~~~~~~~~~~The Fall of the Morning Star~~~~~~~~~~
~~~AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~
Ha! Just in time for Christmas (only I kinda had to force it to be a present in time... ^_^;;)
Heh, so I'm guessing his is the chapter you've all been dreading and yet dying to read, eh? BWAHAHAHAHAHA! WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH IN THIS CHAPTER!! Can't stand it? Don't have the guts to continue? Leave now and forever hold your peace. And don't u dare flame me either... And the worst thing is, I dragged the whhhoollleeee thing out. ^_^* Heh, anyway, enjoy! But to all you traumatized, sentimental maniacs (don't worry, I'm one too; I usually can't stand character death either) out there, THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD!! Yami's not really 'dead' anyway!! We all know that Yugi solves da Puzzle and CEO Seto meets Yami, the Spirit of the Puzzle. And then of course, Dark Magician's tossed in there, the Gods are all over the place, and Ishizu and Shadi are just... er... around. So why blubber? (though you're free to do so if you get terribly distressed in this chapter)
Dude, people are going hysterical on me! O_o;; Er... glad my story has that kind of... effect... Egad, the reviews are so LONG and so THOUGHTFUL!! *squeal* I was seriously moved to tears when I came back after a few days and had like 40 different reviews clogging up my mailbox. Ra, see, when YOU guys start crying, *I* start crying, and we go into this chain reaction that eventually leads us both into this mass hysteria of happiness. You probably all get sick of me saying this, but THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR REVIEWS AND YOUR LOVE AND YOUR SUPPORT!! THANK U THANK U THANK U!! *sob* I'm also very glad that people read my long babbles cuz apparently people I've addressed to in my notes are very happy with my response. ^_^* All the reviews were so thoughtful and helpful to an authoress (in terms of self-esteem, ideas, and writing appreciation) that they were just so... so... WONDERFUL. And thank you to all those that gave me or at least mentioned pictures and art. I really want to see all of them, so feel free to email me (if ur shy, just drop a note on ur review and I'll hopefully get back to you) any fanart or pictures or anything Egyptian-related. ^_^
And just warning you, THIS IS A REALLY LONG CHAPTER. O_o 50 friggin' pages of pure, pointless babble! I swear!! All written in two days!! *bangs head on table*
***EMERGENCY NOTES TO REVIEWERS***:
SPECIAL THANKS to SERENITY MIRAL, BLUE SEPTEMBER and LILPURPLFLWR of whom patiently sent me emails and WONDERFUL seto/yami pics that greatly cheered me up and helped me get ideas. ^_^ Thanks, guys! Luv the pics! And if anyone else wants to join that list, feel free to cram up my inbox! (email is inclosed at the concluding notes at the bottom of the chapter)
TO 'SETO KAIBA', you are one lucky duck to claim that name on FF.net. :-p And thanks for the really really really long review (probably the longest, by my guess ^_^). OMG U CAN DRAW A MANGA FOR MY FIC?!?! *faints* DEAR GAWD COULD YOU PLEASE?!!? I'd be forever grateful!! I luv doing fanart and I luv looking at them too! *sighs blissfully* Check for my email at the bottom of the chapter. Please send them if you ever get to do them!
TO 'EMBER ELIDD': heck, sure! I already told Doveinsky the same thing. If you promise to be careful w/ exposing my story on the web, I'd be totally honored and hyped about being the first YGO fanfic on ur site. Thanks for asking! Made me feel all special. ^_^;;
TO 'TWILIGHTHUNTER': I swear I will try and find a way to contact you. Sorry! -_-;; And this is a note to everyone; I was kinda in a rush throughout this story, so I apologize if I didn't contact those of you that wanted to be contacted (or if my inbox simply didn't receive your message).
TO 'MISS SERA': Thank you for your last minute notice! That was very thoughtful of you. :-p Pharaoh Atemu, eh? O_o What does it mean? I looked all over and its not in any Egyptian dictionary I know of. ^_^;; Strange, but very interesting. For the sake of my sanity, though, I'm sticking with Pharaoh Yami (I'm too used to the name anyway. I seriously I can't imagine 'Yami' being called anything BUT 'Yami', or at least, Pharaoh O_o;;) *eyes budge* Vol.3 is out and translated?!? *shriek* OHMYGOODNESS AND I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT?!?! T_T (GRRR my brother lost Vol.1, but thankfully I'm safekeeping Vol.2. :-p) MUST FIND VOl.3!! *runs off to destroy bookstores*
1. Thank you all who explained about Noah (I really wasn't expecting people to read my notes THAT closely, but I'm glad you guys do). Thanks again, cuz all of you explained a lot! Note to Yugi or Yami or whoever made that stupid decision: KURIBO?!?! I mean, Mahado, come ON, this is SO your CUE! *whaps Yugi on the head* Sure, Yug, maybe YOU like Kuribo, but you're tying our fave Pharaoh to a ball of fluff when he could have a major butt-kicking dead High-Priest...er... dude... with a major butt-kicking rod and the coolest clothes and the coolest eyes who could SO majorly kick that fluffball's butt!
2. Thank you also to those that cleared up the manga. I GET IT NOW!! *cheers* So its all just a reenactment?!? Eh, wouldn't someone notice if Pharaoh Yami suddenly doesn't seem to remember anyone's names or even about the Temple of Tablets? O_o Oh well, at least we now know why he's so utterly clueless, and why he sees the others in the sky (with Teia and that damn cartouche of hers). Of course, that whole Yami's-split-into-three-pieces thing confused me. So, he's Pharaoh in a memory world, AND he's battling Y.Bakura in a completely different place?! Oy vey, my head hurts... -_- I think I'll just dream away about the manga through THIS story and others like it. The real thing is too damn confusing...
3. Egad one of my Ch.7 reviewers (though she's not the only one) mentioned something about my AN's getting annoying, though I didn't get that message until AFTER Ch.8 was updated. I'm sorry! ^_^* Yeah, I realized at some point that they might be getting just a *tad* annoying (it happens in my other stories, too -_-) but bad habits die hard, you know? I'll try to keep my little pop up stuff to a minimum, though that might make these babbles in the beginning and the end a whole lot longer. :-p
4. As for the whole gods thing at the end of this chapter and beyond, I did some more research on Egyptian mythology and one, its even more contradictable then I thought, and two, apparently some of my knowledge on myths are a tad off. I apologize for my mistake; it turned out that Horus the Elder was originally the fifth child of Nut, meaning he was a brother to Osirius, Isis, and Seth and an uncle to Horus the Younger, who was the son of Osirius and Isis. However, both Horuses were associated with the sun and the falcon, and both fought Seth, so they eventually merged into one god that was worshipped simply as Horus the Sun-Hawk, the god of Pharaohs (usually still as the son of Isis and Osirius). Hope that clarifies some things up for you guys... Basically, I'm a paranoid and perfectionalist freak, so I have to get the facts right and every detail correct cuz reviews going "by day wa, did you know that this was wrong and its really blah blah blah" or "no, this is what really happened blah blah blah" really bother me!
5. Er, one reviewer mentioned something about Christ and my own Horus-reborn idea. *wince* Well, interesting point, really... though I wouldn't go THAT far. Basically, I just thought it might be cool to tie Yami to Horus merely because... it might be interesting. ^_^;; And also, I'm obsessed with Egyptian mythology and Horus happens to be my fave god. And Anubis, 'course. :-p It was just a little fun to challenge myself and see how I could link romance, YGO, and Egyptian mythology together and make it all make sense (which hopefully would happen in the possible prequel)... The whole reborn-idea wasn't meant to be anything else. Besides, Horus/Yami BROKE THE RULES and he SINNED. The other gods more or less look down upon him (and they would hate him if they didn't love him so much) so he's not a very Christ-like figure at all, where all the angels and stuff worship Him. A note to all; I have no definite religion, meaning I'm agnostic and atheist (there's a thin line between the two, in my opinion). Also, I'm very paranoid about my lack of understanding about other religious (though I proudly have friends that are Jewish, Christian, Buddist, Hindu, Muslim, and of a few religions I can't pronounce). Therefore, I really hesitate to link my story with anything religious cuz I'm fearful about upsetting any one religion (us being in a crazy world and all). I'm even paranoid about typing "Arabian" or "Arab" cuz people might take it a wrong way, especially in these days... ^_^;; I MEAN NO HARM!! I COME IN PEACE, I SWEAR!
6. Just to all of those that mentioned it; I HAVE *FUN* BASHING MYSELF! Dude, there's nothing wrong with it, and its not like a drug or anything (though it acts like sugar ^_^). You guys should try it sometime. Its so much fun, I swear! I am in no way suicidal (I love my life and I'm entirely too happy, as my friends constantly tell me) or depressed or self-hating. As many authors have discovered, making fun of oneself can be terribly fun, especially in fanfics. I swear, you'll see it happen in every major fic, in the beginning or end of every chapter.
~~~~~~~
" Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life.... Do not be too eager to deal out death and judgment." ~Gandalf the Grey (Lord of the Rings; the Fellowship of the Ring)
It rained that night... That sad, lonely night. The stars did not linger long. Aided by a blanket of clouds, the many goddesses of the sky poured forth a distressed ocean from their eyes, their plopping tears singing a soft, haunting melody throughout the mystical land of Egypt. A lone jackal, somewhere in the desert, looked up at where the moon was hidden and howled a long, anguished cry. Deep within his tablet, the mage once known as High Priest Mahado shuddered at the sound.
Throughout the kingdom, awoken by flying Shadow monsters carrying the spreading news, Egyptians ran excitedly out into the streets, some praying to the rain in joy, others tearing at their hair in great sorrow. Excited neighbors leapt out of bed and rushed out of their homes to greet people they barely knew, dignity and clothing nearly all but forgotten. Animals awoken by the chaos neighed and barked and screamed, eyes wide with confusion and ears twisting in the sudden noise. Husbands spun their wives around the room and hugged their sons, hysterical with relief. Elderly gentlemen smiled at each other and murmured Akunamunkano's name with his son's, remembering the end of wars in the years of the Pharaoh's late father. Around them, little girls and boys, unafraid of the dark or the pouring rain, danced in the puddles and sang joyful songs of the great Pharaohs of old. A new verse was added, dedicated to a brave, wise boy-king with tri-colored hair and eyes brighter then the rising sun. These new words were then gleefully sang with the rest of the song, and parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and friends alike joined the high-pitched voices of their children, all with hands raised and heads lifted high in honor of their great king.
But somewhere in the Royal Palace, Akunadin rested his head within his hands and sobbed. All gaurds, servants, officials and priests heaved sighs and bowed their heads. And alone in their Chambers, Ishizu, Karimu, and Shadi wept.
And in the mist of it all, Kaiba and Yami made love. Desperate, tender, frantic love. They would make it to remember this night, this fateful night, their last night, their last moments of passion together... But despite the blinding pleasure, they, too, cried with their countrymen, their tears melding with their fierce kisses, their pain undistinguishable from their excitement, their anguish making them hold each other closer.
"Promise me... P-Promise you'll wait for me..."
"I will be." [1]
~*~*~*~*~*~
"It is unjust! It is unjust!!" cried a beautiful voice of eloquent words.
"Thoth, calm yourse--" murmured a quiet, silky-smooth tone.
"Ma'at, you of all beings, should agree with me! [2] Tell me, is this not unjust?" There was great and desperate urgency behind Thoth's words. "Great gods of this gathered Council, hear me! This is no mere mortal!! This is no mere king! This is the Dawn-Hawk Horus, mighty son of Pharaoh Osirius and Queen Isis! [3] Our Prince, our King! Why, have we gone blind?! Is he not one of us?"
An anxious pause.
"Is he not our brother?!" Thoth pleaded softly, pain evident in his very words. "Is he not our brother, by blood or by heart? Is he not our son, our grandchild, our charge, our apprentice, our friend, our companion? Or perhaps, even our nephew?"
"Whether or not he is my nephew has nothing to d--!!" started a deep, menacing growl.
"Hold your tongue, Seth!" hissed the god of wisdom, beak snapping irritably. "Your poisonous words are of no use here, last son of Nut! [4]"
There was stunned silence. Seth's threatening rage filled the air, his seething anger filling the void of sound. Then...
"What is your case then, oh Wise One?" came an echoing, ancient tone of voice, one that ignited the very air itself and commanded respect from the depth of one's very being. Existence itself seemed to quake in the face of it.
Thoth's voice hesitated, before it came out a hushed whisper. "Let him be spared, Great Father.... Let Horus be spared!!" he pleaded, "He has suffered for far too long!"
His voice reverted and echoed through the silence that followed it, and it seemed the eloquent god had not lost his touch. His persuasive words spread like wild fire, and there were hushed murmurs of agreement.
"Can you all not see that young Horus has found happiness at last?" questioned Thoth fiercely, voice raising once more, "Happiness that he could not find here? Since his birth, he has been raised surrounded by revenge, fear and betrayal, and has known nothing but tears of sorrow and battles of pain since. But now... now he is joyful living a life with the mortals! Joyful! And I will quit this Council before I join any force to take that joy from him!"
Now there were exclamations of alarm and disbelief. No god simply quit the Council. It was unheard of! All major gods and goddesses were a member by birth or by privilege, subject to a hierarchy with Ra and royalty at the top. And though it does not always agree, this Council of great gods made the decisions to run the world. So one does not quit the Council!! Seth threatened to do so once, in anger against Isis and Horus, but it was an empty buff. And now it was Thoth, one of the eldest and wisest of the Council-members, that was doing so! And to the horror of all, he seemed dead serious about it.
"Yes... Yes, Thoth speaks true!" agreed another voice above the others, this time a woman's, silky, sensual and exquisite. "Let the Sun-Hawk be spared, for he deserves this not!"
Hushed silence, and attention swiveled as one toward the newcomer.
"Thoth, my wise son... and Hathor, my beautiful daughter..." started the august voice once more, this time sad and slow. "You both speak wisely and true... but Horus's place is here. He was born of our blood and he was born of our world... For this, he shall return to his family and homeland. He has caused far too much trouble as it is with this whole 'rebirth' business, and he has caused us more pain then he could ever imagine."
"No, but my king--"
"Hear this, for Great Father speaks!" boomed the king, his voice rocking the very heavens themselves. "We have allowed Horus to have his 'fun'! We allowed him to break the codes of the heavens, and we allowed him to go as he shall! We have allowed him far too much!"
The scolding stunned all who heard it.
The king softened. "Now... All we ask is that Horus return to us, to where he belongs and to where he will find more love in our arms then he will in the arms of that pitiful--"
"And if we love him, Oh Great Father..." interrupted Hathor, quietly, "...can we deny him of his own love?"
~*~*~*~*~*~
'This feels so... so... right...' Yami never remembered being quite this warm... nor feeling quite so safe. He had felt it before, he was sure, perhaps as a baby in his mother's arms... but that was a long time ago, and it had been many years since anyone dared to hold him like this.
A blissful sigh fell from the Pharaoh's lips as he snuggled against the strong, broad chest of his lover, inhaling the priest's musky scent and stroking the smooth skin with his long fingers. Kaiba's arms tightened possessively in his sleep, drawing the youth upward until Yami was fit snugly under his chin. Kissing away the lingering saltiness of sweat from the priest's long neck, the Pharaoh returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around his lover's shoulders and molding himself like a second skin against said man.
They fit so perfectly... So perfectly...
Oh gods...
'Hold me tight, Seto...' Yami stiffed a sob against Kaiba's jaw, shutting his eyes tightly and feeling a crystal tear trail down his already tear drenched face. He snuggled said tear into the priest's neck, breathing hard. 'Hold me tight... You'll never be able to do it again...'
"Your majesty..." The voice was quiet and respectable, but held an immeasurable amount of pain.
'Just one more minute...' whispered Yami to himself, opening his eyes and gazing with adoration at the beautiful being he was melted against.
Asleep, Kaiba looked remarkably boyish, his messy brown bangs cascading over his flawless face and the legendary blue eyes he was so famous for. He bore a strong jaw, high cheekbones and a proud nose, all carved perfectly out of smooth, sun-darkened skin. His body was no less marvelous, lean but strong like a cat, each muscle etched in ideal proportion and magnificent strength. Ra, the priest could have passed for a fallen god.
The sight brought more tears to Yami's eyes.
Oh, how cruel fate was...! Of all wonderful beings in the world, Yami luckily managed to snare the most splendid of them all... but he had kept him for so short a time... So short a time...
Yami's hand trembled as he fondly brushed aside the chestnut bangs from his lover's brow, fingers shakily trailing down that gorgeous profile. Adoring crimson eyes soaked in that handsome face, bathing simply, for the moment anyway, in the brunette's company. "I... I love you..." Yami whispered finally against the tightness in his throat, though he knew that Kaiba could not hear. The young sovereign leaned close and brushed his lips over the other's, feeling the soft and sweet texture that he had grown addicted to. It took all his willpower to pull away.
"Pharaoh..." Another familiar voice, this time shaking audibly. "...I-It is time."
Yami wanted to cry.
But he didn't. He forced down a threatening well of sobs and wiped his eyes, slipping gracefully --though not without heart-breaking effort-- out of Kaiba's arms and from under the silk sheets of his royal bed.
His skin still tingled where Kaiba's own had met it, and the missing warmth hit him like a thousand daggers of wretched ice. The separation almost hurt... No, it did hurt. And it hurt a lot. Yami bit his lip and closed his eyes tightly, forcing himself away from the option from diving back under the covers and into those strong arms, as if they could protect him from his cruel and evil fate.
And by Ra, he wanted to do it. He really did. He wanted to scream at those that dared to intrude on his sleep and snuggle himself, once again, against Kaiba's broad chest. The urge was so STRONG... and all too do-able.
It was so hard to fight it. So terribly hard...!! Though his sense of pride and his duties screamed at him in shame, one tiny, selfish part of himself, the part that loved living more then anything in the world, screamed back that there was still time. There was still time to call it off, still time to damn fate and fall right back to sleep and not worry about a thing. There was still time to live!
Yami stood perfectly still for a moment, torn between the gazes of those that called to him and his own desperate longing for his priest's warmth. 'Fight it!' he screamed at himself, hands trembling to restrain themselves from pulling his sore and tired body back into bed. 'Fight it!' Bare-skinned and shivering in the freezing mid-night mist, Yami clenched his eyes tighter and forced himself to take a deep, shaky breath. Then another. Then another.
He had a chance to live. All he had to do was simply order it done. No one could dare challenge him or overrun his command. But of course, there was that whole gods factor. And the fact that millions would die if he didn't.
'Oh Ra...' Yami's breathing took a near hysterical edge, and he felt his tenuous control begin to slip.
Even when familiar arms drew him into a tight, reassuring embrace, the Pharaoh only barely managed to get his raging emotions under control. Resting his head on his embracer's shoulder, Yami took a moment to compose himself but still looked up with wide, frightened eyes so unlike him. "Uncle... Uncle, I-I can't do this..." he whispered fiercely, pleadingly.
Akunadin eyes were sad and watery as they peered down at him, his hands lovingly draping a loose bed-robe of translucent silk over the Pharaoh's slender shoulders. He pulled his nephew into another tight embrace, feeling the boy tremble in his arms. "Be strong, little one..." The old man's voice was shaky but full of love. "You must be strong..."
The words were more toward himself then anything. Akunadin knew Yami had the courage to do this. He knew Yami would do it. But he doubted that anyone else could bear to see this through. Especially himself.
Akunadin felt his own tears well up and drop into Yami's thick, vivid hair. He had seen much death. So much death... Too much...
His father, Yami's grandfather, had died suddenly and without warning, when Akunamunkano had turned barely sixteen years of age and Akunadin just eight. (AN: they seem decades apart in the manga, but for the sake of my sanity, they're going to be just a little closer together.) The two Princes suddenly numbered down to one when Akunamunkano was crowned Pharaoh, and then down to zero when Akunadin abandoned the royal lineage for a priest's life. The Queen Mother was never very happy with that particular decision, but she blessed them both with love and good-will when she died at a good, ripe age, both sons by her bedside.
Akunadin had been greatly saddened by her passing, more so then Akunamunkano since he was the younger and more docile of the two brothers. But the deaths had hit them both hard, and the royal siblings were startled to find themselves alone in a large and scary world.
But even after his parents' demise, Akunadin was happy. He was quite content to let his brother take the all the glory of the Pharaohs and let his own fame be masked. True, he was still a Prince of Egypt by heart and by blood, but he was much happier living the peaceful life within mountains of scrolls then to be the center of attention before the eyes of the most respected men in the known world.
And then, he met his future wife. [5] She turned the world upside-down, and for the better. Stunning beautiful, strong-willed, and hot-tempered, she caught the eye of every man in her little provincial town, as well as the eye of a particularly shy High Priest that happened to be riding through the area. The rest was a blur, but the next thing an ecstatically joyful Akunadin knew, he was married at the Palace gates by the blessings of his brother --whom, one later pointed out, was still oddly single at the time.
And when Kaiba was born, Akunadin had never been happier. Though the midwives who had assisted the birth found it odd and almost repulsing to see an Egyptian baby --though large and as healthy as a horse-- with such pale skin and such odd-colored eyes, Akunadin thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in his life. He had wept openly when the servants handed him his first and only baby son, and had to be assisted by his elder brother in holding the child because he was quite nearly crushing it to himself in joy. Kaiba, of course, screamed his little brown-haired head off in annoyance, and Akunamunkano --who watched with amusement when Akunadin very nearly dropped the baby in alarm-- vocally expressed his wish that his own son wouldn't nearly be as grouchy.
And, of course, as hoped, Yami wasn't. Just a year or so after Kaiba's birth, Akunamunkano met and married one of the priestesses of Isis, a strange but pretty little woman as delicate as she was wise. She made a fair and just Queen, and at Kaiba's fourth birthday, a new Prince of Egypt was born.
This time, it was Akunadin who was the comforter. Akunamunkano was exceptionally nervous, and had good reason to be. His wife, though strong in mind, was not the most well built of ladies, and her pregnancy had been difficult. Also, the Pharaoh's particular dynasty had an unreasonably high rate of prenatal and infant deaths, even in terms of Egypt's normally high rates in the first place. Many Crown Princes and princesses of Akunamunkano's forefathers had died early or at birth, and Akunadin briefly recalled that their own father had to bury two infants --one a sister, the other a Crown Prince-- before Akunamunkano was born.
Thankfully, though barely, Crown Prince Yami was not to join those death ranks. He was, however, stunningly silent upon birth, and it was remembered that his father nearly collapse in hysterical sobs when nothing but silence filled the air in that crucial moment of birth. But Akunadin, feeling particularly brave and also somewhat panicked, rushed to the midwives' side and burst into tears of relief, returning with a tiny bundle in his arms that was still but very much alive. No one knew --not even until this day-- why Yami did not weep, but he merely snuggled against Akunadin's robes and peered up at the world with the most adorable pair of eyes that any Egyptian ever possessed. The child's irises were an exotic, flaming scarlet, so different from the large, icy-blue ones of his four-year-old cousin, who had been tugging excitedly at Akunadin's robes and whining that he couldn't see.
Little Kaiba's excitement was contagious.
Messengers on horseback and riding Shadow monsters rode from the White City to all corners of Egypt, crying out the news. "A new heir is born! A new Crown Prince is born!"
Even when a teary Akunamunkano snatched the baby from his arms, Akunadin felt, at that magical moment that the child's eyes and his own met, that there was something very special about the new Crown Prince of Egypt. Something mystifying, frightening, powerful, and dangerous all at the same time, but undeniably very special. At the time, he didn't think much of it, all but falling to the floor with palms up in prayer, thanking the gods for the safe delivery of the Crown Prince.
But now the priest realized exactly how right he was... Just how special Yami really was...
That was Akunadin's first contact with the amazing little bundle of joy he would come to know as his nephew and future king. And he had proudly been one of the first --even before the child's father-- to hold him.
And here he was again, holding the same baby he held sixteen years ago, in the very same room...
...but this = would not be for a birth. It would be for a death. Another death. Yami's death.
Akunadin's heart tore painfully within his chest. 'Why? Why so many deaths?! Why Yami?! Why him?!'
The Kingdom of the Dead had taken Akunadin's parents and two siblings he would never know. And years later, Osirius would claim the Queen... and then, his own brother. Akunamunkano's death hit him hard, like a punch in the face that left a gaping wound that would never heal. And finally, Anubis guided his own wife.
After his love's funeral and her mummification, Akunadin recalled holding his weeping son to him and praying into the lanky teen's shoulder. 'No more deaths...' he begged to whatever deity was listening at the time. 'There can be no more... Please make it so that there will be no more!' Oh, the haunting torment, the pain, the weeping... Again and again, for each and every death...
There should be no more deaths, at least not before Akunadin's eyes. He himself would be next, or perhaps Shimon... They were the eldest after all, their life forces dull and weak with age. Yami and Kaiba were lively and young, no more then children. And they were so beautiful, full of life and energy and a strong will to live... Yes, Yami and Kaiba would live...
Or so Akunadin thought.
No, but it seemed Osirius was particularly unhappy with Akunadin, and was now proceeding to tearing away his young and only nephew, son of a great Pharaoh long dead and last rightful heir of a mighty dynasty.
'No!' Akunadin wanted to scream, right in the face of the green-skinned King of the Dead, 'You can't have him! You've taken too many of my family! You won't have him!!' [6]
But even as he thought up these threats, Akunadin felt Yami pull away, pain and great sorrow evident in his flaming scarlet eyes. However, within those same crimson depths, one could see tired, weary acceptance, and even below that, fierce, magnificent courage. Courage so great, so foolish, and so youthful that it shattered the wits of all that saw it in its splendor. It could only be the courage of a true king.
Akunadin felt his heart leap up to his throat. And for a flash, it was not Yami standing tearfully before him, but of a white-haired and mighty king that died many years ago. 'So much like his father...'
That strange, lively glint that now sparkled in Yami's eyes once did the same in his father's, a long time ago. The late Pharaoh, at the risk of his own life and those of his priests, ordered the Millennium Items to be made in order to save his kingdom. Always for the kingdom... Always for Egypt. Never for themselves. Within Yami's strange-colored eyes lived on the stubbornness, the unfaltering courage and the blind devotion to the land of Egypt that his forefathers were so famous for. And so great was its beauty that it made everyone else feel like dirt, like they weren't worthy of breathing even the same air as this beautiful, stunning creature born from above.
And Akunadin knew the startling truth the moment his one gray eye met the crimson pair of his nephew. Yami was no coward. He was going to go through with this. He was accepting what fate the gods had put out for him.
Akunadin wanted to fall to his knees at that moment and weep like a baby, but he could not. He wanted to hold on to that slight-framed Pharaoh and make sure no harm ever comes to the marvelous child, his brother's son, his own nephew.... Ra, he simply wanted to melt into the floor and dream away all this madness, and wake up the next morning with Mahado and Seto bickering outside his doorway, Ishizu trying desperately to stop them both, and Yami hanging like a love-sick girl off Seto's arm. 'Yes... yes, why can't it be like that? Why couldn't any joy ever come to this royal family?!?'
The thought nearly made the High Priest's wits failed him. "You... You will do this then?" he whispered, fearful, sad and dreadfully weary.
Yami bit his lip, looking suddenly very much like the child that he was, and finally nodded, eyes down at his bare feet and slender hands trembling as they held on to the robe around his shoulders.
Akunadin forced down a whimper and sighed, heaving his shoulders with the dreadful weight of grief and frustration. 'Such a brave child... Oh, how he deserves this not...' The elderly man allowed a single tear to fall from his face as he cupped his nephew's face with his trembling hands, bringing it up gently to peer into those beautiful, watery eyes. "Your father would be proud..." the priest whispered at last, the words falling from his lips with ease and pride.
Yami's eyes widened and tears all but leapt into them, though he fought valiantly against them. "I know, Uncle..." He managed a small, though pained, smile. "I know..."
Akunadin drew him into another tight embrace, kissing the little king's bare forehead gently. "Come then..." he croaked, his voice breaking as he pulled away. "We must get you dressed and ready..."
There was an hour to dawn.
Yami's throat tightened at his uncle's words and he pulled the robe against himself, more for comfort then for warmth. Only then did he notice the others in the room.
Actually, there had been many others in the room, though they had been so silent and still that the Pharaoh, blinded by his pain and enveloped in his uncle's arms, hadn't even noticed them until now. His eyes scanned over them all with grim dread. There were many gaurds, mainly captains, who stood proudly at their posts, striped headdresses and muscular bodies adored with gold bands and matching white kilts. Around them stood many young servants of both genders, carrying everything from tubs of sacred water to bowls of fragrant oils to silk clothing to baskets of fresh flowers. Beside them were lesser priests, all clean-shaven and bald; some carried the scrolls of Yami's will, while others carried sacred staffs topped with the heads of gods and the rest carryed more sacred objects. Officials and scribes were nearby as well, dressed in their best and present with their pens, their ears, their eyes, and the presence of every town and village they represented. Short little Shimon stood in their mist, and to Yami's surprise, his face was uncovered, revealing an aged, wrinkly, but all-together warm face shining with pride and adoration.
And of course, there were the other High Priests. They were simply a pale, bleary-faced, teary-eyed mess, and yet every one of them was dressed in such splendor that it was near blinding to look upon their magnificence. Shadi and Karimu stood to either side of Akunadin, heads bowed respectively, skin newly oiled and silk robes adored with all sorts of Egyptian jewelry. In one hand they carried the Millennium Ankh and the Millennium Scale, respectively, while in the other they balance twin bowls, Shadi's containing oil, Karimu's containing shimmery gold paint. Ishizu stood between the two, short cape and tapering dress hugging her delicate figure, her lovely face framed by the outstretched wings of her eagle-tiara, her thick hair hidden behind her white headdress. The Millennium Necklace glittered upon her slender neck, and in her small hands rested neat folds of silk that Yami recognized as his cape... Horus's cape.
Yami's eyes were sad when they met those of his old friends', and his voice failed him. 'I...did not wish to bring you such pain...'
The thought went unheard.
At Akunadin's cue, Ishizu stepped up, chin lifted bravely but lower lip quivering somewhat. "We... We ask for permission to touch you, your majesty." (AN: not that way)
Yami nearly jumped out of his skin, and he grimaced. Oh, how he hated formalities... It had been many years since he forbade his closest friends --his High Priests, ultimately-- to use such uptight codes, but his old order did not seem to apply any longer. He eyed Ishizu tiredly, before looking away at the ground. "Permission granted," he sighed, voice tiny.
Instantly, Karimu and Shadi were by his side, one of their hands linked within Yami's, their free arms supporting his back gently. It was more of a symbolic move then anything else, but Yami was glad. His knees felt much too weak and his body much too sore, so he leaned thankfully against Shadi's side, slim frame tired and somewhat limp under the thin robe.
'This seems familiar...' he thought vaguely, suddenly too tired and emotionally drained to care about anything else but the strength of the two arms holding him up.
Yes, yes he remembered now... He once crashed into an incense burner and injured his knee, when he was perhaps four. He had been alone at the time, having been trying to run from his father's over-protective guards, whom he believed to be blatantly 'stalking' him. Thankfully, Shadi and Karimu, both nearly seven at the time, found him just a little bit later, in a puddle of tears and blood. The two priest-apprentices had been starving and in desperate need of the evening meat, but they dutifully --though with some difficulty-- piggy-carried their little Prince all the way to the healer's wing, a magnificent feat only feasible by the most dedicated of friends.
In a marvelous sense, Akunamunkano had been very wise. By raising the Crown Prince and his future High Priests together, the late Pharaoh had done more then just assure tighter loyalty in the future. No, Yami, Ishizu, Kaiba, Mahado, Shadi and Karimu were more then simply Pharaoh and his High Priests. They were friends. No, closer then that. Brothers and sister. Shadi and Karimu were the best of friends, as was Yami and Mahado, but their bonds with the others of their little group were no less close. Kaiba and Mahado may have fought a lot and openly admitted that they hated each other's guts, but if in a desperate situation, they would trust no one but the other. Trust ran deeper then just petty disputes, and both Kaiba and Mahado knew that and each other much too well.
Perhaps it was a weakness, a foreigner of Egypt might say. It is a weakness to have the High Priest and Pharaoh care so much about each other that they would not hesitate to put their lives in each other's hands. Or perhaps, to die for each other.
If Yami ever met that particular foreigner, he would do more then just Mind Crush him. Egypt was built on relationships; between mortals and the gods, between a mother and child, between a husband and wife, between a soldier and his horse, between a farmer and his farm, and most importantly, between the king and his people. No other kingdom could proudly boast how tightly knit and unified it was in mind and heart. Yami was particularly happy with this fact; being Pharaoh was usually considered lonesome torment, but he had been blessed --unlike his father, who had only a brother to confide in-- with the company of seven great individuals that made such torment somewhat more bearable. Well, at least at the end of a tough day, he always looked forward to the nightly and amusing ritual of Mahado and Kaiba exchanging death threats before they took their leave to bed.
Yami wanted to smile with the sudden warmth that spread through his heart. His friends... his brave, loving, loyal childhood friends. A cruel twist of fate had made them all grow up too quickly, to become a king and his Court, but deep down, they were still nothing but a bunch of joking, naughty little children that still wanted to run through the halls much too fast and mock the 'old people' behind their backs. Friends now and friends forever, as they say. Not even the gods could deny them that fate.
And for a moment, just a moment, the Pharaoh felt somewhat better. He would die happy. He would die knowing that he was loved... Loved by a lover, an uncle, an advisor and four of the best, most loyal friends in the world.
Ishizu, who now passed the robes and Karimu's bowl to three pretty servant girls by her side, stepped up to him, hesitantly dipping her fingers in the smooth, warm oil of Shadi's bowl.
Yami opened his eyes and eyed the bowl warily, unfamiliar with the strange but utterly delightful scent coming from the gel-like oil within. A flicker of a question flashed across his eyes.
A ghost of a smile appeared across Ishizu's face, though sadly. "It is... II-t is a mix of flowers... and myrrh... and all that is good in Egypt," she explained quietly.
Though the strange answer made him shiver, Yami offered no protest as his lady friend began to rub the oil against his cheek, making sure the skin was well coated and thoroughly moistened before moving over his nose. The sensation was pleasant and somewhat tickling, though the Pharaoh held perfectly still.
He felt moisture in his hair and knew that one of the High Priests was now crying, possibly Shadi. Ishizu seemed spurred on by this and allowed a few tears to flow down her lovely face, even as she tried to keep it straight and continued on with her duty.
Yami closed his eyes tiredly, pained and touched. 'Cry not for me, my priests... Do not cry for me...'
~*~*~*~*~*~
There was a thin line between unconsciousness and sleep, and Kaiba had enough sense to realize that he straddled it somewhat. He, like the other High Priests, was usually a light sleeper, and any sudden motion or noise immediately snapped him awake, no matter how tired he normally was or how late in the night it happened to be. As of right now, however, he could not manage to bring his brain --nor his body-- to bloody function!
He had been semi-conscious for a while now, and had enough awareness to realize that he and Yami were not alone in their Chamber. The noises and voices were blurred and distant, and so quiet that Kaiba could not make out their words. But then again, there was always someone in Yami's Chamber, and quite frankly, Kaiba could care less. He slipped in and out of a dream-like state of rest, sore limbs heavy with fatigue and mind much too overwhelmed from last night. He was actually quite content to sleep away the rest of the day, a feat he would have considered rather pathetic if he had been anywhere near awake. But, once again, he didn't care.
The sensation of soft hands upon his skin, however, drew Kaiba once more into the world of the living, and he stirred contently under the gentle touch, smiling inwardly at the familiar feeling of slender fingers he knew much too well. Without bothering to open his eyes, he reached out and snagged the owner, pulling that beautiful slender body into his arms and latching on to the other's soft lips with his own. He tasted them eagerly as he caressed the small of the other's back, slipping his tongue into the boy's delicious mouth and coaxing a soft whimper from his petit lover.
Ra, the Pharaoh tasted like heaven.
Kaiba might have taken it further had Yami not suddenly slip out from his arms, the absence of his heat leaving a painful void of chilliness.
Again, lips brushed the priest's own, but this time was but a ghostly brush of air. "Don't forget me, Seto..." came a sad, silky tone that was all too recognizable. "Please don't forget me..."
The odd words sank through the haze of sleep and confused Kaiba greatly. Growling in disapproval, he blinked open his sleepy eyes and was met by the fair, proud face of his lover, looking down upon him with unconditional love and tears in those beautiful scarlet eyes.
The priest blinked and wracked his blue irises up and down the Pharaoh shamelessly, dully surprised by what he saw. Yami was dressed --much to Kaiba's dismay-- in his Horus costume, slender limbs adored with smooth silk and brilliant jewelry, his skin covered with fragrant oil and a fresh sheen of gold paint, his vivid hair hidden under the splendor of the nemes headdress. The young sovereign was breathtakingly stunning, but Kaiba could not help but frown at the unexpected attire. It all struck a chord in him, though as of the moment, he couldn't understand why. "Y-Yami...?"
Yami smiled at him, sorrowfully and teary-eyed. He held Kaiba's eyes for a moment, before slipping away further, looking anguished. "Restrain him." The Pharaoh's voice was no more then a choked whisper.
Kaiba's mind went from semi-living to automatic pilot. He shot upward in bed, blue eyes wide and alarmed, and felt strong arms grab him from all around. Impulsively, unused to being touched by those of lower status, Kaiba blocked and sent one guard flying with a lightening-speed punch. But the reaction was instant. More men leapt upon him, overwhelming even his skills, twisting the priest's arms painfully behind his back, their hands upon his shoulders, their arms restraining his legs.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Kaiba seethed, struggling madly against the human bonds that bound him. "Yami?!" he croaked, seeing that the Pharaoh --whom Kaiba now noticed was surrounded by an embarrassingly large number of people-- still stood close by, and yet did nothing to help. 'Why... Why did he order--?!'
Yami bit his lip, countenance pained. "Please don't fight them, Seto..." he pleaded tearfully.
'WHAT?!' Kaiba's handsome face flashed in disbelief and rage, his mind racing painfully fast. What was bloody going on?! Why were they not alone in the chamber?! Does privacy or private space mean ANYTHING to ANYONE anymore?! Why was Yami dressed?! And why were there so many people and why was--?!
And then it hit him.
Kaiba's heart fell short of thumping, and his blood ran cold and still in his veins. He remembered. 'Oh gods...' Striking blue eyes darted frantically toward the balcony, and widened when they saw the faint glow of an approaching dawn behind the darkened veils. 'Dawn...' "No... No..." he moaned feverishly, as if the mere word of denial could end this nightmare. A tremor ran through the priest's strong frame, and something like a sob tore itself from his throat. He struggled madly against the men's arms, ignoring his protesting limbs as he tried desperately to reach the Pharaoh that was standing just out of arm's reach. "NO!! Yami, no!! You can't!"
Yami's eyes were hauntingly tired as they gazed upon him, but there was a spark of defiance that made them flash an eerie scarlet. "I can and I will..." he whispered quietly, flinching at the look of shocked horror that passed through Kaiba's face. "I...I must...!"
Kaiba shook his head in full-fledged panic, brown bangs slapping painfully against his eyes. "No...! NO!! I cannot allow it! I will not allow it!!" he cried. His muscles wrecking havoc in their effort to free him, Kaiba looked about the Chamber and meeting with only sad, pitying gazes. As he caught sight of the formal robes and the sacred supplies, he felt his heart fall. How could these people have simply accepted this? 'Why are they going along?! Are they mad?! It is Yami's death they are preparing for!!' "Release me!" Kaiba raged, a desperate gleam in his eyes, "Damn you, by order of a High Priest, RELEASE ME!!"
"I override that order," breathed Yami quietly, "By royal decreed, hold him!"
Kaiba froze in disbelief, eyes wide and limbs painfully tense. "Wha--Y-Yami...?!"
The one he wanted to save did not want to be saved.
Yami turned away, heart wounded and bleeding. His petit body shuddered violently within his robes, once proud shoulders sloping in what seemed like defeat. "...Dress him," he croaked out finally, hollow voice echoing in the stunned silence within the Chamber.
Kaiba's cheeks burned as servants cautiously approached, his clothing, jewelry and little bowls of kohl and oil in tow. Certainly Yami wasn't serious?! As if it wasn't bad enough to be naked before all these people!? The priest squirmed madly against the brute strength of the men that held him, some foolish part of him knowing that, if he got away and never got dressed, this whole process would be delayed. Delayed, if not avoided all together. And Yami would not have to die.
It was a purely desperate thought, but it was enough to blind Kaiba with grief. Death glares bore into the poor servants, icy blue irises daring them to come upon pain of death. Not surprisingly, many of the servants halted, trembling under the wrath of the High Priest.
Akunadin saw this and felt his heart tear. He rushed forward in a blur of white, pushing aside the gaurds that held his son. He flung his arms around the struggling young man, holding him with strength he had not had for many years. "Seto...please... Stop this...!" the old man pleaded, shaking Kaiba madly, tears streaming down his elderly face. "Stop it! Seto, there is nothing you can do! There is nothing we can do!!"
Kaiba shuddered with these words, his breathing loud, harsh and near hysterical. He went so still so suddenly that it made Akunadin tremble in fright. Something like a suppressed sob welled up in the boy's throat, a tiny, pathetic sound.
Yami's shoulders trembled visibly with it, though he silently kept his gaze fixed steadily on the pillar opposite the bed.
Kaiba's blue eyes bore into the Pharaoh's back with accusing grief, pain, and anger, the force of these emotions all but radiating off his form. Akunadin held the boy tightly, almost as if the sheer strength of his arms could hold the young man back from the brink of insanity. He knew that, if his son wished it, he would be thrown off in less then a blink of an eye, his elderly frame no match for the legendary strength nor skill of the dragon-tamer. And yet, that only made Akunadin hold Kaiba tighter.
Seconds dragged by, and tension saturated the air.
Then, Akunadin motioned quietly for the servants to step forward, but instead of having them dress Kaiba, he did it himself. It was awkward, humiliating and strange, and yet the brunette remained curiously motionless, a haunting, bewildered look in his eyes, his gaze never leaving the prone and silent form of his cousin. Not a word was said, not a look exchanged. Akunadin's hands trembled visibly but were talented and deft in their task. Kaiba did not fight his father's grip, nor even flinch when oil met his skin or when his tall headdress was struggled upon his head.
It did not take particularly long to dress Kaiba, even if he had on more accessories on then normal, but that short span of time felt like forever.
"It is done, sire..." Akunadin whispered finally, helping a wobbly-legged Kaiba up from the bed. He was shaken to find his son like flubber in his arms, with no will to stand or move on his own.
For a moment, there was no reaction, nor any noise.
Then, with a small clearing of his throat and a courageous straightening of his shoulder, Yami turned, face and eyes admirably unreadable. "And the Millennium Rod?"
Akunadin hesitated before pressing said Item into his son's hands, almost forcibly closing the long fingers over the Rod. The cool metal seemed to awaken Kaiba out of his shock somewhat, and his eyes drifted from Yami down to the object in his hand, fixing it with a blank, empty stare.
Yami watched him for a moment, sadly, before something like horror registered upon his visage and his scarlet eyes darted toward the balcony.
It was still a velvety dark-blue outside, but the veils were beginning to sparkle with a faint golden tint as the horizon began to brighten. A breeze, heavy with the morning mist but growing steadily warmer, stirred the silk veils and washed over the numerous people behind them. Yami's eyes flashed with the early light, and a shiver ran up his spine.
Dawn was almost here...
It was time...
A tremor ran through all that knew it, and suddenly, the attention of every Egyptian in the room was fixed solely and shakily on the growing brightness outside.
'No, Yami, no...!!' whispered Kaiba in his mind as the Pharaoh drifted toward the balcony in a spell-bound fashion, almost like a moth drawn to a torch.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then, almost fascinated, the others followed in a slow, hesitant shuffle.
"Come, Seto..." Akunadin whispered, voice cracking with emotion, pulling at Kaiba's limp body gently. "We must go..."
His limbs trembling and his feet feeling like dead lead weights, Kaiba stumbled forward at a sluggish, stunned pace. Ishizu, Shadi and Karimu floated to his side as if to help, but they were merely joining Shimon in leading the eerie, morbid procession. No one said a word, and the only sound in the Chamber was now the dragging of capes and the unison pitter-patter of many pairs of sandals upon the stone floor. Everyone fell into a neat formation; Yami first, then an arrangement of gaurds, then Shimon, then the High Priests, then the lesser priests, and so on... It could be felt that no one seemed very eager about any of this, and yet, en mass, they seemed incapable of stopping themselves and turning around while others walked on about them. Golden Ankhs, Eye of Horus's, Millennium Eye of Ra's, sacred objects and jewelry shone brilliantly in the early morning, as if anticipating what was to come. The gemmed eyes of the gods' statues flashed excitedly as the convoy glided by, and a few petals of the locus flowers growing amongst the stone pillars fell slowly to the ground, as if weeping.
There was no turning back now... The gods forbid it. And yet the gods also knew that every soul in that Chamber wanted to simply grab their Pharaoh and pull him away from the danger that he was so passively walking to. Kaiba was still in shock. The other High Priests and Shimon were grim, defeated, and beaten. Many of the younger servant girls were already weeping softly, and a few gaurds were hiding their faces behind their hands as they marched.
Though his face was almost serene in expression, Yami led them all toward the balcony slowly and stiffly, as if he dreaded this as much as anyone else. However, it soon became evident that he was in great pain. A handsome young captain, dressed with a striped headdress similar to the royal one that Yami wore, stepped up to help. He held the Pharaoh gently with a hand under the king's small fingers and the other on the king's back, slowly and patiently leading the smaller boy up the short flight of stairs to the dreaded terrace above.
Kaiba would have throttled the young guard had his brain been properly functioning. One, he was touching Yami without Kaiba's permission. And two, the gaurd was bloody helping Yami go to his doom!! However, despite the seething fury in his mind as he and the other High Priests numbly followed their king, all Kaiba could feel was the dark, suffocating weight of dread. 'Oh, mighty gods...' He was screaming hysterically inside, and yet, despite his inner rage, his traitorous feet dragged themselves up one balcony step, then another, then another... 'No! No no no no!!' Again and again, he tried to back away, to cry out in horror, or to jerk forward and save his precious Pharaoh, but his lips remained tightly shut and his body simply followed Yami at a respective distance. 'Yami! YAMI!!'
Had he not been clutching the Rod himself, Kaiba might have suspected mind control, so great as this strange, overwhelming power over him. It was a deadly attraction, one that he could not fight not matter how hard he tried. He was so close! Kaiba's fingers tingled and twitched in their effort to move, but his arms remained stubbornly limp by his side. Ra, he could almost reach Yami and save him, but he wasn't bloody close enough! Drowning in his own helplessness, the priest wanted to laugh and never stop doing so,; the situation was too ironic and just plain insane. Here Yami was, walking to his own sacrifice, and all his lover could do was follow like a good little doggy and help him reach that goal!
And then, before any of them knew it, they were there.
The change was abrupt. The Chamber disappeared behind the fluttering veils and opened up to the whole wide world. The glow of firelight dissipated suddenly, and they were drenched in the foggy dark of early morning. The warm, spicy smell of incense and burning torches faded and was replaced suddenly by swirls of fresh breezes. The open sky stretched on for eternity, its immense space already a pale blue and devoid of twinkling stars. The glowing horizon was broken by the dark, jagged cliffs beside the White City, but said shadow was interrupted, in turn, by the city itself, Memphis's beautiful labyrinth of palm trees and white huts stretching out as far as the eye could see.
But most of all, it was no longer silent. The Nile roared cheerfully in the distance. A flock of birds squawked high in the sky. The wind howled deep within the sand dunes of the desert. And the quiet chattering of human beings filled the air.
Kaiba felt ill. He recognized that sound. He knew the sound of a bustling city, and he knew that it was not a normal one to be heard from the White City at this time of day.
Of course, this was far from a normal day.
Far below the balcony, crammed tightly in the huge plazas, were the Egyptians of Memphis. Like an invading blanket, they were a swarming sea of white linen and dark hair. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of bronzed Egyptian faces looked up eagerly at the balcony, sleep all but forgotten, ghastly faces lit up faintly by the Palace torches.
When the Pharaoh and his High Priests --who stood in a neat semi-circle around their king-- appeared on the Royal Balcony, there was a collective, horrified gasp from below, and very suddenly, silence fell thick upon the crowd. Movements ceased so quickly that it seemed Ra had simply stopped time.
Kaiba felt his heart tear as he gazed upon the eager people below, and quickly redirected his eyes to the sky. But... "No..." he whispered, helplessly watching the brightening horizon, 'No... Its too soon!'
Yami, too, watched the growing drawn, though his own fear was concealed well. Many times had he stood here and watched the sun rise. Many times, too, had he stood before the people of the White City, here on this very balcony. Many times had he done both tasks together. The familiarly of the situation was bitterly ironic.
"Sire... Sire, you are well now?" asked the captain by his side, releasing him.
Yami nodded absentmindedly, eyes fixed dazedly on the pyramids far past the city. That was where the sun rises every morning... Where it will rise today, like all other days... "Place your gaurds by the High Priests," he murmured absentmindedly, "Restrain them if necessary. At no risk am I to be interrupted."
The gaurd shuddered. "Yes, your majesty."
Yami nodded again, pleased and eyes vacant. For a moment, he bathed in the peaceful silence of what seemed like a soon-to-be beautiful morning. Strange, he now felt no alarm at all... A little apprehension, perhaps, but no panic, no despair, no fear... Whether it be shock or a merciful god that did this to him, the Pharaoh was thankful. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to survive his last moments if it had been otherwise.
"Sire...?"
Jumping slightly that the gaurd had not left his side, the Pharaoh turned in said man's direction, fighting a wince as his back muscles strained against themselves. "Yes...?"
The gaurd bit his lip, then bowed and brought Yami's hand to his lips, then his forehead. "It... It has been a great honor serving you, your majesty..." he murmured shyly.
Yami's eyebrows rose toward the heavens, and his voice went dry. The gaurd bowed again and slinked away before the Pharaoh could utter a word.
"What is that?!" a woman cried from below, drawing the stunned king's attention back to the sky. Her voice was followed by a wave of mad shuffling as everyone craned their necks further up toward the sky. A few pointed fingers raised up in the air above the surrounding sea of heads.
Yami turned just in time to see a fleck of white gliding toward him, stark against the pale light of the fading night. His throat tightened painfully. "It's a bird..." he whispered to himself, though no one heard.
The bird was, no doubt, a magnificent specimen, striped gray underbelly soft and downy, molted silvery wings long and slender, a fierce gold beak surrounded by a pair of bright ebony eyes and streaks of feathers darker then midnight.
Yami's eyes widened. "Its... a falcon..." More accurately, it was his falcon. Well ...that was odd. Yami didn't recall letting the bird out of his cage.
"Well, would you look at that...?" Karimu wondered in disbelief and awe somewhere off to the side.
Yami squinted briefly, before the hair on the back of his neck rose upward.
There, clutched in the falcon's fearsome talons, was a dagger. A marvelous dagger fashioned with gold and a blade more silver then the bird that carried it.
Yami recognized it even before the details could be made out. No doubt about it, it was the dagger from his vision... The dagger he saw himself hold and... and... 'Oh gods...'
Horus approached swiftly, and he zoomed overhead in a flash of silver feathers, dropping the dagger neatly in Yami's hands. The Pharaoh started, gazing down with awe and curiosity at the strange weapon in his fingers. It was marvelous sculpted, the gold hilt fashioned out of pure gold in the shape of a falcon with its mighty wings outstretched. The blade was long and slender, made of a strange, light-weight substance that seemed like crystal marble.
Unable to resist, Yami gave the dagger a quick twirl in one hand, then the other, marveling at its balance. It was extremely light for a dagger made of such valuable metal, and its blade was straight and undamaged from use. And yet, though it was in perfect condition, the weapon felt old. Very old. Ancient, even.
Yami drew in a breath, caressing the sculpted golden falcon with trembling fingers. The blade felt so right in his hand... It looked so familiar...
//It once belonged to you, old friend... From the blacksmith Ptah, as a gift for the son of Osirius.// came a whisper with the wind, rustling through Yami's cape and robes. The smiling eyes of an ibis flashed through Yami's mind. //Much evil did it slaughter, and many a demon's blood did it spill... Use it well.//
Horus landed gracefully on the railing, cocking his head curiously at his master and letting out a loud shriek, as if to urge him on.
'Use it well...' echoed Yami to himself, gulping. With shaky fingers, he gripped the hilt in one hand, closing the other over it. The blade fit perfectly. As if spell-bound, Yami's hands drew the blade upward, the Pharaoh's eyes dazed as they gazed upon the splendor of the god-made weapon.
At that motion, a quiet chanting grew up within the priests behind him, a harmonious muttering of ancient, cursed words. The High Priests hesitantly joined in, left with no choice.
And at that precise moment, the horizon sparkled with a rainbow of color, Ra's light scattering itself across the sky. And there, just beside the pyramids in the distance, the sun boat itself appeared in all its beauty, a glowing, blood-red sliver that drenched the land before it in hues of gold and crimson.
It was dawn.
A hushed silence, filled with horror and apprehension, fell over the Egyptians.
"Yami, no--!!" Kaiba growled tearfully through gritted teeth, starting forward but roughly snagged back by the guards at his side. Not for the first time, he struggled madly against their hold. "No!"
Yami barely heard him, eyes wide with fascination. 'Incredible... I... I've never seen a sun so red...' His hands clutched the blade tightly, as they had done millions of times before with other daggers and other weapons. And slowly, as if mirroring the rising sun, his trembling fingers lifted the dagger. The blade gleamed in the light of dawn, a bright halo of silver in a world of crimson light.
Everything came with that flash, running across Yami's eyes. His life... his people... his kingdom... Egypt...
Everything.
There were few memories of a mother Yami barely remembered, and yet, at this moment of mid-life climax, he could recall, vaguely, a voice that once sang him to sleep. A melodious voice, it was, that sang of sweet lullabies under the night sky and whose owner's arms held him close to a soft, fragrant bosom, shooing away gnats with a fan of gold-embroidered ostrich feathers.
Then, against Yami's ear, he heard a deep, booming laugh that could only belong to Akunamunkano, whose white beard the young man fondly recalled as a pulling device or as a rag to cry on when things got tough. The late King had strong arms, Yami remembered, so unlike his own... Sometimes, perhaps, he used to crawl into those same arms after waking from a nightmare, knowing that somehow, there was a father there to make things better.
'Mother... Father...' Yami's vision blurred with salty, burning tears. 'Perhaps I'll be coming to join you...'
And yet he did not know. He did not know whether he was going to be Judged, nor if he was actually going to the Afterlife. What would the gods do with him, a reincarnated god that had defied all but every one of their rules?
It was that unfamiliar feeling of not knowing --the King of Game normally knew all-- that made Yami's racing heart skip. Ra, what was stored ahead for him? The Afterlife was usually a fixed thing for Egyptians, and unless you do not have a family to prepare proper burial rights for you, or unless you have sinned horribly, one probably needn't worry, for you were most likely destined for the heavenly Egypt of Aalu. [7] But then again... how did Osirius judge Pharaohs, the highest of the mortals but still so dreadfully low in immortals' eyes? Cursed by their title and power alone, all Pharaohs have sinned, some more then others; many had far too many concubines, while others perhaps killed innocents and guilty alike for reasons far too petty to deserve such punishment... and still others might have invaded neighboring kingdoms with gems and gold on their mind. Yami did none of these crimes, though he still felt icy fear grip him. He was no ordinary Pharaoh... and he had committed no ordinary crimes. No Pharaoh carried the cursed gift of the Shadow. No Pharaoh killed without uttering a single world. And no Pharaoh could shatter one's soul and doom its dusted remains for all of eternity. Yami knew it was a terrible power, one that he did not want but was condemned to wield. Because of this, would Ma'at's feather go against him, the goddess's powers pointing to a callous, jet-black heart that deserved to be eaten?
The blade drew higher still.
What would happen to his friends, his priests, his gaurds, his servants? Would the gods spare them from a doomed life like his? Or would the deities act quickly to end the lives of those puny mortals that dared to follow that cursed rebel of a god?
But that same cursed rebel of a god was happy here, living with the mortals. Yami fondly recalled times when he used to hold Ishizu's hand to lead the frightened girl through darkened corridors, and when he used to throw rocks --with Kaiba and Mahado, of course-- at the Palace walls, trying to see who could throw the highest. Such fond memories of his youth...! How many times had he and his priests-in-training ran shrieking through the Palace corridors, desperate to escape some the wrath of some poor adult who had foolishly stepped into their pranks? How many times they wept upon each other's shoulders, and bore each other's punishments? How many times have they laughed and splashed in the waters of the Nile without a care in the world?
Shimon and Akunadin, those poor, loving old souls... Kaiba, Mahado, Ishizu, Shadi, and Karimu, sister and brothers to Yami by heart, if not by blood... His loyal priests, his loyal friends, his loyal kin...
Oh, how he would miss them...
As would he miss his people... his kingdom... and the home he would now have to leave behind forever.
He could still feel the silky, cool caress of the Nile waters across his limbs, and the soft, sun-baked sand under his toes. He could still feel the coarse, grainy feel of the cliffs that protected the Valley and its river of life. He could smell the incense and myrrh, a fragrant, spicy scent unable to be reproduced in any other kingdom, try as the Greeks might. He could see the smooth, etched carvings, the frightfully realistic statues, and the pictorial hieroglyphics, all beautiful, ancient and proud in their style, unique to the world. He could sense the strong, distinctly Egyptian spirit that coursed through the ancient obelisks and the Temples, all products of years of back-breaking work. He could feel the soft lotus petals that grew in the ponds, and the smooth, fan-tipped papyrus reeds that protectively flanked them. With them, Yami could feel the rough bark of the palm trees under his fingers, and feel upon his shoulders the soothing shade he often found under their wide, protective green leaves. And he could see all the exotic creatures that Egypt bore from her bosom, from the deadly cobras and the leaping gazelle to the snapping crocodiles and the magnificent, soaring falcon.
Then, there were the Egyptians themselves, faithful and strong-willed, their eyes outlined mysteriously in kohl. There were the teen girls, their flushed faces rubbed with oil, their dark, long locks wrapped to one side as a symbol of youth, their revealing white jumpers bouncing as they frolicked around the streets. Then, the boys, with their shaved heads and the single lock of youth over the right part of their faces, joining their sisters in a joyful dance, cute white kilts clashing with their dark, bronzed skin. Then, the legendarily beautiful women of the Nile, with their curveous forms enveloped in tight white fabric and their hands always busy, performing tasks that the weak women of other kingdoms would never manage. Their graceful collar bones were adorned with necklaces, their wrists and ankles covered in bracelets, their long, ebony hair twisted about twines of gold that hung over their smooth, copper-colored skin. The men were less elaborately dressed, but just as worthy of remembrance; compactly built, their slender limbs were enforced with tight muscle and covered with sun-darkened skin that was usually bare, save a modest, knee-length kilt. With his tireless will and his thick, jaw-length hair often covered in a faded headdress, the Egyptian man was the very symbol of a warrior hard at work, whose strength carried the stones of the pyramids and erected the mightiest kingdom in the known world with their bare hands.
Ra, Yami would miss them... Miss all of them. All of it. Egypt herself, her people, her ways, her beauty... She was his home, the only world he ever knew, the only world he ever wanted to know. Oh, how he loved it so, from the tiny beads in a woman's necklace to the giant sphinxes. He loved it all.
And somehow, he knew he would never get to see any of it again.
Was it all worth losing?
A single diamond of a tear sparkled in the sun, burning a trail down Yami's cheek, disrupting the faint paint and the oil there that the servants had so agonizingly applied. His arms had gone as far as they would go, fingers clutched so tightly to the blade that they turned white and stiff.
Oh Ra, what was he doing here...? He was little more then a child who simply like games, thrusted into a role he did not want, ruling a kingdom he could barely control. He shouldn't be here! He didn't want to be here!
But did he have a choice...?
Yami took in a shaky breath, all too aware that it might be his last. And still, his heart thumped, quite alive, in his chest, and the beautiful blade was still, high in the air where it glistened with dew and rainbow light.
He could sense everyone's eyes on him, their strained silence holding back tight breaths. The chanting had stopped, and now all that would give away the officials behind him was the faint smell of incense from the bowls that they carried...
...and the harsh, desperate breathing of one individual.
Yami squeezed his eyes shut, sending tears flying. Ra, how he loved Kaiba... Loved his charm, his coldness, his skill, his body, his faith, his loyalty... But what was Kaiba going to do now? Yami tried to warn him, tried to tell him not to love too far lest the pain be too great when they part. The Pharaoh didn't want to hurt him, didn't want to see him cry... But Kaiba, being Kaiba. clung on to the end. Faithful, loyal, brave Kaiba... Blue-eyed, handsome-faced, gold-hearted Kaiba...
"Seto..." whispered Yami tearfully, tongue playing with that beautiful name. He wanted to remember it forever, through pain and through death... No, he needed it forever...
A part of the Pharaoh's mind reminded him that it was still not too late, still not too late to drop that blasted dagger, run away from the accusing gazes from the heavens, and fall, sobbing, into Kaiba's awaiting arms. Just forget this whole thing. Run away, if he had to. Let someone else be the hero. Let someone else be king.
But... he couldn't.
"I am Pharaoh..." whispered Yami half-heartedly, trying to convince himself with the sacred words. The soft declaration weaved within the sacred prayers that filled the air, joining them in the rising crackling of magic. The Pharaoh forced his voice to remain calm, though he failed to remove the tremor that shook it as words spilled from his lips. "I... I am Pharaoh, the morning and evening star... I am Lord of the Two Lands, a son of the pyramids... I am the river, I am the sky, I am the sun, I am the day..." His voice went on shakily, as if the spell itself possessed his mouth. "And if I say day is night, it shall be written..." he whispered hoarsely, "... for I am Horus, king of the land of Egypt, god of the liv--"
Here, his voice hitched violently, and something not too much like a wave of despair and frustration rose in his throat. Yami found himself unable to complete the verse. A deep shudder ran through him, and his limbs trembled as more tears followed the original ones.
It hit him violently right then and there.
He was going to die.
Going. To. Die.
'No no no...!' Desperately, Yami's teary scarlet eyes scanned the horizon, meeting nothing but silence and a burning sky. At the sides of the horizon, dark, rain-laden clouds were gathering, called on by Yami's despair. But Ra kept them at bay, his peeking boat gleaming like a beacon placed over the pyramids, his brilliant light reaching Yami in long rays as if awaiting to welcome him into death.
It was so peaceful of a sunrise ... Beautiful, even. But dangerous. Cursed. Deadly.
Ra, what was he doing...?!
And suddenly, unintentionally, he glanced down toward the mob of mourning, white-adorned Egyptians below him, and caught the gaze of one individual.
A child.
A boy.
No older then seven, perhaps, and tiny in build, much like Yami was. The boy had slightly smeared kohl-lines and a messy side-lock, probably from waking up too fast, and his dark, soulful eyes were somewhat fearful as he clutched to the hem of his mother's white dress, obviously confused by all the silent commotion and eeriness in the air.
Yami always has had a soft spot for children, though he never knew why. Even so, simply loving children shouldn't hold his attention like so, especially in such a situation... and yet he found himself unable to look away, falling into the dark orbs that were the boy's eyes.
The cherubic child was the very essence of youth and innocence, innocence that Yami was sure he once had, innocence that Yami was sure he would never find again... The child, on the other hand, looked a little startled to see the all-mighty Pharaoh's gaze upon him, especially since there was a blade held in the king's hands. Still, after a moment of awkwardly staring, the boy let out a shy little smile and waved hesitantly with a petit hand.
And for a long moment, there was no reaction from the king.
Then, Yami smiled back. It was a brilliant smile, though flanked by tears. 'For you then, little boy...' the Pharaoh thought suddenly, sadly.
The blade suddenly shifted in his hand, as if his fingers were quivering in eagerness for what was to come.
Yami looked at it in all its glory, eyes teary but strong in color.
And right then and there, like a heavy stone dropped to the ground, he accepted his fate. The fact that he had to die. Just simply admitted defeat and opened his arms to destiny, forgetting all that he loved behind him. And in that moment, everything seemed perfect. All pain, all worry and all despair was replaced by the cool, crisp wind that swirled around him, and the warm, tingling sunlight that sparkled upon his skin..
His death was worth it, he finally decided, surprising himself with his firmness.
One life for Egypt. One life for four million. [8] Four million, like that of that little boy. And Seto.
'Its worth it...'
Yami let just one more tear fall before he closed his eyes, though he felt as if he could still see Ra's burning form behind his eyelids.
And somewhere beyond his raised arms, somewhere in that mist, somewhere across the shimmering snake that was the Nile, the pyramids began to glow. Slowly at first, but as Ra raised over them, they dazzled with stunning brilliancy, flinging off the fog like a blanket and standing proudly in the horizon, for all to see and marvel at.
It was a sign. The sign.
The blade came down fast, so fast that Yami was almost unprepared for the blow.
There were sharp, impulsive screams before the blade even made contact.
But one cry rose above the others, so anguished and full of raw despair that it was more animal-like then man. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
Yami barely heard it. There was a sickening tearing sensation, and sharp agony shot up the Pharaoh's body, pain so acute and so strong that it blackened out all other thoughts, all other emotions, all other senses. A choked cry ripped violently from his throat, but even so, he heard a strange gurgle of a sound behind it, as hot liquid boiled into his air pipe. His body went instantly numb, white hot pain radiating from the torn wound in his stomach, liquid fire spreading from within him. He wanted to scream, to whither, to explode, but his muscles impulsively froze with painful stiffness, unwilling to move lest the blade move deeper with him.
It hurt so much...
"Nooooo!!" As Yami slumped forward, cape spilling about him, Kaiba let out enraged scream after scream, pulling at the grip of those that held him. However, their fingers held, more out of horror then strength.
Shadi's eyes so wide and tearful that even the cold-hearted Seth might melt at their sight. Karimu looked pale and ill. Ishizu was choking silently, shaking hands holding her mouth as she desperately tried to contain sobs. Akunadin was trembling violently, breath near frantic as he watched his youngest descendent submit to death. Shimon, alone, was still.
Yami couldn't think. Couldn't breath. Couldn't move. Couldn't scream. He was only dimly aware that his fingers, still clutching the blade now buried deep within him, were being coated with a hot, liquidly substance.
'Blood...' his facing mind choked out, almost bitterly. His wavering vision saw the red river pour from his body, and his mind shuddered in horror as it spilled over his legs and on to the ground.
His breath came in short, choked gasps now, his desperate, flooding lungs frantic for the air they could not draw in. His insides consulved around the blade that invaded them, screaming at him to pull it out. But the Pharaoh did not hear. His vision darkened and began to fade, though he suddenly noticed that the railing seemed a whole lot closer. Some part of Yami's mind, a conscious part that was being decayed away by his body's screams of agony, realized dimly that he must have fallen to his knees. He screamed at himself. 'Get up!!' But he couldn't move, and his body wouldn't obey his frantic commands.
'Ra, I'm dying...' Yami realized dazedly, barely aware of the thought as it flickered across his failing mind. 'I'm dying...'
The thought tore his heart.
"Pharaoh!!"
"Oh, gods, YAMI!!!"
"Hold them, damn you, hold them!!"
"He's fading! No, no, please, help him! Help--!"
"HOLD THEM!!"
"Yami! NO! RELEASE ME!!"
Voices... so far away...
Over his glazed scarlet eyes, the Pharaoh's eyelids fluttered shut, tense face suddenly relaxing as if bathing in the morning light that he could no longer see. A croaked gasp arose in his throat, a single stream of crimson blood trickling out the side of his parted lips.
Death was close now, Yami could feel, and he welcomed it with open arms. He didn't want this pain any more... He didn't want any of it anymore...!! He didn't want to hear his friends screaming his name, didn't want to feel these tears upon his cheeks, didn't want to imagine the betrayal he knew were in Kaiba's eyes... He didn't want to care anymore... He was sick of it all!
'Farewell, dear priests...' he whispered to himself, blind, mute, and drowning in a haze of confusion and pain, 'And...And I'm sorry, Seto.... If only you could forgive me for causing you so much pain...' Yami let out a soft, sad whimper, his tears and blood falling in unison.
'If only we could meet again...'
Closer... Death was so close now...
Suddenly, he felt his Puzzle flicker to life and explode in light, though even that was a distant observation, barely received by Yami's fading mind.
However, the Item's power the Pharaoh did feel, and felt it very well. Seeping into his very blood, the Puzzle's strength was warm, blinding and powerful, banishing --for an instant-- the chill and the shadow that had fallen upon Yami's doomed body. The Pharaoh wanted to cry in relief, a haunting smile making its way upon his face at the brief hiatus in his agony.
He felt it then. His heart. Its beating was slow and erratic now, for so close was he to death, but strangely, it was in that same heart that the strength of the Puzzle gathered, pooling deep into the dying organ.
With it the Pharaoh felt six other sources of great energy join it, overwhelming his dying senses and making his insides buzz with renewed life. It wasn't a painful sensation --at least, not compared to the gaping wound in his stomach-- but it was quite uncomfortable, as if he would burst from the sheer strength of the pure power within him. There, following the example of the Puzzle, the power of the Millennium Ankh settled in his right hand, the Scale's in his left. The Millennium Necklace laced its mystical strength around his neck, the Eye within his own pair, and the Ring the tips of his fingers. Finally, the mind-control abilities of the Millennium Rod congregated in his forehead, burning proudly with his Eye of Ra.
It was finished then, the joining of the Items. As if rejoicing they flared brilliantly, seven points of power newly reunited within the dying Pharaoh. And such a strange power they were...! No longer were the Items bound to the Shadow but now to the mystical purity of the gods, all once gifted powers of Horus. As said in legends, with eyes that could see fate and a mind that could read or control those of others, the falcon-god bore a right hand for judgment and a left for justice, matching his heart of gold and his magic-bearing fingers that were capable of bringing life to the nonliving.
But these newfound powers did not last long. To Yami's disbelief and horror, they flared one last time before dying completely, leaving him alone with pain, blood and death.
'You lied, Thoth...' Yami thought finally, bitterly, 'My death did nothing. I...I have not saved Egypt...'
And with that, he welcomed the darkness.
~*~*~*~*~*~
It came slowly at first... Through the haze of pain and the faded screaming came the soft, sweet voice of a woman, raised in song and as silky as flowing water.
"S-singing...?" Yami stirred, drawn like a moth to the divine voice.
There was a sad, haunting tone to the melody it sang and a quiet sobbing laced in with its words, but its beautiful pitch drew Yami in and welcomed him with peace and love.
// Hush now, my baby... Be still, love, don't cry...!// Soft, ghost touches wiped away his tears, and Yami sniffled, calming as warm bliss washed over him. Invisible arms embraced him, rocking him slowly and chasing away the pain and the darkness that haunted him.
//Sleep as you're rocked by the stream... Sleep and remember this river lullaby... and I'll be there with you dream...!// The smooth fingers gently tugged at the Pharaoh, lifting him upward with the faint sensation of soaring.
Yami drifted in and out of awareness, vision blurred but able to make out soft, creamy light and swirling silver mist. He felt surprisingly tranquil, a dreadful heaviness lifting from his shoulders with every passing words of the melody. Faintly, the soothing trickle of river water reached his ears, followed by the odd sensation of soft liquid rushing about his sore body, embracing him as the ghostly arms were doing.
Then, in the distance, there came the soft drip-drop of something not too unlike tears... The woman was crying, but she sang on. //Drift on a river that flows through my arms... Drift as I'm singing to you...!//
So beautiful of a voice... So lovely of a song...
The Horus part of Yami stirred from dormancy, filling him with strange thoughts and courage he didn't know he had. He recognized it all now; the mist, the soft touch, the gentle rocking, the flowing of a river... And the song! Ancient was it was, it was so familiar... He was sure he had heard it before, perhaps a long time ago, coming out of the lips of someone very dear to him... someone he loved very much...
He felt something like hysterical laughter bubble up within him, joy flooding his senses. "Mother...?" he whispered, voice weak but utterly relieved, "Mother, is that you...?"
The voice echoed around him, warm and welcoming as something larger then life held him close. //I see you smiling, so peaceful and calm... and holding you, I'm smiling too...// [9]
Smiling, Yami-who-was-Horus succumbed to its embrace, faint with weariness and elation, "I-I missed you Mother..."
One could sense the being smile, though its quiet weeping never faded. //Here in my arms... Safe from all harm...! Holding you I'm smiling too...// Soft lips caressed his forehead, gentle fingers running through his hair. //Sleep and remember this river lullaby, and I'll be with you when you dream...//
The voice and its touch were disappearing now, leaving only the echo of faint crying and a gaping hole in Yami's heart. He pulled violently into consciousness, alarmed and disorientated, head pounding mercilessly. "Mother?!" Vision wavering, he reached out blindly for the source of that heavenly voice, frantic to hear it again. He found nothing but fog and dancing lights about him. "M-Mother, where are you?"
"Your mother isn't here right now, Highness," came a new voice, strong, clear, and frightfully close.
Yami jumped, eyes flashing like a heart-broken child. "Who the--Where is she?" he demanded, breathing hard. Gods, to him, her voice was like a drug, addicting to the point of dependence. Even in these short moments he had heard it, her song made him feel safe, warm, and peaceful... To be without such a wonderful feeling was so painful...
"I can take you to her, your majesty..." the voice offered quietly, every pitch of his words disturbing the fog world, "I can guide you... that is, if you would follow."
"I will follow no one that I cannot see..." Yami growled, eyes narrowing with suspicion before they flew open with recognition and despair. "Anubis... 'Opener of the Ways', 'Guide of the Dead'! You--You are Anubis!" 'Oh, mighty Ra, I am dead then!' he cried to himself, fighting the sudden and overwhelming urge to fall and weep hysterically.
The voice sighed. "Yes, to many I am know as Anubis... but to you, I am known by a very different name."
A form emerged from the mist, only a shadow a first but growing closer and gaining greater clarity. The being was a lean humanoid, dressed in a dark robe of purple and black, his identity hidden by the cloak's hood and his limbs invisible within the silky layers of fabric. He glowed faintly of mystical energy, surrounded by an aura that was radiant negative against the heavenly shimmer around it.
Yami felt slightly apprehensive and backed away, only then noticing that he was once again floating in mid-air. His Horus attire been replaced completely, and he now wore a long, silky robe of pale virgin silver, with nothing but a translucent white over-cloak and a pair of simple gold sandals as his only accessories.
Feeling terribly unarmed, Yami readied himself warily for fight as the darker being, looking much more terrifying then the Pharaoh would have liked to admit.
"There is no need for alarm, Highness," Anubis stated rather flatly, approaching quickly.
Yami floated back some more, uneasy. The god of the dead, of all beings, was telling him not to be alarmed when just moments ago, he had been dying?! The Pharaoh would have laughed himself silly had he not been so terribly sick of being hysterical. Quite frankly, he didn't care anymore. He was dead, Egypt was not saved, and Kaiba was most likely going ballistic. 'This situation is less then favorable,' Yami decided rather dryly. Still, his pride remained surprisingly instact. "Show me your face, 'Anubis'," he challenged quietly, "...and perhaps I will not be so unfriendly."
The 'god' stopped just a few steps away and eyed him silently, as if mentally debating whether or not to listen to those words. Then, with a shrug, he calmly reached up and pulled his hood back, revealing long, sun-blond hair and a pair of brilliant blue-green eyes.
Yami faltered and his eyes flashed with recognition at the sight of that fair face. Before he knew it, the Pharaoh was flying through the mist into the taller man's arms, sobbing. "Mahado!"
The addressed being was silent but warmly accepted the embrace, snuggling the Pharaoh's thick, tri-colored hair fondly. He said nothing for a while, simply relishing their reunion. Then... "I'm sorry, my king..."
Yami pulled back quickly as if burned, trembling violently. He looked away, pain flashing in his scarlet eyes. "There was nothing you could do..." he said quietly.
Mahado faltered, his own eyes teary. "But... I am sorry for your loss. It was far greater then mine... and your death--"
"--was unpreventable..." Yami murmured bitterly, angrily. He turned back to Mahado, hands clentched, flaming eyes almost accusing. "And it was unnecessary. The gods told me that my death would save my people, but look at me, Mahado!! I am dead, as are you! And as far as my knowledge goes, my people are still dying out there a-and... " his voice cracked with emotion, "... and now there is n-no one to save them..."
"You believed you died in vain?" asked Mahado incredulously, a thin eyebrow arching toward his hairline as his lips twitched downward. "Yami, you had completely faith in the gods before--"
"--Well, that was before I found out I was one of them!" Yami all but shrieked, breathing harsh and eyes wild. "And I see them as selfish bastards who think life is just a GAME! And I am SICK of playing pawn for that game! I am so SICK. OF. IT!"
Mahado waited patiently until the Pharaoh calmed down, then placed his hands upon his friend's trembling shoulders. "Let me rephrase that," he said gently, "You should have at least some faith in the gods, if any."
"Why should I?" hissed Yami through gritted teeth, shrugging away from Mahado's hands and motioning wildly into the open fog. "I've lost everything, Mahado!!" he cried tearfully, "I've lost my life, my throne, my kingdom, my people..." his voice diminished to a meek whisper so unlike him, "... and I've lost Seto." The mere name caused a rogue tear to trail down Yami's cheek.
Mahado's eyes softened. "Have some faith, your majesty." He wiped away that single tear and smiled warmly. "I gave up my life to save yours, and I assure you, it was not for a vain reason." His smile grew. "There is hope yet for Egypt."
Yami's eyes grew childishly wide, and for a moment, his panic was forgotten. "...Is there?" he murmured, both hopeful and fearful at the same time.
Mahado nodded, though his smile disappeared. He opened his lip as if to speak, but ended up closing them for the sake of the Pharaoh's newfound optimism. Finally, after an awkward moment of silence, the former priest turned, looking over his shoulder with a sigh. "Come, old friend," he murmured quietly, "I am your guide, am I not?"
Yami eyed him warily, then the fog before them, as if searching for something that only Mahado could see. His garnet orbs fixed back on Mahado, shyly. "W-Where will you take me?" he asked softly, a hint of uneasiness in his voice.
Mahado looked at him a long time, eyes troubled, lips silent.
Yami found his lack of answer less then reassuring. He jumped slightly when the former priest suddenly reached over and snagged as his hand, pulling him along with urgent speed. "Mahado, where are we going?!" Yami demanded once more, not fighting his friend's grip but not exactly willing either. His crimson eyes searched Mahado's blue ones, which did not meet his gaze. "We are dead, Mahado! T-There is nowhere we can go but... but..."
The Pharaoh's words died on his lips.
Yes, for the Dead, there was nowhere to go... Nowhere but the Afterlife. After all, that was Anubis's duty; to guide the souls of those dead to Judgment... and to either Aalu or eternal damnation.
Yami squirmed against Mahado's superior strength, though in vain. "Mahado, please..." he pleaded tearfully, despair in his voice, "I... I do not want to go...!" He was being cowardly, the Pharaoh knew, but the mere thought of leaving all that he knew behind forever tore his heart. He could not bear to part with his home and all that he loved... not even for this strange and wonderful world between the land of the Living and that of the Dead. As beautiful and as serene as this place was, there was nothing here for him; there were no living birds, no trees, no buildings, no people... no handsome lovers with blue eyes... Not to mention having his heart weighed before Osirius himself was less then something to look forward to.
Was this how all Pharaohs felt, Yami wondered faintly? Was this fear the fear that his forefathers felt when dreading how heavy their heart would be, ladened with the weight of those they had condemned and sinned? Was this how all the Dead felt when Anubis held their hand and pulled them away from the life that they loved so much? [10]
Or as it just him?
Yami briefly recalled that the Dead were usually very happy to be joining their forefathers of Aalu, though they were less then thrilled about Judgment. Yami was just plain not thrilled. He knew and felt that still bore very human emotions, which were supposedly lost when one passed from from a Living to a Dead. And he still longed desperately for his life, remembering every face and every object he had left behind... How could he part with all of it?
This was an unusual thought for one dead, come to think about it... Very usual... It brought up another notion that never really occurred to the Pharaoh until now. 'Am I really dead?'
After a long while of following Mahado through the mist, Yami began to get a sneaking suspicion that maybe --just maybe-- they weren't going to the Afterlife after all.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Yami was uneasy. To admit that would be preposterous --it just wasn't a kingly thing to do-- but he really was uneasy. The reason was yet unknown. There was nothing terribly frightening within eyesight, though everything was a little too unfamiliar and strange for comfort. Their world of mist had changed a bit; there was now only fog around their ankles, disturbed by every move of their feet. Under said fog was what felt like solid ground, though Yami couldn't be too sure for it did not echo with his steps. The rest of the world around them was completely empty, though the 'sky' was an eerie swirl of brilliant, shimmering stars and the colors of dawn. The air smelled crisp, cool and sweet, though the fragrant scents and the occasional wind had no visible source. There were occasional forms in the mist that resembled objects of Egypt; here, a palm tree, there, a lily pond, but when Yami went to touch they, they shimmered and dissipated instantly.
But all in all, the heavens --for that was where Yami now concluded they were-- was breath-takingly beautiful.
Too beautiful, in Yami's opinion. The hair on the back of his neck rose at the perfect-ness of it all. "Mahado..." he whispered nervously, not for the first time, "Mahado, I don't like this..."
At first he thought Mahado would ignore him like he did for most of their journey, and the former priest did, to a certain extent. However, though he said nothing, he gave Yami's hand a reassuring squeeze and allowed the Pharaoh to slip closer, slowing down slightly.
Yami was grateful for the change in pace, for he had grown light-headed with grief and overwhelmed with shock over exactly what was going on. Painfully dying and leaving behind your whole life only to awaken in the arms of a dead friend in the middle of nowhere was bound to be just a tad strange. That, and he was tired. Mentally and spiritually, he was tired and beaten. He wanted to just close his eyes, sleep and drown in his sorrow, but Mahado wasn't allowing him to do so. Neither were the gods, apparently. The Pharaoh hated it all. He was sick and tired of this whole blasted thing, and most of all, he hated this helpless feeling of not being in control. It was too similar to the despair he felt right before he... he... Yami shook himself, not willing to remember the pain and the tears. No need to think about his death now. It was too dangerous and too confusing of a train of thought. "Mahado, please... Tell me where you're taking me...?"
Mahado slowed, choosing his words carefully. "I'm taking you to your mother, Highness..."
A spark of innocent hope twinkled in Yami's eyes, but died as quickly as it came, replaced by suspicion. "Then where is she?" The Pharaoh's voice was neutral but rather irritated.
Like many other times, there was no answer. Originally, this had greatly bothered the Pharaoh, for he was not used to having his questions ignored, especially by Mahado of all people. But now...? Yami simply sighed and shut up, much too used to Mahado's strange silence. This was still Anubis, after all, and, like Horus, the jackal-deity was no longer dormant. His legendary wrath --though there was yet not any sign of it-- was not something Yami would want against him.
Mahado was slowing even more now, to the point that he stopped completely, a troubled look upon his face. He didn't seem lost... just...hesitant. Fearful, even.
'We must be getting close...' Yami thought, alert and wary. Seeing no reliable landmarks or fixed stars, the Pharaoh had learned in this brief span of time to study his friend if he was curious of their process. And what Mahado feared was something to be feared indeed.
And briefly, the young king wondered if they could die... again. Perhaps there was some unholy demon lurking in the mist, just awaiting to pulverize the two with power far more powerful then that the Pharaoh himself had possessed. Yami shuddered, a wave of nausea running through his mind since his spiritual body could not feel such a thing. They were dead spirits now, having lost any physical body to harm, but they were still at the mercy of the gods and any immortal creatures, no matter how friend or unfriendly. So, in the heavens, death for the dead seemed plausible. The mere words made Yami faint. He never wanted to go through that again... Never... The pain had been too great, the grief too overwhelming... But still, he couldn't help but ponder. Were they in danger here, somehow? Could they die again?
"We are not dead, Yami," Mahado stated suddenly, looking around with furrowed eyebrows.
The Pharaoh jumped, realizing he must have thought out loud. His heart would have leapt up into his throat had he been able to feel such a sensation.
"We are not living, either," added Mahado quickly, painfully squashing Yami's hopes. Seeing the Pharaoh's bewildered gaze, the former priest sighed. "We are the undead, you see," he explained quickly, shrugging, "We can't be truly 'dead' until Judgment, and I can't be dead until you are." He left it at that, looking around with bewilderment and confusion.
Yami bit his lip, looking down at his sandals. When he finally spoke, his voice was tiny. "Forgive me..."
Mahado stopped once more and turned, surprised. "Good heavens, for what?"
"For everything...!" Yami whispered fiercely, twitching angrily but toward himself, " Y-You trusted me and like a fool I was, I ordered you to your death! And yet... and yet you still bound your eternal life to me...!! Oh, Mahado, I did not mean to drag you to the Afterlife before your time...! I never meant for you to die!"
Pity twinkled with tears in Mahado's eyes, and he framed the Pharaoh's face within his hands, a soft look upon his fair face. "I made a choice, Yami, and I do not regret that choice," he whispered fiercely, loving gaze preventing the Pharaoh from going hysterical, "My death was fated and, like yours, it could not be avoided. The gods willed it so, and they knew--"
"And what do the gods know?" sighed Yami wistfully, pulling away once more and turning away, shuddering, "What do they know...?!"
//Actually, we know quite a lot.//
Yami jumped and Mahado rushed to his side, arms opened protectively and aura flaring.
//Relax, young ones, I mean no harm...// The voice was gentle and fluid, every pitch of its words making the fog glow.
Far in the distance, a bird's call came, clear, heavenly and echoing around them. Seemingly on cue, the mist around their feet began to leap and dance, as if rejoicing in the presence of the newcomer. From afar, brilliant stork-like bird of the snowiest white came into view, soaring effortlessly through the air. It was a beautiful specimen, complete with a long, elegant neck, even longer legs and huge, soaring wings. Its shimmering aura was blinding, and Yami was forced to squint as the bird approached, the fog parting and greatly disturbed by every flap of its wings.
Mahado relaxed visibly, hands dropping to his sides as he inclined his head respectively. "Thoth..."
Yami looked from him to the ghost, heart racing as the distance between them closed. 'No... No, not again...'
The ibis slowed, flaring its wings and fluttering neatly to a stop, landing gently on the tip of its long toes. Its lengthy beak, thin and curved downward, made an odd clicking noise before its small head bobbed, as if bowing in greeting.
Then, in a glorious flash of shimmering colors that Yami was now far too familiar with, a humanoid being replaced the bird, complete with bronzed limbs and a beautiful, slender frame. One could make out a smooth kilt half covered in a translucent film of gold, joining at a copper-bronze belt around the being's slender waist. From one side of the belt sprouted a silk white stash that wrapped around the newcomer's opposite shoulder, billowing with his every move. The ibis's head remained upon his shoulders, though braided hair dark green in color and ending in ruby beads cascaded from its feathers to its shoulders. Upon the creature's head laid the glowing form of a silver crescent moon, the heavenly body sacred to this particular being. [11] A brilliant as his symbol, the transformed morphed was painfully bright to look at, pure energy pouring from his splendid form in a warm shower of glitter that fell upon Yami and brought awe to the Pharaoh's heart.
With no human mouth, the newcomer smiled with his little beady eyes. //You have brought him then, Anubis?//
Mahado nodded dutifully, eyes familiar and unafraid with this strange being before him. "Forgive me for my hesitance, Thoth. For a moment, I feared I brought him to the wrong place..." he answered, somewhat sheepish.
Thoth came close and patted his shoulder fondly. //Nay, you did well, young one. I see you have not lost your reliable sense of direction... even with our unfortunate lack of landmarks.//
Yami looked from the god to his friend and back to Thoth, eyes wide with bewilderment.
The ibis-deity turned toward him then, almost apologetically. He bowed fully this time, his head bobbed lower then before. //Horus... your majesty...// he greeted warmly, one glowing hand upon his heart as their other reached out to brush down the length of Yami's face, though never touching it.
Yami blinked and shivered at the strange greeting, his face tingling where Thoth's hand had washed over it. The motion was not terribly unfamiliar, the Horus part of him decided, though it had been many years since anyone --any god-- had done it upon him. "Thoth... Tell me what is going on," he managed, finally finding his voice. "You told me that my death would--!"
Thoth cut him off, respectively. //I was... incorrect, to some extent,// He sounded embarrassed, shrugging sheepishly, obviously unused to being wrong. //But I have not lied, I assure you.//
"Then why hasn't--?"
//The other gods--// here Thoth heaved a heavy sigh, //-- have different plans then I...//
Yami raised an eyebrow incredulously. "What... 'other plans'?" he demanded, angrily. "I am no longer living and my people are dying and here you gods are up here--!?"
//Peace, little one...// murmured Thoth, raising a silencing hand, //... Hear me out.//
Yami felt an unexpected wave of calm wash over him and knew it was the god's doing, though he could not fight it. His anger died in his throat.
//Your sacrifice will save Egypt...// Thoth explained slowly, hesitantly, watching relief flicker across the Pharaoh's face, //...if they will it so.//
"If they will it so..." echoed Yami, hopes dying once more, realization dawning upon his face. "The gods?" he whispered fearfully, earning a nod from Thoth. "The other gods...?"
//Aye, the other gods...// confirmed Thoth with yet another sigh. //You must plead your case before the Council, which is why I had Anubis bring you to me...//
Yami looked at him blankly as if he had grown two heads. And, surprising even Mahado, fury bubbled up within his scarlet eyes. "Was my death not enough?!" he hissed, eyes narrowing, "Is not the countless deaths of my people not enough to convince them?!?! If..." he snorted in outrage, "If this is about my past life and my own sins, then I will take sole responsibility, but we are wasting time while there--!"
//Ra has stopped time.// Thoth stated quietly, //The sun boat has not risen any further.//
Yami faltered, furrowing his eyebrows.
//...They are waiting for you, your majesty.//
Silence.
Mahado watched them both uneasily.
Yami looked at Thoth with an unreadable look in his eyes. "You realize that I am still a mortal...?" he murmured calmly, suddenly, "You realize that my chances of pleading and winning--"
//--is higher then you might think,// interrupted Thoth, eyes twinkling with a hidden secret.
Yami hesitated, mind and heart racing. 'This is insane...' A part of him wanted to just curl up and disappear, while the other half was laughing its ass off at the entire damn situation. What to do...? There were so many risks to take... So many things to consider... So little chance...
He felt Thoth's eyes studying him and, surprising even himself, Yami lifted his chin and straightened his shoulders. "Then let us go. I have nothing else to lose," His voice was tired but firm.
Thoth marveled at his courage, though he nervously clicked his beak. //This will be hard, Horus, even for someone as brilliant as you. I must warn you; the others are not.... easily persuaded...//
Anger flashed in Yami's eyes. "I will go before them, Thoth," he growled, dangerously soft, "And I assure you, I will go before them and prove them all wrong."
~*~*~*~*~*~
They traveled in silence. Thoth led their odd little procession, followed by a remarkably calm --or insane, which ever way you look at it-- Yami, and finally Mahado, whose right eye was twitching nervously. The journey was not long, and soon the ground under Yami began to change, leading upward in shallow steps. Mist covered the actual 'steps' from view, but one could see that they went on far into the heavens, their destination hidden by even more fog and the churning colors of the sky.
As he gazed upon this seemingly never-ending stairway, Yami felt his heart sink to the pits of his stomach. The strange courage that had filled him so foolishly before dissipated, leaving him feeling helpless, tired, and entirely too freaked. It seemed as if Horus, too, had lost his wits, and left him alone to deal with what laid before them.
Yami hesitated, once smooth pace slowing to a nervous, uneven walk. 'Oh gods...' He jumped felt a warm hand upon his back, Mahado pushing at him gently, urging him on. The Pharaoh sent the former priest a panicked look. "Mahado, I-I can't do this..!" he whispered suddenly, his feet suddenly locked to the ground, unable to move. That was his destiny up there, and blast, now of all time, he couldn't find the nerve to go up and meet it.
Mahado sent him a pitying look, but still pushed at him, helping the stunned Pharaoh up the steps. Thoth had stopped to wait for them, his little bird eyes revealing nothing, his thoughts not spoken. After a moment of hesitance, Yami scrambled after him, now worried about what the god of wisdom would do if he didn't follow. A single thought ran through his head. 'This. Is. Insane.'
So thus, between Mahado's gentle urgings and Thoth's silence, Yami was coaxed --more or less forced-- up the stairs. His pride wavered tenuously and the Pharaoh fought down panic, self-preservation screamed at him to save what was left of himself and run from this horrible fate. But he could not. Gods, he hated that feeling.
It came suddenly.
It was only a twinkling whisper, its voice near inaudible, its words all but warbled.
At first, Yami thought he had imagined it, but before he knew it, Horus surged forward within him, propelling his feet with grace he had long lacked, lifting his chin high and proud as he glided toward Thoth, who did not seem surprised by this sudden change in attitude. In fact, they picked up the pace, near running up the steps; the dark one grim, the light one eager, and the god entirely neutral.
There, again, that whisper, followed by soft singing. //Hush now... my baby...//
'Singing...! That woman...!' Yami ran faster, his speed surpassing even the graceful Thoth. Something was building painfully in his heart, and his hesitance was forgotten as excitement flooded his senses. He was close...!
There was a soft weeping sound now, mingled in with the melody that Yami know knew from the depth of his very soul. The mystical sobs, more miserable then anything he had ever heard, tore at his heart, and a new grief welled up within him, full of pity and a desperation to sooth the weeper. That woman... that singer... She was the someone that he loved very much... and it tore his heart to hear that she was in pain...
//S-sleep and remember... my river lullaby...//
The mist parted as Yami bound upward step for step, dragging his robes behind him. The swelling in his heart was now painful, and he knew he was very, very close.
And then he saw her.
The form was a slender woman, enshrouded in mist but her shadow gaining clarity as the distance between them closed. As suspected, it was her that had been crying, the haunting words of the ancient lullaby trickling out from her delicate fingers, mingling with her sobs and the shaking of her delicate shoulders. She was dressed completely in white, her slender form encased within layers and layers of fabric, her head completely hidden by a large hood drawn far over her face. [12] The tears that managed to escape from between her fingers rained into the mist, and --before Yami's very eyes-- locus flowers and exotic lilies blossomed from their impact, surrounding the lady's feet with a miniature garden that was soon swept away with the wind.
The intensity of the woman's silvery-colored robe hit Yami like a brick, and he stopped dead in his tracks within ten steps of her. His garnet eyes widened. 'So much white...'
The color of mourning.
//Here in my arms... s-safe from all harm...// The words were choked and saturated with grief.
And not for the first time, Horus shuddered and abandoned Yami, leaving the poor Pharaoh motionless upon the steps, unable to do anything but soak in the heart-breaking sobs. His whole mortal form trembled with the very grief in the air, and he felt an unexplainable longing to go and comfort the woman, to sooth her weeping and dry her tears.
His own thoughts fled with the sheer passion of her pain, leaving him wracking his mind desperate for what horrible, terrible thing could be causing this lovely lady so much pain... And, truly as if in a spell, Yami started forward, fingers outstretched, drawn to the intoxicating singing of this weeping being.
"Yami, NO!"
There was a dark blur and Yami felt himself violently torn away, grasped tightly in the arms of his former priest. "Don't touch her, Yami..." whispered Mahado fiercely, breaking Yami's dazed state with the cold suspicion in his words. "You mustn't trust anyone here..."
Yami gazed up at him, dazed and disorientated from what had come over him. His scarlet eyes blinked and cleared, filling with matching suspicion.
To both the mortal's surprise, however, Thoth glided past them and calmly greeted the weeper with gentle words, settling a loving hand upon her shaking shoulder. //Weep not, fair Queen, for the sons of Osirius have returned...! Your son has returned!// [13]
Yami was taken back when the lady's head snapped up, her hood falling as it did so, revealing the impossibly beautiful face of a mighty goddess, her flawless visage complete with a pair of full lips and eyes that twinkled with a dark starry night. Her thick hair was the color of smooth, velvety midnight, spilling past her shoulders and laced with sparkling beads. Over those silky strands laid the splendid headdress of an Egyptian queen, a protective kite --for that was her sacred animal-- with extended gold wings adorned with jewels and tucked neatly behind her ears. And finally, over said headdress, hovered a radiant, dazzling miniature Egyptian throne, complete with the tall back and the little lion-capped arm rests.
Yami knew her. Even as a mortal, he knew her. How could a Pharaoh not? This was the mistress of magic... the Queen of the heavens... the wife of Osiris....
Isis gaped at him with tears still in her radiant eyes, her rosy lips working wordlessly in disbelief. //No...// she whispered finally, shaking violently. She turned toward Thoth, despair upon his fair visage. //Thoth, you lie! This is not my son...!//
The words hurt Yami more then they probably were meant to be.
//But it is, my Queen...// Thoth purred in her ear, gazing down fondly at the two young men clinging to each other, //That is Horus... or better yet, Pharaoh Yami of the land of Egypt.//
//Horus...// Isis murmured the name like a sacred prayer, more tears falling from her eyes. And for a long, long moment, she studied Yami's face with a piercing, almost accusing gaze, searching for... for... for something that only she could see. Hope dawned hesitantly her fair face. This mere boy did not look like her son, nor was his head any part of a falcon's anatomy, but she saw something familiar in his red eyes that made her heart leap...
//Horus...?// The name was a tentative question this time, echoing through the heaven themselves and heavy with relief. "My son...?"
Horus came alive.
With a cry, Yami tore himself from Mahado and flew into his mother's open arms, sobbing like a child, his Pharaoh's dignity forgotten. "Mother! Mother!!"
Isis wept, though now in joy. "Oh, my son, my beautiful son, my little baby...!" she cried, cradling Yami to her bosom and covering his face with kisses, "Oh, it is you! I was so blind to not see...!! Oh, my son, how I missed you so...!"
Yami choked with emotions he could not suppress nor completely even comprehend. "I... I missed you, too, Mother..." The words were awkward to be said to a being that had not bore him in this life, but they were deep and heart-felt.
Mahado watched the scene awkwardly, joined by a beaming Thoth.
//This will be a day of rejoicing, I hope...// the ibis-deity observed, mostly to himself.
"Then let us hope..." Anubis-reborn whispered.
~*~*~*~*~*~
After many promises of her return, Isis tearfully left with a hurried goodbye, leaving Yami lonely, puzzled and entirely dazed. Thoth and Anubis flanked him and coaxed him onward, both silent as they led the stunned Pharaoh further up the steps.
Unexpectedly, at least to Yami, the steps leveled out and the mist grew somewhat thinner, revealing a dazzling array of jewels, marble and limestone beneath their feet. Magic seemed to curl around their very toes, touching the skin with ghost whispers.
'This is sacred ground...' the Pharaoh realized numbly. Here, he noted that Thoth and Mahado slipped behind him, unable to guide in front of a king. This new formation gave Yami some worry, seeing that he, alone, seemed to know nothing of this place, and that this might very well be putting him in danger. Still, his feet marched bravely on, as if Horus knew exactly where he was going... or at least was not the tiniest bit afraid.
A strong breeze swirled through the air, and suddenly a wall of pure white clouds erupted from the ground before them, then dissipated as soon as it came, leaving a great Temple that Yami was sure had not been there just moments ago. It rose up in front of them, made of dazzling white stone, with glory and magnificence that made even the Waset Temples pale in comparison. Gold, copper, silver and bronze were inlaid within the mighty pillars, as were the exquisitely carved pictures and jeweled hieroglyphics into the white walls. Pots of sweet water had been set up all around, flanked by torches that burned tall, soft flames of many hues. Great, enchanted vines of exotic flowers blossomed from the mist, twirling upward around the pillars and the walls with great complication. Powerful, mystical magic seemed nearly visible through the very fiber of the whole Temple, making the walls sparkle and the flowers glow faintly.
This place was ancient... Ancient and magical.
Thoth and Mahado did not seemed alarmed nor shaken by the sudden appearance of this Temple, and their pace did not slow, forcing Yami onward. They quickly approached the great building, climbing another flight of stairs now littered with petals. Yami's feet felt like lead with every step, but still something urged him on. A childish part of him was almost excited... He was going to see the gods! Was that not what every Pharaoh wanted?
Something caught his attention as he reached the top of the stairs.
The pictures were moving...!! A Pharaoh dressed in the Blue Crown of War and riding in a mighty chariot cracked a whip above his head and went racing down the expanse of the wall, his feather and gold-adorned stallions pushing aside the imprinted locus blossoms and sending carved birds flying in alarm. Yami watched the strange scene with curiosity and fascination. It... It was impossible... and yet here they pictures were, moving along the wall in front of his very eyes!
Blinking, the Pharaoh continued, only to stop and study one of the torches burning at his side. The flame burned high and proud, but its colors were pale and soft, so unlike the flames of the mortal realm. Unable to resist, Yami hesitantly reached out with one hand and brushed it quickly over the flame, startled to realize that only a soft warmth greeted his skin, much like the flowing of silk. Bewildered, he took a few more steps, passing the first of the pillars and gazing curiously in one of the pots of water. He was surprised when that surface of the water rippled and suddenly did not show his face, but the head of a falcon, fearsome beak outlined by jet black feathers and a pair of huge, round eyes.
Yami fell back with a small cry of alarm, eyes wide. What was this accursed place?!
//What did you see...?// Thoth asked curiously.
Yami eyed him like he was insane. "You didn't see it?" he demanded, pointing at the pot.
//Only the one gazing into a Mirror of Truth can see what he saw,// Thoth replied passively.
'Mirror of Truth...' Yami shuddered. "Nothing..." he replied shakily, hurrying on and hugging himself lightly. "I s-saw nothing."
~*~*~*~*~*~
They passed the moving pictures on the wall and into the Temple itself, Yami still leading shakily. The place was huge. The great pillars, which were easily wider then twenty men, stretched far into space, their tips and the ceiling hidden from view from their sheer distance. The exquisite Hypostyle Hall they emerged into was as wide as a whole Palace, filled with a fresh, sweet smell and a glow that did not seemed to be emitted from the magical flames that dotted the place.
Yami tried not to look or touch anything anymore, though he did note that there was a distinct absence of statues. But then again, when the real gods were walking up and about, who needed statues?!
He stopped suddenly, a strange fear running through him like ice.
The Hall came abruptly to a dead end, with nothing but a small, gold-embroidered doorway leading out. Billowing out from that doorway was fog, light, and a strong, nearly overwhelming sense of magic. A sweet, ambrosial scent filled the air, so light that it was barely detectable.
It made Yami sleepy, and suddenly his mind went blank, his fear fleeing as his body relaxed like putty. "Is that it...?" he asked finally, voice strangely calm.
//Yes.// Thoth answered simply, just as calmly.
"Are they there...?"
//Yes.//
For a moment the three gazed upon the doorway, grim. No words were spoken, no looks exchanged.
Then, finally, Thoth turned toward Mahado, eyes apologetic. //This is where you will go no further, Anubis.// he whispered quietly.
Mahado eyed him with disbelief, then fury. "Certainly you don't expect him to go in there alone?!"
//He will not be alone.//
Mahado shook his head, rage burning bright in his eyes. "He's not going in there without me!" he clarified, declaring it as if it was absolutely final.
Thoth sighed. //You have not yet been reinstated into the Council, Anubis. You are not even restored to your former self yet.//
"Then we shall be trailed together," Yami stated flatly, arms crossed. "He is coming."
Thoth looked between the two mortals, somewhat bewildered at their defiance, before his shoulders slumped in defeat. //Very well.//
Yami nodded, pleased, and ran a hand through his thick hair, taking a deep breath. Then he stepped toward the door.
There was a powerful suction sensation, and suddenly, his world went black.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Yami came to slowly, heavily disorientated, his mind spinning in dizzy loops. Despite this, however, he felt calm and serene, a strange, soothing warmth tingling his limbs. A fragrant smell flowed about his senses, slowly lulling back to consciousness.
Only then was he aware of the hushed, fierce whispering around him. There were many voices this time, all heavenly but raised in different pitches. Ghost hands brushed over his face, greeting him as Thoth had done.
//Is it really him...?//
//He is but a mortal child... Thoth, are you certain...?//
//Yes, Bastet, for the final time, I am--//
//Fragile little things, these mortal, eh? Look how they sleeps...!//
Something long and cold poked at Yami, and despite his spiritual form, he jerked in pain.
//Ha, he awakens!// a voice boomed, so harshly and loudly that it made Yami's head spin.
The Pharaoh let out a whimper, clutching his head despite himself.
//Sobek, shut your trap. You're hurting him!//
//You're being disrespectful to Horus, Sobek.// came Thoth's soft voice, ladened with irritation. //If you wish to keep that staff of yours, I highly suggest you--//
//Is that a threat, bird brain?!//
//And what if it is?// Thoth hissed quietly.
"Stop fighting... please..." Yami pleaded quietly, his head pounding with the overlapping thoughts of the gods. He heard Mahado moan to the side and he himself stirred weakly, inhaling mist. His words, however went unheeded.
//Thoth is right, Sobek. Best you leave the Prince alone.//
//How can you be so damn sure this is Horus? His hair looks bloody deformed!//
Rage surged through Yami, and before he could stop himself, he jerked upright and unleashed a blinding blast from his right hand.
There was an undignified cry from Sobek. //Its him alright!// the god bellowed, half laughing, half whining. //Blasted falcon's still got his aim!//
//How is this possible...? He is but a mortal, but he still has so much power...!//
//For that question, I'm really not eager to to find out.//
Yami, breathing hard and unable to comprehend exactly how and why he had just done what he did, shook his head, trying desperately to clear it. A pair of gentle hands helped him up, and from their touch he realized it was Thoth.
//Please forgive them, my king...// the ibis-diety apologized gently. //They are not too used to the presence of mortals nowadays...//
Yami groaned, his eyes fluttering open. Bright light poured in, making his head spin. He blinked rapidly, trying to focus his wavering vision.
It finally focused on Thoth's glowing hands, and then on a dark, prone form on the mist-covered ground.
"Mahado...!" The Pharaoh flung himself at his friend, shaking him madly.
The former priest sighed and stirred, eyes fluttering open and dazed with confusion. He sat up with a moan and rubbed his head, frowning at Yami with a pout before his eyes widened and all color drained from his face.
Yami hesitantly followed his gaze.
'Oh. My. Ra.' His heart --had he had one-- stopped beating.
The two of them stood with Thoth in the middle of a great Chamber circular in shape and lined all about with flowers, silk and a stairway that rose along the edge of the walls. Standing staggered on these steps, enshrouded in mist, stood a number of brilliant, beautiful beings, all watching him and Thoth with piercing, dark-eyed gazes.
Yami recognized them all on sight. There was Ma'at, with her silvery attire and her plumed headdress. Beside her stood the red-adorned Bastet, the cat-goddess of war and seduction. Under her stood the frog-headed Heket, goddess of fertility, and Min, her male counterpart, adorned with a double plumed crown. There, above them, was the divine twins; Nekhbet the vulture, with her glowing White Crown of Upper Egypt, and Wadjet the cobra, with her concave shaped Red Crown. Hathor stood their right, blinding in her brilliance and beauty, her horned sun-disk shining proudly above her head. Beside the goddess of love stood lovely Nut, goddess of the sky, and her husband, Geb, god of the Earth. Beside that couple stood another, their parents; the goddess Tefnut of moisture, dressed in translucent blue, and Shu, the mighty god of the air. Beside them stood old Ptah, a great creator god, with his bulbous head and his linen wrapped arms. Beside him, scowling with his fearsome crocadilian head, was Sobek, who snapped his jaws irritably in Yami's general direction. Overwhelmed by the fierce god's shadow stood the deformed dwarf, Bes, god of play and childhood. Beside him stood Khnum, the ram-headed god of creativity and crafts. Beside him sat the horrible monster Ammut, the goddess formed from a crocodile, a lion and a hippo who ate the hearts of those unworthy at Judgment. (AN: arg, that's about all the gods I can get in without confusing you all really really badly, if I haven't done so already)
And finally, beside her, stood a being that Yami never, ever wanted to see.
Seth.
The god stood apart from the others, in his own little shadow created by his dark black and red aura. He was tall and strongly built, with muscular limbs and a broad, sun-bronzed chest. Around his strong waist he wore a dark kilt fashioned with silver and gold, a long sword hanging from his belt that swung with his ever movement. Upon his shoulders, however, he had a dark, strange looking head --like a mix between a camel, a hyena and an anteater-- with upright, square ears and brilliant, scarlet hair. His eyes, by far his most stunning straight, were of the bloodiest and darkest crimson, flashing eerily against the dark of his skin.
When he saw that he had Yami's undivided attention, the god smiled a frightening smile, sharp fangs flashing against his fleshy lips. //Long time no see, Horus...// he purred, his voice a deep, smooth tenor. Seeing Yami shudder, the god shifting his weight casually to one leg, the grin never leaving his face. Then, in grand style, he took one leisurely step down, then another, gliding toward the three in the center of the Chamber, parting the mist as he went.
Many of the gods, including Thoth, stiffened, though they said and did nothing.
Mahado, on the other hand, scowled fiercely at Seth. "Stay away from him," he hissed, stepping up in front of Yami protectively, forming a barrier against the god and the Pharaoh.
Seth's eyes twinkled mischievously and he patted Mahado on head. //Be a good little doggy and get out of the way, mutt.//
When Mahado defiantly made no way to move and slapped his hand away, the god scowled darkly, his aura flashing. With a cry, Mahado went flying from an invisible strike, slamming into Thoth.
Yami's mouth went dry and his eyes widened as Seth stepped closer. When he went to take a step back, something close to fear paralyzed the Pharaoh's body, and a deep, cold shiver ran down his spine. Looking into the other's eyes, as red as his own, Yami found with horror that he could not move. Oh but gods, he wanted to get out of here, now and FAST.
Seth smiled good-naturally, with innocence that fooled no one. Slowly, sensually, one large hand came up and drifted down the Pharaoh's face, mirth twinkling in the god's eyes when the Pharaoh flinched and turned away. //You do not greet me, little nephew...?//
Yami only glared with venom and hate in his eyes.
Seth seemed highly delighted by this. //Still a little spitfire, I see...// His other hand came up and repeated the greeting gesture, though this time, long finger's descended upon Yami's skin, brushing it lightly.
Terror and the urge to flee seized Yami, though his body was held by a force greater then his own. His eyes darted toward Thoth, begging for help, but the ibis-god seemed hesitant to interfere, busying himself with the weak Anubis-reborn in his arm.
Seth watched the Pharaoh intensity, bathing in every flinch and twitch that came across that fair face. //You are as beautiful as I remembered...// he whispered, his thought speak going to Yami and Yami only. His fingers trailed down that smooth cheek to those rosy lips, caressing them lightly with a thumb and watching with fascination as they parted slightly to draw in frantic breaths. //Oh, its been so many years since I last saw you, and you haven't changed a bit...//
Yami shuddered under the light touches, his thin frame suddenly wracked with great heat. Lust like nothing he had felt before shot through him, burning an inferno that was matched only by Seth's heated gaze. 'Oh gods...' the Pharaoh whimpered, tearful eyes rolling into his head. With only that simple hand and a few caresses, Seth was sending Yami into the peak of near orgasmic pleasure, using great magic that Yami could not fight.
'Succumb to it...'
'N-No!!'
'This is a lover's touch, little Pharaoh...? You like it, don't you... Why fight it...? '
'No, please...' Yami wanted to scream. In his short life, he had only allowed one person, ever, to touch him like this... Only one person to give him such wild, unrestricted pleasure... and do it without magic.
'Who was he...? Oh gods, who was he?!' With Seth's powers upon him, Yami couldn't think about anything but the passion coursing through him, stars exploding behind his eyes as his petit frame writhed under the overwhelming stimulation.
And suddenly, in the mist of his own mental screaming, a face came to him. It was not the face of a god, but could have easily passed for one, the jaw proud and strong, the cheeks high, the skin dark and smooth. Thick chocolate hair framed the being's face, and narrowed, radiant blue eyes twinkled from underneath the long bangs.
'Him...!' "S-Seto..."
The spell was broken. Seth flew back, leaving Yami panting, flushed and trembling.
The god's eyes were wide and enraged. //What was that?!// he hissed, as if the name had been a curse he could not bear to hear. He lurched forward and seized a stunned Yami by the shoulders, shaking the poor boy madly. //What did you say?!//
There was a blast of powerful magic, and suddenly Seth was violently flung aside. A stunned Yami found himself trembling in Mahado's protective arms, while a furious Hathor stalked past them, flames in her eyes.
//Accursed child of Nut, torment Horus not!!// she shrieked, anger blazing from her, one hand upon the hilt of her sword.
Seth rushed upon her, just as furious. //This does not involve you, woman!// he growled, showing her aside and rushing toward Yami with an accusing finger. //That blasted mortal lover of yours! Do not speak his name to me! I'll kill him! I'll kill him!!//
"NOO!!" There was an enormous blast of pure silver-gold light, and Seth went flying, slamming into the wall.
Silence.
With a pained groan, Seth fell to the ground, weezing.
Slowly, many pairs of stunned eyes turned toward Horus-reborn, whose hands were extended and glowing faintly. He was breathing hard and his eyes were wide with rage. He drew one hand back, finger extended, and prepared another blast, a brilliant ball of energy swirling toward his fingertip. "You shall not touch him, you bastard!!"
//That. Is. ENOUGH.//
The voice and the anger within it shook the very foundations of the magical CHamber.
Yami stopped in mid power-up, and all eyes in the room snapped upward at the source of the voice.
A dazzling being stepped out of the fog at the top of the steps, the energy and light radiating off of him so great that Yami and Mahado cowered from its sheer force. Adored in glorious silver and gold robes, the creature's entire figure was nearly all light, blinding all who tried to gaze upon him. The only visible trait about him was the brilliant sun-disk upon his head, outshining all other gods in its glory.
The sun itself...
A hushed murmur went up within the gods and, as one, they collapsed in a deep bow. Thoth dragged Mahado down to the ground with him. Even Seth, who was struggling to stand, inclined his head respectively.
//Lower your hand, child.//
Yami, trembling, dropped his hand by his side, his stomach sinking as the figure descended gracefully down the stairs. He winced as the light grew more and more painful to witness.
//Just back and already you and Seth are at each other's throats.// The great voice sighed. //Nothing ever changes.//
Seth seemed to blush, though it was near impossible to tell with his dark fur.
For a long moment, there was silence in the Chamber.
Finally, the great being spoke, stopping a few steps from the ground. //You do not bow before me.// he pointed out flatly.
Every eye turned to Yami out of the corner of their gaze.
Yami's eyes narrowed, anger flaring up once again. "No, I don't," he confirmed calmly. A part of him was screaming that he was utterly insane. If he ever bowed before anyone, the mighty king of the gods might be a good place to start. But quite frankly, Yami was sick and tired of the gods and their tricks. And he had a bone to pick with Ra himself.
//The boy is insane, Great Ra, forgive him!// Sobek cried from the side. //He has already attacked Seth and myself!//
Yami scowled.
//To be expected, I'm sure. This is Horus, after all.//
'What's that supposed to mean?' Yami was getting a sneaking suspicion that Ra didn't him very much. Which was okay, because Yami wasn't very happy with Ra either. [14]
Again, more tense silence.
Pharaoh against Pharaoh glared at each other.
Finally, Ra spoke, softly. //I suppose you are wondering why you are here.//
"No, actually, I have a pretty good idea," snapped back Yami, hearing with satisfaction the gasps that went up about. "But I'm not happy about it."
//No one said you had to be happy, Dawn-Hawk.// Ra answered quietly.
"Gee, and I thought you gods loved me," sneered Yami, eliciting more gasps.
//What is it you want, child?// Ra hissed, irritated.
"What was promised to me..." hissed Yami, eyes flaming.
//And what was promised to you?// Ra asked neutrally.
"Death."
The mere word sent shudders through many of the gods.
"Death in exchange for life. My death in exchange for Egypt's life."
//It is not that simple.//
"Damnit, I KNOW its not that simple, but can't you gods do anything?!" Yami cried, looking from Ra to the other gods and back. "Does my death mean nothing?! I have done my part!" He pointed accusingly at Ra. "But you have yet to fulfill yours!"
Stunned silence.
//No.//
The word echoed, and if possible, everything got even quieter.
A chill ran through the Pharaoh. "No...?" he whispered in disbelief.
//What you ask for is impossible,// Ra explained quietly, almost as if embarrassed. //The Shadow Realm that I created is far more important then I meant it to be... It is fixed within existence itself, and will continue to exist for all of eternity. And I will not destroy it for disturbing the balance it has with our realm and yours would be disastrous.//
Yami went still, eyes wide and teary. "So... I died for nothing...!?" What little hope he still had died a violent death. "But... But so many will die!!" he stammered in horror.
Ra sighed. //Their fate is... regrettable, but there is nothing we can do.//
"No... No, it can't be!" Yami's desperate gaze sought out the other gods', meeting their beautiful eyes and finding only pity there, "Will you not make an effort!? Will you not save my people!?"
//Your love of the mortals has blinded your senses, Horus...// Seth spoke, almost sneeringly. //It was what got you in this mess in the first place.//
Yami's head snapped toward him, eyes fiery and filled with deep, dark hate. "You...!" he growled, pointing a trembling finger at the god he addressed. "You monster...!!"
//Accusing Seth will get you no where, Horus,// scolded Ra calmly.
Yami turned toward him, breathing deep and harsh. He seemed at a loss of words.
Ra looked down at him serenely. //I admire your courage, I admit, though Seth is right. You have given up far too much for the mortals, including your own life. Twice,// he added.
"I did it because I love th--!!"
//--him.//
Yami turned toward Seth, bewildered.
//Him,// corrected Seth, seething, //You gave up your life for him...// He spat the word.
//And what if he did?// challenged Hathor, stepped up behind Yami protectively. //Is it a sin to die for love?//
//Love?// Seth snorted.
//Yes, love. What do you know about it?// Hathor chuckled grimly. //Nothing, that's what.//
Yami found Seth's gaze upon him, intense and unwavering. He shuddered.
//You're wrong, daughter of Ra...// Seth whispered, a sad tone to his voice, //...I know plenty about love.//
For long moments, there were no sound.
Then...
"Take me back..."
All eyes turned on Yami.
"Please..." Tearful scarlet eyes looked up pleadingly at Ra. "Take me back."
//You wish to go BACK!?// Seth screeched in outrage, //Back to the mortal realm of all places?!//
He was silenced by a raised hand from Ra.
"Please..." Yami pleaded, "Send me back; I know you can...! If Egypt will fall, then let me die again with it.... with my people..."
Ra watched the Pharaoh warily, his silence speaking a thousand words, none of them very happy. //Your people are here, little one...// he whispered finally, gently, //Look around you; these are your people.//
On cue, there was a chorus of unearthly shrieks in the air, and a formation of birds zoomed in overhead. Four, six, eight... Dozens and dozens more. They were all splendid eagles, with bellies of virgin snow, bodies of splotched ebony-chestnut and long flight feathers of rusty-russet. Descending from the invisible ceiling high above, they flew to Ra's side, flaring their wings and landing neatly on their talons, disappearing momentarily in the fog by the god's feet.
Then, in a tornado of swirling colors, humanoid forms stood out of the mist, dressed in matching, hooded robes of silver with only their lower jaws visible. Around their waists were matching gold belts, hanging from which were long, deadly swords. They stood in perfect formation, their leader by Ra's right shoulder, the rest in growing chains behind them. The silver being bore in his arms a glowing, marvelous Double Crown of Egypt, a combination of the white bulbous one of Upper Egypt and the red one of the Lower.
It was the symbol of the king... Yami's eyes widened. It was the symbol of Horus...
//These are your Followers, Horus...// Ra explained gently. //Since your birth, through both peace and through war, they have fought for you, and for many years they have waited for your return. This one...// he laid a gentle hand on the eagle leader, //...even went to the mortal realm to help you along your way...//
The eagle being bowed, and, in a swift, graceful move, pulled off his hood, revealing a kind, elderly face with tanned skin and white locks. His eyes were kind and warm as they gazed down at Yami.
The Pharaoh recognized him instantly, and stiffened. "P-Papa...?"
The one that looked like Akunamunkano said nothing, nor answered.
Yami rushed forward, but felt hands snag on him. Furious, he turned toward their owner, only to be met by Mahado's sad gaze.
"That's not your father, Yami..." he whispered fiercely, "...He never truly was."
Yami's eyes widened tearfully, his lip quivering with in an almost childish way. "Nay! You lie...!" he cried, turning and running up the stairs to the image of his father.
Akunamunkano smiled warmly at him, but instead of greeting him with open arms, he bowed and stuck the Double Crown right in Yami's face.
The Pharaoh stopped in his tracks, bewildered and hurt.
//Take the Crown, child...// came Ra's soft voice, setting a painfully bright hand upon Yami's shoulder. //Return to us as a rightful Pharaoh...//
Yami shuddered with these words, looking down at the Crown before him in shock and confusion. So... so this was it? Was this his destiny? Was he back to being Horus once he put on this Crown?
But it was a very pretty Crown, no doubt about it... The marvelously crafted metal that made it up sparkled more magnificently then any he has seen before, and the heavenly light that poured from it awed him. So pretty...!
Was this his?
Was this beautiful Crown his? A part of Yami was all too eager to touch it, to place it upon his head and see how it fit. This was the Crown of Horus! Emblem of the Pharaohs themselves! And here it was, being offered so passively to him! Oh, it was any mortals' dream...!
Yami felt the other gods glide in around him, watching him fervently. Mahado and Thoth, too, were in their ranks, their eyes boring worriedly into his back.
No one dared to speak, holding their breaths.
Yami's hands trembled as they reached forward, eyes wide with fascination. At the last moment, however, he tore his eyes away to search for some reassurance from those around him. But instead of focusing on Thoth or Hathor or Mahado, they stopped on Seth.
Seth's equally red eyes sparkled at the scene before him, a small grin plastered on his face. He was... eager...!
And suddenly, it hit Yami. With a cry, he tore his hands away, just inches from the Crown. "No!"
All the gods backed away, startled. Even Ra took a few steps back, eyeing him like he was mad. Akunamunkano frowned. Mahado was alarmed.
"No, no, no!" cried Yami, flying down the steps, away from the dangerous temptation.
//Heavens, child, what is wrong?!// demanded Ra, enraged.
"I will not take that Crown!"
//Why not?!//
Yami laughed a strained laugh. "You gods are more blind then you think!!" He pointed a shaking finger to Seth, who seethed back at him. "He wants me!! He endangered my kingdom and possessed Bakura because he wants me back here! And like a fool, here I am, ready to take that blasted Crown!"
//Child, listen to yourself!//
"No, YOU listen to ME!" There was a wild, excited glint in Yami's eyes. "I am a curse here, don't you see? My mere presence in the heavens in just these minutes has turned Sobek against the others, and set Hathor against Seth! Can you all not see it?! I am starting the same war I tried to prevent those years ago...!"
Stunned silence.
Seth looked furious.
Yami looked shaken, his breathing shallow. "I...I can't stay here..." he breathed. "It will destroy the whole world."
//Child, if this is another excuse to return to the arms of that dragon-tamer, then--//
//It is! It is!// cried Seth, rushing forward. //He is blinded in his devotion to the mortal! We must cure him of it!//
"You need not cure of me anything, Uncle..." hissed Yami, drawing the attention of all the gods. He stood tall, bravely. "I'm going back."
//Preposterous--!//
"YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT ITS LIKE DOWN THERE!!" Yami screamed, his control snapping. "You don't know what its like to bleed from a wound, or to die by the hands of a lion, or to weep over the dead body of a loved one! You have no idea what pain is, what love is, what death is, or even what terror is!!" Tears were now flowing freely down his face, "I pity them! I pity the mortals! And they need me! More then any of you need me!"
No one spoke.
Mahado's eyes shone with pride.
Yami took a moment to catch his breath, somewhat pleased to have stunned the gods like so. "I know now what I have to do."
//Which is what?// Ra sounded tired and confused.
"I'm going back..." Yami stated quietly. "I have to stop the Shadow Realm and the monsters."
//Did you not hear what Ra said?// Seth turned on him, enraged. //You cannot destroy it!//
"Then I won't!" Yami said with a shrug, an idea fixed in his mind. "I will lock it away! I have the power, I know I do! The Items are within me, and I can used them to--"
//The Shadow will always come back!//
"Then I will stay in the mortal realm for all eternity if that is what it takes to make sure it causes no more destruction!!"
The words echoed in the air like a dead weight.
Many pairs of wide, immortal eyes greeted Yami.
//You... You mean what you say...?// whispered Thoth, sadly, almost in disbelief. //You will tie yourself forever with the Shadow, to forever gaurd it?//
"Aye...I will...." Yami replied shakily, searching the gaze of all the gods, "...with or without your help."
//You are mad, mad I say!// mumbled Sobek.
Yami ignored him, turning back to a stunned Ra. "Great Father... I appreciate your concern and your effort.... but my place is with my people..." He gazed at the Crown in Akunamunkano's hands, sadly, "I will regain my immortality... a different way."
//You are dooming yourself to be undead for all eternity, child... It is not an easy fate...// whispered Hathor, tears in her eyes.
"If it saves the lives of my people, then I will do it...!" Yam replied calmly. He settled a hand upon his heart. "I will free the Items from me... They can survive the test of time, I am sure of it!"
//You are mad!// This time, the words were from Ra. //No one with half a mind could refuse to join the gods here! This is heaven, Horus! This is your home, your birthplace! You can be so much better off here... Here there is no pain, no starvation, no--//
"This is not my birthplace... I was not born here..." whispered Yami, his voice so calm it was frightening, "Horus... I... I was born on the banks of the Nile, deep in the Delta."
Wadjet's eyes watered. She had protected him then... After giving birth, Isis had entrusted the snake goddess with the baby, and Wadjet fondly remembered watching little falcon-headed Horus playing in the papyrus reeds.
"I was born surrounded by pain... and hunger... and terror..." Yami's voice shook, "and most of all, death. And now I want to spare my people from that, impossible a task as it is. As Pharaoh, that is my duty!" He smiled his characteristic smile, suddenly all charm. "So, Great Father... Wadjet... Hathor... Thoth..." he gave a little nod toward them all, "I bid you farewell."
And with that, he turned to go.
Only to realize that three people stood in his way.
He recognized them instantly.
The two on the sides were women, one Isis now adorned with a beautiful silver dress, the other her sister, Nephthys, dressed in earth-toned color with a floating miniature Palace above her lovely head. Flanked protectively by the goddesses, the middle being was a man, tall, slender, and green-skinned, wrapped almost entirely in white linen. He wore a tall bulbous white Crown with blue feathers pluming it at the sides, inlaid with gold. On his chin was a long, straight beard, curling upward at the end. His face was more fair then even the other gods, but his eyes...! Beautiful eyes they were, dark in huge and rich with age and wisdom.
"Osirius..." whispered Yami, trembling. Here stood before him the very King of the Dead! If there was any god more important then Horus to the kings, Osirius was it! "Father..." the stunned Pharaoh fell dazedly in his eyes, lit up by the blinding aura of the Dead King.
//He does not bow before Ra, but he bows before Osirius! Crazy child!// cried Sobek
Osirius ignored him, his pale, green-tinted lips twisting upward, a gentle look on his face. //A king's tie with his people rules over all others, does it not...?// He had a weak voice, but that was to be expected from a being half-alive and pieced together. The way the god said those words, however, showed great strength. No one doubted that he probably heard everything.
Yami nodded numbly, overwhelmed by this marvelous immortal before him. The Horus part of him didn't seem to respect many gods, but he obviously held Osirius high in regards. No kidding, since it was for avenging his father's death that Horus spent so many painstaking years fighting to gain kingship. There was ties far stronger then just blood here; there was strong, fierce love between the father and son, and a blinding devotion that almost matched Yami's with his kingdom.
//You have chosen your fate then, Horus...?//
Again, Yami nodded shakily.
Osirius smiled. //And you have chosen well, my son...?//
"Aye, I would hope so," Yami replied, voice tiny and eyes betraying a tad bit of fear and doubt.
Osirius's smile widened, his arms doing so as well. //Then you have my blessings.//
Yami got up and flung himself into his father's arms, nuzzling the rough linen that held the god's body together, inhaling the strange, mystical scent of the dead being. A single crystal tear dropped onto Osirius's wrappings. "Thank you, Father..."
Osirius planted a gentle kiss on Yami's thick, vivid hand, then another on his forehead. //Make my proud, little falcon...//
Yami looked up, a childish smile shining through his tears. "I will, Father... "
Not without effort, he pulled himself away and turned to go once more, only to run into Isis.
The look on Isis's fair face, a powerful mix of horror, shock, and grief, was enough to make Yami's knees buckle. The goddess was trembling violently, her tearful eyes searching Yami's for some explanation, some comfort... //Horus... What are you doing...?//
Yami's own tears were flowing freely now, and roughly he embraced his stunned mother, kissing her sweet cheek gently. "Goodbye, Mother... Thank you for everything..."
Isis pulled away, bewildered and shaking. //What...?!//
Yami smiled, wiping away one of her tears, pressing their foreheads together. "Don't wait for me any more, because I won't be coming back..."
Before the goddess could react, Yami brushed past her...
...only to stop and realize that he left someone behind.
Yami turned, seeing the odd, tearful collection of gods frozen in place, watching him go. He searched through their ranks, almost fearful. "Mahado...?"
Mahado still stood by Thoth, eyes wide and taken back.
Nephthys rushed upon him, embracing him tightly and shaking him madly. "No, no, not you too, my son!"
Mahado turned to look at her with a dazed look, silent. Then, quickly, he slipped out of her grasp, gliding to Yami's' side. He sent the Pharaoh a grim, teary smile. "I'm going with you."
(AN: Okay, I know that was all very confusing --hell, it confused me!!-- and more then half the gods didn't talk at all, but know that this was all rushed and written within a day and its not all really important anyway.)
~*~*~*~*~*~
They took off a sprint from the Chamber, passing quickly through the barrier of the doorway before the immortals caught their wits. The two felt the overwhelming urge to faint once more, but desperately fought it back. The gods would come after them, they knew. It would only be a matter of time, and if the deities caught up, it would all be over. Both of them could already hear Ra's enraged bellows for them to return and the hysterical crying of their mothers.
//HORUS!?!//
//ANUBIS!!//
Both Mahado and Yami knew they were crying themselves. They had left behind their parents, their guardians and their caretakers... but for the sake of others, they had to.
Neither looked at each other they ran down the great Hall, their movements sending the mist flying. Neither of them spoke.
But finally, upon arriving at the Temple entrance, they paused, panting and breathing hard. Awkward silence settled over them as they soaked in the great expanse of the heavens, stretched out and down as far as they could see, a swirling world of mist, color and emptiness.
"Mahado?"
"Yeah?"
"If this doesn't work, thanks for everything."
"No problem."
"And just so you know, Seto didn't really hate you."
Mahado grinned. "I know."
With that, the two friends leapt forward, racing both time and the gods that they could sense charging after them.
Yami felt giddy. He had just survived death and had openly defied all the great gods of the heaven, and here he was, returning to the world that he loved and was not willing to leave behind. He felt something stir within him and relinquished control to Horus, feeling the great wisdom and power of the immortal surge through him.
This would be the final moment for them both, the last time Horus would ever truly live. Yami felt almost guilty, but then again, the falcon-deity was himself, and it was all just a little too confusing to think about in those terms. But this moment in which nether suppressed the other... Oh, it was such a wonderful feeling of completion...
A strange, tingling sensation spread through his spiritual form, and suddenly he was soaring through the air, his arms now a pair of long, streamlined wings. Looking down with surprisingly sharper vision, he saw a pair of talons replace his feet, his robes billowing for an instant before melting into a coat of molted silvery-gray feathers. The misty ground was now feet below him, the fog parting with every flap of his mighty wings.
There, racing beside him, was a great jackal the color of metallic midnight, his sinewy muscles and long limbs carrying him at a smooth, loping gait. He was a slender and elegantly built creature; all but a dark blur streaking through the mist.
The other gods could not catch them now.
Satisfied with that knowledge, the two disappeared into the ground itself, falling from the heavens and back into the land of Egypt.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"D-Did I do it...?"
"Yeah, you did it, Yami..."
A relieved sigh.
"Mahado...Why is it so dark...? Where are we?"
"We're...not outside anymore, Yami..."
"W-why am I so tired...?"
Silence.
"Just sleep, Yami. You deserve a good rest..."
'A good rest... Yes... I just need to rest a little...'
Darkness consumed him.
"Death... is only the beginning." ~High Priest Imhotep (The Mummy)
~*~*~*~*~*~
The glowing stopped abruptly, and the Pharaoh pitched backwards, body limp and soaked in blood. His body hit the ground with a sickening thump. For a moment, his Puzzle hovered in midair, strangling Yami's neck, but it soon fell with its master, arching high in the air and crashing to the ground, shattering upon the impact. With the twinkling sound of bells, a wave of small gold pieces went skidding across the balcony, falling like rain down the steps and over the feet of the stunned witnesses.
Silence.
Kaiba stopped breathing.
Then, suddenly, a wail came up from below.
Akunadin shuddered, tears rolling down his face. "Long live Pharaoh..." he whispered, voice choked.
"Long live Pharaoh..." echoed the others, just as shakily.
"...son of Osirius..."
"...son of Osirius..."
The chant continued, raised in an eerie, feverish pitch.
Kaiba reached out with a shaking hand, wiping away the single tear that had not yet fallen from the Pharaoh's eyes.
Horus watched his fallen master curiously, then turned and quivered. Silently, with a mighty flap of his wings, he lifted into the air, gliding effortlessly through the sky as if it could lead him to Ra himself.
And somewhere in the distance, a star flickered and died.
~*~*~*~*~*~
How long he sat there with the body Kaiba did not know. It could have been minutes. It could have been hours. It could have been days. All Kaiba knew was that Yami's body had long gone cold.
But how many times did he desperately kiss those cold lips? How many times did he laugh bitterly and tell himself that this was all a bad nightmare? How many times had he longed to see those lovely scarlet eyes open and blink sleepily at him?
But the answers to these questions were negative, all pointed toward the inevitable truth.
Yami was dead. And he wasn't coming back.
It hit Kaiba like a punch in the stomach. And it hurt.
Ra, it hurt.
He cried so long and hard that he felt as if his very soul was being torn to pieces. But now, with no more tears to shed, he sat beside the funeral stand, clutching Yami's limp hand to his lips.
"The embalmers will be here soon, you know..." came a quiet voice. "The body will be mummified."
Kaiba's blue eyes did not waver from their study of Yami's face.
"I know you can hear me," Ishizu stated, stepping into the light of the pale room.
Kaiba ignored her. He reached out and brushed a stray blond hair from Yami's face, his trembling fingers linger longer then necessary on the cold skin. With a heaving sigh, the priest returned to his seat, face dark and hidden by the shadow of his hair.
Ishizu watched the scene with silence, coming to Kaiba's side. "Even in death, he is beautiful..." she whispered finally, herself running a hand down Yami's cheek.
"Aye."
Ishizu soaked in this small answer. "Did you hear?" she asked finally, her voice ringing in the stark silence of the room.
Kaiba said nothing.
"There was a prophecy, just moments ago... in the Temples." Ishizu's hand traveled lightly down Yami's neck, gently pulling the silk white sheet from his body over the face. There her hands rested, shaking upon Yami's forehead. "All...the Temples..." she whispered, disbelief in her voice. "Every. Last. One of them."
A grunt was her only answer.
Ishizu glared, suddenly wrestling Kaiba's face toward her. "The gods have spoken to us, Kaiba...!" she whispered excitedly, shaking him, eyes tearful, "They say Yami will live again!!"
~*~*~*~*~*~
'This is it...' Kaiba thought to himself, proud shoulders shaking under his hooded white cloak. 'Its almost over...'
Yami had been mummified, and after a forced separation for many dozens of days, Kaiba found his lover locked away under a magnificent mountain of gold and jewels. But even so, the coffin's mere presence was a comfort to the grief-stricken priest, and for many days he did nothing but sit by its side, stroking the carved, golden face as if it had truly been the Pharaoh's own.
But now...
Now it would all be over. The funeral procession was starting. And soon, Yami would be buried in the Valley of the Kings, ready for a very long sleep.
Kaiba wanted to break down and sob.
Yami was gone. Blue-Eyes was gone. The Rod was dead.
But despite all this, he was now smiling under the shadow of his hood.
Smiling because he was not alone in his pain.
The citizens of the White City rushed out to great the royal procession, all dressed in mourning robes of white. Women tore at their hair and wailed with grief, their husbands running beside the chariot with outstretched hands, sadly brushing their fingers over the Pharaoh's coffin. Girls followed their fathers, throwing petals of locus blossoms over the Pharaoh and the chariot that dragged him, a few stray petals catching the wind and hitting Kaiba's face instead.
Then came a little boy. Clutched in his muddy hands was a single lotus blossom, fresh-picked and still fragrant. With difficulty, he ran beside the cart and leapt upon it, struggling to stay on as he settled the flower on the crossed arms of the coffin. After a moment of hesitation, he brushed his hand gently on Yami's cheek, a sad look of admiration upon his little face before the chariot threw him off, sending him tumbling.
The lotus, however, stayed.
It brought tears to Kaiba's eyes. 'Look at your people, Yami...' he chuckled bitterly, 'Oh, if only you were here to see how much they love you...' The thought tore his heart. It was almost funny, really. Pharaohs never knew what their people thought of them until they died... Like them, Yami knew never.
"Ishizu."
Ishizu rode up on a lovely, cream-colored horse, her lips barely visible under her own hood. "Yes, Kaiba?"
"When and if he ever wakes up again--" Kaiba's voice cracked, his eyes fixed on the blank face of the coffin, "--promise me you'll help me find him."
There was silence, and then a small, lady-like hand settled upon Kaiba's shoulder.
"I promise."
~*~*~*~*~*~
High Priest Kaiba disappeared soon after that. To this day, the reason was unknown. Some say he fled Egypt in self-exile from the painful memories that haunted him. Others say that he wandered the Egyptian desert a lonely, forgotten man, burned by the sun and with only the moon as his companion. And still others say he died young, either of heartbreak or by suicide.
His body was never found.
And yet, in some nights, priests of Karnak reported seeing a strange man wandering the Valley of the King. A blue-eyed man, tall, dark, and handsome, always dressed in purple and white. Waiting and weeping, every time. And yet, he disappeared in a blink of an eye before any kind-hearted soul approached to help. His identity was never known.
There
was a boy...
A very strange, enchanted boy.
They say he wandered very
far....
...very far....
over land and sea.
A
little shy
and sad of eye...
but very wise
was
he.
And
then one day,
one magic day,
he passed my way.
And while we spoke of
many things;
fools
and kings,
this he said to me;
"The
greatest thing
you'll ever learn
is just to love...
and be loved in
return."
(opening
and concluding song of Moulin Rouge; "Nature
Boy")
The other priests and advisors, too, soon faded from the public eye. With no Pharaoh to protect and no Shadow to wield, the once-proud sorcerers of Yami's reign disappeared from the Royal Court and seemingly from existence. No one knew where they went, or if they died or simply followed in Kaiba's footsteps. All that remained of the Shadow Realm and its reign of terror vanished with their mysterious absence.
Shadi and Ishizu left for the Valley of the Kings and were never seen again. Karimu went looking for them but never returned to report success. Akunadin and Shimon, friends till the end, lingered in the Palace, aged and dying but unable to part with the splendid city that had been the birthplace of a once mighty king. Akunadin never took upon his head the crown left by his nephew, nor claimed to be the last of the dynastic bloodline of his brother. However, for the sake of peace and avoiding chaos, he ruled briefly as Regent until a new Pharaoh could be found.
And found a new king was, a young, bright-eyed man from Waset by the name of Ahmose I. Pharaoh Ahmose; a new Horus, a new Morning Star... Pleased that the boy would do well, Akunadin died a lonely, quiet death. Shimon followed shortly after.
They were the last of Pharaoh Yami's Court.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Many years would pass. Many generations would come and go. Dynasties would fall and rise. Egypt would flounder and thrive.
And so, facts turned to history. History turned to legends. And legends turned the myths.
The mysteries surrounding Pharaoh Yami's death were twisted and confused. Evidence and information from his time were lost to time. The exact location of his tomb vanished. The Royal Palace was moved, and the original was left to be swallowed up by time and sand. The dark era when great monsters roamed the land of Egypt faded from memory. The existence of Yami's High Priests and the great sorcerers were scoffed at as children's tales. The secrets of the Pharaoh's reign were lost.
But not all was forgotten. By the time of the great Pharaoh Ramses II, Yami's name lived on in folktales and prayers, falling from commoner or royal lips alike with fear and awe. Every Pharaoh that ruled after him knew of his name, and of what he did. A few kings, including Ramses II, made a heart-felt attempt to clear the legends and locate Yami's tomb, though none succeed.
More years passed. The New Kingdom, as it was now classified, rose and fell in grand style. [15] Ramses II died, and Ramses III died, both considered the last great Pharaohs of Egypt. War broke out once more, and a quick succession of weak kings seized power. (AN: quick note; almost all of this is completely true history)
Then came Alexander the Great, a land-hungry Greek conqueror of some sort. He founded Alexandria, a beautiful Egyptian port, and there he booted out the ruling Egyptian king and placed his general, Ptolemy, upon the throne. Thus began the last dynasty of Egypt, the Ptolemaic bloodline. Greek by blood and by mind, their kings and queens never attempted to learn to speak or write Egyptian, and very rarely understood the native ways.
That is, until Cleopatra VII Philopator came to rule in 51 B.C. Witty and wise, she learned the Egyptian tongue --as well as five other languages-- and knew the strange ways of the people she ruled. [16] Desperate to save her fading kingdom from the grasp of the murderous Romans, she tied her heart with the infamous Julius Caesar, then with Mark Anthony. Her efforts failed, and in 30 B.C, the last Queen of Egypt committed suicide.
And the mighty kingdom of the Nile fell, never to rise again.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The
world is changed...
...I feel in the water...
...I feel it in the
earth...
...I smell in the air...
Much that once was... is lost, for none
now live who remember it...
~Galadriel (Lord of the Rings; The Fellowship of the Ring)
The reign of the Pharaohs was over. Over the next few hundred years, Egypt would be ruled by the Romans, the Nubians, the Christians, and finally, the Muslims. Desert claimed the once mighty cities of the Nile, while the river banks swallowed up the White City and left not a trace. Monuments and whole pyramids were buried by the sand and eroded by time. Hieroglyphics were forgotten and incomprehensible, the last etched at Philae around 300 A.D before the Temple of Isis was turned into a Christian Church. Even the smooth Egyptian tongue faded, and faded quickly. A form of it struggled on for a few hundred years as Coptic, but it was so heavily dialectic that an ancient Egyptian might not even believe it to be their own tongue.
Eventually, Egypt fell from the eyes of the world. The Sahara --as it was now known-- swallowed up the story and the history of the land of the pyramids. The Middle Ages raged on, and the ancient civilization along the Nile was plundered ruthlessly for its marvelous artifacts and its stunning share of gold. No one seemed to notice the ruins buried in the dunes, nor the strange carvings along some bracelets sold cheaply off the streets. The Great Pyramids were stripped of their silver limestone coverings so that the stone could be used to furnish the streets of Cairo, a modern city built more or less on top of ancient Memphis. No one bothered to restore or even locate the White City, and certainly no one apologized to the spirit of the dead kings within for the evils committed against their proud monuments.
The Pharaohs would have been outraged.
Yet, even so, the ghost of the once-mighty civilization of Egypt refused to be ignored. Its beauty, age, and exoticness marveled all. The French dictator Napoleon, upon raging war on the Nile banks, once looked up at the pyramids in awe and told his men that they needed to win, 'for 50 centuries looked down upon us!'. A few stragglers, out of the kind depth of their heart, gathered friends and began to dig out the strange but beautiful monuments that laid forgotten in the sand. The Rosetta Stone, dug out of the mud of the Nile banks, lifted the great mystery of the pectoral Egyptian hieroglyphs. Gold and artifacts were traced and found throughout the world, then returned to their homeland for the sake of respect. Whole monuments were restored, repainted and redone, sometimes even moved --like Philae and Abu Simbel-- to save the history they told from harm. The Valley of the Kings was found and searched, each tomb classified and documented down to every last speck that had survived the tomb robbers. Young Tutankhamun, whose famous tomb was buried in a manner closely relating to an assasination, [17] was but one of these great kings.
And then, came the rumors that send tremors through the archeological world. There was a brief but curious gap in the Egyptian timeline, where literally no information or physical evidence had been found. But timed within that era came hints of the existence of a great game the ancient ones played, one that had been important and dangerous enough to be recorded down and passed through the generations. At first, it was merely a legend on the lips of the native Muslims, a story that varied somewhat from family to family. However, one little detail was constant throughout the myth; a name. A name of a young king long dead, repeated over and over with horror and fascination.
A Pharaoh by the name of Darkness.
That simple, strange name roused great excitement in Egyptologists and historians. Not many tales from the ancient world survived, and yet this one seemed widely known and amazingly consistent. The king they referred to was said to be young, barely out of boyhood. However, he ruled wisely. He fought well. He had bright eyes. He played many games. He wore white. But who was this Pharaoh? He had been mentioned in many tombs and records, but many historians, confused and stumped, had always assumed he was but a minor god, judging by the way his name was used and how commonly it was related to certain aspects of the heavens. But now... now the historians weren't too sure.
Who was this Pharaoh of Darkness?
Of course, there were skeptics, especially in the scientific world. There was no proof, scientists would argue. There was no gold. There was no body. There was no tomb. The name was but a made-up hero of an old Egyptian fairytale, nothing else.
But then there came assumptions. And coincidences too strange to ignore. The reign of this mysterious king's reign with the mysterious gap in Egyptian history. And with the rumors of the great and dangerous games. Near perfectly, in both aspects. Not to mention every being born of Egyptian blood claimed that he was real.
Now many Egyptologists agree.
This king... this boy-Pharaoh... He may have actually existed.
And then came the discovery of KV 88. [18] Isolated and barren, it was located and hidden in a distant corner of the Valley of the Kings, far from the cluster of the other tombs. And it was assumed to be nearly intact, like Tutankhamun's tomb, though it had never been excavated. Many theorized it to be the resting place of that one legendary Pharaoh of the ancient tales. It had to be.
This intrigued the world. Many, fascinated by the thought of an ancient Egyptian tomb containing more wealth and more artifacts than that of Tutankhamun, have tried to enter, to see the riches for themselves. But attempter --Egyptologists, historians, diggers, thieves, or tourists alike-- has died in their quest. None have returned from beyond the second entrance.
And this interested the world even more.
One man was particularly interested. He was no Egyptologist, and he was no historian. Hell, he wasn't even a tourist. He was simply a Japanese daredevil interested in risks, adventure and all types of games. And this 'Dark' Pharaoh, along with his seemingly impenetrable tomb and his ancient games, interested the man. Very much.
Interested him so much, in fact, that he decided to pay tomb KV 88 a little visit.
And by the way, the man's name was Sugoroku Motou.
~*~*~*~*~*~
[1] - Eh, I know this whole 'I'll be waiting' thing is kinda odd cuz I make Seto say it instead of Yami when it might make more sense to have Yami waiting in the Afterlife for Seto, but in the (possible) sequel, you'll see that it makes more sense the other way around cuz Seto is being reborn naturally in the cycle of life (meaning that he'll live some type of life no matter what time period it is) while Yami's just trapped out there in his own little world and he's trying to live again. Confusing yes, strange, yes, but its one of my odd tendencies. Besides, I thought it might be sweeter if Seto says it. ^_^ He is the seme, after all (though I do agree w/ one of my reviews that perhaps I've made him a little too emotional and a sissy in this story).
[2] - Ma'at was a highly important goddess of peace, justice and balance. (I may have mentioned this, I'm not too sure...) It was her feather that was weighed against the heart of the dead in the Judgment of the Dead. In some myths she is said to be the wife of Thoth, but Thoth has been paired with lots of goddesses or, most of the time, with none, so because of this confusion, both Ma'at and Thoth are single in this story unless I decide to change it in the prequel (highly unlikely). ^_^
[3] - Horus was often associated with Ra, who was also and often shown as a hawk/falcon. Thus, Horus is always connected with daylight (which represented peace and justice, while Seth represented the night, chaos, and crime) and the sun; therefore, "Sun-Hawk". Also, Horus sometimes rides in the sun boat with Ra and Seth (long story there) and a mighty council of gods, all of whom gaurd Ra from the great Apep serpent (Seth in particular, but again, long story there). Apep was a giant, fearsome snake that represented the night and tried to kill Ra/the sun every day, therefore claiming the sky for one half of the 24-hour day (which in itself was a journey for Ra with a challenge at every hour). Another part of the Ra-Horus relationship came in here; Horus was said to be Ra's last and mightiest guardian. At the 23th - 24th hour, Horus (who was either in the boat itself or waited at the end of the Underworld, where the sun boat must travel through in nighttime) was to start a new day by igniting a mighty wall of fire to smite all of Ra's enemies. In this concept, Horus represented dawn, or a great birth (which is why I chose to make Yami die at dawn because it would be symbolic that Horus returned to heaven ^_^). In some periods of Egypt's history, both Horus and Ra were worshipped as one god, Ra-Harakhty, a (or the) god of the dawn and the rising sun. Thus, my term "Dawn-Hawk".
[4] - Beautiful Nut, goddess of the sky, had four main children (the fifth being Horus the Elder, but he's associated with Horus the Younger anyway) being Osirius, Seth, Isis and Nephthys, born (I think) in that order (occasionally Osirius and Isis are twins, likewise with Seth and Nephthys; thus their marriage pairs). Seth, however, was said to have literally RIPPED himself out of his mother's womb, causing much bleeding and much pain on Nut's behalf.
[5] - Okay I was skimming through another story (a really cool and wonderful story ^_^) who's author/ess also knew quite a lot about Egypt, though our information kinda clashed and she got me even more confused with her superior knowledge of the manga. Apparently, in the manga, Kaiba's mother was from Western Europe. O_o Okay, that's all interesting and good and dandy, but I'm just kinda confused cuz one, I wasn't aware there were any major ancient civilizations in that area, and two, Kaiba's mom LOOKS just as bloody Egyptian as you can get. ^_^;; And she's really pretty and she's got the kohl lines and everything!! O_o
[6] - (mentioned this before) Osirius was green-skinned because green was the color of rebirth and eternity, represented by the annual blossoming of Nile flowers and the never-changing green of Kemet/Khemet, the fertile land that surrounded the river banks. He was arguably the most important Egyptian god and was the Judge of the Dead (Anubis was considered the actual deity of 'death', cuz he was the one that took away the soul from the body to the Afterlife), ruling over the Afterlife/Underworld as the King of the Dead (whereas his son, ironically and symbolically, was the King of the Living). However, Osirius was also the god of rebirth, having been brought back to life (somewhat) after dying, a goal that all Egyptians, particularly Pharaohs, wanted to achieve.
[7] - Aalu is the name of the ancient Egyptian's 'heaven'. Spirits that passed the Judgement of the Heart were ferried to this mystical land, which was more or less (I think) a mirror image of the real Egypt, only there was no sickness, famine, or death.
[8] - Statistically speaking, ancient Egypt had somewhere around four million people in its peak. That's a pretty big population for the ancient world. O_o
[9] - DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Prince of Egypt. This particular song is a 'pop' version of the main theme, 'River, oh, River'. Every friggin' time it has brought me to tears. *sniffle*
[10] - Yes, Anubis held hands with all the dead, as funny as that sounds. Check out the cool images from the Book of the Dead (from the tomb of Ani). Basically, the dead usually had to go through this whole Underworld land to get to Judgment (which includes using all the blessings and food and stuff buried with them to ensure them getting into the Afterlife) which more or less meant they could 'die' again, if they did not beat the demons they come across (usually with the weapons in their tombs) and get 'killed' or 'eaten'. Anubis, the 'Opener of the Ways' (literally the Guide of the Dead) was usually with them only for parts of the journey (I'm not too sure). He was 'there' at the dead's mummification (the beginning of the ourney) and he was 'there' at the final stages of the quest, to lead the dead spirit before the scale for the weighing of the heart, which he (Anubis) does. Thoth awaits on the side with a papyrus to record the weighing, and Horus (his presence varies) would lead the dead (again, by the hand) to his father, Osirius, who sat on his throne and oversaw all weighing. This whole quest thingy and even the Judgment itself won't be included in my story cuz a, no way is Yami buried or mummified yet, and two, its just plain not gunna happen. ^_^
[11] - Thoth was more or less the god of the moon (though a Theban god was also). He was often shown as a baboon (strangely not an ibis) with a crescent moon upon his head, where I got the idea to have it a floating symbol. Note; if I mention any god, what they look like, what their occupation was, and what symbols float above their heads (some don't have any) most likely what I say is true (or at least based off real Egyptian mythology). I don't feel like putting a little footnote for every god here cuz I have way too many already, particularly for this chapter. O_o
[12] - I mentioned this somewhere, but the goddess Isis wore this long white robe of morning when searching for the pieces of her husband's body in the legend of Osirius. She also cut her hair, but that's not mentioned here.
[13] - This is one of the coolest facts ever in Egyptian mythology, in my opinion. Anubis and Horus are *brothers*. Surprising, eh? Yes, Anubis is a whole lot older (he mummified Osirius before Horus was even conceived) but by the New Kingdom, it was said that Nephthys, younger sister to Isis, bore him in some affair with Osirius (which I am SO not adding here cuz it confuses the hell outta me). This whole thing is really cool and symbolic, because that meant that Osirius, god of rebirth, was the father of the god of the Living and the god of the Dead. O_o Majorly cool! Also, it makes for a cool, tight relationship between Horus and Anubis (which I will definitely use if I ever write the prequel).
[14] - Okay, this is kinda hard to explain, though I think I may have mentioned it before. RA DID NOT LIKE HORUS. Actually, he didn't like any of the other Pharaohs until they warmed up to him in time (which Osirius did, though Ra tried to prevent his birth) but he especially had something against Horus. Throughout the whole Horus-Seth battles, Ra always supported Seth because he believed him to be stronger and more able, though the other gods knew that Horus was the rightful heir. It wasn't until Osirius threatened to unleash the power of the Underworld that Horus was finally crowned (Ra still sympathized with Seth and welcomed the god into his sun boat to protect him from Apep). Yeah, I kinda imagined Ra as a nice old dude, but apparently he's not. He doesn't seem friendly in many of the Egyptian myths.
[15] - As some of you know, the manga and the anime do not agree on timing. The anime classify Yami as 5000 years old (somewhere in the pre-dynastic or early-dynastic era), which is plausible but highly unlikely, for hieroglyphics, the process of mummification, and the building of pyramids were just beginning to appear (and the idea of the wheel didn't even reach them until many years AFTER the Giza pyramids were built O_o). Egypt more or less officially started about 5200 years ago, which puts Yami pretty damn close to the beginning (and before the Great Pyramids were even built O_o). Meanwhile, the manga classified Yami as a 3000 yr-old Pharaoh who ruled roughly in the New Kingdom, the great 'golden age' of Egypt of which Akhenaten, Tutankhamun and Ramses II also reigned. This timing is very possible since the manga Yami is one, seen riding horses (which were introduced right before the New Kingdom) and two, is buried in the Valley of the Kings, which was a tradition started by the New Kingdom Pharaoh. I personally, though, tend to like the older dating more, but as a compromise, I tossed Yami in the second intermediate period roughly around 1640 - 1550 B.C, an era of war between the Middle and the New Kingdom. There were an estimated seventy Pharaohs --sometimes more then one at one particular time-- ruling in just 150 years. So the whole thing might make sense, eh? ^_^;; Yami's dynasty had seen nothing but war and none of the kings seemed to live too long, and when they stopped the wars, it seemed coincidental with the rise of peace. Seizing power, Pharaoh Ahmose (who started the 18th Dynasty) is historically believed to be the Pharaoh that started the great New Kingdom. I just made him more or less Yami's heir. ^_^;;
[16] - Yes, this might have shocked some of you, cuz it certainly shocked me. Cleopatra was GREEK. There's not much evidence of what she looked like, though they say that it is very possible that she had blond hair (despite what most artists imagine when they hear 'Egyptian Queen' or even just her name). Thus, cuz of this little fact, she is no longer my favorite queen. *raspberry to all Cleopatra fans*
[17] - Wow, I'm so obsessed with Tutankhamun that its just so not funny anymore. If any of you get Time magazine, you might have read that Tutankhamun was most likely murdered (by Ay, his elderly advisor and grandfather to his wife). Things in Tut's grave were grand and nice and all, but many did not carry his name but the name of other Pharaohs (whose tombs might have been quickly plundered to fill Tut's). He was buried too fast, his tomb wasn't organized whatsoever, and his mummification was horrible, as if the embalmers had been in a rush. There's still a big debate about the whole thing, and now there's another possibility that he was not murdered but had a brain tumor or was physically handicapped in some way. O_o Yes, a brain tumor. He had some bone-thinning on the left side of his skull behind his ear, and there is apparently evidence in how he was drawn in pictures (and what poses he was shown in) that he could have been either a, deformed (he was the son of Akhenaten, after all) or b, somewhat mentally challenged. I read a whole book on this (The Mysterious Death of Tutankhamun, if you must know) and its frightfully sad and freaky. Tut didn't rule for very long and was actually controlled by older advisors (Ay seized power after Tut's death), and would have been completely forgotten until General-Pharaoh Horemheb, archrival successor to Ay and a close friend, went and tried to restore Tut's tomb. Apparently he (and another kind-hearted advisor, Maya or something) were somewhat fond of the 'strange, absent-minded boy with large, sloping eyes', and made a deal to remember him, though they tried wiped out Akhenaten and Ay's reigns from the records. Really, the book nearly brought me to tears by the end. ^_^;; Go find it if you have the time or the patience to read.
[18] - Tombs of the Valley of the Kings (likewise, the Valley of the Queens), was labeled by Egyptologists depending on numbers. KV = King's Valley, QV = Queen's. Tut's was like KV 54 or 36 or something. I apologize if KV 88 is an actual tomb. O_o;; I just like the number.
~~~LOTS OF IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~
Arg, lots of OCC-ness and BABBLE. O_o Gosh, my footnotes (I SO did not mean to have that many) could be a story all by themselves. -_-;; I did this all in two days by the way, hoping to get it in before I leave. I DID NOT DO A RE-READ *AT ALL* so I apologize if there's lots of confusion and spelling errors. *sob* Maybe I'll re-upload a better version of this chapter when I get back from vacation. Oh dear god but this chapter was all drawn-out babble and perhaps a tad too dramatic, even by my standards. Sorry if you get bothered by people crying too much and sorry if I got really annoying with all the friendshippy and angst and stuff. Heh, I kinda sounded like Tea for a while, eh? Sorry... -_-;; And the whole gods thing was pointless and corny. But it was really fun to write. ^_^
DON'T PANIC! THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER, though it is the unofficial end of Come What May. THERE WILL BE AN EPILOGUE and maybe even a teaser chapter as well (perhaps just a scene or two, either from the prequel and the sequel). As a note, the epilogue won't be a big romantic remeeting (that's saved for the sequel ^_^)... Er, in fact, it has no romance at all. ^_^;; *nervous laugh* And in fact, it doesn't even include Seto. *ducks in hiding* Okay, basically, its based off the manga (I really like the manga chapter cuz its really cool ^_^) and its about how Grandpa (when he was young) found the Puzzle in of Yami's tomb. O_o But yes, Yami will be in it... briefly. *ducks tomatoes*
And I would like to thank you guys all one more time and express my love for all of you that loved and supported me (or at least my fic ^_^). *massive, teary eyed hug* THANK YOU ALL!! I couldn't have gotten to the end of this blasted story w/o ur kind feedback, and I learned quite a few things from you guys as well! And I've gotten slapped and force-fed and glomped and worshipped and thrown at and cried with along the way. *sniffle* Hopefully, I'll see u guys again if you ever read my other fics (nothing's up yet, don't worry!!). Again and again, THANK U!! LUV U GUYS!! *sob*
There have been lots of questions about my nonexistent prequel and sequel. The sequel? Er... I think there's actually quite a lot of Seto/Yami's out there taking place in the present time, and some of them are VERY romantic and well written. Since lots of them have a background of something between Seth/Yami in Egypt, these stories would really suffice as a good sequel cuz I might just be repetitive. However, I admit that I do have random fluffy moments and quotes in mind, though I have no plot for the sequel! Or for the prequel either... ^_^;; Well, I'll work on ideas for both, but feel free to drop in some ideas for da prequel or sequel though! Anything is welcome! Any mythology stuff, any plots, any titles, anything! PLEASE?! I REALLY need suggestions for both the sequel (which might be the last story out since I wanna be accurate according to either the manga or whats happening in the anime) or the prequel (anyone else good with Egyptian mythology?!). I would gladly take whole plots if they're offered. ^_^;; *panics* HEEEELLLLPPPP!!!
Also, in order to write a somewhat accurate sequel, I NEED INFO ON THE SHOW'S PLOT!! I've only seen a little of the Big 5 episodes, and I'm getting really annoyed with it all. Anyway, are the finals in a halt or something? For anyone that has any information on what happens during the Big 5 and after (as in at the actual island, I'm guessing?) or after the whole Battle City thing, I REALLY NEED IDEAS AND INFO!! I need a quick, background summary of what happens after or during the Big 5, such what happens to the Egyptian god cards (like who owns them after all this), the Battle City finals (like who won), Yami's memories (if he ever gets them back), the M.Items, Malik/Marik (if he/they dies or loses to Yami or wutever), Kaiba, KaibaCorp, Ishizu (now that she's w/o the Necklace), Shadi, and Bakura/Ryou (they come back, right?! RIGHT?! *sob*). If you have even the smallest idea of what happens to anything listed above, and I mean ANYTHING, please drop me a note with your review! I'll be forever grateful!
Any facts/summaries/notes/plot/moments/memory/dialogue/etc. for the sequel (or prequel) are totally WELCOME, as small or general or fluffy or corny or pointless as they seem! But no flames! To keep in touch or send in ideas/suggestions/requests/pictures, MY EMAIL IS alquawen88@yahoo.com. Just don't cram up my inbox too much cuz I won't be here and I have a feeling everyone's gunna try and email me. O_o
P.S. Thanks again for everything! Thanks for reading and thanks for all your support! Tell me something about the show! Oh, and I should mentioned that I'm going on a two week vacation during winter break. Won't be back until next year, so you might have to wait a while for the epilogue and any chapters in the prequel or sequel and/or any reply on emailed comments. Sorry. ^_^ BE BACK NEXT YEAR!! Merry Christmas! Happy early New Years! See ya in 2004!! AND WAIT FOR THE EPILOUGE!!!
P.P.S. For anyone that knows anything about Native Americans, is the pretty little string thingy that you hang over your head when you sleep called a 'dreamcatcher' or a 'dream catcher' or is it plural? Please help! It could be a possible title for the sequel (which looks somewhat plausible right now ^_^;;)!!
P.P.P,S. Read Saji's 'Bittersweet Victory' and 'Darkness' or I will kill you. They're EXCELLENT Seto/Yami stories (more like novels) though they're angsty and freaky as hell. O_o Bring a box of tissues. They should keep you occupied while I'm gone. :-p And email me if you wish (just don't send me a virus).