Link – hectic week, man. Can't believe I survived it and whipped this out at the end of it, but looks like I won't have too much time to myself. :C Boo. Oh well; once a week/every two weeks isn't too bad of a pace. We're almost done with Part One anyway!
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Chapter XIV: Shattered and Scattered
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For a moment he left me, eyes glued only to his chest of clothes and I kept quiet about my excitement. At least, tried to, anyway. It was like walking on air; as if anything that happened in the last day was nothing but a dream and once I woke up, none of it would be real. Atemu would be in mourning over Teana, Mana would be struggling to have Mahado look at her and…I would be here, sitting and waiting for something to happen since going back into the Millennium Puzzle would leave everyone devastated. At that thought my hands slipped around the pendant and a smile laced across my lips.
That wasn't going to happen. Atemu and I were real friends now. We established something, and it wasn't the relationship we had when we first came eye-to-eye. Back then, we based what we knew of each other on assumptions, but now, we were friends. We were going to get through this and he was going to help me find my memories.
Th-then he started stripping. My eyes widened and I c-caught my breath. One-by-one the clothes were thrown to the floor like pebbles as he sexily shed of his wrinkled tunic and tossed it aside, dark alluring orbs never leaving his clean clothes. L-look anywhere but at h-him! PLEASE! N-Not that I didn't want to…then again, i-it's n-not like…I w-wanted to look away. The kilt was the next to go—ohgodohgodohgod—kicked charmingly aside by long, tan legs like a graceful dancer flicking her foot against the sand and—crapcrapcrap—down w-went his loincloth and I g-gulped.
I've seen him n-naked before.
Ever since he was little, whenever we had our special time alone in his bathroom, he would hold the puzzle tightly between his fingers and tell me to wish him luck. I pretty much grew up with Atemu, from the time he was still young, then going through…p-puberty and…n-now—OHMYGODHE'SHARD.
Turn Away, Yugi, turn away.
I shut my eyes, readily awaiting the moment he would g-get dressed…get out of the r-room…something…I shivered, feeling warmth run down my spine and scurry through my pants. With a whimper, I curled my fingers, finally gathering enough courage to look up again. He was still there. Bare. Naked. Nude. Clothless. Unclad. Garbless. Shirtless. Kiltless. Oh, by all that was Min. I gulped, swallowing the large lump in my throat, through this really messed up haze and forced myself to look at his face—glorious sex-god body aside—and studied his look of reflection.
He stood there, eyes glued to the floor and mouth partly opened in personal confliction. I shivered, morning's throbbing e-erection defeating my waning better judgment. In an explosion, his entire face darkened; pink to the tips of cocoa-honey ears as he quickly dressed.
I frowned at the trouble and unexpected fluster teeming in his cheeks. It wasn't like him to get so….I dunno, not like him.
"A-Atemu?" I asked and then cursed for sounding so…mortified. I resisted the high sound bubbling at my throat as the beads of sweat perspiring against his neck heavenly shined. His lips pulled into the signature impish, half-smile half-smirk with dark eyes gleaming with—godhisseductivesparkles.
"Yes, little one?" I blinked away the blinding circles and forced a breath through my lungs. Everything down there began to tingle, sensations spiking toward my lower belly and teeming at the head of my—he tossed clothes into my lap and I shoved the thoughts away. All senses told me to resist squeaking as he firmly grabbed my knee and I desperately crossed my legs to hide the growing abomination in my pants. He saw it. He had to have seen it. This was a seduction tactic that his concubines used, easing their way into his kilt with every bit of skin. Atemu was going to—"For now I would prefer you wear my clothes."
Wait, what? I breathed through the dizzy spell, his words sinking in as I became as red as he was. With an awkward smile, I looked away, so relieved he hadn't seen my…problem that I almost laughed. "Y-You were always a bit of a neatfreak."
"'Tis an understatement." I gulped as his eyes scanned my sweaty body once again before pulling away and beginning to put on his jewelry. "After months of yelling at Mana, she finally crumbled under my demands and actually requested to have the same dress made twenty times."
"S'not like you gave her another choice. But you have to admit, she put up a good fight." I bit back a small laugh and hugged the clothes closer. Atemu was notorious for wanting to be clean. He despised getting dirty, even if it was just a speck of sauce on his tunic. I supposed that as royalty, he had to keep up the prim and proper image of being the Pharaoh. As for Mana, she was his exact opposite.
She was an evil mastermind most mercenaries would be jealous for in her ability to kidnap Atemu and get away with it for hours on end. She used to wear the same dirty tunic every single day, new mud stains piling on the old ones. Eventually Atemu had become so paranoid with her dirt-on-dirt-on-dirt "fashion" that for a week he banned her from going anywhere near him unless she bathed.
"She is the one person outside of my court who I will ever allow to beat me like a monkey." He rolled his eyes, hand falling to his other arm where eight-year-old Mana's game of "Kidnap the Pharaoh" went a little too well.
I quietly laughed. If I remembered correctly, when they first met, their parents planned to have them engaged, but due to her untrained charisma and his gentle soul, they clashed. Mana was far too reckless and apparently had the diabolical mind to overthrow her would-be husband and take over the entire kingdom. Of course, with a blunt refusal from four-year-old Mana after slapping the crying five-year-old prince, that never came to be. With time, they became good friends and so close any peasant upon the street would have mistaken them as siblings.
With a bit of a small smile, something panged in my chest. There were memories growing up with "sister" Mana, "brother" Mahado, "mother" Isis and so on, and then there was… "And me?"
Atemu halted, eyes following my form as they flashed with confusion. "What about you?"
I fingers laced with a loose thread in the tunic. Blushing, I forced an easy smile and shrugged. "I'm a peasant too, aren't I?"
"Nonsense." Before I had the chance to blink, his hands were framing my jaw and he hovered over me. "You are my light. You are my little one." His eyes narrowed, gleaming with mischief and daring me to question is word. You are mine, our mind link broadly declared.
My entire face, if not body, darkened. I opened my mouth to speak, to say something coherent but nothing was willing to come out. He kissed me, lips pressed against my own with open tension, but still too soft to hurt me. I caught my breath, trying to make sense with this, but couldn't. After that, he pulled away and put a distance between us.
Right. I…right. Shivering, the red against my cheeks was quickly becoming cold and I looked down to my hands. This…us…we weren't… "Atemu…"
"As I told you plenty times while you insisted on bedding me; I have various duties to perform as the pharaoh. Sleep. Rest. Bathe. Eat. I will inform my priests and surely you know your way around the palace well enough." He smirked. "After all, the naughty young light has sneaked out a few more times than none."
I stiffened. Another smile lingered across my face through utter mortification and he slid out the door already fully dressed and regal. A harsh breath left my throat, squeezing air out of my lungs as I loosely sat against his bed.
There…wasn't an establishment between what we had. We were friends, yeah, but to what extent? Loosening the thought I held the clothes close to my chest and steadily walked to the door leading to his bathroom. I scanned it; from the large pool fit for ten sitting in the walls carved with the Gods themselves. A frown tugged at my lips, Queen of the Gods—Isis—gazing wistfully from the ceiling. In a lot of ways she was like Priestess Isis—beautiful, kind, and considerate. And in a way, this meant that Atemu had three mothers.
Queen Seshat, someone that neither of us had a clue on how much she loved her son. She gave birth to him and was said to be beautiful, kind, and proud. Unfortunately, she passed away giving birth.
Priestess Isis was a significant figure when it came to raising Atemu. She knew that he was destined for great things and took up what her own mother did for Atemu after death by sickness. It was probably why he had ridiculously come to think that Mahado and she were smitten, too, because of how Mahado supported him after his father died.
Goddess Isis was the mother of Horus. She was the goddess of motherhood, fertility, and magic. One of the stories depicts her fleeing with the baby Horus, raising him from newborn until the day he became old enough to face Set and obtain the throne as Pharaoh. The Gods, especially her, kept a watchful eye for her son.
But, I thought as I unbuckled the sweaty choker laced around my neck and shook off my wet pants, if Goddess Isis kept a watchful eye out for Atemu, then she knew of my existence, too. I tossed the dirty, sweaty black shirt aside, eyes never leaving the statue. All of the Gods had to know of my existence. They had to know…they had to know whether or not what Shada said was true; that I was from another time period.
I wasn't going to second guess it. The door Priest Shada spoke of came to mind and I shivered, wiping the sweat off my brow. Just closing my eyes, I could see it; how beaten up and battered it was, but how strong the enchantment around its entrance was too powerful. It was what caused my headaches; what pounded whenever Atemu touched me, sent warmth through my body and brought me into pure bliss. I-It was Yami telling me to tear away.
Yami was telling me that wasn't right. Whatever I did with Atemu, it wasn't right. I…I belonged to Yami. Clenching my eyes shut I felt another pulsation from tapping the door violently pummel my mind and my boxers fell to the floor. Uncovered and bare, I shivered again and glared at my…p-predicament.
I slid into the water, careful not to fall to the very bottom since it was a bit deeper than I was tall, and rested my head near the brim, one hand on the erection by instinct. A whimper left my throat and I stared at it; how it throbbed wh-whenever Atemu was around o-or…wh-when he looked at me like that…
Head dipping back, I softly rubbed it and caught my breath. H-How…A-Atemu would always sm-smile or blows any of my reluctance and hesitation away just by one simple embrace.
B-But thinking about Yami made my entire body ache. A sharp gasp left my throat and again, my head throbbed. Atemu. Yami. Atemu. Yami. My heart beat faster, hand squeezing my cock tightly and the soft strokes intensified, each love coming to mind. For the past five years, all I've known was Atemu. All that I've eaten, slept, and breathed was Atemu. On the other hand, now that we were face-to-face, Yami's name and a wave of unfamiliar feelings would overwhelm me.
I was ecstatic about Yami. I was hopeful for Yami. I was determined for Yami. I always…cried for Yami. I…I loved Yami. I loved this stranger; someone who all I knew was his name, but that was all it took to bring my body into full swing and sweep me off my feet. I was in love with a stranger; someone who would readily kill the Seth-lookalike given the chance, but still the same one I'd celebrate my birthday with. I was his aibou.
"Mou hitori no boku," I squeaked. Another squirm left my throat, followed by a muffled moan as I squeezed the head of my erection. Pleasure shot through my body and I caught my breath. A buzzing drifted into my ear and I choked on the cry of ecstasy once I came. Once I caved, shallow breathing aside, I dove deep in the water and sat there, eyes open with contemplation.
My face teemed darker and hotter than the water. It always did after I thought about Atemu th-that way. Diving back up, I rested a forearm at the ridge and lay my head against my arm. Atemu. Yami. Atemu. Yami. Squeezing my eyes closed, the familiar pounding of my headaches came back. The door engraved with the Eye of Horus scraped against my sanity, just like it did the night before and I stopped breathing.
Sooner or later, I would have to leave Atemu. Feelings or not, this was not my time period and once I found out why I was sealed in the Millennium Puzzle, I would have to go back where I belonged. He wanted me for pleasure, a-and I wanted…I wanted a relationship…
Yami came to mind. All of those feelings—the overwhelming sensation and his voice breathing against my ear made me shiver. Another pang shot through my heart; an instinct that came with this body, but not my mindset—the one that didn't remember anything. It was like it happened to me; as if my one day leaving Atemu was the same as…if Yami was going to leave me.
And again, I reminded myself, Atemu wanted sex. I wanted more.
Tears blurred my vision. I choked on my next breath, plunging into bath water yet again and rubbed them away. A sharp shriek left my throat and I pulled up to the surface, dragging myself to dry ground with my body pressed to the floor.
Y-Yami…A-Atemu…o-oh…gods…
What was I talking about again? I muttered something incoherent under my breath, brain pulled into autopilot as I redressed myself. I-I needed to know what Yami was to me, but I wanted Atemu. I-I didn't care about anything…anyone but A-Atemu, r-right?
Every time I shut my eyes, I saw glowing green. Wh-What was Yami to me? Why did I want him so much; wasn't I happy just…just to have Atemu?
…who was A-Atemu…? He…the little boy…prince…person…Black Mahado's best friend…he was…where was this place? I clutched my head, feeling the horrible burning. Who was A-Atemu…? Why was that name so important…did I know it from somewhere?
A-And…the tale of the Nameless Pharaoh…he was…the spirit in my puzzle, right? The one I completed after eight years…yes…no…I… Catching my breath, I blinked again and was blinded by the nauseating green light.
Right. Yami betrayed me.
Tears streamed down my cheeks and I clutched my fists. Y-Yami betrayed me! He…Orichalcos…I was in a prison now, all because of him. Heart squeezing together, I quietly sobbed and left the room—wherever I was. I had to find Yami…ask him why he would betray me, after all I've done for him…why he had to leave me…
Yami was always in the kitchen, talking to Black Mana and Black Mahado Girl before going off to see Kaiba-kun, Ishizu-san and the rest of them. I slowly nodded to myself, trying to make sense of whatever words tickled my lips. Yes…
That was where the Nameless Pharaoh would be.
theotherme.
"Shh…shh…yes. Yes…good, Yugi."
"I…wuss…" What was happening? Something cold pressed against my head, followed by soft fingers pushing the bangs out of my face. I rubbed away the sand from my eyes and attempted to move, but after the few short flicks of my wrist, it was left throbbing. I grunted, desperately shift to the right, and cried in pain. "Why…dowai…"
"'Tis the first time you've stirred in three days, little Yugi." The voice quieted again for a moment before they propped me up and slipped something down my throat. I obliged and swallowed, feeling the warm liquid surf through my veins and curled my fingers. This time, movement didn't ache and I tried further by opening my eyes. Isis smiled, kiss against my forehead before laying me back down again. "Good Yugi."
"Isissss……," I slurred, cursing because of my tone. Squirming, I pushed myself up again, adrenaline getting the better of me before succumbing to a pounding headache. My heart pounded furiously and I grunted, hand clutching my bare chest. Isis's cool hand forced me back to the fluffy pillow and I looked at her curiously. "Don…member…anythen…"
I didn't remember anything. Clenching my teeth I sucked in a breath and regretted it. She replaced the cold rag over my head and put something warm in my mouth. "Chew, chew…yes. Swallow. Good, Yugi."
"Whahappen?" I whispered. Looking up to her face, I then realized that not only was I shirtless, but pantsless as well. Blushing, I pulled the thin sheet over me closer and shivered. With every beat, I felt more sweat travel down my body and a sudden flash of coldness.
"You have a fever. You have, for the last seven days. Oh…Little Yugi, how much do you remember before having blacking out?" The smile across Isis's face faltered and she brushed away the lone bang in my eyes.
"N…ngh." No. I didn't remember anything, really. Closing my eyes, I shivered and tried best to recall anything that happened in the past d—SEVEN DAYS? "I was out for seven days?!" I slid out of bed, automatically falling to the floor and flat on my face. There…no way…couldn't…be out for seven days… Isis gasped, pulling my body close and up. I yelped, bare feet singing against the hot floor.
Isis leaned over me, quickly taking the linen cloth used as my blanket and tied it over my waist. Pushing aside my humiliation, I looked back at her and had a feeling that my exclamation was going to be the clearest thing I said for the rest of the night…day…what time ways it?
Day. The sunlight pierced my eyes as she led me back to the bed and found a comfortable position. From the corner of my eye, in Atemu's outer room and on his couch, I saw a tan leg sprawled out in the air.
Immediately, my body ached again and Isis slipped the same drink down my throat. She turned my head, dark eyes narrowing wryly. "Do you wish to continue slipping out of bed and falling or will you listen to me this time?"
Shrugging, I held the small cup between my fingers as she plopped warm meat between my lips. "I…," I whispered, "all I remember is…w-waking up next to Atemu." At that thought, my cheeks darkened red and I couldn't meet her gaze. Instead, my eyes fell to the cloth wrapped loosely around my legs. Where were my clothes?
"Is that all you truly remember?" Isis muttered after a few minutes of silence. She fed me more food, then offered a spoon of pudding. I rested it on my tongue and at the roof of my mouth before summoning up the courage to look her in the eye.
Nothing but pain. The pudding went down my throat in a large lump and I stared at her, confused and surprised. "Isssisss…," I unintentionally hissed, "C….clothes?"
She smiled softly. "As I told you, you have had a fever for the past seven days. In order for you to not overheat, we stripped you."
"You stripped me?" I repeated through a strained voice. My hands fell to the Millennium Puzzle; the only other piece of "clothing" they allowed me to wear while I was out for the week. What had happened? Frowning, a blush surfaced all the way to the tips of my cheeks and I curled into my form. And again, my body was burning. I gulped the last of the drink given to me earlier.
"Slow down—don't drink too much of it at once." She stood abruptly and took it from my hand. With apparent frustration, she minced herbs I didn't know the names of together, adding a bit of an unknown elixir before pouring all into a basin of water and into my cup. Isis clutched it gently and warily eyed me. "'Tis a sedative for your aching muscles, Yugi."
"It wears off fast," I muttered. Running a hand through my hair, I shivered and hugged myself. No memory. It felt like only yesterday Atemu and I had been talking; finally making up and coming to an understanding. After that, we slept in the same bed, but…
"On the contrary." At the first sign of my wince, she downed more of the water in my mouth and tossed a blanket over my body. "One gulp of this is enough to have even the best soldiers out for days, Yugi. This narcotic leaves the simplest commoner—one with little to no stamina—numb for weeks. They use this same medicine to ease the pain of birth; though in much smaller doses."
"If it keeps wearing off like this, you must not be giving me enough."
"Again, you speak a false statement." Isis chuckled, pouring orange powder in the basin of water. "Yugi, I have given you the most powerful doses known to the God of Medicine himself. These would be enough to kill you."
I squirmed, moving a hand to push a bang out of my face and found myself failing. It was painful. Hesitantly, she allowed me to take another sip. After this one, my head quaked with horrible tremors. I clutched my stomach, pain hammering both my head and the brim of my throat as knots tighten at my core. Sharp gasps left my throat and all oxygen left. I-I…I-I…
Tears exploded from my eyes and the pain radiated. Instead of offering me medicine, Isis stood up from where she was, Millennium Necklace chastely glowing next to the Puzzle, and rubbed circles in my back. My vision doubled, blurring before my eyes and I gagged on absolutely nothing but my saliva.
On the side of the bed, the little food left my mouth, laced with a horrible scent and foul liquid. Isis 'tsk'd' three times, gently stroking the back of my neck to ease any discomfort and hugged me tightly to her chest. In a bolt of light, Mana erupted from the couch of Atemu's outer room, rag in her hand and she cleaned up my mess. Isis watched quietly, as if this had become a little routine of theirs. Seven days. What on earth had I done in seven days?
"Yugi!" With a sickening squelch, Mana ran my way, tackling me to the wall of the bed with the damp rag between us. "Oh, thank the Gods!"
"Ouch! Ouch…ouch…Mana…" The awful taste in my mouth lingered, even after Isis offered me another sip of painkilling water. I swallowed the liquid, feeling as if I were choking as it lingered at the end of my tongue. In one fatal cough, I gagged and out it went, warm and gooey as it dripped out the creases of my lips.
Mana pressed the barf-stained cloth against my mouth, eyebrows furrowed. "The second Atemu gets back, I'm going to slap him for having me clean up all of this puke!"
"Mana!" Isis gently pulled her away, dramatically paling as she tossed the dirty cloth aside. "That's insanitary!"
"You…shun bessso hard on Atemu…," I muttered, nose crinkling from the smell. Gagging again, I ducked my head to the floor as a second wave of nausea hit. Coughing, saliva lurched from my stomach and emptied to the floor. Isis clasped a hand over my shoulders and Mana scurried under me, quickly cleaning up the mess. I wiped away any leftover goo smearing my mouth as the world around me whirled.
Isis pushed me against the bed. "That was the second time. I fear that this elixir will not stick even if we try the third."
"'Thin' my bodysss gro….nimune?" I swallowed my next breath hard and shivered from the cold rising in my body. In my memories, there were a few times that I could remember falling sick; having colds or strep throat. Hot flashes, cold flashes. Boogers running out my nose and days of eating nothing but chicken noodle soup.
This…wasn't chicken noodle soup. I shuddered, cold sweat dripping down my brow. My head pounded violently as Isis used a clean cloth to wipe it away. "Your body has begun rejecting high dosages."
"I've been cleaning your puke ever since he left." Mana's voice wavered and she plopped beside me in the bed, one hand wrapped around my waist. She leaned forward, head rested in the crook of my neck and shivered. "I'm worried about him, Isis."
"Believe me," Isis whispered softly, kissing me gently on the head. "Even I do not know what the outcome will be from here."
My eyes fluttered shut and I forced myself into a steadier pace of breathing. Writhing into Mana's form, I gritted my teeth, tears involuntarily sailing down my cheeks. E-Everything h-hurt. I've never been in a pain like this before.
And I wanted Atemu. A whimper left my throat; salvaging what little of a voice I still had left as Mana held me tighter. In the past seven days, I doubt I did anything other than sleep and puke. That left me isolated from Atemu, who was probably concerned about what was happening to me. It was scary, too, to wonder what he would do while I wasn't around.
"Atemu," I whined in sickening sobs. "I wan Atemu…I wanAtemu…please, g…ge…gim…me At…mu…" I…needed Atemu…needed to see his face; to see that teasing smirk. For some reason, every time I thought about him, right after Yami, there was a sudden flash of green.
Mana caught her breath. Pain shot through my entire body, burning my very essence. I hugged my knees closely, softly curling into a ball while Mana scooted away to give me room. Green flickered in my eyes again and I hissed. The Millennium Puzzle gleamed daintily at my chest and I submerged into a horrible headache.
"Atmu….please, I nee…At…mu…" This didn't make sense. According to Shada, the puzzle was what kept me surviving and linked to this world, but that stupid jewel could have been the furthest from my thoughts right now. I didn't want it. I didn't care for it. Despite how much it meant to Atemu, right now all I wanted and what meant the most to me was my little pharaoh.
"Shh, shh…" Isis stroked my back, gently rocking me back and forth before pressing a kiss to my cheek. "Atemu is performing duties elsewhere, Yugi. You needn't worry about him."
She was lying through her teeth. I barely had any control over my senses and the searing pain was enough to drunken my thought pattern, but I knew she was lying.
"She's right, Yugi." Mana sounded the slightest bit more sincere, but barely. She took me by the head and rested it on her lap. I buried my face into her stomach, latching onto her waist. But it wasn't the same. I-It wasn't Atemu…i-it wasn't him just broadly taking me in his arms and crushing all of my bones like I would soon leave. "You sh-shouldn't worry about Atemu right now…he's already shaken enough."
"He always is, even when there is a hair out of place on your cute little head, Yugi." I could feel Isis's smile more than I could see it. Rolling off Mana's lap, I buried myself into the bed, face pressed against the pillow and seething in pain. B-But they were right. Atemu had the tendency of freaking out if I weren't right with the world.
"He...s'okay?"
Isis massaged my back. She gently made circles, squeezing my shoulders. "Sleep off the pain, Yugi. Once you wake up again, we will try to get you something to eat and hope that it stays down. Understood?"
"Mm…kay." Getting up wasn't an option at the moment. No matter how hard I tried, no part of my body was willing to move. My mind urged to protest Isis's orders, but by the time I reminded myself 'don….give….innn…..' I was readily drowsing and drifting into slumber.
"He's going to have to find out sooner or later," I heard one of the girls say.
"Right now when he is in pain, it is best that he should wait." There was a pause, then, who I assumed was Isis, stroked my cheek. "Besides, no one knows how long Pharaoh Atemu is planning to stay in Abydos. He was urgent when wanting to leave."
Abydos? He…he was in Abydos? What on earth would he be doing there? W-Without telling me? Or…had he told me; saying that he would be travelling? N-no… he h-hadn't told me. And…he was urgent to leave? N-NO! He…he couldn't have left, we were just…just becoming friends, and…h-he…
I must have been babbling in my sleep, because the next thing I felt was Isis's hand pressed against my back and someone wiping tears away from my eyes.
"No, no, Yugi…sleep. Please, you needn't worry about the pharaoh. He will be fine."
She was right. I-I needed to sleep. B-but it wasn't fair that he left. We were just talking about it yesterday—eight days before—the hell if I knew now, but he were talking about starting over. W-We were going to make this work, and I was going to ask him to help me; share my mind with him so he could know what I knew. There weren't supposed to be any obstacles blocking us this time! I was…I was supposed to able to f-feel happy…and…n-not guilty…that o-one day I would have to leave him.
And now he left me. Atemu lied to me. And I should have seen it coming—it was going to happen s-sooner or later, either with me offering myself up to him o-or not. Right now, he was probably fucking some bimbo in Abydos.
My heart sank just at the thought and some inaudible cry left my throat. Someone—I assumed it was Mana—wrapped an arm around my torso yet again and curled into my form. We lay there, Mana to my chest.
Sleep, I reminded myself. I needed sleep.
theotherme.
This was a dream. The foreign language that was instinctive to me was all that everyone spoke in, and there I sat in a desk in what I outrageously knew to be a classroom. Looking around, there were a lot of other people, too, who were as pale I was. They weren't Egyptians, they were…well, quite frankly, I didn't know what they were. They wore the same clothes I did; or at least some form of it. Blue blazer, blue pants, and the girls wore something I knew was an equivalent to my uniform.
Instead, my eyes wandered to the front of the board where there was writing as unique as that of Egypt, and twice as fluent. They were history terms, and I was supposed to take notes. It…spoke of a Nameless Pharaoh, who saved the world and then sealed his soul away. Archeologists and historians alike still, to this day, searched for that name; the great savior and his power just in case the world would mysteriously end in 2012.
But it wasn't 2012. It…it couldn't be, right?
For some strange reason, I actually knew the name of this Nameless Pharaoh. It sat at the edge of my tongue, teeming and waiting for me to say it. I needed to raise my hand, tell the teacher that the Nameless Pharaoh's name was Yami—no. That wasn't right. Yami was the name of…my darkness. At any rate, the only names I knew were Akhenamkhenan and Atemu, and both were known for their great rule.
Suddenly there was something tugging at my chest, as if the conclusion I'd come up with was wrong. Forcing myself to concentrate through the daze, I looked down to the small golden box sitting before me and examined it. This…was it. This was the box where I kept all of my incomplete memories; ones that I started working on, but was always too distracted by something else to finish.
"Yugi!" Jonouchi-kun. I turned my head, looking toward his direction and the wicked grin settled across his lips. In an instant, many of the students left the classroom, school being over. I stayed in my desk, fingers laced around the gold box. Jonouchi-kun ruffled my hair affectionately and placed both hands on his hips. Two other people stood by his side, Honda-kun and…Anzu.
I blinked, staring at the Teana-lookalike for the first time since the Seth-lookalike battled Yami. Anzu Mazaki…one of my childhood friends and my first love. She was the sweetest, coolest, funniest girl that I've ever met and I was in love with her ever since I was ten. Now seventeen, all of those feelings had faded, replaced only with my admiration for someone who seemed like an older sister.
And…the way she looked at me was different from the way I looked at her. Anzu was looking through me…toward him. Yami. The Other Me. Mou hitori no boku. With the sudden twinge to my heart, it bled with realization. Maybe that was why I was always so insistent of Atemu going off with Teana. Maybe in my past life, the ideal person I pictured with Yami was Anzu. He held her close, and Anzu certainly…was in love with him.
She smiled innocently, oblivious to my contemplation and offered a hand out. "Are you still worried about the Pharaoh, Yugi?"
Was I worried about Atemu? I…I was always worried about Atemu. Even from a small wound from stumbling, I was concerned like his next breath would be his last. His stability had always been something to worry me, even now. In his younger days he always second guessed himself, questioning whether or not he was worthy of being the pharaoh and how it was only by pure luck that he was the prince had not Akhenamkhenan been born first.
Now, he was assertive and proud to be the Pharaoh, knowing very well how 'worthy' he truly was. Which only made me worry more when he would slip into worry and contemplate his true worth or show any sign of depression, anyway.
So that was what I told her. "I'm always worried about him."
"I see." She nodded politely, eyes landing on the puzzle laced around my neck. Jonouchi-kun cracked a joke that we all laughed to, and for a while all we did was talk about burgers. Anzu's eyes never left me, and by the time I finally stood, she was dragging me out the classroom and assuring the guys we would be back soon.
I flashed a look of concern. "What's wrong, Anzu?"
"I…nothing." Her cheeks flared red and she bent over, one hand around the Millennium Puzzle. I gently shifted, unnoticeably taking it out of her grasp and into my own hands. "Yugi, for just right now, can you take it off?"
Confused, I was ready to oblige, but my mouth had other plans. "No." A small laugh came out of my throat, eyes involuntarily widening as a familiar wave of unknown emotions tackled me, as if asking, you're kidding, right? My hands gripped the puzzle tighter, soot visibly rubbing onto my fingers from a memory I still yet to know, but obviously traumatic enough for me to refuse her. "Anzu…I'm never taking it off again. I trust you and all, b-but the last time I took it off, someone tried to—"
"O-Okay, yeah." She slowly nodded, and her eyes—two beautiful, cerulean gems—gleamed with concern. "I'm sorry, Yugi. I shouldn't have even asked that."
"No," said my voice, but not my thoughts. Something had freaked me out, but what? There were sudden images of flames flickering in my head, and burnt fingers trying to recreate a puzzle… "What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Well," Anzu breathed. She stared at the Millennium Puzzle and pulled her hands behind her. "It's just the fire that has me thinking, Yugi." I involuntarily cringed. "Ever since almost losing you and the pharaoh, I realized that not only the two of you are different people, b-but I'm in love with one of you."
I stopped breathing. "What are you saying?"
"I want to tell the Pharaoh how much I'm in love with him." She smiled broadly, cheeks lightly staining with red. "He's always been there for me, Yugi. I don't think I've ever felt safe around anyone before and—Yugi, where are you going?! Yugi!"
I ran. Before Teana…Anzu—whatever—had the chance to finish, I ran away. Shattered pieces of my heart exploded one-by-one and the anger swelled inside me as I dashed through the halls. I didn't want to hear anymore of her choices, her indecisiveness. But I wasn't angry for Anzu falling for him; that was the weird part. I don't think I could ever be angry at her, because I was willing to do anything for her.
I halted, finding myself in a labyrinth of halls. With a shiver, I could feel my vision shifting back and forth; left and right as if the white-painted walls were becoming brick-like and ominous. The doors kept shifting from wooden to metal, constantly changing in atmosphere and still confusing me.
This wasn't right. Despite Yami always sleeping with Anzu, he kept flirting with me…a-and always told me how beautiful I was. But he made love with Anzu and…they were going to have a baby…before Anzu was murdered by Enu…and he outright told me that he didn't love her.
Wait. That was Atemu. And…it was Teana…Atemu slept with Teana and got her pregnant. B-But why were they so interchangeable? It didn't seem wrong that I'd said Yami instead…but they were different people. They had to be. One was from a past life and this life.
And I loved them both. Biting my lip, I looked around again, desperately trying to find an answer. It wasn't a matter of who I loved more; if Anzu were to go off with Atemu—w-wait I mean, Teana go off with Yami—ARGH, no…
But they really were this interchangeable. There wasn't one who I favored more than the other, and no matter what fault or mistake they made, I didn't care for it. I loved them for who they were. B-But they were so far away from me.
One was in my past life and the other was with me, now. With Yami, my darkness, some part of me ached and gave me the painful reminder that I wasn't his. That he wasn't mine. Some day he was going to leave me (if he hadn't already) and I would be left all alone. But with Atemu…one day I was going to leave him.
"This isn't right," I whispered. I didn't belong in this time period, but I didn't want to leave it. But letting my feelings rot away for Yami was ridiculous. My former self wouldn't have wanted it, and if I were to stay with Atemu it would have been like running away.
But who was Yami? Why did he mean so much to me; why did I want him so badly and why did he haunt my thoughts and fantasies so badly that every time I reminded myself he wasn't here, I was ready to die?
"I need answers," I squeaked. Tears blocked my vision and I curled my fists, dipping my head back and banging it against the wall. "I need answers!"
It wasn't fair! How could I love one and not the other? The green light from before flickered through my eyes and I whimpered. Orichalcos. Rage and upset bubbled in my stomach and I shut my eyes to avoid it, but there was no avail. I couldn't remember when I first obtained the memory, b-but it scared me. Catching my breath, I looked up again, through the green glow and shivered.
That was another reason why I couldn't love Yami. He betrayed me; he promised me that no matter what, that seal would not be used, but he broke that promise anyway. And I still loved him. No matter any of his faults, no matter those mistakes, I loved him.
Just like I did with Atemu.
Turning my head, another whimper left my throat and my eyes came in contact with a dark metal door standing parallel to me. Gleaming with ominous light, all that was visible was the eye of Horus gleaming iridescently at its core. I never liked looking at this door more than a few seconds because of the chills it would give me. It was the one door in my soul room that, from the very beginning, had been there taunting me.
If I opened the door right now, then all of my questions would have been answered. If I opened that door, I would know who Yami really was, and remember what he looked like.
One foot in front of the other, I stepped forward and paced myself. He was always a prime figure in my memories. My hand pressed against the door, slowly turning the knob and with a violent quake, it obeyed my command, immediately opening.
But I didn't want it to. I caught my breath, eyes watering as I was suddenly blinded. I-I didn't want to learn my memories. I didn't want to leave Atemu.
"Stop," I whispered. "STOP!"
theotherme.
I'd been asleep for three days. Slipping in and out of consciousness, it was hard to differentiate a dream from a memory to reality. Sometimes I was able to remember sitting there, just like a little baby or doll while Isis or Mana spoon fed me. The pain had subsided on the first day of being a Raggedy Ann, but it was hard to speak now. My headaches doubled and increased, far worse than the normal ones. Every time I blinked, I saw his face. Yami.
But he wasn't Atemu. During the times I was awake for even a little bit, I couldn't recall seeing my little pharaoh. He was nowhere to be found, and my throat and lips had swollen to the point that talking hurt. On the second day, Mana had left and was nowhere to be seen. Isis spoon fed me, watched me on the hour and held the same tight expression
Waking up now, I whimpered. The cold air hit my bare skin as I curled into a ball and under the sheets. A grungy hand was pressed against my forehead. With a quiet gasp, I seethed and shook away, eyes clamped shut.
"Calm down," the voice said gruffly.
"He's gone," I whispered. "H-He's gone! Wh-Why didn't you tell me he was gone?!" I choked on a cry and squirmed miserably, eyes to my knees. Atemu had left me. That was the reason why I hadn't seen a hint of him in the past seven days. He abandoned me; leaving only the puzzle and went off to fuck the next girl to dance on his lap.
"Calm down," the voice repeated. "If this continues, you will wake—"
"He's gone!" I wailed. I thrashed about, hitting what I assumed to be his stomach and buried my face in the pillow. "He abandoned me! H-He hates me! H-H-He d-d-d-doesn't want me anymore! I-I-I mean nothing t-to him! H-He's left me—both of them! They both left me!"
"Seth!" A weary hiss could be heard, different from the deeper one from before. Through the corner of my eye, I saw Isis come to me, hugging me close, but flailing. I shoved her away. I didn't want her, I didn't want Seth—I fucking damn well didn't want Mana, either. I wanted Atemu—my little pharaoh. I wanted Yami—mou hitori no boku. And I couldn't have them.
I couldn't have either.
"Let me go!" I cried as Seth picked me up. "I don't want you!" I victoriously kicked him in the face; stunning enough to slip out of his arms and back into the bed, but I couldn't breathe. Clutching my neck, there was little to no air leaving my mouth.
My vision blurred and I went into a deathly coughing fit. Isis grasped me tightly, pushing at my bottom lip with a small bowl of water and forced it down my throat. It was salty and sour all the same, but she clamped my lip shut before I had the chance to spit it out. Instead I coughed on it, some making it down my throat while part of it went up and gushed out my nose. Seth pinned me to the bed and Isis wiped away the dripping liquid from my nostrils. Again, she forced the liquid in my mouth as I thrashed around.
"Take me to Atemu!" I screamed. Whimpering, I shut my eyes and gulped down the horrible taste. "P-Please…take me to Atemu…"
"Shut up and sleep," growled Seth. He picked me up gently only to slam my entire body into the bed. My head hit the wall harshly and I yelled in pain. "The Pharaoh needn't a whining spirit."
Isis wasn't there. For some reason or another, she left me alone with my little pharaoh's cousin, the one who despised me more than I could understand.
"But I love him," I weakly stated.
Seth's grasp on me loosened, but only by a little. I could feel him roll his eyes before sighing. "Sleep, Yugi. Now."
"But—"
"Sleep." Even though I didn't want to, I had no other choice. Seth kept me in the hold, one large hand pinning my wrists above me and a hand planted on my torso. He stood at my side, far from my legs so I didn't have the chance to hit him, and I was able to breathe easily. Whatever was in that medicine Isis gave me, I wasn't suffocating anymore.
By the time I was falling asleep again, Isis had come back to the room.
"'Bout time," Seth grumbled.
"I am sorry." Isis pressed a hand to my head and kissed me gently.
"Do you have any idea how long it will take before Mana returns from Abydos?"
"No. but I only hope that when she returns, the Pharaoh will be with her."
theotherme.
As I said before, all I've ever eaten, breathed, and slept with was the thought of Atemu. Despite the fact that at the time, I thought I was a spirit, the only thing that was ever on my mind was him. There was no question, no other thought. The only time Yami had ever been brought up was when we were first face-to-face and the memories were becoming more violent. Other than that, my darkness was an entirely different subject from my little pharaoh.
I remembered his smiles. I remembered those dark red eyes brightening when learning something new. There was no debate, no struggle to find out who I really was. When I first met Atemu, he was only a little kid and had the strongest essence of darkness emitting from his core. He was so small, so fragile and all seemed lost in despair. I felt his pain, could sense his tears and in a way, when one of the former high priests took away the Millennium Puzzle and slipped it around his neck, I felt his fear.
I had the ability to touch every one of his memories and listen to them, to know who they were and was able to recount them probably better than he was. And when I saw that adorable, childish face with conflicted red eyes and tarnished innocence, I knew I needed to help him. But how, I desperately asked.
He stood there for quite some time, eleven years of age and full of spite, before snapping at Mana and running away. In the Millennium Puzzle, I frowned, eyes only watching his movements. Mana was his most cherished friend; one who, no matter his rank, loved him dearly. He was sure that Mana had forgotten a long time ago he was heir to the throne and saw him only as a person. That was what he loved about her.
But I stared at him, how at any minute he was ready to crumble, and he stared back; not seeing me, but the Millennium Puzzle. And with a dramatic yell, Atemu threw me against the wall. "You are of no help to me!"
My spirit shook, forcefully shoved out of the Millennium Puzzle; the new home that I thought would keep me safe, but broke in an instant. Hundreds of little pieces scattered the floor and I stood there, intangible, invisible and hovering like a true ghost. Was I free? I caught my breath, watching as the shock flickered across little Atemu's face before he ran to the mess created.
"No!" His hands fumbled with all of the small pieces, any that he recognized had broken in sequence next to each other and forced them together. No avail. Tears streaked his vision and a ragged cry left his throat, like his world had just been destroyed.
My heart broke, watching as he stared at it, tears slipping and ashamed for being unable to fix it. I hesitantly set a hand on his shoulder as he continued to cry and touched one of the puzzle pieces.
"Shh," I softly soothed in his ear. Not that he could hear me. "It'll be alright. Go to bed, and I'll see what I can do."
He sniffled, nodding almost like he could hear me. Ruby jewels fluttered closed sleepily as he lay against the floor and fell asleep. I smiled, running a tangible hand through his hair. Wait. Tangible?
Reliving my new discovery and feeling the unruly locks of this young child's head again, I stared at my tan hand, and then the identical garb I wore to the new Pharaoh. I couldn't have possibly been the pharaoh…could I? Pushing the thought aside, I sat parallel to the prince and touched another puzzle piece. A shiver ran up my fingers and radiated in the palm of my fingers. Nostalgia. Picking up another one, I stared at both pieces and studied how identical they were to one another.
But not identical enough. Putting the second one aside, I picked up a piece located near Atemu's face and relished the feel. Slowly, both hooked together and fit perfectly. I softly smiled. This was the reason why I was here; to help the prince no matter what.
With another attempt, I picked up three little shards and two of them clung to my original piece easily. One by one, each of the pieces came together and eventually, they were beginning to make a shape. When I was part of the way done, in my hands was a jewel that almost resembled an upside down pyramid. Grinning, I picked up another and put it in. Didn't fit. Picked up another one and again, it didn't fit.
Alright, that sucked. Now I was frowning and looked back to Atemu, where three pieces lay gracefully between his fingers. With a small grimace, I bit my lip and slid my fingers into his to pick them up. As a moan escaped his throat, I recoiled, piece successfully between my fingers before successfully placing them in an open gap. A sniffle left his throat and I tensed. Looking over, I saw the petite little boy, crimson orbs glued to the floor as he contemplated something.
"Oh, wowzers," I nervously smiled. I didn't want him miserable. Atemu was utterly adorable when he grinned and until he did, I would be here watching him. "This is a little weird, huh?"
As he directly looked at me, my entire body tingled. A shudder passed through my spine and I clutched the pendant tighter. Though I couldn't see it, I automatically knew there was a resemblance between us. He was my reflection. Or…I was his.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
I relaxed, eyes settling on that beautiful face. Round and cocoa-like, it meekly glowed, as if although he knew his rank of nobility, Atemu didn't fully understand it. Dark red orbs shimmered with frightened ferocity, but there was no mistaking it. This little pharaoh was a hothead in the making. "The other you, I guess," I concluded. Concern floated to my features and smiled. "Are you okay?"
He snorted and looked to the ground. "Do I look okay?"
"Oh, uh…" I mentally slapped myself. Of course there was frightened ferocity. Of course he was meek and seemed so unsure; he'd just lost his father! "Right."
My chance was useless. I looked to him in hopes of rekindling our first meeting, but his first impression of me must have been horrible. Looking back to the puzzle, I reminded myself that this was the other reason why he "didn't look okay." I picked up a handful of puzzle pieces and set them in my lap. One by one I tried them and each successfully found a place to fit.
"So I bet you're going to give me some big inspirational speech then, huh?" I dropped the pendant as he interrupted my thoughts and hastily picked it up again. He frowned in disapproval. "This is a sign from the Gods, right?"
"Erm, no." I softly laughed and felt my entire face burn in embarrassment. If it were a sign from the Gods, then I was completely unaware of it. But if I told him the reason that I was completing it was to make him smile, I'd s-seem like a creeper. "It's this thing."
"That thing?" He spat. Atemu stood up, the fury in his eyes quickly flaring as he clenched his fists and pointed to the puzzle. "What does this hell jewel have anything to do with it? It isn't even strong enough to hold together!"
I snorted. "Well in its defense, you threw it against the wall."
"I see no difference." Blinking, I looked to his small little form, how petite and tiny he was. His large red eyes flickered with irritation and he pouted like a little child. I opened my mouth to speak and say what this "difference" was, but I couldn't help it. I burst into laughter, clutching both my sides because he was s-so c-cute!
Eventually, he laughed with me and we sat there, amused by that one little comment. My laughter slowly drifted and I looked to him, the first smile seen all day and the first one I've ever seen on his delicate face for myself. "You could say that my heart shattered when you broke this."
A sharp twinge stabbed my chest and I grinded my teeth together. Quickly looking back to the puzzle, I questioned if I was allowed to be out this long. Atemu's eyes flickered with curiosity. "Your heart? By what means?"
"W…well…, you know…" Red surfaced across my face. It was horrible to see how miserable he was, even after only one day of knowing him. I recalled one of his memories, of when his father had first sacrificed himself for the gods. No child should go through something like that. Never. …I think. No. I know. Shutting my eyes, I decided it was best to tell him the truth. "Your pain woke me up. I've been watching you, and every time your heart wrenches, mine does too. I…I just had to come see you."
And Atemu was truly taken aback by my answer. His entire body loosened and cute red eyes followed my hands as I continued to fix the puzzle. "How did you do it?" he whispered. "How is it that you are able to get so much of that conundrum done in such a short time while I cannot?" His voice had weakened considerably, struggling to find a tone that would fit his…his fear. "I am not worthy of it, am I?"
"…you're scared." I pressed a hand to his shoulder and felt his nervousness float through me. "You don't believe you can rule Egypt, do you?"
He slapped my arm away. "I know not another solution, Other Me!"
Other…Me…again, my body was quaking at those two little words. I blinked away the familiarity and grabbed his wrist. "Hey," I scorned as I lead him to the bed. "Don't do that. Aggression doesn't solve anything."
He sat there limply, again showing off his smallness, childishness. I resisted the urge to smile and ravish his cuteness. "I," he stammered quietly, looking away. "I know."
"That's right, you know better. In the eleven years of your life, you know exactly what your father has taught you. Actions speak louder than words." I returned to the small clump of gold pieces and inattentively stuck a piece in an open gap. It fit perfectly.
"There are many good pharaohs and many bad pharaohs! I will be harassed for each decision I make!"
I whirled around and caught sight of the tears running down his cheeks. Catching my breath, my eyebrows furrowed and I watched him. Unknown bruises tingled against my skin, but I couldn't recall getting them. "Yeah, I know," I whispered. But I didn't. Somewhere in my mind, I think I did know what it was like to be beaten up and harassed, but I couldn't recall them. Right now if I had the chance to, I would have given anything just to be able to relate to this little prince. "I was harassed a lot, too…I think. The important thing is that you have friends, little prince."
A sudden thought ran through my head and I knelt before him. He caught his breath before fearfully asking, "What on earth are you doing?"
"Head up." I grinned. "You're the new Pharaoh of Egypt, my prince. Isn't it only natural for me to bow before him?"
The words took a while to sink in. He stared at me, mind set in full thought before finally replying, "You aren't allowed to look me in the eye, either." Oh. I looked back to the ground. "But I demand you do. Continue."
My smile widened and I petted him on the head. "It's only in human nature for people to make mistakes, my young prince." My young prince…for some reason, I enjoyed the sound of that. "You're going to go through a lot of wrong doors before you get to the right one. Until you learn from your mistakes, you have to go at it with your friends. They will always be there for you."
"And…you?" Another sharp pang hit my chest. I caught my breath and resisted the urge to cry out in pain. Unfortunately, he noticed. "You, the other me, are suffering. Why?"
"Dunno," I breathed. My head pulsed and I choked on the last few words as I looked to the large gap set in the middle of my pendant. "But all you have to do is look at this puzzle if you seek comfort, my little prince." S-Sleep. I needed to sleep off this dizzy spell and…to have all of this…wear off… I forced a smile and gestured to the puzzle piece in his hand. "The last piece."
Atemu's eyes fell to it. He squeezed it gently and miserably laughed before placing it in my hand.
"Thank you," I whispered. I let the puzzle hang for a moment and cupped his face. "Don't ever think back to your old memories with a sad face, new pharaoh. You have all the strength in the world."
His eyebrows furrowed. "But…"
"Ah. If you keep having doubts, everything jumbles and becomes a disorganized mess. But," I put the puzzle piece in his hand and gently pushed both into the large gap. "If you put it together, it fits together like a puzzle."
Another smile enveloped his lips as it glowed between his fingers. Atemu studied my expression and softly laughed. "You never told me how you were able to fix it so fast."
"Head up," I repeated. "I dunno. I think somewhere in a past life, I just really, really liked puzzles. All the pieces just called me together." For a moment I paused and realized, I actually didn't know where I was from. How had I ended up in the puzzle and…what was my name?
"You…have to go now," he whispered sadly, "don't you?"
"Yeah." I pressed my hands against his and gestured to the puzzle. "But I'm here to talk to whenever you need me." I paused and laughed. "Heck, I'm you, aren't I?"
"I…yes. You're right." He slowly nodded.
"Apologize to Mana, by the way. I like her." I breathed a sigh of relief and wiped away the sweat from my brow. With a small chuckle I touched his forehead where the crown lay and in a vibrant glow of light, disappeared. When I was finally settled back in the puzzle, I watched him drift into sleep. A small smile laced across my lips, and before I realized it, I spent the next five years watching him grow.
Back then, it didn't matter what my name was. All that mattered was protecting the little pharaoh from whatever harm came his way. But…I needed to find my origins. I needed to know who I was and unfortunately, that meant finding who and what Yami really was to me.
I writhed into the bed, finally calming down after the attack. My heart ached horribly and I choked on a sob. I needed them. I needed Yami, but I needed Atemu. One day I was going to leave Atemu…but Yami was going to leave me. And that left me nowhere.
Gods, Atemu. Where are you?
--
Author's Note:
Gasp! An entire week before an update?! Really?! …Yes. Because I am seriously lacking time nowadays and might end up only being able to update one story a week. So…we'll have to wait and see where everything takes us before we get there! We're getting toward the end of part one; thank you so much for your support, and I hope I see most (if not all) of you reading part two! :D Anyway, it's read, so…review?