A Love Deserving

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      "Yami, the door guard tells me there's a man here to see us."

Yugi caught up to his best friend as they crossed the palace courtyard to the main doors.

Yami was the pharaoh---of the world and Yugi his adviser, heir, and closest friend.

Yami rarely kept anything from him so he was surprised when Yami nodded.

"He spoke to me some weeks ago when I was in Kyoto."

Yugi smiled.

"Does he have a wish? I love watching you use your magic Yami!"

Yami frowned.

"I may not be able to grant his wish---and if I do it must be performed in secret. No one must know."

Yugi stopped and watched him walk to the door.

Before he opened it he turned one eye back to Yugi and spoke quietly.

"Please don't be angry Yugi---I know his heart break so I will try to help him."

He turned the knob slowly and opened the door.

For Yugi time slowed to a crawl and when he saw who was at the door he was shocked.

Pegasus, suitcase in hand and hair still covering his missing eye, stood in the door with a reserved look about him.

He bowed respectively to Yami and then Yugi and stepped inside the courtyard.

"Thank you for helping me and allowing me to stay here for a few days."

Yami nodded with a slight smile.

"I understand that you did what you thought you had to. You see the error of your ways now and I have happily accepted you apologies. You're welcome to stay as long as you like."

Yugi simply stood there as they walked back across the courtyard and into the guest quarters.

A moment later Yami came back.

"Yugi---are you upset with me?"

He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I just don't understand. More than trying to steal the puzzle from us, he trapped three of our friends and family in cards. Why are you---his wife?!"

Yami nodded.

"That's why no one must know. I can do it it's just that it's very difficult and if I started bringing back loved ones the natural order of the universe would be disrupted."

Yugi nodded silently but looked up and was about to speak but yami shook his head.

"Please don't ask Yugi---I can't deny you anything and it wouldn't be right to bring him back."

He nodded and started to walk away but Yami stopped him.

"I had you come live with me because I thought you would be happy. If you're not you don't have to stay here. I know that grandpa meant a lot to you but think what would happen if I pulled him from heaven. I'm only doing this for Pegasus because both of them want it."

As soon as he said it he knew it was a mistake.

Yugi had found it very difficult to adjust to life after grandpa had died and Yami knew that any communication would only lead to more pain.

Yugi's eyes widened and he looked as if he were about to cry.

"You can---see there?!"

Yami sighed and rested his hand on Yugi's shoulder but he smacked it away.

"Yugi, right now it's best if you don't see him."

He closed his eyes as the first tears spilled from Yugi's.

"You lied to me?! How many other things have you lied about?! Did you talk to him?"

Tears began to fall from Yami's eyes as well as he nodded.

"He agrees that you're not ready for that."

Yugi turned and began to run but Yami stopped him by grabbing him around the waist as he fell to his knees.

"Yugi, I'm sorry! You just don't understand! He begged me not to tell you!"

Yugi stood there watching his tears fall onto Yami's hands.

" He told you that he was happy and didn't want me to see him yet because he knew I would ask you to bring him back to life?"

Yami was silent a moment.

"Yes Yugi---you're grandmother and mother are with him---they're happy and want you to live a full life."

Yugi sighed.

"All I ask is to talk to him one more time."

Yami closed his eyes and stood.

"Tomorrow."

Yugi nodded.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to lay down for a little while. I'm tired and didn't get much sleep last night."

Yami rested his hand on his shoulder and smiled softly.

"I'll stop by your room. We'll have dinner out okay?"

Yugi nodded and walked away.

Yami watched him for a moment with a sad smile.

'I'm sorry Yugi---that I can't---even this once may be dangerous for me.'

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     Pegasus pulled out a duel monsters card with a picture of his beloved Cecelia and kissed it before setting it on the nightstand.

He was surprised to hear a knock at his door.

Opening it proved to be a shock.

Yugi looked up at him and wiped the remaining tears from his eyes.

"Good afternoon Mr. Pegasus. Can I talk to you?"

He smiled and stepped back, holding the door open.

"Please come in. don't mind me, I'm just unpacking. I don't know how long I'll be here. Pharaoh told me that it may take time for Cecelia to remember everything and that this would be the best place for her since it's quiet."

Yugi nodded.

"You may call him Yami---only his enemies refer to him as Pharaoh."

Pegasus turned back to his suitcase and began to unfold and put away.

"You seem so sad---what was it you wanted to ask me?"

Yugi sat in a chair next to the door.

"How did you use the eye to see Cecelia?"

The older man stopped a moment and gave a heavy sigh as he remembered that day.

"I don't really know, I guess---I just wished for it. Why would you ask such a---Yugi-boy?"

He turned as he spoke to find the room and hallway empty spare him.

He shook his head and turned back to his task.

Around the corner, Yugi reached into his pocket and pulled out the eye.

It gleamed in the setting sun that shone through crystal blue windows.

He walked out into the courtyard and ran across it into the temple that housed all seven items.

He was about to replace it when a hand came out of the shadows and grabbed his forcing it out.

"This is why I didn't want you to know! Do you know what would have happened if anyone got a hold of just one of these?! Do not abuse your right to touch and use them!"

Yami placed the item back where it was supposed to be and walked into the light.

Yugi stared up at him and sighed.

"How did you know I took it?"

Yami crossed his arms and glared.

"I was about to retrieve the necklace when I saw you take it so I hid and followed you to Pegasus. Don't do it again Yugi, or I will have to ban you from this room."

Yugi looked down.

"I'm sorry, I won't take any of them from this room again. Why were you getting the necklace?"

Yami sighed and unfolded his arms.

"I need to see the outcome of this before I go through with it."

Yami looked as though he wanted to say more but refused his own voice.

Yugi looked down and turned away.

"Don't lie to me anymore Yami, even if you don't think I can handle it. I'm stronger than I look."

Yami gave another sigh and turned away as well.

"It's not that I think you're weak or can't handle things---it's that I hate to see you hurt and it's worse when I'm the one who's hurt you."

Yugi said nothing.

He stiffened as Yami placed his hand on his shoulder.

"If you're ready, we can go to dinner now."

Yugi nodded but neither turned nor spoke as they walked out.

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Yugi's quiet mood was starting to get to Yami as they sat across from each other at a reserved table in Yami's favorite restaurant.

"Yugi, please talk to me. You're my best friend and I'm worried about you. You've been silent since this afternoon. I told you I'm not mad at you anymore."

Yugi looked down into the deep red of his wine and sighed.

"I know Yami, I just don't feel like talking right now---there's really nothing to talk about."

Yami sighed and took a drink of his wine.

He nearly choked as Yugi started to cry silently.

"What in the world brought that on? Yugi are you okay?"

He looked concerned and stood to walk over to him but Yugi fell to his knees at Yami's feet.

"I'm sorry Yami! I tried to be as strong as you are but I just can't do it! I'm weak!"

Yami kneeled next to him.

"What are you talking about? Yugi you're very strong."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I can't handle magic the way you can and I can't get over things as fast as you can! I wanted so much to prove to you that I will be as kind a ruler as you one day but I just can't do it!"

Yami pulled his younger half into his arms and began to cry as well.

"Yugi---you are my descendant, you're like my brother, I know that you will be a great ruler one day, you don't have to prove it to me! Everyone has their weakness and just because I don't look upset, or cry, it doesn't mean that I'm not."

Yugi suddenly blushed as he looked around at the people staring at him.

He heard their whispers and quickly sat back in his chair clenching his hands tightly on his napkin in his lap.

"Yami please stand up, you'll look weak."

Yami sighed and stood, brushing his tears away.

Yami flinched at Yugi's tone.

"Yugi---I neither look weak for helping someone, especially you---nor is it any of their business why I'm on my knees. I don't know where this is coming from but it's going to end here."

Despite his convictions, Yugi crumbled and threw himself into Yami.

"I had a horrible dream last night! I dreamed that you died! I wasn't worried until today so this morning I---"

Yami stopped him.

"That's why I told you not to use the necklace Yugi---it will project your fears if they are strong enough and as has been seen, it can be wrong. Now calm yourself and enjoy your dinner abiou. I'll be very busy tomorrow so I'll need you to run things for me."

Yugi looked worried.

"What kind of things? I can't do the morning spell to awaken the items."

Yami smiled slightly and sat back in his seat across from Yugi.

Yugi also sat down and stared across the table with wide eyes.

"Abiou---I'll be doing that but I'll be teaching you some simple spells tonight and you'll need your strength. Don't worry, it's nothing you can't handle, you'll just sleep well tonight."

Yugi looked down.

"Is all magic use draining?"

Yami nodded.

"To some degree yes, but that's why I have three magicians."

Yugi took a deep breath and stared Yami in the eye.

"You said you know his heart break, what did you mean?"

Yami looked sad for a moment.

"I fell in love once---she was killed when the attacks started in Thebes. Some of my memories, the ones I have regained, are very sad. I don't remember her name or station, but I remember that I loved her so much. I was sick or a long time after she died."

Yugi looked sad for him and yami smiled softly.

" It was a very long time ago Abiou and if these things never happened I wouldn't have been able to meet you. Not everyone gets the chance to see into the future, or the past, and I'm happy that I can watch you grow up and still be around the same age. I like being your friend as well as your teacher. Come now, let's finish our dinner and we'll go."

Yugi nodded and the subject lightened considerably.

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      At sunrise Yami woke.

He walked through the palace courtyard in fine white garments, his three high priests and friends following him.

Merik stood to his right, Jonouchi to the left, and Seto close behind.

Silently they entered a darkened room.

Seto walked to the alter in the center of the room while Merik and Jonouchi lit the wall torches.

Yami also walked to the alter and stood at it's head, Seto at it's foot.

Jonouchi and Merik left momentarily, leaving the room in complete silence.

Seto took this opportunity to speak.

"Are you sure you want to do this? Yugi doesn't know does he?"

Yami closed his eyes and shook his head.

"No and he doesn't need to. I've put enough stress on him for the day. I'll tell him later. At the moment he's seeing his grandfather. There's one more thing though---"

Seto nodded, waiting for Yami to speak again.

"I may not have the strength to walk back to my room, I'll need help and I'll probably sleep for the rest of the day and night so I'll need a guard. No one comes in---not even Yugi."

He nodded with a concerned look.

Both turned as Pegasus entered between Jonouchi and Merik.

Seto stared him in the eye and glared as he spoke.

"Place the card on the alter and stand here."

Seto moved to the side of it as Pegasus took his place.

He lay the card gently on the alter and closed his eyes.

Jonouchi and Merik closed the door and stood on either side of it, watching silently until he beckoned them over to a statue of the goddess Isis. 

Seto followed and the four knelt before it, each placing their hands on the feet of it.

Yami spoke quietly and they closed their eyes.

"Isis---mother of Egypt, open the portal of the dead so that I may waken one soul into this world."

Seto Jonouchi and Merik then spoke.

"Grant our king the power of the gods and use us as needed. We are the high priests and look after our wives as they look after our children."

They stood and walked back to their places.

Yami placed his hand over the card and Seto placed his hand over Yami's.

They began to chant together in ancient Egyptian and soon a glowing bird with the head of Cecelia flew down to their hands.

Seto took it into his hands and it turned into a ball of light that floated down into the card.

The card then disappeared leaving only the ball of light behind.

Yami began his chanting again and the light grew.

Yami also began to glow in a gold light.

As the chanting continued the ball of light began to form a body---

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   Yugi held the eye tightly, feeling a bit weak from the trip into the spirit world.

He had pulled himself out after what grandpa had said.

He put the eye back into its place and ran.

He felt despair as the minutes ticked by while he ran to the room where Yami performed all magical tasks.

As he approached the door at top speed, he saw Pegasus practically running back to his room, clutching tightly to his wife in flowing purple.

The door was open and he ran in.

"Yami!"

He turned to Yugi, his entire body shaking.

"I'm fine."

He tried desperately to sound convincing but he felt extremely tired and his voice betrayed him.

"I don't believe you! Walk over here and look me in the eye and tell me you're fine!"

He sighed and shook his head.

"Yugi, please go---I don't want you to see me like this."

Seto walked up behind Yami, sensing he wasn't going to make it much longer.

He'd never seen his friend tremble so much.

It worried him, but the logical side of Seto Kaiba also knew he would be alright after some sleep.

Since remembering his own past life, he and Yami had become close friends.

"Come Yami, you need to sleep now, I'll help you to your room and talk to Yugi later."

He looked up in shock but then glared as Yugi yelled at him.

"You stay out of this Seto! Grandpa told me this would happen! You were going to knock me out for a few hours so you could be in your room when I woke up and have everyone tell me you were working on something important!"

Yami chuckled at this.

"Not quite, though I must admit that should have crossed my mind. Actually I left you in charge for the day so that I could sleep and talking to grandpa would give me enough time to carry this out. But I guess---"

Seto grabbed him as he fell to his knees.

"Alright at least while your still conscious can we go now?!"

Yami smiled a little.

"Okay, help me up---"

Seto cut him off.

"Stop talking that's what put you here in the first place. And---thanks a lot Yugi now he's gone!"

Yugi ran over to them and fell to his knees, shaking him.

"Yami! Yami!"

Seto resisted the urge to push him back and settled for snapping.

"Forget it he'll be out for the rest of the day! He asked me to help him back to his room but now I guess I'm going to carry him. He knew this was going to happen Yugi, that's why he didn't want you to know!"

Yugi started to speak but Seto lifted Yami from the ground and glared down at Yugi.

"Don't say anything else I'll talk to you later!"

And with that he stalked out.

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end part one: stay tuned. Will yami be able to smooth things over with Yugi? And what about Pegasus? In the meantime please review.