"Deck the halls with balls of holly…"
Lol! I couldn't resist with Christmas just around the corner. And I thought what better way to thank my reviewers by writing the next chapter before I go on holiday as an early Christmas present. So, this chapter is for:
Greater Lights
KaibaYamiLover
Crystallynne
kobear91
priestess-one-shot
Thank you all so much for reviewing! You guys are fantastic!
'Thoughts'
Dream/flashback
"Speaking in dreams/flashbacks"
'Thoughts in flashback'
"Speaking (normal)"
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, but if I did, I would have Yuugi/ Anzu an official couple! Don't they look adorable together?
-I-
Another World
Chapter 11: Truth And Lies
-I-
"Move out the way! Let the Pharaoh pass!"
The servants and guards that had gathered in the courtyard all jumped back as Pharaoh Atemu ran past them. Behind him, Anzu and Malik followed, both as anxious as he was.
In his arms, he carried his unconscious brother.
As Atemu made his way up the stone steps into the palace, he was aware of Yuugi's blood dripping onto his clothes, staining the fabric. But this did not worry him. What did worry him was just how bad Yuugi's injuries were. Many were deep and bleeding freely. Yuugi was losing a lot of blood, and his breathing was slow and heavy. If they didn't stop the bleeding soon, Yuugi would die.
He looked down at his brother. The Millennium Puzzle was thankfully still around his neck. But at that moment, Atemu would have traded anything, including his sacred item, to have Yuugi recovered back to his normal self.
"Shizuka!" Atemu cried suddenly, spotting the young girl coming out of the palace. "Go to Jonouchi. He is wounded. Attend to his wounds quickly. When he is recovered, send him to me."
"Y-Yes, your highness," Shizuka said, trying to hide the shock of hearing her brother was injured. As Atemu and the others ran on into the palace, she quickly made her way down the steps to find her brother.
"Malik!" Atemu continued. They turned the corner and stopped at a flight of stairs. "Find your sister, Priest Isis. Tell her to come to Yuugi's chamber immediately. We need her to help heal Yuugi."
"I will be as quick as I can," Malik bowed. He turned around and ran down one of the many stone corridors.
"And send for the servants to bring bandages and ointment!" Atemu called after him.
"What about me?" Anzu asked. "What can I do to help?"
"You come with me," Atemu said, starting up the steps. Anzu followed him. "I need you to help me with Yuugi."
The pair (plus an unconscious Yuugi) made their way up the steps and turned right at the top. They ran down the long corridor until they reached the part of the palace where their chambers were. Hurrying to the door on the left, Anzu rushed ahead and opened the door for Atemu, letting him pass. When he had entered the room, Anzu followed, closing the door behind her.
Atemu slowed down his pace, and walked to Yuugi's bed. Gently, he placed Yuugi's frail body onto the soft mattress. As he tried to make his brother more comfortable in his bed, Anzu came and stood at his side. Holding onto one of the posts, she looked down at Yuugi.
How could this have happened? Yuugi was so strong and courageous, and now look at him! He was on the verge of death. He looked so weak and helpless. She looked at his deep wounds and instantly felt the nausea rise up her throat. Yuugi had been cut, stabbed and burnt nearly everywhere. His face, legs and arms were covered with scratches and deep cuts. His tunic had been ripped apart on his torso, and Anzu could easily see 3 deep cuts across his chest. No human could have caused these injuries. That was impossible. It must have been a monster.
Anzu felt the nausea increase as Yuugi's blood slowly trickled thickly down his body, onto his sheets. The Millennium Puzzle was stained with his blood.
"We have to stop the bleeding," Atemu said suddenly. He removed his deep purple cloak from around his neck and began to rip it into strips. Taking one of the strips, he tied it gently around one of the deep cuts on Yuugi's arm.
"Let me help," Anzu said, stepping forward. She took Atemu's cloak and ripped a large piece off. With it, she attended the wounds on Yuugi's chest, feeling faint as she did so. She was never good around blood, but she would do anything for Yuugi.
The door to Yuugi's chamber suddenly opened and a voice called into the room.
"Pharaoh!"
Atemu and Anzu looked up, relieved at the sight before them. Priest Isis entered the room graciously, the Holy Elf already by her side. Malik followed them in, holding bandages and a clay pot filled with ointment. They came to Yuugi's beside and looked down at him, both in shock. Anzu stepped back and let them do what they had to do.
"Isis," Atemu said urgently, stepping to her side. "Can you help him?"
"The Holy Elf can heal most of his wounds," Isis replied in her calm voice, "but some of them are very deep. With our power fading as quickly as it is, I cannot guarantee the Holy Elf has enough power to fully heal them. They will need time to heal. Nevertheless, I will help the Prince in anyway I can."
"Thank you," Atemu said humbly.
Isis turned to her monster, the Holy Elf and instructed her on what to do. Nodding at her mistress's orders, the Holy Elf hovered forward and looked down at the Prince. Holding her hands together, she began chanting an ancient spell. As the words escaped her lips, her body began to glow.
Anzu watched, her jaw dropping to the ground. She was amazed at the sight before her. A golden cloud of some sort appeared over Yuugi, and golden sparkles began to gently fall onto his body. Upon touching a wound, the sparkles would give a small glow, before fading away. The wound they touched would instantly heal, but only slightly. The blood stains on the Millennium Puzzle slowly disappeared in the light.
A few moments passed, and the Holy Elf continued to cast her spell, until she could do no more. She ended the incantation, and the golden glow around her and the cloud above Yuugi immediately disappeared. There was a moment of silence, before the Holy Elf disappeared in a small glow and returned into Isis's card.
"That is all I can do for now," Isis said. "I am sorry I cannot do more…"
"There is no need to apologise, Isis," Atemu said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You did what you could, and I am eternally grateful. You have helped save my brother's life."
"How could I do anything less?" Isis smiled. She glanced back at Yuugi with saddened eyes. "I will inform the other Priest's of the Prince's return and the condition he is in."
Atemu nodded. "I leave it to you."
Priest Isis bowed to her pharaoh, before exciting the room. When she closed the door softly behind her, Atemu, Anzu and Malik all turned to face Yuugi.
The Holy Elf had managed to heal most of Yuugi's minor injuries, such as small cuts, bruises and burns, but not the major ones. The three slashes across his chest were still there, as were the stabbed wounds on his arms and one on the side of his body. His breathing, however, had returned to normal, and his face looked calm rather than troubled.
"We better attend to these wounds…" said Atemu, before quietly adding, "…again."
"Yes, we should," Malik agreed, placing the clay pot and the bandages on Yuugi's beside table. "The only problem is, I'm not very good at that sort of thing."
"Nor am I," Atemu said quietly.
"I am," Anzu spoke up. "When I was a kid, I had to take care of myself a lot. Pass me the ointment and bandages, Malik."
Anzu took her time in cleaning Yuugi's wounds. She removed the make-shift bandages she and Atemu had used from his cloak, and a couple Jonouchi must have used earlier. Dipping some fabric into the ointment, she carefully cleaned the dirt, sand and blood away around the wounds, making sure to do it as gently as possible. Once the wounds were clean, she took the bandages and tenderly wrapped them around the wounds. With help from Malik and Atemu, she managed to secure a few bandages around his chest to cover the slashes and stab wound.
When Anzu was finished, Atemu made sure Yuugi was comfortable in his bed, and pulled the sheets over him. He tucked him in like a father would do to his child.
"That should do for now," Atemu said in a quiet voice. He hated seeing his brother like this. "I'm just thankful he is safe now. I just hope he wakes up soon."
Anzu sat on the edge of Yuugi's bed and held his hand.
"Yuugi…"
A few silent moments passed, and no one said a word. The sun had almost set when there was a soft knock at the door.
"Enter," Atemu simply said.
The door opened and a figure stepped in, leaving the door open behind them. As he slowly made his way to Yuugi's bed, the trio already gathered there looked up. A few smiles appeared when they saw it was Jonouchi. Although he had bandages around him here and there, he seemed in good health.
Jonouchi came to the Pharaoh's side and knelt in respect in front of him.
"Jonouchi, it is good to see you again," Atemu said happily.
Jonouchi stood up. "You too." He looked at Yuugi. "Is he all right?"
"Yes," Atemu answered, looking bad at his brother. "Priest Isis used the Holy Elf to heal most of his wounds, so he is out of danger."
"Has he woken up?"
Atemu shook his head. "I'm afraid not." He looked longingly at his brother and sighed. "I wish he would though."
"You're not going to take the Millennium Puzzle back yet, are you?" Anzu asked.
Again, Atemu shook his head. "No. It would not feel right. I would feel like I'm stealing from my brother. I will wait until he decides to hand it back to me." He turned his head to face Malik. "Malik, I need to speak to Jonouchi in private. Would you mind leaving for a while?"
"O-Oh," Malik said, not expecting this order. He slowly stood up and bowed. "N-No. Of course not." He looked at Anzu. "Come on, Anzu."
Anzu stood up to leave, but Atemu stood up and stopped her.
"Anzu will stay here with us. I am sure Yuugi would have wanted it that way."
Malik hesitated. This was not want he wanted. He needed to stay here and listen to the information they had received. But he couldn't disobey the Pharaoh. That was arise suspicions. Bowing again, he excited the room. However, rather than continuing down the corridor, once Malik had closed Yuugi's door, his eyes began to glow a blood red. He leant against the door and listened in on the conversation…
Back in Yuugi's room, believing Malik was gone, Atemu turned to face his guard.
"Tell me, how did you find Yuugi so quickly?" He asked, a slight urgency in his voice.
"It's strange," Jonouchi answered, stepping to Yuugi's side. "I'm not too sure how I did find him. I was riding to the main palace of the Kingdom of Destiny-the one the Empire of Dark Souls had taken over-when I saw something strange. Coming out of the gates was Yuugi. He was badly injured and could barely walk. Soldiers and monsters from the Empire were trying to catch and injure him, but I managed to get there in time. As soon as I got him, I rode straight back here."
"And you sustained your injuries when you collected him from the palace gates?" Atemu asked.
Jonouchi nodded.
"But I don't understand," Anzu said. She was sitting on Yuugi's bed again and had taken his hand. "How is that 'strange'?"
"Well, when I was riding towards the palace, something flew over my head. It looked like some sort of monster. And it did not seem to be working for the Empire because it came from the same direction as I had."
"You mean a monster from our own kingdom flew to the Empire's palace?" Atemu asked. Again, Jonouchi nodded. "That is strange. I wonder who could have summoned that monster…"
Anzu said nothing, deciding to be very quiet.
"Well, whoever it was, I am grateful they did." Atemu looked back at his brother, before sighing again and closing his eyes. "I am just thankful Yuugi is back home. I missed him so much…"
"…And…I missed you too…Atemu…"
Atemu's eyes shot open and he let out a sharp gasp of surprise. It couldn't be, could it? Both he, Anzu and Jonouchi looked down at Yuugi's bed, hoping against hope they were right. They all let out a cheer at the sight before them.
Yuugi was awake, and smiling up at all of them.
"Y-Yuugi," Atemu gasped in disbelief. "You're…you're alive!"
"I should hope so," Yuugi joked. His voice was weak. "It is good to see you again brother. I'm sorry I ran off like-"
"There is no need to apologise," Atemu interrupted. He sat on Yuugi's bed, opposite Anzu. "As long as you're alive, that is the most important thing."
Yuugi smiled. "I have something of yours." He lifted himself up slightly, groaning in pain as he did so. Anzu and Atemu jumped up in alarm.
"Yuugi!" said Atemu, anxiously. "You shouldn't move yet!"
Yuugi didn't listen however. Propping himself up with one elbow, he slowly removed the Millennium Puzzle from around his neck with one hand. Once the strap was over his head, he lowered himself back down onto his bed. He held up the Puzzle to his brother.
"Here. I'm…sorry I took it…without permission."
Atemu simply let out a small laugh. He took the Puzzle with one hand and held onto Yuugi's hand with the other.
"Like I said before, there is no need to apologise. You are my brother, and I can never stay mad at you." He placed the Millennium Puzzle back where it belonged, once again feeling the familiar weight on the back of his neck. "I would do anything to protect you, and I know you would do the same for me." He laughed. "You have just proved you would."
"Not the best way to show how much I care about my brother, was it?" Yuugi asked sheepishly.
"No, it wasn't," Anzu spoke up. Her voice was shaking due to her emotions.
Yuugi looked up at the brunette he had become so fond of. The whole time he was away, she was always on his mind. Night and day.
"Anzu. I'm sorry I broke my promise to you. Can you ever forgive me?"
"Of course I can! How can I stay mad at you?" She wiped the tears of happiness from the corners of her eyes. "Just promise me you won't do anything like this ever again."
Yuugi let out a small laugh. He squeezed Anzu's hand with his own.
"I promise…" He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it softly.
"Yuugi…" Anzu said under her breath.
"I'm…glad I survived to see you again."
"We're all happy you're alive, my friend," Jonouchi said.
"Me too," Yuugi smiled. He looked around at his surroundings. "How did I end up in my room?"
"Atemu sent out search parties looking for you," Anzu answered. "But no one could find you. After five days, Jonouchi decided to take matters into his own hands."
"I left the palace and vowed to only return when I found you," Jonouchi said nobly. "I headed straight for the Empire's palace. When I got there, I saw you coming out of the gates, soldiers from the Empire attacking you from behind. I knew I had to get you out as fast as I could, but when I did finally reach you, you were unconscious. I picked you up, put you on my horse and rode out of there as fast as I could."
"He brought you straight back here," Atemu finished off. "Priest Isis used her Holy Elf to heal most of your wounds…but…"
"But the Holy Elf lost her power before she could completely heal the more serious wounds. Am I right?" Yuugi said. Atemu nodded sadly. "Don't look so glum. I will recover fast. You know how I hate staying in bed!"
Atemu chuckled. "Yes, that is true. You used to annoy mother when you were sick and refused to stay in bed."
"What? I wanted to play with my brother. Is that such a bad thing?"
"Not to me it wasn't. But enough of that. Now that we have answered your question, you must answer ours. What happened to you? How did you get all those injuries?"
"And why did you leave?" Anzu added.
Yuugi laughed gently. "That's more than one question, but I'll answer them anyway." He shifted his position slightly. "Well, first of all, I left because I didn't want Atemu to get hurt. He is the true Pharaoh of the Kingdom of Light, not me. If something happened to him and I had to take his place…well, I just didn't want that to happen. So I disguised myself as Atemu and left before anyone could stop me. But you saw me leaving. I'm surprised by that. I thought you were all asleep."
"We were," Atemu interrupted. "But I was woken by-" He stopped himself. He looked up at Anzu, unsure whether to continue or not.
"I woke him up," Anzu continued. "I had…a vision. It told me you'd left."
"Ah, so that explains it," Yuugi smiled. "I suspected you received visions Anzu. I'm glad you trust us enough to tell us."
"Of course I trust you. How can I not? Now, please, tell us what happened after you left."
She squeezed his hand gently. He returned the gesture.
"All right then. It took me just over a day to reach the palace. When I arrived, they all thought I was Atemu. My disguise had worked…or so I thought. They treated me kindly and set me up in a room. I was immediately suspicious. The Empire are never kind to us, so I made sure to stay on my guard…
"For a couple of days I mainly stayed in my room, receiving meals three times a day, being brought whatever I needed to keep me entertained, the usual things you would expect from a host. Except for one thing. I never saw or heard anything from the Leader of the Empire of Dark Souls. I thought 'he's the host. Why has he not greeted me or sent for me?'…
"After a few days, my suspicious of them grew. No one came to see me. No one contacted me. It was like I was a prisoner rather than a guest. So, one night, I decided to find out exactly what was going on. I slipped out of my room and sneaked my way around the castle. It wasn't long before I found the main hall, where the Leader of the Empire of Dark Souls was hiding…
-Flashback-
Yuugi tiptoed down the dark stone corridor, looking back behind and ahead of him for guards. His heart was racing in his chest. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins. Where were the guards? He was right outside the Main Hall, and yet there were no guards. He swallowed, hard. This was way too easy.
He slowly approached the large wooden doors. He was nearly there. Only a few more steps…
A bolt of lightning flashes across the sky. A roar of thunder echoed down the hall. Yuugi jumped at the sudden sights and sounds, but soon recovered and continued his 'mission'. He crept towards the door, finding it slightly ajar. He looked inside the hall, and soon spotted the Leader of the Empire of Dark Souls seated on a black stone throne. In his hand, he held his 'secret weapon'. Yuugi had heard stories about this 'weapon', but he had never been told what it looked like. He had to say he wasn't impressed.
Yuugi listened in on the Leader's conversation. He was talking to someone, but no one else was in the hall. How was that possible?
'He must be communicating via his 'secret weapon'' Yuugi thought. He strained his ears to hear what was being said.
"What do you mean he's not there?" The 'Master' shouted. There was a pause before he continued. "He did what?…But that means…So Atemu is…Ah, I see. Very noble of the Prince to do that…"
Yuugi swallowed. He had a bad feeling about this. He continued to listen, not aware of two shadows moving behind him.
"Don't worry…" a name was said, but Yuugi could barely hear it. He strained his ears to try and hear better. "Our plan will proceed as planned. The final battle is finally upon us, and the Empire of Dark Souls will finally rule this pathetic world!"
"We will see about that," Yuugi said under his breath. "I will not let you destroy what is left of my home. I will fight- Hey! Let me go!"
The two shadows behind Yuugi had suddenly jumped out behind him and grabbed him by the arms, taking him by surprise. The two guards held him tight and dragged him into the room, ignoring his cries. They marched forward towards the 'Master'. When they reached the throne, they threw Yuugi to the floor. Yuugi let out a groan as he was winded. He slowly stood up as the guards left the hall, leaving him and the 'Master' all alone.
"So," the 'Master' said smugly. "Are you enjoying your stay Atemu? Or should I say…Yuugi?"
"Tch…" was all Yuugi could say.
"I must say you had us all fooled," the 'Master' left his throne and made his way down towards Yuugi. "This little game of yours was a very clever idea."
"Stop mocking me…"
The 'Master' laughed as he slowly approached Yuugi. He stepped up right in front of him, his face only inches from Yuugi's own.
"But now the game must end…"
"I will not let you destroy the Kingdom of Light," Yuugi spat. "You'll have to-AHH!"
Yuugi cried out in pain. The 'Master' smiled to himself as he removed the dagger from the side of Yuugi's body. Yuugi collapsed to the floor, holding his side. Blood was pouring freely out onto his hand.
The 'Master' let out an evil laugh as he watched Yuugi suffer.
"You're weak, Yuugi. Weak and pathetic," he stated. "There's no way you can defeat me."
"Oh…yeah?" Yuugi challenged weakly. He struggled to stand up. "We…we will see about that…"
With one hand (which was now drenched in blood) still covering the stab wound, he tried to reach his deck with his other hand. The 'Master' spotted what he was trying to do and merely laughed.
"You think you can summon a monster here? In the heart of darkness? Ha! Think again, little Prince." He held out his 'secret weapon' to Yuugi. "My weapon has enough power to stop all the Millennium Items. After all, it has been stealing their power for the past two years!" He paused and stepped towards Yuugi. "But it's not as if you can use the Millennium Puzzle anyway. Only your brother can. And you stole it from him." He laughed manically.
Yuugi looked up at the evil man, breathing heavy due to the loss of blood. "You…bastard…"
"Tut tut tut. Such cruel swords. You will have to be punished…"
The 'Master' held up his 'secret weapon' in front of Yuugi as it began to emit a blinding red light. Yuugi covered his eyes with his free arm and waited for the light to die down. Just what was the 'Master' up to now? When the light finally disappeared, Yuugi was aware of another presence in the room. Something that growled. Something that wasn't human.
Slowly looking up, he jumped back at the sight before him. A large, tinted white wolf-type creature was standing before him, separating him from the 'Master'. The 'wolf' let out a growl, baring his teeth at Yuugi.
"S-Silver Fang…" Yuugi uttered the name of the monster under his breath.
"Don't you have good eye sight," mocked the 'Master'.
"B-But he is my monster."
"Not anymore," laughed the 'Master'. "You left your monster behind weeks ago when we attacked you at the oasis, so I decided to take him for myself. Now Silver Fang works for me."
"No…" Yuugi knew what was coming next. He braced himself.
"Now my loyal monster…ATTACK!"
Silver Fang let out a howl and leaped towards the Prince. Yuugi yelled out in pain as Silver Fang brought up his powerful paws and slashed across his chest, ripping his tunic and breaking the skin. The force of the attack threw Yuugi to the other side of the hall. He hit his head on the stone wall, letting out a groan. Feeling groggy and sick, he opened his eyes and looked down at his chest. The wounds were deep and already bleeding freely. He needed to escape, fast…
But Yuugi didn't have enough time to recover and escape. Letting out another growl, Silver Fang charged at Yuugi again. Yuugi jumped out of the way just in time, but landed awkwardly on the floor. He was losing so much blood. He felt so weak. He couldn't move…
Silver Fang saw his prey on the floor and took the opportunity to attack. He bit and scratched at Yuugi, toying with him like a cat to a mouse. Yuugi screamed out in pain every time the razor sharp teeth pierced his skin, until he found he could scream no more.
And all the time this was happening, the 'Master' just stood there and watched, a cruel smile on his face. After a few moments, he spoke.
"That will do, Silver Fang."
The monster dropped Yuugi's brutally injured body and disappeared in a burst of light. The 'Master' placed the card back in his deck and made his way towards Yuugi. He held the dagger he used earlier in his hand.
"Your time in this lifetime has come to an end," the 'Master' said, stopping in front of Yuugi.
Yuugi tried to stand up, but found his could not due to his horrific injuries.
"Please…no…" he begged. Blood was pouring freely from his injuries onto the cold floor.
"It's such a shame that this had to come to an end so soon," the 'Master' continued, bringing his knife higher.
"Please…"
"But now it's time to die!"
The 'Master' gave one last evil smile and brought the knife down onto Yuugi.
"AHHHH!" someone screamed.
Yuugi closed his eyes, preparing for the blow...
A few moments past, and Yuugi felt nothing (besides the pain from the injuries gained from Silver Fang). Slowing his heavy breathing down, he slowly opened his eyes, expected to be face to face with the end of the dagger. Instead, he got an unexpected surprise. Someone-or rather something- was hovering in front of him, separating him from the 'Master' (who was now on the floor looking up at the figure before him). The figure was dressed in a dark blue robe with an interesting headdress on their head. Yuugi instantly recognised the figure.
"Maha Vailo?" he asked wearily.
At the sound of his name, said monster turned his head. He smiled at Yuugi, before turning back at the 'Master'.
"T-This is impossible," the 'Master' stuttered. He was as shocked as Yuugi was. "No one with a Millennium Item should be able to summon a monster here!"
"I was not summoned by a keeper of a Millennium Item," Maha Vailo spoke. "I was summoned by someone with a different kind of power. A power far stronger than that of the Millennium Items…"
'Anzu…' Yuugi thought. 'She must have somehow summoned Maha Vailo to help me.'
Maha Vailo turned his head again and faced Yuugi. "Come, Prince Yuugi. We must return to the Kingdom of Light."
"Oh no you won't!" the 'Master' shouted, standing up. "You're not going anywhere Yuugi. You're-AH!"
The 'Master' jumped back, barely missing the lightning bolt Maha Vailo shot at him. Once he recovered from the shock, he tried to move towards Yuugi, but was blocked by another lightning bolt.
"Why you…"
"Go!" Maha Vailo shouted to the Prince. "Escape while you can! I will be right behind you!"
Yuugi nodded and slowly stood up. He gasped as the sharp pain shot up his body, but he needed to escape. He needed to return to Illuminarta. He needed to return to his brother, and to Anzu. Slowly but surely he made his way to the hall entrance and walked out into the hall. Maha Vailo stayed behind him the entire time, stopping the 'Master' from reaching Yuugi.
"Get back here!" The 'Master' shouted, dodging more lightning bolts. "You won't escape, little Yuugi. You won't escape. Guards! After him!"
Yuugi was now limping as fast as he could out the palace entrance. Maha Vailo had stayed behind at the palace to stop most of the guards from capturing Yuugi, but he had forgotten about the guards situated outside the main palace. Now they were charging after Yuugi, their monsters being summoned here and there, attacking him. Yuugi yelled out as his body suffered from more burns and scratches, but he still carried on.
"Almost…there…" he encouraged himself. "Just…a little…further…Gah!" Another attack from one of the monsters hit Yuugi on the back, but still Yuugi continued. "Need to…escape…Have to…get home…"
Yuugi reached the gates that led out the palace, and saw a figure riding towards him from a distance. But before he could focus on who the figure was, Yuugi felt his knees buckle. He feel to the ground, the world around him turning black and silent.
-End Flashback-
"…The next thing I knew, I'm here, with all of you guys," Yuugi finished off.
There was a stunned silence. The trio crowded around Yuugi were amazed and horrified at the same time by Yuugi's story. He was so strong to have survived a battle like that, but he had suffered so much. They couldn't help but feel a little guilty. They were there to protect Yuugi, and they had failed that mission.
Anzu looked down at Yuugi. 'So Maha Vailo did find Yuugi. I'm glad. Who knows what would have happened if I hadn't had summoned him.'
"There's still something I don't understand," Jonouchi said thoughtfully. "The monster I saw flying past me must have been Maha Vailo. But how was he summoned? No one has enough power to do that at the moment."
"Don't ask me," Atemu shrugged. "I'm a clueless as you are."
"I know how he got there," Yuugi said, looking up at Anzu. Jonouchi and Atemu followed his gaze and let out a small gasp.
"You summoned Maha Vailo?" Atemu asked Anzu, shocked.
"Er…well…Y-Yeah, I did," Anzu blushed. She felt so embarrassed.
"But how?"
"Yuugi taught me how to use the magic inside of me to summon monsters from my deck a while ago, right after the Empire attacked us. I'm sorry I didn't' tell anyone. I didn't think it was right."
"You don't have to apologise," Atemu said (again). "If you had not summoned Maha Vailo, Yuugi may not be here today. We all owe you a great deal, Anzu."
"T-Thank you," Anzu stuttered, still blushing.
"No, thank you Anzu, for saving my life," Yuugi said, smiling. He wanted to tell her so many things. Thoughts were rushing through his head. Thousands of words appeared in his mind, desperate to escape his lips. But instead of speaking, he let out a rather loud yawn.
Atemu laughed. "You should rest now Yuugi," he said gently, brushing some of his brother's hair away from his eyes. "You have been through a lot and need to regain your strength. Please, go to sleep."
"O…OK Atemu…" Yuugi said sleepily. He closed his eyes and instantly fell asleep.
Deciding to let Yuugi rest peacefully, the trio excited the room as quietly as possible. They walked out the door, closing it softly behind them, cringing whenever it creaked loudly. Thinking they were the only ones there, they were surprised to see Malik standing right outside the door.
"Malik," Atemu said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"Err…well…" Malik hesitated. How was he suppose to cover this up? "I…err…came up here to see if you were done. Th-The other Priests want to know how Yuugi is." 'Please let that work.'
There was a tense, silent moment of hesitation, before Atemu spoke. Malik swallowed nervously.
"Well, as you can see, we are finished," he said. Malik sighed in relief. Not noticing this, Atemu continued. "As for Yuugi's condition, I will inform the Priests momentarily-"
"I'll tell them," Jonouchi interrupted, bowing. "I need to speak to Honda and Shizuka anyway."
"Very well, Jonouchi. I leave it to you."
Jonouchi bowed before his Pharaoh, before leaving for the Priests' chambers.
"I need to collect the ointment and spare bandages from Prince Yuugi's room," Malik spoke up.
"Very well. Just make sure you do not disturb my brother. He needs his rest."
"Yes, Pharaoh," Malik bowed.
He slowly opened the door to Yuugi's room and slipped inside. He closed the door behind him. But instead of walking over to Yuugi's bedside and collecting the clay pot and bandages, he waited by the door. After a few moments, he carefully opened the door again and made sure it was slightly ajar. He peeped through the gap. Good. Atemu and Anzu hadn't noticed. His plan was working perfectly. Now to wake Yuugi…
-I-
Atemu sighed and rubbed his forehead. "This is terrible."
Anzu blinked. "It is?"
Atemu looked up in surprise. "Don't you know what this means?" Anzu shook her head. "It means the Empire of Dark Souls is planning one final attack. The whole of Kemet will be involved in this bloody battle to the very end. And there are extremely high stakes. If we do not prevail, what is left of our world with be destroyed. And…" he hesitated.
"'And' what?" Anzu asked urgently. "What is it?"
"Atemu sighed again. "If we want to stand a chance against the Empire, it means that I have to lead our troops into battle."
"To the front line?" Anzu asked desperately. Atemu nodded. Anzu gave a small gasp. She struggled to find the right words. "But that means…you'll have to…you mean…leave Yuugi?"
Atemu nodded again.
"But he's only just returned home!" Anzu argued. "Hasn't he been through enough?"
"I know it's hard and will be painful for all of us, but there is no other way." He looked at the floor, ashamed. "I know it will hurt Yuugi deeply, but it has to be done. I just hope he can forgive me…"
"Atemu…"
Anzu stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up. She hated seeing her friends upset and always tried to do whatever he could to help them out.
"Of course he'll forgive you, Atemu. He's your brother. He can't stay mad at you forever."
"I hope you're right…"
"Of course I am. And don't worry. Whatever happens, I'll be right there by your side."
Atemu smiled. "Thank you, Anzu. You really are a true and loyal friend."
-I-
"Your highness!" Malik hissed loudly into the darkness. He continued to shake Yuugi's shoulders gently to wake him. "Your highness!"
Yuugi shifted in his bed, still half asleep. "Gmpf…"
"Your highness, please! Wake up! This is urgent."
"…Wha…"
"Prince Yuugi! Please! Wake up!"
Finally, after much shaking and calling, Yuugi managed to find the strength to wake up. He turned his bed to face the servant boy calling to him. He would have brushed away the sleep in his eyes, if his arms didn't ache so much. Instead, he tried to blink the sleep back.
"Malik?" he asked sleepily. He blinked to adjust to the dark light. "What are you doing here?" He was suspicious of the servant boy. He had been for the last couple of years.
Two years ago, when the Empire of Dark Souls first attacked, Malik was one of many to be taken away as prisoners, just like Mai was. But unlike Mai, Malik had some how managed to escape…or he claimed he had. When he had returned, Yuugi was still suffering from grief due to his parent's death. And as soon as Malik had entered the palace, he know something was different about him. His suspicions had only grown in the past few years.
Unfortunately, Atemu thought Yuugi was overreacting, and continued to have Malik working for them.
"I am sorry to disturb you, Prince Yuugi," Malik said humbly. His voice sounded urgent. "But I just couldn't hide this from you anymore."
"Hide? Hide what?"
"Well, whilst you were gone, something…happened…between the Pharaoh and Anzu…"
"What do you mean?" His suspicion were now slowly turning into anger.
"Well, the other day, I came to check on the Pharaoh. I was about to go in, when I heard voices inside. Happy voices. A few moments later, the door suddenly opened. I hid around the corner and watched as Anzu came out of the Pharaoh's chamber. She looked hot and flustered, but had a dreamy and happy look on her face. She soon went back to her room, allowing me to see the Pharaoh. When I went in, he had the same look on his face."
"You mean to tell me Atemu and Anzu are…together?" Malik nodded sadly. "I don't believe you."
"Please, your highness. I would never lie to you. If you don't believe me, just listen for yourself."
Malik turned his head and looked behind him. Yuugi tried to look past him and saw the slightly ajar door. He could hear voices from outside. Voices belonging to Anzu and Atemu. He listened carefully, his heart pounding in his chest.
'Please let Malik be wrong…"
"…You mean…leave Yuugi?" Yuugi heard Anzu say. There was a pause. "But he's only just returned home! Hasn't he been through enough?"
"I know it's hard and will be painful for all of us, but there is no other way." Atemu said softly. Yuugi could feel his heart beginning to break, but he still listened, praying he was mishearing. "I know it will hurt Yuugi deeply, but it has to be done. I just hope he can forgive me…"
"Atemu…" Another pause. Then, "Of course he'll forgive you, Atemu. He's your brother. He can't stay mad at you forever."
"I hope you're right…"
"Of course I am. And don't worry. Whatever happens, I'll be right there by your side."
"Enough!" Yuugi tried to shout, but it came out as a loud whisper. He covered his ears to block out what they were saying now. He didn't even want to know what Atemu had said next. He could feel his heart breaking into a million pieces in his chest.
'What Malik said is true. Atemu and Anzu really are together. But I thought Anzu…Anzu…I was wrong about her. She did not care for me. She only used me to get to Atemu. How foolish was I, believing that she could feel for me…what I feel for her…'
"Prince Yuugi?" Malik asked. He tried to hide the smile on his face.
Yuugi slowly lowered his hands. He listened. The voices outside had disappeared. He could feel hot tears prickling in the corners of his eyes.
"Why did you tell me this?" he asked Malik with a shaky voice.
"I do not like lying to you. I didn't want you to get hurt, so I thought it best to tell you. Are you all right-"
"Leave me!" Yuugi ordered. "I do not want to be disturbed. Tell everyone that no one is allowed to enter my chamber besides Jonouchi. He is the only one I wish to see."
"But sire-"
"NOW!"
Malik flinched. But he had his orders. And he had to obey them. Quickly picking up the clay pot and the spare bandages, he excited the room, closing the door (properly) behind him. He made his way down the corridor, back to his own chamber.
'Well done "1A"' the 'Master' congratulated through the mind link. 'You have done well.'
'Thank you, Master,' Malik replied.
'Now it is time to prepare for the final phase of my plan. And when we're through, Kemet will finally bow down to me!'
Malik threw his head back and laughed manically, earning him a few strange looks from other servants.
Meanwhile, back in Yuugi's room, the young Prince had finally given in to his emotions. Burying his head in his pillow and ignoring the pain from his injuries, he cried. He cried and wept all night long, for he had just lost the only woman he loved…to his own brother.
-I-
To be Continued…
-I-
Tada! What do you think? It wasn't as exciting as some of my other chapters, but I'm pleased with it. I'm sorry if it seems a little rushed! If there are any (major) mistakes, please let me know and I'll amend them asap.
Anyway, like I said before, his chapter was dedicated to everyone that has reviewed so far. Thank you guys so much!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! See you in January! Right, now to go to the airport…