Chapter 18: Acquired Dream
Kaiba was beginning to feel the need to put something on the wall to merit him staring at it for so long. All things considered, he had gotten an impressive amount of work done, but that still didn't change the fact he had spent the last twenty-seven minutes staring blankly at such an uninteresting wall. Sighing heavily and leaning back in his chair, he changed his focus to the ceiling, scoffing at the idea that there would be something on it that would be of any use to his current situation. Then again, he wasn't really seeing anything since he was too busy listening to the nonsense in his mind that had finally made itself known.
It had started as a quiet whisper when he had finally managed to escape to his car, but he had been able to ignore it because of the somewhat awkward ride back home. Kaiba knew that Mokuba had wanted to say something about what had happened, but for once he was at a complete loss about what to tell his younger brother. Instead they had talked about various Kaiba Corporation plans, both fully aware of the fact that they were dodging the real subject. It was why he was both relieved and disappointed at his own reaction when Mokuba quickly made himself scarce on the premise of having homework to finish once they got home. The downside was that the thoughts he had been able to push aside began to increase to a dull roar and he had been in no mood to deal with them, so he threw himself into his work, thus bringing him to his current point. Alone and with his work complete, he had no choice but to listen as the same complaints and concerns echoed through his mind, but he had years of practice at ignoring such things. Not that it was doing him much good at the moment, he noted with a frown.
He was amazed at how tempting the idea of sleep was despite the fact that it was only 3.37AM, which was still obscenely early for him. It also meant he had only been awake for a little over twelve hours and that was a strange realization. He had lost so many productive hours, and yet he couldn't complain too much since he had finally finished going over the financial data as well as three business proposals despite the complete waste of time that the afternoon had been. It was also the first time that he could remember that he had not experienced a morning and he didn't know what to make of that, so he simply let it go. The fewer numbers he had to deal with at the moment the better.
His body complained bitterly when he stretched and he scowled when he recalled just why it was that his muscles were so displeased with him. The only consolation was that Yami was bound to be in more discomfort than him and it was enough for him at the moment. Bastard brought it on himself, Kaiba thought as he leaned forward and began shutting down his computer. There weren't any other projects that he would be able to complete in a single sitting and he didn't want to start something he couldn't finish at the moment. The problem with that was that it left him too much free time and there were only so many showers a man could take in a single day.
If he was going to have to listen to his annoying thoughts, he figured he might as well be comfortable while doing it, so he stood up and began walking in the direction of his bed. Stripping as he went, he turned off the lights before sliding under the covers, shivering at the coolness against his skin. At least they were freshly laundered, even if he was still suffering from a bit of mortification over what the staff must have thought, despite logic trying to explain that they probably hadn't even notice. Shifting as he settled into a more comfortable position, he tried not to let it bother him. It was easily done since his annoyance at Yami's earlier behavior far outweighed his embarrassment; he still couldn't believe what had happened over at Yuugi's place, and yet it managed to somehow be not so surprising.
The whole situation had completely backfired on Kaiba and there was no denying that he had been sucked into Yami's pace, but at least he hadn't humiliated himself as much as Jounouchi had. Watching the mutt fail never got old for Kaiba and despite his irritation over Yami's actions, he was at least pleased with the fact that they had won the game beyond a shadow of a doubt. Besides, he had gotten a little revenge on Yami as well, so on that front it had also been a success. Of course, it still didn't change the fact that he had gotten so caught up in it that he almost forgot to stop Yami from continuing and as interesting as the reactions to that would have been, it wouldn't have been worth everything that would have happened afterwards. Although in hindsight, he realized that he had been remiss in not forcing Yami off of him the instant they had finished. Worse yet, it hadn't even occurred to him to do as such at the time and that was a disturbing discovery. Was it any wonder his brother had become suspicious after seeing such a thing?
Turning onto his side, he already found himself dreading the eventual conversation he was going to have with his brother about everything. How was he supposed to explain something he didn't even understand? He couldn't even explain to himself why his body thought it was a good thing to have Yami close to it, why having the other by his side stilled everything in his own mind. It was more disconcerting than it was comforting and he hated that some part of him wouldn't have minded the warmth tonight. No amount of telling himself that it was only to shut his own mind up would make him believe it, though. His defenses were slowly being decimated and he didn't like it one bit, but he was at a loss at how to prevent further intrusions. He could already feel his behavior being modified and none of his old methods could beat down the ideas that had played out in his mind about what exactly he had wanted to do to Yami when he found out the other had kept his word, despite assuming Kaiba wouldn't have put in an appearance.
Shutting his eyes, he wouldn't allow himself to follow that trail of thought any further. He instead tried to think about the meeting he had tomorrow afternoon with the lawyers regarding the prototypes being put into production. Running through different scenarios, he tired to anticipate their arguments in each situation, but it wasn't really a challenge since they always repeated the same excuses. After that meeting, he had one with his research and development team, so he decided to go through the new plans that he intended to discuss with them. He was forced to give it up when he realized that there were too many unknown variables that could come up in the real life discussion, so he abandoned the thought process.
Instead, he attempted to blank his mind, but all it did was cause him to remember how quiet his mind had been earlier when he had been in Yami's room. He still had no idea what exactly had happened, but he felt like it was something that was crucial to understanding his current situation. Yawning, he tried to force himself onto a different subject, since there was no use in trying to figure it out now, nor was there any point in thinking about how he wouldn't exactly have minded if things had…
"Certainly took you long enough."
"What?"
They were in a nowhere space, a featureless environment that contained only them and Kaiba found it slightly disorienting. Ignoring Kaiba's confusion, Yami continued, "Although I must admit, I figured you were going to try and stay awake for a few nights to make up for the extra sleep you got."
"If I had known you would show up to harass me, I probably would have," Kaiba muttered as Yami smirked at the comment. Scowling, Kaiba tried to figure out how he had managed to fall asleep so quickly, despite the fact that he had been trying to sort through everything, but he was making about as much progress as he had during his waking hours.
"I don't doubt it."
"I suppose you're here to try and finish what happened earlier," Kaiba accused with a distrusting glance at the other.
Laughing, Yami asked Kaiba, "Why would I do that here instead of when we're awake?"
Kaiba didn't have an answer for that question, so he decided to change topics instead. "You can't keep invading my dreams just because you don't want to deal with your own, asshole."
"Is my being here that much of a problem?"
Without hesitation, Kaiba replied, "Yes," becoming frustrated when Yami started chuckling.
"Why?"
"Why?" Kaiba repeated with a snort. "Because I—"
Suddenly aware of a different darkness, Kaiba realized that the other had either disappeared or he was awake. He wasn't sure why he was suddenly conscious, but it was almost as disorienting as where he had just been. Rolling over to look at the time, he saw that it was only 4.39AM and he blinked as the numbers registered in his still sleep-addled mind. Returning to his previous position, he sighed heavily as he wrapped the blankets tighter around him, wondering what had just happened. He was surrounded by silence, so he figured something must have happened on Yami's end; not that it made any difference to him, of course. Bastard'll probably find me soon enough, he thought to himself in annoyance, too tired to fight against his eyes closing once more.
There definitely hadn't been wind last time, but as a warm breeze blew past him, Kaiba opened his eyes and was suddenly staring up at an almost painfully bright blue sky. Squinting as he sat up to look around his surroundings, he quickly became confused. Not only was he alone, but he was lying in some sort of fenced in desert garden that he had never seen before. Standing up and crossing his arms, he asked, "Are you trying to prove that you know another location beside the riverside?"
Silence was the only thing that answered him and he frowned at that unusual reaction. "I've had enough childish games for one day—show yourself," Kaiba demanded, not interested in playing hide and seek with the other. Despite the slight dig, there was still nothing to indicate Yami's presence, so he tried again. "Have you come to apologize for running away from the last dream?"
Receiving no response, Kaiba sighed irritably as he ran his fingers through his hair. "You're really going to make me hunt you down, aren't you? Fucking bastard," Kaiba muttered. As much as it he wanted to wait it out and force Yami to come to him, Kaiba didn't have the patience to just sit and do nothing while the other stood around laughing somewhere at his expense.
Deciding that nothing was going to happen until he made the first move, he turned around to scan the area in an attempt to derive Yami's location, but what he saw angered him. "This pharaoh bullshit again?" he asked with a snide laugh that was met with only more silence. At least it confirmed for him that Yami had some part in this whole thing, but that was far from comforting at the moment. "You're so fucking dead when I find you, asshole!"
Wasting no more time in the fragrant garden, Kaiba began making his way toward the palace that was looming in front of him. If Yami was going to appear anywhere, it was either going to be in the throne room or a bedroom, Kaiba decided, rolling his eyes at the lack of subtlety.
Despite his annoyance, he at least had to give Yami credit for producing such a rich environment this time around; not only was it on a far grander scale, but there were also a surprising amount of people present. They were mostly guards and servants so far, but despite their highly realistic appearances, none of them seemed to notice Kaiba's movements or even realize that he was there at all. Reprimanding himself for losing his focus, he concentrated on his current mission; now was not the time to be admiring such details.
Kaiba wasn't really sure why he understood where to go, but he figured that after playing as many video games as he had, it was only natural to head deeper into the building; throne rooms were almost always at the center of the structure, whether it be a castle, fort, or palace. That logic certainly made more sense to him than Yami's continual insistence that Kaiba was the reincarnation of some dead ancient Egyptian priest. As much as he scoffed at such a laughable notion, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that he had walked these halls before and he found the familiarity of the area to be disturbing.
Pushing the thoughts aside momentarily, Kaiba continued his search, completely losing his sense of time. Then again, given that it flowed differently in a dream and in reality, it didn't make that much of a difference; he certainly felt as if he had been walking for a while, though. It was why he was surprised when he felt his body stopping in front of a random door, despite his mind telling him that he should keep moving. There was nothing particularly distinguishing about the wooden door that was identical to all the others in the corridor, nor were there any guards that would be indicative of a place where the pharaoh would be, but despite that, he pushed it open and stepped inside of the room.
It seemed to be a storage area for papyrus and other utensils used for writing, but he was disappointed to find that he was the only occupant present. Finding nothing of significance should have made him move on immediately, but he still lingered and surveyed the small space. He wasn't convinced that he would find anything of use, but his instinct was telling him otherwise. The location of the room seemed odd to him since there had been no indication that a room like this would be useful in this particular area; it was better suited to some place inside of a temple where the priests could have easy access to the materials. Everything was meticulously placed and there were no signs of dust to indicate lack of use, which further puzzled him.
He wasn't sure what drove him to head toward the back and he found himself shivering, despite the fact that it was quite warm in the windowless room. It was as if some unknown force was propelling him forward and he was reaching out to brush his fingers against the wall before he even realized what he was doing. He felt ridiculous for his actions, but then again, it wouldn't be that unusual for such a deceptive room to have something like a hidden door leading him to somewhere else; his own house was full of them, after all. Running his fingers up the surface of the wall, he felt a divot near the top of his reach and he stepped back to examine it, only to discover that it was incapable of being seen. Frowning, he wondered if he was reading too much into a simple defect, but even as his doubts began protesting loudly, he was reaching for the same spot and when he pressed his fingers against it, he heard something move. In one swift movement, he pressed it again as he threw his weight against the wall and was shocked when he felt it give, a narrow hole appearing as the wall became a door.
He barely fit through the gap and as soon as he let go, the wall moved back into place, leaving him in complete pitch black darkness. Sighing in frustration, he realized from the way it resonated that the passage way wasn't a short one. Without any means of producing light, he trailed the fingers of his left hand along the wall to help him keep his bearings and eventually he came to a split in the passage way. He paused to consider his options and logic told him that he should go left since he had originally come from the right, but his instincts were already bringing him to the wall in front of him, his fingers searching out another place in the wall and finding the spot with a practiced eased that left him unsettled.
Once again the wall shifted and allowed him just enough space to slip through, causing Kaiba to blink rapidly as he emerged into sudden brightness. Giving his eyes time to adjust, he looked around and found himself in an unoccupied spacious room. He was debating about what course of action to take next when he suddenly heard a laugh that had him grinning victoriously. It had been carried by an echo, but there was no doubting the identity and Kaiba began walking rapidly toward the source, regretting that he hadn't spent nearly enough time planning an appropriate punishment for this waste of time.
Emerging into the main room, Kaiba narrowed his eyes at the large bed that served to confirm his earlier thought process. Not that he was particularly pleased about being correct at the moment, though. Yami was still nowhere to be seen and he waited for the other to speak again in order to pinpoint his exact location. He wasn't kept waiting for long though, since Yami teasingly said, "You're late."
"I had morning rituals at the temple today."
It had sounded like Kaiba, but those weren't his words and he was one hundred percent positive that he hadn't spoken. Slowly making his way over to the voices, Kaiba was stunned to see himself pinning Yami against a pillar. Or more accurately, his supposed previous incarnation was pinning Yami, who was dressed in full pharaoh regalia, against a pillar. "It's gone far enough!" he reprimanded Yami sharply only to be promptly ignored by him.
Instead, the other version of himself tensed up at those words and Kaiba found himself on guard instinctively. Confused by the sudden change, Yami asked, "Seto, what—"
Turning to look behind him, Seto's gaze pierced straight into Kaiba's own, but he got the feeling that he was being seen through judging by the lack of reaction. "I thought I heard something," Seto told Yami with a frown, his eyes still searching the otherwise empty room.
When he wrapped his arms around Seto's neck, the priest finally returned his attention to Yami who had an impish look about him. "I didn't hear anything," Yami said with a shrug before leaning forward to kiss him with an enticing smile that made Kaiba uncomfortable. Actually, the whole thing was making him feel that way and he wished that he either would wake up or that Yami would quit being an ass and stop ignoring him, but neither happened.
Becoming more irate as they continued, Kaiba finally couldn't stand it any more and stormed over to the pair, fully intending to stop this charade. Much to his dismay, when he tried to separate them, he realized that he no longer had a physical form and instead had been reduced to an observing presence. "Damn it, Yami!" Kaiba swore, not liking the change at all.
Neither showed any indication that they realized Kaiba was in the room and they continued undisturbed, subjecting Kaiba to the sight of his other self responding in turn, making him watch the way Yami melted against the other with a sigh of pleasure. "You're going to be late for your meeting," Yami mentioned to Seto when they finally parted, but he made no attempt to free the other from their embrace.
"Whose fault would that be?" Seto asked as he began lightly trailing kissing down the pharaoh's neck.
Tilting his head to allow the other to have a better angle, Yami murmured softly, "I wonder…?"
Laughing in a way that sounded too much like his own for Kaiba's taste, Seto said, "I'll just tell them that I was busy 'attending' to the pharaoh."
"That's the same excuse you gave them last time," Yami pointed out, his hand drifting down Seto's exposed chest.
Looking at Yami with an expression that was more seductive than Kaiba thought himself capable of, Seto stepped back as he smugly asked, "Shall I leave, then?"
"Let them wait," the pharaoh pronounced as he pulled Seto back toward him, initiating a heated kiss that Kaiba realized he was better off not seeing for various reasons.
The priest wasted no time in letting his hand slip under the pharaoh's skirt and was rewarded with a moan that left Kaiba with a strong desire to relocate some place else, but he found it was impossible. Instead, he was being forced to witness the experienced movements of the pair, begrudgingly admiring the ease in which Yami had managed to fully support himself against the pillar by wrapping his legs around the priest's waist as they continued their actions.
Oblivious to their invisible observer, their fingers continued tracing along familiar paths, but it wasn't long before they were interrupted by a guard calling out, "Pharaoh!" It was enough to cause them to pause, but neither made any attempt to disengaged themselves from their compromising position. "Permission to enter?"
"For what reason?"
"Dismiss him," Seto growled, his hands setting out on a mission to convince the pharaoh. Yami didn't respond; instead he let his fingers absentmindedly stroke the back of the agitated priest's neck in an attempt to calm him, causing Kaiba to stare in amazement as Seto's irritation noticeably decreased at the simple action. What was it about that act that caused them both to react in such a way? Wait, there was no "both" of them—what was he thinking?
"Priest Akunadin wishes to speak with you once more about Nefersherit," the guard announced.
The pair froze at those words, although Kaiba failed to understand the significance of them. Seto in particular seemed to be reacting poorly and it was strange for Kaiba to essentially watch himself quickly masking a look of intense hatred with an unaffected appearance. "Looks like I won't be late for the meeting after all," Seto said bitterly, a stark contrast to his calm demeanor.
Clearly upset and concerned, Yami held on tighter when Seto tried to pull away, and he started trying to softly explain, "You know that I have no intention—"
"Don't," he interrupted sharply, bringing his hands up to remove the other's arms from around his neck. It was clear that he was trying to leave as quick as possible, although Kaiba got the impression it wasn't for fear of being discovered by the guard.
Forced into forgoing his position, Yami stood on the ground once more, looking up at Seto with a pleading look that would have seemed strange on the Yami that Kaiba knew. It was too close to begging and it was evident that Seto seemed to share the same disgust for the expression. "Seto, she—"
His voice had a hard sarcastic edge to it as he took a step back with a mock of a bow and said, "I'll leave you to your duties, Pharaoh." Not waiting for a response, Seto turned and walked briskly toward the room with the hidden entrance Kaiba had used earlier, his cape sweeping out dramatically behind him. There was no way for Yami to stop him without making the guard aware that Seto had been there, so he had no choice but to let the other go.
The pained expression on Yami's face made something inside of Kaiba respond, even though he didn't understand why and did his best to banish it as the pharaoh continued staring in the direction the priest had gone. It was only after the quiet sound of the stone exit closing reached his ears that he finally called out to the guard, "Enter," pushing himself away from the pillar as he resumed a regal air that gave away nothing about what had just happened.
Two men appeared in his chamber, one who was clearly the guard and the other was of a higher status. Yami watched with passive eyes as the two men bowed respectfully before him, the guard leaving immediately afterwards in order to resume his post. Gesturing for the remaining man to rise, Yami addressed him as, "Akunadin," and Kaiba still couldn't quite understand why that name sounded so familiar to him. Maybe he had read it in a history book somewhere, although he shuddered at the stray thought that the white haired man could have been an ancestor of Pegasus since he possessed the Millennium Eye.
"My pharaoh, I have come to discuss—"
Curtly interrupting, Yami stated, "As I told you before, I have no intention of wedding Nefersherit." It suddenly made sense to Kaiba why Seto had left so quickly, but he still considered the abrupt retreat distasteful and weak-willed.
"Yes, I recall the conversation well," Akunadin said, looking somewhat nervous. "Since she displeased you, I have found several other women within the royal harem that you might find more to your liking."
Sighing heavily, Yami told him, "It is not up for discussion," in a manner that led Kaiba to believe that this wasn't the first or even second time this conversation had occurred.
"I understand that my pharaoh has his reasons for not wishing to marry, but you must consider your position," Akunadin said carefully, earning him a warning look. "You are still newly on your throne and it is tradition for a pharaoh to have at least one wife by this point since you are of age. And if Seto were to wed before you, it would create quite a—"
Yami's eyes went wide at those words and he stared in disbelief at the older man. "What do you mean by, 'If Seto were to wed before you,' Akunadin?" he demanded angrily.
Clearly taken aback by the outburst, Akunadin tried to explain, "Because of Seto's…unusual background, the issue had never really been addressed, but now that he has made a name for himself, there has been talk amongst the court about what sort of wife he should take. There have already been several offers, although he has stubbornly refused them all, saying that he would rather focus on his duties to the priesthood and to his pharaoh."
Judging from Yami's stunned and somewhat hurt expression, Kaiba could tell this was the first he had heard of such a thing. The whole thing was just making Kaiba all the more grateful that his own adopted father wasn't still around to use him like a chess piece and pressure him into a marriage of convenience to help secure business relations.
When Yami failed to reply to the additional information, Akunadin continued, "Because of his reasoning, there has recently been some discussions about the possibility of one of the priestesses—"
"What, would you have him with Isis?" Yami asked harshly, laughing at the absurdity of such a concept. The idea of it made Kaiba ill, even if it had nothing to do with his current self.
"She is the only priestess that is high ranking enough to be considered worthy enough of him," Akunadin began to explain, only to falter when he saw the severe look his ruler was giving him.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he invoked the power of his authority as he commanded, "Under no circumstances is he to wed Isis. I will not allow such a thing!"
Bowing in acknowledgement, Akunadin dared to ask, "Then what would you have him do, Pharaoh?"
"As he wishes."
"That is not always possible, my pharaoh."
Yami started to answer, but stopped before speaking, still struggling with what he was going to say. Finally he admitted with a frown, "I do not know."
"Nothing needs to be decided immediately," Akunadin told him, trying to appease the other, "but please give it some consideration."
"Ah," was all Yami managed to say, sounding dejected over the matter.
Hesitating before continuing, Akunadin decided to add, "Also, please reconsider your stance on your own marriage. It will put the minds of the people at ease to know that their pharaoh was securing his succession."
"If you have nothing further to say, leave," Yami told him dismissively, not wishing to be reminded of the fact.
With a low bow, Akunadin did just that, leaving Yami alone in the large chamber. Wondering if Yami would respond to him now that everyone was gone, Kaiba called out the other's name, but it appeared that nothing had changed in that department, either. Instead, Yami exhaled deeply, his expression finally revealing just how deeply he was troubled. "Damn it, Seto," Yami swore softly, his grip on his arm tightening.
"And what have I done to merit those words?"
Spinning around and seeing Seto leaning against the wall near the pillars, Yami stared at him in shock. "Why are you—I thought that you," Yami began to say but trailed off as the other approached him with a smug look.
"Do you think so low of me as to believe that I would run away like a petulant child?" Seto asked dryly with a laugh, although Kaiba found it hard to accept. He supposed that it was true on a technicality since the actions weren't so much those of a child as much as they were of a person who was angered and deeply in denial, but still. Kaiba himself was surprised to find that Seto had stayed, but eavesdropping wasn't exactly that much of an improvement over storming off in a rage, though.
"So you heard, then?"
"Are you expecting me to thank you for forbidding me to marry Isis?" he questioned sardonically, finally standing in front of Yami.
"Would you rather have me revoke the decree?" Yami teased, wrapping his arms around Seto's waist as the other scowled at those words.
Seto's expression finally softened as he looked down at the shorter man in his embrace. "No," he said quietly, "although that was the first time I had heard her name mentioned."
"It was the first time I had heard about any of it," Yami mumbled into Seto's chest, his grip involuntarily tightening.
Shrugging, Seto explained, "Occasionally some official who was looking to strengthen his position would try and convince me why their daughter was worthy of me, but I couldn't be bothered with it. If they weren't willing to work for their own success, why should I help them?"
"How like you," Yami commented with a laugh, leaning back slightly to kiss Seto softly on the lips, not the least bit surprised when it escalated into a possessive one as he was backed up in the direction of the bed. "Seto, you're going to miss your meeting at this rate."
"Were you not the one who said that they could wait?" Seto countered, pushing Yami onto the bed with a smirk.
"Then they will have to wait longer still before I'm finished with you," Yami replied with a feral grin, pulling Seto closer to him for another round.
"As my pharaoh wishes," Seto said mockingly before the pair enthusiastically resumed from where they had been interrupted earlier.
Once articles of clothing began coming off, Kaiba started becoming more and more disturbed by the voyeurism he seemed incapable of escaping. It didn't make any sense why Yami had yet to address him; the other should have been gloating and preaching about his evidence of their supposed past lives, but there had been nothing so far. Even if Yami had found a way to make Kaiba witness one of his own dreams, there was no reason for Yami to try and make Kaiba watch when he could be trying to make Kaiba act out on such impulses. None of it made any sense to him and he was at a loss as to what to do. He had no eyes to shut, had no body to help him get away from the two men who were becoming increasingly noisier as they continued in an uninhibited manner that made Kaiba wonder just how long things had been like that between the two of them. Despite their highly aggressive attempts to possessively claim each other, there was a gentleness that Kaiba recognized that was lacking in himself; it was unnerving seeing the almost loving way his supposed other self looked at Yami and the fact that it was being reciprocated as well. Before he could think things any further, Kaiba began to feel a strange pull that he didn't resist, having seen more than he wanted to in the first place.
This time when he opened his eyes, he was back in his own bedroom, his heart pounding as his alarm clock continued blaring. Rolling over and blindly hitting the snooze button, he groaned as he buried his head into his pillow, trying to systematically block out everything he had just seen and failing miserably. Was it always going to be like this?
Not quite ready to get out of bed yet, Kaiba lay motionless and tried to calm himself, hating that it was both mentally and physically. When his alarm went off for a second time, he found himself dreading going to school without really knowing why.
A/N: Not quite so cracktastic and I feel as if I should apologize for the lack of lemoning this one. XD And poor little Kaiba is still oh so exhausted from earlier activities, it would seem. Fufufu…
I know that it was never implied that that Akunadin was an ancient incarnation of Pegasus, but I randomly thought long white hair + Millennium Eye + age potentially aged Pegasus. Of course, then I started hearing the voice actor of Pegasus going, "Oh noooooo desuuuuu! Bakura-boy is trying to revive Zork-boy desuuuuuuuu!" Seriously, watch any episode of the ancient Egyptian arc that has Akunadin speaking and just picture the Japanese Pegasus doing the voice instead and tell me that you don't go into hysterics. Especially when it's revealed that he's Seto's father – which would make certain aspects of Duelist Kingdom with Pegasus even more fucked up than they already are.
As for Kaiba-boy…heh. Sorry, Pegasus on the brain for some strange reason. Anyway, I just could see Kaiba trying to use dungeon crawling video game logic while exploring in a palace. He is such a gaming dork, after all. It might sound bad to admit that I didn't originally intend for this to have a tie in to ancient Egypt since my next story is so heavily focused on that theme, but I don't think it's necessarily a bad deviation. Was it Yami's dream, a genuine memory, or just a random dream? Saaa…But I do think that it would be an enlightening experience to see the similarities in the behaviors between their ancient counterparts, but traumatizing as well. Oh, and the trigger for the door in the papyrus room is so high up because Seto would have been the only one tall enough to reach it. XD
Ah, almost forgot the historical note. The royal harem wasn't a harem as we conceive of it today, but it was a place where the wives and daughters of high ranking nobles and officials resided. It was typical during that time for the pharaoh to marry his sister and failing that, his cousin, but given that there's no sister mentioned and his cousin is Seto…I could see there being problems with the marriage issue. Priests were also allowed to be married and lead normal lives. They usually worked on a rotating system and returned to their families when they weren't at temple; of course they were supposed to abstain from sex during their religious duties, but we're going to conveniently ignore this fact (like the creator did for most of the ancient Egypt stuff, haha). XD
Not a whole lot else to add, surprisingly enough. Hopefully everyone enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to your thoughts on it. I'm so shocked that I've almost got 100 reviews already! You guys are spoiling me, haha.
NEXT CHAPTER: Awakening
Bakura finally finds out that Yami has his own body and the two get into an altercation. Who is going to be responsible for breaking the two of them apart and what about the aftermath? Another confrontation with different results occurs, but why will Jounouchi be the one in need of therapy afterwards?
Poor Jounouchi, I've been quite mean to him lately. It's not that I dislike him—in fact, I tend to find him quite amusing from time to time—but his explosive reactions are just so much fun to exploit.
And now the news that none of you are going to want to hear: the next chapter might not go up next Sunday as I wish. My school is taking a weekend trip to an onsen, so I will be without my computer and the means to post it. So if it's not up on Sunday, then it will most likely be Monday, unless by some freakish even it turns out to be Wednesday. So all of you who were looking forward to Bakura's reaction, you're just going to have to tough it out for an extra day or so, alas.