Morning had come for good. Everyone was sitting in the living room when Ishizu walked in for the first time with a smile on her lips. Yugi automatically jerked up.
"How is he?" he asked
Ishizu's smile became wider.
"Pharaoh is getting better and better every passing moment. He wishes to speak with you"
Yugi practically ran upstairs. He opened the door. Inside a sun-illuminated room he found Atem standing, gazing outside the window. He was dressed and seemed perfectly fine.
"Yami…"
He turned around and looked at him.
"Oh, Yugi! I'm glad you came"
"How are you?"
"Better"
He supported himself on the bed's edge.
"You're still a little weak"
"It's nothing! I'll be fine till tomorrow morning"
They got lost in each other's eyes for a little while. Both of them seemed a bit uneasy. Yugi was the one to break the silence.
"I can't believe we did it Ya…emm…Atem…Pharaoh…"
Atem smiled. Yugi smiled back.
"Well, I guess I can't call you 'Yami' anymore"
"No" Atem smiled, "call me however you want"
Yugi looked at him.
"Yami is still my name. I am still…dark!" he said in a tone that made Yugi giggle
"Yes but…you've changed. So calm…so proud…your face is shining all over"
Atem was looking at him with his pride beautifying his face.
"…but your eyes are still dark…and they are shining at the same time"
Atem chuckled.
"By the way, what does your name mean? I mean…your real name?"
" 'Atem'?"
Yugi nodded.
"It is the name of an Egyptian god of the sun. 'Atum' or 'Atem' means… 'complete'. The god of setting sun"
"And you, after all this time, you're complete"
"Yes. After 5000 years. At last…" Atem whispered
Yugi thought for a second.
"Then how about two names?"
"Two names?" Atem raised a brow
"Yeah, why not? Many people have two names. Atem Yami Muto. What do you think?"
"I think it's a wonderful idea, Yugi" he replied
He turned his gaze outside the window. Yugi heard him chuckling softly.
"What?"
"It's strange. In the beginning I had one name. Later, when I became Pharaoh I had five names when I became enthroned along with all the others they gave me"
"Like what?"
" 'Your Excellence', 'Your Majesty', 'Great Pharaoh'…"
Yugi giggled. Atem chuckled too.
"…then I had no name at all and now…I have two"
Now it was Yugi's turn to be silent.
"What?"
"Nothing, it's just…we're family and I don't know anything about you"
"So you want to know about my past?"
Yugi nodded. Atem seemed thoughtful for a little while.
"What would you like to know?"
"Everything"
Atem smiled and sat on the bed.
"Here. Sit" he said patting a spot on the bed right next to him.
Yugi sat.
"When I re-gained my memory, I remembered things I thought I had forgotten long time now…like the day I was born"
Yugi appeared to be shocked.
"You remember the day you were born?! Awesome! How is it?"
"It's strange. In the beginning the only thing I remember is thick darkness, then a small ray of light. I felt the air getting for the first time into my lungs and then I saw all those faces above my head. Everything was so huge and I wanted to explore everything! Everything seemed so new to me and so exciting… My father took me to the balcony and held me high in front of the people. The world seemed so big and endless…" he was gazing somewhere else with a dreamy glance.
He then turned back to Yugi.
"However even then I was a vampire. To be exact I was a vampire since the day I was born"
Yugi opened his eyes wide in surprise.
"You mean you were born a vampire?!"
"What? No, no! Of course not! Even if my parents were vampires, you can't be born as a vampire, unless someone Turns you. If I had vampire parents I would have had some instincts even before they Turned me but still I wouldn't be a vampire"
"But then…who…?"
"Isfet" Atem said softly and absent-mindedly
"Who?"
"Isfet. His name stands for the opposite form of Maat, which means 'justice' in ancient Egyptian. The vampire that also turned me now"
For one more time Yugi widened his eyes in surprise.
"The vampire who bit you in Halloween was…an Ancient one?!"
"He was" Atem smiled, "He had lived till now only to turn me again"
He once again made a pause. Yugi swallowed hard.
"What…what happened?"
Atem smiled.
"The night of my birth…"
The moon was full, shining in the middle of the sky over the land of Egypt. The silence was absolute. Inside the palace, in a small crib was sleeping the newly born Prince of Egypt. Then, behind the transparent linen curtains that were waving with the evening breeze, a dark figure made its appearance. He smirked revealing his sharp fangs. He approached over the baby's crib soundlessly. His long, black hair was shining in full moon's light. His white skin was glowing. As if the little baby sensed his presence, opened its small violet eyes and smiled up at him. It shook its plump little legs and raised its plump little hands upwards, giggling as if asking from the vampire to take it in his arms to play. Isfet smirked.
"Hello, little Prince" he whispered and bent over the crib suddenly.
The small baby cry echoed through the serene of night…
Somewhere close in the royal camber, the Pharaoh and the Queen opened their eyes sleepily.
"Ah…I heard something…" the Queen murmured
But then both of them suddenly woke up completely.
"The baby!" both exclaimed in union
They immediately jumped out of the bed and Aknamkanon grabbed a sword. They ran into their baby's chamber. They stormed into the chamber and an exclamation of terror came out of their lips when they saw the black-dressed man raising himself with blood around his lips. The baby's crying could still be heard.
"Atem!" the Queen screamed before break down in desperate crying
"Monster! Stay away from my son!" Aknamkanon barked and tried to cut the vampire in half, "Guards!" he roared, "Guards!"
Isfet simply leaped, avoiding the sword and landing close to the window. The Queen took the baby, who was crying, out of the crib and squeezed it in her arms. From the tender little neck of the baby blood was emerging from two small holes.
"He bit him!" the Queen was crying, "He bit him!"
"We'll meet again, little Prince!" Isfet smirked before leaping out, getting lost in the night.
"After him!" Aknamkanon roared the order to the guards, who had just arrived at the spot.
They left right away. The Queen continued holding the baby, who had now calmed down, tightly to her chest as if she wanted to crush it with her arms.
"He's alive!" she was mumbling, "Thank to all gods, he's alive!" and was kissing his little cheeks and the bloodied neck.
"Why didn't he kill him?" the Pharaoh questioned himself.
The Queen was squeezing the baby and she was whispering:
"My son…my star…my sun…"
The baby had fallen asleep…
"Unbelievable" Yugi whispered
He turned his head elsewhere for a second.
"How…?"
"With a ritual that is called Blood Exchange" Atem immediately answered, "first he drinks your blood and then forces you to drink some of his"
"Oh!" Yugi said
Atem smiled and continued
"The results of my transformation appeared the next day"
The Queen, the morning after, singing softly took the baby out of its crib and held it in her arms. Rocking it softly, she pulled her dress a little off her chest to feed it. The baby placed its lips upon the nipple and started sucking the milk while the Queen was murmuring a song smiling. However something strange was happening inside him.
"I didn't know what it was that thing I was feeling… Hunger…a strange thirst…the smell of human flesh… I knew what I wanted and I knew how to get it…"
The baby opened its mouth a little more and sank a pair of sharp fangs into the nipple! The Queen screamed in surprise and pain. Blood and milk were flowing inside the baby's throat as it kept on sucking.
"Help!" the Queen yelped, "Aknamkanon, help me!"
The Pharaoh stormed inside the room and his eyes widened in horror. The baby was sucking blood from its mother's breast.
"Atem! Stop this instant!" he said but the baby carried on.
"He's biting me!" the Queen yelled in panic while tears were running down her cheeks
"Atem, stop!"
Seeing there was no other way, he said a magic word, a small lightning bolt appeared on his hand and the baby loosened its grip, losing consciousness.
"What have you done to him?!" the Queen yelped.
"He's fine. He's just unconscious."
The Queen was holding her bleeding nipple while Aknamkanon came closer and raised the baby's upper lip a bit. He saw two sharp fangs in the baby's mouth.
"Fangs?!" the Queen whispered in tears
"He Turned him!" the Pharaoh growled
He got up. His gaze was dark. He turned towards the infant and drew his sword. The Queen understood.
"No!" she yelled in absolute fear holding her baby tightly.
"He's a vampire now! We can't let him live!"
"No! Please, my lord, spare him!" the Queen was crying holding onto her husband's sleeve pleadingly
"I'm the Pharaoh and I must protect the country even if…even if I need to…" he raised his sword but his wife's begging became more intense.
"No, my king! I'm begging you don't kill him! Spare him! Spare our son! I will take care of him! I swear it to all gods but please do not kill the child of our love!"
"He's a threat for the country now!"
"He is the heir of the throne! Please! Spare him!"
Aknamkanon softened. He put the sword down softly and hugged her.
"From that day on they swore to protect me" Atem said, "As a baby, my mother would give me blood when I had the need to feed. Usually when I was sucking her milk. I was sucking milk and blood"
Yugi shivered once.
"And so the years passed and I kept on growing up…"
"Wait a minute! Growing up? I thought the vampires remain in the same age they had when they got Turned!"
"Yes, but I was different"
"What differed?"
Atem smiled.
"The moon" he said
"The moon?"
"Exactly. The night I was Turned, the moon was red"
"Red?"
Atem nodded.
"We used to call it Moon of Seth because of its color. If a vampire was Turned under such moon then he could grow up till the next red full-moon when he should be Turned again"
"Ah, I see!"
Atem's smile became sad all of the sudden.
"Till one day, when I became ten years old, my mother couldn't take it anymore from all the blood-drain. Till my ten years of age she was feeding me. My father too but mostly her. For as long I was a baby I needed very few of it but while I was growing up I needed all the more of it till one day…she couldn't take it any longer…"
Little Atem was walking shyly towards the Queen's room. She had called him. She was asking for him. Tears were running down his cheeks. He got inside. Aknamkanon along with the priests was standing above the Queen's bed. She, on the other hand, was lieing on the bed pale as wax. She turned her head to him and smiled weakly.
"My boy…" she whispered extending her arm towards him, reaching out for him
He held it emotionally.
"Mother…" he said in a trembling voice, "I'm sorry! It's all my fault!"
"Shhhh…" she whispered, "no, my baby. It's not your fault. I made my choices and I had the honor to bring up our future Pharaoh. Death that is taking me is sweet…"
"Mother…"
Tears were flowing like rivers from his eyes now.
"Be well, my baby! Let you rule for many years. Let your sun be illuminating Egypt…"
Her hand went loose. She passed away with a smile on her lips.
"Mother!" he fell onto her bed crying his eyes out
Aknamkanon touched his shoulders tenderly.
"Come on, my son…" he said softly trying to pull him away discreetly
"No!" he yelped and continued crying
Two priests softly started dragging him away while he kept on fighting back being taken away from his mother's corpse.
In his room they left him alone. Atem was breathing heavily. Sorrow was crushing his chest. His eyes were glowing red, his throat was burning. He was supporting his hand against the wall.
"The thirst!…" he was whispering while gasping for breath while his free hand was holding his stomach, "…thirsty!…"
His sorrow had got him out of control. He brought his hand up to his neck because he knew what it was. He knew what he wanted. A servant girl was walking down the corridor holding a bowl with warm soup. She knocked the door.
"My Prince…" she opened the door slowly and walked in, "My Prince, I brought you…"
Her voice got stuck in her throat seeing Atem fallen to his knees with his hands supporting his body. His legs couldn't hold him upright anymore.
"My Prince!"
Atem snapped his head towards her direction. She dropped the bowl and a terrified cry left her lips when she came face-to-face with those glowing red eyes. Before she had time to find her composure from the shock or before Atem had time to stop himself, Atem rushed on her and sank his fangs into her neck violently. The servant girl screamed at the top of her lungs. One of the priests raised his head. He was tall with long brown hair that was falling down his shoulders. His name was Mahad.
"Mahad?" Yugi interrupted
Atem nodded.
"He was the most powerful wizard in Egypt and the best friend I ever had"
"Prince!" Mahad mumbled
He pulled his sword out of its sheath and ran towards Atem's chambers. He opened the door and stormed in. When he saw what was going on he froze on his spot at the doorframe. Atem was holding a servant girl and has his teeth sank into her neck. He was drinking her blood greedily.
"My Prince, stop this instant!" Mahad yelled when he surpassed the shock
Atem just couldn't stop.
"My Prince, for the name of Ra, stop!"
Atem's eyes widened and pulled back from her and let her fall to the floor. The woman was dead. Atem took a few steps backwards, with his violet eyes widened in horror. He was shaking all over in shock.
"She…she's dead…" he whispered, "…I killed her…"
"My Pri-…"
"I killed her! I didn't mean to kill her!" he was crying, "I didn't mean to, I swear!"
"The only words I could utter were…"blood", "death", "kill". This was the first person I had ever killed and it was a real shock for me…"
Atem fell to his knees while he kept on crying and saying constantly like hallucinating:
"…she's dead…I killed her…"
"My Prince, please!" Mahad said, "Pull it together! Everything's going to be alright!"
Atem looked at him.
"I promise I won't tell anyone. Officially this never happened! Calm down. I'll help you. It will be an honor to serve you…as a friend…"
Atem was looking deeply in his eyes all the time he was standing there, on his knees. He didn't say anything. He threw himself in Mahad's arms crying. Mahad was surprised and for a second he remained still as if he didn't know what to do. In the end he wrapped his arms around him, comforting him…
"And so, ever since Mahad got bound by sacred vow never to reveal my real nature and be always by my side, and he was. I could always rely on him. However I had grown up now and one or two sips of blood weren't enough for me. They tried the blood of animals but with no result. And so they tried something much easier…the death penalty. Every criminal that was sentenced to death technically became my…prey!"
Yugi remained silenced one more.
"Yami…"
"It's okay, Yugi. I was used to it anymore. There is something Vampires used to say; "You no longer belong to the race of humans. You are not human so you are not a murderer""
He shook his head a bit ironically at his own words and continued.
"Sometimes, though, even that wasn't enough for me and so, from time to time at nights, I ran out of the palace to go hunting. I usually hunted down thieves or tomb robbers but there were one or two accidents when I killed people who simply went to their jobs. If that was the case, I threw the body off the cliff and they usually believed they would slip and fall by accident in the valley (or the river). Mahad, on the other hand, was working non-stop to help me reduce that"
Thirteen-year-old Atem walked into the Throne Room. It was empty. Only Aknamkanon was seated on the throne and Mahad was standing beside him.
"You called me, father?"
"My son, Mahad did some research and found a way to delay your instincts"
"And what's that?" Atem's eyes shone with hope
"Alcohol" Mahad answered
"Alcohol?" Atem cocked up a brow
Aknamkanon nodded.
"It is only a temporary solution but is the only one"
"Then give me, father!"
Aknamkanon gave him a goblet with a little bit of beer. Atem took it and drained it in one sip. The other two looked at him anticipating for an answer.
"Well?"
"Yes. Yes, it's working!"
"Unfortunately it is temporary, so find blood now that you do not need it that much!"
He brought his son's head close to his neck. Atem bit him…
"This went on for a couple of years more. When I turned seventeen my father also passed away too, exhausted. And that night as well my grief took over me. Many people lost their lives then. A year later, I was coroneted the Pharaoh…"
The ecstatic people were waiting below the grand balcony at the palace's yard. They were yelling. They were asking for their new Pharaoh. Atem drew a deep breath. With a broad smile he walked out at the balcony. His golden jewelry was shining in the sun. His eyes were also shining in contentment and pride. He raised his arm high, sending his people his greeting. When he did so, almost at the same time in perfect union, they knelt on the ground, bowing deeply and extending their arms at the height of their knees.
Inside the palace a gong announced his arrival. The Throne was waiting for him straight, forward. He walked proudly through the hall and sat upon the golden throne.
"Let the celebration begin!" he said merrily
Harps, flutes and percussions started to play and dancers to dance airily. Wine and beer were running generously in the goblet of those who were there and food didn't lack as well. Atem was sitting on the throne, enjoying the festivities while constantly drinking from his golden goblet.
"Wow, great feast!" he heard a happy, girly voice
Atem turned his head to the side and saw Mana, Mahad's apprentice in magic –the best-. She was a girl absolutely adorable. Even if she was only two years younger than him, someone could easily mistake her for younger than that. Small-sized and tanned with dark hair and eyes. Her tame-less bangs were "flying" to either side of her head, giving her a really unique sweetness. She was always happy and smiley. Indeed she was adorable.
"Hey, Mana" he smiled at her
She sat herself beside him. Atem gestured to a cupbearer to re-fill his goblet.
"Maybe you're over-doing it…"
"Do we have a celebration or not?"
Mana giggled sweetly. Atem, without noticing, focused on her neck. She looked kind of tasty today. He violently shook his head once.
"We do" Mana answered him
"Well then, do something to make this wine a bit stronger!"
Mana sighed with a smile.
"Fine. I'll see what I can do" she said taking her wand out.
"Sounds great" Yugi said
"Yes it was. Even if as the celebration continued we were…I was a little tipsy"
"No!.." Yugi explained pretending being shocked, "You? Drunk?"
"I was drinking. Not drunk" Atem corrected him
"Unbelievable! You being influenced by alcohol?"
"What were you expecting? Since morning I have been drinking. I wanted that day not to rush upon anyone and I knew that all day I would have temptations. The celebrations lasted from noon till night" he tried to make excuses for himself, "And have in mind that wine and beer were not very strong in Egypt back then for our standards but it was for ours. To try them without adding water would be a challenge during our days"
"Hold on a second…for what quantity are we talking about?"
Atem seemed thoughtful.
"Let's see… Seven or eight bottles nowadays"
"Uh-oh!"
"Within three hours and in a variety; red, white or from dates in combination with strong beer so…you understand…"
"Got it!" Yugi laughed waving his hand, "You sure ran loose!"
Atem smacked him playfully at the back of his head pretending being insulted.
The sun was setting at the palace and the celebrations wouldn't finish. Atem drained yet another goblet. He covered his mouth with his fist for a second to stop the hiccup that was threatening to start.
"Maybe you should reduce it a little" Mana noticed
He turned at her, feeling a slight dizziness. He smiled.
"Why?"
"If you keep it up, you'll get drunk for good"
Atem laughed.
"Don't worry! Vampires don't get drunk!"
When he realized what he had just said he covered his mouth with his hand.
"Hold on a second! What am I saying?!" he thought
Mana laughed.
"What? Who doesn't get drunk?"
Atem breathed out in relief. "Thank goodness, she hasn't head me!" he thought
"Nothing…forget it" he said.
Mana shrugged.
"Whatever you say. You are the Pharaoh"
Atem laughed again and for one more time the words left his mouth before he had time to stop them:
"I hope I won't drink all the blood of common people!"
"Dammit!" he thought once more
Thankfully for him, Mana understood differently.
"Oh, come on now! You barely became the Pharaoh and you'll start drinking their blood?" she laughed, thinking that her friend was joking
Atem laughed nervously. Booze was loosing his tongue. Things had started getting serious.
"Give me another goblet"
"Of course, but why?"
"Better drink than talk, believe me" he answered.
Night had fallen for good and the full moon started rising…red…
"Red!?…but that means…"
"Yes…" Atem mumbled
Everyone had gone to bed. It was nearly midnight. Staggering slightly, Atem got into his room. He was chuckling while he was trying to stabilize his balance. He brought his fingers up to his head to stop, somehow, the dizziness he was feeling.
"Drunk…" he murmured laughing at himself, "…a vampire…drunk…"
"Good evening, Pharaoh" he heard a voice behind him
"Who's there?!" he snapped sharply towards the source of the voice
A black-dressed, pale man with long, black hair was walking closer.
"It's been a long time, Your Majesty" he smirked bowing sarcastically
"Who are you and what do you want here!"
"You can call me Isfet!" he replied, revealing his white fangs
He got advantage by the fact Atem was drunk and his thoughts were dragging slowly, before he had time to react or use his abilities, Isfet rushed upon him, throwing him to the floor and held his wrists to it.
"What…what are you doing!?" Atem yelled
"The time has come for you to be complete!"
Confused as it was, Atem had a feeling of deja-vù that he had lived this before. His eyes widened.
"You!" he exclaimed without being sure why he said such a thing neither if he had recognized this man that was hovering over him or not.
Isfet suddenly bent over and sank his fangs into the young Pharaoh's neck. When, after some time, he pulled back he whispered:
"The wine drunkenness is sweet, but not so sweet like the one of the blood!"
He raised his wrist up to his mouth and cut it with his fangs. He dropped a few drops on Atem's lips.
"No!" he exclaimed desperately, "No!"
However, harshly, placed his lips upon the scratch and started drinking thirstily. Then Isfet pushed Atem down violently and before he had time to realize what had happened, he disappeared into the black night…
"Since that day I didn't grow up even for a day. 18 for all eternity."
"How long have you been a king?"
"Ten years"
"Oh! And the others didn't suspect of you?"
"Nah! They supposed this was blessing by the gods."
They both laughed.
"Till the day of the battle"…
The darkness was thick. A dark mist was covering and hiding everything. Everywhere around there were only ruins. In front of a half-destroyed palace, Zork was standing. Right before him, small like a fly comparing to the colossal demon, Atem was standing. He was looking up at him determined. Zork laughed with a dark laughter and spoke with a voice that seemed to be coming straight from inside the Tartars.
"Look at the 'powerful' Pharaoh now! Standing among the ruins that used to be his kingdom. Just like this kingdom fell, the same way the entire world will fall! It will kneel to the power of darkness!"
"I am the Pharaoh of Egypt! And as long it is in my power you will never leave this country!"
The eye of Wdjad lit on his forehead. A golden aura surrounded him.
"In the name of the Pharaoh return to oblivion where you belong! Become darkness and be gone!"
An explosion of golden light covered everything…
Atem remained silent for a little.
"And then what happened?"
"I don't know, Yugi. Normally, when I unlocked my power I should have died. After that the only thing I remember is waking up in the forest of Domino…5000 years later"
Yugi looked down for a second.
"I don't understand…" he mumbled.
He raised his eyes and met Atem's.
"…how did you end up here…? From Egypt…?"
"I don't know and I don't care. Because whatever has happened, if it hadn't, I wouldn't have met you" he smiled broadly
Yugi smiled too.
"Yes. I don't care either. I'm glad you ended up here and I met you!"
They hugged tightly.
"You're so brave, Yugi! I'm proud for you!" Atem whispered in Yugi's ear.
Yugi got out of his arms.
"No, Yami! I was never brave. Before you came in my life I was coward, shy and uncertain, but when you came I became more certain. You taught me what courage means and you gave me self-esteem. And it's not only that. Since that day you are by my side all the time and you are protecting me. Really, meeting you is the best thing that has happened to me"
"Thank you!" Atem smiled
"No, I thank you. I don't know where I would be without you. So brave…so dynamic and certain… I always wanted to become like you"
"Well, this is a problem because I always wanted to become like you, little one"
Yugi looked at him surprised. Atem placed his hand on Yugi's cheek.
"So pure…so innocent… Since the day we met you taught me the true meaning of friendship and compassion for the others. Each of us gave to the other a gift"
"Like bravery!"
"Yes. And like kindness and sympathy!"
Yugi and Atem got up together. Yugi's eyes were watery in emotion. Atem was smiling.
"You're wrong, Yugi. You are the one with the real courage. Truly brave is not the one who doesn't fear of anything, but the one who faces his fears and wins. I am a vampire. I have the power and I am immortal but you... You faced all your fears and you were ready to risk your life to save me, and you do not have either my powers or my immortality. You are a real hero!"
Yugi's face beamed with a smile. Atem left him for a little and walked closer to the window. There was a new circle of silence.
"So here we are now" Yugi heard him saying
"What do you mean?"
Atem took his eyes off the window and turned to Yugi.
"You are the Legendary Vampire Hunter" he was approaching him while smiling, "and I am the Ancient, Rare vampire"
Yugi looked at him questionably.
"You know what you have to do!"
Only then Yugi understood. His eyes and mouth opened wide.
"What?! No!"
Atem, chuckling softly, took the silver pistol from a small table close by and armed it.
"I know that I am in the black list, Yugi" he approached him
"What…what are you doing?"
Atem took Yugi's hand and put the pistol in it. He then raised Yugi's hand and so he brought the pistol's barrel beneath his chin.
"Shoot me!" he told him.
Yugi looked at him with a terrified way.
"I prefer to die by your own hand rather than by some other Hunter, therefore kill me!"
Slowly his hands slipped off the pistol. Now Yugi alone was holding the pistol under his brother's chin. Also slowly Yugi lowered the pistol and put it in an inside pocket of his jacket.
"You understand that your decision dooms you as well. If you don't do it, they will execute you for disobedience"
Yugi only looked at him. He said nothing. He only nodded. Atem smiled.
"Then, I guess we are both hunted!"
Yugi smiled.
"Yes, I suppose we are!"
At Ishizu's living room, the vampires turned their heads towards the doorway. Atem and Yugi walked in.
"My Pharaoh…" Ishizu murmured.
Atem smiled at her. However then a metallic sound was heard. They snapped their heads towards it and they saw all four Hunters up with their weapons pointing straight to Atem! Yugi immediately walked in front of his brother while staring at them with an unexpectedly determined look in his eyes.
"Kid! Get out of the way!" Nikolai told him imperatively
Instead of doing so, Yugi moved even more firmly in front of Atem.
"Ah, I see! You want to kill him yourself! Very well, then. We won't get involved. Kill him!"
"No" he retorted with a steady, determined voice
The others seemed being shocked by that.
"You know there will be consequences, right?"
"Yes"
"But you won't back down after all"
"No"
Outraged, Valon grabbed his crossbow tightly.
"Then get out of the way! I'll do it!"
"You must get through me first!"
"It's okay, Yugi" he heard Atem's calm voice
Atem walked forward looking at them straight in the eye.
"If they insist on killing me, then let them come but I warn them that this time I will defend myself!" he narrowed his eyes.
Nikolai tightened his finger on the trigger. Atem made a small move at the same time, ready to react.
"Enough!" Yugi said getting between them
But the others kept glaring each other with mutual hatred.
"That's enough! Don't you see where this hatred has led us?"
He turned to Atem who was looking at him. A shine of pride was in his eyes (for him). He then turned back at the Hunters.
"You must give him a second chance! He saved humankind! Without him we would all have been doomed!"
"He's a vampire! He attacked at humans and destroyed so many innocent lives! He's dangerous!"
"Not anymore! He has made some mistakes which he has made up for!"
"He killed people!"
"Yes. My friends too but I'm not holding any grudge against him! It wasn't his fault! Now he's not either a Newly Born one or a Fallen one! He's an Ancient one and all-powerful! He saved the world twice! I think this is enough reason to give him a second chance. He's changed!"
He turned to Nikolai.
"You mean, if your mother, by some miraculous way, came back and told you she has changed, wouldn't you give her a second chance?"
Nikolai looked at him at loss of words.
"And you?" he turned to Pegasus at the corner, "if your wife came back again and she was sane wouldn't you forgive her to make yet another try for you two to be together?"
Again silence.
"World around us changes. Maybe it's time for us too to change"
Silence followed by everyone. And then Nikolai lowered his gun and put it back to his belt.
"Lower them!" he said
"What?!" Raphael exclaimed.
"Do as I say! Lower your guns!"
A bit hesitatingly they obeyed him.
"Rookie is right. We all saw what this vampire can do. If he wanted to, we would all be history by now."
He looked at the other vampires.
"We will give him a second chance"
"But, boss, something like this has never happened before!" Alister said
"Maybe it's time for changes. Yami Muto is erased from the list of the outlaws."
He turned and looked at Atem.
"However, if you return to your old tricks I will hunt you down and kill you!"
Atem smiled.
"If something like that happens I will personally come to find you"
The Hunters turned around to leave.
"Nikolai…"
Nikolai glanced over his shoulder.
"…thank you" Atem smiled
He nodded in response. He, then, took his team and got out of the living room.
The next day, at breaking dawn, in front of the building of the Hunters, Vampires and Hunters were standing. Why? To see Atem and Yugi leaving. Atem was dressed with his leather from the battle and with the sword at his belt. Yugi was dressed in bright new pants in deep, royal blue color along with a new blue, leather, and sleeveless vest full of thongs. Over it was wearing the usual school uniform jacket. Around his new (as well) belt were hanging a few slews of new bullets. His silver pistol was in the inside pocket of his jacket.
The Legendary Hunter and the King of Vampires.
"Are you sure you want to do it?" Ishizu asked Atem
"Yes. Now that I regained my memory I can't forgive myself yet. That's why I will continue traveling till I find myself and the courage to face this city again"
"And I'll be with him!" Yugi said
Already from the day before he had gone to Domino's Cemetery and had left flowers to the graves of his friends and his grandfather with the promise he would come back to see them again. Ishizu nodded her head.
"Marik and I did some research. Now everything Bakura had along with Kaiba's company belong to you"
Atem remembered he too had visited the family grave of Kaiba Family, leaving some roses in memoriam of Seto Kaiba and his brother, Mokuba.
"I don't need all these riches" he said
Ishizu smiled.
"I know but it was fate's wish for you to have them"
Atem looked at her serious.
"Very well. So let it be written, so let it be done. I will keep these gifts with one condition. You two will take over the administration. I will be hiding behind everything but I will remain nameless."
"If that's what you desire, so be it" she bowed her head in respect
The Hunters were saying goodbye to Yugi.
"Off you go!" Raphael said
"…And write to us once in a while!" Valon added
"Have a good trip!" Alister said
"Thank you!" Yugi nodded to everyone.
He turned to Nikolai.
"Take care, rookie!" he said and before everyone's shocked eyes, he hugged him warmly.
"I will" Yugi said before turning towards Atem who was waiting patiently for them to get going.
Atem took Yugi by the hand and they started walking.
"Well, take care everyone!" Yugi yelled at them from afar, waving his hand while everyone behind them was waving his or her hand goodbye in return.
Everyone in his or her own way but everyone with the smile on the lips.
Atem and Yugi were walking towards the rising sun. The road was open before them and seemed endless.
"And now?" Yugi smiled
"I will protect you, Yugi. You and I are one"
They stood there for a little leaving the morning breeze caressing their hair.
"Yami you know I was thinking… Why don't you turn me into a vampire as well? Then we could be together for all eternity"
Atem smiled at him.
"No" he replied, "I won't turn you into a vampire. I can't force you living in detriment of other people. After all it's cruel, Yugi. It's cruel living forever"
"Yes. I guess you're right"
"You and I are connected with an unbreakable bound that no one, not even death, can break"
And when Yugi nodded he said:
"We will continue this journey together, till death do us part"
And they continued walking while the endless sceneries of landscape were changing and opening before and around them. Just the two of them. Only Yugi Muto, the Legendary Vampire Hunter and the King of Vampires Yami Muto or else Pharaoh Atem. They were walking holding hands.
One body.
One soul.
They were starting, now, their journey. Only the hand of Fate is guiding them towards unknown direction. One thing is certain. Their journey is not over. This is a beginning. A new start. Their journey now begins…
THE END
PLEASE READ IT ALL...
Yay! This is the end! I hope you liked it everyone! It seems like yesterday when my friend asked me to post my story and I posted the first chapter of the Introduction Vampire Yami Introduction at 11th October 2011. Oh so many memories! Vampire Yami was the frist fanfiction I have ever written seriously. I started it it the summer before the October I posted it (Summer 2011) and finished it in less than a summer by writing more than 450 pages on notebook pages. I put them together and made this big book-like notebook I have showed you in the past in my Deviantart page.
The story's idea started when I firstly watched the anime Vampire Knight (both series. First and Guilty) and when I watched that I felt the need to draw so, it was still the beginning when I started drawing anime and manga and I finally made the best (at those times) scetch I had ever made (also seen on my Deviantart page).
The result of this picture was tragically simple. Immediately when I saw it (at those times I had also started reading fanfictions on about vampires and Yu-Gi-Oh) I got inspired for a story. I started writing it but never imagined how this would turn out. I never imagined how long it could become. I was giving it to my mother to read chapter by chapter while I was writing it to get comments from her. When I started uploading it here I got many "loyal" readers and some of them that simplu commented some of the chapters they liked. Whatever the reason I was really touched I got so many wonderful comments!
On May 30th 2013 I received the most wonderful request I had ever did in my entire remain on DA. ShujiWakahisaa had requested me to make a doujinshi out of my story. It was the best thing ever happened to me. It was as if I felt my hard work be providing fruit and of course I said yes. She started off with a doujinshi here while nowadays she is working on new style and started it again here . I had never received such an honor before at those times. And I still consider it as the biggest honor I ever had as a fanfiction writer because she came to me and asked me for permission and not the other way round. I still cannot find the proper words to thank my friend for that.
"Vampire Yami" was technically my start as a fanfiction writer becaue right after that came fanfictions such as "The Little Merman" or "Brothers" to finally reach the nowadays works of mine such as the series of books Yami Muto or the more fanfictions that are about to come.
I want to thank you all from the deepest parts of my heart for reading my fanfiction till this point whether you commented to my story or not. Whether you liked it or not, whether you agreed with it or not, whether you liked the theme songs I chose to the descriptions or not, I want to thank you all for being by my story's side for so many years and everyone you deserve my bows my respect and I applaud you all and hug you
Thank you so much for supporting my story! Thank you so much for being here!
Thank you once more. I will be updating a last chapter as an epilogue after this one!
Back into the story now. This chapter is clearly a dive into Yami's/Atem's past, how he became a vampire and how he saved the world the first time.
Isfet is a real thing and it exists in Egyptian language. In reality is feminine (ancient Egyptian words that end with "t" are feminine) but I wanted to have something like a symbolic name and since the vampire is also sarcastic, I thought it would fit. It is also possible that it was not even his real name!
(Also I am planning on updating it on Deviantart too. Originally I was thinking the name "Khaldun" I found at a list of egyptian names somewhere online but it doesn't seem ancient now to me so I will change it when I get the chance to my Deviantart page too)
Isfet turned Atem into a vampire to have his vengence from Aknamkanon because Aknamkanon hunted down many vampires for the sake of his kingdom. Atem was indeed the victim here because he was just a newly born baby and he was used as a subject of revenge.
Atem's mother died because her system was too weak after the constant draining of her son. As he was growing up Atem needed more and more blood and finally his mother couldn't take the drain.
Atem's instincts went wild and killed the servant girl without noticing it because his vampire instincts increase by intense feelings (remember he nearly attacked Yugi in his anger and sorrow in past chapter). So when he realized what he had done it was a real shock for him since he had never killed a person directly before. Luckily Mahad was there for him.
Atem still feels sorry for kiling innocent people in his grief because of the unbearable thirst that takes over him when this happens.
Also Atem cannot drink animal blood because he was turned under the Red Moon so technically he is "half-finished" or "unfinished' Vampire and so he cannot drink animal blood.
Yes I know the gong is a Chinese musical instrument and term but it was the best way I could describe it. For the scene I was inspired from the anime of course, when Atem walks into the Throne Room for the first time.
Atem was drunk while sitting on the throne that is why things like that slipped out of his mouth. For example when he said "drink the blood of common people" of course he meant it litterally. Luckily for him Mana understood its metaphorical meaning which is "being cruel to common people"
Atem's enchantment when he sealed away/destroyed Zork was inspired by Kingdom Hearts manga when Riku kills Maleficent.
The dialogue of Yugi and Atem after the end of the flashbacks was inspired firstly by the dialogue they had in the anime within Yugi's dream in season 5 before they went to Egypt and also by the dialoge they had during the ceremonial duel.
The scene with Yugi getting between Atem and the Hunters was inspired by Disney's movie "The Fox and the Hount" when Coper gets between the hunter's gun and hurt Todd.
The scene between Nikolai and Yugi (when Nikolai asks him if he realizes there will be concequences and whether Yugi will back down or not) was inspired by the movie V for Vendetta when they ask Ivi in her cell during the last scenes whether she will tell them where the terrorist is and she answers them determined.
And so Yami, thanks to Yugi, became the first Vampire ever getting erased from the Black List of the Hunters! Not bad huh?
Yugi's style is similar to what Yami was wearing in season 1
THEMES:
The new Prince is born: (Yu-Gi-Oh Ost Millennium Items) -Or you can imagine the song that plays in 4kids version to the flashback with little Atem I leave it up to you-
Atem's first Kill: (Yu-Gi-Oh Ost Anger of God)
Atem's life goes on in Ancient Egypt: (Yu-Gi-Oh Ost Tragic Memory)
Atem's coronation: (Yu-Gi-Oh! Unreleased Soundtracks Atem's Theme) [Come on! You had seen it would be like the scene in the anime]
Isfet Strikes again: (Vampire Knight Ost Kaname Kran's Theme)
Atem vs Zorc: (Yu-Gi-Oh Unreleased Soundtracks Egyptian Creepy Action) [By the moment Atem's Puzzle lungs and tells Zorc to begone] -Oh God! It was one of my personal favorites when I firstly watched Yu-Gi-Oh episodes in my country so many years ago!-
King of Vampires and Legendary Hunter's Jurney begin: Everything ends into light: (Yu-Gi-Oh Ost Atem's leaving theme) [It starts by the moment it says "The following day at breaking dawn" till the end]
Oh Gosh! This gotta be the BIGGEST chapter of this story! Sorry it took me so long! I hope you liked it!
Enjoy!
(And wait for the epilogue!)
