Disclaimer: Alright, I've found a new vigor for this myself and this story! I've got a couple of reviews that aren't from my friend Kisara! And while I love her to pieces, we've always reviewed each others stories so it doesn't really count…
But! I've got reviews from different people! How awesome is that? Including one from a person who think must be one of the best author's around! Haha… this is so awesome! I don't even know how to put in words the amount of appreciation I've got for everyone who reviewed and everyone who will review.
And a special shout out goes to Kisara who reviewed just to keep my confidence up!
I don't own Yuugioh, but I'm so ecstatic about my reviews, I'll live.
Under Pressure
Betrayal and Broken
Solomon Mutou sat while his grandson, Atemu, and the girl slept, sprawled out along the bed. Atemu's body was still stiff, every tendon stretched taut. He convulsed sharply and he gave a moan of anguish.
"Atemu… I'm so sorry…" Mr. Mutou whispered, taking Atemu's hand in his own. It felt like the touch of death; Atemu's hand was chilled to the bone. "This is my fault… all my fault."
"Help me… please!" Atemu cried out suddenly. "I hurt… help me…"
Tears burned at Mr. Mutou's eyes. "I wish I could, my boy. I wish I could."
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- - -
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Atemu- - -
"Ha! Look at him die!"
The voices… THE VOICES! Make them go away…
"You are alone in the world, Pharaoh. Everyone left you."
"Who would care for a thing such as you?"
I… am… alone…
"That's right… let us take you away… let us take your life… your mind… your soul!"
I'm still being absorbed… my chest is disappearing… the shadows are taking me away…
"You are nothing! You're just a shadow of a worthless little boy, you're just a memory!"
"A memory that everyone is trying to forget!"
"Why else do you think those so-called friends of yours are letting you die?"
I allow myself to go limp. I don't want to hear anymore. I don't want to relive my family's death again…
The shadows are creeping up my chest and wrap themselves around my neck. They inch up my face… I hear the voices louder; they are screaming at me.
"YOU ARE NOTHING!"
I… am… nothing…
"YOU ARE USELESS!"
I… am… useless…
"YOU DESERVE NOTHING MORE THAN TO DIE!"
I… deserve… to… die…
The shadows are going to take me… and I won't fight them anymore.
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- - -
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Aura walked along the path quickly, as if knowing exactly where she was going.
"Aura, should we be looking for the Pure Shadows?" Mokuba asked timidly.
"We are." Aura said.
"Do you even know where we're going?" Kaiba asked rudely.
Aura grinned. "Oh yes. I know exactly where I'm going."
"Why are we going so far from the palace?" Joey said, looking over his shoulder.
"Because the most powerful Pure Shadows are this way."
They followed Aura to the base of a mountain, who's tip was blocked out of view from blue clouds. The Water Sprites looked restless. The group looked around, confused. They saw a dark cavern, buried behind what looked like dark smog. Mokuba grabbed his brother's hand, and Kaiba squeezed it comfortingly.
"This way…" Aura said, striding forward, toward the dark cavern.
"Now wait just a second, Aura." Tristan said, stepping forward. "That doesn't look very safe at all. Are you sure you know where your going?"
Aura paused and turned around, staring Tristan in the eye.
"Oh yes, I do." Aura said, suddenly looking regretful. "You see, I did not bring you out here to look for an antidote for your friend."
"What are you talking about?" Kaiba snapped, pulling Mokuba closer to him.
"I'm sorry, but our little 'adventure' ends here." Aura said, gesturing toward the Water Sprites. Immediately, everyone was surround by the Sprites, being bound by chains and shackles.
"Good work, little sister." A voice said from the cavern.
"Thank you, Dimys." Aura said, turning toward the darkness that was shrouding the cavern.
"YOU'RE WORKING FOR DIMYS?" Kaiba shrieked, struggling against the Water Sprites.
"Working with Dimys," Aura said, cheerfully.
"I knew there was something fishy about you! How you kept changing your story about Atemu and Typhoon, how you just so happened to know much about Atemu's virus, and how Typhoon didn't act like anything you said she did!" Kaiba screamed.
"Well… she sorta did…" Joey said, glancing sideways at Kaiba, "but that's not the point."
"You knew, did you?" Dimys asked, from behind Aura. She walked forward and grabbed Kaiba's face and forced him to look at her. "Why did you fall for this?" Dimys sneered.
"Because we trusted her." Tristan said quietly. His voice sounded hurt. He looked at Aura. "WE TRUSTED YOU!"
"Yeah, well, look where it got you." Aura said, examining her nails. "Bound and captured … for what? That weak little pharaoh? Please! What a waste of time!"
"Why do you hate Atem so much?" Mokuba screamed.
"Because he should be mine!" Aura screeched, glaring at Mokuba as if getting ready to hit him.
"Take them away!" Dimys called, motioning toward the cavern.
The Sprites picked up their prisoners and started trudging toward the cavern.
"Just think of it this way!" Dimys called to them mockingly. "I'm saving you from having to watch Atemu go insane!"
"You're sick!" Kaiba bellowed.
"Aura! How could you do this?" Tea cried.
"IF I CAN'T HAVE HIM, NO ONE CAN!" Aura howled.
"Y'know?" Joey mumbled to Tristan. "Usually I'd be glad for Atemu for having two gals chasin' after him… but this is ridiculous."
Tristan couldn't help but nod in agreement.
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Atemu- - -
"Pharaoh… where are you Pharaoh?"
"I am here Mahaado." I say. I am standing on a balcony, resting my head on one of the marble rails.
The priestwalks up next to me, smiling. "You know? You're not an easy person to catch!" He says, facing me cheerfully.
I look at him. "It is a gift."
"I wonder… why'd you go and run from me? I'm your friend, you know." Mahaado says, leaning on the railing, looking intently at me.
I stare at him, not knowing what to say. All my life I've been able to push everyone away… yet this one person had wriggled his way into my affections. I thought I didn't need friends… why do I want to accept Mahaado… not push him away?
"My friend?" I say, trying to think.
"Of course!" Mahaado says, grinning. "What? Is that so strange for you?"
"Actually, yes." I say, looking over Mahaado, trying to find something, anything, wrong with him.
Mahaado frowns. "I'm sorry." He says.
"For what?"
"I don't know. It just something I say when something bad has happened to someone else."
"Something bad?"
"Yes. You've been alone all this time... but I'll be your friend."
"I don't like to get attached to anyone…" I say, avoiding Mahaado's eyes. "It's just that… everyone I get attached to leaves me."
"I won't leave." Mahaado says. "I promise."
I look at him. I can tell… he's not lying…
"I'll hold you to that." I say.
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- - -
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"My Pharaoh… I sense something… something horrible…"
I look at my Seer Priestess, Isis. We are in my Throne Room, examining maps of all of the tombs the Thief King had defiled.
"Yes? And what is it?" I say.
"Where is Mahaado?" Isis asks me suddenly.
"He is escorting my father's body back to his tomb." I say, confused.
"He is in danger!" Isis shouts.
She and I run outside, all dignity forgotten.
"Mahaado!" She screams. "Mahaado!"
"Pharaoh!" Priest Seth, toward the Throne Room. He pokes his head and pulls it back out again, wondering where I am.
"What is it?" I ask, while Isisruns ahead to find out if anything had been found out about Mahaado.
"It is Priest Mahaado…" Seth says. He looks pale and worn, his eyes full of sadness. I feel my heart tear in two. "He and his party that had gone to replace the former pharaoh's body to his reasting place were all… killed. By the Thief King. Also, Mahaado's Ring was stolen... we think that's why he was murdered."
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- -
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"Mahaado!" Atemu screamed, tears running down his face. Typhoon and Yuugi jerked awake, just in time to dodge Atemu's flailing body.
"MAHAADO!" Atemu called out again, and he gave a heart piercing shriek, twitching and jerking madly.
"Who's Mahaado?" Yuugi cried, utterly confused.
"I don't know!" Typhoon yelled over Atemu's screeches and sobs. She looked at Atemu. "Atemu! ATEMU! Can you hear me?"
Atemu suddenly fell silent. Typhoon, Yuugi, and Mr. Mutou all stared intently at him, inching forward. Then, without warning, Atemu convulsed and screams, his eyes wide open with a hollow look in them, a bright light flashed through the infirmary, and Mr. Mutou heard two thuds behind him. He spun around and saw Yuugi and Typhoon, lying on the ground, unconscious.
"Yuugi?" Mr. Mutou cried. "Typhoon?"
Neither of them moved.
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-
Typhoon and Yuugi flew through space, visions and colors and voices everywhere. They saw visions of the past, present and future. Yuugi heard his mother's voice. It was weeping and screaming the same thing over and over again, "Where is my Yuugi? Where is my Yuugi?" He saw his father, picking up a phone and cheerfully talking into it. His father's smile vanished and he dropped the receiver. He grabbed his jacket and sprinted out of his hotel. Yuugi saw Atemu… and Atemu was crying. He was dressed as like Yuugi had seen him when he was Pharaoh. He was clutching a body, and weeping. The body was limp and pale and Yuugi immediately registered this as a dead body. Something else hit him… he didn't know how he knew but… this body was Mahaado… the name Atemu had been screaming earlier. Atemu was holding on to Mahaado as if he would die if he let go.
Then, Yuugi saw something else… he saw himself… and he, himself, was the one crying now. Yuugi's heart skipped a beat when he saw why he was crying. Yuugi was holding on to Atemu's body, just as Atemu had been holding onto Mahaado's body. Yuugi was crying out but Atemu wasn't moving. Atemu's were open, but just barely. They were empty. But they made something very clear to Yuugi. There was no saving his best friend. Yuugi had failed. He had broken his promise to Atemu.
And then everything was gone. Yuugi and Typhoon landed with a thud on the ground.
"Thank goodness that's over…" Typhoon said. Yuugi looked at her. She was pale and shaking, as if she had seen a ghost.
"Did you see what I saw?" Yuugi asked quietly.
"I saw a woman crying out for you, a man talking, Atemu crying over a dead body, and…" Typhoon paused. "And I saw Atemu…" Her voice trailed off.
"Dead," Yuugi finished. He looked around. "Hey… this isn't your palace!"
Typhoon glanced around quickly. "You're right… this is…"
"Atemu's palace."
Atemu stumbled in to the room, seemingly oblivious to the two trespassers.
"Atemu!" Yuugi cried, but Atemu ignored this.
"He can't see us." Typhoon said. "I think we're in his memory. Look at how he's dressed."
It was true. Atemu could neither hear nor see Yuugi or Typhoon. He was dressed in his Pharaoh's attire. Yuugi observed his surroundings once again and saw that they were in the Pharaoh's Throne Room.
"Look at him…" Typhoon muttered. "He's been… broken."
Yuugi stared at Atemu and saw that… Typhoon was right. Atemu carried himself differently, as if he didn't care about much of anything anymore. His eyes reflected pain and misery, and his face was stretched taut, blank and empty.
"Pharaoh," All three looked to see Isis waiting in the doorway. "He is coming. It is time."
Atemu swept out of the room, Typhoon and Yuugi following closely. When they reached the outside, Typhoon and Yuugi screamed with fear.
A monster was making it's way toward the palace, the earth shaking with every step it took. It's enormous dark mass blocked out the sun, throwing the entire city into darkness, every citizen shrieking and running out of the city only to be swallowed whole by Tainted Shadows. It's ferocious face was pointed at Atemu, who stared back with dulled eyes.
"Come and get me Zorc." Atemu whispered.
"This is Zorc?" Typhoon gasped. "The God of Evil?"
"You know him?" Yuugi cried.
"We studied about him and about how he destroyed Egypt." Typhoon mumbled, her eyes looking mournfully at Atemu. "This is… this is his death, isn't it?"
"I think so." Yuugi whispered.
Atemu slowly descended the steps of his palace, his gaze never faltering, his steps even and steady. He reached the bottom only to hear thunder above. He jerked his head up to see a lightning bolt headed down, straight for him. Typhoon let out a squeal of fear, but Atemu saw a large figure lunge forward and push Atemu out of the way. Yuugi gasped; one of Atemu's priests had run forward and protected him.
"No! Shada!" Atemu cried.
A girl with brown hair leapt forward and gives Atemu a package. "Here you go, Pharaoh."
"Thank you, Mana." Atemu whispered. In the distance they heard a high pitched scream, and Atemu closed his eyes. "Isis… rest well..." He muttered. Mana hugged Atemu before running away toward the edge of town.
Atemu opened the package and six glittering Millennium Items fell out. He picked them up and walked toward Zorc.
"Pharaoh!" Yuugi and Typhoon glanced around to see what looked like Kaiba lunging toward Atemu. Atemu paid no notice to the fact that he was being called. The Kaiba look-alike reached Atemu and stepped in front of him. "You are not going to survive if you use the attack you said you were going to use!"
Atemu looked dully at his road block. "Seth," he said quietly. "My safety does not matter. Nor do I have more will to live. Everyone who I've ever let close to me are gone now." He paused as if it pained him to speak. "But Zorc must be stopped. He will destroy everything if I do not stop him. Please Seth… take care of my Puzzle. I am giving you this to entrust one family with. I do not have the strength now to entirely defeat Zorc, so I will lock him away until I do. But I will also be taken into the depths of the of the Puzzle as well. My memory will most likely be wipe clean, and when I am reborn I must be informed of my plan to destroy Zorc. Can you do that, Seth?"
"Yes, Pharaoh. I've already got a family in mind. The Ishtar family." Seth said steadily.
"Thank you Seth, I knew I could trust you." Atemu looked sadly at the upcoming Zorc. I sighed and looked long and hard at Seth. "You are Pharaoh, Seth."
"I am… what?"
"When I am no more. I have no heirs but I trust you. Now get yourself to safety."
Seth looked reproachful at Atemu, but fled as commanded.
Atemu faced Zorc. "Now, it's just you and I."
All seven Items glowed and there was a flash of light and an ear shattering roar… the noise, screams, Zorc's roars… and Atemu's voice calling out in an fearsome voice. Typhoon and Yuugi crouched down, but there was nothing to see. Wind blowing, sand flying, and shadows and light morphing together, bending time and space… Atemu's voice was the only thing that proved to Typhoon and Yuugi that they weren't going insane.
"You of evil, you of the Tainted Shadows of the underworld! I, Pharaoh Atemu, will not allow you to continue your evil deeds! You shall murder no one else, I say! You're evil stops here!"
There was another flash of light and then a wave of darkness… then light again… an unholy roar exploded and catastrophic winds blew everywhere. The sky was thrown into the pitch blackness of oblivion… everything was dying… but another flash of pure, white light flashed through and then…
Silence. Everything was quiet. The winds died abruptly and the sky was suddenly clear and cloudless. Everything was peaceful again. The palace was destroyed, everything was destroyed. The once prosperous and happy country was nothing more than a desolate wasteland now.
Yuugi looked around and gasped. Typhoon followed his gaze and her eyes laid on Atemu.
His body was torn and bleeding and it was trapped under a large mass of wood and debris. His eyes were closed, thank goodness, but his face was bleeding and cut.
"Pharaoh…" A voice came from behind them. Seth was limping toward the fallen king. His forehead was bleeding slightly, but he still had strength to grab and toss the debris off of Atemu. Seth collapsed to his knees and picked up Atemu, and held him close.
"Rest well, Great Pharaoh. You have certainly deserved it."
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- - -
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Atemu- - -
The shadows have claimed part of my face… I feel icy cold. The voices have become louder and crueler but I feel like I've heard everything. Twice. They cannot tell me anything I don't already know.
Darkness is creeping around my eyes… and suddenly I feel smothered, and I realize that is because my head has entirely been engulfed…
"Goodbye, Pharaoh..."
I've been beaten. The shadows have won... and I let them do it.
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"Yuugi! Typhoon! Oh please wake up!"
Yuugi's eyes cracked open and his vision was blurred… but he could hear his grandfather clearly.
"Wha…? Grandpa?"
"Yuugi, thank goodness!" Mr. Mutou cried, and hugged Yuugi tightly.
"Atemu is quiet." Mr. Mutou and Yuugi turned around and saw Typhoon climb to her feet, staring at Atemu.
"Yes, he was screaming just a second ago and then he went quiet, really quickly." Mr. Mutou said, assisting Yuugi up.
"Oh no!" Typhoon cried, and she lunged forward and looked Atemu in the eyes. She studied them, and then fell limply to the ground, weeping. Yuugi walked up behind her, confused. Then he saw that Typhoon was right to be crying. Atemu was still alive… but his eyes reflected his true state.
Atemu's eyes showed that he was lost… lost in the labyrinth of insanity.