CHAPTER IV: Both the Poison and the Cure
It's an image so cruel scarred permanently in her memories.
In the middle of a raging battle on the bloody battlefield, a lifeless body that's about to fall to the ground.
He died in front of her.
Devastation shook her. She quickly dashed to catch the body in her arms. This person is too precious and too mighty to a nation to just be laid waste on the dusty ground.
He was more precious to her. Too precious that her heart died that very moment. To her, he was not just a ruler of a nation but is her whole world. The sight of the one she loves dead in her arms had killed her from the inside. He would not move. Never again.
Guilt swallowed her.
She shed tears as many as the number bruises on her beloved's body. His wounds from battle were in vain, so he gave up his very own life to defeat the enemy instead. The solution was to lose his very own soul. For him, it was a sacrifice worthy of saving a nation, even a whole planet.
No matter how long she cried, her tears wouldn't stop flowing on her bruised cheeks. Each of them fell and streamed to his motionless body.
"It should have been me…" she continued to murmur to herself with the words "I'm sorry…" over and over and over again as she lovingly stroked his noble face with her also bruised hands.
The enchanted relic she wore on her right wrist glimmered as she caressed his face.
She cried even harder at the sight of it.
Even though she had the artifact, she could not do anything to save nor help his beloved, the person she arduously loves and whom she has devoted her whole life to. She was supposed to promise her future with him. But what future lies with them now?
Her chest tightened.
She embraced his body tighter. It is becoming colder in her warm arms. She wailed loudly.
She looked at her artifact again. Her sobbing paused for a while. She then held his face tenderly in her palm. "My love, be at ease. I will be with you always. Wherever you will be, I will also be…"
She took up the age-old book she had beside her in one hand and casted a spell. Her armlet glowed in response while she held the fallen young man's hand.
Then, her body had also fallen onto the ground. Her face was on the dirt, but her hand was still clasped with her beloved's. She had breathed her last.
The battlefield was already rid of the enemy, yet, on there were the bodies of a young man and a young woman who were also rid of their lives.
Another battle is brewing in Domino City.
Atem, Aya, Joey, Tristan, and Tea staggered at the sight of the incoming fleet of fiend-type Duel Monsters heading their way. People near the vicinity had already ran in panic. The afternoon sky turned gray because of the hoard of monsters that covered it.
Aya drew out her duel disk and loaded her deck on it. She signaled the Pharaoh and Joey to do the same.
"Wait, I don't have a Millennium Item to summon monsters at will, guys!" Joey blurted. "Nyeh what do I do?"
"Don't worry, Joey, I got you," Aya said then reached out to touch his Duel Disk. Her Millennium Armlet glowed as she infused power in Joey's Duel Monsters deck. She did the same with the Pharaoh's deck.
Aya looked at Atem, her eyes full of resolve. "My Pharaoh, this time, I'm going to be battling by your side. I'm going to protect you at all cost."
Atem was puzzled at Aya's words, but he can tell that it carried a heavy meaning behind them.
It was time to fight. Aya pulled out five cards from her deck and summoned Maiden of Macabre (ATK 1700/ Def 0), Dunames Dark Witch (1800/1050), and Wingweaver (2750/2400). The three summoned monsters immediately manifested and headed for battle.
Joey also summoned Gearfried the Iron Knight (1800/1600), Flame Swordsman (1800/1600), and Red-Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000) and commanded them to battle.
Atem summoned King's Knight (1600/1400) and Beta the Magnet Warrior (1700/1600). Before he summoned his third card, he called forth the Dark Magician.
"Come forth, Mahad!"
Aya was astonished. When Mahad appeared, Aya desperately called for him, "Master! Master Mahad!"
While King's Knight and Beta the Magnet Warrior dashed off to the battle field, Mahad turned to the direction of the voice who had called him. "My lady, it's you! I didn't recognize you immediately."
Aya's cold eyes soften a bit after meeting someone she knew in the past. "Master, I see that you are well. I'm glad to have seen you after several millennia."
Atem was amazed at the sight of it.
"I am much more pleased to see that you are with the Pharaoh now, my lady," said Mahad with a relieved face.
"Lady? So did she used to be an important person in Egypt before?" Joey, Tristan, and Tea were surprised. Aya had previously said that she was but a 'mere servant' to the Pharaoh.
"Mahad, you know Aya?" Atem asked.
Mahad was puzzled at the question. "Pharaoh, do you not remember the Lady Aya at all?"
"If Mahad remembers her even if Atem doesn't, then Aya really must really be part of the Pharaoh's past, right?" Tea interjected.
"Pharaoh, it seems that your memories are incomplete, but Lady Aya is an important person to you that you must not forget," Mahad said.
"What do you mean, Mahad?" Atem pressed.
Before Mahad could answer, a fireball was heading towards their direction. He had to leave immediately and act quickly to negate the attack.
The swarm of monsters a while ago has now had its forces reduced to almost a third. King's Knight was about to be hit by an enemy monster whose attack power is higher, but Aya activated the equip spell Lightning Blade to Yami Yugi's monster. King's Knight gained 800 attack points and instead of being destroyed, it counter-attacked its opponent. Joey and the others were amazed at Aya's ability.
Atem glanced back at Aya in thanks. Aya replied with a weak smile.
Joey and the others noticed that Maiden of Macabre had grown in size and strength. Aya explained that for every enemy her monster card slays, it gains 200 attack points.
A violent earthquake shook the ground. From the void on the ground that's been trying to open, a figure had appeared. It was a man the size of a giant. It was wearing a cloak and had a dragon-like body. Atem and the others were stunned at the sight. The monsters immediately swarmed around him in obedience.
"Aya, curse you and your kin," the man's voice boomed. "At last, you've finally shown yourself. Now give me back the Millennium Tome!"
"Ba'al! You will never have the Millennium Tom!" Aya declared.
"Curse you too, Pharaoh," Ba'al continued. "You destroyed my most magnificent creation, Zorc. Bakura was also a wasted investment to realize Zorc's revival."
"GIVE ME THE BOOK NOW!" Ba'al raised his giant claws and attempted to strike to Aya's direction.
Dunames the Dark Witch immediately swooped down to repel the claws but was destroyed in the process. Aya suffered from a sharp pain in her chest as damage in her Ba or Life Points because of the defeat of one of her monsters. Tea and the others came to her aid immediately.
"The Millenium Tome is no longer with me, Ba'al. I sealed it away with the rest of my memories!" Aya declared despite being in pain.
The Wingweaver attacked Ba'al, which caused the giants arm to be burned. "So you have gained this much power after fusing with the Millennium Item and absorbing some of the Book's powers, huh?" Ba'al remarked.
Atem commanded Dark Magician to counterattack Ba'al. Wingweaver, Red-Eyes, and Maiden of Macabre reinforced his attack. The swarm of monsters left on the field tried to block some of the attack to reduce the damage to Ba'al. Nonetheless, he still sustained some damages.
"Aya, I've been searching for millennia for the Book to regain my power. I will be back to retrieve the Book as well as the Millennium Items, Pharaoh. Including that puzzle of yours."
Ba'al then sank back to the void and the skies cleared up again.
The coast was clear. Aya then fell to her knees and leaned back to the wall. The monsters that the three duelists summoned returned to their decks, including Mahad. It was the limit to Aya's power to summon Ka because of the damage she sustained.
Are you alright, Aya? They tried to assist her to stand. She was in much pain. Without consent, Atem stood up and scooped Aya to carry in his arms. Aya was stupefied at the Pharaoh's gestures, at the same time, embarrassed. Her face turned slightly red.
"My king, please don't do this! I can—"
"Aya, please do not worry. We have to take you back to your home so you can rest," Atem insisted.
Aya lowered her face in embarrassment and silently complied.
They all went back to Aya's condominium unit. Atem carried her all the way up and gently laid her on the living room couch. Aya gave a shy thank you to the Pharaoh.
"Everyone, are you all okay?" Aya asked.
"We're fine, Aya. Please give a little more concern about yourself," Tea said and then went to the kitchen to get a washcloth and a basin of water for Aya.
"Aya, who is Ba'al? And what did he want?" Atem said while he sat on the floor near Aya.
"Pharaoh, my tribe is partly responsible for his rampage. This is something my family have kept from you," Aya replied.
"Do you remember how the Millennium Items have been created, my king?" Aya continued. Atem realized that he did. "The Dark Alchemy that was used to create the seven artifacts and required the villagers of Kul Elna was from the Millennium Tome [writer's note: This is canon material. Please refer to YGO Ep 206 :3]."
"For hundreds of years, my tribe has been commissioned with guarding the sealed Millennium Tome. The Tome does not only contain the Dark Alchemy to create the Millennium Items and other rituals between gods and devils, it also holds the creation of Zorc and how to revive him."
Atem and the others listened intently.
"The seal my clan had protected for decades has been removed when your uncle, Akhnaden-sama, decided to begin deciphering it. He eventually led the creation of the Millenium Items, which also weakened Zorc's chains in the book in the process."
"Pharaoh, Ba'al is the original owner of this book and the creator of Zorc. He is a dark alchemist who was obsessed in attaining immortality and infinite knowledge. When he did attain the secrets to eternal life, his obsession drove him to the desire to conquer the world through Zorc."
"You mean that huge monster that Atem defeated was just an underling?! There's someone greater than him?!" said Joey and the others.
"Pharaoh, this is probably part of the memories that you haven't recovered yet," Tea said.
"It truly could be," said the Pharaoh.
"However," Aya continued. "Ba'al wants to get hold of the book not only to restore some of his powers that were partly sealed away in the book, but also because the book holds the power to rid of him and his immortality once and for all."
"So the Millennium Tome caused the turmoil that almost destroyed Egypt and the world, as well as its salvation. It's both the poison and the cure," said the Pharaoh. He looked at his Millennium Puzzle with worry. "So the sins that these Millennium Items hold extended up to this generation."
Aya saw the look in his eyes. And so, she decided. "My Pharaoh, I am rid as well of the memory as to where to find the Book and how to defeat Ba'al. But your Millennium Item might hold the answer. Please stretch out your Millennium Puzzle to me."
Atem lifted the puzzle closer to Aya. Aya, with her little remaining strength, held one of Pharaoh's hands that were holding the puzzle as she laid in the couch.
As soon as Atem felt Aya's warm touch on his hand, he abruptly saw Aya differently. He saw her as dark skinned and wore her usual clothes back in Egypt: a simple off-shoulder dress and a deep blue lapis lazuli-colored shawl wrapped around her shoulder. It had the color of the night sky. She also had golden ornaments around her waist as waist girdles; anklets on both feet, and a hair ornament with the wedjat eye design on her head.
Despite her noble appearance, he saw her covered in bruises and in a severely weakened state. Her turquoise-emerald eyes were in pain.
His head throbbed a little.
The, visions from the two Millennium Items overcame him.
[To be continued]