This was my poor attempt at a one shot that just got too damn long! So I cut it up into sections. This idea came out of no where and possessed me till I finish it pushing all my other stories a side! The reader part does not come in till chapter two. If your looking for the lemon that's chapter three. If you are too young to be reading lemon... stop at two and image your own ending. :)
Six years had passed since that fateful day the group of teens had to say goodbye to a dear friend they were just getting to know. They all knew that he would never really be gone as long as they thought of him in their hearts. Still, they wished that there was a way to let him know how well they were all doing and the goals they would achieved later in life. After graduation, Mr. Motu suggested that they should all go back to Egypt after a few years have passed. There they could go to the tomb where the Pharaoh laid in the unopen burial room and leave a memento showing their achievements so far. He explained that when he entered the tomb all those years ago he was unable to travel any further then where he found the box that contained the millennium puzzle. So, the rest of the tomb was practically untouched. The group agreed, even though there were some miner hesitation since it was different from visiting a long-lost friend. It was more like visiting his grave. Still, the group made that promise to each other and now six years later they all felt ready to make this trip.
Mr. Motu used his connections that he still had with an old friend to help fly the group to Egypt, while Yugi contacted the Ishtar's to let them know of their plans. At first, they were unsure if it was a good idea since no one knew what kind of traps would be laid out or if there was even a treasure room or burial room. Still, as member of the Natural Historical Society of Egypt the idea piqued the interest of Ishizu. She would help them under three conditions, one being that they recorded everything they see. The second, that nothing was to be removed from the tomb and the third, that they told no one other than Ishizu of what they find to keep the tomb safe if Atem was really buried there. Yugi agreed and Mr. Motu was happy to tag along to help report on the tomb's secrets.
And so that is how the journey started….
Xxx
"Okay, so we passed the three tests without a problem" a tall blonde male said as he finished crossing the bridge that tested courage, "so now what?"
The group looked around at the walls to see if they could find a switch to other passageways. "I remember there being a switch over hear when we were in Atem's memories." Said a young woman with short brown hair. Her blue eyes glanced over at another person and asked, "What do you think Yugi?"
Yugi Motu was now a bright young man of 23, though many have mistaken him for 15. His height had only increase by three inches, which he was grateful for. His once soft boyish features had sharped slightly giving him more a mature look. Yugi's hair, ever the same tricolor locks, swayed as he turned blinking his bright amethyst eyes at the girl. He was about to answer her when another male with brown hair cried, "Hey! I think I found something over here!"
"Tristan! Wait!" The older Motu cried but was too late as the young man pressed the switch. The whole area shook as a slab of stone moved up to reveal a dark passage way. The others let out a breath while Tristan rubbed his neck sheepishly as Yugi's grandpa berated him for pressing switches without letting him see if it was a trap first. "Remember, most of what we will encounter will be unknow. So, we must move carefully." With a huff the elder move to read the encryptions above the doorway, but they said nothing that would tell them if this was the right path to take. The others moved closer to him to peer into the dark hall. He then spotted glyphs on the inner wall that would have been easy to miss. He paused to read them then chuckled. Most of them had no real meaning or were riddles to confuse thieves, but his mind was still sharp for his old age. He then spotted a particular glyph that showed that a king was indeed buried here.
"Well, we got lucky." He said turning to the group, "This should lead us to the burial chamber, if it is really here. Everyone get out your lamps and stay close together."
Xxxx
As they walked deeper into the tomb Yugi could not help but feel like he was being watched and not by his old friend. Their lamps blocked out only so much of the darkness and it was those shadows above them that he felt the glare coming from.
"Man, how much further? No offence to Atem but this place is giving me the creeps." Mr. Motu chuckled at Joey's remark saying, "Well it is a tomb. I don't think they would want to make it cheery for tomb robbers."
Joey then yelled out making everyone turn their lamps to him. "I saw something move!" He raised his light and point to the ground. When they all looked they saw the end of a black tail moving out of the light.
"Joey, it's just a snake." Tristan said trying not to be frighten by it himself.
"Do you think it's poisonous?" Tea said stepping back. The tail moved then coiled around a rock. Yugi took a step forward and lifted his lamp. The head of the snake was resting on top of the rock. It's eyes slowly blinking as if it was falling asleep.
"Should we kill it?" Tristan asked.
"No." Yugi replied as he motion for Tea and Joey to walk behind him. "It looks like it just wants to sleep so just move quietly and I think it will be fine." Yugi could have swore the creature nodded at him and closed its eyes knowing that it would not be disturbed. Joey and Tea moved quickly passed Yugi and Yugi followed but not before throwing the snake one last look.
They walked for another ten minutes when they entered a large room with four paths. The room was lit to their surprise by a light from up above. Mr. Motu explained that the light must have been redirected here by a series of reflective devices from the outside. As they walked in a loud hiss was heard followed by a snarl. The whole group jump back thinking they had stepped near a snake's path when they saw that the snake was actually further from them. The snake was fighting for its life from an Egyptian mongoose. How it got so deep in the tomb was anyone's guess but there it was, fighting a cobra.
"Let's move along and find the right path quickly." Mr. Motu suggested. The other three agreed and walked pass the scene without a second thought.
Yugi watched as the cobra strike at the mongoose with all of its might. Then, there in its tail he saw a white stone. Yugi looked again at its shape and saw that it was no stone but an egg. This cobra was fighting to protect her egg, but why was it so far from the main nest? If the mongoose succeeded killing the cobra what would happen to the baby inside? Though he knew better to interfere with whatever nature had instore for the creatures, it just didn't feel right to let such a thing happen right in front of his eyes. He looked down around his feet to see if there were some small rocks that he could throw at the mongoose. He picked up three decent size stones and begin tossing them in the direction of the fight.
The mammal turned and hissed at Yugi for his interference, but the snake landed three sharp bites on the mongoose's body. The furry creature turn to attack the snake again, but Yugi threw another rock that hit the side of its head making it yelp. The group heard the cried and saw the furry thing scamper off. The cobra then turn its head to the young man that saved its life and its egg. It lifted its body to a full height that made Joey yell out to Yugi to stay back. Yugi felt trapped by its pointed cold gaze as it stood proudly while hissing its tongue at him. Then to his amazement it did a bowing gesture to him, as if thanking him for his aid. Yugi nodded back at the snake as his eyes never left the snake's. The snake then move back to its egg and gripped it gently with its mouth. The whole group watched as it left the room down and started down one of the paths, but not before slamming its tail down on a switch that made the room shake.
"What's going on!" Tea cried as she tried to stay standing.
"Look! There's a fifth path opening!" They all turned to where Tristan was pointing and watched as the walls split open. They all stood for a moment looking at each other then at the new path.
"Did we just get directions from a snake?" Joey said rubbing his head.
"I guess we did." Yugi replied softly. Mr. Motu inspected the doorway and conformed that this was the way they needed to go.
Just as they all stepped inside a loud hissing noise was heard. The group stop as each person raised their lamps higher to see if they could spot where it came from. A howling wind blew passed the group making them shield their eyes as the dust and sand blew up from the ground. When the wind passed the whole group looked up and were grateful that they were using battery operated lamps.
"Okay, that was weird." Tristan commented, then added, "Are we sure that we should go this way?"
"How could there be wind down here?" Tea asked as she brushed the sand off of her.
"Air ducts?" Joey offered.
"Yes, they would have to have some air circulation when they were building the tomb." The old man scratched his beard as his greyed brows furrow in concern. "However, they would have sealed off all of those paths to keep thieves out." Again, the tomb howled but the breeze that flew through was weaken.
"Hey, how about we get moving again before I lose my nerve!" Yugi smiled weakly at Joey then looked towards his grandpa and nodded to him to keep going. The group set off again only stopping when they would reach a break in the path or when Mr. Motu wanted to record something he found interesting. Tea, Tristan and Joey chatted quietly among themselves till Joey noticed how quiet Yugi had been since entering this trail. He looked to the others then walked up next to his best friend and cleared his throat.
"So Yugi, are you doing okay?"
Yugi peered up at his friend, his voice came out smooth with a weight in it to balance out the gentleness of his natural tone. "I'm fine Joey. Why do you ask?"
"It's just that you've been quiet this whole time. Is there anything bothering you?"
He thought for a moment than said, "I guess it just feels a tad weird to be doing this. Walking through his resting place. I mean, at first it felt like we would be visiting him, but now…"
Yugi looked away, not able to finish his thought. Joey smiled at his shorter friend and gave him a pat on the back. "Hey, I get it. Tea and Tristan were thinking the same thing when we first entered. We just didn't say anything so not to upset you. Just remember you don't have to shoulder all your thoughts on your own. Cause you got us."
Yugi let out a sigh and smiled back up at Joey than glance over his shoulder at his other two friends. They returned a knowing smile as they followed behind at their own pace. Looking forward Yugi was happy again that they were doing this together. He highly doubted that he would be able to come alone. It just wouldn't be right since the trio was always right there to support him and Atem. Now he just wish he could shake off the feeling of being watched.
Xxx
They must have walked for over an hour since leaving the room with the Mongoose and the snake only to reach a dead end. "No way! This can't be!" Tea said as she rested on the side of the wall.
"That's the last time we take directions from a snake!" Joey yelled shaking his fist in the air. Yugi walked up to his grandfather asking him, "Do we turn back?" The old man shook his head saying, "No, we are in the right place. We just need to find a way to open this seal then we will be one step closer to the chamber." Yugi nodded and looked over at the weird carvings. They were all written on twelve fourteen inch by inch square tiles with two missing. His hand went to touch one and to his shock he could move it. His grandfather noticed this and cried out gleefully, "Of course! It's a puzzle and a riddle. Yugi I'll tell you where to move the pieces as I try to solve the riddle."
What was supposed to discourage anyone from going further took only ten minutes for Yugi and his grandpa to open the seal. When the door swung open Tea and Joey shrieked at the horde of snakes that laid in the room. Different species of cobras all turned their heads at them hissing at them threatening not to take another step.
"So now what?" Now what indeed, the group ponder Tristan's question as the reptiles stayed in their respective spots.
A loud hiss ripped through the air making all the snakes glance up then turn to slither away into small holes that covered the lower walls of the room. The group let out a loud sighed and enter the room which was also brightly lit by large stones hanging on the walls.
"We are almost there." Mr. Motu said cheerfully to distract from the ominous hissing noise they all just heard, "According to the passage on the door we just have to find the right door in this room and we'll be in the burial chamber."
"So, uh, Yugi. Did Atem have a thing for snakes?"
"Not that I knew off. Why?" Yugi looked over at Tea who was standing in front of a large stone slab. On it were drawing of snakes surrounding men and women with half snake bodies. The whole group moved to it to get a better look. The old man's eyes gleamed with joy at the finding and began taking notes. Joey rubbed his arm as he gulped, "You think it's a curse that turns people into snakes or make them snake people?"
"That could be why we saw so many on our way down here." Tristan teased making the blond glare daggers at him.
"Of course not! It's a warning. It says that beyond this point the tomb is sacred ground to a clan of Nagas that had separated themselves from the Chaos god Apep to follow Ra. They swore to Wadjet, the serpent goddess, to protect the tombs of worthy Pharaohs. This is the first I ever heard of such a legend!"
"Well, Atem did save the world from an evil darkness." Tristan pointed out.
"Yeah, and twice." Joey added. "I'll say that is worthy material."
"Guys, I was thinking," The group turned to look at Tea who was nervously holding her hands, "what if we don't go into the burial chamber."
"But that's what we came here to do!" Joey cried, as Yugi looked down.
"I know, but it just…"
"It just doesn't feel right." Yugi finished. He could feel all eyes on him as he continued looking down. He than opened his pack and pulled out the memento he wanted to leave. It was the first copy of a game that he made since leaving high school. He had made others, but this one was the first to be massed produce and spread all over the world. On the box the Kaiba Corp. insignia shone brightly in its metallic blue and silver. The Kaiba brothers were looking to expand their business beyond duel monsters and Yugi's game was their first test. With his title as the king of games and Kaiba's influence the game made it big and became the second most popular game to play.
"I'm sorry guys. I know we came all this way, but Tea is right. Opening the burial chamber and walking in…it isn't right." His gripped tighten on the box as tears weld in his eyes. I wish that I could just give this to him in person.
"So, then what do we do?" Joey asked rubbing his head, hating how heavy the atmosphere got.
"You could place your offerings here." The four turn to Yugi's grandpa as he lifted his finger to show a large kartush carved on a wall in the back of the room. Though it had been years since seeing the symbols they could all read the name written on it, Atem. Nodding to each other's got out their gifts and walked to the wall.
Tea set down a shoe box that contain an old pair of dance shoes and billings of every show she danced in. Joey set down a medium size first place trophy of the first dueling tournament he had won in Europe one years after high school. Tristan set down a small box of good from the factory he now help run with his father. Yugi was the last to place his gift and took a moment before getting up to join the group. As he knelt before the wall he could feel the eyes soften their gaze. Though we will never play this together I hope this will let you know that me and everyone are all doing fine, Yugi thought as he smiled bitterly to himself. Just as he got up to turn around his eyes widen at a man who was walking up behind Tea. A loud click was heard as a gun was being pointed at the girl's head.
Xxx
