Hello, everyone.
I know I said that Desert Storm would be given weekly Monday updates, and I'm a day early... But I just figured I might as well post it a day early, as a small way of apology.
I know I pissed off a lot of people yesterday with the spammed SOPA posts. I know I may have gotten your hopes and irritation up with the faux chapters and many alerts I'm sure all of my Followers received. Eleven stories definitely is a bit over-doing it. Believe me, I got my fair share of clogged inboxes and annoyance and spam. But please understand. I was merely trying to raise awareness in the best way I knew how. Ther emay be some who follow one of my stories, but not my profile, itself. Or just someone randomly scanning the internet for a fanfiction to read. I figured, "Hey, maybe I should post this warning on each of my stories, just in case?"
Don't get me wrong, I know it was annoying, and I'm sorry about that, but the whole SOPA thing is a HUGE deal. I know you all know this. No-one wants their write to express themselves and share their talents/hard work taken away!
Also, for a few users who have PM'ed me, don't worry. This whole deal isn't going to stop me from actually updating my fanfictions.
Again, I am very sorry for the annoyance I have caused, and I hope you all can still enjoy my writings as much as you did in the past. (At least, I HOPE you enjoyed them XD)
I promise to refrain from doing something similar to this again.
Happy reading!
Also: I'm thinking of starting up another story.
Yuugi: Another one?! SERIOUSLY Fallen?!
Fallen: Sorry, Yuugi... But it's a plotbunny! You know what those are like! TT~TT
Yuugi: *sigh* Yeah... I guess. What's this one about?
Me: Mostly you turning into a psychotic killer.
Yuugi: Wait, WHAT?!
Read the ending A/N for more details!
Title: Desert Storm
Pairing: Blindshipping (Yuugi/Atemu)
Rating: T
Genre: General, Hurt/Comfort
Full Summary: It has been nearly ten years since Yuugi Mutou's 'Mou Hitori no Boku' crossed over to the Afterlife. He still lives every day in regret to not confessing his heart before the Pharaoh left the Modern Era. But now, in a way, he hopes to find closure.
Now a full-time archaeologist, Yuugi and his team have stumbled upon a tomb. But not just any tomb- The tomb of a Pharaoh. Of the Pharaoh Atemu. But, when the treasures of Atemu's final resting place are somehow stolen, Yuugi goes into a rage. His new mission? Find Atem and mend what has been broken.
And he will do anything to set things right.
(Blindshipping, AU. First Part of "Desert" Trilogy.)
Beta'd by: DukeofBlackChoas
Thank you! You are amazing!
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh, nor ANY characters in this story, unless noted otherwise. I DO, however, own the plot of this story, as well as the rest of the 'Desert' Trilogy. The Yu-Gi-Oh manga and anime belong to Kazuki Takahashi-san.
Please do not plagiarize, copy, repost, nor recreate my hard work in any way.
Or I will sic Yami on you.
WARNING(S): Mild Blood, Swearing, and Violence in this chapter.
~ Chapter IV ~
Hello and Goodbye
A team of five men, Yuugi included, lowered themselves back down into the gaping hole that had opened up beneath their feet the day before. Above, their trusted friends and coworkers held ropes attached to harnesses that encased their torsos. Yuugi felt a thrum of energy buzz through his being when his feet met with the dusty stone ground. Without waiting for the others, he dashed forward. Tears of sorrow and rage sprang into his eyes when he saw it.
This is all my fault!
"We've found him!" he repeated to his team, as cheering rang joyously from above.
They would begin excavation right away.
Seven others were strapped into harnesses, and lowered down into the pit. It was, at least, the height of three-and-a-half men, so no one wanted a repeat of their sponsor's 'graceful' entrance. It was a wonder in all of their minds how the twenty-six-year-old was even alive to report this discovery. Everyone knew that Yuugi should at least be injured to immobilization.
But, as usual, they didn't question. They simply thanked their lucky stars that their friend was still alive and well.
The young man stepped forward, dusting off the front of his cargo shorts, before moving to inspect the extravagant mural of hieroglyphs and writing before them. They only figured, seeing as how the man had once known the Lost King, he should have the honor and respects of being the first to enter.
The three-millennia-old masterpiece before them was an intriguing scene, indeed.
Instead of the usual side-view of persons involved, this was a frontal viewpoint. It was the size of two grown men, showing a person that was undoubtedly a Pharaoh. He was strong and noble-looking, as all ancient Kings did, with the natural bronzed skin of Egypt's people. He had narrow eyes that were an extravagant crimson. The hair atop his head was almost the exact replica of Yuugi Mutou's, only with a strand of gold striking up into ebony. A beautiful crown crafted of gold rested on his forehead, the front plate having the All-Seeing Eye engraved within it. Many accessories of gold metal adorned his arms, chest, fingers, and legs. In the scene, he wore a simple shenti, with a navy cape billowing behind him. His arms were bent at his sides, hands coming to his chest to hold an object. It was an inverted pyramid, held around his neck by a length of rope. The Eye glared out at them, and a strange energy seemed to crackle through the air. Those of the group who had been fond Duelists in the past gave small gasps.
"Mr. Mutou... isn't that...?"
Yuugi smiled, still gazing up at the scene drawn before them. "Our Millennium Puzzle. It was passed from his father, Pharaoh Akunumkanon, to Atemu, himself, after the former Pharaoh joined the Afterlife. It held Atem's soul after he sealed himself, Necrophades, and the Shadow Games away, and it was what my grandfather gave to me as a boy." His eyes seemed almost tender as he gazed upon the larger-than-life mural of the Lost Pharaoh.
He brushed his fingers with feather-light delicacy, a small smile on his face. Amethyst eyes were gentle, anticipating. A tiny laugh left his lips, and the ones behind him saw a tear carve its way down his dust-covered cheek.
"*Kon'ichiwa, Mou Hitori no Boku... Sore wa nagai jikan o sa rete iru, ah?"
He raised his hand, to a smaller hieroglyph of the Millennium Pendent at about eye-level. He took a cleansing breath, eyes drifting closed. Darkness laced around his fingers as they pressed to the symbol of the wall. A small luminescence escaped his palm, though it went unseen by the glow's host.
The door before them gave a deep, groaning rumble as a line of pure white light shot up the center of the wall like a blade. To everyone's amazement, the wall split in two, and slid easily to the side. The groaning of earth and rock against itself filled the room with a deafening rumble. Ages of dust and sand clouded up above the ground, and Yuugi turned to face his team. His eyes were filled with an intensity that made them seem darker, more aged.
"If you have any impure intents of this chamber, leave now," he warned, glaring back at them coldly, "I won't be able to protect you. There is Shadow Magic at work here, and it will consume you if it finds your heart is dark."
The ominous tone sent shivers down the spines of most, but a few disbelieving smirks filled with amusement made it on the faces of one or two individuals.
Yuugi reached out a hand. "Lantern, please."
The object was passed off, and lit. Direct lighting of a flashlight could damage the wonders they were sure to encounter. Yuugi waited until a second was brought to life, casting muddled yellow-orange light, before facing them again. "Go back now, if you're unsure. We won't be able to get out until we reach the end of the chamber."
No one moved. Yuugi smiled with something akin to pride. He had faith in his team.
"Stay close. Keep the lanterns up, and don't stray from the designated paths."
The group began to walk.
Behind the doorway was what looked like an endless corridor. Stone walls towered above them, the path that was illuminated was straight and narrow, just enough the cross single-file. The area beyond was darker than a clouded night, as if the light were absorbed by some obsidian substance. The air was frigid and foreboding. When they had all entered, the men and women jumped as the two stone walls slid back into place, sealing them in.
Yuugi paid no heed, and continued forth without so much as a glance.
"If I know the Pharaoh," he spoke up, voice echoing along the cavernous room, "We should be meeting someone soon."
Worried, confused glances passed through the group. How could anyone be meeting them? This place had been sealed for over three thousand years!
Someone yelped as a tentacle-like shadow twitched over the ground. "Something brushed my ankle!" she whimpered, eyes wide and scared.
Yuugi stopped as inky darkness began to pool a few feet away from them. "Stand tall, don't be afraid," he commanded powerfully as frightened gasps and shouts passed through his workers, "Do not step off the pathway! Stay in the light."
The tar-like energy began to rise and manifest into the shape of a man. He was a good two heads taller than Yuugi, who gazed up expectantly with a smile on his face. A man clad in bizarre indigo robes stood before them, equally purple tresses framing his face and shoulders.
"The... Dark Magician?" someone breathed.
Yuugi shook his head, and smiled fondly at the creature. "Hello, Mahaad."
It looked down to him, blinking with what could only be surprise. 'Yuugi,' the spirit replied into his mind, 'What... are you doing within Pharaoh Atemu's tomb?' Yuugi respectfully fell to one knee, head bowed. His dig team quickly followed suit, lest they somehow offend the being before them.
"We have not come to disrespect nor harm the Pharaoh in any way," he replied confidently, respectfully. "I have simply come to say farewell to an old friend. We will take nothing, damage nothing, and leave nothing behind. This place shall be left in peace by sundown." He looked up, meeting the spirit's serious gaze with one of his own. "If there are any of my ranks who wish to do the Pharaoh Atemu or his tomb harm, you have my permission to deal with them as you please. I have warned them of the dangers of impure hearts within this sacred place."
His team of workers stared at their leader in fear, then at the Dark Magician's Muse as his eyes cast over each of them. Violet eyes narrowed with malice.
'There is Darkness amongst your Light, my Prince.'
Hiding his bewilderment at the title of 'Prince', Yuugi stood, eyes a cold indigo. "What was their intention?"
'Thievery.'
Yuugi's eyes snapped open, rage glowing within them. "Do with them as you please, Guardian of the Millennium Items," he permitted. Horror washed through the group as a wave of Darkness swept through their ranks, and gripped at a pale gangly man with bedraggled chestnut hair. He was sucked into the Shadows edging their walkway with a terrified scream, before vanishing into nothingness.
The man with tri-colored hair nodded curtly. "I've always had a bad feeling about that roach," he mumbled spitefully under his breath, before adding, more loudly, "Thank you, Mahaad. Give the others my regards, yes?"
The spirit smiled, speaking audibly this time. "I shall. Atem has instructed me to tell you that he is 'proud of his Aibou'." he relayed warmly.
Yuugi closed his eyes, smiling. Emotion clotted his chest with the threat of tears. "A... Arigatõ, Mahaad-sama," he murmured, naturally (and unintentionally) speaking in that of his native language. It was a habit of his.
The spirit nodded dutifully, before melting away into the Shadows.
Dark magic fell from the walls before them, revealing a grand archway lined with gold plating and hieroglyphs. Inside was a voluminous room.
Treasures untold were organized along the walls, lined with towering obelisks. Bedframes crafted of the finest of lumber, plated and designed in gold, holding mattresses of down. Silken robes, pillows, and blankets were folded and placed neatly in piles, a layer of dust having settled over the beautiful designs laced in all shades of the visible light spectrum. Golds, oranges, blues, reds, greens, and purples. Fine dishware, more extravagant than the most expensive China, with pure silver table utensils and goblets of varying sizes and depths were stacked to their right. Dozens upon dozens of chests- undoubtedly filled with money and jewels- were stacked before a raised section of stone that stood directly across from the living as they stared around in wonder. There were dozens upon dozens of religious statues, crafted of gold, granite, silver, and gems. On a raised dais... sat a sarcophagus.
On either side was a life-size statue of the God of the Dead's incarnation- a black jackal. Anubis stood heavy guard over this place.
At the foot of this rostrum were two parallel, stone monuments of a large hawk. The incarnate of Horus. The walls were adorned with bright paints, crafting scenes of the past around them. On the left wall, Obelisk the Tormentor stood with surprising detail, his red eyes glaring a challenge down to the trespassing excavation team. On the right, twisting and deadly, was Osiris the Sky Dragon. His red and black patterning was vibrant and intimidating. Finally, behind the dais wall, golden, magnificent, and all-together beautiful, was the Winged Dragon of Ra.
The pure power that radiated from the beast's mural sent pleasant chills up Yuugi's spine. He recalled the incantation Atemu had chanted during the Ceremonial Duel the winged Savior of the Sun and Sky.
As he entered, torches along the walls blew up into flame, bathing the place in a mystical, flickering light. Tears gathered in Yuugi's eyes as he walked farther into the room. His eyes were fixated on the sarcophagus. 'Even with no body to embalm and lay to rest, they still made him one...' he thought.
He spun around, staring at all this magnificent place had to offer. There was a sad, but restful pang deep within his heart. 'So... this is... both a 'hello', and a 'goodbye', isn't it...?'
He grinned, wiping moisture away from his face. The love in his heart still burned strong, but Yuugi settled for something much more intimate than any confession could be. Beaming from ear to ear, amethyst orbs reflecting the dancing torchlight, Yuugi giggled.
"Sayonara, Yami-kun."
In the first doorway, where Atem's image had proudly stood, was a large hole. It had been blasted in by some form of explosive. Along the Corridor of Shadows, blinding lights of white and red from a countless amount of flares burned along the ground. The Shadows inside shrieked and writhed in pain as Yuugi made a mad dash through the chamber. Grief burned like acid in the form of tears down his face.
Mahaad... He had trusted Yuugi and his men to do no harm! And... Yami... There was no snowball's chance in the pit of nine Hells that he would still have pride in his 'Aibou'.
Yuugi fought down a sob, heartache and anger fueling his legs to move faster. Those he knew he could trust followed dutifully behind him. Adrenaline coursed through the young adult's veins, only fueling the fire in his heart and soul.
He had to catch them. There were no 'if's', 'and's', or 'but's' about it.
He had to, as if it were his own life on the line.
Because it might as well have been.
The sight that beheld him sent a shockwave down his body. His feet stopped dead. Tears spilled down his barely-tan cheeks. "N-N... N-No.." he choked, "Oh, Gods... Pl-Please, no...!"
It was gone.
Everything.
The gold was scraped from the bedframes, silks and tapestries torn from their hangings, those statues small enough to be carried were no longer keeping guard along the walls. Torches were scattered over the floor, along with dead flashlights. Jewels and gold and silver chests, all stolen. The walls, and their magnificent, intricate illustrations were ruined by powerful artificial light. Colors were muddled and splotchy. Rock had been blasted and tossed around haphazardly. Atem's sarcophagus- his coffin, for Ra's sake!- was missing.
His best friend, his partner, the one he loved more than life, itself... His burial place was completely, and utterly destroyed.
His hands clutched at his hair, tears making small rivulets down his face. "Oh, Gods, no!" he groaned in immeasurable grief, "No! Ev-Everything is gone. It's ruined!" A sob shuddered up Yuugi's form as he fell to his knees. His five friends stopped dead behind him, moisture sparkling in their own eyes. Najja stepped forward, and placed a consoling hand on his close companion's shoulder.
"There's nothing you could have done, Yuugi..." the Egyptian muttered in sorrow and anger.
Yuugi shrugged him off, shaking his head. "Iie! I could have done something! I could have left it alone! I could have ignored how I was feeling! But I didn't! Baka!" A fist pounded at the ground. "And now, everything is gone, and destroyed!"
His eyes were dull and full of despair when they looked up. Najja felt a shudder go down his spine at how dead their leader and friend's eyes looked. "Gods, Najja, his sarcophagus!" he exclaimed, voice cracking, "They stole the one thing that Egyptians said kept a man's soul in the plane of existence! Wh-What if he's hurt, or worse? What if Atemu has been sent into Oblivion?!"
They widened even more, disbelief and heartbreak within his gaze. His voice was scarcely a whisper. "O-Oh, Gods, it-it's all my f-fault!"
There was a shuffle from the corner of the room. Yuugi looked up sharply in the dim lighting. A figure encased by darkness dropped something. It clattered out to meet them...
A crown.
The bastard had dropped Atem's crown.
As the figure tried to run, Yuugi and the others leapt out at it. Pale hands shaking with wrath gripped loose, desert-suited clothing, and threw him into the weak lighting.
It was Teremun, a young Egyptian man. One of the men who had claimed unable to go to work that day. One of the people who had desecrated his beloved's tomb.
"I trusted you," the enraged man growled through clenched teeth. The one below him cringed in fright as he saw something flare behind Yuugi's eyes. "I TRUSTED you! You damned snake!"
His hands gripped the front of the young Egyptologist's shirt, and slammed him against Osiris's decimated image. What remained of his roaring face was poised over the man's head, as if waiting to sink dagger-like fangs into his skull.
Dark eyes were wide with terror. "Y-Your eyes..." he murmured, trembling. "Y-You have a-a demon's eyes."
"Where are they," Yuugi demanded, ignoring the chilling comment. "Where have they taken Atemu and his belongings?"
The man refused to answer.
Yuugi punched him squarely in the face. Blood sprayed from his nose, and Teremun gave a yell of pain. No one bothered in stopping Yuugi, for their eyes shone with the same hatred he felt. "Where are they?!" he shouted, "Where are they taking my Partner?!"
"I-I don't know! They told me to stay behind and pick up anything they might have left!" The hands tightened at his throat, and Yuugi's proclaimed 'demon's eyes' narrowed with rage. "They've gone to sell everything on the Black Market! There's no telling where it all will end up!"
Another fist met the man's face, before Yuugi threw him to the ground. "You're luckier than the Devil that we aren't in the era of this sacred tomb you so willingly destroyed," the man hissed like a venomous cobra, voice tight and frighteningly quite, "Because if we were, I would be sure you were convicted of treason, and take pleasure in watching your pathetic life be slowly impaled on a post!"*
He walked away with a dismissive hand gesture to the injured man. "Take care of him. I have to find those damned thieves." His eyes glazed with sorrow. "I have to make things right..."
He raced down the narrow passageway, and to his standby crew members to be lifted to the desert above.
*"Kon'ichiwa... ah?" - "Hello, My Other Self... It has been a long time, huh?"
*In Ancient Egyptian times, the punishment for all tomb robbers (especially when trying to steal from those of higher rank) was impalement on a wood post with a sharpened end. It was extremely slow and painful.
Hmm... I wonder what that asshole meant by "Demon's eyes"... And what was up with that light that came out of Yuugi's hand in the flashback? *winkwink* XD
So, yes. Atemu's tomb was raided and destroyed, and Yuugi is Hell-bent on killing some motherfuckers.
I can honestly say I cried when I wrote the part describing Atemu's destroyed tomb. But, unfortunately, words do not do the pictures I see in my mind enough justice. I actually got choked up when I conjured up this little piece in my head. TT~TT
Next chapter is last chapter! Then I can get to work on "Desert Garden", the sequel, and Pt. 2 of the "Desert" Trilogy.
Okay, in the beginning A/N, I mentioned the ideas for another story. This one will (hopefully ^^;) be short, but enjoyable! Here's the... summary... thingy... o.O
Title: Hide-and-Seek
Pairing(s):
Puzzleshipping (Yuugi/Yami)
Tendershipping/Gemshipping (Ryou/Bakura)
Bronzeshipping (Malik/Mariku)
Puppyshipping (Jounouchi/Seto)
Rating: T
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Suspense
Full Summary: On a collective dare from Bakura and Mariku, the Gang travels to an old, supposedly 'haunted' mansion at the edges of Domino City, Japan. Quickly, upon their night-long stay, the band of friends find that claims of malevolent spirits and poltergeist hauntings to be true, as one of them takes hold over the mind of their seemingly most innocent member. Caught in the grips of the soul once belonging to a serial killer, none other than Yuugi Mutou, King of Games, has started a sadistic 'game' of Hide-and-Seek.
The rules are simple. Hide. And if he finds you?
Run. Run as fast as you can.
Can Yuugi and his friends survive the night? Or will they merely become another group of lost souls to be join the mansion's dark abode?
What do you think? Sound interesting? ^^
Tell me your opinions! I'll only post it if you guys think you'd enjoy reading it!
The characters Teremun and Najja belong to me.
Review, because you all love me? :)