A/N: So sorry for the definitely long wait and absolutely late update. I've been suffering from writer's block as usual and I've been having some problems in school. And to be honest, yes, I've been having a hard time lately due to the events in school that I couldn't think of how to do this chapter.
In case you haven't notice, the story has a missing chapter, Chapter 19. I suppose this could go out without that chapter but still... I'll update later, I guess. As for now, I'll post this and the next chapter. Again, to those who are still there and have kept up with the story, I'm very, very grateful and thankful you're not mad at me or something. I promise it won't take long anymore. However, I regret that this, perhaps, will be the last Yu-Gi-Oh fic that I'll write. But I'm not quite sure yet. Just a feeling of uncertainty. It might pass.
A note on the nobles that are going to be mentioned in this chapter. It's quite true that in Egypt's history, the reason why the Old Kingdom fell was because of, aside from a foreign invasion and low technology in terms of warfare, it was also suffering from the loss of capable rulers and power-hungry nobles who wanted also more land. This resulted to rebellions and when the invaders, I somehow forgot who they were but I know it started with an 'H', knew this, they took this as an opportunity to conquer Egypt.
On why Atemu couldn't call on monsters to protect them: I just feel like him being that powerful would ruin everything I've been planning. Let's just say that when he was captured, and while he is a really powerful pharaoh, Ranmen was already a magician of great power when he had this conflict. It is possible that Ranmen knew of a way to block Atemu's power and so, it appears that only after tremendous concentration and strong emotions can the pharaoh call up a monster. It drains him of his energy, however.
Anyway, thanks for reading that small note up there. On with the story!
Chapter 20: The Struggle
The moon hung low, pre-dawn rays decorated the sky, it was a new day for the people of Egypt, and it was another day for Mahado to look for his pharaoh and his favorite priest. He stared from the chambers of his king towards the east, wondering why everything they planned, every infallible strategy seemed futile, and with every passing day, their efforts are but thrown away with no results on the whereabouts of their monarch.
It was frustrating, really, to worry over the king of Egypt, defend the court of said missing monarch from greedy nobles, and overwhelm Ranmen's forces. What's next? A rebellion?
"High Priest Mahado…" a guard called, faltering as the priest glared at him in annoyance.
Please, not a rebellion.
"We have found Ranmen's hideout, my lord," the guard reported proudly, seeing a small smile, somewhat pleased, he hoped, grace the priest's face. He bowed as he was given leave, and thanked every god known for saving his neck.
The priests stood before Shimon, all ready to do their tasks. Shimon would stay in the palace and perform his role as vizier while the priests set out for Atemu. By sunrise, troops left the palace and headed southward.
XXX
Ranmen was beyond furious when he entered the room where he had both the High Priest and the pharaoh locked in. The priests obviously knew where he was hiding, and curse them, how could they find it so fast?
His eyes, however angry they were before, if possible turned into a darker hue with uncontrolled fury as he caught sight of the two captives in an embrace.
Within a second, light transcended on the room and the two were revealed. Seth was suddenly pushed away from his cousin by an unseen force and slammed to the wall. Ranmen's eyes gleamed in pride and glory.
"Seth!" Atemu cried in concern, turning his gaze at Ranmen, "Leave him alone, Ranmen," he ordered, standing up.
"I had enough of your resistance, pharaoh!" the other answered as he opted to take vengeance on Seth. But before he could make any move, Atemu had ordered his shadow monsters to block it, thus, protecting the weakened priest.
Ranmen growled in anger.
"What does this priest have that I do not? What do you want from him that I cannot give?" he demanded, feeling the frustration slip into his soul. He stalked towards the pharaoh and with a slick movement of his wrist, had the pharaoh trapped by too, the unseen force that had attacked the high priest.
"What he has is my heart. You have to understand that you cannot force a person to love you back simply because you fancy him. It will lead you nowhere," Atemu answered, feeling for the first time, unafraid or unthreatened by the other.
Ranmen laughed, "Is that so? Then I can just kill him if that's the case," he muttered, making sure the pharaoh had heard him, "You, of all people, should know that I get what I want, my pharaoh," he whispered in the monarch's ear.
"You will not touch him, Ranmen. Not before passing me first. He did nothing to you, leave him out of this," Atemu replied with all the force he can muster in such trapped state. The other simply laughed at his statement and made his way to the priest.
The man laughed to himself, watching as the priest moved his face away as he grasped the priest's chin. "I see no point or logic why you would fall for this sad excuse for a priest," he said loudly, "He couldn't even protect you from me."
Seth growled in anger, "You dare lay a hand on him and I'll—"
"You'll what, priest? How exactly are you going to kill me?" the man interrupted, reading the other's thoughts instantly, "Forgive me but you are completely powerless to move even a finger."
Ranmen laughed, "You know, we can share him. You and I," he whispered in Seth's ear, as if tempting him like a demon would to a man. "He can be ours to do with what we please, warm our beds," he added.
Seth's eyes narrowed in even deeper anger, feeling the urge to call on every shadow monster and tear the other's flesh in shreds. "Get away from me, you rat! You dare talk to me like that? How utterly disgusting. I can see why no one dare have an interest on you. You're abominable."
"Atemu is mine as I am his, and no one, definitely not the likes of you, will stand in the middle and destroy our relationship!" Seth snarled.
Ranmen sighed, as if unfazed by the other's insult and reaction, "Why must young people like you be so stupid and illogical? Oh very well…" he said and without any warning, he thrust a sword into Seth, smiling in satisfaction as the other gasp in pain.
"SETH!" Atemu cried out, tears on the verge of forming and spilling as he felt being released. A few minutes later, when his resolve was finally on the verge of collapse, he was knocked unconscious.
XXX
The priest stared, eyes wide open, as if unbelieving that he was actually going to die. It was such a pain in the arse, death, why would he leave when Atemu needed him the most? He met the pharaoh's gaze, wishing fervently that he could hear the other's shouts but his wish wasn't granted and all he could do was try to feel something as he fall to the ground, having the force on him released.
It hurt, it really did, that he knew, but it wasn't going to be long, though, before he would finally fall into the darkness, was it? Everything seemed to appear in front of him, all the times he had spent with the pharaoh and the others, it all felt like yesterday. He chuckled inwardly, so this was how death felt.
And yet, as he waited for death to claim him, he felt his body being turned around, his back on the floor and his eyes dully staring at Mahado's mahogany ones. Was Mahado Death's messenger? Had he gone to claim his soul? He chuckled to himself, knowing how lucrative his ideas are to his sanity. How very beneficial, he thought bitterly, wincing in pain as the sword was pulled out of his body.
"We must get you to the healers. Death knocks not on your door today," Mahado said, helping him stand up, knowing the other would refuse to be lifted up. Seth shook his head, coughing some blood before finally accepting help. It felt nice to be numb, after all, he considered. Not thinking of the possibilities and the consequences… ah… darkness… why is it all of a sudden such a pleasant idea?
"Snap out of it, Seth!" Mahado nearly growled, "Don't die. Atemu needs you," he reminded as he decided, finally, to lift the priest. Dignity would have to be forgotten, he thought, uncaring if the other priest would kill him when he recovers.
As the healers work on the semi-conscious priest, Mahado waited patiently outside the pharaoh's tent, knowing the others would be capable to handle everything else. The sight that happened upon him when he found his pharaoh wasn't that relieving, he thought. It was a nightmare.
He had killed Ranmen with the help of his pharaoh who had, before succumbing to darkness, called on a monster to push Ranmen away, of course, but he knew he couldn't return what the man had taken from the pharaoh. It was something he would never forget—those wide, emotionless eyes that greeted him when his pharaoh gained consciousness a little bit later, while he carried him towards the healers.
The body would heal, that he knew of. The bruises and the marred skin, the injury below and all else would eventually return to how it used to be. But no amount of medicine or herb or incantation can return what the pharaoh had lost—his dignity and pride.
Things wouldn't return to normal, after all, Mahado thought grimly.
XXX
Atemu opened his eyes, finding himself surround by the darkness of the night. He was on a mattress, that he presumed, and he was in a tent. Mahado was there, he realized all of a sudden, his memory returning to him. The priest had killed Ranmen. He should be at least gladdened that the man was gone, shouldn't he?
His eyes drifted close, his tears finally falling. He should have listened before, should never have given Ranmen the chance to be close to him when he was young. Then this wouldn't happen, right?
And what makes matters worse here was the fact that, perhaps if he does recover, he would have to face the world alone, not having Seth around. Ra knew how hurt he was. And he swore if he only had a dagger, he would have stabbed himself to death.
The memory haunted him, like a nightmare he couldn't escape from. He couldn't forget, every time he closes his eyes, Ranmen's face would appear, taunting and insulting, sadistically delighted to see the pharaoh so in pain and humiliation.
'How does it feel to finally be stripped off your pride, huh, pharaoh?'
'Stop this, Ranmen!'
'You no longer have the power to give commands, pharaoh. No power at all.'
'Let me go!'
A slap.
'For too long you have ignored me and thought I would never have the chance to prove my promises to you. Guess what, I'm here. You're but a weakling, a sheath to a mighty sword, pharaoh.'
A thrust answered by a pained cry, blood dripped, his insides stretched.
'No… Ranmen, stop!'
'Stop…' a whimper with little hope of having answered.
'Please… stop…'
'Atemu…'
"ATEMU!"
Mahado shook the pharaoh awake, cradling the trembling body in his arms as the other tried to fight him off. "Hush, it's me, Mahado, pharaoh," he whispered, "I'm here, Atemu. I'm not going to hurt you."
"No… don't touch me… let me go… stop…" Atemu sobbed, driving fists at the other's chest. Strong arms gripped his till it allowed him no freedom of movement at all, his panic rose and he cried.
"Let me go… LET ME GO…"
Mahado embraced the other tight, hoping by now the other would awake. Where was Seth when the pharaoh needed him? "Please, Atemu, calm down. It's Mahado, your priest. Mahado," he said.
Everything seemed to fade away, Atemu realized. Ranmen's face vanished into wisps of air, he sighed in relief as the vision diminished. "It's Mahado, your priest, Mahado," the air breathed.
"Mahado…" he repeated, "I'm so sorry…" he faltered and drifted into a dreamless slumber.
XXX
The High Priest covered the pharaoh with a blanket before turning around, knowing the other priests were watching him. He sighed in defeat and shook his head, the others aware of what his action meant. They cast him downward looks, all conscious of the fact that it was still their fault.
"He is far from recovering at this point," Mahado declared, "It wouldn't hurt, though, if the pharaoh's friends are with him through all of these," he added, gazing at them.
"The pharaoh will not be alone in this," Isis answered, "We will make sure of this."
"And High Priest Seth? How is he?" Mahado suddenly thought to ask.
Shadi nodded his head, "Already in the process of healing. He's still unconscious but he would be alert by a week," he said.
From outside the tent, they could hear the guards being ordered around from one point to another, this was a bad sign, of course, judging from Mahado's frown. He cast a gaze on Karimu. "What's going on there?" he asked.
"We have the identity of Ranmen's accomplice. It seems so perfect that Ranmen would form an allegiance with Bakura, that vile tomb robber, we should have known! He, however, has escaped when Ranmen was killed," the other priest replied.
"This is ill news. I want everyone on guard. I will not hear that some thief have breached the kingdom's security," Mahado answered in turn.
XXX
A/N: I know, I know, another note, right? Well anyway, I guess you already know what Ranmen did to our favorite pharaoh. Reviews are widely welcome and flames, sure, but that doesn't guarantee that it'd be appreciated. As I was saying, the chapter's title, The Struggle, was chosen because of the various conflicts. First between Ranmen and Seth who are well, fighting for Atemu (but for different reasons). Second, the developing 'struggle' between Atemu and what happened to him. And lastly, the literal meaning—Atemu struggling when Mahado embraced him.
Okay, on to working on the next chapter. Till then!