NEW AUTHORS NOTE: 14/06/2018
Ah, here I am, laughing to myself that I actually crossed this fanfiction over with my own novels. It's so adorable! 2009 me was just the cutest little writer every guys—so naive—so sweet—so—so—just—I was a Summer Child. Anyway, for those who have read Chronicles, enjoy this hilariousness! I know I am.
Again, nothing dramatic has been altered from the 2009 upload of this episode. I mean. I could alter the chapter in which the beginning of this episode starts with to match up entirely the KEY – that'd be kinda cool – but it's sort of sweet to see where I came from. ^_^ You will still see the chapter in KEY in some form.
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OLD AUTHORS NOTE: First of all, I just want to say sorry to you all, apparently I'm a worse speller/grammar and getting words wrong, than I thought I was.
I'll try to get the courage to find a beta reader, but for now those of you who do bother reading this will just have to grit your teeth in frustration at my inability to write like a pro. Sometimes I wonder why I started down this road in the first place =D lol
Well, since I won't ever be uploading my novel, I decided, hey, I've written something that could tie into this Episode. It's a kind of a little back story of how Little Sam ends up in our universe in the first place. I hope you enjoy it.
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Couple things that might be handy to know about my story before you read:
Livila is what the 'earth' of my novel is named. They can't call it earth because it's not Earth.
Kelib – Is an alien race, bit like humans.
Humans – Like us.
Zaprex – Little Sam's race, powerful robots from the land of Kemet, they died out long ago; Little Sam is the last of his race.
Defragmentation – What a Zaprex does when in danger, like teleporting.
Messengers – A country of people – both Kelib and human – who have been fighting a war for thousands of years against an entity known only as 'The Dragon' because according to history 'they couldn't think of anything else to call it.'
Zinkx – Human – Little Sam's protector.
Shanty - Little Sam's main carer, she is a Kelib woman Zinkx randomly saved – or not so randomly, it depends on where you stand in the game that's being played.
Zinkx and Shanty have an attraction to each other, but because they're of two races who pretty much hate each other, they're forbidden to move onwards in a relationship so they joke about it instead to try and ease the tension.
Twizel – A human or Kelib, who has been processed, stripped of their soul, and had a denizen of the underworld shoved into their body.
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In all, this Episode actually has more of a reason than just introducing characters.
Pay careful attention, despite my horrible spelling and everything else! =D
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Episode 7: Parallel Lines
The tower or Orath gleamed with a metallic tinge in the freckled light of the morning, touching the tall spirals. Moister rested in the air, coating the world in a slowly lifting fog in which the tower seemed to swim within. It loomed over the town clustered around its ankles, spreading out and up the mountain range that warded around the town as great walls. Zinkx rested his back against the surface of a moss covered tree, sighing as he took in the sight of the sunlight finally breaking over the distant horizon to gleam a rage of fiery radiance across the land. Travel into Sin'muskqu was not difficult, considering it was Pennadot's sister land, but they had yet to cross the border.
The border that was breaking and could be seen as a clear valley through the earth, a thick mist of red rising up from the underworld. He shivered; the sound of the earth groaning in agony was closer now that he was drawing nearer to the wound. It was an agonising sound of shrilled cries, causing every hair over his body to prickle with alertness.
Yet, if it was so bad for him, a human slightly attuned to nature through sheer will power, what was it like for the child under his care.
Samuel hadn't spoken for three days, and it was beginning to worry Shanty enough for her to verbally mention it to him. He closed his eyes, chewing randomly at the flower-stalk between his teeth. The Kelib woman was constantly fussing over the well-being of the child; she'd easily slipped into her job as a mother to the motherless boy. Her company was a sweet change, for the couple of months they'd journeyed together he had never felt so centred before, almost as though her presence grounded his usually roving emotions. She wasn't afraid to shout at him, not like others had been. When she looked at him he was sure she saw what others did, a warrior untamed in battle, thirsty for the clustering of blood and the adrenalin rush that came with brushing death. Yet she didn't seem to care. She shouted at him anyway despite his ability to snap at any given moment.
Puffing out his cheeks Zinkx pushed away from the moist ground, brushing off his leather pants and picking at the holes in the travel-worn clothing. At least now he looked like any travelling Pennadotian man, and less like a war-crazed Messenger. His accent was still an issue, richly different from anything around the eastern parts.
"Zinkx?"
He smiled at the approaching foot-steps and looked around as Shanty drew near. The Kelib woman's deep green skin and brown-red dress making her almost invisible amongst the trees around them. He titled his head; slightly surprised to see her black hair bundled up into two large loops, instead of wavering down in its usual free fashion. In her arms, pressed close to her breasts Samuel was packaged up tightly, warding him from the cold of the morning. The Zaprex child was still shivering and Zinkx was sure it was a reaction from being so close to the breaking borders.
The deep worry for the precious child was written across Shanty's brow as she strolled up to him, coming to stand directly in line of his shoulders, her stocky form shadowing his tall. She looked up into his face.
"I was wondering where you'd wandered off too?" She mused, hitching Samuel in her arms and casting him over her shoulder. Zinkx felt the side of his mouth tweak slightly in a small smile.
"Just getting a look at our path and wondering how the refugees from Pennadot cross the breaking border."
"How did you and your Master cross when you came into Pennadot?"
"We flew." Zinkx grunted. "What?" He gazed into her disbelieving eyes, "It's true. Seriously, Shanty, there is enough old Zaprex technology left scattered around for us to use."
"Zaprex." Shanty whispered the revered word, slowly taking Samuel from her shoulder and gazing at the bundled child, his perfectly rounded green face contorted in pained sleep. The last remaining of his ancient kind, and if all Zinkx said was true, the only one who could restart the machines to rejoin the lands of Livila; such a task for such a tiny boy.
Shanty stirred as Zinkx's firm hand touched her shoulder and she glanced at it, the scarred human skin contrasting against her own Kelib flesh. He squeezed tenderly.
"Don't worry, he'll be alright."
"He's getting worse Zinkx." She begged into his blue eyes and Zinkx threaded a hand through his hair.
"I know, but we have no choice Shanty, we have to get to Orath. As far as I know, that tower is the last remaining Zaprex built structure in the eastern lands. If the piece of the map Samuel needs to find is anywhere, then it's in Orath."
"I know." Shanty whispered softly. "I know."
"We should reach the border-town in another day, and Orath is about a week away from there."
"It looks so much closer?" She jerked up, gazing at the city and looming tower across the lands. Considering how high they were on the mountain range that ringed Penandot's borders, it wasn't a surprise she could see most of the land of Sin'muskqu without issue. They where high enough for Zinkx's human body to near float off the ground from lack of gravity, and enough for her to feel slightly lighter than usual.
"It's quite a large city, akin to Pennadot's Palace-Town, but just...a little more rundown." Zinkx shrugged. "I want to make it to the border-town so we can take a night there, stock up on supplies, let our poor Diabond have a good rest and a good groom."
"Well then," Shanty gently shoved his chest, a playful tinge sparking across her chest as she spun, waving her hips slightly in a lure, "you coming."
"I'd follow you the edge of Livila." He smirked.
"Were I'd then push you off." Shanty called back.
"Harsh woman, harsh." Pocketing his hands into the pouches slung around his waist Zinkx hummed in the back of his throat as he followed Shanty's form back through the forest. His foot touched a twig, cracking it and sending the resounding sound into his ears.
Zinkx froze.
A gasp caught in his mouth as the snapping of tree limbs caught his senses.
Sunlight flared, casting a shadow through the forest and he twisted, catching sight of the morphing form raging up out of the light.
"Shanty! Down!"
Zinkx snagged his twin blades, throwing his booted foot up and shoving Shanty down into the ground before twisting around to face the oncoming Twizel. The movement of his swift paced swing caused his body to fly up as it lost all centre of gravity in the high mountains.
Sparks shattered as his blades collided with the black armour of the pulsing Twizel's shadowy form. Its claws, ripped up, tearing free his grasp upon his blades, knocking them into the ground.
The shuffled lasted for a bare second. Giving Zinkx a fleeting glance of Shanty's horrified expression staring up at him as she lay in the grass, trying desperately to shove Samuel away from her into the shadows to be unseen.
"Samuel! Sing!" Zinkx bellowed, catching the Twizel's claws in the bloodied palms of his hands as it slammed him into a rock face, causing all air to be shoved from his lungs. The tiny Zaprex's large yellow eyes grew wide as the Messenger slid onto the forest floor, collapsing in a groaning heap. The beast swung towards him, its singular glare thinning at his shivering little form.
"Sing Samuel! Sing!" The voice of his protector urged him and without a second delay Samuel opened his mouth and sung the first song that slipped into the upper-hard-drive of his mind.
He sung of defragmentation.
Every fibre of his being was torn asunder through the rage of wind that swept through the grove, vanquishing both the Twizel as it leapt his way, and his terrified form cowering in fear.
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"Hey, Yug, let me handle that one!" The shout came from somewhere ahead of him and Yugi blinked in surprise as the heavy box in his arms was hoisted up, near taking him with it. His apartment block had no elevators; therefore he'd spent the entire morning of his Wednesday off trudging up the stairs to level four. Technically he'd had Yami to help, however at some point during the time of setting up their apartment the Pharaoh had started trying to put together the quick-to-make furniture and was now eternally immersed in the game, whatever the game was.
"Thank...you Ben." Yugi stared upwards into the bright face of the young man standing before him, now bearing the weight of the box he'd been carting up.
Ben Tennet lived with his grandfather in the apartment next door, the old man had invited them over for dinner the first night they'd arrived, and had ever since then been feeding them while they worked to set the place up to be liveable. Ben was elegantly tall, with fiery brown hair, tinted with sparks of orange. Yugi still found himself at a loss when looking into his blue eyes, they said something to him every time he looked up at them but he could never quite place what it was the young man was trying to convey. Yami had remarked on it after the first they'd met, but he too, was utterly at loss, finding himself blocked from the mind of the late teen.
The most interesting thing about the teen wasn't his hair, nor those eyes, and hardly his very normal dress code.
It was the watch around his wrist. He fiddled with, quite often, often enough to make it obvious the watch was something. It was also glued to his skin. It never told time, for Yugi had tested it, he'd asked the teen the time, on a number of occasions and he never knew, unless there was a clock around him.
No, Benjamin Tennet was no drop out; he was one of those boys who'd experienced something weird, wonderful and painful. Benjamin was a boy like him. There was a connection there.
"No problem. Grandpa and I just got back, you should have waited for us, we'd have helped." Ben carted the box the rest of the stairs and Yugi trotted after him, rubbing his head with his worn hands.
"Well, I was supposed to have some help, but it's not arrived so I hope nothing's up at work..." Yugi mused and Ben glanced back at him.
"Grandpa's giving Yami a hand, I think they're pretty much finished, what's in this box?"
"Oh," Yugi grinned, "that's just junk sent over from home, Yami got most of the bigger stuff up earlier. He's...ah...stronger than he looks." He wasn't about to admit the Pharaoh had cheated and used a Shadow Portal. The door to their apartment was open and Yugi quickly dashed in ahead of Ben, pointing to the table and the young man set the box down.
Nineteen years old and he could easily have passed for someone older, apparently he'd been out of school for quite awhile, and Yugi wasn't sure if that meant he'd left early because he was a genius, or flunked out, or maybe he'd travelled to much and worked from home.
"Yami?!" Yugi called into the apartment.
"Aibou? Come in here!" The shout of the Pharaoh came from the master bedroom and Yugi raised an eyebrow, glancing to Ben who shrugged.
Together they followed the sound of the voice, entering into a large bedroom.
"Hey Max." Yugi waved to the aging old man who reminded him distinctly of the General, however with hair. He was thickly boned, with a glint in his eyes that betrayed his age. Something about him was youthful and strong. Strong was the right word, Maxwell Tennet was a strong man and Yugi was sure he'd seen and discovered things that gave him that inward strength.
"Yugi, glad to see you didn't break your wiry little frame trying to carry everything up."
Yugi rolled his eyes, "I was fine...seriously."
"He was about to tip over, I swear." Ben laughed, ruffling Yugi's bundle of hair. Yugi pouted, slapping Ben's attention away. He looked to where Yami sat, happily surrounded by a mound of bed gear, looking highly proud of himself. The Pharaoh pointed to the bed, grinning.
"Finished it!"
"Trust you to work on the bed first Yami."
"Comfort must be taken above all else, aibou." The Pharaoh snorted, easing himself into a standing position and cracking a grin Max's way.
"Thank you for your help Max."
"Not a problem." The old man chuckled, "you'll both call if you need anything won't you?"
"We will, thanks for the meals too." Yugi beamed, giving Ben a heavy smack in payback for the hair ruffling.
"Hey," the teen grumbled.
"Serves you right kid." Yugi snapped.
"You calling someone a kid is just creepy." Ben shivered in play, wandering out of the room with his grandfather in tow.
"Catcha later Yugi."
Laughing softly as he watched Maxwell roll his eyes and half drag the teen of the doorway Yugi shook his head, giving the door a shove after a final wave. He sighed as the lock clicked into place. He didn't want to turn and face the horrors of unpacking. Banging his head upon the door surface he took a heavy breath and turned.
"Right," he squeezed his hands, "let's do this!"
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Though he liked the idea of having his own place, it felt odd. He'd never owned a place of his own; he'd always been a mover, someone who never stayed at a single place for a long length of time. There was a reason, he was immortal, he couldn't age, he simply never wanted to admit it. Yet here he was, piling new plates into a cubed, listening to the china clink together as he finished the job. He'd barely spoken to Yami during the whole afternoon, they simply went around their separate jobs jointly, Yami putting together the do-it-yourself-furniture and he'd followed up by placing everything into the furniture. His grandfather had even sent his old photographs from Japan and he'd carefully placed them in the living room, upon the shelves Yami had drilled into the walls. They'd both spent ten minutes gazing at the photos in silence before once again turning away to continue.
Not words needed to be said.
Sighing as he stood Yugi rubbed his aching back.
"Well, glad that's done. I think we'll go out for tea tonight, I cannot be bothered fixing something." He moaned softly. Glancing to the clock hanging on the wall. It was only five o'clock. He was hungry though. He'd missed lunch. Again.
Dragging himself through the kitchen Yugi dwindled his way towards the master bedroom.
"Atemu?" He paused by the door, watching as the spirit pulled the covers over the bed. It was such a mundane chore, a simple thing to do, but for a Pharaoh it was a task he would have once never of ever thought to do. Studying the movements of his other self Yugi smiled faintly, leaning upon the door-frame and folding his slim arms as Yami stuffed a pillow into its casing. Of all the things they'd gone through, facing demons, evil spirits, duels to save the world, why had their lives turned out this way?
Yami had never truthfully explained much of what had transpired during Memory World, even now Yugi felt a shiver down his spine at the recollection of his stint in the ancient past. Yet he'd only had a glimpse of what had really gone on within his others mind. Was what he saw a true representation, or was it just a Shadow Game? They'd all simply accepted it was reality,
"Atemu? Yami?" Trying again Yugi called slightly louder and Yami's head shifted, he looked up, giving a frown.
"Yes aibou?"
"Coffee or tea? Or something cold?"
"Cold." He muttered in short reply, returning to his job. Yugi shook his head, chuckling as he left the bedroom and drifted to the small kitchen of the apartment. He'd managed to pack most of the utensils away, but he was missing a few of the major pieces, mainly a wok; another thing to add to his list. Who knew setting up an apartment could take so much work. Opening the fringe he gazed at the soft drink bottles and yanked one free. Clinking out two new glasses he set them on the counter, pouring out the fizzing liquid and watching it bubble happily as the carbon dioxide was released. He turned the bottle around, gazing at the ingredients and hummed softly as he read. The drink was packed with sugar, typical.
His attention shifted as Yami strolled around the corner into the kitchen, pulling a black sweater over his head. It was slightly to large and appeared somewhat amusing on the dark skinned man as he slinked into a tall chair by the kitchen counter. Yugi pushed his drink over and Yami took it, wrapping both hands around it and lifting it to his lips. He grinned at the bubbles and Yugi shook his head, a small smile touching his lips at the strange sight of Yami acting kid-like. The Pharaoh might not have been too fond of fast-food but he had taken a liking to soda's with their strange bubbles.
"The bed is made." Yami licked his lips. "And I finished sorting out the clothes; the bathroom is ready if you wish to shower. I think I found soap in your pack."
"Good, a shower would be nice." Yugi sipped his own drink, "after all that lugging things up the stairs."
"You could have just cheated and used a shadow portal."
"No," Yugi pouted, "I am not adapting at doing that, it freaks me out. I don't know if I'll land on my head, or between a wall, or something!"
"You'll get use to it."
"Easy for you to say, lord of the shadows."
Yami gave a shrug, settling back into his high-chair, he spied the cookie jar shaped like a Time Wizard. A birthday gift from Joey that Yugi had found highly amusing. Opening the lid Yami peered inside, looking for his preferred flavour.
Yugi rolled his eyes.
"Yami, if you only take the ones you like, it leaves all the others behind."
"I like the ones with the soft centres."
"Why, because it reminds you of yourself? A hard crust on the outside, all gooy and romantic in the inside." Laughing softly Yugi stole the jar away, searching for his own preferred chocolate coated sweet.
"Hadn't thought of it that way before." Yami took a bite and they ate in silence together, looking around the kitchen, at the discarded boxes and crutched up newspapers.
"Doesn't it feel weird?" Yugi glanced around, "having this place just to ourselves. We've always bunked with someone, even in Egypt we were constantly surrounded by people in the Tombs but this...its so..."
"Private." Yami muttered into his drink, "Think that's the point aibou." He raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know..."
The Pharaoh reached out, stroking a tanned hand down the young man's cheek, brushing away a lock of his tussled hair.
"Changes happen aibou, you know that more than anyone. We'll adapt just as we've adapted to every stage of our lives."
"You're just liking this because it means you can stay out of the Puzzle more."
"Right!" Yami sipped his drink, grinning devilishly, "because whenever we bunked with people, I didn't exist."
"You still don't." Yugi muttered, "You're supposed to not exist. You don't have any ID."
"I look enough like you to get by." The Pharaoh shrugged absently.
"Yami," Yugi placed his drink upon the counter, "you have a beard."
"I do not."
"You do too."
"You see, isn't this great," Yami spread his hands wide, "we can have an argument out-loud."
Yugi snorted. "This isn't an argument."
"It is to."
"No, an argument is when I start getting annoyed at you not picking up your clothes."
"Technically," Yami spun on his chair, twirling a hand as he smirked, "they're your clothes."
"Oh goodness." Sighing Yugi wandered out of the kitchen, "I'm going to take a shower, then we're going out for tea, I am famished."
Yami ran a hand through his hair, leaning back in his chair as he called back. "I'll curse you if make us go to one of those fast-food places."
Yugi's head popped around the corner of the living room, his grin devilish and causing Yami to raise an eyebrow.
"Curse me then, oh king."
"Careful what you wish for aibou."
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Yugi ducked around the usual air-personnel running madly around the corridors of the SGC. It seemed everyone was in a rush to do something. Everyone but the Colonel who barely battered an eyelid as Yugi slipped into the elevator beside him.
"Good morning sir." Yugi beamed and the Colonel snorted into his coffee.
"You could say that."
"Sir, every morning is another morning to help save the world."
"You're far too happy for your own good Motou."
"Love you too sir." The elevator door hissed open and they stepped out.
The morning was a-typical.
Breakfast, coffee, work on translations, more coffee, shower, dress in uniform, and off-world. He was just about to begin on the translations part of his day, and was therefore, still dressed in what he'd rolled out of bed in. Looking at the Colonel, he still appeared to be glued to the coffee part of routine. Of handily Yugi thought for a moment, wondering how much coffee the SGC went through on a daily basis.
"So, what's the apartment looking like kid?" Jack sipped his coffee as they strolled down a corridor.
Yugi hummed into his own cup, yes, he too was still stuck somewhere with the coffee routine, "well, we managed to get all the furniture in yesterday. The neighbours helped...Yami had lots of fun putting everything together. Way too much fun...he was in a freaking good mood for the whole night."
"Hands on kind of guy, wouldn't have pegged the Pharaoh for that?" The Colonel mused.
"Really?" Yugi raised his eyebrows, looking up at the older man, "wow..."
"Well, he's a Pharaoh, right...he would have been served left, right and centre back in his day." Jack waved a hand around. Yugi dodged it as it passed over his head space.
"No, Yami did pretty much everything himself, he even made his own chariot. He likes using his hands and getting dirty working on things. He'd make a great carpenter!"
"Seriously?"
"Yeah." Yugi grinned. "Yami's not just all shadow and spirit, Colonel. Still, one thing he does struggle with is mechanical devices."
"You said he's bad at driving?"
"He's horrible, and I swear, the toaster is his worst enemy. I don't get it though." Yugi paused by the briefing room door, his eyes growing thoughtful as he contemplated his partner, "you see Colonel, he knows how to work things, and he's not surprised by the technology we have in modern times, actually, half the time he feels as though things should do more than what they do. Almost as if in Ancient Egypt they had electricity or something near it. Enough of something for him to not be confused when confronted with technology."
"So," Jack leant against a wall, "what you're saying is, he knows too much for an ancient dead guy."
"Pretty much." Yugi beamed.
"He hasn't told you?"
"Er..." Yugi rubbed a hand through his hair, "never came up in conversation before."
"Can you actually keep secrets from each other," the Colonel tapped his temples, "you know, with the whole mind link thingy?"
"I think so, we can block each other out, Yami usually does it if he's having a conversation he doesn't want me to be involved in. Actually, it's more of a not being able to lie, than to keep a secret. You see, if Yami lied, I know, if I lied, he'd know."
"So, ask the right questions, and you'll find things out...wish all relationships where that easy." Rolling his eyes Jack clapped Yugi's head and the young man groaned at the short-treatment.
"Well," Yugi yawned, giving the Colonel a way, "I have to go catch Daniel and do some translating before we head off-world later this arvo."
"Did you pack a night bag kid? Cause this missions going to be an all-nighter!" Jack waved a hand in the air.
"You'll sleep under the stars of another planet tonight."
"Yay," Yugi rolled his eyes, "I am so thrilled, tell me again after I'm awake." He snorted, ignoring the hooting of the Colonel as he slipped down a corridor and wandered towards the office he shared with Daniel.
Hopefully, with some luck and wonderful help from a still half-asleep Pharaoh lost somewhere inside the Puzzle, he'd manage to get further in translating more of the mural tablets.
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Yugi drummed his fingers upon the surface of his work desk within his and Daniels shared office in the SGC. They sat directly in front of each other and it was slightly amusing to see the differences between their work desks that were separated by a mere line. Yugi had first noted Daniel's lack of organisation skills when they'd worked together in Domino. The archaeologist was a ruin for keeping his space clean.
Yet Yugi's table was perfectly clear of clutter, with books and papers filed away into little knocks and sleeves he'd set up and lined the walls with. Everything was at hands reach, and nothing was buried. Even his laptop sat perfectly to one-side, tilted just slightly so that he only had to turn his head to get a clear view of the screen.
Though their minds thought quite alike, the way they worked through their spaces spoke of a world of difference.
He heard Daniel enter back into the office, the sound of his heavy boots touching the concrete flooring.
"So..." Daniel passed over the cool drink he'd gone to collect and Yugi took it with a thankful smile, "any luck?" He seated himself back into his chair as Yugi lent into his own, drinking the soda and sighing.
"A couple of words, Yami's not being any help...he's still half asleep and I don't have the heart to kick him out of his tomb."
"Ah," Daniel laughed, "late night."
"Something like that." Yugi tilted his head, sighing as he slid down his chair, rolling his aching shoulders. He wanted despratly to dash this desk work aside and rush out to spar with Teal'c for some random fun, but his task, his reason for being at the SGC was sitting in front of him and he was stuck.
"Alright, Yugi, talk to me...maybe if you talk it, you'll get something." Daniel offered with a spread of his hands.
Puffing out his cheeks Yugi stuck out his tongue.
"Alright fine." He moaned, "I get it that four of the stones represent the four elements...but this fifth one, the one with the lines...I just don't get it and the second tablet I'm trying to translate isn't giving me any clues on it."
"What is the second tablet saying?" Daniel leant over, gazing at the photos of the murals dicated on the giant four slabs of stone. They had not dared to return to the Temple in which he'd first discovered the murals, with the sightings of both Baal and Anubis Jaffa the General had deemed it to dangerous even for SG1. Therefore, Yugi only had photographs to work from.
Yugi cleared his throat, "well, our wonderful Lord Ra, whoever he is, is telling us a story about how the five stones that will open the door were scattered throughout space so they wouldn't be found by the false-god's, and found only by the righteous and true of heart."
"Doesn't say anything about where they were sent too?"
"Er..." Yugi peeled off his round glasses, pocketing them into his jacket and looking towards Daniel, "not so far. It did say something about singing thought, don't know why."
"No offence Yugi, but this is taking you longer to translate than the last one..."
"I know," the young man threaded a hand through his hair, pouting impishly, "different scribe...different way of writing the Pharaoh's language. It appears a different scribe was used for each tablet-mural. I have to relearn all the hieroglyphs every time it changes."
"Seriously!" Daniel groaned, "Sorry Yugi."
The young man gave a small shrug.
"I'll get there eventually, we'll find these stones Daniel, I know we will."
"At least we have you; Baal is still at a disadvantage there."
"Yeah, I suppose." Bending down Yugi scratched at his ankle, "I think I'll go-."
Yugi's mouth hung open as the sirens sounded, and the world around them lit up in red flashing lights. Both archaeologists snapped to attention, looking at each other from across their desks.
"Okay," Daniel glanced around the flashing lights, "that's odd; no SG teams have left today..."
"Really?" Shoving back his chair Yugi dashed through the door of their office, calling back, "Let's go Daniel!"
"Yugi! Not so fast!"
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"Carter, what's going on?" Jack stood in the control-room his coffee forgotten, and his whole idea of bothering the Major now dismissed as he stared blankly at the whirling Stargate doing something rather unusual for its usually behaving ways. Behind the control desk Air-Man Walter, their technician who always seemed to be stationed behind the controls whenever some mild-disaster struck had thrown his hands up into the air. Sam joined him in the motion.
"I don't know sir. One moment things where fine, the next-." A crack of bolted energy shattered through the gate-room. The General's voice echoed from the stair-well as he pounded his way down from the briefing room connected to his office.
"Get those men out of there!" He called, ordering the air-personnel stationed around the Stargate to run free and out of the blast-doors.
"Sir!" Yugi's head appeared around a door, joined by Daniel's as the two archaeologist's watched the rush of commotion in interest. "What's going on?"
"Weird thing with the gate kid." Jack motioned out the window and Yugi rushed up to him, peering at the strange lightening crackling around the Stargate like a brilliant light show.
Yugi frowned, his hand reaching forward and touching the Millennium Puzzle for a brief moment.
"A voice..." He whispered softly.
"Heh, what's that kid?" Jack glanced his way, but was dashed aside by the General's order.
"Close the iris Walter."
The air-man moved to place his hand upon the pad to have the iris that covered the Stargates hole slid into place.
"Wait!" Yugi gave a shout, snagging Walter's hand, "No, don't raise the iris!"
"Yugi!" The General bellowed, grabbing the young man's shoulder and pulling him back, "I order you to stand down!"
"Sir! Listen to me, can't you hear it, can't any of you hear it?" Staggering on his feet Yugi slipped onto the floor, gripping his skull. Sam dashed to his side, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him close.
"Yugi? What are you hearing?"
"Singing, someone is singing...don't close it sir, you'll kill it."
"Kill what?" Jack snapped.
"It! I don't know what it is, but we'll kill it!"
"Um, guys..." Daniel called out, pointing towards the Stargate. "I think a wormholes coming."
Every head within the control room snapped around, gazing at the alien device as it rumbled. The Stargate's usual influx of energy never came, instead a film of shimmering colour glazed over the ring like a creeping spider-web. It pulsed, once, twice until a sudden black form was thrown down the ramp, followed by a tinier figure curled up in a ball.
"Holy Hannah!" The Major gasped, "What is that thing?"
The black beast roared, covered in darkened armour that crippled and crunched with each movement it made, swinging back and forth around the gate-room until reddened eyes wide with rage locked on them staring blankly through the window.
"That is not good." Jack shouted. "Someone shoot it!"
The Millennium Puzzle flashed, causing all within the control-room to flinch in pain as the Pharaoh's form lunged free of Yugi's body, passing through the glass window into the gate-room and slamming into the shadowy beast, knocking it flat onto the concrete floor.
"Yami!" Yugi scrambled up, tugging at the Colonel's arms as the man held him firmly in place, watching the scuffle through the window.
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It looked like something out of a horror movie, one of violent ones Bakura had a habit of trying to sneak off, yet it was definitely not something from a movie set. It stunk of hell's breath, breathing hot solid hot air that burned his physical form. Even as he swelled up the shadows to throw it backwards he found himself incapable of doing so.
For a sudden, slightly brief moment a rather unusual sensation filled him, fear. His reaction was slowed by that intruding emotion.
He was snagged by a claw and slamming into the concrete wall of the gate-room.
Yami twisted, feeling Yugi cry out in pain from the impact black lashing its way through their mental link. The Pharaoh vanished, reappearing behind the hideous creature, stabbing it through its sheets of plated armour. It roared, twirling around and sagging for his arms. Yami snapped to one side, his right blade snagged in a claw of the beast and bent as it was torn from his grasp.
"By Ra." He vanished again, reappearing once more behind the beast. It roared, the sound causing the room to echo painfully as it lunged, snagging the Stargate and landing a-top it. Yami's eyes thinned, watching its line of sight shift from him to the tiny creature that had followed it through the Stargate.
"No!" He shouted, moving as the beast threw itself forward. The tiny child was still for a second, before it dashed away, squealing in a high-pitched cry of terror. Yami grabbed the beast's neck, hoisting himself onto its back and wrapping one arm around its neck, using the other to push hard. It beat its arms, flapping for air. Grunting as it slammed into a wall Yami held his place, tightening his arm around its wind pipe.
A sudden eruption of gun-fire startled him, almost to the point of releasing the beast from his grasp as it was riddled with bullets. Staring through his hair Yami blinked in confusion as the monster he held slipped down in death, landing in a pile of rotting flesh upon the floor. The Pharaoh floated; gaping in awe at the sight he beheld standing upon the Stargate ramp.
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A small cheer erupted from the people within the control room as the beast crumbled, leaving their resident Pharaoh looking slightly bemused. Yet the voices died down quickly as every head came to release that had shot down the monster.
What looked like a boy, despite having a layer of green skin over what looked like metal, stood upon the ramp, panting painfully through red lips. The tiny creature stood barely a two feet fall, gripping one of the weapons of the unconscious air-personnel, though it crackled with purple energy pulsing out of the small aliens long limbed fingers. It threw the gun away, staggering on its feet.
Yugi gasped as it dropped, erupting blood and black oil from its mouth across the concrete floor.
"It's hurt!" He dashed down the stairs, "open the damned blast door, or so help me I'll do it myself!" He cried back up into the control room. The Colonel glanced towards the General, who gave a slow nod of his head and Walter touched a pad on the desk before him. Yugi's soft call came back down the corridor.
"Thank you!"
"Manners, at a time like this." Jack rolled his eyes. He caught Daniel's arm, yanking him backwards as he dived in front of the archaeologist, following Yugi down into the gate-room.
The young man dashed towards Yami, holding the Pharaoh for a brief moment before rushing towards the tiny alien child lying in a heap upon the floor. Kneeling beside it he tenderly reached out, his fingers brushing at the locks of black hair. Strange thin wires, like the antennas of an analogue television poked free of its mop of hair, buzzing and crackling with small yellow pom-poms on the tips. It wore a pair of cracked glasses, now shattered from the impact of hitting the floor face on. Yugi bit back tears as he gathered the limp body into his lap, cradling it carefully to his chest. Blood was seeping from the child's mouth, and he felt the liquid in the beautiful blue robe it wore. Slowly, with obvious pain in its whining body that sounded almost akin to a computer trying desperately to restart, the eyes of the child crept open. Yugi felt the gasp of air catch in his throat. If the eyes had not been so large and innocent, they would have been identical to Yami's blood red glow surrounded by demonic black.
"Mummy?" It whispered and Yugi shook his head.
"No...no...not Mummy, but I promise, I'll help you." Yugi looked towards Yami as the Pharaoh stood beside Teal'c the Jaffa examining the slain beast. The gate-room was filling with medic's and the General was issuing out orders. Slowly the kindly old man approached him, with the Colonel one step behind.
"Yugi?"
"I think it's a child. It wants its Mum. It's bleeding sir."
"Alright," the General furrowed his brow, seemingly annoyed, Yugi ignored the glare, "take it to the infirmary, but I want a guard posted at all times!"
"Yes sir." Yugi nodded, slowly standing and sensing Yami's support behind him. He glanced towards the Pharaoh.
"I'll be alright." He whispered, leaving through the blast-door, following the medic's taking the two unconscious air-personnel to the infirmary.
"Alright," Jack pointed at the dead monster, "just what is that thing?"
"I have no idea." Yami shrugged.
"Nor do I Colonel O'Neill." Teal'c added.
Both Pharaoh and Jaffa glanced at each other, before turning back around, adding extra shrugs. Jack raised an eyebrow at them both, rolling his eyes. The General paused beside the quickly decaying body, the smell was almost overwhelming and he covered his mouth and nose.
"Major Carter," he turned towards the woman as she stood some distance back, a disgusted look upon her face, "I want to know what happened to the Stargate."
"Yes sir." She gasped out, dashing away, relieved to be dismissed.
"Teal'c," turning Hammond pointed to Yami, "go with the Pharaoh, I want you to stand guard over that child that came through. It might be connected to this beast somehow. Colonel, I would like you and Doctor Jackson to ring around and find an expert on-."
"Monsters sir?"
"Autopsies."
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Doctor Janet Frasier was someone he considered a beautiful soul, but she had an extra flare, she was also a beautiful woman in the tenderly mothering way. He admired her for her gentleness and yet the stern glare she gave him often enough told him he had to keep in line. As he sat upon a bed within the infirmary, watching the commotion around him as he held onto the child collapsed in his arms, Yugi watched her rush back and forth between patients until her 'underlings' where equipped enough to handle the situation. Thankfully neither of the two air-personnel who'd been struck by the Stargates strange malfunction were badly harmed, just unconscious with slight bruising; enough to put them out of action for a few days.
"Yugi?" She approached him, her eyes saddening at the sight of the alien in his arms. A nurse had tendered to the creature, but when the robe it wore was peeled back no wounds were visible upon its tender green skin but still the blood and strange oil liquid seeped from somewhere.
"Hey Janet." Yugi whispered, raising his head. Yami and Teal'c had both entered into the small cubical, seeming to note that the commotion had calmed down. "He's calmed down a bit." Yugi offered.
Janet nodded slowly, "I think we should take him to the examination room, it's quieter there and safer. Teal'c would you mind telling the General we're moving to the examination room?" Janet asked. Teal'c's brow furrowed slightly.
Yami shifted, "I shall tell him, Teal'c must remain here, his first order is to guard the alien child."
"Alright," Janet nodded and the Pharaoh vanished in a flash of shadows. The alien creature gave a soft whimper and Yugi raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Janet wheeled over a small tray, placing a pillow onto it.
"Carefully put him down here. Has he made any signs of discomfort at being moved?"
"No, though at first I could have sworn he had a back injury, now he's just bleeding from somewhere and its coming out of his mouth in buckets."
"Internal." Janet shook her head. "Let's see what we can do for him. Is it a boy?"
"Your guess is as good as mine Janet, because from where I'm standing, he's got nothing to say he's either one of them."
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The off-world mission had been cancelled, yet his overnight pack had still come in handy. He wasn't about to leave, not when the alien child, who they had finally decided was going to be a 'him' for the time being until someone said otherwise, had yet to wake up.
The General was annoyed at him, annoyed, maybe slightly angry that he'd over stepped his boundaries yet something in his gut told him he'd made the right choice. Things would have been worse if the iris had been closed but he couldn't tell the General that, he had no proof, not yet anyway.
All gate travel had been suspended until the mess that was the gate-room could be fixed up, and so far the strange monster that had come through had been difficult to move, its stench almost toxic.
Yugi sighed into his shower as it raced over his face, staring up into the head pouring out raging warm water onto his skin. Janet had ordered him off to have a wash, he'd been covered in blood and oil, so with some muttering and pouting he'd stomped away, leaving the alien child in Daniel's care, knowing his fellow archaeologist would keep away the hungry military from poking their noses around too much.
It was just a child.
Couldn't they see that?
\Aibou?\
Yugi jolted, giving a squeak as the mental voice prodded his mind.
\Yami! Don't do that! You scared me...\
\Sorry aibou.\ The amused reply trickled back to him and he sensed the Pharaoh's presence outside of the shower alcove in the change rooms.
\I'll be out in a minute.\ He sent quickly, turning off the water and grabbing a towel to dry off.
\Alright. Don't rush.\
Pulling a lose pair of pants Yugi shoved the curtain to one side, stepping out and catching sight of Yami sitting perched in a cross-legged position upon the benches within the change rooms. The Pharaoh tilted his head to one side as Yugi strolled forward, grabbing his night-bag and sorting through the items of clothing within until he found a suitable lose singlet and pulled it over his still wet head. His wet hair stained the white singlet and he shook the droplets away, rubbing his towel through the mess.
"Is the General still angry at me?" Sighing Yugi seated himself, flinching slightly as Yami drifted behind him and began to brush his untamed locks of hair into place.
"The General is not angry aibou."
"Oh yes he is." Yugi snorted, "I could taste it oozing off him. I stepped out of line...Yami I'm scared-."
"Aibou, a General would not be a very wise General if he did not consider all the thoughts of those under his command. You did what you considered right, now we ether pay the consequences of your actions, or maybe something good will transpire. We know not yet."
"I suppose." Sighing the young man leant back, smiling slightly as Yami's long arms folded around his shoulders.
"Still, I feel horrible."
"It's alright kid." A voice startled him and Yugi leapt up, gasping aloud as he spun on his heels, catching sight of the Colonel standing in the doorway, he waved with a devilish smirk upon his lips. "The General's had a lot of practise with me and Danny. You're just another one to fit into the line of SG1. You wouldn't be Stargate Command material if you didn't have guts in you."
"Thank you, sir, I think..." Yugi rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Well, I came to tell you, that creature woke up-."
"What!? When!?" Not giving the Colonel a moment to reply Yugi dashed out of the changing rooms, leaving Yami and the Colonel abashed at the speed the young man could make.
"He may as well have teleported at the rate he was going." Jack twirled a finger in the air, glancing back to Yami as the Pharaoh stretched his limbs, standing up from the bench and reaching high in a long stretch of pleasure.
"Hmm, you'll get use to it." The ancient king chuckled, "I didn't even finish brushing his hair..."
"Pharaoh, you have got to tell me how you do it?"
"Do what?" Yami raised his eyebrows as he picked up Yugi's bag, shoving it into their combined locker. He glanced around to the Colonel still at the doorway, watching his movements.
"Seduce like that?'
"That was not seducing, that was brushing Yugi's hair because he never does it himself," Yami shrugged, wandering his way towards the lone man at the door, "why Colonel," the Pharaoh shoved him against the wall outside, pressing his face close for a brief moment, close enough for Jack to catch the scent of mummification oils the Pharaoh smelt of, "want to try and catch a particular scientist...?"
"Heck...what, how do you know?" Jack blinked as Yami vanished, leaving behind only a swell of shadows and a devilish chuckle.
"Oh, bother."
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He heard the cries even from a couple corridors down and it spurred him onwards in a mad dash. Thankfully, so late in the evening the SGC was reduced to a skeleton crew, giving him free-range to run as mad as possible towards the examination room. It was a separate room to the infirmary and was used for many things. It was designed with two layers, one lower layer held a room that could be used for multiple purpose and the other level was a room to sit within, a giant window looking down into the examination area. Even as he dashed through the door opened for him by an air-personnel who'd sighted him running down the corridor, he took note of the General sitting up in the glassed off area, watching with keen eyes as he entered.
Daniel was trying to calm the alien child, having no luck as it cried in a high-pitched tone forced through a metal voice-box.
"Yugi! Gosh, finally!" Daniel threw his arms up in relief as Yugi rushed up beside him.
"Sorry Daniel." The young man leapt onto the bed, holding out his arms.
"Hey, hey!" He shouted above the weeping, "Look! Its me! Remember me, remember my face." Pointing at himself Yugi flashed a smile, tilting to one side as the alien child blinked in slow confusion, its wide eyes shimmering with tears on rounded green cheeks.
"Mummy?" Its high-pitched voice choked out and Yugi smoothed back a lock of its wet black hair, feeling long pointed ears that twittered at the physical touch.
"No, I'm sorry, I'm not Mummy but I promise we'll try to get you back home...right now, you're not feeling well and you need to rest, do you understand me? Rest?"
The child nodded slowly and Yugi patted the surface of the large bed, "move over," he whispered and the tiny creature shuffled to one side, allowing the young man to lean back and lie beside him.
"See, your safe now..."
"Safe?" It blinked, "no scary black monsters?"
"No, no scary black monsters. Just rest, tomorrow we'll work through things, rest now, sleep."
"Sleep now." The alien nodded, collapsing into a large pillow. Yugi breathed a soft sigh of relief, looking to Janet as she stood by, shaking her head.
"Thank you Yugi."
"Not a problem," the young man glanced towards the window, noticing the General was no longer sitting in his seat, obviously he was now going home to rest after an eventual day. Daniel packed up his gear, patting his friends shoulder.
"See you tomorrow morning Yugi, I'll be bunking down the corridor with Teal'c. Call me if you need me..."
"Thanks." Yugi nodded. He sensed Janet's slow disappearance, though he knew she'd never be far off, not when she had two other patients to care for tonight. He wondered how the SGC ever survived with so many people never finding the time to head home.
Looking down at the strange alien child Yugi brushed back its hair, using the same tender technique Yami had so often done to him to sooth the away the horror's he'd lived through.
The Pharaoh's heavy presence rested in the room, the Millennium Puzzle shining ever so slightly as the lord made himself known into the physical realm. Yugi smiled, closing his eyes as a blanket was draped over his shoulders, leaving him protected.
As long as Yami was near, no one would take the alien child away.
Then again, why did he think that?
For what reason was he becoming protective?
\Yami? Is there something wrong with me?\
\No aibou,\ the Pharaoh whispered mentally, \you are not military, your mind thinks differently, you are being yourself little one.\
\Good.\
\Though, I will admit, that child is producing an empathic response, an unconscious stream of mental capabilities that give him a likeable quality.\
\Really?\
\Yes, however, do keep that to yourself, I doubt the others will find it as wonderfully interesting as you.\ The Pharaoh's dry reply fluttered away and Yugi smiled in his weary state, finding himself agreeing with his other half.
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NEW AUTHORS NOTE: 14/06/2018
Gosh, now I remember that there was this WHOLE storyline with Ben 10 that I wanted to do that I never got around to adding in. *sigh* I had high hopes.