May: Well, thank you again to those who reviewed and favorited this story! To those who would find this fic a litle on the grammatical error side and the spelling errors...pardon me but my fingers sometimes has a mind of its own for pressing different keys on the keyboard. And pardon me but English is my second language.
Note: For those who are itching to know when Tea/Anzu and Yami Yuugi will meet it will not be long. I have no intention to make this story longer than it should be.
Important Note: I'm also doing this week a double update. This was supposed to be yesterday but due to some important matters was pushed today...and the other update would be either on Friday or early Saturday.
Chapter 16
'Guess I'm really not cut out for this.' Yami thought as he looked away from the headmaster who was looking at him with a sympathetic look on his face. 'Guess I have to go.'
Mahad strained a smile as he no doubt knew what the younger was thinking. The younger knew how to keep his emotions under control but he still can see the cracks at the outside. With a sigh he placed a hand on the teen's shoulder.
"I'm going to tutor you." the teen turned to look at the older, his eyes widened at the words.
"If you can dig deep and return back the prince I saw before, " the older started with a smile. "I have no doubt that you can graduate with a pick of any Lord Royal position." he told the teen.
"That is if you can handle it." he added with a challenge in his tone. "So, what do you say?" he asked as he held out a hand.
"Yes!" Yami grinned, his worries suddenly disappearing at the mention of a challenge. He then took the older's hand and shook it, unintentionally gripping the older's hand tight. "I'll prove it to you, Headmaster!" he smirked.
The older winced and gently placed his hand on top of Yami's. "Rule number one: No crushing of my fingers."
Yami's crimson eyes widened as he realized that he had gripped too tight. And he instantly let go."Oh, Ra. I'm sorry."
"It's alright." Mahad assured the younger as he cradled his hand and slightly winced at the pressure.
"Thank you."
The headmaster looked at his student and smiled. "Your welcome, Yami."
"So...when do we start?" the teen asked eagerly.
Mahad grinned at the prospect of seeing the teen hyped up at the challenge. "Right now."
They stood outside in the school's garden with the cheetah, and for some reason there wasn't any students around the vicinity. And Yami was thankful for there won't be any prying eyes who would witness his attempts in the life that he would soon be filling in.
"Alright then." Mahad called the younger's attention as he stood on the top of a large rock beside the bushes. "Now...we shall practice first with balancing and poise then manners, etiquette, self-defense and dancing."
Yami gulped at the last. He knew that he could do better-not better but best in the other classes...but dancing? He doesn't know nor does he have the talent for it. He knew what he is capable of and dancing isn't one of them.
Mahad looked at his student intently with a small smile on his face. Somehow the teenager reminded him of his younger years as a student. But where he lacks the air of fierce confidence and determination...it is where the teenager makes up for it.
'I have no doubt you will make a great Lord Royal when you graduate...' he mused in his thoughts as he continued watching the younger with deep concentration. 'All you will need is to return the king that I saw when you first came.'
He then took in a deep breath and let out a sigh. "So, shall we start?" he asked.
Yami nodded and watched as the older stepped down from his place on the rock and walked towards him. Removed his headdress then placed it on the table beside the teen then turned to walk back on his place.
Awhile later, a stack of books were on his head, his arms stretched out at his sides, hands holding flower pots. One foot balancing him on the rock while the other was raised in the air, straight.
"I can do this for I am perfectly at ease in my mind and in my body." the headmaster said as he remained in the position for a few minutes. His face serene as if he was just meditating, not balancing a stack of books on his head.
"That's because you're not surrounded by people who make you feel inferior."
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." the older told him firmly. "Alright, your turn." He told the younger as heput down his foot and brought out the pots from behind.
"Headmaster Mahad..." Yami looked up at the older uncertainly as the other approached him, holding the two pots. "I don't think I can do this."
"Not if you believe you can." the headmaster assured the younger as he held up the pots with a smile. "We'll start small."
Yami did what the older did awhile ago and shakily lifted his other leg in the air, while the other placed the pots on his hands.
"Thirty seconds on the ground."
"I can't do this!" he insisted.
"Of course you can!" the older urged as he watched the younger struggled to keep his balance. "Or are you backing down?" he asked with a hint of a tease and disapointment. He knew for a fact that the younger liked challenges and never backs down whatever it was. And he wanted to see that.
He wanted to see the full potential.
"No!" Yami cried in fright as the sudden image of him failing entered his mid and caused him to lose his concentration and he fell towards the paved ground, the pots falling out of his hands.
The dirt sprayed towards the headmaster, staining his clothes. He then looked down at the fallen teenager who was being comforted by the cheetah with a nudge of his nose, whining. "It seems we have our work cut out for us."
Yami could only offer a groan in pain and embarassment.
"How was he?" Siamun asked as he sat down opposite the headmaster in a small table. "I do take it that he has a lot of potential for you not to be giving up this easily." he chuckled then took a sip of tea.
"He has potential, I have no doubt." Mahad told the older. "Although he doesn't want to let go of his roots." he told the older with a grim tone. "I do think that's what was keeping him from achieving his full potential."
The vizier let out a sigh and looked at the headmaster. "Mahad, Yami is not the person whom you think he is." he told the latter with a serious tone in his voice. "His very heritage could be the one that will determine his fate at the least."
The latter blinked at the sudden change of the older's attitude. "What do you mean, Master Siamun?"
The older looked at him for a minute then shook his head. "This is not the time that we should be discussing this." he told the other firnly. "It is not safe."
Mahad reluctantly nodded and took his tea quietly with his mind running with questions.
For the next days and months of the school year, Mahad and Yami trained vigorously. He had at first doubted the younger after the first few weeks of their training eventhough he had convinced himself that he was the one who have seen the potential.
They met at different places in the school: the library for his etiquette and manners, his room for the ballroom dancing, the gardens for the poise and balance. And for the weeks that followed, he could see that the teen had already outshined the other students. Those who are born of royal and noble blood with his skill.
It would be a matter of time before the crimson eyed teen beat the soon-to-be crown prince.
Now...there are in their self-defense class. The class which Lord Akhenaden teaches. It was not hidden what the Lord had said the first time. What was suspicious was why he said those things.
"Now hit me." he ordered the teen who was looking at him a with skeptical look on his face as they stood apart, facing each other in the school courtyard. "Well?"
Yami let out a heavy sigh then clenched his fists. And ran towards the headmaster.
Not sooner than he had raised his fist that he found himself lying on the floor, looking up at the headmaster with wide eyes.
"I guess we have to work with self-defense." the older told him as he held out a hand and helped him up.
They practiced all week, including the lessons that they have undergone since the beginning.
Yami swiftly avoided Ushio's punches and shot forward and aimed a well prepared upper-cut that sent the taller and bulkier male crashing to the floor. Knock-out cold at the impact.
"Awesome!" Marik cheered from the side as he had no doubt had watched the whole scene. Ryou nodded appreciatetively at the blond haired prince's side. A huge smile on his face.
The crimson eyed teen raised a thumbs up at his friends with a huge smile on his face. Then he turned his head to meet eye to eye with the blue eyed tall male who was looking-no glaring at him from beside his father.
Yami swiped Mahad's feet under him, causing the older's headdress to fall from his head and onto the ground beside him them swiftly pinned him to the ground. Preventing him to make any chance of either comeback or escape.
He then smirked down at the older who first looked at him with wide eyes then a slow smile slowly appeared on the older's face as they no doubt had been successful.
Mahad looked at the younger and couldn't help but marvel how the teen who was regal when he first came, lost it just days after his arrival had now seemed to be more than what he was before.
The teen had become the image of a Pharaoh who would no doubt be loved by own his people.
'What am I thinking?' he chastised himself as he shook his head. 'How could I ever thought of Yami being the equivalent of a Pharaoh?' He then looked out the window, his eyes far away. 'I know he exudes the aura...but...it was impossible!'
'Not unless...!' a thought occurred to him as he remembered what the vizier had said told him a few months ago.
That Yami Mutou is not the person they thought he was.
He then frowned as he placed a hand under his chin. Deep in thought. 'What does Master Siamun mean? Or better yet, what makes Yami different than he is?'
'Who is Yami exactly?'
'It is time, Akhenankamen.' Siamun thought as he looked up at the frame of the late Pharaoh with a sad look in his eyes. 'I never imagined that this day would come, my friend. It has been 17 years.'
With a sad smile, he placed a hand upon the frame. "We all could rest in peace at last."
May: Whew! I think this is the longest chapter I have written so far in this story! I noticed that this chapter already gives a clue...well, I have no intention of changing it at the least. Well, I'll be leaving this here and please stay for another update coming on Friday or Saturday!
