Soul's Strength
By: Songwind
SUMMARY- To become known as a warrior, one must defeat a monster and gain its card from it. The number of cards one owns is proof of their strength. Can Yugi, the frail son of one of the greatest warriors, summon the strength to follow in his father's footsteps? Or will he need help...?
NOTES- Eh... hullo. (Waves sheepishly) This is a first for me. Well, two firsts. This is my first Yu-Gi-Oh fic- hiyas! But it's also my first AU fiction, and it'll be kinda dark along the way. I hope you all like it. No, I'm not gonna ask you to be easy on me as it's two of my firsts, but I will ask you to give me some advice should you find a fault or two. ^_^ And the usual, "You're a good writer!" stuff doesn't hurt, either, of course.
Just to let you all know so you're not too confused, this is set in a medieval world of sorts. Magic and healing and gods and all that other good stuff to come with it.
DISCLAIMER- I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Some rich guy in Japan does, the lucky devil...
All Yu-Gi-Oh characters- (send thanks to Kami for this)
Me- Huh? ...Hey!
YGO characters except Yami Bakura and Kaiba- Eep! (Run off)
Kaiba- (leaves at a more dignified pace)
Yami Bakura- (sits there with an insolent smirk on his face)
Me- (sigh) Yamis.

~*~

Chapter One- Then, Maybe...

Yugi glanced up from his work. He only looked up for a moment- any more and his gaze would be noticed. And after last night, he didn't want to be noticed.

"I'm so the best!" a young man in the distance was boasting. "I mean, come on, who else can defeat a Dragon, eh? Who is the man?"

A few kids and teenagers were gathered around the young man, congratulating him for his victory. Yugi gritted his teeth and continued to work in the field, trying to ignore the feeling of the sun burning into his back or sweat trickling down from his face. He swallowed, suppressing a cough, and glanced up again.

The boasting young man was tall and thin. He could run and dodge well, from what games Yugi had seen him play. Of course, now that the young man had defeated his third monster, he wasn't required to work in the fields or do chores around his home- at least, not that often. He could spend his day showing off to the others.

Yugi dropped his tool on the ground. He bent to pick it up, and started coughing as his face neared the ground. He tried to suppress the sound. However, it was far too late- he'd been noticed.

The young man glanced up, and a sympathetic grin grew on his face. "Hey, Yugi," he called, waving.

Sighing, the boy brushed some of his hair out of his eyes and waved back, covering his mouth with his other hand. "Hello, Joey," he replied.

"Still sick?"

Yugi shrugged. /Always sick,/ he thought somewhat bitterly.

"And you still have to work?"

"Well of course," said a blonde girl nearby. She tossed her long tresses over her shoulder and smiled condescendingly at Yugi, making him grit his teeth hard enough to make it hurt. "If one can't even deal with a village dog, much less a monster, one must earn their keep another way. Right, Yugi?"

The boy glanced away, blushing. /They all heard about that, obviously,/ he thought.

"Of course, I'm right," she said. "Don't be so upset about it, though. You haven't the build or the mindset for fighting monsters, so it's for the best anyhow."

"Who knows, you may become the next healer," a second girl Yugi didn't recognize piped up, shooting an annoyed glare at the blonde. "And that's much more important than any old monster warrior. You're great at memorizing rules and instructions and stuff."

Yugi smiled faintly. "Thanks."

The blonde shrugged and walked away. The second girl flashed Yugi a smile before scampering after her.

Joey leaned in to whisper to him. "Y'know, those girls aren't that great at fighting monsters, either. Between you an' me, the blonde only caught some harpy and that was like a year ago. The other girl's caught two weak lil' cute things that were harmless anyway."

"Thanks, but they're right," Yugi said. "I'm still too weak to take on a monster-"

"Ah, don't say that. If you can stand up to yer dad the way you do, then you can deal with a monster no problem."

Yugi glanced at the tool in his hands. "That's true," he murmured. /He is the only noble who makes his son work in the fields... Then again, he started out the way I'm starting. Perhaps he thinks I'll end up the same as him someday?/

Remembering the disappointed look on his father's face the night before, the boy's lips tightened. /No. After that I think he'd have a heart attack if I so much as left the village. He's just going to make me learn something useful, like being a blacksmith./ His lip quivered.

Joey noticed and sighed. "Ah, Yugi, c'mon, it ain't so bad. Not everyone's bound to be a warrior, ya know? That girl was right. I mean, you're better at reciting that teacher's lessons than any of us. You should become a healer. Then you'd kinda be owning every card of every warrior that needs your aid after a fight. After all, they'd owe lots to ya. Healers are getting a lil' too rare these days."

The boy nodded, slightly frowning now. "That's true. I heard my father say that there haven't been any trainee mages or healers in the past five years."

"Yeah. And hey, you don't even have to have the magic, right? Just be able to sew injuries an' all that." Joey scratched his head. "Well look, I gotta get going. I ain't shown my card to the richest of the snobs yet. Ooh, wait'll he see what I got!" His face lit up in anticipation.

"What was his name again?" Yugi questioned.

"Erm... something with a 'K'," Joey said. "Uh... hmm, what WAS his name? He never comes out of his house unless it's to something formal or to hunt..."

"Well, why don't you get going-" Yugi was cut off by a fit of coughs.

"Yugi! You alright? You should go inside," Joey began. Yugi held up a hand to silence him as he finished the coughs.

The younger boy took a deep breath, then shook his head. "Just go," he said, a little sharply. "I'm fine."

Joey gave him another uncertain look, then nodded and turned away to race after his friends.

Yugi watched him go with narrow eyes. /Why don't you be a healer. Right. After dreaming of being on the hunt with my father and making him so proud, after years of trying to keep up with the others, I should back down and stay at home twiddling my thumbs? I couldn't do that! It would go against what I've been taught.../ He suppressed another cough. /Damn weakness. Just because of that damn rabid dog and my cough, everyone thinks I'm too weak to do it.../

He let his head droop. /But maybe they're right. I'm the smallest boy in the village that's my age. I'd only be able to use a sword properly if I managed not to have a fit when I was fighting./ He took another deep breath. Then he bent to continue his work, wincing at the pain on his back.

/But if I can manage to stay out HERE all day under the blazing sun, then who are they to say I'm useless!/ he thought, his eyes narrowing again. /If I can deal with this, AND my father, I can sure as anything take on some monster! It won't even have to be a strong one! I can just defeat one monster and maybe everyone will think I can do it./

He dropped his tool and clenched his fists, staring after the others who'd already become warriors. "Then maybe," he said aloud. "Maybe I'll have more respect. My father will be proud of me. But when...?" He wiped his brow. "I'd have to sneak off... I hate sneaking off, but it's the only chance I-"

"What are you doing out here still, young lord?" asked a young voice.

Startled, Yugi blinked and turned to see a young girl watching him. "Er, working," he said, gesturing at the fields around him.

"Tonight's that growing dance for Tea," she said cheerfully, bouncing on her feet. "She's fifteen now."

"Oh, gods, I forgot about that," Yugi said. He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Well, we should hurry back to your place. Your dad was worried and sent me here."

Yugi nodded. "Right. Let's get back then."

The girl turned and started to run, then stopped and walked. "I forgot you can't run," she said sheepishly when he looked at her.

/Can't RUN? I get surprised by some rabid dog in the market and I'm unable to run? Father goes too far!/ "I wouldn't say that," he said, and started to sprint. The surprised girl gave a yelp and ran after him protesting about his health.

Panting, Yugi ran through the fields towards the richer part of his village, where his father, Joey's rival, and other nobles lived. /After I get some rest tonight, maybe I can sneak out. There aren't too many tough monsters around here, anyway. I just gotta get a sword and some headgear and I'll be all set./ He found himself smiling as he pushed himself harder towards his house. /Then, maybe.../

~*~

Eh... darkish beginning, huh? Well, Yugi's starting to come up with a plan. Is he really gonna sneak off in the dark? If he does, what'll happen? What'll he do when he runs across a real monster for the first time in his life? Please review, everyone!