Yu-Gi-Oh Fanfic
Forever Is Not the Same as Eternity
Disclaimers: Iza no own Yugioh
Kureylna Village - 3000 B.C.
The city of thieves; Kureylna. A remote village currently far west of Abydos. Clans and families gathered here to sell and trade their loot. This city was the home of the great Ab-esh-imy-duat Clan. Merchant travelers, foreigners, and the scum of the economy entered and communicated with one another in this desert city. Its simple streets and homes erractically decorated the area. This was due to the fact that the city's location is constantly changing to avoid capture by the Pharaoh's army. Most smaller clans consisted of pardoned criminals, lazy parasites, and foreign persons looking to gain something from this powerful culture. None could, however, compare to the leading clan of all Egypt.
The Ab-esh-imy-duat Clan is the largest and most powerful and successful clan in the entire kingdom. One had to earn their way into this clan, prove themselves if they were accepted, and were killed if they betrayed their new family. This clan had rogue soldiers, mercenaries, assassins, skilled foreign warriors, and the most talented of thieves and pirates. Real families were developed throughout it and heirarchy systems grew. The current leader of this family was a man called Ab-she. He leads those of the clan into many of the cities and sells their loot gained from their raids in the merchant towns. This is how they survive. How they lived. All they knew.
"So, will Kureylna have to be moved again?" a woman with silvery white hair asked.
"Yes, Inet. The Pharaoh's army has been sighted. They are heading straight for us. We will be packing everything tonight." A rugged man answered behind her.
'Tonight? Are they that close, Abdu?"
"Unfortunately yes."
The silver woman was a foreigner of Egypt, said to be from the far northwest. Her eyes were a bright green that flashed a sort of mysticism whenever light reflected off them. Her skin was pale and soft, and she covered herself with foreign garments. She walked quietly before the man who would be her lover. He was a native Egyptian with dark tanned skin, dark hair, and chocolate eyes. His hard face was serious and seemed to be lost in thought as he followed the much slender and less built figure in front of him. Inet's thoughts were scattered with worries. She feared for the clan. The Ab-esh-imy-duat was all they had, and she worried for her most precious treasure: the small boy who carelessly held her hand and obliviously walked beside her. Bakura. Her and Abdu's only son. He was barely seven and Kureylna had been in this location for over ten years. This is what he was used to, and his favorite place to visit was Abydos. 'My poor little boy. He will have to learn to abandon his surroundings and friends so early in his life.'
Bakura looked greatly like both his parents. His hair was an even paler white with his father's chocolate eyes. He had tanned skin and a slender figure that signified the similarities between them. He contently held his mother's hand as they walked home, unsure of what they were talking about. He didn't care. Life was good. He was being trained to become a great thief for the Ab-esh-imy-duat Clan, and he was an excellent student and a natural when it came to raids and stealing. What could possibly go wrong now? His whole life is here. He had heard of Pharaoh Akunanhaten's great army, but such matters where only spoken of when they were taught to identify soldiers so they may avoid certain situations. He could hear his parents discussing them, but he didn't know why. He was happy just to head home at the moment, today's training was harder than usual.
They entered their large hut, typical of middle eastern lands, that sat near the lake. Abdu and Inet were still discussing their predicament whereas Bakura went straight for his bed. He quickly grasped a small rag doll that took the shape of one of the western mystics of lore.
"Quickly! We must hurry. Grab only what you can carry."
"Yes. Bakura, help me get things together."
Bakura slowly approached his mother.
"Mama, what's going on?"
"Come, we must gather as much as we can."
"Why?"
"Do you remember the pharaoh's army? They are approaching here. We must leave now."
"Why don't we just fight them? We don't like them, right?"
"Yes, but we do not have enough people or weapons to do it. So, for now, we must go, okay?"
"Okay." The small boy turned and began bring things to his mother.
'Soon, they will be here. We shall be gone though. They will not find us. They will not hurt us. Not Bakura. No matter what, I will keep him safe.' Inet thought over and over as she gathered all the important things, and things they could sell.
"I will return, Inet, I must speak with Ab-she."
She nodded, then continued to her work. 'Please hurry, my love. My heart aches with fear.'
Palace – weeks earlier...
"So you have found out how to control the shadow magic?" Akunanhaten sounded skeptical.
"Yes, sire. If we place them into inanimate objects we can harness it." Akunadin quickly stated.
"I'm not sure if I like this, brother. Months ago we didn't know anything about this world, and each week you have been telling me more. This seems a little ominous."
"Do not fear, I know everything we need to about this world, now we must harness it!"
"I also fear for you. You haven't been taking care of yourself, and you haven't kept up with teaching my son and your heir. The other priests have been covering for you. I think we should wait."
"But my lord, if we wait we may lose the opportunity to obtain the perfect ka[1]. Ka energy is needed to harness and control the shadow magic. Please, you must trust me on this, your majesty."
Akunanhaten sighed. He hated making decisions like this.
"Very well. You have my approval to obtain this ka, but might I inquire how this will be done."
"It is a simple ritual, sire. It will not disturb the gods, if that is what you fear."
"I see. You are dismissed."
"Thank you, brother."
High Priest Akunadin took ten thousand of the armed forces and led them into the desert to the west. It seemed to others he was heading for the merchant city, Abydos.
Inet waited with her son, Bakura, for her lover to arrive. He had been gone for three hours. Actually, according to all the other women of the clan, all the men were. They were meeting, then were to depart soon after. Everything was being prepared, and people were burning everything else that couldn't be taken. This time they were heading towards the Nile. Sources say there is an oasis around, one that not even the pharaoh and his men know about. 'Now, Abdu just needs to come home. I hope he gets here soo- ' Abdu burst through the doorway.
"The army is charging! Forget everything and go!" He shouted.
"They're early!" Inet stood. She quickly grabbed a startled Bakura and the valuables.
They ran out of the hut in time to see the other homes burst into flames. People and soldiers scattered as the fire enveloped the small village. Chaos ensued as Abdu grasped his love's wrist and bolted in the opposite direction.
"If we can just get to the other side we can take the horses to the capital and hide with Lahm." They weaved throughout the people, dodging fire and weapons to their only means of escape. "Almost there.' A chariot suddenly blocked their path.
The chariot was regal and sharp. It glowed against the inferno as if it came from the very firey chasims of hell, while dothed with jewels and symbols of Seth, himself.
"Leaving so soon, thieving filth!" The figure in the chariot growled.
Abdu stared in disbelief, "High Priest Akunadin!"
Inet didn't waste anytime, she grabbed Abdu and headed in another direction.
"You cannot escape me!" Akunadin blocked them again. "Prepare! Feel the wrath of the shadow realm!" Akunadin raised his hand to the air as what looked like black lightning surrounded every inch of his body. He had a crazed look in his eye, riddled with murder, and a glazed emptiness that made him look possessed. He threw his hand down to point at Abdu who shielded Inet and Bakura. In less than a blink the black energy struck Abdu. Seeing her lover begin to fall Inet bolted in the opposite direction. Bakura clung to her neck and watched from behind her, his father fall slowly to the ground with an incoherent thud. Akunadin followed and once again had the lightning form around him.
"Mama, he following us! He's going to do what he did to papa!" Bakura sobbed into her hair. Inet changed direction and headed to the river. 'No way in the depths of hell will he hurt my child!' She reached the bank and hid herself in the long grass. She set Bakura down carefully and quietly, then handed him the valuables she was able to grab. She could hear Akunadin and the soldiers slowly approaching.
"Bakura, I need you to hide. Don't let them see you okay?"
"But mama, what about you?"
"Don't worry. You must find away to escape. I will distract them for as long as I can. You must make it to the capital city and find Lahm. He will take care of you."
"But Akunadin is the pharaoh's brother. He will go to the capital too. He will notice me."
"Don't worry. He hasn't seen you. I've had you covered. Now, go! Quickly!"
"But mama—"
"I love you, Bakura. Now, go!"
Bakura hesitated for a second before running towards the clan's secret location just beyond the river banks. Inet watched her child and the soldiers, making sure they didn't see him. Akunadin drew closer and closer. She held her breath for a moment then stood. She peered at Akunadin who now was about two feet before her with a half fearful, half determined look.
"So, the mystic decided to be brave." He sneered almost seductively.
"You dare speak to me in such a manner, old man."
"I dare to speak to you? What makes you more than one such as I?"
Inet firmed her feet on the ground as a white aura enveloped her body.
"They do not call us the mystics for nothing." She began to chant as the aura became brighter.
The soldiers fearing already the power of the shadow realm, turned and ran. Akunadin laughed and this time was surrounded by red.
"Your ka will be perfect for the millenium items! Arruahhh!!!" He launched a bright red towards her. Inet blocked it with the white around her, but was pushed back from the force. 'Shit! That is a lot of power!'
"Ha! Pitiful! You die now!" he fired again.
Inet wasn't ready for an attack so quickly. The blast sent a shock wave in all directions, and above the roaring fires throughout the village and the sounds of the villagers, one scream could be heard the loudest. It felt like nails being driven into the ears. Then, as quick as that black lightning, everything stopped, except for the slightest echo of that one scream.
A short distance away, a distance that was slowly growing, the small white haired boy cried as he ran into the opening of a cave.
...Mama...
----------------------- [1] Ka- means "soul" and/or mind in ancient Egypt. Often seen in hieroglyphs when speaking of the deceased's journey throughout the afterlife, and also found in the book of the dead.
Forever Is Not the Same as Eternity
Disclaimers: Iza no own Yugioh
Kureylna Village - 3000 B.C.
The city of thieves; Kureylna. A remote village currently far west of Abydos. Clans and families gathered here to sell and trade their loot. This city was the home of the great Ab-esh-imy-duat Clan. Merchant travelers, foreigners, and the scum of the economy entered and communicated with one another in this desert city. Its simple streets and homes erractically decorated the area. This was due to the fact that the city's location is constantly changing to avoid capture by the Pharaoh's army. Most smaller clans consisted of pardoned criminals, lazy parasites, and foreign persons looking to gain something from this powerful culture. None could, however, compare to the leading clan of all Egypt.
The Ab-esh-imy-duat Clan is the largest and most powerful and successful clan in the entire kingdom. One had to earn their way into this clan, prove themselves if they were accepted, and were killed if they betrayed their new family. This clan had rogue soldiers, mercenaries, assassins, skilled foreign warriors, and the most talented of thieves and pirates. Real families were developed throughout it and heirarchy systems grew. The current leader of this family was a man called Ab-she. He leads those of the clan into many of the cities and sells their loot gained from their raids in the merchant towns. This is how they survive. How they lived. All they knew.
"So, will Kureylna have to be moved again?" a woman with silvery white hair asked.
"Yes, Inet. The Pharaoh's army has been sighted. They are heading straight for us. We will be packing everything tonight." A rugged man answered behind her.
'Tonight? Are they that close, Abdu?"
"Unfortunately yes."
The silver woman was a foreigner of Egypt, said to be from the far northwest. Her eyes were a bright green that flashed a sort of mysticism whenever light reflected off them. Her skin was pale and soft, and she covered herself with foreign garments. She walked quietly before the man who would be her lover. He was a native Egyptian with dark tanned skin, dark hair, and chocolate eyes. His hard face was serious and seemed to be lost in thought as he followed the much slender and less built figure in front of him. Inet's thoughts were scattered with worries. She feared for the clan. The Ab-esh-imy-duat was all they had, and she worried for her most precious treasure: the small boy who carelessly held her hand and obliviously walked beside her. Bakura. Her and Abdu's only son. He was barely seven and Kureylna had been in this location for over ten years. This is what he was used to, and his favorite place to visit was Abydos. 'My poor little boy. He will have to learn to abandon his surroundings and friends so early in his life.'
Bakura looked greatly like both his parents. His hair was an even paler white with his father's chocolate eyes. He had tanned skin and a slender figure that signified the similarities between them. He contently held his mother's hand as they walked home, unsure of what they were talking about. He didn't care. Life was good. He was being trained to become a great thief for the Ab-esh-imy-duat Clan, and he was an excellent student and a natural when it came to raids and stealing. What could possibly go wrong now? His whole life is here. He had heard of Pharaoh Akunanhaten's great army, but such matters where only spoken of when they were taught to identify soldiers so they may avoid certain situations. He could hear his parents discussing them, but he didn't know why. He was happy just to head home at the moment, today's training was harder than usual.
They entered their large hut, typical of middle eastern lands, that sat near the lake. Abdu and Inet were still discussing their predicament whereas Bakura went straight for his bed. He quickly grasped a small rag doll that took the shape of one of the western mystics of lore.
"Quickly! We must hurry. Grab only what you can carry."
"Yes. Bakura, help me get things together."
Bakura slowly approached his mother.
"Mama, what's going on?"
"Come, we must gather as much as we can."
"Why?"
"Do you remember the pharaoh's army? They are approaching here. We must leave now."
"Why don't we just fight them? We don't like them, right?"
"Yes, but we do not have enough people or weapons to do it. So, for now, we must go, okay?"
"Okay." The small boy turned and began bring things to his mother.
'Soon, they will be here. We shall be gone though. They will not find us. They will not hurt us. Not Bakura. No matter what, I will keep him safe.' Inet thought over and over as she gathered all the important things, and things they could sell.
"I will return, Inet, I must speak with Ab-she."
She nodded, then continued to her work. 'Please hurry, my love. My heart aches with fear.'
Palace – weeks earlier...
"So you have found out how to control the shadow magic?" Akunanhaten sounded skeptical.
"Yes, sire. If we place them into inanimate objects we can harness it." Akunadin quickly stated.
"I'm not sure if I like this, brother. Months ago we didn't know anything about this world, and each week you have been telling me more. This seems a little ominous."
"Do not fear, I know everything we need to about this world, now we must harness it!"
"I also fear for you. You haven't been taking care of yourself, and you haven't kept up with teaching my son and your heir. The other priests have been covering for you. I think we should wait."
"But my lord, if we wait we may lose the opportunity to obtain the perfect ka[1]. Ka energy is needed to harness and control the shadow magic. Please, you must trust me on this, your majesty."
Akunanhaten sighed. He hated making decisions like this.
"Very well. You have my approval to obtain this ka, but might I inquire how this will be done."
"It is a simple ritual, sire. It will not disturb the gods, if that is what you fear."
"I see. You are dismissed."
"Thank you, brother."
High Priest Akunadin took ten thousand of the armed forces and led them into the desert to the west. It seemed to others he was heading for the merchant city, Abydos.
Inet waited with her son, Bakura, for her lover to arrive. He had been gone for three hours. Actually, according to all the other women of the clan, all the men were. They were meeting, then were to depart soon after. Everything was being prepared, and people were burning everything else that couldn't be taken. This time they were heading towards the Nile. Sources say there is an oasis around, one that not even the pharaoh and his men know about. 'Now, Abdu just needs to come home. I hope he gets here soo- ' Abdu burst through the doorway.
"The army is charging! Forget everything and go!" He shouted.
"They're early!" Inet stood. She quickly grabbed a startled Bakura and the valuables.
They ran out of the hut in time to see the other homes burst into flames. People and soldiers scattered as the fire enveloped the small village. Chaos ensued as Abdu grasped his love's wrist and bolted in the opposite direction.
"If we can just get to the other side we can take the horses to the capital and hide with Lahm." They weaved throughout the people, dodging fire and weapons to their only means of escape. "Almost there.' A chariot suddenly blocked their path.
The chariot was regal and sharp. It glowed against the inferno as if it came from the very firey chasims of hell, while dothed with jewels and symbols of Seth, himself.
"Leaving so soon, thieving filth!" The figure in the chariot growled.
Abdu stared in disbelief, "High Priest Akunadin!"
Inet didn't waste anytime, she grabbed Abdu and headed in another direction.
"You cannot escape me!" Akunadin blocked them again. "Prepare! Feel the wrath of the shadow realm!" Akunadin raised his hand to the air as what looked like black lightning surrounded every inch of his body. He had a crazed look in his eye, riddled with murder, and a glazed emptiness that made him look possessed. He threw his hand down to point at Abdu who shielded Inet and Bakura. In less than a blink the black energy struck Abdu. Seeing her lover begin to fall Inet bolted in the opposite direction. Bakura clung to her neck and watched from behind her, his father fall slowly to the ground with an incoherent thud. Akunadin followed and once again had the lightning form around him.
"Mama, he following us! He's going to do what he did to papa!" Bakura sobbed into her hair. Inet changed direction and headed to the river. 'No way in the depths of hell will he hurt my child!' She reached the bank and hid herself in the long grass. She set Bakura down carefully and quietly, then handed him the valuables she was able to grab. She could hear Akunadin and the soldiers slowly approaching.
"Bakura, I need you to hide. Don't let them see you okay?"
"But mama, what about you?"
"Don't worry. You must find away to escape. I will distract them for as long as I can. You must make it to the capital city and find Lahm. He will take care of you."
"But Akunadin is the pharaoh's brother. He will go to the capital too. He will notice me."
"Don't worry. He hasn't seen you. I've had you covered. Now, go! Quickly!"
"But mama—"
"I love you, Bakura. Now, go!"
Bakura hesitated for a second before running towards the clan's secret location just beyond the river banks. Inet watched her child and the soldiers, making sure they didn't see him. Akunadin drew closer and closer. She held her breath for a moment then stood. She peered at Akunadin who now was about two feet before her with a half fearful, half determined look.
"So, the mystic decided to be brave." He sneered almost seductively.
"You dare speak to me in such a manner, old man."
"I dare to speak to you? What makes you more than one such as I?"
Inet firmed her feet on the ground as a white aura enveloped her body.
"They do not call us the mystics for nothing." She began to chant as the aura became brighter.
The soldiers fearing already the power of the shadow realm, turned and ran. Akunadin laughed and this time was surrounded by red.
"Your ka will be perfect for the millenium items! Arruahhh!!!" He launched a bright red towards her. Inet blocked it with the white around her, but was pushed back from the force. 'Shit! That is a lot of power!'
"Ha! Pitiful! You die now!" he fired again.
Inet wasn't ready for an attack so quickly. The blast sent a shock wave in all directions, and above the roaring fires throughout the village and the sounds of the villagers, one scream could be heard the loudest. It felt like nails being driven into the ears. Then, as quick as that black lightning, everything stopped, except for the slightest echo of that one scream.
A short distance away, a distance that was slowly growing, the small white haired boy cried as he ran into the opening of a cave.
...Mama...
----------------------- [1] Ka- means "soul" and/or mind in ancient Egypt. Often seen in hieroglyphs when speaking of the deceased's journey throughout the afterlife, and also found in the book of the dead.