Look After You

It was a sweaty, bedraggled pair of boys who finally stumbled down a narrow, secluded street together, dragging each other along as they went. When they first set out, they'd been forced to hide several times as groups of guards came thundering past, but Yuugi was starting to hope that they'd lost their pursuers entirely. Neither boy was in any condition to fight or escape at this point. Yuugi might have even welcomed being captured if it gave him the chance to collapse.

"Are we… almost there?" he panted, glancing at Atem, whose arm was slung heavily across his shoulders. As soon as he'd been able to feel his legs again, Atem had insisted on walking for himself, which Yuugi had been more than grateful to allow.

"It's just… at the end of this street," Atem replied, his breathing just as labored. His drawn face was pulled tightly with worry. "If they turn us away…"

"They won't," Yuugi said firmly, trying to convince himself as much as Atem. He couldn't even consider what they'd do if this didn't work out. "It'll be okay. You'll see."

His feeble attempt at optimism was met with a wry look that had him ducking his head in embarrassment.

"How comforting," Atem murmured, "for one's companion… to have such thorough knowledge of fate's design."

Yuugi huffed irritably, though a reluctant smile tugged at his lips. It felt good to joke around, even if the joke was on him.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of," he quipped\. The mirth faded from Atem's eyes, which held that considering look again.

"That much is true," he agreed quietly. Before Yuugi could decide how to respond, a high, keening cry interrupted them. Startled, he whipped his head around to find a tannish blur racing towards them.

"Wha—"

The blur—which Yuugi realized was a girl—collided into Atem with such force that both boys nearly went toppling over.

"You're okay," she cried as she clutched Atem tightly, not noticing or caring how the sweaty dirt on his skin smudged her clean white dress. "I can't believe—I thought—I'm so sorry! I went to see you once, but I couldn't do anything, and I—"

Another sob overtook her, and her words tumbled further into incoherency. Stunned, Yuugi could only stare at Atem, who stiffened in shock as he looked down at the crying girl wrapped around him.

"Mana?" he said thickly. Raising a trembling hand to stroke down the back of her hair, he cleared his throat roughly. "How—why are you…?" He shook his head, visibly composing himself. "This street is too open. Where are you staying, Mana?" he asked gently, pulling back to look her in the eye. "My friend and I need shelter."

"Oh! U-um…" she sniffed, eyes darting to Yuugi as if noticing him for the first time. The puzzle glinted around his neck, and she gasped. "Why does he…?"

"Mana," Atem repeated firmly, and she jumped.

"R-right. This way." Turning, she beckoned for them to follow, glancing nervously around as if she had finally realized that their reunion could be interrupted at any moment. "I'm staying at the tavern. Mahaad got me out of the palace before…"

She cut off, shuddering. Atem looked sharply at her, but said nothing.

The building she led them to was small, though it stood taller than most of the houses Yuugi had seen, and made of mud brick. Atem's face relaxed at the sight of it, and he stumbled a little as he followed Mana through the door. Yuugi paused at the threshold, looking back warily. The bronzed skin of the soldiers and Mana had not escaped his notice, nor had the dark makeup that lined their eyes. The beating sun, the primitive buildings… the pictorial writing that only occasionally embellished a sign… Yuugi had heard his grandpa ramble on enough times about his expeditions to know what conclusion to draw from this, but it made no sense, so he ignored it.

"Don't just stand there. Close the door!" Yuugi jumped at the unfamiliar voice, stepping inside quickly and shutting the door behind him. Only then did he look around.

Rays of light shone through cracks in shuttered windows, catching motes of dust that swirled lazily through the air and dimly lighting the room. A long table filled the main area, covered in sealed pots and surrounded by stool-like chairs, with a narrow hallway leading further into the dwelling. Atem and Mana still stood in the entryway, one of her hands gripping his as she used the other to quickly fix her makeup. Standing before them was a large, heavyset woman who might have been in her thirties. Her long, dark hair was coiled up and set closely against her scalp, adding to the severity of her expression. Right now, the brunt of that attention was focused on Yuugi.

"You must be the thief that everyone's looking for," she said, her eyes wandering to his pendant. Indignant, Yuugi started to protest, but a look from Atem held him back. "Don't look so offended, child. Around here it might even earn you some respect." She turned to Atem. "And then there's you."

He met her gaze steadily. "Will you turn us away?" Mana's grip on him grew even tighter.

The woman snorted, shaking her head. "And have your deaths on my hands? Fool that I am, I will let you stay, but this is not a permanent arrangement." Irritably, she raised a hand to her head to check that her hair was still in place. "Show compassion to just one thief, and suddenly you're running a house of vagrants," she grumbled.

"Thank you." Atem bowed from his waist. "We will not trespass on your hospitality longer than is needful."

The woman nodded brusquely in return. "You'll have to stay in the back room with Mana. It will be cramped, but I've nowhere else to put you. He's not here, by the way," she added when she noticed Atem's eyes wandering. "I don't expect him until nightfall."

"Then we will wait," Atem said. "I assure you, whatever room you have for us will feel spacious."

Her expression softened. "I suppose it will," she murmured, turning away. "Mana, you'd best show them back. It is not yet time for customers, but there's no telling who could come through that door at any moment." With one last glance out the window, the woman left them, disappearing down the hallway.

"That was Nebt," Mana said quietly for Yuugi's benefit. "She runs this tavern. She's not as rough as she seems, though. Follow me."

The room she led them to was as small as the tavernkeeper had warned them it would be. A plain wooden bed with a thin mattress took up almost half of the room, with small pots of cosmetics, herbs, and other things Yuugi couldn't identify lining the walls around it. Sighing, Atem perched on the edge of the bed, slumping forward so that his head hung between his knees, and Yuugi followed suit with a groan. Mana bustled almost nervously around them, picking out pots and palettes with easy recognition and setting them on a small bedside stool.

"I'll be right back," she promised, slipping out the door. Yuugi heard the sound of her footsteps padding away softly. For the first time, after hours of running and hiding and worrying… he was left in peace.

Atem broke the silence with a low chuckle. "I suppose you were right, Yuugi," he said. "This worked out better than I could ever have hoped. I cannot believe… Mana…" He shook his head in wonder. "Perhaps the gods have not completely abandoned us after all, hmm Yuugi? …Yuugi?"

Yuugi didn't respond. His hands shook uncontrollably. "Oh gosh," he muttered as his breathing became increasingly erratic. "Ohhhhh gosh."

"Are you okay?" Atem asked, and Yuugi looked wildly at him.

"Okay? I don't even… where am I? What is going on? Those people had spears!" His voice had taken on a hysterical edge. "Who even has spears anymore?"

Atem straightened with concern. "Yuugi," he said uncertainly, placing a hand on his knee. "What's wron—"

"Don't touch me!" Yuugi curled in on himself, eyes wide. "Don't…" In the back of his mind, he realized how ironic it was for him to break down like this now that he was finally safe, but there seemed to be no stopping it. "I don't even know you! All I know is that people are trying to kill me with spears, and nobody's ever tried to kill me before except for maybe Kaiba when I was really late for work once, but that doesn't count. I don't know how I got here or where I am, but I know what it looks like and that's impossible. I. Am. Not. In. Egypt."

Finally, he ran out of breath. Gasping, Yuugi closed his eyes, trying desperately to quell the rising panic. A bit of the golden energy he'd felt from before swirled through him, filling him with an artificial sort of calm, and he nearly whimpered. He didn't even notice that the puzzle had lit up with a soft glow, though Atem stared at it for a moment before kneeling in front of him.

Two hands clasped Yuugi's shoulders, and when he looked up, his eyes met Atem's.

"I am your friend," Atem said firmly. "You saved my life. That leaves me in your debt. I am your friend," he repeated, and Yuugi nodded slowly, mouth slightly open. "And you are not in Egypt."

"I'm… not?" Relief flooded through Yuugi, and he laughed weakly. He must look like such an idiot. How could he have panicked like that? Of course he wasn't in Egypt. There was no way he could have traveled halfway across the world without knowing it.

"No," Atem confirmed, returning the laugh with one of his own. "I have not even heard of this 'Egypt.' You are in Mennefer."

Yuugi's eyes went blank. There was a long pause as his smile slowly faded.

"…Mennefer?"

"Yes," Atem nodded. "It is one of the great cities of Kemet. Surely you are familiar with it?"

At that moment, Mana walked back in, balancing a large vase full of water on one knee as she shut the door behind her. Her eyes widened in confusion as she took in their position.

"Is something wrong?"

"No." Atem stumbled to his feet, brushing his hands together. "It has been an eventful day, but all is well."

"Good." Setting the water down along with a pile of clean linens, Mana took Atem by the shoulders and pushed him forcefully back onto the bed. "Lay down. We're going to clean you off."

Yuugi suddenly found himself with a lapful of linen rags that Mana tossed his way. Hesitantly, he watched her work for a moment before following her example, dipping a rag into water and scrubbing it across Atem's skin gently, heedful of the bruises and cuts that still covered him.

"Thank you," Atem murmured, his eyes falling shut. "I haven't been clean in… two weeks, I suppose. They doused me with water occasionally, when the smell became overpowering."

Mana's grip tightened on her rag before she forcibly relaxed it. "I'm sorry I can't do more. I know it's not a real bath, but we don't have rooms for it here like in the palace, and I don't dare take you to the river…"

"It is perfect," Atem assured her, and a wan smile passed over her face.

For several minutes, they worked in silence. As Yuugi finished Atem's arm and moved to his chest, his brow furrowed with concern. It was disturbing how well he could pick out each individual rib.

"Is there any food around here?" he asked Mana. "I don't think they fed him much."

"There is," she said. "Nebt has some bread coming out of the oven soon." Straightening, she looked him over curiously. "I don't… think I ever caught your name."

"It's Yuugi," he said, smiling briefly. "You're Mana, right?"

She nodded, pausing in her work to rinse off her rag once more. "How did you two end up together?" she asked, her gaze once more wandering to his puzzle. "Aren't you the one the guards were looking for?"

"Yeah…" Yuugi shrugged, moving his cloth carefully over Atem's stomach. There was a large, fading bruise there that still looked tender to the touch. "I met him while I was running. We helped each other escape."

A low chuckle from Atem drew both of their attention. "'We helped each other?'" he repeated incredulously, raising himself onto one elbow. "Yuugi broke the lock to my cage, and when I could not walk, he carried me away. I fear that I was of little aid in our escape."

"Really?" Yuugi's cheeks reddened as Mana turned to stare at him with something like awe.

"You're forgetting the part where you saved me from being captured," he muttered. "Besides, I was lost. You're the one who brought us to this place."

"Perhaps," Atem said, "although something tells me you would have made it out just fine on your own."

Mana bit her lip, and before Yuugi could react, she had thrown herself at him, capturing him in a tight embrace.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I wanted to help, but I didn't know how! The guards are still looking for me, and I could never get to him when he wasn't surrounded by people, and…"

"It's okay," Yuugi said, awkwardly patting her back when she started to shake. "I was just… in the right place at the right time, I guess. The streets were empty and the guards were all looking for me, so nobody was there to stop me."

"Mana," Atem said seriously, sitting up. "Why is my brother after you? What happened in the palace after I was taken?"

"It all happened at once," she said quietly, pulling away from Yuugi. "When they went after you, they also went after everyone who might have supported you. Mahaad found out what was happening moments before they caught us, and he magicked me away just in time. I ran here, because I remembered how we used to sneak here all the time when we were kids… but they g-got him." Her voice wavered. "I heard that they have him locked in the prisons now."

"All because he is my friend?" Atem asked, shocked. "Mahaad… But what of Siamun, and Set? Are they alright?"

"I don't know. I'm so useless!" Mana cried furiously. "I couldn't help anybody! I don't even have my staff anymore, so all my spells do next to nothing. I've tried other things to focus—sticks, rocks… but nothing works."

"You're not useless," Atem insisted, grabbing her hands. "You helped me. I saw you out on the street, that day when you came to see me, and I rejoiced. There was never a sight more comforting to me than your face."

She stared back at him uncertainly. "Really?"

"Of course."

Yuugi shifted uncomfortably, feeling like he was in the middle of something private. The motion drew Atem's attention.

"Forgive us, Yuugi," he said. "It has been a long time since last we talked, and much has happened since then."

"No, it's fine!" Yuugi said quickly. "Don't mind me!"

Mana cleared her throat, visibly gathering herself. "Right. Phar—uh Prince, I need you to lie on your stomach so we can get to your back."

"It's not Prince or Pharaoh anymore," Atem said gently, complying. "Just Atem."

Mana paused in opening a small jar. "…Right," she murmured, dipping a finger briefly into the jar's contents and tasting it before scooping some out. "This is going to sting with all your cuts, Pr—Atem. I'm sorry."

"I will manage," Atem said, though he hissed sharply as she started rubbing it into his arm.

"Yuugi, you finish his back," she ordered. "Then you can wash off the salts that I'm applying."

Yuugi nodded, but otherwise didn't move. Pausing in her actions, Mana stared at him expectantly. Finally, he spoke.

"Pharaoh?" Even to his own ears, his voice sounded strangely distant. "You… were a pharaoh?"

Mana and Atem exchanged looks.

"He didn't know?" she asked incredulously.

"He is a foreigner to this land," Atem said. "I was the pharaoh, Yuugi, but only for the space of about three days." He snorted bitterly. "Perhaps the shortest reign in the history of the throne. My brother wears the crown, now."

"…Oh." Yuugi stared at him for a second, then moved to dip his rag in water, running it over Atem's back. When he made no further response, Atem and Mana's conversation slowly picked up again, quieter than before. Every now and then, Atem would shoot him a worried glance, as if wondering whether Yuugi might break down again.

A legitimate concern, really. It was taking all of his effort just to keep himself breathing at a normal pace.

When he was younger, Yuugi had always looked forward to his grandpa's visits. Back when he was an archaeologist excavating ruins in Egypt, he used to sit Yuugi on his knee and regale him with stories, both of his own adventures and of the ancient culture he'd spent his whole life studying. Yuugi's interest in these had waned as he got older and recognized the embellishments his grandpa would add to the tales, but there were some things he hadn't forgotten.

Mennefer. The city that would one day be known as Memphis, and the site of many of his grandpa's digs.

Kemet. The ancient name for Egypt.

As he exchanged his worn piece of linen for a newer, fresher piece and started to wash the salt scrub from Atem's arm, he thought about how strangely simple the city had seemed compared to modern standards as he ran through it. There was no evidence of cars or motorcycles, or even electricity. No billboards lined the side of the road, or printed fliers of any variety. Everything had a unique, handmade quality to it—the buildings looked hand-built, the mixtures in Mana's pots hand-mixed. And Atem claimed to have been pharaoh.

Yuugi bit back a hysterical laugh. He still had no idea how he'd gotten here, or how he was supposed to leave, but there was only one logical explanation for everything he'd seen today, and it frightened him.

This city and the people in it were totally insane.

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who read, faved, followed, and/or reviewed! I never expected such an immediate response to this story :)