(Author's Note: WOW! It looks like a lot of you guys were waiting for that update huh!? O_O Well You're In Luck, Just As I Promised. Here's Part 2! Please Enjoy Both Readers Old And New! ^^)
Chapter 124: The Nameless Pharaoh Part 2
Atem only stood there before the figure, frozen as the words that were just spoken echoed in his head over and over. But the mysterious phantom wasn't finished with him yet as they continued with their speech. "Did You Truly Believe That By Dying You Could Just Leave EVERYTHING And EVERYONE Behind? To Start Over By Forgetting Your Past? Not Even In Death Can One Erase Such...After All...It's Etched In Your Grave Pharaoh..." The figure uttered as they directed his finger toward Atem's heart.
"You Cannot Become No One Or Nothing No Matter How You Try...Those Connections Will ALWAYS Be There...And All Of These Names Are Ones That Are Connected To None Other Than YOU Atem!" The Phantom declared. All of the colors drained from The Pharaoh's face as the figure illuminated each and every name upon the walls in but a single movement of their hand. One by one the names began to vanish from where they once were And with each one that was removed a wound was inflicted upon Atem's body. It was like an unseen blade that cut into his very spirit.
"ACKKK!" The Pharoah cried out as the first name vanished from the wall before another and then another and another sent Atem screaming in bloody murder as slashes appeared all over his body. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHACKKKGAH!"The Pharoah let out a pained gasp as he felt his heart being pierced as well as his body. "W-What Is This...Unbelievable...Pain I Feel...?" Atem choked out as he clutched his head while he was brought down on one knee.
The Pharoah's appearance flickered from his past self to his present one back and forth. It was as if Atem's soul was crying out in desperation to be heard. But what it was trying to tell him, The Pharoah himself did not know. Atem finally collapsed on the floor in agonizing pain as a stream of blood dripped down the sides of his mouth. (ATEM!) A familiar voice echoed in his ear. But he didn't have the strength to discern its nature.
"Feel The Pain Of Each Name Etched That Was Erased...Wiped Away From Your Mind...Thrown Away In Exchange For A New Life...A New Chance...But...At What Cost...Atem...?" The Phantom questioned with a bitterness that couldn't possibly have been described as they seethed with anger. Slowly, the figure moved closer to the fallen Pharoah. "Just What Exactly Were The Promises You Made Worth To You? That You'd Choose To Live A Life Forged Of Broken Promises?" The Phantom continued.
"Everything That You Did...The Life You Lived...The Connections That Were Formed...And Those That Placed Their Hope In You...YOU Betrayed Them! The Moon That Made You Of All People A Bright Star In The Sky..." The Phantom growled as Atem continued to hear the sound of footsteps echo in his ear. (...The Moon...?) The Pharoah pondered. It was as if the memory was there, yet beyond his reach. The Images of A Crystal Tower. Others gathered around him. Including Daphne. Why did his heart ache so? At the fractured puzzle missing its piece?
"Now You Answer To A New Master Whom Has Purged All Of The Light From You...There Is NO Turning Back...From The Path, You Have Taken...No Matter How You Try And Look For An Escape Atem...You Won't Find One...Not This Time..." The figure warned the Pharoah as they suddenly sealed off all of the possible exits. It was only then, that The Phantom burned brightly and was reduced to ashes being carried away by the wind. Atem choked on the remnants of the ash before he struggled to be as he forced himself to his knees.
"The Figure...They're Gone..." The Pharoah observed before he coughed a few more times as he found himself almost in complete darkness. "...I'm All Alone..." Atem shivered at the thought as he held himself with the sudden chill in the air. However, just before The Pharoah could allow his hopelessness to sink in, the ashes left behind began to burn once again with blue flames. Atem shielded his eyes from the intense glow as destruction had given birth to creation before a familiar object rested on the ashes once the spirit flamed died out.
"...Is That...The Millennium Puzzle...?" The Pharoah questioned in disbelief. Slowly, Atem rose to his feet and with one step at a time walked over towards the puzzle that lay among the burning embers of blue. (Could This Be A Trick Put In Place By The Test To Deceive Me...?) The Pharoah questioned. No, something was pulling him towards it. Atem swallowed hard before he reached out toward The Millennium puzzle with his trembling hand.
Meanwhile...
Kaiba was unable to remain calm as he found himself pacing back and forth as he held one of his blue eyes white dragon cards. "Damn It...What The Hell Is Going On...?" The CEO hissed as he kept eying his favorite card. (Just A Moment Ago, My Blue Eyes Was Glowing...Could It Be Connected To Atem? I HAVE To Know...) Kaiba thought to himself restlessly. Bloom felt so helpless as she watched her fiance agonize over The Pharoah and the test. He wasn't the only one the faerie was worried about either as Yugi didn't seem to be faring much better.
"What Can I Possibly Say For Kaiba to be ok? Yugi too for that matter. Reincarnation Of The Phoenix My Ass...If My Power Is So Damn Important How Come I Can't Do A Simple Thing Like Cheer The People I Care About Up!? You'd Think I'd Be The One That's Supposed To Be Taking The Tests! This Is Almost As Bad As When I Had No Power At All!" Bloom cried out in sheer frustration. Duke only frowned in response.
"I Wish I Did Have An Answer For You Bloom...But To Be Perfectly Honest...I'm Just As Loss As You...I Feel Like I'm Almost Always Stuck On The Sidelines...I Can't Roll My Way Out Of This One...And Kaiba and Yugi Can't Duel Their Way Out Either...The Thing That They're Strongest At...Can't Help Them..."
"...Sometimes You Just Gotta Let People Sort Things Out In Their Own Way And Time...In fact, Maybe YOUR Test Is Doing Just That, Relying On Your Friend To Overcome And Pass These Tests While You Place Your Trust In Them. After all, It Doesn't Mean You're There For Them Any Less... Right?" The dice master winked as the faerie was taken back by Duke's words.
"Duke..." Bloom murmured softly before she smiled. "Yeah, You're absolutely Right. Thanks For The Different Perspective. I Never Thought About It Like That. " the faerie smiled more as the dice master couldn't help but blush slightly. "Oh! Well, Ya Know No Big Deal. I Can't stand a girl as pretty as you with a frown on your face, it's just not right." Duke mused before he paused as he sensed an ominous aura behind him.
"...Oh? Is That Right?" Kaiba's growled. "Well, unless you want YOUR face to be permently stained with blood...you'll back away right now...or I'll toss you into that pit myself..." The Ceo threatened with an evil gleam in his eyes. "G-Got it..." The dice master squeaked as he moved far away from both Kaiba and Bloom. The faerie couldn't help but sweatdrop. "I Guess I Had Nothing To Worry About After All," Bloom confessed.
"You Shameless Flirt..." Noah shamed Duke as she caught him in her sights before the dice master shrunk down about three sizes. "I Wa-Was J-Just Trying To Help..." he whined. "Whatever..." the mage rolled her eyes. "Here's some advice if you want to live longer. Try Hitting on women who aren't spoken for hmm?" Noah half teased. "Tsk Tsk..." Loore shook her head in response as she continued to perch on Yugi's shoulder.
"Aren't You Gonna Join The Others?" the familiar questioned the scarlet-eyed male before Yugi raised his gaze towards Loore. "Who Me? Nah I Think Duke's Getting Enough Grief As It Is...Besides...I'm Far To Worried To Focus On Anything Else At The Moment...All This Waiting Is Only Making Me More Nervous Than I Already Was..." he confessed before he paused as the Sun pendant around his necklace began to glow.
"...That's Odd...That Necklace That Was Dropped In The Snow Is Glowing...What Could It Mean I Wonder...?" Yugi pondered before he reached out and touched it. With only his mind, The scarlet-eyed male was enveloped by a golden light and was transported within the walls of the millennium puzzle. A surprised gasp escaped Yugi as he found himself in a very familiar place. "...Wait A Sec..." the scarlet-eyed male paused as he took in his surroundings.
"How Did I Get Here? I Don't Have The Puzzle With Me...Just That Pendant..." Yugi cried to reason before he noticed one of the nearby doors was giving off a bright light. "ATEM!?" the scarlet-eyed male questioned before he hurried and grabbed a hold of the door which eclipsed the golden glow. Slowly, Yugi pried open the door only to be met with a golden being. One whom was unfamiliar to him. "...You're Not Atem...W-Who Are You? And What Are You Doing Here? This Is The Dwelling Of The Pharoah..." the scarlet-eyed male couldn't help but demand an answer.
"I've Been Waiting A Long Time To Meet You...Yugi..." A female's voice echoed in response. "W-Wait! You Know Who I Am!?" Yugi questioned taken back. "Yes, I Know A Great Deal, For A Fraction Of My Light Also Exists Within Your Puzzle...So Through that Small Amount Of Light, I Was Able To Watch Over You And The One Whom Existed Within It...I Also Know That You Have Many Questions About The Past And How It Will Affect Your Future..." The light echoed.
"I Am Someone You May Have Heard Of From Atem's Past...My name is Daphne. The Previous Phoenix and The Older Sister Of Bloom..." The Nymph introduced herself as Yugi's eyes widened in a mixture of both shock and awe. "...You're Blooms Sister...!? No Way! Uh...I mean...Nice To Meet You." the scarlet-eyed male squeaked as he felt himself nearly pass out. "Um...I'm Not Dreaming Am I?" Yugi questioned before a soft giggle from Daphne escaped.
"No, This Is Very Real I Assure You. I Am Sorry That Our Minds Never Came In Contact Before Now. After My Death, My Remaining Life Force Was Sealed Inside The Gem Of Destiny In My Possession...But As I Passed On The Phoenix's Flame...My Power Has Grown Weak...It Is Only Because That You Are Connected With The Sun...That You Can Hear My Voice...Which Leads Me To The Reason As To Why I've Called Out To You..." The Nymph murmured softly. "I Need Your Help Yugi..." Daphne continued.
"My Help?!" The Scarlet-eyed male asked as he nearly choked on his tongue. The Nymph only nodded in response. "Yes, I'm Afraid You're The Only One I Ask To Do This," she explained. "Well...Alright But, What Is It That You Need Daphne?" Yugi asked a bit more gently this time. "Right Now, Atem Is Undergoing The Test Of Judgement, However, This One Is Of A Far Greater Challenge Than The Others Due To Its Nature...Because Of This Two Guardians Were Originally Chosen To Guide The One Selected..."
"However, They Fell Pray To Blood Magic As They Were Guarding Another Sacred Place...Each Of These Guardians Reflect Both The Power Of The Moon And The Sun Within Them...But There Is Is Hope...For The Power Of The Sun Also Flows Within Your Blood Yugi...I Can Use The Light In The Millniuem Puzzle To Project You Inside Of The Test Where You Can Aid Atem In My Stead!" Daphne proclaimed as Yugi's eyes widened.
"You're Telling Me That You Can Do That!?" The Scarlet-eyed male asked almost shocked. "Yes, Indeed I Can...However...There Is Also Something That You Must Be Aware Of Little One...While It's True That I Can Send You Into The Trial, You Maybe Only Serve As A Guide..." The Nymph began. "Which In Turn Means That Your Being There Will Not Determine Whether He Passes Or Fails The Test...You Must Go Into This With That Understanding Yugi..." Daphne warned as he listened carefully.
"Then, Of Course, I Accept!" Yugi exclaimed. "Atem Has ALWAYS Been There As A Guide For Me, So Now It's MY Turn To Watch Over Him!" The scarlet-eyed male cried out as determination filled his gaze. "I Know With You, That Atem Is In Good Hands. Now, Allow Me To Grant You My Knowledge Of The Trial And The Tests...Then I Shall Too Awaken The Sleeping Power Laying Dorment Inside Of You Using, The Sun Pendant You Wear Around Your Neck And The Little Power I Have Stored Within The Gem Of Destiny..." The Nymph told Yugi.
"...Wait...Hidden Power? That's Ridiculous. I Don't Have Any Hidden Power!" Yugi cried out as the scarlet-eyed male only looked toward Daphne with both confusion and shock. But The Nymph only shook her head softly in response. "You Have Always Had The Power Of The Sun Within...You Were Just Made Unaware Of It As A Seal Was Put In Place For Your Protection...Along With Another Light That Hides Even Deeper..." Daphne almost whispered.
"B-But I Don't Understand! I Grew Up In Domino City On Earth! I Live With My Grandpa And As For My Parents...Well, I Was Told They Were Over Seas Even If I Never Saw Them Face To Face. What you're saying doesn't make ANY sense!" Yugi cried out in a panic but The Nymph only smiled. "One That Is Born From Light Can Call Upon Its Power...Right Now You May Not Understand The Meaning To Those Words...But One Day You Will When The Time Is Right..." Daphne murmured lovingly before he pressed her lips toward the scarlet-eyed male's forehead.
Yugi's eyes widened in surprise as the crest of the Sun manifested upon his forehead. In but an instant, the scarlet-eyed male found his entire body illuminated by a golden glow as sparkled dust showered down upon both he and Daphne. "I Will Now Use The Last Of My Power...To Send You To Atem...I Leave Him In Your Hands Yugi...Please Protect...The One Dear...To Us Both..." The Nymph murmured as she resolved herself to her inevitable fate. "I Swear To You That I Will Daphne! I Promise!" Yugi cried out before his spirit shot out Of The Puzzle like a shooting star.
Meanwhile Back In The Trial...
"...Is That...The Millennium Puzzle...?" The Pharoah questioned in disbelief. Slowly, Atem rose to his feet and with one step at a time walked over towards the puzzle that lay among the burning embers of blue. (Could This Be A Trick Put In Place By The Test To Deceive Me...?) The Pharoah questioned. No, something was pulling him towards it. Atem swallowed hard before he reached out toward The Millennium puzzle with his trembling hand. Once his hand was within but a few inches, a golden light burst forth from the Millennium Puzzle.
The Pharoah found himself caught off guard as the golden light transfigured into the shape of A Phoenix whilst the blue flames transfigured into yet another Blue Eyes White Dragon, Or So He Thought as it revealed the silhouette of a snow owl. Just from a single glance, Atem could tell that whatever was occurring before his very eyes, was made of the most incredible and powerful magic. The Pharoah could only stare in awe as he watched the two spirits of the light and flame circle around him.
One after another, droplets of fire traced and revealed two sealed entrances that had been hidden from his sight. One of the entrances bore the crest of The Sun Whilst The Other wore the symbol of the Moon. Once their job was complete, the spirits began to dissipate. However, after the flames of the Phoenix were scattered, Yugi emerged from its center. Atem's eyes widened in disbelief as he watched his other half gradually descend downwards to him.
"YUGI! It's You!" The Pharoah cried out in both happiness and anxiety. Even so, he couldn't deny his desire for the scarlet-eyed male to be by his side as Atem hurried towards him. Without a second thought, The Pharoah reached his arms out and caught Yugi in them. The scarlet-eyed male didn't waste any time as he wrapped his arms around Atem's neck tightly. "Thank Goodness! Looks Like I Made It To You, Just In Time!" Yugi beamed as The Pharoah returned his vessel's embrace. "Yes, That Was Some Entrance," Atem admitted with a slight chuckle.
"I Suppose This Means Kaiba Was Unable To Heed My Request." The Pharoah guessed. "Not That I'm Not Overjoyed To See You, But You Shouldn't Have Come, It's Nowhere Near Safe For One Person Let Alone two..."Atem told Yugi before he shook his head softly. "No, Kaiba DID Stop Me From Jumping In, Despite How I Tried To." The Scarlet-Eyed male began. "Afterward, I intended to wait for you on the outside, but, then someone else asked for me to help guide you in their place," Yugi explained. "And Who Was It Yugi?" The Pharoah questioned as he gently placed him back down in order to retrieve the Millenium Puzzle.
"It Was Daphne Atem..." his other half answered before Atem's eyes widened caught off guard by the scarlet-eyed male's answer. "...Daphne Reached Out To You? But Why?" The Pharoah questioned before Yugi explained to him everything that she had passed on to him during their conversation. Atem for a moment, just sat there in silence as he listened in an effort to try to take everything in. "Believe Me, I Had A Hard Time With It As Well." Yugi attempted to comfort the Pharoah. "To Be Honest...I Don't Know How Much Help I'll Be To You Compared To Daphne..." the scarlet-eyed male confessed sadly before he paused as he felt a pair of warm hands caress his face. Slowly, Atem lifted up Yugi's eyes until they met his.
"Yet, She Entrusted You With This Important Task For A Reason When She Alone Could Not Perform Her Duties And I For One Couldn't For A Better Partner For This Trial," The Pharoah told the scarlet-eyed male without any hesitation as he smiled and placed the puzzle back around Yugi's neck. "I Believe In You Yugi...And So Does She..." Atem continued before he leaned in towards Yugi and softly pressed his lips against him before the scarlet-eyed male kissed him back deeply. He could feel his heart pound in his chest as he felt the Pharoah's lips against his. Afterward, Atem gently broke away as Yugi's face nearly turned three shades of red.
"Ok Your Highness, Let's Get Back To The Task At Hand." The scarlet-eyed male squeaked as struggled to get to his feet as his legs suddenly felt like jelly. "After You, Guardian." The Pharoah chuckled as he teased Yugi while they made their way up to The First door with the Seal of a Sun. "Ha Ha, Very Funny." The scarlet-eyed male pouted. "Anyways, The First Thing We Need To Do Is Get This Door Open," Yugi suggested as he continued on ahead. "Just Be Careful Yugi! This Place Can Be Very Unpredictable," Atem warned as he called out to his vessel.
It was strange, Whenever Yugi was around, The Pharoah felt this warmth and comfort in his presence. It placed him at ease when things around them were filled with uncertainty. Even in the darkest shadows, Yugi's light shined through it. The scarlet-eyed male needed no magic to chase away the shadows that lurked within Atem's heart. However, The Pharoah couldn't help but wonder if he deserved any of those things after what the figure had told him. There wasn't any more time to ponder that thought, however, as The scarlet-eyed male's voice broke the silence.
"HEY! ATEM CAN YOU GIVE ME A HAND OVER HERE!?"Yugi called from nearby before The Pharoah hurried over to the door with The Sun Crest. "It looks like You can pull it up from the bottom but I can't do it by myself, Maybe if we lift it up together we can open the door!" the scarlet-eyed male suggested. "Well, It's Worth A Try." Atem agreed before each of them attempted to pry the doorway open with as much force as they could muster.
"Ugh! It's No Good...This Thing Isn't Moving An Inch..." Yugi huffed before The Pharoah pursed his lips in thought. "Perhaps We're Going About This In The Wrong Way..." he began before the scarlet-eyed male turned towards his other half. "You Mean, There Could Be Another Way To Get In?" Yugi questioned Atem before he nodded softly. "Do You Recall The Temple In Covenant? The One That Had A Muriel Of Both The Moon And The Sun Painted Upon It?" The Pharoah inquired.
"Yeah, The One That Was Buried Under The Snow, How Could I Possibly Forget?" The scarlet-eyed male remembered as he replayed the events within his mind. "Oh wait!" Yugi paused as he let a soft gasp before the scarlet-eyed male removed the Sun Pendant hidden within his shirt. "Last Time Bloom And I Used The Pendants In Our Possession To Act As The Key, So Maybe It'll Work For This Too!" Yugi surmised. "Then Let's, Put Your Theory To The Test." Atem encouraged his other half.
"Alright! Well Here Goes Nothing..." the scarlet-eyed male swallowed hard as he held up The Sun Pendant towards the sealed door. The necklace gleamed with a bright golden glow in reaction to being used along with Yugi. The Pharoah's eyes widened as he watched his other half summon a hidden entrance that appeared to be below the sealed door.
"Wow! I Certainly Wasn't Expecting That...To Think That There Was Another Entrance Hidden In Plain Sight..." the scarlet-eyed exclaimed. "The Only Thing To Do Now I Guess Is To Go Down There And Check It Out...What's The Old Saying? Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained?" Yugi mused. "Yes Well, While I Know You're Eager To Do Your Best In Order To Fulfill Your New Role, We Still Must Proceed With Caution." Atem reminded the scarlet-eyed male as he couldn't help but crack a smile.
"Right, In That Case." Yugi paused before he reached out and took The Pharoah's hand. "We'd Better Stay Close Together, Who Knows What's Beyond Those Stairs..." the Scarlet-Eyed male agreed as Atem gently tightened his own hand around his other half's. "Yes, Better Safe Than Sorry." The Pharoah nodded in return before hand in hand they both made their way down into the secret passageway. However, the moment they entered the opening above them immediately sealed itself shut as a surprised gasp escaped the two of them.
"...Well...Guess We're Not Going Back That Way..." Yugi reasoned as golden flames lit the lanterns on the wall. "Then, Let Us Proceed And See Where This Passageway Leads Us," Atem suggested. "Yeah, Good Call." the scarlet-eyed male conceded before they continued deeper into the chamber before they came to a large room. "Or...Not..." Yugi quickly took back his words as the two of them were faced with what appeared to be a rather intricate trap. The path forward was blocked by several raised platforms which were each within distance of the others that surrounded them.
The platforms resembled the back of Duel Monster cards. While some of them had a Sun crest engraved upon them others bore the emblem of an Eclipse. As for the remaining platforms, they did not reflect anything but plain markings. Situated among them, were several statues that resembled The Reaper Of Cards. Each one held a single scythe in their hands that was manifested from blood crystal. While below the platforms, were a combination of blood crystal spikes. That wasn't all either, Some of the seemingly harmless platforms had mummified bodied that were coated in melted sunstone.
"...Judging From This Room's Set Up Alone...It's Perfectly Clear That One Wrong Move Could Spell The End...But I'm Afraid We Have No Other Options But To Cross To The Otherside...It Must Be Apart Of The Test..." Atem surmised as Yugi felt knowledge unknown to him before now enter his mind. Even so, something wasn't right. "...Yes And No..." the scarlet-eyed male replied simply as he narrowed his eyes.
"When I Was Speaking To Daphne, She Said She Would Give Me The Knowledge Of These Tests, So That I Would Know How Best To Guide You...But...What Is Entering My Thoughts...And Seeing Through My Eyes...It's Not The Same..." Yugi admitted as The Pharoah turned to his other half in confusion. "What Are You Saying Yugi?" Atem questioned. "That These Tests Are Being Manipulated By Someone...Transfigured Into Something Much More Dangerous And Sinister..." the scarlet-eyed male warned The Pharoah as his eyes widened in both fear and shock.
"But Who? Who Would Want Us To Fail These Tests?" Atem couldn't help but question. Yugi only shook his head in response. "I'm Afraid I Don't Have Any More Idea Than You Do...But I Do Know One Thing, I'm Not Gonna Let This Creep Win! We're Going To Beat That Bastard At His Own Game And PASS THIS TEST! NO MATTER WHAT!" the scarlet-eyed male declared before The Pharoah frowned worriedly.
"You Make All Of This Sound So Easy Yugi...But...I Fear That This May Be The Most Difficult Challenge We've Ever Had To Overcome..." Atem murmured softly. "It's As If Each Trial Is A Reflection Of The Doubts I Harbor Deep Within My Heart...And It Honestly Frightens Me...I've Tried So Desperately To Fight Against The Uncertainty Which Clouds My Mind...The War Raging Inside...Threatening To Take Everything I Hold Dear..." The Pharoah confessed as he felt his body tremble while his legs refuse to take another step forward.
"Ever since Xuri died...I Can't Stop Myself From Being Filled With Both Regret And A Happiness I'm Too Terrified To Reach For...Do I Even Deserve The Things Which Are Precious? Or Do I Deserve To Be Locked Away In The Darkness Where I've Resolved Myself To Stay When I Allowed The Light To Die..." Atem asked more to himself than anyone as Yugi listened quietly.
"...Listen Atem...I May Not Know What Happened Back Then...But Speaking From Someone Who Also Completly And Hopelessly Loves You...Daphne Wouldn't Want You To Punish Yourself Like This...She Wouldn't Want You To Be A Prisoner Of Your Pain...She Loves You...Like I Love You...Because When You Hurt Yourself...It Hurts Her As Well...And Anyone Else Who Cares About You...And That Goes For Bright As Well..." The scarlet-eyed male began in a softened whisper.
"Xuri Chose To Sacrifice Himself To Save The One Person He Cared About Most...Bright...Like Daphne Made The Choice To Save Bloom, Her Little Sister And You... It was love that gave them the courage to do what they knew had to be done and it was only through that power that I was able to come here to be with you..." Yugi couldn't suppress the tears falling down his face as he held Atem's hand up to his heart.
"Don't Ever Forget The Past...But Don't Let The Pain Of Those Memories Steal The Happiness Others Tried So Hard To Protect For You...You're Here...Existing Right Now...So Fight...Fight To Keep The Light Of Hope Burning...Please Atem...We CAN Do This...This Time...We'll Go Together...I Promise..." Yugi pleaded before The Pharoah couldn't help but shed his own tears.
"Yugi..." Atem wept. "...I'm So Sorry..." he sobbed before Yugi pulled The Pharoah into a warm yet tight embrace. "I Forgive You...And I Love You Atem..." the scarlet-eyed male almost whispered. Afterward, the two gently pulled away before their lips met with a soft and tender kiss. Once a moment or two passed each of them gently broke away before Yugi and Atem turned back towards the test.
"You Ready Partner!?" the scarlet-eyed male questioned before The Pharoah turned towards him with a smile. "With You By My Side, Always." Atem gave Yugi and thumbs up before he did the same as they took their first step together onto the platform in front of them. "Aha! See? Safe!" Yugi beamed. "Yes, It seems so. Now we just need to figure out which one we should transfer to next..." The Pharoah mused as he took a look around the area. The scarlet-eyed male paused as he looked below their feet.
"Well, The One We're standing on has a Sun on it, so maybe that means all of the platforms with the Sun are safe...I guess there's only one way to find out..." Yugi surmised. "Yugi! Wait!" Atem cried out before he was taken along for the ride as his other half lept across to the platform beside him on the left. However, before he could utter a single word, The Pharoah paused as he took notice that one of the statues which were located diagonally from them, had moved from its previous position. Atem raised his gaze upwards as the Card Reaper gradually raised its scythe.
"Uhhhh...Atem...That Statue's Still Moving!" Yugi squeaked. "I See It, Yugi." The Pharoah noted as the statue didn't cease its movement until the scythe pointed in their platform's direction. The scarlet-eyed male swallowed hard as a bead of sweat trickled down his face. Yugi feared taking even a single breath as Atem searched for another platform to cross. "Let's Go Backwards Yugi." The Pharoah suggested. "I Don't believe this path is safe after all." he continued.
"Good Call..." the scarlet-eyed male confessed as he released a bit of nervous laughter before the two of them returned to the first platform. Luckily, that seemed to reset the statue in its previous direction. "I Say This Time, We Go ahead and try the one right in front of us...that sound good to you Atem?" Yugi questioned. "Well, I Don't Know Mr. Guardian. You Tell Me." The Pharoah laughed softly. "Ok Then...Third Times The Charm!" The scarlet-eyed male exclaimed as they both jumped onto the pillar without a crest.
Although, just because there was no sigil to mark it, did not mean there wasn't anything within it. For when Atem landed on it, a pressure plate was activated. Yugi and The Pharoah were caught off guard as the center of the platform flipped over which revealed a skeleton that was embalmed with sunstone. "W-What The Heck Is That!?" the scarlet-eyed male questioned as he got a shiver up his spine.
"I'm not certain, but it probably is a trap of some kind...observe..." Atem turned his other half towards the direction opposite of them. As Yugi watched silently he noticed that the statue in front of them dropped its scythe on the platform away from them. "Yikes! That Could've Been Us!" the scarlet-eyed male cried before he paused a moment. "Wait A Sec...I Think I'm Starting To Figure This Place Out...You See Without The Statues A Person Could Easily Just Cross Them Without many difficulties...As Such A Certain Number Of Statues Were Strategically Put Into Place To Move Whenever Someone Switches Platforms..."
"But Notice How Some Of Them Don't Have Crests. At first, they seem harmless enough, Until you land on one that has some kind of switch. When you do it opens the game to a whole new level...You See That Substance Covering The Corpse, That's Liquified Sun Stone And It Just Takes One Little Spark To Light That Thing Up And Blow Everything In Its Path To Kingdom Come!" Knowledge burst forth from Yugi's mouth that was before unknown to him."Well, At Least That Clears Up Any Questions About What This Trial Entails," Atem noted.
Yugi only frowned afterward. "I'm Sorry Atem...But You'll Have To Figure This One Out Yourself...I Can Guide You And Protect You...But I Can't Tell You Where The Traps Are Or Which Path To Take...See?" the scarlet-eyed male opened his mouth to speak, but no words emerged from it. "It Would Be Cheating Otherwise, Besides You've Already Given Me A Handful Of Valuable Clues." The Pharoah offered his other half a smile.
"But I Know YOU Can Do It!" Yugi cheered with a smile. Although he couldn't give him the answers, Yugi was determined to help Atem with everything he had! No Matter What It Took! The Pharoah's determination did not waiver either, as he readied himself to face the path forward head-on with Yugi by his side.
To Be Continued...