Authors Note: Hey Guys! I Am SO SO SO Sorry! This Year Has Just Been A Mess! It's Just Been A Lot To Deal With. From My Entire Family Getting Covid And Playing Nurse. To My Brothers, Both Going Through A Really Rough Patch In Their Lives. Trying To Help My Mom With Her Side Business And Dealing With My Medical Issues Getting Worse And Leaving College.
I've Been Working On My Book Also Which I've Gotten Really Far In. The only thing keeping me sane atm lol. It Was Just the other day I realized how long I had left you guys without an update! It's Still Going! Don't worry. I Haven't Forgotten About You Guys! Gonna Try To Keep Better Tabs On Those Positing Dates! Thank You For Your Patience And Understanding.
Chapter: 123: The Nameless Pharoah...
Meanwhile In The Thunderlands...
"Well, This Is A Fine Mess We've Gotten Ourselves into..."Kaiba muttered with his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall in the holding cell that The Bolt Knights and their leader had thrown them into to await interrogation. They had been in there for at least an hour or so with no sign of Loore to be found.
"It Sounds Like To Me, That They Were Already Having Trouble And We Landed Smack Dab In The Middle Of It."Noah pointed out. "No Kidding, These Guys Are No Joke, They Aren't Just Messing Around. They're Pissed." Duke added shortly afterward."But, We Haven't Done Anything Wrong." Bloom interrupted. "This Is Just One Big Misunderstanding. If You Can Just Talk With Them, Maybe They'll See Reason." The Faerie suggested as Yugi frowned softly.
"I'd Like To Think That Too But...Last Time Talking Didn't Change Anything..." The young man's voice trailed off with the grief of his heart reflected in his eyes. (Yugi...) Atem murmured softly as he shared in his sorrow. "There's A Time And Place For Diplomacy And It's Not When You're Locked In A Cell And Being Threatened With Physical Mutilation!" The CEO snapped. Noah only nodded in response.
"Well Said, The Only Problem Is That This Cell Is Equipped With An Anti Magic Barrier, Which Means Any Magic Used Will Be Rendered Useless..." The Mage admitted. "I Guess At This Point, Waiting on Loore Might Be The Wisest Move. Cuz Either She Gets Us Out Of The Guards Do...I'd I Don't Know About You But I'd Def Have To Go With The Option One." The Dice Master retorted. The Faerie only gave off a look of uncertainty before a familiar voice echoed from above.
"You Called?" Loore purred as her voice echoed down below into the cell. "Loore! Boy Are We, Happy, To See You!" Bloom exclaimed as she let out a sigh of relief as the familiar peered through the iron bars. "Do You Think You Can Find A Way To Get Us Out Of Here?" Yugi questioned as Loore twisted her whiskers perplexed. "Hrmmm...I Don't Know...The Bars Are Laced With Lighting...You May Have An Anti Magic Barrier Down There But That's certainly not the case up here!" the familiar pointed out. "If You Want That Sucker Opened We'll Need To Break it..." Loore continued.
"UGH! ARE YOU COMPLETELY USELESS!? SOME FAMILIAR YOU ARE!" Noah cried out in frustration as she nearly pulled her hair out. "Woah! Woah! Calm Down Noah!" Duke exclaimed in a panic as he grabbed her in an effort to stem the raging storm brewing. It was only then that a grin manifested on Kaiba's lips. "Heh...It's Simple...If We Can't Open The Cell From All The Way Down Here...We Get Someone Who Can Open It From All The Way Up Here..." The CEO reasoned.
"And Just How Are We Going To Manage That?" Bloom questioned in confusion before Yugi hit the palm of his hand with his fist in realization. "Oh, I Get It! Loore's Outside Of The Cell So She Can Wait Until Someone Comes To Open The Cell And Then While She Distracts Them..." Yugi began. "We Make Our Escape..." Noah finished as grinned in approval. It was only then that they could hear the sound of footsteps that echoed from nearby. "Someone's Comming!" The Dice Master exclaimed as he whispered loudly.
"Go Hide Quickly!" The faerie urged before The Familiar quickly made herself scarce. "Hee Hee, They"ll Never See It Coming." Loore giggled to herself as she hid in one of the armored Knight Statues nearby. It turns out they were right to be cautious as Two Guards With Masks To Conceal Their Faces slowly approached the area. The Familiar readied herself to attack however The Familiar stayed her claws as another approached them.
"HALT! WHO GOES THERE!?"One of The Guards Cried As The Other Directed An Sharpened Axe Towards The Supposed Trespasser. The figure in question only removed his hood in response. "Woah! Woah! Easy There Big Guy! Wielding Something That Sharp Is Dangerous In Mixed Company." Blaze exclaimed with his arms slightly raised. "I'd Suggested Pointing That Thing Elsewhere Unless You Want Me To Tell The Boss Man That You're Threatening All The Honored Guests That Pass Through These Halls." the pyromancer added. Immediately, they placed their weapons to the side.
"Do Excuse Our Behavior Ser, We Are On Our Way To Retrieve Prisoners That Are Currently Being Held For Questioning." One Of The Bolt Knights answered. "These Mysterious Characters Are Accused Of Being Involved with The Requiem Knights Which In Turn Are Suspected Of Joining The Angels Of Justice. We Are Told That We Must Use Utmost Precaution!" The Second Bolt Knight Added. Blaze paused a moment as he nodded his head as he listened to their reasoning before The Pyromancer held up a single finger.
"Yes, And As Someone Who Thoroughly Detests Their Existence, I Appauld Your Efforts...Gentlemen" Blaze mused as he bowed theatrically. "Except, There's One Small Detail...Those Kids Aren't The Ones You Want." The Pyromancer pointed out before the Bolt Knights turned towards each other in both shock and confusion. "...You Would Speak On Their Behalf?" The first Knight inquired.
"Well, I Guess So Yeah" Blaze admitted as he scratched light at the back of his head. "I Mean Putting These Guys To The Torch Would Be An Irreversible Mistake...You'd Not Only Be Punishing Innocent Men and Women But The Phoenix And Her Party Themselves. Wouldn't Look Too Good On The Resume Would It?" The Pyromancer mused as he raised his arms in a rather condescending shrug as he shook his head. Loore watched quietly as she noticed the mortified look in the Guard's eyes.
If They weren't wearing masks, you'd probably Have seen all of the color draining from their faces before they quickly hurried to the holding Cell and opened it. There was no one apart of the party that didn't climb out to regain their lost freedom. "Oh Thank Goodness...For A Moment There I Wasn't Sure What Was Going To Happen..." Bloom sighed in relief before Kaiba turned towards Bloom. "I Wouldn't Celebrate Just Yet...We Need To Get Away From Here And Find The Trial Hidden By The Thunderlands Which Could Be Anywhere..." The CEO muttered. Yugi however turned his attention toward Blaze.
"Well, Maybe He Can Help Us, He Did Free All Of Us. Which Reminds Me, On Behalf On All Of My Friends And me Thank You For Helping Us." The scarlet-eyed male exclaimed as he bowed graciously. "Yeah, Well The Lady Phoenix And Her Trusty Guardians Can't Enter Draconia's Library Inside Of A Locked Cell Am I Right? Had Ta Do Something!" Blaze confessed as Kaiba's eyes kept drifting over toward The Mysterious Figure. The CEO had sworn he had seen him before but he couldn't remember when or where it was.
"Come On, Let's Hurry And Find Another Place To Continue This Discussion." Duke urged. "Leave That To me!" Noah exclaimed as she shot him a wink. "EARTHBOUND!" The Mage called forth before the ground opened up a portal and plunged all of them down into the tunnels below the city. Kaiba immediately flipped in the air before he landed on his feet. "AHHHHHH!" Bloom cried out as she fell above him. Luckily, The CEO caught her in his arms.
"Hey! Thanks For The Save!" The faerie exclaimed as she laughed lightly. Duke however landed with a thud as Loore used him for a cushion. "OW! Little More Warning Next Time Please?" the Dice Master winced."Quit Complaining, You're Fine." Noah muttered as she restrained herself from rolling her eyes before Blaze landed behind her. "WOO! That Some Drop!" The Pyromancer exclaimed before everyone paused as they noticed someone was missing.
"WAHHHHHHH INCOMING!" Yugi cried out as he fell from above and landed right on top of Blaze Accidently. "I Wonder If This Is What They Refer To By Dead Weight...?" The Pyromancer pondered as he tapped his fingers against the floor. Bloom couldn't help but giggle slightly as the scarlet-eyed male's face turned red. Kaiba opened his mouth to speak before he immediately felt his entire body tense. "Someone's Coming..." The CEO muttered as a familiar figure came to greet them. "The Question Is...Are They Friend...Or Foe...?" Noah pondered out loud.
"Wait...They Don't Look Like One Of The Bolt Knights..." Duke observed as Blaze only made a face. "Aw Man...Just My Luck..." The Pyromancer attempted to hide his face in shame. "S-Sorry..." Yugi squeaked before he carefully removed himself from Blaze's back. "Lying Down On The Job Blaze?" Oblivion teased with silent words. "Oh Ha Ha! That Was So Funny I Almost Forgot To Laugh..." The Pyromancer retorted before he worked his way to his feet. "Nice To Know You Finally Decided To Join The Party!" Blaze continued. Atem, suddenly paused as he recognized the figure. The Pharaoh Had Indeed Seen Him Once Before. It was the Young Man who had guided him back to Yugi when he found himself nearly stranded in the Astral Plane.
"Sorry Blaze, I'm Afraid I Had To Check Out Certain Disturbances Before Meeting up With You And The Phoenix's Party." The blindfolded male replied simply. "I Went To Appeal To The Keeper About Their Release Only To Find That The Keeper Of The Thunderlands collapsed from his prior injuries. So, Unfortunately, He's No Help To Us Now. We'll Have To Guide Bloom And Her Party On Our Own." Oblivion informed Blaze.
"There's A Sacred Chamber That Lies Under This Castle...We Can Help You Get There...However...The Rest Is Up To You Once You Enter The Test Of Judgement..." The blindfolded male warned as he motioned for Blaze to return to his side. Afterward, The Party began to follow the two young men. "Well, Considering The Circumstances I Suppose We Don't Have Much Of A Choice..." Kaiba confessed. "Yeah, I'm not sure we'd have much luck on our own," Bloom admitted.
"But, They DID Save Us From Being Locked Up In That Cell, So Maybe We Can Trust Them." The faerie reasoned. Though for some reason she swore she had seen at least one of those guys somewhere before. "I'm With Kaiba, Not Much Else We Can Do. What Do You Think Noah?" Duke inquired as Noah briefly turned towards the dice master. "That's A Good Question...They're Not With The A.O.J Or The Requiem Knights And Judging From Their Conversation With The Guards Earlier, They're Definitely Not Bolt Knights In Disguise..." The Mage began.
"That Being Said, In Order To Meet Up With The Others And Gain Acess Into The Draconian Secret Archive. We NEED To Get The Flame From This Trial And All The Others. It's The Only Way To Save Xuri And Retrieve The Gem Of Destiny From Requiem Prison. Whoever These Guys Are, It Seems To Me That The Person They're Working For Is On Our Side, But They're Doing So Inconspicuously For One Reason Or Another." Noah pointed out as Duke listened silently.
"Now That You Mention It...That Does Appear To Make The Most Sense." The Dice Master admitted before Loore nearly tripped him as she ran under his feet. "W-Woah!" Duke cried out as The Familiar took off like a speeding bullet and leaped up into the air. Without warning, Loore latched onto Yugi's shoulder as a surprised gasp escaped him. "AH!" the Scarlet-eyed male cried before he paused as noticed the black cat parked on his left shoulder.
"Loore! Goodness Gracious Kitty You Scared The Daylights Out Of Me!" Yugi exclaimed as he breathed a sigh of relief. While he gently scratched the familiar behind her ears Loore purred as she swished her tail around. "So, The Test Of Judgement Huh...I Wonder Which One Of Us Will Be Chosen...?" the Scarlet-eyed male pondered out loud. (There's No Telling Who It Is Or What We Will Have To Face...So We Better Be Prepared For Anything...) Atem muttered as his eyes were filled with immense apprehension before they reached a dead end. Oblivion lifted up his hand along with Blaze as they released the seal to the secret doorway.
Past The Doorway, Was A Beach Which Was Filled With Purple Sand. Each grain produced several volts of electricity that pulsed through it. Beyond the Shore Was A Dark And Murkey Ocean Where The Water Met The Sky In A Cluster Of Clouds That Appeared To Be Nearly As Large As Mountains. There Was A Mixture Of Red, Yellow, Purple, and Blue Lightning That Unleashed A Loud Roar Of Thunder Each Crashing Against The Other. But, As the party stood there captivated by the scenery, A Large Gust Of Wind Violently Whipped Them Back To Reality.
"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU TAKEN US!?" Kaiba demanded to know as he held onto Bloom tightly as the wind threatened to knock them into the ocean. "UGH! Whatever It Is! I Can Feel A Powerful Magic At Work Here...It's Gotta Be The Work Of The Dragon's That Are Trying To Protect The Flame! That Way They Can't Abuse Its Power!" The faerie cried out through the whipping of the gust before she paused as she felt something land on her face. It was only then that Duke turned his head upwards towards the sky. "Shit! It Looks Like It's Starting To Rain! And With All That Lightning In The Mix We'll All End Up Fried To A Crisp!"he continued.
"Wait! I See An Island Out There! That's Gotta Be It! Somehow We've Got To Cross The Water To Get To It. But Using Any Magic To Levitate Is Completly Out Of The Question With All Of That Lightning..." Noah muttered as she bit her lower lip. "Well, Whatever We Think Of We Better Hurry! The Rain Is Begining To Get Worse!" Loore warned. "Hey, No Need To Panic! Or Have You Forgotten You're With Us?" Blaze reminded The Party before Oblivion stepped back and advised the others to do the same. "Now, Stand Back And Behold My Method To This Madness!" The Pyromancer grinned before he summoned into his hands a giant ring of fire.
As he held the giant ring of fire in his hands, Blaze gathered more into its center to increase the layers of flame that it held. Gradually as the ring of fire was wrapped in flames, it was transformed into a weapon of fire that resembled a flaming shuriken. With a single movement, The Pyromancer thrust the blazing shuriken toward the Murkey Waters. It spun around rapidly as it created a path right to the island with a wall of flames to prevent the water from falling back into place.
"ALRIGHT! LET'S HURRY ACROSS WHILE WE STILL HAVE TIME!" Kaiba cried out before everyone followed him as fast as they possibly could. Unfortunately, Yugi was struggling to keep up the party's pace as he began to fall behind the others. "LOOK! A PORTAL UP AHEAD!" Bloom pointed out as she held tightly onto The CEO's Hand. "ALRIGHT!" Duke cheered. "THEN LET'S HEAD FOR THAT HOLE!" Noah agreed. "You Ok Kid?" Loore questioned as she hung onto the scarlet-eyed male's shoulder.
"I'm Running As Fast As I Can Loore!" Yugi whined. Normally he would ask for Atem's help but the Pharoah seemed distracted like he was trapped in his own thoughts. "Well! Put Those Things To Good Use Before We Drown!" The Familiar cried out as the scarlet-eyed male found himself at his limit. "A LITTLE HELP ATEM!" Yugi screamed in desperation before The Pharoah gasped as he snapped back to reality. (YUGI!) He Cried out From Within.
Immediately, the scarlet eyed-male gave off a glow before Atem took over. It was all Yugi could do to catch his breath as his other half sprinted through the pathway and made it to the island as it poured down rain. Blaze watched as the party entered the portal before Oblivion reached out and grabbed The Pharoah by his wrist. Without any hesitation, The Blindfolded male pulled Atem and Yugi through the closing portal. Blaze and Oblivion however remained behind. (Good Luck...) The Pharoah watched his mouth utter before he vanished into the dimension beyond.
Once they exited the portal, The Group ended up in front of A large cave that contained a very large pit. Darkness oozed from it as lightning and clouds twisted together to form what appeared to be spirits which included the monsters born from the lives taken. "Ugh..." Kaiba hissed as he slowly peeled himself off the ground before a hand reached out to him. It was Bloom's for she was already standing. "Thanks." The CEO murmured before he took it and gradually got to his feet.
"This Is It, This Is The Power I Was Sensing Earlier..." the faerie pointed out to not only Kaiba but everyone else too. "Hey! Those Guys Are Gone Too! What? Did They Just Drop Up Here And Ditch Us!? NOT COOL!" Duke muttered angrily. "You Heard Them, All They Were There For Was To Lead Us To The Trial. Nothing More. From Here On We're On Our Own." Noah replied bluntly. "So What? We Just Jump Into The Pit? How Deep Is This Thing Anyways?" the Dice Master almost argued before he tossed one of his dice down into the seemingly bottomless hole.
"Annnnnd...Bye Bye Dice...Looks Like None Of Us Will Be Going Down To Retrieve That!" Loore added as she couldn't hear the sound of the dropping dice. "Perhaps It Has No End..." Atem suggested as he moved slightly closer to peer inside. However, in The Moment He Did, Chains shot out from the pit and latched onto The Pharoah. A panicked gasp escaped Atem as he found himself violently pulled downwards while Yugi remained. "ATEM!" both Yugi and Kaiba screamed. The Pharoah's eyes were filled with terror as he watched as Yugi got ready to chase after him. "KAIBA! STOP YUGI PLEASE!" Atem pleaded before he was lost to the shadows below.
"NOOOOOOO!" the scarlet-Eyed Male cried out at the top of his lungs he tried to jump in the pit after him, But The CEO grabbed him and pulled him back as Yugi Thrashed against Kaiba's hold. "LET...ME...GO...KAIBA!" he demanded as The CEO used every ounce of strength he had to restain Yugi. "UGH, DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND I HAVE TO GET TO HIM! I HAVE TO!" The Scarlet-Eyed Male screamed as tears poured down his eyes. Kaiba couldn't stop his own emotions from nearly boiling over as he grabbed his rival's vessel by The Chain Around His Neck And Brought His Hand Down Hard Across Yugi's face.
Not one person around him could do anything but just stare at the scene that they had just bared witness to right in front of their very eyes. The scarlet-eyed male froze as he felt the warm sting of Kaiba's hand against his. "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND A DAMN THING!" The CEO screamed as he shoved Yugi to the ground as his hair concealing the expression hidden beneath. "I Can't Even Stand To Look At You Right Now..." Kaiba hissed as he turned around and walked in the opposite direction.
"SETO!" Bloom cried out before she turned towards Yugi whom only covered his hands with his face before he broke down into uncontrollable sobs. The Faerie got down and pulled the scarlet-eyed male into her arms as she tried to comfort him. "It's OK Yugi...It's Ok...We'll Get Through This Together I Promise..." Bloom swore. "Woah! That Was WAY Out Of Line!" Duke scolded. "Poor Yugi!" the Dice Master shook his head. "It May Seem Cruel, But Yugi isn't The One The Test Chose...Just Diving In After Him Won't Do Any Good." Noah admitted as Loore bent her ears before gently nuzzling Yugi's tear-stained face.
"Deep Down...I Think Kaiba Feels The Same...He's Just Afraid To Show It..." Bloom admitted as she turned towards The CEO along with Yugi while the remants of his tears fell down his cheeks. Kaiba's tightened his fists at his side as they trembled. "Don't You LoseAtem...Don't You DARE Lose..." The CEO muttered under his breath. It was only then that Yugi realized what Kaiba's words to him had meant earlier. It was the same thing that Professor Takuna had told him once before.
{Flash Back...}
"I Understand What You're Trying To Say...But I Don't Know How I'm Supposed To Stand By While Atem Is Obviously Suffering! You're Basically Telling Me To Give Up And Just Accept It! And That I Can't Accept!"
"How? How Can I Help Him Then? To Let Him Know He's Not Dealing With This All By Himself?"
"How About TRUSTING Him? Trust Him And BELIEVE..."
"You Heard What Oritel Said About Draconia And The Trials...Physical Strengthe Nor Magical Ability Will Be Enough To Overcome These Rigerous Tests Ahead...In Order To Suceed It Is Imperitive That You Learn To Also Fight With Your Mind..."
"I Know You've Heard It Once Before...But You All Will Face Trials Like You've Ever Come Up Against...Trials That Will Put All Of Your Mind, Heart, Body And Soul To The Test..."
"Fears, Desires,Your Past, Present And The Scars Left Behind...Shadows And Illusions Lerking Around In The Dark In Attempt To Temp Or Confuse You...That Is Precisely The Very Reason That You Must Have Complete Faith And Trust In One Another...For It Won't Only Be You Whom Will Be Facing The Test..."
{End Of Flash Back...}
"That's Right...Atem NEVER Once Gave Up On Me...So Why Am I Going To Give Up On Him?" the scarlet-eyed male asked himself as he slowly got to his feet and wiped away his tears. With one foot at a time. Yugi made his way over towards the pit without any further hesitation. The Scarlet-Eyed Male ceased his steps as he found himself on the edge. Yugi didn't utter a word as he removed his Millennium Necklace. The scarlet-eyed male's fingers loosened until he dropped the precious item into the Pit. Almost everyone let out a surprised gasp that echoed through the air.
(This Precious Treasure Allowed Me To Meet Someone Special...You... And Became My Heart...It Was A Reminder That We Were Always Connected...Even Now...I Hope That The Light Within It Can Find You Wherever You Are In The Shadows...Atem...)
Within The Pit...
The Pharoah found himself waundering through an endless abyss that appeared to seemingly go on forever until Atem began to notice that platforms were manifesting of some kind. But, as The Pharoah drew closer towards them,he noticing something rather odd yet familar. (...Wait A Second...These...Are Mirrors...Reflecting A Moment In Time...In My Past Life...And Present One...But What Could This All Mean?) Atem questioned within. Yet, each one that The Pharoah passed vanished before his eyes.
Suddenly, Atem's eyes widened as he gazed down below him. Beneath The Pharoah was a much larger mirror that he gradually continued to draw closer and closer to. The Mirror's glass turned crimson with a crystalized tear in the center once Atem's feet landed upon it. "What Is This...?" he question as he examined it with only his eyes. However, The Pharoah couldn't spare the mysterious object another thought as the outside of the mirror ignited with pitch black flames that circled around it.
A gasp escaped Atem before he backed away and slowly moved towards the center in his attempt to avoid the darkened fire. The Pharoah paused as he heard a familar sound echo through his ears. It sounded almost as if someone was crying. "Wherever That Is Coming From...It Doesn't Seem Like I'm Alone In This Strange Place..." Atem reasoned.
"However...I Could Almost Swear That I've Heard Their Voice Before..." The Pharoah continued before he nearly lost his balence as the ground trembled under Atem's feet. Then within the flame's he found his answer. It was an image of his other half down on his knees as tears poured down his face one after the other. "YUGI!" The Pharoah cried as he immediantly understood why the voice was so familar to him.
But as Atem reached out towards the scarlet-eyed male, The Pharoah's hand phased right through him. A Horror he had lived once before. Atem couldn't trembling as a disembodied voice echoed from the darkness. (Pain...Sorrow...Rage...) Were the words that The Pharoah heard and with each one uttered another crack appeared in the mirror. With the final word spoken an image was replaced with not Yugi but his own tear stained face. Atem was given but only a glimpse before the mirror shattered in an instant and plunged The Pharoah downwards.
Atem had fallen into a darkened corridor that was within some kind of cavern. The Unknown cavern pulsed with a blue light that almost appeared to be flames. The glows illumination stirred The Pharoah as he let out a softened groan before Atem pried open his eyes. But other than the dimly lit blue lights, The Pharoah could hardly see anything.
Slowly, he forced himself back up to his feet which had been steathily hidden by the darkness until the path forward was illuminated by an unexpected yet intense glow. The same one that had awoken him from his state of unconciousness. Atem shielded his face from the black lanterns which hung on the wall. They were caged with black candle that were lit with blue flames. However, there was something that couldn't help but catch The Pharoah's eye.
"That's Rather Odd..." Atem began as he slowly eased himself down to the ground in order to take a closer look. "It Appears To Be Some Kind Of Substance...Yet...I Cannot See It Unless There Is A Source Of Light Directly Illuminating The Area Around It...Well It's Harder To Detect With My Eyes Alone At The Very Least..." The Pharoah observed. "Of Course,The Real Question I Suppose I Should Ask...Is What Could That Unidentifable Substance Be? In All Honesty I'm Not Certain I Want To Know The Answer..." Atem confessed as he continued down the darkened corridoor.
As The Pharoah continued forward, he paused as he came across a stair case that appeared to lead further down. With no other choice open to him, Atem slowly decended the stairway downwards as he held one of the lanterns after removing it from the wall nearby. Once The Pharoah reached the end of the stairs, Atem was led to the entrance that appeared to be a very familar place. "A Tomb?" he questioned as he slowly inched himself closer. The Pharoah ceased his steps as Atem's eyes widened.
"...What Is This...? The Outside Of This Tomb...It's Littered With Bones...Each Burned Pitch Black...No...It Can't Be..." The Pharoah suddenly paused as he lifted his head. Atem felt all the color drain from his face as right before his very eyes, embers began to rise up out of the scattered bones that were tainted with darkness. The Pharoah's body refused to take a single step as he bared witness to a horde of skeletons that began to bond with the hot ash which coated the stairs of The Tomb.
Atem found himself surrounded as several of these beings however, rather than making an attempt to strike at or grab him the undead instead dislocated their jaws one after the other. (Why Aren't They Attacking?) The Pharoah couldn't help but ask himself. Unfortunatly, he was given his answer as the ashen skeletons vomited from within their bowls a mixture of hot ash and bones in a liqufied state towards Atem's feet. The Pharoah didn't even have time to react as he endured the merciless onslaught.
The force from the attack, dimmed the once lit candles including, The latern Atem had in his hand. The Pharoah seemed to be trapped in a cage of darkness as he tried to the best shield his face from the hot ash that errupted in front of him. Unfortunatly, Atem couldn't help but choke on the pieces that escaped down his throat which burned with a vengence. But, The worst of it was FAR from over as The Pharoah felt the ground under him begining to give way.
"Oh no *cough* Q-Quick Sand!" Atem cried out before he immediantly attempted to free himself from its grasp as he pulled and struggled. Even so, the greater effort he put forth to break free the faster he sunk. "DAMN IT! *cough* I Can't Get Myself Free!" The Pharoah cursed. "I Need To Think Of Something FAST! But, How Can I Act If I Cannot Even See Anything Around Me!? I Do Not Know Weither or Not There Is Anything To Grab Onto Either..." Atem questioned with reason. "If I Don't Act Quickly I'll Fail This Test...Come On Think...What Would Yugi Do...Where Is My Light When I Need It?" The Pharoah pondered as he shook.
"...Wait A Second...LIGHT! THAT'S IT! WINGED DRAGON OF RA! I SUMMON YOU!" Atem cried out before The Egyptian God of Fire Manifested before The Pharoah. "USE YOUR FLAMES TO ILLUMINATE THE AREA!" he commanded before the winged dragon of Ra unleashed its firey wrath upon the quick sand that surrounded him. Immediantly, upon striking the substance the counterfeit quicksand ignited and lit up into an inferno. "I Can See!" Atem celebrated a little too soon as yet another problem stared him in the face, quite literally.
The Pharoah froze as he felt the hot breath of several ashen skeletons while they inched towards him. The others dove into the flames of their own pit of liquified ashes in an effort to extinguish the flames which had just hardened some of the substance. Atem was begining to think that he would have been better off believe the biggest threat to him was the quick sand. The Pharoah found himself with the liquid ash up to his waist as was begining to sink eat an even faster pace.
Atem couldn't even maintain his control over The Egyptian god as Ra returned to the card in The Pharoah's deck. But, just when the flames threatened to fade into nothingness, they began unexpectedly, to combine together as their color changed to blue. Atem wouldn't have believed it if he had not seen it as he witnessed the fire transfigure into A Blue Eyes White Dragon. Upon doing so, it unleashed a barrage of blue embers that ensnared the ashen skeletons in a trap of their own making. The Blue Eyes protected The Pharoah with its large wings and shielded him from the recoil of the attack.
"...A Blue Eyes White Dragon...B-But How Can This Be? I Certainally Did Not Summon This Creature...The Only One Who Could Have Possibly Done So Is K-" But Atem did not get to finish his thought as The Blue Eyes White Dragon plunged itself large talon into the quick sand. Afterwards, The Pharoah felt the claw tighten around him as The Blue Eyes pulled him up and out from the pit he was nearly entrapped in.
The Dragon held onto Atem tightly as it took off into the air. The Pharoah held on for dear life as The Blue Eyes dodged the molton ash spheres that were being projected by the undead army below while it slowly regenerated. Atem could only rely on The Dragon to guide him through the seeminngly endless darkened void until The Blue Eyes Flew him over what appeared to be some kind of opening in the dimly lit tomb. The Pharoah peered downwards before without warning, The Dragon released him from its left talong.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Atem screamed as he unexpectedly plummeted into the dark abyss. With a hard thud, The Pharoah hit the ground and collided with a small set of stairs which appeared to lead further into the tomb. "Ugh...Not Exactly...What I Would Call A Soft Landing..." Atem groaned as he slowly pried himself off the steps. From just a single glance, The Pharoah could tell the stairs were worn and old. Perhaps just as old as he was if not more.
As Atem raised his gaze upwards, he noticed the lanterns on the wall which helped to illuminate the mysterious area. It was only once he stood did The Pharoah notice that he was covered in soot from head to toe. Using the light, Atem gradually brushed off what he could before he proceeded up the stairs. However, once he reached the end at the top of the stairs, writing began to manifest itself on the wall with the same glow as the lanterns. The Pharoah couldn't help but be drawn towards it as he moved close in order to examine the strange writing.
"Could They Be Some Kind Of Text? Or Ancient Writing Perhaps...? I Certainally Don't Recall Seeing Anything Like This Before..." Atem mused as he continued in observation. "Wait!" The Pharoah paused."They're Names! And Not Just A Few But Hundreds Of Them! Engraved On Each And Every Wall! But Why? Why Go Through The Trouble Of Writing All Of These Names And Then Conceal Them From Sight...? It Doesn't Make Any Sense..." Atem questioned in bewilderment as he searched for answers.
"Could It Be That This Is Some Kind Of Memoriam To Honor The Deceased...? Perhaps A War Or A Family Tomb Of Some Kind...But If That's So...Yet Again I Ask Why The Secretcy...? Was It To Protect The Bodies From Grave Robbers Or Dececration Of The Tomb...?" The Pharoah pondered then, Something struck him. The Mysterious Substance That Was Illuminated by the blue lanterns. The Charred Pile Of Bones that were mixed with the ashes. And Finally, The Hidden Names On The Wall. He felt all the color drain from his face in an instant.
"T-There's No Mistaking It...This...This Is A Mass Grave..." Atem choked out as his eyes widened with horror and disbelief. "...All Of These Names Were Victims Of Some Kind...But What In The Sands Of Eygpt Could Have Brought All Of These Lives To An End...For What Purpouse...?" he asked himself outloud as his voice shook with every word that he uttered. The Pharoah could barely find the strengthe to lift up his hand towards one of the names in front of him. Gently, Atem brushed against it gently with his fingers.
Upon contact, the once lit names faded back into darkness and vanished from The Pharoah's side as a surprised gasp escaped him in response. However, just as the name dissapeared in front of him, Atem paused as he heard the sound of footsteps echoing from behind him. "WHO GOES THERE!? SHOW YOURSELF!" The Pharoah demanded as he abruptly turned towards a figure that cloaked itself in a black mantle.
"Something Wrong?" The figure's voice broke the deafening silence around them. Once again it sounded almost familar but there was something very off about it. "It's Just A Name, Who Cares If It Dissapears...You Shouldn't Get So Worked Up..." the cloaked figure taunted. "But, We'll Get Back To That In A Minute...For Now...Turn Your Attention Towards The Walls..." The figure directed Atem's gaze with a single motion of his hand.
"I'm Sure You've Noticed By Now...But These Walls Are FAR From Empty..." they continued. The Pharoah tried to remain calm as he found the words to speak. "Indeed I Did, At First I Thought It Was Engraved With Some Kind Of Ancient Text...However I Found That Was Not So..." Atem began. "Despite my misinterpretation...I admit that i am curious to know the meaning behind those whoms names are carved here...Seeing as you appear to be the knowledgable than I on the subject at hand..." The Pharoah confessed.
As Atem waited anxiously for an answer of some kind to satisfy his curiousity, There was a pause of silence between the two before it was broken by the figure in black. "Tell Me, Just What Is The Meaning Behind A Name? I'm Sure You Have Some Idea's Don't You?" they asked simply. The Pharoah paused as he took a moment to think. "The Meaning Of A Name You Say? Well...I...Never Really Thought About It Before...Let Me Think..." Atem murmured as he contiplated the figure's question.
"Well..." The Pharoah began as he crossed his arms. "A Name Is Often Tied To A Person In Otherwords Their Very Idenity." Atem continued. "In Fact, Many Parents Name Ones Offspring At Birth With A Chosen Name That They Believe Reflects Their Hopes And Dreams They May Have For That Child. For Example, One's Last Name Can Carry With It Their Family's Origins." The Pharoah pointed out.
"Although, There Are Often Several Diffrent Names By Which One Can Call A Person. The One Chosen Tends To Express The Relationship Or Closeness Between Them...Their Bond If You Will." Atem mused. "You'd Be Quite Surprised At How Much Effort Goes Into A Name. For Each Name Has A Seperate Meaning. Of Course, It's Also A Fact That Most Tend To Dislike Or Reject Their Given Names. But, I Believe That Nothing Is By Chance Or Without Reason..." The Pharoah concluded before an amused chuckle escaped the figure.
"Hmph...Correct...That's Exactly Right...As Expected From An Ancient Rular...It's Just As You Say...A Name Is Who You Are...What's Expected Of You...And We Take The Names Given To Us And Connect With Other By Exchanging Those Names...For Better Or Worse...Their Considered Gifts..." The cloaked figure replied before there was a darkening in their tone. "However...There Are Those Whom Would Throw Them Away As If They Were Nothing More Than A Burden..." The Figure growled.
"They Would Deny The Names They've Been Given In An Effort, To Leave Everything That Is Connected To It Behind...The Life They Once Lived...To Start Over...To Rid Themselves Of All The Mistakes Which Were Attached To That Name...You See...They Believe If They Cling To Another Name Which They Give Themselves...A New Idenity If You Will...Their Past Will Be Completly Erased...But Unfortunatly...It Just Doesn't Work Like That..." The Phantom hissed.
"You CAN'T Just Walk Away And Pretend Like Your Past Doesn't Exist...You Lived It Weither You Want To Accept It Or Not..It's The Cold HARD Truth...And That Also Goes For The Name You Made All Of Those Connections With...They Don't Just Dissapear...So...Have You Figured Out Where You Are Yet Nameless Pharoah?...If Not...Then Let Me Tell You...This Place...Is YOUR Tomb..."
To Be Continued... (In Just A Few Days)