Chapter 16: Mistake

Seth woke up groggily, for once feeling as if a huge weight was taken from him and suddenly, last night flashed on his mind. Was last night just a dream, a figment of his imagination? But if it were, then why was he in somebody else's room? Or did he embarrassingly sleepwalked last night? And who was cuddled next to him?

"Good morning Seth."

The priest looked down to meet his cousin's gaze, a smile gracing his fair features. Nope, it was no dream. It did happen. Atemu loved him. It was real.

"Good morning Atemu," he answered, placing a chaste kiss on the other's lips. Atemu smiled before making a move to stand up, Seth rising to help him.

"Thank you," Atemu said, walking towards the discarded clothes and picking up the Millennium Items lying innocently on the floor. The sun has yet to rise, giving the two cousins enough time to prepare.

The two cousins made their way to the bathing chambers, playing like young children as they washed each other. Everything was fine for now; they had each other. That was all that mattered.

Atemu stood in the balcony later that night, enjoying the silence and serenity of the evening and allowed his thoughts to wander. Seth was still busy translating the scrolls Shimon handed him in the study, and knowing his cousin well, the priest will not stop until he was finished. And Atemu heaved a sigh. Seth can be such a workaholic at times.

It was tad ironic to find out that his cousin had feelings for him. Amusing really that they avoided each other for days because of one little misunderstanding regarding Kisara and worried Shimon and everyone else. Seth never had feelings for Kisara after all. She just happened to be the girl he saved long ago.

"Stop!"

Atemu was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of the palace guards ordering someone to halt. He followed the direction of their shouts with his eyes, which narrowed when he saw who the person they were running after was.

"Bakura!"

He dashed to the stables and mounted his steed as he ran after the Tomb Robber, calling one of the gods, Osiris the Sky Dragon (?) hovering on top of him with a roar.

Bakura smirked. He had the pharaoh exactly where he wanted. Perfect. Diabound appeared out of nowhere, waiting for the Tomb Robber's orders.

"I'm flattered, pharaoh," he said, "You're actually running after me? Are you sure you can handle the adrenaline?"

Atemu narrowed his gaze dangerously, "You will pay for killing Mahado, Bakura, I promise you," Atemu answered back as they began racing down the streets of Memphis. Osiris roared again as Diabound attacked him.

"That priest?" Bakura asked tauntingly, "He's not bad, I have to admit, but seriously, he is so pathetic."

"Shut your mouth, Bakura! How dare you talk of him that way!" Atemu snapped angrily as he ordered the dragon to attack Diabound.

Bakura shrugged nonchalantly as Diabound dodged the attack. So he knew he couldn't beat the god itself, it was too strong even for him but everyone has a weakness, especially the pharaoh.

Before the pharaoh knew it, Diabound was already setting the houses into flames, attacking the panicking people mercilessly. Atemu's eyes widened in horror.

"No! Leave them alone, Bakura!" Atemu shouted as the other's monster fired at two unsuspecting peasants.

"Osiris!" he called, ordering it to block the attack. Atemu gasped in pain, his chest tightening in agony as the attack took its effect on him.

"Such a weakling, pharaoh," Bakura mocked as Atemu glared at him. Said pharaoh recovered quickly, ordering his monster to continue the battle in the sky. And he was winning, too, as Diabound was hit by his monster's blast.

Grasping the opportunity, he called on his monster to attack Bakura from the back and smirked, "You better order your Diabound back here, Bakura, before I kill you," he said.

Surprisingly, Bakura chuckled at him as if he were crazy. Atemu eyed him in confusion. Why was he chuckling? He was going to die if he didn't order his monster back.

And that was when he realized where the other's monster was all the while and his eyes widened. How—? He didn't need to turn around to know Diabound was behind him, ready to crush him.

"Two can play that game of yours, Atemu," Bakura answered with a sneer, unaffected by the fact that he can die with one simple order.

"Should I crush you or blast you into tiny pieces?" Bakura asked, "You decide. I can't since I think both suites you perfectly."

"Pharaoh!"

Atemu turned around just in time to see Dios attack the unaware Diabound; Bakura slightly slumped forward.

"Are you always this weak, pharaoh? Can't you just survive the day without the help of your priests?" Bakura mocked, "No wonder anyone can easily manipulate you," he added before running away.

"Are you alright, Atemu?" Seth asked, making his way to his lover. Atemu, his anger getting the better of him, "I'm fine, Seth," answered before running after the Tomb Robber, Osiris following obediently.

"You'll see who you're dealing with," Atemu muttered under his breath as he nudged his horse to run faster.

Bakura stopped at the top of a hill, seeing the pharaoh stop by a cliff. "Diabound, attack!" he ordered.

Atemu, seeing the monster, watched as Osiris countered the attack with one of his own. "Osiris, attack him!" he ordered, the monster promptly following.

Bakura merely smirked. Diabound vanished quite expected. "Where—?" Atemu asked, looking around for the monster, just in time to see Seth and Shadi from the distance.

Diabound appeared beside Seth silently, his hand reaching for the unaware priest. "Seth, look out!" Atemu called in horror. Seth saw the monster's hand and gasped in surprise.

"Osiris!"

The monster appeared beside Seth, saving him from the untimely death Bakura had planned and saw the god roar as he was crushed into destruction.

Atemu cried out in pain and fell from his horse, sinking on his knees as he coughed up blood. Diabound fired at the ground the pharaoh was on and he felt it shake underneath.

Before he knew it, the ground has collapsed and he fell. Suddenly, a hand caught his. Bakura's.

"This, I believe, is now mine," Bakura said, answering all confusion in the pharaoh's mind before taking the puzzle. Atemu's eyes widened as the Tomb Robber let him go.

"No!" Seth shouted, running towards the cliff, hoping the pharaoh was still there, somehow clinging on whatever rock that managed to remain. But his Atemu was not there and he sank to his knees, his eyes widening in disbelief. No, Atemu didn't fall. He shouldn't. It can't happen!

"Pity, pity," Bakura said, watching the priest glare at him dangerously in anger, his smirk, however, never left his face as he held the puzzle high. "Well, I would love to join you all but you see I already have what I want so… so long," Bakura added.

"Dios attack him!" Seth ordered.

Bakura laughed, "Tough luck, priest. He's gone… the pharaoh's dead," he said before vanishing with his monster. The pharaoh was dead. No one could have survived the fall.

Seth stood, blinking away the tears. Atemu can't be dead. He's alive. He will make it. Ignoring the concerned (and annoyingly understanding) look Shadi gave him; he mounted his horse and ran to the palace.

He will find his Atemu. He will find him and prove Bakura was wrong. Atemu was not dead but Bakura will be.

"Just hang in there, Atemu, I will not stop until I find you, I promise," Seth muttered. His cousin, although foolish at times, was his everything. He loved his Atemu. He will not let the other die.

'You better prepare yourself, Bakura. The moment I find him, you're going to wish you didn't mess with us.'

A/N: Once again, thanks for the reviews! I appreciate your support and everything. Next chapter will be posted soon, I promise.