Author's Note: Mental conversations are shown by /
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh is the intellectual property of Kazuki Takahashi, and is being used in this fanfiction for fan purposes only. No profit is being made off of the viewing and/or production of this work. All situations, opinions and characters not belonging to Kazuki Takahashi are the intellectual property of Pharaoh's Queen (That's me, duh). Plus of course, any other relevant information. In plain English, I don't own any of this except the plot and my OC's.
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Within the Traces of My Memories…
Chapter 1
The New Girl
Atena
Down, down the stairs it rolled, the young princess running after it, her handmaiden close behind. The girl was no more than 16 summers old, and she was still dropping things. Her father sighed as she ran past him on the stairway, bowing clumsily and not stopping as she ran after the small piece of gold. The lady however, stopped and touched her forehead to the ground before him. Humph. He thought. The servant at least bowed. He grinned. Not that I like it that much anyways.
Panting, the girl reached the bottom of the stairs and starting searching for that glint of gold that was her own. Her maid stopped to catch her breath before going to help the princess.
"Here it is!" came the joyful cry. Gently picking up the necklace at the feet of a big statue, she bowed to the goddess before her, silently thanking the goddess in her mind for protecting it from breaking. If it had broken, she didn't know what Father would do to her.
Ignoring the maid's hands, she clasped it on herself. She didn't want anyone to touch it, which is how she dropped it in the first place. Each Item had chosen it's bearer, and the Millennium Tauk had chosen her. She wore it proudly and used the magic seriously.
Laying her first two fingers on the golden sculpted eye, Atena walked out onto a balcony in the blazing Egyptian sun, enjoying the warmth given by the sun god, Ra. This was always her favorite time of the day, when the sun was not at its strongest, but was still enough to keep someone from getting cold. She sighed, feeling the slight warmth on her bronze arms, and wishing the days could always be like this.
The maid stood silently by, letting her mistress have some time to her self. Soon it would not be like this, for the princess would have to marry soon, and she would need to stay inside, and tend to matters of the house. She sighed. She could not imagine her lady, with such an open spirit, to be bound by the trivial matters of marriage. The servant grinned to herself, thinking about her lady actually sitting still with a child on her lap. The thought was almost laughable.
Hearing footsteps behind her, the princess whirled around, startled. Her father laughed as he came around the corner. "Father!" she said. "Don't scare me like that!" He just laughed and came to stand next to her on the balcony. Atena waved the handmaiden away, who bowed and retreated silently.
They said nothing, just stood next to each other and watched the sun sink slowly over the west side of the Nile River, the water was sparkling as the sun hit it. The princess looked at her father. With all the gold he wore shining in the dying sun, he looked like a golden piece of the river itself. Father sighed again. I wonder how he does it. Atena thought. Being Pharaoh and all. He has never really seemed stressed. He just does he duty to the gods and spends time with us.
Her fathers voice interrupted her thoughts. "My daughter, I have been thinking," he paused. The princess stiffened slightly. "About your marriage." Atena relaxed. So that was it. I thought it would be something more important. Her father turned to her, a fire burning in his eyes that she had seen rarely before. "My problem is, who to choose for you. I do not want you to be unhappy, so I have decided to let you help me choose." The princess jumped with excitement and clapped her hands.
"Oh Father! Thank you so much! I know exactly who I want." She looked around as he came through the doorway. "Atem."
At the sound of his name, her half brother came to her and put his arm around her skinny waist. He smiled kindly. "We both love each other very much, and I believe that I will be happiest with him." The violet eyes of Atem and Pharaoh's grey eyes were both showing the same emotion looking at her.
Pharaoh smiled looking at the pair of them. "Very well. It will be arranged when great Ra lights the sky up once more with his light."
The great sun boat disappeared over the western horizon, leaving the sky a dark inky black color, dotted with stars.
Aieko
I hate school.
I don't think any body hates it more than I do. Even moving from a different country, my parents still want me to make it to the first day.
Joy.
The bus bounced, breaking into my thoughts by throwing me onto another poor person, and thus causing a domino effect. Although I'll admit that it was really cool, it was pretty disastrous. And what do I start doing?
I start laughing so hard that I almost started to cry. (Come on, it was funny!)
What kind of wacko laughs when they knock a bus full of people over? Me.
Shut up. I told that little voice in my head. Don't you just hate that little voice that always bugs you and…
I was interrupted again by a moan that came from the guy I knocked over. I untangled myself from him, brushed myself off, and offered a hand to help him up. He looked up at me. I blinked. This kid had white hair and the most gorgeous brown eyes that I had ever seen. I gawked, I couldn't help it.
I had enough sense to pull him up, at least. I started to apologize, and then realized that I was speaking in English. I stopped talking, and tried to rearrange my thoughts back in Japanese. The white haired kid grinned. "It's okay," he said in the most stunning English accent that I had ever heard. "I know English too."
I started to blush. I could feel my face going hot.
"My name is Bakura Ryo, but you may call me Bakura. Everyone does." He smiled at me, and I could feel my face getting redder. He waved his hand towards the group that had also been knocked down. "These are my friends. Honda." A tall boy with brown hair nodded at me. "Jonouchi." The blonde one winked and gave me a thumbs-up sign. "Anzu." The girl gave me a small wave. "And Yugi." A very small boy with incredibly spiky hair waved also. "Hi," he said, peering up at me. Now I am pretty short for my age, but this kid made me feel like a giant! "You must be new here. Nice to meet you!" He stuck out his hand and I shook it. "I'm Aieko. Nice to meet you too."
The bus stopped suddenly and we all almost fell over again. "Domino High School," crackled the bus loud speaker.
I turned to the group. "Do you guys get off here too?" They all nodded and started filing off the bus.
Bakura and Yugi each grabbed one of my hands and pulled me off the bus towards the school. "Don't worry," Bakura whispered to me in English. "You're going to like it here."
I felt my face go red again.
This Bakura guy is really nice. I think I'm starting to like him. And Yugi's not too bad either. I smirked. For a shrimp.
Atena
Atena happily climbed into her bed. Not only was she getting married, but also it was to someone that she actually wanted! This hardly ever happened. She closed her eyes, thanking in her head all the gods and goddesses that she knew for bestowing this great blessing upon her.
With her eyes closed, the princess didn't notice the shadows that were creeping into the room. Shadows that were darker than the night sky. They were creeping along the floor, inching slowly to the princess's bed. The Millennium Necklace on the bedside table next to her glowed angrily in response. Atena, on the verge of sleep, didn't see it.
On the other side of the palace, an old man in a dark robe was standing absolutely still, his arms raised up. The man's golden eye was glowing, and he could not suppress a smile in spite of himself. The plan was going perfectly. Now the young prince won't get married, and that annoying girl wouldn't run the risk of producing an heir. He pushed the darkness closer to the princess's bed. Soon her soul would be swallowed up and never able to return…
Atem lay back on his bed, hands resting behind his head. He couldn't stop grinning, or thinking about his new bride-to-be. Tomorrow, everything that he'd ever dreamed of would come true. He yawned, starting to feel sleepy at last. "Tomorrow. I can't wait." His eyes started to close…
Atem sat up. Something was wrong, he could feel it. He grabbed the large gold item on the table next to him. Quickly whispering some well-chosen words to it, it started to glow. The shadows that had started creeping into his room were lit up, and they shrank back away from the bright yellow light that it was giving off. But they were not backing away fast enough from the other room that they were entering. Atem growled low in his throat as he slipped the thin rope over his head. They shadows were crawling into Atena's room. He had to hurry to her before—
Atena screamed.
Across the palace, the man with the golden eye laughed evilly.
Yugi
Being short is NOT fun at all. The worst things always happen. I was squished when the bus stopped suddenly and knocked us all down.
I heard someone laughing hysterically. After I got out from underneath everyone, I turned around to see whom it was.
There was a girl standing that was tangled up with Bakura. She was laughing so hard that she was almost crying. She was kind of pretty.
I felt a twitch from Yami's soul room. /What is it? I asked. Yami said nothing. I could feel him staring at the girl. I waved my mental hand in front of his face. He didn't even blink. She was staring at this strange girl as though he was trying to remember if and where he had seen her before. /What is it? I asked again. No response. /Yeah, she's kind of pretty, but there's no need for you just to keep staring at her. Yami turned to me.
/Sorry, but I know that girl. I remember her… he trailed off. He looked almost sadly back at the girl.
I blinked. /You remembered something? Just by looking her?
/Yes, but all that I can remember is that she feels very important to me, but I can't remember any more than that. He looked frustrated.
We both watched the girl pull up Bakura off the floor. He said something in English to her, and she started to blush a bit. I stared out the window, wondering if they were going to start a whole new conversation in English.
Bakura was speaking to everyone, so I decided to pay attention. He pointed to me. "And Yugi." He was saying. I waved. The girl had that look in her eyes that said she wanted to start cracking up again, and I think I know why.
I walked up to her. "Hi. You must be new here. Nice to meet you!" I held out my hand and she shook it. She smiled back at me. "I'm Aieko. Nice to meet you too." Autumn time. What a great name. It fit her well.
As soon as she touched my hand, I could feel Yami twinge back in his soul room. He practically yelped. I could hear him start to breathe really heavily.
The bus stopped again, and we all had to concentrate to keep from falling over again.
"Domino High School," said the driver.
Aieko turned back to Bakura and I. "Do you guys get off here too?" I nodded, not wanting to speak in case Yami decided to do something crazy.
She looked at us like Well? and Bakura and I each grabbed one of her hands and pulled her off the bus. Yami wanted to switch with me, but I thought it best that I was leading around the school. I could feel his heart pounding.
What's to be nervous about? I thought.
/I heard that. came the reply.
Aieko
Yugi and Bakura dropped me off at the check-in office. In a moment, a fat old lady walked up to me (I don't mean to be rude, but she was!). She frowned at me, her eyes glaring at the jeans that I was wearing.
"You are Matina Aieko, Correct?" She said in a surprisingly gruff voice. Creepy.
"Yep, that's me!" I smiled and received a fresh glare in return. What on earth did I do? It's only the first day and already my teacher hates me. Crap. Not good at all.
"Follow me and I will take you to our class." She turned sharply, which was surprising, considering all the weight she had around her middle, and starting walking away.
"I am your teacher, Ms. Korowai. Welcome to Domino High School." She slid a door aside and gestured me in.
I had just been introduced to the class when the first wave of weakness came. Ms. Korowai tapped me on the shoulder. I looked at her with glazed eyes.
"Did you hear me?" I shook my head. No. "I said make sure that you come to school in your appropriate uniform tomorrow…"
I didn't hear the rest of what she was saying after I collapsed on the floor in a dead faint.
A small girl was in a room made of stone. She was screaming hysterically and trying to run away from a blackness that was enveloping her. I yelled in surprise and ran towards her. A boy bursted into the room. I stopped and stared at him.
It was Yugi, I swear it.
He ran to the girl and was trying to pull her out of the evil shadows. I ran over to help, but my hand passed through hers as I reached for her.
Then the pendant around Yugi's neck began to glow. I heard him yell something in a strange language. Then the light from whatever was around his neck lit up the girls face. I gasped.
I was looking at myself.
I woke up, gasping and shaking. I felt cold and realized that I was drenched in sweat. Details of the dream kept flashing in front of my eyes. The ancient Yugi, the black shadows, the girl that looked exactly like me.
Yugi was kneeling beside me. "Hey, are you okay? You look a little pale."
I looked into his eyes, trying to hold onto consciousness when I saw I something that I couldn't believe
There are two Yugi's? My last thought before I fainted again.
Author's Note: Cool…That has got to be the best version that I've written of that chapter. As a side note, yes, all of the Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs were married to their sisters or half-sisters to 'keep the blood line pure'. Gross, but true.
Oh, and don't worry about Item possession right now. It'll all fix itself in the end.
Review please!