Today's random fanfic development location: Taco Bell!
Okay I admit it, I've never actually seen the final episode where they resurrect the pharaoh. I'm just making shit up as I go along here. BUT THAT'S WHAT I DO ALL THE TIME DOHOHOHO.
Hey, at least I'm not being a total weeaboo desu desu kawaii look at me i can speak japanese honto ne! Well... not in THIS fanfic, anyway.
- x - x - x - x -
The moment of truth has finally arrived.
I stand before the ancient slab, staring at the six Millennium items pressed into place, along with the three Duel Monsters cards representing Egyptian gods. The Puzzle rests in my hands; I glance down at it, hesitant to place it with its brothers, as I know that when I do, mou hitori no boku will separate from me. I'll lose my best friend, my duel partner, my lover.
In essence... Half of me will simply disappear.
"Argh, put it in already!" Malik Ishtar snaps from behind me. A sharp "Ow!" informs me that his sister, Ishizu, has elbowed him in the ribs. My other soul chuckles; it's a bittersweet sound that makes me smile and choke at the same time.
"Go on, aibou." He places his hand over mine, guiding me to the sacred slab. "It's alright... Everything will be fine."
I nod and take a breath, setting the Puzzle into the carving. Ishizu begins to speak in what I assume must be ancient Egyptian, and all sensation seems to drain from my body.
And then, suddenly, pain rips through me, throwing me to the dusty tomb floor. Screams echo all around me, piercing through my eardrums, and it takes me a moment to realize that the horrific sounds are coming from me. My vision tunnels, and all I see is bright white, staring me in the face; I feel like I'm being scraped raw from the inside out, I feel like I'm going to explode, the pain is simply overwhelming... I feel my lungs burning, so I know I'm still screaming, but the sound of my voice is drowned out by the ringing in my ears.
"Mutou-san." A gentle touch to my shoulder breaks through the wall of agony, and I feel the pain subside. My vision returns; I find myself on hands and knees on the floor, my entire body shaking. The hand on my shoulder belongs to Ishizu, who kneels beside me. She places her hand under my chin and tilts my head up to look into my face. "Your bond with the pharaoh is very strong," she says, her dark eyes holding an apologetic expression. "We did not expect your souls to be so closely entwined..."
My brain seems to turn back on. "Mou hitori no boku," I croak, looking around for him. I spot him standing before me, and I scramble to my feet. His eyes are glazed over; he seems to be lost in his own thoughts as he stares blankly at the stone tablet. His projected appearance is slightly more solid, though still very ghostlike. I stare at him for what feels like hours before he shows any sign of life.
He blinks a few times, his ruby eyes focusing. Though he looks exactly the same as he's always been (to me, at least), he seems like an entirely new person. He holds himself differently - taller, straighter, like the regal pharaoh he is. He turns to me, and I feel my heart leap into my throat as he meets my gaze. Does he still know who I am? Does he remember... us? I search for any sign of familiarity in his expression, and after a moment, his eyes soften.
"I don't remember anything in the agreement about soul-rending pain being inflicted upon the host," he muses, extending a hand to curl over my cheek. That familiar ethereal warmth envelops my skin.
"Clearly the priests did not anticipate the possibility that your soul would connect so deeply with his," Ishizu says, something like a smile dancing in her dark eyes. It takes me a second to piece together the situation.
"Wait... You can see him?"
Ishizu nods. "He is just as visible to us as he is to you, Mutou-san." To her left, Shaadi gives a small "mh" of agreement. I bring my gaze back to the pharaoh, who I realize has been gazing at me this entire time.
"Yugi," he murmurs. "My memories... have returned to me."
I smile as best as I can. "That's great," I say, trying not to let my voice crack. "I'm glad..." And I am. I'm happy for him; this is what he's always wanted. Even if it breaks my heart... I'll be strong, for his sake.
A smile quirks his lips. "I've waited three thousand years for this moment..." He steps forward, placing his translucent hand on the ancient slab. A soft glow forms in his core, and it hits me like a sack of bricks.
This... is the end.
As the glow intensifies and spreads throughout him, I squeeze my eyes shut against the tears wanting to spill. I don't want to watch him fade away. He calls out to the three gods represented by the cards on the sacred carving, and speaks one short phrase in that same language I don't understand. Behind me, three gasps of surprise; before me, a powerful rumble that shakes my very bones.
And then silence. A very long stretch of silence.
"Ph-pharaoh," Ishizu breathes, followed by a respectful "your highness" from Shaadi. Malik, however, does not follow suit.
"Put some clothes on, you creep!"
- x - x - x - x -
Naked cliffhanger! Isn't this fun? WHEE!
Handy dandy author's notebook!
Like I said at the beginning, I have nooooo idea whether this is anything like what happens in the series lol. But there's a reason this is called fanfiction, so. I believe the proper phrase is, "Boo-yah."
Quick note about Malik / Marik. I read somewhere that "Malik" is a legit Egyptian / Arabic name, and ever since then I've spelled it that way. (Except when I'm referring to the Abridged Series. That one's still Marik. idunnolol) Ishizu's canon Japanese name is "Isis," but it's pronounced "Ishizu" even in the jap version, and plus Isis was an Egyptian goddess (if I remember correctly), and that's just plain weird to have a character named after a holy entity, UNLESS I MISSED SOMETHING IMPORTANT IN THE SERIES EXPLAINING THAT ISHIZU IS A DEITY, you know what, i wouldn't even be surprised if that was the case, this series has such a random-ass plot. (Case in point: Noah. WTF, seriously.)