Title: Essentia: Pharaoh's Soul
Pairing: Seto Kaiba/Yami Yugi (Atem/the Pharaoh)
Tags: AU, Romance, Angst, Drama, Amnesia, Brainwashing, Post-series
Summary: The Pharaoh is back, but his memories are as fractured as the scattered pieces of the millennium puzzle. The key to his future lies once more in unlocking his past. This time he doesn't have his bond with the young Yugi Moto to guide him. As the Pharaoh's dark side slips free from its restraints, it becomes a whole new game this time around.
AU: The ceremonial battle never happened, but Atem did disappear. This story is set a few years after the anime series.
After 5,000 years of being trapped within the millennium puzzle, suddenly finding himself bonded to a living person reminded Atem of the great phoenix of Ra. Being unable to interact with the physical world, wandering the endless maze of his mind, time flowed as seamlessly as the desert sands. The awakening of the millennium puzzle claimed him like a phoenix rising from the ashes of its former existence.
Sharing the body of the young Yugi Moto made Atem realize just how lonely his existence had been. Merging his soul with another? No one could understand how it felt, that intimacy. It was irreplaceable. But Atem knew this bond wouldn't last forever. Nothing ever did.
And it was time for the phoenix to rise again.
Atem had been called many things: the hand of god, the dark messiah, the vengeful one. Part spirit, part human. Living in a dying world, full of darkness and decay; Atem came back to save the world. His fractured memories slipped between the shadow realm and reality, and the small, golden puzzle piece engraved with the Eye of Horus became a focus for his dark powers. The eye symbolized royal power and by some, was considered a window for the dead to view the living. Because of this, he took on a new name: the Pharaoh.
"So you're the Pharaoh?" a voice said. The Pharaoh turned around, black hood hiding his face in shadows, despite the sun beating heavily down upon them. A young man approached him; Atem gave them his full attention.
"Won't you let me see your face?" the man asked.
In response, the Pharaoh stepped back into the darkened archway of an abandoned shop. Old Port district was a ghost town by day, decrepit, a place no one dared to go. You were constantly watched there by the unseen eyes of the living and the dead.
"Okay, okay," he said to Pharaoh. "I get it. I heard you were looking for me."
"Depends," Atem replied, "if you have something I need."
"I do, but only if you do something for me." The man held out his arm, the duel disk sliding into place along his left forearm. "Tell me who you really are, and I'll duel you right here, right now for my title as King of Games."
Atem crossed his arm in front of him, duel disk already in place along his arm.
"My name is Atem. I don't remember much else. I occasionally work with Pradius. Shadow games are my specialty." Atem walked past the man, standing on one side of the double lane street. He slipped off his jacket, revealing the rest of his black, hooded tank top. He connected the jacket collar around his neck, wearing it like a cape.
The young man stared at the Pharaoh, a look of sorrow crossing his face. "I'm upset, you don't recognize me? After all the time we'd spent together?"
"I'm sure I would remember you," Atem said. "Could pick you for a first cousin or brother. We share similar hairstyles."
"I'm Yugi Moto," Yugi said as he walked into place across from Atem. He drew his cards. "I'm the current King of Games, as I said. I've been following you in the papers the last few weeks. The mysterious Pharaoh. You intrigue me." Yugi paused. "I'm surprised you didn't recognize me. Hasn't my reputation preceded me?"
Atem sensed Yugi was more invested in this duel than simple fascination. He couldn't place why. He drew his own cards, shrugging it off for now.
"Does it look like Old Port gets much news down here?" Atem waved an arm around them. A ghostly wind whistled past. "The underground colonies keep to themselves. Isolationists, the lot of them. Information comes by word of mouth."
Yugi placed two cards face down and one monster in defense mode.
"I still want to see your face," Yugi stated.
Atem threw two monsters in attack mode and one card face down. His last card was the seal of Orichalcos. He grinned, waving it in the air. Yugi's expression hardened.
"Dartz once used this card to steal souls of the living." Atem chuckled. "Didn't expect to see this card again, did you? I heard what you did. You beat Dartz and saved the world from destruction. But this," he waved the card again, "this uses souls for a different purpose. The leviathan is old news."
"Is that so?" Yugi said pointedly. "That card is evil, Pharaoh."
He saw Yugi clenching his fists; the man clearly wanted to continue, but seemed content to hold his tongue for now.
The Pharaoh slid the card in the duel deck and a green light surrounded them. A glowing seal settled on the ground around them.
"You can't escape me until this duel is over," the Pharaoh taunted. "Nor can anyone interfere. It's a handy card, right? It prevents your escape."
Yugi stared at him. "It does more than that."
"It helps me win; saved my life in a few tight spots," Atem said. "I only use its dark powers on those who deserve it. We capture their souls and turn them into puppets. If they can't use their life to help the greater good, then they don't deserve to keep it. You have nothing to fear from me."
"I know," Yugi said after a few moments pause.
Atem ordered his two monsters to attack. One destroyed Yugi's monster but the direct attack by Atem's second monster was negated by Yugi's face down card. Yugi used a magic card to bring out the fabled dark magician in attack mode, and placed two more cards face down.
"So tell me, Atem," Yugi said, emphasizing the Pharaoh's real name,"why are you after my title?"
"Because it belongs to me," Atem answered,"I'm looking for my past That title belonged to me and I want it back. That I remember clearly."
Yugi hmm'd for a second. "Show me your face," he said again. "If the wrong people found out your true identity it could mean trouble. You're afraid I'll betray you, because that's probably all you know, right? But deep down, I know you trust me."
Atem huffed, but he realized this man was right. Yugi had somehow slipped under his defenses and extracted information the Pharaoh would have otherwise kept private. He looked into Yugi's eyes. Perhaps it couldn't hurt to show his face just this once. There was something about Yugi he couldn't place, something almost familiar.
The Pharaoh ritual summoned his black luster soldier in attack mode.
Slowly, Atem pulled his hood back from his face, showing off his spiky, dark purple hair highlighted with light blonde streaks with his bangs colored the same light blonde. His face was similar to Yugi's, but whereas Atem had lightly tanned skin, and a more mature face, Yugi had a natural beige skin color with an initially open, friendly demeanor. Plus, Yugi's facial features were slightly more American (less defined) then his own Egyptian heritage.
"I can introduce you to your past, Pharaoh," Yugi said. "Defeat me, and I'll not only give you my title, I'll tell you about the man you keep seeing in your memories. Fractured as they may be, you know who I'm talking about."
"How do you-"
"Defeat me, if you can!" Yugi interrupted. "Enough talking, let's go."
"You're right," The Pharaoh answered. "It's time to Duel!"