Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links: Pharaoh's Revival

Chapter 19 - Nameless Pharaoh's Melody

I'm all dressed for church~! Now, if my mother can get her drinks packed, we can leave. I knocked on the spare bedroom door. "Atem, you ready?"

"J-just... give me a minute." I heard him say from behind the bathroom door. "I'm still getting dressed."

I stood by the door and waited, and heard something fall. "Everything okay?" I asked.

"Y-yes, I'm fine." Atem stuttered.

"Then what fell?"

"N-n-nothing."

"I heard something. And since you won't tell me, I'm coming in."

Big mistake. When I opened the door, he squeaked in fear and pulled a towel over his chest. I gagged, grossed out from imagining if he had a six-pack or an eight-pack. I'd turn him into a human barf bag if he had a twelve-pack. At least he spared me the sight.

I looked down to see a roll of bandage tape unraveled on the floor. A box of gause was spilled, too. I knelt down to pick them up. "What are these for?"

"It's nothing, really."

Hm, maybe he's hiding it. Oh well... "Give me the towel."

Atem increased his grip. "There's nothing wrong there, I just didn't want you getting sick."

So, he's only hiding his chest to keep me from throwing up. If he has his pants on, the problem can't be down there. That's a relief. "Turn around."

I was shocked by what I saw. The scar from Slifer's bite was healing nicely, but there were worse than third-degree burns covering his back! "I-I'll be right back." I ran into the master bathroom and returned with a bottle of aloe.

"What's that for?" Atem asked.

"To put on those burns on your back. Hold still." He hissed as I rubbed the gel on his back. "How did this happen?"

Atem sighed. "It's a long story."

I looked at my watch. 9:55. "We have time."

"It all started after the Ceremonial Battle. Yugi's message had finally gotten through after sharing a body for so long. But the gods were worried it would spread. If the Pharaoh believes it, the kingdom believes it. So they lured Yugi into a trap. Using the Millennium Ring to take control of someone they called... Diva. They used him to push Yugi and Kaiba past their limits. I fell to my knees, praying that Yugi would pull through, but not praying to them. That's when Ra had enough and sent Yugi near his end. I had to save him! I made it in time, but not before Ra's attack landed."

So, that's what that light was... It did look rather flame-like.

I was so deep in thought that I almost went deaf to his chuckle. "I had a feeling you were tsundere."

My face was red with rage. "It's called maternal instinct." I huffed. "All women have it."

"Baka." he mocked.

I sighed, standing to wash my hands. "You should finish getting ready, we'll be leaving soon."

My mother has her drinks packed, so we can go. Atem walked out of the guest bedroom holding a small cello-like object. "Whatcha got there?"I inquired.

"It's called a lyre." he said. "Basically our version of a harp. I was going to perform during service."

"With that old thing? No, no, no." I went back into my room to get an old acoustic guitar my brother owned before he moved out. "Use this, it's much better."

Atem started to get nervous once we got to church. "Come on," I mused. "you never got this nervous when you were Dueling." He stomped off toward the stage and waited for his turn. Who's the tsundere, now?

One of the pastors lead Atem onstage and introduced him to everyone once the worship team was finished. Ironically, I couldn't identify the song until he started singing.

"Found myself looking into the mirror, knew I wasn't who I wanted to be. I was living life the way that I wanted, but my eyes reminded me I'm not free. Believed a lie so everything that I know says I gotta go. Tired of going solo. But I'm never gonna go there again. This is what it is! This who I am! This is where I finally take my stand! I didn't wanna fall, but I don't have to crawl! I met the One with two scarred hands! Giving Him the best of everything that's left of the life inside this man, I've been born again!"