Hehe... sorry about the lateness of this chapter. I have no excuse this time. I was just lazy. I'll try to be better from now on. Promise!
It's longer than the last chapter, not by too much, but yeah. I'll try to make them longer, like you asked!
So go read!
Yugi woke up to the sounds of footsteps on the second floor. He decided to sleep on the couch since there was another body occupying his bed. Speaking of which... Maybe that was him out and about?
Yugi yawned and groggily wiped the sleep from his eyes. As it turned out he didn't get much sleep last night. Thoughts and questions and fears were running through his overactive brain. So much so that he thought he would only be able to rest if he was dead.
But, anyway...
He finally decided to get up and check it out.
When he reached the stairs he could hear voices. Two very familliar voices. One belonging to his grandfather and the other...
"Pharaoh!" Yugi exclaimed when he reached his room. When the Egyptian caught sight of Yugi in the doorway his face lit up.
"Aibou."
The young king got up from his spot on Yugi's bed and walked over to his former host and hugged him. Yugi was surprised, but hugged him back.
It was a brief exchange, but a welcomed one, even if Atemu was still just in Yugi's boxers.
"How have things been, Aibou?" Atemu still used his nickname for Yugi. While they were together he was always the more innocent of the two; the light, while the pharaoh was the darker half. Yami.
"They've been good, I guess you could say. Still the reining champion of Duel Monsters," the boy said with pride. Atemu smiled.
"Yes, your grandfather was telling me about more recent tournaments."
Yugi eyed the older Mouto. Well, that was rude. It should have been himself telling the spirit of his accomplishments. But he supposed it wasn't really important. His Yami was the more pressing issue here.
"So, Pharaoh, why are you here? And for how long? No one's trying to take over the world again, is there?"
Atemu laughed lightly, "I certainly hope not."
After that, though, his face grew a bit more serious, "I'm not exactly sure why I'm alive, or rather... I'm not exactly sure how to go about accomplishing my task-" "So you're back for some kind of purpose?" Yugi interrupted.
"In a way. I'm trying to find something I thought I already had."
Yugi didn't understand. Something he thought he already had? What in the world could it be?
Atemu could see confusion written on his others face.
"More of my memories," He simply stated, clearing that up for Yugi and his grandfather, who was just quietly listening to the exchange between the two.
It was still just so odd. It looked like identical twins talking, although one was much darker skinned than the other. He was still just so baffled by it all.
"I don't get it. I thought you got all of your memories back when we defeated Zork?"
Atemu didn't quite get it himself, so he was unsure of what to say.
"I had thought so as well, but at some point it was made clear to me that there were loopholes, parts that didn't quite fit together."
Yugi was trying to take all of this in. At the same time he was trying to figure out some kind of way to help his friend. It was impossible at this point; he had no idea where to start! He had to sit down...
"So that's why I am here. And as for how long... I have no idea. I was brought back spontaneously, so I suppose it's not impossible for me to go out the same way. That, or I might not get a chance to go back at all," Atemu said with a small tinge of disappointment. He'd been around for five thousand years already. Certainly there was only so much existing someone could take...
There was then a small creak from the bed as Yugi's grandpa got up from his seat. He supposed the two of them could use some privacy, though they seemed to be ignoring him for the most part anyhow...
"I'll go and get breakfast started then. I'll call you two when it's done," he announced and then exited the room. Yugi managed to get in a quick 'thank you' before he was out of earshot.
Yugi then sat down on the chair in front of his desk. He didn't realize his body was already tired for standing just a short time. His almost sleepless night was probably the cause.
Atemu shifted on the bed so that he was facing Yugi, and his hand rested on the gold pyramid that hung from his neck. Yugi then realized he hadn't asked about the puzzle yet.
'Hey, where'd you get the puzzle? I thought all the items were destroyed?"
The Pharaoh looked down at the object in question, "I don't think they really can be destroyed," his thumb stroked the smooth surface of the eye that graced the front of the upside down pyramid, "since the item must accept you as it's user, you're bonded to it. Or your soul is anyway."
Yugi nodded. That made sense, seeing as Bakura always managed to 'find' the millennium ring, even after it had been thrown away numerous times. And then a chilling thought entered his head, "Wait- so are you the only one who's been brought back?"
Atemu seemed to know what Yugi was thinking, "I'm pretty sure."
Yugi held back a groan. 'Pretty sure' wasn't 'one hundred percent sure'.
The two of them talked a while longer, mostly about trivial things, well… as trivial as it could get with a 5000 year old spirit.
It was mostly Atemu asking questions, seeing as he was, before now, dead and therefore had nothing to really talk about.
He questioned about Yugi's dueling success and school. Eventually he had asked about his former friends. Which, until now had been completely forgotten by Yugi.
"That's right! They don't know yet!" The smaller of the two exclaimed, "Oh, will they be surprised!"
His Yami's eyes lit up. He had missed his friends. It would be nice to see how they were all doing.
Yugi walked across his room to a dresser. He opened a couple of drawers and pulled out clothes for the spirit.
"Here," he said, "get dressed and I'll call them. We can all have breakfast together."
Atemu nodded his head. It sounded good to him.
Tea groaned as she sat up on her couch, where she had fallen asleep last night. It wasn't the best sleeping arrangement, and now her back hurt. She twisted and arched her back but still no relief.
She looked at her clock, hanging just above her TV.
9:30? Lovely; she had slept in.
She got up off her couch in a hurry and half-ran to the bathroom. She didn't know why she felt the need to rush, but she did it anyway. It must have just been one of those days…
She shook it off and turned the water on. It always took a little bit for the water to heat up, so she stripped down as she waited.
When she was done she gently put her hand in the path of the streaming water. It was the perfect temperature: steaming hot.
She practically jumped in, in anticipation. It had been almost three days since she last bathed. It was way over due.
As the water rushed over her body her muscles relaxed. All the back pain was slowly melting away. Ah… this was heaven.
Her phone started to ring, just then, but she couldn't hear it. She was lost in her own little world.
Yugi made a face when Tea didn't pick up. She was supposed to come back last night, right? Maybe her flight was delayed, or something. She almost never slept in, so what else could it be?
He'd just call back later.
Atemu began to walk downstairs. After Yugi had called Joey, his grandfather announced that breakfast would be ready.
He made his way to the kitchen just as Yugi did.
The boy smiled to himself as he saw the Egyptian. Yep. He definitely approved of his choice of clothing on him.
Black pants with a couple of belts and a white wife-beater.
Ok, so it wasn't fancy, or anything, but whatever. It looked good on him just the same.
And himself? Just his normal blue pants and white t-shirt, similar to his uniform, but more casual.
"So, who will be joining us this morning?" Yugi's grandpa inquired.
"Just Joey and Tristan, Tea didn't pick up."
Yugi sat down at the small table and motioned for the Pharaoh to do the same.
"She didn't? Odd… didn't she get back last night?"
The boy took a piece of toast and nibbled on it. Then he turned back to the older man, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure. She probably just slept in or something."
Atemu was confused. Where did Tea go? And was it so odd that she didn't 'pick up'?
"Well, either way, it'll be nice to have the other two over," his grandfather laughed, "I haven't seen them in what? Two days?"
Yugi rolled his eyes.
Yugi explained to his yami that Tea had gone on a trip and was supposed to arrive last night, since he looked a little lost, but he was interrupted by knocking from the door.
Yugi smiled and shot up from his seat to let his friends in.