[ Within the Traces of my Memories... ]
Story By Pharaohs Queen

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

[ Chapter 1 ]

Princess 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 amulet at the feet of a big statue, she bowed to the goddess before her, silently thanking the goddess in her mind for protecting her amulet from breaking. If it had broken, she didn’t know what Father would do to her.
Ignoring the maid’s hands, she clasped the necklace on herself. She didn’t want anyone to touch it, which is how she dropped it in the first place. Each amulet had magical powers and she didn’t want any thieves to steal her magic. She wouldn’t allow it!
Amulet safe, the princess 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, and her amulet grew warm around her neck. It was gathering more strength from the sunlight. The princess would need this power later to keep the demons from the evil ones at bay.
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 his gold shining in the dying sun, he looked like a golden piece of the river itself. Father sighed again. I wonder how he does it. The princess 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 the princess.
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 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 actually 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. “Jyonouchi.” 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.

Princess 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. Her amulet 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 laid 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 the 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. Gross, but true.

Author’s Note: // and \\ still shows mental conversations, and ‘ and ‘ still show thoughts and will through out the story

Chapter 2

Atem

The sun rose, gently resting its warm light on the sleeping figure in the bed. Atem sat right next to the sleeping princess, looking exhausted, but keeping a sharp eye on the door. He had stayed up all night to keep the shadows from returning, and to keep Atena calm. She would fall into a fitful sleep, only to wake up screaming again. Atem was the only one who was able to calm her down.
Atem stood up and stretched, giving a big yawn as he did so. The shadows had returned four times that night, and he really wanted to get some sleep.
He heard a small rustle behind him. He whirled around, puzzle flashing, ready to greet a new enemy, but it was only Atena sitting up to stare out the window, at the sun. Atem smiled, silently laughing at himself for being ready to fight something that was no longer there. He quietly walked over to Atena and put his arm around her.
“The sun is beautiful, isn’t it?” Atena nodded. A small frown creased the corners of Atem’s mouth. Why wasn’t she talking? True, last nights incident had been very frightening, but he wanted to get her to talk. To hear her voice after a nightmare like that would be like drink of water after a very long day in the desert.
Atena turned abruptly and grabbed Atem in a tight hug.
“You saved me. I cannot thank you enough.” She gave him a little squeeze. Atem wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her back. Then he gave a little laugh. “You can thank me by still going on with this wedding.” Atena giggled. Atem relaxed. ‘At least she’s happy now.’

The golden-eyed man cursed quietly. This would not do, defiantly not. He needed to come up with another plan. He paced around the cold stone room in a circle. What to do, what to do, what…
He grinned as wisps of a plan formulated in his mind. All he needed now, he decided, was for the two brats to get married. Then he could save time and strike two ducks with one arrow. He laughed once more, and then yawned. ‘I should be getting to bed now.’

Aieko

“Aieko! Aieko!”
I jerked awake at the insistent whispering and groaned towards the whitewashed wall. Sleep felt so good, why did I have to be woken up now?
I moaned again and rolled over onto my other side, slowly, to see who had the nerve to wake me up. Brown eyes and white hair filled my vision. I jumped.
“Don’t do that!”
The deep brown eyes filled with confusion. “Don’t do what?”
“Wake me up and get right in my face like that!”
“Sorry.” Bakura backed away a bit so I could see his entire face. He was kneeling beside the bed I was in. “I was really worried about you.” My heart melted at these words. How often will you hear a guy confess that? I smiled and sat up slowly—it made my head start to spin—and took a good look around the room.
I must’ve been in the nurse’s office. Everything was white. Bakura’s hair almost blended in perfectly with the walls. Poking around the corner was a point of black hair, lined with red. ‘That must be Yugi. That kid’s hairdo is not hard to forget.’ I could hear a mummer of voices outside the door, but I couldn’t make out the words.
I fell back down on the bed. My head still hurt, and the white pillows were soft. I felt a hand reach out and start to stroke my hair. I cracked open my eyes and gave Bakura a small smile, then went back to my sleep.

Bakura

Yugi wasn’t the only one to receive a reaction from his darker side. Except my Yami wasn’t cool and collected like the Pharaoh. No. Of course not. He jumped and yelped at the sight of Aieko.
//What is it?\\ I asked, concerned.
//It’s her. I can’t believe that she’s here!\\ Yami just stared at her. When I grabbed her hand to pull her off the bus, he yelped again.
After we left Aieko at the check-in office, I reached out with a mental hand and knocked tentatively on Yami’s soul room door. It pounded open and Yami came bursting out.
//Holy crap, she’s here!\\ he yelled at me. //Why is she here?\\ He started to pace back and forth. //There’s no real reason for her to be here is there? Has she found out that I’m here?\\ he murmured.
I was extremely confused. He has never reacted to a single person this way before. //Um.. if you don’t mind my asking, what is the big deal with her?\\
He turned and glared in my direction. //Yes, I do mind you asking.\\ The Ring glowed slightly under my shirt and the shadow of my Yami formed beside me. He had turned around and was still looking at Aieko.
He glanced sideways at me. //She really is quite beautiful, isn’t she?\\ I blushed. His expression softened a bit as he looked back at Aieko. He pounded his forehead. //I still can’t believe… Argh! Why didn’t I…\\ He hit himself again and again. //Curse that Pharaoh!!\\ He yelled at the ceiling. He growled again, no doubt cursing the Pharaoh once more with a few choice words (I wondered where he learned those). The sprit form faded as he retreated into the Ring once more, still muttering. I mentally stood on the spot, blinking.
I felt a tap on my back. “Bakura?” I turned to look at Yugi. He had a strange look on his face that I couldn’t read. Was it worry? Or confusion?
“Does…Does he” Yugi gestured at the Ring, “Remember her at all?”
I looked over my shoulder at Aieko, then smiled at Yugi. “You both would’ve laughed at his reaction.” My smile faded slightly as I looked at Yugi’s Puzzle. “The Pharaoh doesn’t remember her at all, does he?” I pulled out the Ring from under my shirt, touching each of the five points that hung from it. One glowed and pointed at the Puzzle. “My question wasn’t answered. He just pounded himself and cursed.”
As we reached our classroom, I slid the Ring under my shirt again.

Yugi

As Ms. Korowai slid open the door, everybody rushed to their seats. Ms. Korowai thumped in (she could not walk normally if her life depended on it.). Aieko came in after her, looking slightly out of place in her jeans and t-shirt. She faced the class, looking almost bored.
//She’s scared.\\ said Yami.
I nearly turned my head at his voice. //How can you tell?\\
//It’s in her eyes. You can almost always tell what another is feeling just by looking into their eyes.\\ Yami replied, never looking away from her.
“Class,” boomed Ms. Korowai, “this is Matina Aieko. I hope you will all make her feel welcome here at Domino High.” She glared at all of us as if to say Or else.
Aieko’s hands came out of her pockets and her eyes closed slightly. Ms. Korowai tapped her on the shoulder and Aieko shook her head. Her eyes went wide, and she collapsed.

Bakura and I were at her side before she even hit the floor. Yami was there beside me, helping us lay her down gently. Surprisingly enough, so was Yami Bakura.
We laid her gently on the floor when a flash of light caught my eye. I looked and saw the Millennium symbol glowing on Aieko’s forehead. Judging by the intake of breath, I guessed Bakura saw it also. It faded, and Aieko opened her eyes. She was shaking.
“Hey are you okay?” I asked her. “You look a little pale.”
She didn’t answer me. Aieko was, instead, staring behind me, where Yami was.
‘No’ I thought. ‘There is no way she can see him. There can’t be.’
Aieko fainted again.

[ to be continued...]