Hello chappies, if you know the reference to this good for you have a cookie, well it have been nearly a year I thinks since the last time updated this fic and unfortunately this chapter will be extremely short compared to the last five. I must admit that I have lost some love to this fandom and inspiration for this fic has been hard to find. However I would like to thank every single one of you that have reviewed and have asked me to continue with this fic… reminding me that I did promise you a conclusion to Atem's memorial adventure.
Night rapidly approached the group. Before they knew it, the next morning quickly came. Mana and Atem kept their distance from the group, to engross with discovering one another.
"Mahad, will you ever be able to forgive them?" Isis asked.
The magician sighed. "I am not truly angry at them, Isis… but mostly at myself for not seeing it. All those times that they disappeared and how casual their relationship always seemed to be…."
Isis nodded. "Yes; we could all be blamed, but isn't it better that they were able to find love… even before our world fell into chaos?"
Mahad grunted, despising that he could see the logic in what she was saying.
"We are not so innocent… or have any right to be judging them…." She said softly, not meeting his eyes and made sure no one could over hear them.
Mahad frown and looked at his descendent. How the horrors of the past could still taint the blood of the present.
"I would have loved to seen my son grow…" he said absently.
Isis grinned fondly. "He was a lot like you. Very studious and stubborn… live to annoy Mana and use to beg her to teach him how to be a magician. Of course, she didn't… shadow magic was lost with her. Her people were never found again."
"Um… Priests…?" a shy voice surprised them out of their thoughts.
Isis smiled at the younger, more innocent version of her Pharaoh. "Yes, Yugi, how can we help you?"
"I-I wish to understand why the relationship between Atem and Mana wasn't allow back in your time." He said, glancing carefully at his partner.
"Pharaoh Atem isn't the first in his family to fall for the forbidden fruit. His great grandfather was the first and it is because of him that the laws were placed," Isis started to explain to the young duelist, not aware that the others, except the happy couple, were hanging onto her every word. "Their story does not have a happy ending. Before they were wedded, the court found out and killed the young girl. Fortunately, the Pharaoh had already produced an heir with one of his concubines and the young boy was nearly of age. A few years after the incident and when the Prince became of age, the Pharaoh renounced the throne and disappeared."
Yugi stared at the Priestess in shock. "Don't you think that was a little harsh?"
The ancient woman shrugged and looked straight ahead. "Perhaps, but it is not in our right to judge our ancestors."
Mahad nodded. "It wasn't till Pharaoh Atem that history repeated itself."
Yugi nearly cried out in surprise when he heard Atem snort in disagreement.
"That is not true, Mahad; my father, Pharaoh Aknamkamon, had a commoner as his wife."
"I'm sorry, Pharaoh but you are mistaken…" Isis started to say softly, though was interrupted by the young ruler.
"It was a very well guarded secret, Isis; I did not know until I was 16 summers of age and I told him about my relationship with Mana. It would seem that his brother, Aknadin helped my mother fit into court life and learnt to play the part of a court lady."
Next to him, Mana giggled, "So that's where you get it from?"
Atem turn to her and gave her a curious look. "Get what…?"
She shrugged. "Your disregard for the rules. Though, I wonder, do you know where your mother originated from?"
"No, my father never told me. Why do you ask, Mana?"
The young magician shrugged. "Your Shadow Magic is too strong for it to not to be from a pureblood relative form you to have inherited."
Bakura smirk. "Perhaps you two are long lost cousin or something…."
Mana's expression darkened. "Not funny, thief. My family was completely killed when I was five as you easily know!"
The thief held his hand in front of him. "I was just kidding!"
Marik turn to the young magician. "Why was your family killed?"
"Marik-" Atem started to growl menacingly. Mana placed her hand on his shoulder, telling him it was all right.
"Because they were shadow wielders, magic came naturally to them. My people weren't allowed to marry anybody that could wield the shadows, since their offspring would have unprecedented powers. My parents were exiled from their village because they broke that law; soon after, my mother discovered that she was with child. Outside of the village and Egypt's capital, people who could control their Ka were hunted down and killed. The village where they lived persecuted them and gave them a slow death.
"Years later, they came after my aunt and me. They killed her instantly and as I was slowly tortured and starved. The darkness that thrives inside my veins broke loose and I slaughtered that whole village. The amount of power I have comes with a heavy price…."
Marik looked at the girl with some newfound respect, since she could really cover up her screwed up past with that cheery smile.
" And what was the price?" the blonde Egyptian asked carefully.
"The ability to bare life," she said sadly. Atem pulled her closer, trying to comfort her.
Mahad looked at his student intently. "Mana, how do you know this?"
She tilted her head and thought back to happier times. "After we wedded in the traditional sense, Atem and I went to search for information about my past. We found an old library near the southern border that contained information about the Shadow Games and about my ancestors. The scrolls spoke of how my people came to be; but after looking through the history, we saw that a book was missing and that the library was half destroyed. We finished the job a few days after."
"You shouldn't have done that, the history, the-" Isis began to scowl the young girl.
"Isis, it was my family's history and that power had already done enough damage; it is good that it was lost to the sand's of Egypt."
Isis looked at Mahad and frown when she saw that he wasn't going to support her.
"Marik, when will we reach that stupid tomb?!" Kaiba called from the front.
Marik rolled his eyes in annoyance at the spoil CEO. "Tomorrow morning, you idiot; but before that, we have to know what sort of traps the Priests set up to protect the tomb!"
Bakura grinned and turn to the glowering couple. "So our dear Isis, what shall we be facing in there?" he asked confidently. It can't be worse then the Nameless Pharaoh frustrating tomb. Really the guy loves games way too much.
The Priest sighed. "It will be very similar to the Pharaoh's tomb. The instant we walk into the ancient building, we will be trapped in a Shadow Game. There will be four different levels that we'll have to pass and with any luck nobody will die."
Yugi paled, he had heard the story of how his grandpa had gotten the millennium puzzle. If it hadn't been for an immense amount of luck, Solomon would have died.
"Yugi relax," Atem's deep voice interrupted his musings. "Bakura, Mana and I will be going into the tomb. All of us are already supposed to be dead. I won't ask either of you two to give your life for me. Isis and Mahad, you stay out here to protect them, the less people that go in the less likely someone will get hurt."
Mahad nodded. "Very well, Pharaoh; though, I'm surprise that you are allowing Mana to go."
The young ruler smiled. "She will only argue until I agree to let her come."
The brunette next to him giggled, "You know me so well, Prince!"
"After all these years… I expected that I should." Atem replied with an indulging small smile.
Mahad turned the CEO, "What will you do?"
Seto huffed in annoyance, "I do not see the reason as to why I should a filthy dusty tomb… there is nothing for me to gain."
Mana snickered. "You just sound scared to me."
The prideful arrogant prick glared at the girl but decided not to answer. In truth, if he even decided to believe in all of this stuff… he could at least internally admit that he would be of little help.
There you go and as I had warned you it was short, I would like to thank Aqua girl 007 for being the ever-patient beta and BlAcKoNiX for encouraging me continue with this fic.