Ilana: I am sooooooooo sorry about how late this update is. Fist my computer broke, then I had to wait for my techy friend to rip the data off it, then I had to wait some more to get a new computer, (for Chanukah) then I was dealt a shit-load of schoolwork, THEN I had writer's block. FUCKING WRITER'S BLOCK! But, anyway, I'm back with the next chapter. I'm kinda concerned that I did a shity job of writing it, but I wanted o suply you guys with something so... Anyway, i''ll stop rambling and let's go on with the story!

I do not own Yugioh in any way, shape, or form. It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi (bless his talented soul)


Several minutes passed by in silence as what Isis said was digested by the minds of the three males.

"What-… How-… But that-…" Atemu stuttered, unable to think of what to say or ask. As he fully processed this new information, a smile slowly broke across his face. "So you are saying," he started, "that there is in fact a way for me to be together with Heba- I mean, his reincarnation?"

Isis smiled at Atemu's pleased expression. "Yes, that would be the implication of my vision."

"But that would also mean that there is a spell or ritual that would enable us to cross the boundaries of time and space!" Mahad piped up. "Do you not think that it would be dangerous to attempt such a feat? And how would we even know how to perform such a ritual?"

Isis sighed. Ever the pessimistic one, aren't you Mahad. "We've never really gone through all of the spells and scrolls in the archives. We might find something if we search. As for the risk….I do not think it is that great. After all, Atemu seemed safe in my vision."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Atemu asked rhetorically and excitedly. "Let's get down to the archives and start our search for that spell!" He practically bounced out of the room. The priests and priestess looked on after their Pharaoh with some relief; Atemu seemed to have regained some of his vigor.

They followed after him at a somewhat brisk pace until they reached the archive hall. The hall itself was quite large and long; however because of all the shelves, and boxes of scrolls, and the large reading table, the space seemed narrow and small. The bittersweet smell of ink and aging papyrus wafted through the room, along with the faint smell of oil from the glass-covered oil lamps along the walls. The quantity and positioning of said lamps made it so that no matter where at the table you sat, light would still reach you and what you were reading.

Atemu ran with an armful of scrolls and scriptures toward the table, and he began to skim through each one, hoping to find something along the lines of his desired spell. Isis, Mahad and Seth caught up to him soon after and took his example.

And thus started the search.

The four came up with a schedule for conducting their research: Atemu would tend to trials and look through prospective laws first thing in the morning, and then he would eat lunch and head to the archive halls, with Seth, to go through the never-ending piles of documents. Then for the afternoon he would spend half his time tending trials, and half his time searching for the spell with Isis, depending on whether his assigned trials were later or earlier. In the evening, he would eat dinner with his council, then he and Mahad would go to search the archives until late in the night. Mahad would always retire earlier than Atemu, as the ruler wouldn't leave at any decent hour (if midnight could be considered decent). No, Atemu refused to leave the archives whenever possible. Seth would always have to come down and retrieve him when he became too exhausted, but he still protested.

"No! Let me keep looking! I'm not... even… *yawn* tired…" he would always complain as he was carried to his chambers.

Of course, it was only a matter of time before the other three priests noticed Atemu's new interest in the archives. Simon was getting particularly worried, and confronted him about it one afternoon.

"Atemu, I understand you have been spending quite a lot of time reading lately. In fact, your vehement desire to go through these old scrolls….well, it worries me. Is there anything you wish to talk about? Perhaps…does this have anything to do with Heba?"

Priest Simon was surprised when Atemu's face broke out into a calm smile as he replied, "Yes, it very much has to do with my Heba."

"Please tell me what it is then." Simon implored. He was glad that Atemu didn't seem to harbor his depression anymore, but his new calm, euphoric attitude was starting to scare the elderly man almost as much.

Atemu face the priest fully. "If my research proves fruitful, I will tell you. Until then please be patient with me Simon." His voice never wavered in tone and was full of confidence that he would find what he was looking for. So Simon smiled and let him be.

However soon days spent searching turned into weeks, and they group had yet to find anything helpful to their cause. Atemu, Isis, Mahad, and Seth were all together searching one evening, each of them quite lethargic. Atemu broke away from the document he had just rendered useless, and asked, "Has anyone found anything?"

Isis looked over to him and coughed in her hand. "I apologize, My Pharaoh, but I have yet to find anything of consequence. But... I am certain that there might be something in the next pile of papyrus."

She said this every time asked. Her intentions were pure: she wanted to tell the truth of the situation, but didn't want it to seem like their efforts were useless. In actuality, every time the young ruler heard this line his stomach twisted unpleasantly, as he could not get over the fact that they had still not gotten any results from their searching.

Atemu looked over at Mahad, who seemed to be engrossed in reading a particular scroll. "Well, I've found the most interesting little spell! You take any inanimate object and- " The priest was cut off from his exclamation by a kick to his shin from a now irate priestess. Mahad blushed and realized his mistake and said "Um... I've not found the spell quite yet..."

Atemu sighed and looked over to his cousin. Seth was holding a large pice of parchment in his hands, his eyes darting left and right as he scanned said parchment. Atemu knew he wouldn't have to even ask if he had found anything; the priest's aesthetics would not allow him to look up until he had completed his search successfully.

The group once again fell into silence as they continued looking through the shrinking collection of documents. However, in that silence Atemu's mind was plagued with doubts. Why have we not found anything yet? Was the vision actual, or just a trick from the gods? Oh Ra, I can't believe that this while search could be meaningless. The Pharaoh shook his head to clear his thoughts and picked up another document. And upon seeing its title, his eyes widened and he abruptly stood up.

"I've found something!"

His exclamation surprised the others and they came rushing towards him. Isis took the papyrus from his grasp and looked at it. It was very old, considering the wear and tear of the paper, but the priestess read aloud, " 'Time-Placement Transferal Ritual.' Well, this certainly looks promising!" She said with spirit. The rest of the group look on at her as she read the process of the spell, but they started to worry as her smile dimmed while she went through it.

Isis looked up at them with a sorry expression on her face. "I'm sorry Atemu, but this spell can only send objects to different times and places. Not people. The notes on the page say it is too difficult for the spell to hold the shape of the human body when doing the transfer."

The young Pharaoh sank back down into his chair and occupied his hands with his stress-filled face.

No.

No no no no, no.

Why? Why can't we find anything? Dammit!

Atemu could feel his throat clench with his growing frustration.

"Ah! Wait a moment!" Mahad suddenly exclaimed. The other three looked on in confusion as Mahad sifted through some of the papyrus papers on the table. "I just had it a minute ago..." he murmured to himself under the shuffling sound of the papers. "AH HA!" he was now waving a document up in the air.

Mahad rushed over to Isis and shoved the document into her hands. The priestess eyed him skeptically before switching her gaze to the paper. Her eyes widened immediately and she scanned back and fort across the page before she picked her head up and looked over to Mahad.

"This would work!"

Meanwhile, Atemu was confused as hell. "Would either of you please share what the hell you found?"

Isis looked at the young Pharaoh excitedly then told him "We've found a way to use the time traveling spell so that you may be compatible with it." Atemu's face lit up at this information and he signaled for her to go on with her explanation. "You see, if we combined the time-place transferal ritual with this," she indicated toward the new document, "a spell that will put your soul temporarily in an object, then we can send you to the future and Heba's new embodiment."

Atemu did the mature thing people do when they receive favorable news: he started jumping up and down cheering. "YES! Oh thank Ra!" Isis and Mahad looked on with bright smiles of their own, incredibly pleased with finishing the search. Seth's face didn't show much change in expression, but he was mentally cheering much like Atemu. And, although he would likely deny it if you pointed it out, he was bouncing on the balls of his feet with excitement.

Suddenly the door to the archive burst open, startling and catching the attention of Atemu, Isis, Mahad, and Seth.

Simon, Karim, and Shada entered, making a slow approach to the group at the table. The three priests stopped right across the table from them and just stood facing them for a second before Simon smiled slightly and began to speak.

"Well," he started. "It seems as though you've found what you were looking for, based on the volume of your discussion. Would you care to share with the rest of us what exactly it is you found, and what your need for it was?"

Atemu swallowed thickly and stood up straight. "Well, I suppose... I'll have to start by telling you of the vision Isis had; it did start initially from there" Atemu mused. "You see, after Heba... passed, Isis cast a spell that would reincarnate him and his friend Jōno. It was confirmed to have worked when she received a vision of them in the future. However she could not control when or where their souls would end up, so the spell had them born again several thousands of years in the future and in a land far from here. Then after Heba's funeral Isis got another vision." Atemu sighed and smiled a bit. "One of me being with Heba's reincarnation in the future."

All three priests were quite shocked with the story, but where Karim and Shada's eyes widened, Simon's narrowed slightly.

Atemu went on: "So, as you've noticed, we've been frequenting visits to the archives to search for some sort of spell or ritual that would aid in making the vision come true. And now, finally, after several weeks of searching we've found the rituals that can do it!"

Atemu looked at his priests expectantly, waiting for some kind of reaction. Karim briskly walked toward him, a smile on his face. "That is wonderful your Highness!" Shada followed after, reacting in a similar manner. Smiles, laughs, and pats on the back were shared by the three until Simon cleared his throat to get their attention.

"So, you've succeeded in finding a way to go to your future Heba?" He began.

Atemu nodded his head quickly a few times in response.

Simon's expression seemed to harden some before he continued. "And have you also found a partner spell that will allow you to return here to us once you've acquired him?"

Atemu's smile faltered to a tight line at that, and he shook his head slowly in answer.

The elderly priest full-out frowned to the young Pharaoh. "So you would be willing to leave your post as Pharaoh forever? Losing your title, your lifestyle, and ultimately, your identity? You're willing to forsake everything and become a nonentity, and then continue living as such?"

Simon was trying to scare Atemu. He was telling no lies, just the truth of Atemu's decision; he would be giving up everything: his name, status, his entire life thus far.

And Atemu knew all this.

He had already spent the past few weeks mentally preparing, second guessing himself, and reviewing his decision. He had spent countless nights mulling over it before succumbing to slumber. Is all this searching worth it? Should I just give up?

Even after going over his choice repeatedly, Atemu knew it was the right one. Without Heba, Atemu was like an empty vessel. It wasn't simply a matter of want; Atemu needed this. To be with his love, his light, his little one.

His Heba.

"Yes, Simon, I know the repercussions of my decision. That I will be a nameless stranger in a strange new world. That upon my arrival there, my life will have no value. That I will become, as you said, a nonentity." Atemu took in a deep breath before continuing. "But as I am now, I feel empty; without him here I feel so incredibly empty. I would much rather have no title and be with him than continue like this. Because this lonely emptiness... It will kill me. It will kill me more certainly than any assassin or disease. Because it is inside me, and without him it continues to grow. I... I want to feel full again..." Atemu kept his head held high as he spoke. "I need to feel full again... I need to be with my Heba again..." he added, almost in a whisper.

Atemu waited a few moments for his eldest priest. After a minute or two, Simon's expression softened into an understanding smile. The Pharaoh let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, and he could feel the sides of his mouth pull up into a smile of his own.

Simon gave an exaggerated 'huff', then said, "Well then, let's get this show on the road, shall we! Isis, would you be a dear and show me those spells you wish to conduct?"

The priestess excitedly made haste of going over to the elderly priest, the ritual parchments tight in her grasp. Once given to him, they were scanned over, receiving occasional "hmm"s and "I see"s.

After several (in Atemu's opinion) agonizing minutes, Simon picked his head up from the papers. "Alright, here's how were going to go about this. For the spell that will store Atemu's soul in an object, we will need something special to him, that would define only him... Any ideas?"

The group took a moment to mull it over, before Karim suggested, "How about the Millennium Puzzle?" The rest of the group looked at him for a second before he continued. "Well, the puzzle is only given to the rightful Pharaoh, and it would certainly be a good representation of Atemu's love for games and puzzles. I think it would be the most perfect defining object."

Atemu was momentarily stunned by the suggestion. The puzzle! How could I have forgotten about the Millennium Puzzle! But I haven't worn it in a while. If I recall correctly, the last time I wore the Millennium Puzzle was... His eyes widened in realization. ...the last time I wore my puzzle was... Before this whole ordeal began.

The young ruler nodded in confirmation to his priest's idea, and ran off to retrieve the item in question. If he remembered correctly, the Millennium Puzzle was still in his chambers, in his bed-side table's secret drawer. When Atemu reached his chambers, he scurried over and pushed down on the top right corner of the table until it gave way and opened up like a chest.

Luckily the puzzle was the first thing he saw.

It was right next to the bead necklace Heba had made for Atemu's birthday.

To the left of the clay doll Atemu had made (see: botched up) for Heba's entertainment.

Right on top of the first papers of papyrus Heba had used when learning to read and write.

Atemu ghosted his fingers over each item, each fond memory, before tearing his gaze away and grabbing the puzzle then shutting the chest-table. He needn't be held up, not when he was so close. When Atemu arrived back to the archive halls, he noticed one person to be missing. "Where is Seth?" he asked.

"You didn't actually think you were going alone, did you?"

Atemu turned around to see his cousin entering the archive, his Millennium Rod in his hands. The Pharaoh had been caught off guard for a moment before he smirked and replied, "Wouldn't have it any other way, cousin."

"Now then," Simon started. "Let's get started, shall we?"


Loralei: SO, you forgot about the puzzle, hmm -_-;

Ilana: ...Yeah... well... When I first started writing the story i kinda kept forgetting to put in the puzzle. But at least I've (sorta) justified its absence.

Artair: I'm just gland the story's rolling along again~

Ilana: Yeah So please rate and review! Until next time! (whenever that may be...)

Drystan: Oh, and just to give all you readers an irritating cliffhanger, then next chapter is finally gonna have Yugi in it~