Disclaimer: I guess it's time for me to make the fact known that I, Yuki Maxwell, do not own Yuugioh. Not to say I don't fantasize about my long, lost dream... ah weall. I guess I'll have to content myself with writing stories with the only light at the end of the tunnel is a possible review...
I guess you'll want to know what you're reading, hmm? Bold are flash backs. Italics are thought, aslight glimpse into a mind, and of course, the usual stress on a word or words.
I'm sure you could have figured that out for yourself, yet... I feel inclined to be of any service possible.
And I'm trying anything I can to make my writing look at least a bit neater, if not a bit prettier.
Under Pressure
Miseries and Memories
Joey carried Atemu to the infirmary, tears streaming down his eyes.
Atemu's body was racked with pain, every muscle tensed up. His skin had lost it's beautiful tan hue and it turned pale and sickly looking. His eyes were blank and showed no emotion whatsoever.
Aura assisted her sister to the infirmary. But Aura had a weird look on her face... as if she were enjoying her sister's current state. Typhoon was miserable, her eyes red and puffy from crying. She leaned on Aura, unable to walk by herself.
Tea, Yuugi and Tristan followed, Tea weeping her sorrows onto Tristan's shoulder. Tristan kept a hand on Yuugi's arm, steering the boy in the right direction, seeing as how the young man wasn't paying attention for himself. Tristan wondered how bad Typhoon could really be if she cared this much for someone.
Solomon trotted behind Tristan, looking at the ground, trying not to look at Atemu. All he heard was the occasional sniffle and Atemu's larbored breathing.
Mokuba and Kaiba pulled up the rear of this sad little procession, Mokuba's hand wrapped tightly around his older brother's. Silent tears were streaming down Mokuba's face as he watched Atemu twitch and jerk involuntarily in his daze.
Atemu was dying. Everyone could sense it, even if no one was willing to mouth it.
-
- - -
-
Atemu had been placed on a very large bed in the infirmary, his robes pulled open so his wounds could be cleaned and bandaged. He moaned, thrashing madly in the covers.
"What sort of poison was it?" Joey asked, pulling off his robes behind a screen, seeing as how they were now bloodstained.
"It seems this is a slow-acting virus that eats at the victim's insides." Aura said steadily, staring at Atemu. "It forces back the victim's worst memories, driving him into insanity from the mental and physical pain. This is one of the most dreaded venoms know to our people."
"Is there a cure?" Yuugi asked, fearing the answer.
"I don't know… I forgot the name of the illness." Aura said, looking a bit nervous.
Atemu moaned again, mumbling something in Ancient Egyptian.
"You mean Atemu's going to go crazy?"Mr. Mutou asked, walking over to Atemu and staring down sadly at him.
"Yes, and then the physical and mental strain will prove too much to handle and his body will shut down." Aura said.
Yuugi burst into tears. He lunged himself toward Atemu had picked up his hand, but dropped it quickly.
"What's wrong?" Kaiba asked.
"His skin… it's ice cold…"
-
- - -
-
Atemu- - -
Where has my mama gone? I'm crying but she's not here. I don't feel well but my mama still isn't here. I want my mama to hold me.
I'm cold.
I want my mama… where is she?
I'm so cold.
I'm screaming louder but she's not coming. I want Mama! Why won't she hold me and sing to me? Where is my mama?
A man comes to me but he's not my mama… so I don't like him.
"Hush… hush, Young Prince." He says.
No! I don't want to hush, and you can't make me! I want my mama! How do I let him know I want Mama?
"Ma-m-ma…" I try and force out. "Mama!"
"Your mother has gone away, Young Prince." The man says. I've seen him a couple times, but not as often as my mama. He is called Pharaoh, but my mama tells me to call him Father.
Make her come back! I'm sick and cold. I want to be held by my mama.
"She's gone far away, Young Prince. Too far for her to come back any time soon."
Then I will wait for her. I will wait for my mama to come back to me. I'm her baby. She will come back for me. I will wait. She will come home.
-
- - -
-
I stumble away from my caretaker; the woman had fallen asleep. I had just learned to walk but my father never thought I had enough energy to move anywhere… at least, that's what the doctors told him.
I totter down an empty corridor, toward the outside. I see Pharaoh outside in the garden, near a small stream, which is placed at the bottom of a small hill. He wastalking with his Vizier. Many servants are watering the plants and flowers.
"The crown prince is always ill, Siamun, I worry that he will die…" My father says uneasily.
"The gods do not kill those with as pure a heart as your son, my Pharaoh."
"But he is so thin… and hasn't been the same since his mother… passed. I sometimes think that he hasn't the strength to rule."
"Well… we remember the last time we 'thought', don't we? We 'thought' that Crown Prince Atemu would be like any other child, but he is a genius, already talking at such a young age. We 'thought' Crown Prince wouldn't have the strength nor the will to walk, yet here he comes." Siamun said, smiling kindly.
My father turns and sees me at his ankles, looking up at him hopefully. He bends down and picks me up, his eyes full of love and warmth.
"Pharaoh," I say clearly, "will you play with me?"
He smiles proudly and puts me down, "Give me a little bit of time, Crown Prince. I will finish talking with Siamun first, alright?"
I nod, not really paying attention. I step away from Pharaoh to get the sun out of my eyes, but I slip in mud from thefreshly watered flowersand fall. I tumble down the hill, and just before I am submerged in water, I hear my father give a cry of surprise.
I can't breathe… I can't move… I just keep sinking….
I reach up trying to get back to the surface but I keep plummeting to the bottom of the stream.
My vision is blurred.
I see a darkened figure coming down to me, and it's grip tightens around my waist and pulls me up, toward the top.
The soldier hands me to my father when we reach land. He is shaking and squeezing me tightly. But I wonder, Why didn't he come down for me…?
I don't know… but I do know two things. I am terrified of the water and… my father obviously doesn't care for as much as he says he does.
-
- - -
-
Atemu twitched violently and reached up and clutched his chest. He whimpered in his sleep.
"Mama…" He mumbled. "Father…"
"The memories have begun to haunt him," Aura said, "it won't be long now."
"There must be something we can do to help him!" Tea cried.
Typhoon looked up. "There might be something in the library!" She said.
Aura thought for a moment. "There very might well be! Come now, we might find something to save your friend." She motioned to Kaiba, Tristan, Mokuba, Tea, Mr. Mutou, Joey, and Yuugi.
"I'm not going to leave Atemu!" Yuugi said, stubbornly.
"And I'm not leaving Yuugi," Mr. Mutou said.
Aura stared at them for a minute and said, "Very well… I'm sure you want to comfort Atemu as much as possible. It's for the best."
She swept out of the room, everyone but Yuugi and Typhoon following eagerly.
Typhoon watched curiously as Yuugi climbed up on the end of the bed, sitting cross legged, and made himself comfortable, and then began to stare at Atemu.
"You love him, don't you?" She asked.
Yuugi glanced at her. "He's like my brother."
Atemu jerked suddenly and moaned, "Go away… leave me alone… go away…"
-
- - -
-
Atemu- - -
Where am I? One second I was in a dining room and now I'm somewhere… else.
It's dark here; I can't see anything. It's freezing here, too. I shiver slightly.
I take a step forward, hoping to escape these shadows.
Something, like a vacuum, sucks my foot down into the ground all the way up to my knee. I am dragged with it and I collapse, landing on my other knee and elbows. I feel like I'm sitting on a piece of ice but I don't see anything except… darkness. The darkness! I'm being absorbed by these shadows… it's creeping upward… my leg is vanishing….
And for some reason… the shadows feel ugly… poisoned… tainted…like they need help… why on Earth would I be worrying about something like that at a time like this?
Then I start to hear voices…they are cruel… harsh… they're talking about me… they're talking to me.
"Look… a fallen king… how fitting."
"Where are your subjects, Pharaoh? Why don't they save you?"
"Have they left you? Like everyone else?"
I hear laughter… cold mirthless laughter.
"Of course they've left him! Who would care for a thing such as this pathetic waste of air?"
"How can anyone person be so useless and burdensome at the same time?"
I close my eyes, willing the voices to go away.
"You are alone. You've been left behind and no one bothered to look for you… poor thing."
"Everyone has left you…. You have nothing left… come with us…"
"Come with us… and you'll never be lonely again…"
"Come with us, Pharaoh."
I'm still sinking… I'm having trouble breathing… and I can't make the voices go away.
-
- - -
-
Aura flipped impatiently through the pages of a book half the size of she was.
"Nothing… nothing… nothing!" She cried angrily.
"Aura… why was Typhoon kissing Yami?" Mokuba asked quietly, stacking up books for the faster readers to skim through.
"Atemu, his name is Atemu." Aura said distractedly.
"Yeah… why was she kissing him?" Mokuba said.
"Because she loves him, why else?" Aura snapped.
"But you said-"
"I know what I said!" Aura spat, slamming her book shut and shoving it off her lap. Kaiba and Tristan jumped at theslam thebook made. "I didn't know that this was the pharaoh she and I had been learning about all these years!"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Kaiba asked angrily.
Aura sighed. "When we were young, Typhoon, Dimys, and I would sit around and talk about who we would marry. Our mother told us of long ago when we could often transfer to your world. And long ago, our ancestor, Uthises, was betrothed to a strong ruler of a country in your world, Atemu. We were told of how powerful he was, what a wonderful king he was, and how kind he was to his people. But we were also told that Atemu sacrificed himself to save the world. But obviously Typhoon found out that Atemu had been reborn into this time period. She's been watching him, seeing how caring he is of Yuugi and all of his friends, and Typhoon has been slowly falling in love with Atemu."
"That makes more sense, I guess," Joey said, throwing a useless book behind him.
"What are 'pure shadows'?" Tea asked, looking at Aura, her finger marking her place in her book.
"Pure Shadows are shadows that are used to protect people, not Tainted Shadows used to hurt people. Pure Shadows can be used for many things, but there is such a rare amount of Pure Shadows since the Shadow Guardian died, almost… fifty years ago." Aura said, not looking up.
"Oh..." Tea looked back at her book. " So...what's a Shadow Guardian?" Tea asked.
"The person who keeps Tainted Shadows in check and purifies them into Pure Shadows. The Guardian also protects all shadows from people who want to use them for evil."
"Oh…" Tea said again. She looked back at her book."Then what's the Tainted Shadows Virus?"
Aura snapped her head up and glared at Tea. Then, she blinked and smiled kindly. "Oh my!" She exclaimed, standing up, "that must be the illness that Dimys got Atemu with. You see, it drives a person mad with memories."
Tea brightened up, seeming to forget the fact that Aura might suffer the same mood swings as Typhoon. "It says here that we need to take some Pure Shadows to someone who is afflicted with Tainted Shadow Virus and allow the Pure Shadows to save the person from insanity!"
Joey and Tristan gave a cry of joy, and Mokuba flung himself around his brother's waist calling, "He's gonna be okay! He's gonna be okay!"
Kaiba frowned and put his hand on his brother's head. "It only saves him from insanity?" He asked.
Aura stared at him for a moment. "You're right… even if we could get some Pure Shadows, which is near impossible in these times, it doesn't stop the virus from eating at his insides. And the pharaoh seemed pretty sickly looking before the virus was even in him… I doubt he could fight it off, even without the mental strain…"
"You're wrong," Joey whispered suddenly.
"What?"
"Yami… I mean… Atemu is one of the strongest people I know! It takes a lot to bring him down! This is no different!" Joey shouted, his eyes shining.
Aura looked down. "If that is what you believe… if that is what all of you believe… then we will go fetch the Pure Shadows, no matter what the cost!"
"We've gotta hurry!" Tristan said, picking up his jacket and throwing it on his back. "Atemu doesn't have much time."
-
- - -
-
Atemu- - -
I've been waiting for years. But I know she will come back. I can still remember the smells of the perfumed oils she was covered in. I can still remember the way her voice sounded when she sang to me.
I can't help but feel slightly abandoned…
But as long as I can remember her, I still have a chance. A chance that she will come to me once again.
"Prince, I don't know what you are waiting for, but I do know you are wasting your energy. If whatever left you hasn't com back by now, it's not coming back at all." The man says. My father watches me closely during my lessons.
I don't believe that. I know my mama wouldn't abandon me. I know she will come back home. But what's keeping her? It's been so long… I can feel myself becoming empty. I can feel my heart weeping.
Why isn't she back yet? Doesn't she remember me?
"Prince, you must get rid of whatever is in your past that is holding you back. It will weaken you. Anything that weakens you is bad, and must be disposed of."
I don't want to dispose of this hope! I don't want to give up on my mama.
-
- - -
-
I am hated by many. I know because they treat me like a delicate vase and then spread their rumors when they think I cannot hear. But they are wrong.
"How can he rule? He's too weak!"
"He gets sick too much… what if he dies? There are no heirs to him yet."
"He's going to let Egypt fall to war and poverty, mark my words."
My father is ill. He doesn't tell anyone but still everybody knows… it's not very hard to see. He isn't a energetic as he was… he isn't as busy as he was…and he wants to see me more.
He talks to me now as he never did before. He notices me now. Before, he seemed to forget he had a son. It seemed he thought he only had a... prince.
I stand quietly in his chambers as he is brought his dinner. I've become detached from everything, not really caring about anything. I keep myself emotionless; I've practiced for years. It seems easier than allowing myself to get swept away with everything.
"Prince, what has happened to you? You used to be such a loving and sweet boy now you're…" My father's voice fades away, and he looks at me with a critical eye. His eyes soften and he says, "Come, my son, eat with me."
I allow annoyance to flash through my face. Perhaps if Father sees that I do not wish to dine with him, he will let me go. But no… he ignores it. So I sit down across from him. He is silent for a moment watching me while he is eating, noticing that I cross my arms and do not touch the food set out for me.
He sighs and says, "My son, you cannot rule if you cannot feel." He says finally.
I stare at him. So he's noticed, I think to myself.
"Yes, I can." I say, my voice dull and cold. I don't remember when I started to have this cold tone in my voice… but I can't make it go away.
"How?" My father says laying down his food and watching me intently.
"To feel is to think illogically. If you close that off, then you needn't worry of not thinking clearly. Better decisions can be made… for the good of the empire." I say. I put a certain amount of stress on my last words.
"You must feel, my son, if not for your empire but your friends and family." My father says, his voice slightly more pressing.
My gaze never leaves his face. "I have no friends and the last of my family is about to die."
"Yes… yes… you are correct. I am dying, My Son." He pauses as if expecting me to burst into tears or at least say something. When I am silent, he sighs and continues."But surely you want friends?
I think for a moment. "Not really." I say dully.
"You… don't?" Pharaoh asks, his eyes shocked.
"No. I do not need friends. I've gotten this far without, haven't I?"
Pharaoh looks as though he is about to cry. "My Son… I've failed you." He says simply.
I watch him intently. Yes you have, I think to myself. "Father… what have I become?" I ask, not allowing any emotion into my voice.
"I… I don't know…" He says. "I don't know who you are anymore. You used to be my son but now you are… someone. A young man who doesn't need his father anymore. A young man who doesn't want anything… doesn't want love… doesn't want friendship… doesn't want me. You are... a Pharaoh... not my son."
I take all of this in. He was right. "Father, I am not Pharaoh, yet." I say, trying to get some of the sadness off my father's face.
"You soon will be..." Pharaoh says.
"Father, you are ill. I will leave you so you can get some rest."
He stares mournfully at me. "Yes, yes go. I am sorry. I love you."
I stand and back toward the door. "I am sorry too, Father."
-
- - -
-
My father is dead. I am alone now. Or maybe I've always been alone and I've been hoping my father would save me. But he has failed. And now I have nothing.
I am Pharaoh.
-
- - -
-
Tears ran down Atemu's face. Typhoon and Yuugi didn't know why but they sadly watched the tears fall and slide down Atemu's cheeks.
Aura, Kaiba, Tristan, Tea, Mokuba, and Joey left. They alerted Typhoon and Yuugi of their hopes and dashed off with an enormous troop of Water Sprites at their heels.
"Atem… you'll be okay… please fight." Yuugi whispered, as Typhoon wiped Atemu's sweating brow.
"Alone…" Atemu groaned miserably. He jerked again, moaning.
"We'll save you, Atemu!" Yuugi cried. "I promise."
What good is a promise I can't keep? Yuugi asked himself.
-
- - -
-