Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Duel of Love ❯ Trouble ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh

A/N: I'm so super pissed at my brother… he shut off the computer and deleted this whole chapter that I had begun, not to mention some of the other stuff I was working on so now I'm super pissed! 

Ahem…anyways, I kinda realized something about A/Ns.  It seems like what you get in Manga, with the writer/artist leaving commentaries about their chapters and such, because they give you their opinions and such (not that you always want to hear them.)

And I'm glad some of you read the warning…I feel sorry for those that didn't.  Don't say I didn't warn you!  I always wanted to use that scene in one of my stories, and I'm glad I finally did, and in that context too, it would have been scary any other way, not that it wasn't scary already!  And no, I don't think the questions will be answered this chapter, at least I don't think so, but I think next chapter it may be more so…

Duel of Love

Chapter 6: Trouble

Yami

     I awoke the next morning groggy and tired.  I remembered… everything.  Everything that happened last night, up to the worst of it I remembered.  This was why I had tried to distance myself from her, this was why… Damn!  I couldn't control it!  I should have fought against it; I should have tried something, anything!  I picked myself out of bed and got dressed.  I had hurt her, scarred her and almost raped her.  My head hurt and my heart ached.  I was such a fool.  I did the exact opposite of what I had promised, I hurt her.  Somewhere, somewhere along the way, the time I spent with Miss Katiana, somewhere in all that time, I fell in love.  I fell in love and now I can't go back and try, trying with all my might to change what I've done.  For the first time in my life, I think I was afraid…

Katiana

     "So the Pharaoh has called us both in to see him," Seto said the next day as we approached his chamber, "But don't say anything.  I want to have him admit whatever he did, even though you know I believe you.  I don't know why he wanted me as well, unless he thought it best to have a mediator.  Are you alright?"

     "A l…little," I said, still inching behind him.  I was shaky and scared, but I was okay with Seto nearby and I told myself to be strong, although that didn't really help much.

     "I'm assuming that is what he wishes to talk to us about," Seto said with an annoyed huff, "Even the best of us loose track of time, by no means is this a fault of yours."  I almost added I didn't entirely think this was the Pharaoh's fault either, but I didn't know.  I didn't know enough to make that judgment.  In all the time I was here he showed me nothing but kindness and it was only last night he had tried to hurt me…tried to rape me…

     "Uh-hu," I said.  It was odd, how Seto was being unusually nice, wearing his finest today and forcing me to look nice and presentable as well, wearing my skirt instead of my pants.  Seto knocked on the door and got some sort of muffled reply before opening it up.

     "My Pharaoh, we have come as you have summoned us," Seto said by way of greeting, followed by a short bow.  I bowed as well, vowing to remain polite.  The Pharaoh was sitting amidst some chairs, but when he heard Seto's greeting he stood and made his way over to us and beckoned us in, a look on his face I couldn't quite understand.  It showed the ultimate sadness and regret, and lines of deep suffering filtered under his crimson eyes.

     "I am glad you two came, for I fear I have some explaining to do," he said by way of his own greeting, and turned to address me directly, "Miss Katiana, last night I recall doing some things and saying some things that I know I shouldn't have done or said.  My only defense, which is no defense at all, is that I was not myself.  I can only hope and pray I receive whatever forgiveness you will allow."  I inched behind Seto, noting that the Pharaoh looked in no ways surprised.

     "If that was all you had to say then I'm surprised I was summoned here at all, unless you needed a mediator," Seto said, "And you say you weren't yourself…"

     "Yes High Priest Seto, that is all, but that is no explanation, no redemption for my behavior towards Miss Katiana," the Pharaoh said, "I also wanted to make sure she would be able to continue translating the texts.  She may return to the temple with you and take them with her if she wishes."

     "I suggested that from the beginning," Seto said, "But I will allow it to be her choice whether she wants to remain here to translate or take them back to the temple with her.  But this incident will not be repeated, not while she is a Priestess in my temple nor ever.  You are to remain away from her at every possible moment if that is what it takes.  I suggest distancing yourself from her entirely, I will not trust you with her safety if I was me but this must be her choice."  The Pharaoh looked at me, as if he expected that as well.  Seto looked at me as well, telling me silently that he was only giving me this choice because it had happened to me or else he would order me back to the temple, job to finish or no job.  He did respect my ability in that I always wanted to finish a task I had begun.

     "I agree with those," the Pharaoh replied, "But if I may, there are but a few words I wish to tell her alone, you may wait outside if you wish, but they are only for her ears."

     "Katiana, would you be alright with that?" Seto asked.

     "W…which part?" I asked.

     "Will you let him speak to you in private for but a moment, I will wait outside if you wish it, otherwise you do not have to," Seto said, and I looked up at him.  I had to hear what the Pharaoh had to say, but I owed him nothing.  The Pharaoh's eyes shone with the deepest regret and I wanted to hear what he had to say, I needed to hear what he had to say.  I nodded slowly.

     "J…just for one m…moment," I said and Seto nodded and went out of the room, his cloak billowing behind him.  The door shut swiftly and I heard his footsteps stop outside the room a little ways.  The Pharaoh made no move towards me and I made no more towards him or the door for that matter.  We stood facing each other, silent as though we were dead, our eyes meeting only for a brief moment before I decided the silence had to end.

     "My P…Pharaoh," I said, the pregnant pause coming to an end.

     "I remember everything that happened last night…" he said, "Miss Katiana; I have no words to give to undo what I have done.  All I am able to give is an apology, to say I am sorry."

     "…" I didn't respond to him, I didn't know how I should respond to him.

     "I also remember everything that I said.  I…well… it…" he began and I looked at him oddly, "What I said to you…last night… not all of it was… not all of it was untrue…"

     "W…What part?" I asked.  If he was going to say he wanted me again, what was I going to do?  Here he was in what seemed like normality, if he said he wanted me again, even ordered me to be with him…  The Pharaoh took a few steps closer to me until he was but a breath and a half away and I was staring into his chest.  Fear shot through me and I backed up a step.  The Pharaoh didn't stop me.  He raised his hand and his fingertips lightly brushed my cheek, a gentle caress, as light as the wind…

     "You truly are beautiful and not just that… but… I think somewhere… along the way… I believe that I… I believe that I… Never mind Miss Katiana," he said, settling on those fallen words, "Goodbye, I shall keep my distance and I don't expect I shall be keeping your company any longer.  High Priest Seto was right to be protective of you, may he continue to do so where I have clearly failed."

     "B…but!" I said, silencing myself, seeing his eyes sparkle for just a moment, just a flicker of untold desire, sorrow, longing, all which seemed to be in his crimson orbs at once, "Alright…"  For some reason now I didn't want to go… I wanted to stay here with him.  Last night, it didn't matter anymore, it didn't matter!  He was lonely… I… I wanted to take his sorrow away; I wanted to take his pain away.  I turned and headed towards the door, placing my hand on the smooth handle.

     "Miss Katiana," the Pharaoh said and I turned halfway and looked at him, his hand seemed stretched out towards me, towards some goal or dream he could not reach anymore, and it fell, it fell as quickly as it had risen, "Never mind."

     "My P…Pharaoh?" I asked and he looked into my eyes, "May… May… n…never mind."  I exited out the door and shut it behind me, a tear coming to my eye.

     "Are you going to continue working now?" a soft voice asked.  I looked around to see High Priestess Isis walking towards me, noting that Seto was further down the hall, a look of concentration upon his face.

     "I h…have to," I stammered, "I p…promised I would."

     "That's good.  If I may ask, what did the Pharaoh talk to you about?" she asked kindly.

     "He… apo… said he w…was sorry," I said.

     "Did he say anything else to you?" she asked, almost expectantly and I shook my head, "I see… I look forward to seeing you complete your work then."  High Priestess Isis walked away in the opposite direction of where I was.  When she turned a corner, and seeing Seto still focusing on something I turned back towards the Pharaoh's chamber door and pressed my hand towards it, followed by my ear.  I heard a small sobbing sound, someone must be crying inside!  I pressed my other hand against the door, foolishly thinking that it could offer comfort to whoever was crying.  Wait, the Pharaoh was the only one inside the room, wasn't he?  Why would a Pharaoh such as him cry?

     "Katiana, are you done?" Seto called from down the hall and I jumped, startled and turned away from the door again and walked towards Seto.  I didn't want to go, I wanted to open that door and hold the Pharaoh until his tears faded away.

     "I'm d…done," I said and walked past him.  No, I had to leave, I had to go away from him, Seto wanted it and the Pharaoh agreed to never see me much less talk to me hardly ever again!  I didn't want to leave, I had to though; I had to.  I turned towards the door one final time, as if something was going to change, as if I'd see the Pharaoh walk out, proud as he had ever been, with that same smile on his face, but my hope for that dwindled, then faded and then disappeared.  Seto would kill me; I wondered what this emotion was inside of me now that I was feeling.

…

     The next few days were empty, hollow.  I had decided to stay.  The Pharaoh hardly spoke to me, save to say "Good Morning Miss Katiana" or "Goodnight Miss Katiana."  He wouldn't escort me anywhere like he used to, his servants who he had sent as escorts always said he was too busy and he sends his apologies.

     "Oh, t…that's alright," I would reply, "I'm sure he's v…very busy."  I felt so hollow inside, so alone, no one else would talk to me much except Seto, who came as often as he could to the palace, almost everyday to make sure I was alright.  But the conversations with him weren't any help.  I truly felt alone.

…

     Nothing, nothing and more nothing!  Nothing in this text either explains what could be wrong or explains what is going on with the Pharaoh!  Nothing!  Of course, the only reason I believe these have anything to do with the Pharaoh at all is because these texts at first described something that happened years ago, like a couple millennia, which affected the most powerful, which in the present day case is the Pharaoh.  Of course, it doesn't go into detail and I really have no evidence to back it up except a gut feeling that there's some sort of connection so I'm at a loss…  There has to be another tome out there, actually describing what's going on and maybe even how to beat it!

     "This is w…worthless!" I exclaimed, almost wanting to chuck the tome I was reading at the wall.  I wanted to help the Pharaoh, but there seemed to be no way, and that made me feel a little angry and useless.

     "Are you alright Miss?" a voice asked and I looked up startled to see High Priest Shadi, who was peeking his head into the library, "Oh, you must be Miss Katiana."
     "Yes…I am," I said startled, "But I'm f…fine."

     "You don't sound fine," he said, stepping inside, "You were giving off strong feeling of chaos, strong emotions which drew me here."  High Priest Shadi was sort of empathic, feeling emotions of others very strongly.  I always had found him unemotional when he came to see Seto but now he seemed like he wasn't, or something like that.

     "These t…tomes," I said, "Weren't you t…the one that f…found them?"

     "Yes, my priests and I were on an excavation," High Priest Shadi replied, "And from what I hear you're doing an excellent job of translating them."
     "Is t…this all you found?" I asked and he nodded, "There h…has to be one missing!"

     "One what, one of these tomes?  I am sorry Miss Katiana; these were all we found, is something wrong with them?" he asked and I nodded back.

     "I c…can't find anything in t…them that m…might help the Pharaoh!" I exclaimed tiredly, "And I b…believe there's more!  I j…just don't have proof t…that there is except a f…feeling…"
     "Sometimes the strongest things come from feelings," he said, "But we did not find any other tomes."
     "Where d…did you find these?" I asked gesturing to the tomes I had strewn across the table.

     "In an underground temple far outside the city," he said, "Even beyond our fields far down the Nile."

     "Can you g…get me there?" I asked, "A m…map or something?"

     "But why would you need to get there?" he asked, "Don't tell me you wish to go, all by yourself to see if there's another tome, I can assure you that there isn't."

     "B…but I don't b…believe that!" I exclaimed, startling him, "S…Sorry.  I mean that I n…need to know for myself.  I w…want to help him if I c…can."

     "You mean the Pharaoh," he said and my silence seemed to confirm it, "Very well but I will assign you a guide, someone from the original team…"  I shook my head quickly.

     "I h…have to go alone," I said, "I f…feel I have to."

     "You care for the Pharaoh, don't you…" Shadi said, taking a step closer to me, as if trying to read my thoughts by my emotions, "Are you sure?  You do know that I will only give you a head start, because High Priest Seto will want to know where you've gone and why and it's my duty to tell him.  I will not lie for you about where you are, you could be putting yourself in more danger by refusing a guide."

     "I'll be f…fine," I said, planning to take my pendant along, where my Blackland Fire Dragon, my spirit monster slept.

     "Very well, tomorrow I will bring you a map and then we will arrange what you are to do, at the very least let me help you to plan something," he said, "You are a very unique girl, no wonder the Pharaoh likes you…"

     "W…what?" I asked startled and High Priest Shadi looked at me for the first time with a smile upon his face.

     "You heard, I know you did," he said and then walked out of the room.  I was left there confused and overjoyed.  I was going to go and find this tome, I was going to be able to help him, the Pharaoh, I knew the answers would be there, something within me just told me they would be, at least some of them…at least some of them…

TBC

A/N: Yeah, I actually had this chapter written out beforehand, so all I had to do was copy it into word.  I'm glad you like my story, and I'm glad some of you will from now on read the A/N at the beginning, that's where the warnings will normally be!  I'm so happy a lot of you are still getting into it and I can't wait to see what you think of this chapter, stuff happened…

And don't worry; this story will go on for a while.  I have a lot of plans and plot twists for this.

*munches on cookie* Yum!

Anyways, yeah, so let me know what you think, even if it's just a rating.  (Wow, I have a following for this story…cool!)

I am planning on being a writer someday, so this, writing stories people love is one step along my road.

*lights a fire*

This is because as of yet I have received no flames, so you can still all roast your marshmallows, LOL.  (Although the flames are still used to feed this feeble marshmallow roasting fire if need be…)

Can't wait to hear from you all, my wonderful reviewers and talk to you all in the next chapter, eh?