Another World
Chapter 4: Illuminarta: City of the Pharaoh
I-
Anzu searched her mind in hope of finding a suitable word to describe the sight before her, but she could only think of one…
"Wow…"
As she looked down from the sand dune on which she and Yuugi were on, she saw a magnificent city below, situated in the middle of the desert sand, and next to a large river. The buildings grouped below resembled those from Ancient Egypt-made of sand-coloured bricks that glowed in the late afternoon sun. A large palace was situated in the middle, surrounded by smaller buildings and houses, all of the same colour. Anzu had come to the conclusion that the palace belonged to the ruler of the Kingdom of Light, and the buildings surrounding it housed the people that lived in the city. Just in front of the breath-taking palace was a small square, where Anzu guessed hosted a large market everyday, for there were small stools set up around the edge, and crowds of people were moving about. Surrounding the city was a ten-foot stonewall, with posts at regular intervals for guards to stand watch. The only way to enter the city was through the large gates that stood at the front of the city.
This, as Yuugi had said during their journey, was Illuminarta: City of the Pharaoh
It had taken them three days to reach the city, only stopping for food and water and to sleep in the small oasis' that littered the desert. During their trip, Yuugi and Anzu had become close friends, telling each other little things about themselves- their hobbies, favourite food, little things like that. But although they had become such good friends in such a short amount of time, they still had secrets from each other.
Although it had been a smooth journey with no important incidents to speak of, Yuugi remembered something that had happened on their second night…
Yuugi had been awoken by the sound of Anzu screaming in her sleep. He had managed to wake her up, and had asked her what was wrong. Anzu, although clearly in distress, had just said that it was only a nightmare, and that it was nothing important.
"Don't worry about me!" She had said
But Yuugi did worry. He cared about his new friend and knew she was keeping something from him, something that haunted her each night for she continued to have nightmares. But Yuugi was not one to urge, for he was keeping his own secret, one that was soon to be revealed…
At that moment in time, Yuugi and Anzu (who was behind Yuugi) were seated on Yuugi's white horse, which had stopped on top of a large sand dune near Illuminarta. The eye-like pendent around Yuugi's neck was glowing once again and he held a Duel Monsters card above his head, just like he had done with Curse of Dragon a few days ago. But this time, he had summoned a different kind of monster.
Anzu looked up in the sky at the monster Yuugi had summoned this time. She may have already seen him summon a monster before, but this was only her second time seeing a real life monster, so you couldn't blame her for being amazed. The creature this time was not a dragon, but a magician. A female magician to be exact. She was dressed in a pale blue and pink outfit, with matching boots, gloves and hat, and was hovering in the sky. She had long, flowing blonde hair, and large emerald green eyes. In her hand, she held a blue staff with a yellow ball attached at the end.
The Black Magician Girl
"Black Magician Girl! Show them the signal again!" Yuugi shouted to the young magician. He could feel the magic beginning to fade, and didn't know how much longer Black Magician Girl could stay.
The Black Magician Girl nodded at her master's instructions, and hovered forward a few feet. Holding her staff above her head, she closed her eyes and let her power and energy flow through her body to the ball at the end of her staff. After a few brief moments, her eyes suddenly shot open. In one swift movement, she brought her staff down in front of her and began to rotate it in one large circle, letting out small bursts of powerful pink magic. The magic exploded in the air like fireworks, forming a circle of glitter and magic. After ten full turns, Black Magician Girl stopped and flew back down to her master's side, waiting for her next instructions.
"Thanks Black Magician Girl," thanked Yuugi when the young magician hovered by his side. "That was fantastic! One of your best yet! Now all we have to do is wait."
Anzu, not for the first time since meeting Yuugi, was a little confused. She had no idea what Yuugi was waiting for, or what the Black Magician Girl had just did, but she decided to stay quiet and keep her thoughts to herself.
"Master Yuugi is waiting for the Pharaoh to let him in," said a sweet voice.
Anzu looked up to see Black Magician girl smiling down at her. She blinked.
"W-what?"
"Master Yuugi cannot enter the city until the Pharaoh says so," replied Black Magician Girl. "We had to show our special signal to tell him it's us! Now we must wait until the Pharaoh allows the gates to open."
"O-oh. T-thank you." Anzu couldn't believe her ears. Did Black Magician Girl just speak to her? And how did she know what she was thinking?
'What is it with this world?' Anzu thought to herself. 'Does everyone here have telepathic powers or something!'
Yuugi couldn't help but laugh at the conversation that was taking place behind him. Anzu was from a completely different world, and he doubted she had seen; yet alone talked to a real monster before. He had to wonder what was going through Anzu's mind right now. But he knew that Black Magician Girl was only trying to help her, for he knew that she liked this strange and interesting girl, just as he did. At that moment, a smile appeared on Yuugi's lips as an idea formed in his head.
'But that will have to wait,' he thought to himself. 'Right now, I have bigger problems.'
He looked back down at the gates that granted access to Illuminarta and exhaled loudly. They were still closed.
'Come on Atemu, it's me! I know I shouldn't be back yet, but this is an emergency! Please let me in. I need to talk to you. Please!'
Suddenly, as though Yuugi's prayer had been answered, the large stone gates slowly began to open, allowing Yuugi access to the city.
"Finally!" Yuugi exclaimed. "It's about time they opened the gates."
"The Pharaoh has granted you access?" Black Magician Girl asked, now at Yuugi's side again.
"He sure has, but it took him long enough! Thank you for your help Black Magician Girl."
"Anything for Master Yuugi," Black Magician Girl beamed. She turned around and winked at Anzu, before being absorbed in a small glow, and disappearing back into her card in a small beam of light.
"Yuugi," Anzu spoke as her new friend replaced his card in his pouch around his waist. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, go ahead!" Yuugi picked up the reins in front of him, ready to move.
"Well, I was just wondering, Black Magician Girl was here longer than Curse of Dragon was the other day. I was just wondering why that was."
"That's because we're closer to the Millennium Items, meaning that the monsters can last in this world a lot longer." He pointed to the palace below. "All seven Millennium Items are in that palace, along with the people responsible for them." He dropped his hand and picked up the reins once again. "And we're about to meet the man with the most powerful Millennium Item of them all: Pharaoh Atemu, the keeper of the Millennium Puzzle."
"We're what!" Anzu said in an outburst. "Yuugi I-"
But before she could finish, they were off. Anzu once again held onto Yuugi's waist as the horse charged down the sand dune towards the city. Anzu felt her heart hammer in her chest as her fear increased. She was so scared, she…
"You'll be OK. I won't let anything happen to you."
Anzu felt Yuugi hold onto her left hand; careful not to hurt it for it was still wrapped in a makeshift bandage. Slowly, and ever so carefully, she opened her eyes as Yuugi's words rang in her ears. They brought a new found courage to her soul, and she found that she was not as afraid as she used to be, and even managed to look ahead of her to see where they were going.
They had ridden past the gates now, which had been closed when they had passed. They were now ridding through the large streets of the city, rushing past small houses and surprised faces. Anzu saw the people were dressed exactly like Yuugi was- in Egyptian clothes and tunics with sandals, their skin slightly tanned from the hot sun. At the sound of the horse, the people rushed from their houses and into the streets, and were surprised to see the sight before them. Why was Yuugi back so soon? And who was that girl with him? She was not from this world, but where was she from?
Yuugi and Anzu continued to race through the streets, coming closer to the centre of the city, where the large palace stood. As the large structure came closer and closer, Anzu wondered why they were going to see the Pharaoh. Why would he see a commoner like Yuugi? Or was Yuugi hiding something from her?
The white horse now rushed through the large square in front of the palace, passing the many stools and stands that had been set up for the market. They passed through another gate that guard the palace and stopped in the courtyard, next to a flight of stone steps that lead up to the palace entrance.
When the horse had finally stopped, Yuugi began to dismount, Anzu looked at the sights around her. The people in the large courtyard had stopped working at the sound and sight of Yuugi, and were now staring in disbelief. Anzu felt herself blush in embarrassment as she felt their gazes fall onto her.
At the top of the steps, she spotted young couple. The girl was dressed in what Anzu could only describe as some sort of Egyptian maid's outfit, whilst the man was dressed in robes of white and blue (complete with matching hat) and held a golden rod in his hand. The young man gazed down at her and Yuugi, before planting a small kiss on the girl's cheek and disappearing inside the palace. The young girl, who Anzu could see had long ginger hair, made her way down the steps.
"Anzu, are you going to come down or not?" said a voice, snapping Anzu out of her thoughts.
Anzu looked down to see Yuugi looking up at her with his big, amethyst eyes. She felt another jolt in her heart.
"Oh! Yes! Sorry."
Anzu swung her leg over and began to slide off the horse. Unfortunately for her, when her feet touched the ground, she felt herself slip and fall forward. Luckily, Yuugi managed to catch her before she hit the ground, but they now had their arms wrapped around each other, their lips only inches apart. They stayed like that for a few moments, before they both blushed and let go of each other, apologising.
"Yuugi!" said a young girl's voice.
Yuugi and Anzu turned around to see a young girl with long ginger hair approaching them, the one that was at the top of the steps with the young man.
"Yuugi, you have returned early!" the girl stated happily when she reached the couple. "Although we are all happy to see you, why have you returned so soon?"
"It's a long story," Yuugi replied. "Is Atemu here?"
"Yes. The Pharaoh is in the hall waiting for you. I must say, when my brother told him of your return he was very surprised!"
"I bet he was! Is it alright if I go and see him?"
"Yuugi, you know you need not ask. The Pharaoh would do anything for you." It was then that the young girl saw Anzu standing behind Yuugi. "And who is this?"
"This is my new friend, Anzu Mazaki. I rescued her from the desert. She's going to stay with me for a while."
"Is that wise? The Pharaoh may not allow it."
"He will," said Yuugi as he began to climb the steps. He held onto Anzu's hand, causing her to blush. "Like you said Shizuka, Atemu would do anything for me!"
And with that, the two teenagers disappeared into the palace, leaving Shizuka and the people in the courtyard to wonder what would happen next.
I-
Atemu continued to pace up and down in front of his throne, his footsteps echoing through the large stone hall. He sighed for the tenth time that afternoon and rubbed his forehead as he felt yet another headache beginning to form.
'It can't be him,' he thought as he continued to pace up and down. 'It's just not possible. He isn't due back for another two months. It must be someone else…but…what Jonouchi and Honda said… about the Black Magician Girl's signal. Only one person has Black Magician Girl, and that's my other half. But still…'
Atemu yelled out in frustration and collapsed in his stone throne, his head in his hands.
"This is all too confusing!"
"I go away for a few months and you fall to pieces? What kind of Pharaoh are you?"
Atemu looked up at the sound of the familiar voice. It sounded much like his own, only slightly lighter and higher. He felt his heart beat quicken as he looked up at the source of the voice. A large smile appeared on his face when he saw who it was…
Atemu felt himself rise out of his seat, overflowing with joy. He began to descend the stone steps that lead from his throne.
"Yuugi…"
"Long time no see, Atemu," Yuugi said jokingly as he stood by the door that led out into the corridor.
Atemu's smile grew. It was true, Yuugi was back! This was the happiest day of his life!
"Yuugi!"
Atemu ran up to Yuugi and embraced him. Yuugi, although a little surprised by the Pharaoh's actions, happily returned the hug.
"I can't believe you're back!" exclaimed Atemu. He let go of Yuugi, but still held onto his shoulders. "But why have you returned so soon?" It was then that Atemu noticed the bloody bandage around Yuugi's arm. "What is this? What happened?"
"It's nothing, really! It's just a small cut."
"It doesn't look like a small cut to me!" Atemu checked Yuugi again. He didn't seem to have any other injuries. So, how did he get this one? Atemu soon pushed this to the back of his mind and embraced Yuugi again. "It doesn't matter now anyway. You're home now. My other half has returned! I've missed you."
"I've missed you too."
Atemu continued to hold onto Yuugi, not planning on letting his other half go, until a sound interrupted his thoughts.
A gasp
Atemu opened his eyes, and noticed that he and Yuugi were not the only ones in the room. Standing a few feet away was a strange brunette girl, dressed in unusual clothes that revealed far too much skin. At the sight of her, Atemu immediately let go of Yuugi, suspicious of this strange person.
"Yuugi, we are not alone," he said sternly, staring at the girl in the corner.
Yuugi turned around and saw Atemu staring straight back at Anzu. Yuugi smiled and let out a small laugh.
"Don't worry Atemu, this is my friend Anzu Mazaki. I rescued her from the desert, right Anzu?"
But Anzu didn't answer. She was in shock. There, standing right in front of her was a man that looked exactly like Yuugi. He may have different eyes and a bit more blonde in his hair than Yuugi did, they still looked exactly the same. Anzu was confused. If this man was Pharaoh Atemu, and he and Yuugi looked a like, did that mean…
"Anzu?"
Anzu was once again snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of Yuugi's voice.
"Are you OK? You seem a bit out of it."
"What…Oh! Yes, I'm OK Yuugi. I'm just a little…" she looked at Atemu, and shifted nervously, "…tired."
"Well, if you're sure you're OK." Yuugi turned back to the Pharaoh, still smiling. "Anyway, as I was saying, this is my friend Anzu. She's from a place called Domino in Japan." Yuugi turned to face Anzu. "Anzu, this is Pharaoh Atemu; Ruler of the Kingdom of Light and the keeper of the Millennium Puzzle."
"Nice to meet you," Anzu said pleasantly, now noticing the golden Millennium Puzzle hanging around the Pharaoh's neck.
Atemu wasn't so pleasant. He just continued to stare at the strange girl in front of him, his arms folded across his chest. Anzu laughed nervously as the tension in the room grew. She took a step back so she was now standing by Yuugi's side, and quickly whispered in his ear.
"Yuugi, can I ask you something?"
"Err, sure. What is it?" Yuugi whispered back. Anzu's breath tickled his ear.
"Why do you and the Pharaoh look so a like?"
"Because we're twin brothers." Yuugi simply stated.
"Oh," Anzu nodded, absorbing Yuugi's answer. Then a thought suddenly occurred to her.
"Wait a minute," she said, no longer whispering. "If you two are twin brothers, and he's the Pharaoh…then that means…"
"That he is Prince Yuugi of the Kingdom of Light," Atemu replied, slightly annoyed at how dumb this girl was. He turned towards his brother. "Yuugi, you did not tell her of your heritage?"
Yuugi nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Well no…but there's a good reason why!"
Atemu tapped his foot, waiting for Yuugi's excuse. Yuugi swallowed.
"I didn't tell her because…well…because of the spies. If someone found out that I was your brother, then who knows what would have happened!"
"And the fact that you look exactly like me just happened to slip your mind?" Atemu blankly said.
Yuugi swallowed hard again. 'I'm in trouble now…'
Atemu exhaled loudly and uncrossed his arms. "Yuugi, may I speak with you…" he looked at Anzu, "…alone."
"Err, sure. If that's what you want Pharaoh." Yuugi faced Anzu, a feeling of unhappiness in his heart that he had to leave Anzu. "Sorry Anzu, but you don't mind waiting outside do you?"
Anzu smiled at Yuugi, though deep down she was as unhappy as Yuugi was.
"Not at all."
Taking one last glance at Yuugi, Anzu walked towards the corridor outside the large hall, and closed the large wooden door behind her. A loud 'thud' echoed through the room. All was silent in the large hall…
"I don't trust her Yuugi," Atemu spoke suddenly after Anzu had left.
"What? But why not?" Yuugi asked. He could easily see that Anzu was trustworthy, so why didn't Atemu see the same thing?
"I just don't. There's something about her that I don't like. Not to mention the fact that she is not from our world."
"You just don't know her like I do Atemu. Maybe if you got to know her-"
"Get to know her!" Atemu yelled in an outburst. "Yuugi, she is from another world and can easily be a spy for the Empire of Dark Souls! How can you expect me to trust a complete stranger?"
"Anzu doesn't belong to the Empire of Dark Souls," Yuugi stated calmly.
"And how do you know that! Yuugi, after what has happened to us in these last few years I thought you would be more careful! How can you be certain that this girl won't kill us in our sleep and help the Empire of Dark Souls take over what is left of Kemet?"
"Because I can see the pureness inside her heart!" Yuugi shouted back. "And because of what happened when I found her!"
Atemu eyed Yuugi. He was hiding something. He spoke slowly. "Tell me what happened."
Yuugi sighed and looked up at his twin brother. "Well, I was riding through the desert, keeping an eye out for spies. I'd learnt some information at that point, and I found myself thinking about the legend of the Angel of Light. I remember wishing to myself that she would come soon, so things could go back to the way they used to be. And that's when it happened…
"There was a bright light in the sky, not too far from where I was. When the light died down, I saw something in the sand, so I decided to check it out. When I got there, I saw Anzu unconscious in the sand, her deck scattered all around her-"
"She has a deck?" Atemu interrupted, surprised at this news.
"Uh-huh," replied Yuugi, "but that's not the half of it. When I found her unconscious, she was muttering something in a completely different language. I think she called it 'Japanese'. Anyway, I went over to her and tried to wake her up, but as I did so, her crystal necklace began to glow. I couldn't just leave her in the desert so I took her to an oasis. When she finally woke up, she was speaking our language fluently."
Atemu remained silent. This was indeed a very strange story.
"But there's something else too. Whenever I'm around Anzu, I feel this aura. It's hard to describe, but it feels…pure. Did you feel it too?"
"Yes I did." Atemu replied slowly. "But I'm still not sure Yuugi. Are you sure she's not working for the Empire of Dark Souls?"
"Positive."
Atemu sighed once again. It was obvious to him that Yuugi cared about this young girl and would do anything to get her to stay. And Atemu would do anything to make his brother happy.
"All right Yuugi, you win," he sighed. "She can stay…"
"Really? Oh thank you-"
"On one condition," Atemu interrupted. Yuugi immediately stopped cheering.
'Uh oh…'
"You said she speaks a different language, did you not? Do you think she could read the text on the tablet?"
Yuugi gave a sigh of relief. He was expecting something a whole lot worse! "Sure, it's worth a shot. I'll go get her now."
And as Atemu watched his brother excitedly exit the room to find Anzu, he couldn't help but smile at his other half's actions.
I-
Anzu leaned back against the stonewall next to the large wooden doors that lead to the hall. The yelling that had echoed from the hall had now stopped, and Anzu could now hear the two brothers talking calming inside. 'And I beat they're talking about me.'
Anzu lifted her head and looked around her. Servants passed by in the corridor, staring and whispering and staying well away, making her feel more uncomfortable and more alone. It was just like being back at home, where she was ignored by everyone.
She self-consciously rubbed the old bandage that Yuugi had wrapped around her left hand a few days ago and found herself wishing that he were here. So much had happened to her in the last few days, it was overwhelming, but Yuugi had helped her through it. She had run away from her home and her drunken father, she had been transported to a completely different world and had experienced magic like none she'd ever seen before. She had also discovered that Yuugi was not all that he appeared to be…
She held onto her crystal necklace around her neck, and found herself thinking…
What would happen next?
Her question was soon answered
"AHH!"
Anzu held her head as a searing pain erupted in her head. As the pain intensified, just like it had done in the shrine, she began to find it difficult to breath. The pressure and pain continued to grow, and she screwed her eyes. The world around her began to blur away, and the darkness grew. Flashes appeared out of nowhere, and images began to appear once again…
She was inside a Palace. A dark palace full of evil and hatred. From what she could tell, she was inside a large hall, but she was not alone.
Two other men were in the room. One lay on the floor, not moving, his messy hair and clothes stained with blood. The other man stood above the dying body, laughing evilly as he brought the knife in his hand above his head. His low voice echoed through the hall.
"Your time in this lifetime has come to an end," the voice said. It sounded evil and low.
Anzu tried to move but she found that she could not, for something was dragging her away. Another voice was speaking to her, pulling her back…
"Anzu! Anzu!" the second voice called
"It's such a shame that this had to come to an end so soon," the man with the knife spoke, bringing his knife higher.
"Anzu! Can you hear me!"
"But now it's time to die!"
"Anzu!"
The man with the knife gave on last evil smile and brought the knife down to the body on the floor.
"ANZU!"
Anzu's eyes suddenly shot open. The pain and the images were gone, and she found herself lying on the floor. Next to her, she could hear Yuugi's worried voice quivering in fear.
"Yuugi?" Anzu began to sit up, and sat on her knees on the floor. She rubbed her eyes and looked up at Yuugi, and saw that he had tears in his eyes.
Tears? For her? Did he really care about her that much?
"Anzu, are you alright?" Yuugi asked, worry embedded on his face.
Anzu wondered if she should tell Yuugi about her vision. She soon decided against it.
"I…I'm fine," she finally said whilst she stood up. Yuugi stood up next to her.
"Are you sure? You look so pale. I came out to get you to see Atemu and I saw you on the floor. You were screaming and-"
"It's nothing Yuugi, really it isn't. But…thanks for your concern." Anzu looked up at the open door that led into the hall. "Did the Pharaoh want to see me or something?"
"What? Oh, yes he did, but if you're not feeling well-"
"Yuugi," said Anzu, placing a hand on Yuugi's shoulder. "I'm fine, really I am. I'm just tired from the journey. Now come on, lets go see your brother."
Yuugi, not convinced that Anzu was 'fine', decided to let it go for now. He quickly walked to her side and followed her back into the hall.
As the pair made their way to the back of the hall (Atemu was now standing behind to throne), Anzu's thoughts were on her vision.
'What was that? It was exactly like what happened back at the shrine, but this vision was much clearer than the last. Why do they appear? And what do they mean? Is it a warning of some sort?' She looked to her right at Yuugi as they made their way up the stone steps. 'And why do I get the feeling that this is all tied in with Yuugi?'
Atemu stood a few feet away from where his throne sat, and looked up at the wall in front of him. The images carved into the stone had been there for thousands of years, and yet, no one had been able to decipher the text carved at the bottom. Could this girl really be able to translate it?
At the sound of footsteps behind him, Atemu turned slightly to see his other half and the girl were now at his side. He smiled at the pair.
"Thank you for coming," Atemu thanked Anzu.
"No at all, Pharaoh," Anzu replied back.
"Please, call me Atemu. Miss Mazaki, I'd like to apologise for the way I acted. I should not have been so rude to you. As a Pharaoh, I should have treated you with more respect. I hope you can forgive me."
"Apology accepted. And please, call me Anzu."
Atemu smiled and looked back up at the image he was studying earlier. "Anzu, Yuugi tells me that you are from a place called Japan. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"And you speak a completely different language, yes?" Atemu eyed Anzu suspiciously. Not matter what Yuugi said, he was still on his guard.
"That's right. Why do you ask?"
Atemu continued to stare at the image in front of him. Blinking, Anzu followed his gaze, and was shocked to see what he was looking at.
It was a large stone tablet that covered the entire back wall. Carved onto the ancient stone were images that resembled those of the ones sewn into the tapestry back at the shrine near Domino. The one that had sent her here…
It was here! All of it! Everything was on this tablet. The images of two kingdoms: one covered in a white light, and the other covered in darkness. There were also men in armour and battling in a strange desert. And there were monsters; Duel Monsters. In the sky, there was an even brighter light. A figure stood in the middle, but the face had been worn away. There was some text too at the bottom, but this time, the text remained and Anzu could easily read the Japanese symbols.
Yuugi looked up at Anzu. She seemed absorbed in the images. There was a sign of recognition on her face. "Have you seen this before?"
"Yes, I have," replied Anzu, not taking her eyes off the tablet. "I saw these images in a shrine back home. It was right before I was sent here to Kemet."
"Does that mean you can read the text at the bottom?" Yuugi asked excitedly
"Yes. I'll translate it for you." Anzu cleared her throat and spoke the four lines engraved at the bottom of the tablet…
"When the sacred items fail their task,
And the land is covered in evil's mask,
Pureness and truth must then fight,
Our fate hangs with the great Angel of Light."
"The Angel of Light!" Yuugi exclaimed
"You know about this?" Anzu asked
"Well yes. Everyone in Kemet knows about the legend of the Angel of Light. She rescued Kemet from the evil darkness three thousand years ago…"
"And it looks like she is needed again," Atemu stated, before stretching. "But it is late. You must be tired from your long journey. I'll have a room prepared for you so you may rest."
Atemu walked down the steps towards the open doors, Yuugi and Anzu following him. When they came to the door, Atemu looked down the corridor, and soon spotted who he was looking for.
"Shizuka! Could I borrow you for a minute?"
At the sound of her name, a young girl a little younger than Anzu stepped into the room. It was the same red head Yuugi had spoken to earlier.
"How may I help you, my Pharaoh?" Shizuka asked politely, bowing.
"Could you please prepare a room for our guest, Anzu Mazaki? She will be staying with us for a while."
"I have already prepared one," Shizuka smiled, winking at Yuugi.
"Thank you Shizuka. I knew I could count on you."
Shizuka bowed at the comment from her kind Pharaoh.
Yuugi walked up to Anzu and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Anzu, I need to speak with Atemu for a while, so I'm going to have to leave you. But if you need anything, anything at all, let me know OK?"
Anzu looked into Yuugi's eyes and once again felt kindness she thought she would never experience again. She was so lucky to have Yuugi as a friend, and never wanted to let him go.
"Thanks Yuugi," she said, softening her eyes and smiling gently. Yuugi smiled back.
"If you would like to follow me, Miss Mazaki," Shizuka said after a few moments of silence.
Shizuka walked out the door and began to walk down the corridor. Anzu, not wanting to get lost, quickly ran to catch up with her, waving goodbye to Yuugi and Atemu as she did. She followed the young girl up many stairs and down many corridors, passing numerous people along the way. Most of them were servants or people that worked in the palace, but every so often Anzu would see someone dressed in rich and luxurious robes, and holding a golden item…
After passing countless rooms and corridors, Shizuka finally stopped in the middle of a dead end corridor. Anzu looked around and saw only three doors.
"The one on the right is Pharaoh Atemu's chamber," Shizuka said in her soft voice. "And the one on the left his Prince Yuugi's." She then pointed to the third door directly in front of them. "That one there is your room. I have already run a bath for you so that you may clean yourself, and I have felt some robes out for you. I will return later to collect your clothes so that they may be cleaned."
"Oh, you don't have to do that," said Anzu, surprised at the young girl's hospitality.
"It's not trouble at all Miss Mazaki. Enjoy your stay." And with that, Shizuka disappeared down the hall.
Anzu stood alone in the corridor for a moment, before slowly walking towards the door Shizuka had pointed out for her. Carefully, she opened the wooden door, and amazed at the room inside.
The large room-complete with balcony and large bathroom-was decorated with the finest stone, including a marble floor. The room was filled with all sorts of luxurious and expensive furniture and decorations, including a queen-sized four-poster bed. This was nothing like anything Anzu had seen back at home.
Spotting the clean robes placed on the bed, and smelling the rich aromas of the incense placed in the bath in the next room, Anzu quickly stripped out of her dirty clothes, placing her Duel Monsters deck under her pillow and leaving her crystal necklace on. She pulled on one of the robes and walked into the bathroom. The sight of the large swimming pool sized bath took her breath away, and she immediately took off the robe and jumped in.
The water was warm, and smelt of vanilla. Anzu stayed there in the water, letting it flow over her tired body, relaxing in the warmth. Thoughts rushed through her mind, and she soon found herself thinking of her mother again.
'I miss her so much. I wish she was here with me now.'
All too soon, the water went from warm to cold, and Anzu was forced to get out. Drying herself off and pulling back on the robe, the soft fabric brushing against her clean, vanilla scented skin, Anzu suddenly felt a wave of tiredness wash over her. Walking back out into the bedroom, she saw that Shizuka had already been and gone, taking her clothes to be washed and leaving a tray of food on a dressing table near the bed. But Anzu was too tired for food, and after making sure she still had her necklace and her deck, she fell onto the comfortable bed and instantly fell asleep, hoping for sweet dreams…
…Unfortunately, our hopes and wishes don't always comes true…
I-
"So, the Empire of Dark Souls is closer that we thought?" Atemu asked his brother, seated in his throne.
"Yes," replied Yuugi, standing next to his brother. They were still in the hall and were discussing Yuugi's mission. "When I was on my mission, I found a lot of information. The Empire is taking over more land faster than we thought they were, and their army is getting stronger everyday. In fact, some of them attacked Anzu and I when I brought her back to the oasis. That's how I got this injury and that's why I came back. Atemu, we're running out of time! The Empire of Dark Souls will complete their Enchantment of Unholiness if we don't do something!"
Atemu clenched his fists in rage. "There's nothing much we can do, not until we find the Angel of Light. She is the only one who can save us now."
Yuugi looked up at the stone tablet behind Atemu. 'Atemu's right, we do need the Angel of Light, and fast. Things are getting worse and we need her. Maybe Anzu can help us. The stories do say that the Angel comes from another world. Does that mean that Anzu is the Angel? But if she is, what will happen to her? I don't want to lose her, not now…'
I-
Isolated on the other side of Kemet, lay a Kingdom. A dark Kingdom. The sand was black, constantly stained with evil. The sky was always dark, and lightning lit up the sky during the vast storms that hit this land. This was the Empire of Dark Souls, and everyday, their darkness grew…
Perched on a hill, shrouded in a dark blanket, was an old castle. This was where the ruler and leader of the Empire lived, hiding in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to appear…
"So, the Pharaoh and his brother have a new friend, do they?" Spoke a cold, gravel, male voice. The man looked from where he was seated in his throne in the middle of the hall, and looked down at his followers below. They all wore dark robes to hide their faces and prove their loyalty to him alone. Looking round at the hall he smiled at the large army he had formed in only a few years.
At his feet, two men kneeled before him. Like the others, they wore only black, but their robes had been burnt by the Prince of the Kingdom of Light and his dragon, and their bodies had been badly damaged. One man's face had been burnt completely down his right side.
"Tell me," their leader spoke calmly, "what does she look like?"
"We didn't get a good look at her because of the Prince and his bloody dragon," the man with the burnt face spoke. He adored his master and would do anything for him, but was always nervous when in his presence. And with reason, for their leader would do anything to rule the entirety of Kemet, even if it meant killing every last man, including them.
"What we did see," the second man spoke, "was that she had brown hair. There was an aura around her, none like we've ever felt." He swallowed, hard. "She has arrived, sire.
A flash of lightning struck through the air, it's light briefly shinning into the hall and illuminating the master's white hair. His grip around his secret weapon tightened.
"Perfect," he smiled. " At long last my plan can finally begin, and Kemet will be mine! That idiotic Pharaoh and weakling brother will die at the hands of their so called saviour, and I'll finally take my rightful place as ruler of this world!"
I-
To be continued…