In the Sands of Egypt
Chapter 1
To Steal a Maiden
The tips of the clouds glimmered with a radiant silver light as they swept across the full moon. The air was cool and silent; nothing stirred in the tranquility of the night. The moon's glow peered through a cold glass window and cast its light onto the face of Yugi Moto, whose slick golden bangs fell across his calm face; his breathing was slow and quiet.
The young boy was curled up in light blue cotton blankets, resting peacefully in his bed. Across from the sleeping boy, on a sturdy work desk, lay a puzzle, in the shape of a pyramid; the moon's light reflected across its brilliant golden surface, and beside the puzzle lay two other objects; a sleek golden rod; with its magnificence and power abandoned by its previous owner, it patiently waited, dormant, until its true power was unlocked; and a beautifully crafted necklace, its golden features sparkling with ambiguity. The golden eye that crested the middle of it began to glimmer mysteriously, as its magic revealed itself upon the consciousness of the dormant teen.
Yugi looked around in awe of his new surroundings. Streams of gold and lavender sparkled across the lavishly garnished room in the forms of silks that hung from the ceilings and blanketed the furniture. His innocent face reflected against glassy water of a fountain, and he smiled, peering into its watery depths.
The violet-eyed boy wandered from the lush room, entering richly painted hallways. As he roamed the regal structure, he eventually entered a large courtyard, where he spied a figure in the garden across from him. His violet eyes tried to focused on the figure, as he did so, a feeling of familiarity poured through his body. Still unable to clearly see the unknown being in front of him, he crept quietly behind a large fern, just far enough to see what was happening, but remain unnoticed.
A cheerful giggle filled the area; Yugi watched a young girl bound into sight, her lively sapphire eyes sparkling as she raced to the nearby fountain. She sat down and rested atop its stony ledge, smiling joyously while she dipped her hand gently into the water and whirled the cerulean depths in a circular vortex
Her hair, a beautiful auburn color, brushed across her face as the wind carried it off. She moved her unruly locks from her eyes, and her lips curled into an embarrassed smile. Upon seeing a figure that Yugi couldn't, she raised her arm and waved it vigorously, calling out. "Priest!" Her voice was like a beautiful songbird; light and full of spirit.
Yugi's eyes finally caught sight of the other figure, which was casually walking toward the girl. Amethyst robes draped across his body, swaying in the wind. His blue eyes glittered like the snow on a fresh winter's day; cold as ice, but with the softness of a single snowflake.
"Shouldn't you be at the ceremony?" the priest questioned, taking a seat next to the girl.
"You should be too. Have you finished with your chores?" the girl teased back.
"Purifying the royal temples is not a chore, it is a duty, one that I must fulfill as a priest. Furthermore..." the blue-eyed teen declared, but was cut off when a sudden splash of sparkling water flew into his face.
"You're starting to sound like the pharaoh himself...You need a break from all those temples," the girl informed. It was a playful scold, but not lacking all seriousness.
The priest swept his drenched chestnut-colored hair away from his eyes and flashed a smirk at the girl. He rose from his seat, and extended his hand out to the girl.
"Well," he said softly, "how about we take a break and go to the ceremony together?"
The girl hesitated, looking curiously up at the priest. She reached out shyly, and finally grasped the young man's hand. Yugi ducked as they walked passed him, talking excitedly. His violet eyes looked up in time to see the priest's robes flash out of sight.
The moon was seen faintly in Yugi's window, the sun ready to overtake it. Swirls of violet and burgundy were shown as Yugi hesitantly opened his eyes, revealing his own bedroom. He rolled over and peered across the room, to his desk. The three Millennium Items lay quietly on its wooden surface. Yugi sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to fully recall the details of the dream.
"What was that?" he questioned tiredly. "Was it really only a dream? Then why was it so familiar?"
A rush of air flew past Yugi as he fell back into his bed. He let out a tired yawn, wrapping himself up in the soft cotton blankets once more. "That priest and the girl...I know them..." he murmured, drifting back into slumber.
The lazy summer sun, hung heavily in the late afternoon sky, making the city of Domino glow a nostalgic orange. A light scuffling was heard, as Mokuba Kaiba walked slowly down the street, his raven-hair falling in front of his steely-blue eyes. The boy reached into his pocket, adjusting the volume on his portable CD player so the music drowned out the noise of the city.
After his brother died, Mokuba became more secluded, no longer the cheerful child he once was. He officially owned his brother's company, Kaiba Corporation, but he let the other executives deal with the business; he didn't want any part of it. Instead, he usually wandered the streets, blaring his CD player, tuning out his problems, escaping from his pain.
I fall...
Like the sands of time.
Like some broken rhyme.
At feet no longer there..
Mokuba looked up, shifting his gaze over to a cozy little shop across the street. It was a dull yellow building with worn green roofing. A sign with 'Kame Game Shop' written across it hung over the door.
The boy frowned at the homely little building. Yugi Moto lived there; his brother's old rival. Mokuba personally never had anything against Yugi, but his brother thought otherwise. He wondered why his brother acted so aggressively toward Yugi; it didn't make much sense. A lot of what his brother did, had never made any sense to Mokuba. "Seto..."
I call...
And there's no reply.
Like some phantom cry.
On ears too far away...
Mokuba's small feet carried him across the street. A bell chimed as the raven-haired boy walked into the shop. He glanced up momentarily to see Yugi's violet eyes, staring sympathetically at him, from behind the counter. "Hello, Mokuba. How are you today?" he asked softly.
"Hey, Yugi," Mokuba responded lamely, turning down his headphones slightly; he didn't meet the other's gaze, just shuffled around the shop, looking about, eyes lackluster.
"So, Mokuba, it's been awhile, what can I do for you?" Yugi asked worriedly. After Kaiba had gone, Mokuba had stopped coming around. It worried Yugi; he tried to visit, but Mokuba was never around. It was as if he were just a shadow now...
"Nothing really. Just looking." Mokuba answered flatly.
"Oh, well, if you aren't looking for anything in particular, why don't you look at these?" Yugi suggested, holding up a pack of Duel Monsters cards, a Blue Eyes White Dragon shown valiantly on the package. Mokuba crept over to the counter and took the package. He frowned at the sight of the dragon; just another piece of his brother that was lost.
You'll always mean so much to me...
And there's no reply...
Yugi sighed, remembering the funeral they had for Kaiba. It had been a dark, rainy day. Sorrow filled the air as people in black gathered at the graveyard. Yugi had gone with his friends. Kaiba may not have been the nicest person, but none of them wanted him to die; he was still like a friend to all of them. Even Joey, who had always held a grudge against Kaiba, was saddened that day.
When the group had found Mokuba, the poor boy was in tears. Kaiba was the only family he had left. The pain in his eyes was unbearable for Yugi to look at; the pain of loss wasn't something he wished upon anyone. Tea had scooped the boy up in her arms, crying with him. She stayed with him the entire day, hoping she would be able to help.
And there's no reply...
You'll never know how much you meant to me...
After that day, Mokuba became the boy who stood in front of Yugi that very moment. Alone; that was the only way Yugi could describe it. His violet eyes glistened with sympathy Mokuba and he rested his hand atop the young boy's small quivering one, causing him jump back and stare in confusion at him.
"Mokuba, it's going to be alright. So, please try to cheer up a little," Yugi urged.
Mokuba cast his gaze to the floor. Tears threatened to escape from his eyes, but he refused to let them. After his parents died, he remembered his brother telling him to get tough. That's what Mokuba intended to do from now on. Yugi, don't worry about me..." he said, his breathing becoming heavy as he fought against the tears.
"You know, your brother didn't," Yugi shook his head, correcting himself, "doesn't want you to be sad like this. Why do you think he risked his life time and time again? It was to make sure that you would be happy. I think it would pain him to see you like this; it's not what he wanted you to be like. Mokuba, your brother wants you to be happy and he wouldn't want you to give up on yourself just because he's gone."
Mokuba looked up and stared into Yugi's eyes. He was right. Seto wouldn't want him to be sad. He had to carry on...
...for the both of them now.
"Thanks, Yugi, you're right." Mokuba said, cheering up a little. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some money and exchanged it for the pack of cards. Sticking them in his pocket, he smiled back weakly at Yugi, something he hadn't done for a while. Waving he turned to the door, turning the volume on his music up, but not as much as usual...
I close my eyes and watch as my life passes by...
The only thing I see is you.
For all the times you walked the line for me and standing by my side.
I say thank you...
As Mokuba headed out the door, he nearly crashed into Téa. Stumbling backward, he waved apologetically to the her and wandered out the door.
"Mokuba?" Téa wondered, only seeing a flash of messy raven hair flash by her. She frowned, hoping to at least check on the boy before he left, but he left before she could even see his face.
"Téa, hey." Yugi called over from the counter.
Téa walked over and smiled at Yugi, sapphire eyes glittering in the evening sun. She bent over and placed her elbows atop the counter, resting her chin across the palm of her hand. Yugi, trying to cheer up a bit, grinned sheepishly, and placed the money in his hand into the cash register.
"So is Mokuba doing better?" she asked, willing herself to keep smiling.
"Yeah, I think so, but you have to wonder, what actually happened to Kaiba?" Yugi wondered, concerned.
Tea's lips thinned, she crinkled her eyebrows together in thought. Yugi watched as she tapped her finger on the wooden countertop, sighed then and stood up, facing him, her eyes becoming serious. "I really have no idea, Yugi. I mean, it's not like Kaiba to just die like that, you know?"
"I know, that's what worries me..." Yugi said in a serious tone. Really, just like that and he was gone. Sure, at any second of the day you could meet your end, but it just seemed so surreal...
"Well, what do we know about it?" Téa asked, trying to come up with an idea.
"Well, it was a year ago. Mokuba said something about an old temple in Egypt..." Yugi supplied.
"Egypt? Why was he in Egypt?" Tea questioned. That wasn't like Kaiba at all. Heck, that's the last place Téa would guess, considering how much he scorned anything to do with the country, well beside from a business standpoint.
"I don't know, maybe it had something to do with what Ishizu said about Kaiba?"
Téa headed over to a picture that Yugi's grandpa had hung on the store wall, and her fingers traced a path across the sandy desert on the photograph. She rested her pointer on her cherry lips and gazed methodically at the photo. "Well, then, it must have something to do with the Millennium Items, don't you think?" she ventured, turning over to Yugi, though that seemed highly unlikely.
Yugi, however, was lost in thought, his violet eyes stared blankly at the countertop before him. 'I know that Kaiba's past has something to do with Ancient Egypt, but I'm not exactly sure how. Now Kaiba disappears in an Ancient Egyptian temple...This is really strange...' It just didn't add up. "Wait a second, that dream!" Yugi shouted suddenly.
Tea jumped at the sudden outburst from her friend and quickly looked over him. "What dream, Yugi?"
"Oh," Yugi said, realizing Téa didn't know what he was talking about; "Um I had a dream..." he paused; a customer had just walked in; so he greeted them sweetly before refocusing on Téa. "Tea, could you meet me at the park in two hours? There's something I want to ask you about."
"Oh, all right, Yugi, but won't it be kind of late?" she replied, looking down at her watch, the hour hand just passing the five.
"I know, but will you please come? It's important," Yugi pleaded.
"Okay, Yugi," Téa smiled, turning toward the door, "but you owe me."
"Okay, Téa! See you..." Yugi trailed off, waving to his friend as she walked out the door. His smile quickly faded as he became lost in thought once more. Something was definitely up and he felt that Téa had something to do with it.
Misty white clouds escaped Téa's lips as she let out a small sigh, and leaned against a large tree. Dark shadows drifting across her rosy face as she watched the leaves fall from above. A blast of cool night air forced her to bolt upright. She could barely see the hands on her watch in the darkness of the night. Shifting so that her watch could catch the glow of a nearby light pole, she discovered seven-thirty as the time. "I hope Yugi didn't forget..." she mumbled.
After about five minutes of waiting, Téa spied a familiar figure racing toward her. She smiled as Yugi collapsed in front of her, breathing heavily from exhaustion. He looked up and smiled apologetically at Téa, a blue cloth bag hanging loosely from his hands. "I'm really sorry, Téa. The store kind of got busy," he tried to amend weakly.
"It's all right, Yugi." Téa replied. She couldn't exactly be upset with him for that. Really, she never found it easy to be upset with Yugi; he was just too sweet... "Now what did you want to talk to me about?"
Yugi reached into the blue bag and pulled out something Téa didn't expect. In his hands, he held the slick golden Millennium Rod, followed by the Millennium Necklace. Carefully, he held them out for Téa to see. She took the golden object, very unsure, and peered into the eye placed in the center. A strange feeling overcame her then, a fuzziness that swirled around her. Her sapphire eyes turned a dull blue as she stared off into nothingness...
Téa found herself in the middle of a busy market square. All different kinds of people filled the lively place, all laughing and cheering. Her sapphire eyes gazed across the landscape; all the buildings seemed to be made of a clay, or maybe it was stone; the ground was dry and sandy, and all the people seemed to be dressed in beautiful silk robes.
A smile wiped onto her face as she approached a large opening. A immense statue of a beautiful woman dressed in richly made robes was carved into the stone was situated in the center of a large platform. Téa forced herself to suppress the coming snicker at the sight of what appeared to be cow horns coming from her long hair. That was an interesting depiction.
Her focus was taken from the statue and captured by the women in fine silks dancing rhythmically around the it. Téa watched in awe as their lithe bodies twirled in time with the music being played by a nearby band. Not a normal band mind you; the instruments were primitive yet elegant all the same.
"The festival of Hat-hor is quite a sight," a deep voice stated next to Téa. She turned around, surprised to see a pair of crystal-blue eyes gazing down upon her. Her face became hot as the young man-- the priest-- smiled down at her, his hair swaying over his icy eyes.
'Kaiba?! What is he doing here?' Téa shouted in her mind. And why was he 'smiling?!' Usually that meant a fiery death, but this was... different. There weren't any ill feelings at all...
"Aren't you going to join them?" he questioned, referring to the dancers upon the stage. It seemed only natural to the priest. There was an air about him that suggested a lot of things were 'okay' for him to do.
Téa blinked back into reality, her gaze following the hand of the priest, which motioned over to the stage. She nearly choked in shock. "Me? But I can't! I...I..." she stammered, clenching her fists and forcing them down at her sides.
Scarlet rushed to her face, as her companion, who appeared to be her best friend's rival, placed his hand gently on her shoulder and placed his mouth right next to her ear. So very close... "Don't worry, I know you can do it..." he whispered, his breath rolling down Téa's neck.
"What if I'm caught? I don't think I'm supposed to go up there..." Tea squeaked, worriedly.
"It will be our secret," replied the priest, as he pushed Téa gently toward the platform.
"Téa!" came the worried voice of Yugi. He looked down at her, eyes large and glistening. She just toppled over, without warning! What if it was his fault? He would never forgive himself if something happened...
Téa automatically looked in the direction of the voice. Her vision focused to see Yugi right up next to her. "What is it, Yugi?" she questioned, blushing slightly when she noticed his arms around her.
"Téa! You kind of went out of it, for a second there..." Yugi sighed, releasing her quickly and turning away. "A-are you all right?"
"Oh sorry, it's just that I..." she began, but a deep voice echoed in her mind.
"It will be our secret."
"I was just thinking about something..." she corrected, suddenly.
Yugi's lips curved into an unbelieving frown as he gazed at his friend, but before he could say anything, a loud commotion was heard coming from behind him. He whirled around to see two large figures, advancing on another person. His violet eyes narrowed, studying the scene, and barely making out the white hair of the retreating person. "It's Bakura!" he cried.
A force soon overcame him, taking over his body. When he looked up, his golden bangs seemed to spike out more than usual, and his eyes glimmered with a slight crimson. He handed the sleek Millennium Rod over to Téa.
"Téa, I'm going to help Bakura," Yami said firmly. "I want you to go get some help."
Téa nodded before picking herself up and dashing off into the night. After making sure she would be okay, Yami proudly walked over to where Bakura was being bullied. The two men had just knocked the poor boy to the ground as he arrived.
"What is it, punk?" the first one scowled.
Bakura was lying unconscious on the ground; a drop of crimson trailed down from his lips and fell down onto the cold cement. Yami frowned at the sight of his injured comrade. His lips thinned threateningly and he vowed to get his revenge.
Téa's footsteps echoed through the empty park, her sapphire eyes darting frantically from place to place, searching for somebody who could help. She soon spotted three men gathered in front of her. Without thinking she raced toward them, stopping right in the middle of their group. "Please, you have to help! My friends are in trouble!" she pleaded.
The three men looked among themselves, whispering something too quietly for Téa to pick up. A malicious smile overcame their faces and they were quickly advancing on her. Téa jumped back as one of the men reached for the Millennium Rod.
What?! Why were they after the Millennium Items? They couldn't know about them! It didn't matter at the time, she had to keep them safe, and that meant getting out of there-- fast. She whipped around and dashed back into the park, with the men chasing closely at her heels.
Yami glared at the men as they began to attack him. A large fist hurtled toward the Pharaoh, but he easily moved out of the way. The men weren't very skilled fighters, that was for sure, because Yami easily overcame them. A little aid from the Millennium Puzzle and the three were on the ground. "I think you'll be alright, it's good, I got here just in time..." Yami informed his friend.
An ashy-brown was shown, as Bakura cautiously opened his eyes. His breath was raspy as he spoke to Yami. "What happened?" he questioned. All of a sudden he was being attacked. He didn't even remember coming outside!
"You were being bullied, but don't worry about it now. How do you feel?" Yami brushed off his shirt, frowning as specks of dust feathered to the ground.
Bakura didn't answer, which caused the other to raise a brow. Yami stared down at the white-haired boy, waiting for him to speak, but he just stared at something in front of him and began to pale; his shaky hand rose up in front of him, and he stretched a finger out, pointing at something unknown. "Téa!" he yelped.
Faster than lightning, Yami whipped around to see three men staring darkly at him. He gasped when he saw a girl draped over one of the men's shoulders, her hair falling over her face, as she lay motionless over the man's shoulder like a doll. "Let her go!" Yami roared. The men smirked and dashed off down the street. Yami instantly followed, his eyes never leaving the girl, who they kept prisoner.
As he raced out of sight, a certain ashen-eyed boy rose to his feet, an eerie look claiming his eyes. He patted his hands across his light blue shirt, brushing off all the dirt that had collected on him. He stared off in the direction where the Pharaoh went, a wicked smile planted across his face. "It seems those drones were worth something after all..."
Yami's breathing labored as he chased after the men. His Millennium Puzzle whipped madly against his chest as his feet carried him further. The men had soon run into a crowd of people, knocking anyone who came near them to the ground. If he could just get her to wake up, maybe she could get free... "Téa!" Yami shouted; he had lost the men in all the people.
When he finally emerged from the crowd, his violet eyes searched frantically for the girl. Yami collapsed onto a nearby bench, barely able to breathe. "Téa, where have they taken you?" he panted.
Yugi appeared next to Yami, his transparent figure barely visible in the night air. Tears threatened to escape his violet eyes as they gazed at the stars above. "Tea...What happened?" Yugi asked, to no one in particular. Yami gazed over to his reincarnate, a frown wiped onto his face as he spoke.
"She's been stolen from us..."