Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Meskhenet ❯ Khemet Meer ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter 8

Khemet Meer (Egypt Is Happy)

It took the rest of the night, but by the time Ra was only just beginning to rise from the Nile Seto and Nephthys had left Malqata far behind and were nearing their town…

"Do you remember the time you switched the head of the gods of the local temple of Amun," the lady of the house asked. On their way back to the villa the two had gotten into an interesting conversation about what Kaiba remembered from his past life as Priest Set…

The young CEO smirked and raised an eyebrow at her. "Hmmph, if I remember correctly you were there switching heads right along with me."

"Oh no," she teased, in a falsely innocent tone. "It was just you. I was far to well behaved for that."

"Oh yes you did, you vixen!. You put the hippo on the crocodile…"

"And the crocodile on the falcon," Nephthys smiled in remembrance.

Seto threw up his hands in dismay. "Yes, and the priests thought it was a horrible omen and fasted for two weeks!. Akunadin was furious! You were always getting me into trouble!." There was a moment's pause… Finally, a small smile appeared on his face… "But then, you were always there to get me out of trouble again…"(126)

The lady of the house laughed at that, and her gaze went to the Nile which had been rising higher with each passing day…

"Hail to you, Hapi, sprung from the earth and come to feed Khemet!. You flood the fields created by Ra, refreshing all who are thirsty…" she sang as they started up the path…

Kaiba contently breathed in the fresh morning air and listened as she continued singing…

"Every belly rejoices. Every mouth laughs. All teeth are revealed in smiles!. Conqueror of the Two Lands, you fill the storehouses, you make the barns bulge and give bounty to the poor..."(127)

Before long, they had reached the pathway that led to the villa…

Mutnodjmet was just hanging the last of the laundry upon the washline to dry, lovingly scolding little Khu and Kiya for running to and fro through the sheets as they played tag, Si-amun was in the middle of hoeing the front vegetable garden and planting the seeds for next summer, and Mariasha was sitting on the front veranda steps, affectionately stroking little Kuribo who twisted himself around her legs, purring contently…

Suddenly, the eldest girl's head perked up and she got to her feet. "I hear someone coming," she announced anxiously. "Maybe two people."

At this, everyone stopped what they were doing and watched the distance hopefully… Could it be them?… Had they managed to leave Malqata?…

Soon enough, to their relief and joy, the two familiar figures of Seto and Nephthys appeared!.

"My lady!," Mutnodjmet cried out, rushing towards them, with Si-amun hurrying after her. "My dear Nephthys!."

"Lady Neffy! Lady Neffy!," Khu and Kiya squealed in delight, managing to rush ahead of their grandparents.

The lady of the house hurried forward to meet them, kneeling down and gathering the two little girls into her arms.

"Hello, my darlings!," she greeted them with hugs and kisses. Then she rose to her feet and embraced Si-amun and Mutnodjmet.

"I am so sorry," she apologized as Mut kissed her cheek and Si fondly stroked her hair. "Forgive me for making you all worry so much!."

"That's alright, dearest, as long as you are safe."

Meanwhile, Seto stood apart, awkwardly watching the happy reunion…

Noticing this, Nephthys smiled. "But I couldn't have done it without our anu." Then she turned to Kaiba and gently seized his arm, drawing him to the group before he could protest. "Get yourself over here, you crocodile!."

The next minute, Khu and Kiya were both jumping and climbing all over Seto. "Uncle Setty!," they cried happily. "Uncle Setty!. Uncle Setty's back!."

The young CEO couldn't help but smile as he put them down and tousled their hair. "Yeah, you little nose miners, I'm back."

Mutnodjmet embraced him warmly. "Seto!. We're so glad to have you back, my dear boy!."

"That's right," Si-amun added, putting a hand on his shoulder in a fatherly fashion. "Welcome back, son."

"Yes, welcome back, Niisama."

He spun around to see Mariasha standing there, smiling happily… In her hand she clasped the locket he had given her before leaving for Malqata, which still hung around her neck…

"Asha…" Seto whispered, staring at her… Slowly, he made his way over towards her and placed his hands gently on her shoulders… "I… I don't know what to say…" Nephthys had told him all about how the girl had once again used her ka to help save them… "How can… How can I ever…"

In response, she put a finger to his lips. "It's alright, Niisama. You, Umayma and the others have already done so much for me. I'm just glad I could use my ka to help you again."

The lady of the house, Si, Mut and the girls all watched happily as Asha the took the locket from her neck and held it out to him…

"I think this rightfully belongs to you," she smiled…

Like a samurai knight receiving an honor from a great lady or Empress, Seto knelt down and let her place the locket over his head and around his neck…

He took the locket in his hand and opened it to glimpse Mokuba's picture again… Then he raised his head and smiled at Asha... "Thank you… Imouto…" After all this time, he finally felt like he'd earned that locket…

In response, the little girl threw her arms around his neck, and he eagerly returned the embrace.

Nephthys, Si, Mut and the little ones were all beaming at this sight.

"You're welcome, Niisama," Asha answered, drawing from the embrace and smiling brightly, her scarred cheeks growing damp from tears of joy.

Laughing warmly, Seto gently brushed them from her face.

"Well done, Seto!," Nephthys exclaimed, brushing a tear from her own eye before it could be seen. "I'm sure your parents and little brother would be as happy as we all are right now!."

Just then, a dismayingly familiar, cool, feminine voice added "Yes, well done indeed, Seto Kaiba."

Kaiba immediately rose to his feet and spun around. "Isis!. Not you again!."

It was indeed the Egyptian woman… As usual, she stood there calmly, completely unfazed… Though, this time, she wore a pleased smile on her face…

"Now what do you want, Ishtar?!," the young CEO demanded.

Isis met his gaze without a blink or a flinch. "To tell you that your task is finally completed."

"My task, hmm?." Seto crossed his arms.

"Yes," she nodded. "You were sent here to face your past, to learn to accept and acknowledge it, otherwise the Pharaoh could not discover his full power and..."

"Save it!," Kaiba snapped, cutting her off. "I've heard all this before." Honestly, he didn't know which was more annoying, that brat, Tea Gardener's, idiotic friendship rants or Ishtar's lectures about fate and destiny!.

At this, the corners of Isis's mouth turned up in amusement. Still as stubborn as ever! Despite his reconciliation with his ancient past and heritage!.

Holding Asha's hand, Nephthys looked at Isis… "So… since Seto has accepted everything now… does this mean…?" Her voice trailed off…

"Yes," Isis answered with a slight nod, then she turned to the young CEO. "Kaiba, your time here is finished. You may now return home." As she spoke, she reached out her hand to him and the Millenium Torque around her neck began to glow…

Home… Seto looked at the hand that was reaching out to him… then he looked at Nephthys, Asha and the others… He could see his own sadness and disappointment reflected in them …

Finally, he turned back to Isis... "I am home, Ishtar," he said decisively. Yes, this was home. There was nothing for him back in present day Domino, save for a fortune in blood money and people who hated him.

"What?." Isis's eyes widened in surprise and shock!. How could this be?. The Millenium Torque itself had shown her visions of the future, and they included Seto Kaiba returning from ancient Egypt to the present… as well as her defeating him in a duel upon a giant Kaiba Corp air ship in the Battle City finals…

Kaiba crossed his arms defiantly. "You heard me, Isis. I'm not going back."

"But what about your company?."

"I'll be proclaimed legally dead before to long. When that happens, I've left instructions in my will that Kaiba Corp goes to it's workers and employees."

"And what of punishing the Big Five?."

"My little brother wouldn't want me to take revenge or kill for him, I see that now" he snapped. "And before you accuse me of not caring enough about him, I've also left instructions in my will that Kaiba Land amusement parks are to be built in America, and then possibly Europe, all in his name and memory!." Kaiba Land… That had been Mokuba's and his greatest dream… to build amusement parks around the world just for kids like them, kids who didn't have anything or anyone…

Isis blinked. This was definitely not the future the Millenium Torque had foretold!.

"Lady Isis," Nephthys spoke up, standing besides Seto. "I know you said you would be taking Seto back once he finished his task, but things… Things have changed now… There's no way we will ever let him go if he doesn't want it."

"That's right." Asha stood beside her foster mother and her adopted brother. "Seto's our anu now, not your CEO or whatever it is it's called."

"We won't give him back to you," the lady of the house added assertively.

Isis thoughtfully fingered the Millenium Torque around her neck. "Has this experience taught you nothing, Seto Kaiba?. You know you cannot deny destiny!."

"I make my own destiny!," Seto shouted back. "I always have and I always will!. And I have learned something from this, just not what you expected!." Seriously, did that woman think she could place him somewhere in which he finally felt he belonged, where he was finally happy for the first time since his adoption by Gozaburo, and Mokuba's death, then take him away from it just like that?.

The Egyptian woman stared at Kaiba… In spite of his ever present stubbornness, there was something about him that had changed… What was it?… Then she looked at the people who were now standing by his side… The young mistress of the house, the burned girl, the elderly couple and their two little granddaughters, the cat that was rubbing it's head against the youngest girl's leg… So, that was what was different now, she realized suddenly; Seto Kaiba, the sullen, reclusive boy she'd met in the museum was a young man now, a young man who was no longer alone…

Still, she had a job to do if everyone's fate and destiny were to go as planned… "You realize, Seto Kaiba," she stated coolly, "that I came to prepare you out of courtesy?. I could easily have brought you back to your own time any moment I chose without the formalities, but I thought it would put to much strain on you to be taken so suddenly again."

"You shouldn't have bothered," the young CEO answered, still defiant. "Anyway, Ishtar, even if you did take me back to present day Domino, I would find a way to get back here again."

At this, a small smile appeared on Nephthys's face, and she looked at him in surprise.

"Would you now?." Though Isis blinked, she remained as calm as ever.

Seto's eyes narrowed determinedly. "That's right, and as president of Kaiba Corp I could do it, Isis, you know that. I already lost one family; I won't lose another!."

The Egyptian woman put a hand to her long, white, vail-like headdress to keep the sudden breeze from blowing it in front of her face. "And what about your cards, Seto Kaiba?. What about dueling?."

"What about it?."

"Your deck is still back in Domino City," she explained. "And as a Millenium Item Holder, I may be able to create three new Blue Eyes White Dragon Cards to replace those the priest tore up."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at eachother in surprise and concern…

His deck… The Blue Eyes White Dragons… Seto bit the inside of his lip… There was no denying that those were the only things from his life in Domino he valued now… But he knew as well as anyone that valuing something didn't mean you couldn't live without it…

"Isis, you still don't get it, do you?," he said through clenched teeth. "That's not going to work. I may want my dueling deck back one day, but not enough to leave here for good. So, until then, tell Yugi he's welcome to it!." At least that way he'd know where to go if he ever wanted his deck back again.

If she had been surprised by anything Kaiba had said earlier, it paled in comparison to the shock she felt now!. How on Earth could the predictions of the sacred Millenium Torque be wrong? Especially since it had already predicted the Battle City Tournament and the outcome of each duel?… Yet… perhaps this was not necessarily a bad thing…

"Very well, Kaiba," she said quietly as she nodded in resignation. "If you wish to stay here, I see there is nothing anyone can say or do to change your mind."

Finally!. Seto rolled his eyes.

Isis smiled slightly. "In a way, I suppose I should be grateful," she continued. "For if fate and destiny had turned out the way the Millenium Torque predicted, it would mean there was no hope of the Pharaoh saving the world, or rescuing my younger brother."(128)

Now it was Seto's turn to be surprised. "Your brother?..."

"His name is Malik," she answered softly as she turned to walk away. "I am praying that Pharaoh can save him from the darkness within himself… You have given me hope for that, Seto Kaiba… Thank you…"

Seto, Nephthys, Asha, Si, Mut, Khu and Kiya watched as Isis continued walking until she was consumed by the shining golden light from the Millenium Torque, on her way back to the present…

"You're welcome, Isis…" the young man whispered to himself… At least one of them may yet be able to save their younger brother… Deep down, he wished her luck, if there was such a thing…

It was then he felt Asha's hand on his arm…

"Niisama," she asked. "Is it really true?. Are you really going to stay here with us?."

"Please don't go, Uncle Setty!," Khu pleaded with big eyes.

"Don't go!," little Kiya echoed. "Don't go, Uncle Setty!."

Seto smiled slightly at the three of them and briefly put a reassuring hand on Asha's shoulder. "That's right. Don't worry. You didn't think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?."

Reassured, the children smiled and laughed happily!.

Kaiba then turned to a beaming Nephthys, Si and Mut…

The lady of the house was looking at him with warmth and admiration. "I find this hard to say without sounding condescending, but I'm very proud of you, Anu."

"We all are, Seto," Mut added, and Si nodded in agreement.

It was then that Nephthys extended her hand towards him… "Welcome home… Seto Nozomi," she said, her smile growing wider as she finally called him by his true family name, like he'd asked her to that night… He'd earned it now…

Seto's eyes widened in surprise and relief at being called by his real family name for the first time in over six years… He smiled back at Nephthys and, slowly, he reached out and took her hand... (129)

**********

"And so Sheeta and Pazu were rescued from the explosion of the Lauptan throne room and control center by the roots of the magical tree," Seto narrated. As he had already finished the story of "Rurouni Kenshin" and "Yu Yu Hakusho", the girls had begged him to tell them another, and he'd chosen "Laputa; Castle In The Sky" for tonight's bed time story. Maybe tomorrow evening he'd tell them about "Spirited Away".

It was indeed a pleasant scene. The sun had not yet set completely, but the first few stars had already appeared in the desert sky and a soft, cool breeze made the surrounding palm tree branches sway gently… Kaiba was seated on the steps of the villa's veranda while Mariasha rested her head in his lap and Khu and Kiya sat beside him, listening intently…

The young CEO smiled as he gently stroked Asha's hair. He would never forget what she'd done for them; Summoning her ka and sending it all the way to Malqata to save him. She must be overly exhausted after all that.

"I like that story," the girl said sleepily. "I think the tree saved Sheeta and Pazu because they had wanted to help and protect it too, right?."

"Hmm, I think so, kid," Seto answered, and Khu and Kiya nodded and giggled in unison.

Kaiba then helped Asha to her feet. "Alright, you three. It's time to get yourselves into bed before the vixen and your grandparents come out here and blame me for keeping you up past your bedtime."

Khu and Kiya nodded obediently. "Okay, Uncle Setty," Khu answered.

"See ya' in da mowning, Uncle Setty," Kiya added.

"Yeah, and don't run away again, or else we'll have to tie you up!," the elder sister joked.

Kiya laughed and clapped her hands. "Tie him up! Tie him up!."

The young former CEO chuckled to himself. "Get on with you, you little monsters!." He gave them each a playful slap on the rump and watched in fond amusement as they both trotted giggling back into the house.

Asha smiled and embraced Seto warmly. "Goodnight, Niisama. I'm so glad you chose to stay with us!."

He smiled slightly and tenderly brushed her long bangs away from her bandaged eyes... There were no words to express how proud he was of her, not just for her ability to send her ka to bring him back to life, but for having the courage to remove her bandages, save for the one over her eyes, and reveal her scars without shame…

"I am too, Imouto," Kaiba answered... The truth was, that was probably the one thing he'd ever done right in his life…

Once Asha had gone inside to bed, the young former CEO sat himself back down on the veranda steps and watched Ra finish sinking into the Nile… The stars were all out now… The palms swayed gently in the cooling night wind and the fireflies darted to and fro through the grasses…

"They're beautiful fireflies, aren't they?," came Nephthys's voice.

He turned to see the vixen standing in the doorway with his blue coat in her hands, smiling, with the dimming lamplight behind her… She came and tenderly placed the coat over his shoulders for warmth before sitting down beside him…

"Yes, they are," the young former CEO smiled to himself, remembering the time they had watched the fireflies the night of the Festival of Opet. "It should be almost time for New Years and the flooding season, right?." (130)

The lady of the house nodded. "That's right." Maybe this year, if she had the chance, she would come with Seto and the children to the festivals in town...

They talked about the night Seto had saved Mariasha and Nephthys had given him his cards back as a sign that she now trusted him…

"I'm sorry you had to lose all three of them though," she said. "I know how important they were to you, especially those cards with the blue eyed white dragon."

"Hmmph, I think I can live with it," Kaiba answered ruefully. "At least I got to put them to good use."

The lady of the house brushed a few bangs from her forehead with a pleased sigh. She had to admit, he'd taken the loss of his precious cards allot better then she'd thought he would!.

It was then that the young former CEO pointed to something up in the sky. "You've got to be kidding!. Is that what I think it is?."

"What?," Nephthys wanted to know.

He turned to her. "Tell me what the date is today, Vixen," he said quickly.

She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Hmmm… Unless I misread the household calendar, I'd say it's July seventh."

"I thought so," Seto nodded slowly, turning away. "That means tonight is Tanabata."(131)

"Tanabata? Another Japanese custom?."

Kaiba kicked a small stone from where he sat on the veranda steps. "Right, it's when those two stars, Altair and Vega, meet in the sky. The rest of the year they're separated by the Milky Way…" then his voice trailed off… "Also… July seventh… That's my little brother's birthday…"

"Oh…" the lady of the house replied softly… Now that she thought of it, she remembered Seto being more sullen and difficult then normal around this time last year, and no wonder!. He'd mentioned that his mother had died giving birth to Mokuba, so this night must be twice as painful for him… "I'm sorry," she offered, placing a consoling hand on his shoulder…

His only reply was a nod, and he brought his own hand to rest upon her's… "Make a wish, Kitsune," he finally said…

"A wish?..." Her eyes widened…

"On Tanabata everyone makes wishes," he explained.

Nephthys liked that idea… She thought of her family, of Si, Mut, Khu and Kiya… She thought of Seto and Set and her Asha… Finally, she made her wish…

"Alright, I made my wish," she announced. "What did you wish for, Anu?."

To her surprise, he turned to her with a smile, the warmest, happiest smile he'd ever given her…

"It already came true," he answered as he lifted his hand to gently touch her face…

The lady of the house looked at him in amazement for a moment… Then, a smile slowly spread across her face and she placed her hand upon his…

There on the veranda steps, underneath the stars on Tanabata night in ancient Egypt, Seto and Nephthys shared a soft kiss…

The little chestnut haired boy with the deep blue eyes smiled happily as he watched Seto and Nephthys rise from the veranda steps and walk hand in hand back inside the house where the rest of the family was waiting… His gaze then went to the small, nearly completed puzzle in his hands… Finally, he thought as he looked at it fondly, finally it was time to add the last and most important piece…

With a small click, the final most important piece of the puzzle was added, and Seto Kaiba, who was once again Seto Nozomi, had a full and complete heart… He smiled as the completed puzzle disappeared in his hands… (132)

It was then that the sound of sweet, childish laughter nearby made him turn around in pleasant surprise…

A younger boy with scruffy black hair and a wide, bright smile was standing there, his blue-gray eyes shining…

"Hey, Mokey!," the elder boy greeted him warmly. "Happy birthday!."

The little one chuckled. "Thank's, big brother!," he grinned. "I've been waiting for you!."

"Aww, I'm sorry about that, but I came as soon as I could."

"It could never be soon enough for me!."

The two boys laughed together, and little Mokuba held out his tiny hand towards his brother… "Let's go home, Niisama."

Smiling happily, young Seto reached out and took his little brother's hand…

Together, the two boys ran hand in hand, laughing joyfully into the Tanabata starlight, finally on their way back home…

The End

The journey home is never too long

Your heart arrives before the train

The journey home is never too long

Some yesterdays always remain

I'm going back to where my heart was light

Where my pillow was a ship I sailed through the night

The journey home is never too long

When open arms are waiting there

The journey home is never too long

There's room to love and room to spare

I want to feel the way that I did then

And think my wishes through before I wish again

Not every boat you come across is one you have to take

No, sometimes standing still can be the best move you ever make

The journey home is never too long

Home helps to heal the deepest pain

The journey home is never too long

Your heart arrives before the train…

("The Journey Home", performed by Sarah Brightman)

E Mail the author at karenjade@shaw.ca

"Yu-Gi-Oh" is a copyrite of Kazuki Takahashi and the many companies associated with the manga and anime.

(126) Another nod to "The Prince Of Egypt"! Heh!

(127) Extract of a Hymn to Hapi, God of the Inundation, composed in the Middle Kingdom.

(128) Originally, I had planned a different ending, with Isis returning Seto's deck to him (along with three new Blue Eyes cards) and challenging him to a duel to decide weather he stays in ancient Egypt with the family or goes back to present day Domino (based off their duel in the Battle Ship Arc) but since I don't have those episodes taped from YTV, and the English dubbed DVD with those episodes isn't out yet, I wouldn't have been able write it properly, word for word, so I wrote the ending this way instead.

(129) I know! I know! A rip off of the ending to the Kyoto Arc in "Rurouni Kenshin", but I just couldn't help myself!.

(130) The Egyptian year always started on the first month of Akhet with the beginning of the inundation on July 19.

(131) Tanabata, or the Star Festival, is held on the evening of July 7, and yes, it is Mokuba's real birthday!. The festival traces its origins to a legend that the Cow herder Star (Altair) and Weaver Star (Vega), lovers separated by the Milky Way, are allowed to meet just once a year--on the seventh day of the seventh month.

People write their wishes on narrow strips of colored paper and hang them, along with other paper ornaments, on bamboo branches placed in the backyards or entrances of their homes. They then pray hard that their wishes will come true.

The Tanabata festival is thought to have started in China. It was transmitted to Japan during the feudal period and combined with traditional local customs to become an official event at the Imperial court. Commoners soon began observing this festival, with different localities developed their own distinctive ways of celebrating.

Song for Tanabata

Sasa no ha sara-sara. Nokiba ni yureru. Ohoshi-sama kirakira, kingin sunago.

(Bamboo tree dancing under the eaves. The stars are shining, silver and gold sprinkles on the paper.)

Goshiki no tanzaku, watashi ga kaita. Ohoshi-sama kirakira, sora kara miteru.

(Colorful papers, I wrote on them. The stars are shining, looking down from the sky.)

(132) Taken from the end of the Duelist Kingdom Arc in the manga where Seto and Mokuba are reunited. Nearby, you see a young Seto completing the puzzle of his heart with the final piece, which is, of course, Mokuba!.