Yami leaned his head back in his throne and closed his eyes. He needed a
rest. And a short one wouldn't hurt anyone. It only seemed like seconds
later Seto was pressing the God Rod against Yami. "Pharaoh...Wake up!" he
whispered loudly.
Yami's eyes shot open and he stared at Seto. "Yes? What?"
"A group of rebels have challenged you to a battle."
"Then we must except."
"I would be honored," Seto began hesitantly, "if you'd let me represent you in this battle."
Yami leaned his head on his fist, tired. "No...I can't risk you if you loose. Have Dionon."
Seto nodded. "As you wish. I will be back soon to take you to the battle arena."
Yami nodded. He motioned for a slave to come close to him. "Please...get Yugi from my room," he said softly.
The slave nodded and ran off.
Yami sat, tiredly blinking. The Nile flood was coming soon and he was beginning to feel over-whelmed by everything around. He happily took Yugi into his arms and held him close, feeling safe within Yugi's warmth.
Yugi's wide eyes looked around in amazement as everyone hurried around. "What's happening, Yami?" he asked softly.
Yami petted at Yugi's hair, watching the running around. "I've been challenged to a battle...over my kingdom."
"A battle? Like war?"
"No...it is different. A magical battle is held between two opposing sides."
Seto walked fast to Yami. "Come Morning Star, they have arrived."
Yami picked up Yugi and followed Seto to the arena. "The two people call out spells, summoning magical beast to partake in the battle. A certain number of people are needed to keep the beast's power going. You get to have 8000 in total. Some battles have taken days to complete while others seem to be over in a matter of minutes." Yami took his seat at the throne in the room, ignoring everyone but Yugi. "When stronger monsters destroy one of yours, the people...the spell chanters...are sent to the Shadow Realm, a place people never leave filled with great magic. To combat and fortify the beasts, other spells are chanted. It's largely magic. Whoever destroys all of their opponents chanters wins. Whoever losses is sent to the Shadow Realm as well."
Yugi turned to look at the arena, eyes wide. "People never come back?"
"No, they don't."
Yugi looked at the two people facing each other. Tears formed in his eyes as he moved in closer to Yami.
~~~
Bakura looked at Yugi out of the corner of his eye, anger rising up in him. ~If only I had the God Items. All of them. Then he'd believe me. He's only scared he can't do anything to restore his kingdom. I'll show him. Then he will be king. He will be our--~ Bakura's eyes widen as he looked at Yami's opponent. Bakura grabbed at Seto's arm and leaned in, whispering. "The God Ring...he has it."
Seto looked up, then turned to look at Bakura. "It will be yours soon. Our kingdom has never lost a battle."
The battle began, proving to be tense from beginning to end. Monster after monster, spell after spell--Dionon proved to be an excellent spell castor and battler. His opponent had barely even made a dent into his Life Points before his own reached zero.
Dionon raised his staff up and spoke loudly, "As a penalty for loosing and for disrespect to your king, I send you to the Shadow Realm!"
Yugi watched in awe as the man's spirit seemed to lift up out of his body and get sucked into the staff.
As the spectators began to cheer loudly, Seto called above it, "Let this be a lesson to anyone planning to conquer our God King. Morning Star has never and will never be beaten. Take the body to the temple, we must have it destroyed!"
Yugi clutched at Yami, beginning to cry. Yami felt himself needing to cry, but for some reason, he knew, that it was for another reason than Yugi. He held Yugi close, not moving from his throne as people began filing out. He hadn't even chanted and yet everyone felt that he himself had won. He was being held in high regards while Dionon would go back to his seemingly everyday scribe work. Yami had never even battled before and yet Seto had said, "Morning Star has never and will never be beaten." They had whole faith in him, their God King. He looked up into the eyes of Seto, which seemed to burn with uncontrolled hate. Maybe not everyone. He knew he was just Yami. Another nameless pharaoh who would be forgotten in years to come. Seto bowed before him and Yami stood up, suddenly feeling empty inside. Carrying Yugi, he helped Seto up and led to his room.
Seto's head bowed again. "I have things to do my Pharaoh. I ask to be excused."
Yami set Yugi down on the bed and pulled Seto close. "Please don't leave me," he whispered vainly into Seto's chest.
Seto backed up from Yami. "I have to go," he said coldly.
A single strangled sob erupted from Yami's throat and he made a grab for Seto. "Please," he said miserably. "I don't want to be alone."
"You're going to die alone, Yami. I am not here for you to love every time it's convenient for you." He knocked Yami away from him.
Yami fell to his knees and began to sob into his hands. "I understand," he sobbed softly.
~~~
Yami's eyes shot open and he stared at Seto. "Yes? What?"
"A group of rebels have challenged you to a battle."
"Then we must except."
"I would be honored," Seto began hesitantly, "if you'd let me represent you in this battle."
Yami leaned his head on his fist, tired. "No...I can't risk you if you loose. Have Dionon."
Seto nodded. "As you wish. I will be back soon to take you to the battle arena."
Yami nodded. He motioned for a slave to come close to him. "Please...get Yugi from my room," he said softly.
The slave nodded and ran off.
Yami sat, tiredly blinking. The Nile flood was coming soon and he was beginning to feel over-whelmed by everything around. He happily took Yugi into his arms and held him close, feeling safe within Yugi's warmth.
Yugi's wide eyes looked around in amazement as everyone hurried around. "What's happening, Yami?" he asked softly.
Yami petted at Yugi's hair, watching the running around. "I've been challenged to a battle...over my kingdom."
"A battle? Like war?"
"No...it is different. A magical battle is held between two opposing sides."
Seto walked fast to Yami. "Come Morning Star, they have arrived."
Yami picked up Yugi and followed Seto to the arena. "The two people call out spells, summoning magical beast to partake in the battle. A certain number of people are needed to keep the beast's power going. You get to have 8000 in total. Some battles have taken days to complete while others seem to be over in a matter of minutes." Yami took his seat at the throne in the room, ignoring everyone but Yugi. "When stronger monsters destroy one of yours, the people...the spell chanters...are sent to the Shadow Realm, a place people never leave filled with great magic. To combat and fortify the beasts, other spells are chanted. It's largely magic. Whoever destroys all of their opponents chanters wins. Whoever losses is sent to the Shadow Realm as well."
Yugi turned to look at the arena, eyes wide. "People never come back?"
"No, they don't."
Yugi looked at the two people facing each other. Tears formed in his eyes as he moved in closer to Yami.
~~~
Bakura looked at Yugi out of the corner of his eye, anger rising up in him. ~If only I had the God Items. All of them. Then he'd believe me. He's only scared he can't do anything to restore his kingdom. I'll show him. Then he will be king. He will be our--~ Bakura's eyes widen as he looked at Yami's opponent. Bakura grabbed at Seto's arm and leaned in, whispering. "The God Ring...he has it."
Seto looked up, then turned to look at Bakura. "It will be yours soon. Our kingdom has never lost a battle."
The battle began, proving to be tense from beginning to end. Monster after monster, spell after spell--Dionon proved to be an excellent spell castor and battler. His opponent had barely even made a dent into his Life Points before his own reached zero.
Dionon raised his staff up and spoke loudly, "As a penalty for loosing and for disrespect to your king, I send you to the Shadow Realm!"
Yugi watched in awe as the man's spirit seemed to lift up out of his body and get sucked into the staff.
As the spectators began to cheer loudly, Seto called above it, "Let this be a lesson to anyone planning to conquer our God King. Morning Star has never and will never be beaten. Take the body to the temple, we must have it destroyed!"
Yugi clutched at Yami, beginning to cry. Yami felt himself needing to cry, but for some reason, he knew, that it was for another reason than Yugi. He held Yugi close, not moving from his throne as people began filing out. He hadn't even chanted and yet everyone felt that he himself had won. He was being held in high regards while Dionon would go back to his seemingly everyday scribe work. Yami had never even battled before and yet Seto had said, "Morning Star has never and will never be beaten." They had whole faith in him, their God King. He looked up into the eyes of Seto, which seemed to burn with uncontrolled hate. Maybe not everyone. He knew he was just Yami. Another nameless pharaoh who would be forgotten in years to come. Seto bowed before him and Yami stood up, suddenly feeling empty inside. Carrying Yugi, he helped Seto up and led to his room.
Seto's head bowed again. "I have things to do my Pharaoh. I ask to be excused."
Yami set Yugi down on the bed and pulled Seto close. "Please don't leave me," he whispered vainly into Seto's chest.
Seto backed up from Yami. "I have to go," he said coldly.
A single strangled sob erupted from Yami's throat and he made a grab for Seto. "Please," he said miserably. "I don't want to be alone."
"You're going to die alone, Yami. I am not here for you to love every time it's convenient for you." He knocked Yami away from him.
Yami fell to his knees and began to sob into his hands. "I understand," he sobbed softly.
~~~
