Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ A Black Dragon's Graveyard ❯ Dreaded Memories ( Chapter 12 )

A Black Dragon's Graveyard

Chapter 12

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Jou glanced at the clock tower, which was going on 10:00 p.m. in fifteen minutes. He sighed, wondering if Joey and Seto were done with their `being alone together' time. He sat on a bench that was in front of an electronic store. He brought his hands out from his coat's pockets to rest them on the back of the bench. Across the highway he could see a sign that said, `New Egyptian Exhibit.' He smirked. "I'm bored. Why not?" He stood up and looked both ways before crossing the highway. He had to learn the hard way earlier that crossing the street without looking was perilous. He sighed in content when he entirely survived, instead of `almost' surviving. As he approached the front doors, he spotted a closing sign. "It closes at Mid-night? I still have two hours." He pushed the doors open, only to be confronted by mobs of workers and observers. "Too many people," he complained and worked his way through the crowd.

A little boy stopped at Jou's side and stared up at his mother. "Mom? Can we go see the new exhibit?"

Jou peered down at the boy, becoming interested in the conversation.

The boy's mother nodded and took him by the hand. "Of course dear."

After hearing the response he was wanting to hear, he followed after them, making sure to keep his distance in case of suspicion. He became annoyed when they led him down a dark hallway. He hated the dark, ever since the tragedy in his past life. He couldn't even remember exactly what had happened for some unknown reason. However, he practically had to hold back a cry of relief when a small light could be seen at the end. When he reached his salvation, it felt like a wash of liberation had cleared his soul, like he was released from the Pharaoh's prison. He really didn't want to journey back through there.

He walked away from the mother and child, finally getting to see what was so interesting that he had to be led away from the bench. Once again, his hands were back in the coat's pockets as he became more engrossed with the spectators than the displays. The strangers were amusing him far more than the daily things he saw in his past lifetime. They would point and gap as if they could never imagine the action or object to be in their present era, which he couldn't really blame them.

His attention was drawn away from the public as he caught a glimpse of Priest Seto's name in hieroglyphics. "Seto," he whispered and approached the glass covered, stone tablet on the wall. Right beside it were two mummified beings standing up in there sarcophaguses. One was an inch shorter than the other, but he could tell they were both males. He went back to reading the tablet.

Priest Seto, Atemu's most advised celebrant, had died at the age of twenty from a severe illness. After an analyzed conclusion by Atemu's other priests, he had died from a broken heart and becoming secluded from other people. Most say he did it intentionally. In any case, after his death, they mummified him and enclosed him in the same tomb that Seto had asked for his lover to be concealed in, hoping it would rest Priest Seto's soul and wouldn't return to haunt them. It proved successful. However, Seto's lover, a thief by the name of Jou, still troubled them with his spirit, corrupting villagers and crops. Most villagers didn't mind the torment, considering they missed the thief's mischievous behavior and it was harmless in some ways. No one could comprehend why the thief had return from the dead though. The priests suspected that he was seeking revenge from his murderer, Thief Bakura. By the twenty-fourth dynasty, after Bakura's death, Jou had finally ceased his corruption over the villagers and their crops.

"I see you're interested in knowing about what happened then." A familiar voice verified.

Jou closed his eyes as he dropped his head in defeat. "Pharaoh Atemu." He smiled weakly as he looked up at the shorter teen. "Is it true what they say? Seto died because he missed me?"

Atemu nodded. "Yes. And the strangest part was, he had just turned twenty two days after your death. He told me, after you died, that he was hoping you would stay with him forever. It would have the been the greatest gift."

"He died…on his birthday?" Jou stuttered, almost letting his emotions get the best of him.

"Yeah. We also knew that he used some kind of potion to end his life." Atemu sighed. "He was so devastated, we couldn't do anything to help him."

"So why didn't you put that in the scrolls, that he poisoned himself?" Jou asked astonished.

"What fun would that be?" Atemu leered. "We just wanted to stretch the truth a bit, to make it sound more quixotic."

Jou chuckled. "Could have fooled me. Let me ask you something."

"What?" Atemu responded.

"How do you remember these things, if I can't even remember how I died? I semi remember the darkness and Seto's tears on my face…but that was it," Jou murmured.

"You never forget the stirring moments in your life. Seto's death was a shock to everyone. I could never forget seeing his body lying there, in his bed. I could even see the dried trails of his tears." Atemu grinded his teeth as he continued. "It was so tormenting!"

Jou sighed as he turned away from the pharaoh to return to Duelist Paradise. "I guess…the most stirring things in your life are also the things you want to disregard."

"Where are you going, Jou?" Atemu asked.

"I need to get back to Joey." He looked over his shoulder with a grin. "I'm sure he misses me."

Atemu nodded. "Now that you know Bakura was responsible for your death, please be careful. He could be waiting around any corner."

Jou stopped at the hall's entrance. "That's okay. I may not be staying here for very long anyways…now that I know the truth." He ignored the lump in his throat as he walked into the darkness, following the shadows that would lead him out.

After Atemu watched Jou leave, he muttered to himself. "We'll miss you, Jou."

Once outside, he bent down to pick up a piece of discarded paper. He found a pencil in the top, right pocket of Joey's coat and scribbled something down. He put the pencil back and placed the paper in his back pocket. The wind brushed against his tri colored hair as he walked away from the museum and thought about the things he had to do before he left to return to his lover Seto.

To Be Continued

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A/N:

Sisco: That was so sweet! I actually thought about putting Bakura in there, but it just didn't seem like the right moment.

Joey: That's a shame. I wanted to see him humiliated in front of all those people.

Sisco: Trust me. I would have loved to do it. But…it just didn't seem like the right atmosphere. >.<

Seto: Well, what about high school? WHERE YOU HUMILIATED ME!!

Sisco: O__o; Heh.

Joey: Take it easy Seto. You can't tell me you didn't enjoy that.

Seto: *eyebrow twitches* So? What if I did?

Joey: I'll do it again in a heart beat! *grins evilly*

Seto and Sisco: O.O;

AFF.net Reviews:

War-chan: LOL!

MM.org Reviews:

Velvetina: *squee* I so know whatcha mean!! *glomps*

Anubiset: Thankies for the reviews! *hugs* You're the greatest.

Dm10: I'll work on that Mokuba/Bakura fic as soon as possible. Me promises! Lol.