A/N: Hello everyone! First I want to apologize for taking so long to update. My summer class and job were taking up a lot of my time, but I've finally finished the class and can hopefully write more often. This fic will be coming to a close within another five chapters (more or less). So I hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading and thank you in advance to anyone who leaves a review! All my loving.
Many, many years ago—3,000 years in fact, in the land of Ancient Egypt, the Pharaoh and his council had created the seven-millennium items as a way to manifest power and defeat evil.
Each item had a special gift. The millennium eye gave its holder the ability to read minds and see past their own dimension.
The millennium scale has the power to judge the evil in one's heart and proclaim whether evil or good was prevalent.
The millennium tauk allows its owner the ability to see the past and future.
The millennium rod grants its beholder the ability to use mind control and seal away the souls of people into stone tablets.
The millennium ankh allows its beholder the ability to enter someone's mind and see their soul for what it is.
The millennium ring allows its beholder to find what they truly seek.
The millennium puzzle grants its beholder intelligence and the power to wield darkness.
Together, these items and their owners are nearly unstoppable.
Which would you wield?
"Definitely NOT the millennium puzzle! Sounds lame!"
"I know right? What does that even mean? I mean, if it helps me pass all my classes I guess I'll take it."
"Psh! Why pass your classes when you could take over your Sensei's mind? I want the rod!"
"The tauk would be really cool!"
"I want the eye!"
Yugi blushed at the thought of how cool it would be to have his own millennium item. He turned over to Ryou, watching the student smile to himself while deep in thought.
"Which would you pick, Ryou?"
Ryou shrugged softly, grinning all the while. "I think I would like the millennium ring," he stated calmly.
"Really? Why?"
"I don't know," he looked off into the distance. "The ability to always find what I'm looking for…what I desire…."
The way he projected it was like honey dripping off a spoon. His voice was light and yet rich with meaning. Yugi shivered at the sound.
"I'm always losing my socks, anyhow. It'd be nice to see where they go," Ryou topped off, almost with a sad finish. The addition threw Yugi off guard.
"This sounds fake, Sensei," a student interrupted the peer discussion. The whole class quieted down in response. "I've been studying the history of Khemet for a long time now, and I have never heard of any of this. Where do you get your information? Which Pharaoh was this, anyway?"
Kumi-Sensei giggled softly at her student's objection. "This is merely legend. There is no proof that any of this happened, however, a huge part of Egypt's history is stories and legends. I could avoid telling you these stories, but they are what make the magic of this civilization so special."
Legends. Maybe all legends are from another universe. Real things that happened that no one can prove, merely because the gods didn't want their creation to be found out.
Myths, what are they, anyway? How did they survive so many years? Some people can't even get their own friends to believe in something without being accused as a liar. So what is the real reason behind so many people knowing and retelling these semi bogus sounding tales?
Is it for entertainment? Is it for the sake of trying to satisfy people? Make them imagine what life would be like if only they were submerged into a different lifestyle?
Is it an alternate universe dripping truth into reality? Reality. What you think is a reality. Until everyone disappears as if they never existed to begin with.
Has it happened before? Will it happen again?
Those moments when you think you've done something before. Reliving the same exact moment. Who's to say that you didn't? Who's to say your mind isn't just remembering who you were? In another life? Another time. Another world.
When you look in the mirror for too long and have a moment of ultra-clarity. Overly aware of who you are to the point where your whole existence seems too good to be true.
I am a person. I am real. I have a soul. I am alive.
Does everyone have those type of moments? If you don't, does it make you a token of a universe? A universe that's not meant for you?
When you look up at the stars that dwell in the night sky and can't help but wonder, "is there something more out there for me?"
Well, is there? Who are we to know? And who are we to say?
Maybe we will never know. Maybe it's better that way. Because if the answer is yes, you might end up like…like…
You might end up like me.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
"Yugi! Yugi! Wake up! You will never believe what just happened! A true miracle! Wake up!"
"Five more minutes, Ji-chan—"
"Yugi? Well, never mind that. Wake up, now. A special someone is here to see you."
"Mhm," Yugi mumbled, rolling over in his bed. "Is it Rebecca? I don't want to see her."
A moment of hesitation followed. "Well, I'm just going to assume you had a long night and not ask any questions. But please, Ra has risen; therefore, you shall rise as well."
"Ra?" Yugi muttered. Sounds like something Atem would say.
Atem. Atem? Atem!
Yugi quickly jolted up, but the door had slammed shut by the time he was able to see.
However, Yugi didn't need to see who was at the door to finally understand what was happening.
He wasn't in Domino anymore. No. In fact, he wasn't in his old world at all.
He was in Ancient Egypt.
And with each fleeting second, his memories of his alternate universe were fleeting away.
"Shimon!" Yugi yelped, nearly falling out of his bed as he scampered towards the door.
He flung the door open and ran into the grand hallway. People were everywhere, but somehow he wasn't in shock by who they were or what they looked like. The majority of them wore thin white cloths. The men had them as kilts and the women wore a light dress.
As Yugi scurried through the hall, he ran into a familiar woman who was dressed much more lavishly than the rest. She had golden accessories adorned on her, clearly informing the public she was a woman of power.
"Lord Mutou, head to the Sorcerer's suite! It's urgent!"
"I'm headed there now, Isis!" Yugi grinned widely.
Excitement pulsed through his veins. He began to feel overwhelmed with emotions that he couldn't understand. Tears began dripping from his eyes and his heart raced faster with every step.
He bolted around corners, weeping in joy as he did. He couldn't stop looking out through the windows and thanking Ra for everything.
How he knew where he was going, he was unsure. It was home. A small part of him, a part that was not dominant at all, kept on wondering how he was managing. What was going on and demanding that he question everything.
But the larger part of him understood it all. It knew that he was home. It knew the faces in the hall and the way to get around. It radiated warmth, and Yugi would go with that.
"You don't realize what you've done!" A person jumped in front of Yugi, completely halting his race to the sorcerer's suite.
"Shada?" Yugi stumbled back in utter shock. "What are you talking about?" He questioned through his heavy breaths.
"I know you've been working with Mahad and Mana to bring him back, but you have doomed our kingdom, Yugi. You must be ready to pay the consequences."
"Sacrificing myself is not a consequence, if the situation demands it," Yugi answered with confidence. "But I am positive we will not need to take such an action."
Shada nodded in disappointment, stepping away to let Yugi pass him. "As long as you are ready to claim responsibility and accept the worst fate."
"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for his return, Shada. No punishment could be worse."
Yugi pushed past him and continued his journey. Excitement within the palace grew as he got closer.
Closer…closer. A few more steps. In the distance now….
Yugi breathed heavily as he stood outside the door. His heart bulged in his chest until he felt so much joy he could have fallen over right there.
Thoughts and memories attacked him as he stood there. His alternate life tried to sneak back in his head, but they were no competition for who he was now.
"You speak lowly of the millennium puzzle, but did you know that the puzzle belonged to the mighty Pharaoh?"
"No way! I don't believe it!"
"The Pharaoh should have had something much more powerful, like the ankh or rod!"
"But what good would that be for the Pharaoh? Why would Pharaoh need to go into someone's mind? Isn't that dirty work? There are other people for that."
"But what about the rod?"
"There was no need for the Pharaoh to control people's minds or seal away their souls. He had much more important things to do. Anyone can lock away a bad guy. Pharaoh didn't need mind controlling powers to get his way."
"What are you insisting, Kumi-Sensei?"
"The puzzle was the perfect item for Pharaoh. With it, he held intense power and intelligence. The type that could execute dominion over an empire. The kind that could take over the world."
"What do you think it looked like?" A student asked.
"Well, based off research, we have reason to believe the puzzle looked like this."
Kumi-sensei pulled out a marker and began sketching it out on the board. The whole class gasped immediately.
"Hey! That looks like the puzzle that Yami wears!" The student who called out Kumi-Sensei before yelled out.
"Hm, it does, doesn't it? I guess you're not the only one who studies the history of Ancient Egypt, are you?"
The door swung open before Yugi could grasp it.
The person before him was sobbing. Not tears of joy. Not tears of anger. Not tears of sorrow. But they were crying. They halted before Yugi, but the sudden stop caused a few of their tears to fly at Yugi's face.
"Karim?" Yugi faltered back. "What's wrong?"
Karim closed his eyes tightly, opening them slowly in acceptance. "Nothing. Nothing yet." He looks at Yugi intently. "But my heart aches for the future."
He sets off past Yugi in an angered manner.
In that moment, Yugi grew nervous. It overtook him. Starting in his chest and spreading through his arms and fingers. He wasn't sure how to go about an action that should have been simple. But then again, most things in life weren't as simple as they seemed.
Yugi entered the room. People filled every spot. It was so loud and bustled that Yugi was unsure of what he was doing there.
"Lord Mutou!" Someone called out. Immediately everyone bowed to acknowledge his entrance.
"Let him through! Everyone let him through!" A voice hollered, attempting to part the crowds of people. They moved to make room.
"Mana?"
"Yugi!" She teared up, throwing her body weight against him in a complete embrace. "Welcome home," she whispered for no one else to hear.
Those words struck a chord in his heart.
Welcome home. Words spoken when someone returns. Yugi did return, didn't he? It was a distant realization, but it was there.
"Mana, is he here?" Yugi grabbed her shoulders, squeezing them in a loving way.
She grinned, wiping her tears all the while. "He's home! He's finally home!"
How long had it been? How long did everyone suffer due to the loss of their king?
Yugi claimed to everyone that it had been a long time. And although that was partially true, it partially wasn't.
"We've waited so long for this!" Mana extended her arms out to shake Yugi in excitement. "It's been years!"
Years? Had it really been years? How many years?
That's when it hit him.
The pain. The sorrow. The remembrance of separation from his only love. And even the years he lived in his alternate home without knowing Atem had even existed.
Painful, long, dull years.
"Let me see him!" Yugi yearned.
Mana smirked at his enthusiasm, moving her hand to gesture to the back room. "Follow me!"
Yugi shook his head firmly and followed her, studying all the mixed emotions on the faces he passed.
"Mana….how many years have passed?" Yugi questioned. He should have known. He knew many things about Egypt. His soul had pieced back together quite nicely, but the passing of years was one thing he couldn't put his finger on.
She turned her head to look at him, "Two years."
Two? Only two? That's not so bad. Better than the full lifespan a piece of me went through.
They approached the sanctuary where Atem rested. The door was locked.
"Why is it closed off?" Yugi asked.
"Pharaoh is only meeting with a few people at a time," she explained. "It's very draining for him to take too many people on at once. But don't worry, they'll let you cut the line," she winked playfully.
Yugi chuckled, mostly out of nerves. He nodded, suppressing a few shivers here and there.
"Mahad! We've got a special visitor!" Mana knocked on the door.
Slowly the door opened. A few people walked out, bowing in respect to Yugi as they saw him. Mahad came into sight shortly after. Stoic as always, but comforting in presence.
"Lord Mutou," he nodded in respect.
"Mahad," Yugi bowed back. "It's a pleasure to see you."
The mage stared back intently. He gestured through the doorway to encourage Yugi to pass.
Yugi smiled by habit, taking in a deep breath and continuing onward.
His whole presence tingled. His eyes even shut for a split second longer than usual when he meant to blink.
Why am I so nervous? I've been waiting for this for so long. He's my true love—I shouldn't be so—so scared.
Perhaps because this would be the first time he'd be fully reunited with his love for a long time. Life was different than it was before. He had different perceptions and another life to account for. How would it change things?
As long as we're together. That's all that matters.
"Yugi, open your eyes."
They were closed? No way!
He wanted to. He really did. But they wouldn't open. For a split second, he was in another world. One that he was familiar with. That old dorm building. He could barely remember what it looked like, but he could experience the sensation of nerves that he had felt when first approaching Atem. That's how he felt.
Uncontrollably nervous.
"Yugi. Look at me."
There weren't many things to hear, but his heart beat seemed much too loud. For a moment, he shivered just at the realization that everyone was listening to his pounding heart as if it was a song on the radio.
Radio's….I'll miss those.
"Yugi!" Mana grabbed his shoulder, massaging it with her thumb. "It's okay, Yugi. Let's open our eyes together!"
"But you're eyes are already ope—"
"Sshh Mahad! Pretend!"
Yugi could feel his lips curl into a smile.
"On the count of three, okay?" She cooed. "Ready? 1….2…..3!"
And so he did. He opened his eyes.
A simple task. Mana opened her eyes too. If they ever closed to begin with.
One second things were dark, and the next, everything was given light.
He could see things now. He could see Mana and Mahad in front of him, looking at Yugi as if he was their special present. He could see tables filled with potions and books of spells. He could see the altar in the middle of the room.
Someone was on it.
Yeah, someone Yugi knew pretty well.
That person was smiling softly. Out of love, but mostly out of worry for the one who returned his gaze.
They both wanted to speak, but no words came out.
Instead, Yugi slowly walked towards him. In return, the person got up from his seat, approaching Yugi in favor.
And suddenly, the air grew cold. Repressed emotions smacked Yugi in the face when he least expected it.
He broke down in tears, running towards his love, jumping into his arms.
"Atem!" He cried. He couldn't hear the very words he spoke, but he knew his love received them. Because he could see the word "Yugi" mapped out on Atem's lips.
It was a suffocating moment. Yugi felt as if he was drowning in his emotions. He threw himself into Atem's arms and sobbed onto his chest. Atem huddled him in so close that Yugi could barely breathe.
But Yugi didn't need air. He needed Atem.
And at the moment, that was exactly what he was getting.
This draining feeling overcame Yugi, allowing him to cry more, as if he was letting out all of the stress and tension that had built up over the years.
He was crying for his soul. For his Egyptian soul, and his alternate soul. They both bore a lot of pain. They both needed to be accounted for.
And although Yugi had suffered through so much, all he could think of saying to Atem was "Please forgive me! Forgive me for allowing you to go through this. Forgive me for not saving you sooner!"
Atem, dressed in only his kilt, massaged Yugi's back with the palms of his hand.
"Do not say such things, my light. I could never blame you for anything. All I could ever say are kind words. For that is all you ever deserved."
Yugi snuggled his head into Atem's chest, continuing to cry relentlessly. Suddenly, he felt a drop of water fall on his forehead.
Yugi looked up in curiosity. "Atem?"
Atem's wine eyes were flushed with water, a result of the pure joy and love overflowing in his soul. "Is the Pharaoh not allowed to cry?" He asked sweetly.
Yugi smiled in response. "Cry with me, Pharaoh. Cry."
And so they did, in each other's arms, for hours upon end.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
"Make way! For our King has returned!"
The celebration was unreal. Although Yugi's memory was piecing together well, he for some reason felt a tad uncomfortable by all of the attention he and Atem were receiving.
Something I'll get used to soon, he figured.
People tossed desert flowers at Atem and Yugi as they galloped hand in hand down the grand hall. The two were filled with laughter and smiles as they made their way across the palace, extending their love to anyone who passed by.
It didn't take long for them to finally enter the Pharaoh's suite, where they crashed into each other's arms with laughter and joy.
"Yugi!" Atem chuckled, tickling and running his hands all over Yugi's body as if his touch quenched his dehydration.
"Atem! Can you believe it? Can you believe we're here? It's been so long!" Yugi cried.
Atem hummed, smiling at Yugi's cheerfulness. "For me, we were just together in a garden not too long ago."
Yugi's innocent smile sobered into a curious gaze. "You remember it all clearly, don't you?"
Atem nodded with a heavy sigh. "Perfectly so. And you? How is your memory?"
Yugi slumped back in bed, blowing his bangs out of his face. "Fading by the second, so it seems." He looked up to his love, studying his wine eyes and the curves on his face. "It's less of a picture memory and more of a feeling. Kind of like a long dream that leaves an impact on you, but you can't exactly remember how or why."
"You've reunited with yourself. As I explained, the gods took a small piece of your soul to create you in the alternate world. Now that you've joined with your Egyptian self, your alternate memories are fading away as this lifetime becomes dominant."
"But…Atem…" Yugi whined, avoiding eye contact in embarrassment for what he would soon say. "I don't want to forget."
The Pharaoh looked out towards his window, mumbling "I do," under his breath.
"I want to go through this with you. It's not fair if I can forget that world and you can't."
"It's okay, Yugi. It's part of the consequence of my sacrifice." Atem noticed the unbearable worry on Yugi's face, and instantly smiled in response as a way to ease his preoccupation. "Yugi, relax. It's the least of our worries now. We're home. We're together. This is what we wanted. Nothing else matters."
"Well, there's one thing that matters. We still have to—"
*Knock Knock*
The two quickly looked over to the door in confusion.
"Who could that be?" Yugi asked.
"Beats me. Probably one of the guards. Though I'm not sure what business they have with me now."
"You're too popular, Pharaoh. Everyone wants to see you," Yugi teased.
"Yeah," Atem snickered. "Well right now, the only person I want to see is you." Atem winked sweetly.
Yugi jumped up in excitement, "Oh I know," he revealed, heading towards the door to answer anyways.
"Yugi, tell them I'm not in the mood to talk….if you would."
"Sure thing, Pharaoh."
Yugi pranced to the door. The knocking continued, heavier than before. "Just a second," Yugi huffed, grasping the knob to swing open.
"Lord Mutou."
Yugi froze in complete surprise.
Why is my body tingling? Why can't I move?
Yugi's eyes widened at the sight of whom was before him. His body shivered noticeably as he stood before their guest.
"Yugi, who is it?"
Yugi couldn't answer. In fact, Yugi barely even heard what Atem asked to begin with.
"Lord Mutou, is there a problem?"
"Yugi?" Atem got off his bed and made his way to the door, which was in a little hall that blocked off sight from the rest of the suite. "Who is—"
Atem froze. Not vulnerably, like Yugi, but more so in complete shock. His face flattened at the sight.
The person before him bowed in respect.
"Pharaoh," he acknowledged in respect.
"Priest Seto," Atem replied. "Please, come in."
()()()()()()()()()()()()
"You didn't stop by the Sorcerer's Suite," Atem mentioned softly as the three of them sat down.
Priest Seto merely blinked at the statement.
"Too many people," he finally answered, looking straight into Atem's eyes. "Besides, I needed to confront you alone. There is much we need to discuss."
"Alone?" Yugi asked, afraid of being kicked out so soon.
"Whatever you have to say, you can say with Yugi by my side."
"Alone from your guards and priests, Pharaoh," Seto elaborated. "Everything we need to discuss involves Yugi as well."
Atem nodded in understanding. "Then by all means," he gestured politely.
Seto glanced at Yugi, waiting for Yugi to accept his presence.
"Whenever you're ready."
Seto took in a deep breath, keeping his head held high. "First, I must apologize, Pharaoh. During your sacrifice, I was seeking Priest Aknadin."
"I recall," Atem stated.
"Priest Aknadin, whom I later learned was my father, had been possessed by Zorc around the time you were being encouraged to tell Yugi of his true purpose."
"Priest Aknadin was your father?!" Atem gasped softly.
Yugi, on the other hand, was not surprised. He somehow knew this information.
"Yes."
"That makes us cousins," Atem looked to the ground in realization.
"Correct."
"What happened? Is he okay?" Atem continued, startled by the information.
"No."
Seto answered so blatantly that it caused both Yugi and Atem to exchange glances.
"Unfortunately, Aknadin was consumed by the evil in his heart before you were able to bind yourself with Zorc."
Atem lowered his head slightly, intertwining his fingers together slightly. "And you? There were rumors in the palace that you may have given yourself over to the darkness."
"I was tempted," Seto revealed. "But I am not my father. I was able to overcome the temptation. Aknadin committed many sins, Pharaoh. Someone needed to be held accountable."
Yugi's eyes widened as he remembered having listened to something very similar before. Atem noticed his change of expression immediately and questioned him about it.
"Aknadin was responsible for the massacre of Kul Elna. He used the souls of that village to create the millennium items," Yugi explained softly.
Atem froze in fear, realization racing through his mind in the most painful of ways.
"My father would have never allowed that!" Atem jumped to his feet.
"Your father did not know of the massacre, Pharaoh. Aknadin left out that tiny detail."
Atem shivered as he realized the truth of the situation. It left a nasty tingle on his skin. "When Aknadin went missing…" he returned to his seat.
"It was because the darkness had caught up with him," Seto continued. "Everyone in Kul Elna was brutally murdered, except for one child. This child grew into the notorious Thief King. He carried the burden of this massacre with him until it manifested into pure hatred. This hatred consumed his heart, and became the resting place of Zorc, whom is a demon that birthed from the pained souls who were lost.
"The Thief King found Aknadin, and removed his millennium eye. Darkness infiltrated him, and so he went missing for quite some time. Aknadin was an important guardian in my life, so I went after him. However, it didn't take long for the truth to be revealed. I apologize for not being around during such an important decision in your life, Pharaoh."
Atem was unsure of how to answer. Instead, he kept his gaze on the floor and squeezed his hands together as he tried to comprehend this information.
"Before I could return to the palace, I had to come to terms with everything I learned. By the time I returned, I learned of Pharaoh's sacrifice." Seto's face tensed up as he continued to speak. "Finding the Thief King became a personal vendetta. I ordered all of our armies to find him. I wanted him captured for his crimes." Seto took a deep breath as he retraced his memories. "Now he is awaiting his death sentence."
"You have captured the Thief King?!" Atem gasped in shock.
"Yes, he is scheduled for death in three days' time."
"Priest Seto, killing the Thief King will not halt the darkness. It would merely jump to another host."
"It hardly matters to me," Seto shrugged. "Darkness cannot cease to exist, but he can."
Yugi looked up, glancing back and forth at Atem and Seto.
"You will hold off on his execution until I say so," Atem stood up, brushing off his kilt.
Priest Seto immediately stood up in respect, knowing it was a gesture for him to leave.
"By all means," Seto responded. "What plans do you have for him?"
"Excuse me?"
"You must have plans for him. You must have plans for yourself."
Atem glanced at Yugi in confusion. Yugi shrugged in response.
"Pharaoh, you did not come back to this world without a plan." Seto turned to Yugi, staring him in the eye. "Lord Mutou and I were prepared to be split with pieces of our souls for a lifetime, weren't we?"
Silence.
He remembers.
Atem's jaw dropped in surprise. Considering Seto never mentioned the alternate universe, Atem figured his memory of it vanished.
"You remember?"
"Not as much as you, of course. But the feeling lingers."
Yugi stared intently at Seto, increasingly desiring the ability to talk with him privately at some point and gloss over what they could remember together. However, he knew that in this lifetime, it would be much more challenging than it would have been in their alternate setting.
"Thank you for having me, Pharaoh. I'm sure we will see each other rather soon. I will inform the prison guards of the delay for the Thief King's execution. You know how to reach me, I assume?"
"I'm sure I can manage," Atem responded slyly.
"Then so be it," Seto gestured while being lead to the door. Before exiting, he turned around to face Yugi and Atem. "Hopefully soon you will inform the council of your plans. The course you are currently on has Yugi dated for a sacrifice in compensation for your return."
"I wouldn't worry, Priest Seto. Yugi and I have a pla—"
Plan.
Those were the words he wanted to say.
But he never got the chance.
With a loud screech, a painful burn in his chest, and the arising deafness in his ears, Pharaoh Atem collapsed to the ground.
Blurriness danced around his eyes, ceasing him from witnessing how Yugi and Seto reacted to his collapse.
I'm sure they are calling for help.
A likely thing to do, but I don't need it.
I know where this is going.
If only I had the time to tell them.