Return of the Kings

Chapter 2

Yugi slept peacefully among the hospital sheets, secure in his own private room. He had been here for hours now recovering from the emergency surgeries the hospital needed to perform to save his life. Atem had been resting within his mind beside him, using what was left of his energy to keep Yugi from slipping away. It was a long battle as the doctors did what they could to fix his body to a point where it stopped rejecting him. After he was sure he was safe he allowed himself his own reprieve.

He didn't know what needed to be done to save him, but he knew it was now night time and Yugis body had so many different drugs coursing through his veins it would be hours more before he woke. The various machines attached to him beeped and operated on their own, assisting with water, oxygen, blood replacement... all manner of things. Atem floated by his bed, hands loose beside him as he peered sadly at the boy. Despite the machines, bandages and partially cleaned dirt, sweat and blood, Yugi appeared older now. He didn't have the time to take this in before but now it was quiet, he looked more like did when he took over. His cheeks had thinned as the baby fat had grown out, revealing higher cheekbones and a stronger jaw line, his neck appeared thicker and more prominent. His shoulders were broader and he appeared as if he had taken up at least some gentle exercises to help tone up. He wondered if he was taller too; he looked it but laying down he couldn't be sure. He appeared as Atem once did in his original Egyptian body. It seemed perhaps Yugis post pubescent growth spurt finally hit him in the years that have surely passed.

There were no clocks or calenders in the room, and in his spectral form he was unable to access Yugis phone beside him. He had no idea how long it has been since he left but the man called him an archaeologist... which meant it had been years since they last spoke. Yugi had gone to college and graduated... he was warned by this. He was impressed and so happy for his little partner to have achieved such a feat on his own. He was right to leave, Yugi was fine without him... until now.

The identity of the man troubled him. Yugi had said he was his colleague... but why would a colleague seek to cause him such pain, and how did he accomplish it?

Yugi sighed deeply in his sleep, pulling him away from his train of thought to watch his young counterpart rest. A warm smile pulled at his lips as he watched him. Despite their current circumstance he was glad to be back a part of his life again. The afterlife was nice; resting without a care in the world was welcomed but he admitted that during his time there he'd find himself aware of his loneliness... he was able to see his old friends again, relive moments of his life back in Egypt, revisit memories but there were times he missed Yugi and the friends he made here, even the dangerous adventures they went on.

He hadn't given it a lot of thought when he decided to latch onto Yugi's soul. He saw him in agony, bleeding and broken, dying... how could he have not acted to save his life? It wasn't a decision he needed to think about, it was pure instinct to protect him and forgo his time in the afterlife. He did wonder what would happen after this but if he had learnt anything from the afterlife it was that not everything needed a thought out decision. Even now he didn't regret his decision. If anything, being here again felt right. He was sure of it. This was where he was supposed to be.

Gravity lifted on his mind, allowing him to stir through the fatigue to world around him. He was greeted by a dimmed room, lit by the morning light of orange clouds and blue sky. Beeping to his right caught his attention, aiding in waking him up and when he looked around he saw the various hospital machines hooked up to him, monitoring his vitals and fluid levels.

'How did I get here?' He wondered.

"Our friends brought us here."

His skin grew cold the moment he heard the voice and immediately he looked to see him standing by the window, arms crossed as he leant against the wall as he always used to, despite being spectral and not actually leaning on anything.