(Hearing a childish rhyme can get you thinking about the strangest of things...)
Starlight, Star Bright
The first star I see tonight
I wish I may
I wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight
Yami Sennen cracked his head off his writing table. As the dull pain faded, he raised his head and let it fall again. Who knew being the Pharaoh of Egypt and the surrounding land could so stressful? Every day, more requests requiring the Pharaohs seal of approval flooded into the palace, and of course, he had to read every one, because what ruler doesn't know what's going on in their kingdom?
'Quite a few,' Yami thought, 'if 'keeping up' requires all this.'
Some of the requests where truly idiotic. Did Yami want the slaves to have clean drinking water and a day off every week? Did he want to improve trade with the Africans? Of course he did! He was the one who suggested it for Ra's sake…
Dropping the latest papyrus, Yami sighed and stood up. There was no way he was going to get any more work done night. Every time he looked at the spidery handwriting of the court scribes, the letters danced before him and blurred out of focus. He placed the lid back on the inkwell and paced the room. That was it… He wouldn't get any more of the documents signed tonight.
Walking out of the room, Yami dismissed the ever present servant at his door. He still hadn't gotten used to this place. He had nothing, yet everything to do at exactly the same time. He'd only been here a few months, but was already finding himself rather tired of the routine of being the Pharaoh. Sure, it was nice to be hailed as a God on Earth, but some of the pleas for help he received daily were heart wrenching. Yami honestly prayed with all his might for those people. He could only hope it was having some sort of effect.
Yami entered his own room, leaning against the door after he closed it. He was exhausted. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. The same crimson eyes, the same sharp features, the shape triple coloured star-shaped hair. It had been almost a year now, and Yami still haven't changed his hair, despite the advice of the court. If he changed it to a more conventional style, they argued, more country officials would take him more seriously. Apparently it was hard to talk serious politics with someone who had the hairstyle of an eight-year-old. Not that he cared. Yami, quite honestly, didn't care who thought his bangs and spikes were immature. Let them deal with it. If the Egyptian court refused to let him outside the palace grounds without an armed guard and denied him any sort of freedom, why should he change what he looked like?
Besides, there was another reason. A much more important one he'd never admit to anyone else, except maybe Mana. Because, occasionally, if he passed a mirror quickly enough, it wasn't so hard to believe that he hadn't been separated from his aibou. One swift glance in a mirror would be enough to make him feel secure. No longer. Any more than a glimmer and the spell would be broken, the illusion would shatter. Any more than a nanosecond and Yami would be on his own again in a world he felt he didn't believe he belonged to.
Unconsciously, Yami made his way to the balcony attached to his bedchambers. This part of his day was definitely the most enjoyable. Now he could get away from the stuffy courts and the endless line of courtiers and ambassadors from other countries. Here, he didn't have to hide behind a mockery of smile and be forced to perform a pointless series of niceties that counted as 'manners'. Here was one of the few spots in the palace the Pharaoh could open up. But that's not what Yami loved about this place...
The silver pepper of stars shone above him with all the brilliance of shattered diamonds. Having the biggest room on the highest floor the palace left very little to obstruct Atemu's view of the heavenly constellations. With ease he could pick out the star which would become his other halves favourite. Cygnus, the swan, was part of the summer triangle. Yuugi had tried explaining why he liked it so much while letting the spirit look through the small telescope in the boy's bedroom.
"You see, it's not the biggest star," he explained, fine-tuning the angle, "even though it looks it. It's only one star in a group of seven called the Northern Cross. Without it, what looks like the brightest star in the sky would be a ring of light and an empty space instead. It works with the stars around it to help people and to be better than one lone star."
Atemu knew why his people looked towards the stars for guidance and fortune-telling. They were enchanting, yet mysterious. Gazing up at them from his own balcony, it was easy to imagine that those great balls of fire held a more divine purpose and a deeper knowledge we can't see as it is too complex for humans to understand. His first sight of the Egyptian sky had enchanted him, so as such; it became part of his nightly tradition. He was free here. He could act without restraint and didn't have to force a smile when a noble happened to glance his direction. He didn't have to dictate law or distribute divine justice here. Despite everything else that had happened, here was where Atemu felt most at home in a world he felt he didn't belong to. There was a connection back to Domino City hidden amongst the celestial bodies. There was a weak link which brought comfort to the young ruler.
Perhaps it was the idea that, in a thousand years time, his other half would be looking at them too. That would be the link. Everything else changes, but the dance of the orbs remains the same, without fault or change. The lords of the sky knew the steps of their dance too well to allow something as simple as time to ruin their traditions.
In a few thousand years, an identical pair of violet eyes would look up to see the same sky Atemu currently did. In a few millennia, Yuugi's face would hold the same contented expression the pharaoh's did. When that time came, Yuugi would dream of ancient Egypt while Atemu dreamed of future Japan. Here there was a connection. It was a weak connection, but remained nonetheless. Atemu would hold that connection with both hands.
He could vaguely recall something from his Aibou's time. It was a line from a game Yuugi had particularly enjoyed playing. He had become rather fond of the game himself during his stay in that world. It was strange how particular scenes brought back an overwhelming sense of déjà vu.
"There are many worlds, but they all have the same sky. One sky, one destiny." (1)
(1. Kingdom Hearts II is the game in question. I have actually fallen in love with this game...
As usual, many thanks to Roora-chan for beta-ing this piece for me. So, did you like it? Hate it? Wanna hang, draw and quarter me for writing it?)