Yugioh: Resurrection
By SougiyaHara
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh or any of the characters thereof. This is a non-profit work of fan fiction being written for the love of it.
This is rapidly going to take a left turn at reality, so sit down, relax, and let me tell you a story of somewhere that might've been. It'll look familiar and strange at the same time, but I promise, it's only the beginning of the ride. Here's hoping you enjoy it.
I'd like to give a shout-out to the Egyptian Hieroglyphics Translator/Medu Neter Dictionary. I can't attest for the accuracy of the translations it provides, but it sure looks good on paper, and has been invaluable in creating the ancient Egyptian language that some of the characters in this story use. Translations of the conversations that aren't explained in the story itself will be provided in a glossary at the end of the chapter, which is my cunning way of trying to get you to read the whole story.
Part One: Castle of Glass
Take me down to the riverbend
take me down to the fighting end
wash the poison from off my skin
show me how to be whole again
Fly me up on a silver wing
past the black where the sirens sing
warm me up in a nova's glow
and drop me down to the dream below
Cause I'm only a crack in this castle of glass
hardly anything there for you to see...
-Linkin Park
The last thing Yugi Mutou heard was the scream of airbrakes applied too little, too late. The impact that followed left him weak, dazed, clutching at the ground as a terrible sick pain washed over him.
When it stopped, he held still, waiting to see if anything would follow.
It didn't.
Nothing.
No shouts, no noise of traffic, only silence.
That scared him a little. No; a lot. Where were the people, the passers-by, his friends across the street?
Street.
Before he knew it he was on his feet, frantically looking around while feeling himself all over, checking for blood, bones, anything amiss. All he felt was his own body; all he saw was a misty expanse, devoid of any landmarks or interruptions.
"Please, be at peace. You are no longer in any danger."
"Who-?" Yugi whirled around. "Shadi!"
"I am pleased you remember me, Yugi Mutou." Shadi bowed his head.
"What are you doing here? Where is 'here'? What am I doing here?"
"You might call this Limbo. It is a moment between death and the eternal which has been granted to you as a reward for your deeds. The gods of Egypt are grateful for the return of their child. They cannot reverse your fate, but they can, and do, offer you a choice."
"Death... I'm dead...?"
"Indeed. And I am sorry to be the one who bears such news to you. Your final destination awaits, and I can assure you it is one of reward and not punishment. It is not, however, Ialu- the Field of Dreams, that place to which the Pharaoh Atem passed. You are not meant for that."
"So... not even now. He really has left me forever." Slowly Yugi sat down. "I guess... I always knew that. Somehow. I hoped I was wrong, but..." he trailed off. "Okay, now what? You said a choice."
"If there was anyone who would deserve to follow the Pharaoh, it would be you, Yugi, but that is only my belief, and belief alone cannot change fate. However, as I mentioned, the gods are not unaware of your actions, nor uncaring. That is why you are here. This one chance they have won for you. You may pass on... or you may return to life, but not your life."
"Not my own life? I don't understand. Do you mean reincarnation?"
"Of a sort. Across the infinite there are many possibilities, a thousand worlds each mirroring the next. Places where things turned on a single life or death- your life or death. It is to one of those places I am empowered to send you, to take up the thread which was broken too soon. A moment of time where a version of you did not survive, where you may yet again release the Pharaoh's soul from his prison of darkness."
"Atem?!"
"He does not know that name. He does not know his history. Caught on the first step of his journey, he is alone once more, his companion's soul fled but the body kept alive. If you accept what the gods offer, make no mistake, great trials will await you. You will be tested in ways you have never dreamt of. It is not your world, and what you remember, past and future alike, may not be the same. Moreover, once you are there, that world will become yours, and with each passing hour those things which did not or have not yet occurred will grow dim in your mind. I do not think you will completely forget what you bring with you, but I make no promises.
"Still, he needs you. Without your light, the Pharaoh is without hope, without hands or voice, adrift in sorrow and despair. If you do this, great trials, great struggles... and great rewards as well, if you are brave enough to seize the reins of destiny and make it your own. So what then will you answer, Yugi Mutou?"
Wrapping his arms around himself, Yugi struggled to accept what Shadi was saying. Dead... Mom, Grandpa, Jono, Honda, Bakura... Anzu... I'm so sorry...
I can't help them. I'll never see them again. All I can do is hope they find strength in their memories of our friendship, our life together, and go on.
But Atem... he said Atem needs me. This isn't the Spirit I know, but if I can help HIM, help the other world's versions of my friends and family, then this second chance would mean something. Aloud he said, "I'll do it. Send me there... to the new world. To the Pharaoh."
The faintest smile. "Then go, Yugi Mutou, and may your courage serve you well. The blessings of the gods of Khemet upon you, for surely you will need them." Raising a hand, Shadi placed it on Yugi's chest and pushed-
Blackness. It felt like floating in a sea of night, both weightless and difficult to move against at the same time. His breathing, his heartbeat, wind and thunder in his ears. A void poised to swallow him forever.
"...gi?"
Desperately Yugi grabbed at that sound, if sound it was, if it was real and not imagined. He tried to push or pull or swim or something, anything, towards it, but where, where was it?
"...hear me?"
Grandpa! That's Grandpa! Yes, I hear you, I'm here!
"I'm... beautiful day out..."
Keep talking, please, I can hear you, I can!
"...flowers..."
Is it louder this way? I can't tell.
"Joey and Serenity were... they brought me lunch from that..."
Who're THEY? Never mind, it IS louder! Grandpa, I'm coming! Don't give up on me yet. Clenching his teeth, Yugi dragged himself along trying to get closer to the sound, and was there light now? Was the dark lessening ahead of him? Were there-yes, other sounds, faint, echoing, a steady rhythm of beeps counterpointed by a second slower beat that made him think crazily for a moment of milkshakes. Like a straw pulling against the bottom of the glass when you try to get that one last bit.
No, not pulling, pushing, and suddenly he felt vaguely nauseous; something caught in his throat, choking him. The beeping was changing, getting louder, one last effort and he sensed something snap ahead of him-
"The EEG!" A new voice, a woman's. "Something's happening- Mr. Moto, Solomon, stay right here with him- Doctor! Doctor!" Running feet. With the last bit of his strength Yugi opened his eyes and immediately regretted it. Light! God, too bright! He blinked fiercely, vision blurring with involuntary tears. He tried to say something, ask for the light to be turned off for a moment, but only made a groaning sound. There was something in his mouth, blocking it. Yugi fought not to panic as a low whoosh sounded and air rushed into him.
What IS this-!
One hand groped in cloth blindly, searching for something to hold onto. Two hands folded around it almost at once, lifting it. "Yugi! Yugi, it's Grandpa. I'm here," then, "Sore wa ojichan, watashi wa koko ni iru. Ne, Yugi-chan..."
Grandpa... you haven't called me 'chan' since I was a baby. You must really be worried... Concentrating, Yugi squeezed the hands holding his. It felt horribly weak, but the hands on his tightened in response. Wait, was he speaking English? Grandpa hardly ever speaks English unless Professor Hopkins is visiting... and did they say Solomon? Moto? Am I in America?
"Excuse me please," a third voice, male, authoritative. The hands holding him shifted to a different angle and a shadow fell over Yugi, blocking the light for a blissful moment. It didn't last; an even brighter light blazed into view, flicking back and forth, and Yugi whined a protest, hating the sound but unable to make any other complaint. "Pupils reactive, patient appears responsive- Nurse, let me see that EEG printout. And turn the light out over the bed for a moment."
Thank you, whoever you are. Yugi relaxed as the brightness diminished to barely tolerable. Things began to swim into focus: plain light green walls, a huge bank of machines on his left with a man and woman staring at them, and on his right...
A wonderful, familiar sight at last. His grandfather, smiling through tears.
"This is impossible..." the woman muttered, barely loud enough for Yugi to hear it. "I thought he was supposed to be in a persistent veg-"
"Looks like our patient is more persistent than our diagnosis." The man turned and bent over Yugi, revealing a middle-aged gentleman with greying hair, smiling reassuringly. "Mr. Moto, I'm Dr. Greenway, and I've been in charge of your case since you were admitted. You've survived a very bad accident, but you were having a little trouble breathing on your own, so we put you on a ventilator. There's a tube in your throat feeding you air; that's why you can't talk. I know it's uncomfortable, so if it's okay with you we can try taking it out and see how you do. Are you on board with me?"
Yugi nodded.
"Great. We're going to have to get set up for it. It may be a little uncomfortable-"
Which means hurts like hell, okay, I got it.
"-But if everything goes well you'll be talking up a storm by this afternoon. The first part is changing your vent settings to see if you're comfortable breathing more or less on your own, with just a little help on our end. We'll give that about an hour. If your oxygen levels stay stable, we can try taking you completely off the machine."
It wasn't as bad as Yugi'd thought. The worst part was after the suctioning to clear the tube. the moment they asked him to cough, and as he did so the tube was removed. The cough turned into a gag, then a fit of coughing that left him seeing stars briefly, but when it quieted the feeling of cool air in his throat made it all worthwhile.
Dr. Greenway watched Yugi closely for several minutes before smiling and nodding. "I think we're good. We'll keep a CPAP close by in case you feel any discomfort. How's that throat? Can you say something for me?"
"Good-" Yugi swallowed. "Morning?" His voice cracked and faded, but he could talk, and it was the second best thing that'd happened today.
"That's right, it is morning. Now, there's a clock over on the far wall behind me. If you can see it, can you tell me the time?"
Yugi squinted. "-'leven..."
"Good, it's just eleven, you're on the money. How about your name?"
"Yu... gi. Yugi Mu-" he caught himself, clearing his throat. "Yugi Moto."
"That is terrific." Greenway nodded again. "Now, I'm going to be bringing in a colleague of mine, a Dr. Chang, and he's going to be asking you a few questions, getting you to help him with some exercises, so we can get an idea how to progress from here. We'll be back in a little while. You just do a little catching up with your grandfather while you wait."
As soon as the door closed, Yugi turned inquiring eyes to his grandfather. "Where-?"
"Domino Center for Intensive Care. You remember, this is where they had me during Duelist Kingdom. They wanted to fly you out to... to a long term care facility... but I put my foot down. I thought maybe being in familiar surroundings would help, somehow."
"Why.. 'm here?"
"You don't remember?"
"Not sure... what I remember." And that's the truth too.
"Someone stole..." Solomon inched forward, whispered, "The Millennium Puzzle." He sat back. "You chased after them and got trapped in a burning warehouse."
A warehouse? No Otogi, no Black Crown Game Shop?
"Joey and Tristan tried to break down the door, but something was blocking it. By the time they found another way in and got to you, you'd collapsed. You... you weren't breathing. They resuscitated you in the ambulance, but you were unresponsive. The doctors said it was a coma brought on by lack of oxygen. They told me if you recovered... there'd probably be brain damage. That was two weeks ago."
"Two weeks?!"
"We've all been taking turns sitting with you, talking to you. We had to believe you'd get better."
That stung. Grandpa... how do I tell you I didn't get better? No... HE didn't get better; the other Yugi, the one whose life I'm living now. How do I tell you your grandson died?
I can't. You either wouldn't believe me or it'd break your heart. It doesn't matter anyway, because I'm Yugi, I'm still Yugi, you're still Gramps. The man that raised me and taught me how to love games, who gave me that mysterious Egyptian box-
Box.
THE PUZZLE!
"Grandpa, where's the Puzzle?"
"I have it locked up in the safe back home. For the first few days I left it here, but when... when it didn't seem like you'd be waking up soon..." the old man heaved a sigh. "I thought it might be best to put it somewhere else."
"Can you bring it to me later?"
"Of course."
-End Chapter 1-