Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Looking Back in Retrospective ❯ A Long Trip Back ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh is the intellectual property of Kazuki Takahashi, and is being used in this fanfiction for fan purposes only. All situations, opinions and characters not belonging to Kazuki Takahashi are the intellectual property of Alecto Perdita.

"Sugoi!"

The feminine shriek of joy was followed by a general round of laughter and the unmistakable buzz of foreign tourists. The group of tourists dispersed admist the lively bazaar. A short teenage with long auburn hair was dragging her brother over to a jewelry stand while their parents followed behind.

Jounouchi Katsuya laughed happily along with his little sister. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this free and happy. School was out for two months and although he was thousands of miles away from his home and friends, he was content. It was rare that their family had time to take a long vacation like this. His mother, being the important doctor she was, was always on call at the hospital.

Jounouchi Shizuka stopped in front of the little jewelry stand she had spotted. The table was covered with golden jewelry with ankhs all over the place. She began shifting through the pile, calculating how much she would be able to spend here and still have left over for souveries. She picked up a pair of beaded earrings. "What do you think Onii-chan?"

Jounouchi scratched his head. "I don't know. Maybe you should ask Okaa-san since this is girl stuff."

Jounouchi Michi shook her head. "You can't even flatter a woman. I worry about you, Katsuya. How are you ever going to get a girlfriend when you can't even say a simple 'you look great'?" She picked up another pair of earrings off the table. "Here, Shizuka. I think these suit you more."

Jounouchi Tanaka ruffled his son's hair playfully. "Come on Michi. He'll have plently of time to worry about girls or guys. Whatever floats your boat, son."

"Tou-san!" A wild flush spread across Jounouchi's cheeks as he gnashed his teeth. His father laughed again.

The Jounouchi family was taking one of their few vacations outside of Japan for the first time. Egypt was their second stop after Israel and a few required pilgramages. Both Tanaka and Michi were half Jewish. Both their parents' families had been some of the lucky few to escape from Eastern Europe under Hitler's control to Lithuania during World War II. Though America was closed off to them as a safe haven through Western Europe, they made their way to Japan via illegal visas issued by some well meaning officials stationed in Lithuania. The two families, like some of their other breathen that escaped as well, were content to remain in Japan even after the war. [1]

Tanaka and Michi didn't want their children to forget even a bit of their heritage. Tanaka's mother had been all too happy to instruct her grandchildren in Hebrew and the Torah, as well as everything else for that matter. The family wasn't practicing of the religion. They didn't eat kosher or attend service at any of the few temples in Domino though.

The small family crowded around the stall. Strangely, they were the only people there at the moment. Jounouchi glanced at the shopkeeper who was watching them intensely, more specifically him. He didn't think the shopkeeper thought he was going to steal anything. There was something about those strange about those pupil-less blue eyes. He wondered if the man was blind. No. There was a knowing light in those eyes. His eyes fell on the large golden ankh the man wore over his robes.

The man leaned over the table. "Is there anything the lady is looking for in general?"

"Just browsing." Shizuka chirped.

"And the young man?"

Jounouchi shivered. "Eh... No thanks, I'm fine."

Tanaka bent over and picked up a large signet ring. He turned the piece of jewelry over in his hand. "Hey Katsuya, look at this."

Jounouchi took the ring from his father. The thick band was silver, instead of gold like the rest of the stand, almost like white gold. He ran his thumb over the hieroglyphics engraving on the band. A large blue gem was set into the band.

The shopkeeper leaned over and made an impressed noise. "Your father has very good taste, young man. I think the ring would suit you perfectly. The stone set into it is called a lapis lazuli."

Jounouchi furrowed his brow. "A lapis what?"

Shizuka smirked. "A lapis lazuli. It's a semiprecious stone, not as valued as sapphires." She pointed at the gem. "See, it's because of the white streaks in it."

Jounouchi squinted at the stone. "I think I see another engraving on the stone. I think it's a dragon..." He looked up. "Are you sure this is Egyptian? I didn't know they had dragons in Egyptian mythology."

A mysterious grin fluttered across the shopkeeper's features. "Yes very much. It's one of a pair. The other ring was worn by a certain high priest in the Eighteenth Dynasty but it is lost to us now. To be truthful, I've been holding it all these years, looking for the right person."

Shizuka grabbed her brother's arm. "Buy it, Onii-chan."

"I don't know..."

"Just try it on at least." Michi said.

Jounouchi looked up at the shopkeeper who nodded in consent. He took a deep breath and slid the ring onto his ring finger. It was a little tight for him but otherwise it was fine. The gem, despite its milky luster, glimmered brightly in the sun.

"It's a perfect fit." The shopkeeper grabbed Jounouchi's hand and examined it. "I'll even give you a discount."

Jounouchi dug through his jean pockets. He only found the 2000 yen he had forgotten to exchange at the airport. "Damn."

Michi shook her head and rummaged through her purse. "How much, sir?"

"Eighty Egyptian pounds please." [2]

Michi handed the money over to the man. He thanked them.

"I want these." Shizuka held up a pair of earrings and dug into her pockets.

Jounouchi toyed with the ring on his fingers. He smiled softly. Running his thumb over the hieroglyphics engravings again, he wondered what it said.

~~~

Jounouchi threw himself onto the bed and groaned. He was sore from all the walking and shopping that his mother and sister insisted upon. Of course, him being a man and all, he had the honor of lugging their shopping bags and sorts around. He held his hand up toward the light and stared at the ring on his finger. It was kind of cool, though he worried his mother might have been ripped off. He snorted. "Three thousand years old my ass."

He sighed. Egypt was a very hot place. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. Japan seemed so distant with its cool juice bars and air-conditioned malls. He missed pulling pranks with his best friend, Honda Hiroto. He turned on his side and sighed again.

He felt calm here though. Here he didn't have to worry about passing English, getting detention, or…Ryujii… he buried his face in the pillow. Yes, he was gay. He had known for almost two years now. Otogi Ryuuji had been his first and only boyfriend thus far. It had started the summer before first year of high school. It was supposed to be just a summer fling, no strings attached. But they had grown closer than either of them had ever expected. They dated through that 1st year of high school. Jounouchi had been happy…

Ryuuji had broken up with him on the last day of school. In some ways, it was more of a mutual agreement to separate. It wasn't a bad breakup. There hadn't been any fighting, shouting, or demanding of what went wrong. Bittersweet was the word to describe their parting. They agreed to remain friends but Jounouchi didn't know if things would ever be the same between the two of them.

"Katsuya?"

Jounouchi shot up on the bed. He groaned as he spotted his father in the doorway with camping gear. "Tou-san, do we have to go camping? We're in the middle of a freaking desert."

Tanaka laughed. "All the more reason to go. It's only one night and we're never going to get to do this again."

"Yea, a night of sleeping in the sand with snakes, scorpions, and who knows what other kind of shit out there." Jounouchi shuddered.

Tanaka slapped his son on the back. "Come on, where's your sense of adventure? Shizuka's waiting for us already."

"What about Okaa-san?"

The older man shrugged. "She's staying at the hotel, called me crazy."

"So would I." Jounouchi muttered.

~~~

Jounouchi pulled his knees up to his chest and pulled the blanket closer around his form. Who knew that the desert would be so cold at night? He rested his chin on his knees and gazed out at the pyramid in the distance.

"Onii-chan?"

Shizuka sat down besides her brother. She clutched another blanket tightly around her small form. She rested her head on her brother's broad shoulder. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

He rolled his eyes. "And what about you?"

She pouted and snuggled into Jounouchi's side. "Can't I do some stargazing too? We don't get to see stars like this back home."

The wind rustled through his hair. "Do you feel any different here, Shizuka? Like as if you found something you were missing? Like this is home?"

She furrowed her brows. "Home? Egypt? No, home is Japan, silly. Why do you ask?"

He let go of a deep breath. "It's nothing." He supposed it was stupid.

They stayed there for a few more hours, just staring at the stars. It was the early hours just before dawn now. The sun's rays were just peeking over the horizon. Jounouchi shook Shizuka lightly and roused her from her slumber.

"We should get back," He said. "Tou-san's going to be worried when he wakes up and finds us gone."

She nodded and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Let's go." She jumped to her feet and extended a hand to help her brother up.

He watched the rising sun highlight her hair, setting it ablaze. He blinked. Suddenly, he found himself staring into ice blue eyes, thawing in the light of the sun. Kissable lips formed words and sentences he could not hear or understand. He shook his head and the mirage was gone. He reached up and grasped his sister's hand.

His larger hands enclosed hers and pulled her back toward the tent where their father would be waiting. A sudden gust of wind lifted a sheet of sand and blanketed them. They coughed.

"Shizuka, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Onii-chan."

Another gust of wind slammed into them, nearly knocking Shizuka off her feet. Jounouchi tightened his grip on her forearm.

"We have to get back to Tou-san!" He had to shout over the fury of sand and wind to be heard.

"I think it's a sandstorm!"

"Just don't let go of my hand." He rearranged his grip to her wrist. Jounouchi grabbed her blanket and wrapped it around her head, leaving only the eyes uncovered. He placed her own blanket over his mouth and nose before forging forward.

He desperately tried to remember what they were supposed to do in case of a sandstorm. He couldn't remember. He didn't know if he ever knew in the first place. All he did know was they would be safe once they reached the tent.

A sudden force slammed into his side. He didn't know if it was just the wind or something else. He reached blindly for Shizuka's arm as he doubled over in pain. He grasped it and clung, but fell away. His hands empty except for the wristwatch he had snapped off Shizuka's wrist.

"Onii-chan!!!"

He blacked out.

~~~

He awoke to the sound of running water. The moon hung high in the night sky. He still held Shizuka's watch. Its steady ticking was like a tiny heartbeat against his palm. He groaned and sat up.

A bird rose from a patch of reeds to his side, squawking loudly at the intruder to its habitat. He jumped back and tried to calm his frantic heart. It was only a bird. He dusted the sand from his shirt and shook his hair clear of sand. He had been lying in an inch of water. The back of his shirt and jeans were wet. He shivered.

He looked to the left. There the Nile was, just a few feet away, and the tide was coming in. He rushed back toward the shore. How had he ended up here? He stomped through the field of reeds and hoped there were no leeches in Egypt. Shouldn't he have been buried alive in that storm? Judging from the lack of lights in all direction, he was probably miles away from civilization.

He slowed to a jog. It appeared very late. He glanced down at Shizuka's watch. It was a baby blue one with some anime character, Subaru as far as he could remember, from some anime show. It read 9:23. He had been out for nearly a whole day. Shizuka was probably crying by now. He hoped to God that she was okay and escaped the storm. His father was probably out searching for him and his mother was probably bossing around every policeman in Cairo.

He looked around the barren wasteland. How was he going to find his way back? All those survival skills his father had taught him didn't matter now. He was in the middle of the desert, not some overgrown forest. He looked up and tried to find Polaris in the sky. He stopped. Was Egypt in the northern or southern hemisphere?

He let out a scream of frustration and kicked a dune of sand. No one would ever hear him. Not now. He needed to calm down though. He wasn't completely screwed. He was near the Nile. He had water to survive so at least he wouldn't die of dehydration. If he followed the river, he was bound to find someone else sooner or later. Towns were always built around sources of water in deserts.

He took several deep breaths and began walking, following the flow of the river north.

~~~

He found a road, a large wide one. He wanted to scream in joy. Roads meant a city and a city meant people, people who could help him. He scowled at the dirt road. It could have at least been paved. Yea, life's tough and then you just die.

The sound of pounding hooves neared. The ground shook. A cloud of dust came bulldozing down the road. He could only stare. What was this? A whole freaking army?

A band of horses came racing down the road. Jounouchi dove to the side. He didn't want to get trampled over. Something spurred him to lay low in the sand. His heartbeat quickened. His breath sounded harsh to his own ears. Why was he hiding? These people could help him. His body refused to comply though.

He peered over the side of the dune. A band of chestnut warhorses was lead by two midnight black stallions, illuminated by the moonlight. For a second, a steel blue looked his way. He froze. A chilling ice fell over mind. The fleet came to a sudden stop with some shouted command.

Jounouchi pressed his body closer to the earth. He listened to the sound of several men dismounting.

No...

Come out. A deep husky voice resonated through his mind.

He had to place a hand over his mouth to keep from calling out.

You can't hide.

He squeezed his eyes shut. Please go away. Please go away. He felt a sudden warmth on his finger. He looked down and stared with horror at the blue light shimmering from the ston on his ring. He clamped one hand over the ring but the light still shone through. He glanced over the side of the dune again.

A tall man, dressed in a regal blue, was approaching Jounouchi. The man held a strange golden wand that glowed steadily in the night with an unholy light. Jounouchi couldn't help but wonder about the man's strange attire. But when he glanced at the other members of the small army, they were wearing little more than a loincloth around their waists and metal necklaces.

The other man came closer and closer. Jounouchi found it harder and harder to keep his raging breath quiet. There was more shouting and then the remounting on the horses. Jounouchi couldn't understand what they were saying though. He was just glad they were leaving.

He stayed still for a few more minutes, fearing it was just a trap to lure him out. He looked. It was only the lone dusty road again. He flopped onto his back and let out a long sigh of relief.

Who were those guys?

~~~

Jounouchi reached a village early the next morning. The houses built of mudbricks were bathed in the light of the early sun. The tall houses stood clustered in rows to the side of the main road. Jounouchi had long discarded his jacket, which was currently hanging around his waist now. He wiped the sweat off his forehead as he gazed down the crowded street.

Half-naked children weaved in and out of the crowd, snitching fruits and bread from stalls while the owners had their backs turned. Men and women wearing close to nothing ruched by him carrying basins and baskets.

Jounouchi gaped at his surroundings. Had he wandered that far from the cities? He walked over to the nearest stall. "Excuse me but could you tell me how to get back to Cairo?"

The shop keeper gave him a confused look before answering in a string of incomprehensible words.

Jounouchi groaned. It didn't look like these people knew how to speak English. He pulled out the Japanese to Arabic dictionary. After flipping through a few pages, he repeated his question in what was bound to be awkward sounding Arabic. [3]

The shop keeper suddenly went beserk. He started screaming and throwing an array of objects at Jounouchi. Jounouchi barely ducked in time to avoid a particularly large metal bowl. He rolled away and vanished underfoot into the crowd.

Jounouchi sighed as he leaned against the wall of one of the houses. He stuffed the little book back in his pocket and curse. "You'd think I cursed out his mother from the way he reacted." He leaned his head back and gazed up at the blue sky. "How am I going to get back now?"

A young woman stumbled and tripped before him. The basin of water slipped over and was lost to the dusty ground. She pushed the strands of blond hair that came loose from the loop she tied her hair back in. She sighed and watched as the water seeped into the ground.

Jounouchi bent down and straightened the basin. Someone with blond hair and lighter features... "Are you okay? Can you help me?"

The woman - no - girl looked up at him in surprise. She was staring at his own blond hair but mostly at his attire. She couldn't have been older than him, mostly likely younger and around his sister's age. Jounouchi shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.

"Are you alright?" She probably couldn't understand him either.

She broke into a wide grin. Happiness suddenly flooded her pale sky blue eyes. "Thank you, master. I am unworthy."

Jounouchi blinked. She had spoken in Hewbrew. No one used Hebrew for conversational purposes anymore as far as he was concerned. Was he hallucinating now? Her speech pattern sounded kind of arachic but he decided to try his luck. "No problem. Could you tell me how to get back to Cairo?"

She looked at him in confusion. "Cairo? I have never heard of such a city." [4]

He gaped at her. "How could you have never heard of Cairo? It's the capitol of Egypt."

She furrowed her brow. "I do not know of this Egypt either."

Jounouchi felt like he was going to hyperventilate soon. Had he been pulled into some wacked out alternate world or something? How could Egypt not exist? "Where am I then? Where is this place?"

"You are in the kingdom of Kemet [5] ruled by his most benevolent Per-aa [6] Merysi. This is the village of Ahaet [7] just outside of Luxor." She gathered the basin and stood. "I'm sorry but I must go draw a whole new bucket of water. My master has been waiting for quite some time now."

"Wait!" He jumped to his feet. She returned her curious gaze to him. "Umm... Let me help."

She looked appalled. "Amun-Ra no! That would be wrong. Master shouldn't be doing such lowly work. I will be able to handle it myself."

Jounouchi ran a hand through his hair. It was worse than having traveled to some unknown world. It appeared that he might have traveled back in time. "Please at least let me accompany you for a while. I have some more questions."

She nodded but was hesitant. "If master wishes so."

"Don't call me that," He made a face. "Just call me Jounouchi. What's your name?"

"I cannot do that, master. My name is Rehema."

"Are you..." His eyes swept over her healthy and clothed form. "A slave?"

She looked at him with surprise again. "Of course, master. Can you not tell by the way my hair is styled?"

He shifted nervously from foot to foot again. The concept of slavery was uncomfortable to him. His people have been slaves for centuries, only to escape be nearly wiped off the face of the planet centuries later. He wondered if he would be mistaken for a slave too, or worse, a runaway slave. The only Hebrews in Egypt at this time were probably slaves.

"Master is not from around here, is he? Do not worry. I'll help you." She must have misread her troubled expression.

"How did you know I would understand Hebrew?"

She gave him a toothy grin, one that showed all her teeth. She pointed to his hair. "You're blonde and your complexion is far too light to be from here."

"I guess," He rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know what to do now. I don't even know where I am."

"Don't worry, I will always help a fellow brother. I assume you are a freeman."

"Yes... Thank you."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him along. "Come, we must hurry. Master Sefu will be so worried."

He felt as if someone had punched the wind out of him. "You're talking me back to your master? Are you nuts?"

She laughed. "Don't be silly. Master Sefu is very kindhearted, though he would deny it with venom. Come."

He followed as she guided him through the crowded streets. It was then that he noticed for the first time that the village was swarming with soldiers, the same kind of soldiers he had seen last night. He wondered vaguely if he was going to see that same man in blue from last night. They appeared to be searching for something...or someone... He moved closer to Rehema.

They stopped in front of one of the houses toward to end of the open market. Two soldiers stood at the door as guards. Rehema exchanged a few words with them, ones that Jounouchi couldn't understand. One of the men nodded and gestured for them to enter, all the while watching Jounouchi very carefully. They bound up the stairs and through a drape of heavy curtain at the very end of the hallway.

The room was empty. Rehema appeared visiblily disappointed. She instructed him to stay in the room and not go anywhere while she searched for her master. Like the wind, she was there and then gone.

Jounouchi sighed and glanced around the room. Whoever was living in this room hadn't taken up residence too long ago. It appeared that most of the belongings were still packed in the trunk at the foot of the bed. Sheets of papyrus littered the surface of the same table in the corner. He scrunched his nose as he gazed down onto the incomprehensible characters. A map was affixed to the wall over the desk, several x's marring its features.

He was suddenly pulled back by a strong hand on his shoulder. Harsh hostile sounds reached his ears but it was useless. He couldn't understand. The other person spun him around and hissed some more vile sounding words at him.

Jounouchi stared up at the man whom this room belonged too. He lost himself in those jade catlike eyes like so many other times before. He looked...almost the same as Jounouchi remembered. Jounouchi tried to make sense of this turn of event. He couldn't be here. This couldn't possibly be him! But the way those raven black locks fell into the man's face and his fierce expression. It was all the same.

"Ryuuji!" Jounouchi leapt forward and caught the man in an embrace. "I'm so glad to see you!"

The man could only stare at the blonde in shock, not sure if he should be alarmed or grateful.

*To Be Continued*

[1] Wartime Japanese Consul Chiune Sugihara issued thousands of visas during the summer of 1940. After escaping to Japan, usually via trains through Russia and then boat to Japan, families were able to reach the US way of the sea. Some have chosen to stay in Japan and there is a Jewish population there today as a result.

[2] About 4 Egyptian pounds is equal to $1US. 80 Egyptian pounds is about $40US.

[3] Official language of modern-day Egypt is Arabic.

[4] Cairo was founded by the Fatimid dynasty in 969 AD, so it didn't exist yet back in ancient Egypt.

[5] Kemet was the name of Egypt back in ancient times.

[6] "Per-aa" is the word that the Greeks later derive the word "Pharaoh" from. Per-aa means "great house" and was originally used to describe the royal court or the state itself. From the late 18th Dynasty and onwards, "per-aa" had begun to be used to refer to the actual king himself.

[7] Ahaet is a village I made up. There is no village or town by that name as far as I know.

Yes, it is possible for Jounouchi to be of Jewish descent. See note [1]. He is still part Japanese in this story though.

We all know who the shopkeeper is now right? Shadii. Man in the desert with the fleet of soldiers? I'll leave that to you to decide. Otogi shows up at the end of the chapter? What's up with that? The soldiers are searching for someone but it's not Jounouchi.