Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Liminality ❯ Chapter 2
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Lsama-no-miko 
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 05.14.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 184 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 05.14.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 184 | Status: Completed
I know I said I’d post this if I got five or more reviews, but I decided to give in and post this baby anyhoo. So here’s part 2!!!
Liminality
By Sakura (L-sama no Miko)
Chapter 2
*******WARNING: FANS OF THE PHARAOH TURN BACK NOW!!! I REPEAT, PHARAOH FANS TURN BACK NOW!!!!! DO NOT READ THIS FIC!!!******
Khemet (1) – in the reign of Pharaoh Atem(2)
“Good morning, Atem,” greeted a boy with tricolored hair as his younger brother passed him in the palace hall.
“How dare you address me in such a way!” Atem yelled after having slapped his older brother for his insolence.
“Why shouldn’t I, Atem?” the pharaoh’s smaller look-a-like, Harahkti (3), spat back. “We’re both the sons of Pharaoh Aknamkanon! Besides I’m the firstborn son!”
“Hah!” Atem shouted. “Did you really think father would let a whore’s brat sit on the throne?! My mother was the queen of Khemet can you say about yours? I think not! You’re nothing but a bastard child of my father’s bed slave!”
“Don’t you dare talk about my mother like that!” the smaller prince yelled. “Father loved her! He only married that *bleep* of a mother of yours because mine wasn’t of noble blood!
The pharaoh’s face was redder than anyone had ever seen it and all the slaves and servants present quickly scattered away knowing it had become extremely dangerous. “I should have you executed for that!” Atem said, a cruel smirk appearing on his face. “But it’d be a waste of a good whore. I’m going to enjoy having you in my bed. A fitting punishment for a whore don’t you think, brother.” He then grabbed Harahkti’s face and kissed him harshly.
The smaller boy struggled and kicked or at least tried to only to have his brother chuckle slightly and thrust him into the arms of a nearby guard. “Take him to my chambers. Chain him to the bed as well,” he said then turned heading back to the throne room.
“You’re the one who’s a *bleep*!” Harahkti yelled as the guard dragged him none too gently towards the pharaoh’s bedroom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Khemet– a few months later
“You there!” Seth (4), the high priest shouted at the guards, “There is a thief loose in the palace! Find him!”
“Right away sir!” one of the guards replied, bowing slightly before the brunet then dashed off with his partner.
“Idiots,” the priest muttered going in the opposite direction.
Once the priest was out of sight, a white haired boy stepped out of the shadows. Smirking, he summoned one of his loyal shadow servants.
<You called me, master,> a white robed figure with an angel’s and demon’s wing said softly into his mind, its eyes lowered respectfully.
“My dear Change of Heart,” the thief said still smirking. “Go fetch the pharaoh’s pet slave for me. If he truly does value him as I’ve heard, Pharaoh’d be easy to control.” He was hard pressed to refrain from cackling there and then.
<As you wish master,> Change of Heart replied. <How am I to know this slave?> it asked.
“You know where the pharaoh’s bedchamber is don’t you?” The shadow creature nodded. “He keeps his little pet close by in a room directly across his. The whore should be in there.” Change of Heart nodded again then vanished into the shadows. The thief returned to his hiding place then settled down to wait.
The robed figure slipped silently into the room its master had indicated and looked pitifully at the boy sobbing silently on a tattered straw mat. It gently probed the boy’s mind and saw a broken soul where once a proud and happy prince had been. The figure was glad to have been given the order to take the boy away, it did not know what exactly its master wanted the boy for, but it was sure he would be happy to be away from the pharaoh.
The slave stopped his sobbing sensing he wasn’t alone in the closet of a room Pharaoh Atem had given him. <<Please no more, master!>> he mutely pleaded. <<I’m still in pain from last –>>
He gasped when he felt something feathery and leathery gently wrap around him. <<W-Who’s there?>> Harahkti stuttered, knowing his master would never have been gentle towards him.
<Shh. I will not harm you, little one,> a soft voice murmured in his mind, gently wrapping around it, calming him. <My master wishes I bring you to him.>
<<Your master?>>
<Hush, little one. There is no need to fear.> Suddenly Harahkti felt drowsy and closed his eyes, loving the strange feathery feeling wrapping itself around his mind. The winged figure holding him vanished. A few moments later, the boy opened his eyes which were now a reddish brown instead of their usual amethyst. Harahkti opened the door and walked down the halls towards where ‘his’ master waited.
“Hmph. Took you long enough,” the white haired thief said grabbing hold of the possessed boy.
<Forgive me master,> the boy said into his master’s mind.
The thief smirked evilly. “Forget about it, you did well. Very well,” he said eyeing the scantily clad slave.
<Thank you mas->Harahkti was cut off due to the fact that the thief was now kissing him rather possessively.
“Come,” the thief said after breaking the kiss. The possessed boy followed toward the front entrance only to be met by the high priest.
“And just where do you think you’re going with Pharaoh’s whore?” the brunet said, the sennen rod tucked neatly in his crossed arms.
The thief growled low in his throat. “If you’re gonna kill me, get it over with priest!” he spat.
Seth chuckled. “Get out before I change my mind,” he said moving aside so they could have a clear path out of the palace. The thief blinked, utterly puzzled at the priest’s behavior. “Just go already!” Seth said, pushing the white haired boy out the doors.
The possessed Harahkti quickly followed the thief and both climbed onto a waiting horse nearby.
The High Priest sighed. ‘I hope I did the right thing,’ he thought as he headed back to his chambers. Of all the people in the palace, only he had truly cared for the pharaoh’s older brother. Harahkti had reminded him of his own little brother now long dead from a childhood disease. He had come to despise the cruel ruler more and more with each and every one of Harahkti’s wounds he had to heal. ‘Please help the prince find happiness, mighty Ra,’ he silently prayed.
There was another reason he let them go, though he would never admit it to anyone, but the thief had an uncanny resemblance to his own slave who he had come to love more than anything. Each time he ran into the thief, he kept picturing his slave in his place and it broke his outwardly cold heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harahkti blinked and widened his eyes when he saw he was on a horse and in front of someone. ‘What’s going on?’ he asked himself. ‘The last thing I remember is being in my room.’
“So the spell finally wore off,” the person behind him said. Turning his head he saw a cloaked figure grinning at him, white hair peeking from under the cloak’s hood.
< <Who are you?>> the boy asked soundlessly, a timid look on his face. <<What’s going on?>>
“What’s the matter boy? Has Bastet (5) got your tongue?” he said chuckling at his prisoner’s uneasiness. “Well say something,” he said, getting annoyed when he received no reply from the boy.
Harahkti could only shake his head while covering his throat with one hand praying that the figure understood.
“A mute, huh?” The boy nodded, relieved that he was understood. “Guess that could come in handy. Anyway, I’m your new master,” the figure replied licking his lips. “You’re coming home with me.”
The boy lowered his head, resigning himself to his fate. Had this been months ago, he would have fought and protested, but his younger brother had beaten and tortured all the fight out of him as well as straining and crushing his vocal chords from their nightly sessions.
“Not going to fight me, eh?” his ‘master’ asked.
<<No master,>> he replied shaking his head.
The horse stopped at its master’s command and the cloaked figure turned the boy’s head to face him. Harahkti looked at him with dull, lifeless eyes that had once sparkled and glowed like twin amethysts. They stared at each other for a few moments, the white haired figure with an unreadable expression on his face. Just as quickly, the boy’s ‘master’ released the boy’s face then ordered his horse to continue on its way home.
The thief felt a bit of pity towards the slave, though he’d never admit until later. Much later. He himself knew all too well the cruelty of pharaohs. After all it was Atem’s father who had ordered the annihilation of his village leaving him to be the only known survivor.
“Look, kid, I’ll make a deal with you. You do as you’re told, and I’ll try and help you get back at that *bleep*ing *bleep*,” he said slowing the horse to a walk since they were nearing his hideout.
<<Why should I trust you?>> Harahkti asked, remembering all the times the pharaoh had made such promises to him.
“Let me put it this way, ‘your highness,’” his master replied, guessing at the boy’s expression, the last two words dripping with sarcasm. “What choice do you have?”
Harahkti numbly hung his head. He knew the man was right. He could see that they were now far into the desert, miles and hours away from Thebes and the palace. He wouldn’t be able to find his way back since he hadn’t been awake to see which direction they had taken. Anyway, it was almost dawn and daytime in the desert was deadly.
“I take it you agree then?” his new master said, smirking. The boy nodded. <<Yes master,>> Harahkti said dully.
“That wasn’t so hard now was it?” the white haired figure said almost gently. “I am Bakura.” The boy was silent several moments until he felt a rough yank on his tricolored hair. He yelped in pain. “What’s your name, kid. You’ve got one haven’t you?”
The boy nodded, then gestured to the sand and turned to look at the man pleadingly. Sighing, the man stopped his horse one more time and none too gently pulled Harahkti off. “Well hurry it up!” he said crossing his arms while never taking his eyes off the boy.
He nodded then bent down and began to draw a rough picture of a falcon then another of the sun rising over the horizon. Bakura stared at it running it through his mind. “Harahkti, huh?” The boy nodded again, surprised a thief like him would understand the combination of the two hieroglyphs. He was once again thrust onto the thief’s horse and they were soon moving again.
They remained silent for the rest of their journey which wasn’t much longer when they came to what appeared to be the ruins of a village. Harahkti was about to ask his master something when they stopped at a cluster of large rocks at the far end, but the man leapt off the horse and gave him a look that said ‘Be quiet, or else.’ He watched in awe as his captor muttered a few words of magic and two of the rocks moved aside to reveal a hidden staircase gong deep into the sand. Grasping the reins firmly, Bakura led the horse into the passage.
Harahkti gulped slightly as the light of the dawn sky was blocked by the rocks sliding back into place. He heard a few more words of magic and dozens of torches flamed into life, allowing them to see. He stared in awe at what he saw when they reached the bottom of the staircase.
They were in a huge underground chamber that had several passageways leading off of it. At one corner of the main chamber was a heap of straw and a narrow box like structure. ‘That must be for the horse,’ Harahkti thought.
Bakura pulled him down off the horse before he could examine the chamber further. “Come with me,” he said. Harahkti sighed and followed his master into one of the branching passageways.
He soon realized that the passage was actually a smaller room. In it stood a modest, yet comfortable looking bed, several blankets heaped upon it to keep out the chill. Off to the side were a small basin and a pitcher on a naturally formed shelf. “You’ll be sleeping in here with me since I only have the one bed,” Bakura stated in a tone that left no room for debate.
<<Yes master,>> Harahkti replied meekly, nodding to show his submission.
After further explaining the rules and acquainting the boy to his new home, Bakura got ready for bed. “Like what you see?” he asked when noticing the boy blushing as he watched the thief remove his clothing. Smirking, the white haired boy yanked Harahkti causing him to fall onto the bed with him.
<<P-Please don’t,>> Harahkti pleaded. <<P-Pharaoh was too rough the last time. It still hurts.>>
Bakura chuckled, then patted the boy’s head, surprising him. “I won’t hurt you, kid,” he said stroking the soft skin of Harahkti’s back. “I may not be a nice guy, but raping is one thing I’d never do.” The boy nodded in thanks and relaxed a bit in the thief’s hold. “Get to sleep,” Bakura said, surprising them both when he placed a chaste kiss on the smaller boy’s forehead.
Harahkti blushed at the unexpected kiss, then adjusted himself so he’d be more comfortable. <<G-good night, master,>> he said before closing his eyes. Bakura’s only response was to grunt and pull the boy closer as he felt sleep taking over.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In spite of Bakura’s attempts at manipulating the pharaoh by threats of harm to his ‘favorite whore’, Atem had refused to give in every time. In fact, it seemed that he really could have cared less about his older half brother than the thief had originally thought for there were rumors that he had obtained a new slave shortly after Harahkti’s kidnapping.
He had thought of disposing of the boy, but the pity he felt every time he looked at those dull eyes, and the knowledge of what it was like to be completely alone in the harsh, unforgiving desert prevented the thief from doing so.
Months went by and Harahkti soon came to like his life with the white haired thief. It had been difficult for them to communicate at first, but Bakura had found that they could somehow use the magic of the sennen ring he had lifted from one of the priests. The boy had fallen in love with Bakura. He could see at the very beginning that his master was found of him, but was surprised and overjoyed when the thief had confessed his love for the former prince one night. That had been the happiest nights of his life since Atem had stripped him of his noble status. Since then, Harahkti’s eyes had been slowly returning to what they once were, though they no longer held the innocence they once had.
Even though the pharaoh had beaten the desire for revenge out of him, Harahkti had agreed to allow Bakura to ‘help’ him get his younger half brother off the throne.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” the thief asked his lover as they lay together, gently stroking the tricolored hair.
During the past month, Bakura had been working on a plan to kill Atem during a raid at the palace. The thief, however, could see that the smaller boy had never really had any desire to return to the palace once they had become lovers.
<<I’m sure, love. I’d rather get this over with before I really chicken out,>> Harahkti said, clutching onto Bakura.
“I wouldn’t mind if you stayed behind, you know,” the thief said nuzzling his spiky hair.
<<No, I’ll go. I want to see that *bleep*’s face when he realizes he’s lost everything like I did.>>
Bakura frowned slightly. He really didn’t want his ‘little one’ getting any more tainted than he already was. But he wasn’t going to order him around. He swore he’d stop being the boy’s master once he’d told him how he felt. “As you wish little, habibi (6).” He shifted until they were face to face and pressed his lips to Harahkti’s. “Get to sleep, pet. You’ll be needing your strength.”
<<’Night ‘kura,>> the boy replied, snuggling close to the pale haired thief.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Just what in Ra’s name is going on?!” Atem shouted as the guards ran down the halls yelling something about a thief loose in the palace.
He was about to grab the nearest guard and demand answers when he felt someone grab him from behind and pull him into his bed slave’s room. He turned around to see his former half brother standing before him, a dagger poised at his throat.
“I always knew you’d come crawling back, whore,” the pharaoh said smirking. “So the tomb robber finally tired of you, huh?” He winced as Harahkti lashed out and managed to nick his throat, a thin line of red slowly dripping down the tan skin.
<<Don’t you ever speak that way about, Bakura!>> the smaller boy growled into Atem’s mind, drawing on the sennen puzzle’s magic. <<He’s given me more love than you ever have. He treats me like a person and not some toy to toss around! I should end it here right now.>>
“So why don’t you?” the taller pharaoh asked, still smirking knowing all too well what his half brother’s reply would be.
<<I-I can’t,>> Harahkti said weakly, <<I’m not a killer like you.>>
“Ha! That’s why I’m pharaoh and you’re just a whore!” Atem said laughing. “A whore who likes being tossed around.”
“He. Is. Not. A. whore!” came a new voice and a white haired figure appeared from the shadows.
<<I’m sorry ‘Kura,>> the smaller boy said, guiltily.
The thief ruffled his love’s hair reassuringly. “Give me, the dagger habibi, I’ll make sure this *bleep* pays for what he’s done to us.”
The door bust open just as the thief’s hand reached for the dagger. A tall brown haired man in the robes of a priest stepped in. “Seth! Thank Ra you’re here!” Atem cried, glad to finally have the situation back in his favor.
“Step away raider,” the priest said icily. “If anyone is going to end this *bleep*’s life, it’s going to be me.”
“What?!” the pharaoh said in utter shock.
“You’ve hurt and used my slave for the last time Pharaoh.” Seth pulled out the sennen rod and unsheathed its hidden blade. “Hold him,” he said to the thief and Harahkti. Behind the high priest stood another white haired boy dressed in the same outfit Harahkti had been forced to wear while being his half brother’s bed slave, trembling as he stood guard by the door.
Bakura stared at the boy remembering seeing a similar boy when he was younger. Then he realized he had more important matters to attend to. Atem struggled as his half brother and his lover held on to his arms and legs, the Eye of Horus glowing furiously on his forehead. “You’ll never get away with this!” he yelled, attempted to gather his shadow magic. “I’ll see to it that Ammut (7) feasts on your heart!”
<<Goodbye brother,>> Harahkti hissed viciously into his mind as Seth plunged the rod’s blade into the pharaoh’s heart. Suddenly, there was a golden light and Harahkti had to close his eyes in fear of going blind. He could feel Atem’s powerful magic going awry as it coursed through and around all present in the tiny room. Then he knew no more.
Tsuzuku… (TBC)
A/N: Here’s a bit of info for those of you who don’t know much about ancient Egypt or their gods:
1) Khemet – what the ancient Egyptians called Egypt.
2) Atem –Another name for the sun god Ra. I’ve also seen this used as Yami’s real name in a lot of fanfics but I’m not sure if it really is or not since I don’t have any of the original manga so I decided to use it anyway since it’s a name a pharaoh would probably have used.
3) Harahkti – a variation of Horus. It means Horus of the Horizon.
4) Seth – brother of Osiris and one of the protectors of Ra’s boat when he travels through the underworld sometimes called the god of evil. A fitting name for Kaiba’s former self ne?
5) Bastet – Egyptian cat goddess
6) Habibi – Arabic for love
7) Ammut – an always hungry demon who eats the hearts of the dead if they’re heavier than the feather of Ma’at.
Sakura: Sorry minna, you’ll have to wait ‘til next chappie to see what this has to do with Yugi passing out. And yes, Harahkti is Yugi and Atem is Yami in case you’re wondering.
Yami: I’m wondering why I don’t hand you over to my deck for letting that flea ridden tomb robber touch my hikari.
Sakura: I’m the one who’s keeping the friendship *bleep* off your case. And Bakura-sama doesn’t have fleas! Jou-chan does.
Jou: Hey! Not you too! Why does everybody think I’m a dog?! ;_;
Bakura: She’s got a point there baka pharaoh. Besides the squirt likes it when I touch him. (eg)
Yugi: ‘Kura! (blushes)
Yami: I am not hearing this. (runs off to find Seto)
Sakura: Anyhoo, tell me whatcha think. If I get five or more reviews, I’ll post the next chappie in a few days. So get going and gimme some feedback! Onegai? ;_;
Goku: If you ignored Sakura-chan’s warning and are going to flame her – (blows raspberries).
Sakura: Actually any flames will be used as snacks for Ammut so don’t even bother. 8P
Liminality
By Sakura (L-sama no Miko)
Chapter 2
*******WARNING: FANS OF THE PHARAOH TURN BACK NOW!!! I REPEAT, PHARAOH FANS TURN BACK NOW!!!!! DO NOT READ THIS FIC!!!******
Khemet (1) – in the reign of Pharaoh Atem(2)
“Good morning, Atem,” greeted a boy with tricolored hair as his younger brother passed him in the palace hall.
“How dare you address me in such a way!” Atem yelled after having slapped his older brother for his insolence.
“Why shouldn’t I, Atem?” the pharaoh’s smaller look-a-like, Harahkti (3), spat back. “We’re both the sons of Pharaoh Aknamkanon! Besides I’m the firstborn son!”
“Hah!” Atem shouted. “Did you really think father would let a whore’s brat sit on the throne?! My mother was the queen of Khemet can you say about yours? I think not! You’re nothing but a bastard child of my father’s bed slave!”
“Don’t you dare talk about my mother like that!” the smaller prince yelled. “Father loved her! He only married that *bleep* of a mother of yours because mine wasn’t of noble blood!
The pharaoh’s face was redder than anyone had ever seen it and all the slaves and servants present quickly scattered away knowing it had become extremely dangerous. “I should have you executed for that!” Atem said, a cruel smirk appearing on his face. “But it’d be a waste of a good whore. I’m going to enjoy having you in my bed. A fitting punishment for a whore don’t you think, brother.” He then grabbed Harahkti’s face and kissed him harshly.
The smaller boy struggled and kicked or at least tried to only to have his brother chuckle slightly and thrust him into the arms of a nearby guard. “Take him to my chambers. Chain him to the bed as well,” he said then turned heading back to the throne room.
“You’re the one who’s a *bleep*!” Harahkti yelled as the guard dragged him none too gently towards the pharaoh’s bedroom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Khemet– a few months later
“You there!” Seth (4), the high priest shouted at the guards, “There is a thief loose in the palace! Find him!”
“Right away sir!” one of the guards replied, bowing slightly before the brunet then dashed off with his partner.
“Idiots,” the priest muttered going in the opposite direction.
Once the priest was out of sight, a white haired boy stepped out of the shadows. Smirking, he summoned one of his loyal shadow servants.
<You called me, master,> a white robed figure with an angel’s and demon’s wing said softly into his mind, its eyes lowered respectfully.
“My dear Change of Heart,” the thief said still smirking. “Go fetch the pharaoh’s pet slave for me. If he truly does value him as I’ve heard, Pharaoh’d be easy to control.” He was hard pressed to refrain from cackling there and then.
<As you wish master,> Change of Heart replied. <How am I to know this slave?> it asked.
“You know where the pharaoh’s bedchamber is don’t you?” The shadow creature nodded. “He keeps his little pet close by in a room directly across his. The whore should be in there.” Change of Heart nodded again then vanished into the shadows. The thief returned to his hiding place then settled down to wait.
The robed figure slipped silently into the room its master had indicated and looked pitifully at the boy sobbing silently on a tattered straw mat. It gently probed the boy’s mind and saw a broken soul where once a proud and happy prince had been. The figure was glad to have been given the order to take the boy away, it did not know what exactly its master wanted the boy for, but it was sure he would be happy to be away from the pharaoh.
The slave stopped his sobbing sensing he wasn’t alone in the closet of a room Pharaoh Atem had given him. <<Please no more, master!>> he mutely pleaded. <<I’m still in pain from last –>>
He gasped when he felt something feathery and leathery gently wrap around him. <<W-Who’s there?>> Harahkti stuttered, knowing his master would never have been gentle towards him.
<Shh. I will not harm you, little one,> a soft voice murmured in his mind, gently wrapping around it, calming him. <My master wishes I bring you to him.>
<<Your master?>>
<Hush, little one. There is no need to fear.> Suddenly Harahkti felt drowsy and closed his eyes, loving the strange feathery feeling wrapping itself around his mind. The winged figure holding him vanished. A few moments later, the boy opened his eyes which were now a reddish brown instead of their usual amethyst. Harahkti opened the door and walked down the halls towards where ‘his’ master waited.
“Hmph. Took you long enough,” the white haired thief said grabbing hold of the possessed boy.
<Forgive me master,> the boy said into his master’s mind.
The thief smirked evilly. “Forget about it, you did well. Very well,” he said eyeing the scantily clad slave.
<Thank you mas->Harahkti was cut off due to the fact that the thief was now kissing him rather possessively.
“Come,” the thief said after breaking the kiss. The possessed boy followed toward the front entrance only to be met by the high priest.
“And just where do you think you’re going with Pharaoh’s whore?” the brunet said, the sennen rod tucked neatly in his crossed arms.
The thief growled low in his throat. “If you’re gonna kill me, get it over with priest!” he spat.
Seth chuckled. “Get out before I change my mind,” he said moving aside so they could have a clear path out of the palace. The thief blinked, utterly puzzled at the priest’s behavior. “Just go already!” Seth said, pushing the white haired boy out the doors.
The possessed Harahkti quickly followed the thief and both climbed onto a waiting horse nearby.
The High Priest sighed. ‘I hope I did the right thing,’ he thought as he headed back to his chambers. Of all the people in the palace, only he had truly cared for the pharaoh’s older brother. Harahkti had reminded him of his own little brother now long dead from a childhood disease. He had come to despise the cruel ruler more and more with each and every one of Harahkti’s wounds he had to heal. ‘Please help the prince find happiness, mighty Ra,’ he silently prayed.
There was another reason he let them go, though he would never admit it to anyone, but the thief had an uncanny resemblance to his own slave who he had come to love more than anything. Each time he ran into the thief, he kept picturing his slave in his place and it broke his outwardly cold heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harahkti blinked and widened his eyes when he saw he was on a horse and in front of someone. ‘What’s going on?’ he asked himself. ‘The last thing I remember is being in my room.’
“So the spell finally wore off,” the person behind him said. Turning his head he saw a cloaked figure grinning at him, white hair peeking from under the cloak’s hood.
< <Who are you?>> the boy asked soundlessly, a timid look on his face. <<What’s going on?>>
“What’s the matter boy? Has Bastet (5) got your tongue?” he said chuckling at his prisoner’s uneasiness. “Well say something,” he said, getting annoyed when he received no reply from the boy.
Harahkti could only shake his head while covering his throat with one hand praying that the figure understood.
“A mute, huh?” The boy nodded, relieved that he was understood. “Guess that could come in handy. Anyway, I’m your new master,” the figure replied licking his lips. “You’re coming home with me.”
The boy lowered his head, resigning himself to his fate. Had this been months ago, he would have fought and protested, but his younger brother had beaten and tortured all the fight out of him as well as straining and crushing his vocal chords from their nightly sessions.
“Not going to fight me, eh?” his ‘master’ asked.
<<No master,>> he replied shaking his head.
The horse stopped at its master’s command and the cloaked figure turned the boy’s head to face him. Harahkti looked at him with dull, lifeless eyes that had once sparkled and glowed like twin amethysts. They stared at each other for a few moments, the white haired figure with an unreadable expression on his face. Just as quickly, the boy’s ‘master’ released the boy’s face then ordered his horse to continue on its way home.
The thief felt a bit of pity towards the slave, though he’d never admit until later. Much later. He himself knew all too well the cruelty of pharaohs. After all it was Atem’s father who had ordered the annihilation of his village leaving him to be the only known survivor.
“Look, kid, I’ll make a deal with you. You do as you’re told, and I’ll try and help you get back at that *bleep*ing *bleep*,” he said slowing the horse to a walk since they were nearing his hideout.
<<Why should I trust you?>> Harahkti asked, remembering all the times the pharaoh had made such promises to him.
“Let me put it this way, ‘your highness,’” his master replied, guessing at the boy’s expression, the last two words dripping with sarcasm. “What choice do you have?”
Harahkti numbly hung his head. He knew the man was right. He could see that they were now far into the desert, miles and hours away from Thebes and the palace. He wouldn’t be able to find his way back since he hadn’t been awake to see which direction they had taken. Anyway, it was almost dawn and daytime in the desert was deadly.
“I take it you agree then?” his new master said, smirking. The boy nodded. <<Yes master,>> Harahkti said dully.
“That wasn’t so hard now was it?” the white haired figure said almost gently. “I am Bakura.” The boy was silent several moments until he felt a rough yank on his tricolored hair. He yelped in pain. “What’s your name, kid. You’ve got one haven’t you?”
The boy nodded, then gestured to the sand and turned to look at the man pleadingly. Sighing, the man stopped his horse one more time and none too gently pulled Harahkti off. “Well hurry it up!” he said crossing his arms while never taking his eyes off the boy.
He nodded then bent down and began to draw a rough picture of a falcon then another of the sun rising over the horizon. Bakura stared at it running it through his mind. “Harahkti, huh?” The boy nodded again, surprised a thief like him would understand the combination of the two hieroglyphs. He was once again thrust onto the thief’s horse and they were soon moving again.
They remained silent for the rest of their journey which wasn’t much longer when they came to what appeared to be the ruins of a village. Harahkti was about to ask his master something when they stopped at a cluster of large rocks at the far end, but the man leapt off the horse and gave him a look that said ‘Be quiet, or else.’ He watched in awe as his captor muttered a few words of magic and two of the rocks moved aside to reveal a hidden staircase gong deep into the sand. Grasping the reins firmly, Bakura led the horse into the passage.
Harahkti gulped slightly as the light of the dawn sky was blocked by the rocks sliding back into place. He heard a few more words of magic and dozens of torches flamed into life, allowing them to see. He stared in awe at what he saw when they reached the bottom of the staircase.
They were in a huge underground chamber that had several passageways leading off of it. At one corner of the main chamber was a heap of straw and a narrow box like structure. ‘That must be for the horse,’ Harahkti thought.
Bakura pulled him down off the horse before he could examine the chamber further. “Come with me,” he said. Harahkti sighed and followed his master into one of the branching passageways.
He soon realized that the passage was actually a smaller room. In it stood a modest, yet comfortable looking bed, several blankets heaped upon it to keep out the chill. Off to the side were a small basin and a pitcher on a naturally formed shelf. “You’ll be sleeping in here with me since I only have the one bed,” Bakura stated in a tone that left no room for debate.
<<Yes master,>> Harahkti replied meekly, nodding to show his submission.
After further explaining the rules and acquainting the boy to his new home, Bakura got ready for bed. “Like what you see?” he asked when noticing the boy blushing as he watched the thief remove his clothing. Smirking, the white haired boy yanked Harahkti causing him to fall onto the bed with him.
<<P-Please don’t,>> Harahkti pleaded. <<P-Pharaoh was too rough the last time. It still hurts.>>
Bakura chuckled, then patted the boy’s head, surprising him. “I won’t hurt you, kid,” he said stroking the soft skin of Harahkti’s back. “I may not be a nice guy, but raping is one thing I’d never do.” The boy nodded in thanks and relaxed a bit in the thief’s hold. “Get to sleep,” Bakura said, surprising them both when he placed a chaste kiss on the smaller boy’s forehead.
Harahkti blushed at the unexpected kiss, then adjusted himself so he’d be more comfortable. <<G-good night, master,>> he said before closing his eyes. Bakura’s only response was to grunt and pull the boy closer as he felt sleep taking over.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In spite of Bakura’s attempts at manipulating the pharaoh by threats of harm to his ‘favorite whore’, Atem had refused to give in every time. In fact, it seemed that he really could have cared less about his older half brother than the thief had originally thought for there were rumors that he had obtained a new slave shortly after Harahkti’s kidnapping.
He had thought of disposing of the boy, but the pity he felt every time he looked at those dull eyes, and the knowledge of what it was like to be completely alone in the harsh, unforgiving desert prevented the thief from doing so.
Months went by and Harahkti soon came to like his life with the white haired thief. It had been difficult for them to communicate at first, but Bakura had found that they could somehow use the magic of the sennen ring he had lifted from one of the priests. The boy had fallen in love with Bakura. He could see at the very beginning that his master was found of him, but was surprised and overjoyed when the thief had confessed his love for the former prince one night. That had been the happiest nights of his life since Atem had stripped him of his noble status. Since then, Harahkti’s eyes had been slowly returning to what they once were, though they no longer held the innocence they once had.
Even though the pharaoh had beaten the desire for revenge out of him, Harahkti had agreed to allow Bakura to ‘help’ him get his younger half brother off the throne.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” the thief asked his lover as they lay together, gently stroking the tricolored hair.
During the past month, Bakura had been working on a plan to kill Atem during a raid at the palace. The thief, however, could see that the smaller boy had never really had any desire to return to the palace once they had become lovers.
<<I’m sure, love. I’d rather get this over with before I really chicken out,>> Harahkti said, clutching onto Bakura.
“I wouldn’t mind if you stayed behind, you know,” the thief said nuzzling his spiky hair.
<<No, I’ll go. I want to see that *bleep*’s face when he realizes he’s lost everything like I did.>>
Bakura frowned slightly. He really didn’t want his ‘little one’ getting any more tainted than he already was. But he wasn’t going to order him around. He swore he’d stop being the boy’s master once he’d told him how he felt. “As you wish little, habibi (6).” He shifted until they were face to face and pressed his lips to Harahkti’s. “Get to sleep, pet. You’ll be needing your strength.”
<<’Night ‘kura,>> the boy replied, snuggling close to the pale haired thief.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Just what in Ra’s name is going on?!” Atem shouted as the guards ran down the halls yelling something about a thief loose in the palace.
He was about to grab the nearest guard and demand answers when he felt someone grab him from behind and pull him into his bed slave’s room. He turned around to see his former half brother standing before him, a dagger poised at his throat.
“I always knew you’d come crawling back, whore,” the pharaoh said smirking. “So the tomb robber finally tired of you, huh?” He winced as Harahkti lashed out and managed to nick his throat, a thin line of red slowly dripping down the tan skin.
<<Don’t you ever speak that way about, Bakura!>> the smaller boy growled into Atem’s mind, drawing on the sennen puzzle’s magic. <<He’s given me more love than you ever have. He treats me like a person and not some toy to toss around! I should end it here right now.>>
“So why don’t you?” the taller pharaoh asked, still smirking knowing all too well what his half brother’s reply would be.
<<I-I can’t,>> Harahkti said weakly, <<I’m not a killer like you.>>
“Ha! That’s why I’m pharaoh and you’re just a whore!” Atem said laughing. “A whore who likes being tossed around.”
“He. Is. Not. A. whore!” came a new voice and a white haired figure appeared from the shadows.
<<I’m sorry ‘Kura,>> the smaller boy said, guiltily.
The thief ruffled his love’s hair reassuringly. “Give me, the dagger habibi, I’ll make sure this *bleep* pays for what he’s done to us.”
The door bust open just as the thief’s hand reached for the dagger. A tall brown haired man in the robes of a priest stepped in. “Seth! Thank Ra you’re here!” Atem cried, glad to finally have the situation back in his favor.
“Step away raider,” the priest said icily. “If anyone is going to end this *bleep*’s life, it’s going to be me.”
“What?!” the pharaoh said in utter shock.
“You’ve hurt and used my slave for the last time Pharaoh.” Seth pulled out the sennen rod and unsheathed its hidden blade. “Hold him,” he said to the thief and Harahkti. Behind the high priest stood another white haired boy dressed in the same outfit Harahkti had been forced to wear while being his half brother’s bed slave, trembling as he stood guard by the door.
Bakura stared at the boy remembering seeing a similar boy when he was younger. Then he realized he had more important matters to attend to. Atem struggled as his half brother and his lover held on to his arms and legs, the Eye of Horus glowing furiously on his forehead. “You’ll never get away with this!” he yelled, attempted to gather his shadow magic. “I’ll see to it that Ammut (7) feasts on your heart!”
<<Goodbye brother,>> Harahkti hissed viciously into his mind as Seth plunged the rod’s blade into the pharaoh’s heart. Suddenly, there was a golden light and Harahkti had to close his eyes in fear of going blind. He could feel Atem’s powerful magic going awry as it coursed through and around all present in the tiny room. Then he knew no more.
Tsuzuku… (TBC)
A/N: Here’s a bit of info for those of you who don’t know much about ancient Egypt or their gods:
1) Khemet – what the ancient Egyptians called Egypt.
2) Atem –Another name for the sun god Ra. I’ve also seen this used as Yami’s real name in a lot of fanfics but I’m not sure if it really is or not since I don’t have any of the original manga so I decided to use it anyway since it’s a name a pharaoh would probably have used.
3) Harahkti – a variation of Horus. It means Horus of the Horizon.
4) Seth – brother of Osiris and one of the protectors of Ra’s boat when he travels through the underworld sometimes called the god of evil. A fitting name for Kaiba’s former self ne?
5) Bastet – Egyptian cat goddess
6) Habibi – Arabic for love
7) Ammut – an always hungry demon who eats the hearts of the dead if they’re heavier than the feather of Ma’at.
Sakura: Sorry minna, you’ll have to wait ‘til next chappie to see what this has to do with Yugi passing out. And yes, Harahkti is Yugi and Atem is Yami in case you’re wondering.
Yami: I’m wondering why I don’t hand you over to my deck for letting that flea ridden tomb robber touch my hikari.
Sakura: I’m the one who’s keeping the friendship *bleep* off your case. And Bakura-sama doesn’t have fleas! Jou-chan does.
Jou: Hey! Not you too! Why does everybody think I’m a dog?! ;_;
Bakura: She’s got a point there baka pharaoh. Besides the squirt likes it when I touch him. (eg)
Yugi: ‘Kura! (blushes)
Yami: I am not hearing this. (runs off to find Seto)
Sakura: Anyhoo, tell me whatcha think. If I get five or more reviews, I’ll post the next chappie in a few days. So get going and gimme some feedback! Onegai? ;_;
Goku: If you ignored Sakura-chan’s warning and are going to flame her – (blows raspberries).
Sakura: Actually any flames will be used as snacks for Ammut so don’t even bother. 8P