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the_goldenpathTitle: Red Dawn or the World ends Tomorrow
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Pairings: Yamishipping (YnY x YnB x YnM), Anzu x Honda, unrequited Yuugi x Anzu, one-sided Mahaado x Atemu
Warnings: violence, angst, potty mouths, shounen-ai, THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH!
Genre: AU, science fiction, action/adventure
Diclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! belongs to Takahasi Kazuki. No money is made off of this. Fic written just for entertainment purposes.
Summary: Seven Items, seven Generals. What once was the peaceful green Earth has turned into a war-ridden danger zone under the tyrannical rule of Kaiba Gozaburo, with Domino City, Japan, as the centre of his empire. The resistance, led by young rebel Mutou Yuugi, is searching for a way to retrieve the seven so-called Sennen Items, as they are believed to hold the power to bring universal peace. It’s only a matter of time before Yuugi crosses paths with the Generals in his search, ultimately meeting the most powerful of them all: the one they call ‘Pharaoh’.
Author’s note: Feedback is greatly appreciated. I refer to Yami no Malik/ Malik no yami no jinkaku as ‘Marik’ for the flow of the story.
Key: ----------- = scene change
continued from here
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The next morning brought the reunion of the Pharaoh with the rest of his Priests, the former Generals Karim, Shaadah and Set. Everyone was shocked by Set’s appearance: he was the spitting image of Kaiba. Another ‘joke’ on Gozaburo’s part, and another testimonial of how he had used people in general. Yuugi shuddered to think of what Gozaburo could’ve done if he had had full access to Kaiba’s laptop with his research and information on what he called ‘virtual reality’.
Yuugi had slept all night and woke up to find a pitcher with fresh water and a small tray with breakfast on his dresser. He thought it might be Anzu who had taken care of it, and he wolfed everything down. He didn’t have much time to get freshened up and dress himself, as the Priests had simply walked through, searching for their Pharaoh. The commotion was short-lived as Mahaado greeted them and introduced them to the others; as usual, Jounouchi was up in arms to defend his friends from any danger, and to him the Generals still presented danger. It had taken quite the effort to calm him again; fortunately Shizuka was around to guide her onii-chan away from the not-really-impressed Priests who immediately asked to see their Pharaoh.
With the Pharaoh’s court assembled, Yuugi had some time left to work on solving the Puzzle. He carefully kept the other Items out of the Priests’ hands. It was strange to think of them as Priests instead of Generals. All of them had disposed of their armor, if any, and wore similar robes to Mahaado’s. The house had gone from silent to cozily full to overcrowded. Even the living room served as sleeping accommodation; with a bit of humor, one could say there was a continuous slumber party going on. Yuugi was still amazed by his feelings about all of this; his perfect momentum in time, in honor of the day his family had died, had been ruptured, and he didn’t mind as much as he thought he would. More so, he started to grow comfortable and satisfied with the presence of all the people around him.
The Items were safely stashed in the hiding-place located in the Game Shop. Despite everything, the store was left unused and respectfully alone. Yuugi didn’t think he would live long enough to see it restored to its former use, like any other store. The world was too injured, too damaged for a Game Shop to be back in use within the next decade. Houses needed to be rebuild, schools, supermarkets and stores, infrastructure needed to be repaired, and there were still members and remnants of the Elite Troops out there. News of the world was slowly trickling in; contradicting messages, rumors and outdated news. Jounouchi and Honda transmitted day and night the news about Gozaburo all around the world, but his grip had been chokingly tight; many people were still not informed and confused.
None of the former Generals seemed to be upset about the man’s death. Karim, a remarkably buff General, had spat a few times on the floor when he heard the news and Shaadah, his body shrouded by formlessly wide robes, had only shook his head and uttered something in a language nobody understood.
Set, on the other hand, showed a striking copy of Kaiba’s smirk, stressing their more-than-just-physical similarities. His opinion of Gozaburo was unknown, but the tall Priest’s scowl informed people more than enough of what he was really thinking. Besides, he was far more shocked at seeing Kaiba than by Gozaburo’s death.
All Generals however, now they had returned to their original function as Priest, hovered close to the Pharaoh who was recovering quickly. Without wearing the armor, his sharp mind and intelligence resurfaced gradually, and he reverted to the person he once used to be. Even though no one’s memories were fully restored or clear in the first place, the Priests knew enough – whether by instinct or it had been drilled into them - to set up their Pharaoh’s court and household, and soon they had everything up and running again.
Karim had appointed himself in charge of the food distribution and took stock of all of their supplies. When shipments arrived from overseas, mostly from the United States who had barely escaped Gozaburo’s influence, he was the one to hand out food, medication, clothes and other basic necessities. Karim was very strict – but very fair - in the rationing of the supplies and he was good at judging who needed what the most.
Gathering and distributing information was Shaadah’s forte. Within a few days he had set up a complete and reliable network and courier service to send out communiqués around the world with the definitive news about Gozaburo’s demise. He filtered out the rumors and developed a standard for his newscasts to combat misinformation and contradiction.
The tallest of them all, Set, was running for government himself. Society was in chaos; there was no clarity on who was doing what and who was in charge. There was no government, no president, no emperor. Someone had to set priorities and take inventory of everything that had to be done. Set had a knack for judging characters and keeping a good overview; it didn’t take him very long to appoint the right people to the right positions, starting with getting full electricity and water supply for the entire city.
Ruling them all was the Pharaoh, usually accompanied by Mahaado. The magician-priest’s leg had healed, but despite the care, it was still bothering him with a slight limp. Atemu, though no one referred to him with his first name, was on top of everything. His voice boomed through the house more often than not and people ran in and out, following orders, executing orders. The Priests themselves moved as if they had all the time in the world, their composure always calm yet with the right amount of authority.
It didn’t escape Yuugi, who felt oddly left out, that the Priests spoke often and at length with the Pharaoh. He didn’t know if their conversations always pertained to all the work that had to be done. Yuugi had time enough on his hands now that the Resistance had become as good as obsolete. He was relieved to resign from his position as leader, a position he had never felt really happy or at ease with, but solving the Puzzle was all that he had to do now. This drastic change left him frustrated, and the Puzzle was extremely difficult to boot. He used to be so good at solving riddles and games, but this one… was spectacular and annoying at the same time. The pieces had to be inserted in a way that was hard to figure out; they could click and turn in almost every direction.
Otogi and Shizuka tried to cheer him up as they drank tea with him. It was almost unheard of - tea time, with biscuits! Their advice was in general worthless in case of the Puzzle, but Yuugi appreciated their visits and his heart was filled with joy at seeing their entangled hands. Every day he was more and more convinced that everything was going to work out. The world was going to be a better place, responding to the people’s hopes and beliefs, including himself.
Anzu, Honda and Jounouchi were pleased with the Priests’ efficiency, but didn’t like to see Yuugi left out. They involved him in everything they did - like many others, they were searching all over town for a suitable places to live, now that the greatest fear of the Elite Troops was gone. Honda located finally an apartment building that was relatively unscathed, and had claimed a few of the apartments for the lot of them. It was hard to believe that not long ago they had lived underground, fearing for their lives; now they were able to live like normal people, without the fear of tyranny and suppression, and not everyone found it easy to adjust.
Yuugi finished the Puzzle after two months, staring in awe at the shape and the splendor of the Item. It was an upside-down pyramid, with a mythical eye on the front – a thing that every Item shared. Attaching it to a simple piece of rope, Yuugi felt strangely empty after finishing it. He had spent all his time on solving it, and now that he was done… he suddenly had a bad feeling about it. Yuugi sighed. It wasn’t going to be easy one way or another. The Pharaoh couldn’t keep the Item anyway.
He rose from his chair. He had worked on the Puzzle in the living room and all of the furniture had been set aside to make room for the Priests’ beds. It was a jumble of sheets and blankets; they weren’t exactly used to making their beds themselves. Yuugi often caught someone else doing it for them; it was very little effort, and nobody dared to bother the Priests to teach them. Somehow, Yuugi had the ominous feeling, it didn’t matter anymore.
The door to the Pharaoh’s room was closed. That bewildered him; usually the door was open. Mahaado had swapped some of the furniture around to make room for a desk with a chair, destined for the Pharaoh of course. Yuugi didn’t know if or how Mahaado kept swapping everything around to make room for his bed every night, as he certainly didn’t sleep in the same room as the other Priests. Nobody had commented on him staying so close to the Pharaoh either.
“Atemu-san,” Yuugi said while knocking on the door. He had never thought about referring to him with his title instead of his name. The Pharaoh finally had found his name, so why not use it? He didn’t receive an answer so he pushed the door open, slowly. Atemu was sitting on the edge of his bed, dressed in plain white pajamas, his hands folded, resting in his lap. It reminded him of the way Mahaado had been waiting for him the first time he met the magician-General. Yuugi was touched that their deep bond had transcended through all the hardships they endeavored. These small gestures were what tied them together; Pharaoh and Priest, student and teacher, and friends beyond the end. Yuugi knew all about Mahaado’s wish for more, and if it had been in his power, he would have loved to make it come true. They both knew, however, that the Pharaoh’s heart wasn’t with his Priest that way.
“I solved your Puzzle.”
“You did?” Atemu all but jumped from the bed, his eyes immediately searching out Yuugi. It was so delightful to see his red eyes without any smoldering, aggressive emotion behind it. They were… bland at the moment, without the promise of blood, but they also missed the depth and warmth of a human being.
The Pharaoh reached for the Puzzle, the upside down golden triangle that was his symbol of power. Mahaado already rose from his own seat, his face expressing fear.
“You know what happens when you touch it, Atemu-san.” Yuugi pulled the Puzzle away from him.
Atemu showed Yuugi a tentative smile. “How is that for irony,” he said, “that the only thing that really belongs to me is also the only thing to kill me.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way, Atemu-san.” Yuugi approached him, but made sure to keep the Puzzle out of his reach. Just the slightest touch would… he quickly steered away from that train of thoughts. Mahaado was oddly silent, but the fear hadn’t left his face. There was something… of acceptance in his eyes, as if he had acquiesced to something.
“It is soon time to set everyone free,” Atemu said.
“What do you mean?” Yuugi asked and all but clutched the Puzzle to his chest.
“You know that we do not belong in this world,” Atemu answered, and he sat down again. He glanced at Mahaado before looking at Yuugi. “I have decided that it is time for us to go.”
“You can’t go,” Yuugi said, baffled. “We need you! Look at how things are going – neatly and structured – without as much as a hitch! We are rebuilding, reconstructing… we wouldn’t have gotten this far without your help.”
“We have given you a start,” Atemu replied. “The rest is up to you, Mutou Yuugi. You have the power and the strength to continue where I am going to leave off.”
“No. No, I don’t. You have to stay here.”
“You have to understand…” Mahaado spoke softly. “You have to understand that we discussed this with our Pharaoh extensively, and we all agree with him. We stand like one man behind his decision.”
“But of course, you are his court,” Yuugi said. It earned him a real, wide smile from Atemu. “What?”
“They do not always agree with me, and they certainly are allowed to speak up their own mind. My Priests are not my slaves, and they do not need to say yes to everything I propose or want.” He was obviously amused. “If they were, my decision would not have been this hard.”
“I can’t believe it,” Yuugi said. The Puzzle felt cold and heavy in his hands. “I…”
As if they had discussed this too, Mahaado suddenly bowed to his Pharaoh and to Yuugi, and left the room without another word. Atemu waited for the door to be closed before he continued.
“We do not belong in this world,” he repeated. “We are barely humans anyway. Gozaburo created us from memories, bodies and minds that he mixed together, virtual and real, and he took away our true souls, leaving us incomplete. We never knew what was really going on, only that something connected us to each other, and in the meantime we did his dirty work. We are responsible for all the destruction around here.”
Yuugi didn’t ask for permission to sit down. He sat on the edge of the bed, on the foot end, and tried to wrap his mind about what Atemu was saying. He didn’t want him to go. He didn’t want any of them to go. He startled when a hand was suddenly put on his, just a few inches away from the Puzzle. It startled him even more that it was Atemu’s hand on his. Who else could it be?
“You were forced to obey his orders. That damned armor of yours! But now.. now you’re making up for what you destroyed,” he croaked out, hoarsely. “You’re redefining this whole town, maybe this whole country as we speak…”
“This is not our homeland,” Atemu said. His finger steered carefully away from the Puzzle, but kept their hold on Yuugi’s hand, gently stroking his fingers. “This is not even our world. We do not know exactly where we came from, but we know where we are supposed to be going to.”
Yuugi wanted to cry. “You just can’t leave,” he said, and the Puzzle dropped from his other hand, the weight too heavy. It landed with a loud thud on the floor.
“We would never fit in. In Domino City, the people might forgive us because they have seen who we really are. In other parts of the world, I doubt that anyone would be grateful to know that we are still alive.”
“Screw them,” Yuugi said rudely. “I don’t care! I want you to stay!”
Atemu was silent for a minute, moving his hand up to brush the golden bangs away from Yuugi’s face. His touch send jolts through Yuugi’s body, and he shivered. He couldn’t handle this…his words, his touch.
“It is not what we want, Mutou Yuugi. We are in pain. I miss Marik and Bakura. It hurts so much. Mahaado misses his family. Karim and the others hide their own sadness. We know of families and friends we have left behind. Even though our memories are filled with gaps and dark holes, we still know that we left them behind, and we want to be reunited.”
Yuugi couldn’t help it, he started to cry. With a jerky movement, he kicked at the Puzzle.
“It’s not fair! You can enjoy the new world! You can restart your life..! You can be whoever you want…” His voice started to fade, dissolving into small sobs. How would he feel if he were in Atemu’s position? Estranged from everything and anything, in a world that wasn’t even yours to begin with? Messed up, fucked up, and missing people you cared about? He felt Atemu’s arms around him in an awkward, but genuine hug, and he laid his head on his shoulder, and cried.
“My beloved,” Atemu said as his hand went up again to stroke Yuugi’s hair in comforting, soothing motions. “You are so strong. You will lead this world into a new era, free from Generals and Pharaohs, free of violence and war. You have freed me, you have freed everyone of us - now it is our time to free the world.”
“It’s not fair,” Yuugi repeated. He felt pain and disappointment, and even anger flowing through him. Something was taken away from him, again, and it was painful to hear Atemu’s voice, painful to feel his arms around him.
“Yuugi…”
“Shut up, shut up!” He wanted to punch him, but Yuugi knew he couldn’t. He regretted his words as Atemu pulled away from him. He didn’t want to end this with a fight. The Pharaoh dabbed at his face gently with an embroidered handkerchief, wiping the tears away. He put the piece of cloth away again, lifting up Yuugi’s chin with his fingers. With the same gentleness, he pressed a kiss to Yuugi’s forehead.
“Your kindness is what will save this world,” he said. “Please bestow this upon me as your last act of kindness, Mutou Yuugi.”
There was nothing else he could do but to nod, even though his heart was crying. From the corner of his eye, he could see the Puzzle, with the Eye facing him. Not of this world. The tears flowed again, and Atemu stayed with him, dabbing at his face, hand in his hair. He didn’t notice Mahaado returning to the room, but didn’t startle when the magician-Priest put his arms around him. It was comfortable, and Yuugi was grateful, but it didn’t take the pain away. It would never take the pain away.
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The living room had been emptied out of the beds and the other furniture. Only a large table remained, with the seven Sennen Items gathered together on display. On one side of the room, the four remaining Priests were neatly aligned, dressed in their traditional robes, all of them keeping their hands folded, except for Set who had his arms crossed in front of his chest. Atemu stood next to the table, wearing the plain white pajamas. As he couldn’t remember how his royal clothes had looked like, he had chosen for the pajamas, representing simplicity.
Yuugi and his friends – Jounouchi, Otogi, Honda, Anzu and Shizuka – were grouped together, the couples holding hands while Jounouchi had his arm around Yuugi. He was glad for the support – literally, as he was afraid he was going to keel over and fall to the floor if it weren’t for Jounouchi’s grip.
To everyone’s surprise, Kaiba had requested, rather civilized compared to his earlier behavior, to attend the upcoming ‘ceremony’ with his brother Mokuba. Yuugi had granted him permission, of course. He didn’t question Kaiba’s reasons, and Anzu agreed that he could attend if he kept himself calm. In a relatively short time, Kaiba had shown incredible progress health-wise, though walking and standing upright for a long time was still too much for his body to take. That was why the only chair in the room was for him, his brother leaning on the armrest.
“Karim,” Atemu said, his voice calm and low. He reached behind him for the Scales and held it out for the muscular Priest. He bowed before he closed his hands around it, accepting the Item greedily.
“Thank you, my Pharaoh,” he said and disappeared immediately, his body gone in an instant. Atemu caught the Scales before they could fall on the floor and put them back on the table.
“Shaada,” he called out, and the Priest with the turban ecstatically grabbed the Ankh, cradling it for the briefest moments to his chest before he disappeared. From this angle, Yuugi could see the looks on their faces. None of them looked scared or upset; as they touched their Item, pure rapture and bliss was visible, as well as gratitude. Life here in this world truly was painful for them, Yuugi thought. He burrowed himself closer to Jounouchi. At least the Priests had reconciled with their fate, and whatever afterlife there was waiting for them, Yuugi hoped they would find the happiness they were longing for.
“Set.”
The Kaiba-look-alike Priest strode forward, his steps determined. The Rod was his; his eyes locked with the Pharaoh’s one last time.
“Thank you, my Pharaoh.”
“Thank you, my friend.”
Yuugi thought he could hear Kaiba swallow from here, and soft cries to his left were audible. Either Anzu or Shizuka, he didn’t know. His throat felt dry and tight as well, as if someone was cutting off his air supply.
“Mahaado.”
The Ring was for him, as Yuugi had thought ever since he had seen the look in Mahaado’s eyes. Whatever it was that tied them to these Items, it was strong enough to kill them, and strong enough to die for in itself. They had this strong, primal link with these Items; it was almost scary to think how deep that bond ran.
“My friend,” Atemu whispered, and for the first time he hesitated to hand over the Item.
“My Pharaoh,” the magician-Priest answered. “My soul will be your eternal servant.”
“Thank you.”
Neither one of them said or did something for more than a minute; they stood just opposite each other, Pharaoh and Priest. Mahaado leaned into him, tilting his head. Atemu smiled softly, pursed his lips a little and also tilted his head so their noses wouldn’t bump into each other.
They kissed, a warm and gentle kiss, with their lips lingering when they broke up. It hadn’t been forceful and passionate, but sad and sweet, and far too short.
“Paradise awaits you,” Atemu said, his voice a little thick.
“It will await you too,” Mahaado answered confidently, his fingers already clenched around the Ring; he had managed to grab it while they were kissing.
He gazed into the Pharaoh’s eyes and Atemu looked back, completely at ease, with deep affection radiating off of him. The Priest disappeared, but somehow not as abruptly as the others; he just faded away, as if he tried to look at his Pharaoh for as long as possible. Finally, the Ring fell on the floor, clattering, the prongs a dead weight.
Absolute silence reigned the room, and Atemu picked up the Ring, staring at it. His own smile had gone, sadness brimming in his eyes. Tracing the outline of the Item with his fingers, he took his time to return the Ring to the table, and he placed it back with special care; his hand was under the prongs as if to keep them from making any noise.
Nobody said anything, and just a little sob was audible here and there. Yuugi knew there were tears on his own cheeks. It seemed to take hours… he wanted this to end right now and to last forever at the same time. Why couldn’t they stay here and live a happy lifetime after all? It was naïve, it was a daydream, it was an utopia… but he was willing to cling to the last shred of hope with all his might if that meant the Pharaoh and his Priests could stay.
“Seven Items.” Atemu broke the silence, but his voice sounded different. “Guard them well, Mutou Yuugi. They have brought you and the world peace, and so they will, for as long as they remain in good hands.”
To hell with the Items. “Atemu-san…” Yuugi said. “I don’t want you to go. Please.”
Atemu turned around, away from the table, away from the Sennen Puzzle he had been gazing at. The pajamas were a little too large for him, and as he was just as short as Yuugi, he almost looked like a kid, a small child on the verge of doing something dramatic… and knowing fully well what he was doing. There was nothing kidlike about Atemu’s face, which was set in determination. For the first time, Yuugi saw something else but that dreaded blandness in his eyes; hope, and… excitement. As if he was going to be reunited with his family. Yuugi could understand why he would be excited; he would give anything to see his parents and his grandfather once again.
“Please send me to there where my loved ones are.”
He apparently didn’t want to pick up the Item himself. Yuugi took a gulp of breath.
“You want to be send.. where?” Jounouchi asked incredulously. “To wherever those morons are?”
“Jounouchi-kun!”
“It is all right,” Atemu said, and his smile was genuinely warm. He extended his hand towards Yuugi. “I thank you, my friend. I thank you all, my friends. It has been a great honor for me to have spend time with you. You are far stronger than I am, with the kindness and gentleness you have shown to me, to my Priests. With great honor in my heart I will leave you, and think of you always.”
Yuugi disentangled himself from Jounouchi, and for a moment he thought his friend was going to grab him at his shirt to pull him back. Slowly, he made his way over to the table and picked up the Puzzle. It was of no use to try to change the other’s mind. It had been set in stone, and Yuugi thought to himself that maybe one day, he would be as peaceful about it as Atemu was.
“Go then, Pharaoh,” Yuugi nodded and gently hung the Puzzle around Atemu’s neck. His smile faded, acceptance in his voice as he said a soft “Thank you”, soft and tiredly. His hand went to his chest - to cup the Puzzle, his fingers finally finding what they had been searching for all the time.
Anzu was wiping her tears away, while Honda and Jounouchi watched, their faces uncharacteristically neutral. Yuugi was the only one smiling brightly, even though it took all his strength. Even though his cheeks were wet, he didn’t want to cry out loud in front of the Pharaoh. Atemu heaved a sigh and he looked down upon his Puzzle, his fingers cradling and stroking it. Fate already called for him seconds after, and the Item fell, once more, with a heavy thud on the floor.
“I can’t believe it,” Anzu said, wiping more tears away. Honda allowed her to lean on his shoulder, and he stroked her chestnut hair, whispering soothing words at her.
“It’s not like you cared about him, did you?” Jounouchi said but his voice was rather suspiciously strained.
“Onii-chan,” Shizuka said, but her words lacked any scolding.
Yuugi stepped forward to pick up the Puzzle. Its weight didn’t surprise him anymore and he used his other hand to cup it. For a moment he had to fight the urge to hang it around his neck. The Item was still warm where Atemu had touched it.
“He’s really gone.”
“Gone to where his heart would be.”
“I can’t believe it,” Jounouchi repeated Anzu’s words. “That he really wanted to be with those morons instead of Mahaado. Everyone could see from a mile’s distance how much he cared for him!”
“Atemu-san cared for Mahaado-san too,” Yuugi corrected him. He had seen it in his eyes, he had heard it in his voice. “But he cared even more for the other, dark halves of Malik-san and Bakura-san. It was his choice to make, and if Mahaado-san could respect that, so can we.”
“Of course Mahaado would respect it. Atemu is his Pharaoh, he would say nothing that would go against his Pharaoh’s wishes.” Jounouchi muttered.
Shaking his head, Yuugi let him be. He put the Puzzle back on the table.
“What are you going to do with them?” It was Kaiba, from his chair.
“I’ll keep them in a safe place, of course,” Yuugi said. “They’re Items of power, and sooner of later people will get wind of their use. They brought us peace now, at a very high price… and they can also bring us destruction. It’s imperative that they’re stored in a very, very secured place.”
“I can build you a safe and make it hacker-proof,” Kaiba said. “I can secure it so well that no one, but absolutely no one can crack it.”
“Nii-sama’s codes have never been cracked,” Mokuba piped up.
Yuugi almost wanted to burst out in laughter, but he only nodded and let go of the Puzzle, his fingers lingering on the object. Leave it to Kaiba to show his… gratitude in the strangest way possible, but Yuugi was thankful for his help. The Items were too precious to just lie around.
Shizuka dabbed at her wet cheeks and Otogi stroke her hair, fingers tangling in the long, red strands. He looked uncomfortable from what he had witnessed, and was pointedly staring out of the window. Yuugi straightened himself. Atemu’s departure had left a hole in his heart, but there was something else he was feeling. Hope undoubtedly, but also confidence. Faith and confidence, as if the Pharaoh had left him that as a farewell gift.
“We have a lot of work to do,” he said.
“We continue where the Priests and the Pharaoh have left off,” Jounouchi immediately agreed. “We continue to build on the foundations they laid out for us.”
“I will restore the name Kaiba to what it used to be, not in the way of tyrannical power-hungry assholes,” Kaiba said.
“You tell ‘em, nii-sama!” Mokuba cheered.
Honda hugged his girlfriend. “And we’re getting married!”
“Really?” Yuugi asked.
“Well, as of now,” Honda laughed when seeing the baffled look on Anzu’s face. “I was going to propose to you officially, really!”
“All right, that’s it,” Anzu whacked at him. “Kaiba, Otogi, it’s time for you to rest. You’ve been up far too long! No Mokuba, I know what’s better for your brother, so shut up, okay? Honda, Jounouchi - you better be far away when I get back, whose idea was it to…”
She was out the door, dragging Shizuka with her while she gave out her orders. Yuugi watched the retreating backs of his friends, conveniently counting the Kaibas to them as well. They were his friends. With a sigh, he collected the Items, leaving the Puzzle for last. He glanced at it for another time, then he picked it up and with one swift move, he pulled it over his head. The weight felt familiar, and it bumped against his chest. There wasn’t a smile on his face, but he didn’t feel sad either. He felt… invigorated. There was so much to do in such little time, and he was standing at the dawn of a new society, a society he could shape and build, him, together with his friends. Renewed hope flowed through him. It was going to be a wonderful time, with every morning a new, promising dawn. Never a red dawn again.
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“What took you so long, Pharaoh-sama?”
He slowly opened his eyes, finding himself… where, actually? It was dark around him, but not an uncomfortable darkness. It was strangely cold, but not numb. A wave of disappointment hit him. He hadn’t really expected to end up in the same Afterlife as his Priests, his family, his friends, or what he could remember of them, but still…he had hoped to be reunited with them after all, that the Gods would have taken mercy upon him. He was surrounded by this strange darkness, but he could see as if it was the light of day.
Bakura reached for him, as well as Marik, and they hoisted him back up on his feet. Atemu didn’t need to take a look at himself to know that he was dressed in his usual outfit, without his armor. He didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. He was happy that Mahaado and the rest of his Priests had made it to the Afterlife, as they deserved it. He was happy for himself, as he was with Marik and Bakura again. It was a bittersweet mixture of pain, happiness, sadness, joy and grief. Atemu noticed that he was squeezing their hands - and that they squeezed in return.
“That took you long enough, pretty Pharaoh.”
“Where are we?”
“Marik thinks we are dreaming,” Bakura snorted. “I think we are in some kind of hell.”
“I don’t even remember how we ended up here,” Marik complained. “All I know is that I fought with someone who looked like me, and he had a pretty Item, and it touched me, and…”
Atemu lifted up his hand, still entwined with Marik’s, and brought them to his lips. “It is all right. We are all here now. Together.”
“You look different, Pharaoh-sama,” Bakura commented without his usual disdain.
“I have a different name. A real name.”
“You found your name? What is it, what is it? Tell us, pretty Pharaoh!”
“My name is Atemu,” he said and smiled at the both of them.
“You are different, Pharaoh-sama... Ate…”
“Whatever you want to call me, it is fine by me.”
Bakura looked at Marik and at Atemu again, as if the gears in his head needed to click.
“Together is fine by me,” he finally muttered.
“Together, yes yes!” Marik had a maniacal grin on his face, but his voice sounded happy.
Atemu squeezed their hands again. “Come,” he said. “We have a lot of work to do.”
“Work to do? Here? What’s the matter, pretty Pharaoh?”
“Nothing,” Atemu said. “Let’s go. Come on.”
“Does it involve Items? They were pretty, but they hurt me…”
“No, no Items, Marik.”
Bakura snorted again, but he lacked vehemence once again. He hadn’t even thought about Items and stealing them for himself as soon as he had arrived here, whatever ‘here’ was. He had found Marik and together they had waited for the Pharaoh…for Atemu to arrive. He didn’t want to admit how scared he had been that the Pharaoh would never arrive. This was better. This felt good.
They walked in the nothingness, Marik chattering like a six year old, throwing in a ‘pretty’ every sentence, while Bakura sneered at him or corrected whatever grammar or syntax error he made. Both held one of the Pharaoh’s hands, and whereas Marik was squeezing him, Bakura was stroking his fingers. Atemu dictated the pace, walking firm and as striding as he could, but he was still the shortest of the three. Suddenly he froze mid-step, prompting the others to halt as well, confusion on their faces. A warm feeling washed over him, a strange sensation in the back of his mind. He cocked his head and heaved a sigh of relief.
He felt comforted and at ease. He was pretty sure that his Puzzle hung now from Mutou Yuugi’s neck, and that was the best place the Item could ever be. It was safe. He didn’t have that longing for the Puzzle anymore. Strange, but it felt… good. He wanted to be with the other two, and his wish had been granted. They had been redeemed by the love they felt for each other, and one time, they would find the Afterlife and be reunited with everyone again.
He would see the dawn of a new day again in this strange place. Never a red dawn again.
End of Red Dawn or the World ends Tomorrow
Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9-1 | 9-2 | 10-1 |
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Pairings: Yamishipping (YnY x YnB x YnM), Anzu x Honda, unrequited Yuugi x Anzu, one-sided Mahaado x Atemu
Warnings: violence, angst, potty mouths, shounen-ai, THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH!
Genre: AU, science fiction, action/adventure
Diclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! belongs to Takahasi Kazuki. No money is made off of this. Fic written just for entertainment purposes.
Summary: Seven Items, seven Generals. What once was the peaceful green Earth has turned into a war-ridden danger zone under the tyrannical rule of Kaiba Gozaburo, with Domino City, Japan, as the centre of his empire. The resistance, led by young rebel Mutou Yuugi, is searching for a way to retrieve the seven so-called Sennen Items, as they are believed to hold the power to bring universal peace. It’s only a matter of time before Yuugi crosses paths with the Generals in his search, ultimately meeting the most powerful of them all: the one they call ‘Pharaoh’.
Author’s note: Feedback is greatly appreciated. I refer to Yami no Malik/ Malik no yami no jinkaku as ‘Marik’ for the flow of the story.
Key: ----------- = scene change
continued from here
The next morning brought the reunion of the Pharaoh with the rest of his Priests, the former Generals Karim, Shaadah and Set. Everyone was shocked by Set’s appearance: he was the spitting image of Kaiba. Another ‘joke’ on Gozaburo’s part, and another testimonial of how he had used people in general. Yuugi shuddered to think of what Gozaburo could’ve done if he had had full access to Kaiba’s laptop with his research and information on what he called ‘virtual reality’.
Yuugi had slept all night and woke up to find a pitcher with fresh water and a small tray with breakfast on his dresser. He thought it might be Anzu who had taken care of it, and he wolfed everything down. He didn’t have much time to get freshened up and dress himself, as the Priests had simply walked through, searching for their Pharaoh. The commotion was short-lived as Mahaado greeted them and introduced them to the others; as usual, Jounouchi was up in arms to defend his friends from any danger, and to him the Generals still presented danger. It had taken quite the effort to calm him again; fortunately Shizuka was around to guide her onii-chan away from the not-really-impressed Priests who immediately asked to see their Pharaoh.
With the Pharaoh’s court assembled, Yuugi had some time left to work on solving the Puzzle. He carefully kept the other Items out of the Priests’ hands. It was strange to think of them as Priests instead of Generals. All of them had disposed of their armor, if any, and wore similar robes to Mahaado’s. The house had gone from silent to cozily full to overcrowded. Even the living room served as sleeping accommodation; with a bit of humor, one could say there was a continuous slumber party going on. Yuugi was still amazed by his feelings about all of this; his perfect momentum in time, in honor of the day his family had died, had been ruptured, and he didn’t mind as much as he thought he would. More so, he started to grow comfortable and satisfied with the presence of all the people around him.
The Items were safely stashed in the hiding-place located in the Game Shop. Despite everything, the store was left unused and respectfully alone. Yuugi didn’t think he would live long enough to see it restored to its former use, like any other store. The world was too injured, too damaged for a Game Shop to be back in use within the next decade. Houses needed to be rebuild, schools, supermarkets and stores, infrastructure needed to be repaired, and there were still members and remnants of the Elite Troops out there. News of the world was slowly trickling in; contradicting messages, rumors and outdated news. Jounouchi and Honda transmitted day and night the news about Gozaburo all around the world, but his grip had been chokingly tight; many people were still not informed and confused.
None of the former Generals seemed to be upset about the man’s death. Karim, a remarkably buff General, had spat a few times on the floor when he heard the news and Shaadah, his body shrouded by formlessly wide robes, had only shook his head and uttered something in a language nobody understood.
Set, on the other hand, showed a striking copy of Kaiba’s smirk, stressing their more-than-just-physical similarities. His opinion of Gozaburo was unknown, but the tall Priest’s scowl informed people more than enough of what he was really thinking. Besides, he was far more shocked at seeing Kaiba than by Gozaburo’s death.
All Generals however, now they had returned to their original function as Priest, hovered close to the Pharaoh who was recovering quickly. Without wearing the armor, his sharp mind and intelligence resurfaced gradually, and he reverted to the person he once used to be. Even though no one’s memories were fully restored or clear in the first place, the Priests knew enough – whether by instinct or it had been drilled into them - to set up their Pharaoh’s court and household, and soon they had everything up and running again.
Karim had appointed himself in charge of the food distribution and took stock of all of their supplies. When shipments arrived from overseas, mostly from the United States who had barely escaped Gozaburo’s influence, he was the one to hand out food, medication, clothes and other basic necessities. Karim was very strict – but very fair - in the rationing of the supplies and he was good at judging who needed what the most.
Gathering and distributing information was Shaadah’s forte. Within a few days he had set up a complete and reliable network and courier service to send out communiqués around the world with the definitive news about Gozaburo’s demise. He filtered out the rumors and developed a standard for his newscasts to combat misinformation and contradiction.
The tallest of them all, Set, was running for government himself. Society was in chaos; there was no clarity on who was doing what and who was in charge. There was no government, no president, no emperor. Someone had to set priorities and take inventory of everything that had to be done. Set had a knack for judging characters and keeping a good overview; it didn’t take him very long to appoint the right people to the right positions, starting with getting full electricity and water supply for the entire city.
Ruling them all was the Pharaoh, usually accompanied by Mahaado. The magician-priest’s leg had healed, but despite the care, it was still bothering him with a slight limp. Atemu, though no one referred to him with his first name, was on top of everything. His voice boomed through the house more often than not and people ran in and out, following orders, executing orders. The Priests themselves moved as if they had all the time in the world, their composure always calm yet with the right amount of authority.
It didn’t escape Yuugi, who felt oddly left out, that the Priests spoke often and at length with the Pharaoh. He didn’t know if their conversations always pertained to all the work that had to be done. Yuugi had time enough on his hands now that the Resistance had become as good as obsolete. He was relieved to resign from his position as leader, a position he had never felt really happy or at ease with, but solving the Puzzle was all that he had to do now. This drastic change left him frustrated, and the Puzzle was extremely difficult to boot. He used to be so good at solving riddles and games, but this one… was spectacular and annoying at the same time. The pieces had to be inserted in a way that was hard to figure out; they could click and turn in almost every direction.
Otogi and Shizuka tried to cheer him up as they drank tea with him. It was almost unheard of - tea time, with biscuits! Their advice was in general worthless in case of the Puzzle, but Yuugi appreciated their visits and his heart was filled with joy at seeing their entangled hands. Every day he was more and more convinced that everything was going to work out. The world was going to be a better place, responding to the people’s hopes and beliefs, including himself.
Anzu, Honda and Jounouchi were pleased with the Priests’ efficiency, but didn’t like to see Yuugi left out. They involved him in everything they did - like many others, they were searching all over town for a suitable places to live, now that the greatest fear of the Elite Troops was gone. Honda located finally an apartment building that was relatively unscathed, and had claimed a few of the apartments for the lot of them. It was hard to believe that not long ago they had lived underground, fearing for their lives; now they were able to live like normal people, without the fear of tyranny and suppression, and not everyone found it easy to adjust.
Yuugi finished the Puzzle after two months, staring in awe at the shape and the splendor of the Item. It was an upside-down pyramid, with a mythical eye on the front – a thing that every Item shared. Attaching it to a simple piece of rope, Yuugi felt strangely empty after finishing it. He had spent all his time on solving it, and now that he was done… he suddenly had a bad feeling about it. Yuugi sighed. It wasn’t going to be easy one way or another. The Pharaoh couldn’t keep the Item anyway.
He rose from his chair. He had worked on the Puzzle in the living room and all of the furniture had been set aside to make room for the Priests’ beds. It was a jumble of sheets and blankets; they weren’t exactly used to making their beds themselves. Yuugi often caught someone else doing it for them; it was very little effort, and nobody dared to bother the Priests to teach them. Somehow, Yuugi had the ominous feeling, it didn’t matter anymore.
The door to the Pharaoh’s room was closed. That bewildered him; usually the door was open. Mahaado had swapped some of the furniture around to make room for a desk with a chair, destined for the Pharaoh of course. Yuugi didn’t know if or how Mahaado kept swapping everything around to make room for his bed every night, as he certainly didn’t sleep in the same room as the other Priests. Nobody had commented on him staying so close to the Pharaoh either.
“Atemu-san,” Yuugi said while knocking on the door. He had never thought about referring to him with his title instead of his name. The Pharaoh finally had found his name, so why not use it? He didn’t receive an answer so he pushed the door open, slowly. Atemu was sitting on the edge of his bed, dressed in plain white pajamas, his hands folded, resting in his lap. It reminded him of the way Mahaado had been waiting for him the first time he met the magician-General. Yuugi was touched that their deep bond had transcended through all the hardships they endeavored. These small gestures were what tied them together; Pharaoh and Priest, student and teacher, and friends beyond the end. Yuugi knew all about Mahaado’s wish for more, and if it had been in his power, he would have loved to make it come true. They both knew, however, that the Pharaoh’s heart wasn’t with his Priest that way.
“I solved your Puzzle.”
“You did?” Atemu all but jumped from the bed, his eyes immediately searching out Yuugi. It was so delightful to see his red eyes without any smoldering, aggressive emotion behind it. They were… bland at the moment, without the promise of blood, but they also missed the depth and warmth of a human being.
The Pharaoh reached for the Puzzle, the upside down golden triangle that was his symbol of power. Mahaado already rose from his own seat, his face expressing fear.
“You know what happens when you touch it, Atemu-san.” Yuugi pulled the Puzzle away from him.
Atemu showed Yuugi a tentative smile. “How is that for irony,” he said, “that the only thing that really belongs to me is also the only thing to kill me.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way, Atemu-san.” Yuugi approached him, but made sure to keep the Puzzle out of his reach. Just the slightest touch would… he quickly steered away from that train of thoughts. Mahaado was oddly silent, but the fear hadn’t left his face. There was something… of acceptance in his eyes, as if he had acquiesced to something.
“It is soon time to set everyone free,” Atemu said.
“What do you mean?” Yuugi asked and all but clutched the Puzzle to his chest.
“You know that we do not belong in this world,” Atemu answered, and he sat down again. He glanced at Mahaado before looking at Yuugi. “I have decided that it is time for us to go.”
“You can’t go,” Yuugi said, baffled. “We need you! Look at how things are going – neatly and structured – without as much as a hitch! We are rebuilding, reconstructing… we wouldn’t have gotten this far without your help.”
“We have given you a start,” Atemu replied. “The rest is up to you, Mutou Yuugi. You have the power and the strength to continue where I am going to leave off.”
“No. No, I don’t. You have to stay here.”
“You have to understand…” Mahaado spoke softly. “You have to understand that we discussed this with our Pharaoh extensively, and we all agree with him. We stand like one man behind his decision.”
“But of course, you are his court,” Yuugi said. It earned him a real, wide smile from Atemu. “What?”
“They do not always agree with me, and they certainly are allowed to speak up their own mind. My Priests are not my slaves, and they do not need to say yes to everything I propose or want.” He was obviously amused. “If they were, my decision would not have been this hard.”
“I can’t believe it,” Yuugi said. The Puzzle felt cold and heavy in his hands. “I…”
As if they had discussed this too, Mahaado suddenly bowed to his Pharaoh and to Yuugi, and left the room without another word. Atemu waited for the door to be closed before he continued.
“We do not belong in this world,” he repeated. “We are barely humans anyway. Gozaburo created us from memories, bodies and minds that he mixed together, virtual and real, and he took away our true souls, leaving us incomplete. We never knew what was really going on, only that something connected us to each other, and in the meantime we did his dirty work. We are responsible for all the destruction around here.”
Yuugi didn’t ask for permission to sit down. He sat on the edge of the bed, on the foot end, and tried to wrap his mind about what Atemu was saying. He didn’t want him to go. He didn’t want any of them to go. He startled when a hand was suddenly put on his, just a few inches away from the Puzzle. It startled him even more that it was Atemu’s hand on his. Who else could it be?
“You were forced to obey his orders. That damned armor of yours! But now.. now you’re making up for what you destroyed,” he croaked out, hoarsely. “You’re redefining this whole town, maybe this whole country as we speak…”
“This is not our homeland,” Atemu said. His finger steered carefully away from the Puzzle, but kept their hold on Yuugi’s hand, gently stroking his fingers. “This is not even our world. We do not know exactly where we came from, but we know where we are supposed to be going to.”
Yuugi wanted to cry. “You just can’t leave,” he said, and the Puzzle dropped from his other hand, the weight too heavy. It landed with a loud thud on the floor.
“We would never fit in. In Domino City, the people might forgive us because they have seen who we really are. In other parts of the world, I doubt that anyone would be grateful to know that we are still alive.”
“Screw them,” Yuugi said rudely. “I don’t care! I want you to stay!”
Atemu was silent for a minute, moving his hand up to brush the golden bangs away from Yuugi’s face. His touch send jolts through Yuugi’s body, and he shivered. He couldn’t handle this…his words, his touch.
“It is not what we want, Mutou Yuugi. We are in pain. I miss Marik and Bakura. It hurts so much. Mahaado misses his family. Karim and the others hide their own sadness. We know of families and friends we have left behind. Even though our memories are filled with gaps and dark holes, we still know that we left them behind, and we want to be reunited.”
Yuugi couldn’t help it, he started to cry. With a jerky movement, he kicked at the Puzzle.
“It’s not fair! You can enjoy the new world! You can restart your life..! You can be whoever you want…” His voice started to fade, dissolving into small sobs. How would he feel if he were in Atemu’s position? Estranged from everything and anything, in a world that wasn’t even yours to begin with? Messed up, fucked up, and missing people you cared about? He felt Atemu’s arms around him in an awkward, but genuine hug, and he laid his head on his shoulder, and cried.
“My beloved,” Atemu said as his hand went up again to stroke Yuugi’s hair in comforting, soothing motions. “You are so strong. You will lead this world into a new era, free from Generals and Pharaohs, free of violence and war. You have freed me, you have freed everyone of us - now it is our time to free the world.”
“It’s not fair,” Yuugi repeated. He felt pain and disappointment, and even anger flowing through him. Something was taken away from him, again, and it was painful to hear Atemu’s voice, painful to feel his arms around him.
“Yuugi…”
“Shut up, shut up!” He wanted to punch him, but Yuugi knew he couldn’t. He regretted his words as Atemu pulled away from him. He didn’t want to end this with a fight. The Pharaoh dabbed at his face gently with an embroidered handkerchief, wiping the tears away. He put the piece of cloth away again, lifting up Yuugi’s chin with his fingers. With the same gentleness, he pressed a kiss to Yuugi’s forehead.
“Your kindness is what will save this world,” he said. “Please bestow this upon me as your last act of kindness, Mutou Yuugi.”
There was nothing else he could do but to nod, even though his heart was crying. From the corner of his eye, he could see the Puzzle, with the Eye facing him. Not of this world. The tears flowed again, and Atemu stayed with him, dabbing at his face, hand in his hair. He didn’t notice Mahaado returning to the room, but didn’t startle when the magician-Priest put his arms around him. It was comfortable, and Yuugi was grateful, but it didn’t take the pain away. It would never take the pain away.
The living room had been emptied out of the beds and the other furniture. Only a large table remained, with the seven Sennen Items gathered together on display. On one side of the room, the four remaining Priests were neatly aligned, dressed in their traditional robes, all of them keeping their hands folded, except for Set who had his arms crossed in front of his chest. Atemu stood next to the table, wearing the plain white pajamas. As he couldn’t remember how his royal clothes had looked like, he had chosen for the pajamas, representing simplicity.
Yuugi and his friends – Jounouchi, Otogi, Honda, Anzu and Shizuka – were grouped together, the couples holding hands while Jounouchi had his arm around Yuugi. He was glad for the support – literally, as he was afraid he was going to keel over and fall to the floor if it weren’t for Jounouchi’s grip.
To everyone’s surprise, Kaiba had requested, rather civilized compared to his earlier behavior, to attend the upcoming ‘ceremony’ with his brother Mokuba. Yuugi had granted him permission, of course. He didn’t question Kaiba’s reasons, and Anzu agreed that he could attend if he kept himself calm. In a relatively short time, Kaiba had shown incredible progress health-wise, though walking and standing upright for a long time was still too much for his body to take. That was why the only chair in the room was for him, his brother leaning on the armrest.
“Karim,” Atemu said, his voice calm and low. He reached behind him for the Scales and held it out for the muscular Priest. He bowed before he closed his hands around it, accepting the Item greedily.
“Thank you, my Pharaoh,” he said and disappeared immediately, his body gone in an instant. Atemu caught the Scales before they could fall on the floor and put them back on the table.
“Shaada,” he called out, and the Priest with the turban ecstatically grabbed the Ankh, cradling it for the briefest moments to his chest before he disappeared. From this angle, Yuugi could see the looks on their faces. None of them looked scared or upset; as they touched their Item, pure rapture and bliss was visible, as well as gratitude. Life here in this world truly was painful for them, Yuugi thought. He burrowed himself closer to Jounouchi. At least the Priests had reconciled with their fate, and whatever afterlife there was waiting for them, Yuugi hoped they would find the happiness they were longing for.
“Set.”
The Kaiba-look-alike Priest strode forward, his steps determined. The Rod was his; his eyes locked with the Pharaoh’s one last time.
“Thank you, my Pharaoh.”
“Thank you, my friend.”
Yuugi thought he could hear Kaiba swallow from here, and soft cries to his left were audible. Either Anzu or Shizuka, he didn’t know. His throat felt dry and tight as well, as if someone was cutting off his air supply.
“Mahaado.”
The Ring was for him, as Yuugi had thought ever since he had seen the look in Mahaado’s eyes. Whatever it was that tied them to these Items, it was strong enough to kill them, and strong enough to die for in itself. They had this strong, primal link with these Items; it was almost scary to think how deep that bond ran.
“My friend,” Atemu whispered, and for the first time he hesitated to hand over the Item.
“My Pharaoh,” the magician-Priest answered. “My soul will be your eternal servant.”
“Thank you.”
Neither one of them said or did something for more than a minute; they stood just opposite each other, Pharaoh and Priest. Mahaado leaned into him, tilting his head. Atemu smiled softly, pursed his lips a little and also tilted his head so their noses wouldn’t bump into each other.
They kissed, a warm and gentle kiss, with their lips lingering when they broke up. It hadn’t been forceful and passionate, but sad and sweet, and far too short.
“Paradise awaits you,” Atemu said, his voice a little thick.
“It will await you too,” Mahaado answered confidently, his fingers already clenched around the Ring; he had managed to grab it while they were kissing.
He gazed into the Pharaoh’s eyes and Atemu looked back, completely at ease, with deep affection radiating off of him. The Priest disappeared, but somehow not as abruptly as the others; he just faded away, as if he tried to look at his Pharaoh for as long as possible. Finally, the Ring fell on the floor, clattering, the prongs a dead weight.
Absolute silence reigned the room, and Atemu picked up the Ring, staring at it. His own smile had gone, sadness brimming in his eyes. Tracing the outline of the Item with his fingers, he took his time to return the Ring to the table, and he placed it back with special care; his hand was under the prongs as if to keep them from making any noise.
Nobody said anything, and just a little sob was audible here and there. Yuugi knew there were tears on his own cheeks. It seemed to take hours… he wanted this to end right now and to last forever at the same time. Why couldn’t they stay here and live a happy lifetime after all? It was naïve, it was a daydream, it was an utopia… but he was willing to cling to the last shred of hope with all his might if that meant the Pharaoh and his Priests could stay.
“Seven Items.” Atemu broke the silence, but his voice sounded different. “Guard them well, Mutou Yuugi. They have brought you and the world peace, and so they will, for as long as they remain in good hands.”
To hell with the Items. “Atemu-san…” Yuugi said. “I don’t want you to go. Please.”
Atemu turned around, away from the table, away from the Sennen Puzzle he had been gazing at. The pajamas were a little too large for him, and as he was just as short as Yuugi, he almost looked like a kid, a small child on the verge of doing something dramatic… and knowing fully well what he was doing. There was nothing kidlike about Atemu’s face, which was set in determination. For the first time, Yuugi saw something else but that dreaded blandness in his eyes; hope, and… excitement. As if he was going to be reunited with his family. Yuugi could understand why he would be excited; he would give anything to see his parents and his grandfather once again.
“Please send me to there where my loved ones are.”
He apparently didn’t want to pick up the Item himself. Yuugi took a gulp of breath.
“You want to be send.. where?” Jounouchi asked incredulously. “To wherever those morons are?”
“Jounouchi-kun!”
“It is all right,” Atemu said, and his smile was genuinely warm. He extended his hand towards Yuugi. “I thank you, my friend. I thank you all, my friends. It has been a great honor for me to have spend time with you. You are far stronger than I am, with the kindness and gentleness you have shown to me, to my Priests. With great honor in my heart I will leave you, and think of you always.”
Yuugi disentangled himself from Jounouchi, and for a moment he thought his friend was going to grab him at his shirt to pull him back. Slowly, he made his way over to the table and picked up the Puzzle. It was of no use to try to change the other’s mind. It had been set in stone, and Yuugi thought to himself that maybe one day, he would be as peaceful about it as Atemu was.
“Go then, Pharaoh,” Yuugi nodded and gently hung the Puzzle around Atemu’s neck. His smile faded, acceptance in his voice as he said a soft “Thank you”, soft and tiredly. His hand went to his chest - to cup the Puzzle, his fingers finally finding what they had been searching for all the time.
Anzu was wiping her tears away, while Honda and Jounouchi watched, their faces uncharacteristically neutral. Yuugi was the only one smiling brightly, even though it took all his strength. Even though his cheeks were wet, he didn’t want to cry out loud in front of the Pharaoh. Atemu heaved a sigh and he looked down upon his Puzzle, his fingers cradling and stroking it. Fate already called for him seconds after, and the Item fell, once more, with a heavy thud on the floor.
“I can’t believe it,” Anzu said, wiping more tears away. Honda allowed her to lean on his shoulder, and he stroked her chestnut hair, whispering soothing words at her.
“It’s not like you cared about him, did you?” Jounouchi said but his voice was rather suspiciously strained.
“Onii-chan,” Shizuka said, but her words lacked any scolding.
Yuugi stepped forward to pick up the Puzzle. Its weight didn’t surprise him anymore and he used his other hand to cup it. For a moment he had to fight the urge to hang it around his neck. The Item was still warm where Atemu had touched it.
“He’s really gone.”
“Gone to where his heart would be.”
“I can’t believe it,” Jounouchi repeated Anzu’s words. “That he really wanted to be with those morons instead of Mahaado. Everyone could see from a mile’s distance how much he cared for him!”
“Atemu-san cared for Mahaado-san too,” Yuugi corrected him. He had seen it in his eyes, he had heard it in his voice. “But he cared even more for the other, dark halves of Malik-san and Bakura-san. It was his choice to make, and if Mahaado-san could respect that, so can we.”
“Of course Mahaado would respect it. Atemu is his Pharaoh, he would say nothing that would go against his Pharaoh’s wishes.” Jounouchi muttered.
Shaking his head, Yuugi let him be. He put the Puzzle back on the table.
“What are you going to do with them?” It was Kaiba, from his chair.
“I’ll keep them in a safe place, of course,” Yuugi said. “They’re Items of power, and sooner of later people will get wind of their use. They brought us peace now, at a very high price… and they can also bring us destruction. It’s imperative that they’re stored in a very, very secured place.”
“I can build you a safe and make it hacker-proof,” Kaiba said. “I can secure it so well that no one, but absolutely no one can crack it.”
“Nii-sama’s codes have never been cracked,” Mokuba piped up.
Yuugi almost wanted to burst out in laughter, but he only nodded and let go of the Puzzle, his fingers lingering on the object. Leave it to Kaiba to show his… gratitude in the strangest way possible, but Yuugi was thankful for his help. The Items were too precious to just lie around.
Shizuka dabbed at her wet cheeks and Otogi stroke her hair, fingers tangling in the long, red strands. He looked uncomfortable from what he had witnessed, and was pointedly staring out of the window. Yuugi straightened himself. Atemu’s departure had left a hole in his heart, but there was something else he was feeling. Hope undoubtedly, but also confidence. Faith and confidence, as if the Pharaoh had left him that as a farewell gift.
“We have a lot of work to do,” he said.
“We continue where the Priests and the Pharaoh have left off,” Jounouchi immediately agreed. “We continue to build on the foundations they laid out for us.”
“I will restore the name Kaiba to what it used to be, not in the way of tyrannical power-hungry assholes,” Kaiba said.
“You tell ‘em, nii-sama!” Mokuba cheered.
Honda hugged his girlfriend. “And we’re getting married!”
“Really?” Yuugi asked.
“Well, as of now,” Honda laughed when seeing the baffled look on Anzu’s face. “I was going to propose to you officially, really!”
“All right, that’s it,” Anzu whacked at him. “Kaiba, Otogi, it’s time for you to rest. You’ve been up far too long! No Mokuba, I know what’s better for your brother, so shut up, okay? Honda, Jounouchi - you better be far away when I get back, whose idea was it to…”
She was out the door, dragging Shizuka with her while she gave out her orders. Yuugi watched the retreating backs of his friends, conveniently counting the Kaibas to them as well. They were his friends. With a sigh, he collected the Items, leaving the Puzzle for last. He glanced at it for another time, then he picked it up and with one swift move, he pulled it over his head. The weight felt familiar, and it bumped against his chest. There wasn’t a smile on his face, but he didn’t feel sad either. He felt… invigorated. There was so much to do in such little time, and he was standing at the dawn of a new society, a society he could shape and build, him, together with his friends. Renewed hope flowed through him. It was going to be a wonderful time, with every morning a new, promising dawn. Never a red dawn again.
“What took you so long, Pharaoh-sama?”
He slowly opened his eyes, finding himself… where, actually? It was dark around him, but not an uncomfortable darkness. It was strangely cold, but not numb. A wave of disappointment hit him. He hadn’t really expected to end up in the same Afterlife as his Priests, his family, his friends, or what he could remember of them, but still…he had hoped to be reunited with them after all, that the Gods would have taken mercy upon him. He was surrounded by this strange darkness, but he could see as if it was the light of day.
Bakura reached for him, as well as Marik, and they hoisted him back up on his feet. Atemu didn’t need to take a look at himself to know that he was dressed in his usual outfit, without his armor. He didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. He was happy that Mahaado and the rest of his Priests had made it to the Afterlife, as they deserved it. He was happy for himself, as he was with Marik and Bakura again. It was a bittersweet mixture of pain, happiness, sadness, joy and grief. Atemu noticed that he was squeezing their hands - and that they squeezed in return.
“That took you long enough, pretty Pharaoh.”
“Where are we?”
“Marik thinks we are dreaming,” Bakura snorted. “I think we are in some kind of hell.”
“I don’t even remember how we ended up here,” Marik complained. “All I know is that I fought with someone who looked like me, and he had a pretty Item, and it touched me, and…”
Atemu lifted up his hand, still entwined with Marik’s, and brought them to his lips. “It is all right. We are all here now. Together.”
“You look different, Pharaoh-sama,” Bakura commented without his usual disdain.
“I have a different name. A real name.”
“You found your name? What is it, what is it? Tell us, pretty Pharaoh!”
“My name is Atemu,” he said and smiled at the both of them.
“You are different, Pharaoh-sama... Ate…”
“Whatever you want to call me, it is fine by me.”
Bakura looked at Marik and at Atemu again, as if the gears in his head needed to click.
“Together is fine by me,” he finally muttered.
“Together, yes yes!” Marik had a maniacal grin on his face, but his voice sounded happy.
Atemu squeezed their hands again. “Come,” he said. “We have a lot of work to do.”
“Work to do? Here? What’s the matter, pretty Pharaoh?”
“Nothing,” Atemu said. “Let’s go. Come on.”
“Does it involve Items? They were pretty, but they hurt me…”
“No, no Items, Marik.”
Bakura snorted again, but he lacked vehemence once again. He hadn’t even thought about Items and stealing them for himself as soon as he had arrived here, whatever ‘here’ was. He had found Marik and together they had waited for the Pharaoh…for Atemu to arrive. He didn’t want to admit how scared he had been that the Pharaoh would never arrive. This was better. This felt good.
They walked in the nothingness, Marik chattering like a six year old, throwing in a ‘pretty’ every sentence, while Bakura sneered at him or corrected whatever grammar or syntax error he made. Both held one of the Pharaoh’s hands, and whereas Marik was squeezing him, Bakura was stroking his fingers. Atemu dictated the pace, walking firm and as striding as he could, but he was still the shortest of the three. Suddenly he froze mid-step, prompting the others to halt as well, confusion on their faces. A warm feeling washed over him, a strange sensation in the back of his mind. He cocked his head and heaved a sigh of relief.
He felt comforted and at ease. He was pretty sure that his Puzzle hung now from Mutou Yuugi’s neck, and that was the best place the Item could ever be. It was safe. He didn’t have that longing for the Puzzle anymore. Strange, but it felt… good. He wanted to be with the other two, and his wish had been granted. They had been redeemed by the love they felt for each other, and one time, they would find the Afterlife and be reunited with everyone again.
He would see the dawn of a new day again in this strange place. Never a red dawn again.
End of Red Dawn or the World ends Tomorrow
Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9-1 | 9-2 | 10-1 |
Tags:
- clashshipping,
- darkshipping,
- fic: complete,
- psychoshipping,
- red dawn,
- yamishipping,
- yu-gi-oh!: all cast,
- yu-gi-oh!: jounouchi katsuya,
- yu-gi-oh!: jounouchi shizuka,
- yu-gi-oh!: kaiba gozaburo,
- yu-gi-oh!: kaiba mokuba,
- yu-gi-oh!: kaiba seto,
- yu-gi-oh!: mutou yuugi,
- yu-gi-oh!: pharaoh atemu,
- yu-gi-oh!: priest mahaado,
- yu-gi-oh!: yami no bakura,
- yu-gi-oh!: yami no malik,
- yu-gi-oh!: yami no yuugi
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Hmm. . .
Date: 2009-03-31 12:42 am (UTC)Meganie: . . .
~^-^~ My Yami is technically passed on, but my power is to bring her back whenever I want. She hates that.
Meganie: Can I leave now?
:) Don't mind her, she just doesn't like me. ^-^ Okay, 'Nie. . . *Sends her back, then giggles* :D I wish there was a part where Mahado-kun ends up happy. . . maybe the Pharaoh can be happy with the other Yamis and Mahado'kun finds someone else to love--making everyone happy? :) That'd be wonderful. . .
Re: Hmm. . .
Date: 2009-03-31 11:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-18 06:24 am (UTC)I know, I know, I should have expected it, but I feel so very sorry for poor Mahaado. I wish you wrote more *requited* Sealshipping and Loyaltyshipping *sniffles*
But good work! And eh, one-sided Mahaado x Atemu is better than nothing.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-19 10:37 am (UTC)Thank you for your support!