I have a rudimentary understanding of Egyptian burial rites and religious beliefs. If you find anything out of order, please let me know and I will correct it.
Also, the first Yu-Gi-Oh! Movie, with Anubis, never happened.
Mana frowned. "But…your destiny is completed, Atem. You don't have any reason to remain amongst the living. Your story is over."
Atem grinned, his hands encircling the puzzle and giving the others a glimpse of an absolutely pissed off Mutou Yuugi.
"…you narcissistic, parasitic, selfish asshole! GIVE ME BACK MY DECK!"
"My friends, my story has only just begun," Atem laughed.
Yuugi pouted, glaring down the staircase to where Atem had left them. Now that the initial anger had worn off, Yuugi was left with a sense of mourning and confusion. On one hand, the young dueling champion was at a loss as to what to do and felt that it was unfair to bring Atem back from a peaceful rest.
But he wants to stay with me… Yuugi frowned. And as much of a pompous asshole as he is, I really want him back, too.
Jou walked beside him, placing a hand on Yuugi's shoulder. "So, what now, buddy?"
Yuugi sighed, took a deep breath, and turned to Jou with a smile, "We bring him back, of course."
"You could just buy all those cards back instead of setting off some other catastrophe," Seto muttered, arms crossed.
"As if, rich-boy," Jou scoffed.
"Right!" Anzu cheered, "It's more than the deck! We want our friend back, too."
Honda nodded. "Exactly; he can't just come into our lives, change everything, and leave. We've got to bring that loser back!"
"And I think we've lectured you enough times about the heart of the cards for you to realize that my specific deck is special to me and I won't replace it," Yuugi smiled wryly at Seto, who rolled his eyes.
"Don't you dare start that up again," the brunet groaned. "And before I get another speech on friendship über alles—Kaiba Corp. will be supporting your endeavors, so long as you never sully my office with your presence, Mazaki."
Anzu smiled prettily. "I'll hold you to that, Kaiba kun. I have my next speech written already, so don't test me!"
Seto suppressed a shudder, though a knowing smile from Mokuba proved he wasn't entirely successful.
"That's all well and good," Marik interjected, "But now that the Pharaoh is back where he belongs, I don't think Isis, Rishid or I need to get involved anymore."
Isis bit her lip, glancing away. "Actually, little brother, I desire to become involved."
"Isis?" Marik asked warily. "Why?"
"I feel as though our lives were always intertwined with the Pharaoh's and that we will always owe him a huge debt. I don't think I can move on with my own life until that debt is repaid. If the Pharaoh's final wish had been to move onto the afterlife in peace, I could have walked away from here and never looked back," Isis sighed and looked at the sun.
"But that wasn't his final wish and I still owe him a life debt. Until he is reunited with Yuugi kun, I don't want to walk away. Once the Pharaoh is truly happy, I will feel the chains finally fall away.
"Our lives will always be entangled with the Pharaoh's," Isis repeated, her gaze so focused, it seemed she was looking through the sun to Ra, "May as well bring him back to life so we don't feel as though we're always involved with a dead man."
With a reluctant groan, Marik trudged over to Isis and put his arm around her slender shoulders.
"Fiiiiiiine," he griped, "But only because you're doing it, too."
Marik turned to Rishid, a resigned smirk on his face. "Coming?"
Rishid rolled his eyes. "As if I have a choice."
"Great!" Honda grinned. "So, what should we do first? A séance? Do we have to go corpse robbing or something, so he has something for his soul to come back to?"
Isis smiled indulgently. "No, Honda kun. Pharaoh's ka and ba must be reunited for him to have any hope of reviving. Once they become his akh, his akh will either repossess his body or it will roam our world."
Jou glanced around. "Anyone else gettin' this?"
Sugoroku chuckled. "The ancient Egyptians believed that when a person died, especially a pharaoh, their essential being separated into their ka and ba. The ka is what we would consider their spirit, and it leaves the body at death. The ba would be what we would consider their personality—their uniqueness, if you will—and it remains with the body. When the ka and ba unite, they become the akh; the closest idea we have to the akh would be the ghost—the ahk is able to come to the world of the living and, at the request of living members, can help. Conversely, if the funeral rites are done incorrectly, the akh can also 'haunt' people. However, if the funeral rites and spells properly guide the akh, the akh can travel to the afterlife. The pharaoh's akh, specifically, went on to become a god.
What Isis is saying is that Atem kun's ka has passed on, but we need to find his mummy in order for us to reunite his ba with his ka. If we have any hope of restoring Atem kun, we will need to do the rites properly, or there is a risk of Atem kun's akh dying again."
"Dying again?" Anzu frowned. "But, he's already dead. How can he die again?"
"Because our physical death is not the end of our lives," Isis explained patiently. "Death occurs when our heart, our jb, becomes tired. Thus, we begin a new life and, with the proper rites and spells, we may one day join Ra in the sky or our akh may join the stars. However, the ba frequently returns to the body at night—which is why the body is mummified and preserved so meticulously—and the Book of the Dead is needed to ensure a safe journey to and from the body. In order for a person to continue to exist in the afterlife, the body must be preserved, which is what the ba constantly returns for. If, however, Pharaoh's akh succumbs to some danger, he will experience true death, and will be unable to return."
"Basically," Yuugi interjected, "think of mortal death as losing a life in a game. If you die after you've lost all your lives, it's game over."
Anzu shuddered. "That's terrible. But none of that is real, right? Atem can come back to his body whenever he wants, right?"
Sugoroku hummed, a hand stroking his beard. "We saw Atem kun's ka go to the afterlife, and it will likely reunite properly with his ba, but his ba will need to return to his body. He's been safe all these years because his soul was trapped in the millennium puzzle, and then trapped inside Yuugi. But now that he is properly in the afterlife, Atem kun's ka and ba will separate at night, so that his ba can return and sustain his body."
"Which means, we have to work fast," Marik surmised. "I doubt Pharaoh's akh will be in danger, because he was a beloved Pharaoh and I'm sure Priest Set did all he could to ensure only the best rites and magical spells were used to send off Pharaoh's akh. However, it's only a matter of time before his heart is weighed, and he's sent off to the stars as a divine being. Now that Pharaoh knows his true name, he won't be sent off to oblivion, so he'll soon be weighed against Ma'at by Anubis."
"I don't understand any of this!" Honda cried, grasping at his hair.
"It would take too much to explain all this to you," Rishid said, apologetically, "because your language does not have the same connotations that ours does. All you need to know is that we're on a tight schedule. Once the Pharaoh's soul passes Anubis' test, he will likely be sent to the stars as a god and, at that point, will be unrecoverable."
"It may take some time, though," Isis muttered, biting her thumbnail anxiously. "Although the Pharaoh knows his name now, there are no records of it anywhere in his tomb or in any other text, because of the Pharaoh's wishes to prevent Zorc's rebirth. Though he has spoken his name to the Eye of Wadjet, Anubis will scour what he can for proof. We have until then."
"How long is that?" Ryou asked quietly.
Isis, Rishid, and Marik glanced at each other.
"Well?" Seto demanded, tapping his foot quickly.
"We have no way of knowing," Rishid replied, bowing his head.
Yuugi's fists clenched tightly. Silently, Jou put a hand on Yuugi's shoulder; Honda followed suit and put a hand on Yuugi's other shoulder; finally, Anzu reached out and put a hand on Yuugi's back. Yuugi smiled, briefly remembering Duelist Kingdom, and gathered all the strength his friends were offering him.
"Then we'd better not waste time," Yuugi announced. "What do we do first?"
Isis smiled happily at Yuugi. The Pharaoh will never be lonely again, she decided.
"First," the former priestess said aloud, "we must ascertain that the Pharaoh's mummy is still preserved. His mask must be legible and his Book of the Dead must be on the walls of either his coffin or the walls of his pyramid. If his body is okay, then his ba will have something to return to each evening. Second, someone must read his Book of the Dead and see if there are any spells that can help us. Meanwhile, one of us must go pray to the gods for guidance, specifically Osiris. Lastly, I hate to say it…but we may need the millennium items back."
"What?" Otogi exclaimed. "After all the trouble we just went through to seal them away?!"
"They won't have any powers anyway, right?" Mokuba raised a brow.
Anzu gripped at her shirt, above her heart. "And we can't make them. We can't have another Kul Elna."
"It is a potential waste of time," Isis admitted, "They may be powerless. But, the Pharaoh originally locked his soul inside the puzzle and sealed them away to prevent their use bringing back Zorc. Now that Zorc has been defeated for good by Horakhty, the millennium items may continue their use as they once were used before the Thief King possessed the Ring. It is a long shot, but the spells in the Book of the Dead and the Book of Going Forth by Day may not be enough. And it doesn't hurt to have the Pharaoh's second most treasured possession while we're trying to bring him back."
Yuugi blinked. "Second most? What's the first?"
Jou grinned, leering at Yuugi. "Ain't it obvious? You're the first!"
A deep red blush covered the shorter duelist's cheeks before realization struck. "Wha—! I'm not a possession!"
Marik rolled his eyes. "He's a pharaoh, Yuugi kun. Everything he likes is a possession. Or would you prefer to be his hmt nswt wrt?"
"His what?"
Isis giggled. "His Great Royal Wife."
Yuugi's face lost all color before he pounced on a laughing Marik. As the smaller boy chased the blond around, the others gathered together to continue their planning. Eventually, Sugoroku grabbed Yuugi and Rishid grabbed Marik, effectively stopping their game.
"Yuugi, it's time to focus," Sugoroku reminded kindly.
With a sigh, Yuugi nodded. "I know. I'm just…scared. What if we fail? What if we mess up and doom Atem's soul to oblivion?"
Marik patted Yuugi's hair affectionately, "We won't, I promise. Isis, Rishid, and I are direct descendants of Tomb Keepers. We know what we're doing when it comes to funeral rites, even if they're ancient."
"And I somehow doubt that Atem's gonna give up so easily anyway," Jou snickered.
Emboldened, Yuugi nodded, grinning back at his friend. "You're right.
"If I recall correctly, Isis mentioned that there was a lot for us to do. I think we should split up and each do a different task. The quicker we do this, the better."
Nods and noises of assent filtered through the group.
"So, call it, Yuugi," Honda encouraged, lightly poking the smaller teen with his elbow. "You're the leader, yeah?"
Yuugi looked around at the expectant people facing him; it was odd to be the leader and not have that confident voice in the back of his head telling him what to do. But, regardless of how much Yuugi wanted Atem back, Atem was right—there was only one Mutou Yuugi in the world, and Yuugi was capable of everything Atem could do, including leading people. Yuugi didn't necessarily need Atem the way he needed him before.
Before, Atem was a mentor and a protector for a less mature Yuugi; now, Atem was the other half, an equal half, of Yuugi's soul.
"Isis san, you've always been much more in-tune with Egyptian spirituality than anyone else. Please, go to the temple next to Atem's pyramid and pray to Osiris; maybe you'll find answers. As I understand it, people can pray to the akh to help them when they're in need. Maybe we can pray to Atem's akh, too, and get some more clues on how to bring him back. Rishid san, you should go with her.
"Jou—I need you, Honda kun, Mokuba kun, and Kaiba kun to go back to the hotel. Kaiba kun, I'm sorry to ask—" Yuugi graciously ignored Seto's 'I'm calling bullshit' expression, as well as Jou's apparent catatonic state—"but I need you to use your corporation's resources to get back down into that cavern and dig out the millennium items. Ryou kun, do you remember anything from when the Thief King possessed you recently?"
Ryou blanched, but the pale boy nodded. "I…I remember some things, Yuugi kun. Why do you ask?"
"I want you to go with Jou, Kaiba kun, Mokuba kun, and Honda kun. Maybe there was something in that sociopath's head that could help us, in case the millennium items don't work. Also, as a former holder of an item, you may be able to sense where they are. Can…can you do this for me?"
A stubborn expression crossed the usually mild boy's face as he smiled back at Yuugi. "Of course, Yuugi kun. Leave it to me."
"What about us, Yuugi?" Anzu asked, motioning to herself and the others the shorter duelist hadn't assigned anything to.
"Anzu chan, we are going back into Atem's tomb. Otogi kun, I'm asking you to come with us in case there's any money issues that need handling, but you won't go inside the actual tomb with us. You and Anzu chan will stay outside. Jii chan, Marik, and I will go inside. Jii chan and I know our way around well and we know how to get around the traps; Marik, even though jii chan and I can read ancient Egyptian, you have a much deeper understanding than we'll ever have, and you may help us find another clue."
Yuugi inhaled deeply—this was going to be the biggest adventure they'd ever had together with the biggest possible reward as an outcome; failure was not an option, as far as Yuugi was concerned. He looked around at the people who'd helped him along his journey with Atem, and he smiled confidently.
He was sure they'd succeed.
"Yuuuuuuuuuugi! Why am I stuck with freakin' Kaiba?!" Jou finally hollered, apparently over his shock.
Well, pretty sure.
"Sorry, Jounouchi kun!" Yuugi laughed and ran towards a dune buggy, dragging Anzu along.
Seto sighed, ending a call on his cell phone. "Forget it, dog-boy. Let's just get this over with."
Jou glared at Seto, then looked to the heavens.
"Someone help me not kill Kaiba."
Isis giggled as she and Rishid hopped onto the dune buggy. "I'll be sure to ask Pharaoh to bring you serenity."
"Wait, what is the meaning of this?" Shimon asked, watching the group of teenagers go their separate ways.
Atem dropped his hand, thus dissipating the portal. "I had thought that to pass on to the afterlife was what I craved. I was wrong. I want to remain with Yuugi. However, in order for Zorc's threat to disappear once and for all, I needed to die so that the former use of the millennium items will disappear as well. Now that I have passed, the items will seek their rightful owners, and Yuugi will hopefully have a chance at getting me out of here."
"You're leaving again?" Mana asked, eyes sad. "So soon?"
Atem embraced her gently, a small smile on his face. "I'm sorry. I sincerely thought I would be happy here. Even after all that time in Yuugi's head, I couldn't tell how he felt about me. Now that I know for sure that there's more than a chance that he loves me, I'm not going to go to the afterlife quietly."
Mahado sighed, but he placed a hand on Atem's shoulder and smiled kindly. "Then we will help."
Shimon frowned. "But it will be dangerous, my Pharaoh. Are you sure this Yuugi is worth the risk?"
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," Atem stated, even as his arms tightened around Mana. She clutched at his cape in return. "Whatever it takes, I want to be with Yuugi."
"Then we should start working now," Set sighed. "Before his royal highness becomes a bigger pain than he already is."
"Anubis hasn't come for any of you," Atem muttered to himself quietly. "Why is that?"
"We pleaded for him to wait until we were all reunited," Mana replied, voice muffled in Atem's chest. "Now what do we do when he comes? He'll want to weigh us all."
"Anubis' returned will be stayed until he is certain he can find evidence of Atem's name," Set replied. "There is only one place in the entirety of Egypt that has Atem's name and likeness, and it will take Anubis some time. We have until then."
"What are your living friends doing?" Shada asked. "We should plan accordingly, so that we may aid them."
Atem nodded and pulled away from Mana; he tussled her hair affectionately before relaying to Shada what he could.
"So," Isis summarized, "My reincarnation will soon arrive to your temple to pray. I shall respond to her with you, so that we may help her."
Set hummed, one hand stroking his chin. "I believe I will take Shimon and Mahado with me, so that we can help my reincarnation and his boyfriend find the Millennium items somehow."
"May I go with you, Mahado?" Mana asked, jumping excitedly.
"Actually, Mana, I wish for you to go to Yuugi and his grandfather; make sure they make it safely through the traps of Atem's pyramid," the older magician replied.
"Do not concern yourself with those traps," Atem shook his head. "Isis and I will disable them once we arrive at the temple. I'll not have anything of mine threatening my aibou."
"As you wish," Set scoffed. "May we make haste? Kisara is still waiting for me. I'd still like to go to the afterlife, after all."
Atem laughed. "Let's go. Yuugi is also waiting for me."
"Someone please help us," Shimon sighed, looking heavenward.
Isis giggled as she and Atem set off. "I'll be sure to ask the gods to bring you serenity."
There we go!
