Yu-Gi-Oh! Return of the Pharaoh

Chapter 11: Darkened Disappearance

"Come on, Atem!"

Atem watched her in amusement, watched her beckoning to him, wanting him to play with her. She smiled the smile he loved so much, and he didn't know how to say no, but he wouldn't ever say no to her. He accepted her outstretched hand, and they began to walk alongside the beach.

'This is so amazing. Just me and her, walking hand and hand towards the setting sun. I can't believe I got so lucky so fast.'

Breathing in the brine air, he tilted his head back and gazed at the gorgeous orange sun. As he stared, his eyes widened in amazement as the sun's color began to melt away. He looked on as the sun went from a bright and warming yellow-orange to a dim and pale gray. Looking away, Atem saw that his entire surroundings were doing the exact same thing.

He looked at the girl still holding his hand, but the look on her face shocked him. The light and giggling expression that met him as he grabbed her hand was replaced by one of concern, worry, and urgency.

"Atem, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Don't you see what's happening around us? It's like all of the color is getting washed-"

"Atem, snap out of it! Wake up!" she said with increasing urgency, interrupting as if she hadn't even heard him.

"Wait, what are you talking about? I am up!" He said this with heavy conviction, but the same expression was still on her face.

Now she was shaking him.

"Wake up, Atem! We have to get out of here! Please, ATEM! WAKE UP!"

"Wake up…" he parroted, letting the words sink in. 'Am I asleep?…what's the last thing I can remember happening?'

Then he understood.

"Desani? I'm in trouble, I gotta wake up?"

He watched as he saw the beginning of tears appear at the corners of her eyes. He watched in horror as she began to wash out, just like the surroundings.

'If you aren't real, then this is a dream?'

She only stared at him with the same anxious look. "Wake up please!"

After saying it for the final time, her image began to fade, her form dissolving. Eventually, all that was left was the blackness that replaced the lovely scene.

As his subconscious gave in to the comforting dark, he was trapped in the sense of Desani's words.

"Wake up, Atem! We have to get out…wake up, please…wake up…wake up…"


"Wake up, Atem…we have to get out of here." Desani said as she shook his unconscious form frantically.

Her worried face furrowed into a sad grimace. 'Why does he refuse to wake up? He doesn't seem to have a concussion, and his body seems to be functioning properly.'

As Desani pondered the strange situation her friend was in, her eyes widened as she heard him utter a single word.

"Desani…"

She momentarily stopped her shaking, caught off guard by the sudden outburst of her name from his lips. 'Is…he dreaming about me?'

After falling silent again with no other words mumbled, she sighed and shook her head.

'We are in too much trouble for him to still be like this. He must wake up.'

Contemplating what needed to be done, Desani finally thought of an idea. Leaning forward, she pulled herself over Atem until her lips were a hair's length away from his ear. Trying a different approach, she softly whispered into his ear.

"Atem, please get up…for me. We are in a dangerous situation and I cannot save you and get us out of here unless you're awake. Please, my friend…don't let me resort to drastic measures. Wake up, Atem…wake up."

Upon hearing her plea, Atem suddenly stirred, his eyes twitching before slowly opening. Desani smiled to herself, relieved that he had heard her voice.

"Desani…it's really you…I thought you left me…you disappeared with the scenery," Atem mumbled incoherently, still not aware that he was dreaming.

"I didn't go anywhere, Atem. I've been right here. Please get up. I think the earth we were walking on was over a sinkhole that's just now showing itself, and I have to get you out of here. When I fell, I think you hit your head on something that knocked you unconscious, but I still haven't found the bump. So I'm not sure if my theory's correct. Do you think you can stand?" Desani's eyes never left his, making sure to catch him if he decided to black out again.

"My head…it doesn't hurt…so I don't know why I blacked out. Where…where are we?" Atem slowly turned his head from left to right, trying to understand why they were covered in darkness. Not hearing an answer from Desani, Atem looked up in her direction. What he saw surprised him. She was staring intently at him, her eyes revealing none of her thoughts.

"Desani? Did you hear-"

Atem's question was suddenly cut off by a sudden pressure squeezing on his wind pipe. Surprised even more so, Atem looked at the girl who had just wrapped her arms around his lying figure and given him a large hug- one in which literally took his breath away. He tried to ignore the way her body felt against his, but no sooner did she make contact with his chest did a tingling sensation run rampant throughout his very being. His breath caught in his throat as her unique scent filled his nostrils, momentarily making him imagine himself in a large oasis which seemed to be paradise.

'Being with Desani is paradise in itself…' Atem blushed at where his thoughts took him, but he didn't have time to think about it due to the fact that Desani was already pulling away.

She looked down at him and smiled, reaching out her hand. He looked at it, puzzled. In reality, the hug only took a few seconds, but it went on forever in his mind. When it ended, he immediately wished that she was there again, arms wrapped around his neck, her scent enveloping him in a world of peace and serenity.

"Um…what was that for?" Atem asked her, still confused about her actions.

"Atem…you were unconscious for so long…and it's extremely dangerous for us to still be here…and you wouldn't wake up…and I didn't know if I could save you…and now you're awake and talking. I'm just glad my friend is ok. Um…I can hug my friend, can't I?" Desani inquired with her head bent slightly at an angle, her eyes glimmering despite the darkness.

'She's so cute like that…NO! Stop…she's your friend. But she cares about me…she hugged me. O wait…what was her question again? Augh!' Atem mentally kicked himself as he desperately tried to remember what she asked him.

'I can hug my friend, can't I?'

Blinking, Atem looked at Desani. She hadn't said a word and was still looking at him intently, waiting for an answer, but he could've sworn that she had just said her question again.

'No, I just remember how she said it in my thoughts. Desani didn't say it again…did she?'

"Of course! That's not what I meant when I asked you that question," he replied sheepishly.

Desani smiled. "I'm glad to know that." As quick as the smile had appeared, it was gone. "I don't mind our little bonding time, but being under here for so long is not the safest option for us. We have to move, Atem."

Hearing the urgency in her voice, Atem looked at Desani with alarm. "I'm so sorry…I didn't know my being unconscious was causing a problem. You never answered my question though. Where exactly are we?"

Atem began to pull himself up so that they could find a way out. Desani made room for him, though after getting up, Atem realized that they didn't have much room at all. Eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, he took in an enclosed space that was made completely of earth. It was just high enough for him to stand, and wide enough for arm length, but all in all, it didn't give much moving space.

"Oh, forgive me. While we were walking up to my house, I believe we stepped on a weak spot that plunged us down into a developing sink hole. When I recovered from the fall, I couldn't find the hole that we fell from…which is odd seeing as we should have fallen straight down, not at an angle." As Desani pondered her theory to Atem, her brow softly furrowed into a slight frown.

"So you're saying we've been moved?" Atem asked her.

"Maybe…or maybe something closed up the hole."

"But…sinkholes don't close up once they open."

"Then where's the hole?" Desani calmly asked.

"Uh…" Atem couldn't give her an answer.

"Well, I'm sure we can find ourselves out of here, but we have to get moving." Getting up from her sitting position, she got up and stood almost face to face with Atem. Due to their proximity, they could hear each other breathing and sense the heat of the other's body. Slowly, Desani walked around Atem to get in front of him, but as she did, her body brushed against his. Atem took a sharp intake of breath. Hearing this, Desani looked up at him. Their eyes met, and Atem felt his heart slowly build up speed. Looking down at her, he saw a small smile brush her lips before it fell away. The moment passed, and Desani finished moving around him. Turning around, Atem pondered what her plan was.

"The sink hole seems to lead to a network of caverns, so following it should lead us to an above ground opening. Let's go," Desani softly commanded as she grabbed Atem's right hand. A jolt went straight up his arm as his hand made contact with her soft, warm palms, but he kept quiet.

"Don't worry, I'll have you out of here shortly," she said, turning to give him a reassuring smile.

"Hopefully we get out soon" was his only response. His thoughts were elsewhere.

'You shouldn't have to protect me, Desani. I already have a sorceress for that. But where is she? Does she wait until I'm in immediate danger? And why do I have a feeling that sink hole wasn't a natural occurrence? Hopefully it isn't due to the new evil the sorceress spoke of…but if it is, I truly hope she gets here before Desani and I get hurt.'

If only Atem knew how right he was…


'Dang.'

They have been walking for what seemed liked hours, and Atem's legs were starting to get heavy with fatigue.

'I don't think I've ever walked so far in my entire life,' the pharaoh thought to himself as his eyes drifted to his hand in Desani's. Ever since she took hold of it, she had been navigating them throughout the dark, endless earth corridors, winding them this way and that, not once wavering in her steps. Atem, on the other hand, took occasional missteps in the darkened caverns, his eyesight apparently not as sharp as the girl guiding him.

"Are you alright, Atem?" Desani asked, turning to look back at him. She slowed her steps in anticipation of his response.

"I'm fine," he answered quickly.

Desani stopped and just stared at him, raising an eyebrow in skepticism.

"Really? We've been walking this whole time and you're not tired at all?" Desani asked.

"Well, um…I can handle it. It's not a big deal. Plus, the more we walk the faster we'll get out of here." Atem averted his gaze and was grateful that it was too dark for Desani to possibly be able to see the blush that started to tint his cheeks.

When she didn't respond, he looked back her way and saw a soft smile on her lips, even a sliver of amusement lighting up her eyes. Desani then took hold of his arms and turned him until they were looking straight into each other's eyes.

"Atem. It's not necessary for you to tell me you're fine when you're obviously fatigued. We've been walking for about an hour now, and the few fumbles you've made lets me know that your legs are getting worn out. Maybe it'll be best if we rest for awhile. I want you to regain your strength before we go any further. I don't want to have to be carrying you on my back by the end of the night," Desani jokingly finished, winking and smiling at the flush that devoured Atem's face.

"Really, Desani. I don't want to slow us down." He looked at her quizzically. "I'm surprised you're not tired," he commented as he grudgingly took her advice and sat down on the cool earthen floor. She followed seconds later.

Desani looked over at him and gave him a look that read, 'You should know me better than that'. "If I can swim two miles every morning without breaking a sweat, I'm pretty sure I can handle a little walk through the tunnels," she said jokingly with a smile, but her inner pride shining through.

"Aw of course," as he smiled with her. 'I thought she could only swim a mile...o that's right. She swims a mile out, but has to swim a mile back.'

"I forgot Desani is able to do anything."

Her smile wilted off her face, and she looked away. She mumbled something that sounded like, "I couldn't protect you," but he doubted she said that.

"What did you say?" He inquired cautiously. She sat silent for a moment, and while she did, Atem couldn't help but look at her. Still in her bikini with her sarong wrapped around her, Desani was just as beautiful now as she was on the beach. Her coppered skin was so close that he wanted to reach out and touch her, but he knew that a gentleman didn't act like that, and he didn't want Desani thinking that he was trying to be perverted.

"I said I should've listened to you," Desani replied.

"Huh?"

"You don't remember our conversation before we dropped down here?"

"Um…" Atem flashed back to just moments before the earth beneath them opened up and swallowed them whole. "Oh yea…"


Atem looked up at the setting sun in the sky and smiled. Desani was walking beside him, they were making each other laugh, and it was basically the perfect ending to an interesting long day.

'So many things happened today…even with Desani getting attacked…but look at her. She's absolutely glowing! I've never seen anyone bounce back from a scare so easily and quickly before. She is very intriguing indeed.'

He looked over at Desani, who was giggling from a comment he just made. For some reason, it felt good to make her laugh…almost right. It was as if she was the other half he was looking for. He found the other half of his soul with Yugi, but with Desani, it was as if he found the other half of his heart.

'My heart?' He slightly frowned, trying to unravel the secrets of his thoughts. 'I must be crazy. I've just met her. There's no way I've become that attached to her in such a short amount of time…maybe it's due to the fact that throughout my life, I've lacked a lov-'

The pharaoh quickly halted his thoughts. He knew where they were headed and he was not about to dwell on the ruins of his past. They were far behind him and he finally found peace…that is until a certain sorceress interrupted that peaceful afterlife.

"You're like a breath of fresh air," he heard Desani say. Surprised, he looked over at the girl to the left of him, not sure if what he'd just heard was correct.

"I am? Please enlighten me. How am I?" Atem asked, very interested by her thoughts. Not trying to look desperate, he looked back towards Yugi and the others in front of them, but Desani had his ears' full attention.

"You…as well as Yugi…are not like other guys. Throughout the entire time you two have known me, you haven't thrown a lame pick up line my way. You've been decent, respectful, and courteous. It's great to know that gentlemen still exist during this time," Desani gushed, so happy to have friends like Atem and Yugi.

Atem was slightly thrown off…maybe from her wording…but he smiled nonetheless. He didn't expect to get such approval from her, and it just made his heart soar knowing that she didn't think bad of him…or Yugi. Then, like a huge storm cloud coming out of nowhere to ruin a festive parade, his shoulders limped as he recalled his little…confession from earlier that day.

"Thank you so much, Desani. I am very pleased to know that I have your approval." Atem flushed as he continued. "However, it makes me slightly uneasy considering what I told you back on the buoy. I feel like I did a little too much with the admission of feelings."

Desani just turned her head and smiled at him, showing her dazzling whites. "But you handled it unlike most guys. You were actually honest with me and you cared about my opinion. You didn't expect me to just fall for you and become yours like most guys do. I've come across many boys who aren't half as attractive as you are, yet they expect me to be grateful that they decided to even look my way. Men and their egos," Desani commented with a laugh, her eyes lighting up with delight.

Atem was amazed at what Desani just told him. 'She really thinks I'm attractive? Maybe I didn't hear right…I should ask again…No. I better not risk it. She'll probably just see it as me being egotistical.'

Instead, Atem responded with a slight smile and nod. "I am very glad you think so highly of me. I will do my very best to uphold those characteristics for you."

Desani smiled and nodded back. "Thank you very much. You're a good friend."

"As are you." They just smiled at each other.

"Not that I don't enjoy talking to you, but I think it'd be best if we catch up with the others."

"You're right. I don't want Mana worrying over her best friend." Atem looked at Desani and Desani looked at Atem. They simultaneously erupted in laughter.

"We most certainly do not want that," Desani got out between her fits of laughter.

"We most certainly don-," Atem was caught off as he felt his balance shift. No…it was the earth beneath him. He had stepped onto softer earth and now he was about to introduce face to dirt. He felt Desani grab him, but at the angle he was at, all it succeeded in doing was bringing her with him. They fell to the ground, Atem hitting soft ground, Desani hitting hard-bodied Atem.

"Ouch…" they both groaned before laughing at the synchronous sounds.

"Are you alright, Atem?" Desani asked, looking at the boy below her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. No serious injuries besides a possible bump to the head," he said with a smile, returning the look of the girl above him.

"This ground is so soft. I don't know when this happened because that has never been a problem…" Desani droned on, but Atem stopped listening after the word 'soft'. Soft, like how her body felt pressed up against his. Soft, like the lips forming words hovering above him. Soft, like her hands felt on his chest. Soft, like the beautiful tresses of her hair spread over his torso.

'Desani is so lovely. I've never met a girl like her before. A woman who is beautiful and knows she's beautiful, yet she isn't vain whatsoever. I wonder what it'd feel like if I pressed my lips to hers…'

Putting a stop to his thoughts, Atem pulled himself from his fantasy world and tried to focus on Desani's words.

"…I really must check this area out, because it may cause problems in the near future." Moving off of Atem, and unknowingly putting a damper on Atem's mood, she began to investigate the site that led to Atem's tripping and their falling. Atem, however, was starting to feel on edge.

"Um…Desani? Not to intrude on your investigation, but we should really get going. We should catch up with Yugi and the others before it gets dark. I don't think they'll like the fact that we just disappeared."

"In a minute, ok? I promise," Desani murmured as she continued to investigate the site.

'This site seems…unnatural. It wasn't here on my walk down to the beach, and I would've noticed it had it been. This was just formed, so something is definitely not right…I better relay this information to Narlin and Adria. This may prove to be dangerous in the near future.'

"Desani…" Atem softly called, looking off in the direction that their friends were walking, still oblivious that they weren't behind them.

"I'm sorry. We can go." Desani got off her knees and started to walk over to him. "I was just examining the problem so that I could-"

She was cut off by the collapse of the earth below her feet. The hole got bigger until it reached Atem. His eyes widened as he felt his body being pushed down by gravity. He reached for Desani and he held on to her, making sure she didn't make impact alone. With the speed of their falling, Atem barely had enough time to look up and see the sinkhole mysteriously closing up. Then, everything went black…


"Oh yea…" Atem replied, finally remembering. He looked at her and was saddened at the remorseful look on Desani's face. Unable to bear the thought of Desani being sad, he pulled her to him in a tight hug. "Don't worry. It's not your fault. You didn't know."

They stayed that way for several seconds before Desani pulled and looked away from him. "But I should've made sure you wasn't put in trouble. I should've had the mind to tell you to step back while I examined the area." Desani's face twisted up into a scowl- a face Atem had never seen on her face and looked absolutely horrifying.

'It's apparent she means business when she's upset. But even with that frightening look, she's still beautiful…even in anger her beauty never seizes to amaze me.'

"I'm such an idiot!" She balled her hands into fists and pushed them into her temples, closing her eyes, colored with anger. "I can't do anything right this way. I've been like this too long. It's such a nuisance now!"

Atem stared at her with eyes filled with questions. He had no idea what she was talking about, but asking her what she meant probably wasn't going to help at this point. Taking a gentle but firm hand, he laid it on her shoulder. Feeling his touch, she looked at him through the corner of her eyes.

"Whatever is bothering you right now, just know that I don't like you this way, and I don't want you stressing over something that you couldn't control. We're close to getting out of here, and we'll explain to the others what happened. Everything will be fine." He stood up and looked down at Desani. She returned his gaze, tilting her head slightly to see his face, but Atem instantly saw how cold and void of emotion her eyes were.

"Please stop this." Holding out his hand, he extended it to Desani. He kept it there until she offered a small sigh and gave him her hand. He pulled her up until she was on her feet and staring him in his eyes. Only two inches apart, neither overwhelmed the other, and the close proximity brought back the electric surges between them. It wasn't the time nor the place, but the silence and darkness brought them much closer together. Taking a bold and risky move, Atem raised his hand and cupped Desani's face, making sure her eyes connected to his.

"I am rested. It's time that we go."

Desani only nodded, a slight flush to her face, but nothing else that could reveal her inner thoughts. Even her eyes were trained from revealing too much. "Then let's go. I'm close to getting us out." Hesitating for a second, she stepped away from Atem's warm touch and took the hand that once held her face.

"Time to take you home, Atem," she whispered softly to him.

He nodded his head. "Time to take you home as well, Desani."

They began walking again, but this time, they walked shoulder to shoulder, neither ahead of the other. They walked for awhile in comfortable silence until Desani froze. She stopped with a force that shook Atem to his very core. He didn't know why her halt filled him with such agitation, but from the look on her face, he knew it wasn't good.

"What is it, Desani?"

She looked at him through the corner of her eyes before turning her forceful gaze back to the darkness in front of them. She spoke very low, and Atem almost didn't her, but from what she uttered, he wished he hadn't.

"We have a visitor."

In the darkness in front of them, Atem watched with surprise and horror as three glowing red eyes revealed themselves and leered at them, letting him know that they weren't friendly visitors at all.

"Well, well, well. Looks like we did capture the One she spoke of," one of the faceless pair of eyes snickered. "Looks like we'll bring back good news to her…we'll even get to tell her we destroyed his little accomplice."

Atem listened with rising anger. They wanted him, and now they're putting Desani in danger? Could it be the minions of the great evil the sorceress told him about? Why did she not warn him that she had the ability to come after him in this time? More importantly, where is the sorceress? If this wasn't a great danger that he was in, he didn't know what was.

Looking over at Desani, he saw the look of apprehension and strategy outlining her face. He realized that she was trying to find themselves out of this situation. If it wasn't for the gravity of the situation, he would've smiled. Even though she had no idea what was going on or what those…creatures were, she was still ready to keep them safe. She was a fine girl indeed.

He looked at the three pairs of eyes looking at them greedily and excitedly before, turning to look at Desani. She must've had the same thought because she turned to look at him. Atem knew he had to get her out of there. It wasn't her battle. He opened his mouth to whisper to her, and didn't notice that she did the same.

'I will not let her fight my battle.'

'I will not let him get hurt.'

Only one word was uttered, but two voices voiced it…

"Run."


A/N: Finally, after the longest hiatus i have ever had, I've returned with a chapter. I hope you enjoyed it...those who decided to return to my story...and I profusely apologize for the long absence. In my last chapter, I said i wasn't sure if i was going to finish this story. HA! yea right. There's too much for you guys to learn before i quit on it now! I have big ideas for this story, and this story WILL be written. as for the "mary sue" flaw, i think i cleared that prob up in this chapter. now ya'll gotta admit Desani seems more human now and less perfect, doesn't she? and i tried to tone down on the lovey dovey since this is a serious chapter, but i gave ya'll a lil sumthin-sumthin :-D. Anyhoo, thanks again to all of those who waited patiently for my stubborn butt to get back to my laptop and write this out. I reviewed my last two chapters and i almost gagged! All those mistakes! I'm going back to fix them, don't worry. Seriously tho, if my hours at work hadn't dropped, you all would still be waiting for an update! Well wait no longer! Im back and better than ever. The story must go on! Love you all and review as you please :-D

~AtemsDestinee