Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Catechism ❯ Chapter 1

I'll think of a name later. It will probably hit me while I'm writing the middle of a chapter

Disclaimer: Yu-gi-Oh! Belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. I make no profit off this fanfiction, and it belongs to me under international copyright laws. Don't steal and don't sue. Thank you, *Phantomness bows*

Pairing: Yami x Mahaado (Loyaltyshipping), also known as Atemu x Mahaado (Sealshipping). I don't see much difference between the two, but oh well. *Shrug*

Other Pairings: Possibly some one-sided OC stuff (one-sided from the OC of course!) Also contains Set x Kisara and Aishizu x Karim x Shadah threesome if ya squint!

Timeline: Before the Manga AE arc. Contains elements from the anime since I get the two mixed up in my head.

WARNINGS: Darkfic, side pairings, angst, insanity, death, sex, obsession, brainwashing, rampant murder of Original Characters and random people

Ages: Mahaado - 14/15ish when Akunumkanon dies

Title: Catechism

Chapter 1

 

“You will protect the Prince.”

“I will protect the Prince.”

“You will do anything to protect the Prince.”

“I will do anything to protect the Prince.”

“There is no price too high, and you will die for him if necessary.”

“There is no price too high, and I will die for him if necessary.”

“You will never leave the Prince.”

“I will never leave the Prince.”

“You will obey his every wish… grant his every desire… and you will love him, treasure him, cherish him. You will be his friend, his brother, his advisor, his lover… his happiness is your life's joy, you only live to serve…”

Mahaado nodded, obediently repeating the words along, blue eyes fixed carefully on the old man's face.

Pharaoh Akunumkanon finally gave a tired yawn and patted the boy on the head. “That's enough for tonight, Mahaado. Go to bed.”

“Yes, Pharaoh.”

 

Akunumkanon watched as the boy walked quietly down the hall, fading into the shadows. Then, he allowed himself to yawn and called for a servant. He drank his wine and sighed.

Well, tomorrow was another day.

 

He received his appointment as the Priest of the Millennium Ring solemnly, feeling the points jangle as Pharaoh Akunumkanon himself carefully placed the pendant around his neck. Many years had passed since he had been taken to the palace, and yet, there was still one thing…

One thing remained. He smiled at the Crown Prince, who gave him a smile back. They had become childhood friends quite easily, and his Prince trusted him.

Now, he would be in an even better position to protect Prince Yami, as an Elected Priest. He bowed and then returned to his seated position near the throne.

Court resumed its session, and he listened carefully, mentally tallying important points. After the session concluded, he left and went to find his apprentice, Mana. Hopefully she had been practicing her magic lessons like a good girl.

He found her hiding in one of the numerous pots that decked the halls and sighed, mildly exasperated. “Mana.”

“I'm sorry, Teacher-sama!”

“Did you at least make a passable herbal draught before you ran out to play?”

“I made two! They're on the table, Teacher-sama!”

Mahaado shook his head. She was still a young girl of nine years, and he should not be so harsh. With a sigh, he beckoned her back to their quarters and continued on his way. High Priest Donkor, the holder of the Rod, accosted him on the way.

Mahaado gave a polite nod, as the man was higher in rank and status than he, as an elder priest.

Donkor frowned. “Off teaching your apprentice, I assume?”

“Yes, Priest Donkor.”

Donkor sneered as he let Mahaado go and watched his retreating figure. Weakling. No doubt within a few weeks the Ring would consume him and they would be searching for another High Priest. The boy was too soft, too pampered, too childish, and too trusting!

He wouldn't last long in Court. As an Apprentice Priest and Magician, High Priest Shadah would have overseen his education, along with those other few souls who were also apprentices, but that was gone now.

High priests had to be ruthless. They had to be careful.

He might pity the boy, if he weren't in Court.

Well, perhaps he'd pray to Anubis for a swift death for the boy. Long, lingering, poison-caused illnesses were always a pain.

 

The first time Mahaado killed a man, he was in shock for days. He scrubbed his hands clean every chance he could get, even though there had been no blood - poison didn't leave marks, after all. He remembered crushing dried herbs and flowers into powder, his fingers shaking so badly that he botched the potion six times in a row before he got it right.

It was the worse he'd ever done in his magic lessons. But now, he was no longer learning. He'd been given the Ring, too young, still an apprentice magician, but a full one now, with Mana to train, much less a priest, the men whispered, but the Item had chosen and he had no other choice.

He had to protect his Prince.

He would do anything to protect his Prince. Anything.

At least the blood was not on Yami's hands.

 

Pharaoh Akunumkanon was dead. It had only been two weeks since he'd gotten the Ring, but the first time he summoned his Ka, and saw the beginning of black bleeding into his Silent Magician's white robes, he knew that something was wrong.

His magic had to go…

He'd felt hopeless, the first few moments after that startling revelation, but he could feel the dark edge curling around his thoughts. If he went mad, or the Ring corrupted him, he wouldn't be able to protect his Prince.

He had to protect Prince Yami, even if it was from himself.

That was the first time he contemplated death. He punished himself harshly for being selfish afterwards.

How could he protect his Prince and future Pharaoh if he were dead?

 

So he'd done it. It had been twisted irony that the spell he had used to seal his magic was the same spell that he retained - the only spell that he could use.

Spell Binding Circle - Spell of Illusion - Call it anything, but it was the same… he'd been terrified the first time he saw his new Ka.

A fiend in dark armor, instead of the light-type monster he'd once had! There was no expression either, no face… just empty armor with glowing eyes, and dark, too dark…

It had been the first time the rest of the Court had seen too. Set had snorted in derision at the puny thing, shaking his head.

What did he know? He wasn't an Elected Priest.

But he could see disappointment in Priest Akunadin and Priest Shadah's eyes, and he'd vowed to work harder.

But how could he?

Was he even worthy of being called a magician anymore, without his magic?

 

That was why he resorted to potions. His illusion spells were all gone. That had been his strength - he could build illusion solid enough to fool all others in court, weave a disguise enough to spy without a suspicion, but it was gone now.

All gone…

But mixing poisons did not require magic. He could still mix healing draughts, sleeping draughts, other short-term magical effects, perfectly human, though he could not touch magic himself. And most of the higher-level potions were too difficult to make without magic. He had only had a small supply of potions before he shut down his magic once and for all… mages in training were not allowed to make potions without supervision, but Pharaoh Akunumkanon had overridden that order. Still…!

There were hundreds of ingredients he would have needed, and even though he had access to them now, he had lost his power. Skill was not enough.

He hadn't told Pharaoh about the loss of his magic, but when he had been asked about the Creation of the Millennium Items, he could not lie.

And now, Prince Yami was Pharaoh…

That was the reason why he had mixed tansy and foxglove, taken the antidote in advance, and spent a night with Lord Gahiji.

It had been painful.

But one threat was gone.

He vowed to do the same for the rest.

 

“Teacher-sama!”

He spotted Mana running from a duck, and sighed. “What happened?”

“I froze the duck's nest by accident!”

“Did I not send you to practice a water spell?”

“Yes, but it turned into ice! I'm sorry, Teacher-sama!”

He shook his head. She hurriedly summoned her text and began to flip through it, frantically searching for the counter-spell.

He would undo it himself if he could, but he couldn't, so he just shook his head and told her to work harder.

She frowned, but nodded obediently. Good girl.

Properly trained, she might make a protector for Yami, if he ever left.

Speaking of which, he'd better get to work researching death-related spells, just in case… just in case things happened, and he had to leave his Prince - now Pharaoh.

Death was no excuse for shirking duty.

 

End Chapter

Completed 4/4/06

So, I have complete disregard of ancient Egyptian medicinal plants. Sorry! And yes, once again, my evilly loyal version of Mahaado shows up…

I always thought there had to be a reason, and why not a creepy one? Sure, Akunumkanon seems so nice, but you never know.

Atemu: You always bastardize my father in your fics

Phantomness: *shakes head* He's just a poor stressed man trying to do his best for Egypt and for you. Of course, his actions might not reflect well… but then again, isn't the path to hell paved with good intentions?

Mahaado: *Sighs*

 

Donkor = Humble

Gahiji = Hunter