Bakura lined the God Items on the alter in front of him. Seto walked in
and sat down in a seat near him. "What's going on?"
"Pass me your Rod," Bakura said distractedly, extending his arm out.
Seto handed it to him and stood up next to him. "What are you doing?"
"I have the God Ring...that means we only need two more items...the Puzzle and the Scale. And I know where the Scale is. That leaves Yami's Puzzle." Bakura whirled around to look at Seto. "Do you know what this means?"
Seto backed up a few steps. "Bakura...Not now. We can't do this now. Give me...give me a few..."
Bakura waved his hand dismissingly. "Sure...whatever time you need."
Seto picked up his God Rod. "And when the time comes...I will let you know. And I'LL handle Yami."
~~~
Sighing again, Seto stood up. "We will have to plan the ceremony without the queen."
"That won't be necessary," Yami spoke up. "A concubine of mine is pregnant. I will marry her. She is of Egyptian decent so it will all work out fine."
Seto looked at Yami out of the corner of his eyes. "Well then, finally taking some of your duties, such as planning an heir, to heart, yes?" He smiled at a young priest proactively. "In that case, we have a wedding to plan. We will continue this tomorrow." He made a motion with his hands dismissing them all. He continued to look in the young boy's eyes, his smile widening, with a hungry look in his eyes. He jumped when Yami placed a hand on Seto's shoulder.
"I don't suppose you're available right now, hmmm?"
Seto shot a dirty look at Yami. "Well, *Pharaoh*, if it's important, I am here to serve you."
Yami shook his head. "I suppose, then, that I'll look after Katsuya while you are busy?"
Seto's eyes shot up to look at Katsuya who was staring at him with the most pitiful look on his face. He looked down and turned away from Seto, walking out of the room. Seto's eyes narrowed at Yami. "Anything else?"
Yami shook his head. "No High Priest. Continue on with your business." He mockingly bowed before Seto.
Seto shuddered angrily, then turned back to the young priest. "You're new, aren't you?" He sat down again, across from the boy.
The boy nodded unevenly. "Y-yes High Priest."
Stroking the boy's cheek, Seto asked, "What is your name?"
"Please Priest Seto...please..."
"Tell me your name, NOW!" He stood up and grabbed the boy by the arm.
Tears formed in his eyes. "Kariya."
"Kariya," Seto repeated and he pulled the boy close. "Beautiful...absolutely beautiful." He tilted into a kiss with the young boy.
~~~
Yugi sighed contently in his sleep and Yami bent in close to place a kiss on his cheek. "My little lover...I am to marry Anzu soon. She will be my wife...and I will have a child..." Yami sat up and began breathing deeply, suddenly growing overwhelmed. "N-noooo..." Yami pulled Yugi close, disregarding Yugi's slumber. "Please...please...noooooo..." he began to sob.
Yugi placed his small hand on Yami's cheek. "Yami...what's wrong?"
"I can't keep things in control. Things are going to change...so much..." He caught Yugi's lip in with his, trying to let himself forget his current condition. "I...I need you...I need you so much," he began to sob.
Yugi hugged Yami. "I'll be here. No matter what."
~~~
Seto pulled Kariya along as he oversaw the preparation of Yami's wedding. Katsuya looked up from where he was discussing something with another priest. He stared at Seto, surprised. He had understood Seto was going to sleep with the priest, but he hadn't expected him to start having him follow Seto around. It was like he had been replaced. Katsuya turned back to Dionon and began speaking to him again.
Yami slowly walked around and began to look around with wide eyes. "S- Seto..." he whispered. "Seto, isn't this a little...big?"
Seto smiled. "Yami...you are the pharaoh...of course it's big."
"I'm just a pharaoh, Seto."
Seto dismissed Kariya and pulled Yami aside. "You are the Morning Star."
"I'm only going to be another pharaoh." Yami looked at Seto, eyes haunted. Seto noticed how Yami didn't look right. He had always worked hard on his appearance and now his hair was sticking up awkwardly and his face lacked any makeup while his clothes seemed only thrown on. "When they speak of me in years to come, I'll only be a name, not a person. I will be forgotten."
"Yami, what's going on with you?"
"It's just...I'm only a god to these people; they worship me and respect me but they don't know me."
"Of course they don't, you keep your life to your--"
"And the few people who do know me don't CARE."
"What are you talking about, Yami?"
Yami looked down and began breathing hard. "I miss you, Seto. Please don't turn me down."
Seto looked at the rest of the priest through the corner of his eyes. They watched them, all knowing the non-professional relationship they had together. "Look, as my pharaoh, I can't reject you."
Yami grabbed Seto by the arm and forced him to look him in the eyes. "Then answer me as my friend."
"Honestly Yami, you hurt me really bad," Seto said in a low voice. "And if you really think we're still friends, you're kidding yourself. The fact is, I don't need you anymore. You replaced me with that little twit Yugi and I've managed to keep myself distracted. So forget about what we had because it's OVER." He broke from Yami and went to join his fellow priests.
Yami stared at the ground, pain-stricken of what Seto had said. He turned to leave but turned back and grabbed Seto by the arm, pulling him back. "Please," he whispered desperately. "I love you; don't make me die alone."
"You're going to die alone no matter what. There is no way we will die at the same time. Besides, do you really think I could EVER stand to look at you like that again? You've hurt me so bad."
"But...but don't you love me? I know you do, Seto, don't lie."
"Yes, I love you. I LOVE you. You knew that, yet you hurt me. How do you think I'll EVER be able to love you again?!"
"Seto, please, we can start over," Yami begged softly, reaching to comfort Seto.
Seto knocked Yami away. Everyone gasped, startled by the sight of their High Priest hitting their pharaoh. Yami stared up from his sprawled-out position on the ground up at Seto, shocked. Even Seto was shocked by his behavior and fully expected Yami to call for his guards to have him killed. He reached his hand out to help Yami up, breathing uncomfortably.
Yami hesitated, then took his hand, trembling. The second Yami was on his feet, he turned to run out of the room. Seto didn't let go of Yami. "Yami..." he said softly, then started again, his voice clear for everyone to hear, "Yami, I do love you. You love me. And normally that would mean..." he took a deep breath, having a hard time speaking. "That would mean we were meant for each other. And maybe we are. But we can't be together. Not now. But I promise...I promise we WILL be together."
"When?" Yami whispered.
"I don't know. Not in this life, Yami." Seto took a deep, unsteady breath. "Yami, we will be together. When I die...I will wait for you. As long..." tears seemed to well up in Seto's eyes. "As long as you promise to come. You will...won't you?"
Yami nodded, tears already falling down his cheeks. His hand slipped from Seto's grasp as he turned and ran from the room.
Seto turned back to his peers and pushed past them. "Come on, we have a wedding to plan."
~~~
Yami ran into his room and fell into the corner, sobbing. Not even Yugi was there to comfort him. He sat sobbing in his room, in the dark, alone. Always alone. Forever alone
~~~
"Pass me your Rod," Bakura said distractedly, extending his arm out.
Seto handed it to him and stood up next to him. "What are you doing?"
"I have the God Ring...that means we only need two more items...the Puzzle and the Scale. And I know where the Scale is. That leaves Yami's Puzzle." Bakura whirled around to look at Seto. "Do you know what this means?"
Seto backed up a few steps. "Bakura...Not now. We can't do this now. Give me...give me a few..."
Bakura waved his hand dismissingly. "Sure...whatever time you need."
Seto picked up his God Rod. "And when the time comes...I will let you know. And I'LL handle Yami."
~~~
Sighing again, Seto stood up. "We will have to plan the ceremony without the queen."
"That won't be necessary," Yami spoke up. "A concubine of mine is pregnant. I will marry her. She is of Egyptian decent so it will all work out fine."
Seto looked at Yami out of the corner of his eyes. "Well then, finally taking some of your duties, such as planning an heir, to heart, yes?" He smiled at a young priest proactively. "In that case, we have a wedding to plan. We will continue this tomorrow." He made a motion with his hands dismissing them all. He continued to look in the young boy's eyes, his smile widening, with a hungry look in his eyes. He jumped when Yami placed a hand on Seto's shoulder.
"I don't suppose you're available right now, hmmm?"
Seto shot a dirty look at Yami. "Well, *Pharaoh*, if it's important, I am here to serve you."
Yami shook his head. "I suppose, then, that I'll look after Katsuya while you are busy?"
Seto's eyes shot up to look at Katsuya who was staring at him with the most pitiful look on his face. He looked down and turned away from Seto, walking out of the room. Seto's eyes narrowed at Yami. "Anything else?"
Yami shook his head. "No High Priest. Continue on with your business." He mockingly bowed before Seto.
Seto shuddered angrily, then turned back to the young priest. "You're new, aren't you?" He sat down again, across from the boy.
The boy nodded unevenly. "Y-yes High Priest."
Stroking the boy's cheek, Seto asked, "What is your name?"
"Please Priest Seto...please..."
"Tell me your name, NOW!" He stood up and grabbed the boy by the arm.
Tears formed in his eyes. "Kariya."
"Kariya," Seto repeated and he pulled the boy close. "Beautiful...absolutely beautiful." He tilted into a kiss with the young boy.
~~~
Yugi sighed contently in his sleep and Yami bent in close to place a kiss on his cheek. "My little lover...I am to marry Anzu soon. She will be my wife...and I will have a child..." Yami sat up and began breathing deeply, suddenly growing overwhelmed. "N-noooo..." Yami pulled Yugi close, disregarding Yugi's slumber. "Please...please...noooooo..." he began to sob.
Yugi placed his small hand on Yami's cheek. "Yami...what's wrong?"
"I can't keep things in control. Things are going to change...so much..." He caught Yugi's lip in with his, trying to let himself forget his current condition. "I...I need you...I need you so much," he began to sob.
Yugi hugged Yami. "I'll be here. No matter what."
~~~
Seto pulled Kariya along as he oversaw the preparation of Yami's wedding. Katsuya looked up from where he was discussing something with another priest. He stared at Seto, surprised. He had understood Seto was going to sleep with the priest, but he hadn't expected him to start having him follow Seto around. It was like he had been replaced. Katsuya turned back to Dionon and began speaking to him again.
Yami slowly walked around and began to look around with wide eyes. "S- Seto..." he whispered. "Seto, isn't this a little...big?"
Seto smiled. "Yami...you are the pharaoh...of course it's big."
"I'm just a pharaoh, Seto."
Seto dismissed Kariya and pulled Yami aside. "You are the Morning Star."
"I'm only going to be another pharaoh." Yami looked at Seto, eyes haunted. Seto noticed how Yami didn't look right. He had always worked hard on his appearance and now his hair was sticking up awkwardly and his face lacked any makeup while his clothes seemed only thrown on. "When they speak of me in years to come, I'll only be a name, not a person. I will be forgotten."
"Yami, what's going on with you?"
"It's just...I'm only a god to these people; they worship me and respect me but they don't know me."
"Of course they don't, you keep your life to your--"
"And the few people who do know me don't CARE."
"What are you talking about, Yami?"
Yami looked down and began breathing hard. "I miss you, Seto. Please don't turn me down."
Seto looked at the rest of the priest through the corner of his eyes. They watched them, all knowing the non-professional relationship they had together. "Look, as my pharaoh, I can't reject you."
Yami grabbed Seto by the arm and forced him to look him in the eyes. "Then answer me as my friend."
"Honestly Yami, you hurt me really bad," Seto said in a low voice. "And if you really think we're still friends, you're kidding yourself. The fact is, I don't need you anymore. You replaced me with that little twit Yugi and I've managed to keep myself distracted. So forget about what we had because it's OVER." He broke from Yami and went to join his fellow priests.
Yami stared at the ground, pain-stricken of what Seto had said. He turned to leave but turned back and grabbed Seto by the arm, pulling him back. "Please," he whispered desperately. "I love you; don't make me die alone."
"You're going to die alone no matter what. There is no way we will die at the same time. Besides, do you really think I could EVER stand to look at you like that again? You've hurt me so bad."
"But...but don't you love me? I know you do, Seto, don't lie."
"Yes, I love you. I LOVE you. You knew that, yet you hurt me. How do you think I'll EVER be able to love you again?!"
"Seto, please, we can start over," Yami begged softly, reaching to comfort Seto.
Seto knocked Yami away. Everyone gasped, startled by the sight of their High Priest hitting their pharaoh. Yami stared up from his sprawled-out position on the ground up at Seto, shocked. Even Seto was shocked by his behavior and fully expected Yami to call for his guards to have him killed. He reached his hand out to help Yami up, breathing uncomfortably.
Yami hesitated, then took his hand, trembling. The second Yami was on his feet, he turned to run out of the room. Seto didn't let go of Yami. "Yami..." he said softly, then started again, his voice clear for everyone to hear, "Yami, I do love you. You love me. And normally that would mean..." he took a deep breath, having a hard time speaking. "That would mean we were meant for each other. And maybe we are. But we can't be together. Not now. But I promise...I promise we WILL be together."
"When?" Yami whispered.
"I don't know. Not in this life, Yami." Seto took a deep, unsteady breath. "Yami, we will be together. When I die...I will wait for you. As long..." tears seemed to well up in Seto's eyes. "As long as you promise to come. You will...won't you?"
Yami nodded, tears already falling down his cheeks. His hand slipped from Seto's grasp as he turned and ran from the room.
Seto turned back to his peers and pushed past them. "Come on, we have a wedding to plan."
~~~
Yami ran into his room and fell into the corner, sobbing. Not even Yugi was there to comfort him. He sat sobbing in his room, in the dark, alone. Always alone. Forever alone
~~~
