Chapter 5
After lunch Seto found himself arguing with Pegasus. The older man was taking this in an amused manner and Seto wasn't that into actually hating the other man either. In fact, Seto just felt like acting disagreeable. Pegasus seemed to understand.
The bickering, however, resulted in a challenge to a duel; who actually made the challenge was not really clear. The other boys and Anzu, who watched the duel, found that it was pretty much a stalemate.
Pegasus used his Millennium Eye, of course, on Seto. He was allowed to do this because Seto could see the future, and knew what Pegasus would put down next. It seemed the night's rest in a different environment, ( aka the castle) somehow strengthened his mind and he was able to cope with so many visions. They were quite brief though, and his eyes hardly flickered. Even so, such powers were hard to deal with when it comes to losing, and neither one lost.
After confirming that it was a stalemate, neither one had the energy to go on any longer, and the game was put to rest. Seto claimed victory simply because he felt like acting like a sore loser and Pegasus gave it to him because he had taken advantage of Seto during the duel in the Duelist Kingdom Competition.
Pegasus was certain Seto was not himself, or was never himself and was himself for the first time, because Seto was actually acting his age, or as close as he will ever get. Seto knew that he liked to act his age but wouldn't be able to for too long, being the person he was.
Afterwards came the duel between Seto and Mokuba. Seto let Mokuba win on purpose just to make his brother happy. Of course, they had to play an hour before Seto put down his weakest card and Mokuba claimed all his life points. Everyone except Mokuba knew that Seto did it on purpose, because he had all three Blue Eyes in his hand and he never put them down. Seto later admitted that he was downright upset about getting all three on the first draw, especially since he was hoping the deck wouldn't give him those.
After settling that, Jou challenged Seto and Seto decided to let him win as well. Everyone except Jou knew that Seto had played easy on him. Seto was skillful. He was able to pretend to try his best and yet get the desired result, and losing, in fact, for Seto was harder than winning, especially since this time he got all the good cards. So Seto had to rack his brains for ways to lose while Jou helped by working his for ways to win.
Finally, came the battle between Yami and Seto. This time Seto was not an easy player. Yami attempted to play easy on him, but Seto muttered that since Yami had his Black Luster Ritual, he ought to put it down.
" You said you wouldn't use your powers." Yami warned.
" I didn't use it." Seto answered. " Your hand is flickering this way and that. I saw
the edge of that card and the vision just came to me. Put it down!"
In the end it was a stalemate. Yami being the King of Games, Seto being the tired prophet who doesn't want visions but visions kept coming to him because they like to.
Shadi got off the plane with Isis, feeling, quite understandably, very jetlagged.
In truth, they did nothing but sleep on the plane because the winds were terrible and
the plane kept on rocking. However, the motion is still enough to make them feel
woozy, and they decided that a boat might be slightly better because they could lie
down.
Obviously, it wasn't so. Since the winds were bad, the waves were too, and since the waves were large, the ship rocked to and fro. When they came to Duelist Kingdom, neither of them wanted to look at scrolls. Pegasus allowed them into the castle and led them to their rooms to rest before telling the others.
When they did look at the scrolls, they came upon an interesting discovery.
A man by the name of Senenmut, a common name for Egyptians, was a holder of the Millennium Key before Shadi but had died under a terrible accident. He wrote a scroll before his death that told of different peoples. Most of them Shadi was familiar, but there was one that was downright strange.
" Listen to this," Shadi said to Isis, feeling quite smug at finding the scroll, " This mind is the hardest of all, for his mind alone is but a trap and illusion. There is one golden door that leads to a trap, and the others are all false. Such a mind can be known by the false doors-for each room contradict each other. These rooms do not show the true mind at all, and if the person is strong enough, he can will the mind into a maze. Only if the being within the mind allows the holder a glimpse of one hidden, true door, can the holder see the true room."
" Well," Isis said after a pause, " You certainly got yourself into that one, Shadi. Seto fits the description perfectly."
Ignoring her, Shadi continued on. This time, he read it silently.
Pegasus shivered. This soul room feels creepy.
If I have a choice, He thought bitterly, I'm never going to use Shadi's Millennium Key again.
He looked around the various doors and pondered which one was the golden one, because all of the sudden they all seem golden.
Briefly he wondered why he was doing this. Seto was not his favorite child. He respected the boy's intelligence but that doesn't mean he had to like him. Shadi didn't explain much either, and all Pegasus knew was it had something to do with leeches, according to the brief glimpse he had of Shadi's mind.
But Shadi had remarked that Pegasus can never refuse this offer. So Pegasus didn't.
He remembered the tips that Shadi gave him.
Seto had looked so terrified. He seriously looked terrified and Pegasus had almost hesitated before driving his key in. He remembered Seto's eyes, bright blue and pleading, badly frightened and welling with tears of fear. He remembered Seto shaking, asking him what he was planning to do, and how Shadi had held him down while he tried to escape and pleaded Pegasus not to hurt him. And finally, when Pegasus drove the key in, he remembered the piercing scream. Was it of pain? Or of fear alone?
" It is time that you have come." Said a voice, and Pegasus remembered that there were five guardians in Seto's mind. " We know what you want. We shall help you."
Swallowing, Pegasus for the first time felt awkward. The five guardians looked so powerful. He felt so puny. He remembered what he had to do once he reached the door.
Shadi was absolutely right. Seto was a child, and it was a child that Pegasus saw chained to the wall, flatworms covering his broken and frail body. It was Seto's spirit. Pegasus realized that the Seto that he had trapped within the card back at the competition was not really Seto. The real Seto was a child. That one was a shield.
Clever, He thought, breathing despite his horror. Clever, clever clever, a beautiful way to disguise and protect yourself! But at this cost? It is not worth it.
Pegasus realized Seto was unconscious, as Shadi had referred, and slowly, with trembling hands, he began to remove the leeches from Seto's pale body. Seto did not even twitch.
Pegasus found himself beginning to talk to Seto.
" How long have you been here, Seto child?" He asked. " You look half dead. Come on, come on down, you're safe now. Don't need the shield anymore. Why lock yourself up in here?" He peeled off the last flatworm and began undoing the chains. " Look, you're bleeding."
Perhaps he should have used salt. But he had no salt. And Pegasus figured that since this was a soul room, the leeches aren't real anyway.
" Are you that heartbroken, Seto?" Pegasus asked empathetically. " I know what it feels like. It makes you feel so worthless, doesn't it? Like no one loves you anymore? Like it doesn't matter whether you exist or not? Such a thing can be painful." He caught the frail body and adjusted it so that Seto was secure in his arms. " Come along, let's get you out of this creepy place."
" What's taking so long?" Yami asked, concerned.
" Did something happen to him?" Yami Bakura asked. " Did he fall into one of
those traps?"
" Iie." Shadi answered. " If he did, his body would have showed it."
The group waited in uncomfortable silence. Even Jou was quiet.
The guardians have disappeared. Many of the original doors have too. Now
there was a large, pale blue bed with walls covered with sculptures and paintings. It
was a beautiful room. Pegasus set Seto down on the bed gently and realized his
clothes had changed from torn rags to the pale blue robe of Shadi's choice.
Seto blinked his large blue eyes and looked around him like a newborn kitten. He was shivering, and as Shadi had predicted, was cold and scared. When his eyes fell upon Pegasus he jumped out of bed and tried to run away, but Pegasus forced him back on the bed and pinned his arm behind his back just as Shadi had instructed.
" Seto!" Pegasus cried, Seto hissing with fear. " Seto!"
Seto jerked underneath him. Pegasus held on tight.
" Listen to me, Seto," Seto continued to struggle against the arms that held him. "
Listen to me! You have to understand. Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you. I
found out what was wrong with you. Onegai, let me help you. That was what Fate
has been doing!"
" Leave me alone!" Seto shouted, growling, even though Pegasus felt him shivering.
He bucked and kicked, finally freeing himself. Then he bolted. He did not turn back-
Pegasus knocked him over, falling on him and thus pinned Seto to the
ground.
" Seto," He cried, " I know what is wrong with you. You have to listen to me. I
want to help you."
" If you want to help me, then let me go!" Seto jerked, but the body was too heavy.
He couldn't move. He was suffocating. He was being squished to death. Darkness
was before his eyes.
" The only way to help you is if you trust me." Pegasus said desperately. " Onegai,
Seto, give me this chance, give yourself a chance. I promise I will not hurt you. Just
relax."
Seto thrashed one last time until he felt his strength ebb. Pegasus began talking quieter now.
" I know you went through a lot." Pegasus pleaded, " But that doesn't mean you have to hide for the rest of your life. Give us a chance to see who you are, and give yourself a chance to see how the world is like. It's not all cruel."
Seto was silent.
" Seto, promise me that you will not try to protect yourself again this way. You have other ways to protect yourself, but this is too perfect. This cannot be. I promise, I'll protect you, and so will all your friends. Promise me you won't go back."
Seto started trembling again.
" Seto, don't make me force you."
" I p-p-promise," Seto whispered.
Pegasus drew the key out with a violent tug and Seto writhed on the bed. At
first Pegasus rubbed his temples, then he threw the key aside as Seto woke. He
wrapped his arms around Seto just as the boy opened his eyes and whimpered in
fear, sitting up, about to run out. Pegasus covered the boy's eyes and whispered to
his ear, and at last the group saw Seto visibly relax and ease into the bed.
" Mission accomplished, from what I can tell." Yugi blinked. " How are you feeling, Seto?" Pegasus sighed and went out.
Seto looked surprised. For a moment he didn't know how to answer.
" Cold." He finally said. " Cold."
" Does it feel better without that shell of yours?" Anzu asked sympathetically.
Seto shook his head. He didn't like it.
" Don't ask too many questions." Shadi answered. " He's tired. It has been a long while. And besides, Pegasus was the one that earned his trust, not the rest of us. We'll leave you alone, Seto. Pegasus will come right back."
Seto nodded stiffly. Pegasus returned from the hall. Shadi and Pegasus shared a glance before the group left, leaving Pegasus and Seto alone.