Author's Note: Oh, wow, I got reviews! You guys are the best, thank you so much!

Just as a note, I'm probably going to update every two or three days...maybe longer if schoolwork swamps me. But the fic is already written and saved on my computer, so there's no need to worry about me having writer's block:)

And as promised, here's the second half of Part One. Enjoy!

Across the Millennia
Part One: Ancient Egypt

Cont'd

The Shadows had caught him...they would destroy him...and he had no strength left to fight them off.

"No... I have...Atem!"

With a great effort, Seto held off the Shadows and wrenched his mind back from the darkness. Fighting back a gasp as he felt all his strength draining away, he collapsed on the ground beside Atem's bed. His entire body trembled as his vision swam and his mind reeled from shock.

A few deep breaths dispelled the dizziness, and a few moments to collect himself allowed Seto to struggle to his feet, leaning on the wall for support. When his eyes stopped letting him see double, he turned his gaze to Atem who still lay motionless on his bed.

For a moment Seto's heart quailed. He had failed; Atem hadn't come back.

But then, suddenly, Atem opened his eyes. Seto felt as though a bolt of lightning had lanced through his body. He stumbled forward and knelt at Atem's bedside as his legs threatened to give out from underneath him.

"My Pharaoh?" he whispered, scarcely daring to believe this was happening. "Can you hear me?"

Atem blinked, and slowly turned his head so he could look into Seto's eyes. He smiled. "You saved me, Seto."

Suddenly, it dawned on Seto that he had just done the impossible: he had stolen Atem back from clutches of the Shadows.

"Gods be blessed, Pharaoh, you had us all worried sick," he said, his voice hoarse. "I--"

But he never got to finish his sentence, for at that moment he heard the door to the antechamber burst open. There came the sound of hurrying feet and moments later the high priests were all assembled before the Pharaoh in his bedchamber. In the time it took for them to cross through the antechamber, Seto had quickly stood up and went to stand by the entrance, ignoring the waves of dizziness that washed over him. He moved just in time to slip behind Shada, who had been the last to enter.

"My Pharaoh!" Mahado stepped forward, awe written clearly all over his face. "You are safe, just as Ishizu foresaw!"

"A vision came to me through the Millennium Tauk," Ishizu explained, watching the Pharaoh closely as though she was afraid that he would disappear if she blinked. "I saw you safe, and I could not believe it. I summoned everyone at once."

"Great Pharaoh," Akunadin knelt down at the bedside, "how are you feeling?"

Atem looked from one face to the next, and in each of their eyes he read clearly their surprise and joy. But as his eyes searched for Seto, the priest in question only held his gaze for a moment before quickly looking away at the floor. For what Seto saw in Atem's eyes shocked and frightened him -- there was a strange light in those red-violet orbs, a light that Seto's heart longed for, but which his mind didn't want to think about.

Taking a deep breath, Atem slowly raised himself to a sitting position, cutting off a protest from Karim. Despite his condition, despite that he had nearly lost his soul in the Shadow Realm, Pharaoh Atem still radiated a calm authority as he regarded the six priests before him.

"I am well now," he said, his voice soft but steady. "I am sorry to have worried you all. I assure you that you need no longer to worry, for as you can see I am quite safe and all in one piece."

Ishizu sighed in relief, Shada nodded, and Mahado smiled.

"But tell me, Pharaoh," Akunadin said, standing up. "How is this possible? It is as a miracle from the gods themselves!"

"I'm afraid can't give you any answers on that, Akunadin," Atem replied. "But I agree with you: it is as a miracle from the gods." And as he spoke, his gaze traveled to rest on Seto, who was still resolutely looking at the floor.

"Well, in that case, I suggest you rest for a while, Pharaoh," said Ishizu. "In fact, with all the stress today, we should all rest."

There was a general murmur of agreement at the idea, and after bidding the Pharaoh to rest well, the six high priests filed out. Seto was the last to leave, but he still kept his gaze fixed on the floor and walls.

Seto could feel Atem's eyes resting on him, and he had to exert every ounce of his self-control to keep himself looking anywhere but at the Pharaoh. Because once he looked up and met that red-violet gaze, Seto wasn't sure what he would do. Fainting and breaking down were high contenders on the list of possibilities, but Seto wasn't about to test his theories.

Following close behind Shada, Seto turned and left the chamber, shivering slightly as he felt Atem's gaze following him all the way out into the corridor.

There was absolute silence in the palace gardens when Seto stepped outside under the starry night. The evening had passed rather uneventfully compared with the rest of the day. Akunadin, under Atem's orders, had kept the level of gossip down, and also handled whatever business that needed handling. Seto had spent the time meditating -- or rather, trying to meditate and not think about Atem. He had failed miserably.

He had tried to get some rest, as Karim had recommended, but he was perpetually kept awake by his restless thoughts. In the silence, he constantly heard Atem's voice, speaking to him, "You saved me, Seto." Each time Seto tried to meditate, his thoughts would invariably betray him and wander back to Atem; each time he closed his eyes and tried to sleep, he saw Atem's bright eyes gazing at him.

Half the night was gone already, but he had not slept a wink. Tired and frustrated, he strode outside, hoping that a brief walk in the gardens would help his agitation.

The nighttime brought stillness and peace, and as a breeze meandered around the palace it brought a certain chill to the gardens. The cool air was welcome to Seto; it numbed him and soothed his exhausted mind and heart. His thoughts had worn out his mind, and his rampaging emotions had taken their toll on his heart and spirit. All he wanted now was to be able to rest, to be freed of this confusion that plagued him, and most of all, to not think for once.

Though weary and spent, his heart still pained when he thought of Atem, of his voice, and of that look in his eyes. Seto wasn't a fool; he recognized that look and knew what it meant. It was the same look that he'd hoped for, all these years, his heart longed for that gaze and for the chance that it would bring.

It seemed impossible, it should have been impossible, but Atem had been much too obvious for it just to have been coincidence and Seto's imagination. By Ra, it was a wonder none of the other high priests had noticed it yesterday.

Seto wandered aimlessly through the gardens, taking the same way he always did. It was a lonely, meandering path, chosen for its seldom use. Seto wanted to be alone, he didn't want to see anyone right now -- though in the dead of night there were flowers and shrubs to keep him company. All the better for Seto. He wanted solitude, he wanted time to wrestle some obedience from his heart and his emotions.

Two days ago, he'd thought that he had everything under control. But then yesterday and all its turmoil had broken loose the chains Seto had bound about his own emotions. Coupled with what he had seen in Atem's eyes, his heart was fairly clawing at the cage he kept it restrained in, commanding him to do something, demanding that he take this chance that he had been given.

A chance. That was all he had wanted before -- just a chance that Atem loved him. That small, infinitely slim chance that somehow they could be together, despite all the objections and taboos of the world. That chance, the impossible chance that was now handed to him -- and which he was hesitant to take.

For what good would it do them? If he admitted to his feelings, it would just bring more pain. No matter that Atem loved him, the gods themselves forbid it. And even though Atem was the great, all-powerful pharaoh, fate and the gods would never let it happen.

Seto shook his head, clenching his hands into fists as he mentally shook himself. If he had cursed the gods before, now he damned them. Why did they enjoy toying with his life so much? What amusement did they find in his pain?

He couldn't stand to think about it anymore, he couldn't stand this heartbreak any longer. If he tried to live with this, he would go insane.

So make a decision now, you fool, he snarled at himself.

Seto knew that the quickest decision, the one that would throw life back to more or less the way it used to be was the one he should make. It wouldn't solve much, but it would keep things from getting out of control. It would hurt -- gods, he knew it break his heart once and for all -- but it was the decision he knew he was doomed to make.

He would pretend nothing had happened. Gods, Atem was sure to throw a fit; it would hurt both of them, but Seto was already decided. He wanted to just give in to this chance, but the consequences it would bring were too heavy. Atem wouldn't care, he knew that, because Atem was reckless when there was something he wanted bad enough, but Seto wouldn't let him make that mistake.

It's nothing but a mistake, he thought firmly. A mistake. A chance. A trick of fate...

he thought firmly.

"Seto."

He stopped dead in his tracks. Oh, gods, not right now!

He recognized the voice. Of course he did, how could he not? It was the same voice that had kept him awake tonight, the same voice that often haunted his dreams.

Seto was naturally fair, and in the moonlight his skin was even more washed out; but now, he paled so much it appeared that he was a ghost.

Turning slowly, Seto kept his eyes on the ground and bowed low. "My Pharaoh."

"Seto, please look at me," Atem said softly. "I need to talk to you."

Seto stiffened. His heart pounded wildly, but he fought to keep a level head. He knew what Atem wanted to talk about; gods, seeking him out at this time of night, what else could he want to talk about? The weather?

"There may be others about, Pharaoh," he said, hoping Atem would take the hint.

He did. But his reply wasn't the one Seto was looking for. "There's no one awake at this time, Seto. Just the guards and they are around the perimeter of the gardens, while we're somewhere in the middle. There's no one to eavesdrop, not even Mana since she is fast asleep."

Damn. He's right.

Though it was night, the moon and stars were just bright enough to illuminate the both of them. Seto kept his eyes lowered as he answered with as steady a voice as he could manage, "What is it you wish to speak with me about?"

"You know what I want to talk about."

And he sees right through me. Double damn.

"Seto, please, look at me."

Atem was all but pleading with him, and Seto felt his resolve weakening despite urgent commands issuing from his brain.

No!

Suddenly, Seto dropped down to his knees. Atem was shocked; Seto never knelt to anyone unless it was absolutely required, and this situation certainly didn't qualify.

"Seto, what are you doing?" he asked, still recovering from his surprise.

"My Pharaoh, I must beg a favor from you."

"Beg?" Atem echoed. "Ask, and it will be given. You are my priest, my cousin, my greatest of friends. What would I not grant you?"

"I know you are a man of your word, Pharaoh," Seto replied, still looking at the ground. "So I must ask you this: let it go. What cannot be will never be. It is futile to war against the gods and fate."

For the second time in scant moments, shock washed over Atem.

"Seto, what are you saying?"

"Please, my Pharaoh, don't push it any further."

Atem bit his tongue and took a deep breath. Did Seto think he was doing the right thing by pushing the issue away and pretending nothing was wrong?

"Seto, I command you to stand up and look at me," he said, a spark of anger rising from the shock and pain in his heart. "As your Pharaoh, with the power of the gods, I command you to obey me."

Slowly, Seto got up from his kneeling position. But his eyes were still lowered.

"Seto, look at me," Atem repeated. But when his command got no reaction from the other, "Damn you, Seto, look at me!"

Seto closed his eyes, biting his tongue as he fought for control over himself. "Pharaoh, please--"

"Don't 'pharaoh' me!" Atem snapped, the hurt showing in his voice. "I didn't come out here in the middle of the night to fight with your stubbornness! You know what I want to talk about, but do you know how long I've hoped and prayed for this chance? All these years, Seto, all these years, my only wish was that I could tell you how I feel and that you wouldn't reject me for it. For as long as I've known you, I've had to restrain myself because I couldn't stand to think of how you'd react if you knew. I've fought through pain, through despair, through depression -- damn it, even through the Shadow Realm, and I've finally found my chance. And now..." Atem swallowed as his throat constricted. "...now you're here, telling me to forget about it?"

Seto clenched his hands tightly as he felt himself trembling. "Please," he managed to say softly. "Listen to me..."

"No, you listen me, Seto," Atem replied, trying to hold back his pain. "I don't know how long you've been hiding; but if it's been as long as I have, and if you've suffered as much, then damn it, why can't you understand? These past years, every night I would see your eyes when I closed mine. Everyday you've been at my side, but I couldn't approach you because of all the taboos and laws that forbid it. All I wanted was to tell you how I felt, but I never had the chance."

There was no reply or comment from Seto, so Atem went on. "Then when I was lost in the Shadow Realm, I thought it was all over. But you called me back, Seto, your love called me back."

"It was luck and my loyalty that called you back," Seto said stubbornly. "Please, stop this. Just drop it."

"I don't care what you reasons you want to give for it! Maybe it was loyalty, maybe it was luck, and maybe it was just fate toying with me again. But all I care about is that I have my chance, Seto, we have this chance. Why do you have to be so stubborn? I know you love me, and all I want is to hear you say it!"

A torrent of emotions suddenly whipped through Seto's heart, but he somehow managed to keep himself from collapsing as his legs grew weak. His hands were clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palm.

I will not lose control.

"Why do you never call me by my name anymore?" Atem whispered. "I can't remember the last time I heard you say my name. Seto, why do you insist on keeping yourself so distant from me?"

Seto clenched his hands harder.

I will not...lose control...

"Look at me. Please."

It was the 'please' that finally got to him. Slowly, so slowly it was almost painful, Seto raised his eyes and looked at Atem. Somehow, he managed to not collapse on the ground right there and then. The moonlight softened everything it touched, washing the earth with a shimmering, iridescent glow. Where in the day all was mundane, the moon turned the world to a place of magic and myth.

The effect it had on Atem as Seto gazed at him was nearly impossible to describe. Half hidden in shadow, half shimmering in the pale moonlight, Seto could have sworn he that gazed upon the face of the most divine being in the world, barring none, not even the gods. Atem's eyes were impossibly bright, and all the stars seemed to dim in comparison.

Oh, dear gods, help me... He's beautiful.

But more than anything, Seto could read the look in Atem's eyes as clearly as the words in a book. He was anxious, he was frightened; but Atem's gaze held him mesmerized and he couldn't look away.

"All this time," Atem said softly. "All these years, all these painful days, all these lonely nights. All I wanted was to be able to tell you..."

Seto swallowed, his heart racing, his mind reeling.

"I love you, Seto."

Gods above. Seto's heart felt as though it would give out on him right there and then. He felt weak, all his strength was suddenly gone, and his mind was blank with shock. He didn't register the fact that Atem had stepped closer to him until he felt a touch on his arm.

The contact sent an electric shock through his entire body, effectively bringing him back from the state of numbness. Swallowing a gasp, he quickly took a step back and away from Atem.

"Don't do this to me," he choked out. "You know what the consequences will be. Nothing good can be achieved by this."

"Happiness can be achieved," Atem said forcefully. "What is wrong with you, Seto?"

"The consequences are too great," Seto said, using his stubbornness to suppress and mask his emotions. "There is no way I'll be able to hide it from my father. He will never accept this. You will lose everything. Akunadin will have the other priests to back him up, along with all of Egypt. Trust me, please, nothing good can come out of this."

"So you will put status and power over everything?" Atem asked, incredulous and hurt. "Including love?"

"No!" came the reply, as hurt radiated from Seto's eyes. "I put your well-being over everything, over any emotion, over myself. Try to understand!"

Silence descended upon them as they simply stared at each other for several long moments.

"My well-being," Atem echoed. "And what good will you have done by breaking my heart, Seto?"

"Heartbreak is inevitable, whatever path we choose." Seto managed to school his face into a mask of calmness. "I won't let you throw away everything."

"So you choose to let me die instead," Atem said quietly.

"No, I--!"

Atem stared into his eyes, and Seto suddenly found himself speechless as he was held by that gaze. There was sorrow in his eyes, and there was pain, but most of all there was an intensity that simply could not be described.

"I just want to hear you say my name," Atem whispered. "Please, Seto."

He swallowed, slowly, painfully.

I...will not...lose...control.

I...

"Please." Atem's voice was quiet, so quiet, and so sorrowful.

He closed his eyes.

"Atem..."

All time halted, and all he could hear was the rapid beating of his own heart. When Seto opened his eyes again, Atem was there before him, standing so close...much too close...

His eyes were feverishly bright, and despite stern commands issuing from the still rational part of his brain, Seto felt himself slowly leaning toward the other.

Oh. My. Gods.

Stop. Now.

But his body would not respond, and a dizziness began to creep over his entire mind. He couldn't think, he could only react.

They were too close. It was all going wrong, this wasn't supposed to happen...

Too close...

Atem closed his eyes.

Closer...

He could feel Atem's breath on his lips...

Suddenly, the Millennium Rod flared. That was the wake-up call Seto's rationality needed. He jerked back with a gasp, stumbling as his knees simply refused to hold him up any longer.

"Seto!"

But as Atem reached out to steady him, Seto pushed him away. Falling to his knees, this time from weakness, the priest covered his face with a hand, closing his eyes as he tried to figure out what had just happened.

"Are you alright?"

"My Pharaoh." Seto's voice was soft and hoarse, but he somehow managed to gather enough strength to keep standing. "The gods forbid it. Please, just let me go."

There was a moment of absolute silence as Atem simply stared at him.

Slowly, he spoke. His voice was steady, and void of any emotion. "This is your choice, then, Seto?"

Seto closed his eyes as he felt tears stabbing at his vision. "Please, Pharaoh..."

Atem took a deep breath, and let it go slowly.

"So be it," he said heavily. "If this is your choice, then you have called doom upon the both of us. I grant you your wish; I will hold my peace and never speak of this again. But mark my words, Seto: for your choice, your soul will not rest until you have learned to listen and obey your heart."

Seto was stunned by the power he sensed behind Atem's words. "You curse me?" he said softly, incredulously.

"No," Atem replied steadily, gazing into Seto's dark-blue eyes. "I give you another chance, Seto. Fate and the gods have may have cursed us for this lifetime; but in another era, in another life, perhaps there awaits the happiness that we both are denied now."

Without another word, Atem turned and walked away, leaving behind a heavy silence.

Seto's eyes followed Atem until he disappeared from his sight. He simply stood there, his face and eyes devoid of expression. But within, all hell suddenly seemed to break loose as he realized that it was over. It really, truly, was over. The choice was made, the final blow was struck. There was no turning back from this path Seto had chosen.

They had been so close...

Too close.

He shook himself mentally.

This was what he wanted, wasn't it? This was the choice he was fated to make.

Fate is a heartless bitch, Seto thought bitterly.

Fighting back the tears that threatened to overflow, he looked up at the heavens, as though searching for the entity that he cursed. But he only saw the stars as they shone softly in the dark vaults of the night sky. The bright jewels of the heavens gazed down at him solemnly, and it seemed to Seto that the stars held the knowledge of the past and future, being witness to the times already passed and still to come.

Tonight, they were his witnesses. In the darkness of the gardens, the stars saw Seto deny his love, and they watched silently as he swallowed his bitter tears, once again cursing the name of fate.

The stars watched silently, and kept their secrets.

((dodges a thrown brick)) Okay, if you want to murder me -- for whatever reason: horrible plot, dissatisfactory ending, or just plain bad writing -- now's the time to tell me so in a review. But remember that if you do kill me, I won't be able to post the rest of this fic. And there is a happy ending! I promise!

...Hey, that doesn't mean you can murder me when I finish the story, so don't go getting any ideas.

As always, reviews are greatly appreciated!

Next chapter's destination: Domino!