The end is just the beginning
Kul Elna
Yugi fell to his knees when Yami's life points dropped to zero. Tears streaming down his face. Him winning the ceremonial duel meant only one thing. Yami would have to leave for the afterlife. Leave him. Forever. After everything they had went through. After discovering their feelings for one another. He had to leave. Yugi had known that their budding relationship couldn't last since Yami was a spirit and Yami had known it too. But still they went for it. Treasuring each day together. Loving each other.
But now it had to end and Yugi realised he wasn't ready to say goodbye.
"You did it Partner. You won" said Yami while walking towards him and kneeling before him. He grasped Yugi at the shoulders squeezing lightly.
"A winner shouldn't be on his knees Yugi"
"How can I be a winner when I'm losing you?" Yugi sobbed. Yami looked sideways for a second to their friends before looking Yugi in the eyes.
"You do realise we will never be apart right? We will always be together right here" said Yami while pointing at Yugi's heart. Yugi flung himself in Yami's arms and buried his face in Yami's chest.
"Yugi..." He felt Yami's arms wrap around him and rub his back.
"Pharaoh? It is time" said Ishizu. "The shadows will only be locked away for eternity with your passing"
Yami sighed and pulled Yugi closer before he pulled back entirely. He could feel Yugi's hands gripping the back of his jacket tight.
"Yugi...Partner. You need to let go" he said softly. Yugi shaked his head.
"No. I don't want you to go"
"Yugi *sigh* you know I have to in order to keep the world safe. Just...just promise me you will do your best to move on"
"I do..."
"Promise me Partner" Yami begged. Yugi looked up with glistering eyes en nodded.
"Pharaoh.. " said Ishizu.
Yami buried his face in Yugi's neck and gave him a quick kiss there that went unnoticed by their bystanders.
"Goodbye Partner. Yugi. Hopefully the gods will let us meet again someday" said Yami with a sad but solemn expression and he pulled back to walk towards the door to the afterlife. He didn't dare to look back at Yugi. Saying goodbye was already painful enough.
"State your name to the eye of Wadjet Pharaoh" said Marik.
"Atemu"
The doors to the afterlife opened up letting in bright light into the underground temple. Yami could see his father and priests beyond the door and stepped forward.
"YAMI!!" Yami stopped walking when Joey shouted.
"So you're just going to leave us just like that? Without saying goodbye?" asked Tristan.
"Do you really have to leave Yami? I mean I do know you have to go but once you go through those doors you can never come back" said Anzu while tears streamed down her cheeks.
"You know he has to leave Tea. All we can do is treasure the memories we have with him" said Joey while he rubbed Tea's back. He turned his face towards Yami.
"Don't you dare forget about us you hear bud? We will be friends forever. Wherever you are" Joey gave him the thumbs up and Yami smiled. Joey was right. No matter what. They would always be friends. He gave a thumbs up back and walked through the doors which closed behind him leaving the temple in dead silence apart from the sobbing sounds of Yugi and Tea.
"So that's it. It's over now?" asked Joey. Ishizu nodded.
"Yes. By passing through the doors to the afterlife the Pharaohs destiny has been fulfilled. Our task as tomb keepers has ended" she said. Yugi looked down sniffing. He looked at the Millennium item slab. At the puzzle. He hoped he would be able to take it home as a reminder as he stepped towards it the ground started to tremble and everyone in the temple tried to keep their balance.
"What the.." said Joey while his eyes bulged. Yugi regained his balance and stepped towards the slab again but before he could reach it the slab broke down and sunk into a deep abyss taking the Millennium items with it. Yugi's heart sank when he saw the puzzle fall out of sight. Around him the rest of the temple was breaking down.
"YUG!!! Come on! We need to get out of here before we get buried here" Joey pulled him away from the big hole the slab had left and everyone ran to the stairs to get out of the temple as soon as possible. Once outside everyone collapsed and panted. When they looked back the entrance was completely blocked and covered by sand as if it had never been there.
"It looks as if it never was there in the first place. As if this whole adventure has just been one big dream" stated Tristan while looking at the sand dunes around them.
"As long as we remember it won't" said Tea while they picked themselves up and walked towards the ship again. Yugi squeezed his eyes shut for moment while he gripped his shirt over his heart. He only had his memories now. He felt like he lost his goal in life but he had to keep his promise. His promise to Yami to move on. No matter what. He would live on and make him proud. And he wasn't about to break that promise. Ever.
Kumamoto
It had been three months now since the incident which was a sign that Atemu was awakening. Since then he hadn't make a sound. As if it all had been a fluke. A tormenting fluke. Tara didn't give up though. She still went to the hospital each day and sat at his bed holding his hand. Today was no different. Until she felt a light tremble in Atemu's fingers. She looked up quick and saw Atemu's face squished up while silent tears streamed down his face. She stood up and pushed the nurse button. If this would end up like the last time she would rather have help come early in case Atemu would start tressing.
Not a minute latter a nurse came in and saw what was happening. She ran out to get Doctor Takashima.
By the time the doctor came into the room Atemu's whole body started to tremble.
"Doctor!! What's happening? Is this another fit?" Tara asked as she hold Atemu down on the bed in case he would start trashing. Doctor Takashima nodded and ordered the nurse to bring the sedative. He opened one of Atemu's eyelids to shine a light in it.
"Atemu? Can you hear me?" he said while looking for a sign that Atemu might have woken up. Another tremble went through Atemu's body before it went limb.
Tara's back went rigid when she saw her sons body go limp under her hands. She shook his shoulders lightly.
"Atemu sweetie? Wake up. You've slept long enough. Wake up" she said with a stern voice.
The nurse who was sent to bring a sedative rushed into the room.
"Doctor I brought the sedative " she said panting lightly. Doctor Takashima shook his head.
"That isn't necessary anymore I believe. Atemu already calmed down. Keep talking to him Mrs. Taiyou" he said encouraging. Tara nodded and turned her head to Atemu again.
"Atemu? Can you hear me? Wake up. Open your eyes"
And then it happened. The three participants in the who stood next to the hospital bed held their breath when the boy in the bed opened up his eyes for the first time in almost two years. The crimson slades closed almost immediately when they were bombed with the bright light in the room but after a few seconds they tried to open up again. Determined to face the light. To concur it.
After what felt like hours the eyes glided to the left and then to the right to spot his mother standing next to the bed he was apparently lying in with tears in her eyes.
"Moth..mother?" Atemu said in a raspy voice. Tara nodded and smiled.
"What happened?"
"You've been asleep honey. For a long time"
"How long?" Atemu was amost afraid to ask.
"Almost two years sweetie" and tears streamed down over Tara's face. Atemu gasped. Two years??? Two years just gone???
"How? Wait..the headache?" His mother nodded. The unfamiliar man with the white coat who Atemu assumed was the doctor cleared his throat to get their attention.
"If I may Atemu. My name is Doctor Takashima. You have been under my care since they brought you in. Chances are big that the headaches you had for years as was mentioned by your parents may have been the reason you fell into a coma. Unfortunately we never could find the cause of the headaches because your body seems to be in perfect health. Do you feel a headache right now?"
Atemu seemed to think long at that.
"Actually no. For the first time since the headaches started I don't feel any pressure in my head at all. It's completely gone. How is that possible? Although of course I am happy it's gone and hopefully forever but how?"
"I don't think we will ever know how. But the important thing is that you are awake again. Congratulations. This is a big step to recovering. Of course being in a coma for almost two years also comes with a price. You will have to train your muscles again. Learn to walk again. We will take it step by step. I will bring in someone later today to discuss it" the doctor said an nodded politely to Tara and Atemu before leaving the room with the nurse right behind him.
Atemu smiled brightly and his eyes gleamed while looking at his mother who still had tears streaming down her face.
"No need to cry mother" Tara sniffed.
"I'm just so glad you are awake my son. You sure made us waiting. Oohhh" her eyes grew big. "I have to call your father" She picked up her bag to retreive her phone. Akhenamkhanen picked up after the first ring and promised to be there at the hospital as soon as possible. Tara sighed and slumbed down on her chair as exhaustion took her over.
"Is everything alright mother?" asked Atemu when he looked at his mother in worry. His mother smiled softly and grasped his hand.
"It is. It finally is"
Life would start a new. A new beginning.