Thank you! Mistoka, RecursiveDestroyer, Shinigami Merchant, Vivid Imaginest, makaylaatw, Mariatheartist, and KuramaShadowFoxYokai for your reviews! I'm pumped that ya'll are so curious about what it means to be a hikari and such. And makaylaatw, you're adorable! I'm flattered that you read this because you saw that I wrote it. Hah! I shall become a known name in the Yugioh FF community. Bwahahaha!
Enjoy!
The palace hadn't changed much since Yugi had been there. The corridors were still big and drafty, the walls glittering with all sorts of fine pieces of art to display the pharaoh's wealth and power. The only things that had changed were the occasional statues or vase on the pedestals. Yugi also noticed they had added a large tapestry covering a portion of the wall. That was probably to cover the scorch marks from when Yugi had put them there.
One big change he noticed was the servants. Previously, many of them had appeared sickly, eyes glued to the ground and shrinking away in the hopes to avoid adding more scars to their backs. That was not the case anymore. Most appeared well fed and actually dressed. While they still kept their eyes on the ground, it was out of respect instead of fear.
"I'm impressed." Said Yugi. "You can tell a lot about a man by how he treats his servants."
Even though he had only met him once, Yugi was starting to like this pharaoh more and more. He was still young, having only received the throne a few years ago so it was hard to tell just what sort of impact he would have on Egypt. If the condition of Thebes was anything to go off of, as well as the palace, he should do just fine.
"Things changed a lot when the previous pharaoh became king." Said Author. "Pharaoh Aknamkanon began to implement changes on the way things ran here in the palace and actually addressed the citizen's needs instead of just his own."
"A tradition I hope his son continues." Said Yugi, smiling at another servant they passed.
A few minutes later they reached the room they were looking for. It was a large study, with shelves of papyrus scrolls and a single desk. A man sat there, talking irritably to another person who was hovering by them. Well that was convenient. The tall one was the priest Seto, wearing his blue priest's hat and cape, the golden wings of raw stretching across his brow.
The one sitting at the desk wore shendyt wrapped around his waist with a sash flung over his shoulder. A think gold necklace decorated his person with shoulder length black hair and dark green eyes. That wasn't what made Yugi stare however. It was the aura around him. Dark, but different from Yami candidates. This man was a millennium item user.
The other man noticed them, stopping Seto in the middle of his sentence.
"Ah, Arthur, what can I do for you?" said the man.
"Sorry for intruding." Said Arthur, bowing to the two. "I'm hiring this boy as my apprentice and we need to register him."
"You're taking an apprentice?" said the man, raising an eyebrow and looking over at Yugi. "He's really young. Haven't you always complained that kids can't take care of the plants like you can?"
"I have." Said Arthur, giving a weak smile. "Unfortunately… my back is starting to feel it's years. I can't keep up with my work as well as I'd like to. I have no choice but to have help. Besides, he's not nearly as young as he looks."
"If you're sure." Said the man, looking over at Yugi. "Boy, what is your name?"
"Yugi, sir." Said Yugi, holding back his tongue at Arthur's quip at his age. The priest Seto was standing at his full height, glaring daggers at him. He might as well have been wearing a sign on his forehead that said, 'get the hell out of here'
"Well Yugi, I am Karim." He said, "I am in charge of the work force here. If you have any questions, or complaints, you come to me. Can you read and write?"
"I can sir." Said Yugi.
"Excellent." Karim pulled out a scroll, writing something down on it. He then turned it around, showing it to Yugi.
"This is your contract." He said. "You can read it over before signing your name here. Then you will be an official resident and servant of the palace."
Yugi walked over, looking at it quickly. It was a simple enough contract, spelling out his right and obligations as well as what the palace promised for his services. Yugi was very impressed that they even had one. He signed it, Karim asking him simple questions about his education and knowledge when it came to palace etiquette. Yugi didn't bother pointing out that he probably knew more about it than even the pharaoh.
"Excellent." Said Kraim again, nodding his head in approval. "I was skeptical at first because you seemed so young, but you've chosen a fine apprentice Arthur. He is very knowledgeable."
"Thank you." Said Arthur. "You could say I stumbled upon him recently."
"Then I wished I had your luck." Said Karim. "Give him a proper tour of the palace and make sure the guards will recognize him. You two can start your work again tomorrow."
Arthur and Yugi bowed, recognizing the dismissal. As they left, Yugi couldn't help glancing discreetly towards Seto. The man still hadn't stopped glaring, impatient for them to leave. He obviously had social issues. Why couldn't one of his Yami candidates have been someone nice like Karim?
"What's priest's Seto's deal?" asked Yugi as Arthur took him around so that the guards would recognize him. He didn't really need a tour.
"You've met Priest Seto?" said Arthur. "Well, he's just antsy because of tomorrow. Apparently there's going to be a trial tomorrow to select the next wielder of the Millennium Rod. Priest Seto is highly favored, but Karim has vocally protested against him."
"Really now?" said Yugi, now very curious. He hadn't seen a selection process for the millennium items in years. He wondered if that would affect the candidacy for being a Yami. Maybe he could sneak in and see it
"I know that look Yugi." Said Arthur. "Please don't even think about it. Servants like us aren't allowed inside during the selection."
"Maybe." Said Yugi, a smile crossing his lips. "But what about monsters?"
That night, Yugi held a conference with the monsters he was hosting.
"Sometimes it would be nice to own a lot of money." Said Yugi, nodding to himself. "I would buy lots of food and never leave the house. I'd have a servant do everything. Clean the house, make the food, bathe me, heck even breathe for me if I could get them to do it."
"I don't think this train of thought is helping the situation." said Silent Magician
"How is it not helpful? I'm thinking positive Sil, you know. Glass half full and all that."
Silent Magician hesitated, glancing at the rest in the room.
Yugi was inside his soul room, a corner of his mind set aside to house the monsters he bonded with. It was where they dwelt when they weren't outside with Yugi. The room was well lit, scattered with small personal items such as old toys and pillows. The windows currently showed a dark sky, indicating it was night outside.
As more and more monsters came to bond with Yugi, the room had slowly expanded, allowing for all of them to stay in there comfortably if they chose to. Even for the dragons. At this point, the size of it could probably rival the palace. Several doors had also popped up, allowing for privacy if they wished. The room overall had a nice, cozy feeling to it, one that Yugi enjoyed. Of course, his monster friends spent more time in here then he did, but sometimes he chose to join them to converse face to face.
Most of the monsters were in the room, each bickering with each other in their own tongue. Yugi was the only one that could understand the grumble of monsters, beasts and humanoids. They had yet to come up with a test to gauge the three candidate for their worthiness to become his Yami.
"Isn't testing them supposed to be your job?" said Celtic Guardian. "Why are we having to help you come up with it?" He was sitting by Yugi, arms folded with his sword resting on his lap. Yugi ignored his negative attitude. There was no reason to reward such behavior by paying attention to it.
"So far Kuriboh's idea has been the best." Said Yugi, tapping his chin with a finger. "I could just manifest as him the whole time and see if they mistreat him/me. Obviously a human that is mean to a small helpless creature like Kuriboh isn't right for the job."
Kuriboh snarled at him for being called weak.
"That would wear you out master." Said Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress. Yugi was the only one besides the other dragons that could understand the screeching he was making. "Or they could decide you were a spy for a tethered master. Or they could seal you away in a tablet. Or-"
"For a monster that loves to pull pranks, you sure do worry a lot Wing." Said Yugi interrupting him. "By the way, I think we should change your name. It's too long."
The group groaned, some muttering 'not this again' as they ran their hands or claws over their faces in exasperation.
"What? It's a mouthful to speak and think." Said Yugi. "What about Blue Winged Dragon of the south? Or Wing-a-ling Dragon?"
"I like the first name you gave me, thanks." said Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress, a grin revealing sharp teeth.
"Just a suggestion." Said Yugi stretching his arms over his head. "Anyway we should all get some sleep; we've got a big day ahead of us."
"But we haven't decided on a plan." said Celtic Guardian.
"No, but I'm tired. I'm sure something will manifest itself when it's time."
Celtic's frown grew, his face obviously reading 'then why did you bother conferring with us in the first place!?"
Silent Magician rolled her eyes, patting Celtic's arm patiently to offer him some comfort.
Yugi came over, smacking the tall humanoid on both cheeks with his hands. Celtic jumped slightly, but didn't remove his face from between Yugi's hands.
"Good night Celtic." Said Yugi happily. "And stop being so grumpy."
"Of course master. Good night master."
Yugi winked at him before releasing his cheeks and moving to the next monster, biding them goodnight as well. He took his time talking to each one, making sure they were well balanced and at peace. Then he made his way to a door, glancing back at all his friends. They were all settling in for the night, talking, grumbling and laughing with each other. He smiled softly at the scene, comforted by their presence.
He opened the door, walking out into a long dark stone hallway. Torches light the area on either side, the hall stretching endlessly into darkness on either side. Yuugi closed the door to his soul room, shutting out the bright light and sending him into semi darkness. It also cut off all the noise, leaving Yuugi in complete silence save for his feet, the sound echoing as he walked to the other side of the corridor. He stopped in front of a different door. This one was tall, metal with several bolts and locks crisscrossing in front of it. Its presence was ominous, looming over Yugi and seemingly endless in its size.
"Might as well get this over with." Sighed Yugi. He stretched forth his hand. The locks screeched against each other as they slowly came undone.
This was defiantly not my brightest idea. thought Yugi
"You think?" said Celtic who was hovering transparent by Yugi as they sped through the palace. "You'll be lucky if Kuriboh makes it out alive."
"You might want to duck." said Silent Magician, who was trying her best to not laugh at the situation.
Yugi, who was currently in the form of Kuriboh, glanced to his side, then dodged quickly. He just managed to avoid a large net as it was thrown at him. Kuriboh let out a squeal of fright as he wound around the guards that had been thwarted by their own bulky weapons and armor.
Yugi had changed into Kuriboh earlier that day, hoping to sneak into the ceremony. Instead, he had been chased for the last half hour across the entire palace, dodging each and every guard and attendant along the way. Apparently untethered monsters were not a normal occurrence, nor were they welcome.
"How was I supposed to know that they would react like this?" said Yugi, he quickly turned a corner, hiding behind a large urn to catch his breath. "Seriously, they must think I'm going to sprout horns and breathe fire at any minute."
"Which you could do if you wanted to." Said Silent Magician.
"Still not helpful Sil."
"So what now?" said Celtic. The humanoid walked to the edge of the hall, standing watch for the guards. "It's only a matter of time before they send for a magician of some sort to take care of us. Should you change back into a human?"
"You know me better than that." said Yugi. "I'm going to that ceremony if it's the last thing I do!"
"Of course you are." sighed Celtic. "Might want to start moving soon. This time it's the pharaoh that's coming. His guards are likely to be more experienced than those buffoons using nets."
"The pharaoh?" said Yugi, brightening. He rushed out form his hiding place, quickly flying towards the king. Celtic sped by him, panicking.
"Are you trying to get Kuriboh sealed?" said Celtic. "Gods, you are this close to being an idiot!"
"Don't worry." said Yugi. "I have a plan."
Not really, but he hoped saying he did would shut up Celtic, which it did, so it was a good plan. The monsters all disappeared inside of Yugi a second later, not wanting the king to sense them.
As Yugi approached, he quickly sized up the other two that flanked the pharaoh. One was a tall man wearing white robes and a keen expression. If Yugi hadn't been able to tell he was a millennium bearer from his aura, he would have been able to tell from the obvious chain hanging from his neck. It was the millennium necklace, the eye of Horus enclosed in a triangular formation surrounded by a ring of gold.
The other person beside the king was a smaller woman. She wore a short dress, her upbeat personality obvious from her unkempt brown hair and bright eyes. Yugi could also detect a subtle strength of magic, obviously a budding talent.
The king himself was more decorated than the last time Yugi had seen him. His eyes had been outlined in dark kohl, new bands gripping his upper arm that were embedded with precious gems. On his brow rested his crown with the eye of Horus, the puzzle hanging from his neck like before.
The three of them did a good job of being intimidating.
The second Yugi had come out of the corridor, they had all reacted differently. The king's eyes had registered recognition as well as confusion. The girl appeared delighted for some reason, and judging by the way the last man's eyes had darkened, he saw Yugi as a threat. That wasn't good.
"My king, step back." Said the man, throwing out a hand and raising the other to Yugi. Dark energy began to swirl around the millennium ring, and Yugi could tell he was preparing to summon his Ka. Yugi skidded to a halt not too close in front of them.
"Aw, look at how cute he is." Said the girl, clasping her hands together. "How could such a sweet thing be a threat Mahad? I want to keep it!"
"Don't be fooled." Said the man, Mahad. "Appearances can be deceiving."
"Stand down Mahad." Said the king, "Do not fret. He is a friend."
"A friend you say?" said Mahad.
"Yes, so put that away before you poke an eye out." said the woman, grinning at Yugi.
Mahad looked unconvinced, but he released his shadow magic slowly as he returned to his position by the king, still wary. Yugi let out a sigh, glad his gamble had paid off so far.
A shout a second later made Kuriboh jump, quickly darting behind the king in fright.
"I think we know what the fuss is about now." Said the girl, calmly taking a hold of Kuriboh and hugging him to her chest. "Trust the guards to get their feathers in a bunch from such a small thing."
Kuriboh purred in her arm, happy with the attention and pampering. Yugi was enjoying it himself.
The king chuckle. "Yes, somehow he has the ability to pop up and cause all sort of problems. He was the monster we found in my mother's burial chamber."
"He was?" said the woman, holding Kuriboh at arm's length and looking at him curiously. "How did you get in there?"
Kuriboh let out a kuri~, causing the girl to giggle. From the side corridor, three guards came running out, pointing towards Kuriboh as they approached.
"My king." Said the one in the front. "That monster. We've-"
"Been trying to catch it, I figured." Said the king, interrupting them. "What did he do to cause such distress?"
"Well, we found him wandering the corridors sire. He is untethered. We can't trust him."
"Indeed." Said the king, taking a look at Yugi, who was doing his best to appear as innocent and fluffy as possible in the woman's arm. It wasn't that hard when the girl was giggling like mad as she rocked him back and forth in delight.
Yugi's attention, however, was on the king. He couldn't help noticing the age behind the eyes that currently surveyed him. That was not the weight of a normal teenager. He had seen enough to have a steadfast conviction in his own actions and assessments. If Yugi had to guess, he doubted very much that the counsel would ever be able to make him a puppet out of him. Few who held this sort of inner strength could be bulled in such a way.
Just as Yugi was measuring the king, Atem, finished his own assessment of Yugi.
"Make sure to spread the word." He said to the guard. "This creature is not a threat. He has my protection."
The guard was confused, but didn't question the king as he ordered his men back to their posts. As they walked back, Yugi noticed that Mahad didn't look too pleased.
"So now what do we do with you?" said the woman, holding up Kuriboh and making a face at him. She was obviously ignoring her friend's disapproval. "We can't just have you running around can we?"
"I agree." Said Mahad. "My pharaoh, we should find a host for him, or perhaps he can be the first Ka the new rod bearer seals."
"No." Said the king. "There is no need for that. Can you sense any hostility from him?"
"No sire." Said Mahad. "But he does have a strange energy around him. Surely you have noticed."
"I have." Said the king. "But I can't find it in me to distrust him, and when it comes to these sorts of matters, I have learned to trust my instincts. If he finds someone he wishes to bond with, I will not deny them. Until then, I see no reason to be hasty."
"Of course my king." Said Mahad. "but I still desire for you to exercise caution."
"Thank you for your concern. It is noted."
The woman blew out a long breath, rolling her eyes at the two. "You guys are so old sounding. There's no one around but us. You don't have to be so official. If you think Atem is being dumb you can just tell him Mahad."
Mahad's lips twitched, though if he was hiding a frown or a smile, Yugi couldn't tell.
"It is not wise to make a habit of disrespecting the king, Mana." Said the man.
Mana rolled her eyes again. "I know, but really, sometimes I miss the days we could just run around and play in the gardens. Oh, hey, we should probably hurry or we'll be late."
Atem gave Mana a fond smile before nodding in agreement. "Then let us go."
Mana let go of Yugi, waving at him as if she expected him to run off. He didn't, instead flying over to hover beside the king as they walked. Atem gave him a questioning glance.
"Do you wish to come see the ceremony little one?" he said.
Yugi gave a noise of assent.
"What a curious little thing." chuckled Atem. "Mahad, what do you think?"
The man gave Yugi a long stare, his dark eyes searing Yugi's frame. The gaze was piercing, and Yugi could tell he was a shrewd man who saw much that people tried to hide. He would make a great counselor to a king, if indeed that's what he was.
"There should be no problem as long as he doesn't interfere." He finally said. "But creature, if you do anything to disrupt the ceremony, there will be consequences. Is that reasonable my pharaoh?"
"It is." Said Atem, nodding at Yugi. "I admit; I'll be glad for you company. I find myself enjoying your presence."
Yugi gave another happy sound of agreement. He would think it again. The more he learned of this pharaoh, the more he liked him, and not just because he was allowing him into the ceremony.
So don't even go there Sil I know you're thinking it.
