Chapter 7

"Destroy them?" Yugi said, incredulously. "How? Is that even possible?"

"They are gold items Yugi," Pegasus said, still smiling. He acted like he was flattered to be here. "They can be melted down like any other golden trinket,"

"Hmm, yes," Ishizu said thoughtfully. "Their purpose has been fulfilled. The Pharaoh has been freed, his memories returned to him and the evil of Zorc has been cast away. They are inherently magical items, yes, but still gold. They can be melted down,"

"That's no guarantee that the items will lose their magical properties," Sugoroku surmised.

"That's right," Yugi nodded. "Atem was able to do some pretty, uh," Atem had done some pretty awful things when he first woke. If it hadn't been for Yugi, Atem may never have regained his humanity. A few of those people hadn't survived, every one of them was a murderer and or a criminal of the worst unrepentant type, but still…. "crazy things when he first woke up. All due to the power of the Puzzle,"

"Yes," Ishizu's face looked grave. "With the Pharaoh's return last month, clearly, the Items still bear magical properties. With their purpose fulfilled, it is possible that any limitations they previously bore under the Pharaoh's Name could be…reversed. They were made in darkness, now that the light of the Pharaoh's sacrifice has waned, they could be used in darkness again,"

"Atem made the Puzzle disappear," Yugi said, clutching the hot tea his grandfather had passed him. "If I could—" Yugi stopped short. He was going to say, 'If I could talk to him again maybe he could help…' but what would that solve? Yugi had already chewed out Kaiba for wanting something similar. Perhaps, Yugi could solve this with what he had. When they had parted ways each of them had given a lasting gift to the other. Atem had Yugi's memories and the knowledge of the modern era and Yugi had Atem's knowledge of the Egyptian culture and language. When Yugi had left Atem behind in Kul Elna, he had been flabbergasted to look at the hieroglyphs and be able to read and speak Egyptian as perfectly as he could Japanese or English.

Yugi mentally switched gears, dropping his comment. Instead, he chose to go directly to the source of their conversation.

"Ishizu," Yugi said, slipping into perfect Egyptian. "What are you asking of me?"

She just stared at him, eyes wide. She wasn't the only one. Pegasus and Sugoroku were both looking at Yugi like he had grown a second head. Finally, Pegasu's bravado had wavered. He no longer looked amused, but genuinely surprised and thoughtful.

"When," Ishizu responded in the same language. "Did you learn—

"After Atem," Yugi said quickly still in Egyptian. "Please answer the question," His voice was polite, but it was solid and firm like he knew she would be compelled to answer.

Ishizu watched him with amused eyes. Her connection to both Yugi and Atem had been brief, but they both had made a lasting impression on her. She had never known Yugi to be so…commanding. He had always been a bright, and determined boy, but honestly, he was a bit of a pushover when compared to the Pharaoh. Or, he had been a pushover. It seemed like those days were over. It wasn't only the Egyptian language that Atem had left with Yugi.

"I am asking," Ishizu replied in their shared language. "For you, the previous Puzzle-bearer, help me locate them. You bore the centerpiece, it is only you Yugi who has the depth and experience we need to find the other items,"

"But what does that Puzzle have to do with me being able to find the others?"

"The Puzzle was the centerpiece. It was the… lynchpin for the other items. It is only a theory, however" She took a breath and continued after a thoughtful moment. Her theory could only be wishful thinking, something that could put her and Yugi in danger because she couldn't stand the possibility that the Items could be used for evil again. "because you are the one the puzzle chose, you could be the one person we need to stop the Shadows from leaking into this world again,"

"What are you asking me to do Ishizu?"

He already knew what she wanted, but she had been explaining and dancing around the topic long enough. He had never known her to waver before. Yugi was done with this game.

"I am asking you to find and destroy the Items, and if necessary, fight the Shadows once more Yugi,"

"You're asking me to risk my life. And be willing to put anyone else who could offer me support to risk their lives as well,"

Ishizu's expression turned grave and sad. What she was asking Yugi to do was monumental and dangerous. The Shadow Realm was not anything to play with. Yugi had been exposed to its overwhelming evil in small doses throughout his time with Atem. He was sure that he could bear that weight with more stamina this time. He wasn't the timid high schooler he used to be, but Atem had been a master at manipulating the Shadows by the will of his heart. Had Yugi's heart changed and grown enough so that he too could be considered a master? He wasn't sure.

Sugoroku stared at Yugi the entire time that he and Ishizu had their conversation. His time with Arthur was informative for Sugoroku, so he wasn't left completely in the dark by their conversation. He only caught a few of the words that they were speaking, but he saw their expressions and could guess what they were saying. The few words he knew did not fill him with confidence. Before his very eyes, he saw a change in Yugi's body language. What had been shocked and inquisitive in his shoulders upon seeing Pegasus and Ishizu was now… taller? Broader? The only thing Sugoroku could infer from Ishizu was sadness.

"So you will not—

"No, Ishizu," Yugi said firmly. "I will,"

She exhaled the breath that she didn't know that she had been holding.

"You will?"

"Yes," Yugi said gravely. "But this is not something I can do freely, at least not yet. There are some things I need to take care of first,"

"Of course," she said in the shared language the entire table shared. Thunder rolled outside.

Yugi thought of his friends and his family. Looking at his grandpa, Yugi smiled at him. How much more stress could his grandpa take? He had been struggling with a heart arrhythmia since all the madness had ended. No one knew for certain if he had a. fib because of his time around the Shadow Realm or if it was the natural progression of his aging. His condition was controlled with a pacemaker and medication, but his body had taken a lot of abuse over the years. Yugi thought of his mother who was woefully and ignorantly in the dark. It would be best if she stayed there. She wasn't in the house when Yugi had come home, so he assumed that his grandpa had sent her out when their guests had arrived. The storm would delay her coming home.

But what about Jounochi, Honda, Ryoji, and Bakura? What about…

Anzu's beautiful face flashed across his mind. He thought of their kiss. His hand was on his lips before he could consciously react. He caught himself and turned the movement into a thoughtful look instead. He loved her. He was painfully aware of that fact. It wasn't just a fleeting teenage crush or a deep friendship. He was in love with her. Even if she never loved him the way he wanted, the thought of her being in danger again put a knot in his stomach. She was going to be in America, chasing after her dreams. He couldn't ask her to put her life on hold for him.

Yugi smiled to himself. They'd all be royally pissed with him if he kept them in the dark. If Atem had been a part of the conversation, would he have come to the same conclusion?

This is something I have to do alone. Yugi thought.

Pegasus clapped his hands in conclusion.

"Well, now that we're all speaking the same language, I assume that whatever happened between the two of you has finished? Good," It wasn't entirely true. Pegasus, like Sugoroku, had enough linguistic skills to be able to guess what had transpired between the two. "Then that's old business, let move toward the other reason I am here,"

"Go ahead Pegasus," Ishizu sighed, placating him.

"I have taken over the financial responsibility of the archeological dig at Kul Elna," Pegasus informed. "And security for the remaining Millennium Items,"

"They weren't all taken?" Yugi asked.

"No, thank the heavens," Ishizu said, "the Tauk, the eye, and the rod are the only ones missing. Upon discovering the theft, I ensured that the others were locked away. The only ones who will know where they are, are the people sitting at this table, and Marik,"

"Where is Marik?" Yugi asked, upon the subject of her brother.

"He is in Egypt, hunting down leads for where they may have gone. We have already found the thief, or rather, we have found his body,"

"His body? He was killed?"

"Yes," Ishizu said "An employee of Kaiba Corps who was partially responsible for the dig. We witnessed him steal the Items on the security camera. Part of his body was found in the Nile three days after the Items went missing,"

"Part of his body?" Sugoroku was disgusted.

"The crocodiles had their fill," Pegasus said.

Even more reason for me to do this alone. Yugi thought sadly. It fought against every bone in his body for him to not include his friends. They had been through so much together. They had conquered horrors, both natural and supernatural.
Atem's family may have started this, but I'm going to finish it.

"That is not all," Ishizu said, mentally changing the subject. "I have some news that may be difficult for you to hear Yugi,"

"Oh joy," Yugi said sarcastically. "What other surprises are there?"

She took a moment and looked at Yugi, appraising him, wondering how he was going to take the news she was about the share with him. Out of everyone that the Pharaoh had touched during his time in the modern era, Yugi was the most affected.

"I have recently taken the steps to change the known list of Pharaohs who reined in Egypt. Upon the discovery and conservation of a certain Pharaoh's tomb in Egypt. Most of the chamber had been, previously and quietly discovered," Ishizu said, nodding to Sugoroku. It had been him who had passed all the tests and traps and collected the broken pieces of the Millennium Puzzle. "But until now, the chamber that housed his resting place hadn't been excavated,"

"You found Atem's body," Yugi said bluntly, with a small level of awe and grief. It was difficult for him to think of the man who had shared his own body as having one of his own.

"We have. And I have ensured that he will be honored and respected. Not put on public display," she said. "I wanted you to hear this news from me, instead of the papers,"

"Thank you," Yugi said. He reached her hand and squeezed it with appreciation. The movement was not lost on anyone else. "You're a good friend, Ishizu,"

Ishizu nodded.

"I have another favor to ask of you Yugi," not waiting for his permission she continued. "I wanted to ask you for a DNA sample. To test another theory of mine,"

"Why?" Yugi asked. It wasn't that he was against it, but he couldn't see where she was headed with her question.

"I would like to see of you are a descendant from Pharaoh Atem,"

"Atem didn't have any children," Yugi said. At least, he didn't think that Atem had any children. There hadn't been a queen or a child in the world of memory, but would there be? If the memory of their existence wasn't necessary for Atem to get the job done upon his return, would he have included them? The memory world had been crafted by Atem to house the battle against Bakura and Zorc. Could he have left them out of the story on purpose? In the ancient past, did he have a queen? Or a child? Or children? Most Pharaohs had many women to choose from, to ensure the continuation of their bloodline to future generations.

Once again, thinking of Atem's possible sex life brought a blush to Yugi's face.

"He could have had children Yugi," Ishizu said, continuing the conversation. "He could have had a queen, or many queens, or mistresses. It is entirely possible that he had an heir or at least, an illegitimate child,"

"But he was so young…" Yugi thought stupidly. Atem had died before his twentieth birthday. Yugi couldn't conceive of himself having children before his mid to late twenties, but Atem was a different story. Seti, Kaiba's prior incarnation, had taken the throne after Atem had died. After Seti, Yugi had no idea who the next king had been. It could have been either from Seti's or Atem's lineage to assume the throne. Yugi's knowledge of Egypt's kings ended with Atem's knowledge.

"People back then coupled early," Pegasus interjected. "Many had a child or children by the time they were eighteen, even earlier if they were wealthy,"

Atem had been both young and wealthy.

"You can have it," Yugi said, referring to his DNA. "What do you need? Blood?"

Ishizu pulled out a tube with a cotton swab.

"Just a saliva sample,"

After giving her the sample, Yugi thought about how he might feel when the DNA results came back. Would he be happy? Sad? He had no idea. He decided he'd deal with that problem when he came to it.

"Well," Pegasus said. "It seems we have covered all the topics on the agenda,"

"And just in time," Sugoroku said. The sound of Kaoru working the backdoor filled the room.

"Hi Mom," Yugi said, getting up to greet her and help her with the bags. Her umbrella dripped water all over the floor.

Soon the kitchen was filled with the sounds and smells of cooking. Ishizu and Pegasus took their leave, choosing not to impose further on the Mouto household. They all agreed to speak later and discuss the particulars of their shared mission.

It wasn't until later, when Yugi was alone in his room lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling that he remembered that he hadn't asked why Ishizu had wanted to test her DNA theory.

Oh well, Yugi thought. He let it go, not wanting to burden himself further. He had enough on his plate.

Ancient Egypt

Mana had fallen asleep soon after her outburst. They had stayed there with him holding her as she cried for an indeterminate amount of time. It wasn't until his legs started to cramp and he needed to move that he realized that she was sleeping. Clearly exhausted, she hadn't woken when he had shifted his weight.

He could have carried her to her quarters himself, but the risk of being seen in his disguise didn't bode well for him. The spell wouldn't wear off until tomorrow morning. No servants were walking around the halls this late at night unless specifically summoned. He had managed to avoid detection to get to his own quarters, but walking around with an unconscious Mana in his arms was bound to draw attention. He could be arrested for walking around his own home. It was ironic that after so many weeks of planning to look like someone else, the one thing he needed at that moment was for him to look like himself. He smiled and shook his head over his short-sightedness. One important lesson that his father had taught him was that details always mattered, regardless of the subject. He used that type of thinking in everything he did.

Fool. He thought to himself. You didn't see this coming, did you?

He sighed, there was no help for it, Mana would have to sleep here. He would have to make sure that she wasn't seen in his bed. It could be bad for her if she looked like he had taken her as a lover. He looked at his bed longingly. The one thing his body screamed for was rest. His bed wasn't big enough for two and he wasn't selfish enough to make her sleep on the floor. He was figuring out how to develop a makeshift bed out of blankets on the floor when a sound erupted.

"Hmm," Mana's murmur made him pause. "Prince?"

"So you are awake," he whispered.

There was no response.

Apparently not. Atem thought, slightly annoyed with the situation.

Sighing, he picked her up as quickly and gently as he was able and laid her in his bed. Once her body recognized a comfortable environment, she turned over and tightly clutched his pillows.

It could be trouble for Mana if he couldn't sneak her out of his room tomorrow, but he decided to deal with that problem later. For now, he slumped into the blankets on his floor and let his mind fall into oblivion.

The next morning, Atem was the first to wake up. He had barely been able to sleep, his shoulder blades and back were on fire. He wasn't surprised that Mana was still sleeping. He looked at her with envy as she had her arms wrapped around his blankets. She was drooling on his pillow and snoring.

Dammit.

A spiteful part of him wanted to see her be the one waking up uncomfortably. A different, larger part of him just wanted her to wake up so that they could tackle their conundrum.

"Prince?" came a sleepy voice.

"Mana,"

She shot up like lightning, her face was an embarrassed red.

"Prince?!"

"Mana," Atem said again, his tone slightly teasing.

"What am I doing here?!"

"Waking up," Atem said, "Obviously,"

She threw a pillow at him that landed squarely in his face.

"You know what I mean!"

He put his hands up in surrender.

"You fell asleep crying last night. Remember?"

"I, uh," she said, thinking back. She remembered crying, overcome with anger and worry, but afterward, there was nothing but blackness. She looked at Aknatem searching for answers. To her surprise, she was pleased to find that his hair had mostly returned to normal. He had bags under his eyes, but otherwise, he looked like his normal, handsome self.

Oops. She thought. The spell was supposed to last twenty-four hours, but it seemed that the prince had miscalculated his recipe which seemed out of character for him.

"You look like yourself again,"

"I know,"

"But, the spell…"

"I didn't need it to last a whole day," he said simply. Rising, he reached for his formal jewelry pieces, not bothering to change his clothes. He didn't want to change in front of Mana, the thought of doing so felt embarrassing. A blush formed on his cheeks. He was grateful that his back was to her and not his face. Placing his crown on his head and donning his usual daily attire, Mana watched him transform from the boy she knew into a prince.

Of course. Mana thought. Of course, he had thought of that.

"How are you able to do that?"

"Hmm?"

"How are you able to… to be so… so," She was lost for the words, but she didn't need to speak further for Atem to understand.

"Details matter," Atem muttered. "In everything,"

A sharp, panicked knock rapped against his door.

"Your Highness!"

"Wha—

Atem clapped his hand over Mana's mouth before she could further cry out in surprise.

"What?!" Atem yelled, covering up Mana's voice with his own.

"You must come quickly, Your Highness! It's your mother,"

Mana would remember that look of complete shock and worry on Atem's face for the rest of her life. She would recall how much she hated that expression and would come to hate the things that made him feel such anguish. Atem ran through his door faster than she had ever seen him move. The two guards who had knocked on his door quickly ran after him, not paying her any attention if they even noticed her at all.

Mer-en was fatally sick. She had been bedridden all night with severe stomach pain and so far, none of their known medicines or magic could help heal her. Aknamkanon hadn't left her side. Atem found surgeons and priests outside this parent's room. They had been speaking in hushed tones that stopped suddenly when he arrived. Atem ignored them, not caring for their presence.

"Father!" Atem barged into his father's quarters without permission. "What is—

He stopped short when he saw how feverish his mother looked. She was struggling to pull air. Her face which was once lit up with a near-permanent smile was now filled with a painful grimace. Her stomach was swollen. It looked like a hard rock. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought she was pregnant.

"Mother!" He ran to her side and knelt next to her. Taking her hand, he recoiled slightly when he realized it was damp from sweat.

She didn't respond, he wasn't sure if she even noticed his presence.

Aknamkanon looked at his wife and son and knew what he had to do.

"Son, come with me,"

"I don't understand," Atem muttered. His voice cracked. He just got there and didn't want to leave her side yet. Surely, she wouldn't be left alone. Not now?

"I said, come with me,"

Obeying his father, Atem followed him out of the room giving a backward glance at his mother's feeble body. The Pharaoh called for his surgeons and ordered them to do what they could for his queen. Ensuring that his son continued to follow, they moved down the halls and out of the main palace. They walked quickly, the morning sun was already hot and bore down on them relentlessly. Atem was relieved when they walked into the cool of a temple. Atem's heart picked up in fear. This was someplace he had never been.

His father lit a torch and they walked further in.

Perhaps we're going to pray? Atem thought. To ask for mother's life from the gods?

Atem couldn't bear the thought. If they were coming to pray, his father thought that his mother was beyond help.

He thinks she's dying…and that she can't be saved.

Atem started to cry. This temple felt oppressive and dangerous.

"Must I go with you Father," he started to rub at his eyes, hating the tears that formed there. He didn't want to be here, he wanted his mother. "I don't like this place. What are we doing here, anyway?"

"This is something you need to witness, my son. Now follow me,"

How can you sound so emotionless? Atem thought bitterly. He wanted to shout, fight, and scream. Mer-en was Atem's mother, but she was Aknamkanon's wife. Shouldn't he be screaming and fighting just as fiercely, of not more so?

"Why is it so dark down here?" It was a fair question, unlike most temples he had seen that were always washed in light, this one felt dank and deep. It delivered a sinister feeling of foreboding. Atem felt like he was walking into the center of the earth.

"You needn't be afraid. This sanctuary is protected by the Egyptian gods themselves,"

A room opened up in front of them, with stairs leading further down. Atem could see a narrow bridge lined with torch lights. To the left and right of the bridge was a deep cavernous darkness.

"As long as you show your respect, nothing here will harm you,"

"No!" Atem shouted. Seeing his mother, writhing in pain and now this horrible, scary place was overwhelming him. "I won't go any further!"

"This is not a matter of choice," Pharaoh continued into the sanctuary. The thought of staying where he was alone, filled him with fear almost to the point of paralysis.

"Father! Wait,"

"Stay close," Atem ran to catch up. "And be aware of your surroundings at all times,"

In a rush to completely catch up to his father, Atem leaned too close to the edge of the bridge. From the moment his left foot hit the rim, he felt the wrongness of his footing. The edge crumbled underneath his weight. He let out a gasp and he tried to correct his fall by shifting his weight, but he only managed to give himself enough room to grab the ledge on his way down. With his heart in his throat, he let out a cry.

"Father, help!"

But Aknamkanon didn't move to help him.

"Lift yourself up, my boy,"

His arms shook with adrenaline, the way up looked far away.

Calm down. Atem thought. Don't panic. Use what you have learned. Easing his breath, he looked to see that he didn't have far to pull himself up. Using his core and arms, he did as his father said and lifted himself back onto the bridge.

His father only waited a moment for him to collect himself before continuing to whatever destination he was going to. He seemed like a man slightly crazed with desperation. The cavern soon disappeared behind him. They walked into an ornate room, the walls painted with vivid, beautiful colors and figures.

"Who are these people?"

"The Pharaoh's who have come before,"

Aknamkanon fell to his knees in front of an altar that Atem had never seen before.

"Egyptian gods, hear me."

Atem waited silently behind him, watching with apprehension.

"I have committed a crime beyond atonement, and for this, I am truly sorry,"

What is happening? Atem thought, suddenly more afraid than he had been in the darkness. He stared at the back of his father's head, wondering what he was doing. Did he think his mother's illness was because of some sin?

"By bringing the seven Millennium Items into this world, I have destroyed the lives of thousands,"

What? Atem didn't know what he was talking about, what was happening here?

"I bear full responsibility for these actions,"

Aknamkanon then did something Atem had never seen his father do, nor would ever see again. The Pharaoh bowed, his head as close as possible to the ground, and wept bitterly. Atem could see his father's shoulders shake with grief.

"I bear full responsibility for these actions, but please..."

Father?

"Please spare my son. Do not punish him for the misdeeds of his father,"

"Are you alright, father? Why is it that you are crying?" Was it out of worry over his sick wife? Or because of this grievous sin, whatever it was. Atem couldn't help it. He cried too.

Atem's eyes were only closed for a moment before something snapped his attention. The air around him was electrified. Atem's hairs all stood on end. Suddenly, blue lightning struck the altar, over and over again as if angry with them. Atem jumped back, terrified. If this sanctuary was protected by the gods, they seemed furious with them.

"Aah!" he cried out and stumbled backward, but his father had not moved. "Whoa!"

"My son, fear not," Atem was barely able to hear his father's voice over the thunder. "You are safe now,"

Atem stared at his father, stunned into bewilderment. He didn't know what to do except to stand there. He didn't know how long they waited there, enraptured by the flashes of the lightning of the gods. He was too scared to move, despite his father's assurances. All he wanted to do was to run, run back to his mother's bedside.

When Aknamkanon and Atem returned to the palace, Mer-en's condition had worsened. Mana, Mahado, Siamun, his uncle Aknadin, and a number of doctors, priests, and priestesses, were all waiting outside the room where Mer-en lay suffering.

Atem looked down, unable to lift his head. He was out of tears. Aknamkanon disappeared into the room with his mother.

"Prince?" Mana walked up to him and ghosted a touch towards him, not sure if she should. He tugged at her hand and pulled her close to him, making her stumble. Somehow, despite the differences in their size, she was able to bear his full weight on her. He felt heavy and light at the same time as if he was empty. Mahado surrounded the pair, pulling them both to a nearby wall where the three of them could help hold each other up.

Author's Note:

1) A. fib is short for atrial fibrillation, a potentially deadly heart arrhythmia if left untreated.

2) I am not the first to assume that Yugi was a descendant of Atem. Their body type, face, hair, etc., is too similar to explain away. Other authors, including Deviant Art artists, have made this leap as well.

3) The sharing of memories and knowledge between Atem and Yugi has been a theory of mine. In the manga, Yugi told Atem that he could have his memories, so sharing memories wouldn't be a stretch. It was never mentioned in the manga, but this is my fanfiction, so I figured, why not?

4) The scene in the temple is from Yugioh season 5, episode 36.

5) For those of you who are curious, Mer-en was never seen again after her brief introduction in the manga. Her absence could only mean she had died sometime before Atem's ascension to the throne. Their relationship was never mentioned, so I assumed that a healthy relationship between a mother and son had existed.

6) Despite Atem's bravado and advanced mental fortitude, he's still only a child. Even if it was historically and culturally appropriate, writing about Atem having sex at the young age of 12 or 13 feels completely wrong to the point that it gives me the heebee geebees.

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