Day Meme 08 - Two Moments, in EXTREMELY Great Detail
Day 08 - A moment, in great detail
((OOC: Both of these turned into *several* moments, in great detail. Hence, they're both behind LJ cuts. I also only just finished writing them last night, so they're a day late. Translations for Yami's Khemetic speech will follow after Yugi's moment.))
I sat there, at my desk, trying to count up the money I would need to pay off the hall monitor. There was no way I could ever have enough. No freaking way. I'd never had that much money in my entire life, allowance notwithstanding.
Something drew my eye back to the gold chest containing the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle. I stared at it for a moment, spotting a cartouche at on the side I hadn't noticed before, all those other times I'd stared at it. I ran a finger over the beveled hieroglyphs-a Pharaoh's head, a mat below that, two diagonal slashes beside them, a goose, a kneeling man, two diagonal slashes again, a vulture, an owl, a reed, and finally, a seated Pharaoh-wishing I could read them.
I exhaled sharply and turned back to counting. I wasn't able to keep it up for very long before I found myself staring at the Puzzle again. I sighed, took off the lid, and started piecing it together.
Up to a certain point, I knew exactly where each piece was supposed to go. But I always seemed to get stuck at one specific place.
But... not tonight. Tonight, I mowed right past that point, putting each piece in its place one right after the other until I had it assembled into the shape of a true pyramid, only upside-down.
Except for one piece.
I reached into the case for the last piece, but couldn't find it. "What?" I said, eyes wide. "Where is it?" I started searching around and inside my desk, frantic.
It was gone. The piece bearing the Eye of Horus was gone!
I banged my head against the desk. "No!" I groaned. "I'll never solve it now..."
A knock sounded on the door, and Grandpa came in, apparently concealing something behind his back. "Yugi?" he asked.
"It's gone," I moaned to him.
"What is?"
"The last piece. The one with the Eye of Horus on it." I clutched at the spiky mess that was my hair. "I'll never solve the Puzzle now..."
Grandpa smorked a little. "No? I thought otherwise..." Then there was the clink of something metallic on my desk. I lifted my head, and saw the last piece sitting there.
I leapt up and tackled Grandpa, hugging him fiercely. "You found it! How did you find it?"
Grandpa smiled and returned the hug before answering. "A young man came and dropped it off, said to give it to you. Blond, I think. Brown eyes. Brooklyn accent. Odd... he was soaking wet, but it hadn't rained all day."
I blinked. Joey? Joey had had the piece? He must've taken it at school...
I was far too elated to really pay attention to that, though. I kissed Grandpa on the cheek and snatched up the piece as Grandpa left. With the door shut behind him, I finally placed the last piece into the Millennium Puzzle.
A flash of gold light practically blinded me as I did. I stood, startled, knocking over my chair in the process. The light began to fade, and I turned, still holding the Puzzle close to my chest.
Finally, the light faded enough to allow me to actually see my room again. A figure stood in front of my bed. He... wasn't much taller than me, maybe by three inches or so. It... was actually almost like staring into a mirror that was showing me the future. He looked like he might be an older version of me. He had the same build as me, scrawny and small-boned. He had the same hair, save for an extra three blond spikes sticking up from just behind his bangs. I couldn't see his eyes very well, save for the fact that he wore black eyeliner.
Most alarming... or interesting, maybe, was the golden eye glowing on his forehead. It was the source of all that light, though it was fading rapidly. Seconds later, I could finally see his eyes. The irises were reddish, a little magenta too. His pupils were dialated.
When the light finally went away, the third eye faded from forehead, he let out a sharp, whooping gasp, stumbling forward a step. That was when I noticed one final detail.
I could see right through him.
He blinked several times, finally focusing on me. I took a startled (and maybe a bit frightened) step backwards.
"Oh my God..." I breathed.
He blinked at me, mouth slightly open, then said, after a lengthy silence, his resonant baritone voice a little rough and echoing slightly, "Nedj-kheret-k... Ankh-k, udja-k, seneb-k... Isheset iew ren-k?"
(I only worked out the transliteration later. At the time, I had no idea what he was saying or how to spell it.)
I blinked at him in return. "Uh... w-what?" I managed to stammer.
He stared at me, apparently uncomprehending. "Iew netek Yugi Mutou?"
My heart skipped a beat. It wasn't hard to guess the meaning of his question this time: "Are you Yugi Mutou?" So I swallowed and answered, "Uh... y-yeah, I'm... Yugi Mutou... h-how did you know my name?"
He stared at me some more, apparently still unable to understand me. He said, "Netek sedjem-i-ne..."
"...Uhm..." I said, quietly, "I... have no idea what you're saying..."
He frowned, eyes distant. "Ta khemt-i-ne... Ta khentu sedjeb-ne..." He shook his head, apparently frustrated.
I frowned back for a moment, then put a few pieces of the (metaphorical) puzzle together. "Hieroglyphs," I muttered. "Eyeliner, and you don't speak English..." I turned the Puzzle around to runa hand over its Eye of Horus. "You're Egyptian. You're speaking ancient Egyptian!" Grandpa would've loved to talk to this guy.
He stared at me some more. "Netek iew Yugi... Netek sedjem-i-ne wepew-cher," he said, finally. "Ib-i..." he trailed off, shookn his head, and...
...And suddenly, there was someone else in my head. The man had entered my mind! I gasped, the sensation shocking and utterly alien.
"Teper!" the main said, tepping forward and grasping my shoulders gently. As he spoke, I heard his voice in my head say, "Breathe!"
I took in several shallow, harsh breaths, eyes squeezed shut. When I opened them, the man was watching me, apparently concerned about me.
"It's alright," said his voice in my head, apparently in English, while out loud he still spoke in ancient Egyptian. "I'm sorry for this, but for the moment it seems to be the only way to communicate with you."
I steadied my breathing, something I was used to doing from so many years of singing in choirs, and nodded a little. "Uh... yeah. Yeah, I noticed the language barrier problem." I looked up at him. "How did you know my name?"
He smiled a little. "You're the one who was to solve the Puzzle. I was told this. Told to wait for you."
My eyes widened a little. "Uh... Wow... I... I'm not quite sure I believe in pre-destined fate..."
The man shrugged, still smiling that little half-smile. "I do." The smile faded. "About the language problem..."
"Uh, yeah," I muttered. "You're... um... speaking a long-dead language. Dead as in, no-one speaks it anymore. Ancient Egyptian, right?"
He frowned, apparently not understanding some of my words. "'Ancient'? It's been long enough to warrant the use of that word?"
"The Ancient Egyptians died out about 3,000 years ago. Roughly."
He blinked. "'Egyptians'?"
"Your people. Uh... Right? Judging by the hieroglyphs..."
"My people were Khemetic," he answered. Interesting, the word he spoke out loud was "Remetj." It only translated as "Khemetic" in my head. I wondered, briefly, why it hadn't simply translated as "Egyptian", but decided not to dwell on it.
"Is... there a way around the language barrier thing?" I asked. "This is a bit weird. It's like there's two of you talking at the same time, and in two different language."
He smiled a bit. "For me as well. There is a solution. I will need to take the knowledge of your language from your mind."
I swallowed. "You can do that?"
"Solving the Puzzle created an empathic and telepathic bond between us. It's what allows us to communicate now. Normally I would not have entered your mind uninvited, but I couldn't exactly ask for permission." His smile turned a shade brittle. "It's not among my natural abilities, though. You are the only person I can do such a thing with. And now I can ask your permission to go deeper.
"Why not give me knowledge of your language instead?" I asked.
"Because I am your guest. Therefore it is only polite for me to learn your language instead of vice-versa. And, as you say, my language is no longer spoken."
"Yeah," I confirmed. "If it'll help, go ahead. Uh... will it hurt?"
"Only a little, and not for very long. Just relax."
I let out a shaky breath and closed my eyes. The man's mind probed deeper, and with a sharp pain in my forehead, I felt him withdraw entirely.
He was quiet for several moments. I opened my eyes and saw him staring off into the distance, apparently processing the new information. Then he blinked rapidly several times, opened and closed his mouth a few times, then said, in very coherent English that only resonated in my ears, not my head, "Can you understand me now?"
I beamed at him. "Yeah!"
He grinned. "Good. Translating via our link is taxing on me." He paused. "And now I see what you meant by 'Egyptian'. 'Egypt' is what my country is known as now."
"Looks like you took a litle more than American English from me," I said, though I smiled as I said it to let him know I didn't mind.
"Just a bit," he confirmed. "I was curious as to the fate of my homeland."
I avoided his eyes a bit. "It's a shame. Your people were incredible."
He grinned. "Thank you."
I cleared my throat. "So, uh... what's your name?" I asked.
His grin returned to a simple smile, kindly and reassuring. "I'm Yami," he answered, offering a hand.
"Yugi," I said, smiling back, taking his hand and shaking it. It was very cold.
Translations:
"Nedj-kheret-k" = "Greetings to you"
"Ankh-k, udja-k, seneb-k" = "May you live long, prosper, and be healthy" (This is a traditional Khemetic greeting)
"Iseshet iew ren-k?" = "What is your name?"
"Iew netek Yugi Mutou?" = "Are you Yugi Mutou?" (Yugi guessed correctly as to the translation)
"Netek sedjem-i-ne..."" = "I can't understand you..."
"Ta khemti-ne... Ta khentu sedjeb-ne..." = "I didn't expect this... This wasn't an obstacle before..."
"Netek iew Yugi... Netek sedjem-i-ne wepew-cher" = "You are Yugi... But I can't understand you..."
"Ib-i..." = "I wish..."
"Teper!" = "Breathe!"
☥ ☥ ☥
I returned to consciousness to find myself-Yugi, rather, it was still awkward to be in the passenger's seat, so to speak-heading for a large white building. Oh, wait. The school. I'd been there last night.
Yugi? I asked, drowsily.
Yipes! he responded. I chuckled a little. Sorry. You surprised me, he added.
Sorry. Didn't mean to. We're... going to the school?
I had to hand it to Yugi: he had adapted to my presence very quickly, and already had the hang of communicating mentally with me. Yeah, he answered. It's a school day. Have to be there, or I'll get in trouble.
Hrm. This'll be a new experience, at least, I noted. Last time I went through any kind of education was ten- I stopped. ...Ten years before I died.
Yugi winced. Sorry. Didn't mean to bring up anything uncomfortable.
You didn't. I stopped to correct my reference point. I was going to say, 'ten years ago'.
Oh. 'Cause for you it has only been ten years?
It was like I was asleep in the intervening time, I mused.
That's quite a nap, Yugi noted, laughing a little.
Oh yeah, I agreed.
I'd only been to the outside of the school last night. Now I got to see the interior, albeit through Yugi's eyes and thus through his interpretations. It was... not what I was expecting. For one, it was much larger than I had thought it would be, and there were many more people than I expected.
How many people attend this school? I asked, a hint of wonder creeping into my voice.
Well over 1500, Yugi answered. About 600 in each grade: Freshmen, which is my year, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors. Or, grades nine through twelve.
I mentally gaped at him. That many? When I was alive, education was only for a select few. Most schools didn't even have a hundred students.
'Select few' as in the studpidly wealthy? he asked, a hint of teasing in his voice. Hey... you said you'd been educated.
Taught to read and write. Plus time-keeping, basic mathematics, things like that.
So I guess that means you were wealthy.
I was quiet for several moments, while Yugi sat at a desk in one of the classrooms and pulled out a textbook and various and sundry school supplies. Finally, I answered, You could say that, yes.
Lucky. I'm barely middle class.
I didn't comment on the matter, but I did disagree with him about the 'lucky' remark. I hadn't been lucky to be born where I was in our societ.
Instead, I asked, So why are there so many students here?
It's a public school. Education in America is mandatory, and public schools are funded by the governemt, which means anyone can attend them, poor or rich. Anyone can learn things like reaching and writing and math. He gave me a mental wink.
And time-keeping? I added with a small chuckle.
Yep!
That's... very generous of your government.
They consider it a basic right of all children, and therefore an obligation.
I agree. I wish Khemet had had the resources to offer that to its children...
Hard to do that sort of thing back then, I guess. Things were apparently chaotic.
Very, I agreed.
A very loud bell rang very close to his-our-ears, and I started.
Don't worry 'bout that, you'll get used to it. It's just to let us know class is about to start.
Right...
We went through two classes before the whole school filed into an absolutely enormous room Yugi called an "auditorium" for a few announcements. Yugi sat near the back with his friends, Joey, Tristan, and Téa.
"Hey, you solved it!" Joey, a young man with messy yellow hair and brown eyes noted, pointing at the Millennium Puzzle, which now hung on a leather cord around Yugi's neck.
Yugi beamed at him. Both Joey and Tristan seemed to still be hurt from the beating that "Hall Monitor" Yugi had told me about had given them. "Thanks to you, Joey," he said.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Yug'," Joey answered, clapping Yugi on the shoulder.
After announcements, we had two more classes, curing which I learned several things I had never been taught when I was a child. Science being one of those, I was quickly disavowed of the notion that the heart was the center of human thought and emotion. Apparently that was actually the brain.
Oops.
I drank all of the information in eagerly. I was 'living' in an entirely new world, completely alien from that which I had grown up in. I wanted to know everything I could about it.
Lunch followed, which was good in that the growling of Yugi's stomach was starting to distract me. It was bad in that the food was awful.
Eugh, I noted Yugi took the first bite of his meal.
...You can taste that?
I share all of your senses.
...Oh. Uhm. Most of our food isn't like this. This is just cafeteria food, which is never good.
Then why eat it?
Because packing a lunch every day is a hug nuisance.
Oh.
After lunch, Yugi headed for one of the smaller of a cluster of four or so rooms around a larger hub, carrying a folio of some kind under his arm. He sat in a chair with no desk attached to it and flipped open the folio, revealing a whole mess of dots, circles, and... and squiggles, I guess, across several horizontal lines.
What in Thoth's name is that? I asked.
Sheet music! Yugi answered cheerfully. This is how we record what notes to sing for a song. Or, to play, if you're not a singer. But, I'm a singer, so I get lyrics and notes. Lyrics are the words to a song, he added before I could ask.
We, uh... chanted, when I was alive.
Chanting and singing are closely related, he noted. Gregorian and Buddhist monks all chant, and it still sounds almost the same as a choir. And it's still gorgeous. He smiled a little. I'd like to hear some Egy-Khemetic chants sometime.
Maybe later I'll show you some memories of it, then, I told him.
Awesome! Uh, I have to warm up. Gimme a bit.
He retrieved a bottle of water, took a sip, took several even breaths then started to sing.
"Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?
You've built up hope, but failure's all you've known
Remember all the sadness and frustration
And let it go
Let it go"
He had... a beautiful singing voice. Clear, ringing, and confident. Whatever song he was singing, I liked it, and I joined in, usng Yugi's knowledge of it to try it myself.
Hey, not bad, he said when he stopped after "Let it go". You've got a pretty good voice. Could use some training, but sounds like you've got a natural talent for singing. Though... you're in a much lower register than I am.
What? 'Register'?
Your voice pitch. I'd say you sing baritone. I sing counter-tenor. You're a couple of steps lower than me.
You name voice pitches?
Yeah. Highest is soprano, which only women and children can sing. Ditto for the next two down, mezzo-soprano and alto. Male voice pitches are counter-tenor-which is rare-tenor, baritone, and bass. Which puts you in the second-lowest pitch. I'm about in the middle of the scale.
Other people started coming into the room, apparently other members of the choir. Yugi started singing again, apparently a new song this time. As some of the last stragglers arrived, he returned to the one he'd started with.
After he finished, a young woman's voice said, "That's Linkin Park, right?"
Yugi turned to face her and stiffened a bit when he saw her. I did too, metaphorically speaking.
She was a pretty girl, with straight, brown-black hair and brown eyes, a yellowish tone to her skin I hadn't seen a lot. Her full lips were quirked into a smile.
And a very familiar bracelet hung on her left wrist.
"Yeah," Yugi answered, smiling uneasily. "'Iridescent'. From their album A Thousand Suns."
The girl smiled. "That album seemed to be inspired a lot by Hiroshima and Nagasaki."
Huh?
Tell you in a sec.
"Yeah, I think it was. LP seemed to have a big problem with nuclear weapons."
"Don't blame them," she said, her smile fading. "Otosan is from Hiroshima. ...My dad, I mean. Sometimes I forget to stop refering to him as Otosan when I'm not at home."
"Oh. I, uh... agree with LP on that count."
She smiled tightly again. "Glad you do. I should warm up."
"Cool... Nice chatting with you, Miss Miyagi."
"And you, Mutou-san," she answered, before striding off.
Who was that? I asked a moment later.
Rika Miyagi. Moved here from Japan with her dad when she was little. She's one of the Sopranos. I'm... actually kind of surprised she even talked to me.
Why?
She's in the popular clique, and I'm entirely un-popular. For the most part, the two don't interact.
I mulled that over for a minute. She's a Millennium Item owner, I said, finally.
...What?
Her bracelet. That's the Millennium Band. My friend 'Kheru's spirit is bound to it.
Who was 'Kheru?
A sacred dancer and priestess. Her full name is Wakheru-t-ni-ma't. You can likely guess whose temple she worked at.
Ma'at? he guessed, pronouncing the name with only one syllable. Goddess of Truth and Justice?
You're pronouncing it incorrectly, but yes.
How's it pronounced, then?
'Mah-aht'.
Cool. I'll remember that next time. Any other friends in the Millennium Items?
My wife and one other.
Married, huh?
I smiled at the memory of my wedding. Yes. To my first love, Setep-sy.
That sort of thing doesn't happen much anymore... marrying your first love, I mean. Glad to see it happened for you. Have you found those two yet?
No, I answered, but I will.
Yugi was right about one thing: by the time the bell rang, I was already used to it.
☥ ☥ ☥
Day 01 - Introduce Yourself
Day 02 - Your first love, in great detail
Day 03 - Your parents, in great detail
Day 04 - What you ate today, in great detail
Day 05 - Your definition of love, in great detail
Day 06 - Your day, in great detail
Day 07 - Your best friend, in great detail
Day 08 - A moment, in great detail (You Are Here)
Day 09 - Your beliefs, in great detail
Day 10 - What you wore today, in great detail
Day 11 - Your siblings, in great detail
Day 12 - What's in your bag, in great detail
Day 13 - This week, in great detail
Day 14 - What you wore today, in great detail
Day 15 - Your dreams, in great detail
Day 16 - Your first kiss, in great detail
Day 17 - Your favorite memory, in great detail
Day 18 - Your favorite birthday, in great detail
Day 19 - Something you regret, in great detail
Day 20 - This month, in great detail
Day 21 - Another moment, in great detail
Day 22 - Something that upsets you, in great detail
Day 23 - Something that makes you feel better, in great detail
Day 24 - Something that makes you cry, in great detail
Day 25 - A first, in great detail
Day 26 - Your fears, in great detail
Day 27 - Your favorite place, in great detail
Day 28 - Something that you miss, in great detail
Day 29 - Your aspirations, in great detail
Day 30 - One last moment, in great detail
((OOC: Both of these turned into *several* moments, in great detail. Hence, they're both behind LJ cuts. I also only just finished writing them last night, so they're a day late. Translations for Yami's Khemetic speech will follow after Yugi's moment.))
I sat there, at my desk, trying to count up the money I would need to pay off the hall monitor. There was no way I could ever have enough. No freaking way. I'd never had that much money in my entire life, allowance notwithstanding.
Something drew my eye back to the gold chest containing the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle. I stared at it for a moment, spotting a cartouche at on the side I hadn't noticed before, all those other times I'd stared at it. I ran a finger over the beveled hieroglyphs-a Pharaoh's head, a mat below that, two diagonal slashes beside them, a goose, a kneeling man, two diagonal slashes again, a vulture, an owl, a reed, and finally, a seated Pharaoh-wishing I could read them.
I exhaled sharply and turned back to counting. I wasn't able to keep it up for very long before I found myself staring at the Puzzle again. I sighed, took off the lid, and started piecing it together.
Up to a certain point, I knew exactly where each piece was supposed to go. But I always seemed to get stuck at one specific place.
But... not tonight. Tonight, I mowed right past that point, putting each piece in its place one right after the other until I had it assembled into the shape of a true pyramid, only upside-down.
Except for one piece.
I reached into the case for the last piece, but couldn't find it. "What?" I said, eyes wide. "Where is it?" I started searching around and inside my desk, frantic.
It was gone. The piece bearing the Eye of Horus was gone!
I banged my head against the desk. "No!" I groaned. "I'll never solve it now..."
A knock sounded on the door, and Grandpa came in, apparently concealing something behind his back. "Yugi?" he asked.
"It's gone," I moaned to him.
"What is?"
"The last piece. The one with the Eye of Horus on it." I clutched at the spiky mess that was my hair. "I'll never solve the Puzzle now..."
Grandpa smorked a little. "No? I thought otherwise..." Then there was the clink of something metallic on my desk. I lifted my head, and saw the last piece sitting there.
I leapt up and tackled Grandpa, hugging him fiercely. "You found it! How did you find it?"
Grandpa smiled and returned the hug before answering. "A young man came and dropped it off, said to give it to you. Blond, I think. Brown eyes. Brooklyn accent. Odd... he was soaking wet, but it hadn't rained all day."
I blinked. Joey? Joey had had the piece? He must've taken it at school...
I was far too elated to really pay attention to that, though. I kissed Grandpa on the cheek and snatched up the piece as Grandpa left. With the door shut behind him, I finally placed the last piece into the Millennium Puzzle.
A flash of gold light practically blinded me as I did. I stood, startled, knocking over my chair in the process. The light began to fade, and I turned, still holding the Puzzle close to my chest.
Finally, the light faded enough to allow me to actually see my room again. A figure stood in front of my bed. He... wasn't much taller than me, maybe by three inches or so. It... was actually almost like staring into a mirror that was showing me the future. He looked like he might be an older version of me. He had the same build as me, scrawny and small-boned. He had the same hair, save for an extra three blond spikes sticking up from just behind his bangs. I couldn't see his eyes very well, save for the fact that he wore black eyeliner.
Most alarming... or interesting, maybe, was the golden eye glowing on his forehead. It was the source of all that light, though it was fading rapidly. Seconds later, I could finally see his eyes. The irises were reddish, a little magenta too. His pupils were dialated.
When the light finally went away, the third eye faded from forehead, he let out a sharp, whooping gasp, stumbling forward a step. That was when I noticed one final detail.
I could see right through him.
He blinked several times, finally focusing on me. I took a startled (and maybe a bit frightened) step backwards.
"Oh my God..." I breathed.
He blinked at me, mouth slightly open, then said, after a lengthy silence, his resonant baritone voice a little rough and echoing slightly, "Nedj-kheret-k... Ankh-k, udja-k, seneb-k... Isheset iew ren-k?"
(I only worked out the transliteration later. At the time, I had no idea what he was saying or how to spell it.)
I blinked at him in return. "Uh... w-what?" I managed to stammer.
He stared at me, apparently uncomprehending. "Iew netek Yugi Mutou?"
My heart skipped a beat. It wasn't hard to guess the meaning of his question this time: "Are you Yugi Mutou?" So I swallowed and answered, "Uh... y-yeah, I'm... Yugi Mutou... h-how did you know my name?"
He stared at me some more, apparently still unable to understand me. He said, "Netek sedjem-i-ne..."
"...Uhm..." I said, quietly, "I... have no idea what you're saying..."
He frowned, eyes distant. "Ta khemt-i-ne... Ta khentu sedjeb-ne..." He shook his head, apparently frustrated.
I frowned back for a moment, then put a few pieces of the (metaphorical) puzzle together. "Hieroglyphs," I muttered. "Eyeliner, and you don't speak English..." I turned the Puzzle around to runa hand over its Eye of Horus. "You're Egyptian. You're speaking ancient Egyptian!" Grandpa would've loved to talk to this guy.
He stared at me some more. "Netek iew Yugi... Netek sedjem-i-ne wepew-cher," he said, finally. "Ib-i..." he trailed off, shookn his head, and...
...And suddenly, there was someone else in my head. The man had entered my mind! I gasped, the sensation shocking and utterly alien.
"Teper!" the main said, tepping forward and grasping my shoulders gently. As he spoke, I heard his voice in my head say, "Breathe!"
I took in several shallow, harsh breaths, eyes squeezed shut. When I opened them, the man was watching me, apparently concerned about me.
"It's alright," said his voice in my head, apparently in English, while out loud he still spoke in ancient Egyptian. "I'm sorry for this, but for the moment it seems to be the only way to communicate with you."
I steadied my breathing, something I was used to doing from so many years of singing in choirs, and nodded a little. "Uh... yeah. Yeah, I noticed the language barrier problem." I looked up at him. "How did you know my name?"
He smiled a little. "You're the one who was to solve the Puzzle. I was told this. Told to wait for you."
My eyes widened a little. "Uh... Wow... I... I'm not quite sure I believe in pre-destined fate..."
The man shrugged, still smiling that little half-smile. "I do." The smile faded. "About the language problem..."
"Uh, yeah," I muttered. "You're... um... speaking a long-dead language. Dead as in, no-one speaks it anymore. Ancient Egyptian, right?"
He frowned, apparently not understanding some of my words. "'Ancient'? It's been long enough to warrant the use of that word?"
"The Ancient Egyptians died out about 3,000 years ago. Roughly."
He blinked. "'Egyptians'?"
"Your people. Uh... Right? Judging by the hieroglyphs..."
"My people were Khemetic," he answered. Interesting, the word he spoke out loud was "Remetj." It only translated as "Khemetic" in my head. I wondered, briefly, why it hadn't simply translated as "Egyptian", but decided not to dwell on it.
"Is... there a way around the language barrier thing?" I asked. "This is a bit weird. It's like there's two of you talking at the same time, and in two different language."
He smiled a bit. "For me as well. There is a solution. I will need to take the knowledge of your language from your mind."
I swallowed. "You can do that?"
"Solving the Puzzle created an empathic and telepathic bond between us. It's what allows us to communicate now. Normally I would not have entered your mind uninvited, but I couldn't exactly ask for permission." His smile turned a shade brittle. "It's not among my natural abilities, though. You are the only person I can do such a thing with. And now I can ask your permission to go deeper.
"Why not give me knowledge of your language instead?" I asked.
"Because I am your guest. Therefore it is only polite for me to learn your language instead of vice-versa. And, as you say, my language is no longer spoken."
"Yeah," I confirmed. "If it'll help, go ahead. Uh... will it hurt?"
"Only a little, and not for very long. Just relax."
I let out a shaky breath and closed my eyes. The man's mind probed deeper, and with a sharp pain in my forehead, I felt him withdraw entirely.
He was quiet for several moments. I opened my eyes and saw him staring off into the distance, apparently processing the new information. Then he blinked rapidly several times, opened and closed his mouth a few times, then said, in very coherent English that only resonated in my ears, not my head, "Can you understand me now?"
I beamed at him. "Yeah!"
He grinned. "Good. Translating via our link is taxing on me." He paused. "And now I see what you meant by 'Egyptian'. 'Egypt' is what my country is known as now."
"Looks like you took a litle more than American English from me," I said, though I smiled as I said it to let him know I didn't mind.
"Just a bit," he confirmed. "I was curious as to the fate of my homeland."
I avoided his eyes a bit. "It's a shame. Your people were incredible."
He grinned. "Thank you."
I cleared my throat. "So, uh... what's your name?" I asked.
His grin returned to a simple smile, kindly and reassuring. "I'm Yami," he answered, offering a hand.
"Yugi," I said, smiling back, taking his hand and shaking it. It was very cold.
Translations:
"Nedj-kheret-k" = "Greetings to you"
"Ankh-k, udja-k, seneb-k" = "May you live long, prosper, and be healthy" (This is a traditional Khemetic greeting)
"Iseshet iew ren-k?" = "What is your name?"
"Iew netek Yugi Mutou?" = "Are you Yugi Mutou?" (Yugi guessed correctly as to the translation)
"Netek sedjem-i-ne..."" = "I can't understand you..."
"Ta khemti-ne... Ta khentu sedjeb-ne..." = "I didn't expect this... This wasn't an obstacle before..."
"Netek iew Yugi... Netek sedjem-i-ne wepew-cher" = "You are Yugi... But I can't understand you..."
"Ib-i..." = "I wish..."
"Teper!" = "Breathe!"
☥ ☥ ☥
I returned to consciousness to find myself-Yugi, rather, it was still awkward to be in the passenger's seat, so to speak-heading for a large white building. Oh, wait. The school. I'd been there last night.
Yugi? I asked, drowsily.
Yipes! he responded. I chuckled a little. Sorry. You surprised me, he added.
Sorry. Didn't mean to. We're... going to the school?
I had to hand it to Yugi: he had adapted to my presence very quickly, and already had the hang of communicating mentally with me. Yeah, he answered. It's a school day. Have to be there, or I'll get in trouble.
Hrm. This'll be a new experience, at least, I noted. Last time I went through any kind of education was ten- I stopped. ...Ten years before I died.
Yugi winced. Sorry. Didn't mean to bring up anything uncomfortable.
You didn't. I stopped to correct my reference point. I was going to say, 'ten years ago'.
Oh. 'Cause for you it has only been ten years?
It was like I was asleep in the intervening time, I mused.
That's quite a nap, Yugi noted, laughing a little.
Oh yeah, I agreed.
I'd only been to the outside of the school last night. Now I got to see the interior, albeit through Yugi's eyes and thus through his interpretations. It was... not what I was expecting. For one, it was much larger than I had thought it would be, and there were many more people than I expected.
How many people attend this school? I asked, a hint of wonder creeping into my voice.
Well over 1500, Yugi answered. About 600 in each grade: Freshmen, which is my year, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors. Or, grades nine through twelve.
I mentally gaped at him. That many? When I was alive, education was only for a select few. Most schools didn't even have a hundred students.
'Select few' as in the studpidly wealthy? he asked, a hint of teasing in his voice. Hey... you said you'd been educated.
Taught to read and write. Plus time-keeping, basic mathematics, things like that.
So I guess that means you were wealthy.
I was quiet for several moments, while Yugi sat at a desk in one of the classrooms and pulled out a textbook and various and sundry school supplies. Finally, I answered, You could say that, yes.
Lucky. I'm barely middle class.
I didn't comment on the matter, but I did disagree with him about the 'lucky' remark. I hadn't been lucky to be born where I was in our societ.
Instead, I asked, So why are there so many students here?
It's a public school. Education in America is mandatory, and public schools are funded by the governemt, which means anyone can attend them, poor or rich. Anyone can learn things like reaching and writing and math. He gave me a mental wink.
And time-keeping? I added with a small chuckle.
Yep!
That's... very generous of your government.
They consider it a basic right of all children, and therefore an obligation.
I agree. I wish Khemet had had the resources to offer that to its children...
Hard to do that sort of thing back then, I guess. Things were apparently chaotic.
Very, I agreed.
A very loud bell rang very close to his-our-ears, and I started.
Don't worry 'bout that, you'll get used to it. It's just to let us know class is about to start.
Right...
We went through two classes before the whole school filed into an absolutely enormous room Yugi called an "auditorium" for a few announcements. Yugi sat near the back with his friends, Joey, Tristan, and Téa.
"Hey, you solved it!" Joey, a young man with messy yellow hair and brown eyes noted, pointing at the Millennium Puzzle, which now hung on a leather cord around Yugi's neck.
Yugi beamed at him. Both Joey and Tristan seemed to still be hurt from the beating that "Hall Monitor" Yugi had told me about had given them. "Thanks to you, Joey," he said.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Yug'," Joey answered, clapping Yugi on the shoulder.
After announcements, we had two more classes, curing which I learned several things I had never been taught when I was a child. Science being one of those, I was quickly disavowed of the notion that the heart was the center of human thought and emotion. Apparently that was actually the brain.
Oops.
I drank all of the information in eagerly. I was 'living' in an entirely new world, completely alien from that which I had grown up in. I wanted to know everything I could about it.
Lunch followed, which was good in that the growling of Yugi's stomach was starting to distract me. It was bad in that the food was awful.
Eugh, I noted Yugi took the first bite of his meal.
...You can taste that?
I share all of your senses.
...Oh. Uhm. Most of our food isn't like this. This is just cafeteria food, which is never good.
Then why eat it?
Because packing a lunch every day is a hug nuisance.
Oh.
After lunch, Yugi headed for one of the smaller of a cluster of four or so rooms around a larger hub, carrying a folio of some kind under his arm. He sat in a chair with no desk attached to it and flipped open the folio, revealing a whole mess of dots, circles, and... and squiggles, I guess, across several horizontal lines.
What in Thoth's name is that? I asked.
Sheet music! Yugi answered cheerfully. This is how we record what notes to sing for a song. Or, to play, if you're not a singer. But, I'm a singer, so I get lyrics and notes. Lyrics are the words to a song, he added before I could ask.
We, uh... chanted, when I was alive.
Chanting and singing are closely related, he noted. Gregorian and Buddhist monks all chant, and it still sounds almost the same as a choir. And it's still gorgeous. He smiled a little. I'd like to hear some Egy-Khemetic chants sometime.
Maybe later I'll show you some memories of it, then, I told him.
Awesome! Uh, I have to warm up. Gimme a bit.
He retrieved a bottle of water, took a sip, took several even breaths then started to sing.
"Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?
You've built up hope, but failure's all you've known
Remember all the sadness and frustration
And let it go
Let it go"
He had... a beautiful singing voice. Clear, ringing, and confident. Whatever song he was singing, I liked it, and I joined in, usng Yugi's knowledge of it to try it myself.
Hey, not bad, he said when he stopped after "Let it go". You've got a pretty good voice. Could use some training, but sounds like you've got a natural talent for singing. Though... you're in a much lower register than I am.
What? 'Register'?
Your voice pitch. I'd say you sing baritone. I sing counter-tenor. You're a couple of steps lower than me.
You name voice pitches?
Yeah. Highest is soprano, which only women and children can sing. Ditto for the next two down, mezzo-soprano and alto. Male voice pitches are counter-tenor-which is rare-tenor, baritone, and bass. Which puts you in the second-lowest pitch. I'm about in the middle of the scale.
Other people started coming into the room, apparently other members of the choir. Yugi started singing again, apparently a new song this time. As some of the last stragglers arrived, he returned to the one he'd started with.
After he finished, a young woman's voice said, "That's Linkin Park, right?"
Yugi turned to face her and stiffened a bit when he saw her. I did too, metaphorically speaking.
She was a pretty girl, with straight, brown-black hair and brown eyes, a yellowish tone to her skin I hadn't seen a lot. Her full lips were quirked into a smile.
And a very familiar bracelet hung on her left wrist.
"Yeah," Yugi answered, smiling uneasily. "'Iridescent'. From their album A Thousand Suns."
The girl smiled. "That album seemed to be inspired a lot by Hiroshima and Nagasaki."
Huh?
Tell you in a sec.
"Yeah, I think it was. LP seemed to have a big problem with nuclear weapons."
"Don't blame them," she said, her smile fading. "Otosan is from Hiroshima. ...My dad, I mean. Sometimes I forget to stop refering to him as Otosan when I'm not at home."
"Oh. I, uh... agree with LP on that count."
She smiled tightly again. "Glad you do. I should warm up."
"Cool... Nice chatting with you, Miss Miyagi."
"And you, Mutou-san," she answered, before striding off.
Who was that? I asked a moment later.
Rika Miyagi. Moved here from Japan with her dad when she was little. She's one of the Sopranos. I'm... actually kind of surprised she even talked to me.
Why?
She's in the popular clique, and I'm entirely un-popular. For the most part, the two don't interact.
I mulled that over for a minute. She's a Millennium Item owner, I said, finally.
...What?
Her bracelet. That's the Millennium Band. My friend 'Kheru's spirit is bound to it.
Who was 'Kheru?
A sacred dancer and priestess. Her full name is Wakheru-t-ni-ma't. You can likely guess whose temple she worked at.
Ma'at? he guessed, pronouncing the name with only one syllable. Goddess of Truth and Justice?
You're pronouncing it incorrectly, but yes.
How's it pronounced, then?
'Mah-aht'.
Cool. I'll remember that next time. Any other friends in the Millennium Items?
My wife and one other.
Married, huh?
I smiled at the memory of my wedding. Yes. To my first love, Setep-sy.
That sort of thing doesn't happen much anymore... marrying your first love, I mean. Glad to see it happened for you. Have you found those two yet?
No, I answered, but I will.
Yugi was right about one thing: by the time the bell rang, I was already used to it.
☥ ☥ ☥
Day 01 - Introduce Yourself
Day 02 - Your first love, in great detail
Day 03 - Your parents, in great detail
Day 04 - What you ate today, in great detail
Day 05 - Your definition of love, in great detail
Day 06 - Your day, in great detail
Day 07 - Your best friend, in great detail
Day 08 - A moment, in great detail (You Are Here)
Day 09 - Your beliefs, in great detail
Day 10 - What you wore today, in great detail
Day 11 - Your siblings, in great detail
Day 12 - What's in your bag, in great detail
Day 13 - This week, in great detail
Day 14 - What you wore today, in great detail
Day 15 - Your dreams, in great detail
Day 16 - Your first kiss, in great detail
Day 17 - Your favorite memory, in great detail
Day 18 - Your favorite birthday, in great detail
Day 19 - Something you regret, in great detail
Day 20 - This month, in great detail
Day 21 - Another moment, in great detail
Day 22 - Something that upsets you, in great detail
Day 23 - Something that makes you feel better, in great detail
Day 24 - Something that makes you cry, in great detail
Day 25 - A first, in great detail
Day 26 - Your fears, in great detail
Day 27 - Your favorite place, in great detail
Day 28 - Something that you miss, in great detail
Day 29 - Your aspirations, in great detail
Day 30 - One last moment, in great detail