AN: Yes yes, I know. "Mysia, why are you writing another story!? What's wrong with you!"
This one is relevant to my interests. And my current stories. Namely the sequel to Hikari to Yami no Enishi, but I'll get back to that later.
There's a bit of spoiler action going on here, but not enough that I think it'll affect your enjoyment and suspense of HtYnE nor the sequel. It's more of my expanding my list of pairings while giving some back story that will be relevant to the sequel. Bare with me cause I'm not explaining it more than that.
The idea was given to my by Michael (my co-conspirator of such villains as Ghede, who I know everyone just loves) since I though a trilogy would be awesome. But something happened and it like...exploded in my head and I was inspired to do something crazy by accident.
And now I have another pairing that I think is cute. I kinda want to say what the pairing is, but I also want it to be a bit of a surprise. Review if you think I should say what it is in the summary or if you think it doesn't matter. I will tell you that it's YAOI (boy/boy).
Or just review so I know what you're thinking about this.
The story is set in an alternate universe (AU) and rated teen because it has to be atleast that. There might be some citrus later. The stuff in italics are lines from the opening of Chrono Cross (love that game).
Enjoy!
What was the start of all this?
A man sat alone at the edge of a beautiful garden, his eyes closed and head bent as though sleeping. He had been on his own for several days, fasting and deep in thought about his sins. He raised his gaze when he felt the presence of another, startled to find it was not who he expected. The woman smiled, crawling close to lay with him, her eyes never leaving his own.
It was not long after that she would find herself carrying his children and keeping him from the woman he had fled, determined that this man would now belong to her.
When did the cogs of fate begin to turn?
"My Pharaoh!" Several voices called out to him, but Atem ran from them, panting and gasping for air as he drew closer to Zorc, the Millennium Puzzle clutched against his chest. Two figures raced past him not to stop him, but to protect him and he marveled at their speed as much as he admired the Ka spirits they commanded.
And yet, Osiris no Tenkuu Ryuu, Raa no Yoku Shin Ryuu, and Obelisk no Kyou Shin Hen were not enough to defeat Zorc. They fought valiantly and had managed to protect the people of Egypt from the brunt of the dark lord's assault, but the young Pharaoh knew that the three men who guarded him with their very lives were nearing the limits of even their abilities.
'I must end this...For the sake of everyone, I must seal Zorc away.' he thought, skidding to a halt and holding the Millennium Puzzle up, the leather cord wrapped around his hand tightly.
"Zorc! No longer will I allow you to harm my people! I seal you away with my very name! ATEM!"
Perhaps it is impossible to grasp that answer now,
Zorc roared as light emitted from the Millennium Item, trying to back away but finding himself held firmly in place by the three gods. Atem trembled from the strong power coursing through him, his eyes squeezed tightly shut until he felt two pairs of strong hands helping him to stand firm.
"Marik...Rajan...Thank you..." he managed.
"Petri would be here too if he wasn't injured," Marik assured him firmly.
"I know," Atem nodded, returning his attention to the demon.
From deep withing the flow of time...
With a cry, Atem's body arched back against Marik and Rajan, the latter's eyes widening as he realized what had happened.
"M-my Pharaoh, you sealed Zorc within..."
Atem's body fell limp for a moment, the brothers sharing a worried look between them before the Pharaoh found hims footing and took a step away from them.
"It was...the only way..." he replied, hanging the Millennium Puzzle around his neck. "I have sealed Zorc within myself where he can do no more harm."
Rajan moved to speak but Marik clamped a hand on his shoulder. "We cannot question the will of the Pharaoh, my brother. And King Atem is a god afterall, is he not?" The amber-eyed(1) blond grinned widely. "He has saved all of Egypt with his sacrifice. We should rejoice!"
Rajan reluctantly nodded before offering Atem a respectful bow. "My Pharaoh, we shall escort thee back to the priests."
Atem nodded, crimson eyes diluting back to their original violet as he turned to face them. "Yes. I must tell them of my...great success," he smiled.
But for a certainty, back then,
Three thousand years later...
"Mother! Father!" Katsuya cried, running through their small home, Shizuka's hand held tightly in his own for fear of losing her. He wore a simple kilt and worn sandals while she donned a long tunic tied to her waist with a piece of cord and only slightly less worn shoes.
"Katsuya!" His father called from the front door. He turned to face his children, only eight and five years of age, and moved to usher them to the back of the home. "Take your sister and leave Domino!"
Honey brown eyes looked up fearfully. "What's happening! Tell me!"
"Meta's come here!" he hissed, pushing them outside. "Hurry and take Shizuka away from here! You have to leave the city! Head for the sea, there will be a boat waiting. Your mother and I will meet you there! Now go!"
"But-"
"Daddy!" Shizuka squeaked, but their father slammed the door shut.
"Hurry!"
Katsuya grit his teeth, tightening his grip on Shizuka's hand. "We'll meet you there, father!" he shouted as bravely as he could, turning to run and dragging his sister behind them. As they neared the pier, a deep roar shook the world around them and he turned to look up at the sky. A massive red, serpent-like dragon rolled and coiled through the sky, it's lower mouth open and issuing it's cry while smoke curled from it's upper mouth through clenched teeth.
"What's happening Katsuya?" Shizuka asked fearfully, hugging her brother's arm.
'Shizuka...be thankful you're blind,' Katsuya thought, shaking his head and tearing his eyes from the terrible sight. "Run!"
We loved so many, yet hated so much,
They had reached the boat just as the loading ramp was being pulled in. Katsuya had lifted his sister in a moment of panic and leapt onto the narrow walkway just before it was too far away and had pushed and pulled them to the railing in time to see the massive dragon begin it's assault on Domino City.
'Why...why would Meta want to destroy our city...' he wondered bleakly. 'We were a poor city, we gave him whatever he wanted...'
"A terrible, pointless tragedy," a woman spoke beside him. He jumped when he realized just how close she was. "He sends the gods to enforce his will and to set an example. All because he can't find the last two."
"You mean...the lights?" Shizuka asked quietly.
"Yes. Come with me, little ones," she said, taking Katsuya's hand and leading the siblings away from the horror of what was happening to their hometown. Once they were below deck, she led them to a room occupied by 6 more children and a 2 adults. "Is this all of them?"
"Yeah," one of the men said sadly, inspecting Shizuka and Katsuya. The children all dressed similarly to the siblings but the adults worn white tunics and pants. "What're your names?"
"I'm Katsuya and this is my sister, Shizuka," the boy replied, moving his sister to the last available seat and standing beside her protectively. Shizuka clung to his hand, eyes closed and listening intently. "Why did he have to attack Domino?" he demanded. "What did we ever do to him!"
The man who had spoken sighed. "We found out too late to warn your city...Meta had a vision that one of the lights would be here...You know the story, don't you?" He looked around, seeing that a few of the children didn't. "Thousands of years ago, the Shadow Games began with the creation of the Millennium Items, which Pharaoh Meta carries with him today. Seven items that were created at the cost of one hundred lives."
"But the items were intended to protect the Pharaoh and his people at the time," the woman continued. "What the Pharaoh didn't know was that a dark god was released from the underworld at the same time. His name was Zorc. For many years, he manipulated a young man with promises of power and revenge against the Pharaoh for killing his village. That man was Akefia."
The children cringed at the name, familiar with the stories of the evil Thief King.
"But wait, you said it happened thousands of years ago," Katsuya spoke up.
"The Akefia we know today is the same one who lived back then," the man stated. "I'll explain. In the final battle with the dark lord Zorc, a great Pharaoh, with the help of the three gods, Osiris, Raa, and Obelisk, sealed Zorc away to save us all. But something went wrong..."
"That Pharaoh sealed Zorc within his own body. It wasn't long before he became corrupted and transformed on the inside. Zorc gave him immortality and used his power to revive Akefia and control the six priests who served the Pharaoh. His true name was lost to us over the years, but we know him today as Meta." The woman looked to the man, who nodded and continued.
"There was a prophecy, though. One that spoke of three who would bring light to this world to restore balance and bring and end to the Shadow Games. Meta learned of this prophecy and began searching for them. It was also said that for each light, there was one born of darkness who resonated with them. In a cruel twist of irony, Meta was one of these darks, or yamis as they are also known. Because of that, he was able to find his own light, or "hikari", and..."
We hurt others and were hurt ourselves...
The trip finally ended and the children were led to a waiting carriage. Orphans in an uncaring world, they were fortunate to have been taken in by these men and women clad in white.
Katsuya kept his sister close as they traveled for weeks through strange lands, all under Meta's rule.
Finally they arrived at their destination where they were given the option of returning to the life of poverty they had left in Domino or the opportunity to live and grow as part of the rebellion that fought and struggled against Meta. Katsuya was quick to choose the latter option.
"He destroyed my city, my home...my parents," he growled with as much anger a child could show. "All to find the last two lights! All for some rumor that they lived in Domino!? I'll never forgive him!"
"Brother..." Shizuka whimpered. She jumped slightly with a hand grasped her shoulder. "Who-Who's there!"
"Katsuya turned to see a boy his age offering them a sad smile. He was pale with long white hair and could easily have passed for a young girl. Large, chocolate brown eyes offered a silent apology to the siblings before he even spoke.
"I'm sorry...I...I was from the land of Japan, same as you two...He was probably there looking for me..."
"Come on, Ryou, stop crying," another boy sighed, His hair was cut short and a pale blond color while his skin was deeply tanned. "Even if you were from Japan, you've been here your whole life. Meta's just an ass." Lilac eyes met Katsuya's gaze. "Hey, my name's Malik. This is Ryou, the notorious crybaby."
"Malik!" Ryou pouted.
"Hush. So anyway, we're the last two hikaris. Want to be friends?"
Yet even then, we ran like the wind,
"You two are the hickeries?"
"Hi-ka-ris. Jeeze, clean your ears out!" Malik teased.
"Ignore him, he's a big meanie." Ryou looked at Shizuka and them to Malik. "There's something wrong with her eyes."
Shizuka clung to Katsuya's arm and hid her face in his shoulder. "Yeah. She was born sick and can't see. So what?"
"So what?" Malik scoffed. "Let me see her eyes." It took a bit of coaxing but Shizuka finally relented and let the tanned boy inspect her eyes. Finally he nodded. "Ok, let me show you my power, ok? It won't hurt." Carefully so as not to startle her, he covered her eyes with his palms and closed his own. A soft glow slowly engulfed his hands and the younger girl gasped, groping for Katsuya's hand.
"Malik, what are you doing?" someone asked.
"He's fixing her eyes," Ryou called back, Katsuya looking first at Ryou and then to Malik in disbelief as he removed his hands.
"The hikaris all have special powers," Malik grinned as Shizuka blinked her eyes. "Mine's the power to heal people." He folded his arms behind his head. "Pretty neat, huh?"
Shizuka squeaked, turning to smile at her brother. "I can see you now, Katsuya!"
Whilst our laughter echoed,
Katsuya and Shizuka became fast friends with Malik and Ryou. Despite the dark age they lived in and the hardships they faced, the two hikaris helped the siblings to remember how to laugh as well as learning to fight along side them. Katsuya and Malik trained in hand to hand combat, learning marksmanship along side Shizuka. Ryou had special classes where he learned to manipulate the shadows as a mage, taught by the ex-priest Set. But their free time was always spent together.
Under cerulean skies...
Sadly, time marches on and as they grew, the laughter they shared as children would fade like a waking dream.
AN: There we are. The beginning of the prequel for the third story in my Hikari/Yami Trilogy. (the title's a work in progress, but the order is Hikari no Yami no Game followed by, Hikari to Yami no Enishi, which I'm working on currently. Next will be Hikari __ Yami no _____. Catchy, huh? :p)
Why a prequel? Well, for starters, this story is already giving you some background on what's to come, but you won't understand why this story is playing out like this until I get around to writing. (Should start in January, I intend on finishing HtYnE by Christmas)
No, I haven't abandoned my other stories. I'm just all about this one right now. I'll get back to A Week At Sea and Like Pieces of a Puzzle 2 when my inspiration for them comes back either by choice or by force (I'd rather not force it out though. That gives me headaches and stress). For now, just enjoy the ride.
What's the mystery pairing? Well, I don't want to spoil it for you. But here's a hint! They've met. And it's a yaoi pairing.
Well there you are. That's all I'm giving you for a hint.
(1)In Mariks' Back Story (see Hooray For One Shots chapter 22), the three brothers had eye colors corresponding to their Ka: Petri (Obelisk) has blue eyes, Rajan (Osiris) has crimson, and Marik (Raa) had amber eyes, but after he was sealed in the Millennium Rod, they lost their color over time. When he was released and took over Malik's body, they turned lavender.
See you next time!