A/N: Way big apologies for the delay. I had horrible writer's block, and then the NaNoWriMo contest began. I fell
way behind in it too... So I'm back to working on Eien. *Sighs*
Shadowspirits: *Snorts* Oh, I was tempted to have Yami and Bekhura ride together, but Yuugi woulda' thrown a hissy. However... *Cackles evilly* Read on.
Tis alright you didn't review the last chapter. ^_^ Glad you like this chapter and the last, though. And don't worry, stuff'll go wrong. *Evil smile*
Glad you liked and thanks for the review. ^_^
Ryuujin: Sankyuuuuuuu. ^_^ *Pokes* Update your stories, girl. You leave too many cliffhangers! XD Oh, and I'll be reviewing your new chapter of The Fetter here soon. If I don't, poke me.
Zesha: Glad you liked. (The bugs scene came to me while doing chores, oddly enough. XD) Thanks for the review. ^_^
Ashita: Glad the chapter combated the depression of studying. XD Spanish and Math are eeeeeeeeevil! *Can't speak Spanish for beans and isn't good at math, either*
Never rode a camel... *Sniff* Or a horse, either. I waaaaant to! I love animals. And yes, Malik is overreactive. And a hypochondriac. And on a perpetual caffeine high. XD
Bekhura's still a bastard at heart. XD Glad you thought he wasn't too OOC. I always figured if he made friends with anyone in the group besides Malik, it would be Tristan or Yami. XD
Thanks for the review. ^_^
Wingleader Sora Jade: *Laughs* Malik has bad luck with camels, all through the author universe. XD Glad you liked the part with Seto, too. The camel really shoulda' eaten something... Like part of the stupid trench coat. XD Are camels like goats? Anyway, thanks for the review!
Borath: *Giggles* Don't ya hate when you forget stuff? *Pokes her brain* I had some good idea a few chapters ago and they flew away. And then today, I had an entire scene in my head for Itsumo. x_x
Glad you like the scenes between Yuugi and Yami. I thought that poor Yuugi would start getting a little more upset now that Yami been worse again. *Nodnod* Glad it wasn't too bad.
Yay! *Waves flag* Thebes and Luxor confused me forever. -_-; Happy that I got it all right. Now I just have to remember what the damn two hump camels are called. XD And I like your dad's advice. I'll remember that. XD
*Giggles evilly* I shall state definitely: Everyone will be in the second and third stories (Itsumo and Fumetsu). However... Someone will die in this story, Eien. So there. And don't worry, I'm definitely going to torture Yami. XD It's fun.
Glad you liked Malik's fear of camels. XD He's such a blond. And I always saw Isis as more of a mother figure... ^_^ The group needs one.
*Laughs* Glad you liked the scene with the poor, short boys. I was looking in my horse book, and even though Arabians are short, their's is about 5 feet at the withers. And me? Lull people into a false sense of security? XD Thanks for the review!
Kilam: As per my Email, fanfiction.net ate your review. *Kicks* Evil demon thing. So shall respond normally.
Thanks for the compliment. ^_^ This story is ending up being far longer than I'd expected.
Aa, about the Japanese names and dub names... There's a somewhat stupid reason for that. I spell Yuugi 'Yuugi', because that was how I'd learned it originally, and when I started this fic I was already using it. As for Ryuuji, Sugoroku, Isis, and Malik's names, it was my own preference. I don't like their dub names. XD (Besides Sugoroku; I really don't have anything against his dub name but I learned it as Sugoroku first, like Yuugi.) Anyway, there is a reason for using their dumb names. It'll be clear once I get to the sequel.
I was pretty sure 'Demo' could be used as both 'but' and 'however'. They're pretty much the same word. *Opens up her dictionaries* They both say 'But; however'. Then again languages never translate right, so who knows. XD And as for Yami B... I didn't like the fanfiction thing about calling him 'Bakura' and the omote 'Ryou'. It annoyed me. And since I called Yami Malik 'Yami M' and Yami Yuugi 'Yami', Yami Bakura got the shortening too. XD End note: I'm lazy. XD
*Laughs* Sorry about it not being a pairing. I'm going to be working on a darkshippy fic for them... Eventually. Glad you like it even without the pairing, though. ^_^ And there's supposed to be a sidestory about why Yami and Yami B aren't openly hostile towards each other anymore. I just haven't written it yet either. XD
Glad you like the parts with Malik and Yami B. It was fun to drag Malik into the fic. XD And don't worry, he's sticking around for the rest of the fic, along with Isis. And newcomers Pegasus and Shaadii.
Yesyes, Yami B is going to be important in the end. *Nodnod* If I ever get to the end, that is. *Gets smacked* About his name, I'm using the name 'Bekhura', which was revealed in chapter... 21? Can't remember. Anyway, I've never heard the name Nahkti before... As far as can be told, in the manga, he's simply called 'Bakura' in katakana. So I took creative liberties. XD
I don't think Yami M'll be showing up in this fic, at least. Maybe in the third one. Dunno. And he is rather creepy with the Ore-sama. That goes to Yami B too, but less so since his Japanese voice is kind of cute. XD
Aa, never read anything that stated outright that Malik liked things neat and orderly. Never heard anything that said he was messy either though, so chose my own. XD And all the guidebook says is that Malik's least favorite food was meat. It's somewhat assumed that he and Isis are vegetarian, but as far as I can tell it's not for sure either. And I forgot when I was writing that scene anyway. XD Blame the steaks on Shaadii coming over for dinner. *Gets smacked again*
*Laughs* I know he's not British. I like the British accent he has in the dub, so I kept it. My logic is that he may have spent time in Britain, and picked up the accent. Whether he's British or Japanese, it doesn't really have anything to do with his knowing English. Tea speaks very good English in the anime and she's Japanese. The other boys are supposed to, but they're no good at studying. XD
Anyway, thanks for the long review. ^_^ I hope fanfiction won't eat it should you review again. *Sweatdrop* And I'm certainly going to keep going. I want to write Itsumo and Fumetsu. XD
Starlit Hope: ^_^ I'm glad you like. But as for romance, I'm not really doing any. I only usually hint. But I've been toying with Isis*Seto or Isis*Shaadii... However, there is a Bekhura*Yami fic in the works, as a standalone.
*Grins and gives thumbs up* Mwee, what you said about Jou and Yuugi being more like big brothers is what I was going for. ^_^ And Seto... No. Just no. XD
Bugs are teh devi. XD Thanks a bunch for the review!
Other Notes: Alrighty, well... Yeah. Been buying doujinshi, saving money for an Australian Shepherd pup, writing for NaNoWriMo... So Eien didn't get much attention. But now it shall again. I want to write Itsumo and Fumetsu. *Whines*
Disclaimers: I own Dungeon Dice Monsters for GBA, does that count? *Pokes game* I think I have to beat another three cup thingy's before I get to duel Yami. *Sniffs*
Warnings: Erm... Cursing? There are dead people, but it's not described graphically or anything... They're in Yami's tomb. I mean, really. There are dead people EVERYWHERE in that thing.
Summary of Last Time: The group got some camels and horses, and set out for the Valley of the Kings. I think. Lemme check. Yep.
Preview of this Time: The group gets into Yami's tomb, and our dear Pharaoh- *Cough* Sorry. Was gonna tell you, but I figured it'd be more fun to make you read.
Japanese:
None?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Eien; part 24
by: Amiasha
"Okay... This is really boring." Joey muttered in annoyance, bouncing slightly in time to the movements of the camel's steps. "And hot, too."
"What are YOU complaining about...?" Yami asked him breathlessly, his head dipping in exhaustion. He'd long since abandoned his coat, favoring to tie it around his waist. Sleepily, the spirit placed his arms on his aibou's shoulders, setting his left hand on his right, and rested his head on his left arm.
Yuugi giggled and reached up to brush his dark's bangs away from where they were tickling the younger boy's cheek. He frowned when he realized that the spirit's gold hair was slightly damp. /Are you alright? Need anything to drink?/
Yami smiled slightly and leaned his head against Yuugi's. //I'm not feeling all too badly at the moment, actually. Just... Tired.//
/Then go to sleep./ Yuugi laughed.
//I would...// Yami started, trailing off as he became less certain of what he was saying. //But... I know it seems strange... But everytime I fall asleep while I'm feeling well, when I wake up I'm sick again. And vice-versa.//
Yuugi sent a reassuring pulse of energy through their link. /If you don't want to sleep, you don't have to. Just try to reserve some strength./ Yuugi trusted his dark's intuition, and any time he voice a desire not to do something, Yuugi listened.
Nodding again; Yuugi feeling the movement more than seeing it; Yami shut his eyes most of the way and relaxed, letting himself be lulled by the sound of their Arabian's hooves against the sand. Mafdet curled up in front of Yuugi, mirroring her owner's sleepy movements.
Mahaado and Mana, both floating along behind the group, seemed to be fully asleep. How they were managing to follow along with the others was anyone's guess.
"How long have we been traveling?" Ryou asked, reaching out to pet his horse's neck and adjusting the reigns in his hands. Bekhura, sitting behind him, looked bored and was apparently making a church with his fingers.
Pegasus looked at his watch. "About... An hour, I think." He replied, brushing his hair back and retrieving his hat from one of the bags hanging off his camel's side.
"This is so damn boring." Malik muttered sullenly, voicing what everyone else had been thinking a was too polite to say. With the possible exception of Bekhura, who was preoccupied.
"Don't complain." Isis scolded, her camel trotting forward a few steps hyperly. "You can certainly handle a little boredom."
Malik made a face at her, but offered no other comment.
**********************
Another hour later, Bekhura raised his head and looked over his other's shoulder and at the dark band near the horizon line. "Oi." The Egyptian spirit said, glancing over his shoulder at the rest of the group. "I think I can see the Valley."
"Good." Isis replied, nudging her camel to trot up to the front next to Bekhura and Ryou's Arabian, smiling amusement at Malik and his horse, who both pointedly moved away as her camel passed them. She looked over at where Bekhura was pointing, and nodded. "Yes, that's the Valley."
Yuugi craned his neck to look, being not only shorter than the others but on a shorter mount as well. He was finally able to spot the strip of dark gold, and hope began to fill his heart. 'We're here.' He thought. 'We're here... It's early and Yami's still alright. There's still time to find the cure for him, even if we have a hard time getting through the tombs.' He nodded to himself determinedly. 'Everything's going to work out...'
The boy felt a groggy movement from behind him, and then his dark's weary voice. "Ai..." The spirit trailed off, almost as if he was too tired to continue. Switching to his mental link, Yuugi spoke to the slightly older teen. /Yami?/
Yami sighed heavily, setting his chin on his arm and leaning his head against Yuugi's cheek. //I'm... So tired, aibou...//
Yuugi ran his fingers gently across his dark's face. /I know... But we're here, Yami! It's only a short matter of time before we find some way to help you, and you'll feel better again./
Yuugi felt the other boy's hope and doubt, mixed together, float through the link disjointedly. Then Yuugi realized his dark wasn't fully conscious anymore. /Yami!?/
//... Tired, aibou...//
Yuugi, panic threatening to overtake his rational thinking, pulled gently back on his Arabian's reigns and she stopped, giving Yuugi the chance to take both hands off and turn partially around so he could put his arms around his dark. /Yami? Yami!/ Yuugi looked up at the others. "Stop!" He ordered frantically.
Isis and Ryou immediately stopped their mounts, Pegasus and Shaadii stopping their camels a moment after and the rest already having stopped once they'd noticed Yuugi do so. Isis turned around to see why Yuugi had yelled. "Yuugi, what's wrong?" She asked, concerned.
Yuugi glanced at her briefly. "I think Yami passed out again..." He murmured softly, holding his dark against his chest gently. He shivered as he felt how weak the spirit's breathing had gotten.
Isis slid off her camel and so did Pegasus, both hurrying over toward Yuugi's Arabian. "Here, hand him to me Yuugi-boy and then you can get down." The white haired man said, reaching up to carefully take Yami from Yuugi's arms and pulling him down from the horse. Yuugi quickly dismounted as well, and Pegasus managed to get his red jacket off without dropping Yami; spreading it out on the ground with his foot and then laying Yami down on it. Yuugi knelt down next to the spirit.
"Damn, this is getting more frequent." Bekhura said, walking over toward the Motou boys and the two adults. He crouched down next to the small group. "We need to get out of the sun." He said.
Sugoroku, Joey, and Shaadii soon joined them, Shaadii carefully placed the back of his hand about an inch from Yami's slightly open mouth. After a few seconds, he pulled away and checked the boy's fever. "The poison is taking more effect, Yuugi." The Egyptian man stated quietly, his accent pronounced. "It's been too long... We have to get to his tomb and pray there is something to help him in it."
The hope Yuugi'd felt earlier was quickly crushed at the man's words. "Th-then let's go." He said, his voice breaking. 'Gods... Just a moment ago... I thought everything would be alright...'
"Let me take him." Bekhura said, looking at Yuugi. "Ryou can ride with you. The Pharaoh'll need someone bigger than him to keep him from falling off the horse when he's unconscious, so I can hold him until we get into the Valley."
Yuugi, tears running down his face, nodded silently. "Just be careful, please..." He murmured softly.
"Don't worry, Yuugi." Bekhura said, nodding. He looked over his shoulder towards Ryou. "Ryou, come over and ride with Yuugi."
Ryou nodded, doing as he was told and walking over to them, putting his arms around Yuugi's shoulders and pulling the boy back to his feet as Bekhura gathered Yami into his arms.
Sugoroku stepped up next to Bekhura, stopping him to ask a question. "Are you sure you have him?" He asked worriedly, petting Yami's hair.
"Don't worry." Bekhura told him calmly. "I'll take care of your grandson." He said, breaking a grin as it sounded like some pathetic romance movie he'd watched with Ryou before.
Sugoroku smiled as well. "You'd better." He said, before his smile faded away to a frown as he glanced at Yami once again before going to get back on his camel.
Bekhura gently placed Yami over his shoulder, mounting his horse and then setting Yami sidesaddle in front of him and laying the younger spirit's head against his chest. One arm around the other boy's waist and the other hand on the reigns, Bekhura looked around to see that everyone else was ready to leave.
Yuugi was sitting in front of Ryou, his large eyes glassy and unfocused as he stared downwards, obviously deep in the depression he had when they had been traveling to Thebes. Ryou had the reigns of the horse, looking worried about Yuugi.
Everyone began moving again, and another tense 15 minutes later they had all reached the Valley.
Besides the Egyptians that lived there all the time, the group was in awe, even Yuugi. The Valley was deep and long, filled with different patches that were entrances to tombs. It was, surprisingly, relatively deserted. A few archeologists milled around, but not many.
Bekhura stared down into the Valley, amazed and feeling sure that he'd been there many times before even if he couldn't remember details. The very energy that swirled around made Bekhura feel energized and ready to face anything.
Shaadii looked around at them all. "Everyone, I'm going to activate the magic from the Ankh so we can get into the Valley unnoticed. The Pharaoh's tomb is in the far end of the Valley, and that will be our first and hopefully only destination."
The other leaders of the group; Bekhura, Isis, and Sugoroku in place of his grandchildren who weren't in the position to make decisions, nodded their agreement and okays to Shaadii. Everyone gathered as close to each other as they could get with Malik's crazy Arabian wanted to get away from the camels, and Malik not doing much to stop it. Shaadii cast his spell... And nothing seemed to happen.
"Uh, Shaadii?" Joey asked incredulously. "Nothin' happened."
Pegasus smirked. "Get me something to throw at those archeologists down there and we'll see."
Shaadii glared at Pegasus, but then just rolled his eyes and looked at Joey. "You don't much notice the effects of the spell." He said calmly. "But trust me, no one else will see us."
Yami stirred, moving his head slightly but not opening his eyes. Bekhura looked down at him, then back up at the others. "Oi." He said. "Let's stop talking about it and just get going."
The others nodded in agreement and bade their mounts to keep moving.
Getting into the Valley was a little harder. They all managed to locate the dirt road that let the archeologists drive in cars, but said roads were surprisingly packed for how little people were in the Valley itself. Eventually, they found a slope that was a sideroad, that was accessible enough for them to steer the horses and camels down.
Finally, they all got into the Valley, and started toward Yami's tomb.
Yami stirred again, murmuring something and drawing closer to Bekhura. His eyebrows twitched and he murmured again, his face deathly pale.
"Hey, Pharaoh, are you with us?" Bekhura asked softly, looking down at the smaller spirit.
Yami's eyebrows twitched again, and he slowly opened his eyes. After a few seconds of just staring up at Bekhura blankly, he blinked slowly.
Bekhura was really starting to get worried. The younger boy wasn't doing much of anything, just looking up at him. "Pharaoh, I'd appreciate you doing something to show me you're not braindead." He said, smiling humorlessly.
Yami coughed weakly, placing the back of his hand against his forehead and shutting his eyes again. He drew a breath shakily. "Not... Braindead..." He choked out.
"That's good." Bekhura replied, giving a sigh of relief. "Was worried for a moment there." He laughed lightly. "Of course, you didn't just hear that."
Yami gave a energy less sound that seemed to have been meant to be a chuckle.
"We're in the Valley, Pharaoh. We're not far from your tomb, where hopefully we'll resolve everything." Bekhura explained, seeing the younger boy looking around with just his eyes, confused. "Your aibou is with mine, since you passed out earlier and I needed to have you with me."
"Mm." Yami said softly, closing his eyes again. Everything was spinning so heavily that colors and shapes had blended together, and it felt almost like he was floating.
/...Yami?/ Yuugi asked softly and hesitantly.
//Aibou...// Yami replied, smiling mentally even though he was so weak.
/I'm so glad you're awake.../ Yuugi said, feeling deja vu. He wasn't surprised though, sadly. He and his dark had had this conversation so many times in the past few days.
//Aibou... Tomb Robber says we're almost there...//
/We are. Just a few more minutes./ Yuugi assured him, feeling the hope he had lost earlier coming back. They were truly almost there.
//Alright.// Yami said, his mental voice laced with determination.
Another few minutes later, the group stopped. In front of them was a magnificent squared archway, larger than the entrances to most of the tombs. No one seemed to be around it, oddly enough, but there was no complaining from the group about that.
"Everyone, dismount and attach the reigns of your animal to that rock." Isis directed, pointing at a tall rock and sliding off her camel.
The others did as they were told, Bekhura managing to both slide down and hold Yami at the same time.
Mafdet jumped down from Yuugi's horse as Mahaado and Mana floated up beside the group, helping people secure their camels and horses. Mana was glancing around as if she sensed something she didn't like, and Mahaado was doing the same. Neither of them said anything about it however, so Yuugi didn't think it was too bad.
Bekhura gently handed Yami to Joey, who grinned down at the younger of the two spirits. "Ah, together again." He said.
Bekhura whapped Joey upside the head. "That's for the Pharaoh, considering if he could've hit you he definitely would."
Yami smiled, letting Joey know that Bekhura was dead on with his comment. Joey laughed.
"I'll go first." Sugoroku volunteered. "I know most of what Yami has in his tomb. There are so many traps it isn't even funny."
"Yes it is." Bekhura replied, just to be difficult. Sugoroku glared at him.
"No on asked your opinion. Though I will let you go first into any room I haven't been in." He said, smirking at the white haired boy.
Bekhura laughed. "You're an evil old man. But I'll go first into any new rooms anyway. Better to steal the riches when you go in first."
Ryou whaped him upside the head. "That was from Yami Yuugi." He said. "Because I know that if he could've, he would have hit you."
//... So much violence in my name.// Yami commented mentally, the only way he really could.
Yuugi giggled. /You're right./
Sugoroku lead the group into the tomb, followed closely by Bekhura.
The first room they entered was a huge hallway. Hieroglyphs painted both sides of the wall; in the traditional look of ancient Egyptian tombs. The walls and floor were a sandy golden color, and at the end of the hallway there was a small room with two pillars.
"Wow, just the first hallway and it's huge..." Joey commented. Yami, in his arms, was looking around in wonder as well. The tomb really was beautiful.
Mahaado and Mana's staffs were both glowing, giving everyone enough light to see by.
As soon as he reached the small room, which had another squared archway, Sugoroku turned around and looked at the rest of the group. "There are somethings I need to warn you all of in the next room. There are dead people. Everywhere."
Much of the group looked disgusted, besides Malik and Bekhura who looked interested, Isis, Rishid, Pegasus, and Shaadii who weren't fazed by much, and Seto who just didn't seem to care.
"Also, don't be alarmed by the door shutting behind us. It'll do that." Sugoroku continued. "And don't mind the statues with the swords. They won't hurt you if you follow my instructions."
Yami was very interested in this. His tomb was apparently much like his soul room; it tried to eat anyone that set foot into it and didn't know what they were doing.
"Everyone has to walk with their left foot forward. To avoid failing in this task, just keep your left foot forward the who time. So it won't be walking as much as shifting along. Always have your left foot in front." He looked at Yuugi and Joey who was holding Yami. "Especially you two."
"Why do we have to walk with our left foot in front?" Tristan asked curiously, wondering exactly what reasoning there was for the trap.
"It was a sign of respect." Sugoroku explained, then turned to smile at Yami. "The Pharaoh was the only one allowed to walk with his right foot forward. So Yami would be the only one of us exempt from the rule in this trap."
"Sounds easy enough." Joey said, nodding. "We can get through this trap. Any other ways out of the room besides the one you took?"
"I think so." Sugoroku affirmed. "I simply went straight across. There are side passages."
Sugoroku turned back towards the archway. "Remember, left foot forward. I will not have any of you skewered." And with that, he went into the next room.
The room was every bit as gory as Sugoroku had described it. There literally were dead people everywhere; on the spikes that came out of the walls, on the pathway, and a few on the swords of the statues.
As soon as everyone had gotten into the room, the door behind them slid shut. No one was surprised however, since Sugoroku had warned them before hand. Mafdet just lashed her tail once, gold-green eyes narrowed.
Yuugi came up close to Joey and Yami, seemingly trying to meld with them. "... This is creepy."
"This is my kind of tomb." Bekhura commented cheerfully, walking out onto the pathway without hesitation along with Sugoroku. None of the statues moved, and so the white haired thief began looking around. "Hm..." He said. "It' looks like there's another room down that way." He commented, pointing toward one of the sidepaths. True enough, there was a smaller entrance than the ones they had been going through earlier.
"Then that's the best place to go towards." Sugoroku said, looking back at the others. "What do you think?"
Yami gave a small nod, and Isis, Shaadii, and Pegasus did as well. "Onward!" Pegasus said lightly.
Bekhura and Sugoroku began leading the others through the path. Thankfully, none of the statues were moving. Mafdet, though she wasn't walking in any special way, apparently wasn't included in the rule. Being a cat, she was a sacred animal, and had no problem trotting after the rest of the group.
After a minute of tedious walking and being somewhat creeped out by the dead people, the entire group made it across and to the small platform that was just in front of the doorway.
"Alrighty, let's see what's in here." Bekhura said, taking the lead and entering the smaller tunnel. It was much like the first hallway, just less expansive.
As soon as they got through that, they entered into a larger tunnel that had torches lining the walls, all lit. The most impressive thing about it was that the walls and floor were white marble.
Everyone just stared. /Wow.../ Yuugi said through the link. /This is beautiful.../
Yami seemed equally awed. //It is...//
Bekhura gave a low whistle. "Marble..." He said, impressed. "This stuff wasn't exactly easy to come by in Egypt."
Continuing through the stunning white hallway, they ended up in a huge room that made the statue room seem small. It was in white marble as well, with gold heratic and hieroglyphs along the walls. In the middle stood a large white marble altar, framed by two ceremonial candles, and behind those stood something no one was expecting.
A beautiful blue skinned woman with long golden hair and wearing a green dress smiled at them, her grey-green eyes shining softly in the light. Her gentle, musical voice floated over to them as she spoke. "Greetings." The Mystical Elf said. "Is there something I can do to assist you?"
Bekhura blinked at her, then leaned over toward Joey, Yuugi, Yami, and Sugoroku. "The Mystical Elf is known for healing." He said. "That may be what she's here for."
Yuugi's heart lept. "You think we've found the cure?"
Bekhura grinned. "There's a pretty good chance."
Mafdet, meanwhile, was inspecting the altar. She slipped around on the polished marble surface, sniffing it and then rolling around on the cool stone. The Mystical Elf smiled at her, reaching out to pet her fur.
"Can you help us?" Yuugi asked, walking forward and looking up into the Elf's eyes. "My yami is really ill."
The Mystical Elf knelt down. "I think so." She said, smiling. "Healing is my specialty."
Yuugi smiled broadly. /Yami, we did it!/ He cheered, elated.
Yami, from Joey's arms, smiled as well. //Yes. Thankfully.//
The Mystical Elf looked over at the others, and her eyes widened. "Pharaoh!" She exclaimed, seeing it was Yami that Yuugi had said was ill. Instead of bowing like everyone had expected after her exclamation, she rushed over to the spirit. "Your highness, what happened?"
Mana floated up, and put her hand on the woman's shoulder like she knew her. "Can't you heal him first?" She asked gently, smiling.
The Mystical Elf looked slightly embarrassed. "Yes." She answered. Gesturing for Joey to carry Yami over, the Duel Monster walked back over toward the altar.
Joey followed her, and at her instruction laid Yami gently down.
//Aibou, I feel very idiotic right now.// Yami said calmly. Yuugi snorted loudly and burst into giggles, gaining strange looks from everyone.
/That's alright. You'd rather feel idiotic than deathly sick, wouldn't you?/ Yuugi asked, still giggling.
//I suppose so.// Yami agreed, smiling mentally. Mafdet jumped up to lay right next to him, curled against his side.
"Okay Pharaoh, this will only take a moment." The Mystical Elf said, laying one hand against Yami's forehead and the other against his chest, over his heart. She slowly began to sing, stronger than her holographic projection ever did and more clearly. Her hands had began glowing softly white.
True to her word, it only took a few seconds for the Mystical Elf's hands to start shining so brightly everyone covered their eyes. Another second after that, there was a flash, and the glowing just stopped.
Yami opened his eyes slowly, blinking as if to test himself. Very slowly he sat up; that was, until Yuugi tackled him in a hug.
"You're okay!" The boy exclaimed, so happy that his tears soaked the blue fabric of his dark's jacket.
"Aibou, relax." Yami said softly, putting his arms around Yuugi. "You're going to suffocate me."
"I'm going to suffocate you too." Sugoroku declared, joining in the hug and gently ruffling his oldest grandson's hair.
The rest of the group gave high fives and cheered, very happy for the Motous and somewhat proud of themselves for completing one of their tasks. Joey gave the thumbs up. "Alright!"
Yuugi and Sugoroku released Yami, and the three got to their feet. Sort of.
Yami swayed heavily, steadying himself on Yuugi and starting to get a little worried. "Why can't I stand?" He asked the Mystical Elf.
"Don't worry." The woman said, smiling. "You're still recovering. I don't think you realize exactly how close to death you were. It'll be a little while before you're back to full strength."
Yami nodded, feeling more reassured. "Alright."
Joey came over and ruffled Yami's hair as well, grinning. "Glad to have ya' back, Yami." He said.
Bekhura smiled, and the rest of the group nodded. Except Seto, who was being cold as usual.
"Aw come on, Seto." Mokuba said, looking up at his with and evil expression. "You're glad your cousin's alright too."
Seto looked as if someone had just struck him, clutching his head in apparent pain. "Mokuba! I told you not to bring that up!"
Mokuba giggled loudly, as did the rest of the group.
"Does that mean I can borrow money from you?" Yami asked, holding his arms out as he readjusted his balance.
"No. You can't." Seto said, frowning.
Bekhura chuckled. "Alright, sorry to beak up this amusing little conversation, but we need to remember why we're here to begin with."
"Right." Yami nodded, stepping up to even with Bekhura. "Let's banish this person so we can go back home."
"I like this plan." Bekhura said, grinning. "I'm happy to be a part of it."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Hope ya'll liked. ^_^ This story's wrapping up soon... So we can get onto Itsumo. There are countless sidestories coming... Sometime. Such as getting Mafdet, Yami meeting Sugoroku the first time, etc. *Nodnod* So stay tuned!
By the way, hope no one minded me using the Mystical Elf. The more I thought about it, the more she seemed to be the right person/thing to use. *Nodnod* But it wasn't as extravagant as I'd wished. *Sighs* But at least he's healed. Right? *Looks at everyone who wanted her to kill him* XD
So, anyway, please review and make me happy. ^_^
Shadowspirits: *Snorts* Oh, I was tempted to have Yami and Bekhura ride together, but Yuugi woulda' thrown a hissy. However... *Cackles evilly* Read on.
Tis alright you didn't review the last chapter. ^_^ Glad you like this chapter and the last, though. And don't worry, stuff'll go wrong. *Evil smile*
Glad you liked and thanks for the review. ^_^
Ryuujin: Sankyuuuuuuu. ^_^ *Pokes* Update your stories, girl. You leave too many cliffhangers! XD Oh, and I'll be reviewing your new chapter of The Fetter here soon. If I don't, poke me.
Zesha: Glad you liked. (The bugs scene came to me while doing chores, oddly enough. XD) Thanks for the review. ^_^
Ashita: Glad the chapter combated the depression of studying. XD Spanish and Math are eeeeeeeeevil! *Can't speak Spanish for beans and isn't good at math, either*
Never rode a camel... *Sniff* Or a horse, either. I waaaaant to! I love animals. And yes, Malik is overreactive. And a hypochondriac. And on a perpetual caffeine high. XD
Bekhura's still a bastard at heart. XD Glad you thought he wasn't too OOC. I always figured if he made friends with anyone in the group besides Malik, it would be Tristan or Yami. XD
Thanks for the review. ^_^
Wingleader Sora Jade: *Laughs* Malik has bad luck with camels, all through the author universe. XD Glad you liked the part with Seto, too. The camel really shoulda' eaten something... Like part of the stupid trench coat. XD Are camels like goats? Anyway, thanks for the review!
Borath: *Giggles* Don't ya hate when you forget stuff? *Pokes her brain* I had some good idea a few chapters ago and they flew away. And then today, I had an entire scene in my head for Itsumo. x_x
Glad you like the scenes between Yuugi and Yami. I thought that poor Yuugi would start getting a little more upset now that Yami been worse again. *Nodnod* Glad it wasn't too bad.
Yay! *Waves flag* Thebes and Luxor confused me forever. -_-; Happy that I got it all right. Now I just have to remember what the damn two hump camels are called. XD And I like your dad's advice. I'll remember that. XD
*Giggles evilly* I shall state definitely: Everyone will be in the second and third stories (Itsumo and Fumetsu). However... Someone will die in this story, Eien. So there. And don't worry, I'm definitely going to torture Yami. XD It's fun.
Glad you liked Malik's fear of camels. XD He's such a blond. And I always saw Isis as more of a mother figure... ^_^ The group needs one.
*Laughs* Glad you liked the scene with the poor, short boys. I was looking in my horse book, and even though Arabians are short, their's is about 5 feet at the withers. And me? Lull people into a false sense of security? XD Thanks for the review!
Kilam: As per my Email, fanfiction.net ate your review. *Kicks* Evil demon thing. So shall respond normally.
Thanks for the compliment. ^_^ This story is ending up being far longer than I'd expected.
Aa, about the Japanese names and dub names... There's a somewhat stupid reason for that. I spell Yuugi 'Yuugi', because that was how I'd learned it originally, and when I started this fic I was already using it. As for Ryuuji, Sugoroku, Isis, and Malik's names, it was my own preference. I don't like their dub names. XD (Besides Sugoroku; I really don't have anything against his dub name but I learned it as Sugoroku first, like Yuugi.) Anyway, there is a reason for using their dumb names. It'll be clear once I get to the sequel.
I was pretty sure 'Demo' could be used as both 'but' and 'however'. They're pretty much the same word. *Opens up her dictionaries* They both say 'But; however'. Then again languages never translate right, so who knows. XD And as for Yami B... I didn't like the fanfiction thing about calling him 'Bakura' and the omote 'Ryou'. It annoyed me. And since I called Yami Malik 'Yami M' and Yami Yuugi 'Yami', Yami Bakura got the shortening too. XD End note: I'm lazy. XD
*Laughs* Sorry about it not being a pairing. I'm going to be working on a darkshippy fic for them... Eventually. Glad you like it even without the pairing, though. ^_^ And there's supposed to be a sidestory about why Yami and Yami B aren't openly hostile towards each other anymore. I just haven't written it yet either. XD
Glad you like the parts with Malik and Yami B. It was fun to drag Malik into the fic. XD And don't worry, he's sticking around for the rest of the fic, along with Isis. And newcomers Pegasus and Shaadii.
Yesyes, Yami B is going to be important in the end. *Nodnod* If I ever get to the end, that is. *Gets smacked* About his name, I'm using the name 'Bekhura', which was revealed in chapter... 21? Can't remember. Anyway, I've never heard the name Nahkti before... As far as can be told, in the manga, he's simply called 'Bakura' in katakana. So I took creative liberties. XD
I don't think Yami M'll be showing up in this fic, at least. Maybe in the third one. Dunno. And he is rather creepy with the Ore-sama. That goes to Yami B too, but less so since his Japanese voice is kind of cute. XD
Aa, never read anything that stated outright that Malik liked things neat and orderly. Never heard anything that said he was messy either though, so chose my own. XD And all the guidebook says is that Malik's least favorite food was meat. It's somewhat assumed that he and Isis are vegetarian, but as far as I can tell it's not for sure either. And I forgot when I was writing that scene anyway. XD Blame the steaks on Shaadii coming over for dinner. *Gets smacked again*
*Laughs* I know he's not British. I like the British accent he has in the dub, so I kept it. My logic is that he may have spent time in Britain, and picked up the accent. Whether he's British or Japanese, it doesn't really have anything to do with his knowing English. Tea speaks very good English in the anime and she's Japanese. The other boys are supposed to, but they're no good at studying. XD
Anyway, thanks for the long review. ^_^ I hope fanfiction won't eat it should you review again. *Sweatdrop* And I'm certainly going to keep going. I want to write Itsumo and Fumetsu. XD
Starlit Hope: ^_^ I'm glad you like. But as for romance, I'm not really doing any. I only usually hint. But I've been toying with Isis*Seto or Isis*Shaadii... However, there is a Bekhura*Yami fic in the works, as a standalone.
*Grins and gives thumbs up* Mwee, what you said about Jou and Yuugi being more like big brothers is what I was going for. ^_^ And Seto... No. Just no. XD
Bugs are teh devi. XD Thanks a bunch for the review!
Other Notes: Alrighty, well... Yeah. Been buying doujinshi, saving money for an Australian Shepherd pup, writing for NaNoWriMo... So Eien didn't get much attention. But now it shall again. I want to write Itsumo and Fumetsu. *Whines*
Disclaimers: I own Dungeon Dice Monsters for GBA, does that count? *Pokes game* I think I have to beat another three cup thingy's before I get to duel Yami. *Sniffs*
Warnings: Erm... Cursing? There are dead people, but it's not described graphically or anything... They're in Yami's tomb. I mean, really. There are dead people EVERYWHERE in that thing.
Summary of Last Time: The group got some camels and horses, and set out for the Valley of the Kings. I think. Lemme check. Yep.
Preview of this Time: The group gets into Yami's tomb, and our dear Pharaoh- *Cough* Sorry. Was gonna tell you, but I figured it'd be more fun to make you read.
Japanese:
None?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Eien; part 24
by: Amiasha
"Okay... This is really boring." Joey muttered in annoyance, bouncing slightly in time to the movements of the camel's steps. "And hot, too."
"What are YOU complaining about...?" Yami asked him breathlessly, his head dipping in exhaustion. He'd long since abandoned his coat, favoring to tie it around his waist. Sleepily, the spirit placed his arms on his aibou's shoulders, setting his left hand on his right, and rested his head on his left arm.
Yuugi giggled and reached up to brush his dark's bangs away from where they were tickling the younger boy's cheek. He frowned when he realized that the spirit's gold hair was slightly damp. /Are you alright? Need anything to drink?/
Yami smiled slightly and leaned his head against Yuugi's. //I'm not feeling all too badly at the moment, actually. Just... Tired.//
/Then go to sleep./ Yuugi laughed.
//I would...// Yami started, trailing off as he became less certain of what he was saying. //But... I know it seems strange... But everytime I fall asleep while I'm feeling well, when I wake up I'm sick again. And vice-versa.//
Yuugi sent a reassuring pulse of energy through their link. /If you don't want to sleep, you don't have to. Just try to reserve some strength./ Yuugi trusted his dark's intuition, and any time he voice a desire not to do something, Yuugi listened.
Nodding again; Yuugi feeling the movement more than seeing it; Yami shut his eyes most of the way and relaxed, letting himself be lulled by the sound of their Arabian's hooves against the sand. Mafdet curled up in front of Yuugi, mirroring her owner's sleepy movements.
Mahaado and Mana, both floating along behind the group, seemed to be fully asleep. How they were managing to follow along with the others was anyone's guess.
"How long have we been traveling?" Ryou asked, reaching out to pet his horse's neck and adjusting the reigns in his hands. Bekhura, sitting behind him, looked bored and was apparently making a church with his fingers.
Pegasus looked at his watch. "About... An hour, I think." He replied, brushing his hair back and retrieving his hat from one of the bags hanging off his camel's side.
"This is so damn boring." Malik muttered sullenly, voicing what everyone else had been thinking a was too polite to say. With the possible exception of Bekhura, who was preoccupied.
"Don't complain." Isis scolded, her camel trotting forward a few steps hyperly. "You can certainly handle a little boredom."
Malik made a face at her, but offered no other comment.
**********************
Another hour later, Bekhura raised his head and looked over his other's shoulder and at the dark band near the horizon line. "Oi." The Egyptian spirit said, glancing over his shoulder at the rest of the group. "I think I can see the Valley."
"Good." Isis replied, nudging her camel to trot up to the front next to Bekhura and Ryou's Arabian, smiling amusement at Malik and his horse, who both pointedly moved away as her camel passed them. She looked over at where Bekhura was pointing, and nodded. "Yes, that's the Valley."
Yuugi craned his neck to look, being not only shorter than the others but on a shorter mount as well. He was finally able to spot the strip of dark gold, and hope began to fill his heart. 'We're here.' He thought. 'We're here... It's early and Yami's still alright. There's still time to find the cure for him, even if we have a hard time getting through the tombs.' He nodded to himself determinedly. 'Everything's going to work out...'
The boy felt a groggy movement from behind him, and then his dark's weary voice. "Ai..." The spirit trailed off, almost as if he was too tired to continue. Switching to his mental link, Yuugi spoke to the slightly older teen. /Yami?/
Yami sighed heavily, setting his chin on his arm and leaning his head against Yuugi's cheek. //I'm... So tired, aibou...//
Yuugi ran his fingers gently across his dark's face. /I know... But we're here, Yami! It's only a short matter of time before we find some way to help you, and you'll feel better again./
Yuugi felt the other boy's hope and doubt, mixed together, float through the link disjointedly. Then Yuugi realized his dark wasn't fully conscious anymore. /Yami!?/
//... Tired, aibou...//
Yuugi, panic threatening to overtake his rational thinking, pulled gently back on his Arabian's reigns and she stopped, giving Yuugi the chance to take both hands off and turn partially around so he could put his arms around his dark. /Yami? Yami!/ Yuugi looked up at the others. "Stop!" He ordered frantically.
Isis and Ryou immediately stopped their mounts, Pegasus and Shaadii stopping their camels a moment after and the rest already having stopped once they'd noticed Yuugi do so. Isis turned around to see why Yuugi had yelled. "Yuugi, what's wrong?" She asked, concerned.
Yuugi glanced at her briefly. "I think Yami passed out again..." He murmured softly, holding his dark against his chest gently. He shivered as he felt how weak the spirit's breathing had gotten.
Isis slid off her camel and so did Pegasus, both hurrying over toward Yuugi's Arabian. "Here, hand him to me Yuugi-boy and then you can get down." The white haired man said, reaching up to carefully take Yami from Yuugi's arms and pulling him down from the horse. Yuugi quickly dismounted as well, and Pegasus managed to get his red jacket off without dropping Yami; spreading it out on the ground with his foot and then laying Yami down on it. Yuugi knelt down next to the spirit.
"Damn, this is getting more frequent." Bekhura said, walking over toward the Motou boys and the two adults. He crouched down next to the small group. "We need to get out of the sun." He said.
Sugoroku, Joey, and Shaadii soon joined them, Shaadii carefully placed the back of his hand about an inch from Yami's slightly open mouth. After a few seconds, he pulled away and checked the boy's fever. "The poison is taking more effect, Yuugi." The Egyptian man stated quietly, his accent pronounced. "It's been too long... We have to get to his tomb and pray there is something to help him in it."
The hope Yuugi'd felt earlier was quickly crushed at the man's words. "Th-then let's go." He said, his voice breaking. 'Gods... Just a moment ago... I thought everything would be alright...'
"Let me take him." Bekhura said, looking at Yuugi. "Ryou can ride with you. The Pharaoh'll need someone bigger than him to keep him from falling off the horse when he's unconscious, so I can hold him until we get into the Valley."
Yuugi, tears running down his face, nodded silently. "Just be careful, please..." He murmured softly.
"Don't worry, Yuugi." Bekhura said, nodding. He looked over his shoulder towards Ryou. "Ryou, come over and ride with Yuugi."
Ryou nodded, doing as he was told and walking over to them, putting his arms around Yuugi's shoulders and pulling the boy back to his feet as Bekhura gathered Yami into his arms.
Sugoroku stepped up next to Bekhura, stopping him to ask a question. "Are you sure you have him?" He asked worriedly, petting Yami's hair.
"Don't worry." Bekhura told him calmly. "I'll take care of your grandson." He said, breaking a grin as it sounded like some pathetic romance movie he'd watched with Ryou before.
Sugoroku smiled as well. "You'd better." He said, before his smile faded away to a frown as he glanced at Yami once again before going to get back on his camel.
Bekhura gently placed Yami over his shoulder, mounting his horse and then setting Yami sidesaddle in front of him and laying the younger spirit's head against his chest. One arm around the other boy's waist and the other hand on the reigns, Bekhura looked around to see that everyone else was ready to leave.
Yuugi was sitting in front of Ryou, his large eyes glassy and unfocused as he stared downwards, obviously deep in the depression he had when they had been traveling to Thebes. Ryou had the reigns of the horse, looking worried about Yuugi.
Everyone began moving again, and another tense 15 minutes later they had all reached the Valley.
Besides the Egyptians that lived there all the time, the group was in awe, even Yuugi. The Valley was deep and long, filled with different patches that were entrances to tombs. It was, surprisingly, relatively deserted. A few archeologists milled around, but not many.
Bekhura stared down into the Valley, amazed and feeling sure that he'd been there many times before even if he couldn't remember details. The very energy that swirled around made Bekhura feel energized and ready to face anything.
Shaadii looked around at them all. "Everyone, I'm going to activate the magic from the Ankh so we can get into the Valley unnoticed. The Pharaoh's tomb is in the far end of the Valley, and that will be our first and hopefully only destination."
The other leaders of the group; Bekhura, Isis, and Sugoroku in place of his grandchildren who weren't in the position to make decisions, nodded their agreement and okays to Shaadii. Everyone gathered as close to each other as they could get with Malik's crazy Arabian wanted to get away from the camels, and Malik not doing much to stop it. Shaadii cast his spell... And nothing seemed to happen.
"Uh, Shaadii?" Joey asked incredulously. "Nothin' happened."
Pegasus smirked. "Get me something to throw at those archeologists down there and we'll see."
Shaadii glared at Pegasus, but then just rolled his eyes and looked at Joey. "You don't much notice the effects of the spell." He said calmly. "But trust me, no one else will see us."
Yami stirred, moving his head slightly but not opening his eyes. Bekhura looked down at him, then back up at the others. "Oi." He said. "Let's stop talking about it and just get going."
The others nodded in agreement and bade their mounts to keep moving.
Getting into the Valley was a little harder. They all managed to locate the dirt road that let the archeologists drive in cars, but said roads were surprisingly packed for how little people were in the Valley itself. Eventually, they found a slope that was a sideroad, that was accessible enough for them to steer the horses and camels down.
Finally, they all got into the Valley, and started toward Yami's tomb.
Yami stirred again, murmuring something and drawing closer to Bekhura. His eyebrows twitched and he murmured again, his face deathly pale.
"Hey, Pharaoh, are you with us?" Bekhura asked softly, looking down at the smaller spirit.
Yami's eyebrows twitched again, and he slowly opened his eyes. After a few seconds of just staring up at Bekhura blankly, he blinked slowly.
Bekhura was really starting to get worried. The younger boy wasn't doing much of anything, just looking up at him. "Pharaoh, I'd appreciate you doing something to show me you're not braindead." He said, smiling humorlessly.
Yami coughed weakly, placing the back of his hand against his forehead and shutting his eyes again. He drew a breath shakily. "Not... Braindead..." He choked out.
"That's good." Bekhura replied, giving a sigh of relief. "Was worried for a moment there." He laughed lightly. "Of course, you didn't just hear that."
Yami gave a energy less sound that seemed to have been meant to be a chuckle.
"We're in the Valley, Pharaoh. We're not far from your tomb, where hopefully we'll resolve everything." Bekhura explained, seeing the younger boy looking around with just his eyes, confused. "Your aibou is with mine, since you passed out earlier and I needed to have you with me."
"Mm." Yami said softly, closing his eyes again. Everything was spinning so heavily that colors and shapes had blended together, and it felt almost like he was floating.
/...Yami?/ Yuugi asked softly and hesitantly.
//Aibou...// Yami replied, smiling mentally even though he was so weak.
/I'm so glad you're awake.../ Yuugi said, feeling deja vu. He wasn't surprised though, sadly. He and his dark had had this conversation so many times in the past few days.
//Aibou... Tomb Robber says we're almost there...//
/We are. Just a few more minutes./ Yuugi assured him, feeling the hope he had lost earlier coming back. They were truly almost there.
//Alright.// Yami said, his mental voice laced with determination.
Another few minutes later, the group stopped. In front of them was a magnificent squared archway, larger than the entrances to most of the tombs. No one seemed to be around it, oddly enough, but there was no complaining from the group about that.
"Everyone, dismount and attach the reigns of your animal to that rock." Isis directed, pointing at a tall rock and sliding off her camel.
The others did as they were told, Bekhura managing to both slide down and hold Yami at the same time.
Mafdet jumped down from Yuugi's horse as Mahaado and Mana floated up beside the group, helping people secure their camels and horses. Mana was glancing around as if she sensed something she didn't like, and Mahaado was doing the same. Neither of them said anything about it however, so Yuugi didn't think it was too bad.
Bekhura gently handed Yami to Joey, who grinned down at the younger of the two spirits. "Ah, together again." He said.
Bekhura whapped Joey upside the head. "That's for the Pharaoh, considering if he could've hit you he definitely would."
Yami smiled, letting Joey know that Bekhura was dead on with his comment. Joey laughed.
"I'll go first." Sugoroku volunteered. "I know most of what Yami has in his tomb. There are so many traps it isn't even funny."
"Yes it is." Bekhura replied, just to be difficult. Sugoroku glared at him.
"No on asked your opinion. Though I will let you go first into any room I haven't been in." He said, smirking at the white haired boy.
Bekhura laughed. "You're an evil old man. But I'll go first into any new rooms anyway. Better to steal the riches when you go in first."
Ryou whaped him upside the head. "That was from Yami Yuugi." He said. "Because I know that if he could've, he would have hit you."
//... So much violence in my name.// Yami commented mentally, the only way he really could.
Yuugi giggled. /You're right./
Sugoroku lead the group into the tomb, followed closely by Bekhura.
The first room they entered was a huge hallway. Hieroglyphs painted both sides of the wall; in the traditional look of ancient Egyptian tombs. The walls and floor were a sandy golden color, and at the end of the hallway there was a small room with two pillars.
"Wow, just the first hallway and it's huge..." Joey commented. Yami, in his arms, was looking around in wonder as well. The tomb really was beautiful.
Mahaado and Mana's staffs were both glowing, giving everyone enough light to see by.
As soon as he reached the small room, which had another squared archway, Sugoroku turned around and looked at the rest of the group. "There are somethings I need to warn you all of in the next room. There are dead people. Everywhere."
Much of the group looked disgusted, besides Malik and Bekhura who looked interested, Isis, Rishid, Pegasus, and Shaadii who weren't fazed by much, and Seto who just didn't seem to care.
"Also, don't be alarmed by the door shutting behind us. It'll do that." Sugoroku continued. "And don't mind the statues with the swords. They won't hurt you if you follow my instructions."
Yami was very interested in this. His tomb was apparently much like his soul room; it tried to eat anyone that set foot into it and didn't know what they were doing.
"Everyone has to walk with their left foot forward. To avoid failing in this task, just keep your left foot forward the who time. So it won't be walking as much as shifting along. Always have your left foot in front." He looked at Yuugi and Joey who was holding Yami. "Especially you two."
"Why do we have to walk with our left foot in front?" Tristan asked curiously, wondering exactly what reasoning there was for the trap.
"It was a sign of respect." Sugoroku explained, then turned to smile at Yami. "The Pharaoh was the only one allowed to walk with his right foot forward. So Yami would be the only one of us exempt from the rule in this trap."
"Sounds easy enough." Joey said, nodding. "We can get through this trap. Any other ways out of the room besides the one you took?"
"I think so." Sugoroku affirmed. "I simply went straight across. There are side passages."
Sugoroku turned back towards the archway. "Remember, left foot forward. I will not have any of you skewered." And with that, he went into the next room.
The room was every bit as gory as Sugoroku had described it. There literally were dead people everywhere; on the spikes that came out of the walls, on the pathway, and a few on the swords of the statues.
As soon as everyone had gotten into the room, the door behind them slid shut. No one was surprised however, since Sugoroku had warned them before hand. Mafdet just lashed her tail once, gold-green eyes narrowed.
Yuugi came up close to Joey and Yami, seemingly trying to meld with them. "... This is creepy."
"This is my kind of tomb." Bekhura commented cheerfully, walking out onto the pathway without hesitation along with Sugoroku. None of the statues moved, and so the white haired thief began looking around. "Hm..." He said. "It' looks like there's another room down that way." He commented, pointing toward one of the sidepaths. True enough, there was a smaller entrance than the ones they had been going through earlier.
"Then that's the best place to go towards." Sugoroku said, looking back at the others. "What do you think?"
Yami gave a small nod, and Isis, Shaadii, and Pegasus did as well. "Onward!" Pegasus said lightly.
Bekhura and Sugoroku began leading the others through the path. Thankfully, none of the statues were moving. Mafdet, though she wasn't walking in any special way, apparently wasn't included in the rule. Being a cat, she was a sacred animal, and had no problem trotting after the rest of the group.
After a minute of tedious walking and being somewhat creeped out by the dead people, the entire group made it across and to the small platform that was just in front of the doorway.
"Alrighty, let's see what's in here." Bekhura said, taking the lead and entering the smaller tunnel. It was much like the first hallway, just less expansive.
As soon as they got through that, they entered into a larger tunnel that had torches lining the walls, all lit. The most impressive thing about it was that the walls and floor were white marble.
Everyone just stared. /Wow.../ Yuugi said through the link. /This is beautiful.../
Yami seemed equally awed. //It is...//
Bekhura gave a low whistle. "Marble..." He said, impressed. "This stuff wasn't exactly easy to come by in Egypt."
Continuing through the stunning white hallway, they ended up in a huge room that made the statue room seem small. It was in white marble as well, with gold heratic and hieroglyphs along the walls. In the middle stood a large white marble altar, framed by two ceremonial candles, and behind those stood something no one was expecting.
A beautiful blue skinned woman with long golden hair and wearing a green dress smiled at them, her grey-green eyes shining softly in the light. Her gentle, musical voice floated over to them as she spoke. "Greetings." The Mystical Elf said. "Is there something I can do to assist you?"
Bekhura blinked at her, then leaned over toward Joey, Yuugi, Yami, and Sugoroku. "The Mystical Elf is known for healing." He said. "That may be what she's here for."
Yuugi's heart lept. "You think we've found the cure?"
Bekhura grinned. "There's a pretty good chance."
Mafdet, meanwhile, was inspecting the altar. She slipped around on the polished marble surface, sniffing it and then rolling around on the cool stone. The Mystical Elf smiled at her, reaching out to pet her fur.
"Can you help us?" Yuugi asked, walking forward and looking up into the Elf's eyes. "My yami is really ill."
The Mystical Elf knelt down. "I think so." She said, smiling. "Healing is my specialty."
Yuugi smiled broadly. /Yami, we did it!/ He cheered, elated.
Yami, from Joey's arms, smiled as well. //Yes. Thankfully.//
The Mystical Elf looked over at the others, and her eyes widened. "Pharaoh!" She exclaimed, seeing it was Yami that Yuugi had said was ill. Instead of bowing like everyone had expected after her exclamation, she rushed over to the spirit. "Your highness, what happened?"
Mana floated up, and put her hand on the woman's shoulder like she knew her. "Can't you heal him first?" She asked gently, smiling.
The Mystical Elf looked slightly embarrassed. "Yes." She answered. Gesturing for Joey to carry Yami over, the Duel Monster walked back over toward the altar.
Joey followed her, and at her instruction laid Yami gently down.
//Aibou, I feel very idiotic right now.// Yami said calmly. Yuugi snorted loudly and burst into giggles, gaining strange looks from everyone.
/That's alright. You'd rather feel idiotic than deathly sick, wouldn't you?/ Yuugi asked, still giggling.
//I suppose so.// Yami agreed, smiling mentally. Mafdet jumped up to lay right next to him, curled against his side.
"Okay Pharaoh, this will only take a moment." The Mystical Elf said, laying one hand against Yami's forehead and the other against his chest, over his heart. She slowly began to sing, stronger than her holographic projection ever did and more clearly. Her hands had began glowing softly white.
True to her word, it only took a few seconds for the Mystical Elf's hands to start shining so brightly everyone covered their eyes. Another second after that, there was a flash, and the glowing just stopped.
Yami opened his eyes slowly, blinking as if to test himself. Very slowly he sat up; that was, until Yuugi tackled him in a hug.
"You're okay!" The boy exclaimed, so happy that his tears soaked the blue fabric of his dark's jacket.
"Aibou, relax." Yami said softly, putting his arms around Yuugi. "You're going to suffocate me."
"I'm going to suffocate you too." Sugoroku declared, joining in the hug and gently ruffling his oldest grandson's hair.
The rest of the group gave high fives and cheered, very happy for the Motous and somewhat proud of themselves for completing one of their tasks. Joey gave the thumbs up. "Alright!"
Yuugi and Sugoroku released Yami, and the three got to their feet. Sort of.
Yami swayed heavily, steadying himself on Yuugi and starting to get a little worried. "Why can't I stand?" He asked the Mystical Elf.
"Don't worry." The woman said, smiling. "You're still recovering. I don't think you realize exactly how close to death you were. It'll be a little while before you're back to full strength."
Yami nodded, feeling more reassured. "Alright."
Joey came over and ruffled Yami's hair as well, grinning. "Glad to have ya' back, Yami." He said.
Bekhura smiled, and the rest of the group nodded. Except Seto, who was being cold as usual.
"Aw come on, Seto." Mokuba said, looking up at his with and evil expression. "You're glad your cousin's alright too."
Seto looked as if someone had just struck him, clutching his head in apparent pain. "Mokuba! I told you not to bring that up!"
Mokuba giggled loudly, as did the rest of the group.
"Does that mean I can borrow money from you?" Yami asked, holding his arms out as he readjusted his balance.
"No. You can't." Seto said, frowning.
Bekhura chuckled. "Alright, sorry to beak up this amusing little conversation, but we need to remember why we're here to begin with."
"Right." Yami nodded, stepping up to even with Bekhura. "Let's banish this person so we can go back home."
"I like this plan." Bekhura said, grinning. "I'm happy to be a part of it."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Hope ya'll liked. ^_^ This story's wrapping up soon... So we can get onto Itsumo. There are countless sidestories coming... Sometime. Such as getting Mafdet, Yami meeting Sugoroku the first time, etc. *Nodnod* So stay tuned!
By the way, hope no one minded me using the Mystical Elf. The more I thought about it, the more she seemed to be the right person/thing to use. *Nodnod* But it wasn't as extravagant as I'd wished. *Sighs* But at least he's healed. Right? *Looks at everyone who wanted her to kill him* XD
So, anyway, please review and make me happy. ^_^