Title: A Game of Masques
Chapter: 10?
Author: Lee-Ann Shadowdancer (AKA Silvershadowfire)
Rating: This chapter – R.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own YuGiOh- the story is mine.
Spoilers: None. This is AU.
Warnings: None.
Constructive criticism encouraged.
AN: This is a flashback :This is the mindlink: "Quotes" are spoken aloud and 'These are thoughts'.
Chapter 10 – Future, Present, Past
Three demons and one human stared at Seto Kaiba in shock, not knowing what to do or say. Kaiba, however, took the initiative.
"I am Seto Kaiba. Which of you is Yugi Takahashi?" he asked, looking at each of them – except Yami – in turn.
"That's me." Yugi stepped to the forefront of the group and crossed his arms. "What are you doing here?" he demanded as politely as he could, considering the waves of panic flowing from his mate. "And what do you want with me?"
Kaiba gave him a polite smile that never reached his icy eyes. "I was looking for Yami Mutou and found him." He started. "But he got lost again – my men identified the two people with him; Jonouchi Katsuya and Honda Hiroto. Neither had Yami Mutou staying with him…but a list of known associates showed an emancipated minor orphan named Yugi Takahashi. I thought…he lives alone, and is financially independent – he could handle another person living in his house. Imagine my surprise when I called at the school to find out that he had transferred out of Tokyo High. I went to his house, and found it empty…" Kaiba tapped the box he was sitting on. "I tracked your luggage."
Yugi's mouth almost dropped open.
"As for what I want with you…it is a business proposition." The CEO of Kaiba Corp finished blandly.
"Yugi…we might not want to discuss this in the hallway…" Ryou said softly. His pale blue eyes were solemn…he knew they might have to do something permanent to get Kaiba off their trail, and it would be better done in private. Yugi nodded and turned back to the young CEO.
"Please come in." he pulled out a set of keys and opened the door, gesturing for everyone to follow him. Yami made an odd sound as Yugi moved…he refused to let go of his mate's shirt. :Shh, love. I promise…one way or the other he's not taking you back to your father.:
Bakura and Ryou hauled the boxes in from the hallway while Yugi sat Kaiba down on a couch, Yami still clinging to the back of his mate's shirt.
"I'm listening." Yugi stated softly. "But I tell you now…I won't allow you to take Yami back to his father's house. He was being abused, in the eyes of justice if not in the eyes of mortal laws, and I refuse to put him back in that situation."
"I'm not asking you to." Kaiba answered. "I said I have a business proposition, and I do. I am displeased with the efforts of Kyoshori Mutou in running his business of late, and have launched an investigation into his business practices. However, I cannot find any evidence of wrongdoing…so I have decided to be rid of him in another way.
"If I provide the financing - through an untraceable source, of course – would you and Yami Mutou consider conducting a hostile takeover of the business? I don't know what business experience you have, but I know that he" – he nodded towards Yami - "has been trained in the industry, so he would be quite able to run the business…and it would give him the financial stability to acquire the status of an emancipated minor."
Yugi blinked. "You knew about the abuse already."
"I did…but not until Mutou ran away. His situation…was not unsimilar to my own."
"And you want to allow him to do the same thing you did…and gain his freedom."
"Not exactly." Kaiba admitted with a wry, bitter twist to his lips. "And I should warn you…if his father is anything like my own was, he will not be willing to give up easily."
-
Yami chewed on his bottom lip as he considered everything. He didn't want to go anywhere near Father ever again…but status as an emancipated minor would give him freedom…and Father would be charged with kidnapping and assault should he try anything. He knew how to run a business, in theory at least, and there would be enough experiences people already there to help until he gained enough practical knowledge. :Um…Yugi…:
:Yes, love:
:You won't mind this:
:No. I don't know anything about mortal business practices, but I will help you and support you to the best of my ability.:
:Alright, then. We'll do it.:
Yugi sent him a wave of love and pride. He blushed.
"Very well." Yugi said to Kaiba. "We agree."
-
"Well?" Bakura asked a little later, after the business man had left to begin the necessary paperwork.
"Everything's okay." Yami smiled. "Kaiba wants to help us…to take over Father's business and ruin him financially."
"Good." Bakura grinned…and for once an identical look of vicious satisfaction crossed Ryou's face as well.
"I think that would be better than killing him." The storm demon noted calmly, that evil smile still playing on his lips. "And Yami…you could prove that you are stronger than 'he' will ever be. We…" his gesture included Yugi as well "already know that, but if you prove it to him, then you will never have to worry about your family ever again."
-
Marik was past furious. He and his brother had been searching this damned island for the past day and not gotten so much as a sniff of Yugi. If the information had been correct, they would have at least found traces…even if he had left. But there wasn't anything.
"Kaiba tricked us." Malik said in a too-calm voice, fingers lightly stroking the Millennium Rod. "Obviously he adjusted the information after he found it."
The younger hunter-demon snarled and punched a nearby wall, his hand passing clear through with a thunderous detonation. Dust and bits of brick flew everywhere, but Marik just growled again. "I say we go back to Domino, string him up by his entrails and use him as a piñata!"
"Calm down, brother." Malik said smoothly. It was strange how the twins seemed to switch characteristics when they became angry; the younger brother lost it and the elder became calm, focused. "We may be going at this the wrong way."
"What the HELL is that supposed to mean?"
"I mean that Kaiba has no real reason to help us…but if we contact someone who does…"
"You mean the father? We don't even know if Yami Mutou and Yugi are even still together."
"Nevertheless, it is a start…and remember, we can use the mortal as bait to lure out our prey. But I think this time we should do this without coercion…" Malik tapped the Rod for emphasis. "See what willing cooperation can get us."
"We're demons, brother. He wouldn't help us willingly…mortals are frightened of us, remember." He paused. "Well, except for the stupid ones and the zealously faithful ones."
"He wants his son back – and he has no way of knowing that they aren't together anymore. This will be easy."
"Fine. We'll try it." The twin demons opened a portal to Hell. They had a report to make to their employer.
-
Bakura and Ryou left soon after Kaiba, cordially turning down Yugi's offer of the spare bedroom – which left Yugi and Yami alone. The demon was exhausted, but there were still clothes to put away and food to make. Yami didn't have to foggiest idea how to cook, and while Yugi wouldn't mind teaching him - and having all kinds of fun in the process – tonight he was just too damned tired.
He felt warm arms around his waist and a delicate breath tickled his cheek as Yami laid his head on Yugi's shoulder. "You're exhausted." The teenager said quietly. "Let me get this done, and I'll order in dinner for us; you get some rest."
"No…its okay, I'll…" he yawned hugely, and Yami smirked.
"Go on…I'll do this, okay? Let me take care of you this time."
"Alright." Yugi conceded the fight; Yami pushed him in the general direction of the bedroom before going to get a box of their clothes. "There's some money in my wallet – use that to get us dinner. Make sure you have them deliver – I don't want to take a chance."
:No problems.: Yami sent. :I'll wake you up when it gets here.:
:M'kay.: This mind-link was a wonderful thing…already Yugi couldn't believe that he'd ever lived without the sense of his love in the back of his mind. Even when they weren't using it to communicate, the feel of Yami's soul was there, a constant flow of love coming from the human teen. Yugi sighed happily, stripped off his clothing and climbed into the massive canopy bed – even though he didn't live here all the time, he paid a service to come in and make sure that things were clean and the sheets were washed. Just to keep the place livable. His skin itched with the need for a bath, but that could wait until after dinner. Maybe he could even convince Yami to join him…
Thoughts of shower fun and the sound of Yami humming happily in the back of his mind soothed the demon into sleep.
-
:Yugi.: The demon came awake at the mental nudge of his mate.
:Mmm…I'm up. Dinnertime:
:Yep…just stay there – I'll bring it to you.: Mischief wafted through Yami's mental voice and Yugi smirked, wondering what exactly the teenager had in mind.
:Okay…: He sat up – probably Yami wanted to feed him dinner in bed. And sure enough, when the curtain was pulled back, Yami was holding a tray – and, to Yugi's delight, not wearing a stitch of clothing. He was blushing, a beautiful red colour that almost matched the red highlights in his hair, though.
"Dinnertime!" Yami announced, putting the tray in Yugi's hands while he slid into the bed beside his mate. Yugi managed to tear his eyes away long enough to see that Yami had ordered Chinese food – including sweet and sour chicken balls, which brought all kinds of fun ideas to his mind.
He put the tray down between them, grinning like an idiot.
:Are you laughing at me?" Yami asked, blushing even harder.
:No, love.: Yugi snickered. :Just a passing thought. So, how are we going to eat this:
"I thought…I could feed you and you could feed me." Yami stammered a little, then ducked and picked up one of the pairs of chopsticks on the platter. "What would you like first?"
"Ummm…how about some chow mein?" He closed his eyes and held his mouth open, while Yami picked up some of the food and managed to get it to his mouth. He blushed brighter as a couple of the noodles dropped to Yugi's bare chest, picking them up with his fingers and eating them himself. Yugi inwardly giggled as he picked up his chopsticks.
"Your turn." He plucked a chicken-ball from its home in the sweet and sour sauce and held it up. Yami smiled a little and closed his eyes, opening his mouth for the meat; Yugi 'accidentally' let a couple drops of sauce fall on Yami's bare chest. Yami gasped as the warm liquid fell on his skin.
"Oops. I guess I'll have to clean that up." Yugi leaned over and licked the sauce off, savouring the flavour – sweet and sour Yami. The teenager moaned a little at the sensation.
"Hold on…" he whimpered. "We'll never get through dinner if you keep doing that."
"Just getting you ready for dessert." Yugi breathed.
"Hentai." Yami accused, laughing. Yugi giggled in return.
"Never denied it." The demon pointed out. "Besides, you started it."
Yami just smirked and popped a piece of almond chicken in his mate's mouth.
-
Marik and Malik knelt before the Demon Prince Azmodeous, Keeper of the Seventh Circle of Hell, giving the appearance of humility at the very least. Azmodeous' consort was conspicuously absent, and the demon was in a foul mood.
"Report." He snapped.
Malik spoke in a calm clear voice, telling their employer everything that had occurred thus far. The Demon Lord was more powerful than they, but not stupid…they were, after all, dukes in their own right, the twin sons of Anubis. So they had no fear of being destroyed for bringing the Prince bad news.
"You say that Yugi has kidnapped Yami Mutou, the son of Kyoshori Mutou?" He sounded even more annoyed. "I want the mortal found as well – I will double your normal price, but he has to be returned to his father unharmed. And I will put you in contact with the boy's father – he owes me a favour."
"We were planning on the same thing." Marik agreed. His brother merely grunted.
"Good." Azmodeous leaned back on his throne. "Just make sure you find one the mortal boy within the month. I have plans for him."
"Yes, my lord." Marik rose gracefully, followed a moment later by his brother. The both bowed again before the Demon Lord handed them a scroll. "Give this to Mutou Kyoshori…he will co-operate with you."
They bowed one last time before exiting the throne room.
Marik opened the scroll and glanced through it, his eyebrows rising in surprise. "Well, this will make things easier. Seems Mutou is in deep with the Prince. Looks like they have some agreement concerning the son."
"Who cares." Malik growled, idly fingering the golden rod at his belt. "Let's go before that bloody demon vanishes again."
Marik nodded, concentrating on opening a portal to the mortal realm. He had been to Mutou's study before, so opening a portal straight there was easy.
It was just their luck that the mortal wasn't there.
"Where is he?" Malik snarled.
"Probably at his office. Don't spaz, brother…and don't break anything." Marik settled himself in Kyoshori's office chair and smiled. "Have a seat…we'll wait."
-
Kyoshori Mutou rode the elevator down from his top-floor office, his mind a thousand miles away. Somehow, Yami had apparently vanished from Japan – there was no sign that he had attempted to use one of the resources for runaways, or gone to the police, or to the government… he must be on the streets.
He didn't even want to consider that his son might be dead.
The glass wall of the lift gave him a magnificent view of the city; absently he wondered if Yami was out there. Somewhere. His dark gaze watched the crimson and violet clouds – so like the eyes of his beloved Keiko.
He'd only been seventeen when Yami was born…seventeen, still in school, and his lover – beautiful Keiko - had died in the birth.
The smell of antiseptic and blood thick in his nostrils as he was pushed out of the room. "Hold on, love…hold on for me…please don't leave me."
The squalling of a child filled his ears. So tiny – small enough to hold in his one hand - small enough to crush. Yami had almost died as well – 6 weeks premature, he had spent the first few months of his life in the hospital while Kyoshori had tried to find someone to take the sickly child. Keiko's parents had never approved of him – they refused to have anything to do with the infant. His father had finally agreed. "I will take him, son, but in return…you have to finish your education and get a decent job. He will need you when he gets older. I will be his grandfather, but he will require a father."
Kyoshori had spent the next few years frantically studying and researching. He graduated top of his class, went onto Tokyo University and graduated with a Master's Degree in business. But he had hit a roadblock – no one had been willing to hire him.
Until the night he had met…him.
Kyoshori finished tracing the circle and filling in the symbols, copying them from the book with exacting care. His father never knew about Kyoshori's dabbling into the occult – not that it mattered now. His father hated him, after all. He kept swinging Yami under his nose like a trophy, like bait, or a dare. "You have to succeed in order to support him." And the child would stare at him with huge innocent violet-crimson eyes. Keiko's eyes.
Damn the old man anyway. He hated being pushed, and being obligated was even worse.
Double and triple checking the circle, he walked around it three times. He had tried to succeed as was demanded of him, tried and failed…and he refused to take a job in the 'service industry'… that was too demeaning for someone with his skills and education. But there might be another way. A way that would demand a price, but he had nothing left to lose.
Chanting the strange words and phrases, he cast the spell to summon one who would grant him his greatest desire.
And in a roil of red smoke, He had appeared. Tall, human save for vast wings and purely black eyes. Pale skin, as though he had never seen the sunlight…and on his head a circlet of steel. He had summoned a Demon Prince, one of the Lords of Hell – the one known as Azmodeous.
"Who are you, and why do you dare to summon me?" the Prince demanded in a voice that shook dust from the roof above.
"Only a mortal – I wish to bargain with you, Demon Prince. I will pay what price you seek in exchange for my fondest wish."
"Indeed." The demon looked at him, through him, as though reading his very soul – which he probably was. "I cannot grant the wish of your heart – I am powerful, but I cannot bring back your Keiko – she lives on in Heaven, where I and mine cannot reach. But I can give you worldly success – and with that will come the ability to strike back at those you hate. Do you not wish to prove to the world and to your father that you are not a failure? I will grant you the ability to succeed – for a price."
"What price?" Kyoshori demanded, hiding the pain that he could never again hold his Keiko.
"I wish a body, a true human body that I can use to move in the Human Realms without worry of the consequences."
"But…" Kyoshori looked at the demon's form in confusion.
"Demon Lords are forbidden to move on the material plane in their human forms unless they are summoned by a mortal – and even then we cannot stay for longer than a day and a night. I wish to be free of this restriction."
"And when you get your body, will you leave me to my own devices?"
"Of course not. I will continue to support you with my favour – and in return you will grant me access to the highest levels of human society in Japan. I would say that is a fair exchange, wouldn't you?"
Kyoshori nodded, mind racing. Where would he get a body for the demon to use?
"Does it have to be an adult?" he asked as a thought ran through his mind. "Would a child do?"
"A child…no. I do not wish to be saddled with the weaknesses of a child, or a teenager. I wish a healthy, adult body."
Kyoshori thought fast, before the demon decided to lay claim to his form. "I know of a body that you could take over – but it is a child. In 9 years he will be an adult…and legal to move and live as he will in this country. My son, Yami. I will give his body to you on his eighteenth birthday."
The demon considered the offer. "Very well…but I wish to see the child before the bargain is sealed. Where is he now?"
"At my father's house – I will bring him here in the next week, and summon you again so that you can look him over. If he is acceptable…"
"IF he is acceptable…you have a deal, mortal."
Yami had turned out to be acceptable to the demon – Kyoshori had been instructed to break the boy's mind and spirit without harm to his body. Easily enough done – he had succeeded, and all was going according to plan.
The very next day he was hired by a small company, which he took over and built up until it was big enough to be noticed by Kaiba Corp and absorbed into the conglomerate.
He'd re-married into a socially advanced family – there was no love in the marriage, and it had never been consummated. He hadn't been able to be with anyone, woman or man, since Keiko had died. His wife knew that her only role in his life would be as a trophy – a businessman had to be married and 'stable' in order to be taken seriously; in return she was allowed to take as many lovers as she wished and to live comfortably off his money.
Lost still in thought, he got in his limo for the drive home.
-
Yugi seemed to float in the dark, comfortable, yet restless. He could see nothing; at the same time he could feel eyes on him. Watching and weighing him.
Voices drifted through the dark, vague and familiar all at once.
"There he is. Is he acceptable?" Where had he heard that cold mortal's voice before?
"Indeed…most acceptable. He will have to be broken before I take him…his soul is ancient, and his will and mind are strong. He must not even have the desire to fight back." Yugi shivered at that voice. He knew it somehow – he knew he'd heard it before. A calculating voice that knew nothing of love, humanity or compassion.
"Is he really so strong willed that a demon prince fears him? He is only a child…a sickly child who killed his mother with his birth." The first voice again, filled with curiosity.
"Obviously you cannot see it. This child will bear careful watching; he has the potential to be a shadow mage of great power. His power is still locked, for now…I suggest you give it no reason to awaken."
"How can I prevent it?"
"Break his mind…but don't touch his body. No matter what the age, physical abuse will cause his power to wake in order to protect its host. Mental anguish, however, will actually weaken that power. A strong will is needed to direct magical energies." Yugi shivered. This one truly had no compassion, if he could speak of breaking someone's spirit so easily.
"Alright." This one had no compassion either, for all that he was mortal, to agree so easily to such an outrageous demand.
Then the sense of being watched vanished, and he felt eyes not his own open, blinking sleepily as they glanced around for the noise that had awakened their owner. Yugi saw them glance into the mirror on the far side – and met with familiar violet-crimson.
'Yami!' Yugi gasped as he awoke, like a swimmer breaching the water to gulp precious air. He panted as he glanced down at Yami wrapped in his arms, sleeping peacefully now. But he had no doubt he had seen one of Yami's dreams… a memory.
'This must be a side-effect of the link.' He realized. Strong dreams and thoughts could pass over when they slept and their natural guards were down.
Pulling away carefully, Yugi rose from the bed to pace across the bedroom floor, stopping at the window. He looked at the early false dawn over the mountains of Kyoto, running Yami's dream through his mind. The first voice – that had to be Kyoshori. He'd only heard Yami's father a couple of time before, but that voice would stick in his mind until he gave the mortal his due.
The second…it too was familiar. Not human, no - deep, and powerful enough to shake mountains when enraged. Who…
Suddenly it clicked in his brain, and the blood drained from Yugi's face. 'Azmodeous. The Demon Prince is going to possess Yami…by his own father's will. That, that…' His vocabulary failed – he could think of no word in any language to fit a mortal who would hand over his own son to a demon. Although a great many things made sense now – Azmodeous wouldn't want a child, and he had the patience of many immortals. For the prize of a mortal body, he could wait a few years until Yami was grown. And the treatment of the father suddenly made perfect sense. Yami's body – as Yugi knew quite intimately by now – was perfect. But his mind and will, weak and vulnerable.
It all made sense now. Like the pieces of a puzzle, everything fell into place. 'I bet the exchange was to take place on Yami's eighteenth birthday. That would allow him to enter college, and to move away, and give the Demon Lord enough time to adjust to being human before he puts his plans into motion – whatever they are. And his magic would be able to keep a human body from aging…becoming effectively immortal.' Yugi glanced at his beautiful mate with a loving and ever so slightly possessive smile. 'Well, looks like I messed up another of Azmodeous' plans. Yami's mine and I'm his – from what Otogi said, no demon should be able to claim him until I die now that he and I are mated. I just have to keep away from Marik and Malik, long enough for him to turn eighteen. The deal should be null and void at that point, and Azmodeous won't be able to touch him. The hunters will still be after me, but when he turns eighteen we can take a trip around the world; lay a lovely false trail around the planet that'll keep those demons looking for the next decade.'
Satisfied for now with his plans, Yugi walked back to the bed and crawled in beside his mate, taking up the position he had left earlier – spooned up against Yami's back, with his love in his arms.
He drifted back into sleep as an odd thought flickered through his brain. 'We're together now and forever – and there is no force on earth or in Hell that will ever stand between us.'