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Chapter X: Isolate the Mind and Destroy the Heart
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You know, there's always been this line between being crazy and being downright insane. It's a thin line, so nimble and petite that at first glance it isn't likely that you'll find it. At the second, you'd be thinking; Oh, I thought I saw something; and by the third or fourth, you realize you're completely screwed because you reached the border of crazy and entered insanity a long time ago. I guess…that was sort of how I felt. A part of me wondered if I were the one who'd created that infamous little line, because I was quite sure that somewhere out in the world Egyptian achievements would have been considered impossible or even…insane.
Thing about the Millennium Items was that without a proper, strong presence there was an impossible chance for someone to wield it. There was this one occurrence, one that only I knew, of when Atemu came to power nearly a month after his ceremony. An assassin infiltrated, his employer what I assume demanding the head of the young Living Horus. Before he had the chance, he was consumed; manipulated by the powers of the Millennium Pendant. He endured many hallucinations, unsheathing from the cold demeanor he held high across his features and in his mind died; all because of that one second he dared touch the puzzle. I'd ended up neutralizing him, using the powers of the pendant to erase his memory of that night, but…I never used shadow magic.
As a parasite you would think that being in the puzzle would corrupt my better judgment and destroy my righteous essence completely. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. I mean… I did have desires. I loathed, lusted, held a sense of pride, and certainly could be envious of anything. What I wouldn't give to be the jewel in Atemu's eyes, lusted over and groped and…in a literal sense, I was.
He never took the puzzle off and I was technically an inanimate object. Or—used to be, at least. But that brings me back to my point. The Millennium Items attract and retract dark spirits. They suppress and rip the tainted ka of others for justly means and I resided in Atemu. I was kind of certain I wasn't the other Atemu, despite the fact I was able to become him, and I was surely certain I was not a thief. I mean…at this point, I didn't know. I could be an assassin, ready to soak the tips of my fingers in the blood of a late pharaoh and not know it.
But I didn't feel like a dark spirit. What kind of dark spirit would I be, disliking the idea of beheading others, driving them into severe insanity and ripping at their very essence? I…wanted peace. Was that really avoidable, even now?
So, here I sat now…wowzers. I'd always thought it near impossible to ever not stare at the Pharaoh of Egypt. No matter how long I stayed with him, I would never be able to misplace that amazing, glowing cocoa skin. Atemu had always been devastatingly handsome, but never worked with it. He was a raw type of beauty, like the butterfly who'd outgrown its cocoon far in metamorphosis. His entire face was angular, sharp and powerful with a long neck and broad shoulders to compliment his form. I shivered, watching those sharp Egyptian eyes stare back with that measly word pedaling at the back of my head—Dark. Dark. Dark. Dark. Personally, I didn't think he ever needed to outline his eyes. They were amazing all their own, that one little gift that complimented his form and made the Living Horus Sex-God worthy. His body was firm against mine from the days where he would fence or his archery lessons. Well-rounded as a ruler, he wasted no second at his young age to overcome obstacles.
And now I could touch him.
I could run a hand across that lusciously warm skin, sweep him off his feet, press my lips against his own and hear him cry my name as my teeth picked against that one little spot at the crook of his neck. He could shove me into this bed right now, shedding all these clothes with either his bare hands or his shadow tendrils, mark his territory and thrust into my form, just to have me cry his name through my boiling sweat as my fingers tighten around his hair. He'd hold me close, digging his bare leg harsh against my anxious manhood and…
W-W…Wait…what was I thinking?
In front of me sat the man I'd grown so affectionate for over the years, like the one drug I couldn't live without. I pulled away my hand, which surely was drenched in my sweat, and clenched it beneath my form. With high expertise, I hid the forming h-hard-on between my legs and looked at him, finally taking full grasp of the situation.
Atemu stared at me quite hesitantly and for a moment I felt his mind brush against mine. Is that really you? Do I truly see this amazing form in front of me? I shan't tolerate trickery from my enemies. Whoa, whoa.
"Calm down," I grimaced, hands filing through the locks of my hair. My head ached horribly to his thoughts and I curled into my form. While our Mind Link was the way we communicated at times and also went along with our empathy link, it had never been so overbearing. Then again, I wasn't exactly able to feel in my spirit form, either. The pain ceased once Atemu noticed my distress and pulled away from my form. Maybe he was getting it now; every one of his little touches caused my body to react with disastrous results.
"I apologize," he smiled weakly and ushered Mana to my side.
"Where are you going?" I asked, suddenly faltering. My mind began to jumble again, mixing into turmoil and a vicious headache tackled my brain. It occurred to me that we never had so much distance between each other, even if this 'distance' was only about a foot and a half. The furthest I had ever been from Atemu was when I locked myself away in the depths of his mind to keep my sanity in check and although between us that was certainly far, it felt petty compared to…this.
I cursed myself at the sudden tears that appeared in my eyes, shocked and while trying to logically sort through my troubled thoughts, realized I was downright paranoid. Atemu's eyes widened with concern and he bent over me, one hand to his own head and now I was sure he felt the uncomfortable gap, too.
"I must settle things with my bickering court, little one." He gestured to, as he said, bickering court at the entrance to his chambers. Some were arguing it was a curse, others that it was a gift of Ra and somewhere in there it was considered an illness.
Mana glided past him, sitting comfortably next to me, contemplating something before settling with an arm around my form. "It's…fine, Yugi! Don't worry about it; they'll just be in the other room."
Blushing, I wiped away the trail of tears running down my face and reached out with the intention of telling him not to go. If any decision were made about me, then I wanted to be there. Unfortunately…still in my shock, I only hiccupped and this high-pitched, incoherent whimper left my lips. My arms reached out to him and I was like some kid wanting their mother or father. Atemu's regal stature suddenly faltered, eyes narrowing to mine and surprised at the sudden change of attitude before he collected himself.
"I will be," he repeated with a slight stammer to his tone, "in the other room. Mana, please stay here and tend to his every need."
"Aye, aye, Cap'n Pharaoh." She grinned pleasantly, head nestled tight at the indent of my neck.
I looked to him, reluctant with that little barrier still put up in my head, but knew it was a good idea. If this was going to be permanent, both he and I needed to tolerate the buzzing in our heads where the empathy link normally lay. I buried my face into Mana, trying best to find solace in her arms. Softly as I peered to his contemplating form, I whispered, "Come back soon."
Something flickered in those ruby orbs. I felt a cold chill run through our mind link, harshly shivering at the sudden emotion and he recoiled. Atemu may have been tensely blissful, but he wasn't stupid. With a visible shudder running through his own body he turned away, the last of his essence tingling in my mind while he left with the rest of his court.
The door shut with a loud thud and I collapsed into the bed sheets. Mana followed in suit, rolling happily to her stomach before rubbing my back. "Wow."
"Wow, what?" I said through the muffle of Atemu's pillows. There was a hint of spices and an obnoxious combination of scents of the best colognes and horrid perfumes. My heart sank, a bitter smile hidden between my lips as I concluded what most of the stench was: Teana.
"I've only seen what you look like once, silly." She giggled quietly, one hand wrapped around my waist.
As she softly yawned, I blushed and propped my hand. Hoarsely, I responded, "It's…weird."
"Weird, how?" She sat up cheerfully, rocking the cot ever so slightly before pressing a hand to my head. I shivered, the warmth feeling good against my bare skin. Somehow I'd forgotten how cold the desert got after the sun was gone.
"Being human." A shy smile radiated from my lips and I looked to my hand. "So many thoughts are running through my head and all of those things I'd just do involuntarily…I'm just asking if I can do it."
"You can feel and touch while you're in the pendant though, right?" Mana leaned in closer and clasped our hands together. They swayed back and forth in a smooth rhythm and a loud irate squeaking from the bed followed in suit. "You felt pretty nice whenever we were next to each other. You have really soft skin."
"Gee, thanks." I laughed and soon regretted it because of how hoarse my voice sounded. A grimace fell to my lips and the sedative of Mana's honey voice disappeared in an instant. The obnoxious sound pounded against my ear drums and I shuddered. Quickly she hugged me tight, softly shushing the forming headache while his name hammered my head. Atemu….Atemu….Atemu. ATEMU. ATEMU.
"I could try a numbing spell, Yugi." She moved my position and rested my head to her lap.
"That would be nice."
"Well…"
"Well, what?"
"Probably isn't such a good idea." On her face sat a troubled frown and she tightened her grasp over my hair. "If I got one little ingredient wrong I could probably misplace your mind or make you think you were a frog. Maybe your eyes would be your sense of smell and your nose would be your sight."
Erm, yeah. "Let's not do that then." With a light grin I found myself proud to find another difference between Black Magician Girl and Mana. Still, it was strange how alike they appeared. The way they spoke, the way they acted and their personality was just about the same. In this little moment I found it weird how her maternal instincts automatically kicked in and later I would have to thank Black Magician Girl for being there for me ever since I completed her puzzle.
"Tell me more about being a spirit," she whispered excitedly. "Is it fun? You defy the laws of the other world, you know. Your spirit has not passed on to the other life and now you actually have a human body and you don't really have a ka so—"
"Right," I interrupted sheepishly. She brushed a bang out of my face and I decided to start with what came to mind. As the first thought came to mind I shivered again and held myself tight. "Being away from Atemu for so long makes me want to barf."
"Really?" Mana looked up, sincerely fascinated by the confession.
"Really." Again, a frown worked its way across my features. "I know he's only in the other room, but it feels like he's never even existed. There's this…gap."
Mana nodded. "I see."
"Anyway," I murmured, suddenly uncomfortable by the fact my attachment to Atemu was bordering on the line of obsession, "how are things working out with Mahado?" In an instant, all of my weariness disappeared, replaced by a mischievous smirk as the sweet color of her cheeks disappeared into deep red. I squeaked as she suddenly shifted under me and she hastily apologized.
"What about him?" Mana squirmed.
The impish smirk on my face disappeared into an amused grin. It was outright adorable; the way she would get once Mahado's name was even mentioned. Mana, the pocket full of sunshine, was defeated by her teacher and hid in the clouds whenever something outside of the school books were mentioned. That of course, Mahado didn't know and I still wasn't sure if Atemu knew—Mana had the intention of confiding it within the 'Nice Atemu', but anything that had nothing to do with me, the court, or Egypt normally went through one ear and ventured out the other of her best friend.
I laughed softly, this time pulling away from her grasp and pushing one of the chocolate wily bangs out of her eyes. "You know he would look at you more if you actually showed up for your lessons."
"Yeah," she mumbled as the red highlighted her cheeks, "but I've missed so many lessons now that I doubt he would even accept me as his student. I've told you, Yugi. It's not like I can compete for his affections; I have so little in my arsenal."
She had absolutely no idea how wrong she was. A saddened smile appeared across my face and I rested a hand on hers. Mana missed all of those little worried glances that Mahado passed her. She didn't notice the way his eyes would glimmer, the sudden hesitation and the ghost of a blush that would appear across his face when she did something different with her hair. So many times had gone by where he would be trying all his might not to smile or even use a demeanor spell to hide how proud he was whenever she mastered something new.
And then there was that jealous flicker that would appear in Mahado's eyes. I blamed myself and Atemu for that one; Mana had been so intimate with Atemu in the first place before finding an outlet for her excess energy in me. Once I came out of hiding, she was only more overjoyed and demanded more of my time. Sometimes I'm surprised, honestly, on how close of a level Atemu and Mana can be; she tells him the first day every month about her bleeding cycle as happy as can be and Atemu constantly (though jokingly) curses the Gods for giving this idiot the ability to reproduce.
They had a sibling type of relationship and I guess now, so did I. Mana was a sister—didn't matter if it were older or younger; she showed as much maturity as she did immaturity. Mahado, on the other hand…was like the older brother I would never have. He built himself on restraint and patience and he put his honor for the pharaoh before his own desires. Stupid, obviously, but I knew that stubborn priest had practiced mind over matter so long that his desires for Mana waned to his devotion to Atemu.
Mahado's main weakness was the fact he put his morals over his heart. For the longest time, he'd become such a lithe form wrapped around Atemu's fingers, his honor, personal loyalty, and dedication for the kink of Egypt being greater than the sands of this land. He would rather see Atemu thriving and happy, even if that meant the person he was happy with was the one Mahado yearned for the most rather than indulge on his desires. It was a shame, too, since Mana was more devoted to his teachings than he would ever know.
She blew him off a lot, but the fact remained she was in love. I was relieved that my Mahado, the Black Magician, found someone to love and kind of…sad that in the afterlife, the one Black Magician fell in love with wasn't Mana. A sorrowful smile fell across my lips as I ran a hand through her hair. I loved Black Magician Girl and I was happy that she, my "mother" and Black Magician, my "father," were so close.
Unfortunately in the current age, Mana and Mahado were too blinded to really make the first move. Mana thought Isis—rest her soul—was more suitable of a candidate than she for Mahado's heart and he in return thought I (or Atemu) was the best suitor, but really, I muttered after sympathetically kissing Mana's nose, what on earth did we do to make him think Atemu and I were her lovers?
Atemu, I thought miserably, belonged to Teana. His affections, his desires all were in her grasp and the day he realized just how thin his rank of Pharaoh to hers of being a concubine mattered I'd be forced to leave all matters of protecting my little pharaoh to her. Until he realized his feelings, however, Atemu was just an intimidating, sex-obsessed Horus.
With another sigh I rolled my eyes. Hathor must have had no sense of sight because true love was really so darn blind.
"You'll get his attention…eventually." Hopefully.
Mana giggled softly and ran a hand through my hair. "What about you and Atemu?"
If you thought the sudden change in Mana was pretty funny, you must have been laughing your butt off now. Heat burned through the surface of my cheeks, radiating and tingling with so much red I couldn't breathe. In the puzzle I was able to feel everything to a certain degree, even with the ability to travel into Atemu's mind and feel everything he felt. Unlike then, I felt that my senses had become much more sensitive, vulnerable to every little thing and right now, just hearing that name made me tingle. My mind drifted to the way his lips would perk ever so slightly, purse in a motion to kiss as he breathed my name against my ear….resting above my neck…while all sensation went down to my—
"What about him?" I meekly managed to croak.
Her vengeful grin made me regret bringing Mahado up and I darkened. Despite the fact she and I had grown so close in that accurate four to five days where I was actually outside of the puzzle, I never actually told her how I felt about Atemu. And if she was able to tell just by this…Gods. I darkened more, groaning in mortification at how I must have announced my feelings to all of Egypt by the way I acted and sadly that only made me blush more.
"Now that he isn't about to show up out of nowhere, how about we talk about it?"
"How," I whined as I buried my blush into the pillow, "did you find out anyway?"
Mana erupted in a fit of giggles and poked my side teasingly. "It just makes sense."
"What do you mean?"
"You two go together like a pair of earrings." She flipped to her stomach and affectionately pulled me into a hug.
"You're kidding." Atemu and I were horrible opposites. He was the more aggressive one and under those terms, you would think that he was the shadow and I was the host. Without any mercy, Atemu would willingly kill whoever dared face him and send them far into the trenches of the Shadow Realm. Luckily, him getting angry was a pretty unusual sight. His short temper was nothing compared to pure rage. I suppose while in his lessons as he learned how to manipulate and bring the shadows to his whim, he realized how much I hated them.
I felt bad, restraining him from something that would bring him protection, but I suffered claustrophobia whenever the shadows grew inside the puzzle. With interest I always watched him when I knew he was in danger, but some things blocked me out entirely and that…scared me.
"Don't even start with me, Yugi!" Mana threw her arms in the air, hurdling out of bed with an elegant flip as she began listing all of the silly facts. "Atemu leans on you a lot! If you weren't present at all times, he'd flip out become a dictator or something! He needs you!"
"And…what are you proposing?" I gulped, blushing deeply because I already knew the answer.
"You need him, too. He's the one you first opened your eyes to, and it's like…like love at first sight!" She smiled proudly at her accomplishment and nestled both hands to the hips. "You need him to breathe, you need him to feel relaxed, and you need him safe, otherwise you would die! …literally or figuratively, I don't think I know, but you catch my drift."
"I…how…what?" Scratch that. I knew she would know the answer, but I didn't think Mana would catch it right off the bat. Overwhelmed by her bluntness, the red simmered my cheeks so harshly that I could only look to the ground in comfort. Mana was right. Mostly, anyway. That night came drifting back when I first lay eyes on that cute little face with red jewels for orbs. My heart was beating harshly, but familiarly as I watched that petite figure sobbing his heart off as he tried to fix the puzzle. I knew Atemu, somehow, without really knowing him. Our minds brushed together without missing a step and out of anyone, I immediately trusted him the most. Somehow, that trust morphed into true devotion and then into…love.
I was always proud of whatever Atemu was able to accomplish. The first law he decreed was one he was so happy of when he knew it would help the people of Egypt. At the stubborn age of thirteen, he forced himself into the lessons of swordsmanship rather than wait until fifteen, where those before him like his father didn't even know the proper way to wield a blade. Whatever my little pharaoh did and failed, he bit back with a vengeance and had the scar under his collar to prove it. Soon my amusement and pride for him turned into grave concern and clinging passion. I was too far across the border before I realized I really truly fell for the Pharaoh of Egypt.
Mana grinned fully and hugged me. "I keep telling you, Yugi. He speaks of you fondly, so you're gonna have to be the one to make the first move."
"Yeah, right," I muttered sarcastically.
"This is an outrage! Do you truly suggest I go along with that foolish idea?!"
Ouch. Both Mana and I flinched, curling into each other's forms while the door barged open to Atemu's outer room. Despite his burst of anger, all emotion on his face had become void and he paled considerably. Mana gasped and ran to him in concern. "Atemu? What's wrong?"
"We made one suggestion," mumbled Mahado as he strode behind him, "in order to analyze Yugi's situation a bit further."
Ah. There was that little, envious flicker. I bit back the forming smirk and secretly asked myself how no one else noticed his subtle glances. They were so obvious. Instead I halfheartedly feigned curiosity and crawled over the bedside. Interest was scrawled across the weary pharaoh's face as he watched me and I blushed before tightening my choker. In the middle of cuddling with Mana, it must have come undone.
"What's the suggestion?" I muttered, fumbling with readjusting the strap before Mana pitied me enough to redo it herself. I blinked, feeling the sudden illness churning in my stomach, and looked over to Atemu, who watched us intently. "What?"
His eyes flickered from the anger and morphed into worry. "We must understand your essence."
"My essence? I'm older than I look, that's about it," I said in a small, joking tone. I didn't like the look I was getting from neither Mahado nor Atemu.
"'Tis a simple process, my pharaoh. As soon as it is over, his ka will retract and go back into his body," murmured the priest. He pushed a soothing hand to Atemu's shoulder and smiled reassuringly. Over his shoulder I could see the other priests anxious of the outcome and I finally realized what they were planning.
They were gonna use the Millennium Items to see if my ka had good intentions or bad intentions. I paled. The only time I was ever present when it came to extracting ka was that one instant after Enu and that was by some freak accident. Now that I thought about it, normally when I had pummeling and excruciating nausea, Black Magician would carry me off into the far corners of the puzzle and refused to let me go until it was over. Not only that, but it was rare for evil ka to be sensed; it's only been recently that they've appeared so frequently.
Atemu noticed my stress and growled. "Do you not see? The very thought frightens him and he has every right! The very presence of the Millennium Items are—"
"I'll do it." …wait, was that my voice? Blinking out of my stupor, I realized that yes, it was. Atemu and Mahado turned to me with the same shock and the grip Mana had over my shoulder tightened. I looked back and forth and buried my fingers in Atemu's bed sheets. "I want to know. I think I do know and this one little test won't kill me."
"'Tis not that simple, little one." I shivered as those red eyes cast a worried glance and settled the conflict in my mind. Atemu. Dark. Atemu. Dark. Atemu. Dark. "Extracting the ka of one who is not in touch with an Item is…horrifying. Painful beyond all belief."
"But we share a link through the Millennium Puzzle," I pointed out. My hand fell to my chest, only to realize that the said Puzzle was gone. With a small gasp I barely escaped my panic when I realized that the one jewel rested high against Atemu's chest. "It's as much mine as it is yours. …sorta. "
"Or you may not," Mahado said pointedly. He pinched the bridge of his nose, overwhelmed by the sudden stress to do otherwise. "I myself do not know the extent of your bond, Yugi, but he has every right to fear this. Once ka is extracted from the person, one's mind becomes severed, suffering high from hallucinations before they die from insanity."
"Oh." Still, I felt like I'd gone through worse stuff before. The sliver of hope tickled against my mind and I wondered if this was triggering a full memory; one I didn't have to complete. "I'll do it anyway."
They were dead silent. Mana hugged me close; eyes shut and tightened her grip. "Yugi, I haven't studied the books on extracting ka yet and even I know that it's painful! Please, don't!"
"I have to." A small smile worked its way across my face as my eyes lingered to the two others. I rubbed her back softly and pulled away. "Atemu. Please."
His expression twisted grimly but finally, he nodded and softened. Mana retreated to Mahado's side as Atemu stood before me with a hand extended. "Come."
"Right." Then I hesitated. My eyes fell to that hand, suddenly shivering and thought about everything I had done today in order to keep the fragmented memories form haunting my mind. Headaches had come and gone all day from the kiss he gave me earlier this morning—something that seemed like a distant memory already. With Atemu's touch my mind would drift back to my darkness. Him. My feelings for Atemu were already confusing enough and he was haunting me; causing me so much pain and the last time it'd happen, Atemu had gone insane. No. I pushed forward from my trauma and allowed him to pull me out of the bed. I wasn't going to succumb to it again. Nice thoughts, Yugi. Nice thoughts.
He was holding back a gasp as he realized how well my hand fit in his. I, on the other hand, didn't, and pushed myself off the bed. Bad idea. My boot-clad feet fell to the floor in a thud and my new legs snapped. Atemu quickly caught me, tight in an embrace that screamed refusal to let go and the numbing in my calves throbbed.
"Watch yourself, little one." I shivered, his voice vibrating thoroughly. Each syllable escalated more intense than the last and it was yet another new experience in this body. Warmth fluttered through the skin of my neck, tumbling down my limbs…between my legs…and I hid my face in the crook of his neck. Wait, wait, wait, what am I doing?! I lightly pushed him away, but with the lack of experience in standing, my entire body faltered and fell back. Atemu's grip on my hand tightened and he frowned delicately.
"It's…different," I quietly remarked. "My body…I haven't actually had one of my own for more than six years. I'm feeling weird."
"Your body is beautiful, little one." His words were sincere. Atemu watched me with those alluring red eyes, radiating with pleasure…excitement…and lust.
I opened my mouth to say something like, "we need to get going," but it turned into a jumbled "w…bah….d." I cleared my throat, once again attempting to stand on my own two feet, but lost the warmth of Atemu's embrace. Before I had the chance to once again humiliate myself, he wrapped a protective arm around my form and turned to us.
"Let us be done with the torture," he grumbled angrily.
Mana and Mahado watched with mild surprise, followed by the amusement settled across half of Atemu's other priests. This was horrible. In my embarrassment I buried my head yet again in the crook of Atemu's neck, too mortified to slip back into shyness. As we walked forward I realized walking was a 'new' concept in this body, too. With a groan I felt myself darken and tighten a grip around Atemu.
At first he only tensed, all of us quietly walking to what I assumed was the throne room, but by the third or fourth time he was letting out a guttered moan and tightened his embrace. "Why are you so worried?"
"Wouldn't you be worried if you knew how to do something but your body didn't?" I spat more than I meant to. While I realized I might have said something wrong, Atemu only blinked before smirking.
"Is there something, little one, you wish to do that you perhaps have forgotten?"
"What…?" . My cheeks darkened and I hastened our pace. I didn't forget how to do that, and unfortunately it was taking all of my restraint for my body not to. He chuckled softly, once again sending soft vibrations against me and into my own chest. The sensation was…amazing. The muscles of his arms were pressed firm at my back, pulling me close and refused to let go. Shoulders broad, my head fell easily at the intersection near his neck. My new body ached for more of his touch—less clothes on my part—and shuddered every time his rough lips would tickle my ear.
Now was not the time to get an e-erection.
I caught my breath, immediately pulling away and struggling on my own with my raw ankles. Unfortunately, that wasn't the best of ideas. My toes curled violently with the lack of support and just as quickly as I'd left, Atemu scooped me up and this time refused to let me travel on my own two feet. I gasped at the sudden contact as his arms supported my entire body.
"Do not speak to the little one as he concentrates on setting one foot before the other," he rumbled with mirth. He laughed softly and through my humiliation, I buried my red face in his torso. "Understood."
"You don't have to carry me…" I mumbled with embarrassment. While strategically positioned in Atemu's arms, I only shivered, feeling his arm body against mine. Heat surfaced at my skin and tingled uncontrollably.
"On the contrary, little one. I have not been forced into something since I was a child." He grinned smoothly, doing this weird rocking motion as he carried me off. How light was I in his arms, anyway? "Whatever I do in your presence I do in my own free-will and certainly is with my consent."
"…why," I squirmed quietly, "do you have to be so good with words?"
Atemu's chest tingled with amusement and he found a comfortable position for the both of us. I expected for him to reply, but it never came. When stealing a glimpse of his face, I saw that it had slipped into full-on concentration and it wasn't likely he would release anytime soon. Knowing my predicament was going to cost me something, I forced myself to think about something less exciting…and horribly failed. With a content sigh my face was back in his chest, unbelievably comfortable. A cold chill ran up my spine and I bit back the sensation.
Touching Atemu was a lot different from…fantasizing about it.
Wait, no. My lips contorted into a frown and I held on tighter. Bad, Yugi. Bad. Thinking about Atemu was what got me into this predicament and my…thinking of him certainly wasn't helping. The Millennium Puzzle dabbled at my head repeatedly and I caught it between my fingers. This was the source of our troubles.
"It seems there is only one," Atemu said quietly.
"Yeah," I forced a strained smile and released it. "Thank you…for taking such good care of it for so many years. I know it's an heirloom of your father's, but—"
"'Tis more important to me knowing that it gifted me with you, little one." We halted, and when I looked up, we were already in the throne room. Ruby red eyes shimmered truthfully above mine and he kissed me gently above my forehead. It took all of my sanity to block out the instinct to shudder and push him away, because…because… "I've told myself many times that if you ceased to exist, then I would as well. Now as you appear before us with such a beautiful, porcelain body, I may sincerely declare that if you were to die, then so shall I."
I blinked away the tears that were forming my eyes and ignored the throbbing of my head which pounded as harshly as my heart. My entire form wavered before collapsing to the ground straight on my bottom. Oh, Atemu…
He laughed softly, but immediately shed his gentle demeanor. Instead it sat quite and harsh, anxious as I was to get this over with. All six priests hovered near the throne before the pharaoh himself perched high and on top. He cast a sorrow glance and I picked myself up, this time able to stand on my own two feet. Mana most likely had been shooed off or was hiding somewhere in one of the urns.
"We are here to determine the intentions of Yugi of the Mutous…my light." Atemu's voice boomed with authority and teetered with concern. Blood ran cold through my veins—another new feeling. I watched, anticipating the pain, and watched as he hesitated to call his priests forth.
"Go on," I mumbled quietly. "Do it."
Seth was the first to volunteer. He smirked knowingly, hands on either side. "Perhaps I shall be the one to put this petty fool out of his misery."
"No," Mahado sharply argued, "you will not." He looked over to Atemu, quietly exchanging messages and I already knew what it was: permission. The Millennium Ring dangled at his chest, much larger than the Millennium Puzzle and twice as intimidating. I didn't know what, but something about it made me…nervous. Mahado stood high, but not proud. Our conversation this morning drifted back to mind. Mahado had told me how much he adored having me around. He found my presence relaxing and it was nice to see my soul. When I asked him if we were friends in my meek voice, he was shocked, because he was going ask the same exact thing. "I shall extract his ka."
Atemu nodded, sliding to the edge of his seat and pulling into a contemplative state.
As I gulped, the Millennium Ring shimmered violently. The pulsing first started in my stomach and then surfaced up to my chest. A sharp breath fell out of my lips and fingernails were digging into the palms of my hands.
This was going to hurt.
I screamed, feeling all of the internal gears in my mind violently turning. My first instinct was to throw up and I rocked back and forth harshly to keep my headache at bay. Suddenly, I could see a second light shimmering and squinted. There was a third…and a fourth. Karim's Scale swished violently, but what really got to me was the Millennium Necklace and the Puzzle.
And I saw him. I saw those daring crimson eyes, a crooked smirk dangling high at his face and the crackling blond-white bangs that fell over his angular face like a storm. His skin was pale, but pretty and the gaze held across his eyes showed me acceptance. His soft chuckles reached my ears and before I realized it, I was…tearing up again. He was leaving.
No…NO! My darkness, he couldn't…he couldn't leave! There was another flash of light as I lunged forward before it all faded. I bit back the sob and closed my eyes. His image was gone. No. What did he look like? They had to do it again; the Items had to show me my darkness again! I needed to know what he looks like!
I needed to…I needed to know…who…who I loved before I fell in love with Atemu…
"Yugi!" I felt numb as the hands tangled across my body. Blinking through my tears, I looked up to the red….ruby red eyes that held such concern. He pulled me close and I began murmuring things even I didn't realize. "Please, little one, are you alright?"
"I…I…yes," I seethed. A raw breath flared through my nostrils and I picked myself up, Atemu helping silently. Soft mewls chimed in my ears, instantly the sedative to my entangled heart. I looked up and broke into a weary smile the second I saw him. "Kuriboh…?"
Kuriboh yipped happily and tackled my form. I almost fell to the ground again, had it not been for Atemu's hold. He propped a hand to my back firmly and hesitantly petted one of Kuriboh's messy tresses. "'Tis the mate of the leech."
Mate of the…I burst into laughter despite how tired I really felt and leaned into his form for support. Kuriboh, instantaneously angered, bit Atemu's hand. The pharaoh yelped in sudden pain, but I guess that was better than exploding like I knew my little furball could…literally. Mahado was ready to leap into action, concern settled on his face, but Atemu beat him to it.
"You…heathen!" He sprang forward in attempt to crush my friend, but failed. Kuriboh disappeared happily in my chest and a little bit of my energy came back. Atemu growled and it was really hard not to laugh because he actually was glaring at my torso.
"Sorry," I said halfheartedly as I folded my arms. "I know you don't really go for cute things."
That was enough to stop him. He looked at me, once again that thoughtful look appearing over his features before crossing his arms. "'Tis true," he confessed, "but you yourself are absolutely adorable and my heart has clung to you since the days of our first meeting."
That….was unexpected. Heat rushed to my face and my eyebrows furrowed uncertainly. I opened my mouth to speak, but never got the chance. In an instant, my entire body felt weak and I fell into his arms, head buried in his chest. He caught me gracefully, like he was expecting it to happen and I did nothing but bury myself in his grasp. "You planned this to happen," I mumbled.
"What? Rip the ka of my light and tear his essence away from my own?" He snorted quietly as he loudly announced that I would be taken back to his room. I was too tired to protest, and came up with the sensible conclusion that if you blinked, you'd be able to transport from the throne room to Atemu's in an instant.
I fell onto his bed in a thud and shuddered. I reached out, watching as he shed of his tunic, and whimpered. "Cold."
"I advise you to keep those clothes on," Atemu grinned tiresomely. When he put a new one on, I knew for a fact I wouldn't be getting my human blanket back, nor would he be staying for the night. "You must be well bundled from head-to-toe in your strange garment, little one. Until you are able to adjust to the climate, I suggest you stay as you are."
"…kay." I shifted in his bed. It was really comfortable. With a drowsy yawn I curled into myself and felt the blankets be pulled up to my ears. "Will you be back for tonight?"
"I shan't wander far." He kissed my ear tenderly and I heard his soft footsteps make their way toward the door. "I must speak to my court of what I've missed. Sleep, little one."
Memories were tingling in my head again. I shoved them away harshly and curled further into my form. What good were they now if I couldn't even remember the face of him? My…my darkness? There was a small hope in my gut, just wishing that my darkness was the answer to all my problems. I kept having visions of him because he was the one I was supposed to love. Not…Atemu. I sighed in discontent.
"Goodnight, little one."
Right. Too much has happened and I was disrupting the peace in Egypt. I could think about it later…it wasn't as important right now. Quietly I yawned once again and buried my face into his pillows. "'Night."
theotherme.
Okay…confession time. I have this weird freaky thing about me that happens in the middle of my sleep. A lot of the times in the puzzle as I try to get myself to sleep, I suddenly just wake up and when I regain consciousness again, I'm in front of a nearly completed puzzle without barely any memory. Sort of. Now that memory's just kind of in front of me; eheh. It was something weird that even Black Magician found puzzling, but we just dubbed it as my sleep-gaming. I mean, if there was sleep-walking, there was obviously sleep-gaming, right?
But it was weird when it would happen. Normally it spawned in one word and after that one little trigger, I would be off on some screwed up adventure. This time it was different; I had my own body and depending on what I thought about, my body would respond all trigger-happy.
I wanted friends. Somehow in my subconscious, I just deeply wanted that sense of friendship, yearning for it but I had no idea why. I woke up in the middle of the night, senses blocked, but I certainly felt an arm around my waist. Atemu. The candles had long burned out and I was barely able to see him in the wary ray of moonlight. His tan skin pressed to my sleeve happily, chin resting above my head like I was his stuffed doll or something.
Which…was really weird. I winced, feeling the puzzle dig into my side and backed away. And…he was bare. My entire face burned with embarrassment as I realized that as usual, Atemu had gone to sleep wearing nothing but a kilt to his waist and even then that was rare.
But I needed something, I realized. Quickly getting over my shock, I slid his arm away and pushed myself off the bed. I slowly tested my legs to make sure they would not give out on me and felt the wind pelt against my back. Another squirm left my lips, but through autopilot I told myself not to wake Atemu.
Now that my feet were cooperating, they brought me to the chest sitting at the edge of Atemu's bed. My fingers wrapped around the first cloak—or cape, depending on how you saw it—that was at the very top. Normally garments such as these were meant for the winter, but he strutted around in them like they were the latest fashion trend. A smile worked its way across my face and I slipped out of his room without any trouble.
Right. Friends, I needed friends.
Sensibly my mind sauntered off to find Mana, but that wasn't the type of friend I wanted. Instead, I found myself walking down the steps of the corridors, slowly sliding through the many odds and ends before getting to the first floor. I pulled the hood over my head, knowing if someone recognized the hair, they would surely think I was the pharaoh. And…it was cold. Colder than I was used to, and that was another sensible memory that went with the foreign land of my past life.
The guards wouldn't let me through even if I demanded in Atemu's booming voice. Remember, I was walking around without a mind; not stupid. Fortunately there was a back path made full of steps making climbing easy. Mana used to do stuff like this when she was little; this was how she escaped Mahado's wrath most of the time.
With a successful smile, I shimmied to the other side and suddenly paused. Something was clawing at my chest. Something…painful. With a heavy wince I knew I should have gone back, but…I kept moving forward. My feet treaded through the desert sands and later I knew I was going to have to ask Atemu for a pair of new shoes. Steel-toed boots weren't good in sand.
While scanning the area carefully, I reminded myself: friends. I want friends. Turn the left, past the corner, and stop at the mount shaped like two cats. Next was a right, then three feet and I paused once I heard crackling. Paranoid, I drew the cloak higher around my form and finally a smile strewed across my lips.
"Jono."
"Who goes there?!"
A mischievous grin fell across my lips. Nostalgia boiled in my stomach and I stepped first, hesitant, but hoped that he would recognize me. Jono was an infamous street-rat known best for his blond hair contrasting with his dark tan. He was able to get away with every little pickpocketing robbery, but really did have a good heart. He was like a dog; biting out of loyalty of his master and retreating to a harmless puppy at their side.
He dropped the large stick between his fingers and looked at me hesitantly before breaking into a smile. "Hey! Been a while, you know."
"I know." Now that I realized what in the world I was thinking in the middle of the night, I knew I wouldn't be able to get away from Jono so easily. It was like that when we first met, as well. Mana and I were out shopping in a market place and for a strange reason something had pulled me into his direction.
He stole the jar of honey I bought from a vendor, and after a wild chase we cornered him and found out he was getting it for his ill sister. I had guts, apparently, for spending the entire day trying to get back a jar of honey when I was a tiny pipsqueak. At the time I had been cloaked in order to shoo away unnecessary eyes and that was how he knew me. Cloaked and disguised.
On cue, he watched me with those dark eyes and arched a mischievous eyebrow. "You don't need to hide yourself in my presence, you know. S'not like I'm telling anyone anything stupid."
"Er, right."
"You need me for something?" Jono slowly waltzed up, crouching to my height. I flinched for a moment and hid under my flurry of bangs.
Yes… "I kinda just want a friend right now," I murmured softly. Suddenly I blushed and looked away. Despite the fact that Jono was a lot like the Jonouchi-kun in my memory, he probably still thought of me as a complete stranger. Jonouchi-kun would have readily grinned, pat me on the back and crush me in a hug, but…
Jono was doing the same. His grin widened slowly and he rubbed a hand against my back. "Want a hug?"
"That'd be nice." Without another word, he embraced me like he'd known me all his life and I smiled. It was nice to know there was at least some incarnation of Jonouchi-kun hanging around in Egypt. Immediately I recoiled to the sharp pain stabbing my head. I gritted my teeth and pulled away.
A look of concern fell across his face. "You okay, kid?"
"I'll…be fine—ow." I clutched my stomach and shivered again before falling to the ground on my bottom. Maybe 'fine' wasn't the right word.
"Fine my ass," he murmured as he rubbed my back. "We can hang out another time. Want me to take you home?"
"No," I quickly said. That would be bad. Showing up with a peasant—albeit the best one ever—at the gate of the kingdom would be wrong on so many levels. I frowned apologetically and looked to the ground. "I'm sorry for barging in when I shouldn't."
"Don't sweat it." Jono laughed softly and patted me on the back. "I just…don't know your name, you know?"
Oh. That was right. It was another thing when it came to having this body. He had absolutely no idea who I was even though I clearly knew him. Back then it was risky to sneak out while still possessing Atemu's body; if one little thing was set astray, I would have to be the one to pay for it. If Jono knew it was the king who I really was, or used to be, I'd be in deep poop. And if he knew my name… "Heba."
Well, that wasn't totally lying. Jono's face contorted with interest. "Heba? Like a game?"
"I like games." A small smile fell across my lips and I ignored the pain in my stomach. "I'll see you…later, Jono. I'm so sorry."
He nodded me goodbye as I turned around and I literally slapped myself while going back to the kingdom. What was I thinking; coming out here of all places in the middle of the night? Why did my memories have to possess me like they did? Why did I have to suffer under them and…
Why the heck was I lost?
I snapped out of my frustrated stupor and examined the area and indeed, I was lost. Oh, fudge. My eyes widened as the panic settled in and I fastened my pace. I was lost. It was the middle of the night, I barely knew where I was, and…fudge, I was lost! Another pain dug into my stomach and I gritted my teeth. Something was tearing into me from the inside.
"Are you looking for something?"
I yelped. "S…Siamun?"
"The one and only." Which was hard to tell. The old man had his entire face shrouded by a mask, save his large, friendly eyes. I'd seen these same eyes cast a worried glance to Atemu whenever he exerted too much energy and although he reminded me of someone important…he surely was important to Atemu.
My relief sunk. "You're gonna turn me in, aren't you?"
His demeanor radiated with laughter. A soft chuckle left his lips and he gestured toward a better-known direction in silence. I followed, knowing very well that I was going to get it. First I was separated from Atemu and now I was wandering around talking to those of lower class…it certainly looked suspicious.
"What are you doing out so late at night, Priest Siamun?" I tucked myself under Atemu's large cloak and grimaced at the next pain to shimmy up my stomach.
"You call this late while I call this early, young one." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and stopped me in a street. "The great disk of the sky shall rise soon enough. All you must concern yourself with is getting home. Though I must ask you…what are you doing out so late?"
"I take it you're not going to let me use that 'getting up early' excuse, are you?" I smiled softly to his other rumble of laughter and shrugged. "My…body calls."
"I see." Once again we walked in silence, but this time more comfortable.
I'd gotten lost in my thoughts while Siamun took me back to the kingdom. It settled back onto Jono and my odd sensations. The fact that one little word, the 'f' word—friends—triggered something meant that I needed to be more prepared than ever when in the middle of one of my episodes. Atemu was already worried enough something strange would happen to me, and…
A harsh pain jolting through my chest made me grimace.
"All the signs are there, do you not see?!"
"Yes, yes! I see!"
Siamun and I both stopped, eyes drifting to the sound of early voices. As he had said, the sun was already beginning to rise. My eyes fell to the tent before furrowing with surprise. Teana. I'd thought she lived somewhere in the palace halls, not…somewhere out here. Let alone in that hut. Next to her were two other women. One was old and fragile, many of her teeth missing and hair aghast. Her nose was high and large, one of her more prominent features while two earrings dangled precariously in her ear. One dragged and swished back and forth in her large piercing.
"She has all the signs, don't you think?" the young woman next to Teana smiled proudly.
Teana was green, the bowl in front of her clutched tightly as she took in the news.
"I have born seven children, she being my apple!" said the willowy old woman. She cackled insanely and patted Teana on the back. "All praise the new mother; jewel to the great Horus's crown!"
I caught my breath. Teana was…was pregnant?
"Yugi," murmured Siamun as he tugged my sleeve in concern. "'Tis time to get home. The Pharaoh shall worry if you are not—"
I fainted.
--
Author's Note:
I wanna give some kudos to Empress Spiral for catching the fact. One of her reviews slaps me silly for making her panic when there wasn't anything to panic and she thought Teana could be pregnant and…well, she was pretty damn right, haha. No, seriously…if you didn't see that coming, then I either suck with foreshadowing or you can't catch details. But if I say the latter I'm certain you will slap me, so we'll just go with….I'm working on cliffhangers for this story; can you tell?! Nervouslaughinsertedhere.
A bit of an update on my laptop; I'm not getting it back until next Thursday or Friday, and it sucks since next week is spring break. Guuys guess what! A week and a half; that's how long it took for this update and that's the longest I've gone! Hopefully I'll get another one in soon, just not…in the next two days. My fingers hurt, man. Well, I know half…most…all of you want to kill me, but just let me remind you that…I write this story? The rating will change to M sometime in the near future for good reasons, so those of you stalker-readers, it'd best be a good idea to have this on alert for easy access. Well, it's read…and if you're still planning on reading this fic, then review!