Chapter IV - Giving In
"Something bugs me.", a voice spoke quietly. Exodia's head turned up immediately, his hair waving with the motions of his face. "What bugs you father?", the boy asked smiling. "Well you see my boy, this card you just played just destroyed all my monsters, and the attack you'll perform after it. causes you to win!", he said smiling proudly. The boy grinned and sat back, "I can also just stall!", he said as he titled his head a little. Ameniuy shook his head, "Nope you beat me, fair and square!".
The young boy rose from the cards and smiled at his father as he grabbed them from the table they played on and put them away. "So did Yami teach you to play like this?", Ameniuy asked his son curiously. Exodia stared at him and just smiled, giving him the answer without speaking any words. "I'm really glad you and yami can find it so well, I and his father used to hold some grudges against eachother, you know Akunamukanon used to be inlove with your mother you know!", he tried to say as serious as he could, but failed and laughed at the sight of Exodia's smiling face. "I am very happy to have a friend like him, he's like a brother to me!", the boy spoke softly as he turned away from his father, the image suddenly changing drastically, remebering him it was no longer just a flashback to his nice youth, but slowly and surely turning into a nightmare.
Exodia shot up and stared around the room. He blinked his eyes continuously untill the images of monsters dissapeared from his face. 'Why do I dream about monsters. they all look so much like the Duel Monsters from the game.'. Once he stared around he realized he was still in Yami's palace, the guestroom. Remembering he fell asleep in yami's arms he wrapped his own arms around his knees curling up.
The strange shape on the wall had returned, it faintly danced on the wall, changing it's form everytime another light fell upon it, it started to scare him. Hadn't he known it was only something that casted strange looking shadows on the wall he had ran out of the room in panic, especially after such dreams. 'Why. please go away, shadow..', the boy pleaded as he wrapped the silken sheets over his body and peeked over the edge of the cover.
It almost seemed to look like the shadow casted a sign on the wall, Exodia had never seen it before, "What. is that", he asked himself as he lifted the covers from the bed and dragged them to the wall, placing his hands on it trembling a bit. Blinking a few times he noticed the shadows didn't cast on his hands, but only on the wall. "Impossible.", he whispered as his body shivered with disbelief, he took a few steps back falling over a small chair, landing his head on the stone floor with a bang.
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As the sun rose onto Exodia's slightly bleeding head he rose from the ground wincing as his head hurt horribly. He could faintly hear the door opening and someone screaming his name but he was dazed enough not to be able to make up from it who it was. "Exodia!!", Yami shouted as he ran into the room stopping in front of him and staring at the distance from hin to the bed.
"How did this happen. You're atleast a metre from your bed Exodia.", he said as he carefully lifted the boy, a whole task it seemed, to lift someone as big as you are yourself. Exodia softly groaned and reached for his head as he was lay down on the bed slowly. "Yami.?", he asked staring into the violet eyes. The young pharaoh tilted his head a little, "Are you allright? Seeing from your head you made a big fall.".
The boy sat up suddenly the dazy stare immediately dissapearing from his eyes, he stared at Yami a bit bewildered, "The shadow on the wall! I saw a strange shadow on the wall Yami!", he started suddenly. The pharaoh frowned and narrowed his eyes questionable, "Are you seriously talking about a shadow on a wall..?", he asked him a bit disbelieving. Exodia sighed and stared at the ground, "I know it's stupid, but I've decided to go back home I think, I've been here for 3 or 4 days now, I'm sure my father is worried.".
Yami nodded understanding smiling a bit, "But you have to do something about your head though, wait here.", he said as he walked out of the room and returned with a bowl of water and some bandages. Exodia blinked and stared at Yami sitting down again next to him, grabbing a piece of cloth and dipping it in the water, cleaning the wound carefully.
The boy stared in front of him the whole time untill Yami covered the wound with the bandages. "There you look like an unfinished mummy now.", he chuckled as he patted his shoulders gently. Exodia smlied and rose from his bed staring into a mirror, "Oh I thought you really covered half my head but it's not to bad", he laughed back at him. The pharaoh walked towards the door slowly, "Do you want something to eat or do you wish to just go home right away?", he asked him. The boy nodded at the last and walked along with him, "I'll eat at home if you don't mind", he said quietly.
Yami shook his head and walked with him untill the last step of the palace,"Exodia. be care full okay?". The green-eyed boy smiled at him and turned around, running towards the city and the river. Once he was out of sight he kept running not looking back one time. 'What is wrong with me, I feel strange. Is it the plague that suddenly overcame me, Am I going to die. or. something else', he thought as he fought the tears that tried to creep into his eyes.
'I didn't even say goodbye to him. or thanked him for the great days I could stay with him. Oh great Ra. I'm afraid. For the first time I'm afraid to fly.', he said as he arrived at the boat and stared up at the sky, following a few birds that flew over. Once he stepped on the boat he walked to the bow of the ship and stared over the water. 'A fear of flying alone. I wonder if Yami was also afraid of becoming a pharaoh', he sighed and sat down, waiting for the ship to leave.
~~~~
"Exodia, are you starting to doubt your ego?", a shadow spoke as he turned around and walked away from his viewing mirror. "Isn't that sad, a Pharaoh without any confidence.", he said softly. "Now, Yami feel sthat Exodia is hiding something from him, which makes the situation more interesting, maybe I can allready try to put something between them, to let them hate eachother.", he turned back to the mirror showing Exodia's face.
"Yes. the pain and sorrow is readable from your face, eventhough I can feel your hate burning inside of you, you want to duel, and your father forbids you. Such a tight situation, what will you do young boy. What will you do.", he grinned as turned away completely and walked out of the room slowly.
~~~~
Exodia ran up the stair of his palace but stopped in the middle, "Father!", he said as he looked into his Father's displeased eyes. "Exodia, I forbid you to ever see that boy again, and I also.", he started as he walked down the stairs to his son and grabbed the deck of cards out of his hands harshly, "Forbid you to ever use these cards again!"
The boy stared at him with big eyes, "Give them back! I'm old enough to..", the look in his father's eyes scared him. "No you're NOT old enough to play these games Exodia! You don't even know what you can really do with these cards!", he shouted as he dragged him inside the palace. The boy narrowed his eyes and ran away from underneath him, closed the door to his room with a loud bang and jumped onto his bed.
He felt tears burn into his eyes while slamming down his fists onto the bed. For a moment it seemed that his anger took the best of him when he threatened to throw a porselaine vase his mother got from travelers against the wall. Once he set it down he could feel how powerless he was, "I .. I HATE YOU..Just leave me alone.. Leave.. me..", he stammered as he kept on slamming his fists into his pillows. "I'll show you that I CAN use those cards the right way!!", he shouted as he suddenly smalled his fist into the wall instead of his bed or pillow. Blood immediately ran down from his hand, he stared at it as his eyes filled with tears. 'I can duel. I can duel better then you father. much better. I'll show you I can summon aswell.', he thought as he stayed in his room the rest of the day and patiently waited for the night to fall.
Once the moon had reached it's highest point he walked out of his room, his eyes narrowed. After he found his deck he walked down to the huge dungeon underneath the palace and stared at the first card in his hand. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon..", he whispered as he lay the card on the floor and stepped back. "I SUMMON YOU BLUE-EYES WHITE DRAGON", he shouted as he saw the card starting to flash brightly. An enormous dragon emerged from the card and roared loudly.
Exodia's eyes widened and stared at the rest of his cards in his hand and grinned suddenly, "Blue-Eyes, Listen to me and my command!!", he said suddenly as he saw the Dragon turn it's head towards him. Once he put on another monster on the field he smiled and pointed at the other creature. "Destroy that monster!!", he said deviantly as he watched the dragon walk towards the smaller beast.
Once the dragon completely destroyed the creature Exodia felt the power of the game run through his veins. He summoned his remaining two Blue-Eyes White Dragons and fused them into the Blue-Eyes Ultimate dragon. He walked towards the dragon and held his hand up to it's head, seeing if the beast listened to him. Surprisingly it held it's head down to make it easier for Exodia to reach out for it.
Exodia swallowed as he could feel cold hard scales as he touched the creature's head, "Unbelievable. you're real.", he said softly as he removed his hand from the Dragon's head. Once the smile reappeared on his head he walked infront of the dragon and placed another card on the floor, wanting to summon it. However the summon was rudely disrupted by something.
The young prince stared up at the silhouette that stood in the light. "Father.?", he said with a trembling voice as he saw how Ameniuy stepped onto the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon card, maiking the dragon roar out in pain, falling to the ground and dissapear. "NO! Why did you do that?!", Exodia screamed at his father and pushed him off the card, picking it up and staring at it. "It was a living animal.", he said softly while shielding the card from his father's hand.
"Exodia. I FORBID it, I warned you!", he said as he took the Ultimate Dragon card from the prince's hands and teared it apart infront of his eyes. "As for you.", he started, staring down on him almost mercilessy, "You'll be punished!" He said as he harshly pulled the boy up and smacked him in the face. Exodia shouted once, then let his body fall to the ground, he was in no mood to put up any resistance.
As he stared at his deck of cards scattered on the ground he sighed. 'What does it matter now. Did it ever matter.', he thought as he stared at the shreds of his strongest card on the sandy floor. "Did it ever matter to you.", the prince whispered soflt as he felt his cheek burn and his eyes fill with tears.
Ameniuy crossed his arms and stared down at him, "I can't believe this, my son is a wimp. No strength to even resist me, not even verbally. You only cry, is this because you necglected your physical training and your studies?!", he spoke harshly. "I was so proud of you Exodia, SO proud. Look at you now, you're an excuse! All because of those cards!", he said as he grabbed most of the cards and walked towards the torch on the wall, "I'll end this here and now.", he said.
Exodia held his head up and stared at his father who held the torch close to his precious deck of cards. The same deck Yami helped to build for him, the deck he puts his own heart and soul in. His eyes shifted past the walls lightning fast, 'You think I'm weak.I'll. show you weak!', he thought as he rose from the ground and reached for a sharp piece of metal on the floor, ran towards his father and simply slit his neck to save his cards.
"I'm not weak.", he said as he watched his father's big brown eyes full of disbelief. "You wish to see me rule a country with pride. with honor and strength. Well then why don't you let me do that? You call me weak, but you never brought our Luxor any good.", he said with hatefilled eyes. Once Anemiuy's eyes closed and he had breathed his last threat to Exodia, the prince grabbed the torch from the wall and sealed the small wound with the flames.
The green eyes stared at the lifeless body on the cold sandy ground, his body trembled. He felt different but the same, more powerfull and but still weak. Eventhough he hated it, tears continiously streamed down his face, vaporizing immediately on his burning skin. He glared down upon his dead father once more, treachery, he had killed his own father.
'Is this the right choice. should I have killed..my own father.. What will the priests say. what can I do. Yami, what will he think of me, I .I am.a murderer.', he thought as he felt his knees giving up on him, causing him to fall down onto them. Letting his entire body fall down to the ground he only wished Ra would be mercifull on him. But he had killed a man, not only his father but the pharaoh. "How can I live on with this shame, this guilt, this pain.", he said as he curled up next to the body of his father and waited for sleep to come.
------
Take me under
I'm dying tonight
Watch me crumble
I'm crying tonight I'm giving in to you
Caught up, in life
Losing all my friends
Family has tried, to heal all my addictions
Tragic it seems, to be alone again I'm giving in to you
Take me under
I'm dying tonight
Watch me crumble
I'm crying tonight I'm giving in to you
-----
End notes: The italic part here is part of a song, Adema - Giving In
"Something bugs me.", a voice spoke quietly. Exodia's head turned up immediately, his hair waving with the motions of his face. "What bugs you father?", the boy asked smiling. "Well you see my boy, this card you just played just destroyed all my monsters, and the attack you'll perform after it. causes you to win!", he said smiling proudly. The boy grinned and sat back, "I can also just stall!", he said as he titled his head a little. Ameniuy shook his head, "Nope you beat me, fair and square!".
The young boy rose from the cards and smiled at his father as he grabbed them from the table they played on and put them away. "So did Yami teach you to play like this?", Ameniuy asked his son curiously. Exodia stared at him and just smiled, giving him the answer without speaking any words. "I'm really glad you and yami can find it so well, I and his father used to hold some grudges against eachother, you know Akunamukanon used to be inlove with your mother you know!", he tried to say as serious as he could, but failed and laughed at the sight of Exodia's smiling face. "I am very happy to have a friend like him, he's like a brother to me!", the boy spoke softly as he turned away from his father, the image suddenly changing drastically, remebering him it was no longer just a flashback to his nice youth, but slowly and surely turning into a nightmare.
Exodia shot up and stared around the room. He blinked his eyes continuously untill the images of monsters dissapeared from his face. 'Why do I dream about monsters. they all look so much like the Duel Monsters from the game.'. Once he stared around he realized he was still in Yami's palace, the guestroom. Remembering he fell asleep in yami's arms he wrapped his own arms around his knees curling up.
The strange shape on the wall had returned, it faintly danced on the wall, changing it's form everytime another light fell upon it, it started to scare him. Hadn't he known it was only something that casted strange looking shadows on the wall he had ran out of the room in panic, especially after such dreams. 'Why. please go away, shadow..', the boy pleaded as he wrapped the silken sheets over his body and peeked over the edge of the cover.
It almost seemed to look like the shadow casted a sign on the wall, Exodia had never seen it before, "What. is that", he asked himself as he lifted the covers from the bed and dragged them to the wall, placing his hands on it trembling a bit. Blinking a few times he noticed the shadows didn't cast on his hands, but only on the wall. "Impossible.", he whispered as his body shivered with disbelief, he took a few steps back falling over a small chair, landing his head on the stone floor with a bang.
------
As the sun rose onto Exodia's slightly bleeding head he rose from the ground wincing as his head hurt horribly. He could faintly hear the door opening and someone screaming his name but he was dazed enough not to be able to make up from it who it was. "Exodia!!", Yami shouted as he ran into the room stopping in front of him and staring at the distance from hin to the bed.
"How did this happen. You're atleast a metre from your bed Exodia.", he said as he carefully lifted the boy, a whole task it seemed, to lift someone as big as you are yourself. Exodia softly groaned and reached for his head as he was lay down on the bed slowly. "Yami.?", he asked staring into the violet eyes. The young pharaoh tilted his head a little, "Are you allright? Seeing from your head you made a big fall.".
The boy sat up suddenly the dazy stare immediately dissapearing from his eyes, he stared at Yami a bit bewildered, "The shadow on the wall! I saw a strange shadow on the wall Yami!", he started suddenly. The pharaoh frowned and narrowed his eyes questionable, "Are you seriously talking about a shadow on a wall..?", he asked him a bit disbelieving. Exodia sighed and stared at the ground, "I know it's stupid, but I've decided to go back home I think, I've been here for 3 or 4 days now, I'm sure my father is worried.".
Yami nodded understanding smiling a bit, "But you have to do something about your head though, wait here.", he said as he walked out of the room and returned with a bowl of water and some bandages. Exodia blinked and stared at Yami sitting down again next to him, grabbing a piece of cloth and dipping it in the water, cleaning the wound carefully.
The boy stared in front of him the whole time untill Yami covered the wound with the bandages. "There you look like an unfinished mummy now.", he chuckled as he patted his shoulders gently. Exodia smlied and rose from his bed staring into a mirror, "Oh I thought you really covered half my head but it's not to bad", he laughed back at him. The pharaoh walked towards the door slowly, "Do you want something to eat or do you wish to just go home right away?", he asked him. The boy nodded at the last and walked along with him, "I'll eat at home if you don't mind", he said quietly.
Yami shook his head and walked with him untill the last step of the palace,"Exodia. be care full okay?". The green-eyed boy smiled at him and turned around, running towards the city and the river. Once he was out of sight he kept running not looking back one time. 'What is wrong with me, I feel strange. Is it the plague that suddenly overcame me, Am I going to die. or. something else', he thought as he fought the tears that tried to creep into his eyes.
'I didn't even say goodbye to him. or thanked him for the great days I could stay with him. Oh great Ra. I'm afraid. For the first time I'm afraid to fly.', he said as he arrived at the boat and stared up at the sky, following a few birds that flew over. Once he stepped on the boat he walked to the bow of the ship and stared over the water. 'A fear of flying alone. I wonder if Yami was also afraid of becoming a pharaoh', he sighed and sat down, waiting for the ship to leave.
~~~~
"Exodia, are you starting to doubt your ego?", a shadow spoke as he turned around and walked away from his viewing mirror. "Isn't that sad, a Pharaoh without any confidence.", he said softly. "Now, Yami feel sthat Exodia is hiding something from him, which makes the situation more interesting, maybe I can allready try to put something between them, to let them hate eachother.", he turned back to the mirror showing Exodia's face.
"Yes. the pain and sorrow is readable from your face, eventhough I can feel your hate burning inside of you, you want to duel, and your father forbids you. Such a tight situation, what will you do young boy. What will you do.", he grinned as turned away completely and walked out of the room slowly.
~~~~
Exodia ran up the stair of his palace but stopped in the middle, "Father!", he said as he looked into his Father's displeased eyes. "Exodia, I forbid you to ever see that boy again, and I also.", he started as he walked down the stairs to his son and grabbed the deck of cards out of his hands harshly, "Forbid you to ever use these cards again!"
The boy stared at him with big eyes, "Give them back! I'm old enough to..", the look in his father's eyes scared him. "No you're NOT old enough to play these games Exodia! You don't even know what you can really do with these cards!", he shouted as he dragged him inside the palace. The boy narrowed his eyes and ran away from underneath him, closed the door to his room with a loud bang and jumped onto his bed.
He felt tears burn into his eyes while slamming down his fists onto the bed. For a moment it seemed that his anger took the best of him when he threatened to throw a porselaine vase his mother got from travelers against the wall. Once he set it down he could feel how powerless he was, "I .. I HATE YOU..Just leave me alone.. Leave.. me..", he stammered as he kept on slamming his fists into his pillows. "I'll show you that I CAN use those cards the right way!!", he shouted as he suddenly smalled his fist into the wall instead of his bed or pillow. Blood immediately ran down from his hand, he stared at it as his eyes filled with tears. 'I can duel. I can duel better then you father. much better. I'll show you I can summon aswell.', he thought as he stayed in his room the rest of the day and patiently waited for the night to fall.
Once the moon had reached it's highest point he walked out of his room, his eyes narrowed. After he found his deck he walked down to the huge dungeon underneath the palace and stared at the first card in his hand. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon..", he whispered as he lay the card on the floor and stepped back. "I SUMMON YOU BLUE-EYES WHITE DRAGON", he shouted as he saw the card starting to flash brightly. An enormous dragon emerged from the card and roared loudly.
Exodia's eyes widened and stared at the rest of his cards in his hand and grinned suddenly, "Blue-Eyes, Listen to me and my command!!", he said suddenly as he saw the Dragon turn it's head towards him. Once he put on another monster on the field he smiled and pointed at the other creature. "Destroy that monster!!", he said deviantly as he watched the dragon walk towards the smaller beast.
Once the dragon completely destroyed the creature Exodia felt the power of the game run through his veins. He summoned his remaining two Blue-Eyes White Dragons and fused them into the Blue-Eyes Ultimate dragon. He walked towards the dragon and held his hand up to it's head, seeing if the beast listened to him. Surprisingly it held it's head down to make it easier for Exodia to reach out for it.
Exodia swallowed as he could feel cold hard scales as he touched the creature's head, "Unbelievable. you're real.", he said softly as he removed his hand from the Dragon's head. Once the smile reappeared on his head he walked infront of the dragon and placed another card on the floor, wanting to summon it. However the summon was rudely disrupted by something.
The young prince stared up at the silhouette that stood in the light. "Father.?", he said with a trembling voice as he saw how Ameniuy stepped onto the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon card, maiking the dragon roar out in pain, falling to the ground and dissapear. "NO! Why did you do that?!", Exodia screamed at his father and pushed him off the card, picking it up and staring at it. "It was a living animal.", he said softly while shielding the card from his father's hand.
"Exodia. I FORBID it, I warned you!", he said as he took the Ultimate Dragon card from the prince's hands and teared it apart infront of his eyes. "As for you.", he started, staring down on him almost mercilessy, "You'll be punished!" He said as he harshly pulled the boy up and smacked him in the face. Exodia shouted once, then let his body fall to the ground, he was in no mood to put up any resistance.
As he stared at his deck of cards scattered on the ground he sighed. 'What does it matter now. Did it ever matter.', he thought as he stared at the shreds of his strongest card on the sandy floor. "Did it ever matter to you.", the prince whispered soflt as he felt his cheek burn and his eyes fill with tears.
Ameniuy crossed his arms and stared down at him, "I can't believe this, my son is a wimp. No strength to even resist me, not even verbally. You only cry, is this because you necglected your physical training and your studies?!", he spoke harshly. "I was so proud of you Exodia, SO proud. Look at you now, you're an excuse! All because of those cards!", he said as he grabbed most of the cards and walked towards the torch on the wall, "I'll end this here and now.", he said.
Exodia held his head up and stared at his father who held the torch close to his precious deck of cards. The same deck Yami helped to build for him, the deck he puts his own heart and soul in. His eyes shifted past the walls lightning fast, 'You think I'm weak.I'll. show you weak!', he thought as he rose from the ground and reached for a sharp piece of metal on the floor, ran towards his father and simply slit his neck to save his cards.
"I'm not weak.", he said as he watched his father's big brown eyes full of disbelief. "You wish to see me rule a country with pride. with honor and strength. Well then why don't you let me do that? You call me weak, but you never brought our Luxor any good.", he said with hatefilled eyes. Once Anemiuy's eyes closed and he had breathed his last threat to Exodia, the prince grabbed the torch from the wall and sealed the small wound with the flames.
The green eyes stared at the lifeless body on the cold sandy ground, his body trembled. He felt different but the same, more powerfull and but still weak. Eventhough he hated it, tears continiously streamed down his face, vaporizing immediately on his burning skin. He glared down upon his dead father once more, treachery, he had killed his own father.
'Is this the right choice. should I have killed..my own father.. What will the priests say. what can I do. Yami, what will he think of me, I .I am.a murderer.', he thought as he felt his knees giving up on him, causing him to fall down onto them. Letting his entire body fall down to the ground he only wished Ra would be mercifull on him. But he had killed a man, not only his father but the pharaoh. "How can I live on with this shame, this guilt, this pain.", he said as he curled up next to the body of his father and waited for sleep to come.
------
Take me under
I'm dying tonight
Watch me crumble
I'm crying tonight I'm giving in to you
Caught up, in life
Losing all my friends
Family has tried, to heal all my addictions
Tragic it seems, to be alone again I'm giving in to you
Take me under
I'm dying tonight
Watch me crumble
I'm crying tonight I'm giving in to you
-----
End notes: The italic part here is part of a song, Adema - Giving In