Chapter 18: Concerns of the Past
The puzzle was an endless labyrinth. His few memories mostly consisted of traversing its endless rooms. Up and down the stone steps, he had spent countless hours in this place, as he did now.
Peering within the rooms, often finding nothing.
He sighed a bit, leaning against one door, sliding down to the ground.
So much of this baffled him.
"The Nameless Pharaoh…"
Yami sighed, bringing his knees to his chest.
He certainly didn't feel like a king at times. The puzzle shifted every few hours, leaving more mysteries than answers.
Zorc… Mahad…
His mind kept drifting back to that duel. That moment, when the Black Magician had vanished, where he swore his heart stopped.
"NO!"
Stop it… Stop it…
Calm down. You're a king… Right? So… let's think for a moment.
Zorc is going to destroy the world via the Shadow Games. The dark power is growing by the minute, but we can't act irrationally…
A fast food manager… Seto Kaiba… I can take a guess the next attack will happen from another classmate or maybe even a teacher.
He sighed, getting up.
He swore, this would be easier if he could just remember anything about before.
Why him?
Why was HE chosen for this job?
What made me so special as a king that Zorc will try for eternity to get even with me?
… And who else is under his thumb?
He closed his eyes, focusing.
The puzzle's labyrinth vanished as Yugi's bedroom formed around him.
He opened his eyes, nodding to himself.
The boy was hunched over his desk, reading a stack of books beside him. Yami looked around, noting… quite a few different tomes scattered around.
Natsuki was curled up on her brother's bed, a book opened as she huddled close with her cat plush, reading it.
"What's going on here?" Yami asked.
"Good timing!" Natsuki chirped, looking up from her book. "Hey, do any of these names mean anything to you?"
Yami furrowed his brow, leaning over… sighing at the list Natsuki was showing him. Whenever he was "driving" as Yugi called it, everything translated perfectly. He had no trouble with speaking or reading.
Yet, any time he was in his spirit form, he swore he couldn't grasp what was in front of him.
"I can't read any of those… It's all in… katahira?"
"Katakana and hiragana."
"I can't make sense of any of this... Why?"
"Trying to figure out who you were." Yugi looked over. "We figured pouring through Dad's books might help us out a little bit. There were a LOT of royals during that time."
"Also, like a crap ton of murder. Maybe you were murdered?"
"... Ha." Yami narrowed his eyes.
Natsuki shrugged.
"Just saying. I mean, maybe you heard something you weren't supposed to and bam! Dead."
"I'd find that hard to believe, given my job." Yami shifted so he was sitting right beside her.
She looked up at him, her gaze gentle.
"Want me to read off the list?" She asked. "I know this stuff isn't really easy for you."
"Please? And um… can… you show me some of this later?" He lowered his voice. "Please?"
"Hm… Let me check my schedule… Yep, nothing. I can do it."
"Can I not get sass from you ever?"
"Sorry, that's not happening." She turned the page, studying it intently.
So much information… so many dynasties, it was hard to picture Yami at the top of any of them.
They knew what kind of person he was.
Dedicated and fierce, yet gentle. Powerful but compassionate… and an intense love for games that didn't stop at his job.
Not to mention… this "Zorc" business wasn't put down as anything legitimate-... Wait…
Wait…
… Wait a second…
"EEEK!" She ducked behind her mother's legs, peering out at the exhibit wearily.
Misaki rubbed the top of her head.
"It's okay sweetie. There's nothing here that can hurt you. Mommy won't let it."
"Daddy won't either." Akira came around a corner, a gentle smile on his face. "Welcome to The Mummy exhibit though."
"Ewww... "
"Isn't this awesome!?"
Natuski looked to where her brother was, before turning to her parents.
"I wanna go home."
… That might though...
Natsuki practically threw the book she was reading to the side, scrambling for her phone, already looking up information.
"Yugi, The Mummy exhibit at the museum. Who was it?"
Yugi hummed in thought.
"Those bodies are of the royal family, definitely but… there is one that had no name on it. Not to mention…" Yugi scratched the back of his neck. "There was that weird one Dad found in a different tomb…"
"What was weird about it?"
"Well…" Yugi picked up a manila folder, opening it. "Dad's team discovered it a few years after the puzzle. One of his excavation team members, he had to fire. You remember that guy right?"
"The creepy alchemist wannabe?"
"Yeah. Something… Daitokuji… Either way. I wonder if it has any relation to Yami though, at least maybe someone... "
"This find is one not for the faint of heart. When we uncovered the tomb, we were stunned to find treasures worthy of a king. This tomb was meant, potentially long ago, to house a royal but it appears to have been repurposed. The walls have crumbled enough to reveal some sort of sealing ritual within. I… only pray we didn't unleash something."
He never let us look at these before…
He studied the pictures. Mummies in their sarcophagi, all in various states… One he couldn't tear his eyes off of.
"The Crying Mummy" was jotted down in marker on the bottom of the polaroid.
This mummy wasn't like the others. Only wrapped in a burial shroud, Its face contorted in an endless wail.
The biggest thing he noted was a strange necklace around its neck. A necklace that was made of a ring of gold, with an eye in the center…
He unconsciously brought a hand to the puzzle.
Is that… one of the Millennium Items?
He glanced at Yami, concerned.
No… this person couldn't be. He wasn't punished… right?
Yami peered over his shoulder, shivering…
The glint of the necklace in the camera's flash unsettled him… the entire thing was unsettling.
Is… that what I look like now?
The temperature of the room dropped as he swallowed hard.
"That is… disgusting and disrespectful."
Yugi closed the folder, shaking his head, trying to banish the image from his mind.
"That was a punishment. Whoever this was had someone make offerings but… I don't think they had any relation to you. They only used "just natron" style burials for the worst of the worst…" Yugi shuddered. "Found with no treasure, no spells, no wrappings, no way to guide to the after life. A similar punishment was carried out on Prince Pentawere after his trial."
"Pentawere?"
"It's a long story." Natsuki cut in. "It's got nothing to do with you. He was the "Screaming Mummy." That was uh… a rough one to study."
Yugi nodded.
"You don't wanna know. Bottom line - this isn't you. You were a Pharaoh with a special task… plus this isn't the puzzle…"
"No…" Yami hummed in thought. "It's a ring…"
Man… What are we gonna-Wait…
Yugi looked at Natsuki.
"Is Dad still up?"
"I think so?" She sat up. "He might know more."
Yami gave them a look of concern… he wasn't sure about this.
Deep down, he still wondered… Despite those claims… His gaze went to the folder.
Was I really a good person?
… Or is this my punishment?
The siblings' banter faded into the background… his heart sank as he focused only on the manila folder.
He gripped his own puzzle tightly in his left hand, the right coming to rest over where his heart was.
Did… I do something wrong?
All of these books… All of these Pharaohs…
They were all remembered, but I wasn't… What did I do?
Did I do something that bad… that'd warrant being forgotten?
oooooo
"Excuse me… YOU WANT ME TO WHAT NOW!?"
"Geeze, you're loud." Natsuki yawned, hugging her pillow.
She was perched on the desk chair, hugging her pillow close.
Yugi smirked, putting the puzzle on.
"I want you to be the one driving when we talk to Dad and Grandpa. It'd make it a lot easier if they knew off the bat it was you."
"Yugi. This literally goes against how I function. I'm not supposed to come out for… for frivolous things. Only for my mission." Yami tried to explain.
"Really? What'd you call doing the dishes then?" Natsuki asked, yawning a moment later. "Was that against Zorc? Is Zorc in our plates?"
Yami glared at her before turning to Yugi.
"Absolutely not. They'll know instantly when I start talking that I'm not you."
Yugi smiled.
"That's why you're not going as "me." You'll be yourself."
"Yay, early morning magical boy transformations, go." Natsuki lazily pumped a fist in the air.
They've both lost it. Oh my Ra, they've both really, truly lost it… This is a TERRIBLE plan.
"Look, on the off chance they might know something, they might not know anything about me!"
"That's the worst case scenario."
"No, no, worst case scenario, Yugi, is them thinking we're insane but Mahad already snitched on them." Natsuki shook her head. "So, you might as well go along with it, because literall,y Yami, I don't know what to tell you. We even browsed the "Egyptian Mythology" side of social media last night. We got THAT desperate."
Yami looked at her as if she was insane.
"What is-No, you know what? I don't want to know." He turned back to Yugi. "Please, I'm begging you, reconsider. We could just go to the museum-"
"And what? Have some guy magically show up who probably wants us dead? Or some "test" of courage?"
"Your sister is freaking me out with her premonitions-Did I use that term right?"
"Yes and the more time you spend arguing…"
Yami put his face in his hands.
"Uuugh, okay fine."
"... Yami, what's really wrong?"
"YOUR DAD KNOWS I HAD A GUN POINTED AT YOU!"
"And?"
"AND THAT DOESN'T BOTHER YOU!? It bothered HER!"
Natsuki glared.
"Don't involve me in this. I am not part of this one."
Yugi made his way over to Yami, bringing an arm around him.
"I promise, Dad's not the kind of man to hold a grudge like that. Neither is Grandpa… and if you get uncomfortable, I'll switch and take over driving. Sounds good?"
"I'm still against this plan."
"I know."
The puzzle glowed as an eye formed on the center of Yugi's forehead.
"But trust me, when I say I know what I'm doing."
oooooo
It was a shift in the air… subtle but noticeable.
Akira took off his reading glasses, looking up the staircase.
That familiar energy, from so long ago…
"Practical as ever." He held the box out to him. "Perhaps, you'll feel differently…"
Akira hesitated before reaching outward, taking the box gingerly into his hands.
There was a jolt, as energy began to surround him.
The boy smirked, the crown on his head disappearing revealing an eye in the center of his forehead.
He reached forward, tapping Akira's head.
"When you open your eyes."
The boy soon appeared at the top of the stairs. The hallway lights flickered, the temperature of the room dropping around them. He gripped the banister tightly, swallowing hard…
What if I was punished? What if I've doomed this family? What if…
His grip increased.
I can't do this… I can't face him…
"You can…"
Yami looked up to meet the ghostly form of Yugi in front of him.
The boy tilted his chin up, giving a gentle smile.
"Chin up. Back straight. You're a Pharaoh. A king. People look to you and look up to you. You, in turn, protect your people as best as you can. You ARE a God."
Yami took a deep breath, straightening his posture. He looked at the jacket he wore before he smirked, throwing it around his shoulders instead as an impromptu cloak.
Right… I'm a king…
Yami made his way down, his eyes narrowing… the gold eye on his forehead appearing.
Yugi smiled, giving him a thumbs up before disappearing from view.
Akira moved to the bottom of the stairs, gazing up at him with a look of concern mixed with warmth. He bowed his head as the boy reached the bottom of the stairs.
"My King…" He lowered himself into a kneel. "It is an honor to see you once more."
"Akira…"
Yami brought a hand to his forehead, wincing… but it came back.
"No… That's your name in this life. Asim…"
Akira looked up at him before rising back to his feet, giving him a concerned gaze.
"You don't remember much of that night in the tombs do you?"
"Truth be told… Yes. Everything is foggy… but I assure you, I'm not going to cause harm to Yugi."
Akira chuckled, folding his arms behind his back, raising an eyebrow.
Yami took a step back up the stairs.
"You do know that if I thought you were of any harm, I'd have left that box in the desert, yes?"
"Ack!"
"Huh. I didn't think Dad was the type to cut you down to size like that." Yugi whispered, impressed… though he was confused as well.
Asim? Where did THAT come from?
Yami looked around him, the facade broken… the eye fading from view as his heart raced.
Was this… really alright?
Akira rested his hands on his shoulders.
"My King, please… there is no reason to be alarmed. You're safe here. What can I do to assist you?"
"I…" Yami looked down, swallowing hard.
What happened to all that brave talk?
His heart was beating so LOUD. Everything seemed to fade as he tried to focus on anything. He had a job to do, so WHY was he so scared now?
Akira frowned, bringing him closer.
"Hey…"
Yami shook his head.
"I… I need your help in figuring out who I am… Who I am truly… I…" He growled under his breath. "Why is this so hard!?"
Akira tilted his chin up.
"Asking for help sometimes is the hardest thing we can do. Do you need a moment?"
This wasn't supposed to be like this! I was supposed to be strong, commanding… powerful. Why can't I stop shaking?
Why are my thoughts so LOUD!?
"... Yes…"
Akira nodded, leading him downstairs towards the living room.
"Sit."
Yami slowly sank into the couch, looking around bewildered. He had seen the room plenty of times in the last few weeks but… he wasn't sure what to do here exactly.
He brought his arms around himself.
"Well I screwed that up." He murmured.
"You can't exactly blame yourself. You just had a panic attack."
Yugi sank into the couch next to him, bringing his arms around him.
Yami tilted his head forward, resting it against Yugi's.
"You're okay…"
"This is not how it's-"
"Shh…"
Yami took a shaky breath. He supposed it was Yugi's turn now. He had calmed him down the last time there was a crisis. It was only fair.
Akira soon reappeared with a mug in his hands.
Yami sniffed the air, relaxing as the familiar scent filled the room.
"Something tells me my kid's already introduced you to this."
Yami took the mug, taking a sip.
"I've grown quite fond of hot chocolate admittedly."
"Glad to hear it." He sat down in his chair across from the couch, folding one leg over the other. "You okay?"
"Ah… yes. When you're only used to playing Shadow Games or talking to only two people it's um…"
"Hard?"
"Yes."
Akira nodded, propping his chin up.
The resemblance really was uncanny. It had been so long ago but he could still see it in his mind's eye as clear as the boy in front of him.
To the casual observer, he supposed it was easy to make the mistake of seeing Yugi instead of the one in control. The hair style, the eyes, even the way he dressed was quite different than what his own son typically did.
But the one who best knows their child is the parent. I doubt depending on the situation, even his friends could tell…
"For the record, I'm not as superstitious as my daughter."
Yami sputtered, coughing a little, shaking his head.
"N-Natsuki had every right to be upset… and that was dealt with. She's a good girl. It was actually her idea to talk to you." Yami swallowed hard. "You're their hero… and honestly, at this point, I'm not sure who else I can turn to."
"In the fight against Zorc or in uncovering your true self?"
"Both… If I had to be honest."
Akira leaned forward, lacing his fingers together, resting his chin atop them.
Yami leaned back against the couch.
"What have you seen so far? The files I gave Yugi were quite extensive."
Yami looked away, grimacing.
"..." Akira narrowed his eyes. "My King."
"... Screaming Mummy… Crying Mummy…"
Akira winced.
"You're worried."
"If you were in my position would you not be concerned?!"
The lights flickered once more. Akira's gaze lifted upward for a moment before going back to Yami.
"I know my position as the captain of the royal guard. I was the brother of the queen… and I know for a fact you were not a bad child."
Yami's eyes widened.
Akira's gaze was warm as he sat up, resting his hands in his lap.
"I've known about my past for quite a few years - it was thanks to you. You just don't remember that moment, do you?"
"I apologize. When the puzzle was in fragments… I was in fragments."
"That's understandable… However, you do understand what that makes us, yes?"
Yami nodded.
"You were my uncle then… I was your nephew."
"Correct… and I saw you grow up. I can't remember everything - some pieces I suspect are locked away to ensure YOUR safety… but I remember that happy young boy who was the champion of any game that he met. The kind prince… I know you would never have earned such a horrible fate as what befell that mummy." Akira made his way over to him. "I know exactly what kind of boy you are. You're a good kid. Intense, but a good kid."
"Akira… Asim…"
"And I welcome you back to this world… and into my family once more." Akira offered an arm to him. "You're safe here."
Yami set his mug aside, huddling closer.
Akira brought his arms around him, stroking his back.
"What did I do wrong…? Did I make this happen?" The prince looked up at him, his crimson eyes filled with tears. His entire body trembled as he looked down at the procession below.
Asim stroked his hair.
"You didn't do anything wrong, my prince. This is unfortunately part of the cycle of life. Our voices can't reach him but one day it will. You will see your father again."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
Akira hummed softly, tucking his head under his chin.
Yami closed his eyes, focusing on where he was… This was familiar… memories coming to the surface of a life that wasn't his.
"Yugi!"
"Daddy!"
This is what it's like to have a parent…?
"I promise. I'll love you just like I love my own kids. I'll help you figure out your past. We'll stop Zorc together. Okay?"
"Okay… and what do we do about Grandpa?"
"Well first off, this may finally stop all those bloody stories…"
Yami groaned, hiding his face.
"Don't remind me!"
"Oh you heard all of that huh?"
"What do you think?"
Akira shook his head… freezing up as a cold hand touched his shoulder. He turned his head to the left, blinking in confusion.
"Nice job, Dad…"
"... Okay, you two need to explain yourselves. Now."
Yami chuckled.
"Very well…" He cleared his throat. "Allow me…"