Special thanks to:
Kayla Edogawa, BlackRoseDraco, Aurora Hargreaves, blacksinger, Siberia Mueko -aka- Monkey, ireneotaku, (Yami has a brotherly feeling towards Yugi at this point not a lovers feeling and Yugi has no feelings for Yami right now other than a master/slave relationship that won't happen for a long time yet I just wanted to put that across to anyone who thought that. :D) shadowrealm818, Yugixyamiyaoilover, and lloyd-forever for reviewing. Kayla Edogawa and ireneotaku for story alerting, and ireneotaku for adding me to her author alert.
Well Leon figured out what he was going to do for Rejected Souls. He was hiding it from me too the little bugger but oh well. He created a very small story arch for the story in Yugi's POV however we're going to intertwine this with the outside world as well *seeing as Yugi is unconscious these chapters will be like his dreams and stuff like that so normal POV will be the outside world.* Now Leon doesn't like to write lengthy chapters like I tend to do so the update will be small and it will leave you guys hanging for a while as you try to figure out what Yami's going to do.
So without further debut, Leon Eclipse's first fanfic and story chapter :D Also this chapter is kinda dark and gruesome so enter at your own risk. It's not too bad though but let's just say the beginning gave me shivers.
Yugi's POV
(Please remember that Yugi is still unconscious and these are his dreams however they may have a tie to the real story eventually it depends on Luna)
Darkness was all that surrounded me as I awoke from my confused state. I had no idea where I was or what happened and at that point all I wanted was answers.
Just then my head pounded as memories started to flash before my eyes. Me being in the desert on the verge of death, being rescued and brought to the palace by High Priest Seto and his two guards, Bes, becoming Prince Yami's personal slave (or as he likes to call servant), and then I was bitten by a rattlesnake while I was in Prince Yami's bathing chambers as I was retrieving something from the cupboard however I don't remember what it was that I was retrieving or what I was retrieving it for.
So that was it then, I died thanks to that snake and this is what awaits a cursed soul. Complete and utter darkness for the rest of eternity. Damn, that seems rather dark and depressing but now that I think about it. It kind of makes sense since I'm a depressing being to be around seeing as I'm cursed and wasn't lucky to be cured like Prince Yami was.
Thinking and knowing that I wasn't the only cursed one in the world seeing as the curse has been around for hundreds of years I decided to see if anyone else was around here who could answer any of the questions I had.
"Hello?" I called out. "Is anyone there? Can anyone help me?" I shouted but nothing happened or answered me.
I sighed in disappointment, knowing that my life wasn't that easy no matter how much I wished it was. Or should I say my after life since I was dead now.
"Is that what you believe child? Do you believe you are dead?" A strong mystical voice boomed from around me.
"Who's there?" I asked in fear. "Almighty Osiris? Almighty Anubis?" I asked and the voice laughed.
"No young one I am not Osiris or Anubis. I am not even a God or Goddess." The voice said.
"Then who are you?"
"An Apparition."
"Apparition? What's that?"
"Damn didn't anyone teach you anything?" the voice asked laughed again but stopped suddenly. "Ah I see now, you're one of Anubis' "cursed" ones. No wonder you aren't very bright. Well in latemens terms anyway. You are bright for one of your status I suppose." It added and I felt a chilling breeze wrap around my body and I stiffened.
"Apparitions can be anything. Demons, Spirits, ghosts, even those monsters that the palace courts use to judge criminals and even the spirits that rest inside one's soul."
"You mean Ba's and Ka's?"
"Exactly. However I trust you know the difference between the two."
"Actually…" I started with a blush on my already heavily pale cheeks.
"Oh dear Ra! I swear the Prince needs to teach you some of this crap. Fine I'll enlighten you. A Ba is a demon or apparition that plagues a human's soul and corrupts it. Usually the apparitions the judges or wielders of the millennium items extract from criminals are Ba's. A ka is a demon or apparition that does the opposite it protects the human's soul and some can even go as far as to manifesting the Ka so that it will become a companion or pet."
"So, what does that make you?"
"I am neither for I do not inhabit a human body or soul."
"So you're not my Ba or Ka then?"
"No, you're soul is not currently in your body. It's here in this Dark Realm."
"My soul is in the Shadow Realm? How can that be? I was only bitten by a rattlesnake and claimed by venom. Then again I am cursed so who knows."
"I don't know the true reason you are here but I assure you this is not the Shadow Realm of which you spoke of. I guess its pretty close but the Shadow Realm is a lot more gruesome than this empty world of nothingness. The shadow realm has apparitions that have will tear you from limb to limb and devour you in the most gruesome and painful fashions that even the human mind can never comprehend unless they experienced it for themselves."
"Why's that?"
"Because usually it never ends. You beg and beg and beg for it to end but it never will. No matter how much and how long you beg. It last for eternity and eventually, if you're lucky enough, the soul goes mad and will turn into an apparition. Most aren't lucky enough to turn into an apparition and are forced to endure the torture because that's the only way for the suffering to end."
Shivers ran through my body at that time from the mental picture that ran into my head.
"Please, let's change the topic. That's way too gory for my taste."
"I saw you're mental picture little one and trust me as I said before the torture is far worse than any human can comprehend. You made it seem like it was the perfect afterlife." The apparition said
Then, the cold feeling that was wrapped around my body seemed to manifest itself into a black smoke or fog and eventually it uncoiled from around me and appeared in a fog in front of me where it finally started to take form.
The fog like smoke turned into a dark lizard like serpent, mixed with what I think might be a fire element since it had red scales and flames coming out from the spine of its body. It had a cold dark stare with its golden colored eyes and it had these weird markings on its body as well but I couldn't tell you what they looked like because I have no idea myself. (Thus the weird part)
I was taken by surprise with the sudden appearance so I gasped and took a step back but wound up falling on my butt.
"Calm down little one I'm not going to hurt you." The spirit laughed "Hey, do you got a name?"
"It's…Yugi…sir." I said
The spirit laughed once more.
"There's no need to be polite to me. I know you're a slave but still. This place has no existence to anyone who isn't in here. I doubt that if you regain consciousness you'll even remember this place anyways." The spirit replied.
"Then, can I ask what your name is?"
"Hmm…a name huh? I suppose I don't have one. How about you call me Fizardo?" He said and I raised my eye brow.
"Fizardo?"
"It's a spur of the moment thing. Besides I kinda like it."
"Alright if you say so." I added and went off that subject. "Not that I don't like this place but…can you tell me how to get out of here?"
"You need to prove yourself worthy of getting out of here. By passing a multitude of tests. And if you pass those tests, someone in the land of the living has to want you to come back as well. That's all I know. To a point you might even find your Ba or Ka helping you along the way as well."
"Someone in the land of the living has to want me to come back to life?" I wondered and I felt my spirit dampen. "Then I might as well get used to this place. I'm cursed, no one wants me back so to go through the trials you spoke of wouldn't make sense."
"I assume someone wants you to live. After all, you're body is still alive. Without your soul it wouldn't last long without proper aide and even the most talented of healers wouldn't be able to keep your body going forever. They'll let your body die and then you'll leave this place and go to the afterlife before Osiris and be judged. You should at least give it a fighting chance." Fizardo said.
"Seriously? How long was I unconscious for so far? Do you know?"
"I don't know how long in your world you were asleep for however I do know that you were unconscious here for a decent amount of time before you finally woke up. Hmm… I believe it might've been a week here and without food your body back in the land of the living won't last long so if someone isn't tending to you you'd only have two weeks to live." Fizardo replied.
"Two weeks?! You said you didn't know how long I was here it might be too late!" I shouted in fear.
"If it was too late you wouldn't be here Yugi." Fizardo added wrapping his long scaly body around me and his face leaned on my shoulder. "Face it, it's the only way out of here."
"Say I went on this "trial" what would happen to me should I fail the tests?"
"You'd go to the afterlife to be judged. You're not going to go to the shadow realm if that's what you're worried about. So, what will it be?"
"You know, your acting like a pawn for the god of the underworld." I said. "How can I trust you?"
"Well your smart kid but trust me I have no reason to lie to you." Fizardo replied. "If you do decided to go through the trials let me know until then. Tata!" Fizardo added and he turned back into fog/smoke and faded into the darkness.
I sighed and I sat down on the floor and crossed my arms and legs as I considered my chances with these trials.
Of course, I'm not a strong person physically. I may be good at puzzles and games and doing what I was told to do but that's all I had to my name. I wasn't able to fight, I'm not fast so if I had to run about something in order to pass the test I was screwed. I had way too many flaws to make a difference.
"Maybe I should just accept defeat and just wait to be sent to the afterlife to be judged by Almighty Osiris." I sighed.
After I wondered further about it I realized something. I actually loved my new life at the palace. I loved being friends with Heba, Atemu, Yami, Ryou and the others. I didn't want to give that up not yet. I needed my new friends and I was going to be damned if I gave that up. I understood that it would be a long shot in passing all of the trials, especially since I had no idea how many trials there were but I figured that if I was still under the god's watchful eye and I if fate meant for me to return to the land of the living I would be able to pass the tests and if not then this was how I was supposed to go.
With a new determination I jumped up onto my feet and I was looked around in the darkness for Fizardo.
"Fizardo! Fizardo where are you?! I made my decision. I want to go through with the tests I can't give up on life not yet, not when things were just starting to get better in my life. I want to return to my friends. I just have to hope that they will want me to return or something like that." I shouted as I furiously started to look around
"I see you have finally come around." Fizardo replied and he manifested in front of me once again and he wrapped himself around my shoulders and he leaned his head over my shoulders to speak into my ears. "Are you sure that you're going to go through with this? If you are I want you to know there's no turning back."
"I understand. I want to try to go back I want to be with my friends again my life was way better there even if I have a psychopathic consul man after me I'm willing to go through with it."
"Alright then Yugi. Since I don't know all the details in full detail I'll send you to the beginning of the trials where you'll have the rules given to you. I do however wish you well. You seem like a good kid."
"Thanks Fizardo." I smiled and he unleashed a ball of fire which surrounded my body and I screamed expecting pain but all I felt was comforting warmth. "Sorry about that." I blushed.
"No problem. Fair well kid." Fizardo replied and then he disappeared as the flames engulfed me.
Again this was written by Leon not me but if you guys like this the next chapter will be the first trial for Yugi and he'll write it next week. If people still want to vote for the contest please do and refer to the contest voting chapter for rules please. Thanks and please review on Leon's first ever published chapter/story.