"To Love the Dark"
By JessieHeart
~ALL RIGHT! I've got 200+ pounds of pocky thanks to Authoress, and I still don't claim ownership over Yu-Gi-Oh! SWEET!~
Chapter Eight-
'Dragons'
*
"Come on Jounouchi. What's your play?"
Katsuya looked over his hand of cards, making his best poker face. In fact, that's what he was playing.
The dino-master Dinosaur Ryuzaki had invited Jounouchi to play cards with him and his friends. Katsuya had joined eagerly- poker was his best game.
Jounouchi closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "You sure you don't wanna quit now, Ryuzaki? You've already lost 300 gold coins to me..."
Dinosaur's friends laughed. Ryuzaki narrowed his eyes and Jounouchi grinned.
"Fine. I'll raise you five silver pieces," he said at last. Ryuzaki looked thoughtful.
"Let me study your face," he asked. Jounouchi leaned in so the two were nose-to-nose. "Ha! You got nothing!"
"You sure 'bout that?"
"You're full of hot air, Jounouchi. There's no way you could beat this hand. In fact, I'll even bet my strongest dragon against you!"
Everyone's jaw dropped. Someone shouted, "Not the Red Eyes!"
Ryuzaki threw the key to the Black Dragon's pen into the center of the table. Then he revealed his hand.
"See? I can't beat!" Ryuzaki huffed.
Jounouchi made clicking noises with his tongue. "You know, Dinosaur, poker really isn't your game," He revealed his cards. "Royal Flush!"
Ryuzaki slapped his forehead. "Man, I gotta learn when to quit when I'm ahead!"
Jounouchi grinned. "You forget, I beating you from the beginning!"
Ryuzaki groaned and took Jounouchi out back to where he kept the dragons and dinosaurs. He was led into a large stable with different dragons in each pen.
"Well, there he is, the king of all tame beasts. The Red-Eyes Black Dragon."
Jounouchi peered into the stall and saw him. The black dragon was curled up, asleep. His head was tucked under a wing, and his tail was wrapped around himself. Jounouchi raised his eyebrow.
"Doesn't look so strong to me," he said. Ryuzaki shrugged.
"Yeah, when he is ASLEEP he's as harmless as a pussy cat. But one look at those burning red eyes you'll see. You'll see..." Ryuzaki trailed off. He kicked the ground, ashamed at losing his prize over a card game. "I'll have the black dragon sent back to the palace with you..."
Jounouchi nodded, but wasn't really listening. He was looking at the other monsters. Asleep in another stall was a large pink dragon.
"What's that one called?" Jounouchi asked.
Dinosaur looked at the pink dragon. "Oh. That's a pet dragon. All it does is eat and sleep; occasionally it'll play or breathe flame. I've been told it has special powers around those mountain harpy things... but I'VE never seen one..."
Jounouchi considered. Being a servant, he really could afford to get Mai jewelry or anything like that, but it would be nice to give her _something_...
"So, that thing's a pet?"
"Yup."
"Ryuzaki, what do you say we play one more card game?..."
*
Anzu pounded on Mai's door.
"Coming, coming..." the blonde said form within. The door swung open. "Don't you have an patience Jou-"
Mai stopped suddenly. Anzu blinked at her.
"Jou...?"
"Nothing. I guess you've come for the potion..."
Anzu nodded. Mai disappeared into her room and came back with a small crystal bottle. Inside was a clear liquid. Anzu swirled it around.
"It looks like perfume," she said. "You sure this will... work?"
Mai nodded. "Yes. You hold in your hands a 100% positive pregnancy test. It won't lie to you. Do you need me to tell you how to perform the ritual again?"
"Uh, no... I think I remember..." A little bit of blush spread across Anzu's nose. About two months ago, Yami had started trying to create and a child with her. An heir to his thrown, a new pharaoh. But recently Anzu had been unsure if SHE wanted this, because a child would bind her to Yami and the bloodline. She wouldn't be allowed to experiment with her feelings for Yuugi...
Mai shrugged. "Okay then. If that's all..."
"Right... right," Anzu said. Mai closed the door and she hurried off.
*
"Yami! Pharaoh Yami!"
Yuugi dashed into the thrown room. The pharaoh looked at the boy with concern in his eyes.
"What is it?"
"Three white dragons... I saw them..." Yuugi panted.
"WHAT?"
"Some villages saw them too, on the mountainside, but only for an instant. They looked like dragons, and were snow-colored. Could they be Blue Eyes?"
Yami shook his head. "Of course not! Those dragons of legend haven't been seen in over a hundred years."
Seto Kaiba stepped forward. "Pharaoh, obviously there has been some sort of mistake. Those dragons could have been anything. Besides, since when did the pharaoh listen to the accusations of a mere BOY?"
Yuugi glared at Kaiba.
Yami nodded. "The priest is correct, Yuugi. Those things you saw could have been ANYTHING, but that includes Blue-Eyes White Dragons. I want the Dark Magicians and their apprentice summoned here by noon tomorrow."
Yuugi bowed. "Of course, my pharaoh..."
*
Jounouchi tightened a blindfold around Mai.
"You sure you can't see anything?" he asked.
"Of course Jounouchi. This blind fold is so tight, I doubt I could HEAR anything..." she answered.
Katsuya tied it for good measure and took her hands. He noticed an angry red wound going down her right hand. It ran from the end of her thumb down to the tip of her pointer finger. Upon closer examination, he saw that the wound was a cut. It looked fresh, too.
"What happened?" he asked in concern.
Mai withdrew her hand away from him. "It's nothing. I cut myself, that's all. I'm clumsy with swords and knives..."
Jounouchi wasn't sure if he believed her. But he decided to let the issue go. He took her other hand and led her to the palace courtyard.
"You ready for your surprise?"
"Yes! Now get the blind fold off of me!"
"Ta-da!"
Mai saw the pink dragon and gasped. She clapped her hands in delight and ran up the dragon.
"Oh, she's beautiful Jounouchi! Where'd you get her?"
"Let's just say her former owner was a horrible poker player..." Katsuya said with a grin.
Mai smiled. "Oh, I'm going to pamper her until she's spoiled rotten. She needs jewels and feather, and a gold collar... Katsuya, I love her!" Mai ran up to him and kissed him.
"Whoa, I should get you things more often!"
A loud, breathy roar was let off overhead. Mai, Jounouchi, and the pet dragon looked up. The Red Eyes was making circles above them.
"Oh yeah," Jounouchi said guiltily. "That one's mine."
Mai was awe-inspired. "He's magnificent..."
"Mai, if this battle the pharaoh keeps talking about happens, I'm going to use my dragon to fight. I want to protect you and Shizuka."
The girl pushed away from him, the earlier delight gone from her eyes. "No!"
"No? No what?"
"I don't want you to fight! For one thing, I don't NEED protecting, and second, my vision was clear about your death! I don't want you to die."
Jounouchi looked away. "I know you don't need protection, you're very independent Mai. But my little sister is weak and blind. She needs me. I can't just sit back and let your vision come true."
Mai knew she couldn't stop him. Jounouchi was independent as well. She looked over at the pet dragon.
"She breaths flame, right? You sure she's just a pet?"
"Yes and yes."
"Not any more. If you're going to protect me, someone's got to protect YOU."
*
Anzu set up her ritual area, an altar with a bowl surrounded by three white candles. She lit them and poured the crystal liquid into the bowl.
Then she picked up an ivory knife and brought it to her right hand. Slowly, she made a thin cut from the bottom of her thumb to the tip of her pointer finger. Blood spilled down her hand in a steady river, landing in the water. The blood swirled in the bowl, and the liquid turned red.
She counted to five and pressed a white cloth against her hand. She breathed slowly as she waited for the pressure to stop the bleeding. Anzu felt a little dizzy.
She suddenly remembered seeing a similar cut on Mai's right hand and wondered if the sorceress hand done the same ritual. She pushed the thought out of her head. Mai was not the kind to get 'involved' with a man.
Finally Anzu added some regular spring water and muttered a chant. Then she waited as it continued to swirl.
If the bowl turned purple, it meant she did not carry a child. If it turned blue, she had a boy. Pink, a girl. The red began to vanish...
Anzu fell to her knees.
The liquid was not purple.
*
End of Chapter Eight
*
Author's Notes:
Heh heh heh... I know, I suck for not up-dating in a long time and then giving you guys ANOTHER cliffhanger. But this is my longest chapter YET! I had the choice of typing this or a new chapter to 'Millenium Children', but 'To Love the Dark' won. ^-^
NEXT CHAPTER: At last, the Magicians will meet the rest of the characters! Mayhem! Battle! True loves! Is Anzu's child a boy or girl? Is Jounouchi really going to die? How am _I_ gonna eat 200+ pounds of pocky by myself?! (Thanks so much for that Authoress! It made me laugh!)
Later!
*
By JessieHeart
~ALL RIGHT! I've got 200+ pounds of pocky thanks to Authoress, and I still don't claim ownership over Yu-Gi-Oh! SWEET!~
Chapter Eight-
'Dragons'
*
"Come on Jounouchi. What's your play?"
Katsuya looked over his hand of cards, making his best poker face. In fact, that's what he was playing.
The dino-master Dinosaur Ryuzaki had invited Jounouchi to play cards with him and his friends. Katsuya had joined eagerly- poker was his best game.
Jounouchi closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "You sure you don't wanna quit now, Ryuzaki? You've already lost 300 gold coins to me..."
Dinosaur's friends laughed. Ryuzaki narrowed his eyes and Jounouchi grinned.
"Fine. I'll raise you five silver pieces," he said at last. Ryuzaki looked thoughtful.
"Let me study your face," he asked. Jounouchi leaned in so the two were nose-to-nose. "Ha! You got nothing!"
"You sure 'bout that?"
"You're full of hot air, Jounouchi. There's no way you could beat this hand. In fact, I'll even bet my strongest dragon against you!"
Everyone's jaw dropped. Someone shouted, "Not the Red Eyes!"
Ryuzaki threw the key to the Black Dragon's pen into the center of the table. Then he revealed his hand.
"See? I can't beat!" Ryuzaki huffed.
Jounouchi made clicking noises with his tongue. "You know, Dinosaur, poker really isn't your game," He revealed his cards. "Royal Flush!"
Ryuzaki slapped his forehead. "Man, I gotta learn when to quit when I'm ahead!"
Jounouchi grinned. "You forget, I beating you from the beginning!"
Ryuzaki groaned and took Jounouchi out back to where he kept the dragons and dinosaurs. He was led into a large stable with different dragons in each pen.
"Well, there he is, the king of all tame beasts. The Red-Eyes Black Dragon."
Jounouchi peered into the stall and saw him. The black dragon was curled up, asleep. His head was tucked under a wing, and his tail was wrapped around himself. Jounouchi raised his eyebrow.
"Doesn't look so strong to me," he said. Ryuzaki shrugged.
"Yeah, when he is ASLEEP he's as harmless as a pussy cat. But one look at those burning red eyes you'll see. You'll see..." Ryuzaki trailed off. He kicked the ground, ashamed at losing his prize over a card game. "I'll have the black dragon sent back to the palace with you..."
Jounouchi nodded, but wasn't really listening. He was looking at the other monsters. Asleep in another stall was a large pink dragon.
"What's that one called?" Jounouchi asked.
Dinosaur looked at the pink dragon. "Oh. That's a pet dragon. All it does is eat and sleep; occasionally it'll play or breathe flame. I've been told it has special powers around those mountain harpy things... but I'VE never seen one..."
Jounouchi considered. Being a servant, he really could afford to get Mai jewelry or anything like that, but it would be nice to give her _something_...
"So, that thing's a pet?"
"Yup."
"Ryuzaki, what do you say we play one more card game?..."
*
Anzu pounded on Mai's door.
"Coming, coming..." the blonde said form within. The door swung open. "Don't you have an patience Jou-"
Mai stopped suddenly. Anzu blinked at her.
"Jou...?"
"Nothing. I guess you've come for the potion..."
Anzu nodded. Mai disappeared into her room and came back with a small crystal bottle. Inside was a clear liquid. Anzu swirled it around.
"It looks like perfume," she said. "You sure this will... work?"
Mai nodded. "Yes. You hold in your hands a 100% positive pregnancy test. It won't lie to you. Do you need me to tell you how to perform the ritual again?"
"Uh, no... I think I remember..." A little bit of blush spread across Anzu's nose. About two months ago, Yami had started trying to create and a child with her. An heir to his thrown, a new pharaoh. But recently Anzu had been unsure if SHE wanted this, because a child would bind her to Yami and the bloodline. She wouldn't be allowed to experiment with her feelings for Yuugi...
Mai shrugged. "Okay then. If that's all..."
"Right... right," Anzu said. Mai closed the door and she hurried off.
*
"Yami! Pharaoh Yami!"
Yuugi dashed into the thrown room. The pharaoh looked at the boy with concern in his eyes.
"What is it?"
"Three white dragons... I saw them..." Yuugi panted.
"WHAT?"
"Some villages saw them too, on the mountainside, but only for an instant. They looked like dragons, and were snow-colored. Could they be Blue Eyes?"
Yami shook his head. "Of course not! Those dragons of legend haven't been seen in over a hundred years."
Seto Kaiba stepped forward. "Pharaoh, obviously there has been some sort of mistake. Those dragons could have been anything. Besides, since when did the pharaoh listen to the accusations of a mere BOY?"
Yuugi glared at Kaiba.
Yami nodded. "The priest is correct, Yuugi. Those things you saw could have been ANYTHING, but that includes Blue-Eyes White Dragons. I want the Dark Magicians and their apprentice summoned here by noon tomorrow."
Yuugi bowed. "Of course, my pharaoh..."
*
Jounouchi tightened a blindfold around Mai.
"You sure you can't see anything?" he asked.
"Of course Jounouchi. This blind fold is so tight, I doubt I could HEAR anything..." she answered.
Katsuya tied it for good measure and took her hands. He noticed an angry red wound going down her right hand. It ran from the end of her thumb down to the tip of her pointer finger. Upon closer examination, he saw that the wound was a cut. It looked fresh, too.
"What happened?" he asked in concern.
Mai withdrew her hand away from him. "It's nothing. I cut myself, that's all. I'm clumsy with swords and knives..."
Jounouchi wasn't sure if he believed her. But he decided to let the issue go. He took her other hand and led her to the palace courtyard.
"You ready for your surprise?"
"Yes! Now get the blind fold off of me!"
"Ta-da!"
Mai saw the pink dragon and gasped. She clapped her hands in delight and ran up the dragon.
"Oh, she's beautiful Jounouchi! Where'd you get her?"
"Let's just say her former owner was a horrible poker player..." Katsuya said with a grin.
Mai smiled. "Oh, I'm going to pamper her until she's spoiled rotten. She needs jewels and feather, and a gold collar... Katsuya, I love her!" Mai ran up to him and kissed him.
"Whoa, I should get you things more often!"
A loud, breathy roar was let off overhead. Mai, Jounouchi, and the pet dragon looked up. The Red Eyes was making circles above them.
"Oh yeah," Jounouchi said guiltily. "That one's mine."
Mai was awe-inspired. "He's magnificent..."
"Mai, if this battle the pharaoh keeps talking about happens, I'm going to use my dragon to fight. I want to protect you and Shizuka."
The girl pushed away from him, the earlier delight gone from her eyes. "No!"
"No? No what?"
"I don't want you to fight! For one thing, I don't NEED protecting, and second, my vision was clear about your death! I don't want you to die."
Jounouchi looked away. "I know you don't need protection, you're very independent Mai. But my little sister is weak and blind. She needs me. I can't just sit back and let your vision come true."
Mai knew she couldn't stop him. Jounouchi was independent as well. She looked over at the pet dragon.
"She breaths flame, right? You sure she's just a pet?"
"Yes and yes."
"Not any more. If you're going to protect me, someone's got to protect YOU."
*
Anzu set up her ritual area, an altar with a bowl surrounded by three white candles. She lit them and poured the crystal liquid into the bowl.
Then she picked up an ivory knife and brought it to her right hand. Slowly, she made a thin cut from the bottom of her thumb to the tip of her pointer finger. Blood spilled down her hand in a steady river, landing in the water. The blood swirled in the bowl, and the liquid turned red.
She counted to five and pressed a white cloth against her hand. She breathed slowly as she waited for the pressure to stop the bleeding. Anzu felt a little dizzy.
She suddenly remembered seeing a similar cut on Mai's right hand and wondered if the sorceress hand done the same ritual. She pushed the thought out of her head. Mai was not the kind to get 'involved' with a man.
Finally Anzu added some regular spring water and muttered a chant. Then she waited as it continued to swirl.
If the bowl turned purple, it meant she did not carry a child. If it turned blue, she had a boy. Pink, a girl. The red began to vanish...
Anzu fell to her knees.
The liquid was not purple.
*
End of Chapter Eight
*
Author's Notes:
Heh heh heh... I know, I suck for not up-dating in a long time and then giving you guys ANOTHER cliffhanger. But this is my longest chapter YET! I had the choice of typing this or a new chapter to 'Millenium Children', but 'To Love the Dark' won. ^-^
NEXT CHAPTER: At last, the Magicians will meet the rest of the characters! Mayhem! Battle! True loves! Is Anzu's child a boy or girl? Is Jounouchi really going to die? How am _I_ gonna eat 200+ pounds of pocky by myself?! (Thanks so much for that Authoress! It made me laugh!)
Later!
*
