Story: Halcyon and Rhapsodize
Chapter: 2
Title: Forfeit To Destiny
Series: YU-GI-OH!
Author: Kineticfairy

Disclaimer: renounce legal right: to renounce a legal claim or right to something. I have no legal claims on the creations of Kazuki Takahasi and now the story…

There was a gentle knock on the door just as Téa was done putting the gown on. She looked herself over in the mirror positioned in front of the desk and she ran her fingers through her nearly dry hair. The sunlight was dimming outside but still filled the room with a soft glow. The knock came again and Téa faced the wooden door. She gasped, and then relaxed, "Enter." she said and waited for the door to open. Slowly it creaked as it brought the candlelight from the hall in with its opening. Behind the door wasn't who she expected at all. She thought that Serenity Wheeler would be back to check on her, however this was not a woman, but a taller reflection of Prince Yugi. She supposed this clone must be Prince Yami. She bowed and he returned her polite gesture.

"Sorry to disturb you, but I was looking for Miss Wheeler." he explained, looking about the room. He was near perfection in his appearance, his clothing made of the softest blues and hemmed with black. She couldn't believe the color of his eyes, a vivid violet color that she hadn't noticed in his twin brother at all.

"I'm not sure where she went," Téa confessed, the muscles in her face begging a smile she fought to control. It was odd that she found attractiveness in this twin rather than the other, or perhaps it was the height that made all the difference. "Forgive me my rudeness." she bowed again, apologetic. "I'm Téa Gardener. Serenity left only a couple of minutes ago." he nodded and stepped cautiously inside the women's room.

"A pleasure, I am Prince Yami." she nodded, watching him move closer, he stopped in front of her. Moments ago he had meet with his brother who was in such excitement that Yami could barely understand, he made note of a woman who he believed to be The Void, in company with Serenity. Yami made it his personal mission to see what his brother was talking about and this was her. She was The Void, the Goddess he was destined to protect. Pym was a peaceful world, there were no outbreaks of war since the last Era. But that didn't matter, if she was the one he was meant to protect then he would so be. Yami only wondered how Yugi had been so certain that this girl was The Void.

Téa was nervous under the young Prince's stare along with the fact that he stayed very quiet. Her face began to flush and in her usual nervous twitch she rose her hand up and brushed her russet hair to the side, away from her forehead and that when the mark glowed at him, like a holographic image, shining a rainbow of colors in an ancient sigil. Yes, she was The Void. "My brother was correct." he muttered and she looked back at him.

"Excuse me?"

"You are The Void. I am the warrior destined to bear the Water sigil and obtain my elemental weapon in order to protect you for as long as I live." he bowed to her and there was a knock on the door again and they both looked to the newcomer. It was Yugi, smiling.

"I see you two have met, the King is ready to meet you, Téa." Téa absently swallowed the lump that had been building in her throat. Seeing the brother's now showed her something she hadn't thought about, though they were twins she could see subtle differences, the height and the shape of their eyes. She smiled and followed both of the boys and attempted the travel with them, how she longed for stairs, funny the things you grow use to are the things you miss when absent.

They threw her worried glances, when they found out she wasn't use to their sort of decent and ascent. She didn't say anything, but was uncomfortable with their anxiousness. They made their way towards two large doors garnished in silver and gold and a pentacle laced in several colors, white, blue, green and red, the center a fusion of these colors. It was odd, but a feeling came over her as if she had seen this before… in a dream or at a store. She watched Yugi push open one of the doors and Yami escorted her inside. The room was dark and lit only by candle's light. She looked around and as soon as they entered their footfalls quickly resounded across the large room, empty save for tapestries and lavished pillows for seating. They continued down the narrow path until the reached a ebony platform with a rug of gold and silver. An old man sat on the red pillow and opened his eyes. "Welcome, I am Solomon, King of Duelist Kingdom." she bowed her head low.

"My name is Téa, your lordship." the boys sat down on either side of her and she knelt in front of him. It was such an empty room for someone to sit alone in the dark. It was nothing like she read about, there was no pulse to this palace, there were scant people, in fact it came to her attention that life seemed more abundant outside the palace walls rather than inside them. It gave off such a lonely feel. She was trapped in her own mind when his gruff voice broke her from her thoughts.

"Long has it been prophesied that you would come to us from a distant and far star. My grandson and three other's destined to be your warriors, for it is you who will save us from our doom." Doom? What possible doom could there be, from what she gathered on her arrival was that their only doom was sheer boredom, she felt it in her very bones. Even with her parents constant bickering her life was far from boring, now that she thought about it. She didn't consider anyone from her class to be her friend in anyway, but they always made her apart of the social scene, speaking to her every now and then, inviting her to go out with them, which she readily accepted due to her parents screaming contests.

"I just want to go home." she heard herself say. It was odd, she could feel it was growing darker outside, but her mind set earlier had been to get away from the world she had come from, away from her life filled with angry ghosts. Now she was away and all she thought about as the King spoke to her, was going home, was she really that fickle? The King shared his Grandsons eyes and he took pity on her.

"And so you shall, on my grandson's life, he would help find you your way… but you must do for us, for us to do for you, equivalent exchange. It plays the biggest role in this system." she nodded, understanding, if her only way home was to help these strangers from a strange land then she would do whatever it took. She would do what she could for these people. This was when Téa wondered if back in Domino, back on Earth, if someone was missing her… hoping maybe even her parents cared. He bid her farewell and gave her praises, calling her The Void and the great Goddess. She knew herself to be none of these, she was just a normal girl who got spirited away to a world not her own.

Téa was leaving the audience chamber when Serenity made her reappearance. "There you are." Prince Yugi said with a smile. Yami himself had gone another way, saying he had important matters to attend to Serenity bowed to her Prince and smiled.

"Were you searching for me? I'm sorry; I was visiting my brother, wishing him luck for the trails tomorrow. I mean he is traveling all the way to Battle City." Yami nodded.

"I know and so is my brother… do you have kind words for him?" he wondered and Serenity laughed. Téa was sleepy now and was wondering where she was going to sleep for the night, but thought it rude to impose and suddenly made her way towards doors that were covered in iron vines, with tiny leaves… she crept passed the two conversers. She pushed open the doors, wondering if she would find stairs, only she found herself in some sort of garden, high lush green hedges and exotic flowers of bright and beautiful colors, such intensity from what she was use too. She walked along the fine gravel path, turning corners until she found herself in the center, she stopped, seeing Prince Yami sitting on a marble bench in front of a beautiful fountain. It spewed water from several spigots of gold and silver, the lights were clear gems that the moonlight flooded through to create the colors, blue, white and red. And at the very top was a statue of a woman, draped in cloth around her naked body and her hand held out, a sigil on the palm as an offering.

"Can I help you?" she gasped, for he had not made eye contact with her. He tossed a pebble into the wobbling water and looked at her, Téa caught her breath as he sent her a sweet smile, perfect for his handsome face. She let go of the hedge and bowed her head, making her way towards him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to impose on you. I'll leave if you wish." she was ready to turn on her heel, but he shook his head.

"I would like you to sit with me, if that's all right with you." she blushed mildly and shook her hair, which was now fully dry. She made her way over to the bench and fixed her skirt as she moved to sit beside the Prince. That sat in silence for awhile and she looked straight ahead. The water had always fascinated her, it was calm even when vast winds were not. The water surface could be awry and beneath would be calm and gentle, it just wasn't made for humans to live in.

"So about these trails," Yami looked at her with his violet eyes and she looked at him, pushing her hair behind one ear, he seemed interested in what she would say. "What happens… I'm not too sure."

"We, all meet at Battle City, a broken down city, from years and years of combat, it was the last to fall before the calm. Its prophesied that there is to be a great calm before the arrival of The Void, The Spirit Goddess. The trails are tomorrow, its more a fact that we are the ones to gain the Elemental powers, we just have to prove we're us. Pym is filled with shape shifters."

"Pym? Is that what your world is called?"

"Yes, what is your world called?"

"Earth." she drew in a shaky breath, so she was beginning to miss her home. How very strange. "Oh, please continue." Yami nodded and began to speak of Pym again.

"It had always been assumed that you wouldn't arrive until maybe years after the four knights had passed the trails, you're arrival is a little sudden, we had to send word to Master Kaiba." he smiled at her and then stopped when she looked his way. "You know, becoming a Millennium Knight is a rather heartbreaking honor."

"Why is that?" Téa asked, interested further. His look became sad itself and her heart went out to him for a reason she wasn't clear of. Perhaps because such a beautiful man shouldn't be so heartbreakingly sad. She moved to touch his hand without his knowledge but he stood and fished out several of the pebbles he had been tossing.

"Tomorrow I will no longer be allowed the option to love and marry, neither will the others who partake in the trails."

"How come?" Téa was shocked to hear such things. Forbidden to love, to marry. It was simply outrageous. If anyone told her that these things would be denied to her, she'd do it anyway, just to spite them all.

"Because it is our sworn duty to protect The Void at all costs. I rather save you then find a lover to marry and have children with. Because… ever since I was old enough to understand my destiny I feel in love with the idea of you." Téa's eyes widen at the revelation. Yami watched as she rose to her feet, a little shaky. He came to her, holding her hands, his wet with water and very cold. "But seeing you, you're more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. I love you, Téa, I wish… I wish I wasn't your Knight and you my Goddess… but then I don't regret it either." he rose one hand and touched the side of her jaw and bent a gentle and brief kiss to her lips. He pulled away, her eyes still shut. He tapped her lightly on the cheek and walked away from her. Téa's eyes opened to reveal hazy blue eyes. "I forfeit everything to destiny, I would have loved you like no other. I still love you, alas… I cannot have you."

Téa thought she should faint. Yami bowed, but not at Téa and then he disappeared as Serenity made herself known. "What are you doing out here, you must be tired, let me show you to your room.

The sunlight danced on the face that slept so peaceful, wet tears stuck to the corners of closed eyes. A gentle knock on the door wasn't nearly enough to rouse the sleeping beauty. The knock grew louder and louder, but Téa was a heavy sleeper. She was lost in her own dream world. Within minutes of her peaceful dream of finding love she found the man she was standing next to violently shaking her. The world faded to black, indicating that even with her eyes shut, she was still very much awake. "Wha… what is it?" she wondered and lifted her head to see Serenity hovering over her, her hands wrapped around her shoulders.

"Hurry up, its time to get ready to go." Téa rubbed her eyes as Serenity made her way over to the closet, fetching fresh clothes for Téa to wear.

"Go… go where?" Téa wondered, rising off the bed. She stretched and yawned as Serenity hurried back over with a white slimmer dress with long sleeves. Téa began to remove the dress she slept in and replace it with this lovely gown, after she had gotten the dress over her head she felt Serenity remove the old necklace and put on a red ruby one instead. Téa combed her fingers through her hair as Serenity then placed a diadem around the top of her head, a sapphire and emerald and peacock jewel in the small studs of the diadem that rested against her forehead.

"To Battle City, you are supposed to see your knights obtain their Elemental weapons. The journey isn't as long as its made out to be. You'll arrive a little before the afternoon."

"What time is it now?"

"It's a little after sunrise." Serenity informed her, pulling her to her feet. Téa yawned and then shook the sleep from her.

"Wow! What happens after they get their weapons?"

"We have a celebration and then… we'll that's it."

"Really, what am I saving you people from?"

"I don't know, there really haven't been any wars for a long, long time." As Serenity busied herself around the room, Téa remembered the kiss the Prince had bestowed upon her. Téa's very first kiss, how odd that it should be from a real Prince destined to be her guardian. Serenity ushered Téa to the door and she followed, her finger moving towards her bottom lip. Téa followed Serenity outside where their was a horse drawn carriage waiting in front of the Palace doors. "You'll ride in here with Lord Pegasus, King Solomon and myself." Téa nodded as the doors of the blue carriage opened. The King was sitting across from a man much older than Téa, but much younger than the King, his hair was long and silver and over his left eye, was a golden one, much like the eye the Egyptians drew, it startled Téa.

"I am Maximillon Pegasus and you must be The Void, Téa Gardener, I believe?"

"Yes, that's correct." she climbed in and sat next to him.

"A pleasure, well, we're on our way to battle city?"

"Where is Prince Yami?"

"He is with the other three riders and Yugi is staying behind to watch over things." King Solomon explained and Téa nodded in understanding. Soon she would be witness to these "trails".

End chapter two: Forfeit To Destiny. Please review.

Author's Note: I was hoping that while on my three day vacation that I would have had at least seven more reviews. Before admitted another chapter, but I seemed unable to achieve that goal, but I hope this chapter inspired more readers to review.

Nightfall2525: I believe you have been with me through many of my Yu-Gi-Oh! Stories and for that I am honored, you are a very loyal reader, I'm glad you like it.

mischiefmagnet: Your review is the type of review I look for when I finish writing a chapter and am therefore grateful. creativity and originality is what I look for when I am writing a story and so I am pleased to have done this to capture a reader.

Xanthia Nightshade: I'm glad you liked it. I hope I can continue to hold interest.