Disclaimer –"Yu-Gi-Oh!" and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to Takahashi Kazuki and any other related owners/distributors/producers. The world of Reirinsei and all related characters and concepts belong to Lunnaei. Dragon's just havin' fun. We get no monetary benefit from this. Our benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"Otherworld I: The Door"
by Lunnaei and DragonDancer5150

Chapter 8 – Shadow Master

Think of us, and we'll be there in your heart forever.
Sometimes when you're unsure, sometimes when you're afraid,
At times, it's hard to live with the choices you have made.
Turn around and we'll be there, always by your side.

"We'll Be There" – Yu-Gi-Oh!: Music to Duel By

"I know your name! It's Atemu!"

Without warning, a massive earthquake seemed to strike the city of Domino, Japan, shaking the museum to its foundation and throwing the entire company off its collective feet. The spirit gasped in horror as he felt the seal in the Puzzle shatter, a powerful and vile presence overwhelming his supernatural senses. Rough, throaty laughter – an unearthly sound straight from the depths of the Abyss – filled the small exhibit chamber.

-At last! At last, I am free. Hahahahaaa – Oh, great Pharaoh, let us begin our game anew! You know where to find me. The tag is yours!-

The fell, inhuman voice filled their minds, grating on the nerves and promising all the tortures of Hell if they dared to try their meager strength against it. Power exploded from the Puzzle in a tangible wave of pure evil that flattened the group further into the ground. With maniacal glee, that evil presence flooded out from its ancient prison, bursting light fixtures and setting off security alarms as it went.

As suddenly as it all started, the earthquake ended, the fell power having vanished without a trace. The companions slowly began to regather their wits and pick themselves back up off the ground – except for Bakura and the spirit, the latter of whom lay for a moment longer where he had been thrown, gaping in shuddering shock at the ceiling. "No. Mighty Ra, have mercy – n-no . . . !"

Jonouchi and Kaiba surged to their feet in the same instant, and it became a race as to who got to Bakura first. "Bakura, how could you – ?" "What. Have. You. DONE?"

Bakura did not respond right away, both hands clapped over his mouth, chocolate eyes wide with terror. A very small moan escaped him, followed by a nearly inaudible, "I-I'm s-s-sorry . . . "

That snapped the spirit out of his own horror as he hauled himself upright to go to his friend's rescue. "Jonouchi, Kaiba, no! Let him go! He could not have known." He pulled his friend bodily free of their deathgrips.

Bakura met the spirit's eyes, the soft brown of his own all but swallowed by the whites that showed against his pale face. "I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he stammered, frightened out of his mind by what he had felt.

Indeed, the spirit took pity on the young man. He could not deny that he might have reacted much the same, were he as completely unprepared to deal with such horrors as his friend. All of his training only barely prepared him the first time around as it was. It was solely the dire immediacy of the situation that had kept him on his feet long enough to do what had to be done back then. Had he lived long enough, remained sensate long enough, he felt that even he might have fallen apart after the fact, as reality sank in.

Evil god of darkness, greater demon, Tervai, Shadow Master . . . free once again. The spirit paled further. Merciful gods of the Nile . . .

Bakura shivered under his hands, and the spirit pulled him into a comforting embrace, not sure what else to do for the moment. "I-it's all right, Bakura-kun. It's all right. You didn't know." He rubbed one hand in small circles across his friend's back.

"Wh-what was that? Was that . . . w-was it . . . ?" Bakura could not bring himself to name it.

The spirit nodded, forcing his own voice as steady as he could manage. "The demon Zorc Necrophades." He felt Bakura's deep shudder of fear. On the floor behind his friend, in the absence of his brother's comfort, the spirit saw that Mokuba had found Anzu, all but crawling into her arms in fright, fighting back tears of reaction. Anzu held him tightly, though one could not tell if she were rocking him or herself, unfocused eyes staring at the carpeted floor. A sheet-white Honda was helping Sugoroku to his feet, who looked like it was a miracle that his pacemaker had not failed him. Jonouchi's eyes were closed, and Kaiba's were locked on the stone mural without really seeing it, a foul grimace twisting his face. Shadi was nowhere in sight. Within his heart, Yugi had yet even to evince a reaction, though the spirit suspected that it was more of an attempt to protect him than anything. -Aibou?-

Yugi nodded. -I-I'm okay, Nakama.- In spite of Yugi's valiant attempt to hide it, the spirit could feel that his partner was distinctly not "okay."

Bakura returned the embrace tightly and, for a long moment, each of them drew strength and a sense of grounding from the other. The spirit closed his eyes, heartsick beyond bearing. They should not be dragged into this. They could not! Once again, he would be the instrument to bring devastation upon his friends, just like in Battle City, only this time would be worse . . .

. . . far worse . . .

"Hey, Atemu."

The spirit jumped at the utterance of his name, eyes snapping up to meet Jonouchi's, who pressed, "That's your name, right, your real name? Isn't that what Bakura said?"

He nodded dumbly, stricken by the sound of it. "Y-yes . . . yes, Jonouchi-kun. My father named me in honor of the god of the sun. 'Atemu' is a variant of the name for the great Atum-Ra."

"Atemu." Jonouchi nodded matter-of-factly. "All right, Atemu, so when do we leave? An', uh, where're we goin'?"

The pharaonic spirit, Atemu, only stared at him for a long moment, looking around as, one by one, the rest of the company recomposed themselves and silently rallied around him. Even Bakura gathered himself together and gently pulled back from Atemu's hold to meet his eye and nod in grim determination. Atemu found himself shaking his head. "No. My friends, no! I cannot ask you – !"

"You don't have to," Honda countered, "and you're not leaving us behind."

"That's right!" Anzu rejoined. "Atemu-kun, we've been through everything together, and we'll deal with this, too!"

"Yeah, you're not leavin' us behind. Ya got that, Atemu?" Jonouchi growled.

"Pharaoh, you cannot face this alone." That was Kaiba, speaking as the former High Priest still loyal to his young king, the Millennium Rod gripped in his hand with a fervor that would have bent a lesser metal.

"Don't call me that!" Atemu found himself crying out, backpedaling mentally and even physically. He caught his breath at his own vehemence, then explained, "I'm not 'the pharaoh,' not anymore. That position and title died ages ago. I am only Atemu . . . and I am no better than any of you." He had spent the past year-plus – since coming into his own – longing for recognition and acceptance for himself, to know that these were his friends as well, personally, not just because he was part-and-parcel of accepting Yugi. Now that they knew and welcomed him, he could not bear the thought of being held separate from them because of a long-dead honorific that tried to imply he was some untouchable, holy god-in-flesh.

Kaiba crossed his arms with a challenging smirk. "Very well, then – not if I can help it, you're not."

"I welcome the return of my childhood friend and brother in the Arts," Atemu chuckled wearily. Then, he frowned. "However, this is not your fight. Seti, you fought it once already – "

Sugoroku scowled at him. " – and we were brought back to stand by your side to fight it again, my pharao – er . . . A-atemu."

"Besides," Kaiba ground out, "you forget that I was Pharaoh, too – after you. I was the one who had to clean up the mess left by that beast the last time. I'd rather head off the wake of bodies before they start piling up this time."

Meaning, Atemu knew, that Kaiba felt as responsible as he did for not managing to defeat the monster decisively the last time.

"If nothing else," Mokuba ventured, "you can't not take Yugi, so you might as well take everyone."

-They're right,- Yugi put in at last. -We can't go alone. Heh, they won't let us. You know that.-

Atemu scowled in his deep fear for his aibou, his Light. -If it were at all possible, there would be no 'we' about it. I will not endanger you any more than I have to, Yugi.-

It was Yugi's turn to frown. -Well, there is no other way, and even if there was – Atemu-kun, I promised you that I would be your partner no matter what. I intend to keep that promise! Whatever happens, we're in it together.-

Atemu hesitated a long moment, unable to respond. At length, he decided there was one thing that he did want to re-establish, if only for his own sake. It would also convey the point to his partner. -Yugi, I . . . I have my true name back, but I . . . have grown rather fond of 'Nakama,' too . . . Aibou.-

Yugi grinned amicably. -You'll always be my 'Nakama'.-

Atemu nodded both in gratitude and reluctance, then returned outward, where the rest were watching him in expectation. "All right . . . all right," he commented with a sigh, acknowledging their desires. "You're right. I could not deal with him before unassisted, nor can I just leave him loose to wreak his havoc. I must finish what I started but, as much as I do not want to endanger any of you . . . I know full well that I cannot do it alone." He looked at Jonouchi, addressing his original questions. "We have to get to Kemet – I mean, Egypt. There is a mystical portal there to a 'land beyond' that a few select sorcerers knew about. Having failed from this side to break the seal that holds back the rest of his kind, I suspect he will return to Egypt's sister, to Reirinsei. That is where we must go."

"The Millennium Stone that resided originally in Kul Elna was moved deep into your tomb, Atemu," Kaiba murmured, "along with the wall panel that purportedly was the Door of the Afterworld."

The Millennium Stone. The tablet fashioned to take all seven Items in its design, the forging mold that . . . Atemu shook his head, not willing to go there, and refocused on Kaiba. "The Door of the Afterworld will be our gate to Reirinsei."

"Egypt," Anzu whispered. "That's . . . a long way. How will we get there?"

"Mm . . . yeah." Jonouchi made a show of pondering the problem, stroking his chin with one hand. "That'll be a pretty bit of yen in airfare, won't it? It's not like some of us got private jets or nothin'." He eyed Kaiba sidelong.

"Hah, sure you do!" Mokuba asserted brightly. "Or, well, sorta – we'll take everyone! Won't we, Big-Brother?"

Kaiba studied his young sibling for only a moment, then turned his attention back to the one who had been his close friend as a child in another lifetime. He nodded. "The Kaiba Corporation will get you to Egypt."

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