't need me at all."
((Yami, that's not true!))
Tea's eyes drew wider, "That's not true, Yugi will always cherish the connection he has with you."
"At the moment, yes, he does... but he won't forever. As he grows older, the Puzzle will only be a burden to him more and more. Do you honestly think that any adult would want to be bothered by a piece of jewelry and an old spirit when they're attempting to look after their wife and children? I'll only be a distraction for him by the end. I never wanted to become a burden on him, never wanted to interfere in his life, but it seems as though that fate is unavoidable now."
Tea found herself speechless... probably for the first time in her life, actually. She had never thought about it like that. True, the Pharaoh's words held a bit more brutality than what would probably come to pass in reality, but the logic was firm.
He locked eyes with his friend, serious as ever, as he decided to confront what she seemed to be tip-toeing around. "You must let your heart move onto someone else, Tea. I cannot - will not - be what you want me to be. I'm a spirit... and spirits don't have bodies of their own. We possess the bodies of others... that is the only way we can interact in the world. I will not ask or let Yugi forfeit his life so I may be able to gain one, he doesn't deserve to be locked out of his own body." His eyes narrowed, "That would be the main difference between that thief, Bakura, and I: I care for and value my hikari, I respect him... and I would never do anything to hurt him. I know I failed in the last regard in the past, but I'm making certain to never do that again. I'm sorry, Tea." Inwardly, Yami smirked, ))Not to mention YOU'RE the one who's rather obviously head-over-heels for this girl, aibou.((
((Don't you dare tell her that!)) Yugi shouted right back in a tone that made you practically feel the blush on his face.
In his mind, he couldn't hold back a small chuckle, ))Don't worry, I'll leave that to your regard.((
((...Thank you, Yami.))
Tea's eyes fell from his, but she nodded. She had known that this would be his answer... it was the reason why she hadn't really wanted to talk to him tonight. However, in complete 'Yami-style', he didn't even tell her what he really felt for her... he simply said that he shouldn't, couldn't, and wouldn't. End of story.
The Pharaoh's gaze shifted to lay gaze upon the Egyptian city framed by the window, "...Where does the time go?" He wondered as he turned to lean on the windowsill, obviously picking-up from a thought that had crossed his mind. "I remember Yugi so young when he completed the Puzzle... not physically young, but mentally. Now, he is as wise in his years as I am." His gaze went to Tea as she hesitantly leaned on the windowsill beside him, showing her the small smile on his lips. "It was well-worth the years of solitude just to be able to see what I sacrificed my life for. Agreeably, not all those walking the planet are good, but there are just as many who are so pure of heart that they shine."
Shine was just the perfect way to put it. Each of his friends just had their own kind of glow, not one duplicating another as each gave off a sort of radiance that was as individualized as the person. Yugi he'd always imagined as a pure-white glow edged, perhaps, in a bright yellow, Joey as an orange one with flecks of red and yellow, Tristan as an equal-mix of an green and yellow, Duke as red spiked in dark green, Kaiba as an ice-blue with flickers of purple, Tea as pink with white swirls...
She blinked repeatedly, attempting to hold back the tears that stung at her eyes, "I..." She bit her lip and shifted her gaze to the distant sands, "...I'm sorry, Yami."
He looked at her, "For what?"
"...Being oblivious?" She offered with a forced smile that quickly died anyway, "I... I was... hoping... b-before... that you'd be able to stay with us... somehow... and it l-looks like... s-someone granted my wish." She didn't dare look at him as tears began to trace down her cheeks, picturing him in her mind as completely furious. "I-I'm so sorry, Yami. After everything you've done... I... I should have been praying for your safe journey... not for your only hope of moving on to be cr-ushed." When her voice broke, she paused to collect herself slightly before continuing, but her tears kept showing themselves in her trembling voice. "I... I've been so selfish... and I w-wish I could take it back. I'd... give anything to take it back. I... I'll understand if you can't forgive me." Suddenly, she found his hand wrapping around her's and, when she jolted her stare to his, she found a smile attempting to cover his inner-sadness. "Y-Yami?"
"Of course, I forgive you, as if such a thing was even in question." Still leaning on the window-ledge, he gave her hand a small squeeze before releasing it and turning back to stare off into the night. "I can't blame you, Tea, and I won't let you blame yourself either. It was I who summoned the last of the Egyptian Gods and it was I who lost control over them. No part of that is on your shoulders. Call it choice or fate, but either way it is what it is. My purpose here obviously isn't through..." He gave a sigh, "...As if that was even in question."
END CHAPTER
Okay, so that's the Prologue, now, let's get into this story for REAL! Onward to Chapter One!
ACK! I HATE TEA! XP Why oh why did I torture myself with attempting to deal with her... personality? I hate her... but I especially hate her paired with Yami for the soul reason that he's a fairly 'untouchable' kinda person... not to mention he deserves better. I find it hard to pair him with anyone... well, I kinda like MaixYami but even that is a bit of a stretch and I don't think I'd ever write it. Anyway, the scene did accomplish a lot: got a lot of information out that I wanted... so, I'm fairly happy with it.
The Egyptian God thing DOES have a reason - both with the shattering of the orbs and turning against the Pharaoh. It's not random, it's strategic... read on to find out more!
My Favorite Part: Yami breaking Tea's heart! XP Actually, I like the very beginning best before Yami even summons Ra. I'm horrible at beginnings, so to get one that I actually like is special.
Please review! Flames or flowers, I'll accept either! :)