Author's Note: This chapter wrote itself. I LOVE when that happens. Thanks to all my readers, reviewers, fans, super fans, and super special awesome fans. I owe you guys big time. Hopefully this chapter will help. :)
Chapter 22
The room was in chaos again.
"That was my idea!"
"No, it was mine!"
"Is that even possible?"
"Giving a blind person their sight? Unheard of!"
"I still have urgent news, Pharaoh!"
"It could work!"
"Yes, consider the possibilities, Pharaoh!"
"There are no possibilities! It can't be done!"
"Pharaoh!"
"Pharaoh!"
"Pha-"
"ENOUGH!"
The group was shook back into silence.
"Mana-" She had been the only one quiet during the entire time. And had also proven to be the only one helpful at this point. It was a twist on things, but Akunumkanon adapted quickly and inquired of her, "- How do you think you would accomplish this?"
"Well," Mana elaborated, "I'm a magician-"
"In training," someone coughed.
Mana glared in a general direction, unsure who had added the last part but unwillingly corrected, "In training. And I think with enough power and a good spell, we could give Lady Yugi eyesight."
The Pharaoh turned to Mahad, not needing to even say a word. The magician was already contemplating this, his arms folded and his gaze placed firmly on the table in front of him as if there was something fascinating there that no one else could see. He thought aloud, "It would require a lot of work and a powerful spell, that's for sure… I would suggest the Millennium Spellbook, but-"
"That's long been retired," Isis intercepted. "It's too dangerous."
"I agree." Karim glanced down at Mahad, asking calmly, "So, do you know of a different spell? One with abilities enough to complete it but not be risky to anyone's health?"
"I'm thinking…" Mahad mumbled, his gaze fierce as he delved into his mind.
"I still believe it to be impossible." Shada coolly stated, "Miracles cannot be performed by man. They're the work of higher beings, and to think you could get away with making one without any penalties is foolish and an insult to superior intelligence."
"Not true, Shada." Mahad argued softly as he continued to think, "As people, we're blessed with talents from higher authority. Not using them would be an insult."
"Mahad, is there even a spell that can achieve this?" Isis questioned, leaning forward inquisitively.
Mahad sighed and declared, "I can only think of one, but I am not so dense as to think that I could do it all on my own. I'd need some more magic..."
"Ooh! Pick me! Pick me, Master Mahad!" Mana bounced up and down, waving her hand in the air wildly as if it were on fire.
Karim's face lit up. "That's not a bad idea… It could work, right, Mahad? You've been training her for something like this, correct?"
Mahad winced. "I'm not sure you're ready, Mana…"
"Oh, please!" Mana slapped her hands together in a pleading position. "Oh, please, oh, please, oh, please, oh, please?" Mahad still didn't budge. Mana added eagerly, "I've been practicing! All day! I have! Please? I can do it! Please?"
"She did say please," Karim commented with a teasing smirk.
"Yes, about ten times…" Mahad muttered, leaning on his hand to continue to think.
Mana spun around to the opposite direction. "Lady Yugi!"
Why me?
"You believe in me, right?"
Yugi was frozen. She could feel the puppy-dog eyes drilling into her. She bit her lip, not going unnoticed by Atem.
"Maybe Yugi doesn't want to see," Atem proposed.
The group grew silent.
"Is that true?" Akunumkanon asked her.
Yugi swallowed. Finally, she said ever-so-slowly, picking her words carefully, "… It would be… different. And it would take some adjusting… for sure. I'm just… I don't know…"
"I think what Yugi is trying to say-" Atem translated, "- Is that this is a lot to take in, and she needs some time to get used to the idea of actually being able to see."
"We don't have time!" Karim barked, "Yami is still in the palace, and until that is no longer the case, we have solve our problem by any means necessary!"
"Karim," the Pharaoh stated, making the item bearer rethink his tone.
"I apologize," Karim said rapidly and then turned to Yugi. "Lady Yugi, being able to see would mean your brother would no longer see you as helpless. No one would. You'd be able to prove to him how strong you are. I can already tell that you're very brave. But Yami will never be able to see that unless you can see. When you can, you'll be able to become your own person. Don't you want that?"
Yugi did want that. All of that. She wanted nothing more than to solve this problem with Yami, marry Atem, and be worry-free. Yes… Oh, how good it sounded. But, considering the dangers, it was very intimidating. Especially when she was being placed in the not-so-capable hands of Mana… But was it worth the risk?
"… Yugi? Yugi?" Atem had been trying to gain Yugi's attention for a while now.
She shook her head and inquired, "What?"
Atem smiled at her and whispered, "This is your decision, not mine. But I want you to know that being able to see won't change who you are or anything of that nature." He took her hand and held it up to him so that it could caress the side of his face. "You'll still be mine, and I'll still be yours. And getting your eyesight could be our first step into making our relationship together permanent. If you want that, then I'll want that. If you don't, then I won't argue."
Yugi was almost brought to tears. She could feel them threatening to emerge in the back of her eyes but blinked them away before they had a chance to surface. "Th- thank you," she choked out.
"Then, it is decided?" Shada questioned, a bit too punctual in piercing the moment.
Yugi dragged her hand across her face and took a shallow breath, declaring, "Yes. I choose to see."
Mana made an excited squealing noise before announcing, "You won't be sorry, Lady Yugi! Master Mahad and I are going to make sure you will receive your vision to its full extent! Sure, I haven't ever completed a spell of this importance… Sure, I've never been the top student… Sure, there is a possibility of certain misfortune… Sure-"
Mahad covered her mouth. "That's enough, Mana. Save your energy for the spellcasting."
Yugi sunk in her seat. Thanks, Mana, I really needed those reminders…
-transition-
Seto had summoned his ultimate beast, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. It roared with satisfaction as its white lightning attack drilled through another one of Yami's monsters.
Yami withered in pain for only a millisecond before regaining his footing and calling across the shadows, "Are you pleased with yourself, Priest Seto? Because it's only the beginning."
"I know that, Yami," Seto hissed between clenched teeth, "I wouldn't let myself get cocky just yet. Although I must say: I thought you'd put up more of a fight."
"Patience, my friend," Yami chastised condescendingly, "It won't be easy for you forever."
"It's never been easy for me!" Seto shouted angrily, "It's only been easy for you! You were born with natural charisma and into a wealthy family, too! I've had to work to get my title and prosperity for years!" With the word "years", Seto's dragon proceeded to take out another row of monsters from Yami's side of the field.
"Maybe so…" Yami narrowed his eyes at his rival. "… But that doesn't mean I had it easy. No one does in this world."
"Oh, really?" Seto growled, "Name one time in your life when nothing was handed to you on a silver platter?" The Blue-Eyes White Dragon struck another monster down. The beast seemed to be absorbing the rage of its master and taking it out on everything on the battlefield.
Yami physically winced, and not just from the fact that another one of his monsters had just been shattered into oblivion. He stated, "My childhood."
"So, your parents were away once and a while and your sister happened to be born blind. That doesn't mean you still weren't treated like royalty." Seto's monster had seemed to calm down as he did, the priest waiting for Yami's response.
"You don't get it, do you, Priest Seto?" Yami dropped his DiaDhank to his side to signal a pause in the game and continued, "It wasn't the fact that my parents were just away. It was what they were doing while they were away."
Seto's arm fell to his side in similar suit to Yami's and he wondered aloud, "And what was that?" He hadn't ever been told what Lord and Lady Motou did. He was only aware that their trips were often and their jobs hush-hush.
Yami's eyes narrowed again, this time directly on Seto. The priest could feel the fiery gaze threaten to burn a hole through him but stood tall as he waited for Yami to explain. And an explanation finally did come:
"They worked for Bakura."
Seto couldn't stop the gasp from passing his lips.
"That's right, Priest Seto. Imagine what it would be like to be only a young child when you find out by accident that your parents worked under the most unconsecrated person in the land- perhaps even the world. Imagine what it must have felt like as you over-heard their conversation, piecing together that the honor your family had, the wealth, the recognition, it was all fake!" Yami's voice was fierce now. "That they- and Yugi and I- were no better than a family of mismatched thieves! Imagine, Seto! Imagine!"
Seto couldn't. His mind had seemed to stop entirely. The only proof that he hadn't been swept up with the wind was his shallow breathing and the undertone feeling of antipathy. But, words, they formed. His lips made the necessary movements, and before he knew it, his voice joined it.
"I can't imagine. I can't at all. But what I also can't imagine is that your parents didn't love you. Because I know they did." Seto was astonished that his voice didn't falter once.
"I didn't say they weren't good people." Yami added, "They didn't want to be thieves; they resented their job. But the entire Motou family was falling into debt by the time I was five years of age and Yugi was on the way…" He cleared his throat. "… And that's when they made a deal with the Thief King. They would get jobs- jobs that would keep our family alive, wealthy, and together- but Bakura didn't like our grandfather at all. Our grandfather was a skilled explorer and gem seeker and had gotten to several treasure troves before Bakura. The stubborn thief was still holding a grudge when this time had come. This meant he made a certain… condition that our parents had to succumb to."
"Which was what?" Seto questioned so quietly, it was almost undetected.
"The condition was vague, and my parents were convinced it wouldn't have any long-term effects on our family." Yami glowered at an invisible person. "But they were wrong."
Seto's eyes widened in revelation. "It was Yugi's blindness… Wasn't it?"
Yami nodded solemnly. "Indeed, it was. Bakura was and is the king of thieves, and he had and has plenty of access to sorcerers and magicians to do his bidding. They were able to rob Yugi of her eyesight before she got even a glimpse of this world. On the day they discovered she was blind, they thought it to be a fluke, but it was no accident. They came to realize that they had brought this on their own daughter, and I know they hated themselves for it." Yami paused, then stated, "I then swore to myself that I would someday gain more support than the Thief King himself and then take over his kingdom. And I have. So, this story does end with a happy ending it seems…"
"Yami…" Seto began, but he found no words to be waiting on his tongue.
Yami's gaze hardened on the brunette. "Save your breath, Priest Seto. We both know we can't just shake hands and let bygones be bygones. I want Yugi with me, and Prince Atem wants Yugi with him. Somehow, this'll have to be resolved. And I don't plan on losing. So, prepare yourself, Seto. Prepare to lose." He held up his DiaDhank once again.
Seto slowly did the same, his previous fury forgotten. But his mind was clouded. Did Yami's wrongs cover up his parent's wrongs? No, he decided, it just created more wrongs. His conscience was guilt-free as soon as he accepted this. With that as his motivation, he sent his Blue-Eyes White Dragon to bring upon more devastation to Yami's creatures.
-transition-
"Lady Yugi?" Mahad smiled reassuringly at the girl. "This spell Mana and I will cast will take a while, so it'll be easier if we first cast a minor spell on you to fall asleep for the time being. Is that okay with you?"
She nodded firmly. Yugi hadn't been so sure before, but now she decided that, since the entire problem was caused by her anyway, she had to help fix it in some way. Mahad and Mana would be doing all the hard work; all she had to do was say yes.
And she did.
Before Mahad carried out the spell, he warned, "There should be no side-effects from this, but I cannot be a hundred percent sure. Do you still want to go through it?"
Yugi nodded again. She just wished Mahad would get it over with already. It was like a wound that kept get scratched, the healing that had been done completely useless against a new attack on it.
"Then, all right…" Mahad helped Yugi lie down so that she wouldn't fall when he casted the sleeping spell on her.
Mahad smiled as he covered his ears so that he wouldn't fall asleep as well and recited the hymn, Yugi's mind drifting off. He whispered to her as she drifted out of consciousness, "Everything's going to be fine. I promise."
Author's Note: *le gasp!* Yugi's parents worked for Bakura? Even I didn't see that coming!
*EXCITEMEMENT* You feel it, too? Good! Ahh, so excited! :3
P.S. Who do you think is gonna win the duel: Yami or Seto? Guess in your review! *hint, hint* ;)