"Heart's Desire"
Chapter Five
"Past Pain"
Cherry: I love you two guys! I kinda wish that Ryou was here too, but I like you guys more than him, so I'll live.
Yugi: Sadly, he's not.
Yami: What makes you say sadly?
Yugi: If she had someone else to hug, she'd lay off of us.
Yami: Good point. Maybe I should go find him.
Cherry: (slams and locks door) You're going nowhere! I think Ryou's cool and everything, but you two are my favorite characters from the show!
Yugi: I'm flattered, but couldn't you leave us alone a bit?
Cherry: I could, but I won't!
Yami: (sighs) Let's just start the story.
/ Kaelyn to Neferti \ // Neferti to Kaelyn \\ ^Kaelyn's thoughts^ [Neferti's thoughts]
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yugi sat staring at the door for a good half hour after Kaelyn left. Her little blurt-out had him feeling odd. He felt embarrassed, first and foremost, but he also felt happy, confused, and ever so slightly hopeful. He'd never felt this way about anyone, and the fact that it was someone he barely knew that was making him feel this way was a bit confusing to him.
\\ It's not unusual to feel strongly attracted to someone, Aibou, // Yami assured him.
\ I know that, but it's strange. It's not like this is the first time I've felt attracted to someone, but every other time, I got to know the person first. It was knowing who they were that made me feel attracted to them. /
\\ You're changing, Yugi. You're growing up. Of course things will be different for you. //
\ Yeah, yeah, I know. . . . . . . . . Damn it. Why do I have to go through puberty? Damn teenage hormones. /
Yami was a bit surprised. \\ I've never heard you swear before. //
\ So what? Just because you haven't heard me doesn't mean I haven't. / Yugi snapped.
\\ Why are you so touchy today Hikari? // Yami asked after a moment.
\ . . . . . I don't know . . . / Yugi said quietly after a while. He was in a very odd place that day. He couldn't remember ever being this moody. First, throwing soda in Joey's face without any reasonable cause, and now snapping at Yami for voicing surprise at him swearing because he never did swear in front of anyone before. Why was he in such a bad temper that day?
Solomon came upstairs as Yugi stood up and turned off the television. "What happened with that girl, Yugi? She took off as though Marik and his Rare Hunters were after her."
"She said something that embarrassed herself, jii-chan," Yugi explained. And embarrassed me too, he thought to himself, turning pink once again.
"What could she have said that embarrassed herself like that?" Solomon wondered. "She was talking to me while she was looking through some cards in the game shop before you got home, and I got the impression that she wasn't an easy person to make sad, or embarrass, or anything of that nature."
"She is, jii-chan," Yugi confirmed quickly. The more he thought about Kaelyn, the more he blushed.
"What happened then?"
"Nothing," Yugi said, now reaching red. It was about this time that Solomon noticed the color of his grandson's face. He decided to let the subject drop.
"Okay then," he said. "I'll just go back down to the store then. You should get started with your homework."
"I will," Yugi replied, glad for the change of subject. "I'm lucky. I didn't get much tonight."
"Get it over with, then," Solomon said, smiling at Yugi. He turned and headed back down to the shop.
~*~*~
"I have to have the world's biggest mouth!!" Kaelyn berated herself as she walked down the street. She was thoroughly embarrassed at having told Yugi she really liked him. She just hoped that he didn't read between the lines to see her huge crush on him.
Kaelyn had had a crush on Yugi ever since she had heard of him. She had always had a thing for compassionate guys, and Yugi was clearly very compassionate, to judge by how nicely he treated his dueling opponents after they lost to him. She also thought Yugi was the most handsome guy she had ever laid eyes on. She loved his tri-color hair, often wondering how he got it to stay like that, she loved his child-like face, and she knew that she had never seen such beautiful eyes in her life. Large, clear, bright, and utterly gorgeous, his amethyst eyes that shone with an obvious innocence until he dueled. She smiled to herself. When he changed into Yami for duels or when he was in trouble, he lost some of that beauty that she loved. She was very attracted to his purity and innocence.
Kaelyn gave an ironic snort. ^I'm falling in love with the boy, and I only met him in person today,^ she thought. ^Granted, I've had a crush on him for a long time, but still, one day? Neferti's not going to let me hear the end on this one.^
Kaelyn liked Neferti a lot. When she got the Millennium Sword, she had been quite afraid at first of the dark spirit that lived within it, but after getting to know her, Kaelyn realized that the dark spirit was not an evil one, but someone that was everything that she herself was not. Neferti did not have a bad temper as Kaelyn did, nor did she drive others away from herself. She did, however, possess a strength of character that Kaelyn had yet to obtain, and Neferti had a lot more confidence in herself than Kaelyn. Even though she pretended otherwise, Kaelyn was actually quite unsure of herself, and she covered it up by being a bitch a lot of the time. Even though she couldn't bring herself to be that way with Yugi . . .
It was quite disconcerting when she learned from Neferti that Yugi not only held another Millennium Item, but the Millennium Item that held the soul of the pharaoh, Yami, the one she sought for vengeance. Kaelyn smiled sadly as she remembered what Neferti told her. She, Neferti, had been in love with the pharaoh, and the pharaoh had said that he was in love with her as well. They had been promised to each other for marriage, but then the Shadow Wars had begun, and Yami had been forced to fight against all these mages that were attempting to control the Shadow Realm's power.
Neferti, who was able to use the power of the Shadow Realm herself, wanted to help, but Yami refused her, saying that it was too dangerous for her to get involved. Frustrated, determined to aid the man she loved, Neferti trained in secret, learning better to harness the magic of the Shadow Realm. Neferti admitted that she didn't recall exactly what she had used her powers for, once she had full control of them, but she did remember that Yami had betrayed her.
Kaelyn shuddered as she remembered the intense wave of bitterness and hatred that had flowed off of Neferti when she had come to this part of the story. Yami had turned his magic against her, and used it to seal her soul into the sword, where she remained imprisoned for 5,000 years, and although she knew that his soul had been sealed away as well, she longed for revenge. She had loved him, and he had said he loved her, but how could he have if he sealed her away as he had sealed the mages, ending her life simply because she had to be strong enough to help him? Neferti's heart ached bitterly from that betrayal. Kaelyn could tell that she was still in love with Yami, but all that was doing was deepening her resentment.
Other than that one little revenge issue, though, Neferti was to Kaelyn what Yami was to Yugi. The two of them were like sisters, and Kaelyn did not want to think of life without Neferti now.
// Hikari? \\ Neferti spoke up suddenly.
/ Yes? \ Kaelyn answered.
// I need to talk to you. \\
/ About what? \
// Yami's light. \\
Kaelyn frowned. / You promised me that when you got your revenge, you would not harm Yugi. He's not the one your grudge is against, after all. \
// I know that. I was merely going to say that you shouldn't allow yourself to become too attached to the boy. I promised that I would try to not harm him, and I will hold to that promise, but he seems to be the sort that will protect his friends with his life if need be, and Yami shares a part of his soul, just as you and I do. If I'm forced to, I may have to kill Yugi to be able to get at Yami, and I will do it if it comes to that. I will avoid it as much as I can, but it's not unfeasible that I may have to kill him. I just want you to be aware of that, Aibou, that's all. I don't want you to be hurt. \\
But Kaelyn had already been aware of it. She knew what Neferti was capable of, and she also knew that she would go through any and all obstacles to get her revenge, not that she could blame her. That kind of betrayal was one that you only heard about in movies and anime.
/ Nef, please, don't hurt Yugi, \ Kaelyn pleaded. / You know how I like him. Please, don't. \
// I will most certainly try, \\ Neferti said. She decided it was time for a change of subject. // Now, what do you say that when we get home, we see what kind of cards are in those new packs you bought? \\
/ How'd you know about those? You were asleep when I bought them! \
// They weigh in your pocket, silly. \\
/ Oh. Yeah. Duh. Well, sure. \
Kaelyn hurried home, eager to check out her new cards, but she did not forget about Neferti's words. They stayed with her for the rest of the night.
~*~*~
Yugi hung up the phone and stretched out on the couch. He'd just finished calling Joey and apologizing for the soda incident, but thinking about what it was that had irritated him enough to lose his temper like that brought him back to the subject of the Millennium Sword, and that started him wondering again about what it was that Yami was hiding from him about Neferti. It wasn't normal for Yami to keep secrets from him . . .
Yugi sighed. In just one day, his life had been turned upside down again. Of course, for him, that was a record long for turning his life upside down, but still, he was tired of every time her turned around, something else big was happening to him. He knew that it was destiny, and he had no choice, and when he was honest with himself, he knew that if he did have a choice, he wouldn't change a thing, but still, Yugi flirted momentarily with the idea of having a normal life.
\\ Troubles, Aibou? //
\ No, just tired is all. /
\\ Tired as in sleepy, or tired as in tired of everything that comes your way? //
\ Both, I guess. / Yugi sighed. \ Can you really blame me? I mean, before I solved the puzzle and met you, I had an ordinary life. Now, in less than one year, my life is anything but normal, and I have to deal with it all and still try to maintain some semblance of regular living. /
\\ I know that it's hard for you, Yugi, // Yami said sadly. \\ Honestly, if I had a choice, I would deal with everything on my own and let you live your life happily, but as it is, destiny will not allow it. //
"I know, Yami, and thanks for that," Yugi said, speaking out loud just for the sake of hearing a voice. "I wouldn't change what's happened, though, even if I could. I'm glad I met you. You're the greatest friend I could ever imagine."
\\ Thank you, Hikari, // Yami said, sounding considerably happier. \\ I just hope and pray that you will not experience any heartache over Kaelyn when it comes to the day I have to face Neferti. She will try to kill me, you know, and I can't say she wouldn't succeed. //
\ She's that strong? / Yugi said, sitting up. He hadn't thought that was possible.
\\ She is, Yugi, and that is why I'm so worried about you. If you try to protect me from her, she will kill you too. I know Kaelyn said that Neferti would not hurt you, but I doubt that Kaelyn knows what Neferti is really like when she uses her magic. //
\ What do you mean? And what's with the pain again? Every time someone brings up the subject of Neferti, I feel it from you, just like I do now. What are you not telling me? / Yugi demanded.
Yami sighed and appeared on the couch. "It hurts for me to even think about this, Yugi. That's the only reason I haven't told you yet," Yami said quietly.
"You know, sharing your pain does help," Yugi said softly, trying to gently encourage the former pharaoh to tell him the secret.
Yami looked at his light and smiled. "Yes, I know that Aibou. It's just that's it's hard for me to even think about, much less say. But you're right. Sharing it does help heal it, and you need to know what it is Neferti wants revenge for."
Yugi turned on the couch so that he was facing Yami, giving him his complete attention. Yami had to take two deep breaths before he began.
"In Egypt, when I was still ruler and before the Shadow Wars began, I met a wonderful girl and fell in love with her. She also fell in love with me. We were to be married, but the war began and we could not, because I had to fight against the power of the mages. She wanted to help me because she, too, had the powers of the Shadow Realm, but I didn't want her harmed. I did not wish for her to become involved in those horrible battles that could tear ones soul apart. Once I forbade her from fighting, she vanished for years. I had no idea what became of her, because not one person I sent to search was able to find her. Even I couldn't when I went to find her myself. Eventually, though, she came back, and I knew what had happened to her.
"She had been dead set on helping me, Yugi. She wouldn't take no for an answer. She had left to train herself in secret, to learn to control her magic better than she already could. To a certain degree, she succeeded, but the change that it caused in her was the same as any to tried to learn Shadow Magic without proper guidance. The magic had driven her insane. Her insanity combined with her power made her more dangerous than any of the mages. She caused terrible destruction, not knowing what it was she was doing, and she killed, Yugi. She effectively killed half of the innocent lives in Egypt. My heart ached within me to do so, but I had no choice but to fight her and seal her within the Millennium Sword. In the last few moments of battle, Neferti somehow gained back some clarity of mind, and she finally recognized me. I was hopeful that this meant I would not have to seal her away, but when she recognized who it was she was fighting, she screamed, 'Traitor!! Why have you betrayed me, Yami?' Those were her exact words, and you can trust this because they played over and over in my nightmares while I was within the Millennium Puzzle. After she screamed this at me, she attempted to kill me for what she perceived as betrayal. She had no idea what she had been doing; some of her insanity clearly still remained. It was then that I sealed her within the sword, knowing that she now hated me, knowing that she would want to kill me if she ever saw me again."
Yami stopped and drew a breath that sounded close to a sob. "I still love her, Yugi. I still wish that we could be together. I still think of her all the time, and knowing that her soul has been unlocked again fills me with both great joy and great sorrow. If she is still the same as she was, and I don't see how she could have changed too much, despite Kaelyn's influence, then she is far more dangerous than Marik's yami." Yami placed his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. "Neferti didn't seem aware of what she had become, so I doubt that either of them know what she is truly capable of. That's why I am so afraid for your safety, Aibou."
Yugi was in complete shock from what Yami said. This sorceress that was bent on killing him had been his lover in ancient times? Yugi couldn't help but think that this sounded like a really bad soap opera. Briefly, he wondered if Kaelyn knew about Neferti and Yami being lovers.
Know he knew why Yami hurt so much whenever the subject of Neferti was brought up, and he was thoroughly sorry he had been harsh with Yami about it. No wonder the dark spirit had had difficulty telling him.
Yugi laid a comforting hand on his dark's shoulder, causing Yami to look up at him. Yugi smiled gently at Yami.
"We'll find a way to help Neferti, Yami," he said. "It sounds like she needs help, and we'll find a way to do just that!"
Yami blinked once, then twice. "I doubt that it's even possible, Hikari. She's been swallowed so deeply by darkness, I don't see any remote chance of pulling her back out again."
"We'll find a way!" Yugi said in a more determined voice, now standing up. "Remember, she's already found her light, just like you have, so that means she can't be completely gone. We can help Kaelyn to bring Neferti out of the depths of the darkness, and bring her back to normal!"
Yami blinked again, then, very slowly, a smile appeared on his face. "And in doing so, we'd be helping Kaelyn as well," he said.
Yugi realized that Yami was right. Kaelyn would be safer to be around after that. Maybe he could even be alone with her sometimes and . . . Yugi stopped when he realized where his thoughts were going and blushed.
"Yeah, well, anyway, that's besides the point," he said quickly, wishing that his face weren't so red. "Neferti can still be saved, and I promise you, Yami, we'll find a way to save the girl you love! . . . . . Oh, lord, that sounded like a really cheesy movie line."
Yami laughed. "That it did, Aibou, but it gets the point across." Yami stood up. "Thank you, Yugi. You have no idea this means to me. I want to have my Neferti back in my arms. I want her to be able to love me again; I have for 5,000 years. Knowing that you're willing to help me to save her means so much more to me than you will ever know." Yami looked at the clock hanging on the wall. "It's late. You have school in the morning. You should go to bed now." With that, Yami disappeared back into the puzzle around Yugi's neck.
Yugi smiled and headed up to his room, glad that he now knew what it was that had been troubling Yami, and glad that there may be a chance to bring back the part of his ancient life that Yugi knew he had treasured most.
As he buttoned up his nightshirt, a thought occurred to him. If they did succeed, and Neferti and Yami became lovers again, then what would happen with himself and Kaelyn? Yugi's face glowed red again as he thought of the chance of him and Kaelyn becoming that much closer. Glancing at the golden pyramid shape that now sat on his desk, he grinned. While he did want to be able to date Kaelyn - Yugi had realized earlier that evening that he wasn't just attracted to her, but that he had a crush on her like his friends had thought - he knew that it wasn't as important as making sure Neferti was freed so that Yami could be truly happy once again.
Dead tired, Yugi crawled into bed, and laid his head down on his pillow. His last thought before sleep overtook him was, I wonder if Kaelyn and I will fall so deeply in love?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cherry: Was this chapter long enough for you? My eyes hurt from staring at the screen as I typed it.
Yugi: God, I thought that chapter wasn't going to end!
Yami: Well, at least it did finally explain a lot of things. It brought up some more questions, though.
Cherry: Well, duh. That's what writers do with chapters. They always leave some sort of question at the end of one so that you'll keep reading.
Yugi: (grins) You'd know a lot about that, wouldn't you?
Cherry: (glares at Yugi) Anyway, please, review! I still want lots of reviews!!
Yami: So do we. She leaves us alone more when she gets lots of them.
Cherry: (grabs Yami and hugs him) You may have a different reason, but you want reviews for my story too!! Thank you!!
Yami: ACK!!! HELP!!!
Yugi: Please, review! And someone hand me the Jaws of Life. Maybe I'll be able to pry Cherry off of Yami.
Chapter Five
"Past Pain"
Cherry: I love you two guys! I kinda wish that Ryou was here too, but I like you guys more than him, so I'll live.
Yugi: Sadly, he's not.
Yami: What makes you say sadly?
Yugi: If she had someone else to hug, she'd lay off of us.
Yami: Good point. Maybe I should go find him.
Cherry: (slams and locks door) You're going nowhere! I think Ryou's cool and everything, but you two are my favorite characters from the show!
Yugi: I'm flattered, but couldn't you leave us alone a bit?
Cherry: I could, but I won't!
Yami: (sighs) Let's just start the story.
/ Kaelyn to Neferti \ // Neferti to Kaelyn \\ ^Kaelyn's thoughts^ [Neferti's thoughts]
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yugi sat staring at the door for a good half hour after Kaelyn left. Her little blurt-out had him feeling odd. He felt embarrassed, first and foremost, but he also felt happy, confused, and ever so slightly hopeful. He'd never felt this way about anyone, and the fact that it was someone he barely knew that was making him feel this way was a bit confusing to him.
\\ It's not unusual to feel strongly attracted to someone, Aibou, // Yami assured him.
\ I know that, but it's strange. It's not like this is the first time I've felt attracted to someone, but every other time, I got to know the person first. It was knowing who they were that made me feel attracted to them. /
\\ You're changing, Yugi. You're growing up. Of course things will be different for you. //
\ Yeah, yeah, I know. . . . . . . . . Damn it. Why do I have to go through puberty? Damn teenage hormones. /
Yami was a bit surprised. \\ I've never heard you swear before. //
\ So what? Just because you haven't heard me doesn't mean I haven't. / Yugi snapped.
\\ Why are you so touchy today Hikari? // Yami asked after a moment.
\ . . . . . I don't know . . . / Yugi said quietly after a while. He was in a very odd place that day. He couldn't remember ever being this moody. First, throwing soda in Joey's face without any reasonable cause, and now snapping at Yami for voicing surprise at him swearing because he never did swear in front of anyone before. Why was he in such a bad temper that day?
Solomon came upstairs as Yugi stood up and turned off the television. "What happened with that girl, Yugi? She took off as though Marik and his Rare Hunters were after her."
"She said something that embarrassed herself, jii-chan," Yugi explained. And embarrassed me too, he thought to himself, turning pink once again.
"What could she have said that embarrassed herself like that?" Solomon wondered. "She was talking to me while she was looking through some cards in the game shop before you got home, and I got the impression that she wasn't an easy person to make sad, or embarrass, or anything of that nature."
"She is, jii-chan," Yugi confirmed quickly. The more he thought about Kaelyn, the more he blushed.
"What happened then?"
"Nothing," Yugi said, now reaching red. It was about this time that Solomon noticed the color of his grandson's face. He decided to let the subject drop.
"Okay then," he said. "I'll just go back down to the store then. You should get started with your homework."
"I will," Yugi replied, glad for the change of subject. "I'm lucky. I didn't get much tonight."
"Get it over with, then," Solomon said, smiling at Yugi. He turned and headed back down to the shop.
~*~*~
"I have to have the world's biggest mouth!!" Kaelyn berated herself as she walked down the street. She was thoroughly embarrassed at having told Yugi she really liked him. She just hoped that he didn't read between the lines to see her huge crush on him.
Kaelyn had had a crush on Yugi ever since she had heard of him. She had always had a thing for compassionate guys, and Yugi was clearly very compassionate, to judge by how nicely he treated his dueling opponents after they lost to him. She also thought Yugi was the most handsome guy she had ever laid eyes on. She loved his tri-color hair, often wondering how he got it to stay like that, she loved his child-like face, and she knew that she had never seen such beautiful eyes in her life. Large, clear, bright, and utterly gorgeous, his amethyst eyes that shone with an obvious innocence until he dueled. She smiled to herself. When he changed into Yami for duels or when he was in trouble, he lost some of that beauty that she loved. She was very attracted to his purity and innocence.
Kaelyn gave an ironic snort. ^I'm falling in love with the boy, and I only met him in person today,^ she thought. ^Granted, I've had a crush on him for a long time, but still, one day? Neferti's not going to let me hear the end on this one.^
Kaelyn liked Neferti a lot. When she got the Millennium Sword, she had been quite afraid at first of the dark spirit that lived within it, but after getting to know her, Kaelyn realized that the dark spirit was not an evil one, but someone that was everything that she herself was not. Neferti did not have a bad temper as Kaelyn did, nor did she drive others away from herself. She did, however, possess a strength of character that Kaelyn had yet to obtain, and Neferti had a lot more confidence in herself than Kaelyn. Even though she pretended otherwise, Kaelyn was actually quite unsure of herself, and she covered it up by being a bitch a lot of the time. Even though she couldn't bring herself to be that way with Yugi . . .
It was quite disconcerting when she learned from Neferti that Yugi not only held another Millennium Item, but the Millennium Item that held the soul of the pharaoh, Yami, the one she sought for vengeance. Kaelyn smiled sadly as she remembered what Neferti told her. She, Neferti, had been in love with the pharaoh, and the pharaoh had said that he was in love with her as well. They had been promised to each other for marriage, but then the Shadow Wars had begun, and Yami had been forced to fight against all these mages that were attempting to control the Shadow Realm's power.
Neferti, who was able to use the power of the Shadow Realm herself, wanted to help, but Yami refused her, saying that it was too dangerous for her to get involved. Frustrated, determined to aid the man she loved, Neferti trained in secret, learning better to harness the magic of the Shadow Realm. Neferti admitted that she didn't recall exactly what she had used her powers for, once she had full control of them, but she did remember that Yami had betrayed her.
Kaelyn shuddered as she remembered the intense wave of bitterness and hatred that had flowed off of Neferti when she had come to this part of the story. Yami had turned his magic against her, and used it to seal her soul into the sword, where she remained imprisoned for 5,000 years, and although she knew that his soul had been sealed away as well, she longed for revenge. She had loved him, and he had said he loved her, but how could he have if he sealed her away as he had sealed the mages, ending her life simply because she had to be strong enough to help him? Neferti's heart ached bitterly from that betrayal. Kaelyn could tell that she was still in love with Yami, but all that was doing was deepening her resentment.
Other than that one little revenge issue, though, Neferti was to Kaelyn what Yami was to Yugi. The two of them were like sisters, and Kaelyn did not want to think of life without Neferti now.
// Hikari? \\ Neferti spoke up suddenly.
/ Yes? \ Kaelyn answered.
// I need to talk to you. \\
/ About what? \
// Yami's light. \\
Kaelyn frowned. / You promised me that when you got your revenge, you would not harm Yugi. He's not the one your grudge is against, after all. \
// I know that. I was merely going to say that you shouldn't allow yourself to become too attached to the boy. I promised that I would try to not harm him, and I will hold to that promise, but he seems to be the sort that will protect his friends with his life if need be, and Yami shares a part of his soul, just as you and I do. If I'm forced to, I may have to kill Yugi to be able to get at Yami, and I will do it if it comes to that. I will avoid it as much as I can, but it's not unfeasible that I may have to kill him. I just want you to be aware of that, Aibou, that's all. I don't want you to be hurt. \\
But Kaelyn had already been aware of it. She knew what Neferti was capable of, and she also knew that she would go through any and all obstacles to get her revenge, not that she could blame her. That kind of betrayal was one that you only heard about in movies and anime.
/ Nef, please, don't hurt Yugi, \ Kaelyn pleaded. / You know how I like him. Please, don't. \
// I will most certainly try, \\ Neferti said. She decided it was time for a change of subject. // Now, what do you say that when we get home, we see what kind of cards are in those new packs you bought? \\
/ How'd you know about those? You were asleep when I bought them! \
// They weigh in your pocket, silly. \\
/ Oh. Yeah. Duh. Well, sure. \
Kaelyn hurried home, eager to check out her new cards, but she did not forget about Neferti's words. They stayed with her for the rest of the night.
~*~*~
Yugi hung up the phone and stretched out on the couch. He'd just finished calling Joey and apologizing for the soda incident, but thinking about what it was that had irritated him enough to lose his temper like that brought him back to the subject of the Millennium Sword, and that started him wondering again about what it was that Yami was hiding from him about Neferti. It wasn't normal for Yami to keep secrets from him . . .
Yugi sighed. In just one day, his life had been turned upside down again. Of course, for him, that was a record long for turning his life upside down, but still, he was tired of every time her turned around, something else big was happening to him. He knew that it was destiny, and he had no choice, and when he was honest with himself, he knew that if he did have a choice, he wouldn't change a thing, but still, Yugi flirted momentarily with the idea of having a normal life.
\\ Troubles, Aibou? //
\ No, just tired is all. /
\\ Tired as in sleepy, or tired as in tired of everything that comes your way? //
\ Both, I guess. / Yugi sighed. \ Can you really blame me? I mean, before I solved the puzzle and met you, I had an ordinary life. Now, in less than one year, my life is anything but normal, and I have to deal with it all and still try to maintain some semblance of regular living. /
\\ I know that it's hard for you, Yugi, // Yami said sadly. \\ Honestly, if I had a choice, I would deal with everything on my own and let you live your life happily, but as it is, destiny will not allow it. //
"I know, Yami, and thanks for that," Yugi said, speaking out loud just for the sake of hearing a voice. "I wouldn't change what's happened, though, even if I could. I'm glad I met you. You're the greatest friend I could ever imagine."
\\ Thank you, Hikari, // Yami said, sounding considerably happier. \\ I just hope and pray that you will not experience any heartache over Kaelyn when it comes to the day I have to face Neferti. She will try to kill me, you know, and I can't say she wouldn't succeed. //
\ She's that strong? / Yugi said, sitting up. He hadn't thought that was possible.
\\ She is, Yugi, and that is why I'm so worried about you. If you try to protect me from her, she will kill you too. I know Kaelyn said that Neferti would not hurt you, but I doubt that Kaelyn knows what Neferti is really like when she uses her magic. //
\ What do you mean? And what's with the pain again? Every time someone brings up the subject of Neferti, I feel it from you, just like I do now. What are you not telling me? / Yugi demanded.
Yami sighed and appeared on the couch. "It hurts for me to even think about this, Yugi. That's the only reason I haven't told you yet," Yami said quietly.
"You know, sharing your pain does help," Yugi said softly, trying to gently encourage the former pharaoh to tell him the secret.
Yami looked at his light and smiled. "Yes, I know that Aibou. It's just that's it's hard for me to even think about, much less say. But you're right. Sharing it does help heal it, and you need to know what it is Neferti wants revenge for."
Yugi turned on the couch so that he was facing Yami, giving him his complete attention. Yami had to take two deep breaths before he began.
"In Egypt, when I was still ruler and before the Shadow Wars began, I met a wonderful girl and fell in love with her. She also fell in love with me. We were to be married, but the war began and we could not, because I had to fight against the power of the mages. She wanted to help me because she, too, had the powers of the Shadow Realm, but I didn't want her harmed. I did not wish for her to become involved in those horrible battles that could tear ones soul apart. Once I forbade her from fighting, she vanished for years. I had no idea what became of her, because not one person I sent to search was able to find her. Even I couldn't when I went to find her myself. Eventually, though, she came back, and I knew what had happened to her.
"She had been dead set on helping me, Yugi. She wouldn't take no for an answer. She had left to train herself in secret, to learn to control her magic better than she already could. To a certain degree, she succeeded, but the change that it caused in her was the same as any to tried to learn Shadow Magic without proper guidance. The magic had driven her insane. Her insanity combined with her power made her more dangerous than any of the mages. She caused terrible destruction, not knowing what it was she was doing, and she killed, Yugi. She effectively killed half of the innocent lives in Egypt. My heart ached within me to do so, but I had no choice but to fight her and seal her within the Millennium Sword. In the last few moments of battle, Neferti somehow gained back some clarity of mind, and she finally recognized me. I was hopeful that this meant I would not have to seal her away, but when she recognized who it was she was fighting, she screamed, 'Traitor!! Why have you betrayed me, Yami?' Those were her exact words, and you can trust this because they played over and over in my nightmares while I was within the Millennium Puzzle. After she screamed this at me, she attempted to kill me for what she perceived as betrayal. She had no idea what she had been doing; some of her insanity clearly still remained. It was then that I sealed her within the sword, knowing that she now hated me, knowing that she would want to kill me if she ever saw me again."
Yami stopped and drew a breath that sounded close to a sob. "I still love her, Yugi. I still wish that we could be together. I still think of her all the time, and knowing that her soul has been unlocked again fills me with both great joy and great sorrow. If she is still the same as she was, and I don't see how she could have changed too much, despite Kaelyn's influence, then she is far more dangerous than Marik's yami." Yami placed his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. "Neferti didn't seem aware of what she had become, so I doubt that either of them know what she is truly capable of. That's why I am so afraid for your safety, Aibou."
Yugi was in complete shock from what Yami said. This sorceress that was bent on killing him had been his lover in ancient times? Yugi couldn't help but think that this sounded like a really bad soap opera. Briefly, he wondered if Kaelyn knew about Neferti and Yami being lovers.
Know he knew why Yami hurt so much whenever the subject of Neferti was brought up, and he was thoroughly sorry he had been harsh with Yami about it. No wonder the dark spirit had had difficulty telling him.
Yugi laid a comforting hand on his dark's shoulder, causing Yami to look up at him. Yugi smiled gently at Yami.
"We'll find a way to help Neferti, Yami," he said. "It sounds like she needs help, and we'll find a way to do just that!"
Yami blinked once, then twice. "I doubt that it's even possible, Hikari. She's been swallowed so deeply by darkness, I don't see any remote chance of pulling her back out again."
"We'll find a way!" Yugi said in a more determined voice, now standing up. "Remember, she's already found her light, just like you have, so that means she can't be completely gone. We can help Kaelyn to bring Neferti out of the depths of the darkness, and bring her back to normal!"
Yami blinked again, then, very slowly, a smile appeared on his face. "And in doing so, we'd be helping Kaelyn as well," he said.
Yugi realized that Yami was right. Kaelyn would be safer to be around after that. Maybe he could even be alone with her sometimes and . . . Yugi stopped when he realized where his thoughts were going and blushed.
"Yeah, well, anyway, that's besides the point," he said quickly, wishing that his face weren't so red. "Neferti can still be saved, and I promise you, Yami, we'll find a way to save the girl you love! . . . . . Oh, lord, that sounded like a really cheesy movie line."
Yami laughed. "That it did, Aibou, but it gets the point across." Yami stood up. "Thank you, Yugi. You have no idea this means to me. I want to have my Neferti back in my arms. I want her to be able to love me again; I have for 5,000 years. Knowing that you're willing to help me to save her means so much more to me than you will ever know." Yami looked at the clock hanging on the wall. "It's late. You have school in the morning. You should go to bed now." With that, Yami disappeared back into the puzzle around Yugi's neck.
Yugi smiled and headed up to his room, glad that he now knew what it was that had been troubling Yami, and glad that there may be a chance to bring back the part of his ancient life that Yugi knew he had treasured most.
As he buttoned up his nightshirt, a thought occurred to him. If they did succeed, and Neferti and Yami became lovers again, then what would happen with himself and Kaelyn? Yugi's face glowed red again as he thought of the chance of him and Kaelyn becoming that much closer. Glancing at the golden pyramid shape that now sat on his desk, he grinned. While he did want to be able to date Kaelyn - Yugi had realized earlier that evening that he wasn't just attracted to her, but that he had a crush on her like his friends had thought - he knew that it wasn't as important as making sure Neferti was freed so that Yami could be truly happy once again.
Dead tired, Yugi crawled into bed, and laid his head down on his pillow. His last thought before sleep overtook him was, I wonder if Kaelyn and I will fall so deeply in love?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cherry: Was this chapter long enough for you? My eyes hurt from staring at the screen as I typed it.
Yugi: God, I thought that chapter wasn't going to end!
Yami: Well, at least it did finally explain a lot of things. It brought up some more questions, though.
Cherry: Well, duh. That's what writers do with chapters. They always leave some sort of question at the end of one so that you'll keep reading.
Yugi: (grins) You'd know a lot about that, wouldn't you?
Cherry: (glares at Yugi) Anyway, please, review! I still want lots of reviews!!
Yami: So do we. She leaves us alone more when she gets lots of them.
Cherry: (grabs Yami and hugs him) You may have a different reason, but you want reviews for my story too!! Thank you!!
Yami: ACK!!! HELP!!!
Yugi: Please, review! And someone hand me the Jaws of Life. Maybe I'll be able to pry Cherry off of Yami.