Tea eyed Yami suspiciously, while she leant against the wall sipping her tea. Ever since the day he got his own body, he seemed distant. When he wasn't working or dueling, he would find some private place away from everyone else and go into a trance like state, staring into a faraway place for hours. At first it hadn't bothered her, but he seemed to be doing it more and more often than what she was comfortable with. Perhaps now was the time to ask him if there was anything wrong, she thought, drinking the last few drops of tea she had left and placed the cup on the counter top nearest to her. "Yami?" she called softly, as she walked towards him with light steps. He turned slowly to her with a small but sad smile and what seemed to be a pair of crimson pleading eyes. "Are you okay?" Tea asked concerned, a mixture of surprise and sadness over the difference in her usually confident and brave friend. "Yes of course, why do you ask?" His voice seemed oddly drained, and almost forced. On a closer inspection of his dreamy tanned face, she noticed the slightly dark rings that were beginning to form under his eyes. "You seem distant lately. I thought I'd check up on you to make sure," she said, taking a seat next to him on the concrete garden bench overlooking a large fishpond. There was silence between them for a short while, as Tea patiently waited for the former pharaoh to allow his barrier between them down. It wasn't long until he spoke. "I guess I have," he whispered in a low voice that almost faded in the light breeze. She looked at him with caring eyes, noticing for the first time how he seemed to be crumbling not in body wise, but in soul. "Yami, is everything alright?" she asked, feeling a light tug on her heart. He stared at the ripples that the water made with blank eyes, on the brink of tears that just wouldn't come. "I haven't been sleeping much I guess," he said softly, attempting to smile. Tea nodded thoughtfully, that explained the dark rings, but she instinctively knew that there was more to his story. "Bad dreams?" she asked. He nodded, with slow tired movements. She waited patiently for his verbal response, which came out a soft whisper, "Memories from my past." Tea's eyes widened in surprise, "You remember your -" He nodded. "Ever since I got my own body." His response sounded tired and weak, as though he had used every ounce of energy in his body to say it. She gripped his hand for support and comfort that he rightfully deserved. What in his past could possibly be eating away at him to this extent? She thought, as she felt her own tears threaten to fall from her eyes. "Can you talk about it? It may help if you let it out," she suggested softly, completely unaware of the grizzly tale he had for her. He smiled grimly, his eyes hidden in shadow. "I know it would help, but I don't want to burden you with any more trouble than I already have," his voice strained with a kind of pain that made Tea's heart ache. "Don't be stupid Yami, we're best friends. If the load it to heavy to bear alone, then we shall share it together," she encouraged, gripping his hand tighter, "Don't do this alone." Yami looked at her for the first time since she had sat down next to him, with pain filled eyes. She finally understood the pleading appearance that they had had earlier. "Thank you Tea," his voice was barely a whisper, and his eyes soon had that far away look again, as his mind traveled back into the horror of his past's memories. "Did you know that I was once married?" he said softly, staring at the pink sky above them. Tea gasped surprised, though she felt stupid for it later. Of course he was married, he had once been the King of Egypt! "No I didn't," she replied in the same tone, listening patiently for the rest. "She was my greatest treasure, and I loved her very much." He said, a tiny glow returning to his eyes. "She also gave me one of the greatest gifts I had ever received," he soon added, intriguing Tea further. "May I ask what that was?" Tea asked curiously. He smiled, a little more brightly than before, "Our daughter Iris." Saying the name seemed to take a tremendous strain on his body, which began to tremble slightly, though he shed no tears. Tea's eyes widened as the information he had just shared with her began to sink in. "What happened to them?" she said, with carefully chosen words. There was so much more she wanted to ask him then, but that could wait for later, right now he had a story that needed to be told and she would wait. Sadness returned to his eyes as the pain began clutch hold of his heart. "They died and it was all my fault."
The sun was just about to set over the high Sahara sand dunes, when the sound of rushing hooves thundered along the ground. The pharaoh and his guards were returning home at last, after what seemed like an eternity. Like children Seth and Yami had raced each other on horseback back to the royal temple, laughing loudly as they struggled to get past each other. Yami won in the end, and Seth joked that it would be his last, for the next time they raced he vowed that he would leave the pharaoh in his dust. Servants ran out to greet him and serve him before he even had the chance to dismount off his beautiful white stallion that stood obediently still. There were only two people that he really wanted to see, and was determined to get to them as quick as possible, but as luck would have it the council wanted to speak with him. "My Pharaoh please we must discuss the up coming war with the kingdom up north," Mahaado said. "Agreed," Yami said, though slightly disappointed that he was unable to see the two people he loved the most.
The council had gathered around the throne room, all bowing when he entered the room. He was slightly annoyed when they did this; it made him feel so awkward when he had to watch the people he thought of as friends, bowing down to him. Seth began to thoroughly go over the plans they had made, using a clear understandable voice that had everybody's full attention…except for the pharaoh's. Only fifty percent of his attention was focused on Seth's words, while the other half drifted off onto someone else. Just as Seth was about to state the total number of men that they would need to storm the Northern Temple, the large doors to the throne room suddenly opened and in dashed a small figure that made Yami smile proudly and happily. "Daddy!" the young beautiful princess of Egypt cried, running as fast as her little legs could take her. Yami got up from his throne and made his way down the isle to meet up with her, hoisting the tiny six-year old into his arms and hugging her tightly. "I missed you daddy!" she cried, hugging him back just as tightly. "I missed you too Iris," he whispered fondly into his daughter's ear, feeling as though he would never let go of her. The council watched on fondly as the reunited father and daughter shared their unconditional love for each other. A moment later the doors opened a little more softly, as the Queen of Egypt walked through them. Gasps came from awed guards and servants who could only admire the beauty of their queen, as she gracefully glided over to the pharaoh, smiling warmly. Even Yami himself, could not control the sudden race of his heart beat as she walked toward him, feeling like the wealthiest man in all the world for been graced with her as his wife. "Daddy you're dropping me," Iris calmly alarmed, and Yami instantly held on tighter. "Atem you have finally returned," the queen said, her voice filled with an almost unnatural relief. "Yes I have my love and I don't plan to part from you any time soon if I have any say in it," he told her softly, placing Iris down lightly on the ground, before taking a step closer to her. He raised a hand to brush her left cheek, which she placed her own hand over. Both smiled and stared dreamily into each other's eyes, while the council remained patiently quiet behind them. It was princess Iris who broke the silence, "Daddy, please tell me the stories of your newest adventure!" she begged, tugging on his dark blue cloak. "I will my dear as soon as this council meeting is over," he said, bending down to his daughter's level, running a hand through her long dark brown hair, which she got from her mother. He looked up at his wife and winked at her. A light blush touched the queen's cheeks as she nodded in understanding. "Come along Iris," she ordered, holding out her hand for the princess to take. Iris willingly took it, smiling widely as they made their way back to the large doors that lead to the main courtyard. Before she left the room she turned her head back to her father's direction, flashing him one last final smile as her hair flew around her head. It was a picture perfect moment that Yami as a father would never forget.
Later that evening he placed a beautiful sapphire necklace around his daughter's neck, a souvenir from their ally's kingdom. After that he had told her of all the interesting bits of their journey through the dessert, including all the humorous occurrences that had taken place. Iris's favourite had been the story of how he and Seth, as well a small army of men, had taken a wrong turn and ended up lost traveling in a complete circle until hours later the second and third army found them. Their laughter had brought a cheerful atmosphere among the people that served in the palace. Not long after that, Iris had fallen asleep in her father's arms, and carefully he placed her in her silky bed, placing a light kiss on her forehead before returning to his wife who waited on the balcony. It had certainly been the perfect night. The sky was crystal clear, glittering with thousands of tiny stars all surrounding a perfectly round moon, which shone brightly in its center. "Isn't tonight beautiful?" she asked him as he joined her side. "Not as beautiful as you," he answered smoothly, receiving a playful grin from the woman opposite to him. Their daughter stirred in her sleep, catching both their attentions for a split second. "Does she have to grow up?" he asked suddenly, his eyes soft and loving as he watched his daughter sleep without a care in the world. "All girls do," she reminded him, slipping into his arms as he embraced her. "I know, but does she have to? With time moving as fast as it is, I'll soon be giving her away in marriage and she will have children of her own," although he had thought about this before, it scared him. His wife only chuckled. They both watched their daughter sleep for a short amount of time, before retiring to their own chamber. Before entering the room, she threw her arms around Yami's neck looking devilishly into his eyes. "I love you Pharaoh Atem," she whispered, a light blush forming on her cheeks. He smiled before picking her up, bridal style, as though she didn't weigh anything gazing lovingly into her eyes. "I love you too Queen Azanthra," he whispered seductively to her, before carrying her into their room…
* * * * *
That was the last memory he had of the happier times, his last night of passion with his beautiful wife, his last night of peace, and sadly his last night of hearing his beautiful daughter's laughter. That night he slept peacefully, holding his wife close to him in a protective embrace. He had not been haunted by terrifying nightmares, but instead replayed the day's events and seeing his beautiful daughter growing up quickly to becoming a beautiful woman. However fate had other plans, and down the golden corridors in a room that belonged to the high priestess Isis, fate had decided to allow her a glimpse into a dark future that lay ahead. The millennium necklace glowed in the dark, illuminating a shiny golden eye that shielded off the darkness. Her eyes snapped open in terror, welcomed by the images of the future, which were far to frightening for her to handle. "I must warn the Pharaoh!" she cried, darting out her bed quickly and grabbing her white cloak. The shadows the surrounded the palace hid the creatures of the night that served as ghostly spies. They watched her through black hollow eyes, silently laughing to themselves. Their laughter was carried in the wind, barely audible to human ears. They loved blood shed, and knew that that fate had befallen on the kingdom.
There hadn't been much time to react, but Yami was able to prepare himself for the upcoming battle with 'Zorc' and his ghostly followers. Seth had already prepared the armies on the battlefield, and the rest of the council had joined him. He was just about to leave when he felt a gentle tug on his cloak. Turning around, he was met by Azanthra's strained pleading eyes. "Atem!" she said sternly, gripping onto his cloak tightly. He forced a small smile of encouragement, though he knew she would see through it, and placed a hand over hers. "It will be okay I promise," he assured her, before bending down to hug his daughter who had woken up over the commotion. "Daddy, please don't go!" Iris begged, tears streaming from her eyes. "I have to Princess, but I'll come back as soon as possible okay?" he said, before placing a final kiss on her forehead. Little did he know that this would be the last time he would ever see them alive. He kissed his wife one final time before departing to the battlefield, glancing back only once to witness the strained and worried faces of his family, before climbing on his white horse and riding off. The millennium puzzle bounced painfully back and forth, pounding into his chest each time. A sight so horrifying that he almost believed he was in a nightmare, an unrealistic bad dream that he would soon awake from, greeted him when he rode into the city of his people. Shadow creatures were devouring everything in sight, and fires rose from buildings. People fled the area screaming in a chaotic frenzy, as monsters chased them, and for a moment he felt completely useless. The thought of Azanthra and Iris sprang to his mind as he faced the shadow creatures, and suddenly he felt the power he needed to win. Using his Diadiankh he summoned the Winged Dragon of Ra, and galloped along the burning city streets in an attempt to rescue his kingdom.
* * * * *
What he didn't know was that the enemy was one step ahead. Their evil foe Bakura's small army of bandits had already stormed the palace and was winning the battle against the guards. Feeling threatened Azanthra decided to awaken a part of herself that she had locked away at the birth of her child, if it was to protect Iris and Atem, she didn't care what she had to do. She called one of the servant women to take Iris away and lock themselves up in a secret chamber in the east of the building. With quick hugs and kisses, Iris had to be torn away screaming, while Azanthra prepared herself for battle. She activated her own Diadiankh, before the arrival of ten hugely strong men, which all stormed into the room at the same time. She readied herself and quickly fought back.
Iris, though far away from her parents, knew everything that was happening. Nobody had realized that she had had a connection with the millennium items, or that they granted her insight of the wearer's whereabouts and hearts. At six years old, she hardly understood anything that they showed her, but now it seemed to make perfect sense. Her father and mother were in serious trouble. Glancing around her she noticed that the adults around her were too busy to notice her, and she began to crawl away.
Yami had just defeated an army with Ra, but Zorc was growing stronger and getting closer. The earlier attack on Zorc had cost the lives of several of the council members and also his closest friends. Angrily he prepared for the final attack with Seth at his side, and summoned his three Egyptian Gods, while Seth summoned his Blue Eyes White Dragon. This was their last chance to bring order to Egypt once again.
Azanthra fought long and hard, and had been successful up until the point where she could no longer fight, and fell to the mercy of a ruthless killer that stood towering over her. First he kicked her in the stomach, making her cough out a splatter of dark red blood, then punched her, breaking her jaw. He laughed sadistically, as he pulled out a sharp golden sword, and pointed it at her. "You put up a good fight you little bitch, now its time to die," he smiled, before driving the sword down powerfully through her neck, sending blood splatters across the room. She chocked on her own blood gasping for breath, until eventually she fell limply to the floor. Her beautiful blue eyes that had captivated the pharaoh had paled and stared lifelessly ahead of her. For fun the man kicked her again, before walking off to find his next victim, which didn't take long as she ran right into him. Princess Iris hadn't known exactly what had brought her to this room, but the moment she saw her mother lying on the floor dead, she already knew what fate awaited her. Fearfully she looked up at the huge man that stood before her, weak in his presence and useless to her kingdom. Hard, strong fingers curled around her neck and hoisted her off the ground. Tears ran from her red crimson eyes as he strangled her, not wanting to die. She pleaded with her father to come and rescue her, but nobody came. The man on the other hand was impatient and decided to end it quickly. He pulled out a knife and drove it into her heart without hesitation, then threw her body down onto the ground like trash. To make sure that it would kill her, as an extra precaution, he stepped onto the knife, not at all bothered by her screams of agony until she stopped breathing…
The battle was won, and Yami rushed through the palace doors, shocked to discover so many bodies of his royal guard. His side bled furiously from a large gash that he had received during the battle, but that wouldn't stop him from finding his family first. His vision was blurry and he knew instinctively that he didn't have much time left before he died. Jumping over the corpses lying on the floor he called out Azanthra's name, but received no answer. He never would. Before long he came to the room where a grizzly sight met him, and he fell to his knees. "No!" he whimpered, as he saw Azanthra's beaten body and lifeless eyes staring at him almost in accusation. "No, no, no!" he saw his daughter with a huge gash in her chest and tear stained face that resembled a wax doll. "No!" he cried, feeling the tears fall from his eyes, as the pain in his side and heart took its toll on his body. He tried to crawl over to where his family was, but could not. His body fell to the floor, weak and dying. In his last minutes he tried desperately to remember his daughter's laughter, but the only sound he could hear was his own painful sobbing.
Tea had tears streaming from her eyes. Yami had closed his at the memory, feeling as hopeless as he had that day. Tea's sudden hug startled him, but brought a bit of comfort all the same. "Yami I am so sorry," she sobbed into his chest, relating to the pain he must have felt. "It's not your fault, you did the best you could," she said, holding onto him as though he were a lifeboat. Finally his tears came. He tried to stifle back the sobs, but it hurt too much to try. He held onto her too, as they both cried, time passing by without either of them noticing. "I wouldn't have minded her growing up quickly, she could have damn well married anyone she liked, and had thirty children for all I care…but at least…at least she would have lived," Yami sobbed, regretting his pathetic worries that in the end were never going to happen. Tea sobbed harder, understanding his pain. "I should never have -" he couldn't say more. If he hadn't left them alone, Egypt and the whole world would have been destroyed, he had no choice. Tea ran a hand through his spiky hair, "You needed to." He understood what she meant, though he still believed he was a failure. "I didn't fail the world, but I failed at been a husband and a father," he whispered, feeling new tears swell in his eyes. "No you didn't, because in the end they loved you and they knew you loved them," Tea whispered back, pulling his chin up so the he could meet her gaze. "I bet they are so proud of you for coming this far and for saving the world over and over again. You didn't fail at any of those things in fact I believe you won all of them," she whispered, smiling through her tears. Yami's eyes gazed into hers, and finally the heavy burden that had been keeping him awake at night had lifted, and he began to feel the long lost warming comfort that he had once had returning. "Thank you Tea," he smiled, and embraced her with a friendly hug that meant so much. "Anything for you Yami," she chuckled back, and wiped away her tears.