Yami held her close and buried her face in his chest as he stared up at the oncoming horror they both feared could be their
doom, but then something else was happening above. Was that...an opening? "No wait, Reia. Look!" he said, pointing up as she
looked in that direction, seeing a faint glow dancing in the darkness above them.
At last, they reached the newly discovered chamber and glanced around. At the opposite end was a wall, hieroglyphic's covering
it and it had two torches on the sides to light it. As Reia stood up, she helped Yami to his feet, but still kept a protective
hold on him, due to the still obvious weakness from his fall.
"I told you that up was the way." Yami teased, catching a smirk from Reia. "Perhaps the answers to my questions lie within
the hieroglyphics." he said, pulling her forward towards the wall.
"You sure you know how to read hieroglyphics?" she inquired.
"I helped write the hieroglyphic language, Reia. Of course I know how to read it." he shot back as they continued stepping
closer to the wall. "Wait a second, you're afraid that if I read something wrong, another trap will get us. You're scared,
aren't you?"
"I'm not scared, Yami. Nothing scares me." she replied cockily, receiving another heavy sigh from Yami in the process.
"Where have I heard that before? Hmm..."
As they pursued towards the wall, Reia stopped, hearing a faint hiss. "Yami, did you hear that?" she asked which halted
him, again hearing it, only slightly louder this time.
"Hear what, Reia?" he replied, glancing back at her.
"That noise that sounded something like a screech-AHHH!!!!!!" Then, a giant eight-legged creature perched on her shoulder,
its fangs not exactly inviting. Reia continued to scream when Yami with a quick swipe of his hand, knocked the forbidding
and quite deadly critter off her shoulder.
It immediately regained its balance on all eight of its legs and snarled at the brave soul who dared to challenge this
master of shadows and surprise, bearing its blood thirsty fangs at him. Then, a third eye appeared on Yami's forehead as Reia
gasped in shock, when a dark aura eminated from the symbol and struck the screeching creature, finally bringing its irritating
as well as frightening scream to an end.
Reia was still frozen in utter horror as she beheld the paralyzed spider that could've killed her lie perfectly still on
the stony surface. "I stand corrected, Yami. I am afraid of one thing. Ugly, hairy, eight-legged things."
He smiled and held her close, his hand caressing her face as it lay hidden in his chest like usual. "It's all right, Reia."
he cooed softly in her ear. "It's dead now and it won't come after you. And as for any other critters out there with eight
legs, prepare to feel my wrath!" he told her, trying to relax her a bit, and to his satisfaction, heard her giggle.
"Thank you, Yami. I know I'm safe with you." she said, gazing affectionately into his mesmorizing violet orbs. He wanted
to finish what they started earlier, but instead looked back at the wall that awaited them.
Together, the two of them approached it as Reia simply stared at it helplessly. "Okay, this is the part where I actually
don't have any bright ideas. Yami...Yami...Ya-" She stopped when she saw him carefully looking over the intricate designs
that were etched into the wall. He began to recite something quietly to himself in an ancient tongue, and Reia found the foreign
sounds to be quite soothing and tranquil.
She could tell that he was indeed very curious about his past and was hoping to find some answers within the writing before
them. But since she didn't know the ancient language, she couldn't be of any help. Or at least, that's what she thought.
Carefully, she reached out and ran her fingers over it, feeling something like a crease dividing Yami's section from hers.
Gently, she blew on it as dust flew up in the air, and there it was, a crack that extended from the ceiling to the floor.
Yami glanced at it, his eyes widening when he saw her discovery.
"So what the writing says is true..." his voice rang as he stepped slightly to the left, about a third away from Reia's
section. He too felt for a crack, and blew on it, again revealing another dividing line. "Well then, now that we've found
the two doors, we have to choose which one to take."
"What does the writing say, Yami?" Reia inquired, arriving next to him and glancing at the pictures that covered the entire
wall.
Yami then gently ran his fingers along a line of pictures, apparently a sentence and read the english translation aloud
to her. "Choose wisely of the two doors you must take. The choice is of only one. Hope not for a mistake."
Reia groaned in frustration at the riddle. "Dang it. So we have to choose between the two? Man I hate guessing games."
"But wait, Reia. Who said there were two doors?" he said, catching another look of confusion from her.
"Well gee, the wall and oh by the way, you too." she replied back, folding her arms.
Yami shrugged and grinned as he bent down on his side of the wall. "But Reia..." he started. "Don't you find it a little
strange that there are no cracks on the edges connecting the wall to the floor on these two ends?"
Reia then too bent down on her side and saw that there were indeed no cracks by the floor. "...But there is one..."
"In the center." Yami finished, rising to his feet as her face appeared positively astonished. "Now all I have to do is
read the inscription here and it will open, leading us deeper into this mystery."
As he began to focus in on the pictures, he felt Reia grab him by the arm. "Yami...what if it's a trap and we can't get
out?"
He smiled at her and stroked her face softly. "Well, if it is and we do get trapped inside, I at least know I'll be well
entertained having you stuck with me." he said with a laugh, she too chuckling a bit.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
While still feeling her firm grasp on his arm, Yami read the inscription in the ancient language, Reia again soaking in
the enchanting and mesmorizing sounds. He then placed his hand in the center over a picture of the sun, and they then heard
a thunderous rumbling noise.
Reia clung to him tightly, he too wrapping an arm around her protectively as the massive slab of stone rose up to reveal
another smaller chamber, lit with torches and it had a large prism shaped stone box at the opposite end.
Both of them inhaled sharply in amazement at all the ancient wonders around them, seeing dozens of items made of pure gold.
But Yami wasn't very interested in the treasures. He was more curious about the box directly opposite of him. Cautiously,
he and Reia made their way towards it, and once at its side, he immediately began skimming over the hieroglyphics that marked
it, when he then looked at Reia. An almost worried look.
"I know what this is, Reia." his voice rang deeply, sending a chill up her spine.
"Do I wanna know?" she said, swallowing hard.
"It's a tomb...my tomb."
Chapter 22 - Dead or Alive?
Reia jumped back in disbelief, absolute terror evident in her eyes. "You've got to be kidding me. This can't possibly be
you. You're living and breathing here right next to me."
Yami shook his head and spoke. "Remember what I said earlier, that I am an ancient spirit that resides within the Millenium
Puzzle? This is Yugi's body, Reia. Not mine." he told her as he gestured at the body in which he was in.
Again, Reia swallowed the growing lump in her throat and tried desperately to breathe."So...you're gonna open this thing
and see if that's you in there?"
"Exactly." She shut her eyes and shook her head violently, obviously not wanting him to go through with this. Instead,
he tried to smile and placed a gentle hand beneath her chin, causing her to open her beautiful green eyes. "Don't worry, Reia.
Even if it is me, you know that I'm here with you as a spirit, and I'm not leaving."
"You better not leave me, or I just might hurt you."
Yami chuckled and again glanced back at the inscription on its side. He at least hoped what he told Reia was true, that
when he did open this thing it wouldn't take his soul or anything. He took a deep breath and began reading the ancient words
aloud, Reia trembling nervously.
Then a creaking noise could be heard and Yami stepped back next to her, holding her close as they both watched the casket
open to reveal the most astonishing yet horrifying sight they'd ever seen.
"...That's me." Yami's voice cracked a bit.
The body that was kept within the casket was identical to Yami and was entirely preserved. It showed no decay nor did the
two see any signs of rotting, despite being un-wrapped in the traditional burial cloth of ancient Egypt. The body's arms were
crossed over its bare chest and its eyes were obviously closed.
Reia couldn't help but let her jaw drop open at the sight before her. "Wow...you're even more hot a dead pharaoh, then
you are a living spirit." she said, still slightly gawking.
Yami laughed at her words and spoke. "I'll take that as a compliment...But what confuses me is that my ancient self
is in absolutely perfect condition. No decay, no nothing."
"That's because I am not dead..." an eerie voice rang.
Yami and Reia immediately shot glances all around, then their gaze eventually fell back to the dead body, when its eyes
shot open, glowing a bright yellow, but showed no iris's or pupil's.
"Oh God! It's alive!!!" Reia shrieked, concealing her trembling face in Yami's chest.
"Yes...I live, but not for your benefit, Pharaoh." the voice said again, but Yami saw something else strange. The mouth
didn't move when it apparently talked.
He narrowed his eyes at the haunting previous form of himself. "You can't possibly be alive. I'm the spirit that's supposed
to be in your body, fool!" he yelled furiously.
The ancient and supposedly dead body chuckled at Yami's words. "Ha ha ha...wrong again, Pharaoh!" Then, it screamed something
in the ancient tongue, sending a roaring wind through the chamber.
"What's happening, Yami?!" Reia cried, her face still deep in his chest.
"The idiot is sealing us inside."he replied, still glaring at the ancient form.
"Great...Just great! As if this day couldn't get any better!" she shouted as she got brave and turned her gaze back to
face the glowing orbs of Yami's former body. Her eyes again widened in fear as her grip around Yami tightened. "I have another
confession to make, Yami. I am scared of one more thing. Talking, ancient corpses that have evil glowing eyes and are identical
to the man standing next to me."
"Yes...you should fear me, young one, for I shall not release you until you figure out what it is that I want."
"Well why can't you simply tell us? What is it you want?" Yami asked harshly. He thought it rather silly, asking himself
what he wanted, but it was the only way to get out of this mess.
"Aha...but wait, young Pharaoh. First you must tell me what you want. Why did you come here? What is it your heart seeks?"
Yami was quiet for a moment, pondering what it was he came for again. His mind was so boggled with ideas on how to escape
that he had almost completely forgotten his original objective. "I was hoping to discover the secrets of my past here, but
instead I found you."
"Ha ha ha ha ha...Foolish Pharaoh. The answer is dead in front of you, literally."
Yami quirked an eyebrow, and gazed upon his ancient self. Were his intentions only to intimidate and that he actually did
want to help? He didn't remember being an evil pharaoh, but then again, he didn't remember much about being pharaoh at all.
"You mean, you're the answer to my secrets? But, what can you possibly tell me? You've been well, deceased for five thousand
years like me." Yami replied.
"If you want to know your past, you must merge with me, and your secrets will be revealed."
"What?! Are you crazy?!" Reia screamed. "No wait, I already determined that you were crazy, so thus you are insane!" Yami
then stifled her yelling with a gentle touch of his finger over her mouth.
"However, I can't simply suck you into me and complete the ritual, but you must also take part in combining our strengths."
"But how? I don't have that kind of power." Yami told him.
"You must first un-lock another secret, Pharaoh. The secret within those around you."
Reia groaned in frustration and let her head fall on Yami's shoulder as the words echoed in the spirit's mind. "Fantastic...MORE
riddles! Just what I always wanted! Thanks creepy, dead Yami! You're such a pal!"
"Silence, young Reia!" the ancient voice boomed, making the young woman shudder. "In time you will soon learn that these
words will save your soul."
"Yeah right...over my dead body!" she shot back sarcastically.
Meanwhile, Yami was still contemplating the words over and over in his head. How could these words help him merge with
his ancient body? Did he want to merge with his ancient body? What if this body took control and wanted to do something
terrible?
"In the meantime though, young one's...." the eerie voice echoed. "I do believe I'll make this all a little more exciting.
I will allow you both to go, but once you leave the sanctity of my resting grounds, one of you will be haunted by the curse
that lurks now among you. And it will continue to disturb you, until you return here to merge with me."
"The curse? Why would you set the curse upon your own spirit?" Yami asked, clearly confused.
The ancient corpse again laughed at the two perplexed beings before him. "Why of course...to make the wait more enjoyable
for me!"
Yami narrowed his eyes harshly at the cackling age-old form of himself. "Fine. We'll solve your little riddle, but don't
think that I'll merge with you because of it!"
"Ha ha ha...oh but you will, young Pharaoh. You will..." Yami then turned Reia around as they began to exit, the ancient
body doing just as he said and letting them leave, but once again his deep and shrilling voice echoed along the walls. "Fear
the curse...the curse...the curse..."
Yami growled in anger as he and Reia dashed back to the stone that transported them up and went out the way they came,
careful to avoid any traps. But as they made their escape, Yami couldn't help but worry who this curse would plague. Him...or
Reia?
