[Yugioh] RE:Play, Part I. RE:Try - Chapter Three

[shiraume_fic]

RE:Play
[5/29/2009 - 12/31/2010]

I. RE:Try
(Third part of RE:Try, continued from here.)

~*~*~*~

The next day, Yuugi slept through the drama of early morning hours, including the storm of protests Atem drew after announcing he and Yuugi would visit the Valley of the Kings alone. Mahaad, despite his obvious disapproval, sounded reluctantly impressed when he related what he assured Yuugi were the highlights of the morning. The only concession Atem made was taking Mahaad, Isis, and some palace guards – which made Yuugi laugh and Mahaad shake his head ruefully, recognizing the trickery for what it was. Isis looked wry as Mahaad explained none of the other guardians of the Millennium Items were present to argue, including Lord Akhenaden and Priest Seth, who had been busy in the temple of Set conducting a religious ceremony, and Lord Siamun, who had been called away shortly before Atem made his announcement. By the time Lord Siamun received the word and hurried back to the palace, Atem’s company was halfway across the city.

It wasn’t until they were on the barge crossing the river that Atem finally revealed their true destination. Yuugi wasn’t sure if he was glad to be witnessing this one, and braced himself.

“If you will forgive me for questioning your decision, my king?” Mahaad’s voice was uncharacteristically edged, and he barely waited for Atem to nod before he continued. “Why are we going there?”

The way Mahaad said “there” made it clear if he had known beforehand, he would have never let them out of the palace. Isis watched Mahaad curiously, by which Yuugi guessed she had no idea why Mahaad was so against visiting the site of Kur-Elna, where Atem believed the Temple of the Underworld was located. If he was honest, Yuugi didn’t blame Mahaad. After he heard about the origin of the Millennium Items from Atem last night, Yuugi didn’t really want to visit the haunted village, either.

“There’s something I must confirm. And I need your help.” Atem wasn’t backing down, to Mahaad’s chagrin. No surprise there – his eyes were determined as ever. After a long look at him, Mahaad let out a nearly inaudible sigh.

“Is this why you wanted to leave Mana behind, pharaoh?” Mahaad asked wearily.

Atem nodded. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Mahaad, but this is of utmost importance.”

If Yuugi ever had doubt Mahaad had a soft spot for Atem, it was laid to rest when Atem turned the earnest gaze at him and Mahaad didn’t last fifteen seconds before visibly softening. From his place next to Atem, Yuugi caught Isis’s eyes behind Mahaad’s back, and they traded a fondly amused look.

“If this is important to you, my king, then your wish is my command.” Mahaad still looked reluctant, but resigned. Yuugi offered him a sympathetic smile, which Mahaad answered with a dry look of his own, not fooled into believing Yuugi was an innocent party to all this.

“Thank you, Mahaad.” Atem’s eyes then slid to the priestess. “Isis.” Isis inclined her head, all trace of amusement wiped from her face. “Can you see anything in the future?” Atem demanded, intent and focused once more.

Isis closed her eyes, hands raised to hover near the Millennium Tauk. Between her palms, the Tauk gave a short burst of shimmering light, but did not react otherwise. After a moment, she opened her eyes and shook her head. “Nothing dangerous so far, my king. However...” Isis hesitated for a moment. “I did not foresee our true destination, either.” Though I should have been able to hung in the air, unspoken.

Atem nodded. “Caution is our best guard, then.” A pause, and then: “Can you see anything about Yuugi at all? Or about me?”

Isis shook her head again, apologetic. “No, my king. And I have been looking since the first light of morning.”

Yuugi looked away. He’d known, of course, that here in the past, the ordeal with Thief King and Zorc Necrophades would occur shortly. He and Atem might be here only for a little while, but...these people would live out the rest of their lives here. Some of them, like Mahaad, would not survive the coming conflict. Others, like Isis and Mana and Seth, would have the painful job of rebuilding their lives afterwards. And Atem...Atem would be sealed in the Millennium Puzzle for three millennia, without his memories or even his own name.

Or would history be changed here? Come to think of it, Atem already knew what would happen. He could summon all three Egyptian Gods and use his name to unlock the power of Horakhty. If he stayed long enough for the battle against Zorc, wouldn’t he win this time? Granted, if the past was rewritten, it would mean Yuugi and Atem would never meet in the future, but wasn’t it better than letting Atem spend 3,000 years locked away in the shattered Puzzle?

“Look, aibou,” Atem murmured, right next to his ear, and Yuugi started. “Ta-sekhet-aat – the Great Field – is beyond the cliffs. The final resting place of kings.” The cliffs overlooking the Nile seemed to rise up higher as they approached, majestic and imposing. “If we have time, we can visit, though I doubt you’ll find it exciting.”

“Huh? Why?” Visiting the Valley of the Kings was one of the first things Yuugi wanted to do here, where they retained their original, unspoiled splendor.

“Because we can only see the outside. The tombs are all sealed.” Atem sounded amused. “Even I can’t order them opened. Once a tomb is sealed, it is meant to remain sealed.”

Oops. Right. He’d forgotten what the modern people were doing -- touring the tombs and looking at the unwrapped mummies and funerary artifacts -- was sacrilege in the minds of the ancients. In their time, these ancient people were beloved in life, and mourned by those left behind in death. It would horrify anyone, ancient or modern, to imagine their loved one’s grave defiled.

Remembering that Atem’s tomb, too, was once visited by treasure hunters was a sobering thought. Yuugi could sympathize with – inasmuch as he couldn’t condone – Shaadi’s relentless persecution of the royal grave robbers.

“I guess you’ll have to make it up to me and take me around the temples instead,” Yuugi said with more lightness than he felt, wondering if Atem also remembered the exhibition where they met Shaadi for the first time.

“If we have time,” Atem promised. The barge was soon moored ashore, and the guards quickly secured it so they could disembark. Despite the guards holding the plank steady, Yuugi stumbled right into Atem’s back, and flushed in embarrassment.

“Thanks,” Yuugi mumbled, feeling Atem’s arm securely wrapped around him, supporting him with ease.

Atem did not let go until Yuugi found his feet on solid ground again. “You’re welcome.”

Yuugi could feel eyes watching them. Even if Mahaad knew some of the truth, Isis and others did not. Their intimacy and familiarity with each other must look strange to everyone else. Yuugi gave a mental sigh, careful to keep his expression neutral, and quickened his pace to match Atem’s. There was a group of soldiers stationed on this side of the bank, waiting at attention with fresh horses, and Yuugi sent a startled sidelong glance at Atem, who didn’t so much as smirk.

“...This is the only way, right?” Yuugi asked, resigned. Their trip from the palace to the river had also been on horseback, and Yuugi most definitely had not enjoyed that. Clinging to a horse’s mane while trying to keep his balance atop the rounded barrel with no foothold to speak of? So not his idea of fun. He knew from Memory World that Atem was a proficient rider, as were the priests. He was not looking forward to making an idiot out of himself in front of them.

“I’ll ride with you. It’s not a distance to travel on foot, and the path is too narrow for a chariot.” Resigned to his fate, Yuugi didn’t protest as he was helped to mount behind Atem. “Hold on to me. I won’t go fast.”

Yuugi mumbled skeptically into Atem’s back, but obeyed. After listening to a short report from the scouts, Atem signaled for his escort to form a line, himself at the head. Mahaad and Isis, both on horseback, were right behind him. Yuugi tensed when the horse walked a few steps, arms winding tight around Atem’s waist, then Atem sent a brisk kick to the horse’s flank, and they were off.

Despite himself, Yuugi squeaked and held on tighter. The horse wasn’t moving fast, but it could have been going supersonic for all he cared. Grimly, Yuugi clung to Atem, praying the ride would end soon.

“Aibou, I won’t let you fall. So look up.” Atem’s hand cupped Yuugi’s clenched hands, and Yuugi consciously relaxed his grip. When he peeked, they were already high above the river. Atem nudged the horse forward, slowing down a bit as the path became steeper and narrower. The narrow path widened as they descended to the valley. The valley was of warm sandy hue under the sun, but light didn’t reach the deep recesses in the dusky rocks, carved with sharp shadows. The hooves of the horses should have thundered down the valley, but the sound seemed to die out, absorbed to the ground below. It couldn’t have taken them that long to pass through, yet the silent valley seemed to stretch on forever. The sun remained frozen in the sky, as if time itself was grinding to a halt as they continued their journey.

By the time they stopped, Yuugi had begun to drift off, his sense of time long since gone. Atem’s horse started, and Yuugi, startled, squeezed his arms around Atem’s waist. “Kur-Elna,” Atem murmured in low voice, reaching down to pat the horse’s neck. But the horse was clearly spooked, and refused to move.

Ahead of them, within shouting distance from where they stood, remnants of destroyed buildings stuck out from the ground like broken bones, eerie and silent. The doorways and windows hung gaping on skeletal walls. Even the fierce sunlight seemed to lose strength here, this small village that was once a hideout for grave robbers and thieves. Even though it couldn’t be past noon, the village seemed to be surrounded by an eternal dusk. There was a strange hush around them, broken only by the nervous stamping of the hooves. When Atem again tried to urge his horse forward, the horse neighed and danced from side to side. Another attempt, then Atem gave up and dismounted.

“We will continue on foot. Half of the guards should remain here with the horses and guard the perimeter.”

While Mahaad regrouped the soldiers, Yuugi, grateful to be on solid ground again, didn’t even protest Atem helping him down.

“I’ve seen this before, but...” Atem’s voice was soft, meant only for Yuugi’s ears. He shook himself out of it, and the steel was back in his eyes the next moment. “The Temple of the Underworld is located in the heart of the town.”

Yuugi swallowed. At least Atem didn’t ask Yuugi to wait behind. Glancing behind, he saw Mahaad and Isis standing ready with a dozen guards. “I guess we should move on, then.”

As they moved deeper into the village, Yuugi felt a shiver rake his body. It wasn’t just a feeling, either. The temperature had dropped enough to raise goose bumps on his skin. A glance told him Atem was keenly aware of it: the pharaoh was alert, a hand resting on the hilt of his sword. The Millennium Puzzle glimmered even in the dim light, but the familiar sight was more sinister than reassuring. Was it a mist surrounding them, or something else?

“Isis, summon Spiria to look ahead.”

Behind him, Yuugi felt a rush of warmth, materializing in the form of a winged sprite that soared upward. The cold mist retreated around the Monster, enough to make her bright shape clearly visible even in the gloom that permeated throughout the village.

Atem watched, pensive. “As I thought...” he murmured, then: “Aibou, do you have your deck with you?”

Instantly, Yuugi knew what Atem was thinking, and it was just like the time the two of them shared one body, when words weren’t necessary to understand each other. “Which one do you need?”

“Anything with the aspect of Light,” Atem answered. “I don’t think I should summon here. It might attract...attention.”

Yuugi nodded and reached for the gentle warmth of his deck, and drew.

“A good choice,” Atem commented. There was a smile in his voice.

Yuugi held up the card. “Silent Magician!”

Light flooded inside him, and Yuugi let out an involuntary gasp. The spread of warmth made his skin tingle, as if the very air caressing him were charged. Then the pressure grew, building inside him, then exploded outward, leaving him in an impossible mixture of ecstasy and agony. When he was aware of himself again, Silent Magician stood before him, the staff at her side, ready to defend him. Looking at the summoned Monster, Yuugi felt his memories swirl. Back in his final duel against Atem, it had been Silent Magician that defeated Atem’s hidden card, the combination attack of Black Magician and Black Magician Girl. And after Atem’s special summon for the Sky-Dragon of Osiris was foiled, it was with the Silent Magician that Yuugi had ended the duel.

“Other Me, I—”

“We can’t go back, aibou. We can only go forward.” Atem looked at him then, lips quirking. His eyes held understanding: steady, proud, and perhaps a little sad. “Shall we?”

There was a dark passage before them, hidden gate thrown open to reveal a long staircase. The Temple of the Underworld. Yuugi took in a sharp breath. Torches were being lit, and the light from the Silent Magician illuminated the first few steps, their path laid out inexorably before them. This could be the last moment they had together before...before something happened. Desperately, Yuugi wanted to say something. Although they’d both acted as if they were sure they would see tomorrow together, both of them had known they were on borrowed time.

“I’m glad,” Yuugi choked out, nearly inaudible, and Atem stilled. “That you and I met. That we—” Oh God, he couldn’t continue. His voice was breaking and he was sure Atem could hear the hitching of his breath. Then, Atem turned to look at him, his face wearing the same open, loving expression from the night before, and for a moment, Yuugi couldn’t breathe.

“Me, too.” Atem’s reply was so quiet, Yuugi almost missed it. “It is worth everything.”

It was all they had time for. The next moment, they started on their careful climb down the staircase. As they entered the underground chamber, Yuugi’s hand flew to his throat; if the air in the village had been cold, being inside the Temple was like breathing ice. Hatred was a tangible presence here, cloaked with so much darkness that even the light from Silent Magician and Spiria seemed faded. The torchlight flickered and dimmed, as if oppressed by the heavy air in the room.

“Aibou,” Atem murmured, fingers lacing with Yuugi’s. Despite the calm tone, Yuugi could feel Atem’s hand was cold. Here they were, equally at the mercy of the vengeful spirits, yet Atem was still trying to be strong for him. Yuugi squeezed Atem’s hand, hoping the gesture of support would carry across.

A few steps more, the Stone of King’s Memories became visible. It was almost comforting to see its familiar shape, the circular base inscribed with hieroglyphics, but... “Other Me...does this room look...different to you?”

“Not from my memory of the past. But you’re right. When we came here for our final duel, this place didn’t look the same. Except for the Stone.” Atem lifted his torch high, illuminating the wall right behind the Stone. “And the Gate to the Underworld...”

Yuugi studied the images and hieroglyphs on the wall, and frowned. “Where’s the Eye?” Atem was looking fixedly at the wall, and didn’t answer. 3,000 years later in the future, the Gate to the Underworld had had the Eye in the center, surrounded by hieroglyphic texts detailing the ritual to open it. Behind the Stone, which lay with all seven grooves for the Items empty, the image and the text on the wall were completely different. Yuugi glanced around, wondering if they had come to the right place. The layout of the columns looked familiar, and so did the drawings on the walls, but Gate to the Underworld was nowhere to be seen.

“I should have realized it before.” Atem’s voice was low, darker even than the darkness in the Temple.

“The ritual described in the original inscription – wasn’t it essentially the same ritual used to free Zorc?” Yuugi whispered, and Atem gave a slight nod. The two rituals had the same central ingredient: the seven Millennium Items placed on the Stone of the King’s Memories. If they tried it now, they would probably release the evil god instead. “I assume we’re not going to try placing the Millennium Items on the Stone.”

“That would be ill advised, no,” Atem agreed. “But we’re right back to where we started. I should have remembered. In the past, this temple was damaged during the battle against Zorc. It must had been restored after.”

“Is this really the right place? I mean, maybe the temple was rebuilt somewhere else?”

Atem was still poring over the inscriptions and images on the wall behind the Stone, and answered him without looking. “I don’t think so. The layout of this temple is still exactly the same. I think it was rebuilt on the same site. And look,” Atem said, indicating the Stone, “the Stone of Memories is built into the platform. I don’t think it can be moved.”

“...Crap.” Yuugi bit his lip, realizing the extent of the problem. “So...it’s the same with Seth’s stone tablet. The Temple of the Underworld as we know it doesn’t exist yet.”

From all the time Yuugi had known him, Atem was never one to stay defeated for long. “There has to be another way,” Atem declared firmly. “Zorc was defeated. We did everything we were supposed to do. There has to be a way to send both of us back to where we belong.”

Yuugi’s eyes dropped from the stone panel above the platform, and stopped at the Stone. “Is there anything else we need to see here? Anything that could be useful?” He didn’t want to stay in this place any longer than necessary. The air around them was only growing colder by the minute.

“No. The image and inscription above the Stone speak of the judgment the dead must face in the Underworld. The rest of the inscriptions...Mahaad?”

“I recognize them from the Book of the Dead, my king,” Mahaad said quietly, and Yuugi almost jumped. He’d almost forgotten Mahaad and Isis were with them. Yuugi briefly wondered if Mahaad had heard any part of their earlier conversation. “I’ve checked most of it. There is nothing special about any of those inscriptions.”

“I find nothing out of the ordinary, either, pharaoh.” Isis had wandered off to examine other parts of the temple without their noticing, and was now walking back to them.

It was scary how quickly the two priests had picked up on what they were doing. Yuugi and Atem exchanged a look, and nodded. “Then, we can find nothing more here. We might as well go back.” Atem didn’t sound disappointed, but Yuugi knew better. The possibility that the two of them might be here for good hadn’t been one that either of them had seriously considered.

“Was there anything specific you were looking for, pharaoh?” Even through Mahaad’s preternatural calm, Yuugi could feel the magic of Black Magician held just barely in check, ready to spring to their defense. The darkness had deepened around them steadily, threatening to swallow them, and the soldiers stood huddled in a tight semicircle around the platform, clinging to the sanctuary of light created by the flickering torches. Even the staircase was now hidden in the pitch black. Parts of Spiria and Silent Magician had become obscured, and Yuugi could read discomfort on both Monsters’ faces.

“Something about a Gate to the Underworld,” Atem answered. Yuugi’s attention was split, drawn to the Silent Magician and Spiria’s growing distress. Isis’s face was becoming increasingly paler, too. “Isis, dismiss Spiria. She’s at her limit.”

Isis bowed, and Spiria disappeared with what might have been a relieved sigh. Left behind, Silent Magician’s form seemed even smaller. Yuugi drew another card. “Book of Secret Arts!”

Yuugi felt a distinct pull somewhere within, infusing his insides with the same light as before. A green book shimmered into existence before the Silent Magician, who took it, and the Monster’s form became clearer and more distinct. This time, the drain left Yuugi swaying on his feet. Apparently, using magic was not without costs. And it was made worse by this place, which leeched away his energy even as he willed the spell into place.

“I don’t think this place likes us very much.” Yuugi could feel the icy chill pressing ever closer, stifling and merciless. There was an active, malicious will at work here, watchful of any opening it could exploit. The soldiers were shivering, and Isis looked like the only thing keeping her upright was the force of her will. Yuugi, feeling much the same, could empathize wholeheartedly. They wouldn’t last much longer, magic or no magic. “We should leave.”

Atem nodded. After another look at Yuugi’s fatigued face, he shook his head and held out a hand. “Holy Elf!” Misty form coalesced into a tall woman in green robe, long blonde hair shimmering softly in the torchlight. Her chant was barely above a murmur, but the darkness around them recoiled, letting the torches burn brighter. The Silent Magician glowed more brightly as well, illuminating the path to the staircase. “Let’s go. The longer we stay here, the more danger we face.”

He didn’t have to give the order twice. Their group moved toward the staircase as swiftly as they dared, guided by the gleaming figure of the Silent Magician and guarded by the Holy Elf in the rear. Once outside the temple, they did not pause until they rejoined the rest of their company waiting beyond the ruins of Kur-Elna. Then, they were once again off, riding back to the barge.

No one spoke until they were back on the barge. Isis, whose face had finally lost its pallor, was silent, watching the river. Mahaad looked subdued, but not enough to forbear a sharp look at Atem.

“This was one excursion I’d never have cared to see you undertake, pharaoh,” Mahaad said without preamble, and though Isis did not speak, her expression made it clear she felt the same. Atem did not answer or refute the statement, and after a moment, it was Mahaad who sighed in acquiescence. “Was it worthwhile?” Mahaad asked, his tone milder. Yuugi stole a look at Atem’s expressionless face, and sighed inwardly.

“We confirmed one thing, at least. We can figure out the rest later.” He kept his voice confident, hoping it would reassure both Atem and himself, and after a moment, Atem nodded. “I can’t help wondering if we didn’t misinterpret the words, though. The inscription said you couldn’t start your journey holding your sword, right? And we thought sword meant weapon. So cards for us.”

“Unless I drop the sword—”

“Which we thought meant you losing a duel, but—”

“If you would pardon the interruption...” Isis this time. Mahaad glanced from Isis to Atem, but held his peace. “When you say ‘drop the sword,’ do you mean in defeat, or in surrender?”

“You can’t be at rest unless you put down the sword,” Yuugi added, and yawned. He’d been deathly tired ever since using the last spell card. A thought came back to him, one he’d confided to Anzu on their way to the battle ceremony, that during all the time they had known each other, Atem had been constantly fighting. What did it mean, to be at peace? “You can’t be at peace unless you stop fighting. But stop because you’re defeated, or because you surrender?”

The afternoon sun was bright over the city while their barge crossed the river. In the distance, the walls of the palace gleamed, with the twin peaks of the pylon gate proudly lifted up in the center. The banners, held aloft even higher than the pylon, streamed their bright colors in the wind, their poles thrust up like spears at ready. Flanking the front gate like twin blades, the two obelisks, bleached pale gold in the sunlight, towered in the skyline.

“It can’t be that easy. That would mean I only needed to surrender the fight,” Atem pointed out.

“Or maybe, it’s not that we misinterpreted the inscription, Other Me. A ceremony of battle, Malik said. Your said yourself it would be your final trial.”

A brief spasm tightened Atem’s features, which Yuugi recognized as distress. “You can’t be thinking this is actually the ceremony of battle?”

“Or maybe just the continuation.” Despite his best efforts, Yuugi couldn’t manage a reassuring smile. A piercing call came from the above, and a falcon descended like a ray of sunlight, diving towards an unseen prey, so close that Yuugi could make out the markings on its wings.

“Maybe...we simply haven’t finished the battle ceremony yet.”

END OF PART I

I used the Greek version of the names to refer to the character, and the more Egyptian names to refer to the gods (e.g., Seth is Seto, Isis is Ishizu, but Set and Iset refer to the gods). Valley of the Kings is a modern moniker, of course, and the ancient name for the place was Ta-sekhet-aat (“the great field”). Ancient Egyptians did not actually ride on horseback (their horses being too small to carry fully armed adult males), and in fact chariots were the favored horse-powered transport. But since Yugioh canon has Atem and the priests riding on horses, I kept it. Yuugi’s discomfort mainly stems from the fact modern saddle with stirrups didn’t exist then – even Yugioh canon shows the riders without those. Book of the Dead (more accurately, “book of coming forth by day”) is not actually a book, but a long scroll with the spells the deceased would need during the journey to the afterlife. Although enclosing the scroll with the dead at burial had become a widely popular custom by the 18th dynasty, the text wasn’t actually standardized until much later. For the purpose of this story I pretended there was a standardized version during that time.

Credit for the original idea behind this story goes to olesia, who once told me about a fic idea, of Yuugi and Other Yuugi being transported to the ancient Egypt at the conclusion of the manga/anime timeline. I’d really liked the concept, but sadly olesia moved onto other fandoms shortly after, and never returned to her story, “The Shadow of God,” much to my disappointment.

So at the end of May 2009, this story was born. Until the belated finish on December 31, 2010, I had a lot of fun writing this story, so I hope y’all will enjoy the ride~!